//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8: Spice Up Your Life 
// Story: A Sparkle's Little Dusk IV: A Family Eternal 
// by Mister E-Nonymous 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 8: Spice Up Your Life






In the throne room of the Castle of Friendship, the Mane 6, Dusk, Nyx, Daylight and Starlight were all surrounding the Cutie Map as Spike was tapping the center of it.

"As you've all probably noticed, it's been quite some time since the map has sent us on a mission of friendship," Twilight said, talking about the Cutie Map.

"Yeah! Ever since Starlight messed with it to go back in time and try to change history!" Spike said.

"Spike, have you ever heard of the phrase, 'Rubbing Salt in the Wound'?" Dusk asked. Spike then recalled what he just said and remembered who else was in the room. Twilight then used her magic to take Spike off the map.

"But, as part of her studies, Starlight's been assisting me," Twilight said. "And together, we think we've come up with a spell that can get it working again!" Then everyone there started getting excited about this news. Twilight and Starlight then lit up their horns, sending their magic up to form a magenta and light blue sphere in the air, releasing six beams towards the thrones of the throne room. Then the Cutie Marks on the thrones released some light towards the Cutie Map, reactivating it.

Most of the ponies cheered as Pinkie said, "Ooh, well done!"

"Now without further ado..." Twilight said. Then the Cutie Marks started appearing and spinning above certain locations in Equestria. And Pinkie Pie was pointing them out.

"Fluttershy and Twilight in Appleloosa! No, me and Rainbow Dash in Las Pegasus! No, Rainbow Dash and Twilight in Yakyakistan! No, Twilight and Twilight in Twilight's castle!"

"That doesn't make any sense," Nyx said.

"Not unless it's Mom's counterpart from the other dimension," Dusk said, making Nyx snicker.

"Okay, I did not think of that," Nyx said.

"Oh. Me! Me!" Pinkie Pie said. Her Cutie Mark was hovering over the map, along with Rarity's. Then three more Cutie Marks appeared. The Cutie Marks of Dusk, Nyx and Daylight. "Me, Rarity, Dusk, Nyx and Daylight! Ooh!"

"What?!" Twilight asked. "The Cutie Map is calling my foals?!"

"It's never done that before," Rainbow Dash said. "Usually, it was just the six of us."

"Well, I hope it's some faraway place that nopony has gone before!" Pinkie Pie said excitedly.

Rarity chuckled nervously and said, "Well, maybe not too far away. An adventure somewhere that has modern conveniences would be preferable." Then the five Cutie Marks started spinning round an area on the map, which was Canterlot. Rarity gasped and said, "Canterlot! This is wonderful! I can check the boutique! Perhaps there'll be some social events that we can attend!" Everypony else was giving Rarity a deadpanned look. Then Rarity gasped again. "I'll have to pack extra outfits! What will I wear?!"

"Y'know, some ponies get excited about the silliest things," Pinkie Pie said amusingly.

"Oh, goodness!" Rarity said. "I need somepony to watch over Sweetie Belle while I'm out."

"Yeah, the same with the Tri-Pies," Pinkie said. "I have to warn you, they all can be a hoof full."

"Why not just have them come?" Dusk asked.

"That... wouldn't be a bad idea," Twilight said. "I guess it's okay to bring others on this Friendship Mission, as long as they don't interfere with it."

"Alright, well let's go find them and we'll be on the next train to Canterlot," Rarity said.

"Okey-dokey-lokey!" Pinkie Pie said. Then she, Rarity, Dusk, Nyx and Daylight headed out of the Throne Room.





The Friendship Express arrived at the train station in Canterlot. Dusk, Nyx, Daylight, Sweetie Belle, the Tri-Pies, Rarity and Pinkie Pie got off the train station.

"Wow!" the Tri-Pies said in unison.

"This place looks even more amazing every time we come!" Cherry Pie said.

"Even if we're in a different Equestria," Blueberry said.

"I wonder how much we're gonna see!" Raspberry Pie said.

"Now calm down, you three," Rarity said. "We can do some sightseeing as soon as we're done with our Friendship Problem we have to solve." She then sighed. "Now then, as far as finding a friendship problem, I suggest we start at the castle and begin to question the proper..."

Pinkie Pie interrupted Rarity by saying, "Oh, Rarity, you don't find a friendship problem. It finds you. We just need to go with the flow, and eventually, kablam!" She was standing on just her right hind leg when she said that last part. "We get friendship problem'd right between the eyes." Pinkie put her right fore hoof to her forehead.

Rarity then thought about it and said, "Well, this is a team effort, so if you feel we should go with the flow, then with the flow we shall go. But where's the flow saying we should go?"

"You know Canterlot more than any of us, Rarity," Dusk said. "Mom said you spent a lot of time here until her birthday when I first came here."

"I also know parts of Canterlot," Nyx said. "I have been around most of the place on my first Hearth's Warming. Although, I had to wear a disguise. I also... ran through other parts when that world's Shining Armor thought I ruined the Hearth's Warming Pageant when I was being chased by a news reporter pony. No doubt he was trying to make me look like I was going to attack Canterlot."

"Wow," Rarity said. "Now that must've been a shocking holiday."

"No doubt about it," Nyx said. Just then, the sound of four stomachs growling. Dusk, Nyx, Daylight, Rarity and Sweetie Belle looked towards Pinkie Pie and the Tri-Pies, all of their stomachs growling.

"Looks like their stomachs are saying we should flow towards some lunch," Rarity said. "I know just where to go." Then they started walking away from the Train Station, heading to another part of Canterlot.





Rarity had taken the group to Restaurant Row. There were a bunch of restaurants there that were rated 3 out of 3 hooves. But every restaurant they went to, Rarity was the only one who enjoyed the food. They walked out of the last restaurant that was rated 3 hooves.

"Those restaurants... they serve disgusting food," Dusk said. "Almost makes me wish I was still with my aunt and cousin back on Earth."

"I've tasted worse when the Cruise Ship I was on docked in Scotland," Daylight said. "A Scottish chef invited me and dad to dinner, and he prepared a Scottish Delicacy, haggis."

"Haggis?!" Dusk asked. "That's gross."

"What's haggis?" Nyx asked. Daylight then whispered what haggis is into Nyx's ears. Nyx's expression went into one of disgust, which led to her face turning green, her cheeks filling up, and she covered her mouth. She then flew over to a nearby trash can, and expelled her stomach's contents into it. "You're right, Dusk. That is gross."

"Maybe instead of trusting somepony else's hooves, I should pick the next place?" Pinkie Pie suggested.

Rarity groaned and said, "Very well." Pinkie Pie then started sniffing around. The group then started following her. When Pinkie Pie was about to pass an alley, a scent caught her attention and she gasped. She smiled and started following the scent, which led to a Hindi style restaurant.

"The Tasty Treat," Rarity said, looking at the restaurant, and was getting nervous. "It's very... rustic." She then saw the rating sign, seeing it wasn't rated. She then whispered, "It looks like it hasn't even been rated."

"Thank goodness!" Pinkie Pie said, giggling as she walked in.

"Hopefully this place has real food," Dusk said. Then he, Nyx, Daylight, Sweetie Belle and the Tri-Pies walked into the restaurant. Rarity had no choice but to go in as well.

Rarity looked around and saw that the others were sitting at a couple half booths at the right side of the restaurant. Rarity had no choice but to go to the booth where her sister, Dusk, Nyx and Daylight were sitting at while Pinkie sat at the other half booth with the Tri-Pies.

"Are we sure they're open?" Rarity asked.

Pinkie Pie and the Tri-Pies sniffed around, then Pinkie said, "It smells open!" Just then, the sound of clattering came from the kitchen. Then one mare came out of the kitchen, a little angry while looking at the kitchen. She then noticed the group and smiled excitedly.



"Oh! Are you all here for lunch?" the mare asked in an Indian Accent.

"Yes, indeedy!" Pinkie Pie said, excitedly.

"Honestly, out of every restaurant on this street, this place has real food," Dusk said.

"I'm Saffron Masala, the chef here at The Tasty Treat, the most exotic cuisine in Canterlot," the mare said. "Would you like to hear about the specials?"

"We're actually in a bit of a hur-" Rarity said before being interrupted by Pinkie and the Tri-Pies.

"Yes, please!" Pinkie and the Tri-Pies said in unison. Then menus were given to the group in a purplish aura.

"We have a curried oat cake," Saffron Masala said.

"We'll take one!" Pinkie said without looking at the menu.

"Uh, and a grass sandwich that has been marinated overnight in a mustard Dijon dressing," Saffron Masala suggested.

"That actually sounds good," Sweetie Belle said.

"You're right, it does," Dusk said. "I'll have some of that."

"Me, too!" Nyx said.

"Same for me!" Daylight said.

"Four for us," Sweetie Belle said.

"Give us some of what our mom ordered!" Cherry Pie said, Blueberry and Raspberry nodding in agreement.

"A-and for you?" Saffron Masala asked, looking at Rarity, a little nervous.

"Oh, me? Oh, I'm fine. Thank you," Rarity rejected politely. Saffron Masala took the menus away and headed for the kitchen. Then Rarity leaned over to Pinkie Pie, talking to Pinkie in a sing-song voice, "No rating." Pinkie Pie sighed. Then one stallion, older than Saffron Masala, came out of the kitchen sighing and was grumbling in Hindi.



"Hiya! What's your name?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Coriander Cumin," the stallion responded, using his magic to stack the chairs onto the tables.

"Are you a chef here too?" Pinkie asked.

"My daughter cooks. I host," Coriander Cumin responds, still stacking the chairs.

"What are you doing?" Dusk asked.

"Without customers, I have nopony to host for," Coriander Cumin answered. "So I stack!" Then Saffron Masala came out of the kitchen with plates in her magical hold.

"Father, stop it!" Saffron Masala said, a little angry. "Don't close up the restaurant around our guests."

"What does it matter?!" Coriander Cumin asked. "When they leave, nopony else will be coming in!" She then placed the plates in front of her customers.

"Well, your attitude isn't going to bring anyone in!" Saffron Masala responded. "Can't you at least pretend to be positive?!" Pinkie Pie then slammed her face onto her plate, eating her food.

"So good!" Pinkie said, her eyes beaming of how good the food is. She then continued eating.

"You are doing enough pretending for the both of us," Coriander Cumin said, angrily. "Nopony here wants to try anything new! I know when to throw in the towel!"

"Um, Pinkie, kids, perhaps we should excuse ourselves," Rarity said, getting nervous about this situation.

"Wait, you said we were here to solve a Friendship Problem, right?" Daylight asked, making Rarity nod. Daylight took another bit of her food, and she hummed happily. "Well, I think we just found it." Rarity then lowered her jaw in surprise at what Daylight said.

"Oh, Rarity, try this!" Pinkie said, her mouth stuffed. She placed a piece of her food into Rarity's mouth. Rarity then started munching on the food, and then her eyes beamed.

"Ooh!" Rarity said.

"Okay, so this place has good food, but nopony wants to eat here," Dusk said. "There has to be a reason why."

"Maybe it's the fact that all the places we went to had bad food that was rated 3 hooves," Nyx said. "Which means it's the food critic's fault."

"Zesty Gourmand?" Rarity asked. "But, she has the most amazing ratings out of every restaurant here on Restaurant Row. Why would she be the reason that ponies don't want to eat at places with food as great as this?"

"One time, when I was eating at a restaurant in Canterlot back in the Equestria I came from, I ate at a restaurant she just rated three hooves," Nyx answered. "I ordered a plain salad, but instead, I got this styled up salad with things I didn't want. I tried talking to the waiter that served it, but he apologized and said, 'This is how it must be'." Nyx then groaned. "I was starting to judge Zesty's way of being a food critic."

"Now that you think about it, it does sound quite odd," Rarity responded. "Okay, let's do this."

"What would you have me do?" Coriander Cumin asked after scoffing. "We can't even get Zesty Gourmand to come to our restaurant. She took one look at how empty it was and said it wasn't even worth rating!"

Nyx walked up to the two and said, "Actually, you're better off not being rated by Zesty Gourmand, because she doesn't know what good food is. She ruins those restaurants by telling them how to properly serve their food, or else she threatens to tell ponies to avoid that restaurant at all costs."

Dusk then walked up to Nyx and said, "Then we're gonna need somepony who's willing to eat here and tell Zesty Gourmand that she's a terrible food critic." He then got an idea. "And I think I know who." He then faced the rest. "Rarity, Sweetie Belle, Daylight, you three draw in a crowd to this restaurant."

"Why us?" Rarity asked. "Why not Pinkie Pie?"

"Pinkie Pie might be good at attracting ponies from small town areas, but in fancy places, you know how to attract them better," Dusk said.

"Actually, he's got a point," Pinkie Pie said. "You know Canterlot Ponies better than I do."

"Pinkie Pie, can you and the Tri-Pies decorate this place for a Grand Reopening?" Dusk asked.

"Can we?!" Pinkie and the Tri-Pies all shouted in unison. Then they started helping out with resetting the tables.

"What are we gonna do?" Nyx asked.

"We're going to invite somepony very important to this place," Dusk said. He then started flying. "Now, c'mon." He then started flying out of the restaurant. Nyx followed Dusk, still confused about what Dusk had planned.





About an hour passed, and the Tasty Treat was full of ponies, who really enjoyed the food that was served. Even Moondancer, Fancy Pants, Fleur de Lis, and Spell Nexus were there.

"Wow," Saffron Masala said in surprise. "I've never seen so many ponies here. Not even when we first opened."

Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Daylight, Sweetie Belle and the Tri-Pies walked up to Saffron Masala, and Rarity said, "I just hope Dusk and Nyx bring their special guests here before Zesty Gourmand comes." Just then, a new voice came to their attention.

"WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?!"

The eight ponies looked towards the door and saw a mare standing there.



"Zesty Gourmand?!" Rarity asked.

Zesty Gourmand looked around to see all the ponies of Canterlot, even the chefs of the other restaurants of Restaurant Row, eating in the Tasty Treat.

"Why are all these ponies in this restaurant that nopony should even consider eating at?" Zesty Gourmand asked. "The chef of this restaurant doesn't know how food should be prepared!"

All the ponies there started doubting about what they were eating. Rarity then stepped towards Zesty Gourmand and said, "Actually, Miss Gourmand, there is nothing wrong with this restaurant, or how they serve their food. The only problem in Restaurant Row is you!" Then all the ponies gasped.

"How dare you?!" Zesty Gourmand snapped. "You might know how do draw in a crowd of ponies here in Canterlot, but you don't know what good food really is."

"Is that so?" came a new voice. The crowd gasped and saw Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, along with Dusk and Nyx. Princess Celestia then said, "I suppose that I'm gonna have to try this food for myself and see if it is truly good or not."

"Oh, you don't have to, Princess," Zesty Gourmand said to her. "This place is unworthy of being rated at all, and nopony should come here ever again."

"Is that what you really think?" Dusk asked. "Just because of what the place looks like or how they serve the food? That's not what your job is. In fact... your taste is terrible. I've eaten at all the restaurants in Restaurant Row that you've ranked 3 hooves, and guess what... the food in those restaurants tastes awful."

"You wouldn't know good food even when you're staring at it, young colt!" Zesty Gourmand snapped.

"Actually, he does," Princess Celestia said. "And he's right. It's not your choice to tell the cooks of Restaurant Row what to serve their customers, or how to decorate their restaurant."

"All of the cooks were upset that they're no longer following their dream of how they cook their food," Princess Luna said. "And also, you technically threatened them."

"Which was what the former manager of Countess Coloratura was arrested for," Nyx added. "Which means you're gonna have the same fate as him."

"Nyx is right," Princess Celestia said. "From now on, the restaurants of Restaurant Row will be setting up and serving what they were originally planned on doing before you ruined them." Then all the cooks of the other restaurants cheered, surprising Zesty Gourmand.

"No!" Zesty Gourmand said. She was then levitated into the air by a couple of unicorn guards. "Release me this instant!"

"Guards, take Zesty Gourmand to the dungeon," Princess Celestia said. The guards nodded and took Zesty Gourmand away.

"I've got a headline for tomorrow's newspaper," Daylight said. "'Equestria's Food Critic Arrested for Threatening Restaurants'!"

"Ohhhhh!" most of the ponies in the Tasty Treat said. Then everypony started laughing. Then the Cutie Marks of Dusk, Nyx, Daylight, Rarity and Pinkie Pie started glowing, telling the five of them that their mission is complete.

"Does that mean you're done with your mission?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Indeed it does," Rarity said. "I think we should call it a night before we head home to Ponyville."

"Might as well see places around Canterlot," Nyx said.

"And I also recall in your memories that the other version of my sister offered you to show the School for Gifted Unicorns and where Twilight used to live," Princess Luna said. "And you never got the chance. So, how about we show you around?"

Nyx gasped at that, her eyes beaming. Then Dusk, Nyx, Daylight, Sweetie Belle, the Tri-Pies, Rarity and Pinkie Pie started following the Princesses.