PONY

by Deathsia

The bookworm's apprentice

“Gang waaay!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she came crashing through Twilight's window and ran head first into a book shelf which caused a tidal-wave of books to come crashing down over the purple unicorn's head.

RAINBOW DAAASH! I JUST ORGANIZED THESE!

The purple unicorn's outraged roar snapped Ericka awake out of what she though to be a peaceful slumber. Now more or less awake, the dark blue Pegasus stretched her wings and all four legs out before getting out of bed. “I'm beginning to wonder if you need glasses Dashie.” Ericka remarked out loud drowsily as she entered the room to see the mess of books along with Twilight whom was glaring at the cyan blue Pegasus now.

“No way, glasses are for bookworms! And I'm no bookworm!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed proudly.

“Says the mare who pops in here every week to check out the latest Daring Doo book.” Twilight remarked out loud as she used her magic to lift up a book and place it on the shelf.

“Hey, that's the only book I’ll pick up and that's because the pony is just as awesome as I am! Besides, I was practicing a trick and lost control. Do you want me to help you clean this mess up Twilight?” The cyan blue Pegasus asked.

“No, just-” The purple unicorn began only to halt herself mid-sentence. “-Just go, I'll handle it.” She replied after a few more moments, Ericka felt Twilight’s tone meant she was choosing her words carefully.

“If you're sure then I'll see you later fillies.” Rainbow Dash replied with a smile and took off back out the window.

“Is it wrong of me to think of that week she spent in the hospital with an injured wing as a blessing?” The purple unicorn asked as she looked at Ericka whom was stepping up next to her now.

“No, but if you wish she would get her wing injured, then that is wrong to think. Wishing harm on anypony is never a good thing.” Ericka replied as she picked up a book with her mouth and placed it on the bookshelf.

“Don't get me wrong, Rainbow Dash is one of the best friends a pony could ask for. It's just that...” Twilight replied but trailed off.

“You wish she would respect your library a lot more.” Ericka chimed in as if finishing the purple Unicorn's sentence for her.

“Yes, exactly. It took me hours this morning to organize these books alphabetically and just as I finished, she comes crashing in.” Twilight remarked sourly with an annoyed sigh.

“Who manages the library when you aren't here?” Ericka asked curiously aafter she placed another book on the shelf.

“Nopony actually. Spike's too young to be left alone. I can leave him here for at most a few hours at a time. I know he may act older than he looks, but he still is a baby dragon.” Twilight replied and sighed again.

“It sounds to me, like you need a vacation.” Ericka suggested with a smirk.

“A vacation?”  The purple unicorn asked as if the word was foreign to her but she knew what she meant. “No, I can't. Who would be here to organize the books, help ponies who are looking for a certain kind of book, and track which books are on checkout and check-in?” Twilight asked aloud at which point Ericka cleared her throat as if to give the purple unicorn the hint which she got all too easily. “You? But what about your flying lessons with Rainbow Dash?”

“I can put off flying lessons for a week to let you and Spike relax. It would be the least I can do for you after all you've done for me.” Ericka replied with a warm smile.

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“The magic books go here, the history books go here, and the fiction novels go here. Oh, and don't forget to reorganize the books at last once a day. Ponies tend to leave the books in the wrong place a lot. Oh, and make sure you keep track of which books are being checked in and checked out with the log I have on my desk over here.” The purple unicorn said nervously and continued to unnecessarily go over things until Ericka literally began to shove her out the door.

“I got it! Don't worry, the library won’t be bombed by grad students while you’re out.” Ericka replied with a slight giggle.

“Bombed by what?” Twilight’s eyes popped wide with shock.

“Nevermind!” Erika pushed Twilight to the door. “I’ll look after it!”

“O-Okay, just remember the the emergency magic letter is on the desk in case anything happens.” Twilight replied as the dark blue Pegasus continued to shove her towards the door. “Oh and don't forget to-” The purple unicorn began to say only for Ericka to slam the door in her face.

“For the love of everything pony, go relax!” Ericka shouted from inside the library and laughed out loud to herself as she walked away. She half expected the unicorn to charge back in and continue on, but luckily for her she didn’t and seemed to take the hint.

A mere five minutes later the door opened. “Twilight, I told you I got-Oh, hello.” Ericka began to say expecting to see the purple unicorn in front of her and instead only saw Fluttershy, whom stared at her meekly.

“Um, Hi Cloudkicker. I was just returning the book I checked out a week ago on how to take care of hedgehogs with a case of fleas.” Fluttershy remarked aloud though her voice was in a hushed whisper.

“No problem.” Ericka replied happy and chipper to help the yellow Pegasus as she took the book in her mouth, carried it over to the table, checked the log for the book, checked it off as Twilight had instructed, and placed the book in the returned bin to place in it's proper place later.

“Um, Where is Twilight?” Fluttershy asked curiously.

“Oh, heh, I guess she forgot to let you guys know. She and Spike are gone on a vacation to Canterlot for the week. I'm in charge of the library until she gets back.” Ericka replied with a smile.

“Oh? Are you sure you can handle it?” Fluttershy asked in a worried tone.

“It's no problem at all. How hard is it to replace a couple books?” Ericka asked the yellow Pegasus with a confident smile.

FIVE HOURS LATER...

“For the love of god, just how many books do these ponies read in a single week?!” Ericka asked aloud incredulously as the returned bin was now filled to brim and even overflowing with books and to make matters even more stressful for the dark blue Pegasus, she had to deal with a flood of ponies who seemed to be in a rush as they came in, stated what book they had checked out once, and left without repeating themselves which sometimes caused Ericka to second guess herself at what book they had actually checked out, yet she had no time to think it over as the flood continued.

It was about this time that Pinkie Pie had walked in. “Oh, hi Cloudkicker! How goes things?” Pinkie Pie asked curiously only to see a frantic and stressed out Ericka flying about the room putting books in their places and checking off books in the log. She turned back to the patron asking them to repeat themselves only to be ignored.

Erika sighed. “Just how many books do these ponies read daily?!” Ericka asked the pink mare about four hours later after the flood had finished.

“Well unlike your world, we don't have those little picture boxes with moving pictures you told me about. Our main source of entertainment is books.” Pinkie Pie replied with a smirk.

“How does she do it? I mean look at my mane for peat's sake!” Ericka exclaimed as she flung her mane out which was frizzy and no where near as maintained as it usually was.

Hearing this just caused the pink mare to giggle insanely for a few moments. “Twilight is the most organized pony of us all. After all, she's the one who organizes tasks during winter wrap up. Course magic does help a lot.” Pinkie Pie replied and giggled slightly.

“I wanted to do something nice for Twilight, but this is biting off more than I chew! I won't last three days at this rate.” Ericka replied and sighed aloud as she slammed her face into her front hooves.

The sound caused Ericka to snap her head in the direction of the bookshelves in the back room and went slack-jawed. “It took me three hours to organize those.” Ericka remarked aloud in a dazed tone before passing out on the spot.

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The next day was just as stressful as the last. Over the next three days Erika began to notice a pattern, where the cyan blue streak that was Rainbow Dash would regularly attempt tricks around the library. This inevitably would result in Erika having to re-stack the shelves when the trick went wrong.

Ericka roared at the top of her lungs as the cyan blue Pegasus crashed into the bookshelves again on the fourth day and pointed a shaking hoof at the cyan blue Pegasus. “You! Out!” Ericka roared as she walked up the steps to the back room. Rainbow Dash obeyed without a moments hesitation. The look in the dark blue Pegasus's eyes made her think Cloudkicker was out for blood now, that's how pissed off Ericka looked at the moment.

It was at this point in time as the cyan blue Pegasus darted out of Twilight's window like a bat out of hell that Pinkie Pie walked in. “How goes...” The pink mare began to ask only to trail off as Ericka looked nearly crazed as she walked past her. “It?”

“Things are going to change around here, mark my words Pinkie!” Ericka exclaimed as she opened the front door and slammed it behind her.

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The next day as the usual flood came in the ponies of Ponyville were in for a shock as their usual routine of marching in and out in a hurry was dragged to screeching halt. Instead of the usual look of the inside of the library, a large wooden fence had been erected with a sign above it with the words printed on it:

A second large wooden fence had also been erected next to it with a sign above it that read:

Under each of these signs was a smaller sign that read:

For the first time in years, the citizens of Ponyville were forced to wait in line and Ericka was true to her word as several ponies found out the hard way when the flood first arrived.

Upon hearing this the dark blue Pegasus gave a content sigh. “That'll teach her to do tricks around Twilight's house.” Ericka thought to herself as she checked out the next set of books with the patron in front of her now.

“What in tarnation?!” Applejack asked shocked by the sudden change to the interior of Twilight's library as she walked in expecting to simply toss a book in and leave.

“Wait in line or pay the fine.” Ericka said simply as she checked off a few books out of the log and allowed the pony to leave with their books.

“But ah'm your friend, that's gotta account for somethin.” Applejack said in the sweetest tone she could muster only for the dark blue Pegasus to slap a wing against the fee sign next to her as she continued to work with her current patron not looking away from them.

“Well ah never.” Applejack remarked aloud with a scowl and with great reluctance, waited for her turn in line.

Pinkie Pie walked in and gawked in shock at the sight that beheld her. “Wowie! You really got organized didn't ya?!”  Pinkie Pie asked aloud with a smirk.

“I told you things would change Pinkie. I don't know how Twilight did it, but back home, this is how we do things to keep things organized.” Ericka replied with a smile as she checked off another book title out of the log and allowed the pony to leave.

“Well, good for you. I'm grabbing the usual cookbook, so I’ll catch you later!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she grabbed the book and began to rush for the door only for Ericka to clear her throat loudly which caused the pink pony to stop her tracks and look at her.

“That'll be four bits Pinkie.” Ericka said simply as she looked at the pink mare now as she slapped her wing against the fees sign.

“But-but-but...” The sugar high mare pleaded with the best pouty tone she could muster only to end up paying four bits and wait in line.

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“I told you that eating all those sweets would give you a stomach ache Spike.” Twilight lectured in an annoyed tone as Spike groaned loudly and held his stomach.

“But Donut Joe said they were on the house, how could I resist those frosting covered rings of goodness?” Spike whined to which the purple unicorn rolled her eyes and sighed as they approached the library, entered, and both jaws dropped.

“What in Equestria?” Twilight asked stunned.

“Hey, Your back? How was vacation?” Ericka asked with a smile as the purple unicorn walked up to her.

“It was relaxing, up until Spike overate and got himself a stomach ache just before we left Canterlot. What's all this?” Twilight replied curiously.

“Oh this? Well, I got tired of the ponies just marching in and out right and left, so I put my hoof down. Now things are much more manageable!” Ericka exclaimed with a smile.

The unicorn simply just made a facehoofing gesture and groaned loudly.

FIVE HOURS AND A LOAD OF EXPLANATION LATER...

“I tried to warn you about the floods, but you shoved me out the door before I could say anything.” Twilight remarked aloud with a giggle after hearing the dark blue Pegasus's story, she stared perplexed at the elastic net that seemed to be nailed into her window next to the bookshelves in the back.

“Um, what's this?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Oh, heh. That was to keep Rainbow Dash from crashing into your bookshelves.” Ericka remarked aloud with a nervous giggle.

“Oh dear...” Twilight remarked aloud with a lip-biting gesture.

MEANWHILE NEAR FLUTTERSHY'S COTTAGE...

“How did you end up here again?” Fluttershy asked curiously as the cyan blue Pegasus looked at her.

“Look, don't ask questions and just get my flank out of here! Ow, ow, ow!” Rainbow dash exclaimed as she struggled to pull herself out of the small window of the chicken coop only to give a pained yelp as the chickens pecked at her hindquarters...