//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - Pie formalities // Story: Twisting the Cheese // by Derpator //------------------------------// The trip to Pinkie Pie’s bedroom wasn’t a long or tedious one. Sugarcube Corner’s layout was burned tightly into his brain from having been to the sugar house many times already. A familiar trip indeed. Time flew by quickly at times, and he never really counted how many times he came back to Ponyville, rather relying on spontaneity. Never wanting to break his Pinkie Promise, he found himself in the town every weekend, and as agreed, didn’t visit for his job. At the weekend, he was simply ‘one of the crowd’, though a few comments about parties undoubtedly floated its way to him. Sometimes, he wondered if what he was doing was right. A job oriented stallion, leisure never really was a key part for him. Parties were as casual as they could get for him, but even then, it was a result from his passion. It was a shift, leaving his comfort zone to keep his promise. But Pinkie Pie was worth it, in his eyes. The mare wanted to skip over clouds whenever he came back to town, and he could tell. It was in the way she expressed herself when he was near, her energy. It was positive, all of it. Contagious too, considering he couldn’t find any form of depression around her. Not that he wanted to of course. He missed her a lot too, that sincere feeling growing with every parting they shared. He told himself it was always only seven days, but it never went by fast enough. The mare must have gotten to him, because he found himself practically skipping and singing whenever he trotted into town. In the end, Pinkie Pie had softened him up. Just like her soft skin, and her soft attitude. Soft everything. So why was Limestone looking so soft? Why had he found himself somewhat staring at the younger sister? They looked... so similar. He didn’t know if it was because of Pinkie, but Limestone seemed... pretty. She acted more tentatively, or at least he found for some things. Perhaps Limestone cracked him, like Maud could probably crack a rock. And his bones, if he ticked her off. He still hadn’t ruled out that foreseen possibility. They seemed so similar, yet so different. He paused, watching Limestone enter Pinkie’s bedroom. He only had a single question flowing through his mind. What if she had that active spring that Pinkie had? Actually, he thought harder, what if they all had that? Maud would seem more... creepy in that sense, though he still couldn’t tell if she was faking this dullness anyway. An actor with a cutie mark showing that off, that’s what she had to have. “Hey Cheese, you coming?” he heard Limestone ask. He weakly shook his head to snap out of his trance, Limestone holding the door open with a smile, patiently waiting for him. “Oh yeah. Sorry,” he quickly apologised, speeding up to a brisk pace, entering the confined bedroom. Looking around, he noticed the very first thing that was wrong with it; Pinkie was missing. She was nowhere to be seen, which immediately left a bad taste in his mouth. If this was some form of intervention, or interrogation where he would be put with Maud alone, he might just wail. Marble wasn’t present either, and Maud was just... standing still, staring at Pinkie’s wardrobe. She would blink her eyes every few seconds, but she stood still, like she was a robot. Even the way she clocked her head around to face him just backed up his quick theory. Maud’s a robot, of course Cheese you dolt, how can you be so stupid!? He groaned from his crazy ideas, making a gradual move towards the wardrobe, Limestone sticking with him. He didn’t know why, but she seemed the closest and most familiar to him. He felt a connection with her, though it hadn’t even been two hours that he had met the sister yet. Perhaps the mare shared some common interests, her personality definitely sparked with his. Cheese was a little hesitant, before he lifted up his hoof, sliding the wardrobe door to the side. What he saw might have been one of the most adorable things ever in the history of Pinkie Pie. Pinkie and Marble were sitting, hooves crossed around each other, looking up at opened wardrobe door with terror, almost like they were waiting. It wasn’t so much the scared look, rather than the closeness of the sisterly contact that he found cute. Pinkie was cute, like always, but even in that state, shaking a bit, frightened, holding Marble, who also looked like Pinkie, it was even more so. “Look out!” Marble shouted, picking Pinkie up with her hooves and charging right past Cheese. “He’s it!” “Seems they’re still playing tag...” he mumbled instantly, observing the active action bolt right past him. “Why don’t we play something else?” Limestone suggested after a few seconds of a game gone on too long, not really fond of the hyper activity. Cheese could tell she wasn’t very keen on tag, if she even played games to begin with. She looked like she was the type to join in a few games, but nothing as strenuous or on the same levels of Pinkie’s crazy dancing moves. “Hmm...” both of the eccentric mares thought out loud, Pinkie stroking her chin with her hoof, while Marble rubbed her head with hers. “What about the games we played Pinkie?” Cheese finally suggested, remembering back to those party games they took part in, very enjoyable. It would certainly get him closer to the sisters, and this time, he wouldn’t let Pinkie win at Go Fish... on purpose anyway. “Perfect!” Pinkie agreed without a second doubt, before hopping over towards her game cabinet. One by one, the games were swiftly thrown out into the room without regard, only emptying the internal space the games were held in. Cheese smiled, all of the memories coming back to him as he gazed down at the many games. So many hours, so many games. As the floor got flooded in game after game, he noticed Maud just staring blankly at the entropic pile. He wanted to get the inside scoop on her; study her. What made her tick, and what made her smile. “Here we go,” Pinkie proclaimed, holding in her hooves what was implied to be their first game of the day, a little game involving the use of money and investment. He knew the game, not a huge fan of it, but cracked a few winning streaks here and there. “Why not?” Maud added in, lying down on her stomach, immediately grabbing Cheese’s full attention. He couldn’t tell if that was enthusiasm or pure sarcasm. Limestone also shrugged it off, taking a spot opposite of Maud. Sitting apart from her older sister, the two of them having similar mane styles, Cheese couldn’t make anything of it. Maud had the longer hair, but Limestone was more alive. Two sides of the same coin. He proceeded to take off his tuxedo, not finding any future use for it. Maud certainly wasn’t interested in his feeble attempts at smartly presenting himself, so he figured to just ditch it. “Cheesie?” he heard Pinkie call out as he adjusted the suit, rapidly approaching him. The other sisters turned an eye. “What are you doing?” she playfully asked, her smile just so darned cute. Cheese wondered what Pinkie was getting at, the strange question. “I’m... taking off my tuxedo...” he slowly claimed, not sure of what it is he was doing wrong, even feeling a little worried if his actions had severe consequences. “You should keep it on,” Pinkie suggested, inching closer, her eyes already penetrating his, “It looks good on you.” Cheese got the heat coming to him, especially when the three sisters were staring at him too. The attention was drawn solely on him, and now he was pressured into a situation. The tuxedo had no further use, but Pinkie wanted him to keep it on. “I...” he stumbled, not able to form words. Pinkie got even closer, rearranging the bowtie a little, fluttering her eyes up at him. “You look so cute wearing it. Just for a few hours?” Cheese couldn’t look anywhere but at Pinkie’s eyes, which he was sure had some form of gravitational field going on. The fluttering didn’t help his growing blush either, on top of the hearty compliment. Why did she have to own eyes that he couldn’t say no to? It wasn’t abusive, but every time he found himself gazing into those blue gems, he felt hypnotised. How could he say no? It was only for a few hours after all... “Ok,” he finally said after a good moment of silence, all of which comprised of him staring right at Pinkie Pie. The pink mare happily drew him in for a brief hug, expressing her sign of gratitude, which he gracefully returned. “Gummy!” a voice called out, interrupting the heart-warming moment. Still attached to one another, Pinkie and Cheese both took a look at Marble, who had been the one to call out. Her head was planted underneath Pinkie’s bed, before it emerged from the dark depths, carrying a creature in her mouth. It was Gummy. Cheese had... come across the alligator several times, but he still didn’t know what to make of him. He never seemed normal, at least to his eyes. Pinkie also claimed to know what the green reptile said or expressed, but Cheese... He found it was a concrete wall. Marble happily took Gummy out of her mouth, before bringing him in for a hug. “I missed you,” she exclaimed, the toothless creature just lapsed in her hooves. She let go of him a few seconds later, where the alligator gingerly went back underneath the bed. Limestone rolled her eyes at the display of Gummy, while Maud didn’t express anything at all. Pinkie used the brief opportunity while her sisters were looking away to give Cheese a quick, affectionate nuzzle. He might have been distracted by Marble’s antics to have noticed, or maybe he tried to ignore it, because the action was too cute for him to react. Pinkie acted right away when Gummy came back out once more, but holding a specific item in his toothless mouth. “No! Bad Gummy!” she cried out from across the room, breaking away from Cheese and marching over there with a frown. She stood above her pet, Marble backing away a bit whilst raising an eyebrow. “Drop him now!” she commanded Gummy, her voice full of authority. Gummy obliged, dropping Boneless Two from the regions of his sloppy mouth, the chicken landing on the floor. Cheese didn’t say a word, or even feel anything. He sensed that Boneless Two was in trouble, sure, but Pinkie saved him from the clutches of Gummy rather quickly. “It’s been a while,” Marble said, lowering herself in front of Gummy. How long had it actually been? Cheese couldn’t tell, but it was rather obvious the sisters knew of the crazy alligator. “They should play with Boulder,” Pinkie added, turning towards Maud, Cheese getting really interested. It was even more conspicuous when Maud actually rose up and started to walk towards the two sisters. At last, Cheese would find out something more about Maud. Her pet, named Boulder, who was likely a feisty creature she kept around with. It could even be— There was a small tapping noise as a small object emerged from the downward region of her pocket. She threw it, or possibly let it go, to which it landed and rolled on the floor a bit. Cheese’s first instinct was to question why Maud possibly had a rock as a pet, but after witnessing what he just saw, he couldn’t say a word. As Pinkie lifted up Gummy and Boneless Two, placing them into a corner where Boulder was, the trio formed a small triangle, none of which the inhabitants seemed active, apart from Gummy, who only blinked his eyes. It must have been the most exciting activity and conversation going on ever. As the three sisters watched the trio having ‘fun’, they turned back towards the board game in the center, where Limestone had kindly opened it up and proceeded to set it up. She fiddled around with small objects, as well as the money, mentally counting figures in her head. Cheese gazed at Gummy, Boneless Two and Boulder in the corner. Were they... talking amongst themselves? A crazy idea popped into his head that told him they were conversing, but he couldn’t see it. He shook his head, really needing to get rid of the crazy ideas. He felt more softened up towards Maud, eased a bit of tension, now knowing that she didn’t own a terrifying pet, but rather a rock. That rock likely still held high to her though. He joined the group again, taking a seat. Limestone continued to run figures though her head. She looked up at the other participants briefly, before she went back to counting, mumbling words that couldn’t be made out. “Dibs on Gummy!” Pinkie stated, picking up the small metallic alligator in front of the group. All of the pieces were custom-made; all of them shapes of six specific animals. It would only make sense that Pinkie would take what looked like her own pet. “I’ll take the tortoise,” Maud put in, reaching forward and picking up the other reptile. Cheese instantly got an idea that the shell must have reminded her of a rock, which actually seemed plausible the more he thought about it. Marble picked up another small metal animal, a rabbit. It seems that three of the sisters had picked theirs. “I’ll be the banker,” Limestone said, setting up her part of the game. She fiddled with a few decks of cards, as well as hand out stacks of money to each of the contestants. “Cheese? Are you playing?” she asked him when she approached him, the lack of an animal at his disposal. “Oh yeah,” he remembered after a small moment, chuckling from his embarrassment. Leaning forward, he picked up his choice of animal, a dog. He found it sort of resembling himself. He travelled Equestria often, just as a dog could lead an active lifestyle. It was a good choice, but in reality, he only told himself that because he wasn’t fond of the cat or owl. But he soon felt bad for the three Pies he was going up against. *** Another opponent defeated. Cheese cackled as he flowed through his large stacks of money with his hoof, his investments just growing with every passing turn. He had the most, by far, and there was no way Pinkie would be able to win. Marble had been cheated long ago, even claiming that Cheese was a cheater at the time. She was easily shot down by her sisters. He had to feel a bit sorry for them. None of them knew about his huge ideology when it came to finances. A travelling party pony that constantly had to fund his tricks and trades. How did nopony see how well balanced he could make himself when it came to money? It was no wonder he outshined them all. And he had just gotten Maud out, with his terrific strategy of owning complexes. Of course, he had gotten the best property too, Hayfair. The game had pretty much gone downhill for the Pies as soon as he grabbed it, much to their dismay. He turned evil each time. Marble had decided to roam around and take a seat next to Cheese after she had lost her money, though he couldn’t tell if it was a strategy to psyche him out and lose, or curiosity. At times, she willingly seemed to have checked him out, like she was analysing the stallion and his traits, seeing if he was good material, for reasons he couldn't fathom. He regarded himself tall and proud, keeping up a positive attitude. He wouldn’t fall blunder to Marble’s little test, if it even was one. But as the time went on, she shifted herself closer towards him without his knowing, more intent on 'checking' him out. Pinkie was in a predicament. She was about to face bankruptcy, and she knew it. Everypony knew it. She seemed to confront her situation internally, weighing the good and bad. Cheese could tell she was in conflict, his opponent showing signs of weakness. He had it. It was too much for her. She couldn’t do anymore, deciding to give up, not knowing how she could beat him. She put her hoof in the air and money on the floor, declaring surrender. Cheese was crowned the victor, earning imminent praise from them all. “Do we have any snacks?” Marble asked, lifting herself up, finally gone away form Cheese. Her stomach rumbled a bit, though quiet. “I could make something,” Pinkie joyfully exclaimed, also getting up. “Who’s for Pinkie’s personal pinkie pies?” She had a broad smile facing the group. All of them murmured their approval, prompting Pinkie to pick up the next game before she left. She was still theoretically in charge, so she had to take care of everypony’s needs. Limestone finished packing away their first game, the experience rather enjoyable. She gave Cheese a nod of appreciation, her way of telling him congratulations. Cheese himself felt obligated to helping out Pinkie. The sisters were the main guests, so he felt he needed to play a part. Baking? He was... improving. Pinkie had been helping his skills out as a baker, and in return, she asked for a peck on her cheek. It was a two-fold deal he was happy to take part in, though he felt a little uncomfortable falling through with his part, mostly because he blushed and turned red as a beetroot every time. Kissing her, even softly and for a short time, was exhilarating. His heart fluttered after he went through with it each time, and Pinkie must have felt the same, because her pinkness went even pinker every time too. She was a bit sneaky, Pinkie Pie. She liked to tease him, and he her. Pinkie had gone off towards the stacks of games, looking for the next one to play. Cheese followed her a bit with his eyes, but he turned back to the other three. Maud remained stationary, still wearing her dress, Marble looked excited for whatever would come up next, while Limestone had finished putting away their first game. “How are you doing?” the purple mare politely asked him, gaining his attention. “Yeah Cheese, what do you think of us?” Marble asked immediately afterwards, her question a little too personal. Maud gave Marble a questionable look, but Cheese could tell it was a bit of a glare. She invaded a bit too much there, but then he remembered what Limestone had told him. Marble often did that sort of thing, though how much she just did, it wasn’t much. “Uh...” he stammered, not wanting to find the wrong words. He needed some words, and quick. His entire friendship with Pinkie hung in the balance of a few words he would soon come out with, in his current mind-set. “Hmm...” Pinkie thought out loud, perhaps deliberately. The attention of everyone was soon brought to the pink sister, rummaging through the collection. Cheese mentally sighed, the crisis having been averted. He was feeling a growing tension from a different sister. Marble sparked his interest now, the sister seeming to act a bit suspiciously. She was ogling him a bit, giving him a curious eye, all like she was studying him. Maud had tipped his scaled over towards the younger sister easily. What was she up to? He couldn’t put his hoof on it. “I know what we can play next!” Pinkie suggested, pulling out a spinner and mat, something that Cheese familiarised himself with instantly. That game. That one game. And the horrors linked to it when he realised who his company was. Pinkie was fine, but Twister with the other Pies? With Maud? He cringed alone from the thought. And worse was that there were no complaints or any groans that came out of any of them. They seemed to welcome it actually, Marble expressing her delight by increasing her smile. Limestone gave the game a once-over look of interest, but she didn’t complain, whilst Maud remained silent. She gave Cheese a brief glance, probably thinking the exact same thing he was. He wanted to bail at the first opportunity, but that was the nerves and jitters talking, not the confident party Cheese. He saw his escape in the form of Pinkie herself, knowing she’d be heading downstairs to make her personalised pies. He could help. Yes, he could do that... He’d even kiss her cheek twice, five, ten times if she let him go. Marble made the situation worse when he felt her hoof touch and hold onto his. He had been panting a bit unknowingly, and she rested her hoof against his to try and calm him down. It hadn’t made it better though, as the contact didn’t set off anything good in his mind. She released her smooth grip with a frown, a bit concerned, only trying to brighten him up. He calmed himself, taking more laboured breaths. He must have looked like a righteous fool in front of them. He was getting too worked over a simple game of Twister, and he had already met the Pie sisters. “Why don’t you all start, and I’ll make us some pies?” Pinkie asked the group, happily heading towards the bedroom door. Cheese felt a bit paralyzed as the only mare he wanted in his immediate vicinity get further away. It was over when she left the bedroom, the sound of her hooves fading away. It was him... and the three others. He needed to do something, and that option was to set up the mat and spinner themselves. With his party mood suddenly activated as he usually does, he had no trouble unfolding the mat, presenting it in front of them. “So... who’s first?” he nervously asked the three mares, all of them staring at him. *** There had been many games. Maud wasn’t as bad as he thought either. She had been kind enough to take off her dress, revealing her rock of a cutie mark. She wasn’t an actress, which the idea of still made him laugh a bit. She wasn’t rock solid, and when she tumbled, she didn’t fall like one. The ideas of rocks went to his head pretty quick. A lot of time had passed through their many active games. Pinkie had made her pies part-way through a game consisting of Maud and Marble, in which Marble abruptly ended the game early to satisfy her hunger. Maud didn’t seem too angered over that. But Pinkie was determined to make more, and she told Cheese to enjoy himself rather than go downstairs and help her. Sugarcube Corner might have been all theirs for the day, but he wouldn’t mind to lend a hoof. Deep down, he had a feeling that Pinkie did it deliberately to get him to interact with her sisters more. He couldn’t argue with her wish, even finding himself warming up to their presence the more he was around with them. “Cheese? You want the next game?” Limestone asked him, offering him up with her hoof. He graciously took the offer, grunting a bit as his weight shifted up. “Thanks,” he replied, grateful for the small assistance. He looked around at the three mares. “So who’s playing?” “Not for me,” Maud turned down, weakly shaking her head. Cheese wouldn’t know what turned her off, but he knew it wasn’t because it was him. She was likely tuckered out a bit. “Marble?” he added, turning towards the eccentric mare. She practically rose up instantly at the offer. “Sure!” she beamed. “What about you Limestone?” Cheese turned back to Limestone, who was considering the offer, but didn’t seem like taking part. “I don’t know...” “Go on,” Maud encouraged her, “I’ll be happy to watch.” Maud can be happy? Cheese almost wanted to ask right out how that was even possible. “Er... alright,” Limestone gave in, mustering her courage and strength. She was happy to take part, though she wasn’t the best in terms of expressing it. She was better than Maud, but she didn’t compete with Pinkie or Marble. Marble stomped her hooves onto the starting point, ready for somepony to set her off with the spinner. Maud, while spectating, decided to be the one to control where they went. She took a hold of the spinner in her hooves, before flicking the dial, sending it to point at a colour and appropriate limb. Cheese liked this company. He wished Pinkie was upstairs, given how she was the one he knew most, but he couldn’t deny that her sisters weren’t bad. He must have just had extreme nerves earlier before he met them. And yet, even after all the hours he’s spent with them so far, he’s kept wearing his tuxedo. Pinkie might have been right, it looked cute on him. He didn't mind wearing it, but after wearing it for so long, and remembering back to Rainbow Dash's birth-iversary, a part of him wanted Pinkie to be wearing her huge blue bowtie. That was cute on her, from what he could remember.