Secrets of Equestria's History

A weeks passed. Rarity did not return from her mining trip. She hadn't said how long she would be in Canterlot, so the others did not worry. What they were really worried about was why Cloudsdale was STILL in lockdown. Rainbow Dash, as nice and loyal a pony as she was, was not a good roommate for a simple reason. She was not used to living in a house on the ground. She was restless, and the air above Ponyville wasn't enough. She spent much time over Sweet Apple Acres, stretching her wings and practicing moves, keeping up her training as a Wonderbolt. Applejack and Big Macintosh had been wrapping up filling out the order of apples Celestia had requested for Canterlot.

"I don't know why Canterlot need so many Apples," said Applejack but, although mystified, continued work. Finally, after over a week of work, they were done. The Apples were loaded on to two massive carts the size of manticores, and Applejack and Big Macintosh went on their way to Canterlot.

"So, its just the four of us," said Twilight. They were at Twilight's house, and the sun was setting, Twilight's signal to raise the stars. She quickly left. and the rest followed her out, leaving to their respective homes. Rainbow Dash went down to sleep. The process of raising the stars only took about five minutes, and Twilight soon entered the house. She lay down on her bed, but again, despite her tiredness, could not sleep. She rolled over onto her back, but that hurt her wings. Then, she heard a knocking on the door.

"Who would be calling at this hour of the night?" Twilight asked Spike. No response. She rolled out of bed to see the small dragon sound asleep. Sighing, she left and headed downstairs, where she opened the door to find.

"Fluttershy? What are you doing up now?"

"Twilight! I need your help!" said Fluttershy, absolutely terrified.

"What is it?"

"Angel,"

"Oh no," Twilight was tempted to go back to bed. The idea of Angel annoyed her.

"I can't find him!" she whimpered. Twilight hadn't been expecting that.

"Where do you think he is?" asked Twilight.

"The....the...." but she did not need to finish her sentence. Only one place could evoke such fear in Fluttershy. Twilight normally couldn't understand Fluttershy's fears, but this one was very authentic. She herself had been turned to stone in that forest. She owed Fluttershy her life for that, the least she could do was help her track down a bunny in that hellhole.

"All right, let's go," the two of them flew over to the forest. They were about to land when Fluttershy stopped her.She pointed silently. At the entrance to the forest stood about thirty unicorns, armed with spears and golden armor that glowed in the moonlight.

"What are they doing here?"

"I don't know...I've never seen them here before," said Fluttershy. "Well, lets just go back," she said, glad at the opportunity of not entering the forest.

"Don't be silly Fluttershy. I'm a princess, they are MY troops," Twilight landed in front of them.

"Hello gentlemen."

"No entry to the forest," Twilight frowned at them.

"I am Twilight Sparkle. I am a princess of Ponyville and of the stars. Now please, move out of the way,"

"Sorry Princess, but we've been told not to let anyone pass, especially Twilight Sparkle," Twilight was astonished.

"what? But....she....why?"

"We don't know,"

"I see...well, would you like to go in there and look for a bunny for me?"

"That's not our duty,"

"I am a princess, and I order you to go into that forest and find Angel or else let me do it," said Twilight, starting to get frustrated with them.

"Sorry, we only take orders from Celestia herself,"

"Don't I get a guard as a princess?"

"I don't know," said the guard, also getting annoyed.

"Well, fine, forget about it," said Twilight, and left.

"How did it go?" asked Fluttershy.

"They won't let us in,"

"Oh well, we can always go back,"

"No, we are going to find your pet...we just need to get past the guards,"

"But I heard them saying Celestia-"

"I'm sure that that is just...a mistake!" said Twilight. Fluttershy didn't seem persuaded, but could see that Twilight was not going to let them go back home.

"Oh well, let's get this over with then" she said. They flew straight up, over the low clouds. Then, they swept low, behind the guards, and landed silently about thirty yards behind them.

"All right, let's be as quiet as possible," said Twilight.

"And quickly as possible," said Fluttershy, already terrified.

"Fluttershy, we only came here because you wanted to look for Angel here,"

"I know," Fluttershy said, very silently. The two ponies quietly walked together, looking for Angel. Or rather, Twilight walked quietly, looking for Angel, while Fluttershy kept as close to her friend as she could.

"Twilight?"

"Yes?"

"What's...that?"

"What?" Fluttershy pointed. An enormous tree, larger than any growing in Ponyville, but standard in the Everfree Forest. Below the tree was a dark tunnel leading into a what looked like marble steps.

"Let's take a look," said Twilight.

"Do we have to?"

"Angel might be in there,"

"I doubt it,"

"but he COULD be,"

"fine," Fluttershy whimpered, and the two trotted in. The marble steps went down on a gentle slope for what seemed to be miles. Twilight squinted her eyes to see as far as she could but she could not see any end to the hall. They kept going, Fluttershy quivering in terror. Finally, they reached an opening. They entered and gasped in awe. The room they had entered was massive, far larger than any in Ponyville, perhaps even larger than the massive rooms in the Canterlot Castle. The place seemed to have been deserted for ages, for dust had grown on the walls and floor. The room was long, with two lines of massive white pillars flaking either wall. The walls were covered in what seemed to be writing, though none that Twilight had ever seen before.

"Twilight...can we go?"

"No...we've got to have a look around!"

"But we can tell that Angel isn't here,"

"Fluttershy! Have you ever seen a room like this anywhere?"

"N-No,"

"Exactly! Neither have I...I had no idea that this was here....I wonder who built it...and why?"

"I don't know...let's go," said Fluttershy, already nervous. Twilight noticed something on the ground. It was a slab of rock. Carved upon the slab were dozens of letters, though were no kind of letters Twilight had ever seen before.

"Twilight...let's go...we shouldn't be here,"

"Fluttershy! I am a princess, and can go wherever I-"

"HEY!"

"Oh no," Twilight's first instinct was to teleport, but that would leave Fluttershy all on her own. She grabbed Fluttershy.

"Come on!" She didn't need telling twice. Although they were outnumbered, the guard having called a few friends over, they had wings, and flew over them, out into the night.

"That was...very startling," said Fluttershy, shaken.

"It's all right Fluttershy," said Twilight. She hadn't let go of the slab, and looked at it.

"Do you know what language this is?" Fluttershy looked at it.

"No, Twilight, I don't know...and I don't want to end in...there....again,"

"Fine..." said Twilight. They headed home, Twilight still holding the slab.