Black as Sin

by BearstarSeraph

Chapter 4: Ponyville

Chapter 4: Ponyville

Dawn came, and Zecora slowly raised herself to her hooves without waking Bulla. She left the sleeping filly on the floor and went to make a quick breakfast for herself.

When Bulla woke up a few hours later, Zecora was back at her side. “Welcome back to Equestria, child. I trust your recent dreams were more mild?”

Bulla looked up at her. She seemed spent.

Zecora nuzzled her, “Come. Let’s clean you up and get dressed. We can’t have you meeting your heroines in such a mess.”

Bulla shakily got to her hooves and almost immediately tripped over herself. Zecora lifted her with her hoof and supported her as she randomly moved her legs towards the bathroom. Bulla stumbled into the wash tub and got a good scrub and brushing from Zecora.

She then carried the young filly wrapped in a towel back to the main room. Bulla slumped down and groggily stared at the simple hay breakfast.

“I know you did not sleep well little one, but to Ponyville we will go once you’re done.”

Bulla inched closer to the plate and began to haphazardly chew. Zecora watched her for a short time, then went searching through her bags of herbs and potions. She soon returned, and sprinkled brown beans onto the hay. Bulla sniffed.

“These are…”

“Coffee?” Bulla asked.

Zecora nodded, “Yes. These will taste bitter. But they will wake you up quicker.”

The bitterness woke up Bulla long before the caffeine, but she was a good girl and finished the hay with a few eating lessons from Zecora. After the accompanying drinking lessons, Zecora put on her cloak. And with the caffeine now turning Bulla back into a pogo stick, they headed to town.

They exited the forest, and Bulla ran over to the fence. Her smile consumed her face and her eyes sparkled. “Sweet Apple Acres!”

Bulla suddenly ran under the fence and took off.

“Bulla! Come back!” Zecora shouted, but she had disappeared into the orchard.

~~***~~

Applejack was bucking apples with Big Mac when they heard “Bulla! Bulla! Answer me!”

“That sounds like Zecora,” she said.

“E-yep”, Big Mac said.

“Let’s go see what the trouble is,” Applejack said running off.

“E-yep,” Big Mac followed.

“Bulla!” Zecora continued to yell.

“Hey there Zecora,” Applejack said, “What ya doing?”

“Applejack, have you seen a little unicorn with a white coat and blue mane and tail? Her name is Bulla Brief.” Zecora shook her head, “That little filly has given me so much grief.”

“Sounds like yah’ve got a tale to tell,” Applejack said.

“E-yep,” Big Mac echoed.

~~***~~

Bulla’s wide-eyed adventure had turned slightly more serious as she realized she was lost, but only slightly.

“Hello?” she said loudly, “Anyone here?” Suddenly she gasped, “Apple barrels!”

She ran over to a set of trees with barrels full of apples under them.

“Wow…” Bulla said, marveling from tree to tree. Then she saw an apple on the ground. She picked it up gently with her teeth and went to put it in a barrel.

“Hey! We don’t take kindly to apple rustlers around here.”

Bulla looked over and saw Apple Bloom. Bulla put the apple in the barrel and ran over.

Apple Bloom was startled by this strange unicorn staring at her with stars in her eyes.

“You’re Apple Bloom!” she said excitedly. Then she started to hop around her singing, “You’re Apple Bloom~! You’re Apple Bloom~! You’re Apple Bloom~!”

“Hey! Stop that!” Apple Bloom shouted.

Bulla stopped and nervously rubbed her left leg with her right hoof.

“Who are ya?” Apple Bloom demanded, “What ya doin’ stealing apples?”

“I wasn’t stealing apples…”

“Oh yeah?!” It was Apple Bloom’s turn to get in her face, “Then why’d ya have an apple in your mouth!”

“I… was putting it in the basket. It… was on the ground.”

“Then why didn’t ya use your hooves?” she demanded, “Or your magic? You’re a unicorn ain't ya!”

“I… can’t…”

“Stop mumbling!”

“I can’t pick things up with my hooves or use magic yet!” Bulla shouted. She blushed.

“Don’t give me that! You’re how old now?”

“I’m five…” Bulla said.

Apple Bloom circled Bulla as she shrank into a small ball. “You’re a little big for five, ain’t ya?”

“I… I wouldn’t know…”

“Of course ya would! Don’t ya have any friends?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I don’t have any friends!” Bulla shouted at the top of her lungs.

~~***~~

“Did you hear that?” Applejack said.

“E-yep,” Big Mac said.

“That sounds like Bulla,” Zecora said.

“Came from the trees we were bucking,” Applejack ran off.

“E-yep,” Big Mac followed with Zecora not far behind.

~~***~~

“What ya mean by that?” Apple Bloom said shocked, “If ya stop stealing, you’d have…”

“My parents never let me out of the house,” Bulla started to cry.

“If your parents never let you out of the house then what ya doin’ here?”

Bulla put her hooves over her eyes and whimpered.

Apple Bloom’s ears pinned back watching the unicorn cry. She inched closer. “What’s your name?”

“Bulla,” she whimpered.

“Well, Bulla…” Apple Bloom looked sheepishly at the ground, “How would ya like to come with me? And… meet my friends?”

Bulla uncovered her eyes. She nodded slowly.

“Ok. Come with me,” Apple Bloom said, turning around.

~~***~~

“Bulla?” Applejack and Zecora continued to call out.

“Applejack,” Big Mac galloped up, “Apple Bloom’s gone.”

“What?! She’s s’possed to… What, ya think she met this filly?”

“E-yep.”

“Let’s get to the clubhouse,” Applejack turned to Zecora, “Come’n ya’ll. This way.”

~~***~~

“Sweet Applesauce, ain’t ya ever walked before?” Apple Bloom asked, “This is like the batillianth time you’ve tripped.”

Bulla hung her head sitting up in the grass. “I’m sorry,” she pouted.

Apple Bloom walked to her left then pointed, “That’s all right. We’re finally here.”

Bulla followed her hoof and saw the clubhouse in a nearby tree.

“The Cutie Mark Crusaders’ Clubhouse!” Bulla bounded to her hooves and despite several tumbles over roots and dips in the grass, arrived before Apple Bloom.

Apple Bloom was surprised at the way the white unicorn stared with her mouth open at the simple wooden treehouse as if she was staring at Canterlot Castle itself.

“Wait a second… How do ya…?”

“Hey Apple Bloom.” Above, Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo came out the door. “What took so…oh, who’s this?” Scootaloo finished her sentence.

“You’re Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo!” the white unicorn shouted excitedly and dashed up the first section of the ramp. But she ran so fast she slipped and began to fall off the platform. Scootaloo grabbed onto her front legs as she dangled over the side.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Scootaloo said, “Stop messing around and grab onto me!”

Bulla continued to slip, “I’m trying!”

“No you’re not! Use your hoof magic to hold on to me!”

“I don’t know how to use magic!” Bulla shouted.

Bulla finally slipped free and plummeted screaming. She closed her eyes.

But she did not hit the ground.

Bulla opened her eyes. It looked like she was wearing lime-green sunglasses. “Magic?” she thinks. “Magic!” she squealed happily.

“Stop moving!”

Bulla looked through her rear legs and saw Sweetie Belle struggling with her horn aglow.

“Awe…” Bulla whined as Sweetie Belle put her down.

“Awe?! Awe what? That I didn’t drop you on your head?” Sweetie Belle panted.

Bulla pawed the ground, “I thought maybe I did it finally…”

~~***~~

The four sat inside the clubhouse.

“Wow,” Scootaloo said, “I’ve never heard of a unicorn that can’t use magic.”

“Or hold things in their hooves,” Sweetie Belle said sitting down next to Scootaloo, “Where are you from? Your family new in town?”

Bulla shook her head. “My family… is in West City…” she said softly pawing at the floor.

“Then your family is just here visiting?” Scootaloo asked.

Bulla shook her head again.

“But how can you be here if your family isn’t visiting or moving here?” she asked, “That doesn’t make sense. You couldn’t have come here all alone.”

Apple Bloom gasped, “Ya did come here alone, didn’t ya?! Ya said your parents never let ya out of the house.”

Bulla nodded.

It was Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo’s turn to gasp.

“You must be really brave,” Scootaloo said, amazed, “To travel all by yourself?”

“But how did you get here?” Sweetie Belle asked, “Didn’t anyone notice you were without an adult on the train? Or a carriage ride?”

“I didn’t use a train or carriage…” Bulla said, still looking at the floor, “I made a wish on some magic gems to take me here. I only came yesterday…”

“Magic gems?” Sweetie Belle asked, amazed, “What kind of magic gems?”

“They are called Dragonballs,” Bulla said, “You need all seven to make a wish…”

“Where did you get them?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“My Daddy gave them to me as a gift… He told me to wish for whatever I wanted…”

“But ya said your parents never let ya out?” Apple Bloom said confused, “If they are so mean, why give ya the magic gems?”

“My parents buy me whatever I’ve ever asked for… but they can never buy me what I’ve really wanted…”

“Which is?” Scootaloo asked.

“I… I wanted a friend…”

“Well, we’ll be your friends!” Sweetie Belle said standing up, “Won’t we girls?”

The other two nodded. Bulla raised her head and gave a teary smile.

“Hey Bulla,” Scootaloo said standing, “Can I see these ‘dragon balls’ you used to get here? Where you hide them?”

“I… I don’t have them with me. They’re back home.”

The three gasped. “Wait? Doesn’t that mean they can use them to come after you or take you back?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Bulla shook her head, “No. Daddy said after they are used, they turn to stone until the magic recharges.”

“And how long will that be?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Daddy said an entire year.”

“Wow,” Scootaloo said, “You planned to be away from home an entire year? My aunts get mad at me if I’m not home by sunset.”

“I wasn’t planning an entire year,” Bulla begged, “I just thought a week or two until they find me.”

“So West City is a week away?” Apple Bloom asked, “That’s closer than my cosin’ in Appleloosa. How come I ain’t never heard of it before?”

Bulla shook her head, “No, Mr. Goku is good with teleportation magic. He uses it to prank Daddy. I thought that when they find out I’m here, he’d come for me.”

“So you think it will take about a week for them to follow the spell and find you here?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Bulla nodded.

“Well,” Scootaloo said, “Since you’re going to be here a few days, I vote we make you an honorary member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. That way you can stay at our clubhouse until your parents show up.”

Bulla’s eyes widened and sparkled as she started to hop in a circle. “I’m a Cutie Mark Crusader~! I’m a Cutie Mark Crusader~! I’m a Cutie Mark Crusader~!”

“I said an honorary member,” Scootaloo shouted over her singing.

Bulla immediately stopped. “Oh? You mean like how your cousin had to prove herself?”

“Did ya hear about us from me cosin’ Babs?” Apple Bloom asked, “Ya talk like a city girl. Your city near Manehatten?”

Bulla shrunk a little before she quickly thought of a response. She sat up straight, “No. I’ve never met Babs, but I have heard of you guys and your adventures.” She gave an overly honest smile.

“Wow,” Scootaloo jumped in the air flapping her wings, “We’re FAMOUS!” She got into Bulla’s face, “What do you know about me? How do I compare to Rainbow Dash?”

“Well, some people think you’re actually her little sister,” Bulla continued to smile, “but you guys just act that way because you’re such good friends.”

“People?” Sweetie Belle said to herself.

Scootaloo jumped in the air again, “Ponies think I’m the sister of the ACTUAL Rainbow Dash?!”

“Wait a second,” Apple Bloom said walking over, “I may not be as good as my sister, but I know a fake smile when I see one.”

Bulla started backing up.

“Ya miss your family, don’t ya?” she asked.

Bulla smiled at the reprieve, “I… kinda miss Mommy actually.”

“Oh! I know! I know!” Sweetie Belle waved her hoof, “Since you used magic gems to get here, why don’t we go talk to Rarity. She might know something.”

Bulla jumped so high she almost put her horn through the ceiling. “YES! I love Rarity! I have all her toys, and clothes, and and accessories, and I have the biggest play house of Carousel Boutique that’s so big my parents had it specially made!” She started to bounce, “I love her so much! That’s why I love all of you! She starts to circle them, “I love Rarity! I love Applejack! I love Twilight Sparkle! I love…”

While she continued to spout off pony names, the three huddled. “I think she’s getting a little creepy,” Scootaloo whispered.

“Yeyah,” Apple Bloom whispered, “I think the sooner we get her to an adult the better.”

Sweetie Belle nodded.

“…Ditzy Doo! And I love…”

“Hey Bulla! You coming or what?” Scootaloo said at the door.

“I’m coming!” she shouted.

~~***~~

Applejack, Big Mac and Zecora came to the clubhouse.

Applejack called up, “Hey! Apple Bloom, you in there?” She ran up the ramp and through the door. Then she poked her head out the window, “Awe mane, she’s not here.”

Zecora searched the ground. Then she looked up at Applejack, “Two tracks go in. Four tracks come out. Come, this is no time to pout.”

“Oh no,” Applejack said, “That means your filly’s out with the Cutie Mark Crusaders.” She ran down the ramp, “Big Mac. I need ya to go tell Granny Smith what’s happening while I help Zecora.”

“E-yep,” he said, running off.

Applejack turned to Zecora, “Ok now. Let’s go.”

~~***~~

The quartet entered Ponyville, and Bulla quickly made a spectacle of herself running from random pony to pony asking “Hey you’re so-and-so?” then bouncing singing their name.

Sootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom just sat there watching her dash back and forth across town.

“She’s worse than Pinkie Pie, an’t she?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Yep”, “Mmm-hmm,” the two agreed.

Suddenly Bulla just stopped in the middle of the street. She sat down and fidgeted as she looked around. After about a minute, she began to look worried. The three walked up to her when she lay down visibly disappointed.

“What’s wrong?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Bulla looked up, “Pinkie isn’t here. Her Pinkie Sense should have gone off by now…”

The three fillies glanced at each other.

“Well…” Sweetie Belle scratched the back of her head. “Oh. We can stop at Sugarcube Corner on the way to my sister’s,” she said.

“Yippee!” Bulla bounded into the air.

Several minutes later, the four entered Sugarcube Corner.

“Hello there,” Mr. Cake said behind the counter, “Oh, who’s your new friend?”

“You’re Mr. Cake!” Bulla shouted excitedly.

The noise pulled Mrs. Cake from the kitchen.

“And you’re Mrs. Cake!” Bulla began prancing, “Mr. and Mrs. Cake! Mr. and Mrs. Cake! Mr. and…”

“So…” Mrs. Cake smiled, “Who is your new… umm… very excitable, friend?”

“She’s new in town,” Scootaloo said, “Where is Pinkie Pie? She hasn’t shown up yet?”

“Oh, well Pinkie and Rainbow Dash left for Fluttershy’s about an hour ago,” Mr. Cake said, “Pinkie Pie said Gummy had a toothache.”

Bulla stopped bouncing, “Awe… Poor Gummy…”

“But wait,” Apple Bloom said, “How can Gummy get a toothache?”

“My Grampy doesn’t have any teeth and his mouth can hurt,” Bulla said.

“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Cake,” Sweetie Belle said, “We’ll be at my sister’s.”

Bulla was first out the door.

“Why can’t we just leave her here?” Scootaloo whined.

“Because we told her we’d take her to see Rarity,” Sweetie Belle said, “She’s the only reason she’s here.”

“What are you kids talking about?” Mrs. Cake stepped out from behind the display case.

“Bulla came to Ponyville all by herself without her parents’ permission,” Apple Bloom said.

The Cakes gasped. “And you haven’t told any adults?!” Mrs. Cake scolded.

“We are,” Sweetie Belle said, “Bulla came here because she’s a big fan of my sister’s. So we're taking her there.”

“Well, I’m coming with you children,” Mr. Cake said, herding them to the door, “Let’s go.”

~~***~~

Mr. Cake escorted the children to Carousel Boutique, after scolding Bulla for running off several times.

They came to the boutique, and Mr. Cake thought Bulla was going to explode like Pinkie’s party cannon. She ran squealing into the store.

“This…this is the clothes’ rack! And and the clothes! And and the mirrors! And and and the curtains! And and…” Bulla screamed as she jumped and pranced around the store, when she was not tripping over herself spinning in circles.

“What is the noise down here?! Sweetie Belle is that you?”

Rarity came down the steps. “Oh, Mr. Cake!” she said surprised, “What are you doing here? I hope my sister hasn’t been causing problems?”

Bulla ran from behind a table in front of Rarity.

Rarity looked down at the small filly staring up at her with a smiley face similar to Pinkie’s. She raised her hoof to her chest and cleared her throat, “Oh my, what a charming little filly.” She dropped her hoof, “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Rarity. What’s your name?”

Bulla did the last thing anyone expected— she fainted.

“Bulla!” the four rushed over.

“Oh, good gracious!” Rarity poked Bulla. “Little one? Little filly?”

She did not move. A soft glow surrounded her as Rarity picked her up, “Let’s get her into a bed.”

The others followed Rarity upstairs. She entered her bedroom where Opalesence was sleeping on the bed. She growled when Rarity tried to lift her off the blanket with her magic. “Opal, this is not the time,” Rarity moved her on the floor and placed Bulla on the bed. “You said her name is Bulla?” she asked, tucking her in.

“Yes, it is,” Mr. Cake said, “Sorry for following you in here if this is your bedroom.”

“You’re forgiven,” Rarity said, turning around, “Under the circumstances. So why are you looking after my sister and her friends?”

~~***~~

“She’s run away from home?!” Rarity shouted. She turned back to the bed, “Poor dear must be exhausted. What else do you know about her?”

“That’s all the children said before I escorted them here,” Mr. Cake said looking down at the children, “What else did she tell you about herself?”

All three went to talk at once, then stopped. After three more times of this, Rarity sighed. “Sweetie Belle, you go first,” she ordered.

“Well…” she began, “Scootaloo and I met her when Apple Bloom brought her to the clubhouse. She can’t use magic or pick things up with her hooves. Her family owns a big house in West City and she’s a big fan of yours, Rarity. She says her parents gave her toys of you and a playhouse of the Carousel Boutique.”

“Oh my,” Rarity put her hoof on her chest, “Apple Bloom, how did you meet her?”

“I caught her snitching apples, “Apple Bloom said. “I think she’s creepy. She knows everything about us. About the Cutie Mark Crusaders, about different buildings in town. On the way here she was running ‘round town running up to everypony ‘Oh you’re so-and-so’ and she didn’t get anypony’s name wrong.”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo said, “She’s creepy.”

“I’ve never heard of West City,” Rarity said, “How did she get here?”

“She said her Daddy gave her magical gems that grant wishes and she wished to come here,” Scootaloo said, “But the gems can only be used once a year so her family can’t follow her right away. She said it would take a few weeks for them to find her.”

“Yes,” Sweetie Belle said, “When she said that, we thought we should bring her here.”

“Then how is Mr. Cake here?” Rarity asked.

“When Pinkie Pie didn’t come, she laid down in the middle of the road to wait for her, so we said we’d visit Sugarcube Corner on the way here.”

“Pinkie Pie isn’t in town right now,” Mr. Cake said, “That’s why her ‘New Pony Sense’ didn’t go off.”

Rarity glanced back at Bulla lying in the bed, “Mr. Cake, can you fetch Twilight? She should know about this.”

Mr. Cake nodded and galloped away.

Rarity turned back to the bed after watching him leave and saw Opalescence on the bed with her claws raised.

“Opal! Don’t swat at the poor girl,” Rarity picked her up with her magic and put her on the floor. Then she climbed on the bed and lay next to her.

Sweetie Belle eventually joined her sister. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo soon followed.