"Gentlecolts and mares alike, come on in. Welcome to the world's oldest cave! Here there are many wonders still to be unlocked, secrets to be found, and we might find our kind's first steps into a world power." Sandstone smiled to the very large group of investors, each donating well over forty-thousand bits to fund the dig.
"Well I believe I speak for many of us Sandstone when I say, we are proud to help with this operation and to progress our understanding of the world." The most generous of the investors, Fancy Pants spoke with a dignified smile.
"Here here!" A chorus rang out from the scientific supporters.
"Yes thank you, thank all of you. Everypony, please I cannot take all the credit. My team and I are currently trying to decipher the last of the runes on the doors to the rest of the cavern. So far this has proven to be... how can I put this? A pain in the flank." Sandstone reported the progress of her team's efforts. "We do have the cameras mounted on each helmet so if you would be so kind to turn your attention to the wall on your right, you'll see what is happening. Now if everypony will excuse me, my team and I shall get started."
With that Sandstone took her leave.
Down the hallways the sounds of the rest of the team could be heard suiting up for the exploration of the cave, they gave off excited conversations to one another.
Sandstone stood in the doorway listening in to what they were so giddy about.
"Alright Code Breaker, calm down, you can tell Sandstone herself about the runes. Among other things."
"Oh I can't wait to see her face once she hears about this!" Code Breaker sounded like he just celebrated ten birthdays.
"Hear about what?" Sandstone asked finally coming into the room.
"Oh uh hi, oh right. Uh well I deciphered the runes on the doors and I have too say wow." Code Breaker began. "Somepony obliviously never wanted that door open."
"Well what does it say?"
"Oh right right. Well this symbol says go, while this one here says heaven. I have a feeling this one might be for. They don't mean much how they are, but when rearranged it says 'forgo heaven'. Weird right?" Code Breaker pointed to each rune as he described them. "The others speak of something locked behind the doors, we don't have any idea what it could be."
"Well that's great news, but our financial investors are here to see results." Sandstone pointed to the camera on top of each helmet. "They want to see what our work has to show worth, sooooo let's get started shall we?"
"Yes ma'am!" The rest of the team echoed.
The mares and stallions shuffled their equipment out of the room and towards the door deep inside the dig site. Each one preparing for what might be on the other side of the massive structure, so many possibilities raced through their minds.
Down the path carved from stone they lugged their equipment.
Through the helmet cams the investors watched with excitement as the secrets would soon be revealed. Each awaited what could be gained for ponykind, new technology or proof of a great civilization that existed before.
Through the cameras the team could be heard.
"Alright the door is just down this hall, yes to the left! First things first, set the barrier around twenty-five feet." Sandstone could be heard giving instructions to her group.
The middle of the screen show cased the doors in all of their majesty. The voices returned with several static sounds.
"Today is the day."
"Can't wait to tell my kids about this (static) ~ey'll be excited to see me again."
"Hey we need about ten feet of power cords over here."
"Sure thing (static) ~aker."
All eyes stayed glued to the screen, awaiting the big moment that was just minutes away.
A deep low rumble started as the set of doors opened, through the cameras everypony was flabberghasted at the sight.
Mountains of gold filled the area behind the doorway, mostly it was massed towards the central pillars. Everypony's mouth hit dropped onto the floor as the vast wealth was seen. What they didn't see were the small coins slowly sliding down the mound.
"Dear sweet Celestia... this... this... is incredible!" Sandstone exclaimed as she examined a coin. "We literally just found possibly one of the, if not the greatest find in Equestrian history."
"Uh ma'am this may not be the best time but... Why is there gold from whoever it belonged to... but no bodies?" Code Breaker asked bluntly. "Not one skeleton, skull, or anything other than the strange code."
"You may have a point..."
The rest of the group frolicked in the golden sea with not one single care in the world. Others jammed as much as they could into their pockets. One could be seen trying to drag a chest full of what looked like valuable gems, crowns, and necklaces. As most of the team began to leave with lined pockets a low rumble was heard.
At first each one glanced upwards to see if the ceiling was the source of the noise, the rumble came again. While those greed filled ponies wore worry in their expressions the rest began their way towards the open doors.
What caught everypony's attention was the gold shifting about. Each head was stuck as a great eye was exposed, the reptilian slit focused on those unfortunate enough to be pulling heavy items.
"Everypony put what you have back, we don't want to anger a dragon." Sandstone said evenly.
"Too late for that small creature." The voice was so imposing to each pony. "I've never smelled your kind, what are you?"
Sandstone swallowed the anxiety down as she approached the great beast.
"We are pony, and we are a research team looking for-"
"It seems you have found more than you bargined for. Where do your 'team' hope to run with my gold?" The great beast's eye shot towards the greed filled ponies who tried to run for their lives.
"I said to put those back! I am so sorry mister... Uh what is your name for conversation sake?" Sandstone asked as the slit focused upon her.
"I am Smaug." The voice rumbled deeply with pride. "Smaug the chiefest and greatest of calamities!"
"Well Smaug that certainly is one of a kind title you have there but we'll be on our way out-"
"Oh I don't believe you will be leaving so soon pony." Sandstone could feel the venom in the way Smaug spoke. "You truly didn't think that if you returned what your team tried to steal from me I'd allow you to leave?"
"Um what would you say if I said yes?" Sandstone gave a sheepish smile to the eye.
Code Breaker inched closer towards the door until something latched on to his hind leg. To his horror the tail of the dragon held him tightly.
"Going so soon?" Smaug lifted the poor helpless pony over to his eye. What each pony thought was the dragon under the gold was only the tip of the iceberg, coins and crowns fell off the dragon as it stood to it's full height.
"No put him down!" Sandstone yelled at the colossal dragon.
Smaug turned his head down towards the mare, a wicked smile began to form on the dragon's maw. "You care about him do you? Good you can watch him die!"
Smaug threw his head back with his jaws wide open, the poor stallion screamed as he realized what was happening. Before Sandstone could do anything Smaug's jaws snapped closed with the pony devoured.
"Run everypony get out of here!" Sandstone ordered as the rest of the team began to panic.
Smaug turned on a heel to see the others trying to escape from his wrath. A massive wall of flames engulfed those who tried to escape, leaving only charred husks behind.
"This isn't the end, pony. Not until each one of your team suffers for their transgressions!" Smaug roared as he blocked the door with his bulk.
Those whom survived the wall of death that roasted their friends hid behind pillars and other large objects. All except Sandstone.
Paralysis had overcome her senses as the scene unfolded. She watched helplessly as flames still licked on the remains of most of her team, heat still radiating from the corpses.
"So pony, I believe you've had experience with dragons? Pray tell, were they like me?" Smaug spat.
"N-no th-they allowed us to leave once we set their treasure back."
"Interesting, where would I be located?"
"E-Eques-Equestria... Why do you ask?"
"It seems I have a new world to teach the meaning of terror towards dragons. But I think this little game is over, so tell me pony... How do you choose to die?" As the sentence was finished flames shot from Smaug's maw, entrapping each of the ponies to the fires of the great dragon.
As this tragedy unfolded the investors sat in utter shock of this malicious dragon's wrath, some thought that the situation would be resolved peacefully but they were wrong. Through the monitor they watched as the colossal beast launched it's great breath enforce, aiming to kill or maim. It wasn't until the monster reptile asked where it was did the investors really begin to worry.
Fancy Pants knew things would get worse should the dragon be allowed to roam beyond this cavern. With a purpose he gathered the rest of the wealthy ponies.
"Well everypony I know what we had witnessed wasn't what we expected, but if that dragon were able to leave it would be a disaster... I suggest we close every entrance to this cave system..." Fancy Pants said taking hold of the situation. "I cannot promise each of us safety during this endevor but that matters little compared to this beast being allowed to wreak havoc."
"Fancy! We saw what it did to those ponies! There is no telling what it would do to us!" A noble cried as they huddled to the furthest wall.
"And if it gets out? What then? We wait for it to burn down our homes before we take action?" Fancy raged at his fellow nobles. "You know what hide in here, I'll take care of this myself."
The stallion bolted away with his goal in mind, though he would have to be careful with that monster nearby. The equipment room was just a few doors away, already the smell of cooked flesh permeated the air. Fancy slowed so he would not be heard by Smaug and become the latest victim of the crazed dragon. The explosives were not hard to find as they sat upon a crate with bold words saying caution on it's side, quickly Fancy gathered as much as he could carry.
His steps were halted by the sound of something very large snarling behind him. He knew the dragon wouldn't have been stupid enough to sit in the chamber for this long.
"And you are?" Smaug growled as he glared death down at the small stallion.
After overcoming the initial shock Fancy Pants took the time to truly witness the magnitude of the dragon's bulk. The wings even folded nearly reached to half of the massive room that stood over three hundred feet. Large fangs dotted Smaug's mouth, each one had to be three or four feet long. The dragon's claws dug deep gouges into stone.
The most terrifying aspect of the great reptile was it's eyes, they commanded all attention.
"Well pony? Who are you?"
"I am Fancy Pants."
"Such strange names, tell me pony did you hire those whom are nothing more than a testament of what I can do?" The massive head leaned closer, foul breath wafting from the jaws of death. "Your answer dictates your fate, little pony."
"We had no idea that we would stumble across your horde, and I personally had never thought that many of the team would try to steal from you." Beads of sweat rolled down Fancy's face. "You may not believe me but we really were here to find anything of archaeological significance towards our race."
The great eye lessened it's glare at Fancy Pants, steam jettisoned from the dragon's nostrils. Smaug chuckled deeply as the little pony went rigid.
"Are there any other ponies within this cave?" The dragon's again glared down at Fancy Pants. The pony in question only nodded dumbly. "Bring them to me pony and I may allow you to keep breathing."
"Of course master." Again the massive reptile chuckled as the spell worked it's way to smother the pony's will. Something all dragons of Middle-Earth could do. Smaug climbed the walls with stones falling as he dug his spear like claws into the rocky surface.
Fancy Pants, now a slave to Smaug's will, trotted down the halls towards the video room. The further he moved away the less he felt the reptile's will on his own, dizziness overcame the noble stallion and blackness took his vision.