Shadows in the dark

Chapter 23

The pink train came to a halt in the Ponyville train station with a trail of smoke on its tail. Strongheart and her new friends were standing there anxiously for the doors to open. The buffalo calf felt rather uneasy, however. She was worried about how this Babs Seed filly would think of her once they meet.

"I'm sooo excited to see her again!" Apple Bloom said excitedly.

"It's been so long since we've last seen each other." Scootaloo added.

"Do you think she brought us any presents?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Sweetie Belle." both Apple Bloom and Scootaloo said in unison. Giving her a are-you-serious look. The unicorn filly simply giggled in response before receiving a playful punch to her shoulder. Meanwhile, Strongheart shuffled her hooves shyly.

"Is something wrong, Strongheart?" Apple Bloom asked when she noticed the uneasy expression on her face.

"What? Oh. I-it's nothing." Strongheart replied with a sheepish grin. But the Cutie Mark Crusaders didn't buy it one bit and quickly surrounded their buffalo friend.

"There's no point in trying to hide it, Strongheart." Scootaloo said gently.

"Are you just nervous about what Babs Seed will think about you once she sees you?" Sweetie Belle asked.

Strongheart sighed in defeat and nodded her head shamefully. "What if she doesn't like me because I'm not a pony?" she said.

"Don't say that!" Scootaloo said.

"Yeah! Babs may seem like a scary filly at first. But she's actually sweet once you get to know her." Apple Bloom added. "My big sister told us that she was actually bullied in the city for not having a cutie mark. So that's why she was mean to us at first."

"Don't worry. Just give her a chance." Sweetie Belle said.

The train doors then hissed open and the silhouette of a rather strong looking foal appeared in the smoke. When the smoke cleared, it revealed a rather shy looking Earth Pony foal with a brilliant gamboge colored coat and a short light brilliant amaranth with brilliant amaranth streaks. On her face were some freckles with a pair of moderate spring bud colored eyes.

"Babs!" the Cutie Mark Crusaders squealed happily.

Babs Seed gasped happily once she saw her friends and they happily embraced one another in a giggling pile of fillies. "I've missed you guys so much!" Babs said.

"So did we!" Apple Bloom giggled. Soon the group dispersed from the pile and got back on their hooves. "Babs. There's somepony we'd like you to meet." Apple Bloom before gesturing her hoof over to Strongheart. "This is our latest member to the Cutie Mark Crusaders: Little Strongheart. She's been staying with my family for a while now."

"H-hello." Strongheart replied as she shyly rubbed her left front hoof.

Babs eyes glittered with curiosity and interest. "I've never seen you around these parts." she said as she walked up to her to get a better look. "Are you a buffalo?"

"Yeah, actually."

"That's so cool!" Babs Seed grinned. "I've never seen a buffalo before. Only in books and on t.v., though. But seeing one in person and up close is so cool!"

Strongheart perked her ears up in surprise and managed to put up a small smile. "Thanks. You're not the first pony who's said that to me."

Apple Bloom and the others giggled as they surrounded them. "Come on!" she said, "We have a lot to catch up on. You would not believe what's happened lately."