//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6 
// Story: Princess Luna is Dead 
// by Horsegirl123 
//------------------------------//

	"Twilight! Calm down!" 

If Twilight had heard Spike, than she didn't show it, for she continued her agonized trotting through the room, not even picking up a book to do any kind of research. Spike rolled his eyes and started for the bed, stacking pillows that had been tossed to the floor to make a makeshift stool, and scrambled up the the top with the help of the sheets. Waiting for Twilight to pace in just the right place, Spike stepped back and sprinted towards the end of the bed, jumping mightily and bouncing off, crashing onto Twilight's back and sending her crashing to the ground.

"Spike! You could have killed me!" yelled Twilight angrily, stretching out her wing to inspect for damage. However, the purple appendages showed to be absolutely fine, and Twilight delicately tucked them back at her side before any real damage could be done. 

"Ah, but I didn't, so you should be happy you're alive," pointed out Spike.

"What, no, never mind. We have bigger issues at hand! Princess Luna is dead and you're not the least bit worried!?" angrily ranted the pony princess.

"Um, not really. We just saw her Twilight! That book said that it was rumored. Do you believe every rumor you hear?"

Twilight scowled at him, not giving the sheepish, embarrassed smile he had expected. She walked towards him angrily, spreading out her wings. "So you're saying I shouldn't have believed the Nightmare Moon tale, because that was just a rumor? What would we have done then Spike, hmm? We'd be in eternal darkness. We could be dead! This world is filled with the most magical creatures in existence; things that shouldn't exist make regular appearances in our daily lives! For Celestia sake Spike! I got turned into an alicorn! And you're telling me to not believe a simple rumor?"

It was Spike's turn to give the sheepish smile. "Um yes... but none of those things were previously accused of being dead. We knew Discord was just trapped, as was Nightmare Moon, and as was King Sombra! There was always room for escape, the question was just when and how. But Princess Luna is alive and well, she can't escape from anything." 

"And so why should I believe it, I know." Twilight folded her wings back and turned away from Spike. "But I knew something was wrong, Spike. This just made it believable."

"Like what, Twi?" 

Twilight looked back over at Spike and exhaled, spreading her wings and shakily flying to her bed and laying down. Spike walked over and climbed up, sitting across from her. "Three things: one, when I was having breakfast with her one morning, she wordlessly mouthed 'help' at me, and then immediately regained conversation with Celestia as if nothing had happened: second, once she came bursting into my room, screaming that she didn't have much time left and that she desperately needed my help. Before she could say where 'she' was, she snapped back to normal, as if her brain had been taken over and had gotten free for a moment before being forced back into its controlled state: and thirdly, Celestia took the book from me. CELESTIA. TOOK. A. BOOK. FROM. ME. Not even Celestia has that right. And she said it was to protect me from making mistakes like rulers in the past had. I think Celestia has done something to Luna."

Spike stared in awe at Twilight's rant. "But Twilight, why would Celestia do that? You've known her all your life; I don't think she's evil."

Twilight look away sadly. "I know she isn't, or at least, wasn't. I think she made a mistake and has made many more trying to cover up the first. I think we have to go down to the library and find some more information."

"I don't think that's a logical idea, Twilight." 

Twilight looked insulted at Spike's remark. "Spike! First off, when did you start using words like logical? Start saying that back in Ponyville and you'll send Pinkie Pie off on her rant that we are actually being manipulated by bipedal monsters from a different world who control our movements and our timelines for the enjoyment of their offspring and occasional creepy adults. And second of all, when have books ever failed us?"

"Seriously? What about that time where the last page about the Crystal Heart was ripped out, or when you didn't read the book I showed you on how to cure you when you were cursed? And who could forget that one time in the human world where we looked insane in the library-"

"Spike! We don't talk about that!" said Twilight, cheeks blazing red.

"Sorry, sorry. Just think about it. If Celestia wanted to cover up something, why in Equestria would she allow proof of it to be stored in her own castle where anypony could wander upon it? She'd be a goner!" Spike looked at Twilight with smugness at his intellectuality of the past evening. 

"You're right Spike," said Twilight quietly. She only looked defeated for a moment, however, before her ears perked and her eyes were sparkling with an idea. "But...what if there was a place where no new information had been added in a thousand years, and Celestia doesn't have the right to tamper with the libraries?"

"Does that even exist?" asked Spike quizzically. 

"It's closer than you think actually Spike. Think about it; a place with information about its darkest ruler, hidden even from him when he ruled it; a place with the most expansive library we've ever seen, and a place where Celestia has no direct control."

Spike cracked a smile and leaped off the bed in excitement. "We're going to the crystal empire!"