"In the ancient ruins of Sunstone Temple, it is said the petrified body of Jaru, the snake father, still rests around the sarcophagus of his love, the Sun Goddess Ra. Oh, Spike, isn't this exciting?!"
A lavender pony with a horn poking through her mane - navy streaked with pink and purple - and two wings spread comfortably over a pile of books sighed happily, turning the pages of her latest find with a flare of magenta magic. "Look! They used these crowns to channel the earth's energy so they could use magic! Aren't the Sphinx interesting?"
"Totally," Spike grumbled, pulling a book out from Twilight's miniature fort and putting it back on the shelf. "Where did you get all of these, anyway? Golems and Giants? A Crinkle in Thyme? I've never seen these before!"
"Of course you haven't!" Twilight giggled happily, flipping another book open and scanning the first few pages. "One of the colleges in Canterlot is being refurbished, and they're getting a whole new library, so Princess Celestia sent all of the books to me for safekeeping!"
Spike shoved another book onto the shelf. "Great."
Twilight pulled the newly shelved book back to her fort, sliding another novel in it's place, and opened it instead, scanning the pages eagerly.
It was because of this sudden addition to her library that she didn't immediately notice Spike's flame-riddled burp. However, through force of habit at hearing the noise, her magical aura caught the delivered scroll before it could hit the ground. After finishing her current section, she turned her full attention to the new delivery.
Snapping the wax seal away from the paper, she scanned her mentor's elegant writing.
"My faithful student,
A new tomb has been opened in the Scarab Desert, the home of the Sphinxes. The current pharaoh, Bloodfeather, has heard of your recent transformation and would like to know more. You have been assigned a Sphinx guide named Sandwing and housing with her in the city, should you choose to travel there. If you choose to go, please reply to my letters as soon as possible.
Your mentor,
Celestia
P.S; If you happen to see a book titled 'Moonshine and Other Nighttime Recipies', please return it by dragonfire. It belongs to Luna, and she thinks I may have sent it with the others.
Never mind, Discord was eating it."
Twilight set the letter down on her book fort, drawing a quill, inkwell and scroll from somewhere in the mess. As she began furiously scribbling a reply, she shelved the book fort. "Spike, could you get my saddlebags for me? I'll need quills, ink, scrolls, and that one Equish-Mareabic dictionary. And some bits and gemstones."
She rolled up the scroll and hovered it in front of Spike, awaiting a gout of flame.
When the young dragon simply glared at the scroll, Twilight rolled her eyes. "You're coming too, don't look so upset."
In moments, the letter was gone and the packing was done, Spike carrying a few gemstones in a brand-new backpack Rarity had made for him a few days prior. Twilight peeled a map from the wall and scanned it, making note of where she was going to aim before rolling the paper up and sliding it into her saddlebags.She lowered a wing to let Spike climb on to her back, and took a deep breath.
Her horn lit with a blaze of magenta, filling the air with heat-less sparks as the Alicorn channeled her magic. With a flash and a rush of arcane winds, the library was left empty.
-----
Twilight blinked away the last remnants of her magical flash just in time to plow muzzle-first into a sand dune. Flapping her wings madly for balance as she stood up, she scanned the area.
The sky was a pristine blue, unmarked by any passing cloud or errant pony. The sun shone bright and hot, making her lift her hooves occasionally to keep from burning them on the sand. And sand was really all she could possibly stand on. For as far as she could see, in every direction, it was just sand. Quite clean sand, but sand.
Spike slid down from his steed's back, landing with much more stability; dragon's claws were meant for sand and pebbles, and spread their toes accordingly. He pressed his shoulder against Twilight's, holding her steady while she tried to find a hoof-hold.
She gave him a quick, embarrassed smile. "See anything other than sand?"
He put a claw over his eyes to shade them. "Not a thing."
He doubled over with a sudden urk and promptly burped out another letter, coughing slightly as he straightened. Twilight caught the letter in her magic and spread a wing over Spike to shade him. Squinting against the brightness of the paper in the desert sun, Twilight read aloud;
"My dear Twilight,
Your Sphinx guide has been alerted of your recent departure. If you choose to teleport instead of using the chariot I'm sending, be sure to aim a little to the left as to the marking on the map. The city had to move a while ago, and we simply haven't gotten around to updating everything. I'm sure you'll figure it out fine.
If you've already left by the time this letter reaches you, send up a flare spell so that your guide can find you. I'm sure she'll be getting quite worried; nobody wants to be alone in the Scarab Desert in that heat!
Your mentor,
Celestia."
Twilight snorted, stuffing the scroll in her saddlebags. "How're the Sphinx supposed to find us if we can't even see them?"
"Maybe you should try the spell," Spike suggested.
"Oh, right." Twilight lit her horn, swinging her head along with the launch of her beacon for extra distance. The glowing purple light shot up into the air, shimmering through reds and greens as it flew. Twilight squinted, watching its path, before checking the dunes for any sign of approaching ponies.
"Well. I don't see anypony," Twilight muttered, "maybe we should just-"
She was cut off as something plowed into the dune behind her. She jumped forward on impulse, losing her footing on the soft terrain and tumbling rather ungracefully down the side of the hill. She heard a muttered curse from further up the hill before a pair of cat-like paws landed beside her head.
Twilight screamed.
"What's the expression ponies use?" The newcomer hissed, "ponyfeathers? Horsefeathers? Yes, horsefeathers!"
Twilight stopped screaming.
"I suppose you're the Princess? Sorry for the rough landing, I always forget about the thermals at this time of the day."
Twilight had tuned out, her senses focusing on the pony she had never seen before. Learning had a tendency to make her do that.
The other pony had a dark tan coat, with a chocolate brown mane and tail. She lacked a Cutie Mark, but wore two golden bands around her front hooves. No, not hooves, but paws - three-toed and spread over the sand to keep from sinking. The pony - if it was a pony at all - had hooves on its hind legs, but its tail seemed more like that of a long-haired cat. Its wings were wider in comparison to its size than any pony Twilight had met, and it displayed this as it spread them out to shade the two foriegners. The longer feathers, normally the same colors as a pony's coat, were also a few shades lighter than its fur.
It smiled down at them, face partially hidden from the sun behind it, and its emerald eyes flashed with snake's pupils.
"My name's Sandwing!" The not-pony chirped happily, "and I'm your Sphinx guide while you stay here in the Scarab Desert! Cute dragon, by the way. Nice colors."
Spike blushed, climbing up onto Twilight's back. "You're a Sphinx?" She asked, "I was expecting something..."
"Bigger?" Sandwing guessed. "The history books paint us as giants, I know. We should probably get back to shelter before your brains boil. It's crazy hot out here!"