//------------------------------//
// Social Networking 
// Story: The Right Place in the Wrong Time 
// by RunicTreetops 
//------------------------------//

You'll admit it: This isn't quite how you expected today to go. You're up to your elbows in old, dusty tomes with two new pegasi friends by your side. Zipp is attentively scanning the cover of each book before sorting each one into one of two piles. Pipp, meanwhile, is doing the same, but noticeably slower. Ordinarily this might be a little aggravating, but her slower pace is due not to a lack of effort, but due to her attention being divided, for as she works, she is singing a lovely tune. Pop music was never quite your forte, but with the spontaneous musical numbers that ponies seem so fond of (many of which you have joined in on, willingly or otherwise) you've grown accustomed to it. And as today taught you, Pipp really is an incredible singer.

During your time in Maretime Bay, you are staying in a guest bedroom at Hitch's place. There isn't anywhere for you in the Brighthouse and you don't have any money on you (though, surprisingly, they still take bits) so you can't stay in a hotel, but thankfully Hitch had both the space and the willingness to let you stay with him until you can return home. His strange baby dragon was admittedly extremely distracting, though. Unlike Spike, who is often referred to as a "baby dragon" but is actually in what you would equate to his late teens, Sparky Sparkeroni (seriously Hitch, why did you name it that) is only a few months old. Still, your stay was comfortable, and despite his protests, you can't help but feel indebted to Hitch.

You had thought that after waking up and starting your day, you and Sunny would be digging through books in the Crystal Brighthouse. Unfortunately, the majority of her books were apparently destroyed by an altercation with a stallion named Sprout right before the Unity Crystals were brought together. So, you would have to rely on what information was available at the library. As you found out, this was more challenging than you had anticipated. During the period where the three ponykinds split apart, much of history was forgotten or rewritten. Texts containing true information about "your" time were few and far between, which admittedly raised several questions among you and Sunny as to why. Ultimately though, the end result was that Sunny only had about a dozen books to look through, most of which were very unlikely to contain any information about the Time Tuner. That was when Zipp proposed an idea.

"Hey Sunny, remember that station that I showed you and Izzy back in Zephyr Heights? It's actually connected to the old royal library. My great-grandmother built a new one during her reign and filled it with modern books of all sorts, but the original one shouldn't have been touched. Do you think we might be able to find something there?"

"Zipp, that's genius! The royal library would have been restricted even when it was in use, so books wouldn't have had any need to be thrown out or censored!"

"Now hold on Zipp," Pipp added, "not even we are allowed to just go in there as we please. Only mom can."

"And? I don't see why she wouldn't give us permission."

"Because she's really protective of great-grandma's stuff, duh! Besides, you know as well as I do that that library is NOT structurally sound. We can't just cart dozens of books out of there!"

The two of them continued to argue for some time. You and Sunny exchanged a glance before taking a seat at a nearby table. Sunny laughed and told you that they would probably be at it for a while, and to just leave them be for now. In the meantime, the two of you shared a pleasant conversation about your experiences in Equestria. Of course, it mostly boiled down to Sunny fangirling over your existence and bombarding you with questions (once again reminding you a lot of Twilight), but it was nice to receive the positive attention, you supposed. After about half an hour, the pegasi returned. Pipp looked like she had just gotten off of the phone with somepony and filled you in on their discussion.

"Okay, here's the 411. Mom says that we can use the library, but on two conditions. One, other than Zipp and I, only one other pony can go inside. Two, we can take no more than ten books. Also, it's not really a condition, but she can't send anypony to pick us up, so we have to go there on hoof."

Sunny's next words surprised you. "Why don't you go?"

She wants YOU to go? You asked her why.

"Well, one of us needs to stay here and look through the books we already have. This way, we can be as efficient as possible. Besides, you've never seen Zephyr Heights! It's a beautiful place, and it'd be a shame not to see it before you go home!"

That... actually sounds enticing. As much as you want to go home, you already decided that you should enjoy the time you DO have here, and some sightseeing shouldn't be too bad. On top of that, you would likely get to learn more about Zipp and Pipp. While you don't necessarily have a vested interest in them or anything, you figure that following Twilight's teachings on making friends should come in handy, especially since the concept of friendship being magic seems like a fairly recent thing for these ponies.

What you didn't realize was that the trip to Zephyr Heights would take all day. Under most circumstances, a pegasus could fly from Zephyr Heights to Maretime Bay in an hour or two, but there's one major hiccup: You can't fly. At least, not fully. Not yet. Hey, you're allowed to be optimistic, darn it.

So, the three of you walked. Zipp, who is clearly the better flier of the two, wasn't too keen on the idea, but never complained. Pipp, meanwhile, seemed much more content not having to fly all afternoon. That said, she still refused to quicken her pace any more than a gentle trot. This meant that you, with your comparably long legs (especially for her, why is this poor gal so smol), had to walk at an uncomfortably slow pace. 

Zipp made little effort to talk. It wasn't that she didn't want to, you just got the impression that compared to her friends, she wasn't the talkative type. Pipp, meanwhile, talked quite a bit. That said, most of it wasn't directed towards you. It seemed like every two minutes she had her cell phone in her hoof again, recording a video for her "Pippsqueaks" about any given thing that caught her attention. Many times, the subject was you. At first, you felt pretty embarrassed. Back in your original world, you were never too active on social media. You weren't all that popular in person, and you didn't feel any validation from getting attention from strangers. You were also never that great at having a lot of eyes on you, so Pipp's videos and streams unnverved you. At least, they did for a while. As the day went on, you started to feel less uncomfortable around the camera. Pipp's seemingly boundless energy helped with that at least, and by the time you were halfway to Zephyr Heights, you were striking poses with the best of them (the best of them being Pipp).

At one point along the way, Pipp starting singing. The camera was not on, and as you had learned through the course of the day, Pipp has a habit of singing unprompted, even in the middle of otherwise regular sentences, to add emphasis to things she's saying or doing. This, however, seemed to be a complete song. A pop song, of course, but one that would fit right in with the bestsellers of your homeworld. You had felt a bit of a bond forming between the two of you between the recordings and light conversation you made as you continued on the path to the pegasi's hometown, and with that bond you began to feel much more at home with them. Ponies are pretty good at that, it seems, and it was thanks to that comfort that you didn't hesitate to start putting some swagger into your stride. One leg in front of the other, a shuffle here, a twirl there. Oh yeah. You're schmoovin'. Zipp laughs at that and decides to join you, adding a lot of twirls and curls into a slow-paced flight pattern above you. Pipp smiled through her singing, and you could tell by the look on her face that she was legitimately delighted by the sight in front of her. The three of you continued like that for quite a while, and even when the singing stopped, the synergy between your little trio never faded.

"You know, I'm glad you ended up here. You're fun to be around, you know that? I know I have my Pippsqueaks, but not many would be willing to just... have fun like that around 'Princess Pipp Petals.'"

"Trust me Pipp, titles like that have pretty much lost all meaning to me by now. So long as you're a good person- er, pony, then there's no issue. And you're great to be around!" You look up at Zipp, who is flying maybe seven feet above you. "You too, Zipp. Your flying reminds me a lot of a friend of mine back home."

"Oh yeah? What's she like?"

"Hmhm. Well, she's brash, she's impatient, and she tends not to think things through all that often."

"Hey!"

"But, she's also confident. Passionate. The most loyal friend you could ask for. Plus, she's the best flier in Equestria. Maybe ever."

"Wait, are you talking about Rainbow Dash?!"

"Yes, actually. You know her?"

"Of course I know her! She was a Wonderbolt, the legendary band of fliers that dominated Equestria's skies hundreds of moons ago! Not just that, she was the greatest among them! Do I really fly like her?!"

There was a sparkle in her eyes. Dash isn't actually a Wonderbolt yet in your time, but it's good to know she makes it. Not that you had any doubt she would, by the by.

"I hate to break it to you Zipp, but I meant more in your mannerisms. There is a sort of confidence and swagger to your flying that you don't see in many pegasi. I... really wouldn't recommend trying to fly like her, especially if you've only just learned how to fly a few months ago. She was capable of breaking the sound barrier, which could be... we'll just say not good for the body, if performed incorrectly."

"Huh. Well, I guess that makes sense. Still, I'm flattered!"

Frankly you expected her to be like "Nu-uh, I can totally do that too!" But, she showed a surprising amount of maturity and understanding of herself and her limitations. Consider yourself impressed.

Eventually, though, you made it to Zephyr Heights. Sunny wasn't lying. The city was grand, built into a series of mountaintops. It was very modern looking, with a lot of technology and new-looking buildings all around you. Make no mistake, this place is beautiful. That said, the mood was a bit lessened by every other pegasus jumping or freaking out when they passed by you. Thankfully your friendly neighborhood influencer, Pipp, had made much of the population aware of your existence and of your harmlessness prior to your arrival, so you faced little resistance as the three of you made your way to the old royal library.

Once you arrived, you found that the queen was right. This place is old, dusty, and not all that structurally sound. Not unlike the Castle of the Two Sisters, actually. That said, the three of you maintained the energy that had carried you all the way to Zephyr Heights, and you got to work looking through the books. You had decided to sort them into two categories: history and non-history. Once that was done, you could further sort the history books into ones that might have information on old magical artifacts and those that likely don't. Along the way, Pipp started singing again, and you and Zipp felt yourselves bobbing to the rhythm as you dug through the old bookshelves.

Let's see here... "Ballroom Flying," "Of Mice and Mares," "Make Him Fall For You In A Fortnight?" These are most definitely not the type of books you're looking for. Your compatriots took it upon themselves to search the higher shelves, as this library was very obviously made with flying in mind, while you took care of the shelves closer to the ground. Suddenly, the singing comes to an abrupt stop.

"W-woaaaahhh!"

You look up to see Pipp tumbling backwards away from the bookshelf, a tome in each hoof. Unfortunately for her, her little stumble left her positioned upside-down, and you've figured out by now that she isn't all that great of a flier. You hear Zipp call out in worry from the other side of the library. Without a moment's hesitation, you sprint to where Pipp is about to make a hard landing. It's going to be really close. You dive for her...

A perfect catch! It helps that ponies are the perfect size for holding.

"Woah, thanks! That could have really hurt!"

You let Pipp down and ask what happened to her. Zipp lands next to the two of you as she begins explaining.

"Well, I thought I saw some books worth grabbing, but they were really stuck in there. Take a look at these!"

She held out the two books, and you took them off of her hooves. Both were leather bound, and they appeared extremely worn-out. That said, they were still legible. One read, in plain lettering, "Equestrian Enchantments." The other appeared much more elegant, with what was once likely a white binding with gold-colored trim, and through the fancy lettering you could make out "The Rise of the Two Sisters." While the former is more likely to hold the information you're looking for, the latter has stolen your attention. "The Rise of the Two Sisters?" When was this written? 

"You said you activated some sort of magical artifact, right? That sounds like an enchantment to me! And I don't know as much about Equestrian history as Sunny, but if you found the artifact at this 'Castle of the Two Sisters,' I figured that 'The Rise of the Two Sisters' may say something about it."

"Yeah, you may be right about that. Let's add these to the 'keep' pile. I'm interesting in seeing what they have to say."

The rest of the search was fairly uneventful. Zipp took quite a bit of time deciding which books among the "keep" pile to actually take back with you, but once you finished rounding up your ten books of choice, you picked up the mess you made to the best of your ability and departed from the library. The sun was setting at this point, so Zipp and Pipp invited you to stay with them at the castle overnight. You were formally introduced to Queen Haven, and both she and the princesses were impressed by your show of proper etiquette in front of royalty. What can you say? You've had a lot of practice. As a result, she seemed to approve of you, and you were cleared to stay in a guest bedroom in the castle. It was cozy, not quite as grand as those back in Canterlot, but still nice. Right before you got settled in, there was a knock at your door, which turned out to be Pipp.

"Hey, sorry to bother you. I just figured I'd give you this before I forget about it."

She reaches a hoof into her saddlebag and pulls out what looks to be a smartphone, one that is noticeably different than the one you've seen her carrying around.

"This is one of my old ones. Still works just fine, though! I thought you might want it in case something happens while you're here."

"Oh wow, uh, thank you Pipp." You have to admit, you kind of don't want it, but it would be rude to turn her down. You look down at the phone and tap it. Sure enough, it turns right on, no password necessary. There aren't many apps on it or anything, and you certainly don't recognize any of them (many questions would be raised if you did), though it seems that the universal symbol for "phone call" is still the same here.

"You said you had these back in your human world, right? Do you need any help with it?"

"Um, I don't think so. Thank you again Pipp, this is very thoughtful."

"Consider us even for the library. I already put all of our phone numbers in there, so you shouldn't have much issue if something comes up. Well, goodnight!"

"'Night, Pipp."

With any luck, you won't have to use this thing too often. Still, curiosity gets the better of you. With muscle memory that still hasn't fully gone away since your days in your original world, you skim through the contents of the phone. It's a bit uncanny, actually. For all intents and purposes it is extremely similar to human smartphones, but it's tailor-made for ponies. Well, duh. Everything on the screen is much... bigger. The buttons are larger, the keypad is admittedly less intuitive, and most actions are done with less precise taps. You suppose that's because it's much harder to be precise with your taps when you have hooves. 

The phone has little more than the basics. The actual phone app, a texting app, a camera, a flashlight, a clock, an internet browser (something deep inside of you tells you not to listen to your curiosity and stay away from that one), a music app, and what seems to be an app that lets you make video calls and also stream said call at the same time. Odd, but not out of place for a phone once owned by an influencer. For now you decide to just leave it in your pocket and head to sleep.

Your trip home the next day is uneventful. The three of you split the ten books evenly, so while you were moving at a slower pace, none of you were particularly encumbered by the added weight. You finally arrived back in Maretime Bay at around mid-afternoon. Nopony was at the Brighthouse when you got there. While Sunny was committed to helping you find a way back home, she (as well as the rest of your new friends) still has a job she has to go to. On that note, Pipp waved goodbye and headed to Mane Melody, leaving you and Zipp to start digging through the books you had retrieved. Your curiosity finally getting the better of you, you jump straight into "The Rise of the Two Sisters."

...Huh?

The more you read, the more a deep feeling of unease builds up within you. You feel yourself breaking into a cold sweat.

What is this?

You are far from an expert on this subject, but you haven't read a text like this since you were back in your human world. And even then, this book just fills you with a sense of dread like no other book has before. You realized it from the first sentence, which took up the entirety of the cover page. A sentence that you've heard before, and that you were not expecting to hear again. Not like this.

"With every story comes an end. With every birth, there is death. With every rise, there is fall. With every ruler, there is a replacement. Only the First is eternally the First."

This is a bible. A bible that details the first alicorn. A bible that tells the story of the first alicorn "graciously" giving up her physical form and bestowing great magic upon two mares, leading them in their rise to power, their defeat of Discord, and their founding of what would become known as Equestria. 

Tia talked with you about this before. Even she knows very little about the First. She was granted power she never asked for and told directions every so often, but given the circumstances every time the First made an appearance, she could never refuse. Everything always turned out okay, but that feeling of being little more than another's puppet is a sensation you would never wish upon anyone. And wouldn't you know it? In spite of the title, throughout the book, Celestia and Luna are never once given any credit. In fact, they aren't even given any traits as living beings at all. They are treated as mere extensions of the First, like a tool to be used. Reading it makes your skin crawl, both out of anger and out of fear.

Is this what they read at that church back in Canterlot? Who wrote it? How did they get this information, which Tia had told you in complete confidence was a secret? 

The book is not actually that long, only around fifty pages or so, and none of it is information that Tia hasn't told you before (though in a much different manner, of course). Upon finishing it, you gently close it and place it down on the table, still trying to process what you just read.

"That was fast. What's up? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Zipp was staring at you from across the table, still only a few pages into her book.

"Uh, nothing. Just a bit rusty on my Old Ponish, that's all. Nothing of use in that one, so we can cross it off the list, haha." 

You aren't convincing anypony. Your voice is shaky and that was quite possibly the weakest "nonchalant" laugh you've ever heard. Thankfully, after narrowing her eyes at you, Zipp just went back to reading rather than asking you anything. You're definitely going to need to talk to Tia about that book when you get home. You definitely feel uneasy, but for now, though, you suppose you should just get back to your research. Between the books you just got and the ones Sunny acquired around Maretime Bay...

This is going to take a while.