This is the 28th chapter. I don't own the series of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
MMMystery on the Friendship Express
Today in Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie is seen with her daughter and the Cakes as they're in front of a large cake that had pale yellow icing, with bright pink trim around the bottom edges, an apple and orange rest on top, and the rest of four layers also had red flowers. This cake was meant to be for the National Dessert Competition in Canterlot and Pinkie Pie was in charge of taking it there.
"Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness." Pinkie Pie said with admiration, then turns to the Cakes. "You've really outdone yourselves, Mr. and Mrs. Cake. This is sure to be the winning entry of this years National Dessert Competition."
"It sure would, because this cake is really amazing." Rose Lotus adds.
"Oh, thank you!" Mrs. Cake replied with a smile.
"And thanks for transporting it all the way to Canterlot for us." Mr. Cake adds.
"Absolutely!" Pinkie Pie replied. "It's my honor and I-"
"Uh, beg pardon, but could we maybe move things along?" Applejack interrupts hesitantly with a suggestion. "This here cake's a mite heavy. Right, Big Macintosh? Pa?"
It is revealed that Big Mac had that cake balanced on his back while Bright Mac helps his son out, struggling not to hit the floor.
"Eeyup...!" Big Mac and Bright Mac grunts.
"Alrighty then!" Pinkie Pie said as she puts on a hard hat with a top-mounted red light, which begins to flash. "To the train depot!"
She and Rose Lotus backs out of Sugarcube Corner, turning themselves into the ponies equivalent of a pilot car escorting two big rigs with an oversize load, and Big Mac eases after her while Bright Mac follows them in case his son gets too tired. Barricades have been set up to keep the crowd back from the side door, where they are leading them out. The Cakes then follow behind them to keep watch of their large dessert.
"That's it, Big Mac, nice and slow. This is precious cargo you're carrying." Pinkie Pie said when the layers on the cake starts to wobble a bit, worrying both Mr. and Mrs. Cake.
"Yes, it took months of planning and testing." Mr. Cake points out.
"I would hate for it to-"
Mrs. Cake then was interrupted when Big Mac groans as his legs buckle, threatening to bring the dessert down around his ears. He muscles it back up to the level.
"-Fall!" Mr. and Mrs. Cake finished their sentence as he then faints dramatically at the huge pastry almost being destroyed.
"Don't worry, Mr. and Mrs. Cake." Pinkie Pie assures as she then spots Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Winter Breeze, and Storm Hawk flying in and getting their attention. "Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Storm Hawk, Winter Breeze, a little pegassistance?"
The six Pegasi have now attached ropes to the cake platter's handles to help steady it are leading the cake to the train station. A cake teeter toward Fluttershy and Winter Breeze's side when Rainbow Dash yanked it to balance it.
"We'll get it there safely, I hope." Rose Lotus said nervously with a gulp.
This fails to reassure the couple as Mr. Cake starts to sweat and Mrs. Cake forces a laugh.
"Oh...of course, Rose." Mrs. Cake said.
"We never doubted you." Mr. Cake adds.
However, the next weight shift starts the high-rise confection toppling toward Rainbow Dash and Storm Hawk as they zip over to Fluttershy and Winter Breeze's side so they can haul in the ropes while Bright Mac grabs hold of the platter and lift it up. Balance is restored, but Mrs. Cake's eyes look to pop out of her sockets and Mr. Cake keels over again dramatically. Pinkie Pie and Rose Lotus spots Twilight reading a book and Mario spending his time with Comet, and Daylight and getting their attention.
"Twilight, Mario, Comet, Daylight, can I see you four for a second?" Pinkie Pie offered.
Soon the four unicorns are stepping ahead with their horns glowing and eyes narrowed in determination as they walk between Big Mac, Bright Mac, and the Cakes, keeping a spherical forcefield around the cake.
"A nice protective spell as extra insurance." Pinkie Pie said with a nervous laugh. "Better safe than sorry."
The Cakes alternate panicked glances between Twilight, Mario, Comet, and Daylight, and the cake, their faces betraying the less-than-total trust they have in this jury-rigged freight move.
"AJ, Apple Shine, Buttercup, Rarity, Golden Charm, Kronk one last thing?" Pinkie Pie said.
Applejack, Rarity, Buttercup, Kronk, Golden Charm, and Apple Shine, holding up an old-style fireman's safety net similar in appearance to a round trampoline in their teeth on opposite sides. The ponies are now helping keep the giant dessert in check, all at once. Luckily, they're just approaching the train station and Pinkie Pie and Rose Lotus gives a reassuring smile.
"All right, everypony, we're in the home stretch here." Pinkie Pie said.
They were so close that the Cakes started freaking out and Mr. Cake was hyperventilating at the pressure that he was feeling.
"See, Mr. and Mrs. Cake? I got it here without a hitch!" Pinkie Pie told them with a smile.
Rose Lotus then opens the train car door open so that they all could be on their way to Canterlot, but there's just one problem.
"Now all we have to do is get it...in?" Pinkie Pie said which sets in confusion to everypony as event though they have made it there.
It quickly becomes apparent that this thing is far too tall and wide to go through the doorway. Mr. Cake then dramatically hits the deck for third time. However, a thought came to Comet and Daylight as they got an idea on how to get the cake inside of the train.
"We've got an idea." Daylight said when her and Comet's horn stop glowing.
"Really? What is it?" Pinkie Pie asks curiously.
"We're just going to use some spells, but don't freak out please?" Comet said.
Twilight and Marios top glowing their horns as Comet and Daylight were about to use a spell that could get the large cake inside of the train. They then make their horns glow immensely as the cake was starting to look transparent. Everypony was surprised at that.
"What's that spell, you two?" Twilight asks.
"It's intangibility spell." Comet grunts. "So, now the cake is like a ghost and we can get inside without it being ruined."
Both of the Cakes get relieved sighs at that and the two foals levitates the entire cake inside of the train.
"Alright, everypony in the car." Mario suggests. "The spell is only temporary, so you need to quickly tell where to put it."
They nod at that as they all run inside of the train to check on the cake that Comet and Daylight were carrying and they look to see that it wasn't completely in the middle. Pinkie Pie then peeks her head out of the train to instruct Comet and Daylight on where to place it.
"Over to the left!" Pinkie Pie said.
Comet and Daylight levitates the cake in the train to the left, but it's too excessive as it is now peeking out of the train a little.
"No! No! No! Too much left!" Pinkie Pie said. "A little to the right!"
Comet and Daylight slowly moves the cake to the right as Pinkie Pie suggested.
"Stop!" Pinkie Pie said.
The cake stops moving inside of the train as it was now in the middle, but still hovering in the air.
"Now, lower it just a teeny weeny bit." Pinkie Pie suggested.
Comet and Daylight starts to sweat as they didn't know how much longer that they can keep the cake intangible and lowers the as instructed slowly until Pinkie Pie gave them the option to stop.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnd...that's good!" Pinkie Pie said.
Daylight and Comet stopped the intangibility spell along with levitating the cake and breathed heavily as they collapses down.
My Little Pony, My Little Pony
Ahhhh
My Little Pony
I use to wonder what friendship could be
My Little Pony
Until you all share this magic with me
Big adventure,
Tons of fun,
A beautiful heart,
Faithful and strong,
Sharing kindness
It's an easy feat
And magic makes it all complete
You all have my little ponies
Do you know all you're my best friends?
Twilight walks towards to her kids, using her magic to levitate them on her back and walked inside of the train car with the rest of ponies as they all stand around the cake together.
"They're really worn out from all that magic of levitating the cake." Twilight told them, looking at Comet and Daylight with a smile. "But I'm so proud of them."
"I can thank them later." Pinkie Pie suggested. "But, thank you all for helping me get the cake safely on the dessert car."
"Thank you for inviting us all to go with you to Canterlot for the National Dessert Competition." Twilight said excitedly.
"I'm sure the festivities will be just lovely." Rarity states.
"Aye, it'll be like a baking competition to see which cake had a tasty flavor and amazing appearance." Golden Charm agrees. "Almost like The Great British Bake-Off Show I use to watch."
"This also almost reminds me of Cake Wars series." Storm Hawk adds when the foals nodded in agreement when the ponies looked at them in confusion.
"'Great British Baking Show'? What in tarnation is that?" Applejack questions.
"And what is 'Cake Wars'?" Rainbow Dash adds.
"Oh, right." Golden Charm said. "Well, the Great British Bake-Off Show is a British TV series where the amateur bakers compete each other to impress two judges with their baking skills. They start with Signature Challenge to show-off their tried and taste recipes for bakes they might make for their friends and family. Technical Challenge is where it requires technical knowledge and experience to produce a certain product when given only limited instructions. The hard part about it is the bakers get the recipes and aren't told beforehand."
"How is that even fair?!" Rainbow Dash asks with a glare.
"It isn't, the bakers need to figure it out on their own. It can be frustrating, but that's what the competition is for." Golden Charm answered with a shrug. "Anyway, the third is the Showstopper Challenge, where the bakers get to show off their skills and talents to impress the judges in between appearance and flavors. If the judges are impressed, they get to choose one baker for the win in each round, but one of the bakers has to leave in each round until three bakers were chosen to the finals."
"And I take it three bakers will have to face against each other until one baker impress the judges?" Mario inquires, earned a nod from the Irish colt.
"But I can promise you, it's a friendly competition." Golden Charm assures them as the ponies nod with an understanding.
"And what about the 'Cake Wars'?" Rainbow Dash inquires.
"It's a cake competition series in US where four bakers face off to have their cakes featured in special events, in addition to 10,000 dollars prize." Storm Hawk explains. "The first round is called 'Batter-Up', where bakers are required to choose a certain number of ingredients that go with the theme. But there's a catch in the end of the first round, one contestant is eliminated while the rest will continue on a second round called 'Cake-Off, where each team gets two more assistants to help them make the biggest creations and improve their any mistakes they've made in the first round. And before the winner is announced, one person of the three remaining competitors is eliminated, and one winner is chosen from the two remaining contestants."
"Wow, there might some link to the baking competitions here in Canterlot." Twilight said with a ponder. "We might inform Princess Celestia about it."
"Phooey the competition!" Applejack said as she gives Twilight a hard nudge to her shoulder. "I can't wait to try all those tasty treats!"
Applejack walked up to the cake, licked her lips and extends a hoof tentatively toward the sky-high cake, only to get it clapped away by Mario.
"We can eat some cake after the competition, Applejack." Mario told his sister. "I can't wait for them to show all of their desserts. It's been a long time since I've been to the National Dessert Competition. I used to attend with Princess Celestia all the time before starting Magic School."
"Did ya try competin'?" Apple Shine asked.
"Nope, not even one because the competition is always pretty fierce." Mario answered. "That and I've been focusing on martial arts and how to harness the nature element and earth element with Master Wu and Cole."
"Well, the tastiest treat of all is sure to be the Cakes Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness." Pinkie Pie said as she stood before the cake with her fore-hooves on the table. "All that rich creamy goodness of the marzipan, combined with the tart tanginess of the mascarpone, blended perfectly with the smooth, silky sweetness of the meringue."
The rest of the ponies, except Comet and Daylight who are still napping, look at the cake with awe as Applejack drools and let's her tongue hang out at how delicious the dessert looks.
"That's why I call the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness the 'MMMM'." Pinkie Pie said.
"MMMM!" The Mane 6, the 7 foals, Kronk, Bright Mac, and Buttercup repeats in agreement.
"Exactly." Pinkie Pie said, leaps onto the table. "It's the most delicious delightful de-lovely cake in Equestria, and it's sure to win first prize."
"Zis not so..." The voice with a French accent said, startling the ponies and making Fluttershy crouch nervously.
Standing in an open doorway, a gryphon is seen with light gray plumage over dark arctic bluish gray fur, red handkerchief tied around his neck, white chef's toque, long thin curling black mustache, and scornful brilliant yellow eyes.
"For I, Gustave le Grand, do challenge your crude cake to a duel of delectable delicacies against my..."
He then reveals a plate of eclairs held up in radiance that sparks a gasp from the group.
"...exceptionally Exquisite Eclairs!" Gustave le Grand finished his sentence with a declaration.
The flare has come from a spotlight he held up with his free fore-limb. This is switched off and thrown aside as he sets the pastries on a table.
"Those are golden!" Winter Breeze said with a groan, rubbing her eyes.
"Golden is correct, madamoiselle." Gustave le Grand agrees. "They will undoubtedly strike down all ze competition, winning first prize and crowning me le champion."
"Not a chance, le Grand." The voice said.
A unicorn stallion with light amber fur coat, moderate orange mane and tail, moderate sap green eyes, and a doughnut cutie mark then walks inside of the train. This stallion was known as Pony Joe, who operates the Donut Shop in Canterlot.
"Donut Joe!" Mario and Twilight said together.
"What are you doing in Ponyville?" Twilight asked.
"Picking up the final all-important ingredient for my contest entry, Donutopia!" Pony Joe answered.
He pulled his cart in to reveal that it stands a range of skyscrapers built from varicolored donuts, with little strips of icing around the edges as windows.
"Oh man, eating that tasty town will fill your tummy with all Manehatten in it." Comet said as the foals agreed while Twilight and the mares respond with a giggle.
"But it's too bad your tummies won't last long." Applejack said with a smirk as the foals groaned.
"It won't be just the size and style..." Pony Joe said with a smirk as he then shakes some sprinkles on the dessert. "With these super-sprinkles, my donuts are going to dunk all the other lousy desserts, steal first prize, and make my donut shop famous forever!"
"Oh, Joe...Your dippy donuts could never out-rival me." The voice said.
Everypony looks to see another dessert coming through the door which is a life-size chocolate sculpture of a moose on a wheeled platform. Pinkie Pie emerges from her bemused friends and daughter with a smile and trots over to address the moose.
"Hello. What's your name?" Pinkie Pie asks.
Out from beside the chocolate moose came an elderly female mule with a pale light grayish amber fur coat with a pale light grayish apple green nose, dark gray mane and tail, moderate arctic blue eyes, and matching brilliant opal earrings and necklace.
"I am Mulia Mild." Mulia Mild introduces herself, showing the chocolate moose. "Behold, my Chocolate Mousse Moose."
The foals looked at the chocolate moose, which they're a bit confused.
"I don't get it, weren't a moose supposed to be fierce and intimidating?" Apple Shine asks.
"They do, but the moose we know is on Earth and not Equestria." Storm Hawk told her. "But that moose...it's goofy."
"Way goofy." Comet, Daylight, Winter Breeze, Golden Charm, and Rose Lotus agrees.
"It will trample all your treats, be given first prize, and make me the greatest chef in Equestria." Mulia Mild declared, ignoring the kids as the two chefs glared at her.
"Madame Mild, you and your mousse moose are mistaken." Gustave Le Grand retorted as Mulia Mild scowls at him.
"Your frou-frou eclairs will never defeat my donuts!" Pony Joe adds indignantly.
"The Cakes' Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness is going to win!" Pinkie Pie said.
"Your simple cake could never take my moose." Mulia Mild remarked.
The sound of a train whistle puts an end to the trash-talking as it meant that the train is ready for departure. Pinkie Pie and Pony Joe are locked in a full-bore stare-down, as are Gustave and Mulia, however the impasses breaks as Twilight approaches.
"Well, it sure looks like we're in for a delicious competition tomorrow." Twilight interjected. "Maybe we should all settle in for a good night's sleep."
Pinkie Pie's rivals reluctantly head for the dessert car's rear door, grumbling all the way. The doors to three compartments in this sleeping car are slid shut, leaving Pinkie Pie to stare after them from her spot in the dessert car.
"Sheesh, this is supposed to be a friendly contest." Daylight states.
"We've seen baking competitions before, but this is ridiculous." Storm Hawk points out. "I mean come on, how did this competition turns into this?"
"Easy tiger, it's like you said, it's a friendly competition." Rainbow Dash assures to her son.
"Anyway, do you know the other chefs?" Twilight asks, turns to Mario. "I mean we obviously know Joe."
"Yep." Mario answered. "Gustave le Grand is well-known for his culinary expertise in pastries while Mulia Mild is a well-known chocolate sculptor. The problem about Mulia's is if she's got the right amount of artistic merit as well as the perfect blend of chocolate taste and creamy texture. She's got a fighting chance. Same goes for Gustave le Grand if he's got the perfect ratio of puffed pastry to cream to even the right amount of chocolate glaze."
"You said you know the other chefs and you certainly artistic talented." Rarity said. "Have you ever considered making a sculpture yourself?"
"Not really, I didn't have the patience to make one." Mario answered. "And even if I did, it won't end well."
The ponies understands what Mario is telling them which it makes sense since he's been mostly focusing on martial arts and helping his family at Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow Dash then flies besides Pinkie Pie, stretching and yawning.
"I gotta admit I'm pretty beat." Rainbow Dash said.
"Yeah, I'm gonna hit the hay myself." Applejack nods.
It got the foals puzzled at that along with Mario, Buttercup, and Bright Mac, but a move toward the rear door is thwarted when Pinkie Pie blocks the passage.
"Wait!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "Didn't you hear those chefs? We have to protect 'MMMM'."
"'MMMM'?" Rarity replied, puzzled.
"What do you mean?" Rose Lotus asks, confused.
"I mean I know for super sure that 'MMMM' is the best dessert in all of Equestria, and I know that they know it too." Pinkie Pie answered.
"So..." Rainbow Dash says skeptically.
"So...one of them is going to sabotage the Cakes cake tonight!" Pinkie Pie told them. "You have to help me stand guard!"
Her friends and her daughter however just stare at her with disbelief.
"Pinkie...you're overreacting." Twilight said.
"Yeah, those chefs aren't going to do your cake any harm." Applejack assures her.
"Fine!" Rainbow Dash said. "If you want to stand guard, go for it! We're going to bed."
Rainbow Dash flies over Pinkie Pie's head, carving a divot through her mane that instantly seals itself. The rest of the ponies then walk past her to go to their sleeping cars, all except one when Rose Lotus walks to up to her mother.
"You're really that desperate to win, huh?" Rose Lotus asks when Pinkie nods vigorously at that, sighed. "I'll tell you what? I'll help you guard the cake."
"Really?" Pinkie Pie asks excitedly as Rose Lotus nods at that.
Pinkie Pie then gives her daughter a tight hug which she returns before the party pony leaps up onto the cake table as an equine shield.
"Come on, Rose!" Pinkie Pie said. "We've got to stay up all night and protect MMMM. This cake is secured on this perimeter! Let's let nothing happen to it!"
Rose Lotus nods. But little did they know, Mario and the rest of the foals were just watching Pinkie Pie and Rose Lotus from the window of the door between the two cars when Twilight stood next to them.
"I'm sure they'll be fine." Twilight said gently.
"I don't know, Mom, something just doesn't feel right." Comet said with worry when his sister agrees with a nod. "I mean...even if Rainbow Dash hadn't taken Pinkie Pie's words seriously. The fact she up and took off like that seemed...unusual."
"Hmm, now that you mention it, she did seem in a bit of a hurry." Twilight said with a ponder. "But you kids are gonna need some sleep, Mario will keep an eye on them."
"And don't worry, I'll help Pinkie and Rose stand guard the cake." Mario assures them.
Later that night as the lights in the train car have been put out, and the night sky can be seen through the half-raised window shades. Pinkie Pie grimly paces the floor in front of it while Rose Lotus was on the opposite side of the cake, but so far, nopony has even tried to sabotage the cake. Later, they both stood guard to keep a close eye on the cake. However, hour after hour in the night, Rose Lotus started to sleep while Pinkie Pie felt fatigued as she's starting to get tired from just staring at the cake the entire night.
Eventually, Pinkie Pie almost fell asleep due to staying up late at night, but that was all interrupted when a blur of a shadow whisks right past them and stopped, grabbing while being pulled away.
"What was that?!" Pinkie Pie shouts as Rose Lotus was startled from her sleep.
"Wha...What happen?" Rose Lotus asks, rubbing her eyes.
"The saboteur came that way! Follow me!" Pinkie Pie said as she and Rose Lotus ran to try to catch the culprit.
As Pinkie Pie and Rose Lotus pursue the intruder from car to car, they eventually ended up in the caboose car of the train outside. Rose Lotus stops instantly and Pinkie Pie skids to a halt, bumping into her daughter as they both look around to see that they were the only ponies in the area.
"That's funny. Where could they have gone after this?" Rose Lotus questions. "This is the back of the train!"
They both then return to the dessert car, and a found a silhouette that looked to cap on across the car from where they are. But the silhouette was caught and dragged up to the ceiling of the car. As soon as it dragged out of the view, Pinkie Pie grits her teeth and races after it with Rose Lotus following right behind her. They then end up near the front of the train which Pinkie Pie opens the door to catch the culprit.
"Aha!" Pinkie Pie said.
However it is then seen that the second mystery figure stands here, shoveling coal into the engine's furnace it remains as only the silhouette due to the glare from the flames. Pinkie Pie and Rose Lotus look at each other for a second, confused having no luck in catching would-be cake-nappers so far before they both retreat back towards home base. Pinkie Pie peeks in with a nervous little cry, but the MMMM was still intact. Rose Lotus just raises an eyebrow.
"You know, I hate to say it, but I think we're getting a bit paranoid." Rose Lotus said as Pinkie Pie grabs her daughters cheeks and brings her up to her face.
"Are you crazy?!" Pinkie Pie exclaims, surprised. "One of those bakers is mixing up something bad! For all we know, Mulia Mild could be an undercover ninja, Donut Joe could be hiding a knockout gas in here somewhere, or Gustave le Grand could be making an ambush right now with tons of utensils ready to slice the cake in half!"
Rose Lotus was baffled that Pinkie Pie was actually being paranoid.
"...I really don't think that they're sinister enough to lay traps around here." Rose Lotus points as Pinkie Pie giggles at little which made her confused. "What? Why are you laughing?"
"You said 'trap'." Pinkie Pie answered.
"Okay, I walked right into that one." Rose Lotus remarked, rolled her eyes with a smirk.
Suddenly, all of the window shades pull themselves shut to black out the screen which causes a gasp to come from both of them.
"Huh? Who turned out the moon?" Pinkie Pie asked when footsteps are heard along with the snap and a yelp which got their attention.
"Someone's here! It's coming that way!" Rose Lotus shouts.
"Don't go near that cake, thief!" Pinkie Pie said.
Both each run around in the dark to try and catch the culprit as they're both galloping all around the dark.
"Get back here!" Rose Lotus said, but land in a hard thud. "OW!"
"I got you now, thief!" Pinkie Pie said, pinning the culprit.
"Mom, that was me!" Rose Lotus shouts.
"Oh, sorry." Pinkie Pie apologizes.
Pinkie Pie couldn't see it, but she instantly got off of her daughter and if the light were showing, she would see Rose Lotus.
The lights come back up as both Pinkie Pie and Rose Lotus look around for anything that they see that's unusual, and the gypsy filly spots a painting hanging by the rear door that's been knocked.
"Mom, look!" Rose Lotus said, showing the painting to her. "That painting is crooked. The culprit must have went this way!"
Sliding the rear door open, Pinkie Pie and Rose Lotus look through as she aims a menacing growl down the empty corridor of the sleeping car, before looking at the picture again. Pinkie Pie then straighten up the painting before they both return to the cake.
"I take back what I said on us being paranoid." Rose Lotus said. "Someone is clearly tried to get a bite out of the cake."
"And Twilight says I'm overreacting?" Pinkie Pie remarked. "I knew I was going to have to keep a close eye on the MMMM, Rose, and that's exactly what we're going to do!"
Rose Lotus nods with an agreement. Pinkie Pie looks at the cake with her more ruthless stare, her front hooves propped on the tables edge so she can watch it from point-blank range while Rose Lotus also glares at the cake so that they can both keep an eye on it. However, they both in just a few seconds fall to the floor at an instant, going to sleep as they snore.
It's now morning as Rose Lotus and Pinkie Pie were both asleep peacefully, but that's not all.
Rose Lotus was lying on top of her mother, using her chest like a pillow while hearing her heartbeat and Pinkie Pie apparently had one of her hooves wrapped around her daughter. Daylight shines through the windows, and a rooster's crow from outside to cause both of them to wake up. They both open their eyes to then look at each other for a second before realizing what position they were in.
"Using my heartbeat to sleep better?" Pinkie Pie asks with a smile as Rose Lotus yawned.
"We must've fallen asleep." Rose Lotus said, stands up as she rubs her eyes.
"You're still a kid, Rosey, you need to sleep. And I really shouldn't have you help me." Pinkie Pie told her.
"Mom, I made a choice to help you guard the cake. True that I need some sleep, but how would I help if I'm not guarding it?" Rose Lotus told her.
"Rosey, I know you want to help, but you're still a filly and you need some sleep." Pinkie Pie points out, then sighed. "Look, I can be silly all the time, but there are times at that."
Pinkie Pie though, can be silly for the most part, but she still care of her daughter's well-being. Rose Lotus can tell that her mother is being serious this time, as she them nods with an understanding. Both Pinkie Pie and Rose Lotus then walk towards the cake and finds that it's still intact from the night which makes her beam.
"Oh, MMMM, you look mmmm-marvelous." Pinkie Pie said as Rose Lotus looks at the cake as well.
"It does look marvelous." Rose Lotus agrees, walks around to inspect the rest of the cake and sees that the section was also intact. "And it looks intact."
"That's because I was able to keep an eye on it without having both you notice." The voice of Mario told her, earned their attention when he walked inside of the dessert car.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Pinkie Pie asks, confused.
Mario then uses his nature element, dragging the ones who tried to get to the cake who's none other than Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity. It got both Pinkie Pie and Rose Lotus shocked at that.
Mario woke everypony and the bakers up as they all came to the dessert car when they notice Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity being wrapped in vines.
"Mario, what in tarnation is all this about?" Bright Mac asks.
"Glad you ask, see, while I was helping Pinkie and Rose keeping an eye on the cake by secret, I've been watching in the shadows, so I won't be seen." Mario explains. "You see...After last night, Pinkie and Rose are about to fell asleep since they're at their limits, I notice a certain speedy Pegasus tried to take a bite of that cake which I was able to prevent that from happening. And the first one was...Rainbow Dash!"
They gasp in shock and Rainbow Dash sweat bullets with a nervous chuckle as Pinkie Pie rushes at her.
"So, it was you who tried to take the cake? Fess up!" Pinkie Pie shouts angrily.
"Hold on, Pinkie. I did say it is Rainbow, but she didn't do it alone because there's more details." Mario told her, drags Pinkie Pie away with his magic. "Now, the second culprit is actually the opposite because she obviously quietly making her way to the cake, which again, I manage to caught her and it was...Fluttershy."
Now, Pinkie Pie tried to rush after Fluttershy, who hides under the vines in fright. Twilight then uses her magic to grab hold of Pinkie Pie.
"Pinkie, let Mario finish." Twilight suggests, then turns to Mario. "Is there somepony else who would even try to eat a cake?"
"Just one more, and I know a certain somepony who uses magic to close the shades in order to cover the light and preventing Pinkie and Rose from seeing someone." Mario answered. "And that happens to be...Rarity."
They then turned to the three ponies, who looked away in guilt.
"Well girls, do you have something to say after what Mario just told us?" Buttercup questions with a glare as Rainbow Dash sighed.
"Okay, fine! I did it! I tried to eat the cake, if it weren't for Mario!" Rainbow Dash admits with a grumble.
"Me too." Fluttershy adds.
"So did it." Rarity adds. "But I only meant to take a little, lady-like bite."
"Do you though?" Kronk asks, raising his eyebrow. "There are rules about eating other desserts before the competition, you know."
"What do you mean?" Rarity inquires curiously.
"If the judges find out that if the desserts are either destroyed or eaten before the competition, they'll end up disqualified." Daylight answered, but sighed. "I know the three of you are wanting to try it, but there are rules in the competition."
The three mares know that Daylight was right as they looked down with guilt, then turns to Pinkie Pie.
"I'm really, really sorry, Pinkie." Fluttershy said.
"Terribly sorry." Rarity adds.
"Sorry, Pinkie." Rainbow Dash adds.
"That's okay." Pinkie Pie replied. "At least the cake is still mmmm-marvelous."
"But wait just a minute here. They're not the only ones snuck into the dessert car last night." Mario told them, earned their attention.
"Why is that?" Twilight asked, confused.
"They're not the only ones who've tried to eat the desserts, the bakers are there as well." Mario told her, then slightly turns his head to the bakers. "There are several things that I noticed as I observed their movements and it got them suspicious! And in turn, I did find several."
Mario looks at Gustave le Grand straight in the face sternly.
"Starting with Gustave le Grand. While I caught Rainbow and dragging her back into the sleeping car...he's hiding the chocolate with his moustache!" Mario said, pulling Gustave's moustache, revealing the chocolate as everypony gasp at that and Rarity dramatically faints. "Clearly, he apparently was eating the chocolate mousse moose!"
Gustave le Grand gulps nervously and sweats at that as Mulia Mild glares at the gryphon.
"Why would he do that?" Rose Lotus asks. "We didn't see him in the dessert car last night."
"True, but it doesn't stop the fact that there is still someone else would go after the other desserts." Mario agrees with a serious look. "When I was able to catch Fluttershy, I saw a bit more evidence..."
The rest of the ponies blinked twice from that.
"Look on the ground right in front of Joe." Mario suggests, points to what looks to be crumbs and a frosting like substance on the ground. "When Joe walked in here earlier, that wasn't on the floor from what I've saw!"
He then gives a stern glare to Pony Joe as the baker starts to swear as well.
"Which means..."
Mario then uses his magic to reveal that Pony Joe had some the same things that was on the floor in his mane.
"He's clearly was hiding a dessert inside of his mane!" Mario said.
Everypony gasps from that as Pony Joe was flustered at this point that Mario had revealed some dirt on him.
"Oh man! He's on fire!" Rainbow Dash said.
"I...I...uh..." Pony Joe shuddered.
"Don't lie. You were also in the car when we were asleep as well, right?" Mario questions.
"...Yes..." Pony Joe admits with a sigh.
"However, there's one more baker. As a matter of fact, the third and final baker who's also responsible for sabotaging the dessert." Mario said, then turns to Mulia Mild. "While I observe after capturing Rarity, I notice there's one certain mule who was after the other ones."
Mario then approaches Mulia Mild with a serious glare as he stares close up at her.
"There's one feature that I noticed that got me see what made her another candidate for our dessert eater." Mario continues, looking at Mulia Milds cheeks hard. "If you look closely, Mulia old wrinkles are clearly hiding something for all of us to see. They're hard to look at, but easy to spot if you have a good eye."
"What is it?" Fluttershy inquires.
Mario then points to Mulia Mild's cheeks as everypony looks closely at her hard and for a few seconds they couldn't tell that anything was suspicious about her, but that was until they gasped.
"Great horny toads, he's right!" Apple Shine exclaims.
"That's right! If you look at her cheeks, there are sparkling and I don't mean the clean kind." Mario points out with a smirk as Mulia starts to sweat nervously. "You may have thought that we may not have noticed! But it's clear that you're a witness as well! That's when I spotted..."
Mario then pulls on Mulia Mild's cheek gently to reveal that in her wrinkles, sprinkles were coming out.
"The sprinkles hiding in your wrinkles!" Mario finished his sentence. "Which rhymes perfectly!"
The ponies let out an 'Ooooh!' from that while the bakers were just dumbfounded by Mario's resilient tact at finding clues.
"Sounds like you had a lot of fun munching on something sweet and delicious, do you?" Mario questions.
Mulia Mild had no response to that as she looks away from Mario in slight guilt look on her face.
"That's what I thought." Mario said with a serious glare as Pinkie Pie runs up to him with surprised look on her face.
"That's amazing, Mario!" Pinkie Pie said, amazed of his accuracy that can find clues faster. "You've not only caught our friends in the act, you've also caught these bakers in the act!"
"I have, and we can thank Master Wu for that since he taught me to be observe." Mario said.
"I guess being the Master of Nature has its perks." Storm Hawk states with a smirk.
"But what we wanna know is why did you three do that?" Comet questions to the bakers.
However, before they get to answer his questions, the train shoots into a tunnel, everyone's vision goes to black as Comet and Daylight use their magic to glow their horns to brighten the dessert car. It causes the baker to stop going after the desserts and the ponies screaming as when the lights came back on, which every desserts are still intact.
"That's my kids." Twilight praises her kids as Comet and Daylight's horns stop glowing.
Mario, Bright Mac, and Buttercup then glared at the bakers, who looked at each other in guilt.
"Oh, I am so sorry, Mulia." Gustave le Grand said. "But when I get a hold of your chocolate mousse moose, it was...tres magnifique."
"And your eclairs were really scrumptious." Pony Joe adds.
"And the way I taste your Donutopia, ooh, was too delectable to resist." Milda Mild said.
"Well, everypony learned something." Kronk said with a smile. "Don't let your greed get the best of you the next time something like this happens. Once you want something, you'll always want more."
Everyone let's out an agreeing chatter at that.
"And remember, the baking competition is a friendly competition, no use to sabotage each of the desserts." Golden Charm said.
"Very true, but we still have plenty of desserts for ze contest." Gustave le Grand agrees.
"And we're about to be there soon." Storm Hawk said.
Pinkie Pie then thinks of a letter to write to Princess Celestia.
'Dear Princess Celestia,
Today I learned that it is no good to jump to conclusions. You have to find out all the facts before saying somepony did something. If you don't, you could end up blaming somepony for something they never did. This could hurt their feelings, and it can make you look really foolish. So from now on, I will always make sure to get all the facts.'
In Canterlot, the National Dessert Competition is held as Mulia Mild, Gustave le Grand, Pony Joe, and Pinkie Pie bringing up to their desserts. The judges looked at the desserts, tasted it, and it got them impressed as they decided to give Pinkie Pie's cake a blue-ribbon prize. Gustave le Grand, Pony Joe, and Mulia Mild were disappointed, but they shake their hooves and talon in a respect and given their all for the competition. Princess Celestia then walks up to the cake and licking her chops at the sight of the cake.
"Care for some desserts, y'all?" Applejack offered.
After Princess Celestia offered the slices of cakes to the foals, Pinkie Pie pops up out of nowhere.
"I don't mind if I do." Pinkie Pie replied.
Pinkie Pie instantly leaps up and comes down on top of the cake, surprising everypony as she consumes it in one belly-busting bite and leaving the rest of them floored. They then share a good laugh.
That's it for the 28th chapter.
I've done some major twist and alternation where Pinkie Pie instead of jumping the gun, Mario decided to give her and Rose Lotus a hand while observing.