//------------------------------// // — Chapter Four — // Story: Finding Friendship // by Kamen-Zero //------------------------------// --- The Day After --- As the morning sun crept through the drawn curtains, signaling the beginning of a new day, a tired groan escaped from Twilight Sparkle as she opened her bloodshot eyes. The previous night had been plagued by repeating nightmares of yesterday's failings, each time forcing the alicorn back into the waking world. She had lost track of just how many times this had happened, maybe four or five, but she knew that it had occurred enough to deprive her of much-needed sleep. Not enough to have any drastic effects, but enough for her to feel a noticeable effect. It took her a few moments to shakily push herself onto her hooves after deciding that further attempt at sleep would be futile. The alicorn's sense of balance took a moment to catch up with her, her wings reflexively flapping outward in an attempt to keep her steady as she stood up. A groggy yawn was the first sound Twilight made as she began to stretch and shake herself awake. Glancing over to the bed, a small smile found its way to her face as she gazed upon Spike's still sleeping form. It was clear that the baby dragon had gotten the exact opposite experience that she had, sleeping peacefully all throughout the night. She knew this because every time she had been awoken by her nightmares, her first instinct had been to check on Spike to make sure he was alright. An irrational response, there was nothing that could have happened to him in the intervals where she was actually able asleep. Content with her friend's state of being, Twilight continued along with her morning routine. The smile on her face only continued to grow as she remembered that this hotel room came with a bathroom. A tired but excited giggle escaped from her as she walked through the threshold, quietly closing the door behind her. The first thing the magic pony did was aim her attention towards the admittedly not-so-impressive shower/tub combo, quickly switching on the hot water. It came to life with a loud hiss, and the alicorn held a hoof under the stream until she was satisfied with the temperature. It took longer than it probably should have, but it wasn't long at all before Twilight was standing under the relaxing downpour of warm water. With closed eyes and a deep breath, Twilight took this moment to gather her thoughts and composure as she began the cleaning process. What had happened yesterday was in the past now and today was a brand new day. And with a new day came things that needed to be done, namely the errands that Twilight had to complete whenever she and Spike passed through a town. Food and supplies would need to be bought before they could move on, and possibly earning some more funds for whenever they came upon the next town. If her memory was right, their money pool was starting to run dangerously low, meaning the order of these chores would have to be reversed this time around. A bit inconvenient, but it was just something that she would have to deal with. After taking the time to let the soothing pitter-patter and the warmth of the water wake her up, Twilight finally turned the showerhead off. A quick flicker of her horn was enough to render the alicorn dry, letting her step onto the tiled floor without a single drop of liquid to be dropped. The foggy mirror was her next destination, and she was quick to meet her own tired gaze on the other side of the hazy glass. The magic used to dry herself off had left her mane as an absolute mess. Thankfully, magic was also the solution to this problem, and the issue was quickly resolved with a magenta-hued flash. Satisfied with her usual mane style, the alicorn begrudgingly looked towards her wings. Aside from one or two misaligned feathers, there wasn't anything particularly wrong here. She gave each of them several hearty waves, almost enough to lift her off of the ground, until the wings looked better then they started. I really should preen these, Twilight commented as she opened the bathroom door, a heavy cloud of steam following her back into the main room. Alright. I'll find a book on it while I'm in town. I mean it this time. With the traditional empty promise out of the way, her attention was drawn to the saddlebags sitting in the corner of the room as she needed to figure out just where they were in terms of funds. Twilight deadpanned as she gazed upon the group of golden coins in her possession, each emblazoned with a blazing sun on one side and a crescent moon on the other. While not entirely devoid of money as she initially had anticipated, there was enough to buy a few essentials for the travels to come, the imminent need for money would soon be upon them. The smart thing to do would be to find a place to work for a few days to restock on their funds. Of course, finding employment was never a fun endeavor, especially when you don't plan on staying for very long. The alicorn's lamenting was soon interrupted by the yawn of a young dragon which served to draw her attention away from her coin purse. "Morning, Twi," the serpentine dragon muttered between yawns, stretching out his lengthy frame as he crawled out of the bed. "What's the plan today?" "Finding a way to make money is pretty high on the list," the alicorn bluntly explained with a sigh. "We're basically broke. Thankfully, I paid for three nights, so that's how long we've got to find a way to buy food and supplies." Spike was quick to match her concerned grimace, an action that only furthered the anxiety of the situation, prompting Twilight's mind to go into overdrive. The answer to the problem was simple enough, she'd have to find a method of temporary employment to help restock on funds. But the real issue was in finding said employment. At that very moment, three swift knocks were made upon the other side of the main door, the only type of noise that could penetrate Twilight's spell, drawing the attention of both the room's occupants. Spike did not hesitate in swiftly crawling underneath the bed, just in the even that whoever was at the door decided to peer inside. With that taken care of, there was nothing stopping Twilight from walking over and seeing whoever it was on the other side of the door. "Cloak!" Spike shouted out, just as Twilight had begun to turn the handle. And without missing a beat, the blanket from the bed was whisked towards her and cocooned around her exposed frame. Now there was nothing stopping Twilight from quickly opening the door, And just on the other side of the enchanted barricade but the only pony in this town who had spoken more than ten words to her. Pinkie Pie stood in the same uniform she bore the previous night, her smile as bright as the morning sun outside, and with a wheeled cart of cleaning implements stationed just behind her. It seemed that clearing of tables was not the only job she was tasked with completing in this establishment. "Oh! Hi, Twilight!" The earth mare seemed surprised at first to see the blanketed alicorn. Her astonishment was then quickly replaced by a mixture of confusion and concern. "... Sorry, I didn't know this was your room! I hope I didn't wake you!" It took Twilight a moment to realize what she meant, but the heavy blanket wrapped around herself was clear evidence that she had just rolled out of bed. "Oh... no, I've been up for a while," she quickly corrected with a small chortle, "Just... haven't exactly started the day yet." Pinkie was quick to return to her happy outlook, almost jarringly fast. "Oh, well that's good then! I was just going around cleaning some of the empty rooms. But this room isn't empty, so I'll just be on my way then!" Just as suddenly as she had arrived, so too was she prepared to be on her way. "Hold up a second," Twilight interjected as an idea sprang to life within her head. Pinkie seemed like the kind of social butterfly who would know her way around town, and who might know anyone who was looking for employment. "You wouldn't happen to know where someone like me could go for a job, would you? I'm... running a bit low on cash." The earth pony stopped and looked back to the disguised alicorn, a narrow-eyed look of great contemplation on her face. A faint humming noise emanated from her as she greatly considered all possibilities she could think of. One could almost hear the mental "ding" that signified the completion of her task, Pinky reverting her attention to Twilight with a familiar smile. "Not off the top of my head! But I'd be willing to help you look after my shift ends!" Twilight noticeably recoiled at the offer, caught off guard by the unexpected act of kindness. This pony's kindness had been a nice change of pace after the past few villages that she had wandered through, but it was beginning to edge a bit on the unpleasant side. Who in all honesty was this nice to a complete stranger without some kind of motive, after all? "Oh, you don't need to—" A pink hoof was swiftly raised in protest. "I don't 'need' to do a lot of things. But I do them anyway because it's the nice thing to do! You don't have to wait for me though, but I'll be free in a few hours!" There wasn't a chance to respond to the offer, as the pink pony was quick to be on her way with her cart of cleaning supplies. "See ya later!" A loud squeaking emanated from one of the wheels as the earth pony pushed the cart along. Closing the door with a sigh, cutting off all sound from the outside world in the process, Twilight flung the blanket off of her body and back onto the bed. She followed suit, flopping down onto the bed and enjoying the soft surface for a moment in time. "You can come out now, Spike. She's gone," the alicorn spoke directly into the pillow that her face was buried in. She could hear the sound of the young reptile scampering out from under the bed, but didn't bother looking up to meet his gaze. "She seemed nice," Spike commented as he climbed back onto the bed, "I'm guessing she was behind the fruit basket?" "MmmHmm." Twilight wasn't in the proper mind space to respond properly right now. Her lack of sleep had caught back up to her, and she was seriously considering drifting back to the land of dreams. "She's alright, I guess." "So, what did you have in mind for that job?" Based on his tone of voice, it was obvious that the dragon was in a talkative mood. Not something that was out of the ordinary, but it wasn't exactly welcomed at the moment. "Something that pays decent, hopefully... Either that or I'll have to sell some old stuff. One way or another, we need the money." There was a lull in the conversation, long enough to where it almost allowed Twilight to actually fall back asleep. But unfortunately, it seemed that Spike wanted to add something else to the conversation. "Even if it means you have to become Twig—" The alicorn was wide awake at the mere mentioning of that question, and she quickly glared over to Spike with great intensity. "No. Absolutely not. Never again." "Oh come on, it was great!" Spike's tail began to wag excitedly as the memories came back to him. "And you were so funny!" "Spike, it doesn't take much to make you laugh," Twilight countered as she put her head back down, "I could show you your own tail, and you'd be distracted for a whole day." "Well, yeah! Just look at it, it's so soft and fluffy!" The small dragon brought the tip of his long tail around to show off the fluff at its end, using a claw to comb through the tuft of green fur. "Point proven." "No, point not proven!" Spike was starting to get upset now, as evident by his furrowed brow. "You made, like, six hundred bits in one day doing that!" "And it was humiliating, so I swore to never partake in those actions again," Twilight spoke sternly, meeting the dragon's glare with her own. "Twiggles the Clown is dead. And I killed her." The two continued to stare each other down, neither one willing to back down. The tensions in the room continued to rise as the silence dragged on, both competitors never once taking their eyes off of their opponent. And as the seconds dragged on into minutes, the stalemate was finally broken as the two of them began to lightly laugh at the ridiculous statement that the argument had ended on. "We should probably get something to eat," Twilight suggested as she slowly crawled off of the bed. Following her lead, Spike too leaped off of the bed, almost smacking his face into the wall in his vigorous dismount. "I think there's still some of that fruit basket left." --- — --- Coffee. Fixes. Everything. This was the conclusion that Twilight had come to after receiving a cup of the black elixir of life later on in the morning after her fruit basket breakfast with Spike. The caffeine-infused liquid was by no means a substitute for a good night's sleep, but it was very good at temporarily counteracting the negative side effects of not getting that sleep. It had cost her a small yet important portion of her remaining money, but it was more than worth it. Unfortunately, finding employment was much more difficult than finding a decent cup of coffee. It wasn't helped by the fact that Twilight was severely limited in her potential options for employment, as anything that required a uniform was out of the question for two very obvious reasons. And the insistence on her chosen attire was likely to turn heads at most jobs involving a high amount of social interaction. After all, a traveler in a cloak is nothing out of the ordinary. But a cloaked cashier, or something else of that ilk? That would turn a few heads. She had managed to find three or four shops that met her preferred standards, though the owners were either looking for full-time employment or weren't hiring at all. Both understandable reasons, but it didn't make the revelations any less frustrating. With the way things were going, it was clear that Twilight would have to make a difficult choice. The first choice was extending her stay to more than just the three days she had already paid for at Bedrock, which could cause any number of complications. Or she would have to bid adieu to some of her personal possessions, but that could only take her so far considering her vagrant lifestyle. This stupid town is going to be the death of me, Twilight complained to herself as she plodded through the village's busy marketplace, looking to each of the open stands with two parts eagerness one part bitterness. Her glare was subtle, you wouldn't notice unless you took the time to observe, but it was intense enough to burn a hole in the sun itself. She could feel her anger boiling over into her horn; the sizzle and crack of the magic only noticeable to her. It wasn't enough as to where she would lose control, years of practice and lessons had made sure of that, but right now it was a bit difficult to restrain all of her frustration. How hard can it possibly be to make some hard-earned money in this—?! "Hi, Twilight!" The surprise greeting quickly caught the alicorn's attention, her neck all but snapping towards the stimuli. Pinkie Pie's smiling face was the first thing she saw, her work uniform gone, prompting Twilight to quickly change her mood. The frustration she was currently experiencing was cooled down, and the excess charging in her magical appendage settled down as well. "Hello, Pinkie," Twilight slowly responded, her temper simmering down considerably. "Any luck with the money thing?" Her tone was as cheery as ever, and such an attitude would normally be a nice distraction, but the chosen subject made sure to keep the dreary mood aloft. "Unfortunately, no," the disguised alicorn continued walking, her pink companion taking the hint and following close behind. "Nobody I've talked to is hiring part-time. I think I'm going to have to start selling things or—" The disgruntled pony suddenly found her external train of thought being suddenly cut off by her robe being tugged at. Only enough to try and get her attention, which she promptly gave as Pinkie continued to speak. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up! You're selling stuff?" Pinkie's eyes narrowed intently as she spoke, leaning in uncomfortably close and poking a hoof into Twilight's chest. At least for a moment before apparently noticing the disguised alicorn's clear distaste for the intimacy, swiftly taking several steps backward with a nervous chuckle. This only added to Twilight's growing list of behavioral oddities that the earth pony had demonstrated thus far. Twilight spent a moment or two staring down the pink earth pony, still utterly baffled by her mannerisms and actions. "... If I have to, then yes... Are you buying?" "Me? No, no, no," she shook her head with clear intent before placing a hoof to her chin in contemplation, "Well, maybe. Depends on what you're actually selling." The statement was clearly intended to provoke Twilight into elaborating further on what she was planning on parting ways with. There was no malice or fowl intent in the pink pony's tone, at least as far as Twilight could tell. She probably just wanted to know so she could take Twilight to someone who'd actually be willing to buy what she had to offer. And, to that end, the cloaked pony saw no harm in divulging that information. "Well... I probably don't need to be lugging around as many books as I do, so—" Pinkie's studious expression transformed back into a common neighborly grin. "Say no more! I might know a few someones who might be more willing to buy some stuff like that! Come on, I'll introduce you!" Twilight didn't get a chance to deflect the offer before Pinkie Pie bounced off towards whatever destination she had in mind. But without any better options in the money-making department, she had no choice but to follow behind, finding it difficult to actually keep up with the prancing pony as the two bobbed and weaved through the market place. If it weren't for the loud, cheery tune that Pinkie was humming as she went, Twilight might not have been able to keep track of her in a few instances. And while at first holding high speculation and reservation towards this scenario, the magical pony slowly began to open up to the idea. Pinkie had just practically solved her problem, or at least delivered a new avenue in which it could possibly be solved. It would be foolish to throw an opportunity like that away, especially considering the dire state of her wallet. The impromptu game of follow-the-leader became progressively easier as Twilight was lead out of the large and bustling market place and back into the town proper. Though if anything that only prompted the pink pony to pick up the pace, forcing her cloaked friend into doing the same. The hustle and bustle of Ponyville had thinned out once they cleared that particular street, but ponies of all colors still surrounded on all sides. Though Pinkie didn't look like she would be stopping any time soon, even as the two ponies began approaching the edge of town. Just where in the world was she taking Twilight? "Pinkie, slow down!" Twilight finally decided to call out, "It's hard to run with this—OOF." Her attempt was cut short by the earth pony suddenly stopping dead in her tracks, becoming practically immobile before almost being tackled by the alicorn in question. "Geeze, Twilight, I know you must be excited but you don't need to be in such a hurry!" The irony of that statement was lost on Pinkie Pie as she helped her get back on all fours. One both of them were standing unsupported again, she turned her attention to the structure that she had led Twilight too and waved a hoof in a presenting manner. "Well, here it is! Stop numero uno!" Located a short distance outside of Ponyville proper, to say this building was a "building" at all might not have been the most accurate description. It definitely had most of the qualifying features, such as a door and windows, but it had some certainly unique architecture to say the absolute least. Standing at around the height of a three-story building, based on the windows that could be seen here and there, was an oak tree. Somehow this plant was still alive if the lush green foliage lining the branches was anything to be believed. Looking towards the top of the towering tree, further glass-covered openings could be made out within the greenery above, implying that even a fourth-floor existed within the odd building. The additions and modifications to this peculiar oak looked to match the style of architecture that Twilight had noticed all throughout Ponyville, though these installations appeared to be much older. If not for the sign that read as "Golden Oak's Library" that stood guard just outside the main entrance, Twilight would have assumed that this was the home of some eccentric sorcerer, not a public library. Seeing a tree converted into a place of business like this, to most, was a little out of the ordinary. But this method of architecture wasn't actually as uncommon as one might be lead to believe. Twilight herself had actually seen quite a number of tree-made-homes and huts in the past. It was quite a common sight in Zebra territories and villages, though seeing one made with a still living tree was a bit of a curveball. "Welcome to Golden Oak's! Ponyville's best library!... and only library, but that's not the point," Pinkie strode towards the entrance with vigor in each step, pushing open the door to the tune of a small bell. "If anyone's gonna buy books, it'll be Mr. Knox! Come on, I'll introduce you!" The cloaked pony felt a smile creep over her face as she stepped into the premises. Even after everything that she has gone through, there was a certain serenity that came from locations very similar to this one. Knowledge was unmatched in value to her, so much so that she couldn't get enough of it. and books were the primary dealers of this borderline addictive relationship. If the pursuit of a higher understanding of the world was a sin, then Twilight would be content with her divine retribution. Though as she stepped under the short archway leading into the hallowed tree, a stray thought made itself known in the furthest reaches of her subconscious. "Knox" wasn't exactly a very typical name for a pony, especially this far into Equestria's heartland. But considering the fact that she was an alicorn traveling the world with a mostly-unknown subspecies of dragon, who was she to judge an abnormal name? Golden Oak's interior was exactly as one would expect of a library, with tall shelves lining just about every wall that wasn't occupied by a door or a window. Simply curved stairs lead up to the upper stories, and a cluttered desk occupied the center of the room accented by a dull metal cabinet. And much like the work station, the entire first floor of the establishment felt a bit chaotic in nature. Some books sat crookedly on the shelves, some sticking out further than their neighbors. And then there were the stacks of books piled high on the floor, or in a wheeled bin likely used for returns. It looked as if the librarian had been in the middle of reorganizing the place before mysteriously vanishing. Twilight could only pray that the books upon the shelves were at least arranged in a proper organizational system. Yet aside from herself and Pinkie, there was absolutely nobody here. A near haunting silence filled the air as Twilight looked around, not seeing any sign of life anywhere. The only light came from the windows letting in the bright afternoon sun, more than sufficient in illuminating the space, but adding further evidence to the idea that the location was empty. "Hello?" A confused Twilight asked quietly, still obeying the unspoken rule of every library abandoned or not. "Anyone here?" Pinkie chuckled as she stepped past the traveler, slowly shaking her head with closed eyes. "Always sleeping on the job," she muttered under her breath as she walked up to the abandoned desk. Twilight, in the meantime, couldn't help but watch with bated breath as the earth pony propped a hoof onto the desk. Something was about to happen, but the alicorn could only guess as to what that was. With eyes still gently closed, Pinkie's chest puffed up ever so slightly as she took in a deep breath. Then, in one single motion, her bright blue eyes shot open as her head lunged forward. "MR. KNOX! WAKE UP!!" The outcry was loud enough to shake the tree down to its very roots. Or at least that's what it felt like to Twilight, who was standing in close proximity to the screaming pony. And she was just about to scold the earth pony for her blatant disregard for the most sacred of traditions amongst book enthusiasts, but a sudden thunk emanating from underneath the desk caught her notice instead. Scrambling hooves lightly clattering against the wooden floor emanated from under the desk, as well as a few minuscule grunts of severe discomfort. "I'm up! I'm up!" The older sounding stallion stammered as he scampered out from his hiding place. "I just dropped my quill!" The gentle light of the afternoon sun bounced off of a dusty grey coat and a short cut mane and tail, both a faded blue in color. Ears with unusually fluffy tips flicked back and forth as the pony attempted to orient himself after Pinkie's wake up call, tired amber eyes scanning about the room for the source of the disturbance. Though out of all his abnormal traits, there was one in particular that caught Twilight's attention. Or rather, two in particular. Jutting out of his back, much like any pegasus, was a pair of flight-giving wings. Though unlike those of a pegasus—whose wings were typically feathery and bird-like—these wings were mostly made of dark, leathery-looking skin. And just like that, the question of the unusual name had been answered. After all, while Knox was a strange name for an Equestrian pony, it fit perfectly with those hailing from the land of the small neighboring country of Seară. A sight uncommon to most Equestrian citizens, seeing as how the small nation had become very secluded over the past few generations. Not to mention the fact that the land's primary occupants were nocturnal, meaning that interacting with those who frolicked in the sun a bit of a hassle. "Hi, Mr. Knox!" Pinkie spoke loudly—much quieter than before, but still quite loud. "Oh... is that you, Pinkie?" A sigh of relief came from the nocturnal as he rubbed a hoof against the top of his head. A grin came up over his face, showing off the four sharp fangs common to his people. "You gave me quite the scare. I thought you were the mayor for a second. What can I do for you today?" "For me? Absolutely nothing!" She stepped backward and tilted her head towards the conversation's silent observer. "But my new friend Twilight has some books she'd like to sell to you!" Knox's ears perked up as he turned his amber gaze towards the cloaked pony. "Oh, sorry about that, young mare. I didn't see you there," the stallion went over to his desk and began feeling around the desk with his dexterous wings. After a few moments, a pair of glasses had been seized by the appendages and deposited before his eyes, the grey pony blinking several times as the world came back into focus. "Knox Onwud, but everyone just calls me Knox... or 'Mr. Knox,' in Pinkie's case. A pleasure to meet you." "Likewise," a dumbfounded Twilight responded slowly. She wasn't staring at the nocturnal pony by any means, but she was surprised to see someone like him in this part of the country. Despite her many travels and experiences, it seems fate always had a way of catching her off guard. Knox shuttered at the silence that followed Twilight's reply, his wings nervously adjusting themselves. "Ah. To answer your question, yes, I am a ba—" "Sarosian, right?" The alicorn quickly interrupted, "Sorry if I stared, it's been a while. Caught me off guard is all." A visible and utter shock came over both Pinkie and Knox as they took in Twilight's words. "That's... a pleasant surprise," Knox spoke with a very slight chuckle, "Most tend to just call us 'Bat Ponies.' Not inaccurate, given our nature," a wing was flared out in time with his words, "But still, quite interesting." "Where'd ya learn that?" Pinkie asked with vigor, "Most ponies I know didn't even know 'sarosian' was a word 'till I told 'em!" Embarrassed, Twilight scratched at the back of her head. "Well, when you spend a summer in Seară, you pick up on the customs." A cocky smirk came over the librarian's face. "Chiar așa?" And Twilight was quick to match it with a confident grin of her own. "Asa este!" An almost childlike chuckle came out of the nocturnal pony as his newest guest replied in his native tongue, his fancy tickled as he began to mindlessly organize his desk as the conversation continued along. "So, back on topic, what's this about selling books?" The magical pony went on to explain just what had brought her here. No necessary detail was spared as Twilight elaborated on her dire need of finances for the journey ahead. All the while, Mr. Knox continued his work in bringing order back to the currently disorderly library. The earth pony even managed to convince her newest comrade to lend a hoof to the older stallion with his duties, if only to further Twilight's goal of putting some money in her hungry wallet. And as Twilight described her financial circumstances, Pinkie Pie occasionally blurted in with innocent enough questions. A bit off-topic, but not so intrusive as to dissuade the alicorn from answering. If anything, she made the calculated assumption that telling a few very abridged stories could be in her benefit in this situation. Though she consciously chose to avoid or ignore any questions regarding the past forty-eight hours, for reasons obvious to her and the long dragon currently lounging back in the hotel room. In no time at all, the first floor of Golden Oak's had been restored to a state much more befitting for a library, and Twilight was finally allowed to conclude her spiel. While listening to the conclusion of the traveler's tale, the sarosian mindlessly scratched at his chin with a wing. "Hmm... interesting tale, Miss Sparkle," he placed the final book back in its proper place. And with that, Golden Oak's had been returned to its former glory. With that, his attention turned back to his two guests. "Well, you're in luck, young mare. Got a letter from City Hall just the other day, wanted me to get some new books in here. And if you're selling, that'll save me a bit of hassle in the long run." A weight was lifted off of Twilight's shoulders at that moment, so much so that she almost floated away from the raw sense of elation now coursing through her veins. After everything that had happened in the past few days, it seems that fate had finally decided to throw her a bone. She had a hard time containing this newfound sense of glee, magically removing the saddlebags from her person and gently placing them on the floor. Then with the clicks of the latches, the cloaked pony began sorting through her belongings. Almost chuckling as she began to build up a pile of books she was willing to part with. --- — --- Both Pinkie Pie and Knox Onwud watched with wide eyes and bated breath as the purple pony continued to sort through her books. Neither one of them could currently describe just what they were witnessing. Twilight had amassed a decently sized pile of books to sell, which was what had been expected of her to do. The size of this pile, however? Very unexpected. The two non-magical ponies were far from unintelligent, but even they could tell that something wasn't quite right with this scenario. While not overly huge, the stack of tomes seemed to have more books than both of those bags could hold. And even still, she was still adding more books to the collection. At least fifteen books that were pulled from the bags were now sitting in a neatly stacked pile next to her. All the while, the cloaked pony was muttering to herself, judging the value of each book. Pinkie slowly leaned over to the elder stallion, never taking her eyes off of Twilight. "How long has she been at this?" She spoke in a hushed tone befitting of their environment. "About fifteen minutes," Knox whispered back, equally fascinated by the mumbling pony. "Where are all these books coming from?" An ear was turned toward her two witnesses, and a lavender hoof lightly tapped against her glowing horn. "Magic. The bags are larger on the inside then they are on the out. It's a simple spell... relatively speaking." Her tone was dry and blunt, still clearly focused on her current task. "I think I still have the book with that spell in it if you're interested." The fascination was made clear on the librarian's face, his ears perking noticeably. "Oh, that would be sublime," he swiftly trotted on over to Twilight and peered over her shoulder into the larger-than-anticipated bag. "I'd be willing to take any spellbooks you're willing to part with... plenty of young unicorns in this town who want to learn." The academic mindlessly nodded as she continued to sort through her books. It took some time, but after a while, she had finally decided on which books she was willing to sell-off. Twenty four in total, slightly more than half of the ones in her possession. She was unwilling to depart with all of her tomes of knowledge, but she had plenty that she could do without. Knox's seeming interest in spellbooks was also fortunate for her, seeing as how that was the subject of many of her writings. And with the stack completed, her saddlebags were returned to her back, and the bartering process had begun. But before any sales were made or prices were agreed upon, a question popped into Twilight's head that she just had to ask. "Hey, just out of curiosity, would you happen to have a book on pegasi?... I've been curious about how they work."