Both girls held their breath as they were stared down by black-feathered carnivore. Predatory eyes glinted as a gray furred limb terminating in a sharp-taloned claw idly rose to scratch at his beak. “Well, isn't this interesting. Now, what are a couple of mares like you doing down in a bucking place like this?”

The two mares slowly backed up until they found themselves at the edge of the stairs, but neither was willing to turn their gaze from the being before them to make sure they didn't break their necks backing down the stairs. For, there was one thing under Celestia's sun that that terrified Daring and Zapapple more then a predatory griffon.

An angry boss.

“P-professor Storm Talon.” Daring managed nervously. “We were just, uh...we were...”

“You were poking around in the sub-basement without authorization?” Storm Talon provided. Neither girl said anything. Storm Talon looked at them for another moment, head tilted in that unnerving way only avians could pull off before letting out another sigh. “You bucking featherbrained morons. You were poking around in the *squak*-ing ruins, weren't you?”

“We were just looking for-” Daring started, but Storm Talon held up a claw to stop her.

“I don't want to know. I really don't want to bucking know.” Storm sighed. “Just...get out of here.”

Despite better judgment saying other wise, Zapapple found her mouth moving. “You're just...letting us go?”

“Yes.” the professor replied before sharply about facing. From the new angle, the professor's prosthetic tail and hind leg were obvious, the dull shine of the metal visible even in the low light. Almost every student had heard about Professor Storm Talon – the former griffon navy captain teaching international studies. Most new students looking for his class were simply told to follow the cursing. It usually worked.

The distinct lack of cursing, however, was making Daring very nervous. “Did, uh, something happen professor?”

“Its none of your bucking concern, Miss Do.” Storm Talon snapped as the two followed him out of the basement. “What is your concern is whether or not I keep feeling generous. This sort of stunt I almost expect from you Miss Do.” Storm shot Daring a glare over his shoulder – a task made simple thanks to his avian anatomy. “I knew your father and this is the exact sort of feather-brained bucking dumb-ass stunt he'd have pulled.” His gaze then panned over to Zapapple. “But you, Miss Tock – I thought you had at least a few bucking brain-cells to lend your friend here.”

The two kept quiet for the rest of the thankfully short trip up to the main courtyard where the trio was promptly almost ran over by a pair of earth pony stallions lugging what looked like a rather hefty desk between them as they past. “Guess somepony new is moving in.” Daring thought out loud, which elicited a small grumble from the professor.

“More like taking over.” Storm Talon's beak clicked together in what passed for 'irritable' in avian – it was a sound often heard when the foul-tempered professor was about. “Seem's the University President showed up today.”

“The new one?” Daring replied as a few more crate-laden stallions strode past. “I heard she was former Royal Guard.”

“You heard right.” The professor's irritated clicking increased tempo as he stomped down the arcade along one edge of the courtyard. Daring and Zapapple both let out a small sigh of relief as they realized what – or rather who – had ruffled their professor's feathers. Storm Talon paid them no mind as he continued. “Little miss Tyrant Queen of Numbers, or so her reputation goes. How a in bucking Tartarus a nag like her managed to get a bucking position like this I have no bucking clue. I imagine it involved a lot of hoof licking.”

“Still ranting about the new boss, Stormington?” the trio turned to face the new voice as it echoed up one of the side halls. Professor Storm Talon was always likely to unnerve new students or staff, especially if they weren't forewarned. The figure before them however was liable to send many into full-blown panic.

He wore a worn but well cared-for fisherponies hat, though as far as Daring knew he had never actually gone fishing. Leaning against one column as he watched to procession of moving ponies, his lanky body covered in blueish-grey fur and towering a good head and a half above anyone else. Every one of the ponies moving the new president's goods gave him a wide berth, but he didn't seem all that phased by it – the diamond dog as probably used to it by now. “I see you found the girls. Where'd they run off too?”

“The bucking ruins below the school.” Storm Talon snapped back. “Bucking morons.”

“Ah give them a break, Stormington.” the Diamond Dog replied placidly. “Not like we don't have other things about.” he gestured a clawed paw at the still moving procession of stallions.

Storm Talon let out a sound that sounded extremely rude. “Still moving their stuff, Ghoul?” The Diamond Dog nodded. Ghoul S. Dachshund was, like Storm Talon, an oddity among the Canterlot University teaching staff and – as far as Daring or Zapapple were aware – the only diamond dog teacher. What he taught, they were never entirely sure. Daring was fairly sure he was a writer by trade and assumed that his classes followed suite, but she had never actually taken any of his classes. She had heard though that they were... interesting.

“This nag might ruin us, Stormington.” Ghoul took a long drag from his witch-weed cigarette as his fellow professor joined him in watching the moving ponies work. “You know the type...”

“Cronyism.” Storm provided. “Blackmailing departments. Threating funding. Personal vendettas – bet he'll threaten us too.”

“Good thing we have tenure then, eh?” Ghoul suggested. The two teachers continued to discuss the ways the newly arrived despot-in-potentate could ruin their lives, quickly seeming to forget about the two students milling about a couple of meters away. Daring was quick to take note of this and, silently as she could, gave her friend a small nudge. Zapapple looked away from her own watching of the procession of office furniture to Daring, who silently pointed at the distracted professor with one hoof before pointing down the hall. It took Zapapple a moment, but she got the message.

As quietly as they could, the two mares began to slowly back down the hall, all the while keeping their yes trained on the professors who nonetheless remained seemingly engrossed in their predictions of doom. At some unspoken signal, the two of them finally concurred that they were far enough away from the two non-ponies and began to turn around. A small grin began to form on Daring's face at the prospect of a clean getaway...

“And where the *squawk* do you think you two are going?”

Both mares froze at the griffons voice, though Zapapple was the first to risk turning to look back toward the feathered professor. His expression remained mostly unchanged as he approached the pair, though one claw came up to tap at his beak contemplatively as he stopped a few paces behind them. “Now, despite evidence to the contrary, I for some dumb-ass reason actually believe the two of you have some semblance of intelligence in whatever shit you call brains. So, I have to wonder what in Tartarus would have possessed you to go down there.”

Daring swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat as she tried to speak. “A b-book, professor.”

Daring couldn't see the slight tilt the professor's head took. “A book?” One of Zapapple's hooves began to fumble with her saddlebag, but Storm Talon beat her to it. The griffon eyed the small tome skeptically. “Given the massive pile of shit you could and still might end up under for this stunt, I really hope this was worth it.”

“It was behind a small banks worth of locks and the entire place started to come falling down when we grabbed it.” Zapapple replied.

Storm Talon's beak clicked softly. “And that makes it valuable?”

Zapapple shrugged. “Usually.”

“It's the Book of Days.” Daring cut in, and Storm Talon turned to look at the pegasus.

“You mean to tell me,” Storm Talon said slowly. “You think you found the journal of one of the founders of Equestria?” Daring nodded nervously – as sure as she was of her research, the way the professor put it maid it sound completely ridiculous. “Anything you have as, I don't know....evidence?”

“The book is definitely old enough.” Zapappled answered.

“And the dialect is consistent with Pre-unification Unicorn.” Daring added. Both of them were still facing the same direction they had been when they stopped, the professor to their back. Neither of them was willing to actually move while the professor was still weighing just how miserable to make their lives.

Storm Talon gently used one claw to lift the book cover, giving the content a curt examination. “Maybe – only problem is that Clover the Clever's journal doesn't exist.”

“But, Professor, the stories...” Daring started, but was cut off by her professor.

“The stories didn't start circulating until more then two hundred years after unification. Most artifacts at least have some anecdotal evidence – you don't even bucking have that. I've seen more proof for Marelantis.”

“Except for the book,” Daring replied, somewhat sharper then she likely should have. “which you're holding.”

Storm Talon shut the book with a snap, glaring daggers into Daring, but Daring continued to stare off down the hall. guess that I should point out that you bucking morons just took out an entire bucking pre-classical ruin. Protected ruins, I should point out. Not exactly career-furthering moves!”

“ah, give 'em a break, Stormington.” Ghoul replied, still puffing away on his cigarette. “Not like we didn't do stupid crap like that when we were there age.”

Storm Talon spun around, redirecting his glare at the Diamond Dog. “Yeah, well...” His gave shifted back to the mares. “It still was a bad bucking idea.” The professor jammed the book back into Zapapple's saddlebag. “Go have fun with your bullshit book. Just remember to talk to me first next time you have some sort of insane idea. Given the way the new boss is looking, I might just help if it means shitting on the new nag's parade.” With that, the two heard the professor begin to pad away.

Daring and Zapapple waited until the sounds of their professor fade off into the distance before Daring turned to look at her friend. “So, want to go read it?”

“I thought you said it would fall apart if we tried that.” Zapapple replied, stretching her legs to try and get the blood flowing again. “Something about it being really, really old?”

“That's what the lab is for!” Daring replied. “Once we get it stabilized then we can start trying to translate it. I found a preservation lab that wasn't being used at the moment – we can slip in and work in it there.”

Zapapple sighed. “Can't we just use a normal lab? You know, one of the ones that going into won't get professor Storm Talon even more pissed off at us?”

“But the normal lab's don't have the reagent's I need.” Daring explained as she started down the hall. “Plus, I need some of the specialized equipment they have in there.” Daring glanced at Zapapple. “Unless you know where else we can find a high-grade conditioning chamber here at the University.”

Zapapple merely shook her head. “In that case, lead the way.” Daring turned back around and started back down the hall, Zapapple close behind. Daring led them away from the courtyard they had emerged from the basement into, and into the dizzying array of hallways that criss-crossed the school. Without the usual bustle of ponies and other species heading to and from classes, and in the steadily dwindling sunlight, the school took on an all-together ominous atmosphere. “Did I ever mention that the school is really creepy like this?”

“On the bright side,” Daring replied as they turned another corner onto another empty hall. “Decorating for Nightmare Night is really simple – steal half the lights and don't dust for a week. Works like a charm.”

“Speaking from experience?” Zapapple asked.

“How the Equinology department decorated their basement last year.” Daring explained. “They always hold their Nightmare Night party down there.”

Zapapple gave an involontary shiver. “That furnace looks like it could eat a pony. Furnaces are not supposed to glow blue!”

“The calliope music fit perfectly though.” Daring replied as they started up a narrow staircase that led them to one of the University's many overlooks. The Equestrian capital's unique geography left it sprawled across dozens of ledges and cliffs, and the Canterlot Royal University occupied the entirety of one of them. From their new vantage point, the city sprawled out below, the lights of a thousand homes and a thousand thousand souls spread out in the quickly growing darkness in a mirror of the stars above. As a student of history, Daring was familiar with the story of the two sisters and looking onto the star-scape above her she couldn't for the life of her figure out how anypony could ignore such a sight.

Then again, they didn't have coffee – coffee probably helped.

“It is quite the view, isn't it?” Daring turned as Zapapple joined her at the railing. “You know, I think I can see my house from here.”

“Zapapple,” Daring replied. “You can't see your house from here – its on the other side of town.”

“Oh, well then.” Zapapple replied. “That must be your house. Think we can see professor Storm Talon's place from here?”

“Why, want to stop by for a visit?” Daring asked. “That would probably be a really bad idea.”

“Afraid of an old professor, Daring?” Zapapple teased.

“When they're a former pirate hunter for the griffon Navy?” Daring replied. “yes, I am.”

“Oh, please.” Zapapple waved a hoof dismissively. “he's got a prosthetic leg and tail. I can think of a couple of the other professors who could take him.” The conversation quickly devolved into a discussion of which of the University faculty could take on who as the pair drifted away from the cliff-side view and back toward the halls and the lab.

The rest of the halls to the laboratory were as empty as the rest of the school at the late hour, hoof steps echoing in the halls as they finally reached a pair of doors marked 'Restoration and Preservation Lab'. Daring pushed the doors open and lead the way inside. The lab itself was filled from wall to wall with various pieces of equipment – tables laden with glass beakers and twisting piping, shelves laden with jars of powders and chemicals, racks of tools and scientific implements. The center tables were occupied b a series of large glass and wood boxes, a small series of pipes attached to the sides of each.

Daring quickly approached the nearest box, flipping open the top lid before gingerly retrieving the book and slipping it inside. Once the lid was securely shut, she turned to Zapapple. “Alright, now we can get started!”

“With what, exactly?” Zapapple replied as she slipped into a nearby chair. “I'm not exactly versed in all this lab stuff.”

“Stabilizing the book.” Daring explained as she started scanning the nearby shelf. “This lab is the only one with the conditioning chambers,” she pointed at the box the book was now sitting in. “and a good supply of reagents.” She gestured at the shelf before her. “So, now I just need to find the right – ah!” Daring paused mid-sentence as she pulled a step-stool over, climbing up it to retrieve a jar of reddish powder from one of the higher shelves. Jar in-teeth, she made her way back to the chamber and set it next to the small collection of machinery attached to it via pipes. “Now, this should stabilize the book so that we can actually read it.”

Zapapple arched an eyebrow. “Should?”

“Well,” Daring shuffled her hooves a little. “It could also make it, uh....explode.”

Zapapple's eyebrow rose higher before calmly rising from her seat and walking over to a seat on the other side of the lab. “Okay, ready.”
Daring gave her friend a glare before turning back to the chamber and, after unscrewing the lid, hooked the jar into the mechanism. With a twist of some dials, a small bellow on top began to pump away as a small whir filled the air. The inside of the chamber began to change color as a reddish fog filling the space before it slowly began to swirl around and toward the book. Zapapple, now fairly sure that the contraption wasn't about to explode, approached to watch the strange spectacle as the book seemed to absorb the cloud. “How's it doing that?”

“The chamber reduced the air pressure inside and introduces the reagent.” Daring explained. “In the reduced atmosphere the reagent starts to...”

“Chamber makes the book not fall apart,” Zapapple cut her off. “Got it. How long does it have to be in there?”

“Uh...” Daring peered over at a dial on the side of the chamber. “ten more minutes. After that you can handle it like a library book.”

“So, if we so much as look at it wrong some biddy in plaid is going to hunt us down with a yard stick?” Zapapple replied with a smirk.

“The book will be readable,” Daring continued, “and stable as long as we keep it out of moisture and excess sunlight.”

“So, no beach side reading then.” Zapapple quipped. “How did you know this stuff was here, anyhow?”

“I've been helping with the archive preservation project.” Daring explained. “All the older books in the collection have been getting the same treatment along with text restorations so ponies can actually read them. This week was the first time the lab hasn't been operating in moons.

Guess the project lead figured everypony deserved a break.”

“Then, shouldn't you be on break as well?” Zapapple asked.

“I'm not actually on the project,” Daring explained. “I just volunteer for the hours in the lab.”

“And yet you have never volunteered for any field work.” Zapapple pointed out.

“I've done my required field work!” Daring defended herself. “I was on that dig in the badlands.”

“Yes, you did the required field work,” Zapapple pointed out as she settled into her chair. “Just the required field work. And always the easy stuff. Where's your sense of adventure?”

“Well, show me something worth risking my tail for and I'll volunteer for it.” Daring replied. “Until then, I'll stick to working in the lab where nothing is going to try and eat me.”

“Hey, that quarry eel was a one-time thing!” Zapapple replied. “And nopony actually got eaten.” The two argued the relative merits of field work safety for the remaining few minutes until the machine gave a small ding to indicate it had finished its treatment cycle.

“Okay then,” Daring started. “Lets see what we've got.” She carefully lifted the lid on the chamber before reaching a hoof in and lifting the book out as gingerly as possible. “Well, its not falling apart.”

“Always a good sign.” Zapappled quipped. “Can we read it now?”

Daring carried the book over to one of the mostly-clear work stations, setting it down in a waiting book cradle before, as gingerly as possible, opening the front cover. Zapapple peered over her shoulder and frowned. “I can barely make out the text.”

“Well, its old.” Daring reminded her. “And we don't have time to try and isolate the ink type to perform a text amplification. We'll just have to do it the old fashioned way.” Daring pulled a second lamp over, this one with a strange bulb and a series of filters on the front.

“What's with the lamp?” Zapapple asked as Daring started to toy with the lamp.

“Its a magic-powered light source.” Daring replied. “The filters let you change the sort of light. As long as the last unicorn in here left it charged, we might be able to use it to get a better view of the text – some inks fluoresce under the right light.”

“Really?” Zapapple looked at her friend, then back at the lamp. “Cool.” Zapapple watched as her friend turned a nob at the base of the lamp – the bulb flickered for a moment before slowly coming to life with a dull purplish glow. Daring pulled the hinged light over and shined it down on the text. “Nothin'” Zapapple groused.

“Well,” Daring replied with a shrug. “I wasn't expecting to get it on the first filter.” She brought a hoof up to a small turn-dial on the side of the lamp and gave it a little flick, rotating it to another setting. An instant later the lamp changed color, segueing smoothly from the dark purple to the reddish-orange of a heating lamp. Idly, Zapapple waved her hoof under the lamp, but didn't feel any heat. “And here I was expecting that was the thermal setting.”

“We want to read the book, Zap.” Daring replied. “Not cook it.” Daring switched the lamp to the next setting, bathing the book in a soft green light. “That...almost looks like it might be working. Hold on.” Daring started switching through the various blueish-green shades the lamp seemed to have, turning the corner of the room into some sort of emerald strobe light.

“Woah, there!” Zapapple reached out toward the lamp. “Slow down there Daring! Last thing we want to do is flash cook this thing or somethin!”

Daring waved a hoof dismissively. “I do lab work all the time – it'll be fine. Nome of the wavelength's we're exposing it to can actually cause any damage usually, and the exposure is short.” Daring hadn't bothered looking up from her rapid-fire lighting test of the book, and she had long sense left green's behind. She was somewhere in the blues now and Zapapple was wondering just how many shades this lamp had.

“How many settings does that have?” Zapapple finally asked as the shades of blue the lamp started to emit started to consistently be a lighter a shade of blue, moving into indigo.

“five hundred and twelve last I checked.” Daring replied with a shrug. “If this doesn't work there should be another lamp with about twice as many.”

“You really need that many different tints?” Zapapple asked a she arched an eyebrow.

“All sorts of different situations.” Daring replied. “Sometimes you need to fluoresce an ink like this, other times you need to activate a potion treatment. All you need is – aha!” Daring suddenly stopped her rapid-fire light show as the open page sudden filled with text under a shade of blue that was nearly ultraviolet. “Got it!”

The pair leaned in and started scanning the text, small grins slowly growing on both their faces. “Is it just me or does it mention moving into 'paradise estate' right there?”

“I do believe it does.” Zapapple replied with a small nod. “We'll have to read the rest, but it's a good sign.” Her grin turned into a small frown as she noticed something. “What's this?”

“What's what?” Daring asked, turning her gaze to where ever Zapapple was looking.

“Here.” Zapapple carefully pointed with one hoof to part of the margin. “It looks like somepony wrote something else in here...”

“Maybe notes from the last pony to study the journal?” Daring suggested. “Let me take a look.” Daring gently jostled her way in front of the book, nudging Zapapple out of the way as she took a look at the strange text. “hrm...lets see...'beyond mortal pale'....'locked away'...gah.” Daring gave a small 'harumph'. “This text is too small...its a pain in the flank to read.”

“Any idea what its talking about?” Zapapple asked as Daring leaned back and gave her a chance to look at the text again.

“Its some sort of...” Daring paused for a moment as she tried to find the right words. “Some sort of confession. Its talking about locking something away – and something about cold, or winter.”

“Heavy stuff.” Zapapple replied as she scanned the text. “I wonder if he left any other notes in here....”

“How are you so sure its a he?” Daring asked as Zapapple started to flip through the pages carefully, but at a decent clip. She took a moment to flip back to the first page of notes ant pointed at it with a hoof.

“Hoof writing like that doesn't look very girly to me.” Zapapple explained.

Daring gave a snort. “Neither does yours, Zap.”

“My writing still looks girlier then that.” Zapapple replied.

“Other then a completely ridiculous theory in graphology,” Daring replied. “Do you have any other basis for gender assignment?”

Zapapple shrugged before pointing at another line of text. “He refers to himself with a male pronoun here.” Zapapple let out a small chuckle as Daring groaned. “Oh, come on. Lighten up will ya?”

“If I was any lighter I'd float away.” Daring replied. “Now, did you find any other text?”

Zapapple flipped back through the pages for a moment before stopping at one. “Here's one.” Once again the margins were stuffed with sharp hoofwriting, the quick scrawl of the panicked or the tired. “This stuff is even harder to read then the last set!”

“Denser too.” Daring added. The first page had just been a couple of lines – easily mistaken for the quick notes most students jot into their own books. This page, however, had been nearly dyed black around the borders with the dense strings of characters in the bygone tongue.

“You'd think he would have preferred an actual journal.” Daring paused for a moment before adding. “Well, an actual journal of his own.”

“Your just annoyed that he scribbled all over Clover's book.” Zapapple replied as she squinted at the text. “Huh...this part is talking about some sort of fortress and...maybe a treasure? Whatever it was he seemed pretty scared of it.”

“Well, that hardly seems surprising.” Daring replied. “Some of the nobility in the early classical eras – and even earlier – could get quite protective of their treasures.”

“This doesn't seem like he was scared of where they were keeping things, Daring.” Zapapple replied as she ran a hoof lightly down one side of the page. “It reads more like he was scared of what they were keeping.”

“So,” Daring asked. “what were they keeping and where were they keeping it?”

“Let's keep reading and find out.” Zapapple suggested as she turned to the next page. “we'll either find the answer, or learn the exact point this pony went cuckoo. Either way, should be fun.”

“I thought you didn't like books?” Daring asked wryly.

“But this is a book with notes by a crazy pony!” Zapapple replied. “That makes this interesting!”

Daring rolled her eyes as Zapapple continued to flip through the pages. “Well,” She said after a few minutes. “I haven't found anything about what they were hiding, but I found something about where they were hiding it.” She pointed at a line that had been shoved in between a pair of passages that, at a quick glance, seemed to talking about a very young Celestia and a bath. “Does that sound like a place name to you?”

Daring started scanning the line for a moment before she suddenly froze. Zapapple eyed the tan pegasus for a moment. “You okay Daring?”

Daring just stared at the page for another moment before turning to Zapapple. “You don't recognize that name?” Zapapple just shook her head, which seemed enough to send Daring flipping through the book as fast as she seemingly could, any regard for the books fragility apparently forgotten. “There's got to be more in here about it...”

“Uh, Daring?” Zapapple started as she watched her friend warily. “You alright?”

“I'm fine.” Daring replied succinctly.

“So,” Zapapple pressed on. “I take it you recognized that name then?”

“Yes.” Daring replied.

Lovely, Zapapple thought – now she was monosyllabic. “Mind sharing where you heard it before?”

Daring finally paused as she turned to glance and Zapapple. “Just an old story I heard once, thats all.” Daring pushed the book back as she back away from the table. “I can't find anything in the journal – we need to go search the archive for-” Daring came to a sudden stop as she found what looked like a very angry earth pony staring at her.

“Last I checked, ponies don't get this riled up over names they heard in an 'old story'!” Zapapple jabbed a hoof at Daring's chest. “And I don't like getting lied to! So why don't you tell your friend what's wrong so she can try and help you out?”

“Nothing is wrong.” Daring replied as she tried to side-step around Zapapple. “I just need to do some more research on this in the archives.”

“How about you tell me why?” Zapapple replied as she pointed at the desk behind Daring with one hoof. “You nearly tore the pages out of that thing looking for something, and that isn't normal. What are you looking for Daring?”

“I just...” Daring sighed, slumping a little as she backed up toward the deck. “I just need to find this place Zap. I can't explain it right now, but I can't let this go.”

Zapapple studied her friend for a moment before letting out a sigh. “You do realize thats not really much of an answer, right?” Daring started to open her mouth to say something, but Zapapple raised a hoof to stop her. “But it was more of an answer then I was expecting.” She reached across to the table and scooped up the journal. “So, way I figure it, my best chance at a real answer is helping you out.”

Daring gave her friend a grateful smile as she picked up the journal, but it quickly changed into a look of confusion as something slipped out from between the journal's pages. “Zap, what is that?”

Zap looked down for a moment before kneeling down to study the mysterious piece of parchment. “I think...Daring, does this look like a map to you?”