"--meaning." They came in as an older flutter female was talking to a room that was watching her intently. "The subcontext is easy to miss." She raised her hooves to her eyes. "You have to read between the lines, for what's right there, but hidden. Some say the meaning of the author is immaterial, but they are fools! Consider the author in this case surely, as it forms the backbone of the book."
Twilight was among the crowd, watching with rapt attention. A book hovered nearby, but she had little chance to read it, watching the speaker as she was. She only shifted focus when something settled next to her. "Oh!" She saw it was Spike, Soft, and Fast taking spots around her. "Welcome aboard." She whispered to not distract from the crowd. "Their service is a reading club! This is so amazing!"
Spike peered at the floating book. "Is that what they're talking about?"
The speaker drifted backwards on slower, older, wings. "But that's enough from me. Let's hear from a younger mind, who may have a different opinion."
A spritely small flutter wasp hopped to her hooves. "Yes! Me please! Ahem, I read the book. It was good!"
The matron smiled patiently. "That's a start. What made it good, in your opinion?"
"I really liked when he stood up to that bully." She stomped the ground. "That mean crook, Mister Redswell!" The room nodded softly, all recognizing the name. "He was brave... Could have been squashed, but he didn't back up. He had to protect his friends, and he did! I hope I can be that brave."
The matron nodded to the eager little flutter. "That was very brave, but let us..." She trailed off. "You are very polite, but you and your friends haven't read the book, have you?"
Twilight shook her head quickly, pointing at herself. "Me? Um, no... It sounds fascinating!"
"That's what we like to hear." The matron took one book from a pile. "Then take a copy. You're a little late for this meeting, but a good book is never late. Savor it."
Twilight accepted the book with due reverence. "Is it alright that I plan to leave the city?"
"We have more copies of that one, but that you checked is a good mark." She casually applied a bright yellow-golden sticker to Twilight's chest.
Twilight frowned. "Wait..." That had been a very Equestrian move, pressing with a hoof like that. "How did you?"
"Sticky hoof spell, my dear." The matron was returning to her place. "Luminace watch over you, but you have no reason to stay here and listen to us talk about a book you haven't read. I do appreciate the thought." Murmurs rose in agreement with smiling faces. "Next week, we plan to discuss The Return of Big Wing. If you plan to be here, do read that, and join us. We may all learn something."
Twilight giddily hopped to the door, her companions behind her. "I may just do that, but I don't want to imply I'll be here. Things call!" She waves amiably, and left them to continue discussing the book. "This place is great!" She wheeled on her friends with a big smile. "They study a different book each week and discuss their findings, together."
Spike raised a brow. "That's called a 'book club'. They exist in Equestria. Wanna join one?"
Soft covered her mouth. "You are so cute sometimes, Twilight. Still, I imagine a luminace book club dives a bit further than the average one with random ponies in it, no offense."
Fast snorted softly. "Depends on the pony... Still, if they were the right kind, they'd join Princess Luminace, likely. Friendship and knowledge, her things, and a book club is just what she'd want.
"Makes me think of starting my own..." But her lofty thoughts came down. "I have plenty of other things to do in the meantime... Maybe joining one being run by somepony else would be wise... Ahem! Now... spells!" She marched off towards that first flutter. "Do you have a spell section?"
"Yes we do." The flutter considered Twilight. "I don't mean to be rude to any seeking knowledge, but the library is not generally public material. What business do you have with it?"
Fast gestured with her head at Twilight. "She wants a spell to make a place to sleep. Adventures, right?"
"Right." The librarian chuckled softly. "We have a few that could match that, if you can comprehend them. They are not simple spells, most of them. You could just stay in town?" He pointed past them all the outside world. "If you come in peace, they shouldn't trouble you."
"But I want to learn." Twilight was far too close to a new spell to give up so easily. "Is there a fee?"
"For visitors, there is." He trotted away, returning with a book in his mouth that he set on a small table in front of Twilight. "This has what you seek. You can copy it, I assume?"
"Gladly!" Her magic glowed around it, but couldn't move it. The librarian's hoof was on top of it, pinning it. "Excuse me?"
Fast moved between them, cutting off Twilight's vision of the book. "You're making it awkward. Pay the librarian. He doesn't want to have to ask."
"Oh! Well, of course... And the fee would be?" Twilight tried to lean past Fast to get a peek with limited success.
The librarian tapped the book. "For a spell of this magnitude, 150 gold pieces. Can you discern seventh circle spells?"
"Seventh circle!" Twilight ran through her mental list of spells. "First, second, third... fourth..." She was running out of spells. "If I can't figure it out, do I get a refund?" She tried her best smile.
The librarian didn't look as amused. "Access to the book is what you are paying for, not success, or not, of what you plan to do. I can put it back if you'd rather."
Twilight heaved a sigh as a new book appeared beside her. "At the very least, I'll copy it for that price if I can't cast it today." A bag of jingling coins floated out with her magical aura. "Here you are. Thank you for hosting such a lovely library."
"A pleasure." He took the bag in his mouth, hefting it to his satisfaction before coiling to tuck it away. "The book is yours for half a day. Please do return it before then. May Luminace smile on your quest for knowledge."
"Questions be answered," replied Twilight, to the librarian's clear pleasure. Nothing stood on her way. She hurried up for the book and noses it open, her magic turning the pages to the one she wanted. "Oooo, dense." The fact that it was dense was a positive, not a cause for concern. She was in her element, and eagerly began to devour the arcane spell.
Spike shook his head as he turned away from the lost wizard. "She's gonna be busy until she's done, and I'm not getting in the way of that. I suggest we get a place, leave a note so she knows where that is, she can join us after she finishes reading forever."
Fast nodded once and firmly. "Right, that sounds good, this way." She led the way from the library, down one alicorn. "I've been here before, once. Just..." She found the living complex, the tall tree filled with nooks. "The same place your friends are. We aren't nearly rich enough to consider other accomodations, but nothing wrong with it. Wait a moment." She walked off around the bend of the tree.
Soft rocked in place. "Back in Everglow... It's been a while..."
"How're you holding up?" Spike got hold of one of her hands, trapping it between his hands.
"This doesn't... feel right." She squeezed his supporting hand. "Like I left for so long... Fast. I know Fast. You know Fast!" She waved with her free hand. "But that's not our Fast. This city... it wasn't here... The world just... kinda moved on without me."
"Hm..." Spike struggled to think of more supporting words. "It'll... do that... but it's still Everglow. Still full of monsters. Still full of people worth knowing. Ponies, lots of those, even if some of them are also butterflies and things."
Soft let out a single strained laugh. "What is going on with that? They're... cute I guess." She watched a butterfly and a dragonfly flutter zip past. "Colorful things... They seem friendly, don't get me wrong! I'm sure I look just as weird from their view."
"Way weird." With a soft clip-clop, a butterfly landed behind them. "But not bad. Hello!"
Soft squeaked, but quickly recovered into a smile. "Hello to you too. Sorry, just a little lost."
"That happens!" He bounced forward, looking at Spike, then Soft and back again. "Are you two together? Romantic! Oh Oh Oh! There's this great flower stand. Mmmm, but probably closed at this hour. It's really late..."
Spike chuckled as he raised his free hand. "Is it run by three earth ponies?"
"You know it?! Great! I was going to show you the way, but you already know it, which is even better." The flutter turned to the many dwellings. "Staying here?"
Spike hiked his free thumb at where Fast had vanished. "I think our friend is arranging a room for us, here, I think? We're new here."
"Well hello!" The flutter turned back to them with a smile of welcome. "If you need any help, glad to offer a hoof." They lifted on their big butterfly wings. "But I should go. Just ask any of us if something comes up!" And he was gone before any objections had a chance to reach him.
"Energetic..." Soft leaned a little against Spike. "Resting for the night is sounding more and more tempting... We had to go a long way to reach this place, nice as it is."
"No arguments there." He leaned back against her, supporting her weak stance. "Um... how's adventuring treating you?"
"Pfft." She squeezed his hand. "Better than the last time, all considered. This is mostly sight seeing, minus the lost part, and we're past that."
"Got a place." Fast came into view with a key held in her mouth. "First floor, nice and convenient for us not-fliers, hm?" She didn't have to go far to reach the door the key fit into snugly. "The flutters actually prefer the ones high up, so these are just waiting for us ground-dwellers to enjoy."
Spike peeked back at his wings that flapped in sympathy. "It'll do. Thanks, Fast! Did you have to pay?"
"For a basic room, no." She nosed open the door into darkness, but soon had a lit lantern or two to banish that. "Come on inside and let's rest. I'll go leave a note for Twilight." She left just as she came, walking down the tree branch back towards the library.
Soft pulled Spike towards the available room. There were beds, which she claimed one of very quickly. "Oh finally." She sank into its softness with a happy sigh. "An actual bed! I... almost forgot how nice those are." With a thump, she realized Spike had joined her. She rolled against him, getting on top. "A soft bed with warm company, perfect."
Spike gently set his hands on her hips, drawing her down. "You look tired."
"Really tired." She touched her front to his, gazing in his eyes.
"Super tired." He hugged her, holding her with little rocks until she was fully asleep. Neither had a complaint for the brief bit of romance they could find in the moment.