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Post by Becka on Jan 9, 2013 17:08:11 GMT -5
[Late morning after Facade. 46th of Summer. Open to all. Bubbling time a little so Twi can be in two places at once.]
Roo's horn glowed purple and the large, oaken doors to the Library opened before him. He trotted in, tail and ears perky, but they sank at the sight and he stopped. This was no library. It was study. The Canterlot Library put this little village library to shame, which was a double shame because the Coursian Library outsized the Canterlot library by at least a floor.
Roo was not used to such paltry offerings. There were fewer books here than in his personal collection (the most precious of which he'd carefully packed and brought with him to his room in the tower). Then again, Whinnyopolis' Library was probably not as old as Razzaroo Hoofspen the Fourth.
The lavender unicorn frowned, blew an annoying piece of forelock out of his eyes, and turned to the nearest shelf to see what this library had to offer, if anything. Maybe Whinnyopolis had been shielded from war enough that they'd have a few really old volumes. Something he hadn't seen before, although he'd seen most of the books that had survived the wars and fires over the years. Maybe they'd still have something on the old Ponyville, and the mare he'd been sent to Whinnyop0lis to look for.
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Post by Spitfire on Jan 11, 2013 4:06:51 GMT -5
The sound of snoring disturbed the otherwise peaceful library, and if Roo were to round a shelf of books situated to his left, a little deeper into the room, he would see its source; another lavender unicorn, this one a mare, lay slumped over a table, the last book she'd been consulting before her exhausted body compelled her to sleep still open and serving as an impromptu pillow.
Twilight had conducted late-night study sessions before, of course. But finally all the stress and anxiety of the previous day had caught up with her as she'd been attempting to find out more about the monsters in the Everfree forest, and she had succumed to a fevered sleep, in which her dreams were filled with Eclipse gloating over her ineptitude, the queen's darkness overtaking Equestria, obliterating all in her path...
Slowly, Twilight blinked awake, consciousness returning as the image of Eclipse's leering face faded into nothingness, and the mare glanced around her, feeling lost for a moment before remembering where she was; Whinyapolis library. Rubbing her eyes tiredly with one hoof, Twilight considered returning imediately to her research, then decided against it. She still felt exhausted and, she abruptly realised, hungry too. She had hardly eaten the day before, wrapped up in guilt as she had been, and now her stomach felt painfully empty. She should at least grab a sandwich before continuing her research, she thought.
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Post by Becka on Jan 14, 2013 16:37:51 GMT -5
Roo's ears twitched at the sound of snoring. Honestly, who snored in a library? How rude. He followed the sound until he found the source, then cleared his throat.
The mare began to wake, and he waited patiently as she lifted her head and got her bearings. It appeared to be the little unicorn Princess Celestia told him about. Something Sparkle...Twilight Sparkle, that was it. She was the Princess' great student of magic.
When she didn't immediately notice him he cleared his throat again. "Hello."
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Post by Spitfire on Jan 22, 2013 15:03:29 GMT -5
"Oh..." Twilight looked flustered at the realisation that she wasn't alone anymore. A male unicorn, similar in colour to herself stood over her, and Twilight was suddenly aware that she'd likely been muttering in her sleep; in fact, plagued by nightmares of Eclipse as it had been, it would have been a miracle if she hadn't.
"I'm sorry if I disturbed you, I fell asleep while I was studying," she apologised, almost unconsciously smoothing at her dishevelled mane with one hoof - with little discernable result. This was plain embarassing, actually; being caught asleep in the library by a complete stranger. Eager to make up for it - and ignoring the protests from both her still sleep-clouded mind and empty stomach - Twilight hurried to offer her assistance. "Are you looking for something in particular in here? I spend a lot of time in libraries so I might be able to help," she suggested, blinking drowsily and quickly shifting the book that had unwittingly been serving as her impromptu pillow off the desk to make some space and levitating it back up to the shelf it had come from.
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Post by Becka on Jan 24, 2013 12:54:13 GMT -5
Roo smiled at the young unicorn as she tried to smooth her mane and collect herself. She was not the only one who'd ever fallen asleep with a book for a pillow, Roo simply preferred to do it in the peace of his own room.
"No help necessary, I've spent many years in libraries myself." He bowed, one hoof out in front of him and his horn nearly touching the ground. "Razzaroo Hoofspen the Third, at your service, but I prefer to be called Roo. And you must be Twilight Sparkle. Princess Celestia has told me much about you."
He read the spine of the book she'd returned to the shelf. Creatures of Equestria. He wondered briefly what type of creature she was looking for.
"You must be starving. I've toast and jam in my room if you'd like to join me. I can show you my personal library. I'm sure you'd find it much more interesting than this paltry thing."
He glanced around the tiny room and frowned. There were certainly no books here old enough for him to be interested in. At least none that were out on the shelves. Perhaps he could root around more later, see if there were any closets with hidden treasures.
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Post by Spitfire on Jan 24, 2013 15:58:22 GMT -5
"Yes, that's me... but I have to confess I don't think I've ever heard of you before." With a name like that, he was evidently somepony important, so the fact that Twilight didn't recognise it - even though this was such a minor concern in comparison with everything else - was sure to bother her unless he could offer an explanation.
At least, for as long as it took for his offer of food reached her ears, at which the mare's stomach loosed a noisy growl. "Oh, please," she accepted quickly. "I haven't eaten since... yesterday morning," she abruptly realised. Had it really been that long? Then again, she had devoted most of her day to fruitlessly researching Eclipse after only a minimal breakfast, and Rainbow's news and Zecora's prophecy had been enough to make her forget all about feeding herself that evening either. Yes, toast would be most welcome now. And the suggestion of a larger library was certainly an added incentive too.
"You wouldn't have anything on Queen Eclipse in your private library, would you?" she asked, her hopes rising again. Maybe this was a chance to achieve her assigned task after all, instead of having to confess complete failure to Luna. "The princesses asked me to find out everything I could on her, but I wasn't able to find anything of use here other than a lot of unreliable old pony tales."
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Post by Becka on Jan 24, 2013 19:52:54 GMT -5
Roo couldn't help but chuckle at her confession that he was a nobody. "Nor should you have. I have done nothing worth being known for as yet, unless you count my extensive library of original prints and hard-to-find books." He hoped that at least eased her mind. She wouldn't find him in any book, unless she was looking up Coursian geneology.
"Yesterday morning? My dear, we need to get some food in you. I learned long ago, it's no use studying on an empty stomach. Stomachs and brains work together, you know. I have an interesting book on pony anatomy that will prove it." He winked. He was sure she knew her pony anatomy. "Come along, we'll add some eggs and bacon to that toast. Perhaps some pancakes. Unless you like cabbage?"
Roo's love of cabbage was the one thing he inherited from his namesake. He led Twilight out of the sorry excuse for the library and up a flight of stairs to the floor of the tower he was staying on. The first room was his living quarters - bed, kitchenette, table and a couple chairs. Every surface was covered with books even though he'd arrived early that morning.
"You're looking for information on Queen Eclipse?" He said as they entered and he led her around piles of books on the floor. He hadn't had time to put them all away, and he knew where to find each and every book he needed, whether it was on the floor, on the bed, or behind the doors that led to the second room he'd been given.
"Eclipse predates literacy by quite a long time, I'm afraid. All that's left of her is ponytales, although I do have some rather old volumes that may shed some light. I know right where they are."
With a glow of his horn the doors to the second room opened on a large space covered in bookshelves and old volumes that had been lost to Equestria during all the many wars. "This isn't my entire library, of course, but if there's anything we need that I didn't bring I can have it shipped from Course."
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Kiernan
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Post by Kiernan on Feb 28, 2013 2:39:22 GMT -5
Twilight's eyes grew to the size of saucers as she gazed upon the pillars of tomes. It was slightly larger than the Ponyville library, she realized. If this was naught but a fraction of his private collection, this stallion was more of a literaholic than she was. Still, she couldn't blame him. Having this much knowledge, and more, at his disposal was an offer that was too good to be true. It provided such power that could never be matched by anything.
Suddenly, she snapped back to attention as her stomach growled rather loudly. In that moment, she realized that she had, rather rudely, not been paying attention to what Razzaroo had been saying, she had been so enraptured by the view. All she managed to catch was the last bit, about having more shipped from Course.
"Okay, but only if we need to," she said, secretly wishing that they would need to. She could spend months in this fray alone, if she had the time. An even larger paradise would only accentuate her desire to remain in the assembly of the veritable literary Arcadia. But there wasn't any time for that.
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Post by Becka on Feb 28, 2013 12:06:26 GMT -5
Roo couldn't help but smile at the look of awe on Twilight's face. It was rare that he met a pony who loved books the way he did. Most glanced at his library and gave him an odd quirk of the lips that approximated a smile, no doubt while they tried to find the nearest exit to get away from the smell of old paper and older knowledge.
The loud rumble of her stomach reminded him that they were here for breakfast first, and knowledge second.
"Feel free to look around. The section on ancient ponytales is straight back."
Roo turned his back on the library and dug the toaster out of a cabinet. He had to clear a few books from the kitchen counter to find a place for it and started the bread toasting while he looked for a pan to make eggs and bacon.
It wasn't long before the smell of frying bacon and percolating coffee filled the apartment.
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Kiernan
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Post by Kiernan on Mar 1, 2013 0:30:48 GMT -5
Twilight had no trouble finding the texts on ancient ponytails. They were tied back in a neat fashion, and kept tight, so they wouldn't go everywhere. But that wasn't what she was looking for... She made her way to the back, and found the texts on ancient ponytales. Much more suited to what she needed to research. She skimmed through a few, setting a good number of them aside for later, as they seemed interesting.
Her skimming came to a halt when she found what she was looking for: a short fable entitled 'Eclipse.'
Her voice shall haunt us ever more. Her mind is gnarled, her thoughts impure. A despot, the ruler of our lands. The darkness which she from us holds has made her bitter, cruel and cold. On the precipice of tyranny she stands.
As pendulums swing to and fro A broken world we cannot trow where everything we know and love's at stake. Gather round, and perceive that we must grant her sisters our faith and trust. Safe we'll be when she knows the Opaque.
Let us never again doubt Those who suffered Eclipse's knout The damage done is quite beyond repair. A peace, our gift, from those above, fostering courtesy and love; A world wherein the sovereign is fair.
She read it over a few times, especially the last part of the second paragraph. She had heard of this 'Opaque' before, but what exactly was it?
Her stomach growled again as the scent of coffee and bacon filled her nostrils. Come to think of it, she had been back here for a few minutes. Maybe it was time to check on breakfast...
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Post by Becka on Mar 1, 2013 10:46:10 GMT -5
The toaster popped, and a green glow assisted the toast to the plate Roo had managed to find in a cabinet behind a stack of books on Haven's Valley. How anypony had managed to write so much on the most boring place in Ponyland always surprised him. From the time of the evil Shadoh, Haven's Valley had been...well...a safe haven for ponies whose talents lie in hiding, rather than fighting.
Which meant nothing ever happened there.
Those books were now on the floor, and Roo was lucky he didn't trip over them as he reached for the coffee pot. Food could be magicked, but coffee was sacred and he liked the feeling of the heavy pot in his hoof. It felt like purpose, and had kept him awake on many long nights reading through his library.
He poured two cups, put the bacon on the plate next to the toast, and found the butter and jam in the fridge. A quick sweep of his horn and the books that had been piled on the table and chairs shifted to the bed, and he carried breakfast to the table on a large tray.
When he popped his head into the library Twilight had her head bent over an old book.
"How do you like your eggs?"
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Kiernan
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Post by Kiernan on Mar 2, 2013 2:08:51 GMT -5
The word that entered Twilight's mind at first was "Cooked," but she decided that would be rude, especially since this was a free meal from somepony who had only ben kind to her thus far.
"Over easy, with a bit of salt, if you don't mind," she said, trying to sound polite. She made her way over to the table, closing the book she had been reading, and sat down.
"This smells delicious," she said, inhaling the mouthwatering aroma of the bacon grease. "Thank you very much for having me, and for letting me peruse your atheneum. It was very kind of you," she said, smiling at him.
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Post by Becka on Mar 3, 2013 16:10:38 GMT -5
"Over easy it is," Roo smiled and winked back to the kitchen. He used the left over bacon fat to cook the eggs - he was a pretty good cook, considering how many years he'd had to practice. He sprinkled a bit of salt over them at the end, and place them on a second plate before her with a flourish.
He smiled as he sat across from her and took a sip of coffee. "The Princess was right about you. I don't know of many other ponies who would take such joy in my library. There's a door that leads to the hallway too, I'll leave it unlocked to you. Feel free to browse as much as you'd like."
The thought that there was another pony in the world who would enjoy Roo's library as much as he did was a bit exciting. The fact that he knew he wouldn't have to warn her about mishandling the books was even better.
"Did you find anything helpful on Eclipse? Or the creatures you were sleeping over when I found you?"
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Kiernan
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Post by Kiernan on Mar 3, 2013 23:17:23 GMT -5
Twilight put down her toast in order to answer. She didn't want to spew crumbs everywhere, after all...
"I found a bit about Eclipse, but nothing about the creatures, yet. I'm sure I'll find something, though, as I imagine I've barely begun to scrape the surface."
Twilight went back to her meal. It was unlike her to refrain from eating for any length of time, no matter how invested she was in her studies. More than 24 hours... This was a mandatory break.
"So, I've been wondering," confessed Twilight, between two strips of bacon. "How exactly do you know Princess Celestia?"
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Post by Becka on Mar 4, 2013 12:33:53 GMT -5
Roo sat back in his chair and took a sip of coffee. "The Princesses and my family go back a long time - to Discord's appearance in ancient Ponyland. My great, great grandmother helped the Princesses defeat him."
A little smile played at his lips as he stared into the dark liquid. Twilight would meet his great, great grandmother soon. As would Roo. He wished she'd given him some idea of when she would arrive and how he could find her, but in all her letters from the past she'd never said how they met. Only that they would, and that she missed him.
It was strange to be missed by somepony he'd never met.
"As for me personally, I'm the newly appointed royal Canterlot scribe. My family has long been royal scribes, and my siblings were already working for the royal palace of Course, so I ventured elsewhere. Princess Celestia sent me to Whinnyopolis in part to help you with my library, but mostly to keep an eye out for somepony that she expects to be arriving soon."
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