Shattered Glass

by Eric Michael Kline

Mr. Dustmop

CHAPTER 4

MR. DUSTMOP

=Equestria Prime=

As Spike and Twilight made their way through the winding caverns deep inside Canterlot mountain, the little dragon would occasionally glance up at the pony whom he had been the loyal assistant and companion to since she had hatched him from his egg. She had barely spoken since her meeting with Princess Celestia. And between the Princess's less than warm reception and what she had been ordered to do, Spike could only guess how torn up Twilight really was inside.

"Twilight?" Spike asked. "You're not really going to destroy Star Swirl's notes are you?"

"What other choice do I have Spike? I can't ignore a command from the Princess. And she does have a point. Transdimensional travel is dangerous."

"But the Princess isn't thinking straight! Come on Twilight. We both saw how she was acting. She knows how much you love books. You really think that she would ask you to do something like that if she was thinking clearly?" Twilight sighed and stared off into the distance.

"Making decisions you don't want to make is part of being a ruler. That's what Princess Celestia told me when she and the other Celestia were being imprisoned in crystal. If she was prepared to make a sacrifice like that for the good of our world and Sombra's, I can burn a few books to do the same. Especially if it helps alleviate whatever is wrong with her." Passing the skeleton of the giant hydra that once guarded the way, they turned a corner and the hidden library of Star Swirl the Bearded finally came into view.

"You know," Spike suggested, "she only told us to destroy any notes we found about Star Swirl's research about crossing into other dimensions. She never said anything about actually looking for them. Can't really destroy something if we can't find it." Twilight thought about that for a moment before giving him a half smile.

"I guess you're right. Hmm. That's strange."

"What is?"

"These doors look different from before. In fact they almost look brand new." Twilight pushed them open and Spike whistled in amazement as they walked inside. He had been expecting a cramped hole lined with bookshelves. But the caverns he now found himself in was almost big enough to fit half of Canterlot Castle inside of it. Countless bookshelves lay scattered around the main chamber; forming a maze rimmed by numerous smaller chambers that held laboratories, specialized wings, and display areas while at the cave's far end, an underground waterfall from the yearlong snowfall at the mountain's peak drained into a pool where blind cave fish swam about feeding on algea and cave krill.

"Wow. For something that's been down here for so long this place is in pretty good shape."

"But it wasn't," Twight said as they descended the stair to the central depository. "When the girls and I first came down here, this place was a total mess. The dust was an inch thick, the bookshelves were warped and cracked, and cobwebs were everywhere. Look, someone even put in new plants and furniture."

"Maybe the Princess hired workers to come down here and get it cleaned up. "

"I guess that makes sense," Twilight agreed. "Okay Spike. We've still got two hours before we meet back up with the others so lets get as much done as we can. I'm going to see if I can't find any exhibits to take back to Ponyville. And while I do that you..."

"I what?"

"Do you hear something?" Spike cocked his ear and listened.

Swishtch-swishtch-swishtch.

"Yeah I think I do. What is that?"

"Let's go find out." With Twilight leading the way, the two of them crept through the pathways that winded through the bookcases, following the noise until they were right on top of it. From behind the cover of a statue of Princess Platinum, one of the original founders of Equestria, they saw a shadow moving across the floor in front of them.

"Do you think it's a burgler?" Spike whispered.

"If it is they broke into the wrong library!" Lighting up her horn, Twilight tensed her hindquarters before leaping around the corner. "Freeze!" she yelled as she fired a warning shot into the air. From the other side of the statue, Spike heard a yelp and a thud as somepony fell onto their back.

"Did you get him?" he asked as he peered around. "Uh oh! Twilight what did you do?" Lying on the floor beside a broom and dustpan was an old unicorn stallion. Dirt stained his yellow coat and grey coveralls while his head was topped with a shock of white hair. Equally bushy were his mustache and eyebrows. To Spike, it almost looked as if Rarity's cat Opal had climbed on top and shed her entire winter coat onto his head.

"Oh no!" Twilight said as she ran over to help him up. "Sir I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine," he wheezed. "Gave me quite a start there. Hold on. Are you Princess Twilight?" Immediately he dropped into a bow. "'Scuse me for disturbing you your highness. If I had known you were coming I would have finished earlier."

"Um that's okay," Twilight said. "But who are you and what are you doing down here?"

"Oh right," the old stallion answered. "The name's Dustmop. A long time ago I used to work here in the castle. After Star Swirl's Library was uncovered, I was called out of retirement to get this place back into shape for its new owner. I was just doing a little spit shining when you jumped me."

"Yeah sorry again about that," Twilight nervously laughed. "So you're a maintenance pony?"

"Something like that. Actually I used to work directly for the Princess. If something needed fixed or she had a mess that needed cleaning up, I was the one she called on to get it done."

"I've never heard of a unicorn working as a janitor before," Spike said as Twilight shot him a disapproving look. "What?"

"Eh, what can I say?" Dustmop shrugged. "I never really had much talent for magic so that limited my career choices. But that's alright. I take a great deal of pride in what I do. It may not be glamorous but somepony has to do it or nopony else could get their work done."

"And you did all this by yourself?" Twilight asked as she looked around. "I'm impressed."

"I may be old but I'm still spry," he bragged. "Trust me, this is far from the worst mess I've ever had to clean up."

"Well if you worked for the Princess I guess you would have to be the best," Twilight agreed. "Come on Spike, we'll let Mr. Dustmop get back to work. Sorry again about surprising you. Are you sure you don't need help?"

"Yeah I'm fine," Dustmop said as he levitated his cleaning tools and marched off. "You've probably got big important princess matters to attend to so don't worry about me."

"Okay if you insist." Returning to the Library's entrance, Twilight found a storage closet under the main stairs from which she retrieved two push carts and a stepladder. "Alright Spike," she instructed as she pushed the cart with the ladder towards him. "As I was saying, while I look for any exhibits to take back home, you look through the main depository and see if you can find any books for the Library. Look for anything obscure, ancient, or about pre-Celestian Equestria. I'll come get you when it's time to meet the girls."

"Can do," Spike said as Twilight marched off on her own expedition. With his mission clear, Spike set about exploring the countless book shelves. But even after an hour of searching, Spike had found only four books that he was certain met Twilight's criteria. He had just pulled a copy of The History of Royal Unicorn Genealogy when old Mr. Dustmop came by with a serving tray on which three mugs had been placed.

"Say little fella," the old unicorn called out. "Care for something warm. Even in Spring it can get pretty chill in these caves."

"Sure thanks," Spike called out as he climbed down the ladder.

"Where's the Princess?" he asked as he set down a mug of hot cocoa on the cart.

"She's on a treasure hunt. I Think she went down that way"

"Then I'll take her something as well. Mind if I ask what you're looking for?"

"Just some books for the Library back in Ponyville. You'd think that down here there'd at least be some that Twilight hasn't already read."

"Well now that you mention it," Dustmop said. "When I was clearing out the cobwebs, I found a bookcase about rive rows back that had a lot of big thick books that seemed to have been published by this Star Swirl fella himself."

"Yeah that sounds like something Twilight would want. Thanks for the heads up." Dustmop nodded as he left and Spike took a sip from the hot cocoa the old janitor had made him. Wow, Spike thought. This is good. He even mixed in ruby and emerald flakes. I'll have to remember that for later. Mounting the stepladder on the end of the cart and carrying the cocoa in his free hand, Spike followed Dustmop's directions and found himself at a lone bookshelf positioned at at the very back of the depository. Jackpot, he thought as he set up the ladder and climbed up to the top shelf. Let's see. Star Swirl's Complete History of the Evolution of Prehistoric Equestrian Animals. Yeah that sounds like something Twilight would want. Star Swirl's Guide to Caring For Your Magical Pet. Star Swirl's Guide to Cooking with Coffee. Star Swirl's Complete Guide to Dragons and Dragon-Kin? Oh Yeah I'm definitely keeping that one for myself. Hey what's this? Wedged between the Dragon Guide and Star Swirl's Beginner's Guide to Alchemy and Automail was a book that was considerably thinner and shorter than any of the other books on the shelf. His curiosity piqued, Spike pulled it out and when he opened it, saw that it was full of handwritten notes.

Uh oh, he thought. Please don't be something Twilight will have to destroy. To his relief however, the journal didn't seem to have anything about transdimensional travel. It actually didn't seem to have much of anything besides random lists, crude doodles, and various ramblings. Did Pinkie write this? he wondered as he closed it. What is this even doing over here? But nothing could prepare him for what he found when looked at the front cover.

"Oh wow," he shuddered. "Twilight!"

Packing up Star Swirl's robe and hat, Twilight set it on the cart where she had also placed the fragment of the Secretariat Comet and the jade kirin figurine. Though Star Swirl's Library certainly had no shortage of interesting exhibits, her heart just wasn't into it. The only reason she had still decided to come down was because it would be easier than staying in Celestia's presence while waiting for the others. I don't know what to do, she thought. I have no real idea what the Princess is feeling or even how to help her. And after meeing with her, I don't think she even wants my help. Maybe it would be best if we just headed home.

As she walked further down the main depository, Twilight came across a chamber filled with rows of display cases and whose entrance was labelled by a sign that read SOUVENIR ROOM. Were these the things Star Swirl and the Princess collected on their journeys through the mirror? she thought. For a moment Twilight hesitated. If she went in there, she'd be seeing things that Star Swirl and the Princess had taken from other worlds which meant she might have to act on the Princess's orders. But then again the Princess only said to destroy any manuscripts and notes about transdimensional travel. She didn't say anything about items that could have come from some obscure corner of Equestria for all anypony knew. In the end, Twilight's curiosity got the better of her and she went in, losing herself among the wonders from beyond her world's boundaries.

"So many artifacts," she wondered aloud. "Just how many worlds did they visit?" One case held a stone tablet displaying a map with three points of interest marked by a ruby, an emerald, and a piece of amber. Another held a diploma, a clock shaped like a heart, a medal for bravery, and a pair of ruby slippers. Better not let Rarity see those, she thought. Further down was another case that displayed an ivory turtle, a paper boat, a wooden key, a worn down rock hammer, a revolver with a sandalwood grip, and a foal's book about a train named Charlie. Yeah, Twilight thought as she looked at the face of the train on the cover, ­definitely not letting any foals read that one.

At the chamber's end, Twilight looked up and froze at what she saw next. Mounted on the cavern's wall was a large portrait of the Princess and Star Swirl. She looks so happy, she thought. I wonder if this was made after she met King Sombra. Was she thinking of him when this was done? I wonder if she'd still be smiling if she knew how it would all end? And what about her? Was she any different? After all, there was the one she had met in the world Sunset Shimmer had fled to. And while Twilight couldn't honestly say that she was in love with him, she certainly wouldn't mind seeing him again. But what if she did develop further feelings for him? How could it even work? After all, they were from different worlds. Literally. And what if it caused another paradox or even another tragedy like Sombra? Was she doomed to suffer the same pain as her teacher and turn away from everyone she cared about?

"I wish none of it happened," she said aloud. "I wish that the Princess and Sombra had never met." From behind, the clop of hoofsteps pulled Twilight out of her thoughts and she turned around just as Mr. Dustmop appeared with a serving tray levitated in front of him.

" 'Scuse me your highness," he said as he lowered the tray onto a nearby stand. "But I was making coffee in the kitchenette and thought you might like a cup to help you work."

"Oh, yes thank you." Adding two creams and sugar to one cup, Twilight took a sip and her eyes bulged in surprise "This...this is incredible!"

"Glad you like it," he beamed as he lifted his own mug. "It's my own special blend. I'll give you the recipe if you want."

"That sounds great." So this place has a kitchenette as well? Twilight thought. If it had a pastry shop I bet even Pinkie would come down here on a regular basis.

"Bit for your thoughts?" the old unicorn suddenly asked.

"What?"

"I don't mean to pry but it looks like you've got something on you mind."

"You have no idea," she sighed.

"Well if you don't mind me saying so," Dustmop suggested, "if you need an ear I'm always available. One thing that gets better as you get older is your ability to really listen. Even if the ears don't always work so well." Twilight looked him up and down. At first glance nothing seemed really remarkable about Dustmop. Just another blue-collar working stallion. But there was something about him that made her want to open up to him. It wasn't quite a grandfatherly feeling, but actually reminded her a lot of Princess Celestia. He probably could give some insight but how could she do so without betraying her promise to the Princess?

"I wouldn't even know where to start," she said.

"Which is my cue to say, 'try at the beginning.' " Twilight thought about it for a moment and decided that maybe there was a way to keep her promise after all.

"Well," Twilight said. "You see I just finished reading this very interesting story."

"Oh yeah? What was it about?"

"It was about this mare. She's beautiful, gentle, and wise and she meets a stallion who's handsome, kind, and noble. They end up falling in love with each other."

"Sounds like a wonderful story."

"It starts off that way," Twilight continued. "But then it takes a turn. You see, the two of them are from different paths. And them being together sets off a chain of events that put a lot of ponies in danger. In the end, he sacrifices himself to save her and put everything right."

"I can't imagine she took it well."

"She didn't," Twilight said as she turned away to keep Dustmop from seeing the tears that were already welling up in her eyes. "She changed, becoming cold to everypony. Even the ones that cared about her. It was almost as if what she had gone through had turned her into a different pony." As she stared at her reflection in the coffee, a single tear trickled off Twilight's cheek and splashed into the cup.

"It must have been quite a story to affect you like this. It's almost as though you lived it yourself."

"It was enough to make me wonder if love is really worth it at all," she admitted.

"Don't you think you're a little young to be thinking that?" Dustmop asked. "I mean, just because it didn't work out for the mare in the story doesn't mean you'll wind up the same way."

"But why did it end up like that at all?" Twilight asked. "She and the stallion, they weren't bad ponies. They may have made some mistakes but they didn't deserve to suffer like that. What was the point of it all? Why did they even meet if it was going to end like that? It just doesn't make any sense." Dustmop hummed and took a slurp of his coffee before answering.

"I've been around. And I know that life isn't always easy. Sometimes it can be hard, painful, and sad. And sometimes, things don't always end happily. But even if we don't see the reason for it, we should never wish they had turned out differently."

"I wonder if the mare would agree with you," Twilight mumbled.

"Everypony feels that way in hard times," Dustmop agreed. "I know I've felt that way before. But a very wise pony I once met taught me that our experiences, the good and the bad, are what make us who we are. That's why we should appreciate everything we go through rather than wishing to undo the past."

"Even if it changes us into something we shouldn't be?"

"Well," Dustmop answered, "it's times like that when we need to take a look at what we still have. The mare in your story. You said that she has ponies that care about her right? Would they do so even if she wasn't as remarkable as you've described her?" Twilight took a moment to think. It was true that the Princess was important to everyone. But even if she was just a normal pony, she and the others would still have come to help her. Because she's more than just the Princess to us, she realized. She's our friend as well.

"Yeah," Twilight said with a smile. "She does."

"That's good. She's going to need them if she's going to get through whatever rough patch she's in."

"You're right. Thank you for listening." The old unicorn nodded and turned away.

"Well I guess you're tired of listening to an old pony's rambling. I'll let you get back to your work. But let me know if I can help with anything else your highness."

"Actually, Mr. Dustmop, there is one thing."

"Oh, and what's that?"

"Don't call me your highness anymore."

"Why not?"

"I'm not comfortable with my friends calling me that."

"Friends?" he asked as he blinked in surprise. "Well, I'm honored but that still seems a bit..."

"How about Ms. Twilight then?" she suggested.

"Ms. Twilight," he mused. "I think I can work with that. Oh and Ms. Twilight, one last question."

"What?"

"Did you finish that story?"

"Of course I did." Even if it was a metaphor for what she really meant, who ever heard of someone not finishing a story?

"Are you sure?" he asked

"What are you getting at?"

"It's just something another friend once told me," he explained. "Every end leads to a new beginning. And sometimes, when you think you've finished one story you find that it's actually part of a much larger tale." Twilight stared at him in confusion but Dustmop just smiled as he turned away. "Never mind. Just more rambling." As he walked away, Twilight stared up at the portrait of Celestia. The princess may not think she needs me, she thought. but she does. She needs all of us. And I'm not leaving Canterlot until she can smile like that again. It was then that the pitter patter of feet running towards her caught her attention.

"Twilight!" Spike yelled as he rushed around the corner with a book tucked under his arm.

"I'm right here Spike. What's wrong?"

"Oh man," he gasped as he ran up to her. "This place is huge. I ran all over the place before I finally got the layout. Anyway, you've got to see this." Taking the book he held out to her, Twilight opened it up and flipped through its pages. "I think it's one of Star Swirl's journals. I found it in the middle of a bunch of books that he wrote himself."

"He must have left it there by accident. Wow, Princess Luna was right. He was a lot like Pinkie. But I don't get why this would get you so excited."

"Look at the front." Turning it over, Twilight's eyes widened at what she saw. On the front cover was a symbol of a six-pointed star surrounded by five smaller ones. Exactly the same as her cutie mark.

"Spike," she whispered. "Please tell me this is a prank."

"You think I'd be this freaked out if it was?"

"But this is impossible," Twilight said as she marched back and forth. "Why would Star Swirl have a book that has my cutie mark on it? And why a journal? Unless...Spike, you don't think that maybe he foresaw that Luna would give me the key to his library do you? Did he leave this just for me? And what about everything else? Did he see that too? What kind of spell could enable him to see the future like that?"

"Don't ask me I just..." but before he could finish, Spike's cheeks bulged as he let loose a belch of green fire that materialized into a scroll. "I really hope that's good news for a change," he said as Twilight opened the scroll.

"It's from Princess Luna," Twilight read. "She says she's discovered a vital clue about Princess Celestia and wants us back at the castle immediately."

"What kind of clue?"

"It doesn't say," Twilight said as she carried the journal to a nearby cabinet. "We'll worry about this later." Opening the bottom drawer, Twilight buried the journal beneath a pile of blank scrolls before levitating Spike onto her back. "Come on let's go."

"Can we take the secret passage that you and the others used to get back the last time?"

"Absolutely not," Twilight answered as she galloped towards the exit.

"Aw come on it looked like fun."

"Well if you want to take the chance of plopping on top of Princess Celestia while she's still in a bad mood then go ahead."

"Then again," Spike said, "the long route does have some very nice scenery."

From within the shadows of the cave, the old Unicorn watched as Twilight and her little assistant rushed out of the library and back to the castle. Things had finally come full circle and he had no choice but to leave things in her hooves. But while the future remained uncertain, just being able to see her again strengthened his hope that he wouldn't have to resort to his original plan.

"And so it begins," he sighed. "Good luck young princess. You're going to need it."

Comments

[howard035]

I like Scruffy the Bearded!

[claymade]

And the plot thickens... Nice character work on the "mere" janitor, he was enjoyable...