//------------------------------// // One Bad Apple // Story: My Little Pony: Sora's Misadventures in Equestria // by Codex92 //------------------------------// Sora was up bright and early after finally getting a good night's sleep, feeling fully refreshed after a whole week of tossing and turning and small bout of insomnia. As he headed down the hall, a towel hanging off his wet mane, he spotted Applejack standing outside of Apple Bloom's room, the filly running around her room, trying on a random assortment of outfits from her closet. "Oh! What am I gonna wear!?" Apple Bloom panicked as she tripped over some discarded clothes, making Sora wonder how a farm filly like her could have so many different outfits when her family works in a dirty environment. "Apple Bloom, your cousin ain't gonna care about what ya wear," Applejack said, sounding annoyed. "We're gonna be late to the train station to pick her up! And with ya frettin' about clothes, Ah can't afford to skimp out on all my chores today!" "But Applejack, this is the first time Ah'm gonna be meetin' a cousin from Manehatten, and Ah need to make a first impression!" Apple Bloom began putting on swimming gear as Applejack sighed. "You got relatives coming over?" Sora asked. "Just our cousin, Babs Seed," Applejack said. "The Apple Family Reunion's comin' up again, but Babs is just comin' over to stay for a while. And seein' how late it is now, Ah need to get started on mah chores." "I can pick her up for you. I don't think I have anything aside from my own chores, which I can do in record time," the pegasus gloated. "Thanks, Sora." The two looked back at Apple Bloom, now wearing something that made her look like a rich diva. "Come on, Apple Bloom, Ah'm sure you two are gonna get along great. You two have somethin' ya got in common." "And what's that aside from bein' Apples?" the filly asked. "She doesn't have her cutie mark." Apple Bloom gasped and looked back at her older sister. "What!? Why didn't ya tell me about this sooner!?" The filly scrambled out of her latest outfit and tried to squeeze through Sora's and Applejack's legs. "This changes everythin'! Ah gotta get Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo! Ah'll meet ya at the station, Sora!" Apple Bloom ran out and went to fetch her friends, leaving behind a room cluttered with clothes and accessories. "Ya know you're cousin's supposed to sleep in here!" "Well, I better catch up with her before she gets too excited and bounces on the train tracks to see her cousin. Who should I be on the lookout for?" Sora asked. "Babs is around Apple Bloom's age," she described. "Her coats a slightly dark brown and her mane's a sort of dark red-pink color." "Got it. We'll be right back with the visiting Apple, and two extra fillies." Sora discarded the towel on his head in his room and hurried after Apple Bloom, leaving Applejack to clean up the mess the young Apple left behind in her presentational panic. Once the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders were gathered and told of another blank flank filly related to Apple Bloom that would be coming to stay for a while, the excited fillies, followed by Sora, waited impatiently at the train station. The teen just watched them while waiting for the train from Manehatten to arrive as they talked about all the excited things they planned. "You really think you're cousin's gonna join the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Apple Bloom!?" Scootaloo asked. "Of course she will! She doesn't have a cutie mark like either of us!" Apple Bloom fidgeted excitedly, looking down both sides of the railroad tracks for the train to arrive. "I'm so excited I could burst!" Sweetie exclaimed, her horn sparking a green aura a little before it faded away. The fillies didn't have to wait much longer as the train finally arrived. The passengers all filed out or waited for their next stop, Apple Bloom bouncing around and trying to figure out who of the many riders were her cousin. "Is that her!? No wait, that's a stallion." Sora rolled his eyes as he dragged the excited filly back by her tail. "Apple Bloom, you don't even know what she looks like," he said. As some of the passengers filed out, Babs Seed made herself known as she walked out of one of the cars, carrying a small suitcase in her mouth. She looked just as Applejack described her: a brown coat a bit darker than his, dark red-pinkish mane and tail, her bangs hanging over her right eye, and just like her cousin, she didn't have a cutie mark. Before Sora could call the Apple relative over, the Crusaders rushed over to Babs and crowded her. "Hi, Babs!" Apple Bloom greeted as they got too close in the filly's personal space. "Ah'm your cousin, Apple Bloom! And this is Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, and we are gonna have the bestest week ever with you here!" Sora grabbed the Crusaders' tails and hoisted them up into the air, hanging them upside down in his hooves. "Girls, for goodness sake. Give her some room to breathe. She's had a long ride over, and swarming her isn't going to help." He placed them down, away from Babs, leaving the three fillies standing on their heads as he looked back at the Apple relative. "Your cousin's a little bit too excited to see you." "Uhh, who are you?" she asked, her accent sounding like someone raised in the big city more than a country one. "I'm Sora. I help your cousins here in Ponyville with their farm, and Applejack asked me to pick you up for her while she's busy with her chores." Babs gasped as he introduced himself. "Wait. You mean THE Sora!?" she asked. "The same stallion that saved Equestria several times in the past year!?" "Hmm...maybe." Sora scuffed off his jacket and messed around with his hair a little, the filly obviously another one of his fans. "Did my hair or clothes not give it away?" "I didn't even notice!" The pegasus fell over and groaned in exasperation, the Crusaders giggling at him as they flipped right side up. "You stop all these strange monsters that appeared in Equestria, and just recently in the news, you saved the long lost Crystal Empire from an evil unicorn!" "...Right...Let's not mention that...ever." The fillies didn't notice Sora's sudden shift in attitude as Babs reminded him of the Crystal Empire, no one but those involved during Sombra's return knowing the tragic loss of the innocent stallion that was forced to be evil. He shook those thoughts out of his head and picked up Babs's suitcase. "Anyway, let's get you settled in." "And you're in luck, since the Summer Harvest Parade's going on!" Sweetie Belle said. "You'll get to ride in a float!" "And we've got a special surprise for ya!" Apple Bloom added as the Crusaders blindfolded Babs Seed, leading her after Sora as they headed down to Sweet Apple Acres. As soon as they reached the orchard, the Crusaders dragged Babs down to where their clubhouse was, probably to initiate her into their cutie mark crusading club and add another member. He was a little surprised they decided to finally find other ponies to increase their numbers since there were a few other ponies at their school who didn't have their cutie marks, like Dinky. Sora just shrugged off whatever they had planned, though he hoped it wouldn't involve anything dangerous. He entered the farmhouse and dropped Babs's luggage in Apple Bloom's room, now cleaned up after Applejack did the cleaning for her. Sora got to work on some of his chores, most of them cleaning up around the farm, especially in the barn, pigpen, and chicken coop. With the Summer Harvest Parade coming up, the Crusaders had made their own float for the parade, which ironically was a giant pumpkin and not an apple. It was pretty impressive, considering those three fillies made this on their own, and it looked mobile with all the hard work they put into it. If there was a reward for the best float, this would definitely win first place. After cleaning up the scattered tools the fillies had used to craft their giant pumpkin float, the teen headed out to clean up the muddy pigs, though why they always needed cleaning when they would just get filthy again within seconds was a questionable chore. While he was busy cleaning the dirty swines, he didn't notice the Crusaders leading Babs into the barn, or Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon trespassing on the orchard and approaching the barn. Several minutes of cleaning later, he got the last of the pigs squeaky clean, spraying himself of any excess mud that got on him. "Ok. Clean piggies that are gonna get dirty anyway, check." As he predicted, they pigs all rolled around in their pen, getting filthy again. "...Well, at least I did it. Now, on to the-" Suddenly, the pigs all began squealing, though not out of the enjoyment of getting muddy. He looked over to them, all of them looking frightened as they were trying to warn him about something. "What's gotten you so riled-?" He heard a heavy thump come from the direction of the barn and turned around. Somehow, the pumpkin float the Crusaders had made came rolling down, the front wheel somehow broken off and came down toward him and the pen. Sora quickly flew into it, though a bit too hard, smashing the giant fake pumpkin to pieces. He winced, the float just as sensitive as the real thing, having destroyed the fillies' hard work with the help of the heavy bounces it took as it rolled down toward them. He was going to have to make it up to them and build them a new float, though how its front wheel got broken baffled him. It was well made, and the wheels were tightly placed on the pumpkin, yet something caused it to roll out of the barn. Sora flew over to the barn doors, but stopped before he walked through as he heard the fillies inside, along with a few others along with Babs. "Looks like your pumpkin's been squashed!" Babs said, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon laughing at the Manehatten filly's insult. "Ah'm gonna tell Applejack on ya!" Apple Bloom said. "Oh really? You gonna be a snitch, you little baby!?" Babs threatened, shocking the teen as he heard the Apples' little cousin act this way, nothing like the filly who was nervous when she first arrived. "Come on, Babs. You should be hanging out with the cool ponies, not these blank flank babies!" Sora quickly flew up on the roof as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon lead Babs Seed out of the barn. "Let's show you around to our favorite hangouts." "Sounds better than hanging out with the Cutie Mark Crybabies," Babs said, though instinctively flicking her short tail over one side of her flanks when Diamond said her insulting catchphrase. "What...just happened?" Sora peeked through one of the windows, finding Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo as confused as he was, and also hurt emotionally. "I think Babs just turned to the dark side," Scootaloo said. "We have to tell Applejack, or Sora," Sweetie said. "We can't! We're snitches!" Apple Bloom protested. "And we're definitely not babies!" Scootaloo pouted. "Then why do I feel like crying?" Sweetie asked as tears welled up in her eyes. Sora looked out toward Ponyville where Babs walked off with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. "Is Babs some kind of bully back in Manehatten?" he asked himself. "I hope not. She was really excited to see me and really shy when she came down here by herself...Maybe when Diamond Tiara showed up and began insulting them, she joined them to avoid being picked on?" He watched the Crusaders sadly leave the barn and head down to their clubhouse. "I hope I'm right, otherwise I'll have to tell Applejack myself." He flew over the orchard and hid in one of the trees near the CMC clubhouse. He heard them through their window as he observed them while also figuring out what happened to their float. "Ah can't believe Babs ruined our pumpkin float!" Sora winced as the culprit was indeed Babs, only making the Apple relative's credibility worse from his first impressions of her. "Ah'm related to a bully!" "This stinks," Scootaloo said. "And I'll bet you if we try to rebuild our float, she'll just wreck it again." "We need to tell somepony. Sora will listen to us." Sora nodded with Sweetie Belle's plan, even when he had also witnessed it and stopped the pumpkin float from rolling onto the pigs. "NO!" Apple Bloom and Scootaloo shouted, making the teen droop his head. "We're not going to be a bunch of tattle-tales," Apple Bloom said. "Besides, Babs is only going to be here for a week, until the Summer Harvest Parade's over. All we gotta do is just avoid her until she goes back home." Sora slapped his forehead at the ridiculous idea, finding that more worse than just telling an adult or a responsible older figure someone's picking on them. "You girls love to make things difficult, and either cause havoc to yourselves or others." The teen heard music as a song was coming on, the Crusaders sneaking out of their clubhouse with Sora following them from a distance. [Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo] Yeah, yeah, yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah They made their way to Sugarcube Corner and got themselves milkshakes as they sat at a table. Sora snuck around without being seen by them, hiding a couple tables away as he held a newspaper in front of him in case they spotted him, bouncing his head along with them at the upbeat tune. [Apple Bloom] First we thought that Babs was so really, really sweet A new friend to have, and it seemed like such a treat The door to the bakery slammed open, Babs appearing on the other side with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon behind her. She approached the Crusaders, spun their table around and sent them flying out of Sugarcube Corner, the three bullies stealing their milkshakes. [Scootaloo] But then, we found the truth; she's just a bully from the east She went from Babs, yeah, to a bully and a beast Sora still couldn't believe Silver Spoon would still follow Diamond Tiara, even after reading her letter to Santa about her reasons why she follows her. And with Babs being the one starting to pick on the fillies, it only made their bullying worse. [Apple Bloom] Everywhere we turn, she's just a step ahead [Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo] Babs Seed, Babs Seed, what we gonna do? Got a bully on our tail Gotta hide, we gotta bail Babs Seed, Babs Seed, if she's after you Gotta run, we gotta flee Gotta hurry, don't you see? Babs Seed, Babs Seed, she's just a bad, bad seed Sora followed along, watching as Babs constantly bullied them while Diamond and Silver watched. As they headed off toward the cinema, giving the bullies the slip, the teen hated watching this. As much as he wanted to help them and stop this, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo had to learn to tell an adult about their bullying problems and not resort to going down the same route, or keep ignoring it if they don't stop. Yeah, yeah, yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah As the Crusaders snuck into one of the theaters, after paying for a ticket, of course, Sora hid far in the back in the shadows as the fillies shifted from row to row, being cautious of Babs if she found them. [Apple Bloom] Hiding from a bully, we know it isn't right But the Cutie Mark Crusaders, we aren't looking for a fight [Scootaloo] Oh, she'll go home soon, and then we'll have some peace again But for now, we're staying out of her way 'til then Babs had popped up from the front row as the Crusaders were too focused on what was being played, even eluding Sora's sight as he didn't even notice her sneak in after them. She began hassling them again, forcing them to flee, the bully hot on their tails as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon continued to watch and laugh at their misfortune. [Apple Bloom] Everywhere we turn, she's just a step ahead [Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo] Babs Seed, Babs Seed, what we gonna do? Got a bully on our tail Gotta hide, we gotta bail Babs Seed, Babs Seed, if she's after you Gotta run, we gotta flee Gotta hurry, don't you see? Everywhere the Crusaders went, Babs was really a step ahead of them: picking on them, throwing fruits at them, popping up and scaring them, anything physical that Diamond Tiara hasn't done to them with Sora's knowledge on her bullying the cutie markless fillies. The only thing they did was ignore her or run away, which is only making things worse, making him pull his hair out as he forced himself to stay out of it until they finally decide to tell someone, especially Applejack. Why so mean? Why so crude? Why so angry? Why so rude? Can't you be nice? Can't we be friends? Isn't it sad? Is this how it all ends? Unable to have any fun without Babs getting in their way and making their day miserable, the Crusaders ran back to Sweet Apple Acres, but the Manehatten filly continued to harrass them. Babs Seed, Babs Seed, she's just a bad, bad- Babs Seed, Babs Seed, she's just a bad, bad- Babs Seed, Babs Seed- [Scootaloo] She's just a bad, bad seed As they reached for sanctuary in the barn, Babs had tossed a banana peel at them, all three fillies slipping on that one peel and crashing inside. Babs, Diamond, and Silver all hoofbumped and headed back into town. Sora hid above a cloud as he had watched, the Crusaders' whole day going from great to horrible in such a short amount of time. "This is just crazy," he said to himself. "I can't take it anymore. I need to tell Applejack." Sora flew down and headed into the farmhouse, where dinner was being prepared in the kitchen. Walking inside, he found Applejack cooking, the table already set for the family. Winona alerted the farm mare as she heard him walk in, yipping excitedly. "There ya are, Sora," Applejack said. "Where in Equestria have ya been? Ya skimped out on cleanin' the pigs or the chicken coop." "First of all, I did clean the pigs," Sora corrected. "Blame them for wanting to get dirty again. It was the chicken coop I forgot to clean, boss. Second...the reason why I neglected to do that simpler chore is because...I was spying on the fillies." "...Spyin'? Whatever for?" Applejack asked. "Well...it's mostly because of...Babs Seed." The Keyblade wielder sighed, having no choice but to be the Crusader's saving grace, as much as they should have been the ones to tell Applejack about the bullying cousin. "Earlier today, after I finished cleaning the pigs, which I did do, their pumpkin float rolled out of the barn and nearly crashed into the pigpen. I stopped it...and broke it by accident, so I headed over to the barn to tell them the bad news. That's when I overheard Babs make some sort of harsh fruit pun and was the one responsible for making the float roll out. To make it worse, she's been hanging out with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, and all day in Ponyville, I watched Babs picking on Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, and...to my shock, she was the one starting it all, not Diamond Tiara." The kitchen was silent, even Winona had stopped yipping. Applejack stared at Sora, unsure if she should believe him or if this was supposed to be some kind of joke. Since Babs was family to her, he expected Applejack to yell at him making a ridiculous claim, but he was being honest, and she was the Element of Honesty. "...Babs is the one pickin' on Apple Bloom and her friends?" she asked in confusion. "...That don't sound right at all." "I saw everything that happened," Sora said. "I swear I'm not lying." "So then why didn't ya try and stop them?" she asked. "Well, I think it's better for them to actually tell someone else about their problems instead of holding back their torment until it gets worse and worse." Applejack raised a brow with a blank look. "Hey, my Anti Form was something I actually did need to keep a secret so I wouldn't hurt others! That's different!" "Did ya tell Riku about that whole incident yet?" Sora was about to retort, but his pause said otherwise. He had no idea how Riku would react, but seeing as they've experienced darkness in two separate ways, he may understand. He sighed sadly, staring at the floorboards, knowing sooner or later he'll have know. Seeing the distressed look on the pegasus's face, Applejack decided to change the topic back to her cousin, even though she couldn't believe Babs Seed was a bully. "Anyway, Ah don't think Babs has a bad bone in her." "She threatened them if any of them tattled on her, which Sweetie Belle seems to be the only one on board with that idea, she threw fruit at them, stole their milkshakes, kept scaring them, anything that would hurt them physically or emotionally." Applejack shook her head, still unable to believe him, even though she knew he was telling the truth. "Babs wouldn't even hurt a fly," she said, defending her cousin. "When Ah got word from our relatives in Manehatten about her, her folks thought it would be helpful for Babs to get out of Manehatten and take a breather from the big city. She's also bein' picked on at her school, and Ah thought it was a good idea for her to hang out with Apple Bloom since they both have a lot in common." "...Babs has been bullied too?" Sora groaned, dragging a hoof over his face as his suspicions on Babs's behavior after Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon showed up were true. "Oh gosh...No wonder she's acting like that. She was so shy when she arrived, and when she found out who I was, she was really excited. And she's bullying the Crusaders to avoid getting hurt like back home." "Ah've had first hoof experience bein' in the city, and it's a whole lot worse bein' around ponies there than here." Applejack checked on the food, all ready to be served as she turned off the stove and oven. "Ah'll have a talk with her, and maybe this will blow over. Babs will apologize and they'll get along like family." Sora sat down to wait for the rest of the Apple family to come in for dinner, patting Winona's head, the collie sensing his uncertainty as she nuzzled her face against his side. "I hope it does..." The next day, it was back to working on the farm as usual. Last night, Babs was given a talking to by Applejack, though she tried to deny she did anything wrong. The farm mare was skeptical, but she warned the filly nonetheless. As noon came around, Sora was busy working on the section of the orchard several yards, tending to the trees and bucking the bushels that were ripe enough for the picking. He was about to kick another tree, only to stumble when he heard an ear piercing shriek come from the Cutie Mark Crusaders' clubhouse. Fearing there might be Heartless around, Sora dashed off to the tree house with his Keyblade ready. As soon as he arrived in the small clearing, he saw Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle run off, the latter bawling her eyes out while the others ran after her. In their clubhouse was Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Babs Seed, all three fillies laughing at them as they took over their clubhouse. It turned out Applejack's warning didn't reach Babs as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon did their hoofshake, Babs joining them as she hid her flanks with her tail. "Alright, that does it," Sora muttered. "That's all I can stands, and I can't stands no more!" He stomped his way over to the tree house, the head bully and her lackeys ignorant of his arrival. He made his presence known by leaping up onto the railing, surprising them. "Hello, girls." "Oh great," Diamond groaned. "It's the spiky idiot again." "You are looking for another lump of coal for Christmas in another few months if you keep up that attitude, Diamond Tiara." The tiara wearing filly just stuck his tongue out at him, behaving like the spoiled brat she'll always be. "I believe you and your friend are trespassing on Sweet Apple Acres ground, and stealing property from one Cutie Mark Crusaders." "No we're not," she said. "Babs let us in, cause she's cooler than dorks like you." He looked over at the Manehatten filly, noticing her trembling in his presence. Either Applejack must have told her Sora had seen her harass her cousin and her friends, or she knew she was in trouble and what she did was wrong. "At least we 'dorks' know the difference between being nice and being complete jerks. Leave. Now." He pointed his hoof out to the town, disliking the haughty scoff the pink bully made. "Whatever. This tree house is stupid like those blank flanks." Sora suppressed a growl and the urge to trap the rude brat in a Magnet spell while letting her float around flailing her hooves while he set up a booth for foals to throw rotten tomatoes at her for a bit. "Am-scray." Diamond stepped down the ramp in a huff with Silver Spoon following after her. At least Sora was able to tolerate Silver, only following Diamond Tiara because the two were best friends and didn't want to lose the only friend who really cared about her for her, but that spoiled earth pony filly will forever be on his list of people/creatures he meets that won't be friends of his anytime soon. Babs tried to sneak off, trying to pretend he meant all three of them, but he stopped her before she reached the ramp. "Not you, Babs. We need to talk." "Uhh...A-About what?" she asked, remaining ignorant as she began to sweat out of nervousness. "I think you know what it is. Applejack talked to you about this last night, right?" Babs shrugged her shoulders, though she was just as bad a liar as the Apple family. "Don't lie to me, Babs. I saw you picking on your cousin and her friends yesterday, in the barn and in Ponyville." "...Y-You really did see?" Sora nodded, the filly backing away until she bumped into the wall of the tree house. "Stealing their shakes in Sugarcube Corner, throwing fruit at them, scaring them, making them trip, I watched every single thing you did. And knocking the float and sending it rolling down nearly broke the pigpen, injured the pigs, and even me." Babs lowered her head, feeling guilty and no longer able to run from what she had done. "If I wasn't around to stop that float, I'm sure you would have been in a lot more trouble for hurting the pigs and destroying the pen." She didn't say anything, keeping her eyes glued to the floorboards while scuffing her hoof against the platform. "Babs, are you acting this way because you're being picked on back in Manehatten?" "...Y-Yeah." Babs blew her bangs out of her eyes, still averting her gaze from Sora's. "Babs, I'm not mad at you. I'm just...a bit disappointed you decided to go down the same route as your bullies back home." He gently rubbed the filly's head, feeling her tremble under his touch. "You know what you're doing is wrong, but two wrongs don't make a right. And you're picking on your own cousin, who's probably a year or two younger than you. Do you think it feels good to hurt your own family like that? Even when Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo wanted you to be a part of their friendship circle?" "N-No," she said, tears welling up in her eyes. "Then why did you think hurting your cousin by throwing fruit at them, calling them names, and destroying their float would help you keep from being bullied by that snobby little brat, Diamond Tiara?" he asked. "What do the bullies in Manehatten do to you? The same things you did yesterday and just a moment ago?" "I didn't mean to break the float," Babs admitted. "I just broke the front wheel, but the rest of it rolled out, and I didn't push it. I didn't want to be picked on again...and...and I hate being called a blank flank!" She began to sob as her tears began to fall. "Everypony in my class has their cutie mark, but I don't yet. Those stupid colts kept picking on me, saying I'm not good at anything, and I hate it! A-And when Diamond Tiara showed up...and she...picked on Apple Bloom..." "You didn't want to get picked on again while you were here." The filly nodded her head. Sora hugged Babs as she sobbed into his chest, gently rubbing her back as she let out her emotions. After a while, she calmed down a bit, the teen drying the filly's tears with one of his extra Elven Bandannas he made in the past. "You know, you shouldn't let what others say get to you. They might mock you for not having a cutie mark, but they don't even realize just how lucky you are." "How am I lucky for being a blank flank?" she asked, hiding her flanks with her tail. "I don't even know what my talent even is." "But that's the best thing about it," he assured. "You still have time to find that talent of yours. Apple Bloom felt the same way, and with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo having the same problem, they made the Cutie Mark Crusaders, a club dedicated to finding their special talents and have fun doing it...provided they don't do anything dangerous." "Yeah...they told me about that when they showed me the clubhouse." Babs looked back at the clubhouse, having stolen her cousin's hangout out of fear of being picked on by the rich filly. "I don't think they'll want me to hang out with them again after yesterday...and taking their clubhouse from them." "The best thing you can do is apologize to them and explain to them why you were so mean to them," Sora suggested. "Those three can get a little bit crazy with their antics, and they may be a bit too impatient to pay attention to what they're really good at, but I'm sure they'll understand." "You sure?"Babs asked quizzically. "I destroyed their float, picked on them yesterday, and I scared them out of their clubhouse." "They'll forgive you. You can't really hold a grudge from family or friends if they know the truth about their problems they've been having," Sora said, messing up Babs's mane. "Now, let's go find the Crusaders and apologize." "Uhh...I don't know..." She looked nervous, feeling unsure as she began to head down the ramp. "Should I really talk to them after I made Sweetie Belle cry? They probably don't want to see me, let alone talk to me after that." "...I see your point." Sora crossed his hooves over his chest as he looked up at the sky in thought. "Maybe it's better to give them some time to cool down. And when you feel ready to talk, how about I get to know the real Babs Seed instead of the bad seed from yesterday? "Ok, I guess." The two headed off to town as Babs told Sora everything about her, including everything she knew about him from his heroics spread throughout all of Equestria. Late in the evening, everyone was sound asleep in the farm house. Babs had a fun day with Sora, telling him about Manehatten, all the sites to see, and gushing over how amazing he was. Granted, the teen did see a little of Manehatten from Applejack's memories as a filly when she thought being in the city was her calling. It was a bit of a surprise to hear that the city sold action figures of him, many of them with differently designed Keyblades that came separately from his figurine other than his Kingdom Keyblade. She had nearly one of every small Keyblade they made, but meeting him personally was exciting for her, apparent from their first meeting at the station. The two enjoyed themselves, the filly's troubles a terrible dream, though they haven't seen Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, or Scootaloo. While they all slept, one filly was wide awake. Apple Bloom laid on the floor of her bedroom while Babs slept in hers, the latter too unsure if she should apologize to her cousin now or wait until she and her friends were around. She grumbled as she felt uncomfortable sleeping on the hard ground. There was a mooing sound that came from outside, the yellow earth pony getting up and looking out the window. Outside were Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, the unicorn filly making the mooing noise as a signal for them to begin whatever they had planned. Apple Bloom snuck out of the house, making sure not to wake everyone, then met up with her friends as they headed into the barn. As the trio walked inside, they stared at the beginning structure of the new float they were going to build. Sweetie Belle rolled out some unused fabric from Rarity's boutique to use to craft the outer side of the float once it was fully built up with the mechanisms set in place. "Ok, we got everything we need?" Apple Bloom asked. "Yup!" Scootaloo soon blew gold powder that she brought, covering the unicorn filly in the dust, making her look like a living pony made of gold. "Oooh!" "Luster dust from Sugarcube Corner," Scootaloo said. "They use this stuff for decorating cakes." "That must be what Rarity uses on her emergency edible boots!" Ignoring the odd possibility Sweetie Belle made with her sister creating edible outfits, Apple Bloom pulled out a kitchen timer shaped like an apple. "And Ah got Granny Smith's kitchen timer," Apple Bloom said. "What's that for?" Sweetie asked. "You'll see." Scootaloo and Apple Bloom chuckled maliciously at what they had planned. "Let's get to work on making our new float." The fillies soon got to work on making their float, building away into the night, the noise they make thankfully far from the ponies sleeping in the farmhouse. The next day was the Summer Harvest Parade, everyone in Ponyville bustling with excitement. Stands were set up selling food and beverages, glimpses of some of the fruit and vegetable themed floats resting on one end of the town, preparing to start the parade. Babs wandered off on her own, looking at all the banners and smelling the delicious food being sold. "Hey, Babs!" The filly winced as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon approached her, her tail reflexively trying to cover her flanks. "Where were you yesterday? Did that idiot Sora get you in trouble or something?" "Uhh...Not really," she said. "You should stay away from him. He's nothing but trouble." The two rich follows continued to follow Babs, no longer wanting to hang around with Diamond Tiara and stay as a bully she became. "Where were you? Messing with those blank flanks?" She ignored the question, pressing her tail tightly to her flanks. They soon came across the floats, watching ponies double checking everything before the parade began. Babs spotted her cousin and her friends, staring in awe at their new float they had made so quickly: a giant golden apple. "Uhh, hey, Diamond Tiara. How about you and Silver Spoon find a good spot somewhere for the parade?" Babs asked. "I'm gonna nab the Cutie Mark Crybabies' float and drive it, leaving them in the dust." "Oooooh. That sounds like fun," Diamond said. "Ok! Come on, Silver. Let's get ourselves a front row seat!" While the pink filly skipped back into town with glee, Silver followed with a sigh. As soon as they were out of sight, Babs swallowed the lump in her throat, caught between keeping herself from being bullied by anypony else and having to hurt her cousin and her friends again. She needed to apologize to them, hoping that they would forgive her as she approached them. "Hey, guys." The Crusaders looked over at her, Sweetie Belle quickly ducking back inside of the apple float to tinker with something. "Oh, hey, cousin." Apple Bloom said. "Like our new float?" "Yeah. Though, how did you make something like this a couple days after...well, I broke your float?" Babs asked. Scootaloo rolled out from underneath the float, finishing checking on something near the front wheels. "We like to improvise. Besides, a giant pumpkin? On an apple farm?" "It was pretty silly for an idea, so we decided to make this instead." Babs was really surprised, never knowing her cousin in Ponyville was this talented. How these three didn't get a cutie mark in building something this fast and well crafted. "And, Ah think we got off on the wrong hoof. How about ya drive in the float in our place?" "...Really?" the Manehatten filly asked, blowing her bangs out of her face as she stared at her cousin and her friends in confusion. "After everything I've done to you, you forgive me for picking on you?" "Of course!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed, bouncing out of the float. "We're a family, and we Apples represent family." While the three fillies allowed Babs inside, Sora had walked up to where the floats were to check on Babs and see where she wandered off to, carrying a couple balloons under his wing. He watched the Crusaders letting Babs in their newly crafted golden apple float, both surprised to see they made another float so quickly and happy to see them having made up. The parade began to start as the floats drove off down the road for the crowd to see. With the three fillies backs turned, he didn't see the mischievous looks on their faces as he walked over to them, Babs driving off along with the rest of the floats. "Wow, girls," he said, catching their attention. "You're letting Babs drive your new float?...That you somehow were able to make in a couple days...Boy, you three work fast." "Yeah, well, Ah think she deserved a little more...attention." The trio giggled and bumped hooves, though Sora was oblivious to their conniving grins. "That's really nice of you three. I'm sure glad she finally told you girls about why she was being so mean to you the last couple days." The trio's evil smiles dropped as they looked up at Sora. "Uhh, what?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Babs has been picked on by other bullies back in Manehatten," he said. "Applejack told me her parents sent her up to get away from all the teasing about not having a cutie mark and give her some peace. I may not have been raised in a city, but I know it's a lot more hectic no matter where you are than in the countryside." "T-Teased?" Scootaloo asked. "Bullied???" The Crusaders all soon began to feel guilty, Sora ignorant of their depressed looks as he continued talking. "I'm glad she finally found the courage to speak with you girls about her problems," he said as he tied a balloon around their forehooves. "I know it's hard to trust her, but I'm happy you gave her a second chance and understand what she's going through. Seeing Diamond Tiara teasing you made her think being a bully would keep her from getting hurt, but I talked with her yesterday about that, and she's definitely learned that making two wrongs won't make everything right." Their balloons suddenly deflated, flopping down to the ground next to the miserable Cutie Mark Crusaders' hooves. "...Wow, those are some defective balloons." "Oh no," Sweetie Belle said. "We're in trouble." "Hmm?" Sora stared at the unicorn filly questioningly. "What do you mean you're in trouble? Babs did tell you before she drove off, right?" They didn't respond, looking down at the ground or anywhere else that was the teen's direction. "...Did she?" "No," Apple Bloom said. "Ah didn't know she was bein' bullied, too." "And...we thought we could get back at Babs for..." Scootaloo gulped, all three of them realizing they made a huge mistake, and that worried Sora. "Girls?...What did you do?" he asked them. "...We rigged our float to steer out of control when she reaches the turn near the cliff leading down into the lake!" Sweetie Belle blurted out. "You did what!?" Sora looked down the road, spotting the golden apple float far ahead of the others and heading straight for said turn. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo had had enough being picked on by Babs, thinking they could get revenge, and instead, their getting back at her could seriously injure her. "Darn it, girls! Why would you do that!?" "She was picking on us, and we didn't want to be tattle-tales," Scootaloo answered. "I suggested telling you or Applejack, but Apple Bloom and Scootaloo didn't want to," Sweetie Belle said. "Oh for the love of Kingdom Hearts, girls! This whole mess could have been handled with sooner if you just told an adult, otherwise something like this could escalate!" Sora leapt up into the air and hovered over the buildings. "After I get Babs out of there, you three really are in big trouble if she winds up getting hurt!" The pegasus flew off to reach Babs before whatever the Crusaders had set up caused the float to steer off course. In the float, Babs was enjoying herself as she had waved to the crowd, though avoiding Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon's gaze. Despite being unable to tell Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo her bullying problems and apologize for hurting them, she was happy to know Sora was right and they didn't hold a grudge on her. As she began turning the wheel to steer herself at the curve, a ringing sound spooked her and the wheel began moving erratically on its own. "What in Equestria!?" She tried to move the wheel, but it wouldn't budge in the way she wanted it to go as the float began to veer off over the slightly steep hillside facing the lake. She could barely make it to the door of the float as it began to roll down the rocky hill, sending the filly stumbling back and forth. Sora quickly flew down and got in front of the gold apple float, pushing against it as his hind legs skid back against the rocky slope, slowing it down a little, but still heading for a collision course into the water. "Babs! Jump out!" he shouted. "Oh jeeze, this thing's heavier than it looks!" Finally getting her footing, Babs reached the door and leapt out safely. The slight shift in weight caused Sora to lose his own footing and stumble back, the float falling on top of him as they both slid down into the lake. The float landed, unharmed in the water, while the teen splashed into a muddier section of the lakeside. He groaned and sat up, covered in mud as pigs rolling around in it nearby went for the float, licking off the golden dust that decorated it. He had no clue if any of them were the pigs from the farm that managed to sneak out, but ignored them as he looked up, thankful to see Babs was safe. "Sora? Are you ok?" she asked. "Yeah. Just a bit dirty. And really upset at a couple disaster-spawning fillies." Sora climbed out of the muck and walked up the hill to Babs Seed. They heard the others who heard the crash run up to them, the Crusaders glad to see the Manehatten Apple was ok, though when they looked at Sora, he was greatly disappointed. "I think we all need to have a little talk." After Sora got himself cleaned up, his clothes needing a thorough washing with all the mud seeped into them, he and Applejack sat the fillies down to make sure this conflict was nipped in the bud. Apple Bloom told Babs they rigged the booby trapped float to get back at her for picking on them. Babs explained to her cousin and her friends about her problems back home, both sides apologizing and making up with each other. Though all four fillies deserved a punishment, Sora had the perfect idea to teach them not to pick on their peers or getting back at the one that picked on them and almost cause worse bodily harm than getting smacked by thrown tomatoes or slipping on banana peels. At the clubhouse, Sora witnessed Babs's initiation into the Cutie Mark Crusaders, the founders of the club wearing red capes, a crudely sewn on blue shield with a filly in front of it as their symbol. Scootaloo thumped her forehooves down on a pair of timpani drums in a slow rhythm, only to start banging on them in an erratic fashion, hurting everyone's ears and nearly making them topple over from the small quake she made. The pegasus filly finally stopped, slamming her hoof down once more with a serious look on her face. "Well, we know one cutie mark Scootaloo's not gonna get," Sora said, rubbing his sore ears. Sweetie Belle cleared her throat as she read through a scroll that held their initiation speech. "'We, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, elect Babs Seed to join us as a sister, friend, confidayte...alley?'" The unicorn filly looked over the long speech, unable to read what was written down on it. "'Boss-um buddy, gal pal, compader...chum of chums...'" "Wow, this speech is horrible," the teen commented. "Scootaloo was the one who wrote it, not me! I can barely read what she wrote on this thing!" Scootaloo chuckled nervously as Sweetie skipped past all of the synonyms she put down in the lengthy speech. "Ok, here we go! '...and fellow Cutie Mark Crusader! You are solemnly sworn in, here this day, in witness of your fellow sisters, friends, confidantes...' Ugh, the same thing! Did you actually use an entire thesaurus for all these words when you could clearly use just one!?" "And another talent Scootaloo won't get a cutie mark in," Sora teased as Babs giggled at the light jab. "Congratulations, Babs! Y'all are a Cutie Mark Crusader!" Apple Bloom tossed an extra cape over to her cousin, the filly excitedly tying it around her neck as the Crusaders applauded their newest member. "Congrats, Babs Seed. Now that you're a Crusader, I think it's time for all four of you to finally receive your punishment for the past few days." The fillies smiles turned to frowns, knowing they would all would pay for their actions. The stood in front of Sora, ready for whatever he had to give them. "Now, I know two of you are familiar to a little friend of mine, but I think he's a suitable enough punishment, and a warning in case you fillies act naughty." He pulled out Stitch's summon pendant, Apple Bloom staring at it in shock as she began to back away. "Oh no! Not again! Why Stitch!?" "Who's Stitch?" Babs asked. She got her answer as the charm began glowing, the blue alien being summoned as Apple Bloom tried to make a break for it. As soon as she opened the door, Stitch came flying in, knocking the filly over as they both tumbled across the clubhouse. The blue "canine" began licking Apple Bloom, lathering her in his slobber as she was helpless to escape from him. "Yay! I love this punishment!" Sweetie Belle cheered, actually liking Stitch after she was attacked by him when the unicorn sided with Kairi when she and Sora dueled each other. "Hey, this is a punishment, not a luxury cruise, Sweetie Belle," he said. "And your punishment is not getting licked by Stitch, or hugging him." "Awww! No fair!" the filly pouted. After Stitch was finished "cleaning" Apple Bloom, he turned his sights to Scootaloo. "Oh no. No! Not me! Go for Babs first!" "Taka bagishka!" Stitch yelled, leaping on the pegasus filly and began licking her face. "AHH! It can talk! And it's eating my face! Help!" Scootaloo tried to pry the clinging alien off her, but failed and flopped on her back, getting the same treatment as Apple Bloom. Soon, Babs Seed was given her punishment, taking it and staying still until Stitch tackled her. Sweetie Belle whined, wanting to be licked by the fluffy, talking blue dog. But as soon as Stitch was done with Babs, he crawled over to Sora and climbed up on his head. "That should do it," he said. "Can I snuggle Stitch now?" Sweetie Belle asked. Stitch answered for Sora as he shook his head. "Sweetie Belle in trouble. No free snuggles." "Why does life have to be so ironic?" the filly complained, falling on her back as she whined. The next few days passed quickly, Babs hanging out with her cousin and new friends, being a part of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Sadly, it was time for her to head back home as the Crusaders, Sora, and Applejack saw her off at the station. "So you promise you'll start a Manehatten branch of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, right, Babs?" Apple Bloom asked. "Yeah, and I'll also promise to talk to my big sister and parents about the teasing back home," Babs said. "That's good," Sora said. "And don't let what they say get to you. You still have time to find your talent, while those jerks might not have any clue what their own talents might be." He pulled out one of his stored bandannas and wrote his name down on it with a pen, giving it to Babs. "And if they keep bugging you, tell them you know me and I'll come to Manehatten and have Stitch deal with them." "Wow." Babs's eyes sparkled, given a souvenir from her favorite idol. "Thanks, Sora!" "Oh, this is just perfect." Everyone turned to face Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, the rich pink filly leering at Babs with disgust. "I thought you were cool, Babs, but you're just as lame as those blank flanks. Should have known you would have been like them." Babs subconsciously dragged her tail over her flanks, having forgotten she still wore her Crusader's cape that his her flanks well. In the midst of her self consciousness, she looked down at the Elven Bandanna Sora had just given her, giving her confidence as she glared at the spoiled brat. "You know what, Diamond Tiara? I never liked you the moment I met you!" She stepped forward, her sudden change in behavior startling Diamond as she backed away from Babs. "I've had enough of getting picked on back home because I was a blank flank, and I'm not going to let you, or anypony else, say I'm lame, or my friends! You know what I'm gonna do?" "W-What?" Diamond Tiara asked. Babs looked back at Sora, the teen smirking as he got what she had in mind, reaching out for Stitch's pendant. As he summoned the alien, the Manehatten filly looked back at Diamond Tiara. "Nothing," she said, confusing the pink filly. "I'm just gonna ignore your hurtful words, and if you keep bugging me, I'll tell your mom you've been messing with us." "...Wait, you mean you're not going to hit me or something?" Babs shook her head as she looked up at the ceiling of the station's protective dome from rain or snow. "Nope. Two wrongs don't make a right." Stitch crawled above Diamond Tiara, giving Babs a thumbs up with his claws as he got in position. "And I'm going to be 'looking up' instead of down." "...What does that mean?" Diamond and Silver heard a roaring sound from above, Stitch landing on Diamond Tiara's back and snatched her tiara off her head. "Ahh! Hey!" The alien leapt off her back and ran to the edge of the platform, standing on his head while shaking his rump at her, her tiara resting on his rear end. "What the hay are you!? Gimmie back my tiara!" "Nuh uh! My tiara!" The filly growled and ran at Stitch, quickly righting himself up, still keeping a hold of the tiara. He leapt up onto the railing, wearing Diamond's tiara and swayed his hips as he mocked her. "'Ooooh! Me Diamond Tiara! Me a big doodie head! Blah blah blah blah blah!'" "Gimmie back my tiara, you stupid blue animal!" Diamond shrieked, trying to leap up to Stitch as the fillies and Sora laughed. "Stitch not stupid!" he said. "I'm cute and fluffy!" The filly managed to leap up on the railing, misjudging her jump as she flew over the rail and fell into a mud pit nearby. Another pig wallowed in the mud, snorting at its new pink friend. Stitch flipped the tiara over, landing perfectly on the swine's head. The alien leapt off the railing and walked up to Babs, the duo hoof/fist bumping as Diamond Tiara got her just desserts. "Sora, that wasn't a smart idea," Applejack said as the summoned partner crawled back up on Sora's back. "I believe that's what is called karma, AJ. Do bad unto others and bad stuff shall happen to thee," Sora quoted as he raised his hoof, Stitch copying him, making the fillies giggle. "She needs to learn to stop picking on other ponies, otherwise she's going to end up having bad luck with her bad behavior." Soon, the train heading for Manehatten had arrived. They all said their goodbyes to Babs as she boarded the train, unable to wait to tell her family the fun she had with her relatives. "I'm sure gonna miss that 'bad' seed," Sweetie Belle said. "'Bad' seed?" Applejack asked. "Ah thought all of y'all were friends." "They are, Applejack. Its ironic because her name is Babs Seed, and what she did standing up to Diamond Tiara made her a 'bad seed', as in cool, not bad as in bad," the teen explained. "Got it?" "...No. No Ah don't." The Crusaders giggled at the mare's confusion as the train began setting off to the city in the east. Sora can't wait to see Babs again when the Apple Family Reunion comes around to know how she's been back at home in the next couple months. It was odd that he didn't meet her at the reunion nearly a year ago, though he assumed not every Apple family member might have been able to make it. He was a bit nervous to find out how many other relatives they had aside from Babs and her family and the Oranges in Manehatten, and her family in Applaloosa with her wild and hyperactive cousin spouting out his town's name every time he feels like announcing it. Though, it could be fun if he was invited, being an honorary Apple after saving their farm from the Flim Flam Brothers.