//------------------------------// // 2 - Books and Diamonds // Story: Moontouched: Twilight and the Mare in the Moon // by MittensTC //------------------------------// Twilight peered over the side of the airship, surveying the highlands of the Canter Mountains as they transitioned into hills and then plains. Twilight struggled to stay awake. Her sleep had been wrecked by nightmares. She dreamed of a dark castle, overgrown and choked by thorns, and she was alone in the halls. But nothing ever came, nothing to snatch her, nopony to betray her. She was absolutely alone. She dreamed of her paralysis, her inability to even step ahead and face the dark hallways in front of her. Twilight glanced at her draconic companion, Spike, who was eagerly mapping out the various rivers and hills that came into view. This behavior was typical for him whenever they were at great heights. She pondered whether this was a characteristic of Crystal Dragons before Sombra's devastating attack eradicated them all. Spike was now the sole survivor of his kind, even his egg being deemed unviable and used only to assess the magical prowess of potential magisters. Through a fortuitous surge of magic, Twilight was able to hatch him, which ultimately led to her being taken under Celestia's direct tutelage. Not that Twilight believed that she wouldn’t have found some other way to enter Celestia’s tutelage. She was a skilled magic user, already living within Celestia’s court. "Twilight, I think we're over the Everfree River," Spike exclaimed, jolting her out of her thoughts. Twilight peered downward, observing the river that cleaved the land between a dense, foreboding forest, known as the Everfree and the Heartland. This ancient woodland held Equestria's former capital captive, harbouring unspeakable dark magic that even Celestia could not eradicate. Merely gazing at it made Twilight uneasy, and she questioned why anyone would risk building near it. The forest's tendrils extended towards the river, but they were met with a scorching heat at its edge, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the purification divisions. Twilight was grateful that the forest's evil had not yet consumed the entire heartland. Spike noticed her unease and tried to reassure her. "Don't worry, it's not like Ponyville is inside the forest," he said with a smile. Twilight forced a small smile in return, grateful for her adoptive brother's company. "I still don't understand why anyone would choose to live this close to the Everfree Forest," she muttered, gazing towards the distant airship tower that marked their destination. "Thanks for coming with me, Spike. I don't think I could have done this alone," Twilight admitted, nervously laughing. Spike grinned, his serpentine eyes scanning the tower in the distance. "Looks like they planned a welcoming committee. Hope you're ready for people," he teased. Twilight let out a sigh. "Of course they did. Time to put on my friendly face." Despite her attempt to appear amiable, her expression betrayed her nerves. As the drew closer to the mooring station, Twilight spotted two ponies waiting for them - one with a beige coat and a gray mane, and the other with a white coat and a beautifully trimmed purple mane. Spike eagerly made his way towards them, with Twilight trailing behind him, apprehensive. As they drew closer, the white-maned pony stepped forward to greet them. "Welcome to Ponyville, Viscountess Sparkle!" she exclaimed, causing both Twilight and Spike to cringe. The pony quickly realized her mistake and looked to her companion for guidance. After a quick whisper in her ear, she corrected herself, "Apologies, I meant Viscountess Twilight II." Twilight winced at the sound of her official title. "Please, just call me Twilight," she said, trying to hide her discomfort. "I don't like using titles." As Twilight disembarked the airship, the pony who greeted her corrected herself, "Excuse me, Twilight, it's wonderful to have you here. I'm Mayor Ivory Scroll, and this is Rarity, head of our planning committee." "Pleased to make your acquaintance, darling," Rarity introduced herself with a curtsy and added, " I'm positively thrilled to collaborate with you. You wouldn't believe the effort we've put in to secure the hosting." Twilight listened attentively, struggling to find the right words to respond. "I'm also looking forward to collaborating with you, Rarity," she managed to say, sounding more rigid than she intended. Spike sensed her discomfort and interjected, "Please excuse Twilight, she's a bit tired from the flight. We're grateful you met us at the tower, especially with such short notice." Pfft! When I heard that Celestia was sending a direct representative, I was absolutely thrilled! I wouldn't dream of snubbing you, dear," Rarity responded, “You must be Spike, it’s an honor to meet you.” Spike smiled and replied, "Yes, I'm Spike. It's an honor to meet you." His cheeks turned a darker shade of purple as he added, "And it's also an honor to meet you." Just as Rarity was about to respond, Twilight interjected, "Would it be okay if we unpacked now? I don't want to hold up customs." "Of course!" Rarity said, turning her attention towards Twilight. "I'm here to assist. I've already organized lodging and a schedule for your visit." She headed towards the luggage cabin and offered to carry one of Twilight's briefcases. "I appreciate the offer, but I can manage," Twilight replied, using her levitation to pick up the briefcase. "You already look exhausted," Rarity insisted. "I'll be fine," Twilight doubled down, not wanting to argue. "If you insist," Rarity sighed, "I'll take both of you to your accommodations." As they left the air tower and made their way towards the town, they greeted the mayor as they passed by the town hall. The town was quaint, barely larger than a village. The Everfree River had merged with some of its tributaries here, with the largest one running through the town. Although it appeared to have been built within the last century, Twilight noticed the occasional ruins hinting at older settlements. Twilight couldn't help but gaze at their guide, a mare with an elegant demeanor whose accent she couldn't quite place. She was speaking to Spike with a savoir faire that rivaled that of Cadence. Noticing Twilight's stare, Rarity asked, "Do you need anything, darling?" "No, I was just lost in thought," Twilight quickly deflected. "Actually, I'm curious about where we'll be staying." "Celestia's letter suggested somewhere near the library," the pony replied, smiling at Twilight. "Luckily for you, the library has an unused room already. We haven't had a full-time librarian in nearly a decade, so the whole living area lies vacant." "Is the library an older building?" Twilight asked, wanting to know but worried about being impolite. "Oh, yes," Rarity confirmed. "It's easily the oldest building in town. In fact, I think it's been in use since the days of the Auroran Empire." Twilight thought to herself that this was wonderful as they rounded the corner, looking back to the graceful unicorn. "Thank you for helping us with this," she said. Twilight quickly spotted a giant oak tree, almost as wide as a house, with doors and windows set into it. It seemed to be at least a few millennia old. There was a plaza built around it, framing it in a way where it stood out against the houses that surrounded it. "That is the Golden Oak Library, where you will be staying," Rarity stated, showing a hint of pride at the landmark. "It's so big," Spike commented, "how do trees even get that large?" "Trees get even bigger in the Everfree Forest," Rarity replied. "Fluttershy told me she's seen trees hundreds of meters tall." "Fluttershy?" Twilight asked. "Yes, she's my friend," Rarity replied. "She lives on the outskirts of the forest and frequently travels into its heart." "What kind of pony would ever want to enter, let alone live in such a dreadful place?" Twilight muttered out loud. "Fluttershy has always been a bit averse to living in town, but she's a good pony," Rarity explained. "She's the only vet in town and has saved multiple ponies after they disappeared into the woods." Twilight was still unsure about the ponies' matter-of-fact attitude towards their proximity to Equestria's most dangerous region, but decided to press on anyway. "I see," she said, trying to mask her concern. "Well, let's get settled in." As Twilight entered the library, she marveled at the impressive sight before her. The bookcases, stairs, and even the walls seemed to be made from living wood, and she could hear the sound of water flowing through the walls. "This is amazing," Twilight whispered to Rarity, "I've never seen anything like this before. I can't even begin to imagine the construction techniques used to create it." "It's quite the feat, isn't it?" Rarity replied with a smile. "According to local legend, this library used to be located in the Everfree Forest until a daring pony befriended it and convinced it to move here. It even had a library inside already, so it was a perfect fit for Ponyville." Twilight couldn't help but feel a shiver run down her spine at the thought of a tree just uprooting itself and moving. "Do you really think it's possible for trees to move like that?" "I've never seen it myself, but there are many strange creatures in the forest that are made of living wood, just like this library. So it's not entirely out of the question," Rarity explained. Twilight was both fascinated and slightly unnerved by the idea of a mobile forest. So Ponyville isn't just next to an evil forest, it's next to a mobile evil forest, she thought to herself. "Either way, now that you're here, I'll let both of you unpack and settle in," Rarity said, glancing at Spike and then Twilight. "If you need anything, I'll be at my boutique, preparing your festival garb." Spike perked up. "You're a seamstress?" he asked, his interest piqued. "I am not just a seamstress, dear. I'm the grandest and most eloquent dressmaker Ponyville has ever seen," Rarity replied, her voice laced with pride. "And after this celebration, maybe all of Equestria." Twilight nodded in agreement. "Sure, The sooner we know about your goals, the sooner we can organize this whole event." "Excellent! Then I'll see you both tonight," Rarity exclaimed as she made her way to the door. "This is going to be just marvelous. It was exquisite to meet both of you." With that, she exited the library, leaving Spike and Twilight alone. "She's... gregarious," Twilight commented, sounding a bit exhausted from the conversation. "And charming," Spike added, clearly smitten with the elegant mare. Twilight couldn't help but tease her dragon companion. "And double your age, Spike." Spike deflated slightly. "I know," he admitted, disappointed. "Either way, I think she's done a good job organizing our accommodation at such short notice," Spike continued. "So I actually think she'll be a great partner for us in this endeavor." "I guess," Twilight said halfheartedly, clearly more focused on the books in the library. "I'm shocked that nopony let me know that such a magnificent library lay hidden right below my nose." "Well, it's not like Ponyville is a big town. Maybe scholars just didn't notice," Spike mumbled as he also investigated the library. "That can't be it, Spike. We're in a millennium-old library with at least 20,000 books. That's way too notable. Something is off here," Twilight responded. Twilight almost immediately jumped into action, investigating the books. Knowing Twilight and her obsessive ways, Spike just shrugged and went to explore the residential part of the library. Twilight began by magically dating the books and soon discovered more and more ancient tomes, with the oldest dating back 2000 years. Some were written in archaic languages, and while Twilight could read the Old Auroran ones, she found others that she couldn't identify. This was a historic discovery, something unheard of! It's too good to be true, Twilight thought to herself. How unlikely is it that I would be the only pony to find a place this significant, when it's been just an hour-long flight away from Canterlot? Suddenly, an idea struck her. "Spike, I found something! Come down here!" Twilight called out eagerly. Spike quickly climbed down the stairs. "So what did you find?" he asked, amused. "It's Auroran, at least a thousand years old," Twilight replied, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Wow, that's great!" Spike said, not quite sure what to make of it. He watched as Twilight gave him a fiendish smirk. "Okay Spike, I need you to go outside and come right back in," Twilight said, her voice dripping with anticipation. Spike was a bit confused, but he knew that Twilight liked to demonstrate magic rather than explain it. So, he obediently went outside and came back in. "Okay, what now?" Spike asked. "What kind of book is it, Spike?" Twilight interrogated. "Well, it's a first edition of Frankenmare, handwritten by Marey Shetland herself. That's why you were so excited," Spike replied. "Hah! That's why this library has gone unnoticed. The more important books have been cursed by an information fragmentation spell!" Twilight exclaimed excitedly. "Shouldn't you be scared, instead of excited by holding a cursed book?" Spike questioned. "I would have dropped it by now." "No, this is excellent! Now I know how to dispel it," Twilight said as she muttered an incantation in Old Auroran. Soon, a purple flash emanated from Twilight's horn. "Okay, so it's a millennia-old Auroran book. Stay here," Twilight commanded as she exited the room and then re-entered. "It's a millennia-old Auroran book." Twilight felt elated having cleared the curse and looked back at Spike. "Now that's how you solve a mystery," she stated in a sing-song fashion. Spike couldn't help but be amused by Twilight's little celebration. "Well, now that the curse is gone, what are you doing?" Spike asked. "Research!" Twilight shouted as she began deciphering the texts. Spike gradually decided to return to the upstairs section. Now that she had dispelled the curse, Twilight wondered who had left it there and why someone would even want to prevent the knowledge found within this library from spreading. Her mind returned to her nightmares and the prophecy. Was she playing into something beyond her control? Was she being manipulated by someone or something? In that regard, Twilight's mind drifted to a dreadful possibility. What if I'm being led on by something? She contemplated this for a while but came to the conclusion, If something is going on, if this is all linked, I need to know what it is. And she continued to read. This was going to be a long afternoon...