Cheer Upby LDSocratesChaptersAct 1: Back in the GameAct 2: Fill the GlassAct 3: Running Through Her HeadEpilogue: Need You NowAct 1: Back in the GameCheerilee liked to think she was in pretty good physical shape. She was a teacher, yes, but she went jogging every day after classes were over. Okay… every other day. Or a few times a week. Alright, whenever she felt like it and her flanks looked too big in the mirror. Point was, she thought she was exercising plenty. In a small town like Ponyville, she got plenty of it just going to and from home anyway. But small towns lacked certain things that a small town mare would never get used to. Like crowded streets, crosswalks, taxis… and the most evil thing in all of the universe, the true blight upon equine kind that hid in the Crystal Empire. Stairs. Flight upon flight of stairs in each and every building. As Cheerilee huffed and puffed and panted and dragged her hooves up the hotel’s main staircase, she was both grateful that skyscrapers hadn’t been invented before the Empire vanished a millennium ago, and cursing architects and engineers long dead for not inventing the elevator a thousand years sooner. When she finally reached the right floor, she took a minute or eight to catch her breath before straightening her mane and continuing her journey. She muttered under her breath as she trotted, rehearsing what she was going to say as she so often had to do before parent-teacher conferences. “Miss Harshwhinny, I just came to say I am so, so sorry for my students’ behavior,” she practiced. “I know how much you must hate sore losers, and Diamond and Silver… no, no, can’t outright blame the kids.” She sighed. “Diamond and Silver aren’t normally so bratty… no, not bratty… ill-tempered, and… no, no, I can’t tell a lie that big.” Her ears perked up as an idea occurred to her and she cleared her throat to start again. “Miss Harshwhinny, I just came to say I am so, so sorry for my students’ behaviors. You know how rich kids can be, and there’s only so much I can do in the classroom. Still, they’re my responsibility, so how about I make it up to you?” She nodded and smiled. “Yes, I’ll go with something like that.” She silently counted the door numbers before she reached her target. Sitting in front of the door and clearing her throat, she knocked on the door. “Excuse me, Miss Harshwhinny?” she called. “Just a moment!” an increasingly familiar high-class voice called back. Less than a minute later, the lock clicked and the door swung open. “Good afternoon, Miss Hhhh…” Her voice trailed off. Before her was definitely the games judge, but she was… different. Judging from the faint feel of steam coming from the room, the mare had just stepped out of the shower. Water clung to her fur and mane, both still damp. Her coat glistened slightly from the crystal windows of her hotel room, and her mane laid flat and somewhat seductively over one eye as she dried it with a towel. “…hubba hubba.” Harshwhinny raised the brow of one of her perpetually exhausted eyes. “Pardon?” Cheerilee quickly collected her composure before it dropped so hard it drilled holes in the floor. “Miss Harshwhinny! Yes, I was just here to apologize for the behavior of my students earlier. I-” “No, it’s quite alright,” Harshwhinny shrugged off with a wave of her free foreleg. “I know the type. Mr. Rich is one of the sponsors of the Equestria Games, so I know what kind of daughter he’s raised. I was fully expecting her and her little friend to be outraged and make demands when the other judges and I made our decision.” “R-really?” Cheerilee stuttered. “Well, that makes sense. I’m glad that-” “If you’re about to give me an opinion about my judging, I’d rather you didn’t. I don’t need accusations of backroom deals or my decisions being swayed in some manner,” Harshwhinny warned. “Oh, I’d never dream of picking favorites among my students!” Cheerilee assured hastily. “I was just saying that I was glad that it didn’t bother you too much. Foals can sometimes be a real handful.” Harshwhinny smiled and chuckled, a sight that took Cheerilee by surprise. “I know. I have a son, myself, and he can be quite rowdy.” Cheerilee’s eyebrow rose. “No offense, but aren’t you… well, Miss Harshwhinny?” “I am,” she said with a slightly wary look. “Is that an issue, Missus…?” “Miss Cheerilee,” she corrected, ears lowered. “And no, it isn’t an issue. Sorry if I offended you.” “No offense taken,” Harshwhinny said. Her mane dried, she slung her towel across her shoulders. “Now, if that was all you had to say, I really should continue getting cleaned up. For the frozen north, it’s strangely warm here in the Crystal Empire, and sitting in the sun for hours does no favors for a mare’s coat.” “Um, actually, I was planning to offer you a drink to make up for earlier. My treat! It’s the least I can do,” Cheerilee explained with a smile. “I could go for a stiff drink right about now,” Harshwhinny admitted with a sigh. “Long day for both of us, I’m sure. Do you have a place planned?” “I’m not really familiar with this city, so I asked Rainbow Dash for a recommendation. There’s a place called the Rose Quartz Canyon nearby that she says serves great fruit mixes,” Cheerilee said. “Down the street three blocks to the south.” “I’ve never been to it, but I haven’t been in town terribly long myself,” Harshwhinny admitted. “Very well, I’ll take you up on that offer. How does a half hour from now sound?” “Sounds great to me,” Cheerilee nodded. “I’ll meet you there, Miss Harshwhinny.” “Likewise,” she nodded. She turned around, giving Cheerilee a good look at her flanks before she bumped the door shut with a rear hoof. Cheerilee blinked, cheeks red and ears perked up, before she shook her head. “Now now, Cheerilee, calm down. You said you’d give romance a rest after the whole love poison fiasco,” she told herself as she trotted away. “After almost getting forcefully married to a stallion you’re not even that into, who wouldn’t want a break from their love life? What little love life I had before then. Okay, I had no love life before that, but still,” she admitted to herself with a huff. “Besides, I shouldn’t go after a pony just because they look kind of pretty, and I should definitely keep things professional with her, given all that’s going on. Just need to go back to my room for a cold shower, that’s all.” That’s when Cheerilee reached the stairs again, and remembered she’d have to climb all the way back down. The curse she shouted wasn’t very professional at all. Act 2: Fill the GlassThe sun was well on its way to meet the western horizon by the time Cheerilee left to meet Miss Harshwhinny. Its parting rays set the crystalline city ablaze, the metropolis itself and its native inhabitants glistening with a romantic, unearthly sparkle. Cheerilee soon found herself in front of a sparkling temple to getting completely plastered, otherwise known as the Rose Quartz Canyon Bar, and she planned on having a religious experience. She thought the place looked way too pretty to be described any other way. Though the fact it was only two stories tall may have made her a bit biased. The teacher’s ears shot upright when she found Harshwhinny already there, standing near the entrance. “Miss Harshwhinny?” she spoke out as she trotted up, just to be sure. When the mare looked up, she added, “You’re awfully early!” “As are you, Miss Cheerilee,” she pointed out. “Well, I don’t really believe in fashionably late. Or politely on time, I suppose,” Cheerilee chuckled as she stood in front of the other mare. “That makes two of us,” Harshwhinny said with a chuckle and a smile. Cheerilee looked the other mare up and down. The games inspector wasn’t nearly as… attractive all prim, proper, and, well, dry. Her earrings really brought out her eyes, but the way she did her mane only really brought out how big and thick her muzzle was. She looked very professional, yes, but with the bags under her eyes she looked more like a rundown mare than one with a big time career. Though that wasn’t the only reason; a vital piece to her normally imposing presence was missing. “If you don’t mind me asking, where’s your purple blazer? I’ve never seen you without it,” Cheerilee asked. “Don’t want to get anything that expensive messy in a place like this. Crystal Empire or not, a bar is still a bar,” she explained. She motioned to the door with a flourish of her foreleg and a small bow. “Now, shall we?” “Of course!” Cheerilee said hastily, bowing in return and trotting through the front doors. She mentally facehoofed when she remembered that she was going to insist that Harshwhinny go ahead of her for… reasons. Inside the Rose Quartz Canyon was a crowded place, mostly full of native crystal ponies but with plenty of tourists to match. The floor and tables were polished, pink quartz, hence the bar’s name. Though not a canyon in sight… or anywhere in the Empire, if she remembered right, which struck Cheerilee as odd. There were also tons of mares attending that night. In fact… were there any stallions? She shrugged the thought off when she saw the cloth beanbags that served as the seats, her nostalgia for her college years swelling in her chest something fierce. She only took about two seconds to take in the ancient bar before Harshwhinny abruptly took the lead, trotting up to the counter and taking the only seat that had a vacant neighbor. Slightly surprised, Cheerilee froze long enough for a pegasus tourist to take the seat meant for her. She trotted up and was about to say something when Harshwhinny shot the pegasus a death glare, her cyan eyes practically radiating ice and venom, her back straight and head reared. The poor mare cringed and quickly backed off, the fear of God put in her. Harshwhinny nodded in satisfaction and turned to the bartender as Cheerilee took her seat, jaw slightly agape. “That was… I’m really not even sure what to call that,” Cheerilee admitted. “In my line of work, you learn how to intimidate. It’s necessary to get the job done with as little fuss as possible; ponies who aren’t already intimidated by my position need a little strong arming to get the point,” Harshwhinny explained casually, raising a hoof to get the bartender’s attention. Soon enough, up sauntered a sparkling crystal pony mare. Her crystalline coat was as cyan as Harshwhinny’s eyes, and her sparkling mane draped down to her shoulders in a seductive curtain of red. “Good evening, dearies. My name’s Beryl,” she introduced herself with a little smile. “Are you two fleshies together?” “We are,” Harshwhinny nodded. “I’ll take a glass of orange mead.” “And for you, deary?” Beryl asked Cheerilee. “Red wine for me,” Cherilee said with a meek smile. “One of us has to stay somewhat sober.” “If you say so, darling,” the bartender giggled. “Coming right up!” As Beryl left to mix their drinks, Cheerilee turned to Harshwhinny and repeated, “Fleshies?” “It’s the crystal pony name for us. Almost purely in jest, I assure you,” Harshwhinny said, turning to her. “The locals hold no ill will towards us.” “Still, weird name,” Cheerilee said. “And I admit, I don’t know much about crystal ponies, but I didn’t think they were actually made of-” Harshwhinny quickly put a hoof on Cheerilee’s lips. “Rule number one of crystal ponies: never ask them or wonder in their presence what they’re made out of. It’s considered incredibly rude and ignorant.” She removed her hoof from Cheerilee’s mouth, and the teacher said, “I’ll try not to wonder out loud, then.” “Good; they’re already sick of it thanks to all the tourists coming and going due to the Games,” Harshwhinny sighed. “But enough about that; I came here to get away from the worries of my job. Tell me about yourself, Miss Cheerilee.” “Here you go, dearies!” the bartender practically sang, handing the two of them their orders. Cheerilee let out a grateful thank you, and Harshwhinny half nodded, half bowed silently. “Please, just call me Cheerilee,” she answered with a flip of her foreleg. “And there really isn’t much to say. I was born in Fillydelphia, though I don’t really remember it. My parents moved to Ponyville to get away from the noise of the city when I was really young, and I’ve lived there ever since.” She chuckled a little as she looked into her drink and took a few sips. “I’m just your average small town gal, really.” “I’m from Vanhoover myself, though whenever the Games come around I have to live a bit of everywhere,” Harshwhinny explained before a few big gulps of mead. “It’s quite a different experience helping run the games, I’ll admit.” “What do you mean?” Cheerilee asked with a tilt of her head. “You mean you don’t know?” Harshwhinny asked back with both eyebrows arced. “I can’t say that I do,” said a completely lost Cheerilee. “Well, I suppose it has been a while. Most ponies have probably forgotten,” Harshwhinny chuckled, a little ring of relief and disappointment to the sound. “I used to compete in the Equestria Games. I was quite the athlete when I was younger.” “I was wondering why your body looks so toned,” Cheerilee blurted out. After she realized what she just said, her ears flattened and cheeks turned pink. “I mean, um…!” Harshwhinny giggled through another mouthful of mead before downing it. “I’ll take that as a compliment. Good to know I’m still keeping in good shape.” “Good to know I can still make a fool of myself,” Cheerilee groaned, face meeting hoof. “Oh hush, it wasn’t anything to beat yourself up over. Ponies often say I’m older than I look, so my physique does look a tad on the odd side,” Harshwhinny assured. Cheerilee shook her head a little and smiled. “Still, sorry. Sometimes I don’t really think about what I’m saying. It’s like I forget whether I’m thinking something in my head or saying it out loud.” “Rather endearing, if you ask me. Means you have nothing to hide,” Harshwhinny smiled, taking another few gulps of her drink until it was dry. “Miss Beryl, a refill, if you’d please!” “Coming right up!” the bartender said, taking her glass away. In the meantime, Cheerilee’s blush had spread to her ears. She took a few gulps of her wine before asking, “So, what did you compete in? In the Equestria Games, I mean.” “Gymnastics,” Harshwhinny answered with a wistful smile. “I was fleet of hoof and flexible of everything else. Brought home the gold that year, and even before and after that I was bringing home trophies left and right for lesser competitions.” She cocked her hips a little to show off her cutie mark, giving it a little pat as she got her second drink. “This is a quite common sight in my house.” Cheerilee averted her eyes, feeling like her head was about to pop, and lost herself in another sip of wine. “So, um, when’d you retire?” Harshwhinny’s triumphant smile took a sad, almost bitter turn. “Eight years ago. When I became pregnant with my son. It was after a wild night of partying, and… well. Let’s just say a haze of booze has kept me from ever remembering who the father is.” She looked down at her drink in thought before downing half of it in one go. “Oh… oh, Harshwhinny, I had no idea. I’m so, so sorry for digging that up,” Cheerilee apologized, ears flat and head low. “I didn’t think that… I’m sorry.” “It’s no trouble at all,” Harshwhinny half-heartedly shrugged off. “Go ahead and ask.” "Ask… what?” Cheerilee asked, blankly staring. “Why I chose to keep the baby instead of continue my promising career,” Harshwhinny sighed as if she were a foal reciting an assignment they loathed. “I get asked that all the time.” “I assumed it was because you thought it was already time to retire,” Cheerilee admitted, cocking an eyebrow. Harshwhinny scoffed, taking another few gulps. “I was only twenty-one, Cheerilee. My career had barely started.” Even as the haze of the wine had started creeping in her brain, Cheerilee could still do basic math. “Wait… so that means you’re only-” “Twenty-nine, yes,” Harshwhinny finished wearily. She rubbed her temples and closed her eyes, the career mare gone and the rundown mare sitting in front of Cheerilee. “Not even thirty, and I look like my mane is about to turn grey any second. The constant stress of my job, my son, my life… it’s made me old before my time. No amount of any cosmetic cream will ever get rid of these bags under my eyes.” Cheerilee slumped, both mind and mouth struggling to form words like one of her students put on the spot when they weren’t prepared, while Harshwhinny finished her second drink. In the end, all she could think of was to pull Harshwhinny into a one-foreleg hug, letting the older mare lean on her. “I’m so sorry… I had no idea you had to put up with so much.” “It’s fine,” she lied rather badly, pushing her empty glass away and letting out a little hiccup. “It’s fine.” “Doesn’t sound like it is,” Cheerilee said gently, rubbing Harshwhinny’s shoulder. “It… it isn’t,” Harshwhinny admitted with a sigh. “I worry so much about my son. Thanks to the Games, I’ve had to spend the last few weeks away from him, and I already felt like we were so distant. He’s a rebellious little boy, and he’s not even going to be nine until next month. I worry that he’s going to get into deeper trouble when he gets older because he has no nurturing influence in his life, but being strict is the only way I know how to parent.” “And there’s nothing wrong with that; children need a strict influence of some sort to keep them from going down a bad path,” Cheerilee assured. “I know, I know, but… but I’m so scared he’ll make some of the same mistakes I did,” she mumbled. “I feel like I need to find a stallion to date that can get through to him… or a mare, to be honest. But everybody I’ve tried is either not right for me, or not right for him.” Cheerilee felt her heart leap a little bit, but under the weight of what she was hearing it didn’t get very far. “I’m sure you’ll find someone, Harshwhinny,” Cheerilee comforted. “You’ve worked so hard to get so far, and you’ve done so well. You’re one of the top officials in the Equestria Games, for Celestia’s sake! Very few ponies get that honor. You deserve some relief for all that effort.” Harshwhinny smiled a little and nuzzled her cheek against Cheerilee’s. The older mare was blushing, though she couldn’t tell if it was natural or from the mead. “I haven’t heard that one before… but I think I needed to. Thank you, Cheerilee.” “It’s no problem at all. You get good at pep talks when you work with school foals; they all have their down days and their personal problems,” she said, smiling back. “I can only imagine,” Harshwhinny chuckled. “They’re lucky to have a teacher like you.” “I try,” Cheerilee said with a nervous giggle. “I sometimes worry that I’m not good enough, to be honest. I’m a huge part of how well they’ll do when they’re adults, and that’s… kind of daunting.” “I can relate. The Games only come every now and then, but I know that I’m a big part in making dreams come true, or dashing them,” Harshwhinny explained. “And every pony that had their dreams crushed thanks to my judging… it hurts. It’s one of the many things I worry about.” “I hope I’m not overstepping my bounds, but… it sounds like we might both have a lot of weight on our shoulders,” Cheerilee said softly. “You’re not; I think it’s rather astute of you,” Harshwhinny smiled, gently resting her hoof on Cheerilee’s. It was all she could do to keep from grinning ear to ear. Thankfully, or not, a distraction came by in the form of a crystal pony mare, purples as amethyst and smelling of vodka, sauntering up to the two and plopping her rump next to Cheerilee. “Why helloooo there, little Miss Raspberry Flanks,” the crystal mare giggled drunkenly, flipping her short orange mane. Cheerilee froze up and turned to the stranger. “E-excuse me?” “You heard me, cutie. Had my eye on you for a minute and unf, you’ve got nice, soft curves,” the crystal mare said with a lascivious smile. “Why don’t you say you and me go back to my place?” “Pardon, but she was talking to me,” Harshwhinny chimed in, an unamused frown on her face. “If you wanna join in, I wouldn’t mind, sugar,” she giggled, “but I don’t see you making a move on her.” “Excuse me, but how do you even know I’m not straight?” Cheerilee asked. “I mean, I’m bisexual, but how would you know that?” The stranger blinked and stared at her blankly. “Why else would you be at the Canyon?” “I’m not sure I follow,” Cheerilee said. “This is a filly fooler bar; you knew that, right?” the crystal mare answered. Realization hit the both of them like a crashing Rainbow Dash, their pupils going small and faces turning the same shade of cherry red. “Oh leave them alone, Prasi; these two came in together and I doubt they wanna be bothered,” Beryl chided from across the counter. “I was just askin’; I didn’t know,” the stranger, apparently named Prasi, defended. Beryl gave her a stern look and she added, “Fine, fine, I’ll leave ‘em be now. Offer’s still open, though, Miss Raspberry Flanks.” With another drunken giggle, the mare stumbled away, and Beryl turned back to another customer with a weary sigh. Cheerilee and Harshwhinny turned to each other to find their faces frozen in the same expression of dumbstruck surprise. “I swear I had no idea,” Cheerilee said hastily, less breaking the ice and more falling rump first down on it. “I-I believe you,” Harshwhinny assured, taking a deep breath to collect herself. “I should’ve expected as much when you said Rainbow Dash recommended it. What exactly did you tell her?” “That I was going to take you out for a drink to make up for earlier.” Cheerilee facehoofed and groaned. “She either thought we were actually going on a date, or she’s laughing her flanks off right now.” “Hard to tell with Miss Dash.” Harshwhinny nervously cleared her throat and added, “You know… you did say that I need some relief. I think we both need some, really, and I don’t think the two of us being responsible adults would help with that…” Cheerilee blinked. Cheerilee blinked again. She then turned to Beryl, hoof raised to get her attention, and shouted, “Best whiskey you’ve got, on the double!” Act 3: Running Through Her HeadThe next thing Cheerilee experienced was blackness. Then touch came back, to the feel of bed sheets above and below and a warm, furry body next to hers, her back against another’s front with their forelegs wrapped around her. Then hearing came back, the sound of gentle breathing in her ears and a heart beating against her spine. Then her sense of taste came back… And she was suddenly very aware of what she did last night. Her eyes shot open. Morning’s light crept in through crystalline windows; she was in the hotel. The hotel that Harshwhinny was staying in. In Harshwhinny’s room. It was easy to tell: the game inspector’s earrings were laying on the bedside table in front of her. The big muzzle nuzzled into her mane was also a good clue. Cheerilee groaned a little and held her head as it pounded, her everything feeling like lead. “Wow that was strong whiskey… need a warm shower…” She wiggled and squirmed as gently as she could to escape Harshwhinny’s grip. The older mare hummed in her sleep and held Cheerilee tighter against her warm, toned front with her muscular forelegs. “What am I thinking?” Cheerilee asked herself, facehoofing and immediately regretting it. After the throbbing pain in her head went away, she relaxed and smiled as she basked in the glow of a full bed… for a while. The shower called to her, and her hangover begged for some relief. She finally managed to pull herself from her lover’s side and slip out of bed, hooves meeting plush carpet. She looked over to see Harshwhinny, fast asleep and none too happy to have her bedmate leave, her forelegs lightly pawing at the spot Cheerilee had left. The teacher gently pushed a pillow within her reach, which Harshwhinny seemed to accept begrudgingly, nuzzling into it. Cheerilee smiled as she looked Harshwhinny over. The older mare had a frown on her muzzle that could only be described as adorably grumpy, hugging the pillow tight. Her mane was disheveled from what was likely a wild night, and the sheets covered her only up to the hip. Cheerilee giggled a little before a throb in her head turned it into a pained growl, trudging towards the hotel bathroom. As she climbed in and turned the water on, soaking her fur in the hope her hangover would wash away, Cheerilee started muttering to herself. “Okay… I ordered whiskey… then what?” She strained her brain to remember through the pain as she let the water wash over her, brief flashes coming up here and there. Sounds of her and Harshwhinny’s laughter; the feel of their cheeks brushing together; the smell of strawberry shampoo in Harshwhinny’s mane; many pieces to a greater puzzle, many missing but thankfully enough to get an idea of the picture. “Come on Cheerilee, you can do this; this is a night you want to remember,” she tried to pep talk herself through the haze of booze. She remembered coming back to the hotel. She remembered being pushed onto the bed with sloppy, drunken kisses. She remembered… she remembered… absolutely nothing after that. She groaned and rubbed her temples. “Well, I can tell what happened, at least,” she muttered, smacking her lips with a frown. “Going to need to brush my teeth…” She sighed and lifted her face up into the stream of water, closing her eyes and humming an aimless tune as she thought some more, about other things. “Still… had a lot of fun last night. And Harshwhinny is a really nice mare, when you get past the prickly parts… I’d really like to go out on a proper date,” she admitted to herself. “I wonder what she’s thinking… I hope she’d like to, too.” Cheerilee showered - well, sat in the shower - for several minutes more before climbing out and drying off, hoping that Harshwhinny didn’t mind the use of her hotel towels. She eyed the sink, seeing only one toothbrush. Yeah, brushing her teeth would have to wait until she got back to her own room. They were nowhere near that close yet. Newly damp, Cheerilee stepped out of the bathroom to find the older mare up and about. She was stripping the bed, her rear turned to Cheerilee. She didn’t even notice the teacher until Cheerilee cleared her throat rather loudly. “O-oh, good morning,” Harshwhinny said with a blush, looking over her shoulder. “Just hhhhh…” Harshwhinny blinked, cheeks flushing a deeper red. “I believe you put it best yesterday… ‘hubba hubba.’” “Give me some time to get my curlers in; I’ll look like a small town dork soon enough,” Cheerilee joked with a shy smile. “As you were saying…?” Harshwhinny shook her head as if she could shake off her blush. “Right, yes, just helping the maids by stripping the bed of its, ahem, spent sheets. Least I can do for getting them dirty, really.” “Thoughtful of you,” Cheerilee said, sitting on the floor. She didn’t let the silence take over for long before she added, “So, about last night…” “What about it?” Harshwhinny asked as she kept stripping the bed. Her tone was firm, almost defensive, but it wavered a little. “Well, to be honest, I can’t remember much about it,” Cheerilee admitted. “We go to bed, we kiss like the pair of plastered ponies we are, then I hit a wall of booze. I was more wondering what you thought about it.” “I thought it was… nice,” Harshwhinny said simply. Cheerilee blinked, her ears flattening. “That’s it? Just nice?” “More than nice,” Harshwhinny sighed with a little growl. “Wonderful. Best night I’ve had in years, if I’m to be painfully honest, and like you I don’t remember half of it myself.” Cheerilee’s heart didn’t flutter like she thought it would. If anything, it sank. “So why do you sound so angry?” “Because I know that things won’t work out between us,” Harshwhinny said with a stern stare, turning to face her. Cheerilee’s heart plummeted, making a proverbial hole in the floor. “Don’t get me wrong; I like you a lot. You’re cute; you’re kind; you’re patient; you know how to lighten up my day; and I’m mature enough to admit you’re quite sexy,” Harshwhinny listed, her ears flat and a worried, sorry look on her face. “But for the next few months, I’ll be here, in the Crystal Empire, and I normally live in Vanhoover. You live in Ponyville, and as you said yourself, you’ve never lived anywhere else. Both of us are adult enough not to do anything foolish like uproot our entire lives over… over just one night.” “I… I understand,” Cheerilee sighed, shaking her head and looking away. “I’m not sure what else I should have expected.” Harshwhinny trotted over and nuzzled her cheek against Cheerilee’s, nudging her gaze back up. “If it helps… we can keep in touch by letter. And I might be able to visit every now and then, once the Games are over.” Cheerilee forced a smile and looked Harshwhinny in the eye. “I think I’d like that…” Harshwhinny frowned and sighed, pulling Cheerilee into a tight, warm hug. Cheerilee melted in her forelegs, letting the older mare’s toned muscles support her. “I’m sorry, Cheerilee, but that’s the reality of things. I wish I could say more. I wish I had the gift with uplifting words that you do, I really do. But I don’t, and… I’m sorry for that.” “It’s okay; I understand,” Cheerilee said, hugging Harshwhinny back tightly. The two basked in each other’s warmth before the teacher brought herself to pull away. “I guess I better get going. Trains to catch, home to get back to, all that good stuff.” “I suppose. Don’t let me keep you,” Harshwhinny said quietly. Their eyes locked. Harshwhinny shifted a bit on her hooves. Cheerilee glanced away, but only for a second. Harshwhinny leaned in first, but Cheerilee returned the gesture within the second. The two shared a kiss, their eyes closing in warmth and splendor. They both were a mess, they both had morning breath, but a jolt of electricity went through the both of them like a bolt of euphoria. Cheerilee pulled herself away from the kiss as well, a sad smile on her muzzle as she trotted to the door. “Good luck with the games, Miss Harshwhinny.” The older mare followed her to the door and saw her out. Cheerilee turned to see a more easy smile on Harshwhinny’s face, the games inspector looking five years younger for it. “Thank you, Cheerilee. And cheer up; trust me, you’ll see me again. Until next time.” With that, gently, slowly, hesitantly, Harswhinny closed the hotel door. Cheerilee found a little smile working its way on her face as she trotted away, muttering to herself, “Yeah… until next time…” Author's Note Wow, a story completed in a week! Gotta be a new record for me. Then again, I only have one other mutli-chapter story I actually finished... ahem. I honestly had a really fun time writing this. The banter was just as fun to write as it probably was for you to read, and Harshwhinny doesn't get nearly enough love. The ending is more of a downer than I originally intended, but plans change once you actually start writing. If anyone actually wants to write a sequel to this, or just write another Cheerwhinny/Harshilee story, be my guest! I'd love to see this pairing take off, even if it doesn't become big. Just be sure to let me know so I can have the joy of reading it, okay? Thank you to everyone who read this, a bigger thank you to everyone who commented, and the biggest thank you to my friend Amy, who helped me come up with this idea. Hope some of you might take a chance on my other work; otherwise, I hope you enjoyed this little journey into strange romance. Epilogue: Need You NowCold. That was the only way to really describe… everything, really. It was snowing outside Harshwhinny’s window, and nothing seemed to help no matter how high she turned on the heat, nor how many blankets she piled on her bed. It was just her and the tick of the clock and the sounds of the suburbs outside, with its barking dogs and chirping birds and noisy second-rate car engines. She tossed, and saw the calendar. It had been weeks since the Games ended, and her life had returned to normal. The occasional fight with her son, meetings with the royal sports committee every now and then, the gallons of tea drunk every week to calm her nerves… business as usual. She turned, and saw the clock. It was approaching noon; she’d have to pick up her son from school in a few hours. She hadn’t even started half of the things she’d wanted to get done that day. Which was… she couldn’t even remember. She didn’t really feel up to doing anything. “Can’t just lay in bed all day,” she mumbled to herself as she looked up to the ceiling. “Have to do… something. Anything. I can’t keep shirking my duties.” She groaned and sighed. “Blast it, now I’m talking to myself, too…” She lifted her head up and then hit it on her backboard as self-punishment and growled. “What is wrong with me?” The answer was on the tip of her tongue. It always was. It refused to jump off, though. She saw it in the raspberry red face and green eyes she saw in her dreams, fantasized about when her mind wandered. She just couldn’t bring herself to admit it. The doorbell rang, and Harswhinny’s ears perked up. “Who in Equestria would be here in this weather?” she asked herself as she threw off her mountain of blankets and slid out of bed. She took a few seconds to straighten her mane, but didn’t bother to put on her blazer as the doorbell rang again. “Just a moment!” she called down the stairs as she cantered down to the ground floor. Sure enough, there was a shadow of a pony outside the window of the door. Through the foggy glass, it looked maroon, almost purple. Harshwhinny froze just short of the door before shaking her head. Couldn’t dare to dream something so outlandish. She opened the door and said, “How can I help… you…” Staring back at her was a pair of green eyes and a soft, raspberry face she thought she’d never see again. “Ch…Cheerilee?” A shy but nonetheless wide grin spread onto the teacher’s face. “The one and only. Coming inside would be nice; even with these heavy clothes, I’m freezing my flanks off.” Harshwhinny blinked and rapidly shook her head before opening the door wide and ushering her guest inside. “Come in, come in! You look positively frostbitten!” “Don’t be so dramatic, I’m fine,” Cheerilee giggled softly as she trotted in. “Mind if I hang up my coat and take off these ridiculous snow pants? They make it look like I’ve got a pair of watermelons back there.” Harshwhinny’s face went a little hot as she tried to respectably not glance more than once at her guest’s behind. “By all means.” “Thank you.” Cheerilee sighed in relief and took off her heavy coat, snow flaking off of it as she hung it up. She stood on her hind legs and wiggled her rear out of her snow pants, and Harshwhinny found herself unable to look away from the teacher’s round rump. She almost had a heart attack when Cheerilee giggled, looking over her shoulder and noticing as she kicked her pants away. “You look really pent up…” she teased. Harshwhinny shook her head, trying to make her blush go away. She gave Cheerilee her best indignant look and asked, “What exactly are you doing here? It’s the middle of the school year!” “I know,” Cheerilee said a little shyly, tracing shapes in the carpet with her hoof. “I asked for a transfer from the school board. I moved a few blocks away, and I was wondering… well, if you’d show me around town, once the snow stops.” Harshwhinny’s heart soared, but her brain went into a rage. “Y-you what?” she spluttered. “I moved here,” Cheerilee said with a bright smile. “I’m going to miss my students, and it isn’t the most adult thing to do, but… I never found happiness by being a responsible adult. I thought it was about time I tried a childish risk. You know… for a change of pace.” Harshwhinny’s brow creased in concern, her muzzle torn between a concerned frown and a grateful smile. “Cheerilee…” Cheerilee chuckled a little as her stomach let out a loud growl. “I, um, didn’t really have a chance to get lunch yet. Mind if I eat something here…?” Harshwhinny paused for a moment and let out a deep breath, smiling happily as she lead her guest to the kitchen. “I’m not the best cook, just to warn you.” “How can you mess up tossing a salad?” Cheerilee half asked, half teased. “Oh trust me, there are ways,” Harshwhinny chuckled. “Why don’t you let me handle lunch, then? I’m sure I can scrounge something up,” Cheerilee offered. “That’s awfully kind of you, but…” Harshwhinny looked to her guest to see a hopeful gleam in her eye. “Oh fine. Go right ahead.” “Two salads, coming right up!” Cheerilee practically sang, rushing past Harshwhinny. The older mare could barely get a word out before the younger was speeding around the kitchen, getting out various odds and ends and foodstuffs and muttering incomprehensibly to herself. After several failed attempts to speak up, she contented herself to sit back and watch her guest scramble about. Before she really even knew what happened, Cheerilee had made a pair of salads, poured them two glasses of Harshwhinny’s mead, and set up both candles and her nice tablecloth. “H-hope you didn’t mind I got out your booze,” Cheerilee panted as she pulled out Harshwhinny’s seat. “Not at all; I’d say this is the perfect occasion to use it up,” Harshwhinny said shyly, taking the offered chair. “Quite the gentlemare; I’m flattered.” “Glad to be of service,” Cheerilee smiled, circling around and taking the seat opposite. She was still panting before she took a deep breath and straightened herself out. “To be honest I’ve wanted a night like this for a long… long time.” “It’s morning,” Harshwhinny cracked with a smirk. “Close enough for me,” Cheerilee giggled. She looked a little into Harshwhinny’s eyes with a wistful smile, making the older mare blush deeper still, before raising her glass. “To us?” Harshwhinny grinned and clinked her glass against Cheerilee’s. “To us, and to childish risks.” The two giggled to each other and drank deep, without apologies, without regret, and without the slightest desire to escape from anything. It was immature, it was reckless, and it bucked any sense of foresight. And Harshwhinny felt ten years younger for it. Author's Note And now I finally lay this story to rest. I didn't really think I'd do a "happy" ending, but I thought of an opportunity and callback I couldn't pass up, and this was the result. I like this sort of happy ending, one where the future is uncertain, so that's what I went with. Those who prefer the "original" ending may ignore this. And as before, anyone who wants to write more of this pairing or a direct sequel to this, feel free. I gave you some more sequel bait. Hope you all enjoyed.
Act 1: Back in the GameCheerilee liked to think she was in pretty good physical shape. She was a teacher, yes, but she went jogging every day after classes were over. Okay… every other day. Or a few times a week. Alright, whenever she felt like it and her flanks looked too big in the mirror. Point was, she thought she was exercising plenty. In a small town like Ponyville, she got plenty of it just going to and from home anyway. But small towns lacked certain things that a small town mare would never get used to. Like crowded streets, crosswalks, taxis… and the most evil thing in all of the universe, the true blight upon equine kind that hid in the Crystal Empire. Stairs. Flight upon flight of stairs in each and every building. As Cheerilee huffed and puffed and panted and dragged her hooves up the hotel’s main staircase, she was both grateful that skyscrapers hadn’t been invented before the Empire vanished a millennium ago, and cursing architects and engineers long dead for not inventing the elevator a thousand years sooner. When she finally reached the right floor, she took a minute or eight to catch her breath before straightening her mane and continuing her journey. She muttered under her breath as she trotted, rehearsing what she was going to say as she so often had to do before parent-teacher conferences. “Miss Harshwhinny, I just came to say I am so, so sorry for my students’ behavior,” she practiced. “I know how much you must hate sore losers, and Diamond and Silver… no, no, can’t outright blame the kids.” She sighed. “Diamond and Silver aren’t normally so bratty… no, not bratty… ill-tempered, and… no, no, I can’t tell a lie that big.” Her ears perked up as an idea occurred to her and she cleared her throat to start again. “Miss Harshwhinny, I just came to say I am so, so sorry for my students’ behaviors. You know how rich kids can be, and there’s only so much I can do in the classroom. Still, they’re my responsibility, so how about I make it up to you?” She nodded and smiled. “Yes, I’ll go with something like that.” She silently counted the door numbers before she reached her target. Sitting in front of the door and clearing her throat, she knocked on the door. “Excuse me, Miss Harshwhinny?” she called. “Just a moment!” an increasingly familiar high-class voice called back. Less than a minute later, the lock clicked and the door swung open. “Good afternoon, Miss Hhhh…” Her voice trailed off. Before her was definitely the games judge, but she was… different. Judging from the faint feel of steam coming from the room, the mare had just stepped out of the shower. Water clung to her fur and mane, both still damp. Her coat glistened slightly from the crystal windows of her hotel room, and her mane laid flat and somewhat seductively over one eye as she dried it with a towel. “…hubba hubba.” Harshwhinny raised the brow of one of her perpetually exhausted eyes. “Pardon?” Cheerilee quickly collected her composure before it dropped so hard it drilled holes in the floor. “Miss Harshwhinny! Yes, I was just here to apologize for the behavior of my students earlier. I-” “No, it’s quite alright,” Harshwhinny shrugged off with a wave of her free foreleg. “I know the type. Mr. Rich is one of the sponsors of the Equestria Games, so I know what kind of daughter he’s raised. I was fully expecting her and her little friend to be outraged and make demands when the other judges and I made our decision.” “R-really?” Cheerilee stuttered. “Well, that makes sense. I’m glad that-” “If you’re about to give me an opinion about my judging, I’d rather you didn’t. I don’t need accusations of backroom deals or my decisions being swayed in some manner,” Harshwhinny warned. “Oh, I’d never dream of picking favorites among my students!” Cheerilee assured hastily. “I was just saying that I was glad that it didn’t bother you too much. Foals can sometimes be a real handful.” Harshwhinny smiled and chuckled, a sight that took Cheerilee by surprise. “I know. I have a son, myself, and he can be quite rowdy.” Cheerilee’s eyebrow rose. “No offense, but aren’t you… well, Miss Harshwhinny?” “I am,” she said with a slightly wary look. “Is that an issue, Missus…?” “Miss Cheerilee,” she corrected, ears lowered. “And no, it isn’t an issue. Sorry if I offended you.” “No offense taken,” Harshwhinny said. Her mane dried, she slung her towel across her shoulders. “Now, if that was all you had to say, I really should continue getting cleaned up. For the frozen north, it’s strangely warm here in the Crystal Empire, and sitting in the sun for hours does no favors for a mare’s coat.” “Um, actually, I was planning to offer you a drink to make up for earlier. My treat! It’s the least I can do,” Cheerilee explained with a smile. “I could go for a stiff drink right about now,” Harshwhinny admitted with a sigh. “Long day for both of us, I’m sure. Do you have a place planned?” “I’m not really familiar with this city, so I asked Rainbow Dash for a recommendation. There’s a place called the Rose Quartz Canyon nearby that she says serves great fruit mixes,” Cheerilee said. “Down the street three blocks to the south.” “I’ve never been to it, but I haven’t been in town terribly long myself,” Harshwhinny admitted. “Very well, I’ll take you up on that offer. How does a half hour from now sound?” “Sounds great to me,” Cheerilee nodded. “I’ll meet you there, Miss Harshwhinny.” “Likewise,” she nodded. She turned around, giving Cheerilee a good look at her flanks before she bumped the door shut with a rear hoof. Cheerilee blinked, cheeks red and ears perked up, before she shook her head. “Now now, Cheerilee, calm down. You said you’d give romance a rest after the whole love poison fiasco,” she told herself as she trotted away. “After almost getting forcefully married to a stallion you’re not even that into, who wouldn’t want a break from their love life? What little love life I had before then. Okay, I had no love life before that, but still,” she admitted to herself with a huff. “Besides, I shouldn’t go after a pony just because they look kind of pretty, and I should definitely keep things professional with her, given all that’s going on. Just need to go back to my room for a cold shower, that’s all.” That’s when Cheerilee reached the stairs again, and remembered she’d have to climb all the way back down. The curse she shouted wasn’t very professional at all.
Act 2: Fill the GlassThe sun was well on its way to meet the western horizon by the time Cheerilee left to meet Miss Harshwhinny. Its parting rays set the crystalline city ablaze, the metropolis itself and its native inhabitants glistening with a romantic, unearthly sparkle. Cheerilee soon found herself in front of a sparkling temple to getting completely plastered, otherwise known as the Rose Quartz Canyon Bar, and she planned on having a religious experience. She thought the place looked way too pretty to be described any other way. Though the fact it was only two stories tall may have made her a bit biased. The teacher’s ears shot upright when she found Harshwhinny already there, standing near the entrance. “Miss Harshwhinny?” she spoke out as she trotted up, just to be sure. When the mare looked up, she added, “You’re awfully early!” “As are you, Miss Cheerilee,” she pointed out. “Well, I don’t really believe in fashionably late. Or politely on time, I suppose,” Cheerilee chuckled as she stood in front of the other mare. “That makes two of us,” Harshwhinny said with a chuckle and a smile. Cheerilee looked the other mare up and down. The games inspector wasn’t nearly as… attractive all prim, proper, and, well, dry. Her earrings really brought out her eyes, but the way she did her mane only really brought out how big and thick her muzzle was. She looked very professional, yes, but with the bags under her eyes she looked more like a rundown mare than one with a big time career. Though that wasn’t the only reason; a vital piece to her normally imposing presence was missing. “If you don’t mind me asking, where’s your purple blazer? I’ve never seen you without it,” Cheerilee asked. “Don’t want to get anything that expensive messy in a place like this. Crystal Empire or not, a bar is still a bar,” she explained. She motioned to the door with a flourish of her foreleg and a small bow. “Now, shall we?” “Of course!” Cheerilee said hastily, bowing in return and trotting through the front doors. She mentally facehoofed when she remembered that she was going to insist that Harshwhinny go ahead of her for… reasons. Inside the Rose Quartz Canyon was a crowded place, mostly full of native crystal ponies but with plenty of tourists to match. The floor and tables were polished, pink quartz, hence the bar’s name. Though not a canyon in sight… or anywhere in the Empire, if she remembered right, which struck Cheerilee as odd. There were also tons of mares attending that night. In fact… were there any stallions? She shrugged the thought off when she saw the cloth beanbags that served as the seats, her nostalgia for her college years swelling in her chest something fierce. She only took about two seconds to take in the ancient bar before Harshwhinny abruptly took the lead, trotting up to the counter and taking the only seat that had a vacant neighbor. Slightly surprised, Cheerilee froze long enough for a pegasus tourist to take the seat meant for her. She trotted up and was about to say something when Harshwhinny shot the pegasus a death glare, her cyan eyes practically radiating ice and venom, her back straight and head reared. The poor mare cringed and quickly backed off, the fear of God put in her. Harshwhinny nodded in satisfaction and turned to the bartender as Cheerilee took her seat, jaw slightly agape. “That was… I’m really not even sure what to call that,” Cheerilee admitted. “In my line of work, you learn how to intimidate. It’s necessary to get the job done with as little fuss as possible; ponies who aren’t already intimidated by my position need a little strong arming to get the point,” Harshwhinny explained casually, raising a hoof to get the bartender’s attention. Soon enough, up sauntered a sparkling crystal pony mare. Her crystalline coat was as cyan as Harshwhinny’s eyes, and her sparkling mane draped down to her shoulders in a seductive curtain of red. “Good evening, dearies. My name’s Beryl,” she introduced herself with a little smile. “Are you two fleshies together?” “We are,” Harshwhinny nodded. “I’ll take a glass of orange mead.” “And for you, deary?” Beryl asked Cheerilee. “Red wine for me,” Cherilee said with a meek smile. “One of us has to stay somewhat sober.” “If you say so, darling,” the bartender giggled. “Coming right up!” As Beryl left to mix their drinks, Cheerilee turned to Harshwhinny and repeated, “Fleshies?” “It’s the crystal pony name for us. Almost purely in jest, I assure you,” Harshwhinny said, turning to her. “The locals hold no ill will towards us.” “Still, weird name,” Cheerilee said. “And I admit, I don’t know much about crystal ponies, but I didn’t think they were actually made of-” Harshwhinny quickly put a hoof on Cheerilee’s lips. “Rule number one of crystal ponies: never ask them or wonder in their presence what they’re made out of. It’s considered incredibly rude and ignorant.” She removed her hoof from Cheerilee’s mouth, and the teacher said, “I’ll try not to wonder out loud, then.” “Good; they’re already sick of it thanks to all the tourists coming and going due to the Games,” Harshwhinny sighed. “But enough about that; I came here to get away from the worries of my job. Tell me about yourself, Miss Cheerilee.” “Here you go, dearies!” the bartender practically sang, handing the two of them their orders. Cheerilee let out a grateful thank you, and Harshwhinny half nodded, half bowed silently. “Please, just call me Cheerilee,” she answered with a flip of her foreleg. “And there really isn’t much to say. I was born in Fillydelphia, though I don’t really remember it. My parents moved to Ponyville to get away from the noise of the city when I was really young, and I’ve lived there ever since.” She chuckled a little as she looked into her drink and took a few sips. “I’m just your average small town gal, really.” “I’m from Vanhoover myself, though whenever the Games come around I have to live a bit of everywhere,” Harshwhinny explained before a few big gulps of mead. “It’s quite a different experience helping run the games, I’ll admit.” “What do you mean?” Cheerilee asked with a tilt of her head. “You mean you don’t know?” Harshwhinny asked back with both eyebrows arced. “I can’t say that I do,” said a completely lost Cheerilee. “Well, I suppose it has been a while. Most ponies have probably forgotten,” Harshwhinny chuckled, a little ring of relief and disappointment to the sound. “I used to compete in the Equestria Games. I was quite the athlete when I was younger.” “I was wondering why your body looks so toned,” Cheerilee blurted out. After she realized what she just said, her ears flattened and cheeks turned pink. “I mean, um…!” Harshwhinny giggled through another mouthful of mead before downing it. “I’ll take that as a compliment. Good to know I’m still keeping in good shape.” “Good to know I can still make a fool of myself,” Cheerilee groaned, face meeting hoof. “Oh hush, it wasn’t anything to beat yourself up over. Ponies often say I’m older than I look, so my physique does look a tad on the odd side,” Harshwhinny assured. Cheerilee shook her head a little and smiled. “Still, sorry. Sometimes I don’t really think about what I’m saying. It’s like I forget whether I’m thinking something in my head or saying it out loud.” “Rather endearing, if you ask me. Means you have nothing to hide,” Harshwhinny smiled, taking another few gulps of her drink until it was dry. “Miss Beryl, a refill, if you’d please!” “Coming right up!” the bartender said, taking her glass away. In the meantime, Cheerilee’s blush had spread to her ears. She took a few gulps of her wine before asking, “So, what did you compete in? In the Equestria Games, I mean.” “Gymnastics,” Harshwhinny answered with a wistful smile. “I was fleet of hoof and flexible of everything else. Brought home the gold that year, and even before and after that I was bringing home trophies left and right for lesser competitions.” She cocked her hips a little to show off her cutie mark, giving it a little pat as she got her second drink. “This is a quite common sight in my house.” Cheerilee averted her eyes, feeling like her head was about to pop, and lost herself in another sip of wine. “So, um, when’d you retire?” Harshwhinny’s triumphant smile took a sad, almost bitter turn. “Eight years ago. When I became pregnant with my son. It was after a wild night of partying, and… well. Let’s just say a haze of booze has kept me from ever remembering who the father is.” She looked down at her drink in thought before downing half of it in one go. “Oh… oh, Harshwhinny, I had no idea. I’m so, so sorry for digging that up,” Cheerilee apologized, ears flat and head low. “I didn’t think that… I’m sorry.” “It’s no trouble at all,” Harshwhinny half-heartedly shrugged off. “Go ahead and ask.” "Ask… what?” Cheerilee asked, blankly staring. “Why I chose to keep the baby instead of continue my promising career,” Harshwhinny sighed as if she were a foal reciting an assignment they loathed. “I get asked that all the time.” “I assumed it was because you thought it was already time to retire,” Cheerilee admitted, cocking an eyebrow. Harshwhinny scoffed, taking another few gulps. “I was only twenty-one, Cheerilee. My career had barely started.” Even as the haze of the wine had started creeping in her brain, Cheerilee could still do basic math. “Wait… so that means you’re only-” “Twenty-nine, yes,” Harshwhinny finished wearily. She rubbed her temples and closed her eyes, the career mare gone and the rundown mare sitting in front of Cheerilee. “Not even thirty, and I look like my mane is about to turn grey any second. The constant stress of my job, my son, my life… it’s made me old before my time. No amount of any cosmetic cream will ever get rid of these bags under my eyes.” Cheerilee slumped, both mind and mouth struggling to form words like one of her students put on the spot when they weren’t prepared, while Harshwhinny finished her second drink. In the end, all she could think of was to pull Harshwhinny into a one-foreleg hug, letting the older mare lean on her. “I’m so sorry… I had no idea you had to put up with so much.” “It’s fine,” she lied rather badly, pushing her empty glass away and letting out a little hiccup. “It’s fine.” “Doesn’t sound like it is,” Cheerilee said gently, rubbing Harshwhinny’s shoulder. “It… it isn’t,” Harshwhinny admitted with a sigh. “I worry so much about my son. Thanks to the Games, I’ve had to spend the last few weeks away from him, and I already felt like we were so distant. He’s a rebellious little boy, and he’s not even going to be nine until next month. I worry that he’s going to get into deeper trouble when he gets older because he has no nurturing influence in his life, but being strict is the only way I know how to parent.” “And there’s nothing wrong with that; children need a strict influence of some sort to keep them from going down a bad path,” Cheerilee assured. “I know, I know, but… but I’m so scared he’ll make some of the same mistakes I did,” she mumbled. “I feel like I need to find a stallion to date that can get through to him… or a mare, to be honest. But everybody I’ve tried is either not right for me, or not right for him.” Cheerilee felt her heart leap a little bit, but under the weight of what she was hearing it didn’t get very far. “I’m sure you’ll find someone, Harshwhinny,” Cheerilee comforted. “You’ve worked so hard to get so far, and you’ve done so well. You’re one of the top officials in the Equestria Games, for Celestia’s sake! Very few ponies get that honor. You deserve some relief for all that effort.” Harshwhinny smiled a little and nuzzled her cheek against Cheerilee’s. The older mare was blushing, though she couldn’t tell if it was natural or from the mead. “I haven’t heard that one before… but I think I needed to. Thank you, Cheerilee.” “It’s no problem at all. You get good at pep talks when you work with school foals; they all have their down days and their personal problems,” she said, smiling back. “I can only imagine,” Harshwhinny chuckled. “They’re lucky to have a teacher like you.” “I try,” Cheerilee said with a nervous giggle. “I sometimes worry that I’m not good enough, to be honest. I’m a huge part of how well they’ll do when they’re adults, and that’s… kind of daunting.” “I can relate. The Games only come every now and then, but I know that I’m a big part in making dreams come true, or dashing them,” Harshwhinny explained. “And every pony that had their dreams crushed thanks to my judging… it hurts. It’s one of the many things I worry about.” “I hope I’m not overstepping my bounds, but… it sounds like we might both have a lot of weight on our shoulders,” Cheerilee said softly. “You’re not; I think it’s rather astute of you,” Harshwhinny smiled, gently resting her hoof on Cheerilee’s. It was all she could do to keep from grinning ear to ear. Thankfully, or not, a distraction came by in the form of a crystal pony mare, purples as amethyst and smelling of vodka, sauntering up to the two and plopping her rump next to Cheerilee. “Why helloooo there, little Miss Raspberry Flanks,” the crystal mare giggled drunkenly, flipping her short orange mane. Cheerilee froze up and turned to the stranger. “E-excuse me?” “You heard me, cutie. Had my eye on you for a minute and unf, you’ve got nice, soft curves,” the crystal mare said with a lascivious smile. “Why don’t you say you and me go back to my place?” “Pardon, but she was talking to me,” Harshwhinny chimed in, an unamused frown on her face. “If you wanna join in, I wouldn’t mind, sugar,” she giggled, “but I don’t see you making a move on her.” “Excuse me, but how do you even know I’m not straight?” Cheerilee asked. “I mean, I’m bisexual, but how would you know that?” The stranger blinked and stared at her blankly. “Why else would you be at the Canyon?” “I’m not sure I follow,” Cheerilee said. “This is a filly fooler bar; you knew that, right?” the crystal mare answered. Realization hit the both of them like a crashing Rainbow Dash, their pupils going small and faces turning the same shade of cherry red. “Oh leave them alone, Prasi; these two came in together and I doubt they wanna be bothered,” Beryl chided from across the counter. “I was just askin’; I didn’t know,” the stranger, apparently named Prasi, defended. Beryl gave her a stern look and she added, “Fine, fine, I’ll leave ‘em be now. Offer’s still open, though, Miss Raspberry Flanks.” With another drunken giggle, the mare stumbled away, and Beryl turned back to another customer with a weary sigh. Cheerilee and Harshwhinny turned to each other to find their faces frozen in the same expression of dumbstruck surprise. “I swear I had no idea,” Cheerilee said hastily, less breaking the ice and more falling rump first down on it. “I-I believe you,” Harshwhinny assured, taking a deep breath to collect herself. “I should’ve expected as much when you said Rainbow Dash recommended it. What exactly did you tell her?” “That I was going to take you out for a drink to make up for earlier.” Cheerilee facehoofed and groaned. “She either thought we were actually going on a date, or she’s laughing her flanks off right now.” “Hard to tell with Miss Dash.” Harshwhinny nervously cleared her throat and added, “You know… you did say that I need some relief. I think we both need some, really, and I don’t think the two of us being responsible adults would help with that…” Cheerilee blinked. Cheerilee blinked again. She then turned to Beryl, hoof raised to get her attention, and shouted, “Best whiskey you’ve got, on the double!”
Act 3: Running Through Her HeadThe next thing Cheerilee experienced was blackness. Then touch came back, to the feel of bed sheets above and below and a warm, furry body next to hers, her back against another’s front with their forelegs wrapped around her. Then hearing came back, the sound of gentle breathing in her ears and a heart beating against her spine. Then her sense of taste came back… And she was suddenly very aware of what she did last night. Her eyes shot open. Morning’s light crept in through crystalline windows; she was in the hotel. The hotel that Harshwhinny was staying in. In Harshwhinny’s room. It was easy to tell: the game inspector’s earrings were laying on the bedside table in front of her. The big muzzle nuzzled into her mane was also a good clue. Cheerilee groaned a little and held her head as it pounded, her everything feeling like lead. “Wow that was strong whiskey… need a warm shower…” She wiggled and squirmed as gently as she could to escape Harshwhinny’s grip. The older mare hummed in her sleep and held Cheerilee tighter against her warm, toned front with her muscular forelegs. “What am I thinking?” Cheerilee asked herself, facehoofing and immediately regretting it. After the throbbing pain in her head went away, she relaxed and smiled as she basked in the glow of a full bed… for a while. The shower called to her, and her hangover begged for some relief. She finally managed to pull herself from her lover’s side and slip out of bed, hooves meeting plush carpet. She looked over to see Harshwhinny, fast asleep and none too happy to have her bedmate leave, her forelegs lightly pawing at the spot Cheerilee had left. The teacher gently pushed a pillow within her reach, which Harshwhinny seemed to accept begrudgingly, nuzzling into it. Cheerilee smiled as she looked Harshwhinny over. The older mare had a frown on her muzzle that could only be described as adorably grumpy, hugging the pillow tight. Her mane was disheveled from what was likely a wild night, and the sheets covered her only up to the hip. Cheerilee giggled a little before a throb in her head turned it into a pained growl, trudging towards the hotel bathroom. As she climbed in and turned the water on, soaking her fur in the hope her hangover would wash away, Cheerilee started muttering to herself. “Okay… I ordered whiskey… then what?” She strained her brain to remember through the pain as she let the water wash over her, brief flashes coming up here and there. Sounds of her and Harshwhinny’s laughter; the feel of their cheeks brushing together; the smell of strawberry shampoo in Harshwhinny’s mane; many pieces to a greater puzzle, many missing but thankfully enough to get an idea of the picture. “Come on Cheerilee, you can do this; this is a night you want to remember,” she tried to pep talk herself through the haze of booze. She remembered coming back to the hotel. She remembered being pushed onto the bed with sloppy, drunken kisses. She remembered… she remembered… absolutely nothing after that. She groaned and rubbed her temples. “Well, I can tell what happened, at least,” she muttered, smacking her lips with a frown. “Going to need to brush my teeth…” She sighed and lifted her face up into the stream of water, closing her eyes and humming an aimless tune as she thought some more, about other things. “Still… had a lot of fun last night. And Harshwhinny is a really nice mare, when you get past the prickly parts… I’d really like to go out on a proper date,” she admitted to herself. “I wonder what she’s thinking… I hope she’d like to, too.” Cheerilee showered - well, sat in the shower - for several minutes more before climbing out and drying off, hoping that Harshwhinny didn’t mind the use of her hotel towels. She eyed the sink, seeing only one toothbrush. Yeah, brushing her teeth would have to wait until she got back to her own room. They were nowhere near that close yet. Newly damp, Cheerilee stepped out of the bathroom to find the older mare up and about. She was stripping the bed, her rear turned to Cheerilee. She didn’t even notice the teacher until Cheerilee cleared her throat rather loudly. “O-oh, good morning,” Harshwhinny said with a blush, looking over her shoulder. “Just hhhhh…” Harshwhinny blinked, cheeks flushing a deeper red. “I believe you put it best yesterday… ‘hubba hubba.’” “Give me some time to get my curlers in; I’ll look like a small town dork soon enough,” Cheerilee joked with a shy smile. “As you were saying…?” Harshwhinny shook her head as if she could shake off her blush. “Right, yes, just helping the maids by stripping the bed of its, ahem, spent sheets. Least I can do for getting them dirty, really.” “Thoughtful of you,” Cheerilee said, sitting on the floor. She didn’t let the silence take over for long before she added, “So, about last night…” “What about it?” Harshwhinny asked as she kept stripping the bed. Her tone was firm, almost defensive, but it wavered a little. “Well, to be honest, I can’t remember much about it,” Cheerilee admitted. “We go to bed, we kiss like the pair of plastered ponies we are, then I hit a wall of booze. I was more wondering what you thought about it.” “I thought it was… nice,” Harshwhinny said simply. Cheerilee blinked, her ears flattening. “That’s it? Just nice?” “More than nice,” Harshwhinny sighed with a little growl. “Wonderful. Best night I’ve had in years, if I’m to be painfully honest, and like you I don’t remember half of it myself.” Cheerilee’s heart didn’t flutter like she thought it would. If anything, it sank. “So why do you sound so angry?” “Because I know that things won’t work out between us,” Harshwhinny said with a stern stare, turning to face her. Cheerilee’s heart plummeted, making a proverbial hole in the floor. “Don’t get me wrong; I like you a lot. You’re cute; you’re kind; you’re patient; you know how to lighten up my day; and I’m mature enough to admit you’re quite sexy,” Harshwhinny listed, her ears flat and a worried, sorry look on her face. “But for the next few months, I’ll be here, in the Crystal Empire, and I normally live in Vanhoover. You live in Ponyville, and as you said yourself, you’ve never lived anywhere else. Both of us are adult enough not to do anything foolish like uproot our entire lives over… over just one night.” “I… I understand,” Cheerilee sighed, shaking her head and looking away. “I’m not sure what else I should have expected.” Harshwhinny trotted over and nuzzled her cheek against Cheerilee’s, nudging her gaze back up. “If it helps… we can keep in touch by letter. And I might be able to visit every now and then, once the Games are over.” Cheerilee forced a smile and looked Harshwhinny in the eye. “I think I’d like that…” Harshwhinny frowned and sighed, pulling Cheerilee into a tight, warm hug. Cheerilee melted in her forelegs, letting the older mare’s toned muscles support her. “I’m sorry, Cheerilee, but that’s the reality of things. I wish I could say more. I wish I had the gift with uplifting words that you do, I really do. But I don’t, and… I’m sorry for that.” “It’s okay; I understand,” Cheerilee said, hugging Harshwhinny back tightly. The two basked in each other’s warmth before the teacher brought herself to pull away. “I guess I better get going. Trains to catch, home to get back to, all that good stuff.” “I suppose. Don’t let me keep you,” Harshwhinny said quietly. Their eyes locked. Harshwhinny shifted a bit on her hooves. Cheerilee glanced away, but only for a second. Harshwhinny leaned in first, but Cheerilee returned the gesture within the second. The two shared a kiss, their eyes closing in warmth and splendor. They both were a mess, they both had morning breath, but a jolt of electricity went through the both of them like a bolt of euphoria. Cheerilee pulled herself away from the kiss as well, a sad smile on her muzzle as she trotted to the door. “Good luck with the games, Miss Harshwhinny.” The older mare followed her to the door and saw her out. Cheerilee turned to see a more easy smile on Harshwhinny’s face, the games inspector looking five years younger for it. “Thank you, Cheerilee. And cheer up; trust me, you’ll see me again. Until next time.” With that, gently, slowly, hesitantly, Harswhinny closed the hotel door. Cheerilee found a little smile working its way on her face as she trotted away, muttering to herself, “Yeah… until next time…” Author's Note Wow, a story completed in a week! Gotta be a new record for me. Then again, I only have one other mutli-chapter story I actually finished... ahem. I honestly had a really fun time writing this. The banter was just as fun to write as it probably was for you to read, and Harshwhinny doesn't get nearly enough love. The ending is more of a downer than I originally intended, but plans change once you actually start writing. If anyone actually wants to write a sequel to this, or just write another Cheerwhinny/Harshilee story, be my guest! I'd love to see this pairing take off, even if it doesn't become big. Just be sure to let me know so I can have the joy of reading it, okay? Thank you to everyone who read this, a bigger thank you to everyone who commented, and the biggest thank you to my friend Amy, who helped me come up with this idea. Hope some of you might take a chance on my other work; otherwise, I hope you enjoyed this little journey into strange romance.
Epilogue: Need You NowCold. That was the only way to really describe… everything, really. It was snowing outside Harshwhinny’s window, and nothing seemed to help no matter how high she turned on the heat, nor how many blankets she piled on her bed. It was just her and the tick of the clock and the sounds of the suburbs outside, with its barking dogs and chirping birds and noisy second-rate car engines. She tossed, and saw the calendar. It had been weeks since the Games ended, and her life had returned to normal. The occasional fight with her son, meetings with the royal sports committee every now and then, the gallons of tea drunk every week to calm her nerves… business as usual. She turned, and saw the clock. It was approaching noon; she’d have to pick up her son from school in a few hours. She hadn’t even started half of the things she’d wanted to get done that day. Which was… she couldn’t even remember. She didn’t really feel up to doing anything. “Can’t just lay in bed all day,” she mumbled to herself as she looked up to the ceiling. “Have to do… something. Anything. I can’t keep shirking my duties.” She groaned and sighed. “Blast it, now I’m talking to myself, too…” She lifted her head up and then hit it on her backboard as self-punishment and growled. “What is wrong with me?” The answer was on the tip of her tongue. It always was. It refused to jump off, though. She saw it in the raspberry red face and green eyes she saw in her dreams, fantasized about when her mind wandered. She just couldn’t bring herself to admit it. The doorbell rang, and Harswhinny’s ears perked up. “Who in Equestria would be here in this weather?” she asked herself as she threw off her mountain of blankets and slid out of bed. She took a few seconds to straighten her mane, but didn’t bother to put on her blazer as the doorbell rang again. “Just a moment!” she called down the stairs as she cantered down to the ground floor. Sure enough, there was a shadow of a pony outside the window of the door. Through the foggy glass, it looked maroon, almost purple. Harshwhinny froze just short of the door before shaking her head. Couldn’t dare to dream something so outlandish. She opened the door and said, “How can I help… you…” Staring back at her was a pair of green eyes and a soft, raspberry face she thought she’d never see again. “Ch…Cheerilee?” A shy but nonetheless wide grin spread onto the teacher’s face. “The one and only. Coming inside would be nice; even with these heavy clothes, I’m freezing my flanks off.” Harshwhinny blinked and rapidly shook her head before opening the door wide and ushering her guest inside. “Come in, come in! You look positively frostbitten!” “Don’t be so dramatic, I’m fine,” Cheerilee giggled softly as she trotted in. “Mind if I hang up my coat and take off these ridiculous snow pants? They make it look like I’ve got a pair of watermelons back there.” Harshwhinny’s face went a little hot as she tried to respectably not glance more than once at her guest’s behind. “By all means.” “Thank you.” Cheerilee sighed in relief and took off her heavy coat, snow flaking off of it as she hung it up. She stood on her hind legs and wiggled her rear out of her snow pants, and Harshwhinny found herself unable to look away from the teacher’s round rump. She almost had a heart attack when Cheerilee giggled, looking over her shoulder and noticing as she kicked her pants away. “You look really pent up…” she teased. Harshwhinny shook her head, trying to make her blush go away. She gave Cheerilee her best indignant look and asked, “What exactly are you doing here? It’s the middle of the school year!” “I know,” Cheerilee said a little shyly, tracing shapes in the carpet with her hoof. “I asked for a transfer from the school board. I moved a few blocks away, and I was wondering… well, if you’d show me around town, once the snow stops.” Harshwhinny’s heart soared, but her brain went into a rage. “Y-you what?” she spluttered. “I moved here,” Cheerilee said with a bright smile. “I’m going to miss my students, and it isn’t the most adult thing to do, but… I never found happiness by being a responsible adult. I thought it was about time I tried a childish risk. You know… for a change of pace.” Harshwhinny’s brow creased in concern, her muzzle torn between a concerned frown and a grateful smile. “Cheerilee…” Cheerilee chuckled a little as her stomach let out a loud growl. “I, um, didn’t really have a chance to get lunch yet. Mind if I eat something here…?” Harshwhinny paused for a moment and let out a deep breath, smiling happily as she lead her guest to the kitchen. “I’m not the best cook, just to warn you.” “How can you mess up tossing a salad?” Cheerilee half asked, half teased. “Oh trust me, there are ways,” Harshwhinny chuckled. “Why don’t you let me handle lunch, then? I’m sure I can scrounge something up,” Cheerilee offered. “That’s awfully kind of you, but…” Harshwhinny looked to her guest to see a hopeful gleam in her eye. “Oh fine. Go right ahead.” “Two salads, coming right up!” Cheerilee practically sang, rushing past Harshwhinny. The older mare could barely get a word out before the younger was speeding around the kitchen, getting out various odds and ends and foodstuffs and muttering incomprehensibly to herself. After several failed attempts to speak up, she contented herself to sit back and watch her guest scramble about. Before she really even knew what happened, Cheerilee had made a pair of salads, poured them two glasses of Harshwhinny’s mead, and set up both candles and her nice tablecloth. “H-hope you didn’t mind I got out your booze,” Cheerilee panted as she pulled out Harshwhinny’s seat. “Not at all; I’d say this is the perfect occasion to use it up,” Harshwhinny said shyly, taking the offered chair. “Quite the gentlemare; I’m flattered.” “Glad to be of service,” Cheerilee smiled, circling around and taking the seat opposite. She was still panting before she took a deep breath and straightened herself out. “To be honest I’ve wanted a night like this for a long… long time.” “It’s morning,” Harshwhinny cracked with a smirk. “Close enough for me,” Cheerilee giggled. She looked a little into Harshwhinny’s eyes with a wistful smile, making the older mare blush deeper still, before raising her glass. “To us?” Harshwhinny grinned and clinked her glass against Cheerilee’s. “To us, and to childish risks.” The two giggled to each other and drank deep, without apologies, without regret, and without the slightest desire to escape from anything. It was immature, it was reckless, and it bucked any sense of foresight. And Harshwhinny felt ten years younger for it. Author's Note And now I finally lay this story to rest. I didn't really think I'd do a "happy" ending, but I thought of an opportunity and callback I couldn't pass up, and this was the result. I like this sort of happy ending, one where the future is uncertain, so that's what I went with. Those who prefer the "original" ending may ignore this. And as before, anyone who wants to write more of this pairing or a direct sequel to this, feel free. I gave you some more sequel bait. Hope you all enjoyed.
