The sun was high in the sky over Camp Arrowhead, the work season was just coming to a close as the Handicraft Director was busy locking up his black footlocker. “That’s all of it,” he muttered to himself as he checked his watch. “So, if it’s only two in the afternoon and my ride isn’t getting here for another five hours. I think I’ll go for a hike and enjoy the day.”
The tall young man then began down the hill toward the forest trails. The sunlight filtered down through the trees casting a gentle green glow upon the man’s camp uniform. He was wearing a bomber jacket on top of the uniform as well as having various items in his pockets and attached to his belt. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, as he did so he noticed the sounds of the forest and the light upon his face had vanished. “Okay Tanner, stay calm you’ll get through it.” he muttered to himself before he opened his eyes to look out upon a dark blank expanse as words started to form in front of him.
Where do you wish to go?
“I could ask to go anywhere?” Tanner asked in a curious tone.
Anywhere.
“Then may I get sent to Equestria? I would rather be able to spend my days in simplicity,” Tanner stated as he placed his hands upon his hips in a patient manner.
You may take one object already of your possession with you.
“Then I will say that I want my footlocker, locked and sealed the way it is.” Tanner said, “That is assuming that what I’m currently wearing doesn’t count toward that one object?”
You are correct, and due to the usefulness you see within the contents of that footlocker. You will be starting somewhere less than satisfactory. You may only place it from its condensed state once.
With that the scenery around Tanner changed into that of a forest. He felt something in his hand, finding it to be a small rubber ball with what looked like his footlocker within. “Okay, first things first, figure out my rough location and then set up camp.” he muttered to himself as he took a glance around. To his left the ground went upward toward a mountain peak that could be seen through the trees. To the right the land went downward and the trees denser. Tanner then worked quickly, using his right hand he pulled his phone out of his pocket putting it into airplane mode and dimming it to conserve power, while his left hand put the ball with his footlocker into his coat pocket. Next, his left hand reached for the radio at his hip and turned it off as he pocketed his phone with his right.
Tanner then started walking forward, his task of setting his electronic devices to save power complete. As he moved along through the trees a smile crept upon his face as he thought about how it was a totally different sun shining down upon him. He listened to the area around him for the sounds of a creek, yet all he heard was the jingling of the keys attached to the carabiner on his belt. Frowning, Tanner grabbed the keys to silence them, taking them off the carabiner and stuffing them into his tight front pocket.
The sun then had lowered to the point it was able to shine into the man’s eyes past the brim of his hat. “I should probably start setting up a camp for the night,” Tanner muttered to himself, raising a hand in defiance of the light in his eyes. He started walking forward once again, hoping that his lack of hearing from being around construction sites would be enough to hear a creek. He soon happened upon a small and pleasant clearing, “Good a place as any that I’ll find tonight.” Tanner pulled out the rubber ball with his footlocker within and gently tossed it upon the ground, with a whoosh of air it became his footlocker in its fullest.
His hands then set about the practiced motion of grabbing his keys and opening the locker. With the last few hours of daylight Tanner worked diligently on setting up a simple and efficient camp site.
Booksalot sat at a table within the Belfry in lower Canterlot, before him laid a book of magic for beginners. “One thing I hate is having to relearn magic every time I step outside.” he muttered to himself.
The goat’s coat was the color of dirty cream, and his cloudy, unfocused eyes were the color of dead salmon. To the casual observer it might appear that he was being led by the burgondy lunar mare at his side as he approached the table. “Please excuse the low light, we like the dark here. I have come across a most vexing artifact, Librarian.”
“Did you watch me come out of my Library?” Booksalot asked curiously as he set the book aside with his magic and a smile.
“This card.” The goat flipped the card for only the briefest, guarded moment. “I know every card from my deck. I remember every deal and every pony, and every attempt to escape the price of their own desire. This card is a mystery to me. It does not belong. It portends ill, that much I can see clearly.”
The Goat produce a mixed deck of tattered cards in one cloven hoof, effortlessly flipping the top card onto the table. “The Carnival of Sin. A shadow descends over Decanter. What is coming cannot be stopped. What and who comes after must heal the soul of Equestria. I must know where this card came from.”
The tri-colored maned unicorn looked at the card and gave a small chuckle, “You should consider yourself lucky that an item of the Dreamscape decided to let you hold onto it for so long. Especially with one from a Nightmare.” and with that Booksalot then took a sip from his glass.
The goat swept a bottle of bitter ale in his cloven hoof and took a long drought. :”I assume you are aware of the recent… fractures in our history?”
“The History section in my library grew three shelves, and the unsolved artifact search book grew thicker with more artifacts to find.” Booksalot says calmly, “In short it added to my work load, not like Celestia or Luna are giving me any more bits for the extra work though.”
“My sympathies. I charge dearly for my work. The cards will take their own cost. Let those ponies who wish to bend fate pay, and pay dearly.” The Goat nodded calmly. “I was approached by a changeling filly. A proto-queen. She grieved for a human who died in a coma-dream before he ever set eyes on Equestria. She wished to undo death. The cards set their price and she paid it.”
“And then what happened?” Booksalot asked as if he knew something about the story he was being told.
“The cards called the pieces into place. A unicorn prodigy set on revenge. A displaced element of laughter born of a living nightmare.” The goat sighed. “All to set up Discord’s grand joke on the court of Celestia. His counter for the shining Silver Prince. Two lost souls were brought back into our world. One twisted in the image of chaos. And it seems they were not the only ones to escape from the chains of destiny.”
“Hey don’t look so down the ending gets so much… “ Booksalot stopped and laughed nervously, “Spoilers, I can’t say them. Anyways what do you want me to do with that Card? I could easily put it into my Library within a case that will suit it.”
“You presume much Librarian.” The Goat replied coolly holding the card in the air with one cloven hoof. “Let it be the providence of the writing between the walls.”
// Another favor? There’s no reason to ask what you’re willing to pay at this point, William.
The words were gone as soon as they had appeared, and the card with them. “Do you think there is any kind of happy ending to the path that card marks? Ponies and their rainbows. The shadows of fate strangle your rainbows in their cradle, Librarian.”
“Then let some other pony worry about finding those rainbows.” Booksalot stated simply, “And what I can tell you is that everything eventually gets better after they’ve been at their darkest.”
“Optimism is a luxury that can be ill afforded in the shadows of your shining city.” The Goat muttered in annoyance. “The ponies of Upper Canterlot will suffer little until the end of it. And then for you it will be rainbows. Equestria will have need of healing, it is the youngest who will need this most. Find your maker Librarian.”
“I believe in knowledge and facts young Goat,” Booksalot said as he finished his drink. “and I will be the one to bring the knowledge back when everything goes to Tartarus. Now what is it that you know about the man that saw me across the Multiverse and deemed me his OC?”
“He taught the foals of his world from his camp.” The Goat carelessly flipped a card revealing a baboon pitching a tent amid a gaggle of monkeys. “You will find him in his camp in the mountains of foals.”
“Why should I go and find him? He likes solitude, if he chose to come here it’s because he doesn’t want to deal with the rest of his kind.” Booksalot asks.
“Billy,” the burgundy lunar pegasus returned, speaking in an urgent hush. “The stage is set, the curtain goes up and we’re on in five.”
“My time is valuable Librarian.” The Goat rose easily and turned to leave. “You might as well ask why you should breath. I have no time to answer that question either.”
Booksalot nodded in understanding before he rose to his hooves and he picked up the Beginner's Guide to Magic in a slight flaming aura, “We shall speak again I’m sure. Just leave a note with Zilla if I’m not in and I’ll come as quickly as I can.” With that the elder unicorn trotted on out the door of the Belfry and toward the train station.
