//------------------------------//
// 13 - Back Stories 
// Story: Ponyfinder: Potions and Swords 
// by David Silver 
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Zecora inclined her head, but there was little surprise in her eyes. "What is the focus of your stories? Happy, sad, teaching, or into one of many other categories?"

"That's a good question." Sues was writing faithfully as they spoke.

"Overall, happy and teaching." Jon rocked on his feet a little, considering. "They were... made? for younger people, so easily digested educational snippets and morality lessons."

Zecora allowed a little smile. "Then it likely did not tell the whole story. The truth of Equestria has moments both grand and gory." She turned a hoof on herself. "What do you know of me then? Have I measured up to my doppelganger written with a quill pen?" Her eyes darted to Sues.

Jon wobbled a hand. "To be honest, I don't actually know that much about you. You showed up in town, scared a few ponies, they got over it, and you became a friend, but lived out in the forest, dispensing bits of timely advice at times."

Zecora nodded as if satisfied.

Longma pointed a hoof at the book Sues had found. "When do you get to that part? Zecora isn't the mystery. Well maybe she is a bit, but I want to know about that. You know I want to know about that. Are you teasing me intentionally?" She huffed, sparkles drifting from her snout. "Bold decision."

Sues paused in his writing. "Adagio you said? One g or two?"

"One?" Jon chuckled, a relieving of pressure. "Guys, this is hard to explain. But I know Adagio, the siren."

Sues set his quill aside to pull the book over. "Unaging, undying, so far." He tapped at the book. "Servant of her majesty. Even when she fled the capital, Adagio remained in her service." He tapped again, a bit faster. "The original author doesn't provide much more, except to note she's quite good at mind magics. Sounds dangerous, if you don't mind my saying. And if you do, sorry, but already said it." He set the book back on the counter and grabbed his quill to resume taking notes.

"That first bit checks out." Jon looked thoughtful. "Always did wonder how they got banished ages ago and were still in high school." Not that anyone there knew what a high school was. "Tail end of primary school?"

Longma suddenly smiled. "How decadent. Your people were rich enough to have a formal educational system? Was it compulsory? Did you hate it? Oh, silly short lived races." She settled down, looking smugger than usual.

Jon was quiet a moment. "Maybe a little? Nobody likes school."

"Beg to differ." Suess looked up at Jon around his quill. "My parents saved up a lot of money to get me into the school I wanted to go to and I am very thankful to them. I learned so much!" He was still scribbling. "But I am learning a lot today too, for free. How's that for lucky? Luminace says chances for insight surround us, and she is not wrong, glè mhath."

Jon let out a breath. "Alright, so, let's assume we find Adagio. How does that help exactly?"

Zecora nodded in silent agreement, looking between the others.

Aeorean spread his wings as he reared up, clopping his hooves. "Maybe,  if she was so valuable to her majesty, she was given a way home. Oooo." He fell back to all four, wings folding tight. "Maybe that's why she's trusted. She could go home, but hasn't yet. Wait, problem, big problem." He threw a hoof wide. "Is she even from Zecora's world?"

"Yes." Jon nodded along with the word. "The sirens were from Equestria, before being banished to a human world. How they ended up here, I don't know, but they're from Equestria."

Zecora rose to her hooves. "Thank you, new friend." She dipped her head towards Sues. "We have a clue where our quest might end."

"Don't go! Not yet." Sues quickly set his own notes aside and grabbed for the book. "Wait a moment." And off he hurried, book in mouth.

Longma circled Jon, looking at him. "You are a curious thing, for a human. You speak from a position of authority, on both our worlds." She turned a hoof on herself. "Well, go on. Tell me what grand tales are spread of me. Are they fearsome? Ones of awe, perhaps? Quiet whispered warnings? Tell me."

But Jon had not read of Ponyfinder, just played some D&D. "Uh... I've heard of dragons that can shapeshift. Usually into humans."

Longma rolled her eyes. "Ugh, so close minded. Not everything is about yourself, human. There are things besides humans out there. Besides, becoming a human in the middle of the pony empire is not really fitting in, now is it?"

Jon gestured at the walking form of another human passing by. "There seem to be some in the city, not as many as ponies, but not none either."

Longma frowned. "I'm glad you're happy about that. You're still the minority, get used to it." She smiled suddenly, her teeth just a little too sharp. "If it makes you feel better, we dragons are always in the minority. There are fewer of us... and yet, our weight on the scales more than makes up for it."

Jon imagined a great set of scales, a dragon perched smugly on one side, an entire arena of people  piled high on the other, looking nervously over at the dragon that could probably ruin all their days without too much effort. "Good thing you're a nice and generous dragon."

"Don't you forget it." The smug satisfaction on her face only grew. "Now as soon as Sues gets back, we leave, and it's my turn!"

Speaking of him, the stallion was returning. Sues was carrying a book of equal size, but it was closed, and new? He set it down near them. "Here you are. Gangi þér vel." He dipped his head towards them all. "Best of luck," he repeated in a tongue they'd actually know. "I imagine you're in for a challenge, but you have friendship on your side. Luminace be praised, and smile over you. Keep a book close at hoof. Oh, wait, that's being literal." He nudged the book closer.

Aeorean lifted and darted forward, grabbing the book in his mouth only to twist and send it twirling towards Jon. Jon yelped in surprise, but grabbed the tome before it could make it past him. "A bit of warning!" Still, since he had the book... He flipped it open to see there was a bookmark. Flipping towards it, he found the article on Adagio was there. "Thank you, Sues. That was very nice of you. Did you have a second copy?"

"A little magic." Sues clopped with a smile. "I asked a cleric for a bit of assistance. Oh... I didn't ask you ahead of time... But if you could cover the ten gold? If copying books were free, we'd do it a lot more often! The gods have demands, and a book certainly is worth it."

Jon folded the book shut. "Damn material components."

Sues perked at that. "Oh, you know about that? I didn't want to confuse you all with technical terms, but, yes, those. The spell's already cast... so if you don't have it, that's my mistake, but if you could...?"

Jon looked towards Aeorean. "How much is my share at this point?"

Aeorean sat to bring up his hooves dangerously close. "Getting smaller by the moment." He pulled out an abacus and began sliding the beads left and right with a thoughtful hum of thought. "I'm exaggerating a little... Your share is still a hundred gold pieces." He tucked the abacus away. "With a little rounding."

Sues perked. "Oh! Already successful adventurers? This isn't even that big of a deal then." He clopped his hooves before extending one out towards Jon.

Jon reached a hand instead towards Aeorean, waiting to be fed the money. "By the way, is it impolite to note that you are cute."

Sues colored suddenly. "Oh dear. I'm flattered, but I must confess I prefer the company of mares, um, when... I'm even looking. I get a bit lost in books at times. Rușinea mamei, this is my calling." He spread his hooves over the library. "Still, um, thank you."

Zecora smirked at the exchange. "I have a feeling love is not the goal. On his world, things with fur have a specific role. To pet and stroke, like a fond pet. He means well and is not a threat."

Longma burst into laughter. "You can pet me. Go on."

Jon accepted the one coin Aeorean passed his way. It was a bit larger and silver? Oh, platinum! Right. He gave it over to Sues. "Zecora isn't wrong, but I am sorry if that offended."

Sues accepted the coin with a smile. "Thank you, and she seems up for it." He inclined his head towards Longma. "But she is also a dragon, so if you start that, you better do it right, or she may remove your  hand."

Longma hiked a brow. "You knew?"

"This is a library." His hooves spread once more to encompass it all. "We're quiet, and you aren't. Not that there's anything wrong with a friendly dragon. Ponies and dragons have long been friends at times. I wish you all the very best. Berjalan dalam cahaya."

Aeorean dipped his head at Sues. "Walk in the light." He turned to the others. "We got a clue. Let's go!"

Longma rubbed against Jon's side. "Yes, let's go. Put those hands of yours to work."

Well, if he was allowed... Even if that pony was also a dragon. He set a hand on her back as they walked, his fingers digging through her fur to scratch lightly at the skin beneath, causing it to quiver and twitch lightly. "Lower," she growled. "Yes, lovely."

Aeorean blushed faintly. "You don't seem to know, so I'll, uh, tell you. Scratching someone like that is a thing only very close people do. You don't let random people scratch your back, do you? Oh, is that a human thing?"

Jon snorted the very idea of it. "If some random person wandered up and touched my back, I'd be upset at that."

Longma lifted an ear. "And yet you want to do it? Hypocritical much? Whatever, keep... going, you're right on the, mmm." Her right hind leg began to kick as she walked on the other three. "Mmmm, yes, I think I'll keep you, little human. You're just the kind of curious I happen to like."

Zecora said nothing, walking along with a bit of a smirk, watching the two out of a corner of an eye.

Aeorean was not so quiet, a spritely canter to his steps. "Alright, we got what we came here for. So... next step." He looked over his shoulder at Longma. "You. You waited for us, and thanks for that, but it's your turn! Well, all of our turn." He turned suddenly, bringing the group to a half. "It's time to pay you two." He drew out his bag and started counting quickly, creating three piles of coins, one of which he pushed towards Zecora, the next to Jon.

"None for me?" Longma huffed a sparkling cloud of annoyance. "I thought we were becoming friends."

Aeorean gestured at the other two. "They said they'd share with you, that's up to them." He scooped up what remained his, tucking it away with a toss of his head. "Have fun, all of you. Let's meet up..." He resumed his walk towards the outside.

Jon grabbed his coins and filled his pockets with them, the weighty jingles bringing a smile to his face. "We didn't forget, Longma."

"Start by not forgetting to keep up the scratches." She wriggled her rump. "Go on."

Zecora slid a few of her coins aside before claiming the rest for herself. She opened her mouth to speak, only to find Longma pressed against her.

"Did you forget." Longma pulled Zecora closer, an arm across the zebra. "We're spending this day off together. We have such decadence to enjoy. You." She was looking at Jon. "You're bringing those fingers of yours."