Mid morning saw Ponyville return to a semblance of normality. Gossip of the creature attacking the hospital and chasing a young filly though the streets filled the marketplace. The town guard were out patroling more visably, partially for saftey and partialy for piece of mind. One lightly armored officer nodded and smiled to a yellow mare with deep blue hair and a book for a cutie-mark. She smiled back as she walked into the local library.
“Ah HA!” Something jumped out at her as she walked in.
“EEEEK!” She threw up both of her forelegs in defense, peeking around them to spy a small purple dragon with a pot on its head, wielding a broom like a sword..
“Oh, sorry miss.” Spike withdrew the broom from the mare's face. “Twilight stepped out and I'm a little on edge because of that creature running around.”
“Is it really such a threat that you have to go scaring your customers?” The exasperation crept into her voice just a bit.
“I guess I overreacted,” Spike admitted reluctantly, bowing his head. He was quick to recover though. “But you can never be to careful.”
“I guess so.” the mare sighed, “Listen, I'm here to do some research on the area around Ponyville. Can you help me find some books?”
“OK, just tell me what you need.” Spike waved at the central table where the lending ledger was, offering the visitor a seat.
“A book on general history, especially with regards to recent major events.”
Spike ran over to a section and pulled out a thick tome. “'The History of Equestria Abridged, 6th edition'. This one is current up to the return of Princess Luna last year.” He sat it down on the central table. "They haven't published the return of Discord yet. What else?”
“Um, I'll be hiking around, so I'll need a book on remedies for bug bites and dangerous plants.”
Spike brought back a thin green book, “'Supernaturals: natural cures that are just super'. This has everything from Poison Joke to Mushroom Madness.” He looked up. "But I would steer clear of the Everfree Forest, aside from the creature running around, there are manticores, serpents and timber wolves."
“I'll keep that in mind." The mare cringed at the idea of going near anything so monstrous. "Now I need a basic cook book, simple meals and the like.”
“For research?” Spike asked as he wandered the shelves, eying titles.
“No, it's my first time on my own so I'm trying not to eat out every day. It'll drain my funds too quickly.” Spike came back with a thick book bound with a red and white checker pattern. “Can I get the first Darring Doo book too?” Spike paused before heading back into the shelves.
“Have you borrowed from the library before?”
“No, not really. Why?”
“If you’re a first time member, then you can only check out three books, and you can only have them for two weeks.”
The mare sighed “I'll have to make do. I was really hoping to get in a little fun reading time too. What do I need to check these out?”
Spike opened up a large registry to a half completed page, then filled in the book's titles and the date. “Just sign here and you're all set. If you want to borrow more when you come back, talk to Twilight about setting up an account.” He held out a quill and she signed it.
You idiot.
The mare blinked and then smiled. “Well thank you. Can you put those in my bags for me.”
What? Everything is fine.
The bell above the door jingled and the mare looked up to see Twilight. She waved her right hoof. “Hello! You must be the librarian.”
Run.
“Hi there miss, how can we help you?” Twilight beamed at the customer.
Ruuun.
“Hey Twilight,” Spike called, placing the last book in the saddlebags. “She was just finishing checking out some books. She said she might want to get an account here.”
Run!
“That's great, we always encourage more ponies to come in and read.”
Why are you so worried?
She signed Her name.
So?
Her REAL name.
“Thank you,” The mare smiled and walked towards the door, “But I must be going now, lots of reading to do. Maybe I can set up an account when I come back?”
Twilight nodded. “Of course, we are always happy to help miss...” Twilight stole a glance at the ledger as the mare bolted out the door.
“Sarah?”
“Shit shit shit shit shit shit SHIT!” I swore as I ran, winding my way through the streets to the edge of town.
That was really dumb.
I rounded a corner and dived down an alley, ignoring shouts and stares from ponies nearby. “I know.”
Really really dumb.
“I KNOW!” I was gasping for breath. “Give me a new disguise. We just need to walk out of town and back to the forest. We can sort everything out later, away from all of these guards.” I felt my form shift, becoming liquid as I changed color, mark and even sex. .
Really really REALLY dumb
“I know, but its what you do whenever someone asks for your name. I'm not used to having an alias.” I made my way out of town on the main road.
Besides, what would she put down? Bookworm? Dusty Scroll? Pony names are a little strange.
“I'm sure Sarah is just as weird a name to them.” I had managed to find the nature trail off the side of the road that wound back to my cave. “At any rate, we have some research and reference material.
Why did you grab a history book, a natural remedy book, and a cook book?
Yeah, and why did you want a fiction book?
“These will give us insights into their culture. The history book should give us enough of an overview to blend in, and its a wealth of names and places for use in disguise. The cookbook will tell me know if there is anything they make or have that I can eat, good info if I need to dine while in town. The remedy book should tell us a little about their medicine.” I got pulled the book from my bag. “I can also try and find those herbs for the cure I got yesterday.”
And the work of fiction?
“Scootaloo had mentioned Daring Doo yesterday. I'm curious what they value in their heroes and how they treat them.”
It took about a day to go over the books and parse data into something useable. I had hoped the information might provide clues to getting back in the local inhabitants good graces while providing food and shelter. We would have to survive for roughly a month waiting for rescue, since we had no way of knowing if the damaged pod had sent any emergancy signal back before exploding.
As it happened, we were in luck.
“Ok, so the recipie book was mostly flowers, grass and hay, but there were some basic pies and bread and pancakes that we could eat while human.”
Good, I do not relish having to spend time in pony form just to get nourishment.
You have wandered south a little bit, bear right 3 degrees.
“Are you sure this Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters is out here?”
It was referenced as the place where the Elements of Harmony defeated Nightmare Moon and freed Princess Luna.
“Who raises and lowers the moon while her sister controls the sun. I got that, even if it is a little hard to wrap my head around. I guess the laws of physics and nature don't work here like I think they should.”
It should be just beyond the next clearing if my understanding of the historical tale is correct.
I pushed past the branches and found myself standing on a cliff. A rickety rope bridge stretched in front of me, and on the other side was a large crumbling castle.
“An ancient abandoned fortress in the middle of a wild forest. If there is a dragon or ogre inside, I'm running for the hills.”
Could be another giant purple serpent. That thing was so strange.
“Says the spirit bound to the arm of a dimension jumping explorer.”
Point.
The castle was abandoned after the initial Nightmare Moon fiasco over a melenia ago. Chances are good that much of the structure is uninhabitable, but there might still be things here or there of worth.
“And a solid roof overhead and lockable doors will make me feel much safer at night.” I walked carefully across the bridge and began to explore the ruins.
“Well this is almost entirely crap.” I groaned and leaned against a crumbling pillar. We had stopped in an audience chamber in one of the remaining towers. “About 20% of the place still has a ceiling, its obvious that the plants have done their best to claim the outer wall and chambers, and I feel like a stiff breeze would knock this tower over. How is any of this still standing?”
Something else to be aware of, listen.
I paused, holding my breath and closing my eyes to focus on the stillness around me. “I don't hear anything.”
Exactly. There are no animals, no rodents, no insects. Nothing but plants live in this castle. There aren't even any bones, like no creature ever came here after Nightmare's banishment.
Over in the corner lay bits and pieces of blue-black armor. “Looks like somepony was here at least.” I picked up the helmet, noting the hole for a unicorn horn. It was big enough I could have worn it. “It is creepy that there isn't anything here, but its not like the place is haunted.” I turned the helmet over and saw a pair of green dragon eyes open in the empty faceplate.
“YEAAAAAH!”
“Whaaa!” the helmet echoed as I lobbed it into the air, watching it come crashing down like a tin pot. “Ow! Be more careful you misshapen beast!”
“Wha- what is that?!”
Something an awful lot like me I think. A spirit, bound to this realm by powerful seals and promises.
“We are not just a that! We are something more! Something powerful” The helmet slowly rotated on the stone floor to look at me. “Tremble pitiful creature, for you gaze upon that which brought even Princess Luna low! Bow before the NIGHTMARE.”
But your just a helmet.
“What was that?”
Oh shit it can hear me.
“We will not take such offhand remarks lightly. Beg forgiveness and bow!”
I had finally gotten my wits about me. Even if this thing was the powerful specter it claimed to be, it had been sealed pretty thoroughly. Its eyes and voice were about the only things it seemed capable of projecting. Still, I wanted to be cautious. Dealing with anything like spirits, daemons or fairies could turn the slightest verbal misstep into a deadly contract.
I looked over the helm, the green eyes glowing menacingly at me. “No.”
“WHAT did you say?”
“I said 'no'. I'm not bowing to a battered helm and a disembodied voice.”
“We are the Nightmare! We have brought this world to it's knees and shrouded the land in eternal darkness twice. Know your place pathetic creature.”
“You are a spirit, powerful beyond imagination. But you failed, you were defeated. Twice. And if I guess right, you are trapped in that helmet until somepony is foolish enough to let you out.”
“We will get out sooner or later you little monster. There is always some foolish little-”
You are in the history books.
“What?”
You are in the history books. Even the basic ones. Everypony knows of the Nightmare and how it corrupted princess Luna. Everypony knows about you
No pony is going to come around to let you out.
“Not for a long, long time. I'm sure that Celestia wouldn't want to risk your return. She doesn't know if you were banished to this castle or the moon or just destroyed, so she is fighting you with knowledge.”
“She- she cannot, she would not. The knowledge is dangerous, embarrassing, politically damaging. That a princess could be corrupted by a spirit? Their pride would not allow-”
I flopped the history book open to her section and set it in front of the helm, watching the eyes flick over the text. “This is the newest textbook for history courses. Simpler versions are available for younger fillies. The local town library has a section of at least 60 books, most brand new, all talking about what you are and why you are so dangerous.”
The helm sat for a moment, absorbing all of this information. Then strange little muttering started to issue forth.
“We- I- this- we never wanted this. We have helped so many to attain their dreams. With princess Luna we were finally great. What recognition did we ever receive?”
I understand there is a holiday called Nightmare Night.
The specter seemed to cheer up at that news.“Really? I have a memorial day? Do they tell of my greatness and-”
Young fillies go house to house in costume demanding candy. At the end of the night they offer it to you in effigy, so you won't eat them.
“EAT THEM!?” Her ghostly eyes looked horrified at the idea, her voice shaking.
“Dear god, I think it's blubbering” I whispered.
Little drops of energy were seeping down the helm's cheek plates. “I- It is just not fair.” it whimpered.
Sarah, I hate to see a fellow spirit cry. Isn't there anything we can do?
What would you suggest we do? We cannot just force it onto some unsuspecting creature.
“We can try and take it with us.”
“What?”
“We aren't from this world, we travel between dimensions. If you swear to help us, and try to be good, we can try and take you with us when we leave.”
“Leave Equestria? Leave this world? What would we do out there?”
Not sit in an abandoned castle for centuries waiting for the next idiot.
“You have burned your bridges here. Come with us, learn from us, and maybe try something new.”
Sarah, we aren't even sure WE can get home. I don't like you promising something you can't deliver.
“You would do this, for us?”
“We will try. I can't promise you will go hopping worlds like we do, but we might find you a place to settle down.”
The helm was quiet for a short while. “Very well. Place the helm upon thy head and we shall grant thee our power.”
“Oh no, I'm not doing that." I shook my head. "I have more than enough voices up here already.” I picked the helmet up. “You can aid me just as well for now without bonding you to my soul. In the meantime, how about you help us out with some information.”
“What would thou like to know?”
“We need food and shelter. The castle can provide some shelter but needs repairs. Food will either mean scavenging, hunting, or finding funds somewhere. Know where we can get food or money?”
“The princess Luna's royal chambers are not far from this audience room, where ancient night court was held. The princess did posses a small trove of coin and gems.” A small trail of blue smoke extended from the helmet under my arm and pointed us forward.
The princess’s room was one of the better preserved in the castle, the ceiling having only two or three holes the size of my fist in it. The crumbling remains of furniture, and the ghost like remnants of sheets and tapestries decorated the room. I felt like breathing on something would reduce it to dust. The Nightmare pointed me to a lose stone near the head of the bed. Beneath it was a small wooden box with over a hundred golden coins, a dozen small gems, a few letters and a small book.
Finally, some money. Now we can buy a decent meal. It's been over a day since you've had anything aside from that MRE and a few random berries.
“Hang on.” I pulled out the precious bit Twist had given me and held it next to the ancient coins, sighing in frustration.
The size is larger, the thickness is different, even the markings don't match up. These coins are going to set off all sorts of red flags if you just walk into town and drop them on the grocer's counter.
Aww, no pancakes?
“Well one can hardly blame us for advances in currency. We were trapped in the MOON!”
“Relax, Machina is overlooking the obvious.”
Which is?
“These coin's are in excellent condition and over a thousand years old. And whenever something like this reaches such great age in such good condition,” I smiled, “There is always a collector.”