//------------------------------// // Working On The Farm // Story: Tainted Silver // by Bluecatcinema //------------------------------// After pledging to keep Globe's secret, Sterling made his way back to the homestead. "Here we go." He smiled as he placed the bag containing their groceries on the kitchen table. "Everything present and accounted for." "Good job, Sterling." Big Red smiled. "I suppose so." Cherry shrugged. "I at least owe today's relaxation time to you, Sterling." "No problem. Glad I could be of service..." Sterling nodded, then mentally added in distaste, 'You old shrew.' "Ah knew lettin' ya stay wuz a good idea, Sterling." Big Red declared. "Hey, just trying to earn my keep." Sterling shrugged. "If you have any other jobs that needs doing, feel free to ask." "We'll keep that in mind." Big Red nodded. "Of course." Cherry agreed. "Anything to keep our guest feeling fulfilled." "Thanks." Sterling grinned. "Now, if you don't mind, I think I'll have a nice sit down on the couch. That was a pretty long trip..." "Yeah, you go rest." Big Red nodded. "You've earned it." Sterling sat down on the couch, easing his tired hooves. 'This desert has some rough terrain...' He thought, rubbing one hoof with two others. 'Don't know how these ponies manage...' Not long after, Globe returned home. "Hey, kiddo." Big Red greeted him. "How was your little trip into town?" Cherry asked. "It was... okay." Globe shrugged. "Just regular, everyday stuff, nothing out of the ordinary at all..." "...Alright then." Big Red said awkwardly. "Wash up for lunch, dear." Cherry urged. "Yes, mom." Globe nodded. "Way to not be suspicious, kid." Sterling whispered as Globe passed by. "I couldn't help it." Globe quietly cringed. "I've never been a very good liar." "That's nothing to be ashamed of." Sterling smiled. "Means you've got an honest spirit, kid. Nowhere near enough of those in the world right now..." "Aw, thanks." Globe smiled meekly. "My pleasure." Sterling grinned. "Now you run along. I'm sure you must be tired from your 'regular, everyday stuff'." "...Yeah." Globe chuckled. "See you later, Sterling." "See ya, kid." Sterling nodded, as Globe went upstairs. After his hooves had recovered from his walk into town, Sterling decided to join Big Red and Cherry in the kitchen again.Cherry was at the table, setting the plates for dinner, while Big Red was reading a newspaper. "That Globe's a good kid." Sterling declared. "He sure is." Big Red nodded. "You must have raised him well." Sterling grinned. "As much as we'd like to take the credit, Globe has always been such a sweet little colt." Cherry smiled lovingly. "Darn tootin'." Big Red nodded. "He's one great kid." "But you know what could make him even better?" Sterilng asked. “Better?” Cherry frowned. "How d'ya mean, Sterling?" Big Red asked. “Well, I'm not an expert when it comes to raising kids.” Sterling shrugged. “But if there is something I know would be great for a kid like Globe, it'd be for him to have a pet.” "A pet?" Cherry repeated. "Oh, yeah." Sterling nodded. "Something like a hamster, a cat... maybe even a dog." "Ah'm not really seein' yer reasonin' here, pardner." Big Red admitted. "Pets teach a colt responsibility." Sterling declared. "Taking care of another living thing can help them develop their sense of responsibility. And if he took care of one, it would take care of him.” “That’s some interestin’ way of lookin’ at it.” Big Red murmured. "You could say that." Sterling shrugged. "But there's also the sheer joy that comes from having a pet. I'll bet the kid would be over the moon. And a happy kid is a kid who just develops more and more, grows up right." "Sterling does make a good point." Cherry mused. "Maybe we should consider it, Red." "Yeah, maybe." Big Red shrugged. "But let's not rush inta anythin'." "Like you can talk." Cherry rolled her eyes, clearly remembering Big Red's offer for Sterling to stay with them. She then turned to Sterling. "But I must ask, why the sudden interest in Globe?" "He just seems like a good kid." Sterling shrugged. "He'd probably be a great pet owner. Just food for thought." "Speakin' a' food, it's almost time fer dinner." Big Red declared. "Great." Sterling smiled, as he was about to make his way to the dining room. "I'm starving." "Don't forget to wash your hooves, mister." Cherry frowned. "Of course." Sterling sighed, heading for the bathroom. 'Boy, you've really got the "nagging" part of the job down, haven't you?' The rest of the day passed without any major incidents. Dinner comprised of tumbleweed and cactus juice stew, with liberal helpings of desert roses on the side. "So, how did clearing out the cellar go, Eclipse?" Globe asked. "Same as usual." Eclipse shrugged. "My feathers always get so sticky from the leftover cherry juice..." "Too bad for you, bro." Huckleberry smirked. "Laugh it up, Huck." Eclipse sneered. "It'll be your turn in a couple of days. Then we'll see who's laughing." "Okay, cool it, kids." Big Red chuckled. "It ain't that much of a chore... an' Ah should know, since I did it all the time before you kids showed up." "And you did get that extra-large portion of dinner I promised." Cherry beamed. "Yeah, I did." Eclipse smiled. "Thanks, mom." "My pleasure." Cherry grinned. "Speaking of... seconds, please?" Globe offered his empty plate. "Coming right up." Cherry chuckled, added some more stew and desert roses to Globe's plate. Sterling silently ate his dinner. Growing up, he and his family had never been close. They had never had a dinner where they talked and joked with each other. In fact, they'd barely spoken at all. 'I always wondered if other families did things differently... and now I know.' He smiled, contentedly eating a desert rose. After finishing their meal, Sterling and the family whiled away the hours until bedtime arrived, reading, playing games, and other such activities. Big Red, Cherry, and the boys headed up to their respective bedrooms, while Sterling lay down on the couch. 'Heh, I think I'm starting to get used to this old thing.' He mused, finding himself being able to get more comfortable on the worn old couch. 'Not before time, too...' Sterling soon fell asleep, enjoying a mostly calm slumber. The morning that followed, Sterling lied awake on the couch, having finished breakfast earlier. He was once again without anything to do, and having nothing to occupy his mind, his eyes began to wander the room he was in. It was a simple place, consisting of a hoof-carved table, an old fireplace, and a mantelpiece with various family photos, mostly of the boys, Big Red and Cherry. On the wall beside it was a calendar. As he glanced at the calendar, his thoughts suddenly went to Father, and the ultimatum he had been given. ’Dammit, I need to focus on getting out of here.’ Sterling frowned. ’I only have less than a month left before Father sends somepony after me. But where do I go?’ Sterling mulled it over for a moment. ’I guess the best thing would be to get out of Equestria, but for that, I’ll need cash. But where the hell I’m going to get a paying job in such short time?’ "C'mon, boys!" Big Red called, shocking Sterling out of his musings. "Time fer cherry-bucking!" "Coming, dad!" Eclipse called back. At that moment, Sterling hit upon an idea. 'Hey now.' He smirked. 'That just might work.' He walked into the kitchen, where Big Red was waiting for his boys. “Hey, I hear you guys are going cherry bucking, right?” Sterling asked. “That’s right.” Big Red smirked. “Wouldn't be much of a cherry farm without cherry buckin', now would it?” “Would you mind if I lend a hoof today?” Sterling questioned. "No problem, Sterling." Big Red grinned. "The more the merrier." “Hold on a moment, Red.” Sterling stated, “I’m not doing it for free.” "Excuse me?" Cherry entered the room, incensed by Sterling's comment. “Look, Big Red was right the other day.” Sterling frowned, not liking Cherry’s intrusion. “I have no money. If I’m going to get places, I need to earn some bits. And I figure since you and Cherry owns a cherry farm and all, maybe I can work here part-time.” “Why the sudden need for money?” Cherry gave a suspicious glare. “You seemed fine crashing on our couch for the past three days.” "Look, I can’t stay here forever.” Sterling grunted, the glare Cherry giving him stirring up that same angry feeling from the other day. “There are places I need to go. But I can't go there without the proper funding." "Well, we could jest lend ya the money ya need." Big Red suggested. "Red!" Cherry gasped, outraged. "No, I want to earn it." Sterling declared. "You've been real good to me, and I don't want you putting out more charity than you need to. I'll get that money, but I intend to work for it." "That's the way ya want it, huh?" Big Red mused. "Fair enough. Ya got yerself a deal." "Great." Sterling smiled. "Let's get started." "That's the spirit." Big Red nodded. "Never hurts tah have another pair a' hooves out in the orchards." "Whatever gets him out of the house..." Cherry muttered. 'Whatever gets me away from you...' Sterling thought coldly. The boys joined them moments later. "Okay boys, Sterling's gonna be helpin' us out today." Big Red announced. "Is he now?" Eclipse snorted. "Yep." Big Red nodded. "Jest think a' him as our new temporary farmhoof." "If that means less work for us, I'm all for it." Huckleberry smiled. "I don't mind." Globe smiled. "It might be fun to have Sterling out there with us." "Thanks, kid." Sterling grinned. "Just so long as he bucks the trees, and not any of us." Eclipse scowled. "Don't tempt me, kid." Sterling joked. "Come on, let's go." Big Red declared. "Them cherries won't be droppin' offa the trees by themselves..." "Have a good days, my sweet boys... and Sterling." Cherry declared. "Sho'nuff, darlin'." Big Red smiled, giving Cherry a quick peck before heading out. "Try and keep up." Eclipse sneered at Sterling as the boys followed their father. 'Oh, please.' Sterling rolled his eyes. 'It's just kicking a bunch of trees. How hard can it be?' Sterling followed Big Red and the boys into the north end of the orchard, each one carrying a bucket for holding cherries. Having never been there before, Sterling was mildly surprised by the sheer amount of cherry trees there. 'Yeesh, is there really such a big call for cherries around these parts?' He thought. 'Guess that explains how a farmer is able to support such a big family...' "Okay, here we go." Big Red stopped before a tree that was filled to the brim with cherries. "Lemme show our guest how it's done." "I don't think you need to show me." Sterling snorted. "Have you ever bucked a tree before?" Eclipse asked. "Well, no." Sterling admitted. "But it's not like it's an overly-complicated science." "Izzat so?" Big Red smirked. "Well then, give it yer best shot." "Okay, I will." Sterling said defiantly. "This oughta be good..." Eclipse grinned. Sterling trotted confidently over to the tree. "This'll be the easiest paycheck I ever earned." He smirked, turning around so he could strike the trunk with his rear hooves. "Go fer it, Sterling!" Big Red urged. Sterling sharply brought forth his hooves, slamming them into the tree's trunk. However, he had misjudged the tree's curvature, causing one hoof to scrape roughly against the side, which the other collided with a knothole, giving him a splinter. "OWWW!" Sterling leapt away, alternating between hopping on his wounded hooves. "Son of a- ow!" "And me without my camera..." Huckleberry snickered. As Sterling hopped, he noticed that, to add insult to injury, not a single cherry had fallen. "Aw, come on!" He groaned. "Seriously?!" "Harder than it looks, ain't it?" Big Red smirked. "Maybe a little." Sterling cringed, taking a moment to pull out the splinter with his teeth. "What's the trick?" "The trick is that yer not s'posed tah jest whack it as hard as ya can." Big Red declared. "A tree is a livin' thing, with its own ins an' outs. Ya gotta know how tah tap it in jest the right place tah get it tah release its precious bounty. Watch..." Big Red struck the tree with a single hoof, causing a rain of cherries to cascade onto the ground. "...Okay, I'll admit that's kind of impressive." Sterling sighed. "Now you try again." Big Red urged. "An' this time, try and think about where to buck the tree, instead a' just hittin' it any old ways." "Got it." Sterling nodded. Approaching the tree again, Sterling made sure to make a note of where to strike the trunk. He elected to hit it dead center, reasoning that it would be the best spot to achieve optimal results. Taking a deep breath, he turned and kicked. Thankfully, there was no pain that time, but Sterling was dismayed to see barely half a dozen cherries out of several fall to the ground. "Ooh, that's embarrassing." Eclipse jeered. "No kidding." Huckleberry smirked. "Even Globe got more on his first try!" "I really didn't." Globe insisted, trying to spare Sterling's feelings. "Don't feel too bad." Big Red told Sterling. "It wuz a mighty fine first try. Ya'll get better with time." "I hope so." Sterling sighed. 'Seriously. I've taken on psychos and monsters. No way some tree can get the best of me...' Over the rest of the afternoon, the group continued bucking the trees. Sterling did manage to knock down more cherries over time, but that amount was nothing compared to the others. Even Globe managed to surpass him. "Sorry." Globe whispered as he hefted aside his almost-overflowing cherry bucket, acknowledging how much space was still left in Sterling's own. "Don't be." Sterling sighed. "I'm the novice here, remember?" "Keep at it, though." Globe encouraged him. "You can only get better, believe me." 'Yep.' Sterling smiled. 'That's one good kid...' Hours later, their work was done for the day. As the group returned to the homestead for dinner, Sterling was in agony, his hooves aching with each step. "Ow, ow, ow..." He cringed. "Yeah, that's pretty much how I felt at the end of my first day working the orchard." Globe chuckled. "I'm starting to understand how your dad can be so ripped." Sterling admitted. "This kind of work would make any stallion a tower of muscle." "That's what I'm hopin'." Huckleberry flexed his forehooves. "Yeah, I'm not sure if I'm willing to put in so much excruciating effort..." Sterling frowned. "That's what life out here is like, pally." Eclipse sneered. "Every day, you push yourself to the limit, just to make a living. Not many can handle it." "Well, I'm sure I'll get used to it." Sterling retorted. That evening, Sterling flopped down on the couch, still exhausted from his long work day. 'Well, look at that.' He mused. 'Me, a farmhoof. If my mother could see me now... she'd probably die of embarrassment...' He smirked widely. 'Then again, she wouldn't have been too happy at my first career choice. This first day on the job was something, but it doesn't quite compare to my first day with the Forefathers...' Many years ago... Sterling was still in a state of numbness, as he gazed upon Buddy's lifeless body. “I have to admit, Sterling, I was afraid that you were going to chicken out and let the poor mutt go.” Jetstream admitted. “Well, I didn’t.” Sterling growled, fighting the urge to cry. “I hope you’re happy.” “Not just yet, boy.” Jetstream scoffed, as he turned to Loveless. “Loveless, be a friend and inspect the body.” "Of course." Loveless said quietly. Sterling looked away as Loveless rolled over to Buddy. 'What have I done? The only friend I had in months, and I killed him...' He thought sadly. "He's dead alright." Loveless nodded. "I'll call in one of our agents to dispose of the body. Don't want some hiker stumbling upon it and asking questions... " "Good thinking." Jetstream smiled. "Come on, kid. Your new life awaits." "Yeah, sure.." Sterling sighed. Sterling reluctantly followed Jetstream back to the carriage, which was parked at the edge of the forest. Loveless joined them soon after. "So Buddy's body is going to 'disposed of', right?" Sterling scowled. "And by that, I'm guessing you'll just throw him into the trash, or on a fire, right?" "I truly am sorry for this, Sterling." Loveless sighed. "I know how much you cared for Buddy..." "It was for the best, though." Jetstream declared. "Seriously?" Sterling scowled. "How was killing poor Buddy 'for the best'?" "In this line of work, it's best not to have too many attachments." Jetstream said solemnly. "This work of ours is serious, and dangerous. Letting those outside the organization get close wouldn't be the best idea." "In that manner of thinking, I agree with Jetstream." Loveless admitted. "We must keep to ourselves. It's best for the mission, and us. Do you understand, Sterling?" "Whatever." Sterling scowled. "You'll see soon enough." Jetstream declared. "Trust me." The carriage took off into the air, carrying them to a new destination. Throughout the trip, all Sterling could think about was Buddy; How much he'd come to care for the dog, and be cared for in return, and the agonizing sound of Buddy's final yelp. 'Oh, Buddy...' He thought to himself morosely. 'I should never have pulled the trigger...' Eventually, the carriage began to descend. "Ah, we're here at last." Loveless smiled. "Where?" Sterling asked, shook out of his maudlin thoughts. "Home base." Jetstream smiled as they landed. "Take a look." The group exited from the carriage. Sterling stared in amazement. Their final destination was a large abandoned monastery, left forgotten by time, overlooking a rather cold and desolate valley within a foreboding set of mountains. Up above, there was an abundance of storm clouds. Sterling was no historian, but he was fairly certain the monastery had been there for hundreds, if not thousands of years; The front was lined with stone columns, some which were cracked and crumbling. "Whoa." He gaped. "What is this place?" "This is the Infinity." Jetstream explained. "Headquarters of the Forefathers." "Forefathers?" Sterling frowned. "That's what we call ourselves." Loveless explained. “We are ponies seeking to change the world, by ensuring that control of that world is in the right hooves. The hooves of those who understand the true way of order, and will do whatever it takes to curb the forces of chaos, wherever they may rear their ugly heads.” "Wow..." Sterling murmured. “Well, let’s not stand out here in the cold.” Jetstream urged. “Let’s get inside before it snows or rains again.” The trio made their way inside the monastery, walking through the corridors. “This here is where most ponies start when they first join the Forefathers.” Loveless explained. “Here, we’ve made sure to provide all the necessities our agents would require. And while you’re under our tuleage, you will be making great use of them. You have your gym, your barracks, your firing range…” "And the canteen, you can’t forget that." Jetstream smirked. "Yes, that too." Loveless rolled his eyes. "They serve an excellent oat crumble cake." As they walked across the corridors, Sterling noticed many different agents, of all sizes and of all races. Some were wearing robes, others armor, and others still lab coats. "Nice dress code." Sterling noted. "We have many operatives, who serve many different purposes." Loveless declared. "Some are warriors, some are scientists, others are scholars. Yet they all serve the same cause." "Will I be getting one of those cool suits of armor?" Sterling asked. "Perhaps." Loveless smiled. "As long as you can prove yourself worthy of it." "Well, I'll sure try." Sterling nodded. "Good." Loveless smiled. "Now, let's get to the upper levels." "Upper levels? This place seems kind of too small for that." Sterling declared. "From the outside, yes." Jetstream nodded. "But we only use the monastery, which was here long before our organization, for the lower levels. For the rest, our predecessors dug into the very mountain itself." "And in recent times, added a little modern technology." Jetstream smirked. "A lift, for example." Jetstream and Loveless led Sterling to a corner of the monastery, where there was indeed a lift, with an "out of order" sign on it. "Oh, great." Jetstream groaned. "We'll have to take the escalator. Get ready for an exercise in tediousness..." "I've been meaning to give lifts an overhaul..." Loveless sighed. "Can never find the time, though..." Sterling followed the two to a very long moving stonecase, leading up a carved diagonal tunnel, an identical one next to it moving downwards. 'Yikes, that's a long way up.' He noted. 'Makes me wish I brought a magazine...' One by one, they stepped (or rolled) onto a step, and were slowly moved up the tunnel... very slowly. 'Ugh...' Sterling groaned inwardly. 'When they said "upper levels", I didn't think they'd be this high up...' After what seemed like an eternity, they reached the top. 'Oh, finally.' Sterling cringed. 'Never again...' Spread out before them were a series of balconies, with stairs leading up to them. Strewn across there levels were a multitude of technological wonders, like being maintained by more operatives. "These are the upper levels." Jetstream explained. "Where our highest-ranked agents work. Many if not all of our biggest operations begins in these very halls." "Not too shabby." Sterling admitted. "Normally, lower-ranked agents, especially rookies, aren't allowed up here." Loveless declared. "But for today, we shall be making an exception.” "In fact, we're taking you to the highest point of all." Jetstream declared. Sterling followed Jetstream and Loveless as they made their way through the levels. As they neared the top, they stopped before a giant statue of a serpent trying to eat its own tail, but stopping just short of it, leaving room for a hoof to fit inbetween the mouth and tail. "Nice." Sterling cringed. "What is this, modern art?" "Not exactly." Jetstream grinned. He stuck his hoof into the hole, placing it on a panel within which read his hoofprint. "Welcome back, Jetstream Ronin." A mechanical voice declared. The wall beside the statue slid downward, revealing a ramp to a lower hallway. "Cool." Sterling admitted. "This way, please." Loveless urged. Following Jetstream and Loveless, Sterling walked down the slanted hallway, the torches lighting up as they made his way downwards. Soon, at the end of the long hallway, they came out into a large circular chamber. "Now where are we?" Sterling asked. "We call this place 'The Coils'." Loveless announced. "It is where the Forefathers highest-ranked members, such as ourselves, gather to discuss important matters within the organization." "We are collectively known as the Ouroboros." Loveless added. "Is that even a real word?" Sterling smirked. "Yes." Jetstream sneered. "It's latin." "And why am I here again?" Sterling asked. "Because we'd like you to meet somepony." Loveless declared. The sound of hoofsteps on the stone floor filled the air. Sterling turned in the direction of the sound, and saw a cloaked stallion approaching. The stallion was easily the tallest pony Sterling had ever met. Jetstream and Loveless saluted as Sterling gazed up in shock as the tall pony walked up to him. "Greetings, Sterling." The cloaked tall pony declared in a deep, mysterious gravel-like voice. "We meet at last." "...Hi." Sterling said weakly, trying to not shrink. “...At ease, you two.” The cloaked stallion turned to Jetstream and Loveless, as he then turned to Sterling again. “So this is the boy whom you been telling me about?” "Indeed it is, sir." Loveless nodded. "I hope he is to your satisfaction." The stallion tilted his cloaked head forward, appraising Sterling. Sterling couldn't help but feel unnerved by his gaze. "Seems to be of good stock." The cloaked stallion mused. "Young, strong, sturdy..." "Uh... thanks..." Sterling cringed. "Yeah, he's one tough kid." Jetstream nodded. "He did pretty well for himself during the survival portion of the training." "I would expect no less." The stallion mused. "At the very least, it shows he has a strong will. That could come in useful to us..." "Um... not to be rude, or anything, but... who are you?" Sterling asked weakly. "I am Father." The stallion declared. “Father?” Sterling frowned. “Whose father?” “All of yours.” Father said with grandeur, only to give what Sterling could swear is a shrug. “In a figurative sense, of course.” "Of course." Sterling nodded. "It'd be pretty weird otherwise..." "Father is the leader of our illustrious organization." Loveless smiled. "It is his glorious vision that we are all working to make a reality." "Without Father, none of us would even be here." Jetstream smiled. "He alone has the wisdom to make the world a paradise of order, and we are all honored to be a part of it." "Please, you humble me with your praise." Father said graciously. "But your respect is appreciated." "So you won't be asking me to do that?" Sterling half-joked. Father once again turned in Sterling's direction. 'Please have a sense of humor...' Sterling gulped. "Loveless here holds you in high regard, boy." Father declared. "And from what he's told me, it seems you would be a valuable asset to this organization." "Well, uh... I'll do what I can." Sterling trembled. "I trust your loyalty is unquestionable?" Father mused. "Of course, sir." Jetstream nodded. "He can follow orders well... as long as he is reminded of the rewards." "Good." Father nodded. "And the fact that he is standing before me means he passed Jetstream’s survival test?" "With flying colors, sir." Loveless nodded. "Excellent." Father smiled under his hood. "We all expect great things from you, Sterling." "Er... thanks." Sterling gulped, suddenly feeling like he was under a lot of pressure. “We shall speak more about completing your initiation into our organization on a later date.” Father declared. “For now, you must be weary from your excursion.” He turned to Loveless and Jetstream. “See to it that our new ‘agent’ is escorted to his quarters. I now must attend to other matters” "Yes, sir." Jetstream and Loveless bowed. As Sterling was led back the way they came, he was still coming to terms with Father's appearance. "That guy was tall!" He pointed out. "Yeah." Jetstream smirked. "Large and in charge." "But how?" Sterling frowned. "I didn't think ponies could get that big." "Father is rather unique, when you think about it." Loveless admitted. "And what was with all the praising and boot-kissing?" Sterling snorted. "Watch it, kid." Jetstream snarled. "Father is worthy of far more than that. And just a friendly piece of advice: You'd do well not to joke around with him." "Oh, yeah?" Sterling said defiantly. "Yeah." Jetstream nodded. "There are heavy punishments for those who disrespect him. Just ask the last guy... if we can ever find his scattered bones." Sterling froze for a moment, unnerved by the implication. "I think you'll find Father can be a fair and honorable master." Loveless declared. "Serve him well, and you will reap the rewards. But cross him, and it will be your end." "Got it." Sterling cringed. Soon after, they reached the agents' living quarters. "And this is where you'll be staying." Jetstream opened the door. Inside was a sparse, minimalist decor; A bed, table, window, and door to a washroom were the only notable aspects. "Nice place." Sterling snorted. "What were you expecting, the Bitz?" Jetstream sneered. "I'm afraid that, unlike our cabin, these living arrangements are for function, rather than form." Loveless shrugged. "It's fine." Sterling shrugged. "Still better than that juvie cell." "Well, we'll just leave you to get settled in." Loveless smiled. "Later, kid." Jetstream nodded, as they both departed. Sterling looked at his new home, a frown appearing on his face as he remembered how he came to be here. 'Suddenly, killing Buddy doesn't seem like such a smart move.' He frowned, as he sat on his bed. 'Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea. Maybe I should just get out of here while I can. ...No, I can't.' He sighed deeply. 'There's no going back for me. Not after what I did... There are so many who want my hide, family included... Like it or not, there's nowhere I can go now. May as well stay put...' Hours later, Sterling was lying on his bed, trying to get some shut-eye, when suddenly, he heard a knock on the door. "Sterling, it's me!" Loveless called. Sighing deeply, Sterling walked over to the door and opened it. "Yeah, what's up?" He asked. “I just wanted to see how you were liking your quarters.” Loveless glanced around. “I hope you are setting in just fine.” "As fine as I can... on my own." Sterling muttered, still upset about Buddy. “I know what you must think of Jetstream right now.” Loveless sighed. “I don’t think you would want to know what I think of him.” Sterling grunted. “You didn’t have to do what he asked you to do.” Loveless frowned. “You made that choice on your own.” “Well, I didn’t have much choice.” Sterling huffed. “It was either kill him or be stuck out in the middle of nowhere…” His glare softened, turning to sorrow. “I only wanted a chance for a better life…” "I know." Loveless nodded. "And I intend to make sure that's what you get." "Yeah?" Sterling snarled. "Doesn't seem like it so far. All you did was stand by while Jetstream made me murder my best friend." “Jetstream was only trying to prepare you for what was to come.” Loveless declared, “He knew if you weren’t willing to kill Buddy, you wouldn’t make it far in this world.” "He did, did he?" Sterling scowled. "Yes." Loveless nodded. "Jetstream's teaching methodology may seem cruel, but it is only through being exposed to flame that iron may be transformed into steel. So too can true strength by forged by adversity." "Where'd you get, from a fortune cookie?" Sterling retorted. "From Jetstream, actually." Loveless smiled. "And he would know better than anypony. For he himself faced great hardships in his youth, and grew stronger from it. He applies that same principle to his teachings. As harsh as they are, his lessons can, over time forge a stallion into something stronger. At the end of the day, you can't argue with results." "Somehow, I doubt that." Sterling snorted. “However…” Loveless gave a wry grin. “I don’t agree with ALL his teachings.” “...What?” Sterling raised a brow. “What are you saying?” “Oh, I just figured you could use a bunkmate.” Loveless smirked, as he then gave a whistle. To Sterling’s shock, none other than Buddy, alive and well, albeit with a bandage on his midsection and without his collar. The dog tackled Sterling, and began licking him. Sterling couldn't help laughing with joy. "Buddy! It's really you!" He chuckled. “You’re alive!’ “Ah, like I said before, nothing beats a bond between a colt and a dog.” Loveless smiled. “...Hold on.” Sterling gently pushed Buddy to one side. "How… how is he alive?! I saw his dead body! You even checked him and said he was dead!” “As luck would have it, Sterling, you weren’t as accurate as Jetty thought.” Loveless explained. “Your crossbow bolt only scrape the poor fella. And Buddy here...” He smirked at the happily panting dog. “Well, he’s always been the best when it came to playin’ dead.” “...So…” Sterling was processing the information. “...You lied to Jetstream. Your ‘partner’. Just so you could bring Buddy back to me?” “It wasn’t a decision I made lightly.” Loveless sighed. “But I saw the way you looked at Buddy. And you seem like a boy who hadn’t had a friend in a long time.” "I guess you... do have a point there..." Sterling admitted awkwardly. “And as much as Jetstream would argue otherwise, I didn’t believe in kicking a pony when he’s down. So while you and Jetstream were loading up, I had an agent come by and pick him up and got him patched up.” "And you... you did that for me?" Sterling murmured, unable to not feel a sense of gratefulness wash over him. "Of course." Loveless nodded firmly. "Like I told you when we met, coming with me would be the hardest thing you ever done..." He then gave a grin, “However, I didn’t mean ‘everything’.” “...Thank you.” Sterling smiled, feeling a happiness that he hadn’t felt in a long time. “...Thank you so much.” “My pleasure.” Loveless beamed, before pulling out Buddy’s collar from his pocket. “However, since Jetstream doesn’t know I went behind his back, we might not want to tell him. As far as any of us is concerned, Buddy did indeed die out in those woods.” “But won’t Jetstream know that this is Buddy?” Sterling asked. “Boy, you wouldn’t believe how many golden retriever breed guard dogs we have in stock at our ‘kennels’.” Loveless chuckled. “If it weren’t for the collars, no pony could tell one apart from another. And as much of a 'observant and meticulous' agent Jetstream makes himself out to be, he shouldn’t be able to tell the difference.” “Well, I guess if you put it that way…” Sterling shrugged. "With that said, I'd suggest a change in name for the little fellow." Loveless urged. "Yeah, sure." Sterling nodded, looking happily into Buddy's adoring face. "And I've got just the name: Ward." "Ward?" Loveless mused. "Ah, as in 'a surrogate' or 'foundling'." "No, I just really like the name 'Ward'." Sterling shrugged. "I see." Loveless frowned. "Well then, I'll just leave you two to get reacquainted. I'll be back later on with a bowl and food for little Bu- Ward. Possibly a collar, too..." "Sounds good." Sterling smiled. "And thanks again, Loveless." "It was my pleasure, Sterling." Loveless smiled. "Truly. The others may see you as a soldier, but I can see something more in you." "You do?" Sterling frowned. "Like what?" "The seeds of greatness, my boy." Loveless declared. "In time, I believe you will make an excellent agent. As long as you hold on to your inner strength and determination, I know you'll go far." "Thanks, Loveless." Sterling smiled. "And you know what? ...I'm glad you were the one who came to get me." "As am I, my boy." Loveless grinned. "As am I..." Loveless wheeled his way out of the room, leaving Sterling and the newly re-christened Ward alone. "Well, Ward, I guess this is our new life." He stroked the canine's head. "Suppose we'd better get into the swing of things..."