Order of Eclipse

"Stop!" Screwball came to an instant stop just above the water of the indoor floating pool. Her ears standing up listening to see if the sound would be repeated. A second later and another knock at the door. "Pink clouds and chocolate rain." she swore under her breath as the entire house was engulfed in a purple aura that matched her eyes. The whole house began to rearrange itself as she floated down to the door. "Who could possibly be selling Crusader Cookies at this hour?" She look through her peep hole and groaned. The house quickly making everything nice, neat, and above all normal and orderly. She looked over the house and content that it would pass so long as she didn't check the fridge opened the door. "Hello Ms.Cheerilee"

"Hello Screwball how are you this evening?"

"Fine. Sorry you just missed mom and dad. They just left on a very important trip to Hoofington."

"Really that's a shame since they just got back from Trottingham." Cheerilee looked around the house. "It's must not be easy having parents that travel. May I come in?"

"Dad said I wasn't allowed to have anypony over," Screwball answered quickly. Her spinning eyes watching her teacher's; who had long since become use to them.

"Oh come on it'll be our little secret."

"Ms. Cheerilee I'm shocked are you saying I should disobey my parents." Screwball did her best not to grin ear to ear.

"Hardly I just realized that I have to much ice cream to eat all by myself." Cheerilee gave a conspiratorial wink. Screwball looked at Cheerilee she knew that the ice cream was a lie, but still it was ice cream and nopony Nopony said no to ice cream.

"Well mom says I should always help ponies in need. Come on in." Screwball made her way to the table, her teacher close behind. "So I'm sure, you know, that I know, that you having ice cream was just a trap to get in the door," Screwball said as she took a seat at the table. "I'm in trouble aren't I."

"No I just wanted to say that I'll give you a B for this essay but that I would like it if you turned in a more, conventional essay next time." Cheerilee said with a smile. Screwball didn't take her skeptical glare off the educator for an instant.

"Noted now to business, It's dinner time and ice cream sounds great." Cheerilee's eyes widened in shook.

"You mean you haven't had dinner yet? But Celestia's nearly put away the sun."

"Yea, well you know I kinda eat when I'm hungry."

"Well I'm glad that I got extra groceries," Cheerilee said getting up. "I'll tell you what I'll put the ice cream in the fridge, and make us a good dinner, then we can have ice cream for dessert."

"NO!" Screwball threw herself between her teacher and her refrigerator quicker than Pinkie Pie on a sugar rush. "I-I uh-um I mean no, you don't have to do that. Your my guest I'll go ahead and make us something to eat you just stay right there."

"Don't be silly a filly your age shouldn't have to cook dinner," Cheerilee said a touch concerned at Screwball's outburst.

"Don't patronize me I can take care of myself." Screwball glared at Cheerilee daring her to say something else ice cream or no ice cream she wasn't going to let anypony treat her like a foal.

"I didn't say that you couldn't take care of yourself; I said that you shouldn't have to," Cheerilee said trying to defuse the suddenly upset filly. "To be honest my dad traveled all over Equestria when I was little. And my mother was always making trips to Canterlot to keep up the family name; I ended up having to do a lot of things by myself, and I know better than most anypony that colts and fillies can if needed take care of themselves. I just think that they shouldn't have to."

"Oh, well I can at least put away the ice cream." Cheerilee smiled and passed Screwball the ice cream.

"So what do you want to eat?"

"I don't know other than ice cream what do you have."

"We could have apples and oats." Cheerilee suggested. "If you'd like, they're easy to cook and quite tasty."

"Sure."

"Okay I'll just turn on the oven and we can have a nice dinner." Oven why does that sound like a bad idea, crud.

"Wait." Screwball jumped to the oven this time she was to late. As Cheerilee turned on the gas, water sprayed her in the face much like a clown's flower.

"What in the world." Cheerilee said shaking her head somewhere outside somepony was giggling.

"I'm sorry I was going to use that to prank dad."

"Well I'm all for a good prank but really Screwball you should know better than to mess with gas lines." Cheerilee dried her face off.

Ding-dong. The door bell cut Cheerilee off from giving Screwball a possibly well needed lecture on safety. Ding-dong. "Pizza and hey fries delivery." The delivery pony called through the door. Screwball knew better than to look a gift pony in the mouth, and ran to open the door.

"Right silly me I forgot I ordered pizza and ah-um."

"Hey fries," the delivery pony reminded her.

"Right pizza and hey fries their great together." Screwball did her best to smile back at her teacher. She wasn't even going to ask the changeling delivery pony if he knew that potato salad wasn't just a potato in a salad, as his fake cutie mark portrayed. Or why he was delivering hey fries and pizza without hot pepper chocolate sauce. She just gave him the ten bits, and for a tip threw a bit of gratitude his way, and politely shut the door. Having dinner with somepony else was amazing Screwball would talk and talk and Cheerilee would listen. When she told a joke Cheerilee would laugh and sometimes tell a joke right back.

"You know," Cheerilee said as she and Screwball eat dessert together. "If you're ever lonely I could come by and visit you."

"Wouldn't it be weird if you came over though, I mean you're a teacher? Besides I don't really need help with homework."

"It wouldn't be like me coming as a teacher or tutor. Think of me as a friend of the family and I'm just stopping by to make sure your okay. Would that be alright with you?" Screwball didn't hesitate to nod in agreement. Having somepony to talk to was wonderful.

Luna had already pulled up the moon and her sister had put away the sun when Cheerilee left Screwball's house. She thought see saw a tree vanish in a green flash but-no that was silly changelings couldn't become trees or rocks just ponies. With a smile and a good night she went home making sure none of the other trees vanished in a green flash.

***

"Well that went rather well," The cloaked creature said as the changeling trotted into their underground lair.

"The teacher pony was there just like you said. And the chaos filly gave Changer a nice snack."

"That's wonderful it means that you'll leave me alone and not bug me about giving you a snake."

"Snack."

"No snake. I'd throw a snake at you if you bothered me again." The changeling gulped as his partner laughed at his discomfort. "Now then to the most important part of the plan. Did test scores offer to spend time with the target?"

"No." Changer shook his head side to side. "Test Scores didn't even show up. But Cheerilee pony did and she was just as good, and did everything that you needed." Changer's partner just groaned. "Now what?"

"Now, now I'm going to have fun and when Screwball finally has a family she cares for, and that returns the sentiment I'll get to work. Feathers shouldn't have a problem with that. In the mean time you keep an eye on the bog. Make sure the Black fog doesn't spread."