The Illusion Of Sanctity *DO NOT READ YET*

Shivering intensely, Twilight continued to half-walk, half-crawl through the dark forest, searching for something, anything, to give her a new meaning after the Lie had crushed her old. Her mind was moving sluggishly and her hooves were having trouble moving. At last, she could take no more, and collapsed on the grassy verge of a path. The world began to fade in front of her bleary eyes, and the last thing she saw before falling into blissful darkness was a black-and-white striped foreleg.

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The library was just as Spike had left it, not a splinter out of place. A brown book was lying far down on the floor in the exact center of the room when the quintet of ponies walked, trotted, blasted, fluttered and slouched into the giant tree. Spike trailed after them, puffing and wheezing from the run across town. As he entered, the ponies parted around him like some sort of colorful Red Sea, and he pointed silently at the book. Rainbow Dash quickly scooped it up and began to open it when Pinkie spoke up.

"I don't think we should read that."

Everypony (and dragon) turned to her in confusion. It was Rarity that spoke next.

"Why ever not, darling? It could tell us where Twilight's gone!"

Pinkie's straight mane curled around her head as she shook it vigorously. "Don't you get it? Whatever Twilight read in that book was enough to make her leave her home, her friends and even her baby dragon. Do you really want to chance reading that?"

The room was silent for a few seconds, until the most unexpected of ponies piped up. "I think we should go see Zecora," said Fluttershy, "She'll know what to do."

Everypony else looked at her, then each other, then nodded. Rainbow took off into the air, nearly knocking the door off of its hinges as she shot through it. She was followed by the rest of the ponies. To make better time, Spike rode on Applejack, hanging on fr dear life as the cowpony charged forwards, toward the forest of Everfree.

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The intense darkness in the subterranean room was suddenly lit up by a flare of sunlight, illuminating the forms of two alicorns as they talked in hushed tones. The larger one, bright white with a shifting, pastel mane, began to speak.

"I just don't understand. How could she have found a copy of that book? I personally burned every copy in Equestria! How could one end up in a dump like Ponyville?"

The smaller once was deep blue, with a shifting midnight mane covered with the white pinpoints of countless stars. "The Ponyville library may have received one of the few that were shipped out to the Griffon Kingdom, or maybe Saddle Arabia. But that matters not, sister. Now that one of the ponies has learned of the Lie, it is only a matter of time before the rest grow suspicious. All of the ways we have used to make the lesser ponies complacent may be made undone. We must find and annihilate your former student before she spreads the knowledge. Let us hope Shining Armor retrieves the book...and let us hope he does not read it."

Celestia nodded her agreement and conjured the exit to the subterranean room with a flash of sun-colored magic, opening the doorway and stepping through. Luna exited after her, and banished the doorway with her own dark blue magic. They emerged into a hidden room, jutting off of the Solar Court. As they slid unobtrusively into the main chamber, a squadron of guards limped into the room. They kneeled tiredly before the two Princesses. Celestia stepped forward to the leader.

"How goes the search, Lieutenant?"

The white pegasus at the front of the group rose, his voice tired and gravelly. "Oh, we found her all right. She's hiding in the Everfree forest. We tried to take her, but she's got too much magic. She shot down four of us before we could do anything, and The rest of us barely escaped."

Celestia's eyebrows went up at that. To her knowledge, Twilight had never hurt another living creature unless absolutely necessary. The Lie was rolling back far more quickly than she had anticipated. If the unicorn wasn't stopped soon, she could put everything at risk. She nodded her head at the lieutenant, dismissing him. He nodded in return and left the court.

As soon as he was gone, a mint-green unicorn slid out silently from behind a pillar, cloaked in a darker green. She spoke in a quiet, sibilant voice, "The Elements of Harmony have retrieved the book. However, they have not read it, worrying about hot it may do to them. Instead, they have taken it to the zebra Zecora, in the Everfree forest, to figure out what has happened to their friend." She spoke the last word scornfully, as if disgusted with it.

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Twilight's eyes slowly lolled open, taking in their surroundings. The inside of a large tree, lit by candles and a large fire in the center, underneath a metal cauldron full of an unidentifiable green liquid. As she watched, a hoof came into her field of view, placing a small gourd of the green liquid in front of her, and she heard a familiar voice, speaking in rhyme.

"Drink this potion up, Twilight,

And soon you'll be quite alright."

The unicorn coughed and sat up, using her magic to pick up the gourd, swishing the liquid inside. She tipped back her head and sipped the contents of the gourd away. It had a bitter, but not unpleasant, flavor, and something about it felt wholesome. She spoke, her voice raspy and dry, "How long have I been here, Zecora?"

The zebra came and took the empty gourd, replacing it on a shelf with several others, then turnd back to the unicorn.

"By my count, Twilight dear,

It's been three days since I brought you here."

Twilight lay down again, thinking. Three days...she had learned the Lie almost a week ago. That suddenly made her think about something.

"Zecora? Do you see the-"

She was cut off as the door burst open and five ponies (and a dragon) raced in. The orange-and-yellow one with the freckle yelled out, "Zecora! Twi ran off and we cain't find her anywhere! She..."

She trailed off as she saw the purple unicorn lying on a pile of soft fabrics on the floor, her eyes bloodshot and wide with fear as she stared at the group of ponies. Rainbow blasted forward to embrace her, only to be grabbed by magenta magic and thrown to the floor. For the first time, she noticed the look of terror in her friend's eyes, her delighted grin changed to a frown.

"Twilight?"

Zecora interceded, stepping between the pegasus and the unicorn, shaking her head sadly.

"Your friend, I fear, has seen the truth.

This goes far beyond fixing a chipped tooth.

Please, your advancement stop,

Or everypony in this room she'll drop!"

Making sure to stay still, Applejack turned to Zecora curiously. "What do you mean, 'seen the truth'? Does it have something to do with this book?"

She removed the book from her hat and showed it to Zecora, who merely nodded and took it.

"My friends, do not read this book,

Or just like Twilight you will look.

Forget about her, return to your lives,

Do not lie upon this bed of knives."

Applejack, forgetting Zecora's warning, stepped forward aggressively, pawing the ground with her hoof, growling softly. "Look, Zecora, I don't care WHAT you're sayin'. Twi's my FRIEND, y'hear? And the Apple Family NEVER leaves their friends in the lurch!" She turned to Twilight, asking her directly, "Twilight, do you want us to read this book?"

Twilight nodded aggressively, while Zecora produced her stick from what seemed like thin air.

"I will not let you tread this path.

Go now, or face my wrath!"

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The Lie is easiest to see in the city of Canterlot. Simply go up to one of the many tea shops, sneak behind the counter, and attempt to touch all the different kinds of tea. You will realize that the tea simply is not there. Those that are able to touch it are an illusion as well, simply part of the Lie. Rarely, some are born seeing the Lie for what it truly is. This is most common among the race of zebras, since their race is adept at seeing through magic. Once you begin to see, you will continue seeing. You cannot choose.