Sweetie Belle stood in front of her workbench in the Carousel Boutique. It was “her” workbench because her big sister, Rarity, had generously allowed her to use it for her very important crafts project. Rarity herself was hard at work on the other side of the room, her mouth full of pins as she laboured over an elaborate dress that somepony needed for Hearts and Hooves Day, which was tomorrow. Sweetie Belle’s bench was surrounded by a no-pony’s-land of cleared space, so that no stray squirt of glue or misplaced hoof could disrupt Rarity’s work.
The unicorn filly’s face was a mask of concentration as she laboriously copied lines of script from the calligraphy book propped open on the bench. This project was far too important to be marred by her usual sloppy mouthwriting. The bench was already covered with rough drafts of the project, and now she was working on the finished product.
“Hey, Rarity,” she said, once her current line of script was finished and she could set down her quill. “Could I have a few more of those baby blue sapphires?”
“Why, of course, Sweetie Belle,” replied Rarity, levitating three small blue gems across the room towards her sister. “I’m glad to see you taking your work so seriously. I’m sure your very special somepony is going to love it.”
“Rarity!” whined Sweetie Belle, ducking her head to hide her blush. “I told you, this isn’t for a very special somepony!”
The older unicorn just chuckled as she turned her attention back to her work. “Of course not, Sweetie. You’re just working on a very important craft project that you won’t even let me see, on the night before Hearts and Hooves Day. At any rate, I shan’t distract you any further. You must create!”
Although Sweetie Belle would never admit to it, Rarity was right. This was a labour of love for a very special pony indeed. The smartest, kindest, most beautiful pony in the whole world. The pony who worked tirelessly to prepare her and her friends for life and the world around them. The pony who brought laughter into every day at school. The very pony, in fact, who had come to her rescue when the monstrous Queen Corona had kidnapped her and dragged her into the Everfree Forest as a hostage. The pony whom, if all went according to plan, she would grow up and marry one day.
Carefully, ever so carefully, she wrote the final inscription on her project – the most perfect Hearts and Hooves Day card in the history of Hearts and Hooves Day. She dared not sign her name, of course – if anypony else found the card, it was essential that nopony know who had written it. Sweetie Belle was confident, though, that the intended recipient would know that it was from her – after all, they already shared such a powerful connection, didn’t they? Of course they did. So this simple inscription would be more than enough:
To Cheerilee, with Love.
“It’s lovely! And so… big!”
Cheerilee looked over the huge card that her entire class had made for her. It looked like the entire contents of an arts and crafts store had gone into its production. It positively shone with glitter, and was covered with lace, bows and paint horseshoe prints. She had to admit that while her students had clearly gone overboard – it had taken Apple Bloom, Twist and Scootaloo just to carry the thing into the classroom – it was actually rather tasteful, with a pleasing balance of warm colours.
Apple Bloom managed to nail the card to the side wall of the classroom while the other students took their places. Cheerilee was soon able to take her mind off the glittering monstrosity to concentrate on teaching her class. Once the lunch bell had rung and the classroom was empty again, though, she knew she needed to think about the other card.
This one had been slipped into her desk drawer before she arrived at school, or possibly the previous night. This was no simple gesture of affection from her students, though. The fancy calligraphy, the intricate shading, the high quality paper and the tiny blue sapphires all pointed to a much more serious suitor, as did the inscription.
Who could have sent her this card? And why would they have left it at her desk? Perhaps one of her students had delivered it on behalf of a single parent or older sibling. Ditzy Doo? No, probably not. Ditzy was hardly prone to bashfulness when it came to her personal relationships, and Cheerilee was quite certain that Ditzy had her hooves full with her daughter, her job and her friends as it was.
The card felt odd in her hooves. Carefully, checking that nopony was watching her, she lowered her mouth to one corner of the card and bit off a tiny scrap. It was high quality paper, lightly scented with jasmine, the kind of paper used by professional caterers and design houses for very important events.
And then there were the gems. Cheerilee only knew one pony with ready access to baby blue sapphires, who regularly made use of high quality paper, and would put such effort into her calligraphy.
Rarity wants to be my very special somepony?
Cheerilee and Rarity had never really seen eye to eye. Teaching the younger generation was Cheerilee’s life, after all, whereas Rarity went out of her way to avoid dealing with foals other than her little sister. But, on the other hand, Cheerilee had to admire Rarity’s dedication to her art. And there was no denying that the unicorn mare was beautiful.
There was certainly no denying that it had been quite some time since Cheerilee had even had a very special somepony.
As the class filed in for their afternoon lessons, Cheerilee nodded quietly to herself. What harm could there be, after all? She and Rarity were both adults, and if it didn’t work out, then it didn’t work out.
Thoughts of spending time with the beautiful fashion designer filled Cheerilee’s thoughts as she breezed through the afternoon’s lessons, and the short Hearts and Hooves Day party that marked the end of classes. After her class was dismissed, she asked Sweetie Belle to stay back for a moment.
The young unicorn filly looked especially nervous as she approached Cheerilee’s desk. In fact, Sweetie Belle had seemed nervous all day, almost standing on the tips of her hooves every time Cheerilee asked a question. Well, if her sister was asking her to carry a love note for her, then there was no wonder Sweetie Belle was nervous.
“Please, Sweetie Belle, relax. You’re not in trouble,” said Cheerilee, smiling graciously at her student. “I was hoping to talk to you about this card I found in my desk.”
Sweetie Belle suddenly stared at the floor, scuffing a hoof back and forth nervously. “You, um… you liked the card, then?”
“Oh, I did, Sweetie Belle! It touched my heart, it really did. It’s wonderful to know that there is a pony out there who cares for me that way. And, well… I think I might feel the same way about her.”
Sweetie Belle looked up, a huge grin on her face. “You do?”
Cheerilee nodded. “I do! Now, without naming who this special pony is, would I be right to think that she will be waiting for me at the Carousel Boutique tonight?”
Sweetie Belle nodded, dancing on her hooves in excitement. “Yes! Yes she will! Ooh ooh ooh, this is the best Hearts and Hooves Day ever! I’ll go and get everything ready!”
Cheerilee watched Sweetie Belle gallop off with a wry grin. I’m so glad she’s happy about this, she thought. It would have been terribly awkward otherwise.
Early in the evening, Cheerilee rang the doorbell of the Carousel Boutique, and listened to its pleasing classical chime. She had a bouquet of Roseluck’s best roses tucked into her saddlebags, and was wearing a dark purple dress and saddle blanket that was just a shade darker than her coat. No sense in overdressing for a first date, after all.
To Cheerilee’s surprise, Sweetie Belle answered the door. “Well, hello Sweetie Belle!” Cheerilee greeted her. The unicorn filly was all dressed up too, in a dark blue dress that matched the hairband pinning back her mane.
“Miss Cheerilee! You came!” squeaked Sweetie Belle. “I can’t believe it!”
“Well, of course I came!” said Cheerilee. “I wouldn’t dream of being late to my first date with my very special somepony.” Sweetie Belle was still jumping up and down in the doorway, so Cheerilee edged around her carefully. “Speaking of whom, where is your sister?”
“My sister?” said Sweetie Belle, sounding confused. “Um, I guess she’s still in the kitchen, making dinner?”
“Rarity is cooking? Oh, how romantic!” Cheerilee took the bouquet of roses from her saddlebags and drew one out, passing it to Sweetie Belle. “Here, Sweetie Belle, you should have a rose. You’ve done such a lovely job of setting all of this up.”
Sweetie Belle mumbled something noncommittal as she took the rose, holding it carefully. At that moment, Rarity trotted out of the kitchen, levitating a small saucepan and a wooden spoon behind her. “So sorry, I’m afraid I’m a little behind schedule with the cheese sauce. Oh… hello, Cheerilee,” she said, evidently surprised to see the teacher.
Cheerilee decided to press ahead with her plan, regardless of any odd reaction from Rarity. “Hello, Rarity,” she said, putting just a little bit of a romantic purr into her voice. “These are for you.” She balanced the bouquet on one leg outstretched towards Rarity.
“For me? How delightful!” Rarity picked up a decorative vase with her magic and placed the roses in them in the centre of the dining table. “I must admit, though, I wasn’t expecting to see you tonight. I thought we’d be entertaining one of Sweetie Belle’s little friends.”
“You did?” asked Cheerilee, perplexed. “But after you wrote me that Hearts and Hooves Day card, I thought…”
“I didn’t write you a card,” said Rarity. “I didn’t write any cards at all this year! It was Sweetie Belle who…”
Slowly, both adults turned their gazes towards Sweetie Belle, who had been backing away from the pair, still cradling her precious rose.
“Sweetie Belle,” said Rarity, calmly. “Did you make that card and give it to Miss Cheerilee?”
The filly nodded, casting her gaze down.
“You should know better than to meddle in adults’ relationships, Sweetie,” said Rarity. “You know I’m very choosy when it comes to my very special someponies, and I’m sure Miss Cheerilee is too.” Cheerilee nodded, trying her best to look stern, although the whole idea of Sweetie Belle trying to set her teacher up with her big sister was simply too sweet for words. “Still,” Rarity continued, “there’s no harm done, it seems. Why don’t you run along and play with your friends, while Miss Cheerilee and I have our dinner?”
Sweetie Belle stared at her sister and her teacher for several long moments, then slipped the rose stem into her mouth and galloped out of the boutique.
Cheerilee smiled softly. “She must be excited to tell all of her friends that we’re having a date. The foals all seem far too interested in my relationship status, especially at this time of year.”
Rarity laughed airily as she escorted Cheerilee to the dining table. “They do look up to you so. I’m glad she’s so happy for us.”
Dinky Doo poked her head out from under a wagon in Heavy Roller’s workshop. “Are you sure this is a good idea, Scootaloo?” she asked, carefully levitating a spanner from the shelf into her grasp. “I don’t know anything about repairing wagons.”
“That’s okay, I totally know what I’m doing,” replied Scootaloo, mumbling around the wrench in her mouth. “And this is the only place in Ponyville I knew I’d be safe from Diamond Tiara today. I swear, she’s been stalking me all day, like she wants to beat me up or something. She’ll never come near all this grease, though.”
Just then, the two fillies heard a pounding at the workshop door. “Ahh! It’s her!” shrieked Scootaloo, hastily sliding underneath the wagon. “Tell her I’m not here!”
“Scootaloo, open up!” came Sweetie Belle’s muffled voice from outside. “It’s me!”
Dinky obligingly unlatched the door with her magic while Scootaloo sheepishly pulled herself upright. “Heh, uh, never mind that. Hey, Sweetie Belle, how’s… have you been crying?”
Sweetie Belle was standing in the doorway, the fur of her face streaked with tears. Her good blue dress was torn from running through Ponyville, and her mane was a mess. A single red rose was tucked into the straps of her saddlebags.
Dinky trotted forward and leaned her head against Sweetie Belle’s. “What happened?” she asked, worried about the state of her friend.
“Rarity happened, that’s what,” said Sweetie Belle flatly as she stomped into the workshop. She carefully laid her rose on a workbench and threw herself down on the floor. “Rarity and her very special somepony Miss Cheerilee.”
Scootaloo reared back in surprise. “Miss Cheerilee and your sister are dating? That’s awesome!”
“No it’s not!” squeaked Sweetie Belle. “Rarity is supposed to be with Prince Blueblood, she told me so herself. It’s only a matter of time before she gets to be with him. And Miss Cheerilee was supposed to be my very special somepony!”
Several moments of silence filled the workshop, punctuated only by the sound of a spanner escaping Dinky’s magical grip and falling to the floor.
“Um, Sweetie Belle?” said Dinky hesitantly. “Miss Cheerilee is really old. She’s in her twenties, at least. I don’t think she wants to be your special somepony. And… and I think that would be illegal, anyway, because she’s our teacher.”
“I don’t care!” cried Sweetie Belle, burying her face in her fetlocks. Scootaloo lay down next to her and tried to comfort her by pressing herself against her flank. “I’m old enough to know what I want, and I want to marry Miss Cheerilee! She’s the most perfect pony in all of Equestria! She rescued us from the Queen, Dinky, and your dad too, Scootaloo! And she’s smart and beautiful and can make everypony laugh and… and I don’t want anypony else!”
Dinky carefully ran her teeth through Sweetie Belle’s mane, trying to clear it of tangles and burrs, while Scootaloo allowed the white filly to cry into her lap. “I guess there’s only one thing we can do, then,” said Scootaloo, after letting Sweetie Belle cry for a few minutes.
“You’re right!” said Dinky, brightening up a little. “I’m going to go ask my Momma for advice. She’ll know just what to do.”
Scootaloo glared at Dinky. “No… I meant we come up with a zany scheme to break Rarity and Miss Cheerilee up!”
“Break them up?” said Dinky. “But that would be mean! What if they’re really happy together and they’re meant for each other?”
Sweetie Belle slowly drew herself upright. “We’ll try it your way, Dinky,” she said, snuffling. “Just don’t tell your mom that you’re asking about me, alright? And do you promise you’ll help with Scootaloo’s zany scheme if your mom can’t help me?”
Dinky hesitated. Scootaloo’s schemes were legendary around the foals of Ponyville, and the most innocuous of them usually ended up with somepony covered in tree sap. But on the other hoof, Dinky hadn’t seen Sweetie Belle this upset since their ordeal with Queen Corona, and she couldn’t just let her friend be miserable.
“Alright, I promise,” she said firmly, waving her front legs and applying a hoof to her eyelid. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. I’ll go talk to Momma, and if she can’t fix this, I’m with Scootaloo.”
The next morning, Ditzy Doo was grazing on a bowl of cereal as she scanned the Ponyville Express, in preparation for another day delivering mail. Her daughter was probably packing her saddlebags for school, but she felt a gentle tugging at her tail as she ate.
“Momma?” said Dinky Doo, looking up at her mother. “Do you think I could get your help with a problem?”
“Hmm? Sure thing, muffin. What’s up?” Ditzy continued browsing her newspaper, listening to her daughter with one ear. Most of Dinky’s problems were about misplaced items or difficult homework assignments, so Ditzy was pretty confident about being able to solve this one without taking her nose out of her breakfast.
“Well… it’s kind of a Hearts and Hooves Day sort of problem.”
Ditzy carefully pushed her bowl away from her face, suddenly giving her full attention to the unicorn filly next to her. “Go on, sweetheart,” she said, her mind racing. Was Dinky really growing up that quickly? She knew some of the school foals were having crushes on each other, but Dinky had always been the most sensible pony in her class.
Dinky suddenly grew bashful, scraping at the floor with one hoof. “Well, I have this friend at school, and she kind of has a crush on somepony.”
Ditzy’s heart almost melted at the look on Dinky’s face. This “friend” was almost certainly an adorable purple unicorn filly, she thought with a quiet grin. Who could her little muffin be interested in? Ditzy was generally happy with the quality of foals in Dinky’s class. Granted, Filthy Rich’s daughter could be very aggressive and mean, and Heavy Roller’s daughter was awfully reckless, and Raindrops’s little brother left a lot to be desired in personal hygiene, but in general, Ditzy trusted Dinky not to give her precious little heart to anypony who didn’t deserve it.
“That’s so cute, honey!” said Ditzy, smiling happily to her daughter. “So who’s the lucky pony that your… ahem… friend is interested in?”
Dinky chewed awkwardly on her lower lip for a few moments before she managed to meet her mother’s gaze. “Well, she’s… kind of… an adult. Um… her teacher.”
The temperature in the room seemed to drop sharply, and the conversation suddenly stopped being at all cute.
“A… teacher,” said Ditzy flatly. She brought both of her eyes to focus on Dinky with a supreme effort of will. “You… I mean, your friend has a crush on a teacher?”
Dinky tried to sink into the floor beneath her mother’s penetrating gaze. “Y…es?” she squeaked nervously. “I mean, she’s a really great teacher! She’s brave and generous and she’s really talented and she knows so much! But I don’t think it’ll ever work out the way my friend wants it to, and the teacher might be dating somepony else anyway, so I just don’t know what to do! What should I do, Momma?”
Ditzy sighed and brushed her hoof through her daughter’s mane. She definitely hadn’t seen this coming. With the amount of time Dinky spent around Ditzy’s friends, the other Elements of Harmony, it was really no wonder that she’d developed a crush on Cheerilee. The Elements practically treated her with the dignity of an adult, and… well, Ditzy was no stranger to how that could influence a filly’s feelings.
“Listen, muffin. The best thing your friend can do is just to try to forget about this crush of hers. Relationships with much older ponies just end badly, I’ve told you all about that. And you’re just too young for a serious relationship anyway. You and your friend should remember to enjoy your foalhood while you still can. Now pack your things, or you’ll be late for school.”
Dinky nodded sadly. “I guess that’s all she can do, Momma. I love you.”
“I love you too, muffin.” Ditzy kissed her daughter on the forehead, then ushered her out the door. Once she saw that Dinky was on her way to the schoolhouse, Ditzy started pacing around the apartment.
She couldn’t really blame Cheerilee for Dinky having a crush on her, could she? Cheerilee engaged with her students on a very personal level, but at the same time, she was always very professional. She drew her satisfaction from seeing her students blossom into educated young mares and stallions, not from any level of personal adoration they held for her. Unlike some of her other friends she could name.
Unlike one very particular friend.
One particular friend who was also Dinky’s other teacher.
Trixie Lulamoon was enjoying a late breakfast of oats and chilli flakes when an enraged grey blur crashed through her front window. “Gah!” she shrieked, prancing away from the shower of broken glass, not to mention the pegasus responsible for it. “Ditzy! What happened to ‘no flying in Ponyville’?”
“Never mind that!” snorted Ditzy Doo, advancing on Trixie with her lips peeled back from her teeth. “What are you teaching Dinky?”
Trixie’s eyes darted from side to side, as if confused by the question. “Um… levitation? Some useful divination spells? Oh, no, is this about silent portal? I know I shouldn’t be teaching foals a spell to open creaky doors without making any noise, but it’s the simplest illusion spell I know, and I thought it would be a good exercise! She hasn’t turned into a cat burglar or anything, has she?”
“Forget about spells! You’re teaching her to be your good little fan, aren’t you? Making her look up to the Great and Powerful Trixie, teaching her to worship the ground beneath your hooves, making sure she’d do anything for you?”
Trixie had backed up to the wall by this point, and was trying to decide whether invisibility would be able to get her past Ditzy’s outstretched wings. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ditzy! She’s just my student, and my friend! I don’t want anything from her!”
Ditzy flared her wings menacingly, but held her ground. “Then why, pray tell, did she come to me this morning admitting to having a crush on you?”
“She what?” shrieked Trixie, shuddering. “That’s… that’s awful! Why would I want that? I couldn’t… I wouldn’t… I don’t want… eww!” She brushed her hooves against her coat, feeling dirty from the very suggestion.
Ditzy breathed heavily as she stared at Trixie, then sagged. “I’m sorry, Trixie. I should have known this wasn’t something you meant to happen. I’m just so worried about my little muffin. The idea that anypony would… would manipulate her like that is very distressing.” She turned an eye to the broken window behind her. “Oh. My bad. I’ll pay for that.”
Trixie waved a hoof airily. “Oh, it’s nothing. This repair will fill out my rewards card anyway, so my next repair is free.” She stepped away from Ditzy and sank into a chair. “Dinky really has a crush on me?”
Ditzy nodded. “She didn’t say it in so many words – said she ‘has this friend’ who has a crush on ‘a teacher’ – but I knew who she meant. I guess I should have seen this coming. She does look up to you an awful lot.”
Trixie shook her head slowly. “This is my fault, isn’t it? I mean, you’re right. I do love having ponies look up to me, whether they’re adults or foals. When I found out she was making her own costume to be ‘The Great and Powerful Dinky’, that felt really good! But I didn’t expect her to… have… feelings.” The azure unicorn shuddered. “Feelings are icky.”
Ditzy carefully leaned forward and rested her head against Trixie’s. “We all look up to you, Trixie, in our own ways. And so does Dinky, and that’s okay. I think you’re a good role model for her. Mostly. Look, maybe you can just… be a little more professional with her? Treat her the way your teachers at Princess Luna’s school treated you. She’ll appreciate being treated like an adult, and it might help give you two some… distance. Not that I don’t want you two to be friends, just… we need to fix this.”
Trixie nodded solemnly. “I’m sorry. We will fix this. I’ll make this right, I promise.”
“I know you will, Trixie,” said Ditzy. “I should get back to my rounds. I’m really sorry about all the shouting, and the window. We’ll talk later, okay?”
The Great and Powerful Trixie sat at her desk, alone with her thoughts and her very special somepony, Monsieur Bourbon. Occasionally the sounds of passers-by drifted in through the broken window at the front of her house, but she tuned them out of her attention.
Dinky has a crush on me? How could this happen?
She should have seen the signs. Dinky was always so excited whenever Ditzy dropped her off for her magic lessons, and so eager to learn everything Trixie had to offer. Whether it was complicated magical theory or the light-hearted showponyship that came with being a stage magician, Dinky drank it all in with those bright, big yellow eyes of hers. “The Great and Powerful Dinky” was shaping up to be a truly talented magician, and Trixie couldn’t be happier about that.
That was the trouble. Trixie wanted ponies to look up to her, to stomp their hooves in applause when she came on stage, to shout about how great and powerful she was. And among the foals of Ponyville, she had that. Raindrops’s little brother Snails took every opportunity to see her perform magic, and… oh no. Not him too! Why did I have to be so magnificent? It’s a curse!
What could she do about it? She could easily hurt the poor filly’s feelings if she wasn’t careful. She didn’t want Dinky to think that she’d done anything wrong. Why, who wouldn’t fall for a beautiful, brilliant magical prodigy like herself… No. I have to stop thinking like that!
Trixie hung her head dejectedly. She had to say something to Dinky, but what?
“Hey, Trixie! What’s got you down so early in the morning?”
Trixie looked up at the sound of the bubbly, energetic voice coming in through her front window aperture. Her friend Lyra Heartstrings had stepped inside, and was approaching her with a wide grin, though one tinged with concern.
“It’s a long story, Lyra,” said Trixie, levitating a second chair over for Lyra. “Have you got time for it?”
Lyra made as if to check her watch, then shrugged. “I’ll make time. Let me guess – Hearts and Hooves Day problems from yesterday?”
Trixie nodded sadly. “Got it in one. You see, I…”
Lyra waited, patiently, as Trixie trailed off mid-sentence.
Trixie tried again. “That is, I just found out that…” I can’t talk about this. It’s just too awful.
Lyra’s horn lit up, and she poured two glasses of bourbon, placing one in front of Trixie. “Come on, buddy,” she said encouragingly. “Whatever it is, you can tell me about it.”
Trixie took a quick sip of bourbon, followed by a deep breath. “Alright. Imagine… suppose there was a unicorn learning magic, okay? You remember what that’s like.” Lyra nodded, and Trixie continued. “A young, enthusiastic unicorn, eager to learn all she can. And she has a wonderful teacher. The best teacher she could ever hope for, really. Talented, brilliant, beautiful, sacrificing so much of her valuable time to teach this young unicorn about magic… is it the teacher’s fault if the student starts to… have… feelings? Feelings for her teacher?”
“Oh,” said Lyra. “Oh dear. I think I see where this is going.”
“It’s not something I meant to happen. It just happened! These feelings exist and I don’t know what to do about them! I don’t want to end our lessons or make her feel like she’s done something wrong, but I just want it all to go away! I want everything back the way it was before.”
Lyra shook her head, smiling softly. “Oh, Trixie, Trixie, Trixie. These things are natural. You remember Mister Red Comet, right? Our old conjuration teacher? Half the class had crushes on him, and that was fine. It’s just something you live with, and get over.”
Trixie had her face buried in her fetlocks, whimpering. Lyra placed a gentle hoof on her shoulder. “Look, if it’s bothering you that much, why don’t I talk to her for you? I can make sure she understands that this isn’t anypony’s fault, and you want to keep having your lessons together without this getting in the way. It’ll be fine, Trixie. These things happen all the time.”
Trixie snuffled and raised her head. “You’d really do that for me, Lyra?”
Lyra shrugged. “I’m better at dealing with this kind of thing than you are, Trixie. One of these days you need to figure out how to deal with relationship stuff, but today doesn’t have to be that day. I’ll go see her right away, matter of fact. Might as well make a start now.”
“Thanks, Lyra,” said Trixie, visibly relaxing in her chair. “I knew I could count on you.”
Lyra patted Trixie’s neck companionably. “Of course you can, Trixie. Catch you later!” The green unicorn grinned and hopped out through Trixie’s window again, wandering off into town.
Trixie stretched out all four legs and sighed contentedly, before another thought occurred to her.
“Hey, Lyra!” she called out. “Dinky’s going to be in school until… eh. You’re gone already. Oh well, time for bourbon.”
After school ended for the day, Sweetie Belle and Dinky met at Scootaloo’s father’s workshop again. Sweetie Belle looked more dejected than ever, lying on the workshop floor and propelling herself along with her hind legs. “Any luck with your mom, Dinky?” she asked as Dinky arrived.
“Sorry, nothing,” said Dinky, throwing herself down into a beanbag chair. “All she did was say that you should forget about Miss Cheerilee and move on. I really thought she’d be more helpful.”
“I can’t forget about her!” whined Sweetie Belle. “I have to see her at school every day! You saw how happy she looked!”
“Um, yeah,” said Scootaloo, poking idly at a wagon’s wheel. “Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Not when she’s happy because she’s thinking about my sister. She’s probably planning romantic walks in the park, moonlit picnics, evenings listening to Rarity sing for her… she should be doing those things with me, not her!”
Scootaloo and Dinky exchanged a worried glance. “I’m starting to think Miss Doo is right, Sweetie Belle,” said Scootaloo, slowly. “Maybe you should just let this go.”
“Let it go? Let it go? Don’t you girls understand? This is the most important moment of my life! If I do the wrong thing, the love of my life might slip through my hooves forever! And you two promised you’d help me.” Sweetie Belle pointed her hooves at her two friends. “You Pinkie Promised!”
Dinky hung her head. “You’re right, we did. So, Scootaloo, what’s your plan?”
“It’s not a plan, it’s a scheme. A zany scheme. And it’s fool proof! You’ll see.”
Later that evening, Cheerilee and Ditzy Doo were walking together towards the Carousel Boutique. “So, what’s this that I hear about you and Rarity, Cheerilee?” asked Ditzy, giving her friend a sly grin.
“Oh, don’t you start too,” chuckled Cheerilee, swiping at Ditzy with a front hoof. “That rumour’s gotten around to my entire class already. Diamond Tiara even asked me what I was going to wear to our wedding. It’s been one day! I haven’t even seen her since last night.” She shook her head ruefully. “It’s been nice, though. She’s really very considerate once you get past her…”
“Histrionics?” suggested Ditzy helpfully.
“Peccadillos,” Cheerilee corrected her. “And she made the most delectable dinner last night. We’re taking things slowly, of course, but I think this might just work out very well indeed.”
“And how is Sweetie Belle taking it?” asked Ditzy. “Surely it’s at least a little bit awkward. I’m not quite sure how I’m going to handle Dinky if I start dating again.”
“That’s just the oddest thing,” said Cheerilee, nibbling her lip thoughtfully. “It was actually her idea for the two of us to date in the first place, but she was acting strangely in school today. Avoiding answering questions, trying not to make eye contact… she must have been the only pony who didn’t want to know about me and Rarity. I hope it hasn’t become a problem.”
The Carousel Boutique came into view, and the two mares stopped short. A pony wearing a large poncho – in spite of the clear weather – was leaning against the side window, apparently talking to Rarity, at least judging by the large sunhat visible in the window. The stranger was mostly concealed by the poncho, but a rainbow mane and tail peeked from either end.
“Oh, Rainbow Dash, darling!” came a voice from under the sunhat. It sounded like Rarity’s lilting tones, but her accent was even more exaggerated and obviously affected than it usually was. “You mustn’t come to see me like this! If Miss Cheerilee found out about us, it would be… the… worst… possible… thing!”
“Aww, don’t you worry about that!” said the pony in the poncho, speaking with an awfully squeaky voice for an adult. “I’m totally twenty per cent cooler than Miss Cheerilee! If she showed up, I’d be out of here in ten seconds flat!”
Cheerilee simply stood by and looked sceptical, but Ditzy Doo marched straight up to “Rainbow Dash” and whisked the poncho away with her jaws, revealing Scootaloo standing on Dinky’s back. “The new Rainbow Dash, I presume?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Momma!” said Dinky, panicking for long enough for Scootaloo to fall unceremoniously off her back. “I can explain!”
“Really, Dinky? You can explain why you’re wearing a fake tail and helping Scootaloo pretend to be Rainbow Dash? I’m all ears, muffin.”
The figure inside the window threw off her hat, revealing herself as Sweetie Belle. “Please don’t blame them, Miss Doo. It was my idea, and they Pinkie Promised that they’d help me.”
“Help you with what, girls?” asked Cheerilee, stepping forward. “Is this another one of Scootaloo’s zany schemes?”
“I’d quite like to know what’s going on as well,” said Rarity, walking into view inside the boutique. “What’s all this commotion about?” She picked up the hat and eyed her sister. “Are you trying to impersonate me, Sweetie Belle?”
Sweetie Belle looked at the floor guiltily. “Yes, sis,” she mumbled. “I wanted Miss Cheerilee to think that you were seeing Rainbow Dash behind her back, so she wouldn’t want to be your very special somepony anymore. I’m really sorry. Please don’t be mad?”
Cheerilee exchanged a look with Rarity, then put a hoof on Sweetie Belle’s shoulder. “We’re not mad, dear, I promise. But why? I thought you wanted us to date. Isn’t that why you gave me that card?”
Sweetie Belle shook her head. “I didn’t mean for you to think it was from Rarity. I wanted to find a way to tell you how I feel, a way to thank you for all the amazing things you’ve taught us. For being such a good teacher, and such a good friend…”
The white unicorn filly took a couple of steps backwards into the boutique, standing on Rarity’s modelling stage. She took a deep breath and began to sing.
“A friend who taught me right from wrong
And weak from strong
That’s a lot to learn!
What can I give you in return?
If you wanted the moon, I would try to make a start
But I would rather you let me give my heart
To Cheerilee, with Love”
Sweetie Belle ran back to the window and threw her front legs around Cheerilee’s neck, hugging her tightly. “I love you, Miss Cheerilee,” she said, looking up at her with wide, honest eyes. “Please say you’ll let me be your very special somepony?”
Cheerilee hugged her student back, then very carefully deposited her on the ground. So that’s what all this is about, she thought. They warned me about this at teachers’ college, but I never thought it would happen. Think, Cheerilee. You had crushes when you were her age. You’re her teacher. You must have some advice for her.
“Oh, Sweetie Belle,” she began, looking the filly straight in the eye. “You can’t just give your heart away to the first pony who’s nice to you, no matter how perfect you think that pony is. I’m not perfect. I’m just like everypony else. This isn’t love, it’s a crush, a fantasy you make up about another pony the way you want her to be, and it’s not the truth. You want to know what truth is? It’s the mother and father who welcome you home from school every day, and it’s the sister you’re mad at right now, the same sister who’s going to read you a bedtime story and tuck you in tonight. That’s truth. That’s love.”
Sweetie Belle blinked several times, then slowly nodded her head. “Okay. I’m sorry I got so crazy about the special somepony thing. You’re the best teacher in Equestria, Miss Cheerilee.” She pressed herself against one of Cheerilee’s legs, and was quickly joined by Dinky, and then Scootaloo after she finished making retching gestures.
“Perhaps this wasn’t such a good idea after all, Cheerilee,” said Rarity, patting her little sister’s mane gently. “You being Sweetie Belle’s teacher will only complicate matters.”
“I think you’re right, Rarity,” said Cheerilee. “It’s been good to get to know you better, though, and I’d like to have dinner again sometime.”
“And I owe you an apology, Dinky,” said Ditzy Doo. “When you said you had a friend who had a crush on a teacher, I thought you were talking about yourself.”
“What?” asked Dinky, turning around to face her mother. “Why would I do that? If I meant me, I’d have said me!” She blinked slowly. “… wait a minute. Who did you think I had a crush on?”
Ditzy’s eyes wandered off in different directions, neither of them looking at Dinky. “Trixie,” she mumbled. “I’m so sorry, muffin. And I owe Trixie another apology, too. I don’t think any harm was done, though.”
Just then, a scream came from the direction of the Representative’s House.
“What happened?” asked Cheerilee as she came galloping through Trixie’s ex-window, with Ditzy Doo hot at her hooves.
Trixie was standing on top of her dining table, pointing a shaking hoof at a scroll sitting on the floor, next to her hat. “Letter… from Luna… she thinks I… it’s horrible!”
Cheerilee carefully scooped up the scroll and unfurled it, while Ditzy tried to coax Trixie back to the floor.
“To my most faithful student, whom I love like a daughter,
I deeply regret that I did not anticipate this development of your feelings. Knowing your difficulties in the arena of romance and sexuality, I commend you on your bravery in confessing your feelings to me, even through your friend as an intermediary. I want you to understand that this will in no way affect our relationship, as friends, as teacher and student, or as Princess and Representative. That being said, if you wish to take some time to distance yourself from me, in order to bring your feelings under control, I will not take any offence. As an immortal alicorn, I very seldom take mortal lovers, so please do not feel slighted that I do not return your affections.
Needless to say, you must not let anypony else in the Night Court learn of your feelings for me. Too many ponies would use them against you, and use you against me, and I cannot allow that to happen to either of us.
Your mentor and friend,
Luna”
Trixie was still standing on the table after Cheerilee finished reading the letter, but Ditzy had at least stopped her from hyperventilating. “So… Princess Luna, hmm?” mused Cheerilee, giving Trixie a soft smile. “I have to say, I do understand the attraction.”
“I’m not attracted to Luna!” shrieked Trixie. “I don’t know why she thinks I am! Just because she’s amazingly powerful and wise and beautiful and kind and patient and always listens to me and takes me seriously doesn’t mean I’m in love with her!”
“Of course not, Trixie,” said Cheerilee. “You know, I still have that copy of Shoot for the Moon if you want to borrow it. Look, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“But it’s not true!” Trixie wailed. “I don’t have a crush on her, I just want her to be proud of me and tell me what a good student I am, and spend time with me and show me all of her magic and… and…”
Trixie blinked in horror.
“I have a crush on Princess Luna.”
Fortunately, Ditzy and Cheerilee managed to catch the fainting unicorn before she hit the floor.
Author's Note
Midnight on Valentine's Day probably isn't the best time to be writing fic, but here it is!
Sweetie Belle's song is taken from To Sir, with Love, from the movie of the same name. Cheerilee's speech is based on the song I've Never Been to Me, which I think sums up Cheerilee's early adulthood better than anything else.
I've been meaning to write a "teacher crush" story for ages, and the Lunaverse Hearts and Hooves Day event gave me the impetus to get it done. It's a little less polished than I would have liked - and longer than I originally intended - but I hope it turned out alright.
