[Bridlebank Beach] The Lost Library - The Search is On!

[BaconofChaos]

[colour=#800000]"Oof... good hoof on ya there. Lyra, you just suddenly up and started leaving! I thought you were sensibly avoiding good-byes! Dreadful things, good-byes. Hate them."[/colour]

Lyra huffed and looked askance at the earth pony. [colour=#00cc99]"Well I thought you wanted me to go find those ponies while you worked with your doohickeys! I figured it would take you a while. You're always playing with your doohickeys."[/colour] She sat back with her forehooves on her hips, trying the pose that Bon Bon would take whenever she disapproved of something her friend did. [colour=#00cc99]"And you've got to say goodbyes! Goodbyes are important! Sure, goodbyes hurt, but you need them. A goodbye is an ending, but you can always have another beginning after. Without goodbyes, you're just leaving a whole load of loose ends around. And that will just hurt more in the long run."[/colour]

[colour=#800000]"That family's got hours of a head start on you, and running away as fast as they can! Even if you knew where they were ... and I'd suggest starting to look at the first hospital you find ... it'd take you days to catch up with them!"[/colour]

[colour=#00cc99]"I, uh, didn't really think of that, I guess."[/colour] she said, sheepishly. [colour=#00cc99]"Um, sorry about hitting you. I guess I let my temper get the best of me. But, um, I really wanted to see that library you were talking about before! It sounded really interesting! And after all that mess with the clockwork ponies, sitting down to read a book or two sounds very relaxing."[/colour] she finished, a bright smile on her face.

[Bramble Rose]

Doctor Whooves couldn't help but let out a burst of laughter at that comment. [colour=#8b4513] "Relaxing?! Hahaha, noooo, no, it won't be boring."[/colour] He rubbed lightly at his cheek, and gave a soft chuckle. [colour=#8b4513] "And, don't worry about it. I get slapped a lot. Comes with the territory. But I don't believe in endings,"[/colour] he said philisophically.

He pondered a moment. So, she wanted to come with, then? He hoped both the unicorns weren't falling in love with him ... that was even messier than one mare falling in love! Still... it'd been a while since his cart had been loaded with that many companions, and he *did* enjoy having her around. She was easy to work with, and that sonic magic was exceptionally useful. [colour=#8b4513]"Well, why not?"[/colour] he chirped up merrily.

[colour=#8b4513]"It's the Lost Library of the Royals, missing for over a thousand years. Generations of my predecessors have searched for it, across the centuries. Off and on, anyway. I, myself, have been seeking it for five years! I expect I've got a really solid lead this time, though - probably be there in a few months, given the normal delays in travel time from monsters, madponies, catastrophes, magical oddities, rifts in space and time, and other minor things."[/colour]

He chuckled softly. [colour=#8b4513]"Hopefully not as delayed as that time I went shopping for a gallon of milk and didn't get back home for four months cause I ran into a Wisp on my way back from the shops ... Hooooo, that was a mess. The milk was curdled by that time, and I'd been in the middle of making my own special recipe of bread-cake ... the yeast had very nearly gained sentience and was starting to learn speech. Luckily I'd just left the Convocation of Beasts and still had a business card left to give to it. Distracted it long enough to clap some pans together... the whole mass fell flatter than anything. Scooped it up into a barrel and tossed it into the nearest volcano, boy did that smell good! Then I picked up a new gallon of milk on the way home."[/colour] He paused a moment, remembering that shopping trip with a fond little smile. [colour=#8b4513]"But I really doubt this trip will be quite *that* much fun,"[/colour] he assured Lyra. [colour=#8b4513]"Did you need to ... um ... what do normal ponies do? Tell your ... uh ... job? That you quit?"[/colour]

​

[brianblackberry]

Trixie lazed over the edge of the wagon on crossed forehooves, swaying her flank left and right as she smiled, her cape billowing in the soft ocean breeze, trying to look as stunning as possible – which, of course, wasn’t remotely difficult for somepony as beautiful as she! She listened in amusement as Whooves talked his way out of being slapped some more, and bonus, it looked like Lyra was going to go with them after all! At least now Trixie would have something more lovely to look at! That foolish earth pony truly didn’t understand mares at all, and it was so satisfying to see Mr. InControlOfEverything caught so off guard.

Trixie’s bemused mood shattered as Whooves’ words sunk in. He’d been seeking it for years? And thought they’d be there in ”merely a few months more”! On no, no, Luna no, that was not going to do at all; there was no way Trixie was waiting that long to claim her prize! She lept back up onto all fours and waked right up into the earth stallion’s face to where they were practically muzzle to muzzle. [colour=#6699cc]“Now listen here! The Great and Powerful Trixie is in no way going to wait months for her destiny; you either were not working hard enough at finding the clues or were too foalish to understand them! Fortunately for you, the Great and Powerful Trixie, mistress of the magic arts, is here to read and decode all those mystical leads that would befuddle somepony as inexperienced with magic as yourself. Now get into that crazy wagon of yours and figure out a path that doesn’t drown us in the ocean so we can be on our way!”[/colour]

[BaconofChaos]

Lyra's mind processed what the good Doctor had just said.

Probably be there in a few months.

Monsters, madponies, catastrophes, magical oddities, rifts in space and time, and other minor things.

Doubt this trip will be quite that much fun.

Say WHAT!?

Lyra suddenly had second thoughts about this trip. This was supposed to be her vacation! She was supposed to lounge on a beach and go looking at old ruins and drink some of those fancy cocktails she kept hearing about but never had the time to try! She thought the troubles had been taken care of, but now they were in for months of monsters and-and- uh- whatever else he'd said! This was too much.

She was about to politely ask The Doctor if maybe there wasn't another library he'd rather visit; one that hadn't been lost for centuries. Maybe one of those ones with a coffee shop in where they could get some muffins.

But then Trixie, in her usual boisterous way, had gotten the first word in. Offering to decode "mystical leads" and encouraging the Doctor to find a new path.

Yeah, that would work too. She supposed.

She still fancied some coffee and a muffin though.

[colour=#00cc99]"Um... maybe... maybe we could find somewhere else to go?"[/colour] she eventually asked. [colour=#00cc99]"Somewhere close by. With less monsters. And somewhere to eat, perhaps?"[/colour]

(OOC: Sorry for the rediculously long wait. I kinda forgot about this one for a bit.)

[Bramble Rose]

Doctor Whooves stopped, blinked, and looked closely at Lyra, trying to parse through those words. Trixie's words had simply washed over him - he was quite used to her going on and on about some complaint or other. [colour=#8b4513]"yes, dear,"[/colour] he said patiently to Trixie, and [colour=#8b4513]"Just exercise some great and powerful patience for a bit..."[/colour]

Then he tilted his head the other way, looking at Lyra. He gestured over the beach, with its erupted craters, already being filled in by the motion of the waves ... the big hole in the wall of the house, and the abandoned lunch seen on the table within ... the motion taking in the city, and the forest and gully beyond, where they'd altered the flow of the ley power.

[colour=#8b4513]"Lyra Heartstrings,"[/colour] he explained, carefully and crisply, not sure she quite understood the situation. [colour=#8b4513]"This *was* our stop for a bite to eat with less monsters."[/colour]

​

[brianblackberry]

Trixie just rolled her eyes and sighed, why did Whooves always spend so much time with the talking and so little time actually doing anything? The mentioning of food didn’t help her patience any, as instead of finding the promised gourmet meal they ended up with a plate full of mechanical monsters and near disaster! Now that she thought about it, that was how things usually went. It was as if catastrophe followed them, or… No, that couldn’t be it could it? Did he actually instinctively know where and when the next catastrophe was going to be and purposely arrange to be there??

Trixie shook her head, that couldn’t be it, there was no way he would have foresight; he was an earth pony, just an earth pony!

Right?

Trixie quickly dismissed her conspiracy theory, it was time to go, and food was simply one more reason. [colour=#6699cc]“Well the Great and Powerful Trixie believes the good Doctor here owes us both a real meal after today’s adventure, don’t you Lyra hon? “[/colour] Trixie climbed into the wagon herself, ready to go, and to drive that point home she lifted Whooves with her magic and carried in right into the wagon next to her, dropping him flat in front of the controls. [colour=#6699cc]“Now why don’t you be a dear for Lyra and Trixie and get this contraption of yours going so we can find something nice to eat; you wouldn’t want to disappoint us beautiful ladies.”[/colour]

Trixie turned to Lyra smiling and offered her forehoof to help the mint green unicorn aboard. [colour=#6699cc]“The lovely and single Trixie is pleased you’ll be joining us for dinner. It’ll be great, two lovely mares on the ocean, the warm breeze in our manes, and you can regale to Trixie all about what brought your lovely self here in the first place.”[/colour]

[BaconofChaos]

[colour=#8b4513]"Lyra Heartstrings, t[/colour][colour=#8b4513]his *was* our stop for a bite to eat with less monsters."[/colour]

Lyra stared for longer than was probably comfortable for the good Doctor. This stallion was mad, pure and simple. She shook her head in disbelief.

[colour=#6699cc]“Well the Great and Powerful Trixie believes the good Doctor here owes us both a real meal after today’s adventure, don’t you Lyra hon?"[/colour]

[colour=#00cc99]"Yes, I think you're right, Trixie."[/colour] replied Lyra, carefully ignoring the "hon". [colour=#00cc99]"A big meal. With desserts"[/colour] she added meaningfully. There was no way she was letting this madness go on without something sweet and fattening inside her. She could just lose the extra weight at the next Running of the Leaves.

[colour=#6699cc]“The lovely and single Trixie is pleased you’ll be joining us for dinner. It’ll be great, two lovely mares on the ocean, the warm breeze in our manes, and you can regale to Trixie all about what brought your lovely self here in the first place.”[/colour]

Lyra took Trixie's hoof and allowed the blue unicorn to pull her up into the cart properly. At this point she was too tired to rebuff the amourous pony's advances, so she merely said [colour=#00cc99]"Sure, Trixie. Sounds good."[/colour]

(I'll try and post more often than once a month from now on. Do poke me if I disappear for too long, won't you?)

[Bramble Rose]

Doctor Whooves nodded as both mares got into the and threw the lever on his control panel, head lifted high. Then he blinked, looked down at it. Pushed the lever back, pulled it again. Sighed, lifted one hind leg, and KICKED the boiler in the back of the cart. It reverberated with a long BONG, and then the wheezing noise started up against. vworp vworp Vworp Vworp VWORP! The cart started forward and he aimed it along the coastline, sending up a spray of sand behind him. [colour=#800000] "Right, then!"[/colour] he sighed. He wanted to get on with adventure![colour=#800000] "There's actually a place not far from here that has a DELICIOUS strawberry and almond salad!"[/colour]

​

[BaconofChaos]

Lyra smiled as the cart lurched on its way, a pleasant breeze tousling her mane.[colour=#00cc99] "Thanks Doctor, that sounds perfect."[/colour]

****************************************

One week later...

Lyra trotted down Ponyville's Stirrup Street with a spring in her step. She stopped out side a shop where a large wooden sign showed the name "Happy Snap's Photography". Lyra's pictures would be done by now. She opened the door and went inside.

"Ah, good morning Lyra!" came the voice of Happy Snaps. "I have your pictures ready. I'm afraid there was a little damage to some of them; some sand got into the mechanism somehow. You really need to be more careful with your camera." she said.

[colour=#00cc99]"Ahahaha, I'm sorry Mrs. Snaps. It won't happen again."[/colour] replied Lyra. [colour=#00cc99]"I'm sure the pictures will be fine though."[/colour]

She picked up the stack of photos handed to her and began browsing through them. The sand had scratched the lens, and some of the pictures had lines running through them. Lyra squinted at one blurry picture, unable to make out what it might have been, until she turned it upside down and she could make out the familiar head of a clockwork pony. She dumped that one in the trash.

There was one picture that stood out amonst the rest. In it, two ponies posed for the camera, the brown stallion with his hoof wrapped around the shoulders of the blue mare while waves crashed dramtically behind them. Lyra's mind was drawn back to that day when she met the crazy earth pony and the loudmouth unicorn that are now her friends.

[colour=#00cc99]"Mrs. Snaps? I'd like this one enlarged and framed please."[/colour]

****************************************

That afternoon, Lyra sat at her desk with a quill and paper. The framed picture was hanging neatly on her bedroom wall. She dipped the quill in a pot of ink and began to write.

[colour=#00cc99]"Dear Doctor and Trixie..."[/colour]

THE END

[BaconofChaos]

Just because I can: