I entered the dining room where Spy was having brunch, looked around for Engie, not finding him, and Spy noticed I was looking around.

"What is it?" Spy asked after swallowing some eggs and cleaning him face with a napkin.

"Where's Engineer?" I asked in confusion, "He told me to meet with him here at around this time."

"Ah, I see," Spy said as he reached behind and pull out a paper from his suit, "he told me to give you this, since he ended getting busy on some work."

I take the paper and nodded, "Alright, thanks Spy," I said as I walked out of the room.

I read what was written on the paper:

'Demoman, I planned for the both of us to do this task, but since I almost forgot some work that I needed to get done, so I leave this task to you: become acquainted with our new neighbor Zecora, and maybe bring her a few gifts, maybe some food, drinks, and maybe something for her to remember you by.

Sincerely,
Engineer.

I reread it to make sure I got every detail and then knew at least what food and drinks to bring.

'But something to remember me by?' I thought to myself, 'hmm... maybe...' then I had it, I knew what to bring as gifts.

I was walking through the Everfree Forest now, being wary of my surroundings on the way to Zecora's, and making sure I stay on the path, her house is just off to the right a few meters away from the entrance. I carried my bag full of food, drinks, and my gift, on my back, while I had my choice of weaponry out in my hands, the Eyelander and the Iron Bomber. Surprisingly, I have seen no animals and it has been really quiet, almost too quiet, every now and then I hear a bird close by start singing, but even that only lasts a little while.

I finally caught sight of it, Zecora 'tree house', not too different than that of the Golden Oaks Library, I walk up, put my weapons away, the Eyelander on my hip and the Iron Bomber into another part of the bag, and knock on the door.

I heard a familiar voice on the other side say, "I'll be there in a moment, once I can speed up my movement."

Having forgotten how good she was at rhyming, I was slightly confused by her statement. The door opened up to reveal a familiar zebra with what looks like five large rings made as a necklace, another five smaller rings that she wore on her front left foreleg, and a pair of large earrings.

"So, is there and-" she started, then noticed what she was looking at and looked surprised.

I wave my hand, "Hi," I said, "you must be Zecora," I pointed at my backpack, "I brought some food and drinks, and a gift for you."

She shook her head a bit, possibly in disbelief, and looked at me once more, then to my bag, and back to me.

"Well now," Zecora started, interested, "I have never met a creature quite like you, it is quite interesting to see something new."

"I bet," I said, then gestured towards the interior of her house, "may I come in?"

"Oh, my apologies," she said as she moved to let me in, "please mind all of my oddities."

"It surely is something," I said, looking around after entering, "I can't quite understand it, but there is a... natural feeling for the looks of your home."

"As you know, I am Zecora," she greeted, then looked to me with interest, "though, for you, I have questions in plethora."

"I might be able to answer some of them without you having to ask them," I stated confidently, "I am Alasdair, though my friends call me Demo.

"I came here to meet our neighbor, which happens to be you," I stated gesturing towards her, "I along with a few others, live down the path a-ways, with permission from Princess Celestia herself, in what used to be the Castle of the Two Royal Pony Sisters."

Her eyes widen at this statement, "Are you being truthful?" Zecora asked, slight shock in her voice, "Surely you would believe some would find this doubtful."

"I know," I said as I nodded, rummaging through my bag, "we have a document signed by the Princess herself stating this should somepony have a doubt about us living here."

I pull out a medium-sized three in. by three in. by six in. container (L in. * W in. * H in.) holding what looks like fifteen or more baked balls of dough.

I opened up the container and gestured with it towards her, "Want some?" I asked.

"What is that, if I may ask?" Zecora asked, then smelled it with out moving from her spot, "The smell is amazing, yet what it may be, I can't quite grasp."

I smiled a bit, and answered, "These are Yam Balls."

"'Yam Balls'?" she asked and I nodded, she then gained a bemused expression as I ate one, "I didn't think that vegetables had genitals."

My eye widened as I suddenly started chocking on the food and just as she was about to move in to help, I dislodged it from my throat and spat it out.

Zecora laughed a bit nervously, "Sorry about that," she stated, "I just wanted have a bit of fun during our chat."

"It's alright," I said weakly as I laughed softly, "I did not see that one coming, anyways," I aimed the container towards her once again, "you never did answer."

"Why not," she answered as she grabbed on with her hoof, "as long as it is not too hot."

She popped it into her muzzle and chewed, she had an expression of surprise for a moment and then had look like she was investigating something.

"Are you OK?" I asked kind of worried that I might have screwed up the recipe.

"This... this is..." Zecora paused, then gained look of pure happiness that could only be passed by Pinkie, "delicious! I have never had something like this before it is almost resistless!"

Surprised by her statment, I blushed at her compliment, "Aw, thanks mate," I said, "this is actually the first time I've ever cooked something myself."

Then I remembered what else I have in the bag and looked to her once again, "How do you feel about... alcohol?" I asked her, a tad nervous.

"I don't mind having some from time-to-time," Zecora stated as she shrugged, "I mostly drink for the flavor, though, why do you ask?"

"Well," I started as I pulled out a couple of bottles, filled with a clear, dark orange liquid, and popped off my homemade caps, "I brew some of the stuff myself and thought, 'why not offer some to our neighbor?' so I made some of, what some ponies call, 'Manehattan', a type of cocktail, it's nice enjoyable drink that you can have couple of glasses of without feeling 'too much' buzz."

She took the bottle in hoof and took a small muzzleful of if an swished it around for a little bit before swallowing.

"Hmm..." Zecora said in thought, "not bad, while not my favorite brew... its taste is... hard to construe..."

"And," I continued, "I have a gift for you to remember me by," I pulled out of my bag, some bagpipes, "it is an instrument of my people, one that makes us proud when we hear it played," I offered it to her, "I would like you to have it."

Zecora took it in hoof and looked it over, "This is an interesting instrument," she stated, "one that I have never heard of or seen, even when I traveled, whenever I look at it, I feel a story untold."

"Aye," I said, then got up, "well it was a pleasure meeting you Zecora," I did a slight bow.

Zecora put the bagpipes on the clear part of a table nearby before turning back towards me, holding her hoof out, "Surely the pleasure was all mine," she said with a smile, "I hope you bring more food, those Yam Balls were divine."

"Sure," I said, as I shook her hoof with a smile and walked out the door, "until next time."

I closed the door and turned back towards the path and starting walking back to the base, re-equipping my sword and grenade launcher.

Author's Notes:

Hey guys sorry for the long wait on this chapter (which was not nearly as long for the others) hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I will see you all, in the next chapter!