Under an Emerald Sky

by Bateman66

Educated Speculation

"This is extraordinary!" Professor Amphora remarked while gazing upon the strange gray stone slice that sat upon a small pedestal in the expedition's main tent.

"It's marvelous!" Professor Ards concurred as he lifted the metal helm visor up with his hoof for the other professors to hear him.

"Thou am impressed with its alor!" Professor Dorian bellowed out in Old Equestrian.

A small crowd of nearly all the professors along for the Emerald Forest Archeological Expedition gawked over the strange artifact that had been found just hours earlier. A small desk sat in the humbly sized tent's rear and was being flooded with more and more enthusiastic scholars who wanted to take a gander at the mysterious object resting atop it.

The older ponies talked in glowing enthusiasm over just what the object was, throwing around theories and inferences almost as fast as the pony standing next to them. So far, nobody had quite been able to pin down a concrete theory on just what it belonged to and what period it came from.

It bore no markings, no extraneous details, and no marking on just what it belonged to. It was a smooth to the touch and as uniform as a piece of space age technology, and yet was gruffly cracked along the edges. It was a quite plain, almost rock-like hue, and yet after just light dusting it looked not even a day old. And it was with the mounting mystery that the bespectacled, elderly, and eccentric ponies from the History Department at the University of Canterlot became more and more excited at the challenge.

A new arrival then entered the tent. A slightly aged, orange stallion with glasses perched primly atop its snout with calculating eyes that regarded nearly every scenario with heightened efficiency. It took in the scope of the scene for a brief moment, inspecting the controlled chaos of his colleagues with a touch of humor and a dash of concern for order. Despite the group's lovely enthusiasm, order still needed to be maintained.

"Alright, alright, settle down!" he shouted while waving his hooves to get the group's collective attention. "Now, just what the heck is going on here?"

"Something extraordinary was found!" a teal mare stated giddily.

"It's amazing!" a beige colt added.

"Tis worthy of the heavens!" Professor Dorian bellowed once again.

"Let me see it, let me see it," the orange stallion ordered in slight annoyance as he waded through the crowd. "I'd like to get a gander at just what's getting you all so jumpy."

Reluctantly, the crowded parted as he approached the desk, his desk, which was now being substituted as a small stage. At first glance, he immediately noticed the arced holder that propped whatever the object was at a vertical angle, almost resembling a lightning bolt shooting directly downwards. At was also at first glance that he knew he'd never seen something of the sort in his entire life.

Through all the fields of study he'd practiced in, all the different degrees he held, everything from Psychology to Geology, the minuscule piece of stone on his desk was something of the absolute obscurity. It looked ancient and modern, rugged and pristine, simplistic and advanced. Although he hated to admit, especially in the presence of others, he hadn't the slightest idea of what he was looking at.

So instead of declaring this, he posed a question. "Which of you found this...thing? I'd like to know just who and how somepony stumbled across something like this."

There was a pause in the tent, all the professors waiting for one of their own to step forward. But no one did, and the group began looking around anxiously for just who deserved the recognition for the amazing find. Finally, without anyone coming forward, a voice in the back answered.

"It was the two students, Neuro. Those two youngsters from the University."

There was a collective gasp from the group gathered, followed by all eyes focusing on the orange stallion standing by the desk, looking mildly surprised but still holding his composure.

"Well, bring them here then," Professor Neuro Parapraxis ordered with a wave of his hooves. "And please would the rest of you leave for the time being? I wish to speak with these two students alone."

A collective grumble went through the crowd as they reluctantly filed out of the tent. When the last one exited, Neuro took a seat behind his desk. He steepled his hooves together on the desk's surface in patient waiting for the two ponies who were no doubt on their way while occasionally sneaking a glance at the piece of stone.

There was something to it that caught his attention; that seemed to catch everypony's attention for that matter. On the outside, it didn't appear all that interesting but there was something beyond that just screamed the opposite. He couldn't quite put his hoof on what that might be but perhaps if he just felt it for a moment it may just--

The two students suddenly entered the tent, causing Neuro to reel away from the stone in surprise and back into his collected self.

The two students were colts. One was a teal unicorn while the other was a silver earth pony. Although they both looked equal in age, the earth pony had a much more mature, almost steely disposition in comparison to his companion. The companion looked much more...inexperienced. He clearly was trying to hide an edge of nervousness and had a blank to his eyes that lacked concentration.

"Hello boys," he greeted with the best introductory smile he could muster. "I understand that you were the ones who found," he gestured to the slice of stone, "this while on the job. Care to explain the details?"

The earth pony nodded. "Yes, Professor. We were performing a routine marking and excavation of one of the aqueduct pillars about a mile away from camp. It was in the ground just beside the pillar that silver stone piece was recovered. I was the one who carried the object back while my colleague here brought our supplies along with us."

"And is there anything else of note you found."

"Not a thing, Professor."

"Then I won't use anymore of your time. You may see yourself out."

The pony bowed his head. "Thank you, Professor."

The two turned to leave. Neuro quickly called back to them.

"Hold on! I only said one of you could leave. You," he pointed to the unicorn, "stay here a moment. I need you to run a brief errand for me."

"B-But," the unicorn stammered as looked back to his friend, who merely shrugged and gestured with his head to Neuro. He brushed past the tent flap and back outside, leaving the two alone.

The pony was trying very hard not to quiver in place. He avoided Neuro's gaze by looking around the room in mock interest, wringing his hooves together in a clear sense of anxious anticipation. Normally, he would've been taken back by the slight rudeness the young colt was emulating, but he had to remind himself that some students always felt that way around professors no matter how hard you tried to be welcoming. Neuro was sure he was always welcoming with new ponies, especially students. Or at least, he thought he was anyway.

"What's your name...son?" Neuro added the last modifier for a sense of belated cordialness, granted, with a slight awkward articulation.

"Q-Quill Scratch, but most ponies just call me Quills, um, Professor."

Neuro gave him a nod. "Well, 'Quills,' it's come to my attention that the camp is running a bit low on sealant containers for the samples we recover. I need a strong, strapping young fellow to go and get some from the cart we brought along with us just a few miles off by the main road. Would you care to be that strong, strapping young fellow?"

As if you have a choice he thought to himself.

The unicorn bobbed his head. "S-Sure, I mean, yes, Professor. I can do that."

Neuro internally sighed in relief. He was ever grateful that the colt hadn't asked the question of 'why are you asking me?' Then he would've had to concoct some elaborate explanation of why he was the just the right pony for the job and that nopony else was available for such a laborious task.

In truth, it was because he had to choose either him or his companion who located the artifact. Rewarding a student's achievements was the best gift an educator could give and the promise that bright gray colt, Silver Cloud, was practically tangible. But Quills on the other hoof...not so much. Neuro prized results overall and so far the student before him showed a disposition of the exact opposite. He wasn't trying to be mean; that was just how it was. He could tell.

"Good," he continued. "And I'd also like you to bring my assistant along with you. I believe you'll find him at the edge of the camp. He knows the way back to the cart better than anypony I know and will be more than helpful in carrying some of the supplies back with you. Does that sound alright to you?"

Something about that last sentence seemed to freeze the colt in place, paling his fur and forming a horrified gape on his face. The youngster gradually seemed to realize he was doing this in the presence of someone else, and bobbed his head once again, this time with a little less energy.

Neuro waited for a verbal confirmation from the pony but only got a mumbled mess with something that almost sound like a "Professor" at the end of it. Either way, the left the tent in a frantic flash, leaving Neuro alone with the fascinating object before him.