31. Get Outta Town
Later that morning, Igneous was having a word with his second-eldest daughter in the living room, while his wife was talking with the younger two in their bedroom. He didn't know how Cloudy was dealing with Marble and Limestone, but he was dealing with a mare that wasn't nearly as meek as the stallion he had released earlier.
Pinkamena stomped her hoof hard on the floor. "Pa, this isn't fair! Cheese did nothing to deserve losing his job!"
Igneous glared out the window, grinding his teeth. "Pinkamena, I trusted him. He broke that trust, and there is no way in Tartarus I'd let him get off scot-free for that."
"But firing him? Come on, I assure you we only played harmless carnival games and tried new food. And if anything, I'm to blame for us sneaking out to the carnival."
Igneous turned to face his daughter, whose glare was fiery, and those curls of hers were dangling in ringlets over her face. He didn't even flinch. "And I suppose you're to blame for that kiss that I caught you two sharing?"
Pinkamena backed up and flushed. "Well, uh, yes, I..."
"So just tell me how he won you over? What kind of smooth talking did he do to get you so infatuated with him? What kind of mask did he wear when you two were alone? And how do I know that wasn't the first time you two had kissed?"
Pinkamena stomped again. "There was no smooth talking! He's an awkward sweetheart through and through, and you're letting one night out and some stupid letter make up your judgement of him."
Igneous snorted. "How do I know you're not lying? Had you not been caught, you would have been perfectly fine in keeping carnival night a secret. Who's to say you're not keeping other secrets?"
"I'm not keeping any other secrets--you're just overreacting! How do I know that you just didn't like him and wanted an excuse to get rid of him?"
Igneous squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. "I did like him. But he promised that he wasn't to woo any of my daughters, and you don't break a promise to a Pie. Sneaking out with you three has some unfortunate implications that I can't ignore. Plus, he had invited his sick-minded brother over here, and that letter smelled of a crook--we're lucky that Tomato was too busy to come around. Still, keeping Cheese around longer would have soon put a criminal in our midst, and there was no way I was going to let that happen."
Pinkamena stared forward for a moment before she looked at the floor. Feeling her eyes begin to water, she growled, "Pa, I can protect myself. I don't need you to do it for me!"
"Yes... I know you can protect yourself from a full-on assault. Your mother and I have raised you and your sisters well in that regard. But when it comes to matters of the heart, emotional manipulation is harder to protect against. It was a mistake for me to hire a stallion at all, no matter how harmless he seemed on the surface."
For the third time, Pinkmena's stomp rang through the house, and a dent was left in the floor. Igneous was nearly startled by the look on his daughter's face, which was a cross between ready to kill somepony and about to cry. Giving him a hard glare, Pinkamena yelled, "Has it ever occurred to you that you're overprotective?!"
Taken aback, Igneous replied, "Don't you dare raise your voice at me, young lady! I've seen too many crooked stallions in all my years! Several of them harassed your mother, even when she was pregnant, your grandmothers have had to fend off some unwanted attention, and my sister had been driven out of town by some scumbag who used her! I have good reason to be wary about any attention from colts you girls get." He turned away and looked out the window. "Cheese wasn't going to stay anyway. His special talent is roaming all over Equestria, and no attachment to any place could stop him."
Pinkamena was taking sharp inhales and exhales, and she stared at the floor. Her vision was growing blurrier by the second. "You're conveniently forgetting the good ones, aren't you? Don't they outnumber the bad?"
Igneous leaned his forehead on the glass. "Not in Nickerlite, they don't. Just go to your room, Pinkamena. We're done talking."
With a deep breath, she turned and bolted up the stairs. Turning down the hall, she paused as she passed what used to be Cheese's room. The door was wide open, so she forgot about going to her room, and instead went into the room where many a funny story had been told to the Pie sisters. She stood in the middle of it, gazing as her head turned to every corner of the room. Not a trace of him was left, and the warmth and vitality that once defined this very room was gone and was not going to return.
She sat on her haunches, and began to cry.
A chipper Bluejinx trotted down the street towards the post office, a big smile on his face. He still had the music from the carnival ringing in his head, and he had just finished an article about it for his aunt to print. As of now, he was going to retrieve letters for the both of them. He wondered if his mother was going to remind him to brush his teeth and keep his horn clean, and what news his friends had for them.
He went in, received several letters from nearly all sources, stuffed them in his saddlebag, and strolled on out. What he saw next was soon to put a damper on his mood.
Cheese Sandwich walked past slowly, his head hanging low and his eyes obscured by a hat. He had his saddlebags, with one containing a rubber chicken for some odd reason--he could tell because its head was sticking out. He appeared to be heading toward the farmers' market, and everypony just stopped, stared, and whispered as he strolled past.
Bluejinx waved and said, "Morning, Cheese!"
Cheese stopped for a moment, turned to glare at him, and snorted. Then he continued on his way.
Taken aback, Bluejinx cantered until he was beside the lanky stallion, and asked, "Um, so... carnival last night was fun, wasn't it?"
"Yeah... fun... woohoo," Cheese snarled.
Bluejinx blinked and scratched his head. "Cheese, are you okay?"
Cheese laughed darkly. "Okay? Oh, yeah... it's nice to know that my brother happens to think that I've hit the 'jackpot', that he really wants to meet the Pies, and most importantly, that he believes he's already an uncle!"
Bluejinx raised an eyebrow. "Uh... what? Why would he think those things?"
"Oh, you don't know? I guess he's been living a dirty double-life under your nose! Igneous smelled the letter, and it smelled like a crook!" Cheese snorted, and continued walking forward. "I'm done with the sleazy twerp... got me fired..."
"Wait, wait, wait... Igneous fired you over a letter," Bluejinx deadpanned.
"And for sneaking out. And for 'seducing' his daughter. And for... well, breaking my word that I wouldn't attempt any sort of romance with any of his daughters." Cheese sighed and shook his head. "It was a dumb move to fall in love with Pinkamena."
Before they knew it, they were at the marketplace, and Cheese just walked to the first stall in sight. "I'm back at square one. I'll just buy some food, and then take the next train out of here. Nothing left for me in Nickerlite, and nopony seems to want me here anyway."
As Cheese lifted his head, he found himself at the apple stand, and face to face with, out of all the Apple family, Cortland. Bluejinx was beside Cheese in a heartbeat, and stood by, hoping to quell any conflict that arose.
Cortland stared coolly at Cheese, asking, "How can Ah help you?"
Cheese mirrored the expression. "On second thought, I think I'll wait until my train stops in another town to buy an apple. I hear they're awfully sweet in Ponyville."
Cortland snorted. "What? You biased against Nickerlite apples?"
Cheese backed away. "I'm not in the mood, Cortland. I'll just get me something else." He started to walk away, and Bluejinx followed, thankful that the conversation was short. Or so he thought.
"Ya seem ta be in an awfully bad mood, Cheese. Didn't have enough fun with the Pie sisters at the carnival?"
Bluejinx turned and growled, "Oh, be quiet, you! He doesn't need your commentary on the subject."
Cortland put a hoof on his chest. "Hey, Ah'm just sayin' the town's abuzz about that drifter having successfully seduced three of the most somber mares in town. And good ol' Iggy most likely didn't like that, I'm sure--Cheese sounds like he's out of a job."
Cheese groaned. "Give up the stupid rumors, Cortland. You just want to slander me out of spite, don't ya?"
Cortland shook his head. "Ah didn't start this one; didn't Pinkamena tell ya Ah came clean? Everypony saw you with 'em at the carnival."
The mare at the flower stand hopped up and down. "It's true, I saw them! Knowing the Pies would never let their daughters have any fun, it's obvious that this fellow talked them into it!" She glared at Cheese. "Who knows what else he talked them into doing?"
The stallion at the tomato stand joined in with the glaring. "Yeah... I saw 'em, all right. There he was, struttin' around with the mares like they were his little prizes or somethin'. Igneous would do right to get ridda him."
The mare at the orange stand gasped. "What if Cheese has already had his way with them, and is leaving them as we speak? Oh, dear, I can't imagine being in those mares' position!"
Mr. Green the Cabbage Stallion hopped up and down. "And they wrecked my cabbage cart!"
The other stall keepers--as well as Cheese and Bluejinx--stared blankly at Mr. Green. Then, the murmurs of the other ponies erupted again, as they continued to say unsavory things about Cheese and calling him a "walking lump of mold." The lanky stallion shifted uncomfortably, realizing that coming to the marketplace was a bad idea. Bluejinx tilted his head, and started to lead him away.
Cortland picked up one of his apples, and looked straight at the leaving pair. "Now, now, aren't ya here to pack yerself some food? Here, have an apple... on the house!" Just like that, he chucked the fruit straight at them, and nailed Cheese on the back of the head, knocking off his hat in the process. The orange stallion stumbled forward, and rubbed his head, muttering something under his breath. Bluejinx picked up Cheese's hat, horror gracing his features.
The unicorn jumped when the stallion at the tomato stand shouted, "Oh, horsefeathers--it seems I have accidentally put some rotten tomatoes in my stand. Well, I guess I should get rid of them!" With that, the pony threw some tomatoes at Cheese, who had been in the process of turning around. The tomatoes hit him in the face, and his glasses were knocked off as well.
"Oopsie! I have some bad oranges, too!" Oranges were added to the list of produce that Cheese was pelted with, and soon enough, ponies were throwing produce that they had found rotten at him. Some of the marketgoers arriving were puzzled at first, but then soon joined in when they realized it was that drifter. They scooped up some dirt and threw dirt clods and pebbles at him.
Bluejinx jumped between them, catching some of the projectiles with his magic and getting hit by some of the produce and dirt. He took a moment to glance at Cheese, who was trying to wipe the muck he had obtained off of him, and squinting his eyes as he looked for his glasses. He was biting his lip, and he looked ready to panic.
However, a pebble hit Bluejinx's horn, and he cried out, taking a moment to cradle it in his hoof. His eyes were squeezed shut for a few moments, and once he opened his eyes, he found the townsponies surrounding them, still pelting them with dirt and pebbles, but still mainly aiming for Cheese. He looked around in horror, worried that this group was turning into a lynch mob. And then he looked at Cheese, blinded, bruised, and filthy, as well as exhibiting that timid colt he had been in youth.
All of a sudden, there came a crack of a rod hitting something, and this time it was Cortland who buckled down, his hat having been knocked off. The crowd stopped, and above them was an angry white pegasus, holding a broom and looking for her next target. All were looking up, except Cheese, who searched for his glasses.
Sugar Glider's eyes swept the crowd. "How dare you! Pelting these colts with dirt clods and rocks! I don't care if you don't like them, that's no excuse for that awful behavior!"
A pony raised his hoof. "But... Mrs. Candy Shop Owner--"
"No, I don't want to hear a ridiculous rumor! Now, you all get back to your stalls and shopping and whatever you ponies were doing! I don't want to see this kind of thing again!" She patted her broomstick in her hoof, looking ready to beat another pony who made the wrong move.
The ponies got the message, and they slinked away back to the marketplace. Cortland in particular grabbed his hat and kept on rubbing his head, cursing under his breath about the broom. Bluejinx sighed in relief, found Cheese's glasses, and set them back on the other stallion's muzzle.
Sugar landed and exhaled. "My goodness. Why were they doing that?"
Cheese adjusted his glasses and looked at the two ponies in front of him. Then he looked away. "Oh, everypony in town thinks I'm some sleazy, no-good seducer, just because they saw me with the Pie sisters at the carnival last night."
"Oh... well, they assumed the worst. You're a sweetheart, Cheese, you don't deserve to be treated like that. And neither does your friend here. You should go tell the Pies what happened and get yourselves cleaned up."
Cheese shook his head. "I can't. I got fired."
Sugar's jaw dropped. "What?"
"Yeah, I'm sure Igneous doesn't want to see me again."
"But why? I can't wrap my head around any reason why a sweetheart like you would lose his job."
Bluejinx stepped forward. "He kind of broke a promise."
Sugar huffed. "Well, Igneous Rock made a mistake. Who wouldn't want this pony working for them?"
Cheese groaned. "Well, life's not fair. I've got to leave this town as soon as possible, and just continue on with how my life has been for years."
Sugar wrinkled her nose. "Well, you better take a bath. I'll go inform Lemon Drop about your... uh, termination, so he understands why you're bathing at our house again." She looked at Bluejinx. "And you better go home and bathe as well."
Bluejinx nodded, and parted ways with them. He sighed and shook his head. It was unbelievable just how much went sour so quickly, and now Tomato was not going to reunite with his beloved brother, who once again wanted nothing to do with him. Still, he couldn't help but wonder just what that letter said that made Cheese think that way and pushed Igneous to fire him.
It felt good to be in power over that stallion. The implication that he had been fired was just too glorious. He didn't need to start a rumor to spite the drifter; everypony else had already done so. Just seeing Cheese Sandwich cower under all the junk that was thrown at him had filled Cortland with satisfaction.
But it didn't feel good to have been whacked by a broom.
As he returned to the stand, rubbing his throbbing head, he was expecting life to return to normal in Nickerlite. Sure, all his chances of getting with Pinkamena had been dashed through many unfortunate circumstances, and he was sure that others were talking about him behind his back, but at least his life was better than the pathetic hobo named after a sandwich.
As the day went on, things went on as normal, though not very many ponies were exactly willing to buy from a dishonest Apple. That was really annoying, but his father said he'll live. Still, there was something that bothered him.
The most prominent obstacle to Pinkamena was going to leave town soon. That should have satisfied him completely, but those feelings lessened over the course of the day. Even when seeing Cheese finally head for the train station, he felt like his work was unfinished, and that revenge was not entirely complete.
What was he missing? What was the other thing that would get this feeling to stop nagging him?
He gathered the remaining apples that evening, and set off for home. The question kept gnawing at his mind, telling him that those responsible for ruining his chances with Pinkamena were not all put in their place. He pondered why he was feeling this way when Cheese had been fired and on his way to the next town. He reviewed the last several months, and the only other obstacles he could think of were Pinkamena herself and her father, Igneous Rock.
And then it hit him. Igneous had been around longer than Cheese, and had no doubt been brainwashing his daughters into their somber states. He even influenced Pinkamena into rejecting poor, well-meaning Cortland! And yet the stallion had been stupid enough to let a drifter among them. Still, it was clear to Cortland that the old, gruff stallion had been a bigger problem than Cheese all along.
Somehow, Igneous Rock was going to pay.
Pinkamena had shut herself in the spare room, refusing any company that knocked. Not even Maud was allowed in. All she wanted was to be alone, and to wonder why this had all happened.
Why did she let Cheese into her heart? She shut her eyes and envisioned his face, with the childlike glow, the warm dimpled smile, and those green eyes that spoke gently to her. She heard his voice, ranging from his deep and smooth voice when calm to his higher and more ecstatic voice when excited or when singing.
She thought of the moment where he offered her a hug, just because her grandmothers were unable to give her one due to being deceased. She thought of his reluctance to admit his story, but ultimately confessing about his colthood. She thought of him just showing her and her sisters the landscape when they had scaled that mountain. She thought of how gently he held little Butterscotch, and how funny he was. She thought of the fun they had at that carnival.
And finally, as she stroked her mouth, she thought of the kiss they shared. She remembered that her heart had been soaring, that she had felt much warmer than ever before, and just how warm he was. It was funny how he started out stiff, thanks to being surprised, but ultimately, he had kissed back with such tenderness that she had felt like she was going to sprout wings and carry him up to the clouds, so that she could hug him and caress him and kiss him forever.
And where was he now? Off to some other town because her father was being overprotective. She groaned, filled with anger that the pony who had brought sunshine back to their farm was now gone, and that sad, boring days were surely returning. Nickerlite would have the ridiculous speculation about the Pies as usual, except there were going to false rumors of a demonized Cheese Sandwich, who had taken the farm by storm and had taken in the three foolish younger daughters for his flights of fancy.
She sighed. She was tired of it all. She was tired of the rock farming, tired of being protected, and tired of the stupid gossip. She was tired of feeling like a caged bird, and tired of not having seen what was beyond the town of Nickerlite. She wanted to see where the railroad led, and see all the places that Cheese had seen.
Her eyes fell to the window. It was still light outside, but she could tell that the sun was beginning to set. After staring a good deal at it, she stood up, strode forward, and punched the lock off. She opened the window, and climbed out... only to find herself dangling from the window, thanks to the rocks having been removed. She took a deep breath, and fell, using her currently bushy tail as a cushion to land on.
She stood up, and stared at the forest. She swiftly went in, going to find away around the farm and to the railroad.
After having his bath and a long day of working in the print shop, Bluejinx finally had a chance to read his letters from his mother, cousin, and friends. He read his mother's first, and of course, she was reminding him to brush his teeth and keep his horn clean. His cousin Royal Pin talked about how Ponyville came together to recite Wonderbolt history to a mare in town; Cirrus and Nimbus' letter told him that they got parts in "The Rose of Blood Bay" play; Flora's letter talked about how her brother came to town and entertained the others.
He got to Tomato's letter, and thought about Cheese. He thought about asking what his reply to Cheese's letter was, and explaining what had happened. Bluejinx sighed, hating to have to pass on the disappointing news of Cheese leaving, going to who-knows-where and not wanting anything to do with his brother. He opened the letter, and read:
"Dear Bluejinx,
"It seems to me that you and your aunt have some of the funniest arguments. Seriously, bread? Why would that even make a good bar of soap? Seems like a waste of a baked good if you ask me. And there is no way that I'm putting blueberries in my hair to attract mares. I'll just focus on my studies, thank you very much.
"It's been a while since I sent that letter to Cheese, and he still hasn't replied. Figures. I should have known that he still hated me and had torn up the letter. All I want to tell him is that I'm sorry for all the strife I've given him, and that I would like to have him as a part of my life again. But, if he's happy just roaming around Equestria or working on that rock farm, I guess I should just drop it. All I am to him is the annoying younger brother.
"But, enough of that depressing factor. Flora made me a flower hat that was twice my height. It attracted a lot of bees. Not fun. Have any of your new friends in Nickerlite done funny stuff to you? I imagine that pegasus mare with the baby must be really funny, and I'd like to meet some of your print buddies someday.
"Anyway, take care, and I hope to see you soon.
"Your friend, Tomato Sandwich"
While Bluejinx had chuckled about the letter, he found something off about it. He scratched his head. But Cheese did write you, Tommy. In fact, you sent a letter back... didn't you?
He reread the letter, hoping to understand why Tomato had forgotten about Cheese's reply and the letter he had wrote. Pegasus mail was typically fast, delivering under a week, so the only way that Tomato didn't receive Cheese's letter was if it had dropped out of the bag somewhere along the way. But that still didn't explain where that reply came from.
He put a hoof on his chin. "Something fishy's going on around here..."
Pinkamena found her way to the top of the hill where her grandmothers were buried. She gazed down at the town, which she had learned to despise in a matter of months. Her eyes fell on the train station, where a train awaited passengers to board it. To her amazement, she had spotted Cheese.
She did not know the why and how of his delay, but she was happy for it. She tried to check her saddlebags to see if she had enough bits for the train fare, only to realize that she didn't bring anything. Even worse, the train was whistling, Cheese had boarded, and it was coming out of the station.
Panicking, she sped down the hill, and as the locomotive pulled out the cars behind it further and further from the station, she stumbled down the hill and fell flat on her face. She hopped back up, and not caring who or what was watching, she dashed forward, and leapt onto the caboose. She held on to the railing, and watched as Nickerlite became smaller and smaller as the distance between her and the town grew.
She smirked. "So long, Nickerlite. I'm off to see new places."
She thought of her family, and she let out a sad sigh. "And goodbye, my family. I'll miss you."
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Heh, saw that coming. Good on her - hope it fuckin' stings Igneous.
Wow. Just wow.
This chapter came along at a good time for me. I was having a rough day, although not nearly as rough as Cheese.
And wow the possible complications of this chapter! Cheese gets almost lynched for something he didn't do, and now he is functionally running away with the second eldest Pie sister without meaning to, or at least, it certainly will look like it.
Poor Pinkie. I love how you're characterizing her here. We're getting soft and sensitive and stubborn and finally downright reckless, and it was about time.
I clapped when Sugar Glider let everyone have it with the broom.
Something is wrong with Cortland. There is something seriously wrong with his head, and I am worried for Igneous.
Also, love the "Ask Tomato Sandwich" tie-ins.
Did Pinkemena even think about what conclusions her father would jump to? Or anything other than Cheese?
Well your not that predictable but in some of your authors notes you've been pretty much telling the whole story before you write it.
And they lived happily ever after! The END!
CORTLAND, YOU MOTHERF@/#ING SON OF A F@/#ING PIECE OF F@/#ING S@/#!!! I'M GONNA TEAR OFF YOUR '/#& AND SHOVE IT RIGHT UP YOUR @/#, SO THEN YOU'LL HAVE TO @/#& SIDEWAYS!!! F@/#!
...
*Ahem*
...
I don't think I like Cortland very much.
cortland i got two words for you on what well end your life
maud pie.
*maud smashes a daimond to dust*
First of all, you just referenced one of my favorite episodes. ......AKR is best writer, shhhhhh.
And second, am I seriously the only one here STILL wondering who the Element of Laughter is? We all know it isn't Pinkie of course, so yeah, WHO is it?
Ohhhh.... I can just imagine the next time Pinkie and Cheese kiss, their cutie marks will go all glowy-woowy and stuff like that and BOOM!
Pinkie's CM is 3 balloons and Cheese's changed to a grilled sandwich accordion, which shows their real destiny in their life: to spread happiness all over Equestria....... so yeah apparently they're both party planners AND travelers now.
okay, that last bit sounded ridiculous, even for MY standards
You know, I wouldn't mind Sugar Glider continuing to wack Cortland with that broom over and over again. You cannot fight against the broom. But I'm guessing that when she hit him with it, it warped his mind. Now he's going after the big guy himself. Cortland, you won't even see the light of day now. Mess with the bull, you get the horns, and you, my not-friend, will most certainly meet them horns.
Bluejinx is on the case too. If anyone knows Tommy a lot, it's him. He'll be able to put two and two together, I'm thinking. Whether he can convince Igneous or anyone of it though is a different matter.
And yes, Pinkamena did the thing. Her heart's in the right place, and I hope she knows what she's doing. She's most certainly got a point—Igenous is overprotective. But, given his points, I do empathise with him. At some point, he has to let go, but he's doing it all for the sake of his daughters. Pretty noble, but a bit too noble. Hopefully, he'll see the other side.
I am wondering as well about the Elements.. There has to be some pony for Laughter...
The real question- IS CORTLAND OUT OF HIS MESSED UP MIND?! You don't mess with the Pie father.
Ps: Cortland your girl left town to chase the stallion you wronged! Take that!
Will it be possible to see Cortland being hog tied and hung on a tree and get pelted with rocks? Do it for a fan?
You screwed over what I thought was going to happen. Please just promise me Cortland will get his just deserts. I want him to be brought to Justice. I hope nothing Drastic happens to Igneous. Good luck with the next chapter. Also I want the store owners to get some Justice as well.
Yes. This entire story would pretty much equivalent to a very predictable soap opera (redundant, I know).
I wouldn't say you're predictable, so much as it's a given that conflicts in a story will need to be resolved at some point, and every story needs a climax of some kind, where things are at their lowest. All we've been doing is offering our guesses as to what order the conflicts will be resolved in, and which ones will play a part in the climax. These last 2-3 chapters seem to have been the climax, although you could be building towards a bigger one later. As for the conflicts, here are the ones I can see: Cortland is a jerk, Igneous is overprotective, Pinkie isn't happy, Cheese thinks he's destined to keep wandering, the two of them need to figure out their feelings for each other, and that whole mix up with Tomato and the fake letter.
to 
, and both her and Cheese have figured out that they like each other, but they still need a reunion scene of some kind. So that leaves a detective, a jerk, and an overprotective father in town to try and sort things out, a confused and worried little brother off at wherever the heck Tomato is, and Cheese, who feels like he'll never be able to settle down. I'm looking forward to seeing how you'll address all that!
Pinkie's conflict seems mostly resolved, what with her shift from
Poor Pinkamena, she couldn't ask around town and try and go to Cheese?
You've got me hooked on this story. I'm glad Pinkie's finally branching out and following her heart, let's just hope it leads her the right way. You threw me for a loop with Cheese getting nearly stoned by the townsponies. And just what will happen with Igneous? Can't wait for the next one!
Everyone's gonna think Cheese kidnapped Pinkie or something. I wonder how'll he'll feel when she pops up where he is going. Or when Pinkie realizes how stalkerish it seems.
I'm probably wrong, but i'll find out (hopefully) soon I suppose.
Uhhhaaa, Pinkamena
but seriously, Iggy wasn't that nice to her, was he? 
just sayin' 
I can't wait for Cheese meeting her in the train
Poor Pies though..
ANDWHATEVERYOUARETRYINGCORTLANDFORGETABOUTIT
I think it's fascinating how different this AU Pinkie is different from the canon one. And yet, her personality is the same, and she acts with those same rash decisions that she would make before, ie leaving home. Something that seems to present an issue in the CheesePie ship is that Pinkie is meant to stay in Ponyville as resident Party Pony, while Cheese is destined to travel all around to make ponies happy everywhere else. This separation is something that sets quite a complication in their relationship.
That being said, in this AU, Cheese is still a traveler, but that is all. And at the same time, it would seems that Pinkamena's destiny is to stay at the rock farm with her family (I'm guessing). This rebellion of sorts shows such a separation between Pinkamena's destiny and what her heart wants. This begs the question: Can one change their own destiny?
I'm not going to get into some long explanation about this. However, this resistance against staying says a lot about Pinkamena's personality and her emotions. She takes matters of the heart very seriously (as we saw in Party of One and Pinkie Pride) and doesn't handle rejection well for her or anyone she loves (as we saw in Maud Pie). The fact she left, possibly to pursue Cheese, says volumes about her own loyalty and love for others.
To be perfectly honest, this was one of my favorite chapters, just because of this development in Pinkamena's character. It's a reminder that the mare we all know in love is still the same, just altered by circumstance. The openness that she has about her emotions - especially her anger - develops her in a way that I did not previously expect. There is so much depth that comes to her character with this fact.
Plus, it allows a way for Pinkamena and Cheese to be together. Which is what we wanted all along. Very nice job, Sketch.
I am so impressed with this chapter. Keep up the good work. [and extra thanks for the ask Tommy references.] 
5083312 That would lead to everyone thinking cheese brainwashed her.
Also, to the Author. I find the town to be much crazier than a normal town. I know small towns, I grew up on a fucking island that has 3000 people on it. Rumors usually get crushed pretty damn fast unless everyone in town is just a fucking moron. I get it, it's to add the flair of "Oh no, do something and EVERYONE will know about it" and that's true. I couldn't sneeze without my parents and everyone else knowing what I was doing. However, that being said, no one would go on about this. They would just send the local pastor in or something to my experinces ((Got caught behind a shed with on of the town girls))
Why did this remind me of the lion king 2? XD
5086092 Good point, they totally would think that.
Soooooo.. were you your towns version of Cortland Apple?
5086999 Oh no, I wasn't sleezy about it :P It took me a good eight months to get behind the shed, and all we did was some "Stiff" kissing. The community is heavily religious though so because we weren't married their minds went to other alternatives and thus the pastor had to be brought in to talk with us :P He actually laughed when we explained the situation. He was like 26 and wasn't as gung hoe about it, but gave us the run down told us not to get caught again, have our innocent fun but try to maintain a degree of celibacy
5087566 Wow, that is quite a stretch to bring in a pastor for some making out. This town, did it also ban dancing?
I'm kidding, but are you still on that island?
5087596 Actually, they banned most types of slow dancing >.> And god no, I moved into Ontario! No work on an island that big
5087601 It sounds like you are now Footloose and fancy - free!
5087608 XD I actually did that song for the Islands Kinda community day :P But some kids started calling the girl a harlot and stuff. Now before your outcries, realize this island was (*(and still is)) 60 years in the past. The rumors were quite swiftly beaten out of the kids who started them. Either by her siblings, me and my siblings, or parents who got the full story from the pastor. Kinda like the "Defending her honor" thing, so I guess you could say was cortland, without the lying and the cheating and the dishonesty and such.
5087620 I hope you put those rumor mongers in their place by beating them in a game of "chicken" while driving tractors.
I'm not surprised you defended her honor like that, and I think that's why people hate Cortland so much: Given his background and upbringing, you would expect him to be a decent guy. The fact that he isn't makes him more disturbing than if, say, the Flim Flam brothers were hanging around town hitting on Pinkie.
5087678 Naw, We did things with fists. Can't do that any more though, to many people pulling out weapons and not being fair in fights. When we got into fights, people would surround the fight, but it was to stop other people from joining, not to keep the two going. Anyone jumped in they would be fought back by the whole group no matter who's side they were on.
As for cortland, he isn't much of a "Small town" person if he goes about that way. Small towners are usually raised in a half decent way
THE FEELS!
IGNEOUS WHY YOU DO DIS TO PINKIE?!?!?! 
I wanted to be the better man. But I can't. Cortland deserves to be gelded. There. I said it, Though in all seriousness great story!
T
This is jsut amazing.
It's a riot and I love it.
Keep up the good job and amazing work sir :P
If it's any comfort, every twist and turn of this story has caught me by surprise. And I'm usually pretty good at predicting what's going to happen...
Oh boy. Igneous is not going to be happy when he finds out.