//------------------------------// // What's in a book? (Slice of Life) // Story: Equestria's Tales // by DouglasTrotter //------------------------------// "This is incredible," Moondancer said, wiping the sweat from her brow. "I know, right. Haycartes method was hard to learn, but it's so useful. Not to mention, as Rainbow Dash would put it, 'totally awesome.'" Twilight said. "What book should I 'hop' into next," Moondancer said, ending with a slight giggle. Twilight smiled, and then wiped a tear away after Moondancer turned away Sunlight entered through the window and illuminated the freshly cleaned tower. Twilight and Moondancer stood in front of the bookcase, gazing on in awe at the plethora of books. Several books reflected off Moondancer's glasses and Twilight's eyes while grains of sand in the hourglass descended at a steady pace. "To think, this is where it all began..." Twilight said, her voice trailing off. She pressed a light hoof against the pedestal. Her eyes moved in a fluid motion around the room. A slight twinge came to her withers. The happy smile she gave the pony in front of her degraded into a frown. "I should have been a better friend." Moondancer pressed her hoof against Twilight's side, "Remember, 'Princess of Friendship.' I forgave you." "Right, " Twilight nodded, "but we have a pressing issue right now." "And that is what, exactly?" Moondancer said. "What book to 'hop' into next, so we can have another literal literary adventure." Twilight said then snickered to herself. "You're such a filly." Moondancer said, chuckling to herself. The two ponies resumed their search. Their eyes gazed from binder to binder. "Oooo, how about this one." Moondancer said. She illuminated her horn and levitated a book down from the top shelf. "Horrors of Tartarus." Twilight's eyes widened. Her wings shivered, and she shook her head at Moondancer. "No way in Equestria can you get me to go into that book. You couldn't pay me enough bits." "Don't be such a silly foal." Moondancer said. "I'm serious. My brother read that book to me before Nightmare Night. Mom and Dad totally had a fit about it. He got off easy with Cadence coming over to stay with me." Twilight said. Moondancer's groan echoed in the spacious tower. She placed the book back into its spot on the shelf and picked another one out. "Fine, how about you pick one." Moondancer said as she levitated the second book back into its place. "I don't remember this book." Twilight said. She placed the book on the pedestal and glided a soft hoof across its cover. Five rock shaped symbols, embedded in the cover, reflected several different hues of light. Twilight lifted the book's front cover, "Mythical Stones and Gems? Wait, I asked for this to be delivered from the Star Swirl the Bearded wing of Canterlot Library before I left for Ponyville the first time. How did it get in here? Beyond myself, Princess Celestia was the only one with the key." "How about we 'take a peek inside.'" Moondancer said. "Trust me, that isn't a good idea. I've never read this book. Though Haycartes method is great for studying, it can dangerous." Twilight said. "Scared?" Moondancer said, ending with a smirk. She illuminated her horn and disappeared in a flash of light. "NO! Moondancer!" Twilight said in a boisterous tone. She levitated the book off the pedestal and shook it several times, "Get out of there! Get out of there right now! Don't make me come after you." "Come and get me, Twilight." Moondancer said. Twilight groaned, illuminated her horn, and disappeared in a flash of light. *** *** *** An ethereal sound resonated within Twilight's ears. Her eyes crept open. She rubbed her eyes, backed up, and hid behind a rock just as a crystalline dragon soared overhead. The dark, desolate world came into view from her hiding spot. In the void of the expansive world, various crystal formations floated about, emanating the strange ethereal hum. Two sharp crystals protruded from the stone Twilight hid behind. In the center of one crystal, a rainbow colored liquid swirled about. At the core of the other, twinkling lights were refracted by the crystal to other crystals in the surrounding area. "Pony fossils?" Twilight said in a hushed voice. From behind her cover, she watched glittering rock skeletons march by her with crystal swords wielded in their mouths. "I've got to find Moondancer." Twilight flapped her wings, and then fell to the ground. She illuminated her horn. Several sparks erupted from its tip and fell to the ground. Light from the sparks reflected off her eyes before they vanished. Twilight placed two hooves over her mouth before she could scream. She lowered her hooves and glanced at each rocky formation. On nervous hooves, she crept after the skeletons. The pony stopped. After a nervous gulp, she leapt from rock formation to rock formation that floated in the void. From the shadows of a nearby boulder, Twilight watched a crystal, gem encrusted, fossilized ancient Equestrian inhabitant move by. The creature leered at the heavy boulder. It picked up the rock, examined the spot, placed the boulder back down, and resumed its journey. "A tower?" Twilight said, coming from behind her cover. Twilight traced the tower's outline towards its top and stuffed the raised hoof into her mouth. An equine's silhouette passed by the window in the tower's top. She sighed at the sparks that came from her horn, "Good thing Haycartes spell will wear off in a bit." Two skeleton guards walked up the path. Twilight's eyes widened. The guards looked at the pony. One scratched its nose with a small chunk coming off. "GAH!" Twilight said, bucking the two skeletons off the floating landscape. She darted from shadow to shadow. Near the tower, her eyes gravitated upward, taking in the sight of the magnificent spire. After two firm knocks, Twilight twisted the door's knob and moved inside. She flapped her wings, sighed, and looked at the stairs, "Guess I'm climbing." Step-by-step she ascended the tower's steps. At its end, the stairs led to a solid rock door with a large gem embedded into its center. The door scraped against the floor, Twilight cringing at the sound. Behind the door was a well furnished library with alchemical equipment on a table at its center. "Hello?" Twilight said. "Twilight!" Moondancer said. She hugged her friend then backed away, "I thought you would never come. It feels like eternity." "That's the power of Haycartes's spell. It allows a pony to study to their heart's content. Time flows at a different -- never mind. How could you run off like that." Twilight glared at her friend. "It's alright. I've managed to study a lot about this world, and it's incredible. There are ideas which I never thought possible. I had no idea a unicorn could infuse quartz gemstones with magic, causing them to vibrate at a rate which allows them to be used in watch mechanisms? They can be used as better time pieces than springs. A pony wouldn't need to maintain the time piece for hundreds of years." Moondancer said. "I'm sorry. This book is way too dangerous. We find a place to hid out for the spell to wear off." Twilight said. "I've just scratched the surface of this place." Moondancer said. A soft hoof pointed at a chalk board, "I'm just now deciphering this formula. I'm staying here." "Sorry," Twilight said with a melancholic expression, "but it looks like your time is up." An aura enveloped Moondancer, and a loud "no" escaped her lips. The pony vanished in a brilliant flash of light. "Is this alchemy?" Twilight said. Her eyes widened. Several heavy noises came from the thick rock door to the laboratory. Twilight backed away and barricaded the door. The stone window behind her disintegrated under the powerful, magical breath of the crystalline dragon. Sparks fell to the floor from Twilight's horn. Skeletal ponies broke the door down and pushed the barricade aside. "No!" Twilight propelled herself forward. She opened her wings, but to no avail. The pony continued to fall. A final scream escaped the pony's lips as a bright light enveloped her body. *** *** *** "Twilight! Twilight are you ok?" Moondancer said. Twilight's right ear twitched. Her groggy eyes crept open to a half-concerned, half-annoyed pony standing in front of her. "Moondancer, that was completely insane." Twilight said. "You ruined my chance of looking at that book. I could have learned so much." Moondancer said. "Do you know how dangerous that was back there? My magic was totally useless. Not to mention the fact that if Haycartes's spell is used incorrectly, not giving the caster time to rest, a pony could be trapped inside the book forever." Twilight said. Her hooves wobbled and dropped from beneath her. Helped to her hooves by Moondancer, Twilight placed a gentle wing over her friend, "Trust me. Obsession is never a good thing. It almost cost me my friends. Please, don't let your obsession for knowledge cost you something near and dear to your heart." Moondancer sighed. She glanced at Twilight, "Sorry. I did get a little carried away. It was just so incredible to be inside that book." "You're grounded by order of a princess." Twilight said. "WHAT?!" Moondancer said. "Gotcha," Twilight said, placing a hoof on Moondancer's nose. A loud yawn escaped her open mouth. "Anyways, our magic will need to recharge for a bit. Even Princess Celestia had to rest after she took me on a rather 'long' excursion into one of my favorite books as a filly." Twilight flipped the book's cover over. She sighed and walked down the steps towards the door. "Twilight?" Moondancer said. "Sorry, I'm just a little beat. Each book you go into is a different experience. I was hoping to find some information about something Applejack brought to me. It'll take forever to --" Twilight said. "Before you 'interrupted' my studying, I found some awesome things about crystals, gems, and even something weird about stones that fall from the sky. I can give you the information." Moondancer said. Twilight scratched her head. "I have a photographic memory, remember? Not to mention the fact you're not the only one of us who's studied herself to death. You know about Azeroth's memory transference spell?" Moondancer said. "You learned mental conveyances and showcasing?" Twilight said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm still in the middle of figuring out how to make it work." "Looks like I have a hoof up on a princess." Moondancer said, giggling to herself. "Ok, ok Twilight. No need to be grumpy. Just come over here." Moondancer pressed her hoof against Twilight's forehead and illuminated her horn. A tear crawled down Twilight's cheek after Moondancer pulled her hoof away. "Sorry, I still need to practice a bit." Moondancer said. Twilight walked down the steps. She sat on the couch in the sitting area, forcing her eyes to stay open. "You were so lonely. I'm so, so sorry for not being there for you, like a good friend should be." "We can't undo the mistakes of the past, however, what we can do is forge the bonds of the future." Moondancer said, ending with a grin. Moondancer rolled her eyes at Twilight. "And she's asleep. Great..." Moondancer took two hoof steps forward and fell down. Her glasses slid along the floor. She struggled to her hooves, retrieved her glasses, and flopped onto the adjacent couch. The unicorn's tired eyes fought to stay open, but succumbed to exhaustion. "I guess. I'll just. Remind myself to say that quote. When I wake up..." Moondancer said.