Unexpected Connections

by Timey-Wimey

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Silver Spoon, Twist, Diamond Tiara, Slice of Life, Babs Seed
Length: 5300

(Cutie Mark Crusaders and Twist friendship.) Still guilty for bullying the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Babs pays another visit to Ponyville to hang out more with her friends. She goes to school with them while she's there and witnesses Twist being bullied by none other than Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. She stands up for her and suffers bullying herself. The Crusaders see and they decide to have a sleepover, inviting Twist and Babs so that they can cheer their friends up. As the five learn each other better through stories, Twist and Babs discover unexpected connections through sharing stories of past experiences with bullying.

Published 2012-12-05 21:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-03-16 03:45:40 UTC

Bullies

The maple colored earth pony could see the Ponyville train station approaching. The filly gulped and blew her red mane out of her lime green eyes. Three familiar forms came into her line of sight and she ducked below the window nervously, trembling a bit. She was suddenly thrown into the back of the seat in front of her as the train pulled to a rather abrupt stop. She pulled herself free and with a deep breath, grabbed her suitcase and walked out the door. In an instant she was assaulted by three other fillies, one clinging to her back leg, one on her back and one clinging to her face.

"Hi Babs!"
"How's Manehattan?"
"Ah've missed ya so much!"

Babs Seed grinned beneath the white filly plastered to her face. "I'm doing good guys, but I kinda need ya t' get off." She grinned and the three fillies clambered off, this time settling for normal hugs. She smiled, her worries forgotten as she attempted to wrap her hooves around her fellow Crusaders.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo got off the Manehattan pony and beamed at her. "We sure have missed ya Babs." Apple Bloom stepped towards her cousin and held out her hoof. After a moment's hesitation, a another hoof tapped it and they smiled at each other, eyes twinkling.

Babs frowned and looked at the ground. "I came ta apologize properly. I still feel really bad about what happened last month, so I thought I'd come and we could do some crusading together! I'll be here for a couple weeks." She admitted, looking up at her friends with hopeful eyes. She squealed as once again she was brought in by six hooves and then she found herself on their backs as they carried her.

Scootaloo tilted her head to look up at the surprised red maned filly. "Babs, we forgave you a month ago. Come on, I have crusading ideas!" The three fillies started galloping with a very scared Babs clinging to Sweetie Belle for dear life.

~~~

"Are you sure about this cousin?"

Babs stood in front of the big red building, trembling with nerves. She turned to Apple Bloom and gulped. "I don't really wanna be anywhere near Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, I don't wanna be bullied again." She shuddered slightly and tried backing away, only to be stopped by Scootaloo's rather hard head.

Babs was unceremoniously shoved into the building, despite her pleas to go back to farm and hide. She was instantly set upon by fillies, colts and two mary sues.

Diamond Tiara openly sneered. "Well if it isn't Blank Seed. Had the nerve to show your face in Ponyville again huh?" She called loudly, a malicious grin on her annoyingly snooty face. She jumped from her chair and strut towards the maple colored earth pony. "Are you gonna defend your friends again? Because I can just tell my daddy about you pushing me into the mud." She threatened, putting a hoof the the Manehattanite's chest.

Babs drew back slightly, swishing her tail to cover her blank flank. She then stormed forwards, towering over the pink filly and giving her a glare worthy of Fluttershy's stare. "Listen up, Tiara. You go cry ta daddy if you wanna, but then I'm gonna tell him my side'a da story too. You leave me an' my pals alone, or your dad's gonna hear about it. You got that?" She retorted. glaring down the irritating tiara bearer until she was on her belly and trembling under her menacing shadow.

Silver Spoon stomped over, opening her mouth to defend her friend. She was cut off and backed into a wall as Babs rounded on her, eyes full of rage.

The green eyed filly let out a snarl. "If you insult my friends I'm gonna get really mad. Leave. Them. Alone." She walked away from the cowering filly and took a seat next to a whipped cream colored filly with a poofy red mane. She saw the two bullies sit beside each other in the second row and the Crusaders sat on her other side.

Sweetie Belle leaned over and tapped Babs on the shoulder. "That's our friend Twist. Her birthday is today and we're gonna surprise her by giving her her own membership to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, even though she already has one. She has a speaking problem and gets bullied a lot, so I think she'd like to make a new friend." She whispered, her pale green eyes sparkling.

Babs nodded. She leaned back and looked over at Twist. She smiled shyly and leaned towards the glasses wearing filly. "Hi." She greeted nervously.

Twist turned and looked at Babs, adjusting her glasses with a hoof. "Hi! I'm Twist! Nice to meet you. What's your name?" She asked, trying to keep her voice from going off. She smiled brightly at the red maned filly.

Babs smiled. "I'm Babs Seed. I know that you're Twist, Apple Bloom told me 'bout you. Don't try to change your voice, I won't bully you." She reassured, resting a hoof on the pale pony's back. "You seem really nice, say what's your special talent? It looks really cool." She said, spotting the crossed peppermint sticks on the filly's flank.

Twist blushed slightly. "Alright. Well my sthpecial talent is making peppermint sthticksth. Nice ta meet you Babsth." She said, accidentally spraying some spittle on Babs. She started blushing harder. "I'm so sthorry! Pleasthe don't hate me." She flinched away when Babs raised a hoof, but looked back up when she just placed a friendly hoof on her shoulder.

Babs wiped the drops of saliva off her face with a hoof and gently rested the other on Twist's shoulder. "Hey don't worry 'bout it." She reassured kindly, giving her a warm smile. "Mistakes happen, I don't mind." She added, acid green eyes full of warmth. She gave the small filly a playful bop on the foreleg. "I've never tried peppermint sticks, what are they like?" She asked, rather curious.

The strawberry maned filly blushed a bit and smiled wide. "I can sthhow you after sthchool if you want! My housthe isn't too far from here, I can sthhow you how to make them!" She squeaked, bouncing a bit in her seat.

"Alright my little ponies, time to get started!"

The delicate sing song voice called as Cheerilee stepped in. She smiled brightly, green eyes shining as she sat down at her desk. "Alright class, today we have a new student. She's going to be staying here for a couple weeks, everypony welcome Babs Seed!" She gestured towards the freckled filly, who stood up nervously as she was assaulted with greetings.

"Hi Babs! My name's Archer!"
"Nice to meet you, I'm Lemon Daze!"
"'Sup, I'm Snips and this is Snails!"
"Why is it called a flea market if there aren't any fleas?"

Babs was sliding loyer and lower into her seat, trying to escape the bombardment of cheery voices. Cheerilee calling for the class came to her rescue, though she was already cowering under her desk. Some coaxing from her friends brought her back out, though she was blushing furiously. She gulped as the teacher started teaching and she listened attentively, scribbling down notes on the little notepad and pencil that had been provided for her.

~~~

Babs's ears perked as the bell rang. She left her stuff on the desk for tomorrow and looked over at her friends, who were waiting. She turned to find Twist, but saw nothing where the filly once sat. She turned back to the Crusaders and smiled. "Twist said she'd show me how to make her peppermint sticks, it's her special talent. She's such a nice pony." She exclaimed, smiling even brighter.

Apple Bloom nodded. "Ah was friends with her before ah met Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. Don't get me wrong, we're still friends but we're not as close as we used to be. That's why we want to invite her into the Crusaders, we want to surprise her and make her happy. She's gone through a lot of bullying and we want her to know she still has friends." The bow wearing filly explained, her smile fading as she mentioned the bullying.

Scootaloo was staring off into the distance. "I wonder where that filly went?" She mused, scanning the field for the glasses wearing filly. Something caught her attention and she gasped loudly, pointing with a hoof. "Gals! Look!"

At the swing set were pink and grey figures, standing over a small beige and red circle. They were easily identified as Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, but why was Twist over there?

"Babs what's-" Sweetie Belle turned to look at Babs but the maple colored earth pony was long gone, racing towards the three fillies. As she neared, her eyes started blazing with rage as the words became clear;

"Loser!"
"Stupid!"
"Nopony loves you."
"You're so ugly that ponies' eyes burn when they look at you!"
"Not to mention your stupid voice. What's wrong with you?"
"My glasses are much better than yours. Ugh, purple? Disgusting."

Babs saw a pair of violet glasses slide towards her and she leaped over them, skidding to a halt in between Twist and the bullies. She could hear quiet sobs from the creamy pony behind her, who was curled into a ball and crying into her hooves. She started advancing on the bullies, her chest puffed out as she made herself taller. "Leave her alone!" She snapped, glaring down at them.

Silver Spoon drew herself up to Babs's level. "You're not gonna scare us again! Just go back to Manehattan loser." She retorted.

Diamond Tiara joined her friend. "Yeah! Stop blinding us with your shining blank flank and leave!" Her voice was harsh and the two mary sues started backing Babs up.

Babs's tail swished to cover her flank as she was backed up. Recovering from the shock of the moment, she ground her teeth together and stood her ground. "Both o' you are jerks! Stop bullying others just ta make yourselves feel better. I learned my lesson 'bout bullying when I was your friend and I know that you only do it so that you don't feel bad about your useless talents!" She hollered, stomping her hoof as she snorted like a bull.

Silver Spoon visibly flinched and drew away, tears in her eyes. Diamond Tiara saw this and turned on Babs, her eyes filling with menace. "Beat it Babs. Nopony here likes you, when they look at you they want to barf. You're a good for nothing waste of space and nopony cares about your feelings!" Her voice pounded against Babs's ears and the filly drew back, whimpering.

Silver Spoon got back up and shoved the Manehattanite with a hoof. "When you get your cutie mark it should be a picture of that dumb mailmare Derpy Hooves, since you're stupid! You're a loser and nopony likes blank flanks. Just look at the Crusaders, they have no friends." She sneered.

Babs crouched down, eyes full of tears. "Stop it." She begged, the dam cracking as tears started rolling down her face. Her tail was hiding her lack of cutie mark as she backed away, turning to discover that Twist had fled in tears.

Diamond Tiara brightened as they hit her sore spot. An evil grin spread across her face and she looked at her friend, who had very much the same smirk on her grey face. The purple and white maned filly turned back to the cowering weakling and leaned down, pushing her face against Babs's. "Is the little baby scared? Do everypony a favour and go-" She cut off as something orange barrelled into her and a very angry Scootaloo held her down with a hoof, wings flared threateningly.

Scootaloo's eyes were livid with rage. Her face was twisted in an angry glare and her hoof was pressed rather hard on Tiara's ribcage. "You better back off or I swear you're gonna end up stuck in a tree. You got that?" She snarled, lifting her hoof and giving the earth pony a smouldering look that if looks could kill, she would've exploded. The pink filly back pedalled from the furious pegasus, but found herself circled by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle with Silver Spoon pressed against her in her haste to get away.

Apple Bloom stormed up to them, eyes burning. If they thought Scootaloo looked angry, then Apple Bloom looked positively ferocious. Compared to her, Scootaloo looked like a small foal throwing a tantrum. She was beside herself with anger to the point where her mane was smoking and her coat was steaming. "Ya better apologize to Babs or ah swear yer gonna wake up hogtied!" She hollered, eyes starting to turn red.

Now most ponies would be afraid of this. Indeed, the two were terrified. But being scared can make you do stupid things. Silver Spoon is a very prime example of this;

"Nopony cares, take your hissy fit and your lame cousin and beat it!"

Silence.

Apple Bloom froze. Her eyes narrowed and turned red, her coat faded to a burning white and her mane burst into flames, her bow turning to ash in an instant. She advanced on the ignorant silver maned filly, literally blazing with rage.

"YA BETTER APOLOGIZE OR AH'M GONNA KICK YER SORRY FLANKS!"

Her voice was like thunder and the five other fillies covered their ears as they trembled in fear of the normally gentle pony. Diamond Tiara took the chance to book it, dragging a very dazed Silver Spoon with her. Apple Bloom tried chasing after them, but was stopped as a certain little unicorn tackled her to the ground.

Sweetie Belle threw herself on top of the burning filly and pinning her the ground. "Calm down Bloom! Let them go, they're just cowards!" She begged, sighing in relief as the earth pony underneath her turned back to pale yellow and her mane resumed a slightly charred strawberry red.

Scootaloo was comforting a sobbing Babs. She ran her hoof soothingly down the trembling filly's back. "It's ok Babs... She's just doing it to make you feel bad... None of it's true." She reassured, her eyes still blazing with anger. "When I get my hooves on them I'm gonna make sure they go home with black eyes, broken glasses and that stupid good-for-nothing wearing that tiara as a dress." She spat, venom in her voice.

Babs lifted her head, eyes red and puffy. "T-They were bullying Twist and I-I tried to stop them but they started bullying me." She whimpered, tears still leaking from her eyes. She returned to sobbing into her hooves until the tears ran dry and she was crying with no tears left to spill. After a couple minutes she lifted her head again to look at Apple Bloom, who was quite literally smoking. "Thanks guys." She sniffed, managing to get to her hooves and hug her cousin.

Apple Bloom smiled and hugged her back, the smoke rising from her turning to thin wisps of steam. "No problem Babs. That's what family's for." She whispered, running her hoof down her cousin's back. "We'll teach 'em a lesson. Don't worry." She added, her face still holding the cold glare. "Ah'll kill 'em for ya." She vowed.

Scootaloo picked up the pale glasses. "They must've knocked Twist's glasses off, the jerks. Come on, let's return them to her." She said, pointing her hoof at a tree which had a cream colored filly beside it. They saw a pale grey colt moving towards it and Sweetie Belle suddenly exclaimed, "I have an idea!"

Twist was curled up beside the tree, crying. Something tapped her lightly on the shoulder and she looked up, sniffing her tears away. There was a tubby grey colt standing there, his eyes sympathetic as he sat down next to her, wrapping his front hooves around her in a hug. He ran a hoof through her mane. "It's ok Twist, I'm here." He soothed.

Twist buried her head in his chest, sobbing. "T-They told me nopony likesth me." She cried, feeling her tears dry out. Her hooves wrapped around the grey colt and she whimpered, looking up at him. "You like me, don't you Truffle?" She asked, eyes full of sadness.

Truffle Shuffle smiled. "Of course I like you Twist. If I didn't like you than why would I be here trying to cheer you up?" He pulled her back into the hug and and she snuggled against his chest, a small smile creeping it's way onto her face. Something tapped the black maned colt on the front leg and he turned his head to see Sweetie Belle holding the glasses out to him. "Give them to her, Scootaloo found them." She whispered in his ear before trotting off, leaving the two foals alone.

Twist looked up again and noticed something purple in his hooves. Her vision was all blurry so she couldn't make it out. "What'sth that Truffle?" She asked. It was placed on her face and suddenly her vision focused and cleared so that she could see properly. "My glassthes! Thanksth Sthhuffle!" She beamed, wrapping her hooves around him even harder.

Truffle was positively beaming, despite the fact that he could barely breathe. He decided not to tell her that it was the Crusaders who had found them and instead let her hug him, his eyes full of happiness. "Happy Birthday Twist." He murmured, giving her a friendly kiss on the forehead.

Cutie Mark Crusaders Sleepover!

"Sleeping bags?"
"Check."
"Snacks?"
"Check."
"Guests?"
"We've been sitting here for 5 minutes Sweetie Belle."

Scootaloo let out a groan, the word 'Check' was probably going to be haunting her nightmares for weeks. Sitting with her were Apple Bloom, Babs Seed and Twist. They were joined by Sweetie Belle who shot a pointed glare at her pegasus friend. "There's no reason why we can't double check Scoots."

Apple Bloom looked at the floor, shaking her yellow head. "Yer beginnin' ta sound like Twilight Sweetie." She teased, bopping her lightly on the shoulder in amusement. The two fillies tussled and Sweetie Belle somehow came out on top, ruffling Apple Bloom's mane with a hoof.

Twist nodded in agreement. "I've only met Twilight once, but sthe was in a xraze and made me obsthethed with her doll, stho you acting like thisth remindsth me of her." She chuckled, her lisp allowed free because she knew that she was among friends that wouldn't bully her.

Babs chuckled weakly, her eyes were distant. "Yeah... Twilight..." Her voice was dull and hollow, devoid of all emotion. Her thoughts were still on Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, how their words had sliced right into her core. She felt a deep sadness in her gut and she gulped down a knot in her throat, a knot that wanted to come out in a huge sob as her eyes became glassy.

Apple Bloom pretty much tackle hugged the Manehattan filly. "It's ok Babs. Those bullies can't get ya here." She said soothingly, her arms wrapped tightly around the little seed. Babs let out a small tremble and the country filly felt tears splash onto her back, trailing down and pearling on her strawberry red tail.

Babs stopped crying and dried her eyes. "Thanks Apple Bloom. Youze are a great friend, all of ya." She said, a small smile forming on her tear streaked face.

Twist walked up and smiled. "You Sthouldn't listhten to thosthe bulliesth. They bug me all the time because of my listhp and how they think I'm a nerd. They justht want to prove that they're not losers, Diamond Tiara justht doesth it so that sthhe doesth'nt feel bad about her sthpecial talent and Sthilver Sthpoon justht wantsh to be popular and doesthn't like Tiara at all." She said, giggling a bit and waving a pale cream hoof.

Babs gaped at her. "How did youze know about dat? When I first came here, them bullies told me about how they did it ta make themselves feel betta." She said, feeling her cheeks get a bit pink as the old memories came to play. "I let myself become a bully so that I wouldn't get bullies. I bulled my friends," She pointed at her fellow Crusaders, "Because Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon started ta pick on me. I was already bullied back home, but now that I told ma big sis Orange Cocktail about it she's been helping me with them." She said, feeling that little feeling of guilt in the pit of her stomach.

Apple Bloom felt her smile growing bigger. "Yer gettin' help with the bullies? That's amazing Babs! Now ya don't have ta be scared anymore!" She congratulated, bopping her with a hoof in a playful manner. She was greeted by Babs giving her a small hit and she chuckled.

The caramel filly nodded. "Yeah. Eva since da reunion, Orange Cocktail has been helpin' me with dem. Ya know dey were da ponies who cut ma mane and tail." She confessed, blowing a few strands of her candy colored hair out of her eyes.

Scootaloo's jaw gaped. "What? How?" She asked. The four fillies leaned in and Babs backed up a bit, a nervous look on her face. "I'll tell youze but give me some space." She said, sitting down and starting the story;

So I was out with Orange Cocktail, we went to da movies. We watched a good one, Avengers: Equestria's Mightiest Heroes. So we were done, but Cocktail had ta go ta bathroom. She told me to wait fo' her, but I decided ta wait outside. So I was just standing by the doors, went suddenly I feel something brush against ma coat and a hoof clamped over my mouth. I started ta fight and I bit down, but dey caught me by the tail and dragged me into an alley.

One of da bullies stuffed a gag in ma mouth and dey held me down. He said how he wanted to use ma mane and tail ta stuff his pillow and dat a useless filly didn't deserve such a nice mane. So he started cuttin'. He cut a good portion of ma mane off and then he cut off ma tail. I managed to get free befo' dey decided ta kill me and ran back into the theatre. I told Cocktail what happened and I was a cryin' mess.

She cleaned me up a bit and made ma mane like this. Dey used a broken bottle for ma tail because ma mane was too thick, but one of dem coughed up a rusty knife and they cut ma mane really rough like.

Babs finished the story and looked at the four gaping fillies.

"I can't believe they'd do that to you!
"I feel like crying now..."
"If ah'd been there ah would've hogtied them and bucked their hides into next year."
"Thosthe guysth are sthuch jerksth! What did you do to them?"

Babs nodded. "Yep. Afta I got help from ma sis, da bullies went away. Ma parents are both cowards, both of dem are useless so I only talk ta Orange Cocktail. She knows what she's doin' and she knows how ta do it right. She doesn't take anypony's crap because she's tough. She looks like a proper mare to impress, but she's a tough cookie." The Manehattanite filly said proudly.

Twist looked at her sympathetically. "I remember once I got jumped, itsth why I wear my glasthes. They have a sthpecial sthpell on them." She took the purple frames off her face and the minute they were gone, there was a spark and her eyes went crossed, one iris looking normally while the other drifted. "Everypony usthed to make fun of me becausthe they thought I sthtupid." She explained.

Babs looked at her in amazement. "Dat's just a low blow. How'd ya get jumped if ya don't mind ma asking?" She asked, slinging her front leg around the cream filly's shoulders.

Apple Bloom was visibly shaking. "Oh mah Celestia Twist why didm't ya tell me?" She asked, moving closer. "We've been best friends for a couple years and ya never told me." The farm filly looked hurt.

Twist flattened her ears a bit. "I could tell you how I got jumped, but don't tell anypony elsthe." She proposed seriously, looking at them with hopeful eyes.. The Crusaders nodded and she sat down again.

I wasth on my way back home from sthchool, really happy becausthe Truffle Sthhuffle asthked me to go to the dance with him. Anywaysth, I took a wrong turn becausthe I wasthn't paying attention and I saw thisth group of teenage sthtalllions, they were laughing becausthe they had justht done graffiti all over the sthide of a building.

I tried to leave, but they sthaw me and they circled me. They sthaid that if I told on them, they'd find me. But they didn't believe me when I sthaid I wouldn't. Before I knew it, I was being flown into the air by a pegasthusth. He dropped me when we were really high up. Something banged me on the head and after that I don't remember anything.

I woke up in the hosthpital. Sthomepony had heard me sthcreaming and they came and found me. I saw my reflection and how my eye wasth and they told me that I wasth lucky to be alive. The hit to the head sthcrambled my brain a bit and the nervesth going to one eye were damaged. Stho I got some sthpecial glasthsthes with an illusion sthpell on them so that it would hide the way my eye wasth. I told my mom about the criminalsth after that.

Sweetie Belle had her hooves over her mouth and tears in her eyes. "That's just horrible!" She exclaimed. She flung herself forwards and hugged Twist, one foreleg stretching out and bringing a very reluctant Babs into the hug. The little filly's shoulders shook as she cried.

Apple Bloom pried the white unicorn off of the two fillies and hugged her. "It's ok Sweetie, just calm down. They ain't here right now." She soothed, running her hoof down the little unicorn's back. She gave Babs an apologetic look from over the crying white filly's shoulder.

Babs looked at Twist in amazement. She thought that Ponyville bullying was petty insults and the occasional foalish fight, she had no idea it was this bad. She pulled Twist closer to her and put her glasses back on.

Youze should see Manehattan. When dey get ya, yer only chance is ta pray ta Celestia dey have mercy on ya. Dey cut yer throat with a broken bottle and then dey do unspeakable things ta ya.

I've been beaten and insulted, but I know dat dem bullies have done worse. I had a friend who was a few years older than me. She got attacked, shoved into an alley and pinned against da wall. Da stallion had his friends hold her there, stuff a gag in her mouth and den he raped her. When he was done, he left her there, bleeding and crying in shame. She lay dere fo' hours, too weak ta move. When she did get home, her parents were so upset. Dey gave her da boot for makin' 'em worry, she always had awful parents. She came ta ma house, she had bruises from a beating and she was cryin' her eyes out. Ma parents agreed to let her stay, but they didn't really want her ta. One day I saw ma parents take her into their room for a talk, I woke up in da middle of da night and she was gone. Never saw her again.

She whispered, tears coming to her eyes at the memories.

Scootaloo looked at her in shock. "R-Rape? Babs how do you stand living there?" She asked quietly, for once afraid of something she hadn't heard in a horror story.

The bobtail filly sighed. "It's a rough and tumble town, that's fo' sure. Da bullies make sure ya neva forget dem, whether dey give ya scars or go afta ya with words it always hurts. Diamond Tiara and Silva Spoon would neva last a day in Manehattan, dey'd get killed." She murmured.

Sweetie Belle was openly shivering and crying, eyes wide with terror.

Scootaloo took notice of this and looked at the others. "Girls I think it's time for us to go to bed before Sweetie has a mental break down. But first..." She winked at Apple Bloom who nodded and ran out of the clubhouse.

A minute later, Apple Bloom rushed back in with a tightly yet kind off sloppy wrapped present, in her haste tripping over the ledge between the ramp. She let out a little yelp and managed to chuck the bundle, smacking Twist in the face with it before her own face connected with the floor. She bounced back up as if nothing happened and hurried over, smiling apologetically at Twist. "Sorry. But this is our birthday present ta y'all."

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Babs and Twist swore that their ears shattered when the three fillies screamed in unison.

The creamy filly smiled gleefully and opened the present, gasping when she saw what lay inside. A shining, brand new bright red Cutie Mark Crusaders cape. Golden silk lined the interior and the blue and yellow patch was sewn crudely onto the exterior. "Wow! Thanksth guysth, thisth isth so cool!" She squealed, throwing the cape on and tying the front.

Scootaloo stepped forwards, a smile on her orange face. "We want to welcome you into the Cutie Mark Crusaders! Even if you already have your cutie mark, we want you to join us! What'd you-" She saw cut off as a squealing Twist tackled her in an enormous hug, babbling her thanks as happy tears rolled down her face.

Babs Seed smiled brightly, tears in her own acid colored eyes.

~~~~~

At the train station, five Crusaders stood together, waiting for the train to arrive. The maple colored Manehattanite had her bags packed and was waiting for the train to take her home, back to the cold streets of her criminal-infested city. She could see the outline of the approaching locomotor and turned around to the other four Crusaders, the newest one frowning.

Twist frowned and stepped towards Babs. "I'm gonna missth you Babsth." She said sadly. To her surprise, a pair of forelegs wrapped around her in a hug and she hugged her new friend back, smiling.

Babs had tears in her eyes, but she refused to cry. "I'll miss youze too Twist. Youze are much betta then da fillies and colts back home. Friends?" She offered, pulling back and holding out a hoof.

Twist smiled. "Friendsth." She agreed, reaching out her own hoof and bumping hooves with the foreign filly.

The train pulled into the station and stopped, pulling away after fifteen minutes. When it did, there were only four Crusaders, left, each of them waving to Babs Seed as she was taken back to Manehattan.

Babs waved back at them, keeping her eyes on her newest friend Twist. She hadn't expected to make any new friends, but then again she never planned to make friends. Last night she'd found a new friend because she'd faced her fears of seeing the Crusaders again, she'd met a new pony and stood up for her against bullies and she'd discovered that friendship was a powerful thing. But the thing that had given her a friend was something she'd thought would make her lose friends, her past was not a pretty thing. She'd made a friend through connections.

Through her unexpected connections.