//------------------------------//
// 21. A Breathtaking View 
// Story: The Rock Farmer's Daughters 
// by Sketcha-Holic 
//------------------------------//

Under the light of a lamp in his room, Bluejinx looked over the notes once more, but his mind failed to comprehend the words. They were plain and simple words, he knew, and they were supposed to be as clear as day. However, his mind was unable to wrap around the words he had written as he observed the Pies in their daily work. Try as he might, his notes couldn't make sense in his head.

He sighed. He was just distracted by the recent memory of Cheese Sandwich being cold toward him. Having somepony be cold was nothing new for him; after all, his friend Tomato had a tendency to be that way when he was in a bad mood. He wanted to chuckle at the apparent trait that ran in the family, but it bothered him that Cheese had carried around the hurt for years.

Bluejinx had thought that mentioning that Tomato was missing his older brother would shake Cheese out of it. However, Cheese remained cold, turning him away with self-destructive statements that doubted that his brother would accept him at this point.

He slammed his hoof on his desk. Why would his friend, who refused to take insults aimed at his brother and constantly implored said brother to show the others just why he put him on a pedestal, turn his back upon a reunion? The only reasons he could think of were if Cheese had launched a painful and personal attack against Tommy, or if he was an irredeemable criminal.

"Oh, Tomato…" he murmured aloud. "You deserve to know the whereabouts of your brother."

He looked at the stack of blank papers on the corner of his desk. With his magic, he put his notepad aside, and slid one of the papers over until it laid in front of him. With a yawn, he pulled a pen out of his drawer, and stared at the paper, wondering how he should start his letter.

"Bluejinx?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of his aunt's voice. However, his sudden jolt had tipped his chair back and sent him tumbling to the floor. His head hit the floor with a thunk, and soon stars had filled his vision.

"Goodness!" Purple Prose rushed to Bluejinx and helped him up. "Are you all right?" She started combing through his snowy mane. "I hope that wasn't hard enough for a bump."

"I'm all right, Aunt Purple," he groaned. "Gee, what was that for?"

Purple stepped back. "Well, it's late, and I believe you should go to bed. What are you up for anyway? Still trying to figure out how to write your report on the Pies?"

Bluejinx inhaled deeply through his nose. "Well… still got nothing. So, I decided to write a letter to a friend of mine."

"Oh good, oh good, this friend of yours should have an update on what you've been doing. He'll be thrilled to know that you're trying to defend the good name of longtime residents."

"I just hope I know what I'm doing… after all, I haven't even been here a week."

"You'll do fine, sweetheart. Since you actually visited the Pies, you've got more of the actual story than the rest of the fools in town." Purple's brow furrowed and she looked down.

"What is it?"

"Oh… I'm still trying to wrap my mind around an Apple being dishonest. Why would Cortland lie about the state of his relationship with Pinkamena?"

Bluejinx shrugged. "Making himself look better? Igneous was blunt about declaring his daughters off limits to any stallion desiring to court them. I've seen plenty of ponies go after an attractive pony that's 'hard to get.' Betcha Cortland's one of 'em."

"Sharp boy you are. I'm so glad your mother agreed to send you over here. Now, continue writing to this Potato… he sounds like a marvelous friend."

"Uh… his name's Tomato. And how'd you know I was writing to him instead of Nimbus?"

"Oh?" Purple smirked with a glint in her eye. "I heard you through the door. You were writing to him about his brother?"

Bluejinx bit his lip. As far as he knew, he was the only one in town who knew of Cheese's brother. He doubted that Cheese told the Pies, and there was little chance of Cheese having a close relative in Nickerlite that would recognize him.

Purple giggled. "Well, if I were you, I'd go to sleep before writing any more. You might end up writing something you'll regret, and it could have unforeseen consequences. It's one thing to report on something the town is abuzz about; it's another to meddle in somepony else's family affairs."

With that, Purple left the room, leaving Bluejinx to his thoughts.

He sighed and picked up the chair. Walking over to his desk, he stared at the piece of paper, envisioning the letter he was going to write. How was just telling Tomato about Cheese meddling? After all, Tommy had every right to know that his brother was alive and well, and he would be overjoyed to know where he is.

Still, he was hesitant, because if Cheese was cold towards him, how would he be with his brother? He hadn't stuck around long enough to know the exact details of the confrontation, but he remembered how angry Cheese had been, and how depressed Tomato had been afterwards. A reunion could go horribly wrong if not handled tactfully, and he didn't want either of them hurt.

Nevertheless, after a few moments, he decided that he was going to write to his friend.

He wrote down the first few words, murmuring as he wrote, "Dear… Tomato Sandwich…"

He dropped the pen and yawned. He rubbed his eye, and decided that Aunt Purple was right. It was best that he go to bed before writing any more. In the morning, he could compose a well-thought out letter.





The rain was on again and off again during the next couple of weeks, much to the frustration of the Pies.

The rain would suddenly start on the family as they were working, which would always lead to groans and them seeking shelter in the house. It'd stop just as suddenly, and the family would go back out to determine if conditions were good enough to keep working, only to get rained on again. Back and forth they went, often wet and muddy from the sporadic rain.

Much to the amusement of Pinkamena, there were times where Cheese would just stay out in the rain, leaning out on the fence as his voice rang out over the fields in song. As tempting as it was to join him, that would bring about implications of deeper feelings that she believed she didn't have. Not to mention that she feared her singing voice wasn't any good. So, she was content to watch him from the window, and open it just a tiny crack to let his voice in.

She would be situated by the window, reading about fantastic places in Equestria and beyond, and ignoring her father's complaints of the pegasi not controlling the weather better. Her ears were locked on the voice of the stallion outside happily singing in the rain. Her smile was hidden by her book, and for some reason, her cheeks were warm as she continued to listen to whatever song he happened to be singing, usually being some made-up ditty about being on a "rock farm paradise".

He continued this little activity—despite Cloudy telling him that he'd catch his death out there—until Nickerlite's rainy season was over. And he did not show a single symptom of a cold.

Although the rainclouds were now gone, there remained the mud. Since the mud had to dry before the rocks could be spread out among the separate fields instead of being crammed into one, Igneous decided that they would have to wait until the fields were hard and dry enough before they could continue. Pinkamena figured that he knew that slipping on the mud and falling on the rocks would most likely result an injury harming his muscles or his bones, especially at his age. His having an upset stomach the night before probably factored into the decision.

So, as Igneous took a nap, and Cloudy went to town for a few errands, the Pie sisters and Cheese Sandwich were going off on a hike, which would be followed by a picnic on the nearest mountain. They packed their food and their shawls, the latter due to Cheese saying that the higher you climbed a mountain, the colder it got.

Carrying the basket and their canteens full of water, they began their journey. After trudging through the muddy fields, they went into the forest, and walked until they came across the river. There, they washed the mud off their hooves, with Cheese recounting his battle with Hank the Diamond Dog.

They walked much further, taking a path that led them up the mountain. Marble and Limestone identified different types of rocks as they ascended, and Maud would nod in assent every time they did so. Cheese was eyeing and talking about the various plants they came across, including those he had said had given him a rash in the past. Pinkamena suppressed a giggle, hoping to save the smile she was going to show her sisters until they reached their destination.

Finally, they reached a nice spot high on the mountain, which had grass soft enough to lay the picnic blanket on. There they set up their picnic and took out their shawls to wrap around themselves.

"Okay," Pinkamena said, opening the basket. "Maud has the hay sandwich." She pulled out said sandwich and set it in front of Maud. She repeated the motions with the other sandwiches, saying, "Marble has the daisy sandwich, Limestone has the cabbage sandwich, Cheese has the… cheese sandwich…" A few snorts came out of her nose as she stifled a giggle. Why'd he choose the sandwich that he shared a name with?

Shaking her head, she pulled out the last sandwich. "And I have the tomato sandwich."

"Yowch!"

The girls turned to Cheese, who had his tongue hanging out like a dog. He had dropped his sandwich on the blanket, and he was staring at it like it had bit him. After a moment, he looked up at the girls.

"I bit my tongue."

After a few moments of staring, the girls started to eat their own sandwiches. Cheese picked his up, and started to numbly chew it. Pinkamena glanced at him, noting the melancholy chill that was notable in his eyes.

"Cheese, are you all right?" she asked.

Cheese looked at her and forced a grin. "Oh, it's nothing, Pinkamena. I've bitten my tongue before."

Pinkamena raised an eyebrow. "I've never seen anypony so sad over biting their tongue."

Cheese bit his lip and avoided her gaze, taking another bite of his sandwich. It was obvious to Pinkamena that Cheese was lying, and was avoiding what was really bothering him. The question was just what it was; she hadn't mentioned his family, Manehattan, or Bluejinx. She looked around, trying to locate the thing that had set off his reaction.

Cheese stuffed the rest of his sandwich into his mouth, chewed, and then swallowed with little difficulty. He stood up, and walked across the grass to a large rock embedded on the path near the edge of the cliff. He sat on it, and looked forward, his back turned to the Pie Sisters.

She gazed at him, watching as the wind blew through his mane and rippled his poncho. Sunlight was giving his chocolate curls a subtle glow, and his posture was solid and upright, giving the illusion of a strong and stoic pony. He was steadfastly planted on that rock, staring at the horizon.

She blinked in astonishment, amazed that the stallion sitting right there was the same one she had to rescue from a rowdy gang. A nervous and humble colt with sticks for legs, somepony hardly fit for rock farming, a simple drifter that was down on his luck and only hired out of pity.

She had not thought much of him when they had first met; she had found it annoying that he had taken a job at her home. But now, she was proud to consider him part of the family. After all, she loved the sweetness and sense of humor that Cheese had, and was getting more impressed by the strength he was developing. And even if everypony else thought he was just a useless wanderer, she was going to keep seeing that strong stallion that was inside him.

If only there was some way she could help him with whatever problem he had.

"Pinkamena…" Marble said as she poked her. "Why are you staring at him?"

Pinkamena shook her head, and looked at her sisters. They had finished their sandwiches, save for Maud, who was giving the rest of hers to her pet rock.

"Uhh…" Pinkamena stuffed the rest of her sandwich into her mouth, swallowed it quickly, and stood up. "I'm just wondering what he's looking at."

"The view, obviously," Limestone said.

Pinkamena shot her a glare, and strode toward where Cheese sat. Limestone and Marble glanced at each other, and then followed. Maud stood up, pushed her hay sandwich toward her pet rock, and then joined the others.

Pinkamena sat down beside Cheese. Maud took her seat beside Pinkamena, while Limestone and Marble sat on Cheese's other side. All four of them held their shawls around their shoulders tightly, protecting themselves from the chilly wind. Within seconds, Cheese turned his head—first to Maud and Pinkamena, and then to Limestone and Marble—and smiled warmly.

"This…" he said, stretching his hoof out in a grand gesture. "…is what I've traveled."

The four mares looked forward, and beheld the horizon. From the point where they sat, they could see not just the rock farm, and not just Nickerlite. They saw a vast expanse of fields and forests, spread over both rolling hill and simple flatland. Several rivers snaked their way around these hills, and several small towns were dotting the landscape. The entire thing was ridged by a mountain range, and as far as the eye could see, there were many beautiful shades of green.

Pinkamena's face broke out into smile, her eyes gleaming with interest. "Wow… this is beyond the town and our farm?"

Cheese shrugged. "Well… this isn't all I've traveled. But, yeah, that's what's outside of Nickerlite." His brow furrowed. "Wait, you've never been beyond town?"

"No. We had to work all the time. No time for vacations, because the only time the rocks don't ripen is wintertime, and well, we don't really like winter."

Cheese blinked. "Oh… well… you girls never made a delivery like your father?"

"He doesn't want to admit he's getting old," Limestone said.

"I see. Well, I hope this cliff doesn't give way while we're still on it."

Maud knocked on the rock they were sitting on. "Don't worry. The mountain's not letting go of this piece of granite for a long time."

"Okay, good. Thanks, Maud." Cheese turned and pointed to a mountain. "On that mountain over there, you can see –"

"Wait! Pinkamena, what are you doing with your mouth?" Marble asked.

Pinkamena felt her mouth again, beaming even brighter at her sisters. "Smiling, of course."

"But… you… you never smile."

Limestone piped in, "Yeah, you haven't since our grandmothers died."

"Well, they wouldn't want to see me with a big frowny face all the time, would they?" She turned to Maud, who responded with a blink and a gentle nod of approval. "Maud likes it."

Cheese chuckled. "You know, I don't think it's against the rules to smile, girls. When you feel like it, just do it. It's a really easy thing to do." He clapped his hooves. "Anyway, as I was saying, that mountain over there is home to Canterlot."

The mares looked over at the mountain, and sure enough, a large platform holding a city was there. While it seemed small in their sight, they imagined that it was actually very big.

"Yeah, that's where the Santa Hooves incident happened. I still don't know why he went crazy." Cheese pointed to a far off patch of trees. "Over there is the Everfree Forest. It's full of dangerous creatures that could kill you with a single swipe of the paw!" He swiped his hoof to emphasize his point.

"Oh my!" Marble gasped.

"Yeah… dangerous they are. And the fact is, plants grow, animals thrive, and clouds move with nopony's help. It's really weird." Cheese started to chuckle. "Just why would anypony build a town right next to it, I wonder?"

"Wait, there's a town right next to it?" Limestone asked.

"Yep, Ponyville. It's where my first job was. It's a very nice town that I should visit again someday, see how things have changed since I last visited. Okay, anyway…"

And so, Cheese pointed out the various towns that speckled the landscape, telling them what he did in those towns and where his stories had taken place. While Maud had lost interest and started stroking the rock they were sitting on, Limestone and Marble were gazing over the landscape in wonder, with apparent tightness at the corners of their mouths, and Pinkamena was focused on Cheese's face. There was the passion for storytelling shining in his eyes, his warm, dimpled smile letting words flow out, and the various scrunches of his muzzle as he reacted to a memory of his.

She kept smiling through the whole thing, not wanting to stop. Soon enough, she even caught Limestone and Marble as the corners of their mouths forced themselves upward, and they too were smiling.

Finally, after a while, Maud looked up, and asked, "Do any of you know what time it is?"

The other four turned to her, the mares still holding their shawls. They glanced between each other, and shook their heads.

Maud blinked. "We finished lunch. It's time we go."

The others looked between each other again. Cheese, Marble, and Limestone stood up, and headed for the picnic blanket. They packed the blanket into the basket, and Maud picked up her pet rock. She didn't show any sign of surprise that the hay sandwich was gone.

Marble looked at Pinkamena, who still sat on the rock. "Hey! Pinkamena! We're going!"

Pinkamena looked out over the landscape, entranced by the blended shades of green. "You girls go on ahead. I'll catch up. Just let me memorize this view."

Cheese and Pinkamena's sister looked amongst each other, and slowly went back down the path. They kept looking back, making sure that she was not doing anything drastic. Maud and Cheese were the slowest, still shooting glances back, and silently agreed to wait for her at a certain point.

Pinkamena looked back at the path, hoping that they were far enough away so they wouldn't hear. Her heart was racing, and her breaths were deep. She squeezed her eyes shut, and let her song come to the forefront of her mind. Shutting away the memory of when it had been a weaponized chant against her, she kept on breathing slowly, until she allowed her voice to ring out.

"My name is Pinkamena,

And I am here to say

That I'm glad that I can smile

And it just brightens up my day

For many, many years

I've felt so sad and blue

Until one day all the clouds broke up

And let a shining rainbow through

And now I can surely smile, smile, smile

Yes, it's true

And have a heart full of sunshine all the while

It's so nice

I feel that I should just smile, smile, smile

And let my family feel my cheer."

She stood up, and took one last look at the valley, beaming with a luminescent blush gracing her cheeks. It felt so good to smile after many years. And it felt wonderful to finally get to sing again. Her cheeks felt warm and her heart raced at the thought of the pony who was present for her first smile in years, and she was grateful that he had come around.

She turned around and ran down the path to catch up with the others.





As they walked down the path back to the farm, Cheese could not get the song that Pinkamena had sang out of his head. He and Maud had walked down slowly, making sure that they could turn around and rush back at a moment's notice should something happen. However, the only thing that happened was that they had heard her sing.

While Maud had stated that it was the first time that Pinkamena had sang in years, Cheese was focused on just how lovely her singing voice was. It was high, but it the good kind of high that reminded one of wind chimes or holiday bells. It was sweet, much like cotton candy or a frosted cake. But most importantly, it was joyful.

First she smiles, then she sings? He just couldn't believe how blessed he was to be a witness to both of those miracles. Nopony in Nickerlite could ever hope to coax those out of any of the Pies, but Cheese had seen three of the Pie sisters smile, and heard one sing.

What a wonderful day it was.

As they made it back to the house and walked in through the front door, Cloudy was at the table, sorting through some mail. She looked up at the returning party.

"Well, well, well," Cloudy said impassively. "Did your hike go well?"

Maud and Cheese nodded, while Pinkamena, Marble, and Limestone grinned and answered in unison, "It sure did!"

Cloud stared for a moment, glancing between the three girls beaming at her. "Wait… are you… are you smiling?"

The three of them nodded, and Pinkamena asked, "Do you like them?"

She put a hoof to her mouth, and answered, "This is a surprise. I haven't seen you girls smile since you were fillies. Just what did you do up there?"

"Oh…" Marble said. "We climbed a mountain, had a picnic, enjoyed the view, listened to Cheese point out stuff we could see in the valley. It was really nice."

"And this made you smile?"

"Pinkamena started it," Limestone said, pointing to her pink sister.

Pinkamena scuffed her hoof against the floor. "Yeah, I did. What can I say? I love the view."

Cloudy raised an eyebrow, and looked at Cheese. "Uh-huh. By the way, Cheese, you have some mail."

Cheese blinked and put a hoof on his chest. "Huh? Mail? Me? But how—"

"Don't know." She tossed a sealed envelope at him. "Now hurry, mud's been drying pretty quickly. We might get some work done today."

Cheese caught the letter and held it close. "Oh, okay." With that, he hurried up the stairs, leaving mares that were as confused as he was.

A letter for me? he wondered. How is that even possible? Nopony should know where to send me mail! Who could it possibly be? How did they know where I am?

He walked into his room and shut the door behind him. Taking a deep breath, he walked to his bed, sat on it, and took the envelope from his chest. He took his glasses off and wiped them, delaying reading just who the letter was from for a few seconds. He was almost fearful of just who this sender was.

He placed his glasses back on his muzzle. He took another deep breath, and then held the envelope up, reading the return address. He jumped and dropped the letter just as soon as he read the name of the sender.

"T-T-T… T-Tomato Sandwich?" he sputtered. He held his head in his hooves, staring at the envelope he just dropped on the floor.

How? How did his brother know he was here? He didn't have time to mull over the question before a voice yelled from downstairs.

"Cheese Sandwich, come down here! We've got work to do!"

Cheese jumped off his bed, and then slid the envelope under it. He rushed out of his room, the shock he felt from the letter making him nearly dizzy enough to trip down the stairs. Luckily, he caught and composed himself, and strode down normally, though the question was still in his mind.

And then it hit him like a ton of bricks. There was only one way that Tomato would know that he was in Nickerlite.

Bluejinx.