Gut Instinct

by wayward_pony

"Loyalty"

"Loyalty"

Cheerilee slowly walked away from the officers, her head down. She was going home... then to bed. Whatever else came up, she would deal with it later. The officers could deal with it if it needed to be dealt with right now... they had certainly dealt with her.

Rarity saw this from her Boutique's second story and put a hoof to her mouth. "Oh dear...." From years in the fashion industry, Rarity knew what a crushed pony looked like, and Cheerilee looked worse than any she had seen in years. She had to say something encouraging, make some type of offer to balance things out... so they wouldn't seem so bleak. She had known Cheerilee since school, after all.

As Cheerilee made her exit, Rarity also saw two ponies approaching the entrance to her shop. The unicorn would have rushed down to say her store was closed, but she recgonized them both: Derpy Hooves and... the other the stallion she knew, but she couldn't remember his name. He was a sort of mustard-colored unicorn with a blue mane, a bit unkempt, quite talented with a chisel. She knew he was Snails's father, and that was enough to get her moving.

"Cheerilee!" shouted Derpy, seeing the teacher approach. The pegasus took one look, her face sagging when she saw the dried cut below Cheerilee's lip. "Oh, Dinky didn't hit you... did she?"

Cheerilee looked up and gave a weak smile.

"No, Derpy, she's perfectly f-"

It was then that Cheerilee saw Snail's father Mollusk. He smiled cheerfully when Cheerilee made eye-contact.

"We were both told to come here..." Mollusk said. "Some kind of trouble. I've got a couple clients waiting for me... Dinky and Snails didn't get into a fight, did they?"

Cheerilee stared at Mollusk, barely shaking, her lip quivering. She felt so very, very light...

The two parents looked at each other, confused by the teacher's sudden pale appearance.

"Miss Cheerilee, are you okay?" asked Derpy. "Anything I can do to help?"

By this point Rarity was racing down the steps, praying to Celestia she wouldn't be too late. Sweetie Belle had given her a full account of the events from her perspective, after all. The unicorn leapt down the last few steps and her doors flew open.

"A-hem!" Rarity shouted into the spring air. "Sir? Miss Hooves?"

"Huh?" Both Derpy and Mollusk turned to the Boutique.

"What is it, Rarity?" asked Derpy.

Rarity tried to keep her voice deep and professional, as if she was talking through an auditorium during rehearsals to one of her clients at the very end.

"Would you please come inside and sit down? I'll make tea! We have some... uh, officers here that need to talk to both of you."

"Is Snails alright?" Mollusk asked.

"Um..." Rarity hesitated. "I'm afraid I don't entirely know what's going on," she half-lied. "Cheerilee was just instructed to go home and rest, that's all I know for sure."

"I.... I..." Cheerilee was speechless. She swallowed hard, staring at her hooves, then up at Rarity. "Maybe I should join you?"

"Um... If you think that's best, Cheerilee," Rarity said.

"I don't... but I know it's the right thing to do." She looked at the other two.

Three ponies -- earth, unicorn, and pegasus -- headed for the shop. Cheerilee kept her head down, her mind blank. In another twenty feet, they'd all sit down and at least she'd get a chance to explain, before the officers told their version. She'd be accountable for her own actions.

* * *

Rarity was known to work quickly. Applejack stood by the doorway, watching the three carefully, already briefed on what was going on. She was ready... before the officers were even inside she was ready.

Rarity opened a window right outside the room.

"Sirs?" she spoke up, plainly. "Please come inside... we have the parents in my den."

It would take them more than a couple minutes to get their paperwork together. That didn't stop stories from being told... it was only right that Cheerilee show Mollusk that was not afraid of him or guilty of neglect by telling him when she was not safest. This could be a mistake, but at least Applejack was there should he do something unexpected.

Sitting on a chair as the fashionista them brought tea, Cheerilee said all there was to say, plain and simple... facing both Mollusk and Derpy directly. They sat on Rarity's plush loveseat, Cheerilee pulled her chair close so that all they could see was just each other. The whole exchange didn't take very long. Alongside Applejack, the ivory mare stood near the doorway, waiting... unsure what she could do seeing how Mollusk was almost as large as Big Mac. She remained poised, attentive. By the end, Derpy moved a few inches back... away from Mollusk, unsure of what he was going to do.

For the stallion the world was just a pinpoint.... he hadn't touched his tea, and knowing what he did now, he wouldn't. He stared at Cheerilee, his eyes unblinking. His body wasn't trembling, but his heart was clearly racing... Cheerilee could see the veins pumping at the side of his neck. He stayed silent for the longest time. It was unsettling. The voices of the officers finally echoed through the business as they entered, seeming to trigger something in him.

"My colt is dead?" Mollusk finally asked.

"Yes," Cheerilee replied, the voices of the officers growing even louder. "There was nothing I could do."

The stallion bit his lip, squeezing his teacup so hard the handle cracked... a bit of Porcelain striking Derpy in the shoulder. She got up from the couch, and stood alongside the others.

"... how do you know?" He looked at her, his pupils tiny... his voice calm. "How could you know if the bird carried him off? Can't we go looking for him? Maybe it dropped him?"

"Mollusk, I've studied this bird... or at least, what's been written about it." She sighed, trying to keep her voice even. "You really don't want to know what it did to him the moment it got back to its nest, it's not pretty. I know he's dead, Mollusk. It had to kill him to get what it wanted. I can tell you if he wasn't killed flat out by its talons when it picked him up, he didn't suffer after it got back... he didn't even see it coming."

Mollusk simply shook. He kept staring at Cheerilee, not blinking. Cheerilee did not back up, look away, or shield herself. If Mollusk was going to hit her, then she would just have to take it.

He just got up. As the officers approached the den he headed for the doorway. Applejack, Derpy, and Rarity got out of his way quickly. He looked at them once as the officers blocked his path.

"I've heard all there is to hear," he said to the officers. "Unless there's something you want of me, I'm going to go close up my shop and send everypony home. I'm not working today... I'm not working this week."

"Sir," said the Officer with the white wings. "Were you told of what-"

"Unless there's a reason to hold me here, just let me through." He looked back at Cheerilee. "I know what happened. My son's dead... and she was brave enough to tell me personally."

He looked at the officers directly, the same unsettling rage behind his eyes as he had with Cheerilee... for it was not aimed at her, but the entire situation. The two looked at each other and parted for him. He walked by, his hoof steps reverberating through the Boutique all the way to the exit... where the bell tinkled as he left.

Every mare in the room sighed.

* * *

Derpy turned to Cheerilee. The teacher was staring at where Mollusk had been last standing... that whole exchange could have ended terribly. He showed her just a tiny bit of understanding, through all that anger she could sense. If anything bad happened to her now, she at least had his understanding.

Derpy walked up to the teacher and gave her a hug.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Cheerilee."

"Are you the unicorn's mother.. um, Derpy?" asked the perplexed-looking, wingless Officer. "I heard you were a pegasus."

"Yes, that's me," said Derpy, turning towards him.

"Do you have any questions?"

"Um... Just one."

The two officers looked at each other.

"Then ask it."

Derpy paused for a moment.

"Can I take my Muffin home now?"

The two officers looked at each other again and shrugged.

"Uh... what?"

"She just wants to take her daughter home," piped in Applejack. "Look, is there any reason she can't? Aside from being shaken up, the little thing's got a clean bill of health."

"Sure," said the wingless Officer. "Take her home and put her to bed."

Derpy cantered towards the door.

"I dunno," she said, turning to face the officers. "Any time she's scared, it always helps if I make my muffin surprise. I think that's what I'll do."

"She might fall asleep, Derpy," said Cheerilee. "She's been through a lot."

"Oh, um... okee!"

Derpy smiled, then walked through the door and down the hall to find her daughter.

"I'd best point her in the right direction," said Rarity, excusing herself by the officers. "Is all set now, gentlecolts?"

"Indeed," said the Officer with the wings. "At this point-"

Derpy cut him short.

"Woah!"

A rainbow blur filled the doorway. floating a foot above the floor was Rainbow Dash, looking eager to see what had happened.

"What's going on?" she said, her eyes wide. "I just heard Scootaloo got hurt. Where is she?"

"She's right down the hall," said Rarity quietly. "Her tail is broken, but she is fine. She'll be happy to see yo-"

Cheerilee stood up, barely able to keep balance at this point.

"Rainbow, I broke her tail trying to protect two students... sit down here and I'll tell you what happened."

The two officers looked at each other and shrugged as Rainbow Dash dropped to the floor.

"Cheerilee?" Rainbow Dash had been in such a hurry she had noticed the other ponies in the room, but hadn't processed who they were. "You broke Scootaloo's tail? ...why?"

"Just sit down and she'll tell you already!" grumbled Applejack. "She's been through a lot, so just bear with it, Rainbow."

Rainbow Dash approached the loveseat and sat in front of the teacher. Rarity sighed, exiting the room to help Derpy find her Muffin. Rainbow and Cheerilee were one-on-one now, none of the other ponies in the room mattered.

"You're always so good with the fillies and colts... what happened?"

Cheerilee let out a sigh.

"Guess I'll start from the beginning..."

Cheerilee shared her story and Rainbow Dash listened patiently. Time with Fluttershy had shown the rainbow-maned pegasus that sometimes when you give some pony a little patience, you can get the whole story and it can really surprise you in the end. The two officers' story would agree with Cheerilee's... and Rainbow didn't need to hear the story twice, especially from two ponies she didn't even know. Cheerilee had done the right thing, though by this point her voice was hollow... and she felt the same way on the inside, reliving those last moments again, and again, and again.

* * *

The sky had turned orange, shifting to blue as evening approached. With nothing more to do the officers left, giving everypony some much needed space and silence. They could now breathe at least.

Cheerilee looked out as Scootaloo limped away alongside Rainbow Dash. They'd go home and hopefully in a few short weeks the filly would be fine again.

I really didn't want to hurt her, Cherilee thought, staring at Scootaloo's bandaged tail.

Derpy and her Muffin were long gone. By now Dinky was home... possibly drifting off to sleep as Derpy was making her a treat. Cheerilee had saved Dinky's life. She could take that home, along with Mollusk's understanding. Tiny pinpoints of light in a dark situation.

Cheerilee slowly walked down the stairs, passing Rarity and Sweetie Belle along the way, Rarity styling her sister's mane... something fun after something so terrible. She looked up at them by the door and gave a weak smile. They smiled right back.

"Sweetie Belle," said Cheerilee. "I don't know when I'm going to be back, but I hope it's soon... What I had to do today was very hard, but I'm glad that no other of my students got taken away. I love you all so very much and I am so, so sorry you had to see that awful thing happen today. You're such a wonderful little filly, and I hope whatever happens you continue to do well and grow, and eventually get your Cutie Mark with all your friends. I know just how much it means to you and I'm going to be so sad if I don't get a chance to hear about it at school."

Sweetie Belle smiled uncomfortably.

"Thank you, Cheerilee," said Rarity, forcing a smile. "They've all been through an awful lot... as have you. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask! That includes employment, should this 'vacation' take longer than expected."

Cheerilee smiled and nodded.

"Thank you, Rarity."

The door opened, the bell tinkled, and Cheerilee was out of there. Rarity let out a sigh, giving her little sister a nice, long hug before focusing back on her mane. She didn't notice how sad Sweetie Belle looked, and if she had noticed she wouldn't have known why... it just dawned on Sweetie Belle that might be losing her teacher because of what happened.

Away from the Boutique, Cheerilee was finally greeted by silence. Not even a cricket chirped as she slowly cantered home, her head down. Clip-clop, clip-clop! Soon she would be there, and soon... she would have to think about what she had done.

I think I'll sleep in tomorrow, thought the teacher, trying to keep even her thoughts light at this point. Celestia knows I'm going to have time for it now!

And it grew even darker as she walked home... not a pony out, not a cloud in the sky. The illuminations of the moon were peaceful, but in the absence of plans and only uncertainty to look forward to, Cheerilee felt all the more alone and overtaken. This simply was how things were going to have to be for the time being. However, Cheerilee was a mare made of surprisingly stern stuff... one would have to be to take the job she had, and know so much about each student. That was her strength, but for now... she didn't have it. She just had herself. Alone. In the silence.

Comments

[PegaSeraph]

So sad...
beautifully written

[wayward_pony]

6070736

Domo

[Zurvan]

Interesting so far. I shall be keeping an eye on this one.