Crimson Plague

-Somewhere in the Saddle Arabian desert-

On a blistering hot day in the desert, a bald, portly, brown unicorn stallion sat inside of his tent reading the latest Daring Do book as he sweated into his tan shirt, a small chisel and brush decorating his flank. Though the stallion wore a look of anger as he flipped through the pages of the pegasi’s most current adventurers, one having to do with ancient Viking from the lands of Denmarek , and a particularly angry group of Seaponies. His angry golden yellow eyes scanned the words with a haste unfit for a casual reader.

The more and more he read, the more angry and disgusted he became at the book and its heroine. The way she went through these ancient caverns and destroyed half of the artifacts that lay within save the shiniest or the most valuable of all. It made his blood boil.

“It’s no wonder she gets chased as much and hunted as much as she does!”

He exclaimed angrily talking to nopony other than himself.

“So what if she ‘saves the world’ all those artifacts! Destroyed! Every single time!! Its maddening, an insult on the work of archeologists everywhere! A BLIGT! I don’t even know why I read this trash! Stupid showboat of a filly taking away from real archeologist like me! It makes me soo mad I could-! I COULD-!”

He grunted angrily as he bit into the pages of the novel, tearing it to shreds as he bit and tore into the pages. Another stallion, and earth pony with a light green coat, darker mane and a magnifying glass hovering over a hieroglyph decorating his flank, stood at the entrance of the tent. Just having walked into the display, he cocked his head slightly at his professor’s actions. Having to clear his throat rather loudly to get the other stallions attention.

The stallion’s ears perked up as he heard the new comer. He stopped his onslaught on the now ruined novel and turned his attention to the entrance of the tent where his student stood. He quickly chewed through the pages to where he could speak.

“Whaff if if Looffing gwaff?? Canff you fee Imf eafing??”

The older stallion said giving his student an irate look as he continued to chew on the destroyed pages. Looking glass seemingly unphased.

“Yes I can see that Professor Treasure, but I thought you might want to know that the camels found something”

Looking glass pointed a forehoof towards the excavation site.

Professor Burrienad Treasure’s eyes grew wide, swallowing what was left of the pages before grabbing his boonie hat and rushing past his student.

“Well don’t just stand there boy! WE HAVE HISTORY TO DISCOVER!”

He shouted exuberantly as he galloped over to the dig site and into the dugout cavern. All the while looking glass simply rolled his eyes and followed at a more relaxed trot.

The cavern was dimly lit by torches hung off of makeshift scaffolding that littered the once buried tunnels of what Burrienad thought to be an ancient pyramid for a ruler long since gone, and thought to be mostly fictional. Mostly due to how little information there was on the ruler in question. But Burrienad was determined to find this fabled princess and prove her existence to the world! And to earn him quite a bit of fame and fortune in the process, but his goal was the ‘existence proving part.’ The fame, fortune, mares and hair were just a bonus. A long golden flowing mane that he could have magically attached to his bald scalp which would attract all the lovely mares he wanted. Yes that was his…second goal, totally the second goal. Also to show the world what real archeology looked like, not that pony manure practiced by that Daring Do.

“Turn left here professor”

Looking glass chimed in, having caught up with him at some point and taking him from his thoughts. Looking to his left at a previously buried tunnel that turned out to be a narrowing corridor. Happily turning down the way, finding that the walls of the corridor to be a bit snug on his sides. The sounds of his shirt dragging against the sandstone walls.

“How in blazes did the horses even fit through here?”

The professor complained having more and more trouble as they went on. While looking glass just stared indignantly at his professor’s wide flank, traversing the corridor with ease.

“None of them were shaped like balloons for one”

“What was that?”

“I said that we’re here”

The professor turned his attention away from his student to find that then end of the corridor had come up on them without his noticing. Happy to walk into the open chamber he walked past the resting camel workers, heading for their boss. A fairly tall camel who was standing by what looked like a stone door.

“Magnificent! Well done fellows! You have done a great service to historical discovery!”

The professor proclaimed haughtily, the camels, unable to understand the stallion, simply continued what they were doing without much care for what he had said. The leader, wearing a distraught look, simply eyed past the fat stallion to his student, who actually took the time to talk to him and his men and to learn their language.

“Well? What are you waiting for? Open it!”

The unicorn exclaimed excitedly, the camel still looking past him.

“WELL?”

The Stallion was starting to grow angry again. Looking glass finally catching on to what was going spoke up once more.

“Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, the camels don’t want to open the tomb”

“Why in Celestia’s name not?!”

Looking glass pointed to some hieroglyphics on the wall.

“I haven’t been able to translate it all, but it’s a warning, something about the princess and her tomb, the camels keep mentioning the ‘crimson death’ or something, but they don’t really elaborate and simply reinforce their opinion against opening the tomb”

“Well of course it has warnings boy! It’s how the ancient Eclyptians kept grave robbers out! They put up warnings of bobby traps and curses that weren’t really there! You must not read into those daring do books boy, now tell the camel to open the door so I-we can make the discovery of the century!”

The stallion just about ordered his student who with a heavy sigh did as he was told, instructing the camel to open the stone door. After some convincing the camel did as he was told, and with a strong heave, opened the door for the unicorn. But as soon as his deed was done, the camel and the rest of his companions started to head back outside.

Paying little mind to the camels, professor looked into the dark chamber with glee and was about to step in until he noticed that his student was following the camels as they made their way out of the cavern.

“What? Are you scared of a few little stories?”

“No, not really, I just respect signs that say ‘do not enter’, there’s usually a reason for it.“

Looking glass said as he began to leave. The professor on the other hand rolled his eyes and dismissed his student.

“Suit yourself, go and hide with the camels if you’d like, one less person I need to credit for MY discovery!”

Looking Glass did just that, heading back out through the corridor. Leaving the pudgy stallion by himself, which was fine by him.  A brown aura emanating from his horn, further illuminating the dusty crypt.

Gleefully he cantered through the tiny stone pathway which descended deeper into the desserts sandstone, the sound of his scraping shirt filling the empty air once again. Looking to his left and right, identifying the tell-tale signs of majesty up ahead, as well as more warnings, ones he paid little mind to.

The corridor finally ended and opened to a grand hall. The stallion willed his light to float up to the roof, shinning brighter as it did illuminating the majesty before him. Inside the two story hall stood two rows of majestic Horse statues, the descendants of the pony race. The statues were carved out of some kind of red crystal, all of them decorated in tarnished golden armor. They were in order of Pegisi, unicorn and earth horse, the Pegisi had their wings stretched out proudly, the unicorn brandishing craned their bodies to elevate their powerful horns towards the heavens, while the earth ponies struck strong poses, as if to flex their steely muscles beneath their fur. The jewel amongst the statues was the one resting at the end of the two rows. Flanked by two hoofmaidens, one earth horse, the other a unicorn (strangely carved out of the same red crystal of the others) was the queen.

“Cleotrotra…”

The earth stallion breathed out her name as he looked upon the statue in awe. Standing proudly, was an alicorn, standing as tall, or even taller, than Celestia herself with her megestic wings unfurled much like the Pegisi statues, her horn pointed towards the stars, a golden cobra placed at the base of the long pointed appendage. Her mane decorated with golden rings, a ruby encrusted circlet served as her crown. Long eyelashes decorating her large olive shaped eyes. Around her neck was a large golden necklace, with a sapphire and emerald scarab sitting in the middle.

The portly stallion could not believe his eyes, the thing he had been looking for so long, right in front of his eyes. He shook and shivered, before finally exploding in laughter and glee. Mimicking a certain pink party pony, the stallion seemed to defy gravity as he literally jumped off the walls with glee.

“I FOUND HER! I FOUND HER! HAHAHAHA! I FOUND CLEOTROTA HEEEHAHAHA!!”

Calming down enough to stand still he readied his recorder and brush, preparing to examin the tomb of the long lost queen.

“Day 147 of the search for the lost queen of saddle arrabia; I have found her! The tomb of Cloetrota, decorated with ruby-like statues of her royal guard and hoofmaidens, as well as herself in all her royal splendor stand before me, guarding the queens final resting place”

He stopped the recording to let out another batch of gleeful squeals.

“I’ll finally be able to afford that hair regrowth spell!”

He hollered happily before trying to reign in his excitement once more, clearing his throat before he re-started the recording.

“I am now approaching the queen’s sarcophagus-“ The stallion said as he began to walk between the two rows of guards “-the royal guard statues flank me on either side, I must admire the craftsmanship of these statues. They are so life-like, down to the eyes to the-uhhh- mare and coltparts…why they would take such care in these statues is beyond me.

“It’s also important to recognize the skill in the jewelcrafting, something of this intricacy has not been seen to be achievable by other Eclyptians of the same era. It seems to be on par with modern jewelcrafting. The question of where they found the materials for such large statues is also baffling.”

After about a dozen guards, Burrienad finally found his way to his prize, the queen.

“At last, the queen, joined by two of her hoofmaidens…who are also carved out of the ruby…maybe they are prized consorts of the queen? Right anyway, the queen…the queen…what in…”

Burrienad quickly turned off the recording as her circled the pedestal where the queen’s statue stood looking for an edge, a crevice, anything that would be indicative of a lid or an entrance to what would contain the queen’s body. But there was nothing but dust and empty jugs.

“WHAT THE BUCK!! WHERE IN TARTURUS IS THIS BITCH?!”

He cried as he searched the entire hall, but found nothing but more empty jugs and some stashes of gold and artifacts that would have belonged to the queen.

“Where is she! Where is she?! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!!!”

Burrienad shouted angrily at the statue of the queen, his rage filling his veins, and clouding his thoughts. Going as far as to climb the queen’s statue. His eyes glaring into the Queen’s as he held onto the alicorns extended neck.

“WHERE ARE YOU!! I’VE WASTE HALF MY BUCKING LIFE LOOKING FOR YOU!! ALL THE SIGNS POINT TO HERE! ALL YOUR SHIT IS HERE! SO WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!”

Burrienad head butted the statue in his anger, an audible crack resonating throughout the hall.

“uh-oh…”

The head of the statue snapped off, leaving Burrienad without a hold. He and the head both fell to the ground. Burrienad squealed like a filly, falling to the ground with a thud, the queens head bouncing off his face and crashing on the floor behind him. Burrienad’s concentration faltered, and his light flickered off. Groaning, the stallion slowly got himself to his feet, having to double his focus to call up another light spell.

“oh my head…”

He said, taking a moment to recollect his thoughts, his memory slowly coming back to him. Turning around, and gasping in horror as the now headless statue stared back at the portly archeologist.

“no no no no NO! this isint happening!!..Where’s the head?! Maybe I can fix this!!”

The stallion hurned on his hoofs, searching the ground for the decapitated head, a red dust now filling the stale air, making him cough slightly as he continued his search. He quickly found the golden circlet, but to his horror, with it, he found shards or the red gem, with a small trail going behind one of the guard’s pedestals. He slowly rounded the corner, expecting, to his dismay, a now shattered head. But what he found, was something much worse, something that stole the breath from his lips, made his eyes go wide, and made the muscles around his mouth to fail. In a pile of Red gems, sat a bleached white alicorn skull, it’s hollow eyes now staring back at the fat researcher.

The stallion stood for what seemed like hours staring at the skull, his mind failing to processing the information before him. When his mind finally caught up, air returned to his lungs in the form of a sharp gasp, only to be let out in a horrified scream. The stallion back up from the scene, only to crash into a Pegasus statute, turning to face. Another gasp escaping his lips as he watched the statue topple over, crashing into the next, causing that one to push into the next, the chain reaction causing all twelve horses guards on the left side to topple over and hit the ground and break apart in a horrible crash with the ground.

Through the red dust cloud that now filled the hall, Burrienad saw the remains of the guard’s statues. His eyes going to the size of pin pricks when he noticed that amongst the golden armor, and red gems, ere bones of four earth horses, four Pegisi, and four unicorn, now in lying in mixed piles of death and destruction. Burrienad’s mind broke, unable to comprehend what he was seeing, being faced with his first experience with anything dead. He cried like a filly, running out of the cavern like the madpony he had become. Running straight out and into the dessert, he ignored both his assistant and his hired camels and continued to run into the dessert. His eyes slowly turning from a golden yellow, to a dark crimson red.