//------------------------------// // Bittersweet // Story: Sapiophilia // by The Mountaineer Brony //------------------------------// Cheerilee slowly awoke to chirping birds and sunlight streaming in through her bedroom window. Laying behind her on the plush mattress was Sunburst, his cloak hanging on the door and his glasses resting on the nightstand. He was asleep still, his warm breath gently cascading over her shoulder, where his hoof rested. Gently, she rolled over and kissed him on the nose, watching his eyes slowly open. "Hey." she said in a low, loving voice. Sunburst tried to say "morning," but it came out muffled. He was smiling despite being half-awake. "I guess you had a good night?" Cheerilee continued, sliding her hoof up his velvety side. "Of course." he managed to mumble out. Beneath the covers, their rear hooves twisted together in a loving embrace. "I don't suppose you want to get up yet, stud?" "Nnope." Cheerilee chuckled through her nostrils and pulled him close, pressing her face against his fluffy chest and listening to his heartbeat. Sunburst likewise tightened his grip around her, and soon they both fell back to sleep. It was a lazy Saturday morning following a night of intense passion. The world could wait. When they finally did awake an hour or so later, the two sweethearts showered together before sitting down to breakfast, courtesy of Cheerilee. Sunburst sat at the table in a spare bathrobe, sipping coffee and flipping through the morning newspaper. Cheerilee, likewise in a bathrobe, finished preparing the last in a stack of pancakes, plating them up alongside the eggs--sunny side up for him, scrambled for her. "Here comes breakfast!" she said with a smile, passing his plate across the table before sitting down with her own. "Thank you much." Sunburst put aside the newspaper and turned to face his partner across the table. She was stirring her coffee and smiling to herself, before glancing up at him and giving a sheepish grin. Sunburst swallowed and gave an awkward chuckle. "So, uh... did you, uh... enjoy last night?" Cheerilee blushed and glanced away, flattening her ears. "Of course I did, Sunburst. I figured you could tell by... what I did... and said..." Sunburst likewise blushed as he remembered what she had done and said. "I, uh... I did too..." Cheerilee looked at him through the half-lidded eyes she'd sported last night. "I could tell." Aside from that exchange, the two mostly ate their breakfast and sipped their coffee in silence, though they did share a giggle over a sticky maple syrup kiss after they'd finished. Cheerilee was worried, at first, that after she'd broken the tension with Sunburst her feelings would fade, and that perhaps she wasn't truly in love. Fortunately, the feelings persisted, only made stronger by how much both of them had learned from their night together. She told him as much when they took a walk by the school that afternoon. "I know exactly how you feel, Cheerilee." Sunburst said as they sat on the grassy hillside, taking in the sunshine and the flittering birds. He gently wrapped a hoof around hers and looked her in the eyes. "I'm so excited to grow this relationship and explore this facet of life with you... but..." "But you're worried about it ending." They both looked at each other in silence. "...I know you'll have to go back to the Crystal Empire at the end of the school year. I've known that from the beginning." Cheerilee said, looking glum. "I'm not happy about it, but... it's what has to happen, I guess." Suddenly, Sunburst took both of Cheerilee's hooves in his own and stared with determination into her eyes. "So until then," he said "let's make this the best winter and spring either of us have ever had!" Her own expression slowly warped to match his enthusiastic smile. "You're right. If we only have each other for a few months, let's make those months count!" The two shared a kiss on the hillside before Sunburst, without warning, yanked his love to her hooves and brought her along to the playground in a bout of childlike energy. The two laughed like they were schoolchildren themselves as they spun on the merry-go-round, pushed each other on the swings, chased each other up and down the slide and playfully balanced on the seesaw. By the end of their juvenile jaunt, they found themselves in a mirthful pile at the bottom of the hill, having rolled there after losing their footing from a spinning dance at the top. While they continued their frequent afterschool dinner dates, Sunburst and Cheerilee tried to spend every weekend they could together, doing something memorable. They browsed libraries, visited museums, attended the theater, or trekked into the forest to look at plants and wildlife. More often than not, though, they sat quietly in Cheerilee's home, bonding over books and tea or simply just holding each other by the fire. As the snow began to fly, they turned to each other for warmth, and learned to navigate each other's intricacies and desires when it came to making love. The two of them rang in the New Year together, cozy beneath a quilt and comfortably tipsy on champagne. As winter thawed into spring, the time they spent together became more emotionally charged, as they both knew it would end soon. While both teachers happily watched their students succeed in class, the atmosphere felt different from before, tinged with a hint of sadness at the impending summer vacation. One thing that helped distract from the melancholy was something that occurred at the end of every school year: the planning and execution of parties. Every class at the Ponyville Schoolhouse threw some kind of celebration to honor the students' hard work that year and their advancement to the next grade, but this year, one of them held special significance for Cheerilee: it would be the last one she held with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Indeed, the entire class was special to her, but it didn't change the fact that they were growing beyond her. The EEA had informed her that the new middle school in Canterlot was finishing construction within the next year, and her current sixth-graders would be among the first classes to attend. However, since the project had been delayed when Cozy Glow tried to steal the magic from Equestria, Cheerilee would get to teach them for another month or two in the fall before they officially moved on. Regardless of the circumstances, she wanted to make sure that the class' graduation party was one of the biggest ever known: she'd enlisted Pinkie Pie to help with the preparations, and Filthy Rich had gladly donated a large sum to help give his daughter and her friends a good time. Thus it was that Ponyville's local watering hole found itself filled with splashing fillies and colts one hot spring afternoon, and its shores lined with picnic tables, laden with food. Cheerilee stood, lemonade in hoof, talking to Twilight, who had volunteered to help chaperone the event. "Well, it certainly looks like the kids are having a fun time, Cheerilee!" Twilight remarked with a smile. On the shore, Rumble took a running leap into the water, his wake dousing the foals nearby. From beneath one of the countless floaties strewn about the pool, Pinkie Pie emerged with the sound of a klaxon, little blue swimming goggles strapped tightly to her head. From beneath the waves, she retrieved a tubular water gun and pulled back on the handle to fill it. "END OF SCHOOL YEAR PARTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!" she joyfully shouted. Pinkie unleashed a torrent from the squirt gun and launched herself backwards across the pond, occasionally cresting above the surface or making quick, bouncy turns to avoid other ponies. When the water in her cannon ran out, she dove back beneath the waves with a giggle and another klaxon sound, and some of the children gleefully followed her bubble trail to try and catch her. Cheerilee laughed. "Pinkie seems to be enjoying herself as well!" "Miss Cheerilee!" came a chorus of familiar little voices, not so little anymore. From behind her came rushing the Cutie Mark Crusaders, each enjoying the farewell party in one way or another. Sweetie Belle, leading the pack, was swishing a bubble wand through the air to make all sorts of fanciful, fleeting shapes; Apple Bloom was soaking wet from her time in the pool, and Scootaloo trotted along happily with a slice of pizza protruding from her muzzle. "We just wanted to say thank you so much for putting this party together! It's really great!" said Sweetie Belle, her eyes gleaming with cheer. "You're the best teacher we could ever ask for, and we're really gonna miss ya once we move up to middle school." Apple Bloom added, her face a mixture of joy and sadness. Scootaloo nodded and finished scarfing down her pizza. "Nopony could ever take your place, Miss Cheerilee. School wouldn't have been nearly as fun without you as our teacher!" Cheerilee's heart felt both touched and wounded. She'd basically watched these fillies grow up, watched them discover their destiny and help other foals find theirs, misadventure after misadventure. They almost felt like her own children at this point, but after they finished building the new school, she would have to let them go. "Oh, my dears..." she said, her eyes getting a little watery "you three have been some of my most memorable students, and I'll never forget you. I hope you all grow up well and succeed at whatever you do... and I look forward to hearing about it!" She leaned down to take the Crusaders in a hug, and they rushed to fill her forelegs. She closed her eyes to remember this moment well; indeed, she never would forget the Cutie Mark Crusaders. After a time, she let them go, both to enjoy the day and to grow beyond her. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle rushed off quickly to go join Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon at the shoreline; Scootaloo grabbed another slice of pizza off the picnic table before following after. Twilight held a hoof over her heart and sighed. "Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday Apple Bloom was asking me to stay for brunch on my first day in Ponyville..." Cheerilee eyed an appetizer before popping it in her mouth. "...and now they're on the cusp of marehood, ready for junior high and beyond... I know they'll do great things." "Well," said Twilight "I guess now is as good a time as any to ask: how did your student teacher hold up this year?" Cheerilee glanced back with a smile towards Sunburst, who was sitting in a pool chair reading a book, sunscreen smeared across his nose. "Sunburst has been beyond helpful!" she practically chirped "Really, far exceeding any expectation. The foals like him, he conveys subject matter in a simple yet engaging way, and he's an excellent team player." Cheerilee glanced aside and flicked her ear after saying that. "If only you knew how good of a team player, Twilight, unf." she mused to herself. Twilight grinned from ear to ear. "That's good to hear!" she replied. "I never had any doubt that Sunburst would make an excellent teacher's assistant, especially for bright young students like yours!" "Yeah..." Cheerilee idly swirled the ice in her lemonade. "It's just... kind of a shame, you know... that he's got to go back to the Crystal Empire..." "Yeah, I'd like to be able to see him more often, too. He's good company! But, he has obligations back home, and I understand that. My brother and his family live there, too, and I don't get to see them nearly as often as I'd like to, either. But I can't monopolize them, you know?" Cheerilee wasn't sure how to respond, instead simply glancing at her hooves, but Twilight put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "I know you two have become good friends," she said "but good friends know how to keep their friendship thriving no matter the distance. And when they see each other again, it's like nothing has changed." The princess and the schoolteacher shared a gentle smile. The 2 o'clock train hissed steam as it rumbled to a stop in front of the platform. A small number of ponies departed the coaches or stepped onto them, carrying luggage or family members in tow. The sun blazed overhead, and birds sang as they careened through the air. Surrounded by ponies, but still feeling all alone, two ponies stood facing each other on the platform. "I... I don't want you to go..." said Cheerilee. "I don't want to leave, either." replied Sunburst. "But... I sort of have to. I have responsibilities to the Royal Family, not to mention all sorts of loose ends regarding my own research and..." He sighed. Her longing gaze burned into him. He knew that no explanation would be very satisfactory to either of them; instead, he took one of her hooves in his. "I promise I'll come back, Cheerilee." he said so only she could hear. "I'm not sure when, but I promise that I will... and until then, I'll think of you." Without words at the ready, she instead simply ran a hoof along his face, before leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. He pulled her close into a hug that she wished could last forever. Cheerilee felt tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Flattening her ears against her skull, she worked up the courage to finally say what she wanted him to know. "Sunburst... I... I lo--" The loud blare of a train whistle cut her off. "All aboard!" cried the conductor. "It will be okay." Sunburst said calmly. He looked her in the eyes with a smile and rested his head against hers, careful of his horn, before picking up his luggage and departing. "Sunburst, wait!" "I have to go! I promise, I'll write as soon as I can!" The clatter of the passenger car doors shutting one by one sounded like thunder as the steam engine roared to life. Sunburst disappeared behind one of them as though swallowed up by some monster. "Sunburst!!" He looked at her through his window, smiling and pressing his hoof to the glass. The train rolled away, careless of Cheerilee's emotions. She watched it go until eventually she was alone on the platform. Though her legs were shaky with emotion, she galloped as fast as she could back to her house, stopping to collect herself only once she'd reached the door. Her thoughts were typhonic and uncontrollable; all she wanted to do was go to bed and stay there awhile, remembering what it was like to hold him, to be held by him, to touch and kiss and smell him. She slowly trod up the stairs, feeling as though a boat anchor were tied around her heart, pulling her towards the floor. Her cheeks were wet, but she wasn't yet fully sobbing. When she finally did reach her bed, however, she noticed something as she rubbed her eyes. A folded note, on his pillow, addressed to her. With her surprise bringing a brief respite from her despair, she crawled up onto the mattress, opened the note, and read it. Dear Cheerilee, As I write this, you lay asleep next to me, your mane a perfectly beautiful mess. The time, around midnight, the date, a few days before I have to leave for the Crystal Empire. I want you to know that this school year spent in Ponyville has been the most enjoyable of my entire life, and not just because I lost my virginity. You are, without a doubt, one of the most intelligent, clever, and caring ponies I have ever met, and quite beautiful besides. Nothing anypony says could ever make me think less of you. I feel honored that you found my mind alluring enough to fall in love, and though it came as a surprise, I'm so glad you did. As a pony who never particularly fit in anywhere, and as a stallion who had pretty much given up on love, having your affection meant so much to me. I don't care that you're a bit older than me; I find you absolutely fascinating, and your knowledge and experience enriches my own in so many ways. It was an honor getting to teach beside you this term and see what your life is like, but it was even more of a privilege to be there for you personally and get to know what a wonderful pony you are. You absolutely captivate me, Cheerilee, and I don't think I could picture myself with any other mare from now on. Parting is such sweet sorrow, my flower, but know that we will not be parted forever. I count the days until I am able to return to Ponyville and hold you in my hooves again. If ever you have need of me, I'll be only a letter and a train ride away. For the past few days, I've had a hunch that there's something you've been too nervous to tell me; please forgive me if I'm being too presumptuous, but allow me to put you at ease... I love you, too. Sincerely yours, Sunburst Cheerilee sat silent for a moment, letting the contents of the message sink in, but before long, she gingerly pressed it to her chest and shut her eyes as the tears came. In a mixture of happiness, love, and despair, she collapsed to her pillow and wept loudly.