Mid-morning on Sunday found the gym at Canterlot High packed. Most of the student body who weren't involved with the bake sale had assembled to watch the semifinals of the cooking contest. Four elaborate modular kitchen setups had been constructed in the center of the gym.
Applejack and Pinkie Pie sat with Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle in the bleachers. "Where's Fluttershy?" Apple Bloom asked.
"She's restin' at home today," Applejack said with a grimace.
"Is she sick? Did she have a bad reaction after she came down?" Pinkie asked.
Applejack shrugged. "Honestly? Ah think she's jes' too embarrassed t' show her face."
"What happened?" Scootaloo asked.
Pinkie Pie sighed. "Let's just say Fluttershy and marijuana aren't the best combination."
The younger girls looked at each other with wide eyes. "Fluttershy got high on weed?" Scootaloo asked.
"Not on purpose," Applejack said. She shook her head. "Anyhoo, we'll jes' hafta cheer th' girls on twice as hard t' make up fer Fluttershy not bein' here."
"Wouldn't we have to cheer them on twice as hard even if she was here?" Sweetie Belle asked. The other girls giggled.
Applejack rolled her eyes. "Alright, y'all."
The lights suddenly dimmed. The staccato pounding of snare drums filled the gym as the Canterlot High marching band entered, forming two lines leading from the north entrance to the kitchen stations. Spotlights snapped on, illuminating the path between them as well as the judges' table, where Principal Celestia, Ms. Harshwhinny, Dean Cadance, and Rainbow Dash sat.
"Welcome, everyone, to the semifinal round of the Canterlot High Cooking Contest!" Celestia greeted grandly. "In just a moment, four contestants are about to enter. Of those four, two will advance to this afternoon's finals! By the end of today, we will crown one student or group of students the supreme student chefs of CHS!
"Please welcome the students who will be competing in our own kitchen arena today! First up, three girls who certainly need no introduction, who have shown us all the magic of friendship! Please welcome Sunset Shimmer, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle!"
The band drummed wildly as the three girls entered the gym, waving to the cheering crowd. They jogged over to their designated kitchen station, where their equipment and supplies were already waiting for them.
"And their opponent, a girl who aspires to be both a rock star and a stage magician, and certainly worked her magic with food yesterday—please welcome Trixie Lulamoon!"
Before the band could even start drumming, a plume of blue smoke and a shower of purple sparks erupted from the second kitchen station. Trixie appeared with a flourish of her cape, which she tossed aside along with her pointed magician's hat. She gave her hair a flip and posed with a hand on her hip to mild applause.
"Next, we have three rockers who showed us yesterday they can rock a grill: Flash Sentry, Skunk Rock, and Beats!"
The guys strolled out to the marching band's drum accompaniment and generous applause, heading for the only station with a barbecue grill set up.
"And finally, their opponent, the mysterious and taciturn master of Mexican cuisine, the blue corn king, Negra Arroyo!"
Very little applause heralded Negra Arroyo's calm, no-nonsense entrance. He walked up to his station, took off his porkpie hat, rolled up his sleeves, and went right to work.
The lights snapped on and the brackets appeared on the scoreboard above the judges.
"Contestants, you have three hours to prepare your dishes. As before, judging will take place when each contestant's submission is ready to be served. Octavia Melody will be wandering the floor, asking questions of our cooks and reporting on the floor action." Celestia raised her hand into the air.
"Let the cooking...BEGIN!"
* * * * *
"Excuse me. You're Twilight's friends, right?"
Applejack and Pinkie Pie looked up to see a woman who looked like an older Twilight with light grey-white skin and lavender hair with two ivory streaks. To one side of her stood a blue-skinned man with dark blue hair; to the other stood a pale cream-white boy about five years older than them with shaggy two-tone blue hair. "Yeah," Pinkie Pie said. "You're her mom and dad and brother, right?"
"That's right," Twilight Velvet said. "Do you mind if we join you?"
"Sure!" Pinkie Pie scooted around to make room for them.
"Thank you, dear." Twilight's family sat down between the three younger girls and Pinkie Pie.
"We almost didn't make it," Night Light said. "We got held up by the tail end of the Buffalo Pride Parade."
"That's STILL goin' on?" Applejack cried. "Ah thought that was jes' th' one day!"
"Oh, it's making its way west," Shining Armor said. "It started out here in the sticks, then today it moved into the city where we live."
Applejack frowned. "Hey now. This here's th' suburbs, not th' sticks."
Shining Armor rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry," he said. He sighed. "Man, Cadance is lucky. What I wouldn't give to be on that judging panel today."
Velvet rolled her eyes. "Come on, boys, you already demolished one whole platter when they learned the recipe."
Sweetie Belle tilted her head. "So you guys know what they're gonna make today?"
Velvet smiled. "Oh, we certainly do," she said, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
* * * * *
"I dunno, dude," Beats said as he and Skunk chopped potatoes and carrots while Flash got the grill going. "I don't like our chances against that Negra Arroyo guy."
"I know," Flash said with a resigned sigh, "but we gotta do our best."
"And yet you're barbecuing again," the cultured voice of Octavia Melody broke in as she approached with a microphone. "You managed to do quite well sticking to your one trick, but do you really think cookout food is going to do the trick here?"
Flash shrugged. "Probably not, but it's all we've got," he said.
"Really," Octavia drawled. "You didn't bother to learn how to do anything else? Not even proper side dishes?"
"I can't even boil an egg, dude," Skunk said.
Octavia made a face. "Interesting choice, then, to enter a cooking competition. If I might ask, what was your motivation for entering when none of you can properly cook?"
The guys looked at one another, then at Flash. Flash sighed and looked away. "Well..." His shoulders slumped. "I screwed up so bad at the Friendship Games, I wanted to kinda, y'know, maybe make a comeback from that? Earn back some cred?"
"Hmm, I see," Octavia said. "Well...win or lose, you boys did make it to the semifinals, against all odds. I'd say job well done." She looked over what the three boys were doing. "So, am I to assume you're going to be making some sort of kebabs?"
"That's right," Skunk said. "Thought we'd change it up a bit and do mutton today."
"I see. That's certainly a change of pace."
"We're also gonna roast some ears of corn," Beats added.
"Well, good luck to you," Octavia said before walking away.
Across the gym, Sunset shot a pensive look at the boys. "So that's what this is all about," she said. "Here I thought he was just trying to show off for..." She trailed off. "Nevermind."
"Oh, SHOOT!" Twilight suddenly yelped. "Girls, we've got a problem!"
"What is it, darli—oh. Oh no."
The girls stared in dismay at the block of cheddar Twilight had just begun cubing...which was encrusted in blue and white mold.
"Crap!" Sunset spat. "How the hell'd that happen?!"
"I dunno, but it's a problem," Twilight said worriedly.
"It's not our only problem," Rarity moaned as she held up their onion. Which, once the outer skin had been removed, was revealed to be partially rotten.
"Gah," Sunset said.
"What're we gonna do, girls?" Twilight moaned.
Rarity sighed dramatically. "We are in a pickle, aren't we..."
Sunset took a deep breath. "No, we can handle this," she said. "You girls check and see if anything else went bad on us. I'll check to see if the judges'll let us make an emergency trip to the store."
"But...none of us can leave the gym during the contest, right?"
"I've got it covered," Sunset said. "At least, I hope." With that, she took off running for the judges' table.
"There seems to be some sort of commotion," Cadance informed the crowd as Sunset pelted toward them. Celestia motioned down the table, and all four judges killed their mics as Sunset skidded to a halt, leaning against the table, chest heaving as she panted for breath.
"What seems to be the problem, Sunset?" Celestia asked.
Sunset took a deep breath. "Some of our ingredients went bad," she said. "We caught it in time and we can still finish up well inside the time limit if we can send somebody on a quick food run. Is that allowed?"
The judges looked at one another and shrugged. "I don't see why not," Celestia said. "As long as you finish and present your dish within the time limit. Will one of you be leaving?"
"No, I'm gonna send Pinkie Pie," Sunset said. "She's a fast shopper and I trust her to know her foods. I mean, if that's allowed."
"Sure, go for it," Rainbow said.
"I have no objections," Ms. Harshwhinny said. "It would be a shame to have a similar tragedy occur as what happened to Ms. Masala yesterday."
"Yeah, do what you gotta do," Cadance agreed.
Sunset beamed gratefully at them. "Thanks," she said. She rushed back over to the others, waving desperately at Pinkie Pie as she passed.
The judges cut their microphones back on. "Pinkie Pie, please report to the floor," Celestia said. "Also, I have an announcement at this time. If any contestants discover missing or spoiled ingredients, please alert us immediately. You will be allowed to send a runner to the store, so long as you will still be able to finish cooking in time."
Pinkie Pie vaulted over three rows of spectators and landed on the floor, sprinting over to her friends just as Sunset made it back. "What's up, girls?" she asked.
Sunset looked to the other girls. "Anything else turn up bad?" she asked.
Twilight shook her head. "Just the cheese and the onion," she said.
Sunset sighed with relief. "Good. Okay, Pinkie, we need you to run to the store for us real fast."
"Sure," Pinkie said. "But it'd be faster if I took my scooter."
Sunset facepalmed. "Yes, by all means, please take your scooter," she said flatly. She fished a handful of bills out of her wallet and handed them to Pinkie. "We need a large yellow onion and a pound of sharp cheddar cheese."
Pinkie saluted. "Right away, Cap'n Cook ma'am!" She bolted for the exit.
Sunset took a deep breath. "Alright, so we can't get to work on the meat yet, but at least we can get a head start on cutting everything else up."
Octavia walked up to them. "So, you girls ran into a little problem?" she asked.
"Yeah, we had some moldy cheese and a rotten onion," Twilight said. "Could've been a disaster if we didn't have time to get more."
"Well, while you wait for your friend to return," Octavia said, "would you spare a few words for everyone?"
"Sure," Sunset said as she diced a tomato.
"Yesterday, you offered up a Prench dish and a Neighponese dish," Octavia said. "Will you be similarly exploring world flavor today?"
"Absolutely, darling!" Rarity said as she sliced jalapeños. "For the semifinals, we'll be presenting a Mexican treat." She shot a catty smirk at Negra Arroyo, who looked up briefly from his preparations and glared at them. "For the finals, we'll be dazzling you all with a taste of Bitaly!"
"You seem confident you'll advance to the finals," Octavia said. "I take it then that you don't view Trixie as a threat?"
The three girls looked at each other, then over at Trixie, who was scowling at them. "Trixie's good," Sunset admitted. "We honestly didn't expect that. But you don't win with a 'maybe' attitude."
That statement earned wild applause from the crowd. Trixie snorted and looked pointedly away.
"So what precisely are you girls making today?" Octavia asked, looking over their ingredients. "The flour tortillas would seem to indicate some sort of burritos, or perhaps soft tacos?"
Sunset smirked. "Actually, we're making nachos."
This drew some murmurs from the crowd. Octavia tilted her head. "Nachos?"
"Nachos," Twilight affirmed with a confident smile.
Octavia craned her neck and scanned their ingredients. "But...I'm sorry...the flour tortillas, then?"
The three girls looked at one another. "Shall we spoil the surprise, girls?" Rarity asked.
"Sure, why not," Sunset said. She looked around at the other competitors, at the judges, and at the audience. "We're making nachos with flour tortilla chips," she announced loudly.
Negra Arroyo looked up sharply, surprise evident on his face. Flash and his friends blinked and looked at each other in confusion. Interested and excited murmurs rose from the crowd. Even the judges leaned forward in interest.
Celestia covered her mic. "Rainbow Dash, did you know about this?" she whispered.
Rainbow shook her head. "First I've heard of it," she said. "So they're doin' like what, taco salad but as nachos?"
"Sounds like it," Cadance said. "This should be fun!"
Octavia's brow furrowed. "So then the flour tortillas you have..."
"We're going to fry them!" Rarity sang. "We're going to cut them up and fry them for fresh, crispy flour tortilla chips."
That got everybody excited.
"Well then," Octavia said, "that should be quite the treat for our judges! If all goes well, I expect you'll have half the school asking for this recipe later."
Sunset laughed. "They'll have to ask Twilight's mom, it's her recipe. It's not ours to share."
"I see," Octavia said. "Well, best of luck to you girls!"
"Duuude," Beats said as he put chunks of mutton in a bowl of sauce, "that sounds freakin' sweet."
"Yeah," Flash agreed. "I'm glad we're not up against the girls. We'd be so boned."
"We're boned either way," Skunk pointed out as he rolled carrots in a separate bowl. "I think that Negra dude's pissed now."
Flash looked over at Negra Arroyo and frowned. "Yeah, that little announcement kinda set him off..."
Octavia approached Trixie. "So, you've heard what your opponents are making," she said. "Would you care to share your menu with the audience?"
Trixie gave a haughty sniff. "Well, those girls may be bringing the appetizer, but TRRRRIXIE is delivering the MAIN COURSE!" She stepped back and gave the audience a theatrical bow. "Today, Trixie will be demonstrating her versatility with something..." She laughed into the back of her hand. "A bit more down-home. Something you might find in Applejack's little country kitchen."
"Oh? And what might that be?" Octavia asked.
"Well, if you must know," Trixie said haughtily, "Trixie is preparing traditional country fried steak with cream gravy, fried okra, and handmade seasoned crispy tater tots!" She fanned herself. "Yes, I am that amazing."
Octavia's brow furrowed. "If I remember correctly, yesterday you made pepper steak and steak pot pie. Now you're offering yet another steak dish?"
Trixie's haughty expression turned to an annoyed scowl. "I had a lot of steak," she snapped sourly.
"Well, your reputation is certainly at—ahem—steak," Octavia said, earning chuckles and groans at her pun. Trixie rolled her eyes and pointedly returned her attention to her preparations.
Rainbow Dash snickered. "Same old Trixie," she said.
"Do you have some sort of rivalry with that girl?" Cadance asked.
"Couldn't you tell?" Celestia said with a teasing smile. "They're competing for title of Bluest Girl At CHS."
Rainbow Dash blinked at that. "Uhh...we kinda threw down at the Battle of the Bands," she said. "Actually, we had a shred-off over this sweet guitar a while back, but I ended up letting her have it even though I totally won because I liked the one I was playing better and the other one was ten thousand bucks anyway."
"Ouch," Cadance said.
"Anyway, Trixie's an arrogant show-off," Rainbow said.
Ms. Harshwhinny stared at her incredulously. "And you aren't?"
"Hey, at least I got the skills to back it up!" Rainbow retorted hotly.
"If you say so," Ms. Harshwhinny drawled.
"And lastly," Octavia said from the floor, "I'd like to get some remarks from Negra Arroyo. Err, would you do us the courtesy of actually speaking to everyone this time?"
Negra Arroyo glanced at her, then shrugged. "Alright," he said as he sliced something on a cutting board.
"Very well. What are you planning to prepare for the judges today?"
"Well, since Ms. Harshwhinny criticized my reliance on restaurant fare yesterday," Negra Arroyo said, "I decided to start off with one of my own original recipes."
"Really?" Octavia said. "Tell us more!"
"I'd rather not divulge anything," Negra Arroyo said as he finished slicing and scraped his ingredients into a shallow skillet. "What I will say is that you ladies are in for something I know you'll all love."
"I see." Octavia looked over his station. "You also have flour tortillas. May I assume you're going to use them in a more traditional way than the ladies over there are?"
Negra Arroyo frowned. "I have to give those girls credit," he admitted. "Flour tortilla chips aren't something you run into anywhere close to often enough. Even if all they're making are nachos, judging by what I see going on over there, I don't doubt I'll be facing those three in the finals."
"Oh? You seem confident you'll win this round."
Negra Arroyo snorted. "Please," he said. "I think we all know by now how this is gonna play out."
"Well, there you have it," Octavia said. "I'll be reporting on the action for the remainder of the day, but for now, I believe I need a break and some water." The audience applauded as she walked over to a chair at the end of the judges' table and sat down.
"You know," Shining Armor said thoughtfully, "I think maybe going to Crystal Prep was a mistake after all."
"Oh?" Velvet asked, looking over at him. "Why's that?"
Shining Armor looked down at the floor, then around the stands. "This school is wall-to-wall hot girls," he said. "It was never like this at Crystal Prep!"
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Ain't you a little too old t' be oglin' high school girls?"
"What? I'm not that old," Shining Armor said defensively. "Besides, I'm just sayin' it looks like going here woulda been more fun. Y'know, if I was still a teenager."
Applejack rolled her eyes. "Whutever you say, pard," she drawled.
"I dunno, I thought Crystal Prep had some really pretty girls," Sweetie Belle said.
"Not when I went there," Shining Armor said. "Well, except for Cadance."
* * * * *
The contest had been in full swing for a good twenty minutes when Pinkie Pie rushed in, a grocery bag swinging from her hand, and skidded up to the girls' station. "Here you go," she said.
"Thanks, Pinkie, you're a lifesaver," Sunset said. She took the bag, extracted the onion and the cheese, then handed the latter off to Twilight while giving Rarity the onion. "Okay girls, let's pick up the pace!"
"Anything else I can do to help?" Pinkie asked.
"Nope," Sunset said. "Appreciate the save, though."
"Okay, I'll head back up to the stands now," Pinkie said. "By the way, Twilight, your family's here watching!"
"I know," Twilight said with a smirk.
As the day wore on, Octavia wandered around the gym floor, asking the chefs questions and commenting on their preparations. Trixie was the first semifinalist to present her dishes to be judged. "Ladies," she said primly as she wheeled her serving cart to the table. With a magician's flair, she plated four piping hot, golden brown country fried steaks, ladling white cream gravy over each. She then added a generous spoonful of crispy fried okra to each plate, followed by several tater tots. As she placed the plates before the judges, she said, "The steaks and okra are hand-floured and hand-breaded. The okra is fresh, not frozen, of course, and has been lightly seasoned with my own herb mixture. The golden potatoes I used for the tater tots were lightly roasted in bacon fat and olive oil before I shredded them."
"Well, I must say I'm impressed," Celestia said. "You may have a somewhat...unfavorable reputation among your peers, but you are indeed a young woman of many talents."
"Yeah, if you weren't such an obnoxious loudmouth, you'd be pretty cool to hang out with," Rainbow agreed as she cut into the steak. She took a bite and closed her eyes. "Oh yeah, that's good," she said.
Cadance chewed a piece of the okra. "Your okra is perfect," she said. "Crispy, tender on the inside...the herbs you use really enhance the flavor."
"I think perhaps the tater tots are a bit of an overreach," Ms. Harshwhinny said. "They're good, but from the sound of it, you wasted a great deal of effort on a basic side that could've been expended on creating a more innovative menu."
"I'm curious as to why you chose this for your semifinal round entry," Cadance said. "It's good and all, but after your pepper steak and your pot pie, this feels like a step backward."
"I'm afraid I have to agree," Celestia said.
"Yeah, even I'm kinda steaked out by now," Rainbow agreed. "This is good, don't get me wrong. It's not quite on Granny Smith's level, but she's been makin' this kinda stuff longer than our folks have been around. I think your pepper steak was way better than this. You shoulda saved it for the real fight."
Trixie frowned. "I hate to admit it, but...you may have a point."
Celestia smiled. "Selecting the order in which to present your dishes can be one of the most challenging parts of a cooking competition," she said.
"It's still very good, though," Cadance said as she wiped her mouth daintily. "You should be proud of yourself for a job well done, no matter what the outcome."
Trixie smiled. "Well, it's true. Once again, I have demonstrated my amazing talents to everybody at CHS." She tossed her hair.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "And you still have more ham than you've got steak."
Celestia sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Judges, let's give Trixie her scores, shall we?"
SEMIFINAL ROUND - CONTESTANT(S): TRIXIE LULAMOON
PREPARATION: 9.75/10
Judge 1 (Principal Celestia): 10
Judge 2 (Ms. Harshwhinny): 9
Judge 3 (Dean Cadance): 10
Judge 4 (Rainbow Dash): 10
PRESENTATION: 9/10
Judge 1 (Principal Celestia): 9
Judge 2 (Ms. Harshwhinny): 9
Judge 3 (Dean Cadance): 9
Judge 4 (Rainbow Dash): 9
CREATIVITY: 7.25/10
Judge 1 (Principal Celestia): 7
Judge 2 (Ms. Harshwhinny): 7
Judge 3 (Dean Cadance): 8
Judge 4 (Rainbow Dash): 7
TASTE: 9/10
Judge 1 (Principal Celestia): 9
Judge 2 (Ms. Harshwhinny): 9
Judge 3 (Dean Cadance): 9
Judge 4 (Rainbow Dash): 9
"I'll be frank, Ms. Lulamoon," Ms. Harshwhinny said. "Your mistake was in the order of presentation of your dishes. Had you selected this as your preliminary round offering, then presented your pepper steak in this round, your chances of advancing would be greater. As it stands..." She shook her head. "Well, you still received an excellent score, but your chances of advancing to the final round are slim."
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure my friends have you beat on creativity," Rainbow agreed. "I mean, good try and all, but you shoulda switched it up more, y'know?"
The audience applauded politely as Trixie returned to her station to clean up. Octavia caught up with her halfway. "It looks as though your overuse of steak and your poor choice in presentation order affected your score," she said.
Trixie sighed. "Yeah," she said. "I guess I kinda deserve the bad score on creativity. Still, other than that, I'm satisfied with my scores. Trixie is far from defeated!"
Sunset, Twilight, and Rarity looked at one another. "Looks like it's all riding on creativity," Sunset said.
"Well in that case, we've won," Twilight said.
"Don't be too sure, darling," Rarity said. "Let's focus on finishing up and making our presentation. This needs to be perfect."
* * * * *
Negra Arroyo approached the judges' table with his serving cart, on which three skillets sat. On each serving plate, he spread out one large flour tortilla; he carefully portioned out a mixture from one skillet which consisted of diced tomatoes, diced chiles, slivers of onion, whole kernels of blue and white corn, and thin slices of pale, spongy-looking meat that was crispy and crinkled around the edges of each round, quarter-sized slice. On top of this mixture, he spooned guacamole, then folded each tortilla over and slid it to the side. Next, he added half of a fried corn tortilla to each plate before topping it with a sunny-side-up fried egg and salsa. Lastly, he spooned a portion of refried black beans onto each plate. "Judges," he said as he placed a plate before each, "today I have for you my original recipe, Pito Fernando. I've chosen to serve it with huevos rancheros and refried black beans."
"It looks good," Cadance said. "I recognized everything in the main dish except one ingredient."
"Ah, that would be my secret ingredient," Negra Arroyo said. "It's a delicacy."
"Oh?" Celestia asked as she picked up her tortilla and took a large bite.
Ms. Harshwhinny extracted a slice of the round, spongy meat from her tortilla and examined it intently. "Most curious," she said. "I don't recognize it. What is it, if I may ask?"
Negra Arroyo gave her a scrutinizing, ponderous look for a moment before replying, "Verga del toro." He smiled. "Trust me, you'll love it."
"It's not like, tongue or something, is it?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Something like that," Negra Arroyo said. "Just try it. You'll like it."
Rainbow shrugged. "Haven't gone wrong with your cookin' yet." She picked hers up and took a bite, even as Ms. Harshwhinny experimentally chewed a slice of the secret ingredient.
"Well, this is prepared with your usual skill," Celestia said. "Everything works together perfectly, your seasonings are just right...that meat, it's a bit on the tough side, but it has a sharp flavor that goes well with the rest of the ingredients."
"It reminds me a bit of alligator tail," Ms. Harshwhinny said as she picked up her entree and tasted it.
"I like this," Cadance said. "I'm not going to pry as to what your secret ingredient is, because every chef is allowed their little secrets. Honestly, I think I'd have preferred grilled chicken in this, but this isn't about what I like, it's about you showing us what you can do." With that, she attacked her huevos rancheros. "Your eggs are perfect," she said.
"Oh yes, the decision to plate this with huevos rancheros was a good call," Ms. Harshwhinny agreed. "Perhaps a bit too much tomato and chile with the two dishes paired together, but it's a combination you can't go wrong with."
"The refried black beans are a nice touch," Celestia said. She looked down the table. "Judges? Are we ready?"
"I believe so," Ms. Harshwhinny said as she picked up her tablet. The others did likewise...
SEMIFINAL ROUND - CONTESTANT(S): NEGRA ARROYO
PREPARATION: 10/10
Judge 1 (Principal Celestia): 10
Judge 2 (Ms. Harshwhinny): 10
Judge 3 (Dean Cadance): 10
Judge 4 (Rainbow Dash): 10
PRESENTATION: 10/10
Judge 1 (Principal Celestia): 10
Judge 2 (Ms. Harshwhinny): 10
Judge 3 (Dean Cadance): 10
Judge 4 (Rainbow Dash): 10
CREATIVITY: 10/10
Judge 1 (Principal Celestia): 10
Judge 2 (Ms. Harshwhinny): 10
Judge 3 (Dean Cadance): 10
Judge 4 (Rainbow Dash): 10
TASTE: 10/10
Judge 1 (Principal Celestia): 10
Judge 2 (Ms. Harshwhinny): 10
Judge 3 (Dean Cadance): 10
Judge 4 (Rainbow Dash): 10
Applause greeted the score. Negra Arroyo sketched a small bow as he returned to his station. Once his back was turned to the judges, a satisfied smirk crossed his face.
In the stands, Pinkie nodded. "Yeah, it's gonna be him and the girls in the finals," she said. "They're the only ones that have gotten an all-tens score in this whole thing."
"What'd they get all tens on?" Velvet asked. "Twiley was too tired to say much more than they won when she got home yesterday."
"The okonomiyaki in the quarterfinals," Pinkie said. "Until now, they had the only perfect ten score in the whole contest."
"I wonder what verga del toro is," Applejack said thoughtfully.
Shining Armor took out his phone and tapped at the screen. A minute later, his face turned green. "Uhh...you don't wanna know," he said. "And...neither does Cadance. Like...ever."
"It can't be that bad," Pinkie said. She craned her neck to look over Shining Armor's shoulder. Her hair exploded outward. "Oh," she said. "Huh." She shrugged. "Eh, I've heard of worse."
* * * * *
"Okay, that's the last of them," Twilight said as she took the last chips out of the fryer and seasoned them.
"Alright, let's get to work," Sunset said. Working swiftly, the girls spread half of the chips on the serving platter, then began adding layers of toppings.
"Wow, putting this all together goes a lot more smoothly when we have this much counter space to work with," Sunset said.
"It does help that we could work directly on the serving cart," Rarity said.
Massive applause broke out as Sunset, Twilight, and Rarity wheeled their serving cart to the judges' table. "Oh man," Rainbow Dash said, eyes wide and mouth open in excitement. "Those. Look. Awesome!" She pulled her phone out and held it up. As the girls approached, she took a picture of the platter of nachos.
Cadance laughed. "Well, I think Rainbow's a fan," she said.
"That is quite the impressive platter of nachos," Celestia said. "Why don't you tell us all about it while you plate them?"
"Of course," Rarity said. "These nachos consist of freshly fried seasoned flour tortilla chips topped with seasoned ground beef, black beans, sweet and mild taco sauce, a creamy cheese sauce prepared in a double boiler which consists of cheddar and jack cheeses with just a hint of sriracha sauce, diced fresh tomatoes, sliced jalapeños, and sour cream." As she spoke, Sunset carefully plated four servings of nachos, and Twilight passed them down the table to the judges.
"Wow, talk about loaded," Cadance said.
"The last time I had nachos with that many toppings," Celestia began. She paused. "I actually can't remember!"
"I would honestly say this seems more like an elaborate taco salad served in nacho form," Ms. Harshwhinny said as she hefted a sizeable bite of toppings and chip to her mouth with a fork. After chewing and swallowing, she continued, "Nevertheless, your presentation is outstanding, the creativity on display with the use of flour tortilla chips is impressive, and these are absolutely delicious. I particularly commend you on the decision to season the chips. That was an extra step most would consider unnecessary."
"Holy crap these are the best nachos ever," Rainbow Dash said.
"I love your presentation," Cadance said. "I'm glad Rainbow Dash thought to take a picture, this is definitely food art." She giggled. "You've taken ordinary junk food and turned it into something special."
"I'm particularly impressed that you used a double boiler for the cheese sauce," Celestia said. She tilted her head. "You say this recipe came from Twilight's mother?"
"That's right," Twilight said. "Mom came up with this recipe a long time ago, including the flour tortilla chips. She shared it with us for the cooking contest."
Cadance smiled. "So these are the famous 'special nachos'," she mused. "I always wondered."
"Well, even if the recipe isn't yours personally, there's still quite a bit of creativity here," Ms. Harshwhinny said. "Also, the fact that you encountered a problem and dealt with it swiftly will be taken into consideration."
"Just out of curiosity, what are the chips seasoned with?" Celestia asked.
"Crushed roasted red peppers, parmesan cheese, and salt," Rarity said. "Mrs. Velvet's recipe calls for powdered blue cheese, but it's expensive and difficult to obtain, so on her recommendation, we substituted parmesan."
"Sounds like they'd be perfectly delicious all by themselves," Cadance said.
"I like how they're not too spicy," Rainbow Dash said. "You'd think with jalapeños and sriracha they'd be spicy, but the cheese and sour cream make up for it."
"Yes, my main complaint about spicy foods is when chefs do little to offset the spice," Celestia said. "Here, you've offset the spiciness just enough that the flavor of the peppers and sriracha can be enjoyed fully."
"These were a lot of work to make, weren't they?" Cadance asked. "I mean, a lot more work than nachos usually need."
"It is...a rather involved recipe," Rarity said, looking back at their station, which was covered in bowls, pots, pans, and skillets.
"Well, girls," Celestia said with a broad smile. "I must say you've outdone yourselves once again. Judges, are we ready to score?"
"You bet we are!" Rainbow said enthusiastically, licking cheese sauce from her fingers and picking up her tablet.
SEMIFINAL ROUND - CONTESTANT(S): SUNSET SHIMMER, TWILIGHT SPARKLE, AND RARITY
PREPARATION: 10/10
Judge 1 (Principal Celestia): 10
Judge 2 (Ms. Harshwhinny): 10
Judge 3 (Dean Cadance): 10
Judge 4 (Rainbow Dash): 10
PRESENTATION: 10/10
Judge 1 (Principal Celestia): 10
Judge 2 (Ms. Harshwhinny): 10
Judge 3 (Dean Cadance): 10
Judge 4 (Rainbow Dash): 10
CREATIVITY: 10/10
Judge 1 (Principal Celestia): 10
Judge 2 (Ms. Harshwhinny): 10
Judge 3 (Dean Cadance): 10
Judge 4 (Rainbow Dash): 10
TASTE: 10/10
Judge 1 (Principal Celestia): 10
Judge 2 (Ms. Harshwhinny): 10
Judge 3 (Dean Cadance): 10
Judge 4 (Rainbow Dash): 10
A wild cheer erupted from the crowd. The three girls whooped excitedly and jumped up and down, hugging each other.
"Congratulations, girls!" Celestia said brightly. "You three will be moving on to this evening's finals. Good luck!"
As the beaming girls wheeled their serving cart back to their station, they were intercepted by both Octavia and Trixie. "Trixie will be the judge of how good these nachos are!" Trixie erupted, snatching up a paper plate and a spatula and serving herself a helping. With a haughty sniff, she took a bite.
Her eyes widened.
Without another word, she wandered back to her own station, happily munching away. Rarity and Twilight giggled. Sunset rolled her eyes.
Octavia shook her head. "Well done, girls!" she said. "Once again you've achieved a perfect score!" She idly helped herself to a flour tortilla chip. "It seems it will be you three versus Negra Arroyo in the finals. Are you nervous?"
"A little," Twilight admitted. "I mean, we've saved our best for last, but that guy's pretty intense."
"I would be lying if I said I weren't nervous," Rarity said. "But mostly, I'm pleased we've made it this far." She smiled. "We have quite the finale in store for you all!"
"Well, I'm sure we all can't wait to see what you girls come up with for the final round," Octavia said. She accepted a small plate of nachos Sunset offered her with a smirk, then returned to her seat near the judges' table.
"I think your mom's recipe is gonna go viral," Sunset said.
Twilight giggled. "I don't think she'll have a problem with that."
"Only one entry remains," Celestia said into her microphone. "Boys...good luck."
Flash waved weakly at the judges' table. He and his friends looked as though they were resigned to their fate, and were tending their grill mechanically, listlessly.
* * * * *
"Well guys, let's face the music," Flash said. The three boys prepared a plate for each judge, then wheeled their serving cart to the judges' table.
"And here come our final contestants," Celestia said. She smiled reassuringly at the boys. "Now boys, there's no need to look like you're marching to the gallows. So long as you tried, that's all that matters." Earnest applause met this statement.
"Thanks," Flash said. He placed a plate containing a mutton kebab and a half ear of corn in front of each judge. "So we've got barbecued mutton kebabs with roasted red potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms. We used the same sauce we've been using all along for the mutton, but the potatoes and carrots, we did something different. We melted some butter and added some garlic and onion juice and rolled the vegetables in that. The corn's been dipped in melted butter."
The judges looked at the kebabs and corn, then at each other. "Doesn't look as awesome as those cheeseburgers, but I guess you guys did alright," Rainbow said. She picked up the kebab and bit into a chunk of mutton. "Huh. Not too bad."
"I'll be honest, boys," Ms. Harshwhinny said. "To have made it this far with your minimal approach to cooking is not something I anticipated, and had your opponents in the previous round not completely blown it, you wouldn't be standing here right now. That having been said, if nothing else, you have at the very least proven that you three are adequate to the task of hosting any backyard barbecue." She sampled her kebab. "This is well prepared, mind you. It is too simple for a competition that had reached the level the other competitors have shown, unfortunately."
"The next time there's a grilling contest in town, you three should consider entering," Celestia said. "I've never had a grilled mushroom before. I think I'll give you a point back for that alone."
Cadance sighed. "You tried, guys. That's all that matters in the end." She smiled. "Thank you for participating. It takes courage to put yourself out there, in front of all your peers. And hey, you made it pretty far."
Once the kebabs were consumed, the judges looked at each other, then picked up their tablets.
SEMIFINAL ROUND - CONTESTANT(S): FLASH SENTRY, SKUNK ROCK, AND BEATS
PREPARATION: 8/10
Judge 1 (Principal Celestia): 8
Judge 2 (Ms. Harshwhinny): 8
Judge 3 (Dean Cadance): 8
Judge 4 (Rainbow Dash): 8
PRESENTATION: 6.25/10
Judge 1 (Principal Celestia): 7
Judge 2 (Ms. Harshwhinny): 5
Judge 3 (Dean Cadance): 7
Judge 4 (Rainbow Dash): 6
CREATIVITY: 5.5/10
Judge 1 (Principal Celestia): 7
Judge 2 (Ms. Harshwhinny): 4
Judge 3 (Dean Cadance): 6
Judge 4 (Rainbow Dash): 5
TASTE: 8.25/10
Judge 1 (Principal Celestia): 9
Judge 2 (Ms. Harshwhinny): 8
Judge 3 (Dean Cadance): 8
Judge 4 (Rainbow Dash): 8
The boys looked at each other and shrugged. The audience clapped politely for them. Some shouts of encouragement rang out, and they smiled and waved like good sports.
"And that concludes the semifinal round of the Canterlot High Cooking Contest!" Celestia called. The scoreboard changed to show a portrait of Twilight, Sunset, and Rarity on the left and Negra Arroyo on the right. "Our finalists are Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, and Rarity versus Negra Arroyo!"
The audience cheered wildly.
"Congratulations to our winners, and let's have a big round of applause for the third and fourth place contestants!" Once the applause subsided, Celestia continued, "Now, we're going to take a little break before cooking for the final round begins. Unlike previous rounds, the final round judging will commence for both finalists at six this evening, so girls, Negra Arroyo, please plan your prep and cook time accordingly so that your final menu will be ready for plating at that time.
"And now for a special treat: since we don't have a potluck set up at the back like we did yesterday, we've arranged to have a pizza buffet catered courtesy of Pizza Shack! They'll be arriving shortly and setting up at the back of the gym, and I know you all must be getting hungry by now, so feel free to dig in once the pizza's here!" As the crowd cheered wildly, Celestia smiled and waved them down. "And while this pizza is being provided free of charge, we do encourage everyone to contribute to the CHS electives and activities fund. The donation boxes are located right next to the buffet table." The scoreboard overhead lit up with a view of the empty buffet table at the opposite end of the gym, highlighting four locked boxes with slots on top and the Wondercolts logo on the front.
Sunset frowned. "Crap. We gotta make sure the judges stay away from that pizza buffet, especially Rainbow Dash."
Rarity snorted. "Puh-leeze, darling. As if cheap pizza from Pizza Shack will compare to our deep dish delight."
"She has a point," Twilight said. "Besides, they're too full from the semifinals to even touch a slice of pizza. I mean, even with just four entries, they ate a whole lot."
"I will never judge a cooking contest," Rarity said, making a face. "It would positively destroy my bikini body."
"I'm a little surprised Dean Cadance agreed to this," Sunset said. "You'd think a woman that gorgeous would watch what she eats like a hawk."
Twilight laughed. "Cadance loves food," she said. "She works out at least two hours a day so she can eat like a horse."
Sunset shot her a dirty look. "Excuse me," she said. "I'm a horse and I eat very sensible meals."
Twilight paled, eyes wide. "I-I'm sorry!" she stammered. "I didn't mean to—"
Sunset tweaked her nose. "I'm just messin' with ya," she said. "C'mon, let's go hang out with your folks until it's time to set up for the finals."
Across the gym, Flash sighed as he raked ashes over the charcoal and closed the lid on the grill. "Well guys, we fought the good fight, I guess. Thanks for doin' this thing with me."
"Anytime, bro," Skunk Rock said, holding out his hand for a fistbump. Beats did likewise.
After they bumped fists, Flash stretched and rubbed his shoulder. "Alright, guess we'd better start clea—"
"Boooooooooooooooooooooooyyyyyyyyyyyyyy."
Flash and his friends jumped in alarm as Angus Sentry materialized out of nowhere in front of them.
"G-Grandpa!" Flash stammered. "H-how'd you..."
Angus dipped his finger in the jar of sauce still sitting open on the counter, then tasted it. For a moment, he did nothing except stare at Flash, his face set in an impenetrable scowl.
Then...he smiled a ghastly smile.
He clapped Flash on the shoulder with one hand. "You done good, boy," he said in a harsh, growling tone. "The sauce recipe...it's yours now. Guard it well. Keep it safe. Make me proud."
Flash blinked. "Uhh...thanks?" he said uncertainly. "But...we lost..."
Angus grunted. "Course you lost!" he barked. "You can't barbecue your way through this kind of contest! All those cookout competitions I won? It was all about grillin' and sauce! Even I wouldn'ta won a contest like this!"
"Oh," Flash said.
"Keep that recipe in the family, boy," Angus said sternly. And then, to Flash's astonishment, he began to fade from view.
"G-Grandpa?!" Flash's eyes widened as he could suddenly see his friends' shocked faces on the other side of the rapidly fading old man. He looked wildly around. "Somebody help! Get a doctor, call an ambulance! My Grandpa—"
"Don't be stupid, boy!" Angus boomed, his voice taking on an eerie echo. "I died twenty years ago!" And with one last menacing cackle, the ghost of Angus Sentry disappeared completely. His silver ball-topped cane clattered noisily to the gym floor.
"...dude," Beats said.
Sunset, Twilight, and Rarity stared. "Uhh...Sunset?" Twilight asked in a confused, nasal tone. "What...just happened?" She pointed a shaky finger in Flash's direction. "Was that...was that Equestrian magic?"
"I don't think so," Sunset said, shaking her head, her eyes wide and her irises contracted to pinpricks.
"S-so...th-that was a re-real g-g-ghost, then?" Rarity stammered.
"You know, I...really don't wanna think about it," Sunset said. "I don't wanna think about it at all." *Though it does explain a lot,* she mused.
Okay, that twist with Flash's grandpa came out of nowhere...but it was hilarious!
Also, after seeing what meat Negra used there - specifically making sure not to tell them what it was like that - I genuinely hope he gets taken down hard in the final round.
I have to admit, I laughed out loud when I hit translate on that secret ingredient. (Especially because of the more vulgar than expected way Google Translate kicked it back.)
7874494 Yeah, Google kicks it back that way because it's slang. Really obscene slang.
Pinkie...when you start a sentence with 'Let's just say', you're supposed to be vague about what happened, not mention marijuana by name.
I briefly wondered why Spike wasn't there before remembering that he was out with his bitches. Btw, I realize that he hasn't actually mentioned in the story itself, but I honestly hope that gets a payoff at some point.
Won't Scootaloo be mad that you're stealing her bit? Or are you using Scootaloo as your scooter?
...Why does that sound like the premise of a chapter of Equestria Girls Gone Wild?
Dude, your mother is like, right next to you. Also, that sounds like the sort of thing you probably shouldn't say out loud. I mean, I don't care, because you're a fictional human based off a fictional horse, but the other fictional humans based off fictional horses might not be so okay with that.
I'm getting flashbacks to Mistery Meat. I'm not looking it up myself because somehow I don't think I want that in my search history.
I just got a mental image of Sunset eating out of a trough. I'm not sure how to react to that image.
And I really don't know how to react to this. Maybe because I'm not familiar with the reference?
You know, I wasn't really excited by the premise for this story, but I'm having a lot of fun reading it. I eagerly await more.
7874542
Funny you should mention that. There's a chapter of that in development hell called "Frosted Blueberry Tarts". Make of that what you will.
As well you should. That's EXACTLY what it is.
Eh, Angus Sentry being dead all along isn't part of the reference, it's just something I threw in because it was an amusing idea. The only actual reference involved re: Angus Sentry is he's an expy of the Tall Man from the Phantasm films.
Glad you're having fun! I'm having a lot of fun writing it.
Looks up what verga del toro means.
Well all I can say is Negra is being a dick.
........ OH.
SPONGY... Meat... I... Eugh.
I now know exactly how Negra prepared his secret ingredient, and I am horrified on a couple of levels. Surely there are better options...
Well, that may explain why the rock salt worked as well as it did...
In any case, this was some exquisite food porn. Definitely looking forward to the final bout. I'm sure it will be one to remember. Especially since the Nacho Empress will conquer the world in less than a—
Whoops. Spoilers.
Can someone please pm me the meaning of that dish, I can't find it on Bing?
It was about as funny as you think it is. Hilarious.
Valid point.
So?
Shit.
Oh god...
Plus, she has offscreen teleportation.
They're moving on.
She has a point.
HEH!
Hm, *Googles it*
I mean, perfect score. That's impressive.
Agreed.
Not gonna ask.
You can say that again.
All right, perfect score!
So, apart form the nachos, how are you words tasting?
Well, if ya wanna get technical, you're a human now and were a pony, but, fair point.
Huh, nice work.
Fair enough, fair enough.
Wait, huh?
It would explain how he appears out of nowhere.
7875435 Dunno what transaltion engine you're using, but burn it.
7875424
Bing couldn't find a mosquito in a Louisiana swamp. Use Google.
In any case, it's bull dick.
...this was hilarious and freaky and so much fun despite the mention of bovine unmentionables. But I fear for Twilight, Sunset and Rarity's chances next round. Just saying.
7875447
7875852 Huh, that's weird. When I google it, it comes back as "bull cock", which is exactly what it is.
(BTW, it's often better to avoid the Google Translate "app" and just type (phrase) translation directly into google. It's more accurate.)
Quite a fun chapter. I suspect Trixie hit a runaway cow with her car last week and is trying to use up the meat.
For the record, Trixie was winning the shred-off until Rainbow had to use magic to beat her, though I understand why Rainbow would leave that part out of the story.
7876050 That's a matter of opinion, not record.
7876357 Eh, you're right. It's not clear who's actually winning before Rainbow Dash uses her magic powers to secure victory.
IT'S BULL COCK! NEGRA ARROYO'S MEAT IS BULL COCK!
No, wait, maybe it's just the loin. *double checks* nope, still cock
Well I called that final matchup, but I didn't see that ending with Flash's grandpa coming. Dead for 20 years, what was he waiting for, Flash to man up or something? Did Flash's dad know about this? Now on to the finals, I hope Sunset, Twilight, and Rarity can take that jerk down.
7876527
He died before Flash was even born tho. :P He was waiting for a worthy successor to the sauce.
7876547 Good point. He sure has one hell of a way for finding a successor, scaring Flash and his friends half to death. Though I still wonder did Flash's dad know about the whole being dead thing?
7876557 Perhaps we'll find out.
Who said defensively.
7727367 Surprised that I was sorta correct in Angus approving of Flash using the sauce.
Had Sunset met the old man before or talking about it explaining Flash?
7876833 She DID date him for a while. Safe to assume she met his family. Also, thanks for the catch.
Quarter Note Stream!
So the finals.
On one hand, I want Sunset, Rarity, and Twilight to win, but the Mexican in me says Negra Arroyo is the superior cook, because, well, whatever.
But still, I'm sitting here guessing what will happen in the end.
7876472
The funny part is, I guessed it before I tried to look it up.
It looks like the ladies got stuffed with-
No, I can't say it....
OH REALLY!? DO TELL.
7877886
the toro part tipped me off to the bull part, but before I looked it up I thought it was the balls
7878249 OK, how exactly do you think Negra Arroyo had anything to do with the problems with ingredients? Saffron just misread the date labels on some meat that should have been thrown out a long time ago, and Sunset's group just plain had bad luck. Are you suggesting that Negra Arroyo somehow arbitrarily broke into their houses (after somehow figuring out which one of them was even KEEPING the ingredients) and swapped out their cheese and onion with conveniently-ready moldy cheese and a rotten onion when he didn't even know what they were making?
Are you SERIOUSLY suggesting that's a thing that happened. Seriously.
Think about that for a minute.
Most windmills are, in fact, not giants.
In the words of Julia Child:
Eat a dick, bon apetit.
Seriously though, that was a gutsy move on Arroyo's part.
Quick note though: Verga de Toro is the correct way to say Bull's Penis. Verga del Toro means Penis of the Bull.
His name would also be best pronounced as Arroyo Negro if you were trying to say Black Stream, otherwise you could have gone with Arroyo Negrete, but that one is an actual last name that I don't think would have a proper translation since it's derived from a town.
7878277 Suggesting Negra, whose only negative trait to date is that he's a bit of an intense jerk, would do the cartoony "sabotage my opponent" thing like Snidely Whiplash is far more indicative of poor writing than the very realistic possibility of simply having bad/spoiled ingredients, which can and DOES happen in real life. Frequently. And frankly, I am offended at your calling that poor story writing. Saffron had an ingredient fail and didn't catch it in time. The other girls had an ingredient fail, DID catch it in time, and dealt with it. Because that kind of shit happens. You would prefer me to use cartoonish "villain does a bad thing to sabotage the hero" tropes where they're not warranted, and call it poor writing when I introduce a far more likely element of mild drama? And I'm the one you're accusing of poor story writing?
7878281 Negra Arroyo's name isn't meant to have a translation. It's a reference to Breaking Bad.
7878486 Oh, that explains why I didn't get it. I've never watched Breaking Bad.
All I know about it is that Hal is a drug dealer in it.
7878486
Okay, sheesh. I just really despise characters, especially OCs, who are written that way. Someone who just comes out of nowhere, acts like a "pssh, nothing personal" loner type, who also happens to be an amazing cook just doesn't sound like a good character. If he's meant to be reference to Breaking Bad, which as I said I didn't get at first because I've never watched it, then he should have been a more minor character who might only have appeared during the first rounds of the competition. A "bit" of a jerk might also be a severe understatement about Negra. And yes, mistakes happen in cooking, but to have it happen twice still bothers me. In the end it's only my shitty opinion, so whatever.
Negra definitely just broke bad.
7878281 "Verga" is crude slang. It means "dick" or "cock," not "penis" (that's "pene"). (IIRC it's literally "broomstick" but if I were you I would not use it in reference to cleaning supplies.)
7878556 Your opinion of the character type is noted. Now allow me to explain why he is in this story (other than the Breaking Bad reference):
It would have been lazy to simply pit Twilight, Sunset, and Rarity against a known character all throughout the competition. To have Trixie be their opponent in the final round. That would have been easy. That would have been lazy.
Introducing a new character, giving him quirks, giving him a trademark and a signature style, making him a credible threat in the competition, and making him work without the pre-existing context of "Oh, this is Heisenberg from Breaking Bad, OK then"--THAT is a challenge. THAT is more satisfying, both as a writer and as a reader (for most).
Again, a lot of the things you consider to be lazy writing or shortcuts...simply aren't. I don't expect you to understand that, to accept it, or even to acknowledge it. I do, however, expect you to at least try to understand why I am insulted by your remarks.
Have a pleasant evening.
hnnng, this was super adorable
did not see that coming
7878269
Actually, I confess I thought Nerga might have had somethign to do with it...but it would have been some sort of 'out there' trick he has or something, since this IS a work where magic is a thing. (Admitedly, it would be a bit of a 'out of nowhere' cheat, but...)
I think part of the reason, is that while spoiled ingredients happen, twice in two days is a bit of a pattern, and the use with the girls didn't quite bring in extra tension, so it feels superfluous. And, since it was superfluous, and you are a good writer, The first guess was it was set-up for something else.
Essentially, once someone becomes a good enough writer, people guess that everything they do has a deeper meaning, or is set-up for something. Downside? It's annoying as heck to get second-guessed like that.
The bit with Flash's Grandpa was amazing, and my favorite.
I don't know how to react to "Verga del toro," but that is NASTY!
7875880
It’s extremely rare, when feeling insulted for not getting a perfect score the previous day, to literally get the judges to “eat a dick”.
I look up the definition of the special meat.
Did he cut off Iron Will's dick by any chance? If so, I would thank him personally.
9298310
Same. Lol, bull d**k. 😂 But also...🤢
How am I not surprised she'd do that.
And that's what counts. You did your best when you could.
Yep!
Welp, they're screwed! 😰
I'm pretty sure it was 12 thousand not 10 thousand.
She sure is. 😒
I don't know, you might end up getting beaten when you least expect it.
oh shining armor
I wouldn't celebrate yet if I were you twilight.
Something tells me me you might be right pinkie. 😥
Well looks like they're in for a challenge alright facing again negra. 😬
Oh shit!
That was unexpected and sad at the same time.
Yes, yes it was. 😨