//------------------------------// // Meet My Family...And Friends...and Teachers...and Enemies. // Story: Back In Town // by OneFluzzyPuppy //------------------------------// Back In Town ` A figure walked into a colt's bedroom in the early morning one fateful day... "Ugh... mom, whyyyyy is Cheese here? Doesn't he have his marmmph! Cheese!" A voice said. " Look, Mayo, we don't all get paid. I need a place to crash for the night!" Cheese said in response to a his older brother (only by a minute, as Cheese constantly reminded everypony), Mayonnaise Sandwich. "And Pinkie is not my marefriend! Wait, how do you know that I met her anyway?" "She might as well be." Mayo retorted. "And it's all over the news. "Equestria's Traveling Party Pony meets National Heroine Attempting To Steal Spotlight." Ugh, why do these news articles have such stupid names?" "Oh. Anyway, she is NOT my marefriend!" Cheese said, anger laced into every word. "*groan* Cheese is here? Hi, big brother. Nice ta see ya." Cheese responded with a groan of his own. "Hi, Sky-Sky. Yes, I'm here. I also have nothing to do." "Well... why don't ya go see Soprano. He'd like to know that you're in town." Skylar, Cheese's younger sister, said. "Soprano? Oh. Right. Him." "Wait, why would't you want to see him? You two were such good friends!" "Key word: were. We completely lost touch when I left town." "Just go see him!" Said Mayo, once again taking Skylar's side. "Also, if I see him, he'll bring Ava!" Cheese replied. " Who?" They said at the same time. "Oh, right. His marefriend. The one who constantly ignored you and tried to talk to Soprano. Wasn't she part of the reason you ditched? You know, the other part being you were crazy shy. Oh well. Ugh, why must just getting you to say hi to an old friend be so hard?" Mayo grumbled, remembering. "See what I mean? I'm not going!" Cheese said with a tone of finality. "Oh, yes you are. Even if you don't want to visit Soprano, at least visit Fall Leaves Elementary School. You know, the one you ditched." " FINE. Just let me say hi to mom and dad first, kay?" Cheese said, knowing that when his siblings both came down on him, there is no escape. "Is my little Cheesy here? Oh, sweetie, come say hello to your mother!" Cheese groaned. "Hi Mom." "Is he here? Come say hi to your old stallion, Cheese." Cheese slowly got up from his seat on Mayo's bed and walked over to his parents. They said their hellos and asked the question: "Met any nice mares lately?" "Well, besides that one you met in Ponyville. Is she your marefriend now?" Cheese's mom, Marinara, asked. "No, she is NOT my marefriend! Why does everypony keep asking?" After a little bit more awkward conversation, Cheese said " Well, thank you for this extremely...uh... nice... talk, but I really gotta go see my school...heh...bye!" Cheese turned around and dashed straight out the door. Skylar and Mayo giggled as their brother ran away. Marinara and Cheese's dad, Ham Sandwich, looked at eachother. "Was it something we said? Ham asked. "Yes." Mayonnaise said, him and Skylar collapsing into a fit of hysteric laughter. Cheese gasped for breath as he neared ever closer to his old elementary school. "Phew...that was close." "Close to what?" Cheese gulped. "Uh... nice to see you..." He gulped again. "Mrs. LeQuill." Mrs. LeQuill, Fall Leaves' principal, sighed. "Cheese, forgive me for my bluntness, but WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING HERE!?!?" "Uh...I...wanted to say...hi?" Cheese smiled sheepishly. "Why? You ditched this place when you were 10. 10! You are 22, Cheese. 22!" "Well, yes-" "22!" "I got it! Look, I really just wanted to say hi! Do you know where InkPen's classroom is?" Cheese said, trying his very hardest to keep his cool. "Well, I suppose if all you truly want is to say hello... F wing, fourth classroom on the left. Go on ahead." Mrs. LeQuill sighed. "Yes! I can finally make it up to him for ditching!" Cheese said, somewhat happily. Cheese trotted down to his former teacher's classroom, mumbling to himself. He reached the class right as the younger colts and fillies started coming out. "Have an ama-a-a-zing day!" InkPen said, cheerfully waving to the slowly dispersing foals. "Hey...Cheese, is that you? Have you come to apologize? After, you know, 12 years?" The remaining foals giggled and Cheese bowed his head in shame. "Yes. I'm back. Now-?" Cheese prompted. "Oh, yes. Run along everypony!" InkPen said, giggling a little bit himself. "So, Cheese, going to apolo-gize?" "ImsorryIranawayitwaswrongandItrulydoapologizeforthatandnopinkiepieisnotmymarefriend." Cheese gasped for air. "Okay?" "Okay." InkPen agreed. "Thanks for apologizing. It does mean a lot to me that you actually came back. And what about that last bit?" "Uh...uh...uh...nothing! Absolutely nothing! Heh, heh...heh." Cheese stuttered nervously. "Uh-huh. Suuuure." InkPen said, quite obviously not buying it. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Flopwich the Stupid. Gonna ditch again, idiot?" A voice said from the doorway. "Almond Juniper, Uh, hi?" Cheese said meekly. "Can you leave?" "Um, I'm just gonna, uh, leave now." InkPen said, slipping out of the room. "You know very well I can't. Not until you've learned your lesson." 'Why are you here anyway?" "Never left. I'm in 12th still. You and your marefrien-" "ALMOND JUNIPER!" A very familiar voice said. "Uh oh." "You should have left five minutes ago!" "Well, yes-" "Are you bullying Cheese Sandwich again?" "Sorta-" "GO HOME!" "Yes, ma'am." Mrs. LeQuill led Almond out the door, tugging him by his ear. "How'd she get here so fast?" Cheese asked confusedly. "Well, you didn't think I'd leave you hanging did ya?" InkPen said as he walked into the room. "Thanks." Cheese chuckled. "I think I will go see Soprano. Bye!" InkPen looked confused as he walked away. "What?" Cheese skidded to a stop. "Oh, it's a reallllllly long story. Basically, my brother told me to go see Soprano but I said no and now since i don't have anything better to do, I think I might stop by!" "Oooookay. " InkPen said, still confused. Cheese strolled out the door, slowly coming to a full on gallop as he neared Soprano's home. He rang the doorbell and was met by- "HI CHEESE!" Oh boy. "Hi, Soprano. Nice to see you." "Nice to see you too, old friend. Come in, come in, we have soooo much to catch up on! Have you seen my mark? I got it right after you left. You know, I was really sad when you left. Anmmph!" Soprano's chatter was cut off as Cheese stuck a hoof into his mouth. "Mph diph youph doph thaph foph?" Soprano tried to say. "Because I want to talk, not listen. Your mark is awesome, by the way. " Soprano's mark was a piano surrounded by sparkles. "Thanks bud. You know, after I saw the news article, I had a-" Cheese, already guessing the question, said "No, the pink one is not my marefriend!" "Oh. OK. Well, I've gotta bolt. I teach piano lessons now. See you soon?" Soprano said hopefully. "Uh...maybe?" Cheese said, shrugging his shoulders. "No promises." Soprano's eyes welled up with tears. "Promise?" Cheese groaned. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. Happy?" Soprano shrugged. "Good enough for me!" "Bye, then. See ya." "Bye." Cheese walked out the door, tears falling down his face at the thought of that he had to break that promise. He walked back home, mumbling his hellos and trotting straight up to his old room. "Hey, what gives?" Skylar said. "You just waltz in here, go straight to your room, and it looks like you are crying." "Well... IwenttomyoldschoolandranintomyprincipalandteacherandanoldbullyandthenIdidendupgoingtoSoprano'sandnowI'msadcauseIhavetoleave." "Ooooookay. So, goodnight?" Marinara asked. "Sure." "Night." "Night." "Love you." Came a chorus from the rest of Cheese's family. "You too." Goodnight Everypony, from OneFluzzyPuppy! And Pinkie! Oh no.