Research Relay
Tempora Strider exhaled sharply as she glanced at the clock. Seven fifty. It's time.
Her eyes roved around her messy bedroom, and she levitated some paper and pencils into her saddlebags before levitating it onto her back. Satisfied, she stepped out of the room and trotted down the stairs, heading for the front door. As she approached it, she began to reach out with her magic.
"Tem? Where are you going?"
Startled, Tempora looked behind her to see Firefall standing there with tired, yet curious eyes. "What?" she asked defensively.
"Where are you going?" repeated Firefall, frowning. "Today's Saturday."
"I know," Tempora said, glancing back at the door. "Yeah, I know. I'm heading to the library. Got some...stuff to be working on. You know, that project."
Firefall's frown deepened. "The library? You never go to the library on weekends. At least, you never go there to study."
"Well, I guess I am now," Tempora said. "I, uh, got behind. I gotta work on it today, just to make sure I'm up to speed."
Firefall looked unconvinced. "Your spell looked fine when you showed it to me," he said simply, "and there's still more than enough time before we have to present."
"Yeah, well...you can't be too sure, can ya?" Tempora said rhetorically, magically opening the door. "Look, I wanna make sure it'll all work out, and maybe see if I can improve it. I'll be back...maybe...I dunno, 'round three at the earliest. See ya!"
Before Firefall could protest, the mare had already stepped outside and shut the door behind her. She turned, blinking in the early sunlight, and trotted onto the street in the direction of the library.
Fire, you're gonna thank me for this later, she thought as she adjusted her hat.
It took close to ten minutes to find the Canterlot Public Library--just in time for opening. As somepony flipped the sign on the front door from CLOSED to OPEN, Tempora slipped inside and immediately went for the shelves, searching intently.
General magic's over here, I'm pretty sure, she thought, frowning. Yeah, I know that. Is there anything on mind magic, though...? There's gotta be. Just because it's really complicated...almost nopony uses it...and in some cases, it's illegal too...
She paused as a book caught her eye and she looked at it silently. The Mindscape: An Overview of the General Workings of the Mind was displayed on the spine. Looks good, she thought, levitating it off the shelf and holding it behind her in her magic as she continued to search the shelves.
I hope I can help him out...
I can't remember how to fly.
If I can't fly, I can't control the weather.
If I can't control the weather, I can't get that job.
Therefore, I have to learn how to fly.
Walker rubbed his head with a forehoof as he walked between the bookshelves, his eyes roving along the shelves for a suitable book.
The library seems like a good enough place to at least start.
The Canterlot Public Library was one of the larger buildings on Walker's map--excluding, of course, Canterlot Castle--and it gave the pegasus some hope, even if it was the only public library in the city. It was even better in that it was clean, quiet, and well-organized.
That's how libraries are supposed to be, right?
Even if Walker's memory of before that morning was lacking, he recognized that he needed to figure out how to fly. At the very least.
Who even wrote out that "recommended" sheet? he thought to himself, his eyes lingering on Pegasus Aerodynamics. He reached out and carefully slid it off the shelf. Whoever wrote it probably wasn't thinking clearly.
Walker held the book under his wing and continued searching the shelves. At least it wasn't hard getting an apartment...plus, it's pretty decent...I think. What's the standard?
He shook his head and banished the distracting thought from his mind, looking back at the shelves. Okay... Preening for Pegasi, huh? Seems pretty important...
It took around seven minutes to scour the shelves for relevant books--luckily, they were mostly concentrated in one area. He smiled to himself and balanced the books on his back, slightly extending his wings to make sure they didn't fall off. As the main part of the library was in a circular shape, it was easy to get back to the study area, which was a large circle of desks in the center of the library.
Within a minute, Walker made it back, carefully deposited his books on a vacant desk, and sat down in the chair behind it. As he took the topmost book out of the stack, he happened to look up at the rest of the library.
A few desks away, a deep blue pony wearing a black wizard hat was looking toward him. Walker accidentally met the pony's gaze, and the pony immediately looked down at a book on her desk, face reddening slightly.
Eh, Walker thought simply, and opened the book in front of him--Pegasus Anatomy, his eyes running over the text. I mean, I am new around here...I think...
After hours of research, Tempora was about ready to scream. And had she been at home, she may have done so.
But librarians and library patrons didn't like it when somepony screamed.
Regardless, thoughts such as Oh Celestia, this is so bucking frustrating and Why is there almost nothing on this kept floating through her head. She'd been through at least a dozen books with little information. And she had been at the library for...
Tempora checked the watch she kept strapped to her fetlock. Five o'clock?! What the hay? I've been here for nine hours?
She looked up and scratched her chin. Why didn't I think to use that bucking spell...? she thought as her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't had a meal since the wee hours of the morning.
Inwardly cursing, she levitated most of her books and put them back on a cart for re-shelving. Glancing once more at her watch, Tempora practically dashed back to the shelves to do a last check for books she might have missed. A couple caught her eye and she yanked them off the shelves at a speed close to that of a Wonderbolt before trotting back to her desk and grabbing the remaining few books she had found and liked in her magic.
I may be trying to help him, but I hope he isn't too worried, Tempora thought, frowning as she headed for the checkout desk.
Somepony tapped her on the side softly but suddenly. "Uh, excuse me...ma'am..."
Startled, Tempora whirled around to see a light blue-gray pegasus stallion with a black mane, balancing a heavy-looking pile of books on his back with extra support from his wings. At her sudden movement, he stepped back slightly, wincing. "Never mind..."
"Shh!" came a chorus of voices from the few remaining library patrons.
Both Tempora and the stallion blushed slightly. "No, sorry," the unicorn whispered, leaning in a bit more closely. "Didn't mean to do that. What is it?"
The pegasus relaxed slightly. "Oh, uh...I'm new around here, and...how do you get a library card?"
"Oh, that's easy." Tempora pointed to the checkout desk, still keeping her voice down. "Just go over there, like you'd check out a book, then tell them you want a library card. They're gonna want your name and some kinda proof you live in Canterlot, but that's it."
"Okay," the pegasus whispered, smiling slightly. "Thanks, ma'am."
"Sure thing. Just don't call me ma'am, 'kay?"
The pegasus' smile grew. "Yes...sir."
Tempora snorted and stuck her tongue out at him. "Oh, whatever." She gestured to the checkout desk. "Uh, stallions first."
He raised an eyebrow but smiled again anyway. "Thanks."
Tempora stared after him as he approached the checkout desk. Huh...wasn't he the guy who came in here at like nine or something and has been here all day?
Huh... Walker thought as he stepped outside, wasn't that wizard unicorn the one who's been here all day?
He paused, blinking in the light of the setting sun, and shrugged. Eh. At least it's all going fine, I guess. He looked down at his saddlebags, full with newly checked-out books. And these should probably help me, too.
As he stared trotting down the steps of the library, Walker noticed the ache in his stomach and remembered that he hadn't eaten anything since...well, he couldn't even remember the last time he had eaten.
I suppose I'd better eat something somewhere.
He paused to dig his map out of his saddlebags to find a market or restaurant. As he came up with the map, he noticed the wizard hat-wearing unicorn from earlier dash past him. She paused and said, "Oh, Celestia, how did I forget?" before winking out of existence in a flash of bright orange light, accompanied by a soft bang.
Walker stared for a second, but shrugged. I'm sure it's nothing bad or anything. He took a long look at the map. Well, I'm betting the market won't be open now...even if it's close by. But there's this "Restaurant Row"...since the rent isn't exactly cheap, I bet this'll burn a hole through my bag...but I'll find something there. It's not too far away, either.
He looked between the map and the streets. Okay then...this way...
Tempora breathed heavily as the orange light faded and she appeared in her bedroom. Wasting no time, she tossed her saddlebag on her bed and teleported directly to the kitchen.
As she appeared directly in front of the refrigerator, she could hear a jolt of surprise from the next room over. "Tempora, is that you?" cried out Firefall's voice in surprise.
"Yeah, it's me," said Tempora distractedly, wasting no time in levitating food out of the fridge and setting them on the counter.
There was a clopping of hooves against the wooden floor, and Tempora turned to see her brother standing there with a newspaper held in his magic and an annoyed yet concerned look in his eyes. "Where have you been?"
"Out," said Tempora simply, digging through the fridge. "We got any peanut butter?"
"You took it out already," pointed out Firefall, gesturing to the now-crowded counter.
Tempora blushed. "Whoops-a-daisy," she muttered, closing the fridge.
Firefall's frown deepened. "Where have you been?" he repeated stonily.
"Out. At the library," explained Tempora, scanning the countertop. "Why'd I take all this out? I just need jam...and bread..."
"You're making yourself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner?" Firefall asked, shaking his head.
"No, I'm making...I dunno, half a dozen?" Tempora shrugged as she set the bread, peanut butter, and jam together and crammed everything else back into the fridge. "I sort of...forgot to have lunch this afternoon..."
"You forgot to have lunch," Firefall deadpanned as he watched his sister begin to slap together shoddy-looking sandwiches.
"Yeah, that's pretty much what happened," Tempora said, already making her second sandwich.
With a crinkling of paper, Firefall slammed his newspaper onto an empty part of the counter. "Tempora. You were at the library all day on a Saturday. You forgot...to have lunch. And it seems as if you've been evading my questions slightly the few times I have seen you today. What. Is. The. Problem?"
Tempora scowled, accidentally cutting into a slice of bread with the knife she was using to spread the peanut butter and jam. "I asked you about your human project, and you said you 'didn't remember'. You told me super seriously that you really didn't remember, and since I've known you since we were born, I can tell it's not total horseapples. So something's wrong in your head. Ya got it?"
"Tempora. Listen to me," Firefall said sternly enough that Tempora paused and looked at him. "There is nothing wrong. I clearly remember what I've been doing the last few days, and I can assure you that it has nothing to do with humans. You're mistaken."
Tempora stared into her brother's eyes for a second, then huffed and continued making her sandwiches. "Yeah, sure. You're gonna be eating your words soon enough, I promise."
Firefall's expression softened slightly. "Tempora, are you sure you aren't thinking of somepony else?"
"Ugh!" growled Tempora, eyes flashing. With gritted teeth, she pitched the knife into the sink, grabbed the stack of sandwiches in her magic, and teleported directly to her bedroom. She slammed the plate onto her desk, levitated a sandwich to her muzzle, and took a messy bite.
Celestia, you're impossible, she thought as she licked a stray smear of jam from the corner of her mouth. But I swear I'm gonna help you somehow...
Firefall Strider stared at the spot where his sister had teleported from, the leftover jam, peanut butter, and bread still sitting on the counter.
What is wrong with that mare? he thought as he slowly opened the fridge and began putting the food back. She's never been this upset...or this tense...
He paused as a thought occurred to him, bread still hovering in the air. Could she actually be right? It seems odd, but...perhaps she's right and I have forgotten something somehow...
He shook his head and knocked himself lightly on the head with a forehoof as he set the bread in the fridge. Oh, get a grip, Firefall. What are you thinking?
How about...in perhaps two hours, I'll go and try to talk with her again calmly. Perhaps then she'll listen to reason.
She will have to see she's wrong eventually...
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Said it once, I'll say it again... CURSE YOU, TYRANT AND XENOPHOBIC CELESTIA!!!!!
8036526 How does Tyrantlestia have to do with ponifying Walker?
8036568 Hold it, he couldn't survive the Equestrian atmosphere, right? Rriigghhtt... Nevermind.
8036707 Well, at least Patrick Walker and the lady can survive the Equestrian atmosphere for two days at best before their memories are gradually wiped.
8036715 But there should a cure somewhere, right? RIGHT?
8036763 Since when there are cures for memory wipes?
8036801 A memory retrieval spell?
8036831 That seems like something Celestia and Luna would know.
Were they changed on purpose? Or did the magic change them.
8037056 It's not the ambient magic's doing. More than that I won't say, because that would really spoil things.