A Library's Secret

Being a Wonderbolt had its perks. The prestigious title also came with unwanted baggage. To Spitfire, the joyous sections involved routine flying sessions; the cool breeze against her mane and the dazzling, sparkling sights all around her just a sampling of the many highlights training and shows involved. The more dangerous missions involving stopping a ne'er-do-well or a mischievous monster varied on how tolerable they were. The tasks they were prepared for got her blood pumping; being thrown in the middle of the action or getting a vague order from the Royal Guard, however, turned her pale.

Not even the most brutal of assignments could compare to the tedium of sitting in a cold, bright room. Light bounced off of the crystalline walls and all about the room, creating a dazzling array of colors and patterns. Its luster faded with each passing second, however. The thrones emblazoned with cutie marks felt akin to rubbing her back against a glacier. And the library off to the side kept teasing her with its mere presence. Perusing through all those trinkets of knowledge would be better than meandering through a checklist with Princess Twilight Sparkle. The alicorn princess had a charming aura and was somepony she would love to know better, but bland business wasn't exactly opportune for forging friendships.

"If I'm getting this right, you're hoping to send a word to the Royal Guard in about improving their training regimen," Twilight said. She fiddled with the sheets of paper in her hooves and then made eye contact with Spitfire. A quill dipped in ink and surrounded by a violet aura floated past her. "And with this more intense training, the experienced guards will be stationed in Ponyville and more prepared if anything goes wrong, right?"

Spitfire nodded. "That's correct," she replied. "I'll confess, I could do a better job myself."

"Well, your record seems to indicate the Wonderbolts have been doing quite well." Cracking a soft smile, Twilight then placed the papers on the table before her. "Look, don't take the newspapers' words too seriously. Trust me." She rolled her eyes; a groan left her mouth. "They love to spout hyperbole."

"I'm not too worried about that. I just see a lot of room for improvement." Spitfire straightened her seating posture. "Now then, as I was saying, these plans I've devised are based on what the griffons do for their training, and I've made a few modifications to better accommodate ponies. For example, the exercises in the midst of climates more extreme than the norm will take place, but the types of exercises performed are ones ponies are used to." Spitfire caught her breath. "Given that the griffons are known to be seasoned fighters, partly due to how they practice in these tough conditions, I feel as though we'll be able to help make Ponyville and all of Equestria safer."

"You make a strong argument." Twilight rubbed her muzzle, eyes closed. "Still, that does leave the question of how some of the guards will handle it." Opening her eyes, lips pursed, Twilight gazed back at the papers. "I know the Wonderbolts will get used to it due to how you train them, but I'm concerned if this tougher routine will drive some guards away. My brother does a different regimen than you do, after all."

"Tough love is sometimes needed, Princess Twilight. I know your brother should be able to handle what comes his way." She pressed her hooves together, teeth clenched and cheeks tautened. "While we're not on the best of terms, he's still somepony I can trust."

Spitfire knew her trust of him wasn't exactly high. Despite this, she always considered Shining Armor to be a kind, likable stallion. His playful nature with both Cadance and Twilight along with his nauseating attempts at puns hinted at this. But ever since she became entangled in a few of his less successful plans, she only grew more critical of him. Spitfire only hoped any future meetings with him would be minor in the grand scheme of things.

Twilight's eyes widened; a worried expression adorned her face. "Well, while he's a moderately wise stallion and has proven to be quite tough, he does make boneheaded mistakes at times. The changeling mess at his wedding is an example. I'd talk with him regarding the plan, just so that there's nothing lost in translation. He's still a great captain and all, but he's just—classic Shining Armor." A deep breath escaped her lips. "I worry about him at times."

"I understand."

Twilight nodded, the breeze echoing from outside all anypony's ears caught for at least a few seconds. Just then, she exhaled once more, wings opened up. "Anyway, I'll let Princesses Celestia and Luna know about your plan. I've annotated the notes you've given me, so they'll be all caught up in no time."

"Sounds like a plan." Spitfire pushed herself off the chair. She wiggled her legs about, pacing around the circular table for a brief moment until her muscles woke up. "Anyway, Soarin and Fleetfoot are waiting for me outside. They wanted to do some other activities while I was busy, so I let them tour Ponyville." Snickering, Spitfire's lips then curled into a warm smile. "Though I am making them help clean up the Wonderbolts Academy in return."

"Yeah." Twilight rubbed the back of her neck. "I can understand why they'd feel that way. Some of my close friends have tried to get out of meetings before. Hopefully, we can have a more exciting conversation."

"Definitely. Well, it was nice talking to you." Spitfire bowed; she then stood upright once more and faced the towering, golden front door. "See ya."

"One more thing!"

Spitfire froze in place; she then swiveled her head toward Twilight, the latter's hoof raised. Blinking, Spitfire wondered if this would be an innocent request or setting up another meeting on the subject, the former much more preferable. However, the glint in the princess' eyes and her slightly shrunken pupils suggested another story, one Spitfire knew where it was heading.

There was trouble ahoof.

"Could you do me a favor?"

Nodding, Spitfire arched an eyebrow; a bemused formed across her visage. "What's the problem?"

"You know about the tablet just found in Ponyville, right?"

"I do. Thunderlane told me about it when we trotted past each other." Spitfire paused for a moment, lips pursed. "It doesn't sound good."

"Precisely, but could you spread the news if possible? It'd be helpful in solving the mystery."

"I'll try my best." Stretching her wings out, Spitfire retracted them seconds later. "While I'm not as quick as Rainbow Dash, I do know my way around town." It was a claim she could easily testify to if needed, one of her friends even claiming she had a map of Equestria tucked deep within her brain's crevices. "If somepony is still unsure of what the commotion is, I'll let them know what I heard." She shuddered as though a snowstorm swirled past. "I—I'm not forgetting it any time soon."

"Thanks, Spitfire."

"You're welcome. Anything else?"

Twilight shook her head. "I'm good."

"Understood, but let me know if you need any help. It'd be an honor to lend a helping hoof." Spitfire turned back to face the dimly lit hallway and door, trotting across the cold floor as clicks and clacks polluted the air. "Goodbye, Princess Twilight."

"Goodbye, Spitfire!" Twilight waved her hoof, Spitfire looking back and responding in kind. "Let me know if you need anything else, okay?"

"Understood!"

Spitfire placed her hoof on the door's smooth, golden surface; a chill coursed down her spine. Gazing up at the stylized etchings decorating the door, Spitfire couldn't help herself from gliding upward. Pre-Equestrian floral designs seemed to be the case, at least based on the thickness of the lines and how the plants were arranged and stylized.

However, as she continued ascending and studying the door, a cacophonous roar pierced her ears. Spitfire planted both hooves on the ground; the earth shook as the doors creaked open. Extra sunlight seeped through the growing slit between the two doors, Spitfire shielding her eyes until the shaking ceased at last. Blinking, she noticed the somewhat blurred forms of cottages and gawking ponies residing in the distance.

"Well, I think Princess Twilight should go get that fixed," Spitfire whispered. A chuckle left her lips. "Maybe I'll tell her when I see her next time."

Spitfire stepped outside, the dew-covered grass cooling her worn hooves. A slight smirk adorned her face; something about being able to see Ponyville without the populace flailing, shrieking, and running amok. Instead, everypony meandered about with shopping bags in tow and conversed with friends or passersby, foals out and about as they laughed all across the fields. Other than the rose-maned pony gazing at her pink friend, the latter resting on her back with shrunken pupils, everything had a calm aura to it.

It was a state Spitfire yearned would be the case more often. Seeing a letter from the princesses, Shining Armor, or somepony else asking for help every other day tensed her muscles at the thought. Anything that was unlike the Tirek incident was considered a positive letter, but the possibility of something like it always reared its head.

"Hey, Spitfire!" a familiar voice called out. Spitfire twisted her head toward the voice's source, two light blue pegasi smoothly striding toward her, both of them wearing relaxed visages. "Ya came out at the right time. Fleetfoot and I were gonna go wait for ya."

Spitfire released a chuckle. "I guess so, Soarin," she replied. "So then, how was Ponyville?"

"It was okay, I guess," Fleetfoot murmured. She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you didn't miss much. The places to visit were okay at best, but most of what caught my eye was under construction. It's supposed to be because the town's growing in size, but whatever. At least Sugarcube Corner was cool." She cleared her throat. "Also, some of the ponies in this town are crazy." A groan escaped her mouth. "Half of the ponies were going on about this rock, a quarter of them made me look like a gentle angel, and the other quarter were too busy or occupied to talk with."

"Well, Ponyville is quite the diverse town, huh?"

"No kidding," Soarin added. "Though I wish there was something I could've bought. A souvenir, ya know?"

"You bought a pie." Fleetfoot nudged her teammate; a smirk formed across her visage. "Ya got something."

"But I always buy at least one pie per week."

"At least it was something," Spitfire added. She arched an eyebrow; her head cocked to the left. "Other than that, there was nothing to do?"

"Unless they have another festival—one where they don't shoot fireworks at you—the answer is that there was nothing to do." Fleetfoot shuddered, cheeks burning a hot pink. "I'd rather forget about that day—please."

"Well, at least you weren't too banged up that day," Soarin said. "Even if it was awkward for everypony."

Shrugging, Fleetfoot then nodded. "I guess so."

"Now then, I do have a few things to say about that stone," Spitfire said. She assumed a stark glare; her eyebrows ruffled. "Princess Twilight is worrying about what the tablet is proposing, and it's not hard to see why."

"The awful things drawn on it, right?"

"Yes. See, because Ponyville is a diverse town, then it stands to reason that somepony must know something about the tablet." She lifted her hoof up, almost as if she knew her teammates would make a remark. "I know that they won't have all the answers we need, but any leads or information we can get may prove valuable."

"Then why didn't Princess Twilight just do that in the first place?" Fleetfoot swiveled her head about. She then brought her attention back to Spitfire. "I mean, there's a lot of ponies trotting right now, and there are plenty more in those cottages. You'd think she'd have talked to somepony who knows a lot about archaeology, right?"

"You do make a fair point, Fleetfoot." Spitfire peeked behind where Fleetfoot stood, the conglomeration of ponies only growing by the second. "Then again, it's somewhat understandable given my experiences with Ponyville."

Spitfire sighed. Of the three other times she visited Ponyville, two of them involved the town screaming in unison and bumping into each other. Spitfire was accidentally knocked out in one instance, her cheeks turning pale upon recalling the hazy memory. At least the other instance was a rousing success in calming the populace. The third meeting featured empty roads and a world where she could hear her heartbeats. It was supposedly something about an enigmatic shaman which turned into the misunderstanding of the millennium, Spitfire rolling her eyes as she remembered it.

And those were just her experiences.

"Even if some of them are a bit empty-headed, somepony has to know something, right?" Soarin questioned, rubbing the top of his head.

"But who?" Spitfire whispered to herself. She rubbed her muzzle. "Asking the whole town will take too long, and it's not as though we can waste time with a random sample. And doing one might cause us to miss the pony we need." Her hoof tapped the ground; Spitfire ruffled her wings. "Think, Spitfire. There has to be a—"

Without warning, her eyes widened and glowed brighter than the sun. "Wait a second."

Soarin tilted his head. "Did ya think of something?"

Spitfire nodded, grinning. "As a matter of fact, I have. Remember how everypony in town was spreading the news?"

The pair of pegasi bobbed their heads in unison.

"Here's the plan." Spitfire caught her breath. "We go around with some sort of sign letting everypony know we're looking for facts about the stone. We'll patrol the area for an hour. Once that time has passed, we'll meet up by the fountain to our right." Spitfire extended her foreleg; her hoof pointed toward the marble sculpture of what appeared to be a unicorn spewing water from its hooves, its pose much like a ballerina's. "That's the fountain we'll congregate at once we're done."

"Yes, ma'am," Soarin and Fleetfoot said in unison.

"Alright, we'll take some time getting everything ready, and then we'll initiate the plan." With a smirk on her visage, Spitfire nodded. "Let's do a wonderful job, team."

Spitfire roamed the open streets of Ponyville, her eyes darting about and surveying the cottages sprawled across the grassland. While most homes had a garden or some decorations wrapped around it to add some flair, Spitfire noticed a few of them appeared twice or thrice, always in the same order. And despite asking those possibly knowledgeable about the subject with politeness and clarity, all she received were shrugs, shaking heads, or blunt answers. None of them yielded any results. Other ponies out and about were either too busy or going around asking their own questions, a pink, meandering unicorn being among those catching Spitfire's attention.

The sun approaching the horizon with each passing second taunted her. What were once bright blue skies turned to a radiant orange.

"Somepony has to know even the smallest detail," Spitfire muttered; her head hung low. Her hooves ached, wings opened up and inches away from dragging along the ground. "Just because the stone is thousands of years old doesn't mean a historian or archaeologist wouldn't have a clue about some of its origins."

Spotting an empty bench, Spitfire released a sigh, throwing her weight onto the oak frame. The curved, wooden beams prodded her back, though it was akin to a rough massage if anything. "I know somepony has to have something to share about the tablet. Anything would be appreciated at this point." She gritted her teeth; her brow ruffled. "I better not be wasting my time." Spitfire groaned, then raised her head.

"Excuse me," a soft voice said. "Is there something wrong?"

Approaching Spitfire was the pink unicorn from before, a straight expression adorning her face. The stuffed bag she wore captured Spitfire's attention, the brown leather seconds away from bursting. Why this mare checked up on her from nowhere, however, eluded her. Most ponies tended to avoid such issues. Spitfire then assumed eye contact with the mare; she slowly nodded.

"Yeah, things could be better," Spitfire confessed in a deep tone. Her shoulders drooped a tad. "My friends and I have been scouting for information, and nothing has turned up."

"What is it?" the mare asked, eyes widened. She leaned toward Spitfire. "I might know something."

"We've been trying to get information about the tablet." Spitfire paused; she then adjusted her seating position. "You know, the one discovered in Golden Oaks Library."

"I've been trying to do the same thing." The mare sat next to Spitfire; she wrapped a foreleg around her. "The name's Amethyst Star. I'm a professional organizer, researcher, and archaeologist."

"That's quite the resume." Spitfire cracked a smile. "I wish I had a wide array of talents like you."

Amethyst gently waved her hoof; a chuckle escaped her mouth. "Trust me, I didn't get them through dumb luck." Her pupils dilated. "And let me tell you, there's a lot I'm still learning." She blinked, eyes somewhat strained. "I've come close to tearing my mane out."

"Yeah, studying and research can be complex at times." Spitfire pressed her hooves together. "It's fun—for me at least, but I can understand how frustrating it'd be."

"I thought I'd grind my teeth to dust one day." Clearing her throat, Amethyst shimmied an inch to the right, giving the pair more breathing room. "So, what's your name?"

"Spitfire."

"Captain of the Wonderbolts, right? I mean, the full-body uniform is a giveaway that you're a Wonderbolt."

With sealed lips, Spitfire nodded.

"Sounds exciting. I don't follow such things often, so forgive me for my ignorance in not recognizing you."

"It's okay, Amethyst."

Amethyst wiped her forehead; she breathed a sigh of relief. "Glad I didn't offend you." A second of silence flew past. "You're not offended, right?"

"Not at all."

"Good. Anyway, as I was getting to, I actually know a bit about the tablet."

A flame lit within Spitfire's pupils; a quick gasp leaving her. "You do?" She leaned closer to Amethyst. "Can you tell me, please?"

"It's—it's not much. Does that bother you?"

Spitfire quickly shook her head. "Not at all!"

"Okay then." Amethyst exhaled. "See, the stone tablet appears to originate from pre-Equestria Canterlot. Why? The etchings—the little pictures and diagrams to be more precise—are drawn in a style similar to known etchings and sketches of that location and time period."

"Then how come few ponies knew about that?" Spitfire arched an eyebrow. "Sure, it's not a fact most ponies would know about, but I'm still unsure as to how so few ponies know that."

Amethyst chuckled; she rubbed the back of her neck and sheepishly smiled. "To be fair, archaeology, especially the small parts like that, bore lots of ponies."

"It's rather interesting to me." Then again, most texts which landed in her hooves attracted Spitfire's attention, even if the topic mostly earned cursory glances or groans. "At least in my opinion."

"I guess that makes you unique."

Spitfire shrugged, a slight smile returning to her. "Yeah, I guess so." She snickered for a second. Such phrases reaching her ears became common enough to where anypony would lose count. "Soarin and Surprise let me know about that quite a bit, and Misty Fly likes to remind me how proud she is of me."

"Yeah, that's Misty Fly for you." Amethyst twiddled with her mane, lips pursed. "Anyway, back to the main topic." She sighed. "I don't know much else about the slab. Sorry."

"No need to apologize. It's a start, and it's all I needed."

Placing her hooves on her lap, Amethyst's grin widened; her glowing teeth looked like white mirrors. "I'm so glad to have helped, Spitfire."

Spitfire pushed herself upright. Studying her surroundings, she noticed a larger concentration of ponies filling the roads, a storm of voices polluting the air. At least those outside trotted and kept to themselves; not one of them flailed about or pierced eardrums with a cacophonous shriek. While the wide-eyed, bemused expressions tickled Spitfire's chest, everything else seemed normal.

"Looks like Ponyville woke up late," Amethyst commented. Rubbing the top of her head, she then raised an eyebrow. "I wonder what they're talking about. Maybe something weird or crazy happened again."

"I just hope nopony is hurt," Spitfire added. She turned back to Amethyst. "Say, do you want to tag along? I think we could learn a lot from somepony with your expertise."

Amethyst sprung up. "I'd love it! Please tell me I'll get to meet Misty Fly again!"

Spitfire bobbed her head.

Squealing with delight, Amethyst clapped her hooves. "Awesome!"

Motioning toward Amethyst, Spitfire then extended her hoof to the right. "We're going to be meeting up with Soarin and Fleetfoot at the fountain. Let's get going."

Amethyst performed a quick salute. "Yes, ma'am!"

With her destination set, Spitfire trotted across the grass with slow steps, Amethyst following close by. With every few inches of progress, the cluster of ponies around them grew in size, Spitfire soon finding herself brushing shoulders with passersby on occasion. Some ponies hollered about the stone's discovery, though all they spouted included the same basic details she knew from the start.

And it wasn't as though she'd be able to hear them, all of the voices soon indistinguishable among the sea of chatter.

"Did something happen without us noticing?" Amethyst asked, pitch heightened. She squeezed through a small gap, two plump ponies flanking each side. "W-what's all the commotion about?"

Spitfire shrugged; she arched an eyebrow. "Maybe everypony is spreading the news at the same time," she replied. "Knowing this town, your guess is as good as mine."

As the pair trudged through the miasma, the crowd dispersed, Spitfire softly smirking with the extra breathing space. Perhaps a town meeting was in order; the enigmatic slab and its depictions a good reason to quell fears or get everypony up to date. Spitfire ruffled her wings. She gazed at the sky above and then back to Amethyst. Abandoning her partner just for some room would only cause trouble.

"Sorry about the crowd," a raspy voice said. "That may have been partly my fault."

Spitfire swiveled her head toward the voice's source; her eyes widened. A cloaked unicorn, the hood down to reveal her pinkish face and glowing eyes, shuffled her hooves toward Spitfire. The brown cloth she wore was tattered and covered in grime. Either this mare had a horrible sense of fashion, or she was expecting a catastrophic rainstorm. Spitfire wished for the former.

"Who are you?" Spitfire asked, head cocked. She sniffled, a pungent aroma akin to ashes and sulfur reaching her nostrils. "And what's with the cloak? If you're trying to blend in, you're not doing a good job at it."

"Yeah, why are you looking all mysterious?" Amethyst added. "No offense."

The mare laughed, white smoke bellowing from her nostrils. "It's because this world, this surprisingly saccharine world, is not ready."

"Ready for what?" Spitfire shuddered. Harsh twinges coursed through her veins, almost as if she were set aflame and left to rot. "W-who are you? What's your name?"

"You'll discover it soon enough." The unicorn sighed; her brow ruffled as she scowled. "You're not the only persistent pony to ask me this today. Another pony wanted to know. A blue, nomadic wizard trying to find her place in the world wanted to know; she received the same answer."

"And why does looking at you make me feel—nauseous?" Amethyst questioned. She placed a hoof to her chest, cringing. "You're not ugly or anything." The mysterious mare cocked her head, pupils locked onto Amethyst; the latter quivering. "I-I mean, you look just fine. It's just that I have this strange feeling. That's all."

"It's a winding story, one which spans across dimensions, time, and a wide array of circumstances. I'll explain that soon enough." The mare shuffled an inch away from Spitfire. "Feel free to mention my presence—and my strange ways. I won't care. All I can say is that interesting times are ahead."

Spitfire blinked, the figure vanishing from her sight. She rubbed her eyes, but no matter how long she scanned the environment surrounding her, the brown cloak refused to show up. Even the sensations and the repulsive scents disappeared, replaced with calmed muscles and the flowery aroma she was used to.

"Spitfire, you saw her as well, right?" Amethyst quickly asked, cheeks pale. "Tell me I'm not crazy." She took a deep breath.

"You're not crazy," Spitfire answered. "I saw her, too."

Shivering as though a blizzard swirled past, Amethyst's teeth chattered like maracas. "I-is she a g-ghost?"

"I'm certain she's not a ghost." Spitfire pursed her lips; her breathing sped up. "She had the shape of a pony, that much I know. Still, I wish I could've learned more about her."

"You did what you could, Spitfire. Don't be so hard on yourself, please."

Spitfire perked up. Her cheeks strained a tad as she forced a smile. "I'll try. I'm just a bit disappointed we couldn't find out more before she fled. I—I guess it's not our fault."

"Yeah, it's kind of disappointing."

"Spitfire!" Soarin shouted from afar. "Over here!"

Both Spitfire and Amethyst shifted their gazes to the right. Soarin and Fleetfoot sat by the marble fountain; forced smiles decorated their faces.

"We couldn't find a thing!" Fleetfoot moaned. "How about you?"

Spitfire made her way over to where her teammates sat, Amethyst still following close behind. "I found out a little, but Amethyst Star here knows about archaeology."

"Pleased to meet you," Amethyst said. She firmly shook hooves with both Soarin and Fleetfoot. "Anyway, I'll get you caught up on what we've found, but first, have you seen a strange, pink pony trotting around here? And no, it's not Pinkie Pie."

"I haven't," Fleetfoot said. Yawning, she then rubbed her eyes. "Do you think she might be connected to the tablet? Or is she just some weirdo?"

"I think she is," Spitfire answered. "Her demeanor is rather suspect. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but she might be somepony to keep an eye on."

"Shall we inform Princess Twilight?" Soarin asked.

"Well, the figure did expect us to, but we probably should just to be safe. Who knows what she's up to?" With a quick nod, Spitfire then gazed over to a distant mountain, a castle's silhouette precariously hanging off the side. "When that's taken care of, we'll be heading over to Canterlot. Amethyst Star is confident we may discover something there, and I have the strangest hunch we will."

Spitfire could only hope the answers lessened the tension in the air. However, she knew such a discovery wouldn't be the case. Those almost never happened when dealing with strange phenomena in Equestria.