The Lost World

The Lost World

Chapter 3

By: Bairiko

As the train pulled in to Canterlot station, seven mares stood out from the crowd. After depositing the remains of the ice cream in the trash, Lyra spoke up.

"Well, that was a fun ride girls, but I wanna go check up on family before I head anywhere else." Lyra began trotting off into the crowd. "See you at the castle!"

Before the remaining six stood the city of Canterlot proper, capital and seat of government for the Kingdomof Equestria. The marble walkways and stone buildings glinting in the light of the afternoon sun. Rarity was instantly drawn towards to fashion district, but before she could get anywhere Twilight called out. "Alright girls! The Princesses would want to know we're here now, so lets head for the castle."

Of course, little miss egghead would want to go check in with teach first. Rainbow thought, flying slowly alongside the purple mare. I have to admit though, she is pretty diligent in that.

It didn't take them long to reach the gate, but it would have been faster if Rarity didn't have to stop and window shop every couple of stores. After showing the gate guards their summons letters they were escorted to the throne room doors. From there they could expect to see the princesses. What none of them expected however was just who was also waiting. Just outside the door, talking to one of the guards was none other than the Crystal Prince, Shining Armour. At the sight of her BBBFF Twilight squealed and galloped full tilt towards him.

Oh this is going to be good. Rainbow smirked to herself, watching the distance close between the white stallion and the purple mare behind him.

But before she could reach the stallion, she slowed down and started to sneak up behind him. Once she reached a certain distance she began charging up her horn.

Okay, this is different. Rainbow watched as two flashes of light happened in quick succession, one behind and one in front of the stallion.

"HI SHINY!" Twilight and Pinkie Pie, surprisingly enough, shouted at the top of their lungs.

Shining Armour yelled out and jumped back, instinctively throwing up a shield spell around himself. As he was charging up a counter-spell he stopped at the sound of laughter. Looking up he saw his little sister rolling around laughing her flank off, her friends doing much the same behind her. "Oh ha ha, very funny Twily." Shining grouched.

"Oh Celestia was it ever!" Rainbow managed to say between laughs.

"I got you GOOD Shiny!" Twilight stopped laughing long enough to ask, "But what are you doing here anyways? Aren't you supposed to be in the Crystal Empire?"

Shining grumbled a bit, but walked over and rustled his sisters mane. "If you must know the princesses wanted to talk with me and some other ponies about something." Shining looked around, noting how everypony was looking at him funny. "Is there something on my face?"

"Oh come on!" Rainbow shouted, "How many ponies are the princesses getting in on this?" Rainbow dug out her own copy of the letter and showed it to Shining Armour. "So it's the six of us, you and Lyra so far. Who else could there be?"

"If you would come inside, we can wait and see who else responds to the summons." A new voice spoke up behind Rainbow, startling her and making her jump into the air.

"Oh, so sorry miss, didn't mean to startle you." The new pony, a plain tan Earth pony mare said as she stepped out from under Rainbow Dash.

"Hey what was that for?" Rainbow asked indignantly, glaring at the new mare.

"I'm sorry, but my name is Feather Duster, personal assistant to Princess Celestia. But please, just call me Duster. The Princess said to be on the look out for anypony carrying one of the letters." Duster said, looking around at the ponies present.

"Alright, apology accepted for now." Rainbow landed next to Twilight.

"Now then, let us try this again. Welcome everypony, and thank you for coming. Would you kindly follow me?" Feather Duster asked as she turned around and walked back inside the throne room, glancing out one of the windows.

"She seems a bit, iunno...off? Don'tcha think Twi?" Applejack looked over to see the lavender mare giving the door an odd look. "...Twi?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry AJ. Yeah, I didn't know the Princess got a new assistant." Twilight said.

"She seemed nice enough to me." Fluttershy spoke up from the back of the group.

"Well, let's not keep the Princess waiting!" Rarity said as she trotted after Duster into the throne room.

On the other side of the doors stood the throne room proper, but with a large set of tables lined with snacks, clearly set out for the invitees as they waited for their numbers to fill out. Seated at the throne was Princess Celestia, who smiled at the mares as they bowed down. After they rose some of the girls went and got some snacks, headed by Rainbow Dash. Meanwhile Twilight trotted up to the Princess.

"Princess! It's so good to see you again!" Twilight said while giving the Princess a light nuzzle.

"Twilight Sparkle, it's good to see you again as well." Celestia said, returning the nuzzle. "How have you and Spike been?"

"Spike's been doing really good, although his dragon greed is still a bit hard to deal with at times, and I've been doing just fine." Twilight said with a smile.

"That's quite good to hear Twilight, if anypony can handle a young dragon I believe it to be you." Celestia said, smiling at the purple unicorn. "Now then, why don't you tell me how things in Ponyville have been?"

As Twilight was talking about the latest happenings in Ponyville, Rainbow and Fluttershy were talking near the punch bowl. "So when are you going to tell them?" Fluttershy asked softly.

Rainbow, who had not been expecting that, tried to stammer out a response, "Hu-bu-wha-" She looked around, "Fluttershy!" she hissed, "We agreed not to talk about it after this morning."

"I know Rainbow, but don't you think that you would feel better with it off your chest?" Fluttershy whispered back. She had been thinking about the conversation she and her oldest friend had while Rainbow was 'helping' her this morning.

This gave the cerulean Pegasus pause. "Well...maybe, I dunno. I said I'd tell them when the time comes." Fluttershy nodded and went to sit at one of the far tables.

And so the six mares and one stallion passed the time, waiting on the other invitees. Shining Armour was talking to an old guard friends Twilight was talking to the Princesses, Applejack and Rarity were arguing over some trivial thing with Fluttershy trying to mediate, Pinkie Pie egging them on and Rainbow Dash was left to brood in the rafters.

A little while later Feather Duster announced the arrival of two more invitees. In walked Lyra who bowed toward the Princess before trotting over to talk with Rarity once more, and a slate grey Earth pony mare with a black mane and a purple bow-tie, who dipped elegantly into a bow and trotted over to sit at the table opposite Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash gave her a brief glance before flying down to Rarity.

"Hey Rare, you know who she is?" Rainbow asked, looking towards to new pony, who Rarity couldn't take her eyes off of.

"I can't believe Octavia Philharmonica is here! She's only one of the biggest names in the Canterlot Classical Music and Culture scene!" Rarity was nearly hyperventilating.

"Oh hey, I remember her!" Pinkie giggled as she hopped up to the two. "She helped play the Pony-pokey at our first Grand Galloping Gala! You remember that right Rarity?"

"Wait, you made her play the pony-pokey?" Before Rarity got her answer, Feather duster peaked in yet again to say another two invitees had arrived.

NOW they start arriving. Rainbow thought, having been waiting for almost an hour by now.

The door opened and two Pegasi walked in, one, a yellowish orange mare, and the other, a light blue stallion both bowed towards the Princesses, before a loud squeal drew their attention.

"Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh! Spitfire and Soarin' are here?!" Rainbow squealed, before remembering where she was and looking sheepish. Soarin' and Spitfire exchanged a nod, Soarin' grabbing an apple fritter while Spitfire walked over to Rainbow.

"Well well well, if it isn't Rainbow Dash, again." At Spitfires more authoritative voice, Rainbow instinctively snapped to attention. Habits learned at the Wonderbolts Academy are hard to break.

"Good to see you still remember your training Cadet." Spitfire surprised Rainbow with a hoof-bump. "It's good to see you again Rainbow, I see you and the rest of the Element bearers were summoned as well." She said while looking at the group of mares present.

"Hehe, yes ma'am, so uh, hows the team been?" Rainbow asked the first thing that popped into her mind.

"Been doing alright, just got back in town from a show in Stalliongrad." Spitfire looked conspiratorially at Soarin'. "And some of the team have set up a betting pool to see if Soarin' finally asks out your friend Applejack, though you didn't hear it from me,"

Spitfire laughed lightly at Rainbows confused look, before Soarin' trotted up and gave Rainbow a hoof-bump of his own.

A couple of minutes later Feather Duster announced the last guest had arrived, and then something very unexpected happened.

In through the door stepped a mare almost nopony believed actually existed, her tan pith helmet and green shirt the stuff of fillyhood dreams. The tan Pegasus swept her greyscale mane from her dark pink eyes before bowing to the Princesses.

"Oh...my...Celestia." Rainbow Dash was slack-jawed. "Yo-yo-you're Daring Do! Adventurer Extraordinaire!" Rainbows wings started twitching spasmodically, being in the presence of the Wonderbolts was thrilling enough, but being in the same room as one of her newest heroes? Rainbow pitched to the side and almost fainted. Almost, fainting is most certainly not cool.

Twilight wasn't fairing much better.

"But, you're a story character, you can't be real! Nopony can do what you've done!" Twilights right eye started twitching and strands of her mane popped up.

"Oh really?" The legendary explorer remarked, looking around at all the looks she was getting, although she seemed to bask in the attention. "Just like nopony can take on a god of chaos and the physical manifestation of a deities nightmare and win right?"

The sound of Princess Celestia clearing her throat got everyponies attention, putting an end to the brewing confusion.

"My little ponies, meet Dr. Daring Do. She's not only a prominent cultural figure but the head of the Archaeological and Ancient History board of professors at Manehatten University." Princess Celestia smiled at all the shocked ponies, though the beaming Daring Do giving her a slight chuckle.

The Princess continued, "Now then, down to business. Thank you everypony for coming, the meeting will begin as soon as Ms. Dash wakes up."

The Princess lead her guests to a seldom used conference room at the centre of the castle. Once the last of the ponies entered the room and arrayed themselves around the table the Unicorn guards cast a soundproofing spell on the door.

"So, I bet you're all wondering why you have been summoned here are you not?" Princess Celestia looked about, but nopony dared lift a hoof. "No one? Alright, but let me ask you this then, can anypony tell me about the Lost Continent?"

That got a reaction, Daring Do lifted her hoof and when the Princess called upon her she said, "The Lost Continent? That's a supposed landmass far to the west isn't it?" The Princess nodded. "Yeah I've heard of it, everypony has, some lost world that no pony's ever explored. I personally don't even think it's real."

"Oh? Then what do you think it is then Dr. Do?" Celestia asked kindly.

"I think it's just a legend, something thought up to scare little fillies at camping trips. An unexplainable land that no creature has ever explored? That's impossible." Daring sat back, looking somewhat proud of herself. "Someone would have made it back if it was real."

"Princess, I heard a different story." Everypony stopped and looked at Fluttershy, who shrank back slightly but continued none the less, although growing slowly but steadily quieter. "I heard it's not that no pony tried to go there, but everything that did was never seen again. Gryphon, Minotaur, Zebra, they all tried..." By the time she was finished she was practically under the table.

"That's ridiculous." Soarin' said from between Rainbow Dash and Spitfire. "If all the other races have tried, surely they'd have succeeded right?" He looked up at Princess Celestia. "Right?"

"All legends have a grain of truth to them guys." Lyra piped up from the back of the room. "It's what makes them so believable."

"Ms. Heartstrings is correct my little ponies, it is real, and everypony here can have the opportunity to accompany me there if they wish." At the Princesses statement, everypony stopped what they were doing.

"Wait wait wait, you mean it really IS real?" Daring asked, looking incredulous. "And we get to go there?!" The tan explorers enthusiasm was cut short however by an accented and cultured voice.

"If I may interject." Octavia said, for the first time since she arrived. "There is most certainly a reason the Princess has asked us to accompany her there, despite what the legends say."

"Yes, thank you Ms. Philharmonica. The Lost Continent is real, yes. And yes, every creature who has tried to go there has never returned, but that is about to change. The purpose of this meeting is to see who, if anypony, would be willing to accompany myself and a group of guards to make contact with this lost civilization, as well as provide a bit of history behind it."

Twilight couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Princess, did you just say a lost civilization?"

"Yes Twilight. The Lost Continent is home to its own species, and with that species comes its own society." Princess Celestia looked at the bewildered faces of Twilight and Daring Do. "Though, I must ask this now. Who here would be willing to join me?"

"You can count me in Princess!" Was Daring Dos exclamation. Twilight, Rainbow and Pinkie Pie joined in with just as much enthusiasm. Lyra jumped at the chance to study a living myth. Rarity and Applejack were a bit more subdued, but agreed none the less. Fluttershy agreed after some gentle prodding from Rarity. Spitfire and Shining Armour also joined, though Shining first said he would have to ask his wife, which earned him a laugh from everypony present. Soarin' however had to decline, stating family obligations and the fact that the Wonderbolts needed someone in charge. But it was Octavia who made the surprising announcement.

"Your highness, while I am honoured to be asked to accompany you, I must say there is one slight problem here." Octavia said. She looked to the Princess who gave her the go ahead. "I must say you have chosen quite the company of explorers you Majesty, but you are missing a contemporary culture representative. I would like to believe I am here as a 'traditional' figure, but that leaves popular culture open." By this point everypony present was looking at her, surprised. "If I may make a suggestion, one I wish I did not have to however, I believe one DJ PON-3 would be our best bet." Octavia said the name with some distaste, like she couldn't believe she had to suggest the idea.

"Wait wait wait, are you suggesting we get THE DJ PON-3 here?" Rainbow asked, bewildered and excited at the same time. "She's so awesome!" Dash said, pressing her hooves to the sides of her face at the last part.

"Interesting suggestion Ms. Philharmonica. Do you think Ms. PON-3 would be available?" Princess Celestia asked, smiling gently when she saw the look in Octavia's eyes.

"Yes, I believe she would be. As to whether or not she would come is up to her." Octavia stated, looking off towards the side. "Although I must say that her actual name is Vinyl Scratch your Majesty."

"Thank you, I'll have a message sent to her straight away. Now then, down to business." Celestia said before looking around the room.

"Can anypony here tell me what the Terran-Equus Compact was?" Princess Celestia asked, not honestly expecting an answer. When no one raised a hoof, Twilight looking even more confused than ever Celestia continued. "I'm not surprised nopony knows about it. Please let me explain. The Terran-Equus Compact was the first treaty between the newly reformed Equestria and a group of survivors at the end of the Chaos Wars."

"The Chaos Wars Princess? But that's when you and Princess Luna beat Discord with the Elements of Harmony." Twilight recited like she was reading it from a textbook. Mostly because she was reading it from a textbook she took out at the mention of the compact. "There's no mention of anything called the Terran-Equus Compact, or a special group of survivors."

Princess Celestia gave her number one student an amused look before her face darkened. "That's because that was one of the agreements made. Though it is not a pretty story, please let me explain..."