Mr. Sandwich had called them partners. Sans couldn’t help but feel a little flattered, surely he helped build this factory and organize the workforce and supplies, but Mr. Sandwich was the driving force for the very reason of the factory’s existence!
Although, now that Sans thought about it, what he found easy might seem difficult to some other pony. Sans certainly couldn’t (and still can’t) picture himself being able to come up with funny gags like either Mr. Sandwich or Miss Pie.
Sans supposed that it was all in keeping with Mr. Sandwich’s generous nature to consider himself and Sans as equals in the factory endeavor and he wouldn’t dispute Mr. Sandwich over that sentiment.
After a few false leads, and even a notion that they would have to go back to the drawing board...
Miss Pie was able to find the reason for Mr. Sandwich having lost his laugh.
After all was said and done, Sans couldn’t help but blame himself for Mr. Sandwichs’ losing his laugh in the first place.
First off, it should have occurred to him that Mr. Sandwich needed to see the laughter brought by his gags first hoof, and not being able to was the reason for his slipping into his torpor.
Secondly, Sans attributed his particular lack of humorous demeanor as a definite part of the problem with Mr. Sandwich not finding the laughter he needed in the factory.
Lastly, Mr. Sandwich had said upon leaving the factory that Sans ‘could run the factory, but I need to live.’
And didn’t that just say it all, that Mr. Sandwich didn’t see running the factory as living, or at least as far as he was concerned… which meant that Sans had been keeping Mr. Sandwich from living his life—essentially anyway.
For the first time in his life, Sans had found cause to despair over his naturally stoic demeanor.
It had never bothered him before, but now it might have drained the laughter out of one of the funniest ponies in Equestria.
Sure, Mr. Sandwich said he didn’t blame Sans in the least, but it didn’t stop Sans from feeling at least a bit at fault.
Mr. Sandwich kept his promise to write regularly about his travels as a party pony, and of course with any potential gag ideas that had occurred to him along the way.
Sans looked forward to every letter, they were his only real reassurance that Mr. Sandwich hadn’t somehow fallen off the face of Equestria— though, if anypony could figure out how to do such a thing it would probably be Mr. Sandwich or Miss Pie.
The letters were pretty loosely scheduled, Sans received at least one a week, full of ideas— and, due to Sans insistence, detailed where he’d been, where he planned to travel next, and roughly when he planned to be there.
Apparently though with his ‘Cheesey Sense’ (really—but who was Sans to cast aspersions against claims of seemingly impossible abilities when he knew magic existed and he certainly didn’t understand the full breadth of what said magic was capable of.) those plans were loose at best, but better than nothing.
His natural exuberance was evident in every word of his cheerfully messy hoof writing. (though it should be noted that Sans had certainly seen worse horn writing, and unicorns had the advantage of being able to use magic to hold the writing implement in question.)
So Sans was at least assured as to Mr. Sandwich–
No. Not supposed to call him Mr. Sandwich anymore.
Cheese, Sans had finally brought himself to address his former employer, now his business partner, by his first name. Though, he found the idea difficult at first, and he still slipped from time to time.
Sans couldn’t really deny that his recent promotion to factory forepony solidified his position as Cheese’s partner in the operations of the gag factory.
The factory was flourishing and all seemed well.
Then, the next scheduled letter never arrived.
Lost post, Sans had falsely tried to calm his worry, happens all the time. Bothersome but, surely Cheese was safe and sound.
Then another letter was missed.
Sans felt overwhelmed with worry, desperately he wrote to Miss Pie informing her of the situation. In a fit of pique, and not really knowing what he expected exactly, he also wrote a letter to Princess Sparkle.
He posted the letters, but the worry didn’t abate. His friend was in trouble, he just felt it. Sans always was one to say he didn’t believe in ‘gut feelings’ or at least as far as he was concerned he’d never had one… until now.
Cheese was in trouble.