The Steeden University of Culinary Arts

by Dee Pad

Chapter 17 - Well Done

The Steeden University of Culinary Arts
By Dee Pad
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Chapter 17: Well Done

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Rainbow Dash stared out the window with her face leaning against her hoof. Her eyes gazed, half-lidded, toward the horizon, or at least they would have had the mountains not shown up to get in the way about fifteen minutes ago. With the cloudy overcast blotting out the bright blue sky, it all made for a pretty drab view; there wasn't even any grass or trees, just rocks and more rocks. The pegasus let out a sigh, the only sound that was made aside from the clickety-clack of the train wheels against the iron tracks.

She was bored out of her mind.

It had been a little over two months since she and Pinkie Pie had returned from Steeden. All things considered, life had gotten back to normal, as if they'd never even left. Pinkie had told everypony all of the stories of her little venture, and in turn, they shared all of the interesting things that had happened since she'd left, so there wasn't really much left to talk about in regards to that. Even Rainbow Dash's crush on Pinkie didn't seem like a big deal to her anymore, although she got a bit a teasing from her friends when they found out, not that she hadn't been expecting that. Still, as much as she enjoyed hanging out with her best friend and being there to support her during such an important time in her life, she was happy to be home again.

Dash tore her face away from the window, letting her head fall back against her cushioned seat; she couldn't bear to stare at that colorless backdrop any longer. As fun as their time in Steeden was, that didn't stop her from being bored now. Hopefully the trip wouldn't be too much longer. Pinkie had gone back to her parents' farm for her monthly weekend visit and Dash was on her way to pick her up now that the weekend was over. Oddly, the weather was rather beautiful when she had left Ponyville. Was the landscape around the Pie Rock Farm always this... grey? It was hard to believe that this is where Pinkie Pie was born and raised.

As close as they were, Rainbow Dash had never been to Pinkie's home before. She had never even met Pinkie's family, save for her older sister Maud. Pinkie talked about them every now and then, but Maud wasn't anything like she had described her, so Dash had no idea what to expect from the rest of Pinkie's family.

Of course, Pinkie wasn't actually expecting her. She'd never needed somepony to pick her up before, but given the circumstances, this time was an exception. That thought was the only thing right now that managed to make the pegasus smile on an otherwise dull and dreary morning. It would have been much quicker if she could just fly there, but getting Pinkie back would have posed an issue.

Thankfully, from what she could see out the train window, it looked like they had almost arrived at their destination; "they" referring to herself and the conductor, as nopony else aside from Pinkie Pie would have a reason to take a train all the way out here. When she heard the sound of the wheels screeching against the tracks and felt the steady decrease in speed, Dash stood up, ready to disembark. At least there was no crowd to hold her up; she should be able to get Pinkie and be back at the station in time to catch a ride back to Ponyville.

The train's whistle blew as the locomotive came to a halt, letting out a loud hiss of steam. The conductor showed up in Dash's cabin to open the door and allow her to disembark, offering her a friendly tip of his hat as she exited.

Rainbow Dash stepped out onto the train platform, which, oddly, was not built out of wood like most stations, but rather comprised completely of solid, chiseled rock, like something built by cave ponies millions of years ago. Ignoring that, she was finally given a clear view of the Pie Family Rock Farm not far from the station. It pretty much consisted of just three noteworthy structures: the two-story farmhouse where the family lived; a windpump, likely the source of the house's water; and a very tall silo, although the "farm" didn't appear to have any fields of crops, so Dash couldn't really think of what they kept inside it. Her best guess was simply rocks, or perhaps gemstones. Aside from those, another noteworthy fixture was a boulder that resembled an enormous egg and was perched near the edge of a small quarry. With only a small, wooden fence between it and the quarry, not to mention that the stone "egg" was balanced precariously on it's end, it looked like an accident waiting to happen.

As Rainbow Dash approached the property, she spotted somepony walking up out of the quarry dragging a wooden cart full of rocks and pink gemstones. It was Maud, clearly recognizable by her straight mane, dull blue frock, and complete lack of any discernible facial expression. Out of the six ponies who were currently on the farm, it was a little relieving to the pegasus that the first face she ran into was a familiar one.

Rainbow Dash called out to Maud, waving her hoof to get her attention. "Hey, Maud!"

The stoic earth pony glanced in Dash's direction. Had it been anypony else, they might have been surprised to see the cyan pegasus, but given that this was Maud, that was up for debate. "Oh. Rainbow Dash. Good to see you," she greeted in the monotonous tone Rainbow Dash had come to associate with her. "Pinkie didn't mention that you were coming to visit."

"That's because she doesn't know either," Dash explained. "But I know she's supposed to be coming back to Ponyville today, so I just figured I'd meet her halfway. You know, give her some company for the train ride home."

"That's very thoughtful of you. But I'd expect nothing less from you."

The way she'd said that—as flat as her voice may have been—sounded strange to Rainbow Dash, but it didn't take long for her to decipher what she meant. Breathing a quiet groan, Dash inferred her meaning. "I guess Pinkie told you about that, huh?"

Maud nodded. "Of course. Pinkie tells us everything about her friends, especially you. She refers to you as her 'bestie.'"

"Well, don't worry. I'm not putting the moves on your little sister."

"Hm. Too bad."

Dash quirked an eyebrow, staring at Maud in confusion.

"I think you two would be good together, but Pinkie's not homosexual, so I guess it doesn't matter."

Rainbow Dash was, admittedly, a little surprised to hear that. "Oh. Uh, well, thanks... I guess. So where is Pinkie anyway? The house?" Dash guessed, pointing to the cozy farmhouse.

Maud nodded. But before Dash could start making her way there, Maud spoke to her again. "I just want to say, if my sister ever does reciprocate your feelings, I hope you will not take her for granite."

The pegasus paused for a moment, slightly puzzled. "Uh, don't you mean 'take her for granted?'"

"No. It's a joke."

Dash blinked. "A... joke."

"Yes. I was thinking about working something like that into my comedy routine. Do you get it? Because granite is a type of rock, and we live on a—"

"On a rock farm, yeah, I get it." Rainbow Dash, not wanting to upset the poor mare who was clearly trying her hardest, forced a smile. "That's, uh... That's funny." Dash backed away towards the farmhouse, still grinning awkwardly as she attempted to remove herself from the conversation.

Maud called out once more. "If you want to get Pinkie a present, it doesn't really matter what it is. She'll appreciate the sediment."

Hopefully, Maud was too far away by now to hear the exaggerated, pained groan.

Rainbow Dash trotted up to the front door, giving it a firm knock. She waited patiently for a few moments before the door finally opened. Honestly, she had been hoping that Pinkie would answer the door if only because she wanted to see the look on her face when she saw that she had an unexpected visitor. Admittedly, though, it probably wouldn't be as surprising as having your friend show up when you're in another country altogether.

Instead of Pinkie, or even Pinkie's parents, another mare opened the door, one she didn't quite recognize. She had a blue-grey coat with a light grey mane. But more interestingly was her lime green eyes that seemed to pierce like sharp stones. The way she was staring at Dash, looking her up and down as if she was trying to figure out what she was looking at, came off as annoyed and kind of judgmental, which was only made more evident when she spoke.

"What?" the mare said in a gruff voice.

Whatever this mare's problem was—if indeed she had a problem—it really wasn't any of Dash's concern; she had other business to attend to.

"Uh, is Pinkie around?" the pegasus asked, peering over the mare's shoulder to see if the mare in question might be within sight.

The mare seemed like she was reluctant to answer, still staring at Dash with those judgmental eyes. "Just a sec," was all she said before going back into the house and heading for the stairs.

Meanwhile, on the second floor of the house, Pinkie Pie was busy helping her younger sister Marble clean their shared bedroom. The two sisters threw a freshly-cleaned bed sheet over the mattress, each of them taking two corners and tucking them under.

"I mean, it was fun and everything, but if I ever went back, I don't think it'd be the same," Pinkie said to Marble, recounting her thoughts on her trip to Steeden. "You can't just recreate something like that. It wouldn't be as fun the second time around. Or maybe it would. I dunno. Either way, I don't need a diploma or anything; I'm a pretty good baker without it. It's not like diploma's are items that give you a plus five to your cooking stat, right?"

Marble brushed her long, dark grey mane aside slightly, responding only with a smile and a quiet, "Mm-hm."

Pinkie suddenly hopped up onto the bed, leaning in close to Marble's face and causing the shy mare to take an uncomfortable step back.

"What I did I did for the sake of someone else, even though I had to lie. But you would've done the same thing I did, wouldn't you, Sis?"

Marble opened her mouth to answer, but their conversation was interrupted when the bedroom door opened and their older sister walked in.

Pinkie grinned, completely ignorant of the somewhat annoyed expression on the other mare's face as she usually was. "Hey, Limestone. Change your mind about helpin' us out up here?"

"You got a visitor," Limestone said tersely.

Pinkie straightened up, surprised by this news. "A visitor? Who is it?"

Limestone shrugged. "A friend of yours I guess."

"Yeah, that narrows it down," Pinkie deadpanned. "Which one?"

"The one with the ugly, rainbow hair."

The pink pony gasped in glee. "Rainbow Dash?!"

Without waiting another moment, Pinkie took off, brushing past Limestone and hurrying down the stairs. As she reached the bottom of the staircase, her excitement got the better of her and she hopped down the last few steps, causing her to lose her footing and tumble comically into the foyer, coming to a stop near the front door with her face down on the wooden floor.

Rainbow Dash stared down at the prone pony with a quirked eyebrow. Before she had a chance to ask if she was okay, Pinkie pulled her face up from the floor with a big, toothy grin.

"Dashie!" Pinkie leapt up and gave Rainbow Dash a hug.

Dash returned her hug with an amused smile and a pat on the back. "Hey, Pinkie."

"What brings you all the way out to our neck of the woods?" Pinkie inquired, happy to see Rainbow Dash regardless of what her answer may be.

"I just thought I'd come by to give you some company on your way back to Ponyville. You are coming home today, right?"

"Aww, that's so sweet. Yeah, I'm coming home today, I just wanted to help my sisters clean up before I left since Mom and Dad and Maud are all busy in the quarry."

"So you ready to go now, or should I just hang out for a bit?"

Pinkie tapped her chin. "Um, I'm not sure." She turned around, seeing Limestone and Marble coming down the stairs. "Hey, Limestone, is there anything else you girls need help with? Dashie wants to take me back to Ponyville, so is it alright if I head off?"

Marble thought for a moment before replying with a soft smile and a quiet, "Mm-hm."

"If you wanna leave, go ahead. We're not stopping you," Limestone said apathetically as she headed toward the kitchen.

Pinkie suddenly realized that she had made a grave error, giving herself a firm tap on the forehead. "Oh! I'm such a ninny! I forgot to introduce you to my sisters, Dashie!"

"Thaaaaat's not really necessary," Rainbow Dash assured.

"Don't be silly," Pinkie insisted, slipping behind Dash and pushing her inside until she was face to face with the bashful Marble. She then intercepted Limestone on her way to the kitchen, redirecting her back to the foyer, much to the older sister's chagrin.

Pinkie placed her hooves around her sisters' shoulders, pulling them in close to present them to Rainbow Dash. "Dashie, these are my sisters, Marble Pie and Limestone Pie. And this..." Pinkie hopped over to Dash. "...is my best-est best friend, Rainbow Dash."

Limestone let out an annoyed groan. "Nice to meet you," she muttered halfheartedly with a roll of her eyes.

"Mm-hm," agreed Marble with a friendly smile and a nod, managing to sound more genuine than her abrasive sister.

"Uh, yeah, nice to meet you, too," Dash said, almost sounding as halfhearted as Limestone.

"If you're done, can you just go already?" Limestone said, the annoyance in her tone rising. "I've got work to do."

Pinkie was about to just do as her sister said, but she turned to Rainbow Dash, then back to Limestone as she once again headed for the kitchen. Pinkie gasped as another realization hit her. "Wait! Limestone!"

"What now?!" the aggravated Pie sister snapped.

Pinkie didn't bat an eye at her sister's frustration, instead continuing to grin obliviously. "Limestone, you're into mares, right? Like, in a..." She bounced her eyebrows up and down suggestively. "...sort of way?"

Rainbow Dash immediately saw what Pinkie was trying to do, and she needed to put a stop to it. "Pinkie!" But her angry plea was ignored.

Limestone raised an eyebrow in suspicion at her sister's inquiry. "Yeeeeah... What of it?" she asked cautiously.

Pinkie shuffled back to Rainbow Dash, oblivious to the pegasus's aggravated groan. "Weeeell, so is Rainbow Dash. I know I told you girls that she's got a little crush on me, but since I don't swing that way and I feel bad for her, I wanted to try and set her up with somepony else. And who better than my own sister? So? You interested?" She grinned widely, hoping her pleading smile would help sway her sister's decision.

Oddly, there was a brief look of interest in Limestone's eyes. The grey mare turned to face Dash fully, taking a moment to look the pegasus up and down carefully. It was quite evident that Rainbow Dash herself was against this, her face lacking any discernible amusement. After a short silence, Limestone smirked, snickering a little. "Heh heh. You're kidding, right? That's a good one." And with that, she went on her way, laughing to herself as she disappeared into the kitchen.

Rainbow Dash lifted her head slightly, tilting it in confusion. She looked to Pinkie for an explanation. "What'd she mean by that?"

With her question answered, Pinkie ushered Dash to the door, eager to be on her way back to Ponyville. "Well, can't say we didn't try. Guess we should get going now. Bye, Marble. See you soon."

Marble smiled and waved goodbye as her sister closed the door behind her.

"No, seriously, what's her deal?" Rainbow Dash insisted angrily as they started toward the train station.

"I thought you weren't interested," Pinkie said with a coy smirk.

"I'm not, it's just... What, am I not good enough for her or something? I'm Rainbow freaking Dash. I'm one hundred percent pure, concentrated awesome."

"No argument here," Pinkie agreed. "Maybe you're just not her type."

"Perhaps you should buy her diamonds," Maud chimed in, having overheard their conversation as she headed back to the quarry. "I hear they're the best way to get a girl into bedrock."

Pinkie burst out into laughter. "Ha! Good one, Maud!"

"Thank you."

Rainbow Dash scoffed, waving her hoof dismissively. "Whatever. It's her loss."

"That's the spirit," Pinkie encouraged. "Don't let one little rejection get you down."

"I mean, it's not like I wanted go out with her anyway," Dash continued to defend herself unnecessarily. "She's not my type either." The pegasus thought silently for a moment. "Although... that other sister of yours, Marble... She's pretty cute." Dash felt Pinkie's hoof flick her ear sharply. "Ow!"

"No," Pinkie denied with a stern, reprimanding tone. "She's not for you."

"What? But you just tried to set me up with one of your sisters."

"With my older sister. Marble's my little sister, and it's a big sister's job to protect her little sister."

"Protect her from what? You don't trust me?"

"Of course I trust you, but an older sibling isn't supposed to approve of anypony dating their younger sister. Nopony will ever be good enough for my baby sister."

Rainbow Dash stared bemusedly as she rubbed her ear. "Been hanging out with Rarity lately?"

"I don't make the rules. That's just how it is."

The conversation having run its course, the two friends soon arrived at the train station with time to spare. The conductor had looped around the tracks in order to turn the train around in the meantime, so they were all set to head off to Ponyville. The kind conductor ushered the two mares onto the train, guiding them to one of the empty passenger cars—although they were all empty, so it didn't really matter which one they chose. Pinkie and Rainbow Dash picked a couple of seats, sitting across from one another. Within a few minutes, they heard the train whistle blow, and shortly after that the locomotive began to move.

The first few minutes of the ride were strangely quiet. Rainbow Dash more than expected Pinkie to strike up another conversation to pass the time, but the perky pony seemed content to simply stare out the window and watch the scenery pass by as she hummed happily to herself. Dash couldn't imagine what she found so interesting about the view, but this was her home; maybe, despite the lack of color, it was comforting for her. An odd thought, considering who it was.

If they were going to just sit in silence for the whole trip, now seemed like a good time to take a nap. Rainbow Dash laid down on her seat, rolled over onto her back, placed her front hooves behind her head, and crossed her hind legs. It wasn't as cushy as a cloud, but it would do for this relatively short trip.

"So I guess you missed me, huh?"

Dash had only barely closed her eyes when the silence in the passenger car was broken by Pinkie's sudden question. It was like she was waiting for her to get comfortable before speaking. But the pegasus didn't get up, only opening her eyes again to look at Pinkie.

"What?"

"You missed me," Pinkie repeated. "That's the only reason I can think of for why you'd come all the way out here to 'pick me up,' even though I was coming back today anyway. You just couldn't wait to see me, huh?"

Dash suppressed a slightly annoyed groan. Despite how Pinkie had been repeatedly trying to convince Rainbow Dash that she'll get over her feelings towards her, she had really started making a habit of teasing her about. Whether that was on purpose or not was unclear, though. Either way, Pinkie seemed to be enjoying it despite her own sexual preferences.

"Well, not exactly," Rainbow Dash answered. "I mean, yeah, I missed you, but it's not like you're on the other side of the ocean this time. If I wanted to, I could come visit you anytime you're off with your family."

Pinkie tilted her head in confusion. "Then why don't you?"

"Hm?" Dash wasn't really expecting that sort of reaction. Had she hurt her feelings? "Uh... Well, I guess it's because it's your family bonding time, or whatever it is you do while you're out here. I don't wanna be a third wheel—er, seventh... wheel... Whatever. You know what I mean. I don't wanna get in the way."

"Who said you'd be in the way? I'd love for you to get to know my family, and all my other friends, too, for that matter. Besides, that didn't stop you from coming out here today, did it?"

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened slightly, and she gulped nervously.

"You must've had some reason to come see me today. What's up?"

A small bead of sweat formed on Dash's forehead and she sat upright, fabricating a smile. "What? I need a specific reason to see my best friend? I just wanted to be nice and give you some company for the trip home. There's nothing suspicious about that!" Dash spouted defensively, the volume of her voice unnecessarily high.

Pinkie slowly raised an eyebrow at her friend's odd behavior. It wasn't often that Rainbow Dash would just lose her cool like that out of nowhere. Something was up...

"Okaaaay..." Pinkie muttered, still suspicious, but willing to give Dash the benefit of the doubt if only to prevent the train ride home from becoming awkward.

"Look, if it makes you feel any better, I'll come visit your family more often. I'll even see if any of the others'll come with me. How's that sound?"

Pinkie's suspicion quickly lifted, replaced by a pleased grin. She liked the sound of that. "Okey doke. That sounds like fun. I'll be sure to tell 'em that they might have to expect company next time I go home."

With that, the conversation wound down. Rainbow Dash didn't want to risk saying anything else she might regret, so she tried to get back to her nap, with some amount of success this time around. It was nice to be able to rest her eyes for a bit considering she had to wake up early that morning to catch the train, but the trip was really too short to actually doze off. It didn't really help that Pinkie was pretty fidgety, rocking back and forth in her seat and whistling and humming mindlessly. Plus, Dash herself was looking forward to getting back to Ponyville as well, and she was getting a little impatient admittedly.

Before long, the wait was over. The moment Rainbow Dash felt the train begin to slow down, she opened her eyes, sat up, and stretched her legs, ready to disembark. Pinkie hopped up with her as the train came to a gradual stop, and the two exited the train, giving the conductor their regards.

"Well, that was fun," Pinkie commented cheerily. "I guess having company on the trip is more enjoyable."

Dash simply nodded. Had it been anypony else, that comment might have sounded sarcastic or disingenuous. Rainbow Dash was fully aware that it was completely unnecessary for her to meet Pinkie halfway, but given the circumstances, she felt it'd be better this way; she needed to point Pinkie in the right direction after all.

"Guess you're looking forward to getting back to Sugarcube Corner, huh?" Dash said as they began trotting into town.

"Mm-hm," Pinkie responded with a nod. But before the conversation could continue further, Pinkie's stomach let out a loud grumble. "Huh. Kinda hungry, though. It is about lunchtime, right? Wanna stop for a bite to eat with me?"

Rainbow Dash balked. "Uh, I think we should just head to Sugarcube Corner first. You know, let Mr. and Mrs. Cake know you're home. We can get something to eat after."

Pinkie frowned, holding her stomach and whining in an exaggerated fashion. "But I'm hun'gyyyyyyy."

Dash scratched herself behind her ear as she tried to think of some way to get Pinkie to go along with her. "Look, um... If we just stop off at Sugarcube Corner first... I'll buy you an extra dessert after lunch, okay?"

Pinkie's ears perked up, her eyes widening. "Extra dessert? Yay! You're the best mommy ever!" Pinkie hugged Rainbow Dash like a spoiled brat who had just gotten her way, eliciting a groan, an eye roll, and even a slight blush from the pegasus.

"Please don't call me that."

Pinkie released Rainbow Dash, then bounded a few feet ahead impatiently. "Okay, let's get to Sugarcube Corner, say hi real quick to Mr. and Mrs. Cake—oh, and the twins—and go get some lunch! I'm in the mood for Hayburger!"

Rainbow Dash chuckled at Pinkie's enthusiasm, but was mostly just relieved that she had gotten her to listen. "Sure thing."

"And Hayburger's got the best banana splits on the dessert menu. So guess what I'm getting two of~."

"Yeah, yeah. A promise is a promise."

By now, they had almost made it to Sugarcube Corner anyway; the three glowing candles atop the giant synthetic cupcake that topped the roof almost beckoned to them, like a lighthouse guiding a ship ashore.

When the pair stepped up to the front door, Pinkie placed her hoof on the knob, but stopped abruptly. Rainbow Dash gave her a confused glance, noticing the concentration that had suddenly adorned her face. Pinkie hummed thoughtfully to herself, as if she were trying to figure something out. Her ears swiveled about like radar dishes trying to lock on to a signal. She leaned in to the door, sniffing the doorknob. Rainbow Dash could only stare, bewildered, at Pinkie's odd behavior. She had done some weird things in the time that Rainbow Dash had known her, but this is not something she's ever seen Pinkie do.

"What, uh... What are you doing?" Dash asked curiously.

Pinkie turned to the pegasus, her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed in suspicion. "Pinkie Sense."

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, though with slight worry. "Pinkie Sense?"

Pinkie nodded seriously. "I wasn't sure at first, but I'm pretty sure I'm picking something up."

Rainbow Dash took a cautious step back from the door.

"No, no, not the door," Pinkie corrected. Despite that, she stared at the door anyway. "It's something else. I know I've felt this before, but only once. I wasn't even sure if it was my Pinkie Sense back then, but now that I'm feeling it again..." Pinkie's eyes widened and she turned to Rainbow Dash. The pegasus gulped. "It's a party, isn't it?"

Dash's jaw dropped. How could she have figured that out by just smelling the doorknob? "U-Uh... Um..."

Pinkie smiled a little. "It is a party. I knew it!" Her smile suddenly vanished and her ears folded back. "Oh, but now I've ruined the surprise. I'm sorry. Darn my Pinkie Sense! It is a curse as much as it is a blessing!"

Dash sighed quietly. The cat was out of the bag now. Even if she lied and said there was no party, the moment they opened that door, she'd find out anyway. No point in continuing the ruse. "Yeah, okay, you got us. We were planning a party for you. In case you haven't figured it out yet, that's why I went to pick you up at your parents' place."

"And why you were acting so weird on the train."

"That too. But seriously, how'd you know it was a party?"

"I didn't at first, but like I said, I've had this feeling once before. I didn't know I had a warning for when my friends were gonna throw me a party. Probably because I'm the one who usually throws the parties, even when they're for me."

"But I thought ear flops meant somepony was gonna need a bath."

"Huh? Oh, no, that was just me scanning for potential danger. This particular Pinkie Sense was more of a... feeling... I guess. But I'm still really sorry that I spoiled the surprise. And after my friends went to all the effort of planning this for me, too..."

Dash could see how disappointed Pinkie was now that she had robbed herself of the surprise. But as her best friend, she wasn't about to let Pinkie beat herself up about it. Besides, she said she knew there was a party; she didn't say anything about the party's purpose. "Hey, who cares if there's no surprise left," Rainbow Dash said with a reassuring grin, placing a hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. "A party's a party, right? Just because you know about it doesn't mean we can't still have some fun."

Pinkie looked back up at her best friend with a tiny smile of her own. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She stood up straight, the spring returning to her step. "And I can still act surprised if you want. Watch!" Pinkie gasped in an exaggerated fashion, her face contorting in an odd way and freezing like that for several seconds.

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "That's okay, Pinkie. Don't worry about it."

Pinkie placed her hoof on the doorknob, readying herself mentally. "Okay. Party time!"

Pinkie Pie burst through the door excitedly, sliding a few feet across the hardwood floor with a loud screech from her hooves and a giant grin on her face. Just as expected, Sugarcube Corner was decorated with balloons and streamers, and tables with various assorted snacks and drinks had been laid out for the surprise party. All of Pinkie's friends were gathered there as well: Twilight; Rarity; Applejack; Fluttershy; Mr. and Mrs. Cake and the twins; and, of course, Gummy. Even Princess Celestia had shown up. But before any of them could shout "Surprise," the pink pony gasped loudly, just as she had demonstrated to Rainbow Dash a few moments prior.

"Omigosh! A surprise party?! For me?! You shouldn't have!"

Her friends were slightly caught off guard by her premature reaction, glancing around at one another in confusion. Applejack cast an annoyed glare at Rainbow Dash.

"You spilled the beans, didn't you?"

Dash rubbed the back of her head, her face red with embarrassment. "Heh heh... Well, not really, but she kinda... figured it out at the last second because of her Pinkie Sense."

Pinkie had already begun her assault on the snack tables, packing cookies and brownies into her mouth like a chipmunk. Twilight approached Rainbow Dash, shaking her head with an amused smile.

"It doesn't matter. Besides, I doubt she knows about the real surprise," Twilight said, making sure to speak loudly enough so that Pinkie would hear.

The gluttonous mare's ears perked up, her head snapping towards Twilight with stuffed cheeks. "Hm?"

"Alright, come on out, everypony!" Twilight called out.

Everypony's attention was directed to the doorway to the bakery's kitchen, and after a few moments, three more mares walked into the room. Three very familiar mares that Pinkie hadn't seen in nearly two months.

Pinkie's eyes went wide and she nearly choked on all the food in her mouth. "Candy! Puff! Sugar! Oh muh gosh!" She swallowed her mouthful in a single gulp, leaving her cheeks free enough to smile as wide as her face would allow, then tackled her three friends to the ground and picking them up in an ecstatic hug.

"Uh, good to see you, too, Pinkie," Candy managed to gasp from within Pinkie's crushing embrace.

The party pony finally released them, but her smile hadn't shrunk in the slightest. "What are you guys doing here?!"

"Vee're just keeping our promise," Puff answered with a grin.

"We did say we would come visit you after graduation," added Sugar.

Mr. Cake trotted up next to Pinkie. "Your friends here gave us a heads up that they were coming. Of course, we were more than happy to help set up this little surprise."

"We've actually known they were coming for a few weeks now," Fluttershy explained. "It was awfully difficult to keep that a secret from you."

"Course, we never told Dash about it 'til yesterday," Applejack said with a chuckle. "Probably a good choice on our part."

"Hey, I told you it wasn't my fault she found out!" Rainbow Dash argued defensively. "It was her dang Pinkie Sense! How am I supposed to fool that?"

Pinkie paid little attention to the minor argument, choosing instead to focus on her former classmates. "So?" she inquired, bouncing up and down excitedly. "How'd it go? You all graduated, right?"

Candy nodded with a proud grin. "Yup. We've all got our diplomas."

Pinkie clapped her hooves gleefully. "Eeeee! I'm so happy for you guys! Congrats!"

Sugar giggled gratefully. "Thank you."

"Oh! And how was the Cake-Off? Was it fun?"

"It was a blast!" Candy laughed. "Honestly, I just feel so bad that you couldn't be there for it."

"So who won?" Rainbow Dash inquired curiously.

Candy placed a hoof on Puff's shoulder, eliciting a bashful blush from the pig-tailed pony. "Our Germane friend here."

Pinkie gasped with a giant grin. "Really?! That's awesome! Congrats, Puff!" She paused, pursing her lips curiously as she glanced between Puff and Candy. "Wait, weren't you supposed to be in teams? How could Puff win on her own?"

"Oh, Gustave only put that rule in place to force you and Gwen to work together," Candy explained. "After you got expelled, he just did away with that rule. We could still work together if we wanted, but, admittedly, we wanted to try competing with each other." She gave Puff a congratulatory smile. "And she whupped my tush."

"It helps that I had a good roommate to learn from," Puff said modestly.

Pinkie waved her hoof dismissively. "Oh, pish. I'm sure it was all you, girl."

"Regardless, everypony's cakes were absolutely delectable," Princess Celestia said. "And they were all so unique. I had such a difficult time deciding a winner."

"Well, I think Puff definitely deserves the win," Pinkie commented. "Although, I will admit that I thought Gwen would probably win, even if she doesn't have a lot of experience with giant cakes. She's one talented little birdie."

"And perhaps she would be willing to explain why," said Sugar.

"I'm a little busy at zee moment."

Pinkie's ears stood at attention, looking past her friends to the kitchen door where the familiar, Prench voice had come from. Pinkie grinned from ear to ear. "She's here, too?! Gwen! Get out here!" she bellowed excitedly.

An audible groan came from the kitchen, but after a moment, the griffon emerged. Oddly, her white feathers and even some of her black fur were stained with flour and frosting. But right now, that was the least of Pinkie's concerns. Gwenivere braced herself and inhaled a quick breath as the exuberant mare grabbed her and hugged her tightly.

"I was starting to worry that you weren't gonna come," Pinkie exclaimed, tightening her grip.

"We... We are friends now," Gwenivere wheezed. "And after what you did for me, I suppose I owe you."

Pinkie released the griffon, looking around the room quickly in panic before pulling Gwenivere into a private huddle and whispering to her. "Shh! They don't know about that. I never told them that I lied. Do you wanna get busted?"

"Zere is no need to keep secrets anymore, Mademoiselle Pie."

Pinkie glanced up from her huddle. Standing directly in front of her was Gustave le Grand, also caked with flour and frosting just like his daughter. "Gustave? Geez, how many people you guys hiding back there? Uh, wait, what did you say just now?"

Gwenivere shied away guiltily, rubbing one of her forelegs. "Je suis désolé, Pinkie Pie."

"Huh?"

"Gwenivere came clean, I'm afraid," Gustave explained. "Apparently she was so wracked wiz guilt zat she felt zee need to tell me 'ow you honorably took zee fall in 'er stead."

Pinkie's ears flattened against her head, looking at Gwenivere as though she had been betrayed. "Gwen, what did you do that for? I was trying to help you."

"I know, but I could not allow myself to go zrough wiz it. I did not deserve it."

"In light of zis information, we 'ad no choice but to expel Gwenivere," Gustave informed Pinkie.

Pinkie Pie was aghast at this news. "What?! No!"

"Pinkie Pie." The shame had left Gwenivere's voice, replaced by her pride and assurance, grabbing Pinkie's full attention. "I greatly appreciate what you are willing to do for my sake, but it is not necessary." Pinkie was about to retort, but Gwenivere raised her claw to cut her off. "I 'ave zee opportunity and zee resources to attend zee university again, and I will. I will complete zee course no matter what. You do not 'ave zat luxury, which is why I am so grateful to 'ave you as ma amie. Zis was a great sacrifice pour vous, and I intend to zank you for it." She turned to her father, only nodding to him.

Gustave, understanding the signal, returned to the kitchen. Pinkie waited curiously, staring at the entryway to the kitchen for what felt like eternity. After a minute or so, everypony heard the sound of wheels rolling across the tiled floor, and then Gustave reemerged from the kitchen.

But it was what he had brought with him that caused Pinkie's eyes to widen in wonder and her jaw to drop nearly to the floor.

Gustave pushed a trolley out to the shop's lobby, struggling to keep it moving due to the heavy load upon it. That heavy load was an enormous, five-tiered cake, towering almost all the way to the ceiling. But it wasn't the size that was eye-catching, but the design. Each tier of the cake—all of them elevated by plastic, pink columns, making the whole thing look like a miniature, edible castle—was completely different; it was practically five different cakes stacked atop one another.

The bottom and largest tier, somehow supporting the entirety of the rest of the cake above it, was a fluffy chiffon cake slathered with pink and white whipped cream, perfectly shaped in diagonal stripes around the cakes perimeter, making it look like a giant, peppermint candy. Uniquely, there were even some green-and-white striped candy canes sticking up from the top of that tier, angled so that they crossed in pairs. It looked as though the entire thing would taste fresh and minty.

The second tier up appeared to be a cremeschnitte, filled with tasty custard and whipped cream. Even more whipped cream decorated the circumference of the tier like fluffy, white ribbons. The standout feature of this tier, however, was the half-donuts positioned all along the edge like a fence of glazed goodness and giving it a look that was vaguely similar to the cake that Pinkie and Gustave once collaborated on. It looked extremely fattening, but also irresistibly sweet and flavorful. No doubt the texture was heavenly as well, the custard alone looking very soft and smooth.

It took no time to identify the middle tier as a red velvet cake, the layers inside as bright as a rose. The perfectly white roux covering was sprinkled with bright purple sugar crystals, sparkling in the light like gemstones. Like the two tiers below it, the top of the red velvet cake was decorated quite uniquely, with heart-shaped cookies sticking upright in the roux, each cookie having it's own pink frosting on it as well. It gave everypony toothaches just looking at it, but there was no way any of them would pass up a slice of that; it looked far too sweet not to have some.

The fourth and second-to-last tier was a dark, rich black forest cake, the deep red cherry filling practically oozing from between the dark chocolate layers. The top of this cake was covered in vanilla icing and topped with even more cherries, freshly picked from the look of them. If that weren't enough, it appeared to have thin slivers of shaved dark chocolate sticking out from its edge, carefully cut and shaped so that they resembled dark brown feathers. It looked as though it might just take off if it weren't pinned down by the top and final tier.

Speaking of which, the top tier, although the smallest of the five, was perhaps the most outstanding piece in the whole cake. It practically glowed with all the colors of the rainbow. It was obviously baked with rainbow essence, but was not in chaotic, uncontrolled swirls. Rather, great care was put into ensuring that the colors were stacked neatly atop one another, from red at the top, to violet at the bottom. Such a process must have been beyond tedious and only possible for the most skilled of pastry chefs. The whole tier looked like an edible embodiment of the sky, with the rainbow cake itself topped with bright blue icing and large dollops of whipped cream that resembled fluffy clouds.

To top everything else off—quite literally, in fact—floating up from the top of the cake, practically brushing against the ceiling, were three balloons; two powder blue, and one bright yellow.

Pinkie Pie lifted her hooves to her mouth, unable to express the emotions running through her and doing her hardest to fight back tears. "T-That's my cake..." she murmured quietly as she stared in disbelief. "B-But... I don't... How?"

"It was zee only recipe zat survived zee fire," Gwenivere explained with a soft smile. "I zought it may be my last chance to win Zee Great Cake-Off. But it was zis very recipe zat made me realize zat..." Once again, she turned away, feeling ashamed. "...I did not deserve to win. Zee guilt I felt as I stared at zis recipe was far too great. I 'ad no choice but to do zee right zing. You said it yourself, Pinkie, zat I value ma fierté, and it was ma fierté—my pride—zat told me zat I could not, in all good conscience, allow you to take zee blame for my mistake."

Pinkie Pie was speechless. How could she be mad at Gwenivere for wasting her last chance after that?

"'Owever, zis did mean I would not be entering zee Cake-Off as I 'ad wished, but such is zee price I pay."

"A shame as well," Celestia commented. "It's such a beautiful cake. Truly a representation of you and what you treasure most, Pinkie Pie."

Gustave grimaced slightly at the princess's comment. "Per'aps if you perceive it in a metaphorical sense. Personally, I zink it is an eyesore."

"Then I suppose it's a good thing you weren't judging the competition," Celestia joked. "Additionally, was your entry into the National Dessert Competition not a similar amalgamation, as well as a collaboration with the very mare who designed this cake?"

The question simply elicited a huffy, dismissive grunt from the griffon.

"As I said, I was planning to enter zis gâteau in zee competition, mais I zought it would be—for lack of a better term—disrespectful not to do somezing wiz zis recipe," Gwenivere admitted. "So consider it a show of ma remerciements—my gratitude."

Pinkie Pie sniffled, wiping a tear from her eye with a shaky smile. "Aww, Gwen, stop. You're gonna make me cry."

Expecting what was next, Gwenivere opened her forelegs with a reluctant sigh, and Pinkie gave the griffon a hug, though much less bone-crushing than she had anticipated.

"Chef le Grand," Celestia said, addressing Gustave. "I believe you also had something to give Pinkie Pie, didn't you?"

The mustachioed griffon nodded, then tapped Pinkie on the shoulder, interrupting her hug with his daughter. "Mademoiselle Pie, in light of zee circumstances, I and the zee rest of zee staff at Zee Steeden University of Culinary Arts 'ave agreed zat your expulsion from zee school may 'ave been unjust."

"Does that mean you're going to let her take the course again?" Candy asked.

Gustave shook his head. "Unfortunately, zere are complicated raisons why we cannot do zat. 'Owever, we 'ave come to what I believe to be a much more pratique et méritant solution."

Gustave removed his chef's hat, reached inside, removed a rolled up piece of paper tied with a red ribbon, and presented it to Pinkie Pie. Pinkie could only stare in disbelief, having a strong feeling of what exactly it was.

"Considering zat you were wrongly punished, 'ow close you were to graduation, and 'ow skilled a baker you truly are, it seemed only fair zat we present to you zat which you 'ave most certainly earned."

Slightly in shock, Pinkie reached out with a shaky hoof, taking the piece of paper, untying it and unfurling it. Just as she expected, but no less unbelievable, it was a decorated piece of parchment with her name written on it in large print signifying her graduation from The Steeden University of Culinary Arts: her diploma.

Pinkie looked up at Gustave with no end to the disbelief in her eyes. "Really?"

With a proud grin, Gustave nodded. "Oui, zis is real. If you so choose, you may accept zis diploma as physical proof of your status as a world-class pastry chef. Mais I feel I 'ave come to know you quite well over zee past year. I 'ave a suspicion zat you, personally, may not feel you 'ave earned zis, which is why I offer you zee choice of accepting it, if you so please."

Pinkie let out a sigh, though she smiled through it. "I guess you do know me pretty well, huh?" She rolled the diploma up again, retied it, and passed it back to Gustave. Everypony else was shocked to see her do that, but the griffon continued smiling, having expected as much. "Maybe I did earn this, but at the same time, I didn't get to take part in the Cake-Off, so I don't feel like I got the full experience of the course. But who knows? Maybe one day I'll save up enough money to take the course all over again. Spend some more time in Steeden; learn even more and create some new recipes; maybe even make some new friends. For now, though, I think I can live without it."

The sound of a single pair of clapping hooves could be heard. Princess Celestia was happily applauding Pinkie Pie, not only on her achievement, but also her choice. It didn't take long for the rest of Pinkie's friends to join in on the congratulations.

Pinkie blushed bashfully and giggled. "Oh, you guys. Stop it, you're embarrassing me."

Gwenivere placed a claw on Pinkie's shoulder, offering a congratulatory smile. "Pinkie Pie, you are truly a bigger person zan I. I do not zink I could turn done such an offer."

"Speaking of you, Gwen, what are planning to do now?" Pinkie asked curiously. "I know how important graduating was to you."

Gwenivere waved Pinkie's concern off dismissively. "You need not worry about moi. I plan to re-enroll next year and truly earn mon diplôme. Until zen, I will be traveling zee world wiz Papa to 'one my skills in many different countries. I will ensure zat my success is unparalleled."

"Well then, good luck. I'm sure you'll do great," Pinkie assured her.

Gwenivere straightened up confidently. "As if zere is any doubt."

Rainbow Dash stepped forward impatiently. "Yeah, yeah, this is all really heartwarming and inspiring and junk, but there's a giant cake sitting right there, just waiting to be eaten."

"Yes, I must agree that I've found my eyes glancing towards it for quite some time now," Celestia admitted.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Twilight said. She produced a cake knife from thin air with her magic and offered it to Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie, will you do the honors?"

Pinkie gladly took the knife, turning towards the towering temptation. "You bet! Buuuuut, I think I might need some help."

Pinkie gestured for Candy, Puff, Sugar, Gwenivere, and Rainbow Dash to join her as she readied the knife over the bottom tier of the cake. With proud smiles, her five friends placed their hooves—and claw—on Pinkie's, and the six of them slid the knife down into the cake together, cutting out the first slice. Gwenivere was the one who took up a plate, laid the slice upon it, and respectfully offered it to Pinkie Pie.

"No matter how things turned out, we're all proud of you, Pinkie Pie," Twilight assured her with a grin.

Applejack nodded in agreement. "Sure are. An' Ah can't wait to learn about some o' them recipes you cooked up. Havin' a world-class pastry chef helpin' out next family reunion'll be somethin' ta brag about."

"I must admit, I'm quite jealous," Rarity added. "Getting to spend a year in Steeden with good friends and good food. Oh my, it sounds simply heavenly. We should all go together some time in the future."

"I'm just glad everything turned out okay," Fluttershy said. "After Rainbow Dash took off, and now that scary business with the fire, who knows what horrible things could have happened? But I'm relieved that everypony turned out happy in the end."

"And even if you don't have a diploma, you're still the best pastry chef we could ask for," said Mrs. Cake.

Mr. Cake nodded. "Yup. Sugarcube Corner's always been a better place with you around, Pinkie."

"I feel I must ask once more: are you certain zat you will not accept your diploma?" Gustave repeated. "You 'ave truly earned it, and just 'aving it will open an entire world of opportunities pour vous."

Pinkie bit her lip as she reconsidered the offer. "It would look pretty cool hanging on the wall. You know, with a nice frame, right above my bed. That'd be sweeeeeet." Gustave was prepared to hand her the diploma once more, but Pinkie shook her head. "But I can't. It just wouldn't feel right. Besides, I can't imagine working anywhere but here." She swung a hoof around gesturing to the building they were in. "This is where I wanna be, with my friends..." She reached down with her free hoof to pick up the small alligator on the floor, nuzzling him lovingly. "...and my family. This is my home."

Gustave put the diploma away again. "I can respect zat."

Rainbow Dash proudly tousled Pinkie's mane, the pink mare putting her hoof over her best friend's shoulder.

Gwenivere held out a fork to Pinkie Pie, who let Gummy climb onto her head and nestle into her poofy mane. Pinkie took the fork with a smile, and Gwenivere smiled back.

"'Ear's to friends."

Pinkie quickly cut out five more slices of cake, giving one to each of them before raising her fork into the air in celebration.

"To great friends, new and old!"

With that, there was a round of enthusiastic cheers, and Pinkie and her friends partook in the cake that their friendship made, celebrating her accomplishment and especially the great memories they had all forged together, memories that none of them would soon forget.

The End

Comments

[Crimson Dawn]

I really enjoyed the story. I was kind of surprised that the story is over but even so I really liked it.

I am still really sad that Dash and Pinkie never did get together but I guess you can't win them all.

I kept thinking that Piinkie was going to give it a shot with folks like Maud's conversation that just kept bringing it up.

[HiddenMaster]

I have to say, getting to this final chapter, after Pinkie's adventure and time at the university...it feels good. There's a general light hearted and heartwarming cheerful but oh so Pinkie tone throughout all of this that is positively infectious, and I found myself smiling throughout most of the story. The one or two darker moments were handled surprisingly well, and were well integrated into the overall atmosphere and tone of the story. Additionally, every one of your OC's were fun to read about, and the plots associated with them all worked out nicely.

Overall, I'd say this is one of the better Pinkie centric stories I've had the pleasure of reading on this site, and I wouldn't mind going through it all over again.

The one exception here is that I feel you let Rainbow Dash get away with far too much in this story. I don't have an issue with most of the stuff she did, which I've listed in more detail in previous comments, but include near suicidal treks across the ocean, ignoring everyone of her friends and assuming Pinkie is doing something fundamentally against her personality with little to no logical basis, ignoring logic, jumping to conclusions, being detrimental to Pinkie's stay at the university, likely breaking international laws (no, I'm not dropping that), among others. All of these acts were on their own very much in character. My problem is that fundamentally none of these come back to bite her, at least not really. Sure, she gets lightly scolded and is finally noticed by the faculty, but she suffers no repercussions for being immature and flat out not thinking anything really through.

I've harped on this long enough, but it is irritating that she never really learns much of a lesson. If she was ever arrested, had friends pound how badly this really could have ended, or something a bit more serious, this would be an entirely different matter. But, it is what it is.

Outside of this matter, this was a wonderful, light hearted adventure that I enjoyed whole heartedly frankly wish more people would read.

[Dee Pad]

7276329
Well, thank you very much. I'm happy you enjoyed it.

Now that you mention it, I probably could have done a better job of having Rainbow Dash punished for her actions and learn a lesson from all this, but what's done is done, I suppose. I don't think I'll ever bother to go back and rewrite anything anyway; I'd much rather focus on current and upcoming projects. Regardless, I'll keep your comments in mind for future works.

[DualKitsune]

Wonderful!

[Dee Pad]

7839541
Really? Well, it must be a coincidence since I've never seen Legally Blonde.

[redmar]

This was pretty nice story but I agree with the points HiddenMaster made about this story and further I didn't like the whole Rainbow is lesbian stuff or the fact that Pinkie got expelled at the end. That's all just my opinion and I still upvoted it, so a good story.