//------------------------------// // Chapter 30 // Story: Cafe Dazzling // by brzy //------------------------------// *SHOTS FIRED* “And they’re off!” shouted blue horse. Behind the groups, a series of shelves, deli counters, and freezers had risen from the ground. White chef outfits had magically taken the place of all their clothing. The quaint wooden pantry shelves that looked as if they had been ripped from a country farmers market brimmed with fresh ingredients. Lettuce, onions, olives, avocados, and asparagus filled the shelves. The Dazzlings and Rainbooms quickly split into groups, with Anon running to the seafood section to snatch a hideous 60lb seabass onto one shoulder and a bucket of octopi in the other. Ahead of him Dash squealed as the large octopus she grabbed wrapped itself around her face. “Now there is an excellent example of just how fresh these ingredients are fillies and gentle colts!” She flailed wildly, pulling it off her face then smashing her fist against the stone floor. The octopus immediately exploded in a spray of gore and ink. The floor shook, then cracked, then began to cave in as the freaked out girl shrieked and pounded the stage uncontrollably. The crowd roared with laughter and presumably approval. Apple Jack tackled her to the ground, wrapping her arms and legs up and began whispering soothing sweet horsey nothings into her ear to calm her down. “There there Rainbow, there ain’t nothing to worry about, ya hear? Remember darlin’, its dead now, and that is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die.” Rainbow calmed down as the freak out faded. Pinkie gave a hearty “IA IAA!” as she scooped up some bags of flour and stacked them on her head. The rest of their team paid them no mind as they scrambled through the various sections for their ingredients. WELL SAID. GLAD THOSE ORIENTATION CLASSES I HAD YOU GIRLS TAKE HAVE PAID OFF. WE’LL MAKE PRIESTESSES OF YOU YET. Sonata and Aria returned from the fresh fruits and veggie section with a basket full of avocados, asparagus, garlic, walnuts, tomatoes, onions, and lemons. Adagio and Sunny grabbed a cart and filled it with flour, sugar, cinnamon, and a jar of Nutella hazelnut spread. The team plopped their legitimately gotten gains onto the large gleaming steel prep countertop. Anon tossed the fish and cephs onto a section filled with ice. “OK! We don’t have a lot of time so we will all work on our respective dishes! I’ve got the appetizer and main dish, Sonata and Aria will make the side dish, and Dagi and Sunny have the desert! Adagio knows her dish, so I can talk you and Sonata through the Octopus salad while I prep the Octopus Brushceta and Sea Bass! Dazzlings on 3!” “DAZZLINGS!!!” “Oh my, sounds like we are in for a treat Cthulhu! Lets check in with the Rainbooms!” Twilight had taken up the role as Kitchen Boss. Realizing her disadvantage in restaurant experience, she set her team up as an assembly line with AJ and Pinkie as the main dish assemblers, with Dash and Fluttershy working as gophers and ingredient preppers. A much calmer Rainbow was busy cutting leeks and mushrooms while Butterflutter carefully measured out cups of flour and sugar. Rarity was to be the final stage for plating and assisting Pinkie with the cake. While Scilight assumed her rightful role as overseer, Applest girl and Ponka Poe began work on their dishes. “Ok girls, we got 55 minutes to make this happen! Remember, Cthulhu loves me and I love you, so vicariously through me he loves you!” The glow in their eyes grew brighter as they all shouted in unison “IA IAAA!” “Looks like black market Twilight rules with an iron fist! The Great and Powerful Moi approves!” Wasting no time, Anon strained as he lifted an enormous antique 15” cast iron skillet from the top shelf of the steel wire tool rack behind the stove. The shelf seemed to breath a sigh of relief as he carefully lowered it from above his head and placed it on the grill. He fired the gas range up to medium high to preheat as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. He quickly drug the sea bass on to the cutting board, smashing it on the head with a rolling pin when it started to wiggle. Rolling it onto its side, he expertly began slicing thick filets off the side. “Sonata, Aria, start boiling a large stock pot of salt water for the octopus. Once its boiling you dunk each octopus in for 5 seconds then let them cool on the side to tenderize them. After all of them have been dunked put them back in the pot to boil for 45 minutes.” Taking the fish filets, he covered them with salt and pepper and let them sit on the side to rest. With the octopus water just starting to boil, Anon took the spinach, parsley, garlic, walnuts, lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and pulsed them together in a food processor. Once it was smooth he added in the avocado and mixed it until it was a nice thick textured paste. Aria quickly started dunking the octopi into the boiling water. “You can use tongs you know.” Sunny goggled as she noticed Aria was just holding the octopus in both hands and plunging them into the boiling frothing water. What disturbed the pony girl more was that Aria didn’t seem to react at all as she just stood there fists full of octopi elbows deep into the large stainless pot of boiling water nonchalantly counting to 5. “Naw, this ways easier. I kept dropping them using tongs.” “You’re actually supposed to use one of those long forks to poke it then hold it under, but that’s fine too. Sonata, can you grab a big loaf of sourdough?” “Sure thing Nonny!” Not trusting Sonaynay with a knife, Anon sliced the amazingly fresh and tangy smelling bread in half. Reminding himself to get a batch of starter from whoever made the bread after the contest, he drizzled it with olive oil, sprinkled it with salt, and placed them both on the searing hot cast iron pan pan for a minute to toast. He glanced over his shoulder at Adagio and Sunset sticking a couple trays of something into the large commercial stainless steel freezer. “How are those Nutella Takoyaki coming along Dagi?” “We’re doing well. Just putting the balls we’re using as the filling in the freezer until we are done cooking the dough.” “Looks like the Dazzlings are chugging along nicely Chtulhu!” INDEED MISS LULAMOON. I CAN NOT WAIT TO ABSORB ITS ESSENSE INTO MY OWN. LET US CHECK ON MY RAINBOOMS. As his gaze shifted over to the mane characters Rarity fell to the ground in a seizure and began chanting and shouting in tongues. Her back arched and her hands curled into claws as she seemed to fight against the unreality of the whole situation. Luckily she hadn’t been holding anything at the time. Twilight shook her head. Reaching into a pocket she took out a small gun shaped electronic device. After playing with the knobs, she pointed it at Rarity and pulled the trigger. An arc of lightning erupted from the tip, momentarily stunning the already stunned fashionista. She curled up like a dead spider as electricity coursed through her body before flopping back against the cold grey ancient stone floor. Satisfied with her work, she looked up to see Aria and Sunset staring at her in shock. “Don’t look at me like that! Its an electro-shock device I built to treat the seizures. She’ll be fine in a minute or so. I had to do something once I realized the long term effects of being observed by a being from a dimension we have no ability to even rationalize the shape of!” She giggled uncomfortably and her eyes glowed with manic fervor as she delivered the explanation.