The following documents were found on the desk of one Twilight Sparkle, resident of Ponyville and student to the esteemed Princess Celestia. Twilight’s personal assistant Spike has testified to having no knowledge of the papers or their contents. The way the account’s been worded suggests that Twilight used a transcription spell to copy her memories onto the pages directly. Twilight herself refuses to comment.
It’s been my duty to send weekly letters to Princess Celestia highlighting my findings in the study of Friendship. This is the full extent of my experience with journaling. However, over the course of the past few months, I’ve noticed that Equestria was changing. I had decided to document this process and record my thoughts, for future reference. I’m not sure if I like this new Equestria, and I have yet to understand why this had to happen. As I look over these past events though, I have to face the truth no matter how unpleasant. The changes were triggered, at least in part, by my own actions.
Everything started early in the fall. Princess Celestia once said this was her favorite season, and I could see why. The leaves were beginning to show signs of turning, the farmers were harvesting the last of their crop and the woodland creatures were beginning to hoard food for the coming winter. I was also stocking up on something. Namely, I needed some new books for those days when winter trapped me in the house. The few shops in town could not offer anything I didn’t already have a copy of, so I travelled to Canterlot on a crisp Wednesday morning, to have a look at the Archives there. I had sent notice of my intentions, and Princess Celestia allowed me to do as I’d wished.
I wasted no time after arriving on the morning train and trotted briskly towards that grand old tower. As the antique wooden doors creaked open I felt as though I had entered another world. The Canterlot Archives were vast and overflowing with scholars and students alike. Ladders stretched several stories to the ceiling, scrolls and books lined the walls, and shelves divided the floor like some maze. I lost myself in the building for hours on end reading various treatises and making the most of my time there. Eventually, I chanced upon a strange unlit area of the wing. The hoofsteps and voices of the other ponies died down as I entered this space. I caught movement among the shelves out of the corner of my eye, but when I turned to face it, all was still. My nerves were getting the best of me. The titles of the books turned darker here, hinting at strange creatures and shadowy rituals. A brief glance over the shelves offered such gems as The Glossary of the Unseen, A Taster’s Guide to Poisons or Terrors of the Twelfth Hour. I was not familiar with any of these titles, but they held a certain forbidding allure. I continued to browse through this strange section, ascending over a creaking staircase, drifting from shelf to shelf. At last, I came across four jet-black tomes sealed in a dusty glass case. The faces of the books were decorated with disquieting zigzags. I realized with a start that the lines formed highly irregular V’s, three V’s on each tome. I had heard whispered rumors of books just like these; of ancient tomes called the Volumes of Vehement Vengeance, supposedly filled with otherworldly lore and spells of incredible potency. I was taking a closer look when I was startled by a voice.
“I didn’t think I’d find you here, Twilight Sparkle.”
I turned and saw that I was addressed by Princess Luna, Celestia’s younger sister and the ruler of the night.
“Oh, I’m sorry, it’s just that Princess Celestia said I could come and check out a few books, and I was just wandering around, and I didn’t know the library had a section like this and—“ Luna raised a hoof, asking for silence.
“It’s quite alright. My sister is obviously very busy so she couldn’t meet you here. I offered to come down and make sure you got everything you came for,” she spared a cursory glance over the books. “Now, are you intending to check out the Volumes?”
So these were the Volumes I’d heard of! Never did I suspect that the old tales were true.
“Oh, no,” I stammered. “I mean, I’d like to of course, but I’m sure I’m not allowed, as these are extremely valuable books—”
“Nonsense,” she interrupted. “Books are of no value if they cannot be read. These tomes were found by the early settlers of Ponyville and were likely authored by some unknown and ancient people. As of yet, our efforts at deciphering the dialect have proven fruitless. You seem the studious type. I am wondering if perhaps you would be the one to unlock their secrets.”
I was stunned. Normally I’d be forbidden even to touch the reference books, and yet Princess Luna was willing to trust me with these?
“W-well… If you really think that’s okay…”
Luna inserted her horn into the base of the glass case while I rambled on. The top of the case slid open.
“Is there anything else you’ll be taking this time?” she inquired.
“No, it’s alright…” Even if they were in a language I could read, the Volumes would likely take me until the end of winter or early spring to finish.
“Fantastic. I’ll just take you through the checkout point, and then I really must be on my way. I look forward to hearing of your progress.”
Although I was eager to dive into these new books, I felt obligated to make my customary check-ins with friends once I returned to Ponyville. Fluttershy was busy helping the animals stock up on food for the winter. As a rule, I did not get along especially well with animals, so I did not linger for long. Rarity had gotten several orders for winter outfits and was sewing industriously when I saw her. Applejack was picking corn with her brother. They seemed to have gotten a bit behind on the job this year, so there were a fair number of unpicked stalks left. Pinkie Pie seemed to be scouring the shops for various chemical ingredients and fuel. I asked her what she was doing and she told me in a roundabout sort of way that she was building home-made fireworks. When asked why she needed the fireworks, she told me they were probably for the New Year celebration.
“’Probably’? And isn’t it a bit too early to be thinking about New Year’s?” I asked, bemused.
“Just between you and me,” she muttered under her breath. “I have this feeling I’ll need them. It’s totally bizarre. “
Despite my best efforts, Rainbow Dash remained nowhere to be found. I suspected she had her hooves full with the weather, as there hadn’t yet been any rain this season. The crescent of the moon was slowly rising by the time I got home, and Spike had turned off all the lights and gone to sleep. I wasn’t likely to get any work done this late. I stumbled about in the darkness until I found my table and laid the books there for the night. After a brief shower I fell into bed.