Some thirty years after his visit to the sacrificial valley beyond White Tail Woods, Bound Tome still looked as if he was only nearing the fourth decade of his life rather than approaching his sixties. Being touched by corruption was a good way of attaining longevity, as more and more ponies realized these days. The threat of losing their minds was just a minor deterrent to the brave youngsters seeking Corrupted either in the wild or in cities.
"Heh, youngsters," Bound Tome chuckled, leaving a bunched up group of tentacles serving as a lectern. One of them lenghtened and put the book they were all holding at eye height on a nearby table. Bound Tome shook his head at the sight, "I sound like an old pony."
"Grrghm!" he heard a dismissive grunting from the library entrance. The towering Protector Bastion was still keeping him company even after all these years, protecting the mage from loneliness, tax collectors, and failed summoning spells. Three slick tongues came from Bastion's mouth and licked his muzzle, giving Tome a steamy look.
The tainted unicorn just chuckled again.
"We still have a book to transcribe today. The royal library never waits."
"Mmmm," Bastion sat back down, grumbling in disappointment.
"Good news, though," tentacles sprouted from the carpeted floor and brought a different book in front of Bound Tome's muzzle, "A new codex of wizardry came out this week and guess who made it in!"
"Grrwgrg..."
"Exactly! I did," Tome flips a bunch of pages, "B-b-b-b-b, here it is! Bound Tome, the first unicorn wizard to successfully integrate the abilities of Corrupted and unicorn magic into a new form of spellcasting. Specialist on the theory of dark magic and the practice of blood magic. His biggest success to this day remains a spell tantalizing for many a young unicorn promising to summon a Corrupted-like entity serving one's physical desires without the threat of being tainted," Bound Tome huffs, "They could have left the dark arts out, it's not like I'm some sort of shadow lord set on taking over the world. "
"Heh heh heh," Bastion covers his mouth with his huge clawed front legs.
"Still, I'm the only one able to do this, which I am sure frustrates 'many a young unicorn', " his black horn glistens and the form of a beautiful mare, all slick and black sprouts from the carpet, "Having the balls to study Queen Nightshade's Corruptors proved quite the... asset," he slaps the summoned mare's wide flank.
A second later the fake Corrupted splatters all over the area as Bastion does the same thing with rather catastrophic result. The Protector snickers as the black fluid from the summoned mare dissipates, leaving no trace whatsoever.
"Don't be jealous," Bound Tome rolls his eyes.
Bastion just presents his behind and flicks his tail in response.
"Later! As I said, I still have work to do," Tome summons another fake female Corruptor, much to Bastion's annoyed growling, "I'm just practicing," the phantom does some stretching and jumping before disappearing, "It's still pretty complicated to do it without a stabilizing ritual, just using willpower."
"Mhmm."
"I refute any and all allegations that I just wanted to see a flexible mare stretch for me."
Bastion snorts, then his ears perk up and he gives the library door a confused stare.
"I felt it too," Bound Tome quickly listed possible defensive spells in his head. While he pondered the surge of power in the hallway outside, looking for possible reasons of somepony using unique unnatural transportation method to get to the Canterlot royal library without taking the official route, the door opened.
Bastion immediately pounced, claws ready and teeth bared. Tome knew to trust the Protector. If there was somepony they knew outside, Bastion would have not reacted like that.
The overbearing Corrupted stopped mid-air, held by tendrils of pink and gold flames. Wherever the fire touched, it made Bastion's taint recede, leaving lighter grey marks in his black coat. Black tentacles taking place of Bound Tome's levitation shot out to entangle the invader and dispersed into black mist before they touched him. Seeing Bastion struggling in vain against the burning chains holding him in the air, Bound Tome got ready to unleash possibly literal hell on the intruder.
Three things stopped him. One, Bastion wasn't being hurt, only restrained with the side effect of the corruption in him reacting to the power holding him in an absolutely unique way. Two, the faintest memory of the entering alicorn being in some way familiar. And three, a definitely familiar voice saying:
"Whatever you're trying to do, it's not going to work."
A second visitor stepped through the door behind the incoming alicorn.
"Desert Shade?" Tome's eyes went wide, "Haven't seen you in ages."
"Yeah, I've been busy," she grins, "Recently with this guy," she nods her head to the silent alicorn, "By the way, tell Bastion to calm down before he gets hurt."
Tome waved at Bastion. The two could communicate without words if needed, but they never used it unless in danger. Well, that DID happen from time to time, even to the reclusive royal librarian. When Bastion stopped struggling and growling, the alicorn's burning tendrils put him back on the carpet.
Feeling a little safer, Bound Tome examined the alicorn.
Bluish grey eyes stared back at him, mirroring the examination. Bound Tome was used to the royal princesses almost glowing with divine power, but this stallion looked shabby in comparison.
Blonde mane fading into platinum in places. Bronze coat, reflecting the burning flames fading around his front leg that used to hold Bastion, shedding in places. Look of complete exhaustion in his face. All those contrasted sharply with the alicorn looking around thirty.
However, even the princesses had to be cautious around powerful Corrupted like Bastion. This guy simply did not consider the Protector a threat.
"Who are you and what do you want?" Bound Tome asked.
"Are you Bound Tome, the inventor of a spell allowing one travel inside the contents of a book?" asked the alicorn.
Tome nodded. The spell was not difficult or groundbreaking. His reaction upon discovering a context allowing him to finish the spell had been disinterest, mostly due to believing that nopony bothered with finishing magic of that sort because it was useless. All it basically did was allowing the caster to talk to fictional characters to gain knowledge past what was written inside their book, possibly to find out what the author wanted to say with context and didn't manage to.
Useless, pretty much.
"Yes, in flesh."
"This library used to hold the journals of an ancient wizard called Starswirl the Beared," said the alicorn with certainty, "Are they still here?"
Or maybe not so useless. That alicorn was smart, but not smart enough. Tome had tried to use the spell on the journal, but it hadn't worked as he hoped.
"Indeed they are, but Starswirl refuses to talk about his research if you contact his written avatar. Believe me, I tried."
"You just have to know the right question to ask. Starswirl knew about the deities of this world more than anypony else ever. I need to speak to him, or to something as close to him as possible."
"And what would the right question be?" Tome asked, shiver running down his spine. He knew well enough that gods meant trouble.
"I need to know what stopped him from crafting the third Blade of Balance."
"Third? None of the journals ever hinted at there being more than two. Why would there be three?"
A black-handled greatsword with silvery blade appeared in the air next to the alicorn and violently stabbed into the floor.
"One-" the alicorn growled.
The second sword, ivory-handled with ashen grey blade did the same, sending sparks over the carpet.
"-to kill-"
A sword shape without any features, just looking like a hole into darkness, appeared in the air and simply disappeared again.
"-each god."