It was such a disappointment to find out that the actual castle wasn't the Library but a similar building next to it, It wasn't big from here, but to my discovery, the Harmony Archives were deep underground in a labyrinth like style, which did make up for the fact that it wasn't in the actual castle itself. I looked around inside seeing bookcases that spanded two stories high, some locked up, others free of use.
I walked around in wonder before I met an old man at the desk.
He looked up at me and chuckled, "Well, i'll be, it's been along time since i've seen another human around these parts, ecspecially a lass as beautiful as yourself."
I was surprised at first not expecting to see another person, being so rare in this part, but shook his hand and thanked him for the compliment as I looked around, "Pretty big place, how can I start a membership?" My interest were peeved from my earlier talk with Jackie about the element and their bearers, they talked a little about it in school, but seeing it as not completly relavent with earthly history, it wasn't a subject much discussed in class.
"I'll be happy to inform you that membership is free, but to go in the restricted section, you need a forth degree in Magical Science and law. Also, books are not allowed to leave the premises of the archieve." He rumage through the drawer and pulled out a piece of paper, "You will need to sign here to get an access card and replacment access card if you lose your previous one, the rest is explained in here."
I grabbed the sheet and read through it before before signing my name.
I handed which he took before rumaging through the drawers again, revealing an enchanted paper card. "Magic is just as good as human tech, these not only don't tear, but react only to your energy signature."
He handed it to me, and upon grabbing it I felt a wave hit me as the card recognized me as its owner.
I felt a chill run down my body as the foriegn energy stopped analizing me, "Yeesh, that was wierd."
The Archive owner chuckled, "Yeah, you get used to it, after one hundred and seventy two years that is."
My eyes widened as I looked him up and down, "Wait, you dont-"
"Look that old?" He cut in, "Oh this old country does wonders, keeps me youthful inside and out." He sighed, "I'm glad that Earth and Equestria discovered one another, its been plenty beneficial for us in our growth."
I sat down, "You talking about all of the wars?" I had learned that humans used to fight each other non stop in the past, damaging the world in the process, we were predators after all, but things changed for us after we came in contact wit Equestria.
He nodded, "Yes," He thought for a moment then laughed, "What am I doing, keeping you here to listen to an old man, look around and see if there is any books you like."
He motioned me forward as I looked around.
I spent another twenty minutes looking for books, roaming around deeper and deeper inside the archives, but found nothing on the elements of harmony when a thought struck me, "My god, why didn't I look under E?!" I faced palmed as I headed back watching the Letter system that I had ignored previously as I head towards the E section. Of coarse they have a letter system, why wouldn't they?
As I searched through the section, another thought strucked me, Why am I so fixated anyway? sure, ancient objects of power are cool and everything, but i'm not usually into this kind of thing.
I groaned as I continued looking through,
"Over here..."
Hearing a voice behind me, I turn quickly to see nothing. I felt my heart beat heavily, "Who's there?"
No response.
I look around one more time before deciding it was my imagination, until I heard a creeking sound.
I turn around once again to spot the chain door open slowly in a restricted case.
"What you seek lies here..." The wispy voice said.
I froze as the room light dimmed as a magical aura increased. It was a fierce feeling, much stronger than the magic that I felt earlier.
A rainbow colored energy materialized as it picked a book from the restricted section and brought it over near me as it sat it on the ground.
My instincts flared as the energy closed on me, but dissipated before it got near.
I release my breath that I hadn't known that I was holding, if it got any closer, I probably would have tried to swat it away from me.
The Lights stayed dim as I observed the book titled, 'My Little Pony Friendship is magic' I looked it over, picture holding the elements of harmony.
I pick it off the ground, looking up and down, "Strange title, for a restricted book."
I was hesitant to open it, being that it was both restricted and the fact that a strange entity tried to give it to me in a demonstration of vast power.
I open it up to the title page finding that it was just what I needed, the story of the bearers, Jackie would kill for such a book. I flipped through to see where all of their homes were, their abilities, cutie marks, events they partaken in, pictures, and various maps and spell. I opened one page only to be surprised by a orange glowing sphere materializing from the book that kind of looked like an orange fruit.
I stood there dumbfounded as It swivles around me towards the side of the crystal wall. It stayed there a minute before I heard a hissing sound.
The crystal wall split as it slid back into a door towards a staircase.
I gulped, frozen, trying to understand what the hell was going on, I just wanted to research a topic that seemed fascinating to me.
The Orb waited for me for a minute before it came and prodded me to go through the door.
I felt like it was the last chance to turn away before things got weird... Screw it, it was already weird, and my curiosity was peeked.
I let go of my breath as I went up the staircase following the little orb.
Twelve minutes passed by going up the staircase as my breathing gotten heavier. The air started getting musty and smelled like old paper the further I went up with my growing anticipation before I met a solid metal door locked with a fire enchantment. The orb started to shift and change right before me before wings sprouted along with avian features.
I gasped at the pheonix, not only from the surprise, but the heat of it seemed to burn away some of the air in the space.
It sat on e rail for a moment to preen its feathers before it breathed a magenta color fire at the enchantment, releasing a satisfying click as the door swung open, releasing air, musty air, but air at least.
I gingerly step through to reaveal a throne room.
I gasped, was I in the castle? I had to be. "Oh my gosh, i'm in the castle aren't I?"
The bird nodded his head.
I laughed, pushing my head back as I looked aroud. It was an amazing spectacle to be seen.
I put the book down on the table in front of the six throwns with the symbols of the bearers cutie marks, there was also a little throne next to the throne of magic which I closer observe and notice something off. The place didn't seem to have a spec of dust on anything, as if it had suddenly been clea-
I was cut from my thoughts as I heard foot steps coming nearer.
I panicked as I looked around, finding that the door I came from was shut, Crap I hide behind the throne as the foot steps neared. I looked right in front of me to see the Phoenix cock his head before flying off in the direction of the foot steps as I silently curse to myself.
I heard a startled sound before I heard a sound of laughter as the mysterious being started talking, "Its been a while Pewee."
I heard a chirping sound.
"A girl?"
Another tweeting sound.
"Oh, a human girl, been a while since i've seen one of them, where is she?"
Another tweet.
"Hiding, behind the throne? why did you bring her here?"
The bird made another tweeting sound.
"Astrid? she wanted her here? i've should have known."
There were footsteps again, "Come out here child, i'm no threat to you."
I gulp and shivered as I came out of my place to see a four foot tall purple dragon with an expirienced face.
He scratched his face upon looking at me, "Yes, its been to long since i've seen a human, state your buisness." he asked.
I clammed up, "Well... y-you see, I was j-just in the archieves looking for something about the elements when I found this book." I pointed at it on the table.
He glanced at it before turning to me, "How did you get a hoof on a restricted book?"
"Well, f-funny story really, a magical entity o-opened it up and gave it to me, and, i-i'm no expert in magic or anything, but I-I opened up a page that released that Phoenix which showed m-me the way here." I licked me lips as sweat started around my forhead. I hated to get in trouble, especially through things out of my control... then again, I could have put the book back and went on minding my own buisness.
The Dragon nodded his head, "That magic was from Astrid, embodiment of the elements, which means your important somehow." He chuckled then held out his hand, "Spike's my name, you might find me in that book of yours."
I sighed, realising that he wasn't mad or anything... wait, I was ignoring a crucial detail, Embodiment of the elements? and why would this dragon be in the book?
I shook his hand. "Clarity."
He nodded as the phoenix chirped again gaining Spike's attention, "Of coarse i've had social interaction with ponies, well, a hundred and twenty two years ago that is."
The chirp turned angry.
"Hey, no need for such language, don't forget that it was me who saved you from turning into scrambled eggs three hundred and twelve years ago." Spike turned back to me wiping the upset from his face, "Allow me to explain, I was once the element of magic's, assistant, served her for many years as a friend and sibling."
My jaw droped.
He chuckled, "Don't be too surprised dearie, you must have knowned that some of the Twilight order remained, who else could have written all those books about our deeds." He looked up in pride, "Many adventures those girls used to have, inseparable, even after the accident." His gaze shifted as he realized he leaked something out. "Oh, well lets not dwell on that, you want to know, I can tell you."
I nodded following him out of the throne room into the hallway.
"As you can guess this is the Castle of Twilight, it didn't start here though, it all started with how she came across the elements, " He continued, "Most ponies now adays remember this, but back then, Twilight used to be a Unicorn scolar who studied under the wings of Princess Celestia herself,"
"Who's Celestia?" I asked, I only knew of Princess Luna who ruled both day and night, at least that was what I heard.
Spike stoped for a moment to look at me, deeply saddened, "Once the ruler and co-ruler of Equestria, elder sister to Luna." He looked at mee funny, "You must be new here if you hadn't heard of her, its to soon for ponies to forget her."
I coughed, "Well, this is my first morning in Equestria, they don't teach much about this place on earth."
Spike sighed, "Knowing her should be relavent to both worlds, she is a massive chunk of history." He sighed again, "She died two hundred and twenty three years ago through a misunderstanding, anyway, back to my story, anyway, Twilight discovered a prophecy fortelling of the wicked nightmare moon to come back from her lunar prison on the day of the one-thousandth summer sun to bring eternal night. Twilight tried to warn the princess, having me write a letter to her. The result didn't seem to be in her favor though."
"What did she say?"
Spike chuckled, "I don't remember it by heart, but it was along the lines of getting out of dusty old books and make some friends while preparing for the festival in ponyville."
I chuckled, "I'm guessing that Twilight got pretty upset."
"You have no Idea, She tried to get the festival prepared as quickly as possible while she tried to find a solution to the problem, meeting the soon to be bearers in the process." He smiled, "They drove her nuts that day, I don't remember much after nightmare revealed herself, I fell asleep afterwards."
I raised an eyebrow, "An evil monarch declaired that she would bring eternal night to the land and you fell asleep?"
Spike scoffed,"Hey, I was still a baby dragon, anyway, Twilight told me the rest, The other five got suspicious of her, got her to cough up the beans, found out the secret of where the element were, realised friendship was magic after they wen't through the Everfree, then confronted Nightmare moon, where they blasted her with the magic of harmony, turning into princess Luna again, which freed Celestia, and they had a heart felt moment together were they became co-leaders again."
"Nightmare moon was princess Luna?" I asked. It as hard seeing the monarch as such, she was decribed as firm, but never evil.
Spike nodded, "Yep, sure was, but the elements stripped her of all of her jealousy, greed, and anger, turning her back into the pony she once was. I only met with her twice before these years she has been free from her darkness, just be lucky she didn't fall back after her sister died, she would have taken over both worlds for sure without the elements around."
Here's my chance, "What happen to them?"
We stopped in front of a large ornamented wooden door, "Thats top secret, but i'll tell you one thing, it involves the transmutation perod brought up by the changelings."
Seems Jackie was on the right trail, but why is it secret?
Spike opened one of the massive door to reveal a library much more grand than the archieves nex to it, "Now I don't doubt Astrid, she after all was my sister when we got caught in the Changeling spell, she has intrest in you, she led you to me, i'll lend you all of my resourcs. Parts of this Library have some of the original Starswirl writings from Canterlot before the Great falling, even original writings of ponies who came back, and yes, alot of books here can be considered forbidden, so I give you a warning."
I stepped inside gawking at the majesty of the place, "How is it so big?"
Spike chuckled, "Twilight needed a place for her books, so she dabbled in temporal rifts in time-space, in other words, its bigger on the inside than it is on the outside."
Spike looked at his magic powered watch, "Oh wow, its almost night fall"
I looked up, "What!" Time seemed to fly by. I missed both lunch and dinner due to being so wrapped up in all this cryptic stuff. "I better run back to the farm, Granny and aunty must be worried sick about me!"
Spike's ears perked, "The Apple farm? you live with the Apples?"
I nodded, "Yep, Granny Bloom and Apple Fritter."
Spike laughed loudly, "Oh, oh boy, don't tell me that i'm that old, That trouble maker filly Apple Bloom is now a Grandma?! your kicking my leg! Oh man, I should have visited." An Idea popped in his head, "Say, maybe I can come with you, give them an explaination of why you were gone so long, and see how old bloom is doing."
I perked, "Sure, that would be great."
Spike seemed to be at the peek of his nostalgia, feeling like a little kid again.
Spike started towards the entrance, "One more thing," He rumaged through a near by drawer and grabbed a Key, "Here," He handed it to me, "You can come back at any time. Its been too long since i've felt this good, the castle should be fine without me."
I thanked him as we headed out to the Apple farm.