Hidden Bonds

Silence Broken

The royal Canterlot library seemed even more quiet than usual. Its rows of shelves filled with silent tomes of every subject from magic spells to zebra history. This massive collection of knowledge drew ponies from all over Equestria to its halls of study. Those charged with its upkeep are many and today being Thursday that meant that I was on duty from sunrise till sunset. Inkwell Scroll paced down the long aisle of the Equestrian history section making small mental notes of books that needed to be reorganized later.

“Why is it that I agreed to work Thursday s again; they’re supposed to be the day I do research but instead I’m walking down every hall in this eerie place waiting for someone to come and possibly need help?” He thought to himself as he passed from the section on the three tribes dated B.C (Before Celestia) and into the newer section detailing the founding of Equestria and forward. Inkwell paused in front of a small tome resting eye level near the beginning of the isle; the book became surrounded by a light orange aura as it pulled itself off of the shelf and floated to be in front of Inkwell’s face.

“Equestria: The Golden Age, now that is a title maybe I can write something with a title like that something that just screams ‘you must read this!’.” Inkwell let the thought die down as he placed the book into his left satchel and began pacing more down the aisle. He found many of the books in this part of the history section were covered in thick layers of dust except for one book that was constantly checked out. It was a large tome with an armored ponies head surrounded by five gems. The name escaped Inkwell as he came face to face with the central check out station in the center of the library. Walking around to the side of the circular desk and lifting up the small separator with his head; Inkwell found his pillow still in the same place he had left it nearly an hour ago.

He slumped forward as he sat down letting his satchel fall off of his sides and onto the ground. Opening the left side and levitating the small book from earlier out onto the counter he opens the book with his muzzle and begins to let his eyes drift through the pages. As his eyes fell onto the first sentence he heard a small ding and looked up; his vision zoned in on the small figure in front of the counter with a white satchel detailed with what looked like a pink star that matched the cutie mark on her flank.

“Oh no; I was hoping I wouldn't have to use this today,” Inkwell’s thoughts turned to dust as he readied himself for this checkout. The purple unicorn levitated three large tomes all from the advanced magic section of the library onto the counter and presented a small paper note with her intent to check them out. Inkwell readied the spell and as soon as he began to move his lips the purple unicorn heard Inkwell’s voice or at least she thought she heard it.

“Advanced Teleportation Spells Vol: 2, Magic Theory on Life, and the Legend of the Elements of Harmony. Will that be all today Miss Sparkle?” The purple unicorn nodded and placed the three books back into her bag. Inkwell levitated a the small piece of paper up and double checked the name on the parchment and the titles of the books before signing it with a small quill from beside him. He passed the paper over into the purple unicorn’s magic as Inkwell’s own orange tinted aura was replaced by a pink one and placed into her bag.

“Thank you come again,” he said with a half-hearted smile as she began to walk away from the counter.

“Thank Celestia she left!” Inkwell sighed as he let the spell he had cast drop and the noise that would have seemed to come out of his still moving lips disappeared. With her out of range she wouldn’t be able to pick up on the telepathy any longer. Being mute had its problems and having to constantly deal with ponies was one of them. Inkwell loved to be around other ponies but what he didn’t love was constantly having to strain himself with magic exhaustion to be around them. Telepathy had its appeal to most unicorns but since mind reading was really a tedious act and caused more stress than it was worth most of them left it in their books of study. On the flip side however telepathy could be used to place a voice into someone’s head just as well as it could put someone’s thoughts into your own.

A loud sigh came from his mouth as he flipped the sign on the counter to show he was going on break and levitated his satchel back onto himself. Leaving the central checkout counter behind him Inkwell trotted happily toward the older section of the library that housed the rare books. He came to a small alcove in the back of the section with a small cushion and lamp set up for a scholar or student to read without leaving the area. Inkwell moved the cushion to the side and pressed down on the stone below it to have a small trapdoor spring open behind him. He placed to cushion back into its usual spot and began to walk down the stairs the trapdoor had revealed. The smell of stone and moisture hit his nostrils as he came to the bottom step and looked out to see his small room still tidy and ready for his return.

The small room located a few meters below the library floor had originally been a sort of storage area made to house extra supplies during the famine several hundred years ago, but had long been forgotten until two years ago. Inkwell had been working in the rare book section when he had sat down on the cushion up stairs and when a door from nowhere opens up; well the curiosity nearly killed him. The original room had only a few bales of hay all old and rotten with a barrel of cider nearly turned to some sour and undrinkable concoction from its years of dark and damp storage. The head librarian Tome Keeper didn't know what to do with the room and decided to leave it up to Inkwell since he had been the one to find the place. Now however it was Inkwells home for the time being and with being his home it also became his personal break room. The place had a small bed adorned with red sheets and a mangled pillow that had fallen onto the large circular rug on the ground. The rug was an eye sore but it helped cover up some stains that refused to come from the stone so Inkwell couldn't complain. The bedside table was topped with a random assortment of books from a basic writer’s manual to an advanced guide to sweets.

Inkwell smiled at the cozy little place; it reminded him of home in a strange sort of way. He marched over to the small table and fridge he had been able to sneak in on a weekend of work. He opened the fridge to find sweets and fruit in the first two top shelves and bottles of sarsaparilla on the last shelf. He levitated the remains of a half-eaten lily sandwich onto the table along with a small blueberry muffin and a bottle of sarsaparilla. He began to chow down on the meager meal when he heard the ringing of a small bell above him.

A sigh of disappointment and a staircase later Inkwell was back in the above ground area of the library. Above him he heard a much larger bell ring signaling noon for the city of Canterlot and for him a missed lunch. Trying to hurry as his stomach growled he found the source of his abrupt end to lunch in the form of a grey stallion standing in front of the checkout desk. His saddle bags bore the seal E.R.S (Equestrian Revenue Service) with its gold and silver balance proudly displayed. Marching beside him Inkwell took notice of the gray stallion’s dark black hair and the symbol of a check in a box that adorned his flank. His grey coat was visible only on his lower half; as he wore a very clean and pressed looking jacket and tie; the stallion looked up from the checkout counter to observe Inkwell approaching him.

The professional looking pony extended a hoof in front of him, “You are Inkwell Scroll correct?”

Inkwell extended his right hoof out to meet the questioning ponies own and shook his head. With the hoofshake and meeting requirements done the stallion from the E.R.S reached into his left saddle bag with a hoof and brought a form into the light.

“My name is Census and I am here on part of the Equestrian Revenue Services bi-yearly census for metropolitan and smaller town areas. As such I have been sent to record yours and many other ponies’ information for the upcoming tax season.” Inkwell felt a lump begin to form in his throat at the thought of yet another census. He had been lucky to have had the head librarian cover for him during the last one, but it appeared that this time there was no escape.

“Well Mr. Scroll since I have a train to catch in a few hours we must not doddle,” Census said as he began to trot down an aisle of the fiction section. Inkwell followed and prepared his spell in preparation for the unfortunate meeting and felt his stomach growl in response to his summoning of magic. Census came to a small reading area and sat down on a small green clothed throw pillow with the census form in front of him. Inkwell sat opposite of him ready to answer any of his questions even if not all entirely truthful.

“Now then Mr. Scroll we’ll start with the questioning. Firstly please state your name and current employment position.” Inkwell readied himself for the long and painstaking meeting; wishing that he had been able to grab even a bite of his sandwich.

“Inkwell Scroll currently employed as one of the three assistant librarians to the head librarian Tome Keeper.” Census took out a small quill and ink as he filled in the form with the quill held in his left hoof. The questioning began slow and boring with the most basic of information that was needed but soon fell more into the private area of Inkwells’ life and work.

A few hours passed and finally the last question that Inkwell knew of to be on the form came, “Have you now or ever had a disability that affected your ability to work or live?”

This was always the most difficult question to answer, and it was always the one that Inkwell felt the least guilty about lying on. Shaking his head no and seeing Census fill in the last blank area of the bottom of the sheet sent Inkwell into a pure feeling of release knowing that as soon as Census exited the library he could go back to his now dinner. The gray E.R.S agent stood up onto his hooves and cleaned up what little was left of his forms; placing a majority into his right saddlebag.

“I believe that is all Mr. Scroll thank you for your time and have a nice day.” Census turned and began walking toward the checkout desk in the center of the library; his short black tail barely moving as he walked away. Inkwell felt a sigh of relief coming on as the weight of the day started to shift off as he saw Census just about to exit the fiction section as Inkwell trotted behind him. Feeling that the meeting was over Inkwell let his spell fall away and felt a grin across his face as the thought of cake filtered into his thoughts. Licking his lips in anticipation Inkwell was too caught up in his own daydream of the dessert to hear the loud slam of the library doors being pushed open and echoing throughout the building.

Census froze in place and the daydreaming Inkwell walked into the standing stallions plot and fell backwards onto his own.

“What was that?” Census asked with a sense of worry and anxiety in his voice. Inkwell shrugged and made his way past Census into the clearing of the checkout desk, but he instead saw a pair of Pegasus flying around the upper domed ceiling of the building. A light grey Pegasus with a blonde mane was being chased by a very angry looking jasmine Pegasus with a tiffany blue mane. The pair were in a chase obviously as the grey mare swooped down past Inkwell and made eye contact with him for a moment; or at least he believe she made eye contact with him he wasn't sure which way she was looking. The jasmine one however swooped down and nearly crashed into the cobblestone flooring, but managed to pull up at the last second avoiding a horrible crash; the pairs chase became more eradicate as the grey mare tried to avoid the jasmine mares wrath.

The chase made a nose dive and nearly took Census head off as they flew mere feet over his head. Flying through the aisles and the maze that was the library; a loud thud was head and a voice echoed through the library.

“I just don’t know what went wrong.” Inkwell raised an eyebrow and began to trot toward the source, but as he neared it he began to see bookcases tipping over one by one heading toward the fiction section. Inkwell’s realization came only too late as he heard a howl of pain and galloped toward the source. Finding the E.R.S agent Census trapped under a large bookcase sent Inkwell into a bit of a nervous state.

Census opened his eyes and saw stars as he tried to make out the figure in front of him, his star filled vision became even more blurred and he fell back into unconsciousness. Inkwell attempted to push the large shelf off of him but found it to be of no use. Inkwell began to sweat as his mind raced to find a solution; he was too weak to lift the case himself and those two mares from earlier would be of no use. He had to find help and quick, dashing toward the entrance he exited into the street outside and found the sunlight to sting his dilated eyes. The adrenaline coursing through his system Inkwell inadvertently began casting his spell on ever stallion he could find and in a few moments of frantic mind speak had three guards and a few civilians rushing with him toward the accident.

The extra muscle easily moved the large shelf and the guards quickly rushed Census toward the Canterlot hospital for treatment. The E.R.S agent was badly bruised and had a major concussion but the doctor assured all that he would be fine in a few weeks. Inkwell slipped past the doctors into the room they had placed Census in; feeling guiltier than the two Pegasus that had been found in the library who were now cleaning up the place. Inkwell slowly walked up toward the hospital bed and saw the grey stallion lying there with bandages wrapped around his head and leg in a lift as he quietly rested. Inkwell’s adrenaline rush starting to fall back to its normal level he felt his body sag and sat down on his hind legs beside his fallen questioner.

Census’s eyes began to slowly open as his focus came into view to find the white hospital room with the brown stallion he had been questioning earlier sitting next to his bed.

“What happened?” Census was shocked to find himself uttering the question almost as a reflex to the situation. Inkwell looked up to the find the injured agent looking a bit out of it but still awake. Inkwell still a bit weak felt the last of his reserve magic build up go into his spell as he began to explain what had happened in the library. Census eyes grew large at the utterance of how long his hospital stay would last; and began to struggle a bit.

“I can’t be here for a few weeks! I have to be on the train by tomorrow; if I don’t complete my E.R.S duties they’ll fire me!” Census began to try to escape his bed but was held down by the sitting librarian.

“You can’t leave, you’re too hurt!” Inkwell spoke into Census mind, “If you leave you could get worse especially if you try to travel!” Census stopped struggling and went limp as he resigned to his fate and knew that the librarians’ reasoning was too sound in this case.

“But I need to be on that train. What am I supposed to do if I can’t make my meetings?” Inkwell saw tears begin to form in Census eyes and simply couldn't stand seeing a grown stallion cry.

“Why don’t I finish your meetings while you recover?” No sooner had the question left Inkwell’s lips that Census was shifting forward and wrapping his forelegs around Inkwells neck.

“Thank you Mr. Scroll! Truly thank you! You’ll need to take my bag and be on the train by four O’clock tomorrow morning.”

Inkwell looked over in the chair for the room and took the saddle bag that sat in it, “But what am I…,” Inkwell was cut short as a doctor entered the room and ushered him out.

Frustration built up in Inkwells stomach as he entered back into his room under the library. The long day was ending and with it Inkwell had to show for it was simply an empty stomach and a long job that he regretted taking on immediately. Inkwell lifted himself into his small bed and felt his empty stomach growl, but the weakness in his body kept him in the sheets of his bed. Inkwells eyes closed as he thought and tried to understand his last thought of the day.

‘What have I gotten myself into?’