//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 - Crossroads // Story: Cheese Sandwich Gets a 'Real Job' // by PensacolaRanger //------------------------------// It took a while for Cheese’s burn scars to finally heal up enough for him to work. During that time, he toured Friendship Castle on hoof, read a few books in Twilight’s library, or just stood out on the High Balcony to watch the cascading of the nearby mountain waterfall, or to just stare off blankly into the distance while he thought back on this life as a traveling party pony, and wondered why he never took up a second trade or two as a backup, outside of the entertainment field. Cheese had majored & earned an Associate degree in graphic arts in the ivy-league halls of Manehattan University (minoring in music, art & drama for fun) but he never pursued it as a career. Didn’t want to get his hooves dirty with print shop ink. Hmm… no, that wasn’t the reason. Actually, he just didn’t want to get hoof-cuffed to a printing press for the rest of his life. The only reason he took it, was because his father insisted: "Son, there will ALWAYS be a need for a commercial artist in this world!" “Nice try, Dad…” Cheese thought. In truth, there was too much supply in the graphic arts field, and not enough demand. Too many other MU Arts graduate students competing, and too few job openings available. Besides, the "screening process" was another something Cheese loathed about employers; nothing but a bunch of pompous stuffed shirts looking down their noses at you, and picking you apart to find your faults instead of looking at your potential, to consider you for hiring. Don’t they know how that destroys a pony’s self-confidence? And another thing: why does a pony’s true self-worth always have to depend on what kind of job they hold, how many bits they earn, what kind of clothes they wear, what cart or chariot they own, or what class of ponies they associate with? Uh-uh…Cheese Sandwich never wanted anything to do with being a slave to money or social status. How could other ponies stand it? "But never let it be said that a Sandwich never did an HONEST DAY'S WORK in his life!" Another one of Dad’s maxims. The very one he’d used in order to justify setting Cheese up with his very first job----working weekends at a friend’s local cart & chariot wash in Hooflyn. Cheese hated it. No, not the greasy garage, the sleazy co-workers, or the calloused customers. He despised the very idea of being a "proletarian pony," or slave-class workhorse for the rest of his life. His talents were far greater than this, and quite literally, they weren’t being harnessed. But…a Sandwich is also obedient to his family. So he worked the job ‘til his hooves peeled. But no force in the Heavens, on Earth, or in the depths of Tartarus…was ever going to make him like it. He even made up his first parody song on the job there, as he worked his long-handled soap-lathered scrub-brush on a big wheel: "Now I've got them Steadily depressin', low-down, mind-messin' Pony Wagon Cart-Wash Blues*..." But of course, one sour look from his supervisor, and he had to clam up and keep working, in silence. No sense running up a bad performance record in your first week on the job. At least one customer appreciated his entertainment skills: a radio personality named Captain Twisto---a blonde unicorn stallion with headphones and a mic tattooed on the sides of his cart as well as his flank---heard that particular song as Cheese was buffing the hubs of his glossy chariot, and invited Cheese over to his mid-town 27th floor broadcast studio after college one night the following week. It led to Cheese’s first record deal, and soon it was all over the Manehattan airwaves. A great novelty…but it got him fired from the cart-wash, and grounded for a week by his father. So…was it really his problem, or the world's problem, that what he chose to do with his Gods-given natural-born entertainment talents, no longer earned him a substantial enough living now? Was his Cutie Mark calling just supposed to be a hobby, and not a career? WHY? If he was never supposed to make a living with his talents…then why in the hay was he born with them in the first place? That made no sense to Cheese whatsoever, even before he discovered his (now defunct) Cheesy Sense. He’d talked it over many times with his parents, his brother, with friends and relatives…gurus and other motivational leaders…but none of them gave him a wise enough answer he could live with. They just didn’t know. (*Sigh*) And now, neither did he. So, again…was it all worth it or not, being the Super-Duper Party Pony? On the one hoof, yes…doing what came naturally, spreading happiness, smiles, giggles & grins, the costumes, the songs, jokes, games, shows…the memories, fame and reputation… Yes, that part was worth it. But then on the other hoof, no…the bills, the back rent, the money that didn't always come naturally or on time, making excuses, the constant breaking down & replacing of equipment, constant hunger for lack of bits for food & drink, constant loneliness due to long travel between gigs, constant put-downs from critics telling you your chosen profession is 'not a real job'----and worst of all: no insurance, no social security credits, and no retirement plan to show for all that good hard work and happiness. No…that part was not worth it. It was a gypsy peasant life between gigs, but that came with the territory, Cheese knew… It wasn’t all worthwhile. But it wasn’t all worthless, either. But now… he had reached an impasse. A crossroads. And he had to choose which way to go next. If he continued down the path he knew and loved, and was happy with….it was only a means to an end. But if he took the path he didn’t know…where would he end up? What would be become? And, would he be happy? Again…the party pony formerly known as Cheese Sandwich, just didn’t know. The only thing Cheese did know was: this time… he couldn't go it alone. *** “(*Aheh-hem*) WHO’S HUNGRY FOR A CHEESE SANDWICH?" a perky high-pitched voice soon piped up from behind! On this particular day, Cheese hadn’t been watching the time, being so lost in his own thoughts, so he wasn’t aware until now that he had forgotten to join the Mane 6 downstairs for lunch. He didn’t move from his spot on the balcony, nor did he turn around to see his best friend. He just kept staring off at the mountain waterfall in the distance (the soothing sight of the water’s action had been helping him to think) and just said: “Hey, Pinks.” “Hay? (*Giggle*) Hay is for horses, silly…” Pinkie jokingly retorted, as she wheeled a small wooden food cart over to him, with a covered dish. Wearing a white puffy chef’s hat and a cheese-stained white kitchen apron, and draping a white cloth over one forehoof, she lifted the dish cover and piped up in her best mock-Prench accent: “(*A-heh-hem*) Today’s lunch special for ze monsieur: Sandwich de Fromage a la Carte. Compliments of ze management of Le Chateau du Mon Ami! Bon appétit, Monsieur! (*Pop-pop*)” She made a popping sound by patting her other forehoof against her mouth. Weakly, Cheese smiled and said: “Vive le Prance…” and dryly whistled the first bars the Prench national anthem. But, not feeling all that hungry, he finished whistling and just blew a wistful sigh. It came out like a lip-vibrating horse-blow. “(*Giggle*) You do know you sound like a lawn-mower when you do that?” Pinkie added wittingly, trying to lighten the mood. No response. Now Pinkie’s chef’s hat drooped over. Softly, she nudged the cart over, closer to him. “Aw, come on, Cheesy, it’s your favorite. I made it, special. Extra layers and all, just the way you like it.” “Hmm…does it come with your special blend of pink lemonade?" he asked, teasingly. In answer, he heard the tinkling of ice cubes in a glass, and the slosh-gurgle-babble of cool thin liquid pouring into it. “Would I serve any less, to my special guest?" Pinkie answer-questioned back, with a SQUEE grin. Cheese turned around at last, and Pinkie whipped out a small folding tray, to serve him his lunch. Cheese came over and---ooh, gingerly---sat down on his haunches. His bandaged tail was still on the mend. The two sat on their haunches on the balcony, and as Cheese ate, he relayed to Pinkie between bites, all that he had been remembering and reflecting on. Pinkie listened with rapt interest, with only a few random Q&A pauses to chew on the details, while he chewed his sandwich. Pinkie and the Mane 6 were very good company at times like this. Better than, Cheese guessed, what he would’ve gotten if he’d been rushed to Ponyville Hospital instead of convalescing here. Just as well, he figured. He had no more health insurance for hospitalization, anyway. Another one of life’s little noble sacrifices to keep his party practice going. Only now, seeing how complicated his life had become, maybe it wasn’t such a noble sacrifice after all. "Cheesy, dear, if you spend too much time devoted to your dreams, how do you expect to remember how to live?" Mom’s words now floating back into memory. "Have I been spending all this time, going in the wrong direction?" Cheese asked Pinkie, after explaining. “Well…” Pinkie offered, “…look at it this way, Cheese… Maybe now it’s a good thing your Cheesy Sense is down. I mean, ever since you first tapped into it, it’s been your whole life. You’ve been letting it tell you where to go, what to do, and who to help. You’ve been letting it run you, instead of the other way around. Cheese…isn’t that just another form of slavery? An addiction? That’s not good for you, either. But now it’s over. You’re free of it! You’re your own pony once again! You’re free to think, feel, and choose for yourself, now. You're in control; not this mysterious other power. You can make your own choices, now." Then Pinkie smiled. "And I think this is the best thing that's ever happened to you." At this, Cheese seemed to choke on his glass of lemonade! "*(Cough, cough*) Um...it is?" asked Cheese incredulously, after a few sputters, "...because before, you were acting like it was the worst thing, remember? You were begging me not to quit. And now...you're... you're actually okay with it?" "(*Giggle*) A mare can change her mind, can't she?" Pinkie explained. "Look...I see your point. I see Twilight's point. And I see everypony else's points, too. Change can be a very scary thing, if not the scariest thing of all. No one ever likes the idea of trotting away from the thing they've known and loved doing all their lives... I didn't want to quit the party 'biz, either, even when I thought you were taking over my job with Rainbow Dash's big Birth-iversary Bash. But that time got me to take a good hard look at myself, and try out new things. I tried construction work, postal delivery, hospital aide, all sorts of other things. I mean, sure I was lousy at every last one of them! But, you know, with a little more practice...any new direction can be mastered, and become less scary. Just 'cause you 'gotta change, Cheese, doesn't mean you 'gotta be scared of being bad at it. Twilight tells me failure's a good thing; we learn more from that than from our successes. Even Luna wasn't an instant success on Nightmare Night, but by and by...she's gotten better. (And I had to promise not to scream and run away from her, even in good fun.) Well...I guess what I'm trying to say is... don't be afraid to fail. Go ahead and try new things, and make as many mistakes as you want...'cause I promise you, Cheesy...you'll learn new things from it all...and you will become a stronger pony for it. Don't let anypony tell you different. There's just 'gotta be more to the world-famous Cheese Sandwich, than just parties." For a while, the 2 ponies stared at each other. "Any of this making sense to you, Cheesy?" He put the last of his sandwich in his mouth, chewed, and gulped hard. "(*Grunt*)...some of it's a bit hard to swallow." She laughed that infectious laughter that made up her Element of Harmony. "...But...not impossible to digest, I suppose. Okay, Pinkie... I won't be afraid to fail. Or to try. As my father told me: Never let it be said a Sandwich never did an honest day's work in his life!" Now it was Cheese's turn to SQUEE grin. Overjoyed, Pinkie wrapped her friend up in a warm embrace. (*BU-U-U-U-UR-R-R-P*) a long LOUD BELCH of cheese issued from the exiled Manehattanite's lips. "EEWwww...(giggle) What was that for?" asked Pinkie, waving the smell away with a hoof. "(*Hic*) 'Scuse me. Good sandwich." he apologized, sheepishly. They both sank into a mutual bout of raucous LAUGHTER!! *** From just inside the double doors to the High Balcony, Twilight and the others were watching the 2 party ponies. "(*Whew*) Well... that went better than expected." Twilight said softly. "You think he suspected that sandwich was enchanted with the overnight healing spell you cast?" asked the little dragon. "Doesn't matter now, Spike. He's taken it like medicine. He should be fit as a fiddle by morning, and ready to get to work!" "Hmm...after all that fiddling around out there, I'd say Pinkie is still the best medicine for him." Rarity said, lovingly. "Hmm... you know, if we tied some of Pinkie's balloons to his back, I bet I could show him how to kick some clouds!" Rainbow Dash mused. "Later, Rainbow Dash." said Twilight, "I think he'll be ready to help Pinkie in the Sugarcube Corner bakery tomorrow." "Then harvesting apples at Sweet Apple Acres the next day..." added Applejack. "And then helping me assemble gowns at Carousel Boutique the next!" said Rarity in singsong. Rainbow was about to speak...but then noticed Fluttershy about to do the same. Shy blushed and backed away instead. "(*Sigh*) I know, I know... and helping you with the animals at your place the next. Fine, whatever..." Dashed groused. Thinking about all this, Rarity wondered out loud: "Well... all this effort on our part, for just one out-of-work pony. Honestly, Twilight, is vocational rehabilitation really something an Alicorn Princess of Equestria should be bothering with?" "Of course it is... for the Friendship Princess!" Twilight declared. "I just read it in one of my Friendship books in the Castle Library: A FRIEND IN NEED, IS A FRIEND INDEED!" "Woowww..." said Spike, in awe. [CONTINUED NEXT CHAPTER...]