Ageless: Part I

Ageless

 

Day -361,715 in Equestria:

I realized the moment it fell into the fissure that the book would not be destroyed as I had planned.

It continued falling into that starry expanse of which I had only a fleeting glimpse.

I've tried to speculate where it might have landed, but I must admit that such conjecture is futile.

Still, the questions about whose hands may one day hold my book are unsettling to me.

I know my apprehensions might never be allayed, and so I close - realizing that perhaps the ending has not yet been written.

  ...

 >You wound up the scroll and left it on the desk, the magic of your horn resting your feathered quill beside a stack of parchment.

 >A slow chuckle rolled across the room as shadows played against candlelight.  It was a sound you had grown accustomed to, and a gravelly voice followed.

 "He won't be what you expect."

>His voice carried the same playful, wizened tone as always.  You learned to ignore his baiting words years ago, but tonight had you curious.

 >"So you saw who it is then?"

>He let out a humph.  Lazily, you turned your ragged head towards the discontented sound.

"I'm damned to, you know that.  Time is an irrelevant factor for me."

>Shrugging the comment off, you questioned further.

>"What will he be like?"

>You only elicit another dark laugh.

"That, would be telling."

>You sigh, knowing he won't tell you anything. It's too fun for him to tease you, and he seldom gets that anymore.

>But he did give you an idea.  Pulling a new piece of parchment from the stack, you lay it flat.  Using the magic from your horn, you reach out for your less extravagant quill.  It was bone-tipped rather than full feathered, and suited you for more fine-detailed works outside of writing.  As you idly dabbed it into the inkwell, you utter a single word.

>"Time."

>The the tittering around the room stops.  Whenever he was quiet, he was curious.

>"Time will tell."

>Moments pass in silence, eventually ending with a simple, disregarding 'hmph' from the other.

>With that, you began striking the first lines on parchment.

>You had a blueprint to make.

 

 

 

Day 4 in Equestria:

>Twilight invites you to come to Canterlot with her.

>Talk to the princesses, discuss sciences and history of humanity (while keeping it clean as possible), yada yada.

>Celestia and Luna giggle at your explanation of Homo Sapiens.  You wear the pained  face of a man seen idiocy eternal.

>One day during your stay, Twilight asks for help with some of her studies.  She needs you to help catalogue new additions to the library, check the condition on some old ones, redo any fading ink on informational pages, etc.

>Sounds like an easy enough job for a magical pony.  Why would she need help?  Curiosity gets the better of you, so you agree to assist.

Twilight:"Great! Meet me in the Canterlot Grand Library after breakfast!"

>Grand Library, eh?  Well, ponies aren't exactly that inclined to writing because of hooves, right?  It can't be that bad.

 

IT'S THAT FUCKING BAD.

>It looks like nearly every single unicorn in the history of Equestria thought it would be a great idea to write some shit on paper with their little magic horns.

>And you get to play cleanup.  Lovely.

Twilight: "You can start your work in the A's and work your way to the Ae's."

>"Ae's?"

T: "Yep!  That should be a good start."

>She's pretty matter of fact.  You realize that just a letter in this library would take a lifetime to begin reading, and you're just checking the front pages.

>Challenge most definitely not accepted.

 

>You set to work checking the information pages.  Each book has an added timestamp list to it with summations and other useful data on the book on the next page.  You check for book damage, faded ink, etc.  Most books are in pristine condition.  Must be the magic used in making them or something.  Looking at the timestamps of when they were last checked astonishes you.  Some are relatively recent, some texts haven't been checked in centuries.

>You wonder if these ancient texts having such massive gaps in checking is proof of being useless, or proof of the library being so vast, that even honored literature can be neglected.

>You check the cover.

Acorn Sentience: A Study.

>Whelp.

 

>Day 2 of helping Twilight.

>The Library of Alexander doesn't have shit on this place.  Nothing does.

>Yesterday's acorn mishap had you worried that you're digging through a bunch of awfully old, useless tomes, but a chat with Twilight proved enlightening.

Twilight: "Oh, don't worry about that.  This library keeps a copy of every book Equestrian royalty has ever been able to lay their hooves on!  There's every genre here, but a massive focus was put on magical study."

>"Magical Study?"

T: "We don't have 'Science' as exactly as you describe it in a lot of our studies.  We certainly have what you would think of as scientific inventions, but our methods of determining things, of understanding things, is a bit different when there's a possibility of magical nature.

>"Go on."

T: "Well, you know the 'Scientific Method' you were talking about?  We have something like that in magic, too.  When we want to know about something, we feel it out.  With magic.  We do a bunch of rudimentary  stuff, sure, anything you would normally to for observing an object or entity, but there's also a layer of magical reaction that needs to be studied."

>"Interesting."

T:"Oh it really is!  We need to see how things react to magical stigma.  How they feel and respond to all sorts of magic.  It tells us more about what the nature of an object or entity is, and it tells us more about what that thing is capable of."

>"Capable of?"

 

T:"Mhm!  In fact, that acorn study you brought up is one of our most in depth examinations!  We've found out all KINDS of things about acorns and what happens when you alter them by magical means.  It's one of the most important studies to farming we have today!  Acorns were found to respond in kind to a Unicorn's wishes.  There are ways to tend the seedling as it grows.  Make it grow up in a pattern or tell it how high the trunk should be.  Where the leaves should start.  'Talk' to the grown seed about bearing fruit or when to start conserving itself for winter.  Some of the most magically enhanced Unicorns could even manage to CHANGE a seed!  Make it bear different fruit than the mother plant!"

>Twilight gets a bit misty eyed.

T: "I can only hope to get to that kind of level of magical understanding one day.  Through study!"

>Hot dam, didn't see any of that coming.  You thank Twilight for explaining, and feel a little embarrassed about your previous disposition to the book.

T: "Any time, Anon.  If we're going to get your history, the least I can do is tell you ours!"

>Back to work.  Acrid Breath Syndrome in Dragons.  Additive Magicks: Diminishing Returns on Low Rank Spells.  Aegis: A Study of Longevity in Royals.

>You're curious about how far the studies can go, so you take a peek to the far end of your current work area.

>Androgynous Species and Their Effects on Equestria

You will not check this book.

 

>Day 3 of helping Twlight.

Books.

Fucking Books.

>So mAny.  Too mAny.  You cAn't possibly stAnd Any more of these AnnAls And ArbitrAry.

Stop that.

>Just because you've been staring at A's for days doesn't mean they're all capitalized.  At least you're nearing the halfway point.  Of course, every book you check gets you within closer proximity of Ol' Androgy.   You swear that book's been giving you funny looks from the end of the shelf.  Twilight's been looking at you funny, too.

Twi:"Anon, why don't you just use the desk closer to the end of the shelf you're working on?  You don't have to keep moving back over to the start of the A's every time."

>Crane neck.  Look her dead in the eye.  Sweat dripping down your neck.  Eyes tinted red from late nights.

>"It's better this way."

 

>As you continue your work, you draw dangerously closer and closer to the end of the shelf.  Pulling your next book out, you note the difference in texture to previous ones, not to mention the considerable weight.  Setting it down, you run your hand over the cover.

>Holy crap this thing is old.  OLD OLD.  At least a fucking millennium.  You're no expert, but from the time you've spent in the library, this book is by far the most ancient looking thing you've seen.  The writing is in old Pony style, the spine is encrusted with gems, and the cover has golden filigrees set on a fine leather.

>Leather?

>The fuck is this.

"Hey, Twilight?"

>You flag her down from behind her fortress of books.  Somewhat frustrated due to her workload, she takes her time to get to you.  You decide to flip some pages of the book while you wait for her, noting that none of them are damaged in the slightest.

"This book seem out of place to you?"

>"Was it in alphabetical order?"

"Yeah"

>You step to the side as she reaches the table.  Raising the book up with magic, she inspects the title.

>"Then I don't see what could be so wrong.  It's just a book on-"

>She flips the book closed to read the cover.

>"AMNIOMORPHICS! AAAAAAH!"

>Twilight proceeds to start flailing about like a madpony.

>Wat.

>The heck does Amniomorphics mean and why are her jimmies all rustled?

 

>You grab Twilight, getting getting lightly bonked a few times by marshmallow strength legs for your efforts.

>It takes some time, but you manage to calm down her noodle arms and ask her to explain.

"So why the heck is this book bound in leather?"

>"What? That's Hydra leather!  Did you think? No!  No no no, back then Hydras were much more common and far more fierce of a problem.  Equestria hasn't always been the safest of places, and ponies weren't that secure in it to begin with.  No love was lost between them and town-wrecking carnivores like Hydra.  Hydra are mythical beasts, though, and their hide holds magical property.  Whenever one was managed to be beaten in battle - self defense mind you - the leather could be used to create incredibly durable items through enchantment.  One of the more common uses was for books in order to keep old tomes like this one from falling apart, which is EXACTLY WHY I'M PANICKING!"

>Talk about your fountains of knowledge.  

>You don't get it, though the book's in perfect conditio-

T: "BUT IT'S IN THE WRONG PLACE!  You can't have a book in the wrong place, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE PLACES!  If it's here, what's there?!"

>Well know you're confused all over again.  It's perfectly placed alphabetically.

T:"But it's in the wrong wing!  Don't you get it?  That tome is on Amniomorphics!  It was written Starswirl  the Bearded himself!"

>"Starswirl?"

 

T:"Starswirl the Bearded.  He was one of the greatest - if not THE greatest - unicorns versed in the ways of magic in all of Equestrian history!  Amniomorphics was a hobby of his, but he wrote all /kinds/ of things.  Starswirl could tap into the powers and possibilities of an object with magic like no pony has ever been able to replicate.  In fact, the very foundations of magical research can be found in his early writings!  Every single one of his texts is considered a relic of EXTREME importance - and this one isn't in his wing!"

>"Well where's the wing?"

T:"Across the Canterlot Royal Gardens from here.  This is just the general research and literature building open to the public.  Scrolls and texts written by the most important ponies are all kept in their separate wings under lock and key.  Oh, this is a disaster!"

>You take a moment to register that.  You just took 3 days to get halfway through the A's of this library, and this is just the area open to the public.

>"How big are these wings?"

T:"Oh they vary, but I'd say on average they're roughly a third of the size of this place."

>And how many wings are there?

T:"About fifty, if you're only counting Pony authors."

Fucking Ponies.

 

>Well Twilight seems capable enough to handle this.  She knows the Canterlot Archives better than anyone, she can take it to the Starswirl Wing.

>This, apparently, was a horrible suggestion.

Twilight: "Are you CRAZY?!  I couldn't possibly take that book to the archives right now!  I've got way too much to do cataloguing all these new entries while you check the old ones as is!  Even if I did have time, there's no way I'd risk moving that thing myself!"

>"Why not?"

T: "Protective magic or not, that book is OLD.  I wouldn't put my hooves or mouth anywhere near Starswirl's work."

>"Use magic...?"

T:"And risk counteracting the protective spells put on over a thousand years ago?  No thanks."

>Twilight huffs and slouches to the ground.

T: "We'd need something far less crude than hooves to move this book.  Something delicate.  Something to keep a firm hold on it from multiple angles without applying too much pressure.  But what?"

> Man your head itches. Might as well let out a scratch while you think of a way to help Twilight.

>She's uh, staring at you pretty intently.  You can't imagine what could possibly so int-

Oh fuck.

>Never has a person shoved their hands so swiftly into their pockets.

 

Twilight: "Anon..."

>"No."

T: "Could you.."

>"No."

T: "But those hands of yours are perfect for"

>"No. No. A thousand times No.  By the gods above and horrors below No."

T: "Pleeeeeaaaase?  I'm really in a bind here, and I need your help!  There's nopony else around!"

>Dem eyes...

>"Fine."

T: "Oh thank you thank you thank you!  Here' take this sigil to prove you're working for Celestia and the library - you'll need it to gain access to the archives.  Put the book back in its place.  EXACTLY in its place, and meet me back here."

>That almost sounded like a threat.  Looking down at the sigil, you notice two things.  One, its engravings are amazingly detailed.  Two, it's heavy as hell since it's made entirely out of gold.

>"You ponies must take your archiving seriously to have a gold sigil like this."

T: "Hm?  Well I do, but what's so important about gold?  It's just shiny.  Silly Anon, well, back to work!"

Ponies.

 

>Walking back over to the table with the Amniomorphics text on it, you can't help but feel a little worried.  You stare the book down for a good thirty seconds before Twilight nags you about how time is of the essence.

>Alright Alright.  You reach a hand in for the book...

>Time to mosey.  Book carefully wrapped into in your hands and arms, Twilight's gaze burning into the back of your skull, you head out of the public section of the library and towards the gardens.

>So far so good.  Got a book.  Walkin in a garden. Got a big gold sigil in your pocket.  Smooth sailin.

>You've been able to spy the top of the Canterlot Archive's Wizard section since you first walked into the gardens.  Fancy enough place.  Nice big sun thing on top of it - a common theme in the royal palace - a tower, and a large entry hall beneath it.

>Of course the building wasn't the only interesting thing nearby.  The Royal Canterlot Gardens were a spectacle to hold on their own.  All types of flora arose, and the garden was the living place of several fauna as well.  In particular, you'd seen Philomena, Celestia's Phoenix, fly around the area several times.  Probably likes the area, but you wouldn't doubt it if the Princess wanted to keep an eye on the garden's... newest addition.

 

>Discord.  Ever since his second "disruption", Celestia had him moved to the inner gardens so that nothing could possibly interfere with his imprisonment.  Understandable enough, but it still creeped you out now and again.  A living being - an immortal even - trapped in stone?  Sounded like something straight out of a fable.  Something a little unbelievable.

>Oh god here comes that bush.  You know that bush.  You've been freaked out by that bush since you started your stay here in Canterlot and had to walk at night through the gardens to your quarters.  You hate that god dam bush.  It's not so much the bush itself, it's what's behind it.

Him.

>Stone or not, Discord is fucking scary to walk past.  Arms stretched out in panic, that one look of horror etched permanently on his face.  Those eyes.  Those stone dead eyes.  Forever set in place, one dilated more than the other.  You always make a point to stay out of the "evil eye" cone of the statue's vision as much as possible.  Shuffling past quickly, you can't help but look back once you're pa

>JESUSFUCKHESLOOKINGATYOU.

>GO GO GO GO GO GO

You trip.

The book goes flying.

 

>You think back to your childhood.

"Hey Anon, want to come play catch with us?"

>Only thing I'm catching is Pokémans.

"Aw come on it'll be fun!"

>Nope.  

>Should have done sports in school, Anon.

>Gravel rolls off of your stomach as you manage to get up to a crouch.

>Book has already hit apex and is plummeting to the ground, pages twirling as they catch wind.

>Leaping forward from your crouch, you slide forward to where the book will land, arms outstretched.  Unfortunately,  your landing causes gravel to bounce into your eyeballs.  Way to go.

>Arms feebly held in front of you, you wait and pray.

Thump.

>You feel a weight in your hands.

>You swear to play Frisbee every day for the rest of your life when you get back to Ponyville.

 

>Placing the book carefully in your lap, you take a moment to rub your eyes.

>Stand up.  Look at the book.  Leather seems fine.  Better check the inside since it flipped.

>Cover page is fine.  Doesn't look like any ink issues or wearing on the next few pages.  Better check some middle pages.  Everything seems in or

Rip.

>you tore a fucking page

> YOU TORE A FUCKING PAGE

>fix it fix it fix it fix it

>Ok Ok.  Just, just carefully place it back.  There.  Now try and turn another page over i

The new page completely dethatches.

Only your left hand is holding the book now.

It's holding the left cover

Gravity flops the book pages over to the right side.

The spine unglues after a thousand years.

The book strains on the limp end page still connected to the spine.

>You try to grab the clump of pages with your right hand from below.

>Your grab it, but it's all too late.

>The end page is ripping off of the spine, it's all fucked up, some pages are ripped from each other.

> You feel like crying but you'll get the fucking pages wet.  All you can do is stare at the ream of paper in your right hand as your left holds the Hydra leather cover.

The wind blows.

The paper turns to dust without the hydra skin cover to protect it.

> You fall to your knees and frantically start shoving the dust onto the cover.

 

>Your mind is racing about how utterly fucked you are.

>Twilight is going to kill you.  Celestia is going to kill you.  You've annihilated a precious artifact

>Even if you lie, they'll find out the archives are incomplete sooner or later

>Twilight would probably even check later that day

>You grasp the dust covered hydra leather from both ends and look at the worthless insides.

>Why now? Why you?  What the hell did you do wrong?  Why did you deserve this?

>You just wanted to help out.  You just wanted to help your reputation with the ponyfolk and be a good friend.  And now this crap happens.  You finally get accepted into society, and fate throws you a curveball of buttfuck.

>You just wish the pages could go back.  That the book never ripped apart.

>You just wish that none of this stupid crap was going on, that you didn't deserve it, that the book was fine.  That the stupid spine wasn't torn to pieces and that you never tore that front page, that

Your hands feel heavier.

 

>You look down.

>The book is open to some middle page and is whole.  You flip the pages and find no faults.

>Without blinking, you stand up, close the book, tuck it under your shoulder, and walk towards the Canterlot Archives.

>You barely manage to give the guards a nod and show them your Celestial Sigil as you walk past for entrance.

 

>The inner guards start escorting you to the Starswirl the Bearded wing.  

>The architecture in this place is amazing.  A shame so few ponies get to see it.  Tapestries and banners lined the walls of each carpeted hall.  Each door and border was artistically designed with great scrutiny.  The floors shifted in-between different woods, base stone, and marbles.  Your path leads you up two flights of stairs, and you note the landings are bigger than usual.  Ponies have to place all four feet, after all.

>As you walk down a side corridor with the guards, you not the sword and shield hangings.  Horseshoe crests, quaint.

>Curiosity gets the better of you.  These shields are...well, huge.  Swords, too.  At least for a pony.  Did the honestly go through the trouble of making blades that big for display?  You turn to one of the guards.

>"Interesting swords."

>The guard speaks without turning.

Guard: "Hydra Slaying."

 

>Well that answers that. Still.

>Awfully big shield and weaponry, though.  How do you hold them?

G: "Hold...?"

>You note a slowing in the guards step.  Good lord, he's never even considered the concept.  You quickly realize that it's likely none of ponydom ever has.  The guard turns to look at you quizzically, you give off a poor attempt at a smile.

G: "Those weapons are just about as old as Canterlot itself.  Back when things were wilder, mythical creatures were a constant threat.  It fell to the royals and their guard to protect their people.  Earth ponies could settle public brawling and small squabbles well enough, but it took a Unicorn to make use of anything that would damage a Hydra.  Usually, each group of royal guards was put into pairs.  One to block, one to attack.  That's why the shields are so big - they're meant to protect two ponies.  Each unit had to trust their partner with their lives.  One had to best the beast while the other protected them from its blows.  Were either pony to falter, both would fall.  It was a much harder time, but we still practice to this day.  Just in case."

>The Guard pauses for a moment, still trying to handle an incredibly foreign concept.

G:"What would we hold them with?  Our...mouths?"

>If you weren't holding that damn book, your hands would be soundly in your pockets.  

 

>The guard shrugs the thought off.

G:"Doesn't seem very effective."

>"So every royal and Unicorn protector had to fight like that?"

G:"Every protector except Starswirl.  Now that was an incredible pony."

>"Starswirl the Bearded was a Protector?"  

G:"You didn't know?  Ol' Beardy was a wizard and researcher, sure, but he was a /court/ wizard.  Canterlot's first, in fact.  One of a court wizards many duties is, of course, to defend his ruler and the kingdom.  Starswirl managed to do what no pony ever could.  Instead of using magic to raise sword and shield, he rose sword and shield /as magic/!  The only pony in Equestrian history to be able to attack and defend alone like that.  True to his solitary nature, I suppose."

>The guard slows down his steps and comes to a stop in front of a barred passageway.

G:"Speaking of which.  Here's your stop, Anon.  Enjoy the rest of your stay in Canterlot!"

>The guards leave you after unlocking the gate.  You take a long look at the odd symbol above the doorway, then head in.