• Published 26th May 2014
  • 5,386 Views, 144 Comments

The Vacation - Hope Caster



When Spike is called to Canterlot on official business and the CMC are brought on a school field trip, an attempt to get their cutie marks quickly goes wrong. While Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are punished, Spike is tasked with watching Sweetie Belle

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Day 4 (Cheerilee's and The Cutie Mark Crusader's Day)

“I don’t get it, out of anything you could fall for, why a dragon?” Scootaloo asked. She had been walking back and forth for a good thirty minutes, interrogating Sweetie Belle about her ‘friend’. Scootaloo would have asked her about Spike the other night, but she went straight to sleep before she could be interrogated. “Out of all colts to go girly for,” Scootaloo said with a shudder, “what could have caused you to like Spike?! He is a librarian, a comic nerd, somepony that if he gets too greedy, turns into a monster! What on Earth is the appeal?!”

“I don’t like Spike like that!” Sweetie defended. “All he did was show me around and Canterlot Castle, nothing more.”

“Is that why you smile when you say his name!?” Scootaloo pointed out. Although Sweetie was smiling, the smile was barely visible. “Admit it, Sweetie; you’re in love with him!”

“I’m not! Scootaloo, I do not like any colts, or drakes for that matter!” Sweetie declared.

Scootaloo looked into Sweetie Belle’s eyes and saw a flicker of guilt, as if she was hiding something. “What are you hiding?” she whispered angrily. Sweetie did something, something she would feel anger towards. “What did he do?”

“He got me an awesome dress. I don’t know what else to say! Besides, how do you think Rarity would react if Spike and I dated?”


Meanwhile, in the city of Manehattan, Rarity had a conversation with Princess Twilight Sparkle. “Please?” She asked her friend.

“No.” Twilight responded.

“Please?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Please!? Twilight, come on! Look at the picture again!” Rarity levitated the picture and shoved it in Twilight’s face. “It’s my sister sleeping on Spike’s lap!” She turned the picture around took a quick glance at its contents. “And he’s blushing. Just do it!”

“Rarity, I am not going to make a love poison so you can force your sister and Spike into a relationship!” Twilight shouted.

“Twilight, Twilight, Twilight, I’m not forcing them together one bit. A lady does know her boundaries after all. I’m merely suggesting that we make them realize their feelings for each other they probably never knew they had, as we control things in the background without them knowing.”

Twilight could only face hoof.


“Let me tell you, she would be against it!” Sweetie declared.

“Sides Scoots, don’t you like a few colts? What about Rumble and Featherweight? Ya sure do act weird around them.” Acting weird was an understatement. Following Rainbow Dash’s drunken advice, Scootaloo had sworn off all colts. Every time either of the two came even remotely close to her, she would enter a rage mode and would then insult and yell at them in various ways.

“Yeah, I do, but you don’t see me flirting or even talking with them. I won’t be the reason we split up.” Scootaloo huffed.

“We won’t split up,” Sweetie Belle consoled. “Spike is in a meeting today so I promise you, nothing will happen between me and him. Besides, he’s just a really cute friend, cool friend… I meant to say cool friend…. I’m gonna go get my dress…. Bye girls!” Sweetie said as she quickly left the room.


Cheerilee was feeling this depressed. Cheerilee had felt down before, but this was different. She was beginning to feel empty, emptier than she had ever felt before. The more she spent time with her students, the less fulfilled she felt. Normally she wouldn’t be bothered by the thought, but then there was another feeling, loneliness. Sighing, she dragged herself out of bed as she did every morning and went to the lobby to collect her foals.

Her personal plan for this little field trip had been doomed from the start. She planned on at least meeting one stallion, but so far the only stallions she had managed to gain the attention of were guards, and that was because they usually needed to hand her a bill or two because her foals couldn't stay out of trouble for one single day! Her students... at the moment, she only felt distain for some of them. They were the reason that no stallion would notice her this week.


War Trotter sat reviewing the files of the foals that had attacked and beaten his troops, and the files of the attacked troops. It was overwhelming. How were foals no older than 10 able to take down his recruits? Their Cutie Marks said they were the best of the best, it made no sense. It was probably do to the training they received from the tactical master, Cheerilee. Somepony like her should have been on the guards watch list, but she probably used her temptress like charms to fool everypony that came near her, but he wouldn’t fall for her cunning tricks, he would stay vigilant and defeat her at her own game. It was funny really, if it were not for her students, War Trotter would have probably never even noticed her.


“She said he was a cute friend, Apple Bloom!” Scootaloo argued as the two entered the lobby. “Just hear me out; if we hurry we can probably break into the castle and save her from herself. Just look, it’s spreading!” Scootaloo pointed to the center of the lobby. For some reason, Twist was hugging Truffle Shuffle close, giggling as she did so. “This right here, this is what Sweetie Belle will turn into. She’s going to go all mushy on us!” As Scootaloo gave her third anti-love speech that morning, Apple Bloom rolled her eyes and left to congratulate Twist.

“Twist give Truffle some breathing room…” Cheerilee called. Twist ignored her. She seemed to hug Truffle even tighter, intent on snapping his spine. “It means stop hugging him!” Cheerilee forcefully yelled. Twist responded by letting Truffle go and moving just a few steps to her left. “Good, thank you.” Cheerilee took tally of the foals. “Strange, where’s Pip? Has anypony seen Pip?” She asked, looking around the room.

“I’m right here,” Everypony turned around to find Pip entering the hotel. It was like seeing a different pony for the first time. He was wearing thick dark sunglasses, a dark grey shirt and a jet-black over coat. His collar as popped up and he combed his mane downward so that it partially covered his glass’s left lens.

Cheerilee was taken aback by his new look, but soon found herself asking the one question on everyone’s mind, “Pip, what’s going on?”

“I’m simply following my path in life,” Pip answered. “You see, I’ve come to realize that the only true path to walk is the path of darkness. How fulfilled are we, Ms. Cheerilee? Do you think we actually care about what you teach us when you know that it will all be for not once we have obtained our Cutie Marks? Tell me, is this where you thought you’d be when you were our age? We act like we have friendship and love, but do we? Just look, you and me, we have nopony. Nopony to love us, to hug us, to be there when you have a creepy nightmare. Ponies like you and I have no pony but ourselves. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to join my friends.” Pip flipped his hair and left to talk with Button Mash and Rumble.

“That’s not helping me.” Cheerilee muttered.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo watched as Pip walked past them. “Does Pipsqueak think he looks cool?” Apple Bloom asked.

“If he does, he shouldn’t. The Neo look was deemed uncool by Rainbow Dash one year, two months, three days, 6 hours and 35 minutes ago.”

“Do ya have a bible about Rainbow Dash?”

“Do you not?” Scootaloo asked.

“Okay everypony, let’s go, you all still have a class to attend,” Cheerilee called in a monotone voice as she walked torwards the hotel's entrance. For the first time in a long time, Cheerilee led her students without even trying to make eye contact. Pip had a point, what was her purpose? Everything she taught would eventually fade away into her students respective trades. She would just be another face out in the crowd, remembered as somepony that punished them on their class field trip. She was nothing. The only bright side was that after this sorry excuse of a vacation was over, she could retreat to her house for the summer. Just one more day of a lecture, a museum tour and a dance on Friday. “Oh sweet Celestia, the dance!” She nearly screamed.

While wallowing in self-pity, Cheerilee forgot to hire a DJ. It was still manageable though, all she needed to do was find a struggling DJ that could work on short notice. Cheerilee led her class into the School for Gifted Unicorns and brought them to Lecture Hall 374. Entering the class room, she quickly explained her situation to the hosting professor. The professor merely nodded, motioning her to go. “Kids, you behave for Professor Page Turner, and I will see you all in a few hours." Cheerilee left the room in a hurry, determined to finish her errand before her class did something illegal or worse.

As Cheerilee’s class took their seats, Page Turner opened his textbook. “Now if everypony would turn to page 60, we’ll talk about the history of explosives!”

Apple Bloom’s head shot up. Explosives. Cutie Mark Crusaders: Demolitionist. It was so simple, so obvious, yet it never once crossed her mind. Apple Bloom had a few seconds of explosive training the first day in Canterlot when she blew up a stockpile of weapons. With her help, the Cutie Mark Crusaders would be demolition masters by the end of the day. All she needed to do was talk it over with Scootaloo. “Hey Scootaloo, how hard do ya think it will be to blow things up… What are ya doin?” She asked, noticing Scootaloo looked like she was taking notes.

“I’m making a list of things I can do to break Sweetie Belle and Spike apart if they become a couple. Turns out a hatred potion is just as easy to make as the love poison we made a few months back.”

“Scootaloo, if ya can make a chart detailing this, why couldn’t ya help me and Sweetie out when we made that chart detailing the food chain?”

“Because, unlike that, this is important! Now, if Sweetie Belle saw Spike kissing Diamond Tiara, what would her reaction be?”


It was official, Cheerilee hated her life. It took her some time, but she had found a DJ. Unfortunately, that same DJ seemed to act like the world's most punch-able pony. “So, you think you can afford someone with my talent? Think you can waltz on in here, thinking that I’ll sell my soul for some cheap gig?” The DJ said as she spun around in her swivel chair. “Well, you thought wrong!” The mare said, stopping in front of Cheerilee. “I’m Vinyl Scratch. I’m awesome. I just hit my payday. I don’t need no teacher telling me what to do and I don’t care what your flier says!” Vinyl took the poster Cheerilee had obtained during her search and threw it in the trash.

Cheerilee merely placed a letter on the desk in retaliation. “When I came in, your doorman asked me to give this to you. I don’t know what it is, but the fact it says ‘Past Due’ can’t be good.”

Vinyl Scratch merely nodded as she moved the letter out of sight. “... Okay, so maybe I would sell my soul for a gig… what’s the pay?”

“550 bits.”

“1500,” Vinyl offered.

“675,” Cheerilee retaliated.

“1325?”

“825, Final offer.”

“Deal!” Vinyl shouted in excitement. “Okay, just tell me the time and place and I’ll be there moderately early, Mrs….”

“It’s Ms. Cheerilee,” The teacher said.

“Cheerilee, huh? Nice to meet you. B.T.Dubs, sorry for the way I acted, my first rule of DJing is making it seem like I’m unattainable."

"Does that not backfire?"

"Oh, no, it constantly does. It's probably why I can't make rent most of the times. My roommates keep telling me to stop, but you just have to go with your gut you know?"

"I do and the last time I've gone with my gut; I drank a love potion and nearly got married in a pit in the middle of an orchard. The first time I went with my gut landed me a job I am slowly starting to hate, and against a ratio of 0 to 2, I am going with my gut right now in hiring you."

"If it means anything, you're gut is not wrong this time, nothing I do ever goes wrong ever, you know besides a few business deal, but I can also say that nothing distracts me! Except my roommates…. but one has a late night show tonight so he’s sleeping and the other one…” Vinyl’s ears began to twitch as she turned around in her swivel chair. “You are freaking kidding me, she said she was going out.” Vinyl grumbled.

“Vinyl!” A mare called, barging in on the two. “What have I said about putting empty milk cartons in the fridge?!” The mare took a breath and calmed down just enough to not yell. “Vinyl,” She said, marching towards the unicorn. “I like to think of myself as an exceptional roommate. I always pay rent on time, I rarely get mad when you can’t cover the full rent and I have to chip in to pay, which is always! I didn’t become livid, when you told Neon he could stay with us, and I didn’t go off on you when you tried to have camera ponies film our lives for some stupid reality show. All I ask of you is one little thing, throw the milk out when it’s empty! Seriously, how hard is that…!? Who’s this?” She asked, finally noticing Cheerilee.

“Octavia, this is Cheerilee, Cheerilee this is my roommate, Octavia. Cheerilee is going to be helping me pay rent this month.”

“I get it, last minute wedding DJ, right?” Octavia asked. “Look, I know you think you want a DJ, but band is, what Vinyl would say, ‘where it is at’. I assure you, whatever Vinyl can play; a band could play it better.”

“Oh jump off a cliff!” Vinyl exclaimed, “My music is ten times more memorable than your prissy little orchestra! I can turn literally anything I hear into music and make it good!”

“Right, because everypony wants to hear ROMP, ROMP, R-R-R-R-R-ROMP ROMP-ROMP-ROMP!” Octavia said, mimicking Vinyl’s music.

“Dub-step is amazing and will never go out of style, unlike… LudWing Van Big-head!”

“200 years! The music of Ludwing Van Beethoven has survived 200 years!” Octavia argued. “Dub-step is just random sounds tuned to the same base line that, come a few years, will be forgotten like that Gun Gun Style Guy!”

It was not long before a stallion wearing thick shades walked out of a room rubbing his eyes. “Can you two stop fighting?! I have a late party tonight and I need at least some sleep… Oh, I didn’t know we had a guest,” The stallion paused. “Hi, I’m Neon Lights… I see you’ve met my roommates….” He extended a hoof, which Cheerilee took.

“Hi, I’m Cheerilee… And yes I have. They are interesting to say the least. You wouldn’t happen to be a DJ, would you?”

“Um… I am, why?”

“Well, the one I was hoping to hire is preoccupied at the moment,” She sighed. Seeing the two mares fighting like children began to give her a migraine. She rubbed the sides of her head, shutting her eyes tightly. The voices of the two mares raised in pitch until they seemed to match the tones of fillies that she would teach. For the first time in her life, Cheerilee felt like she was going to snap and do major bodily harm to the nearest child.

“Are you okay?” Neon asked, looking over the stressed mare.

“Hmm… Oh i-it’s nothing… I’ve just been thinking about my life recently and I keep thinking… where am I going?” She sighed as Vinyl’s and Octavia’s fight intensify. “I used to love my job. When I saw one of my students excel at a subject or show genuine interest in a subject, it gave me some joy… but now I just keep looking at the clock thinking ‘how long until I can go home?’ And when I look at my students, I don’t see bright incorrigible young souls, all I see now are kids that will move on to whatever their Cutie Marks tell them to move on to and I would have been a waste of their time. I just don’t want to be bothered anymore… with anything.”

“Do I know what that feels like,” Neon said, putting his arm around Cheerilee. “Look, I’ve been caught in a rut too. When I first started DJ-ing it was the best part of my life, but after like a year and a half, I began to feel empty and sleep deprived… then there were the hallucinations and other things….” Neon said reflecting on his personal demons. “Anyway,” he recovered, shaking his head, “I was stuck in a run-down apartment, I was up late all the time, everypony thought I was Vinyl’s sidekick, and the one mare I actually liked wouldn’t give me the time of day.”

“So how did you get through it all?”

“Well, one day, when I was contemplating quitting my job for the sixteenth-thousand time, I began to toy around with one of my old recording sets. What I didn’t know at the time was that I had left the window open. So, I was messing with one of my songs trying to make a decent remix and when I finished and played it to make sure it was tolerable, I hear a voice call out and ask if I could play another song. I look outside and on the sidewalk was a colt that had been listening to my remix. Seeing the kid happy just because I played a song was refreshing, probably because he didn’t need to be drunk to enjoy it. I’ve never forgotten that kid’s smile, and thanks to him, my love for music was re-ignited.”

“Wow… But wait, what about you being single?” Cheerilee asked.

“Oh, well, the mare at least knows my name… But I think she’s more focused on her than she is anything else.”

“Is it the unicorn over there?” Cheerilee pointed to Vinyl who was pretending to strum a violin.

“You’re not even mocking the instrument I play!” Octavia shouted. “It’s called a cello, not a violin and you could at least try adding a convincing sound effect!”

“I can’t, because whenever I hear your music, I fall straight to sleep! The only thing your instruments are good for is when I smash them after I drop the base!”

“I knew it! I knew you smashed my cello!”

“Sweet Celestia, no!” Neon said, urking a little. “Vinyl is like my sister. The thought of us is just… Ugh,” Neon shuddered.

“Hey screw you, tons of stallions want me!” Vinyl proclaimed angrily.

“Yes Vinyl, because stallions just love when a juvenile mare with horrible tastes in music leech off of them,” Octavia sneered.

“At least most of my boyfriends can stand to give me a second date!”

“As I stated before, I broke up with them after the first date!” Octavia shouted.

“Sure you did,” Vinyl sarcastically chuckled.

“Anyway, just don’t give up.” Neon told Cheerilee, getting the conversation back on track. “Now about this job you’re offering…. What is it exactly?”

“Don’t gig block me, you prick!” Vinyl interrupted as Octavia rolled her eyes.

“He’s not, I am,” Cheerilee told Vinyl, before returning her attention to Neon. “I need a DJ for a dance tomorrow that I have planned for my students,” Cheerilee explained.

“Wait, as in, music fit for kids? As in, a dance that would end at 11:00, at the latest?”

“Yes, why?”

“I’ll take it!” Neon shouted trapping Cheerilee in a tight hug. “Oh thank you! It has been weeks since I slept at night! Just pay whatever you feel is fit and send me the location; I’ll be there 30 minutes early to set up!”

“Okay… how’s 900 bits?” Cheerilee asked.

“900 is perfect!”

“900!? I was only getting 825, and that’s after I haggled!” Vinyl wined.

“Dear Luna, you can’t even argue without getting distracted!” Octavia groaned, winning back Vinyl’s attention. “Seriously, buy some Adderall, it’s cheap and it will keep you focused!”

“Yes, because being focused is the best thing ever, Mrs. So-Focused-On-Her-Job-Her-Cooch-Is-As-Dry-As-The-Freaking-Desert!”

“It’s not dry, and I’m not that kind of mare, Vinyl! I don’t need a stallion to make me feel good about myself!” Octavia said, turning red with embarrassment and anger.

“Right, which is why you have battery operated friends in your bottom draw!”

“Ignoring them,” Neon instructed Cheerilee, as Octavia began yelling at Vinyl about personal space and respecting the rooms and locked draws of other ponies. “Thank you for this opportunity.”

“No problem….” Cheerilee said as she began to head for the door. “Before I go though, how long will I be depressed about my lifet?”

“Oh, well it varies. You just need to remember why you’re doing what you’re doing,” Neon explained. “For me, I love playing music, and I’m happy when ponies enjoy the music I play. Sure I could do without the late nights, but if one pony that’s not too drunk can say he liked what I played, I’m happy.” Neon opened the door for Cheerilee, “Oh, and I’ll see you tomorrow at…?”

“8:00 pm, Marritrott conference room.”

“Great, see you then!” After Cheerilee left, Neon closed the door and attempted out the fire that was Octavia and Vinyl. “Hey girls can we just say that both types of music have their ups and downs?”

“This isn’t about the fucking music!” The two screamed in unison.


Cheerilee picked up the foals late in the afternoon and guided them back to the hotel. Although most of the foals were covered with ash, smelled of cannon powder, and part of the school seemed to be missing a wall, the professor, Page Turner, assured her that everything was fine and it was only to be expected. So, under his instructions, they were all off the hook and the damages were written off as an unfortunate accident.

With little to do, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom went to their room to relax after a long day at school and for Apple Bloom, mixing a bit too much explosive materials together. When they entered the room, Sweetie Belle was there on one of the beds, hugging a pillow close to her stomach as she buried her face in it. “Hey Sweetie Belle. So what happened with you ‘cute’ friend today?” Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie Belle mumbled something into her pillow.

“I didn’t quite catch that,” Scootaloo said. “Wait, did Spike break your heart?! Please say Spike broke your heart! Nod if Spike broke your heart! If he did, I will personally see to it he gets what’s coming to him.” Scootaloo excitedly declared. Scootaloo couldn’t help but imagine what Sweetie Belle would say after she kicked the stuffing out of Spike.

‘Wow Scootaloo, you were right about Spike,’ Sweetie Belle would begin as she apologize to her. ‘To think I was in love with him! If it weren’t for your words of wisdom, I think I might have made a mistake and gotten us disbanded, because like Rainbow Dash said, boyfriends tear friendships apart, and it must be true because Rainbow Dash is always right! You’re so awesome Scootaloo!" She would praise, after all, you had to be awesome to be Rainbow Dash's surrogate little sister. But Sweetie wouldn't stop their, she would continue by saying, 'Also you have a normal and healthy fixation with Rainbow Dash, regardless of what your parents, Rainbow Dash, and therapist say! Also, my sister stinks, so does Apple Jack! Rainbow Dash is the coolest pony in the history of ever!’ Scootaloo smiled as she patiently waited for Sweetie Belle to nod her head yes.

Sweetie Belle bit her lip as she reflected on the noon she had spent with Spike… She had been so nervous that it was close to embarrassing! He didn’t break her heart though, in fact, because of him, she was excited… Because he was such a cool friend and no. other. reason. Sweetie Belle shook her head no and tensed her body even more, as if she was trying to become one with the pillow.

“Sweetie Belle, you’re shaking your head no…. If you're saying he didn't break your heart then what happened?”

Sweetie mumbled something into her pillow.

“What?” Scootaloo asked, trying to make out what she was saying. “Oh I get it," she gasped, "he came onto you and you shot him down like a plane.”

“No… and I don’t want to talk about it. It’s stupid.” Sweetie Belle said, removing her mouth from the pillow.

“Sweetie Belle, whatever it is, ya can tell us, we promise, we won’t laugh,” Apple Bloom assured.

“Okay, but… can you promise you won’t get mad?” Sweetie asked.

“We promise,” Apple Bloom said.

“… I asked Spike out.” Sweetie Belle admitted.

Silence fell and the reactions were mixed. Apple Bloom only let out a sigh, knowing what would follow, while Scootaloo’s face twisted in a fit of confusion, anger, and betrayal. “Damn you…. Damn you Spike!” She yelled as she looked to the ceiling.

“SHUT THE HELL UP ABOUT SPIKE!” a voice from the floor above them demanded.

Author's Note:

Wow, that took waaay longer than it should have. But then again, I'm in college now, I can't help it if I get delayed. Anyway, hope you readers enjoy.