History isn't always what you like to have it be
Twilight Sparkle shifted in her desk as she waited with baited breath for the guest speaker to talk. She wasn't a student at the Crystal Empire City University, but this was an open house history lecture open to the public. The guest speaker was none other than AK Yearling only in her alter ego of one Daring do. The lecture's topic was a on ancient civiliations of Europe, long before the Romans tried to establish a foothold in the region. The classroom was old, a relic from a bygone era. With the desk made of solid oak and flip open top more akin to a schoolhouse, the dusty and dank air reeking with age as did the general athmospher of the room. A far cry from the gleaming white lecture halls with tablets and digital projectors in the walls.
Daring took a lump of chalk and began to sketch on the board, her hand forming shapes of a stick figure surrounded by rough drawings of figures in hooded robes. "Very little is known about the early societies in the continent of euope, most of the knowlage of these civilizations is based on what little We've been able to recover. as neither the Roman empire when they invaded these lands noir the inhabitants themselves keept many if any records of the their societies, can any among you tell me anything we do know about the celtic; druid or any pagan civilizations?"
Niether the students who paid for their education or the guest in attendence of the free lecture raised hands. "Come on now this is a free learing experince for the new comers to get a taste of university liffe, for my students its extra credit...all I need is a few details on any early Euro ..." Finally someone in the seats spoke up, A green girl with almost unsightly unkempt red dreadlocks. Daring could practically feel herself cringe anticipating what THESE sample of campus scum would say.
"The Pagan villages consisted of a series of tribes descended most likley from neolithic hunter gather social groups. The most notible of them were the druids. A mostly peacful society that belived that immortal souls pass from body to body upon death and that there where spirits or "lords" For everything in life. From the lord of the harvest to the lord of the dead." Daring almost took a double take as she almost hardly accept that a girl like her could say that.
"Thank you...that was actually quite enlightened." Though Tree hugger wasn't quite done yet.
"The tribes were in tune with nature, realey engaged in wars, and had...a perfect society."
"Now hold on there young lady, that's not entirely true. According to Norse ledgends, the Celtic tribes of Ireland once took a ship of warriors; eviscerated them, nailed thier entrails to an oak tree trunk and then forced the warriors to dance around the tree until they died, which is where the playgound game of maypole is said to come from, and are you familiar with the annual festival of Samhain?" Now it was Twilight's turn to speak, she raised her as excitedly as if it she WAS a Crystal Empire City University student.
"The festival of Samhain is were our holiday Halloween comes from, in druid society every season's end was marked by a harvest that included a sacrifice to the lord of the harvest Samhain."
"Thank you Ms. and that sacrifice unlike the Hebrew or even some Roman scrifices...was often a human one. Large statues of humans where loaded with humans for scrifice all in the hopes of obtaining a prosperous harvest and a safe coming year, this tradition's influence can be seen even today in social events like Guy Fawkes day on November 5th."
"Remember remember the fifth of November." Someone snidley said from the back of the room causing them all to laugh.
"I'm going to Ignore that snark, but you can also see Pagan influence in the burning man festival held in the American Southwest. The fact of the matter is that no matter how far back we look, and how much we want to paint his perfect image of certian groups, be they ancient Galleic civilization, Native Americans, even Aboriginals or islanders. Every society has darker aspects to its way of life, and we as a modern day civilization must learn from the past to better ourselves for the future. Thank you to my students and to my guests here for the free lecture I hope this encourages you to seek enrollment her at CEU."
It was sometime later as Twilight and the other's mad their way down the halls, most of them not too keen on taking up a course with Professor Daring once their own time at the university came, but Twilight was more than happy to learn more. "Heh an egghead through and through no matter which Twilight we're dealing with eh girls?" Rainbow Dash said as she stopped by a soda machine for a drink. "Though I gotta admit they got better grub on campus than our school."
"That's on account of the admins trusting us to be mature enough to make responsible decisions on what we eat Dashie." Applejack informer her as she took a few chugs on a soda.
"PFT, what, are you my dietician all of a sudden AJ?" She retorted back rolling her eyes, "I mean why don't oyu just...hey wait...everyone hold on a second." Rainbow dash stopped before pressing her ear to a door along the hallway."
"Umm Rainbow, we need to go. The bus is taking us back to school in five," Fluttershy tried to warn her friend about but to no avail.
"I don't belive it! It's Daring Do! Looks like she's getting things togehter for another one of her globe trotting adventures." Dash said as she cracked the door open ajar. Sure enough on the other side their crates bound up in protective packing netting being loaded on dollys for transport. Daring herself was in her adventuer garb checking off a list of supplies, the map on the wall behind her had a knife pinned onto the Emerald Issle herself...Ireland. Daring turned her head and noticed the students, or in this case civillians at her door.
"Hey! this is my private...study, no civillians." She said trying to shoo them away.
"Looks more like an empty room you converted to a storage for equipment." Dash Pointed out with her arms across her shoulder smuggly.
"Ok You caught me..The old CEU isn't too keen on funding expiditions anymore...too busy appeasing student activist who want the swords taken of the states and grades changed if they "Hurt their feelings," Ugh I remember when going to university meant challenging ideas and enlightening your life on the path to being an adult. Now thier just bigger day cares than nursey schools....it won't be long until your lot is among our numbers here I take it?" She said eyeing the seven of them.
"Actually Ms. Daring..we were wondering if you needed an extra help on this."
"Are you insane?! I may be going to an excavation in Ireland, but do you honeslty think I'm about to let seven unsupervised minors accompany me on one of my expiditions?!"
"HEY we're practically adults too! Besides...we're not just tak a longs...My egghead friend Twilight would make a great field scribe, as would Sunset. AJ and I could be more than helpful with the heavy leg work, Pinkie's an excellent cook and would be great for morale, Rarity could patch anything you need mended, and Fluttershy...well...its all of us or none of us." Daring put hand on her chin and mhhhmed in thought before finally she spoke.
"You know...normally I'd have secruity hauling you sorry butts off the campus, but I admire your moxy, reminds me of myself when I was that young. Tell you what, you be back here in forty eight hours with valid passports and notes from your parents. I'll let you come with to see the sight and help out a bit but that's it! No touching any artifacts and no interfering with my work. This is a very delicate expidition that if my leads are correct, this could be the most intact find of ancient Galliec civilization ever found.
"We won't let you down Ms. Daring you can count on us." Dash said shuffling everyone out of the room in excitement at the prospect of going on an expidition with one of her idols, little did any of them known, the trip was not going to be as simple as Daring Do had hoped it would.
The train rattled and rumbled as its antiquated air brakes and steam engine blew copius clouds of smoke into the air. Daring and the girls sat in their seats, the compartment of the train was full of vacationers and tourists crossing the Irish countryside. In the seats just opposite Daring were a family of a three. The man of the house a callback to the days of that fast talking used car salseman in the suit and cowboy hat. Which indeed he represented well, The man was laughing with his wife an their young son, maybe nine or ten years old. He wore a blur three piece suit and a white cowboy hat, his laughter and drawl matching his demeanor.
"Heh Heh, Ah darlin, did I ever tell you how much ?I love seeing the world? I may have nothing but love fer the good ole US of A but I'm a globe trotter through and through, Isn't that right little buddy?" He said asking his little son while ruffling his hair. The name came from how they shared naqmes. The father's was Bud "Buddy" Smith Sr., while his son was Bud Smith Jr, or as his father liked to say "Little buddy." The boy seemed to mimicing his father, in that he had on a white cowboy hat, and boots along with his jeans and red shirt with a brown cowhide vest over it. Buddy drew two silver cap pistols from ratty vinyl holsters in the belt loops of his jeans and turned around to the seat just behind him which happened to be the seat where one Rainbow dash was snoozing the afternoon away.
"Fire!" The little boy shouted as he made the adged die cast metal caps fire of next to her ears, now in and of themselves even older cap guns like the ones he fired can't really do much to hurt someone, but having them go off as close to her ears as they did...
"OW What the!?...Hey you little brat what the....are you trying to do?!" she said rubbing the stining out of her ears. It wasn't long before buddy ducked down into his seat and took the talking too his parents gave him. "Tell me again why we're on atrain with people like that instead of driving to the dig site?" Dash asked Daring who was trying her best to hide her laughter.
"Well the site is down in the peat marshed just outside of Belfast, and the trucks and convoy are waiting for us there. While there is an internation airport there we had to go overland with the tourists for image...besides a few wily guests aside you gotta love the view of the irish countryside."
"We're going to the Belfast compound of sisterhood, you really should join us you know." One of the women in a group sitting near Fluttershy said to her. They where all easisly recognized by the black shirts and shorts with a red stripe patter through them, topped with the aviator caps on their heads. They had moved closer to Fluttershy's seat ever so subtley untill the one of them now sat beside her talking to her. She said her name was Tina, and that she and her "sister" not really sisters but a term for the unity they had. Were on a pilgramiage to a compound for women and girls located far away from, "the oppessive patriarchy." Evey word from her mouth made Fluttershy more and more cautious of her. In spite of the calming tone that reminded her of her friend Treehugger back home, the way her short to mid cropped hair toed the line of femmine and boyish, not unlike the others in the seats behind her.
"Oh I,,,I'm sure it's very nice were you and your friends are planning on going but I'm staying with my own friends in our own place, she said its not far from some old castle." She said shuffling in her seat as if trying to get up but not doing o just yet.
"It wouldn't happen to be the castle Mcflannagin would it? Cause our compound isn't too far from that place." Tina said turning her attention back to the family. She stared at the heavy set father and his wife but seemed to be looking through the little boy. "Look at them sister, how disgusting. They are an antiquated symbol of a wqorld that will end soon, one way or another. They claim to be a "family," but what are they a couple of people passing their inferior way of life off as one? Don't you agree?" Fluttershy gasped softly and huddled up more.
"They...they seem pretty happy to me." She said as she slowly began to rise out of her seat.
"Smoke and mirrors dear sister...Some and Mirrors."
"Now go on Little Buddy, what do you say to the nice girl?" Bud said as he gave him a light but firm tap across the back of his head. Buddy groaned softly rubbing his head as he looked up at Rainbow Dash.
"Sorry lady.." He slunk back into his seat and pouted.
"Yeah, my deepest appoligies missy, My "little Buddy is a good boy, but a little overly excited specially when we're on a trip." Dash only chuckled and reached over to ruffle his hair a bit.
"Eh it's no biggie Mr. Smith, and kiddo you can have fun, but you gotta be mindful of other people okay?" Her words seemede to put the young boy at ease and he chuckled a bit, between the lot of them it was water under the bridge. I've heard of stranger ways new friends meet.
As the sisterhood got off at there stop, Daring could almost swear she heard the whisper of voices saying something along the lines of, "Them, they're the ones in a few nights our ancestrial,"
"SHHHH! Not here! I think Someone can hear us." Daring only shrugged it off as her mind playing tricks on her with the jetlag, what else could it be?
