Among the ancient tomes...[Open]

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Princess Luna threaded her way through the hallways of the castle, her silvery magical aura holding aloft both a silver coffee service and a Moonstone lantern. It had taken her some months to get used to this new castle in the dark. Oh, there were Glow-stones on the wall, to prevent a pony from tripping, or bumping into a wall, or falling down a winding flight of stairs- but to Luna's eyes, it all looked very much the same. So it was easy to get lost, if you didn't notice the minor differences. And this castle was so much larger than their old one.

The dark Alicorn paused, looking between two hallways heading in different directions. She raised her lantern, the moonstone light glimmering to show a tiny silver-inked arrow suggesting the right hallway. Right is Right, Luna thought to herself with satisfaction, taking that hallway. As she walked on, dark wooden doors, some guarded, some not, indicated that her choice had been the correct one. For Luna was headed to a very particular wing of the Royal Library. Not the wings which held the dangerous magical texts and tomes, though she was one of the few with full access to these. No, the Princess of the Night was headed to the largest wing, and open to all, though few visited it in these dark hours.

Luna pushed open the great double-doors that led to the historical wing, and was greeted with dark, which she didn't mind much, and utter silence, which she did. Of course, Libraries were supposed to be quiet, she understood that. But there was still noise in them, when they were occupied. The sounds of ponies moving, even quietly, of pages turning and scrolls being wound and unwound. These were sounds of life, of presence. This death-like silence was too lonely and a little scary. Nevertheless, the proud princess strode in boldly, her lantern casting a shimmering, silvery circle of radiance around her as she headed to her accustomed table near a window, which she opened to let in sounds and scents of the night, as well as to place her coffee down while she sought the book she was after, among the shelves.

Ah, here it was. The Great Grass Famine. Only one hundred and thirty three years after her imprisonment on the moon. Luna sighed as she took the massive book back to her table. Luna had a basic knowledge of the most important events of history since her...disappearance, but nothing like the intimate knowledge of her sister, who had actually lived through and witnessed such events. Luna wanted to know their subjects the way Celestia did, wanted to understand who they were and how they had come to be that way. But the only way she could think of was to study all the history she'd missed. She poured herself a cup of coffee, two lumps of sugar and plenty of cream, if you please, and picked up where she'd left off.

...And so it be that thee fields of Gallopston, what hath growed thee grass for moste of Equestria, tooke sick with thee star-blight though none could see of it. And those ponies what ate of thee grass tooke them to sleep, and no pony could waketh them, not with loud noise nor shaking of any violence, nor could thee cold water reviveth them. They slept with pleasant dreams, smiling even unto death, and none could saveth them. And thee Princess Celestia, distraught for the hungere that must surely follow, ordered the fields of Gallopston burnt to root and ash, lest ponies in desperation eat them of thee blighted grass in hungere, and die of the sleep that should follow...

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Fossil Stone and his sister worked like a team. While he wasn't as mobile as his sister, he had the time to devote to researching various topics ahead of time. Once he had compiled a good list of leads and some notes, he'd send them off to Daring Do for her to use on her current adventure. While his sister was highly intelligent, almost as intelligent at he was, she couldn't perfectly recall everything she had ever read or ever been told.

Tonight's study session involved four times the work, and while the Unicorn could manage it, it left him very absorbed in his own work. The professor had formed a great wall of texts on the inside corner of an L-shaped table. In one section he had books on geography, and folklore, to try and give his sister a clue as to where Arctis Tor, the tower of ice and snow, was located. In another section there were books on ancient Equestrian history as well as genealogy records for he and his sister's shared interest in the Elements of Harmony. A third pile was dedicated to every book that might have a lead on the Crystal Empire, and lastly the four section he was working on was a stack of magic related books he needed for his new apprentice.

Normally he would be in his study doing his research, but the royal library, even the public sections, had some material he couldn't get his hooves on. The guarded sections of the library sang to him like a siren's call every time he passed by them. Supposedly Starswirl the Bearded had an entire section set aside for him. Oh how he wanted into those areas badly. Badly enough that he considered using his reputation to try and get in. Celestia's personal student Twilight Sparkle was a fan of his, this fact had not been overlooked at all in his scheming to get in to see tomes few eyes have ever been laid upon. It was an idle thought, but it was a tempting one!

Fossil Stone was no stranger to marathon study sessions that could lead well into the following afternoon, his mind and body were quite up to that task, but there was a problem that arose. He had ran out of paper to take his notes on. In the middle of it all he managed to run out of paper, ending things prematurely. The stallion was lucky enough to be able to mark what pages he had been on using an index card. Unable to proceed he put away his notes and belongings before enveloping the items he had borrowed in his jade colored magic. Not one to leave all the work to some librarian, he took it upon himself to return all the items he had used.

It was during this journey of replacing books and scrolls to their proper places that the professor took notice of the other occupant in the library. It was hard to phase the Unicorm. Forgotten temples, mythological creatures, mystical artifacts of untold power, and what his apprentice called music couldn't leave him at a loss for words. If Nightmare Moon, Discord, or the Changeline Queen had appeared he would have been fine. (As dangerous as it would be, talking to Discord could be fascinating, but that's a thought for another time). Seeing Princess Luna had made his mind blank. It was such and unexpected sight he was at a loss for a few moments.

When his senses returned he set down his collection of books on a table in a neat pile before approaching Princess Luna and kneeling. With ancient history being a major part of what he knew, Fossil knew how close to the Princess he could get, and which style of kneeling to use before her. Time had moved on since her imprisonment on the moon, and forms of etiquette had also evolved since then, but that didn't stop him from going before her in a fashion that she would recognize from long ago, and hopefully appreciating it. "Princess Luna."

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"Princess Luna..."

The Princess by that name looked up, startled, the stars in her mane shimmering as she jumped, very slightly. It had not been a disrespectful voice. It had not been a harsh voice. It had not even been a particularly loud voice. Yet, coming as it did in the middle of the night in a seemingly abandoned library, and pulling the midnight mare out of the history book she'd been involved with, it was a shock. But not, it must be admitted, not really an unwelcome one. She looked for the one who had spoken.

When she saw him, Luna's sea-blue eyes widened in surprise, and with good reason. She recognized the formality of the ancient greeting, every protocol observed, every dignity maintained. For one moment, she was no longer Luna in an abandoned library, with the moonlight and sweet-scented breeze streaming in through the window behind her. She was Princess Luna, in the height of her power and fame and grandeur, in the olde Castle of the Pony Sisters, once again. But chasing that fine memory was the ghost of what she had become. Very shortly, she was glad to be the Princess Luna she was now. But the kindness of the gesture warmed her heart.

The alicorn rose to her feet gracefully and came to stand in front of Fossil for a moment, before lowering her head to touch his shoulder lightly with her horn, a gesture of great royal favor as ancient as his greeting bow had been. "Please rise," The Princess of the night spoke, gently, her voice as soft and glowing as moonlight on snow.  She did not fall into the Traditional Canterlot Voice,- She remembered in time that she was in a library, even if they were the only two creatures within. "Rise, and if thou has the time, bide a while with us. We would know what brings such a knowledgeable unicorn to this place in these quiet hours. Would thou like a cup of coffee?"

Perhaps not the friendliest speech ever, but Luna was trying her best.

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The old posturing Fossil was using wasn't a particularly comfortable one to be in for a stallion in his condition. It didn't take long for some of his muscles and joints to voice their displeasure to him. The stallion quickly pushed those thoughts aside to be dealt with later. It was a minor annoyance compared to the situation at hoof. Right now he was in front of one of the Princesses, he could deal with it.

The teacher listened intently at the silence that filled the room, then one by one there was the sound of approaching hoofsteps. When the Princess touched her horn to his shoulder three things happened. The first thing he felt was honored. He knew what the gesture meant, and it wasn't something to be taken lightly. The second thing was thinking about how jealous his sister Daring Do would be about this. He got to meet Princess Luna, formerly Nightmare Moon, before her. The final, and quite humbling, thing he noticed was her aura.

If a normal, standard, Unicorn's magical talent was considered to be a bucket, Fossil fancied his own abilities to be a bathtub. Through practice and dedication he had worked up his magical endurance and crafted some very energy efficient spells. The Princess' idle aura felt as vast as the night sky. The mage's keen senses for the arcane told him that in terms of raw power she made him look insignificant. Power wasn't everything, but it still meant a lot.

Princess Luna's voice was a surprise to Fossil's ears. He had not expected it to be so delicate. He had heard Princess Celestia speak before, but her tone of voice was completely different from her sister's. When he rose, it was not as graceful as he had hoped he could do. The tall stallion had to lean heavily to his left to avoid tipping over. When he finally managed to rise to his full height it was a pleasant surprise to see that the two of them were not too different in that area.

"I have nothing but time for the rest of the evening Princess. I would be honored to spend it with you over some coffee. I am Fossil Stone, Mage, Historian, Teacher, and Author, at your service. I was here for research purposes." He had introduced himself in the order in which he had obtained his acclaims. He obtained his magical doctorate first, followed by his archaeology degree. After getting those he obtained a teaching license, and began writing The Adventures of Daring Do sometime after that. "At least I had been until I ran out of paper to take notes on."

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Princess Luna was not blind, for all the many years she'd lived and worked in the dark, and she had not yet lived so excessively long as to become blithely unobservant of discomfort in others. So she could see that the Mage, Historian, Teacher, and Author, Fossil Stone, (Whose books she intended to look up at the first opportunity, surely they must be bastions of historical integrity if he was so learned! ) ...was in pain, upon arising. The alicorn glanced at him, wonderingly. Certainly there was no bleeding, and no bandages in evidence. An old injury, she supposed, that had healed badly, though it was hard to imagine any injury healing badly in this time. Yet she could not ask about it. Protocol forbade the asking of such a personal question.

She smiled at him then, and turned back to her moonlit table. "Please come and takest thou a seat," The Princess invited, using her magic to slide a bookmark into The Great Grass Famine, and move it aside, before taking her own seat. She realized, a moment later, that there was only one china cup on her tray- her own- but that was no trouble. Light glittered and danced along her horn for just an instant as she summoned another one from a storeroom. Luna did pause for a moment to inspect it, as it wasn't entirely impossible for her to grab a dirty one, or even to shatter a weak one with the spell... but this one looked both clean and whole. She set it down and filled it- she was the hostess, after all! ...But Fossil could add the sugar and cream, as he needed it.

Hostesses, however, were also supposed to provide conversation, and as a member of royalty, Luna suspected that she might have to begin, since Fossil was not (by ancient tradition) supposed to speak until spoken to. The idea made her a little uncomfortable herself. She wanted to talk with him, and yet, she hardly knew how to begin! The night Princess looked shyly into her own half-empty coffeecup for inspiration. What could she say?... Her glance traveled over to the tome she'd been reading, and Princess Luna was back in business.

"Thou said that thou wast researching," She began, her tone bright and hopeful with a topic to speak about, "Upon what topic were thy researches? We, also, are making a special study of times past," and here her smile became half-apologetic, "Though it feels more to us like looking forward, than looking back."

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Fossil took a seat at Luna's table, perpendicular to her. Sitting across from her would mean they were equals, or at least he thought her to be an equal. He watched silently as she brought him a cup for his coffee, and poured it for him. The stallion added two lumps of sugar to the drink along with plenty of cream and waited for the Princess to begin the conversation. Acting out of line wasn't something he was going to do to somepony he deeply respected.

"My sister and I uncover relics that were long thought to be only myth and legend. While she is out in the world hunting them down physically, I stay behind and research the topic at hoof since I'm unable to go where she can go. We've uncovered, and disarmed, quite a number of items that can be seen in the Canterlot Museum. My sister and her adventures are the basis for my book series." He didn't care what his sister may have though, he was talking to Princess Luna, and he was not going to conceal any bit of the truth to her.

"I was also refreshing my memory on the magical practices of other cultures for my apprentice." There was pride in his voice when be brought his apprentice up. Vinyl was allowing him to do something he had wanted to do for some time, teach magic. In return he was letter her do the same by helping her learn magic. "When it comes to the magical arts I'm very non-traditional by today's standards. My apprentice is... very enthusiastic about whatever she is doing. She could use some work on restraint and control, but she's only very recently come under my tutelage."

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The Princess Luna gave Fossil Stone a small, but bright smile as she listened, as well as her full attention. She was surprised to learn that his books were less prestigious than she expected, though she had to admit (secretly) that they did sound a bit more exciting and interesting. And she would now have to make a visit to the Canterlot museum and take a look for relics donated by Fossil and his sister.

Not that she doubted him- There was nothing suspicious about a Mage, Historian, Teacher, and Author, who visited the Canterlot Library in the middle of the night and ran out of paper for his notes. Nothing at all. She was here, wasnt's she? Luna just wanted to see the kinds of relics such a pony and his sister had uncovered.

The alicorn was also interested Fossil's apprentice, too- for somewhat different, and perhaps, not very good, reasons. It seemed many magical ponies had students these days... and Celestia had Twilight Sparkle. Twilight and her own group of friends often wrote to her royal sister, and though the letters might seem like homework in some respect, and though Luna knew Celestia would share the content of the letters with her if she asked... it was not the same, and Luna wondered if she might be happier sharing that warm, friendly, even loving kind of feeling with a student all her own. But it sounded a little selfish, wanting a student simply for the chance to grow closer to somepony.

Well, maybe she could help Fossil with his student instead. "We recall a very fine book with esoteric magics within the Starswirl wing..." the Night Princess began, a little hesitantly. Like Fossil though she did already, she was not... not quite ready to throw open the doors to all the protected wings of the libraries. "We could... fetch it and loan it to thou, if thou wisht."

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"The Starswirl wing..." Fossil Stone said with his voice tinted with eagerness. Suddenly he felt more energetic and his mind began to race with the possibilities of what could be within the books stuck under guard, and how he could go about safely discovering how to best apply what he could learn from them. The knowledge from one book could contain untold power, power he could use to...

The stallion let out a long breath and closed his eyes for a second. Being able to center himself quickly had been a long practiced skill of his. It was easier to cast magic from a neutral standing, than one of erratic excitement, or tainted by other powerful emotions. Calm was a good state of mind, it allowed logic to present it's case to be considered fairly. He had learned long ago to pay attention to logic rather than letting his excitement push him forward. A lesson he had learned in a very hard way.

Fossil was glad he was seated across from the Princess instead of standing. His right foreleg began to suddenly feel sore.

"I... am grateful for such an offer Princess Luna. Long have I wished to view some of the books kept under guard. I must, however, politely decline your offer. There must be very good reasons why the sealed off sections are sealed. There are too many tales of mages discovering an artifact, or old tome of forgotten power, and eventually abusing that which they had found. Those stories exist for a reason. Temptation is a powerful force."

Fossil Stone knew he couldn't pass up this chance. A compromise would be needed. Something in place where he could trust himself not to get carried away with anything. A guard could do that. Not just a regular guard though, it'd have to be someone who could understand what he would be dealing with and not some standard guard he could best with magic. Plan for the worst, hope for the best. It'd be better to have something and not need it, than need it and not have it.

A pleasant smile suddenly formed on Fossil Stone's face. It was small, but it conveyed what he felt. He had a good idea, one he wanted a favorable response to, but he was unsure of how she'd react. "Life circumstances have lead me to be prepared for unpleasant circumstances, and hope for the best of them. I know I would throw myself into such a book with great enthusiasm, perhaps to the point of losing track of the date. I'd most certainly want to experiment with whatever I learned from it as well. There in lies the danger. If I were limited to only viewing the book while in your presence though, I think things would be a lot safer."

"It would also mean that I would be able to meet with you again like this, and that is something I'd like very much."

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Ah, the Starswirl Wing. Access to it seemed to be the dream of magic enthusiasts everywhere in Equestria. Luna smiled, watching Fossil's eagerness and excitement at just being permitted to view one book held within it's walls. And yet... she felt just a little old, if wise. Such knowledge and power did not always bring contentment and joy to the hearts of it's beholders. Certainly it had never brought such to Starswirl himself.

Fossil seemed to realize this himself, as he took a moment to get a hold of himself and master his first reaction. Luna lifted her cup of coffee and sipped, waiting for his answer. When it came, she could not have been more surprised. A refusal? This went against all expectations! The Alicorn had expected him to fairly leap at the offer with great thanks and awe, try though he might not to show his eagerness. She had even anticipated that he might try to stretch her offer from a loan of one book to unrestricted access to the wing itself, which she was not prepared to grant at this time. At the very least, she expected him to accept the offer.

But no, here was Fossil politely, and not without a deep trace of wistfulness, refusing the opportunity with the wisest and what seemed like well-considered, reasons. In spite of her determination to be guarded and careful, Luna felt her estimation of Fossil rise by quite a bit. Clearly, this was a unicorn who knew himself, and admitted his temptation freely.

Princess Luna was disappointed. Though her first inclination had been to provide a book she sincerely hoped would help teacher and Student, a second plan had quickly grown up behind the first. If she lent Fossil that book, he would have had to return it. When he did, they might... discuss it. Perhaps they might discuss other things as well, such as those mysterious circumstances he had just hinted at. Then she might lend him another book, which he would also have to return, and so on... but it wasn't to be.

Or was it? Fossil quickly came back with a similar idea, a better idea, in which they could look over the book, together. That would be so much more than just the passing exchange she had imagined. The dark alicorn brightened. "We think this a most excellent plan!" she proclaimed. Now she was the one trying to hide her excitement and enthusiasm. But either she was really poor at doing so, or she wasn't trying very hard! "When shalt we begin? What time and day...or night...wouldst be good for thee?"

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Fossil Stone had just made a Princess break her composure. It was nice to see her like this. She was... dare he think it... giddy at his counter proposal. It wasn't hard to imagine some of the difficulties he was having to overcome from her time spent as Nightmare Moon, and it gave him quite the sense of accomplishment knowing he had made her happy. Not only that, but he'd have another opportunity to make her smile again.

"Evenings work best for me Princess Luna. I spend my early afternoons teaching. On certain days I spend time after that with my apprentice, which can last several hours, but never beyond dinner time. She has her own studies and a job of her own, which I try not to interfere with. The time spent after that is left for me to decide. There's no set time when I lay down to rest, but my current schedule allows me to sleep well into morning. I teach class four days a week. I use the other days to write, run errands, and conduct experiments."

There was just one little hitch to their plan though, and it was due to the discovery of a lifetime. The Crystal Empire had returned, and he had already planned on going there to help with the investigation. It was partly why he was in the library this evening. "Though... that is all about to change. I've already made a commitment to go to the newly resurfaced Crystal Empire and use what knowledge I have to help in anyway I may be able to."

Fossil Stone told... a half truth. More like a three-quarters truth. Part of his reasoning was to prove to himself that he could still be useful. He could still go on an adventure and be of some use there. He had all the knowledge, now it came time to apply it, physical limitations be damned. Too bad that meant he'd be out of contact with his new found friend.

Or would he? There was another way, but it could be considered rather bold.

"I seem to recall something though from something I read as a child when I was studying ancient Equestrian history. Is it true that you have the ability to enter someone's dreamscape? If so, and you are willing, we could work out a schedule to meet while I'm physically away." Yes he was asking the Princess of the Night to come visit him in his dreams so that they could meet again. Given some of the other events that have happened in the course of Equestria's RECENT history... not that odd of an occurrence though.

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Though Fossil Stone could not have possibly known it, mention of the Crystal Empire was something of a sore spot for her. Luna had recently discussed the empire with her dear sister Celestia, who had insisted on sending Twilight Sparkle and her friends, along with many others. But not Luna, herself. It distressed the midnight mare. It wasn't that she was jealous of Twilight, far from it, the Unicorn was, perhaps, her first friend in a long time. She felt affection for her, and worried about her safety, if anything! It was hard, rather, to be asked to sit back and wait and watch. To know that she simply did not possess the magics of love and light in equal degree as Celestia and Cadence.

To suspect that Celestia was afraid she might frighten the Crystal ponies, rather than cheer and encourage them. The fact that Luna feared the same thing herself only made it hurt worse.

Princess Luna cleared her throat. No need to bring that up. She just wouldn't think about it. "It is indeed true that we can enter and manipulate dreams." she said, smiling. "'Tis an ancient magic. If thou art willing, we would gladly meet thee there, only..." Luna blushed suddenly, rather embarrassed. "We would warn thee to consider thy offer carefully. Dreams are very personal things, worlds created from the honest mind, and difficult to control. Even when we art present, we shall only have half-control, if that. So consider... Thou mayest dream things thou would not wish another to see. Thou wilt say and do what thou truly thinkest, and wisheth, and desireth. Such things as we have seen before, in other's dreams, we would not tell, but they are the private thoughts and feelings."

Indeed, the original purpose of the magic had been to search out treason and treachery in the heart, as shown symbolically by the dream. It was spying, prying, suspicious magic, and only with great force of will could Princess Luna turn it's malevolent purpose into a benevolent one. Even so, there were plenty of ponies who preferred to keep their dreams to themselves. She tried to respect those wishes.

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Fossil Stone would never mention it, but he took quite the notice of Princess Luna's blush. He had to remind himself that behind everything Princess Luna was still just a pony. A pony with an incredible amount of power and experience of being a terrifying force as well a who knows how many years of royal grooming, but still a pony. The only reason he got to see her in such a way is because she allowed it. Under different circumstances he highly doubted she'd be acting the same way.

The professor opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, then went to say something, but stopped and looked slightly annoyed. There was something he wanted to say, but the words didn't seem to want to flow out of him correctly. "If we were to set a specific date I believe I can have my thoughts organized enough to make your visit a pleasant one without surprises Princess Luna. In order to feel comfortable with some of the magic I know I've had to make sure I am the master of my own mind. The danger with temptation is the more you give in, the easier it is to give in again and again, despite the risks involved. With great power comes great responsibility."

"I assure you though that nothing I practice now breaks any of Equestria's current laws." Fossil Stone took a moment to take a sip of his coffee and let that sink in for just a second. "That was a joke by the way. I keep detailed records of all my experiments. You're welcome to view them if you ever like." The mage was being honest. He was a law-abiding citizen, and nothing he had done in his adult life would even warrant a fine. There were a few... gray areas though that might warrant a talking to. After all there was a reason why he respected temptation so much. Who didn't have their secrets though?

"How are weekends for you?"

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Princess Luna was sure that Fossil had not understood what she was trying to say, but she decided she must let the subject go. T'would do no good to plant the seed of such ideas, where none existed before. Besides, the conversation would quickly take a much more embarrassing turn, if she continued in this vein. So she took up the subject change, lawful magic, with an eagerness approaching relief.

"To be quite honest with thee," Luna admitted with a shamefaced smile, "We do not quite know which magic is forbidden to ponies by law, and which is allowed. We hath... never needed to know, really. No magic be forbidden to us, yet we knoweth which may be used with impunity, and that which must be used only in emergency, and that which shall bring dire consequence upon us if used. I suspect that thou shalt know better than us which magics may be practiced. But we know thus: It breaketh no law to know."

Luna felt confident that Fossil Stone was intelligent enough to know the difference. And surely he was trustworthy, else why wouldst he invite her into his dream? "Weekends are quite well for us," she agreed "We shall not be able to come to thee quite as soon as the moon riseth, but make thy preparations and be ready by the midnight hour. If thou art not asleep by then, we shall try again at the second hour." Even when dreamwalking, travel took some time, and the midnight mare had to make sure that the night was well set upon its course before flitting off to do what she liked!