//------------------------------//
// Flashes of the Past 
// Story: Family Relics: Adventures of the Past and Present 
// by Paradise Oasis 
//------------------------------//

Flashes of the Past

"Firefly, Look! There it is!" North Star declared, as the two Pegasus ponies circled over the Screean desert. "That's the sight of the pony archaeological dig!"

"About time we spotted the blasted place!" Firefly grumbled in annoyance, looking down at the endless sea of sand below her. "This heat is starting to dry my wing feathers out!" 

Following the directions they had received from their last lewd adventure, the two Pegasus had followed the trail out into the wastelands of the Screean desert. All around they could see the recently dug up tombs and buildings dotting the landscape, a sign that the pony diggers had been busy at work But one particularly large pit caught their eyes, and the two ponies flew down towards the windswept ruins. .

"Wow, looks like cleared a whole lotta sand outta here." Firefly noted, seeing all the ladders and hoof shovels scattered throughout the ruins. "How old do ya think this place is."

"Oh, probably at least five thousand to six thousand years old." Firefly replied, looking at the ancient Penna hieroglyphs covering the walls. "Though I'd estimate the sand has only covered the ruins for the last millennium or so."

Looking around, the two mares noticed the stone walls and columns still buried in layers and layers of sediment. But as they trotted across the ruins, the two mares noticed one very important thing was missing.

"North, there's supposed to be a Ponyland archaeologist and his team working here, right?" A puzzled Firefly asked. "Well, where the heck are they?"

North Star looked abound a corner into a lower tunnel that had been dug, and her face suddenly went pale. "Oh, dear.... FIREFLY! Come over here!" The disgusted mare replied, trying not to lose her lunch. "I think I found our missing stallion team."

"Why, what are you talking-" The mare asked, when she suddenly rounded the corner, and gazed upon the grizly sight. "EEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK!"

There, on the ground before them, lie the gruesomely disemboweled carcasses of the archaeologist pony and the six ponies of his team. Looks of horror frozen on their motionless faces, the eight bodies were dried out by the harshness of the desert sun, and lying with several vultures picking at their remains. 

"Oh, those poor ponies!" Firefly cried in terror, looking over the corpses. "North, what the hay do you think happened here?"

"They must have been  digging out this trench, when whatever it was that got them... got them." The mare moved to cover them over with a nearby tarp with her wings. "We should get out of here, and warn somebody about what has happened."

"Wait, we can't just trot away from this!“  Firefly looked back at her companion. “More ponies might come here to see what happened, and the same thing could happen to them!” The mare looked down at the poor dead ponies, and narrowed her eyes. "Whatever  ancient horror they unleashed that killed these stallions, we have to stop it here."

"Wow, how'd you get so brave all of a sudden?"  North Star asked in surprise, her fear dropping away slightly. "Usually, the only time you're willing to face danger is when a bunch of cute stallions involved." 

"Hey! What do you think I am, some kind of-of....hussy?" The other mare snorted angrily, as the two trotted back up out of the half-filled tunnel. "I think about more than just boys!"

"Oh, who are you kidding, Firefly? They should install a turnstile at you bed to control the in-and-out flow of traffic!" North Star retorted, rolling her eyes. "And you've seen so many stallion sailors, that the Ponyland navy has classified you as a friendly port!"

"North Star!" The other mare growled at her. "You take that back, or I'll just fly off and leave you here!"

"No way! I've had to put up with your attitude and your putting us in those stupid outfits, and I frankly I'm sick of it!" North Star snarled, spreading her wings. "Besides, how exactly do you plan to get home from here, take a tramp steamer?"

"Why you little-!" She snapped, diving at her angry friend. "I'll tear your mane off!"

The two Pegasus leapt at each other, beating  their wings and trying to knock each other senseless. They tore bits and pieces out of each others manes, and beat and battled each other until they were both thoroughly bruised.  As the two kicked up a cloud of sand in their battle, two mysterious phantoms glided across  the main section of the ruins. It was only then, that North Star finally noticed the two new arrivals.

"Firefly, wait..." She stopped struggling, even as the other mare continued pulling on her mane with her teeth.  "Firefly, get off and  take a look over there!"

"Huh? What are you-?" Even as the other Pegasus stopped, looking up at a most unusual sight.  Before there very eyes, they both saw a pair of middle aged mares, one tan colored and one blue, who were trotting their way up the same path they had come in. The two other ponies seemed to pay no notice to Firefly and North Star, and with a probably good reason...

...the two could see right though them.

"North Star, are we....?" Firefly questioned, her face going pale. "Is- is that....?"

"Blimey, I do believe it is, Firefly." The other mare said in disbelief, looking on as the two shades were talking to one another. "I believe we're are seeing the shadows of Rainbow Dash.... and-" The pink mare gulped. "-and  Daring Do."