"Pinkie Pie, I've brought over the 12 cases of soda you ordered!"
The voice arrived before the person did.
A girl wearing a cowboy hat walked in carrying a case of soda, followed by a boy who was helping her deliver the goods; he was balancing four cases of soda, which completely hid his face.
"Let's put them against the wall for now. Big Macintosh, remember to bring the rest in."
"Got it!"
After setting down the case of soda in her hands, she turned back to help Big Macintosh with some of his load, revealing a face that bore a seventy-percent resemblance to the girl in the cowboy hat; it was clear the two were siblings.
"There, that's Applejack, and the one behind her is her brother Big Macintosh."
Remembering that Sunset Shimmer hadn't met this pair of siblings yet, Rainbow Dash gave her a brief introduction.
"Rainbow Dash, come give us a hand!"
"Coming! I was just wondering when you'd get here, Applejack!"
Rainbow Dash shoved her phone into her pocket, trotted over, took a case of soda from Big Macintosh's hands, and dutifully started acting as a porter.
Upon hearing the name Applejack, Sunset Shimmer immediately looked over.
However, the last time she had seen Applejack, the other girl had only been a Foal about the same size as Twilight Sparkle, and it had only been a fleeting encounter.
Now seeing Applejack in her human high school form, Sunset Shimmer couldn't quite recognize her, and could only make associations based on her hair color, the freckles on her face, her accent, and the apple accessories she wore.
It seemed that no matter which world she was in, Applejack had an indescribable connection with apples.
"Don't just stand there, come help out."
Sunset Shimmer swatted away Trixie's hand, which was clinging to her, and stood up, wanting to call her over to help move things.
"Uh... Trixie just remembered she really needs to go backstage to check on her magic props. See you in a bit!"
Sunset Shimmer watched Trixie run off, speechless. A moment ago she had been full of confidence, but the second she was asked to do something, she was suddenly busy with this or that.
Still, as long as she was moving, that was fine. Sunset Shimmer hadn't really expected her to be diligent anyway, so she went over to help the Apple siblings and Rainbow Dash move the items.
"Hey, you must be Sunset Shimmer. I heard you were the one looking for me?"
Seeing Sunset Shimmer take the initiative to help, Applejack felt an immediate sense of goodwill and greeted her.
"No... to be precise, it was Trixie who was looking for you. I just happened to be dragged along by her to help."
Imitating the others, Sunset Shimmer supported the bottom of the box, using strength from both her arms and waist to lift it.
It was a little heavy, but not as difficult as she had imagined.
"Looks like you haven't done much physical labor before. Did you come from a big city?"
Applejack raised an eyebrow in surprise as she watched Sunset Shimmer's slightly stiff movements. She probably hadn't expected that while Sunset Shimmer looked tall, slender, and capable, she acted like a pampered girl when it came to doing actual work.
"Ahaha... yeah, I did come from somewhere else. This is my first time living independently this far away."
Sunset Shimmer hugged the box in her arms tighter and responded, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
"I see. Well, if you have any trouble in the future, feel free to come find me. Living away from home on your own definitely has its challenges, so don't let your family and friends worry too much about you."
"Thanks, but I'm actually doing fine. Everything is going smoothly for now."
Sunset Shimmer thanked Applejack for her kindness, but since she didn't want to talk too deeply about her past with others just yet, she brushed off the topic and started working.
With the four of them working together, it didn't take long to move all 12 cases of drinks into the gymnasium.
Since Big Macintosh had to go deliver goods elsewhere, he left once he finished here. The remaining girls sat together, opened a few bottles of soda, and chatted while they rested.
"Apple soda?"
When she was busy working earlier, Sunset Shimmer hadn't paid attention to what the pale golden liquid in the glass bottles was, but by the time Applejack handed her an opened drink, it was too late to regret it.
"Yeah! The apple soda produced at Sweet Apple Acres is the best!"
Rainbow Dash drank over half the bottle in one go and then let out a satisfying burp.
"I drink it basically every day. If I don't, it feels like something's missing, and I don't even have the energy to play soccer."
"Ha, ain't that the truth?"
Applejack and Rainbow Dash exchanged a look, filled with the tacit understanding of "finding a kindred spirit," then clinked their bottle openings together and drank heartily. They were so bold about it that someone who didn't know better might actually think they were drinking alcohol.
Only Sunset Shimmer looked at the freshly opened apple soda in her hand with distress. Watching the pale golden liquid constantly bubbling, she started to feel phantom pains in her gums just imagining that sour taste.
At this moment, she really wished Trixie was by her side, so she could pour this evil drink into her mouth.
Just as Sunset Shimmer was in a dilemma, Pinkie Pie appeared out of nowhere.
"Wow! You guys are already drinking without me? Don't you know I'm dying of thirst from blowing up balloons?! Give me a sip!!"
Saying that, Pinkie Pie snatched the apple juice from Sunset Shimmer's hand and downed the whole thing in one breath.
"Delicious! I'm revived! Back to the battle, balloons!"
Pinkie Pie licked her lips, returned the empty bottle to Sunset Shimmer, and then went back to blowing up balloons.
"I'm telling you, Pinkie Pie, couldn't you have opened your own? Why did you drink all of Sunset's?"
"It's fine, I'm not that thirsty anyway."
Sunset Shimmer waved her hand, telling Applejack not to worry about it, then glanced gratefully at Pinkie Pie.
Whether she had done it on purpose or by coincidence, she had saved Sunset Shimmer from a tight spot.
Perhaps Pinkie Pie was just a girl who seemed careless but was actually attentive?
On the other side, Pinkie Pie, having finished blowing up a few more balloons, stopped and took out her phone.
She had just realized that a super big party would get boring if it only provided one type of drink, so she contacted other beverage suppliers and ordered some drinks in other flavors.
"Why aren't Rarity and Fluttershy here yet? It's been almost an hour."
Having finished her drink, Rainbow Dash impatiently refreshed the messages on her phone. Whenever they gathered, those two were always the last to arrive.
"At this time, Fluttershy usually has to take care of her Small Animals, so don't rush her. Just wait a bit longer, she'll definitely come."
Applejack soothed her.
"I know that, but Rarity only has one cat!"
"Oh, it's not like you haven't known her for a day. Rarity always has to prepare a lot of unnecessary things, like clothes and cosmetics. Plus, you told her she needed to prepare costumes."
When it came to Rarity, Applejack also had a helpless expression.
"'Oh! You can never have too many good clothes!' She always has that phrase on her lips."
"Hahahaha! No way, sister, don't use your accent to mimic Rarity, it's too funny!"
Having her funny bone tickled, Rainbow Dash laughed until she was rocking back and forth, almost falling off her chair.
"Oh, right, Sunset, you haven't met Fluttershy and Rarity yet, have you?"
Applejack just realized there was a new friend nearby, and chatting about topics she didn't understand in front of her might make Sunset Shimmer feel awkward.
"It's fine, I'll get to know them in a little while anyway."
Sunset Shimmer really couldn't join in the conversation, but she did recognize the name Rarity. Although she hadn't seen the pony Rarity with her own eyes, Sunset Shimmer knew she had made widely acclaimed costumes at the school in Ponyville.
And it sounded like the Rarity here was also very knowledgeable about fashion and the like.
As for Fluttershy, this was the first time Sunset Shimmer had heard of her. But this trait of liking to take care of Small Animals made her involuntarily associate her with that little Pegasus she had met in Ponyville, who had been cut in line while buying salads for Small Animals.
'It couldn't be that coincidental, could it?'
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