Hoofsteps echoed about the walls of the North Pines Library as Sapphire Moon paced around the main hall. As she paced, she held a large, dusty tome in her magic, quietly reading to herself.
She was so focused on reading she hadn't noticed Deathwish levitate around the corner of a bookshelf and bump into her. "Oof!" She grunted as her book fell to the floor and she fell on her rump.
"Oh! So sorry, Sapphire. Are you alright?" Deathwish asked as he offered his handle to the felled mare.
"Yeah," Sapphire moaned as she grasped the scythe's handle with her hoof and hoisted herself up. "Yeah I'm fine." She grasped the book in her magic once more.
After an awkward second, Deathwish asked, "So, whatcha readin'?" Sapphire stared at him.
"'A guide to living in Dacrao'," Sapphire replied, placing the book on a random shelf. Deathwish cocked his whole body to the side (the weapon equivalent of cocking one's head).
"Why?" He queried, "We're not staying here for longer than a week."
"I know. But I was just curious." Sapphire moved to the front of the bookshelf where she levitated out a thick leatherbound book with the title 'Potions and Poisons'.
"Well are you actually gonna do what you came here to do, Sapphire?" Deathwish asked as They headed to the front of the library. Sapphire nodded.
"You go do whatever. I'm gonna go read up." With that, Sapphire strode over to the center table, sat down on a cushion, and began reading. Deathwish on the other hoof, wanted to see the town. When they had arrived in town, their only stop had been the library, and Deathwish hadn't gotten to see much of the small town. He levitated to the double doors.
"Eh, little help here, please?" He asked to nopony in particular. He had forgotten completely that he was unable to open doors. A nearby librarian, one still confused about Deathwish's seemingly impossible existence, heard his plea and pushed the doors open for him with her hooves. "Thank you," He bowed slightly before levitating through the open doors into the streets of Dacrao.
The sun was just going down as Deathwish ventured to the town park. A fresh autum breeze wafted through the park. Deathwish sighed. He couldn't feel anything aside from the mental link he and Sapphire shared. Speaking of which, he knew she wouldn't deliberatly get herself into trouble, but he had the oddest feeling that she had just stolen something very, very important. He shook off the feeling, dismissing it as mere worry. He resumed his trek around town and was back at the library before the first stars came into sight.
**
"Excuse me, Miss," Sapphire awoke to somepony prodding her in the side with a hoof. She blearily opened her eyes to see whom the annoyance was coming from. A young earth pony mare stood over her, an irritated expression upon her face. "You fell asleep and you're drooling all over that book." Sapphire sat up and stretched. She looked down at the now drool soaked book.
"So I did..." She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but she must have gotten bored with reading. "Sorry 'bout that." She levitated the book to eye level with the librarian. Her dark blue aura grew darker as she cast a seperation spell on the pages. She fished a cloth out of her satchel and wrapped it around the wad of saliva. She glanced at the librarian who took the book and placed it on the cart she had in tow. She looked unimpressed, but no longer did she look irritated.
"Um... Thanks. I guess," The librarian said.
Sapphire rubbed her eyes and asked, "So, how long was I out?"
The librarian raised a brow, "About three hours. The library's closed now. Just thought I'd let you know." The response she got was Sapphire slamming her head against the table. Bad mistake, she thought. She rubbed her horn as it throbbed from the impact. The librarian giggled.
"Damn. Is the inn still open at least?" She groaned when the librarian shook her head.
"The Sleeping Cat closes 'round the time we do. But there's a campsite for rent just on the outskirts of town. You can stay there for the night." With that, the librarian placed her forehooves on the cart and pushed off.
Sapphire looked around for a moment and her dark blue eyes finally rested upon Deathwish. The scythe was leant agianst the edge of the table. He lay asleep, making a sound similar to a sword against a grindstone (the weapon equivalent to snoring, according to Deathwish). She sighed and grasped her sleeping weapon in her magic... And began to violently shake him. "Wake up," Sapphire said. Deathwish's draconic, crystaline eye appeared within the crimson blood gem in the center of his head.
"By the gods you don't have to shake me!" Deathwish exclaimed as Sapphire let him to levitate on his own.
"Come on, let's go," Sapphire grumbled as she slipped her saddlebags over her shoulders. She yawned deeply, putting a hoof over her muzzle. They exited the building and made down the cobblestone path to the campsite the librarian had mentioned. As they rounded a bend in the street, they thought they heard what sounded like screaming. They merely dismissed it and resumed their venture.
**
Night had fallen and Dacrao's residents were returning home from either their jobs or the tavern and even both, for those who worked at the Sleeping Cat. Everypony was heading home, except for two middle-age griffons. Morvis Geldri, dark brown feathers and cream fur, was walking with his wife, Melena Geldri, dusky grey feathers and ice-white fur. Melena had her head leant against her husband's shoulder as they strolled at a leisurely pace through the park.
They were just about to sit on one of the many provided benches when they heard the hurried sound of somepony running somewhere in the gloom. A minute later, a young, dark blue earth pony mare with a yellow mane and tail and blue eyes and a scroll shaped cutie mark came running up to them, gasping for air as she skidded to a stop in front of them. The two griffons looked worriedly at each other.
"Ink Pot," Morvis placed a claw on his daughter's shoulder," What happened? Are you alright?" Ink Pot said nothing, but looked up at her father with pinpricks for pupils.
"Ink, dear, you can tell us anything. Please, what happened?" Melena tried and failed to sooth her panicking daughter. She gave Morvis another worried look.
Another minute passed and finally, with a gulp, Ink Pot said, "Dad, you know that room that's always locked?"
Suprised, Morvis asked, "You mean the one at the very back of the library? The one I set with extremely complex, maze-like locks?" When Ink Pot nodded, Candle Wax feared the worst, "Yeah, what about it?"
With another gulp Ink Pot said, "Well I was doing my routine organizing of the library, when I came across a rather large chunk of metal in the isle I was going through. I looked up to see the door that you keep so well protected was, well... In pieces... And the Necronomicon; It's gone..."
