"Teach Me Goodness"

by Posh

Leave Nothing Unspoken

The steady rhythm of the electronic beat pounded in Cheerilee's ears as she finished signing the yearbook, writing her signature with a flourish and dotting her "i" with a doodle of a smiling flower. Cheerilee dropped the pencil from her mouth; the pink shimmer of an alicorn princess's magic caught it and tucked it back behind her ear, meticulously combing her mane over it to make it as unobtrusive as possible.

"All done, Featherweight," she said, beaming at the diminutive pegasus. "Thank you for the memories."

"Thank you, Miss Cheerilee!" Featherweight hopped up, fluttering his little wings to bring himself to eye level with Cheerilee, and wrapped his rail-thin forelegs around her neck. Cheerilee returned his embrace with a nuzzle. "You're the best teacher there ever was!"

"Oh, come now; I'm sure there are better."

"No. There aren't." Featherweight pulled back and fluttered to the floor. Looking at her, quite serious, he said, "There's you, and nopony else."

Cheerilee's only reply to his earnest, childish absolutism was a watery smile. A conga line headed by Pinkie Pie passed by then, and Featherweight was caught in its undulating wake; he waved one last time at Cheerilee before the conga line slithered away.

The party's turnout had an ebb and flow to it. Well-wishers came, lingered, and went; ponies she was closer to stuck around longer. A few had been there since nearly the beginning of the night. In particular, Twilight Sparkle was among the first to come calling and spent most of the night in Cheerilee's company while Spike tried his hand at Pinkie's party games. But there was never a point where Sugarcube Corner felt empty, or lifeless. For everypony who went out the door, another two came in, wanting a chance to bid farewell to their town's beloved schoolteacher, a fixture in the community for so long. It warmed her to know that she was so loved by so many.

What warmed her more were the students. She hoped that some would show up; she hadn't expected nearly as many as actually did. They came in groups and bunches, yearbooks clutched in their mouths, and begged their teacher's autograph. Cheerilee signed them all, and gladly, taking time out of her party to write a personalized farewell to each of them. There were hugs, and tears, and expressions of love and gratitude, and more than once, Cheerilee had to remind herself that it was too late to simply drop everything and remain their teacher forever.

But damn, her mouth was sore from all the writing.

Cheerilee kneaded her cheek. "You know," she remarked to the alicorn standing beside her, "not one of them asked me to sign their yearbooks this morning. Which isn't unusual, really. But here, now?" She worked her jaw from side-to-side. "Fourteen yearbooks in an hour. An hour! I haven't written that much in so short a time since college!"

Although I suppose I should get used to it again, or else invest in a typewriter.

Twilight Sparkle, who had taken it upon herself to organize the crowd of students and keep Cheerilee hydrated between signings, giggled. "You'd probably be less sore if you didn't take the time to write such detailed messages to them." A glass of punch floated beside her head, and she sipped a little of the purple mixture.

"Probably not," said Cheerilee. "But then, what's even the point? I'm saying goodbye to them, Twilight; I can't just write 'have a good summer' eighteen times."

"I suppose." Twilight sighed. "That kind of dedication is admirable, Cheerilee. It's gonna be hard finding somepony who can match it. Speaking of, how's the search for the new teacher coming along?"

Cheerilee shrugged. "The Mayor showed me the shortlist of candidates, and I gave my input on all of them; she'll probably interview them before the month is out. But I have no direct say in it. Truth be told, they'd all make capable teachers, but none of them were really my first choice."

"Really?" Twilight drained her glass of punch. "Who was?"

"Oh, y'know. You." Cheerilee winked.

Twilight's eyes flew open in surprise. Thankfully, downing her punch before asking the question precluded the possibility of a spit-take.

"M-me? Why me?!"

"Why not? You'd be a wonderful teacher. The foals like you; you're empathetic, and you're smart as a whip." She grinned. "And I've seen you lecture before – both academically and as a hobby. Take it from a pro; you're a natural."

Twilight blushed.

"That was a passing fancy, though," Cheerilee continued. "You have your duties as Princess, after all. I mean, what, am I gonna ask you to abdicate and live on a schoolteacher's salary for the rest of your life?" Cheerilee closed her eyes and laughed, but stopped when she realized Twilight wasn't laughing with her. She looked, and saw contemplation on the princess's face.

"You're... you're not seriously thinking of doing that now, are you?" Cheerilee asked.

"What?" Twilight blinked. "No, of course not. Just..." She tapped her hooves together. "Maybe… taking a little time off to get credentialed, is all..."

Cheerilee chuckled and pulled Twilight in for a hug. "You know, I'm really going to miss you, Twilight. It's been a joy getting to know you."

"You too, Cheerilee." Twilight returned the embrace. "You'll stay in touch, right?"

"Of course! And you had better visit." Cheerilee pulled away, holding Twilight at length with her hooves, and thumped her left wing gently. "Now that you've got these big ol' things to carry you back and forth, you don't have an excuse not to."

"Well, there's that," said Twilight with a conspiratorial grin. "And I can do it at the crown's expense."

"Why, Princess Twilight!" said Cheerilee with a scandalized gasp. "Such gross abuse of royal authority and taxpayer money!" She scowled condemningly, and held it for precisely three seconds before both the teacher and the princess collapsed into mutual laughter.

The bell at the door jingled, making Cheerilee's ears perk. She turned, and her smile widened at the sight of the latest arrival. "Diamond Tiara!" she called with a jaunty wave. "You made it! And..." She took note of the mare standing over her, looking down her nose at everypony in the room.

"And you've brought your mother! How wonderful!"

Internally, she sighed. Oh, yes. How wonderful.

"Yes, well," said Spoiled Rich, marching across the room toward Cheerilee with her daughter trudging along beside her. "We're holding a wine tasting in our private cellar tonight, but Diamond Tiara felt her presence was required here, for some reason, and insisted somepony escort her. Filthy demurred, and our butler Cummerbund is still on vacation in Las Pegasus with his brother, Wood-something-or-other." She scoffed. "And the rest of our household staff has their hooves full waiting on our guests. So, apparently, the task had to fall to me." She frowned at her daughter. "Surely you must realize how self-centered you are acting right now."

"Yes, mother," mumbled Diamond Tiara. She gave Cheerilee the briefest of glances before returning her eyes to the floor.

Spoiled nodded. "Naturally, I can't stay, as I am expected back posthaste. Diamond Tiara, you'll be alright making your way home by yourself, I trust?"

"Yes, mother," mumbled Diamond Tiara again. Her voice remained robotic as she gave the same canned answer to her mother.

"Splendid." Spoiled beckoned at Twilight Sparkle. "Now, Princess Twilight, be a dear and take Diamond Tiara. I'd like to say a few words to Ms. Cheerilee."

Twilight looked taken aback, but did as she was bid, drawing a wing around Diamond Tiara and leading her away toward the snack table. She leaned into Cheerilee's ear as she passed. "Just give a signal if you need me to rescue you."

"Such a helpful young mare," Spoiled remarked. "So down-to-earth and easy to speak to. One almost forgets that she was given her crown instead of being properly born into it." She clicked her tongue. "The peasant princess. What is this world coming to?"

Cheerilee felt a moment of pity for her successor. Perhaps I should have left a note of warning…

Spoiled turned back to Cheerilee. "Now, I am given to understand that you're moving to Fillydelphia, yes? To pursue an education?"

"Uh, y-yes." Cheerilee smiled. "A doctorate, actually."

"You know, I attended the University of Fillydelphia myself, back in my youth."

"Did you? What was your major?"

"Undeclared. Four years running."

"I... wasn't aware that you could graduate undeclared."

"There is much and more that you're not aware of; no doubt that's why you're going back to school." The corners of Spoiled's mouth lifted slightly.

Cheerilee maintained her polite facade with an effort.

"In any case, I wish you all the joy of it. I hope that whoever takes over your job may prove just as... adequate... as you." Spoiled sniffed and turned to the door. "Goodbye, Ms. Cheerilee."

Spoiled Rich left without sparing her daughter a word, or indeed, even a glance. Diamond Tiara didn't seem to notice; she kept her eyes on a cup of punch balanced on one of her hooves, sipping from a straw while Twilight spoke to her.

Cheerilee crossed to the snack table; Twilight saw her coming and backed away with a word of farewell to Diamond Tiara. The princess and the teacher exchanged a look of exasperation as they passed one another.

The notion of telling Twilight about Spoiled Rich's title for her crossed Cheerilee's mind briefly before being discarded.

"I'm glad you could make it!" Cheerilee said to Diamond Tiara. "Did you bring your yearbook?"

"Mm-mm." Diamond Tiara sipped again.

"Oh. That's..." Diamond Tiara's atypical lifelessness sapped a little of Cheerilee's enthusiasm; the cheerful smile she wore for Diamond's benefit started to wane at the corners of her mouth. "I ask because your classmates all brought theirs. I'd have been happy to sign yours for you."

"That's okay."

"Do you want me to write something down for you anyway? You could always tape it to one of the pages of your book. I'm sure Pinkie Pie has something to write on somewhere around here."

"No, thank you." The last remnants of punch slurped through the straw, and Diamond Tiara discarded it in a wastebin to her left without looking.

Cheerilee bit her lip. "Diamond, is everything alright?"

"Fine."

"Are you sure?" Cheerilee knelt and reached out to the filly. Diamond Tiara started to pull away, but stopped, and let Cheerilee's hoof rest on her shoulder. "I can tell that something's bothering you. If there's anything you need to talk about, or something you need to say to me, you know that you can tell me. Okay? So please, don't hold anything back."

Diamond Tiara squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. She looked at Cheerilee, and her mouth opened slightly. "Miss Cheerilee... the thing is, I..."

Cheerilee offered the same encouraging, motherly smile she'd plied Diamond Tiara with that morning. "Yes?"

"I..." Diamond Tiara trembled, and slowly closed her mouth. Her lower lip quivered. She glanced away. "Coming here was a mistake."

"I'm sorry?" Cheerilee leaned closer. "Could you repeat—"

"Never mind. It doesn't matter." Diamond Tiara brushed Cheerilee's hoof off her shoulder.

Cheerilee's eyes followed Diamond Tiara as she quickly retreated into a throng of happily chatting ponies. "Diamond—"

"Enjoy your party," Diamond Tiara snapped. "The punch is great." The filly vanished into the crowd.

Diamond...

The jingle of the door drew Cheerilee's gaze to Sugarcube Corner's entrance. Applejack sauntered inside, grinning. Beside her was Rarity with a similarly chipper, yet simultaneously more subdued, expression. Both wore saddlebags over their flanks.

"Cheerilee, you ol' so-and-so," said Applejack. "Thought you could slither on outta here without gettin' a proper Apple family goodbye?"

"In point of fact, Applejack, I believe that's what the party is for," Rarity pointed out.

"Aw, that's a town goodbye. Totally diff'rent from an Apple family goodbye. Apple family goodbyes got a lot more present-givin' involved!" Applejack went in for a hug, but stopped when she saw the look on Cheerilee's face.

Applejack frowned. "Somethin' the matter?"

Cheerilee sighed and stood. "One of my students is taking the news pretty hard. I wish she would talk to me about it, but every time I try to engage her, she just... shuts down. It's frustrating."

And heartbreaking. To a teacher like her, one who strove to embody empathy for her students, that was a particularly stinging slap in the face. I brought this on myself; I should never have been so selfish. I should have said something to them sooner.

"Diamond Tiara, right? Sweetie Belle said something about her looking off after class this morning." A note of concern underscored Rarity's elegantly accented voice. "Do you need to speak with her? We can always catch up with you after."

"I don't know. I think..." Cheerilee frowned. "I think she needs a little space right now. Maybe later tonight I can get her to open up." It was then that she noticed that neither Applejack nor Rarity had brought their requisite plus-one. "Where are your sisters, by the way? I was hoping I'd see them tonight, but they haven't been in at all.

Neither has Scootaloo, come to think of it, even after Rainbow Dash came and went.

"Oh, uh..." Applejack exchanged a look with Rarity. "We're, um..."

"We're not supposed to tell you," Rarity supplied. "If they could be here, they would be, I'm sure, but they've their hooves full with some project or other."

Cheerilee was quite familiar with the Cutie Mark Crusaders' projects. One in particular had adorned her bedroom wall at home for some time, and would have made it into her apartment if only she had space enough for a vast, sparkly pink heart. It went away into storage, sadly, but Cheerilee took comfort from knowing that it would surely brighten up the place.

"But we wanted to stop by on our own accord, and bid farewell face-to-face," said Rarity. "After everything you've done for our sisters, it seems only fitting."

"She's got the right of it," said Applejack. "That, and it wouldn't be right to send y'all off without somethin' good t'remember us by. So..." Applejack reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a jug of cider, which Cheerilee accepted and cradled in her foreleg. A sketch of Granny Smith grinned at her on the label.

"That right there?" Applejack pointed at the bottle, smirking. "That's the good stuff, Cheerilee. Makes what Filthy and Spoiled Rich serve at their wine-tastin' shindigs look like expired grape juice."

"Applejack, I'm…" Cheerilee shook her head. "This must cost… I can't accept—"

"Never you mind that," said Applejack, holding up her hoof. "I could give you a hunnerd bottles o'that same cider; it wouldn't come close to payin' back what we owe you. For everythin' you've done for Apple Bloom, an' for bein' a friend to us all. You take that, and you take my gratitude, an' that'll be the end of it. Y'hear?"

Cheerilee, at a loss for words, could only tuck the bottle under her foreleg and nod her thanks to Applejack.

Rarity stepped forward and cleared her throat. "As for moi, well, my first thought was to put together something for you to wear – an outfit, a dress, a kicky beret – but on such short notice, I simply didn't have the time to do you justice. So instead, I went in a very different direction altogether. I'm sure it's something you'll appreciate."

Rather than reach into the bag, as Applejack did, she simply undid the strap holding it in place and set it on the floor in front of Cheerilee. Cheerilee peered inside and looked up at Rarity with confusion. "Gemstones? Don't you kind of… need these?"

"They're not just any gemstones, Cheerilee," said Rarity with feigned indignation. "There's history behind these – shared history! Do you remember when we were fillies, and I made those costumes for your performance?"

"I remember being the sparkliest sunflower that ever swayed on a stage," said Cheerilee with a nostalgic chuckle. "That was how you got your cutie mark, right? You found those gemstones and used them to decorate our—" Her eyes widened as she realized precisely what was in the bag.

Rarity smiled knowingly. "The very last of the vintage. As a reminder of days gone by."

Blinking back tears, and once more at a loss for words, Cheerilee set the cider bottle beside the bag of gemstones and pulled both mares into an embrace.

"I think she liked mine more," Rarity whispered teasingly to Applejack.

Cheerilee glanced at Applejack's face in time to see her roll her eyes, and found herself laughing her tears away.

---

The summer night's air was crisp and warm, but a welcome contrast to the stifling heat of the party inside. Cheerilee sighed with relief as she emerged, and she sat on the front steps to Sugarcube Corner, gazing up at the night sky.

So many stars.

Owing, of course, to the relative lack of light pollution in Ponyville. There wouldn't be many nights like that in Fillydelphia. Fillydelphia was bright, and brilliant, a city that never slept. Instead of shining in the sky, the stars shone in the street.

"I'm going to miss that sky," Cheerilee softly mused.

"So don't go," a broken voice croaked from beside the stairs.

Diamond Tiara sat beneath one of Sugarcube Corner's front windows, her back against a chunk of gingerbread facade. Her cheeks were stained with dried tears, and her eyes, staring out into the night and focused on nothing in particular, were red from crying.

"Diamond? What are you doing out here by yourself?" Cheerilee hopped off of the stairs and sat beside the filly. Giving somepony space when they needed it was all well and good, but sitting by oneself and crying out in the open called for some kind of intervention.

But Diamond Tiara said nothing in reply

"Do you mind if I stay with you a while?"

Again, no spoken reply, but this time, she gave the barest shake of her head.

Cheerilee, encouraged, settled beside Diamond Tiara, the muted beat of the music inside still pulsing in her ears. "A lot of ponies are worried about you, you know. Rarity, Applejack. Your friend Sweetie Belle."

Me.

"I know I already asked before, but... would you like to talk about whatever's on your mind? You know that you can tell me anything."

Diamond Tiara looked away, shutting her eyes. She shook her head.

"Okay. We don't need to talk; we can just sit here, if you'd like. Maybe the company will make you feel better."

"Nothing's gonna make me feel better."

"Well, that can't be true." Cheerilee smiled. "You have a lot of love in your life. A lot of friends, good friends, who I know want to see you happy. And, of course, it's summer vacation. You must have plans."

Diamond Tiara's shoulders shook, once, with a silent sob. "You haven't read the essays from this morning, have you?"

Nervous prickles crept up Cheerilee's spine at the question. "No, not yet. I was saving them for tonight." She forced a chuckle, mirth that she didn't really feel. "Silly me. I suppose if I had, I wouldn't need to ask, would I?"

Diamond Tiara held her silence for a moment longer before answering in a voice bereft of enthusiasm. "The Neighchelles. My parents own a villa by the beach. We're leaving next week and staying for a month."

"Oh, the Neighchelles!" Cheerilee said, pressing her hooves together and projecting as much false cheer as she possibly could. "I've never been, but I hear they're lovely this time of year. Well, there you go! You'll come home happy from that, I'm sure."

"No. I won't." Diamond Tiara wiped her eyes and looked up at Cheerilee. "You won't be here when I come home."

Cheerilee's smile failed to withstand the remark, and fell to pieces. "Diamond, sweetheart…"

The door to Sugarcube Corner burst open so loudly and suddenly that Cheerilee and Diamond Tiara both jumped. Pinkie Pie emerged, balancing on her back a cake frosted to look like a smiling flower. "Oh doctor~!" she sang. "Time for you to make the first incision! Ya geddit?!"

Cheerilee made eye contact with Pinkie and drew her hoof across her own neck rapidly, shaking her head.

Pinkie blinked, glanced at Diamond Tiara, blinked again. She grinned sheepishly and backed inside, cake and all.

Cheerilee turned back to the filly. "Diamond, I know how difficult farewells can be. I know I haven't made it very easy on you, either." She dug her hoof into the dirt nervously.

I should have told you all so much sooner.

"But you know that it isn't going to be goodbye forever, right? I'll come back and visit as often as I can... and you and I can always write to each other in the meanwhile."

"But you still won't be here." Diamond Tiara rose to her hooves, glared furiously at Cheerilee through gleaming eyes. "How do you not get it? I don't want you to visit; I don't want you to write. I want you to stay here. " Tears ran down her face freely. "I thought you cared more than that, that if anypony could possibly understand, it'd be you!"

"Diamond, I don't... What should I under—"

"But I was wrong. You don't care enough to stay; you don't even care enough to read what I wrote! You're gonna take off to the big, beautiful city, and leave me alone with ponies who don't know, and don't care, and don't understand, and don't wanna understand, and some... some stranger for my teacher!" She shrieked the rest of her sentence at the top of her voice, and Cheerilee flattened her ears reflexively to shield herself from the volume.

For the first time since she started teaching, Cheerilee found herself at a loss for what to say to a distraught little foal. All she could do was reach a trembling hoof toward Diamond Tiara.

The filly batted it away spitefully. "Forget it. Just forget it and leave me alone." Her voice was thick with sadness, and her words came out in a sandpapery rasp, her throat still recovering from the twin strains of screaming and sobbing. "I'm not your problem anymore." Diamond Tiara wheeled around and galloped into the night, down the road that would take her home.

Cheerilee watched her go, the fragile sense of happiness she'd been clinging to now shredded beyond hope of mending.

Twilight Sparkle was at her side. She didn't know when she'd gotten there, or for how long she'd been there. Drawn by Diamond's yelling, no doubt. The alicorn watched Diamond Tiara pass gradually out of sight, biting her lip with concern.

"I'll make sure she gets home safe," she said, patting Cheerilee on the withers. "You go back inside. This is your night, remember. Try to enjoy it?" With a sad smile, she spread her wings and ascended.

Alone, outside, Cheerilee looked searchingly at the sky.

---

"I don't look forward to vacations. I used to. But I don't anymore."

Cheerilee lay alone in an empty house, her fireplace gently warming her flank, its flickering glow brightening the barren living room enough for her to read the stack of essays. Her body cast a long shadow, a black smear that stretched across the floorboards and rose high against the far wall, looming over her as though in judgment.

The house was sold, and empty, and all her furniture was long since shipped away; the trappings of home were no longer there to afford Cheerilee the benefit of their comfort. Her cupboards and ice box were empty as well, their contents donated to local charities. She'd received more than a few offers of hospitality from ponies at the party who were aghast at the idea of Cheerilee spending her last night in Ponyville in those conditions, but she'd declined each one of them politely. She wanted to spend her last night in Ponyville in her own home, under her own roof, cherishing another moment that would never come again.

Even if the empty space no longer felt like home.

But it wasn't so bad. She had the thermos of tea that Pinkie brewed to warm her belly, and the fire in the hearth to warm her skin, the parting gifts from her friends packed in her saddlebags, a stack of student essays to peruse, and a plush bedroll beneath her body. The spartan conditions reminded her of college, although no dormitory mattress was ever half as comfy as her bedroll.

Rumble's essay had been at the top of the stack, for some reason, despite the fact that he sat at the back of the room, and she skimmed it briefly (apparently his brother was going to buy him a lawnmower, which might be the most pointless thing to give to a pegasus who lived in a cloud house) before sifting through the rest of them to find Diamond Tiara's. Her name jumped out at her, halfway down in the pile, in the filly's neat, instantly recognizable mouthwriting. The prose was elementary, in the characteristic voice of an uncertain young writer, but the sentiment behind every last word was heartfelt, and real, and cut Cheerilee to the bone.

"My parents own a villa in the Neighchelles. We go there sometimes in the spring and summer. It's pretty there, real tropical and warm, with nice beaches and fruity drinks and air that smells like salt. The Neighchelles are nice. But I already know I'm not going to have fun.

"Let me tell you exactly what's going to happen on my vacation. My mom is going to treat the workers at the house like dirt. She's going to be rude and demeanding demanding demeaning to waiters and refuse to give them tips. She's going to control everything that everypony does and insist that everything be done her way, and she's going to have a fit if it isn't.

"My daddy is going to spend the whole time ignoring all the rude and horrible things mom says and does. He loves her very much, and he thinks the best way to make her happy is to let her do whatever she wants, even if it means she's a horrible brat all the time.

Do you see where I get

Do you see why I'm the way that I

And unless they want something from me, they're going to ignore me and leave me alone. And I'm gonna spend a month all alone on a tropical beach with nopony to talk to and nopony to share it with and nopony who cares. And at the very end my daddy will throw money at me until I tell him I love him, and we'll go home, and everything we did on vacation will happen again at home."

The first page ended, and Cheerilee flipped it onto its back, hooves shaking. She breathed slowly and took a sip from her thermos to steady herself.

"Do you know what's really funny? That was all just normal to me for a really long time. I always thought that was how you were supposed to act towards other ponies. Waiters and workers and butlers and stuff. And even friends and family and teachers too. I thought it was normal to just be horrible, and that everypony else was weak and wrong for being nice. I guess I just grew up and realized that it wasn't everypony else with the problem. It was me. It was always just me. I learned that lesson at school. From my friends and my classmates. And my teacher too. You've all taught me the way to be better, and I'm much happier with you. But I can't exactly take you all with me on vacation, can I?

"So I'm not really excited to go on vacation because I know I won't be happy there. I'll be with my parents, but really, I'll just be alone. But when I come home, I'll have my friends again. I don't think everypony will ever really like me a hundred percent. I don't think they all forgive me for how I used to treat them and I probably don't deserve it anyway. But at least I'll have Silver Spoon, and Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. And when I come back to school, I'll have you too, Miss Cheerilee.

"This is so stupid. I can't believe I'm just babbling like this on something that's just supposed to be busywork. But you asked. :)"

Cheerilee reread the last page again and again, her vision blurring more and more with every pass. I should have read this before the party. I could have talked to her about it, and things might have been different. I could have... I should have...

Tears slid down her face and dripped onto the paper.

I should have told you all so much sooner.

Cheerilee drew the essay to her chest and clutched it close, crumpling it against her coat. The warmth of the fire gave her no comfort as she wept through the night, for Diamond, for her students, for the life she was leaving behind.

Comments

[Zaveryn]

For some reason that happy face at the end of her essay made it all the more real.

[Frankie2]

[JediAlexColbent]

"Yes, well," said Spoiled Rich, marching across the room toward Cheerilee with her daughter trudging along beside her. "We're holding a wine tasting in our private cellar tonight, but Diamond Tiara felt her presence was required here, for some reason, and insisted somepony escort her. Filthy demurred, and our butler Cummerbund is still on vacation in Las Pegasus with his brother, Wood-something-or-other." She scoffed. "And the rest of our household staff has their hooves full waiting on our guests. So, apparently, the task had to fall to me." She frowned at her daughter. "Surely you must realize how self-centered you are acting right now."

"Such a helpful young mare," Spoiled remarked. "So down-to-earth and easy to speak to. One almost forgets that she was given her crown instead of being properly born into it." She clicked her tongue. "The peasant princess. What is this world coming to?"

Spoiled turned back to Cheerilee. "Now, I am given to understand that you're moving to Fillydelphia, yes? To pursue an education?"

"Uh, y-yes." Cheerilee smiled. "A doctorate, actually."

"You know, I attended the University of Fillydelphia myself, back in my youth."

"Did you? What was your major?"

"Undeclared. Four years running."

"I... wasn't aware that you could graduate undeclared."

"There is much and more that you're not aware of; no doubt that's why you're going back to school." The corners of Spoiled's mouth lifted slightly.

Cheerilee maintained her polite facade with an effort.

"In any case, I wish you all the joy of it. I hope that whoever takes over your job may prove just as... adequate... as you." Spoiled sniffed and turned to the door. "Goodbye, Ms. Cheerilee."

Spoiled Rich left without sparing her daughter a word, or indeed, even a glance.

I hope she falls into a ravine where they'll never find her body.

[Dogman15]

7467153
And of course, in their world, it wouldn't be sideways or made of punctuation.

[Dark_Knight]

... I need to remember to visit my 8th grade science teacher one of these days... long story short, he was my Ms. Cheerilee... years later, and I can't believe that I never properly thanked him...

[The Hat Man]

"M-me? Why me?!"

"Why not? You'd be a wonderful teacher. The foals like you; you're empathetic, and you're smart as a whip." She grinned. "And I've seen you lecture before – both academically and as a hobby. Take it from a pro; you're a natural."

Ah, someone called that School of Friendship thing years before, I see.

[Posh]

11286024 My lawsuit against Josh Haber is ongoing.

[ilubatar nuctemeron]

The door to Sugarcube Corner burst open so loudly and suddenly that Cheerilee and Diamond Tiara both jumped. Pinkie Pie emerged, balancing on her back a cake frosted to look like a smiling flower. "Oh doctor~!" she sang. "Time for you to make the first incision! Ya geddit?!"

Jajaja <3!!!!

[diamondtiaraisbestpony]

Cheerilee's smile failed to withstand the remark, and fell to pieces. "Diamond, sweetheart…"

That was so cute and sweet OMG! 🥺