The school day after the election ended with little foals chatting excitedly as they left. Some walked out heading straight home and others followed after Pip as they gave endless suggestions on how he could convince the school board to fund the new playground. The joy was thick in the air after finally having a new class president. Some practically wiped their brows in relief. Lily Longsocks watched them as she retrieved her book bag. Their reactions were rather curious to her for they were the ones responsible for voting her in the first place.
Lily shrugged. She had another issue on her mind. Every foal knew about her super strength. At the moment they were too excited over Pip’s win to focus on it. It also wasn’t like that had never seen strange happing’s or magic but sooner or later they would come asking. Hopefully she could convince them to keep the secret. After all foals had to stick together.
Lily slung her book bag across her back and watched as the last of her classmates ran out to catch up with Pip. She hadn’t lived in Ponyville all that long but she was already sure that most of the fillies and colts were pretty nice. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were the only bad apples she had met in the little town so far. Perhaps it would be just one now though. Silver Spoon was following Pip along with the rest of the class.
“Is something wrong Lily?” The voice of Mrs. Cheerilee broke Lily out of her thoughts.
Lily looked up into her teachers concerned eyes. “Oh..uh..no. Just thinking about the election.”
Mrs. Cheerilee looked at the retreating group of foals. “I’m kinda’ glad with the outcome. It was about time that Diamond was taken down a notch and I mean that for her own good. I just hope that she will learn from this rather than just becoming bitter.”
“I think that the Cutie Mark Crusaders went to talk to her,” Lily replied as she headed for the door. “Hopefully they can help her.”
“I hope so too. Perhaps I’ll go have a talk with her parents tomorrow and see how she is doing,” Cheerilee said. “Are you sure that you’re alright. You seem a little anxious.”
“I’m fine,” Lily assured her. “I’m just eager to get home and tell my parents what happed at school today.” With that Lily fled out the door. She hated being rude to the nicest teacher that she had ever met but now that her secret was out she couldn’t help but feel transparent.
Mrs. Cheerilee watched her go wishing that her students would be a little more honest with her. They would find out that she could actually help them a lot. She shrugged and sighed before heading out the door. She locked the school house behind her and waived to Lily who was heading down the path. Lily smiled a little too big as he waived back.
Mrs. Cheerilee shook her head and started off in the opposite direction. She hadn’t gone too far before she suddenly stopped. “Oh, ponyfeathers. I forgot to grade any papers in all the excitement today,” she muttered to herself. I’ll just take them home with me.” She turned and made her way back to the school house.
* * *
“It’s been an exciting day, Prickles,” Lily said looking back at her book bags. “Pip won instead of Diamond Tiara. They stood up against her bullying and fake charismatic niceness. Me too. I almost fell for her show of friendliness a couple times in the past but you only have to look back on what she’s done in the past to know that she’s not a pony that you would want for president. She didn’t win this time though and now we have a president who wants to actually use the position as what it was meant for. I mean seriously? A statue of her?
“I think that everypony would be glad for a new playground. That is what our new president wants to see happen. What do you think?”
There was no response. Lily stopped and took her book bag off her back. Prickles always came out when she headed home from school.
“Prickles? Are you sleeping?” Lily asked as she opened the bag. Inside there were her books, quills and paper, even the little nest Lily had made for her pet hedgehog but no Prickles. Lily face hoofed. “Not again.” She groaned. “He knows that if he comes to school with me he has to stay in the book bags!” Lily swung her book bag onto her back and galloped towards the school house.
The country quaint little building was soon in sight. Heading straight for the playground Lily scanned the ruined and damaged equipment. The last that she had seen him was out here just before the last campaign. A quick search of the playground turned up nothing and Lily’s eyes fell on the school house. He did love to burrow under things including buildings.
“At least I don’t have to worry about heavy things anymore,” Lily said aloud. She trotted over to the edge of the building and slid her hooves under the foundations. With one easy pull she lifted the school house above her head.
Instead of just hearing sliding desks Lily heard the high pitched scream of her teacher. Lily yelped dropping the building.
“Cuur.” A tiny little voice sounded our behind her. Lily spun around to see prickles crawling out from under the fallen merry-go round, covered in dirt and rubbing sleepy eyes. Lily snatched up the little hedgehog and bolted.
The door to the school house slung open. Mrs. Cheerilee’s head poked out amid a flurry of ungraded papers.
“Wha…what….?” The wide eyed teacher looked around the path but saw nopony or anything out of the ordinary was to be seen. She ran around the building but only to find everything as it should be.
As her teacher stood flabbergasted Lily was racing away. Her ears were laid back and her hoofs pounded the earth as she propelled herself home with all her might. Prickles stood on her back all the way with one paw holding on to her mane and the other in the air. A huge grin was plastered on his tiny little face as he cried out, “Weeeeeeeee!”
(When Lily lifted up the school during the vote song I started wondering what if Mrs. Cheerilee was inside?)