In Search of a Book
In Search of a Book
Cheerilee yawned, once again catching herself before she dozed off and banged her head against the hard wood of her desk. It was late, a little after six or so, but Cheerilee felt she had been grading papers for years. They were starting one of her favorite units next week, the unit she felt that most students really learned of their true potential. It was also the one with the least amount of homework to grade, at least, until the very end.
She looked back down at the writing scrawled across the sheet before her. Heaving a massive sigh, Cheerilee finally gave up, resolving to bring what was left home and continue it there, though that option appealed to her even less. She pulled back from her desk, rubbing her hooves across her face before reaching into a drawer, pulling out a book.
It wasn’t uncommon for her to read during work, while the foals were eating lunch, or outside playing. It also helped her relax when she had to stay after until the long hours of the night grading papers she had put off for a week. She flipped open to the bookmark, but before she could get more than a couple words in, she heard a small knock on the door.
Who would be coming here at this hour? Cheerilee wondered to herself. None of the foals left any of their things here, I checked after they left like I always do. I don’t have any meetings scheduled with any of the parents... Cheerilee continued to ponder as she slipped the bookmark back in the book, making sure to stow it back in the drawer before rising and walking over to the door.
“Hello?” she asked, opening the door to reveal the small white filly beyond. “Sweetie Belle? What are you doing here this late? Shouldn’t you be at home?”
Sweetie Belle smiled up at her teacher. “Hi Miss Cheerilee! I was at home, but I sat down to do that reading you wanted us to do because Rarity says it’s not a good idea to put everything off until the last minute, and I didn’t have my book. So Rarity told me to come here and get my book so I can do my homework and not have to worry about it for the rest of the weekend.”
Cheerilee blinked her eyes. She was already tired from dealing with the overexcited foals that she spent all day working with, and staring at papers for hours only made it worse. “Well, do you know where it is?”
Sweetie Belle nodded. “Mmhm, it’s over in my desk.”
“Well go get it then,” Cheerilee replied, stepping aside to allow the filly access.
The little white ball of fur whizzed into the room, quickly grabbing her book and rushing back again. She paused for a moment next to her teacher to say, “Thanks Miss Cheerilee, see you on Monday!” Having said a proper goodbye, Sweetie Belle took off into the half-lit streets towards home.
Cheerilee gazed longingly out the door, off in the direction of her home. Heaving a massive sigh, she walked back towards the desk. Dragging her saddlebags out from under the desk, she pulled her book back from its hiding place. and put it into the left bag. With only a little hesitation, the leftover papers were deposited in the right.
Making sure everything was locked up and all the lights were off, Cheerilee walked out of the schoolhouse, closing and locking the door behind her. With a cheerful tune humming through her throat, Cheerilee set off back towards her small house, just a few blocks away.
Not even ten minutes later the fuschia mare opened the old, creaky door to her home and stepped inside. She closed the door, using her already extended hoof to whack the lights at the same time, bathing the room in a soft golden glow. She tossed her saddlebag into a worn red chair after extracting her book, and settled down onto her favorite spot on the couch to read.
Shadow looked down at the stallion, adoration in her eyes. She slowly moved in, making to kiss the stallion laid out below her. He started to lean up and meet her, but she put a hoof on his chest, holding him back. He could easily have overpowered her, but she knew he wouldn’t. She moved down until their lips were almost touching.
“Is this what you want?” she asked in the sultriest voice she could make, her breath dancing across his lips.
He nodded, not aware enough to form words.
She leaned forward the extra hair’s breadth. Their lips connected, and their worlds exploded in bliss.
As Shadow drifted off in the loving embrace of her stallion, head still lost in the haze of passion, she could swear she saw Buttercreme’s sad face as she walked out the door.
The End
Cheerilee blinked. Now wait a minute, I’m pretty sure this book has more pages than this! Angry at being cheated out of her reading material, Cheerilee quickly turned the page. Not two pages later, the words started again, revealing nothing but a preview for the next book. Preview, humph. More like the author cheating me out of another day of reading.
She sighed, casually tossing the cheap paperback down onto a table nearby. This meant that she would have to find time to go to the store tomorrow, and try and pick up the next book, though she really couldn’t afford it. Being a teacher may have been her dream, and the only job she ever wanted, but that didn’t mean it paid for everything she wanted.
Could always go to the library, but that would mean talking to... Cheerilee felt her cheeks warm up involuntarily. Yeah, that’ll go well. I never have problems when I go to the library... Various memories of her stumbling over words, and books, pushed to the front of her mind.
Still though, I can’t afford to keep going out and buying books all the time... unless I want to stop eating, and I would take a nice daisy sandwich over a cheap paperback any day. Cheerilee bit her lip. Well, it’s not too late... I have nothing else to do... Bolstered by her purpose, and ignoring the shaking in her knees, Cheerilee walked from her home, pointed towards the center of town and the Golden Oaks Library.
--_--_--_--
Twilight Sparkle stood with her back to the door. The room was bathed in the dying light of the sun, but more so with a soft purple light coming off the numerous books whizzing through the room like angry bees. Her eyes were closed, lost in the sensations of the books, and the concentration needed to keep them from running into one another, and into Spike.
“Twilight! Look out!” the small purple dragon cried as he ducked under one massive tome as it flew by a little too close for comfort. Assured that his life was, for the moment, no longer in danger, he turned back to the massive checklist held in his small claws.
“Ok, that’s the Filly’s Beginning Guide to Floral Nourishment, that is the Atlas of Equestria and the Lands Beyond. Right there is the... no, left Twilight. Better,” Spike remarked, crossing The Complete Guide to Metaphysical Magicks off the list.
Minutes passed in the same, unbroken manner, until Twilight eventually ran out of books. Thankfully, at the same time Spike ran out of titles to cross off his mountain of parchment that now littered the floor. “Ok Twilight, I think that does it,” he said, rolling up the loose streams of paper until it resembled something not unlike a small cart wheel.
“Another successful reshelving day,” Twilight said, walking on unsteady hooves to give her number one assistant a nuzzle before all-but collapsing on a nearby couch.
“Yeah, I guess, but didn’t we just do that like, a week ago?” asked a very tired dragon with a sore writing claw.
“Yes, we did, but I misplaced my copy of Intermediary Astronomy and its Practical Applications, remember?” The unicorn looked over the newly reshelved books, occasionally swapping the locations of a couple so they matched with the intricate scheme only she had any real understanding of.
“Uh-huh,” Spike muttered, plopping himself down on a chair and pulling a comic book from somewhere nearby.
“Spike!” Twilight exclaimed, gently pulling the colorful paper from Spike’s grasp. “We just reshelved, why are you messing with it?”
“But Twilight,” Spike whined, “it’s not even in the lists yet, it just came out! I was just going to read it real quick then give it back...”
“Spike, why would you do that?! I just made a catalogue of the library books, and now you ruined it!” Twilight quickly began pulling books from the relevant shelves. “Come on, we have to get it all fixed.”
Spike opened his mouth, but was cut off by a knock at the door. He took a quick glance at the already stressed lavender unicorn, whose eye had started twitching.
“Public... library...” she growled, not quite loud enough to be heard through the thick door to the outside world. A little louder she said, “come on in!”
Cheerilee slowly nosed the door open, and stuck her head in. “Sorry to bother you so late, is the library still open?”
“Hi Cheerilee. It’s no bother at all. Besides, we don’t close for another half hour,” Twilight said, glancing at a clock. “Can I help you find--” Before she could finish her thought, a resounding crash echoed down from her loft-room in the leaves of the tree. “Uh, on second thought, look around for a moment, I have to go check that out.” Without a single backwards glance, she galloped up the stairs.
Cheerilee was unable to hold back a sigh, causing Spike to look over at her worriedly. “Um, Miss Cheerilee, are you ok?”
The fuschia pony shook her head. “Yeah, I’m fine, I’m fine. Just going to, uh, take a look around. Yeah...” Glad her natural color hid her slight blush, Cheerilee turned and began scrutinizing the books around her without even really looking at them.
Smooth, Cheerilee thought to herself as her eyes slid over the spines of the numerous books before her. I bet he didn’t notice a single thing. Now all I have to do is track down the book, check it out, and pray that I don’t come completely undone. Just imagine if it got back to Princess Celestia... Cheerilee suppressed a shudder.
A short while later, Twilight walked back down the stairs, mane disheveled and peppered randomly with feathers. Cheerilee laughed as Twilight shook her head, causing a couple of her mane’s occupants to flutter slowly to the ground.
“What’s so funny,” the librarian asked, moving so she was standing next to Cheerilee.
“You... you’ve got something in your mane, Twilight,” Cheerilee said with a smile before turning back to the bookshelf.
“Huh?” Twilight pulled at the end of her mane with a strand of magic. Spying a feather, she laughed. “Oh, Owlowiscious got caught in the middle of one of my experiments the other day and has been molting like crazy ever since. I think I may take him to see Fluttershy if he doesn’t get better soon...”
Cheerilee racked her mind, trying to remember the one called Fluttershy. “Um, she’s the yellow pegasus right? The one with the animals, and who trained the birds for the Summer Sun Celebration last year?”
Twilight nodded, beaming at the other pony--causing a flock of butterflies to try their best to batter a way out of her stomach. “So, can I help you find something?” Twilight asked
“Oh, I, uh... I started reading this series a little while ago, and--”
Twilight’s ears perked up. “Which series? I’ve been meaning to go through some of the ones we have here in the library.”
Cheerilee mumbled something, inexplicably embarrassed about a reading habit she was positive was probably common among lonely mares.
“What was that?” Twilight asked. “I couldn’t hear you.”
“Um, it was--is, I mean is... Her Secret Desire...” Cheerilee said, blushing hard enough that it almost showed.
Twilight cringed and stuck out her tongue, causing Cheerilee to whimper. “Oh, sorry,” the librarian quickly said, hearing the noise, “I didn’t mean to offend you, I’ve heard it’s really really good. I just don’t like sappy romance stories like that.”
Whew, close one, Cheerilee thought to herself. Probably a good thing she hasn’t read them. That could have been a lot worse. “So, um, do you have the second book in the library...?” Cheerilee asked, hating the hopeful sound in her voice.
“Yeah, I think so. Let me check real fast,” Twilight replied, already turning around to walk right over to the shelf that held the romance novels. “Hmmm. We just reshelved today, and I’m pretty sure we checked it off the list,” Spike grunted an affirmative from his seat nearby, “so it should be right...” Twilight pulled a book off the shelf, “here.”
The librarian walked back over to her friend, levitating the book into her saddlebag. “There you go,” Twilight said, “enjoy.”
“Thanks Twilight,” Cheerilee replied with a smile. “When do you want it back?”
“Well, the standard return date is two weeks, but if you need longer, just come tell me. To be honest, not many ponies actually come in here,” Twilight said with a bit of a frown.
“Hmmm, well, I’ll just have to stop by more often then,” Cheerilee replied, to a smile from the purple unicorn which set the butterflies in her stomach into a tizzy. “But, right now I should probably be getting back home, after all,” she motioned to her saddlebags, the one with the book, “I have a book to read.”
Twilight laughed. “Alright, come back any time.”
Cheerilee walked over to the door, opening it and walking outside before turning back around. “Have a good weekend, Twilight,” Oh, and by the way, we should totally go out sometime. Oh, and please tell Princess Celestia not to incinerate me for hitting on you. That’d be nice.
“You too, Cheerilee.” The last thing the schoolteacher saw before closing the door was Twilight smiling at her. The door eventually closed, shocking the earth pony from her thoughts. Cheerilee sighed, tossing a glance to her saddlebags to make sure they were closed before turning and heading off into the darkening streets towards home.
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2131466
Because, while the actual story won the contest and all that shit, I didn't like it personally. It had enough problems compared to what I write now that I wished to redo it. I also wanted the chance to correct mistakes with the story itself, and possibly aid in writing the sequel when I get around to that.
2131549
This story is NOT one of those with Twilicorn ideas. The sequel...... We'll blow that bridge up when we get to it.
Are ya gonna add the alicorn thing or just sticking with the original?
2131570
Read the comment above yours. Save me some trouble.
So, areyareyaareyahuhuhuh?
Wellllllllllll, are ya? HUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUHUH!?
WHY NOT?!
It would be interesting though!
BUTBUTBUT! ELFY!
2131588
Fuck off Cloudy.
2131604
Scool, I should have put it in the author's note. it's there now, but at any rate, enjoy the rewrite!
2131607 But it's fun to ask you!
2131576
Hurrr fine
i finally found the time to read this. and i love it. it's much better and i can actually see it shaping out to be something magnificent if you continue on the same note. i would love to give some criticizing to it, but there are nothing that can be classified as actual issues unless i want to be really nit-picky. (that is a word, right?)
2137233
Yeah, it is on this site, seeing as I have a nitpicker, and Firefox doesn't underline it so... Glad we finally agree on something, it seems all we do is argue.
2137353 i beg to disagree, we both agree that the earlier version of this story needed a rewrite.
Edit: i just realised how much fun i could get out of this sote by starting to insist that i agree with everything, yet still arguing the opposite.
2137688
*flips a table*
One of these days... you'll get yours...
*stares* This comment section... Uh, anyway. I was gonna read this yesterday, good thing I didn't. I probably would have gotten halfway through it and then it would have all been erased from the rewrite. I like how it's going so far. Can't compare it to the original, but from what I can tell it seems to be a good story.
2137975
What's wrong with our comment section? I find it quite entertaining.
2137998 It's like stumbling into a forum whose languages and memes you don't understand yet. It's kinda scary.
2138013
Well, let's try to cleat this up, in case you decide to read one of my other seven stories. Obviously the beginning is easy, its Alicorn Twilight stuff. In the middle of that is my good friend Cloudy trying to troll me, which doesn't work because I am invincible, I cannot be vinced. So I told him to fuck off. I argue with necro rogue a lot, and for once, we agreed on something.
Anything else?
2137739 i am looking forward to that day, who does not want free tables?
2138041
2138058
You..... just.... ok. Go away and read something else. I'd really like your opinion on In Pieces and When Good Sisters Go to War.
2138078 but..but... Dont you give up on me. If you give up, who shall receive all these outsmarts? I really hope cloudy can write a new blog about just right now.......
And will do. After i've finished the latest chapters of CotW and the winningverse.
So, how about that Twilicorn?
Sorry, couldn't resist.
I must say, I am enjoying the rewrite quite a bit more than the original. Great job!
2138122 I get the feeling that you disagree with me on purpose...
2140849
.,....No.
2147068
2147631 i dont see why you would think that? I never disagree with you.
2147786
Finally, finally getting around to reading this again! Only read chapter 1 tonight, but I hope to read chapter 2 and 3 tomorrow and/or the day after, and following that, you bet your flank I'll be scarfing them down as I see'em. If I recall correctly, there're quite a few chapters left yet.
Anyway! First off, it's been so long since I read the original, I can't say much about improvements in specific areas by way of direct comparison. All I know is that this reads very well, and just to get this out of the way, the hang on a moment, stop, wait-like parts that threw me off back in the first iteration are certainly gone. Granted, I've only read this first chapter so far, but it's a lot tighter, I can say that for a fact.
The language can be a little overprecise at times, though. Just a thought. Take for example;
>"She closed the door, using her already extended hoof to whack the lights at the same time" -- some may not mind, some may even prefer it, but I find that spelling out actions with such precision is unneeded at times. There are a few such instances in the fic where it all goes staccato and super precise, almost formal. I could give more examples if you wanted them.
That's not the same as me suggesting that the language is bad though! There are some wonderful turns of phrase and some lovely work done to set the scenes here and there. Beyond this whole precision thing, the only other thing I can think to say is that you may want to look at your comma usage. Commas as hella tricky though.
Like I said, it all flows rather well. The impression I was left with after reading the first iteration was that it showed a lot of promise, but that it had some very awkwardly phrased parts too; this is most certainly a huge improvement! Specific to the content of the first chapter, I was preparing to say that the conversation between Cheerilee and Twilight seemed a little odd and stilted, that I felt like I'm supposed to understand what Cheerilee was thinking or what was happening before it was explained. Cheerilee's mood jumps a bit all over the place etc., but fact is, you pretty much explain it right afterwards, and it adds up fine.
I really like the very end of chapter 1 for that exact reason. The more I think on it, the more I like it. The only thing I could suggest there is to perhaps hint--light as a feather--that there is somepony special to Cheerilee right in the first segment. A mention of her turning to romance novels for a reason or something. I don't know.
I'm pretty much thinking out loud at this point, but I don't even know if you are looking for, or even want critique. If you're not in the market, I apologize for the spam. It's a fault many make, assuming everyone actively wants all the critique all the time, and it's not at all true, so I'm sorry if this is unwanted--I just thought I'd chuck you my thoughts so far. Hope to see more chapters soon!
Liked your first chapter here, liked the comments section.
My personal opinion is why do you need to grow wings to become ascended?
2751491 My theory on that; the wings of a pegasus (or alicorn) actually house an amount of magic power; however, without a horn, the power cannot be used. Thus, upon becoming an alicorn, the ponies' power is greatly increased, as they now have two power sources to draw from instead of just one (or none, depending).
2759715 Actually, I figured that Pegasi use the inherent magic in their wings to perform tricks, aerial maneuvers and to control the weather; only Pegasi can move and walk on clouds, you realize. Although Unicorns can get some mileage in that department through the use of spells.
So I get that its a rewrite, but what of? It wouldn't by chance be The Literacy Appeal, would it? It fits the definition of the clues I've found.
2147633 Pfft. You'll be forced to join in eventually. Just like all the rest.
Might as well stop delaying the inevitable and just get it over with lad.
The longer you wait, the more viced your fans will be.
When it does happen, it ain't pretty.
This is the first time (to my memory at least) that I have read the outside look of a pony romantically attracted to Twilight, but won't go for it because of Twilight's standing as a freaking demigod of the realm. *cough* sorry I mean librarian who is the personal student of the literal monarch of everything *cough* forgot the time this was taking place in. Really though. This is an interesting concept that I've had hinted at in stories, but have never seen as the main focus of a romance. I am intrigued and will read on.
10379164
Always good to get your opinion, I'm curious to your thoughts. This is the rewrite of the first story I ever posted, and I'm actually kind of proud of it. Enjoy!