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// Chapter 2: Shop,Talk,and Walk 
// Story: Welcome Back! 
// by Lynchristina 
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Night had fallen into Ponyville. As if governed by some unspoken ritual, hundreds of crickets began to sing by the creek bed. In town, a silence had fallen. All down the street, lights were blinking out as ponies made their way to bed. However, some ponies were still awake. In Sugarcube Corner's darkened interior, moonlight spilled in from the window, casting an outline of two ponies.

Pinkie turned the chair around in a mysterious manner. A thick pipe was clasped in her hooves,"State your name stranger." A stream of tiny bubbles spewed from the pipe.

Cheese Sandwich wore a fedora hat with a suit that blended in the dark room."Names Cheese Sandwich." Cheese pulled out a blue document from his right pocket,"Here are the documents, it's all there."

Pinkie Pie swiped the documents and looked at the markings and structures,"Hmmm, this is missing things. Do you expect us to do this?" The paper slammed on the wooden desk.

Pinkie stood up,"Don't worry, everything will be fixed after I'm done with you." 

Cheese was about to object in their little play till they heard foals crying from the other room. 

Pinkie turned her neck  to the hallway,"Oh, the foals are awake. Don't worry, we'll get back to our plans. Just let me put them back to sleep." Pinkie walked as she threw her pipe and coat.

Cheese chuckled as he took off his suit,"I hope that was all the voices we need for those little crusaders to use."

Cheese's hooves struck a soft tattoo on the wooden floor of the hallway. Peering inside the nursery, he watched Pinkie tuck the foals in bed. One of his ears perked up when a soft sound drifted to his ears. Pinkie? Curious, he poked his head into the room. The soft, sweet song was nothing like Pinkie had ever sung before. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. For what felt like an eternity, he stood, enraptured by Pinkie's lullaby.

Pinkie softly sang her lullaby to the twins,"Stars and moons and air balloons, fluffy clouds to the horizon, I'll wrap you in rainbows, and rock you to sleep again..." 

Cheese made a soft smile. She sounds.... so.... beautiful. I've never saw her sing like this. Usually she sings something fun and could bring the whole town in it. But this, it's something  that I never saw in Pinkie. At least, not till now. Cheese backed up a few steps to hear a squeak from a small a toy from the back of him. Automatically, Cheese swiftly tip toed to the counter. Phew.

Pinkie walked towards the kitchen and turned the lights on,"Cheese?"

The stallion gulped,"Hehehe.....Yeah?"

Pinkie chuckled,"You silly billy! Why didn't you just turn on the lights than walking through the dark?"

Just then a tall yellow stallion and a blue mare went through the door to see two ponies in the kitchen. 

Mrs. Cake yawned,"Sorry for coming a tad late dear."

Pinkie made a soft smile,"It's okay Mrs. Cake, everypony comes in late sometimes when they're having fun at a wedding."

Mr. Cake rubbed his big chin,"Hey, aren't you that Cheese Sandwich guy that hosted that amazing party for Rainbow Dash?"

Cheese slightly nodded at the stallion,"Yes, yes I am."

Mr. Cake placed his bags on the counter,"So, are you here to plan a party?"

Cheese slightly nodded at Mr. Cake,"Yeah, me and Pinkie are throwing a party for Princess Cadence's foal."

Pinkie jumped,"Hey Cheese, where are you going to sleep tonight?"

Cheese scratched his head,"Huh, I must have forgotten about that. Well, I was going to rent a hotel. Are there any hotels here?"

Mrs. Cake chuckled,"No need for a hotel dear, you can sleep over here for a while if you want."

Pinkie squealed in delight,"You can stay in my room Cheese. I can lend you a sleeping bag."

Cheese smiled,"Well alright then, i'll be glad to stay here."

Pinkie quickly dragged Cheese to her room. Immediately she went to her closet to find the sleeping bag. Cheese looked around the room. He felt nice carpeting beneath his hooves. It felt soft and fuzzy. He wandered around the big room and observed the beautiful colors that brighten the dim room. He went up the wooden stairs to see pictures hanging from the wall. He looked at each of them, one by one he smiled at the thought of what other things happened at that time. Slowly he went up the stairs to the balcony. He opened the doors to the outside and felt a cool breeze coming to him. Cheese looked at the night sky, it was full of twinkling stars. They all brighten up the whole sky. 

Pinkie smiled and swiped the sleeping bag,"There you are sleeping bag. Hey Cheese you'll be slee......." Pinkie looked around to see where Cheese went. She looked up and down and all around till she felt a shivering breeze flowing through her coat. Pinkie trotted to the balcony to see Cheese staring at the stars. Pinkie went towards him,"Hey, um... Cheese?"

Cheese turned around to see a pink mare in front of him,"Oh, sorry Pinks, I was just looking at the stars. They're really beautiful this time of night, aren't they?"

Pinkie looked up as well,"Yeah, they are." She made a soft smile. "Come on Cheese, I don't want you to get cold."

Cheese nodded at the pink mare and closed the doors,"So, you found your sleeping bag?"

Pinkie grinned,"Yepadoodles, here." She tossed the bag to Cheese. "You can sleep by my bed."

Cheese unrolled his sleeping bag by Pinkie's bed and placed his bags with Boneless two,"Hey, where's Boneless by the way."

Pinkie showed Boneless to Cheese,"Here, he's been a really good chicken after you left."

Cheese held his friend,"Hello old buddy."

Pinkie yawned,"You should probably get to sleep Cheese. I mean, I would have a big slumber party with you right now, but we need all the energy we need tomorrow."

Cheese tucked himself in the sleeping bag,"Yeah, your right. We need to start getting ingredients and start our plans. Goodnight."

Pinkie leaned over to turn off the lights,"Goodnight Cheese."
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Pinkie woke up to hear the sounds of birds chirping. She rubbed her eyes, they were still blurry from her sight. When trying to get up, her foreleg was tangled in the blanket. She fell off the bed to be inches away from Cheese's muzzle. 

Cheese suddenly woke up to see a mare's muzzle inches away from his own,"Gahh!"

Pinkie's pupils shrank and immediately got off Cheese as fast as she could. She tried to hide her bright blush from Cheese,"I'm so,so,so sorry Cheese!"

Cheese looked at the shy pink pony,"It's o-okay Pinkie, it was just an accident."

Pinkie stared at the door,"Well, ehem, I'll meet you at breakfast, we have a big day today." She rushed to the door and immediately closed the door. Pinkie slowly slid down the door. Oh my gosh, we were so close to each other. I feel so embarrassed. We'll just pretend it never happened.  
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Cheese was still stunned."Wow. I've never been that close to a mare before. It felt......nice." Cheese got out of the sleeping bag,"Well, I better get downstairs."
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Pinkie looked down at her food, still thinking of what happened. 

Mrs. Cake looked at Pinkie,"Is there something wrong?"

Pinkie looked up at Mrs. Cake,"Well......I, uh."

Cheese trotted to the chair next to Pinkie,"Umm...good morning everypony."

Mr. Cake flipped through the pages of the newspaper," So are you ponies going shopping?"

Pinkie nodded,"Yeah, we need materials for our party."

Mr. Cake folded the newspaper,"Well you better get going. The earlier you get there, the more time you'll get for planning."

Pinkie smiled,"Your right Mr. Cake, enough talk, time is candy."

Cheese finished his last bite and walked out the door with Pinkie. He look down at Pinkie,"Hey, uh... Pinkie."

Pinkie looked directly at Cheese,"It's okay Cheese, let's just enjoy our day together, okay?" She smiled.

Cheese smiled at Pinkie,"Okay." 
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Cheese and Pinkie arrived at the supermarkets. It was full of ponies from every direction of each market. Ponies were lining up to get food or supplies there. The two party ponies went down the list to each thing on their list. From confetti, to cooking utensils, to balloons, and to the banners, they checked it off one by one.

Pinkie looked down at her list to find one last thing. She gasped,"Oh I almost forgot the main attraction! The fireworks! You can't end a great party without fireworks! Let's go find Sparks, she's a great firework maker."

Cheese nodded,"Okay, lead the way.

Pinkie made her way to a colorful stand. It was full bright colors, the colors popped out like fireworks. Even though it was a fireworks stand. Pinkie waved to Sparks,"Hiya Sparks!"

Sparks plopped down a ton of fireworks in front of Pinkie,"Hi my little party pony!" She looked at the stallion next to her,"Oh, starting to settle down with a nice coltfriend, that's sweet Pinks. He looks perfect for you!"

Pinkie and Cheese blushed crimson red,"No, it's nothing like that!"

Pinkie rubbed her hoof,"He's just my partner, hehe."

Cheese scratched his head until he heard crying from behind him. There was a filly crying by a balloon stand. Cheese tapped Pinkie, "Hey, you go on and buy the fireworks, I'll be right back."

Pinkie nodded,"Okay." Him and me? Together? Nah, I'm not really that kind of pony that would be perfect for him. 
 

Sparks giggled,"Aww! That's so adorable."

Pinkie looked up at Sparks," Sparks, can I get some rainbow fireworks please."

Sparks covered her mouth,"Oh okay, we'll just keep it as a secret. Don't worry, my lips are sealed."

Pinkie sighed,"There's nothing going on between me and him. I like him as a friend, that's all. Being in a relationship with him would be kinda weird. Plus, I'm not looking for love. Partying is my love!"

Sparks grabbed a bunch of fireworks,"Well okay, but it will still look cute though. Twenty bits please."

Pinkie dug into her saddlebag and placed the bits in Spark's hooves,"There."

Cheese walked to the balloon stand to find a filly crying,"Hey are you okay?"

The little filly cried,"Waaaaaaah!"

The filly's mother tried to comfort the little filly,"Oh I don't know what's wrong with her. She won't stop crying."

Cheese smiled as he reached into his saddlebag to grab a small balloon. "Watch this little one." He began to blow into the balloon into a fun shape. It was turning into a pony balloon. "There you go." He handed the pony balloon to the filly.

"Say thank you to the nice stallion Sherbert." The Mother smiled as she slowly walked away. "Thank you for the balloon sir."

"Hey Cheese, I have the..." Pinkie looked at Cheese. She saw the stallion give the balloon to the filly. Aww he's so sweet.

"Thank you Mister." Sherbert galloped to her mother,"Goodbye!"

Cheese waved back to the foal and smiled. 

Pinkie went towards him,"That's really sweet Cheese."

"Oh, um...thanks. We are party ponies after all, we have to make everypony smile." Cheese walked along by Pinkie's side.

Pinkie looked at her list,"Hmm.... it looks like we're done. Pinkie gasped,"Hey, I just had a great idea, how about we discuss things by my favorite place on top of the hill!"

Cheese nodded,"Okay, let's go."

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The two trotted to the top of the grassy hill. Pinkie dropped her saddlebag on the grass. She pulled out a notebook and a pencil and handed it to Cheese. "So what do you think?"

Cheese looked at the beautiful scenery. It was full of fresh green grass and flowers that showed the beauty of the plain. "It's beautiful. Hey, maybe we should do the party here."

"Hmm.....I guess, but how will the train hold that many crystal ponies? I mean they can go one by one but that will take too long."

Cheese scratched his head in confusion,"Crystal ponies? Are you talking about the Crystal Empire? I've never been there before."

Pinkie gasped,"What! You've never been to the Crystal Empire before?"

Cheese shook his head,"Nope, I've never been called to plan a party there either. I've always wanted to go, but my Cheesy sense always goes off when I think about it"

"Hey, how about we do it at the Crystal Empire then! The crystal ponies will be glad to celebrate their princess's new foal there. Plus, you'll get to plan your first party there!" Pinkie clapped her hooves.

Cheese nodded as he wrote in the notebook,"Mhmm."

Pinkie pondered,"And uh, we can serve their favorite foods. Oh, and of course Cadence's favorites, and Shining's! Bright colors for the banners and balloons. Oh it's going to be so fun!"

Cheese chuckled as he spat out the pencil from his mouth,"I got it all here."

"Alright, let me see." Pinkie took the notebook and looked at the page. It was a picture of Pinkie and Cheese with streamers and crystal ponies by their side. It read Best Buds. Pinkie giggled at the picture, and so did Cheese. They laughed as they rolled like little fillies. 

Cheese rolled next to Pinkie,"This has been the best day ever Pinkie. I'm glad that we can spend some time together."

Pinkie giggled,"I'm glad that too Cheesy."