Semper Liberi: Theatrum
Semper Liberi
Quintum 3, 1409 AN
12:11
“So,” he said, his face grim and his hand fast upon the hilt of his sword. “It has come to this.” His adversary shifted in the saddle, much of his bravado vanished now that they actually stood and faced each other. “You could not be content, could you, Marc? Nay, not enough to steal my home, my wife, and my children,” he said, stepping forward in challenge. “Not enough, for you, to leave me in my anguish, eh? You must gather your thugs and waylay me. Am I to be denied an honorable death, as well?” Marc said nothing. He scowled. “Well, coward? Will you not face me yourself?”
Finally, his adversary dismounted, drawing his sword and facing him. With a grim smile and a nod, he drew his own sword, and they approached each other, the other men forming a ring. Now, finally, he would have a chance to strike back, and perhaps take his vengeance for-
“Visitors approach, Bibliothecaria.” She looked up, blinking at the starry head that had interrupted her, and wondering what it had to do with Erik the Terrible and his imminent battle with Marc the Bastard. “They have arrived,” the head said, and she shook her head. A pounding at the door confirmed what the Library’s avatar had told her, and rose to her hooves.
“Who is it?” she asked as she moved towards the door, the floating head keeping pace with her.
“Unknown,” the Library replied. “They have not been registered in Semper Liberi records.”
Newcomers, then – which meant it wasn’t Rainbow just yet. The pegasi were, up to now, the only ones to have entered the library besides her. It had to be someone from the community proper, but who? “Well stop wondering, Sparkle,” she muttered, “and just open the door and find out.”
The moment the door opened, she found herself flat on her back, tumbled over by the enthusiastic greeting of a certain pink mare. “You live in a tree!” her accoster said, her snout pressed right up against Twilight’s. “You didn’t tell me you live in a tree! Dashie didn’t tell me you live in a tree! Why didn’t you tell me you live in a tree oh my gosh there’s two of you only that one’s made of stars! That’s so cool!”
Twilight took advantage of the pink mare’s sudden distraction to push her off and get back to her feet. “Hello, Pinkie.”
“Hi Sparkie!” the pony replied, and waved a hoof through the starry head, looking curiously at the way her leg and the stars intersected. “Why is there a starry version of your head just floating here being all floaty and starry?”
“That’s the library’s avatar,” she said, smoothing out her mane and straightening her tail. “I don’t know exactly why it uses my head but it does.” She watched for a moment, eyes tracking the pink pony as she leaped back and forth through the stars, giggling all the while. “Not that I mind, Pinkie, but why are you here?”
“Oh, she came with me, darling.” Twilight turned, eyes widening in surprise. Standing in the doorway was another unicorn, with a pure white coat and expertly coiffed deep purple mane. “I was on my way over as it was,” she said, blue eyes locked on Pinkie, “and she knew the way. Uh, Pinkie dear?”
The mare turned mid-jump, and tripped as she came down from her latest jump, tumbling to her face. With hindquarters dangling in the air and chin on the ground, she grinned up at the two unicorns. “Yeah, Rarity?”
“Thank you.” Twilight blinked, confused, but had no time to think about the exchange, as a screen with the logo of Carousel Designs had suddenly appeared in front of her. “I came up with a few options for that modification you wanted,” the other unicorn said, trotting over to stand beside Twilight, “and wanted your input.”
“Um, okay,” she said, trying to keep one eye on Pinkie, who was now checking out the shelves. “You could have sent me a message, though.”
“Oh, not at all, darling,” Rarity said with a wave of her hoof. “A personal consultation is by far the preferred option, and besides, this way I get to see your lovely home.” She swept her eyes over the main room, with its vaulted ceiling and tiers of bookcases. “You seem to be quite the bibliophile.”
“It’s a library,” Twilight replied. “I’ve spent the last week just putting together the catalog, but it’s slow going. I think I’ve gone through maybe half the books on the first level.”
“A library?” Rarity looked around with an odd expression on her face, equal parts awe and confusion. Twilight gave a little mental cheer – she was getting better at the whole emotion thing. “Is this what they looked like?”
“I don’t think most used trees, but from what I understand, yes.” The silence stretched, and Twilight shifted. “Um. You had something to show me?”
“Oh!” Rarity said, snapping out of her trance. “Yes! I’m sorry, dear, let’s get that done. Here.” A flash of her horn, and the screen’s display changed. “The first idea I had is simple enough – a necklace, you see?” The jewelry in question was a simple thing: a fine linked silver chain attached to her companion cube, which hung by a corner. “It’s easy to accomplish, and practical for access. The chain would hug your neck, so that it will not dangle and thereby get in the way.
“Another option,” she continued, her horn flashing and the screen changing, “are variations on a ring. This first one would fit your horn, while this one is more of a bracelet, for hoof access.” The trend of silver continued, though both horn ring and hoof bracelet had lanes crossing the bands. Twilight narrowed her eyes a bit, trying to get a better look, and pointed.
“What’s that on them?
“Ah,” Rarity said with a grin, and focused the view on the bracelet, where the crisscross of line was more visible. “Just a beginning sketch, really – none of these are final, you realize – but whatever you decide on, it shall be fabulous. For the necklace, the fine links speak for themselves, but for a band such as this,” she said, pointing to the bracelet, “something more elaborate is required for proper decoration. The most elaborate bands include words and pictures, etched into the surface – I prefer more abstract designs, myself, but your symbol would likely feature prominently in the piece. It has an air of the mystical about it that I simply adore.”
Twilight flushed. “Um, thank you! But it really doesn’t have to-“
“Oh, but it does!” Rarity exclaimed, cutting her off. “Understand, you may not require it to be magnificent, darling, but I do. Artist’s prerogative, dear, don’t fight it.” Twilight blinked, then gave a small nod as Rarity returned her attention to the screen. “The final idea I had is also the most elaborate, short of designing an entire outfit around it – are you sure you don’t want one?”
“Oh no, not right now,” she replied with a shake of her head.
“Well, do keep the offer in mind. This last one is something of a collar, though I think perhaps the more appropriate term is torc, or I think, actually, a gorget,” the unicorn said, sending the item into a slow spin. The basic outline of a pony body filled the piece out, to show how it would sit – the thinner section of the band was at the back, lying flush with the neck just above where it met the body. The band then circled down, widening as it went, to meet at the curve of the chest, the center of the gorget forming a point. Twilight cocked her head to the side, watching as the cube, featured prominently at the center of the chest, span by. The whole effect put her in mind of a heart.
“As you can see, I’ve gone with silver as a theme, though gold could work as well. In this piece, I could do some wonderful things with the designs – a star at the center, obviously, with the cube set into it, and perhaps a ring of smaller stars out from there, or something of that sort. What do you think?”
Twilight sat silent, looking at the gorget and imagining what it could look like with the decoration. “Rarity, they’re all … beautiful. And way more than I was expecting.”
“Well of course! Rarity always exceeds.”
“Do they … really fit me, though?” The lavender unicorn tilted her head, pulling up her inner logs of the other three options. “They’re all so elaborate, and I’m really not-“
A pink mane filled her vision, the curly, frizzy mass cutting off whatever she was about to say, and she tumbled over backwards in her haste to retreat. “Ooo, pretty!” Pinkie said, as Twilight got back to her hooves. “I like this one. We should see how it looks on her first, though.”
Before she could register exactly what was happening, the pink mare had somehow grasped the gorget in her hooves, and transferred the image to the unicorn’s neck, settling it into place and then stepping back. Twilight’s jaw dropped, looking from the screen, where the piece was still displayed, to her own body, where the exact replica, rendered in three dimensions, sat snug upon her neck. What … how?
“Pinkie, you need to think before you do those things,” Rarity chided, nudging the mare with her hoof. “It’s disconcerting if you’re not expecting it.”
“Ah, Sparkie’ll get over it. Besides, it’s just an image.” Oh. Of course. It was simply a repackaging of the screen display, likely drawing on the same imaging tech that, for example, displayed the book she’d been reading. That, however, would require a certain level of access to the world mechanisms – did Pinkie have it? What would require that level of access? She could likely do something of the sort as well, given that–
“Soooooo?” Once again, pink in her face cut off her train of thought. “What are you gonna choose, Sparkie?” Pinkie hopped to stand beside her and threw a leg around her shoulders, leaning in conspiratorially. Twilight leaned in as well, cocking an ear to catch what was about to be said. Pinkie breathed in, and then, in a whisper so loud it could probably have been heard outside, said, “Swag.”
Twilight blinked. “What?”
“Ah-he-hem!” Twilight looked at Rarity, concerned; she could see nothing immediately wrong with her, but that had sounded odd.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, dear. I just would like to know what your decision is,” she said, flicking the screen forward, each of the possibilities now on its face. “Necklace?” she asked, and the necklace lit up. “Ring? Bracelet? Or gorget?”
Twilight considered, looking each over. The necklace was an obvious option, easy to store and remove, but with this world’s insistence on emulating real world physics she was almost certain it would get caught in something. The ring was similarly simple to store, but she just wasn’t sure about putting it on her horn – the bracelet certainly did not have that problem, and would be far simpler to access as well.
She took a closer look at the display of the gorget, now modeled onscreen by none other than her own self. She tilted her head, and her model did the same; clearly the screen was linked to Rarity’s visual feed. She would have to figure out how to do that, eventually. As for the jewelry, all practicalities aside, she-
Her train of thought derailed as a loud thump emanated from somewhere up above her. “Registering impact on balcony access,” her starry doppelganger said, voice completely lacking in any sense of urgency. “Voluntaria Rainbow Dash has arrived.”
“Hi, kid.” Rainbow looked up at her from where she lay on the library balcony, a look of embarrassment on her face. Twilight returned the look with a raised eyebrow. Rainbow chuckled weakly. “I, ah, thought it was open,” she said, righting herself and getting to her hooves.
“So you planned on crashing in my room instead?”
“No! I was gonna pull a sweet midair stop, wouldn’t have touched a thing,” Rainbow boasted, following Twilight as she walked from the balcony into her room. “I just kinda hit the door first. So what’s with the swag?”
“The what?”
Any chance of a reply was cut off, once again, by Pinkie Pie, who tackled the pegasus the moment she walked through the door. “Dashie! She lives in a tree that talks through a purple starry copy of her head and uses her voice and is also a library! Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell me?” she shouted, shaking the pegasus with each word of the question.
“Pin – kie – stop – shak – ing – me!” The pink mare gasped, and dropped Rainbow to the ground.
“Whoops! Sorry, Dashie!” Rainbow staggered to her hooves, eyes rolling around in her head in a manner that Twilight found supremely disconcerting. She groaned inwardly; this world couldn’t seem to make up its mind as to whether it was a passable facsimile of real world conditions or something else entirely. The word ‘cartoonish’ came to mind – she would have to look that up later.
“I didn’t think of it Pinkie. ‘Sides, this way you discovered it yourself,” Dash said, fanning out her wings and shaking them out. Pinkie looked up at the ceiling, one hoof on her chin, then grinned and nodded. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
“I came with Rarity to show off the stuff she came up with for Twilight’s cube holder! And this,” she exclaimed, waving her hooves at Twilight’s neckpiece, which she now realized she was still ‘wearing,’ “is one of them! Sparkie still has to make a choice though and I think she was about to when you hit the balcony and we came up here and what’s your choice whatsyourchoice?” Pinkie was bouncing in place, staring at Twilight. She supposed she wasn’t exactly the best to pass judgment, having all of two weeks experience, but Pinkie struck her as a very, very strange AI.
“Yes, darling, what is your choice?” Rarity said, coming up the stairs, a book suspended in her glow. “Or do none of them strike your fancy?”
“Um,” she said, trying to gather her thoughts. “Could I get the screen again?”
“Certainly, dear,” Rarity said, pulling the display back up. Rainbow trotted up for a closer look, head tilted quizzically, and looked from screen to Twilight and back again.
“Want my opinion, kid?”
“Um … yes, actually. It’s hard to pick – I think the only one I know I don’t want is the ring. It feels a little awkward when I think about it.”
“Oh, I understand that,” Rarity replied, nodding her head. A flash of her horn, and the ring was gone, leaving just the necklace, bracelet, and gorget. “They’re really made more for bodies with fingers, but a few unicorns have become enamored with the idea of decorated horns.”
“I like the one she has on now,” Dash said. “It’s got swag.” Her opinion stated, she sat down and turned her attention to her wings, nosing and lipping at her feathers.
“There’s that word again, and I still don’t know what it means.”
“It means it’s cool!” Pinkie said. “And I agree with Dash, though the bracelet is kinda cool too. You could totally get both. Maybe even two bracelets! Triple the swag!” she exclaimed, throwing her hooves into the air.
“Uh … maybe … later? What do you think, Rarity?”
“Well,” the unicorn said, looking Twilight over with a critical eye. “Whatever I make will of course look fabulous on you, but from personal preference, and seeing it on you, dear, I believe I would go for the gorget. It gives you a certain air of authority, and if what I remember of libraries is correct, you will likely need that when this is open.”
Twilight nodded, eyes flicking from bracelet to gorget and back again. In terms of simple practicality, the bracelet was the better choice, but she had to admit, she did like how she looked with the more elaborate neck piece. And Rarity had a good point. “Then the vote is unanimous. Thank you, Rarity.”
“Oh, it’s my pleasure,” the unicorn said, flicking the screen out of existence. “In fact, don’t worry about the normal payment.”
Twilight blinked. “But-”
“I insist. Consider it a gift.”
“But-“
“I’d be far more interested in being able to peruse your book selection, in any case.”
“But that’s not- I was planning on letting you do that anyway!”
“And I was never planning on charging, so it all works out, yes?” Rarity said, patting her on the cheek. “Learn to take a gift when it is offered, darling.”
Twilight’s refusal died on her lips, her own insistence failing in the face of Rarity’s matter-of-fact attitude. It really couldn’t hurt to take the gift, not if the designer was offering it. It just … sat wrong, somehow, to be given things without having actually earned them. She would have to find some way to repay the generosity, without making it obvious. “Well … thank you, then.”
“You’re quite welcome!”
“Hey Twilight!” Dash said, drawing their attention. “Now that that’s handled, what’d you call me over for?”
“Oh!” She grinned, and started for the stairs. “I discovered something about what the library can do. You remember what Celestia and Luna said about innovations?” The pegasus nodded.
“Wait, Celestia? Luna?” Rarity interjected.
“Like the super duper really big and smart and powerful AIs that run the whole show?” Pinkie added.
“Yes. They said that the library here was a return to an older system, with a few innovations thrown in. Well, I think I may have found one, and was going to see what it does. I called you over, Dash, because I figured you’d want in.”
“Duh,” Rainbow said, giving her wings an experimental flap. “Finally something interesting comes up, of course I want in!”
Twilight halted in the center of the main room next to the pedestal, which had, in the intervening weeks, grown a wooden statue of a horse’s head. It looked rather similar to the knight piece from the game of chess, she had found. “Rarity, Pinkie, I should ask something before I continue,” she said, turning to face the two mares, who were looking at her with dumbstruck expressions.
“And I should probably preface by explaining the situation a bit more. The short version is that the Library and I were kind of created for each other, and Celestia and Luna apparently have a vested interest in seeing how it does. They gave me the task of getting it all set for public use. You follow so far?”
They nodded. “Okay. They also said that anyone who wanted to help me, could. Dash has already volunteered, which is why I called her over. If you two want to be part of whatever’s about to happen, then I need to ask you – are you volunteering to help?”
Rarity and Pinkie shared a glance, Pinkie grinning away. Rarity raised an eyebrow, but turned her attention back to Twilight. “I have to ask, first – exactly what might I be getting into?”
Twilight looked down at the floor, giving a kick with her hoof. “I … don’t know, exactly. Semper Liberi’s full functionality is … hidden,” she said. “The Sisters said that it would grow, and that my growth and its growth would affect each other. So far, all I’ve been able to determine is that it is a construct of vast potential, and that it is following some set of orders that I can’t perceive. This, for example,” she said, gesturing at the horse head, “showed up just a couple days ago. I’ve been able to determine that it has something to do with the books, but without actually activating it, I can’t tell anything further.”
Rarity walked up to the horse head, giving it a once over, and looked over at the starry avatar. “I suppose you’ve tried asking the library itself.”
“New functionality cannot be categorized and labeled until analyzed,” the library replied, startling her. “Analysis of nascent systems is unreliable due to heavy integration with underlying pre-existing infrastructure. For full analysis, activation and utilization is required.”
Twilight nodded. “The library is somehow worked into the local world itself. I think that might be one reason they chose to make it a tree.”
“Well you can count me in!” Pinkie said with a grin, trotting over to the Twilight and putting a leg around her shoulders. “It all sounds like super awesome fun, and it also sounds like it’s really really important, and for stuff that’s really really important, you should always have help!”
Twilight smiled, giggling a bit. “Thanks, Pinkie.”
“Well, darling, I certainly can’t promise that I’ll always be available, but I must agree with Pinkie,” Rarity said, sitting on Twilight’s other side. “You’re, what, two weeks old? Clearly the Sisters intended you to be here from the start – and if they’re involving themselves personally then it must be of critical importance. So, count me in as well.”
“Registering Pinkie Pie, full appellation Pinkamena Diane Pie, and Rarity, of Carousel Designs, as volunteers in service to the Bibliothecaria. Semper Liberi welcomes you, Voluntariae.” The two mares watched, eyes wide, as two of the stars floated away from the mass that formed the avatar and halted in front of them, spinning in place.
Pinkie reached out, tentatively, and touched her star. It reacted immediately, flying around her hoof to settle in her mane. “That … is … so … cool!” she squealed, reaching up to feel it. “We get titles and badges!”
“Yep! Totally solid, too,” Rainbow said, flicking an ear forward and revealing her own badge, nestled in the red of her mane. “So, are we gonna do this thing, or what?”
“Yes, let’s,” Rarity added, carefully affixing her own badge to her mane, ensuring that it was displayed to greatest effect. “I’m finding myself most intrigued as to what the library can do.”
“To adventure!” Pinkie yelled, throwing her legs out wide. “Start ‘er up, Captain Sparkle!”
Twilight grinned. “Alright then! Just give me a moment, here.” Her horn lit up, and her glow engulfed the horse head, stripping away the surface and exposing the code. There, just between the eyes, was the glowing star that would trigger the construct. “Ready, girls?”
“Ready!” three voices said in unison.
“Then here we go! Activate Theatrum.exe, by order of the Bibliothecaria,” she said, and the horse’s star blazed to life.
“Theatrum activated. Fiat spectaculum incipiunt,” the library said, and the avatar exploded, its stars flying to all corners of the room. The lanterns flared, the stars flashed, and the world was swallowed in a blaze of light.
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To adventure!
The fact that the library is changing is quite interesting.
362844 Adventure!
360969 No need to apologize! Comments are fun, but I just like it that people read. And I am looking forward to where I take this, too. In some ways, writing a story is more about discovering the story than creating it.
Twilight's army of minions grows!
365401 For small bits of language, Google Translate is your friend.
very nice story so far I am definitely hooked here!
Tracking!
This is pretty neat. Keeping an eye on this~
366048 Awesome.
369845 Excellent.
369851 Stupendous. Thanks!
370023 Extraordinary.
My thanks to all of you for reading, and liking! I admit, it tickles me pink at how well received this is, and the confirmation that I am, in fact, doing something new within the world of FiM Fiction is gratifying.
that cover image is pretty awsome, i think il save this to read in the morning
Now THIS is new and interesting. Executing track.tag!
Amazing fic so far I give it 5 mustaches out of 5
Computer God - Black Sabbath
“Analysis of nascent systems is unreliable due to heavy integration with underlying pre-existing infrastructure. For full analysis, activation and utilization is required.”
I have never used a dictionary so much in my entire life!
Anyways.... Good story, awaiting arival of applejack, fluttershy, and spike.
There were a few grammar/formatting errors here and there, so you could probably do with a proofreader (and feel free to drop me a line if you can't find one), but other than that, this fic only has one flaw:
There's nothing else to read yet!
Seriously, though, the only MLP fic I've read that was even remotely like this was the one about the desktop ponies ages ago (can't remember the title, can look it up if anyone's interested). And this story is very much a different breed from that. Plus AI!Twilight is adorable, even more so than normal Twilight, and the other AI ponies...are actually surprisingly in-character. I really want to see where you're taking this.
Also - 'theatrum'? Assuming a dead language, is the similarity to 'theatre' a coincidence?
371264 Gasp! You found errors? I thought I'd killed them all! Send me a private message with what you found, if you would be so kind?
Theatrum is Latin. As are a number of other words in the story. They are all chosen very deliberately.
So far, other than words in something other than english, you haven't stumped me yet.
I am enthralled by this work in progress of a masterpiece.
So - always free, librarian, volunteer, theatre, and let the show begin. Nice. ^_^ Although I only got three of those without looking for a translation.
You are right Google translate is a friend. This virtual world is one of the better renditions of Equestria I have read about. I still have so many questions, but I trust that many will be answered as the story progresses.
365424 Update whenever you feel you can...
WHICH OIS TO MEAN NAO!
371789 Rest assured, I write at least a little every day ... though not all for THIS story. I have two, both in progress.
371832
This.
This is just... wow.
I'm starting to wonder how this is all going to play out. I mean this is such a simple story, but COME ON MAN. It's got so much potential it's not even funny! I can even ignore the little slips here and there, because you've done the excellent job of just SUCKING me into this world of yours and NOT LETTING GO.
Fabulous. You are being tracked nao.
I've never run into something quite like this before, I'm tracking to read when it next updates.
Also bravo on your writing skills, I haven't seen many people with a full story without any particularly noticeable errors. You are spot on
371855 I am knowledgable of saud fact, my good sir
. I was attempting to facilitate comical relations between us two dramatist's! Such an endeavor has, with great appearance, failed to apply the agreed upon conjunction as of yet. However, I will facilitate to do so in the future, with great enthusiasm!
371264
I found the desktop pony story!
http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/05/story-desktop-ponies.html
I'm loving this so far. It's somewhat reminding me of the space-opera reimagining of the pilot episodes, but don't worry, this is much much different!
This is really awesome. Your story's drew me in very quickly and I can't wait for more!
Onwards! To adventure!
This story is off to a very promising start. I will definitely be tracking this thing.
372183 That's the one!
Ahg! Cliffhanger!
Maybe it's a good time to brush up my latin to be able to understand the library.
374963 The crossover tag is there because there will be crossovers, not because it already is one. Yes. Crossovers, not crossover.
374965 Then I am doing it right! I admit, it's getting a slow start, but in terms of the plans I have ... this story is huge. I honestly don't know when it will have a conclusion. The fact that you are staying despite the lack of a clear and present plot hook is awesome.
375164 Ah, thank you. I look forward to them!
Awesome Awesome Awesome Awesome Awesome Awesome Awesome Awesome Awesome Awesome Awesome
Fury of the Tempest is overwhelmed by this stories's Awesome
370626 RPG? Think ... bigger. Much, much bigger.
375209 So I take it that you like it?
Okay, I see what you're saying. But that is a good (if a bit simplified) analogy, no? Except the AIs have no user controlling them directly. Whatever it is, I'm not trying to correct you, just trying to visualize the whole thing. I've written something on some similar lines before, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this plays out.
362844 To Adventure!
26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m02qizqQEA1rpxtkjo1_500.jpg
sweet
Finally found time to read this, and I am absolutely engrossed. Can't wait for moar.
Very interesting and very original :D the only similar thing I can think of would be maybe tron. I really like how you didn't just go with ordinary ponyville layout but created an original town :D
The thing that really draws me into stories like these is the potential. I love potential and possibilities and ways of growing. I love thinking about that stuff, so to read this and have that be the entire point of the story is just enthralling. I'll be keeping a close eye on this one.
I adore the first four chapters. The prologue set up the world greatly, and we learnt quite a bit - alongside Twilight - about its basic rules. I was really looking forward to chapter 5, and I wasn't disappointed. What confuses me, however, is the sudden introduction of Pinkie and Rarity.
It's not that I can't imagine they could have met in 'off-scenes' between chapter 4 and 5, and it was probably not that important to show it, but after the first four chapters it seems so sudden. It almost feels like there is missing a section in which Rarity and Pinkie are introduced.
Let's see... Girls joining a group a few at a time, into something they can't easily grasp the full purpose of, and getting a special exotic-sounding title... Sounds like a magical girl anime.
Not that that's a bad thing, mind you. 
402072 Ya, I had that same feeling. You sort of suddenly had her talking to them. I think the one thing you missed was a slight notice that she'd been around town meeting ponies, which is really about all you needed. They did join sort of abruptly.
Was that an xkcd reference at the start?
I wish I had an opinion on this story, I THINK I like it... But I'm not sure.
hey sorry to ask this mr author but what country are you from?
Aha! I have found one thing to complain about. You use enough Latin that sometimes I have to have Google translate it, rather than working it out from context and my knowledge of Latin roots in English.
You monster. How could you.
Although, to be serious for a bit, I do think Semper Liberi a bit of an odd name for a library . . . I'm pretty sure I see what you mean by it, about free access to information, but I get a nagging feeling that there's a better name to express that, and the fact that I'm not sure what it is just makes it worse.
Maybe the users are the mane 6
Maybe Twilight's directive which was locked, was to be the bearer of the Element of Magic and become an alicorn!!!!
Gah! My head hurts!!!
Must get Robot Calculations out!!! 