//------------------------------// // Chapter: One // Story: BookHoppers: Exiled from Home // by Ace of Blackjack //------------------------------// Whenever Elizabeth was stressed she could always count on a book. But what if she's stressing over a book? Or better yet the lack of one. She knows her history well, from the Battle of Acropolis Hill, or the obscure battle of Snow and ice(A whole army defeated by a castle armed with ice in snowballs.) She could recite all the belligerents in the battles.  But when the assignment asks for it to be a fictional battle, she struggles. Especially since the last nonfiction book she read was about Princess Gumdrops and her childhood, a book filled with blatant lies. Lies to her internal integrity.  But that doesn't matter to her, wings flapping as she went from shelf to shelf. From one shelf to another, staying in the non-fiction section. The library to her is small, but it's also her home.  Each beanbag chair represents a place she sat down and had a laugh at a bad fact so bad you can't help but not laugh. Each desk is where she spent hours burning midnight oil, her only companion being the lamps and their midnight oil. But she doesn't miss when you had to light a candle. Princess Gumdrops shoved them into an era of technological revolution. Lightbulbs and motorized carriages only seen in bad sci-fi flicks that you'd watch for two bits on the occasional Sunday. She doesn't miss any of it, okay that's a lie, she sorta misses her old lantern. But being educated on the way to make bricks from mud doesn't make up for not reading even the simplest of books. She might have skipped a year or two for being so smart. But life is catching up. She's been held back, in her final few years of school. Unlike the usual early school curriculum that sucks the creativity from your body, this new school wants that to flourish. She's not creative, besides the forced art class, she's never had a reason to wanna write or illustrate a book. So ideas of what to use for this “History assignment” ain't popping up. She could watch some action flick, but that doesn't feel right. She needs it to be a book, for her sake. She doesn't wanna go through another movie, even documentaries make her squirm. She looked through the top shelves of the library, going off the Dewey meowcimal system. She knows everything about the cat this system was named off of. But knowing that can't help her find a book she'd like. With one final sigh she flutters down to the floor and begins looking on the same shelf for the third time. Maybe an alternate history book would work for her? There's gotta be enough real history in those books to satisfy her.  “Um Mister-” Elizabeth jumped up and with a flutter of wings arrived in front of the one addressing her. Their wings stood straight out as they looked at them. The book pin in their blue mane screamed Librarian.  “I'm a Miss, I'm uh, I'm Elizabeth.” They said gently smiling. The librarian made a look of slow understanding, before clicking their tongue. Processing the unique information no differently than anything else really. “Okay Miss Elizabeth, what are you looking for?” The librarian studied Elizabeth, noticing a few minute details. Their fur navy blue fur is dyed, their hoofs are an unpainted light red, an indication of their true coat colour. And the roots of their mane as far as she can tell is white and not pink.  “Fictional battles, for history class of all things!” They said as loud as they dare, their voice being rather, well squeaky and soft. Though that was purposeful, a good spell can alter the tone and pitch of a voice. A really good spell caster and a willing target and you can do that permanently. “Well the best fiction has ties to history, or else they create history so vivid you feel like you've been there.” The librarian watched as the mare went back to frantically searching for a new book. They skipped over some great science fiction writers, to look at books with a best seller stamp on them. The librarian smirked. Elizabeth looked at them, was gonna ask about the smirk. But she thought better, it could be in response to their search for books or her body. That's two questions she really doesn't wanna hear about at the moment. “I know of a book in the,” The librarian paused, hesitation on their face. They've seen this pone hundreds of times. They don't have friends besides books, and they don't even have friends from the book. “Were you gonna say two shelves over, I'm not interested in a space thriller with thirteen different love triangles, thank you very much.” They paused looking at a book before pulling it out. They checked inside the front cover before closing it. The librarian saw it briefly and sighed once more.  “That's a book from the-” But Elizabeth didn't listen as she flew away with the book. The librarian blinked as they flew with purpose across the library. And they felt all warm inside as they nuzzled the book right into the Early War history books. The librarian walked, with purpose now over to Elizabeth. Elizabeth was in a titzy as they flipped books that we're page out not spine out. She muttered something about ‘Savages all of them’, she’ll be one heck of a work in progress all from this rather short introduction and that's enough for the librarian to tell.  “Miss Elizabeth, I have a book in the back rooms if you just follow me.” Elizabeth cast them a glance and continued working. If their cutiemark didn't have a bunch of Knucklebones over some thick looking book, then she might pass as this being their grand destiny. Though that thought didn't bother the Librarian, she's above a simple old librarian. “I've been back there when I was young once, you put out of rotation books there, I can just check them out at the front desk tablet.” Elizabeth looked at the shelf satisfied before fluttering their wings and taking off towards the Fiction section. Are they worth it? Though the librarians thought was immediately dashed away, it was dumb, but she believed that she can change them.  But if they keep at this they'll be in such a frantic state it won't be right to try and get them into the backroom under any pretense of anything other than it's stopping a panic attack. So the librarian looked about, the pegasus was already in the fiction section. And she didn't feel like walking today.  Elizabeth hovered, had she finally found the perfect book? She reached out towards it, wiping dust off the front cover. Nope it's just another misplaced Non-Fiction. She turned back around and saw something. Then that something hit her in the chest. She landed with a mighty stumble on the ground. She looked at the book, ‘Look: A story of opportunity taken by the bravest generals’, and then she looked at who threw it. The incredibly shocked looking Librarian obviously hadn't intended to actually hit them, evident by the bulging eyes of shock. But the librarian did in fact hit them with the 500-page long book. They ran over, but Elizabeth assessed if the book was hurt. It had suffered no damage, not even a crumpled page. Good, it was one of Elizabeth's favourite light reads. “I am so sorry I had just wanted your attention Elizabeth, I am sorry.” They didn't know what to do. Elizabeth regarded them with a blank expression, not of shock or surprise. But one of odd compassion. “You hadn't meant it. But I would have appreciated a warning, we are the only ones here after all. Libraries aren't all that popular now that people have computers, but that data ain't as solid as a leather bound book.” The librarian looked around slightly confused before mentally kicking themselves. They could have just been more daring in asking this from the get-go, nopony is even here. They breathed in, a lie at first then the truth. But a lie didn't come to them. Nor did the knowledge and wisdom they so heavily relied on. But they did feel one thing, compassion.  “I have a secret that will interest you, thrill you even.” Elizabeth looked up from the bookshelf. Their interest peaked, extremely peaked. What is this Librarian's Secret?  “Just follow me, behind the front desk, past what you've been shown. It's what you need, you need a fictional book, but I know what type you like? I have a rather, how do I put it, it's an intriguing book.” The librarian walked away, with a flick of a tail that sent envy down Elizabeth’s spine. But Elizabeth was intrigued, a book not publicly available? The Little librarians secret. And so she followed. Past the front desk into the back area. Books out of rotation sit on shelves, all ordered in such a way one can simply request or from the little computer upfront. But the librarian stopped in between the fantasy and crime dramas. She turned to Elizabeth and smiled widely at them. Then gestured towards the wall. Elizabeth was not amused and turned away. The Librarian blinked before abruptly realizing she saw what was intended to be seen. For being a Pegasus she wasn't that quick on the ground and was not all that far away.  “Wait, wait! I'm not crazy!” The librarian said chasing towards and after Elizabeth. Their magic grabbing Elizabeth's tail making them stop. Elizabeth tipped and turned around quickly blushing and furious. “Its a wall, your, look I know that I need to find a book, and I'm gonna do just do that.” Elizabeth turned away, they didn't have to grab her tail. It was uncalled for. Theirs lines you don't cross. “Fine, but just look!” The librarian turned towards the wall and smirked.  “Libertas verbi.” The wall shook. Elizabeth, she turned quickly to face the wall. A panel was snaking down into the floor.  “See I'm not crazy. Do follow me, the door closes after three minutes of being open.” The librarian walked through the absence of a wall, and continued on. This ain't possible, the library is small, this should be going through the outside wall. That's what filled Elizabeth's mind as she walked after their mysterious Librarian.  “What are you?” Elizabeth asked as the librarian opened a white wooden door into a white futuristic hallway, fluorescent lighting illuminated the cleanliness of it all. No doors except for the one at the end. The librarian turned around and looked at Elizabeth. “I'll just show you.” The librarian looked down then around her as if looking about. Satisfied she tilted her head back, taking a breath in. Before slamming her hoof down.  “Commandant five!” The librarian erupted in a quick blue glow. The glow faded leaving the ‘librarian’ wearing gleaming bulging white armour with blue blinking highlights. A thin pair of one-sided tech glasses sat on top in front of her face.  “That explains nothing, just raises more questions, a lot more questions.” Elizabeth poked the armour of this ‘Commandant Five’ and watched a faint purple shimmer appear where she touched. The little one lense visor on their head made glimmers of circles that tracked each movement that she made. All of this is so new. “Well in that case i'll tell you. Keep forgetting that the outside library's always open up outside my home place. But I'm Ms Frazzle, or just call me Commandant Five.” They bowed, smiling a happy grin at the whole fact Elizabeth is flabbergasted. Elizabeth tried to say some words but didn't even get out a word. They are quite frazzled.  Frazzle lifted a hoof then yanked it back. A blue holographic image appeared on their hoof. And with a press of non-existent buttons she smiled.  “And meet Li3.” A flash of light accompanied her words as a metallic green floating drone orb thing floated beside her. A feeling emerged in Elizabeth, one that's telling her that she can't go back. Not like she wants to. “Now through this door is a whole new world, my section of the mythical, Hidden Library. Libertas verbi. Ain't just a bunch of Latin, it's our motto. It can be translated to Freedom of speech, or in our case, it means Freedom of the written Word.” They walked to the door. Placing a hoof on it and smiling as it clicked. Light streamed through and Elizabeth stood dumbfounded at what's through the door.