The Library Fine of Doom (Bellosh101, SteelEagle, & Robi) [Closed]

[Bellosh]

In a move that hardly surprised anypony named Spin Tale, that half-crazed Pathfinder lunged for Lootraider’s journal at the first opportunity. Princess Twilight may have been able to prevent to prevent the pegasus from escaping, but now an irate Dr. Tale had to overhear the two mares bicker over the blasted book. As the stallion guessed earlier, Pathfinder wanted the book to hunt down a relic… a relic that according to the newspapers Spin read, the adventurer had already found and gifted to the CEO of Northern Storm Industries (why he had no clue)... and that relic naturally caused another sensation when it was stolen about a couple months ago or so.

He could understand why the madmare had a personal stake in this matter, but something didn’t add up at all. As much as Spin Tale wanted to get his hide back to Canterlot, he suffered the compulsion to ask Pathfinder to ask a question about the Ruby Claw. “So… let me get this straight,” the red stallion asked in total incredulity; “You’re looking for the Ruby Claw… and you’ve already recovered it once… and then this artifact gets stolen… and now you expect that the book we’ve got here, written hundreds of years ago, will somehow allow you to solve... a present-day caper?” Dr. Tale confusedly shook his head; “I don’t follow.....”

[SunsetSombra]

Spike was finding this particular scene curious - he wasn't sure exactly how to take the Pegasus currently testing Twilights patience, nor was he terribly fond of what Doctor Spintale was making himself look like either.

Something about both of them was screwy and he wasn't really able to put his finger on the fine points of it, other than their behaviour was really weird!

"Because of the Ruby Claaaaaw! I gave it to Snowfall and somepony stole it and I think it's part of this Staff of Fate thingy mobober!"

“You’re looking for the Ruby Claw… and you’ve already recovered it once… and then this artifact gets stolen… and now you expect that the book we’ve got here, written hundreds of years ago, will somehow allow you to solve... a present-day caper?”

The conversation between Spintale and Pathfinder was also starting to sound like there was something else going obn that the young dragon wasnt sure about...they'd mentioned this ruby claw now between them a couple of times, but he'd had absolutely no idea what this item was, or why it was even worth finding....let alone coming to Golden Oaks and bothering Twilight over a book about it - his innate dragon curiosity was burning, and he chose this moment to pipe up and ask a little more about the manticore in the room!

" Soooo... " Spike starts, once a break in the conversation arises. " What exactly IS this Ruby Claw doohickey for anyway? "

It felt like a legit question for the dragon to ask, considering he'd really had absolutely no clue what it was that made this thing so sought after!

[SteelEagle]

In all of the hub-bub regarding this odd Pegasus and the slightly deceitful Spin Tale, Twilight had forgotten perhaps the most pertinent questions to this discussion. Luckily she had Spike, who was more than capable of filling the gaps of her occasionally less than thorough questioning. He was a good dragon to have around, the best she believed, but an even better friend. She quickly turned towards the pegasus, who was as nonplussed by the Doctor's disbelieving tone as could be. Still smiling. Psychotic.

"Yes, what IS this Ruby Claw? For the life of me I could swear I've heard it somewhere, but it feels like it's on the tip of my toungue..." Twiligfht began, levitating several texts for reference as she tapped her chin.

"You call yourself a Princess and you don't even know history! Well, remember Commander Hurricane? Well, while she was leading her pegasi across the land to their new home, she and her guard were ambushed by griffons in Raptorclaw Canyon. The same king that took the helm off of Commander Hurricane had a special feature- a ruby claw in place of his left talon! He founded a major Griffon city in the Canyon, near modern day Talonopolis. After it was buried in a betrayal by his sons-" Pathfinder began, bouncing in mid-air with excitement. Learning Griffon history at spear point was the best way to learn Griffon history.

"What? No. Talonopolis is the oldest Griffon city. There is no evidence to suggest-"

"Of course there isn't because they brought a mountain down on top of it, and Griffons only ever want to go up and up and up!" She did as she said, rising high and higher and higher before bonking her head on a crossbeam.

"Ow! Well, anyway, when I was an oubliette prison of theirs, I found a passageway too small for them. I ventured down into it and after a few hours and ray eels, I was in this massive ruined city. I adventured, angered ancient griffon spirits, and found the Claw chillin' in some big palace. Former palace, anyway. Because of rocks," She nodded resolutely, "they definitely do a number on your roof. So I grabbed it up-"

"Just like that? Why would you do that?"

"I had room in my inventory. Besides, why not?"

"Because it doesn't belong to you! It belongs to the griffons."

"If they wanted it, they could have tried to find it first. It wasn't like I returned to the surface and they were happy about it. Unless where you come from a good barter involves spears and angry squawks, I'd suggest you stop with that negative nancy look and listen up. I got out of that with the Helm and the Claw and gave the Claw to my super duper pony waifu Snowfall, who totally loved it! She likes pretty things. Pretty mares like pretty things, and she is super duper awesome pretty like ten levels! That fella there has the look, he's seen it! Look! Look at him! He's purple-green with love!" Pathfinder waved a hoof at Spike, feeling KINDRED SPIRITS all up in the treehouse.

"He's a dragon."

"That'd help explain it, I guess. Anyway, somepony really good managed to break into Snowfall's home despite all the high security and take the relic...I tell you, it's a pony after my heart! But he or she managed to steal from the one who DOES have it and probably trademarked it by now, so I've been hunting it down. Blah blah blah yadda yadda yadda, I think it's involved in this Staff of Fate thingy which I don't know too much about. Buuuuuut LOOTRAIDER DID! So if we can find out what lootraider knew, that might give us some clues!"

[Bellosh]

Dr. Spin Tale didn’t pay much attention to Pathfinder’s tale about the Ruby Claw, having heard much of the crazed story though periodical articles. The curator glanced here and there throughout the library, wishing he could just leave already and never have to come back here again. He did however manage to hear that somehow the madmare was in love with the CEO of Northern Storm Industries, although fortunately nothing suggested that Snowfall actually returned the adventurer’s affections. If Snowfall had, then Spin Tale would weep for the executive’s romantic sanity.

When Pathfinder finally concluded the exposition, Dr. Tale grasped that the pegasus was not so much finding clues to the Ruby Claw itself rather than going off hunches. Indeed, the stallion’s doctoral dissertation did make one reference to a hypothesized collection of artifacts dubbed the Staff of Fate… and one reference only. Lootraider had no interest in magical items; only the destruction of abandoned cities to provide building material for newer settlements. And so the dissertation didn’t dwell on Pathfinder’s matter at all… but it was apparently enough for the Daring Do fanfilly to make a connection and go after the primary source itself. But how she figured that the Ruby Claw was part of the Staff of Fate remained an unexplained mystery.

After an awkward silence filled the room, the red stallion begrudgingly spoke up; “There is, if I remember right… one reference to a Staff of Fate in Lootraider’s diary, as it pertains to a certain site near Hoofington. But it’s more of a sidenote than anything else; the guy never delved more into the subject and had no more to write about. Still, if you want to keep on chasing clue after clue, than by all means, heh... read on and be my guest.....”

[SunsetSombra]

Spike found himself growing ever more baffled by the growing discourse between spin and pathfinder - the pair of them were clearly hardly what anypony would call friends, which was pretty self evident whenever pathfinder would say something that the 'good doctor' would either shoot down or dismiss with a rather distinctly uncaring manner...Spike wasn't particularly fond of the pair of them having a verbal spar in the library - if anything, it was just making him roll his eyes all the more at the situation...it was just silly!

he wasn't overly invested in the tale behind the claw either - pathfinder rattled off something about artifacts and such, but truth be told...Spike wasn't sure there was any immediate reason for him to believe that knowing all of the details behind the ruby claw was gonna be of any benefit - however, he HAD been the one who'd asked about it, and thus he accepted the infoburst being dropped upon himself and twilight, hoping that something would eventually make a lick of sense when it was all over - which didn't seem to be anytime soon!

Spike just settles himself down on a nearby stool and munches on a small sapphire he'd stored for a light snack - he had no idea when these ponies were gonna get to something even close to a relatable point, let alone one that he'd have anything worth commenting on...for the time being, better to let Twilight handle things, she seemed to have it all under control for the time being anyway!