BaronEngel
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A New Member
🕑 Added 2024-12-22 02:05:34 +0000 UTCAfter much worrying, which Applebloom felt was totally unwarranted, Sweet Apple Acres was ready to receive Princess Luna overnight sleepover in my Equestria dreamscape.
A result of all this fussing and cleaning Link was that Applebloom and Stone Mane had gotten a whole bunch more extra chores on top of their regular schedule so by Saturday afternoon the two foals were exhausted and worried they'd end up falling asleep before the astronomy lesson was over. Still at around 3pm they were excused from anymore work so they could take proper baths. At least they didn't have to get dressed in any fancy clothes for tonight. Around 5pm Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo showed up, and they got enlisted into helping with last minute preparations. At 7 in the evening as Celestia's orb dipped toward the western hills a large sphere of blackness appeared on the ground in front of the farmhouse. From it stepped the Princess of the Moon.
For dinner Granny Smith pulled out all the stops. True it was nothing like what the kitchen staff in the Royal Palace could do, but it was a fine spread. Luckily the Skyrocket Apples were just starting to ripen up. These were the earliest apples to be harvested at Sweet Apple Acres and Granny had sliced some up and then whipped up a pimento cheese spread. She served them alongside carrot and celery sticks. Granny also broke open some tins of savory biscuits for the occasion. Along with it this was a big pot of buttered popcorn.
For the main meal there was roasted ears of corn that had been brushed with a glaze of honey, orange marmalade, and a dash of Fiery Mane's Infernal Concoction. Baskets of warm buttermilk biscuits and whipped butter jostled next to a platter of assorted stuffed eggs. Green beans sauteed in Shindleback and tossed with slivered almonds were cooked up at the last minute.
The main dish was effectively Mushroom Wellington. AJ had made a trip to over Death Cap's family homestead,. Upon hearing of Princess Luna's visit Death Cap's family diverted some mushrooms bound for Canterlot to Sweet Apple Acres instead. So Wrapped inside a great buttery, flaky pastry was a fine mixture of rare and exotic wild mushrooms. The mushrooms, both fresh and dried, were sauteed in Shindleback along with freshly cracked black pepper, sea salt, shallots, finely minced sage, thyme, and brandy. Granny saved the water that the dried mushrooms had been soaked in. She strained this and then added some red wine from a dusty bottle she retrieved from the depths of the pantry. She then reduced the sauce down and as she took it off the heat she swirled some cold butter into it. Granny drizzled this over slices as she served them up.
Because of Pinkie's carpet bombing of the farmstead with sweets Granny didn't bother making a dessert. To drink there were pitchers of sun tea, lemonade, and chilled bottles of cider. Fortunately the table was large enough with the extra table leaves put in that it could seat the Apple family, Stone Mane, Luna, and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.
At first conversation around the table was kind of awkward since only Applebloom and Stone Mane, and to lesser extent Applejack had routinely spoken with the princess. However as the meal progressed the other ponies at the table grew more relaxed and at ease.
After dinner Luna tried to help with the dishes or the clean up but Granny was having none of it. So it was that the Princess who just months ago had slain an entire attacking army of dragons by accidentally bombarding them with meteors from space found herself powerless against the matriarch of Sweet Apple Acres. However Applebloom and Stone Mane were not exempt from their regular post-dinner obligations. So instead Luna went and sampled the dessert table that had been set up in the living room.
Once food had been consumed and dishes washed the CMC, Stone Mane, and Luna made their way out to the clubhouse. Over the last few days Stone Mane had tried to get out of Applebloom what exactly this ceremony for joining the CMC was going to be. He hoped it wouldn't be as bad as when he'd joined his school's Colt Club. That initiation ceremony had left him with bruises. Also at some point Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo had donned cloaks of deep red that had a small bright ablue shield with rearing pony in gold emblazoned on it.
Stone Mane did have to admit that the clubhouse looked much nicer and was now structurally much more sound after AJ and Big Mac had given it an upgrade and a fresh coat of paint. There was enough room in the clubhouse to fit four foals and one alicorn inside it, but Luna had to stand in the center of the clubhouse to make sure that she didn't strike her horn on the ceiling. Earlier in the day Rarity had delivered newly made curtains and sleeping bags for everypony partaking in the sleepover along with a pile of pillows for them.
Stone Mane was impressed that Sweetie Belle's big sister had gone through the effort make them on such short notice for everypony. His appreciation grew even more for her efforts when discovered that the sleeping bags had zippers on them! Although he did wonder why his sleeping bag and AB's looked different and were the same color with apple appliques all over them . After some examination it was Sweetie Belle who solved the puzzle.
"Oh!" She exclaimed. "I get it! For some reason you can zip your two bags together to make one big bag. Huh? Why would sis do that?" The filly asked with a confused look on her face.
"I have no idea why she would." Luna said sarcastically with a deadpan voice.
Applebloom felt her cheeks grow warm. She looked out the doorway and stared intently at the trees in the orchard. "Um, neither do I." She muttered to nopony in particular. Luna gave the filly a sidelong glance but said nothing.
Scootaloo discreetly check her's and Sweetie's bags and found that they wouldn't zip together. For some reason she was very disappointed by this. Although she couldn't explain why?"
With the examination of sleeping gear completed it was time for Stone Mane's initiation ceremony into the CMC. Fortunately it was a short affair. Applebloom stepped up to the podium-like object her and the fillies had put together. Picking up a mallet with her teeth the filly struck it on podium. Then she set it back down and spoke.
"Alright all! Tanight is special moment fer the CMC, as we say howdy ta latest member of r' cause! The filly made a circular waving gesture with a front hoof. The colt noticed that AB's tail twitching slightly as she spoke. "Stone dear wouldcha come up here please."
The colt ignored the sound of Sweetie and Scootaloo giggling softly behind him, and Princess Luna who gave the colt a knowing smile. Falling back on what he'd seen his father do when receiving a commendation of some type he came to a stop in front of the podium and came to attention while sharply he rapped his right hoof on wooden floor of the treehouse.
The buttercream yellow filly nodded her head and continued speaking. "Stone Mane. Ya have been chosen ta join the ranks of Cutie Mark Crusaders! Our goal is ta help each other git r' cutie marks by discovering what makes us all special! Once yer a member of us we'll help ya on yer path ta yer own cutie mark, and in return ya will help with r's as well. Do ya accept this chore?"
The colt looked the filly in the eyes and with a solemn voice. "I do."
Applebloom looked over at Sweetie Belle. "Did ya bring it?" The unicorn nodded her head.
"Yep! Got it right here!" The filly pulled another cloak out of her panniers and brought it over to the colt, and with surprising grace she put the cloak on the colt as she did Applebloom came forward and stood in front of Stone. Her tail was now visibly bobbing up and down. She leaned forward and it looked like she was going to kiss the colt on the lips, but at the last instant she turned it into a cheek nuzzle. Then she looked the colt in the eyes with a big smile on her face she exclaimed.
"Welcome ta the CMC!" Then she, Sweetie, and Scootaloo responded with a collective.
"YAY!"
To be continued.
