A Library's Secret

Early mornings always prodded Bon Bon's coat. From crawling out of bed early to seeing the normally bustling Ponyville look like a ghost town, mornings were almost always a tiring and sometimes surreal experience.

Bon Bon rubbed her eyes, muscles still a bit stiff. It wasn't as though she wanted to be awake early in the morning, but it was the time assigned to her.

As she watched the sun looming above the horizon, the sky turning into a clash of blue and orange, all Bon Bon mustered was a yawn. The brightest stars were still visible, scattered across the sky. The chirping birds soothed her ears with their melodies. Numerous ponies were out and about at this time; they performed morning errands or were meeting up with friends. And much to her delight, there was a lack of chatter polluting the air. Some voices did reach her, but they were all tolerable for the most part.

Bon Bon stretched her forelegs; snaps reached her ears and she felt a comforting looseness. A mild scent of roses brushed across her nostrils.

Opening up her saddlebag, she quickly procured a crumpled note. It arrived with plenty of creases; keeping it smooth and neat wasn't important. The messy writing irritated her eyes a little and looked more like random scribbles, but as she squinted at the letter, the words slowly became comprehensible.

Bonnie,

Meet me by the fountain at eight in the morning. I heard about what happened yesterday, and I think I found something cool that might help. A friend told me this, and while she's kinda odd, I think I can trust her. Even if it doesn't help, it's probably worth a look. Maybe you could investigate that as well.

Your best friend,

Lyra Heartstrings

Bon Bon rolled her eyes. Nicknames always struck her nerves and Lyra knew this. However, if Lyra proved to be especially tricky with her pranks and poking, she'd get something particularly pungent for dinner. Lyra was always the unwitting subject in those cases, and watching her dive toward her glass of water after ingesting some fiery wasabi earned chuckles from anypony watching her.

Maybe she'd order some this evening. Bon Bon donned a mischievous grin for a moment; it was replaced with a blank visage seconds later.

"Where is she?" Bon Bon murmured. She tapped her hoof. "She's supposed to be right here."

The locale was correct; Bon Bon had no doubt about that. To her right was the special bench they sat on and further ahead was none other than the fountain, a popular meeting point for ponies. A few ponies of all shapes and sizes gawked at the sculpture adorning the fountain. It was one of the few constants within Ponyville.

Something soft then gently poked Bon Bon's shoulder.

"Heya!" a familiar voice greeted.

Bon Bon turned to her right. Standing next to her was a mint unicorn; a radiant grin decorated much of her visage.

"Hey, Lyra," Bon Bon said, smirking. "What's up?"

"Not much," Lyra replied. "Just did some trotting around and stuff." In a flash, she pulled out a book from her saddlebag, thrusting it toward Bon Bon until it was an inch away from crashing into her muzzle. "But I also found this awesome looking book!"

Bon Bon pushed the book away. Her hoof glanced a thin layer of dust. "Careful with that thing."

"Sorry." Blushing, a giggle left Lyra's lips. "I kinda got carried away."

Bon Bon made eye contact with Lyra; she smiled. "It's okay." She paused for a second. "Anyway, will it help solve the mystery of the tablet I told you about?"

"You bet!" Lyra brought the leather-bound book closer to her chest. "It looked and felt so mysterious and stuff."

Glancing down at the book's cover, Bon Bon read the words The Myths of E: The Crystal Empire's Last inscribed on it in faded gold letters, some of the words too damaged to make out. What seemed to be the outline of another letter next to the 'E' was also on the cover, though it wasn't enough to decipher the word.

Two letters wouldn't help her either way.

However, the book missed what she needed to know. The Crystal Empire and what was inscribed on the tablet weren't meshing together.

With an arched eyebrow, Bon Bon brought her gaze back to Lyra. "Excuse me?"

Lyra shrugged. "Um, what?"

"How is this supposed to help? It totally looks useful."

"It's mysterious and stuff." Another shrug was Lyra's next response. "I bet there's something totally related to what the tablet said."

Sighing, Bon Bon planted a hoof to her face. "Lyra, did you just assume it'd help just because it looked old?"

"Maybe." Lyra's eyes shifted about. A sheepish grin ran across her face. "Okay, I got it because the book was old. But ya gotta admit, something mysterious about the Crystal Empire does sound interesting. Maybe it has something to do with the slab after all."

"Nothing I said about the slab has anything to do with this E." Bon Bon trotted over to the bench and sat down. The smooth, wooden beams cushioned her back, though her muzzle was scrunched nonetheless. Physical comfort wasn't going to help her get anywhere. A elongated sigh left Bon Bon's mouth, a hoof pressing against her cheek. "Besides, what if E never even existed?"

"Maybe this book will answer that question." Making her way over to the bench, Lyra sat down next to Bon Bon. Then she flipped the book open to the first page. "Let's see what we have here."

A full two minutes passed by; neither Bon Bon nor Lyra uttered another word during this time. If by some miracle Lyra found something relevant to the tablet, Bon Bon figured she'd be allowed to call her Bonnie for at least a week. The odds of finding anything in such a book were slim to none.

As she thought more about it, the question of how Lyra even got the book crossed Bon Bon's mind. There was a grayness clinging to the cover. Some of it was dust, but most of it had a darker color and grainier texture to it. A burnt aroma even tickled her nostrils. Bon Bon's muzzle twitched as she came close to sneezing.

"So she's a unicorn," Lyra said. "And she held a position in government. Interesting."

"What was her name?"

Lyra raised an eyebrow. "You're not gonna believe me, but it doesn't say her name."

"You're serious?" Bon Bon tilted her head; a confused expression was painted on her face. "How could it not say her name?"

"The book just isn't mentioning it for some reason. But it does say she highly enjoyed her position and partied at times."

"Maybe she had an ego to attend to," Bon Bon teased. Wearing a smirk, she nudged Lyra's shoulder. "So was she the master of parties before Pinkie Pie?"

"It says she ruled the Crystal Empire for a brief period." Lyra cocked her head. "I guess that explains the title, but it's still odd."

"How so? That shadowy stallion—Sombra was his name if I recall—didn't rule it forever."

"It's just that when it comes to the Crystal Empire, most of its history before he showed up is well-documented. I can't recall anypony with a name starting with 'E' that governed all or part of it."

Bon Bon nodded. Most ponies learned of the Crystal Empire's history during their time in school, mainly the recorded history before Sombra's seemingly endless reign over the region. There was Queen Stalactite, Princess Sapphire, Prince Regalia, and others, but nopony notable who ruled the area had a name fitting the book's cover. And it wasn't as though somepony was missing. Such a history did stick with ponies who learned about it. Its lost documents and how the last three years of its recorded history before Sombra came to power had completely vanished, a topic that puzzled many ponies.

However, it was probably just another mystery to look at later.

"While the lost parts are interesting, I don't think it'll help us one bit," Bon Bon bluntly said. "It doesn't even give the mare's name. You can keep it if you want, but we'll have to look elsewhere for clues."

Lyra nodded. "Okay."

"By the way, where—" Bon Bon twisted her head to face Lyra "—where did you find that book?"

"I found it in one of the makeshift libraries after Golden Oaks got destroyed. Maybe it was damaged in the fight that day."

"Fair enough." How the book survived that skirmish wasn't entirely logical, but it didn't gnaw on Bon Bon's head enough for her to care. "I'm surprised it managed to stay mostly intact if that's the case."

"So then, where should we start?" Bouncing into the air like a spring, Lyra landed on all four hooves and then trotted a few hoofsteps away from the bench. "Wandering around isn't gonna help."

"Agreed." Aches returned to Bon Bon's hooves in a flash. Her throat was slightly sore as well; memories of shouting the tablet's discovery to everypony trotting past her reached the tip of her mind. "The less wandering about, the better. Because I definitely didn't have enough of that."

As for Lyra's question, all Bon Bon drew were blanks. In her view, climbing the tallest mountain in Equestria would've been easier than knowing where to begin the investigation. And while some of Bon Bon's friends were well-read given the days they sometimes spent reading books together, it wasn't as though any of them studied archaeology. One was a cellist and the other was all the way over in Manehattan as a fashion designer. The process of understanding old artifacts was the least of their worries.

There was always Princess Twilight, but despite her vast knowledge, Bon Bon knew she was likely in the same boat.

"Did ya think of something?" Lyra asked.

Bon Bon shook her head. "Not yet. I'm kind of at a loss as well. Maybe—"

"Bon Bon!" a voice shouted from afar. "Is that you? I need help! Please!"

"It is," Bon Bon bluntly replied, recognizing the voice. "What's the matter this time?"

Glancing to her right, Bon Bon spotted a pale yellow mare trudging toward her, the mare panting with her tongue out. Beads of sweat poured down her coat like raindrops from a storm. The mare's legs wiggled about as she struggled to stay upright. Her bright, raspberry colored mane was a familiar sight, as was the rosy aroma surrounding her. It tickled Bon Bon's nostrils, though the scent was surprisingly comforting and natural.

It was indeed Roseluck. If her pale cheeks and shrunken pupils were anything to go by, she probably saw another bunny skipping across her garden or received a colossal order for bouquets. While she wasn't as melodramatic about things as Lily Valley was, fretting over small things was what everypony knew her for. Bon Bon wished she could slap some sense into Roseluck and her gardening friends.

"It's something so horrible!" Roseluck shrieked. "It's so frightening! Lily passed out at the sight of it!"

Rolling her eyes, Bon Bon softly sighed. "Well, it isn't going to be solved until we know what happened."

"Can ya explain it, please?" Lyra asked.

Roseluck nodded; she then pushed herself upright. "I'm getting there." Taking a deep breath, she shook her forelegs for a moment and stood as tall as she could. "See, I was taking a walk with my friends by Sweet Apple Acres."

"Sweet Apple Acres?" Lyra leaned closer, eyes widened. "I love that place! They have the best apple cider, you know."

With a sagging brow, Bon Bon poked Lyra.

"What?"

"Now's not the time to gush about cider, Lyra," she whispered. Sighing, she brought her attention back to Roseluck. "So what happened next, Roseluck?"

"It wasn't what happened, but—" Roseluck cringed "—but it was what I saw."

"What did you see?"

"Vampire fruit bats!" Roseluck shrieked. Both Bon Bon and Lyra took a step away from her. In a quieter voice, Roseluck repeated, "Vampire fruit bats."

"Vampire fruit bats?"

Everypony who knew a little about vampire fruit bats noticed they arrived in Ponyville during the summer months. However, the trees' leaves were brown and orange. If anything, the bats would've abandoned Sweet Apple Acres and moved back to their homes in the Everfree Forest, plucking fruits indigenous to that region before huddling up in caves for the winter. Recalling what she once learned about them in her environmental studies for the agency, Bon Bon noted how they'd only leave their natural habitats if disturbed by something like a hydra.

All the information did for her was that it posed new questions about how vampire fruit bats found their way back to Sweet Apple Acres.

"Their eyes were huge and their teeth were so sharp!" Roseluck continued, almost out of breath. "They blotted out the sun! I saw them gobbling up an apple and panicked! Lily was unconscious for a few minutes and I had to carry her to safety!"

"Okay, I see where you're going with this." A bemused expression was painted across Bon Bon's face; she rubbed the top of her head. "But why did you come to see me? Don't you want somepony more qualified for the job? You know, like Fluttershy?"

"But you're the best when it comes to stopping monsters, right?"

"Wait a second." Bon Bon's muscles all froze in unison, cheeks cold. "Did you—did you just say what I think you said?"

If Bon Bon took one thing away from the Equestrian Monster-Hunting Agency, it was how everypony yearned to keep it a secret. Nowadays, it was the worst kept secret to where even Bon Bon shared a few basic details with her closest friends. How one could even keep such activities hidden didn't make sense to her. But it was tradition for the agency's first fifty or so years; tradition was something ponies always took seriously.

"Is everything okay?" Roseluck asked. She pursed her lips for a moment. "Sorry if I struck a nerve."

"I'll be fine." Bon Bon took a quick breath. "I'm just surprised you knew."

Roseluck nodded. "I promised to keep it a secret."

Squinting, Bon Bon swiveled her head and glared at Lyra once more. "Did you tell her that I used to be in the Equestrian Monster-Hunting Agency? Did you tell her without my permission?"

Lyra blushed, gently kicking the grass with her forelegs crossed. "I kinda blurted it out by accident when I last saw her, but I didn't tell her everything. Plus, she's good with secrets."

"I haven't told anypony else," Roseluck added.

Bon Bon wiped her forehead; she released a relieved sigh, her muscles loosening. "Good. Let's keep it that way."

"Got it."

Trotting forward, Bon Bon glanced back at Roseluck. "And since the cat is out of the bag, what do you need me to do?" She arched an eyebrow. "How many are we dealing with? One? A hundred?"

"I don't know," Roseluck said. "All I know is that it was scary."

"I think I got that part." She paused. Bon Bon then waved at Roseluck. "Say, can you do me a favor?"

"What?" Roseluck shrugged.

"Can you come with us?"

A gasp left Roseluck's mouth, her jaw dropping. "Come with you? Are you crazy?"

"Everypony in this town is crazy, Roseluck."

"But what good am I here? I'm as lost as you are!"

"Just stay calm. I think you giving us more details at the site will be helpful. You can show us what happened more clearly that way."

"Oh." Pouting, Roseluck quickly nodded. "O-okay. I just hope the horrors won't shock you."

"We'll see."

Bon Bon wished she knew what she was exactly getting herself into; a little information wasn't enough. Handling one vampire fruit bat was manageable, but dealing with over a hundred would probably suck the energy out of her before the bats sucked on the apples. However, somepony needed her help. And even if the problem was embarrassing or simple, she couldn't turn her down.

Of all the different locales scattered throughout Ponyville, Sweet Apple Acres was one Bon Bon wasn't too enthused about. It brought one particular memory back to her uninvited, even if said incident didn't take place at the farm. She recalled not apologizing to the Apples for the whole apples in the bag incident. While apologizing wasn't in her blood, something about scoffing at a filly and trotting off with a mountain of apples rubbed her the wrong way.

At least the fresh air swirling around Sweet Apple Acres pleased her nostrils. The leaves crunching underneath her hooves also produced a serene sound as if they were musical instruments. All of the apple trees sprouting from the earth gently swayed in the slight breeze. The apples they bore shone like gemstones, the leaves still affixed to the branches shuffled as the wind flowed past, and the grass was a bright shade of green. Even the soil which made up the dirt path leading to the Apple family's home had a smooth, warm quality to it. Perhaps Sweet Apple Acres had its fair share of soothing features after all.

And aside from two mares huddled around a tree, nothing stuck out or jumped out at her.

Bon Bon shot a glare at Roseluck. "So, where's the swarm of vampire fruit bats?" she asked. She ground her teeth for a brief moment. "Because if these clear skies are telling me anything, it's that there's nothing to worry about."

"I told you, they were somewhere around here," Roseluck said. Her head twisted from left to right; she shrugged. "Maybe they went somewhere else."

"And we're going to comb the entire farm just to find them?"

With tautened cheeks, Roseluck then quickly shook her head. "I never said that."

A sigh left Bon Bon's lips. "Okay." She paced about the dirt path, swishing her tail back and forth. "So then, where do you propose we start?"

"We could always ask those two over by the tree," Lyra suggested, pointing to the scene in question. "I bet they saw the vampire fruit bats."

If finding the whereabouts of the vampire fruit bats was ever going to happen, asking Applejack or any of her family members was the most obvious choice.

There was just the problem of the last time she directly spoke to them. She wondered if Applejack was still bitter about the whole apples in the bag incident.

Bon Bon recognized her abysmal first impression, but she figured Applejack would be willing to share some information with her. She wasn't the kind of mare to hold a fierce grudge as far as she knew. And as for the mare beside her, something about her long and curly mane seemed familiar.

"Okay, we'll go meet up with them," Bon Bon said. She trotted across the grassland, the dew cooling her hooves as she traversed forward. "Follow me, everypony."

Both Lyra and Roseluck nodded in unison, the pair traversing behind Bon Bon. However, Bon Bon's chest tightened a tad as she approached the pair. There was an uncertainty as to how Applejack would respond. Drama was the last thing she needed. And as for the mare next to her, her yellow coat and pink mane didn't belong to any member of the Apple family Bon Bon ever heard of. The mare's wings were also spread out.

It was Fluttershy.

Bon Bon clenched her teeth. Given that Fluttershy was involved, maybe Roseluck was correct all along. It wasn't as though there needed to be a molten wasteland in order to deem something a catastrophe.

A few hoofsteps later, both Applejack and Fluttershy turned to face the trio. They waved with nervous grins; Bon Bon and company responded in kind.

"Hey there," Applejack said. "I think I remember ya."

"You do?" Bon Bon blurted out.

"Yeah, I've seen ya around town a lot. And I couldn't forget when ya had too many apples in your bag. That sure was an awkward moment, huh?"

Blushing, Bon Bon rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, I remember that day as well."

"So then, anythin' I can help ya with?"

Exhaling, Bon Bon wiped her brow. "I assume you've heard about the vampire fruit bats that appeared, right?"

Applejack and Fluttershy nodded.

"We have," Fluttershy murmured. She pressed the tips of her hooves together. "There were a few of them near this apple tree, and I helped get them back to where they needed to be."

"Were they lost?" Lyra asked.

Fluttershy shrugged. "I don't think so. It's not like vampire fruit bats to get lost as a group." She folded her wings and then approached the apple tree, placing a hoof on the trunk. "And they're not even supposed to be in Ponyville at this time of year."

"That's correct," Bon Bon said, rubbing her muzzle for a moment. "And they're only forced out if disturbed."

"You're right." Fluttershy twiddled her mane; her lips were pursed. "But—but when they're disturbed, they only go a few hundred meters at most."

Bon Bon's heart skipped a beat. "What? I thought they went wherever they could."

"Vampire fruit bats only go miles away from their homes when scavenging for food. They also follow a strict schedule and never deviate from it. I understand why you'd think they went wherever they pleased."

"Well, they've broken that schedule from the looks of things." Bon Bon gazed up at the apple tree. Dark, mushy, and rotting fruits dangled above her and churned her stomach at the mere sight of them. A putrid scent burned the hairs in her nose.

Nodding, Fluttershy then donned a grim expression. "And that's why I'm worried."

"Gettin' these vampire fruit bats away was almost too easy as well," Applejack added. "When Fluttershy came by to help me get 'em back to where they needed to be, they packed up immediately. She didn't even have to stare at them. It was as though they wanted to leave." She tapped the ground. "It's never that easy. Somethin' tells me this ain't natural."

"So somepony did this on purpose?" Roseluck asked, squirming. "How horrible!" With a slight frown and shimmering eyes, she trotted up to Applejack and patted her back. "As somepony who knows how tough it can be, I offer you my deepest sympathies."

"Aw, shucks." Applejack smirked and blushed. "But don't worry, 'cause the damage is quite small. I only lost three apples, which is a shame, but it could've been much worse."

"Maybe." Roseluck's lips curled into a faint smile. "At least the problem's behind us now."

"Not exactly," Bon Bon and Fluttershy said together. Making eye contact, the two soon averted their gazes from each other.

With an arched eyebrow, Lyra cocked her head. "How so?"

"Doesn't anypony else think this is a little too strange?"

"Now that ya mention it, I agree," Applejack responded. She pressed her weight against the tree, pouting. "Somethin' just doesn't add up. If the vampire fruit bats were moved here on purpose, then somepony must've had ill intent."

"But who'd do such a thing is the next question," Fluttershy said as a matter of fact. Flapping her wings, a slight and cool gust formed below her as she hovered above the ground. "And why? I can only think of Flim and Flam doing such a thing, and do they even have the means to move vampire fruit bats like that?"

"Flim and Flam might be sneaky, but they don't have the brain power to pull that off."

"How so?"

"They're much more impulsive if anythin'. I've dealt with 'em twice before."

Bon Bon raised her hoof up as though she was in a classroom. "Hold on a second. Maybe we should investigate them just to be on the safe side. They're supposed to be a shady bunch, after all."

"Be my guest." With her eyes peering into Bon Bon's, Applejack assumed a straight posture. "But y'all should keep two things in mind."

"Which are?" Lyra blurted out. "They can't be too bad, right?"

"I'd rather not get involved with them again, especially since they kinda creep me out."

Of the little Bon Bon heard or saw regarding Flim and Flam, the aura surrounding them tickled her coat. It wasn't a comfortable or funny feeling, but rather one which made her hair stand up and send a chill down her spine.

Flim, Flam Fined for Facetious Formula was what the headlines about them typically noted. It was a surprise to almost everypony the brothers still managed to have a business. Bon Bon wouldn't doubt that they'd do anything to get an advantage over somepony, resorting to nefarious activities if they needed to. At the same time, they also behaved like average ponies on most days. The most heinous actions they did were petty crimes.

But why did thinking about them disturb her?

Bon Bon sensed the spine-chilling sensations returning to her, teeth clacking.

"I know what you mean," Bon Bon murmured. "What's the second point?"

"They'll try to trick ya if y'all aren't careful." Applejack sighed. "We fell for a scheme of theirs again after their failed cider business."

"Got it. Thanks for the advice."

"No problem, sugarcube."

"And one more thing." Bon Bon's throat tightened. She'd have to get an apology out there eventually. Now was as good of a time as any to do it. She'd have to make amends for something at some point, after all. "Sorry for behaving so rudely to you at one of your stands some time ago."

Waving her hoof, Applejack cracked a soft smile. "It's nothin' to worry about, but I accept your apology."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." Applejack nodded. "Anythin' else ya need."

Looking back at Lyra and Roseluck, both of them with content expressions, Bon Bon then shook her head. "I think we're good for now."

"And we'll do our best in finding out what happened, too," Fluttershy said. "Write to us if you need anything."

"We'll keep that in mind," Roseluck said.

"Okay." Fluttershy paused for a moment. She donned a sheepish expression and waved her hoof. "Well, take care, everypony. Good luck!"

"Goodbye!" Bon Bon and company shouted.

As the trio trotted away from Sweet Apple Acres, Bon Bon couldn't help but bring her mind back to the mysterious tablet. While the odds of it being connected to the vampire fruit bats reaching Ponyville too early were slim to none, the possibility poked her nonetheless. She pursed her lips and hoped things wouldn't escalate from there.

But this was Ponyville. Fate had a habit of making things worse there.

The sky was colored a light blue. Fluffy, white clouds rested above Ponyville and cast small shadows on the world below.

As Bon Bon glanced at the horizon, she noticed a figure wearing a brown cloak standing from afar. Her blood froze at the sight. The dark fabric flowed like a flag caught in the wind. Everything around the pony-shaped figure was somehow darker than the rest of the world, almost as if by magic. All of the figure's features were perfectly concealed.

Except for the wide, sinister smile she wore.

There was some mingling about the figure, and it wasn't difficult for Bon Bon to see why.

"Um, everypony, can we meet with Princess Twilight now?" Bon Bon asked. Her heart jammed itself into her throat for a second. "I need to talk with her."

"Why?" Lyra questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Are you gonna ask about my book?"

"We could do that." Taking a deep breath, echoing heartbeats reached Bon Bon's ears. "But I need to talk to her about the tablet."

"Did something come up?"

"I think it, the cloaked figure, and the vampire fruit bats are connected."

One mystery just had to be expanded with another one. It was another day in Ponyville.