//------------------------------// // Friday: Dismissal // Story: The Last Week of School // by VashTheStampede //------------------------------// Dinner turned into an impromptu sleepover, Twilight Sparkle and Cheerilee staying up long into the night sharing stories of students and lessons, both given and received – as it turned out, Princess Celestia had forced Twilight to teach to foals on more than one occasion to prove a point of just how difficult teaching truly was – favorite books, anything they could think of, really. Twilight could be rather long-winded when she got going, and Cheerilee enjoyed that. Some part of the teacher in her just loved to be taught, listening to Twilight rambling on about magical theory or the one time she’d gotten locked in the kitchen overnight in Canterlot Castle, or her theories as to why Pegasi can touch clouds. All good things had to come to an end, though, and sometime in the wee hours of the morning, Twilight and Cheerilee headed to bed. Cheerilee had wanted to leave, and had tried to explain to Twilight why, but the lavender unicorn would have none of it. Reluctantly, Cheerilee took up shop on Twilight’s spare bed, and fell asleep. --- Morning had come quite early – if Twilight had one thing going for her, it was her adherence to a strict schedule, or at least her attempts to adhere to a strict schedule when a national crisis did not forbid it. Her alarm went off precisely at six forty-five in the morning, despite having been up past two the previous night. Sure enough, the unicorn awoke right on time, and, shortly after, woke her guest. “Oh, my goodness Cheerilee, you scared me. It took a little to wake you up, I thought…” Twilight was half in her spare bed, Cheerilee groggily rolling over, finding herself much closer to the unicorn’s face than she expected. The pair recoiled from each other quickly, Cheerilee exiting the bed on the far side, less than gracefully. “Thank you… for waking me, Twilight,” Cheerilee said, noticing a slight burning sensation in her chest. “Do you mind… if I, er, use your shower?” “Oh, of course, go right ahead. There are clean towels above the toilet, and the shampoos are in the tub. I’ll head downstairs and make some breakfast, ok? Is there anything in particular you want?” Twilight asked, already trotting to the door of her bedroom. “Oh, no thank you,” Cheerilee responded quickly. “I couldn’t impose on you anymore… and I was planning on going to Sugarcube Corner, anyways. I think… I think today is it…” “Oh, I’m… argh, this is so infuriating! I just… I don’t know what to say, because I know nothing I can say would change a single thing that’s happening to you. And you, of all ponies, don’t deserve it. You’ve done nothing but pour out your love for this community, and its little fillies and colts… why you? Why not… me? I mean… ever since I came to this town, all sorts of mean ponies and malevolent spirits have set upon the town. If I were gone… things would go back to the way they were before I showed up…” “Dear, you’re the Element of Magic. You being here or back in Canterlot wouldn’t have made a bit of difference whether or not Nightmare Moon had returned, and honestly, even if things have been… let’s say ‘exciting,’ around here ever since you showed up… I honestly think most of the ponies like it. Ponyville was boring before you came here – and just think about all the adventures I’ll miss,” Cheerilee paused for a moment, and shook her head with a mirthless laugh. “Twilight, whether or not you were here right now would not change whether or not I was dying,” Cheerilee stated firmly, freezing just a moment after saying ‘dying.’ That’s the truth of the matter, isn’t it? Today is my last day here, in Equestria, my last day with my friends and family… “Cheerilee? Are you ok?” Twilight asked. “Hmm? What?” Cheerilee shook her head, clearing away the sad thoughts. “Why do you ask?” “You just… started crying. If… if there’s anything I can do, Cheerilee, please, let me know,” Twilight replied, such genuine concern and honesty in her voice she could have been the elements of Kindness and Honesty in that moment. “Thank you, Twilight Sparkle, but for now… I just need a shower. I’ll round up the students and get one last day of class,” Cheerilee said, the discomfort in her chest becoming slightly more pronounced, as she headed into the bathroom. --- About forty minutes later, Cheerilee was knocking on the door to the Apple Family residence. “Who is it?” Applebloom’s slightly squeaky southern accent floated through the wood of the door. “If you’re looking for Big Macintosh or Applejack, they’re already out, in the Southern and Western fields, respect…ful..ly… or something,” the voice trailed off, the door still closed. “The word you’re looking for is ‘respectively,’ Applebloom,” Cheerilee said, giggling. The door whipped open at almost comedic speed, actually generating an air current from behind the teacher. “Miss Cheerilee! You’re here!” Applebloom nearly screamed, rushing out and hugging the earth mare. “Yes, I am, Applebloom,” Cheerilee said, solemnly, “but… today is it. I want you to go collect your classmates and bring them to the schoolhouse as fast as you can, okay?” “Of course, Miss Cheerilee. We’ll be there in half an hour,” Applebloom said, a determined expression coming across her yellow face. She gave Cheerilee one more quick hug, before dashing off down the path to town. Cheerilee sighed and laughed. There’s no way she can get all the students to the schoolhouse in half an hour. She herself turned and began to walk down the path. --- Beyond all expectations, Applebloom lived up to her word and all the students were at the schoolhouse within half an hour. They all stared up at Cheerilee from behind their desks, eyes moist, but smiles strong. Cheerilee stepped around her desk, and sat down in a slightly awkward position, rump on the ground and back against the front of her desk. She motioned for her students to come sit up by her. When they were all settled around her, Cheerilee began to speak. “Hello, my little ponies. My best guess is you’re surprised to be here today,” she paused a moment, listening to the murmurs of acknowledgement from some of her students, who were rapidly shushed by other foals. “Well, I’m as surprised as you are. Six days ago, I was told I had less than seven days left. Every day I’ve woken up since then… has been an absolute blessing from Celestia. One more day with you, with my sister, with my friends… but today… I just…” Cheerilee stopped for a moment, forcing down the lump that was rising in her throat, her students watching and listening in perfect silence. “Every day I woke up, no matter how much I dreaded the sunrise and getting out of bed, getting to school and seeing your smiling faces brought to me a joy I cannot put into words. Those of you that have your cutie marks know… but doing this, the thing I was literally born to do, teaching and watching young fillies and colts grow? I simply cannot describe how happy it makes me to see you all succeed. However… I… won’t be able to, any longer. For a while, at least, you’ll be with Twilight Sparkle. Yes, the pretty purple unicorn who happens to be the Element of Magic that you have a crush on, Shady Daze,” Cheerilee said with a smirk, the little colt blushing madly as the class shared a nervous laugh, “You’ll be… in competent hooves, to say the least. She’s a wonderful mare and she enjoys teaching almost as much as I do. So don’t… don’t worry, you’ll be… you’ll be well looked after. If she ever gets a little too excited, just let her know, and she’ll be fine.” “But she won’t be you!” Sweetie Belle protested, voice cracking at three separate points within the sentence, an audible reminder of how close to tears the class was. “No… she won’t… but she’ll be close. I just… I just wanted you to know the indescribable happiness you brought to me. I wanted to make sure you knew that. No matter what you ever did, I loved each and every one of you with all my heart, and I will miss you all dearly. You… you can all have next week off,” Cheerilee said, voice catching as she could no longer hold back the tears. A soft object nestled itself under her chin and against her chest – Cheerilee didn’t care which of her students it was, she pulled them into as tight a hug as she felt she could without hurting them, sobbing into the child’s mane. “We’ll miss you too, Miss Cheerilee,” Silverspoon squeaked, and in a moment, she was buried in sobbing foals. --- Some tearful hours later, Cheerilee found herself at dinner with her sister. Pinchy was mysteriously absent, and her sister was being oddly quiet. “Berry… it’s going to be tonight,” Cheerilee stated, coldly. The words almost hurt, even hearing herself say them, but she knew there was nothing that could be done. “I know, sis, I know… ‘s why I had Pinchy spend the night at Dinky’s house.” For a minute, perhaps two, silence reigned between the two mares. “Hey, Cheers, whaddya say we share a bottle of wine? For… for old time’s sake?” “I’ll take you up on that, Berry. I’d love to.” --- Three hours later, both mares were laughing a little too loud, and a little too hard. “And then… and then dad told you to…” Cheerilee tried to finish the story, but soon the two inebriated mares’ laughter rendered that task impossible. This… is how to spend your last hours. Getting drunk with your sister, remembering the best times of our lives. The burning sensation made itself known again in Cheerilee’s chest, different from the normal burn of alcohol. “Hey Cheers… I think… I think we should get some sleep,” Berry said, voice dripping with intoxication. “I think you’re right, Berry… I just… need to get dressed…” The sisters stumbled up the stairs and into Cheerilee’s bedroom. Opening her closet, Cheerilee retrieved the black dress she had been given by Sweetie Belle, and carefully slipping her hooves through the shoulder straps. “Wow, Cheers… you look gorgeous in that,” Berry breathed, all trace of drunkenness mysteriously gone from her voice. “Thanks…” Cheerilee replied, stumbling over to her bed, falling onto it on her back. Berry joined her a second later, wrapping her sister in a tight embrace. “I love you so very much, Cheers. Don’t you think for a second that there was ever anything different. I love you,” Berry said, planting a light kiss on her sister’s forehead. “I love you too, sis.” --- Long after Cheerilee had fallen asleep, Berry Punch lay awake, holding her sister tightly. The teacher’s breathing had become slowly but steadily more labored as she slept, to the point where she sounded almost like she’d just run a marathon, despite being asleep. There was a sudden look of pain on her face, her contented smile and gently closed eyes flickering for just a moment, before one great exhalation, expelling the air from her body a final time. Berry Punch cried.