The Princess's Library

Previously, on The Princess’s Library: the tension between Rune Stone and Fire Streak reached an all-time high. During a challenge where fashion designer Rarity asked everypony to magically create dresses, some excelled…while others had fashion failure. At the demonstration, things went well enough until Rune Stone began faltering. The pressure finally became too much for the young mare, and she threw her ring down and quit the competition, thus ending her dream of becoming Head Mare at Twilight’s new magic school in Manehattan.

And now, the continuation of The Princess’s Library.

“HEY! LISTEN UP, ALL OF YOU!” Twilight screeched, picking Rune’s ring up and tossing it in the trash, “THAT…is NOT how a proper head of a school behaves. We’re one down, but we’re gonna get stronger. BACK ON YOUR SECTIONS!”

“YES, MAGE!”

“I need the water spells for table 11, Fire Streak!”

“YES, MAGE!” Fire yelled as he continued to send up perfect spells.

“That’s good! Service, please? Pickup, table 11, yes?” Twilight asked, barking out orders like Morse code.

The rest of the demonstration went smoothly, and Twilight called the team together afterwards. She was pleased enough with their performance and told them that they would not have to bother with nominees that evening, considering Rune’s departure. After being dismissed, they returned to the dorms with plenty on their minds. They divided on a line of those who saw Fire Streak as an issue, and those who saw Rune Stone as a cowardly mare. Orange Peel, Zesty Shifts, and Starshine all sided against Fire while Spell Caster, High Tower, and Lock Jaw took up the “coward” theory. It’s not that they were friends with Fire, it’s just that they saw Rune in a different way. Throwing your ring down and giving up, even when the pressure was so immense, was not a good quality in any Head Mare. The ponies all discussed and argued about it for a few hours before falling into a troubled sleep.

The next day, they awoke with the Rune Stone incident fresh on their minds. It was a brand new morning with new possibilities, but they just couldn’t get Rune’s tirade out of their heads. As they went downstairs, it became apparent that Twilight had not gotten it out of her head, either…for there, standing next to her, was Rune Stone herself! The ponies all looked at each other curiously. Hadn’t this been the same pony to give up her spot in the competition? It certainly baffled all of them that Twilight had, apparently, invited her back into the library. But, as they lined up, it became clear that their mage had other plans for the recently departed.

“Rune,” Twilight said, “I cannot accept your behavior from last night.”

“I understand, Princess,” Rune said, “and I want to apologize for it. I just lost my head for a moment.”

“Don’t apologize just to me,” Twilight responded.

Rune turned to her former teammates. “I’m sorry, everypony. I did not act in a way worthy of somepony who deserves Princess Twilight’s job. She called me back here this morning to say my farewells and to make things right with all of you. I disrupted the brewery last night and caused the demonstration to fly off the rails. So, again, I’m sorry and I wish all of you luck in the rest of the competition…well…most of you, anyway.”

She shot a snide look in Fire Streak’s direction. The haughty stallion returned it in full. It seemed that these two would continue their rivalry, even outside of the confines of the library. As Rune left that day, she felt a sense of regret at not remaining and beating Fire at his own game. But she also knew that there would be other chances. She had overheard conversations about where he was from and she was pleased to know that his town was right next to hers. Someday, soon, she’d meet him in magical battle and then they would decide which was the better mage. But for now, she’d continue in her dream of opening up her own magic school in her hometown. She just hoped that her temper tantrum wouldn’t play a major role in anything going forward.

“Alright,” Twilight said as she turned back to the group, “Rune may be gone, but we have to proceed. Today’s challenge is a fun one. I call it ‘Water Spell Mania.” That’s right! You’ll each be given forty-five minutes in the brewery to come up with a classic water spell. It can take any form, be it liquid, solid, or gas. We’re gonna have an expert in this area come in to help judge and the best spell will win a massive reward! Everypony else will be punished. Clear?”

“YES, MAGE!”

“Good! Ready…set…GO!”

The ponies all piled into the brewery to begin crafting their spells. In this challenge, Twilight was looking for great attention to detail. Water spells are some of the most difficult to perform because of the unpredictable nature of the main ingredient. The aqueous liquid could be used in many different ways. It could take the form of a brilliant water feature, with fountains jetting from everywhere. It could also take the form of a gorgeous ice sculpture. There were many, many different possibilities and, as Twilight toured the brewery, she was pleased with the diversity among the spells. Everypony was adding their individual flair to everything, which was exactly what she wanted. However, she was also looking for control and that same detail-oriented aspect.

Soon enough, the time was up, and everypony brought their various spells and concoctions out into the library. Twilight then introduced them to their guest judge, a pony who needed no introduction. She had graduated from Canterlot University with a doctorate degree in water spells and their physics. She was also a very beautiful surfer pony who grew up around water and the beach. Her name was Wave Rider, and at the sight of her sleek blue body, most of the stallions felt their hearts increase a bit. She had eyes to match and a gorgeous, shining mane that reminded everypony of the crystal blue sea.

“Wave, it’s an honor to have you here with us, today,” Twilight said.

“The honor is all mine,” Wave responded, “and I can’t wait to see what these ponies came up with!”

“Okay. So, Wave and I will be judging the spells on a scale of one to five. The pony with the most points wins. Let’s go!”

The first one belonged to Orange Peel, who impressed Wave and Twilight with her use of both water and color. She was criticized for adding too much color since the star of the spell was supposed to be water. She scored an 8 out of 10. Next came Starshine, whose waterworks dazzled both Twilight and Wave. She put up a 9 out of 10. Third in line was Zesty. Unfortunately, his attempt at showering both judges with a delightful mist was turned upside down as he’d added way too much water. He nearly drowned them and received a 2 for his efforts. Fire Streak was fourth out of the gate, and his ice sculpture of…well…of himself was warmly received. But he was criticized for sculpting something so arrogantly and not thinking outside of the box. He scored a 7 out of 10. Next came Lock Jaw, who showed off his talents with a spell that created both a gas and some bubbles to go with it. This severely impressed Wave and Twilight, who gave him a 9. Sixth to go was High Tower, who also scored a 9 with her spell to create fog and rain at the same time. Finally, Spell Caster came forward.

“Spell Caster,” Wave said, “what an interesting name.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Spell said respectfully.

“Alright, go ahead,” Twilight said.

So, Spell launched into her spell, an unprecedented three-part concoction that combined the best of all three types of water spells. There was liquid, gas, and ice, and it blew the judges away. They both immediately awarded her a perfect score and the win in the challenge. She was excited, as it was both her first challenge win and her first time shining during the competition. For her reward, Twilight told her that she’d be headed off to catch some waves and learn to surf with Wave Rider. For the rest of the team, they’d be spending the next two days endlessly preparing little vials of water for the next demonstration. With that, Wave and Spell trotted off to begin their time together and the others went grumbling into their punishment.

Before they knew it, the time had come for the next demonstration. The pressure was on, and everyone seemed on edge. They were so on edge, in fact, that they treated Spell Caster with malice when she returned. It seemed that preparing vials of water was not as much fun as actually surfing and swimming in it. But they did not have time to consider this any longer, for Twilight stood at the head of the brewery and told Comet Tail to open up the library. When the sous mage did, the competitors were surprised to find…foals, along with their parents. The little ponies all noisily ran into the library, overtaking Comet and Astral and making their way towards various tables. These had all been done up with coloring books, toys, and other things that foals enjoy. Twilight couldn’t help but crack a smile at the sight. She hoped to have a foal of her own one day, and the motherly side of her brightened at the adorable display. But there was work to be done, so she snapped out of it and turned to the group.

“Listen up, everypony! Tonight is Family Night here in the library, which means you have some very selective magical palettes to satisfy. No matter how nuts the order may seem, we must satisfy our guests, regardless of their age. Also, since we have little ears here, let’s cut down on the cursing, alright?”

“YES, MAGE!”

“Good! On your stations! Let’s go!”

Soon enough, orders began to fly into the brewery. Since there were so many foals in the library, the evening was marked by many crazy orders. One foal had requested a potion to shoot water like a water gun. So, Zesty, working the water spells, had to coordinate with Orange, on potions, to make it happen. They tried their hardest, but combining the two was something they’d never done before. They finally just sent it up and hoped for the best. Unfortunately, it nearly drowned Twilight, and she turned around and thundered at them. So, they tried again. This time, the potion worked, and Twilight sent it out. More and more of these nutty orders continued to pour in, and the ponies were working double time to satisfy them.

“On order, four ponies, table 45!” Twilight called, “one water spell, one fire spell, and two potions requested to grow petunias and shake the earth all at the same time!”

“YES, MAGE!”

“It can be done, guys! Eight minutes to the window! Let’s go!”

Poor Orange Peel was already overwhelmed enough as it was. It seemed that the foals all had a fascinating preoccupation with her station. Unfortunately, since there were an odd number of competitors left, she was the only one working it. She tried her hardest to get everything right, but a number of orders were returned by Twilight. Things were spiraling out of control, and then Twilight just had to go and call this. Frustratedly, Orange began to work on the order, determined to get it right and get it out. She would not quit like Rune Stone. She was going to make it through!

“Alright, I have the potion for table 45!” She called.

“I’ve got the fire spell!” Spell Caster yelled.

“I’ve got the water!” Zesty shouted.
“Trotting with the spells now!” Orange called as they all three went up to the pass. Twilight took the spells and, while the fire and water were fine, the potion did not grow the right kind of plant. So, Twilight took the potion back to Orange and set it down next to her. Orange took one look at it and knew she was in major trouble. After all, it was about the fourth time Twilight had made a pit stop on her station. Her dream of becoming a Head Mare and making her family proud of her was slowly slipping away. She didn’t want to look at Twilight, because she knew she’d see those same angry, bloodshot eyes.

“Let me whisper something to you,” Twilight said in a voice that would make Tartarus bow and obey, “get out.”

“Oh, but Mage, I-

“I SAID…get out.”

Orange, upset with herself and near tears, gently lay what she’d been working on aside and made her way up to the dorms. What nopony knew about her was that this was her very first opportunity in life. She’d been incredibly sheltered growing up, and her parents taught her that magic was a bad thing. Even though unicorns were born with this incredible gift, they considered it a dark curse on the land. Orange had been made to work on her family’s orange grove and told what to do from day one. She’d secretly entered the competition in order to prove to her family that a career in magic wasn’t farfetched or ridiculous or evil. But now, she saw this dream sliding from her grasp and she wanted nothing more than to grab hold and remain.

Back in the brewery, the orders continued to pile in. The foals, for the most part, seemed content. That is, until one of them sent the fire spell he ordered right back. He wanted it to turn into a flaming dragon. But it turned into a flaming Ursa Major instead. Twilight was very upset at this, especially considering Spell Caster’s earlier performance in the challenge. She demanded that Spell redo the concoction, and the mare did. But this time, it turned into a flaming praying mantis as she’d accidentally allowed the wrong kind of magical manipulation to slip into the spell. Twilight threw her out after this, and she returned to the dorms pissed off and ready to fight for her spot in the competition.

“LISTEN UP, ALL OF YOU!” Twilight shrieked as she finally lost it, “TONIGHT HAS BEEN A DISASTER! YOU’RE ALL AS USELESS AS RATS! BUT I’M NOT GONNA SHUT THIS PLACE DOWN! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?!”

“YES, MAGE!”

The rest of the team managed to come together and send out properly perfected spells. Even the young colt’s fire spell got fixed. It became clear to Twilight that the ponies in front of her were the front runners in the competition. But that didn’t mean that she was happy about their performance as a whole. After the demonstration ended, she ordered Zesty to go get Orange and Spell and bring them down. Once they were there, she demanded that the team head into the brewery and come up with two nominees for elimination. It didn’t take them long, and they nominated both of the ponies who got kicked out of the demonstration. Twilight heartily agreed and called both of them forward.

“Orange, why should you remain in The Princess’s Library?” Twilight growled.

“Mage, I should remain here because I have the heart, the passion, and the determination to win this! I’m ready to be your Head Mare in Manehattan!”

“A good Head Mare is able to put two spells together successfully,” Twilight rebutted, “you were unable to get one bucking potion out this evening, and thus, you disappointed a lot of foals.”

“I know,” Orange said as she started to cry, “I know I did, and it breaks my heart to know that. Disappointing a grown customer is bad enough, but disappointing a foal? It…it just…it hurts.”

“Yeah? Not as much as my bucking head hurts right now,” Twilight said. “Alright, then. Spell…you did so well in the challenge earlier…then you went to the mother bucking beach, came back, and performed like a moron. Tell me. Why should you stay?”

“Mage, I’m ready for this! You haven’t seen half of what I can do yet. The challenge was my first time to shine, and I’m not washed up. This witch here, she’s washed up!”

“Oh, don’t you bucking go there!” Orange said, defending herself, “don’t you bucking go there!”

“Buck you!”

“Buck you!”

“ENOUGH!” Twilight thundered, shutting them up, “honestly! I know the pressure is real, but I’ve had about enough of this infighting and horse bit! Truthfully, you both should go. But, I’ve made my decision. The pony whose time in the library is overdue…is……………………………Orange Peel. I’m sorry, but your journey here is over.”

Orange was heartbroken, and Twilight could tell. The look in her eyes was as if she’d been keeled over by a freight train. Once more, Twilight’s heart of friendship went out to an eliminated contestant. But she needed to remain firm, and she stuck out a hoof and took the ring from the quivering pony. Then, Orange disappeared through the library doors, never to be seen again. Twilight turned back to the team and angrily dismissed them before heading back to her office. Once again, the cameras followed her.

Twilight’s comment: “Orange was a sweet girl with a great attitude. Unfortunately, sweet girls very often find themselves at the back of the pack. Welcome to the rear, sweetheart. Game over.”