The last news pony was finally kicked out of the throne room, and the doors slamming shut and, it's sound echoing throughout. Luna gave a sigh, night court was a stressful event to say the least. The nobles and the press who would usually pester Celestia came to her after the havoc that was earlier today. She wasn’t ready for the sudden attention from the ponies; after all, during her normal night courts rarely, if any, ponies showed up. Aside from when she first arrived in Canterlot, this was the only other time she had so much attention.

Luna stood from the throne and stepped down the dias and out the throne room. These damn nobles and press! They storm in to Our court yelling and complaining like foals! What has become of Equestria in Our absence? Her thoughts ran through idea after idea. Onlynow, when it is a crisis do they come to me! Only now! She gave both a mental and verbal sigh. And just after she felt her forehead and horn slam into an obstacle.

“What on Equus?!” She quickly jumped back from the doors. Her horn glowed with a spell ready to strike her attacker. Even if it wasn't an enemy, it would surely set fear in the pony who stood in their princess's way. The spell quickly fell apart as she blinked at her opponent. “‘Tis a door?”

Luna looked around where she was, in her thought and angerful walk, she had brought herself to the Royal Library. She approached the doors and inspected it, looking a little up she grimaced at a small dent caused by her horn, “Hopefully, none shall notice this blunder… Of mine.”

Seeing as she was already here she decided to enter. It would serve as a pleasant time killer as well. She pulled the door open with her magic and stepped through. The musty scent of old scrolls and books attacked her nose as soon as she took her first step. Before her was the front desk without its librarian. And next to it were ranks of bookshelves that seemed to stretch off into darkness. Even the height of the shelves stretched all the way to the ceiling.

Luna strode next to the shelves, every so often stopping and reading the shelves’ categories. Every so often she would even pull a book to skim through to determine whether the rest of the books should be of interest. After passing shelves after shelves, she finally settled on one subject: myths.

She grimaced at seeing some books and scrolls of Nightmare Moon, even more so when she saw books on a certain draconequus. She pulled a general mythos book titled, Myths Before the Age of Sunlight. She skimmed through it, it covered everything from Nightmare Moon to the story of the three tribes. Just before reaching the end she noticed one page had flipped out of rhythm. She quickly flipped back to the page. Looking at it, it displayed one picture colored using only black ink and the parchment itself. Three bipedal creatures all sitting on their own separate thrones, one clearly more elevated than the others. At the middle one’s feet was a dog like creature, and below all of them was a drawing of a ribbon strand that read, The Triumvirate.

Luna eyed it with thought, looking at the spine of the book she noticed several pages ripped out. It was evident that this was done years ago by the folded pieces of torn paper. Looking to the past she remembered her favourite story, The Wolf Knight. Putting the pieces together she found that he, Artorias, was part of the Triumvirate.

It made sense really, from what Celestia had previously told her, Artorias was a leader from a time even before her. If the story of the Wolf Knight was true and this Artorias was him, she realized that they had just gained a valuable asset. Not to mention, he was essentially her hero in her times of need, especially when Celestia wasn’t around. But that had changed when she became the Nightmare. She quickly threw her mind from that thought, ‘Tis best not to think about such events from the past.

She brought her attention to the book and flipped the page only to find another story. Damn! She was caught up in her thoughts that she forgot that the book’s pages were torn out. She began casting a spell, a spell that would turn back time and return these pages temporarily. As the pages formed, the book shot lightning at here horn, dismantling the spell.

Luna dropped the book in surprise, she looked down at the book as it began to turn its pages. Page after page, it flipped and flipped as if it had an infinite number of pages. Much like those flip book animations that she had seen before, words appeared and shifted. The first word she read was, None.

Shall.

Ever.

Learn.

Luna stepped back in terror, the magic from this book was wrong. In fact there was a lack of magic that disturbed her most. As she backed away, the book rose and turned to face her. The words repeating again and again. None shall ever know. None shall ever learn. None shall ever know.

Luna’s ears splayed down, the written words began as a whisper. The page began to speed up even faster and faster, the voice growing louder and louder. The book was berating her, the pages turning up wind around them. It grew closer and closer to Luna, it was an inch from her muzzle before she broke.

“Cease!” she yelled with Royal Voice.

She pushed the book back from her with her telekinesis and it slammed against the shelves. Continuing her counter attack she pulled the book closed and summoned a chain to bind it shut. It struggled to rise again, to open, but the chain kept it down and shut. It’s oscillations began to slow down before it came to a complete stop.

Luna breathed a sigh of relief as she looked at the book. She slumped down to her haunches, her breathes were long and deep. What matter of magic was this?! There was no essence felt at all!

Ideas ran through her head, there was no magic that had no read on it, and yet what had just occurred was real. There was no magic that could be detected!

“Princess! Princess! Where are you?” The voice was feminine and had a tinge of age with its tone. Must be the librarian, she thought. She turned her head to the left where there were more book shelves and in between them was a mare in her, what Luna assumed to be in her fifties, given by looks.

“We are fine Amethyst,” the mare’s name Luna recalled from her many visits to the library. She stood up to face the pony and levitated the book to the unicorn mare. “Please, have this book brought to the Royal Archives, specifically in the Black Room.”

“Yes, your Highness,” she took the book in her magic. “May I ask why?” she eyed the book curiously.

“‘Tis a book that should not be allowed ever resurface again. ‘Tis a... disturbing book, likely it was mistakenly put there,” Luna couldn’t reveal what was truly hidden in that book. It had disturbed her and if did that, what would it do another normal pony?

“Of course, I’ll have this brought over immediately. Secondly, I would like you to know that Pontiff Sulyvahn is in the North Wing of the library, he is studying magical theory,” Amethyst quickly set about securing the book now turned artefact.

While Amethyst set about, Luna pondered, What is the Pontiff doing? With a glow of her horn she began her teleportation spell. She reached out in her mind searching for the North Wing, once she had found it she picked a position. She grabbed the air with her magic and switched places with the air. All of which happening in less than a second.

Luna looked around at where she was, confirming her position. She set about looking for the Pontiff. Searching for him wasn’t hard as there was a mountain of books all across the floor. Sitting on top of a makeshift chair of books was Pontiff. Luna’s mind quickly thought back to the previous picture she had saw of the three humans. Her mind then switched to a couple days ago when Celestia was holed up in the Royal Archives.

She brought her mind out of her thoughts. Luna flew up to the sitting creature, Sulyvahn was skimming book after book. Looking around, she noticed he was almost done with all the books in this section, “Good evening, Pontiff Sulyvahn.”

Sulyvahn, was half way through skimming a book. After finishing it, he closed it up and turned to Luna, “Greetings, Princess Luna. How goes the night?”

“The Night Court was unpleasant to say the least. I see that thou hast been reading, magic theory is it?” Luna levitated a book over to her, opening it and skimming through it herself.

“Yes, yes I have. It's quite interesting really,magic seems to have changed, I suppose. From my time it was very different. If I had to compare them, my era was a more brute force application of magics. All things considered, my time was one of endless war,” Sulyvahn pulled upon another book and began to skim once again. “Compared to now, there is more of elegance when it comes to magic.”

“Is that so?” Luna also pulled another book to skim as she continued to flap her wings. “Seems to be a boon as well as a sign of peace then.”

“Yes, indeed. But then again, the question you should now be asking is how long it shall last,” finishing a book, he opened another.

“What dost thou mean by that? Couldst thou please explain?” Luna stopped reading the book, and set it down.

“It’s simple, really. Let me explain what I believe to be the first rule of the universe. All things come to an end,” he shut the book closed, bringing to him another book at the same time

“Even immortals?” Luna raised an eyebrow at this statement, she recalled several theories, books, and scrolls, “Even magic itself? Equestria’s current theory is that magic is a universal constant.”

“Yes, even immortals. Afterall, the first rule of immortals is that they too shall die. Quite odd and idea, but true nonetheless.”

“How can that be possible?”

“Immortals think of themselves as indestructible. They believe that they have a life without end. Some even considering themselves gods. But in reality, they are just another living breathing creature, they just haven’t discovered what can kill them yet,” Pontiff closed the book he was reading and turned to face Luna. “What do you consider yourself?”

“We consider ourselves as an immortal, undying,” Luna was growing wary of Sulyvahn. For all her life she was taught that alicorns were immortal, endless, undying, essentially gods. They carried powers that no pony would ever be able to surmount. To hear that this was a sort of facade, tore into her views. Canst this be true? Surely not? Our sister has survived a thousand years… In peace.

Luna concealed her thoughts from being expressed on her face, and waited for Sulyvahn’s thoughts. Maybe it is a simply a philosophical view.

“All I can say Luna, is that you should not ever believe that you can not die. Because when you least expect it, the world around you will crumble and fall. You will be left with nothing,” Sulyvahn began shifting the books beneath him, back onto the shelves that had once housed them. Each book hitting with a soft thud.

The pile of books was reduced to nothing in a matter of seconds the both of them floating down to floor to meet one another, “Pray tell, how dost thee know of all this?”

“I speak from experience Princess Luna,” he began his departure from the library with Luna following suit. “Has Celestia or Artorias spoke to you of our kingdom?”

“We have not been given much information.”

“It’s a sad tale of betrayal to say the least. You should have them tell you it sometime.”

“Canst thou not tell us?”

“I’m not much of a person to revel in the past. To learn from it, yes.”

“We see, thou dost not wish to talk about poor memories. We… understand.”

“Thank you,” the pair had finally reached the library doors. He pulled the door allowing for the princess to pass through with a nod of gratitude. Sulyvahn followed behind, but stopped as he passed the doors, “Princess Luna.”

The princess turned around to face the pontiff, truth be told, she wasn’t comfortable with being behind her, “Yes?”

“Allow me to extend my services to you. Though we both seem to have the same problem, we come from different eras.”

Luna took a step forward slightly baffled, “How did thee know?”

“Considering your speech pattern and I’ve read a couple books, it doesn’t necessarily take a genius to put the pieces together.”

“Ah… I see,” she turned away a tinge embarrassed. “We offer thanks for the offer. Hopefully, we shalt not need thy experience in combat Pontiff Sulyvahn.”

“Of course not, I would hope that this peace would never cease as well,” Sulyvahn raised his hand and rotated it in a circle. Following his hand was a spark, as soon at the circle was complete a portal had formed. He began to step through before he remembered. With one foot through the portal he spoke, “Maybe, it depends if magic is truly a fundamental force. It could rely on other variable after all.”

With a wave of his hand he stepped through, the portal closing behind him. Luna gave a small grin, The antics of this Triumvirate is interesting to say the least. Even We had forgotten that question… We- I should really put and effort into fixing mine dialect…

Tonight was better than it was before, it was now only a couple hours till sunrise. I still must attend to the dream realm. Luna gave another mental and verbal sigh. The night may have been better, but it was still long.

Author's Notes:

HA HA! Much like the chosen undead, I have returned!

Grand prelude out of the way for me. Hey guys! I'm back. It's summer and I thought I'd do some writing once more. It's funny cause I couldn't find my notes to write this chapter, so I had to reread the entire story. I'm sure some of you people who are tracking this may have done so. Another thing! You can probably expect at minimum, one more chapter over the course of the summer.

So, as per the usual, feel free to comment. Feel free to like. Feel free to put this in whatever library of your choosing. If you see and error, feel free to point it out. If you leave a dislike, do me a favor and comment why. Thanks for reading. See you guys eventually!