Rainbow Dash flitted silently into the library window, the only thing illuminating it's chamber being the golden rays of the sun shining through the high window of the dome roof.
She was beginning to become a tight squeeze. Maybe she should stop bringing so many sweets with her to eat as she read. An odd habit that she developed. But, it was still something that eased her stress. It made reading this one book so fun.
Turning to reach back out the window, her shadow obscured most of the library as she grabbed for the basket, dropping it through the window. With a quick reaction, she grabbed the braided handle in her mouth, and began to sink lower, the added weight dragging her down.
Though, it was where she was headed, and it was always cool to look over the vast library.
In truth, as Rainbow Dash had realized, the library was bigger than than the building it sat in. She had made a few measurements on her own, using her hoof steps as a guide, and developed a small system of how many times her wings flapped when she rose. Of course, her measurements have changed, being as she has gained a bit of weight, and she would no longer doubt that the inside was bigger than the outside by now. She had measured it many times, unable to believe it herself.
Rainbow Dash hurried through the many rows of shelves, passing cobwebs and even piles of sand as she went further.
The sand, she would think, was from somewhere else. It was one thing that the library was bigger on the inside, but...It was another that sand came down from the cracks in the roof.
She stopped, her lungs taking it big gulps of air as she looked along the long shelf. Her book was partially out, still. A smile spread across her lips, and she hurried to the medium-thick book, pulling it down into her basket of sweets.
She walked back this time, munching on a cupcake she had stored in the basket. Blueberry, raspberry, wild berry, ruby berry and sapphire berry. The ruby and sapphire berries were an invention of Twilight's own magic. It was originally to make a magical catalyst to reshape and sculpture gemstones, but in the end, the sapphires and rubies were made edible. By Spike's confirmation, they still tasted like the gemstones they were made from, and shortly after, Twilight's new spell went on the market, and gemstone berries seemed to pop up in the more expensive shops. Mainly in Canterlot.
Rainbow Dash bit the last of the cupcake from it's wrapper, and tossed the wrapper in the basket just as a loud clang came from the huge golden doors. She'd heard this before, and was nearly caught by the librarian.
They were opening.
Running in between two rows of shelves, she watched from in between the books as the old alicorn slowly made her way in, the heavy gold doors booming shut behind her.
"Ohhh, another day...", the mare sighed.
She was old. Had many wrinkles, faded grey coat and black mane. There were streaks of grey in her manestyle, as Rainbow Dash had thought were done with dyes and treatment.
The mare was walking down the rows, checking them each, looking for something. Rainbow Dash stuck her head out to see her a good ways down before hiding again. Taking a breath, and letting it go, she calmed herself before checking again.
The librarian was gone.
Rainbow dash had seen this before, and slunk down a bit as a precaution, backing silently into the row between the two long bookshelves. Her hooves didn't even make a noise.
"Hello."
Rainbow Dash startled, let out a cry, and flew out of the aisle, the basket falling behind her, along with the book.
Grabbed by magic, she froze in mid air, a velvet glow clouding around her.
"Oh, I didn't mean to startle you."
Rainbow Dash was released, and she dropped to her hooves, turning around to the alicorn. The magic glow had encompassed the goody basket, and book, replacing the sweets into safety, and holding the book in front of the mare.
Rainbow dash couldn't move. No matter what she thought of, it didn't excuse breaking and entering. She had smashed the lattice in, and made it look as if there was never anything there. She hid the pieces in the bushes after retrieving them.
"I remember this one...", the old mare continued.
"Uh..."
The librarian closed the book, and twisted it to the front, looking at the faded title. It had a gem in the cover, which made it look like something valuable to steal, but, Rainbow Dash hoped that she didn't think that.
"What's your name?"
The librarian looked at Rainbow dash. A smile framed in old, gentle features. Could very easily fool Rainbow Dash into giving away her name, and giving herself to the law. Even then, her name could already exceed her, and this mare know exactly who she's talking to.
"Well?"
"Uhm...I...I'm...R...Rainbow Dash."
The old mare relaxed and Looked the Cyan pegasus over, then back at the book. Setting a hoof on the edge, it began turning to dust.
Rainbow Dash let out a small gasp, and lifted a hoof, leaning forward, as if her attempt would save such a wonderful book.
The rest of the book crumbled away, leaving only the gem that was in the cover. the librarian mare let go of her magical hold on it, and it dropped into her hoof. She inspected it forward and back, obviously seeing something that Rainbow dash didn't.
"Did you like the book?"
"I...Didn't get to finish it..."
"I know. It was a good book when I read it, too. But, the way you reacted...You're not here to steal. You're not here for the dangerous weapons that are the books here. May I share something with you?"
Rainbow Dash didn't reply, only stared at the ground.
"Oh, if it means that much to you, then I will give you the book."
"But you turned it to ash!", Rainbow Dash retorted.
The librarian levitated the gem for Rainbow Dash to see.
"My dear, there is more than one way to read a book."
Rainbow Dash wanted to say something in return, tell her that it's all nonsense, but...she wasn't being harsh. If anything, Rainbow Dash has only yelled at an elder alicorn. And Alicorn bloodlines are royal.
"I'm sorry..."
"It is quite alright. Why don't you follow me?", the mare asked.
The librarian seemed to vanish without disturbing even the light, appearing right behind rainbow dash. She set the goody basket on the cyan pegasus' back, and began down the aisles once again, Rainbow Dash in tow.
"Rainbow Dash..."
"Yes?"
"Do you know how this place works magically?"
"Magically? I think I do. I've found that it is bigger on the inside, than the outside."
"That's because you came in the wrong way."
"...What?"
"There is two ways to get into the library. One, is by the stairs that lead down, from in the middle of a desert.", she nodded towards a pile of gathering sand, "And through the top. But that has been covered by sand for three centuries."
"...So...this place is actually in a desert?"
"A desert far away from Equestria to be exact."
"Then where are we?"
"The grand library of eldest knowledge. Every book ever made exists here. Built by Celestia herself for Luna's return, but spells age. Soon, magic turned against the princess, and the only entrance, is through the top of her library. It had moved."
"Moved?"
The librarian stopped in front of the huge golden doors, and turned.
"See these doors?"
"Yes. They look like gold."
"They are gold. Solid gold. Gold is the most magically in-tone metal there is. Spells work best with gold. They used to be connected with the castle of the royal pony sisters."
"That...was turned to waste a long time ago."
"I know. I still get the newspaper."
"Newspaper???"
"Newspapers were the only exception. I have a copy of every newspaper ever made."
"Well, if you don't mind me asking, do you know of my mother and father?"
"Now, why would I know them?"
"They were..."
"Infamous? I know."
"But you just said..."
"Rainbow Dash, I'm only testing you."
"Testing me for what?"
"More than seventy eight different things. Motherhood included."
"M-motherhood?!", Rainbow Dash stuttered.
"Oh, don't worry. I'm not some creepy old crone who lives in a library. Well, I'm not a creepy old crone who lives in a library, that does weird stuff...Do you get what I mean?"
"Definitely creepy..."
"I know. I've suspected so for a long time."
"How big is this library?"
"Oh...About every kilometer in every direction."
"Wouldn't...Oh, it's magic at work. Wouldn't that be catastrophic, should the magic age too long?"
"Oh, the magic that keeps this place stable has long since perished to entropy. But the reason why the world is not a giant library, is because the walls of this library act as a shell. A shell that will stay up, even if the sun were to go supernova."
"What is this place made of?"
"A very strong material that only Celestia herself could achieve, and that took her fifty three millenia to achieve enough to make the small room this library used to be."
"How...Fifty three millenia is a total of fifty three thousand years. she's only been alive for two thousand."
"To you, maybe, but she is a goddess, and with magic, even time is at her mercy."
"So...there is more to her than anypony would think..."
"Yes, well...I'm afraid this is where your life gets intertwined with much more than just what it is now."
"Afraid? Afraid of what? Why do you keep changing subjects?"
"Rainbow Dash, I'd love to sit here and talk for the next three years, but I'm not somepony to befriend, and visit often. I'm a librarian, like your friend, and I must do my job as gate keeper as well."
"Wait...how did you..."
"Every book in history, and the future, Rainbow Dash."
Rainbow Dash dismissed what she was about to say, and sat on her haunches, looking across the ground, then back at the librarian.
"I keep changing subject, because I wish to give you what you asked for. The book."
"What do you mean?"
The mare set the green gem into a slot on the right door, and it set off blue sparks. Rainbow Dash held a hoof up, but the librarian did not.
"As gate keeper.", she knocked on the door, "I open the gate for those who wish to read their book another way."
The door opened only enough for her to pass through, and she disappeared behind it's giant golden girth. Rainbow Dash hurried in behind her.
When she had gone through, she had walked into a small area. It had a large tree in the middle made of what looked like gold, but, with it's entirety, and branches, the gold would bend over.
"It's brass. Golden brass. Even has some gold in the mix of metal."
Rainbow Dash looked around, seeing no walls, no ceiling. Only a thin walkway that led to the tree of brass and gold, and then encirling it, more walkways leading off to no where. The walkways were paved like a cobblestone street in canterlot, and the tree sprouted from the circle, the cobblestone undisturbed.
"Where are we?"
"The Hall of Doors. Here, you only access the powers that are achieved in this new world. You can enter here at any time, should you use the gem."
"What gem? That green gem you put in the door?"
"The one around your neck."
Rainbow Dash looked down, and to her surprise, spotted the small green prism hanging from a silver loop on a thick chain link necklace.
"Oh...Where did I get this?"
"From when you walked in, it was there."
"So...what do I do exactly?"
"For this story, it requires you to meet your new power first, and continue. Whence you do, you will begin a long story that will take as long as three life times to finish. Maybe even more. Here, you will age, still, and when the time comes, you will see how you will live for three life times. I bid ye farewell, young traveler, and good luck."
After the librarian finished, her horn went alight with magic, and she disappeared.
"Three lifetimes...Like Allamses in the book, only... he never saw a place like this..."
A door creaked open to her right, and she jumped, turning towards the opened door. It was at the end of the first left walkway, and shone no light on the other side, yet looked deeper than the darkness around the small island of walkways.
Taking a deep breath, she smiled, and stood tall before the door. If this was another way to read her story...to live it...then she would.
Rainbow Dash let the door open on it's own, and she took a step forward, hesitating only slightly before breaking into a gallop towards the deep emptiness.
