//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: A Clubhouse Divided // Story: Babs' Dilemma // by Yoshi89 //------------------------------// Babs Seed raised her face from her forelegs and gasped heavily as she wiped a hoof over her once-teary eyes. She then swiveled her head from where she sat and looked toward her other three members still in the clubhouse. Cirrus Curl slowly walked across the wagon to join Middlemist and Nimbostorm in the space surrounding Babs between them. The entire wagon remained silent, at one time occupied by the remorseful sobs of their leader until one of their members spoke up. "Babs, are you okay?" Middlemist asked. Babs sniffled before whispering in a hoarse voice, "I'll be fine." "Come on, Babs, we forgive you," Nimbostorm said. Through her unfocused vision and the darkness of the wagon, Babs could barely make out Nimbostorm smiling. She then saw the brightening expressions on the faces of the other two Crusaders and smiled as well. She rubbed her eyes each of her front hooves, drying off the last of the tears. "Yeah," Middlemist agreed. "We're your friends, remember?" "It's gonna be okay," Cirrus Curl said, giving the toothiest smile out of the four in the clubhouse. "Thanks, girls," Babs said. "I don't know what I'd do without you." She opened her forelegs as Middlemist and Nimbostorm walked closer to wrap their hooves around her. Cirrus Curl trotted over and joined in on the group hug until the four fillies broke free. "Do you think Sugar Lips is coming back?" Cirrus Curl asked. Babs shrugged. "I don't think her cousins are. Not after the way I treated them. We could have had two new members. Instead, we may have lost one." "But Sugar Lips and Sundae Shake were upset," Middlemist reminded her. "You were, too. It happens." "Yeah, but Sundae told me I sent her brother home crying," Babs said. "I upset him the most." "Maybe he needs some time alone," Nimbostorm suggested. "Exactly," Middlemist agreed. "You can explain once everything blows over." "I hope so," Babs said. "You know Sugar Lips better than I do, Middlemist. After all, you are the one who brought her over." "I know," Middlemist recalled. "I remember how excited she was when she saw we were blank flanks." "But those things you told us before," Cirrus Curl said. "You know, about Fudge. Did you really mean them?" "At first, I did," Babs admitted, pausing to swallow hard. "I've been trying to be a better pony ever since my cousin showed me how. I still don't know what I was thinking, rejecting Fudge just because he's a colt. He didn't do anything wrong. All he wanted to do was join our club. With our group getting bigger, I wasn't sure how we were going to protect each other with him in our group." "Is it because he'll attract bullies?" Middlemist asked. "No," Babs replied. "Sugar Lips said he'd never hit a filly. That would make him a softie here in Manehattan." "So, wait," Nimbostorm said, holding up a hoof. "You were actually looking out for him?" Babs nodded. "And now that I think about it, I should have told him we'd have his back and his sister's." "What about Sundae?" Cirrus Curl questioned. "I didn't mean to fight with her like that," Babs followed up. "I feel really bad about saying those things about her brother to her face." "You should have just let it go when she said she didn't want to join us," Middlemist recalled. "That's because I was afraid of losing her as a crusader," Babs sighed. "If I'd have known trying to make friends would mean being more accommodating to her, too." "Yeah, you also gave a bad impression about our group," Nimbostorm said. "You got that right," Babs deadpanned, rolling her eyes. "So, are you still going to let him in provisionally?" Cirrus Curl asked. "If I had the chance, I'd do more than that," Babs explained. "There has to be a way I can make it up to him." "What about Sundae Shake and Sugar Lips?" Middlemist asked. "I figure if I can reach out to Fudge Cookie and show that I can welcome him with open hooves," Babs said, "they'll see things our way." "But Fudge isn't from Manehattan, remember?" Nimbostorm checked. "And you don't even know his address," Middlemist also told her. "Sugar Lips said he and his sister are from the Hay Ridge neighborhood in Bucklyn," Babs said. "That narrows it down a little." "Have you been to Bucklyn before?" Cirrus Curl asked. "Yeah," Babs affirmed, nodding. "I went to Poney Island last year. I thought I could maybe get my cutie mark playing the carnival games. Aunt and Uncle Orange threw a fit after I spent my entire allowance." "You're going to have to talk to his dad, too," Nimbostorm told her. "That's it!" Babs remembered. "Sundae Shake told us that he brought her and Fudge over today. If I can find him, I'll explain everything." "How are you getting there?" Nimbostorm wanted to know. "I'll take a taxi," Babs explained. "By yourself?" Cirrus Curl asked, making a face like a sad puppy. "You're right," Babs conceded. "Middlemist?" "Yes?" Middlemist answered. "You've known Sugar Lips for a while. You'd better come with." "Well, okay," Middlemist sighed, hesitantly stepping forward. "What about us?" Nimbostorm wanted to know. "You two see if you can find Sugar Lips and Sundae Shake. If I want to apologize to them in pony, I'd better talk to his parents before I bring Fudge back to Manehattan." "We'll check out Bridleway," Cirrus Curl told Babs. "I heard them saying they were going to see a show." "Don't worry about a thing," Nimbostorm reassured her. "We'll explain everything when we find them." "Thanks, girls," Babs complimented her friends. "I'll look for you on Bridleway once we talk things over with Fudge and his dad." Nimbostorm and Cirrus Curl trotted down the sidewalk while Babs led Middlemist to the curb and held out her hoof. "Taxi!" she called and a cab pulled over. Babs and Middlemist hopped in the passenger's row and watched her friends round a corner as the driver looked back. "Take us to Bucklyn, please," Babs requested. "Aren't you a little young to be taking a taxi by yourselves?" he asked with a sneer. Babs lunged over and showed a hoof full of bits to the driver. "Which neighborhood?" the driver said, raising his brow with a grin.