“Just as you did with Fire Fight, Spiral. Take a deep breath. Drown out all distractions. Ease your emotions. Let the running river guide your focus.” Shadow Shroud sat across from Spiral Galaxy as she did some meditation training with her under the shimmering night sky. The colts slept soundly under the cover of the roof they had folded over their raft.
Spiral herself followed Shadow Shroud’s words as she calmed her mind. The stars hanging countlessly about the darkened horizon wore a veil of beauty that concealed a threat to send her into another cosmic frenzy. Their twinkles teased her conscious as their light abraded it like an old comb trying to stroke through tangled hair. She could feel their luminescent tickling on her mind, but the rippling of the river fought against it. Their silent clash did little to break her concentration. She felt nothing as her horn lit with the same stellar luminescence as the many little miscreants in the sky.
The water around their side of the raft began rippling considerably, but not quite as much as before. Shadow Shroud could feel the wood under her begin to shake a little. It was much more controlled than before, but not wanting to wake the colts, nor sink the raft, she snapped Spiral out of her meditation. “Spiral, stop.”
Spiral shot her eyes open. The rippling seized. She looked into Shadow Shroud’s eyes. They looked back at her with silent approval. “You’re improving little by little. Keep this up, and the stars will bow before you.” Shadow Shroud said.
Spiral smiled, but sighed. “Yeah…..but at this rate, I might grow old by the time I fully master it.” She said.
Shadow Shroud shook her head. “That matters little, I’d think. No form of magic, cosmomancy notwithstanding is meant to be mastered overnight, you know. The fact that you’ve been able to attain any handle on it at all, especially at this age is quite promising.” She said.
Spiral regained a little of her lost color. She giggled. “Thanks, Shroud.” She said.
The shady filly just nodded. “Let’s keep watch for a little while, and try again later. I’ll take front. You stay here in the back, ok?” she said.
“Yeah. Ok.” Spiral said. The fillies nearly broke off when they failed to realize that one of the stars was getting bigger……
BAM!
The fillies jumped back, and the colts were shocked awake. They quickly armed themselves, and looked around frantically. The sudden blast came from about ten yards inland from the riverbank.
“W-W-WHAT’S HAPPENING!?!?” Fire Fight shouted, still half-asleep.
“DA F*** WAS DAT!?!?” Turf War shouted.
Air Slash was too busy fumbling with his swords to say anything. When everything quieted after a short moment, they could see that a little meteor had fallen just over there. Spiral Galaxy quite audibly gasped.
“Uhhh……….Make a wish, y’all!” Turf War said, trying to lighten the mood. Sadly, nopony was in the mood to wish upon a fallen star.
Everypony grimaced at the slightly dejected Spiral Galaxy. “Whoops…” Fire Fight mumbled.
Spiral sighed as she gazed at the little piece of destruction she had unwittingly summoned. Just when she thought she was doing so well, it all had to come crashing down……literally. “Well….that’s better than a whole storm…..I guess.” She mumbled.
Air Slash put his hoof on her shoulder. “It is. That is why you should be encouraged, friend. I can’t tell you how many times I accidently cut myself when I first picked up a blade.” He said.
“And I could be spotted a mile away in a pitch black room that wasn’t even that wide as a fledgling.” Shadow Shroud added.
“Yeah, Spiral. Don’t be so worried about how your magic might go wrong, but how you could use it. Take it from another unicorn.” Fire Fight said.
Spiral’s spirits were immediately lifted at all the consolation. She smiled sweetly. “Thanks, guys.” She said.
“Alright. Why don’t you sleep off any leftover magic influxes, and let one of us take over for a while?” Air Slash said.
“I’ll stay up, homie. I ain’t able to sleep no wink right now. I’m just excited, ya know how I mean? Headin' fo' Dodge an' all?” Turf War said.
Spiral giggled. “Ok, Turf War. Wake us up if we get there sooner than expected!” she said.
“It shouldn’t much longer before we do if my map here is to be believed. There will be a big forested area on the right side of the river where this one meets another from the west of here. We’ll dock the raft there, and hike straight to Dodge City.” Shadow Shroud explained. “We could simply find this raft again once we’re done there, and head downstream again towards Baltimare.”
“Sounds like a plan! Ok. Night, guys!” Fire Fight said. They bid their goodnights as Turf War took Spiral’s post, and Shadow Shroud resumed hers.
*****
Back in Ponyville...
The next day had come already, and with their unsuccessful search of the castle yesterday, the CMC and rich fillies were even less thrilled about going to school. It would be another pointless day of lecturing from the mare they’d once thought so highly of until roughly a week and a half ago. Whatever Cheerilee had planned today would be anything but a lesson on how to show remorse for past actions.
The students either rolled their eyes, or groaned when Cheerilee entered the classroom. She looked as happy and remorseless as ever. And yet…..something seemed a little different about her smile this time.
Cheerilee took a deep breath. “Class……..I……..I know you probably think I don’t care, but…….believe me when I say that I wholeheartedly regret what happened with Fire Fight!” she declared. The entire class suddenly caught interest, and looked at her with surprised expressions. “I can tell you’re all very upset with me, and……and I don’t fault you for that at all! I failed him…all of you as your teacher.” The foals were pleasantly shocked to hear her come so clean with them. Cheerilee turned to Diamond Tiara. “Diamond Tiara….I allowed myself to fall prey to your mother’s foul sense of pride, and Fire Fight suffered horribly for it. I’m…..I’m sure you detest her as much I do!”
Diamond Tiara was speechless for a moment. She actually heard somepony, her own teacher no less, openly express an honest opinion about her acidic mother. She snapped herself out of her shock, and answered. “I do!” she said with a proud nod.
“I thought so. Now…..I know I may never fully redeem myself for my unforgivable sin against Fire Fight and his mother…….but I don’t care! Once I know Fire Fight is home safe and sound, I’ll worry about my own punishment…….That’s why……..That’s why I have a huge announcement to make!” She declared. More and more, a paradigm shift concerning their opinion of their teacher swept over the class like an autumn breeze marking the end of a hot summer. They eagerly asked what her announcement. “We’re going on a field trip! A field trip across Equestria to find Fire Fight!!”
The foals just gawked at their teacher. It was as though she had morphed into a completely different pony. She no longer seemed so…..proud, but in a good way. Looking into her determined, confident, humble eyes told them that she was serious.
“R-Really!?” Silver Spoon asked. The notion of being able to freely search for Fire Fight excited her to no end. She nearly lost her mind when Cheerilee proudly nodded.
“Yes. I’ve already consulted Princess Twilight about this. She’s more than willing to help us make it happen. She went on her own little search for him recently. While unsuccessful, she noticed that wherever Fire Fight seemed to go, another foal from that town seemed to disappeared with him if they had problems similar to him. As such, she and Spike plan to investigate any places where a foal is reported to have ran away, so when she catches wind of that, we’ll accompany her as her search party.” Cheerilee explained.
“Really? Well….where are we going first?” Scootaloo asked.
“We’re not goin’ to Detrot, are we? Ah think that’s where Twilight went to look for him.” Apple Bloom said.
“She did, and came up empty, so we have no reason to go there. Plus, Detrot is the last place I’d ever want to take any of you! As for our first destination, it’s…..well, hear me out. A recent newspaper article reported that a train headed to Dodge City from Detrot had to come to a screeching halt at night right by Foal Mountain. Apparently, a security guard and dining car clerk witnessed ‘four mysterious foals’ jump off the train, and into the large river flowing out from the mountain below. A big search was conducted, but came up empty. Twilight contacted those train employees, and they’ve agreed to show her the exact location of where they were last seen. So that’s where we’ll go first!” Cheerilee explained.
The foals spoke excitedly amongst each other. Not only had Cheerilee shown a complete change of heart, but she had granted them a huge opportunity! Though, one question rang in Sweetie Belle’s mind.
“Ms. Cheerilee, what are we supposed to tell our parents?” she asked. The question suddenly snapped the class back into reality.
Cheerilee just chuckled. “I thought somepony would bring that up. After I met with Twilight yesterday to tell her my plan, she had Spike send letter to all of your parents. Despite some apprehension here and there, they’ve wholeheartedly agreed to this! They even said they’d come with us at your discretion since…..well….they’re about as guilty as I am. But Fire Fight's mother will be coming, of course!” She explained.
The class was flabbergasted! Sure, it might have been a good idea for them to come anyway, but to hear that they’d swallowed their pride as well shattered just about any doubt they had about them. “Really!? All of them!?” Rumble asked.
“Yes! Well…..all except for Spoiled Rich, of course. We don’t care about her, right?” Cheerilee asked.
“Right!” Diamond Tiara confidently replied.
Cheerilee looked on happily as the class cheered on with sheer excitement. It was moments like these that she coveted so much as a teacher. This was truly the happiness that she wanted to bring foals. This is why she became a teacher. This is what those smiling sunflowers decorating her flank represented. And seeing it in place of the anguish she had brought on herself caused her to begin releasing all of that in the form of tears. She didn’t even try to put on a brave face. She let herself break down in front of her class.
“W-What’s wrong?” Button Mash asked.
Sobbing profusely, Cheerilee had some difficulty getting her words out. It was a wonder to the foals that she was able to smile with a flood of tears. “I’m just so happy to see all of you so happy! Even if this whole thing turns out to be fruitless…..I hope you can at least find it your hearts to forgive me! I truly value your well-being above all else!” she sobbed.
Sweetie Belle walked over to Cheerilee, and hugged her. “It won’t be fruitless, Ms. Cheerilee. We’ll find Fire Fight! Everything will be okay!” she said. Seeing their classmate’s compassion, the rest of the foals went in to hug their teacher.
Cheerilee was equal parts astonished, and proud to see her students exhibit the confidence that she would want them to possess, even when she couldn’t. She knew she wouldn’t be a fool to heed Sweetie Belle’s words. “Thank you! Thank you all!!” she said.
“One more thing.” Sweetie Belle said. She looked around at her classmates. They nodded to her, as if to affirm a shared thought.
They all looked at her, and the words that they unanimously spoke reminded Cheerilee why life was so wonderful…
“We forgive you!”