Cheese marched into his room after yet another hard day of work. Aching numbness was gripping his legs once again, but he had learned to pay little heed to it. He had wondered if that meant that he was building muscle, though his legs were still sticks. Pulling the cart into town and hauling it until the return trip—after which Marble took over due to the bumpy road—contributed to this feeling. As did more work with the rocks. Ending the day sore had become expected, and for however long it took, Cheese was going to experience it every day. Well, almost every day.
Just before he and Marble left town, they had caught the weather report. Rain was scheduled on sporadic days for the next month, due to too many rainclouds having come from Cloudsdale. A couple days of rain and a couple days of sunshine was going to be the norm for Nickerlite , and the weather had to be managed carefully in order to keep the town from flooding. The clouds were to be spread out from the Apples' farm to the Pies', they had heard.
The first rain was scheduled for a couple days, and Igneous was breaking out the tarp for his delivery trip coming up. The older stallion had grumbled about how he hated rain and mud, and how hard it was to work in those conditions.
Cheese wondered if the rain affected the rocks and their "ripening" in any way. He was about to consult the books on the subject when he noticed five bits on his nightstand, lying on top of a small slip of paper. Curious, Cheese approached the nightstand, slipped the paper from under the bits, and read the note.
Glad he didn't propose. Unfortunately, I owe you these.
There was no name signed, so Cheese just stared at the note in confusion.
"Huh? I don't remember anypony owing me anything. And… propose?" He read the note again and again, wondering what in the hay it meant, until it had finally hit him. And when it did, he rubbed his muzzle and chuckled.
"Okay, okay, I get it. Gee, didn't expect her to actually pay me." He laughed softly for a few moments, and sighed. He sat on his bed, and read the note over and over, the word "propose" sticking to his mind. However, that fact that it did made him frown, and he recalled the encounter the night before.
He eyes still glued to the note, Cheese shook his head. "I'm glad he didn't, too. Why are those townsfolk so excited about that anyway?"
The weather report was not the only thing that he and Marble had picked up on. He recalled pony after pony approaching them, asking about the same thing: How was Cheese's presence going to affect the relationship of Cortland and Pinkamena? And every time, the two had to shoot it down, telling them that Cheese could not jeopardize a courtship that did not exist. Frankly, it was really annoying.
The fact that Cortland was trying to woo Pinkamena and the possessiveness that he had displayed both scared and angered Cheese. His mane was bristling at the fact that the Apple stallion was turning a blind eye to her repeated refusals and obvious dislike of him. Couldn't that idiot just give up already? And yet, there were several questions that brought on sickening answers: What if she was interested in another? What would happen to the so-called "competition"? And what would happen if Cortland did succeed in courting Pinkamena and ended up marrying her? Cheese's heart sank at the thought of her as a mere trophy handed over as a reward for a difficult task.
He spotted a pair of heads in the doorway from the corner of his eye. He turned and smiled at Marble and Limestone. "Are you here for another story?"
Before he knew it, the two had settled onto the floor before him, that familiar curiosity gleaming in their eyes. He chuckled, glad that even with any doubts of whether or not the stories were true, they were still willing to listen to them. He tapped his chin, pondering which story he should tell them next.
He thought of one and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a third set of hooves walking in. He turned with a start, and jumped when he saw that Pinkamena had walked in.
Glancing between Cheese and her sisters, she asked, "What are you doing?"
He glanced at the other two and bit his lip. As far as he knew, she had only heard only one of his stories, and that was at the Apple's dinner table. She had been sour the whole time due to sitting at the same table with her least favorite pony, and Cheese found himself a little disappointed that there was no reaction to the story from her. But he was also worried that she thought it too ridiculous to even be remotely true.
Limestone piped up, "He's telling us a story."
Pinkamena blew hair out of her face and raised an eyebrow at Cheese. "Huh. Really?"
Cheese rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah… really."
Pinkamena stood silent for a moment, and then walked to where Marble and Limestone were sitting, and then took a seat beside them. She looked up expectantly, and waved a hoof for him to continue.
Cheese blinked. She was interested? Since when? He briefly wondered if the mare sitting there was actually a changeling, and that the real Pinkamena was already in bed or reading downstairs. No matter, he wasn't going to let his story go to waste.
"All right… this is a good one. It's the day I witnessed a Goof Off."
The three Pie sisters blinked in confusion. Pinkamena narrowed her eyes and asked, "What in the hay is a Goof Off?"
"A Goof Off is a competition where two ponies have to be as ridiculous as possible in order to one up each other. And let me tell you, the one I witnessed was insane! There was singing, magic tricks, stunts you'd see in a circus, and stuff you'd never think a pony would do. Now, I can't remember what the two ponies had been fighting about, and I'm pretty sure that they so caught up in the Goof Off that they forgot.
"Anyway, after the announcer read off the rules, the competition began. It all started with some silly faces and weird tricks with their bodies. One scrunched his face to a degree I cannot imitate, and the other balanced herself on her tongue. He forced his mane into a cone shape without even touching it, and she flared her nostrils as she inflated her head."
"Inflated her head?" Marble asked.
"I'm not joking; she literally inflated her head."
"Is that even possible?" Limestone said.
Cheese shrugged. "I've heard that there are some ponies who can do weird things. They tend to be a bit… crazy."
The Pie sisters looked between each other, sporting odd looks at that statement. When they looked at Cheese again, he took that as a cue to continue.
"Next thing I know is that they burst out in song, singing a silly little ditty about… um… what was it—oh, yeah, birthday cake! It was such a catchy tune that everypony just started to sing along. And somehow, the cake joined in with the singing too… though it may have just been a trick. Heck, I still have that song stuck in my head!
"Chocolate, yellow, red velvet
Angel, ice cream, and funfetti
All those flavors this cake has
As it sparkles under the confetti!"
Pinkamena was not so much focused on the words or the tune as she was at Cheese's singing voice. If his speaking voice made her feel warm, then his singing was making her heart race. For some reason, she found herself curious as to how her singing voice would sound like with his.
Cheese continued to sing. "Eating this cake is like a party on your tongue
And you will shout for joy until you hurt your lungs
I guarantee it is a ride that you won't soon forget
Because this little ditty is now stuck in your head!"
Cheese flashed a grin at his audience, who were staring at him with wide eyes. Strangely enough, he could see their muzzles scrunched up, and the corners of their mouths were tight. He scratched his head, wondering just what the girls were doing with their mouths.
"Well… anyway, they sang that song over and over, pulled parade floats out of nowhere, blasted each other with confetti, had an accordion fight, made rubber chickens explode—which made me sad, because I grabbed one and wanted to keep it… but it exploded in my face.
"So, balloons and streamers were flying everywhere, confetti was pouring out of the sky, and music was filling the air, all because these two crazy ponies were having a spat. I have never seen a fight like it, and I don't think I'll ever see another."
"So how did it end?" Limestone asked.
"Hmm… if I recall correctly, the mare was balancing on a giant ball when she hit a bump and fell off. And just her luck, she fell into a mud puddle. The stallion had stopped whatever he was doing, and rushed to her side, asking if she was all right. After a little mushy conversation that I can't remember and a kiss between them, they called the whole thing off. Turns out… they were married."
"Wait, so that whole thing was an argument between a married couple?" Marble questioned.
"Yeah, it was. Don't know if it was about leaving the toilet seat up or finances, but it was strange how it escalated into the Goof Off. And it terrified half of the ponies there. I guess they thought that two ponies of that skillset being married would cause Equestria to collapse. At least the couple made up."
Cheese turned to Pinkamena, who had a clear look of astonishment on her face. He could see the curiosity gleaming in her eyes, and the bright blue of her irises resembled a crystal clear lake that he'd be willing to swim in. He stopped and stared into them, taking in the childlike innocence that those orbs did bear.
It wasn't long before her face was back into its usual scowl. "There is no way in Equestria anything like that could ever happen."
Cheese sighed. "I figured you wouldn't believe it. I could hardly believe it myself when I witnessed it."
Pinkamena stood up. "Why do you insist on telling these tall tales?"
They're not tall tales, they really happened. Cheese laid down on his bed and strummed his distinguished forelock curl. "I guess… I just want life here to be a little less dull. Well, without Diamond Dogs and mouse invasions."
Marble shuddered at the latter thing, while Limestone rolled her eyes at her. They stood up as well, and turned to Pinkamena.
"There's no harm in listening to any stories he wants to tell," Marble said.
Pinkamena huffed. "I suppose not. He's not the only one who's not fond of the everyday dullness here." She glanced at the money on the nightstand. "Make good use of those bits. I've never been so happy to lose a bet in my life."
Cheese raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me, but I never bet anything."
"I would have taken five bits from your pay."
"…you little jerk."
Pinkamena rolled her eyes in response. She had been called worse by townsfolk whenever she refused Cortland's advances. She could roll them off fairly easily.
"Well, considering how dark it is outside, I say we go to bed," Limestone said.
"Yeah," Marble mumbled. She looked at Cheese, and tilted her head. "I have to admit, that story you told was actually quite interesting. Although… we've never actually been to a… 'party.' We've read about them, and have been told about them, but…"
"It's not the same as actually attending one? Yeah, I know. My first party was after I earned my cutie mark. And don't bother asking for that story, it's kind of boring."
"Maybe someday we could see one for ourselves," Limestone said.
Pinkamena sighed. "I don't think that's anytime soon. Now, let's just get some sleep."
Marble and Limestone nodded and left the room. As Pinkamena was following them, Cheese sat up. "Wait."
She turned to him. "What?"
"Pinkamena, I… I'm glad you decided to come in and listen to my story. Even if you didn't believe it, I could tell you found it interesting."
She looked down at the floor, and brushed her hoof on the floorboards. "Well… you're right about that." She glanced at his face, which bore a warm smile that made her cheeks feel hot, and looked away. "If you've been to someplace like, say, Manehattan, be sure to tell us the story."
The warm smile fell into a cold frown. Cheese looked down at the quilt, and said in a low voice, "No, never been there in my life. I have no story to tell."
Pinkamena looked up in surprise as Cheese slipped himself under the covers. He removed his glasses, set them on the nightstand, and grumbled, "Good night," as he turned off his lamp.
She left the room and shut the door quietly. She stood there, staring at the door, her brow furrowed. This was the third time she had seen him so cold and reticent, and the fourth time overall. It was a little jarring considering how sweet he usually was. And though it wasn't any of her business, she couldn't help but wonder what happened in his colthood.
There was no doubt in her mind that he was hiding something.