Monster of the Monastery

by JesterOfDestiny

Chapter 2

Magma ran up to the door and tried to open it. It wouldn’t budge. The monster closed it for good. There was no way out for us, until tomorrow’s dusk. We were all both scared and confused. You don’t get to have a big door slam shut right in front of your face by a monster every day. Zao ran to tell the others what happened.

“How could this happen?” Magma talked to himself.

“Excuse me,” I said, “do you know what that was all about?”

“No, unfortunately. That was completely unexpected. It seems the monastery has to go back to hiding after all.”

“What? But you have just barely opened?”

“I’m sorry, but with the pony of shadows around, we can’t afford to have any visitors.”

“Pony of shadows?” I wondered. “Isn’t he supposed to be vanquished? Or is there more?”

Magma hurried away, not giving me an answer.

“I think we should find out who’s behind it all.” I called out after him.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not going to risk anything to face down a monster like that. I’m going close the monastery again and that’s my final answer.” He then left us.

I stared down the corridor for a few seconds. Bon Bon stepped up to me. “What now?”

“This smells fishy to me.”

“Do you really think somepony is behind this as well?”

“Yes, and I’m going to find out who and prevent this monastery from being hidden forever.”

Bon Bon shrugged. “Eh, we might as well. We’re stuck here anyway for quite some time.”

I was sure there was something going on here. Somepony didn’t want the monastery to open up, so they made sure the abbot will make the decision for them. I knew they used some kind of spell and I was sure there were spellbooks in the forbidden library. I just had to find it. Bon Bon and I began searching around the place. We first went to the forbidden library, but nopony was there and it’s not like we were going to get in. We went back to the scriptorium; maybe some of the codices would hold something.

When we got there, Itah was still drawing his odd pictures. I began looking among the codices, hoping to find answers, but most of it was written in a language I don’t understand. Itah was visibly distracted by us.

“I heard about the monster back there.” He said. “I’m glad to know I’ll get rid of you tomorrow.”

“Don’t be so sure about that.” I glared at him.

“Itah!” A stern voice came from the doorway, as Zeuhl entered the scriptorium. “Is that a way to address our detectives?”

“Detectives?” Itah went wide eyed.

“Yes, this unicorn believes that the pony of shadows is a mere hoax concocted by one of us.”

“Really?”

“I didn’t say it was one of you...” I objected.

“But how? The only one who can do magic here is you.” Itah pointed his hoof at me.

“That is not true,” I explained, “there are many spells designed to be casted by non-unicorns.”

Itah put his hoof on his muzzle. “But isn’t it possible that maybe it’s just a monster that doesn’t want you guys here?” He talked to me dismissively. “Heck, I don’t want you here either, so that’s half the mystery solved.”

“This monastery has been hidden for over a thousand years,” Zeuhl continued, “who knows what sort of curses and monsters have befallen it.”

“If that was the case,” I argued, “if it really was just a powerful monster, then why would it be so terrible at casting spells?”

“What in Equestria do you mean?” Zeuhl asked in an almost offended tone.

“Why didn’t the monster prevent the monastery from opening? Why didn’t it throw us out entirely? I say, that this so called pony of shadows only has a very limited range of spells it knows. A unicorn at this level would know a lot more. And that’s why I believe it was done through a spell that was designed to be casted by a non-unicorn.”

Zeuhl shook his head. “This is all just conjecture. And frankly it’s utterly ridiculous!”

“Is it now?” I smirked. “Then what’s the point of closing the door? Why not kick us out and hide the monastery away? In fact, I’m not even sure if the monastery is actually hidden right now. I think there are only two spells in play here. The spell that summons the monster and a spell to close the door. I’m sure whoever is behind the pony of shadows just saw more visitors coming and hastily made the choice to keep us here for a day.”

“Well whatever makes you feel better. I’ll just remind you to not go into the forbidden library and your comical adventure will not intervene with my business.” He then walked towards the door.

“Actually,” I stopped him, “good that you mention that. I’ve been meaning to ask you about the spellbooks in the library.”

“There are only books for basic spells in there. Anything beyond that is not on the list for a reason.”

“What I’ve been meaning to ask,” I tried to not get distracted by his insufferable way of speaking, “have you noticed a spellbook or two missing from the library?”

“Do you really think I’d disclose the inner workings of the forbidden library with you?” He lowered his stiff eyebrows. “You know, having a labyrinth as a library is a very convenient way to keep things from ponies like you.”

“So you’re saying,” I made a smug grin, “that if there is indeed a spell like the one I mention, you’d know about it and possibly, you could cast it without anypony finding out?”

Zeuhl rolled his eyes. “Unfortunately, you don’t have a way of proving such things.” He then made an evil smirk at me. “And you’re certainly not going to find any proof on your friend’s cutie-mark.”

“What are you getting at?”

“What I mean is, you’d have an easier time finding anything, if you took your eyes off your friend’s behind and stopped washing away all the clues with your excessive drooling.”

“What? I’m not...!”

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have more important things to do, than interrupting your staring contest with the earth pony’s rear eye.” He then left. I tried to yell after him, but he paid no attention to me.

Itah was laughing his tail off behind us. “Stop laughing!” I snapped at him, but he did not stop.

That is when Zao appeared in the entrance and walked up to us, as if she was being watched. “Hey, I might have something you should see.” She whispered.

I glared at the laughing Itah one last time and prepared to leave with Zao.

“By the way Lyra,” Itah called out to me, “I must direct your attention away from your friend’s shapely behind, to the abbot. Did you know that he was extremely reluctant to open the monastery in the first place?”

I scowled at him, but my curiosity trumped my anger. “Is that so?”

“Yeah, the only reason he had the idea in the first place, is because Princess Luna told him about it. If anypony is behind all this, then it’s him.” He then turned back to his codex. “And rightfully so!” He said one last time.

We left the scriptorium and followed Zao down the hallway. Unfortunately, Bon Bon had some questions of her own.

“Do you really stare at my flank?” She asked.

“Well... I don’t stare at it...”

“Ugh, Lyra!”

“What, you’ve got a nice flank!”

“Just... Let’s just forget about all this.”

“Am I in the way of something?” Zao asked.

“No!” We shouted simultaneously.