Steady Gaze said:
Head home and get through our short todo list of hitting a book (just one, we don't want to stay up too late since we have a big day tomorrow), and spending some quality time with Apple Basket. Leave the ordering of those activities and final book choice up to him, though our opinion is that Yggdrasil definitely appeals to us since it might explain the origin of earth ponies (and we're both earth ponies, unless there is a ring of alter pony race floating around) [...].

You bid farewell to Crystal Charm, and begin making your own way home. At this hour, most ponies seem to have had the same idea, determined to wake up by the morrow's first light.

As you step inside your house, you decide to ask Apple Basket what he would like to do before bed; you suggest either reading one of the books you borrowed from Twilight Sparkle, or perhaps going for something a little more physical.

Apple Basket: "Heh, uh... hard to pick. Think we got time for a lil' bit of both? Unwind with some readin', and then..."

You nod in agreement, though before anything else, you head to the wet room, and prepare for bed in advance. After washing up and brushing your teeth, you both climb upstairs to the bedroom, and onto the bed, where you pull three books out of your sidereal bag to choose from.

Interested in learning about the origin of earth ponies, you settle on the one titled Yggdrasil by Scholar Rosetta. You open the book, nestle closely, and begin to read together...

The book opens with a note from the author, explaining that the stories contained within were originally found carved on stones surrounding the world tree Yggdrasil. They were translated from Ancient Ponish as accurately as possible.

The first story speaks of a gray mare named Sleipnir (The Slipping One), born of uncertain parents in the beginnings of Midgard (Middle Earth), during the construction of the Midgardian Hall of the Lords.

Though she bore the four wings of a Lord, so too did she lack a horn. And so she lived among mortal ponies as the strongest, swiftest and most resilient of them all.

Her reputation soon won Sleipnir the friendship of Odin, Lord of Lords, with whom she travelled across the heavens. Impressed by her mortal abilities, Odin bestowed upon Sleipnir a gift of magic.

With this magic, wheresoever Sleipnir flew, lush forests and fresh water sprung from dry land, and endless fields of delicious food grew at her will. With this magic, she would be revered as a Lord among mortals.

But Sleipnir was no Lord at heart, and she instead chose to share her gift by building a Hall of Mortals. She planted an ash tree most beautiful which took root in the Well of All Water, and in the Land of All Earth, and its branches reached the firmament.

From then on, mortals born under its boughs were gifted with a fraction of her magic, and promised a lineage of prosperity. Those new gifted mortals became the first true Midgard Ponies (Middle Earth Ponies)...

The clock on the wall indicates nine o'clock. You hear the door open downstairs, followed by a familiar squeaky voice.

Moonflower: "I'm back!"

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