The Steeden University of Culinary Arts

by Dee Pad

Chapter 4 - A Dish Best Served Cold

The Steeden University of Culinary Arts
By Dee Pad
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Chapter 4: A Dish Best Served Cold

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As the sun beamed in through the large living room windows of the university apartment, the tranquility of the early morning found itself restricted to the outdoors as, within the dormitory, the large—and perhaps excessively loud—television had forced all silence from the room. Not to mention the pink earth pony happily giggling at early morning cartoons as she munched away on her breakfast.

After a little over a month in Steeden, this had become routine for Pinkie Pie. Wake up; fix up some coffee; make breakfast; watch cartoons; brush teeth; shower; visit Candy; go to class. Considering her love of all things spontaneous, it came as a surprise to Pinkie's roommate how organized she could be. The explanation Puff Pastry got when she asked Pinkie about it was simply a want to get all the necessary stuff out of the way so she could get to doing... well, everything else. After all, she was in a foreign country; she wanted as much time to take it all in as she could, as well as spend time with her new friends. She was only going to be there for a year, she needed to make the most of it.

The question also eventually came up as to what would happen after the year was up, with Puff noting that it was unlikely that they would still be able to see each other when all was said and done, going their separate ways or back to their home countries. Pinkie, admittedly, was a little disheartened to think about it, but remained optimistic that they would stay in touch, just as how she was still writing letters to her friends back home while she was gone.

As the pair of earth ponies continued eating their breakfasts on the couch, Puff took notice of the picture on the other mare's coffee mug: a photo of Pinkie Pie with five other multi-colored mares and what appeared to be a baby dragon. "So those are your friends?" she asked, rekindling the conversation.

Pinkie peered at the photo and grinned, then passed the mug to Puff so she could get a better look at it. "Yup. That's what's waitin' for me back home."

Puff narrowed her eyes at the photo, noticing something now that she could look at it more closely. "Is that... Princess Twilight Sparkle?"

"Uh-huh. But I guess that picture's a little outdated; it was taken before she got her wings. Hmm. Maybe when I get back I should get a new mug with an updated photo."

Puff was amazed that somepony like Pinkie Pie would be acquainted with royalty. "You're actually friends vith Princess Twilight?"

"Yeah. Fun fact: I was the first person she met when she moved to Ponyville, which made me her first friend there."

Still a touch flabbergasted, Puff decided to focus her attention on the other four friends in the picture. "It looks like you're all very close."

"Like sisters! Uh, 'cept Spike," Pinkie noted, pointing out the purple dragon. "Cuz he's a boy. So he's more like a brother. Or maybe a nephew? Or cousin? Whatever. If nothing else, he's our favorite little dragon, and that's good enough."

"Can you tell me about them?" Puff asked with curiosity. "I've never had a lot of friends growing up. I don't really know vhat it's like to have a big group of friends to hang out vith."

Pinkie frowned slightly and gave Puff a quick hug. "Aww, that's so sad. But it's okay, because now you do have friends, right?"

Puff smiled sheepishly. "Ya. I suppose I do."

"So anyway," Pinkie continued, pointing back at the mug. "The one wearing the hat is Applejack. She owns a farm where she and her family grow the best apples in Equestria! Seriously, if you ever tasted them, your taste buds would be like, 'Wowza, that's good!' And she's a pretty good baker in her own right. Apple fritters; apple pie; apple turnovers; caramel apples. You name it, if it's got apples in it, she can bake it."

"Vhy didn't she come to Steeden vith you then? Sounds like she could have done vell here."

Pinkie shrugged and waved a hoof. "The farm is a full-time job, even with her brother, her sister, and her granny all helping out. It's her life really. She's not like me; Mr. and Mrs. Cake can take care of Sugarcube Corner without me, but Applejack's farm needs her, and you have to respect that kind of devotion."

Puff simply nodded in silence.

"Anywho, that one there," Pinkie said, pointing out the white unicorn in the group, "is Rarity. She makes fancy dresses and stuff and is probably the most sophisticated and generous pony I know. And that's Fluttershy," she went on, directing Puff's attention to the yellow pegasus. "She's really nice. Kinda quiet and timid, but super kind and helpful when you need her. She's taking care of my little Gummy for me while I'm away."

Puff raised an eyebrow. "Gummy?"

Pinkie nodded and pulled a photo out of her bouncy mane. The picture depicted a small, glassy-eyed alligator. "He's my special, little guy and I wuv 'im and miss 'im so much," Pinkie explained, hugging the photo tightly.

The other mare was taken aback by the picture. "Is that an alligator?! You keep that as a pet?! Isn't that dangerous?"

"What? Naw, Gummy's harmless. He's a toothless alligator. He does like to bite stuff, but that's just his way of saying he's happy. It doesn't hurt or anything."

Puff stared at Pinkie, unsure if she should take her word for it or not. She decided to shake it off and focus on the one remaining pony left to talk about. "Okay, vhat about her?" she asked, pointing to the rainbow-maned pegasus, who was, unsurprisingly, the most intriguing of the bunch—barring the princess, of course.

Pinkie's expression suddenly became a touch more sullen, though somewhat wistful as well, and it was reflected in her tone of voice. "Oh, that's Rainbow Dash," she explained with a soft smile. "She's my best-est best friend in the whole world!"

"Your best friend?"

"Uh-huh. I always felt kinda guilty for calling her my best friend; I didn't want my other friends to think I liked her better than them. But they all said it's okay to have a best friend. They weren't gonna get jealous or anything. Dash is always the first one to show up for one of my parties, and we really like to go around pranking everypony together," Pinkie said with a snicker, recalling many of the hilarious antics they've pulled. At that moment though, her voice became calm again. "Actually, she was the reason I almost didn't come to Steeden."

"Vhy not? Did something happen to her?"

Pinkie shook her head. "No, nothing like that. All of my other friends were really supportive and happy when I told them the news. But Rainbow Dash was pretty upset. Like I said, she's my best-est friend, and I'm her best-est friend. She was really torn up about me leaving for a whole year, and I didn't wanna leave knowing one of my friends didn't want me to."

Puff was hesitant to ask anything further, but took a chance anyway. "Is she mad at you for leaving?"

Pinkie put on a big grin in response. "Nope. We made sure there were no regrets before I left, and partied our patooties off to make the best of the time we had before leaving."

Puff gave a smile back at that news. "That's good then."

"Yup," nodded Pinkie. The pink mare glanced up at the clock on the wall and gasped. "Whoa! Is that the time?! Too much talking! Gotta get cleaned up and go to Candy's before class starts!"

Pinkie jumped up and bolted to the bathroom, dropping her plate and mug in the kitchen sink as she passed. Puff simply shrugged and leisurely followed her to brush her own teeth and get washed up.

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

Gwenivere lay reclined on the couch of her living room, enjoying a good book while her roommate was in the bathroom getting prepared for the day's classes. The griffon's eyes glanced up to the clock frequently. There was a slight smirk on her face that grew ever wider as the hands ticked forward. She had been waiting impatiently all morning, and pretty soon everything was about to fall into place. Just a little bit longer, she told herself.

As if on cue, she could hear a series of hoofsteps trotting down the hall and toward her dorm, just as she was expecting. Her eyes were trained on the partially open door, and she was doing her best not to lose her composure before her expected guest arrived. And with a loud slam, the door flung open.

"Gooooood morn—"

The silence had been broken, and subsequently returned just a few moments later following the sound of a torrent of water splashing to the floor and a bucket landing upon Pinkie Pie's head, effectively silencing the intruder.

Gwenivere's book fell to the floor, shortly followed by the griffon herself as she descended into a fit of laughter at the pink mare's predicament, who stood motionless in the doorway with her hoof extended and the bucket still on her head. Puff stood behind Pinkie in the hallway looking rather shocked and keeping her distance to avoid the water spilling out into the hall. The frantic sound of clambering hooves could be heard dashing into the room, and Candy arrived with a towel wrapped around her wet mane and a panicked expression.

"What the hay was that?!" It wasn't until then that Candy noticed her friend standing there with her new "accessory," and her roommate literally rolling on the floor with laughter. The look of panic and shock was quickly replaced by anger, directed firmly at the griffon. "Gwen, what did you do?"

The griffon barely managed to lift herself from the floor, leaning on the couch for support. Wiping a tear from her eye and fighting back further hysteria. "Ev—heh... Every morning she comes over 'ere to see you before class. She's become so prévisible zat I zought I'd 'ave a little fun. I 'ad to wait until you went to zee toilettes so zat I could set it up. But it was so worz it. Ha ha ha! Look at 'er!" Gwenivere pointed to the soaking wet earth pony—who remained silent and unmoving—and found it difficult to continue without giggling uncontrollably. "Is zat not zee funniest zing you have ever seen? Ha ha! My sides, zey 'urt!"

Candy just let out an aggravated groan and walked over to her friend, removing the bucket. "Honestly, I'm getting real sick of this inexplicable grudge you have with Pinkie Pie. Classes are about to start, and just look at her: soaked and... smiling?"

Sure enough, underneath that bucket, Pinkie Pie was grinning amusedly. Finally the party pony moved, turning to look at Candy.

With utter confusion, Candy asked, "Uh, why are you smiling like that? She just dropped a bucket of water on your head."

"I know! It's so old school!" Pinkie shook the water from herself like a wet dog, splattering it all over the place, but allowing her mane to spring back to it's usual poofiness. She then looked at Gwenivere, whose mirth had been subdued by the fact that Pinkie wasn't upset. "You know, Gwen, I've got a real soft spot for the classics; they're so obvious that nopony ever expects 'em! Why didn't you tell me you were a fellow conny-sir of practical jokes? That's even more reason for us to be friends!"

Gwenivere sat on the couch with a dissatisfied look. "I zink you just answered your own question. Besides, I am not a 'connoisseur' of practical jokes. I simply noticed a pattern, and took advantage of it."

Pinkie Pie happily hopped onto the couch and draped a hoof around Gwenivere's shoulder, much to the griffon's displeasure. "Well, it certainly seems like you have the makings of a fine prankster. Take it from me, I know funny, and that one, while perhaps a tad outdated, was still pretty good."

The other two earth ponies could only stand there in utter bafflement at what they were seeing. Anypony else would have been absolutely livid after something like that.

"You're not mad?" Puff asked Pinkie.

Pinkie Pie waved a hoof dismissively. "Nah. If anything, she gets my respect." In a sudden and unexpected turn, Pinkie grabbed Gwenivere's head and stared into her eyes with complete seriousness. The griffon was admittedly a little frightened by the dramatic shift in the pony's tone. "But you're messing with forces far beyond your comprehension. With every tit comes a tat, and, trust me, you will get your tat." Pinkie Pie slid off the couch and menacingly made her way to the door, her eyes never looking away from Gwenivere's. "You have no idea the wrath you have invoked this day. Sleep with one eye open, little birdie."

Pinkie Pie disappeared from sight, leaving the others in silence and quite unnerved, especially Gwenivere. Puff was the first to speak.

"Vell... that vas... unsettling. Vhat do you suppose she meant?"

"No clue," Candy answered. Her eyes fell to look at the floor around the doorway and the wet hoof prints in the surrounding area. "What I do know is that I am definitely not cleaning that up."

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

Gwenivere turned over in her bed. The dark of night had enveloped her, and sleep had come quickly afterward. However, her consciousness had inexplicably returned to her, though she did not open her eyes in hopes that she might doze off again. What was it about this night that would cause her to be so restless? Something was off, she just couldn't explain what it was. Whatever. It was probably nothing; she'd be back to sleep in a few minutes.

The griffon rolled over onto her right side, pulling her bedsheets tighter to herself in hopes that the added comfort would lull her. But now her eyes were offended by a faint, red glow that managed to permeate her eyelids. Finally, she gave in. Gwenivere's eyes opened slowly. The red glow was coming from the digital clock on the bedside table. It read "3:30 am." She was usually an early bird, but that was obscenely early, even by her standards. As she lay there wondering why sleep eluded her, her eyes couldn't help but glance over to the other bed where her roommate lay. Gwenivere's brow furrowed over her tired eyes. Candy was sleeping just fine. Why should she get a good night's sleep while she herself was doomed to lie awake in the darkness?

Looking at Candy, the sudden thought of the pony's friends came up for some reason, particularly that irksome, pink moron, Pinkie Pie. Gwenivere wanted to grin, the thought of her brilliant prank that morning returning to her, and the state it left the annoying pony in, but was instead bothered by the thought. Not particularly by the prank itself, but what happened afterward. Pinkie Pie had become a completely different person in the blink of an eye. Menacing; unnerving; downright scary even. And if that wasn't enough, all throughout the day she was met with much the same. Pinkie Pie would occasionally look over her shoulder at her during class, that same foreboding glare piercing straight through her. Could it be that she felt guilty? Did Pinkie's reaction trigger a sense of regret within her? No, of course not; it was hilarious. She hadn't laughed so hard in ages. Why would she feel guilty about something so amusing?

Gwenivere shrugged it off. After thinking about it a little, it didn't bother her as much, provided that was what was keeping her up in the first place. She rolled back onto her left side, ready to once again embrace the dream world. However, in place of the red glow of the clock she was met by on the other side of the bed, she was now staring at what appeared to be two blue spheres, barely visible through the curtain of night.

"I told you to sleep with one eye—"

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Gwenivere shot up in horror at the sound of the whispering voice next to her bed, her frightened shriek piercing the darkness and causing Candy to jolt up in shock. The panicked and confused earth pony clumsily fumbled with the lamp on the bedside table, clicking it on and bathing the room in light. With the area now illuminated, she could see her roommate huddled up against the headboard of her bed, her chest heaving with panicked breaths. What she also saw was another pink earth pony standing next to Gwenivere's bed.

"Pinkie Pie?! What the heck are you doing here?!"

"I warned Gwen to sleep with one eye open," she answered nonchalantly. "I came by to see if she listened." Pinkie eyed Gwenivere sternly. "But she didn't."

Candy stared at Pinkie, mouth agape as if the words she was hearing were utter gibberish. "You broke into our apartment for that?! Are you insane?! How did you even get in here?!"

"Lock picking kit. I was saving it in case we ran into a spooky dungeon while we were here, but I already used the key now, soooo..."

Candy's gaze was incredulous. In her sleep addled state she was unable to formulate a retort, so she settled on the only thing that came to mind. "Get out."

"Okie dokie," Pinkie said with a smile as she turned to the door. She then looked back at Gwenivere as she was leaving. "But we still have a score to settle."

The bedroom door closed behind the intrusive pony, and Candy fell back onto her pillow with a weary sigh. Gwenivere remained in the exact same position she had been in the whole time, clutching her chest tightly.

"You okay there, Gwen?"

"I'll let you know when my 'eart starts beating again," she answered between breaths. "Why are you friends wiz zat lunatic?!"

Candy stared up at the ceiling. "I'll have to get back to you on that."

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

"All ready?" Pinkie Pie asked as Puff finished drying her mane.

"Almost." Puff stood in front of the bathroom mirror attempting to tie her hair into her usual pigtails. "You can go on ahead. I'll catch up."

"Right-o." Pinkie performed a quick salute and immediately bounded toward the door to head to Candy's dorm as she did every morning. However, when she opened the door, she was met by the very mare she was off to visit, brow furrowed and looking none too pleased. "Oh, hiya, Candy."

"What the hay, Pinkie?"

Her friend's accusatory tone immediately wiped the smile off Pinkie Pie's face. "Oh, right," she responded with a sharp inhale through clenched teeth. "Was kinda hoping you forgot about that."

"Forgot? It was last night, just a few hours ago! Seriously, what were you thinking?!"

"Vhat's vith the yelling?" Puff asked as she entered the living room.

"Were you aware that your roommate here broke into our bedroom last night?" Candy asked, stepping inside as she did.

Puff gawked at Pinkie Pie. "Vhat?! Vhy?!"

Once again, Candy turned her incensed glare at the culprit. "Yeah, Pinkie: why?"

Pinkie's ears folded back. Candy was certainly doing a good job of making it feel like she was on trial. "Look, I thought about it when I got back to bed, and I realized that it was kinda... weird. I would have went back and apologized last night, but I figured you'd be even madder if I did, so I'm sayin' it now: I'm sorry."

Candy clenched her eyes shut. As unpredictable as Pinkie Pie could be, she could tell she was being sincere. It was kind of hard to be mad at her, especially when she was staring at her with those puppy dog eyes. "I... I just want to know what was going through your head that made you do it."

Pinkie tilted her head, the question seemingly unnecessary. "I told you last night: to check if Gwen was sleeping with one eye open. She wasn't."

Candy pressed a hoof against her forehead in exasperation. "That's not a reason to break into somepony's bedroom. Okay, let me be more specific: why did you tell Gwenivere to sleep with one eye open?"

Pinkie's face straightened out with sheer seriousness. "Because she shot first."

Candy glanced at Puff for a moment. The other pony seemed just as confused by the reply. "You want to try answering that again? This time in a way that actually makes sense?"

Pinkie Pie began pacing around the living room, speaking with the tone and professionalism of a lawyer. "You were both there during the incident. Yesterday morning, one Gwenivere le Grand had, with all intention, placed a bucket of water above the entrance of her dormitory, the result of which would be an unexpected soaking for the first person to enter. A.K.A.: me." Pinkie turned around, positioning her face just centimeters away from Candy's. "By doing so, she unwittingly threw the first punch in what will become, shall we say, her undoing."

A sudden sense of concern and horror came over Candy, both from her friend's words, and the way she said them. "Pinkie... What are planning?"

Pinkie's seriousness was instantly replaced by her usual smile and perkiness. "Oh, you don't have to worry. It's nothing serious. Basically, she pulled a prank on me, so now I have to return the favor."

"You're going to prank her?" Puff inferred. "Hm. After the vay you vere talking yesterday, I vas expecting something more... sinister."

"Hold up," Candy interrupted, a touch of skepticism in her voice. "To what degree are you going to take this exactly?"

Pinkie shrugged. "I got something in mind. You'll see during class today." She received a stern glare from Candy. "It's harmless, promise."

Candy shook her head. "Whatever. Just, whatever you're doing, keep it out of our dorm, and don't get me involved any more than I already am."

Pinkie saluted her friend with a big grin. "You got it."

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

Gustave lifted a spoonful of chocolate pudding to his mouth. Puff watched in anticipation as her teacher evaluated her work. She wasn't nervous, she simply wanted his opinion. Gustave nodded and licked a speck of chocolate from his beak.

"Mmm. Bien. Zis is quite tasty," Gustave affirmed with a congratulatory smile. "Alzough, per'aps it could be a tad thicker."

Puff nodded. "Sure. Thank you, Chef."

"You 'ave natural talent, Puff," the griffon complemented. "I take it you 'ave had much practice over zee years."

Puff looked a touch unsure of herself. "Ya, I suppose. Not as much as vould have liked, though."

Gustave raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And why is zat?"

Puff just shook her head, dismissing the topic. "It's nothing. You don't need to be concerned about it." She turned back to her station to try making another batch of pudding. No longer facing Gustave, she muttered under her breath, "Und hopefully I don't anymore either."

The griffon shrugged her answer off. If she felt it was something personal, then he had no right to butt in. Instead, he made his way around the room to check out what the other students were baking. It was a pretty laid back day, all things considered. Today's classes were all about just testing out some recipes, working on perfecting certain pastries, or learning how to bake entirely new ones. As much as Gustave enjoyed putting the pressure on, every now and then he felt it would be generous to just let his students work at their own pace, as if they were at home, baking for themselves or their families. It was plainly evident that each of them thoroughly enjoyed baking; when they weren't preparing for a test or assignment, their faces were lit up with smiles, and engaging themselves in idle conversation as they mixed batter, or while they had something in the oven.

"Hey."

Puff looked up at the feeling of somepony tapping her shoulder. Candy seemed to be giving her a concerned look.

"What did you mean by that?" Candy asked.

Puff inferred that she must have been talking about her brief chat with Chef le Grand, more specifically the comment she had just made to herself. "Oh. I didn't think anypony heard me."

"Is something bothering you? If you want, we could talk about it."

Puff smiled dismissively. "Nein, it's okay. It's not a big deal."

That answer didn't exactly ease Candy's mind. Obviously something was on Puff's mind, but perhaps class hours was not the best time to talk about personal issues anyway.

Candy's attention was diverted, however, when Pinkie Pie sauntered past, rocking her head to and fro as she hummed to herself. She was headed in Gustave's direction. A ding from Candy's oven let her know that the cake she was baking was ready, but she kept her ears perked up as she tended to it to see what Pinkie was up to.

"Ahem," Pinkie coughed into her hoof as she stood behind Gustave.

The griffon, who had been busy looking over a recipe in one of his books, turned to the mare. When he noticed who it was, he let out an involuntary sigh. He'd been doing that a lot since the school year started; it seemed like every day Pinkie Pie had some random or obtuse question for him. "What is it, Pinkie Pie? Can I 'elp wiz somezing?"

"Well, I just wanted to ask: does Gwen have any sort of heart condition or digestive problems. Ulcers or anything like that?"

And apparently today would be no different. That was perhaps the most random question she'd asked yet, as evidenced by Gustave's quirked eyebrow and confused silence. And the fact that she asked the question with an innocent smile was even more disconcerting. "Er... no. Why is zis important?"

"No reason," the pink mare responded in singsong, then immediately zipped back to her station.

Gustave simply shook his head and said to himself, "Don't ask. You don't want to know."

Candy kept her mouth shut while Pinkie passed by again. This must have had something to do with their conversation earlier that morning. Pinkie Pie was planning something, that was scary enough on its own, but to require that she ask that particular question was even more worrying. Candy was ready to step in and put a stop to it if she thought Pinkie was going too far. She just needed to watch closely.

Pinkie leaned down and reached into her saddlebags, rummaging around all of her text books and cook books. A smile suddenly creased her lips and she pulled out a very small bottle—practically a vial—of what appeared to be some bizarre, rainbow-colored substance. She also removed a tiny eye dropper. Tucking the pair of items into her apron pocket, she cantered over towards the griffon she had been inquiring about. Candy also noticed that Sugar Cookie was watching Pinkie as well from her station next to Gwenivere's, but, as opposed to the skeptical gaze that Candy was using, she had a sly smirk on her face. Candy Cane looked back at Pinkie just in time to catch her passing a wink to Sugar, which struck her as odd. The unicorn then immediately stepped over to Gwenivere.

"Excuse me, Gwenivere," Sugar said politely.

The griffon didn't look up from the batter she was mixing. "Oui?"

"I was wondering if I could get your opinion on this batch of cookies I have just made."

"Why do you ask moi?" Gwenivere asked, mild irritation in her voice.

The question caused Sugar's smile to grow just the slightest amount. "Because you are Chef le Grand's daughter. You are clearly the ideal choice for this request."

Gwenivere finally looked up from her work, that compliment sparking a small twinkle in her eye, but she attempted to remain aloof. "I cannot say you are wrong. Very well. Let me try zem."

Sugar gestured Gwenivere over to her station. Pinkie Pie then quickly sidled over to the griffon's now empty station and removed the bottle and eye dropper from her pocket. She popped the cork from the bottle, then, with the eye dropper between her teeth, siphoned out a small amount of the rainbow liquid. She paused for a moment to ensure that Gwenivere's back was still turned, then leaned over the bowl of batter the griffon had been mixing, and very carefully squeezed out two drops of the substance into the bowl. With her job done, she quickly bolted back to her own station and replaced the bottle and dropper back into her bag, returning to her own business as if she had done nothing, just in time for Gwenivere to do the same.

"Thank you for your input," Sugar said, though punctuated with a roll of her eyes and a hint of sarcasm. Clearly she wasn't pleased with Gwenivere's opinion of her baking.

Sugar then looked back to Pinkie Pie, and received yet another wink. Her unappreciative scowl was replaced with a smile, though somewhat more devious than it had been before. They were obviously in cahoots, and Candy needed to get some answers. She grabbed Pinkie by the shoulder and pulled her aside.

"What did you do?" Candy whispered to her conspiring friend.

"Why, I have no idea what you mean," Pinkie responded, batting her eyelashes innocently.

Candy narrowed her eyes. "You put something in Gwen's batter. You promised you weren't going to take this too far."

"Pfft. It's not like I laced her cake with poison. I'm mischievous, not evil." Pinkie reached into her apron pocket and removed the bottle of the strange substance. "It's just a little something to give her cake a little extra kick. It's gonna be awesome."

Not surprisingly, that didn't do much to alleviate Candy's skepticism. She trusted Pinkie, but she knew that things like this had a tendency to get out of hoof fast. And she was inadvertently caught in the middle of it, with one side being that of her friend, and the other her roommate. She had to live with Gwenivere and whatever anger Pinkie's antics incurred as a result. But she'd have to wait until Gwenivere's cake was actually done to see the result of Pinkie's plan. Admittedly, she was a little curious.

As time ticked by, the moment of truth had eventually arrived. Gwenivere, with oven mitts over her talons, pulled the perfectly baked cake out of the oven. Pinkie and Candy both watched from their respective stations as the griffon decorated, spreading vanilla icing across the top, and adorning it with dollops of cream and slices of various fruit. Pinkie Pie was eagerly biting her lip, fighting back preemptive giggles. Her impatience was amplified by the fact that Gwenivere never seemed pleased with the aesthetics of her creation, constantly repositioning her decorations and making the wait almost painful.

Finally, Gwenivere cut a slice and placed it on a plate, scrutinizing the soft, fluffy interior. Her eyes moved across the kitchen, falling upon her father. "Chef le Grand," she called to her dad. However, he was busy with another student and hadn't heard her. She started over toward him to get his attention.

Pinkie Pie's eyes immediately showed signs of panic, and she lunged forward and pulled Gwenivere back to her station, much to the griffon's irritation. "H-Hey, where're you going, Gwen?"

Considering the pony had not yet released her, Gwenivere figured that answering her question was the fastest way to get out of this and back to what she was doing. "Not zat it is any of your business, but I am simply requesting mon papa's opinion of mon gâteau."

"You don't need his opinion. You're of the same flock, right? Your sense of taste should be just as refined as his."

Gwenivere turned her eyes up in thought. She couldn't say Pinkie was wrong. "I suppose you 'ave a point."

The griffon pushed Pinkie back toward her own station. She then scooped a bite of her cake into her mouth and chewed. She paused momentarily, her expression showing confusion. She looked over her slice again, looking for something that may have been off. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a very slight, rainbow hue, practically unnoticeable if one weren't looking for it. Her gaze immediately shot back to Pinkie Pie, her behavior just now suddenly setting off alarms in her brain—as well as her tongue suddenly. The earth pony was looking rather victorious, and bounced her eyebrows at the griffon. But before Gwenivere had a chance to inquire about it, an intense heat suddenly covered her palate, like she had just shoveled a spoonful of hot soup in her mouth... Jalapeño soup... cooked over the fires of Tartarus.

Gwenivere's mouth shot open and a stream of hot flames burst forth, along with the griffon's panicked shriek. All of the students in the kitchen watched in confusion, shock, and amusement as Gwenivere scrambled frantically, knocking over bowls and utensils in her bid to reach the sink. She leaned her head under the faucet, and doused the flames with a torrent of cold water.

Pinkie Pie fell over, holding her sides during her raucous laughter as Gwenivere continued to guzzle down water in a vain attempt to stop the searing sensation in her tongue and throat.

"I take it you 'ad somezing to do wiz zis."

Pinkie looked up, wiping a tear from her eye to see Gustave standing over her. "Oh, h-heya, Chef. Hehe! Yeah, funny, huh?"

Gustave looked at his daughter again. She pulled her head away from the sink for just a split second before clenching her beak shut, another flame billowing forth from her nostrils, prompting her to return to the faucet.

"What did you do exactly?" Gustave inquired. He didn't sound mad; more curious than anything.

Pinkie Pie stood up on wobbly legs, still chuckling between breaths. "I just... put a little of this in her cake batter."

Gustave was given the bottle of rainbow-colored liquid. He looked it over, tilting and turning the bottle. "And what is zis?"

"Essence of rainbow."

Gustave looked surprised to hear that. "Vraiment? Where did you get zis?"

"A friend of mine got some from Cloudsdale. Have you ever tasted rainbow in liquid form, Chef?"

"Non, I 'ave not. I may be avian in nature, but I know little of wezer management. I was not aware zat rainbows 'ad a liquid form."

Pinkie smiled, welcoming the opportunity to teach the teacher. "Well, they do. And in their liquid form, they're suuuuper spicy. Even for somepony like me, who likes spicy foods—and sweet foods... and salty foods... and even some bitter foods—this stuff is pretty intense. Buuuuut I might have modified this batch a little."

"Modified 'ow?"

"A little wasabi, some habanero extract. Nothing much really."

Gustave stroked his chin as he looked the bottle over once more. "Hm. Fascinant. Do you 'ave any more of zis wiz you? Some zat is... not tainted?"

Pinkie nodded with a grin. "Sure. I like to use it as a condiment sometimes. Gives food a little extra fiya!"

"In petit concentrations, would you say zat zee average person could enjoy zis?"

"You bet. It's spicy, but also a little sweet." Pinkie glanced back to Gwenivere, still busy gargling. "She mostly got the spicy. Why? Do you want to borrow some for your dinner?"

Gustave smiled with interest. "Actually, I was zinking zat we could per'aps incorporate zis product into some recipes. Expérimentation is important for chefs après all. I am curious as to what we can do wiz zis. Per'aps we may dedicate a 'ole class to it."

"Wow, that sounds fun! Just let me know when you wanna try it and I can bring the stuff with me."

"You!"

Gwenivere, steam still leaking from her mouth, but the burning flame on her tongue otherwise doused, shot a glare consisting of icy daggers and venomous fire straight at Pinkie Pie. The feathers on her head and neck were absolutely drenched, and her eyes were bloodshot from the insanely hot spice and being inundated with gushing water, but the redness played well alongside the unbridled rage within them. She stomped over to the mare, pointing a sharp talon at her face. Had her father not been standing right there, the other students would have expected her to grab Pinkie by the throat.

"You... You..." Instead of words, Gwenivere simply let out a ear-piercing shriek, then continued to glare at the grinning, pink pony, and huffing steam from her nostrils.

"Hehe! Pretty good, huh?" Pinkie giggled, paying no mind to Gwenivere's anger. "Admit it: I got you."

Gwenivere clenched her claw into a tight fist, fighting back her predatory urge to inflict bodily harm onto her offender.

"So now that I got payback for your prank, I'd say we're even Stevens. See, this is what you get for messing with the queen of pranks," Pinkie stated with a smug grin. "Hopefully you've learned your lesson."

Gwenivere's eye twitched. "We are not 'even Stevens.' Zis game is far from over, little pony." A sinister smile played across her beak. "I will see to it zat zee 'queen of pranks' is dethroned." The griffon turned her back and stomped out of the kitchen in a huff.

Candy wandered over to Pinkie and Gustave, addressing the mustachioed griffon. "Are you just gonna let her walk out of class, Chef?"

Gustave, having watched the whole thing unfold and witnessed what very well may have been his daughter breaking mentally, answered with a sigh. "Given zee circumstances, I will allow it. I simply ask zat any more of zese shenanigans take place outside of zee classroom. Comprendre?" he requested of Pinkie Pie.

The pink mare shrugged. "I think I can do that, but I can't speak for Gwen."

Puff Pastry couldn't help but laugh at the entire situation. "I must admit, that vas pretty funny."

Candy giggled in agreement. "That's true. Even if her reaction doesn't bode well for you, Pinkie. You better watch your back."

Pinkie waved the warning off. "Psh. Like I said, I'm the queen of pranks. I can handle anything she can dish out."

"For everyone's sake, I 'ope you are right," Gustave said. "Gwenivere was never one to just let somezing like zis go. She knows 'ow to 'old a grudge."

Pinkie smiled confidently, never one to back down from a challenge, especially one involving pranks. "Guess we'll just have to wait and see, huh?"

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

"So vhere is Gwenivere this morning?" Puff asked Candy, having noticed the griffon's absence from her apartment.

The trio of earth pony friends were leaving Candy Cane's apartment and headed downstairs, ready for another day of classes and pastries. Pinkie Pie was her usual chipper self this morning. However, Candy was a touch on edge.

"No idea," she answered. "When I woke up, her bed was empty. I figured she just woke up early like she usually does, but she wasn't anywhere in the apartment at all."

"Do you think this has something to do vith vhat happened yesterday?"

"It definitely has something to do with that," she replied with a sigh. "Pinkie, I don't understand why you're not worried. After the way Gwen reacted yesterday, she obviously has something in store for you."

"I know, I can't wait!" Pinkie giggled. "I could barely sleep last night wondering what she's got in store. Who knows, maybe I might learn something from her. A prank I can try on my friends when I get back home. The anticipation is killing me!"

Candy could only give her a look of exasperated puzzlement. "You are one nutty pony."

Having reached the university's ground floor, the trio headed for Gustave's class and stepped inside, giving a friendly wave to their teacher seated at the head of the class. Once they were there, their earlier question was at least partially answered when they saw Gwenivere already seated amongst the few others that had shown up early. The griffon did nothing to conceal the sly grin on her face when she saw Pinkie Pie enter the room. Both Candy and Puff knew that something was going to happen before the day's end, they just hoped it wouldn't result in an all out war between the two. Pinkie gave an eager, unimposing grin back to Gwenivere before slipping off her saddlebags and dropping them beside her desk. The smile confused the griffon for a short moment, but her composure reset as she watched the pony preparing to sit down.

Pinkie Pie pulled out her chair from the desk just in front of Gwenivere's, swinging her rump around to plant it upon the seat. But she paused, eliciting an almost unnoticeable frown from the griffon. Pinkie Pie stepped away from her desk, glancing down at her seat. Gwenivere must have taken notice of Pinkie's tendency to keep her eyes everywhere but where she was going, illustrated by the completely unhidden, rubber, balloon-like object placed upon her chair. The pony raised an eyebrow, picking up the all too familiar object.

"A whoopee cushion?" she stated. Her voice displayed pride in her ability to out predict her rival, yet also contained a hint of disappointment. "That's your big revenge?"

Gwenivere sat quietly, unfazed with only a small smile.

"I know I said I have a soft spot for the classics, but if you wanna out prank me, you gotta try a little harder than that."

Gwenivere breathed an exaggerated sigh. "Per'aps you are right. I clearly am not, 'ow you say... 'on your level.' Oh well. I suppose zen zat I must concede to you, Pinkie Pie. You truly are zee 'queen of pranks.' I simply cannot pull zee wool over your eyes a second time."

"Aw, don't feel bad, Gwen," Pinkie said with a kind grin. "You tried, that's what matters. You didn't sit back and let it go, you at least attempted to get even. That's what pranking is all about. But if it makes you feel any better..." Pinkie dropped the whoopee cushion back onto her chair and immediately plopped herself down, the distinctive and comedic sound of the object deflating hitting everyone's ears and triggering amused giggles from the pink pony. It was particularly surprising for the last couple of students who had just walked in.

Gustave rubbed his eyes and sighed. "If you are quite done wiz your childishness, I would like to commencer wiz today's classes."

As their instructor went about the morning's lesson, Candy discretely leaned over to whisper to Pinkie Pie. "You don't actually believe that Gwenivere would give up just like that, do you? There's no way she's satisfied with that outcome."

"Candy, Candy, Candy," Pinkie tutted with a shake of her head. "There's so much about pranking you don't know. Unwritten rules, spoken vows, honor. Any prankster worth their salt knows that a verbal surrender is just as good as a written decree. Gwen threw in the towel. There's no shame in that, I think she knows that, and I respect her for it. I thought you'd be happy; I know you've been more on edge about this whole thing more than anypony."

"The reason I'm on edge is because you're my friend, and I don't want this thing to spiral out of control. Gwen isn't the type of person to just give up." Candy peered back at the griffon in question. Much to her surprise, she was looking straight back at her, and with a triumphant grin no less. She must have been listening in the whole time, and that only added credence to Candy's suspicions. "She's got something up her sleeve, I know it."

Pinkie turned around and looked at Gwenivere herself. The image she saw was a griffon with her eyes focused at the front of the class, listening intently to her father's teachings. Pinkie looked back at Candy. "She's doesn't have sleeves, silly."

"Pardon moi, mademoiselles," came the voice of their teacher, who had managed to sneak up on the two conversing ponies. "I was not aware zat my lessons were interrupting your chitchat. 'Ow rude of moi."

Pinkie responded with an oblivious smile. "That's okay, Chef. We don't min—mmph!"

Pinkie was prevented from saying anything further by Candy's hoof clamping over her mouth. "Sorry, Chef. Won't happen again."

Pinkie, her mouth covered, gave a silent nod in agreement.

Gustave simply rolled his eyes as he returned to the front of the room. "See to it zat it does not."

With that, the class resumed as usual with the rest of the morning passing by without much of anything out of the ordinary happening. After a couple of hours in the classroom, Gustave lead his students to the kitchen for another day of practice and experimentation.

Candy Cane kept an eye on Gwenivere the whole time, but the griffon had hardly cast a sidelong glance toward Pinkie Pie the whole time. Everyone had just reverted to their usual mannerisms, as if the goings-on of the last couple of days had never happened. Maybe Gwenivere really was giving up, content to just let this whole thing be over and done with. Part of Candy's mind had entertained the thought, but the rest of it was still suspicious. At least the supposed "calm before the storm" was giving her a chance to just relax and not worry about her friend for once. She seriously thought that that mare was going to take years off her life with all the hoopla she'd been pulling. Candy was starting to feel like a foalsitter watching a particularly troublesome child.

"Vell?"

"Hm?" Candy opened her eyes, forgetting what she was doing. Puff was staring at her with interest.

"Do you like it?"

"Yeah, it's pretty good," Candy replied with a full mouth, still chewing the cupcake that Puff had asked her to taste test.

"Not too much butter? I have a tendency to overdo it vith the butter sometimes."

Swallowing the pastry, Candy answered with a satisfied grin, "It works in your favor. Really moist and flavorful. Seriously, Puff, you need to stop being so reliant on other people's opinions and trust your own judgment once in a while. You're your own worst critic."

Puff looked away for a moment, mumbling to herself. "I've had vorst critics."

Candy paid no mind to her friend's utterance, having not actually heard her say anything. What she did notice, however, was Pinkie Pie staring intently at Gwenivere. The griffon didn't seem to notice the pair of eyes fixated on her, but was instead caught up in some sort of predicament, at least that's what it looked like from the uncertain expression on her face as she bit into one of the muffins she had made. Perhaps they hadn't turned out how she expected, or not to her standards more likely.

"Something wrong, Gwen?"

"Hm?" The griffon's focus was redirected to the unassuming smile of the exuberant, pink pony standing a step or two too far within her personal space. Seeing Pinkie's face immediately invoked an involuntary grimace from Gwenivere, but she decided to set aside her personal feelings for a moment and addressed Pinkie with a question. "I was... just zinking zat zee flavor of my muffins is... off. Zere is somezing strange zat I cannot quite put my talon on." Gwenivere narrowed her eyes at Pinkie. "You did not do somezing again, did you?"

Pinkie shook her head, her smile persisting. "Nope. I wouldn't pull the same prank twice in a row; I'm not some one trick pony, ya know."

Gwenivere raised an eyebrow, unsure if she was being honest or not. With Pinkie, it was kind of hard to tell.

"Can I try one?" the earth pony suggested. "Maybe I can help you figure it out."

"I do not require your input," Gwenivere scoffed. However, she let out a reluctant sigh. "Mais... I suppose it would do no 'arm. 'Ere." Gwenivere picked up one of the muffins and passed it to Pinkie Pie, who gladly accepted.

"This is cool!" Pinkie blurted as she held the pastry. "I don't think I've ever actually tried your pastries. Does this mean we're friends now?!" She stared with an wide, eager grin, and bright, hopeful eyes.

The griffon shuddered at the thought. "Absolutely not."

"Oh. Alright then, but soon. Mark my words." Pinkie eyed the muffin, her grin growing wider. "Wow, after all the time you've been playing up your baking, I finally get to see what the fuss is about. Hope you weren't just blowing hot air, Gwen, or I'll be disappointed."

"Would you just eat zee pastry!" Gwenivere froze after her impatient outburst, accidentally garnering the attention of the other students, as well as her father. She calmly ran her claws through her feathers to unruffle them, and cleared her throat. "S'il vous plait."

"Okie doke!" Pinkie eagerly bit into the muffin and happily chewed. Her pace slowed however as she analyzed the taste.

Gwenivere leaned in expectantly. "You do not zink zee flavor is at all... fishy?"

Pinkie smiled as she continued to chew. "You silly. I'm a pony. I don't know what fish tastes like."

At that moment, a devious smirk stretched across Gwenivere's beak. "You do now."

The room went dead silent, the other students, mostly the ponies and zebras, appalled by what they had just heard. Pinkie stopped chewing, her smile disappearing, and her eyes wandering down to the half eaten muffin in her hoof, the other half of which was sitting in her mouth. And if what Gwenivere had just said was any indication... The bright pink coloration of Pinkie's face began to visibly turn a sickly green.

"Oog... I... Uh, I gotta... go..." Pinkie bolted to the door with her hoof over her mouth, and kept running.

The silence within the room persisted, not a soul knowing what to say. Gwenivere victoriously picked up the remainder of Pinkie's muffin and tossed it in her own mouth.

"Who is zee 'queen' now?"

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

The door to Pinkie and Puff's dormitory opened hastily with Candy hurrying in a moment later. Classes had just ended and, even though it had happened a couple of hours prior, Pinkie Pie had not returned, which worried Candy. Puff had already gotten back a few minutes before her and Candy rushed over to the closed bathroom door where she stood. The portly pony could only give a silent glance before looking back at the door.

"Is she okay?" Candy asked, her voice tense with concern.

"Bleugh!"

Candy flinched and stepped back at the disgusting noise that came from the bathroom. It didn't take a genius to figure out what it was.

"You can judge for yourself," Puff deadpanned.

"Wha—? Seriously?! She's been in there this whole time?! I figured she'd be in bed or something by now."

"I'm just as surprised as you. I don't even think there should be that much in her belly."

The pair jumped slightly when the bathroom door opened suddenly. Pinkie was leaning against the door frame, still a little green around the gills.

"I think... I'm okay now. Just hafta... lie down for a while." Instead of walking over to the bed, Pinkie simply slid down the wall and lay on the floor, letting out a relaxed sigh as she did. Candy and Puff could only stare in complete bewilderment.

"Okay, I know that was probably gross and all, but I'm starting to think that you're overreacting a bit," Candy said with an irritated grimace. "It's not like she poisoned you or anything."

"She made her sick," Puff argued. "Technically, that could be considered poisoning. Just... not severe."

"I didn't say it wasn't a big deal. She put fish in her food, then fed it to her. That's messed up." Candy looked back down at the pitiable pink mare lying on the floor in front of her. "I'm just saying that I think Pinkie is playing it up a smidge."

"My poor tummy," Pinkie whined as she grasped her stomach.

Candy rolled her eyes. "Can you get her some antacid or something?" she asked Puff. "I'm going to go interrogate our perpetrator."

Candy trotted to the door with a determined gait and left the apartment. Puff glanced back down at Pinkie Pie, unsure whether she should be worried for or annoyed at her friend.

When she opened the door to her own dorm, Candy immediately found the culprit lounging on the sofa and watching television as if nothing had ever happened. Candy was about to rectify that.

"Okay, I was mad at Pinkie the other night for sneaking into our bedroom, but now I'd like to ask why you thought it was a good idea to feed fish to my friend?!"

Gwenivere chuckled as she remembered the look on Pinkie's face. "Simple: she did it first."

Candy had to willingly prevent the veins in her forehead from popping out; why did these people seem to think that that was a acceptable excuse? She stood in front of Gwenivere, blocking the griffon's view of the television, much to her annoyance. "She put a little spice in your cake. She even had the decency to ask your dad if you had any medical conditions beforehoof. You knowingly caused her physical harm!"

"Oh, please," Gwenivere mocked with a roll of her eyes. "It did not do any 'arm. 'Er body is simply not accustomed to it, zat's all."

"You fed meat. To a herbivore. That's not cool."

Gwenivere sat up, the amusement she had been getting from this fading quicker the longer her roommate wouldn't shut up about it. "I was simply delivering zee coup de grâce in zis childish game, ending it before it could go any furzer."

"You started this whole thing with that damn bucket!" Candy shouted furiously. "You guys could have called it even after Pinkie's retaliation, but no, your stupid superiority complex means that you have to have the last laugh!" Candy pressed a hoof against her temple and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. "Seriously, we've only been here for a month, and I'm already tired of having to moderate this ridiculous rivalry between you two. I just want to bake without having to worry about my friends wringing each other's throats. Is that too much to ask?"

Gwenivere raised an eyebrow. "You zink I am your friend?"

"I'm using relative terms. Don't read into it. I tolerate you at best, though that's getting harder and harder to do with time."

"Hey."

Candy and Gwenivere's attention was turned to the door where the sickly Pinkie Pie was standing all of a sudden. Candy took a few steps toward her. "Pinkie? What are you doing here? You should be in bed."

"Then maybe you should consider closing your door when your arguing with your girlfriend. Hehe—ghk... Ugh. Laughing makes my belly feel weird."

Candy placed a sympathetic hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. "Pinkie, go back to your room and get some rest."

"Hold on, I gotta tell Gwen something first." Pinkie weakly pushed past Candy and made it as far as the arm of the couch, which she used for support to keep herself standing. Gwenivere didn't seem amused by her decrepit state, but more curious and wary about what she wanted from her. Pinkie smiled sincerely, which only proved to further concern the griffon. However, what Pinkie said stirred up confusion more than anything. "You got me."

Gwenivere blinked. "Pardon moi?"

"You got me," Pinkie repeated. "I gotta admit, that was a pretty sneaky trick you pulled. Your first two, with the bucket and the whoopee cushion, were pretty amateurish admittedly, but you really amped it up for the finale. You've proved that you're willing to go above and beyond to prove yourself as the best prankster. I don't think I would have had the guts to pull something like that. Oog... Maybe should have worded that differently. Anyway, what I wanted to say was: congratulations."

"For what?" Gwenivere asked.

"For coming out on top. I hereby concede victory unto you. You really are the queen of pranks."

Pinkie extended her hoof as a show of sportsmanship. Although Gwenivere was cautious at first, she couldn't see any sign of danger, such as a joy buzzer or anything of the sort, so she reluctantly took Pinkie's offer and shook.

"So... zat's it? We are done wiz zis?" Gwenivere asked for clarification.

Pinkie nodded weakly, making herself slightly dizzy in the process. "Yup. Well, sort of. See, as a show of good faith, I wanna throw you a victory party at my apartment tomorrow in celebration. Whadda ya say?"

Gwenivere hesitated to answer. She looked to Candy in hopes of getting some sort of hint about the choice. She only responded with an uncertain shrug. The griffon, too, shrugged it off. "Very well. I will be zere. 'Oo am I to turn down such 'ospitality? A victory feast sounds très agréable."

"Great," Pinkie beamed as best she could. "I'll make a nice cake, and other assorted treats for the occasion." A loud gurgle resonated throughout the apartment suddenly, and Pinkie bent over in discomfort. "Ugh. In the meantime, I have other business to attend to. Bye." Hurriedly and clumsily, Pinkie dashed for the door as quickly as she could.

Gwenivere scratched the back of her neck, looking apologetically at Candy. "You would not know if zis is some sort of trick, would you?"

Candy sighed and sat down on the couch with her. "I don't know. She seemed pretty steadfast about the supposed 'unwritten rules' and 'code of honor' that comes with pranking. I think she's actually being serious about it."

That seemed to calm Gwenivere's nerves a bit. "Good. Zen I can enjoy my revelry. I look forward to it."

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

Gwenivere stood in the hallway, staring at the door in front of her. She turned her head to the right and looked down the hall. It was completely empty. Certainly somepony, -griffon, -zebra, or otherwise would find it strange to find her just standing there in the hall in contemplation, waiting by a door to an apartment that wasn't even hers. She reached her claw toward the doorknob, but hesitated and retracted it. She needed just a few more moments to think this over.

"Stop being so paranoid and open it."

Gwenivere jumped with a start at the voice of her roommate who was suddenly standing beside her. She was carrying what appeared to be a grocery bag of assorted pastries.

"I already told you, I think she's being sincere," Candy said, reiterating her point from the previous day. "Just go in. I'd think you of all people would be more than happy to have a party thrown for you in celebration of how 'amazing' you are."

Gwenivere scratched her neck. "I am not convinced. After what I did, she must be planning somezing."

"And, in my honest opinion, I wouldn't blame her. You deserve it. This party, you don't deserve. But Pinkie's my friend, and I'm looking forward to this. Whether or not you get your comeuppance, I couldn't care less. Now stop loitering and get inside."

Candy turned the knob and opened the door. Gwenivere took a step back, expecting something to befall Candy. However, when nothing did and the earth pony stepped inside, Gwenivere, though reluctantly, followed her.

"Heeeeey, look who finally showed up!" Pinkie called out with an excited wave from the kitchen. The pink, party pony was clad in a batter-stained apron, and had decorated the table with all manner of snacks. She skipped over to the entrance to greet her two guests, looking specifically at Gwenivere. "What took you so long? We were waiting for you."

Gwenivere played off the question coolly, pretending that she hadn't been standing outside the door for the last five minutes, and deciding whether or not to even come over in the first place before that. "Zee star is always fashionably late, n'est-ce pas?"

Candy rolled her eyes at her roommates blatantly transparent lie before speaking to Pinkie. "I got the stuff you asked for." She passed the paper bag to the hostess of the party.

"Oh, cool. Thanks. It's nice to have a little café just downstairs. Makes less work for me, not that I'm not having fun baking for Her Majesty mind you," Pinkie said, bowing slightly to Gwenivere. The griffon couldn't help but smile at the ego-stroking she was receiving. Pinkie threw off her apron and trotted toward the kitchen again, where Puff Pastry had already taken a seat, and had also already started sampling the treats. "Anyway, let's get started!"

Gwenivere looked over the spread laid out on the table. Cupcakes; cookies; pie; cake. Pinkie was really going all out for her; there was enough to feed their entire class and then some. And even she had to admit that it all looked rather tasty, though she would never say so aloud of course. Pinkie Pie pulled out a chair, inviting Gwenivere to sit down. She had to admit, despite her reservations, she was beginning to enjoy the royal treatment, especially since it was Pinkie Pie who was submitting herself to her leisure.

After Pinkie and Candy took their own seats, Gwenivere looked across the table at Puff. She had to fight back the urge to deprecate her on her eating habits; she had to be modest in victory after all. But seeing the chubby mare enjoying the spread so thoroughly, Gwenivere now noticed her own hunger and looked forward to treating herself to this victory feast. She picked up a cupcake, decorated with pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles. She cautiously took a bite. The taste was intriguing; an odd, yet tasty, spicy-sweet flavor.

"You like it?" Pinkie asked, watching Gwenivere intently. "I tried the rainbow essence again." Gwenivere's eyes shot wide, but before she could do or say anything, Pinkie continued. "Don't worry, I didn't mix it with anything. If anything, I had to dilute it a tad, make it a lot milder, but the flavor's still there, right?"

Gwenivere nodded. "I must admit, zis is... good. Per'aps a bizarre flavor for pastries, but good nonezeeless."

"A compliment from Gwenivere?" Candy pointed out with a mocking smirk. "I think Tartarus may have frozen over."

Gwenivere waved her comment off dismissively. "She 'as arranged zis party specifically for moi. Zee least I can do is not look a gift 'orse in zee mouth."

"Pony," Pinkie corrected.

"Whatever."

Over time the table became more and more barren, many of the set pieces replaced by empty plates with nothing but a few crumbs and smears of whipped cream left upon them. But even with how much they had eaten collectively, there was still quite a bit left over. Seeing that everypony's—and Gwenivere's—paces were slowing, Pinkie Pie took the opportunity to hop from her seat and run over to the fridge.

"Don't fill up just yet. I've got a special treat to finish with." Pinkie slapped another plate down in front of Gwenivere: a miniature strawberry shortcake, slathered with whipped cream and topped with plump, bright red strawberries. "It's all yours, 'Your Highness.'"

Gwenivere stared wide-eyed at the cake. It certainly looked delicious, and she did have a little room left. But something felt wrong about this. Why would Pinkie be saving this specific dessert for last? And why would she only allow her to eat it? The griffon glanced over at Pinkie, who bounced her eyebrows up and down at her.

"Well? Go ahead. Dig in!" Pinkie inserted a fork into Gwenivere's grasp, wrapping her talons around the utensil for her since she appeared to be too distracted by her own thoughts to do so herself.

Gwenivere gulped. This was it. This was what this whole thing was leading up to. But she was smarter than Pinkie. She could turn this in her favor. "I am feeling razer full as it is. Per'aps we could all share it."

Pinkie shook her head. "No no. This is your party, and this is a special gift from me to you in celebration of your victory."

Gwenivere quickly tried to put something else together in her head. "I... I would just feel so guilty if I were zee only one who could enjoy zis no doubt délicieux confiserie."

Pinkie put up her hoof. "No worries, I got you covered." She hopped over to the fridge again and returned with three more shortcakes, identical to the first, and placed them at everypony else's spots. "See? Now everypony, and everygriffon, gets some. So enjoy!"

A bead of sweat rolled down the feathers of Gwenivere's neck. She couldn't think of another excuse. She knew this was a trap, and she only had two options. Candy, Puff, and Pinkie all stared in eager anticipation to see what the griffon would do. But, finally, a choice was made. Gwenivere pushed her chair out and stood up hastily, gradually inching toward the door with a nervous smile.

"On second zought, I am too full. I cannot eat anozer bite. In any case, zis 'as been fun, but I must go. I 'ave... um..." She didn't bother to finish her thought before slipping out the door, leaving the three ponies sitting in the kitchen with varying expressions.

Candy seemed surprised by her roommates reaction, but, at the same time, amused. "Well, that's a good way to end any party I suppose."

Puff was indifferent to Gwenivere's behavior, not really caring as long as she wasn't insulted for the umpteenth time. "I'm just glad she's gone," she said as she continued digging into her own shortcake.

"I guess you must be disappointed, huh, Pinkie?" Candy inferred.

"Hm? Why would I be disappointed?"

"She saw your prank coming. You didn't have a chance to get even."

Pinkie waved her hoof back and forth. "Au contraire, ma chérie. That was exactly the reaction I was looking for." Pinkie began pacing around the kitchen. "After what Gwenivere pulled yesterday, any normal pony would vow revenge. But being all nice and gracious in defeat, I could lull Gwen into a false sense of security that started unraveling when I began insisting. Paranoia. The trump card in every prankster's bag of tricks."

Candy smiled at her friend's scheme. "That's pretty devious. But what if she had called your bluff?"

"What bluff?" Pinkie hopped onto the chair Gwenivere once occupied, picked up a fork, and poked the side of the untouched cake. With a cartoon-y sproing sound, the cake immediately leapt off the plate, propelled by a spring, and splattered all over Pinkie's smiling face. The pink pony then swirled her tongue in a circle to scoop all the cream and strawberries into her mouth. "I would have been satisfied either way."

Candy and Puff stared incredulously at their grinning friend. Candy spoke for the pair. "Forget devious, that's downright evil."

"Remind me never to get on your bad side," Puff added.

A thought came to Candy's mind. "Wait a minute. What happened to all that stuff about unwritten rules and honor?"

Pinkie raised an eyebrow. "Oh, that? Yeah, I made all that junk up. I knew Gwen was listening in on us, so I was just laying the groundwork for my comeback. When it comes to prank wars, there are no rules, unwritten or otherwise. Now your run-of-the-mill, no-harm-no-foul pranks that are just for a good laugh do have rules. Like, don't play 'em on people who would take offense to it, or for the specific purpose of humiliating somepony. That's how prank wars start. Gwen lost because she was focused on getting even rather than making everypony laugh, cause that's what pranks are all about. Sure, her first one was funny, but you didn't seem to enjoy it, Candy. And if everypony's not laughing, then it's no good." Pinkie pursed her lips as she thought about something. "Come to think of it, I wonder why my Pinkie Sense didn't warn me about the door, or the bucket falling. Huh. Maybe being in a different part of the world is throwing it off."

Candy and Puff shared uncomprehending glances, neither brave enough to inquire about this "Pinkie Sense" thing.

"Whatever the reason, I'm just glad you were able to put Gwen in her place," Candy said with a chuckle.

"Ya. She got vhat she deserved."

Pinkie leaned back in her chair with her hooves behind her head, grinning triumphantly. "Hopefully she's learned that nopony—or griffon—messes with the queen of pranks."

"Just try not to let something like this happen again, please," Candy pleaded.

Pinkie Pie tossed another cupcake into her mouth. "No promishesh."

Comments

[Pinkiefics]

Okay so I don't know if you got this already, but this story is seriously reminding me of legally blonde. Maybe "legally pinkie?" I don't know but I get that vibe and I love it so much.