They hadn't come to do research.
They had come to find out how to breach the portal so that they could get back home.
But no one ever cares. When you're talking about us, Ant thought, we tend to get off topic. A lot.
The Canterlot library was huge. From just looking at it, you would probably get vertigo if you stared at the top shelves for too long.
Ant was willing to bet his diamond sword and his golden apples that not even Twilight Sparkle, bookworm extraordinaire,had read all of the books in there.
"And of all of the ponies to rule the freaking place, why did it have to be Celestia and Luna?!" Ant grumbled under his breath, wondering if he was really that cursed with bad luck or if the universe just hated him enough to do that to him.
Thank you, cosmos.
Celestia and Luna...well, they had certainly grown since he had last seen them. They were even bigger than he was, and Celestia was much more authoritative than when they had last met. Luna still had the same immature, demanding, and sarcastic atmosphere, but seemed to have matured at least a little. At least, she was no longer avoiding her sister. Ant guessed that was progress.
At least I was lucky enough to the point where they don't recognize me, Ant thought. I'd have a ton of explaining to do if they did.
Those thoughts kept running around in his head as he flipped through book after book, page after page. The smell of musty paper was thick in the air, and Ant kept glancing at the others to see what they were doing. Jordan was sitting there reading. Not much of a surprise there. The guy could study for hours on one thing and not even look up. Pinkie and Bodil were sitting together, having a quiet debate on which type of fun was funniest: Pranks or Trolling. Personally, I think they're the same thing. Twilight and Ty were sitting together, reading....Wait, what? Ant did a double take. WOAH. THIS. IS. WEIRD. TY IS ACTUALLY READING. SOMETHING. Ant gawked at them, his mouth hanging open, until he saw that Ty's book was upside down and facehoofed. Well, it takes a lot of talent to read upside down, I guess.
Applejack and Rainbowdash were hoof-wrestling instead of reading. It looked like a tied match, and it was getting nowhere.
Jason and Sky were sitting together talking about something, and they both simultaneously cracked up. Ant glared at them. He didn't understand where his sudden rage had come from. He shook his head, and looked around the room again.
Celestia and Luna were being responsible rulers and reading something that might help.
Rarity and Fluttershy were actually reading something too. They were actually being helpful.
Does it make me a bad friend that I find that surprising? Wait. I hardly even know these ponies! Why am I calling them my friends?
The last time he had made friends with some ponies...it hadn't gone too well.
"Excuse me, Your Royal Highness," said somepony, interrupting Ant's thoughts. Everyone spun around to see a black/dark gray unicorn with purple eyes bowing, using his horn to levitate some cups, sandwiches, and cookies on a plate. He looked up and said, "You have been studying for a long time. I was wondering if you would like a snack."
"It would be most appreciated, Umbra," replied Luna, smiling and using her horn to levitate a cookie into her mouth. She bit into it with a crunching sound. Ant hardly heard it; he was more interested in why the room's temperature seemed to have suddenly dropped a few degrees.
"Umbra?" echoed Twilight, looking confused. "Who's he?"
"Umbra is our city's protector, leader of the Legion of the Shadow Hunters," Luna responded, swallowing her cookie and reaching for another one. When she bit into the new cookie, her eyes widening. She made a face and spit it out. "Blech. Thou understands that we do not enjoy White Chocolate Macadamia?" Luna demanded, rising up on her hooves. "We prefer the subtle taste of Chocolate Chip!"
"You might not enjoy it, Luna, but I do," Celestia said, looking amused.
"What's the Legion of the Shadow Hunters?" asked Pinkie Pie, bouncing up on her hooves. "Do they look for shadows? Do they hunt shadows? Because if they do, then they're in luck! There are shadows e-very-where!" she sang, clicking her hooves together in midair and falling on her side. "Oof!"
"The Legion of the Shadow Hunters are a group of ponies who work together to solve crimes," explained Celestia. "For some reason, the number of crimes in Equestria has drastically increased, and the royal guard simply does not have time to answer all of the calls. That's when Umbra-" Celestia waved her hoof at him- "came in. He volunteered to start a group to solve crimes and hunt down the ponies who were guilty of them. They have bases it in all of the big cities such as Manehatten, Vanhoover, Cloudsdale, the Crystal Empire, Fillydelphia, Baltimare, and, of course, Canterlot." She smiled. "Ponyville might not have heard of him as it is quite crime free. It certainly is peaceful, that's for sure," she added.
"Oh, wow!" gushed Twilight, eyes sparking and gleaming at the fact that she was face-to-face with such an important member of a group that was so famous. "It is such an honor to meet you, Lord Umbra!"
"No, no no no no, the honor is all mine!" Umbra laughed. "After all, I'm face-to-face with the Princess of Magic!"
Ant didn't like Umbra's voice. It was deep and hissed like a rattlesnake with its tail cut off. Shadow hunters, Ant thought. Fitting, as Umbra looks like he's made of shadow.
It was true. The stallion's black mane flowed like it was in the wind, even though there was no breeze. His dark grey coat made it seem like he was a walking shape of black. And his horn...why was it black, instead of the color of his coat? There were so many questions that Ant had about this mysterious stranger.
"Well, I'll just leave you to your studying!" Umbra said, smiling. Ant shuddered. There was a way that Umbra was looking at him and his friends, as if they would make a good snack.
Umbra bowed, and walked back out of the room, the door closing behind him. Suddenly, aside from the occasional crunching of cookies, the room adopted the same calm atmosphere as it had before Umbra had come, and it was like there had been no interruptions at all.