//------------------------------// // Shining Through the Dust // Story: A Beam of Light // by OutofCuriosity //------------------------------// Aduro awoke to the overwhelming smell of the wet forest and enjoyed a brief moment of sleepy oblivion. Then he remembered all that had happened and, with a weary sigh, stretched out his limbs to get ready to move. As he arched his back in a manner he'd been told was similar to a cat, he brushed against something on the cave floor. It was another scroll with the royal seal emblazoned on it. For a moment Aduro considered just burning it right there but he decided that he should check for any differences from the last scroll. Unfurling it, Aduro was slightly surprised to find it addressed to him directly. The letter read as follows: Lucere, if you truly harbor no ill will towards Equestria, I ask that you help us in locating Tirek, who appears to have made his own escape from Tartarus shortly after yours. By telling you this, you already know more than the average citizen. Equestria is still shaken from the invasion of Canterlot and I fear the news that there is more than one escapee from Tartarus would cause more harm than good, especially where Tirek is involved. As a result, Luna and I are planning a quiet search for him. If, in your efforts to elude us you should find any clues to his location we would be grateful. That isn't the only possibility, you know. Lucere, you can stop running and stand by our side in this search. If my memory serves me correctly, you often said one should admit when one makes a mistake. Though I also seem to remember you having trouble following your own advice even back then. Enclosed with this letter is a quill and some ink in case you decide to respond. From Celestia. Aduro finished reading the letter and stared at the small bottle of ink and quill that lay on the cave floor. Tirek also escaped? How? He's been imprisoned longer than I was, so how could he escape now? Then a memory flashed through his mind. The pain of his wings being torn off, lashing his tail out in response, and sending a changeling flying towards another prisoner. His eyes widened at the implications the memory brought forth. ...No. It couldn't be. When I hit that changeling away with my tail... I remember Chrysalis insulting me about endangering her subjects but I was too distracted by the pain to pay much attention. That means it is my fault that infernal centaur is loose. Aduro slammed his head against the nearest cave wall, causing a spiderweb of cracks to form around the impact point. After a moment he peeled his head off the cave wall and began to pace back and forth, eyes focused on the ground. Maybe I should turn myself over to Celestia and Luna... No I can't. I held the Princess of Love captive for two weeks. Then I joined in the invasion of Canterlot and fought with Luna for the fate of the city. Now I can add letting one of the most dangerous foes we've faced escape from his place in Tartarus. They'll send me back there alongside Tirek for sure. Aduro furrowed his brow in frustration before letting out a resigned sigh and continued his pacing around the cave. I can't blame them though. I'd send me back to Tartarus for those crimes; and I think I prefer death to being sent back there. Aduro blinked at his own vehemence at not being returned to his prison. I can't go back there. I guess being free makes me hate being imprisoned even more. But I can't just let Tirek tear apart the land like he did last time. It seems I am going to have to agree to Celestia's request but... I need to have somewhere to run to in case that scroll tracks my location when I return it. Aduro stopped his pacing, approached the bags of gems, and ate several, enjoying the sensation of the gems being crushed between his teeth. It is nice to be able to think without hunger occupying most of my mind. With that Aduro walked out of the cave, sweeping up the leaves scattered across the floor with his tail. Blinking slightly when the morning sun hit his eyes, Aduro scanned his surroundings for the tallest tree. Finding a suitable one, he sunk his claws into the bark and quickly climbed up its length. Emerging into a slightly blinding ray of sunlight Aduro looked around for any signs of a town. Towards the south he found Canterlot perched on its mountain and far too close for comfort. To the west he saw that the forest he was in gave way to a wide plain, above which a huge cloud system hung. Raising a claw to his eyes, Aduro focused the light, enabling him to see the distant cloud with greater detail. With his now-enhanced vision, he could make out pegasi flying all around the cloud, some ascending to the cloud and some descending to the ground, many with carts hitched to themselves. Must be Cloudsdale, glad to see at least some things remain the same even after all this time. Turning his magically enhanced gaze to the north, he found only mountains with snow-peaked tops. Can't go north, too cold. I'd run out of fire before making any serious progress through that arctic wasteland. Now turning to the west, Aduro came across something he wasn't sure about. There several tall rectangular structures with smaller rectangles up and down the sides of these structures. What are those? Focusing the light reaching his eyes even more, the image of the structures grew larger and sharper. Now Aduro could see that they were buildings of some kind he had never seen before. The way the building shone in the sunlight was fascinating to the dragon and the sheer number of buildings offered the promise of knowledge about this new Equestria. I've found the answer to several of my problems. A city that big is bound to have a library I can use and it's good distance away from Canterlot. Now how shall I get there? Aduro decreased the magnification of his vision slightly and looked at the land surrounding the city and found a trail of train tracks leading to the city. Then Aduro zoomed out even more in an attempt to find any train tracks nearby to him. He wasn't disappointed. Not far to the west of him a set of train tracks cut through the forest. Satisfied with the solution to his short term goal and the first part of his long term goal he bounded down the tree and back into the cave. He put on his saddlebags, taking care not to disturb the bandages around the area once occupied by his wings. Now he felt ready to write a response to Celestia's letter. Taking the quill in unsteady claws he tried to bring it over to the inkwell but the quill fell out of his claws before then. It feels so odd to hold a quill again after all this time. At least I didn't accidentally break it in half. Picking the quill back up in a firmer grasp he dipped the quill in the ink only for it fall out of his now ink soaked claws. With a frustrated sigh he picked up the quill for a third time and pressed it to the blank section of the scroll. The quill snapped and poke a hole in the scroll. Aduro looked at the offending quill for a moment before clenching the claw holding it into a fist and igniting the quill with his claws. Now thoroughly frustrated with both the quill and himself for not being able to accomplish such a simple task, Aduro dipped a claw into the inkwell and scratched out his answer: I will keep an eye out for any signs of Tirek but don't expect me to just parade myself through the streets of Canterlot. I made a decision long ago knowing full well what the consequences might be. I must stand behind that decision even though it would be far easier for me to just surrender. Would we have ever been friends if any of us went for the easy route in life? And tell Princess Cadenza, for what it's worth, she put up an admirable fight to return to her love. I wish her nothing but happiness in her marriage and if she hates me for my role in the invasion, I understand why. From Aduro. Looking over the messy scrawl of his claw writing, Aduro decided he had done his best. He blew a small plume of white fire over the scroll and watched as it dissipated into ash which flew out of the cave. With a roll of his shoulders he sped off in the direction the train tracks had been. Before long Aduro came across the train tracks which stretched as far as his unaided eyes could see in either direction. A cursory sniff revealed only the faint smell of oil and coal in the area. There were two sets of train tracks and Aduro began walking in the gap between them, invisible once again. Why are there two sets of tracks? Oh, because they probably can't turn those metal tubes as easily as a carriage Aduro idly though to himself. A half-hour later he suddenly heard the sound of clanking metal and he turned to see a train surprisingly close and rapidly approaching. The dragon moved away from the tracks and waited for the train. Once the engine blurred past he took a running start and teleported onto the top of a train car. Unexpectedly his claws found little purchase on the metal roof and he slid back along the car, leaving a faint trail of claw marks. His journey ended when he reached the end of the car and fell into the gap between it and the next one. Quickly sticking out his limbs spread-eagle fashion, Aduro caught himself just above the doorways of the cars. The sound of approaching hooves made Aduro stiffen. What now? His question was soon answered when a mare in a conductor's uniform opened one of the doors, saying, "All right my feathered friend there are no hitchhikers... Huh." The mare looked around for somepony and saw nothing. She then began to climb a ladder uncomfortably close to Aduro's left arm. He slowly withdrew the claw embedded in the wood paneling, counting on the noise of the wheels to mask his actions. The mare evidently didn't notice anything while climbing the ladder where she looked at the scratches on the roof. "Another tree branch," she sighed before descending the ladder. Aduro waited several moments after the mare returned to the inside of the car before letting out the breath he'd been holding. Of course they'd have a system to keep ponies from using this transportation for free. It is this kind of ignorance that is going to get me caught before long. With that reminder of how little he knew about the current Equestria, Aduro carefully pried his claws from their spots and entered the car opposite of where the conductor had come from. Inside the train car he was greeted by the sight of crates stacked upon crates with suitcases scattered around, filling the entire car. He made his deeper into the car until he found a nice spot nestled between a box marked 'Sapphire Shores Records' and a window. It seems like just yesterday I on a train to Canterlot with my goal within arm's reach and now I'm no closer than I was 1800 years ago. All those sacrifices and nothing to show for them. He shook his head and glared out the window. I must stop wallowing in the past. It is done and I can do nothing to change that fact. I have to remain true to my vow. It is as simple as that. He opened the window and breathed in the smell of the forest. As simple as that. ---------- The it was well into the afternoon when the train pulled into the station and Aduro faintly heard a voice proclaim, "Manehatten Station." Aduro poked his head out the window to glance around. He saw a crowded platform with dozens of ponies and to his right he caught a glimpse of paved roads and buildings he couldn't see the tops of. Figuring this was the city he'd seen from the tree the dragon clambered out of the window. Had he been a healthy pony he wouldn't have been able to fit through without a tight squeeze, instead his thin form easily slipped through. So being chained for almost two thousand years does have some benefits he thought, a wry smirk on his face. He dropped to the ground next the platform and quickly scurried away from the crowded place. What he didn't notice was that a nearby reddish-brown stallion's eyes tracked his invisible form the entire time. The dragon hurried down the train tracks until he reached a curve. Then he jumped up to an alleyway and looked around. On the far end of the alley he saw many ponies passing by the entrance and the buildings on either side were so tall he had to look straight up to find where they ended. There are more ponies walking around than I expected. It'll be difficult to make sure nopony accidentally bumps into me. Now to find a library. With that Aduro quickly scaled the taller of the two buildings forming the alley. Once he reached the top he gasped in awe. Aduro knew the world had changed during his imprisonment. The trains that now dotted the landscape of Equestria and the city of Canterlot were proof enough of that but the trains were just longer versions of chariots and Canterlot's architecture was very reminiscent of the towns he remembered. Manehatten, however, was something else entirely. He had just climbed one of the tallest building he'd ever seen and still he could see some easily twice as tall as the one he was standing on. This city was enormous. Looking down the side of the building the dragon saw so many ponies walking around that combined with the height of the building, made him think of an anthill rather than a place ponies lived. I could hide here for years and the Princesses wouldn't even know I was ever here. A smile grew on his face and he allowed himself a small cheer before returning his focus to his immediate goal. Now how am I going find a library in this mess? He teleported over to the tallest building he could see, one who's top was graced with a horse head. Aduro appeared at the top the figure's 'mane' and was nearly blown off by the wind whipping past him. This time Aduro was prepared and anchored himself in place. Pressing himself flat against the mane the dragon lifted a claw to his eyes again, and focused the light around them. He saw vendors selling food on the streets, carts being pulled, and ponies walking in and out of buildings but he didn't see a library. He searched and searched but he didn't see a library, though he did see ponies reading books scattered around the city. The sheer size of the city worked against him as he found himself scanning areas he'd already gone over multiple times. The sky was beginning to turn orange and he was about to teleport to another building and search from there when he finally spotted a pony leaving a relatively small building with a small stack of books in the western part of the city. Focusing on the area Aduro saw several more ponies leaving the building with books and some entering with books. He then began chain of teleportations that brought him to the building. From the window of a nearby skyscraper a reddish-brown stallion grew a pair of wings in a flash of green fire and flew up to the spot he'd been observing the dragon from. Looking in the approximate direction the dragon had been looking, the stallion raised a pair of binoculars and looked for any sign of the invisible dragon. Aduro looked at the building which appeared to be made of a different style than most of the surrounding buildings. Across an archway that spanned above the entrance, was what Aduro assumed to be the name of the building. 'Manehatten...Public...Library' he read slowly. Just like that sign that had pointed him to that rock farm, the lettering was only vaguely similar to the language he remembered. He then teleported onto the roof of the building and began to search for a way in. The only one he could see on the roof was the entrance for pegasai and too many ponies were using that entrance for his liking. He snorted in frustration and kept to the edge of the roof to avoid any pegasai accidently landing on him. Aduro circled the building and much to his frustration he found no open windows or any entrances not currently being used by less than a dozen ponies. Then a glance at the darkening sky reminded him that he wouldn't have to wait for an opportunity much longer. Sure enough, within fifteen minutes, the flow of pegasai using the rooftop entrance had diminished enough for the dragon to risk it. He followed behind a grey pegasus stallion with a greying cyan mane. The stallion hummed quietly as he descended a staircase, unaware of his draconic companion. The pair navigated corridors with smooth marble flooring until they reached the main reading area. It was a wide, open area illuminated by the streaks of orange light coming from the windows. Aduro parted ways from the pegasus and scaled up the walls till he reached one of the small alcoves he noticed pegasai using as private reading areas. The alcoves came equipped with tables, chairs, a couch, and, much to Aduro's satisfaction, curtains. He closed the curtains and relaxed his invisibility spell for the first time in hours. Haven't had to do that for a long time. I'm out of practice. The dragon yawned and stretched, unaccustomed to being awake for so many hours in a row. He resisted the temptation to curl up and take a nap and instead watched the dust dancing in the few rays of sunlight. Despite his best efforts, the warmth of the alcove and the quiet of the library proved too much for the dragon and he felt his eyes droop. Deciding not to fight his weariness Aduro rearranged the furniture slightly so the couch covered a corner completely. Satisifed nopony would spot him without deliberately searching for him, he fell asleep. He was awoken by raised voices and the clatter of furniture being knocked over. Resuming his invisibility spell, Aduro exited the alcove to see what was going on. The first thing he noticed was that the sun had set. The next thing he noticed was the grey pegasus from earlier, now in a civilian guard uniform escorting a unicorn and a pair of earth ponies out of the library. The unicorn was holding some kind of electronic device in his magic and was protesting quite loudly with the guard. As for the earth ponies one seemed just as vehement to stay while the other was all but dragging his compatriot by the tail. "We just encountered the strongest ecto-etheric and para-pyschic readings I've ever seen. H-hey unhoof me sir," said the unicorn as he was pushed along by the pegasus. "I need to stay overnight to track the activity to check if it's cyclical or just sporadic. We are talking the difference between-." The unicorn had walked directly into a table causing a loud scraping noise to once again fill the empty air and knocked his glasses off. "Unless you got a permit from the chief librarian saying you can stay overnight my job is to keep visitors out until visiting hours. Sorry to have interrupted your science project but them's the breaks," said the guardpony. "Sir, please. This far more important than a science project we are this close to proving the existence of-," was all the protesting earth pony could say before his friend yanked on his tail and proceeded to actually drag the protester out of the library. As the guardpony escorted the unicorn out while Aduro simply watched the show and ate a few gems. Dinner and a show, thought the dragon. Finally the grey guardpony returned and sighed wearily. "Oh, don't worry guys. I had it all well in hoof. Don't bother getting up and doing something," he said sarcastically. This drew Aduro's attention to a group of more guardsponies seated at table with cards held in their hooves. One of the other guardsponies, an elderly blue stallion with a cigar in his mouth responded with, "Aw don't be like that Hoovesy. If we all got up to chase them out who'd keep track of the game?" The cigar pony gestured to the cards on the table. "Besides, luck's on my side tonight. Ain't that right boys?" A chorus of quiet groans of affirmation sounded out and the grey pegasus laughed in response. "Feel like joining in for a round Hoovesy?" "Sure but don't expect to win any muffins from me tonight. My neighbor's dog got the rest of them earlier and my daughter won't be sending another batch until Saturday." Another chorus of groans responded but sounded disappointed this time around. Aduro took that as his cue to slink off to conduct some research. He climbed down to the floor and crept past the guardsponies without trouble. The dragon wandered the halls amd corridors of the library, stopping to peruse the shelves of books but he soon realized he had no idea how the place was organized. The only thing he was reasonably sure of was that he was in the nonfiction part of the library, since the books had titles like, 'Slumber 101: All You Ever Wanted to Know About Slumber Parties But Were Afraid to Ask' and 'The Book of Obscure Unicorn History'. For anypony else, wandering around in a dark library would have been an exercise in futility but for Aduro, with a simple focusing spell, could see as clearly as if it was day. Even so, he had to stop and examine the book titles for several minutes until he could translate it into something he understood. As a result, it took him several hours of looking at random books before an epiphany struck him. I need to look for the language section. With any luck there'll be a guide to, ancient I suppose, Equestrian. If they're anything like the language guides they used to make in my time they'll have a section that compares the alphabets. With renewed energy Aduro resumed looking through the books but this time he only checked the writing before moving on. Another half-hour of searching passed, during which Aduro had to freeze temporarily when a guardpony wielding a flashlight checked in the room the dragon was in. The flashlight all but blinded the dragon who forgot to remove the enhancement spell, and left him blinking spots out of his eyes after the guardpony left. Then at last he found what he was looking for, 'Origins: A Guide to the Evolution of Modern Equestrian' with the word origins spelt in the old style. Eagerly the dragon grabbed the volume and began to read it. The first few pages were just modern text that he had no use for but before long he found a section showing how letters had changed over time. Perfect. Now to begin the long process of catching up with the world. Aduro found a comfortable spot to curl up and began to read the book, frequently referring to the section that showed the evolution of the letters to check he was reading it correctly. He had been reading for a couple of hours when he noticed sunlight beginning to creep into the hallways. Now comes the next obstacle, finding a place to sleep securely and without anypony finding me. Preferably someplace nearby. Tucking the book into his makeshift saddlebags the dragon once again crept through the library. He made his way to the pegasus entrance which he found locked. One teleport later and Aduro was back on the streets of Manehatten. Glancing around he was surprised to see a fair number of ponies already walking on the streets. I need a disguise. If I want to stay in this city long enough to learn what's changed and plan my next move I can't be occupied with finding secluded spots to sleep in everyday. Now what was that name I used to sneak into Canterlot... Smoke Stack. Drawing on his memory of that event a dark grey pegasus stood where the dragon once was. Then with a frustrated groan the pegasus became a dark grey unicorn. Aduro walked out onto the street and nonchalantly left the library behind him. He walked for several blocks looking for any indication that a building was a place where he could sleep. He then came across a building with the word 'hotel' written above a door. Aduro actually recognized this word from the book which had said that what he knew as hostels had morphed over time to become called hotels. Progress. The dragon-in-disguise opened the door and walked up to a lime green mare sitting behind a desk and asked, "Is this where I inquire about borrowing a place to stay?" The mare scrunched up her nose slightly and answered, "Yes, but I'm not sure you can afford the rates here...sir." Confused Aduro reached for his saddlebags, also disguised, to grab some gems for payment when a thought struck him. When was the last time I bathed? The rainstorm was two nights ago so... Ah. I see. Aduro placed the gems on the desk of the receptionist and asked if that would cover the cost of a day. The mare took one look at the pile of gems and instantly a smile leapt onto her face. "Certainly sir. Your room number is 715, the elevator is on your right and breakfast is served at 8 o'clock. What name will the room be listed under?" "Smoke Stack," replied Aduro. The mare handed over a key with a tag reading 715 over to Aduro who grabbed it with his magic, his 'horn' glowing a light green. He then walked over to where the mare had gestured to find a stallion opening the elevator door for Aduro. Not knowing what exactly was going to happen, Aduro projected a mask of nonchalance and stepped into the elevator. The stallion pulled a lever at his side and the elevator began to ascend, much to Aduro's surprise. He jumped slightly when he felt movement and glanced over at the stallion who merely looked with an amused grin at his distress. "First time in an elevator?" The stallion asked. Aduro merely nodded and planned at least three different methods of escaping the elevator by the time they reached the seventh floor. The stallion opened the door and gestured for Aduro to exit the elevator. The dragon left the elevator with almost indecent haste and hurried down the hallway. He found the room with the same number as the tag on his key quickly and entered it just as quickly. He recalled the last time he'd stayed in a hostel he'd simply given the owner some bits and been told to take the last room on the left. He turned to the door, locked it, and then promptly collapsed onto the bed. He barely had the presence of mind to burrow underneath the blankets and not tear everything up with his claws before falling asleep. Meanwhile a reddish-brown stallion finished his breakfast of stored up love when he received a message. His bathroom mirror turned completely black and a series of taps emanated from it. He translated the message as follows: Another will join you to confirm. If other confirms do not approach target. Observe and identify other's intent. Report after confirmation and identification of intent. That is all. The reddish-brown stallion responded with his own series of taps which translate as : Yes, my Queen.