The Crystal Library stands considerably taller than the nearby buildings, a fact taken as a good sign by the two hopeful unicorns. What gives them pause are the two griffon statues standing guard at the entrance. Griffons are notoriously fierce and jealous protectors of what they own, though neither would have put knowledge as an asset they value. At least, as far as they know; perhaps far in the past things were different, but Griffons today seem at best resentful of their history and at worst quite willing to disembowel those that remind them.

Fifteen steps take them to the large double doors, one of a select few in the city able to accommodate, say, Princess Celestia’s tall frame. Radiant Hope takes a deep breath before pulling them open and stepping inside.

“I spent many a moon here,” she explains, motioning to the majestic shelves that might have made a lesser unicorn drop to her knees in awe. Rows upon rows line the walls, stuffed with thick books, ornate tomes, and gilded scrolls. “Som…” She trails off rather than finish the name despite nopony else being close by. “My friend and I would often come here and spend hours sifting through, well, whatever caught our interest that day. Novels, histories, magic, you name it.”

“Indeed,” Tempest Shadow replies. Her ears fold back just slightly as she stares up at the vast collection encompassing all four stories. All she can imagine is the Storm King rampaging through and tearing apart the sparkling bookcases in pursuit of a single page of power. “I see why they had griffons as statues in front.”

“For the wings?” Radiant Hope smiles and gives a short nod. “Although, there weren’t any by the time I was born. We had to use these.” She points at a few rolling ladders; the thought of climbing up the rickety pieces of metal makes Tempest Shadow a bit uneasy. At least you could trust the rigging on an airship to be secured tightly. “Not to brag, but we unicorns had a bit of an advantage.”

Her horn lights and surrounds a book close to the bottom in a golden glow. She pulls it out, smiling to herself as she inspects the fairly plain pink cover titled Spring Hearts Garden. “Oh, this was one of my favorites!” She squats down, tenderly opening the cover and running a hoof down the list of chapters. “It’s all about a princess who loves and cherishes her people!”

“Great,” Tempest Shadow deadpans, scanning the rest of the library. It’s mostly deserted except for three stallions clustered around a table further in. The young dark red stallion dumps a dozen books into a large and growing pile before leaving to gather more, the other two not even sparing a glance as they work through their own studies. “Anything in there that’s relevant to our search?”

“Um,” Radiant Hope says with a sheepish grin, ruefully closing the foal’s-book. “Not unless you think a Princess having visions of the future is relevant.” She replaces the book next to the other three in the series. “Any idea where to start?”

“Searching for records of powerful magics locked away?” Tempest Shadow snorts derisively. “I don’t suppose there is a clearly labeled restricted section, guarded by a narcoleptic librarian?”

“Sorry, this isn’t Canterlot,” Radiant Hope replies with a regretful shake of her head. “Amethyst Maresbury is always watching. She would greet you at the door and give you one hard look, and that was enough to let you know not to try anything. Especially if foals were around.”

Tempest Shadow looks around for any sign of the head librarian, the same as the one who came to Klugetown. “It would appear that she isn’t here.”

“Oh!” Radiant Hope exclaims, glancing shiftily from side to side. “In that case, the restricted section is right over there.” She points at a shadowy corner of the library, far in the back. “Just make sure the tissues are stocked.”

“...Right.” Tempest Shadow grunts as she walks off.

Radiant Hope peers back and forth before sneakily snagging the pink book. Her purloined prize in her possession, she giddily trots off to the table, plopping down next to the two stallions and engrossing herself in her guilty pleasure. They barely glance up from their books, the orange-maned stallion from a book on crystal manufacturing and the light gray from geological surveys in the surrounding mountains.

Several minutes pass, during which dark red delivers a few more loads of books. He notices the book in Radiant Hope’s hooves, happily exclaiming, “Oh, that’s one of my favorites!” He motions to a set of four Princess Collection stories, stacked blue, purple, pink, and lavender, that he just happened to pick up on his last run. “Small world, eh?”

“Mine, too!” Radiant Hope smiles fondly, checking out the large pile of books. “These can’t all be for you, can they?”

“Nah, bit of a business venture,” he answers. He sidles close to her, all carefree smiles and a cool countenance that reeks of trying too hard. “Name’s Totem. Yours must be Angel, ‘cause you sure shine like one!”

Radiant Hope titters, wanting to pet the smaller stallion’s mane. “Oh, you’re too kind. No, I’m Radiant Hope.”

“Ah, well, I was halfway there.” Totem winks, drawing a bemused smirk; he is about half her size. “So you like the classics, huh?” He chuckles to himself. “But they ain’t the classics for you, are they?”

“No, not quite,” Radiant Hope admits, deflecting any sort of advance. “What brings you to the Crystal Empire? It can’t be for the literature; everything here is at least a thousand years out of date.”

“Sure, that might stymie some other stallions,” Totem replies smoothly, hopping halfway onto the table. “But others can’t wait to get their hooves on a pristine copy of a first edition.” His hoof tenderly runs down the spine of one of the Princess Collection books. “Me, though? I always thought age was just a number, and so what if I liked something for little fillies!”

Radiant Hope’s brow furrows, the opposite of the reaction Totem was going for, and it shows in his brief confusion. “That sounds like those books could be quite valuable. You aren’t… stealing them, are you?”

“Nah, nothing like that.” Totem slowly pulls his hoof back. “Ain’t the prettiest of things, but the library’s gotta stay afloat somehow, ya know? Maybe they’ll buy back the rare ones once they’re back on their hooves. Who knows. The rest?” He scratches at his chin as he stares up at the ceiling. “There’s a mare, lives in Ponyville. Princess Twilight Sparkle. Heard of her?”

“Acquainted, I would say,” Radiant Hope returns.

“Well, her library got destroyed.” Totem sighs morosely, still overcompensating. “Sad, but that’s how it goes, ya know? Maybe next time you don’t build so close to the Everfree, if ya catch my drift. Anyway, we got a contract to help restock whatever they end up rebuilding. Rumor’s that it’s gonna be even more impressive than this one. Hard to believe, ya know? So we’re gathering up whatever duplicates ya got here, and anything that can be replaced with a, well, more recent copy.” He motions to a set of encyclopedias dating to, as Radiant Hope said, more than a thousand years ago.

The loud slap of a stack of books slamming against the table startles Radiant Hope; she glances up, sheepishly, as Tempest Shadow glares at the foal’s-book in her hooves.

“These are pornographic,” Tempest Shadow states loudly, making no effort to conceal her affront and disappointment. The two stallions’ ears twitch, though they wisely don’t look up. A grin spreads over Totem’s face as he slicks his mane back, which she ignores. “Nothing but saddle-rippers and tear-jerkers.” She looks disdainfully at her hoof, disgusted that anything might have rubbed off on her.

“I mean, it’s not my area to judge,” Radiant Hope starts, shrinking down slightly as the unamused expression on Tempest Shadow fails to fade. She offers a somewhat contrite grin. “Um, sorry? I thought you knew what was meant by the ‘restricted section’ of a public library.”

Tempest Shadow closes her eyes as she takes a deep breath, vowing not to treat the mare as she would her soldiers-in-training. “And in what way did you think that my search would be aided by this… smut?”

Radiant Hope’s smile pulls a little tighter. “Maybe you needed help relaxing?”

“Judging by the smell,” Tempest Shadow growls, sparks bubbling from her horn, “there has been plenty of relaxing done already.” She motions to the cheery pink book in Radiant Hope’s hooves. “And what is that supposed to be?”

“This?” Radiant Hope glances down. “...Research?”

“...Research.” Tempest Shadow sighs again, rubbing at her horn and hoping the approaching headache won’t be too debilitating.

“Well, it’s not like Hayhoof’s Intonements or Trotter’s Tome of Reliquary is going to help us,” Radiant Hope asserts acidically. “My magic is too specialized, and yours… well…”

“So you’re spending your time reading…” Tempest Shadow rolls her hoof at the pink book, trying to think up a fitting pejorative. “That.”

From the side Totem interjects, “I don’t blame her. You can find out a lot from the stories in foal’s books!”

Tempest Shadow turns to look down at the dark red stallion, eyes narrowing in a manner most dreadful. He doesn’t seem especially fazed even as she towers over him. “And you are?”

“Totem, at your service.” He slides off the table, deftly turning the motion into a low bow. “That is, if you’re looking for stories about powerful magic. You know, like the Mare in the Moon?”

Radiant Hope doesn’t really react, more quizzical than anything, while Tempest Shadow pauses, perplexed at the mention. The two glance at each other before returning to Totem.

“Oh, right,” Totem explains, noticing Radiant Hope’s confusion. “That happened after you lot left. And she came back just before you all returned. Well, let’s see. You know Princess Luna, right?”

“Yes,” Radiant Hope says with a grim nod.

“Obviously,” Tempest Shadow retorts, scowling.

“Well,” Totem continues, undaunted by their replies, “as the story goes, she got really mad because her Sister was hogging all the attention. So she decides to go and do something about that, right? Transforms into this bloke Nightmare Moon, wants to take over the world, the whole shebang. But before things get out of hoof, Princess Celestia swoops in with the Elements of Harmony and banishes her to the moon!”

“Not exactly how the story went,” Tempest Shadow counters dryly.

Totem rolls his eyes. “So I abbreviated. Sue me. And if I had my copy of Predictions and Prophecies I’d read you the whole thing. But the point is, those Elements of Harmony? That’s some serious magic there, and recorded in plain sight. And it ain’t all Princess Celestia either.” He rummages around the pile of books, pulling out one with a powerful dragon warrior prominently displayed on the front. “How about Burnferno? It’s all about how discovering your own potential makes you stronger than any foe!”

“Perhaps Raikou should read that one,” Tempest Shadow deadpans. “But this seems like a supreme waste of time.”

“So I didn’t hit a perfect shot on the first two tries. Sometimes this research takes hours. But there’s a secret.” Totem winks at Tempest Shadow, heedless of how her horn sparks. “You just have to access your inner foal to really enjoy these!“

Tempest Shadow stares back, hard. “I assure you, that is not the problem.”

“Aww,” Totem playfully moans. “Are you sure you don’t have a little foal inside you?”

Tempest Shadow’s growl is unmistakable. “No.”

Totem asks with a purr in his voice, undeterred by common sense: “Do you want to?”

Tempest Shadow goes very still, lest she strike the stallion colt, cutie mark or not, waving his hoof forward and back between them as if there is a leaf’s chance in a storm.

“Pffff,” Radiant Hope sprays through the hoof covering her muzzle, flopping to her back as she laughs uproariously. “That’s priceless! That’s-”

At Tempest Shadow’s glare she quickly recovers, standing up and acting totally serious. “-Completely not funny.” She can’t keep her grin off her muzzle, though, ruining any sort of sternness to her words.

“We’re done here,” Tempest Shadow states, turning to walk away.

“Well,” Totem continues, trying to keep them engaged. “What sort of magic are you looking for? You didn’t like the advanced applications, you said so before.” He rummages through the pile of books, pulling out a few. “Bridle Buck’s Boat Chants has some simple spells, but that’s more for teaching foals. Mystic Maps and Mazes? That’s more dungeon delving guidelines, but useful if you’re looking for the basics. Gusty the Great? No, that’s more foal stories.”

“Wait,” Tempest Shadow says, her ears pricking at the last one. “Gusty the Great?”

“Oh, yeah, another one of my favorites.” Totem slides the book toward Tempest Shadow. The back cover has a stylized all-black unicorn: she has twists in her ears, her mane and tail appear as if on fire, and her horn has an uncharacteristic slight wave to it. “That one even has the old cover, too, which I like more than the new one.”

“Tell me more about this ‘Gusty the Great’,” Tempest Shadow demands, starting to flip through the pages. The first few chapters details her life and training, especially growing up under Princess Celestia’s tutelage.

“Well, not a lot is known about her, it being so long ago.” Totem motions to the walls surrounding them. “Kind of why I want to start sifting through these books, ya know? That’s what I’m good at; you give me a job, and I’ll plug away at it ‘till it’s done!” He turns back to Tempest Shadow, winking again. When she ignores it, he continues, “Gusty was a right power sorceress, that much is known. Studied for years, a right Renaissance Mare. But after she beat Grogar the Necromancer, took his bell and all his power, and sealed them away? Legend says she returned home, but that’s all we know; Princess Celestia won’t say anything else.”

Gears begin turning in Tempest Shadow’s head. This is it! This is the connection they need! If they can find some clue about Grogar, some indication of where his power lays, they might be able to restore her horn!

“Where?” she demands loudly, stamping her hoof on the table. “Where in Equestria did she go?!”

“Not Equestria,” Totem says with a sly shake of his head, his muzzle curling upwards.

Tempest Shadow growls, furious at being denied her prize. Her words come out painfully slow, a clear indication of the sort of torture she might use. “Then where is this unicorn? Records of her, anything!”

Totem motions to the picture and the minor characteristics, clearly enjoying himself. “Gusty the Great isn’t just a unicorn.” He pulls out a business card stamped with Research, Inquest, Procurement and slides it to Tempest Shadow. “She’s also half kirin.” He gives her a long, smug smile. “You need help finding something? We find anything.”

Next Chapter: Ch. 69 - Healthy Mind, Part One Estimated time remaining: 21 Hours