//------------------------------//
// Forbidden Library 
// Story: Wind Chimes 
// by flutterspin 
//------------------------------//

Wrapped around Foal Mountain, fifteen kilometers to the northeast of Ponyville, stretched a long narrow fjord. Beyond the valley rested the magical town of Hollow Shades. Our road weaved around and straight into the depths of the ridge that ran parallel to the railroad tracks. Our elevation was not much higher than the flat plains but still high enough to reconsider jumping off the side. A faint cry could be heard near the mountain tops, causing Fluttershy to rush closer to Rainbow Dash's side. Three dragons, mighty in appearance, flew on overhead. 
Despite being fully capable of flying, Sumica chose to press further up the road with the rest of us. She periodically stretched out her wings and upper shoulders. It must have pained her not being able to scout on ahead. Whether this was an effort for reconciling the problems she brought onto the group or some military defensive strategy was any pony's guess. No matter the reason, Sumica led the herd up the mountain path.
Anxious for the safety of the whole group, I asked Sumica, "Where exactly are you taking us?"
"I have a friend that lives deep underground. His name is Alexander. He should be able to help us."
"And who is this Alexander?"
Sumica replied with a glint in her eyes, "Why, the Keeper of the Forbidden Library."
Twilight Sparkle slowed down to a halt. "The Forbidden Library? You mean The Forbidden Library?"
Pinkie Pie asked with a confused look on her face, "Is there something special about this place?"
Twilight's blatant stare explained it all. "I've visited a lot of different libraries in my lifetime, but there was once a legend of a secret library that Princess Celestia could not find. The story tells of a hidden library, made by the elder dragons of old, buried deep underground filled with the knowledge of their history. But I've always assumed it was at the base of a volcano." 
Rainbow Dash interrupted, "Books in a volcano? Wouldn't that melt them or something?"
Twilight pressed, "Rumor has it that they were built from the hide of lost dragons to keep them well-preserved. I've always dismissed the claim but now..."
Sumica smiled. "To this day, I still don't know what keeps those books intact. I've always assumed the pages were coated with some magical oil developed by the unicorns in Hollow Shade to be highly-resistance to decay. I'm pretty sure Alexander knows the truth, but don't bother asking him about it. I've tried a hundred times and he still has yet to tell me."
Another screech from the dragons flying in the distance scared Fluttershy into cowering behind Rainbow Dash. "Are you sure it is safe to be traveling up this mountain at this time of day?"
Sumica stretched her wing over Fluttershy and in extension over Rainbow Dash. "Don't worry! You have a highly-capable veteran here to protect you. And you got your friends with you as well. Everything will be fine. Trust me."
Without knowing where exactly Rarity or Applejack were or who took them, my friends seemed awfully persistent in finding out the truth behind this mysterious letter. If we ever did run into a dragon, I'm pretty sure we would be able to handle ourselves in a fight. Twilight once told me of a similar adventure they had with a dragon at the top of a mountain near Ponyville. Even though Fluttershy was terrified in this instance, it was ultimately her who convinced the dragon to leave the cave. I'm glad her heart was into adventuring with us once more. Both Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle seemed pretty eager just to put a stop to the menace plaguing Equestria. And then there's Pinkie Pie. Well, she probably would have come along if you said there was a free strawberry cupcake at the top of the mountain. 
Yet following a pegasus that appeared out of nowhere, with a mysterious artifact wrapped around her neck, to take us to a mythical library straight from legend was a pretty big reason to be concerned. We've already spent half a day traveling up this mountain. Yet for some strange reason, I felt like trusting every one of Sumica's decisions. She knew more than she was letting on, and I thought Sumica might need our help just as much as we need hers in finding some answers. No matter what each pony's motives were, we continued to trek on and follow Sumica into the bowels of the mountain.
Traveling across the landscapes and catching the beautiful view of the eastern sky was refreshing for a change. Although the oxygen was getting kind of thin, the smell of the pine trees and mist pouring out from one of the nearby waterfalls relaxed my senses. The pathway ahead of us diverged into multiple directions up the mountain pass. The green environment paving our way extended up the rocky peak. The faint smell of limestone could be identified within the rockface. 
"Are we there yet?" Rainbow Dash asked as she scratched an itch on her legs.
Sumica replied, "Not much farther. Just up this ledge."
Another worry pecked at my brain. How do we know that Alexander actually exists? This isn't exactly Sumica's world anymore. This Forbidden Library she speaks of could have been moved or buried under a hundred meters of rubble. How could our leader be so confident?
Sadly, my attention veered elsewhere as Pinkie advanced ahead of me. Although multiple clear pathways extended beyond the outskirts, our fearless leader chose to squeeze us through one particularly narrow gap chiseled in-between two great stone walls. The mist intensified so much that an ominous fog barrier hid the end of the path from our view. If the toughness of the vines up the side didn't slow Sumica down, then the roughness of the wall against my burly hair shouldn't stop me. 
Though even with the lack of visibility, we weren't completely blind to our surroundings. We heard different kinds of birds singing in an overarching tree and the sound of a roaring waterfall in the distance. Small chunks of vegetation crept through the cracks of the earth around us. The wetness of the flora consistently brushed up against our legs. The deeper we traveled into the mountain pass, the cooler the air. One of the vines snapped off the wall as it tugged on Pinkie Pie's cotton candy hair ahead of me. 
Eventually the fog dissipated as the gap widened into an alcove. In front of us hollered a daunting waterfall that collected into a large pool, roughly one meter deep and twelve meters wide. To our right resided a small, dainty hut of some sort with a collapsing roof made out of straw and wooden walls splintering to their core. The other side reclined a large opening where the water streamed further down the valley below. A breeze howled through the breaks inside the crag. Curiously, our noses caught wind of an unusual musky smell made from burning pines trees as the air current rustled past our manes. 
Sumica raised her hoof up and announced, "Welcome to Shoehorn's Grove."
As the group admired the surrounding scenery, Pinkie Pie went up to the edge of the cliffside and looked down below. "Cool." As her voice echoed down the chamber below, she smiled and shouted again, "Cool!"
Noticing there wasn't any other paths leading out of the area, Twilight asked, "Where do we go from here?"
Sumica strolled to the nearby hut and lifted up the hanging rug at the entryway. "Right this way."
"Are we going inside?" Fluttershy quietly asked as Sumica patiently waited at the ingress. 
"Eeyup," Sumica replied with a smile on her face. 
The hut had just enough room for the six of us to fit comfortably inside its splitting decor. On the floor rested a small sleeping bag, a finely-woven blanket, a couple of wooden benches, an empty pirate's chest, and a half melted candlestick on a deserted table covered with dust. An overwhelming aroma of saw dust, charcoal, and granite fouled the air.
Sumica proceeded to move about the cabin. She reached down into the chest and pushed a button. Then after lifting up the blanket, she cracked open one of the floor boards. Underneath revealed a staircase. Eager to get moving, I stepped closer to the stairwell, only to be stopped by a large wing.
"Ladies first," Sumica responded with a coy smirk. 
Although initially shocked and offended, I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. If we were going to enter a dark area, Twilight would have to go first to light the way. "Alright," I responded, pulling myself away. 
By the time I entered the secret chamber, Twilight had already reached a large black wall. An exaggerated painting of a dragon's face covered most of its exterior. A symbol laid close to its mouth. The lines were drawn from blue ink and sparkled in the unicorn's light.
"What does this symbol mean?" Twilight asked.
Sumica hovered into the air and brushed her hoof against the marking. The resulting swipe pulled dust particles off an encasing in the center. "The word is rohoni in dragon tongue. The translation is a little rough. It means honor. Family. Friend. It is said that dragons know it by heart, but it is not exclusive to just their race. It surpasses the physical form. It's a bond that cannot be broken. Not by time or distance. It is forever."
"So speak friend and enter?" Pinkie asked, trying to digest all that was said.
Sumica laughed. "It would have already opened if it was that easy. No, the answer is a little more old-school," she said, pushing in and twisting a stone.
The large clanking and beating of metal gears pulled the ancient door up. Inside hung six torches, three on each side, already burning around a large platform. The enclosing had an elaborate ceiling, not so dissimilar to Ponyville's Town Hall. The ground felt smooth like a sheet of glass as we walked across a bridge to the middle of the room. A few steps past the platform held a large compartment of bookcases roughly the size of the Golden Oak Library filled with various scrolls and literature. Sunlight from a tiny hole near the top of the room shined across the stalactites. 	
While following closely behind Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy unintentionally knocked a small pebble over the side of the bridge. It tumbled and clanged against the stone walls a few times before hitting whatever was at the bottom of the deep abyss. A blue aura radiated from the platform ahead of us. The entrance door abruptly collapsed behind us. Twilight's light from her horn fizzled as a strong blast of air blew out the torches. In an instant, the room turned black. 
A deep voice called out from the shadows. "Who dares disturb my slumber?"
"Don't any pony move," Sumica emphasized.
In the darkness, I heard a unique sound approaching from the abyss. The adrenaline pumping through my veins must have heightened my brain activity for the word susurrus popped into my mind. It was the sound of jagged claws against stone and the beatings of wings. For less than a minute, we endured listening to the pulsing sounds grow louder at each passing moment. Then, a light breeze poured over our faces. A startling growl filled the chamber around us. A sudden breath of fire spurted out in front, revealing the head of a dragon high above the platform. 
The voice called out a second time, "Do not have me ask again."
Sumica shouted, "Alexander! I'm here to see a book!"
The six torches magically erupted with large blue flames. Stood in front of us was a blue dragon, approximately four meters in size, with wings as big as any one of us. Sumica sternly held her chest high in front of the mighty beast. Her facial expression lied somewhere between exhilaration and concern. Rainbow Dash daringly cleared her wingspan as Fluttershy clutched behind her hind leg. The rest of us shifted into defensive positions.
The dragon lowered his head as he tethered his wings to his body. "How do you know thy name?"
Beaming with both confusion and curiosity, the pegasus replied, "It's me, Sumica. Your rohoni."
A large flame ushered out of the creature's mouth, burning a line between him and us. Sumica reacted simply by covering her face and leaning back a little. The dragon's intentions were perfectly clear. Whatever friendship they once had no longer existed.
Alexander spoke, "Tiny pegasus! Think thy muta? Great many beings I've encountered, both big and small. You I do not know."
"I'll show you, you old dragon." Sumica infuriatingly flew over to one of the torches and pulled it out of the stem. She glided high up over the right side of the room. "My portrait is right-"
There on the wall where the light shined rested the tethered remains of a painting the size of a household door. The black frame was slightly crooked with pinpoint scrapes across the top and bottom portions of the baseboard. "No," Sumica whispered, caressing a small leftover patch of velvet and orange in the bottom right corner. Although the top left corner was left intact, it was entirely burned beyond recognition. 
Alexander replied, "What sort of game are you playing?"
Sumica responded while flying closer to the dragon, "I'm trying to convince you that-" 
The torch's blaze unveiled something none of us expected to see from a monster so large. The dragon's eyes that lashed out so boldly before now glimmered like the night sky. Under his left eye, four visible indentations marked a scar still trying to heal. A single line pressed upon his mouth. The top of his right wing swelled with a series of bite marks.
Sumica lamented, "Oh Alexander, what happened to you?"
Alexander replied, increasing gradually in volume, "You speak as if you do not know. Bashing and clawing. Biting and tearing. Stone against stone." He grabbed Sumica with both arms and pulled her in closer to his mouth. "All because I trusted your kind."
Twilight spoke out, "Please, Alexander. We have no intentions in harming you or taking any of your possessions."
"Then what, pray tell, brings three pegasi, a pony, a unicorn, and a dragon to my chamber?"
Pinkie said, "A dragon? We didn't bring a dragon with us."
Alexander leaned forward and glared directly at me for a few seconds. His piercing red eyes looked through my very soul. "I apologize. My eyes saw... something else." He reared back into position. 
"Alright!" Sumica dropped the torch down onto the platform. She easily pulled out of the dragon's grasp. She planted herself in front of Twilight and retracted her wings. "Enough games! I need to tell you that" - She confidently grinned - "I borrowed a book and held it for eight hours."
Alexander froze for a moment and snarled fiercely at Sumica. "The book you borrowed shines for twelve hours."
Sumica crossed her forelegs and replied, "It took me four hours to finish, cover-to-cover."
Alexander said, "Returning the book so soon before the pale moonlight?"
Sumica said, "Agreed on the terms, I did. A half-day for a whole day's wage you'll recall."
A chilling wind encircled the chamber. The blue flames emitting from the torches quickly switched back to red. The darkness dissipated as sparks flew out from the upper sections of the chamber. Out of the candles breathed life to a large chandelier above our heads. As if a magical barrier was lifted from the chamber, power was immediately restored into Twilight's horn.
Alexander bowed. "Forgive my intolerance. I will respect those who know the keeper's code in this timeline and the next."
Sumica bowed her head in return. "It is quite alright. But before we begin, could you tell us what happened here, if you please."
"You deserve to know if you truly are a guardian of the ancient ways." Alexander momentarily relieved a gasp of breath and pointed at the ceiling. "Approximately twelve days ago, the earth cracked open. Four beings, black as onyx stone, intruded upon my humble library."
The dragon's answer drew forth my curiosity. Here he resided, protector and keeper, within the darkness of a damp cave. For a being that collected books, Alexander must have developed a method to track time without the use of sunlight. Fortunately, there was another pony in our group wondering about the exact same thing. 
Pinkie Pie asked, "How do you know it was twelve days, Mr. Dragon?"
Fourteen blue marks erupted from the platform around Alexander in the visual representation of a clock. A series of cuneiform shapes appeared horizontally across its mid-section. 
"Huh. So it's like... 10:30," Pinkie replied.
Sumica corrected, "Actually, it is almost 5 o'clock. You are looking at it upside down."
"As I was saying" - Alexander glared at Pinkie - "the trespassers encroached upon the sacred texts. My assistant alerted me to their presence. We barred the light to blind them, but through the darkness they thrived."
Sumica asked, "Your assistant?"
Alexander didn't answer right away. The lights flickered in the chamber as the dragon drew breath. His head drooped low as to mourn the death of a loved one. His eyes gazed at the ripped painting on the wall. "Jade. The one who you claimed to be. Fight well he did. Dragon eyes in the dark. In my haste, I was struck down with unnatural speed and efficiency. They stole Nahoi from me and tried to escape. My friend chased after them but did not return. I fear I may have lost him to the darkness."
Twilight approached the platform. "What was it that they stole? A book?" 
Sumica answered, "Nahoi isn't exactly a book. It's literal translation means memories. Sketches, notes, documents. Even someone's journal could be considered just as valuable as a book to the dragon-kin. But what exactly were they looking for?"
Alexander wrinkled his long snout while staring brashly at me. "I do not know."
The keeper's gaze frightened me. Did he know something about me that I didn't? Twilight once explained to me that dragons can grow in size when emotionally obsessing over things. I also knew of how powerful a dragon's strength could be from a couple of brief descriptions in folklore. Yet, my only exposure to dragons was limited to Spike, a mere baby of his kind. Dragons do have the potential to live much longer than ponies. Alexander's short demonstration this evening was probably only a fraction of his abilities. Perhaps an elder dragon like himself was better attuned with magic, and he sensed something different in me compared to the rest of the party.
Twilight asked, "Did anything else happen?"
Alexander's temper flared and his voice increased. "Why do you care nyati? What is it that brings you to my halls?"
Free from Fluttershy's hold, Rainbow Dash propelled herself into the air. She replied with a stern, yet indirect tone, "We are here to get some answers. Fires are spreading in Equestria, and we have to find the dragons that are responsi-"
Alexander immediately grabbed hold of Rainbow Dash. "You accuse dragon-kin of such recklessness!"
Fluttershy quietly approached the dragon and tapped against his foot. "Please... dragon... sir... we mean no disrespect, but our friends went missing, and we really need to find them."
Alexander lessened his grip and pulled back. "I... I am sorry. In olden times we respected and loved pony-kind. Nowadays, it seems even my own kin no longer abide by the ancient laws. To make such an accusation was considered... blasphemous."
I asked, "Do you know anyone that would do this?"
Alexander replied, "From the dragon-kin? No."
Sumica said, "Are you implying that ponies are responsible?"
"I do not know who attacked me but look - " Alexander extended his palm to the room behind him. A few open books rested in the far right corner of the library. On the second ledge laid dormant a tumbled mess of half-empty bookcases. "Our history remains unblemished. It was of your past that was seized."
Pinkie noted, "What a mess. You didn't clean it up?"
Alexander nodded his head. "Jade would normally attend to that. I have not been able to... bear the responsibility."
Sumica requested, "May we take a look?"
Alexander answered by stepping to the side of the platform and arching his arm towards the stairs. The bookcases filled two levels of the library, all within the dragon's reach. The stone floor contained intermittent scorch marks in the room's center. A very large book pedestal in the middle of the back wall separated the compartment into two sections. Above it hung a metal frame with black residue outlining where a shield and sword would normally be placed. A small set of steps on both sides of the chamber allowed us to reach the higher ledges. The books appeared undamaged, but the bookcases themselves suffered small gashes in the wood.
Rainbow Dash barely lifted up one of the books on the second floor. "Why cause so much trouble over a bunch of books?"
Twilight picked up one of the books laying upside down on the ground. She looked at Rainbow Dash. "These aren't just ordinary books. They are protected for a reason. They wouldn't let just anyone read them." She rapidly flipped through a couple pages before abruptly closing the book. 
Fluttershy asked, "What's wrong, Twilight?"
"I'm in the Forbidden Library, home of hundreds of ancient books, and I can't read a single one of them."
Rainbow Dash mocked, "You're worst nightmare, eh Twilight?"
"They do contain some dangerous secrets," Sumica nonchalantly stated before launching up onto the second level. Her mind processed the events at the scene as she periodically tapped her hoof on the shelf with five books still remaining on it. Her eyes rotated between the broken shelves from the bookcases to the right of the library, to the piles of books on the ground, over to the untouched ones on the other side of the library. 
Many of the books in the room seemed draconian in nature with their covers bound by a connecting layer of tiny dragon scales. However, the surface felt as smooth as the walkway leading into the compartment and slick like fresh oil pouring out of a broken vein. The colors ranged primarily from black, blue, red, and orange. A large sub-section of the black books on the opposite side of the room were carefully threaded together with a red piece of string. There was no evidence of fancy titles or author's initials imprinted on the covers. Instead, a single symbol - a hieroglyph or rune - was etched on both the front and side of the manuscripts. A few others had a line of marks up top indicating a particular set or volume in a series. 
Recreating the battle proved much more difficult than anticipated. I speculated the shadows must have known the dragon's language, knew exactly what they were looking for, and kept their identities hidden from view. From observing the length of the brush strokes where there wasn't any dust, I concluded that Alexander's friend must have been a pegasus. The assistant must have noticed something out-of-place. He called for help, grabbed the weapons off the mantle, and somehow darkened the room. The seared ground matched the heated impressions of a dragon's flame. Yet, these markings were too small and pinpointed to be coming from Alexander. The one question I couldn't answer that troubled me was how did four beings manage to escape capture, with their intended prize, from a couple of guardians? 
Sumica glanced at the collection on the ground. "I don't think they wanted these books." 
Fluttershy stated, "It certainly looks like a few things are missing."
Sumica reiterated, "Oh, no doubt they took something, but that isn't why they cleared these shelves. Alexander, is it possible they could have known about Lela's Grace?"
"Jade might have unknowingly revealed it to them."
Sumica momentarily pressed her hoof against her chin to contemplate. She pulled a book from the top shelf and retracted her hoof. Instead of naturally falling off the side, the book slowly returned back into place. The bookcase slid outward fourty-five degrees and revealed a hallway beyond the library.
Pinkie Pie shouted, "A secret passage!"
"Well," Sumica corrected, "this is the more common way into the library. Easier access." She waved us forward. "Come on every pony. We have a trail to follow... if that is alright with you Alexander?"
"Be my guest."
As our group walked into the barren hallway, I noticed Sumica not following closely behind me. I turned around to the opening and briefly overheard the trail end of a conversation. 
"You will watch out for him, correct?" Alexander asked in a hushed tone.
"As long as I have an eye to spare," Sumica replied.
The bookcase closed behind Sumica after she stepped into the hallway.