Pandora sat in the bedroom with Celestia, the other ponies having long since left the two alone per Celestia's request. Pandora rubbed her foreleg and sighed. Seeing Celestia in her massive bed, covered in white, pristine sheets reminded her of the tents of surgeons in her time. It was an unpleasant memory.
"Thinking of the past again?" Celestia asked Pandora. She spoke in a whispered hush.
"I...Yes..."
"I see." Celestia took a deep breath. "Even when he helps me, I'm left a little more wounded inside," the alicorn mused. "I suppose that was to be expected."
Pandora sighed. "I would have imagined that his potion would have healed you fully."
"It did. My body is simply far beyond its limit for exhaustion." Celestia adjust herself under the covers.
"I have a potion for that," Pandora said. "It wouldn't take long to--"
"No." Celestia grinned. "I think it's a good opportunity to take some rest from all the tiresome problems of the country. Take vacation, if you will."
The unicorn chuckled. "As tricky as ever, princess."
"I suppose." There was a long pause before the two resumed speaking. "I'm sure we have much to catch up on, and I will hire some ponies to teach you about the current world and how it works."
"I would appreciate that very much. Thank you."
The alicorn raised a brow, and her smile dimmed. "But why are you still here? Surely, it isn't to catch up on things."
Pandora shook her head. "No. It's not." The mare teleported her journal into reach. "I was trapped in this by Psycho, but I'm not sure why."
"I find it strange that he would only save one pony." Celestia clacked her teeth together. "He would never truly hurt anypony, and he would have saved you all, yet there was nothing but rubble left at the tower, and nopony else was found alive."
"Maybe there are other forces at work here?" Pandora pondered. "Still. When I reached the basement of the tower, I met a golem."
"A golem?!" Celestia repeated loudly. "That is quite curious. No pony has ever successfully made a golem. Are you sure it wasn't being controlled by somepony?"
"I am absolutely sure, princess."
Celestia became distressed. "The 'golems' we found were always being controlled like puppets. You take out the one controlling it and the golem stops."
"It mentioned 'Carnifex'. I was hoping you, who have lived for so long, might know of him."
Celestia frowned. "Are you saying I'm old?" she asked flatly. Pandora was at a loss for words and started sweating nervously until Celestia laughed. "I'm just playing. Don't worry. As for Carnifex...I can't say I've heard of him."
"Oh." Pandora frowned. "That's a shame."
"I MIGHT have some information that could help you, but you would need to go to the protected part of the royal library." Pandora perked up. "I heard of a strange mage who was here in Canterlot before my time. Things were very different back then, but he might have had his own tower." Celestia nodded to herself. "The library SHOULD contain records or notes from him all those years ago. Start your search there."
"Alright." Pandora was about to leave but turned back to face Celestia. "If I find anything of interest, can I take it with me? I'd like to study it thoroughly."
Celestia nodded. "Of course, and please. You may stay here in the castle until you have readjusted and found a home of your own."
Pandora bowed. 'I am honored of the gifts you give me. I shall use them wisely."
The alicorn waved a hoof. "There's no need for those kinds of formalities anymore, Pandora." Celestia smiled. "The nobles might still do that, but..." She frowned and spoke dryly. "It's really just a show they put on in an attempt to get into my good favor."
Pandora gave another goodbye, asked for the direction of the library, and went there immediately. Rows upon rows upon floors of bookshelves were present. Chandeliers dangled at varied heights, and the windows at the highest floor made it truly feel like one was in a tower. The mare walked to the right of the entrance and hurried over, stopping at a barrier distorting the bookshelves further away like a heat haze. Using her hoof, Pandora dispelled the barrier and continued on. He clenched her muzzle immediately. The old books and rows of parchments gave off an acrid smell that burned her nostrils.
"Puah. And I have to deal with this smell while I study?" She frowned and channeled magic into her horn. "No thank you." A brief smell encased her face in a bubble that gradually wrapped around the shape of her head. The mare took a deep breath and smiled. "Much better." She looked at all the old parchments and scratched her head. "Where to start? Maybe with the records so I know which year everything is placed."
Several weeks passed, and Pandora was starting to grow upset. She couldn't find anything substantial. There were bits and pieces of information here and there either vaguely mentioning a 'mage gone crazy' or a mage discovering something new. Most were far too vague to link to Carnifex, but then the unicorn found several books and parchments making more direct references to the mage. Pandora's eyes widened.
"These parchments are insanely old, but this is what I've been looking for." She pondered for a moment. "I'll go to Twilight for this. She knows more about the current world than I do, and with us both cross-referencing the knowledge of Carnifex, I'm sure we'll discover exactly who he is..." She shrugged. "Or at least get closer."
Pandora carefully placed the old parchments into her saddle bags and hurried off out of the castle grounds, stopping only on the hillside on the way to the city. "Maybe I could use this 'train' Princess Celestia spoke of. I do appreciate new experiences."
The mare trotted through the streets of Canterlot, taking in the surroundings and being awe-struck at the lavish mansions dotted all around the city. One such mansion had its owner cleaning up its walls, something that caught the unicorn off guard. The owner, a stallion of pure white, turned around and waved hello to her, and Pandora nodded back. The stallion became upset when he looked at her bags.
"Another one, huh? I thought we took care of that," the stallion thought to himself.