//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 - Rego // Story: Cheerilee's Normal Day // by PseudoBob Delightus //------------------------------// While the fillies and colts of her class busied themselves with getting their promised frozen treats, Cheerilee took in the presence of this newest threat to Equestria. She barely had the words to describe itself as it seemed to bend reality around what was left of the creature. It was as if pure imagination had been given life; a liminal being of untethered thoughts that shattered the very space it inhabited. How the Cutie Mark Crusaders had befriended it was an utter mystery. “Co\go/me with m\us/e, my\your/our\ friends,” the infected changeling cried, sang, and beckoned all at the same time. “Let’s all scream\ice\cream\AHH!” The distorted amalgamation and the crusaders began to canter towards them, but stuttered with each step as space folded in front of them like a flip book in slow motion. “Discord!” Queen Twilight yelled. “Odd,” The draconequus pondered aloud. “Most reality-warping monstrosities that I know are lactose intolerant.” He shrugged and tossed the useless megaphone over his shoulder, letting it explode into confetti on the castle walls. With time running out, it was clear that whatever was infectious was starting to spread to the three. Cheerliee didn’t want to know what would happen when they got close to everypony. “If we are going to do something, we must act now lest we all be subsumed by the unreality around it!” Luna yelled over the hungry herd’s din. “Agreed, but how are we supposed to wield innocence against it?” Shining Armor asked as uselessly tried to muster a shield to stop the creature’s advance. “I get that’s what the legend said, but how the hay are we going to weaponize it?” Cheerilee closed her eyes and wracked her brain trying to think of a solution to the vague problem. Despite Twilight’s extended lecture on the prophecies, there hadn’t been any firm details to latch onto for an answer. Childlike innocence could be anything! It was a blessing that time whittled away with experience. Weapons only came later when innocence was lost. “Mrs. Cheerilee? Do you have mint chocolate chip?” Truffle asked as he added another scoop to his growing ice cream cone. The question rammed through Cheerilee’s head, forcing her to bite down on her tongue, lest she say anything regrettable. She was already running out of patience before on the field trip and now she didn’t even have time to think before they were all lost within unreality. The last thing she needed was for dessert-hungry fillies and colts pelting her with inane questions! Or was it… “Class! It’s focus time!” the teacher called over her students, demanding their attention. “Quiet hooves up and eyes on me! Now!” The firm, teacherly order silenced everypony, including Queen Twilight and the retired royals next to her. “Yes, Miss Cheerilee?” Dinky replied dutifully, if not a little nervous from the teacher’s frazzled grin. “I know you all want to eat your ice cream, but I heard Mister Discord will whip up some pizza if you sing!” “Hey!” Snips asked incredulously. “Can’t he just snap his fingers and make some appear?” “Not this time!” Cheerilee quickly said, her eyes shooting back towards the oncoming doom. “No song, no pizza!” A chorus of disappointed awws sounded from the class. “What does Discord want us to sing?” Snails asked. “Well, umm… Oh! We’re in Canterlot, and I’m sure they haven’t heard our school song! Let’s sing that!” “But that’s so boring!” Diamond Tiara complained. “What about the new Sapphire Shores song?” “I don’t know that one,” Peppermint Twist admitted. “No, no class. It has to be the school song, ‘Mark of Our Light,’ okay?” Cheerilee looked to the alicorns, nodding trying to get them to play along. “Oh? Oh yes! Of course. It sounds wonderful!” Princess Cadance admitted, unsure of why she was going along with it. “Could you sing it for me?” “Of course, your highness!” Snails dutifully saluted.  Cheerilee nodded feverishly.“Great! Now turn around everypony and sing as loud as you can! Shout and scream at the top of your lungs if you have to! We want all of Canterlot to hear it!” With the promise of making a joyful noise, the unaware fillies and colts turned towards the door and got ready to belt out their school’s song from memory. Many of them doubtlessly didn’t know it by heart, which would add to the good-hearted chaos. With uncertainty scrawled across the other, older ponies, Cheerilee hoped to Harmony that she was right. After all, there was no greater weaponization of innocence that she could think of on the spot than a tone-deaf children's choir’s assault on the ears. It was a well-meaning cacophony that only a parent could appreciate.