Chapter 0: Prologue
GrannySmith was looking out over Sweet Apple Acres when a cry was given out from the town. Before long she had arrived to see what the commotion was about. A large black coated colt with a cloak on had come into their little settlement with a massive covered wagon. Flipping his hood off all the ponies gasped seeing one eye forced shut by a scar and many more marking the rest of his body. He looked around until his eyes rested on GrannySmith’s father. He came forward and as he spoke all of the ponies who had chosen to settle here since her family had arrived leaned closer to try to hear what it was he said in a quiet, raspy voice.
“I see that this little portion by the Everfree has changed quite significantly since when last I…. came through. To think Celestia would let ponies settle here. Hehehe. You should consider yourselves fortunate to have such a wonderous home and, if you will believe me, one so well suited for supporting ponies through hardship. I bring a gift for those curious enough to look under the tarp I brought it in,” at the end gesturing to his large wagon his eyes casting a challenge to all who stood around.
“Now just you wait mister. Who said you could come here and start talking like this land is cursed or… honey, wait!” her father shouted as she couldn’t keep herself from running forward and beginning to tug on the tarp. Always a curious girl she had the same instinct that this was important and magical, similar to the zap apples she had been studying. She paused for but a moment, considering her fathers caution. Then she pulled the tarp off and revealed a site that settlers like these may have only seen on a visit to Canterlot.
Books! and hundreds of them. It seemed strange, when she looked back on it that the colt could pull so many books but right now all that went through most of the settlers minds were wonder at this amazing gift, if a gift it was. That last one was however what Grannies father had been thinking.
“And just why are you giving these to us. You don’t look the type to be terribly charitable,”he said in a harsh voice. Like most they were still worried about living so close to the Everfree and the timberwolves returned to town from time to time. Especially when someone wasn’t paying attention.
“I commend you for your distrust,” the strange Colt said,”but it might comfort you to know that all of these books are practically worthless. You see I have found…. errors in their information based off of what I have learned in my travels. I rewrote the books so they were correct…. and now I want to donate them to those who live where I was… born.”After he stopped talking the energy seemed to leave him and all of a sudden he seemed small and harmless. Grannies father, a kind man at heart, came forward and put a hoof on his shoulder. The stranger looked up at this scowling.
“We gladly accept your gift but unfortunately we have no way to protect these books. We have no librarieeeeee,” Grannie’s fathers voice rising in pitch as he finished. The reason for his shock was because the pony had pulled out a bag with “Library Fund” written on the side. The bag was near to overflowing with bits and gems, a small fortune the kind of which none of the settlers had ever seen before.
“I do hope this would cover the funds for the Library,” he said and then stopped with a thoughtful expression on his face. “Or maybe a Town Hall. You would still probably have room for at least this many books in such a building,” he finished as he placed the coins in Grannie’s fathers hoof and then returned to his cart and the young filly who was excitedly investigating the books and had found one that he gently took from her. “Now for you, young one. I have a favor to ask.”
GrannySmith had to take a moment before responding. She could understand her fathers hesitancy about this strange black colt. It certainly looked like he might be dangerous between the scars and his long dark blue mane. This was a strange gift for the town but….. what would life be if you couldn’t trust another pony. Especially one who seemed so tired.
“What can I do for you mister? Maybe you’d like to try my latest batch of zap apple jam,” the excited young filly responded flashing a massive smile. The older Colt took a step back, not being used to such a friendly response. Perhaps she would be able to help others with his problem. They would need someone friendly and readily helpful.
“I’m sure it is quite nice but I don’t…. eat much these days,” he said trying awkwardly to smile back. “This book is very important and I need it taken care of. It contains the only possible cure for a terrible condition that I once suffered from. The only other way to be free of it is absolutely terrible. So I ask you to please hide this book away in the-”
“But why would you hide this kind of thing,” she interrupted excitedly. She could hardly sit still with how cool all this mystery was. Not to mention she wanted that book back since it was so important.
“This is because it has a tale of something that could put a lot of people in danger. Hide it in the library or the town hall should they build that instead. Hide it away so that you could still find it but others are not likely too. The title should be enough to let you know when you will need it,” the man said, his tone getting more dark and ominous as he continued. GrannySmith nodded, scared that the mysterious colt was going to react to his own dark memories. He then turned away and began to trot away.
“Why are you leaving. Don’t you want someplace to live,” she cried out to him. He turned his dark and surprisingly lonely eyes on her before he responded.
“No, I wouldn’t do well here. I don’t do well with others. Especially not when I get angry and that happens a lot. Do as I said and no one else will have to suffer like I did,” he said as he turned away to go.GrannySmith watched as he left. She looked at the book in her hand and wondered why it was so important and why he would leave it to her. She looked forward to putting this book somewhere safe, as soon as she had read it. She perked her head up realizing that her father
might want to review all the books before they were put away in the new building, and she needed to let no one else know about it. As she dashed away from everypony else she looked at the book checking to see what the title was.
“The Mirror Pool and the Mirrored Mind by Red Liner. What could that mean? Heheheh, I wonder if he’ll come back and talk to me more if I read it without his permission,” she said to herself as she trotted happily away. He would not return for that reason though. Or ever again.