//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Last Thursday // Story: We Get Diplomatic Immunity, Right? // by Pascoite //------------------------------// “Congratulations on being selected as cultural ambassadors for Equestria!” Twilight Sparkle spouted as she strode up the line of ponies standing more or less at attention. That explained the invitation, but cultural ambassador? What did that even mean? A glance at the other ponies said they didn’t exactly know, either. And here Twilight came back down the line, saying something vague about Daisy’s knack for raising and arranging flowers, Saffron Masala’s talent for cooking, Octavia’s prowess at music. A few more whose names she hadn’t caught, but Twilight rambled about their skills in poetry, painting, and science. That science one could even pass as a reasonable double for Twilight, if she changed her colors and lost the glasses. She got an unusually large grin from Twilight, too. Then Twilight had returned all the way down to Berry’s end. “And you, Berry Punch,” she said. “You make the most amazing drinkable concoctions, and your Reverse Rainbow Cooler is legendary.” Okay, but the griffons and dragons didn’t seem to care too much for fancy drinks and flowers and physics. The reformed changelings, maybe, but they didn’t need a whole new ambassadorial staff for that. What was this all about? “So, if you will all follow me, I have something to show you.” Now her dragon assistant Spike wore an awfully big smile as well. Then Twilight led them through hallways with enough twists and turns that Berry lost track of the way to get back out, though Twilight’s constant prattling certainly didn’t help her keep her mind on doing so. Did nopony shut doors around here? They all hung open, a broom closet here, a bedroom teeming with kites, another with a pile of comics and… was that a stuffed toy of Rarity? While staring at it, she’d nearly run into that glasses-wearing pony who looked like Twilight, as the small crowd stood in the doorway to… well… Berry Punch had never seen this particular room in the castle. Some kind of weird mirror sat there with a book perched atop it, and machinery that looked like a bellows pumping furiously. Twilight simply beamed at it. “And now I have something very bizarre to explain to you,” she said. Among the quadrupedal species in Equestria, ponies, by far, spent the most time standing on two legs. So at least that part of this place didn’t seem too outlandish. Not having a choice, maybe. But the hands. Minotaurs didn’t know how good they had it. Or dragons, Berry guessed. Normally, she’d have to curl an entire hoof around a glass to take a drink. Now, just the—what did they call it?—thumb on one side, fingers around the other. Anywhere from one to four! Which could leave several of them to do other things, but whatever she’d tried with the longest finger got her an angry stare from this Timber Spruce guy sitting across the table from her. “So, this is real magic?” he said, flicking the shot glass in front of him with a pleasant ting. The rainbow stripes had just reversed, according to the recipe. “Yes, but—” He held up a hand. “I got it. Twilight… Your Twilight… Gah, I can’t keep them straight. Whatever. A Twilight already gave us the speech about limiting how much magic bleeds into this world. Trust me, I’ve seen magic myself, and I know what trouble it can cause.” Funny, Berry Punch had never really considered her talent an expression of magic. But Twilight said this kind was one that faded away when it spent its effect, so Berry could mix as many drinks here as she wanted without fear of contamination. So he downed the glass’s contents, then gave a thoughtful smirk and nodded. “Mmm. That’s good. Just fruit juices?” “Yeah. But I have to mix it on the other side, before I bring it here, so the magic can get it started. Wouldn’t work on this side.” Which was kind of the point, she guessed. “What kinds? Probably some exotic things I’ve never heard of.” She hadn’t considered that. “Strawberries? Apples? Pears? You don’t have things like that here?” “Yeah. I guess they’re just infused with magic in your world. Maybe I’ll see when I get to come through.” “Ooh, Twilight’s having a two-way exchange? Cool. I wonder what kind of pony you’ll be. Haven’t met an equivalent of yours in Equestria, but I don’t know how common that is.” He sure gave off an earth pony vibe, though. “So, go ahead and try the rest of yours,” he said with a grin. “What are they?” “Tell you after you have some.” With a shrug, she drank down the first glass. Kind of strange, but… heh, it had her laughing. Haha! This was good! It made her all jittery and lightheaded. Fruity, in an odd way. “Heh heh. Whaddya call thish shtuff?” “You mean brand name or—?” he said. She was already guzzling the second glass, and… Sweet Celestia. It danced on her tongue, twirling, whirling, swirling, until she realized in fact she was twirling, or at least had been, until she keeled over and stared up into an uncomfortably bright sun. Did Celestia raise this one, too? “You alright?” She blinked and somehow located Timber Spruce among all the dancing lights. “Yeah. What was that stuff?” He took her hand and pulled her to her feet, then helped her navigate back to her chair. “First one was an energy drink.” The biggest sugar rush in Equestria had nothing on that. “Can I take a hundred bottles of it back with me?” “Sure,” he replied, scratching his head. “Twilight said there’s an allowance of fifty bits a week for each of us to introduce new things to our world. I certainly would like to spend mine on what you’ve shown me. They’d be a big hit at the school cafeteria’s juice bar. Whatever you want to kick in of your own money is up to you. But I can show you where the store is if—” “Yes, please,” she said, finding her balance enough to give him a big hug. “And the second glass?” “A lot more expensive.” Pulling an arm free from her, he reached under the table and produced a corked bottle. “It’s called wine. There’s a couple bottles in the gift box for you to take home.” Her access badge would allow her one round trip a week. And if she went at a time nopony could see what she was bringing back… “How late’s that store open? Do they deliver?” “Never closes, and yes.” “Perfect. I’ll probably need about a hundred bottles of each a week. Maybe twice that of the energy drinks.” Again, he scratched his head. “That’s a lot to carry.” “I’m an earth pony. Doesn’t matter. Just shove it through the portal, and I can handle it.” “Okay, but that’s an awful lot to share.” Berry gave him a shrug. “Eh, they’re small bottles.” But he patted the bottle of wine. “I meant this stuff.” Immediately, she reached for it. “No way in Tartarus. I’m keeping this for myself.”