The silver light of Starswirl’s spell faded, leaving Scootaloo blinking in a dimly lit room. There were no windows, though she could see a sliver of light in the shape of a rectangle on the wall. She could also just make out several neat symbols drawn on the floor in dark ink.
“Oh, oh!” Thistleroot said, bending lower to examine them. “That’s why he sent us here instead of straight to it. Oh wow, these are cool.”
“Yeah, super cool,” Apple Bloom said, rolling her eyes. “What are they?”
“Sigils! Probably. Never actually seen them. They’re unique magical marks that you can use to orient long range magic. It takes a lot of magic to do anything at a distance, so they don’t do anything for most ponies, but I mean if anypony can make use of them, it would be Starswirl the Shaved, right?”
“Sure,” Sweetie Belle said, smiling.
At that moment, the light on the wall expanded as the curtain covering the doorway was drawn back. A young mare’s face appeared. “Hello?”
“Oh, uh, hi?” Scootaloo said. “Sorry to burst in like this.”
“Al sent us,” Spike added.
“Yeah, what he said.”
The mare nodded and turned to look over her shoulder. “Dad! Al sent a bunch of weirdos over!” Scootaloo heard Thistleroot chuckle and nudged him in the side. The mare turned back to them. “Come on out, I guess.”
The six of them found themselves several minutes later seated around a low table in a fairly cozy study of sorts. Bookshelves lined every wall, and several desks stood crammed with notes.
The mare, a unicorn with a silvery blue coat and white mane who was maybe a year younger than Scootaloo, busied herself passing out steaming cups of tea. Oddly, she brought each pony a cup by hoof, rather than using magic.
An older pegasus of similar if darker coloring sat with them, peering at Scootaloo over the tops of wire rimmed glasses. He had introduced himself as Midlight, and his daughter as Star Charmer. Fittingly, their cutie marks were of a crescent moon and three silver stars respectively.
“So, Libiris?” Midlight asked, taking a careful sip of tea.
Scootaloo nodded. “He thinks there might be something in there that can help us. That it’s an ancient library of sorts.”
Midlight nodded. “Speculation, of course. The idea being that the etymology is related. That and there’s little reason to seal an ancient grocery store. Yes, I can direct you toward it, though at this point I suggest waiting until morning. The deep woods can be dangerous at night, even on established paths.”
Scootaloo nodded again.
“You can stay here for the night, though I would like some questions answered."
"That's fair," Scootaloo said. "Shoot."
"First, a few days ago, the sun stopped setting, then began again, but not as smoothly as usual. Presumably it has to do with the help you’re looking for in Libiris.”
“Y'all haven’t already heard?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Greenhaven Grotto is a fairly small town. We don’t get much in the way of traffic. We’ve gotten no news from Canterlot for several weeks.”
“I’m sorry to have to tell you this,” Scootaloo said, “but Canterlot was destroyed. Most everypony made it to safety before it happened, but the Princesses were imprisoned.”
Star Charmer gasped from where she stood near the corner, but Midlight seemed unfazed. “I see. Yes, that would explain it.”
There was a moment of awkward silence. “Wow,” Spike said. “You’re taking that really well.”
“Oh, I assure you I’m quite shocked,” Midlight answered, voice level. “And how did that come to pass?”
“Well, a changeling queen turned the bearers of the Elements of Harmony to stone and kidnapped them. Then she released an ancient evil that was locked away inside Canterlot mountain, and it forced the princesses into the cage it had been released from.”
“Interesting. And this ancient evil, that is what Al wants you to learn more about?”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“All of the princesses were imprisoned?” Star Charmer interrupted, eyes wide in shock, face pale.
“Not princess Cadance, but I haven’t heard anything about her,” Scootaloo said.
“She came to Canterlot, but Al sent her back to the Crystal Empire,” Spike said. “He said he could organize everypony, and that she had to keep her kingdom and the crystal heart safe.”
Scootaloo tilted her head toward Spike as if to say “there you go”. “Can I ask you a few questions, too?”
“Of course.”
“Who exactly are you? Why did Al send us here?”
“He didn’t tell you? No, I suppose he wouldn’t. It’s not in his character to answer a question left unasked. Better to learn to ask in the first place, he would say." Midlight adjusted his glasses with a wing. "I am a member of the Society of Equestrian Arcanum, or SEA, which perhaps sounds more glamorous than it really is. We’re a union of researchers, founded by Al himself to study the many unexplained phenomena of the world. Though naturally with his retirement we’re now self run.”
“As for why he sent you here, he owns this building. There’s some rather strange fluctuations that happen around Libiris, and this research center was built for the purpose of studying them.”
“Great, does that mean you know how to get in?” Thistleroot asked.
“Unfortunately no. Even after studying the seals for twelve years, I don’t know of any way to break them. Though if you were sent by Al, I suppose I can tell you some of what I do know about them.” He stopped to sip his tea, and closed his eyes as though gathering his thoughts. Scootaloo looked down at her own tea, more or less forgotten, and took a sip. Minty, but not as sweet as she liked it. She looked back up to Midlight in anticipation.
“The seals around Libiris weren’t entirely created by pony magic. Not even by Alicorn magic. Of that, I am absolutely certain. They seem to be an amalgam of different kinds of magic. Some small traces of pony magic, but most of it is foreign to me. The seals cover the entire building, and extend deep underground, entirely covering an enormous structure. Burrowing in isn’t an option. Finally, the seal wasn’t meant to be permanent.”
Scootaloo’s ears pricked up with that. “What do you mean?”
“I mean what I said. The seal around Libiris was designed to be undone under the right circumstances. However, I have no idea what the key could be.” He paused. “It reacts to magic fairly consistently. Cast the same spell at it ten times and you’ll get the same result ten times. Usually just temporary releases of energy. There seems to be text, but we’ve had no luck translating it, even when we call in experts. There’s hints of ancient draconic, but the base language is something we’ve never seen before. That’s all I can think of that might help you."
He pondered for a moment. "The rest of it is rather technical. It might be easier to explain once you've seen Libiris for yourselves. For now, I suggest getting some sleep."
"Okay," Scootaloo said. "Yeah, sleep sounds good."
"We have some spare bunks. Star Charmer, could you show them?”
Star Charmer nodded, still a little pale. “Over here.”
The group was led down the stairs from a study and through a hall to what looked more or less like a barracks. It contained about a dozen bunks, each with a complement of storage space. “This is where temps stay when dad has to call in an expert.” She paused. “Is it true, was Canterlot really… destroyed?”
Scootaloo nodded. “It was, but like I said, most everypony made it out okay.”
Star Charmer shuddered. She looked like she was going to say something else, but thought better of it. She nodded and backed out of the room.
Thistleroot tossed his saddlebags down and hopped into the nearest bunk. “Dibs!”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes and climbed onto a different one.
Sweetie Belle took the one nearest her, and Apple Bloom took the one opposite her. “It’s been a while since we all slept in the same room, hasn’t it?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Eyup,” Apple Bloom answered. “Kind of reminds me of when we were fillies.”
“Cutie Mark Crusaders Slumber Party!” Scootaloo said in a joking cheer. The other two laughed.
Mimic looked up from where she’d been curling up on her own bunk. “Slumber party?”
“Yeah, a slumber party, ya know?” Apple Bloom said.
“You ponies have parties? For sleeping?” Mimic shook her head. “That’s just ridiculous. What else do you have parties for? Eating? Bathing?”
“Ya’ve never had a slumber party? Really?” Apple Bloom asked.
Sweetie Belle gasped. “This is your first slumber party! We should give you a makeover. We could braid your… We could give you a pedicure! And a rejuvenating facial mask!”
“Uh, what?” Mimic asked.
“Do you even have the stuff for those?” Thistleroot asked.
“Do you even know who my sister is?” Sweetie Belle asked, horn glowing as one of her saddlebags opened and a black rectangle about the size of a paperback floated out. She adopted a dramatic tone and said “And whatever you do, Sweetie Belle, never, and I mean never, be caught without these bare essentials!” The case opened to show a variety of compact brushes and pouches.
“Is that La Roche-Ponay?” Thistleroot asked. “What else have you got in there?
Scootaloo rolled her eyes and turned over, flipping the covers over her head.
“Um, I’ve got some scarves, in case we get cold. A water canteen. A flashlight. Some energy bars. I really didn’t know what to pack for saving the world.”
“Yeah, tell me about it. I got some rope and field rations from a Royal Guard I know.”
“Ah’ve got apples,” Apple Bloom said, “in case we want actual food. Some rope, too. And spare boots and water.”
“Oh yeah,” Spike said from the bed beside Thistleroot. “Check this out.”
“Really?” Apple Bloom said, and Scootaloo could practically hear her eyes roll without looking up.
“Oh, wow,” Thistleroot said, sounding genuinely impressed. “Is that a first edition?”
“Sure is. Issue one. Twilight gave it to me for my last birthday. It’s one of the only things I had time to grab before the evacuation.”
There was a moment of heavy silence before Sweetie Belle spoke up. “She’ll be so happy when you show her you kept it safe.”
“Yeah, she will be, won’t she?” Spike said.
“Anyway, what do y'all say about that makeover. Uh, Mimic, right?”
“Yes,” Mimic said, voice still uncertain.
“Great, sit right there and close your eyes.”
Somepony began shaking Scootaloo about half a millisecond later. “What?” she grumbled.
“It’s morning,” Sweetie Belle said. “Time to go.”
“No it’s not. Go back to bed.” A pause, and then the hoof shook her again. “Alright, alright.” She pushed herself up. Mid morning light filtered in through the windows.
Scootaloo half-crawled, half-fell out of the bunk and brushed a hoof through her mane to get it out of her eyes. “Alright. I’m ready.” Sweetie Belle giggled and led her out of the room.
“Breakfast?” Sweetie Belle asked? “Star Charmer was nice enough to cook for us.” They entered the dining room to find a modest meal of pancakes and orange juice. Scootaloo wasn’t hungry, but ate a few bites to be polite.
Mimic sat beside her, looking as grumpy as she felt. The changeling’s face looked different. Shinier. Cleaner. “How’d the makeover go?”
“Your friends are weird.”
After some polite conversation, and after Spike and Thistleroot had finished second helpings, Star Charmer began clearing the table. Again, Scootaloo noticed she used her own hooves rather than magic. Apple Bloom was quick to assist and soon enough the remains of breakfast were clean.
“Thanks for everything,” Scootaloo said, “but we should be going. Midlight said he’d give us directions to Libiris?”
“Dad actually had something important come up. He asked me to show you to the road leading to it.”
“Oh. Thanks again, then.”
Star Charmer shrugged. “No problem. If what you said about Canterlot is true, I want to help in whatever way I can, you know?”
Scootaloo nodded. “Then lead the way.”
They followed Star Charmer out the front of the building and into what appeared to be the center of Greenhaven Grotto. They stood in a large circular plot, ringed by buildings all facing inward. Scootaloo could see a general store, a bakery, a small building with the words “City Hall” above the door, and another with a sign that read “Greenhaven Library”. Scootaloo looked back to see the building they left had a sign that read “SEA Research Center”.
Between the buildings were large dirt roads leading in the four cardinal directions. Down one of them she could see what must have been the school. It consisted entirely of two one room buildings and a jungle gym.
“Wow, now just how small is this town? Ah don’t even think we have an Apple living here.”
Star Charmer shook her head. “Nope, at least not that I know of. Last census I think it was something like twelve hundred ponies.”
“Wow. Sounds like Granny Smith’s stories of Ponyville from when she was just a filly.”
“Yeah. Most of the families have lived here for more generations than they can count. Some of the families even date back to the first ponies in Equestria, settling down here in the first year or two. Nopony knows why they chose this spot though. The rest are rich ponies who wanted a quiet retirement and dad’s researchers. There’s twelve of them, plus their families. They all have their own places, though.
“If there’s families that have been around that long, maybe we should talk to them,” Spike said. “They might know something about Libiris that we haven’t heard yet.”
“Dad’s interviewed just about everypony in town. He hasn’t found anything conclusive. He says oral tradition is the least accurate method of conserving data.”
“True, but you can’t have too many sources, so long as you understand the validity of those sources. Even old mare’s tales can be true, especially when different sources share similar details.”
Scootaloo looked at Spike, an eyebrow raised.
“What? That’s what Twilight says, anyway.”
“Well,” Star Charmer said, turning North, “if you want to talk to them yourself you can, but why don’t I show you where it is first. Then if you want to start interviewing ponies, I’d suggest starting with Mayor Motts.”
Scootaloo nodded and the group followed. The edge of town was less than half a mile North. Scootaloo found herself keeping an eye on Star Charmer. The walk itself was nothing, but the poor unicorn seemed to worn by the end of it.
“This is the edge of town,” Star Charmer said, voice faint.
“Umm, are you okay?” Sweetie Belle asked.
Star Charmer nodded. “Just tired. I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Ah don’t blame you,” Apple Bloom said. “We’re sorry again for having to drop that bad news on y'all like that.”
“Don’t be. We’d rather know than be left in the dark. Anyway, Libiris isn’t much further.” She nodded toward the forest.
A line of sparsely placed houses stood a dozen yards or so from the treeline. The trees and undergrowth beyond the first few yards into the forest were an untraversable tangled mass, and the trunks were spaced close enough and the branches low enough that flying would be all but impossible. They’d have to stick to the path.
“Follow this road for about two miles,” Star Charmer said. “It’ll fork. The bigger path on the right leads up out of the forest after twenty miles or so. The smaller path on the left leads to Libris. The path isn’t as clear, but it’s only about six hundred feet off the main path. And remember, be back before dark. You don’t want to run into a bunch of timber wolves or tree goblins.”
“Yeah, we’ll be quick then. Just take a look around and get our bearings,” Scootaloo said. “Thanks again.”
“No problem. I should get back. Dad said he needed my help today,” Star Charmer gave one last weak smile. She paused, then asked, “Scootaloo? Just how bad is it, really? You said everypony in Canterlot survived, but are they going to be okay?” She hesitated, then continued, “Are we?”
Scootaloo sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know. It’s bad though. The thing that came out of Canterlot Mountain is stronger than anything we’ve ever seen before, but it doesn’t seem vicious. It didn’t kill me and I was right there." She shook her head. "I think the real threat is from smaller things. Changelings and Windigos. Creatures called specters, too. And all kinds of monsters from the Everfree that will be able to do as they please without the princesses to keep them in check.”
Star Charmer pondered the words for a long moment, and then nodded. “Good luck in there.” She turned and left.
“Nice girl,” Spike said. “So, uh, spooky forest then?”
“Spooky forest,” Apple Bloom confirmed, stepping forward and leading the way down the path. The others filed in behind her, and the began their search for the mysterious Libiris.