Changing History

by Darkstarling

Ghosts of the Past

A tip for all aspiring adventurers out there. Dramatic promises are all very well, but they don’t do much to sustain you after your third all nighter in a row. They’re also really hard on a conversation. What do you even say after that kind of thing? Do you talk about the weather? So do yourself a favor and prepare a couple of multipurpose rejoinders to get things going again, and refresh your memory of them before any important meeting until they feel spontaneous.

Seriously, I can’t emphasize this enough. It comes up way more often than you’d think. Personally I go for the self-deprecating quip, but find your own style.

In any case, whatever you find works for you, Celestia and I managed to relax for a time after the initial heavy conversation. It’s become a bit of a tradition for me to bring a board game from somewhere I’ve traveled when we meet, mostly because a game she’s never played is the only place I can keep up. She’s been a master of chess since before the Magii pieces could move without hopping. And I’m not looking forward to what will happen when I can’t find a new one. Today we played a game called Thud, with Yaks against Ponies, and talked happily until Celestia was called away by her duties.

“Do take care of yourself, Daring,” she said, a warm smile glowing in the setting sun. “I know it’s asking a lot, but I really do hope you come back with all your limbs working this time.”

“Well, you know, it’s a dangerous assignment your Highness,” I replied, cocking my hat at a roguish angle. “Wandering the dread wastes of Ark’kive, avoiding bibliodons and the dread Thesaurus, forced to subsist on nothing but stale croissants and lukewarm coffee… you may never see me again.”

“And that would be a tragedy for Equestria on a scale the Elements themselves couldn’t repair. Beware the Thesaurus especially, for it works on the tongue of its prey. And I will have use for yours quite soon if I have my way.” She paused just long enough for me to begin to cough and splutter. “You resume teaching at the Academy in a few short months yes?”

“I...um...yes. Yes I do,” I managed to choke out. One of these days I’m going to have to accept that Celestia is just better at this than I am.

“Excellent. Education is the future of Equestria you know, and your lecturing talents are renowned. Till we meet again then Daring, and I hope it is not too long.”

She swirled and vanished around the corner as I struggled to bow, reply, or do anything particularly coherent. A giggle tinkled through the air. It was, of course, enchanting.

I did, in fact, immediately set out for the Royal Canterlot Archive and begin my research. There was a lot of work to do, and every Changeling was counting on me. And besides, I’d promised Celestia. I set to it with a will.

However, as I mentioned, promises are cold comfort when you find yourself in the stacks and hear the birds begin to make a racket outside for the third time in a row. I had begun by tracking down all of Celestia’s leads and rumors, of course, and taken notes on the few records of the war with Hive Mantodea. My degree isn’t for nothing, and even a Princess can’t know everything. But they were mostly second and third hand sources citing works more than a thousand years old, most of which didn’t exist anymore. They were certainly suggestive, and it formed a pattern when taken together. But, as Celestia had said, only when you knew what to look for. It was like an optical illusion of data, the skull that appears from a young courting couple that you can’t unsee. And just like an illusion or a ghost, there was nothing substantive to grab on to.

I shook my head at that morbid thought, and tried to refocus. Despite what you'd expect, the vast majority of an archaeologist’s work is in the library. Dodging traps, psychopathic rivals, and forgotten monsters of myth is only twenty percent of the job. Thirty at most. And so I was quite familiar with this phase of the investigation. It’s more or less inevitable when facing a real challenge. The part where you've exhausted all your leads and your clever insights have come to naught. It’s tempting to throw your hooves up in despair.

Here’s another adventuring tip for free. Don’t. It doesn’t matter if you’re dead tired and flat out of inspiration. Take a rest, take a meal, take a break, but never despair. As my dad used to say, moments like these separate the warthogs from the gazelles. It’s all well and good to leap along effortlessly in your brilliance, but eventually you’ll hit the rough patch. And that’s when you need somepony who will dig in and plow through. The world belongs to those who make the effort when it’s not easy anymore.

So I sat there, trying to shake the old skull image from my mind. Why was it so thoroughly stuck? Maybe it was time for some fresh air. I tried to ignore the chorus of creaks and cracks as I stood and stretched. I have literally heard animated skeletons that sounded less stereotypical than I did at that moment. For a start most of them don’t actually groan. No tongues.

I decided to stop by the Owls Nest on the way out. It’s the Archive’s official unofficial cafe. And one of the lesser known perks of Octarine Clearance, aside from free travel and instant access to any book or non-military record in Equestria, is that the Owl’s Nest will serve you coffee made to Princess Luna’s personal recipe. It’s literally the only place you can get it outside the palace kitchens, and it’s so strong you need a stiff drink before you take it to come out even. Caffeinated death in a cup.

Remember kids, sanity is best in moderation. Please drink responsibly.

With a cup of lunar coffee, a few doughnuts from Pony Joe’s, and a park bench as the dawn broke over Canterlot, I was feeling almost equine again. Or at the very least like death warmed over. Even if the blasted stuff was reminding me that I’d be paying for this the rest of the week. I wasn’t exactly in grad school anymore. Cool mist flowed through the park, and I nodded quietly in the direction of the castle as the sun cleared the horizon.

It was as a perfect moment, as quiet as a city ever gets. The loudest sound was the singing of the cicadas. And the few others out at this hour drifted by in the fog like ghosts.

Wait. Ghosts.

I began to laugh then. I may prefer the facts and figures of scholarship to the more nebulous tricks of Princess Luna’s realm, but even I can eventually recognize when my subconscious has been trying to drive a point through my thick skull. I tipped the last of my coffee in an unintentionally ironic toast to the Princess of Dreams, and began trotting to the train station. I already had a go bag stored there, and I was eager to get started again now that I had a real plan. I needed to get the quickest train to the Crystal Empire.

Really, I can’t believe it hadn’t occurred to me sooner. My only excuse was a lifetime of habit and not knowing it existed. The Crystal Empire had returned with a royal library and archive a millennia out of date...which was exactly what I needed. And moreover, I happened to know that the best source of living history in Equestria was there conducting his own research. And he predated both the Empire and Equestria by centuries. Not only had he probably read my primary sources, for all I knew he had written them himself.

It was time to visit Stygian the Scribe.

I had always wanted a chance to talk to one of the Pillars, ever since they had returned from Limbo. But without being, you know, a fanfilly about it. I know all about dealing with that from the other end. But here was legitimate, Princess mandated business! I had so many questions, I could hardly wait.

My elation is my only excuse for why I didn’t see the griffon tough until she dragged me into an alley and had her claws at my throat.

Comments

[King_Kratos]

What if Chrysalis knew about this, and is just waiting for the hive to die off so she can resume control?

[CTVulpin]

Octarine level clearance.
Thud! with Yaks and Ponies.
Coffee that needs alcohol to balance its effects.
I see what you're doing here.

A great story so far.

[Diamond Sparkle]

Interesting.

[King Kenya]

9455066

Don’t forget the dread ark’kive, with bibliodons and Thesauri. I was expecting her to only venture into the archives armed with a bunch of bananas. I’m half expecting her go bag to have hundreds of little legs and equicidal tendencies.

I think the Wordsmith would appreciate this, not bad reading at all.

[RoyalBardofCanterlot]

Oh crap. Also, Stygian yay!

[Samey90]

Despite what you'd expect, the vast majority of an archaeologist’s work is in the library.

Indiana Jones said something similar, I think. Also, now I imagine Daring Do's father as a pony version of Sean Connery.

[Darkstarling]

9464982
Good, because that is exactly what you should be doing.

[ObsPerson]

9455066
I don't get it. Can you explain the reference?