Chapter VI

“Good morning, mister Solid,” Cheerilee spoke as she exited her apartment. A big burly minotaur lumbered past, muttering some obscenity before entering the apartment next to Cheerilee’s and slamming the door behind him. The purple mare rolled her eyes, trotting out of the building.

It was a lengthy walk to the train station from her home, but that didn’t bother her. It was quite a nice day out. The temperature was pleasant, and only a few cumuli dotted the sky above.

Besides, I’ve been resting my flank for long enough, she thought, I could use the exercise. The doctor had told her to take it easy for at least another few days, but it had been over a week since her ordeal in the alley and she had things to do and people to see. The bruises on her face and body had not yet faded entirely, but they didn’t hurt as much as they did before. She had decided to wear a simple green dress and a pair of shades to cover most of them. I’m fit enough for work, so I’m fit enough for this.

The train station was crowded. The weekends weren’t as bad as the weekdays, but she still had to squirm her way through quite a few ponies to get to the ticket booth. Cheerilee groaned at the sight of the rather long queue, but got in line anyway. Though she knew it was rude to eavesdrop, Cheerilee couldn’t help but focus on the conversation between a mare and stallion in front of her.

“-but I would be worried, you know,” she picked up from the stallion.

The mare responded. “Oh, I do. I am very worried. I’d say the city is falling into decay if things like that are starting to escalate.”

“Quite true, dear. Disappearances have never been uncommon, so an increase is very disturbing. Well, I hope they’ll take care of it before it really gets out of hand.”

The mare put on a fearful expression. “My sister lives in one of those neighborhoods. Owh, I hope she’ll be alright.”

Disappearances?, Cheerilee thought, frowning. “Excuse me,” she said to the two ponies in front of her, “I’m very sorry, but I couldn’t help but overhear. You were talking about an increase in disappearances?”

The couple turned to her, the male answering with an arched eyebrow. “Indeed, miss. Manehatten has never been the safest city to live in, especially in the neighborhoods on the edge of the city. Authorities suspect it’s abduction. Apparently there’s some kind of gang that roams the city. They’re said to take foals, especially. Street urchins, or the occasional schoolfoal that’s on its way home."

Cheerilee felt nauseous. The thought of innocent children being snatched because they walked from school alone absolutely sickened her.

“Miss, are you quite alright?,” a female voice said. Cheerilee looked up to see the couple she had been talking with giving her worried glances. “You’re starting to look rather pale.

“I’m alright, sorry,” Cheerilee replied, “I just-, that’s absolutely horrible.”

“Oh, I agree. Here, why don’t you take this. The paper has the whole thing covered quite well. We already read it, so you’re free to take it.” The stallion reached into his saddlebag, handing Cheerilee a newspaper. She nodded, taking it and putting it into her own.

“Thank you,” she said.

“That’s quite alright, miss,” the Stallion smiled. “And don’t worry about it too much, I’m sure the authorities have it quite under control. Manehatten will be rid of those pests in no time.”

Cheerilee smiled, but wasn’t convinced. She had little faith in law enforcement, but didn’t want to dishearten the couple in front of her by showing it. They turned away from her, leaving the mare to her thoughts. She had been witness to an abduction just a week ago, and she couldn’t help but wonder whether there was a connection. She shook her head to clear her mind. She had other things to worry about for now. She would remember.

*****

It was a half hour train ride from Manehatten to one of the small towns that lay a little while from the edge of the city. The martial arts school that Cheerilee was looking for was located in a place called Hoofington Springs, which was little more than a few houses and a grocery store in the eyes of the mare. She was pretty sure it was smaller than Ponyville. She passed several quaint but cozy looking houses before reaching a building that stuck out like a sore thumb. It was square, made out of red brick. There was a sign on the front that said ‘Hoofington Springs Martial Arts School’, with a list of styles underneath.

The building was isolated very well, for the moment she opened the door the silence that reigned outside was replaced by the clamor of laughter and grunting, combined with frequent dull thuds. There were several training groups at work, some consisting of just adults, some of just foals and some that were mixed. Cheerilee walked up to the reception desk where a gray mare was filing her hooves.

“Afternoon, honey,” she said with disinterested, nasal voice. “Beginner, intermediate or advanced?”

Cheerilee looked confused for a moment. “I’m sorry, what?”

“What level do you want to take a course in?,” the reception mare spoke in a chiding tone, like she was pointing out the obvious.

Cheerilee frowned, her mouth forming an annoyed pout. The mare behind the desk was too busy with her hooves to see. “Actually, I’d like to see someone. Case Study, is he in?”

“Ya have an appointment, sweetheart?,” came the reply that was dripping with the same disinterest as the rest of the conversation.

“Well, no, I-.”

“Nothing I can do for ya then. Sorry.”

Cheerilee frowned. “Now look here, surely there’s a moment where you can-.” At that moment a door to the right opened and a familiar off-white stallion with a teal mane stepped through. He was wearing a simple white vest, with a black belt secured around his midriff. He addressed the receptionist.

“Miss Summershine, could you call Cheery Trail’s parents? She hurt her hoof and-.”

“Doc!” Cheerilee exclaimed, causing Case Study to turn his head in surprise.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?,” the stallion replied.

“It’s me! Cheerilee!” She removed her sunglasses before continuing. “Remember? You treated me several years ago, when I was in-.” The purple mare stopped herself from completing that sentence, coughing uncomfortably.

Case Study narrowed his eyes for a moment in thought, looking Cheerilee over. After a moment his eyes opened wide in recognition. “My goodness, Cheerilee. Yes, I remember you. What happened? You look awful!” He raised a hoof to point at the bruises across Cheerilee’s face, particularly around her eyes.

“It’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about, doc. Do you have a minute?,” she asked hopefully.

“I do, but not right now. I have to finish this class, and then I have two more groups for today. But, if you aren’t short on time, I have a moment we can talk in an hour or two.”

Cheerilee nodded eagerly. “Yes, that would be great. Thank you, doc.”

He nodded. “See you in a while, then,” he said before turning back to the receptionist who hadn’t lifted her eyes from her hooves throughout the entire exchange.

“Recommend us to your friends,” she said. Cheerilee just rolled her eyes.

*****

The town was explored quickly, small as it was. Walking around the picturesque little streets roused some pleasant memories for Cheerilee. Since she had already spent money on a train ticket, and would be spending more on fighting lessons, she decided that it couldn’t hurt to treat herself a little. She doubted she was going to be moving out of her current apartment any time soon, so she bought herself a big portion of hayfries with a smoothie at a local café. She peered at the clock, noticing that two hours had passed already, so Cheerilee began to make her way back for her meeting with Case Study.

He was already waiting at the reception desk when she entered. He motioned with his hoof, indicating for her to follow. He led her to a small training room that had padded floors. He sat down on a bench along the sides, indicating for her to sit down as well.

“So. You said you wanted to talk about something. Given the situation, I assume this isn’t about therapy,” Case Study began, regarding Cheerilee with a neutral expression.

“It’s not. I came here because of, well, this.” Cheerilee pointed at her face with her hoof. “I remembered you telling me you taught martial arts, back from therapy. I was hoping you could teach me.”

“Wait, first tell me what happened.”

“I passed the wrong alley at the wrong time. A group of thugs was beating on another mare, I wanted to help. They roughed me up and left me in the trash,” Cheerilee said. She really didn’t want to explain more than that, so she quickly continued. “Look, Manehatten is dangerous. I want to be able to defend myself out there.”

The stallion sighed through his nose, folding his forelegs and looking at the ground for a moment. “Do you have any experience at all?,” he asked after a moment.

Cheerilee shook her head.

“Yes, I figured as much. That means you need to be put in a beginner group, and I can’t do that. Not here.”

Cheerilee’s expression fell. “What? Why not?,” she asked in a dejected voice.

“Because of your criminal record. We have no adult-only beginner group, I can’t put you in with them without bringing all sorts of potential trouble for this school. I’m sorry.”

Cheerilee felt like she had been stabbed. Again, her record got in the way of her goals in life. She grit her teeth to keep her tears from flowing. After a moment of silence, she spoke.

“Isn’t there anything at all that you can do?” She looked the stallion in the eyes with a pleading look. He simply regarded her for a moment, frowning slightly.

“Maybe. But before I look into that, answer me something,” he replied.

“Anything.”

“Why me?”

Cheerilee fell quiet at this. She looked at Case Study, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled with the answer. Why him?, Cheerilee thought again. There were other schools that could teach her martial arts that didn’t have foals, or simply wouldn’t care. Most likely closer to home, as well. She wanted to be taught by Case Study, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Come on, Cheerilee, you have to come up with an answer. He’s one of the only ones that-. Oh.

She looked up to look Case Study directly in the eyes as she spoke. “Because you are one of the few people that I trust. One of the few who I know will respect me, take me seriously. And, most important, because you know that I’m innocent.”

Case Study was quiet for a moment, before replying. “You know that I can’t disagree with a court-.”

Cheerilee cut him off with a gesture of her hoof. “I know. But I also know that you believe me. You don’t have to tell me for me to see. I want to be taught by you. I trust you, and I respect you, and I know that I’m making the right choice with this. I can feel it.”

Case Study stared at Cheerilee for a moment longer, before getting on his hooves and walking towards the window, looking outside.

“Alright, Cheerilee. Let’s have a look at what you’ve got.”

The purple mare raised her head, the corners of her mouth curling up. “You mean you’ll do it?”

“We’ll see. Take off that dress and stand over there.” Case Study pointed towards the middle of the training room. Cheerilee did as she was told, quickly removing the green garment and placing it on the bench. She never saw what the trouble was with changing clothes in a public area. Most ponies didn’t usually wear any anyway. Once she was ready, the stallion spoke again.

“Alright. I want you to hit me,” he said.

“Ehm, what?,” Cheerilee asked, her eyebrow raised.

“You heard me. Give me your best shot. Don’t hold back.” Case Study wore an unreadable expression as he looked his ‘opponent’ in the eye.

“Alright, if you’re sure.” The purple mare brought up her right foreleg as fast as she could, aiming for the stallion’s torso. Before she hit, however, Case Study’s hoof was up and blocking her blow. Her eyes widened.

“Whoa.”

“Try again.”

Cheerilee did as she was asked, this time aiming for her opponent’s head. Again, her hoof was blocked. She stepped back, her mouth slightly open in surprise.

“Did I tell you to stop? You’re not giving up, are you?,” Case Study asked. Though his face was a mask of neutrality, Cheerilee could detect the taunting in the stallion’s voice. She grunted in annoyance, repeatedly bringing up her hooves to strike. Each and every attack she made was either blocked or deftly dodged by Case Study. She tried to feint, but that too was anticipated by her much more experienced adversary. Even though the stallion didn’t retaliate or even spoke, Cheerilee found herself becoming more and more annoyed. After several more failed attempts, she let out a loud cry and reared on her hooves to try and deliver a solid buck to Case Study’s chest. For a moment, it felt like she was floating as Case Study grasped her hind legs with his front hooves. He used her momentum against her as he rolled on his back and planted his hooves into Cheerilee’s chest, sending her flying over him. She landed on the ground with a groan.

She figured it wasn’t supposed to hurt as much as it did, but her previous injuries sent stabs of pain through her body. As she lay on the ground, Case Study stepped towards her and tapped her on the nose. “Boop.”

What was meant to be a playful nudge on her snout caused a searing pain that brought tears to the purple mare’s eyes and made her cry out in pain. She brought her hooves to her face to protect the sensitive organ and rolled over to face away from the source of the pain.

“Oh my, I’m sorry,” Case Study said apologetically. He carefully helped Cheerilee back to her hooves. “I didn’t realize you were still sore, there.”

“It’s fine,” she mumbled, “I should have been more careful.”

“That you should’ve,” came the reply. When no more words came, Cheerilee hesitantly spoke up.

“So, how did I do?”

“As I expected,” Case Study replied matter-of-factly. “You’re incredibly strong, I’ll give you that, but you lack precision. You’re sluggish and your strikes are uncontrolled. Next week, I want you to bring a statement from the doctor that you’re ready for physical exercise. You will meet me here every evening at nine. You’ll pay the standard lesson fee, plus ten percent extra for the additional expenses and time.”

Cheerilee nodded, a wide grin on her face. “Agreed. Why the ten percent though, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Case Study smiled. “I don’t. It’s because I’m going to give you private lessons, after hours. There’s some administrative costs involved in that. Also, you’re keeping me away from my family.”

Cheerilee nodded before pulling her dress over her head. “Didn’t know you were a family man.”

“We married shortly after you were released. I couldn’t be happier to this day.” Cheerilee saw the stallion’s smile widen for a moment, a glint appearing in his eyes. “Speaking of which, I should go and see them. I’ll see you next week, given you can get that statement from the doctor.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’m tough. See you next week, doc.” She turned around, making her way to the door to leave. She halted for a moment as he spoke.

“Honestly, Cheerilee. You can just call me ‘Case’, you know.”

*****

Reluctantly, Cheerilee’s doctor had declared her completely healthy, which meant she could begin her training. For several weeks she would visit Case Study every other evening, finding that while he was an effective teacher, he was not a pleasant one. Case Study had insisted that they would be unable to train every single evening, and though Cheerilee had initially protested, she had come to understand why. The exercises were rigorous and repetitive, leaving her with barely enough energy to find her way home and collapse on her bed after each training.

Cheerilee, by nature, was sluggish. When it came to physical labor, she was used to relying on strength alone to get the job done. This made initial progress slow, leaving the mare incredibly frustrated. This usually led to a scolding by Case Study, followed by another exercise involving patience and discipline. However, as the weeks turned into months she began to notice the progress that she had made. Her body felt more supple as she moved, and her stance now possessed a certain grace and elegance. Her reflexes had developed significantly, and though she wasn’t as fast as she herself would have liked, Case Study seemed very pleased with her progress. She had absolutely mastered the basic techniques, and had a good grasp of a great deal of the more advanced moves.

Still, the lessons continued, until one day her teacher didn’t finish their lesson with the usual exchange of goodbyes.

“I am amazed, Cheerilee,” Case Study said with a smile. “Despite your rough start, you have truly made leaps in your training the past few months. I’m proud of you.”

Cheerilee gave him a small smile in return, a slight blush forming on her cheeks at the compliment. “Thanks, Case. I was about ready to choke you a few times, but you’re truly an amazing teacher.”

Case Study laughed. “And you’ve been an amazing student.”

Cheerilee chuckled as well, though her smile faded after a moment. “Wait. ‘Have been’?”

“Cheerilee, for the past months you’ve been training with me several times a week. You’ve become good. Very good. There’s honestly nothing more for me to teach you.”

Cheerilee was speechless for a moment. Beside the fact that the past months had passed before she even realized, she had now come to a point where her training was complete. It felt surreal, almost impossible. “B-but, you’re still so much better than me. There’s still so much that I don’t know.”

Case Study’s smile faded, sighing through his nose. “Cheerilee, your abilities far excel those of the average street tough. They won’t stand a chance if anyone ever tries to mug you again.”

“Case, I want to learn more. I want to finish what I started.”

The stallion frowned, his eyes becoming hard as he glared at the purple mare. Cheerilee swallowed, but didn’t break eye contact, meeting the gaze defiantly. After a moment, Case Study spoke quietly.

“Cheerilee, skills like mine take practice outside of a training room. Practice like that is very dangerous. You should count yourself lucky if you never have to put what you have learned to use.”

Cheerilee shook her head. “No. I want to learn.” Case Study didn’t respond, instead just staring Cheerilee in the eyes. Though she felt her resolve waver, the purple mare made sure not to break eye contact. After what seemed like hours, her teacher spoke again.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?”

Cheerilee nodded, causing the stallion to relent and close his eyes with a frown.

“You are by far the most headstrong pony I have met in my entire career,” he said with a weary voice. The youthfulness that usually graced him was gone, making him look old and tired. “Fine. There is a trial that I once took, a long time ago. I was still cursed with the arrogance of youth back then.” The last sentence was uttered with emphasis as he gave Cheerilee a look. “It will test what you have learned here, and more. Ingenuity, resourcefulness, determination and discipline.”

Cheerilee couldn’t help but widen her eyes. Without really thinking, she spoke. “I want to take the trial.”

Case Study almost gave her a pleading look. “Cheerilee, that trial is very dangerous, not something you undertake on a whim. You’ll be out there on your own, left completely to fend for yourself. You could get injured in all sorts of ways, perhaps even permanently. You could die.”

This gave her pause for a moment, a frown appearing on her features. She hadn’t considered the prospect of losing her life. Was she ready for that? Was it really worth it?

What do you have to lose? The thought suddenly invaded Cheerilee’s mind. The knowledge that it wasn’t some reckless part of her brain that was asking the question sent a shiver down her spine. What did she have to lose? Aside from Case and Vinyl she had nopony that she truly considered her friend. She had no relationship, nor did she have relatives. She was more than likely going to be stuck with her dinghy apartment and her crummy job at the box factory. No, she wanted to do this. She was going to finish what she started.

“I’m sure about this. I want to do it,” she said with utter surety and determination. Case Study sighed deeply.

“I really shouldn’t let you do this.”

“Then why are you?” Cheerilee asked with a frown, and a little more venom than she really intended. He winced.

“Because if I don’t, I know you’re going to go look for it yourself. This way I can be sure you have a fighting chance. Don’t let this get to your head, but you were better than I was back when I did the trial.”

Cheerilee smiled slightly. “That’s reassuring, at least.”

“For you, perhaps. I hope you have a lot of vacation to cash in, you’re going to be gone a long time once you start.”

Author's Note

Well, well. Looks like we're getting somewhere.