Scootaverse Cheese Sandwich Story Chronology Considered Against the Shadow Wars Chronology · 3:42pm Dec 11th, 2014
Introduction: As many of you probably know, the highly-skilled writer who goes by the UserID Scoots2 has written an excellent series of stories set in the main MLP:FIM verse which are about Cheese Sandwich -- his life, his adventures and his love for Pinkie Pie. (This is far from the only thing she's written on this site, but it's these stories I'm considering right now).
These stories have greatly influenced my own portrayal of Pinkie Pie. I was already envisioning her as a brave, determined, good, honorable and intelligent Pony who basically views the world from an angle rather alien to most Ponies due to her precognitive, many-worldlines perspective, which I modeled after that of Paul Muad-dib Atreides from Frank Herbert's Dune saga, only Pinkie is a lot less gloomy and far more fun at parties. But Scoots2's portrayal of Pinkie as the Bringer of Joy -- especially as seen by the smitten Cheese Sandwich -- really cemented my own concept of the pink party pony.
Basically, I'm going with at least the superficial elements of Scoots' fanon regarding Cheese Sandwich and his feelings for Pinkie Pie. I shipped them myself from the moment I saw them together in "Pinkie Pride," but Scoots2 has come up with the most consistent, reasonable and emotionally-powerful portrayal of CheesePie I've ever seen (with Sketcha-holic's version my go-to for Cheese's relationship with his own family, especially his brother Tomato Sandwich, who I believe is Sketch's own creation).
This of course leads me to the question of how I would fit the timing of Scoots' stories into the Shadow Universe timeline. I'm going to discuss my answers here. Note well -- this is NOT Scoots' own timeline, and in fact is inconsistent with Scoots' timeline at a couple of points. However, I do think I've figured out around how Scoots' stories fit in with the main MLP:FIM continuity (and hence would with mine): this is possible because -- among her many skills as a writer -- Scoots handles chronology really well.
Aside from the first section which discusses the canon episode "Pinkie Pride," this essay contains clear and obvious SPOILERS for Scoots2's stories, though I'm going to be vague on some details and I'm using Spoiler markings. You should really read her stories -- they will well reward you for doing so.
I. "Pinkie Pride" - This is the Season Four episode that introduces Cheese Sandwich. It is chronologically in two sections -- the main story and a flashback to Cheese's youth, in which he gets his own Cutie Mark in consequence of meeting Pinkie Pie (when his own potential magic attuned to her own).
My Pinkie Pie was born in the Year Of Harmony 1481 (nineteen years before Luna's Return), and received her own Cutie Mark in the Sonic Rainboom of 1490 (at age 9). By the time we see Pinkie in the flashback she looks at least a couple of years older -- let's tentatively assume this takes place around 1493 (with Pinkie 12, just before she's going to come back to the Rock Farm for a visit and nearly get killed by the Shadowdrake, and Cheese around 12-13).
The main part of the story takes place by my chronology in late August 1504. Pinkie is a rather neotenous 23 years old; she looks and acts more like a very young mare of around 17-18. Cheese is a somewhat less neotenous 24; he's been a bit weathered by his life on the road -- except that when he gets silly he seems around 19-20, as if he had just reached full stallionhood.
Cheese befriends Pinkie for the very first time, and is awestruck at the beauty, power and sheer agape he feels flowing from her. Cheese doesn't know it himself, but when Pinkie realizes that he'd only meant to mpress her all along, he looks very desirable in the eyes of a pink party pony who has only last autumn started to seriously consider members of the opposite sex as anything beyond party guests (her emotional awakening was sparked by her realization that one of her alternate selves had actually been married to Big Mac for over a year, and was very happy in that condition). The seeds of love are planted in both their hearts.
II. Swear on Camembert: Immediately after the events of "Pinkie Pride," Cheese and Pinkie have a long conversation during which they discover that they are trul ay kindred spirits. Driven by their respective Senses, they travel together to Mane-tua, where they attend the funeral of Ponyacci. Then they take the train back to Ponyville. There, Cheese leaves her, asleep, with the stationmaster.
Since "Pinkie Pride" by my chronology is ~Aug 28th 1504, this story would take place ~Aug 29th-30th 1504. The original Mantua is of course in Italy; there are four towns named "Mantua" in the United States, in New Jersey, Virginia, Ohio and Utah respectively. Though Cheese and Pinkie run on their hooves to Mane-tua, that means less given the kind of Ponies they are (able to take dimensional shortcuts) than it might were they normal Earth Ponies. The description of the trip, culture and setting work better for Neigh Jersey or (Equestrian counterpart) Ohio than for the other possibilities, in my opinion.
III. It Bombed in Seaddle: After wandering all over the country (the story gives his itinerary as Las Pegasus, Fillydelphia, Baltimare, Dodge Junction, Appleloosa, Vanhoover and Trottingham), Cheese runs into Trixie in Seaddle, and she inadvertently (?) dispells his Party Bomb while examining it). Badly exhausted, Cheese returns to Ponyville, where Pinkie recharges him. By having met Pinkie Pie, Cheese is better attuned to Laughter, but at the price of having to return every so often to Pinkie or his magic (and more) will be exhausted.
The story mentions the events of "Simple Ways" and "Filli Vanilli" in backstory, so by my chronology this must be taking place after early September 1504. I tentatively date it as being around the 15th or so of September 1504.
IV. "Mr. Lonelyhearts Meets Miss Lovestruck": Cheese Sandwich is called in to Appleloosa by Braeburn to throw his wedding to Cherry Jubilee of Dodge Junction, but events do not go exactly as planned. Because of what comes after this story and its sequel, I date this to early October 1504.
V. Slice of Life: Now fast friends, Cheese and Braeburn travel the land, winding up in Bayroan and then Manehattan. There Cheese discovers to his dismay that hi.s favorite pizzeria has turned into a hip restaurant -- and the blame belongs to none other than the famous travel writer, Trenderhoof!
I date this story to late October 1504.
VI. "Equestria Games: The Cheese Edition": Cheese travels to the Equestria Games in the Crystal City, where he encounters Pinkie.
Here we run into the first serious chronological mismatch. I date the canon episode "Equestria Games" to mid November 1504, but Scoots obviously has it happening in early May.
VII. "Goodbye, Boneless": Tirek is defeated, but at a terrible price. Cheese learn he must mourn the loss of an old friend -- but also that a newer friend may feel more for him than he dared imagine. Takes place right during and after Twilight's Kingdom, and hence in late November 1504 by my chronology. June by Scoots' chronology.
VIII. Flash and Trend Steal All Your Waffles: Flash Sentry and Trenderhoof, accompanied by Cheese Sandwich, embark on an extremely ill-advised adventure. Early December 1504, because it's happening soon after Princess Twilight Sparkle. June by Scoots' chronology.
IX. Good Morning, Beautiful: Early December 1504, right after Flash and Trend Steal All Your Waffles. Late June by Scoots' chronology. Cheese comes to visit and they admit their love to each another. One divergence is that Scoots assumes Granny Pie has been dead a while; I have my version of Granny (Golden Pie) survive another decade, until the Changelings overrun South Dunnich.
X. Say Goodnight, Pinkie Immediately after Good Morning Beautiful, Early December 1504, right after Good Morning, Beautiful. Late June by Scoots' chronology. Cheese and Pinkie, having newly admitted their love, must come to terms with the fact that they will have to spend much of their time apart.
XI.Command Performance: Late December 1505 or later, because it's been a relatively long time since Cheese has seen Pinkie. Cheese comes to Canterlot on Hearth's Warming Ease to help throw the Palace Celebration, there meeting with Pinkie, the rest of the Mane Six and the Royal Pony Sisters.
Conclusion: These stories make a beautiful whole, and I think everyone should read them. I know that Scoots2 wrote them to a different implicit chronology, and I'd be interested in learning it. This is simply how they would map to mine. I hope I've represented them accurately. I very much enjoyed rereading the whole series so that I could write this article.
Comments are welcome.
Firstly, I need to get this out of the way:
"Do we have funsign?"
"Usul, we have funsign the likes of which Megan has never seen."
In any case, a great summary of much of the work of my favorite authors on the site. It's interesting to see where you and scoots diverge. Such is the beauty of infinite parallel worlds: Everyone can be right.
Also, I suggest Ohayo if you're still looking for a pun for that particular state.
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Hey, someone who's actually read the Dune novels! Cool!
She handles emotional interactions better than do I. She has a talent for characterization.
Oh, I like that pun!
Credit where credit is due.
I am . . . amazed! Seriously, that is really flattering. Of course, pull the chronology to make it work. I certainly did that with Looking Glass World. I knew that it would basically be right on top of Rainbow Rocks chronologically, but owing to some kind of glitch in time, there were two springs that year.
The timing more or less maps out with the show up through May. Good Morning Beautiful and Say Goodnight Pinkie are high summer--they're serving lemonade and racing through the high meadow grass. In fact, the streaks of pink and yellow lightning are noticed by Granny Smith and put down by her as a freak summer weather occurrence. Of course, it's actually a bit like octarine fire, and a bit like vampire baseball. Hey, the books may suck, but I don't have a problem with stealing and adapting the good bits. Cheese Sandwich writes his review of the Daring Do novels in fall. He stops at a lot of other places, including Dodge Junction, and finally winds up in Canterlot on Hearth's Warming.
2646726 Absolutely true! (I also like Ohayo.)
Teeny correction: they've kissed. He still hasn't actually said to Pinkie that he loves her. It's blatantly obvious, of course, but he hasn't actually said so, and this is shortly to become a Thing.
Still--I'm incredibly flattered that you've found my headcanon so worthy of adoption!
huh funny I was thinking of Pinkie along similar lines in terms of using a concept from Dune though I had the Earth Pony elders in stead of the sisterhood and Pinkie was the current end result of controlled breeding. Unfortunately a long time ago it was found that making use of the powers given from this tend to drive those mad and it is unknown if it can be controlled. Pinkie isn't mad though she isn't "normal" and she is only barely touching what she can do.
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You deserve it. You wrote a prolonged arc about Cheese Sandwich and Pinkie Pie which gives them both real emotional depth.
I left the Reviews off my list!
I'll have to fix that.
There's a possible minor discontinuity here in that they seem to be passionately kissing in It Bombed in Seaddle, but (by my chronology a month and a half, by yours maybe more) later in Good Morning, Beautiful they react as if they were kissing for the first time.
The explanation I'd go for is that their actions in It Bombed in Seaddle were to some extent an exuberant show, put on to make their audience think they were more sexually intimate than they were in fact at that point in their friendship (like what I have Pinkie do with the 8 x 10 glossie of Cheese Sandwich in Divine Jealousy and the Voice of Reason) -- but in Good Morning, Beautiful they were kissing for real -- and that makes rather a big difference. Or, it could just be a mistake salvageable by retcon -- as I did myself.
Because something similar happens in my Flutterarc. I wrote Fluttershy Is Free before I wrote Dragonshyness, and there's one scene in which it shows by creating what could be a similar discontinuity.
In context: my Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are both bisexuals in terms of affect, though in both their cases it's almost entirely potential at the time of Luna's Return: the 20-year-old Fluttershy has had only one disastrous sexual experience (with Nosey) while the 18-year-old Rainbow Dash is a virgin who has rarely even ever kissed anypony of either sex, and not gone much further than that. They have both had a tremendous attraction toward each other since their early teens, but Fluttershy has been too shy to act on her feelings, while Rainbow Dash both has a low sex drive and puts Fluttershy on a pedestal (the actual Pegasus term would probably be more like "gives her the altitude advantage").
In Dragonshyness, after Rainbow Dash's growing frustration with Fluttershy's cowardice nearly tears their friendship apart, Fluttershy saves the day, reveals her growing power, and puts Dashie in utter awe of her, giving her even more of an altitude advantage. That night they stand a watch together. They talk, they renew their bonds of friendship. And they cuddle -- not very sexually, but very passionately -- sitting by the fire. But in Flluttershy Is Free, they're acting toward each other as if this did not happen. Why? Because when I wrote Fluttershy Is Free, I hadn't yet even imagined the night-watch scene.
So what's my explanation for this? Has Dashie really been hit on the head one too many times in her crash landings? Is Flutterrshy really shy enough to hide from her own memories? Nope. As soon as I thought about the two characters, explanations galore suggested themselves for the relative abandon they show at the end of Dragonshyness compared to their mutual reserve in Fluttershy Is Free.
First of all, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash have just defeated an adult Dragon. One who, at the end, sseemed willing to kill them. They are both incredibly happy that they are both alive. Characters less shy or more sexually-driven might well have had sex in that scene. It's just equine nature, especially given that they already deeply love and trust one another.
Secondly, in Dragonshyness there are four other mares right near them. Admittedly sleeping the sleep of true exhaustion (especially in Pinkie's case), but still -- that engages all sorts of inhibitions on both their parts against going much farther than they did. This paradoxically means that they are less inhibited as regards minor public displays of affection. They both feel safer, given an external check on their passions.
In contrast in Fluttershy Is Free they both know that there are probably no other Ponies for miles around. If they wanted to, they could have made passionate and total love for hours without interruption -- and they both know this, and they're both a little bit scared. Dashie's a virgin with somepony she practically sees as a goddess; Fluttershy has to be thinking in the back of her mind that the last time she let her sexuality have free rein, she never saw her partner again. She may now logically-understand what happened, thanks to Rarity (in A Robust Solution), but she's still emotionally afraid that if she makes a movie, Rainbow Dash will stop being her friend. This is the first extended period they've had together, alone and with no other responsibilities, for a long time.
So, see? They both avoid facing up to what they communicated wordlessly at the end of Dragonshyness, because they're scared to do so. And it makes perfect sense for their characters!
(Jordan, making a virtue out of his mistake!) 
It is awesome.
Those stories have been on my RiL list for far too long. We shall remedy this over the break!!
...
... in two days.
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They're really good. So are the ones she wrote in the Equestria Girls and Reflections continuities.
2660649 Oki-dokes, I believe you.