My most faithful student; Twilight Sparkle,
Enclosed with this letter is a package containing several books from my personal private library from our castle in the Everfree.
I truly hope you enjoy the reading but please, don't forget to enjoy your friends' company as well.
I look forward to hearing of your thoughts on some aspects of our past that are unknown to ponykind.
Your teacher and friends always,
Princess Celestia
"Wow," Spike chimes after he finished reading the letter as Twilight ripped open the wrapping and tore the box in twain, catching the books as they fell, looking intently at them. "The princess is giving you some of her personal books to read, should I put on some tea?"
Twilight acknowledged him with a nod as she levitated the books around her and squinted as she tried to read some of the titles. "Alicornese, I've studied it some but I'll have to read a book on how to read these books," she mumbled before she giggled and sat on her haunches and clapped her hooves. "A book on Alicornese! They thought of everything. Spike," she called to the kitchen, "I'll be in my loft reading. No interruptions."
"Yeah, yeah," he called back.
Twilight didn't register his answer as she trotted up the stairs with her books and placed them in a small stack on the floor by her bed as she crawled up and curled comfortably levitating the first book to her, laying it and reading the title out loud slowly.
"History of magic in the second age; a cautionary reference."
"Ooo, this' gonna be good. Where's that reference guide?" she asked herself as she lifted the books around her and scanned the titles looking for the one. Seeing it she smiled wide and placed it on top of the history book and opened it, scanning the first pages with detailed interest; taking in every word.
She glanced to the window and looked at the morning sun then closed the curtain almost all the way so only a few beams of light filtered in and warming her flanks as she began to read.
She didn't notice as Spike came and delivered her tea and a few small sandwiches before asking if he could go out and play. With a disinterested agreement she let him go as she turned the page and sighed. "Spike, I need my tea. Oh, nevermind Spike. I have some here," she called and returned to her book. Levitating her tea to her mouth she sipped it as she read until it was gone, then she returned it to the tray and took a sandwich. Two bites later she returned it too to the tray.
Twilight finished the third book and yawned mightily as she looked around the area. The sun had risen again and she had read for a full day and night, again. She chuckled to herself and called to Spike. "Spike, I did it again. Can you watch the library while I go to sleep?" she called out loudly as she turned the bed down and crawled in falling fast asleep without waiting for a reply.
She awoke and sat up smiling calling a book to her right away and opening it to the page she left off on. The sunlight was peering through the curtains annoying her so she closed the completely. Looking up and around the sunlight was coming in all over so she placed the book down, saving the page with her hoof, as she closed all the curtains and locked all the doors. "Spike, no interruptions. I'm reading and have to finish this to report to the Princess. Thanks."
"The History of Magic in the First Age Through the Fifth Age; A Concise History," she read aloud as she turned to the page she had saved. "Page 78 out of 1,945, and that's just the first volume!"
Giggling again she yawned and began reading softly to herself as she flipped pages. Feeling her magic growing she raised an eyebrow and refocused her energy to a controlled level.
Twilight woke up in her bed with a jolt, sitting up quickly and gasping. She'd had a startling dream where she was riding a wave of black magic. As it crashed around her she had awakened to the darkness of her library.
"Spike, what time is it? Where are you, I did it again. I fell asleep reading, can you make me some tea and sandwiches?"
She lit her horn with a light spell and a blinding light filled her eyes causing her to squeak before cancelling it and opting to open the curtains. Her horn lit again this time the curtains took a purple hue before shuddering but staying closed. "What's going on?" she asked herself. Thinking possible reasons she got out of bed and to the curtains. Placing a hoof against the she pushed the curtains and screamed as the sunlight broke in and across her face.
The brightness was blinding and not what she expected. Of all the days and nights she'd spent reading in excess she'd never been harmed by the light like she was this time. She backed away from the curtains that had resealed and protected her from the light of the sun.
"S-Spike~?" she called in a haunting moan as she backed to her bed and tripped over a book. She had never been so scared in the protective area of her library in the months since she'd moved in. She turned to the tea and sighed levitating the carafe and pouring herself a cup and taking a sandwich.
"A little food and tea always help, then I can figure out what's going on."
She took the sandwich to her mouth and bit into it. The sweet flavor was almost too much as she chewed. It was soft and warm and had a flavor she couldn't identify. Sipping the tea it was still warm and sweet like the sandwich, she couldn't drink it fast enough. Refilling her teacup and taking another sandwich she took a bite of the delicate snack her number one assistant had made and hummed a little as she swallowed.
"Ah, just what I needed. Spike? Are you here?" she called as she carefully lit her horn and cast an orb of light that made her eyes sting. The orb floated to the ceiling and lit the library.
Looking to her sandwich and tea she retched and dropped them, hopping back as the cup shattered on the floor. The sandwich was moldy and full of worms, maggots were crawling across the green moldy bread and the tea in the cup that had just shattered was as thick as jelly.
Retching and clutching her chest she averted her eyes and began to hyperventilate as she looked around the rest of her library. The books were in poor shape, some crumbling from age, others still in pristine condition thanks to spells. There was a fine layer of dust across most of the floor space and she saw a single candle lit at the doorway leading outside.
Focusing on that she quickly trotted to the door and looked at the candle and huffed through her snout blowing it out. Darkness began to fill the room as he orb of light faded.
The candle relit and a scroll appeared from it in a green burning flame that erupted. Standing in place she took it in her magic and unrolled it and began to read.
Dearest Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student.
You have been given one of the wrong books. If you read it do not do so aloud or you may cast a spell that may have unintended consequences. If you do cast a spell please contact us, Luna and I, as soon as possible so we may aid your recovery. Most likely Spike will give you this letter shortly after you get the package so please write us back to let us know you're safe. We will send a royal guard to take the book back to us.
The book is titled "Sthgnik Norcila fo Sesruc" and must be returned post haste.
Thank you for understanding and be well.
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna
Twilight thought back and didn't recall reading a book with that title yet or even receiving one with that title in Alicornese or modern Celestian. Even the rarely used Lunarian language wasn't more than a few lines in one of the books and even then it was a reference to a favorite snack of the sisters immortal. Cakes.
Twilight looked around the room and sighed. "Anything I could write with isn't going to be usable in this place. I hope Ink and Quill is open."
She focused her arcane magic and tried the door only to feel the energy drain away, this time it was almost tangible. She took a shaky breath in and walked around the candle and it's magic light and glanced to the wall.
"No shadow," she whispered as she looked intently to the wall. The dancing flame cast its light but didn't offer her a shadow. Gulping she looked at her hooved, legs, flanks. Everything was there and normal. "What. The. Spell is happening?! SPIKE?" she screamed as she reared and pressed the door, grunting as she heaved.
She stopped and coughed lightly and blushed as she looked to the lock and door handle. Landing on all fours she took a step over and unlocked the door with her hoof then bit on the handle offering it a slight turn and push to open it.
The sunlight shone in and burned her coat making her scream and gallop back into the safety of the darkness. She could smell a sweet scent of flowers and honey. Looking to her side she saw a burn smoking and healing quickly; the scent was her own charred flesh. She felt her insides tremble and her mouth salivate indicating what would happen next. She turned and tried to gallop to the bathroom but only made it a few lengths before she began to vomit.
A thick black resin poured from her mouth and began to firmly stick together. To her horror it moved and turned slightly as a stalactite formed under her. Backing up she retched again spitting the last of this brown goo from her mouth onto the floor and screaming louder than she ever had before, staring at the pile that slowly melted into a puddle on the floor.
She felt her head swim and she stumbled back only to hear a low growl coming from the door behind her. She froze in place, too afraid to look at what was behind her. A scent of bitter coffee filled her sinuses. She looked around and saw smoke filling the room, quickly.
"Fire! Spike, help me put it out. Get some water," she cried turning to her rear and gasping.
A dragon was looking into the doorway blocking the light of the sun. Staring at her the almost black silhouette took in a breath and spoke.
"Twilight, is that you? Ha! At long last the door has been opened. Are you well?"
"W-who are you? How do you know my name? What's happening? Is this a trap or something? I know the Princesses, you'd better let me out."
"Twilight, it's me Spike. Do you know what's happened?"
"Don't try to trick me, my Spike is just this big," she motioned with her hoof his height as she took an aggressive stance, "and if you're telling me you hurt him or any of my friends I swear you'll pay."
The dragon lowered his head and let a guttural whimper as he moved back letting the sunlight return.
"It has been a very long time. Ponyville has long since vanished to time and the world you knew is no more."
"Yeah right, let me go. You're doing something to keep me in here and I want out."
"Twilight, you can not leave until the sun is at dusk or dawn. The world is too hostile for you otherwise. I remained here to await the time you would open the door to our home and rejoin us, but the time has not been kind to the world," the dragon said softly but still loudly.
"Prove it, let me out and show me the world you're talking about."
The dragon groaned and turned blocking the sunlight.
"Then come, under my body and let me see you while you see the world as it is now."
Twilight stood again but readied an attack spell just in case as she walked to the dragon. Taking a step outside she coughed and began to sweat as the dragons color came into view. Purple and green. She looked at him for a second before she cast a darkness spell around herself instead. The spell took hold and blocked the sunlight from harming her. Her body cooled and she looked around.
"Scorched earth? But how?" she asked softly.
"Celestia and Luna were turned to stone during a rebellion led by Christalis and Discord. The sun and moon began to act strangely and then stopped moving regularly," he stated looking to the land as far as he could see. "You cast a spell Twilight. Several hundred in fact by Luna's count, by reading aloud from a book."
He chuckled as she looked around the barred sandy terrain and up to her once dragon. "Why am I still alive? What happened? Why," she asked beginning to weep softly. Tears left her eyes and stung her cheeks as she turned and galloped back inside the library.
The temperature returned to normal and she could breathe breaths that she didn't notice were heavy with the air outside. She fell to her belly and cried for what felt like an hour as Spike watched from the doorway.
"You, you stayed all this time for me?"
Spike nodded as she stood and dried her tears.
"So, I read spells from a book that probably stopped or slowed time in the library," she said starting to pace and think about what happened, "then I guess I might be dead or something but I still ate food," her stomach cramped as she fought the memories that had just transpired.
"Ugh, then I cast magic but it's not really working. Maybe I changed my magic type from common to dark magic," she said tapping her horn. Focusing on creating a living book she began to feel a giddy happiness building in her chest and her heartbeat throbbed in her chest. A dark green glow filled the room and a spell leapt from her horn as a warm happiness flooded her mind striking a book.
The book fluttered from the bookshelf and began to fly around the room then aimed for the door. Spike took a breath and breathed a directed flame at the book turning it to ash as Twilight chuckled.
"Now I understand why they all were so happy and willing to use dark magic Spike. It feels good. Better than common magic, it felt incredible."
She looked to the doorway and sighed. "I have to go back or undo this somehow. Did she say what the book was called? The title she gave me didn't make sense."
"Curses of the Alicorn Knights. It's a book in a book, chapter forty seven, if I recall."
Twilight's ears perked up and she turned, galloping to her loft and for the books. "Still in pristine shape, thank Celestia for preservation magic."
She opened the last book she read, "The History of Magic in the First Age Through the Fifth Age; A Concise History," and flipped through the pages and noticing all the spells she had inadvertently cast. Rubbing her snout she cursed herself and flipped to the back pages. "There has to be a counter spell or something in here. A dispel or anything," she mumbled as she flipped to the index.
Reading for hours on end didn't tire her this time. She read until the sun had set and the moon had risen. She opened the curtains and looked out for a few minutes to see Spike laying at the other side of the library on a field of gems and crystals that sparkled like stars themselves as far as she could see.
Returning to her books she read for several more days nonstop without tiring before she threw the last book over the balcony and began to stomp and scream in a tantrum.
She stopped when the library trembled from Spikes movements to the door. "I'm fine Spike, just upset. Couldn't find anyway to undo this. Any ideas?"
Spike hummed as he thought before shrugging in the moonlight. "Free the Princesses."
"How am I supposed to do that Spike? They're in Canterlot."
Spike groaned and rolled onto his back and began scratching his belly. "They're on your upper balcony. I thought you'd seen them."