A Journey Unthought Of: Revival of Chaos

by Hustlin Tom

Chapter 39 - Cheerilee

Even after the burning of the schoolhouse, education had to go forward. Life didn’t stop because of one tragedy or another; there was simply too much living to be done. A makeshift place of learning made of a tent and borrowed chalkboards and desks was where the children of Ponyville now received their lessons. It was placed only a few dozen feet from where the original wood building had been, but the spirit of the school was there, and that is what mattered. It was recess time now, and the fillies and colts didn’t have far to get to their playground now, as it was now just outside the tent flaps. Cheerilee was watching her tutelage from the very spot, and was amazed that even with how much things had changed, they had managed to stay the same. Though young, their childishness and innocence was beautifully resilient to the troubles life had thrown at them.

“Cheerilee,” a voice definitely not belonging to one of her students called to her. Turning to the owner of the voice, the school teacher realized that it was Trixie approaching her.

She offered the cerulean magician a warm smile, “Oh hello Ms. Lulamoon!”

“Please, just call me Trixie,” the unicorn said, offering back her own smile as she adjusted her white, star spangled hat.

“What is it I can do for you?”

The smile began to wane from Trixie’s face, as she struggled to find the right words to say. She tapped her right hoof on her mouth, “I wanted to thank you for standing up for me after I first came back to town.”

Cheerilee smiled even deeper, “Well you’re quite welcome! It’s just like I’d told you; everypony deserves a second chance for past mistakes.”

“My intuition tells me you are a good soul,” Trixie interrupted as her mind spilled out without restraint, “which is why I’ve come to you now: to repay your kindness.”

Cheerilee waved her hoof lazily, “Oh no, you don’t need to repay me for anything! It was a matter of principle-“

“You must leave Ponyville,” Trixie finally pronounced.

Cheerilee was stopped short by this command, and she looked at the unicorn with confusion and concern, “What? What are you saying?”

“Bunsen Burner believes you are a Changeling. He intends to confront you in force after the children have left, and he intends to-“ Trixie couldn’t finish her own sentence, so she instead looked to the grass beneath her hooves and nervously treaded on it.

Cheerilee’s eyes widened, “Why are you telling me this?”

“I don’t know whether you are one or not, but I've heard how you've impacted dozens of lives throughout the years. Just from being around you I believe you wouldn’t see harm brought to anypony,” she then looked up into the school teacher’s eyes, “and my conscious wouldn’t allow me to sit by and do nothing.”

The two of them looked at each other silently for a short time, until Cheerilee broke eye contact. She turned to look out at the children and yelled to them in a jovial tone, “Recess is extended for another five minutes! Happy Friday!”

That was all that they needed to hear, and each gave their own little cheer for the happy occasion.

“The children won’t be harmed in any way?” she asked quietly.

Trixie nodded, “He explicitly said that he would wait for them to all leave. You’re not thinking about confronting him are you?”

“Perhaps I can show him reason, or at least speak my own mind,” she shrugged.

“Cheerilee, don’t do this!” Trixie pleaded, “Just run. It will be easier. If you stay he may kill you!”

“Running will only make me look guilty. Besides, doing what is easy is generally not the right thing to do,” Cheerilee replied, “At least morally speaking, that is.” She seemed to exude a strange sense of serenity as she looked at Trixie with a sad smile, “Thank you for coming to me. I’m glad you held to your own conscious. If I could, I’d be honored to call you my friend.”

Trixie blinked repeatedly, but she gave a wavering smile back, “I’d like that.”

“Have a nice day, Trixie,” Cheerilee softly said as she went to meet with and round up all the children to return to their studies, while Trixie galloped hard back into town and tried to contain all the complex emotions and thoughts swirling uncontrollably through her heart and head.

---

Cheerilee had just finished writing out her last point for the day when she checked the nearby clock hanging from the tent ceiling: It was 2:30. She turned to her students and waved, “Now, you all know your assignments for next Monday. Class is dismissed. Enjoy your weekend everypony!”

The school emptied rather quickly after that last pronouncement was made, leaving only herself and Scootaloo, who approached her aunt.

The young Pegasus filly already had her helmet on, and her cherished scooter was at her side, “Just wanted to let you know I’m gonna be hanging out with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle at the Boutique now.”

“Go right ahead,” Cheerilee responded, “In fact, why don’t you turn it into a sleepover? I’m going to be talking to several ponies today, and I’ll be too busy through the night.”

“Really?” Scootaloo exclaimed, and her wings began to flutter with joy.

“Go for it! If Rarity’s alright with it, you have my permission. You better hurry, they’re probably waiting for you!”

“Thanks Cheerilee!” Scootaloo blurted over her shoulder as she raced out past the tent flaps.

Cheerilee couldn’t help but chuckle to herself at her niece’s enthusiasm, but that slowly died out as she realized the time was drawing very fast for her ‘guest’s’ arrival.

Indeed it wasn’t long at all before the tent flap was drawn back, and the scientist in questioned entered. There was no emotion on Bunsen Burner’s face; no smug sense of victory, not even hatred for the one he was confronting. He was followed by a very sullen Trixie, and Umbra and Nox. They quietly took up their positions, one pony for each ‘wall’ of the tent. Bunsen Burner strode purposefully toward the school teacher, until he stopped in front of her desk. The weapons saddle on his back was prepared with a sickly orange liquid filled slug, already primed in the muzzle of his side mounted grenade launcher, and awaiting the pressure of the trigger located in front of his mouth.

“Do you know why I am here?” he asked with a trail of ice in his voice.

Cheerilee furrowed her brow as she readjusted her position on her stool, “I expect you are here to act as judge, jury, and executioner on the basis of your own charges. What crime have I committed?”

“Colluding with another race towards the overthrow of the sovereign Equestrian state: treason.”

“On what grounds?”

“Your sympathy towards the Changeling race, scoring potential positive for a Changeling under aural examination, and for pheromonal evidence of being a Changeling in disguise.”

“Don’t act like this is anything but a witchhunt,” Cheerilee responded coldly, “Besides, even if I was a Changeling, what proof is there that all of them wish to see Equestria overthrown? You made the mistake once of believing an unknown race was intent on Equestria’s downfall.” Bunsen Burner stared at Cheerilee unreactively as she continued, “That’s not the issue though, is it? You’re hiding your fascism and neurotic need for order under the guise of a patriotic duty to citizens you don’t even care for, but who you instead catalog and classify like tools to be manipulated for your later goals!”

Bunsen Burner remained quiet for a time, until he slowly bowed his head a little at the accusation.

“The evidence does not lie,” he replied quietly.

Cheerilee was surprised that the old stallion seemed to be agreeing with her.

“Bunsen Burner, please,” Trixie pleaded from the back of the tent, “there are bigger things to be concerned with elsewhere. Can’t we just let her go?”

Bunsen Burner thought about it, and the seconds seemed to ache as they ticked by. At last, the scientist turned and began to walk away. Cheerilee let out a shuddering breath as she relaxed.

The scientist then whirled around and fired his canister at the foot of her desk, which on impact began expelling the gaseous Marigold Option formula in all directions.

“Probable cause is enough,” he declared coldly, “If you live, you have my sincerest apologies.”

Cheerilee realized that her breathing out had been what the deranged scientist had been waiting for, and as she took a breath into her lungs in surprise, she felt an unquenchable fire begin burning inside her.

“No!” Trixie screamed as she bolted for the schoolteacher.

The tent was suddenly ripped out of the ground, stakes and all, by a great purple colored aura of magic. A technicolored cyclone roared into the area underneath where the levitating tent had been, creating a vacuum that sucked all of the orange fog of death into the sky. A large cumulus cloud was moved into position by a yellow and pink streak, which soaked up the Marigold Option and obscured the vision of Mr. Black’s supposedly hidden sniper coverage. Bunsen Burner heard a clearing throat behind him, and as he turned he received a face full of strong orange hindlegs and hooves, “Ah’ve been wantin’ to do this since the day I met you!” The disgraced scientist fell to the ground unconscious with one blow. Rarity and Pinkie Pie attended to Cheerilee as she rasped her every breath and dry heaved every other one. They carried her to underneath a nearby large shady tree and offered her a fanciful fan and water to drink.

“Mr. Black, hold your fire. Repeat, hold your fire!” Trixie called into Bunsen Burner’s comm unit, “Stand down and await instructions!”

“There’s going to be hell and more to pay when this nutjob wakes up,” Rainbow Dash growled.

Cheerilee wearily looked to each of the Elements in surprise, “What are you all doing here?”

“Saving you, silly goose!” Pinkie Pie gave a broken smile as she held up the teacher and offered her another cup of water to wash out the taste of the awful chemical.

“I just don’t understand why he would think you were a Changeling,” Rarity commented angrily, “I mean, you’ve been here in Ponyville for years! You weren’t doing anything that seemed odd or wrong. What possessed that madpony to try and attack you?”

“I don’t blame him. Please, forgive him.”

“Why should we forgive him after all this?” Rainbow Dash asked in frustration.

Cheerilee’s eyes closed, and her body was consumed by emerald colored flames. The nine ponies surrounding her gawked as the kind mare they had always known sprouted a jagged horn and two insectoid wings. Her fur became hard black chitin in an instant, and when she opened her eyes they were green slits. She smiled with a hint of melancholy, “Because he’s right.”

Comments

[Hustlin Tom]

Hey all! I was going to upload this earlier, but my sister and her husband took me to see the Ender's Game today. It's a good movie, even if Hollywood had to change it some to make it two hours long. You should give it a look if you like Sci-Fi stories. Anywho, the reaction I'm expecting for Chapter 39 is ranging from no surprise to DULL SURPRISE! Aaaaaaah. Enjoy!

[Alan Smithee]

Bunsen Burner's Theme:

[Luckyfanisaac]

to return to their studies,

“Just wanted to let you know I’m gonna be hanging out with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle at the Boutique now.”

as she raced out the past the tent flaps.