Author's Note

Sorry if the chapter seems a little short. Constructive critisism is always welcome, but anyways, my editor and I have been more active lately, so we might even finish the 3rd chapter sooner than we thought and as always thank you for your patience and support. Remember to always stay tuned for more chapters to come and keep on bronying on.

A Friendly Outing

As you predicted, your first days on the job at the Canterlot Library proved to be difficult, mainly due to your legs. It was a good thing you weren’t working alone.

Moondancer was even kind enough to lend you a helping hand whenever you were having a bit of trouble with a couple of your tasks. On your first days as the assistant, you spent most of your time organizing the bookshelves that were mostly your sitting height.

It’s kind of funny, when you first arrived in Equestria, you never really were interested in reading. Now these days when you weren’t working, you spent the majority of your free time educating yourself on Equestria’s history. You were especially interested in the stories of how Princess Luna was corrupted by jealousy and turned into Nightmare Moon.

Time flew by faster than you expected because eventually, a month passed and you were free to walk again. You took this opportunity to take off your leg casts and slip back into your shoes. At the moment you were sitting at a desk reading a book from a series called Daring Do. This pony resembles Indiana Jones all too well and you found the stories to be both amusing and entertaining.

“You know, having somepony else working in the library has proved to be kind of fun,” Moondancer said, causing you to look up from your book with a smile.

“That’s true. I’ll be honest, at first, I wasn’t exactly too fond of reading, but now I think of it as a way to help pass the time and a hobby,” you said.

“I’ve always thought about reading as a hobby, ever since I was a little filly,” she said.

“Really now? Well then, maybe when our shift is over, you can tell me all about it,” you replied.

“Sounds like a plan. But for now, we should keep organizing the library and checking books in and out. Business is really skyrocketing today.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

After your little chat, you put the Daring Do books back where they belonged and put back all the books that were checked in. Moondancer was at the front desk checking out books to a couple of ponies.

It was just two days ago where your legs had finally healed. Now it feels like your legs were never injured to begin with. Because of this, you could use now perform tasks such as using the ladder in order to organize the top shelves. Though at the same time, you took Moondancer’s advice to be careful when handling such tasks.

A few hours later, it was time to take a break and grab some lunch. Since a month had passed, you received a pretty big check for all of your hard work. You made sure you use your hard earned bits carefully, buying things that were actually necessary.

Moondancer accompanied you out of the library and guided you through the city. She started to mention this very good restaurant that even the princesses enjoyed. She mentioned the name of the restaurant she calls “The Tasty Treat”.

As you were looking around for the restaurant, you failed to watch where you were going and ended up bumping into someone.

“Sorry about that. Here, let me help you,” you said, grabbing the bag of groceries. Looking up as you gave the bag to the one you bumped into, you saw he was another human. Next to him was a beautiful orange mare with purple hair. She seemed to be carrying and gently rocking baby back and forth in her arms.

“Honey, are you alright?” the mare asked with great concern. Apparently she had what sounds like an Indian accent.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” he assured looking at the mare with a smile before turning to you and Moondancer. His smile didn’t go away, which proved that he wasn’t mad about the little accident.

“Sorry about that, we’re just kind of in a hurry to get some lunch,” you answered rubbing the back of your head with a chuckle. “We’re looking for this restaurant called the Tasty Treat. Do you know where we can find it?” you asked.

The couple looked at each other with amused smiles, causing you to raise an eyebrow. It was clear, you didn’t know who you were talking to.

“As a matter of fact, my husband and I work there. My name is Saffron Masala, this man here is my beloved husband, Rasoiya. We work as the chefs in the Tasty Treat,” Saffron explained.

“A pleasure to meet you. And of course, this little bundle of joy is our handsome little boy who we named Agni,” Rasoiya said, gesturing his wife to show you their baby.

You looked at the baby who was sound asleep in his mother’s arms, causing you to smile.

“Aww, he’s so precious!” Moondancer exclaimed.

“I bet you guys feel pretty lucky. He could grow up to become a fine young man,” you said before your stomach began to growl. Moondancer smiled as her own stomach began to growl.

“Why don’t we continue this discussion over lunch?” Rasoiya suggested with a chuckle. “After all I can’t stand the sight of hungry civilians. Follow us, we’ll help you find the restaurant.”

With a nod from both you and Moondancer, you allowed Rasoiya and Saffron to lead you on the direction of the Tasty Treat. It was about a seven minute walk when you finally arrived. Rasoiya opened up the door and let you and Moondancer walk inside before them. Saffron went into the back area of the restaurant to put her sleeping son in his crib.

“Welcome to the Tasty Treat. I’m Coriander Cumin and I’ll be your host today. What can I get for you two this afternoon?” a husky orange stallion asked as he came to your table. Like Saffron Masala, Coriander spoke with an Indian accent.

“Yes, I think I’ll have the vegetable curry with white rice and a glass of ice cold water, please,” you said giving Coriander your menu.

Moondancer read through her own menu and then told Coriander, “I guess I’ll have the vegetable style enchiladas along with a cup of water, please.”

“It’ll be right with you,” Coriander said with a smile and left to give the orders to Saffron and Rasoiya. A delicious smell filled the restaurant, as the food was prepared.

While you and Moondancer waited for your food, you decided to strike up a conversation. “In a funny way, it’s lucky that I bumped into one of the chefs of the Tasty Treat. Have they always been this popular in Canterlot?” you asked.

“Unfortunately no. I heard that when they first opened up here in Canterlot, business wasn’t going so well because of how ponies would only eat at restaurants that had a 3-hooved rating by this former food critic named Zesty Gourmand. They never got a lot of customers, so Coriander would always close up shop extra early,” Moondancer explained.

“Seriously? That’s messed up. What happened afterwards, did things turn out alright for the Tasty Treat?” you asked.

“They did, thanks to Pinkie Pie and Rarity. They helped draw in a crowd and showed them that hoof ratings aren’t all that important. Pinkie and Rarity even inspired all sorts of other cooks in Canterlot to go back to using their own methods of cooking instead of going by Zesty’s example.

Tapping on the table a couple of times with slight impatience, you decided to change the subject since the food still wasn’t ready. “Tell me Moondancer, why is it that you preferred to run the library all by yourself?” you asked.

At that question, Moondancer’s smile dropped and she looked away with hesitation. You raised an eyebrow, hoping you didn’t say something that had offended her.

“Well... you see...” before she could say anymore, you heard the doors open and turned to see Saffron and Rasoiya bringing your food.

“Okay we have your vegetable style enchiladas and the vegetable curry with white rice,” Saffron said cheerfully as she set the food down on the table. Rasoiya on the other hand, poured some nice, cold water into both of your glasses.

“If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask. Please take your time and enjoy yourselves,” he said.

“Thank you very much. This food looks delicious,” you said as you looked down at the vegetable curry in front of you.

“Mmhmm, this looks great,” Moondancer said as the two of you unwrapped your napkins and set the utensils that were inside beside your dishes. Unable to stand the rumbling in your stomach any longer, you began to dig in, though you still remembered your manners and ate at a calm pace.

“This is incredible,” you gasped after swallowing your first bite. With a slight giggle, Moondancer began to eat as well and was just as impressed by the taste. You and Moondancer took the time to savor each bite you took from your delicious meal. You could tell that Rasoiya and Saffron are overjoyed that you love their cooking.

Moondancer accidentally got some food stuck on her cheek. With a smirk, you took a napkin and wiped off the little smudge off her face. This caused her face to turn a deep shade of red, and you definitely could see it because of her naturally bright fur.

With a chuckle, you went back to your own food, hoping you wouldn’t make the same mistake. You can hear Saffron and Rasoiya chuckling at how sweet you’re being with Moondancer. Let’s just hope they don’t get the wrong idea. You have to admit that Moondancer is a beautiful young mare, but rushing into things might not be such a smart idea.

Once you and Moondancer finished your dinner and paid the check, you made your way back to the library. The walk was quite awkward, as neither you nor Moondancer spoke to each other. You actually were kind of afraid she was mad at you for the question you asked earlier.

“A-Are you mad at me?” you forced yourself to ask. Moondancer stopped walking and turned to look at you. She shook her head, but averted her eyes away after doing so.

“No, I’m not. You were just curious, and I don’t blame you. Still, there is something I have to tell you and this is a very personal matter,” Moondancer said. You nodded and listened closely as Moondancer began her story.

“Alright, here it is. The reason why I work at the library is for a couple of reasons: My old employees wanted to pursue their own careers. They only took the job because of how good the pay is. When they earned enough, they all up and left. The other reason was because no one would take me seriously because I was younger than most of my employees. They said they never liked the idea of “taking orders from a rookie.”

“They what?” you asked, surprised.

“I just felt so powerless. I’ve had to live with their neglectful attitudes for so long and I felt like everypony wanted me out of their hair. I even had plans of giving the library to somepony else. They almost won over me. But then...” Moondancer paused, wiping her tears away.

“What happened?” you asked putting a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

“You came along. I was about to cave in, but when you told me you wanted a job at the library, I felt like I was given another chance to show Canterlot that there is someone out there who actually does take me seriously. And for that, I just want to say “thank you.” I... I don’t think I could have survived without you...” Moondancer leans in and gives you a big hug.

Now it was your face that was beginning to heat up. Though in all seriousness, you felt sorry for Moondancer. For a long time, ponies here never gave her the respect she deserves just because she was far too young for them. It was absolutely disgusting of how this city may look beautiful, but it’s only to cover up the disgusting snobs that judge others in the worst way possible.

You then wrapped your arms around Moondancer, returning her warm hug. She hummed in approval, letting the warm feeling coarse throughout her body. The nobles of Canterlot didn’t like the sight they were witnessing, but you don’t see any reason why you should care what they think.

“Well I’m not going anywhere,” you said with a smile as you rubbed her back. Moondancer pulled away with a small laugh and pushed her glasses up. After your heart-warming embrace, you and Moondancer made your way back to the library to resume your shifts.

“Moondancer, I think you should hear this: I’ve also had my fair share of neglect,” you began as the two of you continued walking. “Ever since I was just a child, my mom and dad hardly paid any attention to me. The only one who actually cared and raised me was my babysitter. One time, I accidentally got some marker ink smudged on the wall. My dad overreacted and gave me a brutal spanking. My mom didn’t even bother to stop him. She just stared at me with that cold, cruel gaze of hers. It even hurts just thinking about it.”

“What? You were neglected, too?” Moondancer asked with shock.

“I was. It was hard growing up. My babysitter was the only person close to resembling a real motherly figure. Eventually, her job as my babysitter came to a close when I finally turned 18 years old. Now, it was just me and my so-called parents. But I made a plan that never turned my back on. I saved up my money and bought myself a nice little cottage up in the mountains. Of course, before I left, I told off my parents for screwing up as parents.”

By this point, you and Moondancer had arrived back at the Canterlot Library. Of course, that didn’t stop you from telling your story.

“What happened after that?” Moondancer asked as you opened the door for her.

“I got in a fight with my dad. He might have been tough when I was kid, but when I turned 18, I had a more stronger build and gave him a beating 10 times worse than how he first beat me. My mom was scared that I might attack her, but I didn’t. I just left her and my dad and told them this. “My babysitter was a far better parent than you two will ever be. Stuff that lesson in your brain the next time you handle another case,” you explained.

“Another case? What do you mean?” Moondancer asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“My father was a prosecutor and my mom was his secretary. They work with the law, busting criminals and landing them behind bars.”

“I see. Well, I’m really sorry you had to go through that,” she said sympathetically placing her hand on your shoulder. You responded by patting her hand gently.

“It’s okay, I cut ties with them years ago. Now, I’ve got a new home and a new life thanks you and the rulers of Equestria. And also thanks to you, I’ve got myself an amazing job,” you said, smiling at Moondancer.

Moondancer giggled and then finally, you two arrived at the library. You opened up the door and let Moondancer walk in first. You went inside afterwards, letting the door close on its own. She went back to her front desk and got back to checking in all the books that were returned. You, on the other hand, moved around the library, stocking the books in their designated shelves.

While you were doing your job you couldn’t help what you were thinking at the moment. You couldn’t explain it, but there was something about Moondancer that you were starting to grow fond of, and not just as a friend. It felt a lot stronger than that. Every time she appears on your mind, your heart would skip a beat and your face would heat up.

Though these thoughts did occur back at the Tasty Treat, you still intended to be patient. Glancing over at Moondancer as she was still checking through her returned books, you still admired the fact about how beautiful and adorable she looks. Letting out a sigh, you smiled and got back to work.