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Castle Library [OPEN]


MyLittlePonyTales

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ShadowMist didn't particularly like having to go to Canterlot. It was so busy, and there were so many other ponies there. ShadowMist was shy, and social interactions weren't her forte. But, she'd been to the castle library enough to know where most books were located, so she didn't usually have to spend a lot of time there. Go in, get out, that was always the plan.

But Twilight Sparkle had a long list today. She must have been working on something big. Of course, when wasn't she? All Twilight ever seemed to do was study, study, study. Half of ShadowMist's time was spent bringing books back to and from Canterlot, while Twilight sat in the Ponyville Library and studied.

Although, ShadowMist enjoyed her job. It gave her a chance to get out more. She liked nature, and the trips to Canterlot let her spend time outdoors. It was just talking with other ponies that bothered her. While she may have smiled and hummed to herself when she was alone, as soon as she saw somepony else, she did her best to avoid them. No eye contact, no smile, no friendliness. It wasn't that she was particularly unfriendly. She was just shy.

So it was that ShadowMist made her way around the library, picking out the correct titles and checking her list. Except for the one book she couldn't find. She scanned the titles before her, checking the list for spelling... It should have been right there.

ShadowMist nervously looked about herself for somepony who worked there. They'd probably be able to help locate the missing tome, but it meant that she'd have to talk to somepony. She scuffed a hoof, checking over the shelf and list again, trying to be absolutely sure she couldn't find it herself.

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Thump. Thump. Thump.

"I think I'll ask Celestia to remove my memory and remake me as a paper-boy or something." came a voice from a shelf down, somepony currently hidden by a huge stack of books. His voice was exasperated, bordering on desperate.

Free Aurora had always loved to read as a child, and it was part of his job to have a near encylopedic knowledge on nearly anything. The old consul had left him a 'short reading list'. Free snorted at the idea, glancing at the long scroll. I don't think I'll finish these in my lifetime. 'The Dignified Diplomat's Digest', 'Legally Legitimate Lawyers', 'Griffons and their Habits'... So many books. Free went cross-eyed and hit his head against the only copy of Thule's 'A Pointed Issue- A sub-treatise on the symbolic and political power of the Unicorn's horn.' Thump.

Canterlot's new consul got up, stretching his pure white wing, looking around for a distraction. "Oh, hello there!" he called, spotting the other pony. "Do you need a hand with anything?" He didn't work at the library, but his job was so wonderfully vague at that stage he could offer help anywhere.

Behind him a small section of book mountain collapsed, flattening the work on his desk. Free ignored it, shaking out his golden mane and looking down at this cute pony.

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  • 3 weeks later...

ShadowMist stiffened as somepony spoke to her. Social interaction was definitely not her forte, and something she avoided. Working in a library gave her that luxury most of the time, but there were times like this when she was forced to interact with others, if only out of politeness.

But, since the Pegasus had started the conversation, she may as well ask him. If she had the last book, she could make some excuse to leave quickly rather than sticking around to make small talk. She'd already been gone for too long, and Twilight would be expecting her, ShadowMist thought to herself. So she was in a hurry, yes—that would do fine for an excuse.

ShadowMist walked over to the tall white Pegasus her list glowing as she carried it along with her. She took a deep breath before she approached, holding it in for a moment and then slowing releasing it before she reached him.

“This book, right here—“ she place a hoof under the only unchecked title on the list, 'The Element of Surprise and Other Overlooked and Unexplained Elements'. “—I can't seem to find it in the correct section.” she said.

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Free coughed politely, trying not to glance at his own collapsed pile of books, where 'The Elements of Suprise' was hiding.

"Ah, yes... I've seen that one recently..." Good, yes, that was entirely true, "But it doesn't look like it's where it should be, now does it? Why, out of curiousity, were you looking for a book like that?" he asked with a smile. Free lived on conversation, made his living out of it, and so he always tried to ingratiate himself to other ponies, or at least get a good working knowledge of just what everypony in the city did.

"What's a pony such as yourself doing cramped away in this library anyway?" he asked. "It's an amazing day outside... it's where I'd prefer to be, you know?"

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ShadowMist shifted her hooves nervously as she spoke. “I—uh—Twilight Sparkle in Ponyville needs some books from the Canterlot Library. I almost always come here for her.” ShadowMist glanced over at a random bookshelf, glancing aimlessly through the titles before she looked back at the Pegasus.

“It's part of my job to come here and borrow and return books. I don't mind it.” she paused. “But this book is not where it should be, and I've tried looking around that area too. I already checked with the librarian when I came in to make sure all the books were here. It's very frustrating that it's the only one I can't find.” she stamped a hoof and snorted, then blushed at going of on a tangent. Her eyes made their way to the floor, where she absently studied the patterns in the carpet.

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  • 3 weeks later...

"Why do you do the work of somepony all the way in Ponyville? Couldn't they come here themselves?" Free inquired. "You say it's part of your job, so what exactly do you do?"

He snorted and brushed his mane aside. "Ah, sorry. That was probably too many questions at once. I didn't mean to intrude so much, my lady." His eyes followed the tilt of her head down to the overlay of the carpet, then up the rich oak shelves, all the elderly books and the wonderful scent of old books that followed them. One of the titles caught his eye, and he leant in and plucked it out delicately.

"Ahh, Donkey Ote. Apparently it was the first actual piece of fiction, you know. Not political, or mythological, just the tale of an old donkey wanting an adventure. I think that it should be mandatory reading for everypony, but it's just such a loveable tale." he grinned winsomely. "I just recalled as well, I think there's a book in my own collection here..."

He nosed the pile aside and pulled out the book she was looking for, placing it next to Donkey Ote. "I was planning to loan it myself." he admitted.

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ShadowMist scarped a hoof against the carpet a couple of times before she looked up at the Pegasus. “She's often too busy to make the trip herself. I just work as the Ponyville Librarian.” Her voice was quieter and her answer short this time. ShadowMist avoided conversation if she could, and talkative ponies made her nervous because there was no getting away from them.

“Oh!” ShadowMist said in surprise as he procured the book. So! This was the culprit! The cause of all her fuss was this Pegasus right here, who couldn't stop chattering on so. But ShadowMist wouldn't say anything about that or reveal it on her features. She was too polite to get angry at somepony, especially if the mistake wasn't their fault.

“Oh, well, you should keep it. You had it first, after all.” she said. She would have placed it back onto his pile... had there actually been a neat pile rather than just a mound of books.

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