Cheerilee’s Day Off
The morning sun lazily climbed across the empty sky, slowly making its way into the noon-day high. The excitement of a newly arriving weekend had the village of Ponyville busy to prepare for two days of fun. School was out, work was reduced and ponies everywhere were out and about ready and refreshed to recover from another long week of tedium. One such pony, in fact, was happily enjoying the morning in such a state of bliss that the early morning had passed by unbeknownst to her. She did not care what was happening outside at all, for she had just awoken from what was possibly the best sleep of her life.
The sound of crunching oats and toast was the only noise heard from her tiny kitchen, as the cherise mare sat at the table merrily eating her late breakfast. Stacks of papers, books and other implements were strewn about the room surrounding the bookish mare, many of them threatening to teeter over at the slightest provocation. Despite the haggard appearance of the room, or the slowly encroaching afternoon outside the window, the sole occupant had far more pressing matters on her mind. Something that had plagued her the entire morning, and it concerned a six letter word for respite.
“Day off!” the mare exclaimed, penning in the elusive word with a triumphant flourish.
Cheerilee leaned back in her chair and examined her now complete crossword puzzle with a pleased grin. Convinced that there were no errors, she begrudgingly acknowledged the state of her kitchen. The piles and stacks of paperwork were still there, towering ominously above her. They were all finished, thankfully, after an exhausting week of late nights and too much coffee, but by Celestia she had finished them all. And now they sat ponderously in her kitchen, poised to consume the room in a mass of paper and ink.
“I suppose I should at least get these put away,” she mused. “Before I can enjoy today for myself.”
Being the resident, and only school teacher in Ponyville, days off were a rarity in Cheerilee’s life. Even on the weekends she found herself only dwelling on the lesson plans for the following school week, and eventually fell into an unbreakable cycle. She loved her job, no doubt. But even she deserved a day off now and then.
Today was different. Today was a day that she could finally enjoy for herself. The following week was planned months in advance, and the itineraries had been done for weeks. A week long field trip to Canterlot, hosted by Twilight Sparkle and Rarity. It was perfect; an entire week in the Capital city, and Cheerilee wouldn’t have to lift a hoof in effort except to ensure the children behaved properly. The two chaperones insisted that they take part in the planning of the trip, and as soon as they got their hooves on it, the work practically completed itself.
Cheerilee had originally intended to just ask Twilight for some assistance in planning the trip, but it was good fortune that both the village librarian and fashionista were both eating lunch together at the local café. Once Rarity heard the word Canterlot, that week in her calendar had become suspiciously free. Knowing Twilights knack, and sometimes obsession with planning, and Rarity’s obsession with perfection, Cheerilee knew perfectly well that the two mares would sort everything out on their own, leaving Cheerilee free to enjoy her weekend before the trip and return to her routine of work.
And enjoy it she would. While she herself had not made any formal plans for what she would do today, she was not above just walking down the road and seeing what the day brought her. She had already enjoyed the benefits of sleeping in, something she had not done for a very long time, but she could not possible stay indoors all day. She needed a plan. She flipped through the remaining pages of the morning newspaper, and looked for any special events for the day that would catch her interest.
“Ponyville Public Library to receive new books today,” she read, looking through the latest article. “Including the latest in the Crystal Hooves Series!?”
Cheerilee’s love of books was only bested by the owner of the library herself, but nopony in Equestria could beat the schoolteachers’ love of the Crystal Hooves series. The symphonic tale of mystery, drama, romance and adventure expertly woven together, the long written saga was one of the staples of Cheerilee’s collection. She had almost forgotten the release, and the fact that it fell on her day off was like a blessing from Celestia herself. A few other items appeared in the newspapers that may offer some manner of entertainment for the day, but it was clear where the cheery pony would be heading to first.
She finished her bowl of oats and downed the last of her tea as past as she possibly could without scalding herself, and made her way to the door. She slammed it shut unceremoniously, not in anger, but in unfathomable anticipation and glee as she trotted down the road and towards Ponyville Library. So fast, in fact, that she failed to notice her calendar fall to the floor, a single date circled in red. A date like today.
The village was as busy as it had any right to be on a beautiful Saturday morning. The markets were filled with early risers, trying to get the freshest or the newest wares offered. Cheerilee trotted along, admiring the cheerful cadence of bartering and talking drifted through the air. While she could have stopped and purchased something herself to help make this the best day off ever, time was of the essence. A new book was waiting for her, and she could not wait until it was in her hooves. The market could wait until later.
She filed past the gaggles of ponies and managed to make her way through with little issues, only being bumped around a few times. But as the din of the market chatter quieted, she heard a familiar buzzing noise. One that warned of an impending accident. Cheerilee cast worried glances in all directions, trying to locate the source before it was too late.
“Look out below!” a small voice shouted.
Of course it was too late. The schoolmare stepped to the side in an effort to lessen the impact, and surprisingly it helped. The runaway scooter and wagon narrowly missed her, only to zip past and crash into a nearby bush. She stared curiously at the empty contraptions, when a chorus of ‘Oof’s’ and ‘Ow’s’ rang out behind her.
Lying in a heap in the middle of the dusty street was the trio of troublemaker students that Cheerilee had been all but inoculated of. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, once again traveling too fast, and without protective equipment she might add, were tangled into each other after bailing out from an evasive turn. Cheerilee sighed, knowing all too well that a day without the Cutie Mark Crusaders, even on her day off, was too much to ask for. She trotted over to the fillies, and offered what help she could to untangle them.
Applebloom was the first to be pried off the pile. Her eyes appeared to be spinning in directions that Cheerilee honestly did not realize they could, but she did not appear worse for wear. Sweetie Belle was second, and was in the middle of humming some kind of incoherent gibberish. It was beautifully tuned, but still gibberish. And finally there was Scootaloo. She was on her back, staring into the sky in a plain faced daze. Cheerilee stood over her, even making eye contact with the oblivious filly. But she made no sign that she was aware of her teachers presence.
Cheerilee rolled her eyes. She loved the girls, as all her students dearly, but these three were walking disasters. She had a duty, of course, to ensure that her students were well cared for, even if the library had gotten a new copy of her favorite book. That would have to wait. She carefully deposited the three dazed fillies into their wagon, and pulled the scooter along out of the street, and to the closest place that would have an antidote for crashed children; Sugarcube Corner.
A few cupcakes and glasses of fruit punch later, the girls were finally in a state that Cheerilee would safely describe as ‘normal’. The fillies energetically munched on the provided confectionery, as Cheerilee observed them carefully.
“Golly, miss Cheerilee,” Applebloom said, still munching on her food. “It was mighty kind of ya to buy this for us, after we almost crashed into ya.”
“Yea,” Scootaloo added sheepishly. “Thanks a lot miss Cheerilee. And sorry for the almost crashing into you part.”
Sweetie Belle was mostly silent, her manners taking precedent over finishing her food. She sipped happily on her fruit punch and offered a nod of shared agreement with her friends.
Cheerilee smiled. As much of a hooffull the girls were, at least they were good hearted and polite.
“It’s no trouble at all, girls. But I don’t suppose you could tell me why you were going so fast in the first place?”
“Oh!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “We were on our way here to buy a ca-“
“Hush!” the other fillies interrupted. Sweetie Belle gave an impromptu ‘eep!’ and covered her
mouth quickly. Cheerilee noted the strange behavior with an arched eyebrow.
“You were on your way to buy a what?” she pressed.
“Um,” the white filly stammered. “We were on our way…to..buy…”
“Carrots!” Applebloom interrupted. “We were just on our way to Carrot Tops booth to buy some of her delicious carrots.”
“Yea!” Scootaloo added. “Carrots! Cause they are delicious. I hear Rainbow Dash eats them all the time!”
Sweetie Belle nodded hastily with her friends, a suspicious smile forming on their faces. The glanced awkwardly between themselves as their teacher regarded their story dubiously.
“Whelp!” Applebloom shouted, slamming her hoof on the table. “It’s time we got a movin’ Crusaders! To Carrot Top’s!”
“Yea! Carrot Top’s. For Carrots!”
“Thank you for the food, miss Cheerilee, but we have Carrots to get!”
Cheerilee knew all too well where this was going. She leaned back, and held her hooves to her ears for the impending-.
“CUTIE MARK CRUSADER CARROT BAKERS! YAY!”
Surprisingly the familiar chant was not as deafening as usual this time. The three girls quickly filed into their wagon, and Scootaloo’s wings beat furiously. The tiny vehicle drifted slowly as the steady buzzing noise of the small fillies wings filled the air, before she released the brake and the wagon shot out of sight down the road. Cheerilee watched them go with a confused smile on her face, before she realised something.
“Wait, girls! Carrot Top’s is that way!” she shouted, pointing in the opposite direction that the girls had left in. But it was too late. The wagon had already disappeared, along with the noise of fluttering wings. The teacher sighed again. Oh well, she thought. They’ll find her soon enough I guess.
Cheerilee looked at the empty glasses and plates that the girls had left behind. Not a drop or crumb remained, so at least she did not have to clean up after the enthusiastic fillies. She gathered the dishes dutifully and returned them, bidding the Cakes farewell as she left the bakery to return to her original destination.
With Sugarcube Corner behind her, Cheerilee was pleased to be back on track. The library was still a few minutes away, but as long as there were no further distractions she would make it well before noon. She trotted casually down the road, when she got the strange feeling that she was being watched. There were a few ponies milling about in the road, but none of them seemed to be paying and undue attention to her. She looked around, but nothing seemed to be out of place. The road was still in proper condition, the wind was calm but not eerily calm, and Rose, Lilly and Daisy were not on their usual rants. No, everything was perfect and in its place, except the blindingly bright pink pony that spontaneously appeared beside her.
“Hi!” the pink pony chirped, while standing way too close for comfort.
“Whaaah!” Cheerilee shouted, falling to her rump in surprise. The personal space invader giggled, and mimicked the reaction that Cheerilee had exhibited.
“Hey, that looks like a lot of fun!” she said gleefully. “Who knew falling down could be so much fun?”
Cheerilee regained what she could of her mental faculties to return to her hooves. She looked at her latest interruption with a forced smile. “Hello miss Pie, how are you today?”
Pinkie cocked her head sideways with a confused look on her face. “Miss Pie? Who’s that? Ooh! Is my mom in town? Is it time for a ‘Welcome to Ponyville, Mommy’ party?!”
Pinkie was nearly on the verge of ascending to a new level of giddiness when Cheerilee put her hoof in the excited pony’s mouth to stop her before it was too late. “I meant you Pinkie, I was just being polite.”
Pinkie appeared to literally drop a step on the excitement scale, but only for a moment. She gave a short shrug and her bright shining smile returned. “Oh well! Maybe next time when my mom comes to town then! So what’cha doing today Cheerilee? Anything exciting planned?”
Pinkie got uncomfortably close to Cheerilee, giving her a few playful nudges as she spoke. Cheerilee took a step or two away to regain her space from the excited mare beside her, shaking her head. “No, nothing exciting planned today. I was just on my way to the library to pick up a new book.”
Pinkie eyed her oddly, almost piercing her with a suspicious glare. “Uh huh…” she said slowly. “So you’re going to be out at the library all day then?”
Cheerilee chuckled softly. “Oh I certainly hope it doesn’t take all day. I was just planning on picking up a book and going back home to have a relaxing evening. “
Pinkie scratched her chin thoughtfully. “I guess that can be fun…”
The conversation dwindled into an awkward pause, with Pinkie rubbing her chin endlessly, and Cheerilee staring at the pink pony in front of her, looking for a polite way to move on with her day.
“If there isn’t anything else you need Pinkie, I’ll probably head to the Library then.”
Pinkie snapped out of her deep thoughts, returning to reality, if only for a fleeting moment. “Okie Dokie Loki, Cheerilee! But before you go, I have a super duper important question I need to ask you before you go.”
“Okay?” Cheerilee responded with a sigh.
Pinkie beckoned Cheerilee closer, forcing her to break her own rules on personal space. But if it meant moving on from a Pinkie Pie conversation and getting to the library, she would break a few of her rules. She leaned closer, and Pinkie leaned in as well, bringing the two muzzle to ear.
Pinkie cast a glance around, apparently looking for any who would be eavesdropping. Since they were the only ones in the street though, it was all for naught. Cheerilee’s brow furrowed in equal parts frustration and confusion as Pinkie took a great deal of time to say what she wanted to say.
“So Cheerilee,” she began slowly. Her voice was quiet, almost sultry, which made Cheerilee even more uncomfortable than she thought possible when it came to conversations with Pinkie Pie. “Vanilla…or Chocolate?”
Cheerilee couldn’t be certain if she had gone crazy, but she definitely noticed a few eye twitches, and maybe even felt a few hairs in her mane going grey. She backed away from the pink pony, now that she was certain that the matter being discussed was not a matter of national security. “Umm…chocolate I guess.”
Pinkie stared at Cheerilee with stern looking eyes. A few beads of sweat trickled down her neck, as she idly considered that she actually managed to upset Pinkie with her answer. All of her concerns vanished as the perplexing pink pony went several shades brighter in color, an act that probably gave Cheerilee a much higher chance at developing glaucoma in her future. Pinkie smiled softly. “Great!” she exclaimed, before turning away and bounding down the road in her usual fashion.
After watching the exuberant party pony wander off, Cheerilee snapped back to reality. It was an all too common idiom that Pinkie Pie’s antics were her simply ‘Being Pinkie Pie”, but that did not help the fact that they were impossible to get used to sometimes. The teacher simply shrugged at another act of random confusion by the errant Pie, and decided it best not to dwell on it and move on with her day. After all, there was a book to get.
She returned to her journey, unaware that her recent interruption was still lurking nearby, observing her from a careful distance, and disguised by a rather fancy pair of glasses and a fake mustache. The spying pony watched her target walk away, a plan forming in her mind. “I got to warn the girls, or she’ll ruin everything!” she whispered, before vanishing in a puff of smoke and leaving the bizarre glasses behind.
Now that she was very far away from Ponyville’s markets, Cheerilee had little reason to think that she would run into Pinkie Pie, or really anypony that might add more detours to her day. The streets were quiet, and the day was bright. Even without the book in her hooves yet, today really was a terrific day. So good, in fact, that she decided that a little diversion through the park couldn’t possibly hurt much.
It was early Summer, so many if not all the flowers were still in bloom. The vibrant colors mixed with the soft greens of the countless trees made for a blissful walk in the afternoon. The lavender was the most impressive. Cheerilee just loved lavender, the way it looked, the way it smelled, the way it matched her colors. Really it was a flower meant just for her. It was hard to look away from the plant with how the simple purple flower danced and shimmered in the daylight sun.
A sudden chill wind interrupted the serendipitous scene, blowing over the plains of the park. Cheerilee looked around at the glooming scene around her, as the daylight steadily trickled away. Looking up, she saw that a set of dark and stormy clouds were moving over the park. They churned and rumbled ominously in the air as they trundled to a stop. Cheerilee backed towards a nearby tree, keeping a careful eye on the sky above her.
A single drop of water landed on her muzzle, and the worried teacher hopped slightly in surprise at the errant globule of rain. She ran into the tree just in time as the sky let out a cacophonous bellow, before unleashing a torrent of rain and wind from its core. Water drizzled all around her, but the trees above her managed to shield her from the brunt of it. A few intermittent drips managed to penetrate the treeline, but not enough to be a bother. For now.
Cheerilee was trapped. If not for this sudden unscheduled storm, or her silly idea that a stroll through the park would not be much of a problem for her day, she was now going to be worlds later to get to the library than she had hoped. Her best and probably only hope was to remain where she was, and ride out the storm as long as she needed to.
The wind continued shifting, changing the tide of water randomly, many times sending it underneath the protective branches of the tree, soaking the idling mare underneath. She grumbled quietly, taking natures abuse, hoping that it would not last for long. Another gust of wind rushed past her, but something was different about it. The last time Cheerilee checked, wind did not grumble, and did not have rainbow coloring.
“Whoa Cheerilee, what are you doing here?” a brash voice asked above her.
Cheerilee looked up, and saw that Ponyville’s resident weathermare was hovering above her out in the rain. She did not look very happy, but it seemed to be for reasons beyond the rain.
“I’d like to ask you the same question Rainbow Dash.” Cheerilee asked pointedly. “I don’t recall there being a rainstorm scheduled for today.”
Rainbow facehoofed angrily. “Yea, I know,” she grumbled. “Cloud Kicker thought it was a smart idea to leave a storm cloud to build up to critical mass ‘ just in case of emergency’. Now we have a mondo raincloud on our hooves ready to burst. So I had to call an emergency cloud siphon before the entire reservoir got wasted on a single cloud. The park was the closest place that didn’t have anypony in it.”
“I’m in it!” Cheerilee exclaimed.
Rainbow rubbed her neck sheepishly. “Yea, I guess you snuck in after we had cleared it out. Sorry about that.”
Cheerilee sighed. “It’s ok Rainbow, just tell me how long it’s going to last so I know when I can leave.”
“Umm,” the cerulean pony said, scratching her chin. “With the way it’s venting now, I’d say about another hour at best.”
“An hour?”
Cheerilee looked at the floating Pegasus in shock. Then anger. “I’m supposed to sit here for an hour waiting for the storm to end?”
The Pegasus slowly descended to the ground, no small feat for her even with the gusting winds. “No, you aren’t.” She pointed to the center of the cloudwall. “See that big one in the middle? You haven’t even begun to feel it yet, but that baby is going to get even worse once we start draining it. As Ponyville weather chief, and for your safety, I have to ask you to find someplace safer.”
Cheerilee looked at the mare in front of her pleadingly. “Where in Equestria can I go without getting soaked? I’m in the middle of the park!”
Rainbow looked around, searching for something, anything that might help. Her eyes fell on something, just a silhouette in the distance, but considering the circumstances, it would have to do. She pointed a hoof in its direction. “See that? I think that’s Rarity’s boutique. It’s probably the closest building and your best bet of getting out of the storm without getting too wet.”
Cheerilee looked as well, her eyes seeing the same shadow as Rainbow had. Sure enough, it had the same shape and size as Carousel Boutique, and was acceptably close. The lights were on, at least suggesting that the owner was home. And Rarity was the Element of Generosity after all, and would of course allow somepony like Cheerilee to dry off in her home. Seeing no alternative, the teacher steeled herself, and bolted towards the boutique as fast as possible.
Rainbow Dash remained under the tree, watching Cheerilee dart from tree to tree in an effort to remain as dry as possible. She chuckled at the display before the school teacher vanished into the misty haze. She casually walked to the base of the large tree sheltering her from the rain, and swiftly turned to give it a trashing buck.
Two crashes later, Rainbow stood over a crumpled heap of feathers and curses in the form of her second and third in command in the Ponyville Weather Patrol; Cloud Kicker and Blossomforth. The two sputtering mares righted themselves from their sudden fall to earth, and stood stiffly in front of their superior with a jaunty salute. “Yes boss?” they said in unison.
Dash rolled her eyes. She gave a sharp whistle, bringing even more pegasi to attention around her. She admired the quick response of her underlings with a sly grin. “Alright everypony,” she shouted. “Time to get this mess cleaned up! We’re wasting water here. Cloud Kicker, you and Blossom get that thunderhead out of here before the Mayor chews us all out for wasting clouds. The rest of you, keep a few of the smaller clouds and position them outside Rarity’s windows.”
The underling Pegasi went to work immediately, dispersing in droves to fulfil their appointed tasks. The two superiors, however, lingered with their chief. Rainbow noted their continued presence with a confused scowl. “Can I help you with something else? Or did you two forget how to fly?”
“Uh, well boss,” Blossom asked meekly. “It’s just that what we are doing is a little…”
“Weird,” Cloud Kicker finished. “And what’s Cheerilee got to do with all of it?”
Rainbow eyed her subordinates. She turned slowly, flickering her wings in preparation to take off. “That’s for me to know,” she replied, giving her wings a strong beat. “And for you to not know.”
The cerulean mare rocketed from the ground, tearing though the sky and careened directly towards the looming grey mass floating above the park. The two confused Lieutenants watched their superior vanish into the storm head on with increasing confusion. Something strange was happening in Ponyville, and Cheerilee was somehow involved.
“Good heavens! Are you alright?”
The wide eyed look of horror and dismay was not lost on Cheerilee as she trotted weakly into Carousel Boutique. Rarity had drawled out her usual greeting, before actually turning to see the sopping wet mess that had entered her shop unannounced. Cheerilee was soaking wet from mane to tail. A pool of water formed at every step as she paced about the entrance, trying in vain to not soak the carpet.
A towel flew across the room on top of her with a blue glow surrounding it, and began to vigorously scrub the water out of her coat. After a few moments of sputtering and scrubbing, Cheerilee was sufficiently dry, but her mane and coat had reached new high of frizziness. Her hair poofed out in a comical fashion, as the shop proprietor stared at her, fighting between being appalled at the sight of the puffball teacher, or to burst out laughing.
I few stifled giggles later, Rarity returned to her professional stance and guided Cheerilee deeper into the store. “I am terribly sorry about your mane, Miss Cheerilee. Allow me to at least fix you up before you go back outside. What on Equestria were you doing to get so wet?”
“It’s raining,” she said sternly. “Can’t you tell?” She pointed to a window, and Rarity was taken aback at the scene outside.
“Why, so it is! How strange, I don’t recall one scheduled for today, least of all near my boutique. I thought I told Rainbow Dash to avoid planning storms too close to my shop.” Rarity had a peculiar smile on her face, one that Cheerilee recognised all too well in her students as a lie. But surely miss Rarity would be above such things.
“Now then,” the alabaster pony exclaimed. “Since we are no doubt trapped here for some time, we should at least find some way to entertain ourselves, starting with the dreadful state of your mane my dear.”
Cheerilee blew an absent strand of hair out of her face, but it persisted. “I suppose that would be a good idea for now. I would look awfully silly leaving like this.”
“Excellent!” Rarity chimed excitedly. She led Cheerilee to a corner of the room surrounded by extravagant mirrors angled in every direction. The mare gave a startled jump at her reflection, only now realizing the full extent of her situation. Her mane was frazzled in ways that she didn’t think possible, stretching, bending, twirling and fraying all over her body. Her coat was matted in places that were still slightly wet, tangled and sticking out where it was dry. If her hair had been any longer, she would have been nothing but a ball of pinkish fur with a pair of eyes. A slight twitch developed in her eyes, the kind that would take years of medical assistance to get rid of.
Rarity managed to hide the look of struggle on her face in the reflection, as she was nearly on the edge of no longer being lady like, and closer to something closer to whatever Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were. Uncouth pranksters most likely. But she steeled herself, and levitated a beautiful set of jeweled brushes and combs. Her arsenal at the ready, she prepared the disheveled mare in front of her for the makeover of her life time. Quite literally she thought, for if Cheerilee were caught outside like this, it would be the death of her.
The salon implements soared through the air, tugging and gliding through clumps of errant hair on the struggling pony caught in the middle. For Rarity, it was like another day at the spa. It was a symphony for her, with each stroke of the brush like an elegant sting section, every coif a melodious choir of wind. For Cheerilee, it was an excessive lesson in sitting perfectly still lest something get cut off, and a series of sharp objects flying around her making it very difficult to do the former. In other words, it was the world’s worst manecut appointment ever.
Rarity hummed as she worked at her task, noting Cheerilee’s stiffened posture. Perhaps some salon talk would ease the mare of her worry?
“Are you excited about our trip to Canterlot next weekend, Miss Cheerilee? I certainly know I am!” she sang.
“Oh yes, I’m looking forward to it.” Cheerilee said concernedly, watching the scissors around her very carefully. “But it was today I was more interested in.”
“Oh?” Rarity asked. “What is so special about today?”
“It’s nothing really extravagant,” the teacher mused. “It’s just one of the few days off I’ve had in a while, they are rare, so I consider them special. You wouldn’t believe how difficult it is for a teacher to find some time to herself during the school year.”
“Hmm,” Rarity murmured. “I suppose I can understand, at least on the grounds that you have my sister and her friends as pupils in your class. They must be quite the hooffull in and out of the classroom.”
“Yes I suppose they are,” Cheerilee chuckled in agreement. “Even today I couldn’t avoid running into them. Or them running into me…”
“What was that dear? You trailed off.”
“Oh it’s just that the girls nearly ran into me earlier today. Speeding along as they usually do.”
“I see…” the stylist intoned as she worked. “What were they doing? I haven’t heard from Sweetie all day.” She glanced out the window, the rain still drizzling down outside. A worried expression showed on her face. “I do hope they did not get caught in the rain.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that. Rainbow Dash said the storm would be focused on the park, and I the girls were looking for Carrot Top when I last saw them.”
“Carrot Top?” Rarity asked, confused. “Why would they be looking for her?”
Cheerilee shrugged, still taking care to avoid an unwanted scissor accident. “Carrots…I guess.”
Rarity giggled daintily. “I suppose it is just another one of those little games they like to play.”
The conversation dwindled into random topics, before eventually falling into an awkward silence. The only remaining noises being the snipping of clippers or the ruffling of a hairbrush. Rarity continued her quiet humming as she went about her work, while Cheerilee finally found room to relax around the fastidious pony hovering around her. The snipping slowed, and brushing weakened, and finally ceased altogether. Rarity spun Cheerilee around towards the mirrors, with an exceptionally pleased smile.
“And voila!” she exclaimed. “My greatest work yet!”
Cheerilee couldn’t help but agree. She could scarcely recognise the pony in the mirror. She had the same colors, the same eyes, the same face, but so much else was different. Her two toned mane was curled and trimmed delicately; her purple hued fur was brushed to the quality of silk. Her body in its entirety seemed to shimmer in the iridescent lighting of the boutique. She looked, and felt, worlds different.
“Miss Rarity, I don’t know what to say. I…”
“Ah, ah, ah…” Rarity interrupted. “You need not say a thing. It is my pleasure, and my treat to you for keeping me company during that dreadful storm.”
Both mare’s eyes drifted to the adjacent window. Somewhere during the lengthy makeover session, the storm had ended. Sunlight began to pour into the small shop floor, adding even further glimmering to Cheerilee’s new look.
“It seems the storm is over, Miss Rarity.”
“T-that it does, Miss Cheerilee.”
Rarity led her guest to the door, graciously opening it to the warming afternoon outside. The sun was a welcome sight after the miserable turn of events so far today. Cheerilee basked a moment in its warmth, before a timid cough regained her attention.
“I do hope you enjoy the rest of your day, Miss Cheerilee,” Rarity said with a smile. “And enjoy your new look, the stallions will be all over you I am sure.”
The two exchanged farewells, and Cheerilee trotted down the road, her intent on reaching her destination as strong as ever. The sun had dried the errant puddles of mud rather quickly, making for a dry path to the library. Everything seemed to be going her way finally, enough to overlook the worried sigh of relief behind her.
Rarity shut the door quietly behind her. Another breath of relief escaped her, as her mind raced for the next step of events. “Well, Rainbow Dash,” she mused to nopony in particular. “It seems your plan worked as well as mine, but I hope everpony else can manage the rest.”
She quietly moved towards a small pile of fabrics that lay in the center of the boutique floor. She tossed the vibrant colors aside to reveal a small package underneath. She scooped it up with her magic and after tossing on a fashionable cloak, made her way out the back door of her home and into the streets of Ponyville.
Finally, her destination was in view. No less than ten minutes away down the last winding road of the village was Ponyville Library. Less than ten minutes, and Cheerilee would have the precious new addition to her collection, and once she returned home this crazy day could be put behind her. The library sat in a quieter part of the residential area of the small town, but today the streets were noticeably more populated than normal. Ponies were filling into small crowds on either side of the street, engrossed in loud and complicated conversations. Cheerilee paid no attention to them, she had come too far today to fail now, now that her goal was in sight.
Despite the day’s events taking their toll on her, Cheerilee trotted along with renewed vigor. The sight of the library must have had a rejuvenating effect on her wearied body, the thought of reading the next tale of the Chrystal Hooves saga giving her all the energy she needed. She passed through the groups of waiting ponies, noticing a steady decline in the volume of their conversations as she walked by. She felt eyes from many directions on her. Cheerilee couldn’t help but notice that many ponies were beginning to stare at her.
At first, she thought it was Rarity’s makeover doing what it was intended to, but Cheerilee noted a fair amount of mares staring as well, as well as stallions. None of the stares were of boggle eyed wonder, or dimwitted attraction, but of concern and worry. Perhaps Rarity’s work had gone too far? Had the modest teacher allowed the resident fashionista to turn her into a common trollop? A tart to be leered at from immodest stallions and overbearing mares? Cheerilee froze in horror at the implications that were rapidly entering her mind.
The sound of distant rumbling distracted the frantic thoughts long enough for Cheerilee to reassess her situation. A second glance revealed that it was not herself that was the focus of the worried stares, but where she was walking. A long stretch of road had been cordoned off with signs and posts, many of them hung with warnings and other similar messages. Somehow Cheerilee had walked right through without noticing, and was now standing in what looked like a makeshift railroad crossing.
The distant rumbling grew louder, and the earth beneath her hooves began to tremble softly. She looked down the blocked off section of road, and saw a growing cloud of dust approaching her. The ground began shaking, and large shapes began to fill out in the massive cloud. The scene was all too familiar from times past, but today of all days it seemed Cheerilee was thick in the middle of it. Gasps escaped from the crowd behind her, as their tremulous voices began to rise. Shouting, screaming and yelling of all kinds erupted from the ponies, but only a few of them showed any concern for Cheerilees wellbeing. Many of them simply shouted what all of them were thinking. Stampede.
Sure enough, the herd of cattle came into view. They marched at a quickened pace without thought or care of direction. They simply went forward, and that unfortunately was where Cheerilee was standing. She backed up slowly, but the jarring sensations from the shaking ground made it difficult to move without stumbling. With every single step she made towards safety, the herd made dozens towards her. Within seconds the stampeding bovines would overtake the terrified schoolteacher. She winced in preparation of the impending impact, when all of a sudden a sinewy cord wrapped itself around her waist.
The rope yanked quick and yanked hard, pulling Cheerilee out of harm’s way just in the nick of time with a painful, “Oof!” A storm of trampling hooves, choruses of moo’s, and the shuddering of quaking earth roared past the tiny section of road as Cheerilee flew backwards. She landed in the dirt mere feet away from the corralled road none the worse for wear. Stars spun around her head, when a piercing shout mere inches from her ears returned her to her senses.
“Yeehaw!” the pony above her shouted. “Now that’s how you lasso yourself a teacher!”
Cheerilee rose her head from her dazed state on the ground to see Applejack standing over her. She had a large grin on her face, with a lasso clenched in her teeth. Following the cord with her eyes, Cheerilee noticed that the other end was tied around her midsection. An orange hoof extended to help her to her hooves. She wobbled and stumbled, still trembling from the near brush with a stampede, but she managed to right herself with the help of the mare beside her.
“T-thank you, Applejack.” Cheerilee breathed.
“Shoot,” the farmpony drawled. “I ain’t no big thing miss Cheerilee. Anythin’ for a pony in need. But Ah gots to ask, whut in tarnation were ya doin’ walkin’ through that there barricade? Didn’t ya see that it was corralled?”
“Well,” Cheerilee began, glancing at the stampeding cows rumbling past. “I suppose I just wasn’t paying attention. I’ve been a bit distracted all day.”
“Whut for?”
“Oh, it’s nothing really,” Cheerilee dismissed passively. “I’ve just been trying to get to the library all day, and every time I get closer something seems to slow me down.”
Applejack’s eyes shifted slightly, glancing side to side in a peculiar motion. Her smile looked more forced than usual, and her hoof scratched the ground nervously. “Well, Ah’m awfully sorry for delayin’ ya, Miss Cheerilee. But the cows have been overgrazin’ the north fields, so we had to move them to the other side of town. Fluttershy’s been helpin’ me all mornin’ to get em’ organized.”
Applejack waved her hoof in the air, signaling to the aforementioned Pegasus who was floating daintily above the stampeding cows. Fluttershy waved back as she hovered in circles above the cattle, issuing quiet instructions. Even over the din of the rumbling bovines, Cheerilee could hear the timid pony’s soft voice. “No pushing please. Everycow take your time. There’s no rush. Oh dear, not so loud Moorietta, you’ll scare the bunnies.”
The animal lover floated along, following the steadily shrinking wave of cows as the stampede started to dwindle. The boisterous rumble finally shrunk to a tolerable roar and the crowd of gawking onlookers began to disperse. Applejack moved towards the corral wall and began pushing it aside. Cheerilee followed her and offered her assistance. Applejack nodded appreciatively at the help and together the two mares managed to clear away the wooden panels in short order. Even though she was a teacher, as an Earth Pony she was no stranger to physical labor, especially when she had to teach gym class. The farmer mare gave a satisfied nod at their work and tipped her hat to Cheerilee.
“Thank ya kindly for the help, Miss Cheerilee. You can git on goin’ to the library now. Shouldn’t be any more trouble t’ slow ya down.”
Cheerilee looked down the road at the library. She was still as close as she had been all day, and the path was now clear. She scanned every inch of the street, making sure that there were no more possible interuptions to slow her down. There were no new street signs, no market stalls, no Cutie Mark Crusaders and definitely no Pinkie Pie. Finally, she was in the clear.
She sighed quietly. “You may be right, Applejack. Today has been difficult, but it looks like it’s finally going my way.”
She started slowly, taking a moment to look both ways across the section of trampled road. Confirming that there were no errant cows lurking, she broke out into a hasty trot across the road and towards the library. Applejack waved goodbye as Cheerilee shrank in the distance. When the teacher was out of earshot, the orange mare collapsed to her rump and heaved a solemn sigh.
“Do you think we slowed her down long enough?” a quiet voice asked.
Applejack looked up to see Fluttershy land in front of her. Her ever-present look of worry shifted between concern and exhaustion.
“Ah don’t know ‘Shy. But Ah don’t feel right misleadin’ her. It’s just as bad as it wuz that time with Pinkie.”
Fluttershy smiled. “Oh, Applejack. The cows needed to be moved, or else they would have starved. It may have been planned this way to delay her, but it really was necessary. She’ll see it as another coincidence, and it really was.”
Applejack sighed again. “Ah guess yer right, ‘Shy. But it don’t mean I still gotta like it.” The farmer stood up swiftly, and began trotting towards the town center. “Now lets git goin’, we’ve still got work to do.”
Fluttershy nodded and followed her earth bound friend. She cast one last worried glance towards the library behind her. “I hope Twilight is ready,” she thought to herself, before darting away to catch up with her friend.
Never before had the Ponyville Library looked so magnificent. After a trying day of delays, distractions, and just strange occurrences, Cheerilee had finally made it to her destination. The enormous tree structure loomed over the tiny street, casting shadows in the mid afternoon sun. A gentle breeze wafted by, rustling the branches. They groaned and rippled in the wind with a gentle rasping noise. Cheerilee marveled in the splendor of the tree, finally enjoying a moment of peace and quiet in her otherwise busy day.
She trotted calmly to the door, and knocked softly. A few moments passed with no answer. She tried again, but still no answer. Were they closed? No, that couldn’t be it. Twilight rarely closed the library, even if she was out of town. Even Spike was capable enough to manage things while the bookkeeper was absent. She knocked again, but much louder. She heard a noise from inside and murmured voices. Cheerilee pressed her ear to the door, trying to hear what was going on, but heard nothing. Another knock.
“Just a minute!” she heard from inside.
She backed away from the door to not look like a snooper. The door swung open, revealing the owner of the library, bright eyed and cheerful, if a little more frazzled than normal.
“Hello, Miss Cheerilee…” Twilight began happily, before trailing off. Her eyes widened slightly, then frowned in confusion. “What happened to you? You look…different.”
Cheerilee tried to look for whatever had Twilights attention. Her fur had been marred with a thin layer of dust from her earlier tumble and was no longer shimmering in the sunlight. Her mane appeared to be mostly intact, if a little dusty as well. A bath would probably be in order once she returned home, and would probably be the best way to enjoy her new book.
“Oh I just had a run in with Rarity and her brushes, then a stampede of cows. In that order.” She groused. “It’s been a strange day.”
Twilight nodded slowly, comprehending at least half of what Cheerilee haid said. She stepped aside to allow her friend entry into the library.
“Can I offer you some tea?” Twlight asked, nodding towards the small table in the corner of the room. A small kettle sat on it, steaming slightly.
After the misadventures of today, a pot of some of Twilights tea sounded wonderful. Cheerilee knew that Twilight always had sets of expensive and exotic teas from all over Equestria on hoof and had indulged on them once or twice before. “I would love some tea, Twilight. It may be just what I need after today.”
Twilight smiled and led Cheerilee to the table. The two say down while the librarian levitated the hot kettle magically and poured tea for the both of them. A peaceful calm drifted through the library as Cheerilee breathed in the sweet scent of her tea. For once, her problems just melted away. The mounting worries of her long and tiring day were finally collapsing away and maybe, just maybe she could enjoy the rest of the afternoon, though she wished she could say the same for the mare sitting across from her.
Twilight’s tea seemed to be having the opposite effect on her. At first Cheerilee dismissed Twilight’s frazzled state at the door, since it was how she usually was. Her long nights of studying and managing the library had always taken their toll on her. But now, she seemed to be steadily getting worse at the table. She was fidgeting nervously, even to the point of spilling drops of her tea. Her mane was frayed and tangled. Her eyes looked wearied from what looked like a week without sleep and her exhaustion had required to prop up a hoof to keep her head from resting on the table.
“Twilight, are you alright?” Cheerilee asked with concern. “You look awful.”
Twilight snapped to reality with a twitch. Her head slipped from its propped position and whacked into the table with a painful sounding thud. She recovered instantaneously, bringing her head up swiftly. She had a nervous smile on her face as she sputtered nonsensically. “Oh! It’s nothing really. Just another late night. Studying. Yea, studying, that’s it.”
Cheerilee watched Twilight attempt to fix herself and hide her messy appearance. Cheerilee knew of Twilights extensive studying sessions. They were excessive, even for the experienced teacher. But even Twilight learned her lesson after what happened at the beginning of the year and toned it down afterwards. Or did she?
“Twilight,” she began. “You haven’t been working too hard planning the field trip next week have you?”
Twilights ear twitched slightly, as something clicked in her brain. Her eyes widened and her head nodded vigorously. “Y-yes! That’s it! Too much preparing for the trip. Of course that’s what’s wrong with me. Silly me!”
The frazzled mare smiled weakly, as Cheerilee shook her head slowly. “Twilight, I thought you learned your lesson the last time. Remember Smarty Pants?”
Twilight twitched again as the full horror of that particular memory entered her brain. She shuddered slightly at the thought. “…Don’t remind me…” she deadpanned.
“Just take it easy, Twilight. No need to work yourself to death over nothing. It’s only a field trip.” Cheerilee smiled, and even the ragged Twilight seemed to gain comfort from it. The teacher stood from the table and meandered over to the bookshelves. Her eyes scanned through them, looking for a particular one.
“So, what brings you here today anyways, Cheerilee? I assume it’s not just to check up on me.”
Cheerilee paused in the middle of the lobby, searching for the new release shelf. Her heart sank when she found it and noticed that it was empty. “I read that you received some new books today, and I was hoping to get a copy of the new Crystal Hooves book.”
“Oh!” Twilight exclaimed. “You read that series too?”
“Ever since I can remember.” Cheerilee smiled. “But these shelves are empty. Don’t tell me you already ran out.”
Twilight looked at the empty shelf. “I haven’t managed to stock the new release shelf today. I was about to do it when you came by. Just a moment.”
Cheerilee’s heart skipped a beat at the thought that she was not too late. Perhaps her day had not been completely ruined and there was still a chance at salvaging it. She watched Twilight walk over to the staircase. “Spike!” she shouted. “Did that shipment of new books come in this morning?”
The tiny purple dragon popped his head out of the opening at the top. “I think so,” he said. They should be by the door, Twilight.”
Both Twilight and Cheerilee followed the dragons pointing claw to the door, and sure enough, a small stack of boxes were piled up behind it. Twilight trotted over to them with Cheerilee behind her. The librarian levitated the clipboard attached to the pile and read over the documents.
“Let’s see…” she began, searching the papers. “ ‘Cutie Mark Conundrums’ by Hoofenmyer, no that’s not it. ‘Chronicles of Canterlot’ by Moonshimmer, no not that either.” Twilight descended into a fit of mumbling as she continued reading, until…
“Aha! ‘The Everfree Rose’, the latest in the Crystal Hooves series by Quillery Penfeather: Shipped in box three.”
A purple glow enveloped the stack of boxes, lifting them effortlessly into the air. Twilight tilted the boxes to and fro, reading the labels printed on them. “One, two and…four?”
The boxes flew up, and Twilight peered under them. But there was no box labeled with a three. Cheerilee heart began to sink again, while Twilight shouted for her assistant once more. “Spike! Where is the fourth box of this shipment? There are only three!”
Spike showed himself again and descended the stairs begrudgingly. “I dunno Twi, Ditzy was the one who delivered them this morning.”
Twilight groaned, facehoofing for good measure. “Of course she was. Of all days she delivers my mail, it has to be new release day.”
The librarian looked back to Cheerilee, who noted a steadily souring mood in her fellow booklover. “I’m terribly sorry Miss Cheerilee, but I’ll have to go speak to Ditzy Doo to see where that box went. I’ll try and get a copy to you as soon as I can.”
Cheerilee sighed wearily. “It’s ok Twilight. With how my day’s been going, I should have expected it.”
She glumly walked towards the door with her head hung low. “I’ll just be heading home then. Maybe tomorrow will be less stressful.”
Cheerilees last words did not carry through the air, settling as a depressed musing to herself. Twilight watched her friend sadly walk across the lobby and towards the door. The door creaked open slowly, adding even further gloom to the room and it clicked silently as Cheerilee closed it behind her. Silence drowned the small lobby, as the baby dragon and librarian watched the upset mare leave them alone.
“Phew!” Spike breathed. “I thought she’d never leave.”
Twilight shared the sentiment with a relieved sigh. “Tell me about it.”
She trotted quickly to the window, verifying that her recent guest was indeed walking away. She felt a little guilty at letting her friend leave in such a poor mood, but she had much more important things on her mind and Cheerilee’s presence would only interfere. Thankfully a misfiled box gave her enough of an excuse to get rid of her. “Spike, where is that box. Really?”
The dragon pointed a claw to the stairs. “Under the staircase. Behind the crate with the…y’know…”
Twilight followed her assistants gaze, her eyes widening at the realization of what the dragon was talking about. “Oh,” she said, smiling. “Very clever Spike. I’ll get those sorted out after we’re done with everything else. For now, pull out that crate. We’ve got a bit more work to do.”
Spike waddled towards the closet and opened the door hastily. He vanished into the dark nook and returned dragging a large sealed wooden box across the floor. Twilight walked up beside him as he fiddled with the lock. It popped off with a pleasing click and the Unicorn lifted the ponderous lid off with a wave of her magic. Spike hopped up to the edge of the box and both of them peered inside to survey its mysterious contents.
Twilight regarded her supplies with a smirk, while Spike whistled approvingly. “Oh and Spike?”
“Yea Twi?”
“Remind me to forgive Ditzy for ever doubting her, even in jest. I don’t want a repeat of what
happened last time.”
“Last time?” Spike asked quizzically.
“Last time,” Twilight repeated sternly.
“Oh, right. That.”
Defeat. That was the only way to describe today. Cheerilee’s first day off in months had been defeated. It started out so well, but it seemed even the sun and moon themselves were conspiring against her. She trotted glumly in the evening sun. Soon it would be nighttime, and this failure of a day would be over. There was at least a chance that tomorrow would not be as chaotic, but there was no way to be certain. All she knew is that she wanted to get home as soon as possible to escape the madness of Ponyville that had consumed what remained of her patience.
Her thoughts were muddled by the strange occurrences today, trying to find rhyme or reason for any of it. They all seemed random in nature, but it was all the suspicious looks that her friends gave her every time she spoke to them of it. Everypony had other plans, that seemed to directly conflict Cheerilee. That was absurd of course. Why would everypony in town want to spoil her day off. Sure they might not have known it was her day off to begin with, but even still they would have to have a reason to act so strangely.
None of it mattered though. The day was ending, the one thing she wanted out of it was gone and her entire accomplishments today added up to a simple crossword puzzle and a dusty manecut. A bath would still be a good idea perhaps, if anything to soothe the aches that had piled up from the day’s events. At least she could take comfort in that thought if nothing else.
Her home stood gloomily at the end of her street. The nighttime shadows added an air of dread to it which grew even more ominous as Cheerilee approached. At least she was home, at least she was safe. Standing at the door, she looked back to the road from where she came. It was empty, the village now starting to quietly prepare for night. Children would be in bed by now and even the adults would be preparing for another nights rest. A sigh escaped her lips as she dourly pushed the door open and entered her darkened home.
The kitchen was the way she left it. A dull beam of moonlight let the tiny room, illuminating the table with the messy stacks of papers and bookwork. Thankfully they had not fallen on their own, but they could just as easily waiting to nail the final coffin in what remained of Cheerilees eventful day. She stepped carefully around the table to the light switch on the wall and gave it a little flick.
Nothing.
She tried again, but the light did not work. The kitchen remained dark, only adding to Cheerilee’s frustration. A broken light was the least of her problems, but then again, it could have been worse. She moved on into the living room. It was a much larger room than her kitchen, but had no windows to let in the light of the sun or moon. She fumbled through darkness, searching the walls for the tiny switch, hoping that at least this light would work. Then she could spend the rest of her evening in peace and-
“SURPRISE!”
Cheerilee screamed in fright, collapsing to the floor onto her back. She stared upwards in a daze, listening to the sound of murmured voices and gentle hoofsteps. A head popped into view, then another and another until a very large group of ponies had surrounded her. They all spoke over each other with worry and concern. A smaller voice managed to pipe up above the rest.
“Are you ok, Miss Cheerilee?”
“A-applebloom?” Cheeirlee asked weakly. “What are you doing in my house at this hour?”
She slowly turned over and got to her hooves, noting the large gathering of ponies in her livingroom. “What are you all doing in my house at this hour?”
A giggling snort echoed through the room, as a punk blur darted around the room and stopped inches away from where Cheerilee was standing. “Well it would be really silly to have a surprise party outside!” the blur chirped. “There’s nowhere to hide to yell out surprise!”
Cheerilee stared at Pinkie incredulously. “A surprise party? For what? How phenomenally bad my day has gone?”
Pinkie looked a little hurt at Cheerilees frustrated response. But she shrugged it off with a little hop and circled the teacher with energetic bounds. “You forgot what day it is today? That’s so funny! I did the same thing once, and boy was that ever a doozy of a day!”
The mindless hopping only served to confuse Cheerilee more. “What are you talking about, Pinkie?”
“I think she’s talking about this,” a voice from behind her replied.
Cheerilee turned to see Twilight Sparkle, and the rest of her friends standing in the doorway into the living room. They all had brightly wrapped packages with them, adorned with ribbons and bows of various colors. The lavender mare’s horn was glowing, and a tangled mess of papers flew in from the kitchen, stopping in front of Cheerilee’s face. She looked at it carefully, recognising the crumpled mess as her calendar. She scanned the open page, noticing that only a single date was marked. It was circled in red, with tiny writing beside, reading: Birthday.
Cheerilee stared at the circled date. Today was her birthday? How could she have forgotten? Was she really so overworked and over preparing for her day off that she forgot her own birthday? She slowly fell to her rump, the disbelief reaching its peak. She looked around at the state of her living room. A dozen of her closest friends and students were somehow packed into the modest sized room. The walls were decorated with streamers and balloons and a huge banner was hung along the front, reading ‘Happy Birthday Cheerilee!’ Tables were set out with rows of sweets, snacks, plates and a giant bowl of bright pink punch.
A tiny tug of her leg averted her attention. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had surrounded her. They were brandishing a large plate with a rather large cake sitting on it. It was a beautifully layered cake with orange frosting and white trim. The girls had beaming smiles on their faces as they presented their gift to their beloved teacher.
“Miss Cheerilee,” Applebloom began. “The crusaders and ah wanted to get you something special, so we went out and made you a cake!”
“It’s a carrot cake!” Sweetie sang.
“Carrot Top helped us make it!” Scootaloo exclaimed.
The cake did look delicious, surprisingly so for the Crusaders skill level. Perhaps Carrot Top had more of a hoof in its creation than the girls led on, but Cheerilee was grateful nonetheless. The trio of giggling fillies wandered off in search of plates and cutting implements, leaving Cheerilee with the confectionary.
“Allow me to assist you Miss Cheerilee.”
Rarity stepped forward, her face set in concentration. A blue aura surrounded the cake, lifting it from Cheerilee’s hooves and depositing it daintily onto a nearby table. She then helped the still sitting Cheerilee to her hooves. The alabaster unicorn gave the teacher a scanning look. “It seems my makeover did not last long in the tribulations of your day, Miss Cheerilee.”
Cheerilee smiled sheepishly. “I am terribly sorry, Rarity. You did do a wonderful job and all I did was ruin it.”
The fashionista laughed. “Oh think nothing of it, dear. It was really more of a delaying tactic than anything. And while it served its purpose quite well if I do say so myself!”
Rarity beamed a pearlescent smile. She turned her head, her horn glowing again. “And I would love to take you out for a spa treatment in the future, but let me present my gift so we may proceed with the festivities.”
The unicorn produced a pearl white box with a royal purple ribbon, matching the color of its wrapper exquisitely. It shimmered with crushed diamond glitter and smelled faintly of expensive perfume. She placed the gift into Cheerilee’s hooves, who eyed the magnificent package in awe. Rarity rolled her eyes bemusedly at Cheerilee’s reaction and gave the ribbon a little tug to help the mystified mare along. The lid popped off and a large plume feather sprang from the depths of the box. With one final display of magic, Rarity carefully opened the sides of the box, revealing a large bell shaped hat with a protruding fuchsia feather in its rim.
“Spike mentioned that you gave him a fabulous hat for his birthday, so I saw fit to give you the same darling! Cloche hats are all the rage in Canterlot these days and I know you will love it!”
Cheerilee admired the hat with a stroke of her hooves. The material was as soft as silk, yet seemed far more resilient. It was a white, much like the hat she gave to spike, along with the same feather jutting from the red banded rim. It was a beautifully thoughtful gift from both Rarity and Spike and Cheerilee would be hard pressed to repay them.
“Thank you, Miss Rarity. It’s beautiful.”
“Of course it is,” Rarity giggled. “A Rarity Original never disappoints!”
The white unicorn bowed curtly and bowed away into the group of meandering ponies that were still surrounding the mare of the hour. A prismatic maned mare pushed her way through the crowd, holding an equally prismatic package. Rainbow Dash carefully deposited the gift at Cheerilees hooves, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. “Hey Cheer, sorry about the rain in the park. It was the only thing I could think of on such short notice to slow you down. I hope you didn’t get too wet.”
“Oh don’t worry about it Rainbow Dash,” Cheerilee said amusedly. “Aside from the stampede, it probably was the most exciting thing that happened all day.”
The cyan mare looked slightly distraught at what Cheerilee had told her. “Aw man, Applejack got a stampede to slow you down?! I can’t believe I missed that!”
Cheerilee giggled at Dash’s quiet muttering while she observed the gift that she had brought her. It was not as expertly wrapped as Rarity’s, but its vibrant rainbow coloring still made it as inviting as any present had a right to. Tugging at the ribbon, the lid carefully slid off, revealing a pair of tickets wrapped in a bow. Both tickets had the same marking of a lightning bolt with wings, an all too familiar insignia. At the bottom in boldfaced text read, ‘Wonderbolts Exhibition, admit one.’
Cheerilee looked up from the tickets to see Rainbow Dash smiling a not so subtle smile of complete and utter glee. She appeared to be at a breaking point of excitement, with her rapid breathing and thrashing tail. She caught herself before she lost control, shifting from imminent fangirlasm to strained aloofness. She waved dismissively at the gift, trying to look as indifferent as possible. “I got you tickets to a Wonderbolt show, cause I thought you might like to go,” Dash said plainly. “And I got you two because I thought you might wanna take somepony with you. It doesn’t have to be me or anything!” she quickly blurted. “Just, anypony you want.”
Dash descended into a quiet stare. Her eyes locked into the pair of tickets that she had given to Cheerilee, her face looking like she had given up a close friend. Her woe was not lost on Cheerilee however.
“Rainbow Dash,” she said coyly. “Would you like to come with me to see this show with me?”
If Rainbow Dash could smile and wider, her head would probably have fallen off. She bounded into the air with an excited whoop. She circled around the room in quick, precise turns, all the while chanting, “yesyesyesyesyesyesyes!”
Her joyous shouting faded into the din of the party that was steadily reaching full swing. A certain living blur of pink decided now was a perfect time to show itself once more. Pinkie came to a screeching halt beside Cheerilee, who for once was not surprised by the party pony’s antics. For today at least. Pinkie had an equally pink envelope hanging from her mouth. “Hea, Sheeruhree, Ah gawt dis phor ewe.”
“What was that Pinkie?”
Pinkie spat out the envelope into her hooves, before placing it into Cheerilee’s. “I got this for you, extra special from Sugarcube Corner!” she said cheerfully.
Cheerilee carefully opened the sealed letter, preparing for a fireworks display or a confetti bomb, which was expected with Pinkie Pie. Instead inside was a laminated card. She looked at it slowly, recognising it as a piece of stationary made from Sugarcube Corner. It was a bright pink, and even smelled like the famed bakery and sweet shop. On it was a single phrase, with a small signature. ‘Free Chocolate Ice cream for life! Courtesy of Pinkie D Pie.’
“Pinkie,” Cheerilee asked slowly. “Is this…”
“Yup!” the pink pony interrupted. “Free chocolate ice cream for ever and ever! And summer is coming up! The best time to enjoy it!”
“Pinkie, I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything silly! Just buy me a scoop time sometime and it’s all good!”
Her good deeds done for the day, the party planner bounded away, searching for any details that needed to be finished before the party was ready to truly begin. Cheerilee looked at the gifts she had received so far. They were truly wonderful gifts, but she was starting to feel a little overburdened with her limited limbs to carry them all. She picked up what she had and looked for a place to put them all safely, settling on the small end table pushed into the corner of the room.
“Ahem,” a voice twanged.
Cheerilee turned to see Applejack and Fluttershy standing together, both holding their own gifts. The boxes were similarly colored just like the others and were hanging lazily from their ribbons in their carriers’ mouth. The two mares placed the packages onto the ground, Applejack being the first to offer hers. “Here’s mah gift,” the Dixie mare drawled. “It ain’t much, but it’s the least Ah could do after whut happened today.”
Cheerilee took the orange package in her hooves. The ribbon released easily and the lid came off effortlessly. Inside, wrapped in a small cloth was a wooden sculpture. Cheerilee lifted the carving out, letting the dainty fabric fall from it, revealing the true nature of the object. Expertly carved and chiseled, fashioned with brass and pewter, the simple looking carving was actually a very exquisite stein, an expensive looking one at that.
“Applejack, is this…”
“Eeyup,” the golden maned mare replied, nodding. “A Cider Stein. Applebloom helped me make it. She’s a real hoot with a pair of chisels, Ah tell you hwat.”
Applejack knew how much Cheerilee enjoyed Cider Season, so having her own personalized stein to drink it from was truly a special gift, even from Applejack.
“Thank you very much, Applejack. I can’t wait for this year’s Cider Season to try it out.”
The farmpony tipped her hat, satisfied that her gift was well received. She went to leave Fluttershy to present her gift, passing by Cheerilee and whispering into her ear. “Don’t tell RD, but Ah said you could be first in line this year to try that there mug out.”
Applejacks eyes shifted slightly, glancing at the mare in question, who was bobbing for apples with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Cheerilee gave a little nod, knowing full well how seriously Applejacks friend took Cider Season. Her secret safe, Applejack meandered away to join the party, leaving Cheerilee with a flustered looking Fluttershy.
As usual in all social gatherings, Fluttershy was torn between trying to be completely invisible and bordering on some kind of breakdown. She stared meekly at Cheerilee through her cascading bangs and tentatively poked at her gift in a vain attempt to move it forward. The pastel yellow gift inched steadily towards Cheerilee, inciting a few squeaking noises every time the nervous Pegasus nudged it too hard.
Once the gift was within hoof’s reach, Cheerilee carefully pulled it towards her, making sure not to startle its giver. It was the most carefully wrapped gift so far and was refreshingly simple. No fancy lace or colors, no glitter or glamour and definitely no chance of exploding. Fluttershy stared expectantly as Cheerilee worked at undoing the ribbon to reveal her prize. Even the lid managed to come off meekly, as if Fluttershy’s own essence was fused into the packaging. Once opened, the box released a breath of exotic smells. Inside was a selection of teas and other herbs, many of which Cheerilee had never seen before. She knew that Fluttershy was a purveyor of tea’s and other relaxation commodities, but she never expected such a diverse and expensive selection.
The teacher caught sight of Fluttershy’s quivering stare, who seemed to have noticed Cheerilees look of wonderment at what she had received. Before the timid pony could jump to the conclusion that her gift was insufficient from the lack of response, Cheerilee carefully moved forward and gave the Pegasus a gentle hug. Fluttershy was surprised, of course, but soon her worry deflated enough to return the friendly embrace. Potential situation diffused, Cheerilee saw fit to utter a quiet word to the calming Pegasus.
“Thank you, Miss Fluttershy. These teas’ smell lovely. I’d love to share them with you sometime.”
“Okay,” Fluttershy whispered.
Cheerilee released the hug to allow Fluttershy to retreat quietly into the throes of the party. Party games were starting to reach full swing, and Pinkie Pie looked to be almost done setting up the music. Applejack had joined Rainbow Dash in apple bobbing and Rarity had joined Spike Fluttershy for a glass of punch. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had found their implements of cake destruction and were approaching the unsuspecting confectionary with frightening glee. The knives didn’t look sharp enough to harm anypony, so Cheerilee could probably let them continue, albeit with careful supervision.
“I believe it’s my turn.” A bookish voice stated.
Twilight had torn herself from the preparations to trot casually up to Cheerilee. Her magic was focused on holding a small rectangular package in the air beside her. She had a pleasant smile on her face as she approached, floating the gift towards her friend. The levitating object made its way into Cheerilee’s hooves, who studied the wrapping carefully. The color matched Twlight, just like the others, but that was not was what mattered at the moment. Cheerilee was far more drawn to the shape of the gift, its weight and even its smell. Her mind wanted to believe this is what she wanted, but her day had been far too trying for it to be so.
She looked up expectantly to Twilight, who merely nodded, inviting her to open the gift. Cheerilee took the signal as clear as day, and unceremoniously tore open the packed like a rabid dog. Released from its paper prison, now in her hooves, finally after a long, tiring, exciting and insane day, was the very thing she wanted all along.
“The Everfree Rose,” Cheerilee read, the disbelief ringing in her voice. “You did get it.”
“Open it.” Twilight smiled.
Confusion overtook Cheerilee’s face. Uncertain what Twilight was getting at, she complied, opening the book to its first page. She gasped. There, on the first page under the title was a small hoof written signature.
“To Miss Cheerilee,” it read. “May all your adventures be explored with good friends and a good book by your side. Quillery Penfeather.”
Cheerilee read the inscription over and over, before finally looking up at Twilight. She had a satisfied grin on her face.
“Twilight, I..”
“Hush now,” Twilight interrupted. She walked over to Cheerilee and placed her hoof on her shoulder. The lavender mare pointed to the heart of the party. Pinkie had put the last touches on her expensive looking sound system and the rest of her friends had gathered around it. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had managed to cut the cake without making too much of a mess, thanks to the help of the ever doting Rarity. Plates were passed around the room and ponies dug into the delicious cake.
“I think your party is about to begin.”
Applejack walked up to the stage, taking the microphone in her hooves. “Ahem,” she began. “Now Ah’ve said it before, but Ah’ll say it again. Enough of this here gabbin’!” She signaled to Pinkie, who dropped the record pin onto the vinyl waiting on the DJ table. “Let’s Party!”
The party sprang to life to the echoing music that poured from Pinkies contraption. Everypony in attendance began to dance and move around with the vibrant sounds. Everypony was having a great time, but honestly who couldn’t enjoy themselves at a party in Ponyville. The music was loud, but enjoyable. The food was plentiful and delicious. The company was tight-knit and ready to party long into the night. The gifts were thoughtful and truly well received. Despite the insanity that consumed much of it, everything turned out ok in the end. Cheerilee could look back on today regardless of the chaos that nearly ruined it and say,
“The best Day Off Ever.”
