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A Visit From Babs1,269 words
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A Visit From Babs

Author's Note:

I thought it might be a good challenge to try to add some depth to Silver Spoon and attempt to reform her. I also included Babs because I really wanted to see her again in Season 4.

Applejack was taking a lunch break from a morning of harvesting apples, when there was a knock at the door. She got up and opened the door and saw Derpy. She smiled because it was always great to see Derpy, even if the mail was all bills. The mail-mare's bright smile always seemed to brighten the darkest days.

"Well, how ya doin, Derpy?" she said.

"Just fine, AJ." she said. She set down her saddlebag. "Is Applebloom around?" I got a letter for her."

"She's in her room readin' a book Twilight gave 'er." Applejack nodded. She walked to Applebloom's room and knocked on the door.

Applebloom opened the door. "What's up?"

"Derpy's got a letter fer you, sugar cube." Applejack answered.

"Okie-dokie-lokie." said Applebloom. "Just need ta put my bookmark in." She set the book down and followed Applejack.

"Howdy, Ms. Hooves." said Applebloom.

"Here you go, Applebloom. By the way, thanks for tutoring Dinky."

"You're welcome. Did she do good on the multiplication test?"

"Yep." Derpy nodded. "Here you go."

Applebloom took the letter and opened it. Derpy nodded and said, "Well, I gotta stop at Sugar Cube Corner and get some lunch. See you." She turned around and took off.

"So, who's it from?" Applejack asked.

"It's from Babs!" Applebloom exclaimed.

"'Dear Applebloom, I thought I'd let you know I'm coming to Ponyville again. But, I'm not alone. I got a new Crusadah for you to meet."

"That's great!" Applejack exclaimed.

"'I got a picture fer ya so you can see what he looks like." Applebloom continued to read. She turned the letter over and saw a picture of a blue Earth pony with glasses and a big Afro-style mane. He was in a wheelchair. Applebloom noticed a note that was pinned to the picture with a paperclip that read "Sketch", which she assumed was the pony's name.
"He likes to sit around and draw during recess." Applebloom continued to read. "You should see the drawings he's done so far. They kind of make me jealous that I can't draw like that."
"Applejack, we need to fix the clubhouse. We got a ramp, but it will not be a pleasant ride for Sketch."
"You're probably right. I'll get Big Mac to help ya'll out."

The next day, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were fixing the ramp while Big Mac supervised.

"So, what's this Sketch dude like?" Scootaloo asked.

"Babs said she likes to draw." Applebloom said. "He's always going out to the playground and drawing whatever he sees."
Sweetie Belle put in the last plank and Big Mac helped set it. "Sounds swell. I wonder he'll show us some of his stuff."

The next day, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Applejack went to the Ponyville train station to wait for the train from Manehattan.

The train stopped and several passengers departed. Applebloom looked into each window, hoping to see her favorite cousin and their newest member first.

Moments later, a familiar brown Earth Pony with a pink main and tail exited the train. She trotted up to Appleboom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle and they did a group hug.
"Babs!" they shouted in unison.

"Scoots! Sweetie! Applebloom!" Babs greeted her friends and her cousin.

"So, things going all right in school?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Yeah, ah guess." Babs said. She turned around and went back to the train. Moments later, she pushed a wheelchair-bound pony out.

"Everypony, this is Sketch." Babs said. "Sketch, meet my cousin Applebloom, and her friends Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle."

Scootaloo realized something different about Babs. When they first met her, Babs was uneasy around them. She was always looking away and her tail would shamefully hide her blank flank. She felt no confidence around them or anyone else, for that matter. Because of this, she had faked disdain when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were around, hoping they'd see her as a peer and leave her alone. She soon realized her mistake and made amends, even promising to start her own chapter of the Cutie Mark Crusaders in Manehattan. Her mother approved, telling her safety in numbers was a good thing.

Today, things were different. Babs seemed proud. Her tail no longer drooped to one side to hide her shame.

"Are you sure they won't make fun of me?" Sketch asked. "They won't stare and point?"

"No, we won't." Scootaloo stepped forward. "My friend, Rainbow Dash met somepony just like you once and told me never to stare at ponies in wheelchairs. I want to be just as cool as Rainbow Dash, so I won't."

"I want to be just as kind and generous as my big sister, Rarity." Sweetie Belle said. "She's never been one to make fun of somepony. And I won't either."

"That's right, Sketch." Applebloom sported the warmest smile she could make. "My sister, Applejack, never lies. I don't either."

"Ya see?" Babs beamed. "Told ya they wuz on da level."

"C'mon, let's go to our clubhouse." Applebloom beamed. "Ah wanna see those pictures Babs told me about."

"They aren't all that great." Sketch said.

"Why don't we see for ourselves?" Scootaloo said, motioning for everypony to follow her as she hopped onto her scooter.

As she got behind Sketch's wheelchair to help push, Sweetie Belle whispered, "Scootaloo might never fly. "We don't make fun of her. So you're safe with us."

They arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, where they were greeted by Applejack and the family's border collie, Winona. Winona bolted for Sketch and licked him all over.

"OK, OK, I guess I'm glad to see you too." Sketch laughed.

"She won't hurt you." said Applejack as she removed her Stetson. "We fixed up the treehouse fer ya."

"Ee-yup!" Big Mac said.

"Come and see." Applejack encouraged.

Sweetie Belle pushed the wheelchair to the new ramp for the treehouse.

Babs said to Scootaloo. "You do have a shorter version of the pledge, right?" The last time, Scootaloo had written a very, very long pledge with every single synonym for friend and sister they had found in Twilight's thesaurus.

Scootaloo laughed. "Yeah, I got a little carried away last time, I admit it."

Scootaloo got up on the podium and cleared her throat. "Sketch, we are here to induct you into the Cutie Mark Crusaders as a friend, sister, and confidant."

She stepped down and said to Babs "See? Told you it was shorter."

"Do you like the cape?" Sweetie Belle asked. "It was made by my sister. She runs the Carousel Boutique, the best place in Ponyville to shop for clothes, if not all of Equestria."

"It's okay, I guess." Sketch said.

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