Cheerilee's bloodshot eyes shot open beneath a tangled mess of pillows and bedsheets as the metallic ring of an alarm clock echoed from somewhere on top of the worn-down nightstand beside her bed. Without a second thought, a hindleg kicked out from under the bedsheets, muscle memory guiding it into the kryptonite of every night owl to ever exist. This sent the ringing menace scraping across its wooden perch and into the Phantom Zone, affectionately known by its owner as I'll fold these clothes when I'm not busy. The fuschia mare stared at the old, fading band posters lining the pastel blue wall behind the headboard of her bed contemplating whether or not it was worth it to get out of bed today. Cheerilee's eyes fell upon a poster with a group of familiar mares posing in over-the-top clothing. A mare near the edge of the group bore a striking resemblance to the school teacher who was now lazily reminiscing as she slowly woke up on the wrong side of the bed for the umpteenth time this month. The Black Hearts… I miss those days. At least back then I didn't have to get up before noon.
After a moment of consideration she decided that the meager number of sick days that she had left was worth too much to spend on a whim. Sluggishly, Cheerilee rose from her bed and made her way to the bathroom down the hall, passing by piles of clothes, ungraded homework, and the occasional dirty plate. About half-way through the room the pony tripped and disappeared into the aforementioned Phantom Zone. "Ouch! Stupid bucking pile of clothes. What did I even trip on, anyhow?" Clutching her left forehoof in pain, Cheerilee looked down for the source of her pain before her eyes widened in recognition. It was a red velvet case that was sticking halfway out of a pile of old band t-shirts. "Well, that brings a new meaning to the phrase, 'nostalgia hits hard.'" Giggling at her own joke, she got back onto her hooves. Cheerilee's head reached down and picked up the guitar case with her teeth by its plastic handle and carried it to her messy desk where she laid the case upon a stack of various papers. Cheerilee made her way out of her bedroom and closed the door behind her, taking a moment to be thankful that the doorway trapped the mess inside of the bedroom and kept it out of the rest of her small house.
Cheerilee made her way to the closest of two other doors that connected to the upstairs hallway, noting that the staircase took up half of the walkway; which prevented the closet door from opening more than half-way and left barely enough room to reach inside and grab a towel.
Truly a well-envisioned location for the doorway. Cheerilee snorted and closed the hall closet with her hind leg. With the towel held firmly in her teeth, she trotted over to the final doorway that stood just a few feet away from the landing of the staircase. Inside was a cramped bathroom with a sink cabinet that was completely covered with various hygiene products, a modest toilet cleaned to perfection, and a stand-up shower with an opaque sliding glass door.
Cheerilee closed the toilet lid and placed the towel upon it. With a sigh she began her morning routine. "One of these days I need to install a towel rack in here."
~~
"Alright class, it's almost time to go home for the day, but before I let anypony leave I want to remind you all not to forget that there's no school tomorrow." Cheerilee beamed as an echoing celebration rose from the disorderly class who was in the process of packing up their belongings. She let a small grin slip onto her muzzle as she waited for the foals to settle down before continuing, "However, just because it's a three day weekend that doesn't mean that you should forget about the book report that's due on Monday." As soon as the words left her mouth, the familiar sound of the schoolhouse bell rang out, causing a wave of schoolfoals to wash out into the formerly peaceful streets of Ponyville. Cheerilee smiled as she watched her classroom empty. Then she began checking over the classroom and tidying it up one last time before she could home for the day.
And they wonder why I stopped giving out pencils halfway through the school year. Cheerilee was in the middle of picking up the last of a number of pencils that she had found discarded underneath a desk near the back of the room when she heard a knocking on the door followed by the sound of it swinging open. In trotted a deep blue unicorn with a wide smile on her muzzle.
Quickly looking up from behind the desktop to see who had walked in, Cheerilee smiled and dropped the pencil on top of it. "Colgate! How's business at the clinic?"
"Oh, y'know how it is. I'm as busy as always," Colgate replied as a small smile spread across her muzzle, "no small thanks to a certain pink party pony and the cavities that spawn from all the sugary things that she serves at her parties."
Cheerilee giggled slightly at the latter half of her best friend's sentence. "Honestly, I'm not sure, but it seems to me that that mare hosts at least a dozen parties a week."
"By the way, how's your class doing? Just last week I had a trio of rambunctious fillies come in asking to help and hoping to get their cutie marks in the process. Luckily, it was a slow day, and no patients were in the clinic." Colgate jokingly shivered as she remembered the outcome of the crusaders attempts at helping out.
"Oh, you must have met the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Trust me when I tell you that not a day goes by without them getting into trouble." Cheerilee let out a small laugh.
She held her tongue at the other thought on her mind. I swear those three will be the death of me someday.
"Case in point: one of the girls, Apple Bloom, was sleeping in class today. The poor filly got the wild idea to earn her cutie mark by being a night owl and thought today was Friday." She shook her head. "Made her sister drag her all the way here."
"Ha-ha! I don't doubt that one bit. The only way I was able to convince those three to leave was to hand out toothbrushes and talk them into trying to get a cutie mark for brushing their teeth," Colgate jokingly replied before changing topics. "Hey, that reminds me. Are you already packed for tomorrow's trip?"
Wait, we had something planned for tomorrow? Cheerilee tensed up slightly, caught off guard by the reminder of something important that she couldn't recall.
"C'mon, don't tell me you forgot about it." Colgate decided to elaborate, "Y'know, Lyra's and Bon Bon's anniversary? We planned to visit them in Canterlot for the weekend."
"O-oh. Yeah, I totally remember. I was just making sure you remembered. By the way, what time are we taking the train tomorrow?" An embarrassed blush and a feeling of recognition flooded Cheerilee's mind at the reminder she had been given. That was this weekend? I could've sworn it was next month.
"Ha-ha, seriously? You completely spaced it, didn't you?" Colgate let out a couple more bouts of laughter before continuing, "We're supposed to take the overnight train. I can't believe you forgot that part, too. I mean c'mon Cheerilee, we're not that old yet; we're barely in our thirties."
Cheerilee's eyes rolled at her friend's jab. "Oh, you're laughing at my forgetfulness, are you? Forgive me if I remember incorrectly, but weren't you always the one who was late for everything when we all hung out back in highschool."
"It's called being fashionably late. It's supposed to build suspension or something."
"I'm pretty sure an hour is considered a little too late to be fashionable." Cheerilee checked the clock on the far end of the room as she held back another jab that had entered her mind. It was already half past four o'clock.
Cheerilee began heading towards the door and motioned for Colgate to follow suit. "Speaking of which, I hate to cut this visit short, Colgate, but I have to go, seeing as it's already past four and I still need to shower as well as pack my suitcase for this weekend." A small smirk slid across Cheerilee's face as she continued, "We don't wanna be fashionably late and miss the train, now do we?"
Colgate rolled her eyes as she began to follow the mare out into the hallway. "I headed straight here after my shift was over. I still need to go home and grab my stuff anyways. Meet you at the train station at eight?"
"Sure thing. I guess I'll see you later tonight then."
The setting sun painted the sky above the town in a pinkish-orange light as both mares waved goodbye to each other and began trotting back to their respective houses.
~~
Cheerilee neared her small but quaint thatched house that sat on a hill near the edge of Ponyville. Although it was smaller than many other houses in town, her home made up for it with its gorgeous view overlooking the town square and a slightly larger lawn, which Cheerilee prided herself on keeping up. A small array of flowers grew in the garden bed as well, and a small apple tree stood near the middle of the left side of her lawn which had a stone pathway running through it. A small white picket fence, complete with a fuschia mailbox, tied the whole lawn together.
As she reached her front door, the school teacher lazily checked her saddlebags before pulling out a key ring with her mouth and inserting one of the keys into the deadbolt lock. With a quick turn the door opened.
Cheerilee's hooves noisily trotted across the wooden flooring on her way into her small living room that was furnished with dark oak bookshelves along pastel blue walls, a matching oak coffee table, and a cream colored couch in the middle of the room. She sat down upon the couch and undid the straps of her saddlebags before looking at the small electronic clock she kept on one of the bookshelves. Five-thirteen--only a couple of hours to get ready. I have to leave here by seven-twenty if I want to catch the train on time.
As Cheerilee pondered whether to shower or to pack her belongings first her stomach growled. "Well, I guess that settles it then." Cheerilee sighed as she rose and made her way towards the kitchen, deciding that finding something to eat would be the first thing on her mental to-do list.
Cheerilee's kitchen was on the smaller side. It had all the basic appliances--outdated as they may be--and enough counter space to house said appliances, but it lacked the room for a proper dining table despite the fact that the kitchen didn't have an island in the middle of the floor.
The physically tired mare made her way towards her refrigerator, an older model that you'd see on late night reruns of old sitcoms. Hers even had a couple of tacky magnets and old pictures to match. "Let's see what I'm working with here." Cheerilee opened her refridgerator and scanned its contents.
Eggs, tomatoes, milk, lettuce, a half eaten hayburger from the local diner, and more eggs. Cheerilee stopped to sniff at the hayburger to see if it was still edible; it didn't smell that bad. Shrugging, she pulled it out with her mouth and closed the door with her flank before making her way to the microwave on the counter directly opposite of her refrigerator. As she had her mouth full, Cheerilee rose onto her hindlegs and rested her right hoof upon the counter before pawing open the microwave door. They really need to make these things simpler to open for non-unicorns. Cheerilee slid the take-out box inside and closed the door as she fumbled with the number pad with her hoof.
After a minute-and-a-half of waiting the appliance beeped, signaling the completion of its task. Seconds later, Cheerilee trotted back to her living room and set the meal upon her coffee table. After settling onto the couch she began eating only to sigh and pause after the first bite. The insides are still cold. I just got comfortable too. Not wanting to get back up again, Cheerilee decided to just power through the unpleasant feeling of soggy hay and the cold grease that coated it.
Despite finishing in about half the time that she usually took, Cheerilee was still a slow eater. As she set the now-empty take-out box back onto the coffee table, Cheerilee glanced at the clock once again. Six-o-four. I need to hurry up and finish packing.
It has to be around here somewhere, I just bought the damn thing last year. Cheerilee found herself in the midst of the chaotic mess that she called a bedroom, cursing herself as she dug around looking for her old suitcase. After a few more minutes of searching she let out a sigh. She glanced across the room at what was once the Phantom Zone, the bane of alarm clocks everywhere, but now lay scattered across the ground.
"Great, now I've made a mess and I still can't find my suitcase." Cheerilee sighed in frustration as she looked towards her now freed alarm clock that sat upon her old work desk. Seven-ten. I'm going to miss the train.
As she finished that thought, her eyes caught the sight of the old case that had been the cause of a stubbed hoof this morning. Cheerilee thought out loud as she made her way towards the desk, "I wonder if the enchantment is still in place." Cheerilee unlatched the sides of the case before opening it to reveal an empty void. "At least that part of the enchantment still enchantment still works."
Cheerilee stuck her whole foreleg inside the case before pulling out an old yet pristine yellow bass guitar that was decorated with faded stickers that matched her cutie mark on the end of its body. "How long has it been since I've touched this?" Smiling as she admired her old passion, Cheerilee slid it back into the void, not wanting to take it out and leave it outside of the case for the whole weekend. There's enough room in here for my whole wardrobe. There's no use in wasting time unpacking this thing first.
Cheerilee shrugged her shoulders. Seeing as there was no other option for a suitcase, she decided to quickly shove the traveling essentials and a couple of slightly wrinkled dresses into the case.
~~
Before stepping out of the door frame and into the cool night sky, Cheerilee checked the contents of her saddlebags and her makeshift suitcase one last time. She stepped onto the porch before turning and locking the front door. As she made her way to the train station on the opposite side of Ponyville, Cheerilee couldn't help but feel a little anxious about the weekend that lay ahead of her.
Upon arriving at the station, Cheerilee was met by the sight of a small mountain of baggage that stood next to an impatient Colgate. "There you are. I almost died of boredom just waiting here with nopony to talk to."
"I see you've traded one bad habit for another. You do know that we're only going to be gone for the weekend, right?" Cheerilee laughed slightly at the towering pile that sat beside her old friend. "We should have a couple of minutes before the train arrives. Mind if I add this to your collection while I go buy my ticket?"
"And here I thought I was the one who's supposed to be late. You better hurry up before the train comes." Colgate rolled her eyes as her light blue magical aura enveloped the suitcase beside Cheerilee. As it floated closer she noticed the unique shape of the case.
Colgate called out to her friend as Cheerilee trotted back to the platform with a ticket held in her mouth. "Hey Cheerilee, I didn't know you still had this old piece of junk. Princess, this brings back memories."
Cheerilee took a moment to place her train ticket in her saddlebags before replying, "Ha-ha, tell me about it. I couldn't find my regular suitcase, so I had to use this old thing."
"I remember us annoying the living heck outta your parents when we practiced at your place after school." Colgate smiled as the memories filled her mind.
"Yeah, it's too bad that we never really did anything besides play in those run-down dive bars back then." Cheerilee's muzzle faltered slightly as a sad nostalgic smile found its way onto her face.
"I think it was for the best that the band split up, y'know?" Turning to see Cheerilee's trepidation, Colgate decided to add a slightly humorous comment. "Besides, all those gigs we did helped pay our college tuition fees."
Cheerilee giggled slightly. "I guess you're right. I mean I'm barely getting by with a teachers salary as it is. I couldn't even imagine having student loans."
A distant whistle cut into the peaceful quiet of the depot as the two mares continued to reminisce of simpler days. Shortly after, the train came to a stop at the Ponyville train station, the last stop on the way to its ultimate destination, Canterlot. Cheerilee began boarding the mostly empty train as Colgate followed her on board, levitating their luggage.
Next stop: Canterlot Station.