I awaken the following morning as the rising sun sears my eyes through my closed lids. I let out a soft hiss as I rub at my forehead.

A dull throbbing sensation in the back of my head, a dryness of the mouth, and a subtle ache of the body that informs me that I did, in fact, have an adequate amount of fun at my welcome party.

Okay, down the list we go. I’m in my bed, my own bed. There is nopony else in said bed, and the sheets are as clean as can be expected. On top of that, my clothes are folded neatly on the dresser and not pressed to my fur stuck on with sweat, wrinkled to oblivion. Honestly, I don't think I could have expected it to go much better.

I remember most of last night, to boot! It was about as much fun as It could have been, really. I talked to a whole bunch of new ponies, most of whom I will be highly embarrassed in front of when I fail to remember their names. I danced a bit. I was given a small pile of fine white powder to eat that the fluffy pink one insisted was salt, and after that, things get a bit cloudy…

I can believe what I was given was some form of salt, if only because I am terribly dehydrated. My body cries out for fluids. Water, Gatorade, anything. I’ll take a LaCroix at this point, I’m desperate…okay, maybe not that desperate, but still!

I give a long, begrudging sigh as I roll out of bed and onto my hooves, feeling the throb in the back of my head intensify slightly. Yeah, I'm definitely a bit dehydrated there. Let's fix that. I go down the stairs from my little nook on the second floor and into the kitchen, pouring myself a glass of water. I don't bother with magic. It’s easy enough to do without it, and I don't have it in me to focus for almost a minute on the spell like I should be doing.

After downing a glass or three straight from the tap, I set a fourth on the table and saunter to the fridge. I open the door, basking in the rush of cool air with a soft, relieved sigh. It soothes my discomfort for a few moments before I open my eyes again to scour for an appropriate meal.

Hmmmm, not a lot in here. I’ll have to go shopping once I get paid. In the meantime, I’ll just have to make due. Let’s see, some almond milk…some pickles…I think that used to be mayo?

Ah! There we go, an apple. Ohhhh, how did I miss this one the first time? My subconscious must have been saving it for a special occasion. Thanks, subconscious!

You’re Welcome ^^

Wait what?

Nothing

Oh okay. Anyway, this looks really good. Yeah, this is gonna be breakfast for sure.

I smile, snagging the apple from the fridge and setting it on the cutting board. After rummaging around for a suitable knife in the drawer for a few moments, I quickly slice it into eighths. No peanut butter today, I want the inside of my mouth to feel less sticky and oppressive.

The fragrance hits my nose as I slice the apple, that slightly sweet aroma caressing my snout. That firm texture that makes an almost sinfully crispy sound as the knife parts the flesh of the fruit tickles my ears. Mphhh…damn, this bitch is juicy.

I put the knife away, chuckling at my internal monologue. Look at me, I’m cracking jokes. I haven’t felt this relaxed since before I got here! I guess Pinkie was right, a party can do a fella a lot of good. It certainly seems to have helped me get a bit more comfortable.

I hum softly as I sit down at the table and take the first bite of my breakfast. Hmmm, comfortable. That’s….no. We aren't doing this today. Everything is fine and going your way, and that’s that.”

I attempt to brush off the creeping sense of paranoia I’ve long sense become accustomed to and simply enjoy my breakfast for now. This apple is good, but it has a funky aftertaste. Wait…why do I taste cotton candy and chocolate milk? Ah, probably nothing to worry about.

I wash the apple down with my fourth glass of water of the morning, and I’m quickly starting to feel more like myself as the headache and general fogginess of my post-party dehydration subside. I feel…oddly invigorated, energetic.

I go to the bathroom and quickly get nice and clean, then head back upstairs to get dressed. The sun is just now starting to crawl over the horizon, so I should have plenty of time before Cheerilee arrives.

Once I’m all clean and dressed for the day, I head into the sitting area to do some stretches and magic warmups. I practice my meditation, feeling the flow of magic through my body, and I take great pleasure in the feeling of the world becoming a little brighter and more real than it had felt before that comes with the process. It’s the simple things, ya know?

Something feels odd as I follow the flow of my magic. Near my stomach, a small knot? A tangled mass of magic. It’s very small, but I can just barely notice it at the height of my focus. Ah well, it's probably just an after-effect of last night's festivities. I wonder what sorts of interactions those drugs have with the thaumic system. It's something to look into later; I bet it’s fascinating.

Once I feel limber, energized, and focused, I look around, noting any chores that need to be done. The shelves certainly look a bit dusty. Some of the higher ones could be good practice for levitation, and I’m not entirely comfortable enough with the numerals to be sure, but I am pretty sure some of these sections are a bit out of order, judging by the decimal system labels on the spines.

Speaking of noting things, I spot a note on the check-in/check-out counter and trot over to inspect it. I get my handy cheat sheet ready as I translate the note.
Rose,

If you are reading this before I arrive, that is very good. I would be concerned if you had managed to sleep well into the afternoon. Pinkie didn’t give you that much salt.

Anyway, please open the library about two hours after sunrise. It is the weekend, so I do not have class today, but I do have some preparations for next week that I need to see to, as well as a few errands to run before I can join you.

If anyone asks, Checkout is unavailable until I arrive, but they are free to browse and read as much as they like inside the building as long as they are quiet and respect the rules.

Which brings me to the rules. They are quite simple, but they are essential to keep the library running smoothly, and it is paramount that you make sure that they are followed while I am absent.

1. No raised voices in the building.
2. No food or drink within the building outside of the dining area, taking books from the library into the dining area is *forbidden*, and items labeled as belonging to the librarians are off limits.
3. Do not leave books on the ground or on top of shelves. Place books where you found them, or at least as close to where you found them as you are able to remember, *on* the shelf with the other books.
4. No smoking or consumption of salt, alcohol, or other recreational substances on the premises during operating hours, especially near or around the books.
5. No book forts on the premises during operating hours, with exceptions for Nightmare Night and Hearths Warming Eve with adult supervision. Only books from the foals section less than two inches thick may be used for book fort construction when permitted.
6. The Adult Literature Section is off-limits to all creatures under the age of 17, no exceptions. Violators of this rule will have their parents informed of the infraction and their picture posted on the Wall of Shame.

As long as these rules are adhered to and the library is in good order when I return this afternoon, I will consider your first day a success. I am confident that you will not disappoint me.

Good luck, and have a good first day!

Cheerilee

Huh. Alright then, that all seems straightforward enough. Don’t make a ruckus, don't soil the books, and don't let any kids get into the pornography. All very doable and reasonable tasks.

I have about another hour until I need to open the library after finishing my morning routine, which I decide to spend working on my spellcraft. Specifically, that Light spell I neglected to learn in favor of practicing Grasp might be useful.

I return upstairs and retrieve the tome from my bag before going back to the sitting area. Once I am settled at a table near the doorway to keep an eye on things, I open the copy of Simple Spellcasting, returning to the section near the beginning of the book which contains the most basic spells.

Looking back, I was foolish to have skipped over this spell the way I did. Sure, Grasp was more immediately practical, no denying that. But even then, the spell was twice as complex as Light, and I could have seriously hurt myself. I guess I let my ardor for the task at hand or, er…hoof, get the better of me there, sadly not an uncommon occurrence.

Ah well, it wasn’t the first time I’ve put a hoof in my mouth, and I’m sure that despite my best efforts, it won't be the last. Let’s just do what we can here, that being my best.

As I look over the spell, I notice some differences worth considering. For one thing, the method to spin strands of Fire differs notably from the one to spin Aether strands. It isn’t more complex per se, but it’s different enough from the latter that I should pay special attention to ensuring I am doing it correctly.

Especially since I am dealing with Fire. As much of a dolt as I can be, I’ve spent enough time around it to know that even a tiny amount of fire deserves my respect. If a backfire of pure aether was enough to singe my fur, I hate to think about the marks a discharge of fire might leave.

Shivering a bit at that thought, I steel my resolve and focus as best I can, closing my eyes as I draw from the magic flowing through my horn to create the single strand of fire required. Luckily, it does not require me to do terribly much else aside from spinning it. The weave, if you can call it that, is just wrapping the thread of fire back on itself. Again, I am careful to ensure that I don't give it too much gas. With how intently I’m focusing on the spell, I could very easily overdo it and blind myself as soon as I open my eyes, which I would prefer to avoid.

Once I am satisfied with the structural integrity of my weave, I complete the spell and execute it. A soft, pleasant warmth washing over my forehead and a dull pink light filtering through my eyelids tells me things are going well. I cut back the energy being fed to the spell a bit more and will the light a bit further away from my face, and the intensity of the pink light coming through lessens. Once I am satisfied that I will not sear my retinas, I open my eyes to check my work.
A small, almost ghostly wisp of fire sits in front of my face, about two feet away. It seems practically ghostly, ephemeral. I can see the room behind it, though tinted in its pleasant hot pink color, which matches my aura.

I chuckle to myself softly, feeling that little rush, that incredible high of seeing something so strange and wonderful and knowing it was my doing. Curious, I take a small piece of paper and place it into the heart of the glowing mass. It pleasantly warms my hoof as I bring it close to the light, but the paper does not catch fire or even singe. That makes sense. The spell is Light, after all, not Fire.

As I dismiss the spell, I look at the clock and see I have about twenty more minutes until I need to open the library. Shrugging slightly, I unlock the door, setting the sign in the window to say that we are open. I may as well open up now if I have nothing else I need to be doing.

The beginning of the day drags a bit. I take the time to clean the dust off of the shelves, though even being careful to optimize my spellweave, using the Grasp spell to hold the feather-duster for that long and far enough away from me to reach some of the higher shelves takes more out of me than I was expecting. About ten minutes in, I feel warm under the collar, breathing a bit more heavily than usual. By the twentieth, I can feel myself begin to sweat a bit.

Half an hour in, I’ve stopped, almost feeling as if I have just gone for a nice little run. It's getting a bit more difficult to focus on the spell, and not wanting to sweat stain my lovely new outfit. I make the decision to take a break and sit down with a glass of water in the kitchen area.

As I pant softly, I reflect. Casting spells, even simple ones for prolonged periods, is a substantial effort. That makes what Rarity does on a daily basis much more impressive than it was before, which is quite the feat in my book.

In addition, the further away from myself I attempt to manifest a magical effect, the more energy it takes to maintain it. Another factor to keep in mind for the energy efficiency of spells. In this case, it isn't too much of an inconvenience. It just means that though I will still need to get up on a ladder to reach those shelves, I’ll only need to climb part of the way up, and honestly, that’s enough of a win for me.

As I’m sipping my nice cold glass of water, I hear the front door open. I sigh and down the last of my water before exiting my chair and walking back into the main area.

“Hello, welcome to the Golden Oaks. How can I assist you?” I call out as I enter the main area, looking for whoever just entered. A figure in a brown cloak greets me, their hood drawn over their face. They are a bit taller than I am, but not by much, maybe a few inches. Her legs are exposed, and she is clad in bands of simple gold jewelry that complement her…stripes?

Stripes, black and white, mark her legs as well. A Zebra? Hmm, fascinating!

I approach more quickly as my curiosity gets the better of me. The Zebra sees me approaching, turning their head to face me as I address them again. “Apologies, but would you mind removing your hood while in the library? I would prefer to get a good look at everyone who comes in. I wouldn’t want to be caught lacking in my duties after all.”

They look at me for a long moment, bewildered, at least based on their body language. After a long moment they remove the hood as asked.

It is a female and definitely a zebra. Her stripes bring focus to the key features of her face, particularly her snout and striking green eyes. She wears her mane in a mohawk and sports a set of large gold rings around her neck and on her ears. She smells of a pleasant, exotic mixture of spices and herbs that soothes my mind as I inhale it.

She speaks to me in a rich, deep voice. “You are not the pony I was expecting to see. Praytell, where is Miss Cheerilee?”

Oh, that’s nice, I like that. I smile kindly at the mare and shake my head, putting on my Customer Service Face. “Sorry, she doesn't come in for a while longer. I’m Rose Tint, the new Librarians Assistant. She asked me to open the library while she works on a few weekend errands. The facility is available for use, but I cannot check any books out for you. Is there anything else I can assist you with in the meantime?”

Zecora looks at me momentarily as if confused, then offers a warm smile. “I suppose for now, I will simply peruse. I will say your arrival comes as news. I was not aware there was a new face in here. And what’s more, one that does not regard me with fear.”

I tilt my head slightly at this, processing it. I bring a hoof to my chin, slowly rubbing it as I give her a confused look. “Fear? But why would I be afraid of you? You seem lovely if first impressions hold any weight.

Her smile widens at this, and she issues a soft chuckle. “Most pony folk respond to the unknown with fear. Even after some time, I am a stranger here. It refreshes me to see you are not all of one mind. I might even say I am not the only one who seems kind,” she says as she walks a bit closer to me, looking me slowly up and down with her own curious gaze.

I suddenly feel a tad self-conscious as she takes me in, pawing softly at the floor and averting my gaze as I continue to speak to her. “I know how that feels. I just got into town myself a few days ago. I’m not sure how, mind you. I just sort of woke up outside of the town proper in the Everfree Forest, but what I know for damn sure is that I’m well and far from where I was before. It’s…hard. I’m sure you know better than I do by the sound of it. I mean, at least people here like me. It sounds like your situation is…a bit worse.”

Her eyes widen slightly as I tell her how I ended up here, but her expression softens once more as I express my feelings about the entire affair. She shakes her head, gently placing a hoof on my shoulder. “To think of others even when you are in pain is incredibly sweet, but comparing suffering is an exercise in self-defeat. Our suffering is great, but it is our own to bear, but you’ve already done more than most by showing you care.”

As I absorb her words sheepishly, I snap back to reality, smacking my hoof against my forehead. “Oh! I’m sorry, where is my head right now? I was asking you what you needed. Even if we can't check the book out until Cheerilee Arrives, I could try to find it for you and put it on hold until she gets here if you don’t feel like waiting around. Conversely, would you perhaps care for some water if you want to wait around? I think I might have a few tea bags in the cabinets if you prefer that.”

Zecora makes a little face at the mention of the tea and shakes her head. “Beverages, I think, would be better provided by me. I think you will find more joy in my personal tea,” she says as she reaches into a small satchel on her side and rummages around a bit before pulling out some very pleasantly fragrant loose leaves.

“That sounds delightful. Go ahead and use the kitchen as you need. I will be at the counter for now in case anyone else comes in,” I say as I trot back toward my spot at the desk before I am interrupted by a pleasant, bemused laugh from my guest.

“I doubt they will brave these halls until I am no longer within the walls. But that is their loss, I should say, your company shall certainly brighten my day.” She saunters towards the kitchen area as she says this, giving me a smirk as she passes. “If you insist on operating your station, I will inform you when I complete the libations.”

“Oh er…of course yes, the uh….I didn’t think of that. Ah well, I’m sure it’ll be fine.” I say with a little shrug as I sit at the counter. Zecora has just as much of a right as anypony else to be here after all. The other townsfolk might be on some racially motivated timing, but I don't have to let that dictate my behavior.

Besides, she’s kinda hot.

…wait, what? Okay, brain, that’s uh….let’s go ahead and put that back in the box for now. Theeeeere we go, all better. We can always unpack that another time. How about never? Yeah, never sounds good. Oh! Is that the sound of boiling water? It sounds to me like it’s time to think about literally anything else!

And a good evening to all of you out there reading this, as always! It took a bit longer to get this together, not only because it was almost 4000 words, but also because I am actually currently preparing to move!

My lease is up in my new apartment, and frankly, I'm not a fan of the new items and conditions they are asking me to sign off on, so I'll be moving into a studio downtown. If you'd like to support me in the endeavor of continuing to have housing, any donation you see fit to make via my Ko-Fi would be greatly appreciated!

This brings me to thank this week's sponsors. Or, well, Sponsor, and quite a generous one at that! Not only has Exiled Path shown their support on Ko-Fi for the third week in a row, but they have also recently subscribed to my Patreon! Exiled, I deeply appreciate your support in this trying time. I only regret that I cannot yet open my commissions to actually give you something for your cash, lmao.

As always, see you all next week with another Portion of Pink Pony Plot (Pause )