A/N:
There is a section thick with dad jokes in this chapter.

**Ponyville, Equestria**
**006 Summer CC**
**Short Stacks**

Merry N. The Librarian, the curator of the West Baltimare Public Library, told me before I got on the train a few days ago that Violet Vector seems to have woken up from his slumber after hearing about me leaving. He’s courting several mares now.

I don’t know how to feel about that. Maybe he really heard what I said to him? We all wanted him to give us some signal that it was okay for us -one of us or all of us- to try to take our friendship deeper than the base professionalism of ‘work associates,’ but for whatever reason, he only ever let us barely be friends and kept everypony at a wings’ length.

I am glad for her. Merry’s been pining for him longer than any of us there at the library and finally gets that friendship she’s been craving from him for so long. She was there when he was hired which was before I started.

It kind of hurts that it took my rejection to wake him up; but at the same time, it is a relief. He is moving on, and I don’t need to hold onto any ‘what ifs.’

The train ride was a train ride: smooth, relaxing, and long. There was one oddity: a single mare on the train who kept going into the Hot Car by herself. She had a light yellow coat with a mane of indigo satin with a small highlight to match her sunset-orange eyes. Her figure has some marely curves on her waist, shoulders, and neck while her legs and barrel are captivatingly stallionesque.

Thankfully, she made use of the hygiene station in there, but she still emitted pheromones like a mare in heat even though it is not her season. I was curious and eventually talked with her about it.

She introduced herself as Full Package and a Balti-mare like myself.

She said, "There were several reasons for her behaviour." She fidgeted and slouched showing was relatively nervous about the subjects.

I told her, "I'm just curious and hoping you're okay. If you don't want to tell me-"

"No, no," she said, "It would probably help me to talk to somepony." She took a few breaths before talking about herself, "Firstly, I'm on my way as a member of the Equestrian Royal Mail Service being transferred to a rural location and as a result has to go through Basic Training as a Royal Ranger before I can begin."

"Oh," I admit, "That is a pretty good reason to be nervous."

"Yeah," she chuckles timidly, "I heard they can be pretty rough on recruits."

I ask, "Did you do anything like that to become a postmare?"

She shakes her head, "No. It's only for rural locations. Bigger places can support Royal Guard units, but Ponyville is pretty small."

I am a little surprised, "You're going to Ponyville?" She nods, and I tell her, "I'm moving there, too."

She perks up at this, "Really?"

I nod, "Yes. I'm transferring to be the librarian. So, I can understand you being nervous about moving and starting a new job somewhere."

She looks away for a moment before admitting, "Well, that's only part of the reason."

I tilt my head curiously, "Do you want to tell me?"

She swallows, "Well, there is a mare." I let out a single breath half in laughing at the odds and half in surprise. She looks at me seriously, "Please don't laugh."

"Oh," I confess, "I- I wasn't laughing at you."

"Well, what, then?" She asks cautiously.

I say, "Because I'm moving there for a mare, too." She looks at me in disbelief. "I only met her once, but that's all it took. She was stunning, and I couldn't get her out of my mind. I just had to find her and ask if she'd be my friend."

She breathes, "Then you do understand." I look at her curiously, and she continues, "That's why I've been going to the Hot Car so much. I've got a lot of reasons to relieve tension."

I ask her, "You want to tell me about her?"

She smiles, "I haven't met her foal, but I know she has one. I know she has a stallion she's been writing. Her mane is curly, and she's pretty short but very well-built."

I admit, "You know, it almost sounds like you're describing Pear Butter."

She looks at me fast, "How do you know her?"

"What?" I ask.

She says, "Pear Butter. How do you know who she is?"

"W- well," I say, "She came to the library I'm transferring from with her foal."

She gets close to me, "You met her foal?" I nod, and she asks, "Did you meet her stallion?"

I confess, "No, not yet."

She sighs wistfully, "I've never met anypony like her. What was her foal like?"

"Well," I start, "he's a pegasus and quite the hoof-full from what I saw."

Full Package smiled to herself at that, and after a few moments started to get up, "I- if you'll excuse me, I need to -uh-"

I interrupt with a question, "-Are you going back to the Hot Car?" She lays her ears back and responds with a nod; so, I ask another, "Would you mind if I joined you?" She looks at me quizzically, and I answer with a shrug, "We both happen to be interested in the same mare. It would be good if we became friends, too."

She bit her lip hesitantly, "Y- you want to be my friend? Even though we're going after the same mare?"

I said, "There's no limit to how many friends a pony can have," which made both of us smile.

We became good friends on that train ride many times. Full's stop came first and had to get off and transfer at the Canterhorn Transfer Station, but we promised to write and help each other get to know our crush. On the way from Canterlot to Ponyville, I wrote a letter for her. As soon as I get into the town, I’ll mail it.

A trainmare says over the speaker, “Now arriving at Ponyville: Old and New Utility Train Station.”

It’s strange to think about this now, but Violet Vector always said the transportation system needed new names saying something about, ‘translation problems,’ for foreigners. It's strange, because he speaks Equish like the rest of us. I don’t understand what languages he was translating things into. They seem fine to me; although, it might not hurt to shorten them.

It's morning, and the town seems to be awake. That's good. I won't have to wait for the Town Hall to open. I just have to find it. The post office was pretty easy to find as it wasn't far from the train station.

On my way to the town center, I see something interesting. There is a tall, handsome stallion dressed up with a bowtie. He is a darker yellow than Full Package and has a darker orange mane than Pear Butter's. I wonder if that's her stallion? I don't know what he looks like.

It seems Ponyville uses pegasi signage. The stallion goes to what looks like the local bakery and begins to serenade the place. A bunch of mares going about their morning activities notice and start talking.

🎵 Every morning you make your doughs to bake
🎶 Skillfully you take flours ground fine to shake
🎵 But you cannot fake delicious-made cakes
🎶 Warm slice I must take, oh, for my heart's sake
🎵 Baby, love's a-twirl; maybe, you're my pearl
🎶 Clearly, Chiffon Swirl; sweetly, be my girl

One asks another, “How did that mare get a stallion to pursue her?”

The other answers, “I thought she recently became friends with Bright Macintosh.”

The first is shocked, “She has two stallions? Is that even allowed?”

Another mare interjects, “Bright Mac is friends with Pear Butter, though. He would never two-time her.”

Wait! Pear Butter? Oh, my heavy and tight again. This is getting real. Calm down, Stacks. You can do this. You just moved halfway across the country for a mare who doesn’t really know you, and -wow. It doesn’t sound like the best plan when I think about it like that. If dam were still around, she’d know what to say.

So, I will think about it another way. I’m going to meet her again, and I’m going to show her that you can be a good friend. I just have to be myself. She’s a farmpony; so, she’ll want to know I have a job. She has a foal; so, she’ll want to know I can be maternal. She has a stallion; so, she will want to know that we are good together and that I won’t disrupt her position as lead mare. She’ll look at you with those gorgeous green eyes under that curly and not-too-orange orange mane, and Harmony will do the rest. Ponies like friends.

Sounds easy in my head.

So, this guy singing at the bakery is not Pear Butter's stallion? He's some other mare's stallion, and this Bright fellow is Pear's?

A fourth mare asks, “Maybe we should ask Chiffon for some friendship tips?”

One concludes, “When your cup floweth over. Am I right?”

At this the mares begin to resume whatever they were doing before, but I get stop one, "Excuse me, can you tell me where the Town Hall is?"

She says happily, "Sure! From Sugarcube Corner, you go to the Market," she points to the baker the stallion is serenading and then towards the center of the town where there is a wide open area not far away, "It's the biggest building. Just go straight from here. You can't miss it." She adds, "I'm Tealove, by the way. Are you new to town?"

I reply, "Yes, I'm new. I'm Short Stacks."

She giggles, "Really? But you're so tall." Then remarks, "We don't have many unicorns visit usually, but you're not the first one this Season. Charoite brought her filly from Canterlot to visit the Berries." I don't know who those ponies are, but she's talking to me like everypony not from Ponyville must know each other. I must admit, there is a charm to small towns like this. I can see where Pear Butter got it.

I say, "Well, that's great! It was nice to meet you, Tealove. I'll definitely see you around."

She smiles, "You, too, Shorty," and giggles at that as she goes with a wink.

**Ponyville, Equestria**
**006 Summer CC**
**Short Stacks**

Tealove was correct: finding the Town Hall was pretty easy. The building is the tallest in town. It has many levels to it and flags flying at the top. The levels all appear to have a wrap-around porch to the circular design.

Inside, I find a small alter in the center of the room. The ceiling is pretty high; it goes past the second floor to the third which makes the second floor look more like it's just a walkway, but I can see several doorways up there from down here.

I don't see anypony right away, so I call out, “Hello? Is anypony here?” Nothing happens, so I try louder, "Hello!"

Behind a curtain to the side, there is a noise and the sound of somepony's body hitting the floor, "Oof." A mare looks around the hanging sheet, “Yes? Oh!" She steps out for me to see and greet her, "Hello. You’re new.”

“Yes," I smile, "I’m new to town. I’m Short Stacks.”

“It’s very nice to meet you. I’m Ivory Scroll," she says, "If you’re looking for the Ponyville Harmony Shrine, then you have found it. I’m the poeli-ko.”

Ivory's deep blue eyes and pink mane makes her white shirt stand out in contrast to the iconic red skirt of the shrine maidens. Her oatmeal-colored coat tempers her hot colors and warms the cools. The hems of her sleeves and collars have a few other colors woven in: blue and orange. Nopony really knows what these represent, but it is known that Harmony reveals them to her advocates upon reaching certain stages of their journey as poeli-ko.

I admit, “Well, I don’t think I need a poeli-ko at the moment. I was looking for the mayor of the town.”

“Oh!" She jumps, "Just a moment,” and she disappears behind that curtain. In short order, she re-emerges with a clown wig, shoes, and makeup. She also has a scarf that would compliment her mane without the wig. “Follow me to my office, please.”

I did not get the impression that the nature-ponies in this town were very enthusiastic about clothing as I am, but this pony seems to be quite the avid dresser. I don't think I'd choose the squeaky shoes, though.

She led me down some stairs off to the side. Her office is in the basement but there are windows along with several supply cabinets, and it's well lit. There is a framed title from the Princess on the wall along with a few other documents showing her achievements including a Winter Wrap-Up completion certificate and a newspaper clipping with her picture in it. She has a folded newspaper and a framed photograph on her desk which is turned towards her seat behind the desk, but I cannot see the picture. There is also a fancy quill on a stand with some ink, a regular quill, an ‘in and out’ box for documents, and several filing cabinets.

I sit in the chair in front of her desk, and she sits behind hers. Ivory clears her throat and seems to be starting a prepared speech. I didn't think a transfer librarian transfer would warrant such a thing, but it is a small town. So, I can appreciate the effort.

She smiles and says, “They say, ‘Bits talk,’ but mine only ever say, ‘Goodbye.’” That's an odd way to start a speech. “I have an inferiority complex, but it’s not a very good one.” I just blink. “When the mayor does her accounting, everypony counts.” What? “I wear glasses when I do taxes, because it helps with division.” What is she talking about? “Don’t do politics in a cornfield. There are too many ears.” I'm lost. “Mayors have a superpower: we can jump higher than any house.”

I interrupt the mayor, “Houses don’t jump.”

She pauses for a second and wipes her forehead with a napkin, “I -uh- went over to one of the Berry family’s vintners and asked for some punch. The bartender said, ‘You’ll have to get in line,’ but when I looked around, there was no punch line.” She pauses a moment, “What’s orange and sounds like a parrot? A Carrot.” She looks at me, hesitantly, “Uh, my brother says mayoral pizza jokes are cheesy. Just let that one mayor-inade a bit.”

I'm not sure how to respond to any of this; so, I just sit there. The silence hangs thick.

“My brother’s a doctor here in town. His name's Greymare. You'll meet him eventually," she says now visibly sweating, "but I kn- know some doctor j- jokes.” Jokes!? Is that what she's doing? I don't know why she's telling jokes; but now that I know that's what she's doing, I can't help but laugh. “I told my doctor, ‘I broke my hoof in two places.’ He said, ‘Stop going to those places.’” The sound of my mirth seems to reawaken Ivory's confidence, “I asked the doctor if he was ready to operate. He said, ‘I’d love to, but first I have to do surgery.’”

She joins me in laughing and when we both slow down, I try to tell her why I'm here, “Mayor, the librarian-”

“Librarian?" She asks, "Okay. I have a few of those.” The Mayor clears her throat, “I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. It’s impossible to put down.” I'm starting to lose it. “I asked a librarian for a book about paranoia. She said, ‘They’re right behind you.’ They always are.” At some point, I think I rolled off the chair laughing, “Why doesn’t the mayor read novels? Because the only numbers in them are page numbers, and they all follow in chronological order with no cross references and sub-cross references.”

“Mayor?" I ask as I get back up onto the chair.

She says, "Yes," as she calms herself and steadies her breathing.

I wonder, "Why are you telling jokes?"

"What?" She asks.

I tell her, "Well, I'm wondering what all this is about."I’m Short Stacks. I’m here to transfer to the position as the town librarian.”

Guardedly, she looks at the newspaper on her desk where I see it is opened to the classified advertisements section, Seeking Friends.

"Oh! Sorry," she laughs nervously, "I've just been so excited. One of my fillyhood friends is getting married soon, and I'm the town's poeli-ko."

I ask, "You're the poeli-ko and the mayor?"

She answers, "Yes, well, I am until I get married myself. After that, I'll just be the mayor."

"You're getting married, too?" I offer, "Congratulations."

"Oh~ would that it were," she says dreamily. "One of my friends is getting married, and it's wonderful... and yet I am still the maiden of our town's Harmony Shrine." She stands up and walks around to the side of her desk, "Always the friend but never the best friend, never the wife, never the herdsmare," and then Ivory lays herself onto the desk with her hind legs still on the ground, tail swishing, and looks at me innocently, "If only some dashing mare were to come, bend me over my desk, and make me her friend." Looking away the Mayor wonders out loud, "Maybe somepony's willing to make a back room deal and help me clean out my Suggestions Box."

Wow. She's like... the complete opposite of Violet. It was like pulling teeth jut to get him to notice a pony for friendship, but this mare is Bone Dry Desert levels of thirsty. In a world full of ponies willing to make friends, something about this just seems...

This is a small town, and I'd prefer to settle in before I start making friends. Maybe that's just the librarian in me. I feel like I should change subjects, "Where is the Library?"

"What? Yes," she gets off the desk and focuses on the new topic, "it's a little bit north of here. You can't miss it. Now, about us-"

"-Oh?" I ask, "Is it near the school?" Why else would it be 'unmissable'?

Ivory considers, "Mm, yes and no. The school is a little north and east of the library on this side of the Little Pony."

This confuses me a bit, "Then how can I not miss the library?"

She blinks, "Ah, right. You're new. Well, you see, it's a tree."

"What?" I state.

She asks, "What?"

I say, "You said the library, 'is a tree'?"

She answers, "Yes."

I wonder, "Is this another one of those jokes?"

She shakes her head and chuckles warmheartedly, "No. Should it be? I don't really know what the punch line would be, though..."

I ask the Mayor, "Why is the library a tree? Is it up in the tree like a tree house for foals?"

Ivory smiles at that, "No, to the second question. As to the first, it's actually a neat story for the founding of the town. You see, several of the founding families planted tree of their own preferences; and, as the trees grew, their trunks, root burls, and branches were woven and shaped together. The floor is level, there is a kitchen, bathroom, and lots of shelves for books."

I inquire further, "Why isn't this tree used for the Harmony Shrine or Town Hall?"

She says, "It was originally, but the town has grown; and the library is no longer big enough. One cannot widen the 'hoofprint' of -what is essentially- a circle of trees that have grown tightly together. Also, they won't be getting much taller any time soon. So, when I was a little filly, the new Town Hall was commissioned. That's where we are right now."

"That is interesting," I admit. "Okay. Well, thank you. I'm excited to go take a look." I add, "And thank you for the jokes."

The shrine maiden mayor says with some pride, "We do like to have fun here at the Town Hall... Well, I say, 'we,' but it's actually just me here most of the time."

I feel a little bad about that; so, as I get ready to leave, I tell her, "I'll see you again soon, Ivory." That makes her smile.

**Golden Oaks Library, Ponyville, Equestria**
**006 Summer CC**
**Short Stacks**

Ivory Scroll was right: the library was easy to find. It's as wide as any of the houses nearby. It was not locked, but I wasn't really expecting it to be. It's the town library. Even if there wasn't a dedicated librarian before now, ponies would still need to be able to access the books inside; and it wouldn't make any sense to force ponies to go ask the Mayor to open it every time somepony wanted a book.

Although, now that I think about it, maybe the Mayor should have done that, because she clearly needs to interact with more ponies.

From the outside, I couldn't quite tell how many stories there are. I easily identified two when I walked inside; but after a thorough search of the premises, I found is a basement and an attic which is mostly just a foyer to access a widow's watch.

The ground floor is where the library proper is along with a hearth of clay brick which is also adjacent to the full kitchenette and powder room. I will need to stock the cupboards and toiletries, but there are some dry goods and cooking implements. One could host twelve book-lovers in the space -maybe twenty- but I think that would be pushing the maximum occupancy uncomfortably. The Town Hall looked like it could easily fit four times that.

I've never been particularly adept at magic, but I wonder if there is a way to do something about that.

The basement is more like a root cellar -literally. It was made by nature-ponies using their natural magical affinities with nature to grow out the cellar by directing the roots towards the walls and floor thereby making a hollow space. I found this accidentally by opening a door underneath one of the stairways which wrap around the library.

Both of the stairways lead to a second floor loft which wraps all the way around the tree with some large crystal windows to let in a lot of light. One of the stairways keeps going up while the other does not.

The entire interior structure came from trees being grown together, but there is no bark inside. I wonder how they did that? I can't even see the seams of beams or floorboards. It is difficult to find any exposed grains in the wood, too; but there does not seem to be any deadwood anywhere.

Before I get too lost in the little details, the front door opens and a few foals run in giggling and squealing as foals do. Following them is a seasoned stallion with a coat of ochre. His mane and tail have many different browns.

"Oh," he says, "Ah'm sorry if we interrupted your reading." That makes me smile: his accent and soft voice is similar to Pear Butter's.

"That's alright." I admit, "I'm not reading at the moment." That must sound odd for a pony standing around inside a library, because he raises an eyebrow at me. I clear my throat, "I'm Short Stacks, the new librarian."

He blinks in surprise, "Librarian? Really?"

"Yes, sir," I say, "I just got here about an hour ago."

The foals keep running around and having fun, and he gives them a light reminder to behave, "Take it easy, foals."

I ask him, "Are these yours?"

He shakes his head, "Only the colt -the green pegasus." I look at him, and he's bucking his hind legs in tandem while his body spins around. "Ah'm watchin' the rest for several ponies for a little while until Chiffon Swirl can come by to pick them up and take over so that I can go do a chore or two in the field and then get dinner ready."

“Isn’t he too small to get harvest that way?” I ask watching the colt.

He smirks, “He won’t knock anything down, but it’s good to learn the technique early. Pegasi don't have nature-pony magic, but they can still learn to do it with extra effort. Ain't that right, colt?"

The colt stops and says, "Why?" And then starts to chase the fillies around who giggle at the fact some colt is actually chasing them around.

The stallion chuckles, "He learned that word the other day. Been using it good." He looks up a little to me, "Ah'm Grand Pear, by the way. You said you're Short Stacks?"

I confirm, "Yes, sir. I'm Short Stacks. It's nice to meet you. Were you looking for a book for the foals?"

"Well," he says, "Silly was askin' for a book-"

"-book!-" The little green pegasus announces while he and the fillies play.

"-so Ah brought'em all here."

I nod, "Well, I don't know what is available at the moment, but I'm sure I could find something," and then I was struck with something. I've seen that colt before. "Silly?"

"-Silly!-"

"Sure did," he declares happily, "that there's my grandfoal and -uh... say, how'd you know his name?"

I swallow, "Sir, is your daughter Pear Butter?"

He stiffens, "That depends."

I wasn't planning on talking with her sire or dam today, but I guess I walked into this, "Sir, I knew her a little back in Baltimare, and I intend to call on her."

In disbelief, he thinks for a few moments and only blinks. Finally, he asks, "You moved across the country to see my baby girl?"

I stutter, "I- I know how it must look-"

But I see his eyes water some, and he wipes the damp, "Sorry. Ah always knew she was a good pony, but... seein' it in action sometimes really gets to me." When the old stallion calms down a bit, he looks at me and says, "Celestia bless you, Miss Stacks." Wow! I got her sire's blessing on my first day in town. I really need to go find her today. "Now, if she can only find a stallion she'll have a right good herd on her hooves. Ah think Ah heard somepony say that Carrot fellow was lookin'." He looks at my kitchen, "You -uh- want to come by for dinner later and see her?"

"I would like that, sir," I say but then ask, "What did you mean by, 'find a stalli'-?"

But before I can finish the question and he can answer, a mare enters the library. She's almost as short as Pear Butter and definitely not as fit but not in a bad way. She looks nice and soft in a very visually pleasing way. Her mane is a little frazzled, and she looks emotionally exhausted.

"Oh, hey, Chiffon," Grand says to her. "Ah got more than Silly. Are you okay with that?"

She nods, "Yes, yes. I can take them."

"Are you okay?" He asks.

"It's Carrot Cake," she snorts, "all day with it! I haven't gotten a moments' peace. I mean, it's nice; but I need time to think."

He tries to confirm again, "You sure? There's five or six of'em."

She reiterates, "Yes, I'm sure," and asks, "Dinner's at five. Right?"

**Golden Oaks Library, Ponyville, Equestria**
**006 Summer CC**
**Chiffon Swirl**

"Okay, Silly," I tell the little scamp while all the foals follow along surrounding the colt, "Let's go bring you to Sweet Apple Acres to spend some time with your dad while the Mayor sets up that new pony's welcome party."

He says, "Dad."

One of them, Charoite's filly, Amethyst, "Who's Silly's sire?"

I tell her, "His name is Bright Macintosh. He lives over at Sweet Apple Acres. Have any of you fillies ever been?"

Some of them say, 'Yes,' but Amethyst says, "No."

"You're lucky, then," I declare to her, "because you're going to learn all about apples."

Author's Note

The notes got long this time, so I moved them over to a blog post again.

Thank you for enjoying this silly story!