From Sacred Flames

by ArtoriasFlagg

Turn the Page

The day was perfect.

The rain had been falling for two days now and the ground was expectedly soggy. Puddles of water reflected the cloudy, gray sky while lakes of mud began to spread across the roads and fields. The wind was blowing lightly, no more than a slight breeze. No thunder. No lightning. Just a nice, peaceful little downpour. The perfect weather for reading.

Twilight had stocked her nightstand with several of her favorite books the night before ini preparation for another rainy day, having fallen asleep with one particularly interesting tome resting on of her stomach. She had spent most of that night flipping through its tattered pages, completely engrossed in the memoirs of her one of her greatest idols.

Most of the book had held her attention through every word, but she finally drifted off to sleep as the narrator began describing the breakfast he had just finished eating that morning. The surprisingly boring section had arisen in the midst of what had otherwise been a fantastic chapter of the book's story. Had it not been so late she simply would have powered through it, but by the time 3:00am rolled around, she had simply lost the will to go on. Words blurred, the room spun, and suddenly she was sleeping soundly with the book spread out on top of her.

She awoke in exactly the same position, looking around and quickly realizing that the night had already passed her by. She scrambled to put the book back in order, smoothing out the creased page and setting the tome lovingly down on a pillow beside her. Spike entered the room a few minutes later, a platter carefully balanced on one claw and broom clutched in the other.

"Oh good, you're awake. I know you said to get you up at sunrise but... well, you sort of only fell asleep a few hours ago so I figured I'd just let you rest." He set the tray down on the bed in front of her. "Here, I need you to tell me how this turned out. Pinkie gave me the recipe but it something about it just doesn't seem quite the same as how she makes it..."

Twilight was still rubbing the sleep from her eyes when Spike lifted the lid off the platter, revealing a pile of what may have, at one point in their nightmarishly depressing existence been muffins. Half were burnt to a shade comparable to that of writer's ink; Twilight sincerely doubted that it would be possible to actually remove them from the tray without seriously damaging the metal they had apparently fused with. The rest of the batch were considerably more muffin like in shape and consistency, but something about them still made her a little hesitant to try one.

"Um... Spike? Maybe its just the lack of sleep talking but... are these supposed to be purple?"

"...Yeeeeaaah, about that. I didn't use anything but the ingredients I the recipe, but they still came out like that. From what I could tell that shouldn't have been possible, but I sorta wanted your opinion on that matter."

She studied the pile for a few moments before reaching out with her magic and turning out the lights in the room. "....Well, these three glow in the dark, the burnt ones seem to have become welded to the platter and-" a fwoosh erupted as the room became illuminated by a flickering orange light. "-this one seems to have spontaneously combusted... You might want to go have Pinkie Pie look over that recipe again before you try making the next batch."

"Right... I'll go make us something else. Maybe something that doesn't need to be cooked..." He left the room, taking the glowing, burning coagulation of baked goods back Down to the kitchen.

Twilight returned her attention to the book sitting beside her. She had decided weeks ago to schedule herself a day off and intended to enjoy every last minute of it. No errands, no assignments, no chores. Just a full day of relaxing and reading while the rain continued to fall outside.

She opened the old tome once more, flipping through the pages with her mind until it was back to the last thing she remembered reading before she had fallen asleep. "Here we go, now lets see if I missed anything last night. Maybe I just skipped a page or something and that's why the chapter seemed so strange." She read on.

Each chapter prior to this had had an incantation scrawled across its first page, generally a spell which author had either created or made use of during the course of that day's entry. This one merely reused an old spell which Twilight recognized as being taken from one of his earlier works.

It was another hour before Spike returned, carrying a bowl full of clipped daffodils. "Here, this is about all I could find. I'm going to go restock the kitchen as soon as this rain lets up."

"There was nothing for you to eat down there?"

"Nah, I'm all set. I had one of the glowing muffins. They actually came out alright... So what are ya reading now?"

Twilight closed the book for a minute to give Spike a better view of the cover. "Its one of the personal journals of Star Swirl the Bearded. I borrowed it from the archives the last time we were in Canterlot."

The little dragon studied the cover for a moment, his eyes following the intricate borders and symbols which decorated the tome. "Huh... Is it any good?"

"Well it was a very interesting read up until now... Apparently this was the last thing he ever wrote, so its all leading up to the very end of his life. In each chapter he's discussed little details about some kind of huge final spell that he's trying to develop, emphasizing more and more how important it is that he finishes it... But then this chapter just suddenly comes in with over fifty pages of him just describing the breakfast that his steward prepared for him that day. He literally spent ten pages elaborating on the color of his orange juice!"

"Are you sure he isn't writing in code or something? Maybe he was afraid someone else would read it. Someone who wasn't supposed to."

"No, I've gone through this chapter six times now. This is literally just a description of a meal... A disturbingly in-depth description, but a description nonetheless."

"Huh. Well, maybe he just really liked the food that day. I mean, you said this was all written toward the end of his life, right? He was pretty old by then... Really, really old, actually. Maybe this was just the sort of thing that caught his attention at that point."

"Hmm... maybe... Maybe... Maybe if I just read through it one more time."

"Twilight! You've been through this chapter half a hundred times already. If you didn't find anything yet, going back again isn't going to change things."

She looked at the first page of the chapter again, noting the all-too-familiar spell inscribed upon the paper. She sighed, lazily levitating a dandelion blossom out of the bowl and quickly chewing it up. "You're right. I'm getting distracted, and I'm wasting a perfectly good day obsessing over this. I'm going to go start the next chapter; are you still going to go get us some more food?"

"Oh right, guess I should probably get on that soon while the rain's still light. I'll be back soon!" The little dragon ran out of the room and down the steps. A few minutes later Twilight heard the front door slam as he left the library. She waited a few minutes, making sure that he didn't come back in; then she flipped through the breakfast chapter once more, desperately searching for anything she may have missed the first fifty times.

It was just a few minutes after noon when Spike returned, pulling a small wagon of food and cooking supplies up to the door. "Twilight! You still here? The sun's out and its getting really nice out here. You should totally come read outside....... Twilight?"

He stepped inside, the small mountain of groceries he was carrying entirely blocking his line of sight. He made it a good two feet before the tripping over a book a which had been carelessly discarded on the floor. Recovering at the last moment, he spun and just barely managed to keep his grip on the bags. "Geez, what the heck it this doing here? Twilight never just leaves these things lying around like thi-" He stopped where he was, now conscious of what was in front of him.

The shelves of the library were barren. A few books were lying on the floor around the perimeter of the room, similar to the one he had just stumbled over. In the center of the room, however, stood a funnel-shaped mound of literature. Every book in the library had been piled into a circle, with the sides stacking up around the the center until it appeared as though there was a small volcano made of Twilight's beloved tomes was protruding out of the floor.

Several books were floating in the air near the middle of the of the cone, each suspended by a ghostly purple aura. They simply hovered there for a moment, until one was cast aside; striking the wall and falling to the floor as another quickly shot into the air to take its place. Pages flipped at lightning speed, the sound of the fluttering paper filling the room for a few seconds before another book shut and was tossed aside.

Spike made his way to the pile, the groceries promptly abandoned against the wall. He climbed up one side of the circular book fort, having to pull himself up a few feet before cresting the top. It was from that position that he finally saw Twilight.

Sitting in the center of the funnel of literature, the purple unicorn was frantically turning her head back and forth. Her horn was burning with violet energy as arcane power left her and entered the books, levitating four or five at a time. She looked at one hovering on her left, causing it to open; its pages turning in a storm of papery fury. Not satisfied with what she found, the book was tossed aside as she turned to the next.

He watched her work like this for another few seconds; half a dozen books being thrown away as he waited. Finally, he found his tongue and the courage to use it. "Twilight? Are... Are you.... Is everything alright?"

The books fell from the air as she whipped around to get a look at who had spoken, who had interrupted her concentration. Her eyes were wide, her mane a mess, and her jaw was clenched in noticeable discomfort. Finally, as she focused in on the little dragon at the top of the mountain of books, she seemed to calm down slightly. "Ssssppiiiikke? When did.... How long have I...."

She looked around, seemingly taking in her surroundings for the first time. She looked shocked for a moment, but soon began to regain her composure. "Did I... Did I do all of this?"

"Sure looks that way. I just got back and found you sitting here flipping through books like some kind of crazed library tornado! What happened?"

The concern was evident on her face. "I'm not sure. I know you went to get groceries-"

"Two hours ago..."

"Right. So I... umm... I went back to reading Star Swirl's journal. I read that breakfast chapter again, only... only......."

"Only? Only what?"

Her eyes narrowed as she tried desperately to remember the events of the past hour, her mind just barely managing to hold onto the memories she needed. "Only this time I... I tried the spell that was discussed on the first page of the chapter."

"Spell? I thought you said it was just a bunch of rambling lines about a spell he hadn't actually made yet."

"Well, at the time he wrote this he hadn't made it. But he finished it before the end of his life. Remember when I said the spell he was describing sounded really familiar? Well that's because it was the time travel spell, the one I tried to use a few months ago."

"From his section in the Archives? Weird... But that still doesn't explain how all this happened." He motioned toward the bookcano they were currently sitting in.

"I think it does, actually. When I used it as a normal spell, one without a definite target, it sent me back in time because I was the one who cast it. I basically made myself the intended target. This time though I.... I think I tried to cast it right on the book itself."

She looked around for a moment, the nervous expression quickly returning to her face as she began to panic once more. "Spike, quick, help me find the journal! I know its in here somewhere!"

Though she was quite visibly worried about finding the old tome, Twilight seemed to have lost the fanatic fervor that she had displayed a few moments before. She had been in a near trance-like state while she had been blowing through book after book in the pile, her mind's thirst for knowledge overpowering the limitations of her body. Now, however, it appeared she was paying for that massive exertion of power.

While she was busy carefully sifting through the mountain one book at a time, Spike had dove int the pile itself in search of the journal. It was a good five minutes before he finally surfaced on the other side; the record Star Swirl's final days clutched tightly in his claws.

"I got it! Here, here's the journal, Twilight! It looks like it got a little beaten up in there but its should be fine. Do you remember what page it w-AHHH!"

Spike was lifted off his feet as Twilight pulled the book toward her with her mind. She cleared a spot in the middle of the funnel and set the journal down, flipping the pages carefully as she searched for the chapter she had been reading before her memories had disappeared. At last, as she turned one page over, she came to a section of glowing purple text.

"Here it is! Spike, come look at this! You were right, or at least you had the right idea. That breakfast chapter wasn't code, exactly, but it was just a decoy for the real text."

The little dragon skimmed over the first page quickly, the bright purple words stinging his eyes slightly after a few minutes of reading. "So... its a letter? He wrote a letter and hid it in his journal. Why? And why put such a convoluted spell on it?"

"He obviously didn't want anyone but those he knew he could trust reading it. Back then, a spell like that time travel one would have been a secret known only to him and maybe be or two others, all of whom would have been the ones who helped him create or test the spell to begin with. Listen to this part: 'I do not yet know why, and I doubt I will learn before its too late, but if you still hold any respect for me as your teacher, you will simply take my word on this. Do not trust them; the elemental-worshipers and the southern immigrants. I trust my source, but I fear I cannot disclose them for fear of what might befall them if I do.'"

"...Elemental-worshipers?"

"No idea. But he keeps going on about how its essential that this letter stay hidden at all costs... Spike, I think we may have found something... big."

It was only at that moment, while neither of the them dared make a sound for fear that it might somehow scare away this new secret of theirs, that the two heard a tiny sound coming from just beyond their mountain of books. It sounded as if someone was clearing their throat form a mile away, the noise just barely audible over the boisterous silence. Then, suddenly, the sound changed; shifting until it almost sounded as if the air was whispering Twilight to them.

Leaving the safety of their literary fortress, the two peered uncertainly over the top. Standing there, a large book poking out of one of her saddlebags while she picked up another off the floor in front of her, was a slim, yellow pegasus. She was attempting to stack some of the stray tomes which Twilight had thrown against the walls, piling them up in front of the book-mountain.

"Fluttershy? What are you doing here?"

She jumped slightly at the sound of another voice, having clearly been searching for Twilight in vein for at least ten or fifteen minutes, judging by the significant number of discarded books she had piled up.

"Oh, um, well I, uh, I finished the book you gave me about taking care of snakes and I thought you might... um... want it back?" She was clearly trying her best to act as if nothing were out of the ordinary, yet the looming mountain of literature was constantly stealing her attention as she spoke. "I can, um... I can just leave it here if you're busy. I didn't mean to intrude in... whatever you were doing."

"Actually, we were just about to start putting the library back in order. Your timing couldn't have been better."

"Is this... Is this every book you have here?"

"Just about. I found something strange hidden in a journal a little earlier today so I just started going through every book I could find to see if any of them had any other little secrets hidden in them, as well... I guess I got a little carried away by the end."

"Something strange? What was it?"

"A letter disguised as a journal entry. Here, we've still go the page open in here, come see for yourself."

Twilight and Spike slid back down into the center of the bookcano while Fluttershy carefully floated over it to join them. The purple letters had begun to fade, but were quickly reignited as Twilight cast that time travel spell in the page once more. She backed up a step to allow her friend to get a better look at the letter. The bashful little pegasus began reading aloud, her voice little more than a whisper.

"My dear Clover..."

* * * * *

It has been far too long since we last spoke, and I fear we may never get the chance to again. If you are reading this, I'm afraid it means that I have left this life, struck down by those who wish to keep me silent, to drown my discoveries and erase them from existence.

He ascended the steps as quickly as his bones would allow, the book hovering about a foot in front of him as he continued writing. The words were being emblazoned into the page itself, disappearing into the paper as they left his mind. He had chosen the section carefully, applying the words to a section he had written a few weeks earlier; an unimportant passage he had written simply to test a new type of ink he had created.

I am sorry that there is not enough time to fully fill you in on what I have discovered, but there simply is not enough paper in Equestria to hold the words needed to fully explain the situation. Suffice to say, someone came to me tonight with very troubling information. If nothing should come of it, I will see you soon and we will share a good laugh about this entire series of events. If his words prove true, however, then this tome and the ones to follow will hold the only records of my last thoughts and wishes.

His steward was close behind him, still under the impression that his master was merely reviewing the discoveries he had recorded in the journal weeks ago. The young earth pony had proven himself to be very useful, but far too eager and knowledgable for the old wizard's liking. No farmer's son should have been so insightful about the fields of magic and unicorn history.

They reached the Royal Archives, the grand jewel of the kingdom the unicorns had established for themselves. His visitor had warned the old wizard that his life would come to an end in that very room, so it came as little surprise when he heard the clicking of the latch as his steward locked the door behind him. Clearly, the so-called earth pony had no intension of allowing his master to escape down the stairs.

I know this will sound paranoid of me, but I must stress it none the less. I am my enemies surrounded on all sides. They have been plotting my downfall for some time, though I have successfully countered their efforts at every turn. Still, I cannot risk them finding this record. As such, I am sending it to you along with a very special copy of Elements of the Architects which I hope will aid you should these monsters turn their sights upon you next. I do not mean to scare you with this statement, nor do I think I could even if I tried, my brave little student, but it is essential that you understand that this is a strong possibility.

He had made certain to keep the second book in a special location, upon a shelf where no one would think to look for it. Yet as he rounded the corner and began searching the shelf, he found that the Elements of the Architects was nowhere to be found.

He cursed, his eyes turning upon his steward with all the fury the old unicorn could muster. "I assume this was your doing then, boy?"

The earth pony smiled beneath his hood, two sets of fangs now very prominently displayed in that arrogant sneer. "I fear so, master. Perhaps if you had simply allowed the poison to take effect instead it never would have come to this. You could have died a nice, peaceful death in your sleep... Now, though, I'm afraid we've had to resort to less delicate measures."

The unicorn noted his position, suddenly remembering the visitor he had received earlier that week. "Well, I can't say as I'm particularly sorry for making your job more difficult. Oh and, just so you're aware, your illusion is slipping. I can see your fangs." The spell was already taking effect by the time he finished the sentence; a ghostly aura suddenly surrounding the books upon the nearby shelves.

"My disguise is of little consequence now. Besides I thought you would want to see just what it was that was coming for you." The creature took a step forward. "I wanted to see if the fangs would be enough to convince you to give up, but I guess I'll have to drop the whole disguise in order to convince you." His body began to shift, the illusion suddenly wavering as the steward reverted back to his actual form.

That was all the distraction Star Swirl had needed. "Don't bother; I've met enough chimeras in my life to know how ugly they can be." The books began launching from their shelves, propelled forward with enough force to crack bone. They collided its their target one after another, knocking the chimera off his feet and battering him to the floor.

The wizard stood over him as more tomes circled overhead, ready to be brought down on the would-be assassin if he so much as twitched. "I understand what you were thinking, of course. 'What threat could this old, decrepit, senile unicorn possibly pose to a mighty southerner like me?' ...Maybe next time you won't let your over confidence get the better of you. Never let your guard down while your opponent is in their element."

The chimera groaned, yet he retained his consciousness and was still clear-headed enough to respond. "Never... Never let your guard down.... At all!" His tail whipped forward, the disguise fading as it moved, twisting into the body and head of a serpent. Its mouth unhinged and its fangs unsheathed, striking headlong at the the unicorn's throat. Quick as lightning it sped forward and clamped down.

I do not yet know why, and I doubt I will learn before its too late, but if you still hold any respect for me as your teacher, you will simply take my word on this. Do not trust them; the elemental-worshipers and the southern immigrants. I trust my source, but I fear I cannot disclose them for fear of what might befall them if I do.

The vision of Star Swirl began to evaporate as the real one made his way to a different section of the archives. He stopped, tossed the journal onto a nearby shelf, and began channeling the spell he had been waiting a full week to week to cast. The portal opened before him, engulfing him in its temporal energy. Suddenly, he was back in his study, observing himself writing his journal.

The other Star Swirl looked up, acknowledged him knowingly, and set the book aside. "Past or future? No, wait, that's ridiculous. If you were from the past I would remember this. So, future then. What do I need to know?"

There was no time to explain fully, the spell would end in a matter of moments and the chimera would surely be waiting for him. "There is a group of chimera assassins attempting to end our life. They will succeed one week from now. You need to ensure that you send covertly send a news of this and a warning to Clover before it is too late. Also, the location is not safe! They find the copy first!"

"The copy?"

"The copy of E-" The spell dragged him back to his own time before he could finish. And there, sure enough, stood his very infuriated looking steward.

"Enough of your tricks, old one... Your life ends tonight. The Order has commanded it, and we shall see their wishes through. You will not survive this night."

The way was blocked by a shelf the assassin had clearly knocked over in his attempt to find the old wizard. No escape was in sight. And a new set of footfalls, heavy and foreboding, could be heard upon the tiles, moving toward them.

"...No.... No I will not...."

Comments

[ArtoriasFlagg]

There we go, new chapter up and ready to be read.... Now to start preparing for finals week and get to work on the projects I was supposed to be working all semester on....

[The Warmaster]

So far, so good. But where are the other chapters? WE NEED MOAR!