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// Prompt #38: Not What That Means 
// Story: Ponywatching 
// by ThunderTempest 
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“In fairness, Mayor, I had been awake for the last two days, and it really seemed like a good idea at the time.”

When Princess Celestia told Twilight Sparkle to move down to Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration and her sister’s return, she had arranged for her to stay in the local library for the night. It was, of course, a complete coincidence that that library also housed one of only two copies of ‘The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide.’ When Twilight decided to stay in Ponyville, it was part of her agreement that she would keep mostly normal operating hours for the library.

It took all of two and a half days for Twilight to approach Mayor Mare and officially employ herself as Head Librarian of the Golden Oaks Library.

“I am really sorry about that, Mayor, but it really seemed like the best option at the time. Pinkie Pie suggested firing her Party Artillery at it. Yes, the one with eleven barrels.”

And in fairness, Twilight had turned out to be a competent librarian, if a little obsessed with order, and prone to unexplained absences. But mostly, Mayor Mare couldn’t help but keep employing Twilight because she was so enthusiastic about her work, and every few months, had a chat with Twilight to remind her that though in many respects, the Golden Oaks was her home, it was also a library, and it was expected to behave as such.

Twilight becoming an alicorn had complicated matters, of course, but as Mayor Mare stared at Twilight Sparkle over her desk in the town hall, she never imagined it would be like this.

“Okay, just run that by me again, Twilight,” sighed Mayor Mare, wishing that she could pull out her emergency bottle of brandy.

“It’s all Discord’s fault, really,” said Twilight, “he did something to a Tatzlwurm, and it followed him back to Ponyville.”

Mayor Mare was well aware of the town’s semi-occasional resident of the Spirit of Chaos, given how he professed to like having tea with Fluttershy every Tuesday. She had never heard of a Tatzlwurm, but Ponyville was next to the Everfree Forest, so she could take strange new creatures in stride.

“And so how did that lead to you, quote ‘levitating the whole of the Golden Oak Library and start beating the monster over the head with it until it started crying,’ end quote?” said Mayor Mare, levelling her best deadpan stare at Ponyville’s local alicorn.

Twilight had the good grace to blush.

“It was a really, really good idea at the time.”