Princess Celestia was always happy to see her faithful student Twilight Sparkle. And in light of recent events, that feeling had shot through the roof.

The Summer Sun Celebration had ended for another year a few days earlier. Normally it was a rather dull affair. But this year had marked her sister Luna's return, thanks to Twilight and her new friends.

Twilight herself had returned to Canterlot for a few days, while Spike stayed in Ponyville, to pack her belongings and break the news to her parents herself.

So it was with some surprise that Celestia saw the lavender unicorn trot into the Day Court with an old book floating along beside her in her magic.

"To what do I owe the pleasure Twilight? I am always happy to see you, but I thought you were leaving for Ponyville today?" Celestia asked.

Twilight nodded sheepishly. "I am Princess Celestia. But I found something and I just had to ask about it before I left."

With that, Twilight flipped the book open to a specific page. One Celestia knew rather well actually. She had been expecting this in truth for some time now.

"I am surprised it took you this long to ask about it Twilight. Few today know about this legend and myth," she said with a sigh.

Twilight was surprised that her mentor knew what she was going to ask about, but her natural curiosity won out in the end. "So what is this, Vapor Island?"

"It is an island that supposedly exists far to the west of Equestria. It is also supposedly surrounded by a perpetual storm," Celestia replied as she stood and walked over to a nearby window, one looking west in fact. "Every sea fairing race has stories about it. For centuries ships have vanished there with few survivors."

Twilight scratched her chin. "How come I've never heard of it?"

Celestia smiled. "The last one happened long before you were born Twilight. It is no surprise you have never heard of it before now."

"We're there any survivors?" Twilight asked.

Celestia nodded sadly. "Only one. The ship's owners confirmed his identity. Out of a crew of thirty ponies, only he survived to return to Equestria."

Twilight was shocked. "What happened to the rest of the crew then?"

Celestia shook her head. "Nopony knows for sure what happened to them or the ship. His story didn't make much sense when he told me."

***

The stallion had a haunted look in his eyes, one that even the Royal Guard was surprised at. Princess Celestia herself kept up her usual calm and benevolent exterior.

But this whole thing concerned her deeply. Vanhoover's ships were known to be among the best on Equus. What could cause this?

The stallion shook his head at some memory. "That island is death princess. It has only one king. Lucky for us we didn't antagonize him."

"Does this king have a name?" Celestia asked, wondering if she had somehow missed a ruler in all her dealings with other nations.

He shrugged. "The natives have a name for him, but we were never able to translate it. Strange, hairless apes they are, they were friendly at least."

That raised even more eyebrows. What did he mean by that?

The stallion hardened his gaze. "Mark my words Princess Celestia. No good will ever come from that island. Just death. A lost world. One that should remain lost."

"""

"That was all he told me. The shipping line gave him a comfortable retirement after that I have heard. As far as I know, he never spoke of what happened to him after that," Celestia continued.

Twilight was really intrigued now. She loved f learning and finding new things. "How come pony has ever looked for the island? If there is one, mariners should know how to avoid it shouldn't they?"

Celestia smiled ruefully. "None of the survivors could ever say exactly where this island is. Even our best Court Mages have been unable to find it."

"What about the shipping line? They must have something, right?" Twilight asked.

Celestia shook her head. "Unfortunately the line went bankrupt a century ago, and their remaining records were lost in a fire not long after that I'm afraid. No one who worked for the line is still living."

She turned to look at Twilight. "Maybe it is for the best that this island remains lost. If it even exists at all. Too many good ponies were lost to it. I will not risk more. Hence why it is on no map."

Despite her curiosity saying otherwise, Twilight couldn't bring herself to argue that. If the island was that dangerous, then nopony should risk their lives to find or explore it. "Do you think it exists Princess Celestia?" She asked.

Princess Celestia smiled. "There are many things about our world that are strange and mysterious Twilight. Things we have not found or understand. I do believe that something did this to them. And if it wants to be found, then one day we will find it."

Twilight bowed her head. It was a lesson, even if her mentor hadn't meant it to be. And she should know. Her whole recently had changed because of something like this.

That reminded her though of another reason she was here as she flipped the pages to the relevant entry. "There's something else princess. The island got me thinking of another I saw in here."

Princess Celestia was curious as to what Twilight meant until she saw the entry Twilight had in mind. "You speak of the Black Iceberg myth?"

Twilight nodded. "I know it can't be a sea serpent. I even asked the one I and the girls met in the Everfree Forest. The myths say it's over two hundred feet tall and is always moving. Steven said his kind don't grow that big, or as fast as this is supposed too."

Celestia sighed. "Twilight. The Black Iceberg is nothing but a myth. Fishermen have reported seeing it for centuries, yet nothing has ever been proven. It isn't real."

Twilight bit her lip, wondering if she was overstepping her boundaries, but she had to know. "Didn't you once spend a few years looking for it a few hundred years ago?"

Celestia bit back a scowl. Taking her frustration out on Twilight was wrong. Her student was only curious and meant no disrespect. "Yes, Twilight. For a time the Royal Council ruled in my stead while I galavanted across Equus looking for it. I never saw a spec of it."

She sighed. "After that, I swore off the myth. I don't regret my time away for it did me much good in the long run and the Royal Council ruled well."

She smiled as she placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulders. "But heed my advice, my faithful student. It is nothing but a myth. There is no such thing as the Black Iceberg."

Author's Note

Oh, how Princess Celestia will eat those words in a few years. If it isn't already obvious, the island they're talking about is Skull Island and the native human population.

Its place and how it exists at all in My Little Pony will all make sense when the sequel is released. For now, it will remain a mystery.

This is just the first entry in a larger project of mine. One that is, in fact, a complete rebooting of the very first fanfic I ever wrote. Now much better I hope than the original version.