He had to be dreaming.
Bright Scroll was in a slumber, despite how he turned in his bed. The pony was tired from a long night. Surely the events that occurred was merely a fantasy concocted by his unconsciousness. It was so vivid, so colorful, so bizarre it could not be real.
Scroll's mind seemed to replay the events over and over again.
It was night, and Scroll was copying from a ruined "The Histories of Equestria Vol. 3" . It was a typical evening in his cloistered study, with fresh parchment, ink, and quills set on a small table. At his desk, two bright oil lamps above cast their light on the various tomes and documents. Some burnt, others dirty from neglect. It was his task to reconstruct and preserve what he could.
The umber pony sat there, replicating the words he could read, guess at the ones he could not. Nearly half the book was unintelligible from sitting in a wrecked library after a year.
For over a decade Scroll was doing this, or otherwise he was on the run. That was the life of the former student of the Canterlot University. After the institution was sacked, he had joined a number of staff and students on a common mission. With all the wars and destruction, it was clear to them that in time Equestria was going to fall into barbarism. There was no time to learn, let alone preserve the knowledge that their civilization had acquired. Future generations would be bereft of history, art, math, magic, literature, and even technical skills. Future generations would suffer.
So against the tide of chaos, the scholars had fought to preserve that knowledge - to give the future a chance, to avoid centuries of sadness. It was possibly a vain hope, but one that an idealist like Bright Scroll could strive for. But it was a cause that many of his colleagues had paid with their lives.
But the Scholar's mission had some success. A few hundred through the land worked on the project, and a few groups had managed to set up small refuges where they continued their work in peace. Scroll's own group had settled in what was called "Ivory Shores". It was but a shanty town mostly consisting of a hundred or so refugees. But it was far from the chaos, in an isolated valley.
Scroll’s thoughts were so focused on this that he absentmindedly wrote "The Death of Knowledge" on his notes.
He shook his head to clear his mind, and continued on his project. Then there was a thud in the distance. Soon his door opened, which Scroll turn and saw a fellow Scholar, Star Dancer. Being an astronomer, Star was one of the few of their group who could continue to actively research. Every night she observed the sky, and by day recorded her findings.
The next events were a bit blurred and out of place. He recalled a previous conversation with Star, and joked how nice it was for her to actually discover new things instead of reviving ancient knowledge. Then back to the present, a frantic conversation after the odd nose - "A meteorite had crashed near the town!" Then they were moving, trotting with a good number of townsponies following. They too were blurred, save for Gildenstride, a Royal Guard from the University who had accompanied the Scholars. He was now the leader of the town watch.
They had arrived at the scene, some carrying lanterns to light up the area. A crater had formed on the outskirts of town, between the wooden stockade that protected Ivory Shores and the nearby forest. Star and Scroll were perhaps the first to look into the crater. He recalled expecting a meteorite.
What they saw was a comical sight.
Lying upside down, with limbs up in the air and a bit misplaced was an alicorn. Grey (or was it sliver?) was her coat, covered in dust. The expression on her(?) face was almost cartoonish, with her tongue sticking out and her eyes staring in different directions.
By this time, the rest of their entourage had looked as well. If Gildenstride's face was any indication, they were just as confused.
After a moment, the alicorn shook her head. It was then Scroll realized that their visitor had no mane - where it would had been was but clean skin. He wondered if her descent had burned it off.
Before the librarian could realize what an absurd question it was, the Visitor reoriented herself upright. She shook her (yes, Scroll could now definitely tell it was a female) head, and began flapping her graceful wings. Almost instantly all the dirt covering her body was repelled. Gently rising, the alicorn lifted herself out of the crater, taking up most of Scroll’s vision. There was a silence caused by the awesome sight.
As this happened, Scroll noticed that his sight seemed to be enhanced. The lanterns seem to glow brighter, warmer than before. The grass appear to be greener than it should have been, and the stars glowed intensely. The sky itself seemed to be a swirl of dark blues and warm violets, not black as it should appear at night. Even the townsponies became vivid, their pastel colors becoming brighter and even their eyes seemed to gleam. But at the same time, he noted how filthy everyone appeared. Save for the alicorn in their presence.
How much time had passed, Scroll could not tell. He was staring into the intense hazel eyes of their Visitor, as if she was focused on one thing alone. Nothing was said as the alicorn looked around her. And suddenly, her horn glowed and there was a change. He was amazed to see the grime from everyone fly off them. He noted hats and cloaks becoming … new? The mantle of the Scholars he wore was covered in years of ink and soot, in serious need of repair, but soon it was fresh and spotless. Even Gildenstride's armor, tarnished from neglect was regaining it’s luster. Unkempt manes were brushed into place. Scars disappeared. Even wrinkles from age and stress began to smooth. The crater began to close as the upturned earth began to flow back into place.
Setting down, the alicorn now stood in front of Scroll. Gildenstride was now bowing, and Scroll wondered if he should do the same. But then the Visitor's expression changed. From cold stare, her expression became one of warmth. Grinning at the work she has done, the visitor asked "Ah, I'm tired. Do you have any tea and snacks?"
It was at this point Scroll awoke. It was now noon, and he hungered. A dream it had to be, he thought. So surreal it could no-
But as he entered the kitchen, there stood the Alicorn. Grey coat, bald pate, regal and immaculate appearance. Everywhere the room looked spotless. The forgotten dishes were cleaned, old wood polished, and even hinges of the cupboard doors shined. She was drinking some tea.
"Good morning," she said after setting down the cup.
Scroll had at last recalled her name. He whispered "Silver Sweeper".