A Different Kind of Adventure

by JJ GingerHooves

Rating: everyone
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Original Character, Slice of Life
Length: 5573

Short simple one-shot written for the Author Support prompt.

Sometimes adventures aren't just epic tales of danger and glory. Sometimes changes within us can be just as great an adventure in itself.

Published 2012-09-03 04:44:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-09-03 04:44:01 UTC

A Different Kind of Adventure

“And then I found myself standing before a seemingly bottomless pit, nothing but darkness lay before me!” The earth pony rambled to an uninterested stallion. “So guess what I did?”

The bored listener looked away from his coffee and looked at the excited storyteller. “What?” He groaned.

“I galloped for it and leapt over the pit! Luckily there was a vine hanging from the ceiling in the middle so I grabbed that and the momentum from my jump was enough to send me safely across the other side!” The pony swiped his hoof through the air and made a ‘whoosh’ sound.

“Listen pal,” the other pony said, before downing the rest of his drink. “I don’t believe that story one bit; you’re not Daring Do you know.”

“Well duh! I know that. She is my idol though.”

“That explains a lot.” The jaded pony muttered. He then stood up, leaving his mug on the table. “I gotta go now. See you later...Dusty, was it?”

“Dustdigger. But Dusty works too. See you later!” Dusty waved energetically at his acquaintance.

“Uh yeah...sure.” The departing pony then turned and left Sugarcube Corner, hiding rolling eyes from Dustdigger.

“Well he sure seemed cynical.” He muttered, taking a sip from his own coffee mug. Surrounded by the tables just outside the confectionery, Dusty definitely stood out from the crowd. This was mostly due to the fact he was the one wearing the most clothing.

Atop his slightly scruffy brown mane sat a brown, worn looking russet hat. Despite its apparent age, it still looked quite stylish. Covering the front of his yellow body was a classy, old looking suit. It was dark brown, tweed and under it lay a white buttoned shirt with a black bowtie nestled around the collar. In today’s day and age, it was an obvious fashion disaster but Dusty didn’t seem to care.

He had an athletic and lean build, which helped him escape from the dangers of his profession. His cutie mark gave onlookers a clue to what he was: two pickaxes crossed together to make an ‘X’. This stallion was an archaeologist. Granted, he was also a professor but he never referred to himself as one.

He sat alone, quietly enjoying his drink and getting lost in his thoughts. His only company now was in the form of his saddlebags, filled with archaeological tools and supplies that he took everywhere he went. Dusty didn’t have a permanent dwelling; he simply travelled around from town to town, searching for lost artifacts along the way. This freelance life came at a cost but it was one that he thought he could afford.

“Excuse me, sir?”

Dusty twitched his ears and turned around to look at the source of the voice. “What can I do for ya?”

“I couldn’t help but notice that suit you are wearing.” Spoke the orange mare. She certainly seemed classy. Indeed, her well kept black mane was a testament to that.

“Oh? Do you like it?” Dustdigger inquired, smiling.

“Well er...” The unicorn paused, thinking of an apt word. “It’s certainly something isn’t it? Maybea bit out of date?” She smiled sweetly.

“Well that’s because it is.” He replied. “It’s an antique, actually.”

“Oh?” The mare raised an eyebrow.

“At least a hundred years old.” Dusty nodded sagely.

“Oh my.” She blinked, taken off guard by that statement. “I can see why you wear it then. Well...you certainly are bold then. I do love your hat though.”

Dusty patted the top of his head, grinning. “Heh, thanks.”

The mare stared at the archaeologist’s saddlebags, then let out a small gasp.”Oh where are my manners? I’m Summer Sky. It’s good to meet you.”

“Dustdigger. And if you haven’t guessed already, I’m an archaeologist.” He smirked boldly.

“An archaeologist? You must have some stories to tell then. I must ask though: what brings you to Ponyville?” Summer asked politely.

He merely shrugged. “I travel a lot and so I had to end up here at some point. Besides, there may be interesting sites of archaeological importance nearby.”

“Such as the Everfree Forest?”

Dusty finished drinking the rest of his coffee, then spoke. “Ah yes, I heard of that. Full of monsters and creepy things, right?”

“That and ancient ruins. At least, those are what the rumors claim anyway.” She seemed to make a sly grimace as she saw Dusty’s mane.

The archaeologist immediately stood upright from his table, stepping closer to Summer. Much to her discomfort. “Ruins you say?”

“Um, yes. That is what I said.” She laughed awkwardly. Looking directly at him, it was apparent to her that Dusty was full of life. “You’re not planning on going there, are you?”

“Of course I am!” He proclaimed. “It will be an adventure after all.”

“Adventure, right. Don’t you think you’re rushing into this a tad?” She made small steps back away from him.

“Listen Summer: when you’ve been in this business as long as I have, you tend to be pretty good at it.” The stallion stated, beginning to put on his saddlebags.

“But I don’t think you know what you’re getting in--”

“Well thanks for the tip Miss Summer, I wish you good luck with...” He froze, wondering what the heck she did for a living. “...life. Um. See ya!” And then he galloped away at a breakneck pace, leaving a dumbstruck Summer behind.

Dusty lived for adventure. He was addicted to the surge of adrenaline it give him. He was an addict for doing things; If he sat quietly in a room, it would not take long before he started to fidget and daydream. This gave the impression to others that he was naive and even dumb. A statement that couldn’t be further from the truth. Dusty was very intelligent - it was his thirst for excitement that put a halt to sensible thought.

He heard some of the stories about the Everfree Forest. Full of untamed, out of control beasts and monsters apparently. That didn’t deter him though. In fact, it probably spurred him on a bit further. He had deal with poisonous snakes, alligators and even Diamond Dogs before and all those encounters only served to boost his bravery level.

He rushed through Ponyville, looking like a child chasing a carriage full of candy. He ignored the confused faces and the snickers at his expense, solely focused on getting to the forest.

Except he didn’t know where it was exactly, which resulted in him galloping around Ponyville as if was an idiot. He even went in circles a few times although he finally noticed that he was going past the same buildings and changed his path. The onlookers had to give him credit though; his energy seemed to be everlasting. Although this meant that some ponies had to speculate about him:

“Bon Bon?”

“Yes Lyra?”

“Does he have--”

“It’s best that we don’t know.”

Soon he stopped however, as he was just going in circles at this point. He needed directions.

“Uh, excuse me miss?” He hollered to a cerise coloured mare. She looked around, trying to find the source of the sound before finally meeting Dusty’s gaze.

“Um, what can I do for you?” She asked.

“Can you give me directions to the Everfree forest?” He smiled, asking the question so innocently.

“The what?” The mare blinked.

“Did I mumble? Sorry ‘bout that. Tends to happen sometimes. I said ‘the Everfree forest’.”

The mare, known to most as Berry Punch, would have rolled her eyes at Dusty’s ignorance if he wasn’t staring right at her. “Are you sure you want to go in there? It’s pretty dangerous.”

“They said that about my mother in law but she doesn’t bite!”

Berry looked blankly at Dusty. “Er...?”

“Just kidding--I don’t have a mother in law!” He snickered while Berry stood there, mystified. “It was a mother in law joke..’cause everyone hates them for some reason? No...?”

“Erm...just take that path there...” She pointed at a dirt path that led out of the town. Dusty facehoofed. How could he have missed that? All his excitement must have blinded him.

“Alright, thank you!” Dusty said, before trotting off down the path leaving yet another confused pony behind.

He began to break into a gallop down the path, almost knocking over a terrified yellow pegasus in the process. Eventually he found himself at his desired destination, ignoring the pretty little cottage nearby. He stood at the path that went under the canopy of criss-crossing branches. He found it odd that the day seemed to go darker than it was in Ponyville but he didn’t let his mind linger on it. With a deep breath, he began to enter the overgrowth.

Fallen leaves and twigs crumpled and snapped under the weight of his hooves. Sniffing the air, he found the aroma of the forest to be so natural it was unnatural. It sounded weird even just thinking about it.

Why was this forest allowed to grow unchecked anyway? Right near a village no less. More mysteries, perhaps some without clear answers.

Gasping, he halted just before stepping into the flowers in front of him.

“Ah, poison joke.” He snickered and lowered his head closer to the plants. “Didn’t get me this time did ya? I guess the joke’s on you! Haha! Hah...” he cleared his throat, realizing how awful his joke was. “Yes. Moving on.”

Considering the flowers had no strong scent, it was very uneasy for a wandering adventurer to make contact with them. Depending on what the flower did to them, the results could be disastrous. The last time Dusty was affected by poison joke, his legs felt like jelly. This resulted in several boring days of bedrest in a hospital. Ever since those days, he hated hospitals. Nothing exciting ever happened in a hospital!

He went around the patch of flora, which meant clearing his way through some bushes. Sharp branches and leaves rubbed against his skin, causing him some pain. He went on regardless; he had suffered a lot worse in his time.

Bursting forth from the tangled mess of leaves, he checked that his suit, hat and supplies were intact. “Hat: Check. Supplies: Lemme see...yep! Check. Suit: Che--how did a slug get there?”

A slug slowly crawled up his suit, creating a messy slime trail in its wake. He wiped it off and got it onto his hoof. From there, he attempted to get it onto the ground. It wouldn’t break free.

“C’mon, get off.” Dustdigger ordered, starting to shake his hoof wildly in the air. The slug remained. “Right, you’re annoying me now.”

After mere seconds of flailing, Dusty deduced that he would have to let the slug get off on its own accord. Sighing, he put his hoof near a bush and waited for the slug to crawl onto a leaf.

He frowned, tapping his other hooves on the ground impatiently. “I don’t have all day you know.” After a few minutes, the slug and pony were separated. “Finally!” Dusty cheered and trotted off deeper into the forest.

Venturing further and further within the overgrowth, he began to hear the shrill cries of birds. Always heard but never seen. A few glowflies hovered around, their bodies emanating pretty green and orange lights. The actions of species resulted in the Everfree becoming a place of horror but also an enchanting one.

The path, if you could even call it one, that Dusty was following soon got lost in the overgrowth and it became increasingly hard to keep his bearings. Shrubs, flowers and grasses grew from the earth, all in a contest to soak up the Sunlight. Not that there was much here. The Everfree seemed to have its own contained ecosystem, one that didn’t obey the rules of the outside world.

He didn’t even know what he was looking for. Ruins or something? That could have been anything. Maybe even just a stone pillar. Even if it was though, a find is a find and something to note down.

Suddenly, the sound of something hitting the ground made him jump. It came from behind him so he slowly turned around to see what was there...

A tree branch had fallen from its former position. Dusty sighed with relief. The source of the noise could have been something far worse, like a timberwolf. Timberwolves...such odd creatures. Dusty didn’t know if they were really made out of wood or not but if they were then the most important question to ask would be how did they function? The only living beings to be able to function while being wood are trees and they can’t move. Unless...timberwolves aren’t living at all.

He went onwards, determined not to get distracted. However he soon froze again; judging by the growl he heard, a creature had other ideas.

He tucked into his saddlebag, getting out his trusty shovel. It was a crude weapon but it’d have to do; he didn’t plan to run from this. That’d only get him two things: a) Tired and b) Lost.

The growl sounded again. Dusty bit harder on the shovel, feeling a mix of nervousness and adrenaline. He had never faced a timberwolf in his life so if this creature was one, this encounter would be...new. In some respects at least. He was no stranger to getting attacked by animals.

He peered about carefully, trying to detect where the mystery creature was. He saw the glowing eyes just in time. As well as the rest of the creature as it lunged out of the trees towards him. He dived to the left, skidding across the earth a bit. Quickly getting up and turning around, he identified his attacker as a timberwolf.

Just my luck. He thought, getting ready to avoid another strike.

The beast didn’t let up, leaping at the pony once more. This time Dusty was more prepared, so all he had to do was a quick sidestep. He felt the raw power and speed of the monster as it sped past him. Dusty didn’t have time to be awe-struck though and knew he had to counter now.

He turned once again and slammed his shovel on the timberwolves back as hard as he could possibly manage. The vibrations caused by the impact rattled his teeth but he kept a hold of his weapon. The timberwolf roared in pain and as Dusty fell back, he could see that his attack had actually left a dent on the creature.

It was incredibly angry now, constantly emitting a low growl and bearing its sharp teeth. Letting out a mighty roar it raced at Dusty, its maw wide open, ready to bite into the pony’s flesh. Sadly for the beast, it didn’t seem to be very smart as Dusty sidestepped for the second time, easily dodging its attack. The big difference however was that Dusty slammed his shovel into the timberwolf’s face.

A loud thump resonated as the shovel made contact with the animal. Ouch, that’s gotta hurt.

Dusty expected another attack but instead, the timberwolf let out a defeated wail and slumped to the ground, unconscious. Dusty stared at the beast’s form, his heart racing. These were the moments when he felt the most alive. Near death moments. He wasn’t suicidal of course just a bit...eccentric?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the wolf did not bleed. Splinters did come out of its face though, which may have be the equivalent for such a species. With renewed vigor, Dusty left the timberwolf there and continued with his search.

After a short while of trudging through more plant life, he entered a clearing. In the centre of the dirt lay a hollow tree stump. The sight of it alone piqued Dustdigger’s interests and so he started to investigate.

He approached the stump and stared at the ground surrounding it. Despite his excitable ways, Dusty he an incredible knack for detail when he put his mind to it. His talents came through, as he spotted a patch of earth that looked like it had been disturbed.

“Tut tut tut. Looks like somepony’s bad at burying things.” Going up on two hooves, he grabbed his shovel and began to dig up the ground looking for whatever was buried beneath it.

“I wonder what it could be! A vase? Or maybe a chest full of jewels! Oh the possibilities!” He chirped, digging incredibly fast. The reason why Dusty talked to himself a lot was because it made him feel less lonely on adventures; he often went solo. Being a travelling pony, he rarely had the opportunity to settle down and make friends. The other reason he talked out loud was because it helped him map out his thoughts better.

Clunk!

Dusty shivered as the vibrations from the shovel shot through him. He had struck...something. He shoveled out the earth surrounding the object and it didn’t take him long to see it in its entirety.

Sitting in the crater Dusty had just made was a small, silver lockbox that was very dull in design. Picking it up, the archaeologist saw that it was in pretty bad shape; it was rusty and there was a couple of dents here and there. He put his ear to the box and shook it.

He grinned madly. “Something’s inside! Brilliant!” Mustering all of his strength, he tried to pry open the box and reveal its secret. He only succeeding in wearing himself out.

“Damn. I’ll need help to open this so...back to Ponyville!” He announced, putting the shovel and lockbox into his saddlebags. With that done, he left the disturbed earth behind him and galloped back towards civilisation. He had completely forgotten about the rumors Summer told him about.

Dusty raced about in Ponyville once more, this time fuelled by a thirst for knowledge rather than adventure. Yet again, he bewildered passers by. Some were freaked out, while others who had soon him before were slightly annoyed at the fact that he was still rushing around. However this time it didn’t take him so long to find his destination, as he actually knew what it looked like. He’d seen it before in pictures and in books.

Dustdigger didn’t know Ponyville all too well but he knew one vital fact about it; the Princess’ best student lived here - Twilight Sparkle. To make things better, she lived in a library filled with books. Many contained information that Dusty would love to get his hooves on. He also knew the other elements of harmony (or rather, their wielders) lived here but he didn’t really know of them. He could have passed one in the street and been completely unaware of it.

He cast his eyes over the carved in tree before him. It was very impressive and unique for a library. Most libraries were boring and Dusty only came for the books. And they always had a cranky librarian that without fail would nag him to calm down. He hoped Twilight wasn’t like them.

Going to the front door, he was about to knock on it when he realized that he could probably just stroll in; it was a public building after all. Butterflies formed in his stomach as he creaked open the door. To meet the famous Twilight Sparkle would be such a huge honor!

He crept in, trying not to be too loud just in case she scolded him for it.

“Ah, hello there!” Chimed Twilight, noticing Dusty’s arrival.

Dusty cleared his throat, wanting to make a good impression. “Greetings. It’s an honor to meet you!” He took off his hat and bowed as a sign of respect. The librarian raised an eyebrow but didn’t make any comments.

“What can I do for you Mr...?”

“Dustdigger. But if you want, you can call me Dusty.” He put his hat back on.

“A pleasure, Dusty. I assume you know me already, yes?” She smirked.

“Yes, yes I do! The smartest pony in all of Equestria!” Dusty exclaimed.

“Oh well...I don’t know about that really.” She smiled. “Do you need a book?”

“Ah...books...” Dusty barely took in all the shelves around him before but now he had the chance. He was easily entranced (and therefore distracted) by them. He went around the room, glancing at the books’ spines and reading their titles. A few in particular caught his eye.

“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! You have all the Daring Do books! She’s my idol!” He hopped excitedly on the spot.

“Um. Yes, yes I do.” Twilight laughed, somewhat awkwardly. “Would you like to borrow one?”

“I would, if I didn’t own them all already that is.” Dusty had the Daring Do books since he was a little foal. When he wasn’t playing in the sandbox or imagining he was infiltrating secret ruins, you could be sure that he was tucked away in his room reading about the adventures of Daring Do.

“Ah, perhaps another book then?”

Dusty luckily managed to remember his actual reason for coming here instead of ranting about possible archaeological books that Twilight may have owned. “No but I need a favour. If you’d be so kind that is.”

“Well it really depends what it is. But go ahead and ask.”

Dusty went back towards Twilight and then put the lockbox he had found onto the floor. “I need to find a way to open this and since you’re the cleverest pony around, you must know a method!”

The unicorn levitated the box with her magic, inspecting it closely. “Hm...you’ll need a locksmith for this and I’m just not cut out for that job, sorry to disappoint.” She put it gently on the ground. “Where did you find this anyway?”

“The Everfree forest.” Dusty replied nonchalantly.

She blinked. “You went there alone?”

“Yep.” Dusty nodded.

“That’s...impressive.” It was definitely something to her; either stupidity or bravery. Maybe a bit of both.

“I suppose. The only dangerous things I encountered were poison joke and an annoying slug that just wouldn’t get off me. I’m fine though.” He shrugged, not noticing Twilight’s confused looks. “So I need a locksmith huh?”

“It would seem so.” Twilight replied.

“Lemme have a try.” Twilight’s baby dragon assistant strolled to the lockbox and picked it up. He then stuck his index claw in the lock and wiggled it about a bit, concentrating deeply. He couldn’t see Dustdigger’s eyes widen and jaw drop in amazement.

Twilight looked at Dusty. “Are you alright?”

He blinked. “Oh, yes! But he’s a baby dragon! That’s amazing!”

“Uh-huh. Spike’s my name, don’t wear it out.” Spike muttered, still fiddling with the lock.

“Well, he is amazing indeed. My assistant and my best friend.” Twilight stated. Spike just grunted in response, almost done with the lock. With a click, it opened and Spike put it on the ground.

It was only then he realized that Dusty was staring at him like he was a delicious cupcake. “Uh. I’m gonna go now. See ya later.” He said awkwardly and quickly made his exit.

Dustdigger watched him go. “That’s amazing...where do I get one?!”

“Wh-what? You don’t...you don’t buy dragons.” Twilight replied, baffled at how the stallion could ask such a silly question.

“Oh. Right. I knew that...heh, silly me.” He faked a laugh, then put his attention on the lockbox. “Let’s see what secrets it holds, eh?” He picked it up and peered inside.

There were no jewels, no ancient texts from a forgotten era, not even tools. Instead there was a black and white photograph depicting a stallion and a mare standing next to each other, smiling happily. Underneath that photo was a painting of average quality. The mare in the artwork was the same one in the photo. She looked beautiful, with gleaming blue eyes and a long, golden mane. Finally, there was a note covered in hoof writing.

“Huh, wonder who these folks are.” Dusty said as Twilight joined him in his inspection. The couple in the photo looked very at ease with each other. It was clear that there were romantically involved. The picture brought a smile to the examiners faces.This was a find but clearly, it was also a moment. The ponies in the picture had shared something together. Something truly wonderful. Something that Dusty had yet to understand fully yet.

Indeed, this was the most heartwarming find he had ever discovered. Probably because it wasn’t just fact. It was also emotion. This wasn’t something simple like a broken vase. It was essentially a snapshot in the lives of two ponies that were in love with one another.

“What does the note say?” Twilight asked.

“Hold on, I’ll read it out.” Dustdigger coughed, clearing his throat before beginning.

Dear Amber Glow

This will be the final letter that I will write to you and the last one you will ever read. It seems so cruel that we have to be torn apart now but...I don’t know...

I know you hear this from me all the time but I would not be able to live with myself if I didn’t write these words down: I love you so much.

Some ponies may find it funny how we still write letters to each other despite living together but I don’t care for their opinions; this was how we fell in love after all.

You still have my first letter that I wrote to you. Oh how it makes me cringe. I never had the courage back then to explain my feelings for you to your face but over time I grew to say them every day.

Thank you for that. Thank you for filling my life with joy and helping me to grow.

I was about to ask you whether you remember our first kiss but that’s a silly question. How could we forget? The glowflies were our audience and the Everfree forest was our stage.

Dusty halted for just a moment.The history of Equestria was never just fun and games. That’s because history is life and as such, follows the same ups and downs.

It was magical. You’re magical. And no, that isn’t because you’re a unicorn.

You loved that forest and to this day, I’m not completely sure why. I remember when you took me there the first time and I went into some poison joke. You cured me yourself. You’re brilliant like that. I only wish I could do the same to you right now.

You showed me that no matter how terrifying a place or situation may be, there is always a light in the darkness. I will continue to visit the glowflies until the day I die and remember that special day.

I could write so much more about you. About us. But that would defeat the purpose of this letter.

Goodbye Amber, my special somepony. I will love you for as long as I live and even after that. I’ll never forget you, even when I grow senile.

Once you move onto greener pastures, I shall put this in a lockbox along with other treasured mementos of ours. I’ll bury it in the Everfree forest, so a part of you will always be with that magical place you adored so much.

Until next we meet,

Ice Cutter

The two stared blankly at the page in silence, both taking in the words and at the same time, trying to form new ones to say in their heads.

“Oh my...I don’t think I can ever imagine the pain that stallion must have felt while he wrote that.” Twilight remarked.

Dusty had never found a love letter before and he regretted that this was the first one he had to read. Evidently the stallion’s lover passed away shortly after he wrote the letter, perhaps from some sort of illness.

Dusty wasn’t one for romance. Okay, so he had a couple of one night flings here and there but he had never been committed to anything. And yet, reading the letter made him feel like he had lost someone. Which was odd...he never had someone in the first place.

Dusty nodded to himself, putting the note back in the lockbox and closing it. Everything inside was secure. He felt different than he normally did when examining his finds. Instead of being in amazement, he felt like a great burden had been put upon him.

Guilt.

Twilight picked up on his change in demeanor. “Are you okay Dusty?”

“I feel bad. And I never have before with finding artifacts.” He looked at her. “I’ve never found something like this before. It’s...unrelatable to me but it feels so real. These were real ponies. They loved and it looks like they lost too...”

“Yeah...seems so. What will you do with that now?”

“Put it back where it belongs.” Dusty said determinedly.

Twilight gave him a small smile. “A wise decision.”

Dusty shook his head. “I’m only making up for my mistake.” He put the lockbox back in his saddlebag. “Besides, not all of History needs to be known. This right here...it’s special. Not to us but to them. I should respect that.”

“It’s like reading somepony’s diary, isn’t it?”

Dusty blinked. “Eh?”

“A diary is a pony’s place to record not just the events in their day but also their memories. It’s a place for putting things you can’t tell anypony else. As much as somepony else would love to read it, for pure curiosities sake, they know they can’t because it’s disrespectful to the owner.”

“Where are you going with this?”

“It’s like what you do isn’t it? I can tell you’re an archaeologist. Essentially you’re looking into the lives of ponies past. But not every secret needs to be revealed.” She gestured at his saddlebag. “There’s a fine line between what you should know and what you shouldn’t, isn’t there?”

Dusty nodded slowly. “Mhm. Guess you’re right. Anyway, I better go bury this.” He headed to the front door but before he left, he looked back at Twilight. “Thanks for the help. It’s been great to meet you.”

“It’s been a pleasure Dusty but...Spike did all the work really.” She grinned sheepishly.

“Then tell him I said thanks.”

“You can count on it. Will you return for some books?”

Dusty thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. “Nah. I like to move on, y’know? Keep things fresh. Thanks for the offer though.”

“Ah right, I see.” She could have said goodbye there and then but curiosity drove her to ask a question before the archaeologist left. “Pardon me if this is intrusive but...do you travel alone?” Twilight inquired.

Dusty answered the question like any other. “Yep.”

“In that case...don’t you get lonely?”

Dusty paused and went silent again. He stood there in quiet contemplation before finally giving her a shrug as an answer. “Farewell Twilight. Take care of yourself.”

She frowned at the shrug. Obviously, he was hiding something. But she decided to let him go. “You too Dusty. Farewell.” As soon as Dusty heard her words, he opened the door and slipped back outside.

The glowflies still danced around the forest clearing and the hole that Dusty made was still present. With a heavy sigh, he neatly placed the lockbox back and began the process of burying it.

He didn’t find the irony of his actions funny at all. He just wanted his conscience to be clear and to never speak of this again.

Archaeology is all about uncovering the hidden mysteries of the past and most of the time, it will involve the lives of ponies long gone. Dustdigger knew this but it was only now that he felt it. Now he had learnt that sometimes, some secrets are best left undisturbed. Sometimes, knowledge is far more than facts.

Why did this find affect him so much? He didn’t know the answer to that. Maybe it because of the sensitive nature about it. Maybe it was because he felt like he had been disrespectful to the couple. Whatever the case, he knew that the lockbox needed to be put back where it belonged.

Once the earth had buried the lockbox, he put his dirty shovel away. He stared at the ground for a couple of moments, thinking deeply. He had done the right thing and atoned for his reckless actions.

As he turned to go, he noticed the glowflies still fluttering around him. “The glowflies were my audience and the Everfree forest was my stage.” He admired the insects for a short while then set off, heading back for Ponyville. He would only stay there for a short while, to gather supplies for his next adventure. If you stay somewhere for too long, it begins to get stale. That’s what Dusty thought, anyway.

Even if he had put its find back in the earth, it wasn't all for naught. He had learned and that wasn't just about Ice Cutter and Amber Glow. Actually, matured may be a better way to put it. Before he knew that History did involve ponies lives. That was a no brainer. But not he truly understood it and felt it. And sometimes, the hidden lives of ponies need to stay that--hidden.

Not every adventure is an epic quest full of danger. Not every story is the same. Sometimes, the smallest of actions can lead to the biggest of changes within us and that is a huge adventure in itself.