The Steeden University of Culinary Arts
By Dee Pad
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Chapter 7: Party Thyme!

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"Looks like everypony's here," Twilight Sparkle announced, looking around the library to confirm that.

Ponyville's resident princess had invited all of her friends over this day for a purpose. In the past when Twilight would call a meeting, her friends would assume that there was some sort of crisis, or Princess Celestia had an important task for them. But when they had all arrived, they all immediately noticed a group of small packages set out on the table, six in total, and the return address was more than enough to get them excited.

It was coming up on nearly half a year since Pinkie Pie had left for Steeden in pursuit of her dreams, leaving the small town of Ponyville noticeably quieter. In the time that she'd been gone, she managed to stay in touch with her friends via letters that she sent on a weekly basis. She had promised to write every day, but informed them that she might wind up spending too much money on stationary and envelopes, so she reluctantly cut it down to one a week. But the strangest thing about her letters was their contents. Her friends had braced themselves for what was probably going to be a novel's worth of reading, with Pinkie Pie regaling everything that happened, every minute of every day that week and then some. However, she was surprisingly brief in her writings, mentioning only notable events and, most baffling, saying little about the new friends she had made over there. Twilight and the others would have thought that her friends would be the thing Pinkie would want to talk about most.

But that was neither here nor there. Right now, they were much more interested in what was in the packages Pinkie Pie had sent them. This was the first time Pinkie had actually sent gifts, so they were all pretty excited about it.

"Maybe they're souvenirs of Steeden," Fluttershy guessed. "Like snow globes, or cute sweaters with pictures of little birdies on them."

"Well, unless any of you guys have x-ray vision, we're not gonna find out by just staring at them," Rainbow Dash said impatiently. "Can we just open 'em already?" She placed her hooves upon the small box addressed to her, ready to tear it open on Twilight's mark.

"Now, hang on, Rainbow Dash," Twilight requested. "I think we'd just wind up making a mess if we all opened them at the same time. We should do this in an orderly fashion."

"I wholeheartedly agree," Rarity chimed in. "Pinkie Pie has sent a gift to each of us, it would be unfair if we all focused solely on our own. I'm just as curious to see what she sent you girls as well."

Twilight tapped her chin as she contemplated. "Well, we could open them according to size, though they're all roughly the same in that regard. Or perhaps by weight would be more appropriate. We could also go from youngest to oldest or vice versa..."

"Or we could just pick somepony at random," Rainbow Dash suggested, her impatience growing by the second.

Twilight gave the notion some thought. "I suppose we could use some sort of random number exercise to determine who goes first, then simply proceed clockwise around the table."

Rainbow Dash tapped the table to interrupt Twilight. "Great. I'm thinking of a number between one and ten. Fluttershy, go."

"Alright." Fluttershy gingerly unwrapped her package, removing the white string tying it together and carefully peeling away the brown paper. Inside was a simple, white box, like one would get at a bakery to bring pastries home. It was appropriate if nothing else. Flipping open the top, Fluttershy peered inside and let out a quiet gasp, accompanied by a smile. "Oh my! How nice!"

"Don't leave us in the dark, darling," Rarity said with eager curiosity. "What is it?"

Fluttershy removed what appeared to be a two-tiered cake, small enough to hold in your hooves as the pegasus was currently demonstrating. The cake was coated in white icing with orange frosting decorating the fringe. Sticking out of the top of the miniscule pastry was a short, fat carrot, as if a small animal had attempted to pull it out but gave up halfway through. Upon closer examination, however, the carrot appeared to be made of gummy candy.

Fluttershy inhaled the scent of the cake. "Mmm. It smells like carrots. I think it's a carrot cake."

"And look." Fluttershy reached into the box once more and removed another, identical cake. "There's one for Angel Bunny too. I'm sure he'll love it. He'll be more than willing to eat his dinner if he knows this is waiting for his dessert."

"Y'think we all got some sorta pastry?" Applejack asked as she eyed up her parcel.

"Given that Pinkie Pie is studying to become a pastry chef, I think that's the most logical conclusion," Twilight assured.

"Only one way to find out for sure," Rainbow Dash pointed out eagerly. "You're up, AJ."

Needing no further instruction, Applejack bit onto the package's string, severing it with her teeth before tearing away the paper. When she opened up the box, she grinned and laughed. "Well, lookit that. A plateful-a apple fritters." She removed one of the pastries and looked it over. The lighting in the room practically reflected off of its well-glazed surface. "Say what ya want about Pinkie Pie, but she knows us pretty dang well."

"Yeah, get the apple farmer something with apples in it. Takes a real genius to come up with that," joked Rainbow Dash with a chuckle.

Applejack gave a roll of her eyes. "Apple fritters are mah favorite food, has been since Ah was a young'un. Ah was just pointin' out that Pinkie knew that."

"It is quite thoughtful, but aren't you going to try it, Applejack?" Rarity asked.

"You bet." Applejack tossed the small pastry into the air, catching the whole thing in her mouth. Her eyes widened when the taste and texture of the filling hit her tongue and she chewed with a satisfied moan. "Well, if that don't beat all. Ah always thought that our Sweet Apple Acres apples were the best in the world—an' Ah still believe that mind you—but these here Steedish apples are certainly somethin'. Not t' mention the recipe itself ain't like nothin' we've ever made before. Might have to enlist Pinkie's help for caterin' the next family reunion."

"I suppose it's my turn next," Rarity announced, using her magic to expertly untie the string and neatly unfold the paper. When she opened the box, the white unicorn gasped. "Goodness me! Are those...?" Rarity removed a small, round confection that glittered like gold.

Rarity held the small ball in the air with her magic, rotating and analyzing it with excitement. "This, my dear Applejack, if I am not mistaken, is a gilded truffle. A chocolatey delight coated in edible gold dust, a very special type of seasoning that is quite sweet and cannot be acquired easily. Typically these need to be imported from overseas and are produced by only the highest quality candy manufacturers."

"All of that essentially means they are very expensive," Twilight added. "It's surprising that Pinkie Pie has access to edible gold dust, even at the Steeden University of Culinary Arts. That stuff is pretty difficult to get a hold of as its creation process is a closely kept trade secret."

Rarity daintily took a bite out of one of the truffles, her expression melting with delight. "Oh my, absolutely divine! You can certainly tell that these are a Pinkie Pie creation by how sweet and rich the chocolate is. Those big candy companies may have some severe competition."

Rainbow Dash shrugged dismissively at Rarity's gushing. "Seems a bit too fancy if you ask me. Since when did candy get so high-end?"

Rarity pursed her lips. "Perhaps you should reserve judgment for when you open your package, Rainbow Dash. You'll be eating those words if she sent you something similar. Quite literally, in fact."

"I like to think Pinkie knows me better than that," Rainbow Dash said confidently. Eager to prove her point, she haphazardly tore open the parcel and flipped the box open. Her eyes widened and she removed a rather large, but otherwise normal-looking, éclair.

Applejack whistled and pushed up the brim of her hat. "Boy howdy, that is one fat éclair. Ah think Pinkie might-a gone a touch overboard on the fillin'."

"Well, no sense just starin' at it." Rainbow Dash opened her mouth wide and chomped down on one end of the packed pastry.

Under the pressure of the pegasus' jaw, a dollop of filling squirted out from the opposite end and splattered on the table. Everypony leaned in to stare at the spilled filling. Strangely, it didn't look anything like what they expected. It was brightly rainbow colored.

"I guess it's appropriate though, right?" Fluttershy said. "I mean, it is for Rainbow Dash after all. It makes sense that she would color it like that for her."

Everypony turned to Rainbow Dash, whose lips were smeared with the rainbow filling to match her mane.

Applejack cocked an eyebrow. "Spicy? What kinda pastry is spicy? Do you think she messed somethin' up in the recipe, cuz that don't seem right."

A pleasantly surprised smile stretched across Rainbow Dash's face. "No, I think she made this with actual rainbows!"

Twilight's eyes widened. "Really? I wasn't aware that rainbows could be used as a cooking ingredient."

"It's creativity like that that allows people to make a name for themselves in the world of business," Rarity explained. "Pinkie Pie is going to go places, no doubt about it."

"Huh?" The cyan pegasus raised her head when Twilight addressed her. She'd been staring at the éclair ever since she bite into it. She had completely zoned out.

"Oh, no, nothing. Just..." She placed the partially-consumed pastry back in its box and closed it. "...it's a bit much to eat all at one time, even though it is really tasty. I'll probably save the rest for later. Gotta savor it, right?" she said with a noticeably forced grin.

Twilight responded with a soft smile of her own. She knew that something was on Dash's mind, and she had a pretty good idea what, but decided to leave it alone for now.

"Whoa! Awesome!" Spike shouted, having already impatiently ripped open his package and removed its contents. In his claws he held a colossal cupcake the size of his scaly head, slathered in blueberry icing and decorated by a random assortment of colorful gemstones that gleamed and sparkled in the light. Without any more hesitation, he took a big bite out of it, the jewels crunching loudly between his teeth. "Oh yeah, that's the good stuff," he said with a blissful smile.

"Looks like we've gotten to the last one," Fluttershy pointed out, looking at Twilight's parcel.

"I guess so," replied the alicorn with a smile. With a quick flourish of her magic, the string and the wrapping paper came undone in one fluid motion, not a single tear damaging the paper. When Twilight opened the box within, she stared at the contents for a moment before removing it. A large, chocolate chip cookie. "It's... a cookie."

"There's gotta be somethin' special about it," Applejack surmised. "I mean, this is Pinkie Pie we're talkin' about."

Curiously, Twilight bit into the cookie, attempting to decipher the mystery hidden within; some unexpected flavor, or even a hidden meaning behind it. But even with her analytical mind, she couldn't quite figure it out. "It's good. But it's just a big, chocolate chip cookie. It's just like pretty much any other cookie she's made... but bigger."

"Wait a minute, there's something else in the box," Spike said, pointing to the object in question.

Sure enough, underneath the paper towel that the cookie had been resting on, exposed by a folded corner, was another object. Twilight lifted it out of the box and looked at it. It was a book. Twilight read the name on the cover out loud. "'The Rich and Storied Culture of Steeden'?"

Twilight smiled at the gift. "That's very thoughtful of her. And best of all, I don't have this one, so I can add it to the library's catalog for everypony to enjoy." Twilight flipped through a few pages quickly to get an idea of what she was in for when she read it later. As the pages turned, something fell out from between the pages and landed on the table. The alicorn put the book down and picked up the new object. "A photo?"

Of course, the image staring back was the beaming face of their dear, pink friend. This was actually the first they'd seen of her in almost half a year. However, she was hardly alone in the photo. Pinkie Pie had her hooves wrapped around the shoulders of two other earth pony mares, one of a slightly darker shade of pink with a red and white striped mane, and the other a short, chubby, tan-colored mare with blonde pigtails. Also standing with them was a crimson-coated unicorn with a deep purple mane, as well as a pair of griffons, one male and one female. The female one looked as though she wanted nothing to do with the group photo, while the male was actually a familiar face to all of them.

Rarity and Applejack stood on either side of Twilight to take a look at the photo. "Is that... Gustave le Grand?" Rarity asked with astonishment.

"Well, would ya lookit that," Applejack chuckled. "It really is a small world, huh?"

Fluttershy flapped her wings and hovered behind Twilight, looking over her shoulder. She immediately gasped. "Rainbow Dash, look! It's Candy Cane!"

Dash's ears shot to attention and she pushed Rarity aside to see for herself, much to the unicorn's annoyance. "You're right, that is her! Holy crap!"

"Yeah. We met her during a trip to Manehattan last year. Did we not tell that story?"

Twilight stared up at the ceiling as she thought back. "You mean when you went to see The Wonderbolts? No, you told me all about that when you got back. You said the show was, and I quote, 'Totally awesome.'"

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "No no no, before that. We went to Manehattan, then came back the next day, but we forgot to actually go to the show, so we went back. We met her during the first trip."

"Now, how did you, self-proclaimed Equestria's biggest Wonderbolts fan, forget to go to their show when that was why ya'll went there in the first place?" Applejack asked, finding that very hard to believe.

"Oh, it's not that long," Fluttershy said, touching down onto the floor. "Only about forty-five thousand words." Everypony stared at the yellow pegasus with confounded looks. Fluttershy shifted her hooves under her friends' confused gazes. "Sorry. I figured that's how Pinkie would have described it."

"Well, serendipity aside, she certainly appears happy," Rarity noted, looking at Pinkie's enormous grin.

Spike took the picture in his claws. "She sure does. I guess she wasn't kidding when she said she made a bunch of new friends."

"I wonder why she didn't tell us she was with Gustave and Candy," Fluttershy pondered. "Seems like something she would have been pretty excited to tell us about."

"She never really told us anythin' about these new friends o' hers," said Applejack, recalling all of the letters Pinkie had sent them over the months. "That ain't really like her."

Rainbow Dash took the photo from Spike and pointed to it. "Just look at her. Spike said it himself, she's got a bunch of new friends now."

"Rainbow Dash, there's no law that dictates that a pony can only have a limited number of friends," Twilight argued.

Applejack nodded in agreement. "Yeah, an' if there were, Pinkie probably would-a started a petition against it."

Rainbow Dash pensively tapped her hoof on the table. "I-I know, but... why else wouldn't she tell us anything about them? It's like she's trying to hide them from us or something. And the only reason I can think of for why she would do that is because she—"

"Now, stop right there, young lady," Rarity commanded sternly. "Do not suggest that she intends to replace us. Pinkie Pie would never do such a thing."

"I know she wouldn't, but... I can't help it," Rainbow Dash said, throwing her hooves up in frustration. "Ever since she left, my mind has been going to weird places. 'What if she doesn't come back?' 'What if she doesn't need us anymore?' I know she'd never do anything like that, but I can't help but think about what if she did."

"She's been like this for awhile," Twilight explained to the group. "I know we all miss her deeply, but Rainbow Dash has been like a completely different person since Pinkie left. Her departure seems to have affected her more than any of us."

"Bein' separated from yer best friend for a long time can have that effect, Ah reckon," Applejack commented. "I kinda thought somethin' was up with her awhile back. Never heard her say no to tearin' down an old shed before."

Rainbow Dash's ears folded back, both due to missing Pinkie Pie as well as the embarrassment of the conversation; it wasn't often her friends got a chance to see her emotional side. She looked at the photo again, her eyes traveling back and forth between Pinkie's smile and her new friends. "I don't think I'd mind so much if she didn't look like she was enjoying herself so much. And I know how crappy that sounds, but we're her friends. If she's having fun, we should be having fun with her."

"But it's not like we can all just put everything aside and go visit Pinkie in Steeden," Twilight said. "That's just unrealistic. Besides, I'm confident that Pinkie thinks about us everyday."

"Twilight's right," Fluttershy agreed. "I don't think Pinkie would ever forget about us."

"Yeah. After everything you girls have been through together, you guys are basically family," Spike added.

Twilight gently placed a hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder. "Just hang in there. She'll be back before you know it."

Rainbow Dash didn't tear her eyes away from the photo, specifically from Pinkie Pie's smiling face. As much as she knew her friends were right, it didn't do much to take the weight off of her shoulders. She never thought she'd miss her this much. At this point, she'd be willing to do anything to see her best friend again.

Pinkie Pie bounced out of her dorm room with a cheery smile, humming an upbeat tune to accompany her lighthearted mood on this lovely Saturday morning. With another week of studies and baking classes behind her, she was eager to jump straight into the weekend. She had nothing planned in particular, but she was confident that something would come up.

In anticipation of the fun weekend ahead, Pinkie skipped down the hall to Candy Cane's room, and rapped on the door in a rhythmic, though somewhat obnoxious, beat. It wasn't long until she heard hoofsteps on the other side, so she put on the cheeriest smile she could, knowing Candy wasn't much of a morning person and hoping her own enthusiasm would prove contagious. When the door finally opened, she was met with the face of her friend. As expected, she looked pretty tired; she probably woke up only recently. However, it seemed Pinkie's attempt to spread her smiles wasn't necessary as Candy was already wearing her own, albeit somewhat weakly.

"So... Got any plans for the weekend?" Pinkie asked, fluttering her eyelashes in hopes of weaseling her way into anything her friend had planned.

Candy scratched the back of her head. "Um, no, not really. I was thinking of just staying in. You know, just make it a lazy day or something."

Pinkie gawked at her. "What? But that's boooooooring. You're not really gonna waste a perfectly good weekend just being a couch potato, are you?" Pinkie stared at Candy for a moment. For such a boring plan, Candy seemed pretty content. Her small smile persisted. "Wait a minute."

Pinkie leaned in close to Candy, forcing the other pink mare to back away slightly. "What are you—?"

"Why would somepony be happy about wasting free time like that? No, there's something going on with you."

Pinkie grabbed Candy's face, tilting and turning it as she thoroughly analyzed the expression that wasn't really even there anymore. She continued her thought after releasing her. "Today is something special. You're happy about something. You look kind of... wistful, like today's a day you'd rather spend with loved one's, probably your dad. If that's the case, then it's something worth celebrating. But you're blushing a little too, so it's something you're either embarrassed about, or don't want people to make a big deal over." Pinkie gasped loudly, her smile returning wider than ever. "Oh my gosh! It's your birthday!"

Pinkie shrugged. "I have a sense for these kinds of things. Oh, hey, maybe my Pinkie Sense has finally calibrated now too." Pinkie went silent for a few seconds, looking around as if she were waiting for something. "Hmm... Kinda hard to tell. Guess we'll have to wait and see on that. Anyway, you!"

"How could you not tell me it was your birthday?! You know I love parties, and birthday's are the best excuse to throw a party! How dare you keep this from me!"

Candy stammered in an attempt to defend herself. "W-Well, you said it yourself, I don't want to make a big deal of it."

"Nonsense. We gotta do something. Name something, anything, and we'll do it. I'm am not letting you waste this once-a-year opportunity."

Candy sighed in resignation. Even if she insisted that she wanted to keep this low key, no doubt Pinkie Pie would wind up dragging her somewhere anyway. So if she was going to be forced into doing something, it may as well be something she wants to do. "Well, we are in Steeden. It would be nice to learn a little about the culture here."

"Culture, huh?" Pinkie mused. "That sounds pretty dull, but hey, you're the birthday girl. Oh! And I think I know exactly who can help with that!"

Pinkie quickly zipped down the hall to the door across from her own dormitory, and knocked without a moment's thought. Candy shrugged, knowing now what Pinkie was referring to, and it was actually a pretty good idea. The door opened, and Pinkie gave a friendly greeting to the crimson unicorn on the other side.

Sugar Cookie smiled gently, being pleasantly surprised by Pinkie's arrival. "And to you as well, Pinkie. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

In the blink of an eye, Pinkie dashed down the hall and back, pulling Candy Cane back with her. Candy greeted Sugar with an awkward grin and a wave. "It's Candy's birthday, and she wants to celebrate by learning a bit about Steedish culture. Personally, I think that's suuuuper boring, but it's her day, so it's her choice. And I thought that maybe you could help us find someplace where we can get our culture on."

Sugar pursed her lips in thought, though something about her expression read of disappointment, as if she had expected something else. "Trotholm is a big city. There are plenty of places where you could learn a little more about this country and its heritage."

The unicorn thought a moment longer. "I believe there is an art gallery not far from the university that features works by local artists. I do not know how much you will learn about our culture there, but it is a start I suppose."

"If you wish, I could guide you there. The more the merrier, ya?" Sugar offered to Candy, though she seemed to be looking more at Pinkie Pie when she said it.

"Took the words right out of my mouth!" Pinkie agreed. "Speaking of which..." She pivoted on the spot and opened her own dorm. Before entering, however, she turned to face Sugar again. "I'll be needing those words back, though. I'll probably want to use 'em again in the future." Without waiting for a response. she disappeared into her dorm room, only to emerge just a few moments later with her pig-tailed roommate, who looked more than a little confused. "Just one more sec," Pinkie said again, running down the hall to Candy's dorm.

Puff Pastry looked around with a puzzled expression before looking to Candy. "So... Vhat's going on? Pinkie just dragged me out here vithout a vord."

Candy sighed with an a slightly embarrassed smile. "It's... my birthday, and we were just about to head to a nearby art gallery to just, you know, do something."

Puff widened her eyes. "Really? Vell, happy birthday. So I guess Pinkie vants me to come vith you."

Pinkie Pie returned a moment later with a slightly disappointed, yet still cheery, smile. "Gwen doesn't wanna come with us."

"So I guess it's the four of us then. Saddle up, ladies, we're hittin' the town!"

A nice, quiet stroll through the streets of Trotholm was quite welcome. Even though it was still winter, the weather was nice and calm. No wind, skies clear enough for the sun to shine through, and a very light snowfall. It was a picturesque winter's day. Of course, having lived there for almost half a year, Pinkie, Candy, and Puff have had ample time to take in their surroundings, but they were always willing to walk a road they haven't been down before. The particular road they had been led down today was one such road, despite being relatively close to the university.

Even though it was a weekend, the people roaming the streets were surprisingly sparse. It was mostly young ponies and griffons that they recognized from the university; students like themselves, dressed in warm scarves and wool hats. But there was something about such a large city with less-than-bustling streets that made the place feel more... homely.

But they weren't simply out for a leisurely stroll. Sugar Cookie had brought them directly to the art gallery she had told them about, and the four ponies had gone inside to have a look around. The gallery itself was just one wing of a much larger building; a youth recreation center, Sugar had told them. The gallery was quite a spacious area; wide and open with high ceilings. The walls were all a blinding white, putting the clean snow outside to shame. Oddly, the four of them alone outnumbered the rest of the population in the gallery. As far as they could see, there were only about three other ponies present, quietly contemplating the deeper meaning of the art around them.

In terms of the art within the gallery, they were almost as scarce as the people looking at them. Apparently the place had only opened recently and there wasn't much on display just yet, mostly just some paintings and one bizarre-looking sculpture in the middle of the room that none of them could really make any sense of.

The four friends spent some time looking at the paintings, none of them really saying much of anything. Candy stared at one painting in particular, what seemed to be a mosaic of... something? There appeared to be an outline of what she assumed was a pony, but she wasn't one hundred percent certain. She tried tilting her head to view it from a different angle, but that only served to make it even more baffling. She looked around at her friends, noticing distinct looks of boredom.

"I know. I'm not blaming you. I just thought that maybe I'd find something thought-provoking here. Turns out, I don't really understand any of this stuff. I guess Pinkie was right."

"I don't know," Pinkie said, not taking her eyes off the fixture in front of her. "I kinda like this one. It's like... a representation of our will to survive, and the lengths we'll go for self-satisfaction, no matter how brief. But I feel like it's also an allegory of our capitalist society, and how much we rely on money to live our lives day by day."

Candy walked over beside her, looking at the piece that Pinkie Pie was fixating on. "Pinkie... That's a vending machine."

"Huh?" Pinkie took another look, this time recognizing the device filled with bags of potato chips and candy bars. "Oh. Or maybe I'm just hungry." She began fishing into her winter saddle's pocket and pulled out a few bits, dropping them into the machine and punching in an order for a chocolate bar.

Puff looked up at the clock on the wall. "It's almost supper time. If nopony really vants to be here, vhy don't vee just go out for something to eat?"

Candy smiled at the suggestion. "That sounds like an idea. I could go for a bite. You, Pinkie?"

Pinkie looked at her with a mouthful of chocolate. "Hm? Yeah, sounds good. I'm starving."

"Actually," Sugar interjected, "I have to work for a few hours during supper, so I will not be able to join you."

Pinkie put a hoof around the unicorn's shoulder. "Unless we eat where you work, right?"

"Then you're in for a treat," Pinkie exclaimed. "Both with the food, and the super service, courtesy of this gal right here." Pinkie prodded Sugar in the shoulder.

"Then let's not waste anymore time here," suggested Candy, leading the others toward the exit.

Pinkie Pie stopped, hopping back to the vending machine. "Just a sec." She popped a couple more bits into the machine and pulled out another chocolate bar. "These things are delicious!"

Pinkie, Puff, and Candy sat quietly at a table within the restaurant where Sugar Cookie worked. It was fairly busy today, but that made sense for a Saturday. The trio of mares paid no attention to the other patrons, though not because they were engaged in their own conversation, but rather due to them being preoccupied by their thoughts.

So far, the day wasn't going quite as Candy had expected. She woke up wishing she were home to spend her birthday with her dad. She could only imagine how broken up he must have been. Then, at Pinkie Pie's behest, she came up with something she thought she wanted to do, but ended up being a bit dull. As she continued to contemplate possible activities, she reached for one of the complementary bread rolls Sugar had brought to their table and cut it in half.

"So..." Pinkie started, taking a bite out of one of the rolls. "What else do you want to do for your birthday, Candy?"

Candy sighed as she spread some butter onto her roll. "I don't know. I thought I knew what I wanted to do, but we all saw how that went. I kind of just want to do something that all of us can enjoy together, but nothing's coming to mind."

"Vhat's wrong vith just heading back to the university und just having a small party at our dorm?" Puff suggested with a mouthful of bread. "Vee could bake you a cake und just, you know, hang out."

Candy grinned at the idea. "You know, as much as I was trying to avoid making a big deal of my birthday, that sounds like fun."

"Are you kidding?" Pinkie blurted. "A 'nice, quiet get-together' is not my idea of a great birthday. No no no, we have to do something... extravagant!"

Candy leaned back in her chair and groaned. "Pinkie, please, I keep telling you not to blow this out of proportion."

Pinkie shook her head defiantly. "Nuh uh. The faculty didn't let us host a big Hearth's Warming bash in the student lounge, so you don't really know the true scale of a Pinkie Pie Birthday Blowout, registered trademark. If anypony deserves it, it's you."

Pinkie slammed the table with her hooves, rising from her seat and startling the other customers. "No! No more doubts!" she shouted, her eye twitching. "If I don't throw a big shindig soon, I'm gonna go bonkers! These itty bitty parties I've been throwing have barely been holding me over. I'm going through withdrawal here! Let me party my plot off, dang it!"

Candy drew back in shock from Pinkie's increasing mania, feeling a touch concerned for both her friend and herself. "Okay, okay! If you're that desperate, you can throw a party for me. Just promise you'll calm down."

The craziness in Pinkie's face vanished in an instant, replaced with her usual enthusiastic smile, and she plopped herself back in her chair. "Great! Thank you!"

"The question now is, where do we hold it? We already know the university is not going to agree to anything you have in mind."

Candy noticed a plate of food being placed in front of her and looked up to see Sugar with two more plates held within her silky, purple aura. "If I may interject, I have a suggestion." Candy gave her a skeptical look, and Sugar chuckled awkwardly. "I know my first suggestion did not go over very well, but I think you will like this one. I know of a place downtown where we could party the night away."

Sugar nodded. "Ya. I sometimes visit to unwind after a long day. There is music, dancing, lots of people, drinks—"

"Of course." Sugar looked between the three other mares, noticing some apprehension. "Have you... never had alcohol before?"

"Me neither," Pinkie chimed in, though feeling no shame in it. "But I know a lot of ponies like to have beer and stuff at parties."

"You do not have to drink if you do not want to," Sugar assured them. "You can have just as much fun without it."

Pinkie, Puff, and Sugar all stared eagerly at Candy, awaiting her answer. She felt a little on the spot right now, but it's not like she wasn't open to trying new things, so she shrugged dismissively. "Why not? It'll probably be more fun than just sitting at home all night."

Pinkie shot up in her chair, thrusting a hoof into the air. "Woo! Saddle up, girls! Again! We're hittin' the town! Again!" She paused and glanced down to the full plate of food sitting in front of her, as well as her friends. She sat herself back in her chair and picked up a fork. "Right after we eat."

Candy stared across the snow-covered street to the building on the opposite side. The outward design of the structure was almost as artsy as the gallery they had visited earlier, with a roof that slanted down and to the right ever so slightly, and smooth, narrow columns near the entrance. For a minute, Candy thought that Sugar had dragged them to another art gallery, though the bright, colorful lights and loud music that permeated the veil of the night quickly debunked that theory. There was a bright purple, neon sign above the entrance spelling out the name of the club, though it was in Steedish, and nopony other than Sugar could decipher it; they didn't really care to have her interpret anyway. The music playing inside was plenty audible as well. Not only could the four mares hear the music, they could practically feel the sidewalk vibrating under their hooves to the rhythmic beat of the bass. If that weren't enough to grab the attention of any passersby, the crowd of people flooding into it was. The sidewalk outside was packed with ponies and griffons looking for a good time. One could only imagine how crowded the inside was.

Sugar chuckled at the question. "It is not an exclusive club, Candy. Anyone is welcome."

"Man, this place is poppin'!" Pinkie exclaimed, her body bobbing up and down in time with the music. "It's the perfect locale for a kick-flank birthday celebration!"

"Then what are we doing standing around out here?" Sugar started across the street toward the club, soon followed by Candy, Pinkie, and Puff.

With Sugar Cookie leading them, the four mares carefully pushed through the crowd of people loitering outside. For just a moment they wondered why all of these people would wait out here rather than get out of the cold and party down with everyone else. It didn't take much evidence to venture a guess about some of them, whether they came out for a cigarette, or maybe they sought the cold air; if there were as many people inside as they thought, the atmosphere within would likely be at least a little humid, especially with all of the dancing.

Stepping through the door of the club felt like entering an entirely different realm of reality, one where the stresses and responsibilities of everyday life were cast to the wayside for a night of carefree fun. And the sight of the club's interior reflected that. The entire place had a rather post-modern aesthetic, which they sort of expected based off of the exterior. Although the room was dimly lit, the crowd was inundated with flashing and undulating lights of every color imaginable, accompanied by the beat of the music. The most notable feature, of course, was the crowded dance floor in the very center of the room. Despite how packed it was, no one really seemed bothered and just let loose. Tables, booths, and chairs were placed all around the perimeter of the room, surrounding and giving a good view of those on the dance floor. At the back of the room was an elevated platform where the featured DJ was busy at his mix table, just as into the music as everyone else. There was even a second floor above them where people could look out over the railing at the rest of the room below them.

However, it was the large fixture at the left side of the room that Sugar led them to; a bar being tended by a well-dressed, unicorn stallion, hundreds of bottles of all sorts of beverages decorating the shelves behind him. Sugar sat herself down on one of the stools at the bar and Pinkie, Candy, and Puff followed suit. The unicorn hailed the bartender and ordered a drink in Steedish. The stallion passed her a bottle of beer of a brand that was unfamiliar to the foreigners.

Sugar kindly asked the bartender, who responded with a silent nod, pulling a bottle from the shelf behind him with his magic, and pouring a glass for Puff, who promptly thanked him.

Sugar looked to Candy next, who shrugged her shoulders and pointed to Puff's drink. "What the hell, same as her, I guess." After Sugar relayed the message, Candy was offered the glass of cranberry wine and took a sip. "Mmm. That's not bad."

"Barkeep! I'll have some of that, too, pretty please!" Pinkie requested loudly and with a big smile. The bartender gave her a confused look before turning to Sugar, who translated for her, then passed Pinkie her glass. The pink pony swirled the red liquid around, eyeing it up like a scrutinous socialite at a wine tasting, though having no actual idea what she was looking for. She took a short sip of the drink and sloshed it around in her mouth for a moment before swallowing. "Wow-wee, that's really somethin'! The strong taste of cranberries with the biting sting of alcohol. I like it!" She downed the rest of the drink lickety-split, and immediately ordered a refill.

"You might wanna slow down there, Pinkie," warned Candy. "You've never had alcohol before. I doubt you have a tolerance for it just yet."

Pinkie waved her hoof dismissively. "Pfft, stop worrying. I've been told I have an iron stomach, so I probably have an iron liver too."

Sugar pat Candy on the shoulder. "We are here to celebrate your birthday, ya? Let her have some fun. Besides, if she gets a little tipsy, we can always bring her back to the university and put her to bed."

Candy chuckled amusedly. "When you put it like that, it makes her sound like a child." She turned to watch Pinkie bring her glass to her mouth again making airship noises. "Which is not exactly a stretch, I guess."

Pinkie shot down another glass of wine, and spun around on her seat until she was facing the dance floor. "Oh! I've got an idea! We should dance! Who's with me?!"

Pinkie hopped off of her stool and, with a courteous bow, offered her hoof to Sugar, who gladly accepted and allowed the excitable mare to lead her to the dance floor.

When the pair disappeared into the crowd, Candy looked over at Puff and offered a friendly smile. "So are you enjoying yourself, Puff?"

Candy shrugged. "Just asking. I'd hate to see this night go to waste after you girls went to so much trouble just for me."

Puff flashed a dimply grin. "Vee really didn't go to any trouble. If vee veren't out vith you, vee'd just be back at our dorms doing a whole lot of nothing. Maybe baking, or vatching T.V. To be honest, it's kind of nice to go out for vunce. Vee've been in Steeden for almost half a year und haven't really done too much sightseeing yet." She observed the somewhat melancholy expression on Candy's face. "Vhy? Is something on your mind?"

Candy was hesitant to say anything. Up until now, she thought she'd been doing a good job of keeping up a cheerful disposition, but it seemed somepony had finally seen through it. She let out a sigh, figuring it was just as well to speak her mind. "Well, it's not like I'm not having fun; hanging out with you girls is all I really needed to make this day enjoyable. But, it's just... this is the first birthday I've been unable to celebrate with my dad."

"I already told Pinkie about my relationship with my dad, but ever since my mom passed away a few years ago, I've been the center of his world. Everything he did, he did for me." She smiled wistfully as she recollected. "And he'd always go overboard on my birthday. I guess the reason why I've been against having a big birthday bash is because I don't really want to have too much fun without him, you know?"

"I mean, yeah, he definitely misses me, I know that. But he's got a new girlfriend now. Since he's met her, he's spent a lot of his time with her. I've kind of felt..."

Candy didn't look at Puff, but felt surprised by her guess. Even she wasn't sure what word she was trying to think of, but after hearing that, it sounded pretty accurate to how she was feeling. "Yeah, I suppose. At the very least I was expecting him to send me something, as selfish as that sounds," she admitted with a sigh. She looked down into her glass of cranberry wine. "All things considered, I guess this is a good place to be, given what's on my mind." She downed the drink and gestured to the bartender for another. "'Drown your sorrows.' That's the expression, right?"

Puff placed a hoof on Candy's leg, preventing her from raising her glass. "If that's vhat you're here for, then maybe it vould be better to just go back to the university now."

Candy thought silently for a moment, looking down at her glass, then to Puff. Her friend had an expression of deep concern. Candy let go of the glass. "Sorry. I was in a weird place there. I guess if anypony knows a thing or two about family problems, it's you."

Puff chuckled heartily. "Und I got through it just fine. Maybe you should just put it out of your mind. I'm sure you can vork this all out vhen you see your dad again."

"Yeah, probably. Maybe I'm just a little homesick." She raised her glass to Puff. "This one's for focusing on the good, and not worrying about the bad."

Puff raised her glass with a grin, clinked it against Candy's, and the pair enjoyed the taste of cranberries together.

Puff and Candy spun around to see Sugar with a sweaty and wobbly Pinkie Pie leaning on her shoulder.

"What happened to her?" Candy asked, baffled as to how just ten minutes on the dance floor could put her into such a state.

"She partied pretty hard out there," Sugar explained with an amused grin. "She turned quite a few heads with her... er, unorthodox technique. And every time I looked away she had another glass of wine in her hoof. I have no idea where she kept getting them, but suffice to say she is a little exhausted and inebriated."

"You're eggs-dusted and ineb... inebru... That other thing you said," Pinkie slurred as she teetered in place.

"I think it might be a good idea if I brought her back to the university," Sugar suggested.

Sugar raised a hoof to stop her. "No, no. This is your night, Candy, you should enjoy it to the fullest. I will escort her home. You two stay here and enjoy yourselves."

Candy looked to Puff, who gave her a shrug and a smile. "Alright then. As long as we know she's in good hooves."

"She is, trust me," Sugar giggled, looking at the comically disoriented mare on her shoulder. "I suppose we will see you girls tomorrow."

"Nah. From what she's told me, she's been in worse states than this. At least she seems to be a friendly drunk," Candy laughed. "I'm sure she'll be fine. Why don't we hang out here a little longer, have a few more drinks?"

Puff nodded with a friendly grin, gesturing to the bartender to refill their glasses.

The door at the top of the stairwell swung open, making way for a wobbly pink pony who couldn't keep up with it as it opened, resulting in her getting a much closer look at the hallway's carpet.

Sugar Cookie bent down to pick her up again, regretting listening to her when she said she'd be fine walking on her own. "Are you okay?"

Pinkie flicked her hoof lazily. "Yuppers. Just forgot to move my legs, that's all."

Sugar couldn't help but smile at how Pinkie could remain so giggly when she could have hurt herself. She simply adored Pinkie's endless, contagious optimism.

As Sugar dragged a practically limp Pinkie Pie to her apartment door, the pink mare let out a whine. "I dun wanna go to bed yet. We're supposed-a have a party for Candy. I gotta bake her a cake or somethin'. An' presents. We gotta buy her presents."

Sugar sighed with an amused grin. "It is late, Pinkie, all of the stores are closed now. And I am not going to let you bake under the influence. You might burn yourself." Pinkie let out a disapproving groan, further expressing her reluctance to call it a night. Sugar glanced behind herself to the door on the opposite side of the hall, smiling as an idea came to her. "If you really want to stay up a while longer, how about you spend some time with me in my dorm?"

Pinkie gasped, looking at Sugar with a twinkle in her eye. "Ya mean it?" She received an affirming nod, and Sugar removed her key from her saddle to unlock the door, carefully guiding Pinkie Pie in alongside her.

In the current state Pinkie was in, she couldn't confidently tell exactly whose apartment they had entered as, like she'd seen with Candy's, all of the dorm's looked identical. They could very well have gone into her own apartment and she would have been none the wiser. Sugar removed her winter clothes, hanging them on the rack beside the door. Seeing how Pinkie Pie was having difficulty just standing up straight, she kindly helped her friend remove hers as well before escorting her charge to the couch. Pinkie, no longer needing to actively maintain her equilibrium, allowed herself to flop over and lay her head on one of the throw pillows, stretching her rubbery limbs.

"It is exactly the same as your couch," Sugar giggled. The unicorn got up from the couch and headed toward the kitchen. "Would you like something to drink? Water, or coffee, perhaps?"

Sugar rolled her eyes at Pinkie's stubbornness, but chuckled to herself regardless. Despite how much Pinkie had drank tonight, she couldn't bring herself to deny her request. It was a good thing she always kept a bottle tucked away in case she had company. Sugar returned to the couch carrying the bottle of wine and two wine glasses in her velvety, purple aura. She poured up a glass of the red nectar for Pinkie, and one for herself. Pinkie laboriously pulled herself to a sitting position, grabbing the glass with both hooves so as to at least reduce the chance of her spilling or dropping it.

Pinkie chugged down half the glass in one gulp, then turned to Sugar. The unicorn was looking back at her fondly, a soft smile on her crimson lips. "Ya know, I don't think we've ever really hung out before, jus' the two of us. How come?"

Sugar took a short sip of wine. "I do have a part-time job. With that and classes we do not get many chances to spend time together, especially the two of us. Alone. It is nice though, is it not?"

"Jus' me 'n' you? Yeah, it is pretty nice," Pinkie agreed. She teetered to the side a bit, leaning towards Sugar. "You're always smiling. It's real nice to think I can spread a smile to you just by bein' in your presence. Candy's always tryin' to tell me 'Don't do this. Don't do that. You'll get us in trouble. Put that down, it's not done yet.' And Puff was real passive an' stuff 'til she made up with her mom." She looked Sugar dead in the eye, seriousness and concern in her face. "Do you think people build up a tolerance to my optimism the more they hang around me?"

Sugar chuckled and shook her head. "I do not think so. They say laughter is like medicine, ya? If anything, I would think people would become reliant on it. I know I always crave a bit of your enthusiasm when you are not around."

Pinkie breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh good. You know, I'm really happy you're my friend, Cookie. Knowing that I put a smile on your face, puts a smile on my face."

Sugar swirled the wine in her glass, glancing coyly at Pinkie from the corner of her eye. "Well... If you enjoy it so much, what if I were to suggest that we could be more than just friends."

Pinkie's eyes widened with interest. "You mean, like, super-ultra-mega-friends-deluxe? Turbo edition?"

Sugar chuckled at Pinkie's naiveté. "Not quite." She took another sip of her wine, placed the glass on the coffee table, and turned her entire body in Pinkie's direction. "Pinkie Pie, I want to give you something. A present."

"Oooo, a present? For me?" Pinkie squeaked, wagging her tail excitedly. She paused for a moment and quirked an eyebrow. "But it's not my birthday, it's Candy's. Maybe you should give your present to her."

"No. I do not think she would appreciate it. I want to give it to you. But... you have to close your eyes, okay?"

Pinkie nodded eagerly and shut her eyes tight, squirming with excitement. "Oh boy, I love surprises!"

Pinkie Pie waited impatiently for her gift, fighting the urge to take a peek before Sugar was ready to present it. She didn't feel Sugar getting up from the couch, so she assumed that the present was hidden on the floor on the opposite side of the couch. As she thought more about it, though, that didn't really make sense. Sugar had brought Pinkie back to the university to put her to bed. How could she have prepared this present beforehoof, unless she had originally intended to give it to her tomorrow? That was always a possibility. Now that she was on the subject, Pinkie remembered that tomorrow was Sunday, meaning they had another whole day to celebrate Candy's birthday. Sure, it was a bit belated, but it would give her an opportunity to actually bake a birthday cake for her and—

Pinkie was suddenly jostled from her thoughts when she felt something press against her lips. She had no idea what, but whatever it was felt warm and soft, tender even. It was a little confusing, but it wasn't unpleasant. And she swore she could taste a slight hint of cranberry...

Pinkie's eyes shot open, her booze-addled mind experiencing a sudden, onset state of sobriety. Taking up almost the entirety of her line of sight was the deep blue eye shadow on Sugar Cookie's closed eyelids, outlined by her crimson coat and violet mane. Pinkie's brain was overrun with panic at the unexpected situation, and her first reaction was to push Sugar away and hastily scuttle backward until her back hit the arm of the couch.

Sugar giggled at Pinkie's amusing reaction, crawling seductively towards her. "What does it look like? I am trying to make us more than 'just friends.'"

"T-That's not what I thought you meant! I thought you meant hang out more, and do more fun stuff together! Not... that!"

Pinkie waved her hooves discouragingly. "No no, you got the wrong idea! I'm not gay! I like guys!"

Pinkie's excuse didn't seem to deter Sugar much, if at all. "So?" she said simply. "We are adults, and this is college. College is a place for experimentation, ya?"

With each word Sugar uttered in her uncomfortably sultry voice, Pinkie's panic only escalated. "Th-The only experimenting I want to do is with recipes!"

"Then I have a recipe for you." Sugar crawled over Pinkie, hovering above her and gazing down at her with half-lidded eyes. She leaned in close to Pinkie's face, forcing the earth pony's heart rate to climb ever higher, and whispered seductively. "Add a dash of me, a pinch of you, and let sit overnight for an unforgettable memory."

Sugar leaned even closer, looking to reconnect their lips, but Pinkie's panic jumped into overdrive and she clumsily wriggled out from under the unicorn, crawled over the arm of the couch, and stumbled hurriedly to the door with just enough sense to grab her winter saddle. "I-Igottagoit'sgettinglateseeyabye!"

The door slammed shut even more quickly than it had opened, the pink pony disappearing behind it and followed by the sound of the door on the opposite side of the hall slamming shut as well. Sugar dropped her head onto the arm of the couch with a disappointed sigh, touching her lips with her hoof.

Pinkie Pie slumped back against her door, her chest heaving, her heart racing, and her head pounding. Even though she had managed to get out of there, her mind was now plagued with uncomfortable thoughts and the return of the alcohol to punish her for her overindulgence.

"What the hay was that?" she muttered quietly to herself as she rose to her hooves.

She managed to make it to the couch where she flopped down onto her back, draping a hoof over her sweaty forehead as she waited for her heavy breathing to wind down. She was rattled. Pinkie had never experienced anything like that before. She felt... violated, and a little betrayed. She had blatantly said no, yet Sugar persisted with no sign of backing down. Pinkie tried to tell herself that Sugar was simply intoxicated, her judgment being controlled by the alcohol, but as far as she could tell, Sugar had not had that much to drink, certainly not as much as she herself had drank. That was the other thought that came to mind, that maybe the alcohol would prove to be a blessing in disguise and by morning she will have forgotten about the whole thing. She could only hope.

Pinkie laid still for several moments, trying not to think of anything in an effort to try and ignore what had just happened. Clearly Puff and Candy hadn't returned yet, otherwise Puff would have come out wondering why she slammed the door so loudly, and also to ask why she was just arriving. Should she tell them about this? Is this something she wants to confide in her friends about? She'd rather forget that it ever happened, never bring it up and hope that Sugar wouldn't either. And what about Sugar? They were classmates, neighbors even. They were going to see each other everyday, whether she liked it or not. Pinkie could only imagine how uncomfortable things were going to be from here on out.

Pinkie jumped with a start when she heard a knock at the door. She clenched her eyes shut and groaned to herself. "Please don't let it be her. Please don't let it be her."

Had it been Candy or Puff, they likely would have just come in without knocking; it's not like Pinkie had bothered to lock the door in her hurry to distance herself from the mare across the hall. On the other hoof, perhaps Sugar had come to apologize for her inappropriate behavior. That would be very welcome. At least if she were to admit that what she did was wrong, Pinkie's mind would be put more at ease.

With that in mind, Pinkie rose from the couch and shambled towards the door, placing her hoof upon the knob. She took a deep breath and cautiously opened the door. However, her jaw practically dropped to the floor when she was met not with the guilt-stricken face of the crimson unicorn, but rather the sweat-soaked, panting—yet smiling—face of a familiar, rainbow-maned pegasus.

The pegasus chuckled between labored breaths. "Heya, Pinks. *huff* What's... up...?" The pegasus' eyes drifted shut and she fell forward into the dorm.

Pinkie managed to catch her before she hit the floor. She stared in utter disbelief at the friend she hadn't seen in half a year as she lay unconscious against her, no words, or even thoughts, to express herself.

The Steeden University of Culinary Arts

by Dee Pad

Chapter 7 - Party Thyme!