Twilight took a deep breath. The dusty aroma of the Royal Library never ceased to bring a smile to her face. With her eyes closed, she walked down an aisle and imagined what she’d find next. Would it be a book on astronomy? Maybe ancient pony history? All she knew for certain was that it was Friday, and her schedule called for picking a book at random and diving right in.
She added a slight sway to her walk, turning the lanyard around her neck into a pendulum. Thinking about the little card she was wearing made her smile broaden; Princess Celestia always gave her the most wonderful birthday presents. Last year, her first as the Princess’s personal student, she’d received a collection of rare books on somepony called Starswirl the Bearded. How did the Princess know she’d get so attached to the writings of an ancient unicorn conjurer? Regardless, nothing could top this year.
The white card was inscribed with two wonderful words in golden script: All Access. The entirety of the Royal Library was hers to read, a privilege that few adult scholars seemed to have, let alone fillies as young as her. Introducing her to Starswirl might’ve been a long-shot, but granting her free reign over the biggest and most private library in the world couldn’t have been a more obvious birthday gift. Every book on every subject was available here, from magic to mathematics to metallurgy, and in due time she’d read them all.
Her nose bumped into something cold and hard, and her eyes flew open. She’d run into the one remaining barrier to her all-inclusive reading goal: a metal gate that cordoned off a small collection of shelves. She stepped up it and gazed at the forbidden shelves on the other side. A sign hanging just above her eye level read “No Admittance” in bright red letters. Not even her special card would get her in there; at least that’s what every librarian had said. They always gave Twilight a funny look when she asked, and only deigned to answer once they saw the card around her neck. Hopefully they’d start recognizing her soon; maybe then she could leave the lanyard in her saddle bag instead of having to hold it up whenever she tried to leave the foal’s section.
Beyond the gate was a small room lined with shelves. The books in there didn’t look any different, and yet they had to be. There was something special about them—something that, for whatever reason, merited being locked away.
By putting her eye up to the metal bars she could almost read the nearest dust jacket. “Adv… advanced… theory…”
Almost.
She stared down at her card and sighed. “It should say Almost All Access.”
A shadow fell over her. “Good afternoon, Twilight.”
She whirled around and bowed low. “Princess Celestia! I didn’t expect to see you here.”
From this perspective, all she could see were the Princess’s golden shoes. As always they were polished to a mirror-like shine, and as always she could see her own self-consciousness reflected in them.
“My afternoon appointments ended early, and I was wondering if you’d like to join me for lunch.”
She looked up at the Princess’s ethereal smile. From her current position on the floor, the Princess was even more of a giantess than usual. “I-I’d love to! I don’t think you’ve ever invited me to lunch.”
Princess Celestia reached down to help her back to her hooves. “I usually wouldn’t want to pull you away from your classes, but when one of my assistants said you spend your Friday afternoons here on your own, and then I find you reading through that gate…”
Twilight followed the Princesses gaze, which slowly moved from the lanyard to the forbidden section of the library. All Access. No Admittance.
The Princess’s smile faltered, and Twilight’s heart stopped. “I-I wasn’t trying to get in there. I’d n-never abuse my new library privileges!”
She was on the ground again, this time shivering and moments away from smudging the Princess’s polished shoes with kisses. “Please don’t take my card away.”
The Princess moved the shoe back and helped her up again. For the first time in Twilight’s memory, her smile was gone. “Twilight… I don’t want to take away your freedom to learn on your own, but I do want to instill a proper respect for the limits I’ve set.”
Twilight tried to speak, but nothing would come out. She couldn’t even manage a simple “I’m sorry.”
Princess Celestia turned away and beckoned her to follow. “We should’ve discussed this sooner. Time and time again I’ve underestimated your abilities, including your thirst for knowledge.”
Twilight followed with her head bowed. “W-what are you going to do?”
“Very little, I hope. Do you have something to write with?”
Twilight’s saddle bag flew open and her supplies floated out. Rolls of parchment, backup rolls of parchment, quills of every size, and ink of every color were at her disposal. Normally her preparedness was a source of pride, a sign that she was ready for anything her teachers could throw at her. This time she had a sinking feeling that she was tying her own noose.
Was she going to have to write “I will obey Princess Celestia” a hundred times, or a thousand? She’d do it a million times if it meant returning to her mentor’s good graces.
The Princess stopped at a small study table near a window. She sat next to it and offered Twilight one of the wooden chairs. Twilight obeyed, despite the uncomfortable fact that this seating arrangement, her in a chair and the Princess on the floor, brought them to eye level. She stared at the polished tabletop instead. The light through the window cast a pale blue glow on the her writing supplies. The world outside looked cold and unwelcoming, an endless expanse full of everything she didn’t want; everything but a forgiving smile from her mentor.
Somewhere beyond her peripheral vision, a quill scratched against a piece of parchment. Princess Celestia was writing up the terms of her punishment, most likely. Every so often the scratching would pause, and Twilight’s breath would follow.
“Twilight?”
She jumped. “Y-yes, Princess Celestia?”
A sheet of parchment and a quill floated in Princess Celestia’s magic aura. “I’m going to give you a short test. It’s simple, but take all the time you need.”
She took the paper and read the four lines on it. “Twilight is a faithful student. Princess Celestia thinks of Twilight like family. All grass is purple. One of these statements is false.”
Her eyes darted from the paper to her stone-faced mentor. Was this some kind of joke? Did she dare point to the third sentence instead of the first?
“All g-grass isn’t purple?”
Princess Celestia nodded. “Very good.” A quill scratched out the lie about grass. “The second part is on the back.”
She turned the paper over and found three more lines of text. “Twilight is a faithful student. Princess Celestia thinks of Twilight like family. One of these statements is false.”
Tears formed in her eyes. This time there was no mistaking it. She was done here. She’d have to go back to public school where all the other ponies called her a bookworm. What would they call her now that she’d been expelled from Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns?
“T-Twilight isn’t a faithful–”
Princess Celestia’s hoof touched her lips, silencing her. “No. Never think that.”
“B-but–”
The quill moved over the paper again, this time crossing out the last sentence, “One of these statements is false.”
Twilight gasped. “I… I didn’t think of that.”
Princess Celestia stepped around the table and embraced her. “Yes. Please forgive me, Twilight, I knew that would be hard. I didn’t want to upset you, but when it comes to some lessons it just can’t be helped.”
“But why…”
“Why not ask the other question on your mind, the one about the gate in the library?”
Twilight gulped. “What… what’s so special about those books? Why can’t I go in there? Why can’t I read them? I… I just want to learn and… and to make you proud.”
“You do make me proud, Twilight. I wouldn’t have given you access to the Royal Library if I didn’t think you were ready. The forbidden section on the other hoof… I should have discussed this with you as soon as I gave you that card. It’s not just a question of wanting knowledge, it’s a question of wisdom.”
“There’s a difference?”
“Knowledge is what you gain from study, wisdom is what you gain from experience. You needed a certain amount of wisdom to spot the lies in this test, and you’ll need much more to discern the lies in those books.”
Twilight flinched and stepped back. “Lies? In books?”
Princess Celestia nodded. “Surely you don’t think every novel you’ve ever read belongs in the history section?”
“Well, no… but that’s supposed to be fiction. Aren’t all the reference books checked for accuracy?”
“Who could check them? Some of your favorite books on Starswirl the Bearded are still hotly disputed today. Some ponies doubt he actually came up with as many spells as he did.”
“But the history books–”
“Reflect the best efforts of historians, nothing more. No book written by the hooves of ponies is going to be free of errors. Some are large and obvious, like claiming all grass is purple. Others are small and destructive, like there being any doubt that you’re a wonderful student who’s dear to me.”
Twilight dragged a hoof across the table. “So the forbidden books… they’re dangerous?”
“Oh yes. They’re extremely dangerous. Some contain spells so complicated that a slight miscalculation could destroy this castle. Others simply contain dangerous ideas… ideas that drive ponies to seek after destructive things, things that could ruin their lives and the lives of those they care about.”
“Then why keep the books in the Royal Library at all?”
Princess Celestia closed her eyes and sighed. “Because they contain some very important truths as well. Books aren’t merely for the celebration of knowledge, they’re a window into the mind of their authors and the times they lived in. I’ve seen far too many ponies, some of them dear students such as yourself, venture into the forbidden section in search of some tidbit of knowledge and never return. There is a great deal of good in those books, Twilight, but it’s mixed with just enough evil to lure away the unprepared. Now do you understand?”
Twilight nodded. “I… I do, and… I’m sorry.”
At last Princess Celestia’s warm smile returned. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Twilight. I may be a Princess, but I’m also you’re mentor, your teacher, and, I sincerely hope, your friend.”
Twilight dove forward and hugged her. If they’d been standing she would’ve only been able to wrap her hooves around the Princess’s leg; instead her cheek was pressed against her chest, and the thump of a heartbeat sounded in her ear. “Of course you’re my friend, Princess. Between you and my brother I’ve got the best friends in the world! Did… did I pass?”
She could feel the Princess laugh. “Yes, Twilight, you passed. Don’t forget to pack up your things.”
Her writing supplies were repacked in record time. She picked up her test last of all. Part of her wanted to crumple it up and pretend that hoof-biting moment of panic never happened. Another part of her wanted to file it with the rest of her papers and exams. She’d never thrown one away, not even when she received a less than perfect score.
“Twilight?”
She looked up. “Princess?”
“Could I keep that paper?”
“I guess, but why?”
“As a reminder that I’ve chosen a wonderful student who even I sometimes struggle to stay ahead of. A student who, when she’s ready, will go places and do things that will exceed my wildest expectations. She’ll even be able to peruse the forbidden section if she so desires.”
Twilight felt a fresh set of tears coming on as she rolled the paper up and handed it over. “Does this mean we can still–”
Her rumbling stomach finished the question, and Princess Celestia grinned. “Of course we can. I usually just have tea and toast, but what would you like? Today we’ll eat whatever you choose, even if it’s cake.”
Twilight blushed and ground a hoof against the floor. “Well… there is this donut shop I really like…”
“Pony Joe’s?”
“You’ve been there before?”
“Oh… once or twice.”
She saw something new in the Princess’s smile, something bordering on mischievous.
“Perhaps once or twice a month, to be precise.”
Twilight burst out laughing. “Really?”
Princess Celestia leaned down until they were eye to eye. “Could we keep that our little secret, my most faithful student?”
This time Twilight had no trouble meeting her gaze and matching her smile. “Sure.”
Celestia made her way through the Royal Library, pausing every now and then to examine the shelves. The paper-thin film of dust on the topmost row was perfectly uniform. Nopony had touched these particular books in some time, nopony since a curious young filly who’d grown into a Princess. A Princess who was about to be late for the first time in her life.
“Twilight? It’s almost time for our lunch together. Didn’t you say you’d be in–”
“I’m… I’m in here.” The quiver in her voice turned Celestia’s walk into a gallop.
A few seconds later the heart of the library came into view. The gate to the forbidden section stood ajar, a good portion of its books were piled on the ground, and Twilight was curled up in the corner looking as if the dusty tomes were about to eat her.
“Twilight? Is something wrong?”
“I… I was reading.”
“… and?”
Twilight waved a hoof at the stacks of book surrounding her. “Why… why do you keep these?”
Celestia knelt by her side. “Which ones in particular?”
“Probably all of them, considering what I’ve read so far. I… I never thought I’d say this, but these books shouldn’t be in the library… they shouldn’t exist at all.”
Her horn glowed, and a trio of books floated over to them. “This one supposedly proves the divine right of unicorns to govern all races, this one pretends to be a history lesson on King Sombra’s rise to power but reads more like a how-to guide, and this one–” She put a hoof over her eyes. “–this one is about torturing ponies to figure out what causes the most pain.”
She returned the books to their respective places on the ground and shivered. “It’s all so horrible.”
Celestia nodded. “Yes, they are. This is why I didn’t go into detail when I first described the forbidden section.”
“Why keep them at all?”
She retrieved the same three books and nodded to each one. “Psychology, political science, and medicine. Some of the foundational concepts of those fields are found right here, albeit with horrific examples. There are other books available in the rest of the royal library of course, but these possess a certain… level of detail that’s beyond compare. As I once told you, there’s a great deal of good to be found here, provided you have the wisdom to find it.”
Twilight didn’t answer for several minutes. “It’s… it’s like fertilizer.”
“Hmm?”
“Garbage that helps something useful grow.”
Celestia managed a smile, a monumental feat considering her surroundings. “That’s an excellent analogy.”
“How do you stand knowing these exist? I mean… you’ve ruled Equestria for so long that I’m sure a lot of them were written during your lifetime.”
Celestia rose, as did the books. One by one, she returned them to their shelves. “All of them, in fact. In the old days, Luna and I would sit in counsel with the senior librarians to discuss the merits of each new book we encountered. On very rare occasions, no more than every few decades, we’d add a book to the forbidden section and prevent it from entering general library circulation. A few scholars would read them, and nopony else who didn’t seek out and buy their own copy. That was the compromise between my library carrying all the written word, and a perceived royal endorsement of extremely dangerous texts. Such is the power and trust that Equestria places in me.”
“What about the authors? Who would write things like this?”
“Ponies, Twilight. That’s the most important thing to remember. These books were written by ponies with a great deal of knowledge but little regard for others. Why do you think I sent you to Ponyville, all those years ago?”
Twilight gasped. A few flaps of her wings brought them eye to eye. “You didn’t think that… that I’d do something horrible like this, did you?”
Celestia looked away. She couldn’t bear the look of betrayal on Twilight’s face. “No, but the mere possibility of it terrified me. You’re very gifted, Twilight. I wanted you to discover the magic of friendship before you become yet another reclusive genius.”
Another book left the shelves and hovered in front of Twilight’s eyes. Her jaw dropped when she read the cover. “S-Starswirl? There’s a book by him in here?”
“Several. Some of his later spells were so powerful that he personally requested that I keep them away from all but the wisest and most trustworthy of ponies. That includes his so-called unfinished masterpiece that demonstrated you were ready to become a Princess.”
Twilight sank to the floor. “I… well I guess that one did sort of redefine the fabric of reality…”
“I don’t spend much time in this place, Twilight. These books chronicle times of history that I prefer to not dwell on any more than necessary. There’s one book in particular that…”
She bowed her head. Her crown felt like a lead weight.
Twilight touched her side. “Celestia?”
She chanced another glance at her former student’s eyes, and found a familiar look; Twilight was anxious. This time is wasn’t over a test or assignment, this time she was clearly worried about her friend and former mentor.
“Have I ever told you you’re like family to me, Twilight?”
Twilight nodded. “I feel the same way. You’re like… you’re like a second mother to me.”
“I’d like to show you one more book… then may we please leave this place and discuss something else?
“Of course.”
“Thank you.”
She didn’t need to look for it. She knew exactly where she’d filed it all those years ago: top row of the back shelf, hidden behind a collection of ancient war tribunal records. A quick magic tug pulled the accursed book from the shelf and dropped it into Twilight’s waiting hooves.
She closed her eyes, choosing to merely listen to Twilight flipping through the pages.
“The Illusion of the Moon?”
A pain shot through her heart. “Yes… it’s several hundred years old. It’s about…”
Twilight’s hoof touched her shoulder. “You don’t have to tell me.”
She shook her head. “That’s sweet of you, Twilight, but it’s better if you know… it’s better that you know why I loathe this place as much as I do. That book was written during a time when Equestria’s economy was in jeopardy. Many ponies were looking to me for answers I didn’t have, and one supposedly wise pony decided to write… this.”
She glared at the book. “One of the most detailed and accurate records of the rise of Nightmare Moon, along with a logically sound and flagrantly incorrect argument that… that it was all just a myth thought up by my advisors. That book… claims that Luna doesn’t exist.”
The book fell out of Twilight’s hooves. “But… that’s absurd! How can–”
“That’s the only time I’ve actively sought to destroy all copies of a book. It was a foolish, pointless move, and only added to the author’s supposed credibility. In the end I just had to let time itself sweep the lies away, as I should have from the start. I have you and your friends to thank for finally putting that awful deception to rest.”
“And… the pony who wrote it?”
“I have never been angrier. I wanted to banish him… I wanted to turn him to stone so he’d live to see Luna’s return, and yet… and yet I knew doing anything at all would just feed the fire. So I did nothing… nothing but voice my disapproval and lock away what is now the only copy of his slander against my family.”
She stepped through the gate and took a deep, cleansing breath. She’d done it. She’d told Twilight the darkest lie entombed in the forbidden section. A lie that nopony need ever be bothered by again, save her.
“What shall we have for lunch, Twilight? We’ve used up a good portion of the hour I’d set aside, but I’m sure I can move an appointment or two–”
Twilight was standing next to her, and she was holding a book. The book. The book that stirred a rage in her that could eclipse the sun.
“What are you doing with that?” Her voice was harsher than she meant it to be, and Twilight withered before her like a scared foal.
“I… I just…”
She shut her eyes and took another deep breath. Anger wasn’t the answer. It never was. “I’m so sorry, Twilight, please forgive me for raising my voice… and please tell me why you’re removing that terrible thing from the forbidden section.”
“Because… there are other records of when… of that time, aren’t there?”
“Yes, although the others don’t include–”
“Then destroy it.”
Her eyes shot open. She stared at Twilight, open mouthed.
Twilight’s face was expressionless. “You taught me once that books aren’t just for the celebration of knowledge, and that writing down a statement doesn’t make it true. There might be some value in the forbidden section’s other books, but not this one. Luna is here now; the two of you could write a more accurate history than anypony else, and you should. That means there’s no reason to keep this book of lies. It isn’t fertilizer, it’s poison. Destroy it.”
Celestia sank to her knees and embraced Twilight. She nodded and began to cry. Both of their horns glowed, and the book resting on the floor crumbled to dust.
