Cipher looked around her study, the computer she was currently working on was nearly finished. All she needed to do was activate it's unique cipher and then get it to it's new owner. Cipher glanced around wondering where she had put her book with all the unique cipher's in. She slowly rose, getting up off her chair. Cipher then trotted over to the bookcase that lined the pale brown study walls.
She began flicking though the books on her bookshelf searching for 'Cipher's book of ciphers and codes'. Her hoof brushed against the small hole where it had originally rested "huh that's odd" she said aloud her confusion being present in her voice. she swore she had put it back here after the last computer she had finished. Cipher went back to the computer slightly grumpy wondering where she had left it, "ah I know, I left it at Twilight's library, when I went to install her library computer" she said to herself, Cipher glanced at the clock that was hanging on the middle of the wall. If she was quick she would be at the library before Twilight closed.
Cipher left her house locking her blue door on her way out. Cipher then begun trotting down the cobblestone path, it was a beautiful evening in Ponyville, the sun was just about setting on the nearby horizon; Twilight's library the Golden Oak Library was highlighted by the setting suns rays. Cipher trotted up to the front of the library, thinking about the importance of her book.
Cipher had written most of the encryption for all of the newly installed computers in Equestria; a job she had been by Princess Celestia herself; the only reason for this was because she was one of the the most talented ponies to produce Cipher's, that were complex enough to deter other ponies from using computers that were not their own. Cipher had installed a unique cipher for every computer which allowed every pony to know who they were talking too.
Everypony would have a unique cipher which enabled them to access the computer and any private data stored on it. The only issue was Cipher had to remember each of the ponies code just encase they lost their original, this was why she had kept a copy of every code in a book called 'Cipher's book of Ciphers'. If she couldn't find it then she would have to inform Princess Celestia, she didn't want to think of what would happen if that ever happened.
Cipher's heart sunk when she saw the 'closed' sign hanging up on the door. Cipher moved to the nearby right window and glanced though it; she saw Twilight sweeping up. Cipher's heart lifted and she walked over to the door and knocked on the door with her right hoof. She continued to knock until she heard Twilight's hoof steps come to the door, "were closed come back tomorrow" Twilight Sparkle grumbled not even glancing through the glass pane to see who it was. Cipher still wasn't deterred.
Cipher knocked again "Twilight, let me in, it’s urgent" she grumbled though the keyhole; Cipher then raised her hoof, knocking on the door again even harder then before. She was just about to knock on the door again, when the door opened; a cross looking Twilight Sparkle was glaring at her, her purple horn glowed from the use of her magic, keeping the door open. Cipher quickly entered before Twilight could change her mind, "thanks Twilight" she greeted.
"Come on Cipher, It's late and I want to go home, whatever you need get it quickly" Twilight sighed before stepping out of the way. Twilight Sparkle went to clean behind the counter which was right next to the door Cipher had just come through. Cipher quickly entered and started looking down each row, not knowing where she had lost her book. She got to the last row and started pulling books off the top shelf, being a Pegasus she didn't have to grab the staircase like the other races, if they needed a book from the higher shelves. Cipher read the title of the book before dropping it onto the floor after she read the title. She picked up a large looking book with a similar cover to hers, she discarded it like the smaller paperbacks however this book being a hardback landed on the floor with a loud *thud*.
Twilight Sparkle came to investigate the sudden loud bang from the far side off the room. "Hey! stop that at once" Twilight cried out as she saw the pile of books that Cipher had chucked onto the floor. Twilight's horn glowed and she levitated Cipher away from her search "I've already cleaned; now I will have to do it again. Come back tomorrow Cipher, then you can get whatever you want" she growled. She then let go of the blue Pegasus and begun tiding up the fallen books.
Cipher glanced at Twilight "but, but, I can't find my book" she complained her voice going shrill at the thought of her losing it. "It must be here somewhere" she begged, glancing around at the huge library. Cipher began to move towards another bookshelf before feeling her tail gets tugged, she turned around expecting it to be Twilight ut was surprise by the purple dragon, Spike.
"Twilight, its past closing time, do you want me to turn off the lights?" Spike asked her before glancing at Cipher, "can you come back tomorrow, I'm sure we can help you with finding you're lost book then" he finished.
Cipher felt Twilight push her forward gently, "Cipher, it's just a book, I'm sure it will be here tomorrow, maybe you just left it at home" she sighed tiredly. Twilight and Spike then escorted Cipher to the exit before she and Spike locked up the building. Cipher glanced back at the library before seeing the downstairs lights turn off, she saw the upstairs lights turn on in Twilight's and Spike's living quarters on the second floor.
Cipher flew home and as soon as she reached it unlocked her door; she frantically started searching for her book not caring about making a mess. She would clean it up later, Cipher decided knowing the book was more important then any mess she could make. After a frantic search which took a good hour Cipher hadn't found the book, she had only made her house look like it had been ransacked. Cipher then knew it must be within the library somewhere, her ear twitched sadly knowing she couldn't finish the computer before the next days deadline.
Ciphers wondered if she should wait till tomorrow and find it with Twilight and Spike. She quickly decided that she would get told off when Twilight found out about her lost book, Twilight was the one that had recommended Cipher to Celestia in the first place after all. Heavens forbid what would happen if Celestia found out, Twilight being Celestia's student she would probably inform her of what had happened and discuss the implications of losing the security for the computers. Cipher would be the laughing stock of Equestria, she couldn't let that happen.
Cipher finally decided she would go and search the library tonight despite knowing it would be wrong to break into Twilight's and Spike's place. She felt slightly guilty about being there out of hours but with any luck, Twilight wouldn't know and it would save her the trouble of writing a letter to Celestia, and Celestia wouldn't have to get worried, and Cipher wouldn't get laughed at wherever she went. Every pony won Cipher reasoned to herself, however it still didn't help make her guilt or stomach butterfly's go away though. Cipher packed a small bag that would help her search and travelled back down the cobblestone path for the Golden Oak Library.
Cipher glanced at the blacked out library, both upstairs and downstairs lights were off. Cipher tried the door which was of course locked since she had seen Twilight and Spike lock it earlier. Cipher glanced around and back kicked the red wooden door. She kicked it several more times before she heard a low splintering sound, Cipher glanced at the door; she saw her hoof marks lining the door along with the broken metal bolt that had snapped off wrecking the door. Cipher’s stomach butterflies started dancing in her belly again as she inspected the damage. Cipher glanced at the upstairs lights making sure they were still off before she entered the Golden Oak Library.
Cipher quietly trotted around the library, she pulled out a flash-light not wanting to turn the lights on encase it woke up Spike or Twilight. Cipher started searching at the back of the room working her way upwards, the only sound was the quiet flap of her wings. Cipher had learned from her experience earlier and gently placed each book from the shelf on a pile, it made it longer to look but reduced the chance of detection. Cipher cleared out the back shelf relatively quickly; she had covered her book in a blue cover with a stamp of her cutiemark on its front; most of the books didn't have the blue covers however any that did got removed and placed on the pile.
Cipher slowly moved her way through the library, soon books begun to pile along the floor of the library, the pile was comprised of only blue books. Cipher spotted a very large blue book on the top of the middle shelf that she had missed. Cipher placed her flash torch on the top of the large pile of books. Cipher lifted the heavy book from the shelf, however she had misjudged it's weight and it slipped though her hoofs. Cipher saw the book fall to the ground heading straight for her blue book pile. With a tremendous boom the pile collapsed and her flashlight fell to the floor.
Cipher immediately fled into the night knowing the sound would have woke up Twilight and Spike. With a last look over her shoulder she saw the lights come on throughout the Golden Oak Library.
***************************************************** Meanwhile *************************************************
Twilight opened her eye's immediately at the loud booming sound below. She quickly got up and meet Spike in the hallway. "Did you hear it too, it sounded like it came from the Library" Twilight said as she rushed down the stairs. She saw that a large pile of blue books was spread over the whole floor. Twilight narrowed her eyes realising the rest of the books hadn't been disturbed, only the blue ones. Whoever had done this would pay since they gave no respect for the knowledge contained on their delicate pages. Spike had already started putting the books into a neat pile on the floor, Twilight went over to help him.
"hey what's this?" Spike called to Twilight picking up a flash-light that had been hidden by a large hardback books. Along the side was a strange picture which Spike didn't understand, the picture was a white triangle that had a black diamond going from the top to bottom splitting the triangle into two smaller ones, the right hand one was coloured red, while the left was coloured white. Then around both left and right sides of this odd looking triangle were three white stripes. He passed it over to Twilight, "what does the picture mean?, whoever did this must like pictures or something. That could be half of Equestria" he told Twilight, grumbling at the last sentence.
Twilight Sparkle glanced at the image on the side of the torch, she then realised what it was, "no Spike, only one pony could do this, this image isn't a image. It's a Cipher" she finished.
