An Exercise in Futility

by NeonKitty

Chapter 2 - Ponyville

'Coconut, you missed a spot.'

'Coconut, that plate is not clean!'

'Coconut, that isn’t how you sweep a rug.'

Coconut loved Caramel, but right now she could cheerfully murder her. Caramel was the epitome of perfectionism - if she couldn't find fault in something, either she had done it or it was missing a piece. And since it was a mentor's job to oversee their novice's work, Coconut had to deal with Caramel breathing down her neck every time she slipped up.

Caramel, as a sister-in-training, didn't have to do the same chores as the novices - instead, she organized and participated in work outside the orphanage and nunnery, running charity events and attending religious services. And, of course, she oversaw the novices when they worked.

Caramel stamped her hooves on the ground. 'Come on, everypony! Twenty minutes until lunch, then you're all free! Unless, of course, this floor isn't swept by then...'

A half-hearted groan came from the novices, and work began in earnest. If Caramel wasn't going to be a Nun, she would have made an excellent slavedriver. Coconut had foalishly expected preferential treatment when she first started working chores. She wouldn't make that mistake again.

Just twenty more minutes... ten... five... three... two... one...

The bell rang. Caramel surveyed the room, her face set in stone. Come on, Come on...

'Well, it'll do. Go on then, dismissed!'

---

For Coconut, lunchtimes were spent with her friends, in the same room they spent lunch. Mercifully, Honey Bee had forgotten her cards, so Coconut didn't have to worry about her demanding a rematch. Knowing Honey Bee, she would be mercilessly crushed.

The scene was a familiar one - Star Swift was couched up in the corner, buried in books. Lucky Gem was flipping through gossip magazines she had somehow managed to smuggle in, and Honey Bee was berating her for it.

'They're just so... sleazy.'

'I don't care.'

'And they're probably made up.'

'I don't care.'

'And who actually cares about Jet Set having an affair?'

'I do.'

Defeated, Honey Bee collapsed in her chair. Noticing Coconut, she waved her hoof. 'Hey, Coco.'

'Hey.' Coconut set her saddlebags down and pulled up a chair. 'You all right, Sandy?'

Unusually, Sandy wasn't babbling on about the future. Instead, she just muttered under her breath.

'What?'

'I said I wanna get out of here.'

Coconut stared at her. 'You mean... this room?'

'No. This entire place. It's suffocating me.'

'We know, we know, it's all you ever talk about.' Honey Bee interjected. 'Put on another record, will ya?'

'No, I mean, like... right now. I wanna leave. Just for a bit. Just for a few hours.'

'But... we can't.' Coconut was fairly sure where Sandy was headed with this one. 'You know that, right?'

'Yeah, I know we're not allowed to leave.'

'And you're not about to do anything stupid... right?'

Sandy turned to her. 'You know, you sound just like the Sisters.'

'Sandy, you're gonna get in trouble.'

'So? I'll be out of here in a few years anyway. What are they going to do, ground me? I'd be back before you knew it.'

Honey Bee cleared patted Coconut's back. 'Don't worry, she's all talk. Sandy, stop grouching and come get some food with me. Lucky, you coming?'

'Sure.' Lucky Gem folded her magazine and stood up. 'Coconut?'

Coconut glanced at Star Swift. She was hungry, but she got the feeling she shouldn't leave her alone. 'Uh, can you just get me a sandwich? Daffodil and Dewgrass? Oh, and get one for Star Swift too.'

Lucky Gem smiled. 'Sure.'

Sandy reluctantly headed off with the other two. The door squeaked furiously, then slammed shut.

For the next few seconds, you could hear a pin drop. Then, Star Swift punctuated the silence.

'Thanks.'

Coconut turned to her. 'What for?'

'You know. For remembering I was here. I didn't think you'd do that.'

'Of course I would. We're best friends.'

'It doesn't feel like it. I'm always here in the corner, while you're off with everypony else.'

'So come sit with us.'

Star Swift didn't respond. Instead, she fiddled with the sleeve of one of her books, then switched topic. 'Is Lucky Gem still worried about me?'

'Yeah. You know, she wouldn't be so worried if you made more friends.'

'Everypony else makes it look easy.'

'You make it look easy! Look at all the attention you got when you got your cutie mark!'

Star Swift grimaced. 'They weren't interested in making friends. They were just interested in me because of my mark. Or because they wanted me to do their homework for them. Everypony's out to get something.'

Star Swift had a look in her eyes Coconut hadn't seen before. She looked lost, wandering, not the calm and passive look she almost always wore. Suddenly, she choked, stuffed her head in her hooves, and began to sob.

After she had gotten over the initial shock, Coconut rushed over, awkwardly patting Star Swift's mane. At a loss for words, they simply sat there in near silence for several minutes, before Star Swift began to speak.

'C-c-coconut...'

'Star?'

'C-c-coconut...'

Star Swift shook a few more times, then pulled herself up. Her face was matted with tears, her mane frizzled and her eyes bloodshot.

'I-I'm sorry. F-f-for that.'

Coconut pulled her close. 'No apologies. What's wrong?'

Star Swift nodded. 'It's just - I know we're not going to be here forever...*hic*...and I don't know... I don't know how I'm going to go on, when y-you're, when you're not here...'

Sensing Star Swift was about to collapse a second time, Coconut jumped in. 'I'm always going to be here. Always.'

Star Swift said nothing, just shook her head. 'I am.'

Again, Star Swift was silent. Coconut gave a defeated sigh. 'Do you want to talk to one of the sisters?'

That spurred a reaction. 'NO!' Star Swift's outburst was so sudden, so violent, that Coconut collapsed backwards. Scrambling to her feet, she saw Star Swift's face contorted with anguish. 'They'd just use it as an excuse. Try to convince me I should join them.'

As much as Coconut hated to admit it, Star Swift was probably right. The order could be downright predatory when it came to recruitment, and would associate any kind of mental problem with 'faithlessness'.

Embers of fire burned in Star Swift's eyes. 'I'm never going to be one of them. Never.'

---

The rest of the day was uneventful. Class, more chores, astronomy practice. Morality lectures to end the day. At the end of the day, like every day, Coconut met with her friends underneath the Grandfather Oak, a tree that had grown at the orphanage for nearly a hundred years.

Honey Bee and Lucky Gem were both there, deep in discussion. Star Swift was, as usual, reading, though she was clearly keeping close tabs on the conversation. Seeing Coconut, Honey Bee waved her over. She did not look like her usual, carefree self - instead, she looked worried, almost scared.

'Coco, come here.'

Coconut picked up the pace, trotting over to join the group. 'What's wrong?'

'Sandy's left.'

Coconut did a double take - surely, she had misheard? 'Excuse me?'

'She left. She left a note, too.' Honey Bee shoved a hastily-scribbled message under Coconut's nose. The letter was short and smudged in places, but there was no mistaking the sharp, bold hoofwriting.

Have left for Ponyville. Will be back by two. Wait for me under Grandfather Oak. DON'T FOLLOW ME.

- Sandy

Honey Bee screwed up the letter and threw it aside. 'Crazy, right?'

The residual shock that Sandy had actually gone hadn't quite left Coconut. Sure, Sandy talked about leaving or running away a lot, but the idea she would actually be so stupid as to do it...

Lucky Gem spoke up. 'What are we going to do? I mean, if she doesn't come back?'

'We go looking for her' Honey Bee responded.

'At two in the morning?'

'You'd abandon your friend just because it was early in the morning?'

Lucky Gem opened her mouth, then closed it. Honey Bee, sensing victory, turned to face Coconut. 'Agreed? If she's not back by two, we go looking for her.'

Coconut nodded. 'Where do we look?'

'Everywhere. Ponyville's not huge, it couldn't be that hard to find her.'

'What if...' Lucky Gem seemed hesitant to voice her next complaint. 'What if somepony's taken her?'

Honey Bee snorted. 'You've been reading too many magazines.'

'I have not!' Lucky Gem flushed crimson. 'I'm just saying, there's an awful lot of weirdos up this time of night. And Sandy's on her own...'

After a moment of silence, Honey Bee nodded. 'You know what, you're right.'

'You don't need to sound so happy about it!'

'Which is why,' Honey Bee continued, 'We're leaving now.'

'Now?!'

'Yes.'

'No.'

'Yes.'

'No.'

---

'Anypony there?'

'No.'

Inevitably, Lucky Gem had been lost the battle of wills. Instead of following them, she had agreed to wait in their dorm to explain the other three's absence for as long as possible.

'So, what was your plan for getting out of here?' Coconut whispered.

'Wait until nopony's looking, then we run out the front gate.' Honey Bee replied.

Brilliant.

'I kind of assumed you would have a more refined plan than that.'

'Well, you assumed wrong. GO!'

With no warning, Honey Bee bolted for the front gate. Coconut swore, and began to chase after her, Star Swift in close pursuit. Within a matter of seconds, they were out.

Coconut was out. Of course, she had been out before, but this was the first time she had been permitted to leave the orphanage on her own, with none of the Sisters in tow. She supposed this was meant to be a liberating experience, but the looming burden of the task at hand kept her from feeling too sentimental.

After nearly ten minutes of running, the trio slowed and stopped. They had come to a stop outside a small convenience store. The store shelves were stuffed with all manners of food, in greater variety and colour than Coconut had ever seen. Then again, she lived in an orphanage.

Honey Bee, meanwhile, was rooting through a sack she had bought with her. Suddenly, she stopped, and triumphantly produced a map of Ponyville. 'Gotcha.'

'Where'd you get that?'

'Library.' Honey Bee ran her hoof over the map, before tapping it. 'She's probably somewhere in the entertainment area of Ponyville. We should start around there, then just move around. Agreed?'

'Sure.' Coconut was busy scanning the map for places that might interest Sandy. 'What if she skipped town?'

'She said she was going to be back by two.'

'She might have changed her mind.'

Honey Bee looked troubled. 'We'll worry about that when - if it happens. Okay?'

Coconut said nothing, so Honey Bee continued. 'Right. Let's go.'

---

As somepony whose experience of the outside world at night was limited to the skyline visible from her window, Coconut found Ponyville at night breath-taking. Doors, windows and signs were made from a strange, glass-like material that seemed to glow in the darkness, and ponies all around her were laughing, joking and drinking in a manner she had never seen. Meals at the orphanage were a quiet affair - ponies ate, washed up and left. Even occasions like Hearth's Warming were relatively sombre affairs, compared to this.

When she was finally able to drag her eyes from the sights of Ponyville for a few minutes, Coconut sided over to Star Swift. Unsure of how to break the ice, she decided to just go for it.

'Star?'

Star Swift jumped, as if waking from a daydream. 'Yes?'

'Do... do you want to talk about earlier?'

Star Swift looked away, shaking her head.

'You're sure?'

Star Swift said nothing, just continued to look away. 'Please?' Again, Star Swift said nothing.

'Look, it's okay if you're embarrassed, I just think-'

Before she could finish, Star Swift picked up speed, trotting ahead of her. Coconut made to chase after her, but stopped before she had even begun. Maybe Star Swift needed time.

'Coco?'

Coconut felt a hoof drape around her neck. Honey Bee gave her a supportive smile. 'Just watched you crash and burn there.'

Coconut cringed. Honey Bee continued. 'Is she all right? It's just, y'know, you two are always so close.'

'Sure.' Coconut had no particular reason to hide anything - but for some reason, this wasn't something she wanted to share with anypony else. Honey Dew looked unsure, but didn't push the matter any further.

The next ten minutes passed without incident. Then-

'Over there!'

Honey Bee pointed in the direction of a coffee shop. Sandy was sitting in the front, looking uncomfortable, with two other ponies they Coconut had never seen before.

The two new ponies - a mare and a stallion - stood out like a sore thumb, even amongst the colourful ponies that crowded the shop. Both of them sported matching cutie marks, small black circles with no other distinctive features. Their heads were shaved, and both seemed to move in union.

Before Coconut could react, Honey Bee stormed over and slammed her hooves into the table, causing Sandy to jump. When she saw who had accosted her, her jaw dropped.

'Honey Bee?'

'What. In. Tartaru-'

'I was waiting for you!' Sandy's uncharacteristic friendliness caught Honey Bee off guard. Instead of continuing her rant, Honey Bee allowed herself to be dragged away. The two ponies watched them leave passively.

'Thank Celestia.' Sandy muttered. Turning to Coconut, she smiled. 'Sorry, I just couldn't wait to get away from those creeps.'

'Why?'

'They're just... weird. I don't know.'

Honey Bee stumbled to her hooves. 'That's not the issue here! What were you think-'

'Honey Bee.' Sandy spoke with something of an edge in her voice. 'Later. Right now, we need to go back. I was wrong; this place blows.'

Honey Bee opened her mouth to retort, but stopped before she had even begun. Instead, she hung her head and nodded. 'Fine. We can do this later.'

A cry from the coffee shop broke up the discussion. The two ponies who had sat opposite to Sandy had sprung to action, and were shaking, staring in their direction as if they had seen a ghost. The stallion raised a trembling hoof, and pointed it directly at Coconut.

'THEIA!'

Coconut, realizing she was suddenly the centre of attention, took a step backwards. As she did, the stallion took one step forwards when, suddenly, his eyes rolled up in his head, and he collapsed on the spot, followed shortly by the mare beside him. Coconut observed this scene in utter confusion. What?

Honey Bee was the first to recover. Wasting no time, she grabbed hold of Coconut and, signalling frantically to Sandy and Star Swift to follow, bolted round the next corner and out of sight.

---

Whether from shock or simple tiredness, nopony spoke on the way back to the orphanage. As they approached, Coconut felt all eyes fall on her.

'I don't know who they were, okay?'

'You're sure?' Honey Bee responded.

'YES I'M SURE! Ask Sandy, she probably knows them better than me!'

Their gazes turned to Sandy, who shook her head. 'I don't know. I was having a crappy time, so I thought I'd go buy a coffee. Next thing I know, they're sitting down and talking to me, just about random stuff. I kind of felt like I was being buttered up for something - not that they asked for anything from me.'

Honey Bee spoke up again. 'I'm kind of more concerned about you, Sandy. I mean, you leave for less than an hour minutes and you're already looking to get abducted by-'

Honey Bee's rant was cut short by her walking into somepony. Backing up, she raised her head, already fearing the worst. In front of her stood Sister Blossom, her normally amicable expression twisted into a guise of rage.

'S-S-Sister B-B-lossom...'

'Delinquents.'

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

How does white coat and black mane translate into coconut? Coconuts are brown.