She lifted the tarp covering the artifact. Weird elongated triangler shape, check. Weird metal structure, shining in the light, check. Lyra put the tarp back down, excitment rushing through her and her crew.
"Lyra! Leave the artifact alone."
She almost jumped into the air. "Sorry, Solarray, but I just had to make sure it was still here."
"Really, Lyra, you act like it will disapear or something." Solarray rubbed a hoof across his face.
Lyra couldn't blame him, after they got the artifact up from the dig site, she's been near it ever since.
"Come on." He started to pull her away, pointing at two royal guards, "You two, make sure no one gets to close."
"Sir!"
"Come on Ray, we're in the Canterlot castle. No one's gonna see the artifact till tomorrow."
"In which time you can sleep."
"I don't need to sleep Ray, I'm fine." Her body seemed to prove her wrong, swaying on her tired legs.
"Right.'' Opening a door he lead her into a bed. "You're not tired at all. You're just stubbered."
Solarray laid her down, pulled the covers over her, turned and walked out the door, shutting and locking it behind him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Groups of ponies were hustling and bustling about, setting up the artifact. Days of planning and setting were about to be revealed to Canterlot. Lyra and Solarray were anxiously awaiting as crowds of curious ponies gathered to see what had this part of Canterlot closed down for so long. Solar kept looking into the crowd, and at the princesses.
A hoof tapped her shoulder, causing her to jump into the air.
"Oh! Sorry."
Lyra turned around to see Prince Blueblood standing behind her.
''Prince Blueblood! What are you doing here?"
"I was wondering if I could have a...sneak peak at the artifact."
Lyra knew he wasn't asking, but how he said it seemed to imply he wanted to see it to confirm something his been asking or wondering for a long time. She caught him giving a side glance where the princesses sat. A scowl appeared for about a seconded, but it clearly stated he disliked something about his aunt. Was he hoping to find some answers? Or did already know something about the artifact? Lyra didn't have to guess at what books the royalty had hidden in their homes.
Solarray seemed to have over heard the conversation. "I'm sorry Prince Blueblood, but you'll just have to wait like everyone else."
Blueblood gave Ray a look of anger? Fear? Lyra couldn't be sure, it bearly lasted a second. Blueblood looked to both of them, clearly beaten.
"Very well, sorry for wasting your time." He turned and walked to the stands.
Lyra kept starring at where he had vanished. A feeling of unease ran through her. What was he so interested in? What did he know about the artifacted? She hated this, more questions then answers, but not after they figure out the artifact. They weren't to sure how to really start, but they all felt that the micro-lights is where they should start.
"...Lyra? Lyra are you alright?"
Solarray's voice brought her out of her train of thought. "Huh, what?"
"It's time!"
"What!... Now!?"
"Yes now!"
If there was ever a moment in Lyra's life that she wished she could just disappear off the face of Equestria, it was now. Sweet started rolling down her whole body, her breathe started to shorten. Basically she was about to die from nerves, or fear, she really couldn't decide which one would due her in first.
"Calm down Lyra, all you need to do is repeat what you did the first time."
"Ray, I don't know what or how I did it the first time. I just touched it and the micro-lights came on!"
"Well touch it again, or use your magic! Just...just do something."
He gave her a little push foward, then started explaining to the public what they found, how they found it, and what she was about to do.
"Ladies and Gentlecoats, what you see before you is an object from long before our time, maybe even the alicorn's time...."
His voice seemed to be getter futher and futher away. She felt all their eyes watching her, all of them anxious, nervous. Just waiting to see what would happen. Lyra had to admint, she was anxious to. What would happen this time? Would she get any more infomation? Would the micro-lights show her something? She knew there was only one way to find out, but she didn't know where to start. The first time she just touched it and the lights came on, seemlessly flowing through the strange metal. Wait...there on the other side, a flashing light. As she approached, it looked like the lights had written something.
System online....Warning power at 47%.....Warning corrupted systems detected.....Replaying video
Before Lyra could say what she had read the artifact's top lifted up and extended about two feet. Everyone stared at the towering object, lights started to appear on the ground, just little dots that started connecting to each other. Growing and changing....changing....no that wasn't the right word. Altering the landscape from Canterlot to, well Lyra didn't know where to. The new area looked to be made of the same material as the artifact. A room as big as the anti-chamber in the castle, holes in the roof and walls leading to what Lyra thought was the night sky.
"Jack what do we do?"
A group of creatures Lyra never saw before emerge from nowhere, heading towards the artifact. She couldn't see their faces due what she assumed were either clothes or armor.
"We find the old cryo chamber, and release subject one."
"Release subject one? Listen Jack not to rain on your parade, but we don't even know where the first cryo chamber is, or if subject one is as powerful as the rumors say he is." A female of the creatures walked in front of what Lyra assumed was Jack.
"She's right Jack, we'd have a better chance of fighting these alicorns then finding that cryo chamber" The biggest shadow came foward joining the group.