//------------------------------// // At Their Worst // Story: It Can't Be Taught // by RunicTreetops //------------------------------// Slowly, the days turn to weeks as Cheerilee gets adjusted to this new normal. She wakes up earlier than she'd like, she gets ready for school, she gets the schoolhouse ready to go, she teaches a class of uninterested students, she watches helplessly as said students get bullied, she dismisses the class, she starts teaching Anon, she gets increasingly frustrated with his behavior, she heads home when the sun is already half-set, she eats whatever scraps she can afford for dinner, and finally, she passes out and prays that she wakes up on time the next morning. All the while, she hopes she has enough money to pay whatever bills came in the mail that day. Lately, she hasn't. She glances down at her kitchen table, her exhausted, freshly awoken eyes filled with contempt. The pile of unpaid bills is getting progressively bigger. She decides to check on her funds, a slight sparkle in her eyes as she does so. Teaching Anon is definitely a lucrative job. After all, she's essentially getting paid by Princess Celestia herself, and that mare has money to burn. Frankly, considering her credentials, she couldn't even dream of a job that pays as much relative to the time commitment. It seems like she'll finally have enough. As she adjusts to being awake properly, she shifts her attention to the single letter lying next to the pile of bills. It's completely unmarked, and was likely dropped off by the sender themself. Cheerilee knows exactly what it is. She hesitates for just a moment before letting out a sigh of resignation and opening it in a borderline violent manner. Just as she expected, it's another notice. ...W-wait, what? Why is it even more this time?! Her eyes start to lose focus and her mind begins to drift. There's no way this is real, right? She was finally making enough money... so why?! What has she been struggling for?! What has she been sacrificing her time and her well-being for?! What is the point in any of this?! Cheerilee stumbles, just barely managing to catch herself before she falls to the ground. Her body feels cold, to the point where she's shivering. Her breathing starts to become shaky. She finds herself leaning on the table for balance while she does what little she can to calm herself down. She HAS to calm down. She has a job to do. ... She suddenly takes a deep breath. Something feels strange. She glances towards a nearby window, and she immediately recognizes that the sun is higher than she remembers it being just a moment ago. Realizing this, she frantically looks at a nearby clock. She's late! How long was she just standing there?! With a terrified yelp, she hurriedly grabs her bag and sprints out the door, hoping to make it to the schoolhouse before the students get too worked up. The schoolhouse door flings open, causing the room full of confused colts and fillies to look at their exhausted, unkempt teacher in shock. "Hello, everypony! I'm so sorry I'm late, I hope I didn't worry you too much!" Cheerilee trots towards her desk, her smile doing little to hide her disarray on account of her unfocused eyes and unkempt mane. Her ear twitches as she hears the students murmur amongst each other. She most definitely catches the word "human" in there more than once. She's not sure what kind of gossip is going around about her, but she's going to ignore it for now. It wouldn't be the first time baseless rumors were spread about her. "Uhh, Miss Cheerilee?" Apple Bloom speaks up above the mumbles in an attempt to get her teacher's attention. "Are you feelin' alright?" "Of course I am! Just... really excited to get going today!" Cheerilee typically doesn't have to force her smile in front of children, but right now, she doubts that there is a force in the world that could coax a genuine one out of her. "Speaking of, where were we? Ah, right! Cultures of the world!" She clears her throat and begins to write on the board, doing her best to start the day without bringing too much attention to the state that she is in. "It's no surprise that Equestria is populated mostly by earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns. However, there are many other species both inside and outside of Equestria that you'll probably meet one day! You might have seen a griffon participate in a local flying competition, or perhaps you've even seen a yak during their travels. Plus, I'm sure most of you know Spike, Ponyville's resident dragon! All of these creatures function differently than ourselves, but that isn't a bad thing! In fact, it's the differences in our cultures that are our greatest strength!" Although Cheerilee talks with practiced ease and feigned enthusiasm, she realizes pretty much immediately that very few of her students are listening. Doing her best to hold onto the last of her patience, she continues knowing full well that nopony in the class is going to retain any of this. Again. Cheerilee wakes up to the sound of knocking on the schoolhouse door. She picks her head up from her drool-stained desk, realizing that she must have passed out after the children left. By the time she gets her bearings, the door is already being opened. Unsurprisingly, Anon enters the classroom. He stands tall, though his expression looks almost as tired as Cheerilee's own. "G-good afternoon, Anon." Cheerilee, now curious, glances at a nearby clock. He's over an hour late. "What took you so long? Even for all of your faults, you aren't typically late." Anon sticks his hands in his pockets, his sharp eyes focused entirely on the floor as he makes his way over to the only chair that fits him. "I'm sorry, or whatever." His voice seems just as tired as his expression. "But it's none of your business." Cheerilee gives him a once-over as he sits down. She's seen a lot from him in the past few weeks, but this is new. "Considering I'm supposed to be helping you adjust to life in Equestria, I don't think that's true." "Yeah? And what are you gonna do about it?" He is still refusing to look directly at her. For the most part, he never has any qualms with doing so, and it puts Cheerilee a bit on edge. Still, it doesn't bother her as much as it annoys her, just like everything else he does. "Well, excuse me for being concerned." "..." "Anyway, today we're going to be covering some of the local flora and fauna you can expect to find around here." "How riveting." "You'll be thanking me when you almost stumble into a grove of poison joke. Now, pay attention. I'm going to be covering the important things you'll need to look out for first." "Oh no, I sure hope the posies and the raccoons don't get me!" "Do I need to tell Fluttershy that you've been mean to the wildlife?" "Fluttershy? Really? Why would I be scared of Fluttershy?" "It's not Fluttershy that would be the problem. It's the angry mob of ponies that would be out for your head when word got out that you upset her." Anon opens his mouth to speak, but quickly closes it again. "That's what I thought. Now, let's go over timberwolves." This sort of back-and-forth goes on for the better part of an hour. Despite the constant bickering, both of them have grown quite used to this by now. In a way, it's almost comforting. However, that near-comfort is thrown off when there is yet another knock on the door. Unlike with Anon, whoever is on the other side is polite enough to not just throw the door open. "Coming!" Cheerilee rushes over to the door before gingerly opening it, revealing none other than Twilight Sparkle on the other side. A dark expression is on her face. "Oh, hello Twilight. It's been a while, I-I wasn't expecting you." "I'm sorry for dropping in unannounced, but this was the only time I knew I would be able to find Anon. I've got some important news from Princess Celestia." Her voice is low and somber, almost like she's on the verge of tears. Anon notices Twilight's presence and immediately gets to his feet. The two mares walk further into the schoolhouse and close the door behind them for privacy, meeting Anon in the middle. "Oh? Did she finally find a way to send me home?" Twilight doesn't respond, opting instead to stare at the floor with her bangs purposefully covering her eyes. "Twilight?" "...She found out what happened to you, Anon." "This... doesn't sound like good news." Anon visibly shivers. Cheerilee can only watch with bated breath as Twilight prepares to share what she's learned, though she's fairly confident that both she and Anon already know what is about to be said. "A magical surge. It's a rare phenomenon, but not completely unheard of. They happen suddenly, very suddenly. All we really know about them is that they carry unfathomable amounts of magic, and their affects can vary wildly. Long story short, you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time." "..." "And..." Twilight takes a deep breath. "Even if we were somehow able to find exactly where you came from, not even the princesses would be powerful enough to send you back." Cheerilee watches as tears begin to fall from Twilight's hidden eyes onto the wooden floor below. "I'm so sorry." Her voice is shaky, hardly even loud enough to be considered a whisper. Meanwhile, Anon stands perfectly still. His eyes are on Twilight, but their usual sharp focus has been replaced by an empty nothingness. The color has drained from his face, and his breathing is so slight, you might think he wasn't doing it at all. The three of them stand there for what feels like an eternity, none of them knowing quite what to say. Eventually, Cheerilee is the one who breaks the silence. "So, what now?" Twilight finally finds the courage to lift her head. She is no longer crying, but her eyes tell a story of guilt and sorrow. "Princess Celestia was prepared for this outcome. There is more to her message, but I don't want to overload Anon with-" "I'm fine." The two mares look up at Anon with surprise. He isn't looking at either of them, his unfocused eyes instead trained on the wall in front of him. "It's not like I hadn't considered this possibility myself." "But, Anon, you-" "I said it's fine!" Both Twilight and Cheerilee flinch. In that moment, Cheerilee realizes that even with all of their bickering, she has never heard Anon sound like that. His voice isn't just angry or annoyed, it's full of dread. Of rage. Of sorrow. And never before has he ever raised his voice around Twilight for any reason. "...Just share the rest of the message." "If... if you say so." Twilight takes a moment to compose herself before continuing. "Because you have nowhere to go, she is granting you citizenship, effective immediately. You'll get the necessary documents within a few days after they're processed. On top of that, she's also giving you this." Twilight's horn glows as she magically opens her bag, producing a small sack that jingles a bit in the air. "Until you can get a job of your own, she's providing you with some limited funds to keep yourself afloat. That way you don't have to keep working for me part-time at the library for what little I can afford to give you." Anon doesn't speak for a moment, nor does it even look like he heard Twilight in the first place. However, when she opens her mouth to speak again, he interrupts her. "Tell her I said thanks." "O-okay. I'll just... leave this here." Twilight places the sack of bits down on a nearby desk as she sheepishly smiles at Anon. "Is that all?" "Well... there's one more thing. She was hoping she might be able to lift your spirits a little bit." Anon scoffs. "And how did she plan to do that?" "With these." Once again, Twilight's horn glows as she digs around in her bag. After a few moments, she produces two golden tickets and levitates them towards Anon, who grabs them out of the air. "What are they?" "Tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala." Cheerilee tries to hold in a gasp, but in doing so she only succeeds in snorting quite loudly, garnering the attention of both Twilight and Anon. "S-sorry." Cheerilee attempts to clear her throat. "I just wasn't expecting that." "...The heck is the 'Grand Galloping Gala?'" "It's only the biggest, fanciest gala in Equestria! Literally everypony dreams of getting to go to it!" Anon raises an eyebrow at the suddenly very excited Cheerilee. "You included, I see." Cheerilee, now realizing that her excitement is showing, blushes and turns away. Anon, meanwhile, looks back at Twilight. "I think I remember you mentioning it, now. Didn't you and your friends ruin it last year?" "Yeah, we're not exactly proud of that. This time, we're going to be on our best behavior, though." "...Right. And why did Celestia invite me?" "Well, you've been all over the newspapers lately. You're pretty much a household name now." It's slight, but Anon winces. Twilight doesn't notice. "Apparently, a lot of the folks in Canterlot are worried about 'the alien.' The princess wants to spend some time alongside you there, both to get to know you a little better, and to show you off to the gala crowd. You know, prove that you're actually civilized and respectable. ...Anon?" Twilight notices Anon looking away from them. Where there were many conflicting emotions just moments ago, there is now nothing but a quiet fury. Cheerilee tilts her head in confusion. "Anon? Is there a problem with that?" When Anon speaks, his voice is quiet. Distant. Cold. "'Show me off?' 'Prove I'm civilized?'" Anon lets out an incredulous snort. "She wants to parade me around like a damn circus monkey." "Anon?" "After all, I'm different. Either you're afraid of me and you hate me, or you're not and you think I'm stupid. Those are the only options, aren't they? " "I can promise you, that is not Princess Celestia's intention! She isn't like that!" "Yet she sent me to an elementary school like a child. She's giving me an allowance. She wants to 'show me off' to her colleagues like she has anything to do with me. And she thinks an invitation to some gaudy party makes up for the fact that she can't send me home!" Anon, whose voice suddenly rose in volume, holds his head in his hands. "You don't-" "Twilight." Cheerilee places a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Just give him a moment." Sure enough, Anon stands silently for a while. The two mares simply look at him with concern, but to their relief, his features slowly begin to soften as he calms down. Finally, he takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. When he opens them again, they have regained their sharp focus that Cheerilee has grown used to. "...Sorry about that." "I-it's okay. You just had a lot dumped on you." "Is there anything else?" "No, that was everything." "...Thanks." "Y-you're welcome." Twilight glances nervously between Anon and Cheerilee. "Well, I, uh, I suppose I'll be getting back to the library now." Twilight politely turns away from the two. "I'm sorry once again. Goodbye." In a rushed, awkward manner, Twilight dips out of the schoolhouse. Cheerilee feels incredibly awkward as she is left alone with a potentially emotionally unstable Anon. She stands extremely still as she side-eyes him, doing her best to read what he's feeling. "...Not you too." "Hm?" "You're scared of me now, too. Aren't you?" "N-no, absolutely not! It's just... what would you have me say right now? 'Everything is going to be okay?'" "It's not." "That's my point. There's nothing I can say that will magically fix everything." Cheerilee turns back around and sits at her desk, taking a deep breath as she does so. "...But. If you need somepony to talk to, I'm willing to listen." Anon lets out a single, incredulous laugh. "Really? You?" "I'm trying to help you, damn it!" Anon's mixture of powerful emotions immediately evaporates, replaced entirely by shock. His eyes are wide as he looks to Cheerilee, who stares back with an angry expression of her own. "Did you just-" "Yes! I did!" Cheerilee slams her head down on her desk. After everything that happened today, everything that's been happening, she was barely holding herself together. Then, when she tries to console Anon, quite possibly the only creature in Ponyville having a worse day than her, he continues to treat her like garbage! "And I really don't feel like arguing with you again!" "Jeez, what happened to you?" "You want to know what happened to me?!" Cheerilee raises her head from her desk. She knows that this is not the time nor the place for this. In fact, this is quite possibly the single most inappropriate, selfish time to explode on Anon. And yet, she can't stop herself. "You don't know a single thing about me!" "Oh, and you're so knowledgeable about my life?!" "I guarantee I know more about you than you do about me! You have no IDEA what I go through!" "I'm literally stranded on a foreign planet for the rest of my life!" "Wow, I'm so sorry Princess Celestia herself is giving you free money, and that Twilight Sparkle gave you a house, and that you were sent tickets to the most grandiose event in Equestrian history that I've only dreamt about going to since I was a filly! It must SUCK having everything given to you on a silver platter!" "And you're any better?! I know damn well how much Celestia is paying you to 'mentor' me!" "Hah! And what good THAT'S doing me!" "I... huh?" Cheerilee groans. She doesn't have to tell him a darn thing. She rubs her temple with a hoof, grabs her bag, and stands up from her desk. "Fuck this. I need a drink." "You're telling me." With an almost delirious smile, Cheerilee continues to make her way towards the door. "Why don't you join me then? Your next lesson can be about what a mare is like when she's at her absolute worst!" To her surprise, Anon beats her to the door and opens it for her. Stupid long legs. "Now THAT I have to see." Cheerilee freezes just long enough for her to glance up at Anon and see his dumb, tired, cocky grin. "I was being facetious." Cheerilee takes another few steps into the now-nighttime air. "...Ugh. Fine. Let's go."