Celestia's wake up call certainly made a cup of coffee unnecessary. "Another glyph activated?! Are you sure?"
Celestia nodded. "After the scan yesterday, I can say without a doubt that it's the same magic."
"Well then we don't have a moment to lose. Do you know where the reading is coming from?" I asked.
"I'll explain once we are all aboard the jet." Celestia responded.
"...Jet?"
Celestia groaned. "Just get Luna up. I'll explain later."
I resigned to the task Celestia had assigned me, walking over to the still slumbering Princess of the Night.
I nudged Luna gently. "Luna, you need to wake up."
"*Moan* But I don't want to go to the gala..." She murmured in her sleep.
Despite how serious the situation was, that little devious voice in my head told me now was the perfect opportunity to play a joke. I leaned in closer to Luna.
"Are you sure? I heard that Robert is going to be there. And he wants to spend the whole gala with you." I whispered in her ear.
Luna smiled in her dreamy state. "He really wants to go with me? I'll have to wear my best dress."
"But Luna, that dress has a huge tear at the flank. You don't want him getting ideas do you?"
Luna blushed furiously as she sprang up from bed. She looked around the room and saw me smirking.
Luna gulped nervously. "W-what's so funny?"
I snickered before replying. "Oh nothing. I just heard from Rarity that she was ready to fix that hole in your dress. Although she suggested keeping it like that if you wanted a more... promiscuous look."
Luna blushed to the point that her ears were completely red. "You're terrible!" She said as she punched me in the arm. To her credit, it certainly smarted.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist. We need to get going, though. Celestia says she detected a glyph."
Luna sprang up and began getting properly dressed, while I threw on a new shirt and my black pants. After getting some socks on, I grabbed the vest and coat Rarity made me, taking a moment to admire the craftsmanship. Once Luna and I were ready, we went downstairs to meet with the others, grabbing a quick breakfast of Pop Tarts. Celestia began directing us all to the limo.
Twilight hastened her stride to meet with her mentor. "So Princess, where is this new glyph you mentioned?"
Celestia gave Twilight a smile as warm as the sun itself. "Well, based on the atlas I found in the library, the signal is originating from a country known as Egypt."
Twilight began grinning like she had just been handed the keys to the Canterlot Archives. "Egypt?! As in the country Robert said is full of ruins and archaeological digs?!"
"And barren desert..." Octavia muttered.
Everyone looked at her break from a usually polite and refined demeanor.
"What? I can't stand hot climates." She admitted.
"Big deal." Spike countered. "I'm able to bathe in lava. This'll be a walk in the park for me."
I rubbed my chin in thought about that. Would Spike still retain his natural dragon durability? He still had stilted eyes, and I could have sworn I smelled sulfur when he burped the other day. I decided that would be something that I could ask at a more appropriate time. The limo began to pull away from the estate, and we soon found ourselves on the highway to the airport. The drive was around twenty minutes or so, ending as we pulled up to a private hanger. As we stepped out of the limo, I got a good look at our ticket to Egypt.
"Oh, hello beautiful!" I said with delight.
The jet we were standing before was much smaller than your usual commercial plane, but it was definitely a size larger than what you would see an average celebrity ride in. It was polished to the point of looking brand new, and it had the presidential seal branded on the side.
"So let me get this straight. You managed to convince Obama to lend us a diplomatic jet for our mission to stop whatever is activating these glyphs?" I asked Celestia.
Celestia gave a sly smile in return. "I'm very good at negotiations. I've had over five-thousand years on the throne to learn about such things."
"Sweet..." Was all I could reply with.
Twilight and Rainbow Dash had left the group to inspect the jet eagerly.
"Amazing! This design for an aerodynamic vehicle is unlike anything we have in Equestria! And with these engines, I bet it will be able to cross distances that would have been impossible in my balloon!" Twilight said as she bounced on her feet.
Rainbow Dash interrupted her lecture. "Yeah, yeah. Aero-whatever. I just want to see how fast this thing can go!"
"Whoa there, ladies. The only part of the jet I let diplomats play around with is the control stick." A male voice said in an unnervingly provocative way.
A man in his late twenties descended from the steps, wearing a long blue naval jacket, which looked to be from the WWII era. He had short brown hair, and well rounded features.
"I assume you're the pilot?" I addressed the man, holding out my hand.
He took my hand and gave a firm shake. "Hey there~!" He said flirtatiously, much to my chagrin. "Captain Jack Harkness. I used to fly jets early on in the Iraq war, but I had to have the dumb luck to get the Medal of Honor when I took out a group of car bombers that were about to slam into a base." He sighed before continuing. "The crazy bastards were going to hit the medical tents first."
I raised a brow in confusion. "You say all this like it's a bad thing. It sounds to me like you saved a lot of lives that day. You're an honor to your uniform."
He chuckled. "And here I am flying diplomats around to peace talks that don''t to a damn thing at the front lines. I only took this position because I started getting symptoms of a heart disease that runs in the family. Air Force wouldn't let me continue combat flights with that looming over me, so my superiors pulled a few strings, and here I am."
"That's amazing and all, but why tell me this?" I asked.
"I like to tell my passengers this up front so they don't start doubting my credentials behind my back mid flight."
Celestia stepped forward with a warm smile. "I'm sure you are an excellent pilot, but despite your previous statement, our mission is more than just idle banter."
"So I hear. I'm glad that much has changed~."
I squinted at Jack in annoyance. "Stop it."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." He responded.
The girls began climbing the stairs to the interior of the jet. I waited for Luna to meet me at my side so I could ascend with her, hand in hand. I spotted Jack had a sly smile on his face.
"No. Just, no." I sternly said, not wanting him to throw any innuendos at Luna.
Jack chuckled and followed after us, turning left into the cockpit. We each took our seats inside the jet, sitting so that each of us were facing one another in small groups.
"Good morning passengers. This is your captain speaking. Our flight to Egypt is about to begin, so please buckle up until further notice." The intercom spoke.
We followed the instructions from Jack, and our jet began rolling onto the runway. I fished around in my coat pocket and pulled out a pack of gum I bought at the mall.
"You all might want to chew this; it'll keep your ears from popping." I told them as I held out the candy.
Everyone took a piece, though Vinyl panicked for a moment before Rainbow explained what it meant. We reached the runway and soon we felt the jet begin accelerating as the engines kicked in. As we traveled down the strip of asphalt our vehicle began to ascend into the skies, rocketing to our destination. After we had reached a certain height, the light in front of us turned off, indicating that we were allowed to remove our seat belts.
"This is your captain again. Just informing all you beautiful passengers that you can now remove your seat belts." The intercom announced.
I groaned in annoyance. "This guy's libido puts Austin Powers to shame..."
Rainbow Dash seemed to have her face glued to the window as we glided through the air. I nudged her shoulder to get her attention.
"Is it what you thought it would be?" I asked.
"Well, at first I thought there was no way this tin can would get off the ground, but I was totally wrong." She admitted. "It's flying fast enough to get my approval. That's all anyone needs to know."
I chuckled at her response before turning to Twilight. "What about you, Twilight?"
Twilight was rather happy to answer. "This machine is truly incredible! We're flying at speeds that were only possible by the most athletic pegasi, and we're going a distance not even they would attempt without rest! How could I not be impressed?"
"Well, that's good to hear, because we have to stay on this thing for the next several hours. I just don't want anyone getting cabin fever on me." I said.
"Puh-lease!" Rainbow dismissed. "I'm always totally cool, so you've got nothing to worry about."
Applejack looked at her like she had told the biggest fib ever. "You get all antsy just on the train rides to Canterlot."
"But this thing is flying. There's a huge difference." She retorted.
"Well, feel free to play some travel games to pass the time, I'm going to listen to my music." I told them.
I bent down and opened the small travel bag I had packed. I reached in and pulled out my Beats headphones, plugging in the cord to my iPhone. I scrolled through my music library, trying to decide what song to start with. I finally settled on playing some classic music first, so I brought up my Jimi Hendrix collection. I started off with one of my favorites, Purple Haze.
The guitar began to play, and I reflexively began bobbing my head to the beat. Soon enough the greatest guitar player ever began to sing out the lyrics.
"Purple Haze all in my brain
Lately things just don't seem the same
Actin' funny, but I don't know why
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky."
I played the air guitar for a moment before Jimi began singing again.
"Purple Haze all around
Don't know if I'm goin' up or down
Am I happy or in misery?
Whatever it is that girl put a spell on me."
I went back to randomly playing the air guitar as the solo began to kick in.
"Purple Haze all in my eyes
Don't know if it's day or night
You've got me blowin', blowin' my mind
Is it tomorrow or just the end of time?"
I yawned as the track began switching over to the slower paced The Wind Cries Mary. Soon enough I relaxed and decided to take a nap considering how long our flight would be.
--------
I began forming a dream as I slept on the jet. I found myself standing on one of the towers in Canterlot. I looked out across the horizon, finding the sight of the land to be truly relaxing. The slight breeze carried the warm air through my hair and across my skin. I heard a set of footsteps behind me, which was strange given the population of Equestria. I turned to face the source and I felt a smile creep across my lips when I recognized the figure.
"So you're dreaming of Equestria, are you? Or perhaps you simply enjoyed the view from Canterlot?" Luna asked.
"The view certainly helps explain the cost of real estate." I chuckled. "But I guess the view just got a million times more beautiful."
Luna chuckled at the compliment. "You really have a talent for flattery."
"I guess I've never had the chance for it before. No girl from my world really ever gave me the time, what with my intelligence and interest in nerd culture."
Luna joined me at the railing and pecked my cheek. "Well, all of them have truly missed out."
I couldn't help but blush at the compliment. "You're too good for me, you know that? You're beautiful, royalty, charismatic, and above all truly caring."
"Oh please, I used to spend all of my time with royal duties and traditions. Before I met you, I likely would have fallen back into that rut. You opened me up to such amazing and new ways to have fun, you accepted me for who I am, and you were always willing to think of others before yourself."
I raised a brow at her words. "You say that like you've never had a love in your life."
She heaved a sigh. "I admit that I became fixated on some stallions during the course of my life, but I always kept my mind set on helping Celestia rule Equestria. I never really tried to find the time for such pleasantries."
I stepped over to her and held her in a passionate kiss. Our lips parted and she looked at me with surprised yet happy eyes. "All the more reason to make up for lost time."
I held Luna's hand and found a nice spot to sit with my legs hanging over the edge of the ramparts. "I guess we could take the time we have on this boring trip to get to know a little more about each other. So tell me, what's your favorite kind of music?"
"Well, before I returned to Equestria I would have said my favorite style were the tunes that ponies would play at the taverns. Even during the long hours of the night they were so full of joy and life. Ponies would gleefully dance the night away with their friends and loved ones, all the while enjoying the night sky. Of course now that I have begun acquainting myself with 'modern' music, I would have to say I enjoy the 'Electronic' or 'Dubstep' songs that our DJ companion plays. I could always hear her music blaring when I flew past Ponyville."
She sighed as she reminisced on the thought.
"At first I thought it was some sort of beast from the Everfree forest, but then I began to listen. The tingle that it sends down your spine, the way it gets your heart pumping... And then I learned that this was a type of music ponies now commonly played in their 'night clubs'. Truly it was wonderful to hear."
"Wow, I never would have guessed that." I giggled in surprise.
"Well, what about you?" She asked.
"I like music from all kinds of genres, but if I had to pick one, I guess I would go with rock. I just love how the guitar riffs, vocals, and drum beats get your blood pumping. It just gives you a feeling like you can take on the world."
"Now let me ask a question of my own. Where did you get your fascination with the night sky?" Luna asked.
"I guess you noticed me star gazing a few times during the summer?" I asked. Luna nodded in confirmation. "Well, I always had a fascination with the night sky since I was a kid. It was all so beautiful to me. Those stars twinkling in the black sky, the Moon shining its silver light down on the Earth..." I took in a deep breath as I recalled the memories. "Then I got fascinated by the idea of aliens and other worlds. Every star in the sky had the possibility of another world. Each world had the possibility of a new race, and with each race a new culture. I would spend hours on end day dreaming about the day I could meet a new civilization. In the end, it just really helps me relax."
Luna had a smile on her face, and I swear I saw her wipe away a tear. "I've never heard of somepony having that kind of thought behind the stars. Truly it's a beautiful way of thinking about the night sky."
"You're just being nice. Plenty of people think this way." I said modestly. "Next question: how exactly does that hair of yours even work?"
Luna looked at me in complete confusion. "I... beg your pardon?"
"Well, it looks like the night sky and moves around on its own, but it's still tangible. I'm not sure what to make of it."
Luna rubbed her chin for a moment, thinking about how to explain it. "Well, it's simply a sign of an alicorn's magical affinity as well as their health. I suppose simply put, it's a gauge for how powerful an alicorn's magic is along with their age. Cadence is not at the same age as Celestia or I, but her magic is quite strong, which is why you may have noticed the slight twinkle it seems to possess at times."
We went on for hours getting to know each other, telling jokes, and simply enjoying one another's company. Eventually Luna saw my dream began to fade, and said she would enjoy speaking to me further the next time we were alone. I'm not sure exactly how I was lucky enough to get her as a girlfriend, but the blissful feeling in my heart was enough to make me not care.
--------
As I groggily regained my senses on the jet, I turned on my iPhone to see what time it was. I had been asleep for around four hours. I groaned as I realized it would be another eight before we reached our destination of Cairo. I noticed Celestia was looking at me with a knowing grin.
"What's with that look?" I asked.
"I was simply wondering if you enjoyed your rest. Have any pleasant dreams?" She asked.
I gave her a playful frown before giving my reply. "I was simply enjoying some time alone with Luna. We were just getting to know each other better." I noticed that the woman in question was still resting, as were a good half of the group. "Your sister really is wonderful, you know that?"
Celestia warmly smiled and set a hand on my shoulder. "And she is lucky to have such a caring lover as yourself. Despite the short time you've been together on such circumstances, you've created a bond that is truly strong. I'm sure you remember my warning from before..."
I cringed as I thought about the punishment she would inflict upon me should I ever break Luna's heart.
"Kinda hard to forget a threat from Celestia." I teased.
Celestia laughed in good sport at the jab. "Fair enough. From what I've seen from the two of you, I don't think I'll ever have to think of such a thing. I can see that you love her for all the right reasons, and I happily accept you as her suitor."
"Yeah I- W-wait a minute! Suitor?! Don't get me wrong, I love Luna, but I think it's a bit early to be thinking of anything that committed just yet."
Celestia chuckled as she seemed to get the reaction she wanted. I finally joined in on the laughter.
"I know what you meant Celestia, and it is way too early to be thinking seriously about that kind of thing... but I honestly wouldn't mind spending my life with her." I admitted.
"That's all I would ever need to hear to know you would never hurt her. Luna told me much about the games you showed her when you were together that night. Would you care to show me some others when you can?"
I smirked as I dug through my bag. "I could do that right now." I said as I produced my 3DS from my bag, along with a bundle of game cartridges.
--------
In the few hours that had passed since I lent my 3DS to Celestia, she had engrossed herself with my copy of Ocarina of Time 3D. After she managed to learn how to control this new device, she was extremely pleased with the accomplishment of navigating the various puzzles and enemies within the first three dungeons, now returning to Hyrule Castle.
"This 'Zelda' reminds me of myself. She's so friendly yet she cares deeply for her people." Celestia said to herself as she trekked back across Hyrule field.
Her eyes widened as the skies grew dark around the entrance to Castle Town. The drawbridge lowered in the raging thunderstorm that Link was now standing in, and a white horse zoomed past, carrying both Zelda and her protector, Impa. As she looked on in horror at the cut scene that followed, I sided up to Luna giving her a small peck.
"How's my favorite Princess doing? The plane ride going smoothly for you?" I asked.
Luna gave a kiss of her own in return. "It has been quite enjoyable, though it still feels odd to be in such an incredible vehicle... which could begin plummeting with us trapped inside..." She said, shivering at the thought.
I gave Luna a comforting rub on the back. "We're nearly at our destination by now. Besides, you're more likely to die from an accident at home than on a plane."
Luna seemed to be slightly relieved. "They are truly that safe?"
"Especially if you have a pilot as capable as Jack." I said, raising my voice to be certain he heard the complement.
The intercom clicked in response. "Flattery will get you everywhere~. Also we are beginning our final descent. All passengers are to buckle their seat belts and turn off any electronic devices."
Celestia nearly groaned as she was about to play the Song of Time, but she regained her composure, saving and shutting off the system as instructed. Soon enough we descended below the clouds into the airspace above Cairo. It may have been a twelve hour flight, but the local time was much later than it should have been.
"Sheesh! It's five in the morning here!" I exclaimed.
Applejack's jaw dropped at the revelation. "How in tarnation is that possible?"
"It's called jet lag." I explained. "Because we were flying in a jet to a different time zone, our internal clocks are still tuned to the timezone we were in a few hours ago, so it'll feel weird for a bit."
We all descended from the plane and stretched our tired limbs.
"So all we have to do is catch whatever is powering this glyph and we can go home?" Pinkie asked between stretches.
"I certainly hope so." Rarity said while fanning herself with a paper fan. "This heat is simply horrid for my complexion."
"So, um, where is it exactly?" Fluttershy meekly asked Celestia.
--------
A few hours later we found ourselves within a valley lined with tombs.
"The Valley of the Kings." I said.
Twilight took out a scroll and quill. "What exactly is this place?" She asked, eager with scientific curiosity.
"It's a valley where ancient Egyptians buried their rulers, the Pharaohs. The last I heard there were 63 tombs discovered here, each one was filled with the earthly belongings of the Pharaoh buried inside."
Vinyl was pretty confused. "What would a bunch of dead guys want with that stuff? It's not like they would be able to use it or anything."
I smiled as I displayed what knowledge I remembered from school and personal curiosity. "Actually the Egyptians used to believe that their leaders had to face a final judgement to pass on to the afterlife. The problem was that their body had to remain intact for their soul to stay alive until their judgement was passed, so they were mummified to preserve their bodies, and they also believed they could take their possessions into the afterlife, so they were buried in their tombs with them."
Rarity's eyes lit up at that. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind parting with one or two artifacts. F-for Equestrian research of course!"
I rolled my eyes. "Sorry to say, but grave robbers took the valuables years ago."
We continued walking around in search of the glyph, with Rarity mumbling something about those grave robbers taking 'her' treasure. Twilight increased her pace to stand at my side and ask more questions.
"So how were they preserved as mummies?" She asked.
"It was a whole ceremony, but I forget some of the specifics. Suffice it to say that they had most of their organs removed and put into jars and their bodies were embalmed."
Everyone else seemed a bit repulsed at the mental image, but Twilight was humming to herself as she jotted down notes. The heat was certainly annoying for everyone, but we had a job to do.
"It feels close." Celestia said.
"Okay, everyone keep your eyes peeled. We don't know what this thing is or if the glyph is finished, so be on your guard." I instructed.
We trudged onward, but Octavia seemed to be fixated on something.
"Hey..." She began. "Has anyone else noticed the sand moving?"
"That's probably just from us walking and Rainbow gliding around." Vinyl dismissed, pointing up to the pegasus who was enjoying the ease of gliding on the warm air.
"Vinyl, I'm serious. It looks like it's moving on its own." Octavia insisted.
My gut was telling me something was wrong. "Rainbow, land for a second. Everyone stay perfectly still."
Everyone remained completely still and silent. I took a look at the ground and noticed a large stream of the sand was moving on its own, almost as though it was crawling around.
"What the-?" I wondered.
"Hey! There's more over there!" Spike said, pointing to several similar streams. All of the masses of sand began converging into a single point near the ruins ahead of us. Soon they all began to coil around, mounding into one massive construction of sand.
I slowly began reaching for my sword and shield. "Everyone, stand back."
The sand suddenly morphed into a massive sand lizard. It opened what could only be described as its mouth and let loose a guttural roar. I charged forward with my sword poised to strike. It reached out with one of its massive legs to crush me, but I dodged it at the last moment, using my momentum to pivot and slice at the offending limb.
"Alright! The first strike is-"
I immediately stopped feeling good for myself when I saw the blade had done no actual damage, but had simply passed through the sandy body.
"...Of course..." I muttered.
The monster took the opportunity to compact the sand around its leg and swipe at me again.
"Unh!"
I was sent tumbling backwards from the force of the blow.
*Zap!*
Several bolts of varying colors zoomed past my head as I recovered from the blow, impacting the sand lizard with concussive force.
"Keep firing!" Twilight shouted to the other horned members of our group.
The bits of sand that were blasted off the monster began moving on their own, and unfortunately they were all landing close to me.
"Dammit!" I angrily shouted.
I began trying to use shadow spheres to contain the sand, but there was far too many for me to concentrate on. Soon a group of the sand wrapped around my ankles. I tugged my legs to try and free myself, but the sand was piling on. Soon a tendril of sand formed before me, forcing its way down my throat. I began to gag and cough violently as the grains of eroded rock began filling my lungs, slowly suffocating me.
*Krzpow!*
I was teleported away from my stationary position and back to the group. Luna's horn lost its shimmer after she had brought me to her, and she frantically inspected me to see if I was alright.
"*Cough!* Th-thanks... Bleh!" I began coughing out the sand, my lungs and throat burning from the pain.
I was still heaved over as I looked at the monster. It was closing in, ignoring the concussive blasts from the magic.
"Spike! What are you doing?!" Rarity called out.
I saw Spike begin running up to the monster, fear clearly present in his eyes, yet he was determined in his pace.
"I-I have to protect you! I have to do my part!" He cried.
I shakily began getting to my feet, desperate to save Spike from his foolhardy assault. He ran up so he was a few feet in front of the monster.
"Hey, you over-sized sand castle! Eat flames!"
To my surprise, Spike let loose a jet of green flames that impacted the monster's left leg. That's when the unexpected happened. The flames that Spike shot out produced an intense heat as they danced across the surface of the monster's foot, turning it into a clear solid form.
The monster howled in what must have been pain, and an idea formed in my head.
"How could I have been so stupid! It's such a simple solution! If you mix fire and sand you get glass!" I said, smacking my forehead.
I ran up to Spike, my sword glowing with the power of light.
"Ready to put this thing in its place?" I asked.
Spike flashed me a confident grin. "You bet!"
I ran up to the unaffected leg of the monster winding up for a swing.
"Solar Strike!" I shouted as I cleaved it with the heated blade, turning the entire leg to glass.
Spike followed up by shouting out his own attack. "Dragon Breath!" He shouted before glassing the remains of the left leg.
The monster howled out in agony as it was now immobilized. I held out the blade of the Solar Sword to Spike.
"Now follow it up!"
Spike sent out a jet of green flames that coated the surface of my blade. I jumped high into the air poised for the finishing blow.
"Green Dragon Strike!" I shouted before driving the tip of my sword into the monster's head.
The flames of the blade shot forward and began transforming the entire lizard into a glass statue. I knocked the glass leg of the beast, testing to see it was no longer a threat.
"So..." I began as I turned to Spike. "Wanna keep it as a souvenir?"
Spike was still amazed with his accomplishment in the fight. "That was... I can't believe..."
Spike was drawn from his thoughts as Rarity swept him up in a hug.
"Oh, Spikey-Wikey! You had me so worried!" She said as she crushed him in a bear hug, kissing his forehead in relief.
Spike blushed intensely and had a goofy grin on his face.
"I-It was no problem at all... Anything for you Rarity..."
Spike's blissful moment was torn from him as he was teleported out of Rarity's grasp, and right in front of an angry Twilight.
"What were you thinking?! You could have gotten yourself killed!" Twilight admonished.
Spike began stammering in fear (And I do not blame him. Have you seen Twilight when she's angry?).
"I-I was only trying to help..."
"You just ran out there without any idea what you were doing! I... I..."
Twilight began to break down into tears. "I could have lost you... You're like a little brother to me, Spike. Don't you ever do anything like that again."
Spike softened up from his fearful state and hugged Twilight. "I know, Twilight. I'm sorry I'm always driving you nuts when I do stupid things like that."
The two of them held each other closely as brother and sister. I turned to Luna and gave her a hug myself.
"Thanks again for saving my sorry butt back there. I almost bit the dust, literally." I joked.
Luna wrapped her arms and wings around me, creating the most comforting hug ever.
"I would never leave the one I love to fight alone. I'll always be by your side." She replied.
After a few moments of tender embrace, we parted and returned to our mission.
"So Celestia, where's the glyph exactly?" I asked.
Celestia's horn glowed as she closed her eyes and focused on the magic energies around her.
"It's over there." She said, pointing to a stone obelisk.
I could see the glowing shimmer of a brownish-gold glyph that glowed on the ancient stone surface. But standing at the top of the structure was...
"Hold it right there!" Rainbow Blurted.
"Rainbow, wait!" I called.
She ignored my warning and flew straight at the silhouette above the obelisk. I could make out some features of the figure. It appeared to be male of an average physical build with a bright white body and red lines running across its surface. Just as Rainbow began to close in, a massive red shockwave sent her flying backwards. I felt myself knocked clean off my feet as the shockwave reached us.
"Such power...!" Celestia said in amazement.
I got to my feet, nearly collapsing from the rattling in my bones. I looked back to the obelisk with my weapons drawn, but I found nothing.
"He vanished?" Fluttershy wondered.
"He must have teleported." Pinkie reasoned.
"Woul somoue wet we ou?" A muffled voice asked.
I looked around to see Rainbow nearby, her head buried and her rear hilariously upwards from the crash.
I walked over to her and pulled her head out from the sand. She coughed and spat out some of it in disgust.
"Ohh! When I get my hands on that chump-" She began as she tried to get to her feet.
She collapsed to the ground and grabbed at her leg.
"I-I can't move! What's going on?!" She panicked.
I carefully inspected her leg, careful not to cause any involuntary pain.
"It doesn't look broken. Maybe you're just temporarily paralyzed from the shockwave?" I guessed.
Rainbow strained at her wing muscles, but they refused to move, leaving her arms as the only limbs she was capable of moving.
Rainbow looked down in embarrassment. "I'm such an idiot. I didn't even think about that. It's just like when I... When I nearly died..."
I turned around and lifted Rainbow up from under her legs, allowing her to ride piggyback.
"Hey, we all make mistakes, but just remember that if you get knocked down, I'll be there to scoop your sorry ass back up." I said.
Rainbow gave me a noogie as we began heading to the obelisk to investigate.
"Thanks for such encouraging words." She teased.
I loosened my grip slightly to scare her from the half inch drop. She tightened her grip around my neck, much to my amusement.
"Jerk." She said, trying not to chuckle.
"Awww! Thanks for the compliment, Dashie!"
Stepping up to the obelisk, the glyph was still glowing as it did earlier. Celestia and Twilight began using their magical knowledge to examine it. I set Rainbow down on a fallen slab so she could be comfortable while we investigated.
"It seems to be of the same type of magic as the previous one we found, but something feels... different." Celestia said as she scanned it.
Twilight rubbed her chin in thought. "You're right, Princess. Based on what you told me it should be giving off a less intense temporal frequency."
"Uh, yeah. I totally agree." Vinyl nervously commented.
"You have no idea what they're talking about." Octavia plainly said.
"Shut up." Was Vinyl's retort.
"Temporal frequencies... I think Twilight mentioned something about that once when I visited to help clean up the Library." I recalled.
Twilight nodded. "That's right. I was doing some research on it while we were having a break."
"You were saying that temporal frequencies are one of the most important parts of sealing spells. So then that means..."
Celestia gasped in realization. "These monsters aren't being summoned or conjured, they're being awakened from a seal!"
I squinted at the glyph on the obelisk, perhaps hoping I could unlock its secrets just by observing it.
"Just what are you hiding..." I said as I reached out to touch the glyph.
Once my hand made contact, the glyph changed color into a pure white rather than the golden-brown it was just a moment ago. The light intensified and a ringing noise filled the air to accompany it.
"W-what's going on?!" Fluttershy panicked, ducking behind the others.
The light of the glyph soon burst from the obelisk in tendrils of light, each one converging on me. Before I could react the tendrils pierced into my body, sending the magic energy flowing through me. I began to shake as the power coursed through my veins, and I began to fear that it would tear me asunder.
And then... nothing. The light had filled my body, and all of the others looked at me with concern.
Twilight carefully prodded at my arm. "Are you... okay?" She asked.
"I don't feel too different." I responded.
That's when I was assailed with a blinding headache. I clutched my head in desperation, crying in agony as I could feel each individual beating of my veins.
Luna gasped as she tried to comfort me. "Robert! What's wrong?!"
I struggled to focus on my words as the pain made my breaths ragged. "My head...! Make it... STOP!!!" I screamed.
Suddenly the pain seemed to vanish. I carefully opened my eyes as I began to sigh with relief.
"Oh man... That's sooo much better. It's alright guys, I'm fine now."
Silence was my only response. I looked to the group, concern still frozen on their faces. Wait, their faces were frozen! Luna was still worriedly standing before me, her pupils not even dilating as I waved my hand before her eyes. I got up and walked around each of them, every one not moving in any way.
"What the-?" I asked in astonishment.
I soon began to feel exhausted and light headed, and time began to slowly continue.
"Where did he go?!" Rainbow asked.
"Uh, hello." I said from my new position behind Fluttershy.
"Eeep!" She cried as she jolted from the surprise.
"H-how did you do that?!" Twilight wondered. "I didn't feel a teleportation... How did you get over there?!"
"Everything just froze." I began. "As soon as I screamed 'stop', time just froze for a couple of seconds."
I began to falter as my knees wobbled.
"The bonus of course being that I feel exhausted now."
Celestia began inspecting me with a curiosity I would normally associate with Twilight. "Fascinating. It seems that you've absorbed the temporal sealing spell that was placed on this obelisk. When you cried out like that you must have subconsciously activated it, but instead of sealing something in a pocket of inert time, you temporarily halted time itself!"
Celestia soon began to check my vitals and question me as she took Twilight's parchment and quill.
"Tell me, what did it feel like from the moment you absorbed the spell until now." She asked.
This was honestly starting to worry me, but I cleared my throat and answered. "It felt like every ounce of energy that was in that spell was pouring into my body. I felt like I was about to burst from it, like an overfilled water balloon. Then all the pain left as soon as the spell activated."
Celestia nodded as she began jotting down notes while grinning ear to ear.
"Excellent. And how do you feel now?"
"I feel amazing, powerful, and..." I rubbed my throat for a moment. "I could also use a drink."
Celestia simply looked at me with an expression of annoyance. "And just like that, the moment is gone."
"Look I just fought a giant monster and absorbed an ancient time stopping spell. Let's just call it a day and head back to the hotel." I chided.
Celestia rolled up her scroll and we all began to head back for a well deserved rest.