//------------------------------//
// The New Librarian 
// Story: Shard: Settling In 
// by Hopeful_Ink_Hoof 
//------------------------------//

	Twilight Sparkle smiled as she walked through Ponyville with her friends, enjoying the morning.  There were two reasons for this.  The first was that it was actually morning again.  No longer was the sun stuck directly overhead, half blocked by the moon.  Once again, the ponies could have day and night properly.

The second was where they were currently headed: The Golden Oaks Library.

Today was the big day.  Once again, Ponyville would have a proper librarian.  No longer would the library be opened by somepony from the town hall if they happened to remember.  No longer would it be stuck accepting the whims of the indifferent.  The Ponyville library would once again be run the way a library was supposed to.

Twilight's excitement grew as everything seemed to be working out perfectly.  They would reach the door to the library just as it was time to open.  Everything was going exactly as planned.

Twilight opened the door.

"Hello," she said, "and welcome to-"

"Sparkle?"

Twilight Sparkle froze for a moment.  Her ears and jaw dropped the familiar voice sank in.  The mare's eyes went wide at the sight of the new librarian.

Standing before Twilight was a pale blue unicorn mare with a silvery blue mane and tail.  She stood there, staring at Twilight with the same look of shock and surprise.

"Trixie?" Twilight blurted out.

"What are you doing here?!" the pair shouted at each other simultaneously.

"What's going on?" Luna whispered, getting a shrug from Fluttershy.

"You two know each other?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Trixie was my roommate back in Canterlot," Twilight answered.

"And now," Trixie responded, "I am the new librarian here in Ponyville."

"What?" Twilight shrieked, causing the others to cringe.  "You mean to tell me that you're the new librarian from Canterlot?"

She suddenly froze as something came to her.

"Wait a minute."

She pointed a hoof at Trixie.

"You were going to move out without telling me?"

The others froze, looking from Trixie to Twilight and back.

"Uh, Twi-" Applejack started

"Are you bucking kidding me?!" Trixie snapped.  "First of all," she poked a hoof at Twilight's chest, "you have no bucking right to get mad about me moving here without saying anything seeing as that is exactly what you have done."

Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but stopped.

"Second," Trixie continued, "how could I possibly told you 'hey Twilight, I got a job' when the last time I saw you when when you were taking off to the castle to warn the princess about 'The King of Shadows.'"

"Which I was right about!"

"And third..." Trixie sighed and rolled her eyes.  "I did.

"Maybe not about working here specifically, true, but I did tell that I was applying to some jobs, most of which were outside of Canterlot.  As usual though, you were too busy with whatever book you had your nose buried in to listen."

"What?" Twilight uttered.  "What do you mean by that?"

Trixie sighed and shook her head, rolling her eyes.

"How can a mare that is so smart be so dense?" she mumbled to herself.

She turned to face Twilight

"Tell me, how many times did I ask you to hang out and do something with me?"

Twilight rubbed her chin, thinking.  She remembered hearing Trixie asking if she wanted to do something a couple times, but Twilight could not remember specifically what, or how often.  She had been busy with studying and research anyways.

"How many times did you wake up either in your own bed or with a blanket over you when you fell asleep at your desk?" Trixie asked.

Twilight's face scrunched up as she tried to remember.  There had to have been times she had fallen asleep at her desk.  She remembered waking up there a couple times.  Was there a blanket on her when she did?  As for waking up in bed, she probably just assumed she had made her way there while mostly out of it.

"Here's one," Trixie continued.  "How many times have you forgotten to eat, only to find a snack or something right there on the desk waiting for you?"

That one really struck something.  She remembered looking up from her books and finding a sandwich, or bagel, or some other snack on a plate beside her.  Now that she thought about, Twilight had never actually questioned where it came from.  She had just been grateful it was there because she had been starving.  Maybe she should have.

"Trixie, I'm sorry.  I never noticed-"

"No," Trixie snapped.  "You never did, did you?  You never noticed how I tried to help you.  You never noticed how I tried to spend time with you.  You never noticed I tried to get into your interest.  You never noticed... you never noticed..."

Trixie let out a roar of frustration, her normally pale blue cheeks burning red. Her horn lit up with an aura of pink magic.  Using her power, Trixie grabbed a hold of Twilight and pulled her closer.

When the two were face to face, Trixie leaned forward and planted her lips square against Twilight Sparkle.