The Steeden University of Culinary Arts
By Dee Pad
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Chapter 12: Zest & Relaxation

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Rainbow Dash flopped herself down on the couch, picking up the T.V. remote to flick on the television. She let out a somewhat remorseful sigh. "Ugh, I know we were only home for two weeks, but I always forget how much I missed Ponish T.V."

Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Candy Cane, and Puff Pastry had been back in Steeden for a little less than a week after returning from spring break, enough time for the students to get back into the swing of things in their respective classes. Rainbow Dash, however, not actually being a student, was still confined to the dormitory all day everyday. She was starting to see some merit to Twilight's argument against her returning to Steeden. As much as she wanted to spend quality time with her best friend, she had forgotten just how boring it could be while Pinkie was busy with classes.

On the bright side, though, Steeden's winter had thoroughly wrapped up. It wasn't until they returned that Rainbow Dash actually had a chance to see the country without the blanket of snow covering it, and she had to admit that it was a pretty breathtaking place to look at.

Having surfed through every available channel in hopes of finding a show or movie that was at least visually stimulating, Rainbow Dash finally turned the television off, having decided that there was nothing on that caught her interest. She rolled over onto her back, throwing her hooves behind her head and idly staring up at the ceiling. Even though she had actually brought her own stuff with her this time, she regretted not packing something to keep herself entertained; some movies, or comic books, or something. She did bring a few of her Daring Do books with her, but since a new book hadn't been released in recent months, they wouldn't exactly provide any surprises.

"If you're bored, you could help me cook dinner," Pinkie called from the kitchen.

"Vhat do you mean? Cooking is great fun," Puff chimed in, having overheard from the bedroom.

Dash hoisted herself up to look over the back of the couch at Puff. "Yeah, for you maybe. Honestly, it's more like a chore to me."

The pegasus flicked her hoof dismissively and fell back onto the couch cushions. "Bah. Too much work. Work's no fun."

Puff peeked over the back of the couch at the lounging mare with a quirked eyebrow. "You don't enjoy managing the veather then?"

"Heh. You kidding?" Dash chuckled. "I get to make lightning and storms and stuff. How could that not be fun?"

"Hey, I didn't say that nopony could enjoy it. It's just that I don't enjoy it. And that's the beauty of it: other people get to have fun making the food, while I get to enjoy eating it. It's win-win."

Pinkie Pie trotted around the couch, her face decorated with authority. She picked the lazy pegasus up off of the couch and stood her up, ushering her toward the kitchen.

Pinkie stopped Dash in front of the kitchen counter, placing a ruffled, white chef's hat on her head and tying an apron around her front. "I'm going to teach you how to cook."

Puff giggled in amusement at Pinkie's idea, already enjoying the sight of Rainbow Dash dressing the part despite the pegasus's bemused grimace.

"Because we're not always going to be here to cook for you. We might be busy doing some extra work after class, or studying in the student lounge..."

"This way, if we're not around, you can just whip something up yourself," Pinkie explained with a grin.

Rainbow Dash groaned, pulling off the chef's hat and dropping it on the counter. "Pinkie, I don't know if you've noticed or not, but I'm perfectly capable of cooking for myself. I live by myself back home after all."

Pinkie stared at Dash, disgruntled. "Instant noodles and takeout do not count as cooking."

"Now then..." Pinkie opened the pantry, perusing its contents for ideas. "We're gonna try a few different dishes. Oh!" She reached in and pulled out a box of spaghetti noodles. "Spaghetti should be easy."

"Plus, you already kinda have some 'experience,'" Pinkie punctuated with sarcastic air quotes, "with noodles, so you shouldn't have too much trouble with this." She returned to the pantry. "But let's try some other stuff, too, just in case. Fill a pot with water and boil it while I look for something."

"Okay." Rainbow Dash did as she was told and started filling the pot in the kitchen sink.

Out of the corner of her eye, Pinkie saw Puff wandering around the living room, as if looking for something. "Hey, Puff! You wanna help teach Dashie how to cook with us?"

Puff shook her head, finding her saddlebags behind the couch and throwing them on her back. "Nein, thank you, but I have plans. Candy und I are going down to the student lounge for some coffee. Vould you two like to join us?"

Rainbow Dash turned to Pinkie, hoping that she'd agree so she wouldn't be forced to stay and cook all day.

Pinkie gave a friendly grin, but waved her offer off. "I'd love to, but we're a little busy. Rainbow Dash, the pot's overflowing."

"Huh? Oh, whoops." Dash turned off the faucet and poured out the excess water, breathing a disappointed sigh as she did knowing that she was going to be stuck here for awhile.

"Okay. Then I'll see you later." Puff bid them farewell, then stepped out the door. The moment she closed it behind her, she spotted Candy down the hall exiting her apartment as well. "Good morning. That vas good timing," Puff chuckled as Candy approached.

"And good morning to you." Candy couldn't help but notice that Puff was alone. "Huh. I figured you would've invited Pinkie and Rainbow Dash to come with us."

Candy jumped slightly at the sudden scream that was accompanied by what sounded like a splash and a metallic clank, her eyes shooting to the door behind Puff from where the shout originated.

"Alllllright-y then," Candy deferred, though with a somewhat befuddled expression. She returned her attention towards the stairwell as she and Puff made their way downstairs and through the school's halls until they arrived at their destination.

Being a weekend, it wasn't surprising to see that there weren't too many other students gathered at the student lounge. Typically, most students enjoyed spending their off time out and about in the bustling and beautiful city of Trotholm. Although, there were still a fair number of students who preferred to spend their free time lounging about and relaxing, and those individuals tended to gravitate towards the student lounge. Thankfully, it wasn't so crowded as to be uncomfortable, or to force anyone to talk above their usual speaking volume. It was actually kind of homey, and the smell of fresh coffee and bagels was particularly inviting.

Puff and Candy approached the counter to get their breakfast. Puff inhaled deeply through her nose, letting her breath out in a pleasant sigh. "It smells vonderful, doesn't it?"

Candy nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I've gotta admit, they know how to bake their breakfast breads down here."

The two mares received their orders, a cup of coffee and a bagel—two bagels for Puff—and went to sit down on the unoccupied couch in the middle of the room. Puff grabbed some packets of sugar and cream for their coffee on the way, as well as some butter, which she spread liberally on her first bagel before taking a big, hungry bite out of it.

The Germane mare swallowed her mouthful of bagel and looked at Candy in confusion. "Vhat's veird?"

Candy gestured to the two of them sitting on the couch. "This. Just you and me, hanging out. Not weird in an awkward way or anything, just... Well, it's not often that just the two of us hang out like this. You know, without Pinkie Pie."

Puff chuckled, knowing now exactly what she was talking about. "Ya, I get vhat you mean. It's a little unusual for her to not be around. Or at least vithin earshot."

"You'd almost think she was the focal point of our little group," Candy joked, taking a sip of her coffee.

Puff turned her eyes up in thought about Candy's comment. "Actually, in a vay, she kind of is."

"Vell, Rainbow Dash is here because she's Pinkie's best friend, und you're her friend because they rescued you. Und I'm really only hanging out vith you girls because I'm her roommate."

"Hey, you can't think like that. We still would have been in the same class. Who's to say we wouldn't have become friends even if you lived in a different dorm?"

Puff shook her head, smiling a little at Candy's misinterpretation of her statement. "I'm not complaining. I'm thankful that things turned out this vay. I'm just saying that things vouldn't be the vay they are vithout Pinkie."

Candy thought about that for a moment, conceding the point with a nod. "Yeah, I guess you have a point. Honestly, I don't know if I'd be enjoying my stay here quite as much without her."

Puff and Candy both turned to the grinning face of their respected instructor Gustave le Grand standing nearby with his own cup of piping hot coffee.

"Oh, good morning, Chef," Candy greeted with an amicable smile. "We were just talking about how different our experience at this school may have been without Pinkie Pie."

"Less eventful, certainly," the griffon joked. Candy gestured for Gustave to take a seat on the chair adjacent to the couch and join them, an offer that he happily accepted. "I must admit, 'er presence 'ere 'as made my experience quite mémorable."

"Vee meant that vee think vee may not have enjoyed our stay here as much vithout her," Puff clarified.

"Yeah, I can't help but feel like things would have been a bit more... lonely," Candy added.

Gustave twirled his mustache idly. "I suppose we will never know now. Zere is little reason to dwell on it."

"I just thought it was interesting," Candy said. "I don't think I would prefer my experience here to be any different than it is. I almost feel like we owe Pinkie something."

Gustave only now realized that the mare in question wasn't actually present. "And... where is Mademoiselle Pie ce matin?"

Puff chimed in to answer his question. "Oh, she's still back at the dorm. She's busy teaching—" Puff stopped herself before she said too much, earning a cautious look from Candy. "Um, teaching... herself... about cooking. From her books."

"Which is basically a long-winded way of saying she's studying," Candy laughed nervously.

Gustave raised an eyebrow at their odd behavior, but let it go with a sip of his coffee.

"So anyway..." Candy said, hoping to change the subject. "We don't have to talk about what's going on with us. Why don't you we talk more about you, Chef."

"About moi?" Gustave repeated, surprised by the suggestion, although more than willing to talk himself up. "I suppose it isn't often zat I get zee chance to sit and chat avec mes étudiants. Very well, do you 'ave any questions in particular?"

"I vas actually vondering vhat you vere doing during spring break," Puff inquired curiously.

Gustave chuckled at the question. "Well, I was enjoying a brief trip back to Prance wiz Gwenivere."

"It's nice to visit home after being away for a long time, huh?" Candy commented.

"Do you und Gwen spend a lot of time together outside of school, Chef?" Puff asked.

"But of course. She is ma fierté et joie. I spend as much time wiz 'er as I possibly can."

While Candy couldn't imagine someone wanting to willingly spend time with Gwenivere, she figured that her father could be one of the few exceptions. "So what exactly did you two do while you were in Prance?"

Gustave cleared his throat, breaking eye contact with the two mares. He looked like he was embarrassed. "Well... Gwenivere and I 'ave a tradition. We 'ave a lake house away from everyzing zat we visit once a year, just zee two of us. We 'ike, fish, camp. Zose sorts of zings."

Candy widened her eyes, having not expected that. "Really? Wow. You know, Gwen never really struck me as the type of person to enjoy roughing it."

"She doesn't," Gustave was quick to confirm. "Nor do I, in truz. But, as I said, it is our tradition. Besides, it is not about, as you say, 'roughing it.' It is about spending quality time avec ma fille, sans distractions."

"That sounds nice," Puff commented with a friendly, albeit somewhat surprised smile.

Gustave nodded. "It is. I look forward to it every year. It is wonderful bonding time for zee two of us. Er, and if you would not mind, could you not mention zis to Gwenivere. If she discovered zat I told somepony, she would be très contrarié."

"Our lips are sealed," Candy assured, making a zipping motion over her mouth with her hoof.

Gustave looked at the clock on the wall of the student lounge, the current time alerting him. "Is zat zee time? Zut alors. Pardon moi, Mademoiselles, I 'ave work zat demands mon attention. It was lovely speaking wiz you." He finished off his coffee and stood from his seat, making for the door.

"See you on Monday, Chef," Candy bid him farewell, with Puff offering a wave. By now, the two mares had also finished their breakfasts, so they, too, stood up to leave. "Guess it's about time for us to head back, too, huh?"

Puff took the final bite of her second butter-smeared bagel. "Right behind you."

The pair returned to the second floor to go back to their dorms. When Puff reached her room, she prepared to turn the knob, but turned back to Candy as she made her way further down the hall to her own dorm.

Candy respectfully declined the offer with a shake of her head. "Nah. I think I'm just gonna take a nap or something. Today kinda feels like a lazy day."

Candy shrugged, laughing a little herself. "It doesn't rule out the 'or something.'"

Puff walked into her place, closing the door behind her. However, even before she entered she caught a whiff of something, but wasn't sure what. It smelled like food, but what it was exactly eluded her olfactory senses. It wasn't until she was inside that she was able to formulate some idea as to what it was.

Looking to the kitchen, Puff's jaw dropped open in utter shock. The kitchen was a complete wreck. Dishes were piled up in the sink, filthy as all get out, and the floor, counter, and cupboards were caked with all manner of foodstuffs, from what appeared to be flour to what she hoped was ketchup. And in the middle of it all were Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, just as dirty as their surroundings; one couldn't even tell that Dash's apron was white anymore.

"Vha...?" Puff took a cautious step forward, her face overcome with disbelief. "I vas only gone for twenty minutes! Vhat have you two been making?!"

Puff took a moment to process that, not entirely sure if she heard correctly. "Salad?"

The chubby mare took another look at the kitchen. "Und... vhat did you make before that?"

That response only served to further baffle Puff. So they hadn't made anything else in between. Half the stuff on the floor and the walls wasn't at all necessary to make spaghetti, and definitely were not necessary for salad, let alone just how many dishes they'd wound up soiling. However, as Puff had learned in the half a year or so she'd known Pinkie, she learned it was better not to question certain things. Apparently that rule was beginning to extend to Rainbow Dash as well.

Puff shook her head and gave a dismissive wave. She elected to ignore the carnage in their kitchen and had no intention of cleaning it up. However, she noticed something sitting on the table; a small bottle of rainbow-colored liquid, although there was only a very miniscule amount remaining. She immediately recognized it as rainbow essence. After the last time she'd seen that stuff, she wasn't likely to forget it.

"It's actually not bad. Spicy pastries kinda work," Rainbow Dash said. Puff gave the pegasus a skeptical look. "Well, I like 'em anyway."

"I thought since Rainbow Dash likes this stuff so much, I'd teach her how to cook with it," Pinkie explained. "You should try some when it's done, Puff."

Puff chuckled nervously, waving her hoof to decline. "N-Nein, thank you. I'm don't do vell vith spicy food." Hoping to avoid being coaxed into taste testing, she opted out of the conversation at that point to sit on the couch and watch some television.

Pinkie shrugged indifferently. "Suit yourself." At that moment, the oven's timer went off with a ding. Pinkie jumped with anticipation to the oven. "Ooo, speaking of which..." She slipped on an oven mitt, reached in, and pulled out the fully cooked pie topped with lightly browned meringue, holding it out as if presenting it to a crowd of onlookers. "Ta-da! One Rainbow Meringue Pie, patent pending."

Pinkie laid the pie on the stove to let it cool. Rainbow Dash leaned over to smell it. While she was used to Pinkie's pastries smelling overwhelmingly sweet, this one smelled spicy—which was to be expected—yet oddly minty for some reason. Admittedly, Rainbow Dash had never really taken the time to analyze how a rainbow actually smelled, and certainly had never thought how they'd smell when baked.

Pinkie, too impatient to wait for it to cool, cut out a pair of slices, placed them on a couple of plates, and delivered them to the table where she and Dash sat across from one another. She passed a fork to Rainbow Dash. The pegasus took a moment to look over the slice of pie in front of her. Underneath the meringue was the soft, gooey, and rather psychedelic-looking filling, a swirl of mixed colors that looked like something out of a fever dream.

"Are you sure it's safe to eat this?" Rainbow Dash asked pensively. "It looks like you'd go on a 'trip' if you ingested this stuff."

Pinkie tilted her head, trying to remember when she made those éclairs. "Um... For those, I only used a few drops for the whole batch."

Rainbow Dash's eyes shifted to the practically empty bottle of rainbow essence sitting on the table, staring at it a touch nervously.

Pinkie picked up her fork, cutting off a small piece of her slice of the pie. "Well? Aren't you gonna have some? This is the first pastry you've ever made! I even named it after you! It's your pie! You've gotta at least sample it."

Rainbow Dash's eyes rose to look across at Pinkie. It was as if she was deliberately trying to force her to eat it. If she didn't, she'd hurt Pinkie's feelings. But if she did... Well, that probably wouldn't be pretty either.

Reluctantly, she opted for the second choice, cutting off a small bite with her fork. At the very least, she'd be able to look back at this moment and laugh. She scooped it into her mouth and began to chew, clenching her eyes shut in anticipation for the searing pain she was undoubtedly putting her tongue through. However, after a few moments of chewing, Dash's eyes opened in surprise. Pleasant surprise.

"Hey, that's tasty stuff," she exclaimed, eagerly taking another bite. "A strong, spicy taste, yet sweet at the same time. And a lot more intense than the éclairs, for sure. Mmm..." Dash happily shoveled more into her mouth, satisfied that her previous worries had been abated. Sure, she liked spicy food, but she'd never really tested the limits of her tolerance. She was glad to see that even a high concentration of super-spicy rainbow essence didn't really bother her.

"I'm so glad you like it," Pinkie said with a gracious smile. "I guess that means I can add this to my répertoire. With your blessing, of course."

With an eager grin, Pinkie slipped a bite into her own mouth, curious to try it for herself. She swirled it around in her mouth for a moment before swallowing.

Rainbow Dash watched her curiously, noticing that the pink in her face was quickly shifting to a red hue.

"Whew, that is pretty spicy," Pinkie commented, fanning her tongue with her hoof. A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead. "Actually, really spicy. Like, mega spicy. Like, holy crap, that's spicy!"

The sweat now pouring down like rain on a window, Pinkie's face and tongue grew steadily redder, almost seeming to glow from the intense heat surging through her nerves. The earth pony's eyes were filled with panic as she desperately panted and attempted to cool her mouth with her hoof, not only fanning it, but actually rubbing it in an attempt to forcibly scrape the spiciness from her taste buds.

Pinkie stumbled off of her chair in a panicked bout to find relief, making a beeline for the door of the apartment and running out into the hall.

Rainbow Dash, as well as Puff, stared at the door for a moment, bewildered, then Dash looked to the kitchen sink. Sure, there were all manner of dishes piled up there, but Dash could see no logical reason for Pinkie's first reaction to be bolting out the door. There was probably milk in the fridge as well. Then again, Pinkie Pie and "logical reasoning" never did go hoof in hoof, so Dash just shrugged it off, grabbed Pinkie's plate, and helped herself to a second slice of pie.

"Yup, see ya." Candy waved farewell to Puff as the Germane mare entered her apartment, then made her way to her own.

Candy shut the door behind her, letting out a yawn and stretching her back. Despite feeling well rested when she woke up this morning, plus the coffee she'd had with Puff just now, Candy felt like all she wanted to do today was, well, nothing. On any normal day off from classes, she would be enthused to spend her free time exploring Trotholm and its culture. Sure, she'd lived in Steeden for six months, but it always seemed like there was something else to see.

Not today, though. Today was a lazy day; a day of lounging about, maybe letting herself get caught up in random daydreams, or perhaps regular dreams if she managed to drift off to sleep at some point. It did seem a shame to waste a perfectly good Saturday, but the body wants what the body wants, and who was she to argue with her body?

However, as much as she was looking forward to flopping on the couch and letting herself sink into its plush cushions, the spot was currently occupied. Gwenivere was busy lounging herself, laying on the sofa with her beak buried in a book; not a textbook or a cookbook, but a novel of some sort. It wasn't the first time Candy had seen the griffon curled up with a book, but what really surprised her was that they appeared to be romance novels. Candy couldn't exactly figure out what they were about in terms of plot and character, due to them all being written in Prench, though she could certainly venture a guess based on the rather suggestive cover art. The point was that these kinds of books weren't exactly what she'd expected from a person like Gwenivere.

Actually, it seemed like she was learning a lot about her roommate lately, which gave Candy an idea. Maybe today wouldn't be such an uneventful day after all.

The griffon breathed an almost inaudible groan, a touch annoyed that Candy had picked up a certain pony's penchant for using that nickname. "Not zat it's any of your business, mais non, I 'ave no plans."

"Actually, when you think about it, it is kinda my business. You having plans determines whether or not I'm going to be alone in the dorm."

Gwenivere lifted her eyes from her book, giving Candy a questionable stare. "Dare I ask what it is you plan to do aujourd'hui?"

Candy gave a shrug. "Nothing in particular. But now that I know you don't have plans, I think I have a suggestion."

Candy sat herself on the couch next to Gwenivere with a friendly smile on her face. "We've been roommates for half a year now, but we barely ever just, you know, talk. You'd think if two people were forced to spend that kind of time together, they'd get to know each other a little better."

Gwenivere sat up straight with a reluctant groan, closing her novel. "Are you saying you wish to 'chat' wiz moi?"

Candy tilted her head in thought. "How about we talk about what we did during spring break? I know you went to back to Prance, but what exactly did you do while you were home?"

Gwenivere shrugged indifferently, showing little to no emotional sentiment. "Zere is not much to tell. Papa and I went back 'ome for two weeks. It was nice to be 'ome for certain, but nozing of particular interest 'appened."

"Uh-huh..." Candy tried her hardest to stifle a smirk. She found it interesting, but not out of character, that Gwenivere's story didn't match that of her father's. Of course, she made a promise to Gustave not to mention anything, so she chose to keep her knowledge of the subject under wraps out of respect. She knew what really happened, so it mattered not if Gwenivere wanted to talk about it in detail. Although, that wasn't going to stop her from attempting to coax the information from her. To hear about something like that from Gwenivere herself could be considered a great stride in their relationship. "You know, I'd have figured you'd be more than happy to talk about yourself. You've never been shy about it before."

The griffon's tone became slightly more irritated. "As I said, nozing interesting 'appened."

Gwenivere narrowed her eyes at Candy. "Did Pinkie Pie set you up to zis? Is zis some ploy to use you to get me to be 'er friend?"

Candy raised an eyebrow. "What? No. Pinkie's got nothing to do with this. Seriously, what's your problem with her? She never did anything to you."

Candy rolled her eyes, not at all surprised by that answer. "You're just not giving her a fair shake. I'm sure if you sat down and got to know her a little better, you'd find she's not all that bad."

"I'm finding it un peu difficile to just sit and talk wiz you. You zink I could tolerate one minute wiz 'er?"

Candy just sighed in resignation. "You know, you're not such a peach yourself. You're arrogant, self-centered, rude, and overly competitive. If I had to sum you up in one word, it'd be 'jerk.' In my opinion, that's far worse than being a little annoying."

Gwenivere looked unfazed by her rather unflattering point of view. "Yet you are perfectly alright wiz zat pegasus she is 'arboring. Alzough I 'aven't spent as much time wiz 'er as you, I believe zat zee words you used to describe moi could also apply to 'er."

Candy had to concede that point to Gwenivere, but certainly wasn't going to forfeit the game to her. "Maybe, but at least Rainbow Dash is willing to make new friends."

"I've said zis before, but I will repeat myself once more: I did not come to zis school to make friends."

"Something that becomes more and more apparent with each passing day," Candy said, leaning against the arm of the couch. It was looking like she wasn't going to get anywhere with this conversation. And just when she was starting to get her hopes up. Candy was about to get up off of the couch, ready to give up on the conversation.

Candy halted at Gwenivere's request, noting the curiosity in the griffon's voice. She lowered herself back onto the couch. "Uh, sure."

Gwenivere mulled over her question for a moment. "'Ow did you come to be friends wiz 'er? From mon expérience, she gives a very... cloying first impression."

Candy widened her eyes a little in realization. Had she never actually mentioned this to Gwenivere before? It seemed like something that would have come up at some point or another. "Oh. Well, I suppose my circumstances are a little different compared to most people she knows. The long and short of it is she saved my life."

Gwenivere was caught off guard by that answer. "Vraiment? I... cannot say I was expecting zat."

"Neither can I, now that I think about. I just kinda feel like I'm indebted to her for it."

"Zat's understandable zen," the griffon admitted. "I suppose I would feel much zee same if somepony 'ad saved ma vie."

"Then what would be so hard about making friends with her now?" Candy posed the question.

"If," Gwenivere reiterated. "Fortunately, I am not indebted to 'er, so I 'ave no obligation to be 'er friend."

"Ugh," Candy scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "It's useless to talk to you; you're just too stubborn." She hopped off the couch, making her way to the kitchen for a snack. "You talk about how overbearing Pinkie is, but I can only imagine how much of a hoofful—er, clawful you were for your parents."

Candy stopped in her tracks, turning her head back to look at Gwenivere, although the griffon wasn't looking back at her. The earth pony blinked silently, unsure if she may have misheard her. "What?"

And suddenly she had Candy's undivided attention again. The pink mare trotted back to the couch with a slightly hurried pace, not wasting any time sitting back down. "Wait, so you mean Gustave's... a single dad?"

Candy stayed quiet for a moment to think about this. She had to admit, it certainly did make a lot of sense, like how much Gwenivere took after her father. Candy didn't even think about how Gustave made no mention of her mother, or why she wasn't a part of their annual tradition. As it turns out, she just wasn't there to be a part of it.

Candy was about to ask if Gwenivere wanted to talk about it, but hesitated. Was it inappropriate? Was it a sensitive subject for her? Having lost her mother herself, Candy knew the pain that came with such a loss. But maybe that was just what she needed right now.

"I... I guess you and I have more common ground than we thought," Candy said with an empathetic smile.

Her roommate looked up at her. Her expression didn't quite read of pain or heartbreak like Candy had expected. "'Ow so?"

"Thanks. So I know what it's like to lose somepony who was closer to you than most others could ever be. Actually, I didn't even realize how hung up on it I was until my dad starting dating another mare. I started treating her like an intruder or something. Thankfully that's behind me now, though. We managed to work things out. Point is, we've both had this painful experience. Don't you feel like this could be something that, I don't know, maybe could bring us closer?"

Gwenivere seemed bemused by the implication. "At no point did I say zat I lost ma mère. En vérité, I 'ave never met 'er."

Candy's hopeful expression was quickly replaced by surprise, and slight embarrassment that she had made such a rash assumption. "You haven't? Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to assume, I just... Wait, so what did happen to your mom?"

Gwenivere let out a sigh; not one of pain, but rather exasperation, as though speaking of it was more an annoyance than anything, but that was in keeping with her personality, certainly. "If you must know, ma mère abandoned moi before I 'ad 'atched. Left me on Papa's doorstep and disappeared wizout a trace."

Candy was flabbergasted. Being abandoned by your own mother? In many ways, that may have been even worse than losing her. "That's horrible. Why would she do something like that?"

Gwenivere shrugged slightly. "As I said, she vanished wizout even saying goodbye. We never got a reason. Papa suspects zat perhaps she was not ready to be a parent and, in a panic, did what she zought was zee best zing for me."

"Oui. And per'aps it was for zee best. Ma vie 'as been just fine wizout 'er. I 'ave mon père, and zat is all I need. Besides, 'oo wants a mozer zat does not want you? I am better off wizout 'er. I turned out just fine après all."

"That's open for interpretation," Candy joked. "But you're sure you're okay with not having a mom around? Take it from me, having a mom is pretty great."

"And zat is just it. I 'ave never 'ad a mom, zerefore, I cannot know zee pain of losing one, as you 'ave."

Gwenivere examined her claw with a haughty smirk. "You 'ave more reason zan zat to be envious of moi."

Candy let that statement slide. Whether Gwenivere liked or even noticed it, she had gotten the arrogant griffon to open up to her a little, even if the subject wasn't a particularly emotional one for her. It was a step in the right direction at least.

Suddenly, their conversation was brought to an abrupt end when their door burst open. The dorm's two residents jumped slightly, their eyes darting to the entrance where a hysterical Pinkie Pie was standing, panting heavily with her face dripping with sweat and burning red.

"I just tasted Rainbow's pie and it was hot!" was all she said before she rushed inside and raided their fridge for a carton of milk, which she quickly chugged down in its entirety, then promptly left without another word.

Candy and Gwenivere sat in utter bewilderment, unsure what to make of what had just happened. Gwenivere slowly stood up from the couch and headed for the door.

The griffon stopped with her claw on the doorknob, looking back at Candy for a moment with a confounded, yet curious, expression. "I need... clarification." She then exited the apartment, closing the door behind her.

Gwenivere traipsed down the hall to Pinkie's apartment, preparing to open the door, but not at all prepared for what she might find on the other side. It was only her morbid curiosity that had brought her there and the need to hopefully clear up some unwanted mental images. When she opened the door, she was relieved to see Rainbow Dash and Puff Pastry sitting on the couch, nothing seeming out of the ordinary.

That is, until she peered into the kitchen. Beyond Pinkie Pie, who had stopped at her own fridge to guzzle down another carton of milk, was a mess of dishes and unidentifiable foodstuffs smattered about. But that wasn't what was on her mind at the moment.

"Pinkie Pie," Gwenivere beckoned. She wasn't used to actually addressing Pinkie by name. It felt a little strange to her. But, regardless, she had questions to ask. "What was all zat about just now?"

Pinkie wiped the milk mustache from her lip, tossing the empty carton in the trash and shooting her signature, doofy grin to the griffon. "What was what? Oh, right. Like I said, I had a taste Rainbow Dash's pie. At first, she was a little nervous because she didn't know if she was gonna like it. Admittedly, I was bit nervous too. But once she tried it, she said it was good, so I had to have a taste too."

Rainbow Dash's face had suddenly become completely flush. "Uh, Pinkie, maybe you should—"

"But, as it turned out, it was waaaay too intense for me," the oblivious, pink mare continued, ignoring Dash's plea. "I've never tasted anything like it. It was crazy hot! I needed to wash it out. It was like—"

Gwenivere held up her claw to silence the mare. "Non, zat's quite enough information. More zan enough, in fact. If you'll excusez-moi..." The griffon then made to leave.

"Leaving so soon? You can stay longer, ya know? Hey, would you like some of Dashie's pie, too? Who knows, you might like it."

Gwenivere's tail twitched uncomfortably, a shiver running up her spine. She didn't say a word, but just left as quickly as possible.

As soon as the door shut, Puff burst into a fit a laughter, falling over onto her side. Rainbow Dash, however, was absolutely mortified, the most unpleasant of grimaces on her face.

"You really don't screen your thoughts before you say them out loud, do you?" Dash said in an aggravated tone.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Pinkie replied obliviously. She hopped onto the couch with another plate of pie. "But, whatever, more pie for me."

Back at Candy and Gwenivere's apartment, Candy waited patiently for her roommate's return, admittedly curious herself as to what Pinkie Pie was on about this time. The door finally opened again, Gwenivere entering with a rather uneasy look on her face.

The griffon paused, shuddering at the images Pinkie Pie had inadvertently implanted into her mental photo album. "Nozing..."

"Oui. Now, if you'll excusez-moi, I'm going to take a cold shower and scrub my brain."

The Steeden University of Culinary Arts

by Dee Pad

Chapter 12 - Zest & Relaxation