The Dark City

by awf

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Anything?" Ember Clover asked from the opposite side of the room. He and Rusty Bones were going through what looked like a general store, although it was hard to tell. Some crockery and cutlery was vaguely recognizable, but most of the shelves' contents had decayed away a long time ago. The furniture itself had collapsed into piles of rubble in most places and touching anything was liable to bring it down more often than not.

"Broken plates, you?" Rusty called back.

The stallion sighed. "I guess... belts or straps of some kind? Cloth maybe, all I got are buckles and dust. Copper, I think. Oh, and another body."

Rusty wondered for a moment what it said about them that they had gotten so used to seeing those sad, old piles of bones everywhere that they hardly commented on then anymore. They were sure not to disturb the remains, partly because it would be disrespectful, partly because it was macabre and nopony really wanted to touch old bones, and partly because their positions might reveal clues about their deaths for the next expedition. There were a number of bodies in the streets, so many that they had blended together where they didn't have some distinguishing feature. Like the one still strapped into a harness of a pony-drawn cart. Well, the ribcage had been the only thing still in the crumbling leather straps, the rest of the pony was strewn around. She also remembered a pair of guards, their skeletons jumbled together, but their bronze helmets, what was left of them, touching muzzles. Perhaps it was the romantic in her, but she thought one of them had subtler, female shapes and the other was more robust, male version. Two lovers in the guard, at least they died together, the mare thought to herself. Tragic, but perhaps a touch less than most of the others.

"Those plates, anything interesting?" Ember Clover's voice intruded in her little daydream.

Rusty didn't bother replying and went over to the next piece of furniture which wasn't completely ruined. It looked like a shoulder-height table with drawers. She took a deep breath and gently pulled one open with the edge of a hoof. To her surprise it didn't immediately collapse in a crash of noise and dust and she was able to look inside. There were gold discs and something larger, heavily corroded. She stared at the object and tried to puzzle it out before reaching in and potentially breaking it. The thing looked to be in three pieces, a stalk with a heavy base and two round dishes with holes around the edge.

"Oh!" she said, suddenly understanding. "Scales! This was the money drawer. It's still got coins."

"Let me see, let me see!" Ember gushed and hurried over. He accidentally bumped into a set of shelves with his rump and sent them crashing down as one side gave way. They both winced at the cacophony.

"Sorry," the stallion whispered when it was over.

"It's fine, come over."

He made it without further mishap and rummaged in his bag for a camera. "Let me take a photo before we disturb anything."

Rusty obediently stepped away and closed her eyes to protect her night vision from the bright flash. The camera clicked and she dared look. Too soon, because Ember apparently wanted more pictures. Snap! The whole world went white for a moment and Rusty's eyes teared up. She blinked to get rid of the afterimage. "Ow, darn it!"

"Sorry!" Ember said again, but she waved a hoof even as she wiped at her face with a fetlock.

"Not your fault. I should have been looking away until you were done. Gah, I can't see a thing!" Her vision would clear up in a few moments, but until then she was useless. "Can you collect the coins and the scale? I'll go out to grab some air, it's stuffy in here."

Whatever system those ancient ponies had built for air circulation was probably damaged. So far they hadn't had trouble breathing, but the air was decidedly stale in places and often there was a smell of ancient mould. Quite possibly nothing had disturbed the ruin since it was abandoned, or at least since the last expedition. Ember Clover bent over the drawer and reached in expertly with a feather. It was actually a clever idea to pick out coins one by one that gently and hopefully keep the drawer from caving in. She left him to it and made her wobbly way outside mostly by memory. She sat on her haunches in what passed for a street and blinked her eyes a few more times. The shadows seemed to dance around her and she kept thinking she saw shapes in the gloom. It was still just the flash, though, and Rusty looked down at her hooves. Her shadow spread before her and the light of their magical lantern spilled around her from the door. Even that seemed to be moving, as if she was watching a puppet play.

Rusty looked at the dancing shape, entranced, but approaching hoofsteps made her glance up. It sounded like a fast canter, and it was only one pony. She almost growled under her breath. Always in pairs she had told them! Whoever this was would get the sharp side of her tongue, even if it was the venerable professor! A point of light flickered above the approaching shape.

"Miss Bones! Miss Bones! Come quick!" Winter Shine gasped out when she saw the shape in the door frame. "You gotta help! It's Professor Curio!" The light winked out and plunged the two mares into near darkness.

Something had happened! Rusty's blood instantly ran cold and for a terrible instant she was unable to move. She had led them down there and now he was hurt, or worse! It took an effort but the mare forced that thought out of her mind. She didn't even know what had happened yet! For all she knew the Professor and Winter Shine might simply have run out of tea. "Slow down. Tell me what happened!"

She was about to yell for Ember to come out, but the stallion had heard and was already beside her, the lantern in his mouth. "Waff if if?" he asked.

"I don't know what's wrong with him! We found the library, and- and there was this mosaic," Winter Shine said, her sides heaving with the effort to keep her breath steady. In another minute she would pass out from lack of oxygen.

She must have run the entire way, Rusty guessed. The mare had never been all that athletic to begin with. She stood up and put both hooves on Winter Shine's shoulders. "Relax. Slow down. Breathe," she ordered.

It worked and the unicorn closed her eyes and took a deep lungful. That helped and she was able to go on: "H-He said he wanted to see it from up above, so he went up to the balcony. Then- then-" Winter Shine closed her eyes and shook her head. "He was up there for a long time and then his magical light went out! W-When I looked, he was staring down over the fence, but he wasn't answering me! I didn't dare go up! I'm sorry! I didn't know what to do so I came to find you!"

The story sounded strange, but Rusty didn't have time to analyze it. If the Professor had passed out or something he might fall. It sounded like he was somewhere high and precarious. "Okay, let's go. Lead the way!"

Winter Shine gave a gasp of relief and twirled on her hooves. Her hoofsteps faltered as her weary muscles betrayed her, but she stumbled off and the other two followed. It wouldn't be a very fast run, but yelling at the poor mare to go faster wouldn't accomplish anything.

"You're doing fine," she told Winter. "One hoof in front of the other. Don't run yourself into the ground. As soon as we see the building point it out to us, okay?"
All Winter could do was nod, then her ears flattened and she ran. She didn't make another magical ball of light, but Ember ran beside them to light the way.

---

Luckily it wasn't too far and the three soon found themselves on a kind of plaza. There was a dried out fountain, looking dark and forlorn in their feeble light, and two statues of ponies on either side of the stairs. A faint light was coming from inside and it was enough to see her way, so Rusty could leave the lantern with the two students. A glint of metal caught Rusty's eye and she saw a broken spear tip in the fountain. On second glance, she could see more bits of blackened armor and a white-yellow of old bones. Perhaps a guard had drowned in the panic, or maybe a corps had fallen in the fountain.

"Up- up in there!" Winter Shine gasped. It looked as if she would collapse any minute so Rusty made a judgement call.

"Ember, help her up. I'm going on ahead to see what's going on!"

The stallion gave her a nod and said: "I got it. Be careful!" Then he went and stood next to Winter Shine so she could lean on him for support. "Come on, I'll give you a bit of water and then we'll walk up those stairs, right?"

The mare was still concentrating on drawing breath in great, sucking lungfuls, but she managed a nod. Her ears were still completely flat. Rusty knew she was in good hooves so she forgot the two students for the moment and ran up the stone steps into the library. It looked like a grand building, all in white marble. Well, at least originally it had been white marble, now it was yellowed in places and covered with moss. For some reason it reminded her of a partially-decayed corpse. Rusty pushed that image aside and galloped through the doors, which were wide open and barely hanging on their hinges. A breath would tear them down, it looked like.

Inside was a big, circular floor with some kind of a mosaic, which she couldn't make out from her angle. She saw why Curio had wanted a higher vantage point. A unicorn-powered lamp was sitting in the middle, providing enough light for her to see. Rusty hurried to it and picked it up in her mouth so she could swing it around and look for the Professor. She scanned the hall above her and quickly saw what Winter Shine had been talking about. The main part of the library was on the floors above, on balconies built around a central shaft. There were spiral iron staircases, once beautifully designed to look like tree vines and leaves, but now heavily rusted. The steps had once been wooden, but had decayed away and left gaping holes. That was probably why Winter hadn't been ready to go up there either. A pony could climb those if they stepped on the iron bits only, but it would be scary and dangerous.

Rusty almost cursed under her breath at the foolhardy Professor. He should never have attempted this without all of them present, especially a pegasus and a griffin who could catch him if the iron gave way. She shone her lamp around the first floor of the balconies and quickly spotted the Professor. He was staring down and his eyes were wide open and nearly completely black. For an instant Rusty thought he was possessed by some evil force, but then she realized his pupils were completely dilated. Could it be shock? What did he see in the mosaic?!

"Professor?" she called up to him. "Curio? Curio Trinket! Hey!"

He didn't so much as stir. He kept staring down at the floor, his ears upright and alert, but unmoving. From this distance Rusty couldn't even be sure he was still breathing, although him standing up was a good sign for that.

"Darn it, I'm gonna have to go up there, won't I?"

She heard the other two as their slow, careful hoofsteps rang on the marble floor. Ember Clover had a wing around Winter Shine and was leading her inside, and the mare was looking at the ground and focusing on her breathing.

"Wow. This place must have been something back in the day. Look at that chandelier!" the stallion commented.

Rusty swung her light around and saw what he was talking about. There was a mass of iron and gold in the middle of the hall, with what looked like clear, teardrop gems scattered around. There were cups for candles and she wondered how they were changed and lit, especially with a city full of earth ponies. It didn't matter, not until they got Curio down safely. To her relief there was a chest-high railing around the balcony so the unicorn probably couldn't step off, but his silent staring was beginning to unnerve her.

"I don't trust those stairs. Can you fly up there and bring him down, Ember?"

The stallion stepped away from Winter Shine and flexed his wings. "I can," he said and crouched down to spring into the air.

"Don't just grab him, okay? He looks out of it, he might jump in fright. Be ready."

"Got it!" Ember Clover murmured and jumped. He flew up to the balcony with swift, sure wing strokes and stopped to hover in front of the professor. He waved a hoof in the older stallion's face. "Professor? Hello?"

There was still no response, so Ember edged closer and laid a careful hoof on his professor's shoulder. That got a reaction and the unicorn jerked. "Huh?! Who's- oh, it's you, Ember Clover. Where did the light go?"

They all stared in shock as the professor recast his ball of light and looked around. "Can you get out of my way, I'm trying to get a look at that mosaic down on the floor."

"No. Bring him down right away," Rusty commanded.

Ember Spread his hooves in apology. "Sorry Professor, Miss Rusty's orders. We'll look at the mosaic later." Before the befuddled stallion could protest, Ember swooped in and gripped him around the barrel. He held him securely in his forehooves and quickly glided down to the ground floor. He tried to put Curio down gently, but the unicorn was so shocked by the sudden action that his hind legs folded down beneath him and he sat.

"What in blazes was that all about? You two just swoop in here and pluck me from the balcony, why?"

Winter Shine hurried over to give her professor an urgent nuzzle. "You didn't answer me for ages, Professor! I'm sorry, but I had to fetch Miss Bones and Ember!"

"What?! What do you mean 'ages'? I hardly got up to that railing when Ember blocked my view and made me fizzle my light! You never even left!"

They all looked at one another in confusion and Rusty came right up to the stallion to peer in his eyes. His pupils were down to normal size now. Could he not remember from whatever state he was in? "Sir, tell me exactly what happened, okay?" she ordered, but respectfully.

Curio looked a little shaken and confused by what they were saying. He leaned his head to one side as if he thought they were simple, but then he rolled his eyes and spoke: "Okay, I might as well humor you, but then you'll explain what has happened."

"Deal."

He took a breath and pointed a hoof at the floor. "Me and Winter Shine had found this library, say, about five minutes ago. I was about to cast my paper-preserving spell, but I noticed this mosaic. I couldn't make it out from here, so I decided to climb up to the first level to get a better look."

The others glanced at each other and Ember Clover mouthed: "Five minutes?" at Winter Shine, who shook her head, wide-eyed with fear. The Professor didn't seem to notice the exchange and went on: "Anyway, up there would also be a lot better vantage point for my spell, so I could be sure it reached every nook and cranny. I'd have to recast it from every level up anyway, but this way you three could start looking at the books on the ground floor."

The stallion shrugged. "Anyway, I carefully climbed those iron stairs. They're quite sturdy, but you have to watch where you put your hooves. The wood is completely rotten. I got up on the first level and walked over to the balcony, and that's when Ember Clover swooped in front of me and grabbed my shoulder."

"That's so weird!" Winter Shine whined a little. She could not have made her ears flatter even if she tried to iron them down.

Curio looked at her in confusion. "Why? What do you think happened?"

The mare glanced at Rusty Bones, who nodded in confirmation, then told her story: "Professor, you went up there about- about an hour ago! I started looking around the librarian's desk, but then I noticed you were gone for a while. I called up to you, but you didn't answer You had that strange look in your eye!"

"An hour?!" Curio explained. "Surely you must be mistaken!"

Winter Shine shook her head. "No, professor! I called for at least ten minutes, but- but I didn't dare come up after you, I'm sorry. Then I went to look for Miss Bones! The time until I found them, and then before we could get back here, it was nearly an hour, surely!"

"We've spent over fifteen minutes just getting back, Professor," Rusty Bones confirmed. He opened his mouth to object, but she overruled him and went on: "I myself spent a good minute or two calling to you! Then Ember came in and I told him to go up and fetch you."

Maybe it was a good thing that Curio was already sitting, because he looked ready to collapse from shock. "An hour? Surely not! Why don't I remember any of this?"

Rusty thought for a plausible explanation, but quickly gave up. "I don't know? Is this something that happens to ponies? Your pupils were dilated and you weren't moving. Your light spell had gone out. Have you ever heard of anything like that happening to a pony?"

Once again the stallion shook his head. "I've never heard of anything like this."

Rusty looked down at the colorful little bits of stone on which they were standing. "Is it possible the mosaic is some kind of hypnotising pattern? Maybe it only works on unicorns? Like a unicorn trap?"

Curio was about to shake his head, but froze. "M-Maybe? I haven't heard of the sort, but with how old this ruin is, I can't be sure. Hmm..." An idea was brewing up and Rusty wasn't sure she was going to like it. The Professor looked at his pegasus student. "Ember, can you fly up and look at it from above? If it affects you the same way, Winter and myself will catch you with telekinesis and lower you down."

The stallion flattened his ears, but then he nodded. "I'll do it."

"Is this a good idea?" Rusty asked.

"I guess we should know if the pattern has effect on ponies. So we know not to look down when we're exploring the upper sections."

It still felt like a dumb idea, but Rusty found herself curious. She turned back to the Professor. "You're sure you can catch him?"

"We'll both stand ready, right Winter Shine?"

The mare was still shaken from the strangeness of the whole ordeal, but she pulled herself together and gave a nod. "Yes, Professor."

Ember backed away from the group and spread his wings. "Here I go," he announced and flapped into the air.

They all watched him carefully as he gained altitude. His gaze was set firmly on the far wall until he was level with the first floor balcony. "Ready?" he called out.

"Ready!" Both Curio and Winter Shine chorused. Their horns lit up and they prepared to snatch a falling pegasus.

Ember turned his head down and stared at the mosaic. They all held their breath, but a moment later the pegasus called down: "I don't feel anything. It looks like- Miss Bones, can you move to one side and shine the light behind you?" She did so and the pegasus began to descend. "Yeah, it's an eclipse. Black center and the corona. I see it clearly. It's nothing special. It's not messing with my head." In a few more seconds he landed with four gentle clicks of his hooves. "I don't know what to tell you."

They all thought about it, then Curio heaved a sigh. "Only one thing left to try. Take me up again and I'll look at the mosaic one more time. If I- what did you call it? Zone out, we'll know it affects unicorns."

"Maybe it also affects earth ponies?" Rusty suggested.

"Unlikely," the Professor said. "If it did, they'd have catatonic ponies each time they went into the library. I don't think they'd do that to themselves."

"Good point. Okay, Ember, you up to carrying Professor Curio again?"

The stallion gave a nod. "Yeah, easy! Um, come here, let me-" It looked more awkward than before, but Ember Clover grabbed Curio from behind and firmly locked his forelegs around his barrel. "Ready?" he asked and at a murmur from the older stallion he kicked off. This time his rise was slower and his wings had to work harder. The wind blew down into Rusty Bones' face and swirled bits of dust around them.

Curio kept looking down and studying the mosaic as it came into view. His eyes moved here and there as he scanned the picture, then he said: "Ember was right. It's an eclipse. I feel quite normal. We can land now."

The pair descended and Ember lowered his Professor gently on the floor, even if he had to whip his wings in a near frenzy to ensure a smooth landing. When he alighted down beside them, he was breathing heavily, but didn't seem otherwise distressed.

"Weird. So what happened to you up there, Professor?" Rusty asked.

The stallion shrugged. "I really can't tell. I don't remember anything. If you're right and an hour has passed-"

He didn't finish that sentence because Rusty had an idea. "Did you look at the clock at any time before?"

Curio Trinket brightened up. "Excellent thinking," he said. "Let's see, I checked my pocket watch outside on the steps, that can't have been more than about ten minutes before I went up the ladder. It took me about five to climb it, and I went straight to the edge. If my reckoning is correct, it should be just after five twenty in the afternoon." He pulled the watch out of his saddle bag and inspected it. His ears fell. "S-six thirty..."

His gaze swept across all of them. "I don't know what to tell you."

Rusty bones was just as uneasy. "Okay, maybe this place is getting to us. We've worked hard the past couple of days and I, for one, haven't been sleeping all that well. We keep to the rules: always at least two of us together. Nopony goes alone into unexplored tunnels or rooms."

They all nodded.

"Good. Let's head back, we're due to meet Gustaf in twenty minutes. We'll come back here so you can cast the preserving spell on the books, Professor, but I suggest we move on. We still want to find out what's at the bottom?"

This time the nods they gave were less sure, except for Curio, but they were still in agreement. "How much f-further?" Winter Shine asked.

"It's another ten floors down, if I'm counting the stairs correctly. About one more day. We should be there tomorrow evening, then we can return through the throne room."

"Agreed. We've found plenty of interest and with my spells on the library it should hold out for at least a month or two, plenty of time to get a proper expedition from Canterlot over here. Then we can start with the real work. I'll pick out a few likely books I can find quickly on the lowest level, then we can go."

A day ago Rusty would have been annoyed at the thought of other ponies tramping all over what she thought of as 'her discovery', but after the strange couple of days, she found herself looking forward to getting out of this ruin and seeing the sun once more. Another thing bothered her, but she didn't say it out loud yet. She wanted to think on it some more. Why was the mosaic on the library floor an image of an eclipse? There was something familiar about that, but she couldn't quite get her thoughts to line up. It felt like something she had heard, or read.