Cheerilee placed the chalk back on the tray, turning and smiling at the class.

"And that's why composting is so important!"

The class was filled with the sounds of pencils scratching at papers as students diligently took notes. Cheerilee sat down at her desk and pulled out a stack of papers to sort when she saw three particular fillies turn to face each other. She felt an old, familiar dread begin to set in.

Apple Bloom grinned at her friends. "Are you girls thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

They jumped out of their chairs, uniting in an epic hoofbump and shouting, "Cutie Mark Crusader Compost Pilers, yay!" before falling on their desks.

Diamond Tiara quirked a brow. "Why did you do that? I mean, you three have your cutie marks now."

Sweetie Belle glanced at her. "Yeah, but we've been feeling nostalgic lately,” she said, finishing with a smile that quickly fell to a wince and a groan.

Cheerilee sighed and rubbed the side of her head, idly wondering how much trouble she'd get in if she started stocking some of her sister's vintage in her desk.

[hr]

Cheerilee walked through Ponyville, feeling refreshed after a nice, quiet weekend. As the school came into view, the relaxation fled from her mind as she saw the Cutie Mark Crusaders in front of a wooden crate. Dread and tension set in as the stench hit her.

As she walked up, Scootaloo beamed and pointed at the crate. "Look, Ms. Cheerilee! We're composting!"

Cheerilee took a deep breath to brace herself, but immediately regretted it as she gagged. "Girls, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but you can't start a compost pile right next to the school."

"What? Why not?" Scootaloo asked.

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. "Because it'll smell bad. I already told you that!"

Scootaloo glared at her. "And I told you it doesn't make sense! How can something that does good stuff not smell good? You must've done something wrong!"

Cheerilee chuckled nervously, hoping to head off the brewing argument. "Sweetie Belle is right, Scootaloo. Composting is just going to smell."

Sweetie Belle smirked and turned her head up in a move Rarity would surely praise. "See?"

Scootaloo crossed her forelegs and pouted. "Whatever."

Sweetie Belle blew a raspberry at Scootaloo, who in turn growled and tackled Sweetie to the ground. Sweetie shrieked and tried to push the (not actually all that) aggressive pegasus off of her.

Apple Bloom stepped up next to Cheerilee and shook her head. "What a couple of knuckleheads." She chuckled and looked up at her teacher. "Guess that's just how foals are, huh, Ms. Cheerilee?"

Cheerilee looked between the yellow filly at her side and the two bickering fillies in front of her and sighed as she felt an all too familiar headache setting in. A glance in her saddlebags confirmed that she had brought that vintage with her today.