//------------------------------// // The Expedition (Edited by Kibishi) // Story: Sa'Dalarim: The Preservers. // by firelordzx5 //------------------------------// "Come on spike!" Twilight shouted in frustration, she and her expedition group of three guards and four archaeologists along with two of her friends, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy in an exploration mission for the search of an ancient temple. The Temple of Harmony. "I'm going, Twilight, geez!" and her Assistant dragon too. Her expedition group was assembled and ready to go, they were waiting for Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. The Cyan Pegasus was always for an adventure, something that Twilight saw as an advantage she needed, she is a good flyer and could scout the area faster than any other pegasus. For Fluttershy... she needed her, her talent on the animals would be extremely useful in the aggressive fauna of the forest itself. "Ugh! She is the best flyer, but she always comes later!" said Twilight, Frustrated, it was understandable with Fluttershy, having a rational fear of the enchanted forest but was also wanted to go for the exotic animals that reside inside the forest, she would have to admit that she felt guilty in manipulating Fluttershy's love for the animals for her goal in that way. "Look out, here comes the dash!" came a voice from above, a cyan blur landed in front of the group causing a rise of dust around the ponies who coughed and waved the dust only to see the Cyan Pegasus with a Rainbow mane, Rainbow Dash, with a cocky smile. "Rainbow! You're late!" blunted the Lavender Princess, Rainbow groaned. "Come on, Twilight! It’s not like we are losing time, also, where is Fluttershy? She is late too!" as the moment she said the name of her pegasus friend, Fluttershy appeared with some saddlebags with her, trembling in fear apparently, but trying to act confident, much for Twilight’s amusing and Rainbow's own frustration. "Alright, everypony ready?" Asked Twilight, the group, dash along with the guards saluted, the archaeologists were prepared half an hour ago, Fluttershy just 'meep'd, Spike sat on twilight’s back as they began their journey into the Everfree forest. "Stop!" a voice came from behind, it was Rarity... "Rarity? what's going on?" Asked Twilight, Rarity also has some saddlebags with her. She is going with us? Thought Twilight. "Oh I just Thought going with you in this expedition thing." "Why the change of heart, you said that you didn't have time." In fact, it was true, only Rainbow dash and Fluttershy offered themselves to go with her (she implored and begged to Fluttershy to come, she used a spell to calm her panic attack but still was a challenge to convince her) Applejack has a job in the farm and Rarity once said she had orders, Pinkie has to take care of the twins, Twilight couldn't help but be confused at rarity's change of opinion. "Well, I got a card from the same client, she could not pay for more, so I completed with my quota earlier than anticipated." She joined the group and finally entered to the Everfree forest... *** The walk was strangely silent as they entered deep into the enchanted forest, one of the archaeologist, Old Discovery, an old stallion with a gray coat and hoary green mane with a magnifying glass as a cutie mark, was talking with Rarity about their work, Fluttershy was next to the guards while hiding in her own mane, Rainbow Dash was scouting, flying over the group searching for dangers and paths to avoid, however, being a danger lover she couldn't stop the fact that she wanted something to happen. Twilight hoped not, she hated conflicts like anypony else, all except the hot-headed pegasus that flew over their heads. "Hey Twilight, what is this "Temple of Harmony"?" asked spike, she never had time to talk or lecture spike about it but now it was time to do so, the archaeologists she lead are like minded individuals that theorized the temple in the past. Only legends and history books mention said temple but never mentioning its location... Until now... "The Temple of Harmony, Spike, is where the elements of harmony were created; Starswirl's Journal stated that the creators were people with vast knowledge and power, their minds linked with one and another, living without secrets and in constant harmony." "Eh Twilight, You said people instead of ponies, they aren't ponies?" Asked Spike this time it was Old Discovery’s turn to answer. "Well, Yes Gentledrake, the journal never mentioned the inhabitants being ponies or equines at all; we believe that they were called "Protoss"." "Protoss? what a lame name for the ancient harmony-bringers" Rainbow dash said while landing next to rarity, the former groaned by her friend's uncouth attitude toward everything she considered "lame" or "uncool". "Rainbow! be more respectful! without them, Equestria would be nothing!" Blunter Rarity, it's true, the elements of harmony were vital parts of the conclusion of many conflicts in Equestria, the Gryphon War during post-Foundation Era, the Unicorn Civil War, Discord Reign of Chaos and Nightmare Moon Banishment... their friend ascension to princess hood. "What? I'm still saying that their name is lame." "Well, Lady Dash, Protoss, as Starswirl named them, it was more the name of their species, his journal says about the name of their "tribe"." said another Archaeologist, Lucky Bone, a young adult unicorn mare with brown coat and dark red mane. Light bulb as a cutie mark "Their Tribe's name is 'Sa'Dalarim'." "Sadah what?" said rainbow dash and spike incredulously in the same time. "Sa'Dalarim' in their language. Starswirl deciphered it as 'The Guardians." "Guardians? now that's a cool name" Said Spike, Rainbow nodded. "G-girls?" another voice sum to conversation it was Fluttershy's. Now this is going to be interesting thought Rarity, Fluttershy was never part of any conversion around stranger ponies; Rarity knows that, all her friends know that. if she has something to say it could be important or it’s something she’s bothered by. "What is it, Fluttershy?" asked twilight. "I-I t-t-think we should r-r-return." Twilight rolled her eyes, once again she use her soothing spell, relieving her from her early fear. They continue further as Rainbow Dash flies again, searching for nearby danger. *** Hours passed as they advanced... much to their dismay, there isn't much to see aside from trees, bushes and rocks. wild manticores were no problem with Fluttershy's talent for the animals, much for the guard's luck. "Twilight, I hate to sound like that we’re lost but... we are sooo lost.." said rainbow dash as she landed next to the guards, they nodded affirming her response, Rarity in the other hoof, was rather calmed, while internally she was screaming... Fluttershy was no better, she was about to have a heart attack. "Rainbow, we are no lost-" "Do you have a map?" asked Rainbow. "Well, No-" "Then we are lost" Finished Rarity, she hate to admit but Rainbow was right, they were lost deep in the Everfree Forest, she hated this dreaded forest, so many legends that made this place cursed and dammed by Celestia herself, while she say she never did such thing, she couldn't help but feel... observed. Rainbow flew again searching for a way back to the town to guide the group, but she found something more... "Guys!" Rainbow Shouted, gaining the attention of the group, Twilight the most. "I found some ruins over there" she point a hoof over a segment of ruins and a cave nearby, Twilight and the Archaeologists cheered, they found it! they galloped towards it, the sun beginning to set; they made it to their destination. It was what they were expecting, some ruins lay in front of a dark cave leading to the unknown... "We did it, Your Highness, we arrived to the entrance of the temple!" the group cheered and begun to set a camp near the ruins... for tomorrow they'll begin their purpose of their trek That very same night, they ignited a campfire and starting to plan in what to do tomorrow, the cave was obviously the entrance of the temple, they could separate with a group for the cave while the rest would examine the ruins, Rainbow wanted to accompany Twilight along with Lucky Bone and a Guard to the cave, Fluttershy preferred to be outside with the rests of the archaeologists and the two guards, Rarity preferred to stay outside than being inside of a "terrify and dusty temple that could damage her mane and coat" "Twilight?" Spike began. "Yes, Spike?" "What looks like these... Protoss things?" It was an interesting topic that spike made up; the archaeologists expressed their curiosity as well. "Well, Starswirl mentioned them early as muscular bipedal beings without a mouth and nose with strange but powerful magic." this raised some questions among the group, while the guards didn't say anything, they were curious as well. "Wait a minute... Without a mouth and nose? how the hay they talk, eat or breathe at all?" asked Rainbow Dash curious, "To talk, probably using telepathy, to eat, I actually don't know, the same I could say with breathing." "Probably their nose exist but in another part of their anatomy," pointed out Old Discovery, "the same could be said with their mouth" they began to speculate about the former inhabitants of the temple, when tiredness hit them, they entered to their respective camps to rest, they all were shared with another pony or two more, the guards took turns to observe in night time, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy shared the same tent, Rarity offered to share her tent with some archaeologists while others rest in their respective camps. *** "What are you doing here, Little one? ..." Twilight was flying but wasn't the skies of Ponyville or equestrian in all... She wasn't in her planet anymore. She was floating, swimming among the stars, constellations and nebulas filled her vision, she couldn't understand why she was dreaming this but it was beautiful... "What are you doing here...?" again a voice asked her, its echoes in her mind, was masculine and deep but soothing and calm. "You and your kind are no welcome here..." again the voice said to her, while the sentence sound hash, the voice didn't lose its calm tone, the nebula's starting to surround her as two bright blue eyes appear in front of her.. "You should return to your own... and leave this place... forever..." the moment the voice talked to her, the eyes glower. "Why? we just want to learn, is important to us!" She shouted in her defense... the eyes only blinked "Then, your fate is sealed..." the eyes and the nebula's dissipate, fading away, leaving Twilight alone in the cold space... *** "Twilight? Twilight! Wake up!" the voice of spike filled her ears as she wake up her odd dream, she groaned. "Twilight, you gotta see this! there is an odd panther in the temple's cave!" an odd panther? she thought, getting up and exiting she headed to see the temple's entrance, some archaeologists along with Fluttershy and Rarity were up too, it was early morning already. "What strange feline, I never see this kind of panther before!" exclaimed Fluttershy, her fears gone; Rarity as well was surprised. "Twilight, this breed of feline exist in any book you own?" "I don't know, What's going on?" asked twilight, shifting her gaze from the group to the temple's entrance there was, indeed, an odd panther, laying on the ground in the middle of the entrance, its upper half's fur and forelegs are dark blue while its lower half and hind legs have dark vertical stripes with reddish-orange fur with a lighter underside... it was indeed strange. "Look! he has a necklace!" the said necklace was golden with a blue glowing crystal in it "none of my books said anything about this kind of... breed, must be new species!" Twilight brightened upon seeing it, she made a notebook, a quill with black ink on the tip appear, and started taking notes. Fluttershy walks slowly to not startle the panther; the odd cat did the same with her, upon meeting each other, the panther purred and show affection by licking her face. "Awww, she is a cutie..." "Wait, 'she'?" asked twilight as well some ponies, curiously. "I know the gender of an animal when I see it, its part of my special talent. Also, she seems to be tamed..." she pointed to the necklace. "You mean… that someone still lives in there?" asked Lucky Bone, the blue glow in the crystalline orb on the feline's necklace didn't fade, in fact, it glowed with more intensity, soon, the panther’s glow in bright blue then... disappeared... only to reappear in middle of the entrance again. "Did she just... teleport?!" all the ponies were awestruck in the display of the odd creature, that soon disappears again... leaving the ponies confused and amazed. "Okay... that was weird" Rainbow dash's voice startled the ponies from their shocked trance. Twilight was taking notes furiously while Fluttershy and the rest were still confused. "Did that cat used magic?" asked a unicorn guard, Guarding Sword. "I don't think so, it didn't feel like magic at all!" exclaimed the alicorn princess. "But that cat just teleported in front of our eyes, Darling, how can you explain that?" pointed Rarity. "I'm... not sure..." Twilight hated to admit it but she doesn't know what the panther just did, yes she could theorize it but it won't reveal anything, just speculating in something that could be proved wrong. she shook her head and shifted her gaze to the entrance. "We should... begin, maybe we could find answers inside..." said twilight while looking at the cave... the entrance to the Temple of Harmony.