"I'm not much of a reader, but I do need some help with a book..."

Honey Buzz pushed the door to the library open as quietly as could be. It was very late at night. She'd been fretting over this the entire day, and she wanted to make sure she wasn't seen by anypony.

It's not that she was afraid of other ponies or a hater of avid readers, no, nothing like that. It's just that she didn't want to seem stupid in front of lots of ponies. In fact, she had been so worried about it that she had put on a wig and sneaked into the train station earlier to get one of those Ponyville Tourist brochures just so she could get a map. In truth, she hadn't known where the library was. She'd never been there, after all, and she wasn't even exactly sure how they worked. She knew you could get free books though, and that was what mattered to her now.

Since she was so confused about libraries and everypony else already knew how they worked, she was feeling very nervous and self-conscious, not wanting to appear stupid in front of lots of ponies. She had decided if she came at night, there wouldn't be any ponies here.

The door creaked, much to her dismay, and she jumped a bit, but quickly recovered and pushed the door shut with a click. Her eyes scanned the room. The library would be closing soon and it appeared she was the last one here, however there were many rooms so she couldn't be sure.

Instead of big lights, there were candles spread around the room on empty spots in the bookcases. She was a little curious on how it wasn't burning the tree house down, but she decided she needed to get her book before questioning this.

She approached the staircase and looked up, wondering if the librarian was busy or if she was even there. It didn't look like anypony was up there, but it didn't look like anypony was around here either. She really needed that book.

She poked around a bit, trying to find any book similar to the one she wanted, but there weren't any signs with topics, just numbers and letters. The system confused her so she decided to wait for somepony to come to her.

In truth, Firesoul had never quite felt like this before. She gazed into Rex's deep blue eyes. " I... I love you too... but our love... can never be!" Tears streamed down her cheeks, and- Cranium slammed the book shut, and his eyes darted around the library. He adored coming here to read romance novels... when nopony was here, that is.

He would probably just die of embarassment if somepony found out. He typically looked down on almost everything like this, so he knew for a fact his little brother would laugh about the irony of it until he took his final breath.

Cranium quickly shoved the novel on a nearbye shelf and called out, " Who's there?"

"Who's there?" A voice called out. Honey jumped, startled at the noise. She hadn't expected anypony to break the silence so suddenly.

"Uh, it's me, um, Honey Buzz." She called back after a short pause. "Are you the librarian? Because I kinda need some help." She walked toward the source of the noise, trying to figure out what room it came from. The library was bigger than it appeared, and she didn't want to get lost, but she really wanted that book.

She wasn't sure if they even had the book she was looking for, but she figured if it would be anywhere, it would be here. Probably not in the section she was walking towards, though. The voice seemed to come from a certain room, and she walked slowly through the doorway.

Most of the books on the shelves had titles like Love Flames or Passion Dancer. She felt her face start to heat up just imagining what sorts of things were in such books, but she tried to shake the thought away and focus on the pony before her. She was a bit taken aback. He definitely didn't look like the kind of pony who would be in a section like this. She tried to hide her confused look, but she'd never been very good at masking her emotions.

"Uh, it's me, um, Honey Buzz." the voice called back. It sounded female to him. Cranium attempted to stay as silent as possible, not even daring to breath.


"Are you the librarian? Because I kinda need some help." Suddenly, the mare popped up in front of him, her face in a very confused expression. The unicorn held an extremely embarrassed, almost guilty expression, then " What?" he snapped. " I was... getting a book for my... mare friend," Cranium's face blushed slightly at the last word. He certainly did not have a marefriend, but he could think of one he would like to be... but certainly he didn't dare ask. He had tried to buy her flowers and give them to her anyomously, but she had almost caught him. But what did it matter? The veyr idea of them two of a couple seemed.... preposterous!


" No, I am not a librarian. What are you doing here at this time of hour, anyway? It's far too late to be here..."  the unicorn said, his eyes drifting to the door. " But if you come back tomorrow, I'm absolutely sure a librarian can help you..." Once again, he gestured to the door with his head. He just wanted to be left alone with his books. Why must she intrude my privacy? I knew I should have just checked out the gems. He glared at Honey Buzz, as if it was her fault for disturbing him.

Honey Buzz's mouth curled into a smile at the stallion's embarrassment.

" What?" he snapped. " I was... getting a book for my... mare friend." Honey Buzz tilted her head a bit, not really believing him based on his flustered face.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not judging." Honey Buzz giggled. "To each his own, right? Whatever you do in your free time isn't my business."

She paused as he said he wasn't the librarian. She sighed in disappointment. "I know it's late, but..." Her eyes followed his trail of sight, ending on the door. She glanced back to catch his glare and shook her head stubbornly. "Oh, no, I'm not leaving until I find what I'm looking for. I came for a book and I'm not going without it, even if it's late."

She stopped and eyed him, tilting her head. "If it's 'far too late to be here', and you aren't the librarian, why are you here, huh? You could have come earlier, right? Just like me. We're both here for a reason. I didn't want anypony to see me being so confused about how a library works, and guessing from the section you're in and the look on your face," she paused and smiled, "you didn't want anypony seeing you reading these books."

Cranium frowned, then turned an even brighter shade of scarlet. " ABSOLUTELY NOT- that, is I merely came here because... of... something. Any idea of me reading this useless genre is completely absurd.," he lied. This mare was almost suspiciously nice. He didn't like the way she was smiling at him.


Perhaps I am being too quick to judge. I shouldn't waste a change to prove my superiority to another pony. Besides, maybe this pest will just leave after she gets what she wants.
" However... if you are in need of assistance, I happen to be one of the smartest ponies I know," he said smugly.

Honey studied him with a smile. He was 'smart' according to himself, and he certainly looked smart. She just really found it hard to believe such a smart pony would be found in this section, but she was trying her hardest not to be rude about it. The book she was looking for would probably sound weird to anypony but herself and the author.

"Well, I am indeed in need of assistance," she paused to giggle at the words she had used, "and if you're so smart, maybe you can help me out. It's not a made up story or anything that I'm looking for, it's more of a real life sorta thing. I don't know what you'd call that." She smiled sheepishly. This was the exact reason she didn't want to see anyone but the librarian, but she needed help. As she continued talking, she grew more and more nervous, feeling stupid in the presence of a smart pony who obviously knew all about this.

"It's like information in a book. And it's about, well, um..." She had never really felt this awkward talking about her talent. But now she felt extremely inferior. "It's about training bees."

( sorry for short post!)

...Bees?Cranium gave the mare a confused look, then shook out of his daze." That would be nonfiction. Probably in the 500... to 599 section of the library. Look for the numbers," he said.

He had to wonder what she does with her life. What kind of pony didn't enter a library time to time to read about a good story of love? Thinking of which, it was really nagging him what happened to Firesoul and Rex. But never mind that.

(It's okay ^^)

Honey blinked and thought a moment. "So I just look at the numbers? But how do I know which room to go into? Do the numbers continue into the next room? And what if I don't know the author? Can I still find the book? What about if the book isn't there? Can I get it somewhere else? How long can I have the book? Do I have to pay to keep it longer? How many books can I check out at once? I might find some more that I like and I might want them too. I heard something about a library card so do I need one of those? Is the librarian even here? If-"

She cut herself off, turning red and staring at her hooves. She must sound like a lunatic, asking all these questions about a library. "I'm sorry." She apologized quickly, looking away. "I just have never been to the library before and I'm really, really confused."

Cranium gave a long groan as Honey Buzz anxiously rambled on a seemingly endless flood of questions. How annoying. She reminds me far too much of.... her. Cranium gave a shudder as he thought of Dusty, a pegasus he had met when he was in Trottingham. She was extremely chatty, and thought he was instantly her "friend." It was not so.

"I'm sorry," the earth pony said.

"I just have never been to the library before and I'm really, really confused." She added.

Cranium gave an annoyed huff of breath. " I suppose it's alright," he said in a slightly softer tone. He did very much want to go back to reading his book, but he did feel slightly sorry for the clueless mare. Some of those questions he honestly didn't know. But of course she didn't need to know that.

" Why don't you ask me for a book to find, and I'll find it for you," he said, trying to keep the impatience out of his voice. He believed she wanted one on training bees, whatever that will do for her. With that, the unicorn began to trot towards the direction of where the book could be found.

She could tell the stallion was getting annoyed by the look on his face, so she kept quiet, letting him speak.

"I suppose it's alright." He said to her. He sounded a bit more calm, but she knew that if she kept up like this he'd get mad. "Why don't you ask me for a book to find, and I'll find it for you."

She nodded and trotted after him quietly after a short pause to remember the book's title. "I believe it was called 'All of Your Beeswax - A Training Manual'. And there was a bee on the cover. The author was some obscure name. I don't remember it."

She would like nothing more than to just get the book and get out at this point, and she felt terrible for bothering this unicorn who had so obviously wanted to be left alone. It wasn't that she enjoyed being annoying, she just was desperate for some help, seeing as the librarian was not doing her job. She wondered where that pony could be and why they weren't working. How is one supposed to get paid if they don't do their job?

She was dragged away from her thoughts when she noticed a sign on a bookshelf. She immediately stopped to stare at it with a smile. It was a really terrible drawing of a schoolhouse with the sun in the corner and the grass bright and green, obviously drawn by a pony no older than 5. She had always loved the art of foals. To be more specific, she loved foals.

Under it, a list of events being held at the library were typed out in perfect lettering. At 3 PM tomorrow in the 'foal room' they had foal story time, and then afterwards they were making crafts. Honey Buzz beamed, glancing over to Cranium.

"Did you know they had a place for foals here? And there's story time tomorrow!" She grinned. "And then they're making crafts! Doesn't that sound like fun?" As awkward as she felt in the library, she definitely wanted to go. At the same time, she would feel so out of place. She didn't have a foal of her own, and she wasn't a foal, so why would she be there?

"I wonder if they let volunteers help out..." She trailed off, then brightened up, whipping around to face Cranium. "Say, do you have a foal I could take?" He didn't look quite old enough, but it didn't hurt to ask.

Cranium carefully lifted the book from the shelf with his unicorn magic, then began to hand it towards her.

"Did you know they had a place for foals here? And there's story time tomorrow!" She grinned. "And then they're making crafts! Doesn't that sound like fun?" Honey Buzz said, a grin spreading across her face. The unicorn's mouth curled into a frown. Not only was the activity for foals, but reading for pleasure was absolutely absurd! Most of the time.

"I wonder if they let volunteers help out..." The mare said thoughtfully. Cranium sighed, as the book continued to aimlessly float in the air by his magic.

He opened his mouth to say something, and was startled as the mare whirled around towards him. The book dropped, and he gave an annoyed huff of breath as he picked it up and slapped it on the nearest table. "Say, do you have a foal I could take?" she asked curiously.

Cranium stared at her. Indeed he did, but he knew for a fact his little brother should not go. Other foals from school could be there and push him around,he could get bored,this honey crazed lunatic no doubt would have a bad influence on him. And what if he got frightened? What if Rusty doesn't like the books? Besides, he was far too old. Almost 10, I won't stand for it!

" Yes...." he said carefully, then hesitated.

" I have a little brother, but he's a bit old for this... and...." his voice trailed off again.

" I most certainly wouldn't trust him with a stranger," he said finally. In fact, usually Rusty didn't even like other ponies, excluding Cranium. He preferred to disguise his mischievous, and rather annoying nature. Then again, he seemed to get along with chipper ponies like this one.

" Yes...." he replied with hesitation. " I have a little brother, but he's a bit old for this... and...." his voice trailed off again.

"I most certainly wouldn't trust him with a stranger."

Honey stopped, blinking. Oh my goodness, he's right. I'm just some strange mare. Why should he let me be around his brother? He probably thinks I'm crazy anyway. Why did I ask? That was a stupid question.

"O-Oh, right!" She said with a smile. "I'm so sorry, it didn't even occur to me, but you're probably right. You barely know me. I'd never hurt him, of course, but it's very kind of you to be worried about your brother."

She paused, looking over at the book he had placed on the table. "Oh, you found it." She trotted over and picked it up. "Yes, this is the one. Thanks so much." She said, glancing back at him. "I appreciate the help." Her eyes lingered on the event poster for a second longer and then she looked back at the book.

"I guess I should go on and get back to my bee farm. They're probably missing me. Bees are very needy, you know." She said, smiling at the picture on the cover. "Can I just take this book? Or do I have to tell the librarian?" More questions tugged at the corner of her mind, but she restrained herself so she wouldn't irritate the stallion again. She figured she'd already done that, and he had been such a great help to her.

" I suppose you could just check it out yourself..." his voice trailed off once again, as he absentmindedly reached towards his glasses to polish them.

" Actually... about the silly story time activity. I may permit it," he said stiffly.

" If, I come," he finished. And it better be a romance story. Or something involving physics, he thought silently to himself. Cranium gave a long sigh. This was already a bad thing to do, he could just feel it.

Honey Buzz's face brightened at his words. The corners of her mouth curled up and she beamed.

"Wow, really? That would be so wonderful! I mean, nopony is too old to read! Especially with little fillies and colts." She could feel her excitement growing. "I mean, I don't normally go out of my house much, but this will be so much fun! And I won't feel as awkward if somepony else is here with me. It'll be so great! This is so-"

She paused, shutting her mouth and holding a hoof to it. "Sorry! I'm rambling again. I'll try to cut down on that. I'm just so happy."

She looked around the room with a blank look, searching for the place to check her book out so she could go home and release all her excitement. "Uh, where should I check it out?" She smiled sheepishly, feeling inferior once again, but not as much as before. This pony wasn't so bad after all.

Cranium's eyes sweeped across the room, and settled on a check out desk. " Over there," he said, gesturing towards the area.

He was still a bit skeptical about this "story time." Well, there was no getting out of it now, and if nothing else, it may good for Rusty( and possibly humorous) to stop maing those useless pranks. The stallion had experienced them firsthoof, and he had quite enough of it all.

"I suspect after you check this out, you'll be done?" he asked, a hopeful tinge in his voice.