For the Record Chapter 14

>You get to the Canterlot University campus just between classes.

>There's a sea of young ponies milling around from building to building.

>Amidst the crowd, you spot a familiar violet unicorn struggling to get through.

>You weave past a group of students and snake your way to her.

“Having some problems?” you ask, extending a hand.

>She looks at you and pouts.

>”I just want to get to the library. Why do there have to be so many ponies around here?”

“You've just got to think outside the box, Twi.”

>Before she can ask what you mean, you tug her off the path and onto the grass of the quad.

>”Anon, the signs-”

“Pfft, what's the sign gonna do? It's not a cop. C'mon.”

>You step over the 'keep off grass' sign and lead Twilight around the crowds.

“Look, see? We're not the only big thinkers here,” you say, pointing at the smaller groups of students cutting across the grass.

>She doesn't look convinced. You decide to defer her attention.

“Oh, I didn't tell you about this, did I?” You hold up the copy of the book Professor Schist recommended.

>”A Treatise on the Linguistic History of the Early Unicornian Period, from The Founding to the Battle of Clovefield Bridge?” Twilight balks. “Where did you find this? No, *why* did you find this?”

>You smirk. Twilight's attention is entirely focused on the book now.

“I've been reading up on my Old Unicornian.”

>”You don't have to do that to impress me.”

“You don't have to pretend it isn't working.”

>The two of you come to a large brown brick building.

“Shall we?”

>Twilight gives your book back.

>On the way inside, you stop at the front desk. The pony there points towards the reference section after a brief exchange.

>”What was that about?” Twilight asks.

“You'll see.”

1/

 

>Twilight and you finally get to the reference section through the large winding halls of the university library.

>When you get there, a gaunt and elderly stallion looks up from a large book and smiles warmly.

>”You must be Anonymous!” he says, getting up. “And this must be Twilight Sparkle. A pleasure to meet you.”

“Twilight, this is Professor Schist, head of the Equipology department. He's agreed to help us with your research.”

>The violet mare shakes Schist's hoof.

“And thank you for the book recommendation, Professor.” You hold the volume up and pat the cover. “It's really come in handy.”

>”Glad to hear it!” The stallion beams.

> He turns to Twilight. “I don't usually make appointments like this on such short notice, but I couldn't say no to a student of the Princess! Now what can I help you with? I have an hour or two before my next lecture -which you're more than welcome to attend, by the way- and I'd like very much to see what it is you're working on that brings you here.”

>Twilight looks at you, confused.

“I called ahead. Hope you don't mind.”

>”Now I'm impressed,” she says.

>Schist and Twilight walk to the large desk where he was sitting and start to talk.

“I'll be right over here studying up if you need my expertise.”

>Twilight giggles under her breath and begins asking Schist questions.

>You crack open the book and half-listen to them converse.

2/

 

>An hour later, you've put your feet up on a desk and are staring at the ceiling with the book lying open on your legs.

>The two scholars' words filter into your ears.

>”...very much for the help, Professor. This will definitely put us on the right track.”

>You look over at the two of them. Schist is cleaning up his materials.

>”I have to go and prepare for my lecture. I hope I was of some assistance,” he says, waving to you.

“Definitely. Thanks for coming by.” You see a spark in Twilight's eye. “Looks like we've got something here.”

>”Wonderful! I do hope to see the two of you again in the future. Best of luck in your search, Ms. Sparkle. And to you, Anonymous.”

>He walks out of the room, leaving you and the mare alone.

>You get up and dash to the desk, putting an arm over Twilight's shoulder.

“So. I do good?”

>”Very,” she smiles. You feel her inch almost imperceptibly closer to you.

“Have you found anything?”

>”Not yet, but Professor Schist pointed me in a good direction, I think. He believes the Jewel in the Fields is a myth, of course. However, he said if there WERE an actual city of that description dating back to Early Period Unicorn civilization, it wouldn't have appeared in atlases drafted after the Middle Period due to the chaotic nature of the transition.”

“So we have to look elsewhere.”

>”Of course. Now, the mentions I found in my own books were in an old treatise on the period from the late Middle Period and in a book of stories.”

>Gears turn.

“We have to look for it in older books of legends, then.”

>”Exactly!” Her eyes shine.

3/

 

>You bring your book to the desk and open it to a reference page.

>Twilight zips around the room, floating book after book to you.

“So atlases are out, right?” you ask.

>”Yes. None exist older than the one we used at the Archive, and that one doesn't date back far enough.”

“How are we going to find the place when we prove it's real?”

>”We'll find a way.” She sounds determined. After a few minutes, she returns to the desk.

>”I never properly thanked you for the postcard you sent. Did you have a good trip to Fillydelphia?”

“Oh, yeah. We got a deal with the label and everything. Tavi was beside herself. It was great.”

>”I'm happy to hear that. She deserves it.” Twilight flips a book open and starts scanning the pages. “Look for words like gaersum, like last time. You know what it looks like, right?”

“Yeah.”

>You open a nearby dusty volume. There's a distinct feeling that this will take a while.

4/

 

>Hours later.

>Twilight reads unbelievably quickly.

>In the time it's taken you to get a quarter of the way through your book, she's burned through three.

>As the pile of read books grows, her expression becomes more and more haggard.

>”I'd have sworn we had it this time! It's not in here anywhere! The books are from the right period on the right subject and there's nothing?” she says in exasperation.

>Your eyes narrow. Without a word, you move to the book you brought with you and flip through to some of the earlier pages you'd skimmed.

“Early Period, Development of the Written Language, Linguistic Evolution,” you mutter to yourself.

>After a few seconds of flipping pages, you find a passage you'd found slightly interesting. It's on the amalgamation of the Unicornian language from Base Equine and some tribal tongues in the area of settlement. Or something like that.

“Hey, Twi?”

>”Hmm?”

“What if we're looking for the wrong name?”

>”What do you mean the wrong name?”

“What if the name isn't Gaersum or any of the others on the list?”

>”What could it be if not that? Old Unicornian cities used that nomenclature. They didn't break from it.”

“I was looking in this book here, though. It says that Old Unicornian started out as a hybrid of whatever Base Equine is and a bunch of different tribal stuff.”

>”And?”

“Did the books ever say that the Jewel in the Fields was a Unicorn city?”

>”Well, not directly, bu-”

“So what if we're looking for a city that's named in-”

>Twilight's eyes go as wide as dinner plates.

>”-Base Equine... But that would mean-” She dashes to the shelves again, returning a few minutes later with a positively ancient tome.

>She opens it and starts looking through the pages.

“What's that?”

>”A catalog of mythic cities from before the formation of Unicornian as a language...”

>She stops.

>”... Meniakr...”

5/

 

“Gesundheit.”

>Twilight looks up from the page.

>”Meniakr. Anon! That's the name! It's Base Equine for Jewel in Field! If we- oh Celestia, if we found the name...”

>She trails off, dashing to the shelves again.

>”...then we know what civilization built it! And if we know that...”

>She returns with another dusty book.

>”...then we know what stories to look at!”

>You watch her flip rapidly through the pages until she finally comes to a stop near the middle, on a page covered in angular symbols.

>”I'm afraid Old Unicornian won't help here. This is all in Basic Equine runography. But the story is similar to the one I have at my library: Six sisters who fled from their home in the mountains and braved the harsh winter alone by -oh, that's different.”

“Huh?”

>”I-in my version the sisters don't kill all those bears. Oh wow, this is much more violent...”

“Times change, I guess.”

>She leans in close to the book.

>”My version ends with them founding a city in the sky over a wide plain of wheat, which the book calls The Jewel in the Fields.”

“But this one?”

>”This one says the sisters, after losing one of their number in the mountains, found the city Meniakr in a barley field where the rivers Flaugun and Fyl met and joined into the river Vegr.”

”I've never heard of any of those names.”

>”Those are mythical rivers.”

“So the place isn't real?”

>”It's based on a real place.”

>She pulls an atlas off the shelves and opens it for the two of you to look at.

>”Here. Where the rivers Gallopinski and Talonsa meet and form the Ponnissippi. Just north of there, in this big stretch of open land? That's where the city must be!”

>Twilight lets out a long breath and steps back from the desk, looking dizzy.

>”We found it.”

>She looks up at you.

>”Anon we found it!”

>The mare leaps into your arms and kisses you.

6/

 

>It takes a second or two for Twilight to register what she's done.

>Once she does, she immediately turns red and retreats to the desk.

>”Sorry. I uh, don't know what came over me.”

“It's alright.” You lean next to her on the table. “What now?”

>”We have to do some more research on the history of that area. Get an idea of the time frame we're dealing with. I can't believe I just assumed it was Early Period. I didn't even think that it could be even older! It could be buried under thousands of years of sediment by now! The rivers could have changed course and hidden the site or washed part of it away! There are so many things to find out now!”

>She catches herself raving and looks at the clouds through the sunroof overhead.

>”Is it that late already?”

“Time flies.”

>”It sure does. There's so much more to do.” Twilight looks at the books, then at the sky, then at you. “Maybe we should leave it until tomorrow, though.” She suddenly looks bashful. You raise an eyebrow.

“Do you have something in mind tonight?”

>She paws at the floor and looks down.

>”Do... do you want to go to dinner with me?”

“You're suggesting we *not* research long into the night?”

>She goes quiet for a minute.

>”I,” she starts, “just thought we could, you know, do something together?”

>You crouch down and put your hand under her chin.

“I like the sound of that.”

7/

 

>At the restaurant, Twilight continues going off on tangents about the library find, catching herself periodically.

>After you get out on the street, she finally gets herself talking about something else.

>”So,” she begins. “we've been doing er, this, for a little while...”

>You look up at the stars

“Yeah, it's been pretty cool.”

>”It's just, you know, I'm- I like spending time with you.”

>She's squirming. You smirk.

“Go on.”

>The mare cracks a soft smile and looks down.

>”That's all. I just wanted to say it.”

>You let out a laugh.

>”What's so funny?”

“Nothing, just you were so assertive last time. What happened?”

>”I... I don't know. The moment took me.”

“You got me of guard. Honestly I was impressed.”

>She blushes.

>You put your hand on her head and run your fingers through her mane.

“I like hanging out with you too. Never thought I'd like doing stuff in a library that involved studying.”

>The two of you come to the downtown overlook.

“Remember this place?”

>”Hazily.”

>You both sit down to look at the downtown lights.

>Twilight moves close to you. You put an arm around her shoulder and pull her in and rest your head on hers.

>”We'd been out drinking.”

“It was fun. We did karaoke.”

>”You were terrible.”

“We can't all be singers.”

>She snuggles closer to you.

>”What was it like before you came here?” she asks after a long pause.

“You mean before I got to Equestria?”

>”Yeah. What was it like there? What did you do? Its like I don't know anything about you.”

“That's a little cliché.”

>”Shhhhhhh. Humor me.”

>You sigh and look up at the stars.

“Okay. I came here about five years ago. Before that I was on vacation after graduating college...”

8/

 

>Ten minutes later, you get to the end.

“...so I'm like twelve Pabsts in and hey, the jet-ski was right there, so I take it and next thing I know I'm crashing into a horse-shaped fountain and my pants are gone!”

>You throw your arms wide, laughing as you remember it.

>Twilight is silent.

>”So your world...”

“Not so very different from this one. Little seedier.”

>”I'd figured you'd come here a little more dramatically.”

“I like to think I looked like a pantsless James Bond.”

>”Who?”

“Nevermind.”

>”Don't you miss it?”

“Sometimes. But I live here now. And it wasn't all parties and drinking there. I mean, it was mostly that, but still. Plus there's no going back, so why let it get to me?”

>”That's... fair, I guess.”

>You get her close to you again.

“But hey, that's the past. Didn't do anything important back then anyway. Woulda just gotten a job working for my dad's firm or something. I couldn't go back to it now.”

>”I think I understand. It's a little bit like when I came to Ponyville. Looking back I'd never want that life.”

>She pauses.

>”Of course it's not completely the same. I can come back here when I want. And I have more reason to now.”

>You grin.

“So what about you? You couldn't have just been all bookworm when you were living here. Tell me about that.”

>”There's not much to tell,” she replies, looking down.

“That's crap. There's always stories. Besides, I told you mine.”

>Twilight giggles.

>”Alright, but it's boring compared to yours.”

9/

 

>”...So Celestia finally sends me down to Ponyville to stop Nightmare Moon. Of course she didn't tell any of us that. I thought I was there to set up the Summer Sun Celebration. But I got attached to the place and got her to let me stay. You've heard the rest, I'm sure.”

“Of course. I didn't know that was you, though. You call that boring? Biggest threat I ever faced down was Fancypants when I was late paying a commission to him,” you laugh.

>She shares in the humor.

>Your hand wanders. She stops you.

>”I'm going back home in a couple of days,” she says.

“You sound disappointed.”

>”I do? Well maybe I am a little. I have fun here. I mean, I have fun with my friends, but this is... different.”

“I know.”

>You move your hand again. She stops you.

>”I have more to say.”

>”Octavia-”

“Octavia's looking out for both of us.”

>”I know. She's told me your... history. Numerous times.”

“She does that.”

>”And what you've told me, honestly it lines up with that picture she's painted.”

“No surprise there.”

>”I'm serious. I don't usually get in involved with... you know.”

“I know.”

>”I like you, and I want this to work, and I feel like you do too.”

>She moves slightly away.

>”But if this is going the way I think it's going, then you can't keep seeing other mares.”

>You take in what she's said.

>”Anon?”

“H-yeah?”

>”Did you hear me?”

“Yeah.”

>”I want to trust you, but I can't ignore-”

“-me. I get it.”

>”You do?”

“Yeah.”

>”So can I trust you?”

“I-”

>A group of loud ponies comes up from the road.

“Who the hell is that?”

10/

 

>In the darkness, you can make out an electric blue mane. Vinyl comes up, wobbling wildly.

>”Hey! Anon! Holy shit, what're you doin' out here, man?” the DJ yells.

“Vy I'm right here. Stop ye-” Her breath catches you. “Jesus! How much tequila did you drink?”

>Vinyl flops onto the grass.

>”Pfffflike ten shots. I lost count. Y'on a date, Nony?”

>”Hi Vinyl,” Twilight says.

>”Havin' a good time with Anon? Y'look like it.”

>”You're drunk,” Twilight observes flatly.

>”Yep! Gearin' up for the big tour!”

>Vinyl rolls over and stares upward. The group has stopped. She waves them off.

“Those the roadies?”

>”They're fun. What're you two up to?”

“Oh, you know, just hanging out.”

>”Fun.” She looks at both of you, smiling mischievously.

“Don't say it, Vy.”

>”Say what?” Twilight asks.

“She knows what.”

>Vinyl's smile widens.

“We'll do something later, Vy.”

>”Am I cutting in?” the DJ asks.

“Little bit.”

>She rolls over again, but doesn't get up.

“Vy?”

>”Mmm?”

“Can we get some privacy?”

>”Mmm.” She finally wobbles to her feet and wanders off without another word.”

>”Is she okay?” Twilight asks, watching her go.

“Probably. Vy's Vy. You never know for sure.”

>A few seconds pass silently.

“So you're going to be researching tomorrow?”

>”Yeah. You have work, don't you?”

“Yep. I'll stop by if I can.”

>”I'd like that.” Twilight leans on you and looks out at the city.

>You put your arms around her again, taking in the quiet that has returned to the lookout.

End