//------------------------------//
// Research, Visions, Love, and the Idea 
// Story: Uncovering A Time Before 
// by Fyrebird 
//------------------------------//

	The evening was maturing in Ponyville, the sun setting into the mountains and leaving behind a purple glow as stars began to twinkle in the east. At this time, a green unicorn and a cream colored earth pony were digging through Ponyville's Library archives in search of some information. This was the sixth time in the past two weeks they were there, and still searching for answers to some unknown question. Actually, a question that had ate away the green unicorn's mind ever since she was a filly.
“Lyra! Come take a look at this!”
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” replied the mint green unicorn. “What is it Bon-Bon?”
“Well, I was digging through articles about strange things like you said, and I found this,” replied the cream colored earth pony.She set it on a podium and Lyra began to read aloud.
“Adventurers Find Ancient City. Three days ago, a group of thrill seeking ponies set off from Las Haygas southwest. They came back today rabbling about an ancient metropolis by the sea, they said it was over 10 times the size of Manehatten and Fillydelphia combined, and said they could not cover it from end to end in a day, probably not a week. No formal investigation is to be launched, and Celestia banned any further investigation of this city, for the, quote, ‘better for Equestrian society.’ This only begs the ques-”
Bon-Bon interrupted,  “This is the fifteenth article we’ve found on mysterious ancient places that were hushed up by Celestia.”
“So, why is she keeping broken bridges, dams, and pathways in the desert, four ancient metropolises, shooting star landing sites, ancient shipwrecks, and ancient metal buildings off limits from research?”
“I don’t know, maybe we can ask Twilight Sparkle to send a letter...”
"No!" Lyra whispered. "If Celestia finds out what we're doing I'll never figure out if humans were real!"
"Oh, Lyra. If nopony with a degree in archaeology and a respectable team couldn't even get close to the sites, what makes you think that a pony who is bent on finding out if a myth is actually true? Aren't these articles enough to prove it?"
"No! We have to go out to one of these sites. I want to really find out."
Bon-Bon sighed. "Come on. Finish your notes and put the newspapers back in the archives, and let's go home."
"But-"
"Come on Lyra. That's enough for today."
"Okay," she sighed, giving in and began to pack up and leave.	

On their way out, Twilight Sparkle looked up from her book. "I hope you girls found what you were looking for!"
"We did, thanks Twilight'" replied Bon-Bon.
"It's not often somepony comes to the library, I'm glad you two started to appreciate it. See you around!"
"Bye," answered Bon-Bon as she led Lyra out into the evening. The moment the door shut behind them Bon-Bon turned to Lyra and hissed, "Lighten up, will you?"
"What!?"
"You've been pouting ever since I told you we should leave!"
"But I wanna just figure out-"
"I know, but please, don't obsess about it."
"But if I don't-"
"But if you do, what I am supposed to do with somepony I love who can't spare some time with me because of a belief and some scant evidence about it?"
They both stopped. It was the evening, and Bon-Bon couldn't see her lover's face, but the tone in her voice was unmistakable. "I'm-I'm sorry. I didn't realize that I was getting to worked up. I'm sorry Bon-Bon, I love you."
"I love you too. Now prove it!" she giggled.
Lyra giggled too. "How about a drink?"
"That sounds delightful."

Later that night, Lyra was in bed, and through her drunken thoughts, she was thinking of ways to get to the sites that appeared in her research of the mythical human beings. Leave a note, buy a wagon and set off into the night to find ruins? No, that would worry Bon-Bon to much. Take her along? Maybe, but their relationship might slow it down, but maybe. And speak of the devil, she's out like a light.  So she was, sleeping peacefully, snuggled up close with Lyra. Maybe I should just stay here a little while longer, and she smiled as she joined Bon-Bon in a peaceful night's rest.

She was standing on top of a ruined platform on top of a hill, gazing down around the ruined city. It was sad, seeing the rubble around towering steel frames. Occasionally, a building, or what was left of it, would fall to the earth in a cloud of dust and noise. Some buildings were still holding strong, a giant glass tower, taller than any mountain, surrounded by a dozen or so buildings of roughly the  same height. The streets were littered with carriages that looked like they were from the future. Some burnt, others turned over, most just parked awkwardly through the streets. She made her way to the tower, weaving in between the carriages. Sometimes, she would past rusted gates and wires, and bigger, meaner carriages blocking the way, along with others painted white and with red and blue lights. She then got to a road, much bigger than the others, and elevated. It too, was littered with carriages, but was wide, vast, and long, a highway, only bigger than any highway ever. She followed it. It bore signs pointing to exits, and those exits more often than not were ramps up to smaller roads, but the bridge supporting the highway above them was always collapsed. The smell of the sea soon blew in with the wind as she kept walking. The feel was eerie as she past through thousands of abandoned plazas, malls, and neighborhoods that looked straight out of sci-fi movies. She was coming up on a junction with another highway. There were massive overpasses and towering bridges filled with carriages. Some were crumbling, others already fallen. She kept going. But then, somewhere in Ponyville, somepony was making an awful lot of noise.


Lyra woke with a start. She shot straight up and looked around. No ancient city, just her now vacant bedroom. She lazily climbed out of bed, her head buzzing from a slight hangover. She sleepily walked to the stairs out in the hall, where her marefriend nearly ran into her.
"Good morning! I was just coming to get you! I started breakfast for us. Sleep well?"
"Uh, yeah I guess..."
"Something wrong?"
"Nah, I'm just starving. What'cha making?"
"Pancakes."
"YES!"

After breakfast, Bon-Bon went to work, leaving Lyra to go wander around town. She was strolling through the park, when she heard her name called out. "Lyra!"
She looked around, to find an orange earth pony waving at her. "Hey Carrot Top. What's up?"
"I could ask you the same. Where's Bon-Bon?"
"Oh, she got a job at Sugarcube Corner, day shift."
"Oh wow! So what are you up to?"
"The usual..."
"Humans?"
"Damn! You're good."
"It's pretty obvious you're bent on finding out if they ever existed. I don't need to be good, Lyra."
Ugh "Yeah well,"
"And you probably want to go to that ruin they found in the desert."
"Huh?"
"You didn't know? Just now, news said that some illegal drug cartel was busted in the remains of a lost city south of Las Haygas."
"Whoa!"
"I thought you would've known by now."
"I didn't, thanks! Say, Carrot Top, should I try to go?"
"If you wanna break the law to see a pile of rubble that means someone was there once, then sure."
"I do, so badly."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Alright, just don't get into trouble. And make sure your marefriend's okay with it."
She's kind of not... "Alright Carrot Top, I will. See you round."
"You too. Good luck!"

Back at her house, Lyra was plucking away at her lyre. How come it doesn't seem like it was created by ponies? she thought. And books, no earth pony or pegasus could turn those pages, and saddles. What the hell are those for?
"I just got to find out more. No books, real deal."

"Lyra? Lyyyrrraaaa..."
"What?" was the reply that came from the upstairs.
"What are you doing sweetheart?"
"Just chillin',"
"Aren't you gonna come downstairs and say-" she was immediately interrupted by the unicorn bolting downstairs and giving her a wet, sloppy kiss. When they broke off, Lyra said,
"I have a question."
"I may have an answer."
"Bon-Bon, would you go with me on an adventure?"
Bon-Bon laughed a little.
"Ha-ha. Where?"
"To those ruins we hear about,"
"Hmm,"
"At least you didn't say I'm crazy and no right off the bat."
There was a pause.
"Silly filly, you are crazy. But, I'd want to go just to be with you. And this town is a touch too crazy."
"For real?"
"Of course. I love you Lyra."
"I love you too."
They were silent for a bit, then Lyra spoke up.
"So, what about your job?"
"If I'm with you, it doesn't matter. And the Cakes are really laid back."
Lyra smiled.
"Now we're really going."
"Whatever you want," Bon-Bon smiled, "But let's get some friends to go too."