Lyra couldn't believe she was on an expedition with Professor Hareson, the most famous archaeologist in all of Equestria, and the inspiration for the Daring Do series. Still, he wasn't as interesting as Daring Do. He used his magic to sense all of the traps, and set them off. Not that being safe was a good thing, but she thought it'd seem a bit riskier. She was also tired, and scared of the dark. Well, she could always use your horn if you couldn't see.
"Okay, just tie the rope. That should be good, I'll be right down there in a second."
Lyra wasn't sure why she was here. She tied the rope, and gave the all clear. I mean, this was almost like the Daring Do adventures, but she was tired, and aching.
"Okay, that should be good. I'll meet you down there," Hareson said.
Lyra waited for him to go down, then followed.
"Really... here of all places."
"What is it, Professor!" Lyra wondered what happened now.
"We're packing everything up, and moving back the doors. We can sell all of the valuables to museums..." The professor was lost in thought. "But I can't write anything about this. I can't even mention it, and you shouldn't either."
Lyra looked around to see what he was talking about.
Somepony had carved a statue of a tall pegasus in elaborate armor, in what looked like marble. Through the darkness, she saw dozens, or hundreds of marble statues of soldiers. Lyra tried to sit down on a pedestal, and looked at them. "Who carved all of these? It's so lifelike."
"You don't know?" Hareson sighed, frustrated. "You should have studied enough for your exams to guess. And get DOWN FROM THERE! This is an important site!"
"Hehe..." Lyra looked embarrased, shifting around.. "I'll study later."
"Finals are in a week!"
"Eeek!" Lyra fell off balance.
The pedestal cracked when lyra's hoof hit it. She swore she could still hear something cracking.
"No, no, no, no, no!"
Cracks were forming in the statues around her.
"I swear, I didn't touch them!"
"It isn't that!" The professor said, while trying to put the pieces of the pedestal back. "They're ponies! They were sealed for a reason, and you let them escape!"
The statues continued to crack, and some of them glowed faintly
Hareson shouted, "We're getting out of here, NOW!"
The professor grabbed her, and teleported to the the trap door. Harreson then moved the stone back over the trap door and pulled up the rope with magic, and looked like he was panicking.
Lyra heard more and more voices from below her.
"Horseapples, some of those were pegasi."
"Lyra! Help me move this!"
Hareson was pushing a stone sarcophagous over the trapdoor with his hooves and his magic. She struggled to move it.
"This... should confuse them... for a few minutes!" Hareson said, out of breath. "NOW RUN!"
THUNK
They ditched most of passed through the way they came, teleporting past the traps they found on the way there.
SMASH
They passed through the entrance.
Lyra turned around, looking for h Her professor was crouching down by the entrance, and setting something up.
"Lyra, you ... should really get back."
The professor ran away from the entrance, grabbed Lyra, and teleported to the wagon!
BOOM
Was that....
The horses looked confused.
"We're leaving now! Stop waiting around, put on the reins, and go to Canterlot, on the double! It's an emergency!" The horses
Wait, what? What kind of professor carried around explosives in his bags! Wasn't it important to preserve the site?
They rode off as fast as they could towards the castle.
Lyra asked, "professor, who were those ponies?"
Author's notes
Professor Hareson was supposed to be the unicorn that inspired the Daring Do series.
I'm not sure if I'm including Lyra for anything. I just needed an assistant for the story.
If you thought this was the story with humans, you might have been looking for Anthropology.
Professor Hareson began his speech as the cart speeded to Equestria.
"This story began five hundred and eleven years ago.
A powerful unicorn calling himself Borealis had come out of nowhere, with plans to rule all of Equestria. Nopony knew who he was before that. There's a few guesses, but nopony is sure.
He was a revolutionary who claimed that thousands of ponies were killed because of Celestia."
"That's crazy!" Lyra objected. "Celestia would never do such a thing!"
"Well, he didn't blame it on what Celestia did, it was more of what she didn't do.
Back then, Ponies were happy to play in the fields, and didn't have a care in the world.
The world was very different back then, as you SHOULD KNOW, IF YOU STUDIED.
Ponies didn't have huge libraries, or schools, hospitals, or anything like that.
In fact, many of the tools and appliances we use have only been invented recently."
Lyra didn't want to ask anything. "Go on..."
Harrison continued. "According to journals from that time, Borealis claimed that his sister had fallen ill. He thought that she could have been cured if Celestia wasn't so lazy. I think he meant that there should have been better doctors, better records of illnesses, and so on. Many ponies supported his ideals after hearing his speeches. He approached Celestia, but wasn't satisfied by her response.
That's when he turned to deceit and betrayed Equestria. After leaving, Borealis joined a party being hosted by Celestia, and met with her nephew, Prince Bloodless. Prince Bloodless... that pegasus was the one we saw in the dungeons. Prince Bloodless wanted to rule all of Equestria, but realized that Celestia's reign would never end because she was immortal. They agreed that Bloodless would take over the throne, and Borealis would be the royal advisor.
I don't really know what they were thinking at the time.
They were really, really despicable rulers. They established an army, and used it to oppress everypony. Hundreds were imprisoned or killed for defying them. Still, if you research it, not everything they did was evil. They set up the tax system, and imprisoned or beat those who couldn't or wouldn't pay. With the money, they commissioned the construction many of the buildings in Canterlot, even our university. Most of them were renamed, of course. Prince Bloodless's Battle Academy would have been a terrible name for a university. Those two made education mandatory, and set up the weather patrols.
They kept Celestia under house arrest, since neither of them could raise and lower the sun. Over fifty guards watched her every move."
Lyra perked up. "Wait, I know. Six friends from the army snuck into Canterlot castle, retrieved the Elements of Harmony, and imprisoned Bloodless and brought Celestia back to her rightful throne. They sealed the two usurpers and the army in stone, and then split them up. It's impressive, there must have been thousands, and that was THOSE STATUES?"
"Yes, and they they ruled Equestria for a year before that happened."
"Wait, what happened to his sister."
"We aren't sure. Ponies cured many illnesses since then, so," The professor cut himself off.
The carriage stopped.
"Well, we're here, so follow me. We have to warn Princess Celestia before they try to take over Equestria. I'm not sure what they're going to do."
