Downstream (MLP Fanfiction)

Chapter 2

"Wait, since when?" Luster took a nervous step back.

"Since forever!" Twilight looked down at the book. "Everypony knows rune spells are forbidden-- You know they're forbidden."

"But- but it didn't look like dark magic..."

"Dark magic has no 'look', Luster," Twilight got up, the book still in her arms. "I should figure out who wrote this. In the meantime, this book is getting locked away."

Luster furrowed her brows at the floor. Desperate to at least keep something from the book, Luster asked for one thing.

"Could I at least keep that bookmark?" Luster pointed at the rather plain-looking strip of leather.

"...Don't you have bookmarks at home?"

"I... I keep losing them all. I'm convinced my parents are stealing them, but I need them for my projects," Luster lied, smiling sheepishly.

"Well, that's not too out of character for your mother," Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes. "Okay Luster, you can borrow it. But I want it back by next week."

Luster gratefully took the bookmark, careful not to flip it over in front of Twilight. "Absolutely, princess."

Later that day, Luster holed herself up in her corner of Canterlot's public library for a good portion of the afternoon. The stack of books that no one ever bothered to move was always good for cover when she really didn't want to be disturbed.

She had the bookmark laid on its decorated side and just stared at it as she grasped at a few books on her left. It was almost black and had a strange symbol on top; A yellow circle with 3 pink teardrops, all pointed inward.
The other side was completely plain, easy to mistake it for just another bookmark.

It gave Luster a major feeling of deja-vu, but there was no telling where she had seen this image before.

Looking just beneath the symbol, there was a passage of text embroidered in gold thread, in an elegantly written script that Luster recognised in some way, but couldn't pinpoint how.

Luster whispered the phrase to herself, "The location of time's failed master; There is no before, now or after" as she wrote it down.

She pondered over its meaning for a moment, then thought to herself "Weird poem. Obviously means something, though."

Luster opened a book on ancient architecture and its influence on magic. Flipping through the pages, Luster noticed an architect's sketch of the School of Magic building and noticed a sketch of a statue . In the corner, it said in plain letters 'RF Statue Proposal'. Clearly written with ink, as it was the only clearly visible part of the drawing. According to the book, the origins of the drawings are unknown, but they weren't made by the architect of the building.

Despite how faded it looked, Luster managed to make out a pendant around the statue's neck. A plain circle with three teardrops facing inward. The drawing was far too faint to make out anything else aside from a general body.

"Miss Dawn, the library is closing for the day."

"Oh! Has it been that long? I do tend to lose track of time here." Luster giggled nervously.

There was a brief moment of awkward silence. "...Uh huh," said the librarian, continuing to put books on the shelves.

Luster saw herself out and got on the last train back to Ponyville.

She could see the house all the way from the train station. She was never a huge fan of the place. Luster always preferred small, cosy houses, like the ones the other ponies here get to live in.