To Each His Own
Red. If there was a single color in all of Equestria Storm Scribe could not stand on his finance reports, it was red. The dark lines of his face took on an icy grimace as he read through the stack of papers. A loud crack sounded as he snapped the expensive pen in half with his green magic. "I'll have Switch's head for this. Filthy pegasus. Expert in the housing market my hoof."
Smirking to himself, he levitated a fresh pen and began to compile a rather nasty letter to the stallion. He paused halfway through, calculating. "Not good enough." Tossing the paper into the bin, he stood, pacing the floor. "A more public display is in order. Keep those upstarts at the office in line."
Just as he was pondering the most public time to fire the hapless idiot, a small noise brought his attention back to reality. He turned to see a bespectacled head poke its way around the oak door, expression unsure. Storm was taken aback, as he had not spoken to the colt since yesterday evening and thought him asleep. Starlight had gone to a model conference, and he was left with the package. Making certain his annoyance was apparent, he turned to the colt. "What?"
"I uh-" Slowly, the lank colt made his way into the dimly lit office. His head swiveled this way and that, taking in the sturdy desk and business suit clad stallion beside it. Here we go Rory, you can do this! Puffing up his little chest as much as he could, he walked forward to face the unicorn. Unfortunately, his stomach let out a loud growl just as he was about to speak up.
"What?" The stallion's eyes glistened in the moonlight like the shards of emerald they resembled. "I fed you today, you've nothing to complain about."
Fed me? In truth, the only food Storm had given the colt was a small bowl of hay flakes and water at breakfast. It was now nearly eight at night, but Rory was not about to make note of it. "It's not about that."
Huffing indignantly, the stallion turned to his heavy briefcase beside him and levitated out a few files. "I've got work to be done, you're wasting my time. And time is bits."
"I'll be super quick. Promise." The determination in Rory's voice did not match the quivering in his legs. "Since Mother's going to be gone tomorrow, I thought maybe-" He gulped, "-could I go see Grandma?"
The look of annoyance turned to one of revulsion. "Why?"
"Because she'll be lonely. And, she said to go visit her whenever I can. And-"
"-By Celestia you disgust me." Storm looked at the colt as though he had lost all trace of sanity. "The mare's DEAD!"
"Yes, but-" Rory's ears flattened in submission as he started to back away. "-I just want to visit her grave. Just for a little while. It's what she wanted." Oh no, I messed up. Despite his best attempts, he found tears streaming down his muzzle as he watched his father's expression darken. Don't hurt me.
"Stop that whimpering." Advancing towards the colt, he levitated him until he rested at eye level. "Seems I'll have to knock some sanity into you." Without further warning, Storm tossed him hard into the wall. A satisfying thud resounded across the office, and blessed silence filled the office once more. As nonchalantly as if he had swatted a fly, he returned to the stack of paperwork. Now, where was I?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Dusk was setting over the farm, casting a strange, purple glow that danced over the rocks like a dull kaleidoscope. Cheese felt as though they had been spirited away from Equestria to somewhere else entirely. Judging from the dull expression on Igneous' face, this was a normal occurrence. Come to think of it, he hasn't said anything for ages. Is his leg hurting? "Say, Igneous, you okay?"
A look of irritation shone in his amber eyes as though Cheese had slapped him. "Of course. I'm not dying, so don't bother me unless you are. Got that?"
Geeze, touchy much? "Yes sir." Hanging his head low, he followed the older pony's hoof steps. Boring! What's wrong with talking, eh? They had been walking through the sprawling fields for more than an hour, and still had a long way to go. Every instinct Cheese had was to blabber away, but he was not about to blow what little progress he made with the stallion.
"Ooof!"
A dull thud sounded just in front of Cheese, and he stared in shock at Igneous lying on the ground. He tripped? Struggling, he made to stand, only to fall back to the dusty earth. Cheese ran up to him, eyes flashing concern. "Igneous?"
Darned leg! Get up, Igneous, you're not that old. Groaning, he pushed himself up once again, only to feel his leg shoot daggers of pain throughout his body. Maybe I'll just rest a spell. What the? He looked up to see Cheese smiling at him, hoof outstretched. The heat in in face grew more intense, "Thanks, kid."
"Sure." Cheese's smile broke into a sad frown as he watched the stallion rise. He's in a lot of pain. "You okay to walk? I can get the cart or-"
"-No."
Igneous' harsh tone shot up his spine like the icy water of the rock tumbler. There I go making a fool of myself again. Geeze, get it right, Cheese. "Sorry."
"No, it's my fault, I'm just-" A long sigh escaped him as he turned to his cast. "-this darned leg is acting up again. I shouldn't have snapped."
"It's okay. I hurt my leg before too."
"You?"
"Yeah, if Pinkie hadn't been there, I might have hurt it permanently. So-" Cheese stood right beside Igneous, smile returning full force. "-let me help you. We can walk together, you can lean on me if you need. I don't mind."
"Well now, that sounds reasonable." Gingerly lifting a hoof, he set off, Cheese matching pace with him. "But I've got a little request."
"What's that?"
"Could you-" His tongue felt glued in place as he struggled to form the request. "-keep talking."
A loud laugh sounded from Cheese, echoing in the twilight stillness around them. "Of course silly. I've been waiting to talk for ages anywho."
It was more than a little awkward walking right next to each other, and at first Igneous felt like shoving the overgrown colt away. But, something about the way Cheese spoke told him to suffer through it. Could talk your ear off for hours. Geeze, couldn't have found a better match, could you, Pinkamena?
A wild gesticulation followed Cheese's tale of the Chocolate bandit. Seeing Igneous' exasperated expression, he became self-conscious once more. "Too silly?"
"Naw just that, it'd be better to hear about yourself. I hardly know you."
"Oh, guess that's fair. What do you want to know?"
"Well, let's start with where you're from." Igneous knew immediately he had said the wrong thing.
It was like an invisible wall came up around Cheese as he gritted his teeth, looking away. Then, in a small voice, "Manehattan."
"You're from Manehattan?" The straw carefully balanced in his mouth nearly toppled to the dust once more. "I never would have guessed, the way you're acting."
Concern swept over Cheese's face, and he whipped his head back towards Igneous. "The way I'm acting?" Oh please don't tell me they rubbed off!
"Yeah. Like a descent, polite, hardworking fellow. I've never met anypony from the city that acts that way." A rare smile contorted his sideburns as he patted Cheese on the shoulder.
"I uh-" His whole face felt like a pot of soup, "-thanks. I did leave as soon as I could."
Igneous continued down the road, chuckling a little to himself. "City life got you down did it?"
"Not really. I didn't mind that. I suppose I just wanted to see what else was out there."
"And was it everything you hoped for?" Another shot of pain radiated through his leg as they clambered around yet another pile of jagged rocks. The younger pony kept step, supporting him only when he needed it. Igneous could not help but smile once more. Good kid, real good kid.
"Well, yes and no. I liked the traveling, the parties, and of course meeting others. But, a pony needs more than that to be happy. I guess-" He hoisted himself clumsily over a boulder, reaching out a hoof to help Igneous. "-I needed a bit of routine. Silly isn't it?"
Igneous shook his head, "Not really. Everypony everywhere, traveler or farmer needs routine."
"Guess that makes sense. But why do we need it?"
A deep booming laugh sounded, making Cheese jump. "By Celestia herself, kid. Why do we need sunlight, or the rain? It's just a necessary part of the bigger picture. You can't run your whole life without a touch of routine. You'd go mad."
"Oh." Somehow, Cheese was reminded of all the years he lived without one. First in Manehattan, than on the road, never knowing where his next meal would come from, or even if he would wake up alive. I guess I never thought about it like that. It does make sense.
"So, how's life in Ponyville treating you? My daughter drive you up the walls yet?"
"What? No, Pinkie would never-" He stopped, listening to yet another one Igneous' bizarre laughs.
"I'm joking, kid. I'm joking. But, I am curious about you dealing with being a planted traveling pony."
"I can't say it's easy, but it's worth it. It's always worth it when Pinkie's happy." He chuckled brightly, then a little more sadly. "But, it's hard sometimes. Really hard. Pinkie understands, and does her best, but I don't think I can ever be as steady as you."
He's really worried about this. "Don't try to, kid. She'll understand. Besides, I'll tell you a little secret."
"What's that?"
"Routine's a big part of ponies' lives. But, there's something just as important." Igneous pointed to the Cheese's cutie mark. "Laughter, a break from that monotonous rut we're all in. You and Pinkamena help make that happen."
"Yeah, but nopony understands that. When we want to bring some cheer, they think we're just clowns. Sometimes it's like we don't belong in normal society."
"That's nonsense. I'll tell you what-" Clapping Cheese in the chest, he pointed to the open field. "What do you see here?"
Cheese rolled his eyes, "Rocks, hundreds of thousands of grey rocks swimming in a sea of dirt."
"Now that's where you're wrong. You want to know what I see?"
"What?"
"Opportunity. A chance to make something of value out of the ordinary, a chance to feed my family, a chance to become a better pony. Now then, let me ask you this. Would you like to farm rocks all day?"
He stepped back, shaking his hooves, "What? NO!"
"And yet, there are rock farmers like myself that do this all day and love every minute of it. And there are others, like yourself and Pinkamena that find it utterly boring." Igneous started once more down the path, scooping up pebbles and flinging them as far as he could. "So, when other ponies scold you and Pinkamena for doing what you love, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?"
"I guess. But-"
"-No buts mister. I'll tell you this little truth about life, so listen up." Smirking, he handed over a round pebble, inviting Cheese to join in. "There are two kinds of ponies in life; those that live by the routine, and those who break it up. Neither one's better than the other, and they can't exist without each other either. So what if those ponies can't understand that? You and Pinkamena keep living your lives. To each his own. Got that?"
Cheese stared at the stallion with newfound admiration. "Yes sir." They were getting closer to the farmyard now, and Cheese had to stretch his legs out to keep up with Igneous' grueling pace. Why can't he take it easy for two minutes?
"Say, kid." The soft, respectful quality of Igneous' voice was so different that Cheese turned to check it was still him talking. "You mind telling me a little about you and Pinkamena? How you met back up after all those years, why you decided to court her, that sort of thing."
"Of course. I'd love to." Cheese started off with great gusto. His whole body reflected the excitement and happy memories of it all.
The amount of admiration and love for his daughter in Cheese's story astounded Igneous. Throughout all the years of raising his daughters, he never thought anypony could love one more than he did, but this strange stallion was challenging that assumption. It warmed his heart in a way he never could have imagined. As they neared the entryway, he actually found himself wanting to hear more. He decided to stop him just before they walked up. "Hold up, kid. Sorry. I mean, Cheese."
"Yes?" Wow, calling me by my name now? What'd I do?
"Just-" A kind smile graced his face once more, "-I want you to know that I'm proud to get to know you. And that, you're a good pony, and a real good stallion." The heat in his face was reaching fever pitch, and he turned away. "You keep treating her like the gem she is."
"But-" He lowered his face, remembering all the times he had slipped up. "-but what if I'm not good enough, sir?"
"Call me Igneous. And don't be so hard on yourself. We all screw up every now and again, it's natural. Just apologize, and do what you can to make it right again." As naturally as if Cheese was his own colt, he reached over and hugged him tight.
What the? Cheese pulled away as though struck by lightning, green eyes wide with fright. The reaction was so immediate and violent that Igneous was pushed to the ground from the force of it. "Why'd you do that?"
"Sorry. Sorry. You looked like you could do with a hug." The stalk had fallen out of his mouth once more, and he stared confused at Cheese. "Didn't your father hug you when you needed it?"
"No." His voice came out ice cold and unnaturally harsh. "And why would he? He hates me." Immediately, he saw his mistake, flushing crimson. With a bit of effort, he returned his voice to its usual cheery tone. "Sorry, I guess I didn't know what to do in the situation."
"It's okay. Should've asked first. Let's get inside before the mares start to worry."
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
"Cheesie!" A pink cannonball rushed towards Cheese the second he stepped into the house. From the ruffled state of her flouncy mane and heaving sides, she had been worrying herself into a corner. "When Marble and Limestone said you went to fix the tumbler, I got super nervous. Then I couldn't stop thinking about you getting hurt, and Mom started to worry, and-"
"-Pinkie." He pressed a hoof to her mouth, a playful smile stretching across his face. "I'm fine. Really, I am. So's Igneous, though his legs a little sore."
"Oh, that's good. He, he." The pink tint of her coat grew a little darker as she turned to the dining room table where the rest of the family was gathering round. "Hungry?"
"You bet. Say-" He breathed softly into her ear. "-you're Dad's really nice."
"Duh, silly. He's the best Dad a pony could ask for." Returning Cheese's smile, she pressed her side to his. "You have a good day?"
"If you count almost being crushed to death in a rock tumbler as good, then yes." They shared a good laugh at that, and he pointed to Marble and Limestone. "How's working with your sisters?"
"Super duper fun, but-" She pressed her soft muzzle to his. "-it would have been loads better with you around. They can be kinda-"
"-boring."
"How'd you guess?"
He gave her a sly wink, "Let's just say I've experienced a little of that with your Dad."
"You two going to jabber to yourselves all evening?" Igneous smirked over the casserole.
"Coming!" Pinkie settled down beside Cheese at the table, glad to have everypony back safe and sound.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
"Cheesie, Cheesie, CHEESIE!"
"Huh?" Generally, Cheese would have been overjoyed to have his special somepony wake him up. But when it was still dark outside, and the aforementioned pony was supposed to be sound asleep in a different building, it did set off some warning bells. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing silly." Several rhythmic thuds accompanied her words, like the beats of a drum as she tapped her hooves against the dirt.
What's got her so excited? Giving her a theatrical yawn, he turned his attention back to the bed of straw. "Go back to bed. It's late."
"Nope. It's early." With a flourish, Pinkie whipped the cover off of the curled up stallion. She giggled at the grouchy expression plastered on his face. "Come on! We've got to go."
"Go where?"
"To work silly. Those rocks aren't going to move themselves." She casually lit an oil lantern, swinging it in Cheese's eyes.
"Ouch! Dear, you're blinding me."
"Oh, ooopsies. But we've got to get started." Pinkie bounced to the door, lantern swinging in her mouth. "Because the best time to move rocks is just before sunup."
"Sunup?" The intricate mechanisms of rock farming still alluded him, but he was not complaining. If Pinkie and her family say we've got to move rocks before dawn, then I guess I'll do it. As cheerily as he could, Cheese trotted over to join her.
Walking out into the darkness, they were met by Marble, Limestone, and Cloudy. He was surprised to see a touch of exhausted frustration on Cloudy's lined face. If there was a mare that needed a break, it was her. But from what Pinkie had told him, she was not the kind of pony to take that sort of advice lying down. "Morning, Cloudy."
"Morning." She looked at her troops and gestured to the expansive field to the left of the barn. "We've got to move the Half Tree rocks to the river bed plot."
"Urgh!" Marble and Limestone shared a knowing grimace with each other. Limestone practically moaned, "Those are the heaviest rocks we've got, and you want to move them on the complete opposite side of the farm?"
The grey mare gritted her teeth, as though even she disapproved of the idea. "I know it's not ideal, Limestone. But the only way to get the composition our customer asked for is to move them there."
"Dad shouldn't have taken the order in the first place." Marble's grey hoof struck the dry earth, sending a cloud of dust dancing in the lantern light.
"Marble." Cloudy sighed, rubbing her forehead with a hoof. "Your father had his reasons, and the customer is paying us handily for the shipment."
"All right, all right. But I'd better get some time to work on my own orders."
Glad to see her daughter's temper tantrum was over, Cloudy turned her attention to the stallion. "Cheese Sandwich, would you mind pulling Igneous' cart? It holds more than the other one, but it's a touch too heavy for any one of us to pull."
"Sure."
Before he had time to register much about the situation, he was strapped to the heaviest cart he had the misfortune of pulling. Judging from the sturdy wooden planks and wide wheels, it was designed for the specific purpose of moving rocks. The collar fit a little too lose, but he was not about to complain. Gathering up his strength, he followed the narrow beam of lantern light towards the rocks.
Ponies who have never farmed rocks could not imagine all the effort that goes into just one day's work. From Pinkie's stories, Cheese assumed the work was mundane, but not unbearable. Now, as he hoisted yet another massive slab of rock onto the cart, he wondered how anypony could bear it day in and day out. The cart was already groaning from the weight, and he worried about adding even more strain on it. "Say, Pinkie, isn't that enough rocks?"
"Huh?" The Pink mare's flouncy mane was starting to become plastered to her neck from all the sweat. She peered into the cart, mentally calculating the weight and strain. "We can put about three hundred more pounds. So, maybe three big ones."
Cheese smiled at his mare. And ponies call her simple minded? She's brilliant. "Yeah. Let's do that."
Though the cart was well laden, and the field was decidedly less filled with rocks, there were at least three more loads left. Taking up the collar once more, Cheese dug his hooves into the dirt and pulled away. Sweat drenched his caramel coat, causing the collar to shift uncomfortably against his shoulder blades as he pulled the heavy load across the farm.
The rest of the morning proceeded in a painfully predictable pattern. They would silently load the wagon, he would pull it to the field, and they would unload it once more. After the first trip they were tired, but by the fourth trip they were downright exhausted. The sun had been up for a few hours when they finally made their way into the farmyard. Igneous gave a concerned frown and limped over. "Cloudy? You and the girls all right?"
"Yes, but we could use some lunch." Her blue eyes sparkled playfully behind her spectacles. "We seem to have forgotten breakfast."
"It's on the stove." He turned to go inside, but hesitated. "Say, Pinkamena?"
"Yes."
"Get that stallion of yours some water and liniment first. He looks dead on his hooves."
Cheese flushed red, and struggled to stand up straight in the shafts, despite the radiating pain in his legs. Wincing, he pulled the cart into the barn and removed the collar. Pinkie trotted to the well, drawing a bucket of water. When Cheese walked out, she ran over to him. "You okay, Cheesie?"
"Huh? Yeah I guess." He drained the bucket in a matter of seconds, then smiled up at Pinkie. "Just thirsty."
"That's good." She brushed her side against his, kissing his neck. "You were super helpful."
"Not really." Cheese made to hug her, and winced at the sudden pain from his shoulders.
Pinkie's heart sank as she gently ran a hoof over the open cuts where the collar had dug in. "Stupid collar. Didn't fit right."
"Awe, it's no big deal. It'll heal. Besides-" He nuzzled her gently on the cheek, breath mixing with hers. "-now we match."
A snort escaped her as she rolled her azure eyes. "That's not something you want to match, Cheesie." They shared a good, long laugh at that one as Pinkie helped spread ointment over the cuts. Realization began to dawn on her, that they had not spoken once that entire morning. It felt lonely, like how it used to feel before she saw the rainbow, and she hated it. "Say, Cheesie, could I ask you something?"
"Of course. Ask me anything."
Pinkie's teeth felt glued together, as she attempted to find the words. "I like you being helpful and everything. But-" Her small hoof began to make nervous circles in the dirt. "-I didn't like this morning."
"Didn't like what?" Cheese looked into her eyes, struggling to read the strange mood she was in.
"You were so quiet. And, well-" She stared accusingly at him, puffing out her chest. "-You weren't acting like yourself!"
"Well, I was a little tired, but I'm still me, Pinkie."
"No, no, no!" Pinkie pushed the stallion to the ground, eyes flashing with emotion. "Why should you, why should we pretend to be somepony else just to get work done? If we have to work so hard that we can't be ourselves, is it even worth it? It's like, it's like I'm losing myself, Cheesie. I'm losing myself in the past, and I might never come back!"
"Pinkie. I-" Before he could formulate a response, the mare started to sob into his chest. Geeze, what now? With a sigh, he stroked her mane and tried to calm her down. "Pinkie, you're not losing yourself. We're party ponies. Sure, we may be taking a little workcation, but we're still party ponies. No amount of rock farming or silence can change that."
"But-"
"-but nothing." He stared at her for a moment longer, then clapped his hooves together, beaming brightly. "Say, I've got an idea!" He stood up, hoisting Pinkie to her hooves as well. "Let's give them a day off, I know your Mom could use one. At least it'll give us something to look forward to. One day to act like completely like ourselves. What do you say?"
"Sounds great. But, when?"
"Oh, I don't know, maybe Wednesday?"
Instead of a response, Pinkie stared at Cheese as though he was not even standing there. Wednesday? "The sixth?"
"Uh huh."
Why's that so important? Her expression clouded as she tried to remember, then it came to her. Just as suddenly as her pondering began, she jumped into the air, hopping excitedly around Cheese. "That's perfect!"
"Why's that?"
"It's Grandma Pie Day." She spun Cheese around with her, smiling from ear to ear.
"Grandma Pie Day? Pinkie, dear, I'm not following."
"It's the day Grandma Pie died. So, every year on that date, we go out to her grave and throw a big party to celebrate with her."
A death anniversary party? It's a little strange, but…it could be fun. "Did you like her a lot?"
"Yup a doodles. She was the best. She taught me almost everything I know about having fun and sharing smiles." Pinkie's eyes sparkled with the happy memory of it all. "I wouldn't be where I am today without Grandma Pie."
"Okay, okay, you've convinced me. We'll have a Grandma Pie Day party." Cheese chuckled, then stopped short.
"Cheesie? You okay?"
"Yeah, just would it be okay if we celebrated for my Grandma too?"
"Oooh." did she help you become a party pony?"
"Uh, not really." Cheese's voice took on a softer tone. "I didn't get to see her much, since she lived away from Manehattan and only came to visit. She was the only pony who was nice to me as a colt. She taught me to bake, and play the accordion. When she left, I was kinda lonely."
Pinkie giggled, trying to imagine a young Cheese learning to play the accordion. "Sounds like your Grandma and my Grandma would have been bestest friends." She lifted up a hoof in a mock serious manner. "Well mister Sandwich, shall we set up an itinerary for Grandma Cheese Pie Day?"
"I believe so, dear. I believe so."
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BluegrassBrooke, I like this story. I like the slow-paced chemistry you're building up tween one of my favorite ships on the show. However, I do have one criticism and fear regarding a cliche that I utterly DESPISE. See, I REALLY hate Karmic Houdinis (characters who get off with insignificant or no punishment for their unforgivable misdeeds) and you're building up Cheese's parents to be such monsters that I REALLY want to see something REALLY bad happen to them (their continued success only pisses me off even more since Equestria is stated to be a world of peace and justice, more-or-less, and the fact that those monsters suffer NO repercussions at all
).
You already majorly f****** up Cheese calling out his mom in the chapter "With You, It's All Okay" (is it too much to ask that the bitch break down in tears or at least recoil/back away from her son in fear/regret/shame ONCE. If you do plan to revisit Cheese's [insult redirected to this clip due to a mega use of the C word] excuse of a "mother" and give her proper karma, then I Pinkie Promise to retract this complaint).
So, if Cheese's father doesn't get the bad karma he deserves (whether its his business crashing and failing around him, his horn being painfully snapped off in an accident, Twilight using her authority to banish him, or even just Pinkie blasting him into a wall with her party cannon) and you only settle for a slap-on-the-hoof verbal dressing down allowing Storm Scribe to continue to be a free, unharmed, successful stallion, then (with all due respect)
I kindly ask you, I implore you, I BEG you to please NOT to let Cheese's "parents" get off easy!
"If I wanted a story where the bad guy gets away, I'd read a newspaper."
Great chapter. I like how Igneous is going to be Cheese's father figure. Good luck with the party in the next chapter. I think that a party is just what the Pie family needs.
4807352 You bring up some interesting points, and I can assure you I don't plan on leaving the situation with Cheese's parents the way it is. I've been building up and still am to a chapter where these sort of things will be resolved.
I can say that I'm not a big fan of the eye for an eye type revenge of horrible characters. I'm much more into redemption/forgiveness arcs, though with Storm, I'd say there's not much hope there. No, I'll get to their punishments soon enough. Patience, I've got to get the right situation ironed out.
Also, the scene with his mother was more about her facing reality and starting to think than it was about her getting her just desserts. Give it a few more chapters, as I'm cooking something suitable up and have been for a while.
4809289 I didn't realize it was the 6th. *Gasps* Maybe I am a wizard!
4809621
Just watch the whole thing... I started crying at it.
Today's Wednesday the 6th
Anyways, I can't wait for more chapters. I really like where the story's going and I'm curious to see what you have planned.
This freaking chapter. It was just the right amount of every kind of feels.
)
I would love to see more like this and, as commented in greater detail by other people, I can't wait to see what happens to Cheese's parents later on.
(Crazy Pinkamena face only added for comedic effect. No other reason.
4809075 Glad to hear it. While I slightly see your aversion to "eye for an eye" retribution (even though I RELISH that kind of vengeance and believe scum that inflict suffering deserve the same), I also must point out that Cheese's parents aren't just monsters towards Cheese, but they (especially Cheese's father) clearly abuse their success and power to make other ponies miserable. Given the setting of Equestria, then it would not be for just retribution/vengeance/karma, but it would also be for the sake of harmony and justice that Cheese's parents MUST be taken down. HARD.
How is Cheese still sane? Physical and mental abuse coupled with stringing it out on his own? Surprised he's not on Equestria's most wanted list for a list of missing ponies. Hope Scribe's actions come to bite him in the flank.
I love your characterization of Igneous.
And I'm becoming more and more endeared to Pinkie and Cheese as a couple with each chapter.
4807352 I totally agree. Cheese's sleazy parents make me justvignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/8/8a/Rarity_grinds_her_teeth_S2E05.png/revision/latest?cb=20120909015000 but ten thousand times worse. Actually, more like derpicdn.net/img/2014/2/2/541144/medium.png
4810810 by Celestia, wtf did I just watch?
4810810
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