//------------------------------// // Cheerilee's Lesson, Ending 1: The Mischeivous Friend // Story: Tales of Hapless Humans and Hypnotic Hijinks // by TheKissoftheVoid //------------------------------// “Now then, before you can wake up, I have a few things I want you to remember. The first is this: you love my students. Seeing them happy makes you happy too. You adore all the fillies and colts in town just as much as they adore you. In fact, you’re almost like a big brother to them. You play with them, you look out for them, and you make sure that they stay safe and in line. This is your new reality. Tell me you understand.” “I understand.” “Good. Now, on to the next thing.” She’s beginning to sound very pleased with herself, and you can’t help but faintly smile as well. If Cheerilee’s happy, you’re happy. “Sometime this month, you’re going to make one of those ‘delicate little traps’ you like to brag about. Before you do though, you’re going to tell me what it is, where it is, and how it works, and then you're going to forget that you told me. Finally, once you’ve set it up, you will immediately forget having done so. You’ll remember this, deep in the back of your mind, once you wake up. Tell me you understand." “I understand.” “Very good. You’ve done so well today. Very soon, I’m going to wake you up, and when you wake up you’ll forget everything that happened while you were hypnotized. Repeat that for me.” “When I wake up, I’ll forget everything that happened while I was hypnotized.” “Wonderful,” she says, and you hear her giggle. “Just one more thing before you can wake up. I have some very specific phrases that I need to teach you. Are you ready?” Nod. Three Weeks Later You are completely, utterly exhausted, but also very satisfied. Running laps around the school playground with a foal on each shoulder is a hell of a workout, but every time you hear their shrieks of joy and happy laughter, it makes it just a little bit easier to ignore your burning muscles. You finish your circuit, breathing hard, and lift Dinky Hooves and Pipsqueak off of your shoulders. At least the only ones left are two of the smallest foals in the school, you think as you set them down. For the last couple of weeks you’ve been hosting a bit of an after-school play session with the students. You really don’t know why you didn’t think of this sooner. Seeing the joy on these little guys’ faces lights up your whole day. And today I could really use that, you think wryly. You still don’t know how Cheerilee managed to set up that pie contraption in the supply closet, but you have to admit she got you good. One of your few outfits is now covered in whipped cream and berry stains, and you're already dreading having to explain this to Rarity. Despite that, you’d be lying if you said it hadn’t been funny. You just didn’t laugh. . . much. . . in front of Cheerilee. . . Looking up, you're reminded that it’s hard to stay annoyed at anything with Dinky bouncing up and down in front of you, squealing, “Again, again!” as Pip looks at you in his quiet, but no less hopeful way. Unfortunately, you think you’ve given just about all you’ve got. “Sorry Dinky,” you say with a worn-out smile, “but the human needs to take a break. Where you kids get all this energy, I’ll never know.” “Awwww, please! One more human-back ride!” she whines. In spite of your fatigue, the disappointment in her voice and on Pip’s face nearly convinces you. Only a well-timed drop of sweat in your eye keeps you from pushing yourself over the edge of total exhaustion. You bite back a curse, opting instead for, “In a little bit, Dinky,” earning you a pout and petulant stomp that you can’t help but chuckle at. “At least let me get a drink first, okay?” “Oh, okay,” she says reluctantly, heading over to the swings. Pip, on the other hand, is beaming again, and you can’t help but return the smile as you head into the schoolhouse. As you walk in you’re greeted by Cheerilee’s smile as she looks up from the new lesson she’s planning. You make a two step detour on the way to the sink to give her ear a quick scratch. She giggles happily as you take a few gulps from the tap. “Having fun?” You wipe your mouth and say, “That I am, though at this rate I think it’s gonna kill me. What are these foals eating?” Cheerilee giggles again, and replies, “Pinkie Pie dropped by during lunch with some samples of the newest cupcake from Sugarcube Corner. She said it was called the “Sugar Snickerdoodle Supreme.” You freeze halfway through stretching your shoulders before giving a couple serious nods. “Yeah, I suppose that’d do it.” You turn to her. “So, is everypony still talking about my so called ‘miraculous change’ when it comes to ponies touching me?” For a split second you could swear that she looks nervous, but it’s there and gone before you’re even sure you saw it. “Nope,” she says, “it’s finally starting to die down. There are a couple exceptions; Lyra, for instance, will probably be singing songs about it until the end of time, but most everypony else is more or less used to it now.” She smirks. “Not that you give us a choice.” You grin mischievously. “What can I say? I guess I had an epiphany about the error of my ways, and boy am I ever happy I did. Gotta make up for lost time now.” You throw her a wink. “You ponies are good huggers.” Cheerilee’s about to say something when a squeaky, frustrated voice calls from outside, “Are you done resting now? Can we have another human ride?” Ugh. . .You heave an exhausted sigh and look back at Cheerilee. “I want to Dinky, I do,” you say quietly, “but I just don’t know if I have it in me.” Cheerilee trots over to you and puts a hoof on your leg. You respond by running a hand through her mane, and she fights back a sigh as she says, “are you sure you haven’t got just one more human-back ride?” She looks into your eyes. “Not even for the children?” You give your head a quick shake, suddenly feeling as though you've space out, and a tired smile makes its way onto your face. “You’re right Cheers, you’re right. For the children, I think I can find one more run in me somewhere.” You stumble back out into the yard, Cheerilee in tow, only to find Dinky begging her mother to let her stay just a little bit longer, while Pip is already being lead away by his father. You give both parents a smile and a big wave, which Derpy returns with enthusiasm. Despite Dinky’s pleas, Derpy insists on leaving, (something about burning muffins if they don’t leave now), and so after a great deal of whining, a few tears, and a positively heart-wrenching goodbye huyg, you find yourself alone with Cheerilee. Well, I didn’t like seeing her so disappointed, but at least I can finally rest, you think to yourself. You turn to Cheerilee, who’s eyeing you with a rather mysterious grin, and say, “anything left that I can help you with, Cheers?” She walks up to you slowly as she says, “Well, my lesson plan’s done, and we can take care of their storm history reports next week.” She stops directly in front of you, that smile growing bigger by the second. “There is one thing, though.” Cheerilee suddenly rears up on her hind legs, her forehooves carefully climbing up your body before resting gently on your shoulders. You instinctively grab her mid-section to steady her, baffled by her unexpected move. Cheerilee simply looks into your eyes and says, “I have a lesson for you.” An immediate, familiar sensation of heavy numbness settles into your body and mind. Your eyes glaze over, and you can’t seem to focus on anything but Cheerilee. Distantly, you feel your knees buckle, leaving Cheerilee’s face looming just above your own, still wearing that mysterious little grin from before. “. . . Cheerilee?” Her face descends, nuzzling your cheek ever so gently, and you feel her breath tickle your ear as she whispers. “Sleep.”