Classroom of the future

by Paradise Oasis

Soul searching

Soul Searching

As Cheerilee came to the edge of the path, she stopped. The pink earth pony saw a longhouse, that looked so very different from the teepees in the buffalo village she had just left behind her. Cautiously approaching the door, the pink earth mare slowly raised her hoof, and gently tapped on the large wooden door.

"H-hello?" She asked timidly, trying to see in through the cracks in the wooden door. "Anypony in there?"

The door swung silently open, as if pushed by an unseen hoof. The teacher slowly trotted inside, and her eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness.

"Most right and honorable rainbow ponies, are you here?" Cheerilee asked aloud, remembering the proper title to address the monks with from her textbooks. "I have come to speak with you!"

The darkened lodge was filled with an eerie wispy smoke, that seemed to emanate from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. The pink mare could barely see her own hooves in front of her face, and she had to tread carefully, to avoid tripping over in the dark.

"We are here, Miss Cherrilee! Meditating deep within the confines of this sacred place." The voice of a mare spoke, barely above a whisper. "I say to you truly, we have already foreseen your arrival!"

"Oh!" The surprised teacher whinnied, as a soft glow gradually lit the entire room.

Five ponies- two unicorns, two earth ponies, and one Pegasus- all sat upriright, thier legs crossed, and floating in midair.
As Cheerilee slowly stepped forward, she saw the glow that was lighting the lodge came not from a fire or a light... but from the multi-colored glow of the monks' flowing rainbow hair.

"Thier manes..." Cherrilee thought to herself in awe. "They flow and move, just like Princess Celestia's once did!"

"Honorable Rainbow ponies!" Cherilee said formally, regaining her composure. "I have come here, unto your presence, so that I may ask for your guidance and wisdom!"

"We know why you have come, Cheerilee of Ponyville." One of the mares, a pink earth pony named Parasol, whispered. "You seek enlightenment and understanding, over all that has befallen you."

"Yes... that is correct." Cheerilee replied. "I lost everything... my home, my friends, my family- only to make a new life for myself, in this new age."

"And now, this new age threatens to tear them out from under you, once more." Moonstone, the blue unicorn, continued. "Everything you worked so hard and suffered so much for, seems to be slipping through your hooves like sand."

"Yes, this modern world seems determined to take away everything it gave me." The pink mare whinnied sadly in agreement, looking at the ground. "I just don't know what to do anymore!"

"You must do what you did before, when you first woke up in a strange land that was not your own." The blue earth pony, called Sunlight, answered. "You picked up the shattered pieces of your life once before, and now you must do so again."

Cheerilee rolled her eyes at that, annoyed that she was receiving a litany instead of enlightenment. "I've already faced the emotional turmoil of having to pull myself up from the abyss once before... must I truly do so once again?"

"The young filly, Ember, once asked us the same question, when she was left alone by the cruel hooves of fate." Windy, the Pink unicorn, snorted. "As did Starshine, who left our order to become the Margrave of Fort Rainbow Dash."

"They were both in more dire straits then, than you are now, Miss Cheerilee." Skydancer, the yellow Pegasus who lead the order, whispered calmly. "If they could stand up to the cold harshness of this world, Miss Cheerilee, can you do no less?"

The teacher was taken aback by their harsh manner. "T-thank you for your wisdom, enlightened ones, I will try to meditate on your words,"

Cheerilee sighed, sitting down on the lodge's floor. For enlightened ponies, these monks were certainly blunt...

...

"Thank you for your time, Chief Steelhooves. We really appreciate this information."

"Anytime, Baroness Shine! It is always a pleasure speaking with you! Now, farewell! And may the spirits watch over you and your family!"

Back at Dream Castle, Twilight Shine and Gypsy had just gotten finished speaking to the buffalo tribe shaman, via the enchanted mirror in Twilight's private quarters.

"Now just wait a second... she went to see the Rainbow Ponies?" Twilight asked in surprise, as the mirror's mystic link turned off. "Now what could Cheerilee want with those misguided monks?"

"I don't really see vhat your problem iz vith zem, darlink." Gypsy replied. "Ze rainbow pohnies only zeek enlightenment!"

"Those arrogant mystics once ignored Ember's warning. when an evil wizard plotted to cut their enchanted rainbow manes." Twilight whinnied in disgust. "It was only when thy discovered she had prophetic dreams, that they took an interest in my little girl."

"Zo you don't truzt zem... out of jealousy?" Gypsy raised an eyebrow.

"I question there motives in befriending a little filly like Ember." Twilight snorted back. "Those five mares give me the creeps!"

"Vell, at leazt Cheerilee cannot cause any trouble out zhere in de vest." Gypsy shook her mane. "Zee vision had her here vhen zee trouble broke out!"

"Gypsy, are you certain that the vision you saw about our teacher in true?" The pink unicorn mare sighed.

"Of course Tvilight, vhy do you ask?" Gypsy seemed confused. "You haf never qvestioned my visions bevore! You all trusted me to get zee job done!"

"I just hope we're not putting poor Cheerilee through all of this for nothing." Twilight replied with a sigh.

Gypsy was about to say something, when both ponies suddenly felt a sinister wind blow in through the tower window.

"Twilight, did you feel zhat...?" The clairvoyant unicorn asked her friend, looking out the window. "I sense something powerful entering Ponyland!"

"Yes, it's a dark energy, coming from..." Twilight's eyes suddenly went wide. "Oh no! Gypsy, we have to get to the golden door!"

The two Ponies galloped out into the hallway as fast as they could, both cursing themselves for not sensing the true threat sooner, as well as inadvertanly putting all of Ponyland in danger...

...

After nearly an hour of meditating in the lodge, Cheerilee felt much more relaxed and calm. Finally standing up, she turned to face the rainbow ponies once more.

"I have considered your words." She told them calmly. "And much of what you say makes the most sense to me."

"Yet, something still troubles you." Skydancer replied. "Something still weighs heaily on your spirit, despite your speaking to us."

"It doesn't seem right, great ones!" Cheerilee complained to the monks. "Why must I face these challenges alone again?"

"Ah, but you didn't face them alone the first time, did you?" Parasol asked her, as visions of Applejack, Glory, Wigwam, and Quackers flashed through Cheerilee's mind. "There were new friends, and family, that helped you through your trials and tribulations."

"Yes, I suppose that's true..." Cheerilee replied, considering their words.

"And will not those same family and friends be there for you once again?" Moonstone asked. "Even more so this time?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right.!" Cheerilee replied, a warm feeling starting to roll up inside her.

"Now, you must go back, and challenge all that has threatened you new home and existence." Sunlight whinnied. "For a dark menace from the past, now threatens all which you hold dear!"

"And fear not, good Cheerilee. "Windy continued. "For your friends and family shall stand by you though even the worst of the storm to come!"

Cheerilee trotted back towards the door, then turned and bowed to the honorable monks. "Thank you, Rainbow Ponies. I am truly grateful for the wisdom you have shown me!"

"Fare you well, noble Cheerilee!" Skydancer finished, as the teacher stepped out the door. "And may the horsemaster watch over you, in all the trials to come!"

...

Cheerilee!" Wigwam replied, as his wife came galloping back to the village quickly. "What in the world is-"

"Wigwam, there's no time!" The pink mare whinnied. "The Rainbow ponies warned me there is trouble back home!"

"Then we had best return to Dream Castle, with all possible speed!" The pony brave pulled his feather headdress on. "I'll tell Steamer he needs to make an emergency run back to Dream Valley immediately!"

"Quackers, come on!" Cheerilee yelled at the little filly. "Looks like we'll have to go home early!"

"Okay, mis Cheeriwiwee -QUACK!-" the yellow pony replied, galloping away from her friends. "Just wet me shay goobye -QUACK!-"

Cheerilee turned towards Shining Feather. "I am truly sorry we have to leave so soon, you have been so kind to us all..."

"Think nothing of it, my dear! The rainbow ponies' visions are hardly ever wrong!" The buffalo waved his hoof dismissively. "Now, go to where you are needed!"

The pink earth pony nodded, then ran to pack her belongings.

...

The golden door... a magnificent yellow gateway deep in the purple mountains, it is the physical passageway between the separate worlds of fiction and fact. Beyond this doorway carved right into the mountainside, is a world where every character ever brought to life on the written page, becomes real though the force of powerful magic. If one were to open this door, the great heroes and champions of literature can come forward, and walk among real beings.

But there is a dark side to this wondrous dimension, first brought into existence by a powerful human sorcerer. Just as heroic characters may cross the bridge from the pages to reality, so too the evil villains, that spring forth from the minds of the great authors, may come forth as well, eager and willing to bring great harm upon the real world. For with none of their heroic foes to stop them, they may bring great harm upon the real world... they very place that wrote them into existence.

"Blimey, this is such a lovely door!" Baby North Star declared, as she approached the mountainside no wonder mum opened it in the first place!"

"This is it, seniorita!" Ahuitzotl exclaimed excitedly. ” Merely push that door open by it’s handle, an I shall be free to walk the surface of Ponyland!"

"Now remember, you promised to make my mum and dad pay!" The pink Pegasus filly reminded him. "Make them suffer too, but don't hurt them too much!"

"Do not worry, my dear!" The catlike creature grinned. "When I am free from this place, they will know suffering as they never had known before!"

Baby North Star pulled down on the golden door handle, and it opened with a soft click. Afoul wind blasted out from inside the doorway...

...and a clawed hand reached out and grabbed Baby North Star by the throat.

"AIEEEEEEEE!" The pink Pegasus filly wailed, as the fanged face of Ahuitzotl emerged from the darkness.

"You know what I just love about ponies?" The cat demon hissed. "How gullible and stupid they are! I can't believe you fell for all those sweet falsehoods I told you! Nor can I believe that those Princess Ponies didn't post a guard here at de door!"

"Y-you lied to me!" Baby North Star wailed. "Used me ta get yourself free!"

"Ahhh, but I did not lie about one thing, seniorita!" The cat-demon said with a laugh. "Your parents will suffer as never before... when I use you as a hostage!"

The little filly could only struggle and scream, as more horrible things emerged from the gate behind her captor.

"Close dat gate, you fools!" Ahuitzotl spat angrily. "We don't want a certian Pegasus adventurer following us out, now do we?"

As his minions closed the golden door behind them, the cat demon looked out over the surrounding countryside in triumph, gloating like the storybook villian he was. "Dis es only de beginnng! Soon, I shall have enough power to conquer all of Ponyland! Mwahahahahahahaaaa!"

Comments

[DreadedCandiru2]

Baby North Star....ya done derped!!

[RaptorCalloftheShadows]

Referencing a bit of literary misdirection presented to us earlier, I believe there is really only one fitting punishment for North Star...

"For the Love of God, Montresor!"

...Yes, for the love of God...

[mbpony 512]

Great update, but I wonder who is really to blame for all of this ?

Still nice to see Cheerilee gain some wisdom within trouble time. I wonder just how is she is to save Ponyville and her family from the new evil unleashed ?

And is someone else within those fable golden doors that could offer some assistance ?

Please do keep up the good work upon such a great tale like this one.

[Sgt. Brony]

So, let me get this straight. Anything that was written in a book can come out of that door.

736227 So if that's the case, wouldn't they be able to bring back not only Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, but also the rest of the mane six too? It does make logical theory.

[AliCentaur Br0ny]

737974 Yes, except that they wouldn't be the real princesses or Mane Six.
I had a feeling that Azuhotil would turn on Baby North Star and use her to make her parents suffer.

[Leave a Whisper]

Man I hated that episode. Baby North Star really blew it this time