A New, New Friend

by applejackofalltrades

Advice

Patience. Communication. Those were two key elements of friendship. Cheerilee taught that. But the difference between knowing to teach and knowing to do were two very different things. Even as a teacher, Cheerilee was always learning.

She wasn’t sure how she would fix things, but she knew she had to. How many times would she find herself unsure of something? It seemed more likely day in and day out. Her first stint with a mare, and it ended up like that. She should have done something different. Said something different. She should have just sent Tempest home after they finished the lesson. Maybe then, they could still be friends.

She had to try, though. She couldn’t just leave it as is; that would make her a hypocrite. Cheerilee knew she had to fix things. And who else was a better pony to ask than the very Princess of Friendship? The earth pony stood in front of the large crystalline doors of the castle that graced Ponyville with its presence. She knew Twilight was in town; she had made sure to tell all her friends about her visit. Cheerilee was pleased to know that included her, even though the two book enthusiasts often talked.

Cheerilee wanted to scream. Instead, she smiled and knocked on the door with a hoof. She hoped that Twilight was in the castle, even though it was a long shot. Her knock hung in the air for a few moments. Cheerilee almost turned back when the door glowed magenta and opened. Twilight smiled as she realized who was standing at her door.

“Ah, Cheerilee! It’s so good to see you!” Twilight greeted her with a wave of her hoof and trotted forward to give the mare a hug.

Despite herself, Cheerilee returned the smile and the friendly gesture. “It’s great to see you too, Twilight,” she started. Both mares separated, then trotted together into the castle. “I’m afraid I’m not only here to catch up, though.”

Twilight turned to face Cheerilee and gave her a wary smile. Her horn glowed magenta as the large doors shut beside her. “I know. You want to talk about Tempest, right?”

Cheerilee tilted her head. “How did you know?”

“Tempest came to talk to me yesterday,” the alicorn explained.

Oh, yes that would do it. Cheerilee looked away, her ears pinning themselves to her head. She looked at her reflection on the crystalline floor. She was blushing, but the frown held sturdy on her face. “I see.”

Twilight motioned for Cheerilee to follow her into the sitting room, where they sat together. “She told me what happened. I… can’t say I was expecting to hear it, to be honest. I didn’t even know you liked mares,” Twilight admitted.

Cheerilee’s eyes widened. “I don’t! Or, at least, I thought I didn’t.” She frowned and pawed at the long crystal couch with her front hooves. “I’m not so sure anymore.”

A lavender hoof rested softly on Cheerilee’s shoulder. The deep magenta mare looked up to see Twilight giving her a comforting smile. “I understand, trust me. Although, for me, it was different in the way that I thought I would never like anypony.” The alicorn slowly let her gaze drift to the wall on their left. A framed picture of the bearers of the Elements hung from the wall. Twilight smiled fondly. “I think you just need to figure out what you want Tempest to be to you.”

Cheerilee swallowed dryly, despite her friend’s subtle show of affection for her fellow element bearers. What did she even want? She was eager to have a new friend, and maybe she regretted allowing what had transpired to even happen, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy it – at least before Tempest left. There was one thing that Twilight seemed to not be considering, though. “What if Tempest wants nothing to do with me?” Cheerilee squeaked out the question, sounding once again like a yearling. “I wouldn’t blame her. Maybe she doesn’t even… like mares.”

Twilight hesitated before speaking. “I know she doesn’t want to lose you, Cheerilee. She really just needs a friend.” Twilight shifted in her seat. “I think you do, too. Not that I’m saying you have no friends, but I think it’d be to your benefit to have a friend like Tempest. Just as much as it’d benefit her.”

Cheerilee hoped Twilight had a point. She hoped she was right. She hoped that Tempest wouldn’t want to lose her. But after what happened, she couldn’t possibly blame her. Still, though… “I suppose you’re right,” Cheerilee found herself saying. “Do you know where she is? I think we should talk.”

“She might be at Sugarcube Corner. She really likes their cupcakes.”

Cheerilee found it within herself to smile at that. “That’s cute.”

“Cute?” Twilight raised a teasing eyebrow and grinned at the school teacher, who blushed furiously.

Without a word, Cheerilee turned around and made her way for the exit. Twilight’s giggles bounced off the castle walls as Cheerilee pushed the heavy crystal doors open.

“Cheerilee, wait,” Twilight called out through her giggles before Cheerilee could leave.

Cheerilee paused with a hoof on the door. The light breeze blew her mane sideways as she turned to look at her friend. “Yes?”

Twilight trotted up to Cheerilee and took a sharp breath. “I just… I wanted you to know that I asked Tempest to go see you.”

She recalled Tempest telling her that when they first properly met. Cheerilee gave a small smile. “I know.”

“But I also wanted you to see her,” Twilight added. “I know I haven’t been around much anymore since my coronation, but from what I remember, you always spent a lot of time by yourself.” The alicorn gazed at Cheerilee as if waiting for some kind of response.

Cheerilee grimaced. Twilight wanted confirmation, which she could, unfortunately, provide. She nodded slowly, refusing to make eye contact with the alicorn, who put a soft hoof on her head in a somewhat awkward head pat.

“You’re both in need of somepony to be there for you. I know you two are very different,” Twilight leaned forward to give Cheerilee a reassuring nuzzle, “but you both need somepony, and I can tell you could be great friends.”

A beat passed. “I’m certain you’d know best,” Cheerilee admitted. “After all, you are the Princess of Friendship.” She smiled at her long-time friend. While they never spent as much time together as Cheerilee would have wanted to, the times they did spend together reading and learning were more than enough. “I just hope that it’s not too late. For friendship or… or whatever else.”

Twilight sighed and gave Cheerilee a weak grin. “Trust me, it’s never too late for a friendship or for ‘whatever else’. Just ask any of my friends, they could tell you about either-or.” With a wink, Twilight gestured toward the door. “I recommend you try to smooth things out now. Let me know what happens, okay?”

Cheerilee nodded. Nervousness bubbled deep in her core, but she forced a smile on her face nonetheless. “Of course, Princess.”

The two mares exchanged a nod before Cheerilee trotted back out the castle’s doors. The school teacher kept her gaze forward as she made her way to her destination. She knew the coming meeting could only go one of two ways. She just hoped it’d be okay.

Comments

[Kittamaru]

“Trust me, it’s never too late for a friendship or for ‘whatever else’. Just ask any of my friends, they could tell you about either-or.”

Huh... is the implication here that Twilight and one (or more) of the others are an item?

[applejackofalltrades]

10873984
Absolutely