The next few days turned out to be surprisingly beneficial to Tomato's campaign. Cheese would go out with Cirrus and Nimbus to spread Tomato's 'vote for me' posters, with Cheese street performing clownish antics, magic tricks, and entertaining any who paused to look upon the party pony with even a passing interest. He never failed to spread smiles, get them gasping for breath from laughing too hard, or amazing them stupid with his feats of wonder and/or daring.

After every performance, he would then encourage them to vote for Tomato Sandwich, "A pony with your best interests at heart."

And apparently, it was working. The local news anchor reported that support for Tomato was increasing surprisingly fast, and there were brief interviews of random ponies on the streets, all of them expressing support in some way or other for Tomato.

"Indeed, my little ponies, support for candidate councilor of Business & Commerce, Tomato Sandwich, has steadily increased over the past few days alone," declared Vox 5 news reporter Angel Evers as she held her microphone with her wing and looked into the camera her camerapony was holding.
"And it's all thanks to Tomato Sandwich's brother, who, as it turns out, is the nationwide famous party pony and one of the Knights of Harmony, Cheese Sandwich! Cheese has openly expressed his support and encouraged the ponies of Manehatten to show theirs for Tomato Sandwich by performing in public in amazing clownish antics that will not be denied and are sure to put a smile on your face.

"At the rate Tomato's support is building, he is sure to be the favorite to win the preliminary election after the candidacy conference this weekend, where the candidates still in the running will each take turns sharing a speech, the order depending on the popularity of each candidate. So stay tuned, Manehatten, because this election is just getting started!"

*Bwip*

Bluejinx was a little bewildered as to why Tomato had switched off the TV and didn't appear ecstatic by the news coverage as the orange-red earth pony groaned while rubbing his temples.
"Tomato, what's up? Your support's growing and it's all thanks to Cheese!"

"Yeah, I know, Blue, I know, It's just..." Tomato sighed, not sure how to word what he was feeling, "See, I appreciate that Cheese is swaying more ponies to support me, but the problem is how he's doing it!"

"Whattya mean?"

"Bluejinx, I'm running to become a member of the Equestrian Council," Tomato expressed firmly, "perhaps the most powerful position a citizen of Equestria can ever hope to achieve! At least not without becoming an alicorn royal, like Princess Twilight. I have to show everypony that I'm running for this position with a serious frame of mind, but then comes along Cheese who uses clowning and stuff to attract potential voters!

"What kind of message does that send to the ponies I'm lobbying to serve in the political capacity?"

"Well... at least it'll make ponies think you have a sense of humor?" Bluejinx offered lamely with a forced smile, "That you're... an approachable kind of politician?"

"Ugh," Tomato groaned when he felt his stomach grumble and he sighed, "I need a bite."

Eating his usual hoagie from his favorite sub sandwich place helped, but Tomato continued to be troubled over the image Cheese was presenting on his behalf. Sure, Tomato appreciated Cheese's support and he was surprised by how the public was speaking of him in a positive manner. But the way he was doing it bothered the young aspiring politician. How could he expect to be taken seriously if he was relying on his brother, a known party pony, to advocate his campaign with balloons and accordion playing?

"Tom, if it's bothering you that much," Bluejinx spoke up as he sat across from Tomato at their usual table, "why don't you talk to Cheese when he gets back?"

"I suppose I should, but just like with the speech I haven't been able to crank out," Tomato gulped anxiously, "I'm drawing a blank! Look, Blue, I care about my brother. I really do! It's just... well, we're just very different ponies and there's a part of me that I'm ashamed to say is embarrassed of him."

"Well, that's hardly surprising, Mister Sandwich..."

Groaning as he thought, Oh Goddess, just kill me now... Tomato looked to see his rival, Walker Trotrun, ambling his way, a smug smirk on his face.

"While I can respect family support," Walker said condescendingly, "one should always be mindful of the example they set. After all, appearances are everything. And it appears to me that you're letting a clown dupe the public into giving you support that you don't deserve."

Tomato shrank in his booth at Walker's words, but Bluejinx stood up.
"Now hold on a moment there, Trotrun! Sure, it's unorthodox, but let's not forget that so-called clown is a member of the Council of Friendship and a Knight of Harmony! And, of course, Tomato contributed to the defeat of Buck Cheap and helped to prevent his coup. Prince Sombra himself recognized Tomato's part and that counts for something!"

"Yes, yes, Tomato played a role in foiling the 'Coup of Avarice', albeit a minor one," Walker scoffed, "but it's not as though he alone made it possible to defeat Buck Cheap, Goddess rest his soul.

"In any case," Walker straightened his lapel as he gave Tomato another look of arrogance, "I'm here to wish you good luck for the conference this weekend, Mister Sandwich. I hope your little speech will at the very least express why the masses should give you a passing thought compared to that brother of yours. Oh!"

Walker was looking past Tomato and Bluejinx to the restaurant window, "Speak of the devil..."

Tomato and Bluejinx looked outside and saw Cheese Sandwich across the street with Cirrus and Nimbus, the three of them performing a tree-way juggle while wearing 'Vote For Me' t-shirts with Tomato's face on them. They were drawing quite a crowd from the passerby, but Tomato couldn't see the smiles and the cheer that was going on. He saw his own image being cast in a light he didn't want it to be.

Sighing, he stood up from the table and said, "Excuse me."

"Tomato, hold on!" Bluejinx tried to stop his friend, only for Walker to hold up his foreleg to bar the blue unicorn's way.

"Let him go. I think he's starting to understand his position," Walker watched what was about to unfold with a barely-disguised sneer.

Ponies were laughing, whooping, and cheering as they watched Cheese had a great time entertaining them as he moved from juggling to tap dancing with a silly mustache and boater hat. As he danced and sang, Nimbus and Cirrus were going around, offering 'Vote 4 Tomato' pins and other merch to anypony who would take them. While there were a few who declined or were uncertain, a lot of them gladly accepted, which was a good sign... until Nimbus offered a pin to Tomato himself, who was giving his friend a look of disapproval.

"Oh hey, Tom! Finally step out of that classroom and come to see us inspire the masses?" Nimbus smiled.

"Not exactly..." Tomato looked past Nimbus towards his brother as Cheese was now holding cans of silly string and spraying them all over everypony and throwing glitter bombs with his tail that burst with glitter as well confetti and streamers, making the locals laugh and shout. Groaning, Tomato stepped forward, "Cheese!"

Cheese stopped with his merrymaking and smiled, "Tommy! Everypony, here he is! Your future Councilor of Business and Commerce, as long as he gets your vote! Whattya say, folks, who's the pony for the job?! Ponies to my left, shout 'Tomato'!"

"TOMATO!!!" shouted the ponies Cheese indicated and the party pony looked to the ponies at his right.

"And to my right, say 'Sandwich'!"

"SANDWICH!!"

"Left side!"

"TOMATO!!"

"Right side!"

"SANDWICH!!"

"TOMATO!!"

"SANDWICH!!!"

"C'mon everypony!" Cheese tossed ponies some cans of silly string and glitter bombs, "Shower him with your support!!"

Tomato was mortified but helpless to stop everypony from assaulting him with silly string and glitter bombs, leaving him a stringy, glittery, and confetti-covered mess once it ceased. But before he could complain, he found himself being raised up by Nimbus and Cirrus so everypony could see him and Cheese shouted, "C'mon, everypony, sing it with me!"

Cheese trailed a bit, holding out his foreleg in an inviting gesture and everypony got the idea and sang along with him.

Despite the cheers and shouts of encouragement to him, Tomato felt increasingly self-conscious and embarrassed. Especially when he noticed Walker Trotrun giving him a disdainful smirk and a shake of his head before he took his leave.

That evening, Cheese walked into the university classroom where Tomato's campaign office was being held and saw Tomato sitting at the teacher's desk, going over some papers.

"You wanted to see me, Tommy?"

"Cheese, have a seat, please," Tomato gestured to a chair he'd put in front of the desk and waited until Cheese had taken his seat before he himself took a deep breath, knowing this was going to be difficult.
"Cheese... I don't know how I can say this in any way that would make it easier, so I'll just come right out and say it: Your services are no longer required."

"My... i don't- Tommy, what are you saying?" Cheese was taken aback, his ears folding down as he felt his heart sink.

Taking a deep sigh, Tomato explained, "Cheese... I appreciate your help and the support for me that you've garnered from the public. It's just... well, it's the way you're doing it."

"What, not loud enough? Not funny enough?" Cheese whipped out some more of his props and joke items, like a funny pair of nose glasses, a fez hat, Boneless Two, and then held up a whoopee cushion and pressed it between his hooves to make a prolonged fart sound.
"Am I not wrangling enough supporters?"

"No, Cheese, it's all of... this!" Tomato held his hooves to Cheese, who was baffled.

"You just gestured to all of me."

"Yes, exactly! Stop being all of you," Tomato responded.

"I still don't see what you're getting at!" Cheese stowed all of his props away, making them vanish into his curly mane and tail, to Tomato's bewilderment but he ignored it.

"Cheese, it's the clowning, the whole party pony thing," Tomato clarified, "I want for my potential voters and supporters to understand that I'm serious about this election. But you're sending the wrong message! How can I sincerely earn the support and votes of Equestria if I'm resorting to having a party pony attract the public to my candidacy?! I know this isn't fair, and I feel awful as it is. But if I'm going to become the Councilor of Business and Commerce on the Equestrian Council, then I have to do it on my own merit and in my own way.

"And... my way isn't the party pony way."

Cheese's big forelock drooped and his face became crestfallen before he replied, "Um, okay... I can understand that. I guess I'll..."

"Uh, Cheese, you don't have to leave," Tomato felt like dirt but he knew he had to stand by his decision, "I still appreciate your support!"

"No, no, i... I don't wanna be in the way," Cheese pulled on his fedora and zarape, his 'pony with no name' shtick taking over as he spoke in a low voice, "Good luck, baby brother..."

And Tomato watched as his only flesh and blood walked out of the room, his head hanging and his tail drooping as it pulled the door closed behind him, and Tomato sighed as he leaned forward onto the desk, supporting his head with his foreleg.

"It's for the best..." he whispered to himself. Even though deep down, he simply couldn't shake the feeling he'd made a mistake.

Street Rat sneered in satisfaction as he watched Cheese Sandwich leave the university, looking despondent, and it appeared what Mr. Trotrun had predicted had come to pass. Taking out the magical walkie-talkie he'd been given, he tuned it to the right channel and pressed the button.
"Mr. Trotrun? Mr. Trotrun, it's Street Rat."

The device buzzed with static a few moments after before it responded, "Trotrun here, what's going on, Street Rat?"

"Sir, it looks like you were right," snickered Street Rat as he watched Cheese mosey on down the street. "Seems the Sandwiches had a disagreement because the party pony is walking away, looking like a surprise was spoiled for him or something."

"Ah youth, so impressionable," responded Walker Trotrun with a derisive chuckle through the walkie-talkie, "so easily suckered into making a bad investment. Without that idiot brother of his, Tomato Sandwich will go back to being the boring and lackadaisical dolt he really is. Nopony will vote for him!"

"Should I follow the party pony, sir?"

"Nah, let him be," Trotrun said dismissively, "odds are, he'll hop the next train or airship out of Manehatten and that'll be the end of it. This election is as good as bought and paid for."

The day of the conference arrived and basically everypony in Manehatten had turned up in Furlong Acre Square, which was jam-packed with ponies ready to vote, reporters, and the candidates' campaign staffs along with the Manehatten Royal Guard garrison who had been assigned to provide security for the preliminary election. First, the candidates for all the ponies running for a seat on the council would make a speech; the order of which seat would be random. After all the candidates for each seat had made their speeches, the voting booths would open and everypony would take turns voting. Once the voting concluded, a ballot would be conducted by officials of the royal court and then the winners of the preliminary would be announced.

As he stood behind the platform with the other candidates and their teams, Tomato gulped as he kept looking through his speech. It still didn't feel right, a lot of it forced or bland, but it was all he'd managed to crank out.

"Nervous?" Tomato looked to see Flora giving him an encouraging smile. At his nod, Flora surprised Tomato with a nuzzle up to his side, "It's okay to be nervous, Tomato. Just remember why you're running in this election and be true to yourself and those around you. The people will vote for who they vote, and who they vote for will be the ones who they feel are the ones that will serve their best interests.

"And win or lose, you're still a great pony."

Although her words were meant to encourage him, Tomato only felt his heart sink as he thought, A great pony? Does a great pony turn his brother away just for the sake of image?

The candidates for some of other seats on the council went before Tomato and the other candidates for Business and Commerce. With each candidate and each speech they gave, Tomato felt more and more insignificant as he heard a lot of words moving and inspirational. Some invoked a lot of thought but there were some who didn't make much of an impression.

After the candidates for a specific seat on the Council were done, the voting booths opened so everypony could make the best decision while the impression they got from the candidates was still fresh in their minds. Tomato himself voted for some of the candidates, one for Agriculture & Nutrition, one for Science & Innovation, and one for Media & Entertainment.

But now it was time for the candidates of Business & Commerce. As the officials got things underway, Tomato was informed that he would be going first, which only made the pressure feel worse. Then of course was the gnawing guilt he still felt, and it became worse when he felt a hoof on his shoulder and looked to see it was Walker Trotrun, giving him yet another condescending smirk.

"Well, Tomato, here we are," Walker chuckled as he straightened his lapel, "The moment we've all been waiting for, where we make or break our first step into the political arena. I trust you've put together a worthy form of the written word that won't be a waste of everypony's time. Oh, I'm sure you'll do fine. After all, you no longer have that insipid brother of yours distracting you."

"Hey," Tomato furrowed his brows, "Say whatever you want about me, Walker. But leave my brother out of this!"

"I don't have to," Walker remarked cruelly, "You already have."

"Mr. Sandwich, you're on!"

Both stallions looked to see Raven Inkwell, the overseer of the conference, gesturing Tomato to step up onto the platform. Here it was, the moment of truth, and Tomato gulped nervously as Walker rudely pushed him forward and scoffed, "Break a leg!"

He righted himself before he could stumble, and Tomato slowly ascended the steps up onto the platform and approached the podium and microphone. But it was the thousand of ponies looking at him and his broadcasted image on the jumbo-tron behind him, so everypony could see Tomato clearly. Which of course meant they could see his anxiety.

Remembering his lessons in public speaking and doing the calming technique of breathing in and breathing out, imagining his troubles leaving him upon the exhale, Tomato centered himself as he stood before the podium, placed his speech before him and took a deep breath.

"Good day to you all, Manehatten," he started, "and for the sake of formality, my name is Tomato Sandwich, and I am here to earn your vote to become Councilor of Business & Commerce."

"Egh, he's not doing very good, is he?" Nimbus whispered to Cirrus as Tomato went on.
"What're ya talking about? I can't stop listening," responded Cirrus with a slight edge of sarcasm.
"Just... give him a chance, everypony," Flora said optimistically. But truly, she was beginning to worry for Tomato.
"C'mon, Tommy, you got this..." Bluejinx prayed, hoping his best friend would find the proper hoofhold.

"...and with proper accounting, taxes will be properly balanced so that everypony..." Tomato could see it among the crowd.

He was boring them. Their eyes were glazing over, some of them were yawning, others looked impatient as though they couldn't wait for his speech to be over. This was exactly what he'd been afraid of from the start.

What was I thinking...? Tomato felt his anxiety rise again, coupled with his guilt for how he'd dismissed his brother. He came all the way here to help me and support me... and I turned him a- !!!

Tomato couldn't believe it. Standing in the front row, right in front of the platform, directly in his path, was a tall and lanky earth pony with an orange coat, wearing a fedora and a zarape... and when he lifted his face, there was Cheese, giving him a supporting smile and even a wink of encouragement. Tomato felt his heart swell as he felt humbled and surprisingly overjoyed to see Cheese was here. And somehow, that gesture and all that it entailed lit a spark in Tomato's mind as he took a deep breath yet again and spoke:

"Folks, let me be frank with you all. The entire week leading up to this conference, I struggled to make a speech and obviously it came out a dud. You see, I'm not a career politician, I have no experience in politics, and apart from a few simple ideas I have no real plan for what I would do even if I were to be elected. I'm just a graduate from Manehatten University with a degree in business management. The truth is, I was encouraged by a lot of ponies, including members of the royal family, to run for a seat on the Equestrian Council, for my part in helping to foil the Coup of Avarice.

"I felt pressured into it, and became afraid of letting down those who believe in me. Well, there's one pony here who not only believed in me, he traveled halfway across the country just to give me his support and do all he can to help me. And being the complete idiot I am, I didn't sincerely appreciate it until now. For despite my mistake on his part, he's still here in support of me!

"Case in point, he's a far better pony than me. He's traveled all of Equestria to spread good cheer and inspire joy, never asking for anything in return and striving to satisfy the ponies he helps with the only payment he required being their smiles and their having a good memory as a result of his hard work."

Tomato reached up to the forelock that always hung above his eyes no matter how many times he tried to comb it down with the rest of his mane, and gave it a yank, causing his neatly-combed mane to explode into a poof of curls very similar to his brother's, and he went on.

"I don't know whether I am the right candidate for Councilor of Business & Commerce. But what I do know is, the mares and stallions who have all stood up here and spoken to you and those who have yet to do so, they are all of them brave and determined individuals who wish to serve you in the political capacity of this reforming government. All of them are deserving of respect and consideration, and all of you must make the best choice each and every one of you can to decide which of these individuals will be the ones to take on this great responsibility. But along the way, each of them, myself included, must remember to stand by their ideals and their integrity lest they lose their way and make the wrong choices.

"I made the wrong choice in putting this election before somepony I care about and despite my mistake he's still here, standing by me as surely as my friends are. It's individuals like these ponies, whom I am lucky to call my family and friends, who will keep us grounded and remember the ideals we must strive for in order to form this council with the right individuals to serve Equestria and everypony in it.

"In other words, fillies and gentlecolts, it's all up to you. Thank you."

Tomato stepped down from the podium and turned to step off the platform... when slowly but surely did an applause begin with scattered hoofstomps before it swelled in intensity and rang with cheers and shouts of approval and admiration. Tomato was stupefied, and was beginning to feel overwhelmed as well as humbled as the crowd applauded and cheered a good long while that the officials finally stepped up and tried to politely ask everypony to cease so that they could move along.

One of them gestured Tomato to step off the platform, and when he did, he saw his friends along with Cheese waiting for him, all of them smiling at him so proudly as Cheese pulled Tomato into a hug, and the rest of them joined in, the party pony whispering into Tomato's ear, "Way to go, baby bro!"

Walker Trotrun bore his dislike at Tomato, but snorted arrogantly as he waited for his turn.

Eventually, the conference ended, and the ballots were completed. As everypony waited, Tomato took the time to speak with his brother, "Cheese, I'm sorry. I let Walker Trotrun and my own insecurity get to me, and..."

He sighed and tried to think of what else to say, only for Cheese to playfully shoulder him and say, "Aw, don't sweat it, Tommy! It's not the first time somepony didn't think I was serious enough for something, and it won't be the last. Just remember - Win or lose, you're a good person and I'm proud to call you my brother."

"Thanks, Cheese," Tomato smiled gratefully when there was a boom on the mic and everypony looked to see Raven Inkwell standing at the podium.

"Alright, fillies and gentlecolts, the votes have been counted and now we shall reveal the candidates who have passed the Manehatten preliminary election and will be moving onto the primary elections that will be held in Canterlot in a few months. Starting with the Manehatten candidate for Councilor of Defense & Security..." Raven levitated an envelope that was handed to her by an aide, and she read aloud, "Officer Hard Knocks of the Manehatten Police Department!"

There was a round of applause as Hard Knocks stood up and gave a wave and grateful smile to everypony and then Raven continued reading the winning candidates. It was after the candidate for Energy & Resources was announced when Cheese noticed some shady-looking characters slipping away from behind the tent where the ballots had been counted by the officials, and one of them was carrying a box. His Cheesy Sense tingled urgently and the party pony was certain something was wrong, and it was confirmed when an aide rushed out of the tent and whispered something to Raven, who gasped!

"What?! Fillies and gentlecolts, remain calm! But it appears the votes for Business & Commerce are missing!"

Immediately, murmurs and gasps of alarm spread throughout the crowd, as Tomato said, "What's going on?! Why would the votes suddenly be missing?"

"Oh, I don't think they're missing," Bluejinx said while glaring over at Walker Trotrun, who appeared concerned but there was a confidence in his eyes, "I bet they were stolen!"

"Stolen?! That's crazy, Blue! Who would be stupid enough to steal votes right in the middle of an election. Right, Cheese?" Tomato looked to his brother... only to see Cheese was no longer there.
"What the...?"

In a grungy alleyway, three thuggish ponies and Street Rat huddled behind a dumpster as Street Rat held the box protectively, saying, "Nice work, boys! Now all we gotta do is count these votes ourselves, replace some of them with votes for the boss, and leave the box somewhere it can be found. Let's get to work."

"Now, that's not good!"

The four ponies all startled to see Cheese Sandwich, garbed in his fedora and zarape, leaning against the wall at the entrance of the alleyway, as he blew a noisemaker before tilting his head up and speaking in his 'pony with no name' voice, "A lotta good citizens thawt long n' hard on who t' vote for, and here y'all are taking away their choices."

"Move it along, Sandwich!" Street Rat sneered, "Unless you'd like to have a word with these gentlecolts."

The three thugs, an earth pony, a unicorn, and a pegasus, all of them ugly bruiser-types, stepped in front of Street Rat, giving Cheese a nasty glare from each of them. An average pony would have backed off and made tracks away from that situation as quickly as possible. However, Cheese wasn't an average pony and he knew too much was at stake to allow himself to be cowed by some common bullies.

"Now, gentlecolts, let's be sensible here," Cheese offered, "tampering with voting procedures is a federal offense, I believe. If you're lucky, you'll each be charged a hefty fine, but odds are you'll be charged with a felony instead. Five years jail time, at minimum!"

The unicorn thug started to look uneasy which Street Rat noticed, "Aw, don't listen to him! What's a party pony know about law and crime?!"

"It's true, I never finished high school because I dropped out in my sophomore year to follow my calling as a party pony," Cheese shrugged, "but I did take a class in law my freshman year, at my mom's insistence. So why don't y'all just fork over the ballot box there and I'll pretend I never saw any of ya."

"Forget this, ice this deadbeat!" Street Rat snapped as he pointed at Cheese, and the thugs moved in.

"Have it your way," responded Cheese in an 'oh well' manner as he pulled out a box with some paper circles. "But before we get physical..."

Cheese pulled a cord on the box, and immediately the paper circles were blown open as fireworks launched straight upwards and exploded into bursts of bright and vaporous color! The vapor gently rained down and one of the thugs had his mouth open and went, "Huh, I taste... strawberry?"

"Fruit-Flavored Fireworks, courtesy of some mad scientist friends of mine," Cheese nodded with a smile as he held out his tongue and let some of the vapor land on it, "Flashy and delicious!"

"Why the buck would you set off...!!!" Street Rat just about had a stroke as he realized ponies were coming towards the alleyway on both ends. "Aw geez, take him down!!"

"Do you all really want to throw your freedom away for whatever jerk is putting you all up to this?" Cheese advised. "Just return the votes and you can leave!"

"The boss is paying you enough your grandfoals will never have to work a day in their lives, just get him!!" Street Rat shrieked as he hopped up and down in frustration, keeping the box of votes close to his chest.

Seeing the thugs weren't going to be dissuaded, Cheese sighed as he summoned his sword,"Have it your way..."

His sword flared with power under his zerape and he felt a rush of energy as the words made themselves known in his mind and he smirked, "Make `em laugh... Wack-a-Doodle!"

Cheese's sword flared with power as his fedora and zerape were blown off to reveal his knightly armor... and his sword had transformed into a large mallet-like instrument, the kind of mallet one would use to play those wack-a-mole arcade games, albeit much bigger. It was as long as Cheese was tall, the handle was colored the same dark pink as Pinkie Pie's mane while the mallet was colored a darker shade of his own cheese-colored coat and looked like an accordion, the flat of each side bearing his cutie-mark, there was an odd funnel on top of the mallet opposite the base of the pole-like handle, and the end of the handle had some other implements on it.

The thugs, Street Rat, and the ponies who'd come to see what was going on stood in awe of the fully-realized Knight of Harmony as Cheese beamed, "Let's PART-AY!!!"

He took the pommel of Wack-a-Doodle's handle to his mouth and blew into it, causing the funnel on top to release a horn-like blare of sound along with an explosion of confetti, glitter, and silly string that got all over the earth pony thug and he was alarmed when he felt himself get sticky and tangled, rendering him helpless.

The pegasus thug took flight, rising up until he cleared the top of the buildings forming the alleyway, and then dive-bombed towards Cheese. Cheese didn't bat an eye, as he fiddled with the implements on the bottom of Wack-a-Doodle's handle, causing two rung-like pieces to fold out and adjust them to slide a hoof up along the handle's length, and he quickly used Wack-a-Doodle like a pogo-stick to avoid the pegasus and front flipped downwards, bringing Wack-a-Doodle smacking on top of the pegasus' head, a comical 'BONK' sound resounding and the pegasus found himself dazed with a silly look on his face, his tongue hanging out, and tweeting birds flying around his head as he keeled over.

"URGH, do something!!" Street Rat snapped at the remaining thug, the unicorn, who charged up his horn and fired several Magic Arrow spells at Cheese.

The party pony knight responded by balancing on his curly tail and using Wack-a-Doodle to quite literally bat the Magic Arrows away, causing each of them to harmlessly dissipate into fading sparks of mana, before Cheese yet again took the handle of Wack-a-Doodle to his mouth and blew. But instead of the built-in horn blaring a sound or releasing silly string, glitter, or confetti, it blew out a large bubble that floated over to the unicorn thug and quickly enveloped him, to his surprise!

"Hey! Lemme outta here!" he yelled, his voice echoing inside the bubble, which refused to pop even when he poked it with his horn, and the bubble gently bounced around like a balloon losing its helium.

"Oh COME ON!!" Street Rat griped before he facehooved... and realized he was surrounded on both sides of the alleyway by the locals, all glaring at him and the box he was holding. Gulping, he nervously said, "Uh- Hi, everypony! Uh... nice day for an election, huh?"

"Who put you up this?"

Street Rat looked to see Cheese was now standing only one pony length from him, Wack-a-Doodle resting against his shoulder as Cheese pointed out, "You said to your buddies that your boss was gonna pay them, and I overheard you saying you were going to go through the votes in that ballot box and change some of them."

"Uh- I..." Street Rat got shifty-eyed as he wracked his brain for an excuse when a sharp pitch of static buzzed inside his jacket.

"Street Rat, what's taking you? Where are those votes?! If you flubbed this job and you're still in Manehatten, I'll make you wish you were never born...!"

Recognizing that voice as he raised a knowing brow at Street Rat, Cheese held out his hoof expectantly, and the sleaze sighed in defeat as he forked over a walkie-talkie while a couple of police officers came over to take back the ballot box and arrest Street Rat and his thugs.

Clearing his throat, Cheese responded to the caller in the walkie-talkie, "Good afternoon, Mister Trotrun, this is Sir Cheese Sandwich. How are you today?"

...

...

...

The walkie-talkie finally buzzed as Walker Trotrun hesitantly responded, "I-I'm... I'm completely screwed, aren't I."

Walker Trotrun was arrested, along with Street Rat and his accomplices although they were given a deal of leniency if they testified against Trotrun. The ballot box was returned and looked over to make sure the votes hadn't been tampered with, and finally, Raven Inkwell announced, "And the Manehatten candidate for Councilor of Business & Commerce is..."

All eyes were on Raven as everypony leaned forward while Cheese provided an impromptu drumroll, "TOMATO SANDWICH!!"

Tomato stood there, stupefied, unable to believe he had really won! He'd thought for certain Manehatten would choose one of the other two (remaining) candidates who were more experienced politicians, and yet it had been his name announced from the ballot box. Even as his friends cheered for him, Nimbus and Cirrus hoisting him onto their withers so that everypony could see him (albeit they already could, what with his dumbfounded expression on the jumbo-tron), Tomato's eyes searched for and found the proud and warm smile of his brother, Cheese Sandwich.

Ugh, I am not proud of this arc. It took longer than I intended, mostly because I didn't feel the creative drive spurring me through it. It just felt like a chore to do, but after sitting on it for so long I forced myself to just finish it so I could move on.

So, Cheese unlocks his knightly sword, Wack-a-Doodle. It's not a "weapon" so much as it is the ultimate party favor. It's basically an oversized toy mallet that can be used for a whole bunch of things; it's adjustable with multiple settings, uses, and surprises hidden inside of it

It can be used as a party horn (that can sound a loud horn but also blow a bunch of different surprises), a pogostick, a wacky mallet, and that's just a few things it can do.

Ordinarily "Wack-a-Doodle" is used to describe a crazy person, but I like the name because it sounded funny and the doodle part makes me think of music, which is Cheese Sandwich's Element of Harmony

The elections shown here aren't deciding who is going to be the next members of the new Equestrian Council; it's sort of like a preliminary round that every major city and town in Equestria is having, to narrow down the candidates from all over Equestria in the upcoming primary elections that will determine the council's democratically-elected members

So Tomato Sandwich isn't Councilor of Business & Commerce just yet...