The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

Can't Calm Your Nerves

"Did you hear?" a mare whispered to a stallion. "There was a break-in in house Laughter last night! I heard the adventurers are helping Doctor Lost search for the culprit..."

"Yeah! But no one's been able to tell me what was stolen. Everyone has a guess, but none of the stories I've heard line up. If you want my opinion, the thieves didn't take anything, and it's just a distraction to cover for something else."

Starlight frowned, sitting beneath a bench with her poncho worn and the hood up and listening to ponies pass. It was an effective disguise, especially since Valey and Gerardo were far more prolific than she was... No one seemed to look twice at a little, cloaked filly with a stick.

It was midmorning, and she imagined Valey and Felicity were still passed out where she had left them, but she was awake and she had investigating to do. "Excuse me!" she called out to a passing mare with titanic pigtails. "I heard there was a library around here?"

"Huh?" The mare flounced her pigtails, turning with a flick of her chin that would have made Jamjars green with envy. "Oh, you're looking for that building right over there. Have fun!"

Starlight thanked her and made fast for the library. The intruder had shown an interest in books, so what better place was there to start? In her poncho, she carried a list she had written down of every disturbed or perused volume, reasonably sure the culprit hadn't found what they were looking for but ready to make the most of every clue she had been given.

The entrance to the library was cool and spacious, and the interior even more so. "No cloaks in the library," a bespectacled mare warned her as she entered.

"Really?" Starlight frowned, stowing her stick in the cloak and balling it up and carrying it beneath a hoof. "Fine..."

"Thank you," the librarian replied with a curt smile.

Starlight fished out her list, holding it up in her telekinesis. "Do you have any of these?" she asked hopefully.

The librarian took the list and squinted. "This is an unusual reading list you have, filly. Some of these are far above your level, and others I haven't even heard of... Are you on an errand from a professor?"

"Yes," Starlight said, deciding not to contest the assumption of her reading level. For all she knew, it was true, and she was technically on a mission for a professor... "And I don't need to have them, I just need to know if you have them. And if anyone's been checking out multiples from this list recently."

The librarian raised an eyebrow. "How recently?"

"I don't know..." Starlight didn't break eye contact. "I just need to know if there's a pattern. If there's anyone who might be interested in lots or all of these books in particular."

"The ones from here that see any traffic are all in demand all at once," the librarian told her. "Assigned for classes, this and that. We've been all out of those since the start of the term. The rest, we either don't have or are only read by the bookworms who read everything. Does this help you?"

Honestly, Starlight hadn't expected to find an answer. Anyone who cared about books that could have been found at a library would have gone there in the first place, and Felicity thought these were the ones they didn't care about... "Thanks," she sighed, trying not to feel discouraged. "That's what I needed to know."

She turned to leave, the librarian nodding and going about her business. Maybe one of the bookworms the librarian mentioned would know enough to piece something together? But no, no matter how she looked at it, this clue was probably just a dead end. Starlight needed something more...

"Do my eyes deceive me?" a stallion's voice interrupted. "Unless I am mistaking you for someone else, I must admit I did not expect to see you here."

Starlight jumped and turned, ears standing straight up in surprise. A tan stallion with a short, wavy black mane and a tropical shirt was watching her with an appraising look, and she was fairly sure she had never seen him before. "Do I know you?"

"I happened upon someone with your coloration yesterday evening near the pond," the stallion said, keeping his voice down since they were in a library. "Though perhaps I am mistaken."

Starlight thought back to when she had collapsed, realizing she had no idea how long she had laid there until someone brought her to the hospital. "I was by a pond yesterday, but I wouldn't remember you..."

"So it is you," the stallion sighed in relief. "I am glad to see you are feeling well enough to be up on your hooves."

"Is this the best place to talk about me passing out?" Starlight muttered, tempted to draw up her poncho again. "We're in the entrance to a building..."

"I had little to say beyond well-wishes anyway," the stallion dismissed, giving her an odd look. "Hopefully you are feeling better soon."

He walked past her, and Starlight stood and watched. "Miss Papercraft," he said, cordially greeting the librarian Starlight had just been talking to.

"Morning, Caballeron," she replied, causing Starlight to do a double-take. "What can I help you find?"

Starlight stared. This was Doctor Caballeron? The pony credited on the plaque for the Eylista meteor? She slunk as close as she dared without making it obvious she was deliberately hanging around.

"Checking in on behalf of a friend," Caballeron said, producing a folded-up paper from the pocket on his shirt. "Doctor Lost's archives were vandalized last night, and the thief showed a particular interest in this list of materials. I do not suppose all these titles together would mean anything to you?"

Miss Papercraft frowned. "There was a filly here not ten minutes ago showing me exactly the same list. Might be possible to catch her, if you're that curious. She did wear a cloak like a burglar..."

Starlight grimaced, having gotten behind a pillar in time to avoid being immediately looked at but now with no idea what to do. Teleport away? No, she wasn't about to panic again. But if this made her look like a burglar, she really needed a better disguise...

Caballeron ran past the pillar, blinking and turning around when he spotted her hiding. "Not you, surely," he said incredulously, staring sideways at her.

"Yes, I'm investigating too," Starlight sighed. "Because most of my friends are too tired after staying up all night looking for the thief when it happened."

Doctor Caballeron blinked, lowering his voice. "Pardon, but do you mean you are... with the group from the north?"

Starlight stiffly nodded, entirely unprepared for whatever he had to say.

"...Can I buy you a coffee?" Caballeron asked. "Or whatever is popular with children these days? I think a talk would be rather interesting between you and I. Perhaps we could pool our knowledge on last night's vandalism."

Starlight swallowed. As long as she didn't mention the Eylista meteor, he'd have no idea who she was and wouldn't bring that up, right? She might not be on the verge of collapse, but that was a conversation she couldn't be comfortable having yet unless Valey was with her. "Okay."

"Excellent!" Caballeron cheered. "I have a shop that I love to favorite right this way..."

---

"Hot cocoa?" Starlight asked, recognizing none of the other names on the menu.

"Sure thing, sugar," a plump barista replied, her body two sizes too large for her frame. "And you want your usual."

"You know me well, madame," Caballeron replied with a smooth look.

The barista rolled her eyes and went to work, leaving Starlight and Caballeron in a booth. It wasn't yet lunch hour, so the shop was almost empty enough to feel secluded, despite broad daylight pouring in through its glass front.

"I must admit, I did not realize I was assisting someone of such interest when I found you last night," Caballeron began. "You are feeling better from your ordeal, I hope."

"I don't really want to talk about that," Starlight muttered, hoping to steer the conversation as far from Eylista as possible. "You know the professor whose office got broken into?"

Caballeron shrugged. "Fair enough. We are colleagues on several projects. Though I find him lackadaisical and..." He waved a hoof. "Easily distracted, he has a considerable collection of knowledge and material that make him a very profitable co-worker. Besides, enough of our interests align that we frequently find ourselves advocating together for resources to the school board. You could say that we are friends."

"Why do you think anyone did it?" Starlight asked. "Broke into his archive. Do you have any ideas?"

"Merely theories, I am afraid," Caballeron sighed. "But I was not there at the time of the event, and you were. Perhaps this is something you have insights yourself on?"

"Not really," Starlight sighed, unable to evaluate whether he suspected her. "Just clues. We know they might have been interested in books, and were looking for something. They also hurt themselves on that broken case. They woke me by crying in pain. And they had to be sneaky to escape, and maybe able to fly? And they might have wanted to frame us to cause tension and get us in trouble with the school or the guards."

Caballeron looked intrigued. "I collected some glass shards with bloodstains and took them to a colleague who works in Biology. They say the technology to identify a pony by their blood is still many years away, but we can accurately determine species already. Those tests will perhaps be done by tomorrow morning. Then we will know if it was a unicorn, a pegasus..."

Starlight kept watching him, getting an unsettling feeling there was something he was thinking about but not saying. "What do you think we should do if we catch the culprit?"

"Probably assign them to detention for a month with Lost World." Caballeron shrugged. "He will make them rue the day they did anything he wishes to make them rue. It is his archive, after all." He folded his hooves. "I have also been past the hospital and verified there are no recent injuries of slashing, though I have yet to check the student houses."

"Right." Starlight looked at the table. "I... didn't have a lot of luck investigating the books that were disturbed, either."

"Go figure," Caballeron sighed. "Oh well. That one did not seem important anyway."

The barista stepped up, a platter balanced on her back. "Here ya go," she drawled, plopping two mugs before the two ponies. "That's going on your tab. Have a nice day."

Caballeron nodded and tipped his nonexistent hat. "Excellent service as always."

Starlight stared into the frothy surface of her mug... and all of a sudden, decided to risk it. "How in danger are we of being suspects?"

"What?" Caballeron blinked. "Why in Equestria would anyone think you are the vandals? You are stranded here and unbelievably popular. You have literally nothing to gain from attempting to get on our bad sides."

"Because bad things usually happen to us, and..." Starlight swallowed and trailed off, deciding maybe there was a chance her luck actually wouldn't be terrible for a change. "Well, we also thought someone might have been trying to frame us."

Caballeron sipped from his coffee. "And if anyone tries to do that, they will draw attention to themselves, which is the opposite of what a good agent should do." He set his mug down again, regarding her. "Although, if you are afraid of such things, it would explain why a child like you is wandering about alone. You do not have any unsaid things, do you?"

"You're the one who keeps looking at me like you know something you're not saying," Starlight blurted... and then winced. "I mean no. I don't."

Caballeron's shoulders drooped. "Apologies if I am making you uncomfortable. Your appearance reminded me of a very young filly I once met years ago in a town called Sires Hollow, but since you are from the north, there is probably no... Why are you looking at me like that?"

Don't teleport, Starlight told herself. Don't panic like yesterday. "S-Sorry," she managed, overriding her instincts by force and keeping her horn dull. "Please forget about it?"

Caballeron frowned apologetically. "Of course. I would be wrong to press on personal matters." He glanced at her cocoa. "Do not forget that, by the way."

Starlight took a gulp. It was still hot, but barely cool enough that she could swallow it and keep from burning her tongue too bad. "Right. Sorry."

She couldn't look back up at him. It was impossible not to, when she knew her reaction had given away so much. Or had it? Maybe he just met her when he was collecting the meteor and she was too young to remember. There was no reason he had to know about who she was, not that it would matter when he seemed willing not to press when she asked... Don't panic. Starlight took a smaller sip of her cocoa.

"I really try not to cut that much of an imposing figure," Caballeron remarked. "Oh well. It has been very insightful meeting you, but I should probably get back to my work. Even if our friend from last night eludes us, I have a large batch of data gathered by another colleague I must return to processing posthaste. Good luck, and do take care of yourself. I think I've done plenty of carrying you to safety for the time being."

He got up, nodded to the barista, hoofed over his empty cup, and trotted away.

Starlight stared at her cocoa, not even a third finished. She felt... like she could do this, even though she was scared. Maybe.

"You alright, sugar?" the barista asked, polishing a mug.

"Huh?" Starlight looked up.

"Sorry for eavesdropping. Hard not to when you talk loudly and it's an open place." She rubbed a rag around the inside with her hoof, leaning on the bar and watching Starlight as she worked. "But you don't usually see professors coming in with kids and chatting about vandalism and whatever else. Ain't hard to tell when a body like you is stressed."

Starlight sighed. "I'm not alright, but what can you do about it?"

"Listen?" The barista shrugged. "Every finals season, countless students come through here and need an ear to vent about stress and whatnot. Secrets shared here don't leave these walls, kid. Even a kid like you has gotta be able to talk to someone."

"Oh. Thanks." Starlight stared into her cocoa again. "I don't know, though. I have a lot to worry about."

The barista shook her head. "Doesn't everyone? One day you'll see someone here with a nice new date, and then they'll be back the very same evening hoping inspiration will strike on how to pay their rent. Maybe that's too adult of a problem, but you've got the same look in your eyes."

"Look in my eyes?" Starlight asked.

"Too much despair and not enough hope." The barista shrugged. "The kind that keeps you up at three in the morning wondering why you never bothered to give your life a future." She glanced back at Starlight. "I can't lie, it's creepy seeing that look on a filly. Children aren't supposed to look like that."

"Thanks," Starlight sighed, taking another sip. "I know I'm not."

The barista's face softened. "Bad family situation? Got stuck with a responsibility you aren't ready for?"

Starlight blinked and paused. "...Sort of."

"I never had kids," the barista sighed. "Couldn't tell you exactly how to deal with that. But if you ever just need to escape, there are folks who'd look out for you. Pretty sure you could go to the university and they'd intervene."

Starlight squeezed her eyes shut. "It's not that kind of problem. My problem is that I've spent too much time running already."

The barista shrugged and went back to polishing. "In that case, all I can do is listen, honey."

"Thanks," Starlight said, draining her cocoa and getting to her hooves. Talking had helped, actually. "I need to go get back to my friends."

The barista took the mug with a gentle smile. "Then you do that. Don't worry about the price, it's on Caballeron. And don't be afraid to ask for help if you get in bigger trouble than you can handle."

Starlight nodded, wishing she had more ponies to go to as she headed out the door. "I'll keep it in mind."

Comments

[Phoenix Kitten]

Well, Starlight. You've found a lead on your past, what are you going to do now?

[ZanyZapper]

9957629
Indeed. She's stuck between needing, even wanting, to know more. And yet not wanting to know more at the same time.

Me tho? I definitely need to know more!

[cosmofur]

Ok knowing the rules of writing mysteries...as there does not seem a Butler around. It can only be one possible suspect....the barista did it!

[Oberth Effect]

Well that was a fortuitous meeting. Wonder if Caballeron remembers more about Starlight than he is letting on here.

Too bad the list of books didn’t pan out. Probably means that the books were chosen randomly (which makes sense if the archives were organized more or less randomly), or that they are decoys. Hopefully this doesn’t turn out like Gerardo thinking Dior was Braen, where someone with an existing injury is suspected of being the thief.

[Alchemik]

Huh. It's been some time in this story since we were at a place that seemed genuinely nice. It's good to see one again, even if it has its own (hopefully minor) issues.

[Venlinelle]

Of all the things I did not expect to get from this story, Caballeron’s backstory is near the top of the list.