Very loopy

by Sollace

Chapter 7: Record Keeping

“Here it is, the Canterlot Archives,” Princess Luna proclaimed proudly. Before her was a set of heavy wooden doors, crafted out of the wood of an old oak tree that once grew not far from here. They themselves were mostly bland, but a sign set against the wall to the right left no uncertainty.

Luna had not set hoof in these chambers since the last time her sister had declared an unnecessary holiday, during the times of their mother Faust. After that travesty, their mother had made them promise never to go back in there. Though now was different, Luna was an adult and besides, she needed the original statement so as to challenge that ridiculous ‘Beard Day’.

Sweetie Belle, who had been lagging behind, turned a corner further up the passage and trotted as quickly as she could to join the Princess outside the records chamber. She heaved a sigh and paused to try and catch her breath, “Is this-” She gasped for her breath, “Is this it?”

Luna said that they would come here directly after breakfast, but she did not mention that it was all the way on the opposite side of Canterlot. Nor did she say that the record chamber was only open from 8 to 10.

Sweetie Belle pressed a hoof to her chest, and then threw her beard over her back. At this point it was starting to get hot and sweaty, and maybe ever so slightly smelly. It’s at this point that Sweetie Belle was getting the idea that Luna may have had a point. She looked up to Princess Luna, and finally asked once she had her breath back, “So is this it?”

“Yes,” The Princess replied with a nod. “They keep a record of everything that happens in Canterlot, whether it’s worth keeping or not. I am certain they will have something for you to read about Starswirl the Bearded inside.”

Sweetie Belle squealed inwardly at the sound of this good news and could barely contain her excitement as she rushed to push the door open. She wheezed against the door, and pushed against them with her side. When the door didn’t budge, she changed positions and pushed with both her front hooves whilst balancing on her hind legs.

Sweetie Belle was beginning to go a slight tone of purple when Princess Luna rolled her eyes and pushed the filly aside. She grabbed the door handle in her magic and then stepped back slightly to allow the door to swing outwards freely.

Sweetie Belle blushed. “Uh, thanks again.”

Luna simply returned with a friendly smile, and then motion for Sweetie Belle to go in first.

Sweetie Belle marvelled at the size of the place. Even the library hadn’t had this much paper. There were shelves in all directions, many packed to the brim with old scrolls, and some with dusty books and jars. Many of the shelves reached far above anypony could have hoped to reach and there were ponies in grey suits balancing atop ladders as they filed yet more scrolls levitated up to them by unicorn helpers on the ground, all doing this whilst trying to keep their, obviously fake, beards from obstructing their way.

The centre of the room formed a type of auditorium. There was a set of desks and office chairs laid out for reading though they were in hardly the best condition.
The roof near the centre of the room arched up into a large golden dome, with an intricate painting of Princess Celestia holding out a wingtip to touch an Earth Pony below her; both surrounded on all sides by clouds and singing Pegasi.

“Woah...” Sweetie Belle mouthed silently. “This place is huge!”Her voice cracked as it hit a higher octave and echoed throughout the chamber, much to the annoyance of the filing ponies working there. An Earth Pony shot her a distasteful glare.

Princess Luna followed Sweetie Belle inside, allowing the door to swing closed behind her with a silent thud. She walked through across the centre of the room, sidestepping a stallion that had gotten his beard stuck in-between two scroll rollers, to where Sweetie Belle had wasted no time in beginning her search. She was sitting on the ground with her back against a bin full of scrolls as she unrolled the first one in her magical grasp. “So, where should we start?”

Sweetie Belle looked up from her scroll and then shrugged, “I’m starting with S, for Starswirl.”

“Ah,” Luna nodded. “Well, the S section is several decades large. You will be an old mare before you have any hope of finding anything in there.”

“Hm...” Sweetie Belle nodded half attentively as she read the scroll. She frowned and tossed it into the bin. Who even eats Salmon Alamode? “So is there another way to do this?”

“There is, this place is organised according to the Nomonicalogi-Faustian Alphabet.”

“The what?”

“It’s a sorting system my... fiancé came up with— ages ago. With it anything you are looking for is always within reach in only five steps.” She waved for Sweetie Belle to follow her, “Let me show you.” and headed straight for the ‘B’ section of the archives. “He was a master of organising. I dare say almost ‘Twilight Sparkle’ level.”

Luna trotted quickly through the aisles as she delved deeper into the ‘B’ section. She stopped at a junction of five other aisles and waited patiently for Sweetie Belle to catch up before continuing. “To begin with, the easiest way to see how it works is to use it. I’m going to show you by using the system to find my sister’s papers for declaring this beard day.”

Luna grabbed a clipboard hanging outside one of the isles and skimmed over it quickly. She rubbed her chin with a hoof as she inspected the text then, seeing what she was looking for, returned the clipboard to its place and pointed down one of the isles to her left. “According to the registers, we have two-word titles kept on this side.” She pointed to her right, “And on that side is all the rest, so now we go left.”

She trotted forward with Sweetie following close behind. Luna came to a sudden halt almost causing Sweetie Belle to bump into her from behind. They had come to another junction, this time with jars along all sides.

Princess Luna grabbed another clipboard and began skimming it again. “Now it says all the ones to the left are numerically ordered, and only relate to carpentry. So now we go right.” She returned the clipboard to its holster and proceeded as before.

They went though this same procedure several more times, each time with Luna checking another clipboard, and it leading them down another path seemingly at random.

At the eighth junction Sweetie Belle was beginning to notice a bit of a pattern. They were once again surrounded y jars, jars that looked suspiciously familiar, “Uh, Luna?”

“Shh...” Luna shushed the filly as she pored over the latest clipboard. Her frown had deepened and Sweetie Belle could pick out a few points where the princess’ mane was starting to look ever so slightly frazzled. “Okay. I think this one is...” She scratched her head and turned the clipboard on its side.

“Luna,” Sweetie Belle poked the princess in the side to get her attention, “I think we’ve been here before.”

“No, no, I know what I’m doing.” Luna dropped the clipboard back into its holster and set off down one of the isles. Sweetie Belle sat where she was and watched Princess Luna leave, and then reappear through a path to her right. She was looking behind her, “Sweetie Belle? Where are you?”

“I’m over here,” Sweetie Belle deadpanned.

“Oh!” Luna spun around, “There you are! I was getting worried I’d lost you. How did you get here before me?”

“Luna, you went in a circle.”

“Did I?” Princess Luna checked behind her, and then at her surroundings, “... so I have.”

Sweetie Belle facehoofed.

“Well,” Luna continued as she trotted back into the junction proper. She stopped at Sweetie Belle’s side and dropped to her haunches. “We’re boned.”

Comments

[FaelaArts]

Gratz on the front page.
i.gyazo.com/47cf727ac0e3fc611abb3a0a51f76b43.png

[Sollace]

7342340
Oh hey, you noticed. :3

Moved down a bit since earlier.

[the other sans]

once again surrounded y jars

1. By.

Sweet mother of Faust, that sorting system. That ain't five steps Luna!