Let’s try again.
“Yes, fine, Twilight, but what is it made of? How does it work?”
”Magic.”
There it is again, the same disyllabic word which has been causing you so much trouble.
“Twilight, again, what is the magic itself? Is it an energy? A gaseous reaction? A manipulation of gravity? A fifth fundamental force of nature?”
”Anon, I don’t get what you’re not getting. It’s magic.”
This all started when the conversation turned to science. Although physics were not your field of study, you still had enough of an understanding to realize that the Equestrian concept of magic was unknown to conventional physics. As Twilight would say, because it’s fucking magic.
Magic or not, you were going to find out exactly what powered it, one way or the other. But that might be somewhat difficult if the ponies themselves had no idea what did. And Twilight is probably the best resource in the land to turn to about this. Sure, Discord and Celestia probably know more, but the former lacks the attention span for research and the latter the time.
“So let me get this straight. You ponies have been using and researching your magic for millennia, but not once has someone actually attempted to find out the fundamental reason why it works?”
”Pretty much, yeah.” Seemingly ignorant of your severe frustration, book horse goes back to reading her inconsequential tome on Buckball.
So it’s settled then. You’ll have to find out for yourself. Although life sciences were more your gig, these ponies deserve to unlock the secrets of their universe just as huma—
”Actually, Anon,” Twilight says with a contemplating look, “I might remember reading about an undertaking by Starswirl the Bearded long ago on exactly this topic.”
“You couldn’t have said this sooner?”
”It just didn’t come to mind, sorry.”
“Twilight, you talk about this guy like he’s some kind of pony god. How could you forget?”
Not meeting your eyes, she elaborates, “Well, he never finished the work, and little record remains of it. Supposedly he only looked into it a short time before his presumed death. It’s barely known that he researched it in the first place. Sorry Anon.”
Well, you probably can’t fault her for that. Unpublished research is rarely appreciated.
“It’s alright, Twi. Would you happen to know if any of his research survives? Even if it’s just a starting point it could make my job a lot easier.”
”If it did, this particular topic never reached the Royal Archives. It’s probably still locked in his tower somewhere, way out at the edge of the Badlands.”
She gives you a questioning look, “Are you really going to research this? I mean Anon, it’s just magic. It, like, is inherently self-explanatory.”
“Just like how water was once inherently considered an element, but that was disproved easily enough.”
”Wait, it’s not an-“
“No, Twilight, we’re going to dissect and examine every bit of what you call magic, and find its source. Perhaps we might unlock even greater secrets in our pursuit.”
”What’s this ‘we,’ Anon?” She looks a bit irritated. “I’m not about to start some wild goose-chase with you for answers to what barely qualifies as a question.”
“Well obviously I can’t force you.” You smile. “But imagine how the academic world – and Celestia – would react if you found out the exact nature of magic.”
”That’s a pretty big ‘if,’ Anon.”
“Well, regardless, I know you’ll come with me anyways. I leave for Starswirl’s tower in a week.”
In an instant, she turns from cynical indecision to hopeful elation. It’s amazing how sharply these ponies show their emotion.
”Y-you’re going to—I mean, uhh, when you say it like that…”
“Yes?”
”Well truth be told I’ve been looking for an excuse to visit his tower for a long time. I do put him on a pretty high pedestal…”
Understatement of the year, folks.
”But his tower is just so out of the way that I’ve never really found a good reason to go.” You can see the excitement building within her as she realizes that restraint doesn’t apply any more.
“I’ll come back in a week. Be sure to have your saddlebags ready. The train will probably only take us-“
”Five-eighths of the way there, yes I have the whole route mapped out in advance. A week from now, see you then!” And with that, she shoves you out the door with that pesky purple magic of hers.
With any luck, you’ll find a way to negate magic, too. That’d help her learn some manners.
With a week to prepare, you got some pretty good gear and supplies. You’re going to need it, a long leg of the journey is through /out/ country.
Rarity has proven her skill once again with a sturdy yet lightweight canvas backpack. Applejack managed to lay out several days’ provisions, mostly composed of apples and apple accessories. To top it off, Fluttershy was kind enough to spend a few hours with you learning how to tell between friendly bear and wolf tracks and unfriendly ones. Who knew there are so many differences? Dash made sure to put in a word to Cloudsdale to keep your route dry and sunny for the next week. And, finally, Pinkie managed to procure a copy of “101 Board Games in 1: A Pocket-Size Travel Set!”
You made sure to pack a few extras of the essentials for Twilight. If you knew anything about her, she would probably be bringing mostly books. Your pack weighs in at 45 lbs, but you’ve grown strong enough to accommodate since reaching Equestria.
You’re up before the sun rises on the day of your leave. You haven’t checked in with Twilight for a few days, but you’re sure the Princess of Organization or whatever has it under control.
Dew is fresh on the leaves and the first of the sun’s rays are just appearing when you knock on the castle doors. After a couple minutes, a very tired-looking Spike answers the door.
”Look, I’m not really a ‘morning pony,’ so I’m going back to bed. Twilight is in her library. Barely left it the past week.”
You peek into the library and find a massive pile-mess of books almost blocking the door. Someone’s been busy.
“Twilight? You in here? Was there an avalanche?”
The medium-sized pile to your left shudders slightly and a light whinny emanates from it. Coming over, you find a very sleepy book horse curled around a large reference book.
”The Complete Guide to Equestria’s 14,309 Known Edible Plant Species, Vol. VI”
At least she’s sufficiently well-studied for this trip.
“Hey, book horse, wake up. You forget what day it is? Are you even packed?”
”mphfgmhfivmorminets”
“I think Starswirl has waited long enough for someone to visit. Now, cmon, are you packed or what?”
Sleepy Twilight lets out a big yawn before glancing around.
”You could’ve waited til it was light out, you know…”
“The train leaves in an hour, remember? We have a lot of distance to travel, and if we don’t make that train we’ll be hours behind.”
Purple pony slowly begins stretching, seemingly content to keep you waiting. “Anon, my bags are under the table in the corner over there. Could you grab it for me?”
You look under the table to find a set of saddlebags filled to the brim with books, journals, writing utensils, and other predictably Twilight-esque items.
“Did you pack any actual supplies at all?”
”If you mean provisions, no, I figured we could forage what was necessary. And that you would bring more than enough.”
Counting on you to count on her to disregard the basics. That’s both infuriating and expected.
“Meals will be light I suppose.” And under your breath you mutter, “And you could stand miss a few hayburgers anyways…”
”What was that?”
“Nothing, just looking at the titles of these books is all. ‘Twenty-Six Steps to Not Dying in the Wilderness’ and ‘The Latter Days of Starswirl the Bearded.’ These seem well-chosen, did you overturn the entire library?”
”Yes, I did.” She magics the bags out of your hand and checks the contents herself. “I’ve heard you speak of humans covering dozens of miles per day in uncharted territory, centuries before your time. Care to share some navigational skills?”
“They went by horseback. We should probably eat before leaving.”
”They went by--?” She seems perturbed by the concept, but lets it slide. “I have some leftovers in the kitchen. I’ll just heat something up and we can get going.”
“No hay this time!”
It’s been several hours since your pleasantly hay-less breakfast finished, and the train is well on its way to the middle of nowhere. Despite access to the railroad, the ponies seem to be encroaching on frontier lands at a slower rate than Americans did. Perhaps they simply haven’t found any gold yet.
“Hey Twilight,” you speak up after a period of silence, “last week, when we agreed to go on this trip, you said Starswirl’s death was ‘presumed.’ What exactly did you mean by that?”
Twilight puts down her book to answer this question. “Well, nopony ever found his body. He would get food and supplies delivered every few days by a pegasus, and one day the mailpony found his cloak and hat torn and frayed nearby, with him nowhere to be found.”
”As the kingdom’s top wizard, of course they searched for him, but they found signs of a struggle without a body. Unfinished papers were found in his tower, too, so it was pretty obvious that he’d been kidnapped or killed.”
“Could he have escaped? Are we one hundred percent sure he didn’t finish this final project?”
”Well of course it’s not certain, but he was really old anyway. He probably would’ve died very shortly of natural causes. Immortality is generally only possible with alicorn magic or an equivalent, like Discord.”
A moment passes without comment, as the landscape through the windows changes to an untamed swamp. At least the train is free of intrusions, a perk of having a companion able to put in a royal request for a private trip.
“So, do you think we’ll find anything there? And if so, do you think we’ll be able to make any sense of it?”
”I don’t really mind either way, to be entirely honest. I like your project and after thinking about it, I feel like it has a lot of promise. But ultimately, this really is mostly an excuse for me to get out and visit one of my childhood dreams.”
Childhood dream? What a geek.
”I do know, however, that Starswirl was very strict on note-taking, so if he did find anything of value, it would have been written down. Assuming it hasn’t been lost to the elements or time, of course.”
“What about robbers? Maybe they took something while looking for valuable artifacts.”
She lets out a horse chuckle at the prospect. “Starswirl’s tower has been guarded pretty much non-stop since the day he died. Only those with royal permission are allowed to get near it.”
“And how often is that permission granted?”
”About once in a lifetime.”
You arrive at the end of the tracks about ninety minutes before sundown, and decide to make camp next to them to save time. Ahead lies a hike of approximately thirty miles through hilly terrain and a bit of swampland. You think it can be done in three days, but Twilight insists that the topography is rough enough to warrant a fourth. Maybe it’s just because you’ve put on a bit of weight with all those hayburgers, Twiggy.
Being in unfamiliar wilderness in a land of magic and monsters, you were going to volunteer to take first watch, but Twilight quickly made such a gesture unnecessary by conjuring a large purple dome-shield around you. Thank God you went with the element of magic herself.
“Hey Twilight, will this protect from rain?” You’d like to avoid the process of setting up a tarp if possible.
”Rain, lightning, dust storms, earthquakes, I’d bet Tartarus could open up beneath us and we’d be sleeping soundly in this thing.”
Someone’s confident in her magic. But it beats the alternative of staying up half the night, so you’d might as well believe her.
“Alright, then, I’ll just stretch out on my mat then.”
Also, it’s a warm summer night, and you’re hot. Twilight wouldn’t mind you stripping down to your boxers, would she? Whatever, just slip the shirt off, great, now the pants and- “Anon what are you doing?”
Twilight is confuse. “It’s a warm night, and I’d rather not spend it sweating. Don’t worry, I’m keeping the bottom layer on. Are you uncomfortable?”
”No, it’s just… surprising. I was under the impression that humans never disrobed except when changing clothes, is all.”
“You learn something new every day. Yes, even you, Library Princess. Good night!”
As you turn away from her, you hear a muffled “Good night, I guess,” and the sound of a fire being rapidly put out by magic. You had a long trip ahead of you.
You’ve been walking for about ten hours now, making good progress. Twiggy Piggy lags a little bit, but can fly up hills, more than making up for her time and keeping her fresh. You’d made the decision to keep provisions to yourself once it became apparent that most of Twilight’s “edible” plants were grasses and leaves completely indigestible for humans. You break for lunch in a small grassy clearing. Apparently grazing is deemed barbaric in pony culture, so Twilight instead uproots a patch of grass and puts it on a plate.
“Enjoying your meal over there?”
It’s quite evident that she’s not. “No, anon, and I don’t appreciate you holding your meal over my head.”
Your food mostly consisted of apples and apple accessories. Not the most nutritious meal plan, but tasteful. A benefit of living in a town where the staple crop is something sweet. You also had some expensive multivitamins to ensure that you wouldn’t drop dead from malnutrition either.
“Perhaps if you stocked less books and more practical backpacking, err, saddlebagging equipment, you wouldn’t have to settle for grass.”
With no response immediately forthcoming, you look around. The woods here are wild, but not as the Everfree. The hilly terrain and abundance of seasonal vegetation reminds you of Appalachia.
“Hey, Twilight?”
”Yes, Anon?”
“Why is there no settlement in this country? The landscape is rich and obviously fertile, and if it’s anything like its counterparts on my world, it’s probably loaded with natural resources too.”
”At this point, it’s mostly due to tradition and superstition. But up until a century ago the magical fallout from some of Starswirl’s more unstable experiments prevented stable habitation.”
This alarms you, and you immediately wonder if ponies have Geiger counters, and if you should be equipped with one. “Fallout? What kind of fallout? Radioactive fallout?”
”No, Anon, magical fallout. We didn’t even know what radiation was before you told us, remember?”
She sees that you’re only slightly calmed by this explanation, and elaborates, “Powerful magic occasionally does strange things in this forest. It gets stronger as you get closer to Starswirl’s tower. Most of what remains nowadays is occasional chaos magic.”
“So, like Discord? Could these trees turn into hulking monsters at a moment’s notice?”
”Doubtful. The worst we’ll probably see is the odd patch of Poison Joke, although we should probably be watchful just in case.”
After further reassuring, Twilight convinces you to continue further. She agrees to write down any anomalies in her journal for you to research later.
*****
For three days you hike onward, and by the end of the third night, you’re only about a kilometer from the tower. It’s dinner time again under the protective magic bubble.
“How do they even get guards and supplies out this far, anyways? Do they live in the tower?”
Twilight looks up from her salad of tasteless grass and leaves. “For strong pegasus ponies, it’s only about a 12-hour trip by flight. All but one of the guards are pegasi, since they’re effective enough at stopping intruders. One unicorn lives on-site for anywhere from one to five years at a time, as the captain.”
“What about provisions, though? How are they all fed?” She simply looks down at her bowl of greens and back up to you. “Right. So then this path is only trodden down once every few years?” Explains a lot of the obstacles and delays.
”Most ponies are still too scared of the magic that laces this forest, even more than the Everfree. Although, as you’ve seen, it’s in reality much less dangerous.”
It’s true, your trip was fairly uneventful. The only noteworthy magical occurrence was when a tree uprooted itself, turned 360 degrees vertically midair, and then replanted itself in the same position.
“Yeah. You should really encourage settlement here, I guarantee there’s either ore or fossil fuels beneath the surface.”
You’d made a pretty penny by designing and selling the rights to the gasoline-powered motor. Although you may have greatly accelerated the industrial revolution here, you’re slightly concerned about oil conflicts in the near future.
”Perhaps, but we’d need better infrastructure first. This road definitely won’t do for those purposes.” She tucks her legs under her like a cat. A sign that pony is tired and ready for sleep.
“Let’s hit the sack now, and get up early tomorrow. I’d like to get started searching the tower at the first opportunity.” You truthfully didn’t know exactly how large this tower was, as you still had a sizable mountain obscuring your view ahead. If it was especially large, you would want all the time you could get to search through it.
Purple pony yawns in agreement, “Couldn’t have said it better myself. ‘Nite, Anon!”
The following morning you break camp quickly and set out. It takes less than an hour to reach the perimeter fence. It’s new and of strong construction, there must have been renovations. Their tall height and intertwined metal wire leave no doubts that someone or something is being kept out.
The road leads straight to a gate in the fence, where both a small guard tower and barracks are located. A male voice sounds from the tower, “Halt! This is a protected area. Identify yourself and state your business.”
You let Twilight handle the formalities. “Princess of Friendship Twilight Sparkle, and servant. We’re here to investigate the tower and conduct research.” Servant?
You can’t clearly see the guard, but a shape moves in the tower, and the gate opens. At last you get a glimpse of the tower. It is old and crumbling, although it appears structurally sound. It’s not as large as you’d hoped, perhaps even a bit small, but certainly larger than most illustrations. As you walk through, the guard flies down to greet you personally, and the gate closes behind you.
”Forgive my blunt welcome, your Highness.” As always, Twilight is visibly bothered by ponies acknowledging her royalty. “The journey must have been long if you have brought a creature such as this with you. How is the road? We’ve not had someone travel it since Captain Cream joined us three years ago.”
”The journey was fine, thanks. And the ‘creature’ is actually my friend and colleague, Anonymous. He invented the motor powering your gate.”
You were aware that the technology had spread wide and far where unicorns could not power mechanical devices, but were honestly surprised to see it this far out.
“Yes, which means your defenses must be fairly new. Why the security? As you said, there isn’t anyone out here.”
The guard shakes his head and points to the high fences. “Nopony, sure, but there are still creatures out there that give us trouble. Most of the worst ones are gone now, so this fence keeps most of ‘em out.”
As he finishes his sentence, a male unicorn with a light tan coat and chestnut mane emerges from the barracks. Captain Cream, presumably.
”Visitors! I never thought I’d see the day.” He looks you up and down, but continues before you get a chance to respond. “Although certainly not the type of party I’d expect. Are you Princess Twilight? If so, forgive me, I’ve only been able to hear of you through our recently-arrived guards. What are you here for, if you don’t mind me prying? Whatever it is, I’m sure we can help.” A talkative fellow, that one.
Twilight speaks up before you, “We’re here for research, actually. Is there anything we should know before heading into the tower?”
He considers for a moment, and then once again unleashes a torrent of words. “Not really, we never go into the tower unless there’s need to. The only time that’s happened in the last fifty years or so was two years ago when some birds had made a nest in the top floor window. Can’t have something like that in a historical landmark! But, if you need us, just send a shout, I have a few spells on this place so that we can be kept aware whenever something happens. Also, you big tall thing, do mind your head, I doubt most of the ceilings are tall enough to accommodate you.”
Nowadays, most buildings were tall enough for you due to pegasi being considered in their design, but an old structure like this would probably require you to duck your head. You decide to cut this conversation short to save time. “Thank you then, we’ll be on our way. Have a good afternoon.”
The tower is located in the center of a large, flat valley. The trees around it have mostly been cleared, as opposed to the dense forest which seems to go on for miles in all directions around you. Instead, a comfy meadow with warm summer flowers graces your final walk to the building. The front door has obviously been replaced, as its wood is nowhere near as rotted as you would expect from a building this age. Or perhaps the unicorns have a spell that stops its decay?
You opt to go first, ducking your head to enter. The door creaks loudly, but opens without much resistance. The interior, at least on this floor, is devoid of windows and thus pitch black. “Twilight, could you please put up a light?”
Purple light emanates from her horn, illuminating the dusty interior. Books, inventions, and strange devices are everywhere, and remarkably well-preserved. The place has barely been touched since its sole inhabitant passed.
There must be a spell in place to stop the decomposition of so much paper. Perhaps you should’ve been more surprised to find it all rotted away. Of course, this is just the cramped ground floor. A living room of sorts, evidenced by the couch, chair, and small table. These too, however, are covered in notes, books, and devices. Assuming this is how he left it all, Starswirl obviously did not expect his demise.
”Ho-ly shit.” Twilight’s cusses are rare, and generally well-deserved. “There’s so much just in this one room! A primitive ultraviolet magic detector! Experimental magic receptacles! Blueprints for machines and vehicles I could never hope to dream up.”
She was right, and you were equally awestruck. Some of the blueprints and devices bear a striking resemblance to technologies not developed until the 1900’s on Earth. Of course, these are all magic-based. It’s much like how you imagined Da Vinci’s workshop to be.
“Wow. It is pretty fucking incredible.” You’re about to pick something up, but pause, “I’m gonna defer to your judgement before I touch anything. Some of this might be incredibly fragile What do you think?”
Although she can barely contain her excitement, she lets out a sigh and agrees. “Yeah, probably best to keep our hooves off. The books, however, will not be spared!”
With that, Book Horse delves into a book, sporadically squealing with delight and launching discoveries at you. “Wow! He knew about the critical energy effect of magic centuries before anyone else! Oh, and here, he talks about applying it to the fourth Fillydelphian Law of Magic! Also unknown for centuries after this tome’s writing!”
“I thought his writings were all stored in the Royal Archives?”
”I thought so too, but evidently some of it was left behind. There are some variables and concepts here that even I don’t know about, and I’m, like, the third highest authority in Equestria on magic.”
She reluctantly puts down her book and stands up. “Perhaps his unfinished writings were never copied. If that’s the case, we definitely need to look around more. I’ll probably just ditch as many of my books as needed and transcribe them myself.”
“That sounds like a pretty time-intensive project.”
She rolls her eyes. Normally the gesture doesn’t bother you, but from most ponies, it’s just all the more pronounced at dinner plate sizes. “Maybe for you, Anon, but I can just cast a duplication spell. We’ve been over this, it’s how we can copy so many books without the printing press.”
Of course. Another device you wished to “invent” but it never caught on. The sole prototype is currently in use at the Foal Free Press.
The room you’re in is relatively small, but the only one on this floor. A winding staircase cuts floor space from the sides, with ascending steps to the right and the entrance to a basement on the left. Twilight gives the room another look-around before moving towards the ascending flight of stairs. “I’m sure there’s plenty to occupy us here, but it’s really just the guest room. There’s probably so much more everywhere else.”
The stairs, thankfully, have a stone base and are easily climbed. You hit your head on the ceiling on the third step. “Ah! Shit! Stupid pony architecture…” Ignoring you, Twilight continues moving upwards. Thanks for the concern, I’m fine, don’t worry.
The next floor is unremarkable, apparently Starswirl’s living space. A Spartan sleeping space and kitchen take up most of the room, with a small dresser and personal book case at the end of the room. A small balcony is the only source of light on the floor, cleverly positioned to keep the sun shining in at all daylight hours.
Although you’re ready to move on, Twilight’s having a field day. You keep forgetting that this is the ancient home of her idol, and she’s now one of only a handful of ponies to have ever seen its interior in millennia.
”Anon! Look! Look! This is where he ate dinner! Only one chair, that’s kind of sad. But still AWESOME! What kind of magic do you think is in it?”
“I think it’s just a chair, Twili-“
”And look, wow! There’s a book on his nightstand, with a marker on a page!”
She eagerly picks it up and begins reading the page. You catch a glimpse of the cover, ’50 Shades of Hay.’ Like most coincidental horse puns that occurred in this world, you can safely assume that the topic of the book closely resembles its earthly counterpart.
“Much as I’d like to read through a riveting tale such as that, we have, like, at least three more floors to explore. And you’re my flashlight.”
And so once again, Twilight pries herself away from a book and leads the ascent to a higher floor of the tower. The next floor will likely be the most valuable to you. It is a workshop of sorts, although the walls are entirely covered in cabinets and bookshelves. Diagrams, drawings, essays, and reference material are scattered about, haphazardly at first glance but somewhat organized on further inspection. You can see Twilight itching to read every last letter in the room, and so quickly push her to the steps to the final above-ground level.
At the top of the tower is an observatory, although it is much less well-kept than the other floors. This is probably due to the large windows and balconies that surround most sides of the room. To your surprise, the roof also appears to open up, and you realize that it is not made of tiles but rather wooden scales which can be retracted.
A total of five telescopes can be found in the room, although the smallest and largest ones are both broken. Unfortunately, there are still many hours of daylight left, and an investigation of the surprisingly advanced optical devices will likely have to wait for later.
The view, however, can be appreciated immediately. “Twilight, look at that. Starswirl certainly had an excellent view of the landscape from here.” The south view is certainly the better of the two, and in truth the valley is something of a horseshoe in shape. While hills block off the north past a mile or two, you can see south towards a large and desolate prairie.
”I suppose. It’s just that you lose an appreciation for sweeping vistas when you can fly.”
“Well that’s a shame. Are those the Badlands, to the south?”
She comes to the southern balcony before giving a firm nod of affirmation. “Like I said, less than a day’s hike to the end of the world. Out there, the changelings are often the least of your troubles.”
The two of you soon abandon the upper floors to head down to the basement. You’re not entirely sure what to expect, but it’s likely to be sizable. A tower like this can’t easily stand without something rooting it down.
After descending the ground floor’s left set of stairs, you immediately realize that the basement is multi-leveled, as a second set of stairs is placed directly to the side of the first. The room has also lost the confined, circular fashion that defines the rest of the structure. It is much larger, and rectangular in shape. That, however, is not what surprises you. The room also has short hallways leading out on three sides, towards areas that appear to be much larger.
You and Twilight begin to head down the right corridor, as you can discern a source of natural light nearby it. A few paces later, and you realize the exact nature of the basement.
You turn to Twilight, who is visibly shaking with her tail between her legs. “I… I’ve never seen a private library like this.”
Before you is a massive, multi-leveled library which puts even the one in her castle to shame. The entry room and hallways were merely a foyer, and the platform you stand on the centerpiece of the massive complex. The room must be five hundred meters long on each side, and further rooms and hallways lead off from the lower levels. Enormous columns of smooth, gray stone rise from the floor two stories below to the ceiling, intricately adorned with figures of ponies and other creatures. You recognize some fables on them, such as the telling of Hearthswarming vertically across one of the pillars.
The entire area is naturally lit, with holes bored in strategic locations across the ceiling that allow light to filter in. They’re small enough to be hidden by the meadow outside, but large enough to dimly light even the lower floors. There is also a large opening in one of the room’s corners, allowing light to flood in and illuminate the partially-ruined wing below. The rest of the place, however, appears pristine.
Breaking with the gloomy cobblestone present in the foyer and upper tower, the entire interior seems to be composed of smooth marble, granite, and gray stone to match the pillars. It is also cleverly designed so that each floor is easily accessible, yet provides a view of the center through carefully-patterned placement of its stone bookcases. The entire place appears majestic, and more royal than many parts of Canterlot.
And just to top it all off, to place the finishing touches on this idyllic scene, four streams of water run out from each side of the foyer directly below the platform you stand on, creating a massive artificial fountain visible from almost everywhere in the library. Adorned along the banks and center of its channels are expertly-made marble sculptures, depicting ponies in battle, laughter, sport, or simply going about their lives. These are also present on the upper-floor balcony you and Twilight stand on.
“Even on Earth we don’t have places like this…” you say to yourself more than your companion. “Why didn’t you tell me about this? I’m never going to have enough food to sort through all of these… Twilight?”
Twilight is still staring, mouth agape, at the rows and rows of library shelves stretched out before her. Cartoon ponies certainly live up to the appearance of this world with cartoonishly exaggerated expressions.
“Hey, Twilight, snap out of it.” You snap your fingers twice in front of her. “Did you even hear me?”
”Y-yeah Anon, I h-heard you…” She slowly corrects her posture and replies without looking away from the library below, “I’ve just honestly never seen any reference to this place. I mean, the records mention him having a private library, but I thought that was just what we saw in the aboveground tower!”
“The Princess of Reading missing out on a place like this? For shame.”
”Anon, I really don’t understand how you can joke at a time like this. This place is unknown to us! There could be so much down there that even the Royal Archives doesn’t have!”
She finally turns around with an expression of unrestrained joy on her face. “I can’t believe I never came here before! I just feel so silly for never even, just, wow!”
“Hey, don’t forget who got you to come here in the first place.”
She surprises you by jumping over and hugging your waist with a tight squeeze. “Thank you so much Anon!” You just smile, bend over, pick her up, and give her a real hug.
“Don’t forget, you’re helping me out too. Thanks for agreeing.”
“A-non!” She grunts out, seemingly out of breath. “You’re squishing me.”
Oh, right. No matter how many times you give a pony a bear hug you forget that they’re not really built for that kind of squeeze.
“Sorry.” You gently put her down next to you. “So… Where do we start? I don’t even know what to do in a place like this.”
Twilight smiles. “How about in the history section. Let’s learn where this place came from.”
Nine hours later, the sun has almost set and you and Twilight have pored over history books. Even skimming books and skipping known tomes, you’ve only touched a fraction of the literature in that section.
About an hour in you managed to find a book all about the library itself. Apparently, Starswirl was remarkably well-paid as the greatest wizard to ever live, and his benefactors were not limited to the state. Wealthy ponies – and individuals of other races – showered him with gifts in exchange for the occasional insight on his research.
However, Starswirl was a pony who lived within his means, preferring to live a Spartan lifestyle in his tiny, backwoods tower. So what was he to do with all the money he earned? About twelve years before his death, he began to pour it into the construction of the greatest library the world had ever seen.
However, construction kept meeting delays, and the library was only finished and fully stocked a month or two before Starswirl died. He’d only acknowledged its completion to a few benefactors, and the grand opening ceremony was slated for half a year later.
And so, nothing more than reports of a library in the woods surfaced in Canterlot or anywhere else, and only Starswirl and the minotaur construction team (who had been specially commissioned) knew of its full scale. The book itself was hastily transcribed by one of the workers, at Starswirl’s request.
You and Twilight had begun to outline a plan to go through the library and tower. You were definitely going to need more than a few days here, and would have a letter sent out to make sure neither Celestia nor Twilight’s friends in Ponyville would be concerned at a prolonged absence. But, first thing’s first, you have to consult the guard.
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*
You can see through the windows that the guards appear to be enjoying their dinners, but the same pegasus who was manning the gate tower earlier eagerly gets up and comes to let you in.
”We were wondering when you would come back! The whole platoon is itching to meet you.” He motions for you to come inside.
Dinner appears to be a rowdy affair, the ponies seated at a single long mess hall table. You don’t count, but there’s probably about a dozen of them, all pegasus ponies minus the captain. Their laughter and loud conversation quickly dims as you and Twilight approach, but thankfully their smiles and good times remain. You can’t count how many times a scene has been ruined by the entry of a royal and her massive friend. The two of you hardly blend in.
Captain Cream gets up to welcome you. “You’re back? Oh wonderful, I was worried you’d gotten lost or perhaps eaten by a hideous forest monster or maybe even a snake! Everyone’s been dying to meet you, let me introduce you! This is Raincatcher, this is Bright Flare, of course you met Square Dance, he let you in, oh and over here is…”
As you’re individually introduced to each member of the guard, you can see they’re as tired of the formalities as you. They seem like a good crowd, ponies who would prefer a pint of cider and good music to pleasantries and idle chit-chat.
”…And I think that’s everyone! Well, except for Sunset Skies, but he left two months ago. So, how was your search? Did you find anything cool? Are you leaving yet? I mean, don’t feel rushed, you can stay as long as you like, but I just want to know-“
”We found some really interesting things, yes.” You give Twilight a thankful glance for cutting her questions short. “I do have to know, though: are you aware of the massive complex beneath this tower? And if so, why is there no word of it in the Royal Archives?”
Grinning as though she’s just received a puppy for her birthday, Captain Cream replies, “Yes, we know something is down there. There are brick portholes all over the field that lead to some kind of chamber. But, it’s not our job to investigate the tower, just to make sure that whatever’s outside of the fence stays outside of the fence.”
Twilight pauses for a moment and blinks, clearly puzzled at this answer. “So has nopony done a thorough analysis of the tower? Nopony has gone through its ruins? Charted out what’s down there?”
Captain Cream shakes his head. “No, the royal orders issued to us long ago were to simply guard the area from intrusion, and only with royal permission was anyone to enter. Since you’re an alicorn, you ARE the royal permission!”
The grin somehow grows even wider. It reminds you somewhat of the smiles North Korean children would put on for the cameras, but genuine in nature. You fail to see what’s so enjoyable about the situation, but his impossibly good mood is certainly infectious. Perhaps it’s the sole source of morale in this remote, dumpy outpost?
”That’s… odd. Hmm. Well, we can think on that later. Mind if we join you for dinner?”
You and Twilight are readily served, although it takes a bit of work to sort out what you can eat from their horse greens. Thankfully, there seems to be an abundance of root crops, and you’re able to make a surprisingly decent stew of them.
The guards have no problem with you staying, although they lack room in their barracks for even one more bunkmate, let alone an alicorn princess and giant companion. So, you’re staying in Starswirl’s place while you’re here. Not that Twilight was complaining. You wonder how many times she’s dreamed of spending a night in his tower.
Morning. About 8 AM, if the sun’s rays are to be believed. You sit up and almost hit your head on the ceiling, as evidenced by the surprising feel of your hair brushing against it. As you stretch and look around the room, your eyes fall on a small purple form resting in an ancient bed. As expected, curled up around a book. Her flank slowly rises and falls, as light from the room’s sole doorway cuts across it. Cute. You wonder how long she stayed up with that book. Best not to disturb her.
You decide to head over to the kitchen to see what you could find. Normally, you’d be wary of days-old milk in a land just beginning to adopt refrigeration, but there was obviously a strong protective spell on the structure to keep things in place. A few thousand years probably hasn’t done a thing to whatever’s in Starswirl’s pantry.
Your suspicions prove correct as you open a cabinet to find fresh greens and vegetables waiting for preparation. The next few cabinets reveal jarred and preserved items of the same varieties, plus some new ones. You get out a few ingredients and spices to make another stew, although if your knowledge of cooking is anywhere near the level you think it is, this one will be much more savory than last night’s meal. You fill a pot with a pitcher of water found in one of the cabinets, and move to light the burner.
Ah, shit. Magic-operated. You should have known. If this was an earth pony or pegasus’ tower, you might have found something more conventional, but a simple human like you was just lost among the basic appliances of a wizard’s home. That means Spackle is on breakfast duty. And you’re hungry.
You move over to the bed and pluck the book of Twilight’s hooves, causing her to wake and move slightly. Let’s take a look at the cover. “Investigations on the Reactions Between Mitochondria and Concentrated Magic Solutions, Vol. II.” She opens an eye and murmurs something. “An interesting title, if an irrelevant one for our purposes. Anyway, rise and shine, you’re on breakfast duty since everything in this damn place needs magic to function.”
”Fivmorminets,” she mumbles.
Your stomach growls in counter-protest. Sorry, Twiggles, we’re gonna need that horn of yours fired up and running ASAP. You put down the book and swiftly lift her up, eliciting a loud “WOA! HEY” from your unwilling quarry. You carry her under your arm to the kitchen and point her towards the magic burner.
“Hocus pocus and abra kadabra, I cast a spell of flame on thee, foul instrument! Magic wand, power on!” With a sigh, Twilight sends out a quick spark and lights the burner. Success!
”If you’re done playing around, I’d like to get back to bed now. Wake me up when… whatever it is you’re cooking is done.” She magics herself free from your grasp and lazily floats over to the bed, unceremoniously crashing down on it. That’s why you don’t read in bed. It makes you a bad morning person.
About twenty minutes later, the breakfast stew is finished cooking, and you rouse Princess Purple once more. This time, however, she’s slightly more willing to join you in the waking world.
The first thing you do after breakfast is head down to the guard barracks. Between dinner and introductions last night, you forgot to send off a letter to Princess Celestia. For some reason, Twilight really hates writing letters, and you struggle to keep up as you try to transcribe her message.
You drop it in the magic flame-pot thing that functions as a telegram here and set off for the underground library. Clouds have started to gather, and you wonder how rain is kept out of the library with so many portholes and with the breach in its side. More than likely there is a separate, more powerful protection spell on it. Twilight took a fly around the area and couldn’t find the breach from the outside, and so you already know that the structure has strong inbuilt magic.
Cool.
A few minutes later, you exit the library’s foyer and are immediately reminded of its grandeur and beauty. Your favorite area was directly below the entry platform, on the bottom floor. Here, light was dim, as the area was heavily shadowed. Some magical lamps even flickered on the ends of bookcases. However, the decorations were superb, with wall adornments, statues of multiple materials, and even the occasional fountain. If you had a place to read like this in college, maybe you would have spent more time studying.
Twilight was most at home deep in the library’s maze of bookcases, or at the occasional desk inside a recess or corner area. These places were unremarkable, yet had an intensely academic atmosphere. Much like Twilight, or at least how she wished to be.
Several more hours are spent collecting tomes of interest and potential value, and by lunchtime, you and Book Horse each have a pile up to your shoulders of reading material.
”I think the most interesting find has been this study on astrophysical magic. We know now that our sun and moon are unique among other systems, and are powered entirely by magic where gravity would normally be the primary force.” She flips to another page in the book. “This book not only reaches the same conclusion, but also provides a bit of explanation on why, and on how the planet may have formed. Starswirl and a couple other researchers think it was likely a large magical nebula or gravitational field that encountered a catastrophic failure, perhaps one of those ‘black holes’ you talk about. From there, the magic may have spread into ordinary matter in our solar system.”
“But where the hell did a giant magic nebula or whatever come from? What is it made of? Don’t forget the point of this quest, Twi.”
In truth, you were growing a bit frustrated at your progress. Sure, you’d encountered many invaluable texts so far, but none of them brought you any closer to the answer you really sought:
What the fuck even is magic?
”Hey, Anon, chill.” If you had a nickel for how many times Dash had… “We’ll find something eventually. And I haven’t forgotten either. I stayed up a bit last night in the tower looking for something unfinished on the topic. Sorry I didn’t find anything, I got caught up in that book you found me with in the morning.”
It’s really hard to hold a grudge against ponies. Or even be angry with them. Even if they’re colossal assholes in every way, they’re just too cute. Except Fluttershy’s brother. If he didn’t have the 40 bits he owes you next time you see him, you’re going to break his fucking wings.
“Thanks, Twilight. Really.” You look over at your pile of books again before continuing, “But I’m sure that even if we can’t find an answer to my questions, we’ll find many others in these books. I can’t believe Celestia didn’t know about this place, or have its books copied.”
”I’ve been thinking about that. It does seem… curious, that Celestia wouldn’t order everything here copied. That book we found last night says that she knew of its existence, although perhaps not on this scale.”
She pauses and looks around. “There’s so many original texts, or at least ones I don’t recognize, and we’ve barely scratched the surface of this place. I just wonder if there’s a bigger reason for it being sealed and preserved than simple oversight.”
“You think there’s something here that Celestia wanted hidden?”
”Honestly? Maybe. But we’ve sent out a letter, if she wanted us out of here she would’ve responded already.”
“You’re probably right.” Your stomach growls to remind you of the time, and so you propose, “Perhaps we should find somewhere to eat? I’d like to avoid meals on the ground.”
”Actually, I saw a few tables in the south wing of the library.” That was the long side. “We can find a place there.”
As you start the walk across this massive facility, you hear the familiar sound of rain on a rooftop above. You instinctively look up. What you see causes you to pause, and when Twilight follows your gaze, she stops as well. As the rain pours through the ceiling, it is caught by streams of translucent indigo magic, which snake across the ceiling and around obstacles before funneling water into a vent above the foyer.
The streams, although not strictly linear, are nevertheless well-organized, and as water flows under each hole in the ceiling, the light poking through them shimmers and is dyed a brilliant blue. The corner breach, however, simply allows rain to pour in, dampening the books nearby but seemingly causing no lasting damage. The protection spells on this place are strong.
”I’ll have to learn that one for the castle,” Twilight simply remarks before continuing on to the tables. You hurry and catch up to her.
After lunch is over, the two of you explore a bit more in this part of the library. Due to its distance from the center, it’s naturally the last part you’ve explored. The very end of the wing is characterized by the seating area you just used, a large array of study desks organized into neat rows and columns, and an open plaza area where the local channel of water flows into the wall. At the very end of the stream is a large, shallow pool with an enormous marble statue in the center.
The statue is of a minotaur, his face grim and aged. His muscles are straining to uphold some unseen weight, and his hooves are cleverly sculpted to appear as though they are digging into the earth beneath. You take off your boots and join Twilight in examining the statue up close. The water is ice-cold, but you don’t mind much.
A closer look reveals that the statue is covered in a language unrecognizable to you. Interestingly, the characters closely resemble those of Latin, with several being completely identical. The language is obviously very different overall, however. “Twilight, what language is this? It bears a few resemblances to an ancient form of writing on Earth, maybe they’re tied together?”
”It’s a strange dialect of Old Equestrian. I can read some of it but other parts are a mystery to me.” She shakes her head. “Whoever engraved it obviously knew what they were doing. This is expert, meticulous work.”
You’re not entirely sure how some of the lettering was engraved at all, as your intuition tells you that many parts should break off at the touch of a chisel. Probably magic. Again, that elusive force. As you examine the front of the statue, your eye catches on a bit of readable text directly beneath the minotaur’s pectorals. Scratch that, your eye catches on a bit of ENGLISH text. With actual English characters, not the horse scribbles you’d grown accustomed to reading. “Twilight, come look at this.”
She comes over and peers at the words, obviously perplexed. “I’m stumped. I don’t recognize the language at all, nor most of its symbols.”
“I do. This is English, written in the same form as many in my world wrote it.”
This is weird. Weird as in, ‘holy shit this could change a lot of things’ weird. The characters are actually in Gothic style, but that’s a minor point of interest compared to the simple fact that English text exists in this world.
”So, that means that our verbal compatibility isn’t just a coincidence then? Interesting, but not surprising. This answers a lot of questions but opens up even more.” You can practically hear the gears turning in her head. “What does it say?”
“It’s just a few lines. ‘Those who can read, find a steed, grounded but able to fly in air and magic. But take heed, this road will lead, to a world changed forever.’” You’re slightly bothered that it doesn’t rhyme at the end, but you’re not much of a poet either.
”Well that’s hardly a riddle. A fusion of earth pony, pegasus, and unicorn. Alicorn. Boom, we have one. And you’re someone who can read it.”
“So what do we do?”
”Let’s try some magic, for a start.” She begins to channel some of her deep violet magic into a small ruby placed above the epigraph. After a few seconds, she stops. Nothing’s happening. You turn to her and open your mouth, but with timing that can only be replicated in movies and fiction works with clichéd authors, the statue’s left arm suddenly shifts downward slightly.
ItsHappening.gif
Now’s the part where a secret door or something opens up, righ- oh there it is! Sure enough, a portion of the wall begins to slide sideways, sending artifacts likely worth thousands upon thousands of bits crashing to the floor.
”Anon.”
“Secret tunnel, I see it. This place gets cooler by the minute.”
The tunnel is built with the same elegance as the rest of the library, with brass busts of ponies adorned along the marble and stone walls in small cubbies and flickering magic lights above each. You also notice a number of minotaurs featured in the sculptures. The hall is well lit, with bright wall sconces adding to the small lights over each bust, so at least no creatures of the dark would be surprising you.
About fifty feet down, the tunnel takes a 90 degree turn to the left. You and Twilight cautiously round the corner, wary of potential dangers. You hope she’s watching out for traps as you are, this place could be filled with them.
Another hallway, and this one is much longer. It continues on for hundreds of meters, with the constant theme of brass busts and flickering yellow lights for as far as you can discern. Whether from fear, awe, both, or something else entirely, you and Twilight are completely silent. Only the sound of your slow footsteps on the fine stone walkway and their echoes break the absolute silence of this hallway.
As you walk further, more busts begin appearing as minotaurs. Towards the end, some are also of dragons, and you even identify a draconequus.
After what seems to be an eternity, you and Twilight reach the end of the hallway. This time, it opens up into a room, this one distinctly different from the other architecture you’ve seen. The walls are primarily covered in dark wood bookcases with green velvet accents, the floor is a comforting rouge carpet and you can spot a number of work areas with papers, quill pens, and inkwells scattered about.
Directly in front of you, two archways reveal a flight of stairs heading down, this time lit from the ceiling rather than the walls. The hallway is wider than the one you’ve just traveled through, and maintains the hardwood theme of this room. As your eyes scan the room, you feel Twilight freeze, and realize she’s pressed into the side of your leg. You turn to look at what’s caught her attention, and spot a desk much larger than the rest in the room.
And a figure sitting at it, quietly writing as it is illuminated by the soft glow of indigo magic wrapped around its pen.