Dark Hoof Ruins

While out at dig site to uncover relics of old civilizations, Charmcaster uncovered a tunnel covered by a thick stone door with strange symbols carved interdictly in it. With the help if other workers, Charmcaster managed to move the door opening the way down into the dark unknown.
Using her magic to light the way, Charmcaster made her way down the worn, moss-covered steps. Lower and lower Charmcaster went the sound of her hoofs echoing down into the depths of the darkness past the glow of her magic. The quiet darkness soon caused Charmcaster to lose track of time, and soon Charmcaster could no longer see the light from the exit above.
Suddenly, the step Charmcaster took next gave way underneath her and Charmcaster started to tumble down the staircase. When Charmcaster reached the bottom, she was shaken and had sustained a broken leg and a quantity of scraps and bruises. Getting up, she tried to limp back to the staircase only to trigger a bobby trap causing a trap door to open beneath her.
when Charmcaster came round, she found herself lost in a ruin of an ancient temple. Getting up, she assessed her store of injuries from her fall.

'head- fuzzy and light headed. Leg- broken, stiff, and painful. Back- fine. All in all, i could be better.' Charmcaster Said to herself as she limped through the dark room. Lighting the room with her magic, Charmcaster observed the room looking for a way out. The walls are decorated with carvings of various scenes. Mostly of ponies walking in a line tied to a rope and being led to a pit with what appeared to be a large dragon painted red and with a ruby set for its eye.

Meanwhile, the workers where worried about Charmcaster. They heard a loud commotion from the tunnel and had been calling for Charmcaster for the past hour with no answer back.

Goldenheart was one of the last remaining volunteers looking for her. "Hey! Are you okay?"

I like it.

Charmcaster hears a voice calling out but due to the echoing halls of the ruins, is unable to figure out where the calls are coming from. 'ponyfeathers this place is creepy. I wonder what they did in here. All i could make out was sacrificial offerings to a blood red dragon.' charmcaster said to herself to keep herself alert.
'i wonder if that dragon still lives in this place or if he escaped. I hope he isn't still here.' charmcaster then turned down another dark passageway built with the same cold stones as her hooves and breathing made the only noise she could still make out. Meanwhile, a pair a red eyes glow in the darkness behind her.

Goldenheart yells down the hole again. "I'm gonna look for another way through." He turned around and began to search.

Charmcaster suddenly felt a hot breeze down her back and slowly turned around to find a monstrous blood red dragon behind her. Triggered by her intense fear, charmcaster's magic blazed, momentarily blinding the dragon. Seeing her chance, charmcaster ran as best as she could. Turn after turn, charmcaster ran with the dragon close at her tail snapping its massive jaws closer and closer. Charmcaster soon found herself in a dead end.

Golden heard large thundering booms. He started to walk faster until the ground beneath him shattered and he fell through. "CrapcrapcrapcrapCRAP!!"

Charmcaster thought it was the end until she heard 'crap' followed with what appeared to be a drop of gold fell on the dragon's head. Getting up, charmcaster realised that the dragon was out cold. She then turned her attention to the stallion that had come just at the right time. He was yellow with a blue mane, but that was not what drew her gaze to him most. She remembered him. A flush crept across her face and she attempted to get him safely away from the dragon.

As Goldenheart came to he muttered something. "Well, that hurt more than words can describe." he felt a pain in his side and knew he had a broken rib. Other than that, scrapes, bruises, the same as Charmcaster.

'umm....are you ok golden?' charmcaster asked her voice soft and small. Her mind flew back to the week before. She was still looking for work at the museum and had bumped into golden by mistake because she was reading her favorite poem called 'the void'. Afterwards, golden had told her about the dig the school had funded so the teachers could find relics to show their classes and teach them about ancient cultures. Charmcaster had agreed to help in the dig believing her skills in restoring relics would come in handy. Looking back at golden in the darkness make her realise how happy she was to see him and the flush crept its way back to her cheeks.

"Could be better." he said looking back to where he fell. His gaze was mainly at the unconscious dragon. "I suppose it's kind of my fault for our falls and... That." He said pointing at the dragon

'Don't be upset. If you hadn't fallen, i would be a dragon snack right now. If there was a way to get us back up that hole, we'd be almost out of this forsaken place. After wandering around down here and looking at the many inscriptions, i would have to say this was the temple built by the unicorns that were part of the dark hoof culture. They often sacrificed earth ponies to their lord, crimson blood, who had foolishly turned himself into a dragon to boast his great power in magic only to find that he could not change back. His rage caused him to become that monster here before us. Only the sacrificial offering kept his unicorn followers from falling prey to his rage.' charmcaster said looking at crimson blood. 'well, you have quite a story for your class, golden. Hopefully, it doesn't give them nightmares.'

"Eh, maybe when they're older, hehe." he said standing up. "Are you okay?"

Charmcaster nodded. 'my only major injury is my broken leg.' she said looking back at golden 'i am tired of this place and i am not to fond of the idea of being here when crimson blood wakes up.' she thinks for a moment. 'if we use our magic together, do you think we could reach the top of that hole you fell through?'

Golden thought. "Probably, but it's a little risky getting to close to Crimson Blood." he said peeking over his shoulder

'well, as soon as we're in the hole, he won't be able to follow us. The only other option is to try to locate the staircase out of here. Crimson knows this place better then us. As soon as he wakes, it will not take him long to find us unless we get to the surface and reseal the entrance. Since crimson was not born a dragon, he cannot breathe fire. That means his main forms of attack are tooth, claw, and tail.' charmcaster said hoping they would be able to make it out alive.

Golden had no clue how they would play this. 'Dragons never stay unconscious long unless they hibernate, but they're fast.' He walked over to the sides of the tunnels. They were mostly boulders jammed together. "Hmm, well, if you don't mind me destroying a wall or two, I could probably slow him down long enough to put some distance between us."

Charmcaster nodded and looked back at crimson blood. 'do what you need to golden. Hopefully it will be enough.' charmcaster looked around the room hoping to find some clue to a way out and remembered the inscription with the ruby dragon eye. 'golden! I think i know how to get out of here. Most of the inscriptions of crimson blood are just carved into the stone with no attention to detail. But the room i fell into had an inscription with crimson blood painted red with a ruby eye. The unicorns that built this place must have built some sort of emergency escape route in case they needed a quick escape! so, they make the exit with a beautiful tribute to their lord to conceal in so he couldn't find it!' charmcaster said quietly to golden.

"That's..... Brilliant!" he whispered back. "How did you figure that out so quickly?"

'well, didn't you think it was odd that a unicorn temple wasn't covered in gems and jewels? Being originally a unicorn, crimson wouldn't eat them. And even if he did, there would have been claw marks were he dug the gems from the walls. Being he did't eat them, he must be hoarding the only gems in the whole temple. Which are in the inscription i mentioned. That would explain how he found me in the first place. I fell into his bedroom.' charmcaster said starting to head back the way she came.

"You're extremely smart." he complimented

Charmcaster flushed and kept walking. 'i give all of the credit to my grandmother relic dancer. She taught me all about ancient cultures when i stayed with her in canterlot during the summer until she retired. She was the curator of the canterlot museum. That and i was the top of my class in school. I didn't make many friends though. Everyone though i was a snob and that i thought i was better then the others.' charmcaster said looking back at golden. 'shouldn't be too much longer until we get back to the inscription.'

"I know the feeling." He looked around. "A shadow brought, a shadow lost, into the darkness we are tossed... Void... Void..." He quoted aloud, being reminded of the reeling darkness

'darkness, darkness, unrelenting darkness' charmcaster quoted from the same poem. As they turned the corner, the light from charmcaster's light blue magic hits the ruby eye of the crimson blood inscription. The reflected light shone around the room revealing a door that was hidden by magic. 'there's our way out. They must have set the ruby so that the light of unicorn magic would reveal the door. Having turned himself into a dragon, crimson blood could no longer use unicorn magic. So, even if he finds out about it, he's still trapped here.' charmcaster said limping to the door. Suddenly, a primal monstrous roar shakes dust from the walls. 'ee best get going. Sounds like crimson has woken up.'

"Eh, once we're far enough, he won't fit. Dragonshifting tends to add a few pounds." He thought for a moment "For the primality of their civilization, they sure had this planned out."

'you have to also realise that they were unicorns well versed in the ways of magic. If they weren't, there wouldn't be any unicorns left today. Left unchecked and uncontrolled, unicorn magic, as you know, is disastrous. It's the main reason young unicorns start school way younger then pegasus or earth ponies. So, they must have knew what they were doing.' charmcaster looks down as she headed up the staircase as the door closes behind her and golden. 'and i messed up all of their careful planning to keep crimson blood from escaping.'

"But you made the right decision." he retaliated "Any number of ponies could've been killed by him."

Charmcaster smiled and stopped for a moment to rest, her broken leg hurting her progress up the staircase. 'i have to rest. I think we're safe here. If he couldn't fit through the door, then, he doesn't know this part of the temple. If i had a little help, maybe i can restore the stone slab with the spell of sealing the dark hoof unicorns used to seal crimson away and maybe make the spell a bit stronger. That spell has become stronger since then. And maybe that will keep crimson trapped down here for far longer then they dreamed.' charmcaster said looking up at golden.

"I'll do it." He smiled at her. "Especially if it means spending more time with a pony like you." He said turning red

Charmcaster flushed and nods. 'I'm glad you were the one that came to look for me. I remember you from when we were in school. You were always in the library in your free time.either reading, writhing, or putting up books for old dusty pages, the librarian.' charmcaster looks down at her hooves and says softly, 'touch of moonlight in the darkness and eyes of the palest of seas. She is the storm that stirs me from my quiet contemplation. If only she would look at me and acknowledge that i am only for her, i would be the happiest colt within the eye of her storm.' charmcaster recited with her eyes closed. 'that was you wasn't it? It was you that left the pale blue roses at the spot i always sat in the library?'

Golden blushed brightly. "I...duh, um.... I, uh....." He stuttered out, unable to excuse, or say anything.

Charmcaster smiles and nussles up next to golden leaning her head on his shoulder. 'that has to be my favorite piece of your work. The roses may have died, but your words have never died in my heart. I think i have at least one copy of everything you wrote. First editions, if i am not mistaken. But that first piece moves me more then anything else you did because it told me that out there somewhere, a colt loved me.'

Golden sighed in thought. "Might she notice my light, as I have noticed hers, my silence finds me, unable to speak, I hide and hope that she may find me, and I find her, for as brief a time as shown." He quotes back to her. "What can I say, I was too say anything to your face."

Charmcaster giggles 'and i too shy to say anything back until now. Figures. It takes a crazy dragon-pony to make us overcome our shyness towards each other.' charmcaster looks up at golden. 'a drop, just one drop of gold is all my darkened heart needs to be happy here in this world. If only he could see me struggling to breathe when he passes by, maybe, just maybe, i may be allowed to take that drop of gold hanging before me from the clear blue sky.' charmcaster smiles as she gets up and continues up the staircase.

Golden smiles and follows her. "I wonder how old smoky is doing down there?" he wonders laughing.

Charmcaster laughs and continues to climb 'he's most likely searching every inch of that temple looking for us. Should keep him busy for a thousand years or so.' finally reaching the top of the staircase, charmcaster accidently steps on a trigger, but lucky, it only opens a door to a beautiful meadow dotted with a few white tents that have ponies rushing in and out. Two royal guards are standing guard at the entrance of one tent. 'we're back at camp.' charmcaster whispered in awe. 'princess celestia must have received word that we went missing.' then charmcaster looked back at golden horrified. 'golden, the dark hoof civilisation existed long before ponies came here! The princess won't know about crimson blood! We have to warn her before anyone gets sent down there!' charmcaster says trying to run, but her broken leg crumbles beneath her and she falls to the ground.

(oc just posting cause i told snow i would when i got back.) charmcaster tried to get to her feet and struggled to stay balanced on just three hooves, but her trip through the ruins had used up what strength she had.

Golden trotted over and helped her back up. "You should rest, I'll go warn them."

Charmcaster looked up at golden and smiled. 'ok. I hope we're not too late.' charmcaster put her head on her hooves and for the first time since entering the ruins, relaxed. She felt safe and something she couldn't quite identify. For a few minutes, she thought on it and realised that it was the sense of belonging she never got when she was in school. Slowly, charmcaster drifted off to sleep and dreamed of a dark gold foal with a dark blue mane.

(OOC I'm not sure how to introduce my character this kind of fits what he does better than the rest of the threads, so here goes nothing) "Well I guess this is the place." He looks at the map that the archeological society gave him. "Well it seems a little empty I thought they said I would be meeting some volunteers here." He looks at the sky and notices Luna's stars glimmering in the sky. He looks around the entrance to the ruins and says to himself, "well it is kind of late I'll set up my tent and get some shut eye." His horn lights up as he casts a barrier around his tent site and and also casts an alarm spell, that only he can hear, to cover his perimeter just out side his field. "That should do it you never can be too careful in the wilderness." He says to himself, he sets up his tent, gets a meal, and then goes to sleep.