Previously, on The Princess’s Library: Ten ponies were thrown into a magical broiler, as Twilight Sparkle began pushing them. But, it was hothead Fire Streak that pushed Rune Stone to the edge. During the library’s first demonstration, Fire and High Tower shone on the fire spells. But, Lock Jaw and Zesty Shifts failed to impress on water, getting them kicked out of the brewery. The last straw was when Stone Throw, on potions, continually gave Twilight the wrong potion. Lock, Zesty, and Stone were sent up for elimination, but it was Stone who said goodbye to his dream of becoming Head Stallion at Twilight’s new magic school in Manehattan.

And now…the continuation…of The Princess’s Library

“Buck off!” Twilight barked.

The team trotted out of the library and back upstairs to the dorm. Lock and Zesty were still stewing at each other, though no words were shared. Frankly, everypony was much too tired to argue. But that didn’t stop Fire Streak from pulling Rune Stone aside and making a move on her. She growled at him, but it didn’t flinch the stallion. He simply smiled, gave her yet another peck on the cheek, and trotted off. By this point, Rune was furious and made up her mind to report him yet again. Tomorrow morning, she thought, you’ll find your sorry flank out on Main Street.

But the next day, Fire wouldn’t let her leave. He kept blocking her path with various objects, utilizing his talent to his advantage. Smirking from his spot on the couch, he continually moved things like potted plants, desks, and even a couple of coolers. This caused Rune to fly off the handle, and she galloped around to where he was sitting. Taking a place next to him, she turned and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. The look in her eyes was one of absolute fury and she began to involuntarily hyperventilate. All Fire did was continue to smirk, causing her to become even more annoyed and frustrated.

“You sick son of a witch,” she snarled, “I mean, really. Putting things up so I can’t report you? How low can you get?”

“Who said I was the one doing it?” Fire asked with a creepy smile, “I mean, I could…I do have the most talent out of every single donkey here.”

“Donkey?!” Rune exploded, “I’ve never been so bucking insulted in all my life!”

“Oh, come on, Rune Stone,” Fire said, “everypony knows that ponies who fail miserably at magic are referred to as donkeys.”

“That’s not bucking true,” Rune said with a dead look in her eyes, “but at this point, I’m not surprised. By the way, have you looked in a mirror lately?”

“Ooooo…oh, your words hurt me,” Fire said, clutching his chest sarcastically, “oh, wait-no, they don’t. Because I’m gonna win this bucking competition, and then you’ll be on all four knees begging to be with me.”

“You flatter yourself,” Rune said, grinding her teeth together, “and, by the way, watch your bucking back…because I’m gonna win this, and use my money and fame to blackball you from every magic school in Equestria! Your name will be slaughtered by every mage from here to Vanhoover!”

“Eh, dream on, I always say,” Fire said, planting another kiss on her cheek.

“OOOOOOHHHHHHHH!”

“Everypony!” Rang out the voice of Comet Tail, “Mage Twilight wants you all in the library, now!”

“Alright, line up, let’s go!” Twilight called as her staff made their way into the library. She smirked a bit as the team noticed how different things looked that morning. Instead of the usual warm, inviting décor and friendly nature, the floor had been transformed into a maze. But this wasn’t just any maze…it was in a swimming pool! The group’s mouths all seemed to drop together as they viewed this for the first time. They also noticed the look of smug satisfaction on the face of their mage.

“Good morning!” Twilight said.

“Good morning, mage!” The team responded.

“Every single mage, magic school head, and wizard in all Equestria knows how to use magic. BUT…they also know when not to use it. For there is a greater magic than even that which we carry in our horns: the magic of teamwork. It was something that was severely lacking during our demonstration last night. Zesty and Lock, you two were abysmal on the water spells. Rune, you lacked a voice on the potions, and you’re damn lucky I didn’t kick you out. So, with all that being said, this is your next challenge! We’re gonna pair off in teams of two, predetermined by myself and your sous mages, and you’re gonna swim this obstacle course. Here’s the catch: no magic! You’ll have to rely on your senses and each other to make it through. Teamwork is crucial in any brewery, and definitely in any school. So, what are we gonna do?”

“WORK TOGETHER!”

“Good! Now, since we have nine ponies, we’re gonna have one of you sit this one out. Unfortunately, this means you’ll automatically be vaulted into the punishment for the day. Now, then…let me see…High Tower. You’re gonna sit this one out.”

“Yes, mage,” High said, disappointed at not being able to participate.

“Alright, let’s pair off!”

The ponies were each given a foreleg band of a different color. If they found the pony whose color corresponded to them, then they formed a team. Soon enough, four teams of two formed. Team Purple, Team Green, Team Orange, and Team Red. Much to Rune Stone’s horror and chagrin, she found that her green team partner…was Fire Streak. Team Purple was Dark Cloud and Starshine. Team Orange had, fittingly enough, Orange Peel and Spell Caster. Finally, Team Red had Lock Jaw and Zesty Shifts. Needless to say, neither pony was pleased.

“Problem, Lock?” Twilight asked.

“No, mage,” Lock said, shifting around uncomfortably next to his partner and rival.

“Good,” Twilight responded, “now, then, the team with the fastest time will win…and will be rewarded for the rest of the day. The rest of you will be punished. Team Purple, you’re up first! Ready…set…go!”

Dark Cloud and Starshine nodded to each other and dove in the water, swimming for all they were worth. They actually worked together very well, calling out obstacles and helping the other pony if they got stuck. They posted a very respectable time of 45 seconds. The next team to go was Team Orange. Orange and Spell dove in and began swimming just as hard. But they got into a bit of an argument over which direction to go around an obstacle and this hurt their time. They finished at 55 seconds. The third team to go was Team Red, and it was intensely interesting. Lock and Zesty simply wouldn’t speak with each other, acting the part of feminine divas rather than respectable mages. Their time of 1:20 placed them deeply in third. Twilight couldn’t help but be disappointed, as she continued to see both of them decline.

“Well…that was bucking embarrassing,” she said.

“He wouldn’t talk to me!” Zesty accused.

“No, he wouldn’t talk to me!” Lock shot back

“Right now, you both sound like petulant foals,” Twilight growled, “so, get the buck back in line.”

The two mages continued to grumble under their breath as they headed back to the group. Finally, Team Green went. Rune Stone and Fire Streak plunged into the water. Almost immediately, Fire began calling out instructions, bragging about how he’d lead them to victory. But Rune was not about to be outdone by her rival, and she took control. The two battled to be the top pony within their own team, driving themselves further and further away from the win. Unfortunately, due to their thirst to defeat the other pony, they were unable to work together. They hit every obstacle, and wound up yelling at each other for several minutes. Their time of 5:40 placed them dead last. Everypony snickered as they got out and shook their coats.

“What in the ever loving BUCK was that?!” Twilight thundered.

“Sorry, mage,” Rune said, “it’s just…Fire gets on my last nerve!”

“I know you want me,” Fire said sleazily.

“Shut up, Fire!” Twilight roared, “and have some bucking respect for your fellow competitors.”

“Yes, mage,” Fire said, rolling his eyes.

Twilight sighed. He’s a talented pony, she thought, I know what he can do with magic. But…is he fit to run a school?

“Alright,” she said out loud, “congratulations to Team Purple! Your time held up, and you’re in for the most amazing day…because we’re going to the beach!”

Starshine and Dark Cloud lit up at the announcement. Twilight went on to explain that their destination was the Luna Ocean, and that they’d be staying overnight at a beautiful hotel there. They’d be waited on hoof and nail, and also get an exclusive VIP tour of a nearby aquarium. Twilight told them to get ready, because their private train was leaving in a few minutes. Excitedly, Starshine and Dark galloped from the room, eager to begin their time with the princess.

“Oh, dear,” Twilight said, “for the rest of you, this day will not be relaxing and fun. You’ll be cleaning this entire library from top to bottom, under the strict supervision of my sous mages. Trust me, Comet and Astral are…well…there’s no nice way to put this, so I’ll just say it: they’re neat freaks. Yes, they like things to be absolutely immaculate. So, with that being said, get your rumps in gear and get to work!”

“Yes, mage,” the team said in disappointment.

While Starshine and Dark enjoyed their time with Twilight, the rest of the group spent the day cleaning and grumbling. Rune and Fire reignited their passions…for hating each other. Lock and Zesty wouldn’t speak. Much to Astral and Comet’s chagrin, it seemed that a good chunk of their brigade was falling apart. They’d need them at full strength for the next night’s demonstration, so they forced them all to work together. This led to more petty grumbling, and the sous mages threatened the whole team with another cleaning if they didn’t stop.

When Starshine and Dark returned from their trip the next day, the entire team gave them a look of disgust. After all, it’s very easy to become jealous of somepony when they get to do something fun and you don’t. But they’d earned it with their terrific teamwork in the pool the previous morning. The team didn’t have time to worry about them, though, as the impending demonstration had all of them on edge. Would they be tossed from the brewery like they had been the first time?

They gulped, got themselves pulled together, and trotted down and into the brewery. Twilight was already there, at the head, wearing her mage ring. The ponies lined up in the way they’d been taught and faced her. Starshine and Dark couldn’t help but notice that there were two sides to their mage. At the beach, she’d been very kind, sweet, and friendly. It was The Princess of Friendship on display. But here, she was stern and cold, accepting nothing but the absolute perfection of her staff.

“Right, tonight is about redemption,” Twilight said, “we had an awful first demonstration. Now, we bounce back, right?”

“RIGHT!”

“I CAN’T BUCKING HEAR YOU!”

“RIGHT!”

“There you go,” Twilight said, nodding with approval, “now, on your sections and let’s do this! Comet, Astral, open The Princess’s Library, please!”

Ponies piled into The Princess’s Library for the second demonstration. Among them were VIPs (Very Important Ponies), including visiting mages and magic experts. Celebrities also came, curious as to how the demonstrations worked. They were greeted by waiters, who gave them the rules of the library. It was the same as any other likeminded establishment. The ponies weren’t allowed to speak above a small conversational tone, no matter how much screaming came from the brewery. Everyone sat on the edge of their seats, peering into the open aired command center. Soon, orders started to be placed, and Twilight began yelling them out.

“On order, four ponies, table three: one fire, one water, one earth, one air!”

“Yes, mage!”

Dark Cloud and Starshine had been placed on fire spells, while High Tower and Fire Streak worked earth. The water spells were given to Lock Jaw and Spell Caster. Orange Peel and Zesty Shifts were on the air spells. Finally, since there were nine ponies, Rune found herself working potions alone. She silently begged for there to be limited orders, since each potion was extremely complicated to put together. That, and the last pony to ride solo on the station got eliminated from the competition.

Soon, the order was complete, and Twilight found that all the spells were proper. So, she sent them out. The orders continued to pile into the brewery and, much to Rune’s chagrin, a lot contained potions. She tried and tried, but it was very overwhelming to remember that many potions in such a short time. Soon, Twilight became rattled by her slowness.

“RUNE! I NEED THOSE BUCKING POTIONS FOR TABLE 27!”

“They’re coming, Mage! Give me two more minutes!”

“Two more minutes?!” Twilight asked in disbelief, “I’VE BEEN CALLING THEM FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES!”

“They’re coming, they’re coming!” Rune cried, trying to stop the onslaught of emotions she felt.

“YEAH, WELL SO’S BUCKING HEARTH’S WARMING! LET’S BUCKING GO!”

Finally, Rune brought up five different potions. Each pony at the table had ordered a separate concoction, and Twilight needed to test them all. Once again, she was surprised to find that they’d all been done correctly. She was somewhat proud of Rune. It wasn’t easy to solo any brewery station, but the potions may have been the most difficult. There were so many ingredients to remember, and Rune had done them perfectly. She’s a front runner, Twilight told herself, but I have to keep pushing her to see if she’s a fake…or if she’s the real deal.

Twilight grabbed another ticket and turned around. “On order, VIP table, listen up, guys! It’s Songbird Serenade and her family! DON’T BUCK IT UP!”

“Yes, mage!”

“I need three regular earth spells and one fire spell requested full flame! Heard?!”

“HEARD, MAGE!”

Starshine and Dark Cloud got to work on the fire spell, while High and Fire did the three earth spells. They very quickly got their concoctions done and sent them up to the pass. But Twilight’s horn was very nearly burned by Starshine and Dark’s spell, so she sent it right back to them. She demanded it redone in two minutes, and the ponies worked together to get it done. They sent it up…and it almost burned her horn again! By this point, Twilight was close to losing it with the section. For the third time, she requested it. Starshine and Dark did it, but this time, it appeared to be proper. So, Twilight sent it out. Unfortunately, when it got to the table, it flared up so badly that it nearly burned Songbird’s mane off! The pop star wasn’t happy with things, and she returned the spell herself.

“Princess Twilight!” The diva barked.

“Songbird, it’s nice to see you again, but what are you doing here?”

“The fire spell we ordered…look what it did to my mane!”

Twilight was horrified as Songbird showed her the injury. Manes would grow back, but the carelessness of the spell had nearly burned her head. This was the last straw. Twilight whirled around on Starshine and Dark, advancing on them as they quivered in her shadow. Starshine silently asked Dark what she’d done to the spell, and Dark pointed to some nearby fire powder. Upon checking it, Starshine found that it was the wrong kind. The fire powder for full flame spells was meant to generate a pleasing heat. Dark had accidentally poured in a load of powder meant for very extreme spells, and only used on special occasions.

“Get out,” Twilight said, in a voice straight from Tartarus.

“Mage, we-“

“I SAID, GET THE BUCK OUT OF MY BREWERY!”

The ponies hung their heads, turned and walked out of the area.

“THAT’S RIGHT! HANG THOSE BUCKING HEADS!” Twilight screamed, “’CAUSE YOU GUYS WERE AN ABSOLUTE JOKE TONIGHT! BUCK OFF UP TO THE DORMS! YOU WON THE BUCKING CHALLENGE, YOU WENT ON THE BUCKING REWARD, AND THEN YOU PERFORMED LIKE A COUPLE OF MULES TONIGHT! BUCK YOU AND YOUR SO-CALLED TALENT! GET OUT!”

When they’d left, Twilight put Fire on the fire spells, and they all went out perfectly. Songbird and her family received their redo spells in the proper time and quite enjoyed them. There weren’t any further problems and nopony else got booted from the brewery. All in all, it was a fairly solid demonstration…but Twilight was not amused. She called for everypony to line up, and Starshine and Dark returned from their banishment. Their faces were both red and it appeared that they’d each done a great deal of crying.

“We completed the demonstration,” Twilight said, “but I’m not in a celebratory mood. Why the buck does it have to be that painful?! Rune, I know you were solo on the potions tonight, but the slowness with which you were getting things out was…somewhat detestable. But the true embarrassment was that fire station. Ironically, it was the strongest during the first time we opened. Starshine…Dark…what happened?”

“I accidentally used the wrong fire powder,” Dark confessed.

“Three different times?” Twilight asked.

“I guess I just didn’t check the label,” Dark said.

“…really?” Twilight asked in disbelief, before sighing. “All of you, get out of here and come up with two nominees for elimination.”

“Um, Mage Twilight?” High Tower asked, shooting a hoof up.

“Yes?”

“I think we already know who our two nominees are.”

Twilight nodded. “I think you’re right. Starshine, Dark, get your flanks up here. Now, then, Starshine, why should you stay in The Princess’s Library?”

“Princess, I should stay because I have passion and leadership skills. I can do this, and I want a chance to prove that! I didn’t have any spells come back tonight-“

“Didn’t have any spells come back?” Twilight asked, “what about Songbird’s charcoal mane?”

“That was Dark Cloud!” Starshine begged, “that wasn’t me!”

“Hey!” Dark Cloud said, defending herself, “I might have put the powder in, but we both worked those spells together!”

“Quiet,” Twilight said, rubbing her forehead, “I really don’t have the patience for any more arguing. Now, then, Dark, why should you stay?”

“I should stay because I have the heart, the dedication, and the knowledge to be your next Head Mare! Working at the school in Manehattan would be a dream come true!”

“Well, you might just get to work there…as a bucking janitor,” Twilight growled. “Alright, I have to make a decision. The pony whose time in the library is overdue…is…………………………Dark Cloud. I’m sorry, your time is up here. Please, give me your ring and leave.”

Once again, Twilight’s heart softened as the mare brought forth her ring. “Listen,” she said as she took it from her, “the reason you’re going tonight is because you didn’t check the fire powder before using it and it actually injured one of our customers. Whether it’s somepony off the street or Songbird, the ponies who come here are our number one priority. They must remain safe throughout the demonstration. Tonight, your carelessness caused one of them to become unsafe.”

“Yes, mage.”

“I cannot have that kind of incompetence running my school.”

“Yes, mage.”

“But, keep going, keep training…and never, ever give up on your dreams.”

“I won’t.”

“Good night.”

With those words, Dark Cloud disappeared through the front doors forever. Twilight then turned to the rest of the team and barked that she wanted redemption in their next demonstration. After dismissing them, she trotted to the stairs and the same camera from before followed her up. She shook her head as she walked along, giving her thought on Dark Cloud’s elimination.

“Dark Cloud might have had some talent with magic, but her incompetence tonight placed one of our clients in danger. I won’t have that, in my school nor my brewery.”