Libraries and Lights

Chapter One : Libraries and Lights

We learn not for school,

But for life.

Proverb

Noctia peered into the tree that was made into a library. Twilight Sparkle, the owner, was chatting with her friends, Apple Jack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy about the Cider Fest. Rainbow Dash noticed Noctia and zoomed over.

"Hey, who are you?" Rainbow Dash said as she flew over. Noctia shuffled her hooves as the rest came over.

"Oh, I just came for a book about the stars. And to return these ones." she said. Her horn glowed and a stack of five books flew in neatly to land at Twilight Sparkle's hooves.

"Hello Noctia!" Twilight Sparkle said. "I haven't seen you in a while. Locked up in your house as usual?" she joked.

Noctia smiled and nodded. "I was hoping to get a few books on Starswirl the Bearded and his studies." It was Twilight's turn to nod, and she made a stack of new books fly over.

"Here, have these, I find they have great diagrams of the universe as we know it, and how it influences the ocean." Dropping the books at Noctia's hooves this time, Fluttershy spoke up.

"What do you exactly do, if you don't mind me asking?" Rainbow Dash and Rarity nodded in agreement.

Noctia squirmed and groaned in her mind. "Oh, I just study the stars. I was hoping to meet Princess Luna some day, and ask what it was like on the moon."

Rarity looked bewildered, and Rainbow Dash groaned. "Another egghead?" Rainbow commented. Rarity more over was fussing over the moon bit. "Why would you ever want to learn about the moon? Its so dreadfully dirty there, and I bet it smells like cheese!" Rarity ended with a head turn that made her mane bounce.

Fluttershy looked rather normal, but Noctia could tell that she was a bit scared. "You...you want to meet Nightmare Moon?" She trembled. "Yeah, I guess so." Noctia replied.

Ohhhh, dear... Noctia thought. Shouldn't have mentioned that bit. Twilight seemed normal, even a bit over-joyed, but the others...not so much. Rarity gasped and backed up, and Rainbow Dash flew back a bit. Fluttershy had gasped in her tiny way and was now shuddering in an empty shelf.

Twilight Sparkle continued talking like nothing had happened. "I could arrange for you to go to Canterlot, the Princess doesn't really mind." She continued to babble on and Noctia politely refused quietly. Finally she spoke up completely.

"Twilight, I'd rather not." Noctia said, and Twilight Sparkle stopped talking about an upcoming party for Hearts and Hooves day. "I want her to discover me for being good, not for me to barge in."

Twilight nodded, and Noctia levitated the books just as Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell Came in. They knocked the returned books astray and nearly upset the floating pile. The fillies continued to jump up and down underneath Rainbow Dash, chattering away about something they couldn't get out of a tree.

"I'll...just go now." Noctia said as she backed out of the door onto the dirt road. Glad she was out of that mess, she trotted back toward her home as Pinkie Pie and Apple Jack bounced and trotted into the library after she left. The books had loaded themselves into her satchel as she hurried along, ducking and weaving around the couples that were chatting about Hearts and Hooves day. Finding her way to her door, she found a light blue pony blocking her way, daydreaming on her front steps.

"Um, excuse me?"

Singers and Stars

Chapter 2: Singers and Stars

As long as you believe it,

It'll have to come true.

~Hazyheart

The light blue mare's head lifted to look at Noctia. "Oh. Hello there."

Noctia raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Excuse me, ma'am, but would you move off my door step?" The mare's eyes widened and she looked around and got up.

"Oh, I'm so so sorry! I hadn't realized it was yours! Sorry I interrupted you..." the pegasus fretted. Noctia groaned.

"Whatever, can you just leave?" Noctia asked, a bit tired from her heavy saddle bag, and she got rather rude when she was tired. The intruder skipped her attitude.

The pegasus jumped up and spread her wings, ready for flight. This caused Noctia to jump back, sending a few books out of her bag. The light blue mare rushed about, scooping up the books and putting them back in Noctia's saddle bag. "Oh, did I startle you? Here, let me help you..." She paused as she reached the first book and read the cover. "Stars...?" she asked.

Noctia used magic to put the rest of the books in her bag. "Yes, stars, the things that appear at nighttime in the sky? You're a pegasus, you should know that." The intruder seemed a bit hurt, but continued.

"Actually, I like the sea more. It holds more secrets, and pretty things like shells. Oh, I'm Shell Song, I forgot to tell you." Shell Song chatted. Noctia held up a hoof to stop her.

"Are you a good flyer? A fast and lengthy flyer?" Shell Song looked puzzled at Noctia's sudden question, but nodded.

"I usually fly through the Everfree forest when I'm bored."

Noctia grinned. Perfect! she thought. Maybe she could take me--

Her thoughts were interrupted as two fillies rushed up to her, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. "Miss Noctia! We were hoping to see you!" Scootaloo started. And like a well oiled machine, they talked one after another. "We need a favor! Can you help us? Rainbow Dash told us you need to do something for us! You need to get her turtle, Tank, out of a tree! He practiced flying and crash landed! We saw! And Apple Bloom's with him now! We need your magic to get him do--"

Noctia held up her hoof again. "Fine, just be quiet."

Shell Song spoke up after the pandemonium. "Why don't I just fly up there and get Tank for you? It won't be any bother."

Yes, please! Noctia thought. Get you out of my way!

"Okay!" Sweetie Belle chirped, and away they ran with Shell Song in tow.

"Finally!" Noctia groaned, and she headed through her big red door that had the numbers 16 on it in iron. Her cheery house greeted her.

It had soft yellow walls and circular windows on regular intervals. Star charts were pinned on the walls and a big red couch was up against the dividing wall. The room was actually split in two, one side to go to the stairs, the other to the living room. The dividing wall had a section taken out of it, which was made out of the top half of the wall. It served as a shelf for a bunch of little clay dragons, that were posed and shiny.

Hanging her bag on a peg next to the door, she sighed. "Finally home."

Sitting down on her couch, which was posed in front of a brick fireplace, she whisked logs into the grate and lit a match with her magic. Starting a small fire, she looked out the window to the gray skies. Though it was heading towards spring, it was still pretty cold. February just happened to be the heaviest snowfall month.

She shrugged off all her concerns, and dozed in the heat of the fire.

---------------------------

A knock on her door woke her up with a yawn. "Um, excuse me?" a soft voice asked.

Opening the door with her magic, Shell Song stood there. "Yeah?" Noctia asked, coming over.

Octavia was standing next to Shell Song, and Noctia could see Vinyl Scratch standing at the bottom of her steps, cleaning her sunglasses. Octavia started. "We need a favor."

Bribes and Books

Chapter 3: Bribes and Books

The pen is mightier than the sword,

though both ruin a perfectly good shirt.

~Abby Hill

The trio stepped in before Noctia could say anything, and the sat down on the couch, Vinyl with headphones on, bobbing her head up and down. Octavia frowned at the beat it was blasting out, you could practicly feel the sound waves in the air. Turning to look at Noctia, who was standing in front of them on the hearth rug, she cleared her throat.

"As, I said before, we need a favor. A big one. Shell Song?" the gray mare turned to Shell Song, who was looking at her hooves shyly.

"Um...well...we need some magical effects for a show we're gonna put on. Vinyl is going to turn me into a...a...DJ." Here she gulped. "DJ S-H-Three-Double one--"

Vinyl inturrupted her, the headphones now around her neck. "It's DJ SH311 S0NG, don't say the numbers." she wrote down the way it was spelt on a piece of paper.

Noctia read the paper a few times, decoding it, then looked back up. "Why can't you just do it Vinyl?" she asked confused.

"Because I'm gonna manage the Keytair!" At this she pulled out a picture of a guitar with a keyboard set into it. She grinned and Octavia rolled her eyes.

"And I'll be doing the violin. We need Shelly here to sing for us. She's been a project of ours for a while. So thats why you get the honours of using your crazy ice magic to create a sparkly star effect." she pointed toward Noctia's cutie mark, three stars connected by ice strands with smaller stars around it.

Noctia nodded. It couldn't be too hard...her previous thought came back to her. "As long as I get a favour from you, Miss Song." the nervous pony looked up.

"M-me? I don't think I'll be very good for anything..." she trailed off.

"Are you kidding? I need you to get me some place, if you're up to the challenge." Noctia dared.

Shell Song looked up at Noctia semi-awed. "Wh-what?"

"Fly me over the stars."

Reactions and Reasons

Chapter 4: Reactions and Reasons

If it is to be,

it is up to me.

Proverb

The reactions, as assumed, were very, very, mixed. Shell Song and Octavia gasped, while Shell Song eyes widened and she ducked behind a pillow trembling, and the DJ lowered her sunglasses to show her fiery red eyes. Noctia smirked slightly, they were surprised.

"Excuse me?"

Noctia turned her full attention to the blue mare.

The mare shuddered under her green gaze, but continued, stronger.

"I belive we will have some arrangements to make then." she grinned.

Octavia glanced at Shell Song, as if to say Are you serious?! and Vinyl cheered. "Thats my girl!" she rooted for Shell.

But Noctia only nodded solemly. "Then to the mayor first?" she shared the pegasai's seriousness.

Octavia and the DJ seemed confused for a moment. They shared looks that said Why so serious? and Is there something we're missing?. Noctia and the blue mare held gaze for along time, as if they had a deep link, or understanding, that was deaf to all ears but theirs.

The blue-maned DJ shattered the thin and ice cold silence. "Whats the matter?"

Noctia spoke for the wavy-maned pegasus. "We may or may not return."

"Oh." said Octavia simply, but it seemed to make the room colder, as if it too understood now.

"Shall we head to the mayor now, or go tomorrow?" she gestured toward the darkening sky, with one bright star shining happily.

With a glance toward the sky, she spoke. "Tomorrow."

The trio that had seemed like invaders before simply dipped their heads and got up.

"Tomorrow."

And they left Noctia with her chilling thoughts.