//------------------------------// // Epilogue: Need You Now // Story: Cheer Up // by LDSocrates //------------------------------// Cold. That was the only way to really describe… everything, really. It was snowing outside Harshwhinny’s window, and nothing seemed to help no matter how high she turned on the heat, nor how many blankets she piled on her bed. It was just her and the tick of the clock and the sounds of the suburbs outside, with its barking dogs and chirping birds and noisy second-rate car engines. She tossed, and saw the calendar. It had been weeks since the Games ended, and her life had returned to normal. The occasional fight with her son, meetings with the royal sports committee every now and then, the gallons of tea drunk every week to calm her nerves… business as usual. She turned, and saw the clock. It was approaching noon; she’d have to pick up her son from school in a few hours. She hadn’t even started half of the things she’d wanted to get done that day. Which was… she couldn’t even remember. She didn’t really feel up to doing anything. “Can’t just lay in bed all day,” she mumbled to herself as she looked up to the ceiling. “Have to do… something. Anything. I can’t keep shirking my duties.” She groaned and sighed. “Blast it, now I’m talking to myself, too…” She lifted her head up and then hit it on her backboard as self-punishment and growled. “What is wrong with me?” The answer was on the tip of her tongue. It always was. It refused to jump off, though. She saw it in the raspberry red face and green eyes she saw in her dreams, fantasized about when her mind wandered. She just couldn’t bring herself to admit it. The doorbell rang, and Harswhinny’s ears perked up. “Who in Equestria would be here in this weather?” she asked herself as she threw off her mountain of blankets and slid out of bed. She took a few seconds to straighten her mane, but didn’t bother to put on her blazer as the doorbell rang again. “Just a moment!” she called down the stairs as she cantered down to the ground floor. Sure enough, there was a shadow of a pony outside the window of the door. Through the foggy glass, it looked maroon, almost purple. Harshwhinny froze just short of the door before shaking her head. Couldn’t dare to dream something so outlandish. She opened the door and said, “How can I help… you…” Staring back at her was a pair of green eyes and a soft, raspberry face she thought she’d never see again. “Ch…Cheerilee?” A shy but nonetheless wide grin spread onto the teacher’s face. “The one and only. Coming inside would be nice; even with these heavy clothes, I’m freezing my flanks off.” Harshwhinny blinked and rapidly shook her head before opening the door wide and ushering her guest inside. “Come in, come in! You look positively frostbitten!” “Don’t be so dramatic, I’m fine,” Cheerilee giggled softly as she trotted in. “Mind if I hang up my coat and take off these ridiculous snow pants? They make it look like I’ve got a pair of watermelons back there.” Harshwhinny’s face went a little hot as she tried to respectably not glance more than once at her guest’s behind. “By all means.” “Thank you.” Cheerilee sighed in relief and took off her heavy coat, snow flaking off of it as she hung it up. She stood on her hind legs and wiggled her rear out of her snow pants, and Harshwhinny found herself unable to look away from the teacher’s round rump. She almost had a heart attack when Cheerilee giggled, looking over her shoulder and noticing as she kicked her pants away. “You look really pent up…” she teased. Harshwhinny shook her head, trying to make her blush go away. She gave Cheerilee her best indignant look and asked, “What exactly are you doing here? It’s the middle of the school year!” “I know,” Cheerilee said a little shyly, tracing shapes in the carpet with her hoof. “I asked for a transfer from the school board. I moved a few blocks away, and I was wondering… well, if you’d show me around town, once the snow stops.” Harshwhinny’s heart soared, but her brain went into a rage. “Y-you what?” she spluttered. “I moved here,” Cheerilee said with a bright smile. “I’m going to miss my students, and it isn’t the most adult thing to do, but… I never found happiness by being a responsible adult. I thought it was about time I tried a childish risk. You know… for a change of pace.” Harshwhinny’s brow creased in concern, her muzzle torn between a concerned frown and a grateful smile. “Cheerilee…” Cheerilee chuckled a little as her stomach let out a loud growl. “I, um, didn’t really have a chance to get lunch yet. Mind if I eat something here…?” Harshwhinny paused for a moment and let out a deep breath, smiling happily as she lead her guest to the kitchen. “I’m not the best cook, just to warn you.” “How can you mess up tossing a salad?” Cheerilee half asked, half teased. “Oh trust me, there are ways,” Harshwhinny chuckled. “Why don’t you let me handle lunch, then? I’m sure I can scrounge something up,” Cheerilee offered. “That’s awfully kind of you, but…” Harshwhinny looked to her guest to see a hopeful gleam in her eye. “Oh fine. Go right ahead.” “Two salads, coming right up!” Cheerilee practically sang, rushing past Harshwhinny. The older mare could barely get a word out before the younger was speeding around the kitchen, getting out various odds and ends and foodstuffs and muttering incomprehensibly to herself. After several failed attempts to speak up, she contented herself to sit back and watch her guest scramble about. Before she really even knew what happened, Cheerilee had made a pair of salads, poured them two glasses of Harshwhinny’s mead, and set up both candles and her nice tablecloth. “H-hope you didn’t mind I got out your booze,” Cheerilee panted as she pulled out Harshwhinny’s seat. “Not at all; I’d say this is the perfect occasion to use it up,” Harshwhinny said shyly, taking the offered chair. “Quite the gentlemare; I’m flattered.” “Glad to be of service,” Cheerilee smiled, circling around and taking the seat opposite. She was still panting before she took a deep breath and straightened herself out. “To be honest I’ve wanted a night like this for a long… long time.” “It’s morning,” Harshwhinny cracked with a smirk. “Close enough for me,” Cheerilee giggled. She looked a little into Harshwhinny’s eyes with a wistful smile, making the older mare blush deeper still, before raising her glass. “To us?” Harshwhinny grinned and clinked her glass against Cheerilee’s. “To us, and to childish risks.” The two giggled to each other and drank deep, without apologies, without regret, and without the slightest desire to escape from anything. It was immature, it was reckless, and it bucked any sense of foresight. And Harshwhinny felt ten years younger for it.