//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 - Baker's Dread // Story: The Steeden University of Culinary Arts // by Dee Pad //------------------------------// The Steeden University of Culinary Arts By Dee Pad ===================================================================== Chapter 6: Baker's Dread ===================================================================== "And when I stood up to pass in my assignment, I realized, to my horror and embarrassment, I wasn't wearing pants! Some dream, huh?" Candy Cane simply raised an eyebrow at Pinkie Pie's regaling of the dream she had had last night. "Pinkie, I'm not sure if you've noticed, but you aren't wearing pants." Pinkie's eyes widened and she looked down at her legs. "In fact, you never wear pants. None of us do." Pinkie gasped at the revelation. "Then it wasn't a dream, it was a premonition." She leaned over the dining room table and whispered to Candy. "I think I might be psychic." Candy rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Right, just like last week when you were psychic because you knew it was gonna snow. When literally everyone knew a storm was coming." Pinkie quickly glanced around, looking quite paranoid. "You think everyone is psychic?" Candy sighed. "No, Pinkie. Just you." Pinkie wiped her brow. "Good. I don't think I want anypony reading my mind, or predicting my future. 'Cept me, of course." "Sounds logical," Candy said to play along and hopefully lay the subject to rest. She then hopped off of her chair and walked over to the counter. "Want another hot cocoa?" Pinkie held out her near-empty mug and smiled. "Yes, please." Hot cocoa was a welcomed delight on a day like this. The last few days had seen Trotholm surrounded by blowing snow and howling winds, the kind of day where you really don't want to open your front door. You'd rather just sit back with a nice, hot, chocolatey beverage. And good friends, of course. With the day's classes over, Candy had invited Pinkie Pie to hang out at her dorm. Luckily, Gwenivere hadn't returned with them as she apparently had plans with her father, so that was one thing off of their minds at least. Candy sat back down at the table with two mugs of hot cocoa, and passed one to Pinkie Pie. Pinkie immediately reached for the bag of mini marshmallows they had on the table and dropped five or six into her drink... Then popped a few more into her mouth directly. Pinkie took a quick sip of cocoa. "Soooooo..." she started coyly as if she figured Candy already knew where she was going. Candy's eyes shifted from left to right. "What?" Pinkie grinned widely and eagerly. "It's almost Hearth's Warming~!" Her fellow pink earth pony then smiled as she remembered. "Oh, right! We were gonna have a party, right?" Pinkie shot a hoof into the air. "Yes! And it's gonna be awesome! Look, I was thinking..." "That doesn't sound good," Candy giggled. "I know we wanted it to just be a small gathering of close friends in my dorm, buuuuuuut I had the idea that we could get the whole university involved and have a big shindig in the student lounge. Whadda ya think?" Candy seemed skeptical of the idea. "I don't know about that, Pinkie. We're still on probation. I don't think it's a good idea." Pinkie shook her head. "No no, see, I was gonna ask for permission. Hearth's Warming is a special occasion. Everyone should get involved and be a part of it, right?" Candy hummed in thought. "Well, if you could get permission then I guess it'd be fine. You just have to promise that, if they say no, you won't go ahead and do it anyway. We'll just have a small party at your place then. Okay?" Pinkie Pie waved her warning off. "Yeah, yeah, I got it. Nopony's gonna get in trouble... This time." Candy took a sip of her cocoa. "Come to think of it, Hearth's Warming is about the unification of the three pony races. Do griffons or zebras actually celebrate it?" Pinkie shrugged. "Who cares? It's an excuse to let loose and have fun. Doesn't matter 'bout who you are or where you come from." "Can't argue with that. No reason why anyone should be left out." "Which is why I wanna invite Gwen!" Candy groaned. "Pinkie, seriously, just give it up. She's not worth it." "She doesn't have to come if she doesn't want to, but I'm-a still invite her anyway." Candy didn't bother continuing the argument. More than likely Gwenivere would say no anyway, so there wasn't really any reason to press the issue. However, the conversation brought something to her attention. "Hey, speaking of roomies, where's yours?" Pinkie widened her eyes a little at the realization that Puff Pastry hadn't shown up. "Huh. I dunno. She said she was just gonna drop by the lobby to pick up our mail, then come up and join us." "I wonder what's taking her so long. Think we should go check on her?" suggested Candy. Pinkie agreed and gulped down the rest of her hot cocoa. The two of them left the apartment to seek out their absent friend, Candy opting to check the lobby while Pinkie was going to take a quick peek into her own dorm. The search was quickly cut short when Pinkie immediately noticed that Puff was, in fact, seated at the table in the kitchen. Pinkie shouted down the hall at Candy before she could make it to the stairwell. "Nevermind! She's in here!" Candy hurried back to Pinkie's side and they both entered Pinkie and Puff's dormitory. When they got to the kitchen, they noticed that Puff had indeed retrieved their mail from the lobby as there were a few unopened envelopes on the table. Pinkie took particular notice of the one with Twilight Sparkle's address on it, knowing it was a letter from her friends. Only one of the envelopes was actually open, likely the one from which Puff had taken the letter she was currently reading. "Whatcha doin' back here, Puff?" Pinkie inquired with a grin. "We were waiting for you over at Candy's place." Puff didn't respond, she just continued to stare silently at the letter in her hooves. It was only now that her friends began to notice the distraught expression on her face. "Is something wrong, Puff?" Candy asked with concern in her voice. Puff didn't look up, but passed the letter over to Candy with a defeated sigh. Candy raised an eyebrow at Puff's unusually sullen attitude before looking over the letter. Strangely, the piece of paper wasn't any kind of special stationary, but rather just a simple, blank page. In addition, it had little written on it other than two short sentences. "Pack your things. I'm coming to bring you home. Puff, what is this?" Puff finally looked her friends in the eyes. "It's from my mom." Pinkie peered over Candy's shoulder and scanned the letter herself. "Oh, is your mom bringing you home for Hearth's Warming then? Aw, that's too bad. I mean, it's great that you'll get to spend Hearth's Warming with your family, but I guess that means you're gonna miss out on our party." "Pinkie, look at her." Pinkie did as Candy asked and looked at Puff's expression. Sure, anypony would be disappointed to miss out on one of Pinkie Pie's parties, but if she were going home to spend Hearth's Warming with her family, certainly she wouldn't be this upset. "Puff, what's going on?" The impersonal way that the letter was written caused a horrible thought to come to mind. "Is... Is your mom pulling you out of school?" Pinkie gawked at the thought. "What?!" Puff nodded solemnly. "That's exactly vhat she's doing." "Well... How do you know for sure?" Candy asked, trying to remain somewhat optimistic. "I mean, this letter's pretty vague. It could mean anything really." "Because I know my mom," Puff answered simply. "But mostly because I didn't tell her I vas going to Steeden." Pinkie tilted her head in confusion. "You didn't tell her you were leaving the country to go to university? Why not?" Something was starting to click in Candy's brain, as if the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle were beginning to fit together. In the time that she'd known Puff, she had heard her mention things about her life back home, but never elaborated on them when Candy would ask her about it. Not to mention when she outright refused to talk about her family when the subject was brought up once a few weeks ago. Whatever was happening now, it seemed like they might finally get some answers. "I've avoided talking about my family as much as possible," Puff said with a sigh. "But I guess there's no point in that anymore." Candy placed a sympathetic hoof on Puff's shoulder. "Look, if it's really as serious as that, then you don't have to—" "Nein. You're my friends. Maybe telling you about it vill make me feel better." Puff took a deep breath as she prepared to explain. "First off, you need to know that my mom is a feminist." "Well, that doesn't exactly seem like something to be upset about," Candy commented. "It's admirable to stand up for women's rights." "Ya, but my mom is a feminist to the extreme." "Like, she's a surfer babe who rides gnarly waves?" said Pinkie. Puff stared at Pinkie with confusion for a moment, the blank eyes staring back at her indicating that that was a genuine question. "Nein. It means she believes that vomen should not exhibit any traditional female roles vithin society. She feels that doing so undermines our credibility as individuals." "So by 'traditional female roles' you mean things like cooking and housecleaning, right?" Candy inferred. Puff nodded with another sigh. "Ya..." Pinkie pursed her lips in thought. "But... You want to be a baker. Does your mom like that?" "Nein, that's the problem. See, I'm the middle child in my family; I have an older sister und a younger brother. Vhen my sister vas born, Mom did everything in her power to ensure that she followed in her hoofsteps. Mom is a lawyer, und my sister also became a lawyer because of her. But because I vas the second child, Mom und Dad had to divide their attention between the two of us, so vhen Mom und my sister vere out of the house, I vould spend my time after school at home vith Dad." "I guess he was a stay-at-home dad, if I had to guess based on what you've told us about your mom," Candy assumed. Puff nodded and continued. "My dad didn't have any problem vith me helping him around the house. I especially loved cooking vith him." Puff finally managed a smile. "It vas fun. I enjoyed cooking und baking. But Mom vould get upset if she came home and found out about it. Sometimes I vould even go to my aunt und uncle's house so I could bake vithout getting caught." "Geez, you wouldn't think baking would warrant the same punishment as, like, staying up past you're bedtime, or not eating your lima beans. Bleugh!" Pinkie gagged. "So what about now?" Candy asked. "If you didn't tell her you were coming to Steeden, then where did she think you were?" "The whole thing vas actually my sister's idea. She suggested I move in vith her on the other side of the country und pretend she vas going to show me some law schools. I stayed vith her for a vhile, making a little bit of money vorking at a small bakery nearby. She didn't vant me to vind up going down the same path as her. She vanted me to have a choice in vhat I vanted to do, unlike her. She paid for most of my tuition, und promised not to tell anypony I vas here." Puff leaned back in her chair and sighed. "But I guess the cat's out of the bag now." Pinkie and Candy took a moment to let that all sink in. It sounded like she was miserable at home. "So what are you going to do?" Candy asked. "You're not actually going to quit and go home, are you?" Pinkie asked with pleading eyes. Puff shook her head, but there was a noticeable lack of resolve. "Of course not. I vent through a lot of trouble to come here. I actually got accepted into the best culinary school in the vorld. I'm not going to throw that avay." "So what are you going to do when your mom gets here?" Pinkie inquired. Puff thought for a moment. "I don't really know. She's going to be very mad, und very stubborn. I doubt she'll be villing to leave vithout me." "So either you cave, or she does. Is that how it is?" said Candy. Puff shrugged weakly. "Pretty much. I guess vee'll find out vhen she gets here." Pinkie shifted in her chair anxiously. "And when is she going to get here?" Puff picked up the envelope on the table and looked it over. "Probably sometime vithin the next few days. She could have been here faster than she could send a letter, so she probably vanted to give me time to pack before she arrived so vee could get home as soon as possible." Pinkie and Candy both looked to one another with determination, then gave that same look to their distraught friend. "Well, whatever happens, we'll be right behind you, Puff," Candy assured with a resolute grin. "Yeah!" cheered Pinkie. "I know you probably love your mom and all, but you also love baking. And it would be downright mean to take that away from you." Puff smiled at her friends' support. "Thank you." ***** ***** ***** The front door of the university opened, letting in the cold air from outside and causing the mare working the reception counter to shiver. Even though the poor weather Trotholm had been experiencing as of late had died down significantly, it was still an extremely cold Saturday, despite the clear skies and beaming sun. The receptionist looked up from her paperwork to see who had just come in; there were no meetings or appointments made for the weekend at all. An earth pony mare briskly trotted over to her desk. Her attire caused the receptionist to lift an eyebrow as she was only wearing a black pantsuit. How she tolerated the stinging cold outside in that was baffling. The only other thing she was wearing was a rather terse expression, indicating that this mare was going to be all business and few, if any, pleasantries. "Can I help you, Ma'am?" the receptionist greeted with slightly forced enthusiasm. The mare responded with brevity, getting right to the point. "I am looking for the dormitory of vun of your students: Poof Pastry. Vhich room is she in?" The receptionist leafed through some papers quickly, looking a tad confused. "Um... I'm sorry, but there are no students enrolled here by that name. There's a Puff Pastry, but no Poof." She glanced back up at the mare who was staring icy daggers back at her, making her more than a little nervous. "But, judging by your expression, that's probably what you said." "Ya. Now, vhich room is she in," the mare reiterated. The receptionist gave an apologetic look. "I'm not allowed to reveal that information. Privacy concerns. Sorry." That answer didn't seem to faze the mare. "I am her mother," she stated simply. The receptionist shrugged. "And I'm a member of the Sapphire Shores Official Fan Club. Doesn't mean I get to go to her concerts for free." Her sarcasm elicited another harsh glare from the mare. "You realize your job is demeaning to mares everyvhere, don't you?" The receptionist stayed silent for a moment. She hadn't really expected that. "Beg pardon?" "You could have any job you like, but instead you choose to embarrass yourself by being somepony's servant." "Servant? Lady, I'll be honest with you, I only took this job because it's a weekly paycheck that doesn't really involve a lot of work." The mare seemed to suddenly lose interest entirely, her head turning to the door to the right of the desk. "I suppose I vill have to locate my daughter myself." She started towards the door, completely ignoring the receptionist. The receptionist rose from her chair. "Hey, wait! You can't go in without permis—" The door shut behind the mare before she could finish. "—sion..." She sat back in her seat and groaned, waving a hoof dismissively in the direction of the door. "They don't pay me enough." ***** ***** ***** Pinkie Pie leaned over the tray of cupcakes that Puff had just removed from the oven, inhaling deeply through her nose to enjoy the scent of the freshly baked treats. There was nothing like the smell of baked goods in the morning, but the fun part was yet to come: decorating. Pinkie Pie had some icing and several piping bags ready to go. She wanted to test out some decorating designs she'd recently come up with, and Puff was more than happy to provide the canvas for her creativity. "What do you think I should try first? Strawberry or Blueberry?" Pinkie asked her roommate. "Vhy not chocolate?" Puff suggested. Pinkie smacked her lips. "Chocolate sounds good. But, then again, it all sounds good. It's so hard to choose!" "You're trying all of them anyvay, so vhat difference does it make?" "Cuz we gotta save the best for last!" Pinkie insisted. "Und how do you know vhich is best until you've made all of them?" Puff argued. Pinkie stared at the undecorated cupcakes in thought. "You make a valid point. Random time!" Pinkie Pie covered her eyes and swirled her hoof around in the air before finally bringing it down onto one of the piping bags. Pinkie opened her eyes to see that a small amount of pink frosting had oozed out of the bag she hit. "Strawberry it is!" As Pinkie lifted the piping bag of strawberry frosting and prepared to start decorating, there was a knock at the door. The excitement they had felt about baking and decorating had suddenly vanished, replaced by pensiveness and concern, especially for Puff. Pinkie looked toward the door, then to Puff, noticing her roommates hesitation to answer it. "Is that her?" Puff rubbed her leg nervously. "Probably." "Should I answer it?" Pinkie offered, knowing how much Puff was dreading this moment. Puff shook her head. "Nein. I need to face this. It's my problem, not yours." Puff walked over to the door, trepidation in every step. She placed a hoof on the doorknob, pausing to take a deep breath. Finally, she worked up the courage to open it. Pinkie Pie kept a respectful distance, knowing that it would be more appropriate to allow Puff to speak with her mom, but out of curiosity took a peek through the open door. Standing in the hall just beyond the threshold was a lime green, earth pony mare with a baby blue mane. She was wearing a black pantsuit that made it impossible to see her cutie mark. Looking at her, one would have never guessed that this mare was related to Puff. Where Puff was somewhat short and chubby, her mother was tall and lean. Although her suit covered much of her body, it didn't obscure the fact that she clearly took close care of herself. Her body was well toned, though not really muscular, but it was quite obvious that she exercised regularly. Among all else, her most noticeable attribute at this given moment was the expression on her face. One would think that a mother would be happy to see her daughter after having not seen one another for several months, but instead she seemed to be glaring sternly. All in all, she was not at all what Pinkie had pictured in her head. "Hi, Mom," Puff deadpanned. Somehow she had managed to make a simple, two-word greeting sound sarcastic. Puff's mother, instead of returning her greeting, peered into the dormitory, looking around as if she were expecting something, but couldn't find it. "Vhere are your bags?" "I didn't pack any bags," her daughter responded, attempting to maintain a steadfast expression. "I gave you ample time to prepare. Now, pack your things quickly. If vee hurry, vee may be able to catch the next flight home." Puff stood her ground, her brow furrowing at her mother's insensitivity. She spoke slowly and calmly, though it was clearly visible that she was fighting back some anger. "I'm not going home, Mom." Her mother shook her head at her daughter's response. "Nonsense. You're coming home vith me right now. I do not vant any daughter of mine to degrade herself in a place like this." Puff grit her teeth behind tight lips. "This is a vell respected school. Some of the best chefs in the vorld vent to this school! I'm not going to sit here und listen to you insult this place und my friends!" Pinkie Pie had never seen Puff act like this before. She'd seen her irritated or annoyed, but never outright angry. It was hard to imagine that the one person who could cause Puff to behave this way was her own mother. Even after everything Puff had told her about her mom, Pinkie didn't want to watch the two of them yelling at one another. It was time to play interference. "Ooookay!" Pinkie interjected with a nervous laugh, throwing her hoof over Puff's shoulder. "I can see there's some tension here, but is this really an appropriate time and place to be arguing? What we should do is all sit down with a nice cup of tea and talk this over calmly and quietly. Whadda ya say?" Puff's mother stared somewhat blankly at the pink mare, then at her daughter. "This matter is none of your business, Miss..." "Pie. Pinkie Pie." "Miss Pie. Und I vould appreciate it if you vere to stay out of it." As if Pinkie had never heard that before. "Still, I think you two need to discuss this in a... uh, less hostile manner. Puff's mother looked back to her daughter, electing to completely ignore Pinkie Pie's interruption. "You vill come home." "I vill not," Puff snapped back. "I am an adult, Mom. You cannot tell me vhat to do anymore." The taller mare knit her brow tighter. "I see. But I am not returning home vithout you. This," she said, sweeping her hoof around to indicate the university as a whole, "is not your place. You vill be coming home vith me vun vay or another." With that, Puff's mother turned around and started back towards the stairwell. Pinkie Pie stuck her head out the door, trying to comprehend how such a mare could exist. Pinkie closed the door and watched Puff walk over to the couch and lay down with a groan. "Wow. That was... something," Pinkie remarked. "Your mom's really... Um..." "Aggravating?" "I was gonna go with 'abrasive.' You weren't kidding about her. How could a mom treat her own little filly that way? Your childhood must've sucked." Puff sat up with a sigh. "Vee don't hate each other. Vhen she's not going overboard vith her ideals, she's actually really supportive. Mom vould alvays help me vith my homevork. She planned big birthday parties for us. Outside of anything... 'girly,' she usually let us do vhatever. Growing up vasn't too difficult, it's just the last few years that have been... intolerable." Pinkie Pie sat down next to her, offering a sympathetic look. "That didn't look like the kind of relationship a mom should have with her daughter. Moms are supposed to be role models for their daughters." "Vell, my mom is less a 'role model' und more a control-model." "Ha!" Pinkie slapped her hooves over her mouth to stifle her laughter, realizing that it was inappropriate. "Sorry. So you're really, really not going to leave?" Puff nodded. "I'm not going, no matter vhat she says." "Think she'll back off?" Puff shook her head this time. "Not likely. But I just have to hold out hope. I don't vant to give all this up simply because my mother doesn't approve." "'Kay." Pinkie looked down at the floor is silence. "I know she said it's none of my business, but I want you to know that if you want my help or something, you just need to ask." Puff smiled weakly, finding the thought of her friends' support comforting. "I know, und I appreciate that, but I think this is my battle to fight." ***** ***** ***** Being the weekend, the university's student lounge was fairly populated. Though most of the students—specifically those from out of the country—liked to spend their down time sightseeing and making memories; who knows when they'd get another chance to spend time in the beautiful land of Steeden? However, the bitter chill of winter was effective enough at keeping people indoors, not that many of them were complaining. The hot chocolate they were selling at the small coffee shop within the lounge was pretty tasty, in addition to the cinnamon buns and other delectable pastries on display. Everyone was pretty wrapped up in their own things, whether that be reading a good book, playing cards or board games, or just engaging in idle chitchat. No one really noticed the unfamiliar pony ordering a coffee at the counter. One would think that her perfectly ironed pantsuit would look out of place in the laid back environment of the student lounge and elicit some raised eyebrows. But another face soon entered the room, one whom the students did indeed recognize as one of the well respected instructors at their school, though it was uncommon for him to pay a visit to the student lounge. The Prench griffon, sans his usual white chef's hat, twirled his well-groomed mustache as he approached the counter to order a coffee from the barista. After placing his order, he, unlike the preoccupied students, took notice of the tall, lime green mare sitting alone at a nearby table as she mentally critiqued the coffee she had been served. "Pardon moi," Gustave said to get the mare's attention. When she looked toward him, he continued. "I do not believe I 'ave ever seen you around 'ere before. Are you a student or per'aps a new member of zee faculty?" "Neither," the mare answered. "I am here to see my daughter." She sized up the griffon for a moment. "You are... Gustave le Grand, is that right?" Gustave smiled proudly. "Oui." The mare extended her hoof to the griffon. "Minty Crush. I have heard great things about your culinary skills. You have my respect," she complimented. Although Gustave always enjoyed having his ego reenforced, her manner of speech almost sounded condescending. He decided it would be best to let it go in case that was unintentional. "Merci. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mademoiselle Crush. You said you were 'ere to visit your daughter, n'est-ce pas? I, too, am meeting my daughter 'ere so zat we may spend some quality time togezer." "You're mistaken. I'm not here to 'visit' my daughter," Minty Crush corrected. "I've come to take her home." Gustave raised an eyebrow. "Is zat so? Mais, zee university does not close for 'Earth's Warming until zee end of next week. You intend to 'ave 'er miss a week of classes?" "I intend to have her miss more than just a veek. I am removing her from this school entirely so that she can pursue a more fitting career." Gustave briefly wished he hadn't chosen that moment to sip his coffee, her response causing him to choke briefly on the hot liquid. "Pardon moi? What do you mean 'a more fitting career'? You do not zink zat becoming a baker is a worzwhile career?" "I mean no disrespect to you or your field. I simply believe that any self-respecting mare vould not degrade herself by adhering to vhat society expects of her." Gustave stayed silent, mouth agape as if he wished to say something but was simply appalled by what he had just heard. "Papa." Gustave was shaken from his stupor by the voice of his daughter walking up beside him. Gwenivere's attention quickly went from her father to the serious-looking mare he had been talking with. "Is zis a friend of yours, Papa?" "We just met," Gustave answered. "I was merely engaging in idle conversation while waiting for you." Minty Crush stared at Gwenivere silently for a few moments, making the female griffon a tad uncomfortable. "This is your daughter?" she asked Gustave, though not removing her eyes from the younger griffon. Gustave smiled proudly and placed his claw upon his daughter's shoulder. "Oui. Zis is Gwenivere, ma joie et fierté" Minty Crush gave the prideful Gustave a judgmental glare. "Und you allow her to insult herself by coming to this school?" Gwenivere was taken aback by her bluntness. "What?! 'Ow exactly am I insulting myself? It 'as been my lifelong goal to follow in mon papa's pawprints and become a world-class baker. Zis university is zee finest culinary school in zee world. You would dare speak of it in such a way?!" Gwenivere was poised to close the gap between herself and this infuriating mare. However, she stopped when Gustave held his claw in front of her. "Calm down, Gwenivere. We do not want to cause any trouble." He turned back to the suited mare. "Mademoiselle Crush, I know it is not our place to decide what your daughter does or needs, but might I just ask 'oo your daughter is?" "If you must know, it is Puff Pastry," she responded as she took another sip of coffee. "Zat little piggie?" Gwenivere quickly silenced herself, simply thinking aloud at the surprise that this rather fit-looking mare was Puff's mother. Thankfully, neither she nor her father seemed to hear her. "Mademoiselle Crush, your daughter Puff is quite a talented baker," Gustave explained. "You would really pull 'er out of school when zere is little doubt she could do great zings in zis field?" Aggravated by their insistence, Minty Crush let out a groan. "A voman should not demean herself by seeking a career that society deems is fitting for their gender. By following this path, my daughter—as vell as yours—are perpetuating a negative stereotype." "Actually, zee culinary field is predominately male," Gustave corrected. "But baking is still largely considered to be an act performed mostly by females, especially in the home. I vish to remove my daughter from that stigma." Minty Crush finished off her coffee and stood from her seat. "Now, if you vill excuse me, I have to visit a local hotel to reserve a room. It may prove troublesome to convince my daughter to return home." With that, the unpleasant mare trotted past the pair of griffons, looking as if she had taken none of what they said with any seriousness. Gustave was baffled that an individual with such an extreme opinion of gender roles actually existed. Gwenivere, however, was less confused and more enraged by the mare. "I certainly 'ope zey manage to work zis out," Gustave said with a sigh. "I would 'ate to see such talent go to waste." Gwenivere didn't respond to her father's statement, but instead had a thought of her own. "Papa, may we postpone zis meeting until later? Zere is somezing zat I must do." "Hm? Er, I suppose. Shall we meet 'ere in une heure zen?" "Zat is fine." Gwenivere made her way to the door, leaving her father to think about the situation he had just learned about. ***** ***** ***** "So how long do you think your mom will keep hounding you before she decides to leave you alone?" Puff could only sigh in response to Candy's question. There really was no answer to that. She, of all people, knew how persistent and stubborn her mother could be. "All I can really hope for at this point is 'eventually.'" Candy hated seeing her friend in such dire straits. Once Pinkie Pie had told her that Puff's mother had arrived, she came straight over to comfort her. She had yet to meet the mare, but if what Puff had told her was any indication, that was a good thing. "I don't think you have anything to worry about," Pinkie Pie said with a optimistic grin as she brought her two friends some lemonade. She passed them their glasses, then sat down with one of her own. "She's your mom. No matter what happens I'm sure she'll come around. She wouldn't let your relationship fall apart over something like this." "I vish I could say you vere right, but I don't think it'll go like that," Puff said with a defeated sigh. "I know I said I vasn't going to go home, but like you said, Pinkie, I don't vant to compromise my relationship vith her over this. Maybe I should get this over vith und just go." Pinkie gasped in shock. "What?! No way!" She leapt down onto her knees and looked up at Puff with pleading eyes. "You can't leave. If you go, our circle of friends will just be a square. A square! The lamest of shapes!" Candy tapped the table in thought. "Hypothetically speaking, if you did go home and, Celestia forbid, actually gave up your dream of becoming a pastry chef..." "No-oo-oo! You caaaan't!" Pinkie bawled into Puff's lap. "...would your mom let you stay in contact with us? I mean, even if you were to leave, that doesn't mean we'd stop being friends." Puff took a moment to think, then shrugged. "She probably vouldn't care for you guys much, but I suppose she'd have no real problem vith it. But vee'd probably never get a chance to actually see each other again." "I'd come visit you," Pinkie said as she stared up with big, tearful eyes. "Pinkie, get up," Candy order with a roll of her eyes. "Okey doke." The melodramatic mare hopped back onto her chair, putting on her usual smile once more. Puff managed a weak smile. Even in this serious time, Pinkie's exuberant nonsense was enough to at least cheer her up a little. "That's nice of you to say, Pinkie, but I don't think it'd be that easy, not to mention expensive." Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. The three mares exchanged concerned looks, especially towards Puff, who looked particularly upset. They all knew who was behind that door. "I'll get it," Pinkie volunteered, hopping from her seat. Pinkie stood in front of the door, but hesitated to open it. As much as she would like to help mend the rifts in Puff's relationship with her mother, she didn't really want to see her any more than Puff did. But, reluctantly, she opened the door anyway, only to be pleasantly surprised by a face she hadn't been expecting. "Oh, hi, Gwen. Wasn't expecting you," Pinkie greeted, her discomfort replaced with a cheery grin. Pinkie's greeting garnered the attention of her two friends, surprised—though not necessarily pleased—to hear that it was Gwenivere and not Puff's mother. Puff in particular let out an exasperated groan. "I'm not in the mood for this today." Candy got up from her seat and walked to the door, looking Gwenivere in the eye. She paused before speaking, noting that something about Gwenivere's face seemed different somehow, though she couldn't place exactly what it was. "Look, Gwenivere, now's not a good time for... whatever it is you want. Could you just, you know, give us some privacy?" The griffon was undeterred by the accusation. "I met Puff's mozer." Pinkie's and Candy's ears perked up and they shared a quick glance. Candy stepped aside and gestured to Gwenivere. "Then you might as well come in." Gwenivere accepted the invitation and stepped inside. After a brief glance toward the kitchen she immediately noticed the distraught Puff Pastry sitting at the table. Puff met her gaze, clearly none too pleased to see the one person that has shown her nothing but disrespect since she came to this school, but then just silently turned back to her cooling cup of tea. "I 'ave 'eard zat your mozer wishes to pull you out of school and bring you back 'ome to Germaney," Gwenivere addressed Puff as she entered the kitchen. Puff cocked an eyebrow. For once it seemed as if Gwenivere was at least making an attempt to be sympathetic, though Puff was no stranger to the griffon's veiled condescension at this point and chose not to take her words to heart. "Vhy do you care? I thought you'd be happy that I vas leaving." Gwenivere grimaced. What she was about to say was not something she had ever really planned on saying, but at this moment in time she felt that her opinion needed to be made clear. "Zere appears to a misconception on zee part of you and your friends, Puff." Puff looked up at the griffon, mild surprise on her face; that may have been the first time Gwenivere had ever called her by name in the few months that they've known each other. "I 'ave never once said zat you were not a skilled baker. Not as skilled as moi, mind you, but I do believe zat you 'ave every right to be 'ere." Puff continued to stare at Gwenivere in disbelief, astounded that she was actually acknowledging her ability. Pinkie and Candy reacted in much the same way, though the latter was not about to let that be that. "Then why have you done nothing but insult her since you both got here? She never did anything to earn that kind of treatment." Gwenivere deflated a little at the accusation. "I suppose... you are right. Puff 'as never done moi or mon père any wrong. Per'aps... I 'ave never 'ad any reason to speak to 'er zat way." Pinkie stepped forward, wrapping a hoof around Gwenivere's neck. "I think what we have here is nothing more than natural, animal instincts kicking in. As in the wild, Gwenivere was simply asserting herself as the dominant member of the pack to any potential rivals, attacking what she perceived to be a weakness. In this case, Puff's weight. Gwen's part lioness. Lions do that kinda stuff." The griffon gave the pink mare invading her personal space an annoyed glare. "'Er, on zee ozer claw, I find incredibly irritating." She lifted Pinkie's hoof off of her shoulder and turned back to Puff. "In any case, I suppose I owe you an apology, so... je suis désolé." Puff carefully analyzed Gwenivere's expression. For once, the griffon's face was genuinely apologetic. "It's okay. I never really took any of that stuff to heart anyvay. It vas more annoying than anything." Gwenivere couldn't help but feel that Puff still felt a little sour, but she had apologized, and Puff had accepted it. That was enough for her. "Getting back to why I'm 'ere, are you actually intending to leave zee university and return 'ome?" "You said you met my mom, right? Does she seem like the kind of pony to let things like this go?" "My conversation wiz 'er was razer brief, but in zat short time she 'ad managed to infuriate me to no end." Gwenivere clenched her talons as she remembered the insults to both her and the university she respected that Puff's mother had issued. "To be fair, that's not difficult to do," Candy quipped. "Pinkie does that on a daily basis." "But you're the only one here that hasn't actually met her," Pinkie argued with unusual seriousness. "If you had, I think you'd be with Gwen on this." "Zat mare truly believes zat women should not bake? What sort of logic is she going by?" "She believes that vomen should not exhibit stereotypical female roles, like cooking und cleaning. She feels that our entire gender loses respect as a result," explained Puff. "Oui, I gazered zat much. Mais, zat seems to be a razer clouded way to view our society. 'As no one spoken to 'er about zis before?" "She's too stubborn to listen. I've told Pinkie und Candy that she's not that bad. She's a good mom, really. She took good care of me und my brother und sister. She helped vith homevork, read bedtime stories, took us to the playground. I have a lot of fond memories of her, und I don't think that's going to change." "Zen what 'appened? Zat mare I met was intolerable." "The only thing she ever really scolded me for vas vhen I vould bake vith my dad. I've alvays just found it hard to deal vith the fact that she tried to prevent me from doing something I loved doing." "And you're a grown mare," Candy said. "She has no right to force you to do anything you don't want to, or give up something you're passionate about." "You even said your sister was on your side," Pinkie added. "What if your family had, like, an intervention or something? Let her know that everypony disagrees with her." "You think vee haven't done that already? You heard me mention how stubborn she is, right?" Puff let her chin rest on the table. "Vhy bother? It's a lost cause. Even if she can't force me to go home, she's not going to stop trying. That's just going to take all of the enjoyment out of being here." Puff stood from her chair and shuffled toward the bedroom looking quite crestfallen. "I give up. I'm going home." The bedroom door shut behind her, leaving her three classmates in shocked silence. Gwenivere looked at Pinkie and Candy. They could tell that she was just as upset about this as they were. "Maybe... Maybe she just needs to sleep on it," Pinkie suggested, though her hopeful optimism was belied by the lack of confidence in her tone. She stared at the closed bedroom door, her ears flattening against her head. ***** ***** ***** The bedroom of Pinkie and Puff's dormitory was dead silent. The sun beamed through the window, the light made even brighter by it's reflection off the pure, white snow. It was perhaps the most beautiful winter's day they had seen yet, but the mood within the dorm couldn't be any more gloomy. Pinkie was joined by Candy this morning, both of them watching in depressed silence as Puff slowly and begrudgingly packed her bags. They knew that Puff's mother was just out in the living room, waiting for her daughter. Puff looked extremely tired, evident by the bags under her eyes. It was obvious that she didn't get any sleep the previous night. Of course, Pinkie was the same way. Both of them didn't want to go to sleep knowing that when they woke may very well be the last time they ever see each other. "Isn't there anything we can say to change your mind?" Candy asked, her voice quiet, but shattering the silence like glass. Puff tucked away one of her cookbooks—although she couldn't imagine she'd ever get another chance to use it—and stopped packing to look at her friends. "Please, I don't vant this to be any harder than it already is. If I stay here, my mom is only going to make the experience miserable. I'd rather just go home und hope that I can earn her respect again." "So you'd rather be miserable at home doing something you don't care about?" Puff didn't answer. She simply returned to packing her things. "What are you gonna do when you get home?" Pinkie asked. Puff zipped up the last of her bags and threw them over her back, ready to leave, yet not ready at all. "I don't know. Hopefully something that vill help improve my relationship vith my mom. Maybe even try to convince her to be more open-minded." Puff opened the bedroom door, and the three mares were immediately met by the gaze of Puff's mother from the living room. They hadn't known her long, but just looking at her elicited scowls from Pinkie and Candy. Pinkie was never the judgmental type. She never believed it was possible for her to hate somepony. She still didn't believe that. "Hate" may have been a bit too strong a word, but she definitely did not like this mare. "Are you ready?" the lime green mare asked her daughter. Puff let out a long sigh as she approached. "As ready as I'm going to be." "Good. Then let's go." "Mom, can I have a minute? Please?" Puff's mother looked at her daughter, as well as the two sad mares standing behind her. "Fine." Puff turned back to her friends, her eyes looking on the verge of tears. "I guess this is it," Puff started shakily. She managed to smile for the first time that morning. "I know vee haven't really known each other for too long, but I can say confidently that you girls are the best friends I've ever had. Und you guys made my short time here more than vorth it." Pinkie Pie began to tear up, her lip quivering. "A few months is a long time. I feel like we've known each other for ages. And..." She paused to rub her eyes. "And I don't wanna say goodbye..." "It was fun hanging out with you, Puff," Candy said with a soft smile. "And Pinkie's right. Regardless of how long we've known each other, we couldn't be better friends than we are now." Puff gave Candy a short hug, then Pinkie, who almost broke down into tears during the embrace. "I'll come visit if I ever get the chance, okay?" Pinkie assured. Puff smiled at Pinkie's offer. "I know you vill. Und I look forward to it." She returned to her mother, more hesitant now than ever. As Puff and her mother entered the hall, Pinkie Pie ran out behind them. "Wait! I-I can't just leave it at that. I'll... I'll walk with you down to the lobby." Puff looked at her mother, seeing no sign of objection towards the idea. With a smile, Puff nodded, and Pinkie followed behind them to the stairwell. Candy watched as they disappeared from sight, sighing deeply at the thought of losing a friend just like that. She turned to look down to the other end of the hall, noticing that Gwenivere was standing at the threshold of their dorm. She didn't say anything. She simply stood there with a look of meloncholy, much akin to the one Candy was wearing. As Pinkie Pie walked down the stairs with Puff and her mother, she couldn't help but feel a rather dense bubble of tension around them. It was understandable, of course, but now Pinkie was wondering if prolonging their goodbye was just making it all the more difficult for both of them. Part of her was just hoping that any additional time they could spend together would result in Puff changing her mind, or, if not, then at least extending her memories of her friend. As the three of them reached the bottom of the stairwell, they continued walking down one of the school's halls toward the lobby, utterly silent. Pinkie had seen awkward situations before. In a lot of cases, she would be pretty good at removing an awkward silence with a well-placed joke or something completely off-the-wall random, though in other cases she would only manage to make the moment more awkward. In this particular instance, she suspected that the latter result would be the most likely to occur, so she kept her mouth shut, content with simply going over the memories she had cataloged in the short time she'd known Puff. That was enough to keep a smile on her face. But no matter how good those memories were, it didn't dispute the fact that Puff was leaving, a fact that the pig-tailed mare was clearly hung up on if her disheartened expression was any indication. Puff was not happy. But she was more than just unhappy, she looked depressed. Pinkie wanted to say something, anything to at the very least cheer her up. The three of them entered the lobby. The room was illuminated by the morning sun shining brightly through the glass double doors, in stark contrast to the tension that the three mares brought with them. Puff stared out through the doors at the snow-covered courtyard outside, knowing that once she stepped beyond the threshold, she would never be coming back. Puff's mother stopped in the middle of the lobby and addressed her daughter, though with her eyes facing forward. "Vhen vee return home und unpack your things, I am taking you out to look at some law schools." "Mom, I don't know anything about that stuff," Puff argued half-heartedly. "I can teach you the basics, und your sister can help as vell." She turned toward Puff. "Und I vant you to forget about all of this pastry nonsense. Forget about this school, und forget about these mares who have no self-respect." She looked directly at Pinkie when she said that. She turned back toward the door and started toward it, ready to leave. "Now, come along." Puff's mother halted when she heard something fall to the floor with a low whump. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Puff's bags lying on the ground and the mare herself scowling harshly back. "Vhat are you doing? Pick up your bags." "I'm. Not. Leaving," Puff said slowly and in a low tone. A hopeful grin appeared on Pinkie's face. "Nonsense. Pick them up und let's go." "Nein!" Puff's sudden outburst caused the receptionist at the front desk to jump with a start. "It vasn't bad enough that you insult this school, but Pinkie Pie und Candy are my friends, und I'm not going to stand here und listen to you talk about them like that!" "They are holding you back," her mother insisted, eliciting a low growl from Puff. "You vould rather adhere to gender stereotypes than choose a career vhere you vould be respected." "Pastry chefs, male or female, are respected," Puff argued. "I respect everyvun at this school, vhich is more than I can say about you! Besides, I'd rather choose a degrading career than vun that involves lying und protecting criminals!" Puff's mother narrowed her eyes at her daughter, then raised her hoof and brought it across her face in a firm slap. Pinkie gasped at the sight as Puff reeled back. After a moment, Puff turned back to her mother, her expression fierce and enraged, but contrasted by the tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm never going home!" Puff grabbed her bags, turning her back to her mother and stomping back toward her dorm. The lime green mare seemed almost unfazed by her daughter's reaction, but Pinkie could tell that something bothered her. Whether that be the fact that Puff insulted her profession or the fact that she had struck her own daughter, Pinkie couldn't tell; this mare was difficult to read. But Pinkie would be lying if she said she didn't understand why Puff had reacted that way. It was completely reasonable that she was upset, though "upset" may have been an understatement. Puff's mother began to take a step in order to follow her daughter, intent on convincing her to return home. However, she was stopped when Pinkie Pie obstructed her path. The pink mare glowered at her, not deterred at all by the similar glower the older mare was giving her. "Move aside," Puff's mother demanded. "I already told you, this is none of your business." "Puff is my friend, and she's upset. So I'm making it my business," Pinkie insisted, refusing to back down. "Listen, Miss Pie, I'm going to talk to my—" "No, you listen!" Pinkie snapped, pointing a hoof at her chest defiantly. This mare may have been pretty intimidating up until now, but after seeing what had just transpired, she felt the need to finally confront her and say what she needed to say. "What kind of mother hits her own daughter? You should be ashamed of yourself!" Puff's mother frowned slightly. "Admittedly, it vas a sort of... knee-jerk reaction. I intend to apologize for that." "And what else are you going to apologize for?" The older mare raised an eyebrow quizzically. "I have nothing else to apologize for." "Oh, you don't?" Pinkie responded in an accusatory tone. Her voice became more sombre. "You might not notice it, but even though she doesn't want to follow in your hoofsteps, Puff respects you. That's the only reason she agreed to go home at all. You're her mom. Moms are supposed to nurture their foals and support them no matter what. You know, I grew up on a rock farm where I lived with my mom, my dad and my three sisters." Puff's mother suddenly seemed interested in what Pinkie was saying. "A family business?" "Yeah. But I didn't like working there. I felt trapped, like my life was going nowhere and I had no idea what my purpose was. But one faithful day, everything came to me in a flash of rainbows. For once, I was happy, and I knew what I could do to spread that happiness, but that meant leaving behind the farm and my family. Do you know how my mom reacted when I told her that?" Puff's mother remained silent, recognizing the question as a rhetoric. "She smiled and said, 'Good luck, sweetie. We'll miss you.' They knew I was unhappy there, and all they wanted was for me to do only what I wanted. They didn't care what it was, as long as I was happy, they were happy for me." Judging by the expression on the green mare's face, it seemed like Pinkie was managing to invoke some thought. "Your parents vere fine vith you abandoning them und their livelihood?" Pinkie shook her head. "I didn't abandon them. I still visit them whenever I get the chance, and I even help out when I'm there. Even though we lived farther apart, that didn't mean we weren't still close." Puff's mother stayed silent again, seemingly thinking about something. Pinkie took the opportunity to continue her lecture. "You claim to be a feminist, somepony who believes that women should have all the same rights and respect as men. But from what I've seen, you're the one who's not showing women, like me and even your own daughter, the respect they deserve. And you believe that society shouldn't tell them what they should and shouldn't do, when you're doing just that. Instead of supporting Puff with what she wants to do, you're telling her what she wants. You're not giving her the freedom you believe all women should have. You're controlling her. Isn't that exactly the opposite of what you stand for?" Puff's mother broke eye contact with Pinkie Pie, letting her gaze fall to the floor. Pinkie hadn't yet seen the mare with an expression of guilt or remorse, but it was quite clear that what she had said was being taken to heart. After a few moments of silence, Puff's mother looked up at Pinkie again. "Excuse me," she said quietly, as she briskly trotted past Pinkie Pie. From this point on, there was nothing else Pinkie could do. She could only hope that everything she had said took effect. Pinkie began making her way back as well, eager to see the result of her meddling. ***** ***** ***** Puff flicked on the oven light and peered inside. The cookies she was baking were coming along nicely, but they needed a few more minutes. While she was waiting she rolled out another tray of cookie dough. They weren't being well cared for, however. Puff roughly rolled them and slapped them onto the tray without much thought; her mind was too preoccupied to put the proper care and attention into her baking. But she wasn't baking because she wanted practice, but rather as an attempt to cool her head. Needless to say, it wasn't working. She was furious. Never in her life had she been so angry, and at her own mother no less. This was the final straw, she told herself. From this day forward she intended to cut all ties with her mother so she'd never have to worry about her butting into her life ever again. Maybe when all was said and done at the university, she'd travel overseas with Pinkie and Candy, perhaps even work with them. She had always heard that running away from your problems wouldn't solve anything, but she was tempted to try. Puff was momentarily distracted by the sound of the apartment door opening. She was hoping to see Pinkie Pie; although she wasn't in any mood for talking, having some company might help alleviate her stress. However, much to her displeasure, it was not the face of her friend that peered inside, but that of the one person she definitely did not want to see right now. Puff glared harshly at her mother for a moment, then promptly ignored her—or at least tried to—and returned to her cookies, removing the tray that was in the oven, replacing it with the one she had just done up and haphazardly dropping the finished tray on the counter with a loud clang. She also didn't hesitate to snatch up one of her own cookies and scarf it down in a hurry, not paying any mind to how hot it was still. Minty Crush could plainly see just how upset her daughter was. It had always been her intent to guide Puff in what she believed to be the right direction. She had never considered that what she was doing was more akin to forceful manipulation. And to think, she had already done this with one of her daughters. After a rather long and awkward silence, she finally entered the room proper and carefully closed the door behind her. What was she supposed to say, 'Sorry I made your life miserable?' What would a normal mother do in this situation? Minty Crush glanced around, looking for something that might help her get started. She noticed the cookies that her daughter was baking. Under any other circumstances she would have lectured her daughter about that, but with the guilt that plagued her currently, she decided to try a different approach. "You're... baking?" Puff was rolling another tray of dough, but had to pause when her mother spoke. She cocked an eyebrow. For the most part she expected her to say something derogative, but the expression on her mother's face was foreign to her. Almost like... regret. "Ya..." she answered cautiously. "Cookies. Is there a problem vith that?" Minty Crush felt a sudden sting from the sharpness in Puff's question. It was not a feeling she was too familiar with, something she had been experiencing quite a bit today. "Vhat kind?" she asked, attempting to continue with her roundabout apology. Puff stared at her mother, more confused now than anything at her sudden shift in attitude. "Chocolate chip." Her mother hesitated as she prepared to ask her next question. "May I... May I try vun?" Puff's anger suddenly subsided momentarily, looking utterly shocked at the question. In all her life, with how many times her mother had scolded her when she was caught baking with her father, Puff could not recall a single instance where her mother actually tasted what she had made. Out of morbid curiosity, she stepped aside. "S-Sure. They're still hot though." Minty Crush picked up one of the cookies. It certainly smelled good. She pensively took a bite. The dough was still soft, having not had time to cool and harden, and the chocolate chips were melted and gooey. A thought crossed her mind as she chewed. It was so tasty despite having actively prevented her daughter from practicing. She could only imagine how good she might be had she been more... supportive of Puff's interests. "It's... delicious," the older mare said, looking her daughter in the eyes. Puff was taken aback by the compliment. "You... have a real talent for this sort of thing, don't you?" Puff was still in minor shock. Was this mare even her mother? "Vhat exactly happened down there after I left?" "I had a small chat vith your friend. Or rather, she did the talking," Minty Crush admitted. "She's a strange mare, but she is surprisingly good at putting things in perspective. Und that's vhy I came back here: to apologize for my behavior. Not only that I... struck you, but for all of the years that I have cost you. I have been trying to treat you like a respectable voman vhen I should have been treating you like a daughter. Like my daughter. I'm sorry, Puff." Puff didn't know how to react. She remembered seeing the nurturing side of her mother when she was a filly, but she had thought that that side of her had been abandoned. She almost felt like a filly again. "You... really mean that?" Puff asked with a slight hint of skepticism. Her mother nodded. "I do. Und I do not expect you to forgive me, but I vant you to know that, from this moment on, I vill support you in any endeavor you choose to pursue. Because that's vhat a good mother does, ya?" Puff couldn't recall the last time she had actually smiled at her mother, but the next time she tried, she would refer to this particular moment. Puff leaned in and did something else she hadn't done towards her mother in a long time: she hugged her. Minty Crush seemed caught off guard by her daughter's sudden display of affection, but at the same time that feeling of guilt in her heart was soon replaced by the warm feeling of love from her daughter, something she wasn't sure she had felt in a long time. "I forgive you, Mom." With that acknowledgement, she hugged her daughter back, wrapping her hoof gently around her and tightening the embrace. The heartfelt moment was brought to an abrupt end by the loud bang of the door bursting open. The pair of Germane mares spun around to find Pinkie Pie and Candy Cane standing there, the former wearing a stethoscope around her neck. Pinkie directed Candy to the reconciled mares with an ecstatic grin. "You see that?! I did that! That was me!" Candy rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "Pinkie told me she may have had a hoof in getting you two to make up. I had to see that for myself. Sorry for eavesdropping by the way." Puff walked over to Pinkie, looking happy, but at a loss for words. "You just keep finding new vays to surprise me," Puff said, giving Pinkie a grateful hug. "Aww, it's my pleasure. I'll happily patch up any holes in a treasured family quilt. Though maybe I should actually learn to sew before I do that too much." Pinkie gasped with a wide grin. "Hey! Now that you and your mom are all made up—and since she's here in Steeden anyway—what if she joins us for our little Hearth's Warming party?" Puff turned to her mother with a smile. "Vhat do you think, Mom? Vould you like to spend Hearth's Warming vith my friends und I?" Minty Crush was touched by the invitation, giving her daughter the warm, caring smile she deserved. "I vould like that very much."