Saturday, May 19th I watch the Sun rising above the horizon and it feels like a promise for a brighter future. Less than one hour ago, an official came to inform me that my expedition had been approved by the Committee. I did it! I’ve finally convinced these old nags. I knew if I pushed the right buttons, they would be eager to fund me. The War Ministry have found some evidences of ruins at the very east of Keratia, aerial photos they have snatched during a raid on a pegasus bastion. When they brought us the pictures for study, I knew I had something valuable between my hooves. My colleagues didn’t think much about it, they said Canterlot was just an old tale, but they haven’t devoted as much time on this subject as I. Clues are everywhere if you just bother looking for them, and these ones, these photos, they are pretty big clues. I had to find a way to get there but the Committee didn’t want to hear about it at first, pretending that even if I was right and the place was indeed Canterlot, I couldn’t prove the journey would benefit the war. It’s only when I started talking about ancient and powerful weapons that their eyes glistened. There is indeed a solid possibility for the Elements of Harmony — magical artifacts able to destroy any foes as the old tales says — to be buried deep inside the ancient capital. If not, I’m sure there will be clues to point out where they remains. If the stories are even remotely true, the war will end in a week. Nothing will withstand the power of the Elements. A single display of our new power will be enough. Peace will finally reign — no more meaningless deaths of our young unicorns, no more shattered families like mine — they will all kneel and a better future shall rise. “Neigh Digger, The Bringer of Peace.” That title sounds good. The first pony to discover and explore the mythical Canterlot. I’ll be the new hero of the Public Relations Ministry. My face will be on every front page, wielding the Elements. That’s a sweet dream but I should probably wait to actually be there and find the artifacts. [i]Unfortunately[/i], the Committee couldn’t afford to send an escort with me, with the war and everything. I don’t really care — in fact, I’d rather be alone because I won’t have to endure constant watch. I can take care of myself and it’s not like the trip could be dangerous. It’s only heaps of rubble and ruins, there is nothing to fear and, in any case, I know a spell or two to defend myself. I should leave in two days. I can’t wait. [hr] Monday, May 31st The trip is uneventful but I guess I can’t really complain. I wish I could have take an aerostat but the ruins are too close to pegasus territory so I had to take the train. I guess I just have to sit and wait. It’s not like I have much else to do. At least, it gives me time to study the photos and to check, for the hundredth time, that my calculation of Canterlot’s location are still correct. The more I look at these pictures and what they promise, the more I’m sure our world will change forever. These artifacts, the Elements of Harmony, their power go beyond what I can understand. Legends are fragmentary, but one sure thing is the fact they only activate if the bearer is worthy. I’m not sure how somepony proves oneself worthy of them but from what I understand, finding them is a big part of it. If I’m destined to find them, I hope I’m also destined to bear them. What if I’m not? Or worst, what if no pony is worthy? We’ll end up with inert artifacts, unable to use them. That would be ironic, but I shouldn’t delve too much on that part before getting them. One thing at a time, like my father always said. I’ll see what the future has in store. On a side note, I’ve met a nice stallion on the train this afternoon. His name is Crittame, if I recall correctly. A bit of a daydreamer but a fascinating stallion. He knows a lot about fauna and we spent some time chatting about our respective area of expertise. He also told me he was going to the Ghostly Gorge to study the fauna. According to him, some ponies have seen wild griffins around. I don’t know what these country folks eat; there haven’t been a single griffon for centuries but the guy seemed convinced they existed. It was his third trip and he was sure it would be the one. I hope he won’t be too disappointed when he’ll find out it was only wild chimeras or baby manticores. I feel some pity for him, chasing ghosts of the past. Last day, he asked me the reason for my trip. I didn’t know what I was allowed to say but I prefered to remain vague. I said I was going to study ancient ruins beyond the mountains. His reaction was to laugh, pretending that there was nothing except a dense wild forest, filled with dangerous wildlife. When I argued that I had solid evidences, he laughed harder. What he said next surprised me. “You must have pulled some pretty smart tricks to convince the Committee to pay up for your trip,” he said, before adding with a smirk “I myself told them griffins could reinforce our troops if we paid them enough.” I didn’t know what to answer at the moment. It seemed his claim was genuine, but I can’t help but think he’s a spy, sent to watch me and test my loyalty to the Committee. These doddery ponies can sleep tight; unless global peace is out of question, they have nothing to fear from me. Anyway, I should arrive at the end of the line tomorrow. The train doesn’t go further away than Boggy Town and I’ll have to walk a few days before reaching the ruins. That’s fine, at least I would actually be doing something, even if it’s something as plain as walking. [hr] Saturday, June 5th I thought the journey would be hard but from now, it has been a stroll in the park. I have come across small unicorn villages on the way, where I have been able to restock my food and water supplies. I hope I won’t run low, I don’t want to have to eat grass right from the ground like a common earth pony. I even had the chance to be accommodated several times by inhabitants. I was quite surprised the first time one of them suggested I rest at his home. I thought at first it hid something — I didn’t tell them I was sent by the Committee — but I’ve been proven wrong so far. This is not in Unicornia you could find such generosity. The more miserly Unicornians are, the better they feel. These country folks could teach them a thing or two to the inhabitants of the capital. It even allowed me to save from the budget the Committee gave me and they should be pleased to see I didn’t squander it all. Yesterday, I think I saw something that shouldn’t be. I was entering another one of these small villages and several ponies quickly went inside, locking doors and curtains. While they clearly didn’t want to be seen by a stranger, I had still been able to glimpse their body. I’m almost certain some had wings and others didn’t have horns. If they are pegasi and earth ponies here, these folks are gonna have a bad time if the Committee ever hears about it. I was even tempted to keep walking to the next town. I didn’t want them to learn I was a government agent. Who knows what they would have done to me to keep their secret safe? However, they were as welcoming as in the other villages. If they knew, they didn’t mention it and accommodated me as if I was a long life member of their community. Somehow, I hope they won’t be discover. It’s not like they are a threat for Keratia, and if they are, they won’t be a problem once I’ll retrieve the Elements. When I have talked about my destination to the couple who put me up for tonight, they had a strange reaction. At first, they kept an awkward silence but then, the mare try to dissuade me from going there. I have asked them several times why, if the place was more dangerous than what we know but they didn’t want to say anything. Anyway, I’ll see it by myself. It’s getting late and I need to get up early if I want be at the ruin tomorrow evening. [hr] Sunday, June 6th I have been able to see the top of a stone tower this morning, probably the same which was on the aerial photographs, but I don’t think I will reach it today like I thought. As Crittame claimed, the forest is thick, it is hard to walk in a straight line. I think I also got lost all the morning, but I strangely ended in a wide clearing, right in the middle of the forest. The vegetation is sparse and I have noticed that it grows in very specific areas and seems to avoid others, making some paths very easy to walk. It is only after I wander along these paths that I have noticed some oddly placed rocks. After a longer investigation, they appear to be the remainings of an old house. Searching for more, I found plenty of others. It looks like there was a small village here too, probably five or six centuries ago. The only records I read about Canterlot talked about a small rural village, located near the ancient capital by the name of Ponytown or Ponyville. However, the tower I saw this morning is not as far as it is supposed to be, if the tower is indeed a tower of the royal palace. It shouldn’t be so close and I am sure I am at the right place, all my instruments point in that direction. If it’s Ponyville, there shouldn’t have been a castle. What does these country folks would have done with a castle? Wherever I am, I’ll probably find some evidences tomorrow in the ruins. I have wasted enough time. [hr] Monday, June 7th I have spent a whole day inside the tower and nothing. Nothing indicates where I am, if it is Canterlot or that small village. Nothing but rocks, rocks and dust. I don’t know what was the purpose for this tower. Maybe it was some kind of military building but why would they build one in the middle of nowhere? Was this town a forward military post for a war that happened centuries ago? The only thing vaguely interesting I could get from this rocks is that some of them have small crystal inclusions, which is odd because they don’t seem to have been set in the rock, but are rather a part of the rocks themselves. I’m not a geologist but it looks like the rock has fossilised into crystals or vice versa, which is impossible in these conditions. If it is the only thing I can report to the Committee, I can bid farewell to any future funding, without mentioning my career. I am disappointed and I am feeling betrayed. This journey led to nothing and I have lost my time. I have invested my reputation and almost all my savings. I’m sure there is something hidden here — I didn’t become an archeologist without good intuition — but it’s not like I could stay much longer. The food is starting to run low and I need to report my [i]discovery[/i] to the Committee. I give myself two days before leaving. [hr] Tuesday, June 8th Something interesting showed up today. I was studying the architecture of the tower when I tripped over a large wooden beam on the ground. It has revealed the entrance of a basement. I spent half of the day clearing a passage. I thought at first that I would find a small room but it seems that there is a whole network of underground galleries. Unfortunately, they are all clogged, and it took me the other half of the day to clear one single room. I don’t know how many of these rooms I’ll be able to explore because there isn’t much food left. That should do it if I ration it, but I need to be careful. For now, it seems my first assumption about the composition of the wall was close enough to the truth. All the walls were made of crystals. A geologist will be able to confirm my theory. The nature of the crystals reminds me of some relics I had the chance to see. Specialists claimed them to be from the Crystal Empire. It is said that this empire had the bad habit of disappearing and reappearing wherever it feels like. I really hope I’m not dealing with some remaining buildings from the Empire. I didn’t come here for that. I also decided to settle the camp inside the tower. I don’t really know why, there isn’t any logical reason for that. The weather is mild so I don’t need to protect myself from the elements, and, next to the tower, there are some houses ruins that could serve the exact same purpose. If I am honest with myself, I feel like being drawn by the tower, like if the tower is giving me hope. Sure, finding these galleries raised my confidence, but there is something odd about this place. It feels like unicorn magic but at the same time, it’s warm and invigorating. I noticed the new sensation halfway through while clearing the room. I have never been reluctant to do any labor, but this was a pretty big one. Normally, I would have given up before even starting by just seeing how much I would have to do, but this time, I was almost craving for working harder. I even felt some guilt when I took a break to eat. I’m wondering if I have been away from civilization for too long or if there is actually something calling me underneath. Could that be the Elements? Or have I definitely gone crazy? Whatever it is, I’m too exhausted to think straight. I’ll explore the room I have cleared tomorrow. [hr] Wednesday, June 9th This building was clearly not for military purpose, unless they used to add libraries. I found preserved bookshelves inside the room. I suppose it’s because they were made of crystals and haven’t been exposed to the outside. More than bookshelves, I als found some books. Most of them are too damaged to be readable, even with a restoration spell but I found one I should be able to read. I still can’t say who was the author. The only clue I have is on the cover, five symbols forming a horseshoe around a six pointed star. I don’t know what it could mean but the most surprising thing is its content. The restoration spell is far from complete but I already have some readable fragments. [quote]Dear ……….. My ….. is ... best friend ……..., .nd she……... to help anypony. The……..s, wh..….needs help ………………. accept it. So ….. friendship is ………………………... to friends, it……. about ………... friends ………. offer. Your ……...dent, Tw…S…l……..[/quote] [quote]Dear ……..., Well, I ………………………...………… upset anymore……she'………………………...sisters do. ……………… get ... priorities so mixed up. We ………… special because …….. friends with ………. special. .e …….. forgot ……. reason ………………………... our friend. B……………………………... magic, things ... good ….... ……….. kind of magic…………………………......now …. I'm ……... good at ..e ….. kin. ……... glad ………... back to normal. S.eet.. ..lle[/quote] These are the most readable for now but all of them seem to talk about friends or friendship. The word ‘magic’ is also repeated more than once. Maybe the journal belonged to a foal or a filly unicorn. However, several entries has been signed by different ponies. It doesn’t make any sense. At least, none that I can grasp at the moment. Once more, I guess I’ll have to wait tomorrow for the spell to finish its work. I’ve depleted all my food stock, and any sane pony would have left by now. After all, my mission is a failure. I didn’t find what I was looking for and I don’t believe this journal could make up for it, but something is keeping me here. I don’t know if it’s because of the journal or if I’ve gone crazy, but this is bigger than everything I saw. In order to not starve, I have started eating grass and flowers around the tower. They are more than tasty and, even more surprising, I feel full of strength after eating them, more than I have ever felt. Logic would say this is unnatural, but I think this place and its strange magic gives me everything I need to survive. That shouldn’t be possible. It’s too late to go back anyway. I’ll see the bottom of the line, whatever are the consequences. [hr] Thursday, June 10th This journal is amazing. That shouldn’t be possible but the spell have fully restored the book. No one could say it was written centuries ago and all the entries are perfectly readable. This journal is definitely not one from a young pony. A powerful magic, probably the same magic that fills this place, must have protected it from the ravages of time. [quote]Dear Princess Celestia, Sometimes you can feel like what you have to offer is too little to make a difference, but today, I learned that everypony's contributions is important, no matter how small. If you just keep your head high, do your best and believe in yourself, anything can happen. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle[/quote] They are all like this. Apparently, this Twilight Sparkle was a student of the mythical Celestia and studied friendship here in Ponyville. Moreover, she was friend with some pegasi and earth ponies. She had five very close friends, one unicorn named Rarity, two pegasi named Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash and two earth ponies named Applejack and Pinkie Pie. It doesn’t seem like it was uncommon back then. Every race lived among others in what is described as a perfect [i]Harmony[/i]. I know that every earth pony or pegasus is not bad. I had the occasion to work with an earth pony years ago; a brilliant mind, a very nice pony to be around, but he was a defector. Like the other defectors, he had adopted our way of living. Unless they all accept our way, I can’t imagine how this [i]Harmony[/i] could work. Everyone being one and the same is the only logical conclusion to achieve unity, and yet, each of these six mares seemed to have walked their own path without harming their friendship. This was unthinkable for me not so long ago, but thanks to their records, I feel like I’m starting to glimpse the answer. All the answers lie inside this book. I need to spend more time studying it. I have to. [hr] Friday, July 2nd (probably) I don’t know what to do. It has been three weeks or so since I discovered that journal, and I don’t know what to do with it. The harmony these six mares talk about seems so impossible to reach and yet so easy to understand at the same time. The Committee probably considers that I am dead now. I should have been back to Unicornia for weeks but I couldn’t, this document could not only bring new informations about our past but it could also open a new era for Unicornia. No, not Unicornia. Equestria. If I give the journal to the Committee, they will probably destroy it. They might even consider me as a traitor and execute me. I have to find a way to bring this harmony to everypony. I can’t allow the journal to fall under their hooves. [hr] ... [hr] Monday, Fructidor 1st I watch the Sun rising above the horizon and it is not a promise for a brighter future anymore. This future is now a present. It doesn’t look like what I had imagined when my mind was clouded by the government’s propaganda. It is... better. A pegasi squadron just flew by, holding a giant banner “We are all ponies.” For years, I have been slowly making contacts with members of the resistance of each nation. For years, I worked hard to gain their trust. For years, I have been hiding. It has been exhausting but it’s almost over. The treaty for the new Equestria has been signed this morning by the representatives of the three races, establishing the premises of a new era, an era cleared from war, intolerance and loneliness. An era where our foals will grow in peace, with a clear path before them, and devoid of any threat — a peace that didn’t need to be based on the promise of destruction but on friendship. The answer was something as simple and pure as friendship. When I came back from the tower, crossing the village where I thought I saw ponies hiding, all the village was outside, blocking my path. They knew I had discovered something inside the ruins, but they didn’t know what I would do with it. They were ready to do anything to prevent me from endangering their community. Fortunately, I wasn’t a threat for them anymore. I showed them the journal and they instantly believed me. It is thanks to them I have been able to contact the resistance fighters from the other country. We started working together, printing the lessons of the journal, spreading the word of friendship, and slowly countering the destroying ideologies that have ruled ponies for far too long. In the end, I wasn’t chosen to bear the Elements, like I thought. I don’t where they remain or if we’ll ever need their power. My destiny was to find the journal and bring its content to the world. And even with this last part, I wasn’t on my own. I couldn’t have done it alone. I knew this was bigger than a single, simple pony. My name wasn’t fated to be remember. No pony will remember my name, but as long as the names of Twilight Sparkle and her friends are remembered and cherished, the rest doesn’t matter. So I have one last lesson, a lesson I hope no one will ever forget. [quote]Dear New Equestria, It's hard to believe that two ponies that seem to have so little in common could ever get along. But if you embrace each other's differences, you just might be surprised to discover a way to be friends after all. That’s a lesson I learned the hard way and yet, it had been taught to me by an extraordinary group of ponies, unfortunately long gone. We had forgotten their lessons, their teaching had been thrown to oblivion, but now we have the incredible chance to know them again. So I beg you, dear New Equestria, always remember what Twilight Sparkle and her friends, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash have taught us, for that we don’t repeat the sins of the past. That’s my last wish for this new country. Your faithful servant, Neigh Digger[/quote]