//------------------------------// // The Unexpected Greeting // Story: The Crusaders of Harmony // by Sun //------------------------------// "YEEHAW!" The excited exclaim came from the farm in front of Sweetie Belle. Her and Twilight were crossing into Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Bloom's home. This was were the two would retreive her, and ask her to help with the mission ahead. Sweetie Belle felt more confident with trying to persuade Apple Bloom to help more then she had with Scootaloo. She still could not believe what that mare had done. How she had refused with such stuberness, then flew off into the sky still ranting at the white mare. Sweetie Belle didn't feel that this would happen with her and Apple Bloom. "That must be Applejack," Twilight padded beside Sweetie Belle as they reached the pasture in which Applejack and Apple Bloom were herding cattle with Applejacks ranch dog, Winnona. There was another figure on the side of the pasture, watching from the gate. Sweetie Belle couldn't make out who the figure was, due to the cattle racing past them. "See that, Babs?" Apple Bloom's head popped out from the gate where the cattle was setteling. Bab Seed! That's who the figure was. Babs trotted out from behind the gate to give her cousin a hoof bumb. "Like wow, Apple Bloom!" Babs still had that Manehattan accent. "That was some true cattle herding!" "I learned from the best," Apple Bloom replied, Applejack trotting up from behind her. "Aww thanks, sugarcube." Applejack gave Apple Bloom a nuggie on her head. "Now look ya'll! It's Twilight and Sweetie Belle!" The trio turned to see the princess and the white unicorn padding up together, side by side, matching eachothers hoof steps. "Sweetie Belle?" Apple Bloom's eyes widened. "Why ya'll here?" Babs gazed at Sweetie Bell, the young mare's expression couldn't be read. "Yeah, it's me." Sweetie Belle spoke softly. "Hi Apple Bloom. Hi Babs." Before Sweetie Bell knew what was happening, she was wrapped in a hug, smotthered by bright yellow fur. "Oh, Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom exclaimed, squeezing her hooves tighter around the white mare. "I've missed ya'll so much! You never come around anymore!" "I-I do!" Sweetie Bell was loosing air. Apple Bloom let go of her, but threw a hoof around the white mare's neck. "Well... All over Equestria, that is." Apple Bloom's eyes grew larger. "So it's true!" She exclaimed. "You'r a big super international singing star! And I thought Applejack was just toyin' with me." "No, no. It's true." Sweetie Belle replied cooly. "I am a super international singing star. What about you?" "Me?" Apple Bloom's face grew red hot with embaressment. "Oh, well...nothing really but work the farm with Big Macontosh and Applejack." Apple Bloom looked down on the ground, shuffling her hooves. Sweetie Bell was silent for a moment, not knowing what to say. Here she was, a super star to Equestria, Scootaloo was going to be a Wonderboltess, and Apple Bloom worked a life of labor on the farm. "Well that's nice for you." Sweetie Bell smiled. Apple Bloom looked up with a smile. "Oh!" She rushed over to Babs, and gave her a shove towards Sweetie Belle. "Babs has come to stay for the summer! Isn't that great!" The white mare smiled at Babs. She had only known her for a short wihle, and in that time, Babs had become a bully to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, aliiancing with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. But after a while the girls stopped her, and Babs became a member of the club. "That's wonderful Babs!" Sweetie Belle said to the young mare. "I hope you'r having fun here." "Huh, sure am!" Babs gave Sweetie Belle a hoof bumb, like the one she had given to Apple Bloom. "Good to see you around Sweetie Belle." "Same to you." The greeting of meeting Apple Bloom and Babs had been unexpected. While Scootaloo had met her with hostility, Apple Bloom had wrapped Sweetie Bell in an air puncturing hug. Thia was defenitly not what she had expected. "Well, we should get going with the task at hand, right, Sweetie Belle?" Twilight had finally spoken after all that time. "Oh!" Sweetie Belle suddenly remebered why she was here. She had been having such fun with her old friends that she completly forgot, "Would you mind telling them." The purple alicorn smiled. "Alright, Sweetie Belle." "They already know." Applejack broke in. "Ya'll told me what happened, and then to tell them, ya'll remember that, Twi?" "Oh." Twilight blushed. "Whoopsy." "Yeah we know why ya'll here." Apple Bloom nodded to Babs who nodded in return. The cousins moved in beside Sweetie Belle, pressing their flanks to hers on each side. "And we want in to help." The white mare broke away from them. "You mean you'll do it?" Her eyes widened. "You will really, really, do it?" "Sure why not?" Babs sat down on the soil filled ground. "It's fun to get back together with your old friends, isn't it?" "Defenitly." Apple Bloom agreed. "Let's save Equestria ya'll!" "Alright then!" Twilight exclaimed. "Let's go, girls!" "Good luck to ya'll!" Applejack cried as the four mares padded away. Applejack waved a hoof to Twilight, who smilied in return. "Bye ya'll! Come back soon, okay?" As the group padded towards their next destination, Apple Bloom suddenly looked up. "Wait...where are we going exactly?" "Oh," Twilight blushed again. "I guess I should have told you three, huh?" The mares glared at the alicorn, who stopped and chuckled softly. "We're going to get a friend of Luna's first, then to the candy sweet shop." "The one that Bon-Bon runs?" Sweetie Belle asked. She felt excitment tingle up her back. It wasn't that she was looking forward to the sweets that laid inside the shop, but the mare who made the sweets. "That's right, Sweetie Belle." Twilight responded. "We're getting Twist." "That mare who makes the candy pepermint sticks?" Apple Bloom looked at Twilight, who nodded. "Yes." She replied. "But after we get Luna's friend. He's a young little stallion who moved here from Trottington." "Who's that?" Sweetie Belle questioned. "He's a 'little stallion'?" Twilight giggled. "Yup. You might even say that he's a little pipsqueak." "Pipsqueak?" Apple Bloom asked. "That little colt who dressed up like a pirate on Nightmare Night years ago?" "Yes, that's who we are getting first before Twist." Twilight said. "Wait...where does he live?" Babs questioned. They seemed to be heading towards the old Crusaders Clubhouse. "He lives in your old clubhouse." Twilight prompted. "Ever since he was a kid, he wanted to join your club. But you never took notice of him because he was younger then you. He still is pretty young, but since he's in orphan, the clubhouse is perfect for him to stay and rest his flank." "He's an orphan?" Sweetie Belle felt a twinge of guilt crawling through her. "And we never let him in our club, either." "Poor guy." Apple Bloom remarked. "He just wanted to be noticed, and we treated him like a bruised apple with a worm crawling thorugh it." "Well now you can make it up to him." Twilight said as they approched the clubhouse. "He's in there." "Okay." Sweetie Belle took a deep breath. "Let's go girls." The three former club members approached the Crusaders Clubhouse and climbed up the ladder. They slowly sid to the door. "Should we knock?" Babs whispered. "Probably." Sweetie Belle agreed. Apple Bloom placed a hoof on the door and nocked three times. No awnser. She tried again. No awnser. She tried again. Still no awnser. "Are you sure he's home?" Sweetie Belle hissed down toTwilight who shruged in response. "Sorry again." Twilight stared down at her hooves. The trio eventually got to the point where Apple Bloom had knocked a total of 36 times. "He is not home." Apple Bloom confirmed. But at that very moment the door whisked open to reveal pitch black darkness inside the clubhouse. An outstreched hoof grabbed Sweetie Belle, thrusting her inside. She screamed as she hit the floor, a figure rearing on his hooves was the only thing she could make out in the pitch black darkness. The door slammed shut behind her, locking her inside. She looked back upwards to see the figure with a sword in his mouth. The figure lunged at Sweetie Bell, ready to slice her stomach in two, when suddenly- BLAM! The door burst open, Twilight, Apple Bloom and Babs standing there, Twilight using her magic to turn on the lights. On top of Sweetie Bell stood a young stallion, his fur matted. Opon his pelt were dark brown spots, including one over his left eye. On his legs his fur stopped at the bottom and showed bare hooves. He looked at the intruders who had barged into his home. Babs stepped closer, showing teeth as a waring to back off. The young stallion slid on the floor over Sweetie Belle, and landed on his flank on the floor in front of her. His sword was still gripped roughtly in his teeth, but now his brown eyes were wide and startled, full of fear. Twilight hung her head with shame. "Looks like I forgot to tell Pip."