//------------------------------//
// The Library: 8 
// Story: The Forgotten Library 
// by Ponyess 
//------------------------------//

 . 

I had seen Luna, the equine Princess of the night.  I'm fascinated by her, I am to confess truthfully.  I couldn't lie to myself, now could I.  Besides, what's the point.

I had seen my sister smile, for the first time of the entire stay at the hospital. I mean, she may smile, but it is no real smile, when you see a true smile, you know the difference, at least if it is your sister.  It is what I had told myself on the trip down.

Then something hit me, and I couldn't quite place it at first.  Not only did I hear two sets of hooves moving from her room and to the elevator, but I clearly felt a second tail in the cramped space of the elevator as well.  There is no way around what I had noticed.

There is just one actual human here, and that's me, but I still knew my sister to be with me.  It is the first time I noticed the changes, the differences in her.  Something is strange, but it still does hold together.

As boring as the uniforms are, I guess I could see the point, even if it feels a bit too militaristic on me.  My sister is wearing her blue skirt and top, like always when I see her.  I've grown to associate her with the uniform by now, which is bothering me in some ways I just can't quite put a finger to.  Only now something stick out, did she have a tail, and were these her hooves?  She certainly isn't wearing the blue shoes, or boots now.  I guess I finally had noticed it.

Naturally I wear my complete uniform as a visitor of the hospital, the top, skirt and shoes.  The nurse had made sure of it as she watched me signing in for the visit today, just like was customary.  It was just the nurse assigned for this duty.  I'm not sure of her name, I don't really care.

On the front of my red top, the tag reads Hitomi, which is my name.  The picture clearly identifying me, the long black hair, with bangs and a braid on my back, the green eyes and a cute smile, aside from the light complexion plaguing our family.

“You may as well take your shoes off, and leave them by the door!” Luna pointed out as we entered the library.

“It isn't as if anyone is going to find them.  I have never even seen a black suited janitor down here!” my younger sister Risa exclaimed, as the doors closed behind us.

For a moment, I was tempted to look at all the wondrous books to both right and left.  But since my sister ignored them, I simply followed her example.  As fascinating and wondrous as they may be, I felt a scent of something that was to top the combined scope off by a land slide.  How ever this was even possible.

Looking back at my sister before me, I quickly revised the point.  There's the living proof of what is simply incomprehensible, right there before me.  I need but see her tail, or hooves before I know it to be the case.  I can't refute what's before my very eyes.

“Right this way, children.  Oh and Hitomi, you will have enough time to study these volumes, as priceless as they are, after your visiting hours are up.  I'm giving you several days to enjoy them!” Luna put forth in a generous tone of voice, yet hinting to a deeper amusement.

“Then I wasn't wrong in my initial assessment of what we're just walking by, right now?  Is that what you're saying, Luna?” I inquired, curious and hoping for the inevitable confirmation from the Princess of the Night herself.

“Oh, but they certainly are.  More precious then you may imagine!” she just put forth.

“Wait, this room feels as if it had been brand new.  Yet I sense you indicating it is more or less ageless, ancient.  It isn't a long lost trove of treasure, as valuable as if it had been gold, stacked line by line to the brim of the high ceiling?” I responded.

“Gold is a mere natural mineral, but I can follow your line of thought.  This does indeed contain treasures, far outreaching mere mineral wealth.  Maybe time itself withholds these, for the same of preservation?” Luna teased on, igniting hope and confusion within me.

“This looks a bit like an old time library, belonging to a Noble.  I still recall reading of these things in history class.  Though I have missed a few classes by now, and these memories aren't quite as vivid as they were in class!” Risa pondered.

“We read about these too, but that's a few years back now.  We've moved further back in time in our studies.  I think a library like this would be an adventure all of its own.  Now I'm asked to pass it up, to see another book?” I inquired.

“This isn't just another book, but you'll see it with your own eyes.  I'll have you read it, and see the engravings!” Luna pointed out with a sinister grin on her face.

“Engravings, did you just say engravings?  These are only found in very old books.  I haven't even seen a true engraving!” I expressed in shock and expectation.

Now I finally got to the doors, to see them open, and allowing us entrance.  I follow my sister into the room.  It is the inner sanctum of a lord of some kind, from some ancient culture.

I walk up to the reading pulpet, looking at the book.  I can recognize the Latin alphabet, but vaguely, as if it is so old, the letters are barely recognizable.

“This isn't Anglic, Russian, French, or Arabic.  I'll see if I could pronounce the words?” I pronounced as I opened the book, only to see the image of a horse and a human.

“Looks like Equestrian, by what I can make out!” Luna suggested in a supportive voice, suggesting what had to be said.

“Equestrian?” I stumbled.

“Yes, Equestrian.  It's the Language of my ancestors, from my native lands.  Equestria is a nation of Equines, just like myself.  Most of us are considered ponies, and come in three common types.  Earth ponies, like your everyday horse, Pegasi, winged ponies, and finally the Unicorns, with a horn in the forehead, with which we weald magic.  I'm an Alicorn, thus I have both the horn, and the wings.  Incidentally we Allicorns grow considerably larger then the common ponies of our lands!” Luna summarily explained, thus spilling a large can of beans all over the both of us.

Just like my sister, I stumbled on with pronunciation of the words, and I'm not sure if I got this right, or what it actually was I was saying, but I still had to try to read this short text.

“I think you got that down pretty well, good thing you did remove the shoes, as beautiful as they are.  I wouldn't like to see you ruin them, not so much for the shoes, but for how I imagine it'd pain you as your feet change!” Luna pointed out.

I looked at her face curiously, then momentarily at where I had left my shoes by the door, before I looked back at her.  Then I have a new and unaccustomed sensation at the base of my spine.  Momentarily pushing the skirt a few inches down, as I realize what happened.  I had just sprouted a tail, just like my sister.  I just couldn't see it.

I noticed I had changed stance, just at the time I was pushing my skirt down, something more had apparently changed, so I look down, only to see a pair of hooves, identical to my sisters.  Only my hooves are red, and with that, I guess so would be tail be, even if I couldn't see it.  Then it hit me, my hair had also changed into the same ginger red.  I laughed out in amusement.

“Of all colours, Metallic bloody red, for my hooves!” I pointed out.

“That's exactly what happened to me too!” Risa pointed out with glee, and a smile on her face as she looks at me.