Bad Future Crusaders

by TonicPlotter

Chapter 15

“If you even move, I will kill you,” said a cold, female voice.

Apple Bloom drew a slow breath through gritted teeth; she couldn’t risk any sudden movements. Although she couldn’t see her attacker, she could feel the tip of a knife pressed gently against her throat and it would only take a fraction of a second to drive it home. She could never have imagined that a rogue pony was hiding in this building and ready to pounce; there was no need to. She did as she was told and held still, hoping Scootaloo had the sense to make a break for it—

—when a blur of gamboge tore between her and threw itself into the assailant, tacking her to the ground a few feet away. Apple Bloom caught only a glimpse of Scootaloo’s face, crumpled into a mess of anger and screaming with feral rage, as she pinned the assailant to the ground with a hoof to the chest and viciously punched the helpless pony again and again in the face. After taking three brutal hits to the face the assailant, a pony with her face obscured beneath a tattered hood, managed to take a swipe with her knife to knock Scootaloo off balance and kick her off. The swift pegasus twisted in mid-air like a cat and landed on her hooves, somehow side-stepped the knife that was thrown at her blind side, and pounced again to throw the hooded pony into the wall.

Apple Bloom stumbled back and aimed her pistol, but was utterly helpless. The two ponies were too fast for her to risk a shot; it would be too easy for her bullet to hit Scootaloo. All she could do was keep a bead on them and hope Scootaloo could hold her own until she had a clear shot.

Except Scootaloo’s taking control…

The hooded pony threw a couple of punches but Scootaloo dodged one and swatted the other away effortlessly. Another knife was drawn and took several slashes at her throat but she calmly ducked one and hopped back out of reach of the other. The assailant let out a scream of frustration and threw her second knife, and Scootaloo was airborne; she jumped to the side, planted all four hooves on the wall, and fed a savage roundhouse kick right into the assailant’s face. Following the brutally dull thud of a hoof against flesh and bone came several beads of red from the pony’s mouth, and she staggered back uneasily with her head twisted to the side. She managed to pull a third knife out, but it slipped from her hoof and she collapsed into a heap face-down on the floor.

Apple Bloom tried to shake the disbelief out of her head and strafed to the side to get a clear shot, not that she needed to any longer. Her friend had trounced the hooded pony: the dazed creature on the ground at her hooves was lucky to be alive after that last hit, let alone still conscious, and was down for the count.

“This… Is this…” gasped Scootaloo between winded breaths, still crouching low with her wings erect and panting heavily, “So this is your… masked freak…?”

Apple Bloom was taken aback by the change in her friend; it was like she had become an entirely different pony. The tone of her voice was held low with an almost rabid growl and her eye had shrunk into a cruel purple dot. “No,” she said cautiously, “Ain’t her.”

“Then why’d she pull that knife on you?” said Scootaloo, her breathing slowing down as her tone softened back to normal. She looked down at the hooded mess lying on the floor in front of her and cautiously reached out to lift the hood—

BOOOOOOOOM!!!

The building shook from the blast of a bomb, one that went off far too close to the building they were in, and Scootaloo fell to the ground and shielded her head on instinct. The hooded pony acted and rolled on top of her, grasping her in a headlock and holding a knife to the pegasus’ kidney.

Apple Bloom shot the lamp that was a few feet from the two on the floor and aimed at the face-down pony’s head. “Ah got a clear shot,” she growled, “Get off her. NOW!”

The pony’s head stayed down, keeping her face hidden under the hood. “Try it, you Eastland wannabe; I’ll kill her before you manage it. Now drop the—”

Scootaloo flared her wing, hooking it under the pony’s leg and pushing the knife out of reach of her body. With a grunt she managed to push to her hooves and hit the assailant in the face with the back of her head. The hooded pony’s grip loosened enough for Scootaloo to pull free and she bucked the attacker in the stomach. The surprised pony was sent flying through an empty bookshelf with a guttural cry and was buried in debris as it smashed apart.

“Jerk,” muttered Scootaloo quietly, as if the hooded pony had merely bumped into her in a crowd without bothering to apologize.

“Scoot,” said Apple Bloom in admiration, “That was ace-high.” The pegasus turned to her with a sheepish smirk and a face that turned beat red. Apple Bloom pointed her weapon at the pair of legs poking out of the heap near the wall. “Alright, sway-back. No more games. Get up.” The legs were completely motionless and she aimed at what she hoped was just a piece of shelf and fired, punching a small hole in the smashed wood. “Get. Up.”

“You’d actually shoot an unconscious pony?” said a spiteful voice from within the pile.

“If need be. How’s about Ah keep shooting ‘till Ah hit you or you decide to show your face?”

A hoof rested on her leg and gently lowered the weapon. “Apple Bloom, don’t. She’s beaten. We… we don’t have to go this far.”

The pair of legs kicked suddenly and the hooded pony slowly pulled herself out of the wreckage. She threw her hood back and Apple Bloom’s heart skipped a beat when she saw the face underneath. It was an unfortunately familiar scraggly-maned earth pony wearing a pair of glasses mended with tape, who smirked with devilish delight when the two locked eyes. “Blank Flank!” she said in a mockingly cheerful tone, “Should’ve known I hadn’t seen the last of you.”

“Spoon!” spat Apple Bloom as she shoved Scootaloo aside and aimed her pistol once more. “Ah thought Ah beefed you in Baía de Corvos!”

“Oh you got me alright,” said Silver Spoon as she begrudgingly held up a hoof, showing off a pink dimple-like scar on her cannon, “You got me good. Almost lost this leg thanks to you.”

“Too bad. Ah was aiming for your heart. Don’t worry, Ah don’t miss twice. Ever.”

“Apple Bloom! NO!” Scootaloo yelled as she leapt between them.

“Out of the way, Scootaloo,” said Apple Bloom sternly, “This is between me and her.”

“No killing,” Scootaloo said forcibly.

Silver Spoon grinned and stood beside Scootaloo, putting a hoof around her shoulder. “Glad one of you ponies is on my side.”

“Shut up,” said the angry pegasus, making Silver Spoon gingerly pull away and put her front hooves up sarcastically. “You’re no killer, Apple Bloom. Don’t do it.”

Silver Spoon sputtered and began cackling at Scootaloo with contempt. “You really are Scootaloo, aren’t you? You’re every bit as dense as ever.” She paced slowly about the room with a smug expression that only waivered once when another blast echoed in the distance and smiled nastily at Apple Bloom. “Didn’t tell her what you and the Stripes did to us in Baía de Corvos, did you? What you did?”

It felt as if a dagger had been shoved into Apple Bloom’s heart and her pistol began to tremble in her hoof. “Ah think you’d better stop talking.”

“I hate to be the one to tell you this, Scootaloo,” said Silver Spoon with feigned sympathy, “but I was there. Saw the whole thing. She became quite the celebrity in the West for that, you know. Hey Blank Flank! Did you tell her the name we had for you?”

“Ah swear if you don’t shut your trap Ah will—”

Apple Bloom was cut off when Scootaloo abruptly turned and slugged Silver Spoon in the mouth, knocking her to the floor in one shot. She walked over to her friend and firmly put a wing around Apple Bloom, holding them tightly together. “She’s not a killer,” said Scootaloo firmly.

Apple Bloom’s leg went limp, letting her weapon point down at the floor. She couldn’t even bear to look her friend in the eye right now, because she knew just how wrong Scootaloo’s vote of confidence really was. She slowly holstered her weapon and pulled away from her friend’s embrace, acting like she was looking for bombers out the window.

Silver Spoon slowly stood up, grumbling as she held a hoof to her jaw. “When did you start fighting back?” she said in a pained slur, “Before or after you were attacked by a lawnmower?”

“When somepony decided to attack my only friend in the whole wide world,” said Scootaloo.

The gray mare spat on the floor. “Fine, whatever. Far be it from me to rain on somepony’s parade.” She took a lap around the room and retrieved the knives she had thrown, tucking them into the small pockets on her belt. “So what about the other one?” she said passively as she moved, “I guess she’s too good for you two now, eh?”

Apple Bloom spun around. “You know where she is?!”

Yet another bomb went off somewhere in Broncton, farther than the last one but still close enough to rattle the walls. “I know of her,” said Silver Spoon as she glared uncomfortably in the direction of the blast, “Look, I’ll be honest. I don’t know much, but as invalid as it makes me feel I’m in a pinch I can’t get out of without help. Help me get out of this city, and I’ll spill everything I know.”

“Should have known they were after you,” said Apple Bloom as she raised a knowing eyebrow at Scootaloo.

“Eat it, Blank Flank,” said Silver Spoon, “Do we have a deal or what? I’m kind of in a hurry; I’ve got a ride to catch that won’t wait.”

Scootaloo ran and looked out the window. “What’s your plan?” she said eagerly, “How do we get past them?”

“Won’t be hard. Those clowns are just bombing blind to try and draw me out; they think I’m going to panic and make a break for it. The trouble is, is when they run out of bombs and start a sweep of the city on hoof. What I need is a couple sets of eyes, no offence Scootaloo, to slip out of the city unseen before that happens.”

“Not exactly the sharpest tools in the shed, are they?” said Apple Bloom, fighting to sound civil as she surrendered to the thought of helping Silver Spoon of all ponies.

The things Ah do for friendship.

“It’s a scare tactic,” said Scootaloo in a sad tone, “It’s how they keep ponies in line. ‘Don’t mess with us or this happens’ kind of thing.”

Silver Spoon nodded as her cruel smile melted into a serious frown. “They obviously followed me all the way here,” she said in agreement with Scootaloo, “They could have taken me out on the train no problem. Heck, they could have bombed the frigging train itself and done me in quick enough to be home for lunch. There aren’t as many places to run and hide on a train as there are in a town.”

Apple Bloom dug at the ground angrily as her mind strained to take in everything that was happening. She had been aware that Equestria had changed for the worst since the day she stepped off that ferry back onto her native soil, but never in a thousand years could anyone have convinced her it was like this until she saw it with her own eyes. She found herself thinking back to the war in Sonhos Vale; East and West, two halves of one country that had been split apart and hated one another for reasons she couldn’t even begin to understand. She remembered the burning hate; the way she felt about the Westland ponies, and was well aware they felt exactly the same. Even now when she thinks back to the way those ponies looked, so very different from Equestrians with their pale scraggly coats and deep hollow eyes, she finds herself hating them. Even with that in mind, even with that hate that drove her through that war, she was still aware that they weren’t evil. They were soldiers, people. Just like her and her friends they were only following orders and fighting for what they believed in. What was happening in this town, this country, was just wrong. There was no word for it other than evil.

The gray mare gestured for the two to follow her and headed to the back door. Scootaloo stayed close, no doubt eager for a chance to find Sweetie Belle, while Apple Bloom held back. Regardless of everything, she was still not comfortable with the idea of helping a monster like Silver Spoon.

Do it for Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

“Alright,” Silver Spoon said quietly as she pushed the back door open enough to peer into the alley. “This alley’s narrow; they won’t be able to see too clearly from above. Here’s my plan: Those fliers are after me, not the two of you. You two be my eyes and ears while I stay out of sight. When I first got to this city I spotted a freight train being loaded. We slip onto it unseen, and let the R.E.A.F. bomb this city down to Tartarus; it won’t be our problem anymore.”

“Sounds good so far,” said Scootaloo.

“Once we’re on the train, I’ll tell you what little I know about your friend. After that we go our own separate ways. Blank Flank, you and I can settle scores next time we meet, if we feel the need.” Silver Spoon chuckled as if she had told a joke. “How’s that sound?”

“Ah’ll hold you to that, Spoon.”

“Love you too, darling,” said Silver Spoon sarcastically. “Scootaloo, they don’t know you from Adam so they won’t pay any attention to you. Fly up there and be a scout. Apple Bloom, stay close to me so Scootaloo can point to you where they are.”

Scootaloo shuddered quietly and twirled her hoof on the cement floor. “I…” she stammered, “I can’t fly.”

Silver Spoon broke down into derisive laughter. “Still?!”

Apple Bloom pushed between them. “Watch it, Spoon,” she said in a quiet hiss, “She’s the only reason Ah ain’t put you in the ground so keep that in mind before you open that big trap of yours! Got it?!”

“Fair enough,” said the gray mare with a note of raw irritation in her voice. “Change of plans, then. Scootaloo, take the lead. You’re pretty quick. Probably you could outrun one of those bombs if worst came to worst. Blank Flank, you cover me from the rear.”

The two friends looked into each other’s eyes and nodded to one another, and Scootaloo ducked low and crept through the door. She kept her good eye on the sky and slunk out into the middle of the alleyway while Silver Spoon and Apple Bloom pressed against the walls on either side of the door to wait for her signal.

“She’s going to find out sooner or later,” whispered Silver Spoon. “You can’t hide what you are, Mau-Olhado, so don’t even try.”

Apple Bloom twitched at the mention of that name and fought the urge to draw her pistol right then and there. “Don’t call me that.”

“You afraid she’ll ditch you if she knows what you’ve done? Better to find out when you want instead of at a bad time.”

“She doesn’t have to know,” said Apple Bloom. “She’s better off not knowing.”

Silver Spoon shook her head. “You’re not her mother. And she’s not a little filly. It’s not like I care, but if you don’t tell her you’ll end up regretting it. Mark my words, Blank Flank.”

“NOOOOOOOO!!!”

It was Scootaloo’s voice screaming in pure terror from outside. Apple Bloom kicked the door open to find Scootaloo only a few feet down the alley, crumpled near a wall and shaking violently while she frantically tried to push farther into the bricks she was leaning against. Sweat was pouring down her trembling face which was racked with fear. Apple Bloom ran to her and held the terrified pegasus’ face against her chest, trying to understand what was happening to her.

“He’ll kill us!!!” she screeched hysterically, as if she was completely unaware of Apple Bloom and staring off into the sky, “He’ll kill us!!!”

Apple Bloom drew her pistol and looked angrily into the sky. In the distance hovered one of the bombers; an older stallion with a sickly green coat and a bright two-tone mane that was dressed in a gray flight suit of some kind with a weathered flight cap on his head. He was looking off in the distance, scanning the city carefully through dark red goggles and still clutching one of the bombs they had been terrorizing the town with. He was too far away to have been about to throw that thing at Scootaloo and it didn’t even look like he had spotted them yet. Apple Bloom had no clue what he could have done to scare her like this, but she didn’t care. Enough was enough; nobody does that to her friends. She lined the sight of her pistol up with his bomb. “You like bombs?! See how you like ‘em now!” she hollered and pulled the trigger.

He didn’t hear her, nor did he even see it coming. He had only a split second to let out a cry of agony and surprise before he and his voice were swallowed in an instant by the explosion.

Author's Note:

Throwing some of my first language in there just for kicks. Also, yet again next chapter won't be for two weeks. Sucks when real life gets in the way of ponies :P

Comments

[TheFullCrumb]

Michael Bay's wet dream chapter, huh?

[TonicPlotter]

3917007
Pretty much. Can't be all angst and world building, can it?

[The Notebook]

Mau-Olhado

Translation needed. What language is that

[TonicPlotter]

3957970
It's Portuguese. It means "evil eye" (not literally, but rather like the curse). It's what the Westlanders speak, rather than English. Originally everyone in Sonhos Vale (which means "Valley of Dreams") spoke it but I dropped it since it would have been a pain for people to read. I just kept the names; English words sound cool to me, so I figured Portuguese words would sound cool to English speakers.

Also, Baía de Corvos means Bay of Crows, which is a play on the Bay of Pigs Invasion (Which is a hint to what happened there for people who know history )