Cheerilee’s purpose in letting her students out of class early went beyond just rewarding them. It also gave her time to think hard on the realizations their classroom discussion provided.
She sat back from her desk, staring at the ceiling. The plan to use Smiley as a deterrent to HOOF seemed desperate but necessary. Now, Cheerilee was unsure if it was worth the cost.
While she might have been able to keep the general public ignorant of Smiley for a while, such high-profile attacks probably would have come to light eventually. Social media had complicated the issue. Like her student Diskette had stated, there was more fear to be had from Smiley than HOOF.
Cheerilee reached into the trash can and pulled out the butterfly knife she had confiscated before letting the students go for the day. The janitor would be suspicious if she left it there, so Cheerilee would have to dispose of it outside the school. Official policy, especially after the attack on the school, would deal severe punishments to any student caught with a weapon. Her student, Sand, had made an innocent mistake, and he didn’t need any more setbacks in his life.
The schoolteacher wondered idly how the colt was so knowledgeable about HOOF. She turned the knife over in her hooves, thinking. Cheerilee decided to see if she could find out what else Sand might know. She sensed that he was smarter than he acted, and it was her duty as a teacher to bring it out.
Her other duty came back to the forefront of her thoughts. Cheerilee decided that she would talk to Princess Luna soon. Perhaps now that Smiley was becoming more well known, plans would change.
In the time Cheerilee had spent in Luna’s employ, it was undeniable that she’d developed greatly. Abilities and talents had manifested that Cheerilee would never have dreamed of. While it was somewhat narcissistic—and frightening—to admit, she was in fact one of the most dangerous non-alicorns in Equestria.
While the primary focus of all that power was violence, certain aspects could be applied to her overt life. More than a century of classroom experience gave Cheerilee insights that no other teacher had. Being a vampire wasn’t always terrible.
However, it was frustrating to wield so much supremacy and yet unable to overcome her own problems. As unpleasant as it was to slaughter members of HOOF and terrorize civilians with her mere presence, Cheerilee was forced to admit that she got an unhealthy satisfaction from it.
Cheerilee flipped the knife open and traced a line on the inside of her fetlock, pressing hard to get the cheap blade to cut. Crimson blood rose to the surface, escaping the wound and beginning to trickle away.
She let out a breath at the relatively mild pain. At least she was finally feeling something, even if her vampiric interest in bloodshed wasn’t satisfied with just her own.
Cheerilee let the blood flow for a moment, wiping the knife clean on her pelt, before making a small mental effort that caused the drops to rush back inside her wound and close the skin up behind them.
It had been awhile since she had discovered the ability to manipulate her own blood. While it seemed rather morbid to amuse herself with such things, it was good to know that she could.
There was not much point in continuing to sit around the school if nothing was going to happen. Cheerilee stowed the knife in her purse and left the building. Minutes later, she was just unlocking her apartment door when her cell phone vibrated. The message was from Golden. Tell Celestia to invite Legal Tender and I to dinner as a reward. She’ll know what you mean. Needs to be done as fast as possible!
While confusing, Cheerilee trusted Golden’s urgency. She picked up the magic mirror and connected to Princess Luna.
The Night Princess looked somewhat groggy in the early afternoon, but responded to Cheerilee’s request. “I’ll pass the message along. Is there anything else you’d like to talk about, Cheerilee?”
Cheerilee hesitated. “I was meaning to speak with you about our little campaign.”
Luna nodded. “About that. Certain news reporter ponies have been asking around after HOOF released a video addressing Smiley directly. The Crown is preparing a statement.”
“What will it say?” asked Cheerilee, slightly concerned.
“The usual. The government of Equestria does not condone murder.”
While Princess Luna did try to limit the amount of outright lies she told the public, sometimes it was unavoidable. Cheerilee knew how that worked. She had been lying about herself continuously for the past century or so.
“While it would look bad to even acknowledge Smiley, another HOOF takedown would be a helpful piece of news,” said Luna. “A distraction, if nothing else.”
Cheerilee nodded. “Give me a target.”
“Soon.” Luna turned her head to the side, looking away from the mirror. “There you are, Celestia. Golden Ring wants you to invite her and Legal Tender to dinner as a reward for finding your ‘missing’ jewelry.”
Celestia appeared in the frame, crowding her sister and pressing her cheek against Luna’s own perhaps a little more than necessary. “Hello, Cheerilee. I think that sounds like a fine idea; could you please let Golden know? Legal might want to bring his family.”
“I’ll do that, Princess,” Cheerilee promised. The two alicorns said goodbye.
Cheerilee put the mirror down, receiving another few texts from Golden. They provided context for her first message and Cheerilee read through them carefully. It seemed that Golden had things well in hoof.
Cheerilee found herself with nothing to do for the rest of the evening, an unhappy proposition for an insomniac vampire. The mare had just settled into a chair when she was surprised by the phone ringing. “Hello?”
“Ms. Cheerilee? This is Sand’s mother.”
Cheerilee adjusted the phone on her ear. This was unexpected. “Hello, how can I help you?”
“My son informed me that you confiscated something from him today.”
“That’s correct, I did. Weapons are not allowed in school.” There were a couple of ways this conversation could go. After more than a century of teaching, Cheerilee had encountered all kinds of parents, from overprotective to apathetic. Only the ones with something to say ever called her.
There was a pause on the other end of the line. “I’d like to thank you for not expelling Sand. I know he’s not a perfect colt, but I very much appreciate you giving him another chance for an honest mistake.”
All by itself, Cheerilee’s mouth turned up into a brief smile. “I understand. Sometimes punishment won’t benefit anypony involved. Please make sure Sand knows not to do it again, however.”
Sand’s mother thanked her again and hung up. Cheerilee put the phone down, feeling contemplative. Why had she given Sand leniency? School policy was zero tolerance, and it would have been very easy to kick out a troublemaker like him. If that happened, however, he might never find another school from which to get an education. An imperfect colt Sand might be, but Cheerilee cared for him.
She shook her head. Did she really? Of course caring for students’ welfare was just her job as a teacher. How much was her heart in it? Her cold, dead, heart...
Cheerilee groaned in frustration. She was tired of having the same repetitive argument in her mind and getting nowhere. For a diversion, she spontaneously decided to treat herself to a night on the town.
There was a black dress hanging in her closet. She slipped it on, checking that it did not leave her cutie mark easily visible. Running a brush through her mane, she transformed it into an entirely different style. Pausing in front of the mirror, Cheerilee put in a pair of magenta contact lenses. The modern, flexible plastic ones were much more comfortable to use than when she’d first started wearing disguises so many years ago. After applying some tasteful lipstick and modest jewelry, Cheerilee picked up an ID card with the name Lilac on it and went out the door.
The evening was rather pleasant and Cheerilee paused for a moment to decide on a destination. She could go to a bar and keep a vigil for ponies who were up to no good. Pummeling potential rapists could entertain her for the evening.
However, something a little more highbrow might be better. As a teacher, Cheerilee was all about learning. She’d observed that an event at the Canterlot Museum of Modern Art would be taking place that evening. It sounded like a donation social with high-class guests, but Cheerilee hadn’t gotten dressed up for nothing.
The building was modern and had a mostly-glass exterior. Having seen much of it in her time, modern art still never made much sense to Cheerilee. She could see how the artist might have used emotion in their work, but it still usually looked like something a foal could have done.
Wealthy-looking ponies mingled in the museum foyer. There were refreshments, and Cheerilee smiled slightly at the delicious smell. She looked around and spotted a restroom nearby.
Away from the crowd in a toilet stall, Cheerilee inspected the contents of her purse, taking out a small glass vial of a very powerful acid. Opening the stopper, she took it all in one drink. The liquid burned all the way down her throat and she squinted in pain. Gradually, the anguish fell to an acceptable level and Cheerilee went back out to where the event was being held.
She picked up a cracker and navigated it past her fangs into her mouth. It crunched pleasantly, and her acid-scarred innards were still too damaged to reject it.
Picking up a small spinach roll, Cheerilee turned to survey the rest of the room. There were donation solicitors going around, and she knew that she should probably get her checkbook ready. As she bit into her next snack, Cheerilee noticed an unusual scent. It did not seem to be coming from the food, and it took her a moment to place it. It was leather.
Cheerilee snatched up a cookie and started to walk. Whenever she had the opportunity to eat, it was sometimes difficult to pace herself. In that way, it was probably a good thing that she was now leaving the table and advancing into the center of the room.
The smell was getting a little stronger, although it didn’t seem that any other ponies had picked up the subtle odor. Cheerilee narrowed her search, following her nose to a grey unicorn mare. She was dressed for the occasion, with a rather understated dress. There was not a trace of leather in her outfit, and Cheerilee wondered where the scent could be coming from.
Searching for something to strike up a conversation about, Cheerilee followed they grey mare’s gaze to a piece of art hanging on the wall. She moved up beside the other pony and pretended to stare at it, too. After a moment to appear contemplative, Cheerilee commented, “Powerful, isn’t it?”
The canvas appeared to be covered in blotchy irregular spots. The grey mare laughed politely. “That’s one word for it.”
Cheerilee turned her head and smiled. “I’m Lilac. Nice to meet you.”
“Aepyceros, but call me Ceros for short.”
“Hmm, that’s an interesting name,” Cheerilee pondered aloud.
The other mare shrugged. “My parents named me after a friend they met in Zebrafrica. Really, I don’t mind. I like to travel.”
“Oh, what do you do?” asked Cheerilee.
“I have a bit of talent for importing fine merchandise from around the world,” Ceros noted with a touch of pride. “I may not be able to get out and about as much as I like, but my work keeps me dreaming.”
Cheerilee wondered if this could be the same leather vendor Golden had encountered in the Sixth Street Market slum. The physical description fit. Cheerilee devised a careful question. “I think I might like to take a look at some of those things. Where can I find your shop?”
Ceros’ heart rate instantly shot up. “Well...I currently don’t have a steady location.”
“Do you have a card, then?” Cheerilee pressed. It seemed natural that an interested customer would ask.
“Sure, I’ll give you that and then we could meet somewhere,” Ceros agreed. She gave Cheerilee a business card with her name and phone number on it.
Cheerilee smiled and thanked her. If this was the mare connected to the green unicorn that Golden had described, they could now get a track on her cell phone. Maybe that would turn up something interesting.
Cheerilee looked around at the walls. “Well, it was nice talking to you. I suppose I should get back to examining the art. If this is a charity event, I should at least have the experience I could have gotten a general admission ticket for.”
Ceros nodded. “I think it’s important to contribute to the arts. It’s fascinating to see what others can think of.”
Cheerilee nodded to one painting in particular. “Like that. I really can’t imagine what was going through the artist’s mind.”
“It was painted by a curious bear at the zoo,” Ceros informed her.
Cheerilee thought for a moment. “I suppose I know where I’ll be getting an admission ticket instead. Have a nice evening.”
She left Ceros standing there with a perplexed look on her face. Cheerilee snagged a few more snacks from the refreshment table and left the museum.
The night was still young, but Cheerilee decided to go home early and pass along the information she’d gleaned. She also thought about getting some rest. If the info was useful, then Princess Luna might have a new target for her soon.
The plush, richly-decorated lounge I found myself passing through began to seem a little bit smaller as I watched the other three guests that accompanied me to Celestia’s dinner table. I smiled pleasantly at them, more of a reflex than any good intentions on my part. It was fortunate, I suppose, since my surprise at seeing the green unicorn I’d been tracking almost made me forget my cover. With a polite nod to the other invitees, I closed the distance between them and myself. I offered my hoof to shake, and Legal Tender took it in a firm grasp.
“Legal, it’s good to see you again. I’m guessing this is your family?” I made sure to get myself firmly back into character; it wouldn’t do to give myself away so easily.
“Golden, hello,” Legal responded. “Yes, this is my wife, Shiny Penny, and my son, Treasury Bill.”
“Hi, nice to meet you!” I said, in turn shaking Penny and Bill’s hooves. When I clasped Bill’s hoof in my own, I felt the green unicorn recoil almost imperceptibly, as though he were afraid of touching me. I filed the observation away for reference. “My name’s Golden Ring, I work at the Rings and Rubies jewelry shop not too far from here.”
“Golden, it’s a pleasure,” said Penny, a neutral smile gracing her expression. “When my husband told me a bit about how he found the Princess’ brooch in his bag, I couldn’t believe it at first. Thanks for helping Legal get it back to its rightful owner.”
I was a little off-put by how positively this was going. When I saw my target from the other day I let a little bit of apprehension take over, I guess. From the relaxed way he was carrying himself, though, I could tell that he didn’t suspect me of being a threat. And yet, the fact that the senator who was sponsoring a terrorist-benefitting law had a son who was a suspected terrorist seemed too suspicious to be a coincidence. I’d best keep my wits about me.
“Oh, it was no problem. Anypony would’ve done it if they’d been in my position.” I pumped a little extra blood to my cheeks to affect a blush, one of the tricks Cheerilee had taught me over the years.
“I don’t know, Golden, these days there are those who wouldn’t give a second thought to holding onto things like that,” said Penny, her tepid smile cooling to more of a sad wince. I couldn’t help but notice that she had the genuine look that you only get from personal experience. Another interesting observation for my mental notes.
That was when Princess Celestia stepped into the room. Keeping with my disguise as a normal pony, I sank into a deep bow and averted my gaze. Out of the corner of my eyes I could tell that Legal and his family didn’t go to quite such lengths, simply settling for polite bows, though in Treasury Bill’s case I could see his muscles tense up a bit. Curious.
“There’s no need for such formality, my little pony. I’ve invited you to be a guest at my table as a friend, not a subject.” I thought I caught a hint of playfulness in the Princess’ voice, but it might have been my ears playing tricks on me.
“O-of course, your highness!” I blurted, quickly rising to my hooves. Celestia’s face had a comfortable grin on it, as did Legal’s and his wife’s. Well, if they wanted to get some enjoyment out of my charades, let them.
“I take it this is your first time meeting the Princess, Golden?” asked Legal.
“Err, yes. Was it that obvious?” I put a sheepish smile on.
“To put it bluntly, it was,” Princess Celestia said, still staying perfectly polite. “In any case, though, I’d estimate that dinner will be served shortly, so we would do well to make our way to the dining room.”
“Yes, quite. They say there’s nothing worse than getting the chef angry at you,” chuckled Legal, following the Princess towards the supper table.
As I fell in line behind the rest of the group, Bill gestured with a hoof, offering to let me go in front of him. “After you, ma’am,” he said, his tone polite and neutral. I admit I was a little surprised and somewhat puzzled. I tried to get a good look at him without really staring, but I wasn’t in a very good position to do so, what with him looking right at me.
“Thank you, sir,” I said, not sure what to make of him just yet. I took him up on his offer, not wanting to seem ungrateful or suspicious, and strode past him.
Knowing that he was behind me was somewhat unnerving as the five of us trotted down the ornate hallway to the dining room, especially considering that even my supernatural hearing was having trouble picking up his footsteps on the soft, thick carpet. As we went, I casually glanced at the many busts, sculptures, and assorted statuary on display; some of the more shiny ones offered me brief, reflected glimpses of what my green unicorn friend was doing outside my normal field of vision.
I was a little disappointed that he wasn’t doing anything suspicious. He was just trotting along behind me; no sneaky glances, no anything. I think that was what made me the most uncomfortable.
Not too long after we left the waiting area, Celestia magicked open the grand-looking doors to the dining hall, affording me a view of the polished mahogany table within. I didn’t have to feign my expression of awe this time, as I’d never actually seen the Princesses’ supper table before. It was massive! I’m pretty sure you could fit the entire staff roster of the castle at it, with each pony still getting enough elbow room to comfortably spread out.
Okay, maybe not the whole castle staff. Just half. But you get my point. Anyway, I and my fellow guests continued to follow Celestia towards our places at one end of the enormous table. Celestia was at the head in the seat of honor, with myself and Legal at her right and left hooves, respectively. Legal’s wife was next to him, and Treasury Bill was positioned next to me, so that I was between him and the Princess. Part of me wondered if she’d done that on purpose.
We each took our respective seats, and dinner was quickly brought out. Several servants bearing fancy-looking silver platters entered the room from the kitchen and set the various dishes on the dinner table before us. It all looked amazing, and I could feel myself starting to salivate. It was a struggle to keep focused on my mission.
Fortunately, I wasn’t alone in my task; as the servants loaded our plates and disappeared as quickly as they’d arrived, Princess Celestia spoke up. “Before we begin, I would like to properly thank the two of you for returning my brooch to me. I’m not entirely certain how it wound up in the good Senator’s document case, but I’d wager I mistook it for one of my own bags and stuffed it in there by mistake. It is fortunate that an upstanding citizen like yourself was the one to find it and equally fortunate that a fine young lady such as Miss Golden Ring happened to recognize it as mine and help return it to me. This is one of my fondest treasures, and as such, I feel a toast would be appropriate.”
The Princess raised her glass of exquisite wine, gesturing once to me and once to Legal. I caught a brief glimpse of a grin hidden behind her smile. “To the both of you, many thanks. Cheers!”
Each of us raised our glasses in response, and clinked them against each others’. Being the sole pony at the table incapable of telekinesis, I felt a little awkward with them having to send their glasses all the way over to me to toast.
With that out of the way, Celestia took a bite of her salad and the rest of us followed suit. I was a little surprised at the sweetness of mine; the vegetables must have been picked less than an hour ago. I guess it makes sense for the princesses to only eat the best, though. If only Cheerilee and I could regularly enjoy the same privilege.
The thought of my teacher reminded me why I was here. “So, what kinds of things do you do for the government, Mr. Tender? Besides overseeing legislation, I mean. There must be more to it than that.”
He smiled. “Well, first off, you can just call me Legal. I think we’re friends by this point, and that’s what all my friends call me. Secondly, you were right in assuming that there’s more to the government than just creating and reviewing laws. The Senate is responsible...”
My face may have looked interested in the dry discussion, but my mind was mostly focused on Bill. Somehow, before the night was up, I hoped to figure out how he was involved with the terror plaguing Equestria.