Canterlot Academy Trials

“Alright, so I used’ta work as a camera-stallion for a food magazine and newspaper that Zesty was a part of…”

Indeed as Mr. Anzac described. When Zesty Gourmand was younger, she was the top pick for various photo shoots, having been known for her good looks as well as her insightful comments on food. This was about 30 years ago…

On the day he and Zesty met, he was called to take pictures of the mare near a newly-built tofu-burger restaurant. It was a recent hit with the local population and his boss wanted him to get as many good photos as possible.

“Well, what’re ya waitin’ for? The Summer Sun Celebration? Go, go, go!” his boss barked at him from within the office of the Canterlot press building.

“R-righto, boss!” the young Anzac got up from his cubicle and hurried out into the streets of Canterlot with his camera equipment. Freshly graduated from college, he was excited to finally be taking photos of someone important. “Alright, now where is she…?”

It wasn’t long before he laid eyes on her. Zesty Gourmand was waiting outside of the restaurant in question before it had even opened. The young mare was bopping her head to some music on a pair of rather large headphones as she blew a bubblegum bubble. Her silvery mane was long and flowing down past her neck and onto her black sweater that she wore. Most notably, her features curved out to a rather…large rear end. Where her three-hoof rating cutie mark could be seen.

“...good gravy, she’s quite fetchin’...”

“Don’t push your luck,” one of Anzac’s co-workers warned him as he started setting up camera equipment. “Everyone’s tried and failed with her. Just focus on your job, Anzy.”

“Y-yea, nah--I mean, sure…” The young Anzac did his best to focus on the job in question. His backwards cap and leather jacket gave him the appearance of a rugged greaser, but in reality he was rather calm and collected…most of the time. On this particular day, he couldn’t help but steal glances at Zesty’s beauty. The mare spat out her gum in a trash can and put her headphones aside to get ready.

When it was time for the shoot, and the director gave the command, the camera crew was ready…

Zesty was lying down on a table they had gotten for the ad, and made various poses as she took bites of the various tofu burgers the restaurant had offered her. To her surprise, they were genuinely tasty thanks to the heavy amounts of seasoning such as MSG and hot sauce, which caused her eyes to go wide as she took another bite…and gazed longingly into the camera for the photos. Then another pose in which she lied on her back while eating another, followed by another pose in which she was looking over her shoulder before licking the sauce from her lips…

Needless to say, the production crew ate it up in a figurative sense as they snapped photo after photo. Zesty herself was smiling the whole way through, clearly enjoying her work, and even winked at the camera Anzac was holding…

Which caused the stallion to bite his lip before nearly dropping it, and in turn, causing Zesty to giggle into her hoof.

“...For real?!” Blue interrupted the old stallion’s story, “She actually used to look like that? Ass and everything?”

“My dude, watch how you word--” Nebula scolded him as Mr. Anzac chuckled.

“Quite alright, lad,” he replied with a nod, “But ye, that’s one way to put it. She use’ta look far better than she does now.”

Ever the eager one, Mei asked, “What?! What happened??” in an excitable tone.

“Hang on, little lass, I’m gettin’ there…now where was I?”

“You were speaking in reference to when you walked up to her,” Grimrose reminded him, “After the shoot was over.”

“Righto…”

Once the photo shoot was done and everyone had started to disperse away from the restaurant, Anzac approached Zesty and tried to get her attention.

“Er…hi there, miss. You uh…looked great out there today…?” he muttered nervously.

“Oh you,” she called out with her Trottish accent upon seeing him, and put a hoof on his shoulder, “You’re the bloke who I saw starin’ at me, yeah?”

“M-me?” he flicked his tail nervously, and shook his head, “N-no way, miss-!”

Zesty giggled as she started to prance down the road. “I’m takin' the piss outta ya, mate. I can tell you ain’t like them other guys. They’re always lookin’ta ask me out somewhere or charm me with flowers,” she rolled her eyes and faux-gagged with her tongue hanging from her mouth, “C’mon, let’s grab a bite.”

Anzac paused and blinked for a moment before he hurried and ran up alongside her as they approached the marketplace in Canterlot. “Wait…hang on. Are you serious? You just had multiple tofu burgers and ya still hungry?”

Zesty flicked her tail, “Meh. Some extra food won’t ever hurt ya. C’mon, it’ll be great!”

With that in mind, Anzac was able to push his nerves down in order to enjoy spending time with Zesty as they sat at the local cafe…

“I’ll never forget that day,” the old stallion paused in the midst of his story, “We had two grilled cheese and mushroom sandwiches, and split a red velvet cake between ourselves with some tea…” His face dropped as he remembered those days; tears could be seen falling onto and soaking into the wood of the old table they were all seated at.

Out of respect, everyone gave him a moment of silence before they asked any more questions.

“...I’m really sorry, sir,” Mei replied, unable to look him in the eye, “But I need you to be strong for us and tell us what you can. Particularly, what was the tipping point for Zesty? What caused her to stop enjoying food as much as she used to?”

Mr. Anzac rested his hooves on the table in front of him and uttered one word through his lips with nothing but contempt, “Greed.”