Classroom of the future

Chapters

Prelude
I Quit!
first day
Cheerilee does not 'Shooby Doo'
Beaten and Bushwoolied
foal folly
Turnabout
Field Trip, Part 1! Bright lights, Bright Valley!
Field trip, part 2- Ponyville is the Pits!
Up from the Pages
School bells, wedding bells
The gathering storm
Go west, young Cheerilee, go west!
Soul searching
main antagonists
return of the mane six!
war with words
final lesson
Mare out of time
Investigation and condemnation

Prelude

I Quit!

Chapter one- I quit!

Many, many centuries after the age of Equestria, the realm of Ponyland became the home of all of Ponykind. It was within Ponyland, that there existed a kingdom called Dream Valley- home to some of the bravest mares and Stallions in all of ponydom. This made Dream Valley the one of the safest and happiest places to live. There was only one place even the greatest warrior dared not go.... the one place even the mightiest of heroines feared to tread...

....The classroom.....

"Class! Would you please settle down!"

Sundance wished that, for just one morning, her classroom would be filled with bright young minds, eager to learn. She wished her classroom was filled with colts and fillies who turned their homework in on time, and treated their teacher with the kindness and respect she deserved.

Today, just as every other morning..... her wish went unfulfilled.

"Apple Delight! Please stop shooting spit wads at Confetti!" Sundance snapped. "Baby Applejack! Stop making faces at Moondreamer!"

The two siblings gleefully ignored their teacher, and continued tormenting their fellow classmates.

"Ow! Miss Sundance! He won't stop!" The green earth filly wailed, covering her face with her hooves.

"Stop it, you two! I mean it! Or I shall have to tell your mother about this!" The teacher snorted.

"Yes, Miss Sundance." The brother and sister replied, annoyed. The last thing those two wanted, was a scolding from Applejack.

"All right, students, now if you would please take out your textbooks, today we're going to look at-"

"Quack!"

The annoyed Sundance spun around, to see a bunch of baby ducks crawling out of Quacker's school bag.

"Baby Quackers, didn't I tell you I did not wish to see those waterfowl in my classroom?" Sundance snorted.

"Sowwy teacher- QUACK!- but day woulda gawten wonwy if I -QUACK!- left dem by demselves -QUACK!"

Exiting the bag, the ducks began to scatter all over the room, distracting the students. Sundance rubbed her temple with her hoof… this morning was really testing her patience! She tried to stay calm, as Quackers shooed the baby ducks out.

“All right, class… as I was saying, please open your history books to chapter nine, the founding of the Ponyland confederacy.” The white earth pony opened her teaching manual with her teeth. “Your homework was to read the article on the Pony freedom fighter Red Ribbon. Can anypony tell us about her?”

The class sat there silently, staring at Sundance, until one little Pegasus filly finally stuck her hoof up.

“Yes, Baby Firefly, please.” Sundance called on her.

“Red Ribbon was the famous unicorn who led the inhabitants of Canterlot to safety, during the final goblin attack on the city.” The pink filly recited in a bored tone. “While they fled the destroyed city, she gave her life fighting a cave troll to cover their escape.”

“Very good.” Sundance replied. “And can anypony tell me her significance to modern pony society?”

“Because of her heroism, every mare and filly in Ponyland now wears a bow on their tail- Red Ribbon’s cutie mark- to remember her sacrifice.” Baby North Star replied sarcastically. “Everypony already knows that story, teach!”

Sundance narrowed her eyes at the Pink Pegasus… she knew what this filly was up to. Baby North Star was ringleader of all the troublemakers in the class. She seemed determined to drive poor Sundance out of both her mind... and her classroom. Sundance had been brought in as the fourth replacement teacher, after the previous one had run screaming from her pupils in abject terror.

It was rumored by some of the adult ponies in the castle that Baby North Star carved a notch into her desk for every teacher she successfully drove away. Well, she could put her classmates up to causing all the trouble she wanted… Sundance wasn’t going anywhere! She had gotten into teaching to fulfill the calling of her cutie mark- a circle surrounded by hearts, symbolizing her students love and admiration for her- and she wasn’t going to let this bratty filly stop her!

As Sundance sat down at her desk, Baby Glory whispered back to her friend Ember; “Ya think I should tell her about the bear trap I put on her seat?”

The question was immediately answered by a loud SNAP, as the trap snapped shut. Sundance let out a terrible cry of pain.

"AIEEEEE!"

As the crying teacher galloped out of the room, a bear trap hanging from her tail, Baby North Star scratched off another notch on her desk.

“I can’t take it anymore, Majesty!” The Bandaged-up earth pony yelled. “Those little hellions are driving me insane!”

Sundance was standing before Queen Majesty’s throne, turning in her resignation. Majesty had also summoned Applejack and Glory, the mothers of three of the instigators of the troubles. North Star, as usual, was away on an expedition… so there was nopony to stand accountable for her daughter.

“Wow.” Glory whispered to Applejack. “She looks like a wreck!”

Applejack saw the poor mare had a bandage over her flank, from the bear trap she had sat on. She had also gained a nervous eye twitch, and giggled to herself every few seconds or so.

"You wouldn't be in much better shape, if you had to put with what she does on a daily basis." AJ whispered back.

“Are you certain of this, Miss Sundance?” Queen Majesty asked, trying to hide her desperation. “You came to us highly recommended from the Superintendent of the Bright Valley school system… I would hate for Dream Castle to lose your unique educating talents.”

"I wont survive if I stay a teacher! Last week, Honeycomb's swarm of bees stung me when she brought them to class for show 'n tell." Sundance snapped. "And this week, Snippy tried to shave my mane off when I fell asleep grading papers during recess! No offense, my queen... but the children of Dream Valley are a hazard to any sane pony's health!"

"Yet, you will become unhappy if you cannot practice your special talent- namely, teaching." Majesty noted. "And nopony wants to see you transfer to another kingdom. What do you suggest?"

“The human Girl, Megan... she's always visiting the Castle." Sundance thought for a moment "I could tutor her... help her with her homework. Least I can do, after she helped me get my confidence back during that whole sorceress Katrina fiasco."

"Very well, Sundance. I assign you to be Megan's chaperone while she is here." She dismissed the earth pony with a gesture. "We shall find another to teach in your stead."

"Thank you, your highness." Sundance bowed, before staggering out of the throne room.

"Well, glad that's over..." Applejack told the queen nervously, starting to trot away.

"Yeah, we'd better get back to work..." Glory agreed, following her friend out.

"Hold it right there, you two." Majesty snapped. "This whole mess is the fault of your offspring!"

The two mares stopped dead in their tracks, and gulped.

"If you two aren't able to find a suitable replacement for Sundance by tomorrow..." Majesty's eyes narrowed. "One of you will have to take her place as teacher, until I can find a new one!"

"Ponyfeathers!" The two mares cursed under their breath.

....

A few hours later, Glory and Applejack were in the Dream Castle schoolroom, cleaning up after Baby Glory's 'Bear-trap surprise'.

"Can you believe she blamed us?" The White unicorn with the shooting star Cutie mark asked her friend. "It's not our fault North Star's daughter is a twisted sadist!"

"Baby North Star put our kids up to the trouble they caused, but they still made the trouble on their own." Applejack replied. "We should be teaching those kids some better discipline."

Glory looked around the classroom....a brightly-lit place, with white washed walls, and wooden desks placed neatly in rows. The children's artwork decorated all the walls, and portraits of the council of six princess ponies of Ponyland hung in the front of the classroom.

"You know, being a teacher here wouldn't be a half-bad job." Glory commented. "If it weren't for the demented hellions we brought up."

"There was one teacher who could have handled these ornery foals, Glory." Applejack replied. "She taught my little sister Applebloom, and could've easily handled Baby North Star and her gang."

"That was a thousand years ago, AJ." Glory whinnied. "We need a solution that's going to solve our problem, right here and now."

The orange earth pony sighed, and trotted over to straighten up the bookshelves. It was at that moment that Applejack spotted a name in on of the book titles that she recognized from the distant past.

"Hey, Glory?" AJ called to her friend. "Come take a look at this."

The white unicorn trotted over, and read the title of the book Applejack had pulled off the shelf. " Cutie Marks: Cheerilee's guide to helping foals find their special talents AJ, what's this?"

"Cheerilee was the teacher in Ponyville that I was talking about, the one who taught Applebloom when she was a filly!"

"Hey, I know this book!" Glory exclaimed. "North Star and Wind Whistler brought it back from the ruins of Canterlot, after one of their excavation missions there!"

"If the Cheerilee I know wrote this, them maybe there's something inside that can help us." She tried to pull the cover open. "Ugh, it won't budge!"

"Maybe it's magically sealed?" Glory bent her horn towards the book, and it started to glow. "Maybe a little unicorn spell will..."

FSHOOM! The cover of the book blew open, and the two mares were blasted back. There was a flash of light, and suddenly Applejack and Glory were not alone.

Before the two stunned ponies, a dark pink earth pony, with pink striped hair, and a smiling flower cutie mark appeared. She looked disoriented, and was trying to get her bearings. Applejack’s mouth hung open, as she could not believe what she was seeing.

"Ch-Cheerilee?" AJ asked in shock. "I-is that you?"

Her voice seemed to snap the green-eyed mare out of her trance. "Applejack! So nice to see you! And who is your friend here?" She looked at her surroundings. "And where are we, for that matter? This isn't my classroom in Ponyville."

"Cheerilee...h-how did you get here?" The still shocked orange earth pony asked her.

"The last thing I remember, I was opening up a book somepony had sent me, that said it was a help guide for teachers." She then stared at AJ strangely. "Applejack, what happened to your accent? And why do you have a bow on your tail? That seems a bit... girly for you."

"Oh great, a time-lost Equestrian." Glory rolled her eyes. "Well AJ, now at least you have somepony to talk to."

"I'll explain everything soon enough." Applejack told Cheerilee. "Right now, let's get you outta here."

The three of them came out of the Dream Castle classroom... just as Moondancer and her daughter were coming down the hallway.

"Oh hi, Miss Applejack! Hi miss Glory, how are-" Baby Moondancer's eyes went wide, as she saw Cheerilee wasn't wearing a tail bow. "AIEEEE! MAMA! THAT MARE'S NAKED!"

"What?" Moondancer then saw Cheerilee. "How obscene! Applejack, Glory.... tell your nudist friend that if she's going to walk around Dream Castle, she should at least have the decency to put something on!" Moondancer covered her daughter's eyes with her hooves, and promptly trotted her down the hallway.

"Well that went well." Glory sighed. "We'd better take her down to Bowtie, and have her pick out a tail bow."

"W-wha.." A bewildered Cheerilee asked. "I don't understand..."

"Welcome to the future, Cheerliee." Applejack sighed. "Please leave your sanity at the door..."

I Quit!

Mare out of time

Mare out of time

"A THOUSAND YEARS?!? I'VE BEEN GONE A THOUSAND YEARS!?!"

Cheerilee just stared at the other two mares, wide-eyed and dumbfounded. From any other pony, she would have taken this as a joke... but the dead serious look on Applejack's face, told her this was the real thing.

"I'm sorry, Miss Cheerilee." Glory said in a sympathetic tone. "I know this must come as a shock to you."

"What did... how... what...." the earth pony teacher sputtered out, unable to form a coherent sentence. Her eye was twitching, and from the sound of her breath, she was on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Okay, Cherilee, CALM DOWN" She thought to herself. "You live in a world of unicorn magic... these kind of things don't happen very often, but they DO happen." She calmed her self down, and took a deep breath. "If I'm in the future, obviously I was under a freezing or suspended animation spell of some sort. Clearly, it wasn't a sleep spell, or I would have awoke to a stallion kissing me on the lips." She blushed a bit at that idea, not entirely disliking it. "I'd best ask these two some questions, and get some information on what's going on."

"W-what happened to Ponyville?" Cheerilee asked nervously.

"Destroyed and abandoned." Applejack replied sadly. "Goblin attack... five hundred years ago."

"Equestria?" Cheerilee asked, the tension she felt rising.

"Fell during the Grogar wars." Glory replied. "We live in the Ponyland confederacy now."

"The two Princess sisters?" Cheerilee asked, holding on to her last sliver of hope.

"Long since passed away." Applejack answered. "Ponyland is ruled by the six princess ponies now... Luna and Celestia's descendants."

The earth pony teacher absorbed blow after blow, as they told her more and more of what had transpired over the past thousand years. They only told her bits and pieces, of course, but it was enough for Cheerilee to piece a sketchy timeline of events together.

"So ponies live in a dark age of ignorance and superstition now?" Cheerilee replied nervously. "Lovely. If I try to teach somepony something, I'm likely to get burned at the stake."

"Hey, it's not all that bad!" Glory grumbled. "Anyway, we're here!"

The three Ponies had been trotting through the castle the entire time they had been talking, and they had arrived at Bow Tie's room. Glory knocked on the door with her hoof, and a blue earth pony mare answered.

"Oh hey girls." Bow Tie greeted them. "What's up? And whose your friend here?"

"Hey, Bow Tie." Applejack greeted her. "Bow Tie, this is Cheerilee. She needs a tail bow."

"Hello, Miss Bow Tie." Cheerilee greeted her. Looking over this new pony, the teacher could see all sorts of ribbons and laces tied all throughout her pink mane. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The moment the blue earth pony saw Cheerilee's bowless tail, Her eyes went wide, and she felt her cutie mark tingling.

"You came to the right place, Miss Cheerliee! Bows and laces are my specialty!" She quickly yanked the surprised teacher into the room, and set to work tying ribbon after ribbon on her tail. "No, this one isn't the right color.... no, this one's too small... Ah! How about this one?"

"Is this really necessary?" The bewildered Cheerilee asked, her tail all tied up in bows and strings like a Package.

"We all have to wear these things now." Applejack sighed. "Unless you want Moondancer and the other moms getting you charged with indecent pony exposure."

"Modern pony customs are ...odd." Cheerilee replied, shaking her mane.

"There we go, that's perfect!" Bow Tie exclaimed.

The earth pony teacher soon found a huge white ribbon tied into a bow hanging from her tail. The bow was bigger then her tail, and drooped as soon as Bow Tie tied it on.

"Hm, that does look kind of nice." Cheerilee noted, looking at her reflection in the mirror. "This might not be so bad."

"Thanks, Bow Tie." Applejack told her. "C'mon, Cheerilee. Let get you to a room where you can get some rest, and absorb everything that's happened to you."

"Wait, don’t I have to pay her for this?" Cheerilee asked, pointing at the bow. "How many bits do I owe you?"

"Pay?" Bow Tie asked, confused. "Bits?"

"Barter System, Cheerilee." Applejack told her. "Nobody uses bits anymore."

"You mean nopony, Applejack." The earth pony teacher corrected her. "Proper usage of grammar is important, even for adults."

"It seems we have a lot to talk about." Glory told her, as they led her out of the room. "But we'll get to that tomorrow, when you have your audience with Queen Majesty."

....

The next day, Cheerilee was outside the throne room, nervous as a fifth grade filly before her math test. "Okay, keep it together, Cheerilee. If you want to get some kind of role educating in this new society, your going to have to make a good impression on the ruler."

In truth, once she had gotten over the initial shock, Cheerilee wasn't that all depressed that she had ended up in this future time. Most of her family had passed on, and her teaching career had been on the rocks in Ponyville. The district had hired two new teachers, and one of them had been begging for a transfer to Ponyville. It was only a matter of time, before the teacher of the students who freed Discord was handed her pink slip.

So it was far better for her to be here, in a barbaric future where a teacher could be of use, rather then wasting away in Ponyville, with her inability to use her special talent slowly driving her insane. She would teach the colts and foals of this primitive world, and help them bloom into the best students they could be! It was then that Applejack motioned for her to come in. Cheerilee took a deep breath. Here goes!

She held her head up high, and walked into the throne room. As she came before the ruler of Dream Valley, the teacher pony kneeled.

"Your Majesty..."

"Queen Majesty." The white unicorn gently corrected.

"Forgive me, Queen Majesty." She caught herself. "My name is Cheerilee, and I am a pony from what you and your subjects call the age of Equestria. Though magical means, I have ended up in a time and place not my own, and seek to make a new life for myself in a world I do not know." She looked up at the Queen. "My special talent is teaching and educating, and I humbly offer my services as such to you and your kingdom."

"Cheerilee of Ponyville." Queen Majesty spoke, looking the pink earth pony over. "You come highly recommended by Applejack as an educator of young ponies. Tell me, would you accept a position as the royal teacher of the Dream Castle schoolroom?"

Cheerilee's heart almost leaped out of her chest! A position in the royal household-! She tried her best to hide her excitement. "That would be most acceptable to me, your highness."

"Cheerilee of Ponyville, repeat after me..." The queen extended her hoof to the kneeling earth pony.

Cherilee was confused for a second, then it struck her- "Of couse! A feudal oath of loyalty, making me a vassal to the queen! How wonderfully medieval!" For a teacher, who had studied and taught about the pre-classical era, to actually live in a new feudal period was an unexpected experience! Cheerilee took majesty's extended hoof into hers.

"I, Cheerilee, do hereby swear my loyalty and my life, to Queen Majesty of Dream Castle." Queen Majesty continued. "Forsaking all other oaths and promises, I will serve and obey my Queen in all reasonable commands given. Furthermore, I swear loyalty to the Dream Valley herd, treating all stallions and mares as if they were my own brothers and Sisters, and all fillies and colts as if they were my own children. To to this oath I bind all generations of my house to come, per the judgment of their own personal conscience. To all of this I swear, by the mane of the great Horsemaster."

Cheerilee thought for a moment... she had been raised a free pony of Equestria! To swear away her freedom like that!... But then, she thought about the time and place she was in... and realized how different life was going to be from now on...

The earth pony teacher repeated. "I, Cheerilee, do hereby swear my loyalty and my life... to Queen Majesty of Dream Castle....."

...

"You hear the news, Baby North Star?" Baby Glory asked her friend. "Majesty's got a new teacher for our class."

The three fillies were at Dream Castle's ice cream place, the Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe. Baby North Star and Quackers were getting the latest news from the royal court from their friend.

"I herd she a reel toughie-QUACK!" Baby Quackers continued, sipping her milkshake. "We not bweak her like teh uthers- QUACK!"

"Girls, whoever this new school mare is, she's just another teacher." Baby North Star ate the cherry off the top of her chocolate malt. "Like all the rest, her sanity has limits. And like all the rest, we'll find those limits. I give her two weeks."

The three of them clinked their glasses together, toasting their success.

"Scoops! Another round of milkshakes over here!" Baby North star yelled to the shop owner. "We're celebrating the next teacher we're gonna school!"

...

In the classroom, Applejack and Cherilee were preparing for her first day of teaching the next day.

"My, you certainly have some quaint beliefs about the nature of the world in this era." The pink earth pony noted with a chuckle, looking at a model of the solar system hanging from the ceiling. "Our planet going around the sun, the moon orbiting our world... really now, Applejack?"

Applejack winced. "Princess Luna and Celestia don't raise the sun and moon any more, Cheerilee." She gestured towards a book on Astonomy on the shelf. "You'd better do some reading up on things."

Cherilee opened up the science book, and flipped though it. As she read several pages, the pink earth pony turned pale. "Okay, I'm not going to be teaching astronomy for awhile." She put the book down. "Have the students taken a field trip to the weather factory in Cloudsdale yet, to see how weather is made?"

"Pegasus don't make the weather anymore, Cheerilee." Applejack corrected her. "Nature controls itself now."

The pink earth pony rubbed her forehead with her hooves. "Oookaaaay.... that's another thing I'll have to study up on... along with politics and economics. At least I can still teach them writing, arithmetic, grammar, and Pre-Ponyland history."

"Cheerilee, shouldn't you wait at least a month, and study up a bit more on how the world's changed?"

"NO! These students have to LEARN!" The stress of all the shocks she had absorbed in the past few days, was starting to gnaw at her sanity. "I will bring light to there lives, and my class will be an experience nopony will ever forget!"

first day

Cheerilee does not 'Shooby Doo'

Chapter 4- Cheerilee does not 'Shooby Doo'

"Settle down, class!" Cheerilee told her students. "We're about to get started!"

Every filly and colt in the classroom fell silent, as their teacher trotted up to her desk. Cheerilee handed back their graded homework, and most of the students groaned when they received much lower scores than they had expected.

"Now, I know many of you did not receive the grades you wanted on these,.. and I can appreciate having vivid imaginations." Cheerilee told them, smiling. "But I don't believe imaginary things like sea ponies, belong in your science papers!"

"But Miss Cheerilee!" Tic Tac Toe protested. "Sea Ponies actually do exist!"

"Now, we will have no more of that, little filly!" She turned to the whole class. "Now, if you will please turn to page seventy-two in your math books..."

The first few days after the Twinkle eye fiasco, had gone fairly well for the new teacher. She had caught the bear trap on her seat before she had sat down, and dodged the walnut that Baby North Star had shot at her from a slingshot. But she still couldn't seem to win these students over! They still saw her as the enemy, and she spent most of her time in the classroom scolding them, and dodging their tricks. Cheerilee couldn't help them bloom as students, and find their special talents, if they were always out to get her!

After the lesson was over, the class closed their books. "All right students, you may break for recess!" The class went galloping out the door heading downstairs for the drawbridge. The earth pony teacher collapsed into her chair, and sighed.

"These little ponies are going to be quite the challenge." She thought to herself sadly. "Perhaps I should talk to this 'Sundance' about the whole thing..."

Looking across the desk, she stared at the book on post-equestria pony history she had taken off the shelf. The teacher had avoided reading it- she didn't need many more shocks to her system- but she knew discovering what had happened after her 'disappearance' couldn't be shunned forever. It was then the pink earth pony's stomach grumbled.

"Ugh, I shouldn't have skipped breakfast." With a resigned sigh, she reached for the delicious-looking apple Quackers had brought in. Her mouth was watering just looking at it.... so red and delicious...

But when she bit into her apple... she tasted worm.

"PTOOIE! YUCK! EW!" Spitting out the chunks of the slimy creature. "That's disgusting!" As she looked at the apple, she noticed a small hole had been cut into the apple... clearly not by a worm drilling it's way in, but by a pony with a knife cutting it open.

"That does it..." Cheerilee snorted, steam coming out of her nose. "I need to have a stern talk with those foals."

Standing up, she galloped down the stairs, and out across the moat.

The students were out on the castle grounds, playing pony polo- a game that essentially consisted of whacking a ball back and forth with your nose, with no aid of unicorn magic. Cheerilee started over towards the group, when she noticed Baby Tic Tac Toe, playing down by the river.

"Tic Tac Toe, get away from there this instant!" Cheerilee yelled, galloping down to the river bank. "You're mother told me you can't swim, you might drown!"

"Aw, Miss Cherilee!" The filly protested. "I was just talking to the sea ponies!"

"Young filly, for the last time!" She yelled, exasperated. "There are no such thing as-"

"SHOOBY DOO! SHOOP SHOOBY DOO!"

Three aquatic equines popped up in front of Cheerilee, their fins sticking out just above the surface.

"Hey there, Sister! You the new Teacher?" The blue one said, swimming up towards where the wide-eyed earth pony stood. "Name's Seawinkle, I'm the Duchess of the sea ponies, ya dig?"

"I-I-uh-uh..." The dumbstruck Cheerilee muttered, unable to form a coherent thought.

"Listen, Sister! What's this I hear your spwein' about us not existing?" Seawinkle declared angrily. "Ya don't hear us goin around telling the Sea Pony foals, that land ponies don't exist!"

THUD!

"Oh great, she fainted again..."

...

"Cheerilee, wake up!" She heard a voice, as conscious returned.The earth pony teacher opened her eyes, to see Nurse Sweetheart and Glory standing over her. "Are you all right?"

"SEA PONIES!! FLANKING SEA PONIES!" She yelled, sitting up in shock. "How in Celestia did Hippocampi become real?"

"It's a long story." Glory replied, shaking her mane. "And I'm sorry... it's another thing we forgot to inform you about. Oh, and AJ dismissed your class for you."

"Thanks, Glory." Cherilee replied. "You and her have been an enormus help."

"You seem to faint a lot." Nurse Sweetheart told her. "My sister told me you were in here just a few days ago. How is your nutritional intake, Miss Cheerliee?"

"Your Sister?" The teacher asked, confused. "Wasn't that you here?"

"Oh, no!" The nurse replied. "That was my sister, nurse Sweetheart! Nursing runs in my family, you see!"

"This place get more and more confusing as I go." Cherilee pulled herself back to her hooves, and stood up.

"Sounds like you've had a rough day." Glory commented. "To the Satin Slipper?"

"You need to ask?" Cheerilee replied. The two of them trotted out of the room.

...

Things were quiet at the Satin Slipper, as few ponies were there after the lunch rush. Cheerilee noticed about four or five scattered around the dining room... including a mare with purple and bluish stripes, sitting at one of the tables.

"My word...is that a zebra?" Cheerilee asked curiously.

"Yep, that she is!" Glory replied, relived that Cheerilee didn't faint again. "You had Zebras in Equestria, I take it?"

"We had a potion dealer, named Zecora, who lived outside of Ponyville." The teacher replied. "So I don't find it that strange.But those odd colors..."

"Wow, what a coincidence! She just happens to be Dream Castle's Potion maker." Glory looked up at the zebra. "Hey Zigzag! Mind if we join you?"

"Ah, Miss Glory! So wonderful to see you!" Zigzag replied, motioning her to come over. "Sit, please, and tell me what is new?"

"Zigzag, this is Cheerilee... our new teacher." Glory told her, as they sat down. "She's taking over from Sundance."

"From Sundance to her... that is quite a switch to pull." Zigzag told her, sipping her coca. "Good luck, my dear, for you have your hands full!"

"Thank You." Cheerilee replied. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I must say though, you have a... 'unique' coloration for a zebra."

"It was an accident, when she was experimenting with some poison joke." Glory replied. "Baby North Star snuck into her lab, and mixed some chemicals together as a prank."

"That little monster's actions, they do make me wince!" The zebra snapped. "There was an explosion, and I've been purple ever since!"

"And no amount of bubble baths, have managed to change her back!" Glory added sadly.

"Wow, Baby North Star really has been a lot of trouble!" Cheerilee replied. "But there's got to be a good filly in there somewhere, she can't be totally rotten!"

"If anypony would know a bad apple besides AJ, it'd be you!" Glory replied with a chuckle. The teacher just glared at her, realizing she must have heard about what had happened in class with the worm.

"Aw don't me so mad, Cheerilee!" Glory said with a chuckle. She looked up at the bar. "Scoops! Three salads over here, and three tankards of Cider!"

"Coming right up, ladies!" Scoops yelled back.

"Cider?" Cheerilee asked, her ears perking up. "It's cider season around here? I hope there's enough for everypony!"

"Cider 'Season'? What the hay are you talking about?" Glory asked. "We have a plentiful supply of cider! AJ's got a staff of more than fifty ponies who makes the stuff during all the warm months of the year!"

Again Cheerilee was stunned. No long lines, no cider running out... The teacher decided right then and that there were some very good things about this future, after all.

A white earth pony, brought the salads and tankards of cider over to the table. "Hey, miss Cheerilee. Name's Scoops, and I'm the proprietor of the Satin Slipper." She set the order down in front of them. "I was off duty the last time you were in here , so I just wanted to say welcome to the Dream Valley herd!"

"Thanks!" Cheerilee replied, drinking the whole tankard of cider in one gulp. "You can be sure I'll be a regular customer!"

Scoops picked up the empty stein, and went back to refill it. Cheerilee took a bite of her salad. "Ladies, I was wondering.. Applejack never did tell me how she survived the last millennium like I did. Do either of you know why-"

"It is a story I know well." Zigzag interrupted. "AJ was preserved by a magic spell."

"And it's also a story for another time." Glory continued. "I'd rather let AJ tell it herself."

"Okay, I can understand that." Cheerilee took another bite of her salad.

It was then, that an orange earth stallion with a white mane trotted in, and went over to a table on the opposite side of the room. His cutie mark was several blue and red teepees, with a blue crescent moon hanging over them. He wore a golden headdress, filled with eagle feathers. Pulling out a chair, he sat down and ordered a cider.

The teacher pony stared at the buff stallion... so strong and powerfully built. His iron gaze passed over her, and she looked away, embarrased that she had been staring.

"Whoa" Cheerilee asked, surprised. "Who in Equestria is that?"

"Oh, him? That's Wigwam. He's Queen Majesty's emissary to the Buffalo tribes to the west of Ponyland." Glory answered, looking over at the stallion. "He's splits his time between here and there... doesn't talk to the rest of us much, and usually keeps to himself."

Noticing the three mares sitting there, Wigwam trotted over to there table. "Greetings, Miss Glory... greetings, Miss Zigzag, it is a pleasure to see you two again." The large earth stallion replied in a deep, but gentle voice. "I trust you both are well?"

"Oh hi, Wigwam." Glory replied, smiling. "How are things are the frontier?"

"As well as can be... Chief Steelhoof is keeping the peace as best he can." Wigwam looked over at Cheerilee. "And who is this beautiful mare... I have not seen her around the castle before."

"This is the herd's new teacher, Miss Cheerilee." Zigzag told him. "From an ancient book, she has been set free."

"A pleasure to meet you, my fair maiden." Wigwam bowed to her. "I am certain that your bright and warm smile... shall alight these halls, as brightly as the enchanting glow of the full moon."

Trotting back to his table, Wigwam sat down, and returned to drinking his cider.

"Wigwam... has a habit of waxing poetic." Glory replied sheepishly. "Too much time amongst the Buffaloes, I guess."

"Yeah..." Cheerilee, replied, blushing furiously. No matter what happened, Cheerilee was determined to talk to this stallion as soon as possible...

Cheerilee does not 'Shooby Doo'

Beaten and Bushwoolied

Beaten and Bushwoolied

As the first light of dawn creeped through her window, Cheerilee awoke to the loud, annoying beeping from her digital alarm clock. She grumbled inwardly, at not having known to shut the alarm off for the weekend.

"Mmmm, it's Sunday..I want to sleep in..." She groaned to herself, pulling her pink-and-purple covers up over her head. She tried to get back to sleep, but the annoying "BEEP BEEP BEEP" would not stop. The earth pony rolled over, and brought her hoof down on the clock to silence it... only to have it shatter into a million pieces.

"Oh, no! Stupid flimsy modern junk!" She whinnied, pulling herself up out of bed. Oh, well, it's not like she wanted that creepy clock with the lit-up numbers anyway. She hoped Glory was able to dig up an old wind-up clock for her from the castle storerooms, like she had asked.

After brushing her mane and washing her face, she tied her tailbow on, and trotted out to look at the current condition of her apartment. Majesty had given her one of the nicer suites in the castle, with two bathrooms, a living room, two floors, and a full kitchen. Despite the fact a thousand years had passed, she still recognized most of the devices and appliances in the room... except for that weird wooden box with the knobs and glass window on the front. She was going to have to ask Glory or Applejack what this purpose this 'television' thing served.

Well, here's my first Saturday to myself... wonder what I should do first? Deciding to get breakfast, she poured herself a bowl of cereal and milk. As she was eating, however, a knock came at the door.

"Just a minute!" She called out, trotting over to the door. When she opened it, Cheerilee found herself face-to-face with a with a pale blue coat and a purple and red mane. A pair of gemstone eyes looked around the room nervously, indicating that this was a very timid mare.

"Um, Miss Cheerilee?" The pale blue mare said softly. "I... um.. am sorry to b-bother you... but may I come in, please?"

"Oh, of course! Please, come in!" The teacher motioned for her to step inside. Cheerilee noticed the mare's gumdrop cutie mark. "You're Sweet Stuff, aren't you? Your daughter, Speedy, mentioned you in my class."

"Y-yes. I'm your new neeeiiighbor, and I w-wanted to welcome you to the c-castle." Sweet Stuff replied. "I bake sweets and sugary goodies for the castle kitchen... and I wanted to bring you these."

Sweet Stuff sat two square, baked tarts covered with icing in front of Cheerilee. "I call them Smooze tarts, they're filled with chocolate and marshmallows!"

"Mmm! These are good!" Cherilee replied, taking a bite. "Thank You!"

"Good! I'm so happy you like them!" Sweet Stuff replied, smiling. "I named them for something bad that happened to the dream valley herd awhile back... I'm sorry if you don't know what I'm talking about..."

"Wow she's even more timid and apologetic than fluttershy." Cheerilee thought. "With the way ponies are around here, the poor thing must be the Dream Valley doormat!"

"It was really wonderful of you to bring these wonderful treats to me!" Cheerilee said with a smile. "I really like them, no matter what they're called! They're simply wonderful!"

"Wonderful!"

"Great!"

"Amazing!"

"The Best!"

"AHHHH!" Cheerilee shrieked, jumping back from the four fuzzballs with eyes, legs, and a mouth... that had appeared out of nowhere. "WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS?!?"

"Um, please don't faint again, Miss Cheerilee." Sweet Stuff pleaded. "Those are just the bushwoolies... they won't hurt you."

"The Bushwoolies?" Cheerilee calmed down, staring at the four of them curiously. "Oh, some of my class mentioned them. They're the herd's pets, I believe?"

"Pets! Yeah!"

"Sidekicks!"

"Buddies!"

"Comic relief!"

"You four are certainly amusing!" The teacher pony giggled. "It's a pleasure to meet you all!"

"Pleasure!"

"Charmed!"

"Thrilled!"

"Ecstatic!"

"Wow, you bushwoolies must run out of synonyms when there are large groups of you!" The teacher replied with a chuckle. "You really are a lot of fun!"

"Cheerilee, would you like to join me for a walk out in the castle gardens?" Sweet Stuff asked timidly. "You never seem to go anywhere but your class and the Satin Slipper, and Majesty wanted us to show you around a little more!"

"Certainly! I need to get the layout of this city-sized monstrosity of a palace, anyway." She looked at the Bushwoolies. "Would you four care to join us?"

"Sure!"

"You bet!"

"Let's go!"

"What're we waiting for?"

...

Located in the center of the keep, the castle gardens were a vast expanse of flowers, trees, and every type of flora and fauna. Covering a vast four square miles (A result of Dream Castle being larger on the inside that on the outside, due to magic) and covered by a glass terrarium dome, the gardens were like a small, self-contained world.

"This... this is incredible..." Cheerilee said in awe. "We never had anything like this in Equestria... even the interior of Canterlot Castle pales by comparison..."

"It's cause of what Wind Whistler calls a tress... a test...ahhhh..." Sweet Stuff fumbled with her words.

"A tesseract." Cheerilee corrected her.

"Tesseract"

"Subspace"

"Pocket dimension"

"space between spaces!"

"Yeah, that's it!" Sweet Stuff replied. "The castle's insides are in one of those!"

"Amazing... simply amazing!" The stunned teacher replied. "Flowers, crops, Applejack's orchard... you've got everything in here! All one contained ecosystem."

"Yeah, AJ runs the apple orchard, Cherries Jubilee runs the cherry orchard." Sweet Stuff offered. "Though they both have hundreds of earth ponies working under them."

"Doesn't the mare named Posey run the garden though?" Cheerilee asked. "Her daughter is in my class."

"Yes, Poesy's in charge overall.... though AJ hates taking orders from her on what they're gonna plant each year." Sweet stuff said with a chuckle.

"And you work in the kitchen." Cheerilee continued. "Tell me... does Wigwam come back to the Castle often?"

"Oh, yes! Though we don't see him that much." The twinkle-eyed pony replied. "The Buffaloes made him an honorary brother to the tribe, and sometimes he acts more like one of them than one of us... but if it came down to it, he'd be loyal to our herd 'til the end!" Sweet Stuff thought for a minute, then her cheeks turned red. "Hey, are you taking an interest in him? Oh my...looking for a lifemate at your age...."

"I-it's not like that! I'd just like to get to know him better!" Cheerilee protested, blushing furiously. "You have a foal... so you must have a mate, as well."

"Yeah, my hubby is Sports-Time... he used to play for the Dream Valley ponyball team." She looked down. "But he's not around the castle as much anymore."

"I've noticed that." Cheerilee said, looking over at Sweet Stuff. "I never see that many stallions around the castle all that often... and I only see them for very brief periods. Where are all your males, Sweet Stuff?"

The twinkle eyed pony only looked away, leaving the teacher all the more confused.

Soon, the two of them approached the garden's large fountain, where they heard two ponies arguing. Not wanting to interfere in another pony's business, Cheerilee began to move away, but Sweet Stuff stopped her, and motioned for her and the bushwoolies to be quiet. Ducking behind some bushes, the two ponies ducked down to listen...

"Worthless!" A Mare's voice snapped. "You are totally worthless! Haven't I told you NOT to come down here and play with these ducks?"

"I sowwy momma -QUACK!-" A filly's voice answered. "Bhut woking wish the duckies -QUACK!- is my speshal tawent!"

"I don't give a flank WHAT you're special talent is!" The mare responded. Even from this distance, Cheerilee could smell the hard cider on the mother's breath. "You're making me look bad to the other mares!"

"Pwease don't be mad -QUACK! - I sowwy!" The filly- who Cheerilee recognized as Quackers- pleaded. "Pwease don't shtop me from -QUACK!- taking cawe of teh duckies! They my -QUACK!- fwends!"

"Can't you even talk straight?" The mare screamed. "How did I ever give birth to a worthless, retarded mistake of a foal like you!?!"

Quackers finally snapped back, forcing herself to talk normally. "I... AM... NOT...RE-TAR-DED....-QUACK!- I jest diffawent! -QUACK -I wike being diffawent!"

"CLOP!" Cheerilee heard the sound of a mare's hoof cracking down hard on a little filly's skull, followed by the sound of the filly clattering to the ground. As Quackers began to cry, the two mares leaped out from behind the bush.

"Quackers? Are you ok?" Cheerilee asked in a concerned tone. She ran over to the quivering filly, who had blood trickling out of her mouth.

"Miss Cheeriwee..." Quackers tried to get up, but collapsed in Cheerilee's Hooves. "I not fweel sho good....quack...." Her eyes went closed.

"SPARKLER YOU WITCH! HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO YOUR DAUGHTER!" Sweet Stuff angrily snorted steam, and flashed fire out of her jeweled eyes. "I'M GOING TO RIP YOUR FLANKING HEAD OFF!" To Cheerilee's shock, The timid twinkle-eyed pony charged at the pale blue unicorn, who took off galloping at top speed.

Cheerilee saw the gash on Quackers's head, left from the powerful blow her own mother had given her. "Quackers... stay with me! DON'T LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS!"

"GET BACK HERE, YOU FOAL OF AN ASS!" Sweet Stuff roared, galloping after Sparkler. "MAJESTY WILL HEAR OF THIS... IF YOU EVEN FLANKING SURVIVE WHAT I'M GOING TO DO TO YOU!"

"M-miss Cheeriwee?" Quackers eyes fluttered open again, her quacks growing more feeble as she spoke. "I sowwy- quack- I sowwy we tweat you so bad in cwass. -quack- I wish I could have learnedned stuff fwom you...quack..."

"Bushwoolies! Get her on my back!" The little fuzzballs quickly complied, and the teacher pony galloped back towards the garden entrance... and out towards the castle's clinic.

"...Great Celestia... if you are out there somewhere... please don't let her die...."

Beaten and Bushwoolied

foal folly

Foal Folly

"Somepony! Anypony! HELP THIS POOR FOAL!"

Cheerilee came galloping into the Dream Castle clinic, with the injured yellow filly on her back. Dr Medicin and nurse Tenderheart rushed up, and took the child from the exhausted teacher.

"By the great horsemaster!" Dr. Medicin exclaimed, as they laid her on the bed. "What happened to her?"

"....Sparkler..." Cheerilee snorted, gasping for breath. "....her mother hit her..."

Medicin nodded. "I understand... please wait here." They wheeled the bed back into the emergency area, leaving Cheerilee to catch her breath.

The pink earth pony sat down of one of the chairs, and waited nervously for over a half hour. The shock and disbelief of what she had just witnessed turning over and over in her mind.

"How... how could anypony do this to their own offspring?" She tried to hold back her tears. "How could any mother hit their own child like that?"

As a half hour turned into an hour, Cheerilee stood up and began to pace nervously. It was then that Medicin trotted back out, and motioned for the earth pony to follow her in. "You can come in now, Miss Cheerilee."

Quackers was laying under a blanket, asleep, with a bandage wrapped around her head. For a teacher who loved children as much as she did, it was a stab in the heart to see a foal like this.

"Baby Quackers will be all right." The medical mare assured Cheerilee. "It was a mild concussion, but I believe the unicorn surgeons were able to prevent any brain damage."

Cheerilee looked down at the little filly, and closed her eyes. The bushwoolies hopped up onto the bed, and looked at Quackers.

"Please Get better!"

"Please heal up!"

"We miss you!"

"We'll play as soon as you're well!"

Unable to take it any longer, the teacher pony trotted out of the clinic, and out into the hallway.

"Oh, how I wish I could be back in Ponyville, back where ponies were kind to each other. Where my students weren’t trying to kill me, and there aren't jeweled-eyed ponies and sea ponies and talking furballs." Tears began to trickle down her face. " I wish the parents of my students weren't beating their own foals senseless. I wish I was home... "

After all that had happened over the past week, Cheerilee finally broke down, and started to cry. Everything... the grief of losing her old life and friends, this barbaric new world she found herself in... it was all just too much. So lost in her own misery and pain, that she failed to hear the trotting of heavy hooves coming up behind her.

"Miss Cheerilee?" A gruff but gentle voice greeted her. "Are you all right?"

Hearing the voice, Cheerliee looked up to find a pair of concerned blue eyes staring into hers.

"Oh! Wigwam!" Cherilee replied, embarrassed and flustered. "Sorry you had to see me like this!"

The orange earth pony handed the flustered teacher a handkerchief. "Thank You." Taking it, she wiped her eyes, and blew her nose. "Forgive me, I must look like a mess to you..."

"Your appearance is fine, do not worry." Wigwam reassured her. "But I came by as soon as I had heard what had occurred. How is the young filly, Quackers?"

"The doctor says she will recover, but she needs to rest." The teacher pony shook her head. "How could any mare do that to her own offspring?"

"Sparkler has always been a... troubled mare." Wigwam adjusted his headdress. "She is the only mother in the history of the Dream Valley heard, who has ever drank an alcoholic beverage... or to abuse her foal in such a manner. So we've never had to deal with this before."

"Do you have any idea what will be done about it?" Cheerilee asked. "Majesty can't just leave Quackers in that bad pony's care!"

"Sparkler's sister Glory has agreed to take in her two younger foals, but Quacker's fate is uncertain." Wigwam looked away. "As for Sparkler, none have seen her since she fled the gardens. It is believed that Sweet Stuff and Surprise have dealt with the problem. But Majesty has declared the matter closed, and ordered that nobody is to speak of it again."

Cherilee ignored his use of no'body' instead of no'pony' (she was getting used to it by now), and asked started to ask the earth pony "How-"

"How?!?" The orange stallion looked shocked. "Miss Cherilee! As a teacher, I expected you to not fall back on stereotypes, just because I'm an adopted member of the buffalo tribe..."

"No, I meant how do you know all of this?" The teacher asked, annoyed.

"Oh, well..." Wigwam looked sheepish. "I have a few eyes and ears in the royal court. They inform me of all that is worth knowing in the castle." He looked at the teacher's bloodshot eyes. "Miss Cheerilee, are you going to be all right? You do not look very well."

"What? Yes, I'll be-" She looked back into those concerned eyes again, and she suddenly felt a little bit better. "I will be fine, thank you." She replied with a smile.

"Still, would it be all right if I stopped by to check on you tomorrow?" He adjusted his big brother pony ascot with his hoof. "Perhaps we could talk for awhile."

"Come over at six, I'll have supper ready." Cheerilee blurted out, without thinking. Why in Celestia did I just say that? I'm still worried about Quackers!

"Splendid! I shall be there!" The earth pony replied with a smile. "Now, If you'll excuse me, I have to go help Tex and Steamer carry some construction materials."

"Constuction materials?" Cherilee asked, confused. (Not that she knew who Tex and Steamer were, anyway) "Are the three of you planning to do some work on the castle?"

"Actually, no." He shook his mane. "Apparently, Surprise requisitioned a few loads of bricks and mortar be delivered to the western corner of the third floor." He scratched his chin with his hoof. "Strange, considering there's nothing up there but a small alcove..."

"Well, thanks for cheering me up." She smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I need to go back and check on baby Quackers, anyway."

"Worry not, miss Cheerilee." Wigwam took her hoof into his, and gently kissed it. "Everything will turn out all right in the end! And no more harm will come to Baby Quackers, I can assure you of that!"

As Wigwam trotted away, the pony teacher turned from pink to a deep shade of red. Why did I just act like that? Argh! Stupid pony lifebonding instincts! Shaking her mane, she trotted back in to see how Quackers was doing.

"Mish Cheeriewee! I had teh funniest dream -QUACK!-" The little yellow filly was sitting up in bed, her head still bandaged. "TEH said I was hurt, but I feels fine! I wanna go shee mah duckies! -QUACK!-"

"I'm pleased to hear that, Quackers!" Cheerilee put on a smile. "I'll see if I can get your ducks brought up to you!"

"Shank you, miss Cheeriwee.-QUACK!-" She reached up and hugged the pink earth pony. "Afther all, teh are mi babies -QUACK-, and a mama's ghotta take care her bebies!"

As she trotted out of the room, Cheerilee had to stop herself from crying again.

....

As she was trotting back to her room, Cheerilee noticed a white Pegasus flying down the hallway. The teacher stopped for a moment, swearing that the Pegasus with the blonde mane looked familiar somehow, down to the balloons cutie mark. Cheerilee was going to say hi, but she noticed the mare was carrying a trowel, lightly covered in wet cement, in her mouth. Realizing the Pegasus must be busy, Cheerilee shrugged, and moved on.

It was then, that the teacher pony ran across Glory.The white unicorn's ears perked up, as soon as she saw the pink earth pony.

"Cheerilee!" The concerned unicorn came galloping up to her. "I heard about what had happened with my sister... I'm so sorry you had to witness that!"

"Don't worry about me, Glory." Cheerilee grumbled, rubbing her temples. "See to your niece... she's the one that needs love and care, now."

"I'll take Quackers in and, care for her as best I can..." Glory's ears drooped. "Though I'm going to have my hooves full with the twins and Baby Glory as it is."

"What about Sparkler?" Cheerilee asked curiously. “She almost killed her own daughter, and I heard she has two other foals, as well!”

"My sister has caused trouble around the castle one time too many. Since her lifemate died, she has not been the same." Glory replied coldly. "She been forgiven again and again for her crimes- Majesty even forgave her for her treasonous involvement in Truly's coup attempt- and she will be forgiven no longer."

"So she won't be able to hurt Quackers anymore?" Cheerilee asked hopefully.

Glory nodded. “Sparkler has been sent into deep, solitary seclusion to reflect on her actions. I doubt anybody in Dream Castle will be seeing her again."

"Thank you, Glory." She shook her mane. "Now, if you'll excuse me, it's been a harrowing day... and I have class tomorrow."

"Yeah, you go get some rest." Glory replied. "You look like you need it. See ya later, Cheerilee!"

As Glory trotted away, Cheerilee continued back towards her room. If Glory couldn't take care of Quackers properly, maybe some other pony could. The wheels in the teacher pony's head started turning, Perhaps there was somepony who could take care of the misunderstood little filly... and give her the attention and understanding she needed.

Thinking about it, Cheerilee remembered a time when she was a misunderstood, awkward filly... the fears and uncertainties she had felt. It was then she remembered what Tarot had told her about 'looking to the past, to help the future' and she knew what she had to do to win her class over.

As Cheerilee passed a corner near her door, she smelled the scent of wet cement drying.

"Now that's odd, where in Equestria is that coming from?"

The teacher noticed the pony-sized alcove near her room, that she remembered being empty, had been covered over by a newly-erected wall of mortar and bricks.

"That's even stranger, why would anypony brick up an empty alcove?" A puzzled Cheerilee thought to herself. Shrugging, she turned around, and trotted back towards her room.

foal folly

Turnabout

Turnabout

"Okay, Glory... Miss Cheerilee wants what delivered to her classroom?" Medley, the Pegasus who was in charge of the castle's music and instrumental programs, asked the white unicorn in surprise. "Shouldn't she be asking for recordings of Classical music - you know, Coltofsky, Jean Cloppin." The turquoise pony with the musical note cutie mark responded. "Maybe even some of the human composers, like Beethoven, Mozart, or Bach?"

"I know it's sounds strange, Medley." Glory replied with a shrug. "But those are the instruments she requisitioned for music appreciation day,"

Medley shook her mane. "Well... she's the teacher. I certainly hope she knows what's she's doing."

...

"Did you hear about what happened to Quackers?"

"Yeah, I heard her mom finally snapped."

"Maybe it's all that old apple cider she drinks? That stuff's gotta be spoiled!"

When class started on Monday morning, everypony was busy discussing what had happened with Quackers and her mother. Word had traveled fast around the castle, and all of the colts and fillies were debating exactly what had occurred. Quacker's empty seat, of course, did nothing to help dissuade the gossip.

The class was so wrapped up in their idle chatter over Quackers, that their teacher trotting in was barely noticed. But when they all turned to see her, everypony's jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Heya class, what's up?"

Cheerilee's mane was tied up in two pigtails, held in place by two neon scrunchies. As she trotted up to her desk, they saw she was wearing four legwarmers on her hooves, and butterfly clips in her tail.

"She looks different." Apple Delight said in shock.

"She talks different." Baby Glory agreed.

"I don't believe it!" Baby Applejack finished in shock.

"Miss Cheerilee... are you feeling ok?" Speedy asked nervously.

"Oh, I'm totally cool!" She kicked the whoopee cushion off her chair (she knew her students by now), hopped into her seat, and faced her students.

"All righty, class! Let's get this thang goin!" She gave them a great big grin. "Today is music appreciation day... so let's rock this place!"

That's when the class noticed several speakers, rock guitars, and other instruments over in the corner. Their teacher nodded her head towards the instruments. "So what're ya watin for?"

Most of the class could only stare in shock... but Baby Medley trotted over to the instruments. "I-I can play... I think.." She picked up the drumsticks, and hit the cymbal on the drums.

Following her example, Baby Firefly pick up the guitar, and struck a riff with her hoof. "All right! Now this is music class!"

Baby Heart Throb picked up a microphone with her wing. "Yeah! Let's sing a song from Nightshade and the Shadowettes!"

Everypony whose quarters were near the schoolroom, heard the hip-hop sound of the student's playing. Twilight Shine and Galaxy covered there ears with their hooves, grumbling about 'all that racket', while Lickety Split and Cherries Jubilee tapped their hooves to the beat. Even Queen Majesty gave a smirk, at the music coming from the floors above her throne room.

"Yeeah! This is awesome!" Baby Firefly exclaimed, hitting a final riff on the guitar. "You totally Rock, Cheerilee!"

"Yeah! You're the best!" Baby Medley agreed.

The whole class was surrounding Cheerilee, telling her how awesome she was... except for Baby North Star. The Filly sat back at her desk, scowling at the now 'cool' teacher. This wasn't supposed to happen! They're supposed to hate her! How dare they do this! The pink Pegasus got angrier and angrier, until she finally picked up her math textbook, and hurled it at the back of Cheerilee's head.

Without even turning around, Cheerilee caught the book with her tail, and set sailing back at the little filly. It landed squarely on the desk in front of Baby North Star- right where the teacher had intended it to land.

"Nice throwing hoof, Baby North Star." Cherilee looked back over her shoulder. "But ya might want to do the assignment in that book, instead of tossing it."

The whole class burst out laughing, and the pink Pegasus only snorted at her teacher.

...

"Oh trot! It's almost Six! He'll be here soon!"

Cheerilee was busy sitting the table, and trying to get everything ready. The buzzer on the oven went off behind her, and she spun around and turned it off with her hoof. "Ohh, that spaghetti and tomato sauce smells sooo good! He's going to love this!" Slipping on her hoof mitts, the teacher pulled the freshly cooked dish out of the oven and retrieved a serving spoon. As she was stirring it, Cheerilee heard a knock at the door.

"Just a minute!" Adjusting her pigtails, she trotted over, and opened the door. "Hello, Wigwam! Please, won't you come in?"

"Hello miss Cheerilee!" He greeted her, a bouquet of roses clenched in his teeth. "I brought you these!"

"Oh, they're lovely!" She replied, taking the flowers from him. She filled a vase with water, and set them on the table. "There, that looks nice!"

He pulled out her chair for her, and Cheerilee sat down.

"That's... that’s a new look for you." Taking his headdress off, he sat down opposite her. "I like it."

"Oh, why thank you." She replied, looking up at her pig tails. "I thought it might help me with my students."

"And how is that?" Wigwam asked curiously.

"Gypsy advised me to look to my past, to solve the problems of the future." Cheerilee spooned out the spaghetti onto her plate. "So I thought I might try reaching back into my own fillyhood to try and connect with them."

"A wise decision." Taking the serving spoon up, Wigwam put the spaghetti on his plate. "But did it work?"

"I think they liked the jam session I arraigned for music appreciation day." The teacher giggled. "Wait until they see what I have planned for our field trip."

"What, are you taking them to the human kingdom for a visit?" Wigwam took a bite of the spaghetti. "Mmm, this is delicious!"

"I keep hearing that name tossed around by different ponies." Cheerilee poured them both a glass of lemonade. "Who are the humans?"

"A race that we ponies are allied with, much like the bison." He slurped down a noodle. "Trust me, you'll get to meet them soon enough."

"Speaking of the bison, what are the tribes really like?" Cheerilee took a bit off her own plate. "I've always been fascinated by what the textbooks say about them."

"The bison are a strong and proud people." Wigwam smiled. "They are deeply rooted in their traditions, and follow the ways of their ancestors, but can adapt quickly to any situation. They hated ponykind once, for moving in on their lands in the age of Equestria. But those settlements are long since abandoned, and the Bison no longer have any qualm with our race."

"And you live both here and the frontier?" Cheerilee licked some sauce off her plate.

"Correct. I help the tribe with fighting off timber wolves, and protecting the stomping grounds. The rest of my time I spend here, giving reports to Majesty, and helping my fellow big brother ponies defend Dream Valley." He finished his plate. "Tell me, Miss Cheerilee, did you... have a special somepony back in Ponyville?"

"What? No... I never formed the lifebond." She replied, stifling a small blush. "A few of my students gave me a love poision once, though. I fell in love with Applejack's Brother, it... was kind of embarrassing, actually."

"A love poison? I've heard of that from the bison tribe's shaman." Finishing his meal, Wigwam took his plate to the sink. "It's a stronger version of the 'want it, need it' spell. But all it does is make you stare into another pony's eyes endlessly, without doing anything else."

"Yes, it's nothing like the lifebond." Cheerilee sighed, putting her dishes into the sink, and rinsing them off. "It's nothing like really falling in love."

"I never had a girl here at the castle." Wigwam snorted. "I was never around here long enough to get to know anypony."

"That's really sad." Cherilee replied. "You should have the mares swarming all over you."

Wigwam had trotted over to her bookshelf, and was looking at a few of the titles. "Where did you get these?"

"The archivist, Tornado, gave them to me... when I stopped off at the castle library." She smiled. "Are there any books you like to read?"

"Well... I love the adventures of Daring Doo series." He shook his mane. "Though I'm not a fan of the portrayal of aboriginal societies in the books."

"Wow, I love that series!" Cherilee exclaimed. "They actually still publish those, after all these centuries?"

Wigwam nodded. "Yes, although most ponies prefer human fairy tales... ether those, or stories about the age of Equestria."

"Wow, it's amazing to think that a time period I lived in, is now being romanticized." She replied with a laugh.

For the next several hours, they talked about their favorite books and hobbies, and enjoyed each other's company. Finally, it was time for Wigwam to go.

"It's getting late, and we both have responsibilities tomorrow." The orange stallion said with a sigh, heading for the door. "I had a lot of fun this evening...would you like to go with me to the next castle movie night?"

"I have no idea what movie is playing." She smiled at him. "But it sounds lovely."

"I'll see you later then,,," He started to trot off, but then came back and gently nuzzled her. "I'm so glad things are working out for you now."

She stared after him dreamily, as he trotted away. Then she just wandered down the hallway in a giddy daze, not noticing she had wandered in front of the bricked up alcove. What happened next... she was entirely unprepared for.

Suddenly, the wall beside Cheerilee exploded outward. "SURPRISE!"

"AAAAHHHHHHHHH!" *THUD*

"Heya, Miss Cheerilee!" The white Pegasus who popped out of the wall exclaimed. "Name's Surprise! Betcha ya didn't see that coming!" She burst out laughing. "The old fake wall trick gets em every time!"

When there was no response, Suprise looked down at the unconscious earth pony.

"Uh oh, I think I made her faint again....."

...

As the sun set and evening came on, Glory trotted down into the dungeons beneath the castle. The guards at the exterior gate opened it for her, and she passed into the master jailer's office.

"Locket... let me in." She asked the pony sitting across the room, staring at a monitor array. "I want to talk with her."

"Are you sure about that, Glory?" The pink Pegasus with the white and purple mane, spun around in her seat to face Glory. "Your sister's been quiet ever since we brought her down here. She might turn violent."

The pony master of jails and cages, Locket ran the Dream Castle dungeons with a steel hoof. Her special talent, evidenced by her key cutie mark, put her in a grim line of work. Her eyes had been long ago put out by rioting prisoners, and replaced by two pink gemstones. The television monitors behind her kept constant surveillance on the hundreds of prisoners down here

"I'll be fine, Locket." Glory told her. "Just have your guards keep an eye on things."

Sighing, the pink Pegasus hit the button, opening the door into the prison area.

Glory trotted in slowly, staring at all of the dangerous and violent prisoners who were being kept here. In one cell was Beezin- the vile goblin sorcerer whose magic paint had brought life to several inanimate objects, which had killed several ponies at Paradise estate. Another cell held Porcina, the swine witch who murdered ponies by turning them to glass with a touch. And farther down still was Arabus, the cloud genie who drew power from stealing the shadows of unsuspecting equines. His lamp was held fast inside a unicorn-maintained magic shield, preventing his escape.

They all stared silently as Glory passed, and she shivered at the sheer amount of evil contained in one area. Finally, she came to a cell where a pale blue unicorn lay sullenly on the cold stone floor.

"Sparkler?" Glory asked. "Sparkler, it's me... your sister."

Sparkler simply turned away, and faced the opposite wall silently.

"Sister, don't be like that... you brought this on yourself." Glory pleaded with her. "You hit Quackers very hard... you could've killed her!"

Still Sparkler said nothing. Glory continued-

"I just wanted you to know... I promise I'll take good care of the Twins. I'm thinking of asking Cherilee to take Quackers in, and I promise you... they'll be well cared for and loved. I just thought... you should know."

The white unicorn shook her mane, and started to trot away.

"Glory?" Sparkler asked, her voice barely audible.

"What is it, sister?" Glory stopped, looking back towards Sparkler.

"Tell Quackers... tell her I'm sorry I was such a horrible mother." Glory could her sobbing. "And tell her she deserves better."

Glory nodded, and trotted silently back out of the dungeon.

Turnabout

Field Trip, Part 1! Bright lights, Bright Valley!

Field Trip, Part 1! Bright lights, Bright Valley!

"Look, whatever you are... Stay back!"

A terrified Cheerilee stared in horror at the nearly hairless creature that stood before her. Uncertain of what to do, she decided it would be best to not make any sudden moves.

The earth pony teacher had just come out of her classroom, when she had heard footsteps coming down the hallway. "That doesn't sound like a pony." Cheerilee thought to herself. It was then that this strange, ape-like animal with a blonde mane came around the corner, startling the poor mare out of her wits.

"Oh, hello! I've never seen you before." The strange creature said to her, smiling. "What's your name?"

"AIEEEEE!" The earth pony mare shrieked, stumbling backward and falling on her flank. "What are you? What do you want with me?" Cheerilee stammered out.

The earth pony's mind raced... from the sound of it's voice and it's scent, the thing was female. She spoke, so perhaps she could be reasoned with? But Cheerilee had no way of knowing if she had hostile intentions. Oh, who knew what this terrible monster had in store for her?

It was at that point, that Sundance came around the corner.

"Megan? Where did you go? Meg-" She saw Cheerilee facing the creature down. "Aha! Megan! There you are!"

"Sorry, Sundance." The creature replied, going back over towards the white earth pony. "I was just introducing myself to this new pony over here."

"Megan?" Cheerilee said, her ears perking up."The human filly my students are always talking about?" She walked around the young human female, looking her over. "So this is what a Homo Sapiens looks like."

"And you must be Cheerilee. A pleasure to finally meet you." Sundance replied. "I hope my former students haven't been too much trouble?"

"Not at all, Miss Sundance." Cheerilee replied, realizing who this pony must be. "Oh, we had a little trouble at first... but when I tried talking to them in their own language, everything just clicked."

"So you're the new teacher at the castle school room." Megan, who was raised on a horse farm, stroked the pony's mane. "Nice to meet you!"

Cheerilee balked at this stranger's invasion of her privacy at first... but she found the scratch behind the ears was a very pleasant experience. "So this is why the Dream Valley ponies were so fond of humans." She thought to herself.

"Is that how all humans dress?" The pink earth pony asked Megan, looking over the frilly pink abomination the girl was wearing. "It's very... colorful."

"Yeah... this was my mom's idea. Says it makes me look less 'tomboyish'." Megan rolled her eyes. "I think I'm gonna go back to my jeans and t-shirt when I get back home."

Seeing that her only young student was talking so easily with the mare who replaced her, Sundance's eye began to twitch.

"Come along, Megan. Miss Cheerilee probably has a lots to do." The white early pony insisted, firmly nudging the girl down the hallway. "We best be going!"

"Oh, okay Sundance." Megan waved back to the pink earth pony. "Goodbye, Cheerilee! Hope to see you again soon!"

The pink earth pony watched the human and pony leave. As she looked on, a confused Cheerilee wondered what all that had been about.

...

"Yesss! This is soo awesome! I loooove field trips!"

Cheerilee and her Class were aboard the Strident Mare, the sloop-of -war belonging to The Earth pony Captain, Barnacle Star. The Good Captain had agreed to take them up the navigable rivers that flowed from the coast, into the interior of Ponyland.

"Arrr, Miss Cheerilee. I am pleased ta transport ye an' yer class ta yer destination!" The blue earth stallion took off his tri-cornered hat, and bowed. "And rest assured, I be more than willin' ta take ya home 'ta Dream Valley, after ye are finished!"

"Why thank you, Captain Barnacle!" Cheerilee replied with a smile. "The class and I are truly grateful for your gracious generosity!"

Cheerilee had received a letter from North Star, the Dream Castle archeologist (and mother of a certain juvenile pony delinquent), whose team had reached a critical point in their dig at the Ponyville ruins, and she was eager to have the students see her exciting finds. The letter had been sent to Sundance, of course, but the pink earth pony teacher had decided to take her class to see the ruins anyway. Besides, it would give her first time to get out, and see the rest of the former Equestria for herself.

But first, they scheduled to go on the annual class trip to Bright Valley, the sole remaining city in Ponyland. Queen Majesty felt that the manoral foals should know about what kind of life their ancestors had lived. The teaching mare was just happy to see a city again. To save time, the two events had been combined into a single three-day trip.

"Can you believe it? We're actually going to Bright Valley!" Bow Tie, one of the two selected chaperone mares, squealed with delight. "I was born and raised there, ya know. It's my hometown!"

"I had heard that Bright Valley was infested by an army of fakies, lass." Barnacle said, taking a puff on his pipe. "Pony zombies, who've had their shadows stolen!"

"The city was recently cleansed on it's infestation, and restored to it's former glory." Bow Tie replied sadly, her ears drooping. "It's not something I wanna talking about."

Turning away, Cheerilee saw Wigwam standing leaning on the ship's rail, staring out at the scenery going by. She had asked Wigwam to come along, when Majesty insisted they take a Big Brother pony along as security. She was going to ask him what was on his mind, but she thought she picked up a feeling of 'I want to be left alone' from him. The teacher turned back towards her students.

Near the stern, her class was laughing at the antics of Surprise, the other chaperone mare that had come along to watch the foals.

"Okay, kids! This is how you make a rubber chicken explode!" The crazy mare cackled hysterically.

"More like keep them entertained." Cheerilee grumbled to herself. The earth pony teacher did not like this crazy Pegasus, having been scared out of her wits by her 'fake wall' gag. The queen's royal court jester, Surprise was despised by most of the mares of the castle, due to her insane practical jokes from which none were spared. Her only real friend around the Castle was Megan's brother Danny... and Cheerilee didn't even want to think about some of the rumors she had heard about those two.

"Heya, Cheerilee! Betcha can't wait to get ta Bright Valley, huh?" The white Pegasus flew up to the teacher, twitching erratically.

"I'm ecstatic. Can't you tell?" Cheerilee replied dryly. "Why are you over here bothering me, anyway? Don't you have some belfry to hang from with the other bats?"

"Awww, don't tell me you're still sore from the wall joke?" Surprise extended her hoof. "Isn't ponykind all about friendship? No hard feelings, k?"

Cheerilee smiled. "Okay, I guess you're right." She reached to shake Surprise's hoof.

BZZZZZT! Surprise's joy buzzer made Cheerilee to light up like a pinball machine, showing her skeleton as the volts poured through her. All of the Students burst out laughing.

"The haha joy buzzer,- enchanted to create a cartoony visual effect when shocking ponies." Bow Tie snorted, helping the scorched Cheerilee up. "Very funny, Surprise."

"Ya fell for it! I already got ya once, and ya fell for it!" Surprise fell on her back, laughing hysterically. "By the horsemaster, Equestrian Ponies are sooo gullible!"

"I'll get you for this, you flying bag of laughing gas." Cherrilee muttered to herself, straightening her frizzed out ponytails. "Next time, the joke will be on you!"

...

The Ship Docked in the River port of Bright Valley, and all the pony passengers disembarked. Cheerilee was amazed by the sight of the modern town. Cars and buses drove up and down the streets, while ponies trotted in and out of Victorian-style townhouses. A huge cliff wall surrounded the northern side of the city, It looked far different than the towns of old Equestria... but the place had a charm all it's own.

"This place is so amazing!" Cheerilee exclaimed. "For being in a dark age, this town seems really advanced!"

A bus soon arrived to pick them up, and Cheerilee trotted on board. The motorized vehicle reminded her of the Flimflam brother's crazy machine... thought it was a much smoother ride.

"Can't catch me!" Baby North Star hopped over the seats, with Baby Firefly in hot pursuit.

"Girls! Please calm down!" Cheerilee yelled to them. "I really don't think that's safe!"

That statement proved to be true, as the two tumbled over the seat, and landed on Bow Tie's head.

"Hey! Get off me, you two!" Bow Tie yelled angrily, picking the two of them up with her hooves, and slam dunking them in their seats. "Either you two sit still, or you'll be staying in your hotel rooms for the rest of the trip!"

"Good grief, I wonder whose harsher in this era." Cheerilee thought to herself. "The foals... or their parents."

It was soon, that the bus brought them to the palace-like mansion on the top of the cliff side. They stepped out and trotted up to the door.

"Princess Silver Swirl is the city-state's regional ruler." Bow Tie Told Cheerilee. "Even though our town is an earth pony community, their royal line is made up of Unicorns. One of the Town's odd little quirks."

The group was quickly led into a large hallway filled with mirrors. Speedy and Baby Bow Tie ran from mirror to mirror, making faces. It was soon that a tall, white unicorn mare with a silver mane and a silver swirl cutie mark that stretched across her flank stepped into the room.

"Greetings, visitors!" She said with a smile. "I am Princess Sliver Swirl, and I welcome you to Bright Valley!"

"Hello, your highness!" Bow Tie bowed. "It is a pleasure to be back home again!"

"Bow Tie! How wonderful to see you again!" The princess smiled. "It has been some time since you moved away from Bright Valley! How wonderful for you to return for a visit!"

"Princess, this is Cheerilee, Dream Castle's new teacher." Bow tie introduced her.

Cheerilee bowed to Silver Swirl. "Your grace, it is an honor to be here."

"Miss Cheerilee, I hope you and your class enjoy your stay here!" Silver Swirl said with a smile "Please, allow me to start your visit the big city, with a tour of my estate!"

"Wow, you sure have a lot of mirrors around here!" Surprise said, looking at her reflection. The white pony in the mirror suddenly stuck her tongue out at Surprise.

"Eeeep!" The white Pegasus squeaked, hiding behind Cheerilee. Silver Swirl just laughed.

"These enchanted Mirrors help me keep me keep an eye on all that occurs within my domain." Silver Swirl Replied. "Which considering our problems with the recent infestation, is a good thing."

"Princess, would you care to send an escort around to show us the city's sights?" Cheerilee asked the Princess.

"Certainly. In fact, I shall be more than happy to escort your tour group personally." The white unicorn smiled. "The least I can do, after the Dream Valley Ponies saved my home here -and my entire city- from the evil Genie Arabus."

They left the princess's mansion, and proceeded to tour all of the City's sights. Their first stop was the Royal theater, where they watched a play on the fall of Canterlot, specially put on for the visiting class.

"Those are goblins?" A shocked Cheerilee asked, as they watched the play. "They seem so fierce and violent!"

"Yep, they helped Grogar destroy Equestra." Bow Tie whispered back. "Trust me, they're far worse in person!"

"Well, at least ponykind made a heroic last stand." The teacher replied, her ears drooping. "Even if we did lose."

After the performance, they went up to Cliffside caverns above the town, to look at the city's massive battery of cannons. Most of the colts and fillies listened intently, as the civil defense ponies described how and why the guns were used.

"Do ponies really need these giant death engines to protect themselves?" A horrified Cheerilee asked. "Is there no loving and tolerant solution to deal with the city's attackers?"

Bow Tie shook her head. "Try telling a swarm of griffins, snarling and hungry for pony flesh, about love and tolerance."

The earth pony teacher thought of the blood-stained tomahawk that she had seen Wigwam carrying on his belt. "I see your point." A depressed Cheerilee replied, her ponytails drooping with her ears.

After The tour of the city's defenses was complete, the group went to eat at a local street side cafe. Princess Silver Swirl sat with Bow Tie, catching up on old times. While Surprise sat at a table with the students, showing them how to make animal balloons. Cheerilee, meanwhile, sat off by herself, ears drooping as she stared at her hay and cheese club sandwich.

"A bit for your thoughts?" Wigwam asked her, sitting down with his meal.

"Oh, Wigwam!" She smiled at him, then sighed. "I'm sorry, I hate being a downer on the foals trip, but... it's hard for me to think of how much blood and violence is in this world, that my students will grow up in."

"And how violent they will have to become to survive in that world?" Wigwam asked.

"Yes! Exactly!" Cheerilee responded sadly. "Why must friendship wither in the face of war?"

"I know it's hard, Cheerilee. I'm not a big fan of war myself." He replied, taking a bite of his cheese pizza. "But if the herds of Ponyland do not fight to protect themselves, then they will be eaten alive by the darkness. We don't fight to destroy love and tolerance, my lovely smiling flower... we fight to keep it's flame alive, so that your students can grow up to have a future."

Cheerilee blushed at his compliment, realizing he was comparing her to her cutie mark. After they finished their meal, the teacher moved her chair over beside Wigwam. Making sure none of the Students were watching, she leaned in against the big brother pony, nuzzling him.

"Wigwam, do you think the Queen would let you spend my class's summer break at the castle, instead of going back out to buffalo country?" The teacher asked, smiling. Wigwam looked down, smiling back at her. Both of them felt the other's warm feelings towards each other in their minds, the tug of the pony lifebond-

"Oooooohhhh, lookie kids! Teach-er's gotta a boyfriend!" Surprise was hopping up and down, pointing at the pony couple.

Both ponies blushed furiously, before pulling away from each other. As the students and Bow Tie laughed their flanks off, Cheerilee was positively fuming.

"You interrupted the lifebond...." Cheerile thought angrily. "I swear I'm going to break you in half, Surprise!"

After their meal, the Princess led the rest of the group to the Bright Valley art museum. There, Silver Swirl led them around, showing them various works from throughout ponykind's history.

"Amazing, I love those tapestries from the Preclassical era!" Cheerilee exclaimed. "And those ancient Penna frescoes are very beautiful!"

"Wait until you see our bust of Starswirl the bearded!" Bow Tie boasted. "The Bright Valley museum only has the best!"

Cheerilee even recognized some of the statues that once stood in the Canterlot statue gardens- like the ones representing victory and friendship. Normally, Cheerilee would have been leading this tour herself, but right now she was learning as much as the students about the modern world.

"I'll be able to give the tour to my future classes in the years to come, once I'm entirely culturally acclimated." She thought to herself. After the tour was over, Surprise took the kids to the gift shop.

"For the three of you, I can take you to the room where the more... mature works in the collection are kept." Silver Swirl offered to the adult ponies.

"Art is creative expression, no matter what form it takes." Cheerilee responded. "Lead on, your highness."

Princess Silver Swirl led them down a long hall, to a separate gallery. "We just received some very interesting exhibits unearthed from the Ponyville excavation. The star piece in our collection is the scupture called 'the lovers', made by the famous Ponyville artist, Colto Ponycasso!"

"Ponycasso? Why he was living in Ponyville when I was teaching there!" Cheerilee exclaimed. "I heard Apple Bloom once ruined one of his paintings, while trying to sell him some apples!"

"This piece was supposedly inspired by something he saw one Hearts and Hooves day in Ponyville, while strolling near the Ponyville Gazebo." Silver Swirl exclaimed. "Though he sculpted it later in his life."

Bow Tie was the first to arrive in the exhibition hall, and gave out a whinny of surprise, as her eyes went as wide as dinner plates. She immediately turned, and blocked Cheerilee's entrance into the room.

"Why Bow Tie!" Cheerilee exclaimed. "What's wrong?"

"Cheerilee... didn't you once tell me that you and Applejack's brother fell under the influence of a love poison on hearts and hooves day... and three of your students left you and him alone near the Ponyville Gazebo?" Bow Tie asked nervously.

"Yes, they said they went back to thier clubhouse, and caught up with us the next day at Sugarcube corners. " Cheerilee shrugged. "Though neither of us remembered anything that happened while we were under the influence of the Love Poison."

"Well, I think Ponycosso stumbled across you that day." Bow Tie sighed, stepping out of the way.

Cheerilee saw the sculpture... a mare and a Stallion making passionate love. At first Cheerilee didn't see what was bothering Bow Tie... until she realized the two ponies in the sculpture looked exactly like her and big mac!

Cheerilee's eye went wide, and she broke into a cold sweat. Wigwam was just standing next to her, his mouth hanging open.

Bow Tie shook her mane. "Cue teacher fainting, in three... two..."

"AIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" *THUD*

Field Trip, Part 1! Bright lights, Bright Valley!

Field trip, part 2- Ponyville is the Pits!

Field Trip, part 2- Ponyville is the Pits!

The night ‘s river voyage from Bright Valley to the Ponyville excavation site, had been a far more somber experience than Bow Tie had expected. Oh, Surprise and the students were having a good time- playing games on the deck, and hanging over the rails and talking to Sea Ponies. But Bow Tie was spending most of her time consoling a distraught Cheerilee. The teacher spent most of the trip either ranting, crying, sitting in a corner depressed, or doing a combination of all three.

“Of course! Looking back on that Hearts and hooves day… it all makes sense now!” The distraught earth pony mare wailed. “My neighbors complaining about all the whinnying and loud noises coming from my house that night… AJ wondering why Big Mac never came home that evening. How could I have not seen it before?”

“Cheerilee, calm down!” Bow tie yelled at the pink pony, who now pacing frantically. “You’re a teacher, you know full well two ponies cannot mate without the lifebond!” Bow Tie put a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. “It’s biologically impossible, love poison or no love poison! Ponycosso probably saw the two of you rubbing noses in the park and…” The blue earth mare blushed. “… used his artistic imagination.”

“Yes, you’re right. But there’s still that statue for all of Ponydom to see!” Cheerilee tried to hold back her tears. “I’ll never be able to show my face in polite society again! A-and Wigwam… Wigwam saw-” Cherilee hung her head.

“Awwwwwww, Ponyfeathers!” Bow Tie grumbled, taking the pink teacher into a hug. “It’ll be ok, Cheerilee… I promise…”

…

“Wigwam, lad… ye need to go talk to her.”

The grim earth pony was below decks, talking with the captain in his quarters. He had been silent the whole trip back, and Bow Tie had urged Barnacle to have a word with his fellow stallion.

“And what on earth could I possibly say to her?” The aboriginal pony replied. “Any words that came out of my mouth would only make the situation worse.”

“My boy, don’t blame the lass fer what a love poison made her do.” Barnacle told him. “There’s a reason the last copy o’ that potion’s recipe was destroyed centuries ago!”

“I do not blame her.” Wigwam replied. “But right now, Cheerilee has far worse things to worry about. If word of that statue were to get back to Dream Castle, Moondancer and the other overprotective pony mothers would be working overtime to get Cheerilee booted from her job.”

“Then t’would be best if everyone were at’ keep silent on this matter, lad.” The captain sat down at his desk, and took a puff on his pipe. “Surprise and the kiddies have no idea about any o’ this, and ye had best endeavor ta’ keep that way.”

“Thank you. Barnacle.” Wigwam replied, before trotting out of the room.

After his friend had left, Barnacle strolled out into the hallway. As he trotted down the hall, the captain noticed a certain pink Pegasus filly sneaking out of her cabin, and silently sliding down the hallway towards Cheerilee’s room.

“Baby North Star.” Barnacle muttered grimly, causing the filly to nearly stumble over in surprise. “Not on yer way down te play another prank on yer teacher, are ye?” The stallion loomed over her.

“Oh! Hi, dad!” Baby North Star looked up at Barnacle meekly. “Blimey! Why would ya think I’d do something so daft?”

“That water balloon in yer hoof kinda reveals yer intent.” The blue Stallion looked straight at the filly, with his one good eye. “Now listen ‘ere, young lady! You’ll not be causin that teacher ‘o yers any more grief… or should I be telling yer mother what ye been up to, when we reach the Ponyville site?”

“No! Please don’t tell mum!” Baby North Star begged. “I’ll behave, I promise.”

“Good! Now, off at bed with ye!” The old sea dog trotted on down the hallway.

“Ugh! What an absolute rotter!” The Pegasus filly snorted, trotting back to her room in a huff.

…

The following morning, the ship sailed into Equestria Valley. Captain Barnacle called Cheerilee up to the deck with the rest of the ponies...and she couldn't believe what she saw.

The great expanse of the valley, looked mostly as it had in her age. The beautiful fields and streams, the fertile hills and rolling clouds. But as they rounded the bend in the river, and Canterlot Mountain came in view... Cheerilee's eyes went wide.

"Canterlot city... it's gone!" The teacher ears drooped. "Oh,it must have slid down the cliff side, and crumbled into dust ages ago." The great city, the symbol of the three tribes unity, and capital of the once great Equestrian nation... had vanished forever.

"Well, that's what you get for building a city hanging out on a mountain like that!" Surprise Blurted out rudely. Cheerilee resisted the urge to reach over and smack her.

"Actually, that happened more recently than you think." Bow Tie replied Sheepishly. Cheerilee gave her a confused look, but the earth pony mare said no more.

"Well, I see the Royal Palace is still there!" Cheerilee replied hopefully, noticing the castle had construction equipment and scaffolding around it. "It looks like they're even restoring it!"

"The Castle was recently recovered by Ponykind from an evil warlord." Bow Tie explained. "Now a group of monks- calling themselves the rainbow ponies- have taken up residence in the palace, and converted it to a monastery."

"The Equestria valley is considered a holy place, by most o' ponykind!" Barnacle explained, coming up behind them. "The Rainbow Valley monastery will be an excellent stopoff fer faithful ponies, on pilgrimage to the sacred mountain."

"Well, that makes sense... I guess..." Cheerilee replied. Ponies on Pilgrimage? The world really had become medieval again!

…

It wasn't long before they came into dock at the Ponyville excavation site, and Cheerilee and her class began to disembark.

"Surprise, Wigwam, and Barnacle won't be taking the tour with us." Bow Tie Told Cheerilee, as they stepped off the ship. "I've heard the two Stallions want to have a word with her about her antics on the ship."

"I suppose that's just as well." The teacher pony sighed. She was relieved that she wouldn't have to deal with the Pinkie Pie spawn, that was even crazier than her ancestor. But she was depressed Wigwam wouldn't be there, either.

"Now move along, class!" Cheerilee told her students, as they trotted up the riverbank.There, waiting for them, was a pink Pegasus with a compass cutie mark. This was North Star the elder, no doubt... as she looked just like a larger version of her daughter. But the unicorn who came trotting up next to her made her eyes go wide in shock.

"T-twilight Sparkle?" The earth pony teacher blurted out loud.

It was Twilight Sparkle... but not. Her coat was a bright pink, instead of Twilight's violet hue, and her mane was striped a different color. The final touch was a five-star cutie mark, instead of twilight's single glimmering burst.

"Twilight Sparkle? Oh, goodness, no!" The unicorn trotted up to Cheerilee, and laughed. "My name is Twilight Shine-Firehooves, and I am the royal court magician to queen Majesty!"

“Twilight Shine?” Cheerilee’s ears perked up “Oh, of course- Ember‘s mother! It is a pleasure to meet you!”

“And you must be Cheerilee, her teacher!” Twilight greeted her. “I trust she is doing well in her classes?”

"Oh, she's doing just fine!" Cheerilee replied. "In fact, she's one of the few students that actually keeps up on her studies, and has never given me any trouble!"

"Glad to hear it!" Twilight replied, looking behind the earth pony teacher. "Oh, I see most of your class has arrived, I think it's about time to begin!"

"Welcome students!" North Star spoke up, as the assembled ponies gathered around her. "We'd like to thank all of you for coming out here to the excavation site today, and we hope you'll enjoy you're stay here at the Ponyville historical site!"

Cheerilee and the others followed North Star, as she began giving the intro to the tour. As they walked, Cheerilee divided her attention between the speaker, and Twilight Shine, who had taken up trotting beside her during the Tour. The pink unicorn, ever as interested in learning as her ancestor was, was just as curious about Cheerilee, as the earth pony was about her.

"So, Miss Shine..." Cheerilee asked politely. "Are you related in some way to Twilight Sparkle?"

"Indeed!" She replied, grinning. "I am the most direct descendant of the element of Harmony bearer of magic, and current head of house Twilight."

"Yes, I met one of your relatives in Bright Valley." Cheerilee replied. "A Pegasus with a candle cutie mark, I believe?"

"Twilight Sky, yes." Twilight Shine replied. "She lives in Fort Rainbow Dash, and I occasionally have her run messages between the different branches of the clan, on in the various manor estates in Ponyland."

"Didn't part of your family marry into the royal Alicorn household, as well?" Cheerilee asked. "I seem to recall a royal wedding in my time, with Princess Cadence..."

"I think you're referring to Twilight Sparkle's brother, Shining Armor." Twilight replied, shaking her head sadly ."That branch of the family doesn't want anything to do with us, I'm afraid."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Cheerilee replied, her ponytails drooping.

It was then that North Star led them up to the gates, and into the actual dig site itself. Cheerilee looked out at the sight of what had once been Ponyville... and her heart sank.

Broken down walls, huge empty pits that the excavation team had dug... nothing resembled anything from the Ponyville she had known. From some of the slopes in the section of the landscape that hadn't been altered, the teacher could make out where this or that building had stood... but otherwise, nothing.

"A thousand years decay..." She said to herself. "I should have known..."

"Ponyville was originally a farming community, founded around the growing agricultural center of Sweet Apple Acres." North Star explained. "But the full attention of Equestria was not brought upon this little town, until it became home to the Element of Harmony bearers."

As they continued trotting, they passed the hole in the ground that had once been Sugarcube Corners. Cheerilee turned her head away, as an image of her having shakes there with her friends Golden Harvest and Daisy flashed through her mind. On their tour they passed by another roped off pit, that had once been Twilight Sparkle's library. The teacher remembered laughing with Twilight Sparkle, as they researched some material for one of her classes in the library together.

"Miss Cheerilee, are you all right?" Twilight Shine asked, as she saw the teacher was trying desperately to hold back tears.

"I-I'll be fine." She replied, wiping her eyes with her hoof. "Let's just keep up with the group."

It was soon that they came to what Cheerilee recognized as the Ponyville cemetery, although most of the tombstones were long gone. Much to Cheerilee's horror, she saw several of the graves had been dug into.

"Y-you're digging up the bodies of d-dead ponies?" The horrified teacher exclaimed. "T-that's... barbaric!"

"Applejack said the same thing, when we first came here a year ago." Twilight replied. "I promise the bones are being treated with the utmost respect and reverence."

It was then that Cheerilee noticed ten metal coffins- each draped in a flag, with one of the element of harmony bearer symbols on them- had been exhumed, and looked like they were being readied for transport. Twilight noticed what Cheerilee was staring at.

"Those are the bodies of the Harmony bearers, and their spouses." The Pink unicorn told her. "The five kingdoms of Ponyland each requested one of the couples be sent to each of them as holy relics."

"You're doing WHAT!?!" Cheerilee shrieked.

"It was the only way to get all five of the kingdoms to agree to let this dig continue... they each get a share of the artifacts." Twilight's ears drooped, as she was clearly not happy about the situation. "All five of the kingdoms have a claim to the Equestria valley, and each one wants a Harmony Bearer to inter in their crypts. Rainbow Dash and her mate is going to Fort Rainbow Dash, Rarity and hers to Hoofkaido, Fluttershy and her mate to Flutter Valley, and Pinkie Pie and her hubby are off to Bright Valley."

Cheerilee shook her mane, trying hard to suppress her disgust. "Ponies... wanting relics to venerate... this is a dark age..."

"It's better this way, Cheerilee." Twilight replied. "Now that the graves have been rediscovered, every tribe of monsters in Ponyland will be going out of their way to desecrate them." Twilight snorted. "At least I had enough clout to secure Twilight Sparkle and her husband for the Dream Valley catacombs."

A world that treated the deceased like this... Cheerilee looked around, and looked at her students, and thought of the current mess with Wigwam. "Twilight... would there possibly be any way of sending me back home?" Cheerilee asked hopefully. "I've heard of Time travel spells..."

Twilight cut her off. "Time travel has always been nearly impossible.. even in the age of Equestria, you could only jump though time once, and even then only for a few minutes." She looked down. "And the first disappearance of Tambelon released a chronal wave, that stabilized the time stream...eliminating time travel permanently."

"I... understand." Cheerilee replied glumly. So there was no going home. She had already known this, but to have it confirmed... she tried to distract herself by looking around at the excavation site.

Cheerilee noticed that there were several things in town she didn't recognize- like the foundations for a small castle at the center of town, or the support pillars of a long-vanished roller coaster sticking out of the ground. It was when they passed the crumbling ruins of a large treasure chest shaped building, on the spot where the Carousel Boutique had been, that Cheerilee finally spoke up.

"Miss Star?" Cheerilee asked. "What happened to the town after the passing of the element bearers?"

"The value of tourism for the town sky rocketed in the generations following the harmony bearers. " North Star explained. "So, an elderly business mare named Diamond Tiara bought up most of the Town, demolished it, and built a massive amusement park in it's place."

"Wha... " Diamond Tiara had done this? Her student Diamond Tiara, had chosen the call of greed over the call of friendship? Cheerilee's eye twitched, and she felt her whole body spasm, as her cutie mark burned her flank. "Diamond Tiara...hnn...ggh..." One of her students, one of her precious little flowers that she had helped to bloom into the best pony she could be...

....had instead turned into a weed.

Bursting into tears, the teacher pony galloped away from the group, even as several of her students desperately called out after her.

"Oh flank! It's cutie mark insanity syndrome!" Bow Tie turned to the Pink unicorn. "Twilight, go back to the ship, and get Wigwam!"

...

Cherilee kept running, not watching where she was going. She just wanted to get away from everypony and everything, and forget any of this had ever happened. As she galloped across the archeological site, her hoof hit a rock, and she tumbled down into the most recently dug pit.

"Ahhhhh!" Cheerilee whinnied, as she rolled down, and landed in the mud. The teacher stood back up on her hooves. and shook her mane and coat out.

"Where am I?" She said aloud, looking around at the pit. Seeing something sticking out of the mud, she reached down with her mouth, and pulled out a broken metal piece off a school desk.

"Oh, no, it can't be..." Looking around at the exact dimensions of the hole, Cheerilee realized where she was. "My school... my old school..."

Without saying a word, Cheerilee trotted up to the front of the pit, where her desk would have been, and sat down. She pulled the scrunchies out of her ponytails, and pushed her hair back into it's old style as best she could.

"Now settle down class, it's time to begin!" She said to the open empty air. "Silver Spoon, Stop picking on Apple Bloom! Scootaloo, hold that pencil properly in your mouth!" Her hair was frizzing out in every direction, and her eyes had a wild look in them. "Diamond Tiara! Stop selling your hometown down the river, and be... a... good... pony... ha ha..."

Cheerilee looked up at the clouds, tears streaming down her face. "Ha ha ha.... HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAA!"

"CHEERILEE!" She heard Wigwam's yell above her, and he quickly slid down into the pit. "Cheerile! Are you all right? I heard you had run away!"

"Look, class! A buffalo pony is visiting today!" A wide, insane grin spread across her face, as she looked out at the empty space of the pit. "Let's alllll ask him lots of questions, and be sure to be respectful!"

"Cheerilee, STOP IT!" He cried out desperately, shaking her. "Calm down, please!"

The teacher's tear soaked eyes snapped back to reality. "Wigwam... this world is insane... I don't belong here... the statue... I'm so sorry..." She babbled incoherently, as Wigwam's eyes started to tear up.

"Cheerilee, listen to me..." He stared straight into her eyes. "I don't care about the statue, or the spell, or what you've said or done." He put his hooves on her shoulders. "I don't care about the past, I care about the present... and my future with you." He took her into his hooves, and held her in a tight embrace. "I love you, Cheerilee... and I don't want to lose you to your memories. Let the past go Cheerilee, please... don't let yourself be buried with it."

Cheerilee wavered for a second... then leaned in to Wigwam's embrace, closing her eyes. "I'm so sorry Wigwam..I love you, too." Cheerilee felt his pain and worry for her flood into her mind, just as he felt her feelings wash into his. "I'll try to let go of the past... I promise."

They sat there like that, locked in each others embrace for almost an hour. Wigwam noticed the sun was setting. "Cheerilee, are you all right?" He asked her.

"I-I think I'll be ok." She replied, straightening out her hair, and carefully putting her ponytails back into their scrunchies. "We'd better get back soon, they're probably worried sick about us."

"Can you believe it." Wigwam said with a grim laugh. "We formed the lifebond here, of all places."

"Somewhere, three of my old students are laughing their flanks off." Cheerilee laughed nervously back. "I got married at the bottom of a pit."

Field trip, part 2- Ponyville is the Pits!

Up from the Pages

Up from the pages

"And this, class, was the sofa and quill shop. One of the most unique stores in ancient Ponyville, due to it's unique combination of items it sold..."

Having recovered from her recent nervous breakdown, Cheerilee was leading her class around the excavation site, giving them her own personal tour of the former town that had once been her home. North Star, who had only knowledge of what the dig had uncovered, was more than happy to let the Equestrian teacher enlighten both the students and herself with her accounts of her firsthand experiences.

"A little creepy, isn't it?" Bow Tie asked Twilight, as both of them stood back from the group, and watched the pink earth pony teacher doing what she did best. "One minute she was in the middle of a mental meltdown, and the next she's lecturing away, as if nothing had happened."

"I think it has to do with her talk with Wigwam yesterday." Twilight replied. "I can't be sure, but I think we may be having a wedding at the castle soon."

"That's good." Bow Tie sighed. "I was worried Cheerilee was feeling out of place in Dream Valley, with all the stuff that's happened to her since she got here from the past."

"Which brings up a question I've been meaning to ask." Twilight pondered. "Bow Tie, how exactly did miss Cheerilee end up in the present? I wasn't at the castle when she arrived."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Bow Tie asked, confused. "Why is that important, Twi?"

"I was curious what spell it was that had gotten her here." The pink unicorn replied. "With time travel ruled out, it either has to be an age slowing enchantment, or a suspended animation spell."

"Oh, you mean like the preservation spell AJ had on her." Bow Tie replied. "Well, I had heard that she appeared out of a book that AJ and Glory opened."

"Wait... WHAT?" Twilight looked surprised. "I've never heard of a book being used as the material component in a suspended animation spell before. Bow Tie, I want you to get me that book when we get back to the castle."

"Why? You think something might be wrong, Twi?" The blue earth mare asked.

"I don't know." Twilight looked over at Cheerilee. "But I do intend to find out."

After the tour was over the class broke up, to look at the different parts of the site themselves. North Star trotted up to Cheerilee.

"I say, Miss Cheerilee, I am truly grateful to you for help and expertise here." The Pink Pegasus told the earth pony teacher. "Blimey, but you did 'elp me fill in a great many of the gaps in my knowledge on ancient Equestrian Civilization."

"I am glad to be of help, Miss Star." Cheerilee replied politely. "Though I must say, there is something you could do for me, as well."

"It's my daughter, isn't it?" North Star's ears drooped. "I was afraid she would start acting like a hellion with a new teacher coming to the castle an' all."

"Oh, she's not too much trouble, really." Cheerilee replied nervously. "I was just hoping you could talk to her about reigning her... creative spirit, in a bit."

"I am sorry, miss Cheerilee. but that child has caused too much pain to too many ponies. I'm afraid Barnacle and I will have to take more drastic measures." North Star shook her mane."I really didn't want to do this, but my husband and I have heard of a reform school for fillies in Bright Valley, and if she cannot behave herself..."

Neither North Star nor Cheerilee noticed a young Pegasus filly who had been watching nearby, nor did they hear her gasp at her mother's words. Tears streaming down her face, Baby North Star galloped back towards the ship.

...

That evening, Cheerilee was trotting through the dig site with Wigwam, as the two of them looked up at the stars together. Bow Tie and Twilight had taken the class back to the boat, and had left the two ponies to have some time alone together.

"Wow, I can't believe everything that has happened to me recently." Cheerilee sighed . "Just over a week ago, I was in Ponyville, getting ready for school to start for fall session, and worrying about getting my lesson plans together in time. Now, I'm a thousand years in the future, living in a techno-medieval society of warrior ponies."

"What was the last thing you remember before you got zapped into the book?" The Buffalo tribe pony asked curiously. "What led to you getting stuck there?"

"It was the year after Applejack's little sister and her friends had graduated." Cheerilee sighed. "I had just gotten back from a teacher's conference in Canterlot, and I found that blasted book in my mailbox."

"Did you ever find out who it was from?" Wigwam asked. "If it might have been sent by somebody out to get you?"

"No there was nobody- I mean, nopony... blast it, now you've got me doing it." The teacher said with a chuckle. "I just thought it was a book they distributed at the conference, and that they had sent me one because they had forgotten to give it to me while I was there."

Wigwam looked up at the stars. "Are you still sorry you opened that book in the first place?"

She nuzzled him, and rested her head against his neck. "Of course not. I'd have never met my very special somepony if I'd stayed back in Equestria. Though I do miss all of my old friends."

"I thought you'd be talking to Applejack more often." Wigwam replied. "What with all you have in common."

"AJ and I were never that close of friends... it was especially awkward to talk to her after the incident with Big Mac." Cheerilee sighed. "Besides, I've tried reminiscing with her... her memory is foggy after a millennium, to say the least."

"Have you tried talking to Spike?" Wigwam asked her. "That dragon was Twilight Sparkle's pet, I believe."

"Wait, Spike's still alive?" She hoof-smacked her forehead. "Of course he's alive. Dragon's live for thousands of years! Do you think you could arrange a meeting with him for me?"

"I would be glad to, my love." Wigwam replied with a smile. "By the way, I was going to ask Majesty if she could perform our wedding next weekend, if you have it free. A simple ceremony, just a few ponies..."

"Wait, don't invitations have to be sent, and I have to pick out a dress?" Cheerilee asked, confused. "A wedding is a complex event, that takes a lot of planning!"

"Oh no! Unless it's a royal or diplomatic wedding, marriages are private and personal events now." Wigwam smiled. "And Bow Tie and Buttons can have a dress made for you in no time!"

"And here I had always dreamed of my wedding being this big, fancy affair with all of my family and friends." The teacher sighed. "But most of my family and friends are gone, anyway." She nuzzled Wigwam again. "Oh well, it'll be well worth it to be married to a wonderful pony like you!"

As the two of them passed the Sugarcube Corners pit again, Wigwam spoke up. "You know, there are old pony tales about this place. Some say the spirits of the harmony bearers linger here still."

Cheerilee just laughed. "Oh Wigwam, you know those old mare's tales are just a load of-"

It was at that moment, that a fell wind suddenly blew up out of the pit. It washed over the two ponies, blowing Cheerilee's ponytails around like crazy. It was at that moment, that the figure of a young, pink mare emerged from the hole.

"Oh Cheerileeeeeeee....." A familiar voice whispered.

Cheerilee's blood ran cold. "Oh no, it can't be..."

"Cheerilee, what's going on?" Wigwam asked her, moving between her and this strange figure.

"C'mon, Cherilee..." A totally pink earth pony ,with pink hair and a balloon cutie mark, suddenly stepped out to face them. "Don't you want to party with PINKIE PIE?"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" *THUD*

At that moment, 'Pinkie Pie' fell back laughing, as did the two foals, Baby Glory and Baby Tic Tac Toe, who were hiding in the pit. Baby Glory's horn stopped glowing, and 'Pinkie Pie's' disguise fell away.

"I can't believe she fell for it!" The white pony in whinnied with laughter. "For a teacher, she sure is dumb!"

"SURPRISE!" Wigwam snorted. "That's the last straw, you shifty trickster mare! Didn't Barnacle and I warn you about playing jokes on Cheerilee?"

"It was worth it!" The white Pegasus chuckled. "Just look at her!"

Cheerilee lay on the ground, eye twitching and body spasaming.

Wigwam held her tightly, and whinnied angrily at Surprise. "We'll see just how worth it it was, when I tell the entire castle about you and Megan's Brother!"

"No.... you wouldn't..." Suddenly, all the color drained out of the trickster mare's face. "Wigwam, no! Danny and I will never be able to live it down! "

"Then you had better be more careful with your pranks in the future." Wigwam warned, picking up Cheerilee to carry her back to the boat. "Because one of these days, one of your practical jokes are going to get out of hand. And instead of laughing, you'll be the one crying!"

...

"How could they do this to me?" She said allowed, trying to control her sobs. "I thought they loved me!"

Baby North Star was back in her room on the docked ship, her face buried in her blankets. How could her own mother want to send her away? How could her father agree to go along with it? That stupid Cheerilee, this was all her fault! She had ruined everything when she had just showed up one day! Why couldn't she have just caved in like every other teacher, instead of turning all of her friends and family against her! Oooohhh, she was going to make that teacher pay for what she'd done!

"Such a shame, Senorita... to see such a lovely young filly suffer so much pain."

"Who said that?" Baby North Star looked up from her bed, but saw no one else in the room. Glancing down on the floor, she saw that weird book she had swiped from Cheerilee's classroom, the day after the teacher had first appeared.

""Someone who sympathizes with your plight." The voice, so soothing and calm, emanated from the book. "And one who wishes to help you, if you will only let me, Por Favor."

The pink filly pick up the book, and read the title again. "The adventures of Daring Do? But I thought this had originally been a book by Cheerilee?" Opening the book to a random page, she saw an image of Daring Do fighting her arch- nemesis, Ahuitzotl. It was then, that Baby North Star swore she saw the image of the villain look right out at her. "Right here, Seniorita."

"AHHH!" The pink Pegasus dropped the book in a panic. After a few minutes she approached the book again. "How... how did you...?"

"Forgive me, Senorita. I did not mean to startle you." The blue creature replied, turning and bowing to her from the page. "Much like the Teacher you so despise, I too come from the book. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is-"

"Ahuitzotl, the arch-nemesis of Daring Do. My mum loves those books, Daring Do inspired her to become the explorer she is when she was a lass." Baby North Star said offhandedly. "She used to read me stories of Daring Do kicking your tail in when I was little."

"Yes, well..." Ahuitzotl Replied in an annoyed tone. "That's beside the point! Look, I can help you get rid of this teacher you so despise, if you will only open a special door- a door your mother knows of all too well- and let myself and some friends of mine out in return." The blue creature smiled. "So what do you say, Senorita?"

Baby North Star thought for a moment, then smiled back. "Very Well, what exactly did you have in mind?'

....

Cheerilee came to back in her cabin on the ship, which she could already feel moving up the river. Wigwam was standing over her, a concerned look on his face, and Surprise was flapping nervously in the background.

"Where am I... w-what's going on?" The teacher asked, confused.

"You had fainted again, my dear." Wigwam replied, smiling down at her. "You've been out for awhile, and we're on our way home now."

"You know, I'm really getting tired of that." Cheerilee replied with an annoyed sigh. As she got up out of bed, Surprise flew up to her, a frown on her face.

"Listen, Cheerilee..." The normally crazy mare said sadly. "I'm really sorry I pulled all those pranks on you, and I was wondering if we could start over, and be friends?"

Cheerilee looked down at her extended hoof for a few minutes, before a grin crossed her face.

"I'd be happy to, Surprise." She extended her hoof to the white Pegasus, a smile on both of their faces...

BZZZZZZZZZZZZT!

Surprise lay on the floor, twitching. Cheerilee pulled the shock buzzer off of her hoof.

"You know, you really shouldn't leave this thing laying around." The teacher replied. Wigwam tried to stifle a chuckle.

Surprise pulled herself back to her hooves. "Wow! That was great, Cheerilee!" She coughed an electric shock out of her mouth. "We should play a joke on the rest of the Castle sometime!"

As the two mares started to talk, Wigwam smiled. "Well, I'm glad these two have finally made friends." He thought to himself. After a few hours of Talking, Surprise trotted back to her room, and the buffalo tribe pony turned to leave, as well.

"Wigwam, wait." Cheerilee raised her hoof to stop him. "Couldn't- couldn't you stay here... just for the night?"

"Cheerilee!" Wigwam blushed furiously. "Surely you can wait for the wedding!"

"No! That's not what I mean!" Cherilee's own cheeks turned red. "What I mean is... after all that's happened, my nerves are shot, and I really don't want to be alone tonight."

Wigwam smiled. "Of course, my dear." As Cheerilee lay down on her bed, the buffalo tribe pony rested himself in the high-backed chair on the other side of the room.

"Pleasant dreams, Miss Cheerilee." he whinnied, before blowing the candle on the table out, and leaning back in the reclining chair.

After she was certain he was asleep, Cheerilee slipped out from under the covers, and trotted over to where he lay. She climbed on top of Wigwam, resting her head against his chest. "Good night, Wiggy. Sweet dreams." She thought to herself, as she fell asleep to the sound of the stallion's beating heart.

Up from the Pages

School bells, wedding bells

School bells, wedding bells

The Swift Mare soon returned to port in Dream Valley, and word soon swiftly spread amongst the castle's population about the events that had transpired during the school trip. Every Pony in the small kingdom, who had not been wondering and speculating about this ancient teacher- were doing so now. Who was this mysterious mare, who had so easily stolen the heart of one of Dream Castle's most elusive bachelors? The lack of any concrete information, served only to fuel the fires of speculation!

"Can you believe it, Megan?" Sundance asked her young charge excitedly, as the two were strolling down a castle corridor. "Another pony couple in the castle will be getting married soon! It seems only yesterday that we had the last wedding here!"

"But Sundance, they've only met a few weeks ago!" Megan asked, confused. "How can they get married, when they barely know each other?"

"They've known each other long enough." Sundance commented, curious now. "Why, how long does it take human couples to fall in love?"

"Well, my mom and dad told me they dated for a year before they got engaged." The human girl replied.

"It took your father that long to propose? It's a wonder your mother had the patience to wait." Sundance merely shook her head. "I'll never understand why it takes so long for humans to do anything!"

...

"Oh dear! I can't believe I slept in this morning!" The pink earth pony teacher panicked. "If I don't hurry, I'm going to be the one late to class!

Cheerilee was on her way back to her classroom, in a panic over the fact that she had slept in on her first day back. Glory stepped out in her path, causing the mare to skid to a stop.

"Cheerilee! I was hoping to run into you!" The white unicorn exclaimed. "I heard you had an... interesting trip."

"Glory, so nice to see you!" The teacher replied quickly. " I'd love to talk to you, but I really need to get to class right now!"

"This will only take a moment." Glory replied. "I just wanted to let you know that Quackers will not be coming back to your class."

"Well that's... wait, what?" Cheerilee asked in shock. "I had heard she had recovered, what's the problem?"

"I simply can't take care of her, Cheerilee... I've already got my hooves full." The white unicorn replied. "I'm sending her away to live with our relatives in Rainbow Valley."

The pink mare thought for a moment, then blurted out. "I'll do it. I'll take care of her."

"Wait, are you sure?" Glory asked, her eyes going wide in surprise. "You and Wigwam are a new couple, just starting out..."

"I'll talk with Wigwam about it, but I don't think there should be a problem." Cheerilee assured her. "Let me know when you can make the arrangements."

"Thank you so much for this, Cheerilee." Glory replied gratefully. "I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate this!"

"It's nothing, that little filly needs a loving home." The teacher sighed. "But right now, I really need to get to class."

"Understood, my friend." Glory shook her mane. "I will talk to you later, then."

The pink mare nodded, then trotted confidently on towards her classroom.

"Good morning class... sorry that I am late!" She said confidently, going into teacher mode. " If you will all please hand in your essays on our trip, I will be sure to get those back to you as quickly as possible, all right?"

As she took their papers, the pink teacher noticed that one particular Pegasus filly was missing from her seat.

"Say, has anypony seen Baby North Star?" Cheerilee asked the rest of the class. Baby Glory put her hoof up.

"I think she out with the trots, Miss Cheerilee." The unicorn filly shook her mane. "She told me she ran into something rotten on the trip, and didn't feel like coming to class today."

...

Having just recently gotten her daughter off to the school for the day, Moondancer was making lunch when she heard the knock on her door.

"Just a minute." She called out. Turning off the oven, she trotted over, and opened the door. There stood the diminutive form of Baby North Star. She had a smile on her face, and was holding some kind of folder in her mouth.

"Why hello there, young lady!" Moondancer said, as the arrogant young filly trotted right in. "Not that I don't appreciate the visit, but shouldn't you be in class at this hour?"

"Oh, I would most certainly love to be there, Lady Moondancer." Baby Moondancer replied suavely. "But I have something here I just knew you just had to see."

One of the ladies in waiting to Queen Majesty, Lady Moondancer's voice carried a great deal of weight at court. She often used that clout to weed out what she saw as 'corrupting influences' at the royal court, that could be detrimental to her Second only in influence to Twilight Shine, there were few mares in the palace who would dare cross the unicorn blowhard.

"Very well." She sighed, levitating the folder in front of her. "Let's take a look at what you have here."

At first, the white unicorn with the red mane only feigned interest in the folder. But as she opened it and looked at the photos inside, Moondancer's eyes went as wide as dinner plates.

"My stars! Is- is that Cheerilee crying in a pit?" The unicorn mare asked incredulously. "Is that her lying on top of ambassador Wigwam on a chair?" Her whinny rose to a shrill pitch. "IS THAT YOUR TEACHER IN AN EROTIC SCULPTURE?!?"

"Blimey, I just knew you'd want to rid Dream Castle of this moral corruption." Baby North Star told her. "So I brought you these souvenirs from our trip as, soon as I was able!"

"Young lady, you did the right thing!" Moondancer narrowed her eyes. "I'm going to make sure this unscrupulous harlot is removed from her teaching duties as soon as possible!"

As the scandalized unicorn mare ranted and raved about 'indecency' and scandal', the filly delinquent smiled at how well Moondancer had taken to the photos her new partner had conjured up. Now, all she had to do was sit back, and watch the fireworks...

...

"Ugh!" Cheerilee groaned unhappily. "No offense ladies.... but this dress feels too tight!"

Buttons and Bow Tie were fitting her with her wedding dress, trying to pull it tight enough to fit, but not so tight it pulled hard against her flank. For them it was an experience most annoying... but for the earth pony teacher, it was an experience most painful.

"I'm sorry, Cheerilee!" Bow Tie froaned, loosening one of the ties in the dress's back. "But since we lost the castle dressmaker, buttons and I are the next best things in Dream Valley."

"And we're trying our best here." Buttons continued, pulling another lace tight. "It's not often we have to make an old fashioned dress from scratch. Most mares have us modify the dresses they order from Bright Valley!"

"I know girls, and I'm really sorry about that!" Cheerilee apologized to them. "But I wanted an old fashioned Equestrian wedding dress for my special day."

"Myself, I think it looks lovely." Wigwam told her, trotting into the room. "That dress is matched only in beauty by the lovely mare wearing it."

"Wigwam! You shouldn't see my in my wedding-" Cheerilee snorted. "Oh, hang silly old pony superstitions! How do I look, Wiggy?"

"Like an angel that stepped out of heaven." He told her, nuzzling the mare he loved. "Now, I was told there was something you wanted to see me about?"

"Yes, about Baby Quackers..." Cheerilee clopped her front hooves together nervously. "She has nowhere to go... and I-I was kind of was wondering if we could... maybe..."

Wigwam thought for a moment, then slowly began to nod. "I was thinking we should start a family early, and I could not stand to see the little one separated from her friends."

Cheerilee's eyes went wide, then she threw her hooves around her beloved's neck. "Oh, thank you so much, Wigwam!"

"How Romantic!" Buttons and Bow Tie sighed, as they watched the couple embrace each other.

...

It was as evening fell, that the throne room at Dream Castle was lit by a thousand candles, The few dozen ponies that had gathered there were dressed in their finest ponywear. The queen sat silently on her throne, fully clad in her royal regalia, while the groom was clad in a tux jacket and feather headdress. They all waited anxiously, as the bridal march began to play.

The bride came trotting down the aisle, wearing a beautiful gown of the purest white. On her sides were Applejack, Glory, and Bow Tie- her three bride's maids, while Baby Poesy served as her flower girl. The bride noticed most of the ponies present were friends of her stallion- most of her friends and family were dead and gone. But the few Ponies she did know there, such as the smiling Sweet Stuff, made this solemn occasion all the more bearable.

As she arrived at the base of the throne, the groom lifted her veil. The stallion stood transfixed at the sight... even though it was a face he had looked into so many times before. The two ponies smiled at each other, as the queen began to speak. Neither of them heard the words she uttered, so lost in each others eyes were they. But as she approached the proper part of her speech, both bride and groom spoke the words their words straight from their hearts.

"I do."

"Then by the power invested in me, by the great horsemaster. I now pronounce you Stallion and wife!"

As the assembled ponies stamped thier hooves and cheered, Cheerilee and Wigwam kissed the kiss of true love.

...

"Tvilight, you wanted to zee me, darlink?"

Gypsy trotted into Twilight Shine's lab, looking around at all the scattered notes and opened spell books. The white unicorn shook her mane, amazed that Dream Valley's greatest mage was also it's most disorganized.

"Ah, yes, please come in." Twilight replied, finally looking up and seeing the other unicorn. "I was just doing some research on this whole Cheerilee situation, and I think I know how our time-lost earth mare actually got here."

"Und how iz zhat, darlink?" Gypsy asked curiously. "Az a vellow magic user, I vould love to hear your personal zheroy on how she got here."

"Tell me Gypsy... have you heard of the land of Legends?" The pink unicorn asked. "The magical realm, sealed beyond the golden door?"

"Jez, it iz a dimension vhere fantasy becomes reality." Gypsy replied. "Vhere zee fairy tales characters from fiction und literature come to life."

"Yes, the Paradise Estate Ponies had a run in with several of the legendary figures that came through the door a few years back." Twilight continued, flipping through the pages of a book of enchantments."They released a residual energy, that I was able to detect after that."

"Zo?" Gypsy asked. "Vhat does zat haf to do vith..."

"Gypsy, I did some research into the historical Cheerilee, and found out she did write a book about cutie marks and special talents later in life." Twilight Shine's ears drooped. "One in which she used herself as a character, to illustrate how teachers can talk to their students about cutie mark and special talent issues."

Gypsy's eyes went wide in shock. "Vait, you don't zink Cheerilee is a..."

"I've detected that same magic, coming from the books North Star and Wind Whistler brought back from the Canterlot ruins. books like the one our Cheerilee came out of."

Gypsy shook her mane. "Tvilight, vhat are ve going to do?"

"For now, nothing. I don't want to ruin her and Wigwam's happiness, because of my stupid speculation." Twilight closed her eyes. "Besides, no harm has come out of Cheerilee being here so far..."

School bells, wedding bells

The gathering storm

The Gathering storm

The old-fashioned alarm clock rang loudly, causing one of the two earth ponies sleeping on the nearby bed to groan in annoyance. Cheerilee, mumbling under her breath and cursing morning for coming too quickly, shut the loud and annoying relic off.

"I can't believe I actually requested that thing from the castle storerooms!", she groaned inwardly,opening her eyes. Gently pulling the covers back, she shook her mane loose, then slowly rolled out of bed. "Next time, I'll just put up with the kooky modern clock!"

She stepped on Wigwam's ascot, thrown carelessly aside, as soon as her hooves touched the floor. This past week with Wigwam had been truly magical, but she knew it would take some getting used to living with another pony... and a messy one at that. Looking back to the bed, she tenderly licked the coat of the stallion still sleeping there.

"Get some more rest, you big lug." She whispered to Wigwam. "I'll see you later!"

Wigwam groaned contentedly, and rolled over. Probably dreaming about her, if the feelings coming across the lifebond were any indication (not that she minded such a notion, anyway). Smiling tenderly, Cheerilee trotted off to the bathroom to take a shower.

After she had finished washing and drying, the teacher trotted back out to her living room, and looked around. Wigwam's furniture and personal belongings were being moved into the apartment, with boxes stacked everywhere, and furniture crammed into the room. It was going to be a pain sorting out what would go where- Cherrilee was uncertain how she felt about the prospect of having a dream catcher hanging in her living room. They would have to get his things situated quickly, if they were to be ready for Quackers's belongings to be delivered soon.

After she had dried her mane, Cheerilee put her hair in her now-signature pigtails, ate a quick breakfast, and trotted out of the apartment. Queen Majesty had offered the newlywed couple an immediate honeymoon to Horseshoe Falls or Galloping Gorge, but they had insisted they get matters settled here at the castle first, before they went anywhere. Still, Cheerilee decided, they would get the chance to go away for awhile soon.

As Cheerilee trotted up to Glory's apartment, she gently tapped her hoof on the door. The white unicorn opened the door, and smiled at the pink earth Pony.

"Why hello there, Cheerilee! We've been expecting you!" Glory exclaimed, motioning for her to come in. "We were just getting Quackers ready to go!"

As she stepped inside the entrance, Cheerilee looked down at the sad-looking filly with the white coat and rainbow mane.

"Well, Quackers... are you ready to leave?" Cheerilee said with a smile. "We have a nice room, all ready and waiting for you!"

"I weady mish Cheeriwee. -QUACK!-" The the little filly whinnied sadly, picking up her small bag. "We bettah get ghoing.-QUACK!-"

"Cherilee, I can't thank you enough for this!" Glory whinnied, as the teacher pony led the little filly back out the door. "If there's anything you need... please, let me know!"

Cheerilee said her goodbyes, then led the little filly back towards her apartment.

"Now Quackers, you'll have your own room, and feel free to go anywhere besides Wigwam and I's room." The teacher smiled down at her. "And I'll be teaching you at home from now on... though you will still have time to play with your friends, of course..."

"Miss Cheeriwee? -QUACK-!" The filly interrupted her. "Ah wanted to ask you a favah -Quack!-"

"Oh my! Of course, my little filly!" Surprised, the teacher stopped in the middle of the hallway, and looked down at little foal. "What is it, Quackers?" Cheerileee asked her newly adopted charge, smiling.

"Mish Cheeeriwiwee, I noh mommy didn't wan me. -QUACK!- and aunty Gwowy didn't wan me. Baby Nawf Star say no pony wan gwabage wike me." The little filly looked up at the teacher with tear soaked eyes. "If I good -QUACK!- maybe wou not twow me out wif de west of teh twash?"

The shocked Cheeilee bit her lip, trying to stop herself from crying. She took the little filly into her hooves.

"Quackers, listen to me." The teacher said softly, as she gently stroked the little filly's mane. "Nobody's ever going to throw you away, ever again!"

...

"Moondancer." Queen Majesty groaned, rubbing her tired eyes with her hoof. "You had better have a good reason for calling the Privy Council together at this late hour."

It was past eleven at night, when the six mares of Majesty's inner council gathered at Moondancer's summons. The other five besides Moondancer were yawning and stretching their hooves, and already plotting how they were going to get back at the unicorn prude.

"I do indeed, my queen!" The unicorn replied, levitating the folder with the pictures around for each of the mares seated at the long, lavender table in the council chambers. Each mare whinnied in shock, as she saw the scandalous pictures located in the file. "Here you will see the clear and present danger to the morality all of the foals here at Dream Castle! The very reason I had all of you, my fellow esteemed council mares, called from your beds in the middle of the night!"

"My goodness! Is that Cheerilee in that statue?" Cupcake, the white earth mare with the blue mane, exclaimed. "My stars! We can't let such an amoral pony educate our youth!"

"Now hold on just a second, ladies!" Poesy, the yellow earth pony with the pink mane, replied softly. "I'm sure Cheerilee has a good explanation for all of this!"

"Ah agree with Miss Poesy, girls! Rally I do!" Heart Throb, the pink Pegasus southern belle, replied. "So whut if our teachah has a sordid past! Besides, she and Wigwam such ah lovely couple! It's seems such a shame tah cause them such a terrible row!"

"Ugh, leave it to you to think of the romantic side of this mess, Heart Throb!" Ribbon, the blue unicorn descended from the heroine Red Ribbon, exclaimed. "Wigwam is implicated in these photos as well. We may have to chastise them both for this unseemly behavior!"

"Now wait just a second, all of you-" Majesty's plea was cut off, as the five mares began arguing with each other. The queen's eyes darkened.

"SILENCE! ALL OF YOU!" Majesty bellowed, stamping her hoof. All five of the arguing mares immediately fell silent. "Thank you. Now, we haven't yet heard from this council's representative from Dream Valley's Changeling clan." She turned to the sixth chair surrounding the table, and addressed the mare sitting there. "What say you, Shady?"

"Who? me?" The unassuming pink earth pony, with the sunglasses cutie mark, had been silent this whole time. "I just don't know.. it seems such a shame to punish poor Cheerilee and Wigwam for a few pictures." Shady started to tear up. "In fact, it makes me want to cry even thinking about hurting them and poor little Quackers!"

The other five council mares groaned- leave it to Shady to make an entire room of ponies depressed. A pony from Dream Valley's small and secretive changeling clan, The pink earth mare had been born a normal pony without the ability to shape shift- a failure in the eyes of her family. Shady had grown sad and depressed, feeling rejected by the parents her birth had so disappointed. Her only advantage was that she did not need to drain love to survive, and so she was made the Clan's representative to the council- a very lucrative position, indeed.

"I suggest you send one of your changeling spies to observe Cheerilee, Shady." Twilight Shine came Trotting into the council chambers, staring at all of the mares assembled. "It may be in the herd's best interests to find out what her true motives are."

"Why, whatever do you mean, Twilight?" Majesty inquired curiously, as the pink unicorn mare trotted up to the front of the room.

"My fellow mares, my Queen...." Twilight started, addressing Majesty and council alike. "I have reason to believe our mysterious teacher, may not be a pony at all..."

...

In the castle's northern turret (The other three being the classroom, Galaxy and Gypsy's observatory, and Twilight and Tornado's bedroom) was where the changeling clan, House Shadowvale, had it's private quarters. Masquerade was currently extracting a vile-looking red liquid from a beaker, pouring it into a tankard she held in her hoof. She stared down at the unpleasant concoction for a moment, dreading what she would have to do with it.

"Bottoms up." she thought to herself, as she downed the disgusting concoction, grimacing at it's foul taste. She felt a rush of energy though her body, that caused the yellow Pegasus mare to cough and sputter. The empty sockets her jewel eyes rested in watered, and she said a silent thanks to the horsemaster that it would be another month before she had to drink that vile sewage again.

Shadowvale's nectar, they called it... the cure that made it so Changelings didn't have to drain love from ponies to survive and thrive. First concocted by a Dream Castle alchemist back in the first days of Dream Valley kingdom, this modified version of the love poison formula served as a potent substitute for the stolen love that other changelings needed to survive. Monthly doses suppressed both the craving to drain love, and the ability of a changeling to drain off a pony's love- making the brew a double edged sword.

It was in exchange for this powerful elixir that the Shadowvale clan served Queen Majesty's line for so long... and so well.

"Masquerade, are you up here?" Shady trotted up the steps, looking around. "I have an assignment for you from the Queen."

"I am here, half-breed. No need to shout or get yourself excited." The Pegasus sighed, shaking her green and blue striped mane. she really didn't care for Shady, despite the fact that the earth mare had been a friend of her mother's. It always bothered her Shady's changeling genes, so watered down by generations of pony blood, made it so she did not have to take the elixir to survive. "So, what does our Queen require of me?"

"The teacher, Cheerilee- there has been some suspicious activity surrounding this time-lost mare." Shady replied, in her usual depressed tone. "Queen Majesty wants you to watch her every move, without her being aware you are doing so."

"All too easy a task, half-breed, for a Changeling such as myself." The pony master of disguise morphed into the form of a small Pegasus school filly. "She won't even know I am there. If the teacher from Equestria is up to fell deeds, our queen shall most certainly be made aware of it!""

"For Cheerilee's sake, I hope you don't find anything." Shady replied nervously, as the disguised Pegasus trotted down the steps.

....

"This is unbelievable, Senorita! You should have freed me by now!" The large, cat-like monster in the book hissed. "I have upheld my end of the bargain, why have you not upheld yours?"

"Patience, old chap!" Baby North Star replied, staring down at the book. "The grownups take time to carry out their punishment against ponies they deem to be bad."

"So you will not free me, until your vengeance is complete! A filly after my own heart!" Ahuitzotl bowed to her from the page. "But allow me to give you another way to strike at your hated teacher... through those she cares about the most!"

"Wigwam and Quackers?" Baby North Star asked curiously. "Blimey, I figure we can strike at the lil' filly freak, but 'ow we gonna strike at a Stallion like Wigwam?" She streched her hooves out and yawned nonchalantly. "'Ell be returning ta buffalo country soon, an' like takin' that family o' his with 'em. If I may be so bold as to ask, 'ow you plan on strikn' em down!"

"Ohhhh, Trust me, senorita." Ahuitzotl grinned a fanged smile, staring at the Pegasus filly darkly. "Dere is more than one way to scalp a Buffalo pony!"

The gathering storm

Investigation and condemnation

investigation and condemnation

"...and so these stallions and mares, who join the this organization devoted to the great horsemaster, have their manes magically change rainbow colors as a sign of their devotion and faith." The little filly looked away from the chalkboard, and towards the class as she finished. "Their sparkling cutie marks serve as a shining example to all the ponies of Ponyland!"

"Thank you very much, Confetti, that was a wonderful report on the holy order of the Rainbow Ponies." Cheerilee smiled, as the young filly returned to her seat. "And I'd also like to thank Sunlight, Moonstone, and Parasol- the current heads of the rainbow order- for their help to Confetti in researching the rainbow ponies!"

The students in the class clapped their hooves together in applause, before Cheerilee motioned for them to quiet down.

"Now before we go on to our next report, I'd like you all to meet our newest student, Clever Ruse! She's a transfer filly in from Fort Rainbow Dash, and she doesn't know anypony here yet. so I want you to all make her feel welcome!"

The new little filly, a red Pegasus with gemstone eyes, trotted up in front of the class, and smiled shyly. "Nice to meet you all." She said timidly, as the class erupted in a flurry of welcomes and hellos. The little mare quickly took her seat, as the teacher turned her attention back to the rest of the class.

"Now, our next report will be from Buttersctoch, on the customs and traditions of Grundle holidays..."

As the next report started, none of the other students noticed the serious look in the new student's eyes, as she studied her new teacher with a fierce scrutiny...

...

"Wigwam! Quackers! I'm home!" Cherrilee announced, as she trotted in. The old stallion looked up from his book and smiled, while the little yellow filly came running, and great big grin on her happy face.

"Miss Cheeriwiwee! Sho gwad you bak -QUACK!- We shure happy to she you! -QUACK!-"

"Hello, dearest!" Wigwam trotted up, and nuzzled his wife. "I trust you had a good day in class today?"

"Actually, it was rather tiring." The pink mare replied with a sigh. "I have a new student in class, who seemed to want to ask me everything about everything over the past week!" Cheerilee collapsed back into a chair. "Where I was from, how I got here, why I became a teacher... I'm all for eager young students asking questions, but she was getting a little too personal!"

"Rewiwe? -QUACK!-" Quackers asked in disbelief. "Dhat doshesn't shound like any fiwwy I know -QUACK!-"

"That does sound awful though." The buffalo pony nuzzled his wife. "You've been through a lot today... I know! Why don't we go eat supper at the Satin Slipper? You deserve a a day off cooking dinner!"

"That sounds really wonderful, Wigwam!" The pink earth pony replied with a smile. "I could use one of Scoop's veggie burgers with cheese right about now!"

....

Clever Ruse watched the pony couple and thier daughter leave the apartment, and trot down towards the Satin Slipper. Following discreetly, the filly managed to stay out of sight, while staying close enough to hear what was going on.

The three ponies walked into though the turnstile, and sat down at one of the booths near the door. Sitting at a table on the opposite side of the room, the student literally made herself invisible to all the ponies present.

"Miss Cheeriwiwee, -QUACK!- may I order teh hot fudge sunde, pweese?" Quackers asked, looking at the menu.

"Of course, little one." Cheerilee replied. "Though make sure you eat a healthy meal first!"

As the three ponies looked over their menus, a pony-sized shape walked up to the table. Thinking it was scoops coming to take their order, Cheerilee spoke without looking up from her menu.

"I'd like the veggie burger with light mayo, with a side of hay fries." She told the figure standing there. "Oh, and a tall glass of cider, too!"

"I'd get ya the stuff ya asked for, Cheerilee." A draconic voice rasped out. "But I don't think you'd like how I'd make it."

Upon hearing that voice, the pink earth pony nearly dropped her menu in shock. "S-spike?!? Is that you?"

"In the scales, so to speak!" The small purple dragon replied with a laugh. "When Wigwam and AJ told you were alive, I just had to pay for a visit!"

"Shpike! -QUACK!- Ish good to she you! How is you doing? -QUACK!-" The little filly beamed at the sight of the dragon.

"Oh, I'm fine, Quackers!" Spike replied. "How are your baby ducks coming along?"

Cheerilee turned to Wigwam. "You knew he was going to be here, didn't you?" The teacher cracked a small grin. "That's why you suggested we come to eat here, isn't it?"

"He and I set this as a surprise for you, in order to cheer you up." Her husband replied sheepishly. "Now, you two can get caught up, and reminisce about Equestria!"

Wigwam motioned for Quackers to follow him, and the two trotted up to the counter to eat. Cheerilee then turned to Spike.

"This is so amazing to see you again, Spike!" Cheerilee exclaimed, smiling. "How have you been over the last... er... Millenium?"

"Oh, you wouldn't believe it!" The dragon replied with a laugh. "Slept for two centuries, woke up in a Ponyville amusement park filled with crazy mares, enslaved by the dark lord Tirek- same old, same old."

"Oh my gosh! It sounds like you been through a lot!" Cheerilee shook her mane. "All I've been doing over the past millennium, apparently, is slumbering in the pages of a book."

"Yeah, I heard how Glory accidentally set you free." Spike replied. "We always wondered what had happened to you, Cheerilee!"

"I wouldn't have left if I'd had a choice, Spike." The teacher's ears drooped. "I miss all my students, and all my friends, as well."

"I know Twilight sure missed talking to you, there was no other pony in town who could keep up with her intellectual conversations." Spike mused. "The the former cutie mark crusaders never stopped looking for you after you vanished."

"Those wonderful girls." Cheerilee replied with a sigh. "Tell me Spike, how did those three ever turn out?"

"Well, Apple Bloom took over Sweet Apple Acres after Big Mac died. Sweetie Bell spent many years touring as a singer- you remember that voice of hers- and later married Pip, that colt who moved to Ponyville from Trottingham." The dragon looked thoughtful. "As to Scootaloo, she joined the wonderbolts, and eventually replaced her heroine Rainbow Dash as the group's leader."

"Wow, sounds like they really made lives for themselves after I was gone." Cheerilee replied with a sigh. "Spike, tell me... what ever happened to Big Mac? Did he ever find happiness?"

"He married Junebug, and they had seven or eight kids." Spike nodded "One of Them went on to be the teacher at your school when she grew up."

"Good, I'm glad." The pink earth pony whinnied. "I can't tell you how good it is to see you again, Spike!"

"It's great to see you again too, Cheerilee!" The small dragon replied. "Hey, You know I still have that hat you gave me for my first birthday in Ponyville? Twilight cast a preservation spell on it for me!"

"Hat? Birthday Present?" Cheerilee asked, confused. "Spike, I don't know what you're talking about!"

At those words escaped from the teacher's mouth, the invisible Clever Ruse narrowed her eyes at the confused mare. Leaving the Satin Slipper, the little filly made her way back towards Queen Majesty's throne room...

...

"How was I supposed to remember that present I gave to him?" Cheerliee asked, as she and family trotted out of the Satin Slipper. "I bought that white hat as a joke when I got my groceries that day! I had forgotten all about it, especially given the fact Spike grew large and rampaged through Ponyville a few days later!"

"Spike still seemed bothered that you didn't remember the hat." Wigwam commented. "Not that I think it's really that big of a deal, dearest!"

"Maybeh he jusht mad you not rwemeber shomting important to him, Miss Cheeriwiwee. -QUACK!-" Quackers added, trying to be helpful. "My mommy alwaysh ferget meh berfday -QUACK!-"

Her two adopted parents looked at Quackers worriedly, and both made a mental note to not forget their little jewel's birthday when it came up.

It was when they were making their way back to the castle, however, that Glory stepped out across the drawbridge, a sad look on her face.

"Why Glory, what's wrong?" Cheerilee asked, trotting up to the white unicorn in concern. "Has something happened?"

"I just got back from a meeting of Queen Majesty's Privy council." Glory replied, shaking her mane. "We were talking about you, and your duties as Dream Castle's schoolteacher."

"What has happened?" Cheerilee asked, her mind suddenly flying into a state of panic. "What did the council decide to do?"

Glory shook her head. "I'm sorry, Cheerilee... but I'm afraid you will not be teaching your class again until further notice."

All three of the ponies present looked at Glory in disbelieving shock. "What!!! Why?!?"

"The Queen's agents are investigating several allegations of moral misconduct on your part." The white unicorn looked away. "Until we can all sort this matter out, the Queen believes it best that you refrain from working with the castle youth!"

"What? Yeh can't doo that to Mish Cheerwiwiwee!-QUACK!-" Quackers whinnied in anger. "She too nice teh doo ahynfing bahd like dhat. -Quack!-"

"What!?! This is an OUTRAGE!" Wigwam snorted angrily. "I cannot believe this! I demand to speak with the queen at once!"

"I'm afraid that's not possible." Lady Moondancer came trotting up, staring the teacher pony down. "You're not going anywhere near the council until we decide what to do with you...and if I have my way, you and your indecency will be expunged from Dream Castle forever!"

"Moondancer! So you're behind all this!" Wigwam snorted angrily. "I don't know what you're game is this time, you old nag, but I'm not letting you take my wife's future away from her!"

"Keep your place, stallion!" Moondancer snapped back. "This is a discussion between mares!"

As Glory and Moondancer proceeded to argue, Cheerilee just stood there, stunned. Her life, which had finally just gotten stable again, was once again torn out from under her. "My students... what about my students?"

"As of tomorrow, Sundance shall resume her duties teaching the class."

The teacher slipped down to her knees, tears welling up in her eyes. "Please... please don't do this..."

As Quackers moved to nuzzle the distraught teacher, Wigwam stared the arrogant council mare down.

"I'll be taking my wife and daughter out west with me, while you continue these ridiculous deliberations!" The stallion growled angrily, trotting over to Cheerilee and Quackers. "I'll not be subjecting them to the council's scrutiny!"

As Wigwam led the three of them out, Glory glared at the other unicorn. "I hope your accusations have some truth behind them, Moondancer. Because you are causing far more grief than you can possibly imagine!"

Go west, young Cheerilee, go west!

Soul searching

Soul Searching

As Cheerilee came to the edge of the path, she stopped. The pink earth pony saw a longhouse, that looked so very different from the teepees in the buffalo village she had just left behind her. Cautiously approaching the door, the pink earth mare slowly raised her hoof, and gently tapped on the large wooden door.

"H-hello?" She asked timidly, trying to see in through the cracks in the wooden door. "Anypony in there?"

The door swung silently open, as if pushed by an unseen hoof. The teacher slowly trotted inside, and her eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness.

"Most right and honorable rainbow ponies, are you here?" Cheerilee asked aloud, remembering the proper title to address the monks with from her textbooks. "I have come to speak with you!"

The darkened lodge was filled with an eerie wispy smoke, that seemed to emanate from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. The pink mare could barely see her own hooves in front of her face, and she had to tread carefully, to avoid tripping over in the dark.

"We are here, Miss Cherrilee! Meditating deep within the confines of this sacred place." The voice of a mare spoke, barely above a whisper. "I say to you truly, we have already foreseen your arrival!"

"Oh!" The surprised teacher whinnied, as a soft glow gradually lit the entire room.

Five ponies- two unicorns, two earth ponies, and one Pegasus- all sat upriright, thier legs crossed, and floating in midair.

As Cheerilee slowly stepped forward, she saw the glow that was lighting the lodge came not from a fire or a light... but from the multi-colored glow of the monks' flowing rainbow hair.

"Thier manes..." Cherrilee thought to herself in awe. "They flow and move, just like Princess Celestia's once did!"

"Honorable Rainbow ponies!" Cherilee said formally, regaining her composure. "I have come here, unto your presence, so that I may ask for your guidance and wisdom!"

"We know why you have come, Cheerilee of Ponyville." One of the mares, a pink earth pony named Parasol, whispered. "You seek enlightenment and understanding, over all that has befallen you."

"Yes... that is correct." Cheerilee replied. "I lost everything... my home, my friends, my family- only to make a new life for myself, in this new age."

"And now, this new age threatens to tear them out from under you, once more." Moonstone, the blue unicorn, continued. "Everything you worked so hard and suffered so much for, seems to be slipping through your hooves like sand."

"Yes, this modern world seems determined to take away everything it gave me." The pink mare whinnied sadly in agreement, looking at the ground. "I just don't know what to do anymore!"

"You must do what you did before, when you first woke up in a strange land that was not your own." The blue earth pony, called Sunlight, answered. "You picked up the shattered pieces of your life once before, and now you must do so again."

Cheerilee rolled her eyes at that, annoyed that she was receiving a litany instead of enlightenment. "I've already faced the emotional turmoil of having to pull myself up from the abyss once before... must I truly do so once again?"

"The young filly, Ember, once asked us the same question, when she was left alone by the cruel hooves of fate." Windy, the Pink unicorn, snorted. "As did Starshine, who left our order to become the Margrave of Fort Rainbow Dash."

"They were both in more dire straits then, than you are now, Miss Cheerilee." Skydancer, the yellow Pegasus who lead the order, whispered calmly. "If they could stand up to the cold harshness of this world, Miss Cheerilee, can you do no less?"

The teacher was taken aback by their harsh manner. "T-thank you for your wisdom, enlightened ones, I will try to meditate on your words,"

Cheerilee sighed, sitting down on the lodge's floor. For enlightened ponies, these monks were certainly blunt...

...

"Thank you for your time, Chief Steelhooves. We really appreciate this information."

"Anytime, Baroness Shine! It is always a pleasure speaking with you! Now, farewell! And may the spirits watch over you and your family!"

Back at Dream Castle, Twilight Shine and Gypsy had just gotten finished speaking to the buffalo tribe shaman, via the enchanted mirror in Twilight's private quarters.

"Now just wait a second... she went to see the Rainbow Ponies?" Twilight asked in surprise, as the mirror's mystic link turned off. "Now what could Cheerilee want with those misguided monks?"

"I don't really see vhat your problem iz vith zem, darlink." Gypsy replied. "Ze rainbow pohnies only zeek enlightenment!"

"Those arrogant mystics once ignored Ember's warning. when an evil wizard plotted to cut their enchanted rainbow manes." Twilight whinnied in disgust. "It was only when thy discovered she had prophetic dreams, that they took an interest in my little girl."

"Zo you don't truzt zem... out of jealousy?" Gypsy raised an eyebrow.

"I question there motives in befriending a little filly like Ember." Twilight snorted back. "Those five mares give me the creeps!"

"Vell, at leazt Cheerilee cannot cause any trouble out zhere in de vest." Gypsy shook her mane. "Zee vision had her here vhen zee trouble broke out!"

"Gypsy, are you certain that the vision you saw about our teacher in true?" The pink unicorn mare sighed.

"Of course Tvilight, vhy do you ask?" Gypsy seemed confused. "You haf never qvestioned my visions bevore! You all trusted me to get zee job done!"

"I just hope we're not putting poor Cheerilee through all of this for nothing." Twilight replied with a sigh.

Gypsy was about to say something, when both ponies suddenly felt a sinister wind blow in through the tower window.

"Twilight, did you feel zhat...?" The clairvoyant unicorn asked her friend, looking out the window. "I sense something powerful entering Ponyland!"

"Yes, it's a dark energy, coming from..." Twilight's eyes suddenly went wide. "Oh no! Gypsy, we have to get to the golden door!"

The two Ponies galloped out into the hallway as fast as they could, both cursing themselves for not sensing the true threat sooner, as well as inadvertanly putting all of Ponyland in danger...

...

After nearly an hour of meditating in the lodge, Cheerilee felt much more relaxed and calm. Finally standing up, she turned to face the rainbow ponies once more.

"I have considered your words." She told them calmly. "And much of what you say makes the most sense to me."

"Yet, something still troubles you." Skydancer replied. "Something still weighs heaily on your spirit, despite your speaking to us."

"It doesn't seem right, great ones!" Cheerilee complained to the monks. "Why must I face these challenges alone again?"

"Ah, but you didn't face them alone the first time, did you?" Parasol asked her, as visions of Applejack, Glory, Wigwam, and Quackers flashed through Cheerilee's mind. "There were new friends, and family, that helped you through your trials and tribulations."

"Yes, I suppose that's true..." Cheerilee replied, considering their words.

"And will not those same family and friends be there for you once again?" Moonstone asked. "Even more so this time?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right.!" Cheerilee replied, a warm feeling starting to roll up inside her.

"Now, you must go back, and challenge all that has threatened you new home and existence." Sunlight whinnied. "For a dark menace from the past, now threatens all which you hold dear!"

"And fear not, good Cheerilee. "Windy continued. "For your friends and family shall stand by you though even the worst of the storm to come!"

Cheerilee trotted back towards the door, then turned and bowed to the honorable monks. "Thank you, Rainbow Ponies. I am truly grateful for the wisdom you have shown me!"

"Fare you well, noble Cheerilee!" Skydancer finished, as the teacher stepped out the door. "And may the horsemaster watch over you, in all the trials to come!"

...

Cheerilee!" Wigwam replied, as his wife came galloping back to the village quickly. "What in the world is-"

"Wigwam, there's no time!" The pink mare whinnied. "The Rainbow ponies warned me there is trouble back home!"

"Then we had best return to Dream Castle, with all possible speed!" The pony brave pulled his feather headdress on. "I'll tell Steamer he needs to make an emergency run back to Dream Valley immediately!"

"Quackers, come on!" Cheerilee yelled at the little filly. "Looks like we'll have to go home early!"

"Okay, mis Cheeriwiwee -QUACK!-" the yellow pony replied, galloping away from her friends. "Just wet me shay goobye -QUACK!-"

Cheerilee turned towards Shining Feather. "I am truly sorry we have to leave so soon, you have been so kind to us all..."

"Think nothing of it, my dear! The rainbow ponies' visions are hardly ever wrong!" The buffalo waved his hoof dismissively. "Now, go to where you are needed!"

The pink earth pony nodded, then ran to pack her belongings.

...

The golden door... a magnificent yellow gateway deep in the purple mountains, it is the physical passageway between the separate worlds of fiction and fact. Beyond this doorway carved right into the mountainside, is a world where every character ever brought to life on the written page, becomes real though the force of powerful magic. If one were to open this door, the great heroes and champions of literature can come forward, and walk among real beings.

But there is a dark side to this wondrous dimension, first brought into existence by a powerful human sorcerer. Just as heroic characters may cross the bridge from the pages to reality, so too the evil villains, that spring forth from the minds of the great authors, may come forth as well, eager and willing to bring great harm upon the real world. For with none of their heroic foes to stop them, they may bring great harm upon the real world... they very place that wrote them into existence.

"Blimey, this is such a lovely door!" Baby North Star declared, as she approached the mountainside no wonder mum opened it in the first place!"

"This is it, seniorita!" Ahuitzotl exclaimed excitedly. ” Merely push that door open by it’s handle, an I shall be free to walk the surface of Ponyland!"

"Now remember, you promised to make my mum and dad pay!" The pink Pegasus filly reminded him. "Make them suffer too, but don't hurt them too much!"

"Do not worry, my dear!" The catlike creature grinned. "When I am free from this place, they will know suffering as they never had known before!"

Baby North Star pulled down on the golden door handle, and it opened with a soft click. Afoul wind blasted out from inside the doorway...

...and a clawed hand reached out and grabbed Baby North Star by the throat.

"AIEEEEEEEE!" The pink Pegasus filly wailed, as the fanged face of Ahuitzotl emerged from the darkness.

"You know what I just love about ponies?" The cat demon hissed. "How gullible and stupid they are! I can't believe you fell for all those sweet falsehoods I told you! Nor can I believe that those Princess Ponies didn't post a guard here at de door!"

"Y-you lied to me!" Baby North Star wailed. "Used me ta get yourself free!"

"Ahhh, but I did not lie about one thing, seniorita!" The cat-demon said with a laugh. "Your parents will suffer as never before... when I use you as a hostage!"

The little filly could only struggle and scream, as more horrible things emerged from the gate behind her captor.

"Close dat gate, you fools!" Ahuitzotl spat angrily. "We don't want a certian Pegasus adventurer following us out, now do we?"

As his minions closed the golden door behind them, the cat demon looked out over the surrounding countryside in triumph, gloating like the storybook villian he was. "Dis es only de beginnng! Soon, I shall have enough power to conquer all of Ponyland! Mwahahahahahahaaaa!"

Soul searching

main antagonists

main antagonists

It was sunset in the Purple mountains, as the gang of ruffians from beyond the golden door basked and reveled in their success in getting free. Around a campfire a mixed pack of Changelings, cat warriors, shadow bolt Pegasus, and diamond dogs milled about, laughing and cackling over their coming attack on Ponyland.

At the center of the gathering, sat the four villains, who led this vile assortment of scoundrels. Azoutohil, Nightmare Moon, Queen Chrysalis, and Discord surrounded the cage holding Baby North Star. They taunted the terrified little filly, even as the shouted orders to their troops.

"But you three can't be here! You're all dead!"The hysterical Baby North Star screamed in abject terror. "Queen Chrysalis fell in the battle of Las Pegasus! And Discord was killed by Princess Celestia even before the Grogar Wars began!"

"Oh-ho-ho, Child! We are not the originals!" Discord taunted her. "We are the literary versions of the foes of Ponykind... the stories that lie behind the individuals, if you will!"

"We are ink and paper made flesh, infused with magic that gives us a sort-of life!" Nightmare Moon chortled. "But as I have no Luna deep inside to hold me back, I am exactly the monster ponies expect me to be!"

"And while we may not be as powerful as our real-world counterparts." Chrysalis chortled. "Together we possess a magical might that shall bring Ponyland to it's hooves!"

"You're- you're going to march on Dream Castle, aren't you?" Baby North Star snorted. "You're all fools if you think you can get away with that! The rainbow of Light will stop your armies dead in thier tracks!"

"Oh don't be so naive, Senorita!" Azoutohil chortled. "We would not be so foolish as to march on Dream Valley unarmed! First, we shall go to the Royal Paradise, where we shall take the Elements of harmony the six Princess Ponies guard for our own!"

The four villains laughed again, as the flames burned higher. For the first time in her young life, Baby North Star was afraid. She feared for her father and mother, who these monsters were intent on killing. She was afraid for her friends, whom she missed and thought she would never see again. But most of all, she was afraid she would never get the chance to apologize to everybody for how foolish and childish she had been, including the teacher whom she had wished so much harm on...

...

"Cheerilee, you're back early!" Glory whinnied in shock, as the mare and her family galloped of the train. "What in the world is-?"

"No time to talk, Glory!" Cheerilee replied. "I just got done talking to the rainbow ponies, and I need to speak to the queen right away!"

"There is no need, Miss Cheerilee." Twilight Shine replied, trotting up to the techer pony sadly. "Your being pulled from your teaching job was my doing, and I made a horrible mistake!"

"You!?!" Cheerilee whinnied in shock. "But I thought Moondancer-"

"Nobody would have listened to her silliness, if I hadn't expressed my concerns." Twilight's ears drooped. "I was so worried about your part in the prophecy, that-"

"Twilight... how could you?" Cheerilee glared at this pink unicorn, whom she had thought a friend. This pony had been the source of so much of her grief. "You of all ponies should know I'm not a threat to anypony!"

"Dearest, with all due respect..." Wigwam stepped in between the two mares. "We have more important things to worry about than whose fault this is!"

"It's worse than you know, stallion!" Masquerade materialized next to the four of them, trotting up to stand beside the group. "My spies have informed me that baby North Star has done something most terrible at the golden door! And her treachery runs deeper than you can possibly imagine!"

"Then we had best warn the queen at once!" Wigwam replied, looking back and forth between the two mares who had been arguing previously. "Right?"

The two mares looked towards him, and nodded. The five ponies then trotted into Majesty's throne room, to update both the queen, and each other.

...

The Royal Paradise was a great castle that stood at the very center of Ponyland, deep in the heart of the Crystal Sea. There, the Princess ponies were in conference in the throne room, having felt the massive influx of evil from the Land of Legends into Ponyland. They were discussing it even now, as the threat drew ever closer to their home.

The resourceful rulers of the Ponyland Confederation, the six Princess Ponies were the descendants and heirs of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Four earth ponies, one Pegasus, and one unicorn each took turns ruling as queen for two months out of the year, before passing the crown to the next Princess.These mares were the inheritors of the power of the elements of Harmony, which they bore in their enchanted wands.

"As we feared, the unthinkable has come to pass!" Starburst told her fellow Princesses. "The teacher's arrival in our era, has opened the door for many evils to follow her into Ponyland!"

"We should have claimed that book she was sealed in, as soon as it was recovered from the Canterlot ruins!" Princess Royal Blue whinnied. "Her release from the land of Legends after a thousand years, has permitted entities from within to reach out to the physical world!"

"They will be coming soon, you can be sure of that!" Princess Primrose agreed, looking to the other six mares on the pink thrones surrounding her. "We should call up troops from Hoofkaido and Misty Mountain Citadel at once!"

"And this is why we resist calls to restore the capital to the Equestria Valley!" Amethyst snorted, remembering the petitions by old equestrian nationalists. "That location is far too remote and undefended to be the seat of our government. Besides, the Royal Paradise is far more centralized!"

"But what of Dream Valley and Flutter Valley?" Princess Tiffany, who usually acted as their level headed voice of reason, exclaimed. "The vile fiends may go after the Sunstone, or the Rainbow of light! Should we not send troops to protect them?"

"Those two kingdoms are not a part of the confederacy, nor were they part of old Equestria." Queen Serena, whose turn it was to wear the crown, snorted. "The ponies in the two valleys will have to fend for themselves!"

...

"So what the three of you are saying, is that we are facing an invasion from the land of Legends?"

"That is correct, Queen Majesty." Masquerade replied. "Some of the worst villains and monsters in the history of Old Equestria, have returned to threaten Ponyland once more."

Queen Majesty had just finished listening to Cheerilee, Masquerade, and Twilight give their accounts of all that had occurred, and had summoned North Star and Barnacle, as well.

"This situation is rapidly getting out of hand, my queen!" Twilight exclaimed. "Baby North Star has no idea what she has unleashed! Her life could be in danger, even now!"

"Blimey, I can't believe that child would go to such an extreme!" North Star sighed. "I suppose we never should have spoke of sending her away!"

"She was acting up, my dearest! Makin' everybody miserable!" Barnacle snorted. "Ye did what ye had ta do, givin the circumstances!"

The Queen looked to Masquerade. "And you are certain their targets are the elements of harmony?"

The spy Pegasus nodded. "That is precisely what my changeling agents overheard Azutohil say, my queen."

"In any case, we are not prepared to send troops to protect the Royal Paradise." Majesty replied solemnly. "Our troops are still too weary, after fighting Tirek's forces this year past. And they will be needed to defend Dream Castle, should they attack here!"

"Then we should send a small attack force, my queen!" Twilight replied. "I could go, if you wish. I'm sure my power could come in handy!"

"Neigh, my good Twilight." The queen replied. "Your magic may be needed here! I shall send Gypsy in your stead, her mystical abilities may be of use!"

"We shall go too, my queen!" North Star told her, pointing to herself and Barnacle with her hoof. "She is our daughter, she should be our responsibility!"

"North Star, I wish you to stay here. I shall send Locket in your place" Majesty corrected her. "She needs to get out of the castle a bit, and her lock and trap skills might be of use getting our enemies back through the golden door!"

"Have no fear, my beloved!" Captain Barnacle nuzzled his wife, reassuring her. "I'm sure locket will bring our little filly home!"

"And I too shall go, my queen!" The school mare exclaimed, stamping her hoof on the floor. "It was my release that let these monsters out, perhaps I can do something to help put them back!"

"Are you certain of that, miss Cheerilee?" Majesty asked the pink school mare. "What can a teacher possibly do against an army of evil?"

"I don't know what I can do, your highness...I am not very strong." The pink mare's ears drooped, then a determined look crossed her face. "But I know I have to try! I can't just let Azutohil destroy my friends, my family..." She smiled as she looked around at Dream Castle. "...or my home!"

"And I shall go with her, my queen!" Wigwam exclaimed. "She is my wife, and I would follow her anywhere on the surface of Equinia to protect her!"

"I understand completely, my good Wigwam!" Queen Majesty nodded. "Now, all of you had best go and prepare... and may the horsemaster be with you!"

....

"Cheerilee, Could I talk to you for a moment?"

The earth pony teacher stopped for a minute, as Twilight came trotting up to her.

"What is it, Twilight?" The pink earth pony asked curtly. "I really don't have much time right now!"

The retort stung the pink unicorn, but she continued. "Look, I know you've been through a lot, and being ripped away from your own time and place must have been the most painful experience in the world for you. And I am really, really sorry that I only made the problem worse. I never meant to cause you even more grief."

Cherrilee stared at her for a moment, then shook her mane. "No Twilight, you were only seeking to protect what was important to you.Which is what we all must do now, if Ponyland is to be kept safe!"

"I take it you have a plan, then?" Twilight asked the pink mare.

"As a teacher, I believe the best way to fight ideas is with ideas. If Equestria's enemies are characters in books, then so were it's heroes... " Cheerilee replied with a smile. "And by the way, could you ask Applejack to join us? I'm taking the group back to the golden door to gather some old friends..."

...

"Can you believe it, Fluttershy? That meany-mean pants took all the bad guys outta here! It's no fun anymore!"

"Oh, I actually like it much better here now, Pinkie! Discord and Chrysalis aren't here to scare my animals! I hope they never come back!"

"But Darling, if they stay out there, they'll wreak havoc on all of Ponykind! We can't just let them run amok all over the world!"

"Rarity's raight! We gotta get out there, an' round up those ornery critters up... fore they cause too much trouble!"

"Oh yeah? Well, how exactly are we supposed to get out there, AJ? We're trapped in here, and the door's shut!"

"I don't think that's going to be a problem, Dash! Because I have a feeling we'll be getting out of here very shortly. What do you think, my good Daring Do? Think we'll be getting out of the precarious predicament soon?"

"I sure hope so, Twilight Sparkle. Because I just can't wait to give that rat Azutohil a little payback..."

main antagonists

return of the mane six!

Return of the Mane Six!

"Are you sure we're going the right way, Applejack?" Cheerilee asked her, as the five ponies followed the dusty path through the Purple Mountains.

"Yep, this is the way, I'm sure of it!" The old mare snorted, giving Cheerilee an annoyed look. "I've been wandering back and forth over these peaks for over a thousand years! Ya think I wouldn't know my way around here?!?"

"Vou need to calm down, dahiling!" Gypsy told the yellow earth pony. "I know vou are vorried about ze escaped villains, but we vill have ziz problem zolved soon!"

"I don't think it's the fiends that are unnerving her, Gypsy!" Locket snorted, flying over all of the other's heads. "I think she's a bit more nervous, about literally facing herself!"

"That would make a bit more sense, Miss Locket." Cheerilee responded. "And I know this plan is a bit... unorthodox. But I really think this is our best bet in dealing with these villains of literature!"

"We must be careful in dealing with these strange make-believe characters, dearest." Wigwam told Cheerilee, shaking his mane. "As they are fictionalized versions of the ponies we know of, there is no telling what they might do."

"We'll be careful, Wigwam, don't you worry!" Cheerilee smiled back at Wigwam, trying to ease his tension through the lifebond. "We'll be ready for whatever comes through that portal!"

"This isn't the first time in dealing with the land of Legends, Cheerilee." Locket whinnied. "Glory once accidentally wished herself there, and an evil wizard tried to steal her horn!"

"Don't forget about all the weird fairy tale characters that were running loose for a few months, until we got them all put back!" Applejack snorted. "I can't tell ya how many times we put Humpty Dumpty back together again!"

"Zee zing to rember zough, girls, iz zat zhe creatures from behind zat door... zhey are not truly zee ponies und characters zhey represent!" Gypsy reminded them. "Zhey are zee finctional version of zee peoples vou read about... literally text brovght to life!"

"Well, I hate to break up the intriguing conversation." Applejack whinnied, shaking her mane. "But we're here!"

The five ponies stopped in front of the large golden door, that seemed to be an entrance to the mountainside itself. Large chains had been placed over the entranceway- a protection, to keep anyone form getting out or in. Several large locks in the center, served to hold the chains firmly in place.

"Don't worry, girls." Locket told them, flying up to the locks. "I got this!"

The twinkle-eyed pony tinkered and fiddled with the locks, her hooves carefully moving the parts and gears in the lock's mechanism. When the last of the locks came undone, it tumbled to the ground, and the giant golden door slowly creaked open. The five ponies trotted up to the entrance, and peered into the golden light.

“You see anything in there?” Applejack asked, shielding her eyes “Just looks like a bunch of light ta me!”

“Hello?” Cheerilee called out, worrying if her hunch was right or not. “Anypony in there?”

It was only a few moments of silence, before a loud giggling sound came from within the light. A pink comet suddenly came barreling out of the brightness, plowing into Cheerilee, and knocking her over.

“Heya, Cherilee! Howya doin?” Pinkie Pie laughed, sitting on top of the other pink pony. “Oooh, are these friends of yours? I just love making new friends to party with!”

“P-pinkie Pie?” Cheerilee asked, almost not believing her eyes.

“You’ll have to pardon Pinkie, darling. She’s just excited to be out here.” Rarity trotted out of the entrance elegantly. “It’s so good to see you again, Cheerilee. And you might your friends here be?”

“A pleasure to meet you, Darlink!” Gypsy responded, trotting up to the white unicorn. “My name iz Gypzy, und I am honored to vinally meet zee famous Rarity!”

“That is an interesting accent you have there, Miss Gypsy.” Twilight Sparkle replied, trotting though the door. “It sounds similar to Foto Finish’s accent, but is an entirely different from her dialect.”

“Awww, stop worryin’ about the egghead stuff, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash suddenly flew out, looking down on all the other ponies besides Locket, “Nice at meet ya, Gypsy.. And great to see you again, Cheerilee!”

“Miss Rainbow Dash… it is a honor to meet such a highly esteemed Pegasus.” Locket bowed, smiling at her fellow flyer. “My name’s Locket, Dream Castle dungeon warden. I’ve heard so many stories about you from my mother!”

“Um, excuse me.” Fluttershy whispered, slowly emerging from the door. “I don’t mean to bother you…but why are your eyes all glassy?”

“Why, she’s a Twinkle-eyed pony, Fluttershy!" Cheerilee replied, sounding just like a teacher. "She's a pony who had her eyes replaced with gems, in order to correct her vision flaws."

"Yep, goblins in my prison gouged my eyes out during an escape attempt." Locket blinked her glass eyes. "Never leave anything sharp within the reach of monsters."

"Oh, that is sooo cool!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "Can you, like, see through walls and stuff with those eyes?"

"Well, they do enhance my vision at night, yes." The Pegasus nodded. "But I have never been able to see through walls."

"O-oh my..." Fluttershy whimpered, casting a nervous glance at the twinkle-eyed Pegasus. "That is slightly... freaky, isn't it?"

"And who's this pony?" Twilight asked, pointing a hoof at Wigwam. "He looks like he's all dressed up like a buffalo!"

"Oh, that's- that's Wigwam." Cheerilee replied sheepishly. "He's my lifebond partner."

"It is a great honor, top stand before likenesses of the harmony bearers of legend!" Wigwam smiled, bowing to the mares respectfully.

"Bravo, Cheerilee!" Rarity congratulated her. "I had always hoped you would find a stallion of true quality!"

As the five new arrivals chatted it up with their old friend, Applejack stared into the open portal way. It wasn't long before another orange earth pony came trotting out of the doorway, looking like a younger Applejack, but wearing a cowpony hat and having a slightly different cutie mark. The strange cowpony circled around AJ, staring at the mare in a confused state.

"An' who're you supposed t' be?" The filly asked in a southern accent. "Y'all are the poorest lookin critter ah evah did see!"

"Oh brother, this is completely crazy!" AJ rolled her eyes. "Was I really that deluded back then?"

"If yer me, why's yer voice so goofy?" The AJ look-alike snorted. "An' whar's yer hat? Ah would nevah be caught deahd without mine!"

"My hat went the same place your manners did!" AJ snorted, as the two ponies stared each other down angrily. "So why don't you just give your jaw a rest, and keep it shut!"

"Girls! Girls! Please!" Twilight came in between the two. "This isn't going to get us anywhere! Now, we know the villains from the land of legends are what is causing the problem, but we don't know what they've been up to since they escaped! So if you could please fill us in on what's-"

"Whatever it is, they're not going to get away with it!" A Darker colored Pegasus mare emerged from the light, trotting out to meet the Dream Valley ponies. She wore and explorer's hat and shirt, and carried a whip by her side.

"Dahling, iz zhat..." Gypsy looked on in surprise. "Iz zhat Daring Do? Zee adventurer und explorer vrom zee books zeries?"

"Oh great, now we gotta put up with the pony version of Indiana Jones." Applejack snorted. Every other pony glared at her. "What? Both Twilight Shine and I love the George Lucas movies Megan brought over from the human world. Daring Do doesn't hold a candle to Harrison Ford!"

"Hey, I loved those books as a filly, AJ!" Locket snapped at the earth pony. "Daring Do had a lot of really amazing adventures!"

"George who?" Rarity asked.

"What's the human world?" Rainbow Dash added.

"What's a human?" Pinkie Pie chimed in.

"Save it, girls!" Daring Do spoke up, before turning to Cheerilee and the others. "Now, what can you tell us about Azoutohil and the other villains?"

...

The villainous armies marched far and wide across the surface of Ponyland, all the way to the glistening shores of the Jewel Sea. There, the Changelings and Diamond dogs set up camp at the edge of the crystalline waters, eager to march onward, and take the waiting prize within the Royal Paradise. But for the moment, Queen Chrysalis had a more... personal matter to deal with.

"We caught this one snooping around the edge of the camp." Nightmare Moon hissed, as her shadowbolts brought a chained Masquerade before the Changeling Queen. "I believe she has been spying on us since we escaped from the door, and has been reporting our movements back to Queen Majesty!"

"A clan Shadowvale changeling!" Chrysalis mused. "Tell me, race traitor, what drives you to stand against your own herd?"

"You and your lackeys are not my herd, you slimy old witch!" Masquerade hissed, spitting at the Changeling queen. "YOU are nothing but a pale shadow of the queen who betrayed her people, and led them down the path of evil!"

"Fool! We drained what we needed to, in order to survive!" Chrysalis snapped back. "Draining the ponies was our only way to survive, barring drinking that GARBAGE Queen Majesty's bloodline has you addicted to. You and your fellow Shadowvale are all drugged-up slaves!"

Masquerade scowled, and said nothing. It was at that point, that Azoutohil walked into the room.

"Oh! So sorry, Senioritas." He hissed, grinning with a toothy smile. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"Never you mind that, fang face!" The changeling queen hissed. "What is it that you want?"

"We are making final preparations to cross the jewel sea, and were wondering if you'd care to join us, por favor?" The storybook villain inquired.

"Why, I would be glad to, my dear Azutohil!" The Changeling Queen hissed, morphing into a likeness of Masquerade. "And I know just how to get us into the Royal Paradise without lifting a hoof!"

"Ohhh, such an excellent deception my dear!" Discord quipped, popping into the room suddenly. "Those ponies haven't dealt with changelings in so long, they'll never see your little trick coming!"

"And what exactly do you hope to gain from aiding us, dracoequuis?" Nightmare moon asked, looking up at him. "Chrysalis will be getting a food supply for her people, and I will get the power and respect I deserve! But what's in it for you?"

"Why, the spread of the Chaos I so love, of course!" Discord tapped his claws together gleefully. "You can all have the love, the admiration, and the power! The pain and suffering that the chaos I stir up brings... ah, now that is truly music to my ears!"

"Discord, you are truly a warped and demented creature!" Nightmare moon snorted, in half pity and half disgust. "But as long as your perversions and demented sadism serve my needs, I will find it within my magnanimous heart to barely tolerate you miserable existence!"

"Why thank you, my dear!" The spirit of Chaos chuckled gleefully. "It's a good thing I get along much better with our dear changeling over here!"

"That's right, Disky! We share a special kinship!" Chrysalis rubbed her hoof against the draconequuis's chin playfully. "Our historical counterparts did fight the Harmony Bearers several times! While you, Night Moon, only fought them once!"

"Chrysalis and I even teamed up a time or two!" Discord replied gleefully.

"True, you two did lose to those several times, while I only lost to them once." Nightmare Moon replied sarcastically. "Oh poor, poor me!"

The two villains scowled at her, as Azutohil growled at all of them. "Enough of this foolishness! We have work to do!" The villain pointed towards masquerade. "Bring her and de filly North Star out to de center of de camp! We offer dem up as de sacrifice to de success of our endeavor!"

With that, Azoutohil stomped out of the tent, as the other villains made with their sinister preparations.

Meanwhile, a team of eleven Ponies were currently sneaking up on the unsuspecting pack of literary fiends, who were totally unaware of what was about to befall them.

“Cheerilee, my love, I hope your plan will work.” One of the equines whispered to the other. “But no matter what happens, we’re behind you all the way!”

“Thank you, Wiggy, That means a lot to me!” Another pony whispered back, “And don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll all come out of this alive!”

"At least, I hope so..."

return of the mane six!

war with words

War with Words

"NO! You can't do this! Please don't kill me! PLEASE! AIEEEEEEEEEEE!"

The villan camp with filled with the sounds of a hysterical filly, panicking and screaming her head off. Baby North Star and Masquerade had been tied to a stake, and were about to be roasted alive. The yellow Pegasus turned her head towards the frightened pony tied behind her.

"Try to calm yourself down, little one." The changeling pony told her calmly. "We're going to make it out of this alive, I assure you."

"I want to go home! I want mummy and daddy! I’m sorry I was so mean!" Baby North Star continued to wail over and over. Masquerade felt helpless, wishing she could do more than just talk to help the distraught filly.

"Worry not, my little senioritas. You sacrifices shall be for a glorious purpose!" Azutohil gloated, as he and the other three leaders of the literature army crept up to the pole the two ponies were tied to. "It shall send a message to all of ponyland that all who stand in our way shell be crushed!"

Crysalis and Discord brought two torches out, and shoved them into the kindling under the ponies' hooves. Both Pegasus started to panic, as the flames began to rise around them.

"AAAAAAH!" Baby North Star shrieked.

"Stay strong, little one!" Masquerade yelled, struggling against the pony-proofed ropes. "We'll get out of this one yet!"

It was at that moment, that a rush of air zipped by the burning stake, makes the two equines disappear.

"W-what?" Azutohil exclaimed. "What in de world was-"

The same tan-colored blur suddenly zipped at the villain, knocking him off his feet. The leader of the evil escapees suddenly found a familiar form standing over him.

"Game's over Azoutohil!" The angry Pegasus exclaimed, standing over the downed fiend. "You and your villainous crew are finished!"

"Wh-what?" The villain yelled, looking up at his foe in disbelief. "Daring Do! How did you get here?"

"With a little help from my friends!" The Pegasus nodded towards the five Dream Valley Ponies. "They set us free from the golden door, to put your evil scheme!"

"Das what you think!" The cat fiend yelled, looking towards the assemblage of villains. "Mi amigos, get dem!"

"Stand your ground, Dream Castle ponies!" Masquerade called out, pulling the ropes off of herself. She handed the sobbing Baby North Star off to Cheerilee. "Here, take care of her!"

The horde of Chengelings, shadowbolts, and crazy cats charged at the five Dream Valley Ponies, who responded with the effective force that they had used in battle thier entire lives. They proceeded to pound, hack, and blast away at their foes, as they always did. But much to thier surprise, the combat did not go as they had expected, however.

"By the great horsemaster! What's happening to them?" Wigwam exclaimed, as he hacked away at the charging Shadowbolts with his Tomahawk. Many of the villains split right down the middle at his slashes, their very bodies breaking apart into letters, punctuation marks, and Parenthesis.

"Zhere breaking apart into text vrom a book!" Gypsy responded, blasting away at a tiger that attacked her, blowing it apart into a paragraph that scattered everywhere. "Zee enchantment zhat held zhem togezer iz dizzolving at each attack!"

"What a bunch of Pushovers!" Locket snorted, as she dive-bombed a few Changelings down, scattering their text all over the crystal-covered landscape.

"Why did we think these villians would be a threat again?" Modern Applejack quipped, as she back-kicked a mixed group of all three lackey types, smashing them back against the crystal rocks behind them.

It was at that moment, that a sucker punch hit the Dream Valley ponies from behind. Chrysalis, Discord, and Nightmare Moon all hit the equines from Dream Castle with a surprise energy blast, hitting them hard when they were least expecting it!

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" The five ponies cried, as the blasts knocked them out.

The four evil leaders then surrounded the unconscious equines.

"End of the road, everypony!" Discord cried out gleefully. "I'd love to see the disappointed looks on your faces... to bad you'll never wake up!"

"Hey, uglies!" Cheerile stood up on a crystalline outcropping behind them, staring down at the four of them. "Don't you losers know you've already lost?"

The four fiends merely looked back at the lone equine, with Baby North Star huddled against her lower leg, and laughed.

"Really, Seniorita?" Azoutohil laughed bitterly at them. "An how you gonna take all 'o us down?"

"Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie!" The Pink pony popped up behind discord. "Wanna have a party?"

"Hey! What are you-" The surprised draconequuis looked back over his shoulder at the pink pony, who promptly splattered the villain in the face with a pie.

"Good work, Pinkie!" Past Applejack ran past the blinded Discord, throwing a lasso around him, and pulling the draconequuis up over a branch. "This ornery critter is lassoed, an' ready fer hog tien', yee haw!" The orange pony exclaimed, as she tied Discord's arms and legs up.

I shal grids you beneath my hooves, foolish mares!" Queen Chrysalis shifted into a black colored dragon, sending a stream of fire at Fluttershy and Rarity.

"A dragon, darling? Really?" The white unicorn asked, blocking the fiery blast with an energy shield from her horn. "I expected something less tacky and garish from a queen!"

"And I'm, um, kind of sorry..." Fluttershy muttered. "But I'm going to have to take advantage of your choosing that form, and use it to my advantage!"

Fluttershy opened her eyes wide, staring deep into Chrysalis's eyes with a commanding gaze. After a few moments of wavering, the great beast lay down before the pony's gaze, totally neutralized by power of 'the stare'.

On the other side of the Camp, Nightmare Moon and Twilight Sparkle both shot beams from thier horns, which met in the center, and wavered back and forth.

"You are wasting your time, Twilight Sparkle!" Nightmare Moon boasted. "You couldn't defeat my magic by yourself a thousand years ago, and you most certainly cannot do it now!"

The beam slowly began moving towards Twilight's head, as the shadow alicorn's power quickly overwhelmed the unicorn mare.

"That may be true." Twilight exclaimed, as her opponent's beam neared her head. "But just like a thousand years ago, I don't need to defeat you alone!"

With the alicorn distracted by her conflict with Twilight, Rainbow Dash slammed into her from behind.

"Take that, ya creepy old witch!" The blue Pegasus called out, smacking into the back of the villainess’s head.

"Aiiieeeeeeee!" The shadow Alicorn cried out. Nightmare Moon, hit from both sides by the overwhelming force, collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Looks like all of your friends are gone, Azoutohil!" Daring Do snorted, charging at the Cat creature. "Looks like it's just you and me now!"

"Wrong, Seniorita!" Azutohil snapped. "It'll be just me!"

Spinning around quickly, the monster caught the Pegasus adventurerer by the throat with his tail hand. Glaring evilly at the mare, he began to choke Daring do mercilessly.

"Foolish pony! Who do you theenk it 'twas,, who detected the leak between worlds the teacher's departure from the book created?" He choked the pony tighter. "I took advantage of the leak, an used to it manipulate the little filly's anger to my own ends! "

"Y-you followed me out of the book?" Cheerilee yelled in shock, looking down from the crystal overlook. "You used me to get free?"

"But of course, Seniora!" Azutohil gloated, keeping his grip on Daring. "It was de original Discord who created dat book dat trapped you, before he vas sealed in stone for de last time- a kind of 'final reward' for de teacher of de little fillies who freed him!" The fiend bellowed. "Now, thanks to you and Baby North Star, myself and de other villians are free! All of Ponyland will be ours!"

"Hey, Azutohil!" Baby North Star yelled, breaking away from Cheerilee. "Look out below!"

The Little Filly landed squarely in the monster's face; flapping her wings furiously, and blocking his sight.

"Why you leetle-arggaaaaaaaaah!" He screamed, letting go of Daring Do.

"End of the line, grusome!" The tan Pegasus launched herself at the fiend's midsection hard, sending Azutohil flying straight backward. "Aieeeeee! CURSE YOU, DARING DOOOOOO!:" He howled out in anguish, before falling to the ground, unconscious.

"Everybody, wake up!" Masquerade yelled, as she came to. The Yellow Pegasus saw all of the remaining lackeys charging at the six harmony bearers and Daring. "They need our help, let's go!"

The other ponies were soon awake, and very quickly all twelve ponies plowed into the literary villains- hacking, slashing, and cutting away the changelings, cats, and Shadowbolts, and scattering the words that bled from thier wounds all across the landscape. Finally, the last Shadowbolt fell, and the dozen exhausted ponies stood triumphant over a sea of broken grammar.

...

It wasn't long before the twelve ponies had wrapped things up on the battlefield, and had made thier way back to the golden door. In truth, all of them knew what was going to happen next, but nobody wanted to vocalize it.

"I can't believe it, we won!" Locket shook her mane, disbelieving.

"Yeah, that fight was way easier that I thought it would be." Modern Applejack snorted. "Why'd we need to free those six from the land of legends again?"

"'Cause ya couldn't a' handled it on yer own!" Young Applejack snapped, glaring at the older AJ.

"The knew these villains inside and out- they are the harmony bearers and Daring Do, after all." Cheerilee replied with a chuckle.

"That was an awesome fight!" Rainbow Dash replied. "Let's do it again!"

"No thank you, Darling." Rarity snorted. "All that fighting messed up my hair!"

"Besides, Dash, we need to go back." Twilight Sparkle replied. "The land of Legends needs us to remain there, in order to remain stable!"

"Aw, do we really have to go?" Pinkie Pie asked sadly. "We haven't even gotten to party yet!"

"Vou haff to go bak, Darlink, and zo do zhey!" Gypsy nodded over towards the five villains, who were all chained up thanks to Locket. "Und I vill zeal ze door behind vou, zo it may never be opened again!"

I was then the six harmony bearers trotted solemnly towards the gates, the chained fiends in tow. Suddenly, Baby North Star galloped forward, a book in her mouth.

"Oh, miss Daring Doo!" She called out, galloping towards the door with a copy of a Daring Do novel. "My mum is a big fan 'o yours! Would you sign this book for her please?"

"Of course I will, Kid!" The Pegasus replied with a smile, autographing the book. "Tell your mom I said hi!" Daring disappeared through the gate.

"Goodbye, Girls! It was so good seeing you again!" Cheerilee's ears drooped. "I'm really going to miss you!"

"Cheer up, Cheerilee!" Pinkie Pie told her, trotting through the gate. "We'll see each other again, someday! Then we'll have the biggest party EVAH!"

"Take care, Cheerilee." Fluttershy said gently, as she went through. "Make sure to be extra nice to the critters of Ponyland for me, okay?"

"See ya around Cheerilee!" Rainbow Dash smiled back at her, disappearing into the light. "Daring and I, the coolest ponies ever, will think of you whenever we race!"

"Bye, Cheerilee, take care o'yerself." Applejack snorted, looking at her older self, as she trotted through the gate. "Ah'd say see ya later, but Ah'm right beside y'all!"

"Cheerilee, Darling... you have a wonderful family and friends, make sure you cherish your time with them, instead of obsessing over the past!" Rarity tossed her mane before trotting through the doorway.

"Cheerilee, from the moment you got sucked into that book, you've had things happen to you, instead of making them happen." Twilight told her, as she trotted into the light. "Take control of your own life, instead of having others make decisions for you."

With that, the golden door swung shut, and vanished back into the mountainside... never to reappear again.

…

“Wow, Cheerilee! Your plan worked like a charm!” Locket commented admiringly, as the group trotted back towards Dream Castle. “We never would have stopped those fiends from getting the elements, if it weren’t for you!”

“That’s very nice of you, miss Locket, but I really wasn’t much of a help!” Cheerilee replied, smiling. “Why, I didn’t even help in the fight against Azoutohil and his lackeys.”

“You don’t have to be zee vighter to be of aid, Darlink.” Gypsy reassured her. “It vas your planning zat brought zee harmony vearers to our aid!”

“Miss Cheerilee? I’m so sorry I treated you so terribly in your class. “Baby North Star whinnied guiltily, looking at the ground. “I promise to be a better student from now on!”

"Indeed, you did well, my love." Wigwam nuzzled her. "I am very proud of your quick and clever thinking!"

"Thank you, all of you." Cheerilee smiled, as they all trotted down the road together. "Now let's go home, everypony!"

war with words

final lesson

Final lesson

"And that, my queen, is my full account of the events which have occurred around this whole sordid affair."

Masquerade, Cheerilee, and Moondancer were standing before Queen Majesty's throne one more time, as the changeling spy explained the events, all the way from Cheerilee's escape to the present moment, to the queen in full detail. Satisfied with what the jeweled eyed Pegasus had told her, the queen looked to the teacher.

"So, Miss Cheeerilee, all of these facts and information that Masquerade has relayed about your situation, including the statute in the Bright Valley museum, are true and correct to the best of your knowledge?"

"That is correct, my queen." Cheerilee replied, bowing. "I was a victim of many circumstances beyond my control over my life. Nevertheless, I choose to forge ahead with my life, and take full responsibilities for my actions in any given situation."

The queen nodded, and smiled. "Well then, I see no problem, with restoring you to your position as teacher, and hereby drop all charges against y-"

"But my queen, she is an immoral hussy!" Moondancer snorted in protest. "Surely you can't-"

"Excuse me, Miss Moondancer..." Cheerilee trotted forward, scowling at the other mare. "...I mean you no disrespect, but would you kindly SHUT UP! I have been through a great deal of grief since the moment I was released from that book I was trapped in! And really, the last thing I need right now, is ANNNOYING ponies like YOU SHOOTING YOUR FLANKING MOUTHS OFF, AND MAKING MY LIFE EVEN MORE MISERABLE!"

Moodancer stared at her in shock for several minutes, before replying coldly. "Well... some ponies don't know as much as they think they do!" She trotted off down the hallway, as the angry and intimidating Cheerilee suddenly slumped.

"Well done, Cheerilee." Masquerade said admiringly. "Had you not been a teacher, you would have made an impressive interrogator."

"I can't believe I just did that!" The earth pony teacher gasped out, lowering her head.

....

As the Pigtail-wearing teacher approached her classroom, she heard what sounded like a bunch of animals in a zoo coming out of the doorway. As soon as Cheerilee knocked, a cut up and scarred Sundance suddenly burst out of the room, slamming the door behind her. The exhausted school mare had an ear missing, and was gasping for air.

"Hello, Sundance?" Cheerilee asked, shocked by the sight in front of her. "I'm sorry to do this, but I've come back to-"

"TAKE THEM,PLEASE!" The earth pony begged on her knees, pleading with her hooves together. "They're totally evil, I want to go back to Megan! I'd rather teach a thousand human children than those monsters!"

Surprised, Cheerilee put a hoof on her shoulder, and smiled. "Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

As the wounded Sundance limped away, Cheerilee trotted into the classroom, and trotted up to the desk. "Hello, everybody, I'm back!"

"Well well well, if it isn't the ancient equestrian nag!" Baby Moondancer snorted, looking at the teacher with contempt. "An' why ahould we listen to you?"

"Would you just shut up, you stupid filly!" Baby North Star snapped at the other girl. "Can't you see she's trying to teach us, and we're being terrible to her?"

Every other student sat there in silence for several seconds... before they all joined Baby North Star in defending the pink earth mare.

"Yeah, leave Miss Cheerilee alone!" Baby Firefly yelled angrily. "She's way cooler than you are!"

"Yeah! Get off her back! She's a way more awesome teacher than Miss Sundance!" Baby Glory protested.

As the other students spoke up for Cheerilee, the teacher slowly smiled at the support her own students were giving her. As the classroom began to quiet down again, Cheerilee trotted over to the chalkboard.

"Thank you very much, class." The teacher whinnied, quieting the class down. "Now, if you would open your science textbooks to page 45..."

...

The next day, the teaching mare was at the satin Slipper with a few friends, discussing how everthing had turned out.

"Cheerilee, I'm sooo glad you got everything worked out!" Applejack said, sipping her cider. "It's so great you were able to get your job back and everything.

"Yeah, can you believe our little pink mare would end up saving Ponyland!" Glory asked, taking a bite of her sandwich. "I mean, who knew everything would work out so smoothly?"

"I did, dahlink." Gypsy replied, laying her tarot cards out. "Zhen again, I alvays know how zeez zings will turn out."

Twilight Shine giggled at Gypsy's words, then turned back towards Cheerilee. "So, you want to go do some shopping in bright valley after this? Glory found some very shiny gemstones we could trade for some new dresses!"

"Thank you, twilight... but I think I'll be spending time with my family tonight!" The Pink mare smiled, as Wigwam and Quackers came trotting up to the table.

"Shoo weady to go -QUACK!- Mish Cheeriwiee?" The little filly asked. "Wigwam want to take ush to Nightshade concert now!"

"Yes! Lets's get going, little one!" Cheerilee replied with a smile, getting up from the table. "See you later, girls!"

As the three ponies trotted away, Glory looked over at the other three.

"Well, I'm glad everything has turned out the way it has." The white unicorn whinnied. "Cheerilee has a whole new life ahead of her!"

"True... though I notice you didn't tell Cheerilee that she was carrying another life force inside of her, Gypsy." Twilight added with a smirk

"W-what?" Applejack nearly choked on her drink. "You mean...? So that's why she's started putting on weight!"

"Vell, everypony should have some zurprises in zere vuture, my dear Tvilight." Gypsy replied with a smile. "Ozervise, vhere iz ze spice in life?"

-End-

final lesson

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Mare out of time

first day

Chapter three: First Day

Two days following Sundance's mental breakdown, class was back in session in Dream Castle's schoolroom. The fillies and colts filed into the classroom, and trotted to their desks. As they sat there chatting and gossiping to one another, the school bell in the tower turret overhead rang, signaling class was starting. All of the students in the class quieted down, as the new teacher trotted down the steps behind the blackboard from pulling the bell rope.

Okay, Cheerliee... this is it! Here we go! Taking a deep breath, she trotted out in front of the blackboard. "Good morning, students! My name is Cheerilee, and I will be your new teacher from now on!"

"Good Morning Miss Cheerilee!" The entire class said in unison. It was then Cheerilee got to see look over her new students, and the children got the opportunity to size her up. Roughly about thirty colts and fillies- twice as large as her Ponyville class- and a mixed group of Pegasus, Unicorns, and earth ponies.

"That's her?" Apple Delight asked in a whisper, as Cheerilee wrote her name on the blackboard. "That's the new teacher?"

"This'll be easier than I thought." Baby North Star whispered with a smirk. "Baby Glory, you know what to do!"

Putting the chalk down, she turned back to her new class. "I look forward to the chance to get to know you all. Now, since this is our first time together, I would like to go around the classroom, and have each of you tell me your names." She gestured to the yellow earth filly in the first seat. "Let's start with you."

"QUACK!" The student said simply in response.

"Young filly, that is no way to talk to your teacher!" Cherilee snorted in a scolding tone. She remembered Applejack telling her these were problem students, and she was ready to be a little firm, but kind, with them.

"Showwy mish Cheerwiwe-QUACK!" The embarrassed filly replied. "My name ish- QUACK- Bahby Qwakersh-QUACK!-"

Cherilee noticed the young filly's cutie mark- a baby duck carrying an umbrella. "Aha! That explains her speech impediment... I think..." The teacher thought nervously, not knowing how much a pony's cutie mark affected their personality in this era. She looked to the colt behind her. "And you?"

"Name's Apple Delight, Miss Cheerilee!" The white earth pony with the yellow Bowtie around his neck greeted her. "And my mom told me all about you!"

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you, Apple Delight!" She said with a smile, noticing his apple tree cutie mark. "I take it your Applejack son?"

"Yep, that's me!" He said proudly, then started looking around. "My sis and I baked you an apple pie to welcome you, but I can't seem to find it right now..."

"That's very nice of you... but will worry about that later." She looked at the white unicorn filly, sitting behind Apple delight.

"And Your Name, young filly?" The teacher asked her.

"Baby Glory, Miss Cheerilee." The unicorn filly replied.

"Well, I'm guessing your Glory's daughter, given you look just like her." Cheerilee said with a smile. "But aren't you being a bit hard on yourself by referring to yourself as a 'baby'?"

"That's what we call young ponies that have the same name as their mom's, teach." A pink Pegasus filly told her, looking bored, and painting hoof polish on her hoof. "You think our teacher would know something like that."

Cheerilee looked at the pony that had spoken up, and noticed the Compass cutie mark on her flank. "You must be North Star. Applejack and Glory told me all about your... adventurous educational spirit."

"It's Baby North Star, teach... I'm not my mom." Baby North Star corrected her. "And I think we're going to get along just fine."

She flashed Cheerilee the smile of a Timberwolf staring at it's prey.... right before she devoured it.

"She can't be as bad as Applejack and Glory said." Cheerilee thought to herself hopefully. "I'm a teacher... and there's no such thing as an 'evil child'." She could handle this little filly just fine.

As Cheerilee looked back at Baby Glory, she noticed her horn was glowing, indicating she was using unicorn magic. Seeing as how she wasn't levitating a pencil to write or any other classroom activity, Cheerilee suspected she was up to some mischief.

"Young filly, what ever you're doing with your magic, I insist you cease immediately." Cherilee stamped her hoof, gently but firmly.

"But Miss Cheerilee.." The unicorn protested.

"I don't care, stop using magic, now!"

The unicorn filly immediately did so.

SPLAT!

Every student in the classroom burst into laughter, as the Apple Pie that had been floating in the air came down on Cheerilee's head

"Oh! That's what happened to my pie!" Apple Delight said with a snicker.

"Let's... take a break, shall we class?" Cheerilee said, trying to hold a smile, as the bits of apple oozed down over her face.

...

When the class resumed, the beleaguered earth pony teacher finished the student introductions, then spoke to the class.

"All right, students. I know my replacing Miss Sundance in the middle of the Semester was rather abrupt, but I will still try to pick up from where she left off." She smiled at her new students. "So if you would all please hand in the last assignment she gave you, I shall do my best to review and grade it."

"I can't turn in my last assignment, Miss Cheerilee." Tic Tac Toe replied, putting her hoof up. "The Sea Ponies ate it."

"Tic Tac Toe, that excuse may have worked with your last teacher, but it won't fly with me." The earth pony teacher snorted. "Everypony knows there's no such thing as Sea Ponies."

This elicited a wave of snorts and giggles from the class, though Cheerilee couldn't figure out why. It was then the earth pony noticed a young unicorn filly sitting in the back, who had some kind of odd... glass things over her eyes.

"Speedy, what are those odd... lenses your wearing?" Cheerilee asked, puzzled. "Are they to help correct your vision?"

"No, Miss Cheerilee." Speedy replied. "Those are gemstones."

"What?!?" The teacher yelled in shock. "Get those things out of your eyes this instant!"

"But Miss Cheerilee." The orange unicorn filly protested. "I'm a twinkle eyed pony, those gemstones are my e-"

"Not another word, young filly!" Cheerilee insisted. "You could hurt your eyes! Take those gems out, NOW!"

With a sigh, Speedy pulled her gemstone eyes out of their sockets with a loud POP, and set them on the desk in front of her.

Staring into Speedy's empty eye sockets, Cherilee's eyes went wide in horror. She then reacted the only way an Equestrian-era Pony would to what she had just seen.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Cheerilee's eyes rolled back into her head, and she collapsed to the floor with a loud THUD.

All the students rushed over to her, as Speedy popped her eyes back in.

"Miss Cheerilee, are you all right?"

"Is she dead?"

"Naw, we’re not that lucky... She just fainted."

.......

"WHY DIDN'T ANYPONY TELL ME ABOUT THE TWINKLE EYED PONIES!?!"

Cheerilee had woken up in the castle infirmary, with Applejack and Nurse Tenderhart standing over her. She had been on the verge on cracking up again, until AJ explianed about the ponies with Jewel eyes.

"They got those from ancestors who went blind or lost their eyes in accidents, and had their eyes replaced with enchanted seeing gemstones." Applejack repeated what North Star had told her. "The trait just kinda... passed down to their offspring."

"Lovely! I used to just have problems with Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara wearing gaudy amounts of jewelry to class!" Cheerilee snorted. "Now, I have students whose bodies are made of jewelry!"

"I kinda guess it slipped our minds to tell ya, Cheerilee... I'm awfully sorry." She narrowed her eyes. "And I'll have a word with Apple Delight about that trick with the pie... I'll tan his hide so sore, he won't be able to sit down for a week!"

The two had left the infirmary, and were trotting down the hallway towards the steps that led to the drawbridge.

"Where exactly are we going again?" Cheerliee sighed. "I really need something to take my mind off of this mess."

"I though ya might say that." AJ said with a grin. "I thought I'd take ya to the castle's local hangout spot... the Satin Slipper Sweet Shoppe!"

Heading out of the castle, the two mares approached a slipper-shaped building wthin the castle walls, but adjacent to the main keep. They walked though the old-fashioned turnstile... and Cheerilee was taken back. The checkered floor, the jukebox in the corner, the spinning stools at the counter... the teacher flashed back to a teen filly with braces and crazy hair, nervously asking a stallion out on a date to the Ponyville prom.... ah, those were good times.

"AJ! Cherrilee! Over Here!" Glory called out to them, waving her hoof. Next to her was an orange unicorn, with a dark orange mane and a tambourine cutie mark. "We saved seats for you!"

The two ponies trotted over to the table, and sat down. Glory introduced her. "Cheerilee, this is Gypsy, she is Queen Majesty's court seer and mystic."

"A pleazure to meet you, darlink!" The pony mystic greeted her, in what the humans would call an Eastern European accent. "If zee ever vant a hoof reading, let me know."

"A fortune teller?" Cheerilee asked skeptically. "Again, I am reminded of the fact I am in a more feudal age."

"Don't scoff so much, Cheerliee!" Applejack chided her. "Remember 'Pinkie Sense'? I think she's got a more advanced version of that!"

"Anyway, how'd your first class go today?" Glory looked up at the counter. "Fizzy! A Diet Dr. Ponyper for our castle's new teacher! Lickety Split! A hot fudge sundae with a cherry on top!"

"Comin right up!" The two mares behind the counter said in unison.

"Thank you, Glory. A soda and a sundae sound really good right about now." Cheerilee replied. "Great Celestia, today was a bizarre experience! I had no idea all of all of the changes to pony society... I don't even know if I can even understand or relate to my students. " She put her chin on the table. "I don't know if I'm cut out for the modern world."

"Aw, just give yourself some time, Cheerilee!" Glory reassured her. "Ya just gotta give it some time!"

"Perhaps vhat you need iz zome guidance." Gypsy added, levitating her cards out of her satchel. "Vould zou like me to give you a reading, Darlink?"

"Go right ahead." Cheerilee added with a sigh. "At this point, I will take what I can get."

Gypsy telekinetically laid out several of the cards, and read them over. She floated the deck up in front of Cheerilee.

"Choose von of zee cards." The unicorn told her simply. The earth pony teacher reluctantly pointed at one with her hoof.

Gypsy levitated the card down onto the table, in the middle of the others she had laid out. After several minutes of concentration, she looked up at Cheerilee.

"You vill deal vith zee future you vind yourzelf in, by looking to your own pazt." She told her simply. "By letting go of zee truths you know, you vill zet yourzelf vree."

"Well, that's not very clear." Cheerilee said incredulously.

"Zee future never iz, darlink." Gypsy told her plainly.

Investigation and condemnation

Go west, young Cheerilee, go west!

Go west, young Cheerilee, go west!

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The engine’s whistle echoed through Eagle canyon, as the mighty engine thundered it's way along the ancient tracks towards the Buffalo country. The Ponyland express was the last remaining train in operation on the continent, running between Fort Rainbow Dash, and the Buffalo country. For the land of the Bison tribes is the only place safe enough for trains to still run, free of the threat of goblin armies or mages with destructive fireball spells.

Out here, the massive iron beast tore along it's tracks. Steamer, the train's earth pony engineer, operated the levers and stoked the great furnace with coal, even as ash and soot darkened his pink coat and mane . Black smoke bellowed out of the smokestack, filling the sky with a dark cloud. Small animals along the tracks scrambled to get out of the way, well aware of what would happen if they got caught beneath those iron wheels.

On one of the train's passenger cars, rode the former teacher Cheerilee, with her newly acquired family. Quackers was looking out at the scenery, watching the countryside go by. Cheerilee, meanwhile, was sitting silently in one of the passenger seats, with her head drooping. Wigwam was gently stroking her mane and nuzzling her, trying his best to comfort the distraught mare.

"I...I just can't believe majesty's council would do that to me..." The pink mare whimpered forlornly. "Every thing was going so well... I just can't fathom what I had possibly done wrong..."

"You know how politicians can be, my love." Her husband replied, shaking his mane. "Majesty is a good ruler, I'm sure she will have those picky old hens straightened out by the time we get home!"

"I sure hope your right..." Cheerilee trailed off, as she her attention turned to the other passengers on the train.

As the teacher looked around the posh, velvet lined train car, and was amazed by how many of Ponyland's races were aboard the car; Rat folk from Munsterville, or the goblinoid Grundles from their subterranean caves. There were also foreign visitors, such as the pair of Screean birds playing poker on the other side of the car, or the two mole-like Blark merchants, haggling over a jewel of some sort.

"Wow, there sure are a lot of different kinds on this train!" Cheerilee exclaimed. "In fact, I think we're the only ponies aboard!"

"Most of these passengers will be staying on the train, after it leaves Buffalo country." Wigwam explained. "They are all going to Screea, where the bird folk's casinos and gambling establishments are a popular draw for the nonpony folk."

"Wow Miss Cheeriwiwee! -QUACK!" The white filly quacked. "Dere is a wot of open countwy out here -QUACK!- But where are deh bison?"

"They are all probably near their village, little one." The pink earth pony responded. "Wigwam told me they are holding some kind of ceremony tonight."

"Yes, a sacred dance, to honor the ancestors." The earth stallion replied. "It is a ritual of remembrance, to pay tribute to those who had come before."

It was at that point that the large iron behemoth slowly came to stop, as steam rolled off the wheels. Steamer trotted back into the luxurious purple passenger car, and bellowed loudly.

"Now arriving, Bisonfield pass!" The train-loving stallion yelled. "Everybody off!"

"Boy, that Steamer! You should see his and Posey's room back at the castle!" Wigwam said with a chuckle. "He's filled it with every train model in existence! That stallion's driven Posey and their daughter to their wit's end!"

"Now Wigwam! I think you are exaggerating!" Cheerilee chided. "Buttons and Slugger's little girl told me he never forces his special talent down his family's throat!"

"Of course she'd defend Steamer." Wigwam shook his mane. "He gave Baby Buttons a limited edition Lionel model train from the human world for her last birthday!"

As the two ponies disembarked from the train, they found themselves at a trading post like fort, where ponies and other species traded and haggled with Bison. It was then, that Cheerilee got her first glimpse of the magnificent creatures; large, powerfully built behemoths, with frames bigger than any pony. The teacher was struck silent, as one of the Buffaloes noticed the three ponies, and came striding up to the family.

"Ahhhh! Brother Wigwam!" The large Bison greeted him. "I am pleased to see you have returned to us! And you have brought your family with you, as well!"

"Thank you, my brother." The earth pony said with a smile. "Cheerilee, I'd like to introduce you to my friend Shining Feather. Shining Feather, this is my wife, Cheerilee."

"A pleasure, my dear." The Buffalo stood up, and bowed to her. "It is an honor to meet you."

"Oh no, the pleasure is all mine!" The pink earth mare whinnied politely back.

"And this is my daughter, Quackers." Wigwam gestured towards the little filly.

"Hello, small one!" Shining Feather nodded towards Quackers

"Wow! A weal buffawo pony! -QUACK!-" The little filly quacked excitedly. "Do you have a tepee? Can I shee your bow and awow? -QUACK!"

Both Cheerilee and Wigwam looked terribly embarrassed.

"I apologize for my daughters... insensitivity." Cheerilee whinnied in a guilty tone.

"Ha Ha! Think nothing of it, my dear!" The large buffalo bellowed with laughter. "It is merely the innocence of youth. One does not hold the mistakes of childhood against a child!"

"Cheerilee, Shining feather stood in for me at my adoption into the tribe ceremony!" Wigwam explained. "He is like a brother to me!"

"Wow, you must have quite a few stories about Wigwam!" The pink earth mare chuckled.

"Oh, he is capable of getting into trouble, let me tell you that!" Shining Feather replied. "But come, the tribe is waiting for your return, with a great and glorious feast!"

...

The four of them trotted out from the trading post, towards a path that led out across the open plains. After trotting along the path for nearly an hour, they came to the buffalo tribe's village. Row after row of Teepees were organized in neat rows, all arraigned around a large circular area with a campfire site. Each of the teepees was decorated with colorful images of tribal stampedes and battles past- the proud history of the bison tribes stitched out in beautiful art.

The three of them were quickly led past several buffalo families, up to a large tent near the center. Out of the big teepee stepped the largest Bison Cheerilee had ever seen.

"Cheerilee, this is Chief Steelhoof." Wigwam introduced the gigantic bison. "He's is the leader of this tribe, and great chief of the surrounding tribes."

"It is an honor to meet you, your Excellency." Cherilee bowed very low. "My family and I are deeply grateful, that you would allow us to be your guests."

"Ah! So this is Wigwam's spouse!" Steelhoof rumbled in a deep but gentle voice. "It is a pleasure to have you and your noble family here with us for this occasion! Please, enjoy yourselves at the feast!"

The meal that followed was one of the beast Cheerilee had ever tasted- with everything from corn to squash was served. The tribal dance followed, and the pink earth pony watched in awe as the painted, feather-clad bison danced around the fire. She admired their graceful and powerful movements, and almost wished she could join them in the dance. Quackers fell in among the bison children, whooping and hollering and dancing up a storm as her adopted family looked on.

It was soon that night fell over the camp, as all of the bison and the three ponies looked on, sitting around the large, roaring fire. Cheerilee was wearing a beaded headband with a feather in it- a gift from the buffalo tribe squaws- and was seated next to her husband and daughter.

It was then, that Shining Feather came trotting up. "Ah, miss Cheerilee! So wonderful to see you a our festivities! Tell me, are our enjoying our hospitality?"

"Oh, Yes! The meal was quite amazing!" The teacher beamed. "I especially enjoyed that delicious apple pie your wives made! I'll have to get the recipe!"

"That was a recipe passed on to our tribe long ago, by the long-vanished Apploosians." Shining Feather snorted. "Those ponies disappeared from these lands, after the fall of Equestria."

"I had heard the town had been long abandoned." Cheerilee shook her mane. "Still, I am happy that ponykind is threatening to take your land no longer."

"Yes, we get along well with all equines now." The buffalo agreed. "Yet I sense that your spirit is not at ease, and you are greatly troubled by something."

"Let's just say my life has taken a turn for the worse right now." The earth mare sighed, her ears drooping. "I feel lost... and don't know where to turn, or what to do next."

"If it is guidance you seek, perhaps the Rainbow Ponies could be of assistance." The bison stroked his small fuzzy beard. "They are on spiritual retreat here in our lands, and perhaps they could offer you some insight, on your path to enlightenment."

"The rainbow pony monks are here?" Cheerilee's ears perked up. "Where can I find them?"

"At our tribal medicine lodge." Shining Feather answered solemnly. "They are meditating there, in hopes of unlocking many of the secrets of the universe."

"Thank You, Shining Feather." She whinnied, before getting up and trotting towards the lodge. She looked back at her family. "Wigwam, could you keep an eyes on Quackers? I'll be back shortly."

...

Meanwhile, back at Dream Castle, Twilight Shine was busy putting books away on her shelf... while at the same time getting an earful from two of her best friends.

"Twilight, I really think your makin' a big mistake with Cheerilee!" Applejack snorted angrily at her friend. "You and Moondancer are ruining a good mare's life, just because your a little suspicious!"

"I know what you're saying, AJ, but we can't take a risk with the herd!" the pink unicorn snorted back. "Remember when that changeling minion of Katrina's almost stole the rainbow of light? He disguised himself as a pony, and almost made off with our herd's greatest treasure! We have to be careful, even with those we believe to be ponies!"

"I think Tornado's paranoia is starting to rub off on you, Twi!" Glory whinnied. "You're becoming almost as neurotic as your goofy husband!"

"Applejack, would you take and chances with your daughter or son?" Twilight stamped her hoof. "Would you risk your children's lives, Glory? Then don't ask me to risk Ember's!"

"Twilight, Majesty or at least half of the council never would have taken Moondancer's rantings seriously, if you hadn't interjected." Glory reasoned with her. "Your suspicions are directly responsible for Cheerilee losing her job!"

"My friends, Cheerilee will be thoroughly investigated!" Twilight responded. "And if her story checks out, she'll be restored to her position with a full apology."

"All this because you think Cheerilee is a fake!" Glory snorted angrily.

"No, Glory... she remembered too much of Cheerilee's life to have been a fabricated pony, and Spike told me Cheerilee did actually disappear at about that age." Twilight shook her mane. "And after examining the residual magic in the schoolroom, I've determined that the book actually did have a flesh and blood pony trapped within it's pages. She's the real thing, girls."

"Then something else is bothering you, isn't it Twi?" Applejack asked, concerned. "You've been on edge ever since we returned from the Ponyville site."

"Tornado and I have been translating several of the ancient Penna texts, that North Star brought back from her last dig." The pink unicorn looked away. "We've been finding something... troubling... as we read further and further into the texts."

"What do they say?" Glory asked curiously. She was always curious about the ancient bird civilization that had existed in Ponyland, before the coming of ponies!

"Over and over again, they speak of an ancient evil. Older and more powerful than Grogar, or Tirek, or even Discord." Twilight shook her mane. "Tell me AJ, did Twilight Sparkle ever tell you what eldritch horrors lie behind the sealed gates of Tartarus, or why they were built in the first place?"

"Those gates were already ancient in my lifetime, Twi. Nopony ever knew how or why they were built." The orange earth mare whinnied. "Celestia only knew that ancient horrors lay imprisoned beyond them, and set the dog Cerberus to guard the doors."

"Those gates were old in the Penna's time, and even they knew little of whence they came." Twilight's eyes darted around nervously. "But they do know that the abomination unspeakable... or the Tirac, in their language, had been sealed."

"So that's where the dark lord Tirek took his name from." Glory said with a shiver. "But what does all of this have to do with Cheerilee?"

"The other day, Gypsy told me she had a vision while reading her cards." Twilight snorted. "She said she saw a young filly release a great evil from behind a door... one which would terrorize dream valley. And she said she wasn't sure how, but that Cheerilee was responsible."

"So you think the door Gypsy saw was in her vision was the Tartarus gates, and the realeased evil was the one, true Tirac?"

"I don't see what else it could be." Twilight replied sadly. "And while it's tearing me apart to do this to Cheerilee, I can't risk our lives by not taking some kind of action!"

"I just hope you know what you're doing Twi." AJ repiled nervously. She remembered another pony named Twilight, who had also sought to prevent a propechy of evil, and nearly destroyed herself...

As the three mares talked, they failed to see little pink Pegasus filly quietly trotting away...

....

"So they think you're going to open the Tartarus gate, and release the ancient horrors?" Ahuitzotl chuckled. "Oh senorita, that is too much!"

"Blimey! You sayin' you're not as bad as those things there worried about?" Baby North Star asked curiously.

"Trust me, Seniorita. If the demons behind those gates were ever released, even I would not survive." The creature's voice echoed from the book. "I wish to conquer and rule Ponyland, not destroy it!"

Baby North Star though for a moment. "You know what? I think I'll let ya out now!" The Pink Pegasus grinned. "Cheerilee has more than paid for humiliating me, and it's high time my mum and dad learned a lesson, too!"

"Really? Mucho Gusto, Seniorita!" Ahuitzotl chuckled. "Now, come to the golden door! Open it up, and get ready for all El Diablo to break loose!"