The Book of Mallory

***A Cardinal Dan Production***

Spike grumbled under his breath as he shuffled across the floor towards another pile of dusty books. In the depths of the Royal Palace in Canterlot, he and Twilight searched high and low for long lost secrets to uncover. Since Celestia and Luna retired, stewardship of the library and the restricted section that rested beneath it fell to Twilight, the new ruler of Equestria. All of that might have been exciting for the princess, but Spike was less than thrilled. With every book he shifted, a cloud of dust rose to his face, causing him to sneeze and cough. Then, as if that weren’t bad enough, there was the occasional spider hiding behind the next book to scare him. “Ah! I hate it here… This miserable, dark, dusty dungeon… Why did I have to come along? Why not Starlight?”

Twilight had her back turned. She was too busy looking through an old tome to even glance over her shoulder. “Starlight is where she needs to be. Besides, she’s not my number one assistant. That honor goes to you, and right now, I need you to assist me in finding anything and everything that would benefit Equestria. Who knows what secrets have been forgotten down here?”

The dragon frowned before turning his attention back to the pile of volumes in front of him. “Lucky me…”

He reached for a sizable text and dusted off the cover. It was as thick as the length of his claws. For the first time, his interest was peaked, but this brief glimpse of excitement was dashed when he read the title. It was nothing more than large collection of maps of the Frozen North.

Disappointed, Spike tossed the book aside. The heavy text hit the side of the book pile beside him, causing it to fall. He tried to step out of the way, but not before a mountain of books came crashing down on him, sending up a great cloud of dust. When everything settled, Spike could see nothing but a colossal mess around him.

“Spike! Spike, are you okay?”

He checked his surroundings before observing himself. Even though he couldn’t see Twilight, he could hear her just fine. “Ye-Yeah, Twilight… I’m alright…” Spike climbed to his feet and dusted off his clothes. As he began searching the surrounding mess for a way back to the princess, his eyes caught a glimpse of a small, red book that had been revealed by the collapsing pile. “I’ll be right over…”

“Alright… Just… be more careful, okay?”

When it sounded as though she had gone back to her work, Spike turned his attention back to the little book. It was small and bound in crimson leather, and unlike every other book in the restricted section, there wasn’t a speck of dust on it. Then, there was the cover.

~Mallory~
~The Lady of Lust~

Intrigued, Spike opened the cover to the first page. What he found surprised him. It was completely blank. He flipped to the next page and found it was blank too. A glance through the rest of the strange book revealed every page was empty. There wasn’t a single entry, let alone a single word to be read. Still, he felt compelled to take it. Whoever this Mallory was, she wouldn’t be needing it anymore.

Spike tucked the diary into the pocket of his hoodie and began looking for a way back to Twilight. A few moments later, having climbed over the mountain of books that had previously fallen on him, the dragon and princess were reunited.

She turned and greeted him with a kind smile. “There you are… You’re not hurt, are you? That sounded like a nasty fall.”

He shook his head before shooting her a teasing look. “Me? I thought you’d be more worried about the books.”

Twilight reciprocated the jab with a firm punch to his shoulder. “Very funny, tipsy.” The two of them laughed for a moment, and all was well. “Anyway… Did you manage to find anything interesting over there, you know, before you caused an avalanche?”

Spike rolled his eyes as he reached for his pocket and the diary within it, but his hand faltered. Instead of taking out the little book, his arms fell to his side, and he shook his head. “No… Sorry, Twilight.”

She actually looked sympathetic, despite his lie. “I didn’t fare to well either… I found a few texts on Equestrian history and spells, but they’re not really life-changeing.” The princess placed a hand on her waist and rubbed the back of her head with the other. “Hmm… Do you want to go back to the palace? I’m ready to call it a day.”

Those words caused a sense of relief within Spike. He’d had enough of the restricted section for a while and was looking forward to some time to himself in his room. There would be no books, no dust, and no spiders, only his own company. “Yeah, Twilight… I’m ready.”

She managed a grin. “Let’s go. If you want, can get dinner at that restaurant you like. You’ve earned it.”

That really put a smile on Spike’s face. He knew the place she was talking about. It was a joint that served dragon-friendly stuff, and it had been his favorite place in Canterlot ever since he was little. “Sure! Just say when.”

Then, the two of them left the restricted section together, climbing the stairs out of the dark vault and up into the library. They’d left everything behind, all but the little crimson diary Spike held tightly in his pocket.

***Up Next: The Lady of Lust***