//------------------------------// // chapter2.3 // Story: My little pony:Adventure of Seresia // by Dreamy //------------------------------// "Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres! This is Applejack, who runs the orchard and is a very good friend of mine. Applejack, this is Meng Yu, the diplomatic ambassador from Seresia." "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Applejack." Meng Yu took up the initiative and offered her hoof. Applejack responded with her family’s famous hoofshake without hesitation. “Well shucks, the pleasure's all mine! Ambassador Meng Yu, I got a feeling we gonna hit it off real good!” "How are you, Applejack?" Seeing that Applejack was still her hospitable self, Twilight was delighted to know that she would definitely leave a lasting impression on Meng Yu, just like when she first met Applejack so long ago. "Whew... Your friend has got a strong hoof." "What do you mean?" After parting hooves with Meng Yu, Applejack stepped next to Twilight, who was confounded by Applejack’s sudden outspokenness. It wasn't until she noticed the look in Twilight's eyes that Applejack stammered, "I mean, y'all are just in time! Granny Smith and Big Mac just finished makin' some fresh apple pies straight outta the oven! Why don't y'all come on inside and I'll fetch it from the kitchen." "She is a very tough Earth Pony." Meng Yu remarked with a flick of her hoof after watching Applejack gallop inside. "Huh? What just happened?" Twilight's mind was buzzing with question marks: How was it possible that a simple hoof shake could reveal so much about a pony? Puzzled, she lifted her own hoof and made a few shaking motions, mimicking the interaction of her two companions, as if trying to remember if she had missed something. "Nothing, Your Highness. It was just a polite hoof shake." As Meng Yu followed Twilight inside and took a seat at the dining table, she surveyed the architecture of the farmhouse, seemingly fascinated by its distinctive style. "Here, have a treat!" Applejack walked out holding a platter of still-steaming apple pie in her mouth and then placing it on the table. She was followed by a red-coated stallion Earth Pony and a senile mare. "This is Granny Smith." Applejack waited until everypony was seated before introducing her family members. "Howdy, young ladies!" Granny Smith greeted warmly. "This here's Mcintosh, mah brother. Folks 'round here call him Big Mac." "Ehhh… Yup." "Now, Big Mac ain’t exactly the loquacious type. He’s not so good at puttin' his feelins into words. Ain’t that right, Big Mac?" Applejack teased as she wrapped her hoof around Big Mac's shoulder with a sly grin. "Eh, nope." "Anyhow, I'm gonna headin’ on down to Appleloosa with Big Mac later to get’em a couple wagonloads of apples; that saloon there is fresh out of apples to make cider. Y’know, if they run out of cider fer even a spell, they’re gonna be madder than a tumbleweed in a sandstorm." "Sure! But are you guys still coming back today? Pinkie's throwing a big party at the Friendship Castle at noon, and I'd like to invite you." " I reckon I ain't gonna make it back in time, Twi. You know how far Appleloosa is from here." Applejack shrugged helplessly. "Okay..." Twilight was obviously a little discouraged by her answer, and Applejack didn't know how to comfort her. The room suddenly fell into an awkward silence. Big Mac looked at his sister, then at her friend, and then he seemed to have made up his mind. He nuzzled Applejack with a great deal of invisible determination. "What?" Applejack looked back at Big Mac. With his colorful glances and gestures, Applejack suddenly realized something, and her tone brightened visibly, "You want me to stay with Twilight and go to Appleloosa alone?" "Eh, yup." "Even if you were fit as a yak, there ain’t no way you could haul all those barrels of apples to Appleloosa yourself." "Eh, nope." Big Mac gestured a few more times. "You're gonna ask Braeburn to help you?" Among everypony in that room, Applejack had clearly become Big Mac’s only interpreter. "Eh, yup." "Not a bad idea, Big Mac. But remember the last time you delivered the apples to the wrong place, and I had to go and do it all over again?" "Eh... yup..." Big Mac's freckled face flushed and ears drooped slightly, his hoof against hoof. Applejack sighed at the look on his face, "Alright now, I’ll give you one more shot, ya hear? Don't let me down again." Big Mac nodded his head excitedly and patted his chest reassuringly. "Eh, yup!" "Thank you so much, Big Mac! You've really done me a big favor," said Twilight gratefully. "Eh, yup!" "So, Twi, there’s still a while ‘til noon, what are y’all up to?" Applejack sliced the apple pie and passed it around in front of everypony. "The ambassador wanted to take a walk around town, so I thought I'd take her to your orchard first, and of course stop by to see how you're doing." Twilight stuck out her tongue mischievously, "After this, I plan to stop by Fluttershy’s cottage to pay her a visit and introduce the ambassador to the situation in Everfree Forest." "The Everfree Forest? What is that place?" Meng Yu inquired as she took the apple juice that Granny Smith had hoofed over and bowed before passing it to the two guards sitting next to her. "The Everfree Forest is located southeast of Ponyville, a vast and dangerous place. Please, Ambassador, avoid the area at all times, it's easy to get lost if you don't have a map." "I see." Meng Yu nodded thoughtfully. "So, y’all are still headin’ to Fluttershy’s place? Alright, I'll help Big Mac load up his apples first, and then we can catch up on the way. C’mon, big brother, let's hurry on up." After eating a few more slices of apple pie, Applejack grabbed her hat and shamelessly robbed the hefty stallion away from his food. Moments later, Meng Yu and Twilight arrived at the barn house, where Applejack and Big Mac were working hard loading the apples onto the wagon, barrel by barrel. When Meng Yu saw that there were about a dozen more barrels still waiting to be loaded behind the two working ponies, she suddenly offered to help. "Even though my consciousness would never allow it, the truth is that me and Big Mac could really use some help." Applejack took off his hat and held it to her chest, "May I ask the ambassador to load these barrels onto the wagon?" "Of course. Jinyun, take care of my robe. Jinyang, help me carry these barrels to the wagon outside." "Understood." After receiving a response in unison from the two guards, Meng Yu took off her gown, revealing her elegant figure as well as the cutie mark on her hip. It is an unfurled scroll with a heart hidden in the center. There is also a tiny sparkle at the top right of the heart. After giving the gown to the mare guard, she asked the stallion guard to join her in carrying the load. " Y'know, this Meng Yu ain't quite like them brass I was picturing. When she said she wanted to help, I thought she was gonna send them two guards behind her, but I didn't realize that... Are you sure she’s an ambassador?" With a few helping hooves, they soon had all the barrels loaded and ready to go. After making sure everypony had got apple juice from the kitchen, Applejack approached Twilight, pulled her aside, and voiced her doubts. "I'm just as surprised as you are, Applejack, but isn't this nice? You have no idea what kind of royalties I have to deal with every day." After taking a sip of the juice, Twilight smiled bitterly. "I reckon the ambassador is a good pony. I kinda like her." "I’m glad to hear that. Come on, we still have to visit Fluttershy."