The League of Lyras

by Redcoat

LoL #5

Adventurer Lyra was having an awesome day. First she tricked one of her best friends into exploring an ancient temple with her, then they found some treasure, and then they got shot at by some crooked ponies who wanted said treasure, and now they were running for their lives.

Yep. The day had been pretty awesome.

Archaeologist Lyra was not having an awesome day. First, she was tricked into desecrating an ancient temple by one of her best friends, then nearly destroyed some priceless pottery trying to claim a worthless gold trinket. Then, they were almost killed when some rather nasty looking ponies showed up that desired said worthless trinket. After they were dispatched, which involved far more violence than she would ever be comfortable with, they accidentally set off a trap and now they were running for their lives from a giant stone cube that was sliding after them on a series of rollers.

Yep. Her day had been pretty terrible.

“How could you *huff* do this to *huff* me?! I thought we were *puff* friends!” Archaeologist Lyra wailed, nearly tripping on an errant vine. She resisted the urge to look over her shoulder, instead keeping her focus on not stumbling on anything else that got under her hooves.

“We are friends! You think I'd go treasure hunting with just anypony? Ha! Only my very best of friends get a piece of this!” Adventurer Lyra replied over her shoulder in a way that was more yell-y than reply-y.

“Why are we friends?!” Archaeologist Lyra screamed.

Adventurer Lyra didn't answer, instead she grabbed Archaeologist Lyra's wrist and pulled her through a crack in the side of wall right before the cube came swooshing along, rolling on its merry way towards the death and destruction of its foes.

Inside the crack was very dark, and very cramped. It smelled of rot and thousand year old death, not a very nice place in archaeologist Lyra's opinion. Adventurer Lyra couldn't have asked for a better crevice.

It wasn't the scent of rot, but treasure that was in the stale air. And only a novice adventurer would mistake the smell of adventure for death. It was pretty much perfect. Adventurer Lyra immediately began to wiggle her way deeper into the fissure.

“What are you doing?!” Screamed Archaeologist Lyra from behind Adventurer Lyra, her voice bouncing off the walls and magnifying. They both winced when the echo resounded back at them, nearly a hundred times louder than when she had screamed it first.

After Adventurer Lyra's ears stopped ringing, she turned and smirked at Archaeologist Lyra. “I'm going after treasure, of course.” A frown came over Archaeologist Lyra's face when Adventurer Lyra said that, but she didn't really know what she had expected.

Adventurer Lyra gave her a winning smile, and Archaeologist Lyra dropped her head, sighing a long and suffering sigh.

“Fine. But if you destroy any more samples, I will end you.” She finally said before starting to wiggle after her. At this, Adventurer Lyra smiled even wider and began to once again move forward. They only had to wriggle for a few minutes before they came to the other side. It wasn't what they were expecting, except for Adventurer Lyra, who had been expecting something awesome. And it was awesome.

“What is this place?!” Asked Archaeologist Lyra, loudly. Adventurer Lyra uncovered her ears and swept her hoof across the view provided by their high vantage.

“Welcome to the lost valley of Shamllama, friend.” It indeed looked like a lost valley. It was choked with massive trees, some bigger than the skyscrapers she had seen in Manehatten. The sun shone through the branches and off in the distance she could see a massive temple even taller than some of the trees.

Archaeologist Lyra gaped for exactly one second.

She narrowed her eyes at Adventurer Lyra as she saw her looking for a way down.

“No.”

Adventurer Lyra felt a chill go down her spine. She whirled around, desperately searching for some ancient evil that was dark enough to give her chills. “Not to be a buzz-kill Archy, but you may want to go back. I'll be fine if an ancient evil attacks, but-”

“No.” Came the voice again, colder this time. Adventurer Lyra slowly turned her gaze towards Archaeologist Lyra and gasped.

“H-hey Archy, you're not looking so hot. Maybe we should go back for now, I can come here some-”

“No, Adventurer Lyra. You won't come back. Ever.”

Adventurer Lyra's eye grew wide as saucers. “W-what are you talking about? Never come back? But what about adventure?” Archaeologist Lyra just looked at her with cold grey eyes.

“No, my 'friend'. You'll never come back, and I'll make sure of it. This area will be blocked to all but those who have Official Passes. No adventurers who'll come in, breaking priceless artifacts to steal mere gold. Only those who pursue knowledge will be allowed to come here.”

Archaeologist Lyra's eyes began to glow, and she started to float up into the air.

“Only those with careful hooves will tread this jungle. And once it has been scoured of all the knowledge it contains it will become a refuge, a safe haven for scholars across the world!”

Her voice became louder, reverberating into itself. A thousand voices speaking at once, driving themselves into Adventurer Lyra's head, into her mind. She became worried when she started to like it.

“You wished for treasures and baubles, but Instead you will find a palace beyond your wildest dreams, fit for a goddess! Where any can come to learn unhindered by their mortal coil! IT WILL BE A PARADISE OF KNOWLEDGE!”

---

“It was at that point that Twilight Sparkle teleported in from somewhere and started going into a nerd frenzy or something.”

“That's rough. Wait, Twilight Sparkle? Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic, Defender of Equestria yada yada etc. etc.? That Twilight Sparkle?”

“Yeah, it was kinda lame. She started setting things on fire. We got the heck outta Dodge, dunno about her though. Anyway, long story short, Archaeologist Lyra is not going to be adventuring with me again.”

“I said I was sorry!”

Interrogator Lyra slowly, oh so slowly, closed the window Archaeologist Lyra was looking through. Then she closed the blinds. Then she turned them so that light couldn't get in. She switched the lamp that was on her desk on, and then turned to Adventurer Lyra.

“So she's not a good candidate?”

Adventurer Lyra sighed and folded her hooves over her chest. “No.”

Interrogator Lyra did the same and shook her head. “Then it's back to the drawing board.”

Author's Note:

Pre-read and Edited by Twilight_Scratch
Additionally, I would like some feedback.
The up-votes are cool, but they're a limited medium.

Comments

[Slayer 10321]

A candidate for what?

[Redcoat]

5182492 Lawl as if I'd tell you here.

[Slayer 10321]

5182494 Uh......wow. You responded fast.