//------------------------------//
// 1: Cryptic Conversation 
// Story: Hourglass 
// by DuskPhoenix 
//------------------------------//

"It said what?" 

Twilight flinched at how loudly Starlight Glimmer had spoken, glancing through the door they stood just outside of and into the Cutie Map room. The glass pony was lounging sideways in Twilight's throne, its expression flatly neutral and its gaze wandering over the ceiling. Spike stood a bit away from the glass pony, eyeing it warily and glancing back at Twilight. Twilight grabbed Starlight's shoulder and pulled her further back from the door.

"It said I had "begun the end,"" Twilight said, frowning, "and it knew my name somehow. I don't know what this thing is or why it was locked away in that statue, but I sent a letter to Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to see if they know what it is or what it wants."

Starlight pondered this. "I can't imagine it's got good intentions." She said. "I mean, the only other creature we know of that got sealed in stone was Discord, and he didn't exactly want to sing friendship songs when he got released."

Both Starlight and Twilight looked back at the glass pony. It continued to glance around robotically.

"Well it doesn't look hostile." Twilight observed. Starlight shook her head.

"Maybe it's trying to trick us into letting our guard down." Starlight countered. "I mean, the very first thing it said to you was a threat! It didn't exactly make a warm first impression."

"It didn't feel like a threat, though. It felt more like a warning." Twilight said, glancing back into the map room nervously. "I think we should at least try and find out what it knows."

Starlight shook her head. "How do we know it's not just going to tell us a bunch of lies?"

Twilight hesitated. "We can choose whether or not to believe it after we hear what it has to say. It can't hurt."

Twilight walked slowly into the Cutie Map room, Starlight following with a wary expression. The glass pony didn't even glance at them until they had reached the side of the map opposite it and Twilight tapped her hoof against the surface.

"Hello there," Twilight began with a smile, trying to keep her tone friendly, "we were just wondering if you could answer a few questions about what you said earlier." When the glass pony simply stared blankly at her, Twilight's smile became a bit strained. "Uhm. You know, your statement that I had begun an end? It would be really helpful if you could elaborate a bit."

The glass pony blinked slowly, the motion making the smallest of clinking sounds. Its head tilted back and it resumed scanning the ceiling.

Twilight's attempt at a smile failed fully, giving way to a frustrated frown. Starlight had a similar expression as she scratched her chin in thought.

"You're sure this thing speaks Equestrian?" Starlight asked. Twilight nodded, but she looked far more uncertain than she had before.

"I don't understand." Twilight muttered to herself. "I haven't ever dealt with something like this before. Usually mysterious forces start out with a speech, not with... weird silence."

"I prefer not to repeat myself."

Twilight and Starlight jolted as the cold, flat voice echoed out. The glass pony continued staring at the ceiling as if it hadn't spoken. Starlight and Twilight shared a look.

"Repeat yours-"

Before Starlight could even finish her question, the doors to the room burst open. She and Twilight whirled around, their surprise turning into a mixture of happiness and confusion as a pink pony collided with them in a flying hug.

"Girls!" Twilight exclaimed, giving Pinkie Pie a hug as the rest of her friends came to a stop around her. "I don't understand, why are you here?"

"Rainbow saw that glass varmint trailing after you," Applejack explained as she helped a dizzied Starlight stand, giving the glass pony a wary look, "so we came here quick as we could in case you needed help."

"Yeah!" Rainbow stomped up to Twilight with a frown. "We only found out about some probably world-destroying monster threat because I just so happened to be patrolling here!"

"Napping nearby is more likely." Rarity muttered under her breath. Rainbow snorted in response, rolling her eyes, and Rarity took the moment to push past the pegasus and give Twilight a worried look. "Really though, darling. We hear scary rumors around town of some kind of statue following you and you send absolutely nothing to us! Why didn't you call us?"

Twilight's gaze bounced between the glass pony who had gone back to staring blankly at the ceiling and the concerned looks of her friends. She sighed, lowering her voice to a whisper.

"Every time a new threat has surfaced, they've tried to do something to split us up or incapacitate us so we can't use our Harmony powers." Twilight explained. "I have no idea what we're up against here, or even if it's really an enemy at all! Until I was certain I wouldn't be putting you guys in danger, I didn't want to call you here." Her ears folded back and she frowned. "I'm sorry. I should've at least told you what I was planning. It's just all been happening so fast."

"Not fast enough." The glass pony interjected. 

Twilight sighed in annoyance at the comment. "Now, let's-" Her eyes went wide, her words dying in her mouth. She whirled around, but the glass pony was still lounging in the throne all the way across the room. Her jaw worked for a few seconds before she could finally manage to speak. "Y-you heard that?"

"No." The pony said, and in the same moment swung its legs so it was sitting properly. It stepped up onto the map table, stiffly marching across. Everypony shrunk back from the table warily, unsure of what would happen. The glass pony looked over the Element Bearers, stopping as it looked over Fluttershy. Its gaze bored into the shy pegasus for a few moments and caused her to cower backwards. Rainbow stepped between Fluttershy and the glass pony, shooting a glare. The glass pony simply turned and leveled its blank gaze at Twilight.

"Idle threats would be against my goal," the glass pony sat down on the table, its phantom tail swishing behind it, "my goal is the highest priority. What I told Twilight is what would summon everypony I needed in the quickest time. It also is neither a lie nor a threat. My release means the release of a power capable of destroying this world."

Spike had made his way over, standing with Twilight between him and the map table. "Y-you mean whatever that explosion from that pit was?"

"Yes," the glass pony nodded, "within months this power will have corrupted and destroyed this world piece by piece. I will research and predict the movements of this power. For this purpose, I will inhabit this castle's library. Do not disturb my work."

The glass pony hopped down from the map, marching out of the room with eight pairs of stunned eyes glued to it. 

The first to recover was Rainbow Dash, whose muzzle twisted into a frown. "Hey!" She barked, "you didn't even give us your name, jerk!"

The glass pony simply called over its shoulder without stopping, "I am nopony in name. Call me what you wish."

"Fine!" Dash called back, crossing her forelegs with a sneer. "I guess big ol' 'Nopony' isn't willing to speak with us non-glass ponies!" When she got no response, she snorted, kicking at the ground. Everyone else in the room stared at Rainbow, processing what had happened. Twilight sighed and opened her mouth to speak.

"We shouldn't call them Nopony."

Everyone looked at Fluttershy, who shrunk away as if trying to pretend she hadn't spoken up. "I-It's not nice." She quietly added, partially hiding behind her mane. Twilight and Rainbow shared a glance, and Rainbow shrugged.

"Fluttershy, it didn't really give us any other options." Twilight frowned at the open door. "It didn't exactly try to be nice to us either."

"That's a very generous description of its manners," Rarity huffed, "really, one of these days can't we find an ancient force that isn't uncouth?"

Silence held after Rarity's statement as everyone still tried to register the flurry of events. Among everypony's confusion, a single question seemed to arise in everyone's minds: "what now?"

"Wait," Spike shattered the silence, "how does Nopony know where the library is?"

Everyone shared a wide-eyed look, before sprinting off into the castle.