Friendship is Melancholy
Dear, Miss Yin-Yang
As discussed my student, Twilight Sparkle will be arriving on schedule to check on the preparations for the upcoming Summer Sun Celebration.
I’m afraid I must inform you, however, that she has recently become obsessive regarding the legend of The Mare in the Moon. As such it has become a concern that she may attempt to shirk her duties.
Assuming the offer to provide my student with lodging within the Golden Oaks Library still stands, I would request that she is watched over. Appropriate additional payment will, of course, be provided should this request be accepted.
Have a wonderful day, my little pony.
Yours, Princess Celestia
I hold complete faith in you, and the student you trained.
It would be my pleasure to serve you, princess.
-Yin-Yang
It has been about a month since I moved to Ponyville; in that short time, I have become recognized as the Golden Oaks’ librarian.
Contradictory to this, I never had any intention of moving here, and I certainly never had any intention of becoming a librarian.
That’s not to say my situation is bad, but it isn’t necessarily great either. If I had to describe it in one word I would use melancholy. Not the same melancholy as before I came here, but very similar. Neither better nor worse, simply different.
In some ways this place is more interesting, in others it is less. I, regardless of here or there, remain rather boring. Not a particularly average boring mind you. In a way, I suppose my boringness could be considered interesting. Psychology, however, isn’t a real science yet, so in advance of becoming a heavy-hoofed diatribe of self-diagnosis, that’s enough.
I close the journal containing only that one entry from a couple weeks ago written before receiving notification from Mayor Mare that the inspector for the Summer Sun Celebration was planning to stay in the Library’s second-floor lodgings.
Upon hearing this I finally got around to reorganizing the shelves to a useable system with fiction closest to the door, and the potentially more dangerous books further away.
As a final touch, Predictions, And Prophecies, the book containing the prior mentioned legend, book-marked on the centerpiece recommended reading display containing the now relabeled as non-fiction Daring Do books amongst other short novels.
*Knock Knock*
Opening the door I give a half faux smile to the pony on the other side, 5:00 shadow apparent as I swish my bead head mess of a black mane from my face.
“Were you still asleep?” Her eyes seemed to ask.
“When am I?”
Rather than answer verbally she points to the sky towards Canterlot, the capital city of Equestria. A royal chariot pulled by royal guards carrying a purple unicorn and her baby dragon is growing ever closer to its landing. The inspector is here.
“Oh,” I take a heavy sigh of a breath. “Thank you.”
The pony runs off clearly worried about her own set up for the celebration.
“They're just flowers, rose.”
A quick jump under running water and subsequent combing leaves me looking like a worn out monochrome recolor of the yellow mare who takes care of animals, as usual.
This is me, a pony who would blend right in with an American Rock N’ Roll Diner. Flipping on my walkman’s remaining battery, Billy Joel's Piano Man begins to play through my earbuds.
Unsatisfied with my mane given the occasion I, for the first time since coming here, do my hair in my old style, A single loosely woven braid hanging gently over one shoulder.
“Much better,” I tell myself in the mirror. I don a black and white dress in matching with my natural motif which begins at the bottom of the back end as a solid checker pattern slowly dissolving as if shattering apart until only white remains blending with my fur. Then I put in my earrings, each a string of three translucent amber octahedra, the only splash of color in the entirety of the ensemble.
“Hmm, no I feel more like sapphires today.” I trade out the octahedra for a set of simple sapphire studs. “Ready I guess.”
About to leave the library I take one last look at the display of pre-cognition.
“That is a bit much.”
I relabel the Daring Do books to their expected state of fiction.
“Iced Tea Unsweet, to be clear, I don’t want any sugar in that tea, is that alright?”
The employee, who I can tell is new and was most likely sent to me as a test or some sort of weak prank, was clearly distraught with how to pass this information along.
“So that was two number 1s, an apple fizzy pop, and an iced tea… without sugar?”
“Perfect, make sure that’s to go.”
“And then Moon Dancer said,” I overheard the little drake saying as I approached.
“You must be Twilight Sparkle?” I interrupt seeing the irritation on my guest’s face.
“Oh well yes I am, and you are?” She looked me over with eyes as tired as my own.
“Yin-Yang, please don’t shorten it. Hay burger? Oh, sorry Fluttershy I didn’t know you’d be here too.” I hold out half of my earlier order to the other unicorn.
“Oh, Yin-Yang! Please tell me at least the library is ready.”
“It is. Unless somepony has done something with it… again,” I roll my eyes.
“Oh thank Celestia,” Twilight sighs taking the offered hay burger. “Bleh, apples!”
“Oh, right the Apple family was in charge of food. I can already guess what happened, sorry about that I forgot,” I blush clearly against my white fur.
“Well it’s fine I guess. You seem to be the most level-headed of any pony I met here though.”
“Well, it is my special talent after all.”
“Your talent is being level headed?”
“Not exactly, let’s get back to the library if your checks are done.”
“Are things usually this hectic?” Twilight asks while the drake shows me the checklist and we start towards our mutual destination.
“Wouldn’t know, this is my first Nightmare Night.”
“Summer Sun Celebration,” the drake corrects.
“Yes, my bad. I think we’re all a bit nervous having the princess visit us.”
“So the ponies won’t be like this once everything is ready right?”
“Well, I didn’t say that.”
“So is there any chance I can convince you that Nightmare Moon is coming?”
“You have, I believe you,” I say resulting in the young dragon named Spike putting his face in his claws with a groan. “Anyway I’ll be staying in my house right over there,” I point to a building nearly identical to the rest. “So you ought to get to sleep soon tomorrow's a big day.”
“Yes, yes, we'll get right on that. Well, g'night!” Twilight slams the door behind herself but I am already inside next to her.
“Huh. Rude much?” Spike asks Twilight at her sudden action.
“Sorry, Spike, but I have to convince the Princess that Nightmare Moon is coming, and we're running out of time! I just need to be alone so I can study without a bunch of crazy ponies trying to make friends all the time. Now, where's the light?” Twilight shouts as the light flicks on accompanied by a loud honk.
Very suddenly while I am still blinded by the light, a semi-synchronised cacophony of voices rang out, “Surprise!” Then a kazoo is blown very near to us.
“Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie, and I threw this party just for you! Were you surprised? Were ya? Were ya? Huh huh huh?”
“Very surprised. Libraries are supposed to be quiet,” Twilight struggles.
“Well, that's silly! What kind of welcome party would this be if…”
“Pinkie,” I stare the pink pony in the eye until she stops bouncing and stands very still, her puffy mane deflating slightly. “What is the first rule of the library?”
“Don’t endanger the books? But we aren't…”
“The second rule?”
“Be quiet in the library,” Pinkie sinks.
“How many times have I told you that?”
“436.”
“What’s the third rule?”
“Don’t bring food in the library.”
“The fourth?”
Pinkie licks her lips and looks away.
“The fourth?”
“No unscheduled events,” she pouts.
“And what did you do?”
“But, what kind of welcome party would this be if it were quiet?”
“Pinkie, parties don’t have to be loud or messy.”
Pinkie pie sat in clear confliction.
“Every pony clean up and put the library back in order, tomorrow is a big day and you all need your rest. If you have nothing else to do in preparation, get some rest, we can throw this party tomorrow after the sun rises.”
“Hey Twilight,” Pinkie asks somewhat disheartened.
“Yes, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight groans.
“I saw you when you first got here, remember? You were all "hello" and I was all [deep gasp], remember? Y'see I've never saw you before and if I've never seen you before that means you're new, 'cause I know everypony, and I mean everypony in Ponyville!” She seems to cheer up a little, but Twilight just rolls her eyes.
“And if you're new, that meant you haven't met anyone yet, and if you haven't met anyone yet, you must not have any friends, and if you don't have any friends then you must be lonely, and that made me so sad, then I had an idea, and that's why I went [deep gasp]! I must throw a great big ginormous super-duper spectacular welcome party and invite everyone in Ponyville! See? And now you have lots and lots of friends! But, I didn’t realize I would cause problems for you,” Pinkie sniffles.
“Are you alright, sugar cube?” The hard working farm pony Applejack asks.
“Pinkie I’m sorry too,” I start. “Your heart was in the right place, it’s just the wrong time. Keep on smiling Pinkie, maybe I’ll even eat a cupcake at tomorrow's party.”
The pink mare’s mane immediately resuscitates to its usual state, “Really you’ll actually eat one?”
“Go home,” I give her a half smile.
“But It's the eve of the Summer Sun Celebration. Everypony has to stay up, or they'll miss the Princess raise the sun!” Pinkie quickly adds back to her usual self.
“Fair enough, I’ll make an exception this one time, but Twilight has had a long day, so keep it quiet.”
I show Twilight up to her room and head home.
At home I open the door to the same sight as usual, the first room in the house, the kitchen with its tiled floors, bar stools, jukebox and empty tables that take up most of the house, then trot past the bathroom doors labeled separately for mares and gentlecolts to the small room housing no more than a single bed, lampstand, and a dresser with a large classically styled mirror above it, the bedroom I hardly used since I had gotten used to frequently falling asleep on the library’s floor. Taking off my earrings and dress in the lamp light I lie on the bed and stare up at the ceiling exactly like any other in Ponyville until I fall asleep.
I miss my home, but this is alright too.