//------------------------------// // Chapter 77: Adjusting to the New // Story: The First Steps of the Rest of Your Life // by Rhino //------------------------------// ***Sunday, Day 105*** **Morning** A familiar pink filly rushes about her room, gathering together a few items she feels she needs. Putting everything into her saddlebags, she nods, grinning to herself. “That should be everything!” She puts her bags on, tightening the strap to make sure it doesn’t fall off. I chuckle as I lean against the frame of her doorway, watching her. “Excited aren’t you?” “Are you kidding, Dad?” She looks up at me, positively beaming. “Apple Bloom said that her cousin and I will get to join the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” She glances back at her flank for a moment. “Not that I’m not fine being a blank flank, of course. Still, I’ll be able to join their group officially!” She bounces around me, giggling giddily. “I hope I’ll get a cape like theirs!” “I’m sure you will, Pinchy.” I walk over and run a hoof through her mane. “I was actually starting to wonder if you would ever become an official Crusader.” She looks up at me, her head tilted to one side. “Of course I would. Scootaloo just had to finish the speech for the ceremony.” I raise an eyebrow. “Huh, I would’ve thought Sweetie Belle was writing the script. You’ll have to tell me about it once it happens.” I look at the clock on the wall. “From what you told me, it looks like you’d better get moving in a second if you want to get to the station to meet the others in time. So, got everything you need?” “I think so!” She gives me a quick hug before rushing out the front door, waving back at me even as her hooves light up. “See you later, Dad!” I call after her she rushes out the door. “Don’t forget that I’m going to be at the hospital most of the day to support Hydro during his physical therapy! You can use the house if you need to, just let Specter know that you’re home!” “Thanks! I’ll keep that in mind!” With that, she skates off down the street. When they all arrive at the station, Apple Bloom and the others practically vibrate with excitement as they wait for the train. “This is great! We’re gonna have two new members in the same day, that almost doubles our numbers!” Sweetie looks over to the pink filly of the group. “Sorry it’s taken so long to get the ceremony ready-” Scootaloo looks over indignantly. “Hey! You gave me a minimum word count! What do you want from me?” The white filly continues. “But at least we still had fun with you as our ‘unofficial’ member, right?” Pinchy nods, smiling brightly. “You bet! I’m still surprised at all you do for your cutie marks!” She looks at the orange filly, tilting her head to one side. “...I still don’t understand why you thought spelunking would work.” The pegasus looks away. “Hey, you can find all sorts of things in caves... we just found sap-filled roots instead of cutie marks...” A train whistle blows in the distance, announcing the arrival of its engine. As the locomotive pulls in, the littlest Apple goes practically Pinkie as she tries to spot her cousin. Applejack, escort for the fillies, decides to point out the obvious since apparently it isn’t quite obvious enough. “Apple Bloom, you've never met Babs Seed, remember?” She points to a door that just opened where a burnt orange filly with pinkish mane has just stepped out. “That’s her.” The three founding crusaders rush over and barrage the newcomer with their excitement and welcomes before motioning both her and Ruby to follow them as they sprint off, leaving the two relatively on their own as Applejack follows the more rambunctious members of the group. The pink filly smiles kindly, holding out a hoof. “Hi. Babs Seed, right? My name’s Ruby Pinch Nexus, but you can call me Pinchy!” Babs shakes the offered hoof. “Nice to meet you, hay of a name you got there.” Pinchy giggles, waving a hoof dismissively. “Nexus is my family name, but I think it’s too sweet to not use!” She puts a hoof to her chin, thinking a bit. “...say, would you like some help with your luggage?” The Manehattan filly looks to the suitcase next to her. “It’s just the one bag, no big deal...” “Are you sure?” She smiles softly. “I really want to help, but if you don’t want me to, that’s fine.” She turns so that she’s next to Babs. “If you don’t mind me asking, is there a reason you decided to visit your cousin?” The filly turns away as she scuffs a hoof against the ground. “Oh you know, the usual reasons... meet family, get away from it all...” She looks up at the almost out of sight Crusaders. “We should probably get moving before we lose em.” Pinchy frowns, believing that she wasn’t telling her everything but quickly covers it with a smile, nodding. “You’re probably right.” ***Ponyville General Hospital*** I enter the physical therapy area smoothly, having been given directions there by the helpful nurse upfront. The inside is about what I expected, various machines, walkways, weight, straps, and a few medical supplies in case of injury during rehabilitation. Luckily, the place seems to be empty of ponies other than the patient himself and his stetson-wearing marefriend, who had apparently beat me here. I nod to Hydro as I walk up to the two of them. “Ready to get started moving on your own again?” He nods grimly. “More than ready, though I wish they’d let me walk around the halls here instead of having to stay in a wheelchair.” I carefully pat his back with a hoof. “Maybe they will if you show them how good you are in here.” “Now sugarcube,” the farm pony begins, “Ah’m always one for bein’ stubborn and pushin’ yerself ta get through the hard things, but that don’t mean Ah want ya hurtin’ yerself more tryin’ ta do too much. Alright?” The red stallion smiles, nuzzling her neck a moment. “I know what you mean. I’ll be careful.” He adjusts the small crutch the hospital had given him until he learned to walk with his new balance. “Let’s do this.” ***Apple Barn*** Apple Bloom rushes ahead of the others as she opens the door and gestures grandly inside. “Here it is! The official Cutie Mark Crusaders float for the Summer Harvest Parade!” It looks almost exactly like one would imagine a giant pumpkin float would look like. Scootaloo nods. “As members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, you'd be able to ride on it with us! It'd be totally fun.” Pinchy steps forward, touching the float. “...this is amazing...I can’t believe I missed out on making this...” As Babs looks on while giggling at the presentation, a familiar snobbish voice calls out. “Less like fun and more like funny looking!” The two local school bullies waltz in with their usual air of disdain. Pinchy scrunches her nose up, confused. “...I think your timing was a bit off...either way, it wasn’t that good of a joke...” Diamond Tiara blanches at the jab to her statement. Meanwhile, Silver Spoon decides to continue anyway. “We didn’t ask for the opinions of ponies who worship giant oranges.” Apple Bloom deadpans. “It’s a pumpkin...” The pink unicorn turns to the side, muttering to herself. “...I guess she needs stronger lenses...” The headpiece-wearing filly recovers. “Don’t care. Who’s the new blank flank?” The yellow filly puffs her chest out. “She's mah cousin, Babs. She's from Manehattan!” Diamond turns to the out-of-towner. “Manehattan, huh? Well, I guess you have that going for you.” Silver continues the interrogation. “Suppose you're gonna join their little club? What's it called?” She crosses her eyes and staggers. “The Cutie Mark Crusaders?” Pinchy holds herself back, a growl forming in her throat. “...they’re only words...they can’t hurt you...” Babs looks between the two groups before narrowing her eyes and blowing her mane out of her face. “More like the ‘cutie mark crybabies’!” She laughs under her breath as she moves to stand beside the bullies. The pink unicorn blinks at this, stunned. “...what.” Apple Bloom exclaims, “Hey!” Diamond looks on approvingly. “Oooo, heh, big city attitude! I like it!” Silver nods. “Mmhm, last time we got a new filly, we just got that one.” She motions to Ruby. “And we can all tell she’s nothing special.” The filly in question quirks an eyebrow, unamused. “Really. So being from another...you know what, you don’t deserve to know that secret.” She sticks her tongue out at them. Babs just laughs as she walks slowly towards the float. “You think that was attitude? I’ll show you attitude...” She kicks the front wheel off with a grunt. Scootaloo gasps. “Oh no she didn't!” As the three bullies laugh, a creaking sound comes from the float. Suddenly, it crashes down and rolls out of the barn, tearing itself apart as it goes. The four other fillies all rush to look at it go as the three mean ones laugh more. The Manehattan filly smiles. “Looks like somepony's pumpkin just got squashed!” Pinchy sighs, lowering her head. “...her timing was good...as much as I hate to admit it...” Apple Bloom narrows her eyes. “When ah tell Applejack- “ Babs cuts her off. “You gonna tell Applejack what?” She stand over the bow-wearing filly. Bloom shrinks back. “W-well, y'know, uh...” “What're you, a snitch?” The two snobby fillies walk past the group. “Come on, Babs, you should hang with us! Y'know, the cool ponies, not these babies!” The three make their exit. Apple Bloom mutters in a stunned voice. “What... just happened?” Scootaloo responds sadly. “I think Babs just went to the dark side.” Sweetie comments. “We have to tell Applejack!” AB vetoes the idea. “No, we’re not snitches!” Scoots nods. “Yeah, and we’re not babies!” The white unicorn looks down. “Then... why do I feel like crying?” Pinchy gently places a hoof on Sweetie’s back. “We’ll figure this out...I promise...” ***Ponyville General Hospital*** “Argh!” Hydro lets out a harsh sound of both frustration and adrenaline as he plants all three hooves on the ground again to prevent himself from face planting into it. “Easy there, sugarcube.” Applejack warns. “You ain’t meant to be gettin’ around without the crutch just yet, just seein’ if you can balance without it.” “That’s a big fat no…” The stallion grumbles as he slowly picks himself up for the fifteenth time. Having gotten decent at walking around with the crutch, despite the transition from leg to stiff rod, the transition to nothing supporting that particular part of him had not gone nearly as smoothly. He had barely managed to get one step during his best attempts at trying to get around. “Rhino, can you bring the crutch back over so I can at least stand up long enough to think?” I nod, bringing the aforementioned locomotion aide to him and positioning it appropriately, quite literally giving my friend a leg to stand on. “Thanks,” he grunts out. A frustrated sigh escapes his lips as he adjusts. “I gotta find some way to get around… they won’t let me leave before then, and they say the crutch isn’t a permanent solution.” “You don’t have to rush you know…” I gently remind him. “Yeah,” AJ agrees, “ya’ll are free to stay here as long as ya want until ya get better.” Hydro snorts. “If I stayed here as long as I wanted, I would have been out of here the day after I was admitted. They still won’t let me leave until I can get around, but I can’t without anything holding me up…” He stands there, thinking for a moment before he seems to get an idea, only to sigh and look at me with a face that clearly says he hates the words that are going to come out of his mouth. “Rhino… I need you to go get Pinkie.” “I’m sorry, what?” I say blankly. Clearly I misheard that, how would she help? “I have a feeling on what she’ll do,” he continues. “Just… ask her to not make too many pirate jokes.” ***Crusader Clubhouse*** Scootaloo sighs. “I still can't believe she ruined our pumpkin float.” Bloom scoffs. “I still can't believe I'm related to such a big stinkin' bully!” Pinchy frowns, speaking up from a corner of the room. “...I wonder if that’s really the case...” Sweetie Belle sighs. “Even if she isn’t usually one, she sure is acting like one now... What are we gonna do?” AB takes on a triumphant pose. “We're gonna build a new float, that's what.” Like a rogue weather pegasus, Scootaloo rains on her parade. “Why bother? She'll probably just ruin that one, too.” This causes another sigh from the apple filly. Sweetie speaks up. “We could always tell Applejack.” Pinchy raises a hoof. “I second that plan.” Remembering Babs’ words, the other two fillies shout. “No!” Bloom clarifies. “We're not gonna be a bunch of tattletales! Besides, she's only here a couple of weeks... we'll just avoid her like the plague until she goes home.” She looks at the two unicorns. “There’s two for telling and two against. Since there ain’t a majority, we’ll do a re-vote another time. For now, we just stick to staying out of her way.” Scootaloo laughs nervously. “Yeah... how hard can that be?” The pink unicorn tilts her head to one side, frowning softly. “...since when does ignoring an issue make it go away?” Apple Bloom explains in a hopeful voice. “Think of it like the quiet game, if you stick it out long enough, the other ponies eventually get bored and do something else... usually...” Pinchy sighs, shaking her head. “...if you say so.”