//------------------------------// // YOU EAT MEAT?!?- Part 2 // Story: My little Short Stories // by Paradise Oasis //------------------------------// YOU EAT MEAT?!?- Part 2 "Cheerrilee, are you in there?" Wigwam called out, knocking on her door. "Go away!!" She called out, her voice a mix of pain or sorrow. "You just want me to open the door so you can eat me... or something!" "Cheerilee, don't be ridiculous!" The stallion outside her door snorted. "We're not cannibals!" "Why didn't you tell me?" She opened the door, and stared at him angrily. "Why did you all keep your kingdom's dirty little secret from me?!?" "Because we didn't know how you'd take it!" He scowled. "Even most of your students were afraid to pull that card on you, out of fear of their parent's wrath!" "A few of them did mention it, but I thought it was more of their tricks!" The pink mare snorted. "But if you lied to me about this, what else did you lie to me about? How can I believe anything anypony in this castle says?" "Cheerilee-!" Wigwam started, but teacher slammed the door in his face. With a sigh, the buffalo pony shook his mane sadly, and trotted off. "The nerve of that stallion!" The mare snorted, trotting across her room. "How dare he not tell me something so important!" "And how would you have reacted if he had?" A voice behind her said. "Ahhhhhhhh!" The teaching mare nearly jumped out of her horseshoes in surprise, before turning to see a familiar orange pony. "Applejack! Haven't you ever heard of a thing called a 'door'?" The pink equine struggled to catch her breath. "How did you even get in here, anyway?" "There are advantages to being friends with the castle's spy ponies." AJ replied. "And again I ask... how would you have reacted if he had told you? Any differently than your freakout back there?" "How was I supposed to react to the revelation that there are ponies that actually eat meat?" Cheerilee asked. "Do you devour the flesh of other animals too now, Applejack?" "No, but my children do. The spell has to be cast on a pony when she's a foal." The orange mare shook her mane. "There are several ponies in Dream Castle who immigrated in from other communities. They can't eat meat, either." "Well, at least they won't try to make me into a ghoul, too!" Cheerilee gave a sigh of relief. "But... ponies that eat other animals..." "Didn't we know several Griffins back in Equestria who ate meat?" AJ asked her, pointing out a fact she had overlooked. "Did we think they were barbarians?" "Okay, you got me there. There are many unintelligent animals out there to eat!" The pink mare admitted. "But still, a pony who eats meat..." "It's a different culture you're living in now. Love and tolerance, Cheerilee." Applejack smiled, reminding her of the old Equestrian motto. "Love and tolerance." "Fine, you win!" The teacher snorted in defeat. "I admit I over-reacted a bit, but it was still quite a shock!" "You're not kidding!" Applejack chuckled. "I had the same reaction when I found out about it, as well!" "I wish I hadn't run out of the party in such a hurry!" Cheerilee said with a sigh. "I wanted one last dance with Wigwam before the evening ended." "Well, It's not too late to head back!" AJ replied, smiling. "I have a feeling that certain buffalo pony is waiting for you there!" "What? I can't go back in there!" The teacher snorted. "Not after the way I acted!" "Don't worry, they'll forget anything even happened!" The orange mare replied with chuckle. "Now, let's get you back to that stallion of yours!" ... As soon as Applejack and Cheerile came back into the room, they were surrounded by several ponies. "Miss Cheerilee, We are so sorry!" Sweet Suds exclaimed apologetically. "We had no idea you didn't know your own herd ate de meat!" Red Roses continued. "Please, allow us to make it up to you in some way!" Sweet Lily finished. "Oh, girls... it was my fault, really!" The pink mare smiled. "I really shouldn’t have reacted so-" "There she is!" An angry voice called out. "That's the mare who looks down on us for eating meat!" Moondancer, the castle busy-body, came trotting up to where they were all standing. Behind her were several angry mares, snorting and staring at Cheerilee darkly. "Moondacer, I didn't here you slither up!" Applejack snorted. "Do you and your pack of overbearing soccer moms really have to make trouble at the parade of costumes?" "So she thinks she better than us, huh?" One mare called out. "Maybe she shouldn't be teaching our foals, then!" Another snorted. "Uh oh..." Sweet Suds whinnied, taking a step back. "Dis is gonna be gettin' ugly, really fast!" "We gotta do sometin'!" Sweet Lily exclaimed, moving in front of Cheerilee. "Girls, let em' have it!" Suddenly, the three powder puff ponies released an odd pink mist from thier manes, which filled the nostrils of the anrgy mares that had encircled them. The looks on all of thier faces grew very, very drowsy. "Ugh... I think I wanna go lie down..." One yawned. "I'm feeling really sleepy all of a sudden." Another mare trotted off, barely keeping her eyes open. "Cheerille, well settle this -yaaaawwwwn- later!" Moondancer snorted quietly. "I think I need to turn in early!" "What was..." Cheerilee asked in shock. "How did you-?" "We're not called de powder puff ponies for nothin'!" Red Roses chuckled. "Whoa, I have got to learn more about all the different kinds of modern ponies!" The bewildered teacher replied. "We just doin our best ta help!" Sweet Lily whinnied. "Now, I tink someone is here ta see ya!" "Gled to see you came out of your room. Wigwam came trotting up, smiling. "The party wouldn't be the same without you!" "Wigwam, I'm sorry I was so rude!" Cheerilee's ears drooped. "I understand why you did what you did!" "Don't worry about it, miss Cheerilee." He bowed to her. "Now, my good teacher... may I have this dance?" The two returned to the dance floor, where the last song- a slow number that Cheerilee couldn't place- started to play. Wigwam took the mare into his hooves, and moved slowly to the music. "So..." Cheerilee asked, smiling at the stallion. "Is there anything else in this crazy society, that you've neglected to tell me about?" "Well..." Wigwam looked away, sheepishly. "There is the little matter of what that glue we buy off the humans is made of..."