First Plate
Sugar Belle hummed as she placed the last of her cupcakes in the display case. She was quite proud of them. She couldn't have done anything like this when Starlight Glimmer had everypony's cutie marks. She sighed under her breath. Even though she's forgiven her, some things...are better left unsaid.
The sun's rays finally entered the kitchen through the windows, announcing the morning. Sugar Belle smiled as the thought of feeding her guests delicious treats entered her mind. She couldn't think of anything better, especially on this beautiful morning. It almost seemed like Celestia put an extra shine on the sun today and its warmth rejuvenated her as she stood up straight.
She marched over to the door and hooked a hoof around a wooden board that announced whether or not the shop was closed or open. With a deft, practiced movement, the shop was open for business. Sugar Belle turned around to take her place behind the counter and was surprised to find a pink pony already waiting in front of the cash register.
"...Pinkie Pie?" The pony didn't move. Sugar Belle frowned, she was sure that that was her name. Her frown deepened as she went around the counter to reveal that the pony was indeed, Pinkie Pie.
"Oh, hiya!" The mare suddenly perked up with a huge grin. "I'm looking for somepony, I was wondering if you've seen her."
"Uh...sure?" Sugar Belle had no idea what was going on.
"Great!" Pinkie jumped up with excitement, but Sugar Belle could've sworn that she didn't see Pinkie's hooves go off the ground. "Starlight told me that there was this pony in her village who made treats. I think she said her name was Sugar Belle. Do you know her?" She leaned in, her eyes innocent and questioning.
Sugar Belle was now very confused. She was quite certain that she introduced herself when the six friends entered the town. "Oh, uhm, that's me. I'm Sugar Belle..."
"Oh, wow! That's crazy! There are two Sugar Belles? Who would've thought." Pinkie made a show of tapping her chin with a hoof while trying to look serious. Somehow, she pulled it off.
"No no no, I'm Sugar Belle! The one you're looking for?"
"Are you sure?" The mare turned her gaze to inspect Sugar Belle more closely. The other mare shrunk back. "The mare I'm looking for had this big fake grin, her pelt kind of dull, her mane was style up weirdly, and she had this cutie mark of two straight lines! Surely, you can't be her." Pinkie paused and then snorted. "Ha! I just called you Shirly...Your name isn't Shirly, right?"
Sugar Belle was dumbfounded. "B...but, but that's me. I looked like that before you freed us from Starlight's control."
"Oh, really?" The earth pony paused. "That checks out! Okay, I challenge you to a Shokugeki!"
食
戟
"Hé?" Sugar Belle looked around, utterly baffled. They were no longer in her shop. Not only that, they were not even in the village! She didn't recognize any of these ponies or these houses. But...this community, it seemed homely. Those two mares, the one with the bowtie and the one with the crazy glasses, they look like they're having the best time. Off to the right, a trio of mares were arguing over a flower arrangement, but Sugar Belle could feel the love between the three of them. Before she could get lost in the beauty of this town, a hoof suddenly latched onto hers and started dragging her away. "Hey! W...wait!"
It happened again.
Within a blink, she was in a completely different place, but she still recognized the houses. So they were still in the same village. The immediate setting was a bit different though. It looked like an amphitheater. She turned around to find her 'attacker' and to maybe get a better look at this place. Then yelped to see Pinkie merely inches away from her face.
"Pinkie!" Sugar Belle yelped before scrambling away. "You scared me!"
"Oh, you silly filly, this isn't a scare off, this is a bake off!" The mare paused. "Actually, it's more a food war, whatever that means."
"...WHAT?"
"Oop, looks like she finally snapped. I should probably get Twilight." Pinkie dashed off, leaving just a pink contrail and some dust.
Barely two minutes passed by by the time Pinkie returned with Twilight Sparkle in hot pursuit. Sugar Belle barely had time to register anything before magical pops started appearing everywhere, dropping random cooking equipment and supplies. She even pulled out several large, red covers, books with the letters 'WGO' engraved with gold on the cover.
"Sugar Belle, you have been challenged to an Shokugeki by Pinkie Pie. Do you accept?" Twilight looked down, peering down some glasses she had somehow acquired, with a very serious expression.
"Ha...Hai!" Sugar Belle felt compelled to say it.
"Uesh!" There was another loud pop and suddenly the amphitheater was filled with ponies. The deafening silence was immediately shattered with the equally deafening cheers and stomps of an excited audience. "Here are the rules! Both chefs have to make desserts. They are free to use any strategy as well as ingredients. Once the dish is finished, each chef will present their finished product to the judges who will consist out of me, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna." Twilight Sparkle sat down in a comfortable looking throne that sat behind a large table. To the left and right of her sat Luna and Celestia respectively. All three looked very intimidating as they stared down at the still very confused Suger Belle.
"The Shokugeki will commence in five, four, three, two...BEGIN!" Princess Celestia called out.
Sugar Belle watched as Pinkie disappeared behind a walled off area that wasn't there before. Deciding that she still had no idea what was happening, she quickly hurried after the pink pony. Maybe she'll be able to explain everything. But before she could continue that train of thought, her mouth immediately fell open the moment her eyes landed upon what was behind the door.
Rows and rows of ingredients.
She was snapped out of her food trance when Pinkie rushed past her with a shopping cart filled with various items and produce. Sugar Belle was about to call after her when a line echoed through her head. "This is a bake off." The mare gritted her teeth. So, Pinkie wants a Shokugeki? She'll give her a Shokugeki.
"And here comes Sugar Belle with her ingredients!" Princess Luna commented.
"Indeed sister, but it looks like Pinkie is already done with hers. Sugar Belle will need to speed things up in order to catch up." Princess Celestia murmured with a smile playing on her lips. With a jolt of horror, did she realize how much trouble she was in. Sugar Belle quickly put on the gas and started to unpack everything and start throwing them into pots and pans and started whisking and started blending. While she did this, she kept an eye on Pinkie as she brought her finished dish to the judges.
"Here ya go, Princesses! I call this, Daisy Danger, Pinkie Patented!" The dish looked like a blue popsicle with a red outline. It was very unorthodox, but the aroma... Sugar Belle felt her knees go weak. The aroma smelled simply divine.
"This smells delicious!" Luna announced before taking a huge bite. Celestia took a dainty one while Twilight took a moderate one. There was a silent second as the audience watched with bated breath. And then, without warning, the three of them started moaning with pleasure.
"The Itailanese Parmesan really accentuates the daisies!" Luna exclaimed before taking another hearty bite.
"I have never tasted something so refined yet playful before!" Celestia, too, exclaimed.
"Indeed! The bitterness of the daisies, combined with the tang of the parmesan, really melts onto the tongue and creates this really pleasing aftertaste in your mouth." Twilight said before sighing, content.
"Bu...but, that wasn't a dessert!" Sugar Belle felt the need to say. If she was going to compete, she was going to make darn sure that Pinkie was going to play fair.
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong." Pinkie grinned slyly. The other chef tilted her head in confusion, then gasped as the three judges arched their backs and cried to the heavens with ecstasy.
"Wha...what is this pleasure!" Celestia moaned out, her wings stretched out to their maximum wingspan, dwarfing both Twilight's and Luna's.
"How can this be!?" Luna's hooves were roaming across her body as if her pelt had become very hot and unbearable.
"This...this sweetness! It's now the complete opposite of the beginning!" Twilight all but shouted, literal hearts floating in her irises.
"That's right!" Pinkie somehow swapped her chef costume for a professor lab coat. "I used honey from the Everfree and hid it in the middle of the popsicle so the effect would only come out after you've tasted the daisies and parmesan."
Sugar Belle gasped. "But Everfree honey is extremely potent, how did you tone the flavor down to accentuate the earlier taste?"
"Hehe, I used fried hay."
There was a loud gasp from everypony present.
"That's genius!" Twilight said after somewhat coming out of her food coma. "The 10 percent of CP in hay collides with the high temperatures of the fryer and those two meld with the honey to lessen the effects of the flavor without actually losing the flavor itself! Brilliant!"
Sugar Belle held her head high as she marched to the judges table with her own creation. She exuded enough confidence that it pierced through the haze of deliciousness Pinkie had hexed them with. As she neared, the more effort the Princesses made to collect themselves.
"Seems like Sugar Belle has finished her dish." Celestia coughed out, her cheeks still flush from the high of Pinkie's dessert.
"Indeed, although I'm not sure how it'll compare to Pinkie's." Luna commented, her eyes already turning dreamy as thoughts of tasting the popsicle again.
"Now now, we must be fair. We have to be model judges after all." Twilight chided the younger diarch. "When you're ready, Sugar Belle."
"Thank you, Your Highness." She set the plates down. "May I present to you, Apple Fritter, Belle Style!"
Some laughter and confused 'huhs?' Echoed behind her. Apple fritters are so common and so easy to make. Why would a chef like her ever resort to such cheap tactics. Sugar Belle never let her gaze dip.
"Hmm, she looks determined." Twilight commentated.
"Perhaps she has a surprise waiting for us." Luna said, finally curious.
The dish Sugar Belle had concocted looked not unlike your typical apple fritter, the only visual difference, however, was that the crust looked more shinier than usual.
She watched as the three alicorns took a bite at the same time. The effect was almost instantaneous, as the three immediately started writhing in their seats with pleasure. Then, one by one, did their mouths open up to let out wails of need. The fritter was gone within moments.
Sugar Belle smiled smugly as she caught an astounded look from Pinkie.
"Did I taste ylang ylang in that fritter?" Twilight asked after catching her breath, sweat still falling form her forehead.
"Yep. Fresh from the Fillyppines. The ylang ylang flower has a very distinctive umami flavor that enhances apples perfectly. That as well as hints of sea salt and moon dust." That last ingredient caught Luna's attention as she looked at the dish with new eyes. All ponies involved with this silly competition looked at with new eyes.
"Not bad, not bad at all." Pinkie Pie grinned widely and slapped Sugar Belle on the rump, causing her to scamper away and blush heavily.
"Well, we have decided on the winner." Twilight paused for dramatic effect. "The winner of this Shokugeki, the 83rd hosted in Ponyville, is Sugar Belle!"
Luna nodded confidently. "While I'm supposed to remain impartial, the decision to add moon dust was simply genius."
"Indeed, you did very well, my little ponies." Celestia smiled.
"Thank you, Your Highnesses." Sugar Belle bowed low, if only to hide the embarrassed flush.
"Now, go forth and spread your culinary genius with Equestria!" Celestia said with such force that before Sugar Belle realized what was happening, she was already some ways away from the amphitheater.
"Wauw, that was so cool, Sugar Belle!" Pinkie suddenly pulled up beside her. "Who would've thought you were such a good chef?"
"...wait, wasn't that the reason you issued a Shokugeki?" Sugar Belle asked, still somewhat confused about the whole thing.
"Nope! I only asked you because nopony else wanted to battle me." Pinkie giggled. "I'm glad we had this battle. NOW LET'S HAVE ANOTHER SHOKUGEKI!"