CLASSIFIED INFORMATION, FOR THE COUNCIL'S EYES ONLY

This archived journal contains heavily classified material relating to an expedition carried out on [REDACTED] to the 'Old World'. Unauthorized viewing, copying or otherwise spreading of the information contained within will result in a fine of upwards $200,000 bits, and an immediate sentence of treason with no trial. You have been warned.

Dear United Tribes Council,

The reunification of the three pony groups has been a tremendous boon for many fields, though I imagine unicorn trappers may disagree with this assertion. The past few weeks alone have been a flurry of activity, especially with the creation of the Council, and I personally have been witness to the birth of many new fields of study, such as magic and the historical sub-class of old world history, the latter of which I find myself a proud part of. I've had the great joy of working with pegasi and unicorn scholars in the shared goal of understanding our history, and learned much more about our world in a few months than I imagine many historians have learned in their lifetimes.

However, as we unravel our shared history, tracing the trail further and further back like tracking fresh animal prints in falling snow, we've come upon a conclusion that is too obvious to ignore, yet too fantastical to believe. You see, we didn't always live on the plains, valleys and mountains we now call home. In fact, quite the contrary. Archaeological evidence suggests the earliest settlers kept close to the oceans and shores, moving inwards sometime in the last a thousand years. What's more, the settlements these artifacts have been found in seem to all originate in the western sections of our world.

There's plenty of reasons, my colleagues have said, for such a strange occurrence. Perhaps the objects were simply preserved better on that coast. Perhaps some of our ancestors repurposed and refurbished the items they used so much it deteriorated, or otherwise became unrecognizable. Maybe the artifacts are still waiting, deposited neatly under a layer of earth we have yet to dig up. Yet still I wonder.

The objects we dug up hint at a story we have yet to fully understand. The technologies these civilizations had are far past the capabilities of the modern day, as they rely on magic to function. This is critical, you see, as the western sea has longer been uncross able, due to rampaging storms and tales of sea monsters. These finds, however, would suggest that our distant ancestors did just that; they crossed the western sea.

Such a conclusion is already widely accepted in archaeological and historical fields, however mostly only believe that our ancestors ventured into the western sea. But such absurd, advanced, catered technology to me suggests something different entirely. What if our ancestors originated from across the western sea? Such a theory is laughable at best to my colleagues. Surely there is nothing to the western sea but death and misery. In fact, many are so certain of this fact that the sea is quite literally called the "Dead Sea". Then again, we wouldn't be learning any of this at all if someone hadn't dared go against the status quo, hadn't looked at the old myths and asked "Why?" or "How?".

I have been in contact with a friend of mine, Dr. Windbreaker, regarding one such of these ancient finds. A boat, likely built to transport goods or people, or even both. According to him, the craft was built with pine, a naturally absorbent wood. The craft was, however, covered in an array of complex spells, allowing it to remain above the water for some decades unattended before it sunk. They've reverse-engineered these spells, and have had success in applying them to boats and structures alongside the coast.

I propose then, in the interest of discoveries, knowledge, and old myths about lavender princesses and an old utopian land, an expedition across the Dead Sea. I believe it could lead to the most important discoveries of the centuries for all ponies that now live under the United Tribes territories. The discoveries that lie beyond the western sea must be deemed of utmost importance.

I eagerly await your response,

Blue Tones.

The proposed expedition within has been

APPROVED

By the United Tribes Council.

The information within these pages is the personal account of Blue Tones, earth pony historian and expedition leader of the Old World Expedition. The account contained within is unverified, and many details border on the impossible.

In the interests of the public, and in line with the freedom of information, this journal has been "borrowed", annotated, and otherwise altered and translated by Feather Quill. Definitions, annotations, and otherwise important reader information has been included at the bottom of this text.

Author's Note

.....
I was tipped off by an informant of an interesting addition to the archives in which I mange, a journal containing a restricted account so bizarre, so outlandish, that I didn't believe them. Such discoveries, such theories would have made quick rounds, and yet there wasn't a single word. For all I know, it might be an elaborate work of fiction. I've never heard of this Blue Tones, and isn't Dr. Windbreaker retired? But for the sake of knowledge, I find we must consider every possibility, otherwise we'd be poor scientists.

- Feather Quill.
.....

DEFINITIONS
United Tribes Territories : After the reunification of the three pony species, the territories that make up the land were merged under one umbrella, divided by territories of claimed land.

United Tribes Council : A council formed by the leaders of each species, able to make important decisions, such as approve expeditions.

The Old World, "old utopian land" : In old myths, it is rumored that the land used to be united between all species. That there were no wars, no famine, nor grief.

"lavender princesses" : Likely in reference to a princess of old myth, the ruler of the Old World, Princess Twilight Sparkle.