It had been a while since Eric last came here. Although he and Sarah visited Equestria often, they normally stuck around Ponyville, meaning the dungeons of the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters were not looked at by them since their first visit.
Yet he still, somehow, knew where to go. And after about ten slow minutes because of his ankle and the state he was in, Eric made it to the cells that was his fist memory of Equestria.
"You liking it down here then Suzy?" he asked looking into the one that held the still hornless Changeling who was curled up in the corner.
"What do you want Knight?" she buzzed not looking to him.
"I was only coming to see if you were alright," Eric said holding up his hands and backing away. "But it looks like you are so I'll just be heading back upstairs."
"That's not why you came down." Suzy said turning to look at Eric a bit easier. "You came down to ask for help for that girl of yours."
"Are you going to give it to us?" Eric asked slowly sinking to the ground outside the door so he wouldn't be standing on his sprained ankle.
"No." she said back. "And nothing you can do or say will change my mind."
"Ok," Eric said shrugging at the outcome "But before I go mind if I ask a question?" he asked looking at her straight in the eye. "Yesterday, when Twilight shot Jack with that Beam of Darkness, or whatever it was... Why were you so worried about him getting hurt?"
"It's called acting..." Suzy began to explain but Eric interrupted her.
"That was not acting," he said "You were truly terrified that Jack had gotten hurt, I could see it in your eyes, and how you screamed at Twilight when you said 'Don't you dare say 'He started it' ' and 'If you hadn't been shooting at him you wouldn't of hit him'."
After a minute Suzy shook her head and went back to how she was when he came in.
"Why do you care?" she asked "What difference does it make that I cared that that Student of Discord got hurt?" she continued her cheeks turning slightly green.
Surprised by the answer and how she was acting Eric slowly got back up said goodbye and headed back upstairs.
In the library Eric found Jack putting on a little puppet show for the foals about one of their childhood fairy-tales, judging by the tower set up at the front of the 'stage' Eric assumed it was Rapunzel.
Not wanting to interrupt the show, Eric just took a seat at the back of the crowd and watch with the others.
Jack almost knowing Eric was there, then began the story.
"'Once upon a time, in a kingdom far far away, there lived a man and his wife who were about to have their first born child.'" Jack's voice said over the speakers so he could be heard, as he brought out two hand puppets of a man and a woman making them wave out to the crowd.
"''But the woman got sick.'" Jack continued "Really sick.'
Now before I continue I need to tell you about a witch named 'Mother Gothel,' and her little magic flower that had the power of healing the sick and injured.
'Anyway back to the story...
'The man on hearing about this flower and thinking more about his wife and child more than himself, decided to go looking for it. Finally finding it and making a potion that healed the wife.
'Upon discovering someone had stolen her flower, Gothel went in search of the one who had taken it.'"
Jack paused to catch his breath the puppets changing from the man and women to a women in a red dress with black hair going left and right as if looking for something.
"'Getting back to the happier side of the story. A lovely little girl with bright blonde hair was born, and everyone was happy. Sadly that happiness came to a quick end. For on the very night Rapunzel was born, Gothel heard about what her father had done for his wife, and snuck into their house stole the child and just like that... was gone with out a trace'"
In the audience almost eveypony had scrunched up closer so they had a face on view at the screen, all of them having wide eyes and open mouths.
"Years past, and at last, because he was running away from the guards,'" Jack continued switching the screen to a forest clearing and holding up a new puppet that was wearing a blue shirt, had brown hair, and a spark of trouble in his eyes "'a man called Eric Jones, came across a tower'"
"Hey!" Eric called out making everypony look at him "Who said you could use me in this?"
"Well is your name 'Eric Jones'?" Jack asked appearing to the left of the screen so he could look out to Eric raising an eyebrow. "May I continue?"
All Eric did was cross his arms and mumble to himself. Jack taking that as a yes, disappeared back into the booth.
"Now where was I?" he asked "Oh yes! 'Eric was about to try and climb it when he saw a woman come up to it stopping at the base and looked up towards the door.'" Jack restarted showing a hiding Eric Jones, while Gothel was doing what was just said.
"''Rapunzel... Let down your hair,' Eric heard the woman cry not understanding her, thinking she was just mad, he was about to leave when golden blonde hair the height of the tower came out and whoever was inside, began pulling the woman up.
Starstruck, Eric decided to wait and until she came back out and see what was up there himself.
A few hours later, movement was heard at the top of the tower, and the woman came out, sliding down the hair, and left the clearing'" Jack narrated holding up Gothel who then left to the right of the screen.
"'Coming out from hiding, Eric went to stand where he saw the woman stand and looked up at the door and called up 'Rapunzel... Let down your hair,' After the hair was thrown out the window, Eric began to climb it.'"
The screen was now changed to one of the inside of a tower and 'Eric Jones' was seen popping up and looking around finally setting his fabric eyes onto an 18 year-old Rapunzel in the corner looking scared.
"'Now Rapunzel had never met anyone before, and her mother always told her that the world was a dangerous place. So she was scared when Eric came in to her tower. Seeing that this girl was scared, slowly Eric undid his belt holding a knife and pushed it out of his reach.'" Jack said making 'Eric' do as what he just said.
"'Seeing the man now had nothing he could use to attack her, Rapunzel looked up at the man and asked as strong as she could...
''Who are you?'
''I'm Eric Jones.' the man said smiling 'And who are you?' he asked.
''Ra... Rapunzel.' she said.'"
With every word Jack was bringing the two puppet's closer together until they were holding hands.
"'After that day, Eric promised to keep visiting Rapunzel, and they grew to be best friends, right under Gothel's nose, and everything was happy.
'But all happiness always comes to an end at some point.
'One day when Eric was visiting he promised the next time he came, he'll help Rapunzel escape the tower.
''I promise I'll help you escape the tower.''" the Eric puppet repeated and left the screen.
"'Excited that she'll finally be able to see what the outside world is like, Rapunzel forgot that the next day Gothel was meant to come and visit her, so when she heard someone say, 'Rapunzel... Let down your hair,' she was too distracted by the hope and said Eric's name as the person climbed in showing an evil looking Gothel'." Jack said holding Gothel's puppet up, getting gasps from the colts and filly's.
"''Mother, I... I...' Rapunzel stammered backing away from the woman."
The screen changed to the forest clearing, everypony, even the grown-ups now looking in on this never before hearing of such a story hanging onto Jack's every words.
"'Later that day Eric came along, with a coil of rope over his shoulder and called up 'Rapunzel... Let down your hair,'.
After climbing up the golden hair and into the tower...'" Jack said slowly changing the screen and having Gothel hide down the right side of the screen only just visible, as Eric came from the right, "'He found Rapunzel was chained and gagged trying to warn him of something but he was so shocked at seeing her like this he was frozen stiff.
'Slowly with a knife in her hand, Gothel came out from hiding and... STABBED THE YOUNG MAN IN THE SIDE!'" Jack screamed through the speakers making everyone jump and the foals to widen their eyes, as the puppets did just what was narrated.
"'Suddenly Rapunzel got loose form her chains, and ran head first into Gothel pushing her out of the tower's window!
'Quickly she turned to Eric, who was struggling to breath.
''Stay with me Eric, stay with me,' Rapunzel said looking all around her for something to help.
''No... No Rapunzel,' Eric said coughing a bit 'It's alright. Take the rope and be free.' he told her with his last breath.
'Upset at how it turned out, because of her foolishness, Rapunzel began to cry and sang a song she had always known, even though she had never heard it before.
''Flower gleam and glow, let you're power shine
Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine
Heal what has been hurt, change the Fates design
Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine
What once was mine'
'As she finished singing a signal tear dropped from her eye and fell onto Eric's cheek where it glowed for a second before making it's way down the the stab wound where it shone with the light of the sun healing him and bringing him back to life.'"
At last the final screen came up, one of a mid-evil village as Jack brought up Rapunzel and Eric.
"''And they lived happily ever after.''" he said closing the curtains and coming out, bowing to the now somehow crowded room with everyone stomping their hooves in applause.
Finally seeing his chance Eric got up and went over to Jack who was sucking up the praises like a sponge.
"Does anyone mind if I have a few minutes with Jack to talk about this issue with Sarah?" he asked first getting head shakes from everyone, then taking Jack's arm and leading him to the upper level of the library.
"So what the Changeling say about Sarah then Eric?" Jack said sucking up some chocolate milk for his dry throat.
"That she's not going to give us any help on finding her, and nothing I say can change her mind." Eric said smirking slightly.
"So... why are you so happy about this?" Jack asked questioningly raising an eye brow.
"First: have you been to see her yet since you woke up?" Eric asked.
"No, I'm not good at all that 'friendship' nonsense remember. Now answer my question, what's with the smile?" Jack said taking a sip eyes on Eric.
"I think I may have found you your first girlfriend Jack," Eric said loving the reaction Jack gave, him suddenly stopping sucking on the straw and nearly taking a spit take.
"Oh no, no no no no no no no," Jack said shaking his head and stepping away from Eric knowing where he was going. "There is no way I'm having her as a girlfriend, whether she likes me or not, just so you can get back yours!" Jack said loudly getting everyone's attention.
"This is cause you don't know how to behave around girls isn't it?" Eric said just as loudly.
Down stairs the mares and stallions were busy pushing all the foals out of the room before they heard something they're not meant to hear, the last one closing the door.
"What do you mean 'I don't know how to behave around girls?'" Jack asked strongly his fists clutching in anger. "I know how to behave around everyone. How else can you tell me why I had more friends then you did in primary school?"
"YOUR FRIENDS WERE THE BULLIES WHO ALONG WITH YOU TEASED ME EVERYDAY!" Eric screamed trying not to give into the pain that came with it. "That's what I mean by that, Jack Frost!" Eric said harshly breathing hard, saying Jack's old nick-name from school that he got for always being cold around and to everyone else.
"You still don't know how to pick your fight's do ya boy?" Jack asked anger coming onto his face now as he cracked his knuckles playing with his fingers readying them to snap and strike the first blow, letting Eric pull out his sword first. "So let's see if you can do better this time."