Return of the Ancient Mage

by Zoshe


Chapter 3: Archive

Twilight rushed up to the edge of the hole, Spike close on her heels after they watched Random fall down into the darkness. "Are you ok?!" She shouted down into the hole. With no answer forthcoming, she started to worry. He could be hurt or worse. She started to descend the stairs set into the wall, her horn aglow to light the dark path.

"This is kinda spooky, Twilight." Spike said with a shiver to his voice as he followed behind her. "I mean, who even knew this was down here," he quickly moved closer to her.

"Oh Spike," Twilight said as she rolled her eyes. "I'm sure it's fine. Don't be such a scaredy dragon."

Spike puffed out his chest indignantly as he marched past her, taking the lead, "I am not a scaredy dragon. Stay behind me Twilight, I'll protect you."

They made several revolutions around the room as they descended, all the while Twilight being protected by the big, strong, and definitely not scared dragon. Eventually the stairs opened up to an empty floor. Twilight looked to the center of the room, half expecting to see some sign of Random there. All she found was a large dent in the stone floor. How hard did he have to land to make a dent like that? Or has that always been there?

"Twi... Twilight," called Spike from the other side a doorway that lead out of the stairwell. "I think you should see this."

"What is it Spike?" Asked Twilight as she passed through the doorway. "What did you...?" Her voice got caught in her throat as she stood next to Spike and saw what he was looking at.

They stood on a ledge overlooking a large open cavern that stretched out as far as the eye could see, but the space was not empty. Hundreds upon hundreds of shelves stretched through the space and across the walls filled with thousands upon thousands of books. Every so often the shelves made way for some tables and plush looking chairs that a pony could sit and read for hours without getting sore. Her eyes looked up the walls and she spotted some high walkways going past even more shelves with reading alcoves high in the walls. Reading area's for pegasi, maybe? She even spotted a small fountain and garden off in a far corner. This place was any avid bookworm's dream.

The room was silent except for the sound of shouting that they could hear coming from down another set of stairs set into the ledge they were standing on. The shouting continued to get louder as they made their way further down the stairs. As they reached the bottom, Twilight still struggled to take her eyes off the towering shelves of books that appeared to be even more imposing from this level.

"You stupid stallion! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!" The sound of a high pitched voice could be heard coming from a room within the stone wall. "I ought to put you six feet under!"

"But we're already more than six feet under," came a retort, sounding like it came from the stallion that Twilight had just met.

Twilight and Spike poked their heads into what appeared to be an study of some kind just in time to hear, "Don't get smart with me!" Coming from a little pink light that seemed to be taking some measure of satisfaction from repeatedly pummeling the stallion who was keeping his head low and shielding his ears with his hooves.

"Um...hello?" Twilight said hesitantly as she walked in the room.

Almost instantly the pink light stopped its assault and the intensity of its glow began to dim, revealing a small yellow form with a flowing pink mane. The tea cup sized creature sort of resembled a miniature Fluttershy if it weren't for the long slender wings protruding from its back. Slowly it turned in the air to face the two intruders as it cracked a small smile. "Hi..." It said hesitantly, waving a small hoof at them.

"Holy guacamole, Twilight!" Proclaimed Spike pointing a claw at the small creature. "Is that a fairy?!"

"Yes Spike," responded the fairy snidely while taking on a more formal tone. "I am indeed a fairy. My name's Whisper."

Twilight had stars in her eyes and a manic gleam wash across her face as she watched the little fairy flit about. "I have so many..."

"No, Twilight," Whisper said, cutting her off. "I'm no answering any questions until..." she landed hard on Random head, causing him to flinch. "I get some answers of my own. Feel free to peruse the archives while I have a private word with this insolent stallion," she said as she grinded a hoof into his skull, making him wince.

Twilight, quickly realizing she was interrupting something personal, squeaked out a quick, "sorry," before scrambling for the door and leaving the room.


"You didn't have to be so mean to her...ow!" Random flinched as the fairy on his head began to pull on his ear.

"Don't change the subject!" Whisper scolded him. "Where in the blasted abyss have you been?! And what did you do to your coat?!" She snapped, gesturing to all of him.

"You like it?" He stood up tall and struck a pose. "Figured I'd need a disguise if I want to keep certain ponies from recognizing me."

Whisper flitted off his head and hovered in front of him, "I doubt it. I think there's at least two other ponies in town who've got names sound like yours and unless you start casting extra flashy spells, I don't think anypony will notice or care."

"Regardless," said Random. "I think I'll still keep it up on the off chance I run into a certain pair of sisters."

"I don't think you have too much to worry about on that front," Whisper dismissed. "They hardly ever leave Canterlot."

"Even so," Random continued. "I really don't want to take the chance that they find out I'm still alive. At least not yet."

"Meh," Whisper said as she threw up her hooves. "Suit yourself," she said. "However..." She flew in close to him and placed a tiny hoof on his nose, her expression growing a bit softer, "let me see your real face for a moment."

"It would kind of defeat the point of a disguise if I took it off all the time," he said while glancing out the door.

"Don't worry bout Twilight," said Whisper. "She at least a dozen rows away and found something interesting to settle into. I've been watched her for years. She'll be a couple hours at least." Whisper looked deep into his eyes, her own seeming on the verge of tears, "...please, just for a moment."

Random softened his gaze, "all right, Whisper. Just for you." He closed his eyes while a green glow wrapped around his horn. The magic from his horn washed over his whole body and began to ripple in the dim light. The ripple began to fog and haze until his body looked like you were looking through thick smoke in order to see it.

Gradually the fog began to clear, causing his grey coat to make way for a muted gold color as his mane changed from green to a rich brown. His eyes stayed the same, but he now wore a green travel cloak across his back, obscuring his cutiemark.

Whisper flew in closer and nuzzled into his neck once the spell wore off, tears pouring down her face. "You had me so worried," she cried. "When I heard the Crystal Empire had returned and that it was under attack by Sombra," her tears continued to flow. "I thought something had happened to you."

The golden unicorn leaned his head to the side and nuzzled the top of her head, "I'm sorry to have worried you." His compassionate voice was slightly deeper and richer than it was before he took his disguise off. "He caught me off guard and I wasn't able to completely contain him. He must've been biding his time until he sensed the return of the empire. Not that much of him managed to escape, but I do wonder what happened to that small portion."

Whisper unlatched herself from his neck and began to hover in the air again, "those two that were just in here," She said through a crack in her voice. "Managed to retrieve the crystal heart and with the help of alicorn 'princess of love' Cadenza," she said with eye rolls. "Blew him up into a million pieces!" She said with emphasis, throwing her hooves out to exaggerate an explosion.

The cloaked figure breathed a sigh of relief, "I was really worried about the damage he was going to cause. I was in no condition to chase it... Wait... What?!" he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Another alicorn?! How many of them are running around right now?"

"Oh!" Whisper exclaimed with a hint of embarrassment. "I guess you wouldn't know since you haven't been home in so long. There's currently only four known alicorns in Equestria. You already know the princesses of the sun and moon, there's the one I just mentioned ruling the Crystal Empire to the north," she then waved off in the direction of the archive, "and the princess of books out there just became one last week."

"Well," he started, somewhat flabbergasted as his disguise shimmered back into place. "Is there anything else I've missed?"


Twilight was having the time of her life as she looked through the wide selection of books. She had started off just intending to make a quick look around the whole place; but when she found a whole section dedicated to Isaac Neighton's theoretical and practical applications of the arcane, not just a few books, but a whole section. She just couldn't resist picking out a few choice volumes and finding a place to relax for a bit.

She spent at least an hour curled up with several of the thicker tomes. At some point, Spike had wandered off on his own and returned with a stack of vintage comic books. His eyes lit up in excitement at his recently acquired treasure as he sat down and began to excitedly flip through the pages.

After a while longer, her thoughts drifted back to the fairy that Random was talking to. Fairies were elusive creatures at the best of times, their existence usually being within the realms of myth and fantasy. She was still hoping the small creature would be willing to share something about herself once she finished with her private conversation.

Twilight rubbed at the bridge of her nose, her eyes straining from the lighting down here since she normally read by sunlight. She finally stood up and stretched her limbs. Spike looked up from his comic book as he heard her move, "everything alright, Twilight?"

"Yeah..." Twilight said as she stretched her back, her wings to making small, involuntary flaps. "Think it's safe to check on them?" She looked over in the direction of the study.

Spike stood back up and carefully placed his treasure back on the stack, "I haven't heard any shouting in a while. Maybe it's ok?."

They made their way back through the aisles of books, Twilight still feeling awed by the massive selection available down here, she wasn't even sure the Royal Library of Canterlot boasted a selection this large. As they returned to the study, the silence was broken by the sound of rolling laughter.

"BWHA! You're kidding me!" Came a voice from inside the room. "A changeling queen really attempted a hostile takeover?!"

"That's what I said," came the small voice in return. "She was even disguised as the princess getting married."

Twilight hurried the last couple steps, once she realized what they were talking about. As she came into view of the two creatures, she found Random sitting inside the room on a sofa with a foreleg wrapped around his gut and and tears streaming down his face, a look of unbridled mirth painted his features.

"Please tell me she didn't succeed in fooling everypony," Random desperately asked Whisper. "That would just be embarrassing."

Twilight felt her mood darken as she stood there in the doorway.

"Uh... Random?" Whisper said nervously, having noticed Twilight enter the room.

"What? You gonna tell me she fooled the groom next?" Random quipped.

Twilight gave an angry snort from the doorway, drawing the stallion's attention. "That 'groom' is my brother. And for your information," she continued, annoyed. "He's still a bit uneasy about getting brainwashed."

Random got up from his seat and started to make his way toward the door, "well you'll have to forgive me. The whole situation seems a bit absurd to me."

Twilight watched him in dismay as he left the room, "Hey!" She shouted after him, "I'm not finished with you yet! Where are you going?!"

"To find some food!" He shouted back. "I'm hungry."

Twilight looked to the fairy floating beside her, "is he always like this?"

"Not always," Whisper mused. "I've known him a while and it takes quite a bit to make him laugh like that. He must've found it really funny."

Twilight pouted as she chased after the infuriating unicorn, Spike close on her heels. They began to climb the spiral stairs back to the main floor of the library when she took notice of his scroll shaped cutiemark. Probably has some sort bookkeeping talent or something similar.

"So Random?" She asked quietly.

He looked over his shoulder without breaking stride, "what is it, Twilight?"

Twilight swallowed hard, "you really hadn't heard about the wedding before?"

Random looked back up the stairs, "I've been traveling outside of Equestria for a while now. So I'm sorry to say that I've missed anything that's happened over the last couple years."

Twilight was a bit shocked by this revelation, "really?" She asked. "So what about the longest night?" She had to stop herself from planting her nose in his backside when he suddenly stopped right in front of her.

He was quiet for a moment before speaking, "it would've been hard not to notice the mare in the moon disappearing. Tell me," he said quietly. "How is Princess Luna?"

"She's... adjusting," Twilight said. "It's not easy having been away from Equestria for a thousand years only to come back to everything being so different."

"I can only imagine," Random said solemnly as he resumed climbing the stairs.

They made their way back onto the main floor only to find it pitch black inside. "Strange," reflected Random, confused. "I didn't think it was already this late."

Spike looked around warily, "I'm getting some serious Deja vu, Twilight."

"Same," said Twilight with a smile. "Say, Random. You didn't by any chance run into Pinkie Pie on the way here, did you?"

Random looked at her curiously, "only other pony I ran into was this farmer named Applejack. Although, there was this bouncy pink pony that bolted away like lightning when I bumped into her. Why do you ask?"

"Oh," Twilight said with a menacing grin. "No reason."

As if on que, the lights suddenly came on followed by a shout of, "SURPRISE!" By all the ponies in the room.

A green flash of magic found Random vanishing from next to Twilight, only to reappear on the top of one of the shelves a moment later, a hoof pressed against his chest as he breathed heavily.

"O wow!" Exclaimed the pink pony as she hopped in a small circle. "I haven't never seen anypony so excited by a surprise party like that in a super duper long time!"

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!" Shouted Random from his perch.

"Oh silly," said Pinkie with a dismissive wave of her hoof, "that wouldn't be very fun at all."

"Pinkie Pie does this for all the new ponies in town!" Twilight shouted up to the startled unicorn.

Random took a moment to slow his breath and take a closer look at the changes around the library. There was cake and punch and other assorted party favors strewn across the room, as well as a large banner that read 'Welcome to Ponyville'. Carefully, he climbed down from the shelves and approached the pink power of positively that permeated the party's presence. "You gave me quite a fright."

"Sorry..." said Pinkie, wincing back for only a moment before rebounding with even more energy than before. "Anyway, let me introduce you to everypony!" She proceeded to drag him around the room, stopping every so often to introduce a new pony. "This is Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Derpy Hooves, Time Turner, Cloud Kicker, Blossomforth..." Pinkie continued to introduce the ponies without seeming to stop for a breath, "seems like you already know Twilight Sparkle, our local princess."

"Pinkie!!" Exclaimed Twilight, red with embarrassment.

"And I'm Pinkie Pie!" Proclaimed the pink pony. "Now you won't feel lonely. Look at all these new friends you have!" And then she got distracted. "Ooo, I haven't seen that door in here before. I wonder what's down there?" She then rocketed down the stairs they had just climbed only to come back up them about ten seconds later holding a white and red checkered book. "A new recipe for triple fudge strawberry delight! I'm gonna have to try this later," she said before the book disappeared into her mane.

Random found himself holding his head as he looked to Twilight, "is it wrong I'm getting a headache? Is she always like this?"

Twilight gave a lighthearted giggle, "she's just being Pinkie Pie. You'll get used to it."

"Well, I will say this," the stallion said while looking in the direction of the cake. "That cake does looks delicious." He trotted over and found himself a slice of cake. A couple of mares started to gather round him as he did so.

"So Twilight," said Rainbow Dash as she and Applejack walked up to her. "So where'd you dig him up from?"

"He just showed up at my door." Said Twilight. "I've never seen him before."

"Riiight," Applejack said skeptically with a raised eyebrow. "Ah thought ya weren't gonna start dating until ya got used to bein a princess."

Twilight felt herself become flush with her friend's prodding, "it's not like that!" She pushed her friend away only to be met with laughs from both her friends. "From what I can tell he used to live here," she looked to the large door that lead down into the treasure trove of books, her friends following her gaze. "That showed up the same time he did. The fairy that lives down there seems to be very familiar with him."

Applejack had a concerned look on her face while she seemed to be thinking about something, "well...Ah don't know nuthin bout no fairies. But Ah do know that no ponies lived in this here library before ya Twi. At least, not as long as Ah've been alive. A couple of folk tried moving in once or twice, only to leave town days later screaming about voices. Least that's what granny told me whenever Ah asked her."

"So... Should I be worried?" Asked Twilight with concern.

"Maybe..." said Applejack. "If he had just showed up making wild claims, Ah would've just bunched him up with a couple of them Canterlot folk that were tryin to get with ya back like they were doin back in the city. But," she looked to the open door that led down into the darkness. "Ah don't rightly know what to tell ya if other stuff be happenin as well. Just be careful, Twi."

"Yeah," proclaimed Rainbow Dash as she puffed her chest out. "And if he tries anything funny, you be sure to let us know." She stood up on her hind legs and gave a few experimental punches with her forehooves. "Cause nopony's gonna mess with our friends if I got somthing to say about it."

Everyone was too busy socializing to notice the small yellow form zip across the room and make her way up to the table of refreshments. After Whisper swiped a small chunk of cake for herself, she sprinkled some kind of dusty powder into the punch, a mischievous grin painting her face before disappearing with her prize.