Another Town... Another Party.
As the sun began to set over the remote village of Trekston, streamers and confetti filled the air and landed blissfully upon the heads of earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi alike, whilst they danced and celebrated together merrily beneath it. The exhilarating music was so overpowering, that even the ponies surrounding the buffet table found themselves swaying from side to side as they helped themselves to the magnificent selection of mouth-watering desserts and punch available.
Laid upon the table was an impressive spread, which included several types of cake; chocolate cake, sponge cake, carrot cake, lemon cake, and of course, cheese cake. Plates of doughnuts, cookies and candy surrounded each of them, alongside colourful bowls of jelly and ice cream. Two huge chocolate fountains stood majestically either side of the table, complete with marshmallows and other delicious treats intended for dipping.
Banners and balloons decorated the streets and buildings, and the assortment of games being played varied from incredibly fun to insanely fun. Young fillies and colts were wearing costumes and riding go karts, whilst simultaneously acting out their favourite scenes from the Power Ponies comic books – the birthday colt was a huge fan. Senior citizens enjoyed another round of extreme bingo – a game where every number called out was assigned to a prize, or a song, or a crazy event which completely altered the outcome of the round. A magic show was taking place in the center of the village staring a group of three talented unicorns who were entertaining the crowd with various teleportation tricks and duplication spells.
Scattered around the main stage, earth ponies and pegasi performed daring stunts in the streets involving juggling, fire breathing, and acrobatics; each one no less enthralling than the last. The ponies were spoiled for choice as they witnessed each act in total amazement, before moving on to the next.
For the younger members of the village, a gigantic rubber bouncy castle stood majestically in the center of a nearby plot. It was bright and colourful, and complete with ball pits, slides, and tunnels. The youngsters chuckled merrily to themselves as they chased one another and tried to see how high they could bounce, occasionally performing somersaults and showing off different moves to their peers.
Needless to say; every pony was having a fantastic afternoon.
As a matter of fact, the entire village was so involved in their epic party that not a single one of them noticed the mysterious - albeit oddly dressed - earth pony watching them solemnly from the distance.
His coat matched the colour of the sand beneath his feet, and his mane and tail were short and curly. He wore a western style cowboy hat, which cast a mysterious shadow over his large green eyes, and a patterned poncho covered the remainder of his body.
The stallion admired the scene, smiling with contentment before turning to the rubber chicken draped over his back in a clumsy fashion.
“Well Boneless 2,” He addressed it, “Nothing makes Cheese Sandwich happier, than a party well-thrown.”
After taking a final glance toward the village, Cheese Sandwich tipped his hat toward it, and set off on his way.
No pony waved him goodbye. No pony offered their thanks. No pony even noticed that he was leaving
…and this was okay.
Cheese didn’t need any special kind of reward; seeing the Birthday boy and the other ponies enjoying their day was reward enough for a super duper party pony like himself.
The stallion had worked for three days straight, planning and preparing the perfect party for the young colt, right down to the smallest detail. So long as the event had been a success, and so long as the villagers were happy and appreciated his hard work, that was all that mattered to him. Seeing those ponies enjoying themselves filled his heart with joy, and was enough to motivate him to continue on his mission and use his special talent to spread fun and happiness throughout Equestria.
Cheese Sandwich made his way across the plains, reminiscing on the good times he had shared with the villagers of Trekston. He remembered the delighted face of the young birthday pegasus when his blindfold was removed, and he first laid eyes upon the breath taking event arranged especially for him. Cheese recalled the way the youngster and his friends had raced to the costume area to dress up as their favourite super heroes, before stuffing their faces with food and singing Happy Birthday. His family and friends gathered round to play party games as his favourite songs were blasted through the streets - and the day had only gotten better from then on out.
Cheese Sandwich shed a single tear of happiness, when he realised just how happy he had made that young pony and his friends.
~*~
It was getting late. As the full moon rose high in the sky, the sun finally disappeared beyond the horizon, and the warm desert air dispersed along with it. As a result, the wind became a little stronger, and the sand beneath Cheese Sandwich’s hooves was getting rather chilly. Nevertheless, Cheese trotted onward through the open plains, with a blissful smile fixated upon his face.
After travelling long into the night, Cheese eventually arrived at a modest area which was surrounded by a few trees that were thin and wilting. Other plants sprouted nearby, but they were also weak and damaged. It was as though they were all struggling to survive the harsh climate around these parts.
In the center of the area was a tattered yellow tent, held in place by shoddy rope and pegs that looked as though they had been crafted from tree bark and forced into the ground. The tent was accompanied by a small pile of logs, which Cheese had previously used as a camp fire.
“Well, here we are Boneless 2.” Cheese Sandwich smiled at the tent, “home sweet home.”
He then gently set Boneless 2 down near the logs, and gathered some nearby rocks which he proceeded to place around the wooden pegs for extra support.
“We had better take precautions.” He informed his rubber companion, “I hear it’s going to be a windy night.”
After spending a few minute attending to his base, Cheese Sandwich glanced up at the night sky.
It was getting rather cloudy, and not a single star could be made out. The full moon however, shone brightly through. Cheese Sandwich took a moment to gaze at the moon in all its beauty; he wasn’t sure why, but staring at it always made him feel wonderful. It was like a giant disco ball lighting up the sky.
“I wonder if the ponies of Trekston are going to be able to sleep tonight.” He chuckled, “that is, if they aren’t still partying away into the night. It wouldn’t surprise me; those ponies looked as though they hadn’t had that much fun in decades!”
Then, the colt gave a heavy yawn.
“Well, time for bed.” He shift his attention from the moon, and over to the small crooked tent propped up behind him.
Cheese Sandwich removed his western hat, turned it upside down, and placed Boneless 2 in the centre of the crown, lying him down softly as though he was resting.
The curly maned stallion then ducked his head and made his way into the tent. He was rather tall, so this could be quite a struggle at times, but Cheese knew how to arch his body in such a manner that it could fit through the entrance, without damaging the long thin stick that held up the tents main frame.
It wasn’t very spacious inside; but Cheese Sandwich had everything he needed.
There were packets of balloons and streamers scattered around the floor, many of which had been opened with their contents pouring out. A variety of recipe books were piled high in each corner; they contained instructions on how to bake delicious cakes and other party treats. The remainder of the floor area was taken up by various craft materials, including paints, brushes, and stacks of coloured paper. A small battery-operated torch lay near the entrance, and brown paper bags containing basic food items rested near a rather bulky orange sleeping bag, which took up most of the room.
The sleeping bag had a few holes in it, and wasn’t made of the most comfortable material. Cheese Sandwich had been meaning to purchase a new one, but he found shopping rather difficult. Cheese didn’t really have a stable job, but he was incredibly good at making a quick buck when he needed to for party purposes. Sometimes he would travel to a nearby town and sell his own paintings, or work a quick cupcake stall, or even put on a one-pony show using one of his many entertaining talents. He rarely spend a single bit on himself however, as each time he set off with the mind set to buy something, he found himself distracted by some amazingly incredible asset that could come in very handy for his next party, and decided that making another pony smile was far more important than his own comfort.
Cheese Sandwich lifted his sleeping bag bed, and pulled out a tattered blanket from beneath it. He wrapped this blanket around Boneless 2, before placing him back in the hat and setting it down beside his own bed.
“We’d better wrap up warm.” He told the rubber chicken, “It’s going to be a little chilly tonight.”
With that, the party pony shuffled his body into his sleeping bag, and pulled the cover over him. He quickly zipped it up, and rested his head.
~*~
Outside, the wind was growing stronger. It blew aimlessly in all directions, shaking the thin material of the tents walls and howling through the night. The sand was swept across the plains, creating waves of grains which struck against the trees and rocks surrounding Cheese Sandwich’s base.
The heavy dark clouds assembled overhead, and soon began to rumble before dispensing rain. First it was a mere few droplets here and there which were quickly carried away by the wind, but gradually the rainfall became heavier and soon the skies were pouring vigorously.
Cheese Sandwich tossed and turned as he struggled to sleep. The thunder was now roaring loudly and the rain was beating against the walls of his tent. There were a few small holes here and there, where water leaked through, but the clever stallion had accurately placed paint pots and empty jars below them to catch the drips.
As the night progressed, the weather only became worse as the crashing thunder was now accompanied by lightning. Ever since he was a filly, Cheese Sandwich had never been fond of lightning. It worried him that the clouds had the power to produce electricity without the help of the weather ponies. He reached for Boneless 2, and pulled the hat towards him with the rubber chicken wrapped tightly inside. Cheese Sandwich hugged Boneless 2 close to his chest, and closed his eyes tightly to block out the terrifying flashes.
Cheese shuddered as the night grew colder, he curled his shaking body in an attempt to keep warm. The wind was pounding against the walls of the tent, becoming more and more violent with each passing second. Then suddenly, Cheese Sandwich was startled by a sudden thud – something had fallen, most likely one of the branches from the trees surrounding his base.
Luckily, the tree had missed his tent, but Cheese grew a little anxious as he tried to work out if there was any chance of another, thicker branch falling upon him in the night. The stallion contemplated taking a look, but soon concluded that even if his tent was not positioned to avoid such an occurrence, it was far too dark and wet outside to do anything about it now. So Cheese Sandwich held tightly to Boneless 2, and tried to relax as he buried his head into the hay stuffed pillow beneath it.
The wind roared on, and Cheese Sandwich’s tent began shaking from side to side. The tiny ropes were thrust around, and the rain was now pouring down like a heavy shower. The thin material surrounding the stallion struggled to endure the pressure of the wind and rain combined, and it wasn’t long before the seemingly tight stitching was forced to unravel.
As a sudden cold breeze struck his snout, Cheese Sandwich sneezed heavily, while simultaneously opening his eyes once more, to find a horizontal rip in the wall of his tent.
“Oh crumbs.” He muttered, scrambling to his feet.
Cheese tried to hold the material together with one hoof, battling against the wind whilst feeling around the floor of his tent with the other.
After knocking over one of the jars which was collecting rain water, and soaking some streamers lying nearby (which then stuck stubbornly to his hoof) Cheese finally found what he was looking for – a roll of orange thread with a needle poking out.
“Ouch!” The stallion cried, accidentally pricking his hoof upon the point of said needle.
After giving the wound a quick lick, Cheese then reached for his torch and set to work preparing the rip. However, the torch lasted a mere few seconds before it started to flicker, due to a shortage in battery power. This made the task significantly harder, as Cheese would just manage to line up the thread with the eye of the needle before the torchlight disappeared, causing him to miss completely.
After several attempts, and a few more injuries, Cheese Sandwich managed to thread the needle successfully and began weaving it in and out of the material, hurrying to fix the tear before the torch lost its power completely. It was a tricky job, but Cheese was no stranger to this kind of problem; he actually had a decent sewing strategy. Cheese first sewed large diagonal threads in a zig-zag like pattern in order to attach the two sides together loosely, before securing them with smaller vertical threads. It didn’t look very neat, but it did the job.
With his tent patched up, Cheese Sandwich attempted to slumber once more. To his dismay, the cover of his sleeping bag was now soaking wet and soggy from the rain, and it had leaked through to the center. Giving a quick sigh, Cheese lifted the sleeping bag and shook off any excess rain, then shuffled underneath using the entire thing as a cover. The floor upon which he now lay was fairly dry; the rain water hadn’t quite managed to sink through to the ground. It wasn’t as comfortable as the thick layer of cotton stuffed material, but as there was nothing but sand beneath the material, it wasn’t all that bad.
Cheese Sandwich tried to get comfortable, still shuddering as he tossed and turned. After struggling to find a semi-adequate position for his body, he closed his eyes gently and tried to take his mind off his surroundings by instead imagining a place that filled his heart with joy and contentment; a party. Any party.
He imagined himself drifting through the air, held up by numerous helium balloons of different sizes and colours. The curly maned colt floated near a gigantic mouth-watering chocolate cake with thick rainbow icing dripping down the sides. As he gawked at it's magnificence, the cake was sliced down the middle by a giant knife and confetti burst out in all directions.
Suddenly, Cheese heard a delightful cheer coming from below, and looked down to see a crowd of ponies of all ages waving and smiling blissfully at him. They stomped their hooves excitedly, creating an ongoing rhythm, and a few ponies attached balloons to their waists and floated up to join their friend. One by one, they were each handed a patterned party blower, and Cheese tipped his hat toward them as they soared through the air together. A giant disco ball lit up the area, sparkling majestically and casting bright lights which remained in the sky and became stars.
Cheese Sandwich smiled. As these happy images filled his mind, they gradually became more and more obscure. This provided an indication that, despite the noise around him, despite the continuous rips being teared into the walls of his tent, and despite the water leaking into it from all angles, the colt was was now beginning to drift off into a deep, peaceful sleep.
In his head, the violent gusts of wind were actually delightful captivating melodies, swirling around his body and causing him to dance along with them. The rain water falling onto his muzzle was wet face paint, as he allowed a talented mare to turn him into a cute tiger, before forgetting and splashing around in a giant bowl of fruit punch, causing the paint to wash off. The mare didn’t mind however; she was quite happy to re-apply it in exchange for a special glittery balloon.
“Wheee!” Cheese Sandwich waved his hooves around as he rode the gigantic roller coaster, it was going so fast that it roared loudly and he could feel a heavy breeze upon his body coming from all directions.
He smiled at the flashes coming from the camera's of the photographer ponies, as they snapped photo after photo to commemorate the wonderful event.
Soon it was time for the parade, and young ponies playing drums stormed through the area closely followed by a group crashing symbols together and waving flags. The stomping of hooves could be heard coming from the crowds as they cheered on the entertainment.
It was a noisy, yet wonderful party.
Cheese Sandwich gave another heavy yawn as the sun rose high in the sky. He stretched his hooves and scrambled out from the layers of material and rope which had collapsed upon his body. His back ached a little under the pressure, but he was just thankful to not have been struck by a falling branch during the night.
After a rather restricted stretch, the stallion turned to his rubber chicken friend.
“Morning Boneless 2.” He gave his companion an affectionate pat. “We’d better fix the tent in record time today!”
The colt then pointed at his brown curly tail, which was twitching in an excited manner. Cheese glared up at the sun, and rubbed his eyes. A huge grin formed upon his face.
“Another Town …Another party.”