A loose anthology of the day’s events of Sarah’s company

[Minutes after Sarah and Aon Duine fell asleep]

“So....” Mary said, shuffling her feet, “What should we do now, Ardiente?”

I sighed, closing the door to Sarah and I’s room, “Well, I don’t know about you, but I have to make a stop at the library. It should still be open, I hope; it’s still light out.”

“Oh... I was hoping we could talk a bit more....” she said dejectedly, not really hiding the fact that she’d prefer that I stay. She’s still getting used to being around, I suppose, and since Sarah’s the only other person she can talk to openly... well, she’s unavailable, so I suppose it makes sense that she’d want to talk to me.

I shook my head and smiled up at her, “Don’t worry, I won’t be gone for long. Besides, when I do get back, we’ll have quite a lot to talk about.” I made my way past her and to the stairs, while she followed close behind.

“Um... can I ask what it is we’ll talk about?” She asked nervously, causing me to chuckle. She really loves her conversations, doesn’t she?

When we reached the ground floor, I looked back at her and answered, “I’m going to find as much on Manehattan’s history as I can at that library, and hope whatever is there can help me explain a bit about my past- I did promise to tell you, after all.”

“Ooh....” she said, nodding in understanding. Then, however, she got a confused expression, and she asked, “But wait... how would history books about Manehattan help explain your past?”

I laughed as I put on my jacket- it’s starting to get cold, after all -and answered, “More than you know, Mary.” She looked like she was about to ask another question, but I cut her off as I opened the front door, “Don’t worry, Mary, you’ll get an explanation when I get back- Sarah will too, when she wakes up -but for now, though, I need to head out. I don’t know how long the library is open, so I need to get there as soon as I can.”

“Oh, uh, alright,” she said, waving a hand, “I’ll see you when you get back.”

I nodded and waved a hoof, “See you when I get back, Mary.” I then stepped through the door, closing it behind me via magic. I paused for a second to look around at my surroundings- a habit I picked up from my family constantly being under fire from the Blancas -then chuckled to myself and started walking. There’s not much to worry about here, I’d imagine. This town seems a lot nicer, and the Blancas’ didn’t reach this far, so I don’t have to worry about them.

I didn’t waste any time and quickly set off down the short path from the house, to Ponyville, which was a very short trip indeed. Within about a minute I was already in the outskirts of the town, and not much longer took me closer to the town center.

“Now, if I remember correctly,” I mumbled to myself as I passed the houses, “I just take a right up here and- yep, there’s that gingerbread house, now I know I’m close. What’s that place called again? Sugarcube Corner?”

On passing the building I, unfortunately, didn’t see any sign to verify if that was true or not, however the name seemed correct, so I just shrugged and continued on. I did know, however, that taking a right at the building would lead me to the library.

“And sure enough, there it is.” I said to myself with a small smile. Right there, on the the right side of the road and sticking out amongst the small homes was the large tree that made the library. Seriously though, I thought with a chuckle, who ever thought of building a library inside a tree?

Shaking my head, though not losing my smile, I walked forward to the door and raised a hoof to knock. I stopped myself, however, and simply opened the door to step in; it was a public library, if I recalled correctly, so there was no reason to knock.

“Is anyone in?” I called out to the seemingly empty building. I sure hope someone is here, otherwise I’ll have to wait a day to explain everything....

“Hello?”

I turned to see a purple, unicorn mare looking down at me. I nodded and said, “Hello. I was wondering if I could check out a few books, if you have them?”

She smiled. “Of course! What are you looking for?”

I looked around at the shelves for a second, then asked, “Do you have any books detailing the history of Manehattan? More specifically, it’s founders?”

She blinked and nodded a little. “I believe so....” She turned and started looking at some of the books under some stairs. “Ah! Here.” She grabbed some in her magic and moved them over to me.

I took them with my own magic and opened one, flipping through it to look over some of the pages. Sighing at what I read, I floated the books back to her, “Sorry, I suppose I should have been more clear. I need books detailing the actual history of Manehattan.”

“Oh. That’s all I have, really. I need to ask for some more books from Canterlot.”

I sighed again, sitting down and rubbing my temples with my hooves. Great, now I’m definitely going to have to wait.... I shook my head and stood up again, asking the mare, “Well, I’ll have to return another time then. Thank you anyway, miss....?”

“Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.”

I held out a hoof, “Ardiente Palomino Fragua.”

She shook it. “Nice to meet you Ardiente.”

I nodded and pulled my hoof back, then asked, “So, any idea when you may get any books on my family.” May as well be blunt with it now. She’s an Element of Harmony, so I imagine she’d at least have some idea.

She blinked and nodded. “I’d have to ask the princess for a copy. I’d have to explain that you know about the actual history.”

“Right,” I sighed, “mother never took me to any meetings she had with the princess, so she’s never really talked to me before.” I shook my head and told her, “Just tell her I’m Quemada’s daughter, and if she needs anything else, just forward a letter to Farmaine Manor, here in Ponyville. I’ll send any legal documents or identification papers back if she needs them.”

She nodded. “Alright. Farmaine Manor, got it.”

“Alright then....” I looked around at the shelves again, and asked, “Might as well get something to read to pass the time, while I’m here. Got any suggestions?”

"Well... There should be some new Daring Do books near the back, but only if you're into the genre."

I put a hoof to my chin in thought, would anyone back at the house like that? I know for sure that Sarah wouldn’t. Hm.... I shook my head and asked, “No, but do you have any spell books?”

She nodded. "Yes I do. They should be over by the ladder, last I’ve seen."

I nodded and walked over to the ladder, looking at the books on the surrounding shelves. Scanning over them with my eyes, I couldn’t see anything that interested me, nor would interest anyone back at the house. Well half of them can’t even use magic; only Jav, Arlosia and I can, to my knowledge.

Shaking my head again, I walked back to the mare and said, “Well, I can’t find anything, and I doubt I will, no matter how much I look. I suppose I’ll just take my leave now.” I stuck my hoof out to shake, “It was nice meeting you, Ms. Sparkle. Please, get back to me if the books arrive, by letter if possible.”

She shook my hoof and smiled, "Of course, it was a pleasure meeting you as well Ms. Fragua."

Smiling as well, I pulled my hoof back and left, closing the door behind me. Immediately, I dropped my smile and sighed, muttering to myself, “Damn it’s hard to be polite to people....”

[Back at the house]

“So....”

I twiddled my thumbs, rocking back and forth slightly in my seat, looking at that girl Sira. Seriously, a very strange girl, almost shows no emotions, and talks in really flat, bland tone. It’s really off putting....

She looked up at me from her newspaper- still don’t know where she got that -and stared at me with a bored look, “Miss Alexandra, for the tenth time now, I cannot have a conversation if you wish to start one with no real topic.”

Sighing, I let myself fall back into my chair, “Alright, alright, I won’t try it again. But I’m just bored, alright? Death’s put us all on temporary leave since Sarah’s getting herself put back together, and I have no idea what to do!” I threw my hands up into the air, “This is the only thing I can think of, but you’re not being very good about it.”

“I apologize,” she said, “but the results of my “emotionlessness” make it rather difficult to start, hold, or become invested in conversations.”

That’s obvious.... I sighed again, and asked, “How does that even happen, anyway? The emotionlessness, I mean.”

Offhandedly, while turning a page and reading through her newspaper, she answered, “Through a very long, arduous indoctrination process, utilizing several psychoactive drugs and stimulants, pushed to specific points in ones brain. The stimulation of said points increases the influence of commands given by the one injecting the drugs, while also limiting the use of free thinking and independent choice.”

Uh.... What? I just stared at her blankly, while she continued to read. “I’m uh... I’m not going to question that....”

“It’s best you don’t.” She turned the page again, and kept reading.

Down in the basement, both Jav and Arlosia sat against the wall outside the storage room. The door was slightly bent outward, and a scorch mark was visible from under the doorway, and the two were covered in scorch marks, scrapes, and slightly singed clothing and hair.

“Well... hah....” Jav breathed out heavily, “let’s never try that particular combination of spells again. Ever.” He looked down at the blood elf and asked, “Agreed?”

After getting her own heavy breathing under control, she nodded and answered, “Agreed....”

“Now,” he sighed, standing up and dusting his clothes off, “I say we just leave that room alone for a bit, let everything settle, and in the meantime, let’s clean ourselves up a bit. I’ll take the second floor shower, you can have the top.”

She nodded and stood as well, “Right....”

[Twenty minutes later]

I stepped out of the shower, a towel wrapped around my waist, and stopped to look in the mirror. Ah damn, I think I’ll have to shave again, sometime soon.

I scratched at my already thickening beard and sighed, muttering, “You’d think being dead would stop this sort of thing, but no....”

I kept staring at myself in the mirror, for whatever reason, until the sound of the door opening brought me out of my self-induced trance. Turning, I saw Mary step in the room, then immediately back out and shout, “S-sorry, I-I thought it was empty!”

I waved a hand and sighed, “It’s fine, it’s fine. I was just getting ready to head back to my room anyway.” She moved back from the door, and I stepped through it and into the hall, closing it behind me.

I had started to walk down the hall, when I heard Mary gasp and ask, “W-what is that, on your back?” What is she- oh shit.

Freezing, I slowly turned to look back at her and asked, “You uh... you can see that huh?” She nodded, to which I cursed internally, Dammit, and here I thought all those tattoos I got would cover it up.

Sighing, I turned back to her with a frown, “Look, I won’t be too angry if you do, but please don’t tell anyone about what you just saw. It’s a little... complicated, and not something I like to talk about.”

“Um... alright... but what is that?” She looked away, “I-if you don’t mind saying it, anyway.”

Sighing again, I reached back and ran a hand over the scarred over lumps just under my shoulders, then over the cross and word carved down the middle of my spine. I scowled internally as the memories came back, and I quickly pushed them to the back of my mind.

“Some other time.” I said to her.

“Oh, alright then.” Still looking away, she quickly moved into the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

“God dammit....” I muttered to myself, then made my way to my room. Things can never be simple, can they?

Next Chapter: As the World Turns- Act I, Pt. VIII: Every single day the world keeps turning, keeps turning Estimated time remaining: 14 Minutes