//------------------------------//
// Season 1, Chapter 15: One Bad Apple 
// Story: Armor Fillies 
// by MarkTheWolfpony 
//------------------------------//

The sun began rise over the horizon. Night was almost over and a new day was about to begin. For Applebloom however, it was the day her cousin came to ponyville. She couldn't help but be excited about it. In fact she was so excited, she woke up at about 6 AM just to get ready and she woke up Imp and Applejack to help her look good.

“Oh boy my cousin is coming and I don’t what to wear!” She looked through the drawers, threw out clothes she didn’t think would be appropriate and ended up covering Imp and Applejack.  

“Ummm don’t you think that you are over reacting just a little bit?” Imp tried to talk some sense into her but however she didn’t listen.

Applejack walked up to her and laid a hoof on her shoulder. “Applebloom its alright. You don’t need to impress her quickly. I’m sure she will be happy to meet you. In fact your cous doesn’t have a cutie mark yet so it would be nice that you helped her get hers.”

Applebloom dropped all the clothes she was going where and headed out to the door. “Well then we better hurry!”

“Applebloom! There is still about 2 hours before you cousin will come in!” Imp tried to tell her but by the time he finished, she was already out. “You sister is really happy today huh?”

Applejack smacked him on the head. “Yes she is,” she smiled

“Ow. What was that for?” Imp asked her in annoyance. But she just left. He started to notice that she wasn’t going to go easy on him and he pretty much knew why.



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The three made it to the train station and rested for a bit on the benches before the sun rose. Once it reached morning, Scootaloo and Sweetie belle came in. The Train station was soon crowded by many ponies as it was work hour. They waited until about 8 AM as the train stopped.

The CMC began to check every window on the train.

“Ummm Applebloom…” Applejack tried to get her attention but Applebloom kept ignoring her. “Applebloom…”

“Your not doing it right AJ. Let me try,” He straightening his voice. “Ummm can I ask what does your cousin look like?” As he asked that, the three stopped in place.

“Ummmm actually I don’t know?” Applebloom just realized that she has never met her cousin before.

Imp couldn’t help but nod out of annoyance. As he took a look at one of the doors that just opened, he noticed a filly coming out. She was a light brownish earth pony with a red and light red mohawk leaning main and tail. The three quickly surrounded her, jumping up and down for joy.

Applejack came up to her. “Well hello there Babs seed. Its been a while has at it?”

“...” She didn’t speak a word.

“Little shy there aren’t we?” Imp felt embarrassed.

“OH BABS!” Applebloom surprised her. “I’m Applebloom and these are my friends! Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Imp.”

Imp greeted her. “Hello.”

“Well why don’t we get you settle then Babs,” Applejack carried her bags. “Come on everypony. Lets treat our cousin like she is home,”  

The 6 headed back to the farm. The CMC and Imp took Babs Seed and showed her their tree house, giving her the warm welcome.

“Welcome to our Tree house!” The three said at the same time.

“Well it does look like what I expected,” Babs said nervously.

“Hey I wasn’t expecting something grand ether,” Imp whispered.

“Well today is gonna be a Special day for you!” Sweetie Belle smiled. “Because today we are gonna help you find your cutie mark!”

The three rushed together and showed off their cutie marks. Babs widened her eyes in shock and covered her flank. Imp quickly noticed this and started to think that Babs was embarrassed.

Scootaloo bumped her flank next to her. “We are gonna help you get your cutie mark!”

Babs quickly got away from her. “Ummm Sure I could use some help,” She smiled nervously.

“Alright Cutie Mark Crusaders! Group huddle!” The three huddled around and began to talk on what to do.

Imp used this chance to talk to her. “Are you feeling left out Babs?”

“Well to be quite honest...yes.” She looked down on herself.

Imp couldn’t help but smile. “Look I know how it feels to not get your cutie mark yet just like your friends and family, but they are here for you and that is what it counts.”

Babs slowly smiled after hearing that. The three broke out of their huddle and walked up to Babs.

“Alright Babs I think we got the activity that might help you with your Cutie Mark,” Babs and Imp raised their eyebrows, wondering what it was. 

The group headed to the barn. The three lead Imp and Babs to the barn and once inside, they were surprised that they saw a pumpkin float there.   

“This is our float for the summer harvest parade!” Applebloom said proudly.

“This float took us week to make!” Sweetie Belle walked in front of the float.

“And we want you to be part of this float for the parade,” Applebloom proudly announced “Oh and Imp as well,”

Imp couldn’t help but feel sad about that. But suddenly they were surprised when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon popped in.

“More like a funny…”  

Silver continued off where Tiara left off. “Unlucky!”

They both laughed as they walked up to the float. The four were not very happy to see them.

“What are you doing here?” Applebloom said disappointedly.   

Silver Spoon smirked. “Well our dads came here on business and we thought why can’t we see our favorite fillies.”

Diamond Tiara walked around Imp. “Well you happened to be a different case.” She smiled.

Imp felt annoyed. “Please don’t go there.”

“Is this your float? What is this? A giant orange!” Silver spoon mocked their float while they laughed.

“Ummm its a pumpkin,” Scootaloo said dismissively. “And this will be the highlight of the parade!”

The two couldn’t help but laugh. As their laughs faded away, they noticed Babs seed quickly as one looked at her flank, they saw an opportunity on their hands.

“Who is the blank flank!” She smirked.

Babs quickly covered her flank with her tail. Applebloom didn’t take kindly to that.

“She happened to be my cousin that came from manehatten and today we are gonna help her get her cutie mark!” She said in a angry tone.

Tiara smiled when she heard that. “Well at least you got that going for you.”

“So tell me, are you gonna let them help you get your cutie mark!?” Silver spoon laughed devilishly.

Babs took a long look before making a choice. As she made a snarky face, Imp quickly noticed where this was going.

She walked up to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. “I don’t think so. In fact I want you to help me get my cutie mark the cool way!”

The four were very surprised and shocked about this. Imp however knew where this was going.

“HEY!” Applebloom Shouted.

Tiara couldn’t help but be impressed with her city attitude. “Oh I like the way you said that.” She smiled.

“Oh ya!? Well there is more where that came from,” Babs walked up to the float and kicked the wheel off the pumpkin. It began to lose balance and started to roll down the hill up ahead. All that the four could do was watch before it got destroyed when it stopped.

“Look likes someone is in the mess up squad.” The three laughed.

“You!” Applebloom studdard in frustration. “When I tell Applejack-”

“Tell Applejack what?” She walked up to her with a threatening look. “You gonna tell on me like the snitches you are!”

Imp intervened. “Hey hey! At least its better than-” Applebloom covered his mouth before he could finish.

“Come on Babs, lets leave this place. You should hang out with the cool ponies and not these babies!” Diamond Tiara looks at Imp before she walks out. “No offence Imp.”

Imp rolled his eyes in annoyance before all them left, laughing mockingly.

The rest were unable to process what happen.

“Well that was...unexpected.” Applebloom said figurlity.

Scootaloo crossed her arms and shrugged. “We are not babies or snitches!”

“We have to tell Applejack about this!” Sweetie Belle said out loud.

“I agree.” Imp walked up in front them. “I think we should tell her about this.” 

“NO!” Applebloom shouted. “We can’t do that! We are not Snitches!”

Imp could not believe this. “Umm Applebloom I’m gonna set my feelings aside and say that is a stupid idea!”

However the others didn’t agree to that.

“Look Imp I know that might be a solution but it would only make it worst!” Scootaloo said in agony.

Applebloom began to close the window and doors. “Well I think the only thing we could do is to avoid her. I mean she is only here for a couple of days so we will avoid her like the plague.”

Imp couldn’t stand more of this. “You know what. Fine! See if I care.”

He left out of the treehouse, feeling very frustrated.



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Imps walked around ponyville for a bit. As he got to sugarcube corner, he noticed Babs, Silver spoon and Diamond Tiara hanging out, drinking shakes. He decided to go inside and face them head on. As he walked up to them, Babs quickly insulted him.

“Well if it is one of the cutie mark crybabies,” She smirked.

Diamond Tiara puts her hoof on her shoulder. “Now now.” She smiled. “This one is ok.” 

“Diamond Tiara,” He face hoofed. “I will never join your group.”

Silver spoon snickered. “Don’t worry, he is just playing hard to get."

He took a deep breath. “Look Babs can I talk to you for a bit?”

Babs couldn’t help but laugh. “Really? Do you want to talk alone with a filly who could hurt you in a second?”

He could see the facade that she was making. “You are very weak with your threats are you?”

She was surprised but didn’t want the others to know. “Ummm…” She studdard a bit. “Ok now you’re annoying me! Lets talk private.”

The two headed outside of the sugar cube corner and head to an alley way to talk privately.

“So,” She clapped her hooves together. “How do we start this?” She smiled devilishly.

“Babs enough with this! I know you don’t really mean it!” Imp was not fooled one bit of her threats.

She got angry. “Man you are annoying me!” She walked up close to his face. “I could take you right now if I wanted too.”

“Well fine that. Take me on!” Imp formed a fighting stance.

But Babs however, stepped back from him a bit as her entire body started to shake. Imp couldn’t help but nod his head sideways and left.

“HEY!” She shouted. “Where are you going!” 

He stopped in place. “Babs. This is not the right answer. You wanted to avoid bullying and for what? You bullying your own cousin and her friends,” He sighed. “I could just tell AJ about this but then you wouldn’t learn anything,” With that, he left without noticing the confused look that Babs had.



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Imp headed back to the barn. But when he got there, he noticed that Babs was picking on the CMC again. What he saw was that the three were being bombarded with apples and banana peels which the three ended up slipping on one.

Imp quickly headed to her but she ran away before he could catch up to her. He decided to check up on the CMC.

“Hey are you guys alright?” Imp saw that the CMC were in a pile of garbage.

Applebloom was the first to stand up. “Ya we are fine.” She flicked the banana peel off her bow.

“Dang,” Scootaloo rubbed off the the wrapping paper on her chest. “Avoiding her is not as easy as we would expect.”

Sweetie Belle jumped out of the pile in anger. “I’M SICK OF IT!”

“Don’t you think its time to tell Applejack about this?” Imp stated as a suggestion but the others shook their heads.  

“No we can’t tell AJ about this!” Applebloom replied harshly. “Look lets just head back to the tree house and stay there\for the rest of the day.”

Imp couldn’t help but face hoof again.



___________________   




The four walked to the tree house. The CMC were very happy to see it but it didn’t last for long as they saw Babs laying back on the fence around it as she noticed us.

“HEY! What are you doing at my treehouse!” When she said that, the three were angry and confused.

“Your...your...YOUR! TREEHOUSE!” Scootaloo shouted in frustration.

Diamond Tiara and Silver spoon came in sight.

“That is right!” Diamond Tiara scoffed.

Silver spoon snickered. “So I suggest you get out of here.” 

The three laughed as they went inside. The CMC were very sad that they lost their tree house. But none of them matched how Sweetie Belle felt.

“No...more…” She started to cry as a waterfall of tears came in and started to cover all over the other two.

“THATS IT!” Scootaloo put her tail on her cutie mark. “Armor-” Before she could say it, Imp cover her mouth.

“Don’t even think about it!” Imp was not happy. “Listen I know she is getting annoying but we protect these ponies from threats. Not become one to them!”

“But she-” Applebloom got interrupted.

“No buts!” He took a deep breath to calm down. “Look lets head back to the Apple Farm alright?”

“Ya,” She gave a cocky smile. “Because we are gonna fight back!”

Imp was surprised by this. “Wait what!” He studdard.  

Scootaloo smirked at the idea. “Ya! That is a great idea!”

“How would we do that?” Sweetie Belle questioned.

“By making her the star of the summer harvest parade.” Applebloom mentioned her plan.

“Ya!..Wait what!?” Scootaloo was confused.

“We will make Babs the big star and once she got there, she will fall down like a nobody,” Applebloom smiled Devilishly.

“Oh now this is a great plan!” Sweetie Belle shouted with joy.

“Well I think its a stupid plan!” Imp angrily shouted. “You want to put an innocent through that!”

The three couldn’t help but be confused.

“What do you mean innocent!?” Applebloom was confused on Imp’s defence for babs. “She picked on us all day and you say she is innocent!?”

He couldn’t help but be frustrated. “You know what….FINE! Be that way!” Imp walked out on the group. “I do not want to be involved with this!”

He walked out of sight. He didn’t get this angry before but when what he heard and witnessed around something that he never thought he would go through. Imp decided that enough was enough. He headed up to the tree house to face Babs once more.

He burst in the door, getting everyponie’s attention. “Babs I want to speak with you once more!”

Silver spoon was surprised and upset. “Hey have you heard of knocking!?”

Imp made a threatening look which frightened her. “Can you and Tiara leave? I want to talk to Babs alone.” 

Silver spoon quickly drag Diamond Tiara out of there by force.

Babs blew her hair. “What do you want know? You want to fight!”

Imp nodded his head sideways. “No. I’m here to help you.”

She laughed at his words. “Help? I think you’re the one who needs help when I’m done with you!” She put her hooves together, grinding her teeth.

“Tell me?” He paused. “Are you being bullied yourself?

Babs was surprised on what he said. “Uh…” She started to sweat nervously. “That is not important!”

Imp couldn’t help but sigh. “I know the reason that you joined the bullies was because you didn’t want to be bullied yourself,” He walked around her. “I know how it feels to be picked on just because you’re different. I was picked on a lot when I first join a group of fillies and colts. But when I went on the defensive, I never used that to bullied others. I used to defend myself and showed what I stood for.”

Hearing the words about his experience, Babs looked down at herself. “I don’t want to experience it again,” She shed a tear. “When I saw those two picking on my cousin and her friends, I didn’t know what to do. I was scared OK!”

“Look,” He put his hoof on her chin as she continued to shed more tears. “You could end this now by apologizing to who should be your real friends,” he smiled.

She wiped off the remaining tears before she stopped. “You know you're a swell colt.”

The two began to laugh it off.



_______________



The summer harvest began as many pony folk from around ponyville began to form crowds among the float parade path. Imp quickly got some cotton candy and began to watch the floats passing by with the main five and spike. However one float caught his interest when he saw Babs in a golden apple float.

“Wait something doesn’t feel right?” Imp couldn’t help but notice that something was off about it. But as he thought about it, the CMC ran past him. “Wait what are those three doing?” With curiosity, he decided follow them.

As he followed them, he noticed the three were trying to catch up with the apple float. He managed to catch up with them to get what was going on.

“Umm can I ask what you are doing?” He asked.

“Imp!” Applebloom was in a panic. “Babs is in trouble!”

“What!” He was surprised on that answer.

“Ya we tricked her into getting in that thing and now once it headed to the turn at the river, it will fell in the mud!” Sweetie Belle explained.

“Ugh! I never thought you would still go through with this!” He shouted in an angry tone. “I mean didn’t she apologize!?”

“Well we thought she was pretending!” Applebloom responded. “It wasn’t until we heard from my sister that she was being bullied back at her home!”

The three quickly caught up to the apple. But once they caught up, they all heard a timer.

“Uh oh!” The three felt uneasy when they heard the ticking noise.

“What is wrong!?” Imp asked.

“No Time!” The three shouted.

The four hurried up and tried to get to the float. But it was too late as the timer stopped and began to caused the float to go spiraling out of control. Babs doesn’t know what to do and did everything to stop it but nothing was working.

“Oh no!” The three shouted.

Imp quickly looked around and luckily there was no one in sight. He took a look what’s up ahead and noticed two light poll’s. With this opportunity, he put his tail on his cutie mark and a shouted armor up.

“Hey what are you doing!?” Scootaloo asked desperately.

“Saving an innocent!” Imp ran faster with the three coming behind.

Imp quickly summoned his yo yo’s and launched them at the two light poles. With that, he stood in position and waited until the float came close. Soon the CMC followed and stood behind him. Babs quickly noticed the 4 fillies with armor before they collide. The force of the float was a lot heavier than before but the four won’t let that beat them. It soon slowed down.

The rested and took a deep sigh in relief. But the rest noticed how shocked Babs was when she witness the entire situation.

“......” They all didn’t say a word.



_______________




At the apple farm, Babs began to apologize for everything that has happen.

“I’m really sorry for picking on you.” She looked down on herself. “I guess I should've told you about it but when you were being nice to me and let me run the float, I thought we were cool.”

“No we’re sorry,” Applebloom spoke first. “You see we didn’t know about what is really going on and we almost embarrassed you.” 

“Ya and we didn’t know that we weren't any better to say the least,” Scootaloo shrugged.

Sweetie Belle turned to Imp. “I guess you are right Imp,”

“Well I want to say that I told you so but I don’t want to ruin the moment.” He scratched his main.

Applejack walked in between them. “Well I hope you all learned something. But you know you could’ve of avoided this if you told me about this first.”

Hearing what Applejack said, the 4 couldn’t help but face hoof in their own idiocy.

“As for you young missy,” Applejack’s face started to show how upset she was. “I think a punishment for what you did is in order.”

Babs nodded in agreement.

“WAIT!” The rest were surprised of the sudden outburst Applebloom. “If she is getting punish then I want to get punished as well.

The other two noticed what she was doing and did the same.

“So should us!” Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle shouted as the same time.

Imp walked up to Applejack. “If its alright? I would like to be punished as well. I knew what was going and I didn’t bother to tell you out of my own free will.”

She looked at all of them and nodded as she smirked. “Well alright.”

The rest couldn’t help but be happy even though they were in trouble.

"Hey,” Babs got the CMC’s attention. “Thanks.”

The three smiled and began to hug Babs.

“You think we can start over?” She asked.

“Sure!” The three shouted.

Babs couldn't help but feel happy for the first time in a while.

“You know...I think its a good choice that Faust put me here.” He said that to himself, smiling.

However what he and the rest don’t know was that somepony was watching them from afar. Threw a pair binoculars, a green crystal earth filly with a cutie mark of a pick ax and sparkles started to catch interest within a certain pony of the group.  

“Oh Imp...You think I don’t know where you have gone my silly little cutie,” She laughed a bit.

“Excuse me miss” A changeling stood by her. “We need to get ready because Faust has a mission for us!”

She stood up. “Fine.” Before the two left, she said these words: “I guess we will be crossing paths very soon, Impy wimpy.”