The Steeden University of Culinary Arts

by Dee Pad

Chapter 15 - The Great Cake-Off: Part 2

The Steeden University of Culinary Arts
By Dee Pad
=====================================================================

Chapter 15: The Great Cake-Off: Part 2

=====================================================================

Gwenivere went through her recipe once more, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything. She looked at everything she had gathered on the counter already. Everything seemed to be in order, she was pretty much ready to start.

All except for one thing.

The griffon let out an irritated groan. With an irate glower, she glanced over her shoulder at the pair of bright blue eyes and the blindingly-white, toothy grin just mere inches from her face.

"Do you mind?" Gwenivere snipped.

Pinkie Pie backed up a smidge at the griffon's request. "Sorry. I'm just excited. We've never baked anything together before. This'll be fun!"

"So long as you do not interfere," Gwenivere grumbled under her breath.

Pinkie reached over to the counter and picked up the stack of papers that were Gwenivere's recipes. "You mind if I have a look through these?"

The griffon gave a dismissive flick of her claw, too busy preparing her ingredients to really care what Pinkie did, which the earth pony obviously interpreted as a no.

Pinkie began leafing through the papers, looking them over with curious zeal. They all looked incredibly good, not to mention ambitious. Each recipe was accompanied by a detailed drawing of what Gwenivere expected the final product to look like. Pinkie had no idea her partner had such artistic flair. Up until now, Gwenivere had proven herself to be a very accomplished baker; everything she made was absolutely delicious—well, everything that she allowed Pinkie to taste was delicious, aside from one obvious exception. Even so, Gwenivere didn't usually put nearly as much effort into the aesthetics of her pastries that Pinkie did, but these designs were really impressive. If they actually managed to make a cake that matched these pictures, they'd be a shoe-in to win the Cake-Off for sure.

Out of curiosity, Pinkie flipped to the recipe that Gwenivere was currently working on. It was a large, three-tiered lemon cake, covered in vanilla frosting. It looked like an edible castle, even having spires made from white chocolate. As a matter of fact, it shared a similar motif with Canterlot Castle. Perhaps an effort to condition Princess Celestia's judgment, but Pinkie had to admit that it looked good. But something about the recipe itself seemed off...

"Gwen, have you ever made a cake this big before?"

Gwenivere looked up from the batter she was mixing. "Not quite zat big, but I've 'eard zat you make cakes like zis on a regular basis, so it mustn't be zat difficile."

Pinkie frowned slightly as she looked at the recipe again. "Yeah, I do bake cakes like this from time to time, and I'm pretty sure your measurements are off here."

Gwenivere stopped mixing to cast an insulted glare at the presumptuous, pink pony. "Beg your pardon?"

"Well, for a cake like this, you'll need more flour. And at least another half a dozen eggs. Not to mention—"

The griffon prodded Pinkie's chest with a talon. "Did I not say zat you were not to tamper wiz my recipes? Do you not zink zat I know what it is I'm doing? Zee recipe's fine. Now, sit down and let a master work."

Pinkie shrunk back from her agitated partner. "But—"

"No buts! I am busy, and you are not to interrupt."

Not wanting to anger her further, Pinkie sat down on one of the chairs at the dining table, and to the griffon's surprise, actually managed to stay quiet for more than five seconds.

"Bon. Now, stay zere and let me finish zis."

Gwenivere got back to what she was doing, relishing the silence as she did. However, that didn't last long. After just a minute or so, her concentration was broken by the sound of antsy shuffling. Barely another thirty seconds went by before the loud clomping of the wooden legs of a chair joined in as somepony rocked back and forth in her seat. And if that weren't distracting enough, a high-pitched whistle began to ring through Gwenivere's ears, but not even any particular tune; just random notes. A sure sign of pure, unadulterated boredom.

Gwenivere grit her teeth in annoyance before twirling around to the source of her agitation. Her sharp glare caused Pinkie to cease her whistling and plant all four legs of her chair firmly on the floor. "Can't you find somezing to occupy yourself?" the griffon snapped.

"I would help you bake, but you won't let me," Pinkie answered simply.

"Zen zere really isn't any reason for you to be 'ere. I can 'andle zis myself."

Pinkie hopped off her chair and started for the door with a disappointed sigh. "Alright. Let me know how it turns out." Her voice was uncharacteristically spiteful. Of course, if Gwenivere didn't fix the errors in her recipe, she knew very well how it was going to turn out. Maybe when Gwenivere finally happened upon that realization she'd actually let Pinkie help out. That was as good a reason as any to give the griffon a little space. She could probably find something to preoccupy herself until then.

***** ***** *****

Rainbow Dash dropped a couple of bits on the counter of the student lounge's coffee shop, taking her cup with a disgruntled groan and sitting down at an empty table. Normally, she'd get a cookie or cinnamon bun or something to go with it, but she didn't want to shell out the extra cash. She honestly hadn't been planning to spend much money when she came back to Steeden. She had been posing as a student when she first showed up, but, unfortunately, circumstances have changed. Students didn't have to pay for anything at the university's coffee shop, but visitors did. And Rainbow Dash was now considered a visitor.

All things considered, having to pay for a cup of coffee or a light snack every now and then when she had to wait for her friends to finish classes wasn't really a big deal. She was basically staying in Steeden free of charge thanks to Twilight. She didn't have much room to complain. A swanky hotel, being able to see her best friend pretty much whenever she wanted, and eating most of her meals at Pinkie's so she really didn't have to pay for anything. Kind of made her feel like a lazy mooch, but nopony else seemed to mind. And at least now she was at no risk of getting Pinkie in hot water.

Still though, she couldn't help but feel a little ire for having to pay for a simple cup of coffee. All because a certain unicorn couldn't keep her mouth shut.

It still bugged her to no end. What was Sugar's problem? What reason did she have to do what she did? Rainbow Dash wasn't an inherently violent person, but she still wished she had gotten at least one shot in before Pinkie interfered. Dash placed a hoof on her cheek, feeling the gap near the back of her jaw where one of her teeth used to be. A little payback would be gratifying right about now.

"What's up, pouty puss?"

Dash jumped with surprise at the sound of Pinkie Pie's voice. The pink pony was sat at the other side of the table, looking at her with a chipper grin. Rainbow Dash had been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed Pinkie sit down, much less order a coffee of her own and two big, chocolate chip cookies. Pinkie kindly passed one of the cookies to her, as if she had been reading her mind or something. Pinkie Pie's perceptiveness had always been pretty inconsistent, but based on what she had said, she must have noticed the dour expression on Dash's face.

Rainbow Dash remedied her mood with a smile of her own. "Hey, Pinkie. What're you doing down here? I thought you were baking stuff with Gwen?"

Pinkie shrugged her shoulders. "Eh. She said she's got it covered. It's kinda lame, but she's about to learn a lesson. Trust me, she'll be asking for my help pretty soon. What about you? Why aren't you back at my place? Nothin' good on T.V.?"

"Nah, it's just that Candy and Puff are busy practicing for that Cake-Off thing, too. I didn't wanna get in the way. So how you feeling about this whole thing anyway? Do you actually want to work with Gwen?"

"Course I do. What better way for us to become closer and finally make friends than to be forced to work together on such an important project?"

Dash was skeptical of Pinkie's reasoning. "I don't know. Seems more like you guys might spend more time fighting than working. Your plans might wind up backfiring."

Pinkie giggled. "Guess we'll just have to wait and see."

Rainbow Dash took a bite out of her cookie and watched Pinkie take one out of her own. Now that the two of them were alone—the random students in the lounge notwithstanding—it might be a good time for Dash to get some thoughts off her chest.

"Hey, Pinkie, can we talk?"

"We're already talking, silly," Pinkie joked.

"No, I mean about... recent events."

Judging by the look on Dash's face, Pinkie could deduce to what she was referring. The earth pony swallowed nervously. "You mean about... Sugar?"

Rainbow Dash nodded. She knew it wasn't something Pinkie wanted to talk about, but she really needed to figure this out. "Yeah... Just tell me: what's her deal?"

Pinkie simply shook her head. "I already told you, I don't know. She was so nice to me until you showed up."

"I just don't get it. I didn't even meet her until that day. Did I do anything that might've ticked her off somehow?"

Pinkie scrunched up her mouth as she thought back, searching for something in her memories that might offer some sort of explanation. "I don't think so. It just doesn't make sense."

"I guess it's not all bad," Dash said with a shrug.

Pinkie blinked in confusion. "It's not? You got punched in the face. That sounds pretty bad to me."

"I said it's not all bad. I mean, if that stuff didn't happen, then..." Dash blushed slightly, turning her gaze away from Pinkie.

But she didn't have to finish her thought. Pinkie caught her meaning and smiled softly. "Yeah. I guess every cloud has a silver lining, huh?"

"I wouldn't exactly call it a silver lining. Maybe if you..." She stopped herself and let out a sigh. "Nevermind."

Pinkie's smile faded. "Are you mad at me?"

Dash was quick to rectify her friend's worries. "Of course not. It's not your fault. You just don't feel the same way, I get that. And I can't force you to. I guess I'm just having a hard time dealing with it. I still don't think it'll be easy to get past this."

Pinkie gingerly placed her hoof over Dash's and stared into the pegasus's magenta eyes with a comforting smile. "I never said it was gonna be easy. But it's gonna take time. Trust me, when this is all over, we'll be even better friends than we ever were before."

Rainbow Dash quirked an eyebrow. "Since when were you an expert on love and relationships?"

Pinkie let out a groan. "Rarity sometimes calls me over to watch sappy movies with her. She needs somepony's shoulder to cry on in case she gets emotional, and I'm her go-to when Fluttershy is busy."

"Well, the thought of us being even better friends is pretty nice," Dash said with a grin. "I'll try to stop worrying about it."

"If you want, I can try and set you up with somepony when we get back home. That might take your mind off me," Pinkie suggested.

Rainbow Dash grimaced at the idea. "I don't think that's—"

"Oh! Maybe my sister Limestone would be interested! I think she's into girls. I don't know, it's kinda hard to tell since she doesn't really date much either. Hey! That's something you have in common! Maybe I can use that to get her interested!"

"Don't you dare," Dash ordered. "Just because you and eventually everypony else back home knows I'm gay, doesn't mean I want you guys setting me up on dates. I'm perfectly capable of running my own love life."

"No playing matchmaker. Gotcha. But have you ever actually been on a date?"

The pegasus blushed lightly with embarrassment. "Uh, well... No. I guess if I ever have, you guys would've figured me out a lot sooner. Look, I've said it before, but I'm not the romantic type. I might be attracted to mares, but that doesn't mean I'm actively looking for a girlfriend. Between trying to get in The Wonderbolts, being Ponyville's weather manager, and saving Equestria from all manner of evil crap, who's got time to be going on dates, am I right?"

Despite everything she's said, Pinkie knew that Dash was making up excuses. She may not have been looking for a girlfriend, but Rainbow Dash still has a crush her, meaning she was definitely interested in being in a relationship. Perhaps in time she'd be willing to let Pinkie help her find a date.

Pinkie gave a smile and a nod, deciding not to call her out on her excuses. "Okey doke. Whatever you say."

Rainbow Dash took the final bite of her cookie and downed the last of her coffee. "Well, wanna head back up to the dorm to see how Candy and Puff are doing with their project."

"Actually, I need to check on Gwen. I have a sneaking suspicion that she's begging for my help right about now," Pinkie said with a knowing smirk.

With that, the two friends made their way back up to the dorms, Rainbow Dash going back to Pinkie's place while Pinkie herself went further down the hall to Gwenivere and Candy's apartment.

The pink pony casually swung the door open, stepping inside with a self-satisfied gait and confident grin. She immediately noticed a grouchy-looking griffon sitting at the table and eyeing up her recipes while grumbling under her breath. On top of the oven was a cake pan. The cake itself looking fine, but Pinkie noticed that there was only the one when she recalled Gwenivere's recipe calling for three. And just as Pinkie expected, there was a distinct lack of remaining ingredients; only a few unbroken eggs and not nearly enough flour.

"What's the matter, Gwen?" Pinkie asked as she pulled up a chair, unable to hide her victorious smile. In a way, it felt oddly cathartic to have the roles reversed like this. It wasn't something she was gonna let go to her head, but maybe now Gwenivere would be willing to let her help.

"Zere's no problem," Gwenivere mumbled, not looking up from her recipes.

Pinkie grinned knowingly and noticed that several of the measurements on Gwen's recipes had been scratched out with pencil, but hadn't been reevaluated yet. Pinkie was already getting a little tired of playing with Gwenivere and wanted to jump straight to the point. "See? I told you your measurements were off. Will you let me help now?"

The griffon looked up from the papers with an irate glower. "I made some slight miscalculations. It is not so big a deal zat I require assistance."

The earth pony frowned. Pinkie hadn't anticipated that. She figured Gwenivere would be willing, though reluctant, to accept her help when she realized Pinkie was right. Stubborn as always.

"Seriously? Come on, Gwen. You know things'll go a lot quicker and smoother if you let me help. I wanna win this competition, too, you know."

"And you will. So long as you let me 'andle it."

Pinkie went from disappointment to frustration rather quickly, but she didn't want to get mad at Gwenivere; that wouldn't do much towards making friends with her. "What if... What if I come up with some recipes of my own? I can give 'em to you, and if you like one of 'em you can use it and make any changes you want to it."

"You do zat, see what 'appens," Gwenivere said as she turned her attention back to her recipes.

Pinkie finally smiled again and hopped off her chair. "Alright-y! Then I'm gonna head back to my place to do some concocting!"

Gwenivere also got up from her seat to head for the door. "In zee meantime, I must 'ead to zee grocery store to restock on ingredients. I may also need un peu more space..." she mumbled to herself as she stepped out.

Pinkie eagerly bounded out behind her to head back to her own place. However, she barely made it a few feet down the hall before she came to a halt, all exuberance draining away immediately. Exiting the stairwell at the end of the hall was a certain crimson unicorn that Pinkie had been actively avoiding where possible. Gwenivere brushed past Sugar Cookie and entered the stairwell without so much as a second glance—or first for that matter. As far as Pinkie was aware, the griffon still had no idea what had gone down between the two ponies. And even if she did, would she even consider it any of her business? Probably not.

The moment Sugar's eyes met Pinkie's, the unicorn also stopped in her tracks. If things had been uncomfortable between them before Sugar's altercation with Rainbow Dash, how could they possibly describe the atmosphere now? There was almost a latent fear in her eyes, as if seeing Pinkie Pie meant that Rainbow Dash was nearby, ready to pounce at any moment.

Pinkie decided to just do what she'd been doing everyday up until now: attempt to avoid Sugar. Maybe it wasn't healthy to ignore the problem, but she honestly didn't know how to handle the situation and would prefer to simply get back to her day-to-day until she could come up with some sort of solution. Pinkie hurried down the hall, keeping her head down and making sure to reach her door before Sugar did.

"Pinkie Pie, wait!"

Sugar's voice sent an uncomfortable shiver down Pinkie's spine. As pleasant as her voice normally was, Pinkie could only associate it with bad memories right now. She was so close to getting away; her hoof was on the doorknob, all she had to do was ignore Sugar, turn the knob, and go inside.

But she didn't. Pinkie looked up from her hoof. Sugar cautiously trotted up to her, looking hesitant to approach. She certainly didn't look like the same mare that had insulted her just a week prior.

Pinkie Pie didn't say anything. Since Sugar was the one who beckoned to her, she waited for her to speak first.

"Can we talk?" Sugar asked meekly.

To Pinkie's mind, the question was presented as an opportunity. She could simply say no and escape this no doubt uncomfortable situation. But curiosity got the better of her. Sugar wished to talk to her and her tone didn't imply any animosity. Still though...

"I don't know if I want to talk right now," Pinkie answered quietly.

"Please, I want to explain myself," the unicorn pleaded. She gestured toward her apartment. Pinkie simply gave her an icy glare. Sugar recognized her mistake immediately. "Or... maybe not. Listen, I want to apologize for the way I behaved last week. I was not in my right mind."

"An apology's not gonna make it better," Pinkie stated bluntly. "I can't look at you without thinking about the stuff you did. You got me drunk, then tried to have your way with me. You tried to get Rainbow Dash kicked out. You make up horrible lies about me to my friends. We were supposed to be friends, Sugar. I trusted you. You were the first friend we made when we got here. I don't know if you realize this, but I've never felt so betrayed before. I've never said this to anypony before, but..." The light in Pinkie's eyes had faded. She looked at Sugar with deep hurt and sadness. "I don't think we can be friends anymore."

Sugar's ears folded back. Having gotten to know Pinkie over the months, hearing her say that cut pretty deep.

"Why would you do those things, Sugar?" Pinkie inquired, her voice sounding as if she were on the verge of tears.

"I-I just—"

Sugar was interrupted when the door to Pinkie's dorm opened up. The unicorn shrunk back when Rainbow Dash poked her head out.

"Oh, hey, I thought I heard you out here, Pinkie," Dash said when she immediately spotted the earth pony standing in the hall. "What're you—" As soon as her eyes fell upon the other mare in the hallway, her brow knit tightly and she stepped out in front of Pinkie as if to defend her. "What do you think you're doing?" the pegasus snapped.

Sugar stood at the ready, preparing to bolt into own apartment the moment she noticed any danger. "W-We were just talking. I wanted to apologize to her."

"Yeah, I bet," Dash snipped skeptically. "Listen, I didn't think I'd have to tell you to stay the hell away from Pinkie. You think I'm gonna just let you do whatever after you tried to rape my friend?"

Sugar's mouth dropped at the accusation. "W-What?! I did not try to—"

"Save it! You are just the worst kind of scum, you know that? If I see you anywhere near Pinkie again, I'll—"

"Rainbow Dash!"

Dash turned back to Pinkie. The stern expression on her face surprised her.

"We were just talking," Pinkie said calmly, yet authoritatively. "I asked her a question and she hasn't answered me yet. Can you give us some time please?"

Rainbow Dash was about to outright deny that request, but the look on Pinkie's face told her that she wasn't going to take no for an answer. Reluctantly, the pegasus went back into the dorm. "Fine. But if I hear anything that I don't like, I'm coming back out." She locked eyes with Sugar as she closed the door, glaring harshly at her.

Now that they were alone again, Pinkie turned back to Sugar, awaiting the answer to her question. Not surprisingly, however, the unicorn looked a little on edge knowing that Rainbow Dash might barge back out at any moment. Sugar tried her best to compose herself, looking Pinkie in the eye and attempting to find the right words to explain her heinous actions.

Sugar took a deep breath. "To answer your question, the reason I did all those things is because I like you."

Pinkie was confused by that response. "That doesn't seem like the sort of thing you do to somepony you like."

Sugar turned her eyes down in shame. "I know. But from the moment I met you, I could not stop thinking about you. Your enthusiasm is just so adorable."

Given everything that was on her mind, Pinkie didn't really acknowledge the compliment. "But if you liked me that way, then why didn't you just say so?"

"I made so many gestures to let you know I was interested. Did you not recognize any of them?"

Pinkie pursed her lips as she thought back. "Um, I guess not. Sorry, I just thought they were kind gestures between friends. I'm not really great at reading into things like that."

"And to clarify, it was not my intention to get you drunk. We were just celebrating. I did not plan things to go the way they did, I just... saw it as an opportunity."

Pinkie was hurt to hear that. "An opportunity?"

"Not like that!" Sugar quickly backpedaled. "I figured, since we were alone, it was a beautiful night, I wanted to see if anything could come of that." She sighed remorsefully. "But I crossed the line. I wish I could blame it on the alcohol, but I had hardly had any. And I am so terribly sorry."

"But that doesn't really explain why you acted the way you did last week," Pinkie pointed out. "Why did you try to get Rainbow Dash kicked out? And why did you tell my friends that I was an alcoholic?"

Sugar's shame only deepened. "Because I was jealous."

"Jealous?" Pinkie repeated with a tilt of her head.

"Of Rainbow Dash. When I saw you two together, I could not help but think, 'What does she have that I do not?' I thought that if could get rid of her... I could have you to myself." Sugar just felt even worse having to say that.

"But me and Rainbow Dash are just friends. I didn't even know she had feelings for me until after your fight," Pinkie explained.

"Ya, I know that now. I acted irrationally. I am sorry. Actually, perhaps I should thank Rainbow Dash. After she attacked me, I started to realize the horrible mistakes I had made. And that is why I am asking for your forgiveness now."

Pinkie looked away from her. "I-I don't know if can forgive you. I want to. I really want to, but I can't just forget about the stuff that happened. Every time I look into your eyes, I just remember that night and how traumatic it was for me."

"Please," Sugar begged. "I do not think I could live with myself knowing that you hated me. I just want your forgiveness. I will understand it if do not want me around anymore."

Pinkie closed her eyes in contemplation and hummed as she deliberated. "Hmm..." She let out a sigh. "I still don't know." Pinkie turned around and opened the door to her apartment, surprising the three mares standing behind it who've suddenly been caught listening in. "What do you guys think?"

Having been caught off guard, Candy, Puff, and Rainbow Dash struggled for a response. Candy was first to speak.

"Um, well, admittedly, her apology does sound genuine. But I guess she could just be a good actor. Honestly, I can't quite figure out if she's really sorry, or just sorry she got called out on her mistakes."

"If you ask me, it's not unheard of for people to do the wrong thing but think vhat they're doing is right," Puff argued. "I think vee've all known somepony like that at some point in our lives." She looked at Candy when she said that.

Candy could tell she was referring to the way she had treated Ginger Snap in the past, and conceded the point. "Yeah, I suppose so."

"What about you, Rainbow Dash?" Pinkie asked.

Dash pointed to herself. "What? Me? I think you know full well how I feel about this," she said with glare in Sugar's direction.

"Please," Sugar pleaded with Rainbow Dash. "I did not mean anything that I did. I was not myself. I will do anything to earn your forgiveness as well, Rainbow Dash."

Dash stared at the unicorn skeptically.

"Come on, Dash," Candy said. "I think she's actually really sorry about everything."

Dash was hesitant to admit anything. Maybe she wasn't the greatest judge of character, but Sugar did look absolutely heartbroken by the prospect of not being forgiven. Rainbow Dash sighed reluctantly. "I guess... we do have similar taste in mares."

Pinkie Pie finally managed a smile. "Does that mean...?"

Dash's expression became stern. "But I'm keeping my eye on you," she said, pointing to Sugar. "You try anything with my best friend and you have to answer to me."

"I promise there will be no more funny business," Sugar assured with a relieved grin.

Pinkie breathed a deep sigh of relief. "I guess if Dashie can forgive you, so can I." Pinkie gave Sugar a light hug. She surprised herself that she was so quick to do that. She had thought that any sort of affectionate interaction with the unicorn would dredge up those awful memories again, but she was relieved to find that that wasn't the case. This mare was her friend again first and foremost. Any bad memories would have to fall by the wayside.

"I'm just glad I don't have to cross a name off my friends list," Pinkie said as she pulled back from the hug. "I know they say there's a first time for everything, but I think I'll be better off if I never have to do that ever."

"So would you like to hang out for a while?" Candy offered Sugar. "Puff and I were just practicing a recipe for the Cake-Off."

"I would like to see that," Sugar accepted with a nod.

"Oh! Speaking of which..." Pinkie chirped. She ran off to the bedroom and quickly returned with a stack of blank papers and sat on the couch. "Gwen tasked me with making a few recipes of my own so we can test 'em out, so I better get crack-a-lackin'."

Puff gave Pinkie an incredulous look. "So she actually agreed to let you help?"

"Well, I offered to make the recipes, and she's gonna look 'em over."

Rainbow Dash sat next to Pinkie. "I don't know, Pinkie. Kinda sounds like she's just trying to keep you busy while she does all the work."

Pinkie scoffed at Dash's theory. "Pfft. As if. We're a team, and we're gonna work as a team, whether she likes it or not."

Dash rolled her eyes at Pinkie's naïve optimism. "Whatever you say, Pinkie. Anyway, do you have something in mind?"

Pinkie tapped her chin in thought. "Hmm... No, not really. I know I want this cake to be the biggest and most awesome-est cake I've ever made, but I haven't really worked out the specifics just yet. What I need is inspiration."

"And do you think you'll get that?"

The earth pony shrugged. "Dunno, but I'm sure it'll come to me. Always does," she said with a sure grin.

Rainbow Dash got up from the couch. "Well, this looks like the kinda thing you really need to focus on, so I guess I'll leave you to it."

Pinkie nodded gratefully. It's not that she didn't want Rainbow Dash around, or that she thought she'd be a distraction, she just appreciated that her best friend wanted to give her the space she needed. Pinkie knew that if she wanted to blow away all expectations, she was going to have to pull out all the stops.

Leaving Pinkie to her work, Rainbow Dash headed to the kitchen, where the other three mares were. The pegasus took a seat at the table. There were still a few cookies that Puff and Candy had made earlier still sitting on a plate there, so she helped herself to one. She didn't really want to interrupt them; they were just as busy as Pinkie was. Dash was content just observing.

Sugar Cookie, however, had gotten a little more involved. She was standing at the counter with them, chatting, asking questions, and occasionally fetching something they needed from the pantry for them.

The pegasus took another bite of her cookie. A part of her still felt like Sugar didn't belong here, that she should still be as far away from Pinkie as she could get. She felt justified in thinking that. After all, they had only just made up. Rainbow Dash knew better than anypony at this point that you don't just get over feelings that strong right away. It was going to take some time before she was really able to call the unicorn a friend, especially considering she was the only one in the room that hadn't been friends with her prior.

Still, Dash couldn't shake the feeling that Sugar's motives for apologizing to Pinkie were entirely self-serving. This mare had similar feelings for the pink pony that she did. She couldn't really consider her a romantic rival as Pinkie wasn't interested in dating either of them, and even if she was, Dash would be the front runner, bar none. But that didn't stop the pegasus from worrying that Sugar might one day try something again since she obviously still had feelings for Pinkie, not to mention her jealousy.

Maybe it was best if she try and lay these concerns to rest sooner rather than later.

"Hey, Sugar."

The crimson unicorn turned to face the pegasus with a quizzical look. "Ya?"

"Can we talk for minute?" Dash gestured to another chair at the table.

Sugar glanced back at the other two mares still busy with their work. Saying nothing, they both made gestures of their own suggesting that she listen to Dash. Considering how strained their relationship had been up until this point, it was probably a good idea to sit down and actually talk to Rainbow Dash for the first time. "Sure." Sugar took a seat next to Rainbow Dash. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I wanna talk about you and all the stuff you've put us through," she stated frankly.

"Uh, should we give you two some privacy?" Candy inquired, sensing the tension in the kitchen.

Dash shook her head. "Nah, it's cool. We're just talking."

Somehow that made Sugar's muscles relax a bit. Admittedly, she was a little concerned that the cyan mare was going to chew her out about the things she's done and the way she'd acted. Hopefully this conversation could remain civil.

Rainbow Dash looked Sugar straight in the eye. "Listen, I'm not gonna sugarcoat this. You did a lot of crappy things. After all that, I find it hard to believe that you'd just change like that."

Sugar nodded, breaking eye contact with the pegasus. "That is... understandable. As I said to Pinkie, your aggression towards me—for lack of a better term—is what helped me realize how crumby I have been acting."

"Right. I guess I should apologize for that, huh?"

Sugar shook her head. "No, there is no need for that. You were protecting your friend. Had I been in your position, I probably would have done the same."

Dash raised an eyebrow. "Really? You would've jumped me and tried to hurt me?"

The unicorn chuckled lightly. "I did not try, I succeeded."

"Oh, right," Dash said as she raised her hoof to her cheek in realization.

"So, really, I should be apologizing to you. Hopefully you understand that I was simply defending myself."

Rainbow Dash waved her hoof dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, I get that. I guess I had it coming."

"But I would like to reiterate that I want to thank you for opening my eyes. Had it not been for you, I would still be holed up in my room and harboring an unwarranted grudge against you."

"Well, I'm gonna say sorry anyway," Dash said. "If I didn't, Pinkie'd probably make me anyway."

"I'm just glad we can put all of this behind us," Sugar said with a soft grin.

"I wouldn't go that far."

Sugar's smile vanished. "I-I thought that was what this talk was about."

"This talk was about the stuff you did," Dash reminded her. "Pinkie might be willing to forgive you, but I haven't seen you do anything to earn that other than spout apologies and excuses. Like Pinkie, I want to forgive you, for her sake, but after what you did, how exactly do we know we can trust you?"

Sugar shied away for a moment. "I suppose you do not. But that is what I want to do: earn your trust. Anything I could possibly do to truly earn your trust and forgiveness, I will do it."

Dash was still a mite skeptical. "I don't know. I still can't help but think you have an ulterior motive here."

"Can I interject?" Candy chimed in as she mixed more cake batter.

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

"We've known Sugar a lot longer than you, Dash, and we noticed it when she started acting differently. The Sugar that you've been exposed to isn't the same pony we knew when we first arrived here."

Sugar smiled at Candy's support, happy that at least one pony was willing to step in to defend her.

Candy continued. "Granted, I can't help but think her attraction to Pinkie may have been the main reason she wanted to be friends with us. That'd explain a lot, now that I think about it."

Sugar looked a little ashamed. "As much as I would hate to admit it, you may be right. I have always had a thing for party girls. Although, Pinkie is not exactly the typical definition of a party girl. Even so, I still enjoyed spending time with you all. I do treasure your friendships. And now that I know Pinkie is not interested, I do not have to vie for her affection. It would be unfair of me to put that sort of pressure on her, knowing that somepony had feelings for her but she could not reciprocate."

Candy grinned coyly. "Hear that, Dash? It would be unfair to put that sort of pressure on Pinkie."

Dash shot a glance toward Candy. How had this conversation turned against her all of a sudden? Regardless, both Candy and Sugar had a point. Rainbow Dash looked out into the living room. Pinkie Pie was busily scrawling notes and sketches on paper, seemingly having paid no attention to the conversation happening just a few feet away. Dash sighed internally. She had been so concerned about how her feelings for Pinkie affected herself, she hadn't even considered how Pinkie must feel. Even though she insisted that she was okay with it and managed to keep up appearances, maybe she was only putting up a tough front for Dash's sake. Perhaps she was just as confused and uncomfortable as Dash was.

"Okay, I get it," the pegasus said with a sigh. She looked Sugar in the eye again. "Maybe my first impression of you wasn't great."

"That's understating it a tad," Puff said.

"I guess it's only fair to give you a chance to show me the real you."

"I greatly appreciate that," Sugar said with a grateful smile.

"You guys done making up now?" Pinkie called out from the living room.

Rainbow Dash was a little surprised by Pinkie's interjection. "Oh, I didn't know you were listening."

Pinkie turned around, leaning over the back of the couch. "Course I was. You think I'm gonna tune out when my friends are trying to reconcile? As if. That being said, your conversation was kinda distracting." She held up one of the papers she had been scribbling on. Instead of measurements and cake designs, the sheet had a rather childish drawing of what appeared to be Sugar and Rainbow Dash with big, goofy smiles and sharing a hug.

"Hey, now that the air's been cleared, maybe we should all go out for a while. You know, do something fun," Candy suggested. "I think it's high time that Rainbow Dash and Sugar actually got to know one another. I mean, we've got a whole month to practice for the Cake-Off. There's no need to spend every waking hour working on it."

"That sounds like fun," Sugar approved. "But no night clubs. I have learned my lesson."

"How's laser tag sound?" Rainbow Dash suggested. "Me and Pinkie found a place a few months ago."

"Um, that might be a little more high octane than I'd like," said Puff. "I don't think I'm really built for activity like that."

"How about we just walk around until we find something that interests us?" Sugar proposed.

"I guess that gives you two plenty of time to chat," Candy added.

Dash nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good." She turned in Pinkie Pie's direction. "What do you think, Pinks? You up for a night out?"

Pinkie shook her head with a respectful grin. "As much as I'd like to, I really wanna come up with a recipe that'll knock Gwen's socks off. Oh, but while you're out, can you pick up a pair of socks so I can give 'em to Gwen to make sure she has some to knock off?"

Rainbow Dash got off her chair and the four mares made their way to the door. "Sure thing, Pinkie. But I'm not sure when we'll be back."

"That's fine. Take all the time you need and have lotsa fun!"

Candy made sure all of the appliances in the kitchen were off and all dirty dishes were in the sink. "Alright. See you later, Pinkie," Candy bid her as she joined the group as they stepped out.

"Bye bye!"

Now that she was alone, Pinkie could finally devote all of her attention to her work. She straightened up, cracked her neck, and rolled her shoulders as she prepared to get right into it.

"Come on, brain, let's see what we can do."

***** ***** *****

Pinkie Pie ran a hoof through her frazzled mane, letting out a somewhat frustrated groan. The apartment was bathed in the dull glow of a lamp that had been brought out from the bedroom and placed on the coffee table. The light, as limited as it may be, was necessary as the incandescent light of the sun was no longer being provided. Why she didn't just turn on the light switch by the door was anypony's guess. Regardless, it had gotten pretty late. It was quite dark outside now, although the city was still adequately lit up by streetlamps, not to mention the soft glow of the white moon. But those didn't provide enough light on their own.

Pinkie Pie threw her head back, leaning into the couch and stretching her back. She'd been hunched over the coffee table scribbling on her papers for what felt like hours now. She glanced up at the clock on the wall, her eyes widening a bit. Apparently it had been hours; it was almost midnight. She stared back down at the papers, most of them either crumpled up into a ball and tossed aside, or completely blank. Here she was, toiling away to come up with a cake idea for the Cake-Off, but had yet to figure out even one recipe. Normally, she didn't have any problem coming up with recipes. It was always about making something that fit the circumstances. But what sort of design would be appropriate for The Great Cake-Off? The theme was, well, cake. What was she supposed to do, bake a cake... cake? How would that work?

The exhausted earth pony let out a long yawn. How could she be so tired when she hadn't even managed to get anything done? Maybe it was just as well to give it a rest for the night. Perhaps she was just having an off day. Maybe she would have a dream that gave her some idea of what to do.

Pinkie took one more look at the clock to make sure she wasn't seeing things the first time. It was still midnight. She found it a little strange that her friends had not yet returned, or perhaps she was just so involved in her work that she didn't notice them come back. Probably not, she told herself. They were probably just having so much fun out there that they'd simply lost track of time. She managed a small, tired smile at the thought of her friends enjoying themselves and each others company, especially Rainbow Dash and Sugar. She was just so happy that they managed to work things out. Now she didn't have to feel uncomfortable every time she looked at Sugar. Unfortunately, she was missing out on Dash's reconciliation with her. A part of her wished that she'd gone with them, and seeing how she'd gotten nothing done tonight, now she would have felt justified in that choice had she made it. She was just wasting her time here when she could be out having fun with her best friend, the friend whose life she helped saved, the friend whose relationship with her mother she helped repair, and the friend who apologized for her past transgressions.

"Huh. We've been through a lot, haven't we?" Pinkie noted to herself.

Pinkie's eyes widened suddenly. A spark went off in her mind, as if a puzzle she'd been trying to solve suddenly had all of its pieces fall into place.

"That's it!"

She shot up in her seat, grabbed her pencil and paper, and began frantically writing and drawing with an expression of sheer determination.

With each thing she wrote down, she nodded as if to agree with herself. "Yup, that's looking good," she said to herself, trying to hold back her growing excitement as everything started coming together on the paper. "Why didn't I think of this until now?"

She couldn't believe it had taken her this long to get the inspiration she needed. She almost wanted to drop the pencil and start baking right now, but she remembered that this wasn't just her cake, it was Gwenivere's, too.

"Oh, right! Can't forget Gwen!" She flipped over her pencil to erase something and readjust some ingredient measurements to accommodate her realization.

She was scribbling up a storm. The graphite of her pencil was practically smoking from how quickly this was piecing together. She'd never been this excited about a recipe before. This idea could very well be her magnum opus, the greatest cake she's ever made.

After several more minutes of making notes and adding extra little details here and there, Pinkie finally leaned back to take a breather. She lifted the paper and thoroughly analyzed it, her smile growing wider with each passing second. She nodded at her work.

"Ya-huh. This'll do nicely," she said with satisfaction. She let out a giddy squeak, holding the recipe tightly to her chest. "Hehe! I can't wait to show Gwen!"

Pinkie's ears perked up. She heard the sound of a door opening out in the hall. At first, she thought that it might be her friends coming back, but the sound of steps getting closer to her dorm was coming from the opposite direction from the stairwell. In fact, whoever it was must have been heading for the stairs as they walked right past Pinkie's place. The earth pony got up to see who it was. She opened the door and peeked out towards the stairwell. Unfortunately, the individual had just disappeared behind the stairway door. However, Pinkie did manage to get a brief glimpse of a slender tail with a tuft of black fur on the end.

Pinkie Pie raised an eyebrow quizzically. "Gwen? What's she doing out this late?" She glanced down at the paper she was still holding, a smile suddenly stretching across her face. "Oh! This might be a good opportunity to share my idea!"

With that idea in her head, Pinkie started off after Gwen. She needed to catch up so she didn't lose track of her.

***** ***** *****

Gwenivere carefully worked her way down the near-pitch black hallway of the university. It was difficult to see, but she knew exactly where her destination was; she'd been there almost every day since she had arrived at the school. Once she found the door she was looking for, she placed her claw upon the knob. However, she paused and looked over her shoulder. She was admittedly a little paranoid, but that was only because she knew that what she was doing was risky. She just had to get it done quickly.

Gwenivere opened the door and quickly slipped inside, closing the door behind her. She pulled off the bags she had slung over her back and removed a small, portable lamp, placing it on a table in the middle of the room and turning it on. What little light it provided managed to illuminate the ovens and workstations of the class kitchen, still as pristine as they had left it after they had cleaned up after classes today. Gwenivere thought it'd be too risky to turn on the kitchen's light switch; it may cast too much light underneath the door, and anyone who passed by—however unlikely that was at this hour—would catch her.

The griffon let out a sigh and ran her talons through the red and black dyed feathers of her bangs. She knew she needed to work fast, but at the same time, this wasn't something she could rush. She may very well be there for most of the night.

Gwenivere pulled out everything she needed: baking pans, bowls, whisks, rubber spatulas, etcetera. She picked up her lamp and brought it with her to the kitchen's pantry. She had brought some of the things she'd need with her, but there was no way she could lug everything she needed from her dorm down to the class kitchen. Thankfully, the kitchen pantry was always stocked enough for an entire class of students to work with, so there was little doubt she'd have everything she needed. But then there was the issue of her father discovering that some of their baking supplies were missing. She just had to hope he figured that someone had forgotten to restock it.

Having gotten all of her ingredients together, Gwenivere went back to her bags, pulling out a silver thermos. She unscrewed the cap, letting the strong aroma of dark coffee waft up into the room; if she was going to be here all night, she was going to have to stay awake. She took a quick sip, satisfied that the thermos had done its job of keeping it piping hot, just the way she liked it.

Coffee wasn't the only thing she brought with her either. Gwenivere also removed a small, plastic container holding at least a dozen bacon strips. She figured she'd probably want something to snack on as the night went on. Honestly, this was a bit of a luxury for her now. Her roommate wasn't too comfortable with her eating meat in her presence and as pleasant as the smell of sizzling bacon was to the griffon, Candy found it quite off-putting. Gwenivere located a frying pan and placed it on one of the stove tops, letting it heat up as she placed a few strips into it. It had been a while since she'd had a chance to bite into a crispy piece of fried meat. She was looking forward to this.

Next, Gwenivere removed several sheets of paper from her bags. She looked them over, isolating one of them and laying the rest on the counter top. She may as well get to work while she was waiting for her snack to cook. She took another sip of her coffee.

"Gwen?"

The voice, accompanied by the kitchen lights switching on, caused the griffon to immediately spray the coffee in her mouth all over the stove top, inadvertently getting some in the pan and on her bacon. That was less concerning, however, than having been caught red-clawed. Gwenivere swiveled around to face the person who had busted her, seeing the quizzical expression of her Cake-Off partner standing at the door.

Gwenivere clutched her chest, breathing a deep sigh. "Oh, it's just you," she groaned in aggravation. In a way, she was thankful to see Pinkie for once. Not that she wanted to see her, but out of all the people who could have caught her, Pinkie was the one least likely to rat her out. Still though, she was getting a little tired of just how many times Pinkie had crept up on her and scared the feathers off of her in the last year. "What are you doing 'ere?" Gwenivere asked with a scowl, grabbing a roll of paper towels to clean the coffee off of the stove.

"I think I should be asking you that," Pinkie countered. The earth pony took note of all the ingredients and utensils Gwenivere had prepared. "Are you baking? Gwen, you know we're not allowed to use this kitchen after class hours. It's against the rules."

Gwenivere rolled her eyes, dropping a ball of coffee-soaked paper towels in a nearby trash can. "I am well aware. I simply needed more space to work wiz my recipes. One oven can only do so much."

"And so can one griffon," Pinkie argued. "It would go a lot more smoothly if you just let me help."

Gwenivere groaned loudly, running her claw over her face in annoyance. She stomped up to Pinkie Pie, prodding her in the chest. "When are you going to get zis zrough your zick skull: I. Do not. Need. Your 'elp. I am zee daughter of zee great Gustave le Grand. I am perfectly capable of winning zis competition on my own merits."

"And what would the great Gustave le Grand think if he knew you were breaking the rules like this?"

The griffon narrowed her eyes. "Are you zreatening to tattle on me?"

Pinkie gulped worriedly. She didn't really want to do anything to make Gwenivere dislike her more than she already did, and telling on her certainly wouldn't help that. "Um, no?"

"'No'? Wiz a question mark?"

"How about, uh..." An idea struck Pinkie. Maybe it was a little risky, but some risks were worth taking. "How about this: if you let me help, I'll keep my lips zipped." She punctuated the offer by making a zipping motion across her mouth.

Gwenivere mulled that over for a moment. She breathed a defeated sigh. As much as she would hate to admit it, Pinkie had her backed into a corner. She couldn't really afford to say no now. "I suppose... I 'ave no choice. Mais, may I ask you a question?"

Pinkie raised a cautious eyebrow. "Um, I guess?"

"Why do you insist on 'elping me? I am willingly taking on all of zee responsabilité for zis competition. You do not 'ave to do anyzing. You can just sit back and win wiz no effort."

Pinkie's expression became serious, a face that Gwenivere didn't see on her often. "There's a few reasons actually. For one, you said it yourself that your dad changed the rules of the Cake-Off to make us work together. He knows how much I want to be friends with you, and he clearly wants you to accept my friendship."

Gwenivere was about to interject, but Pinkie continued before she could.

"Secondly, you've proven that giant cakes aren't exactly your forté, but I have tons of experience with big pastries. Literally tons. But I feel like you have a flair for design, so I figured with your designs and my expertise, we could make something awesome."

Once again, Gwenivere attempted to step in to correct a few things, but, once again, Pinkie kept going.

"And finally, I didn't come to Steeden to not bake. I came here to learn and make stuff I never could have made before. I love baking. It's fun, it's stress-relieving, it's tasty, and I don't want to miss out on something as big as the Cake-Off. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Gwenivere opened her mouth to talk, but, yet again, she couldn't get a word in edgewise.

"Look, I know what you're like, Gwen. I know this all has to do with your pride and making your dad proud, but I think what would make your dad proud is for you to make a friend for once instead of competing with everyone. What's so bad about making a friend?"

Gwenivere drew back, biting her lip. Pinkie had a point. She knew that. It was the whole reason they were being forced to work together. If her dad found out that she made Pinkie sit on the bench while she did all the work herself, would he really be proud of her? Gwenivere looked Pinkie in the eye. Her silence indicated that her last question was not rhetorical. She was waiting for an answer. Gwenivere stayed quiet for a moment longer, trying to think of what to say.

"Did... Did you come up wiz any recipes?"

A smile creased Pinkie's lips. It wasn't exactly an acknowledgement that Gwenivere had been acting like a jerk, but it was a start. "I sure did." Pinkie pulled a piece of paper out of her poofy mane, straightened out the wrinkles, and showed it to the griffon. "It's only the one, and I don't expect you to choose this one over any of yours. I just wanna feel like I contributed something. I still wanna try out some of your recipes though. Those cakes you drew look delicious. Honestly, I'm just happy that your letting me—FIRE!"

Pinkie's hoof shot out, pointing over Gwenivere's shoulder in panic. The griffon spun around toward the stove. The frying pan her bacon had been cooking in was engulfed in flame. The roll of paper towels she had used to clean up her coffee had fallen over onto the pan and caught fire, allowing the grease in the pan to go up with it.

"W-Whadda we do?!" Pinkie panicked, trotting in place nervously.

"Stay calm. We just need to find a way to put it out."

"Got it!"

Apparently, Pinkie Pie had somehow already managed to fill a bowl with water and prepared to douse the flames.

Gwenivere's eyes shot wide open. "Wait! Pinkie zat's—!"

Before Gwenivere could finish, Pinkie had already tossed the water. The instant the liquid made contact with the pan, the flames, instead of dying out with a loud sizzle, burst upward with a roaring whoosh, the orange fire now glowing a dull red and reaching even higher than before.

"That's bad!" Pinkie screamed in terror.

"It's a grease fire! Water only makes it worse!" Gwenivere snapped. However, given the situation they were in, she had no time to scold Pinkie. They needed to act fast. "Quickly, extincteur d'incendie!"

Pinkie simply stared blankly at her.

"Zee fire extinguisher, you dolt!" she reiterated, pointing to the red canister on the wall behind the pony.

"Oh, right!" Pinkie dashed over, picked up the fire extinguisher, and proceeded to toss it into the fire with a loud clank. Gwenivere could only stare in utter disbelief at Pinkie's complete ineptitude. "Whoops. Sorry. I panicked."

The flames only continued to billow and burn, dark smoke rising to the ceiling. The fire had already grown too big to attempt to do anything with the pan itself, and if they didn't do something fast, the flames would only wind up spreading. Gwenivere looked around frantically, searching for anything that she could use. Her eyes eventually fell upon the switch for the fire alarm on the wall. She surprised even herself when she hesitated. She knew that if she pulled it, it would basically be an admission that she had broken the rules and used the kitchen after class hours. However, the alternative of letting the fire burn was ultimately a worse scenario. Gwenivere scrambled to the switch and pulled it. The entire university was immediately assaulted by the loud blaring of the fire alarm, no doubt waking everyone from their slumbers.

"Pinkie Pie! We need to leave! Now!" Gwenivere made for the door, but stopped when she realized the pony hadn't moved. Pinkie just stood there, staring at the blaze like a deer in the headlights. "What are you doing?! Rapidement!" But the earth pony didn't budge.

Gwenivere dashed back and forcefully grabbed Pinkie Pie by the hoof, dragging her out of the kitchen herself. All they could do now was get to safety and hope for the best.

Comments

[Crimson Dawn]

Whoops...

[Crimson Dawn]

Lots of different plot threads going on right now. Pinkie has managed to get herself into complicated situations. Hopefully she and Dashie wil l figure things out.