Chapter 4- The Great CCC, Part 1
There were a lot of words in use to describe Chef Ramson, current head chef of the Canterlot castle kitchen. Genius, innovator, trendsetter, artist, genius… abrasive, sadist, fanatical, insane… In short, he was a pony of many faces. His skill in the kitchen was unmatched, but his temper and demands were just as well known and recognised. Indeed, of the dozen apprentices he had taken on, five had run home crying on the first day and most of the others had simply been fired. Rumble was the only one who had persevered long enough to no longer get an immediate sense of impending disaster when the chef entered the kitchen.
Still, the prying stares and ever-increasing demands for perfection did ensure that Rumble stayed sharp as a razor in the kitchen. It did show in his results, as he recognised he had gone from decent home-cook to a professional who could certainly hold his own even against ponies much older than him. Ramson was abrasive, harsh and unnerving on the best of days, but the pace at which Rumble had to learn and develop under his stewardship had made him skilled far beyond what his age would suggest.
"Tomtit."
Rumble stiffened and turned away from the soup he had been preparing. "Chef!" He had to curb the instinct to salute.
"You know of the CCC?" Ramson asked. "That is a rhetorical question, of course. If you don't, you can consider yourself on unemployment leave."
"The Canterlot Culinary Championship is an annual competition… It takes place in Canterlot every year and-"
"Congratulations, you know what the word 'annual' means," Ramson interrupted dryly.
Rumble blushed. "Uh… it's a competition for professional chefs first started by Chancellor Puddinghead and moved to Canterlot after the unification. One hundred and twenty-eight chefs are allowed to enter, with the sixty-four best from the last year taking half the spots and the rest being picked by an expert group of food critics."
Ramson nodded. "Single elimination tournament. You make one mistake and you are done. I will give you one guess as to who holds the title currently. If you guess wrong, you are on a plate for the next diplomatic dinner with the ambassador of Griffonstone."
Rumble swallowed, even if he did know the answer. "It's you, right?"
"It's me," Ramson nodded. "Did you also know that every chef is allowed to have one sous-chef with him for the competition?"
Rumble felt like the floor had fallen out under him. Was Ramson saying what Rumble thought he was saying? "N-no… I didn't know that."
"Because most of us don't want to bring one. We prefer to work on our own when things have to be perfect. I am no exception… however…" Ramson's cold eyes flashed with a strange spark. "I believe that you have developed to the bare minimum where you will help more than you will be in the way, if barely. So I have decided to allow you to work alongside me for the competition."
"I… Am I really ready?" Rumble asked, floored by the implications! He had achieved bare minimum! He had achieved! To hear Ramson say he hadn't been completely useless was enough to make Rumble smile. This was unprecedented praise!
"No, and I'm sure I will regret this by the time the tournament is over," Ramson sighed. "The CCC is the most prestigious competition a chef can be in. If you want to make an impression, you will have to train hard for the time we have left. But if you ever want to win, you have better start learning the ropes early. I was sixteen when I entered the first time, as an sous-chef to Refined Palate."
Win… him, wining the great CCC? If he did, then he would be to the Equestrian culinary world what the Wonderbolts were to the pegasi. He had never even entertained the idea of winning before. He had hardly even thought of the CCC other than as an event he would watch. "Thank you, chef!" Rumble said. "When do the preliminary rounds start?"
"Two weeks ago," Ramson grunted. "But as current title holder, I am already qualified for the quarter finals, which are due to start in Canterlot the next weekend. Then we will face off against one of seven opponent teams. I will help train you in some select moments until then. Staple procedures which often come up in the competitions."
Rumble nodded. "I will not let you down! I promise."
Ramson gave him something that could almost be called a smile. "See that you don't. Also, your soup was done thirty-two seconds ago and is now officially overcooked. Pour that abomination out and start over."
"Oh… right, chef," Rumble said, dumbfounded. This was not how he wanted to start repaying his mentor's trust. But he couldn't let that get him down. No point in crying over spilled milk. He just had to start over.
He promised himself that he was going to be an asset to Ramson in this competition. If they lost, it wouldn't be because Rumble couldn't keep up.
"Well then." Ramson said. "Be aware that this is more demanding than anything you've ever done. Not only the food has to be perfect, but the ideas behind your dishes as well, and the many unwritten rules that surround this particular competition." Rumble listened as carefully as he could. His master would not repeat this; he expected Rumble to learn and remember.
"First lesson in basic CCC etiquette: The first competition began after the Great Blizzard when food was still scarce. Therefore the competitors are, in practice, not allowed to taste our own food at any point during the competition."
Ramson clearly wasn't kidding when he said this was going to be difficult. He wouldn't even get to know if he had done good until they had already tested him… great, there was already something he'd dread for the entire competition.
Cozy Glow, like Ramson, was many things. Cute? Yes. Lovable? You bet. Smart? Always. Wily? For sure. Cute? Absolutely.
Patience, however, was not one of her strong suits. Rumble should have been done in his kitchen half an hour ago, and Cozy was antsy to get to her scheduled flight lesson with him! She would never be able to do trick flying if he ditched her like this!
Growling, she decided to march to the kitchen herself and if he was still there, then she was going to give him a piece of her mind! She did not like to be kept waiting outside in the cold all alone, and she was going to make sure he never forgot that again!
A particularly chilly gust of wind sliced through her jacket as if to prove her point. If she got a cold from this, or the feather-flu, princess forbid, then she was going to take him down with her!
She flew up from the courtyard where she had waited and through the window of her room, next toTwilight's study. Her eyes greeted familiar dark blue walls, decorated with moon-shaped ornaments - Cozy had taken over Luna's room after Twilight let her live in the castle. She hung off the clothes and flew down the stairs to the castle kitchen.
She wanted to kick in the door, just to make an impression, but also didn't want to anger chef Ramson if he was there alone. Contemplating, she decided to play it safe and opened the door carefully.
Ramson and Rumble both looked up at her from whatever they were doing. The very fact Rumble was busy with food and not her made Cozy scrunch up her face in annoyance.
"Why are you still here! We're supposed to be flying now, you dolt! I've been waiting outside in the cold and then I find you in here, all cozied up in the warmth!"
"Oh-!" Rumble squeaked. "I'm sorry, Cozy! I forgot the time completely!"
"And if he wants to not fail horribly, he's going to need all the time and practice he can get," Ramson added with a look of slight despair at Rumble's back.
"Well, if I'm ever going to fly like a real pegasus, then I need all the practice I can get!" Cozy countered, ruffling her wings for emphasis. "Besides, Rumble works here every day! He can train tomorrow!"
"Uh…" Rumble started meekly, but Cozy silenced him with a glare. Before she could continue with more arguments however, Ramson interrupted her.
"Look, filly, I know that you like him, but if he's going to be part of the CCC without making our prospects worse, then he needs to practice," Ramson said factually.
That took Cozy aback. CCC? She had never heard about that. Why hadn't she heard about that? She was supposed to know stuff that ponies liked, so she could talk to them about that!
"What is CCC? And why does Rumble have to practice for it? Do I have to practice for it too?"
"No," Ramson grumbled. "It's a chef's competition. And Tomtit here's going to be my sous chef… If he can stop fooling around and put that onion out of its misery! Get to it or I will sauté you!"
Involuntary, Rumble squeaked as if he had been struck by lightning. "Yes chef!"
Cozy went inside, closing the kitchen door behind her, then flew up on an unused counter, so she could talk with Ramson at eye-level. "So, are you telling me that Rumble can't fly with me at all until this competition?" Cozy asked with that sort of look that would have sent Rumble begging for mercy. To her surprise and annoyance, Ramson didn't even flinch. He even had the audacity to reply with the same type of look. It was all she could do to not fold her ears in submission.
"That's right," Ramson replied. "The competition begins with more than a hundred of the finest chefs in the land, and when we enter the competition there will be only seven other teams left. We will be up against the best of the best. Also, get your hooves off my counter, I see dirt on them," he turned away from dumbfounded Cozy, and glared at Rumble. "Tomtit, I'm going to take inventory of some spices. Try to explain to your fillyfriend while I'm gone. And do it quickly."
After both foals felt the cold presence finally leaving the kitchen room, Cozy huffed and fluttered down next to Rumble. She didn't see any dirt on her hooves... "So how long do I have to wait with my flying?"
"Until next weekend. Quarterfinals and semifinals on Saturday, finals on Sunday," Rumble answered with a tired sigh. Only now did she realize that this training was going to be much harder on Rumble than her. She suddenly felt a little bit bad for having marched in her like that and demanded his attention.
"Hmm…" Cozy hummed to herself. "Do you know who your opponents will be?" she asked innocently. If he was going to compete, then she ought to support him, right? That's what a special somepony ought to do!
"No, for exactly the reason you are thinking about," Rumble grunted, with an unamused look on his face.
"What? It wasn't like I was thinking of sabotaging them or something like that." Cozy gave him a big smile and batted her eyes, just to be sure Rumble believed her.
He rolled his eyes. "Well, whatever. We don't know until minutes before the competition begins. And I'll try to squeeze in some flying too, I promise. But this is important to me, okay?"
To be honest, Cozy was not really used to friendship working both ways. It went against the manipulative demeanour that still came so readily to her. But... she could endure it for Rumble's sake. She loved their flying together, but if this competition was such a big deal, then she guessed she could wait a little while to make sure he got the space he needed. It just felt… right to do it for him.
"Golly… I guess if it's really that important, I'll just have to wait. But don't worry, I'm sure I can figure out some way to help you! You know I'm a smart filly!"
Food and cooking may not be her forte, but there were ways she could make herself useful even if she didn't know the first thing about the competition!
"I'm not sure I like the sound of that…" Rumble muttered uncertainly.
"Well that's silly. Don't worry about what I'm doing; worry about what you're doing instead!" she waved with a hoof around the kitchen.
"Just… stay out of trouble," Rumble said with a somewhat pleading voice.
"Sure!" Cozy answered with a huge grin. "Good luck with your practice!"
She gave him a brief nuzzle, which Rumble gladly returned. After that, she left the kitchen with a springy trot. Really, the hardest thing for Cozy would be to patiently wait for this competition to begin. Maybe she could ask if Flurry wanted to fly a bit with her? It wouldn't be like doing it with Rumble, but at least she'd have some company. And Cozy could appreciate having another filly to talk with sometimes.
Rumble worked next to his mentor and did his best to be still and concentrate, but it was hard. His tail continued to swish behind him, and his wings felt itchy. He didn't scratch himself though, since he didn't want to risk shedding any hairs in a competition like this. Slightest misfortune where just a single hair from his coat remained on his hoof and somehow found its way into their dish, and they'd be finished.
"You have five minutes left!" The announcer called with his magically empowered voice.
"Time to plate," Ramson said with a slow and calm voice, less abrasive than Rumble had ever heard it. It was like he was so into what he was doing that he forgot to be mad all the time. "You got the green-glazed plate, right?"
"Yes, chef," Rumble said and indicated a green ceramic plate with a floral pattern along the rim. It was going to look great with their dish.
Ramson nodded. "fill the vegetables; the mushrooms need just a little longer," Ramson ordered.
"Yes chef!" Rumble grabbed the long, thin stripes of parsnip he had cut and started rolling them up with a hole in the middle. It was exacting work, but something his smaller hooves had an easy time doing.
Parsnip roulade was done. He placed it on the plate and Ramson spritzed it full of pistachio nut cream and garnished with a dill sprig. Rumble proceeded with the celery roulade, and then finally the bell-pepper. Ramson added the correct filling, before retrieving the frying pan and placing three portobello mushrooms, fried in garlic and butter between the three roulades.
"Grate," he said. Rumble was already ahead of him, quickly grating up a thin layer of parmesan cheese over the mushrooms.
Then, a loud, magically enhanced voice announced.
"Time's up! Drop everything you are holding and take a step back!"
Only now did the anxiety return. All day before he had been jumping at every little noise and shadow, but once the competition began, Ramson's cool demeanor had helped him concentrate for the competition. Now, however, when the jury went around to taste the dishes, his anxiety came back with a vengeance.
"Will… we win?" Rumble whispered to Ramson. He looked over to their competitor in the quarter finals. Rosemary Ray, a pink unicorn with a dark purple mane. Rumble knew her. She had one of the finest restaurants in Equestria, located in Manehattan.
"Rosemary is one tough customer, for sure," Ramson muttered, eyeing the dish she prepared. "But I'm tougher nine times out of ten. And you…" Ramson turned his cold, green eyes on him. "You did adequate, too."
Rumble was not able to make a single sound- both from the stress of approaching the jury and the shock from Ramson's words. Hearing such an unaggressive approval coming from his chief was as unusual as seeing Cozy hug Princess Twilight. And soon, way too soon for his liking, the jury was by their table.
All of them were earth ponies and dressed in a very peculiar, colourful attire. Ramson had said it was what Chancellor Puddinghead herself had worn when she first instituted the competition- but without the characteristic hat. They tried only small bites. Rumble attempted to read their faces, but they remained impassive as stones. After less than a minute, they simply thanked for the food and silently moved to another room, to decide who moved on to the semi finals.
Once they were gone, the audience could come forward to look at the dishes, and the photographers of magazines came to take pictures. Their recipes would be all over next week's cooking magazines.
Among the ponies who came forward was Cozy.
"How do you feel? Do you think it went well? You will win, right? With all the training you have done you've got to win!" The small filly pegasus cheered, looking with sparkling eyes on their dish.
"Y-yeah! Of course we'll win," Rumble said with plenty more gusto than he really felt. "No sweat. We've got this in the bag."
Cozy tilted her head. "I see you sweating."
Rumble brushed over his forehead, his anxiety doubling. "No, I'm not!"
"But you did have to check," Cozy snickered. "But don't worry, I'm sure you won!"
Rumble looked nervously at the closed door, where the jury disappeared. "S-So, what have you been up to?" he asked. He decided that learning about Cozy's new antics was less stressful than thinking about the jury talking next room about all the mistakes they had found in his dish.
"Just watching, for now." Cozy lowered her voice conspiratorially. "But now that you have only three competitors left, perhaps I could sabotage somepony, if you want. Maybe switch the salt and sugar or-"
Rumble very much did not want anything like that. "No! J-Just sit tight and cheer for me, okay? I'm sure that if I know you are cheering for me, that will be enough to make me do better!" Or at least he'd not faint from stress from somehow getting roped into Cozy's antics on top of everything else.
Cozy shrugged with an innocent pout. "Okay, I guess. But then you had better win."
"The jury has come to a result!" The announcer called. The ponies in the audience retreated, leaving only the eight competing teams. Cozy gave the last wink to Rumble and walked away.
"For the first group, Refined Pairing versus Saffron Masala, the jury has declared Saffron the winner, and she is advancing to the semi-finals!"
An orange unicorn with fluffy, unruly mane let out a small cheer in joy and disbelief. Her opponent gave her a polite smile.
"For the second group, Jade Olives versus Zesty Gourmand, the jury has declared Zesty Gourmand as the winner!"
A small, thin unicorn with hollow cheeks and dull grey eyes nodded measuredly. She took no notice of her opponent's congratulations. Rumble noticed how Ramson's eyes narrowed, not unlike the way he often looked at Rumble when he failed something simple. But even so… the glare he directed at Zesty carried an undertone of real anger that Rumble had never had to endure.
But Rumble knew why. Zesty was an infamous case in the culinary trade, known for nearly single handedly having ruined some of the finest restaurants in Canterlot over the span of a few years. He had never expected to see her here, much less as a competitor. From what Rumble knew, she was a sommelier, but he didn't know she could actually cook for herself, much less at this level. And the apprentice she had with her didn't seem to be of much help either. He had even dropped a plate before!
Hopefully Saffron could dispatch Zesty in the semi finals. While Rumble may only be an apprentice, he still did not like the idea of having somepony like that competing in the topmost echelons of his trade.
"For the third group, Mulia Mild versus Gustave le Grand , the jury has declared Gustave le Grand as the winner!"
Gustave took off his chef's hat and made a sweeping bow. Rumble stared a little bit. He had never seen a fully grown griffon before and Gustave was certainly imposing. He was going to be their next opponent, if he and Ramson advanced.
"And finally, the fourth group with the reigning champion himself, The Master Chef Ramson, versus Rosemary Ray! The jury has decided… that Ramson advances!"
The booming voice reverberated in Rumble's head, making his knees go weak. They did it. He did it! He did not fail!
"Congratulations to all of you! You have three hours before the semi-finals begin! Your task: to make a meal themed around… 'The Perfect Date!' Use this time wisely to plan your dishes! You will have exactly seventy-five minutes to work with!"
Before Rumble could try to stop himself from cheering, the voice of Ramson did it first.
"Tomtit."
"Yes, chef!" Rumble said, almost saluting his master.
"I want you to take half an hour to think about this assignment. If I have understood your relationship with young Miss Glow correctly, you have some... more recent knowledge about the dating scene than me. Come back with a suggestion for your perfect date. And if you suggest oatburger I'll make sure you end this competition in the dumpster outside." He finished with his usual annoyed grunt that Rumble knew so well.
"Yes chef! I'll… have to consult my special somepony." Rumble replied, the feeling of anticipation filling his chest like a balloon. This was a real assignment! This could be crucial!
"Then don't just stand there!" Ramson grumbled, swishing his tail in annoyance.
Rumble nearly jumped at the abrupt ending of the conversation. Then he actually did jump up in the air to see if he could spot wherever Cozy had disappeared to. Thankfully, she was easy to spot, sitting in a window alcove. Even if he couldn't see her face from where he was, he somehow knew she was thoughtful.
He flew down and landed next to her in the alcove. There was just enough space for them both.
"You heard about the next assignment, right?" He asked.
Cozy nodded, but she didn't look at him. Instead she kept her eyes trained on Zesty's apprentice, a green unicorn, probably even younger than Rumble. He looked… thoroughly lost, ears flicked down and glancing about everyone so often. But why was Cozy so interested in him?
Whatever the reason, it could wait. He only had thirty minutes (or probably twenty eight at this point) so he had better make them count. "Hey, Cozy? Some help here?" He nudged her gently in the side with his muzzle.
She seemed to startle a little. "Oh-! Sorry, what did you say?"
Definitely weird… she was usually so attentive. "The task for the semi-finals is the perfect date, and Ramson wanted me to get some input."
She brightened. "So he said I got to choose!"
Rumble chuckled. "Something like that. So, what would be the perfect date for you?"
"Hmm…" Cozy hummed, touching her cheek with a forehoof, "Well, the jury will want something that speaks about love… but it can't be too obvious either. Like… it has to be elegant and discreet… you can't just make a pink dish and write 'I love you' on it, right?"
Rumble nodded. "That's the hard part. It has to be a dish that I want to eat on my perfect date, but also something that holds the class and elegance as to win the semi-final in the CCC!"
Cozy tilted her head. "Hmm… I dunno about the class part. So what would you like for your perfect date? Or rather, what makes a date perfect?"
Rumble looked out of the window, reminding a certain perfect date of his own. "I guess the mood… and the pony I'm dating," he nuzzled her again, and she nuzzled back with a giggle. "When I can talk with her… and she really gives me all the attention and-" he stopped himself. He did not have the time for reminiscing about the first date he ever took Cozy to.
"But how do you capture that part in your food though?" Cozy asked with a grin. "Because when you are with a pony you like the food doesn't have to be perfect, just the company."
Rumble agreed to that. This task sounded simple, but once you got into what it really meant, it became deceptively hard. How do you capture something that is not at all about food with your cooking?
He wanted to think he was overanalyzing this, but he had a feeling he was not… If this was just about cooking something fancy for a date, then Ramson probably knew hundreds of recipes by heart. He wouldn't have bothered asking Rumble for help in that case… besides, this competition was now between the four best chefs in Equestria. The jury wouldn't just ask them to make something fancy. They expected more… they expected an idea that the competitors put their heart and soul into.
"The food doesn't have to be perfect… just the company," Rumble repeated silently, watching the autumn sky shining above the golden and brown fields around Canterlot.
But then what if he just made something for his own date? Would that be enough? If he just pretended he was bringing Cozy out to a surprise candlelit dinner, then what would he want to make her? If he just told the jury that he had dedicated his dish to Cozy?
Maybe… Maybe that could work… but then Ramson had to trust Rumble enough to sell that story to the jury, and they had to make something that represented Cozy.
Fortunately, he had an idea for how he could do that…
"I think I have an idea…" he said slowly, turning his gaze back at the smiling filly. "Yeah, that could work! Got to go; We'll need to prepare! Cheer for me!" He gave her a quick peck on the cheek as a thank-you for the inspiration before he hopped away from the alcove and trotted back to his master. This hinged on being able to convey the idea, but if he did, then he felt sure it would fit the task perfectly.
"Will do!" Cozy called after him.
It still felt… warm, and almost a little ticklish where his lips had pecked her cheek. She reached up to brush against the spot, just to confirm it again. It was wonderful how every time he took the initiative to show how much he loved her, she still found herself a bit surprised. It was like some part of her mind had half expected his confession to have been a happy dream. But when he showed her his love, it soothed her.
Well then! Cozy shook her head and fixed her eyes on what had been bothering her. She was going to figure it out. For Rumble's sake!
Zesty's apprentice… he did not fit in.
Granted, he was the only apprentice besides Rumble, so the sample pool wasn't exactly big. Still… when he had dropped the plate before, he hadn't looked shocked. Sure, he had pretended to, but Cozy felt like he was faking… and the more she looked, the stranger it all became. He didn't actually work. At all. He just grabbed random things from the pantry, brought them to Zesty, then he brought them back without them even being used for anything. It was like he was just inventing tasks so it would look like he worked, and with everypony focusing on the chefs themselves, it wasn't likely anypony would notice.
But what was the point then? What did Zesty gain from having a dolt like that running about her legs, dropping plates?
Cozy didn't know, but she was sure there was something at play. Call it a schemer's intuition.
This warranted further investigation. But what could she do? She wasn't in the competition. In fact she didn't know the first thing about cooking. How could she investigate anything without getting kicked out from the room?
Actually… come to think about it, that might not be too hard after all. She did happen to have a powerful connection who could get her in anywhere, if Cozy just phrased it well.
Unfortunately, that meant she had to leave her targets unsupervised for a while.
But the chances of learning anything new by just looking didn't feel too great. She flapped her wings and took flight to find Twilight.
As expected, she was not hard to find. She was cooped up in her study, but for once she was not working. The alicorn was on her bed reading a tome so heavy it put a massive dent in her mattress. Whatever it was must be engrossing, by the way her tail swished back and forth behind her.
"Twilight!" Cozy called. Twilight jumped in surprise and looked around wildly before spotting Cozy.
"Oh, you surprised me," Twilight said. "Did you want something?" She asked with a smile.
"Uh-huh," Cozy nodded sweetly and put on her best "innocent-little-filly" face. "I was cheering for Rumble, down in the ballroom where the competition is being held. You know?"
Twilight just slightly tilted her head and nodded, still smiling. "Yes. I'll admit that I didn't know of 'CCC' until now, but it seems to be a pretty big deal."
Cozy approached Twilight's bed, with the most innocent and polite smile she could muster. "Well, I figured that it'd be a nice thing for everypony competing if the Princess herself graced them with her presence… and when the jury was done, I'm sure all the competitors would be honored if you tried some of their dishes!"
"Oh…" Twilight blushed. "Do you really think that's appropriate? They must know I don't know much about food."
"Golly, you're silly sometimes," Cozy giggled. "Everypony thinks you know everything about everything! You're an alicorn!"
"But that's not true, and I don't want ponies to think it is," Twilight said, with a little bit of authority in her voice.
"Well… then this is an opportunity to learn!" Cozy said and shifted tactics. If there was one thing Twilight liked, it was new knowledge. "Think of it! The best chefs of all are down there right now! That book will be there tomorrow, but this opportunity to see the best of the best work won't be!" Cozy emphasized with a wide wave of her forehoof.
"Hmm… that's true," Twilight pondered for a moment. "Fine, I'll come join." Cozy forced herself to not clap her hooves together from the easy victory.
"...On one condition."
Cozy tilted her head, her grin faltering a little.
"Could you tell me what you are playing at, Cozy?" Twilight asked, raising her eyebrows.
Knowing that lying to Twilight or using her sweet voice would do more harm than good, Cozy decided to tell a truth. Not the truth, perhaps, but a truth nonetheless. "Well… maybe I hoped that you'd introduce your faithful student and let her try some of the foods too. Especially since Rumble asked me for advice and he said I inspired him. I just… wanted to try his dish."
Twilight looked curiously in Cozy's eyes, but after a while she smiled widely and nodded. "I think I can do that, Cozy. I'll make sure you can try any food you will want... uh, just as soon as I'm done with this chapter, okay?" Twilight offered her a sheepish smile.
Cozy rolled her eyes. Some things never changed…
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You know this is something I just thought of so I’m going to ask; where has Spike been this whole time? He was only mentioned once in the first story and we haven’t seen him or even heard about him since.
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He is in the dragonlands with Ember as Equestria's official ambassador and Envoy of Friendship. While he will probably always see Equestria as his home and Twilight as his family, it only makes sense he'd want to experience some of his own people's culture as well. Especially if it means he get to help make the dragonlands a better place by helping to spread the ideas of friendship and generosity with the dragons. Clearly they seems to be a bit behind in those things. But he keeps in touch with Twilight through letters.
Fun chapter, I wonder how Cozy will use Twilight to catch the cheaters.
It seems that the quality of your writing has improved a lot since "Castling Cozy Glow." I remember I felt annoyed somewhat frequently when reading that story due to the less-than-great grammar and such. But in this chapter it all flowed well. Keep it up.
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All thanks to my proofreader. I still make a lot of mistakes that they catch and that I clean up before publishing. I sometimes fins myself wondering how much better Castling could have been if I had their help back then too.
Probably would’ve made more sense if I had said this earlier but I wonder how Luna feels about the fact that Cozy is staying in her room.
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My guess is that Twilight's conveniently forgotten to explicitly mention this. What Luna doesn't know doesn't hurt her, right?
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Yeah. I get the feeling she wouldn’t necessarily be happy about it though.
NO MORE ONIONS!!!
Love Cozy gearing up to give Rumble a piece of her mind.
Aww! She does care!
Love how he knows what she's thinking and shuts her down immediately. That's how Cozy Glow is best handled directly; without giving her time to scheme or plan.
Times like this I wish Cozy was a baker like in cannon so she and Rumble would have more to talk about. Maybe a scene where Ransom critiques her baking;
"Do you like my Cupcakes?" "They were adequate at best." "Adequate? Why you!" "What she's trying to say is thank you chief, for the honest and helpful feedback!" "I'll show him honest feedback!"
Figured he was part of Zesty's scheme pretty early on. The clever part was how he fit in though.
This is a great dialogue. It feels like how I'd imagine a conversation between Twilight and Cozy Glow would go.