I'm fairly sure there's a bird in my ceiling

by TheDriderPony

Chapter 4

I'm fairly sure there's a bird in my ceiling.

I can't fathom how it gets in. The castle ventilates all the air through magic and the doors and windows all have latches. Unless the bird itself is magic —which would explain a number of things— but doesn’t match the descriptions of a roc or a phoenix or any of the other magical birds in my book.

But I'm determined to catch it now. Food's been going missing, and not in small quantities either. Whole loaves of bread. Trays of snacks.

I thought at first it was just Spike stockpiling for a growth spurt, or Pinkie being Pinkie, or Discord playing a prank, but evidently not.

I found a feather as well today. A rich navy blue.

I checked my books. No birds native to Equestria have feathers of this size in this color.

I checked with Pinkie. No pegasi native to Ponyville have this particular shade.

The comforting cooing now puts me on edge. The holes it pecks in the crystal seem to get bigger by the day.

I've learned a new spell, Mass Hold Animal. Once I pinpoint which room it's in, I should be able to lock it in place even if I can't see it. With any luck, I should be able to put this mystery to rest, once and for all.