//------------------------------// // Chapter 11: And The Gods Worry // Story: Legacy of the Sun // by IceColt //------------------------------//         “We are worried, Celestia.” Celestia raised her head and opened her eyes. The orb which had lit up before, lay dormant again. Instead, a second orb now pulsed with the rhythm of the words. “Troubling events are occurring in our domain.”         “Troubling events?”         “The Heretic!” A third orb flared. “What is he doing outside the castle!”         The furious voice made the room shake in its foundation, but Celestia remained unperturbed. Her voice was perfectly even when she replied: “He is helping me.”         “Helping!” Repeated a fourth orb with incredulous mockery in its voice. “Just like he 'helped' Equestria?”         Celestia stifled a sigh. Against better knowledge, she had hoped for a more relaxed reaction from the spirits, that they were willing to forgive and forget. Obviously, she had been wrong. “Please be at ease, Spirit Gelio. I have not left him unsupervised for his leave from Canterlot.”         “This is no reason for calm, Celestia,” the second orb spoke up again. “You had been in the very same position as him once, and you were able to raise an army to march against Canterlot.”         “That was hardly the same. Equestria had just started to recover from the war, and Discord had been at the borders. The ponies had been frightened. They had been looking for somepony to protect them, not celebrating holidays.”         “She does speak the truth, Gennaiodoria,” a fifth orb now joined the conversation. “These are different times.”         “Yes,” agreed a sixth orb, “These ponies, while weak, mortal beings, are devout in their admiration for Celestia. They adore her like infants their mother.”         The familiar feeling of indignation began to glow hotly in Celestia’s stomach as she listened to the sixth orb's words. Yet she kept it locked up deep inside of her. The time in which she had believed the spirits to be able to feel something like sympathy for her ponies had long since passed. Any anger directed at them for it was only wasted energy.         “Children can be led away from their mother, Timiotita,” replied the third orb. “All that is necessary are some sweet-tasting treats.”         Even though it was just an orb, Celestia felt like it stared at her with a spiteful glare as it spoke those words. A soft shiver snaked through her body, but she did not allow it to take hold and make her tense up. That was just what they were waiting for after all, a moment of weakness. A sign of uncertainty. Instead, she turned her head towards the orb that had spoken those words, mindful to not move too quickly nor too slow, and returned the non-existent glare. “My subjects are not as weak-minded or desperate as to be tempted to chaos by sweet-sounding promises, Spirit Afosiosi.” “Can you truly claim to speak for every single pony that is under your charge?” asked Gennaiodoria, the doubt in its voice unveiling the hidden reprimand. “Of course she could claim it.” The orb the others had addressed as Gelio had lit up before Celestia could even open her mouth. “But it would not make it any truer.” “Please, Spirit Gelio,” answered Celestia, straining to keep the tone of her voice relaxed. “What reason would I have to lie to you?” “None that we could think of, Celestia.” Instead of Gelio, the fifth orb had now replied. “But this has not stopped your predecessors from doing so.” Celestia's markedly relaxed voice was accompanied by a hint of steel in her tone as she answered: “My predecessors, Spirit Kalosyni, are not me. Need I remind you of the length of the time I have been your faithful avatar?” Kalosyni didn't answer, but the silence was enough for Celestia to take this exchange as a victory in this debate. Then, for the first time since the beginning of the discussion, the first orb spoke again: “We are aware of your prolonged loyalty and, of course, appreciative of it.” Took you long enough to get involved, thought Celestia as she waited for the first orb's dramatic pause to pass. “However, it is not the adequacy of your servitude that is in question, but your understanding of its nature. You answer to us first and foremost. If you wish to involve the Heretic, you do not do so without our knowledge. Understood?” So, after all the angry accusations, it had just been about not wanting to be left out of the loop. Celestia did not know whether she should feel annoyed by the spirits' desire to enforce their importance, or relieved that they apparently were not going to do anything right now. Regardless, she once more lowered her head in a humble bow. “I understand, Spirit Mageia.” “Very well,” Mageia continued. “You may leave. But know that we want to be regularly informed of the Heretic's activities.” “As you wish.” Celestia bowed one more time and then turned around, slowly walking back to the space between the two pillars, which started to glow and swirl. A minute later, Celestia stood in her chambers again, the inside still illuminated by the setting sun, and the window, through which the light entered, completely normal again. Celestia aired her relief in a deep breath. That could have gone better, but also worse. At least they hadn't decided to take any action in this matter – for now. Should something happen, however... Celestia turned around and looked through the window, watching as her sun slowly sunk to its rest under her magic's guidance. Her eyes wandered over the soft hills between which Ponyville snuggled itself against the borders of the Everfree Forest and the Whitetail Woods. It was so close, yet so far from her reach. It was out of her hoof to influence anything happening in this little town. She could only hope that Stone Quill would not do anything that reminded the spirits of why they called him 'The Heretic'. ---         Spike had never forgotten why Trixie had remained in his memory as one of the most obnoxious ponies he had ever met. He had, however, forgotten the sheer number of reasons that he had found for this title. “...and do not get Trixie even started on this poor excuse of fabric Twilight Sparkle apparently calls ‘a carpet’. Middle class canterlotian style, on the floor of a famous modern reinterpretation of zebrican architecture? Trixie most certainly thinks not!”         “Since when do you know anything about interior decoration?” Spike grumbled, more to himself, as he watched out of the corner of his eyes how Trixie lifted a corner of the talked-about carpet with her magic and pursed her lips.         “It is simply one of the Great and Powerful Trixie’s many natural talents.” Trixie let go of the carpet and put a hoof to her chest while she lifted her nose high up. Probably in an attempt, Spike guessed, to achieve as much bragging as possible. “An appearance which is pleasing to the eyes is something all magicians should strive for, after all.”         “Right. Should’ve figured you know a thing or two about keeping up appearances.” Spike looked at Trixie, but she ignored him, suddenly very interested in finding other instances in which Twilight had neglected to create an 'appearance which is pleasing to the eye'.         Spike rolled his eyes and turned back to the shelf in front of him, raising his duster anew. He sighed when he sized up the largely undusted piece of furniture. He normally would already be three bookshelves further, but Trixie's regular demands for his attention - either to see another 'travesty' in Twilight's choices about, well, everything, or stopping the self-proclaimed wunderkind from creating a mess for which Twilight would rip both their heads off – had kept him at a frustratingly slow pace.         Well, no use just thinking about it. Spike righted himself. If I hurry now, I should be able to finish this shelf before—         “Now that is just inexcusable.”         Oh come on! Spike stifled a groan as he lowered his duster for what felt like the thousandth time and turned his head.         Trixie, having taken her attention off the library's floor, stood in front of another bookshelf. She had a hoof raised to her eyes and was inspecting it carefully. As soon as she caught Spike's attention however, she looked up and pointed the hoof towards him. There was a small trace of a fluffy, gray material on the tip of it.         “Trixie strongly advises that you and Twilight Sparkle dust this library more often.”         Spike's left eye twitched involuntarily. “Thanks for the helpful advice,” he said acidly.         Trixie put down her hoof and pursed her lips. “Trixie cannot help but feel that you do not feel the gratitude for this important tip which you express.”         “Gee, what gave that away?” grumbled Spike, but Trixie ignored his words again.         “You need to understand, young drake, that a library is a place of great importance.” Trixie brushed over the books' backs gently with her hoof, a loving expression on her face. “It needs to be tended for carefully, so that young minds can grow through its wealth.”         This, Spike had not expected. He looked at Trixie with wide eyes, watching how she stroked the spines of the books with a careful, almost tender touch. What was going on? This soft expression on Trixie should have felt foreign for Spike to look at, but instead it felt strangely adequate. Befitting. In a way, it even reminded him a little bit of Twilight…         Spike shook his head. No, he could not think that! Twilight was one the ponies that were most important to him. She was like an older sister to him, one of the very few he would dare call family. This obnoxious showmare had no right to intrude on such private places in his mind!         Eager to dispel the moment, Spike broke the silence: “Well... it's lucky then that Twilight and I found all those Everfree caterpillars then, which you planted here.”         Trixie rolled her eyes. “Trixie would appreciate it if you'd remember that she had been under the influence of the Alicorn Amulet during that time. Otherwise the Great and Benevolent Trixie would have never stooped as low as to such an act of vandalism.”         Spike only snorted in response. Internally though, he gave a breath of a relief. The strange atmosphere around Trixie was gone and she was back to her usual demeanor. This was definitely the way things should be. Still, he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for chasing away the other side Trixie had showed...         “Anyway, what are you being idle for? These shelves still need to be dusted. Focus on your task!” Now Spike felt a lot less guilty. He gave a low growl, but turned around nonetheless. Trixie was right after all, there still was a lot of dusting to be done. “Alright, I’m getting to it. But you better sit down somewhere and keep quiet, your nagging is distracting.” An offended gasp came from behind Spike. “Nagging? The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t nag! She offers invaluable advice and insight!” “Then why don’t you go offer somepony else your ‘invaluable advice and insight’?” grumbled Spike quietly, hoping she wouldn’t hear him and he could finally go back to dusting again. Unfortunately, Trixie’s sense of hearing once again proved to be keener than expected. “Not everypony values Trixie’s judgement as much as they should. And The Great and Powerful Trixie has no interest in speaking to ponies that do not wish to listen.” Under her breath, she added: “That and they would probably burn me at the stake as soon as they found out I’m in Ponyville again.” “Right, you did rule Ponyville as a crazy tyrant for a short while.” Spike couldn’t resist the temptation to raise his voice more than necessary, while watching Trixie out of the corner of his eyes. She winced at the volume and immediately looked towards the next best window. She even held her breath as she stared outside, unmoving. Yet when it became clear that Spike’s words had not magically summoned a frenzied mob, Trixie relaxed with a sigh. Spike gave a giggle. Immediately, Trixie’s head shot around and she transfixed him with an angry glare. “Does Trixie’s suffering provide that much entertainment for you?” “Relax,” answered Spike, still smiling. “Nopony knows you’re here. And as soon as Twilight has talked to everypony, you’ll have nothing to hide from.” Trixie didn’t look the slightest bit calmed down. “The Wise and Sagacious Trixie nonetheless prefers to stay hidden until Twilight Sparkle has done the necessary calming of the Ponyvillians.” “Oh come on, it’s fine!” replied Spike, waving a dismissive claw. “What are the chances of somepony coming around the library this late in the day?” There was a knock on the door. Spike stared at the door. Then his eyes wandered to Trixie. She looked right at him, her jaw slack and her eyes wide. In some corner of his head, Spike realized he probably didn’t look any better. The rest of his mind had thousands of thoughts running all over the place, but one dominated over them all, forcing its way in Spike’s throat and out of his mouth: “Uh-oh.” --- Fluttershy stood outside the library and waited. In fact, she had been waiting for a little while now. Certainly longer than it usually took for either Spike or Twilight to answer the door. Fluttershy cast an unsure glance towards one of the windows. There was definitely light coming out of the library, so somepony should be home. The thought of looking through a window crossed her mind, but she dropped it. She didn’t want to intrude on Twilight’s and Spike’s privacy by spying into their home. Even if it was a public building, everypony here treated the Golden Oaks Library as Twilight’s house. Maybe they just really forgot to turn off the lights, mused Fluttershy. It had been a rather eventful day, what with Magister Stone Quill coming to Ponyville and all. Still, she better made sure. Applejack had asked her to tell Twilight about Pinkie, after all. Fluttershy raised a forehoof to knock a second time, when there was a click and the door swung open. “Oh. Hello Fluttershy.” It was Spike. The young dragon looked strangely relieved upon seeing her. Curiosity tickled at Fluttershy’s mind, but she didn’t let it in. Maybe Spike was just glad to take break from his chores. Spirits knew that Twilight sometimes worked the poor little guy a bit too hard. She gave him a smile. “Hello Spike. I hope I’m not disturbing or anything?” “Oh no, not at all. Come, uh.” Spike suddenly interrupted himself and cast a glance over his shoulder. Fluttershy’s eyebrow rose up, but she lowered it when Spike turned back around. “Yeah, come on in.” Spike stepped aside, making room for her. Giving him an appreciative nod, Fluttershy walked into the library. “Thank you. I don’t want to keep you for long, I just wanted to quickly speak to Twilight.” While she spoke, Fluttershy looked through the room. It was still the same library as always. The bookshelves were artfully carved in the tree’s wood, leaving ample room to walk about. The middle of the room was occupied by a large, simple wooden table, on top of which stood the familiar wooden horse head sculpture. Yet this familiarity made Fluttershy only all the more curious. Why had Spike then cast a glance back, as if to make sure that everything was all right, before he had let her in? Fluttershy shook her head. Stop it, Fluttershy. You should not stick your nose in the business of other ponies. Or dragons. “Twilight’s not here right now.” Spike’s voice brought Fluttershy back to the present. She turned towards him. “She wanted to ask Applejack something, so she’s probably at Sweet Apple Acres.”         “Oh, I see. Then it will take a while until she gets back, won’t it?”         “Yeah, probably,” agreed Spike, but he wasn’t looking at Fluttershy as he spoke. His eyes were wandering through the room, as if he was searching for something.         By now Spike’s strange behaviour did not tickle Fluttershy’s curiosity anymore, but instead made her outright worry now. Maybe there was more to this than just him being overworked? Yet before she could ask, Spike spoke again - and Fluttershy winced in surprise because this time the young dragon spoke so loud that it was close to the point of shouting: “But if you went south over the bridge right now, I bet you could still find Twilight at Sweet Apple Acres, or meet her on her way back.”         “Um… that’s alright,” assured Fluttershy as she rubbed one ear with her left forehoof. “But if you don’t mind, could you be a bit quieter, Spike?”         Spike looked at Fluttershy with surprise, but it was quickly replaced with guilt when he saw her massaging hoof. “Oh. Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”         “It’s fine.” Fluttershy gave him a warm smile as she lowered her hoof. “No harm done.”         Spike nodded silently, but the look of guilt didn’t vanish. That worried Fluttershy. She didn’t want Spike to feel guilty because of her. Really, she had had louder patients at her cottage, a little bit of loud talking wasn’t going to impact her hearing. But how could she convince Spike not to burden himself with worry for her?         Yet before Fluttershy could think any further, she heard something. The soft squeaking of hinges and the whisper of a small breeze entering the room - it was the unmistakable sound of a window being opened. Fluttershy looked at Spike, but he was still standing at the door. And the sound had definitely not originated from the door, it had come from the other side of the library. From the kitchen.         “Did you hear that?” asked Fluttershy as she turned around, warily looking towards the semidarkness that was the kitchen.         “Hear what?” Something in Spike’s voice caused Fluttershy to look back. The young dragon looked tense, almost anxious. His eyes were weirdly fixed on a specific point in the room, as if he was trying not to give something away by directly looking at it.         “You didn’t hear it?” Fluttershy was not sure whether to sound surprised or doubtful. The sound had been quiet, certainly, but hardly missable in this almost perfect silence.         Spike looked towards Fluttershy, but quickly stared into the room again when her eyes met his. His brow furrowed, his lips were tightly pressed together, and Fluttershy could even a small drop of sweat crawl over his forehead. Was Spike nervous? But why? There was no reason for him to be anxious. Unless there was something he wanted to keep a—         “Oh, you mean the window!” Spike hit his forehead with his open claw. “Sorry, I don’t even hear it anymore. That's just Owlowiscious coming home.”         Fluttershy blinked. “Owlowiscious?”         “Yep, Owlowiscious.” Spike gave a small laugh that sounded a bit too relaxed to seem genuine. “You know how owls are, coming and going whenever they want. And ever since he figured out how to open windows he is barely around anymore except for when he wants to sleep.”         As Fluttershy listened, she felt her curiosity pounding at her self-control, demanding to reign free for at least a moment. Sure, what Spike said made sense. Owls hunted for long periods of times and could be very territorial. Yet there was one little thing that made it impossible for her to just let it rest…         “But owls are nocturnal.”         “...hm?” Spike turned his head towards Fluttershy, but Fluttershy was focussing her entire attention towards the kitchen.         If she interpreted Spike’s assumption of Owlowiscious right, then Owlowiscious probably hadn’t been here the entire day. And since owls didn’t return to their nests that early in the evening, it was very unlikely, even for an unusual owl like Owlowiscious, that he had come back. Twilight was still at Sweet Apple Acres, according to Spike, and he rarely was wrong when it came to Twilight’s schedule. Besides, she wouldn’t have any reason to climb through a window. And that elimination left only one possibility - a burglar.         Fluttershy wasn’t the bravest pony, she knew that herself. At this very moment, she wanted nothing more than to run away and call the constables. However, if she left now, she would leave Spike alone with a criminal and she just could not accept that. If something happened to the little dragon, she would never forgive herself. Yet if she tried to warn Spike, wouldn’t that also alert the burglar? She just couldn’t be sure. There was no wall separating the kitchen from the library, just a small passage framed by a pair of wooden pillars that held a particularly thick portion of the ceiling. Hang on, what if he already heard us? What if he knows that I know he’s there? Fluttershy bit her lip. Her legs were shaking and she could feel her heart pound against her chest. Blood was rushing in her ears, muffling all sounds. Even Spike, who was standing right next to hear, was barely audible. “Well, it could still be Owlowiscious. You know how strange that owl is, always asking about ‘who’ and stuff…” Was it just her or was the darkness from the kitchen getting closer? No, she noticed with a hasty glance out of a window, it was not her. The evening had started to transition into night, the gentle afterglow slowly disappearing under the thick, beclouding blanket of darkness. “...Fluttershy? Are you alright?” There! Hadn’t she seen something move on the outside? It was only for a moment, but Fluttershy could have sworn she had seen a pony in a blue cloak scurry past the window. Did that mean the burglar had brought accomplices? Fluttershy gulped. “Fluttershy, you’re starting to scare me…” What should she do? She couldn’t hope to fight off a villainous criminal, let alone an entire gang of them. And if there were more of them, they definitely had ponies posted at the door, to catch any fleeing witnesses. “Come on, Fluttershy, snap out of it!” Fluttershy squeezed her eyes shut. Her legs were trembling, but she couldn’t move them even an inch. Oh spirits, what should she do? Boom! Boom! Boom! The door shook under three powerful knocks. Fluttershy flinched and spun around, her eyes now wide open. They were here! They were going to get Spike and her now! And there was nothing she— The door opened and revealed a white pegasus, clad in golden armor. The view was so unexpected that it made Fluttershy’s head go completely blank. The shaking of her legs stopped immediately. Her eyes, still wide open and fearful, stared at the stallion without blinking and her wings, unbeknownst to her, completely spread. Though if for flight or for fight Fluttershy could not even say herself. The guardpony looked surprised, to put it mildly. He stared right back at Fluttershy, although his expression was more one of bewilderment than fright. “Er, hello Miss… Fluttershy, was it?” The sound of his voice gave Fluttershy back her control over herself and she finally recognized him. It was one of the guardponies that had accompanied the magister. “Mister… Swift Wing?” Upon hearing his name, the guardpony’s confusion dissolved into a big grin. “That’s my name. Glad some—” Fluttershy didn’t let him finish. With a dash she was in front of him, her forehooves pressed against his armor, and looking at him pleadingly. “Please, you have to help us. There is a burglar in the house!” Fluttershy had expected Swift Wing to look confused again, but instead his training took effect immediately. “Stay right here,” he ordered her in a calm voice, to which Fluttershy responded with a silent nod. The golden-clad guardpony cast a glance over his shoulder towards a female pegasus, which Fluttershy recognized as the pony Rainbow Dash had gotten into a fight with. Moonbeam they had called her, if she recalled correctly. Moonbeam gave a nod in response and disappeared into the darker growing night with a quick step. Seeing her vanish did not help soothe Fluttershy’s anxiety. Why is she not helping her colleague? There’s a dangerous criminal in here! Swift Wing, however, didn’t seem that concerned about it. The moment Moonbeam stepped into the shadows, he faced forward and took off. Fluttershy could barely see his movements, the male pegasus nothing more than a white blur that darted through the library, before piercing into the kitchen’s darkness. Fluttershy held her breath. The seconds stretched into infinity as she stared into the shadows, waiting for something - anything - to let her know what was going on in there. Had Swift Wing caught the criminal? Or had he escaped? Or had he even - a shudder overcame Fluttershy - struck down the brave guardpony? Yet all of her worries were laid to rest when Swift Wing emerged from the shadows, completely unharmed. Fluttershy gave a sigh of relief. Still, there was one more thing she needed to know. “Did you catch him?” Swift Wing shook his head. “Nopony was there. The window was open, but it didn’t look like anything was taken. Almost looks like Miss Sparkle just forgot to close the window.” “Or Owlowiscious had briefly come back.” Fluttershy and Swift Wing turned their heads. Spike still looked a bit confused by the sudden events, but apparently had decided not to be silenced by it. His arms crossed before his chest, he looked at the two ponies at what he apparently thought to be indignation. Fluttershy figured that Twilight most likely still not had had the heart to tell him that it looked more like pouting when he did this expression. “It has to be him. I mean, who in their right mind would break into a library?” “No, it was definitely a pony.” Moonbeam’s voice floated through the door, a moment later followed by its owner. It was only now that Fluttershy understood that Moonbeam had actually helped Swift Wing all along, covering the outside of the library while Swift Wing took care of the inside. Moonbeam gave Swift Wing a nod before she continued the explanation. “There were tracks around the open window, leading south. Whoever made them had been here just moments ago and had also been in a hurry. They had also worn a cloak, most likely to conceal their identity if they had met anypony inside.” She gave Spike a stern look. “You should be more grateful that Miss Fluttershy has such good instincts.” Spike opened his mouth, but then just snorted and looked away, his cheeks puffed up in defiance. Moonbeam raised an eyebrow. “Well, nothing bad happened and that’s the important thing.” Fluttershy gave Spike and Moonbeam a smile. The two didn’t reply, but their silence was all the answer Fluttershy needed. No need to start a fight over such a little thing, after all. She turned to Swift Wing. “Thank you again for coming when you did. I don’t know what otherwise would have happened.” A big grin appeared on Swift Wing’s face and his chest swelled. “Think nothing of it, Miss Fluttershy. That’s what the Royal Guard is here for. And the Night Watch,” he added after a side glance towards Moonbeam. “I’d be surprised if you weren’t.” The smile faded from Fluttershy’s lips at the sound of the voice. In all the commotion she had completely forgotten why the two guardponies were in Ponyville in the first place. Yet this one sentence made her aware of the presence of a pony she’d have rather forgotten about. Swift Wing’s grin also vanished instantly and he hastily saluted. “I apologize, Sir. I didn’t mean to imply that doing our duty is a special occasion, Sir. Not that protecting the citizens of Equestria is not important, of course, Sir. I just thought it proper to emphasize our readiness to perform our duty. By which I don’t mean, Sir, that we’re not ready all the time, just that—” “At ease, Private,” ordered Stone Quill, the unsaid shut up audible through his tone. Swift Wing didn’t need to be told twice. He closed his mouth so fast that his teeth clashed with a loud clack!, causing him to grimace in discomfort. Yet a glance over the shoulder from Stone Quill made him swallow any utterances of displeasure. Stone Quill snorted in annoyance, but didn’t say anything and faced forward again, his forward being a bookshelf. Apparently the commotion about any possible burglar had left Stone Quill unperturbed and he had entered while everypony else had been focussing on the kitchen. Instead of joining Fluttershy in worrying about Swift Wing’s well being however, he seemed to have immediately taken up the task he originally had come for. Only when the exchange between Fluttershy and the guardponies had begun to interfere with his attention had he apparently found it necessary to interact with them. With the silence restored though, he could focus anew on his interest. It seemed like those involved finding a specific book, for his eyes were scanning the numerous bookshelves of the library row after row, only to be dismissed with a click of his tongue when he was done with one of the shelves. As he went from bookshelf to bookshelf, Fluttershy found herself cautiously watching the magister’s every step. She was surprised herself when she noticed that, instead of curiosity or even worry, something else had taken the helm in this action - suspicion. Fluttershy gave a small frown and tried to shake the feeling. Why should she be wary of Stone Quill? He was a magister from Canterlot, there was nothing suspicious about him. Sure, he was rude and antisocial, but a lot of stallions his age had those characteristics. She may not know everything about him, but for which pony could she truly claim that anyway? Everypony had their little secrets, and Fluttershy had no intention to rob them of it. Not even a stallion as impolite as Stone Quill. Yet as much as Fluttershy tried to convince herself, a small voice in her head just would not budge. You know why you are wary of him, it whispered. Just think back to Sugarcube Corner. Nopony harmless could have such an expression. A small shudder ran across Fluttershy’s spine. Remembering the unsettling fire in Stone Quill’s eyes gave her an icy feeling in her stomach. And then there was Pumpkin Cake’s answer that she just could not forget. Mean… “Ah, there it is.” Fluttershy found herself dragged back to the present a second time this evening, though this time by Stone Quill’s voice. He was standing in front of a bookshelf on the other side of the room, pulling a book out of it with his mouth. Mouth? wondered Fluttershy. Isn’t he a unicorn? Fluttershy cautiously shot a side glance to Swift Wing and Moonbeam, but neither of the guardponies showed any of the surprise Fluttershy felt. Maybe Stone Quill was just strangely picky about the usage of his magic? The sound of an opening book cut Fluttershy’s thoughts short and she looked towards Stone Quill. The elderly unicorn had settled at the large table in the middle of the room, but instead of looking in the book he was looking into the air above it. He wrinkled his nose. “Apparently the study of friendship comes with a lack of dusting.” Although said loud enough for everypony to hear, Stone Quill didn’t look in any of their direction, making it look like he spoke to himself. Yet Fluttershy could see out of the corner of her eyes that Spike felt very addressed. “Well, Twilight and I have been really busy today, so there has been no time to get to every shelf.” Spike crossed his arms and puffed his cheeks in indignation. “Besides, Twilight told me that I don’t need to take care of that shelf as much as of the others.” Only a brief glance towards him showed that Stone Quill had heard Spike’s words. Otherwise the elderly unicorn ignored the young dragon completely. Yet Fluttershy could see his lips slightly moving as he began to give the book his full attention. She was almost certain that she could make out “not surprising”. After this, Stone Quill fell completely silent and began to leaf through the book quickly. His eyes scanned the pages for just a second, before another one was put in front of them, working tirelessly through what would be days worth of reading for other ponies. Fluttershy realized quickly however, that it was not that Stone Quill was reading quickly. He was already familiar with the book. He had the same expression Twilight wore when she was going through a book she had once read, searching for something she had read but could not quite remember perfectly. Suddenly, the pages came to a rest. Stone Quill bowed even deeper into the book, his eyes squinted as he read intently. He remained like this for a few seconds, before just as suddenly righting himself. His snout disappeared in his left saddlebag, rummaging through it briefly, before producing a paper scroll. Not wasting a second, Stone Quill placed it beside the book and unfurled it, bending over the both of them now, his head going from left to right as he examined both of their content. Fluttershy and the others watched all of this silently, simply standing there. Fluttershy had to admit that she was starting to feel anxious. It was beginning to feel like they were waiting for a secret command, a permission to speak again. It was rather uncomfortable, if she was being honest. Apparently she was not the only one who thought so. Softly clearing her throat, Moonbeam took a step forward. “Magister, do you want us to do anything about the escaped criminal?” “Why should I?” asked Stone Quill without looking up. If the question surprised Moonbeam, she hid it well. Swift Wing was less capable of concealing his emotion. “Well… it is a criminal. Won’t letting a pony like this run free create problems? It could throw a bad light on Equestria for foreign guests.” “Big festivals attract criminals, there is nothing you can do about it. Even dragons know that.” Stone Quill stuck his snout into the saddlebags once more, this time producing a quill from them. Looking at the book again, he began to write something on the unfurled piece of paper. “If you tried to arrest every pickpocket and cutpurse running through the market, there’d be no end to it.” After writing for a little while, Stone Quill leaned back and eyed his creation critically, before giving a satisfied nod. “Besides,” he continued as he put the quill back in the saddlebags and rolled up the paper, “A burglar that breaks into a public library? This kind of criminal will get themselves arrested all on their own.” Swift Wing looked dissatisfied, but he didn’t speak up again. Not that Stone Quill gave him the chance. The very moment he had everything sorted, Stone Quill closed the book with a forceful wham! and stood up. “Well then, where is Miss Sparkle? I need to speak to her immediately.” Fluttershy felt her heart stop when Stone Quill looked at her. “Oh. Um… I, I think she’s at… Sweet Apple Acres now.” “Very well.” Fluttershy was not the only one who widened their eyes at Stone Quill’s neutral, almost polite response, but if he took notice he didn’t show it. Instead, he adjusted his saddlebags and began walking towards the door. Immediately, Moonbeam got ready to follow him, but Stone Quill shook his head. “No, I think that will not be necessary.” This time, Moonbeam could not hide her surprise. Yet it was Swift Wing again who spoke up: “Excuse me, Magister, but I don’t think that is something for you to decide. The Royal Guard and the Night Watch are under direct orders from the princesses to watch over you at all times.” It took only a moment for the hostility to return to Stone Quill’s expression. “I think you don’t have the complete picture here, Private Swift Wing. The order from the princesses only exists because I asked them for the protection. You are guarding me because I wish for it. Should that protection not be adequate to my wishes however, I do not have the slightest qualms to let the princesses know it. Do you think that they would enjoy to hear that?” Swift Wing opened his mouth, but no sound came out of it. Finally, he just slowly closed it, looking towards the ground like a scolded foal. All the more surprising was it when Moonbeam began to speak. “But what purpose would us staying here have? It would be wiser to let us accompany you.” Stone Quill gave her a disdainful look. “I had expected more professionality, Private Moonbeam. I need somepony to stay and intercept Miss Sparkle, should I miss her on my way to Sweet Apple Acres. I do not wish to spend my night chasing after a pony that is chasing after me.” By now, Stone Quill’s expression was one of pure discontent. His eyes were alight with hostile impatience as he stared down his two guards, as if daring to delay him any further. When nopony else said anything anymore, he snorted. “Well, now that that is finally cleared up I shall be on my way. Remain here and intercept Miss Sparkle, should she return before me. Have I made myself clear?” The two guardponies gave a loud “Yes Sir!”, but Stone Quill did not even wait for confirmation. He swirled around and was out the door just a moment later, closing it behind him with a loud Bang!. For a moment, nopony spoke. They were all just standing there silently, like foals after an especially sharp rebuke by their father. Finally, when the seconds began to turn into minutes, Swift Wing gave a deep sigh. “Well, isn’t he just a joy to work for?” “Stop complaining,” replied Moonbeam, though her voice was not as sharp as it could be. She looked towards the door, her brow furrowed and a forehoof propping up her chin. “Still, why would he not want us to come?” “Because he’s crazy?” Swift Wing shrugged his shoulders. “I dunno, I don’t get him. Not sure I want to.” “But it doesn’t make any sense. Even if he wanted a guardpony to wait for Miss Sparkle, he could have just left one of us behind and taken the other one. There was no need to leave us both behind.” Swift Wing shrugged his shoulders again. “Like I said, I don’t get him. Maybe he’s just really particular about Twilight Sparkle. You saw how he had reacted to her.” “Maybe…” As the guardponies continued discussing Stone Quill’s strange behaviour, Fluttershy had something other draw her interest. The book that Stone Quill had taken out of the bookshelf was still lying on the table and her curiosity, teased and suppressed for the entire evening, was begging for something - anything - to be revealed. What could have been so interesting in that book that Stone Quill had to immediately speak to Twilight after reading it? The page may have been lost, since he had closed it, but she could still find out the title. She glanced towards Swift Wing and Moonbeam, but the two were still completely occupied by trying to unravel their protégé’s mentality. They wouldn’t notice if she was gone for a little bit to snoop in the magister’s matters. “Fluttershy?” asked Spike. Fluttershy turned around and placed a hoof at her lips, before she silently nodded towards the book on the table. Spike’s eyes grew wide and he nodded. With cautious hoof and careful claw, the both of them tip-toed towards the table, regularly looking towards Swift Wing and Moonbeam to make sure they were still engaged in their discussion. After a few moments, they reached the table. It took all of Fluttershy’s self control not to rustle her wings in excitement. Finally at least one answer to the many questions that were burning in her mind! What kind of important tome could have Stone Quill found in Twilight’s library? Yet when she read the cover, Fluttershy’s almost thievish joy turned into confusion. All the while, Spike was bobbing impatiently on his toes right next to her, not daring to try to climb the table in fear of making too much noise. “And? What is it?” Instead of answering, Fluttershy took the book and held it before Spike. And just like with her, his anticipation vanished in hot air, only to leave the dry aftertaste of bewilderment behind. “Huh? What would he want to talk with Twilight about with this book?” Fluttershy was thinking the very same question. After all, what interest would Twilight of all ponies have in a book titled The Sun, The Moon, and The Tyranny - The Failings of our Self-Righteous Ruler.