More than a Storybook

by balletdivagirl

Wake Up Call

Blaze did something that only a few hours ago, he believed that he would never, ever do again. He woke up. It hurt all over, and for a second, he wasn’t sure why. Then he remembered being hit by a magic blast and then passing out in a collapsing cave tunnel. So why had he woken up?

He was lying on his back, wings positioned uncomfortably beneath him. He tried moving them, but the rest of him ached too much to move off of them. Actually his wings were the part of him that hurt the least. His injured shoulder was still screaming in pain. There was little he could do about it here. Where was here?

He slowly opened his eyes, and was at first met with darkness. He pushed the panic of that back down, and as his vision cleared and adjusted to the darkness, he saw the stars above him. He’d never been so happy to see the stars in all his life. He was not going to die alone in a cave. He took a deep breath of outside air only to discover that it made his rib hurt even more.

Blaze lay looking at the stars. Everything hurt and he had no idea where he was or how he came to be there. Thinking made his head hurt too. The night was silent, filled with only a few animal sounds. Then Blaze heard the unmistakable sound of a pony’s hoofsteps. Story. Blaze suddenly realized that he didn’t know where she was, or if she was ok.

“Story?” He spoke without moving, but taking a breath to speak hurt as well.

“No, Blazefinder.” It was not Story’s voice. The steps got closer and Blaze saw a dark blue head over his. “It is Princess Luna, are you in pain?”

“Only when I breathe.” Blaze winced after he spoke. “Story?” He couldn’t manage anymore.

“Well, and she will be relieved to see thee, ah, you.” Luna leaned over to examine his actual wound. “Powerful magic did this. You are lucky to be alive, Blazefinder.” Blaze was aware of this, but he didn’t really care. Story was alright. She wasn’t hurt.

“I am going to teleport you. It will not hurt.” Good, not hurting was good. Blaze’s vision turned blue for a moment, and then there were some very bright lights, and ponies shouting. A few new faces appeared over him, and Blaze felt himself being lifted, which hurt a lot. Something sharp jabbed itself into his front leg and soon he was asleep again.

***

Story curled up in her old bedroom. The past week she’d been here more than at her apartment. She just couldn’t face the idea of going back to her very empty apartment.

Especially now that it might be empty forever. Story had never actually imagined a future with Blaze, but she couldn’t imagine a future without him either. He’d been there her whole life. She couldn’t remember a school year, or Nightmare Night, or Summer Sun Celebration, or anything else without him. Hearing the rocks crashing behind her as she’d run out of that tunnel felt like watching her grandfather slowly wither away in his hospital bed. Only it happened so much faster. Blaze was gone, and no matter how many times she was told otherwise, she blamed herself. Blaze would never have returned to that cave if not for her.

Story could hear hoofsteps outside the door of her old room. She didn’t want to talk to anypony. She’d been forced to tell the story to several pony officials in the past three days. She didn’t want to do it again. Ever. She wanted to forget the whole horrible day. Just, without forgetting about Blaze.

She hadn’t realized how much she needed him to get through this. Granted, if he were here she would be dealing with this, but still. She’d give anything to be next to him, his wing wrapped around her. But that would never happen again. She just wished she’d realized she needed him, enjoyed his company, and how well they worked together. She’d been in love with him her whole life. She just hadn’t known. Blaze hadn’t either. She’d never get to tell him now…

“Story?” A small, high voice came from the other side of the door. It was her sister. Story didn’t answer. Star Spinner knocked on the door. “Um, I know you well, ah, are you ever gonna come out?” A thud hit the door and Story figured it was Star Spinner’s head on the door. Story wiped a tear from her eye and unwrapped herself from the blanket. Star was right, she would have to leave eventually, and spending some time with her younger sister didn’t seem so bad.

“Hey Story!” This voice was her brother. Steel Haze sounded concerned, “Dad sent me to get you, he’s acting really strange.” Story was glad she had already untangled herself. She opened the door to her room.

“Acting strange?” Story bumped her little brother, who was taller than she was now.

“He’s really happy. It’s weird.” Steel deadpanned and started walking back towards their living room. Story and Star followed.
Their father was waiting in the living room, a ridiculous grin on his face. Story felt mildly insulted, but just because she was miserable didn’t mean everyone else had to be. Story sat on a cushion, and tried to look composed.

“Story, I have the best news ever.” Wind Chaser took his daughter’s hoof, “Blaze is Alive!”

***
“Don’t look so worried, Baby Blue.” Blaze’s mother patted his hoof, like she had done for the twenty millionth time since he’d woken up this morning. Any other time, he would have told her to stop, but she still looked worried, and couldn’t seem to stop crying. She had, after all, thought her son was dead. Blaze would forgive his mother anything right now, even her using that awful nickname in front of Story.

“Worried?” Blaze didn’t feel like saying much more. Story hadn’t come yet. He knew she was ok, but he really wanted to see her. He knew he could fall back to sleep at any second.

“Blaze?” A soft voice came from the door of his hospital room. The golden-yellow mare stood almost in shock. Her eyes sparkled with the moisture in them.

“Hey.” Blaze’s brain wasn’t working, he couldn’t think of anything else to say. Story came running o him anyway, tears streaming down her face. She soon was by his bedside.

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re okay.” She wiped tears from her eyes, “I’m so sorry I-I couldn’t stay, there was nothing I could do.”
Blaze smiled just hearing her voice. He had the vague thought that he should tell her it wasn’t her fault, but the pain meds were making him sleepy again. He just listened for a moment.

“If it weren’t for me you wouldn’t have been down there, I’m so sorry.” She took his hoof in hers. “I just want you to be ok.”

“I’m fine.” Blaze pulled her hoof onto his chest. “You’re fine too.” With a sigh of relief, Blaze fell asleep again.

***
Applejack, Fluttershy and Rarity sat in the library of Twlilights castle. Twilight was running back and forth across the library gathering paper and pens, and well, the three mares couldn’t keep up. Spike was running along behind her, trying to check off a list.

“Twilight, darling, please calm down.” Rarity spoke but Twilight didn’t stop.

“Can’t stop! So much to get ready for trip to Canterlot.” Twilight turned to Spike, “Do we have the research complied for Princess Celestia?”

“Um, I’m not sure, which research was that?” Spike flipped several pages of check list.

“The research comparing the symbol on the tapestry to the known textiles of pre-Equestrian ponies” Twilight looked at something on the table, “or maybe it was the research on-“

“Why are we here, sugar cube?” Applejack’s voice made Twilight focus on the task at hand.

“I’m sorry girls it’s just the cave-in has Princess Celestia concerned for everypony’s safety.” Twilight levitated a small brown book over the table the girls surrounded. “This is actually why I called you here.”

“It looks a bit like our journal.” Fluttershy commented as the book was placed on the table.
“It does, and the writing inside looks hoof-written.” Twilight opened the book. “But it’s complete gibberish.”

The ponies all leaned over the book. There were no discernable words on the pages, but lots of writing. The letters in the book didn’t look like any language Twilight had ever heard of.

“Yep, looks like gibberish to me.” Applejack nodded, “But why is it important?”

“Because it belonged to Clover the Clever.” Twilight flipped to the front pages. “The only part of the journal that’s legible is the inscription here.” Twilight put her hoof on the inscription. “In Ancient unicorn it simply reads ‘Clover the Clever.’

“Why would any pony as intelligent as Clover the Clever write total nonsense?” Rarity looked closer at the journal.

“That’s what I wondered.” Twilight’s magic flew through the pages, “Then I realized that it might be in code. I tried multiple decoding spells, but all of them just moved the gibberish around.”

“Twilight, ya still haven’t gotten to why we’re here.” Applejack did have a very straight forward streak.

“I know.” Twilight took a deep breath, “One of my decoding spells did reveal this.” The pages stopped turning, and on the open paged were a few lines of clear text, written in Old Equestrian. Twilight was able to read it, but she could tell her friends were struggling. She read out the translation into modern Equestrian.

“Three hooves on paper, place,
Three ponies in one space
One horn alight,
Two wings aflight
Strength of earth shall make it right.
Three voices must I know,
Saying what is found below,
‘Three to one
One to three
Secrets here reveal to me!’

“That’s a lovely poem.” Fluttershy looked at the book. “And the embellishments are lovely too.”

“They are indeed Fluttershy, but what does it mean?” Rarity looked at Twilight.

“It means that to read this book, a unicorn, Pegasus, and Earth pony must read the bottom part of the rhyme together.” Twilight levitated her friends hooves onto the page, “while their hooves are on the paper, the unicorn is using magic, and the pegasi is hovering.”

“So we’re here to break a spell?” Applejack leaned in.

“YES!” Twilight looked at them, “It think this journal has something to do with the library, and Story and everything. I tried to do it, as an alicorn, but it didn’t work.”

“Alright then, let’s make this gibberish readable.”

“Indeed.”

“Ok.” The three looked at each other, Rarity lit her magic and Fluttershy hovered, keeping one hoof on the paper.
They recited the chant as one,

“Three to one
One to three
Secrets here reveal to me!”

The book started to glow with a soft green magic. The letters on the pages rearranged, and the letters that didn’t look like anything became readable.

“It’s ancient unicorn!” Twilight smiled happily as the book stopped glowing and rearranging. The book closed itself, but Twilight opened it back up to the front page. There staring at the four friends, was a drawing of two unicorn’s horns casting a spell on a black circle.

***

The cave thundered. Magic crashed and echoed against the cavern walls, as the master’s anger grew in furry. There were large rocks flung and holed blasted through them. The apprentice cowered as his sanctuary was destroyed.

“FOOL!” The master shouted, “Your actions could have cost us everything.” A beam of magic flew over the apprentices’ head. His teacher continued to rant, “If you weren’t the only pony here with the magic power to succeed me I would blast you to pieces!”

“I am sorry Dominus.” The apprentice barley whispered, “I acted without thinking.”

“Yes, you did.” The master sighed, his anger abating. “You were correct that the Pegasus must be taken care of, but you nearly killed the Lost One.”

“I had no desire to cause the Lost One harm.” The apprentice sat up, knowing his master could not see him. “All I wish is for the Lost One’s return.”

“That is why you should trust in my plan. She will return. Do not act without my permission again, or your skull will rest in the Hall of Relics” The master snarled.

“Yes, Dominus.” The apprentice sounded complacent, but he wore a face of distaste. The old stallion was getting soft, and daft. The Lost One would never come unless they made her. She was far too attached to her precious home and family.

“You are lucky one good thing came of your mistake.” The master growled.

“Dominus?”

“We know he is still alive.” The Master laughed, but the apprentice shuddered. He had forgotten that. He remembered that unicorn, and even worse, that unicorn probably remembered him. The apprentice and master both exited the ruined cavern.

Comments

[Professor Tacitus]

The plot thickens. Also, when Story finally admitted she loved Blaze!fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/324/5/a/princess_cadance__did_you_say_milkshake__by_drpancakees-d5llwwy.png
All the love!

[balletdivagirl]

5144771 Gah! I love that picture! Cadence would be doing that. She might also be wondering why they haven't told each other yet...

[Professor Tacitus]

5145230 She's probably watching this whole thing going: "Just kiss already for bucks sake!"

[balletdivagirl]

5145491 Oh yeah. She might have to wait. (Someone should do a fic of Cadence reading romance novel, and whining about how she could have fixed all their problems)