I. Brushing Off the Cobwebs
"Awww, I can't believe we're stuck here for an hour! Why couldn't you just keep your hooves to yourself, huh 'Bloom?"
"Don't look a' me Scoot, ah was just tryin'a stop Noon from fallin' inta the mud!"
"Applebloom, you shoved him right into it. We all saw what happened."
"Well, maybe he shouldn've said nothin' about my big sister! Ah work hard ta defend my family Sweetie, and if it means gettin' a little dirty in the process ah'm all for it."
The three fillies continued shooting remarks back and forth, placing the blame on Applebloom despite all playing a part in the events of recess. But this isn't the story we're here for, of course, perhaps you'll hear it another day. The reason we're here is the mulberry mare sitting at the front of the class, idly glancing over the top of her novel to make sure the Cutie Mark Crusaders weren't getting too antsy. Her name is Cheerilee, and she's the teacher of Ponyville's elementary school. Nobody knows how old she is, and nobody would dare ask her either, but what they do know is that she's an experienced mare with a past shrouded in a thick haze.
Of course, all it takes is a well-placed wind to clear the air.
"Girls, that's enough. I don't want you playing the blame-game, it's not going to help at all. Just take your lumps for what they are, and deal with the consequences of your actions. Scootaloo, you don't need to say anything." She idly motioned a hoof towards the brightly-colored filly, urging her to slowly sink back into her seat with a wicked frown. "Now, I know this is detention, and while I can't let you go outside and enjoy yourselves I'd be happy to chat with you girls until the hour is up. I know an hour is a long time for you, and I'd rather lessen the blow of punishment than have you wiggling around and blaming each other for what happened at recess. So... how about I tell you about my younger years?"
The response from the Crusaders was immediate. They were a rambunctious bunch, but at the word 'chat' they settled into their seats and patiently waited for their teacher, wide eyes locked on the mulberry mare as she cleared her throat and set down her novel. It seemed that the answer to that question was 'yes', so that meant it was time to think. "Right, well... let's start from day one shall we? Er, day one of college I mean, I can't remember back to the day I was born. I was born and raised in Fillydelphia, but we all knew that the place to be was Manehattan. I can't tell you how many of us left for MUAS, the Manehattan University of Arts and Studies, but I can tell you about one of the girls that came with me..."
"C'moooooon Cheery! If you don't hurry your butt up we're gonna be late for orientation!" The cream-colored mare was absolutely beaming at her mulberry friend, mane tied back in a pair of sloppy pigtails that absolutely screamed 'I woke up a few minutes ago'. Cheerilee, on the other hoof, had spent nigh an hour making sure she was in tip-top shape, mane about as crunchy as a kettle-cooked potato chip due to the amount of hairspray in it. The trademark checker-print bandanna wrapped around the base of her neck, little buttons bouncing about with each step she took. Around her right hoof, a series of brightly-colored bangles, plastic to prevent excess noise. Today, however, she did without the legwarmers... mostly because she couldn't remember where they were packed.
It was day one of their time at MUAS, and the two of them had only just arrived at their dorm the night before. Cheerilee, the goody-two-shoes mare who walked the straight and narrow. Her best friend, Roseluck, who had strayed so far from the straight and narrow that she walked in another direction entirely. The two were complete opposites, and yet entirely inseparable. While Cheerilee spent her time engrossed in study and scholarly pursuits, Roseluck coasted on near-failing grades and attended wild parties, a trend that had begun around their sophomore year of high school. The school orientation was scheduled for 9 AM, and as the seconds ticked away they drew closer to that point.
Adjusting her bangles a bit, Cheerilee rolled her eyes at Roseluck's excitement before approaching the mare's side with a snerk. "What's the deal? Got a hot date or something?" The party animal wiggled with excitement, suddenly lurching forward and squishing the mulberry mare's cheeks together.
"Do you have any idea how many cute guys we'll be able to find on campus? I wanna get in tight with 'em before the end of the first semester, that way I can have unlimited access to their frat parties, and booze!" Cheerilee scrunched up her muzzle in disdain, swatting her friend's hooves away and rubbing at her cheeks a bit to assuage the ache Roseluck had instilled with her squishing.
"Yes, I'm sure they'd love to get in tight with you too, Rose. Do you still have that piece of paper with all the stallions you've 'courted' since high school? I'm sure the cute guys on campus would love to know about your... promiscuous pursuits." Roseluck blew a raspberry at he friend, nudging the mare playfully before she opened up the door.
"Maybe if you loosened up a bit, you'd have more luck yourself. Remember junior year? A certain stallion by the name of D-"
"Oh hush! You and I both know he just wanted into my pants. He had no interest in me whatsoever, and I'm glad he left that diner." Cheerilee huffed, averting her gaze as she felt her cheeks reddening. Rose ushered her out the door, closing and locking it behind them as she shook her head and clicked her tongue in disapproval.
"Oh Cheerilee, Cheerilee... you don't even wear pants."
"Missus Cheerilee, is this Roseluck the same one who lives right here in Ponyville?" The mulberry mare nodded, idly folding her hooves on the desk as she smiled fondly at Applebloom.
"Yes, the very same. You see, we both moved here after college, but for our own reasons. It was purely coincidental that we both wound up here. And before you ask; I have no idea exactly why Rose came here. But I came here to teach, because I felt this town needed a proper school. Did you know it lacked one before I showed up? All of the little colts and fillies were taught basic values and such from home, and they hardly learned any academics at all!" Cheerilee giggled a bit, but Scootaloo seemed to scowl as she leaned in towards Sweetie Belle, whispering low enough that nobody else could hear.
"Sounds like my kind of life, maybe we could go back to before there was a school." That earned her a nice hoof in the cheek from Sweetie, despite her quiet snickering. Cheerilee cleared her throat to get everyone's attention, waiting until they'd settled and begun paying attention before resuming the story.
"The orientation was a pretty big deal, of course, but Rose and I were pretty distracted by... something else." Looking up to the ceiling with a warm smile, the teacher brushed a few bangs out of her eyes; bangs that had been gone for many years...
"Lookit lookit! He's such a babe! Shwing~" Rose giggled wildly, whispering to her friend as she pointed out stallion after stallion. Cheerilee had trouble focusing on the orientation as a result, and simply wound up abandoning the prospect of figuring out what the old professor up front was saying. Instead, she let her eyes follow her friend's hoof, nodding unconsciously in agreement as she whispered about the attractive qualities of each stallion in the row in front of them. However, as they traveled further down the line... they noticed that the seats had been emptied. There was a small crowd off at the end of the auditorium, shrouded by the lack of overhead lights in the area.
"Rose... hey, Rose! Look at that, they're all huddled around over the-"
"Move over, Train Tracks! I gotta get through here. You too, cutie." A long-haired stallion nudged Rose and Cheerilee out of the way, receiving a swat on the rump from the cream-colored mare in the process, along with a whisper somewhere along the lines of 'whatever you say, stud'. Cheerilee didn't budge much, however, placing her hoof on the back of the chair in front of her to halt his progress.
"What do you think you're doing? And I don't appreciate that nickname, y'know." The stallion scoffed, pushing the mulberry mare's hoof out of the way effortlessly and working his way past her.
"Whatever, brace-face. I'm going to go see The Guru, and you aren't gonna stop me."
"The Guru?" Cheerilee tilted her head to the side, and the stallion responded by pointing to the crowd in the corner of the room. "Oh, I see. What's he doing that's so important? And who is he?" The long-haired student didn't respond, simply working his way along the aisle and leaving Cheerilee there with a frown. "How rude can you get? Are my braces really that noticeable?" Placing her hooves on her lips, the mulberry mare let loose a huff, sinking yet lower into her seat as she looked over at Roseluck. Or rather, where Roseluck was a few seconds ago! The seat was empty, and a quick glance to the right yielded the fact that she was working her way down the aisle as well, chasing after that stallion with a wild grin.
The mulberry mare was alone, now... but not for long. Giving in to her curiosity, she rose from her seat and began slinking along after her friend, hoping to find out exactly what all this 'Guru' ruckus was about. It didn't take her long to get to the crowd, but by this point it was so dense she had no chance of getting in there and laying eyes on the center of attention. She grumbled and tried poking her head through, only to be shoved back to her spot on the outside right next to Roseluck. "What's the deal with this, huh? Looks like he's giving something out... oh!" Roseluck giggled a bit as a piece of paper was thrust into her snout, and she gave it a look over with wide eyes. "It's a party, Cheery! Invitations to a party tonight!"
Rose gave the slip to her friend, then nestling back into the crowd with a snicker. "I'll grab another one, don't worry about me! You hold onto that one; I don't want to hear any complaints! You're coming to The Guru's party tonight whether you like it or not." She had already opened her mouth to object; but it was no use. Roseluck wasn't one to change her mind easily, so it seemed she'd be getting into the thick of college life on her first day. Sticking the note into her bandanna, Cheerilee began to slink away back to her seat, but along the way she found everyone was standing up and vacating the room! The orientation was over, and she'd missed the entire thing thanks to Roseluck and that 'Guru' fellow.
With a huff of disdain, she waited by the exit for Roseluck, only to find that she never showed up. Through word of mouth, she found that the cream-colored mare had wandered off with the long-haired stallion from before. And he apparently went by the name of Dill. So Cheerilee returned to her dorm alone, reading the little slip of paper over and over with a look of intrigue:
The Guru's Genesis Party
Be there or be square, from 7 PM to 7 AM.
Don't bother bringing booze, I've got something better.
~G
"So did you go ta the party, Missus Cheerilee? What was it like?"
"Who is this 'Guru' character? He sounds so mysterious!"
"Did Roseluck ever come back to the dorm?"
Smiling fondly, Cheerilee took a glance at the clock before clambering up into a standing position. "Detention is over, girls, and so is the story for now." The Crusaders groaned in disdain, and Sweetie hopped out of her seat with an excited grin. "Besides, this is the point where my memory gets a bit... fuzzy. College was like one big blur, and there's a few things in there that aren't really suitable for your ears to begin with. I'd rather not get in trouble with your families." The three of them shook their heads vehemently, scrambling out of their seats and coming to their teacher's side to prevent her from leaving the schoolhouse.
"Miss Cheerilee, I promise Rarity won't find out you're telling us the story, and none of us will tell anyone anyway! Right girls?" They all nodded in unison, leaving the teacher to smile at them warmly.
"But you don't have any more detention, girls. When would I be telling you this story?" The three of them looked down for a moment, as if the question had stumped them, but then Applebloom raised her head with a wide grin.
"Can ya stay after school with us tomorrow then? Ah need some help with the math we did today, too. An' I'm sure Scoots needs some help with the science!" The orange filly growled a bit, nudging Applebloom defensively to protest the matter. It didn't take long for her to catch onto the plan, though, and Scootaloo finally nodded in agreement.
"Well... alright, girls. You've twisted my hoof, here. I'll keep telling the story to you, as long as you promise to stay out of trouble and keep it a secret. Alright? Do we have an agreement?" The Cutie Mark Crusaders nodded, first to each other and then to their teacher, before scrambling out of the schoolhouse and giving her a wave. "Goodbye girls! I'll see you bright and early tomorrow, and your homework had better get done!" With a soft huff of defeat, Cheerilee grabbed her saddlebags and locked up the schoolhouse, wandering home with little distraction or pomp and circumstance.
But something was nagging at her, now. She hadn't really thought about her college years much since graduation, leaving those days behind her much like Roseluck had done... but the more she thought about it, the less she actually remembered. There had been so much going on, and she could only really remember bits and pieces! Maybe there was less to this story than she actually thought... or maybe she simply had to think harder to get rid of the smoky haze that seemed to coat her mind. She lowered herself into the couch, burying her muzzle in a novel she failed to actually read. Sure, her eyes scanned over the words and she turned the pages... but her mind was elsewhere.
She had a lot of remembering to do.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders settled into their seats, occasionally glancing over their shoulders as the other students filed out of the schoolhouse. Before long, the entire building was empty, except for the three fillies and their teacher Cheerilee. The mulberry mare made sure everyone was outside before she closed the front door until it was just barely ajar. From there, she worked her way to the front of the room, plopping down in the seat behind her desk with a heavy sigh and looking over the three eager students before her. "Well, girls, I suppose it's time for part two of the story. But remember what I said yesterday; this is a secret between the four of us. And I also must warn you that I made a lot of mistakes in my youth. I'd rather you didn't follow in my hoofsteps."
All three nodded in understanding, and with that out of the way it seemed Cheerilee was ready to get started. Clearing her throat, the mulberry mare folded her hooves on the desk and opened her mouth to speak... though she hesitated a bit before any words came out. "So on day one of my time spent at MUAS, before the first semester had even begun, I was off to a wild party with my friend Roseluck. I knew it was bad news, at least for somepony like me... so I took a few extra precautions before I did show up..."
Easy now, Cheerilee. If you're too uptight, they may just kick you out and be done with it. If you wanna meet this Guru character, you're going to need to blend in. You need to be one of them, and that means relaxing. Unfortunately for the freshman, that was easier said than done. She was socially lacking even at the best of time, and if she tried to hard she'd just be ridiculed anyway. Everything was stressful! She'd be surrounded by strangers, rulebreakers, coasters! They weren't her crowd and she knew it... but in order to sate her curiosity Cheerilee needed to meet The Guru. She had questions for him, and judging from the way others spoke of him, he would provide as many answers as she needed.
Huffing softly, the mulberry mare pulled up her legwarmers, making sure they were even and proper before standing up and looking in the mirror. Sure, the braces didn't help her image much, but other than that she looked pretty good! Smiling fondly, she ran a hoof over her flank, lifting the flesh a bit before watching it fall back into place with a frown. Perhaps I should lay off the cinnamon rolls for the time being, maybe do some hard exercise. A little pushin' for the cushion doesn't hurt, but I'm starting to enter the danger zone. With a defeated huff, Cheerilee patted the side of her incredibly crunchy mane, making sure it wouldn't be going anywhere with a smirk. The power of hairspray; it could probably stop a moving locomotive if enough of it was sprayed down on the tracks.
Er, well... that's not realistic at all.
With a quick glance at the clock, Cheerilee gleaned that she didn't have much time to get to the party, so with a swift movement she tossed a little satchel over her shoulder and began her journey to the appropriate dorm. Even if she hadn't gotten directions, it wouldn't have been difficult to find, considering just about a quarter of the school was going there. All she had to do was follow the growing crowd that wandered along campus grounds, heading towards the dorm building that the party was being hosted in. This left Cheerilee questioning the integrity of the university's infrastructure, of course, as the party was extremely obvious and they didn't seem to be doing anything to stop it... but those were the troubling thoughts of a mare with a stick up her butt.
She really needed to loosen up.
The dorm itself didn't look to be anything special, at first. There were a few students standing 'guard' outside of the common area and adjoining dorms, but other than that things seemed pretty casual. Every invitee showed their little slip of paper and was allowed inside, including Cheerilee. Of course, she could hear their comments from behind as she sauntered in, calling her 'uptight' and 'a do-gooder'. Well, it seemed that was a look she just couldn't shake, even as she tried to do so. Defeated, but still at the party, the mulberry mare began searching for one of two things; Roseluck, or The Guru.
She found the former of the two rather quickly, muzzle deep in a tongue-wrestling competition with that stallion from before. Shuddering a bit at the sight, she quickly trotted over and gave the mare a harsh pat on the back, drawing her out of the kiss after a short delay. Her cheeks were flushed, easily visible against her pale fur, and she giggled a bit as she turned and buried her face in Cheerilee's neck. The smell of alcohol wafted from her breath, causing her to recoil slightly even as she gave Roseluck a gentle pat on the head. "I see you got the party started early. Couldn't even wait for me to get here, huh?" More wild giggling came from the drunken mare, and she pressed her hoof against the snout of the stallion she laid on top of.
"It's hiiiiis fault! He brought me here a few hours ago and convinced me to dip into the sauce. The Guru said not to bring booze, but you can't have a party without booze!" Cheerilee raised a brow, pressing her hooves against her friend's cheeks and shaking her head to and fro.
"Stay with me, Rose." Roseluck, of course, had no intention of staying anywhere except Dill's lap, leaning against him a bit as she growled at Cheerilee. "Have you met The Guru yet? I'd very much like to see what kind of advice he has to offer. If he's really as profound as they say, he could be a valuable asset."
"Oi, quit bein' such a stiff and go get us a few beers wouldja? C'mon, loosen up Cheery!" Roseluck grinned at her friend, giving the mulberry mare a poke in the chin, much to her disdain. Sighing softly, Cheerilee released her friend and wandered towards the small bucket off to the side, retrieving two bottles of liquor and bringing them back to the couch on which her friend and her boy toy lay. She casually tossed the bottles onto them, causing Rose to squeak in surprise when the cold glass touched her. Frowning at the her friend, she waved nonchalantly. "Aw Cheery, pick your chin up! Enjoy the festivities!" Scrunching up one side of her mouth, Cheerilee rolled her eyes, obviously not amused by this turn of events... but she didn't really have a choice but to follow that advice, at this point.
Lowering her head, the mulberry mare began wandering about the dorm, unable to pick out one voice from the chorus of chatter that had begun rising in volume since her arrival. It was a quarter after seven at this point, and the dorm was absolutely packed with students. Before long, the obvious smell of marijuana filled the entire building, and despite how foreign and unpleasant this was for the freshman, she pushed through for the sake of science. Nobody paid any attention to her as she weaved through the crowds, coughing and sputtering occasionally as she walked through a cloud of smoke. By the time she reached the other end of the common area, a thin haze had set in at eye-level.
Cheerilee paused, eyes falling upon a rather relaxed-looking mare who stood outside of a room shrouded by a curtain. Occasionally, she would see someone heading in or out, and they always had this glazed-over look in their eyes that was... unsettling. But intriguing all the same. She approached this mare, offering a friendly smile and a wave, and getting a faint nod of acknowledgement in response. "Hey sister, here to see The Guru?" Cheerilee's ears perked up immediately, and she nodded with an eager smile. "Well, you gotta meditate a little before you can come inside... and then he'll meet you."
Tilting her head to the side, it seemed the mulberry mare wouldn't have a chance to ask what she meant, as the relaxed one reached a hoof out. Balanced in the middle was a small, white object, something Cheerilee recognized immediately. A joint, freshly rolled, waiting to be lit and smoked by none other than herself. She bit her lip, having gotten this far in her life without touching anything of the sort, despite her friend insisting it would be fine. After a moment of consideration, Cheerilee approached, reaching out a hoof and-
"Did ya take it Missus Cheerilee?"
"I thought smoking was bad Miss Cheerilee! Please tell me you didn't-"
"Oh, she totally took it! That's why she told us she made mistakes earlier, to make sure we'd know this is one of them!"
As the three Crusaders quipped back and forth, Cheerilee let out a soft sigh, propping her chin up on her hooves and simply waiting for them to finish their banter before she would continue. I knew this was a bad idea. Maybe I should give up now, tell them I was only pulling their leg with the whole 'big story' thing just to teach them a lesson. I don't want them going off and making the same mistakes that I did! Especially when I teach them that everything I've done in my college years is wrong. "Missus Cheerilee! We're ready for you ta continue. Ah promise we won't interrupt again." Being drawn out of her thoughts, the teacher gave a shake of the head and sat up straight, smiling amicably at her three students and glancing at the clock. She still had plenty of time to wrap up this wing of the story.
"As I said before, girls, I made a lot of mistakes in the past. This is one of them, and it led to a long line of other mistakes that would follow it. Thankfully, I stopped following that string of mistakes before it led to my downfall, but there are many out there who were not so lucky. I had the common sense to quit while I was ahead, and I had support in doing so. Please, girls, if there's anything you glean from this story have it be this: do not follow in my hoofsteps, carve your own path on the straight and narrow." Taking a deep breath, followed by a sharp exhale, Cheerilee continued. "Yes, I did partake in this drug... I took a single step off the path I'd been heading down and started rolling down the hill of success towards the valley of failure. Fortunately for me, there were lots of obstacles to halt my progress..."
"That's it, loosen up sister. Just relax, breathe in Nirvana... but make sure to breathe out too." The tired-looking mare giggled a bit as she trotted to Cheerilee's side, patting her on the back and causing the freshman to cough and sputter in surprise. She watched the hazy smoke leave her mouth and nostrils, disappearing into the rest as soon as it had come. She didn't feel much of anything yet, but this particular portion of weed didn't smell or taste like the others. The other mare said the joint was filled with a special blend called 'Nirvana', grown and mixed by The Guru himself. She said it encouraged enlightenment, but all Cheerilee had gotten so far was a coughing fit. She persisted, though, for the sake of her curiosity.
"So how long is this 'meditation' gonna take? And would you mind telling me your name? I'm Cheerilee." The mare beside her gave a lazy, half-lidded look, placing a hoof on the mulberry mare's cheek and smiling softly.
"I am Daisy Chain, right-hoof to The Guru and advocate of free love."
"Free love? You mean like... free love free love?" The mare nodded, placing her other hoof on Cheerilee's opposite cheek and giving her a kiss on the nose. Taken aback, the younger mare gave her a sudden shove, just enough to get her to back off as her cheeks lit up with a crimson blush. "What the hell is wrong with you? You can't just- oh, wait." Daisy giggled softly, leaning in again and nudging her snout against the uptight freshman's cheek.
"Why do we always place such restrictions on ourselves and others? Is it not our right as living organisms to be free of judgement? You must understand this as anyone else, sister Cheerilee... you're a clever mare." Taking a deep breath to relax, Cheerilee hit the joint once more, just barely managing not to cough as she blew out a steady stream of smoke. "I am sure you will find enlightenment soon enough. The Guru will be happy to meet you, I hear he has had his eye on you since your arrival." The mulberry mare blinked in confusion, tilting her head to the side at those words.
"But... I only arrived last night. How does he know who I am?" Smiling knowingly, Daisy Chain wrapped a hoof around Cheerilee's back and leaned against her. She was very soft, and warm to boot... maybe it wouldn't be so bad to pay her a visit after meeting with The Guru? Just to see what this whole free love thing was all about? Agh! What are you doing Cheerilee? Get a hold of yourself, it must be the Nirvana finally getting to you...
"The Guru said he knows you from elsewhere, but he did not say exactly. He insists that your arrival here was fate, a point on the string of life that is fixed and unchangeable. While we may carve our own paths through the places in-between, there are pieces of the string that will move for no mare, nor stallion. This is one of them, and he believes that it will change your life for the better." Daisy pecked Cheerilee on the cheek this time before backing off, and heading over to the curtain to hold it open. "I believe you have adequately meditated, sister. Go on, The Guru is awaiting your arrival." Nodding lazily, the mulberry mare took one slow step after another. The change from sobriety to 'enlightenment' had been slow and subtle... but now she was really feeling it.
Each step she took felt as if the world was moving beneath her, rather than her body moving along the ground. Colors became sharper and more vivid, and yet disappeared altogether at the same time. Everything was new and exciting, but also had a comfortable familiarity about it. Cheerilee had no idea whether all marijuana did this, or only Nirvana did... but it certainly didn't help her memory all that much. As she stepped through the curtain, everything became fuzzy, as if she had poor eyesight and forgot her glasses. She couldn't make out any of the shapes or colors before her, but the voices were as crisp and clear as one could ever wish for.
"Ah, welcome, sister." That tone... so soft. Welcoming, even, in a way that even one's mother could not recreate. It came from The Guru! But no matter how Cheerilee tried, she could not see him. He sat right in front of her, and yet it was as if he was shrouded completely. A shiver ran down the mulberry mare's back as she came to a stop just a few feet from him, bowing her head politely as if she'd just stepped before royalty. She could hear The Guru laugh quietly, and judging from the slight shift in the haze before her, he had raised a hoof in dismissal. "Please, no need for formalities, sister Cheerilee. I have been waiting for you... please have a seat, at my right."
Without hesitation, the mare scooted over and plopped down at his side, hooves folded neatly in front of her as she was lowered onto her haunches. There was a nice, soft pillow beneath her, helping Cheerilee to relax a bit as she looked around the hazy room. There were a few others in there, but she didn't recognize any of them. Not that she could even see what they looked like at this point, anyway, the memory was so hazy. The room already had a thick smoke throughout it, so identification was hopeless at this point. The Guru cleared his throat a bit, letting out a low hum of contentment as his hoof came to rest upon Cheerilee's foreleg.
"I've been observing you for quite some time now, sister Cheerilee. You spend all of your time working; studying for futile pursuits that make you no more or less of a mare than those alongside you." The young mare pursed her lips, holding her tongue only out of politeness as The Guru basically called her an uptight goody-two-shoes. "All work and no play, it makes for quite the boring life don't you think? So long as you are not failing, the bureaucrats will think nothing of your GPA. I skid along the line of passing and failing myself, and yet I am set to graduate with the same degree as those alongside me who achieve higher grades. What difference does it make, truly? Are you attempting to achieve some sort of award?"
With a submissive huff, Cheerilee said nothing, instead placing one of her hooves atop The Guru's and offering an idle nod. He was right, of course, in assuming that she was an overachiever for no particular reason. She just... didn't have anything else to do. Sure, she would spend time with Rose or one of her other few friends on occasion, but the majority of her time was absorbed by academic pursuits that would lead her to the same ends as those around her. Taking a deep breath, the mulberry mare offered the stallion beside her a smile. If only she could remember what he looked like. "You bring up a good point, Guru. But please, tell me... how do you know who I am?"
Clicking his tongue a few times, he moved his hoof up to her muzzle, gently pushing her snout downwards and causing her to scoff in disdain. She was being treated as a foal would, and it made her cheeks redden with embarrassment. "That isn't information I shall divulge, nor is it important. What is important is that you are here, and you have followed your string of life to this point of fate." Cheerilee rolled her eyes, never much believing in that 'fate' hullabaloo, but she heard The Guru out anyway. He seemed very smart, and worth speaking to. She had completely forgotten that there were others in the room, and at this point she wouldn't be surprised if they'd forgotten about both her and The Guru.
The two chatted back and forth, with Cheerilee asking questions and The Guru providing answers. He always answered with a light heart and heavy wit, and that combined with his voice had the mulberry mare falling deeper and deeper into a sort of... trance. Before she knew it, she had wound up sitting in his lap, head resting against his furry chest as he gently ran a hoof through her mane. It was almost as if they'd been friends since the beginning of time; there were no undertones of a romantic or intimate nature. It was just simple chatter and close proximity, something Roseluck and Cheerilee indulged in rather frequently.
But of course, all good things must come to an end. Cheerilee wasn't quite sure when it happened, but she had fallen asleep against The Guru, only waking up in the early hours of the morning when Roseluck stumbled into their dorm. But how did she get back? The last thing she remembered, the young mare had been discussing the nature of Nirvana with The Guru, and yet here she was in her own bed, safe and sound. She had even been tucked in with care, and she was absolutely dumbfounded as to how this came to be. Her roommate grumbled unceremoniously, collapsing onto her bed with a loud thump and making no other noise.
Cheerilee was half expecting her to mumble about the night drunkenly, but judging from the soft sound of breathing she was pretty worn out from the night's events. The mulberry freshman smiled softly as she rolled onto her side, and her eyes fell upon a small slip of paper on her nightstand. Curious as ever, she reached out and looked it over, only to find that it was a handwritten note from none other than The Guru:
I took the liberty of returning you to your dorm after you fell asleep, it happens a lot on your first enlightenment, and sometimes the second. But hopefully you'll be used to it by the third. You're welcome to attend next week's party as well, but if it is too much for you I understand. It is not my place to judge your lifestyle, even as I have questioned it this evening. We are all entitled to live our own lives as we choose, but always remember just that: it is the life that we choose. Not the life that is set before us, not the life that we are asked to live, but the life that we choose.
Be not a slave to another, nor a slave to your ambitions.
~G
Cheerilee gently stuck the note into her drawer for safe-keeping, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. He was so... interesting. He wasn't her type, at a glance, but the more time she spent investigating him the more interesting he became. Perhaps attending the next party won't be so bad... Rose is always telling me to loosen up, and this might just be my ticket. As long as I'm around The Guru, I don't have to worry about anything. He's an upstanding fellow, a philanthropist even! Like The Great Gatsby, except not a total fraud and lawbreaker. Er, well... he's probably breaking a lot of laws by throwing those parties. Bah, there you go again Cheerilee... letting the stick go further and further up your ass.
Rolling onto her other side, Cheerilee closed her eyes, drifting off to perhaps the most restful sleep she'd ever had. Maybe Nirvana wasn't so bad; maybe she could afford to go to the next party and dip into a few more of the... finer things in life. As much as her mind told her it was a mistake, there was just as much of it telling her to go for it. Ah well, what could possibly go wrong?
"What does the Guru look like, Missus Cheerilee? Was he handsome?"
"Yeah, did you like him Miss Cheerilee? It sounds like you really admired him, and I can see why."
"Be not a slave to another, nor a slave to your ambitions. Sounds like one of those old philosopher farts."
The Crusaders giggled wildly at Scootaloo's statement, but Sweetie Bell still offered her a harsh nudge with her hoof along the way. Cheerilee laughed along with them, though her mind was still troubled. Her memories were so... hazy. And yet so vivid at the same time. Was it some subconscious form of selective memory? Or was it really the effect Nirvana had on her mind? Shaking the thought for now, the teacher raised her hoof to calm down her students, humming softly in thought before speaking up. "I can't remember what he looked like. I admired him from an intellectual standpoint, and nothing more. He spoke to me as an equal, and still taught me more than I learned in the entirety of my college career."
The Cutie Mark Crusaders groaned a bit, discouraged by her words. They were always trying to hook her up with others around Ponyville, of course, and if they were to find this Guru they figured he would be their best chance at getting her a special somepony. Hopping out of their seats, they offered their teacher a wave and vacated the building, discussing their plan to find The Guru and hook him up with their beloved Miss Cheerilee. The mulberry mare rolled her eyes, locking up the schoolhouse and making her way home after she'd cleaned up the desk. But she made a stop on the way home, one she didn't generally make.
When she arrived home, she gently placed her bag on the coffee table in the living room, then heading over to the small machine on her bookcase and brushing a bit of dust off the surface. She quickly began to scan through the little crate on the floor at its side, pulling out a round, black object and setting it on the rotating device. A record. An Iron Neighden album, to be exact, and as the heavy instrumental noises filled the mare's ears she felt a sense of nostalgia rising within her... or perhaps it was just acid reflux. Either way, after adjusting the volume to a reasonable level, she sauntered into the kitchen to retrieve an important tool.
With a relieved huff, she grabbed a dark bottle from the bag on the coffee table, looking the label over with a smile. "Wild Sun... the beer of choice back in college. Maybe a few sips of this will help to jog my memory." Cracking open the bottle with the opener she'd taken from the kitchen, Cheerilee took a long quaff from the bottle... and a rather unpleasant one. "Ach, it's true what they say... as an adult, it really does taste like piss." Giggling fondly, she took another sip from the beer, reclining in her chair as the lead singer of Iron Neighden ushered her into a state of being she hadn't entered in years.
And after a few more beers, she entered a state of sleep she hadn't experienced since downing that entire bottle of wine last New Year's.
