What Changes May Come

by Bluegrass Brooke

What Changes May Come

A blanket of snow had fallen over Ponyville. It was hard to believe that a few weeks ago it had been dressed in spectacular autumn colors. Though the scene was beautiful, the best part for Cheese were the ponies. The entire town seemed to be out enjoying the freshly fallen snow. Everywhere he looked, ponies were in high spirits. It was the perfect morning for a walk.

After a long month of rest, he was finally able to walk relatively pain free. Though he was still forced to bandage his legs. The cold morning air stuck in his lungs, sending up a fit of coughing. He had been dealing with an occasional cough ever since the fire. It drove Pinkie to worried fits every time he did. She's so protective. Geeze, it's not like I'm not on medicine for it.

A loud crash across the street drew his attention to a group of construction workers hoisting a large timber beam. The house frame they were working on was taking shape alarmingly fast. Harvey's got them working their tails off. The thought of good, honest labor made him long to join in. But that would not be possible.

Sighing, he glanced back at city hall. Mayor Mare had hired him to sort paperwork for hours a day. It was all right, but terribly dull for a former wanderer like himself. The work was all too similar to pouring over the case files with Milo. Though he knew he should not even bother to, he walked past the construction site for old times' sake.

Up close, it was apparent that the house was not taking form the way it needed to. The angles were all wrong, and there was a decisive slant to the corner timbers. Harvey was scolding a few of his workers, gesturing grandly to the mess of a frame. Chuckling a little, Cheese started to walk off.

"Hey, Cheese!"

He turned behind him to see Harvey galloping to him. The older stallion stopped abruptly, looking over Cheese. "I haven't seen you walking around for ages. You feeling better?"

"Yeah. Loads better." At that moment, his body chose an inopportune time to go into a coughing fit. After it stopped, he smiled weakly at him. "Sorry. The doctors say my lungs are damaged. It'll take a while for that to stop."

"Oh. I, uh . . ." Harvey stared hard at the snow, trying to find the right words. "I wanted to apologize for earlier. Yelling at you for getting hurt and firing you like that. It wasn't right." He rubbed the stubble permanently attached to his chin. "I guess you saw our little mess here."

"It's hard to miss." Cheese grimaced as one of the workers knocked over a pile of timber. "They're kinda disorganized."

"Yeah. It's been a nightmare for months now." He gave a heavy sigh. "Brahm got em going, and you kept to the plan." He raised his eyebrow cautiously, "Could really use some of that now."

Cheese felt his heart skip a beat. "You mean you'll take me back?"

"Yeah, kid. I need you. I was just too stubborn to admit it earlier." Harvey looked highly unsure of himself. "So, can you forgive me?"

"Of course I can." A grin stretched all the way across Cheese's face. "I'd really, really like to come back to work for you!"

"All right then." Harvey grinned back just as brightly. "Glad I can finally get some help that knows what he's doing. I'll see you at eight on Monday." He made to go back to the site, then paused, turning back to Cheese. "Oh, and just so we don't worry that mare of yours I'll start you off slow. No lifting or grunt work. You'll be my right hand stallion on this project, so I'll expect some quality organization and planning from you. Got it?"

"Uh, right." Cheese watched Harvey leave, then turned back to the road. The thought of having a real job again was enough to send him into a giddy dance. He laughed loudly, a free, honest laugh he had not been able to give in months. It felt good.

As he made his way down the street, he practiced some of his party pony tricks. He was obviously a little rusty, but that did not matter to him or the townsponies. They laughed along with him and happily joined along with his antics. By the time he reached Sugarcube Corner, he had left a wake of cheerful ponies. He sung the door open and skipped inside. "Heya."

"Cheesie." Pinkie hopped over to him in a few strides. "What are you doing here? Don't you have work with the mayor?"

"Finished early. But," He mimicked Pinkie's excited hopping. "I won't have to work there anymore."

"Why's that?" Pinkie stopped, staring expectantly at Cheese.

Cheese puffed out his chest a little. "Harvey's hired me back."

"WHAT? That's great!" Pinkie did a little lap around the empty store. Then her heart fell at the realization. "Nope. You can't, Cheese."

I can't? What's she on about? "Pinkie, it's great. Next to party planning, it's my favorite thing to do."

"I know. I know. Just," She turned away, biting her lip. "you're not supposed to do that sort of stuff with your hooves. Remember?"

"Oh is that it?" Cheese waved the thought away. "That's no problem. Harvey's not having me do anything physical right now. He needs a planner. Since I'm a party planner, I didn't see the problem in branching out a little."

"Whew." Relief washed over her face. "That's good." She sighed, glancing around at the shop. "Wish things would work out on my end."

Cheese place a hoof on her back. "What? The Cakes giving you a hard time again?"

"No, no. Nothing like that." Pinkie flushed a little, turning back to the counter. To avoid Cheese's stare, she focused on arranging some cupcakes. "Just thought it'd be nice to get the venue up and running. I'm working on it, but it's going to take forever!"

"What?" Cheese leaned casually against the glass, eying the store appraisingly. "You're place has a lot more class than this."

Pinkie raised her head from the counter. "Yeah, leaky pipes are oh so classy."

"Give it time, dear. It'll all work out. Shoot, not that I'm feeling better I can come and help out for a few hours after work . . ." He stopped short. A few hours here and there. That seemed to be all the more time he got to spend with Pinkie lately. The mare was bound and determined to work herself to death. "Say, Pinkie?"

"Yeah?"

His voice was extremely subdued, "Would you like it if we could spend some more time together?"

"Well, duh!" Pinkie leaned over the counter, planting a kiss on his cheek. "I always want to spend more time with you, Cheesie. We've just been so busy lately."

You've been so busy lately, dear. Sighing, Cheese started towards the door. "Well, I'll leave you to it, miss busy body."

"Cheese! Don't go yet!" Pinkie cantered over to him. She puffed her cheeks out in a big pout. "You just got here."

Cheese felt a warm tingle at those words. He turned back, giving her a long kiss on the muzzle. His voice was soft as silk, "Sorry, Pinkamena. I've got a train to catch." He gestured to his cutie mark.

"I thought you weren't going to do that anymore!" Pinkie's eyes flashed angrily and she stamped a hoof against the floor. "Not without me that is."

"It's a short trip, Pinkie. I'll be back tomorrow night." He could tell from her sour expression that it did not sit well. But, in a few days she would understand. "I Cheesie promise to be back tomorrow night. Will that do?"

"Yeah, I guess." Pinkie glanced nervously out the window at the snow. "But you can't go camping with that cough of yours, Cheesie. You'll catch your death."

"Don't worry. I was kinda planning on visiting Nickerlite on the way home." Cheese shrugged in a would-be-casual way. "Thought I'd catch up with Igneous."

Pinkie's eyes sparkled with excitement. "That'd be super fun! I'm sure Mom, Dad, Marble, and Limestone would love to chat. They always need somepony to make them smile. Hang on a sec."

Cheese watched Pinkie race over to the counter, draw out a piece of paper and scribble a note. In a few seconds, she was back with it in her mouth. He took it, chuckling a little. "I suppose you want this delivered?"

Pinkie nodded. "You've got it." She giggled, flushing embarrassment. "I kinda forgot to write them a letter last month."

"Understandable." Cheese carefully folded the letter. "I'll give it to them. See you tomorrow!"

"Bye! Safe trip, Cheesie."

As soon as he was out of the Corner, Cheese let out a huge sigh of relief. That was way too close. Truth be told, he could have cared less about the birthday party in Appaloosa. It just happened to be conveniently located on the same train line as Nickerlite. Cheese took a last look at the shop, a nervous smile on his face. Just a few more hours, Pinkie. A few more hours until he made the biggest leap of faith in his life. He could only hope for a smooth landing.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

A brilliant sunset had started, casting a warm glow on the frozen ground. Cheese could help but stare out the window, contemplating. The party in Appaloosa went well. Perhaps not as exuberant as his other parties, but ponies had fun none the less. Still, he could not help but wonder about Pinkie. It seemed that she consumed his thoughts of late. That did not bother him, but of course it made him wonder. When did I become so reliant on her?

He turned away from the window and opened up his saddlebags, drawing out a letter. It had been delivered two weeks ago, but was still absorbing the implications. Out of habit, he re-read the familiar lines.

'Mr. Scribe,

This is Quick Word, an attorney that's been placed in charge of sorting out business affairs with your parents. As you might be aware, your father's company has been broken up and sold to its respective stockholders and investors. However, that still leaves the matter of their personal assets not tied to the company. The assets have been liquidated, and a large sum of bits has been collected. As the closest living relative, and to cover medical costs, we have awarded you the amount of 121,000 bits in full. Currently it is being stored in trust for you. If you should like to withdraw any amount, do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards,

Quick Word'

Sighing, he folded it carefully back into the bags. The thought of his parent's money had never once crossed his mind. It seemed shallow to bother with something as trivial as money. He hated the thought of having so much of it. Money always made his skin crawl. Especially since his father had earned most of that through the most corrupt means imaginable. At least he was able to pay off the hospital for both his and Milo's medical expenses. And, with it, he would be able to provide for Pinkie if need be. That at least was a comfort.

As the train drew closer to Nickerlite, the scenery changed to sparse, rocky ground for miles on end. It was a little gloomy, but he knew Pinkie's family was anything but gloomy. Serious, but not gloomy. The screeching of the wheels coming to a halt informed him they had arrived. After stepping out onto the platform, he headed for the farm.

Nickerlite was freezing, but there was no snow to be seen. The long walk to the farm felt even longer with his occasional cough and somewhat weak legs. As usual, a thick layer of clouds began to gather and turned into a blanket before the farm. Despite having no weather ponies for miles, it was spitting snow and a cold breeze blew in from the North.

Sunlight had almost gone completely by the time he actually saw the farmhouse. Sure enough, Igneous was busy piling rocks into a heavily laden wagon. Cheese trotted over to him, "Igneous!"

The stallion looked up and dropped the rock to the frozen ground, still managing to create a crater where it fell. "Well, this is a surprise. What brings you here?" Another thought occurred to him as he looked around. "Where's Pinkamena?"

"In Ponyville. I had a day trip to Appaloosa, and was on the way home myself." Cheese chuckled self-consciously. "Thought I'd stop by and say hi."

"Well, it's a nice surprise." Igneous did his best to smile, but he was out of practice lately. Then, he noticed the bandages around the young stallion's legs. "Cheese! What in Equestria happened to you?"

"Huh? Oh, that." He had completely forgotten about the state of his legs. "I was in a fire two months ago. Burned my hooves really bad." The frigid air sent him into another coughing fit. "Hurt my lungs a bit too."

"You were in a fire?" Igneous moved to him, eyes flashing with panic. It was bad enough he worried constantly about Pinkamena, but now he had to worry about Cheese too. "Celestia kid, why didn't you tell us?"

Cheese was frozen in shock. He had expected a gruff, indifferent snort or something. It never occurred to him that Igneous cared about him as anything more than just Pinkie's stallion. But, maybe that was what he was worried about. "Pinkie's fine, Igneous. It happened when I was in Manehattan."

Igneous shook his head, "It's not her I'm worried about. It's you. By Celestia, you need to be more careful. You could have died." He pinned his ears at Cheese, "It wouldn't have killed you to let us know! Now I've got two ponies that don't bother to tell me what's going on in their lives."

"Sorry. Guess I'm not used to having anypony to write to." Cheese looked highly embarrassed, lowering his head.

"It's fine, Cheese. Just write to me more okay?" Igneous turned away, flushing crimson. "You're like a son to me."

Cheese stared in dumbfound amazement. It was probably normal for fathers to worry about their sons, but Cheese would not know it. For some stallion to treat him like a son when his own father barely acknowledged his existence was beyond belief. He had to fight the urge to cry. "You mean it?"

"Of course I do." Igneous started when Cheese gave him a big hug. "What's that for?"

"Thank you." The tears came despite his best efforts. "It means a lot." He turned away, trying to compose himself. "Sorry I'm such a wreck. There's been a lot going on."

Igneous rubbed Cheese's forelock affectionately, "You want to talk about it?"

"Yeah. That'd be nice."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pinkie curled into a tight ball under the covers, trying in vain to warm her hooves. The bedroom felt more like an ice chest than a place to sleep. In the corner, Gummy was curled up under his little heat lamp. Lucky dog.

Sighing, Pinkie kicked out of the covers and trotted over to the dying heater. The antique stove heater in the center of the room looked like it had been rescued from an old school house. In fact it probably was. Pinkie giggled at the thought of one of the mayors lugging it up here. "We could open a museum, huh, Gummy?"

Silence. Just like always. It made her stomach churn. It had been like that for weeks now. She would talk and joke just like normal, but there was never anypony to answer. All her life there had been somepony there, be it the Cakes or her family. Now, she was well and truly alone, though she was not sure if that made her lonely. What she felt was more like an emptiness inside, as though her puzzle was missing a piece. There was no good reason to think that way, but it would creep up on her at night.

A breeze blew in from the ancient window, sending a shiver down her spine. Hastily she shoveled some coal into the heater and rushed back into bed. Once more, she became lost in her thoughts. Whenever she got scared, she would always "giggle at the ghosties." But there were no "ghosties" here. There was nothing, and that was the problem. A familiar, ridiculous thought crossed her mind. If Cheese were here, I wouldn't be scared. There's no way I'd be lonely with him around.

A small voice in the back of her head seemed to shout at her. Pinkie! Don't go fantasizing! He hasn't even mentioned getting married.

Married? She giggled at the thought of Cheese proposing. It was too good to be true. Sighing, she curled up tighter under the covers. Was it really so much of a stretch to imagine getting married? They were young, a bit too young for marriage by most ponies' standards. But with all they had been through together, would a little thing like age matter? They loved each other more than anything else in the world. So why not now?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Igneous was exhausted. He had spent hours talking with the young stallion about life, love, and family. Still, it did not take a genius to tell Cheese needed to have the conversation. From what he said, he never had a father figure to talk to before now. As quietly as he could, he walked into the bedroom.
He started at Cloudy lying perfectly awake and reading a book. "Dear, why are you up?"

"I wanted to see you." She patted the bed beside her. Once Igneous settled in, she placed the book on the end table. "Even I could tell that Cheese needed to talk. He seemed so quiet at dinner. So, how's he doing?"

"All right." Igneous cringed at what Cheese had told him. "He's been through an awful lot lately. His father and mother were tried and convicted of child abuse last month."

"What?" Cloudy looked thunderstruck. "You mean he was abused?" The thought of anypony wanting to hurt Cheese was ludicrous. "But he's such a sweetheart."

"From what he said, he was beaten, neglected, and tortured by both of his parents. And, despite all that, he's got to be one of the most polite, caring young stallions I've ever met. Don't ask me how he managed that." Igneous rolled on his side, fighting the urge to break something. "Why, Cloudy? Why would anypony want to hurt their own child?"

"I don't know, Igneous." Cloudy stroked his back, "I suppose because they don't appreciate what they have."

For a while, Igneous lay there in silence. Then, he spoke quietly, "Do you think he can be trusted with her?"

"With Pinkamena? Of course, why would you say that?" Cloudy looked sternly at Igneous. "He's a good, honest, pony. And he loves Pinkie unconditionally. Why in Equestria would he hurt her?"

Igneous patted Cloudy's forelock. "Easy, Cloudy. I feel the same way. I just wanted to make sure before—"

"Before what?" Her eyes looked expectantly into his.

"Before I give him my blessing."

"What? Isn't it a bit too early to be worried about that?" The thought of her Pinkamena getting married seemed a bit of a stretch. "They're still so young."

"We were the same age when we got married, dear." Igneous sighed, looking into Cloudy's eyes. "He didn't just talk to me for the heck of it. He wanted to be completely open with me so I'd understand where he was coming from." Igneous chuckled a little. "I can't help but respect that about him."

"So he asked you?"

"Not yet. But, I'll bet you anything he will tomorrow." Igneous kissed Cloudy's forehead. "I'm going to say yes you know."

"I know." Cloudy turned back over, staring at her needlework in the corner. "I'd better finish her quilt then."

"Probably." Igneous yawned loudly, closing his eyes. "I don't expect they'll wait long."

Cloudy giggled, "Waiting's not Pinkamena's style."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The Pie family farm was a far cry from Manehattan or Ponyville, but Cheese welcomed the change of pace. He woke up early out of habit. It was nearly impossible for him to sleep in when he was feeling well. That helped a lot when he was traveling, but was a pain when he needed the rest. Yawning, he got up from the warm bed.

Igneous and Cloudy had been nice enough to let him stay in Maud and Pinkie's room since neither of the mares were there. It was easy to see that it was pretty much Maud's room as every free inch was given over to housing a kaleidoscope of strange rocks. At least it was warm. He took his saddlebags and went downstairs.

Nopony else was up yet. It was probably his fault for chatting with Igneous for hours last night. Cheese settled down on the sofa and started to unwrap one of his legs. The skin underneath was still raw and painful, but appeared to be healing fairly well. Some hair had actually started to grow back which did something for his appearance. Mechanically, he rubbed the ointment on and started to re-wrap it.

"Ouch."

He spun his head around to see Limestone leaning casually on the back of the sofa. "Morning."

"Morning." Limestone eyed Cheese's legs with interest. "I know you said you were in a fire, but geeze. That's a bad burn!"

"You should have seen it two months ago." Cheese finished wrapping the leg and moved to the other one. "I was in the hospital a pretty long time for it. It's getting better, but I'm not allowed to do a lot of work until it heals."

"I'll bet." Limestone tapped her hoof against the floor boards. Her eyes darted around the room, and she seemed distracted by something. "Say, Cheese?"

"Yeah?"

Limestone walked around the sofa and sat in front of Cheese, staring him in the eyes. "You're going to marry, Pinkie, aren't you?"

"What?" Cheese dropped the bandage, and scrambled to pick it up. When he brought his head back, his entire face was red. "I was planning on it. That is, if your parents approve and she'll take me."

"Oh, she'll take you." Limestone giggled, remembering how excited Pinkie had been to introduce them to Cheese. "She loves you to pieces." The mare's eyes focused on the floor again. "I'm glad. You're good for her."

"Thanks." He did not understand much about Limestone, but she seemed to be a genuine, kind pony. "So I guess you're okay with it?"

"Of course I am!" Limestone gave a sincere smile. "I just wanted to give you my support. Marble too. That's all."

"All right. Thanks." He watched her leave, glad that Pinkie's sisters approved. It felt comforting.

"Hey, Cheese. Let's make breakfast."

"All right." Cheese walked over, joining Limestone in the kitchen.

The rest of the morning after breakfast consisted of helping Igneous in the barn. The stallion was determined to inventory and organize crates of tools and rock farming equipment. Cheese enjoyed the organization bit and was happy to design a good system for Igneous. They worked quietly and efficiently. After a few hours, Igneous stopped him for a break.

Grateful to stop sifting through a box of dusty bolts, Cheese leaned on a nearby straw bale. "There's a lot of stuff here."

"Oh you have no idea." Igneous chuckled, "I never had time to organize when the girls were fillies. So, I ended up stacking tools willy nilly."

"Yeah, they are a bit chaotic." Cheese stared hard at the dirt. The words he needed to say seemed stuck in his throat. But, he had to do it. This was the best opportunity he would have. "Say, Igneous? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Igneous looked expectantly at Cheese.

"After what I told you last night, I'd understand if you don't trust me. But, I have to ask you." Cheese wanted so badly to turn away, but resisted the urge. "Would you grant me the honor of marrying your daughter?"

Igneous stared at Cheese a long while, watching the younger stallion hold his gaze. "Will you do your very best to provide for her whatever it takes?"

Cheese jerked a nod. "Of course I will!"

Igneous sighed, speaking a little slower, "Will you give me your assurance that you will never treat any children you have with my daughter the same as your own parents? No matter what they may do or how they turn out?"

"Of course I'd love them. Love them like life itself." Cheese's hoof struck the dirt, sending up a cloud of dust. "I know what it's like to be hated, to be abused. I'd kill myself before I let that happen to my own children."

For a long while, Igneous stared appraisingly at Cheese. The young stallion was obviously sincere about this. Ever so slowly, Igneous' lined face broke into a smile. "You've got my blessing, Cheese. There's no stallion I'd trust more with my daughter."

Cheese felt as though a massive weight had been lifted off his chest. "Thank you."

"Sure. But now," Igneous gestured to the state of chaos in the barn, "we've got work to do."

"Right." Cheese dug into the work, glad to have something to occupy his mind. He felt a sea of emotions crashing over him. Though he was glad to have permission, he was worried. Worried, perhaps irrationally, that Pinkie would say no. Time would tell. All that was left now was to wait.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………....

Snow was lazily drifting from the clouds above Ponyville. Though it was only seven o'clock , the streets were as dark as midnight. Occasionally, Cheese would pass a few ponies on their way home or out for a stroll, but they never stopped to chat. That was fine by him. There was nothing he wanted more than to see Pinkie again.

He turned down the now familiar side streets until he arrived at Pinkie's place. It really did look creepy, mostly due to the peeling paint and stray loose boards. Cheese knocked at the door a few times then opened it up. The long hall was freezing and completely empty save for a few tools in the corner. "Pinkie? Hello. It's Cheese. Thought I'd say hi."

The thunder of hooves on the stairs preceded an overly excited Pinkie Pie. "Cheesie! I'm so glad you're back."

Cheese watched Pinkie slide over to him. The mare's excited breathing was sending clouds of vapor into the frigid air. "I missed you so much!"

"You too, dear." He held her in a tight hug, savoring her familiar smell. "Want to go for a walk?"

"Sure, as long as it's not too long." Pinkie followed Cheese out into the street. "Geeze, it's super cold tonight."

"You want your coat?"

She pressed her side to his, "Nope, I'm good."

"All right then." Cheese started to walk down the side street.

As they walked, Pinkie admired the reflection of the street lights in the snow. "How do you like it, Cheesie? Rainbow made sure to schedule plenty of snow 'cause we're sledding with the girls tomorrow."

"Did she? Geeze, talk about abusing your authority." He chuckled none the less. "Pretty clever though. And it makes for a pretty picture."

"You said it." Pinkie was growing curious as Cheese kept leading them farther from town. "Where are we going?"

Cheese gave a would-be-casual shrug. "Oh, I thought it'd be fun to get out of town. You don't mind, do you?"

"Nope." Pinkie eyed him suspiciously, but kept walking beside him. They passed over the bridge and started down the road a little ways. It was really strange for him to take her out so far. "Seriously, Cheesie. Where are we going?"

"Away." Cheese stopped by a large oak tree, beaming back at her. "I guess this is far enough."

Pinkie stared at the tree, at the road, and back towards Ponyville. "I really don't get it. Why'd you take me out here?"

"I just didn't want to get interrupted." Cheese sighed, dropping his saddlebags onto the ground. His eyes stared lovingly into hers. You can do this, Cheese. "Pinkie, I know we've been through some challenges lately. I know I'm a wreck, and I'd understand if you wanted me gone. But, I have to tell you."

His heart pounded uncomfortably fast in his chest. "I need you, Pinkie. I want you in my life, not just a few hours a day, but the entire day. I want to give you every part of me, all my love, all my devotion." Cheese bent down on one in front of her. "Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Pinkie stared at him, heart racing so fast she thought it would burst. Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks. Then, before Cheese could react, she had tackled him to the snow. "Yes, yes, YES!" Her muzzle pressed to his over and over again. "I thought you'd never ask."

Cheese nickered softly, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "So you were waiting?"

"For ages!" Pinkie giggled, brushing back a strand of her forelock. "When?"

"When what?"

Pinkie rolled her eyes. "When can we get married?"

"Uh, as soon as I get the paperwork together. We'll have to plan some sort of wedding." He felt his heart race at the thought of their wedding. "Maybe in the spring?"

"The spring?" She stuck her tongue out in mock disgust. "How's a week from today sound?"

"A WEEK? Pinkie, I can't get everything ready that fast."

"Well then, two weeks." Pinkie nuzzled him affectionately, savoring the familiar earthy scent. "I don't want to wait any longer than I have to."

"All right. You win." Cheese chuckled, reorienting himself on the snow. "But, it's not going to be fancy."

"That's good. I hate fancy stuff." She stared back at Ponyville, thinking. "Geeze, it's so weird."

"What is?" Cheese stood next to her, following her gaze. "Ponyville?"

"No, silly." Pinkie pawed at the snow, watching it bunch up tightly under her hoof. "We've been dating for only a few months and now we're getting married. I never thought this much change could come so fast."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, just strange." Pinkie's azure eyes stared into Cheese's emerald ones. "I used to be so scared of change. I thought if things in my life changed, the world would cave in or something. But ever since I fell in love with you, I can't be scared of it." She gave him a long kiss on the muzzle. "You're change, Cheese. But you're the best kind of change in the world. And, as long as I'm by your side, I'll welcome whatever changes come next."

"And I'll be right there to welcome them with you." Cheese nickered softly, returning the kiss. "I'd love to kiss you all night, dear. But," He scooped up his saddlebags, grinning at Pinkie. "we'd better get going before you get sick."

"Me? What about you?" Pinkie pressed her side to his once more, feeling his breaths against her own. As they walked, she could not staunch the excitement welling up inside of her. For now and forever, she would have him by her side. To Pinkie, that single thought was stronger than any magic in all of Equestria.

Author's Note:

Well, it's been a very long road, but we've finally reached the end. I can't imagine that I'd ever get this far when I started writing the story in March. My intention was to make an 80 or 90k word fic and keep it simple. It's incredible to see how much I've done with just this one story. I never imagined it would become as complicated as it did.

Anyway, I do hope you enjoyed the journey. It's been wonderful to see all the positive feedback. It makes me happy to know that people are enjoying the story I've put so much effort into. Thanks for sticking with me!

If you were wondering, I am going to write a "sequel." Mostly it will be in the form of short stories continuing to look at Pinkie and Cheese's life together. In my upcoming Applejack x Flim fic, An Honest Life, I will be continuing from the point I left off in What Changes May Come. CheesePie will be an element, but not the focus of the story. I encourage you to check out my other shorts. All of them occur in the same universe, and often meld different aspects together.

Comments

[Nidranight00906]

Omg this was amazing I can't wait for your sequel!! Seriously your story has made me so happy every time I'm sad I always re-read some chapters and it would bring a smile one my face :) And I had some heck of a change in my life everytime you put new chapter ☺️ Ok I'm getting ahead of my self THANK YOU for writing such a beautiful story it literally brought me to tears

[Sonata_Dusk]

OH MY GOSH AHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAH!!!!!!! YESHHHHHHH!!!!!!
*starts running around* *hits tree*

[hootscootaloo101]

Ohmygosh!!!! This was amazing!!! Such a great ending for such a beautiful story Through my ups and downs, this always managed to make me happier:) Really great work! Keep on writing

[FIMficslvr]

OhmyCelestiaIdon'thaveanymorewordstosayotherthansqweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

[Jobless Bear]

And thus, The end of an era was upon me. After weeks of slowly chipping away at this behemoth of a story, all i can say is thank you. Thank you for the joy you brought me. Thank you for making me see that real, genuine emotion can be had from letters strung together. And above all, Thank you for writing such a beautiful story. For the first time in my life, i cried at fiction, whether it be a book, movie, Tv show, or video, and that says a lot. This truly was an amazing story, and it will be a dark day when i forget this story and the emotions it brought me...Thank you, I mean it. during the chapter "The Trail" I had to take a break because I was on the verge of tears. If you had come up to me 2 years ago and said i would crying my eyes out to two eccentric pastel ponies getting engaged, I would of Questioned your mental health, and look at me now. This is a sad day, for these last few weeks have been wonderful, and that is at an end.

Sincerely
-Erik
(P.S: screw you, you threw my whole sleep schedule out of whack when i stayed up until 5 reading this fic)

[Sugarcookie29]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[lightning stroke]

6225033 i feel the same

[Corvid]

I really like that Igneous takes the fact that abuse is often inherited in mind, and makes sure Cheese is ok having foals that might easily be unicorns (I'm a therapist who actually lives in NYC, and there's so much worse that happens...). That shows a depth of understanding that makes me like their interaction even more, even if Cheese too old to really internalize him as a father figure, he has him to turn to about the big things, plus he has Big Mac as a sort of brother.

I also like that they're not having a big fancy wedding. I always thought it was such a strange idea - and Matilda in the wedding episode with her and Cranky actually said my philosophy on it word for word - it's the marriage that matters, not the wedding. My husband and I have been together since I was barely 18, and now 30 is on the horizon, but I'd never choose anyone else, and we literally simply went and signed the papers and said our vows at city hall, and we're happy that we didn't spend the kind of money my cousins and such have had on what amounts to a vanity party. We used that money for our real life lol. And I never asked his mother for permission to propose (true story, I did that part and I love this did haha), but we go our own way.

It is quite nice that first time you visit in-laws and they let you stay in the same room because a certificate says you can! -laugh- Less trouble than having him sneak into wherever they put me because we were both too used to the other next to us to fall asleep in separate rooms. Welcome in out of the barn, Cheese! Hah.

I like Igneous' characterization in this whole thing, really. A volcanic rock. A hot temper that cools down into something beautiful with time.