Kestral gave a loud sigh as he walked down the cobblestone road. It wasn't a tired sigh, it was more of a worn sigh, one that was supposed to be at the end of a long day of hard labor, rather than at around ten in the morning, while eating brunch.

“I'm telling you, it would have been better if you stayed home to rest, 'Hunter'.” Ms.Winterhoof said.

Kestral had insisted that he go with her to get food to cook, since she admitted that she wasn't used to cooking meat. But when he overheard her grumble about not having gone out to eat in a long while, what was once a grocery trip turned into an adventure of finding a decent restaurant to eat at, under the pretense that Kestral would pay for the both of them. She denied it at first, saying that he did enough to help her, but he eventually won out, saying that his life was more valuable than a mere thousand bits. He didn't know why, but she accepted it pretty easily.

The time between walking out of the house, and getting to the restaurant was spent by them casually talking to eachother. There was no tense air, or awkward silence. Just a normal conversation between the two, each learning about the other's life. In that time, Kestral learned that her first name was Jasmine, she worked as a nurse, and she was so good at her job, and knew so many of the staff, that she could pull strings to do just about anything...except pay off those medical bills.

It made him wonder about it, put when he saw Jasmine get a little teary-eyed, he veered the conversation away from it. The most he got out of it was that the bills had something to do with why Navi's father wasn't around. He could make a few guesses, and didn't feel any need to dwell on it anyway, so he let it go.

In any case, by the time they got to a suitable facility for brunch, Kestral was wheezing, and felt like he had just run a mile. He recovered, but not without realizing that exercise was... more or less out of the question.

“I'm fine.” Kestral replied. “I'll have plenty of time to rest later.”

“Famous last words.” Jasmine said. “Just don't overwork yourself. Less blood means your heart has to pump faster to get nutrients around.”

“I know that.” He said, looking over the menu again.

The place they decided to eat at was called Pegasus May Fly. It seemed to accommodate most species, though, given that the menu had different sections, ranging from herbivore to carnivore to... 'lithovore'...

Whatever that was.

In any case, it had delectable choices for the both of them, and the atmosphere was lighthearted, with bright coloring all over the place, even on the two-foot fence. A few clouds hung about, with several of the more flight oriented races piling onto them, probably to expand the number of customers that could be seated.

Soon enough, though, he saw a lean pegasus, with a simple shirt and tie and his hair slicked back, walk towards their table. When he got to them, he sat two glasses of ice water on their table, and took out a notepad from his vest. “Are you both ready to order?” He asked.

Jasmine looked over to Kestral. “I'm ready. Are you?” She asked.

“Yeah, I think so.” He said.

“Very well.” The waiter said. “What would you like?” He put a pencil in his mouth and readied his notepad.

“I'd like a full oat-salad, with some fresh mushrooms, please.” She said.

They watched as he wrote down the order, before turning to Kestral. “Arnd you shir?”

“Uh. A question. Is 'hay-bread' the only bread you have?” He asked.

The pegasus took the pencil out of his mouth, letting him address Kestral clearly. “No, sir. We also have white and wheat for no charge. We also have potato bread for a small up-charge of a bit.”

“Thanks.” He said. “I guess I’ll have a chicken sandwich on wheat, please.”

“Arnd yer shide?” He said.

“Fried green beans, please.”

The waiter scratched the order out, then put up his notepad, before grabbing the menus. “Alright. We'll have your orders out as soon as they're ready.” He walked back through the door, leaving the outside seating area.

“So, what's your plan for today?” Jasmine asked.

“Well.” Kestral replied. “Since I can't even walk a mile without tiring out, I figured I could drop by the library and grab a few books.”

“Then stay at home and read?” She asked.

“Yes.” He said, rolling his eyes, not that it could be seen through his disguise.

“Good. If you want to recover quickly, lots of sleep and a healthy diet are the trick.”

Before he came up with a reply, he heard two familiar voices call out his name.

“Hey Hunter!”

“Hunter!”

“Huh?” He turned to the side, and saw two mares trotting towards them. To his surprise, he realized exactly who they were. “Hey Silver! Hey Bell!” He called back.

“Hey girls.” Jasmine said, looking at the two.

“Huh?” Kestral looked back at Jasmine, confused. “You know them?”

“Hi Jasmine.” The girls said together, as they reached the fence separating the two groups.

“Yeah, I know them. Why didn't you tell me you met them?”

He shrugged. “I might have skipped over that part.” He turned to the two mares. “How are you ladies doing?” He asked.

“We're doing great!” Silver said. “We've gotten a huge jump in customers from yesterday alone!”

“Yeah.” Bell said. “You have no idea how much of a help you were.”

“Oh.” Kestral brushed it off. “It was nothing, really.”

“Help?” Jasmine asked, looking at Bell. “Help with what?”

“Really, it's noth-”

“He gave us advertizing tips!” Bell said, excited. “We made a bunch of posters and nailed them around the middle district. We got a bunch of new customers, and some of them said they wish they knew where we were earlier!” She gave a soft squeal of excitement.

“Really?” She asked, looking incredulously at Kestral.

“Oh, yes!” Bell continued. She got down in a whisper, leaning in next to Jasmine's ear. “He even gave us five hundred bits to help!” She leaned back again, giving a giddy face, biting her tongue.

Jasmine looked to Kestral. “You never told me of your other... donations.” She said.

Kestral shrugged. “Might have skipped over that part.” He said.

“Generous and humble?” Bell asked. “A rare combination. I'm surprised I don't see a ring on your finger.”

“Uuhhhhhhhh.” He noticed the three girls looking at him with curious looks, two of them with smiles, and the third without. “...what?”

Silver turned to Bell. “I think it's the mask.” She said.

“Yeah.” Bell replied. “A little intimidating if you ask me.” She turned to Kestral. “Why do you wear that mask, anyways?”

“Religious reasons.” Kestral threw out off the top of his head. Uh....hmmm. You know, that's actually pretty good for a lie. “I'm... not allowed to show anything but my hands.”

“Really?” Silver asked, tilting her head. “That's an interesting practice. What's it mean?”

“Well...” He took a deep breath. Come on. Think think think thinkthinkthink. “...It's to show that I have shame for my mortal body.” God. I must sound like a fanatic compared to them.

“That's... uh....” They seemed to be at a loss for words. “I've never heard that one before.”

Yup. Fanatic. Congrats, kids, you just found that one weird thing your new friend does. Pray to whatever god you worship that it stays to one thing. “And you'll probably never hear it again. I've met few minotaurs...or anyone else for that matter... that follow it.”

“I'd imagine so.” Silver said. She turned to Jasmine. “Isn't that just fascinating?” She asked.

“Hmm?” She responded. “Oh, sorry. I was stuck on how much money he gave you.” She admitted.

“Really? How much did he give you?”

“For helping him recover from heavy blood loss? A thousand.”

They gawked at the number, then looked at Kestral. “Where did you even get the money?” Bell asked. “You told us you couldn't even afford to go to the hospital.”

Once again, Kestral gave a shrugging gesture. “I can't afford to go to the hospital because I give my money to those that need it.” He said, feigning a stoic manner.

“Awwwww” The mares said together. Bell pitched in. “That's so sweet.”

Wonderful. Kestral thought. My human ego is to be feared by all mortals, while my minotaur ego is a walking charisma bomb. If a mask and a robe makes this much difference, then people around here have got massive social issues.

Before they continued, though, Bell managed a glance at the watch she had on her front ankle, and nudged Silver, whispering. “Oh.” Silver said. “Sorry, but, we need to run. Hope we see you guys again soon!”

“Have a good day, then.” He said.

“Mmm... See you Thursday on your checkup, Silver.”

“You know it!” She exclaimed.

Kestral watched as they hugged Jasmine as one would an old friend, and made their merry way down the road. He turned to Jasmine again, who met him with a bland smirk. “What?” He said.

“'Religious reasons'. What kind of 'religion' restricts nudity?”

“You'd be surprised.” He said.

She rolled her eyes, and pulled him in closer to whisper in his ear. “You realize that you need to think those questions through, instead of pulling the answers out of nowhere.”

“I do.” He said, at normal volume, which promptly made her roll her eyes and lean back again. “Hey.” He pointed at her. “Don't you worry. I'll get this whole thing figured out. It'll be foolproof.”

“Huuuuuhhh....” She sighed, like she was already a little worn out.

“I hope so.”

“Whelp. Here we are.” Kestral said.

Before them was a massive expanse of shelves, filled to the brim with colorful books upon books. A few ladders were thrown about the place, which were used often if the scratching on the tile was any indicator. Small dust particles flew about in the air, collecting on the more unused shelves in the room. Towards the walls were stairwells that went up to a second floor, which refrained from expanding more than ten feet from the wall. Large glass windows were present alone the back wall, letting in enough light to negate any need for artificial lights.

Jasmine nodded, but instead of walking off, she stayed by his side, like she was guarding him from some invisible evil.

He looked to his side, and saw the front desk, covered in returned books that were organized, but not put up yet. He walked over, looking down at the chocolate brown mare that was sitting there, playing solitaire. “Excuse me.” He said in a whisper.

“Hmm?” She asked.

“Is there a bathroom in this building?”

She silently pointed at the two doors that were directly to his left, on the wall. “Thank you.” He said, already moving towards the doors.

As he entered, he saw Jasmine take a seat at one of the nearby tables, letting him enter alone. Thank god. He thought. She really is keeping a close eye on me. It's like she thinks I’m about to have a heart attack.

He moved through the small, clean, and brightly lit restroom, locking the door as he closed it. He didn't want any intruders, after all. He walked up to the mirror, and removed his mask. He looked over his face, and, to his surprise, found that he was a few shades paler than the day before. It even seemed to bring out some darkness around his eyes, like he hadn't slept well; Which was true.

For a second, he used the spell that let him see changelings, wondering what it was that Chrysalis saw. Just like she had said, his eyes turned from a watery blue to a grass green, and glowed ever so slightly. He could barely see it, but he knew it would be much more visible in the dark.

He sighed, and went back to his normal, magic-less eyesight, making his eyes revert. He looked over his face again, realizing just how much his demeanor changed since he last looked in a mirror. It was colder than he remembered. But... he still recognized himself. It was still him, just... a little different.

He shook his head. He was wasting time that he needed to use either reading or sleeping. Focused again, he began taking gold bars out of his rift and placing them in a pile, next to the sink. He put all but one, letting that last one be a safety net if he needed to make a 'purchase' from someone else.

He pulled out his cloth compass again, and tapped it. Quickly enough, the giddy voice of Discord chimed in.

“Why hello there, Kestral. How are your endeavors?”

“Wonderful.” Kestral replied in a dry, quiet tone. “The last batch of changelings got me in the leg, but I got someone to patch it up.”

“Ahhh.” He said. “Making friends, are we? Celestia would truly be proud.”

“I'm sure she would.” He said, at least trying to make conversation. “But after what I did in her room, I doubt she'd like that I’m getting so cozy in her city.”

“Oh, pshaw. She'd see it as an opportunity to 'convert' you from your lifestyle. If anything, making friends will help your position in life.”

“Really?” Kestral asked. “That's good to know.” He took a deep breath, ready to change the conversation. “But, as per usual, I called you to make a purchase.”

“No time for pleasantries?” He asked, feigning an offended attitude.

“I'm in a restroom, and someone could be eavesdropping at any moment.” He gestured to the pile of gold that was setting on the counter. “Anyways. I'm asking for the names of as many books as this will get me.”

“Well, well, well.” He said. “That's a decent stockpile.” He 'hmm'd and 'ha'd for a moment, thinking over how much value it would really be. “That will get you...I'd say, about seven books.”

“Deal.” Kestral whispered.

Before his eyes the gold all disappeared, being replaced by a folded piece of paper. He grabbed the paper, and pulled his mask out of his rift as well. He put the mask on, and simply gripped the paper in his gloved hands. “Thank you.”

Discord gave an amused 'hmm' before he spoke. “I'm glad to know that you're such a curious individual.”

“Well.” Kestral said. “'Knowledge is power' seems to be taken much more seriously around here.”

“I suppose it is.” Discord said. “In any case, farewell, until next time.”

“Later.”

With that, silence fell on the bathroom. Kestral secured his disguise, and placed a hand on the knob. He opened the door and went out into the mildly dusty air of the massive library. Jasmine met his gaze, and got out of her seat.

“Was any of that audible?” He asked.

“I heard an occasional mumble.” She said. “Which is pretty loud for a dead silent library.” She added.

“Wonderful. Now, I just to find these books.”

“How many do you need?” She asked, as they began walking towards the front desk again.

“Seven.” He said. “Why?”

“Just wondering.” She replied.

Kestral walked up to the front desk again, grabbing the attention of the mare. “Pardon me. “

She looked up from her cards again, and stood up. “Yes, sir?” She asked.

“Could you point me to the 'spell' section of the Library? I'm looking for reference material, you see.”

“Sure.” She said. She pointed up at the second story, where a walkway exposed another room. “Right there in that room on the second floor is the spell books.” She pointed directly to her left. “There's a stairway at either end of the side wall to reach it.”

He nodded. “Thank you.”

They made their way towards one of the stairwells and ascended to the second floor, which left Kestral huffing due to trying to run up the stairs quickly.

“Slow down.” Jasmine berated. “Your going to pass out if you keep that up.”

“Well...huh...I'm just wanting to grab these books and go.”

“If I have to carry you back to the house, I can promise you I’ll hit your head on every cobblestone on the way home.” She threatened.

“Okay- Okay. I get it.” He slowed his pace down to a steady walk, but only after he got to the top. “Why are you so worried about me, anyways?”

“I take care of all of my patients.” She said. “And I try to make it very well known that the patient must take care of his or her self as much as I take care of him or her. There isn't much point in taking care of someone that refuses to take care of him self.”

“Good to know, I guess.”

He moved on slowly, hoping it would sate her apparent need to protect him. They walked into the spell room, which sported a six-point star on the ground, filled with various symbols and words. Some of them appeared to be in Latin, even. As he approached the center of the circle, he saw that the bookshelves were organized in a way that most of them were visible from there. Straight forward, though, was a large, locked door, with a sign that read 'Approved Scientists and Students Only'.

Why is there a 'Romance' section in spells?... you know what? Fuck it. I don't want to know.

“Let's see.” He unfolded the list of books, and chose a random title. “Aquamancy. That shouldn't be too difficult.” He looked around at the signs that were posted on each bookshelf, trying to find the section it might be under.

“That's probably under the 'Elements' section.” Jasmine said.

He spotted said sign, and made his way over. He looked up and down the section, eying over the different sub-sections. “Fire, Earth, Air, Water! There we go. Aquamancy. Got it.” He grabbed the book, and put it in his rift. He looked at the list again, reading another book title.

“Garden Growing: Magically Assisted Edition.” He 'hmm'd. “Not sure how useful that would be.”

He looked around at the signs, until jasmine pointed out one of them. “The 'Life' section is over there. I bet it's in that one.”

With nothing else to work with, he went ahead and walked over to the life section, scanning for the title. “Spiritual, magical, animal. Ah, plant life. Aaaaaaand.... Garden growing. Got it.” He put it away as well.

“What's next?” He looked over the titles, and spotted one that seemed rather unique. “Organ Failure: LifeSaving Techniques.” He looked over the animal section again, searching through the alphabetized books. “There you are.” He grabbed it, making a third stowed book.

“Well that was convenient.” He looked at the list, mentally scratching off the books he already had. “Vocal Manipulation:Volumes I and II.”

“It's pronounced 'one and two', not 'eye and eye eye'.” She deadpanned.

“Same difference.” He retorted. “Look. 'Perception' is over there. It's probably under that.” They walked towards the other side, passing the room's center. They went under the section and scoured through the rows of books on the shelves. He nearly overlooked the two slim books, but he managed to spot them at the end of a whole series. “Got 'em.” He said.

“Is that it?” The doe asked.

“No, I have two more.” He replied, looking over the list again. “Next one is just called 'Hyperphotosensitivity'. I'd guess it's under perception too.” They looked it over for a moment, before Jasmine plucked the book from the shelf and tossed it to Kestral.

“And the last one is...?” She asked.

“Gravitational Adhesion. Whatever that is.” He said. “Now where would that be?”

“Physics.” Jasmine said.

He looked down the hall. “Oh, there it …. no, wait, that's Psychics.” He turned around. “There's Physics.”

They moved on, eager to get the last book and get out of there. They stopped under the sight, and quickly searched for the book. “Aaaand got it.” He grabbed the book, but didn't put it in his rift like he did the rest. Instead, he began walking directly back towards the staircase.

“You're not going to put it up?” She asked, following him closely.

Kestral stopped and whispered in her ear. “Told the front desk I was looking for a spell-book. If I walk out without checking one out, and they figure anything's missing, I'm suspect number one.” He said. “I doubt they'll figure it out, but, precaution, y'know?”

She smirked, and walked past him. “Well, at least you think some things through.”

He shook his head, and descended the stairs, following her at a brisk pace. They reached the ground floor, and made their way to the front desk. Kestral casually walked up and set the book on the desk, just loud enough to get the unicorn's attention.

She looked up at him, then at the book. “The return pile is on the left, sir.”

“Huh?” He asked. “No, I’m checking this out.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I confused you with this other minotaur. He wears very similar clothing to you.” She said. “So, do you have a card already, or are you new?”

“There's another minotaur that dresses like this?” He looked over at Jasmine, who simply looked at him confusedly. “'What kind of religion' you say.” He turned back to the mare. “What was he like?”

“Uh.” She thought for a moment. “Same clothing as you. His mask was golden, robe was gray fur was blue, or at least on his hands. He had a... different accent. I couldn't put my hoof on his accent.” She admitted. “Came through, bought a book with references for all kinds of chemical reactions.”

“I...” He stalled. “Wait. I can just buy these?”

“Oh course!” She said. “We keep a master copy of everything, so we can just copy it off any time.”

“Cool!” He stuck a hand in his satchel. “How much would this one be?”

“Eighty bits.” She said.

He pulled out said amount, setting it on the desk. “Deal.” He grabbed the book as she counted the bits, and he waited until she was done. “But...” He continued.

“Yes, sir?” She asked.

“Have you.... Are there any other minotaurs that wear this kind of clothing?” He asked pensively.

“Well...” She lowered her head a bit. “There is another...”

Kestral leaned in some, lowering his head in an attempt to not be intimidating. “...and what about him?”

“Well...” She fidgeted. “... all I know about him are rumors.”

“I like rumors.” He said. “Anything interesting?”

“Rumor has it that his mask was carved from a dragon bone, and painted with blood. And, that he killed a dragon to get it.” She said, in a whisper so soft that it was difficult to hear, even in a library.

“That's very interesting.” He said. “Where could I find him?”

“They say he makes deals in the lower district, and works as a bodyguard to anyone with the money.”

“But these are just rumors, of course.”

“R- right. Just rumors.” She said. “Is there anything else you need?”

“No.” He said, relaxing. “That's it. Thank you!” He put on a cheery demeanor.

“Thank you, sir!” She turned to Jasmine “Ma'am! You both have a good time!”

“You too.”

“Bye.”

They said their farewells, and made their way out of the building. Kestral took a deep breath, taking in the fresh city air. He looked upon the expanse of the city, the lowering, terraced form of the different districts, progressively getting lower in quality as the buildings grew in distance. He spied the farthest section, but his mind went to other places.

Two other minotaurs that dress like this... He thought. It makes me wonder if one of them is the other human that Discord summoned. If he's here in the city, then what's his role in all of this? Hmmm.... Maybe I should visit that minotaur in the lower district. He might know something. At least 'Hunter' could use making new friends.

He stowed that line of thinking for later. With a swift step and confidant manner, he led the way back to the house, hoping to get something useful out of those books.

Author's Notes:

Kestral goes on a side-quest to the Library, and the main story line was never heard from again.