//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Maud and Cheese // by rhony //------------------------------// Cheese Sandwich was happily humming as he moved from train car to train car. Life is very good, he thought to himself. He had been traveling by train from Las Pegasus, where he had thrown a stupendous party if he did say so himself – Which I do! he thought, chuckling. Malarson Highstepper himself had raved about the bash to his best friend, who just happened to be the Dean of Students at the University of Mareland. The next thing he knew, Cheese was on a train to Baltimare, ticket already paid, job already guaranteed – a never-to-be-forgotten new student orientation ball! Only one teeny weeny problem marred Cheese’s good humor – the ponies he had whooped it up with on the first leg of his journey had been inconsiderate enough to disembark at Ponyville (never mind that it was their intended destination). So Cheese was on the prowl for a new set of happy-go-lucky travelers. Unfortunately for him, it seemed like everypony had disembarked in Ponyville. But Cheese was not a pony to let a small hitch in his plans keep him from moving forward. There had to be somepony left on the train… And then, finally, there was! A mousy earth pony was sitting alone in the car he had just entered, with her face turned toward the window. Maybe not the partying type, he thought to himself, but the challenge makes it all the more fun! Singing at the highest volume he could, Cheese moved toward the lone pony in the cart. Hmm…. maybe she is deaf? One thing that Cheese had never been accused of was being unnoticeable… well, not since he had gotten his cutie mark, anyway. The fact that the pony hadn’t moved a muscle since he entered the cart was a bit unnerving. This made Cheese all the more determined to get her attention, somehow. The poor thing looks like she never has had a moment of fun – but I can solve that! Cheese sang all the way up to the seat next to the immobile pony and then, in as cheery a voice as he could muster, asked her if he could sit next to her. He was surprised when he heard a faint, pained sigh pass her lips, but quickly decided to look on the bright side of this strange encounter. After all, she had reacted to his query, which lead him to two promising conclusions: 1) she wasn’t deaf after all and 2) she wasn’t dead either. So he put on his most charming Cheesy smile as he waited for her response. Slowly she turned around… And Cheese was looking at the most unusual, amazing, beautiful pony he has ever seen. She had a silky straight violet mane and tail and soft grey fur like the fog rolling over Vanhoover on a fall day. But it was her eyes – those mesmerizing jade-green eyes surrounded by a thick fringe of lashes – that seemed to bore through to the center of his heart. He couldn’t seem to break his gaze away from her. Did I just say something? What did I say? Cheese thought to himself as he sat down. He knew he was babbling, but he wasn’t even sure what was crossing his lips anymore. That is, until the amazing creature next to him broke his gaze and closed her eyes. That break in contact felt like a splash of cold water. Cheese took a deep breath, determined to salvage the situation. “So…” Okay, not exactly smooth Cheese, get it together. “My name is Cheese Sandwich, and I’m on my way to Baltimare.” The mare next to him had opened her eyes again and was looking at him silently. Cheese wasn’t sure how many awkward moments passed before he couldn’t take it anymore. “What’s your name?” The mare opened and closed her mouth, fixing those jeweled eyes on him again. Finally, she spoke. “My name is Maud.” Like her mane and her coat, Maud’s voice was silky. Cheese felt so… well, garish compared to Maud. But at the same time, her smoothness felt like a calming balm to him, allowing him to settle back in his seat and relax, at least somewhat. “Well, Maud, are you on your way to Baltimare as well?” Maud blinked. She seemed to consider her answer carefully. “Yes.” Not exactly an opening for more conversation, but Cheese was too enthralled by this strange mare to be put off. “Why Baltimare?” “Well…” Maud paused. “Rocks.” Cheese wasn’t sure he’d heard right. “Rocks?” Maud blinked again. “Yes, rocks.” The two ponies sat in silence for a moment while Cheese considered her answer. Finally, he asked, “Weren’t there rocks where you were before?” Maud turned to face him, her mouth open. She snapped her mouth shut, staring at him while he stared at her. Then, the corner of her mouth began to twitch… and soon, the twitch spread into a smile, followed by a short snort of mirth. Cheese was convinced it was the most beautiful laugh he had ever heard. Maud spoke again. “Yes, there were rocks in where I came from. Quite a few of them.” She flashed a brief smile before her face settled back into a serene, calm façade. “I am entering the University of Mareland as a graduate student in Rockology. My studies begin next week.” Cheese couldn’t believe his luck. “I’m heading to the University of Mareland too! Well, not as a student.” Cheese took a breath. He was starting to speed up again, and somehow, instinctively, he knew he needed to slow down around this particular mare. “I’ve been hired by the school to plan the new student orientation ball. That’s what I do, I plan parties. You’ll be coming to the new student orientation ball, of course?” Maud seemed to consider his words carefully. “I wasn’t planning on attending. I’m not much of a party-pony.” Dang. Cheese was a bit lost as to what to say after that. So the two ponies sat in silence for a while. As he contemplated Maud, and Maud’s words, Cheese slowly came to two new conclusions. The first was that getting Maud to be his friend was going to be quite a bit of work. The second was that he was going to get Maud to come to the new student orientation ball – and have fun – if it was the last thing he did.