Is there any reason why Cheese Sandwich isn’t afraid of meeting Pinkie Pie’s sisters? It’s only for a day he keeps telling himself. But then again, maybe it won’t go all bad for him.
Is there any reason why Cheese Sandwich isn’t afraid of meeting Pinkie Pie’s sisters? It’s only for a day he keeps telling himself. But then again, maybe it won’t go all bad for him. After all, he will finally meet the Pie sisters. They’ll have some nice conversations, maybe play a few party games.
“I know what we can play next!” Pinkie suggested, pulling out a spinner and mat, something that Cheese familiarised himself with instantly.
The stallion fumbled around with his tuxedo for the umpteenth time. Not even Pinkie Pie knew how many times he had messed around with it. He was nervous. Very nervous. It didn’t help in the slightest that the train decided it was going to be later than usual, just increasing the time before he met the ‘sisters’.
A nervous whimper made its way out of his mouth, his eyes wincing. Another rearranging of his tuxedo, along with his gentlecolt’s bowtie.
“Cheese, why are you so nervous?” a voice asked him from his side, clearly concerned for his health and well-being at this suspicious display.
But the train station wasn’t very crowded. Only a couple of ponies were around, far away from the scene, almost making the entire layout of the station bare and empty. They likely questioned his very awkward situation as well; even more considering it was Cheese Sandwich, one of the most known party ponies in Equestria. The stallion that was infamous for throwing birthday bashes all over the world? Why would he be shaking at Ponyville’s train station?
“It’s just... I...” he stammered, starting to get worried. The train still being late just made it worse. “I don’t want to make a bad impression.”
The way he saw it, the first few seconds of the initial meeting was the most crucial and vital, giving the sisters the exact idea of who he was right from the start. If he messed that up, he might as well just admit his defeat and have her sisters run him off.
Pinkie Pie approached his slightly twitching body, placing a hoof on him. “Calm down Cheesie, they’re fine. They know what you’re like.” Her voice was gentle, soothing.
He gulped. That only made it slightly worse. They already knew what he was like, that being the thing itself that he was afraid of. What if they didn’t appreciate that? Never once had three mares ever been able to give him the shivers before, not even mares on their birthday. But given that they were all related to Pinkie Pie, he didn’t want to let her down, or them either, whatever they were like.
“Please calm down,” Pinkie repeated, a worried frown on her, shaking her hoof a bit to get him to stop.
He didn’t like the way she was saddened by his nervous display. He took in a deep inhale, mustering a strong pose, trying to fight off the jitters. If it would make Pinkie Pie happy, he’d certainly oblige. “I’ll try.”
Cheese’s confidence put the smile back on Pinkie Pie, retracting her hoof from him. He was way tenser about meeting her sisters than her friends were. But at that time, it was only Maud.
But little did Pinkie Pie know, that it was actually Maud herself that was the primary reason Cheese was so apprehensive. He had heard stories about the mare’s stiff attitude, not reacting to a single thing she came across normally. She was also the oldest, so she was the main target for who he wanted to impress the most, given how protective she must be of her sisters. Pinkie had also told him she wore a dress, which spanned the idea for the tuxedo and bowtie getup in the first place. He wanted to blend in to Maud’s fashion sense, not wanting to disappoint her in the slightest amount, even if it was a little too much, or perhaps goofy.
Marble and Limestone were the others, but Pinkie Pie didn’t talk about them as hugely as he heard about Maud, given that she was the only sister to have visited Ponyville before, leaving him clueless and in the dark about what they were like or how they acted. Were they ‘dull’ as Maud, or perhaps just as active as Pinkie Pie herself? If he could first survive Maud within a few seconds, maybe he’d have a breathing chance to find out.
Overall, it was just another item on his fast growing list for reasons for getting hysterical. He was going to spend the entire day with these four mares, three of which he hadn’t met before, while also related to Pinkie Pie, her closest family. And he had a gut feeling that if he in any way did or said anything he might regret to Pinkie Pie, he might just be regretting it for another reason too.
Perfect. Just perfect.
He heard a chugging sound in the distance, starting to get louder as soon as the sound reached his ears, puffs of clouds emitting from the top. It was the train, without a doubt, nearing the station with each passing second, each chug only making Cheese the more scared. The train eventually came into view, the many carriages lugging behind it.
The train screeched to a stop, the metal wheels grinding against the rails. All of the carriages were still shut, but after only a few seconds, he would be met with those three sisters, the all or nothing moment soon upon him.
He took in one last gulp and movement of his tuxedo while he felt he still had the chance. Pinkie Pie’s attitude skyrocketed, looking almost keen on wanting to break down the doors and greet her sisters with no remorse. At least she was excited about such an occasion.
His last chance of escape, personal freedom, was stripped away as the doors to the many cars opened. A few ponies stepped out of the numerous carriages a few seconds later, his eyes searching down every single pony that exited, keeping an eye out for the sisters.
Pinkie Pie began her earthly bounce, joyful— no, ecstatic about the upcoming future. Many ponies had exited the carriages as the two looked on, and at last, through all of the constant activity, two mares emerged from one of the cars.
They stood side by side. One of them wore a faded purple coat, a bit grey, while the other was more brown, as well as grey. Both of their manes also seemed the follow the pattern, both looking rather... grey. It seemed a bit dull, though they didn’t look the word in the slightest.
“Marble! Limey!”
Cheese chased Pinkie Pie with his eyes as she sped up towards the two mares, presumably Marble and Limestone respectively. “Limey?” he asked himself, before shrugging it off. She called him Cheesie after all, something he had no problem with. It would only make sense to shorten ‘Limestone’ to ‘Limey’ if she chose to.
The two mares had mixed reactions. The browner one seemed to imitate Pinkie Pie, almost at the same level, rushing over and almost crushing the pink mare in a hug, who just as easily returned it to a similar degree. They both seemed to giggle right away, looking and acting almost identical. It was as if Pinkie Pie was hugging herself. “Pinkie!” the mare shouted, a rather youngish voice.
The other mare just walked over towards the pair, a smile on her face. “Hello Pinkamena,” she said as well, a calmer voice. She seemed more hunched back, closed than the apparent super active sister.
Pinkie Pie didn’t take any effort in dragging Limestone into their shared hug, making it a three-way. She didn’t seem to enjoy it on the same hyper level as the other two, but she gave into the loving embrace plentiful enough.
“She seems kind of reserved...” Cheese muttered to himself, instantly taking notes for each sister. He had also noted down that they both shared a similar style when it came to their manes. Limestone’s was rather short, but well-kept, while Marble’s had a free flowing style to it, hanging over one side of her head. After seeing Marble for less than a minute, he immediately wondered why her mane style wasn’t the exact same as Pinkie Pie’s. He always admired the puffy characteristic Pinkie Pie wore on her head, a symbol after his own.
But the idea of it came to him that the straightened mane looked almost exactly the same as Pinkie Pie’s when her pink mane got soaked or wet, which he had the accident of seeing after stumbling into her bathroom one time. If anything, she looked even cuter with straightened hair, and the glistening coat he saw at that point didn’t hide his growing blush from his... interesting surprise. Even her little squeal and jump to hide her figure back then was too cute. Of course, she playfully wacked him with a towel afterwards. It later evolved into a pillow fight, with a surprise assault from Applejack midway through, though neither of the two party ponies knew where she came from, or when she joined in.
But that wasn’t the important thing that was happening for him. He agreed to meet and spend a day with her sisters, and by Celestia, that is what he was going to do. Or at least he would be happy to, even head over hooves about the meeting, if Maud had decided to show up. She was the oldest, and yet she hadn’t made an appearance yet. She must be biding her time, working him up until he cracked under the pressure, and then expose him for the coward he was. But he wouldn’t give up!
Well played Maud, he thought to himself, Well played. Deciding to finally take action, he made his way over towards the three mares, which had now broken from the group hug. Pinkie Pie and Marble looked so full of energy they could run laps around the town, while Limestone just seemed happy to be there. She wasn’t depressed, but it was obvious she didn’t have that Pinkie Pie charm of sugar-powered fuel.
The three mares all looked over at him when he approached them, their eyes somewhat intimidating. Swallowing his last ounces of nerves, he was ready to begin his introduction and start the day’s activities with the mares.
He cleared his throat, about to announce himself, when Pinkie Pie charged by his side, wrapping a hoof around his neck, beating him to the punch. “Girls, this is Cheesie!”
He blinked his eyes a few times to comprehend the sudden activity, but he couldn’t argue against Pinkie Pie’s sudden outburst. She wanted to have the entire get-together in the first place anyway.
The two sisters glanced at him, both smiling, though Marble’s was more energetic. Limestone didn’t look threatening, actually rather pleasing. “Hi?” he said, unsure if he was actually asking it or not. Pinkie Pie had introduced him already, so...
Marble tilted her head, while Limestone lowered an eyebrow. “Well hi there!” shouted Marble, before she closed the gap, offering out her hoof. Not wanting to disappoint at all, he took the offer, shaking hooves with Marble. “I’m Marble,” she said, still furiously shaking Cheese’s hoof, “It’s nice to meet you.”
Marble retracted her hoof; Cheese’s still wobbling a bit from the fast force. “Cheese Sandwich?” he heard Limestone ask. She leant out her hoof as well, his initial thought of worry of repetition from what had happened prior with Marble.
“I’m Limestone,” she said, shaking his hoof much slower than the previous sister, “Likewise, it’s nice to finally meet you.”
“Same here,” he cheerfully replied, thrilled already that it was going better than expected. He could tell by the hoofshake alone that Limestone wasn’t the type of mare to mess around. He might have been worried a bit too much about Maud overall, but this one could probably break his bones if he wasn’t careful, which of course, was always a good thing to know.
“Where’s Maud?” Pinkie asked, scouting the rest of the train station, unable to find the older mare.
Limestone turned and faced the train. “She lost Boulder when the train stopped. He fell out of her hoof and landed under a bench.”
“What!” Pinkie exclaimed in horror, her hooves up to her cheeks. Without retaliation, she sped over towards the open car, ready to assist her sister, fading from view.
Meanwhile, Cheese zoned out of reality for a moment to fully contemplate what he had just heard. Boulder? Who was that? Pinkie had told him that her family grew up on a rock farm, but a pet named after a rock? He was curious, mystified, yet at the same time, a little frightened. Boulder sounded like a tough going name, and considering it seemed to belong to Maud, the oldest, it might spell trouble.
Pinkie Pie disappeared for a few seconds, only to reappear with her hoof around another mare, happy again.
Cheese knew it instantly. It was Maud, the one he was most tense about meeting. She had the dress on that Pinkie Pie mentioned; a simple, dull dress. Her cyan eyes, the violet mane, looking exactly like Limestone’s, but a bit longer flowing. She was definitely a Pie.
But she didn’t look happy. Or sad either. Or... anything. It looked like she displayed no emotion at all.
Pinkie Pie walked by the side of Maud, unbearably happy, while Maud didn’t. Cheese wandered his eyes around the place, a brief thought of the entire thing being a joke. “Hi?” he said, really not keen on continuing, closing a portion of an eyelid.
Maud blinked her eyes, her expression non-changing. “Hello.”
Cheese stared at the mare and her very unhealthy voice. It was like she didn’t care about anything, but the way her eyes blinked sent shivers down his spine just from watching it. Although she didn’t look emotional at all, he could tell that she was analysing him with every second that passed. Whatever he said or did, whatever he was getting from her gazing eyes, it was all being taken down by her.
She was dangerous.
Limestone interjected a bit after the awkward pause of the stallion and mare staring each other down, stepping in. “Right then, should we go?”
Pinkie Pie sprung up again, taking full charge. “Let’s go everypony! To Sugarcube Corner!”
She set off a trail, the stallion and three mares following closely behind, though Cheese took another cautionary look at Maud. Marble seemed incredibly excited to see Pinkie Pie, or just to be there, though Cheese did not know if the sister was merely a duplicate of the pretty mare he already knew. He couldn’t make out her cutie mark either. He could see it very clearly, stealing a quick glance, but it was unbeknownst to him.
A bottle. A simple bottle, which spanned countless possible talents. A wine tester would have been his first guess, though she didn’t look the high-class type, unless she put on a façade, which admittedly, he found the very idea of funny.
“Hey Pinkie,” Marble said, closing in on her sister as they all continued to walk down the street towards the sugar house.
“Yeah?” she excitedly replied, turning her head around towards her sister, the two of them mere inches apart.
Marble giggled, before tapping Pinkie Pie a few times. “Tag. You’re it!” She ran off down the road in no time, in a fit of laughter.
Pinkie Pie gasped, before furrowing her brow. “Oh yeah?” She sped off too, running to catch up with her sister.
Cheese smiled at the display. Even at their age, they can still act playful towards one another. They likely had a very close foalhood together, and considering Pinkie Pie, that was saying a lot. So much, that two of the sisters were so electric and energetic. Limestone seemed a lot more introverted, tending to herself, though he could tell she loved her sisters deeply.
But Maud. She was so... eccentric. She was following behind the two of them, not speaking a word. She would look around, turning her view around the town of Ponyville, likely taking in the sites, though she didn’t show it. She would sometimes make eye contact with Cheese at times, that meaningless stare gaping into his very soul, as he saw it.
She didn’t say or do anything, though he could tell she was different. Was she just pretending, testing him? If that was the case, he’d be a fool to back out of it. An overprotective sister maybe? He will play her devious game, and he will come out on top!
Limestone giggled almost silently from the sight of Pinkie Pie perched on top of Marble on the street, the pink mare having caught her sister, Marble cracking a nervous grin. Cheese didn’t know why, but Limestone’s giggle sounded... cute, to say the least. Did each of the sisters each have some form of attribute from Pinkie Pie’s beauty? Marble would take her activeness, Limestone her voice and Maud...
Actually, he scrapped that idea very quickly. Maud didn’t inherit anything.
Pinkie Pie tapped her sister on the ground, a voice sounding out “tag” in the distance to Cheese, before she ran off again, Marble giving short chase.
“Is Marble always like this?” Cheese asked the two other sisters, his curiosity taking over. She really did seem like Pinkie Pie to him, but only from a few minutes of meeting the mare.
“What do you mean?” the purple-y mare replied, bringing her attention to him.
“Well...” he thought out, “She seems exactly like...”
“Like Pinkamena?” she finished, almost like she was expecting it.
“Yeah...” he concluded, narrowing his eyes a bit, before they opened from the sudden name realisation. “Wait, Pinkamena?” He had heard it back at the train station, but at that point, he was more focused on impressing Maud.
Limestone nodded. “I’ve always called my sister by her birth name. Pinkamena Diane Pie. Always have, always will. That’s just me, everypony else just calls her Pinkie.”
“Oh...” He let it go into his mind for a while. The sisters almost seemed nothing alike, exempt for Marble and Pinkie.
“But to answer your question,” she continued, “Marble might seem like Pinkamena, but she isn’t. Though she acts similarly like her, it is just the result of her young mind. She is the youngest, and she has the heart of a filly.”
“So she’s a... kid?”
Limestone mumbled, thinking about the right words. “Kind of. I wouldn’t say it exactly, but she’s really playful and active. But sometimes, it can be a little too much. She’ll usually do or say things without thinking, not always for the better. But on the other hoof, she gets along with kids well. It’s only why she’s a babysitter after all.”
Cheese tilted his head back, the talent dawning on him. So that is what the bottle was for. From just looking at the mare, as well as her behaviour, he could believe it and take it in. She certainly seemed like she could play the part.
But now he was even more interested in Limestone’s talent, whatever it was. Two pieces of paper, one folded diagonally crossed over the other. It would be rude for him to just come out and ask what her purpose in life was, but he stole a few looks at her flank, unaware if Maud noticed him or not. Not like she would say anything anyway, he mused.
He let out a thought, a mumble, something that Limestone heard; checking to see what had him spooked. He stared at her cutie mark again, caught right in the act. She chuckled, bringing his attention back to reality. He was about to apologise straight away for his invasive behaviour, having been caught staring at a mare’s figure, but Limestone got in before him.
“You’re curious aren’t you?” she asked, a grin on her.
“Yeah...” he said, exhaling from embarrassment with a small blush, “Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” she reassured him, “It’s ok. In your place, I might have done the same thing. But since you want to know, I’m the chief editor for the top newspaper stationed in Manehatten.”
Cheese’s eyes didn’t believe it. That sounded so... so... big. And in his home city too, though that was meaningless to him. Just another city.
“Yeah...” Cheese agreed, the words just floating out of him, still amazed, “That sounds incredible.”
“It is...” Limestone said, but retreating to a more defensive posture, “But to be honest, it’s been getting a bit boring recently. I want to make a change, so I’ve been thinking of moving somewhere else, or just doing something different.”
Cheese instinctively felt sympathy for the mare. “Really? Well uh... good luck?” He internally hit himself, already regretting his choice of words. It was a stupid thing to say.
Limestone didn’t seem to take offence, rather laughing again at his supposed mistake. “Pinkamena was right. You are cute.”
He was now intrigued at what Pinkie Pie had been sending her sisters in her letters, blushing again from the compliment. She never let him see them, playfully hiding them and blushing whenever he attempted to sneak a peek, usually followed with a silly “Stop it”, gently pushing him away in the process. He liked to mess with her a little, but he certainly respected her privacy.
It was only because of the letters that the sisters knew of him. Each one lived in different regions of Equestria, though they all received the same message about the gathering. Taking times from each of their schedules, they met up before catching the train to Ponyville, the highlight and focus of their day to spend it with Cheese Sandwich, the stallion she felt something strong for.
Though he wasn’t aware of that.
But Maud’s constant unreactive side didn’t bode well with him. Every gaze he felt from her cold, staring eyes just made him feel like he was one step closer towards banishment from Pinkie Pie. He knew little to nothing of the older sister, her dress even covering up her cutie mark. He was in the dark about her, and he didn’t even know if he should say or ask her anything.
The group of three neared towards Sugarcube Corner throughout their conversation and Cheese’s inner thoughts, the building right in front of them. Being the first to enter the house, Limestone walked through the entrance, Cheese right behind her, with Maud taking up the rear. None of them knew where Pinkie or Marble was after their supercharged tag game, until only a few seconds afterwards, when Pinkie loudly tapped Maud’s side.
“Tag!” she shouted at her older sister, before taking her place next to Cheese. He was unsure of what was about to happen. Maud didn’t seem like the joyful or the kind of pony that would like to party. Did she even care about the game of tag at all?
All eyes focused on the oldest sister, Cheese the only one to actually move his head. He checked out the other sisters’ reactions, all expressing the same. Marble and Pinkie’s were, unsurprisingly, huge grins showing off their teeth, while Limestone had a gentle smile. He joined in their staring contest, facing Maud.
She blinked her eyes a few times, a little predictable, before she simply walked over towards the stallion. He mentally screamed, likely from the immediate reaction, Maud only walking towards him, each step telling him to run away, or face his demise. Her eyes seemed soul-piercing, and when she was positioned just in front of him with an unchanging expression, it made him tense up.
She extended her hoof, all the while staring right at him, before bringing it up and prodding him with it gently, lowering it to the ground again. Her face did not change. “Tag,” she dryly said, still staring right at him.
What in the name of Celestia just happened?
He couldn’t answer his own question; Maud having caught his gaze. Although she didn’t display anything recognisable, if he could guess, she would have been laughing inside, even enjoying their small game. That was what he wanted to think anyway.
Still bedazzled, he twisted his head towards the other three, the lot of them staring at him. Pinkie and Marble gasped. “Cheese it girls, Cheesie’s it!” Pinkie shouted, before she bolted away, Marble hot on her tail. The two sets of hooves climbed the stairs in record time, the racket not at all discreet.
Maud walked past Cheese and Limestone, also heading towards the stairs. She didn’t look at all affected, and the way she walked made it seem like she didn’t have a care in the world. She took one last glance behind her towards the pair, before she too ascended the stairs, ready to join her sisters.
Cheese and Limestone looked at each other, Cheese with a rather puzzled expression. It was odd, Maud was odd, the entire thing was odd. With some doubt, he leant out his hoof, tapping Limestone’s skin. “Tag?” he doubtfully said, even retreating a minor step. It was a tentative action, though not upholding.
Limestone copied her sister’s trademark routine, blinking her eyes, before she reacted. She shook her head, her grin growing. “Oh Cheese, I can tell already that this will be a great day.” She looked towards the stairs, before taking a step, “Come on, let’s go.”
Cheese pulled his lips together, nodding in agreement, following the mare through the house of treats.
“Why’d you wear the tux by the way?” Limestone asked, looking back while walking forward.
“I uh... I don’t know...” he stammered, thinking back to how stupid he must have looked already, his eyes having widened.
Why did he wear the tuxedo and bowtie? He wanted to impress Maud, but she... well... didn’t say a thing about it.
The trip to Pinkie Pie’s bedroom wasn’t a long or tedious one. Sugarcube Corner’s layout was burned tightly into his brain from having been to the sugar house many times already. A familiar trip indeed.
Time flew by quickly at times, and he never really counted how many times he came back to Ponyville, rather relying on spontaneity. Never wanting to break his Pinkie Promise, he found himself in the town every weekend, and as agreed, didn’t visit for his job. At the weekend, he was simply ‘one of the crowd’, though a few comments about parties undoubtedly floated its way to him.
Sometimes, he wondered if what he was doing was right. A job oriented stallion, leisure never really was a key part for him. Parties were as casual as they could get for him, but even then, it was a result from his passion. It was a shift, leaving his comfort zone to keep his promise.
But Pinkie Pie was worth it, in his eyes. The mare wanted to skip over clouds whenever he came back to town, and he could tell. It was in the way she expressed herself when he was near, her energy. It was positive, all of it. Contagious too, considering he couldn’t find any form of depression around her. Not that he wanted to of course.
He missed her a lot too, that sincere feeling growing with every parting they shared. He told himself it was always only seven days, but it never went by fast enough. The mare must have gotten to him, because he found himself practically skipping and singing whenever he trotted into town.
In the end, Pinkie Pie had softened him up.
Just like her soft skin, and her soft attitude. Soft everything.
So why was Limestone looking so soft? Why had he found himself somewhat staring at the younger sister? They looked... so similar. He didn’t know if it was because of Pinkie, but Limestone seemed... pretty. She acted more tentatively, or at least he found for some things. Perhaps Limestone cracked him, like Maud could probably crack a rock.
And his bones, if he ticked her off. He still hadn’t ruled out that foreseen possibility.
They seemed so similar, yet so different.
He paused, watching Limestone enter Pinkie’s bedroom. He only had a single question flowing through his mind.
What if she had that active spring that Pinkie had?
Actually, he thought harder, what if they all had that? Maud would seem more... creepy in that sense, though he still couldn’t tell if she was faking this dullness anyway. An actor with a cutie mark showing that off, that’s what she had to have.
“Hey Cheese, you coming?” he heard Limestone ask. He weakly shook his head to snap out of his trance, Limestone holding the door open with a smile, patiently waiting for him.
“Oh yeah. Sorry,” he quickly apologised, speeding up to a brisk pace, entering the confined bedroom.
Looking around, he noticed the very first thing that was wrong with it; Pinkie was missing. She was nowhere to be seen, which immediately left a bad taste in his mouth. If this was some form of intervention, or interrogation where he would be put with Maud alone, he might just wail.
Marble wasn’t present either, and Maud was just... standing still, staring at Pinkie’s wardrobe. She would blink her eyes every few seconds, but she stood still, like she was a robot. Even the way she clocked her head around to face him just backed up his quick theory.
Maud’s a robot, of course Cheese you dolt, how can you be so stupid!?
He groaned from his crazy ideas, making a gradual move towards the wardrobe, Limestone sticking with him. He didn’t know why, but she seemed the closest and most familiar to him. He felt a connection with her, though it hadn’t even been two hours that he had met the sister yet. Perhaps the mare shared some common interests, her personality definitely sparked with his.
Cheese was a little hesitant, before he lifted up his hoof, sliding the wardrobe door to the side. What he saw might have been one of the most adorable things ever in the history of Pinkie Pie.
Pinkie and Marble were sitting, hooves crossed around each other, looking up at opened wardrobe door with terror, almost like they were waiting. It wasn’t so much the scared look, rather than the closeness of the sisterly contact that he found cute. Pinkie was cute, like always, but even in that state, shaking a bit, frightened, holding Marble, who also looked like Pinkie, it was even more so.
“Look out!” Marble shouted, picking Pinkie up with her hooves and charging right past Cheese. “He’s it!”
“Seems they’re still playing tag...” he mumbled instantly, observing the active action bolt right past him.
“Why don’t we play something else?” Limestone suggested after a few seconds of a game gone on too long, not really fond of the hyper activity. Cheese could tell she wasn’t very keen on tag, if she even played games to begin with. She looked like she was the type to join in a few games, but nothing as strenuous or on the same levels of Pinkie’s crazy dancing moves.
“Hmm...” both of the eccentric mares thought out loud, Pinkie stroking her chin with her hoof, while Marble rubbed her head with hers.
“What about the games we played Pinkie?” Cheese finally suggested, remembering back to those party games they took part in, very enjoyable. It would certainly get him closer to the sisters, and this time, he wouldn’t let Pinkie win at Go Fish... on purpose anyway.
“Perfect!” Pinkie agreed without a second doubt, before hopping over towards her game cabinet. One by one, the games were swiftly thrown out into the room without regard, only emptying the internal space the games were held in.
Cheese smiled, all of the memories coming back to him as he gazed down at the many games. So many hours, so many games. As the floor got flooded in game after game, he noticed Maud just staring blankly at the entropic pile. He wanted to get the inside scoop on her; study her. What made her tick, and what made her smile.
“Here we go,” Pinkie proclaimed, holding in her hooves what was implied to be their first game of the day, a little game involving the use of money and investment. He knew the game, not a huge fan of it, but cracked a few winning streaks here and there.
“Why not?” Maud added in, lying down on her stomach, immediately grabbing Cheese’s full attention. He couldn’t tell if that was enthusiasm or pure sarcasm.
Limestone also shrugged it off, taking a spot opposite of Maud. Sitting apart from her older sister, the two of them having similar mane styles, Cheese couldn’t make anything of it. Maud had the longer hair, but Limestone was more alive. Two sides of the same coin.
He proceeded to take off his tuxedo, not finding any future use for it. Maud certainly wasn’t interested in his feeble attempts at smartly presenting himself, so he figured to just ditch it. “Cheesie?” he heard Pinkie call out as he adjusted the suit, rapidly approaching him. The other sisters turned an eye.
“What are you doing?” she playfully asked, her smile just so darned cute.
Cheese wondered what Pinkie was getting at, the strange question. “I’m... taking off my tuxedo...” he slowly claimed, not sure of what it is he was doing wrong, even feeling a little worried if his actions had severe consequences.
“You should keep it on,” Pinkie suggested, inching closer, her eyes already penetrating his, “It looks good on you.”
Cheese got the heat coming to him, especially when the three sisters were staring at him too. The attention was drawn solely on him, and now he was pressured into a situation. The tuxedo had no further use, but Pinkie wanted him to keep it on.
“I...” he stumbled, not able to form words.
Pinkie got even closer, rearranging the bowtie a little, fluttering her eyes up at him. “You look so cute wearing it. Just for a few hours?”
Cheese couldn’t look anywhere but at Pinkie’s eyes, which he was sure had some form of gravitational field going on. The fluttering didn’t help his growing blush either, on top of the hearty compliment.
Why did she have to own eyes that he couldn’t say no to? It wasn’t abusive, but every time he found himself gazing into those blue gems, he felt hypnotised. How could he say no?
It was only for a few hours after all...
“Ok,” he finally said after a good moment of silence, all of which comprised of him staring right at Pinkie Pie. The pink mare happily drew him in for a brief hug, expressing her sign of gratitude, which he gracefully returned.
“Gummy!” a voice called out, interrupting the heart-warming moment. Still attached to one another, Pinkie and Cheese both took a look at Marble, who had been the one to call out. Her head was planted underneath Pinkie’s bed, before it emerged from the dark depths, carrying a creature in her mouth.
It was Gummy. Cheese had... come across the alligator several times, but he still didn’t know what to make of him. He never seemed normal, at least to his eyes. Pinkie also claimed to know what the green reptile said or expressed, but Cheese...
He found it was a concrete wall.
Marble happily took Gummy out of her mouth, before bringing him in for a hug. “I missed you,” she exclaimed, the toothless creature just lapsed in her hooves. She let go of him a few seconds later, where the alligator gingerly went back underneath the bed.
Limestone rolled her eyes at the display of Gummy, while Maud didn’t express anything at all. Pinkie used the brief opportunity while her sisters were looking away to give Cheese a quick, affectionate nuzzle. He might have been distracted by Marble’s antics to have noticed, or maybe he tried to ignore it, because the action was too cute for him to react.
Pinkie acted right away when Gummy came back out once more, but holding a specific item in his toothless mouth. “No! Bad Gummy!” she cried out from across the room, breaking away from Cheese and marching over there with a frown. She stood above her pet, Marble backing away a bit whilst raising an eyebrow. “Drop him now!” she commanded Gummy, her voice full of authority.
Gummy obliged, dropping Boneless Two from the regions of his sloppy mouth, the chicken landing on the floor. Cheese didn’t say a word, or even feel anything. He sensed that Boneless Two was in trouble, sure, but Pinkie saved him from the clutches of Gummy rather quickly.
“It’s been a while,” Marble said, lowering herself in front of Gummy. How long had it actually been? Cheese couldn’t tell, but it was rather obvious the sisters knew of the crazy alligator.
“They should play with Boulder,” Pinkie added, turning towards Maud, Cheese getting really interested.
It was even more conspicuous when Maud actually rose up and started to walk towards the two sisters. At last, Cheese would find out something more about Maud. Her pet, named Boulder, who was likely a feisty creature she kept around with. It could even be—
There was a small tapping noise as a small object emerged from the downward region of her pocket. She threw it, or possibly let it go, to which it landed and rolled on the floor a bit. Cheese’s first instinct was to question why Maud possibly had a rock as a pet, but after witnessing what he just saw, he couldn’t say a word.
As Pinkie lifted up Gummy and Boneless Two, placing them into a corner where Boulder was, the trio formed a small triangle, none of which the inhabitants seemed active, apart from Gummy, who only blinked his eyes. It must have been the most exciting activity and conversation going on ever.
As the three sisters watched the trio having ‘fun’, they turned back towards the board game in the center, where Limestone had kindly opened it up and proceeded to set it up. She fiddled around with small objects, as well as the money, mentally counting figures in her head.
Cheese gazed at Gummy, Boneless Two and Boulder in the corner. Were they... talking amongst themselves? A crazy idea popped into his head that told him they were conversing, but he couldn’t see it.
He shook his head, really needing to get rid of the crazy ideas. He felt more softened up towards Maud, eased a bit of tension, now knowing that she didn’t own a terrifying pet, but rather a rock. That rock likely still held high to her though.
He joined the group again, taking a seat. Limestone continued to run figures though her head. She looked up at the other participants briefly, before she went back to counting, mumbling words that couldn’t be made out.
“Dibs on Gummy!” Pinkie stated, picking up the small metallic alligator in front of the group. All of the pieces were custom-made; all of them shapes of six specific animals. It would only make sense that Pinkie would take what looked like her own pet.
“I’ll take the tortoise,” Maud put in, reaching forward and picking up the other reptile. Cheese instantly got an idea that the shell must have reminded her of a rock, which actually seemed plausible the more he thought about it.
Marble picked up another small metal animal, a rabbit. It seems that three of the sisters had picked theirs.
“I’ll be the banker,” Limestone said, setting up her part of the game. She fiddled with a few decks of cards, as well as hand out stacks of money to each of the contestants. “Cheese? Are you playing?” she asked him when she approached him, the lack of an animal at his disposal.
“Oh yeah,” he remembered after a small moment, chuckling from his embarrassment. Leaning forward, he picked up his choice of animal, a dog. He found it sort of resembling himself. He travelled Equestria often, just as a dog could lead an active lifestyle. It was a good choice, but in reality, he only told himself that because he wasn’t fond of the cat or owl.
But he soon felt bad for the three Pies he was going up against.
***
Another opponent defeated. Cheese cackled as he flowed through his large stacks of money with his hoof, his investments just growing with every passing turn. He had the most, by far, and there was no way Pinkie would be able to win. Marble had been cheated long ago, even claiming that Cheese was a cheater at the time. She was easily shot down by her sisters.
He had to feel a bit sorry for them. None of them knew about his huge ideology when it came to finances. A travelling party pony that constantly had to fund his tricks and trades. How did nopony see how well balanced he could make himself when it came to money? It was no wonder he outshined them all.
And he had just gotten Maud out, with his terrific strategy of owning complexes. Of course, he had gotten the best property too, Hayfair. The game had pretty much gone downhill for the Pies as soon as he grabbed it, much to their dismay. He turned evil each time.
Marble had decided to roam around and take a seat next to Cheese after she had lost her money, though he couldn’t tell if it was a strategy to psyche him out and lose, or curiosity. At times, she willingly seemed to have checked him out, like she was analysing the stallion and his traits, seeing if he was good material, for reasons he couldn't fathom.
He regarded himself tall and proud, keeping up a positive attitude. He wouldn’t fall blunder to Marble’s little test, if it even was one. But as the time went on, she shifted herself closer towards him without his knowing, more intent on 'checking' him out.
Pinkie was in a predicament. She was about to face bankruptcy, and she knew it. Everypony knew it. She seemed to confront her situation internally, weighing the good and bad. Cheese could tell she was in conflict, his opponent showing signs of weakness. He had it.
It was too much for her. She couldn’t do anymore, deciding to give up, not knowing how she could beat him. She put her hoof in the air and money on the floor, declaring surrender. Cheese was crowned the victor, earning imminent praise from them all.
“Do we have any snacks?” Marble asked, lifting herself up, finally gone away form Cheese. Her stomach rumbled a bit, though quiet.
“I could make something,” Pinkie joyfully exclaimed, also getting up. “Who’s for Pinkie’s personal pinkie pies?”
She had a broad smile facing the group. All of them murmured their approval, prompting Pinkie to pick up the next game before she left. She was still theoretically in charge, so she had to take care of everypony’s needs.
Limestone finished packing away their first game, the experience rather enjoyable. She gave Cheese a nod of appreciation, her way of telling him congratulations.
Cheese himself felt obligated to helping out Pinkie. The sisters were the main guests, so he felt he needed to play a part. Baking? He was... improving. Pinkie had been helping his skills out as a baker, and in return, she asked for a peck on her cheek. It was a two-fold deal he was happy to take part in, though he felt a little uncomfortable falling through with his part, mostly because he blushed and turned red as a beetroot every time.
Kissing her, even softly and for a short time, was exhilarating. His heart fluttered after he went through with it each time, and Pinkie must have felt the same, because her pinkness went even pinker every time too.
She was a bit sneaky, Pinkie Pie. She liked to tease him, and he her.
Pinkie had gone off towards the stacks of games, looking for the next one to play. Cheese followed her a bit with his eyes, but he turned back to the other three. Maud remained stationary, still wearing her dress, Marble looked excited for whatever would come up next, while Limestone had finished putting away their first game.
“How are you doing?” the purple mare politely asked him, gaining his attention.
“Yeah Cheese, what do you think of us?” Marble asked immediately afterwards, her question a little too personal.
Maud gave Marble a questionable look, but Cheese could tell it was a bit of a glare. She invaded a bit too much there, but then he remembered what Limestone had told him. Marble often did that sort of thing, though how much she just did, it wasn’t much.
“Uh...” he stammered, not wanting to find the wrong words. He needed some words, and quick. His entire friendship with Pinkie hung in the balance of a few words he would soon come out with, in his current mind-set.
“Hmm...” Pinkie thought out loud, perhaps deliberately. The attention of everyone was soon brought to the pink sister, rummaging through the collection. Cheese mentally sighed, the crisis having been averted.
He was feeling a growing tension from a different sister. Marble sparked his interest now, the sister seeming to act a bit suspiciously. She was ogling him a bit, giving him a curious eye, all like she was studying him. Maud had tipped his scaled over towards the younger sister easily. What was she up to?
He couldn’t put his hoof on it.
“I know what we can play next!” Pinkie suggested, pulling out a spinner and mat, something that Cheese familiarised himself with instantly.
That game. That one game. And the horrors linked to it when he realised who his company was. Pinkie was fine, but Twister with the other Pies? With Maud? He cringed alone from the thought.
And worse was that there were no complaints or any groans that came out of any of them. They seemed to welcome it actually, Marble expressing her delight by increasing her smile. Limestone gave the game a once-over look of interest, but she didn’t complain, whilst Maud remained silent. She gave Cheese a brief glance, probably thinking the exact same thing he was.
He wanted to bail at the first opportunity, but that was the nerves and jitters talking, not the confident party Cheese. He saw his escape in the form of Pinkie herself, knowing she’d be heading downstairs to make her personalised pies. He could help. Yes, he could do that...
He’d even kiss her cheek twice, five, ten times if she let him go.
Marble made the situation worse when he felt her hoof touch and hold onto his. He had been panting a bit unknowingly, and she rested her hoof against his to try and calm him down. It hadn’t made it better though, as the contact didn’t set off anything good in his mind.
She released her smooth grip with a frown, a bit concerned, only trying to brighten him up. He calmed himself, taking more laboured breaths. He must have looked like a righteous fool in front of them. He was getting too worked over a simple game of Twister, and he had already met the Pie sisters.
“Why don’t you all start, and I’ll make us some pies?” Pinkie asked the group, happily heading towards the bedroom door. Cheese felt a bit paralyzed as the only mare he wanted in his immediate vicinity get further away.
It was over when she left the bedroom, the sound of her hooves fading away. It was him... and the three others. He needed to do something, and that option was to set up the mat and spinner themselves. With his party mood suddenly activated as he usually does, he had no trouble unfolding the mat, presenting it in front of them.
“So... who’s first?” he nervously asked the three mares, all of them staring at him.
***
There had been many games. Maud wasn’t as bad as he thought either. She had been kind enough to take off her dress, revealing her rock of a cutie mark. She wasn’t an actress, which the idea of still made him laugh a bit. She wasn’t rock solid, and when she tumbled, she didn’t fall like one. The ideas of rocks went to his head pretty quick.
A lot of time had passed through their many active games. Pinkie had made her pies part-way through a game consisting of Maud and Marble, in which Marble abruptly ended the game early to satisfy her hunger. Maud didn’t seem too angered over that.
But Pinkie was determined to make more, and she told Cheese to enjoy himself rather than go downstairs and help her. Sugarcube Corner might have been all theirs for the day, but he wouldn’t mind to lend a hoof. Deep down, he had a feeling that Pinkie did it deliberately to get him to interact with her sisters more. He couldn’t argue with her wish, even finding himself warming up to their presence the more he was around with them.
“Cheese? You want the next game?” Limestone asked him, offering him up with her hoof. He graciously took the offer, grunting a bit as his weight shifted up.
“Thanks,” he replied, grateful for the small assistance. He looked around at the three mares. “So who’s playing?”
“Not for me,” Maud turned down, weakly shaking her head. Cheese wouldn’t know what turned her off, but he knew it wasn’t because it was him. She was likely tuckered out a bit.
“Marble?” he added, turning towards the eccentric mare. She practically rose up instantly at the offer.
“Sure!” she beamed. “What about you Limestone?”
Cheese turned back to Limestone, who was considering the offer, but didn’t seem like taking part. “I don’t know...”
“Go on,” Maud encouraged her, “I’ll be happy to watch.”
Maud can be happy? Cheese almost wanted to ask right out how that was even possible.
“Er... alright,” Limestone gave in, mustering her courage and strength. She was happy to take part, though she wasn’t the best in terms of expressing it. She was better than Maud, but she didn’t compete with Pinkie or Marble.
Marble stomped her hooves onto the starting point, ready for somepony to set her off with the spinner. Maud, while spectating, decided to be the one to control where they went. She took a hold of the spinner in her hooves, before flicking the dial, sending it to point at a colour and appropriate limb.
Cheese liked this company. He wished Pinkie was upstairs, given how she was the one he knew most, but he couldn’t deny that her sisters weren’t bad. He must have just had extreme nerves earlier before he met them.
And yet, even after all the hours he’s spent with them so far, he’s kept wearing his tuxedo. Pinkie might have been right, it looked cute on him. He didn't mind wearing it, but after wearing it for so long, and remembering back to Rainbow Dash's birth-iversary, a part of him wanted Pinkie to be wearing her huge blue bowtie.
That was cute on her, from what he could remember.
How did Marble bend her body like that? Was she incredibly jointed, flexible, like some soulful dancer?
Cheese’s expression could only be one of pure awe as the youngest sister stretched herself to feats unimaginable to him. She had it, her victory, considering Limestone was starting to wobble underneath his weight. He couldn’t even move his head, exempt for his eyes, which found themselves looking towards the spinner, and its current occupier, Maud.
If he could catch the slightest glimpse of a grin coming from Maud, she was sure showing it. She set the spinner off, that sound of plastic rotating repeating in his wobbling body. He exhaled as his next position became known to him, Maud openly calling it out.
No, impossible, he instantly thought after what he heard. He wouldn’t manage to reach that, not when Limestone was positioned beneath him, and Marble...
Well, Marble wasn’t a problem.
He tried very hard, inching his way, carefully passing over Limestone’s stretched body to get to his new destination. His teeth ground together, free air passing out between the gaps as his body shifted its way across.
His legs shook when he got to his new position. He looked at Limestone, glancing back at him with a sympathetic smile. She could tell how hard he was trying, the poor guy. He only found it fitting to reflect back a similar expression, ridding himself of weakness. After a short while of a mere few seconds, which felt like minutes, it even looked like they might have started a conversation, as troublesome as it might have seemed.
Maybe that was the case, or maybe it became awkward. His mouth started to open anyway, but was abruptly interrupted when Pinkie Pie barged her head in through the door, yelling, “Food’s ready!”
The wobbling became frantic, and Cheese found himself losing his immediate balance from Pinkie’s giant disturbance. In one swift failed desperation to hang on, he ended up falling from his lost weight, taking Limestone down with him in the process.
He crushed the mare, landing right on top of her. She let out a muffled grunt as her body got handed extra weight, the stallion perched on top of her. He was rather light for his body and exterior.
“Oops, sorry Cheesie,” Pinkie apologised, her head sticking into the bedroom, resisting the urge to giggle.
He groaned a bit, before realising he was parked on top of Limestone. Panicking right away, he shot himself off her, reaching out his hoof to help her up. “I’m so, so sorry,” he whimpered, afraid that one of them would tackle him for assaulting a sister.
Limestone raised an eyebrow at how the tense stallion nervously bit his lip, looking extremely worried. Shaking her head in a glimpse of disappointment, she happily took the helping hoof, lifting up off the floor with the help of Cheese. “It’s alright,” she assured him, wiping a bit of her coat. “These things happen.”
Marble wasn’t affected in the slightest when Pinkie interjected their game. She unwound her own body, perky as ever, the smile on her. It was pretty obvious her mood was heightened from the mere mention of food, evidenced when she broke her way for the door, leaving only a trace of a dust cloud.
Maud got up from her lax position, laying the spinner down on the floor. She took a gander over at the three ‘pets’ in the corner, still lively and full of activity. She grinned, the first one ever present that Cheese could make out, before she turned and headed for the door too. Boulder was going to be alright in the clutches of Gummy and Boneless Two. She had a sixth sense about the rock.
Cheese wandered over too, ready to embark in Pinkie’s cooking abilities. He still felt bad about not being able to help, but he understood what she wanted from him.
Limestone followed behind him, the sister not saying a word. Whether it was because she wasn’t much of a conversationalist, or just because she had nothing to say, Cheese couldn’t guess. She was more open than Maud though, that was given.
Pinkie merrily bounced her way through Sugarcube Corner, full of energy as she always was, Cheese and Limestone following closely behind. He was a theoretical sandwich already, in-between two Pies. Pinkie was... Pinkie, but when he looked at Limestone, actually getting a proper glance, he could see the similarities, as well as the differences. Pinkie was beautiful in his eyes, but Limestone seemed to inherit some of those physical traits, though he couldn’t tell which parts specifically. He couldn't deny that she looked quite pretty in some aspects. Being surrounded by four pretty mares probably wasn't best for him though.
The mane he was particularly fond of. It was well-kept—not to say the other sisters had bad hair—but something about it rubbed him the right way. It was grey though, something he had easily picked up on, and something that just wouldn’t leave him alone. While Pinkie was one of pure pink, violet and bright, her sisters shared a different contrast between them, a somewhat greyish tone.
He didn’t have a clue of how that happened. How comes Pinkie turned out pink, while the other three were grey? Maybe it really showed off how shining Pinkie was, being the more ‘lively’ one, but that theory wouldn’t support Marble’s hyper attitude.
He decided not to think too much about it as he approached the stairs, the idea not really important in his current situation. Out of the corner of his vision, he witnessed Maud treading her way through the kitchen. Marble was likely in there already, Limestone was taking up the back, while Pinkie happily slid down the rails of the stairs with a goofy grin.
He smirked at the display of the pink figure sliding down the stairs. He’d seen her do it before, but every time would result in a smile, or a simple sign of happiness. Time after time he told himself to take part in the same activity. It was only harmless fun after all.
He bit his lip, pausing to stare at the rail. He wanted to do it. Why did he? Why was it getting to him? He was feeling a little cheesy. And he wasn’t one to turn down a little cheesiness.
But then he had seen Pinkie, who was eagerly looking up at him, waiting patiently for his descent. Her presence only increased his want, his urge, to go through with it.
For the brief moment he took to load himself onto the rail, he completely forgot that Limestone was still behind him. His grin was huge as he slid down the rail, Pinkie holding back her laughter. He held out his hooves like he was pretending to entertain an entire crowd, which in reality was only Pinkie. He didn’t pay attention to control, sliding off and crashing into the wall with a thump.
Pinkie lost it completely, falling over onto her back, her chest heaving manically, her hooves flailing all over the place. The laughter practically raced out of her, catching the attention of Maud and Marble in the next room.
The pair came out to see what had their sister in a fit of giggles, spotting Cheese’s unfortunate accident. They didn’t know the full story, but Marble seemed to beam from the sight, while Maud, from what Cheese imagined, laughed internally.
He readjusted his posture, lifting himself up. His eyes finally got back into place, making first contact with Limestone. She had shared a bit in the group giggle, but nowhere near as much as Pinkie. She slowly edged her way down the stairs, shaking her head a bit from the scene laid upon her.
Cheese scrambled up into a sophisticated posture. He did it awkwardly, his chuckle forced from a sheepish smile. He adjusted his bowtie a bit, finally taking a few steps.
It was a good thing Sugarcube Corner was officially closed for the day. Otherwise that potential public embarrassment might have gone to his head. Pinkie’s mass hysteria might not have boded well, though considering it was her, ponies were probably used to her being that way.
He took a few deep breathes, the heat of the embarrassment flushing over him. Sweat was inevitable if it kept up, and looking down at his tuxedo, it only made him feel worse. He had worn it for hours, converting him into a radiator of heat, though he paid it no heed. His dilemma was heating that up though.
He watched Limestone pass him, the mare giving him a final sadistic grin as she joined her sisters. Maud and Marble also vacated the scene, retreating back into the kitchen. Pinkie approached him, already giving him a small case of shivers. Was she about to rub it in? Knowing her, she likely wouldn’t, though she might make a cute, snarky remark.
“Are you ok?” she asked him, her smile of full effect, likely still entranced by his accident.
“Yeah...” he replied after an exhale. “Just trying something different.”
“It’s ok,” she reassured him, placing her hoof on his shoulder. “With some practice, you’ll be a certified Pinkie Pie!”
Her hoof was tender, resting on him. A certified Pinkie Pie? That sounded good, whatever it was. Did it entail all the qualities of being Pinkie?
He took another sigh, feeling around his body with his hoof, feeling very hot. “Can I...” he trailed, his hoof checking around the tuxedo more. “Take this off?”
Pinkie titled her head, before she leaned in closer with her body, placing her hoof up to his bowtie, fumbling around with it. “Sure.” She analysed the situation too, feeling around his barrel with her hooves, getting the warm feeling he had. He must have been boiling in the thing. She gave him a naughty wink, starting her helpful charity.
He didn’t expect her to help undress him, but she did. And she was a graceful worker, her hooves seeming to take them off without a hitch. No stitching getting caught or any troubles, all Cheese could think was that Pinkie’s hooves worked wonders.
He felt some fresh air come over him as the smart set of clothes were removed from him, unaware of Pinkie’s blush seeing more of his more... bare body. The contact only heightened the blush she had.
He glanced at Pinkie, who was dreamily staring at his body from the side. He quirked his eyebrow as Pinkie’s eyelids dropped, his tan skin in plain view. “Uh... Pinkie?”
“Mmm... yes?” she whispered in response, not averting her almost-lustful gaze.
He took her hoof in his to saw what had gotten her so hypnotised, causing her to realise the situation again. She wobbled her head a bit, before she laid eyes upon the hooves touching each other. Her blush only grew, her temple of pink deepening in the same colour.
He unwillingly flushed too. He gulped as he stared at her attractive figure. It had been a good point to be secluded with Pinkie after all this time with her sisters, and now that he had, he didn’t want it to end, though he didn’t know why his body wouldn’t move. Why wouldn’t his wimpy legs move? Go to the kitchen already, you dolt.
Their eyes locked in on each other, the same effect coming to him confined within her orbs. They called to him like sugar called to Pinkie. She didn’t seem to mind either, fluttering her eyes a teensy bit, sending that same warm feeling down him. Why was it so darned cute and tempting?
Cheese wasn’t aware of how long time had passed as they stood stiff as statues, staring at one another with their hooves touching. He was satisfied more about the Sugarcube Corner predicament. He was sure that if there was a crowd witnessing their display, he would have attracted an unhealthy amount of attention.
“Hey,” a familiar voice cried out from the kitchen. Both of the party ponies only creaked their heads to the side to spot Maud standing there in the open doorway. “Are you coming?”
Cheese immediately took himself away from Pinkie, his initial fear of Maud doing something dreadful. He had just laid his hooves on her younger sister, a likely bad gesture for him to do. He wasn’t sure if Maud’s constant stare was a leer or something else. He couldn’t depict her emotion or vibe, expressionless as it was.
Cheese coughed from the awkwardness, getting back into the grip of reality. Pinkie seemed to paw her hoof on the ground a little, facing downwards. The situation was tense for the both of them.
“Time to eat?” he asked questionably, trying to rid the sugar house of the blatant awkward levels.
“Yeah...” Pinkie mumbled, picking up his clothes off the floor. “I’ll take care of these.”
Cheese didn’t have a chance to say anything as Pinkie had already shot off, likely finding a safe place to put his tuxedo. It felt refreshing to be out of it, back to the casual mood and swing of things.
He made his way to the kitchen, a little fearful of Maud, but the original destination back in his mind. It was time to eat with the Pie sisters, and given that he’d be around with the others than with Pinkie alone, he wouldn’t feel so tense.
When he entered the confines of the kitchen, finally spotting the assortment of food Pinkie had prepared, his jaw dropped. It was... it was... beautiful. What Pinkie had set up was just...
It was a feast—or rather—a buffet. And she had set it all up herself. The three sisters were all sat at the table with their personalised choices of food from the giant stacks in front of them. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how Pinkie worked herself so hard.
Why didn’t she let him help her? He understood her position about wanting him to interact with her sisters more, but she went to way too much effort. How had she done it all by herself? He only felt guiltier every time he asked himself. Knowing the fact that he hadn’t helped only worsened it.
The three sisters gave him a quick glance, though Limestone’s lingered on a bit too much, whilst Marble narrowed her gaze at him for a couple of seconds. They were all happy, or so he imagined them to be, all sat around the table.
He checked out the variety of abounding foods. He had set up a few buffets here and there, but Pinkie had beaten him to the punch after he briefly analysed her selections.
Even the punch she made beat his from first glance, ironic that it was. It wasn’t a party, but she made punch, as well as offer a variety of drinks. He was flabbergasted at her creative techniques.
He heard the hooves treading on the floor behind him, the fourth sister fast approaching. He could tell she knew his reaction, evident from his stiffness. She had likely expected it, and that might have been her plan from the beginning. She liked to surprise ponies. And Cheese...
He was surprised.
“Come on Cheesie, let’s eat,” she said encouragingly, coming into his view. He returned her kind words with a smile, nodding his head, grabbing a plate from the small stack.
***
What would be the next game, Cheese mused. He had been the first to finish, or rather, get full before he had to stop. The buffet was so exquisite, the banquet leaving a mark he won’t forget. He didn’t want to be rude in leaving the table, preferring to wait for the sisters to finish, but they all told him to go and pick their next activity.
He obliged, though he couldn’t help feeling it was an excuse to get him to leave so they could talk about him. He lost himself part-way through the huge conversation anyway, Maud’s rocktorate a topic he just couldn’t understand. She used such high level terminology for rocks and geology, and he had no clue what any of it was. And yet, the other three could tell exactly what she was talking about, hanging onto every word.
Maud liked rocks. That is all he would have found out if he hadn’t figured it out already.
He had tentatively made his way back to Pinkie’s bedroom. He was a bit full, and he was next to pick some activity, though he was curious about the conversation going on downstairs. A new game, something different, perhaps of a disparate tone. In his current state of gluttony, he was too distracted to think of anything.
He walked over towards the corner where Gummy, Boneless Two and Boulder lurked. Gummy had moved the other two around. He even saw the alligator pushing the chicken up against a wall. He liked to think they were pretending, Gummy playing the role of a police detective, gone to desperate measures to get an answer from Boneless Two.
He had a brief thought. Pinkie and Maud both had a pet. But what about Limestone and Marble? Both Gummy and Boulder were rather... odd, so what could they possibly own, if they even had one? Given that Marble was a babysitter, he imagined the youngest sister would likely own a foal dummy. Given Maud’s crazy pet rock, and Marble’s rather young and crazy ways, he didn’t rule out the kooky idea.
The activity lost his attention as his vision became obscured, and quickly blackened. He couldn’t see, a small force pushing down on his still open eyes. He could feel them; those hooves. One of the sisters had come up behind him.
“Guess who...” the voice softly sang.
He smiled right away. It was Pinkie’s voice. He could recognise that soft tone anywhere. If it were Maud, he would have likely feared for his imminent life, her soft voice only sending a tingle down his spine.
“Hello Pinkie,” he gracefully replied.
“Huh? I’m not Pinkie. Really Cheese?”
His eyebrows furrowed as the hooves slowly pulled away from his eyes. He inspected them, noticing the mistake instantly. They were grey, definitely not pink. “Marble?” he wondered out loud, pretty certain that a soft voice like that wouldn’t be Maud’s.
The mare giggled, prompting him to turn around. He saw Marble standing there in front of him. He squinted his face. “Sorry...”
How had he mixed them up? They sounded so similar, unless Marble put on a strong Pinkie voice. “It’s alright,” she said dismissively.
He didn’t know where to go from where they were. He was alone... with Marble, the sister that seemed like Pinkie the most, only not Pinkie. “Uh...” he mumbled without intention, not sure of a good conversation starter.
Marble blinked her eyes a few times. For a tiny moment, she didn’t know what to say either. She hadn’t really been alone with Cheese for any amount of time that might be regarded as a minute. She played with her lips, quickly attempting to come up with something. When her eyes met an intriguing object, her expression turned to one that could be seen as mischievous. She shot Cheese a brief glance.
“How about some card games?” she asked in a different tone.
Cheese arched his eyebrow.
“Yeah,” Marble continued. She walked over towards the deck that was in the giant pile of games. She picked it up, still maintaining her gaze on Cheese.
Cheese followed Marble with his eyes and his head, the mare moving a tad suspiciously. She closed the gap between them rather quickly.
“Or are you... boneless?” She shot Cheese a look of intimidation.
Cheese’s eyebrow went even higher. Boneless? No one ever called him boneless.
Cheese found his field of vision narrowing, his lust to duel it out with Marble rising. He wanted to, needed to thrash her in some card games. He felt it boiling inside. Boneless... that was a name he just couldn’t accept.
“Let’s do it,” he accepted with more force.
Marble’s cheeky grin grew. She threw the pack of cards to Cheese before planting her rump onto the floor. “Pinkie told me all about your goof-off.” She didn’t receive anything verbal in response, only a nod as Cheese focused his full attention on the cards. She curled up a side of her lip, getting a brief idea.
Cheese took a seat as well, sliding out the stack of cards from within the pack. He gave them a long, cold stare, still in the mind-set of a challenging opponent.
“How are you finding the day?” Marble asked Cheese, the stallion starting to shuffle.
“Hmm,” Cheese mumbled in response without shifting his head. He was entirely focused on the cards.
Marble’s perky smirk evolved further. She leant forward slightly. “So, what do you think of Pinkie?”
Cheese momentarily played with his teeth, before saying, “Pinkie’s cute...”
Marble almost wanted to reach forward and hit Cheese on the noggin for what he was saying. He had no idea. “Did you know she has this super-gigantic-mega-ultra crush on you?” she asked with high hopes.
“Really now...” Cheese muttered, still partaking in his brisk shuffling session.
Marble got even closer, almost planting her entire face right in front of Cheese. “When are you going to ask her out already? Do you have any idea what she would say if you did?!”
Cheese was interrupted as the grey mare had suddenly emerged in his personal vicinity, knocking away his self-concentration on the playing cards. The cards found themselves not being handled anymore. He paused from Marble’s slight outburst. In that small moment, Marble had shouted right at him, though he didn’t know what about. Something about Pinkie...
Why was she giving him a cold glare? Why was it penetrating him deeply, getting underneath his skin? Only her vision would narrow right at him, sending those shivers down him like Maud could manage. Did he say something wrong?
His first fear was that Marble was about to smack him across his face. He knew something was said about Pinkie... but was it offensive? Did he offend her?
After what felt like eternity locked in a one-sided stare contest, Marble let out a loud sigh. She shook her head in what Cheese took as disappointment. She rubbed her temple with a hoof, the corner of her eyes fixing on Cheese. “Cheese... you see, Pinkie ha—“
“Is everyone alright?!” a shrilling voice hollered out. Cheese heard the thudding of nearby hooves, before the door swung open.
Limestone’s figure appeared in the doorway, her chest active from heavy breathing. She stood tall, but looking on alert. “I heard shouting,” she said worriedly. She panted a little.
Marbled seemed to act like nothing had happened, like Limestone’s appearance didn’t mean a thing. “Hey Limestone. We were just talking about Pinkie.”
Limestone lowered an eyebrow, as well as tilting her head. “What about Pinkamena?”
Yes, Cheese thought. What about Pinkamena?
“You know,” the younger sister said, “About how much of a crush she has on Che—“
“Stop!” Limestone blurted out, holding her hoof in the air. Her eyebrows had furrowed, giving off a more ill-tempered tone. Cheese was still trying to catch up with the situation, but he had a sense it wasn’t pretty what was going on.
Limestone briskly walked over towards Marble, almost at a pace of running. She had worry on her, as well as a small trace of anger. Whatever it was Marble had said, it triggered Limestone in some demented way.
Cheese couldn’t make out anything as the two sister engaged in some form of whispering argument. He couldn’t tell, but Limestone seemed to be scolding her sister, while Marble tried to wriggle her way out of it, pretending to be innocent. It made him slightly uncomfortable, being put in a position of a third wheel.
It must have been minutes of a sister war going on, while in reality it only lasted likely half of one. Eventually, Marble shot Cheese one last look, one of sympathy. It looked like she was apologising, but she rose up without a word. She hung her head low as she exited the bedroom, Limestone locked onto her with every step.
Limestone exhaled when her sister faded away from sight. “Dodged a bullet...” she mumbled.
When she looked back round to Cheese, she was met with confusion. Utter confusion. Cheese was lost, and he had no idea what had happened.
Why did Limestone effectively yell at her younger sister?
Limestone didn’t know how to start off her situation. Trying to break Cheese out of their sister conflict, or keeping Marble in line? Marble went out of her comfort zone more often than not, and every time she did, it always required a talking to, sister to sister. She was young, forever young.
But that’s something Limestone adored about her sister, even if it agitated her time to time.
Cheese remained still. His eyes stared right at Limestone like a puppet. He hadn’t noticed that his never-ending stare came off as a little awkward.
He pushed away the negative thoughts and focused on the more positive aspects of being in a room with Limestone. He liked Limestone a lot. He felt a close connection with her, and she was pleasant to be around.
All of the Pie sisters were in some regard. Pinkie was charming no matter the situation, Marble had a similar effect to that of Pinkie, and Maud seemed to have a hidden grace to her. He could sense it; there was something present deep inside her. It wasn’t his place to try and break it out, but if he could, he’d give it a shot. It’d likely be anticlimactic and result in rocks. She loved them.
He found himself pushing away the topic of Pinkie. He would usually love to talk about the pink mare, but much less so when in the presence of a sister. He wanted to avoid overdoing it in case of any insults inadvertently coming out, though he would likely never say one. The Marble problem didn’t make him entirely comfortable though. It left him with a sense of dread.
“Are you okay?”
Cheese rubbed his head. Limestone’s voice got him out of his little stupor. “Yeah...” he replied nonchalantly.
“You’re not... worried are you?” Limestone said something under her breath afterwards, like she mentally hit herself for making a mistake on what words she came out with.
Cheese shook his head weakly. “No.”
Limestone raised an eyebrow. “Marble didn’t frighten you did she? Remember when I said she could be a little too careless? I’m a little worried about what she said.”
Cheese placed his hoof underneath his chin, rubbing his skin. “In hindsight, I don’t know what she said. I was too busy shuffling cards that I didn’t pay attention to what she was saying. She yelled something at me, but I didn’t catch it. The same goes for when you entered.”
Limestone exhaled a loud, blissful sigh. Cheese couldn’t make out the tiny mumbles of words that expelled from her mouth. He had a tingly feeling it was something along the lines of, “Thank Celestia for that,” but he wasn’t sure.
“I’m... sorry?” he said with a small stutter.
“You’ll have to forgive Marble,” Limestone replied, somewhat ignoring his curiosity. “I’ve told her time and time again about this sort of behaviour, but she never learns.”
Cheese let out a small chuckle. “I’m not accusing her of anything.” He sniggered a little. “You seem to get a little overbearing of your sister.”
Limestone flushed a little, even a tiny giggle coming out. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She clapped her hooves together after letting out a sigh. “So, is there anything you would like to do while I can keep you company?”
Cheese entered his mind. Something to do with Limestone... He had been waiting a little for an opportunity with Limestone alone, given how she was a perfectly nice mare, but now that he was finally with her, he got a little stumped. Talking about Pinkie? That sounded like a bad subject given the incident with Marble. Talking about Maud could land him in a bad case with the wrong comment. Marble wasn’t the best subject to talk about either. That left one other, and he was rather curious as he’d gotten to know her more.
“If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to talk about you.”
Limestone cocked her head slowly and pointed to herself. “Me? Why?”
“I don’t know,” Cheese admitted with a shrug. “I guess we just haven’t had a chance to get to know each other.”
Limestone tapped her chin with her hoof. “Hmm,” she meditated. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. I mean, after everything Pinkamena’s sent me in her letters, it’s nice to finally meet you. But all through today, I haven’t actually gotten to talk to you one to one, you know?”
Cheese smiled. “That’s exactly how I’ve felt too.”
Limestone reflected a similar expression back at Cheese. She happily took a seat to indulge in some friendly conversation. “So, what would you like to know?”
Cheese’s lips protruded. He hadn’t thought about anything specific. “How about... your life in Manehatten.”
“There’s not much to tell really,” Limestone replied. “As I told you, I’m a chief editor. There’s nothing else that’s going on. Except what I said about taking a break. I’ve wanted a shift recently. A change in my life. Sprucing it up, if you will.”
Cheese had heard Limestone’s plans earlier, but upon hearing them again, it felt refreshing. He was curious, but at the same time, sympathetic towards such a change in life. “Any plans? I can’t imagine going from a chief editor to... whatever it is you’re planning on doing can be that easy.”
Limestone chuckled. “I see what you mean. I don’t rightfully know, I just can’t explain it. I guess I just want a different perspective. A fresh change. I’ve loved my editing job, but it’s been a bit dull as of late. And then of course, my marefriend broke up with me a while ago. That hurt for a while.”
Cheese’s ears fell down. Limestone went through a lot more situations that felt like wallowing than he gave her credit for. An editing job sounded tough by itself, but to change her lifestyle on a whim. It sounded scary when he thought about it. If he ever gave up his party planning profession, he wouldn’t have the faintest idea of what to do. “I see...” he mumbled. “It sounds like you might have a good shot—“ He paused briefly, Limestone shooting him a puzzled expression. “Wait. Marefriend?!”
* * *
Marble huffed. Why couldn’t she do what she wanted to do? Pinkie was being patient, but too patient. If she waited any longer, Cheese Sandwich might have been out of her daunting grasp. What if he met another mare and they hooked up? She would go through so much heartbreak. She only wanted what was best for her sister, but Limestone ruined the spur of the moment.
She mentally blamed her sister for the failure of her message conveying. If only she grabbed Cheese by his shoulders and told it straight to his face. What was she supposed to do? Spell it out for him? She wanted him to hear the truth. Pinkie wasn’t acting.
She forced herself to trudge through Sugarcube Corner. She wore an expression that others wouldn’t identify her with. It was more sullen, but seeing as how the sugar house was a boneyard in its current state, nopony would be around to see it. Except in the potential catch of her sisters, and she would never look dejected in front of them.
As she slugged her way downstairs, she heard the small chatter between her two other sisters. Pinkie was letting loose her voice as she usually did in her energetic manner, while Maud seemed to listen, or so she presumed. Maud was always a great listener, preferring it to a speaking role any day.
A devilish plan formulated within her fast. She wanted to play matchmaker. She wanted Pinkie to hook up with Cheese Sandwich. She liked him after all, there was nothing bad about him, apart from his little burst of density. Her letters lamented words of feelings every time she read them. Pinkie was the most eccentric and open mare she’s known her entire life, and yet, she hasn’t got the guts to waltz up to her deep crush and ask him on a date.
In the rare occasion of what Marble ever felt, she despised her sister. Pinkie was supposed to be older and occasionally wiser. But she had no backbone. No taste for virility. It made her mortified just thinking about it, leaving a bad taste in her mouth. Her own flesh and blood was being... how Pinkie described Cheese that one time: absolutely boneless.
Marble hadn’t realised, that in her current state of sneaky mediation, she had helplessly wandered into the kitchen where her sisters laid. It was only when Pinkie stopped her endless walking that she came back to real life.
“Are you okay?” Maud asked. It was in her usual denuding voice, but Marble could recognise the hidden meaning behind it. She was concerned about her sudden sleepwalking, she could tell.
“Yeah, what’s wrong?” Pinkie added, ready to comfort her sister.
Marble, in one swift action, picked up Pinkie’s hoof with her own. “Why won’t you ask out Cheese already? Why won’t you kiss him? Do something!”
Pinkie’s lips quivered at the slight outburst. “Marble?” she whimpered.
Maud took action, pulling away her younger sister from the clutches of Pinkie. “Marble, what is with you?”
Marble shot Maud’s hoof away with force. She gave her older sister a menacing look that showed she didn’t want to be trifled with. “Pinkie, do you want to kiss him?”
Pinkie’s eyes slowly made contact with Marble’s. “I...” she trailed, her mouth refusing to part with words.
“You’ve wanted to ask him for so long. What’s holding you back?”
Pinkie’s hind legs fell to the ground. Her body gave in to her weight as she crashed onto her rump. “...What if he says no?”
Marble sighed. “What if he says yes?”
Pinkie raised her head, meeting Marble’s eyes with her own.
* * *
“Pinkamena never told you?”
Cheese scratched his head. “No. Never.”
“Hmm...” Limestone thought out loud. “If I know my sister—which I do more than other ponies—I’d say she wanted to keep it hidden so you’d have the pleasure of finding out. Like now.”
Cheese’s blank expression did not change. He simply blinked his eyes and said, “Oh.”
“Yeah...” She chuckled a little. “Except in this circumstance, it’s come off as a little awkward, huh?”
“Just a little,” Cheese replied with a smirk. He resumed rubbing his skin again. “Forgive me if I’m a little forward, but what made you...” he gyrated his hoof through the open air. “This way?”
Limestone couldn’t hold back a grin. “Sometimes, I wish I could have company like you. Ponies who don’t mock me because of my views. Oh, I’ve come across them alright.” She took an open breath. “But since you asked so nicely.” She glanced at Cheese, the stallion flushing a little from the playful look she gave him. He was too cute.
“I guess... actually... hmm...” She furrowed her brow a little, looking around the room. She didn’t pay attention to the detail surrounding her, rather lost her own void. “I think I just came to terms with it as I grew up. I’m sorry I can’t give you a specific answer, but I think the most I can do is explain my origin. I grew up with three sisters on a secluded farm. I got into reading at a young age, particularly adventure, and the main protagonist was a mare. I think the selection of ponies I grew up with was what turned me the other way. I felt more comfortable with females. My dad was perfectly fine, but I tended to route for the other side.”
Cheese folded his hooves and curled his lips up. “That’s quite an interesting tale.”
“Interesting?” Limestone raised her eyebrow before she shook her head in dismay. “Different perhaps. But not interesting.”
Cheese leaned a little forward, wearing a frown. “Oh. I’m sorry if I meant anything.”
Limestone stared blankly at Cheese for a moment. She loved the way he worried over every little detail. A fundamental behavioural trait he possessed. He tended to get nervous over the silliest of things. But for some reason, she found it adorable. “You know Cheese,” she said with a sly grin. “You don’t have to be sorry over every single thing. You’re not in the wrong for anything.”
Cheese bit his lip before sighing. “Yeah. I’m sorry...”
Limestone tapped one of her hooves against the other as she stared a Cheese with a look that asked, “Well?” It took him a moment to figure it out, but when he did, the stallion blushed like no tomorrow. “Cheese, Cheese... this is one of the reasons I like you. I can tell you’re a different kind of stallion from most others. And that’s a good thing. A little uniqueness doesn’t hurt every now and then.”
“And you’re a great mare to be around too,” he replied. He had been saving that remark up for a while. He felt a little accomplishment inside after saying it. He meant it too.
* * *
“I’m just afraid...” Pinkie whimpered in the comfort of her two sisters. Both of them laid their hoof on her shoulder. “What if he doesn’t think of me in that way?”
“You’ll never know if you don’t try. You’ve been fine up until now. What’s wrong?” Maud leant in a little closer.
Pinkie pawed and traced her hoof along the ground in a slow motion. “What if he just thinks of me as a friend? We’ve been hanging out together for so long now, what if he doesn’t see me in that way?”
“You know,” Marble said with more authority. When Pinkie looked at her, she had a deep frown. “Why don’t you just ask him? You’re moping around here worrying about him not liking you, but the longer you wait, the worse it could get. If you want him desperately, you march upstairs and ask him out right now.” She emphasised her point by pointing towards the open doorway.
Pinkie Pie wore a smile for a brief moment. “I don’t like to see you like this Pinkie,” Marble continued. “You’re my sister, and I never like seeing any of my sisters upset.”
Maud sighed to herself as she looked through the house of treats, deep in her personal thoughts. “Everything was fine a while ago. Now Pinkie Pie is upset and we’re comforting her. We shouldn’t be in the first place. She’ll talk to him when she feels like it.”
“I’ll do it,” Pinkie finally said, pushing away Maud’s side. It was a little quiet, but her sisters heard her clearly. When she gave them the once over, she carried on. “I’ll kiss him tonight. Or ask him. Or something.”
Maud quickly stepped in. “You shouldn’t force this.”
Pinkie got up and grabbed Maud in for a sisterly hug. Marble joined in because it involved her sisters, and she couldn’t pass up that opportunity. “I know, but Marble’s right. I’ve liked him for a long time now, and I really really want to do something. Too long have I stood by and done nothing.”
“Pinkie...”
“I’ve made up my mind Maud. I know you’re worried about me, but I think I may know a way to ease into it rather than ask him properly.”
* * *
For both Cheese Sandwich and Pinkie Pie, the evening didn’t come fast enough. Limestone shared her tales with Cheese, discussing in detail about the books she liked. The adventure books she seemed to love so much were the Daring Do novels. He should have expected it, what with Pinkie going on about their brief encounter with the adventurer. There was no other big adventure star.
He didn’t bring it up; on the off-chance that Limestone might have overreacted and had a fangirl moment. But Limestone didn’t exactly keep it secret regarding how much she loved the character. She was her one true love apparently, though Cheese could feel the exaggeration a mile away.
Cheese never came into contact with Pinkie for the remainder of the afternoon. While he understood that she wanted to be around her sisters when she doesn’t see them that often, he could have used her support when he faced Maud. Being put into a single room with the oldest sister with her stare going down his throat.
It was almost one of the scariest moments he’d ever been in. It didn’t make the list, considering that running away from a manticore ranked a little higher than the mono expressive Maud, whose eyes only sent chills through him. A lot of times, she only replied with a single word.
Sure. Sure? Was that sarcasm? He almost blew up in his head form the countless amounts of times he heard it.
The Pie sisters remained downstairs for the afternoon as they took part in their tradition. They made rock candy necklaces form the huge storage that Pinkie filled up over a few weeks. Cheese didn’t take part because he already made them. Pinkie had let him in on the secret the week prior, so he had stepped up his game and got ahead of the curve. He was sure to surprise them when they left.
But when the night fell on Ponyville, Cheese became confronted. On the one hoof, meeting the Pie sisters was a wonderful experience. He won’t forget it anytime soon, even more regarding their behaviours. Maud’s never-ending stare might just be burnt into his brain, tormenting him when he sleeps. Limestone’s background won’t be forgotten either, and he’ll just think Marble as a second Pinkie.
But as fun as meeting the Pie sisters was, it had to end. Their little karaoke session went off without a hitch and was enjoyment, even when Maud took part. She was... surprisingly a competent singer.
Without the Pie sisters, he will have a hole inside. He knew it. They all had their own lives. But he constantly told himself that it was always possible that he’d bump into them along his travels. He was particularly interested in Limestone’s future and what it held for her. Perhaps he would make a little trip into her workplace the next time he goes to Manehatten.
With the Cakes away, Sugarcube Corner was fully free for the Pie sisters. They each got to sleep in separate rooms. Maud took the master bedroom. Marble initially argued, but it was understandable considering her stature of the oldest. Limestone took the guest bedroom while Marble was left with the babies’ room. She loved every square inch of the room, reminding her thoroughly of her job. Kids were a great passion.
And that, of course, left Cheese to share Pinkie’s bed with the mare herself. They always slept in the same bed whenever he stayed. It became a little tradition for him, and Pinkie never seemed to have any arguments. In fact, she welcomed it and encouraged it whenever possible. They always slept in a cuddle formation, sharing heat between them. Cheese would always hear the fluttering heartbeat of Pinkie as she lay. It was comforting to feel.
He got rather used to sleeping on a bed, as well as his less-than-optimal conditions elsewhere through Equestria. His poncho was satisfactory for him, his own bedroom fine for himself, but a bed was different. He considered it a blessing and an honour that he would be allowed to share a bed with Pinkie Pie.
Even though he did it every week.
Pinkie seemed a little different throughout the afternoon. Cheese couldn’t place it, but it bothered him anyway. It was only when they were finally together in her bedroom, when everypony was going to bed, that she seemed to reveal herself.
It was a normal situation. Cheese had climbed into the bed, as did Pinkie. But she stared at him for an unnatural length of time. The same blue gems that always caught him were now seeping into his mind. If she could read his mind, he wouldn’t know what to do.
“Cheese,” she said with a hint of uncertainty. “I... I wanted to thank you for putting up with my sisters.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “There’s nothing to ‘put up with’ Pinkie, they’re all wonderful.”
“I know,” she replied, edging closer a bit. “But they’ve convinced me of something, and I want to make sure I do it correctly.” She sighed. “Cheese, I have a request.”
Cheese’s mind wandered. A request? “What is it?” he asked with a sheepish smile. He felt pretty tense, unknowing what this request was. Her birthday gift was brilliant, but she held a different attitude back then. This time, she looked down, like she was contemplating something serious. He gulped, not sure if he wanted to hear it.
Pinkie looked down at the duvet, gyrating her hoof on it without looking at Cheese. “Can I... have a goodnight kiss?”
Cheese’s first thought was one of pure befuddlement. What’s wrong with a kiss? He’s kissed her on the cheek many times. She never showed any sign of remorse from them, rather trying to get her way to increase the quantity every time. But when he took a good look at Pinkie, he could tell she meant it. Something was up.
“Sure,” he softly replied, firmly making up his mind. He leant forward as he brought his hoof towards Pinkie. He lifted up her pretty head, before finishing off and planting a kiss onto her little button nose.
It wasn’t long before she glanced at him with her warm smile. Cheese was satisfied that he had completed what was requested of him. Hopefully, she would sleep well. He closed his eyes, ready to drift off.
“Cheese?”
He opened his eyes with confusion to see Pinkie still maintaining her smile. “You missed,” she said quietly. He arched his eyebrow at the comment. Missed?
Cheese felt Pinkie’s hoof trail behind his neck as she lifted herself towards him. It only took him a while, to realise, Pinkie was doing something very forward. But by the time he figured it out, she had already brought her lips to his.
Everything inside of him stopped like clockwork. He could feel his heartbeat change in tempo as he felt the softening lips placed on his. He felt Pinkie putting passion into it, making it meaningful. And all he thought in that immediate moment was, so this is what she meant.
The most peculiar thing happened in his frozen moment. He found himself giving back to what he received. He was enjoying the kiss. He felt like the kiss was relieving. He felt like he could kiss her forever. He wanted to hold her, kiss her. Was it wrong of him? Why did he hold her in such a high regard?
As Pinkie Pie sluggishly pulled away, Cheese could see her widened smile. It was one of the brightest smiles he’d ever seen her wear. And he couldn’t help himself. He rivalled hers with his own.
Pinkie didn’t say a word. She leant down and rested into his warm chest, making herself welcome in the fur and against the skin. Cheese felt obligated to stroke along her head with his hoof, until he leant over too, burying his head into her frizzy, but pillowy mane.
It didn’t take either one of them long to drift off to sleep. And in Cheese’s mind, all he could replay was that kiss with Pinkie Pie.
When Cheese Sandwich awoke the next morning, he was met with what must have been one of the chirpiest renditions of Pinkie Pie he’d ever seen. She was all over the place. Her bouncing, while always full of energy, contained more spring than usual. She was high on her endless energy.
He had an inkling it was because of the kiss. The kiss got him more active too. He found himself smiling at a lot more things, or just in general. Even when faced with Maud at breakfast, he managed to hold an actual positive conversation with her. He wasn’t scared of her image or her stare. He thought about giving her a staring contest, but it crossed from his mind.
Marble wasn’t shouting at him either. She retained her eccentric ways, especially after Pinkie had a conversation with her. She sparked up light a light bulb after that. She gently nudged Cheese a few times at the table too, hinting at something. He didn’t fathom what it was exactly, but in his good mood, he didn’t mind.
Sugarcube Corner had a livelier atmosphere than normal, he could tell. Pinkie and Marble accounted for over half of it anyway, but there was more than one hundred percent in the building. The way he saw Maud also came across to him like some pressure was lost. She had that same look and stare, but he could see past it. She was an interesting mare, as well as a sister.
Pinkie made breakfast, and it was just as scrumptious as usual. She never failed to please Cheese. He had to know her secrets, her talent. And if it meant giving her a kiss every time in return, then he would do it.
Although... he wouldn’t mind changing the location of the kiss from her cheeks to somewhere else...
Images, frames of photos came to him a lot. They recurred within his sleep too. The pink mare clogged up quite a part of his mind on often occasions. Usually, he would have pushed them back or simply ignored them to focus on the things that happened in front of him, but after the previous night, he didn’t fight them. He allowed the images to stay, and they were all beautiful. He didn’t want to admit it to Pinkie in case she found it creepy in any regard, but he thought of her quite a bit.
The morning felt like a rush. He was still high on energy, as well as life. He would have the day to himself and Pinkie, but the sisters had to go back to their respective homes. He would have liked to get to know them a bit more, especially Maud and her interesting ways, but he was no stranger to leaving. It was always hard to say goodbye to Pinkie each week, but he knew deep inside, that they would meet again.
He kept that thought as the party of five made their way across Ponyville and towards the train station. A happy thought to keep, just knowing he’d find sanction with the mare again and again. Her friends were bundles of fun in their own way too, and he would always set up a party—most of the time collaborated with Pinkie—to the lucky pony in Ponyville. He became more popular around Ponyville as his visits increased, and many ponies sounded like how Marble was. Something about Pinkie. Had they noticed a change?
The group came to a stop as they arrived at the station. The three departing sisters all looked around for their ticket, taking a gander in Maud’s personal bag. It would all be fine, but the traditional Pie departure hadn’t been fulfilled.
Cheese grabbed the saddlebag Pinkie wore, opening its pocket. Within the clutches of his hooves, three large necklace objects came out. The rock candies dangling on them made a little chinking sound as they collided together.
Looking at the three sisters, who were looking back at him, he went over to each one, placing the necklace over the respective sister. Taking part in the rock candy exchange was something he already liked.
All three of the sisters checked out their necklaces, even showing them to each other, revealing the many efforts Cheese went to for each one. It looked just like an expert made them, but he had Pinkie to thank for that.
Whistling sounds as well as chugging could be heard from the distance. Its volume increased exponentially over a short amount of time. The puffs of smoke were visible to the naked eye as the train arrived into the station. It was time for the farewells.
He sighed as the doors opened while the station attendant shouted the trademarks words. He heard a similar sound from each of the Pies, though Maud’s was quieter.
One by one, they turned to Cheese. And one by one, they approached him.
Marble was the first to jump in front of him, or rather, crash into him with her open hooves. He should have expected the sister to act most like Pinkie to... act like Pinkie. The hug lasted a while, though Cheese wasn’t in the mind-set to complain. When the mare broke away, she prodded him uneasily a few times. “Look after Pinkie okay?”
“Of course,” he replied with no doubt.
Marble nodded before she brought out her rock candy necklace. Wittingly, she practically threw it over Cheese. He openly caught it as she jumped over to Pinkie.
Limestone was the next to step forward. She stood in front of him for a while, not exchanging a word. She wore a warm smile. She likely had a few things to say, but couldn’t come out with anything. She played with her lips a bit before blurting out, “Oh, to hay with it!” and charging forward. She wrapped her hooves around Cheese as quickly as she could.
Cheese didn’t know what to think. He happily returned the hug, but Limestone wasn’t an insctinctive hugger. He had witnessed that with her arrival. But she was warm, and a nice hugger. Why didn’t she do it more often?
She smiled sheepishly when she pulled away, a little blush forming on her cheeks. But like Marble, she brought out her rock candy necklace and slowly bestowed it upon Cheese. “You’re a nice guy Cheese Sandwich. I’m glad to have met you.”
“Likewise,” he replied as Limestone gave him a final look and made her way to Pinkie.
There was one sister left, and she stood still as a rock. Rocks...
Maud crept towards him with the same look as usual. He tilted his head slightly as she stood and did nothing. Showing off his teeth, he opened up his hooves, openly inviting the oldest sister to a hug.
Maud blinked her eyes. Still without what looked like a care, she walked forward and entered the warming embrace.
“What!” Pinkie blurted out as she observed the pair. “Maud?! You’re hugging Cheese?!”
“Yes,” she replied dully, still with her same expression.
Cheese didn’t care about the little banter between the three other sisters. He just knew that Maud was an incredibly hugger, a natural. Huh. They must all be good at hugging.
When Maud broke apart, Cheese didn’t want her to. He had just unlocked some form of benevolence from her, but it was over. She had a firm grip too, hard as a rock. And speaking of rocks, he wished Boulder a safe trip and life.
That message came relaying from Boneless Two.
Like her sisters, Maud picked out her rock candy necklace and offered it to Cheese, placing it over his head and around his neck. And then she smiled.
An actual smile. From Maud.
Cheese’s jaw dropped. A real smile from Maud. So she wasn’t a robot!
Maud interacted with her others sisters. With a final departing slide of comments, the three mares trotted their way towards the carriage. They turned back with a final wave as one by one, they disappeared from Cheese’s and Pinkie’s line of sight.
The two party ponies waved every single second that passed, all up until the train had fully left the station. When it was over, they both took a sigh.
“They were nice,” Cheese commented. He couldn’t find any other words on the spot to sum it up better. Admittedly, he loved the day he spent with them. They were all good entries for his list of great ponies. But nice was all he could come out with.
“Yeah,” Pinkie replied cheerfully. “Shame that they’ve gone though.”
The pair slowly made their way back to Sugarcube Corner. They reminisced over the enjoyable events that took place with the sisters, even though it was less than twenty four hours ago. Pinkie somehow managed to gobble up every one of her rock candy necklaces while she talked. She even commented on some of Maud’s more ‘wacky’ tales, including a story of her dancing.
Maud dances? Cheese couldn’t get the image of Maud doing a robot dance out of his head.
When they re-entered Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie bounced over towards the counter. “So what shall we do today Cheesie? We’ve got all day to ourselves!” She kept her grin as she placed the saddlebags on the counter.
Cheese’s eyes blinked. He... didn’t know. A rush of energy was present in him earlier, and it still remained, but he just... faded out. So many possible activities. “Just us huh?” he replied with a cheeky grin. He took off the rock candy necklaces and put them next to the saddlebags.
Pinkie nodded her head. “Yep!” She jumped up over the counter, realising something. “Oh, speaking of which...” She walked over towards him, only a few inches in front of him. “I wanted to tell you something.”
“Pinkie?”
Pinkie faced downwards. “I sort of... have this thing...”
Cheese acted, picking up Pinkie’s head with his hoof.
“To tell you...” she finished, staring right at him.
Cheese didn’t know how to go forward. Pinkie seemed down, if only temporarily. He didn’t like to see her that way, but he got the impression that it wasn’t depression. She was just worried about something. It could have been minor for all he knew.
“I-I...” Pinkie’s lips quivered. She was trying to formulate words, something to get a message across, but all of her attempts failed.
Cheese got sympathetic, and he knew the solution. Not even questioning his solution, he took a step forward and pulled Pinkie into a comforting hug. The fourth Pie sister was in his hooves, and out of all of them, he loved the pink one the best.
He loved a lot of things about her. He really loved her lips the night before. Would it be wrong for him to steal another kiss sometime?
Pinkie sighed as she laid into his fur, welcoming herself to his body. It was warming right at the touch, and she could hear and feel his chest working as he breathed. It calmed her immensely to the point where she was comfortable to wrap a hoof around his barrel. She was happy.
“I love you,” she whispered, nuzzling into his body.
Cheese’s eyes shot wide open. Pinkie just said something, but he hadn’t heard. He looked down at the mare with curiosity. “Pinkie? Did you say something?”
Pinkie quickly realised that the numbskull hadn’t heard her. And even though he didn’t, she still loved him. Maybe she didn’t have to reveal it yet. Maybe she could continue with her hints. Perhaps she could sneak in a few kisses until he finally picked up on her feelings.
Cheese could be really dense at times. And every time he was, Pinkie only found it adorable. He was the cutest for behaving the way he did. Though deep down, she could sense something within him. She knew he loved her. She could feel it without a doubt.
But she wouldn’t pressure him. She knew precisely how to handle it. And when it was time, he would come clean and announce it. She would only have to push further to that ending. She knew he was bottling it up or hiding it, possibly even in denial. No friend would ask for kisses from helping with cooking, or a kiss on the lips before bed, or even sleep in the same bed.
Cheese Sandwich was a dolt sometimes. But he was her dolt.
Pinkie looked up into Cheese’s emeralds. Widening her smile, she gazed deep into him. “Cheesie, let’s play Twister.”
