Research Logs

by Coppercoil

Invisibility pt.1

Invisibility

Twilight woke up finding that she had slept in. She was feeling rather unmotivated for a notable event happened the night before.

Twilight had finished reading "Super Naturals" cover to cover. As she breathed a sigh of relief having finished another book, she felt as though she had forgotten something important. She made sure to double check her checklist to find anything and had found not only was everything checked for the night, but that she had already double checked her checklist. She felt relieved but still uncomfortable. She paced back and forth contemplating what might be bothering her. She was hit with realization on that the book she had just read had been the last. As she scanned the books along the shelves she could not find a single one she had yet to read. Twilight fell back on her flank at this. "What's left?" she said to no one in particular. She stared blankly at the books after failing to find one she had never read before. She chuckled slightly at herself that she knew so much that she didn't need to refer to any of the books before her. Within her head lied an entire library's worth on information. "That's it!" library had yelled with none present to hear. "I've read all these books, but there's more at the Canterlot Archives!" The lavender pony was positively ecstatic to know that her quest for knowledge had yet to end. But still the fright of having nothing left to learn kept her thinking of what might happen when she had finished the archives as well. She read with such speed that she had read through an entire library before even considering herself a full grown mare.

Twilight went to bed with a frightening chill in her heart and a persistent question pulling at her thoughts "What would she do when there's nothing left to learn."

After twilight had gotten out of bed, the question stuck. It kept her from focusing and she seemed distant. Twilight's special talent had always been magic but she believed that had been so because of her studious nature guiding her to the knowledge that books withheld. As she looked down the stairs at the shelves filled with book that might as well contain blank pages for she could recite them by memory.

She remembered a mare from her youth who helped in tutoring Twilight when the princess was busy, her name was Star Charmer. When the old mare had first entered Twilight's home in Canterlot she was taken back by the high shelves of books stacked along the wall. "That's quite the number of books you have there." said Star, her tone rather humble being of Canterlot.

"The Princess gave them to me to help me learn more about magic." The young filly replied.

"Even still, it would take a while to read all those."

"I can read fast"

"I'm sure you can it's just that i prefer to only shelve books that I've read."

Twilight remembered those words. and after that lesson Twilight had taken down all the books that she hadn't read making sure only to shelve those she had finished. Sure enough, she had read every book in her house had had filled those shelves before coming to Ponyville.

Twilight would send a letter to the princess expressing her intentions to visit the archives regularly. As Twilight looked to Spike's bed to find it empty she was disappointed with herself for she had awoken later than Spike the lazy dragon. She stepped outside after grooming herself and saw Spike in the distance sitting atop a light-orange mare wearing a cowboy hat. This pony had been Applejack. Intrigued, Twilight trotted over to the crowd that had assembled there to find Spike and the other ponies looking curiously at the wares of a travelling vendor who had set up just out side the library.

"Spike! Why didn't you wake me up?" Twilight complained.

"You looked tired, besides, today's a free day." Spike replied.

Twilight accepted the dragon's response and focused more the the stand that had been set up. "What's going on?" Twilight had asked Applejack.

"Well it seems this here stand sells 'curiosities' and things." Applejack had seemed confused with the word.

Twilight had looked at the stand and noticed the The dark brown unicorn stallion with an unkempt mane with the color of leaf green standing behind the counter. Twilight must have the eye of this vendor for with a movement of his hoof, he beckoned her over. Twilight went in closer hoping to get a better look at his wares. When Twilight had approached the stand the vendor smiled.

"Welcome to Odsanends' Odds and Ends." The pony announced directed towards Twilight while extending his forelegs. "You're a librarian are you not?" the stallion said before coming down.

Twilight smiled and nodded before looking at the jewelry on display. "How do you come by these if you don't mind me asking?"

"Well, these are just things I buy from ponies who need a quick bit. Sometimes I haggle, sometimes I have a fixed price, Either way, nopony walks away unhappy from from my stand. For example as a librarian, I'm guessing you are in the market for some books am I right." The pony asked happily.

Twilight had been amazed by such luck, to find a vendor selling books the day after she had run out. "Why yes I am, what do you have.

Odsanends, stood up from the box he was standing on and it pushed out from behind the counter. After unhinging the latch he opened the box to reveal it filled with books. "Please, have a look."

Twilight excitedly began looking through the books, but began to sink for she had read she had picked up, most she had at the library not thirty paces away.

Odsanends had noticed the pony's distress while selling a trinket. He walked over. "Whats wrong?" He asked.

Twilight sighed, "I've read all of these and have many of them already." Odsanends was surprised to hear that anypony could read somany books.

"Well, like I said, nopony walks away unhappy." The stallion stepped away for a moment before returning with a book balanced on his back. "Have you read this?"

Twilight looked up to see the book.

"This was a gift from a my cousin. I've never been one for magic, but I think you'll appreciate this."

Twilight levitated the book from Odsanends. The cover simply read "Log -132- invisibility" on a weathered label. The book was a powder blue with a few stars dotting the corners. She Opened the book to find the interior had been in immaculate condition, noticeably old, but appeared new relative to the cover. On the inside of the cover was written in fine handwriting "Property of S.S."

Odsanends had waited while Twilight had examined the book. Twilight looked up smiling and asked "How much?"

The brown stallion, smiled before stating, "I can't sell it!"

Twilight's smile dropped as did her jaw. "What! Why not!?"

Still smiling, Odsanends replied "Because it was a gift! You can't properly sell a gift can you? But I can give it to you."

"You can?" asked Twilight feeling cautious.

"And will. Under one condition of course well... two actually."

"What are they"

"First, you must take good care of it. It's a gift to both of us and should be respected."

"And second?"

"Second, you must leave this stall with a sincere smile."

After hearing these requests her grin widened from ear to ear. This was satisfactory as Odsanends replied, "Alright, you take good care of that book now."

Twilight held the book close not knowing what lie inside, and it was that ignorance that excited the young mare, for from the vessel she held lied information unknown to her and many.

Comments

[Shielded Myth]

i like where this is going
keep it up

[Coppercoil]

1411386 Thank you, I will