Two figures moved through the pouring rain. The two Earth Ponies, filly and mare, wore rain coats and rubber boots. The mare carried a lantern. The foal had a yellow coat, no cutie mark, and red hair with a pink bow tied in her mane. Her red-orange eyes glowed with excitement. The mare was orange with a blonde mane and tail, green eyes, and three apples for a cutie mark.
"Applebloom," the mare started, " wanna tell me why we're walkin' through the pourin' rain, again?"
The filly rolled her eyes. "Because, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Twist, and Nyx are comin' fer the Cutie Mark Crusader sleepover tonight." She told her sister, "Applejack, you know that. Even Babs came all the way from Manehattan! 'N Ah left mah cape in the clubhouse."
The mare rolled her eyes. Babs Seed was Applebloom's favorite cousin. Applejack sighed.
"Just don't y'all be hogtyin' Big Macintosh again."
Apple Bloom blushed at the memory. Their big brother had not been happy. The filly trotted up the tree house ramps. Standing in the doorway, she scanned the room for her cape. Her eyes rested on the dark colored filly using it as a blanket. She stood frozen to the spot, mouth agape.
"Apple Bloom? Are ya okay, sugarcube? Ya look like ya seen a ghost." said Applejack as she trotted up to her sister. Apple Bloom flicked her eyes towards her sister.
"Uh, Applejack, ya might wanna take a look at this." The mare stood staring at the filly on the floor, who began to stir at the lantern light. She raised her head sleepily. When her eyes focused on the other ponies, she let out a frightened yelp before huddling in the corner, shivering in fear.
Applejack quietly walked towards the scared foal, who looked on with terror filled eyes. She buried her face in Apple Bloom's cape with a whimper. The mare knelt in front of the shivering foal, speaking gently. "Shh, easy now, sugarcube. Ain't nopony gonna hurt ya." she stood back up, reaching a caring hoof towards the filly. The foal peeked out from underneath the cape. These ponies seemed different than the others. Apple Bloom walked towards the mare and filly. She, too, smiled and extended a hoof.
The foal began to stand when lightning flashed outside. The purplish-blue light filled the room. It danced across the sister's faces, giving them menacing looks. She jumped in fright, tossing the cape across the room. It landed underneath a window, upside-down so that the sparkling gold underside showed.
"Calm down, young'un." Applejack whispered, "Yer gonna be just fine." The filly eyed her warily, standing on shaky legs. Apple Bloom crossed the room, stuffing her cape under her raincoat. Applejack glanced about the room, eyes landing on a frilly umbrella in the back left corner, opposite of the filly.
"This yers, Apple Bloom?" she asked.
"Nope, Sweetie Belle's. Rarity gave it to her." Rarity, Sweetie's older sister, was a good friend of Applejack's.
"Think she'd mind if we used it?"
"Prolly not."
Applejack nodded, lifting the umbrella. She fitted the saddle part around the dark foal's middle. She glanced from her sister to the filly, then out the window in the direction of the house. Sighing, she shook her head.
"Ain't got a clue how we gonna 'splain this to Big Mac 'n Granny Smith," she looked back at the fillies, "but we'll figger sumthin'."
With that, the three ponies headed towards the awaiting sleepover.
~*~
The other members of the C.M.C. had arrived shortly after Applejack and Apple Bloom had left. Ever punctual Twilight Sparkle arrived first. The newly crowned Alicorn princess had walked her adopted daughter, Nyx, to Sweet Apple Acres. The filly, also an Alicorn, was black coated, with dark purple hair, and turquoise dragon-shaped eyes to match those of Spike, Twilight's assistant. The little dragon was close behind them.
Next came Rainbow Dash, a cyan Pegasus with a multicolored mane and tail, with her honorary sister, Scootaloo. She, a fellow Pegasus, was orange, with magenta hair. Dash was her hero, and she often tried to mimic her too-cool attitude. Like Rainbow, she had a serious need for speed. The flightless Pegasus was lightning quick on her scooter.
Then, Rarity, a snow-white unicorn with a purple mane and tail, walked up with her little sister. Sweetie Belle shared her sister's coat color and her hair was a pastel pink and purple. Rarity, a born fashionista, couldn't have been more displeased at having to walk in the rain. Her friend, a shy yellow mare with light pink hair, Fluttershy, had tagged along.
The last ponies to show up were Pinkie Pie and Twist. Pinkie, a pink ball of energy, was Ponyville's resident party planner. She'd agreed to walk her neighbor's filly to the sleepover. Twist had curly red hair, a cream-beige coat, and wore purple glasses. She had two intertwined candy canes for a cutie mark. Nyx, too, had her cutie mark: a blue shield with a lighter blue crescent moon. Their main purpose for the group was simply to help the other members.
The mares, too, were close knit friends. They each represented one of six Elements of Harmony: Honesty, Loyalty, Laughter, Generosity, Kindness, and the most powerful, Magic. While waiting on Applejack and Apple Bloom, the mares talked to Granny Smith, an elderly green coated, white maned mare, and Bic Mac, a large red stallion with light orange hair.
Just then, the kitchen door opened to reveal Applejack, Apple Bloom, and a strange, scruffy looking filly. Applejack sent the club's members to the living room while she and the adults talked. She gave a brief explanation, ending with the fact that the filly hadn't spoken a single word.
"Well," began Granny Smith, "ferst thang's ferst, she needs a bath."
"Eeyup." Macintosh agreed.
Twilight scratched at her chin, deep in thought. Applejack's story was uncannily similar to how she found Nyx. The foal, however, was unfamiliar to her, so she probably wasn't born of magic, as Nyx was. Rarity then spoke, breaking the lavender mare's thoughts.
"Well, while we're waiting, I'm going to see if the fillies want any hot cocoa. Anypony else want some?" After a brief round of nods, she headed for the living room as Applejack lead the grungy filly upstairs.
~*~
"What're they sayin', Babs?" the yellow filly asked her cousin. The tough-looking, brown coated Manehattan filly pressed her ear to the keyhole, blowing her pink bangs from her eyes, though they immediately fell back in her face.
"It's hard ta tell, but I think I can make some of it out." the fillies crowded around. In hushed whispers, Babs relayed what the adults were saying. "Okay, something about a bath, I think, and...hot cocoa? Wait, they stopped talking." she peeked through the keyhole. "Rarity's comin'! Act natural!"
The six foals bolted from the door, acting as if they'd been working on crusading ideas. They pretended not to notice when the mare entered the room. She was completely oblivious to the foals antics. She cleared her throat, gaining the fillies' attention.
"Yeah, Rarity?" Sweetie Belle faked annoyance at her sister.
"Terribly sorry to have interrupted, darlings, but I just wanted to ask if anypony wanted some hot cocoa." Six eager nods, and she was back in the kitchen. Then, the brainstorming began for real.
~*~
Applejack rubbed the filly with a towel, drying her off. The filly stared at her hooves, which were no longer caked with mud. Soon enough, the filly was dry, and Applejack turned to empty out the bath water after tossing the towel in the old hamper. The filly's stomach then let out a starved growl. She quickly pressed her hoof to it in a vain attempt to hide the noise.
"Are ya hungry, sugarcube?" the mare asked gently. The foal chanced a silent nod. "Well then, how 'bout we go git some dinner?" The two ponies headed back to the kitchen where everypony was waiting. An extra place had been set for the filly.
Each pony glanced over the food selection; Granny's mushroom soup, celery, daisy, and pickle sandwiches, with applesauce and fried oats with a cinnamon-apple glaze for dessert. Everypony filled their plates, Applejack helping the dark coated filly. They began to converse amongst themselves as the newcomer looked on, confused. She couldn't understand why she hadn't yet been yelled at, or hit.
Her wary gaze then wandered to the food. She was afraid to eat it, no matter how good it smelled. Hunger soon won this battle. She lifted the sandwich, taking a tentative bite. That was all she needed. The sandwich was gone in seconds. She then moved to the soup, beginning to scarf it down.
"This is good!" she spoke without thinking. Her eyes widened in the realization at what she'd done, quickly slamming a hoof over her mouth. Conversation around the table came to an abrupt stop, and all gazes fell to her.
~*~
"This is good!" the voice reached the orange mare's ears. It reminded her of a clear summer night; calm and gentle. The voice had come from the filly. All eyes fell on the panicked foal. They all sat like that for a few agonizing moments, only growing the filly's fear. Granny Smith was the one to break the sudden silence.
"Well, thank ye kindly, young'un."
The filly slowly removed her hoof, speaking carefully. "Y-you're welcome." Dinner resumed with no other surprises. Afterwards, however, the Crusaders were ushered from the room. The fillies once again listened from outside the door. Now that they knew the filly could speak, they planned to find out who she was. The adults sat around the table, looking at the filly.
"You don't have to be afraid." Fluttershy's gentle tone soothed the scared foal. "We just want to know something about you, so we can get you back home."
The filly proved to not know much. She Knew basic things about Equestria, but next to nothing about herself. Nearly every question was answered the same way. Who is you mother? I don't think I have one. Who is your father? I don't think I have one. Where is your home? I don't think I have one.
"Then where in the hay did you come from!?" Rainbow shouted, losing her patience.
"The Bad Place." The adults looked at each other, shocked by this answer. The Bad Place? Where and what is The Bad Place? Applejack turned to the filly.
"What's yer name?" she asked. The foal remained quiet, pondering the question.
"I don't think anypony ever named me." she finally spoke, earning a groan from a certain cyan mare. She spoke again. "But, I do kinda remember somepony with a kind voice once calling me Nightshade."