//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Appreciation Day // Story: The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Scootadad! // by Adorned ungulate //------------------------------// Flying above cloud cover can be disorientating but I kept the sun to Ten-O'Clock to guide me. Eventually I would have to dip back under and take bearings by a rail line or some other landmark but after years of this work I rarely got truly lost. Being so wet I stowed my music player and earbuds in my waterproof canvas saddlebags along with my cargo. Leaving it behind was a reason to call in sick in my humble opinion but I wasn't going to allow it to get waterlogged as well. Tingling in my coat and in the roots of my feathers alerted me to an updraft coming up. Thank Celestia for that subtle pegasus magic of weather sense. I lowered the trailing edge of my wings and leaned my head back a fraction and sure enough there was a turbulent gust. I rode up and over the worst of it straining my shoulders to maintain position, sacrificing speed for altitude. Droplets of water streaked along my goggles. I even did that thing where I seemed to run in midair with my hooves. Unicorns and especially earth ponies sometimes ask why pegasi do that when there are no clouds to run over and the truth is it just feels right. Speedsters like Rainbow Dash are welcome to their showmareship but my specialty was long-distance flight. Worst comes to worst I could trot home. Hours of nonstop steady movement comes easily to me. I imagine swallows feel this way when they cross whole oceans during migration. It only aches when I stop to rest. ...... "For today's Family Appreciation Day we are pleased to welcome Martin Swallowtail!" I gave Cheerilee a nod as a walked in the classroom then scanned my audience. "Good morning, my little ponies. I'm here to tell you about my job. I work for the Royal Canterlot Library-" "Your dad is a librarian?" It didn't take long until I was interrupted. A blue toned colt was giving Scootaloo a confused look which she pointedly ignored. She was glancing placidly at the chalkboard trying not to attract attention but I hope proud I was here. "That's a common assumption. I am not a librarian but I do work very closely with them." "Figures her dad wouldn't have a job that required flying!" Apple Bloom shot this pink filly a nasty glare. This must be the Rich kid. I made my way in front of her desk and lightly put my front hooves on the edge hoping her teacher would just think I was restoring order (and not see the look in my eyes). The filly shrunk back in her seat as I had hoped. "Actually, my job involves quite a bit of flying as you shall see..." I made my way to the chalkboard again. "Now as you know Canterlot is home to many colleges and universities. Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns is the most famous, but there is a branch of the Cloudsdale Meteorological Institute, the Leadership Academy, the Royal Observatory has been busy now that Princess Luna has taken over management. Because Canterlot is built on the side of a mountain it was impractical for each to have its own library so the Royal Library serves all of them. All these schools' students have diverse needs. Often they need books, scholarly articles, spells that the the library does not own. So what do you think librarians do about that problem?" .... The scriptorium is housed in a huge dome-shaped building. It's wrought iron roof features a stained glass sunburst over almost it's entire surface. One of the louvers on the roof was open so I entered there rather than bother with the balcony. That way I could land right at my desk. The interior had a ring design like an operating theater going down a dozen levels, each ringed with shelves for scrolls and books on the interior and office desks facing out into the center. The scriptorium was not part of the library proper but housed its administrative hub. Alighting on the hardwood floor I got right to my saddlebags and began organizing my cargo, matching receipts and marking them down as received. I heard a pony clearing his throat to my right. He was a familiar face, a young stallion from Celestia's School whom reminded me strongly of a male Sweetie Belle aside from eye color. He was often the one tapped to pick up orders. "Good morning, Martin!" Tia's plot this one was always so perky. "Hey, D. Come for the latest batch?" "Of course." He closed his eyes and inclined his head. Good kid, always infuriatingly perky. Some kind of media studies student I think. "Just a moment. Just got in..." I shuffled through the piles and decided to bait this young strident royalist. "Now that Twilight is down in Ponyville I bet the princess needs a new personal protege. You gonna apply for the part?" I swear there were stars in his wide eyes. "Oh no! Miss Twilight remains her personal student despite the move. I could only dream of such things. Magic theory isn't really my thing anyhow." "Here you go." He floated the pile off my desk. "See you in a few." "Bye, Martin!" He trotted off. I turned back to my paperwork finding a little of his enthusiasm had rubbed off a bit of flight fatigue. That kid is dedicated. I'm sure I'll see more of him in years to come. ..... "One floor of the library is devoted to the catalog where every book in the collection is listed. Librarians and students can find what they need by title, author's name, or subject. If they can't find what they need they go to the basement. Princess Celestia has asked many libraries all over Equestria to send them listings of their collections, or perhaps just their areas of specialty. That includes our own Golden Oaks Library. If they find what they need there I send a request. Once we agree on lending it out I take keep track of the lender, borrower, item, and due date through our filing system and fly out to retrieve and return them. If just a few pages of a book or article is needed a whole team of scribes keep busy making copies for us." ..... Another familiar pony sauntered over to my desk, all hot chocolate coat and silky black mane. Magnificent horn. "Hello, Swallowtail. Got those archeological reports from Neigh Orleans yet?" Bosses' daughter. Bosses' daughter. Be polite and formal. Bosses' daughter. "Uhh, looks like they should be here by the end of the week, Miss Scrivener." "Ah, pity. Look me up when they do arrive. Alright?" "Will do." Bosses' daughter. Bosses' daughter. Bosses' daughter. Did she wink as she turned away or did a mote of dust fly into her eye. Luna's tears don't stare at her flank, Martin. ..... A grey coated filly with silver mane blurted out without raising her hand, "Wouldn't it be easier to send it through the mail?" "Good question. Sometimes they do send them as far as they can but libraries have limited budgets. I imagine I'm familiar with the interior and operators of every train station and post office within a days flight of Canterlot... Including your mother, Dinky." I smiled to a filly seated to my left and she beamed back. Kid was sweet enough to give you cavities. "It's not just books, spells, and academic articles I deal with either. I've transported film reels from the movie studios of Las Pegasus, delivered recipes to Manehattan so a five star restaurant can host a royal dinner, all kinds of things. It's a lot of effort and involves a lot of paperwork but I'm happy helping along the course of knowledge and learning in Equestria. Now are there any more questions?" ..... The finest sight of my workday is the approaching gaslights of Ponyville with the setting sun over the dark expanse of the Everfree on the horizon. That means my workday is done and I can spend a few hours with Scootaloo. I spotted orange and yellow specks in the apartment t courtyard, she and Apple Bloom were chasing the dogs in playful wide circles. I watched them with contentment as I wheeled in for a landing and soon Scootaloo came buzzing over, propelling herself into my waiting hooves. "Welcome home, dad!"