Wings of Dominion [Colgate, Saw Bones]

[Solaria]

Colgate stifled a yawn with the back of her hoof, blearily summoning enough magic to lift a manilla folder into the air before her as she flipped it open and perused it. Her periwinkle and lavender mane was slightly disheveled, with a few rebellious strands making their bids for freedom in various directions, in one case even straight upward. Contrary to her enjoyment of rituals and keeping habits, the dental unicorn was not a morning pony. Her chosen profession often demanded that she was awake and working early, but that hadn't changed her grumbling or the half-asleep look she wore when she woke before the sun. Unfortunately, this had been the only time both her and her patient's schedules had matched for free time.

"Saw Bones," she muttered as she flicked through his file, this time not even bothering to cover a long yawn. "Never heard of him. Maybe he's not in Ponyville much. Regardless, he'd better not make me wait."

Setting down the folder, Colgate moved to a rack and retrieved the white coat she enjoyed wearing at the office, slipping it over her shoulders and forelegs with a practiced flourish. Moving to the mirror nearby, she spared her reflection a dazzling smile.

"Doctor Colgate T. Romana, dental pony extraordinaire!" she announced, laughing softly at her own presentation. "Have to keep yourself entertained, you know? I-"

The unicorn broke off abruptly as she caught the image of a familiar object in the mirror, and she turned to face it fully. An Aquilean hunter's claw, a gift from one of the griffons that she and Dr. Whooves had aided long ago in their strange land. Normally such a notable favor was only given to other griffons of that particular group, as it indicated faith in the recipient and acknowledgement of their strength and character. Both she and the doctor had received one after aiding in discovering one of the larger ruins that hadn't yet been excavated in Raptorclaw Canyon. Of course neither of them actually excavated it, but exploring it afterward had impressed the griffons. If impressive was surviving ages-old traps, then Colgate reluctantly agreed.

Caught in a reverie, the blue pony sat behind the receptionist desk, levitating the trinket from its shelf to tap it lightly on the polished surface before her. Those had been quite the days, running from one adventure to the next. Her companion's attitude and intensity had irked Colgate sometimes, but it had always been fun. Now her days, though enjoyable, were just filled with teeth. She sighed.

"Any time now, Saw Bones..."

[AsthmaticPegasus]

Saw trotted along the street at a brisk pace, a slight smirk on his features as he headed for Dr. Colgate's offices. It seemed almost unnatural for him to be so awake so early in the morning, especially since he had had a late night studying some recent reports of excavation sites. Hay, he was even just getting back from studying an excavation in person, and it didn't seem to have phased him one bit. Truth be told, the archaeologist was excited with all he had discovered and learned in the past week. He wasn't even nervous about the dentist appointment, despite the fact that it was going to be his first in awhile.

He pushed open the door into Colgate's offices and walked in, noticing the good doctor sitting at the receptionist desk twiddling some sort of artifact around with her magic. She seemed to be substantially less happy with the morning than Saw Bones, so he tired to tone it down a bit with the joy. He'd noticed before that ponies who got exhausted in early hours of the day got a little peeved by morning ponies like himself.

"Hey there Doctor, I'm ready for my appointment." He said with a smile, showing off his hopefully healthy teeth. He took this opportunity to examine the artifact more closely, seeing now that it was old but well taken care of... some sort of claw? "What exactly is that? Looks fascinating." He muttered, becoming curious as to how she had gotten it

[Solaria]

Colgate lifted her gaze from the claw as her patient walked through the front door of the office; she allowed her magic to fade slowly until the object thunked quietly on the desktop. There was a certain energy about this pony, a vibrant quality that told her that he was much more awake at this early hour. Standing, she brushed her stray hairs into place and allowed a smile to break across her face.

"Saw Bones, I assume," she said cordially, nodding politely. "I'm Doctor Colgate, but I'm sure you already know that."

Her gaze flicked to his teeth automatically as he smiled, a habit she had acquired after years in the practice. Nothing glared at her from the quick perusal, so her hopes for the visit going smoothly were relatively high. As Saw posed his question, Colgate briefly glanced back at the artifact in question.

"That's an Aquilean Hunter's Claw," she responded wistfully. "It was a gift from a few griffons I met years ago. They said it bestows strength and will on the owner, but I haven't seen any of that," the unicorn added with a chuckle. "Well, I'm ready if you are."

Extending a hoof toward the nearby hallway that led to an examination room, Colgate resisted the urge for yet another yawn.

[AsthmaticPegasus]

"Hm, a hunter's claw... interesting..." Saw Bones said going into deep thought. He wondered what exactly she had done to warrant such a gift, it was by no means easy to impress a griffon, and such a symbolic peace would probably be pretty valuable. "Uh, yeah, I'm ready." He said, snapping out of his momentary thought and followed where Doctor Colgate was pointing, down a small hallway and into the dentist's examination room.

He set himself into the examination chair and relaxed, taking a moment to look at the room with it's various cabinets and equipment. He became the littlest bit nervous when he saw a drill, and hoped that he his teeth weren't unhealthy enough to warrant a filling.

[Solaria]

Colgate followed her patient into the room, levitating several things into the air at once with a practiced flair. A bib settled itself against Saw Bones's chest and wrapped its cords behind his neck, tightening with a neat bow. A thin tray rolled into place and became arrayed with various tools as they clanked onto its metallic, shining surface. In moments, the dentist had arranged her familar set-up and stood next to the other pony as she lowered his chair and snapped on the bright lamp above them.

As she tugged a mask into place over her mouth, the unicorn summoned a small pick and mirror before turning back to Saw.

"Open wide please," she said in her slightly muffled voice, leaning in to give his teeth a quick preliminary inspection. "So you're fascinated with the old claw I had back there, were you?" Colgate asked as she worked. She began her actual cleaning on the left side of Saw's mouth, manipulating the pick to scrape away a small deposit of plaque she found near a gumline before removing it and wiping it on the bib, allowing him time to talk.

"Are you familiar with such objects?"

[AsthmaticPegasus]

Saw Bones squinted as the lamp was turned on in his eyes, but quickly adjusted to the bright light and opened his mouth obediently for Colgate. She picked at some of his teeth using a mirror and pick, holding it steadily with her magic, and then after scraping some plaque off of one of them she took the tools out of his and wiped them off on his bib. "Are you familiar with such objects?" She said to him inquiringly.

"Yes. I work at the Canterlot Museum, actually. I'm an Archaeologist, and I've been pretty busy lately. Why, just last week I came back from a rather large dig site. The ponies there had been an ancient group of farmers, and they may have been the first to use a watermill!" Saw said, his excitement on the subject very apparent. There was nothing he loved more than his job of discovering new things about ponies long gone. Their legacies intrigued him, and he was always burying himself in books, trying to find anything he could on such subjects. He relaxed back in the chair and opened his mouth for Colgate to continue the check-up.

[Solaria]

"Huh," Colgate answered, lowering her tools for a moment to consider Saw's words. "That actually sounds fairly interesting." She grinned at his expression as he explained himself, though her mask hid all but the crinkles at the corners of her eyes. "Well, that gift isn't exactly old like the rest of the stuff you search for. It's an Aquilean Hunter's Claw, given out by the Shadowfeather tribe to those they think have achieved a great feat of strength or wit. They're a rather odd set of griffons, really..."

Without waiting further, the unicorn lifted her tools and resumed work on the other pony's teeth. There really wasn't much to clean aside from the usual hard-to-reach pockets of plaque. She worked in silence for a while, considering how closely related some of her past works would have been with the interests of an archaeologist. If nothing else, Saw Bones and the good doctor would have gotten along swimmingly. Moving the pick from her patient's teeth, the dentist wiped it clean again and double-checked her work before rinsing the prone museum worker's mouth with a small jet of water and inserting a vaccuum tubule. After removing the remainder of her tools from his lips, Colgate turned to uncap a small case and dipped the head of a small disc-shaped machine into the polish.

"So tell me Mr. Bones, have you made any major discoveries? Received medals for your work? Anything I might have heard of?"

As she spoke, the blue pony revved her tool a few times to coat it in the pinkish coating that would soon be spread over her guest's enamel.

[AsthmaticPegasus]

Saw Bones pondered for a moment. Had any of his discoveries been really ground braking? Sure, he had discovered and started a few excavations. Heck, it was how he finally found his cutie mark. But he wasn't famous, and he hadn't received any awards for his exploits. Ah well, doing what you love is it's own award. "I've discovered a few dig sites, one of them not too far from from Canterlot, and put together some mysteries of my own, but you probably haven't heard of me. I'm not exactly a famous pony." He said with a smile. It certainly didn't bother him, he hadn't discovered anything groundbreaking. This claw that Colgate had though, that sounded rather interesting.

Losing himself for a moment the archaeologist sat up in the dentist's chair. "Tell me, how exactly did you get that claw? THAT would probably make a better story than anything I have to offer." He said, then remembered where he was and sank back into the seat, opening his mouth so the dentist could continue.

[Solaria]

Colgate sat back for a moment, allowing Saw to rest for a bit for they continued.

"And you probably haven't heard of me," she countered with a grin. "As long as you're proud of yourself, that's what matters. I would disagree that my stories are better than yours, but if you really want to hear it... I wasn't always a dentist here in Ponyville. I worked with a stallion named Doctor Whooves, and together we traveled a good portion of Equestria discovering what deep, dark mysteries we could. Our last great one was over in Aquilea, where we found some ancient ruins in Raptorclaw Canyon. We worked with the local griffons there to get a team in and excavate the site, then Whooves and I explored it. It was definitely frightening at times, and we managed to find an old treasure chamber that had a humongous statue that looked like a mix between a griffon and some monster, with an engraving in an archaic dialect of their language. The best translation we could get was 'Carved in twain, the ivory hunter pierces the sky of black.' Weird, right?"

A wistful look came over Colgate's features.

"We never figured out what it meant, but Whooves and I both received these claws for helping that tribe we were dealing with discover forgotten parts of their past. I don't think we'll ever figure out what that so-called prophecy meant, but I wouldn't mind going back to visit someday if I weren't so busy."

[AsthmaticPegasus]

Oh, an Aquilean ruin steeped in mystery and and darkness, with a foreboding message of some strange beast? That sounded far more interesting than Colgate gave it credit for! Saw Bones could hardly hide the look of intrigue on his face. If only he could see such a ruin, and experience the adventure of uncovering whatever secrets lie within. But these griffon that Colgate had mentioned, he wondered if whether or not they were the type to allow strangers into their home and entrust them with such secrecy. Probably not, those ruins contained their entire history, or at least that's what it sounded like, and it's not like anypony can wander up and just ask to take a peak. Maybe he could learn more from Colgate, and go back to the museum to look in the reference books on ancient Aquilean history. He might be able to sate his curiosity, if only a little bit.

"What sort of things were in the chamber? What did the mysterious beast look like?" Saw said with fervor. He was getting excited now, and no matter how he tried he couldn't hide his heavy interest.

[Solaria]

Colgate looked up from the tooth polish with a quirked brow.

"I dunno, some other statues, a few pillars, maybe some old jewelry. You archaeologists really get into this kind of stuff, don't you?" she laughed. "The statue is easier to remember. It looked like a giant, horned griffon with some wicked spikes all over it. Looked more like something from Tartarus than anything else, really."

She tilted Saw's chair back once more, starting to polish his teeth with an accompanying whine from her tool. She moved slowly over the enameled surfaces, thinking back to the chamber with more focus. The statue had been all black, but it had gleamed as though carved of glistening flesh. There had been a chilling realness to it, as though it were watching her every move as she explored the chamber.

"If you want, you can take the claw back to the museum with you for a while to study it. I'm sure it'd love to see something else than ponies waiting with terrified looks about their teeth being treated."

[AsthmaticPegasus]

Was she really offering to lend him the claw? Oh, today was a great day! Saw was getting some much needed dental care, and might even be able to bring a priceless Aquilean artifact back to the museum! Obviously he'd give it back as soon as he was done studying it, but still this was a great opportunity. He'd have to try and find any mention of that strange beast, it could help illuminate some questions he had about this group of griffon.

"Really? You're sure? I'd love to take it back and study it and all, but it's such an impressive piece. And you must've gone through so much to get it." Saw Bones said, wondering if Colgate was really interested in lending it away. If she was sure then he'd gladly take it, he just wanted her to be sure.

[Solaria]

"Stop talking for a moment or you might get a gum polished!" Colgate admonished gently, bopping Saw softly on the nose with a free hoof. "It's just a piece of my past, something I wasn't even trying for at the time. If it helps you with your job, why wouldn't I lend it to you?" She stopped polishing for a moment, thinking. "Actually, you're my only appointment that I know of today. If you don't mind maybe I'll come along to the museum with you. I could always use a little more culture."

The dentist resumed her work, running the tool over her patient's teeth until they gleamed under the bright light. It was a satisfying result every time, as though she were trying to see her own reflection in the white surfaces. They were her canvas, her tools her brush! She allowed everything to float back into its proper place and lifted Saw's chair back into the sitting position.

"Well? What do you say?"

[AsthmaticPegasus]

Saw Bones would have no problem taking back the claw for proper study if Colgate was absolutely positive. And if she wanted to come along too, well, more the merrier! Since she had had first hoofed experience with the griffons then she would probably have a lot more insight into what needed to be found out, and with Saw Bones' resources at their command they would most likely be able to shed some light on the mysterious creature depicted in the temple, and even the temple itself.

As soon as Colgate was finished polishing his teeth he rinsed his mouth out, then turning back to the dentist mare he smiled and apologized. "Sorry, It's just that I get really excited about these things. And of course you can come to Canterlot with me! I would love to have your help, and showing you the museum would be my pleasure!" The archaeologist hopped out of the dentist's chair and gave Colgate a smile with his newly shined teeth.

[Solaria]

"What a great smile," Colgate beamed, happy with her work. "Well let's get you checked out with reception and we can be on our way!"

The unicorn trotted out of the examination room, much more awake now, considering she actually enjoyed museums. She emerged into the lobby and levitated Saw's charts, marking a few things before passing them to the white pegasus behind the desk.

"Mind putting these away for me, Sunshine Petal?" she asked in a sickeningly-sweet voice.

The receptionist lifted her face from her copy of Cloudhopper Monthly, a deadpan expression bolted into her features.

"I'm busy."

Colgate dropped her false cheer and settled her brow into an unamused line.

"So get unbusy."

Sunshine licked a hoof and flicked to the next page.

"No."

Her employer fumed, her stature rigid.

"Did I mention you get to go home afterward?"

"Well why didn't you say so!" the pegasus squealed, dropping her reading material with a small rustle of paper and taking the charts. See you on Monday!"

With a rush of air she flew out the front door, and Colgate sighed. After checking that everything was locked up and turned off, she trotted out the front door after Saw. Powering her tools with magic always left her a little tired, but this was the most exciting thing she'd done in a while. Besides, she could do more things than a museum visit in Canterlot!

"She was the only one willing to take the job," the mare explained as she walked. "Sunshine really is nice when she wants to be. So should we catch the train?"

[AsthmaticPegasus]

Saw chuckled a little as the unicorn and her employee had there little feud. He couldn't help but feel that this was almost routine for Colgate, she certainly knew how to get around Sunshine's stubborn behavior. Or perhaps that's something that came with working over somepony for awhile. The archaeologist wouldn't really know, he worked on projects alone for the most part, and when he did interact with other ponies in the museum it was usually rather formal.

"I don't doubt it, she's probably just tired or something. Though judging by the way she bolted out of here it's hard to tell! Anyways, yeah, we should probably get to that train. It might be leaving soon." Saw Bones said, stifling his chuckle and turning to Colgate. He walked out of the doors to the dentist office, squinting his eyes a little with the change in light and heading off towards the train station. Today was going to be an interesting day, starting off with only a simple dentist appointment and leading up to tales of an ancient griffon temple and a former adventurer wanting to lend a hand in revealing the tomb's secrets.

[Solaria]

Colgate trotted alongside Saw Bones, her own dazzling smile reflecting in the sunlight. She hadn't been excited about a weekend in a while. It may have involved recounting that creepy statue, but she loved trains and Canterlot was always a lot of fun. As she walked past a few familiar faces and she called out greetings and got them in return, the mare turned to her companion.

"Sunshine is never really tired. I'm not even sure she sleeps," she added with a chuckle. "It doesn't matter much. She means well."

Not long after, the pair arrived at the station and the unicorn walked to the counter to purchase her ticket. She tossed a few bits over in exchange and levitated the small slip in the air before her, standing next to their train as steam wafted all over the platform and a whistle sounded.

"Hurry or we'll miss it!" she said in a loud voice, nearly drowned out by the locomotive behind her.

[AsthmaticPegasus]

Saw Bones hurried up, running up to the ticket counter shortly behind Colgate and tossing the pony working there his bits. He grabbed his tickets from her, apologizing for the rush, and continued sprinting onwards toward the train. Just as the whistle sounded Saw hopped on next to his dentist, and not a moment after it started moving. A close call to say the least, and about as dramatic as a standard trip on the train was bound to get.

"Whew, that was certainly a close call. Maybe we should've been more hasty getting through town." Saw said jokingly before walking into the cabin of the train car and taking a seat. It was going to be a little bit before the train would arrive in Canterlot, and maybe Bones and Doctor Colgate could work out a solid plan before getting there. "Would you be able to find the ruin again if we needed to? Would the gryphons let you in, since you helped them retrieve it? Perhaps, once we get to the museum and look into this strange creature, we could find out more about their culture. Oh, so many possibilities with a mysterious place like this!"

[Solaria]

Colgate watched with amusement as Saw Bones flitted to the ticket counter, practically threw bits at the custodial pony, and dashed to the train to stand next to her. He appeared a little winded, and the dentist forced her teasing smile into a solemn nod when he looked at her.

"I'll say. You should have hurried more. I was trotting quickly, but had to keep slowing down for your sight-seeing!"

The unicorn moved to sit next to Saw while listening to his enthusiasm about the statue, the creature it represented, and the tribe members that she had worked with previously.

"Well, if you have good maps it shouldn't be a problem to find that place again. I don't know if they'd let me in, I'd assume they would, and yeah... their culture is just fantastic..."

In her mind, Colgate was reliving the events that had led up to her recognition and receiving the claw. Not all of them were fun, and some were downright scary. No need to bother her friend with those details though, right? It's not like they'd be going through them again.

[AsthmaticPegasus]

Saw Bones smiled at Colgate's quip. "Yeah, I guess I should've thought more about how much of a rush we were in," He said, looking out the window as the scenery zipped by. Canterlot was visible in the distance, a regal citadel looking over the land of Equestria from it's peak. They were making good time, and all the better because the sooner they got there the sooner they could make arrangements for their research.

"Maps shouldn't be a problem, I have PLENTY of those. I most definitely have a few detailing the layout of Aquellia somewhere in my office." He looked back at Colgate with a smile, and she was deep in though, thinking about her past. He took a moment and also began thinking about his past, and what it would've been like trekking through a trap ridden temple for treasure. Seeing as all of his excavations (no matter how exciting to him) were pretty average, a temple like that would've been a good change of pace.

[Solaria]

Colgate nodded absent-mindedly, shaking her head to clear away the shadows of those old fears and adrenaline-pumping moments. They were in the past for a reason, and she'd moved on. She was a doctor now! For teeth.

"Those should be pretty helpful," the unicorn admitted, following Saw Bones's gaze out the window as she admired Canterlot for a few moments. "I remember the rough area the temple was in, but all the landscape around it looked the same. I wouldn't be able to find it again without a map, even though we're not going right?"

With a quick flick of hooves Colgate had tucked the window down and was leaning outward to watch the approaching royal city. Her periwinkle mane writhed in the breeze, but it could be fixed easily enough. It wasn't much longer before they pulled into the train station and the blue pony sighed and exited the locomotive.

"So where to now, Mr. Bones?" she teased gently.

[AsthmaticPegasus]

Saw Bones let out an embarrassed sigh and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Yeah, yeah, sorry. I know we're not going, it's just that I get ahead of myself sometimes. A lot of the time, actually... I'm pretty excitable when it comes to this sort of stuff. Sorry," He said, feeling a little more awkward and less confident than before. How amazing would it be though to go to Aquellia and get a first hoof look at their ancient culture. Books were good and all, though nothing beat seeing something in person. But it's not like he was going to just run off to some ruin he knew nothing about with his most recent dentist, that would just be crazy.

"So where to now, Mr. Bones?" Colgate said gently teasing him, stepping off the train as soon as they were in the station.

Saw Bones gave an overly suave smile and bowed exaggeratedly, "Right this way, Miss Colgate," he said, teasing her right back. He wasn't nearly as "gentle" as his dentist, but chuckled a little and cringed inwardly at his own overdone performance. Ugh, acting just as strange as ever the archaeologist thought to himself, feeling a little embarrassed. Without any more unpleasant delays he showed her the street to the museum, and made a mental note to act more normal.

[Solaria]

Colgate watched a content expression grow over Saw Bones's face, as though he were looking past Canterlot to something else. She knew that look. She had used to wear the same one when she was young and inexperienced. Adventure was adventure, and you never knew what was coming next. The unicorn assumed that the archaeologist was imagining rooting through the temple with a tiny brush and an overlarge hat. More than likely imaginary Saw was looking for an ancient tea cup or the like. She stifled a snicker while her companion answered.

"Such a gentlecolt," she commented airily, trotting with her muzzle held high as she followed Saw Bones and his amusing act.

While she walked she couldn't help staring at the buildings from time to time, which were much taller and more imposing than anything in Ponyville. Canterlot was not only a place of royalty and high-society, it was a place of power.

[AsthmaticPegasus]

Saw Bones made his way towards the museum, daydreaming about what sort of exciting things could be found in such a temple. Surely that mysterious and imposing statue was only a start to the wonders which could be found in that place, there was probably a wealth of information about ancient griffon culture hidden away just waiting to be found! Maybe there would be enough money and artifacts there to open up his own museum! No, no, he had to get his head out of the clouds. He wasn't going adventuring, he was checking up on an unknown creature which his dentist had found in her younger years of travel and excitement... which did sound a little strange when he thought about it. Oh, well, he lived for the strange.

After a short walk they came into a more centralized area of Canterlot, a more open and commercial area. The museum was pretty obvious with the words "Canterlot Museum" etched into the stone across the top and mighty pillars jutting out of the ground around it, supporting an elaborately carved outcrop. Saw Bones hopped up the steps to the door, holding it open for Colgate (though this time out of genuine politeness, not taunting foppishness). The inside was everything you'd expect a museums reception area to be, with smooth stone flooring and statues depicting forms of life, ancient architecture, and modern marvels. These were just a taste of what was inside the many staircases and hallways leading into the deeper parts of the Museum, and Saw lead Colgate down one of these hallways into the "Ancient History" section. He showed her down a long passage, past exhibits and plaques that told of times past, to a rest area with several benches organized in rows. A few doors led into the offices of the employees, and he showed her into the one labelled "Saw Bones".

"Well, here's my office. Not much to look at," He said truthfully. It was rather small, and could only hold two ponies comfortably. What little space there was was taken up by a table in the center with all sorts of books and maps strewn about in disorganized heaps in a way that only made sense to Saw, and a huge bookshelf which took up the entire back wall. There was all sorts of literature, mathematics, cartography, archaeology... just so many books! "Feel free to look around at what there is," Saw said with a little chuckle. "I've got to find those books and maps."

[Solaria]

Colgate trotted happily along beside Saw Bones, admiring the various storefronts as they passed. Confectionaries, restaurants, outfitters, Canterlot really had it all! And the air was so breezy at this height, much more so than down below in her home. The cool air kissed her mane and ruffled it, warping it into a tangle of periwinkle and blue starbursts before it settled back into place. Definitely more breezy.

As they reached the square the dentist instantly found the museum, its tall yet older structural style setting it apart from the buildings around it. It was definitely something to behold as she was led inside. Things were no different once she was out of the sun, as now there were all sorts of exhibits and artifacts to glance as while they trotted by. Despite herself, Colgate found that she had cantered over to examine a vase in more detail, her eyes roaming over every little imperfection or design. In a way, she still missed being out in the world.

She quickly galloped to catch up with Saw Bones however, as she was certain she'd get lost in the museum's labyrinthine hallways without his guidance. Wonders of the World, Great Pony Achievements, Ancient History... Soon enough they came to his office, and Colgate's eyes shone when she saw all the old guides and maps.

"Don't mind if I do!" she squealed when her companion offered to let her look at them, as she'd already levitated several maps in the air and buried her nose in them.