Cheerilee yawned as she approached the schoolhouse, eyelids heavy with sleep. Celestia hadn't even raised the sun yet, but the pretty pink-maned teacher had found no solace in her dreams last night. Upon waking she'd wanted to put as much distance between herself and the sweat soaked sheets as possible. The half remembered wisps of her dream were fading with each moment and every step, but they still brought a frown to her normally joyful face. At least there was a coffee pot waiting for her at work. She could use something warm and full of caffeine to rouse her fully.

A key turned in the lock with a metallic clack as her breath misted before her. She pushed the door open hastily and shut it just as quick. The autumn breeze was surprisingly chill as it tried to follow her into the dusty room, and the purple coated mare didn't need it making things even harder as she fumbled with a candle. Soon it would be the Running of the Leaves again, but it seemed a bit cruel of Cloudsdale to send a frost weeks before they were even expected to bring winter to the town. Still, it wasn't all bad. The harvests were almost in, and then Big Mac would once again have some free time to spend with her...

Cheerilee cursed quietly under her breath as the wick caught and singed her hoof. The wounded appendage sprang to her mouth as much to stifle the ugly word as to soothe the hurt. Guiltily her gaze swept across the desks piled to one side of the large room and the empty walls which would soon be covered with another year's work crafted by her foals. No one was here to hear her, of course. Still, she needed to get back into the proper mindset after these months off. It wouldn't do to set a bad example. She mentally began running through the tasks needed to get both the schoolhouse and herself ready for another year as she set the coffee pot to boiling.

"Whish, whish, whish" went the broom as it began gathering together several week's worth of dust. Then "slak" as it's stiff bristles struck a pile of papers near the door, stirring her from her reverie. The mailmare had apparently slipped a manila envelope through the door slot sometime since the break began, and in the schoolteacher's haste to flee the chill it had escaped her notice. She'd told Derpy to deliver the school's mail to her home during the break, but sometimes the gray coated pegasus forgot the simplest things. Cheerilee shook her head in annoyance. It'd always been the same with Derpy, ever since they were in school together, when she'd given the mailmare the not entirely kind nickname of "bubble-brain". Still, there seemed to have been no harm this time; the date on the folder was only three days past.

She set the broom aside, floor momentarily forgotten as she headed to her still completely bare desk with the envelope. By next month it would be cluttered with books, small tokens of the student's appreciation, and the odd apple or two. At least her chair was as comfortable as she remembered. The mare set the candle down and broke the envelope's seal, allowing several scrolls to tumble free and roll across the desktop. The first she opened was an enrollment form for a new student, a colt by the name of... Silver Slice? It was an odd name, and one Cheerilee was sure she would have remembered hearing. Ponyville was a small enough settlement that hers was the only school. By necessity it catered to children of a wide age range, so she was familiar with most every school age pony in town. Scanning the second scroll confirmed her suspicions, a combined transcript and transfer document from a... St. Eligius Academy in Manehattan. "Disciplinary Record, See Supplement Scroll C" she mouthed the words even as she looked at the third and largest scroll.

With some trepidation she unfurled the final parchment and was met with a surprisingly adorable picture of her newest student. "Another blank flank?" she mused. Cheerilee had enough trouble keeping Filthy Rich's little girl and her henchpony in line as it was, and she hoped the boy was ready to defend himself. He was a lanky, black colt probably a year older than her other students, just beginning to grow in a set of furry white fetlocks. In the picture he had his front two hooves crossed in front of him and his head lowered and pitched slightly to the side. It gave him a bashful look, as though he'd just been caught with his hoof in the cookie jar and scolded by his mother. The picture just didn't track with the long list of violations below it. Playing hooky, multiple fights with his schoolmates, something called "Serious Behavioral Infractions" that she could only guess at. She was soon lost in reading one incident report after the next.

"WHEEEE!" The sound of the coffee pot caused her heart to jump and the Disciplinary Record to fall from her hooves with a thud. It only took her a moment to recover and hurry over to the steaming tin. Through the window the horizon was grey as Celestia prepared to begin the day. Cheerilee's shaking hooves poured an unsteady stream of black liquid into a pastel pink mug that spelled out "#1 Teacher" in gaudy glitter. As she sipped the steaming coffee and watched the sun rise through the window, Cheerilee thought about what the new school year might hold and couldn't shake the chill.

Author's Note

Nothing too exciting happening yet. This first chapter is mostly to set the tone and lay the groundwork for future installments. The story won't be told from first person, but I'm planning to set a focus character for each section and switch things up pretty regularly. Obviously that's Cheerilee for this chapter, and likely at least part of the next one as well.

Anyway, I hope you guys like it and I'll see you next chapter!