“Rarity, can I go with you to Manehattan? I’d like to go visit Babs Seed. You know, Apple Bloom’s cousin.” Sweetie waited as Rarity mused over this information, and gave a shrug. Sweetie shifted slightly, jostling her saddlebags as she waited.
“Sure, we can even ask them if you are allowed to sleep over.” Rarity turned and headed upstairs to pack Sweetie’s bag. Sweetie smiled and waited patiently, and soon enough they were on their way. Following the stallion to the train car, it wasn’t long before they were in Manehattan.
Rarity knocked on the door, and waited patiently. Soon enough Mr. and Mrs. Orange answered the door, smiling as they greeted them. Sweetie tilted slightly to the side, and saw Babs was glancing out at them from what appeared to be a living room. Upon meeting eyes, Sweetie saw a smile light on Babs’s face.
“Hello Mr. Orange, good day to both of you. I’m Rarity, a friend of Applejack. My sister knows your daughter.” Rarity paused, seeing both adults share a quiet chuckle, and shake their heads. Mrs. Orange motioned Babs forward, and she walked toward the door in response, and quickly greeted Sweetie.
“It’s great to see you again Babs, how’s your sister going?” Sweetie hadn’t heard much about Babs’s sister, but she did know the two were very close.
“She’s doing okay. The kids in her class are starting to get Marks, but she doesn’t feel comfortable joining the CMC just yet.” Babs shrugged, and Sweetie nodded. Most kids didn’t want to join their club, it was why they only had three members after all.
“Sweetie dear, Mr. and Mrs. Orange have agreed to let Babs come with us.” Rarity glanced down as Sweetie beamed a gleeful smile.
“Come? Come where?” Babs tilted her head, and Sweetie began to drag the filly toward their taxi.
“To the Water Park!”
“Are you sure this is safe?” Babs looked at the ponies going down the long and windy slide as she ascended, Sweetie by her side. Sweetie nodded, and took the tube as it was handed to her by the stallion.
“See you at the bottom.” Sweetie jumped onto the tube as it landed on the slide, and screamed in joy as she flew down it. A sudden drop, and she was speeding toward the end, spinning around on her tube. Standing up, Sweetie swayed as she felt her head continue to spin.
“Aaah-hahaha wow!” Babs got off and beamed an excited smile at Sweetie, who giggled, glad to see Babs enjoying it. Sweetie gasped, catching sight of the wave pool, and dragged Babs over to it, levitating both their tubes with them. Leaping in, she waited for Babs to join her, and they both paddled over to the deeper end just as the waves started.
“Whoooo!” Sweetie felt her gut go out from under her with each wave, feeling Babs gripping her tightly as the waves grew to twice their height. After a moment, they died down, and both fillies heard Rarity call lunch. Sweetie was pleased to see they had hayfries, and dug in.
“I gotta admit, this is fun.” Babs looked down and blew her hair out of her eyes, and got into her own meal. Sweetie looked around, trying to plan their next water rides. However, something caught her attention instead.
“I kinda wish Apple Bloom could be here.” Babs put her food down, and sighed, closing her eyes. Sweetie bit her lip, confused. Bringing Babs into a hug, she waited for her to continue.
“The Manehattan branch isn’t going too well. All the kids my age already have one, so there’s no Crusaders for me to hang out with. Don’t get me wrong, I’m fine. It’s just this new exchange student without a Mark reminds me of her. And I kinda miss my cous.” Babs rubbed her eyes, and smiled at Sweetie.
“Don’t worry we’re supposed to be having fun right?” Babs blinked as Sweetie put a hoof on her shoulder, and looked her straight in the eyes.
“Babs, this was going to be a surprise, but Apple Bloom is planning to bring you here next week.” Sweetie decided to omit the fact she had chosen to do it early due to the time loop, but Babs didn’t notice.
“She is?” Babs felt her doubts ease as Sweetie nodded, and both stood up. Sweetie grabbed their tubes, and they took off to ride the bigger slides, provided they were tall enough.
Over to one side, Rarity and Mrs. Orange were having a quiet conversation.
"I mean personally I find wool to be a little bit 'Hivernal' for Ponyville during these months. But I could design Babs a few items if you so wish." Rarity smiled as Mrs. Orange considered it, and nodded once.
"I will say though, I'm quite surprised. Babs is so different from you, I would have expected your daughter to be more fancy, but I guess it's unimportant." Rarity leaned her head back, taking a sip of her drink.
“Oh no, Babs isn’t our daughter. Well not in the proper sense. We still treat her as one, and she knows we love her dearly.” Mrs. Orange smiled toward where Babs was playing.
“I’m infertile, so we decided to adopt. When we saw those two huddled together, we just knew they were the fillies for us.” Mrs. Orange wanted to hug herself, remembering how adorable they looked.
"I can imagine, Sweetie Belle might not be adopted, but she's just as adorable," commented Rarity.
After their fun, Sweetie spent the night at Babs’s house. After playing a few board games, Sweetie spent an hour or so asking Babs about her life. It was then, Babs’s sister walked in.
“Hey sis, see ya’ got yerself a friend.” Green Seed was an earth pony with dark green hair and a mud-brown body. Looking at them, Sweetie could instantly see the family resemblance.
“Yeah, this is Sweetie Belle. She’s a Crusader like I am.” Babs smiled warmly, showing off Sweetie to her sister.
“But she has a Cutie Mark,” Green pointed toward Sweetie’s flank, and both fillies giggled.
“You don’t stop being a Crusader because you get a mark,” started Babs.
“You just stop searching for your own, and instead help others,” finished Sweetie, and both shared a laugh. Green, the faintest smile on her face, sat down with them.
“So how do you help others get their Mark?” Green glanced to Babs, who glanced to Sweetie.
“Well, we do mainly the same thing we did to get our Mark, but with the knowledge only those who have one understand.” Sweetie smiled warmly, looking to the roof.
“And what knowledge is that?” Both Green and Babs leaned forward. Sweetie lowered her head, closed her eyes, and smiled.
“It’s not something you can really say in words, you’ll understand what I mean when you get it.” Sweetie glanced at their disappointed faces, and conversation quickly changed.
Sweetie had to admit, talking like they were, she felt so normal, like she wasn’t different to them.
Like she wasn’t stuck in a time loop.