Bad Future Crusaders

by TonicPlotter


Chapter 32

        Two Years Ago
        Environment Equestria Main Office

        “…so I say ‘No, you’re wrong. Of course it matters! Why wouldn’t it matter? How could it not matter?’ and she says, paraphrased of course, ‘it’s just lightning. It’s loud, bright, and goes boom.’ I mean, can you believe that?! Oh, I love those ponies to absolute bits, but they just don’t get it, you know? They just don’t get how important the polarity of lightning is! Now while I’m on the topic of loud bright booms, I’m reminded of a story! You see, one time me and that…”
        Sweetie Belle was hardly even listening to Daydream’s rambling. She had found a far more interesting sight in the sheer number of sugar cubes the pink mare was dumping into her coffee. What must have been her nineteenth or twentieth cube sank beneath the inky black surface of her coffee and dissolved as she stirred what must now be the equivalent of maple syrup and took a contented sip. Sweetie Belle shuddered; watching her friend drink that substance from the mug that read ‘I’m only here for the spinny-chair’ made her teeth hurt.
        Daydream sighed contently. “Now that was the last time I ever tried something like that with a rain cloud, let me tell you. It took a week to get those stains out. Now where was I? Ah! Lightning, yes of course! Lightning! So she was trying to tell me that lightning is pointless. Now let me tell you lightning is not pointless. No it is not! Oh, but the bean counters, they think it’s a waste of money. Now you know how I feel about lightning…”
        Yes, you’ve made it abundantly clear, Daydream.
        “…and I wanted your opinion, Lambkins.” Daydream paused to take a sip of her mug of sugar and nodded, “Well? What do you think?”
        Sweetie Belle hid her look of sheer disinterest behind her cup of white tip oolong tea. “I didn’t even realize lightning could be positive or negative, nor do I even know what that means or what the difference between the two may be,” said Sweetie Belle passively. “I haven’t the foggiest notion whether or not lightning is a necessity. Perhaps ask the pegasi in charge of the weather? If anypony would know, it’s them.”
        “But I trust you!” Daydream whined. She paused and raised an eyebrow from behind her mug of sugar. “Oh, Lambkins you’re such a pill.” She stared wide-eyed a bit longer, and finally took a drink. “Fiiiiiiiine, I’ll ask them instead…”
        “I don’t know weather, Daydream. I know gemstones, I know my Diamond Dogs, I… I even remember some sewing tips from my sister,” said Sweetie Belle who took a sip of her tea and smirked. “Besides… remember the last time you took advice from me on such matters?”
        Daydream almost choked mid-drink and a trickle of black liquid sugar slithered down her chin. “Ah, yes…” she giggled, “Good times. Who would have ever thought snow on the tracks could be such a problem to a train?”
        “Well, I suppose in the summer they’re not prepared for it. And at least nopony—”
        “Ah!” chirped Daydream, “Trains! I forgot to mention! I met the most darling little pegasus on the train! You should have seen her, she was adorable! Ooooh, I just wanted to take her home and hug her and put her in a cute little dress!!!”
        Sweetie Belle paused while the eerie Camélia poured another cup of tea for her. “Wow,” she said flatly, “that’s not creepy or anything, Daydream. And thank you, Camélia.”
        “She was just too huggable, though!” said Daydream with a hint of sadness in her tone, “I mean you should have seen the poor little darling. All scuffed up, and I think she had a bad eye I really couldn’t tell, and she sort of needed a bath, but she was still smiling! I just love ponies like that, don’t you?”
        “Not really,” said Sweetie Belle as she added milk to her tea. “Though I’m surprised you didn’t offer her a job.”
        “I did! Scootaloo turned it down. At least she let me buy her some food.”
        The magical aura that held Sweetie Belle’s cup vanished and it fell to the table, exploding with a mist of hot tea that went completely unnoticed by the unicorn. “W-what was that name?”
        “I know!” cooed Daydream, “Isn’t ‘Scootaloo’ the cutest name ever?!”
        Sweetie Belle stammered as Camélia silently cleaned the mess and produced another cup of tea for her. “Orange coat…? Purple mane?” she said weakly.
        “Well… more of a gamboge, I think,” said Daydream in deep thought, who almost immediately perked up. “So you’ve met her?!”
        “We used to be… friends,” said Sweetie Belle as she tried and failed to lift her tea with magic, and quickly gave up and used her shaking hooves instead.
        “That’s WONDERFUL!!!” screeched Daydream, who bounced on her pillow with her hooves clopping together like a foal on Hearthswarming Morning. “I know where she was going! Come on, let’s go and—”
        “No,” said Sweetie Belle coldly. “No, that won’t be necessary.”
        “Why not?!”
        “Used to be friends, Daydream. Used to be. Past tense. That was a long time ago. Not since Ponyville. And I have no interest in renewing old friendships. Too many bad memories.”
        “Sweetie Belle!” said Daydream in a scolding tone, “Whatever is wrong with you?”
        “Me?!” snapped Sweetie Belle, “What’s wrong with me?!” How dare you—” One look at the puppy dog eye treatment her pink friend gave her and she bit her tongue. “Look, you don’t understand. You and you alone more than fill the friendship need in my life, Daydream.”
        “No, you don’t understand, Lambkins,” said Daydream, “and I’m going to show you the light and magic of friendship whether you like it or not.” Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes as Daydream gestured to one of the ponies in the room. Twist came over and was immediately seized in a hug the second she came within reach. “I want her to stay with you, from now on.”
        “Why?”
        “As a friend.”
        Twist stared silently at Sweetie Belle with an expression that very clearly said ‘Help me!’ “I don’t need a friend, Daydream. No offense, Twist.”
        “Oh, give her a chance, you might grow fond of her,” said Daydream, “I won’t take no for an answer.”
        “Well…” said an already defeated Sweetie Belle between sips of her tea, “I know better than to try and argue with you, Daydream.”

        Present Day
        
        Sweetie Belle faded back and forth between awareness and past memories as the pony whose name escaped her gave a small eulogy for Twist. It seemed every single pony who worked for the company had something to say at her mute friend’s wake, and while it was somewhat comforting to know Twist had such a surprisingly active social life for such a seemingly cold-hearted pony, it only served to make her feel all the more alone. Though she had hardly been aware of it at the time, Twist truly was the only pony who was always there for her and understood her. Sure, Daydream had a heart of pure gold and would trot to the edge of Equestria for her, but was so unbelievably self-centered about her friendship as well; everything had to be about Daydream and everything had to go her way, which made tolerating her company rather trying at times. Twist had been a comforting reliable presence in her life for several years now, and only now that she was gone did Sweetie Belle realize just how much she had taken that friendship for granted. It made her wonder, if even the icy-cold and mute Twist could have friends, to what effort was Sweetie Belle herself going to push others away and remain in her lonely little shell? Just like she had pushed Apple Bloom and Scootaloo away—
        Stop it.
        She bit down on her hoof and screamed silently, trying to chase away the biting guilt. She was not to blame, they were! She gave them a chance, they turned it down. Even if some stupid nostalgic fiber of her body refused to acknowledge it, she deep down knew it was true.
        “I am so very sorry for your loss,” said a quiet voice as a hoof rested on hers.
        Sweetie Belle flinched away and heard a quiet apologetic peep from the one who had merely tried to comfort her. She looked his way to apologize for her own boorish behavior but found that she was speechless; although he looked strangely familiar she simply did not recognize him. Every pony at Twist’s wake was an employee of Environment Equestria, and although she didn’t know most of their names she at least recognized the faces. There was that fat obnoxious thing that worked the reception desk and always chewed gum, those two old lanky twins who designed an maintained their fleet of cloud carriages and work vehicles, and even that elderly purple janitor who had been repeatedly scolded for drinking on the job and would have been fired years ago had she not been a rather exemplary custodian, to name a few. This one stallion beside her, a yellow unicorn with a turquoise mane and matching moustache, was one she had not seen before.
        “I am sorry,” said the mystery stallion, “I meant no offense. Just to offer comfort to a friend of a very dear friend of mine.”
        Sweetie Belle thought about that for a moment, “You and Twist were close?”
        “Intimately,” he said with a sad, wistful smirk. “And before you ask, no, sorry. I know not why the R.E.A.F. would do this.”
        “You’re a mind-reader,” said Sweetie Belle sadly. She had nothing more to say to him and focused her attention to Daydream who was in the midst of trying to give her own eulogy. It was enough to bring Sweetie Belle to tears; Daydream had hardly gotten five or six words out and had begun bawling like a little foal. “Wait,” said Sweetie Belle as a realization hit her and she faced her bespectacled companion. “How did you know the R.E.A.F. did this?”
        He straightened his glasses and fidgeted with the gemstone he wore on his collar. “Gathering information, my dear, is what I do.” He gave her a friendly smile as he produced a gold pocket watch from his blazer and sighed softly. “And I’m afraid my line of work offers little in the way of free time, even in the midst of a tragedy.” He rested a hoof on hers and leaned in as if to hug her. “Things will get better. Be strong, my friend.”
        Sweetie Belle feigned a smile and thanked him as he began to walk away, but didn’t mean so much as a word of it. She didn’t care how good this stallion was at gathering information; Daydream had made a diligent and effective effort to keep the circumstances of Twist’s death as quiet as possible. Rather than spread panic through the company by having them believe the government may be targeting them, the official story was that Twist had suffered a heart attack and passed on peacefully in her sleep in the hospital. The only way this pony could know what had happened was if he was involved somehow, and if that was the case, he was going to explain himself.
        She let him get some distance, pretending to be engrossed in Daydream’s blubbering eulogy and nonchalantly stood up, trying to attract as little attention to her as possible. The stallion headed through the east door and Sweetie Belle walked close and acted as if she were going to speak to their alcoholic janitor; she knew this building like the back of her hoof and knew exactly where that hall would take him. She’d jump him when nopony was around to see and, if necessary, wring his wiry little neck until he told her what she wanted to hear.
        Somepony passed by the door in the direction of the unicorn. He was big, with a white and brown mottled coat of fur and had moved by the door so quickly she had hardly gotten a good look at him still managed to recognize him. She had seen his face on wanted posters before, along with the other Rainbolts. A suspicion came to mind that she didn’t want to consider, but it presented a rather uncomfortable possibility.
        “… on time … friend … so … like …” said the voice of the yellow pony, coming in muffled snatches that managed to slip around the corner. Sweetie Belle crept out into the hallway and moved as close as she could to listen; she was more than willing to pick a fight with the scrawny unicorn but the mottled one, if rumors were true, was good with a sword and was not one she wanted to get on the wrong side of.
        “Lose the diplomacy. Let’s just get down to brass tacks, m’lad,” said the mottled pony in a heavy cockney accent, “We got us some problems.”
        “This is a nuisance, yes, but one we can accommodate,” said the unicorn, “Tell me, is it wrong I am, more than anything else, rather impressed by their rather amazing promptness in identifying and tracking her down?”
        “That’d be Featherweight, I wager. Idle little bugger he is, but good at what he does. Took those changelings right under his warped little wing in a fortnight.”
        “Well, you know what they say about birds and feathers, my friend.”
        Sweetie Belle fought the urge to run around the corner and strangle him right then and there. For someone with such an ‘intimate’ friendship with Twist, he made it sound like her death was no more inconvenient than a stubbed hoof. Either he had a God-tier poker face or had looked her right in the eye and lied his curple off.
        “Hurry up, I’ve gotta be off right and quick,” said the mottled pony, “Dor got off somewhere looking for Pumpkin and Pound, he did. I gotta find him.”
        “Hm. ‘Dor’, you say… is he…”
        “Yes. And he’s got a lot of his mum and dad in him. I’m worried he’ll do something drastic.”
        “Drastic?” said the unicorn with a chuckle.
        “Well, stupid, to call a spade a spade. So what’s the word? Heard anything about where he might be?”
        “You-know-who claims they arrested a couple of ponies after curfew in Canterlot the other day. Twins, if his description was accurate.”
        “Oh blimey.”
        The unicorn laughed. “Relax. He wouldn’t be that stupid, as to just march right into Canterlot to try and save them, right?”
        “You met this lad?” said the mottled pony. “He’s got something to prove, he does. Been that way since he lost his folks.”
        The unicorn gave a frustrated sigh. “It irritates me greatly when ponies let emotion rule over judgment. I’ll call in a favor, see if our friend can do something to keep an eye out for him. Until then, Pip, don’t do anything stupid.”
        “Wouldn’t dream of it, mate.”
        Sweetie Belle cursed under her breath as their conversation concluded, and silently began to creep backwards to the door she had entered the hall from. She made it a few steps and bumped into Camélia who abruptly came through the door. “Miss Belle, I—”
        “What have we here?” said the unicorn as he and his mottled friend turned the corner to face Sweetie Belle. He wore a friendly smile but the ominous tone of his voice and the way his companion eased a hoof to the hilt of the sword he wore made their threat clear. Camélia pushed in front of her and faced the duo, and the unicorn’s smile widened. “Eavesdropping,” said the unicorn pleasantly, “is rather rude.”
        “I would suggest you watch your tone and your actions,” said Camélia coldly as he cracked his neck and loosened his tie, “I would like to avoid causing a ruckus at a wake.”
        “Pip, he is right,” scolded the yellow unicorn. “Not here. It would accomplish nothing.”
        “I don’t care what you or your friend here are involved in, or who you are,” said Sweetie Belle, “Just tell me about Twist. The truth, this time.”
        The unicorn bit his lip. “All you need to know,” he said with a note of pity in his voice, “was that Twist truly was a victim and did not deserve what was done to her. Any more than that would only cause you pain. You are not like ponies like Twist, or us. Or Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.”
        Sweetie Belle gasped. “What do they have to do with all of this?!”
        “Who do you think sent them your way? Like I told you; I deal in information. And I know for a fact you are not like us. You’ve moved on, for better or for worst. You’ve made sacrifices and managed to find a way to actually… live. Ponies like us cannot. I like to say I died that night, you know? And while it’s not true in the literal sense, as I still breathe, and eat, and exist, it is true in the sense that I no longer live.” He took his colored glasses off to stare directly into his eyes. “Go back to your life,” he said softly, “Like me, and Pip, and Twist wish we could have as well.”
        “You looked me in the eyes and lied to my face about Twist not five minutes ago,” said Sweetie Belle, “How do I know you’re telling me the truth now?”
        The yellow unicorn smiled sadly. “Lying goes side-by-side with my line of work. I really have no way of proving my statements, so belief or disbelief lies with you.” Without breaking eye contact his horn began to glow and both he and his friend were engulfed in a bright burst of colored smoke.
        Sweetie Belle shielded her eyes from the bright glow and, when she opened them, found nothing more than an empty hallway that was haunted by the unicorn’s words. Twist had been there for her whenever she needed it, and yet Sweetie Belle had been such a poor friend that she hadn’t even realized the stern red head had been involved in something like this. “I…” she said weakly, “I am a terrible pony, aren’t I?”
        “Ms. Belle,” said Camélia softly, “I have only known you for a few years, and my relationship with you has strictly been one of servitude. I am also well aware that my appearance and my ways have been nothing but a source of discomfort for you.” He walked close and rested a hoof on her head, cradling it gently against his chest. “Despite all of this you have always made a most earnest effort to treat me with the utmost dignity and respect. Such a thing… a ‘terrible pony’ would not do.”
        Sweetie Belle felt as if she were melting, and buried her face into the surprisingly soft and fluffy fur of his chest to hide that she was crying. She threw her hooves around him and he gently patted her back, and she felt a comfort she hadn’t known in a long time. “What do I do?” she said, her voice muffled into softness by his chest.
        “I am sorry, Ms. Belle,” said Camélia, “but I can’t answer your question. You have to do whatever it is you feel is right, and know that whatever you choose, Ms. Daydream, as well as myself, will be behind you no matter what.”