Equestria and the Librarian of her roles namesake

by shcalda

7: Idle Hands

Rainbow Dash awoke suddenly in her room, gasping for air as she took in the surroundings of the space she now slept in. Her new room in the library had since been given a few extra pieces of furniture. A small, bin had been placed beside the desk on the other side of the room and a few books had been placed at the top of the bookshelf, likely place by Angela.

Rainbow grunted as she stretched, a dull ache in her side making itself apparent. She knew she pushed herself hard in that last fight, but she hadn’t felt sore when she woke up before. As she looked over her coat, she was surprised to see a few marks were still in her fur, leaving signs of her earlier encounter. ”that doesn’t seem right,” she concluded. Another thing to talk to Angela about later.

Standing up, her hooves moved wearily as she ambled her way to the writing desk. Another note lay on the table unfolded, the precise handwriting identifying it as Angela’s.

Dear Miss Dash,

Congratulations on another successful reception. Your work continues to be successful and we were able to extract more information from our latest guests. I was not able to restore your body to full capacity this time however, your injuries were much more severe than I had expected.

As it stands, it would not be effective to have you handle future guests alone. We will need more help. Come to me when you have recovered.

Angela.

“Well, at least I know what happened now,” Rainbow Dash grumbled. A new question had been left unanswered, however, and Rainbow worried about what it could mean. What help was Angela thinking of? Was she thinking to bring someone else into the library?

Rainbow grit her teeth. Such questions would be answered soon enough as rainbow Dash galloped down the halls of the Keter floor. Her pace was uninterrupted as she passed piles of books that she had yet to put away, nor was it interrupted by the new staircase that had appeared beside one of the shelves.

~א~

Angela sighed as she combed through one of the newest books. While Rainbow Dash may have constantly praised Equestria for being a kind place, the books she had seen so far proved quite the opposite. The Equestrians she had seen so far were violent, cold-hearted, and selfish, willing to kill for their own gain, some even enjoying it. She had only met 6 so far and Angela could already see some similarities to the sorts of people she had heard were common in The City.

Finally finished reading through the pages of the Book of Lock, Angela placed the book to the side of her desk. She was about to grab another book when Rainbow Dash ran into the room. Her fur was clean except for a bruise beside her right wing and her mane had become messier, with a few strands pointing in the opposite direction to the rest.

“Rainbow Dash, welcome back,” Angela greeted.

“What are you planning!” Rainbow yelled, quickly pushing herself into the air and bringing herself face to face with the Librarian.

“I am glad to see you awake. Stop hovering in front of me before I remove your wings a second time,” Angela responded, the words like a sharp blade, cutting off the confrontation.

As Rainbow Dash returned to ground level, her glare was fixed on Angela. “You better not force anypony else to help you,” Rainbow accused.

Angela sighed. “You are a talented individual, Rainbow Dash, but as I’m sure you are aware, it seems you may need some help in future. There are many books in this Library, including books of individuals from before this Library arrived in Equestria. I had hoped that I would not be forced to do this, but it seems I will have to awaken some of the individuals within.”

Rainbow Dash placed her hoof to her chin. “Alright, but who would I be working with?” she asked.

“One of the past members of the Keter floor, I do not know which one,” Angela answered. “They are currently stuck in their books until someone brings them out.”

“What do you mean?” Rainbow wondered. “Are they trapped?”

“Yes, their books are connected to a group of creatures called abnormalities. They are powerful and often deadly, I do not know what has happened to them since becoming books, however, so they may likely act quite differently to what I remember,” Angela confessed.

“So, to get some more help, I need to fight some evil monster?” Rainbow Dash groaned. Alright, let’s do this then.”

~☁~

She had to enter the book. Rainbow Dash didn’t know how it happened, but she had to enter the book to fight this ‘Abnormality’.

Rainbow Dash grumbled as she thought back over her current situation. Summoned into a magical library she can’t escape where the owner attacks her and then forces her to fight people also brought into the library. To make things even stranger, the books contained every possible combination of letters and the owner of the librarian was some sort of alien.

It all felt like a story Pinkie Pie would make (minus the laughs and candy), and yet, here she was, about to fight a monster in a book to bring a person out. She only hoped whoever she was helping would not be as bad as Angela.

Finally observing her surroundings, Rainbow gawked. The large room around her was dark, as though standing in the entrance of a cave. The room was made of some sort of metal but the walls were covered in scratch marks, marks that Rainbow Dash soon recognized as a tally.

That’s when she heard it, tapping coming from the other side of the room. Looking to the source of the noise, she saw two large, bony hands moving closer. The hands tapped their middle and index finger against the ground as they drew closer, as though miming two figures, creatures like Angela, walking forward towards her.

”this must be an Abnormality,” Rainbow Dash figured. She was quick to extend her wings, the sharp blades of Keen Gaze glinting with unseen light, as she prepared to fight. The hands stopped their advance at this, the left hand dropping down onto each of its fingers and raising two fingers as though trying to intimidate her.

A tense air filled the room as both parties prepared. Rainbow’s wings twitched as the hands gently bobbed as though breathing. The moment was quickly cut however as Rainbow Dash launched forward, darting towards the hand on the right. While the right hand stayed in place, the left hand quickly scuttled forward, following Rainbow Dash and moving to fight back.

With her fast movement, Rainbow Dash struck true, flying past the right hand as her wing cut at its thumb. The cut was not as deep as she had expected, however, as the hand recoiled, the cut only going skin deep. The left hand meanwhile, quickly moved to attack, striking at Rainbow Dash with two fingers moving forward in a scissor motion.

Rainbow shot upwards to dodge the strike, successfully making it out of the way. Looking behind her, however, she saw her tail had become much shorter, the hair having been cut nearly perfectly and the hand now holding the lost strands.

With an uncanny change, the right hand dropped down into a similar scuttling position as the left hand, while the left hand soon moved into a standing position. Rainbow Dash did not have time to think however as the Right hand jumped upwards towards her, aiming to strike in a clenched fist.

Rainbow Dash was not as lucky this time as the hand crashed into her, shoving her back as she acted to regain her balance in the air. Rainbow Dash was able to use the strike’s momentum to her advantage, however, as she turned to strike the hand back. As the Right hand re-oriented itself on the ground, Rainbow Dash quickly flew past, cutting at the appendage.

The cut this time was deeper, leaving a deep laceration against the hands back. The hand writhed as Rainbow Dash smirked, flying forward for another strike before she was interrupted by the return of the Left hand placing itself between them. With palm upraised, Rainbow Dash tried to strike only to find her wing once again leaving what may as well have been a paper cut.

Rainbow Dash frowned as the two hands switched places again. Sighing as she flew away, Rainbow thought about the situation. It seemed as though the hands changed tactics whenever they were attacked. While the scuttling hand was the one to attack, the standing hand would act to defend.

”This is going to be annoying,” Rainbow mulled over. Attacking the scuttling hand directly put her in danger, but would also let her hit the hands better. Meanwhile, the defending hand would always be harmed less, but only acted to protect the other.

Rainbow chuckled. She always did prefer a proper fight, and the risk would be worth it. With a plan ready, Rainbow flew back into the fight.

The hands had changed again, the left hand now preparing to while the right hand had moved into a standing position. Not that it mattered now as Rainbow Dash flew directly towards the left hand, wings outstretched for another strike.

The left hand reacted quickly, propping itself onto its thumb as it prepared to swat the speedy pegasus. This did not deter Rainbow Dash however as she flew directly towards the outstretched hand. As both prepared to strike, Rainbow Dash quickly banked left, dodging the hand’s fingers while cutting into the hand’s palm with her wing.

The strike cut deep, leaving the hand writhing on the ground in pain. With a cut so deep, the hand began bleeding in spurts, the wound refusing to close as it struggled to rise. Rainbow Dash held back her lunch as she looked back at the harm she had dealt. The sight was gruesome, and she had not yet been prepared for such carnage.

Spotting the opportunity, the right hand quickly changed position and lunged. Rainbow Dash was unprepared as the hand shot forward with one finger pointed towards her. Reflexively, Rainbow shot her hooves in front of her, but it was too late. The finger struck true, piercing through Dash’s forelegs and striking her barrel.

The finger did not pierce through her thankfully, but the strike left a large hole through her hooves as she was pushed back. Rainbow hacked and coughed as she lay on the ground, trying to regain her footing, but was unable to stand as she recoiled from the blow.

Everything began to blur as Rainbow lay on the cold ground, her body refusing to move as she began losing sight. As she saw the right hand begin moving closer, everything began to fade and she wondered if this would be the end.

”You look like you’re the worst flier in the whole academy, you’ll probably quit after the first day.”

”No ma’am. I’d never quit ma’am.”

With a sudden burst of energy, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes. The hand had grown close now and was preparing to crush her, but that wouldn’t happen. With the strength she had, Rainbow Dash quickly pushed herself with her hind legs, putting herself in a better position to unfurl her wings. Though her legs had been badly injured, her wings had been left with only a few bruises.

As the hand began to fall, Rainbow Dash put all her energy into her wings, forcing herself up. Time seemed to crawl as Rainbow Dash flew out of the hands grasp by the breadth of a hair, the force leaving Rainbow still winded, but alive.

Looking down to the hand before her, she growled, her wings holding her aloft as she winced from the throbbing pain in her hooves. ”Time to finish this.”

Rainbow Dash dove, her wings straining as she slowly picked up speed. Seeing its target, the hand raised itself to block the strike, Rainbow Dash did not care, however. Faster and faster, Rainbow Dash flew, the wind around her rippling as a cone began in front of her.

”What’s a Sonic Rainboom?”

”You haven’t heard of a Sonic Rainboom? It’s like, the most coolest thing ever!”

The sky exploded behind her as Rainbow struck at the hand. A great spectrum of colour broke across the sky and spread outwards, lighting the horizon as Rainbow pushed forwards, the hand stood no chance as Rainbow darted around it. Cuts and gashes marking themselves across its body before the hand finally fell to the ground.

Rainbow panted when she finally stopped, the adrenaline in her system finally wearing away as she fell to the floor. Bringing herself to a seating position, she began trying to control her breath as she felt her rate finally begin to slow down. The fight had been tough, but it was done.

There was only one thing left on her mind to wonder now. Where was the creature she was meant to save?

Her eyes widened as a large, bloody sword pointed itself towards her, held in the hand of another creature like Angela. This one wore a red suit and gloves with a crimson scarf around its neck. Its brown hair had been carefully combed and parted at the side, with the back having been tied into two pigtails that started near the top of her head but reached down to her shoulders.

Its eyes looked down at Rainbow Dash in contempt as it looked more carefully at her. When it finally spoke, its voice was full of venom.

“And what the hell are you supposed to be?”

Author's Note:

thank you for reading my newest chapter, sorry it took so long to write! introducing one of our first employees. or librarian. nugget? let's go with nugget. you'll learn more about them in the next chapter but for now, I hope you all have a good day.

-S

P.S. I'm going to start adding key pages and combat pages here, hope you like them.
Combat Page
3-Cost
Dive
1-8 evade
10-15 blunt [on hit: destroy opponents next attack.]

Comments

[Nosoni]

Keep up the good work so far

[Valsion]

Now this is an interesting crossover. Can you also tell me more about the abnormality? I don't recognize it from the games or Wonderlab, is it an original abnormality and if so are you gonna make up entirely new ones or do we see some of the ingame abnormalities as well?

[shcalda]

10864610
very late reply, sorry. I've been very busy so I haven't been able to work on the story as much.

yes, it's a unique abnormality I thought up. I felt it would be more interesting to have at least some unique monsters to handle, especially seeing as the abnormalities in Library of Ruina are related in some way to the patron librarians.

the Idle Hands themselves are somewhat inspired by Distorted Yan's hands in design and have the main fighting gimmick of swapping resistances with each other. one hand attacks while the other defends, swapping roles each scene.

I hope to add some other unique abnormalities into this, but do expect some from project moon as well.
-S

[Valsion]

10948186
I can also kinda imagine how the Hands could relate to RD, perhaps in a way reflecting how she may see the state of Equestria's hidden criminal underground. I could imagine that she starts feeling like she and her friends did not really do enough and only went for the big, bombastic, obvious threats.

I'm also curious how the Floor Realizations are handled with Rainbow taking Roland's place. I do have some ideas how it could be done myself but I wanna see what you cook up for it.