//------------------------------//
// Chapter 11: Life Has No Meaning... 
// Story: He Who Walks The Graves 
// by The Zealot 
//------------------------------//

He Who Walks The Graves
By: The Zealot
Chapter 11: Life Has No Meaning…

It is always a disconcerting experience to be a pony, how would I know? Well, there are times when one such as myself is required to blend in to the masses. I was currently walking up to the small country town known as ‘Ponyville’ intent on learning more about the Elements of Harmony by asking around the town, and simply observing it. For this goal I had taken the form of a pony.

I had become a unicorn stallion, slightly taller than most others, a coat of alabaster white with a mane of turquoise, my eyes where the only thing that carried over from my Human appearance, those staying the same grey-blue color they always were. My ‘cutie mark’ was that of a quill upon a sheaf of paper, an inkwell off to the side. I had quickly remembered the fundamentals of walking quadrupedally and as such spent but a few more moments on the finer points of magical manipulation.

All of my faculties once more under my control I continued down the road into the town, coming in on the market side. Upon my entrance to the town I was immediately stopped by the pink creature obscuring my vision.

“Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie, and I don’t know who you are, which means you must be new in town because I know everyone here, and if you’re new in town then that means you don’t have any friends! And if you don’t have any friends then you’ll be all sad and stuff, which means I’ve got to plan you a party!” Came the rapid fire and very high pitched voice of one Pinkamena Diane Pie, the Element of Laughter. Not even I have a single clue as to how she made it all the way here from Canterlot, that would be an estimated hour trip, at the fastest, and Pinkie was no unicorn, or even a pegasus, interesting.

I was about to respond to the mare that had assaulted my ears and mind with her speech that was almost too fast for comprehension, but as I was opening my mouth to speak I had found that she had vanished, seemingly into thin air. Dropping the hoof I had held to the ground I let out a sigh of defeat, this mare was perhaps crazier than I, given how she had acted in the few seconds I had observed her. More time would tell, perhaps.

[1014 A.B. 6:23pm]

*****

Libraries are not supposed to be made out of trees! They just… aren’t… although I could appreciate the irony of it, still. The reason I was there in the first place was because I heard from someone that Princess Sparkle lived in said library, oh, and I felt the magical signatures of the Elements of Harmony inside, so there was that.

I walked up to the front door of the library and pushed it open, walking inside, apparently to the surprise of a tiny purple and green drake, Spike I think his name was. For some reason or other he was shocked at a pony entering the markedly public library. As I looked at him, raising an eyebrow in in curiosity at his surprise prompted him to speak.

“Ah, sorry sir, it’s just not often that ponies remember this is a public library, it’s gotten kinda surprising for somepony not to knock, so ah, is there anything I can help you with?” He sounded young, perhaps near his teenage years, although voice and even physical stature was never an accurate way to tell age for dragons, his words were amusing to me though.

“If you could perhaps point me in the direction of the local history section? Assuming there is one, of course.” I didn’t care overmuch about the history of this little town, although it would give me time to figure out where exactly the elements where, because they certainly weren’t the gems on display in the main room, and would allow me to read up a bit on the Element’s Bearers themselves.

With a small nod the drake answered me, “Yeah, we have one of those, in the room over there,” he pointed to a doorway across the library, “most of the local history books should be in the middle book case on the east wall, and if you need anything I’ll be in here.” I gave him a thankful nod and followed his directions into the aforementioned room.

Pulling the first tome in a series of books dedicated to the Ponyvillian history, I stepped over to a comfy looking couch and laid upon it, holding the book in my magic while simultaneously doing a location and decryption spell for the Elements.

Now, you may think it would be easy to find such a large source of power in such a relatively small building, but it appeared that this simple looking library had a very large underground complex, which extended search area, as well the Elements themselves had a way to frazzle out locator spells for them casted by those other than their bearers, making them exceptionally hard to find. How did I know all this? Well, I had tinkered with them extensively in the time before my banishment, and it seemed they had gained even more power than the last time, including but not limited to a stronger version of the imprisonment spell I had taught Celestia, the same one that was used against me.

[1014 A.B. 6:47pm]

*****
“Eureka!” I exclaimed quietly, along with a dinging and bright flash of light originating from my horn. You see, the location/decryption hybrid spell had finally located the exact position of the Elements, and it was time to act.

Using my magic to form a kind of holographic display showing a map of the library, I used the results from my spell to give me the location of the Elements, but a few moments later they were revealed to be… in Twilight’s bedroom… ugh. Truly, this is just sad.

I swathed myself in shadows, disappearing from the, admittedly, comfortable couch. I came into existence once more in the center of what I was assured was Twilight’s bedroom, rather tidy and nice, to be fair. I used the short range detector and found that she had stashed the Elements… under her bed… dear Lord.

I pulled the case out from under the bed, unclasping the golden locks and buckles along it’s length. Opening the case revealed many a gem attached to a golden necklace, centered in the middle of them all was a tiara, holding a starburst shaped gem, the Element of Magic. Secure in that they were all present, I closed up the case again, although as I did so, I heard the sounds of the door opening.

[1014 A.B. 7:48pm]