Beside the Twinkling Balloon, Spike had his arms crossed, and was tapping his foot as he awaited his co-announcer for the Running of the Leaves. He looked to the left and right, hoping to spot a pink blur, or at least one of the other mares coming to at least tell him if there was a delay and a good reason for it. He looked up at a cloud, and chuckled at how much it looked like a fish.
"Hiya, Spike!"
He jumped and stumbled into the balloon's basket upon hearing that unmistakable high-pitched voice. He peeked out, and sure enough, there was Pinkie. With her were two ponies, one of whom he recognized as Cheese Sandwich.
"I would like you to meet... our co-announcers!" Pinkie said, pulling the two stallions with her forward.
The dragon blinked at the sight of Cheese and the second stallion. Cheese he knew well enough, and having him add his playful banter to the commentary on the Running of the Leaves was most likely going to be fun. But the other pony--who looked like a sunburned version of Cheese--he was unsure about. The pony looked like he didn't want to be there, and strangely enough, his attitude seemed contagious enough that Cheese was grumpy.
Still, Spike smiled and said, "Well, that's no problem--I'm sure we can fit them with us in the balloon. So, um..." He pointed to red-orange pony. "Who's he?"
"Oh, that's Tommy! He's Cheesy's brother!" Pinkie giggled.
Spike raised an eyebrow. "Tommy?"
Tommy groaned. "It's short for Tomato Sandwich."
"Oh. Well, it's nice to meet you, Tomato." He hopped out of the basket, slid to Tomato's side and nudged him. "I bet it's pretty cool having the Super Duper Party Pony as a brother, huh? I mean, you must have the best birthday bashes!"
Tomato tapped his chin. "I must have missed them." He glanced at his brother. "I hope you had fun throwing them."
"There you go with the sarcasm again," Cheese grumbled. "So what if I never threw you a birthday party? It's not like you'd enjoy it anyway."
"Don't knock it 'til you try it."
"I don't have to try, I already know you're a killjoy."
Spike blinked and backed away. He looked up at Pinkie. "Uh, Pinkie? What's going on? Why am I getting a cold vibe from these two?"
Pinkie waved a hoof. "Oh, they just need a little brotherly bonding time. With how busy Cheesy is, Tommy just gets lonesome."
Tomato gave her a funny look. "You just barely met me. How would you know if I get lonely without him or not?"
Cheese laughed. "Oh, Pinkie, Tomato doesn't even know the meaning of 'lonely.' Didn't you see his pals back in town?"
Tomato put his hoof to his mouth. "Speaking of whom, I wonder how they're doing right now..."
"I bet they're having loads of fun in this festival!" Pinkie said with a bright smile. "Ooh! Maybe one or more of them's going to participate in the Running of the Leaves! Now aren't you happy that you're riding in the balloon? It's the best seat to watch it."
Spike laughed. "You bet it is!" He grabbed Tomato's necktie and dragged him forward to the balloon. "And best of all, we just had it checked, and it's in tiptop shape and completely safe." He stepped back as Tomato curiously strummed at one of the ropes.
Cheese looked up and down the hot-air balloon. "You sure he won't just get sick?"
Tomato snorted. "I do not get motion sickness easily."
"Oh, I know this joke. Denial means you're going to throw up on the runners! Pinkie, let's leave him!"
Pinkie glared at Cheese. "Oooh, no, mister! You can't have brotherly bonding time without your brother!"
Tomato sat down and leaned against the basket, examining his front hoof. "I get the sense he doesn't want to bond with me. Last I checked I'm not very high on his priority list." He blew upwards on his forelock curl and shrugged. "Might as well leave me here."
Pinkie shifted her glare to Tomato. "You're not getting out of it, either. In order for this to work, both of you need to cooperate. Otherwise brotherly bonding time will be a complete waste, and you'll both die as grumpy old stallions who never had the love of the pony who was destined to be a surefire, true blue friend, as siblings are supposed to be. Now, come on, we're getting in that balloon!"
Pinkie started to push Cheese forward, as the latter complained, "Hey, now! I don't see myself as a grumpy old stallion when I'm... well, old!"
Tomato rolled his eyes as Pinkie pushed Cheese closer. "And now I have that image in my head."
Spike glanced at him and sighed. "Just get in the basket."
Many residents from Ponyville and many visitors to the town were participating in the Running of the Leaves. Ponies were lined up at the starting line, stretching and trotting in place to warm up. The Twinkling Balloon with its four passengers hovered above them, and Pinkie flashed a grin at the ponies, but especially at her friends Rainbow Dash and Applejack.
"Ooookay, ponies!" Pinkie announced. "Oooon your mark!"
Spike popped up beside her. "Get set!"
They looked behind them at the stallions. Pinkie whispered, "Say 'Go', guys!" She stepped aside and tapped the megaphone.
Cheese glanced at his brother. "Er, both of us?"
Tomato blew on his forelock. "No thanks, my voice is not suitable for that."
Pinkie got into his face. "Aww, Tommy, pleasy-please pleeeeasse?"
"I said 'no.'"
Pinkie put on her best smile for him. "Aw, come on, it'll be fun!"
"Not sure if a sore throat would be considered fun." He rubbed his neck to emphasize his point.
"Tomato Sandwich, is this an excuse not to have some brotherly bonding time with--"
Rainbow Dash yelled from below, "For Pete's sake! Just say 'Go' already!"
Cheese didn't hesitate to yell "GO!" and then stepped aside to let Pinkie retake her place. She snorted in frustration before regaining a better mood and watching the runners.
"Aaaannnd they're off!" Pinkie exclaimed, watching from above as the race began. "Welcome to the official coverage of the Running of the Leaves!"
Her eyes were fixed on her friends. "And it looks like everypony's getting along down there! But, Rainbow Dash and Applejack have the competitive spirit--but hopefully not too competitive, because last year they tied for last with all their fighting and arguing and cheating and stuff like that! Remember that, Spike?"
Spike nodded. "I sure do. But it seems like they've learned their lesson from last year, and I expect to see them, well, not in last."
"Yes, indeedy!" She looked at the Sandwich brothers, looking out from opposite sides of the basket, their backs to each other. Pinkie sighed. "When friends--or brothers--are fighting, nopony wins."
Cheese sighed, and then looked down at the path the runners were taking. "Haha, look at them go! And so far those leaves are getting the memo to fall to the ground once the runners pass by. Can't ignore those thundering hoofbeats, am I right?"
Pinkie huffed. "Those leaves are still very lazy. When will they fall on their own?"
"Maybe when the sour sport in this balloon plans a good party."
"Cheesy! No mocking your brother!"
Tomato snarled at him. "Wouldn't want to disappoint your girlfriend now, would you, Cheese? And thanks for reminding me of that failure." He looked down at the runners, and winced. "And it looks like number 13 has run into a tree. Oh, my, her eyes... I'm kind of worried for her."
"Oh, don't worry about her eyes; they're always like that," Pinkie said.
Tomato blinked. "She still looks hurt."
"She'll be okay. She's bounced back from worse." She focused her attention elsewhere and gasped. "Ponies, look out! There are squirrels throwing nuts! Gee, they must be super cranky today--it's like they're declaring war on Ponyville."
"We'll have to send Fluttershy in as a diplomat," Spike stated.
Cheese put on an army helmet. "I'm ready in case that fails!"
"Oh, don't worry, it won't fail. Fluttershy is very persuasive." Spike smiled at him, and Pinkie nodded in agreement.
"Is that so? Guess I don't need this." Cheese tossed the army helmet off, nearly hitting Tomato. The latter ducked, and the helmet whizzed over his head and out of the basket. Tomato rose up, and scowled at Cheese, now wearing a boater. Cheese stuck his tongue out before turning his back on him, and continuing the commentary with Pinkie and Spike.
Tomato sighed, and continued to look out of his place in the basket. He looked at the squirrels, and wondered why the rodents were being so aggressive. They looked like they were enjoying hitting ponies with their nuts, and were laughing with each "Ow!" they heard. Shaking his head, he muttered, "Sadistic little rodents."
Almost as if they had heard that, the squirrels set their sights on the balloon. They summoned the biggest and strongest of their group, and pointed to the balloon, with little snickers coming from them. The beefy squirrel looked up, gave an evil smirk, and picked up an acorn. With a roar, it chucked the nut straight for the balloon.
Much to Tomato's surprise, the acorn didn't succumb to gravity at any time, but instead managed to nail him right on the cheek, causing a reaction from him that jerked his glasses off. Seeing that his spectacles were beginning to drop to the red and orange abyss, he panickedly lurched forward and grabbed the spectacles with his mouth--only to realize that he leaned too far and that he was now beginning to fall.
Much to his relief, his tail coiled around one of the sturdy ropes, but he was still left dangling from the balloon. Everything beyond his muzzle was a blur to him, and he silently cursed the squirrel that threw the nut. What squirrel is that strong? He could feel the tops of the trees scraping his face, and he held on to his glasses as firmly as he could without breaking them.
He groaned, knowing that he was unable to lift himself back into the basket. "Herro? Ennypony rilling ta help meh up?"
Meanwhile, the other three watched as the runners finally escaped the tunnel of aggressive squirrels. Pinkie wiped her forehead. "Phew! Those squirrels were scaring me! I never knew that they could be such meanie meanypants."
"I'll say," Spike added. "Fluttershy's going to have to give them a stern talking to."
Cheese nodded. "But, now that that they're out of there, let's see how the rest of this race goes! Looks like Rainbow Dash and Applejack are neck in neck! And behold their banter! Whatever that may be!"
Pinkie tapped her chin. "Hey, Tommy, you've been awfully quiet. What do you think?" She turned around and discovered a lack of Tomato in the balloon basket. "Uh, Tommy? Where'd you go? Did you turn invisible?"
Spike's eyes widened. "Um... I don't think he could ditch us while we're up here."
Cheese's eyes were just as wide. He started to pace around the basket, grinding his teeth. "Oh, Stilton, did he fall off? I thought he outgrew falling off stuff! Ugh, it's that trip to the bridge all over again! I swear, he keeps on almost killing himself, that little dummy!"
"Uh, little dummy?" Spike asked.
"Cheesy, that's not nice," Pinkie said.
"It's what I call him when--ouch!" Cheese rubbed the back of his head. He looked down, and there laid a stick on the floor of the basket. He stared at it for a moment before he looked at the edge of the basket behind him, and then he and and the other two looked over it. Sure enough, Tomato was dangling from the balloon, his glasses in his mouth and with an expression of heavy annoyance.
"You're alive!" Pinkie cheered.
Cheese sighed with his hoof to his chest, but almost immediately shouted, "Tomato! What do you think you're doing?!"
Tomato growled and crossed his front legs. "'Anging on fer dear rife!"
"Are you doing this on purpose?!"
Tomato shook his head. "Uh-uh!"
Cheese groaned and did a facehoof. "You have a knack for getting into stupid situations, you know!"
Spike groaned as well. "Cheese, I shouldn't have to tell you that you should help him back up here."
Cheese sighed. "Yeah, you shouldn't have to tell me." He grabbed Tomato's tail, and started to hoist him up, grumbling, "How many times has this pony nearly got himself killed? I swear, looking after him had been a thankless job when we were colts."
Pinkie and Spike helped with pulling Tomato back in, and soon enough, the pony was sitting on the floor of the basket, putting his glasses back on his muzzle and muttering under his breath. Rubbing his face, he mumbled, "At least they're not serious." He looked up at his brother, and opened his mouth to say something.
Cheese snorted, effectively interrupting him. "Now don't do that again--leave the clowning around to the party ponies."
Tomato got even more cross at Cheese's tone. "Well, excuse me for trying not to drop my glasses. Besides, that evil, super-strong squirrel used me as target practice!"
Cheese rolled his eyes. "Oh, sure, blame the squirrel. Next you'll blame a bird for breaking your knee."
"Are you suggesting that I blame random animals for my misfortunes?"
Cheese rubbed his hoof on his shirt. "You're just no good at accepting criticism."
Tomato huffed. "Oh, really? Is that a legitimate criticism, or are you just playing the blame game as much as you say I am?"
"Well, maybe you should stay out of situations that could kill you!"
Pinkie got in between them. "Stop it! This is brotherly bonding time! No arguing!"
The brothers glared at each other for several moments, before they devolved into the foalishness of blowing raspberries at each other, and then turning their backs on each other. Pinkie blinked, put a hoof to her forehead, and sighed. She walked to her place by the megaphone, and looked at the runners below.
"Pinkie?" Spike asked. "Are you sure you know what you're doing with these two?"
Pinkie turned to him and forced a grin. "Well, somepony has to help them. They're not happy as long as they're feuding. And seeing Cheesy like this with his own brother of all ponies makes me sad."
"Well, do you know what they're mad about?"
"Well, I--" Pinkie scrunched her nose. "No."
Spike glanced back at them. "Maybe you shouldn't meddle. Maybe this is just a lost cause."
Pinkie huffed and smacked the edge of the basket. "No! I'm not giving up until they're both smiling and having fun! They're meant to be best brother buddies, and by golly, I'm going to make sure that's what they are or my name isn't Pinkamena Diane Pie!"
Behind her, both Sandwiches groaned in dismay.