//------------------------------// // Library Lurking II // Story: Starlight Glimmer Makes Many Mistakes // by MagicS //------------------------------// Thankfully there were torches lining the walls of the corridor and Starlight easily zapped them all alight as she and Spike walked to the restricted section of the library. The only sounds they heard being the clacking of Starlight’s hooves and Spike’s claws on the floor while the flames of the torches softly fluttered. Outside it would have still been the dead of night but in only a few more hours ponies would start waking up and getting ready for work. Before that the two of them would need to search through and read as much as they could. “How much further do you think this hidden passage goes?” Spike asked Starlight. “I dunno, how big is the restricted section?” Spike shrugged. Starlight sighed. “Yeah, we probably should have prepared better.” Their journey to the restricted section lasted a bit longer before they finally made it to a large set of impressive looking double doors. Starlight grasped the golden rings with her magic and pushed the door open. What they ended up walking into looked like less of a library and more like some old warlock or ruler’s personal treasure vault. The walls were nothing more than the natural rock of the ground, covered in moss in some places and holes in others that made recesses for bookshelves to be put up in. Stalactites hung from the ceiling over the cold stone floor and a single fireplace, that for some reason was already lit, stood at the back of the room. There were other things like boxes, chests, and glass containers full of who knows what all over the walls too. “You know I expected more books.” Spike said as he walked into the restricted section, hands on his hips. There was only one table in the whole place for them to sit at too but that wasn’t so bad since it was only the two of them down here anyways. Spike walked into the center of the chamber while Starlight walked up along the raised balcony that ringed the whole restricted section, giving it something of a second floor. “It really seems like there’s all kinds of stuff in here.” Starlight absently said as she looked from shelf to shelf, box to box. It also wasn’t very well organized, there were no signs or dividers to tell her what books were where. Considering what this place was though she had to imagine that most everything in here dealt with powerful magic or important historical memoirs like the one Twilight had told her about concerning Clover the Clever. “Guess we just have to get started?” Spike asked up at her. “Yeah. You look through everything on the first level and I’ll handle the stuff up here.” Starlight told him. “This is probably gonna take a while.” “If we find anything at all.” Spike cynically remarked. “Now, now, Spike. No need to get like that. We can both complain later today after we don’t find anything.” “But then I’ll be passed out in my chair.” Starlight and Spike both started to search seriously now. The both of them ignoring the artifacts and everything that wasn’t a book as they looked for anything that might mention time-travel. Whether it was something written by Starswirl, a contemporary, or somepony else, their goal now was to figure out if there was anything in the restricted section that could help them. If Starlight was being honest with herself she had cynical thoughts about their chances of success even more than Spike probably did. But that kind of negative thinking wouldn’t lead anywhere, you might as well try first. As Starlight grabbed her first book she immediately frowned at the cover. “I can’t even read this.” She sighed. “Where’s Sunburst or Twilight when I need them?” “Same problem down here!” Spike called our right from right below her. “What language is this anyways?” He said as he held open a book whose pages looked like they were covered in squiggly lines. “Ughhh!” Starlight complained. “As if there weren’t enough problems and setbacks to begin with we aren’t even going to be able to read all of these?” “Guess not.” Spike shrugged. Starlight chewed on her lip as she stared at the book she was holding. “Well maybe I can take these back with us...” “This is already a bad enough idea and I don’t think having stolen property in our room, stolen forbidden property for that matter, is a good idea.” Spike shot her down before she could even finish. “Okay, fair point.” Starlight rolled her eyes. “It’s probably just junk to us anyways.” Several hours were spent with them pouring over old tomes, ending up with them finding out more about ancient Equestria than they ever cared to know, but not coming up with anything relating to their time-travel mishap. It really seemed to be the rarest of subjects. “Will Twilight be happy I just read up on how Equestria’s first tax code was made or jealous?” Starlight asked Spike. “Jealous.” Spike put a book he was holding back in its place. “Somehow I think you’re still luckier than me, that was a book full of poetry written by Luna.” Starlight shuddered. “I can only imagine.” The unicorn perused the books in front of her once more before pulling one out at random and reading the cover. “Canterlot Cantabiles. Whatever that means.” She tossed it over her shoulder. If it was a different situation they probably would’ve found plenty of interesting things to read. As it was they just grew more and more frustrated. Starlight increasingly just dropped books on the floor after glancing over them instead of bothering to put them back where they belonged, leaving a trail of old one-of-a-kind books along the second floor. Spike was equally as frustrated but was still much more careful with the books, just sighing dejectedly as he kept finding more and more that he couldn’t even read. “I made a spell for copying books so maybe I can make a spell for instantly reading them?” Starlight wondered out loud to herself. “You know I think Twilight once thought of doing something like that but reconsidered, said it took all the fun out of reading.” Spike said. “Sounds like her.” Starlight couldn’t help but giggle at thinking of Twilight going through that whole thought process. With another hour passing by Starlight had made a full rotation around the second floor of the restricted section and Spike had just about finished up down below too. They had not been particularly fortunate. But on the bright side of things if Twilight ever asked Starlight to recite Equestrian tax history she’d be prepared. Sighing as she got to a bookcase holding a bunch of flasks fulls of some viscous liquid Starlight was about at her wit’s end. “Well Spike, I don’t know about you but I’m ready to give up here.” She called out. “If the restricted section was bigger maybe I’d have some hope that we’re just looking in the wrong place but there’s nothing else here.” She was going to jokingly mention that she felt like torching the place but considering certain past events figured Spike probably wouldn’t find the humor in such a joke. Spike also sighed, putting a book titled “How to Deal With Harlequins” back onto its shelf he sat down on the ground. “I get what you mean. And after looking through here I’m beginning to think that there just isn’t going to be an answer to how you made us travel through time like this.” Starlight turned around and looked over the railing, raising an eyebrow at her dragon friend. “What do you mean?” “I mean that you probably did that all on your own. You already were able to use Starswirl’s spell for something it was never intended for back when you tried to stop the Sonic Rainboom. Whatever time magic you used on the Cutie Map this time was probably you just doing something like that again. I doubt anypony in history has traveled through time like this or even come up with time magic remotely close.” Spike finished, spreading out his arms in emphasis. “I think even Twilight would say this but you’re just too good when it comes to time-travel magic, Starlight.” The lilac unicorn frowned and stepped down from the second floor to join Spike. “You know you’re probably right. After seeing that there wasn’t anything in the Starswirl the Bearded wing that was any use I should’ve known that even the restricted section here wouldn’t have anything for us.” She sat down next to him. “Guess I just wanted to try.” “And have fun?” “And have fun.” They looked at each for a second before breaking out in laughter. The both of them falling onto their backs and letting the moment of levity overtake them. While still laughing Spike saw out of the corner of his eye the messy trail Starlight had left all over the second floor. Slowing down his chuckling he got enough sense in him to ask Starlight a question. “Hey Starlight? What time is it?” Spike sat himself back up, scratching his head. “Hm? I dunno, why?” Starlight stopped laughing to also prop herself up. “Well I’m just thinking. We broke in like right around midnight, right?” “Yeah, just about.” Starlight nodded. “Okay so considering all the time we spent in here how are we going to clean up the restricted section and the rest of the library and make it look like nopony broke in all before anypony else arrives here this morning?” Spike asked. Starlight stared at him for a long few seconds. “That’s an excellent question, Spike.” Now leaving the rest of the library in the state it was may not have been so bad but if the restricted section was a complete mess that had obviously been entered without permission Starlight and Spike had to figure that Celestia would know it was them who did it. So after a frantic bit of cleaning up the restricted section and Starlight trying to remember where every book she lazily threw around needed to go the two of them ran back up the stone hallway to close off the entrance again and make it look like nopony had ever touched it. “Are you tired, Spike? Cause I’m a little tired.” Starlight whispered to Spike as they hid under a desk while the librarian walked past them, none the wiser to the two hiding ponies. “Well we’ve been up all night so that’s only a little natural.” Spike replied. “That’s true. And considering we just spent another stressful day not accomplishing anything I think the whole rest of this day should be spent resting and lazing around our room doing nothing. What do you say?” “Starlight, that is literally the best idea you’ve had in weeks.” She playfully elbowed him, the two trading smiles. “Alright, since that’s the plan how about we stop by a hobby shop on the way back to the castle and I can pick up what we need to make that dragon kite you wanted too? We can go fly it tomorrow.” “Awesome!” Spike almost forgot to whisper. “Let’s make you an Alicorn kite too or something.” Starlight giggled. “Sure. Normally I prefer classic kite designs but I’ll make an exception for now.” The hoofsteps of the librarian got quieter and quieter until they could no longer be heard, luckily it seemed that Starlight and Spike had done a good enough job of making things seem normal in the library so far. But they didn’t want to take the risk and stick around in case things weren’t perfect. “Guess we can head out now?” Starlight said. “We’re gonna look a little weird in these outfits you know.” Spike pointedly tugged on the black suit. “Wouldn’t be the first time we’ve dealt with strange looks.” Starlight looked over the suit she was wearing and then thought for a second. “But I suppose if I can first teleport us into an empty alley that’d probably be for the best.” Peeking out from under the desk to make sure neither the librarian nor anypony else was there Starlight made as quiet of a teleport as possible, taking her and Spike out of the fortune-less library.