Chapter 4: Babs Seed the _____
It was the morning Babs was scheduled to arrive, and while Apple Bloom had managed to avoid breaking down into a nervous wreck (literally and figuratively), she was still rather nervous.
“What do Ah do? What do Ah do?” she mumbled as she paced back and forth across her room.
Applejack, who was standing in the doorway, just sighed.
“Stop talkin’ to yerself like that for starters. Come on, Apple Bloom. We’ve been over this plenty of times now. Ya don’t have to spend the whole week with Babs, but ya at least need to meet her at the train station and introduce yerself,” she said.
Apple Bloom shook her head. “Ah’m not worried about avoidin’ her. Hay, Ah’m still considerin’ just outright tellin’ her Ah’m a ghoul. What Ah’m worried about is how Ah’m gonna spend time with her. Undead or not, what kind of cousin would Ah be if Ah didn’t hang out with her while she’s here?”
“A cousin who doesn’t socialize much? Like cousin Crab Apple?” deadpanned Applejack.
Apple Bloom glared at her sister.
“Ah’m kiddin’, Apple Bloom,” Applejack said with wave of her hoof, “Hay, Ah’m mighty proud ya want to spend time with Babs. But ah wouldn’t worry ‘bout what to do with her. She doesn’t have her cutie mark yet, so y’all can just take her crusadin’ with yer friends.”
“She doesn’t have her cutie mark either?” asked Apple Bloom in surprise.
“Yep. Ah reckon y’all will get along just fine,” said Applejack with a nod.
Apple Bloom put a hoof to her muzzle. True, it would be easy to just go crusading all week and let Babs join them, but some part of her couldn’t help but think how risky it would be for the three of them to spend a whole week crusading while keeping their secrets. If one crusade ended up like her gliding attempt…
Yeah, that’s a bad idea. If Ah’m goin’ to tell Babs mah secret, it ain’t goin’ to be cause mah guts are everywhere. Is there anythin’ else Ah can work with? Does she have any hobbies or somethin’? Maybe Applejack knows what she…
Apple Bloom’s train of thought was interrupted as something occurred to her.
“Wait, how’d ya find out she doesn’t have a cutie mark? Did yer cousin tell ya in her letter or something?” she asked.
“Uh… Yeah, she did mention it in the letter. Just casually mentioned it for no particular reason. Yep,” said Applejack rather unconvincingly.
Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow.
Applejack answered with a sigh.
“Alright, so there’s more to it than that. But promise me ya’ll keep it to yerself, OK? Ah don’t want her to feel singled out when ya see her,” she said.
“Ah promise,” said Apple Bloom with a nod.
“Right. So it turns out, part of the reason mah cousin wants us to look after Babs is because she’s been bullied somethin’ fierce at school for not havin’ a cutie mark yet,” said Applejack.
“Bullied!?” exclaimed Apple Bloom.
“Yep. Her mom figured it be best to get her out of town for a while to help her feel better. It’s why she asked us and not Aunt and Uncle Orange,” said Applejack.
Apple Bloom’s expression grew determined. She knew all too well what her sister was talking about. She also now knew what she and her friends had to do.
“Well then, Ah’d better find Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo before we head out to the station,” she said as she made her way out of her room.
“Now what did ah just say about…” started Applejack, but her sister had already taken off.
“Ok, so we all know the plan?” Apple Bloom asked her friends as they made their way to the train station.
“Yep,” said Scootaloo with a nod, “Hang out with Babs Seed, show her around town, maybe take her on a crusade or two…”
“And keep her as far away from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon as possible,” finished Sweetie Belle.
“Right. Babs is only going to be here for a week, but we’re going to make sure it’s a week that's completely bully free!” declared Apple Bloom.
“Yeah!” her friends cheered.
As they reached the train station, they found Applejack waiting for them with a concerned look on her face.
“Apple Bloom…” she said before Apple Bloom interrupted.
“Ah promised Ah wasn’t gonna call her out, and I’m not. Me and the girls are just gonna make sure she has a good time while she’s here. She won’t even know that we know about the bullyin’,” reassured Apple Bloom.
Applejack opened her mouth, but then closed it. She put a hoof to her mouth for a moment in thought, then spoke.
“Is there somethin’ Ah should know? Those two fillies aren’t still givin’ y’all trouble, are they?” she asked.
“Nothing we can’t handle ourselves, sis,” assured Apple Bloom.
While Diamond and Silver’s teasing hadn’t changed since they’d shared their secrets with each other a few days ago, it had become a little easier to endure. The CMC had found new strength in accepting that it wasn’t the cutie mark that mattered to them, their families, or each other. So what if those two wanted to mock them? They were going to find their talents one day, mark or not.
This wouldn’t be true for Babs Seed. If she was being bullied in Manehattan the same way the three of them were bullied in Ponyville, then they knew how much it hurt. The CMC would not let that happen while Babs was in Ponyville.
And if they made her a crusader in the process, well that would just be a bonus.
“Alright… just remember to talk to me if somethin’ comes up, alright?” asked Applejack
“Right,” The three fillies answered.
A minute later, the train pulled in and ponies started to disembark.
Alright Apple Bloom. Remember, she’s here to relax. Be friendly, but not too friendly. Don’t wanna scare her. Apple Bloom thought to herself.
Then, finally, Babs Seed emerged from the train. The brown filly looked really nervous. Taking a deep breath, Apple Bloom stepped forward.
“Hello. Mah name’s Apple Bloom. Are ya mah cousin, Babs Seed?” She asked in as calm a voice as she could manage.
Bab Seed took a step back in surprise, but gave a gentle nod.
“Alright then. These are mah friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. We wanted to show ya around Ponyville, but if ya’d rather just go strait tah Sweet Apple Acres and get settled we can do that instead,” said Apple Bloom.
Babs was quiet, but having the option to just head to the farm seemed to calm her down a bit.
“... and this is our clubhouse,” said Apple Bloom as she opened the clubhouse door.
Babs looked around in cautious awe.
“Yeah, it’s nothing too fancy, but we built it with our own hooves and it’s served us pretty well. And don’t mind the burn marks, those things just seem to keep appearing no matter what we do in here,” commented Scootaloo.
Apple Bloom forced herself not to facehoof.
“What she means is that we don’t play with fire all the time or anything,” clarified Sweetie Belle.
Apple Bloom gave in and facehooved.
“I… uh… figured as much,” mumbled Babs, “Um… are you three part of a club, or somethin’?”
“Well, it’s really only the three of us, but together we are the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” announced Scootaloo.
“Kind of. We’re sorta between names at the moment,” added Apple Bloom.
“Crusadahs?” asked Babs.
“Yeah. We’re basically a group of friends trying to work together to find our cutie marks,” explained Sweetie Belle.
Babs Seed blinked, and glanced at the flanks around her. Apparently, she had only just realized that she’d spent an hour or so with ponies who didn’t have their cutie marks either. She let out a sigh of relief.
“Oh. That’s… kinda neat…” she muttered.
Apple Bloom smiled. So far so good.
“Ya know what? Why don’t Ah show ya somethin’ really neat?” suggested Apple Bloom.
“This here’s the float we’re gonna use in this year’s Summer Harvest parade,” said Apple Bloom as she pointed toward the large pumpkin float.
Babs raised an eyebrow.
“Summah Harvest parade?” she asked.
“Oh, right. They probably don't celebrate it in Manehattan. It’s not that important of a holiday in big cities,” realized Sweetie Belle.
“Of course you would know that, you dictionary. Why not explain it in fine detail while you're at it,” said Scootaloo with a roll of her eyes.
“Or I could just give the short version instead. Like the name says, it’s basically a holiday for celebrating a successful summer harvest,” Sweetie Belle explained.
“Exactly. The parade’s gonna be the mornin’ of the day ya go home, but mah sister mentioned that yer train comes late in the afternoon, so ya can join us in our float if ya want. It’s ok if ya don’t, but it’s a lot of fun to be part of the parade,” said Apple Bloom.
Babs Seed still looked nervous, but also interested. There was even a trace of a smile on her face.
“I’ll think ‘bout it. But… uh… why a pumpkin? Ya don’t grow pumpkins on the farm durin’ the summah, do ya?” Babs asked.
Apple Bloom rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment.
“Oh. Well, funny story about that actually. Ya see, it was gonna be an apple, but when we went to buy the paint…”
Apple Bloom paused as she noticed Sweetie Belle, who was standing by the door, frantically waving a hoof. Her terrified expression could mean only one thing.
“Ya know what, wha don’t we all go to Sugarcube Corner for some milkshakes and Ah tell ya on the way there?” suggested Apple Bloom.
Babs Seed’s eyes widened at the prospect of liquid sugary goodness.
“Oh, sure! I could go fah a milkshake,” she said.
And with that the four of them made their way out of the barn. Not a moment after they left, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon came in the other side.
“Alright, looks like the coast is clear. Now let’s smash that pumpkin. Those blank flanks aren’t joining the parade if I have anything to say about,” declared Diamond Tiara.
“Wait, that's why we came all the way out here? I thought you just wanted to try and embarrass them in front of her cousin,” said Silver Spoon.
“I did, but they’re not here, and I’m not spending a minute in this mudhole waiting for them. Now, where’s a good place to kick this thing…” said Diamond Tiara as she looked over the float.
“Diamond…” said Silver Spoon with an eye roll, “You do realize that they can just build a new one, right? They’re not that hard to make. Besides, teasing them is one thing, but if the Apple family finds out we snuck onto their property and broke something, no amount of pouting is going to get us out of being grounded.”
Diamond Tiara sighed, “Fine. We’ll just go back into town and try to find them. They can’t avoid us forever.”
“...and that’s why we all made it a pumpkin,” finished Apple Bloom, as they made their way to Sugarcube Corner.
“Yeah, I guess that kinda makes sense,” said Babs with a nod.
“Really? I still think the part about the lemons was kind of ridiculous,” said Scootaloo.
“Well, to be fair, those were magically charged lemons. Things tend to be a lot more flammable when they’re magically charged… Oh! Hey, Ruby!” said Sweetie Belle.
Ruby Pinch was trotting toward them.
“Hi, Sweetie Belle. Hi all. Oh! Who are you?” asked Ruby as she looked towards Babs.
“Oh, this is mah cousin, Babs Seed. She’s from Manehattan. She’s visitin’ for the week,” explained Apple Bloom.
“Neat. Wish my cousin would visit more often, but, well, you know,” said Ruby with a roll of her eyes.
The CMC nodded, though Babs just raised an eyebrow.
“My mom’s an alcoholic. My aunt doesn’t really like it when my cousin spends time with her,” explained Ruby.
“Oh. Uh… Sorry to hear ‘bout that,” said Babs, trying to avoid sounding awkward.
“It’s not like that Babs. Yeah, Berry Punch is always drunk, but she’s not mean to Ruby at all. Heck, she’s one of the best moms in Ponyville. She’s kind of weird like that,” said Scootaloo.
“Wait… what?” asked Babs, clearly confused.
“Yep. She always helps me with my homework, tucks me into bed, and gives me a hug almost anytime I need one. Though I really wish she didn’t always make sure I eat my beets. I hate beets,” said Ruby as she stuck out her tongue.
Babs opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it and shook her head.
“Yeah, ok. I believe ya,” she said.
The four other ponies looked at each other, and had the same exact thought:
Wow. There must be some really weird ponies in Manehattan if Berry Punch doesn’t faze her.
“Anyway, we’re goin’ to sugarcube corner. Wanna join us?” asked Apple Bloom.
“Nah, I got stuff to do. See you around,” said Ruby as she trotted away.
The CMC and Babs continued on their way.
“So, uh, Babs Seed? Do you know anything about fashion?” asked Sweetie Belle.
As it turned out, Babs did know a thing or two about fashion. In fact, she had so much to say on the subject that talking about it seemed to finally get her to come out of her shell. She also had a very different opinion about it than Rarity.
“I get that fancy dresses are ‘bout lookin’ good and all, but I don’t get why anypony who don’t live in Canterlot would bothah. I mean, if you’re gonna go outta yer way tah wear clothes, shouldn’t ya wear somethin’ a bit more… you?”
Babs paused to take a sip from her milkshake.
“I ain’t sayin’ your sister’s ain’t got style or anythin’, but could you see, say, a rock stah wearin’ a dress to anywhere other than some big formal thang?”
“I think I know what you’re talking about. Rarity’s always telling me something about ‘the balance between being personal and being popular.’ I think it means trying to make something that suits a pony, but still follows fashion trends,” said Sweetie Belle.
“Exactly, though I think the more personal it is, the bettah. To hay wit what society thinks, I’ll wear what I want, ya know?” said Babs.
Sweetie nodded. She understood what Babs was saying. She also knew Rarity would go on a long rant about it if she dared to bring the idea up with her, so she decided to politely (and silently) disagree.
“Anyway, how ‘bout you, cousin? You know anythin’ about fashion?” asked Babs.
“Only that Ah know nothin’ about it. Hay, Ah don’t even know if mah bow counts as fashion,” admitted Apple Bloom.
“I think it suits you, though it does kinda give you more of a cutesy look than a hard-workin’ farm gal one. Ever consider gettin’ a hat?” asked Babs.
Apple Bloom nervously gripped her enchanted bow.
“Well, Ah never really thought about it, but Ah guess Ah could keep an eye open,” she said.
Scootaloo, meanwhile, was quiet. Not only because she wasn’t interested in what the others were saying, but because she was keeping a close eye on the road outside. They weren’t going to let a certain duo bother them.
“So, aside from that crusadin’ thin you mentioned, what do ya do for fun round here?” asked Babs.
“Well, there’s a movie theater, an arcade, a few playgrounds, and the Whitetail Woods are always fun to explore. There’s the Bowling Alley, but I think Scootaloo’s still banned from visiting. There’s also…”
“Alright, see you tomorrow, girls!” called Sweetie Belle as she headed home for the evening. The sun was setting, and she had to get home before dark.
“Yeah! Don’t forget, I’m going to see if I can score tickets to the new Food Friends episode, so don’t make any plans without me!” added Scootaloo as she got onto her scooter and sped off.
Apple Bloom and Babs Seed waved good bye from the front porch of the Apple family’s house.
“You have real good friends, cousin,” commented Babs.
“As far as Ah’m concerned, they’re yer friends too, Babs,” replied Apple Bloom.
Babs didn’t reply, though the thoughtful look on her face made Apple Bloom wonder if Babs had any friends in Manehattan. She really hoped Babs did, but decided not to push it. She did promise not to make Babs feel singled out, after all.
Besides, there was something else a bit more pressing on her mind.
Should Ah tell her? It’s just the two of us, here in the middle of the Apple farm. And Ah really should tell her at some point. Ah… Ah guess Ah’m just kind of nervous to tell sompony Ah just met, cousin or not. I’ll just wait a bit, get to know her a little better, then Ah’ll tell her.
“Well, anyway, ya know where yer room is?” asked Apple Bloom.
“Yeah. First door on the raht. Why, you goin’ to bed already? The sun ain’t even set yet,” questioned Babs.
“Ah’m a farmer, Babs. Ah got work to do, and ah get up as the sun rises to do it. Ya can sleep in if ya want, thought. Ah usually get mah chores done in an hour or two,” answered Apple Bloom.
“Oh, right. My ma mentioned that you guys get up really early. Makes sense that you’d go to bed early too. G’ night then, cousin,” said Babs with a nod.
“Night, Babs,” said Apple Bloom as she headed inside.
There was also another reason Apple Bloom was going to bed so early. She didn’t want Babs to catch her with her bow off. True, she didn’t need to take it off, but she’d found it difficult to sleep with it in her mane.
The week went by quickly. Miraculously, nothing went wrong. By always making sure somepony was keeping an eye out for Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, the CMC were somehow able to avoid them without too much trouble. The CMC took Babs with them to see a movie, play around at the park, and even go on a few crusades of the less-physically demanding nature (and Babs learned very quickly not to eat any of Sweetie Belle’s cooking).
And all the while Apple Bloom continued to debate with herself on whether she should tell Babs the truth, going to bed every night still undecided.
And as the week went by, Babs got more and more excited about the upcoming parade. She even started putting serious consideration in joining the CMC.
Everything was going fine… until the day before the Summer Harvest.
They’d paid a visit to the arcade, where Babs proved herself to be a pretty decent pinball player and Scootaloo had come so close to beating the final stage on Buck-Out. Unfortunately, this made Scootaloo a bit frustrated, and she didn’t keep as sharp a look out as she should have when the others went into Bon Bon’s candy store. They were just leaving, sugary prizes in hoof, when it happened.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” came a mocking call.
The four of them stopped in their tracks in horror.
“Four little blanks, all in a row. Are we playing hangpony? I’m going to guess an F. F for failures,” said Diamond Tiara as she and Silver Spoon made their way towards them.
Sweetie Belle started sweating. Scootaloo winced as she realized this was her fault. Babs’ eyes grew wide in terror. Apple Bloom said a word under her breath that her sister had made her Pinkie promise never to tell her friends.
“So what are you losers up to? Buying candy from that baby store? And here I thought you Manhattan ponies are supposed to know a thing or two about quality. Guess your cousin’s just as pathetic as the rest of you,” taunted Diamond Tiara.
“Hey! Bon Bon’s candy is top quality! How else does she run her own store in the same town as Sugarcube corner?” objected Scootaloo.
“Because there are so many poor, money starved ponies in this town that can’t afford a much as a single milkshake. Like you,” mocked Diamond.
Apple Bloom was about to retort, but then she noticed that Babs was starting to tear up.
This ain’t good. Gotta get away from them, but how?
Suddenly, Apple Bloom had an idea.
“Y’all better stop that before ya get hurt,” said Apple Bloom with a determined glare.
“Oh really? And why should I, blank flank?” mocked Diamond Tiara.
“Cause Babs is from Manehattan. Y’all know what ponies from Manehattan do to ponies that make ‘em mad?” asked Apple Bloom.
Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon glanced at Babs, who looked like she was about to cry, then to each other. They then fell to the ground laughing.
“Pff… ha ha ha! Yeah, I’m so scared! The cry baby is going to fight us because she’s from Manehattan!” gasped Diamond as she rolled on the ground.
After a minute, the two of them managed to calm down enough to look up. The CMC and Babs were gone.
“What the… hey! You can’t just leave while we’re in the middle of teasing you!” cried Diamond.
“Alright, I think we lost them,” said Sweetie Belle as she peeked around the corner.
“Good. I can’t believe I let them sneak up on us like that,” grumbled Scootaloo.
“Are ya alright, Babs? They didn’t bother ya too much, did they?” asked Apple Bloom.
Babs was sniffling a bit, but she wasn’t outright crying.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m used to it. I just… I was just startin’ to think that ponies like them weren’t in this town,” she said.
“I’m sorry about this Babs. We’ve been tryin’ to avoid ‘em all week. Ah mean, Ah didn’t want ya to have to put up with them while yer here,” admitted Apple Bloom.
Babs let out a sigh.
“Well, they know I’m here now. Be honest with me: those two are gonna be at the Summer Harvest parade, ain't they?” She asked.
“Probably,” admitted Apple Bloom.
“Then I… I think I’m just going to stay home tamarrow,” Babs Seed declared.
The CMC let out a collective gasp.
“What?! But Babs…” exclaimed Apple Bloom.
“Look cousin, it’s been an awesome week. Really, I’ve been havin’ a great time. But… I really don’t want it tah end like this. I just want my last day off to be peaceful, ok?” said Babs.
Apple Bloom opened her mouth to speak, but then let out a sigh.
“Yeah, Ok, Babs.” she said.
Apple Bloom laid awake on her bed that night.
“Darn it, Diamond Tiara. Why’d ya have to ruin Babs’ vacation?” She mumbled.
Apple Bloom sighed and rolled over, making her rotten body squelch and snap. Six months of it, and she still hated how disgustingly noisy her body was without her bow. The light of a full moon shone through her window, giving her burnt skin a ghostly sheen.
“Stupid curse. Stupid Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Stupid, Stupid Stupid…”
She slammed her head back onto her pillow, causing another wave of nauseating sounds to come out of her.
It was no use. She wasn’t getting any sleep tonight. Resigning to the fact, Apple Bloom tried to think on what to do about Babs.
“Is there anythin’ Ah can do to make her feel better?” She asked herself.
An idea popped into her head. A simple but terrifying idea. She immediately began looking for alternatives.
Maybe Ah could talk to Applejack instead? Ah did promise to tell her if anything came up… No, that's’ a terrible idea. Ah still remember that picture Granny showed me of what happened the one time somepony bullied Applejack as a filly. That colt was stuck in the hospital for weeks!
Maybe Ah could just not go to the parade? Spend the day with Babs on the farm? But the parade’s only once a year, and Ah really don’t wanna miss it...
With a sigh, Apple Bloom sat up and got out of bed. Nothing else for it. She was going to have to tell Bab Seed about her curse.
Oh, who am Ah kiddin’? Of COURSE that’s what Ah’m goin’ to have to do. What was it that Granny said that one time? “One way to feel better about yerself is to remember how much worse some other ponies have it,” Ah think.
Besides, Ah probably should have just told her in the first place. Ah’ve been puttin’ it off all week. It’s time to just get it over with.
After quickly retying her bow, Apple Bloom left her room and slowly made her way across the hall. Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to avoid making noise with hooves. It’s just really tricky. Still, she made it to Bab’s room without any problems.
Alright… here goes nothin’. She thought as she opened the door.
Babs Seed wasn’t in her bed.
“What the…” mumbled Apple Bloom.
From the light of the full moon, Apple Bloom could see that Babs Seed’s sheets had been tossed aside rather haphazardly, as if she had been in a hurry to get up.
Did something happen to her? Did she sneak out or something?
Apple Bloom glanced out the window at the full moon.
Or maybe… Is it possible that Babs is…
FLUSH!!
Apple Bloom gave a slight jump, but then facehooved.
...Just going to the bathroom. Didn’t think of that.
Sure enough, a moment later a perfectly normal Babs Seed came into the room.
“Apple Bloom? What are you doin’ up this late?” asked Babs.
“There’s… somethin’ Ah need to tell ya.” said Apple Bloom.
Apple Bloom had a list of reactions she expected to receive upon revealing her ghoulish nature. Fortunately, her friends’ acceptance had broadened it beyond “run, scream, faint, or chase her out of town.” Even so, Babs Seed’s reaction to finding out Apple Bloom was a ghoul wasn’t at all what Apple Bloom expected.
When Apple Bloom finished her story and took her bow off, all Babs did was raise an eyebrow, shrug, and go “Eh.”
Apple Bloom response wasn’t nearly as calm.
“Eh? EH?! Seriously?! Yer cousin is a ghoul, and all ya can say is ‘Eh?!’ How are ya not even a little freaked out by this?!” She cried, her voice once again a garbled mess.
“Why would I be? I was kinda expectin’ somethin’ like this,” answered Babs Seed.
“Expectin’?! What, are ghouls a common sight in Manehattan or somethin’? Is every other pony in the city a monster? How the hay could ya possibly have expected somethin’ like this?!” demanded Apple Bloom.
“Because you live in Ponyville,” deadpanned Babs.
Apple Bloom blinked in surprise.
“What does that have to do with anythin’?” asked Apple Bloom with a confused look.
“Because it’s Ponyville! It’s Equestria's biggest weirdness magnet! You live on the edge of da Everfree Forest, you have more major disasters than the rest of Equestria combined, and that’s just the stuff that I know is true! And since I got here, everythin’ I look at makes this place look crazier! You have a dentist who lives in another town, a store that only sells two thins, a motherly alcoholic, and that thin with the lemons…”
Apple Bloom opened her mouth to argue, but then closed it as she realized that Babs kind of had a point. Ponyville WAS a pretty crazy town.
“So, no, the fact that you’re actually a ghoul don’t bother me. Hay, it barely surprises me. And to be honest, I overheard my ma and sista bettin’ on whether I’d come home as a timber-pony or a vampire. I figure turnin’ into a ghoul is par for the course,” added Babs.
Apple Bloom shook her head.
“Ah told ya Ah’m not contagious, Babs. We ain’t got no vampires or timber-ponies either. Yer gonna go home as yerself. But that’s not why Ah wanted to tell ya this, Babs,” she added.
“I figured. It’s about what happen’ today, isn’t it?” asked Bab with a resigned sigh.
“Yeah, it is. Ya see, Ah know how ya feel right now. Ponies like Diamond Tiara make ya think ya ain’t ever gonna amount to much. Yeah, her teasing can hurt, but ya know what? One day yer gonna get a mark to prove ‘em wrong. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but ya will. And Ah won’t.”
Apple Bloom pointed a hoof towards her burnt-looking flank.
“Ah ain’t ever gonna get a cutie mark. As much as Ah hate what Diamond Tiara says about me, Ah have to accept that she’s kind of right. I am a blank flank. I’ll always be a blank flank. But you Babs? Ya won’t. And when ya finally get yer mark, nopony is going to tease ya about it anymore. Ah’m gonna either have to find a way to fake one, or put up with bullies like Diamond Tiara for the rest of mah life.”
“So don’t ya go feeling sorry for yerself just ‘cause one or two ponies make fun of ya. Because unlike me, ya know that they’re wrong when they say yer never gonna get one,” finished Apple Bloom.
Babs was quiet for a moment.
“You ain’t never goin’ get a cutie mark?” She asked, her voice subdued.
“Not unless the curse is broken. That won’t be possible until that stupid town pops up again. And the Princess said that could take over a hundred years,” explained Apple Bloom.
“That’s terrible…” mumbled Babs.
The two of them just sat there on the bed in silence, lost in their own thoughts.
“So… uh… do your friends know?” Babs asked in curiousity.
“Yeah, but they’re cool with it. To tell ya the truth, they have their own little problems to worry about,” said Apple Bloom absent mindedly.
“Really? What, is one of ‘em an alien or somethin’?” asked Babs in surprise.
Apple Bloom blinked, then cursed at herself for letting that slip.
“No, and it ain’t mah story to share. If ya really want to know, ask them yerself. And uh… don’t mention this to anypony? We’re all kinda tryin’ to avoid sharin’ our secrets right now…”
“Mah lips are sealed,” promised Babs.
The Summer Harvest Parade was a resounding success. There were no accidents, no stolen floats, and everypony involved had a blast. Though a few walked away with a mild headache as Pinkie Pie was in an exceptional punny mood that day.
Apple Bloom’s little speech had done the trick. While Babs was still wary of a certain duo the entire time, they managed to avoid running into them again. She clearly still had a lot of fun being part of the event.
Everything went swimmingly. Except for one little detail that came up while they were on their float.
“Apple Bloom!” whispered Scootaloo in a frantic tone.
“Ah’m sorry! Ah just let it slip!” answered Applebloom as she covered her face with her hooves.
“I just asked if ya willin’ to share. You don have to if you don want to,” added Babs.
“What the point in hiding it if you already know we’re hiding something? Besides, if we don’t tell you, you’ll just assume we’re something even crazier than what we actually are,” said Sweetie Belle with a sigh.
“What makes ya think that?” asked Babs.
“Yer first guess was aliens, Babs,” mumbled Apple Bloom through her hooves.
“Oh yeah. Good point,” admitted Babs.
And so, Babs Seed learned that she had spent the last week with a ghoul, a robot, and a changeling. She took it just as well as she took Apple Bloom’s secret for the same reason as before.
Finally, as the celebration began to wind down, the four of them met up with Applejack and they all made their way to the train station to see Babs off.
“Thanks for havin’ me everypony. I had a great tam,” said Babs.
“It was our pleasure, sugarcube,” said Applejack with a smile.
“Yeah. it was awesome. You definitely need to visit us again sometime,” added Scootaloo.
“Ya know, that don’t sound like too bad an idea,” said Babs with a nod.
When they arrived at the station, Applejack headed to the booth to get the train ticket, giving the four of them one last moment together.
“You sure you don’t want to be a part of our club? We don’t have attendance requirements or anything,” mentioned Sweetie Belle.
“Hay no!” said Babs Seed with a wave of her hoof, “I just know that the moment I join you girls, I’ll turn into a bawt pony or somethin’. I like bein’ mahself, thank ya very much. I’m goin’ go crusading whenever I can, but officially, no I am not a crusadah.”
Scootaloo gave a huff. She was still a little mad about Apple Bloom letting that slip. Just a little.
“Well, we’re glad to have ya as an unofficial member all the same. Ya take care of yerself, Babs,” said Apple Bloom, offering a hoof.
“You too, cousin,” said Babs as she shook it.
A moment later, Applejack came back with the ticket, and Babs got on the train.
The four ponies made their way back to Sweet Apple Acres, happily talking about what they’d seen and done during the festival.
“... and then a pie came flying out of nowhere, and hits her right in the face! But even that didn’t stop her! She just licked herself clean, saying ‘now I really am a Pinkie pie!’ Seriously, I know Pinkie is Pinkie and all, but when she starts making puns, she never stops,” said Scootaloo with a shake of her head.
“Well, at least she didn’t try to eat any of the floats this year. Remember that one time she took a bite out of the float she helped make?” commented Sweetie Belle.
“Pah. That’s nothin’. Y’all wanna hear ‘bout the time she tried to eat a giant cupcake made of cardboard?” asked Applejack.
“Really? How’d she do that?” asked Apple Bloom.
“She didn’t. Ah said she tried,” answered Applejack with a smirk.
They all giggled at thought of Pinkie trying to force down cardboard.
“So, Apple Bloom, when were ya plannin’ on tellin’ me that yer freinds are hiding secrets too?” asked Applejack.
The question came so suddenly that it took a moment for it to register. When it did, the CMC all stopped, turned, and looked at Applejack in horror.
“Next time ya have a heart to heart in the middle of the night, Apple Bloom, remember to keep yer voices down and close the door so the rest of the house doesn’t hear it,” chided Applejack.
Apple Bloom groaned and facehooved.
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deep sigh
Here we go again!
Lol.
whoohoo, new chapter. I love this story
Yes. Give this filly ALL the yes.
Um, yeah they can. I feel the need to point out that what you think of them is not something that they care about.
Eh. Your cousin is a ghoul that looked like she's out of a horror story, and all you have to say, is eh. The buck kinda town IS Manehattan?
... You, you, actually make a fair point.
Not quite. One's a robot and the other's a Changeling.
The most unexpected thing.
Nice to see a new chapter out.
I don't think this chapter is as bad as you think and the fact that Babs was just normal was fine for me, even if you tried to hint us she was a werepony.
I found a couple of mistakes.
Was there something intended in that free space? also full stop instead of a comma for ending a conversion between quotation marks.
It's Scootaloo who was on surveillance.
But wait! If everyone in Ponyville is a weirdo, it means that being a weirdo here is the norm.
Thus, Babs is the strangest pony to appear in this story so far
wha?? (Nice story though!)
*watches vinyl and Octavia walk away whistling.
who else noticed the portal 2 reference with the combustible (i.e flammable) lemons? lol
Well the "that's the only reason" line does make it sound like there was another reason, but Applejack was keeping it to herself.
Silver Spoon gets points for using common sense.
She's right up there with Derpy Hooves.
The question is was Big Mac disappointed he didn't get a turn to play protective big brother or did he get a few bucks in himself???
Very nice chapter, though I have to wonder how long aliens actually visit Ponyville now. I can so see ponies staring up at a flying saucer and waiting to see if the aliens come in peace or not.
IDEA!!!
Turn Diamonds Tiara and Silver Spoon into (insert random supernatural or si-fi creature name here). Both as karma and to give those 2 some perspective and might even get a redemption, and maybe hang out with the CMC sometimes and become friends!
7559302
Fixed. Thanks.
7559210 That's the joke.
Everyone around her gets progressively more and more wierd until at one point it's like she's the only normal one.
Ditzy Doo: Spirit of Space for the TARDIS
Minty Fresh: Spirit of Time for the TARDIS
Doctor Whooves: Time Traveling Wizard in a Box
Rainbow Dash: Part Timer For the Grim Reaper
Applejack: Timberwolf
Big Mac: God Emperor of Pony Kind
Fluttershy: Spirit of the Everfree
Pinkie Pie: Pinkie Pie
Rarity: Vampire
Berry Punch: Master of Drunken Fu. Also Part Time Exorcist.
Trixie Lulamoon: Embodiment of the Alicorn Amulet. Also Part Time Exorcist
Diamond Tiara: Loli-Succubus
Filthy Rich: Midas Touch. Being a Smart Business Pony has taken to wearing gloves and just giving hugs.
Silver Spoon: Spoon Wielding Bad Ass. Also Exorcist Apprentice
Etc. Etc.
Oh wait.
Blueblood: Eternally living pony who has to keep track of all this weird shit in a book.
Cute, amusing, and grr, i had money on a lycanthrope. Now i'll never pay back that literal loan shark!
7559549 Yes. MRiV is freaking awesome!
That went sweetly, though the secrets are leaking worse than a chicken-wire submarine. Still, at least Babs made it through a week in the weirdness capital of Equestria none the worse for wear... as far as we can tell.
and so the journey continues next time on 'UnDeAd RoBoT bUg CrUsAdErS'
Who gets the reference?
7559918 I think it's either DBZ or Pokemon. And I'm going with Pokemon.
7559708
So he has solid gold gloves?
Even though you don't seem to like it, I've gotta say this is one of the best renditions of Babs that I've come across. Admittedly the accent was a bit much at times, but it overall sounds very natural and in-character.
7559985 Pokémon is correct! And have this *hands a Pink pony*
!
"She really hope Babs did"
"hoped"?
"just kind nervous to tell"
"kind of nervous"?
"Ah just meet, cousin"
"met"?
"then a pie come flying"
"came"?
Perfectly normal until Glimmer messes with time, after which she does turn into a timberwolf on a full moon.
Twilight sparkle: "eh...close enough?"
Enjoyable. Look forward to you continuing this. Do you have any plans for the next part? Are you going to follow show canon or make up your own adventures?
Of course she's normal! It's like the law of horror sitcoms, or comedy animes that there has to be one normal guy in the group of exotic weirdos.
You know, Babs Seed is right about Ponyville being "Equestria's biggest weirdness magnet." No wonder she was like, "meh" when Apple Bloom told her about the CMC's secrets.
Also, if Babs is normal for now, then what will she become? Hmm....
Okay, a bat pony it is.
orig11.deviantart.net/b1ac/f/2014/004/c/f/vampire_fruit_bat_by_rinnythepony-d70slto.jpg
Source of the pic is here.
I'm glad this didn't turn into that one story that was on here awhile back. Where it started with like, AJ as a timberwolf or something and it was going fine as a story, then suddenly Dash was a pirate and Fluttershy was a dragon in disguise and it kept going and going. Went from <story about this> to <EVERYONE HAS SECRETS HERE THEY ARE> before I think it finally died.
I was going to be a bit heartbroken if Babs had a secret life or wasn't strictly a pony, too.
7559969
Afraid not, it's a reference to the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. And apparently this one does.
fell
I think, in this context, you meant wary.
Also, as regards your attempt at Babs' accent, I can safely say I've seen worse attempts.
Always lovely to see this update.
lol
Although I do wounder if you are planing any more secrets then just the CMC.
7560503
I remember that story. It started with Fluttershy being a dragon princess because she was adopted.
They're lucky they're minors, because otherwise, it would be quite a bit more. You know, trespassing and vandalism and all that.
I find writing accents is best done lightly. For example, when I write a country accent, I just use 'Ah' and 'mah' for 'I' and 'my', and drop the 'g' from anything ending in '-ing'. I find it still conveys the accent but isn't too distracting.
7560121 Moe like golden brass knuckles.
He usedd to be on the... shadier size of business.
I personally belive Babs is a Mare in Black... 'hence alien expectations...
Babs is going to turn into...
A HUMAN!!
images.wikia.com/fantendo/images/8/8e/Jesus_Christ_How_Horrifying.jpg
Babs Seed the Normie
Good arc :)
I specially liked the fact that babs wasn't weird. If too many characters are non-ponies then the impact of the CMC not being ponies is diminished and the story stops making sense.
Unless you are going for a one-shot where no one is a pony.
NIce chapter, but now I just want a scene where Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon call the CMC blank flank and tell them they will never have a Cutie Mark, just for them to look at each others and start laughing uncontrollably while repeating "Cutie Mark".
The look of incomprehension on DT's and SS's faces would be priceless.
7559708 If this story doesn't go in that direction, you now must write one that does.
7561131 link to that story?
7566218
Family Secrets: The Reveal
At this point I don't expect it to ever update again, but what's there has some funny WTF ideas.
7566212 Planning to.
Bluelood doesn't get enough characterization, so I want him to be this asshole with a heart of gold.
I really like where this is going. I wondered how the Slice of Life + Transformations was going to work out, but hey, this chpater showed it all! Great job.
It's not awful, but yeah, that accent on Babs needs a little work. Like 'raht' or 'baht' and such. Those could've been toned down a little bit, but they weren't too distracting.
Anyway, see you next time!
How is that a reason to not tell her??
Seems legit, if you think about it.
So, I finally got up and finished the latest chapter.
And yes, it's a good story.
A bit surprised Babs seemed to be normal, but it's fine with me. Like you said, someone hast to be sane.
I'm curious what happens next.
It is hinted that now all Mane 6 will learn about their secrets.
But like you said in chapter 2:
That would be interesting...
babs seed the out-of-towner
or babs seed the bad seed, that's an option for all you people out there who don't care about dipping your third ear in lava.
Do I see possible foreshadowing? Maybe there's something strange about Babs Seed that not even she knows about?
But I'd be fine if she were to stay normal. After all, she's not from Ponyville.
Let's see... We've got Scootaloo as a changeling, Apple Bloom as a goul, Sweetie Belle as Sweetie Bot, Fluttershy will eventually become Flutterbat, Vinyl Scratch as a vampire(?), Berry Punch is a motherly drunk, Pinkie Pie...as Pinkie Pie. All we're missing are timberponies, wereponies, and aliens (and technically, Doctor Whooves can fill the role of alien, and if you do the Derpy/Doctor shipping, Dinky would be half alien). So, did I miss anything?
Huh...
I just realized the syllables in the title perfectly match up with a certain franchise.
Teen. Age. Mu. Tant. Nin. Ja. Tur. Tles.
Un. Dead. Ro. Bot. Bug. Cru. Sa. Ders.
7664011
Ponies in a tree house, pony power!
she shall be a bat pony. aj knows... that they has secrets.