Twilight Learns the Dewey Decimal System

Spike and I entered the library to see dozens of books flying off the shelves, all encased in a purple glow. "Well, she's started re-organizing the books again, joy to the world." Spike commented sardonically as Twilight ceased humming, glanced at us, and placed the remaining books in some as of yet unfathomable sequence.

Stepping forward I asked Twilight. "How are you organizing these books?"

"Alphabetically by title, why?" Twilight responded.

"That isn't the most efficient method, and it certainly isn't helpful for anyone looking for a particular book." I responded, years of scanning the contents of libraries had given me a tenable grasp on how to search for books, and by proxy, organize them.

"How do humans organize their libraries then?" The lavender mare asked.

"Well, first we organize according to genre, fiction, history, dramas and plays, poetry collections, such as that." I began.

"Great, you two go on with that, I'm getting a ruby." Spike said as he walked to the kitchen.

"Each of these genres is given a two letter code that all other books of the same genre are given. Within each genre books are then ordered alphabetically by author and in turn given a numeric code, the books are arranged then according to the order of the numeric code. These codes can then be placed on stickers which are placed on the spine of the book. That way, finding the proper place for the book once it is returned is a matter of matching it in its set, rather than looking at the title individually. You can have shelves labeled with the range of codes that they have." I finished. Twilight's amethyst eyes darting around the library as the pieces fell together.

"That's brilliant!" Twilight exclaimed. "I can't wait to do that!"

"Well, the night is young, and I can get by on little sleep."

****

Trixie opened her eyes groggily to the interior of a hut. A dull throbbing permeated her body. Shifting herself the throb became a sharp stab in her left foreleg, forcing a cry from the blue illusionist.

"It seems now you are awake, very long that did not take." A voice emanated from the edge of Trixie's vision as a zebra stepped into view, bracelets jangling on her hooves and neck. "Zecora is my name, and I would ask of you the same."

"Trixie." She replied. Her travels had put her in contact with zebras before, making understanding the rhyming possible, if no less convoluted.

"It is not safe to roam the Everfree, many dangers among the trees. To where do you go, Ponyville? Tell me if it is so."

Trixie decided that to save herself time she would answer the question, and all others that would follow, taking a deep breath she began, forcing her way through the pain that was omnipresent. "Yes, I am heading for Ponyville. I have been there before and I did things that I regret and want to apologize. If you could help me get there it would be greatly appreciated."

Nodding, the zebra replied. "Help you get a second chance I will do, but first your injuries I must tend to."

"Thank you." It was all Trixie could muster before another ache began bothering her. Wordlessly the zebra grabbed a bowl, and filling it with a green liquid she tipped it to Trixie's lips.

"Drink this and be healed, brew of herbs from far afield." Trixie complied to the witchdoctor's request, sipping at the potion. In a few moments began to fade, along with consciousness.

****

I sat with Twilight, it had taken two hours, but we had implemented a system that would make the library run smoothly in the future. The purple unicorn turned to me, and said. "I've been thinking about what you said this morning, about how humans and ponies, and well all intelligent beings have some purpose, that purpose being to improve the object of its interests."

"Go on..." I pressed, intent to listen on what she thought of the matter.

"Well, an intelligent being is able to improve pretty much anything with enough time and determination, but what does that have to do with morality?"

"Well, Twilight, would you consider that each individual is inclined to be talented in something?"

"Of course! That's what Cutie Marks show. Everypony has something which they are valuable for, not just for what they can do, but the ideas and approaches that can be made to a problem." The unicorn replied quizzically, wondering where I was going with this.

"Then think on this, each improvement each pony makes improves all around them in a particular way, the carpenter improves houses, chefs food, and librarians libraries. These in turn improve the lives of those around us, and ourselves. However, what each does is different, but of value. I suggest that morality is understanding this position that each holds and seeks to improve it."

"So ponies end up improving those around them by doing what they are suited for, each is different but still wholly a pony as they can understand each detail of their craft." The lavender mare continued. "Then the basis for morality is understanding those around you, and seeking that which is best for them according to one's talents."

"Indeed, what you just touched upon, the understanding and the improving, this can be called many things, friendship, compassion, even love if one feels so inclined, that is merely a matter of semantics." I concluded.

"Then, if this is all there is to it ...." The unicorn fell silent, glancing at the floor beneath her. "Princess Celestia ... when she taught me the spell that brought you here, she said that I would summon something that had knowledge of both good and evil. What is it that makes your world, your kind, different from mine?"

"I cannot claim to know for certain, but I can give the insight I can. Let us start with perhaps the biggest difference." I began. "Humans do not have Cutie Marks, we have essentially, only a few things to rely on to determine what we are good for. This I notice is the greatest difference of our kind, and with it humans are far more likely to attach to what they cannot understand or improve upon, if one would allow for the phrase, it could be conceived as love misdirected."

It was at this point that Twilight interjected. "Wow, suddenly Applebloom's obsession with finding her Cutie Mark makes a lot more sense...." At this point Twilight's stomach began to grumble, we had not eaten. "Oh, heheh, I guess we should eat now before bed." She offered.

We went to the kitchen and soon prepared a meal, a rather hefty salad, if such a meal could ever be considered such. On this thought I looked up at Twilight and said. "Twilight, there is something I need to ask, humans require protein to survive, and we often get that protein from specific sources."

"Oh, like what?" She asked.

"Mostly from meat, but there are particular plants, like spinach or beans or nuts, that provide what we need to survive, I just thought you would want to know that it would be best if we got more food like that so I don't waste away."

The lavender mare looked up from her plate at the mention of meat, her ears folded back. "You eat meat? I mean its not unheard of among intelligent species but ... I'm glad you told me this first, it could have ended badly if you told anypony else, even mentioning it, from a griffon or a diamond dog, tends to send most ponies on edge."

"I'm glad you understand, and I'm sorry for not having told you sooner."

"Well then, I'll be sure and add some more high-protein foods to my shopping list in the future."

We finished our meal and headed to our rooms to turn in for the night.