Epilogue: Need You Now
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.
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Well that was certainly a bit heartwarming. I'm glad this story got capped off just right. Keep up the good work.
Good story ^^
...and...
I guess I have to leave that here:
3991015 You know, I was (zzzt!) kidding, right? (Zzzt!) It takes (zzzt) a lot to (zzzt!) kill me.
But (zzzt!) thank for the con-(zzzt)-cern, though.
Okay yes, I get that Harshwinney is lonely and all, but she seems a bit underreactave considering that a former one-night stand just moved halfway across the country on a whim, and then expected to barge in and live happily ever after.
Then again, it might just be me and my stupid, pessimstic brain.
It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now....
3991638 Said I would't call...but I'm a little drunk and I need you now.
3991644 Country, y u delve into the netherlands of pop music? Well, except for this.
This is too catchy for me to hate.
3991697 So true.So...you're not gonna believe who's here with me...Derpy!
3991400
Thank you! Expect some more shipping things from me in the coming month or two.
3991498
So true, though I'd probably appreciate the "solving" part more if I actually drank.
3991631
Aside from the seizures, what'd you think of the finale?
3991635
No, I can see why you'd believe that, and I can respect that.
3991638
Correct~!
3991758 A-(zzzt!)-mazing!
(zzzt!)
I think that (zzzt!) this sh-(zzzt!)-ould wear off so-(zzzt!)-on.
3991758 You actually meant to reference that wonderful piece of music? 94.7, Q-D-R! I wuv that station...
3969708
3969890
If your looking for a group to celebrate random ships, I made one. I really do like off the wall ships. They're just full of possibilities!
Yay! Happy Ending! I love happy endings! I much prefer this one. Thank you for writing it!
3991015
Probably not even on here. It was a very popular story from before FIMFIC. Same era as The Ballad of Twilight Sparkle by Gravekeeper and Growing Pains by Peroth E.
Geeze. The obvious song cue, and NOBODY gets it!
But... Heh. Maybe they both couldn't stop thinking about that one time.
But the lyric is kind of appropriate.
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind. For me it happens all the time.
3991767
...
...
Of course; what better reference when it comes to a story of alcohol and loneliness?
3991982
Wuh?
3992197
Joined~!
3992362
You're welcome! A lot of you wanted it, and I was happy to provide.
3992797
Wow, didn't realize I was that new to the fandom...
None of which I've heard of.
3993670
But yes, love that song.
Two people started citing the lyrics a bit earlier.
3996244
So does that mean if we ask for it you'll write us a little bedroom scene?
3996390
I'm not going to try my hand at clop... quite yet. 
Prrrrobably not.
3996244
The first season of ponies brought us some of the most epic stories the fandom's still yet seen. I still remember the big divide in the fandom between Past Sins and Fallout: Equestria when both were new. Probably why FIMFIC got started... the only way we knew where ponyfiction was, was if it got onto EQD.
Keep up the good work!
Wait... it's already over?
derpicdn.net/img/view/2012/6/24/18274__safe_pinkie+pie_animated_pinkamena+diane+pie_sad_higurashi+no+naku+koro+ni_artist-colon-fantasyblade_naraku+no+hana.gif
Well sh*t, was hoping it'd be longer
D'awww, that was sweet
4000362
Sorry to disappoint.
4016326
It's a reference to the gem called "green amethyst." The scientific name, that is.
Yes, it is, though I forgot to change her color scheme.
4022991
Glad you thought so!
*Reads the chapter again* Fucking love this chapter the most!!! I've read it 30 times now!!!
I just thought of another way this could have ended. Miss Harshwhinny could have quit her high stress job as the inspector and come to Ponyville to be the school's new gym teacher!
I really like this story, and the happy ending is just perfect. It's always nice to see a good Harshwhinny shipping story!
Harshwhinny has a Character Tag.
10/10. OTP. Harshwhinny is best pony.
Done.
Boom.
It usually involves teeth and hemorrhoids.