A Library's Secret

The same vivid dream twenty-one days in a row and counting consumed Twilight Sparkle's thoughts. The ghostly figure and the resurrected Golden Oaks Library all played a role in each dream, Twilight certain a hidden meaning lied within each vision. The cryptic messages the figure provided, however, were hazy to Twilight. On the other hoof, the cracked grin and razor sharp teeth which appeared eager to pounce on her flesh had an unmistakable look to them, Twilight able to describe the figure's form to the last detail.

As she opened her crusty eyes, the crystalline walls of her bedroom clearing up and sparkling like stars, she merely let out a brief yawn. Twilight never yearned to crawl out of her bed today; the plush mattress and silky smooth blankets acted as the perfect antidote for her stiff limbs.

But if the horn atop her head and the wings on her side were anything to go by, Twilight inevitably had important duties to attend. And alicorn princesses, as she figured out from day one, had to be in tip-top shape for the job and attend to all sorts of tasks or missions. Whenever she had a chance to take a breather, there would be some pivotal quest determining the fate of Equestria popping up half the time. She sometimes wondered if Spike would be up to the task, though she'd rather forget the last time he tried performing her duties.

And despite all of this, she grew to enjoy such a title and occupation, even as she forced a smile across her face. Twilight pushed herself off the bed; she peered out the nearby window, gazing at the growing town of Ponyville below. Each day, passersby would halt and gawk at her castle, even if they did so yesterday. Flowers sprouted around it as if by magic, their petals the color of the rainbow. And most important of all, Rainbow Dash wouldn't come crashing through the window—most of the time.

"But why am I dreaming about Golden Oaks so much?" Twilight asked herself. She rubbed the top of her head; the princess paced back and forth across the floor. "Ever since it was refurbished into the castle's chandelier, I've come to accept its new role." She peeked out the window once more, focusing on the distant crater where the library once resided. "Is there something else I'm missing? Maybe I left a little something back there. A book, perhaps?" Twilight sighed. "Well, better get some breakfast before checking out the ruins."

Stretching her legs and wings, Twilight trudged toward the door, pushing it open with her hooves. She traversed down the winding, albeit brief, staircase and found herself within the back hallway. The green carpet tickled her hooves, the four yellowish doors to her left and right only used for extra storage. Nothing there would solve her conundrum, at least for the moment. She continued trotting ahead, passing the crystal throne room before making a left and reaching the dining room. And to her luck, a young and purple dragon was perched atop the table; a grin was planted on his face.

"Hey, Spike," Twilight said. "How are you?"

"I'm well," Spike replied. He hopped off the table and wobbled about a bit upon landing. "Did ya get enough sleep today?"

Twilight shrugged. "Sort of. I mean, I feel awake and all, but I don't have a lot of energy."

"Let me guess." Spike arched an eyebrow. "You had that dream again, didn't you?"

"You'd be correct. Three weeks and counting, yet I still can't figure out what's going on."

Spike shivered; his teeth clacked like maracas. "You think somepony made the Tantabus again?"

"Of course not, Spike." Twilight rubbed the dragon's head, his purple scales a rough texture. "Princess Luna learned an important lesson that night and helped vanquish the Tantabus. And she's the only one who has powers over dreams. Even Celestia and I lack such unique magic."

"Yeah, but what about Trixie or Starlight Glimmer?"

"Powerful, but they don't have the capability to mess with dreams. If Star Swirl couldn't do it, I doubt either of them could meddle with dreams. Plus, Trixie hasn't done anything nefarious in a long time. I think I told you that." Twilight sighed. "Still, I understand your anxiety."

"So are we gonna write a letter to Princess Celestia or Princess Luna? Celestia might know about the figure you mentioned before, and Luna might be able to figure out what's going on with your dreams."

"You make an excellent point, Spike. I'll definitely get to that." Twilight ruffled her wings. "But first, I want to investigate the ruins of Golden Oaks Library myself."

"How come?" Spike cocked his head. "I mean, I can't think of a reason why there would be something there? That big centaur—Tic Tac or whatever his name was—blew it to smithereens. Anything that was there has to be dust now. Unless a friend of yours dropped a contact visiting it afterwards."

"It's still worth a look." A soft grumbling sound reached Twilight's ears; her cheeks flushed. "But first, I need to get some breakfast."

"Pancakes this time, right?" Spike licked his lips. "They're my favorite!"

Twilight bobbed her head. "Correct."

"Well, just don't sleep on yours like last time, okay?"

Twilight giggled. Even she had to admit the scenario was humorous, though the thousand or so jokes Pinkie Pie cracked about it since grew dull. "I'll try my best, Spike."

Trotting into the nearby kitchen, a cool breeze swirling past, Twilight opened the fridge. A bright purple aura brought the necessary ingredients toward her, but as she checked over them thrice, her eyes widened at a faint shuffling sound. She peeked over her shoulder; nothing appeared within her sights. Perhaps her imagination played tricks on her once again.

"Spike, did you hear anything?" Twilight asked.

"What do ya mean?"

"I thought I heard somepony trotting about." Twilight worked on the pancakes, mixing the ingredients as per the instructions. "Is somepony visiting the castle?"

"Well, I know the Wonderbolts are visiting later in the afternoon. I don't know why they'd go to you since you don't even give them orders." Spike paused for a second. "And I think Mayor Mare is dropping by in the evening."

Twilight poked her head out of the kitchen. "Spike, they're going to discuss Ponyville's security with me. Well, at least the captain is, though I don't know if anypony will be joining her. As for Mayor Mare, it's budget stuff. You know, the boring part of being a princess."

"Yeah, those talks work better than any sleeping medicine I've heard of." A yawn escaped Spike's lips. "Just talking about it makes me want to snooze."

"So then, did you hear that noise?"

"Of course not!"

As Twilight poured the mixture into the frying pan, the sizzling reaching her ears, another set of those peculiar noises followed soon after; Twilight's throat tightened in response. "There! Did you hear that?"

"The sizzling?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, the shuffling."

"Nope! I didn't hear anything suspicious."

Shrugging, Twilight brought her eyes back to the pancakes cooking in the pan, a warm aroma tickling her nostrils. Glancing behind her one more time, nothing out of the ordinary resided out the window. She scanned the perimeter of the kitchen; nothing leaped out in surprise or made itself known. The sink, cabinets, and shelves were all closed as they should be. A sparkling sheen covered every square inch of the kitchen, no grime or dirt left by somepony to report. And the shelves were all compact enough to where nopony could squeeze inside, especially with the plates and silverware taking up space.

But maybe Golden Oaks Library called out to her. An urge to gobble up her breakfast in one bite reached Twilight, her brain restraining her from doing so. She only hoped there were some answers buried in the rubble. At least it'd make for some pondering time during breakfast.

Pondering time accomplished little to nothing as Twilight stepped out of her abode and onto the dew-covered grasslands. While the filled stomach pleased the princess, the repetitive questions of whether somepony spied on her and the meaning behind her dreams were like sharp thorns prodding her.

Twilight took a quick sniff of the air, the crisp freshness cleaning her nostrils. The sun glowed just above the horizon; few ponies trotted about from what she noticed. Today being a weekend coupled with the early morning gave most ponies no reason to be out and about. But if the dancing pair of unicorns told her anything, Ponyville's energetic spirit marched in unison with time.

"Well, Ponyville won't be quiet for long," Twilight muttered. On cue, a trio of fillies donning red capes came into view and skipped across the road; all three of them bore radiant grins and giggled incessantly. Fun and games were among the only intelligible phrases she heard from them; their identities were also known to everypony in town at this point. "I give it a few minutes before everything gets much louder."

Making her way through the rest of the street, she arrived at her former home's ruins, the obliterated and charred Golden Oaks Library. A wide crater scarred the earth as Twilight predicted; some pieces of oak shrapnel poked out of the earth. The putrid scent of ash, hints of sulfur, and the last remnants of leather bound books made up the rest of its aroma. It urged Twilight to sneeze. Even the faintest hint of smoke bellowing from the crater's maw made itself known, refusing to be swept away by any rainstorms which passed by. Twilight nudged closer toward the pit's edge.

"Excuse me," a voice said. Twilight sensed a soft tap on her shoulder, her body twitching in surprise. "I know you're a princess and all, but I'd recommend not getting too close unless you want to burn your nostrils."

Twilight shrugged. "How come?"

"A hole in the earth bellowing smoke well after it was incinerated? Yeah, nothing suspicious at all." She paused for two seconds. "It's probably not safe in there."

"Well, at least I know you're the sarcastic type." Twisting around, Twilight locked gazes with the mare, a cream colored earth pony with a cobalt and pink mane. A second later, Twilight focused on the saddlebag on the mare and the rope wrapped around her waist, a grappling hook attached to the rope's far end. "I have three questions. First, who are you? Second, how do you know something terrible is in there? And lastly, what's with all the fancy gear?"

"My name is Bon Bon." She bowed to the princess and then straightened her posture. "And you'd be crazy to think a monster was living in there. I'm referring to any gases which may be lingering within the crater. I've done enough research on such things to know the possible dangers before me." She cleared her throat. "Oh, and zero guesses as to what the grappling hook is used for." Bon Bon raised her brow. "And it's not the newest fashion trend."

"I'd imagine you use it for spelunking. Funny, as I always thought you just made candy whenever I saw you helping out in Sugarcube Corner. I mean, your cutie mark would also point toward that. Still, maybe spelunking is a hobby of yours."

Bon Bon rolled her shoulders. You're right on the spelunking part, but there's more to it." She paused and pursed her lips. "Look, it's complicated. Stuff about going on secret missions, stopping monsters I can't even let you know about, and so on define some of my life. I used to be out of action for some time, though I've kinda been thrown back in. It's all of that plus the aforementioned candy job. It's—not as amazing as it sounds." She puckered her lips for a moment, brow sagging. "Trust me."

Stepping back an inch, a bemused expression formed across Twilight's face. "Well, I guess I'll take your word for it, even if it came out of nowhere."

Bon Bon released a soft chuckle. "Funny. You're one of the few ponies other than Lyra to believe me at first. Of the five or so I've told this to, including you, three of them needed a lot more convincing. Usually, it was the medals I've earned and the fake mustaches which tipped them off."

"I—see." Twilight shrugged. "Trust me, that's not the strangest thing I've heard. Twilight turned around once more; she focused on the crater's bottom, torn up pages and shattered glass resting atop the dry soil. "But what brings you here?"

"I have my reasons."

"Let me guess, this is another secret mission, isn't it?"

"Not exactly. Ponies know I've planned on investigating this site when Princess Celestia got a tip from a local resident."

Twilight returned eye contact with Bon Bon, the former's eyebrow arched. "What was the tip?" Her head approached Bon Bon's until the two were inches apart. "Can I hear it, please?"

"Supposedly, there's something suspicious buried within the rubble. It's not anything you can see at the moment, though this pony did have proof to back it up."

"What proof? I'm looking to see if I left anything important there. Am I right in that I forgot something?"

"Don't worry, Princess Twilight." As Twilight backed away to give both of them more breathing room, Bon Bon approached the crater. "Well, at least I don't think you should worry. See, you didn't leave anything behind if the report is anything to go by."

"The reports, huh?" Twilight feigned a snicker. "Well, I think I should first ask about the part where I might end up worrying."

"What's inside is supposed to be some sort of artifact that's quite old. Supposedly, it has been underneath Golden Oaks Library for a while. I don't know if it's worth anything, but that's why somepony needs to check it out."

A cold sweat poured down Twilight's brow. Whenever the mention of an old treasure or relic reached her ears, something frightening or dangerous lurked from behind. She wondered if destiny used her like a toy at times, always willing to see how far she'd go before succumbing to pressure or physical force. Every mention of an ancient artifact or threat, especially since the mess which saw the passing of her former home, turned the blood in her veins into ice.

"Well, we better check it out before anything bad happens," Twilight blurted out with a cracked voice. She forced a wide, crooked smile. "After all, if we just wait on it, who knows what will happen next?"

"Well then, let's not waste any time." Reaching into her saddlebag, Bon Bon pulled out a mask and donned it, adjusting the strap over her fluffy mane. She then continued in a muffled voice, "Princess Twilight, can you do me a favor?"

"What do you need?"

Bon Bon rummaged through her saddlebag once more; this time, she acquired a folded up piece of paper. "Since you were interested in the tip we got, read this first. It should get you caught up on what's going on."

With her magic, Twilight brought the letter closer to her and unfurled it. She squinted at the small writing, all done in a neat cursive, and shifted her eyes across the wrinkled page.

To whom it may concern,

An old hermit from a faraway land once told me there's supposed to be something important buried underneath Golden Oaks Library. I don't know if he's telling the truth, and I doubt he is, but something about his snake-like voice turned my hind leg numb. Why that instead of the whole body, I don't know. Maybe there's more to him than I thought.

Anyway, I'd appreciate it if anypony is able to excavate any artifacts or items buried within the library's rubble. If something does come of it, please let all of the princesses know as soon as possible. I hope it's nothing too serious.

Sincerely,

A Pony

Twilight dropped the letter; the sheet of paper descended toward the brown dirt like a leaf during autumn months. "So you're going off the word of an ominous hermit?" she asked.

Bon Bon nodded. "Well, maybe there's something worth investigating in there. The letter did kinda just appear out of nowhere, and any clues regarding its origin and the hermit's identity are unknown." She shrugged, then shook her legs a tad. "Unless you want to risk another last minute victory, Princess Twilight. Because we all can't get enough of those, right?"

"I can understand being cautious, though there has to be a rational limit, right?" Subtly rolling her eyes, a sigh escaped Twilight's lips. "But how could anypony bury a treasure underneath Golden Oaks Library without being caught? It doesn't make sense."

"A lot of things don't make sense." Bon Bon took a short breath. "I learned this quickly living with Lyra for some time." Bon Bon cleared her throat. "Anyway, if the treasure is real, maybe it'll lead to more answers. Then again, we could be wasting our time while getting our hooves dirty. That would be lots of fun."

"Well, here's hoping it all goes well, whether it exists or not."

"Precisely. And since I'll be digging into the rubble, I want you to make sure everything goes smoothly. If I look like I might be in trouble, pull me out of there as fast as you can."

Twilight stretched her forelegs. She never successfully lifted anything too heavy with them during her lifetime; the muscles already aching at the mere thought of pulling a whole pony off the ground. And any time where lifting something large with said forelegs needed to be performed, it'd end with strained muscles or no progress made.

Darting her head around, Twilight noticed not a single soul which oozed physical toughness. There was Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy's friend, the one with the voice powerful enough to tear eardrums, but finding where he lived and convincing him to help out had to be a waste of time. With a deep breath, Twilight ruffled her wings and nodded.

"I'll do it," she said. "I'll try my best."

Bon Bon latched the hook to the crater's edge. Tugging on it, she then lifted the rope and saddlebag off of her and dove into the abyss, her hooves clinging onto the rope. In the blink of an eye, the mare slid to the bottom and planted all four hooves on the ground, a cloud of dust gently rising around her.

"Everything okay?" Twilight asked.

Bon Bon nodded. "Of course they are!" she shouted. "Do I look ill or unconscious to you?"

Twilight shook her head. "You don't."

"Then all is well!"

Another minute passed since Bon Bon's digging escapades. Still intently watching her, Twilight's ears twitched as she noticed a huddle of ponies standing behind her. None of them seemed out of the ordinary, all being residents of Ponyville, though all of them surveyed the process as if they were involved as well. More ponies passing by joined the crowd, growing in size each passing second until the world behind Twilight was a miasma of pastel ponies. And yet, other than a few murmurs here and there, the world fell silent.

"Are you keeping an eye on me, Princess Twilight?" Bon Bon asked. As Twilight swiveled her head back to where the earth pony worked, she noticed Bon Bon tossing dirt, soot, and ash into the air. "Because I have a hunch you're distracted if those whispers are anything to go by. Can't blame you, but don't leave me hanging here!"

"I'd never just leave you here," Twilight responded. She giggled, cheeks colored a hot pink. Even before knowing what the magic of friendship was, she knew abandoning somepony in such a situation would be frowned upon. Trixie might do it if reeled in, but she was Twilight Sparkle. "Well, I'm focusing on you now. Oh, and a number of other ponies are watching us as well. That's where most of the whispers are coming from, by the way."

Bon Bon's limbs froze in place; her scowling face turned toward Twilight. "Well, could you make sure none of them do anything stupid?" A groan escaped her lips. "Trust me, I've seen how this town operates at times, and just because I'm guilty of it myself at times doesn't change anything."

"Okay then." Twilight shrugged.

"And—" Bon Bon ceased speaking; Twilight's gulped as a dim green light shone where Bon Bon stood. "Well, I've found something peculiar. I think I did." She tapped a hoof against the dirt. "Either that or it's absolutely nothing. Only one way to find out."

Thrusting her hooves into the dirt, Bon Bon tugged some sort of object whilst her veins bulged like they'd explode and her grunting polluted the air. The object's dimensions and appearance were obscured from where Twilight stood. She rubbed the top of her head, the strands of her mane tickling her hoof's tip. Nothing too noteworthy was abandoned when she leaped out of the library a split second before its demise—other than Golden Oaks itself.

With the beating of her heart filling her ears, Twilight shuffled a few inches closer to the edge. She exhaled. "Bon Bon, do you need help getting it out?"

"Do I look like I'm having no trouble?" Bon Bon released her grip from the buried object; she huffed and puffed upon turning toward Twilight, tongue sticking out and beads of sweat cascading down her face like rain. "Try lifting what has to be all of Tartarus with you bare hooves." Rolling her eyes, she collapsed onto the earth with a soft thud, though she retained eye contact with Twilight. "Trust me, it's terrible."

"Well, I could use my magic to pull it out." Twilight scrunched her muzzle for a second. Why she bothered to use her muscles for heavy lifting in the first place at times crossed her mind; perhaps it was a side effect of being in a hurry. Yet, she needed to cut her habit of forgetting just how strong her magic was. "But if it's as big as it sounds, maybe you should climb out of the crater."

Crawling toward the grappling hook, Bon Bon grasped onto the rope, climbing up inch by inch before returning to where Twilight resided. She made eye contact with the princess once more, Bon Bon now reclining on her back. "If—you think I made that look easy, you'd be mistaken." She took another deep breath and wiped her forehead. "You may continue, Princess Twilight."

Twilight licked her lips; her focus solely on the crater's excavated portion. There was a small, gray piece of stone sticking out of the earth, though its texture looked too smooth to be bedrock. At least something rested within the soil all those years, Twilight silently praying for it to be nothing major. The mess with Tirek not too long ago still hung over her head like a storm cloud. She firmly believed things always could escalate or become worse at any moment; her dangerous adventures in Ponyville and Equestria as a whole proved such a theory.

If extracting whatever rested in the dirt before her could solve the problem before it happened, she'd rather run the risk than wait for it to become worse.

A violet aura glowed around Twilight's horn; the same aura reached the stone. Lifting her head as high as she could, the world's weight pressing down on her shoulders, the stone budged a few inches higher. It kept ascending, the aura now enveloping Twilight and shining brighter than a star. Twilight closed her eyes shut. Sharp twinges coursed throughout her body. The stone kept rising and rising and then, a minute later, fully emerged from its former resting place.

Twilight opened her eyes; the aches slowly faded away. With the bright glow dissipating, the stone crashed into the earth. "That was—a lot harder than I expected," Twilight said, her muscles loosening at last. Without a second thought, she leaped into the crater and approached the rectangular slab; her eyes widened. "Don't worry about me. I'll be out in a few seconds." Yet, for reasons she couldn't explain, the air became thinner as she trudged toward the chiseled tablet. "So then, what do we have here?"

Cryptic symbols were etched onto the slab's face, all highlighted with a green substance of some sort. Images of a few ponies scattered about, all apparently organized by certain scenes, defined much of the stone. Some scenes showed a joyful, prosperous civilization almost identical to Ponyville, complete with an accurate depiction of Twilight's new castle in the background. However, as Twilight worked her way down the depicted story, the images churned her stomach. Illustrations of fires, rubble, and ponies in a state which turned the princess' face pale constituted the latter half of the tablet.

And it all ended with a unicorn standing amongst the rubble, a ring circling her, and followed by an exact copy of the first image. Beneath these pictures appeared to be a string of words, much of it faded away or minuscule, though what Twilight noticed by squinting at it featured words which had to belong to an ancient language.

"Bon Bon, I-I think the letter you got has a point," Twilight stuttered. She took a deep breath; her body shivered. "I'm going to write a note to Celestia and Luna to see if they can figure out what's going on here."

"So what you're telling us is that something awful might happen in the future?" Bon Bon questioned. "And why should we place our trust in a heavy rock?" She cleared her throat. "Because cryptic messages on old stones are definitely trustworthy. Maybe it's an elaborate prank."

"Better safe than sorry." Twilight gulped. Flapping her wings, she glided away from the stone and placed all four hooves back on the cold, high ground. "I'm going to write the letter to the princesses and get my friends up to date on what's going on."

"Well, okay then. But still, you're acting really dramatic over some junk we don't know a thing about."

Twilight pursed her lips for a moment. "There have been way too many coincidences for it to be just some dumb rock."