Like most small towns, Ponyville had a daily bazaar where ponies could buy and sell food, home-made crafts and services. Food sellers had booths organized in rows and sections according to what they sold: Flowers and ferns were given their own rows, as were root vegetables, as were fruits, as were grains, and so on. Artists, crafters and service providers weren't as organized, having to rent spaces within the second lot. The early arrivals often took the most desired spaces, leaving the later arrivals to pick from what was left over. By the time the bazaar opened at 8 each morning, the remaining spaces were often the ones that were tucked in the back of the lot, promising little hoof traffic and lots of free time.
While Cheerilee had become an early riser during her term as one of Ponyville's teachers, the last few years had changed that. She would have gradually adopted her marewife's habit of sleeping in, but then they took on motherhood. The newborn foals often woke their parents with inarticulate demands to be fed, changed, or simply to be cuddled and comforted. And when Cheerilee was given time off to take part in raising her daughters, she slipped out of her old habits.
Rather than worry about getting back into a set schedule, she decided to change her role in the education system by applying to be a private tutor. She was interviewed, tested, given a background check, and had to provide references to vouch for her ability and character. Fortunately, the process had only taken a day.
But being self-employed meant that she had to go out and advertise her services. While she had contacts and word of mouth, that would only go so far. So at eight am on a weekday morning, she was setting up a table in a 5 stride/side square area at the back of the lot. She spread out stacks of flyers and pamphlets detailing her services, letters of recommendation, and what she specialized in. A display board set behind the table showed the awards and certifications that she had earned during her term as a teacher.
8:05. Cheerilee browsed through a copy of Twilight Sparkle's recommendation. Through the lavender unicorn's habit of using polysyllabic words and recording minutiae, the 'letter' was more correctly termed an 'infodump'. However, every word of it was the truth, and Cheerilee found it a bit flattering that she was given this much zeal.
8:10. Still no customers, but a couple of neighbors. Across the path and a few spaces to the left, a couple of crystal ponies who were setting out a thin blanket on the bare grass. They had a cart of straw hats with heart-shaped brims. To her imediate right, was Berry Punch, setting out pamphlets for the local chapter of the 'Ponies with Problems' support group.
"Need a hoof, Berry?" Cheerilee asked.
"Yes, that would be appreciated." Berry replied. Cheerilee trotted over, then moved the pamphlet stacks around to create an eye-pleasing display. "Wow, you certainly have the touch of an artist."
"Part of it comes from being a teacher." Cheerilee replied. Berry Punch grinned.
"Ruby's told me about how much she's admired you. She's thinking of becoming a teacher after high school."
Cheerilee nodded. "Well I hope I'm as good of a parent as you." Berry Punch embraced the other earth pony.
"I haven't always been good, but I'm getting better every day." The violet mare whispered into the magenta mare's ear. She ended the embrace then turned to her table. "And thank you." she added.
Cheerilee patted her on the shoulder. "Just let me know if Ruby needs help with anything. I know some of the material they teach in high school can be tough."
"Yeah, sure. I'll take one of your cards." Berry moved over to Cheerilee's table and took one, along with a service chart that listed Cheerilee's specialties. "Just as a matter of curiosity, how is your marewife doing?"
Cheerilee moved over to her own table. "She's adjusting. Sometimes she feels overwhelmed and panicky, but it's nothing compared to the night terrors she had when we first came back." She bowed to Berry Punch. "And I can't thank you and your associates enough for helping her through that."
Berry Punch smiled and blushed. "That's what we're here for." She stated.
Cheerilee noticed that a few other local residents had set up their displays during her conversation. "Looks like a pretty diverse crew back here." She said.
"Since we get few customers back here, we usually sit around and talk." Berry replied. "Oh, that reminds me. Some of your former students frequently come back here and look around."
"Oh? Which ones?" Cheerilee rubbed her head trying to recall each of the students that had been under her guidance since 997.
"Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo."
"Oh, those three. They were some of my more interesting students." Cheerilee chuckled. "What are my little crusaders up to?"
"You could ask them directly." Berry Punch pointed down the walkway. The trio of fillies were approaching her table in a casual stroll. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle wore matching denim jackets that were decorated with buttons and pins. Some with witty phrases from current youth culture. Scootaloo also had a pin on one pocket flap that resembled Rainbow Dash's cutie mark.
Applebloom wore a length of silk cloth wrapped around her barrel and fastened in a few places to keep it from falling off. The fabric had zebra-like motifs on a light orange background, and phrases written along the border in indelible black ink, conveyed hopes and well-wishing for AppleBloom's future happiness. Cheerilee recognized four of the writing styles as Bloom's own, Applejack's, Big Macintosh's and Granny Smith's shaky scrawl. A fifth phrase was written in Zebrican tribal lettering, which she guessed was Zecora's message, and a sixth written by an unknown hoof. Around the filly's left front cannon were a pair of bracelets: An onyx band and a carved white wood band. A golden thread was looped around and woven between the rings, linking them together. The ends of the thread melded with a gold panel embossed with a likeness of Zecora's Cutie Mark.
"Hey Mrs Cheerilee." They called out.
"How long's it been?" Scootaloo added. "Three years?"
Cheerilee trotted around the table to greet them. "I've been very busy girls. Raising foals of my own and all that."
Sweetie belle draped herself over Scootaloo's back. "Hey, maybe we could be Cutie Mark Crusader foalsitters."
Cheerilee smirked. "Still trying to get your cutie marks? I thought you'd have them by now."
"Nah, we just haven't had much success with most of the activities we'd tried." Applebloom lamented. She turned to browse the papers on Cheerilee's table. "Oh, you're teacher for hire now?"
"Indeed I am." Cheerilee replied. "I have to earn bits somehow. I imagine that you three would be looking for jobs soon yourselves."
"Chillax teach." Scootaloo said while holding out a hoof. "I've been doing a weatherpony course. A goverment job'll pay the bits while I prep for Wonderbolt camp."
"Planning to follow in Dash's hoofsteps, I take it?"
Scootalloo nodded vigorously. "Yeah yeah. I'm gonna be a Wonderbolt. Already been through flight camp."
"Any problems with bullies?" Cheerilee asked.
All three fillies looked to the ground. "Yeeeaaahhh..." Sweetie Belle muttered.
"That's why we've been back here, looking for things to help us get our cutie marks." Scootaloo said.
Cheerilee rubbed the back of her neck. "I'd like to help, that is, if you want it."
"No offence, Mrs Cheerilee." Scootaloo looked her in the eye. "But what can you tell us that's not written in a book?"
"Scootaloo. I know many things about many things." Cheerilee replied with a wide grin. "And being self employed means that I don't have follow a lesson plan decided by a committee."
"You mean you can tell us things that you weren't allowed to before?" Applebloom asked with amazement. "Why didn't ya say so?"
Cheerilee passed them a flyer. "My standard rate is -B- 12 an hour. Would you like to make an appointment?"
Scootaloo grinned. "And we have you to ourselves for as long as we want?"
Cheerilee chuckled. "As long as you can pay for it."
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle searched their pockets, while Applebloom opened a bitbag. The trio pooled their money together and passed it to Cheerilee. "Here's twenty four." Scootaloo stated.
The magenta mare took a schedule book from a bag under the table. "Alright, When did you want to make your reservation? And what subject is it for?"
"Ummm, now, and we wanna know about Cutie Marks." Scootaloo replied. Sweetie Belle whispered something in her ear. "No, change of plans. This weekend, and we'll buy more time from ya."
Cheerilee wrote the date in her book. "Alright. I look forward to seeing you."
"Great. We'll come back early Sevenday morning." Scootaloo stated.