It had taken Twilight and Jay only an hour and a half to make their way to Ponyville. Despite this, it was well into the night by the time they were even close to the library.
"Little quiet around here, no?" Jay asked, as he scanned the dark street, searching for signs of life.
Despite the fact that their route had taken them through much of the town, neither Twilight nor Jay had seen a single soul up and about.
"It's almost midnight." Twilight yawned "Not many ponies tend to stay out this late."
Twilight was rather exhausted from just levitating the large black chest for so long. She was certain that Jay must have been rather tired himself, though the baggage he carried seemed to be only a mild inconvenience. She had begun to suspect that this human was trying to show off.
"I suppose it's for the best," Jay said, taking a quick glance at his watch. "It'd be a bit difficult to explain why you're walking around with a six foot tall stranger in the middle of the night, eh?" They rounded the corner of a few buildings. "Looks kind of suspicious if you ask me."
Twilight could now see a familiar glow, shining through the window panes of the library. She had been trying to figure out how to explain the whole situation to Spike. Now she was wondering if he was even awake. Her thoughts were cut short by a sharp whistle. Jay was looking down at her with an amused expression.
"Sorry," Twilight said with a quick shake of her head. "Did you need something?"
"I asked if there was anyone I should know about before we head in." Jay smirked. "Though I suppose I know the answer to that question."
"Oh," Twilight replied. "Well, I dropped Owlowiscious off at the vet the other day, but Spike's still here. Though, he's probably passed out by now."
"And how do you think Spike will react to…" Jay gestured to himself with both of his hands. "This?"
"I guess we're about to find out." Twilight set the chest down on the library's front step and unlocked the door, which opened with a slight creak.
Inside the library, books were piled into small shelves carved out of the walls. A round table sat in the center, a wooden bust of a horse's head resting on it. Sets of stairs led to the upper and lower floors of the building.
"I don't think I fully realized that you live in an actual tree," Jay said, looking around. "Wonder how long it must have taken them to carve this out?"
"You get used to it after a while," Twilight said, dragging the chest behind her. "The living area is upstairs. I don't get many guests, so we'll have to make up your room."
"I've spent the past few months sleeping in a cave," Jay said. "I'd be fine with just the floor."
As they headed towards the stairs, Twilight paused. Setting the chest down once again, she turned to Jay.
"Maybe you should let me go up first," Twilight suggested. "If Spike is asleep, it'd be better if you didn't give him a heart attack. Just give me a chance explain the situation while you wait here. It'll only take a minute."
"Your house, your rules," Jay said, sliding the duffel bags off of his shoulders and onto the floor.
"Thanks." Twilight gave a nervous smile as she trotted up the stairs.
Jay watched until the pony's tail disappeared from view, then turned to examine the wooden shelves that surrounded him. Each was filled with books that seemed to be arranged in no particular order. The articles were stacked in disarray, some forming towers that could collapse at any moment. Jay had expected someone with a personality such as Twilight's to be more organized. As the human read the titles, he could hardly tell fiction from the factual works.
"Got anything that's not about magical happenings?" Jay mumbled to himself.
Many of the books related to subjects such as spell casting, charms, artifacts, or mythical beings. As Jay eyed another row, a certain title stood out among the rest. Intrigued, he slowly pulled the book from its resting place, careful not to disturb its companions in the process. Jay turned it over to get a better view of the cover.
"Equestrian Government and Law," Jay read aloud. "Sounds important," he said, flipping through the table of contents.
A chapter titled, "The Princess and Her Advisors," seemed to be relevant to the current situation. As Jay thumbed through the book to the correct page number, he could hear a muffled conversation taking place upstairs. He began to read from the first section of the chapter.
"Though it is common knowledge that the princess holds absolute power over final decisions made in our government, it may be less commonly known that assistance is provided in making such decisions. A court of six royal advisors offers insight on many proceedings, as well as serving as a substitute leading body if the princess is absent or indisposed for a period of time. The council was designed to allow the equal representation of all three pony races, being comprised of one mare and one stallion from each race. These representatives are elected by the public every five years and may run for election as many times as they wish. Many ponies who run have a better chance of election based on past political prominence. One of the most notable examples in recent history is Iris Scroll, a unicorn advisor who has served for twenty-one consecutive years at the time of this book's printing. Scroll has been cre-"
"Jay!"
A voice called from upstairs, pulling Jay's attention away from the article.
"Be right there!" Jay called back. He set the book down on the nearest duffel bag and made his way up the steps.
When he reached the top of the stairs, Jay gave a quick look around the room. He saw Twilight standing next to a small basket, carrying on a hushed conversation with a short purple and green dragon. Though he had been called for, no one else in the room seemed aware of Jay's presence. He cleared his throat to get the others' attention. Twilight gave a surprised glance to where the sound had come from.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, turning to face Jay. "Spike… this is Jay, the umm…" Twilight debated for a moment on what she should say. "The… guy… I was telling you about."
While Twilight was struggling to speak, Spike was tilting his head back just to see the stranger's full figure. He wore an expression that wasn't necessarily surprise, but more of a confused interest.
"Uh, hi." Spike took a small step forward. "I wasn't quite sure what to expect when Twilight was telling me about you."
"So." Jay smiled "What do you think?"
"You're big," Spike stated flatly, walking over to stand next to the human. His head only came up to Jay's knee. "And kind of strange looking too." Spike tugged at Jay's pant leg.
"Spike!" Twilight scolded the dragon. "Don't be rude."
"Oh, come on, Twilight." Jay smiled. "You were thinking the exact same thing when you first saw me. Besides, I got a feeling that I'm going to receive that reaction a lot over the next few days."
"Not until we get the princesses' approval," Twilight reminded Jay. "Until then, it's probably best if you stay here."
Jay just shrugged and walked back toward the stairs. "In that case, where should I put my things?"
"The guest room's next to the bathroom." Twilight motioned towards a small hallway behind her. "I'll start getting it ready, and you can get your stuff."
"Right, I'm on it," Jay said. "Oh, one more thing, that chest you brought in. Do you mind if I put it in the basement? Just so it's out of the way."
Twilight thought the question over for a moment, sensing suspicion in the request. Jay on the other hand, just looked at her, smiling. Twilight eventually nodded in agreement.
"Thanks," Jay said, giving Twilight two thumbs up. "I'll get to it then."
"I could help if you wanted," Spike said, bounding after Jay.
"That'd be much appreciated," Jay said, noting the enthusiastic behavior of the young dragon.
As both of the boys went downstairs, Twilight opened the guest room door, shaking her head. Something didn't feel right. She was certain that there was more to what was happening than Jay was letting on. Albeit, he did reveal information that they were not aware of previously. Besides, he did seem rather friendly. Sure, he was strange, possibly psychotic, but still friendly.
Twilight let out a yawn as she rearranged the clutter of the room to make it somewhat accommodating. Whatever she needed to hear, it could wait until morning.
"Geez," Spike huffed, struggling to hold up his side of the chest. He and Jay were only about halfway down the basement staircase. "What's in this thing, a body?"
Jay faked a nervous laugh as he backed down the steps. "Wha- Nooo. Why would you suggest something so absurd?"
Spike grinned, raising his eyebrow. He didn't seem to be as put off by Jay's morbid sense of humor as Twilight had.
"Besides," Jay said, speaking normally once more. "There's a lot of better ways to get rid of a body."
"So what's really in it?" Spike asked, making sure his foot would land firmly on the next step.
"Ah, just some research equipment. Expensive stuff that I don't want damaged," Jay answered.
"Oh, okay," Spike replied, his interest somewhat dimmed now.
After both dragon and human had stumbled down the last few steps, Jay took a moment to survey the room. Setting the chest down in nearby corner, Spike rubbed his back with a greatly exaggerated look of pain on his face.
"I think I pulled something. You're not going to ask me to carry any of those bags, are you?" Spike groaned.
"Not unless you offer to," Jay said, still looking around. "Twilight run some sort of experiments down here?"
Along one of the room's walls, an assortment of bulky machines crowded together. Metallic grey pipes tangled with the library's roots that jutted from the lab's ceiling. Jay eyed a large container of bubbling green liquid. He was hard pressed to infer its purpose.
"Or do you just have a fancy boiler system?" Jay turned to examine what looked like some sort of polygraph machine.
"A lot of this stuff was actually down here when we got to Ponyville," Spike said. "Twilight usually does most of her magical experiments upstairs." He frowned, scratching the back of his head. "Or outside if they could get a bit, uh…"
"Volatile?" Jay suggested as he started back up the stairs.
"Yeah!" Spike chuckled, following behind Jay. "Let's go with that."
When they were both out of the basement, Spike turned to lock the door behind them.
As he was reaching for his bags, Jay glanced over at Spike, who had placed the key to the basement behind a stack of books on a nearby shelf. Jay looked back down and noticed the book he was reading earlier and smiled.
"Hey, Spike," Jay called over to the dragon. "Would Twilight mind if I were to read this?" He picked up the book and tossed it to Spike.
Spike caught the book, nearly dropping it, and looked at the cover.
"Probably not," Spike said, shrugging. He tucked the book under his arm. "Why? You interested in politics or something?"
"Well," Jay said, slinging the duffel straps over his shoulders. "The princesses are supposedly discussing whether or not to accept my offer." He started up the stairs. "I've got a feeling that I'll need to plead my case at some point in order to convince them. So, it'd be to my advantage if I had at least some knowledge on your judicial system. Or, whatever institution you've got around here."
"I guess that makes sense." Spike trailed behind Jay as they made their way to the guest room.
"Really?" Jay asked. "Twilight seems confused by almost everything I say."
Spike let out a small laugh before he continued talking.
"Twilight said you've already met Nightm- I mean, Princess Luna. What's she like?" Spike asked, inquisitively.
"You haven't met her?" Jay replied, somewhat perplexed.
"Well, only once." Spike sounded embarrassed. "After Luna was reformed, Celestia announced her return with a small celebration. I didn't really talk to her, though. Being that the whole 'eternal darkness' thing was still fresh on the mind, you know?"
"Not really," Jay said, reaching the top of the stairs. "Not familiar with a lot of history around here. As for Luna though…"
Jay stopped and thought for a moment before facing Spike.
"Kind of interesting, actually. She's straight to the point, gets the information she wants, and is certainly not intimidated. I especially liked that." Jay smiled. "Can't wait to meet her sister."
The sound of a closing door indicated Twilight's presence. Spike and Jay turned their attention to her.
"The room's made up," Twilight announced. She looked exhausted.
"Thanks," Jay said. "Guess you should get to sleep then. I can manage from here."
"That's a good idea," Twilight said, yawning. "Just don't cause any asleep while I'm trouble." She stumbled up the nearby stairs and onto the loft that overlooked the room. "Goodnight, Spike."
"Uh… Goodnight, Twilight," Spike replied, watching the unicorn collapse onto her bed.
"Night, Sparkle," Jay said as he began to leave.
"Oh, wait," Spike said. He held out the book Jay had given him. "Wouldn't want you to forget this."
"Thanks," Jay said, taking the book. "I guess I'll take my leave then. Sleep well you two."
"Yeah, you too," Spike said. He began to extinguish the lamps around the room.
After Jay shut the door behind him, he stood perfectly still, listening to the sounds outside the room. When the last bit of light that flickered under the door had disappeared, he looked around.
The room was rather simple in its décor. A small wooden dresser resided against one wall, books and other clutter surrounding its base. An equally plain nightstand sat adjacent to a twin size bed. Atop the nightstand was a burning oil lamp, which provided most of the light in the room. In the farthest corner from the door was a faded green chair, which sat next to a small window that looked out toward the direction of the library entrance.
Jay took all this in with little interest as he slid the straps of his bags off his shoulders for the last time that night. He tossed the book onto the bed and stretched his arms, high above his head. It suddenly occurred to him that he had forgotten to take advantage of the bathroom amenities before he had excused himself. Not wanting to disturb his hosts, he reached into the back left pocket of his pants and pulled out a bent rectangle with a silver wrapper and held it up to see.
"Hello spearmint, my old friend," Jay said.
He unwrapped the stick of gum and popped it in his mouth. Returning the wrapper to his pocket, Jay walked over to the bed and sat on its edge. It was relatively comfortable and seemed large enough for the human to use. Kicking off his boots, he lay down and picked up the book.
"Let's see what else you've got for me," Jay said.
Flipping through the table of contents once more, Jay saw another chapter that piqued his interest and turned to the page entitled, "Punishment in Accordance with Law." As he skimmed through the chapter, Jay began to suspect that the Equestrian Judicial System didn't see much action. Most issues were resolved between the victim, (if you could call them that), and the accuser. Those that weren't were given only a light punishment at best. A few serious crimes seemed demanded imprisonment or banishment, though these were scarce. Jay continued his scanning of the chapter until he reached a short selection that stood out in the most obscure way.
"Capital Punishment," Jay read, raising an eyebrow. "One of these things is not like the other one," he mumbled under his breath before reading the section.
"Though it has not been used in over a millennia, capital punishment, (also referred to as, 'the death penalty'), has not been removed from the list of sentencing applicable to criminals. Whether or not the sentence will be removed has not been discussed for some time, due to the unpleasant nature of the subject."
Jay snapped the book shut as he remembered something. Setting it on the nightstand, he got up and walked over to one of the bags lying on the floor. He opened it and pulled out the small laptop that he had been using in the mine. Standing up once more, he went to the green chair near the window and sat down. Jay flipped open the laptop and waited for it to turn on.
"Let's hope we get a signal," he thought.
The screen filled the room with a brilliant light. Jay quickly turned down the brightness to avoid being blinded. A quick glance to the connection meter showed that he did in fact have a signal. He opened up a tab and began typing.
"Checking in. Access code: BLACKLIGHT. Are you receiving?" Jay pressed the enter key and watched the blinking white cursor.
It was only a few seconds before he received a response.
"Transmission clear. Status?" The words appeared on the screen in a light blue text.
"Ahead of schedule," Jay typed. "Forced to make contact. Recommendations?"
It took a little longer for the next message to arrive.
"Situation noted. Recommending 'Sleeper Protocol.'"
Jay shook his head and gave a small frown.
"Negative. Situation level: CRACKED-SHROUD. Requesting 'VISIONARY' preparation."
"Understood. Request for 'VISIONARY' deployment confirmed. Send coordinates when ready. Anything further?"
Jay thought for a moment before he replied.
"Any change in the signal?"
"Fluctuations detected. Signal strength still reading below average. No infection detected."
"Keep me posted. Signing off." Jay read what he had typed, then added: "Goodnight, ICE."
"Goodnight, sir."
Jay shut the laptop and put it back in the bag. Unbuttoning his shirt, he got into the bed and stared up at the ceiling.
"This one's gonna be interesting." Jay smiled and closed his eyes.