Meanwhile, Big Mac carried Cheeso until they were out of sight of the entrance.

"What are you doing?" Cheeso protested.

"Look, there's two people inside looking for you." Big Mac explained.

"What?"

"A big guy and a skinny old mare."

"Wait, was this mare scary beyond all reason?"

"oh yeah."

"That's Suri and Bulk! I'm saved!" Cheeso started taking off his disguise.

"Trust me, they're not here to save you!" Big Mac insisted.

"They'll take me back to the palace." Cheeso continued, not hearing Big Mac. "Thanks for your help, you've been great, I can take it from here."

He started to leave, but Big Mac cut him off.

"No no no no, you don't understand they're trying to kill you!" Big Mac said.

"Kill me? Their whole world revolves around me!" Cheeso found the idea amusing as he continued on.

"No I can't let you!" Big Mac grabbed Cheeso.

"What?" Cheeso turned around with confusion before looking angry. "Oh oh I get it."

"What?"

"You don't want to take me back to the palace, you want to keep me stranded out here forever!" Cheeso said angrily.

"No!" Big Mac insisted.

"This has all been an act and I almost fell for it..."

"Would you just listen to me?"

"No no, you listen to me. All you care about is your-your stupid hilltop!"

"What?"

"You don't care about me now just get out of here! Go!"

"But-but-"

"Go on get out of here!" Cheeso snapped.

"Fine!" Big Mac gave in angrily.

Cheeso made his way to Suri and Bulk, who were now leaving the diner.

"This entire mess is all your fault." Suri complained.

"What'd I do?" Bulk shrugged confusedly.

"If you hadn't mixed up those poisons Cheeso would be dead now!"

At this point Cheeso neared them and was about to get their attention, only for his smile to fall upon hearing those words.

"There will be no more diversions until we track that dog down and kill him!"

"Said I was sorry, can't just let it go. Not even on your birthday." Bulk muttered.

"Cheeso must be eliminated. The empire will finally be rid of that useless lump." Suri continued as she entered her tent.

"Well you got a point, nopony really seems to care that he's gone do they?" Bulk admitted as he strapped on the tent and ran off.

If Cheeso's heart didn't break before, it certainly did now.

"Big Mac?" Cheeso called before getting on a tree trunk. "Big Mac?" He called louder.

No sign or sound of Big Mac.

Cheeso sadly walked through the jungle processing everything that happened, until he saw that he was close to the city and palace. He stared at it, only to take off the rest of his disguise and head back into the jungle as clouds covered the city...

Eventually, he ended up where we first saw him at the beginning of the story.

So this is where you came in. See just like I said I'm the victim here. I didn't do anything and yet they ruined my life and took everything I had-

"Hey give it a rest up there will ya?" Cheeso interrupted...himself?

What I'm just telling them what happened.

"Who are you kidding pal, they saw the whole thing they know what happened."

Well yeah but-

"Just leave me alone."

Cheeso spent the night curled up beneath the rain.

Suri and Bulk spent the night in the jungle too, Suri in a huge tent and Bulk in a teeny one with a teddy bear. Bulk suddenly burst awake.

"The peasant! At the diner!" He gasped. "He didn't pay his check."

He fell back asleep, only to burst awake again.

"It's the peasant who I saw leaving the city who disappeared into the crowd with Cheeso in the back of his cart. He must've taken him back to his village so if we find the village we find him and if we find him...we find Cheeso. Oh yeah, it's all comin' together. Suri!" He burst through her tent.

"What?" Suri demanded irritatedly.

Bulk drew back with disgust upon seeing her mud mask.

"This had better be good." Suri said with clenched teeth.

The next morning, Cheeso defeatedly walked through the jungle until he came to a clearing full of dogs eating at a trough. When they noticed him he waved happily, only for them to look at him suspiciously and walk farther down the feeding trough. He sadly looked into the feeding trough and winced upon seeing that it was full of dog food. He hesitated, knowing that dog food is made of meat, but if he was going to spend the rest of his life as dog... He took a bite and forcibly swallowed it, only to feel like throwing up.

"So there we were standing on the cliff, and the ground started to rumble."

Startled, Cheeso looked up and realized that Big Mac was nearby!

"And just as it started to go, he grabbed me before I fell do you believe that?"

"Given what you told me about him so far, not really." A female voice replied.

"Yeah. You know, call me crazy for following this guy all the way out here but as much as he tries to deny it I know there's some good in him."

"There must be, you always did have good judgement when it came to others." The female voice said.

"Thank you, and in any case I couldn't just leave him out here all alone anyway. He's a lousy dog."

Cheeso now saw that Big Mac was now sitting on a log talking to a yellow pegasus with pink hair.

"I mean, a really lousy dog." Big Mac finished.

"Well considering he's never been a dog before..." The pegasus giggled before noticing Cheeso. "Oh, hello. Is this Cheeso?" She turned to Big Mac.

"Yup. Cheeso this is Fluttershy, a friend of my sister's. She runs this dog sanctuary and also takes care of other pets." Big Mac smiled, for some reason not surprised to see Cheeso.

Then again, he was wearing his poncho and hat so maybe he already knew that Cheeso learned the truth the hard way...

"Oh...hi there..." Cheeso said awkwardly. "Hey listen, Big Mac, you know, what I said to you back at the diner, that-that...I didn't really-"

Big Mac cut him off by raising his hoof.

"So, you tired of being a dog?" He asked.

"Yes!" Cheeso sobbed.

"Then let's go. See you later Fluttershy."

"See you, I'd help but there's no one else to look after my dogs." She smiled.

"No sweat, we understand."

"Yeah, actually given what Suri's like it probably would be best if you stayed behind." Cheeso considered.

"Really?" Big Mac said. "I mean I know she wants to kill you but-"

"And she's scary beyond all reason, has a 'secret lab' full of potions..."

"Okay, good points."

"Oh dear, I hope you both will be okay." Fluttershy said concernedly.

"Don't worry, as long as we get to the palace first and turn Cheeso back into a human she shouldn't be able to do anything to us. He does have all those guards after all." Big Mac reassured her.

"Right." Cheeso nodded.

"Okay, but good luck to you both anyway." Fluttershy said.

"Thanks." Big Mac smiled before hurrying away. "Come on Cheeso, we're going back to my village first. If we will have to deal with Suri, we'd better get some supplies."

"Good idea." Cheeso nodded as he ran after big Mac.