After lunch, Sterling went to work in the orchard with a broad smile on his face.
'Guess I'm finally getting somewhere.' He thought. 'Cherry doesn’t seem to hate me completely anymore, Marshall is considering my offer to bury the hatchet. All things considered, the remainder of my time here should be pretty darn pleasant...'
As Sterling prepared to strike his first tree, he noticed Eclipse standing by a nearby one.
"Hey, kid." He smiled. "Nice day for it, huh?"
"Yeah, whatever." Eclipse snorted.
"You mind yer beak, Eclipse." Big Red scolded him as he, Huckleberry and Globe arrived on the scene. "Sterling wuz jest bein' nice, right, Sterling?"
"That's right, Red." Sterling nodded.
"There, see?" Big Red told Eclipse. "Would it kill ya tah be nice back?"
"Maybe." Eclipse muttered.
'Guess I thought too soon.' Sterling grimaced. 'I've been so focused on Marshall and Cherry lately, I forgot all about that kid. He's never liked me either. And something tells me getting on his good side won't be as easy...'
"Well, maybe ya jest need a li'l practice." Big Red announced.
"Practice?" Eclipse asked.
"Yep." Big Red nodded. "Today, you an' Sterling will be workin' at the east orchard together."
"What?!" Eclipse yelped.
"Uh... not to argue, Red, but maybe that's not such a good idea..." Sterling declared.
"'Course it is." Big Red countered. "Y'all jest need a li'l time tah get tah know each other better."
"It worked with us." Huckleberry shrugged. "Aside from Globe, none of us really liked it around here at first. After we spent some together with pa, that soon changed."
"You can't be serious." Eclipse groaned.
"Would it really be so bad, working with Sterling for the day?" Globe asked.
"Yes. Yes it would." Eclipse nodded.
"Sorry, Eek, but mah decision is final." Big Red said sternly. "Sterling ain't goin' anywhere jest yet, so ya may as well take a page outta Cherry's book and start gettin' along with 'im. Am Ah makin' mahself clear, young 'un?"
"Yes, dad." Eclipse sighed.
"Then it's settled." Big Red nodded. "Good luck, you two."
"Thanks, Red." Sterling sighed. "I'm sure gonna need it..." He added under his breath.
"Fine.," Eclipse scowled. "Sooner we get to work, the sooner we can finish."
"Just watch yerselves." Big Red declared. "Ah heard there's a storm comin' in later on. Prob'ly nuthin' major, but ya might tah speed things up so ya don't get caught in it."
"Will do." Sterling nodded.
"Like any storm could be worse than being around Sterling..." Eclipse muttered.
"I heard that, kid." Sterling declared as they headed over to the east orchard.
Meanwhile, over at Taskforce headquarter…
In the meeting room, Elite was joined by Elite, Black, Fury, Master Mind, and Incognito.
"Has there been any progress with the search for Sterling Cross?" Elite asked.
"I'm afraid not, sir." Master Mind confessed.
"The guy's better at infiltrating than I am." Incognito sighed.
"I got nothing... again." Black groaned.
"Seriously, boss pony." Fury sneered. "If you wanted us to waste our time on a wild goose chase, you coulda just sent us after the tooth pony."
"What do you mean 'us'?" Black scowled. "You've barely done anything so far."
"And yet, I'm not so far behind you guys." Fury smirked. "Funny how that works, huh?"
Suddenly, Ballista came into the meeting room.
“Ah, Ballista.” Black glanced up, “There you are. Where did you run off to?”
“Canterlot. I heard from our guys that we had a issue…” Ballista announced, before grunting, “Unfortunately, they were right.” He pulled from his jacket a wanted poster… one of Sterling Cross.
"Is that...?" Incognito frowned.
"Yes." Ballista nodded. "A wanted poster for Sterling Cross. According to our field agents, the guards up at Canterlot have been distributing them among the smaller towns of Equestria.”
“This must be Crystal’s doing.” Elite growled, “He must have contacted somepony over in the Crystal Empire to send over these posters and spread them around.”
"Well, this will make our task more difficult." Master Mind pointed out.
"No kidding." Black scoffed. "Finding Sterling is tough enough already. With all those posters around, it'll be that much tougher."
"Indeed." Elite mused. "Sterling will know that there are others seeking him out, and will no doubt go further underground."
"Meaning it'll be next to impossible to find him." Incognito groaned.
"But not completely impossible." Elite declared. "We will find Sterling, no matter what it takes."
“Yeah. And make no mistake, I already have our field agents on it.” Ballista declared, “As we speak, they’re goin’ around Equestria taking down these posters. Fortunately, they only be in circulation for a couple of days. And given that nopony saw him yet, we still have time to find him.”
“Not a lot though.” Elite frowned, “Crystal will undoubtedly get tired of calling our other ‘department’, and will come straight here, more than ready to find Sterling… and do who knows what should he find him.”
"Meaning we're running against two clocks: the Forefathers and Crystal." Master Mind summarized. "And I've never been much of an athlete."
"Big surprise, brainiac." Fury sneered.
"Like insulting our teammates is really going to help." Incognito glared at Fury.
"But it won't not help matters, will it?" Fury shot back.
"That will do, Fury." Elite shot the Griffon a look that drove the smirk off Fury's beak.
“I just hope we find Sterling soon.” Black declared, “Even if he has gone rogue, he's a risk to anypony around him, should the Forefathers come after him. If he knows what’s good for him, he'll keep his head low, and out of the open…”
Back in Dodge Junction...
Sterling and Eclipse reached the east orchard, the two of them went to work, bringing down as many cherries as they could. For ten minutes, the worked in silence, the only sounds being that of hooves (and paws) striking the trees.
'Guess I'm gonna have to make the first move.' Sterling thought. "How ya doin' over there, kid?"
"Fine." Eclipse shrugged.
"Think you got as many cherries as me?" Sterling asked. "'Cause I'm on a roll today."
"Good for you." Eclipse snorted.
"How about a competition?" Sterling offered. "We'll see who can get the most cherries by the end of the day. That sound fun?"
"This is work, moron." Eclipse said contemptuously. "It's not supposed to be fun. Besides, I've got nothing to prove to the likes of you."
"Look, kid, I get that I'm not your favorite pony." Sterling declared. "But your dad wants us to get along, so we may as well give it a shot."
"Yeah, right." Eclipse snorted. "I wouldn't be friends with the likes of you if my life depended on it."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Sterling frowned.
"I don't know what your story is, but I know bad news when I see it." Eclipse declared.
"'Bad news'?" Sterling snorted. "What makes you think I'm 'bad news'?"
"I don't think, I know." Eclipse retorted. "Believe me, I have experience in recognizing crooks."
"All due respect, kid, but you don't know anything about me." Sterling said indignantly.
"I know enough." Eclipse snarled. "I've spent most of my life around criminal scum. I know what they're like. I can practically smell it on you."
"You... You don't know what you're talking about." Sterling stuttered, unnerved by how close Eclipse was getting. "Besides, your dad and brothers like me. Even your mom's starting to warm up to me. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
"Only that you're really good at pretending to be something you're not." Eclipse sneered. "You may fool them, but you can't pull the wool over my eyes. If years of pain and tears have taught me anything, it’s to not trust total strangers, especially ones like yourself."
Once again, Sterling found himself unnerved by Eclipse's words... But for a different reason.
'Something tells me this kid had it pretty rough before Red and Cherry adopted him...' He thought.
"So don't think you can trick me into trusting you like you did dad." Eclipse scowled. "Because it won't be happening."
"I'm not trying to trick anypony." Sterling insisted. "Things would go a lot easier for all of us if we could get along."
"Keep dreaming." Eclipse spat.
"You do realize your dad will be pretty disappointed if we don't at least try to get along?" Sterling pointed out.
"I can live with that." Eclipse retorted. "After all, it's not like you're gonna be around forever, is it?"
"Maybe not." Sterling admitted. "But at least one of us is willing to try burying the hatchet."
The wind started to pick up, a sign of the oncoming storm.
"Let's just get back to work." Eclipse scowled. "I'd hate to come back home with sand in my feathers..."
'Should've figured it wouldn't be that easy.' Sterling frowned. 'Where's a good time bomb when you need it?'
"Look, kid, I know I'm just some stranger to you." Sterling admitted. "But I've done nothing to hurt this family. Heck, I've even kept Globe’s secret about little Bolero. Shouldn't that count for something?"
"Oh, yeah." Eclipse snorted. "It means you're pretty good at keeping secrets. Who knows what other secrets you're keeping from all of us?"
"Kid, you don't-" Sterling started.
"I do, actually." Eclipse scowled. "I've noticed something's been different these last few days with pa and ma. They're acting like there's something they don't want me or the others to know. Being all secretive and stuff. You got anything to do with that?"
"Well... Sterling muttered. He knew full well the reason for things being different, but couldn't say it.
"That's what I thought." Eclipse sneered. "Until you're ready to come clean, back off and leave me alone, you lying-"
As the wind grew stronger, one of the older, skinnier trees began to lean forward, then toppled, landing right on top of Eclipse.
"Argh!" Eclipse yelled in agony.
“Oh, buck!” Sterling rushed over. "You okay, kid?"
"Does it look like I'm okay?" Eclipse groaned.
"Well, your attitude hasn't been injured..." Sterling muttered.
"Yeah, that's right." Eclipse growled. "Make fun of the guy with a tree on his back!"
"Easy, kid." Sterling soothed. "I got this…”
“Got this?” Eclipse spluttered, the pain becoming too much. “How? There’s no way you could-”
Sterling dug his left hoof under the tree, wrapping his right hoof over the top. Bracing his back hooves and clenching his jaws, he began to lift. With a fair amount of effort, the tree began to budge, raising from the ground.
“What the…” Eclipse gaped.
“If you don’t wanna remain under the tree, I suggest you move now!” Sterling grunted.
Fighting the pain, Eclipse managed to crawl away from under the tree. As soon as he was out from under it, Sterling dropped it, letting out a sigh of relief.
"Are You okay?" Sterling asked, turning to the young griffon.
“Yeah…” Eclipse frowned, as he got up, “I’m just fi-argh!” The griffon let out a gasp, clutching his rear leg, at the same time his wing stuck out at an odd angle.
"You're not fine." Sterling frowned. "Looks like you broke a wing and a leg."
"I'll be okay." Eclipse groaned, trying to walk. "I don't need any help from you-agh!" He dropped to his side in agony.
"Doesn't look like it to me." Sterling smirked. "Now, if you're done being prideful and stubborn, I can help you with those breaks."
"What are you, a doctor now?" Eclipse scoffed.
"Let's just say I know a few things about broken bones." Sterling declared. "But first, let's get under cover. Don't want anything getting in those wounds..."
Sterling carried Eclipse toward one of the larger cherry trees. Then, using the cloths meant for cleaning dirty cherries, he created makeshift slings for Eclipse's leg and wing.
"There." He nodded. "That should hold until we get you back to the homestead."
"Good." Eclipse nodded.
"What, no 'thank you'?" Sterling scowled indignantly.
"I told you, I don't need-agh!" Eclipse tried to stand up, but toppled again.
"Drop the tough guy act for two seconds, will ya, kid?" Sterling rolled his eyes as he helped Eclipse up. "You're in no shape to walk back to the homestead, especially in this mess."
"You think helping me is going to be the way you make me start liking you?" Eclipse growled.
"That's not the top priority right now." Sterling retorted. "Right now, getting you back home so you can properly heal is most important."
"So you say..." Eclipse scowled.
"Yeah, I do." Sterling declared.
The winds were stronger than ever, making it tricky to see as they made their way out of the orchard.
"What you said before... about years of pain and tears and all that stuff. I'm guessing your birth parents weren't the best in the world?" Sterling asked.
"Not that it's any of your business, but it was my dad who was the lousy parent." Eclipse sneered. "My mom was... better than him..."
“Your dad, huh?” Sterling frowned, “Did he rough you up? Call you bad names? Call you weak?”
"None of your business!" Eclipse spat, “Why the Tartarus do you care, anyway?”
"Hey, I know what that's like." Sterling said defensively, “...My parents weren’t the best either.”
“Oh?” Eclipse raised a brow, “Let me guess, your dad was a jerk too?”
“My dad?” Sterling scoffed, “Please, the guy can’t even give somepony a threatening look, let alone lay a hoof on anypony… no, it was my mother who was the lousy parent. Though ‘lousy parent’ is putting it mildly.”
“Your mother?” Eclipse frowned.
“That’s right.” Sterling sighed, “She always pushed me to do whatever she wanted, acting like nothing I did was good enough. She treated me like a disappointment, like an embarrassment, like I was nothing but a burden and a waste of space... to put it simply, my mother was anything but a mother.”
“...Is that why you snapped at my mom? The day after you first came here?” Eclipse asked, his expression still guarded… but showing a bit of concern.
“Yeah, I guess so.” Sterling admitted, “I should point out I didn’t mean to do that. It’s just… after all these years, I still remember all the terrible things my ,mother had done and said to me. I mean…” He felt a twinge of deep anger inside, “Your parents are supposed to love and take care of you… and I ended up getting stuck with a mother who wouldn’t care if I lived or died, and a father who did jack crap to stop any of it.” He glanced at Eclipse. “That really bucks up a pony, you know?”
"You're telling me." Eclipse snorted.
"Very funny, kid." Sterling rolled his eyes.
"Hey, I've got broken bones here." Eclipse scowled. "I think I deserve a laugh or two."
"Yeah, sure..." Sterling scoffed. "So... what about that mother of yours?"
"I... don't really remember that much about her." Eclipse admitted.
"Why, what happened to her?” Sterling frowned.
“She died when I was still a egg.” Eclipse declared, his eyes misty, “My father… he killed her, shortly after he found out. He made me think that she abandoned him and me for fifteen years.”
“...Lauren Faust.” Sterling gaped, disgusted, “That’s horrible.”
“Tell me about it.” Eclipse shook his head, “...The worst part is… I believed him. He may have been rough with me, he may have insulted me... but there were some good times. Times where we had fun together, times where he actually complimented me. Times like those made me think he was an okay dad after all. But in the end, things were never quite right. And I was just too blind to see that. Globe and Huckleberry saw him for the monster he was… but I just didn’t listen.”
“I’m… I’m real sorry, kid.” Sterling frowned, “I didn’t mean to dig up any skeletons…”
"Well, you did." Eclipse pouted, before shaking his head, “...But it can’t be helped. The memory of my father will stay with me no matter what.”
"I know the feeling, kid." Sterling nodded.
"Don't patronize me." Eclipse scowled.
“Look, all I was just trying to say is… I had it rough too.” Sterling declared, “Like I say, a rough childhood really messes up a pony. I mean, look at me. It took me forever to learn to trust others again… even longer to find ponies who really cared about me… but even then, it’s tough…”
"Yeah, it is." Eclipse nodded.
"Guess we got more in common than we thought, huh?" Sterling smiled.
"I guess..." Eclipse shrugged. "...What happened to your parents, anyway?"
“Well, my mom passed away a few years back.” Stering murmured, glancing at the rain, “And my father… well, I haven’t been to see him for a long time…” His eyes went to Eclipse, “What about your dad? What happened to him?”
“He’s in prison, last I checked.” Eclipse declared, “According to Marshall, he was recently moved to the prison at the Crystal Empire.”
"Way up there, huh?" Sterling mused. 'The only Griffon I saw in that prison was Lunard… but there's no way it could be him. What Griffon gal would ever be attracted to that scum?'
“A part of me wanted to go and see him.” Eclipse frowned, “You know, I never asked him why he didn’t kill me when I was an egg, when he clearly didn’t want me.”
"I don't blame ya." Sterling frowned. "That's not the kind of question you want answered."
"I got an answer anyway." Eclipse sighed. "When Big Red confronted him, my dad admitted that my mom was just some fling, that he didn't want to be saddled with a kid. That's why he killed."
"Oh, jeez..." Sterling cringed.
"Then he said the only reason he didn't end me was because there was a witness to mom's death, one who forced him to take me." Eclipse declared.
"Whoever that 'witness' was, he must've been one scary dude to scare a guy like your father." Sterling pointed out.
“Yeah…” Eclipse nodded, “Sometimes… I still have nightmares. Nightmares where he shows up and takes me away from my real family…”
"I know how you feel, kid." Sterling sighed. "I used to have nightmares about my mom for years. Even in death, the old bag haunts me..."
"How'd you get them to stop?" Eclipse asked.
"I guess I just got over it." Sterling shrugged. "But at least you have Red, Cherry and your brothers all looking out for you. As long as they're around, that lousy dad of yours can't touch you."
"I guess you're right." Eclipse nodded.
"Okay, we're almost home." Sterling declared, as the silhouette of the homestead came into view. "Just a little further. Think you can make it?"
"I'm not out yet." Eclipse steadied himself.
"That's the spirit." Sterling grinned.
Moments later, they entered the homestead. Cherry was in the sitting room, along with Big Red and the boys, who had also been forced back to the homestead by the storm.
"Eclipse!" Cherry gasped.
"What happened?" Globe gaped.
"A tree fell on me." Eclipse answered.
"And you helped him back here?" Cherry asked Sterling.
"Well, I couldn't leave him, could I?" Sterling shrugged.
"Good answer." Big Red smiled.
"Is he gonna be okay?" Huckleberry frowned.
"He's got a broken wing and a broken leg." Sterling announced. "I did the best I could, but I'm no doctor."
"You've done enough." Cherry said softly. "I'll take it from here. And when the storm lets up, we'll take him to the doctor."
"Yes, ma'am." Sterling nodded.
Once the storm settled, the whole family, plus Sterling took Eclipse to the doctor. he emerged from the office with his leg in a cast (necessitating a crutch), and his wing in a brace.
"You okay, kiddo?" Big Red asked.
"I'll be fine, in a couple of weeks." Eclipse declared. "Of course, I'll need to lay off the cherry bucking..."
"Lucky you." Huckleberry joked.
"It could have been a lot worse, if it hadn't been for Sterling." Eclipse admitted.
"Thank you for helping him, Sterling." Cherry declared, “Really.”
"Yep." Big Red nodded. "Yer a reg'lar hero."
"Nah, I just did what was right." Sterling said modestly.
"And you did it awesomely." Globe smiled.
"C'mon, folks." Big Red urged. "Let's head home."
As the family departed, Eclipse hung back, moving alongside Sterling.
"Hey, Sterling? ...Thank you." Eclipse said quietly. "For helping me out back there. I guess you're kind of an okay guy after all."
"No problem, kid." Sterling smiled. "And, well, as Griffons I've met go, you're definitely in the top three."
"Thanks." Eclipse smirked. "And thanks for sharing back there." He lowered his voice. "It actually made me feel better, knowing that I'm not the only who had to suffer from a messed-up parent. Guess we do have something in common after all."
"So... shall we bury the hatchet?" Sterling asked.
"Yeah." Eclipse nodded. "You're okay, Sterling."
'Well, whattaya know.' Sterling thought. 'The kid's not quite as stubborn as I thought he was. Still, it's not the first time I misjudged somepony...'
Many years ago...
Nalik had been quiet since Father had confronted him. Though he would still throw the occasional insult at his fellow Ouroboros, he was a lot less open with his opinions. Sterling hoped that Nalik had finally learned something regarding his greed and prejudice, though he wasn't exactly holding his breath.
Besides, Sterling had more immediate concerns.
It had been almost eighteen months since he was first ordained as a Ouroboros, and after much thought, Sterling had thought it would be best now to begin a ‘project’, one that would benefit the organisation and further their agenda.
However, he soon realize that deciding to do a project, and deciding what that project was was two different things entirely. And for the past few days, Sterling has been drawing nothing but blanks.
"I don't know what to do, Ward." Sterling declared as he paced around his quarters. "I'm drawing a complete and total blank!"
"Ruh?" Ward looked up from his food bowl.
"I've never really been what you'd call an 'idea guy'. I mean, look at all the ideas that came before. A project that has something to do with Nightmare Moon, a virus to infect changelings to affect ponies, and something about finding Deities. How the hell I suppose to compete with that?”
Ward tilted his head in confusion.
“Sure, there isn’t any time limit… at least one I’m aware of.” Sterling groaned, “Solomon’s been an Ouroboros longer than me, and he still doesn’t have a project… but I can’t help but feel like I’m letting everypony down by not coming up with something.”
"Roo..." Ward whined, responding to his owner's despair.
“I’d love to ask Loveless about this.” Sterling declared, before shaking his head, “But… I can’t keep counting on Loveless to help me. To prove myself to everypony in the Coils and to Father, I have to be able to stand on my own four hooves… and dammit, I’m not going to let Father nor Loveless down!”
"Yip! Yip!" Ward barked, energized by his owner's change in mood.
“All I need is a good idea." Sterling declared. "Something big. Something fresh. Something that'll really wow Father..."
"Ruff!" Ward barked once again.
At that moment, Sterling's stomach growled.
"Guess I can't think on an empty stomach." He noted. "I'd better get some lunch. See ya soon, Ward."
"Ruff!" Ward barked.
Sterling made his way to the Snake Pit. It was rather empty today, as most of the agents were out on assignments, while others were being evaluated by some of the Ouroboros.
However, as he took a seat at the bar, he noticed Solomon sitting a chair away from him.
"Oh, hey." He declared.
"Hey." Solomon nodded. "What's up with you? Slow day today?"
"You could say that." Sterling shrugged. "How about you?"
"Oh, today's been anything but slow." Solomon smirked.
"Meaning?" Sterling asked, intriguing.
“I was going to save this when the others got back, so I could rub it in their faces, but since you ask, I’ve finally begun development on a project.” Solomon smirked proudly.
“Oh… really?” Sterling declared, struggling the urge to frown, “What are ya goin’ to be doing? Do you have a name for it?”
“Well, I don’t want to give it all away right now.” Solomon huffed, “But if you must know, I’m going to be commissioning Loveless for a creation of a weapon. That weapon is going to be a vital part of what I’ve planned.”
“Wait, Loveless? He’s helping you?” Sterling gaped.
“Don’t look so surprised.” Solomon rolled his eyes, “As much as I don’t care for the old coot, he does know how to make a fine piece of machinery. Once I told him about my plan, Loveless was on board.”
“What exactly are you going to do with this weapon?” Sterling asked.
“Well, that’s on a need-to-know basis.” Solomon sneered, “Besides, it’s probably not going to be done for years. All I know is that will be well worth the wait.”
“Yeah, I guess…” Sterling murmured, “I’m sure Father will be proud.”
“You bet your ass, he will.” Solomon smirked, “Heck, he might make me his second-in-command if I play my cards right. Can you imagine that?”
"I'd prefer not to." Sterling joked.
"Very funny, kid." Solomon snorted.
"Good luck anyway, though." Sterling smiled.
"Thanks." Solomon nodded.
"Yo, Solomon!" Ignite approached, carrying a bag with Solomon's meal within. "Order up!"
"Terrific." Solomon smiled, taking the bg with his magic.
"What's with the bag?" Sterling asked.
"I'm taking it to go." Solomon explained. "I have business elsewhere to attend to, so I can't waste time eating my lunch here. Later kid."
"Later." Sterling nodded.
As Solomon left the Pit, Sterling's good mood vanished.
'Now Solomon has his project raring to go?' He frowned. 'It's just me without a project now. It won't be long before the other Ouroboros think I'm just some loser who's all talk and no action...'
Sterling's turn to request any food came soon after.
"Hey, Sterling." Ignite smiled. "What'll it be?"
"The usual, thanks, Ignite." Sterling declared.
"Comin' right up!" Ignite smiled.
Sterling found himself unable to enjoy his food as he usually did. He was still dwelling on his non-existent project.
'What I wouldn't give for something to distract me right now.' Sterling thought as he exited the room.
"Sterling!"
“Oh, thank Faust.” Sterling said under his breath, as he saw Loveless wheeling towards him, “What’s up?”
“There is a new mission.” Loveless declared, “Top priority.”
“Really?” Sterling frowned, concerned by the look on Loveless’s face, “Sounds serious.”
“It is. Come with me to the armory, I’ll debrief you on the way.” Loveless declared.
“So, what’s the mission?” Sterling asked.
“Well, I don’t know if you read the news, but there has been reports of a string of disappearances and murders around the Applewood area. As of now, three are missing, and eight are confirmed dead.” Loveless explained.
“That’s horrible… but why are we interested?” Sterling questioned, “Isn’t that something for the cops to handle?”
“It would be… but a couple of months ago, we had three agents sent there, on a routine mission to forge a shipping location at the warehouse district... only two came back.” Loveless said grimly.
“What?!” Sterling gasped, “How did that happened?!”
“That was the first question some of the senior agents asked them when they returned.” Loveless explained, “They weren’t able to provide much answers. They assumed that the agent got into trouble and he was either dead or in a deep hole.”
“That’s it? They didn’t look for him or anything?” Sterling growled.
“Well, you know how things work around here.” Loveless glanced at him testily, “Besides, we usually lose agents time to time. It happens. They thought it was just a fluke…”
“But...” Sterling added knowingly.
“A month later, One of our mare agents went to Applewood to ‘correct’ some thugs who were getting a bit territorial over who ran the Mandrake root business over there.” Loveless recounted, before sighing, “She never made it back.”
“Buck…”
“To make matters worse, they found her body.” Loveless grimaced, “It was all over the local newspapers. Her body was mangled in such a way that you'd barely recognize her.”
“And I’m guessing that wasn’t that last of it?” Sterling asked.
“Afraid not.” Loveless scowled, “We lost two more agents to this fiend… and as of last week, they discovered the body of the second agent we sent there… Granite.”
"Granite?" Sterling gasped, “He’s… dead?”
'Oh, Faust, how could I not have heard this?’ Sterling thought woefully, ’I must've been more wrapped up in this project business than I thought…'
"I'm afraid so." Loveless bowed his head. "At this point, we were beginning to grow concerned, so we sent another agent, Sharpe, to investigate a few days ago. He has been keeping up to date with his investigations, until last night, when during his check-in call, somepony or something attacked him. We had lost contact ever since. No doubt the local authority will be finding a body soon.”
"...So you think we're maybe being targeted?" Sterling suggested.
“I do not know, but it has all our agents scared.” Loveless declared. “They refuse to go to Applewood for any missions, and all the agents that are positioned there are demanding to be transferred out. Right now, it falls to you and I to find out what’s going on.” He turned to face forward, “Our mission is to go undercover as agents of the Equestrian Bureau of Investigation and conduct our own little investigation. They recently found another body dumped at a local park. Not one of our own, but I believe if we take a look at it, we might be able to find whoever is committing these murders, and deal with the threat accordingly. Any questions?"
"Nope, sounds like a plan." Sterling nodded. "Let's do it."
After stopping by the armory to pick up fake IDs and suits (to fit the role of EBI), Sterling and Loveless took an airship to Applewood, having arrived in the late morning.
Their first stop was the scene of the where the latest body was found. As Loveless predicted, the local police were gathered around the body.
"Pardon us, gentlestallions." Loveless announced.
"Sorry, fellas, this is a crime scene." One of the officers declared.
"Which is exactly why we're here." Loveless declared as he and Sterling held up their fake IDs. "Agents Pinstripe and Bowline, EBI.”
“EBI? We weren’t aware that you would be coming.” Another officer frowned.
"Our mail carrier was too busy to enact a fast enough delivery, so we decided to move right in." Loveless lied.
"So, what do we have here?" Sterling asked.
“Well, as you can see, a body has been discovered earlier this morning.” An officer grimaced, “One ‘Silver Shine’, went missing three weeks ago. Courtesy of our ‘serial killer’.”
“Really? How do you know it’s him?” Sterling asked.
"Take a look." The officer urged.
Sterling and Loveless took a closer look. The body was that of an Earth Pony stallion, bent and warped, with limbs and bones sticking out in unnatural positions. There were numerous wounds made by different weapons, such as a musket shot to the head, and several deep cuts made with a knife.
“Ugh…” Sterling and Loveless moaned in unison, not of them prepared for such an image, despite their experience.
“Yeah, it’s not a pretty sight.” The officer admitted.
“...So, what’s the deal? You guys found him like this?” Sterling frowned.
"That’s right." The officer nodded. "And not just him. We've been finding more than a few bodies like this. The state they are in each time is different, as well as the weapon used. But the way they look, it as if they have been…”
“Posed?” Sterling finished.
“Yeah…” The officer scowled, “And from what I heard from the coroner, some of them were posed pre-mortem. The sick S.O.B. practically twisted them around, like some demented art project.”
"Art project..." Loveless mused.
“Has there been any leads?” Sterling questioned.
“Not a one." The officer declared. "In fact, a reporter who has been asking around about him went missing last night. Somepony named By-Line.”
"Thank you for the information." Loveless said curtly. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we need to go and... check with our records for any leads. Come along, Agent Bowline."
"Right behind you, Agent Pinstripe." Sterling nodded. As they walked away, he whispered, “So… this By-Line... I’m guessing that was Sharpe?”
“Correct.” Loveless nodded, “Not the best name, but Sharpe was insistent on it.”
“What do you think?” Sterling asked, “Do you think this killer has it out for us?”
“Not likely.” Loveless declared, “From what I heard, these murders have been going on long before our first agent got killed. Our comrades were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, these murders bear further investigation.”
"How d'ya mean?" Sterling asked.
“Well, I had a hunch.” Loveless declared, as he pressed a button. Suddenly, a square device with two antennae pointing out of the sides like a "v" emerged from the side of his chair.
“What the heck is that?” Sterling asked
“It’s a magical residue scanner. Had it installed a couple of months back.” Loveless explained, “It scans anything for traces of any magic that might had been used recently. I scanned the body, and I got some unusual readings.”
“Unusual weird or unusual bad?” Sterling frowned.
“I’m not sure.” Loveless admitted, “The residue on the body was so weak and faded that it couldn’t pinpoint what magic was even used. But I can only assume that the killer is using it to some extent in his killings.”
“Well, that just about narrows it down to almost every Unicorn in the area.” Sterling frowned, “It could be anypony.”
“Not necessarily.” Loveless smirked, “What the cop said about art projects gave me an idea...”
"Like what?" Sterling questioned, confused.
“Just another hunch.” Loveless announced, “It’s possible that we could be looking for an artist. And if my knowledge of criminology is up to snuff, killers who are artists almost always incorporate their murders into their artworks. I say that we hit up the local art galleries, and look for ‘art pieces’ that look like it could painted by a serial killer.”
“I dunno, that seems like a stretch, don’t you think?” Sterling shrugged.
“Well, do you have any better ideas?” Loveless retorted.
“...I guess not.” Sterling grimaced, “I guess I’m playing art critic… again.”
And so, the two got to work. Over the next few hours, they looked into all three of the city’s galleries, and their artists. However, their efforts seem fruitless, as hardly any of the artwork they seen were nothing that screamed ‘painted by a bucked up pony’. For those that seem the slight bit suspicious, the artists that painted them were either from out of town, had ironclad alibis for their whereabouts, or in a few’s case, dead, their artwork being donated posthumously.
"Thank you for your time." Sterling told their final suspect, a Unicorn stallion in a black suit, shades, and a white mane by the name of Andy Whirl.
"You're welcome." Andy nodded. "I hope you catch that fiend."
"So do I." Sterling sighed dejectedly.
“Hey, Sterling.” Loveless approached him, “Got anything?”
“No, nothing but dead ends.” Sterling growled. “You?”
“Well, there’s this art piece that looked like it was painted with blood.” Loveless shook his head, “Other than that, nothing.”
"So it's starting to look like the lead was a dead end." Sterling sighed. "Great..."
"Let's not give up hope just that." Loveless declared. "There may still be a clue to be found among the artwork."
"Yeah, sure..." Sterling nodded.
As they glanced at the paintings, Sterling saw one that depicted lightning crashing down all around a Unicorn stallion. He was reminded of Solomon, and of their earlier discussion.
"So... Solomon said you're working with him on this little project of his?" Sterling spoke up.
"Yes, I am." Loveless sighed. "I'm not exactly behind his idea one hundred percent, though."
"Then why did you say 'yes'?" Sterling frowned.
"Well, his idea gave me a reason to try again at something I had lost a long time ago." Loveless admitted. "An old invention I never quite got right."
"What kind of invention?" Sterling asked.
"Something I'd rather not discuss at the moment." Loveless shrugged. "It's a very long, and painful story."
"Suit yourself." Sterling declared.
“What about you, Sterling?” Loveless turned to Sterling, “I hear that you are trying to come up with a project of your own now.”
“Heh, nothing gets past you, does it?” Sterling gave a weak chuckle, “I just figure that now was a better time than any to get one started.”
“Is that so? I’m assuming you’re having a difficult time?” Loveless asked.
"More than difficult." Sterling groaned. "I've got nothing! How is it going to look when a member of the Ouroboros can't come up with his own project?"
"Relax, Sterling." Loveless smiled. "It's not as bad as you think."
"And why is that?" Sterling asked.
"Because I haven't come up with a project in all his years as an Ouroboros." Loveless admitted.
"Not a one." Loveless nodded. "Nothing ever sprang to mind. And yet, I'm still a respected member of the court. So it won't matter if you don't come up with a project yourself. As long as you keep being the incredible agent that you are, it won't matter."
"I guess you're right." Sterling smiled. "Thanks, Loveless."
"Anytime, my- oh, look at this." He declared, his attention grabbed by a certain portrait.
"Yikes." Sterling gaped, taking note of it.
The two took a closer glance at the portrait. The painting was that of a young Pegasus stallion. It would seem like an ordinary painting… had it not been for the fact that the pony’s head looked like something had burst out the side of his head. The blood that sprayed out was painted in such vivid details, down to the pieces of bones and grey matter that was laced through the spray.
“Whoa… get a load of this.” Sterling mused, as he inspected the painting, “Do you think this painting could belong to our killer?”
“Only one way to find out.” Loveless declared, as he turned to a nearby employee, “Excuse me, sir, whose painting is this?”
“Huh… oh.” The employee frowned upon seeing the painting, “That’s just Easel’s work.”
“Easel?” Loveless repeated.
“Yeah. Easel Muse.” The employee grimaced, “He’s a photographer and artist from around here. He usually sells his art pieces from here.”
“I see.” Loveless glanced back at the art piece, “Well, it’s pretty… interesting.”
"Repugnant, more like." The emplyee scoffed. "He's always making these ghastly portraits revolving around blood and gore. Not many ponies enjoy that kind of art."
"To be fair, the brush strokes are certainly masterful." Loveless admitted.
"Too bad about the subject matter." Sterling shuddered.
"Indeed." The employee nodded. "Easel is convinced his art will be the next big thing. But he's not."
"Are his works really that bad?" Loveless asked.
"This painting is actually one of his tamer pieces." The Employee admitted. "We couldn't display his more disturbing work in a public gallery."
"How 'disturbing' are we talking here?" Sterling asked.
"They all revolve around some of the most grisly manners of death." The employee said distastefully. "Dismembermen, decapitation, flaying... I can barely even think about them without feeling the bile rising in my throat."
“Well regardless of what you feel, we would like to speak to this Easel Muse.” Sterling spoke up, “Do you know where we can find him?”
“Yeah, sure. There’s a studio on the outskirts of town." The employee declared. "The guy’s usually holed up in there for days on end.”
“Okay. Thank you.” Loveless nodded. After the employee left, Loveless turned to Sterling, “Well then, it looks like we might have our culprit. Shall we, Sterling?”
"Yeah, let's get moving." Sterling smiled.
The art studio was at the edge of the woods outside of Applewood, isolated from all.
“Eesh… A house in the middle of nowhere, disturbing paintings, an eccentric artist… add in a couple of horny teenagers and scary theme music, and you have a slasher film.” Sterling joked.
"And a sub-par one at that." Loveless chuckled.
The two walked to the door, as Sterling gave a couple of knocks.
A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing a light brown Earth Pony stallion, with a slick black mane, icy blue eyes, and a cutie mark of an easel and a camera. He wasdressed well, with a purple suit (with a white shirt under it) and a red scarf tied around his neck.
“Um, may I help you, gentlestallions?” He asked, with an Bitalian accent.
“Are you Easel Muse?” Sterling questioned.
“Yes, that is me.” Easel nodded, “And who are you two?”
“My apologies, Mr. Muse.” Loveless said pleasantly, “My friend and I heard about your work from the local gallery, and we became interested in seeing more. We were wondering if you'd let us take a look?"
Easel glanced at the two for a moment…. Before smiling.
"Oh, but of course." Easel smiled. "I always have time for fans. Come in, come in!""
Easel let Loveless and Sterling into his home, to a wide, open room filled with several paintings lining the wall as well as ones posed on stands. Blood red curtains hung all over the place, and the only piece of furniture that could be seen was a wide armchair in the middle of the room.
“Hmm, roomy.” Sterling mused.
"Feel free to peruse my works." Easel urged, “All I ask is that you do not touch…” He gave a small smile, “Enjoy…”
Sterling and Loveless looked around. As Sterling examined the paintings, he couldn’t help but noticed the similarities to the painting he and Loveless saw at the gallery: they all featured somepony in a state of dying. The method and subject varied: one subject was impaled on an iron spike, another was crushed under heavy stones... but the one thing that remained the same was state of agony and horror in each pony’s eyes. And by how realistic and gruesome they appeared, he could understand why the gallery didn’t accept some of the pieces.
“Wow… you really have a thing for the macabre, don’t you?” Sterling said awkwardly.
"Pain is life." Easel declared. "And life is art. Makes sense, no?"
"Guess so..." Sterling shrugged, “Still… gotta admire the detail. They look so real…”
“Thank you. I try my hardest to capture every bit of realism in a painting.” Easel chuckled, as he glanced intently at a painting showing a lunging timberwolf’s head being cleaved in two, the sap flying everywhere.
“You don’t say…” Sterling grimaced, noting how intently Easel was looking at his artwork.
As he continued looking at the disturbing paintings, he happened upon a painting that was barely even started, penciled outlines covering most of the canvas. Though Sterling could tell it looked like somepony was seated, with the head tilted back. "I'm guessing this is your newest work?"
"Just started." Easel nodded. "I like to show off my work in progress. I have a feeling it could be my best yet."
"Yeah..." Sterling said awkwardly. "It really... stands out."
"Why, thank you." Easel smiled. "It's rare that I get such positive reception, in spite of my obvious talent."
"If you don't mind my asking, how long have you been painting for?" Loveless asked.
"Many years now." Easel nodded. "Though I'm also something of a photographer. I like to paint portraits of the pictures I take, making true art out of captured moments. If you like, I could show you my entire portfolio..."
Sterling and Loveless shared worried looks. The last thing they wanted was to see more disturbing images.
"Mr. Muse, I'm afraid we haven't been entirely honest with you." Loveless said bluntly. "My friend and I are agents from the EBI.”
“EBI?” Easel frowned, “Might I ask why are you here then?”
“We're investigating the serial killer that has been running amok in the city." Loveless explained, “We believe that he is an artist that is killing ponies as inspiration for his paintings.”
“Oh… I see… because I paint ponies being killed, I am a suspect?” Easel growled.
"I did not say that." Loveless countered.
"But clearly, you thought it." Easel sneered.
"Well, you must admit, your work is rather... unnerving." Loveless declared.
"It is meant to be!" Easel declared.
"It's meant to horrifying and sickening?" Loveless frowned
"It's meant to show the fragility of life itself, and how easily it can be taken!" Easel roared. "Must I always suffer the stigma of ignorant ponies who do not understand my vision?!"
“Look, let’s settle down.” Sterling frowned, “Easel, where were you last night at around 11:45?”
“Hmph, if you must know, I was at home, taking pictures of the beautiful night sky.” Easel scoffed, running a hoof through his mane.
“Do you have something that can verify that?” Sterling questioned.
“In fact I do.” Easel pulled out what appeared to be an antique camera, “I always take photos with these pretty little number right here.”
“My, now that is a masterpiece.” Loveless whistled, glancing at the camera, “May I?”
"Of course." Easel handed over the camera, “But do be careful with it…”
"Hmm, they don't make 'em like these anymore..." Loveless examined the camera.
"That camera's been with me for years." Easel said proudly. "Served me very well."
Loveless opened up the film compartment, and held up the strip of film. Upon close examination, the negatives were indeed of the night sky.
"Well, your story checks out, Mr. Muse." He gave him back the camera. "Sorry for troubling you."
“Oh, not at all.” Easel said politely. "Good luck with the rest of your investigation. And feel free to come back any time!"
"Yeah, we'll do that." Sterling cast an awkward look at the paintings.
"Good night, Mr. Muse." Loveless declared.
As they departed, Sterling spoke up.
“Ugh, a dead end.” He groaned, “Easel was so perfect for this…”
“Yeah, he was.” Loveless murmured, “I guess his ‘art’ is just that: ‘art’.”
“Well, what now?” Sterling asked.
"We have to dig a little deeper." Loveless declared. "We must go to the morgue and examine Granite's body."
"Do we have to?" Sterling cringed. "He was our comrade."
“And he may provide a clue that we desperately need." Loveless announced. "I know it's unseemly, but it must be done, for nothing else than to avenge Granite's demise."
"...Okay, let's do it." Sterling sighed.
Under cover of night, Sterling and Loveless made their way to the Applewood morgue. Sneaking in through the back, they quickly located Granite's body.
"Brace yourself." Loveless whispered as placed a hoof on the drawer. "Going by Agent Sharpe's condition, this probably won't be pretty."
Loveless opened the drawer. Sterling almost gagged at the sight within; Granite's cold, dead body. While it wasn’t as bad as the Earth Pony they'd seen earlier, it still wasn’t pretty: he had a huge gash that went from his stomach up to his throat.
“Oh, Granite…” Sterling whispered, “Who did this to you?”
“I’m sorry, Sterling… Granite was a good agent.” Loveless frowned sympathetically.
“Yeah.” Sterling nodded, “The worst part is, he and I fell out of touch when I became Ouroboros… I didn’t even realize he was dead till you told me…”
"Don't blame yourself, Sterling." Loveless declared. "We all get busy sometimes. And we most often don't realize what we have until it's gone."
"No kidding." Sterling sighed. "We didn't exactly start off on the right hoof, but he was a decent guy. He deserved better than this..."
"He certainly did." Loveless nodded, bringing out his scanner again. "As loyal comrades, we owe to him to avenge his senseless death."
Loveless ran his scanner over Granite's body, the device making beeping noises.
"Oh no." He muttered.
"What?" Sterling asked.
“Remember those readings from the other body? Granite’s body has the same residue as he did.” Loveless declared, “A lot stronger it seems.”
“I know I asked this before… but is that good or bad?” Sterling frowned.
“Well, it isn’t certainly good.” Loveless grimaced, “According to the scanner… it’s dark magic.”
“Whoa… you mean like the ones from the tome in Brayzil?” Sterling asked.
“I’m afraid it’s much worse.” Loveless shook his head, “The dark magic residue is much stronger than anything that could come from a piece of paper… this is a work of a Nightcrawler.”
"A what?" Sterling frowned.
“Nightcrawlers.” Loveless repeated, “Creatures, mostly ponies, who possess a gene known as the ‘Tenebros gene’.”
“Is that like a disease or something?” Sterling asked.
“Not really. More like a genetic quirk.” Loveless corrected, “It’s an uncommon anomaly, being discovered in a good portion of ponies, and it’s harmless at first glance. But should the pony be exposed to dark magic, that gene becomes activated and it infuses the dark magic within one’s DNA. It allows the possessor of said gene to use dark magic at will.”
"You mean like that Blaze guy I ran into when I was with Nalik?" Sterling frowned. "That explains the freaky energy powers..."
“Oh, so you met one before?” Loveless asked.
“Yeah. It was real weird. He has these purple wisps coming out of his eyes.” Sterling recalled, “It was something I've never seen before.”
"Those 'wisps' as you call them, are concentrated dark magic." Loveless explained. "When Nightcrawlers use their powers, the dark magic within them flows through their bodies, finding release through their eyes for some reason."
"Freaky." Sterling shuddered.
"But the most intriguing part is that the Tenebros gene can be passed down through genetics." Loveless revealed. "The dark magic within that tiny gene can affect a Nightcrawler's children, grandchildren, and several further lines of descent, regardless of race or magical skill."
“So… you’re saying that these ponies… even without a spellbook or a horn, can use dark magic, just like that?” Sterling asked.
“Indeed.” Loveless nodded, “Nightcrawlers can have any sort of power at their hooves. Some of them are similar to those recorded in tomes and scrolls… but a good portion of them have powers that never been seen before.”
“Are they dangerous?” Sterling asked, concerned.
“Not all of them.” Loveless admitted, “Some Nightcrawlers have less dangerous, even harmless powers… but others have access to magic so dangerous, they could give an alicorn a run for their money.”
“How exactly do you know all of this?” Sterling raised a brow.
“Well… you remember Flatfoot, right?” Loveless pointed out.
“The dark magic expert? Yeah.” Sterliing frowned, “I’m guessing he studied Nightcrawlers too?”
“Oh, yes. Flatfoot was absolutely fascinated with them. In fact, he performed a series of studies on them for us for many years.” Loveless nodded, “He was the best researcher in this line of study.”
“...Was?” Sterling frowned, “What happened to him?”
"He cut ties with us." Loveless frowned. "Some nasty blackmail matter. Just about took most of his research with him. None of us have heard from him since.”
“Eesh, that sucks.” Sterling grimaced.
“Indeed. But it was probably for the best. I've never been a fan of Nightcrawlers myself. All that dark magic, in the hoof of your common pony… that just unsettles me..."
"And you think the culprit is one of them?" Sterling frowned.
"Most likely." Loveless nodded. "But what powers he or she possesses is very much upon the air. Perhaps closer examination will reveal more..."
"So the killer's some kind of super-powered freak..." Sterling grimaced. "Some assignment this is turning out to be."
"Wait, I think I've found something." Loveless pulled out a plier from his jacket’s pocket, and used it to dig into a wound, extracting a small brown rectangle of film.
"Is that... A film negative?" Sterling squinted.
"Indeed it is." Loveless nodded. "The same kind of film that goes into Easel Muse's camera."
“Easel? You mean he might be the guy after all?” Sterling gaped.
“Could be. Take a look.” Loveless gave the negative to him.
Sterling took a closer look at the negative. The image was hard to make out… but it looked like a pony, an Earth Pony similar to that of the description Loveless told him about Sharpe. He was seated in a chair and his head tilted back… just like the pencil outlines of Easel’s latest work.
“...That son of a draft horse.” Sterling scowled, as he gave the negative back to Loveless, “It’s Sharpe. Easel was making a painting of Sharpe! He killed him! And I bet you he killed Granite and the others! He’s gonna pay for this!”
"And pay, he shall." Loveless nodded.
Sterling and Loveless quickly made their way back to Easel's abode, grabbing their crossbows from their airship. They entered the studio quietly, through the back entrance. As they crept into the main room, which was sparsely lit, they noticed Easel walking around, admiring some of his artwork.
"He's here. Good." Loveless whispered. "Let's sneak up on him."
"Gladly." Sterling nodded.
Sterling and Loveless sneaked in through a back door. By the time they reached the main room, Easel was departing through another door.
"Typical." Sterling whispered.
"Let's stay on him." Loveless urged.
Sterling and Loveless continued stalking Easel. They spotted him going through another door, and walking down some steps.
"That must be the basement." Loveless surmised.
"It's probably where he keeps his 'models'." Sterling growled. "Safe from the public eye..."
"Some faultless logic there, Sterling." Loveless nodded. "Now, if you grab the back of my chair and help me down? I'd use the legs, but they're a tad too noisy for stealth work..."
"Will do." Sterling nodded.
Sterling aided Loveless as he moved his chair down the stairs. Once there, they went down a corridor. Soon after, they came to another spacious room. The only thing that was in it was a stand, holding up the unfinished painting Sterling observed earlier, a couple of tables with photos and blank canvases on them, and red curtains lined along the back of the room. Easel approached the painting, and took a seat in a chair in front of it, presumably to begin painting once more.
"Let's do it." Sterling whispered. "Powers or no powers, he can't take us both at once."
"Agreed." Loveless nodded.
Remaining as quiet as possible, Sterling and Loveless made a beeline for the back of the chair.
"Aha!" They said together.
They turned the seat around... only to find it empty.
"What the..." Sterling frowned.
"You know, if you wanted an appointment, you could have just called ahead." A familiar voice announced.
Sterling and Loveless quickly turned around... only to be met with a flash of light. As soon as the light faded, the two found themselves unable to move, stuck in what seemed to be a pillar of blue light.
"What the-?" Sterling mumbled through his closed mouth.
"I can't move!" Loveless grunted.
A dark chuckle echoed as Easel emerged from the darkness in front of them, as a photo slipped out of his camera. He grabbed the photo, and shook it until the image grew clear. He then took a moment to admire it.
"You know, for a pair of nosy trespassers, you know how to pull off a good photo..." Easel smirked. He showed Sterling and Loveless the picture of them, both of them showing shocked expressions.
"EASEL!" Sterling said through his closed mouth. "What is this?! What's going on here?!"
"What's that?" Easel held a hoof to his ear. "I can't hear you. Please speak up."
"Rrrh!" Sterling let out a growl in frustration.
"Here, allow me..." Easel declared.
Easel stepped into the pillar. With the tip of his hoof, he pried their mouths open. He then stepped back.
"There, better?" He grinned.
"Muse, we know what you've done." Loveless announced, sounding awkward because his mouth was stuck open. "We know you were the one who murdered all those ponies in your paintings."
"Finally figured it out, eh?" Easel shrugged. "Well done. You are slightly smarter than these stupid pigs you dare call cops.”
“Why did you do it, Easel?” Sterling demanded, “I knew you were off, but this is a whole new level of bat-crap crazy!”
"Oh, that's quite a long story." Easel announced. "You see, I've always had a passion for photography. One could say it was part of my destiny, if my cutie mark is any indication. But I felt I was destined for much more than spending the rest of my life, just taking pictures. Then a few years ago, I was conscripted into becoming a war photographer, having to take pictures of battles and soldiers for the home front. As you can imagine, a lot of the pictures I took revolved around the wounded and the dying, showcasing the brutality of war. It was harrowing at first… sickening, gruesome… but that all changed one day…”
From his suit, he pulled out what appeared to be an old photo. His expression appeared wistful.
“I was shadowing this one soldier over in Chineigh... when suddenly, he stepped onto a landmine. It all happened so fast, that I still don’t remember what happened exactly… but when I came to, suffering minor scratches, I realized that my camera had taken a photo… I must have taken it instinctively the moment the bomb went off. And when I developed this photo… I had discovered my true passion…”
He glanced at the two, with eyes that screamed fanatical.
“That moment… the one moment, that a pony would die… not the moment before, or after… but that one moment.” Easel whispered.
“So you got a lucky shot.” Sterling scoffed… or tried to, since his mouth was still locked open, “How does a photographer go from that to a psycho?!”
“You say psycho, I say ‘controversial visionary’.” Easel shrugged, “I could never expect you to understand what I felt when I saw that photo for the first time. I found myself mesmerized by the beauty of that one moment… that nothing else could ever compare to it. That was when I decided that such a stirring sight needed to be captured in more than just photographs. That I could use them to create works of art that nopony has ever seen before… so after I came home from the war, I decided the time was right that I begin my own work. And that was how I began my legacy: creating masterpiece after masterpiece, immortalizing others… through ending their lives and capturing the moment that it ends… poetic, no?”
“Really?” Loveless challenged, “The guy at the gallery didn’t think highly of your ‘masterpiece’.”
"What does he know?" Easel sneered. "The world has never understood my art. That just proves how ignorant the common pony is. I am trying to create the ultimate expression of art. Capturing the moment between life and death for all time."
"By murdering others." Loveless interjected.
"Art requires sacrifice. " Easel announced. "Be it tubes full of precious paint... Or blood."
“How can you do this?” Sterling scowled, “Just how many innocent ponies have you killed?
"Oh, a few." Easel shrugged.
"And you don't feel the slightest regret for any of them?" Sterling snarled.
"Regret for what?" Easel sneered. "All those ponies should be grateful. I brought meaning into their pathetic little lives."
"By ending them." Loveless growled. "Your 'art' is simply random murder of whoever you come across."
“For your edification, I cannot control when inspiration strikes.” Easel growled, “When it does, it’s no fault of mine who ends up becoming my next work of art.”
“Is that why you killed them?” Sterling snarled, “Granite and the others? You just killed them because you felt like it?!”
"Granite, Granite... oh, you mean my newest art piece?" Easel declared, before shrugging, “He was nothing special. He was some odd fella, sniffing around the warehouse district. I mean, I thought he turned out great on photo and canvas… but I dunno… he just felt… boring. At least compared to his ‘friend’...”
“You mean Sharpe?!” Loveless gasped.
“Sharpe? Is that what you call him?” Easel mused, “Hmm, when I grabbed him, he went by By-Line... it mattered not, either way. When I heard that he was asking around about my ‘work’, I became ‘inspired’ once more.”
“What did you do to him?” Loveless demanded.
“Why don’t you see for yourself?” Easel smirked.
Stepping into the ‘pillar’ once more, the demented artist tilted their head so they looked behind him. Suddenly, the red curtains that laid behind the unfinished painting rose…
If Sterling and Loveless’s jaws weren’t already dropped, they would certainly drop now.
Behind the curtain, trapped in a pillar similar to them, was Sharpe. As he was in the negative and in the painting, he was seated in a chair, his head laid back, neck slit. The blood that sprayed from said slit remained motionless above him, trapped in time. It was as if the whole murder was a scene in a movie, put on pause.
“...Very impressive, is it not?” Easel smirked, sticking his head between the two, “I truly believe this pony, whoever he may be, is going to be one of my best works yet.”
As he stepped back, he tilted the two trapped ponies’ heads back to face him.
“...So, aren’t you two going to ask me about my technique?” He smiled widely.
"Don't need to. You're a Nightcrawler, aren't you?" Sterling asked. "That's how you're doing this, right?"
"And what do you know of Nightcrawlers?" Easel smirked.
"Not too much." Sterling admitted. "Just that they have this weird gene that gives them dark magic-based powers... what else is there to know?"
“What I don’t get is why you have Sharpe’s body here when you already got your photo.” Loveless growled, “Couldn’t you paint a picture from that?”
“I could… but it’s really hard to get all the details, especially from a tiny photograph.” Easel shrugged, “Like I told your friend, I work hard to capture every bit of realism. With this ‘ability of mine’, I have a life-size model, free for me to alter my vision any way I like for as long as I like… and now, you two will join him, in my line of masterpieces!”
“You won’t get away with this, Easel!” Sterling snarled.
"One Nightcrawler, no matter the powers, cannot best two of us!" Loveless said boldly.
"Me, a meager Nightcrawler?" Easel chuckled darkly. "Oh no, you will find that I am much more than that..."
Easel's eyes suddenly gained a set of black wisps.
"What..." Sterling gaped, stupefied, “Loveless… why are his wisps black?”
"Oh no..." Loveless winced, “It can’t be…”
“You see, my poor troglodytes, I am not what you call a simple ‘Nightcrawler’.” Easel explained, spitting at the word Nightcrawler, “You see, my mother was one of the finest pupils of the School of Gifted Unicorns from the city of Canterlot, while my father was a gondolier from Venags who had this odd ability to control water. While they knew that I would most likely be a Nightcrawler when they conceive me, they did not expect their union would create such a rare anomaly. A pony gifted with a power beyond comprehension, a power that was at my command from the day of my birth… a being only a few known as…”
He glanced dementedly at the two.
“...A maelstrom.”
“Loveless?” Sterling began, “What is he talking about?”
“A maelstrom…” Loveless frowned, “Flatfoot mentioned them in his research, but they are so rare that they’re almost non-existent. I didn’t think they were actually real.”
"Oh, but they are." Easel smirked. "Or at least, I am."
"So you're an even bigger freak than the others." Sterling scowled defiantly, secretly terrified. "Good for you..."
"This freak is going to make you both into works of art!" Easel sneered.
With a flick of his hoof, a ornate dagger, which laid on a table at the side of the room, flew over to him. The artist caught it with ease as he pointed it at Sterling.
“When I was only a foal, I learn that I could make things freeze in time. But only for a couple of minutes at a time. But I soon come to learn that I could channel my power through this camera, such as this one, and create domes of time distortions, freezing all my would-be subjects in place. Free for me to bend and meld into my will.” Easel explained, as he glanced at Sterling, holding his dagger high, “Speaking of which… hold that pose.”
“No!” Loveless panicked.
Sterling braced himself for a killing blow, but none came. Easel was still in the same spot, contemplating.
"No, no, no." He shook his head suddenly, as he tapped the dagger to his cheek. "This is all wrong. These poses are just too bland… and I would rather not have to listen to your screaming when I’m moving your limbs around… I’m gonna have to pose you both differently to create true art out of you..."
Easel's eyes lost their wisps, and Sterling and Loveless were freed from the pillar.
"Now, let's see if we can't find a better position for-" Easel started.
"Not a chance!" Sterling tackled Easel, knocking the camera away. The camera skidded under a table.
"My camera!" Easel yelled. "How dare you interfere with my process!"
Easel shoved Sterling away with a great amount of force.
"You are the one who interfered!" Loveless retorted. "You killed five agents of the Forefathers, impeded our great work! And now, you will pay!"
Loveless fired a crossbow bolt at Easel. He suddenly vanished in a flash of light, and appeared to the side of Loveless.
"Wrong!" he kicked Loveless to the side.
"Ugh!" Loveless grunted. "...You can teleport?!"
"More like I can slow time down." Easel revealed. "Long enough for me to get from point A to point B faster than you can blink. But that’s not all I do..."
His eyes turned wispy as suddenly, a table flew at Loveless, scattering the photos and canvases on it everywhere.
“Whoa!” Loveless quickly wheeled out of the way, as the table crashed into a wall.
“Wait, so he can mess with time, and move stuff?” Sterling growled, “I thought you crazy assholes had only one power!”
“That is the joy of being a Maelstrom!” Easel sneered, turning to Sterling, “We Maelstroms aren’t limited to only one power like the Nightcrawlers. While they live in mediocrity, our powers can grow infinitely, making us far greater than anything your puny little mind can comprehend!”
"Neat trick." Sterling sneered. "Let's see how long it helps you!"
Sterling fired a bolt from his own crossbow. Easel used his power to dodge it, then appeared in front of Sterling and headbutted him.
"Gah!" Sterling grunted. "Why, you..."
Sterling threw a punch, but Easel vanished and reappeared to his side, throwing a punch of his own.
"Ugh!" Sterling snarled. "Coward! Can't you fight me stallion to stallion?"
"I could." Easel jumped to behind Sterling and punched the back of his head. "But this is more entertaining."
"I'm coming, Sterling!" Loveless yelled.
"Wrong, old timer." Easel disappeared, then reappeared in mid-air, kicking Loveless in the head and knocking him over.
“Loveless!” Sterling gasped, as he seethed hatefully at Easel, “That does it!”
"No." Easel appeared behind Sterling, grabbed him and threw him into the wall. "That does it."
While his opponents struggled to recover, Easel casually retrieved his camera. He then trotted over to the prone Loveless, pointing it right at him.
"Gotcha now." Easel smirked. "Say cheese..."
"Wait!" Loveless yelled.
"Sorry, I've already provided you with the only last words you want to hear." Easel sneered.
"Perhaps we can negotiate." Loveless offered.
"What can you possibly offer me that I could want?" Easel asked.
"Membership into the Forefathers." Loveless replied.
"...What." Easel froze.
'What?!' Sterling also froze.
“Look. My friend and I? We’re not EBI.” Loveless began.
“I already figured that part out.” Easel stepped forth menacingly.
“Let me finish!” Loveless urged, “You see, me and Sterling here are a part of a secret organization known as the Forefathers. An organization that is out to change the world. We came out here tonight, because you killed our agents. But after seeing the powers you possess... perhaps maybe you would like to put those powers to use for the Forefathers?”
’What?!’ Sterling repeated, outraged.
“And why would you want me to work for you?” Easel asked.
“I don’t know. Money, booze, mares, glory.” Loveless shrugged, “Take your pick. We will give you all of it.”
“Are you serious?” Easel scoffed.
"Now, I understand your surprise." Loveless told Easel. "You probably need a second to think it over. You wouldn't want to waste the opportunity."
As Loveless said those words, Sterling realized what Loveless was doing; distracting Easel to buy Sterling time to attack. As quietly as he got, he got to his hooves, and crept over to Easel.
"My, that is a tempting offer." Easel admitted… before snarling, "Or it would be, if you clearly weren't just trying to save your own hide. I do not know who these Forefathers are, nor do I care. I'm an artist, not a thug for hire. Speaking of art..."
Easel pointed his camera at Loveless once more.
"I don't know how I'm going to top this." He smirked, slowly pressing down on the switch. "But I'll try..."
"Gotcha!" Sterling grabbed the hoof Easel was holding the camera with, and angled it so it pointed at its owner.
"No!" Easel yelped as the flash went off.
A second later, Easel was trapped in his own pillar of light, a prisoner of his own abilities.
"Good work, Sterling." Loveless smiled.
"Thanks." Sterling nodded, as he glanced at Easel, whose eyes were darting around, struggling to move. "So... what should we do with him now? Throw 'im at the cops?"
“With his powers?! Not a chance! The police are ill-equipped to hold him.” Loveless shook his head, “And he is too powerful to roam free. We must eliminate him, and fast. I doubt Easel will be stuck in his own time forcefield thingie for long.”
"Well, I guess we don't have much of a choice." Sterling sighed. "Get ready to become your own final masterpiece, pal."
"And as a bonus, we will destroy the den of madness also." Loveless declared. "No doubt all these other paintings are based on past victims. This macabre gallery will be destroyed... today."
A flamethrower emerged from Loveless' chair.
“Huh, didn’t think I’d be burning another house down. But what can you do?” Sterling shrugged, as he pulled out incendiary bolts and load them into his crossbow.
“NO!” Easel roared, his mouth stuck open, “You can’t! This is my life’s work!”
"Should've stuck with paint-by-numbers." Sterling sneered.
Loveless turned his flamethrower on the paintings, while Sterling fired incendiary bolts all over. Soon, the whole place was engulfed in flames.
“No! NO!” Easel wailed, the pillar distorting a little, obviously showing his struggle, “I had so much left to create! You have destroyed my legacy!"
"That was the plan." Loveless smirked. "Come, Sterling. Before we end up victims of the flame, too."
"Right behind ya." Sterling nodded.
Sterling and Loveless quickly left the building. As they headed back to the airship, the entire structure crumbled, consumed by flame.
"Good riddance." Sterling spat as he looked back.
"I second that." Loveless nodded. "At least now, our comrades can rest in peace, safe in the knowledge that they have been avenged."
As they returned to the Infinity, Sterling's mind kept focusing on Easel's powers, and the tale of his lineage.
'So the combined genetics of a Nightcrawler and a powerful Unicorn can create a pony with that kind of power...' He mused. 'Incredible. If only we had a pony like that on our side...' He then realized something. 'Who says we can't? With the proper research, the proper manipulations, there could be a pony with that kind of power on our side... heck, even an entire army of them, given enough time.'
His mind raced with the possibilities.
'It really could work... I think... I think I may have actually found my project!' His joy suddenly gave way to doubt. 'But Easel was crazy. Maybe creating an army of incredibly powerful, unstoppable madponies isn't such a good idea...'
Sterling continued contemplating the matter over the next few days. Part of him thought it was a brilliant idea, while the other was worried that it would be too dangerous to attempt.
'I finally get an idea, and I decide if it's good or not.' Sterling groaned inwardly. 'Time for a second opinion...'
Sterling made his way to Loveless's workshop.
"Ah, Sterling." Loveless smiled. "Good morning."
"Not interrupting anything, am I?" Sterling asked.
"Nothing I can't put aside for the moment." Loveless declared. "What's on your mind?"
"I've been thinking about our last mission." Sterling admitted. "That whole thing about Easel."
"Yes." Loveless frowned. "Such ghastly business."
"Truth be told, I was thinking more about Easel being a Maelstrom." Sterling declared. "How his dad was a Nightcrawler, and his mother was a powerful Unicorn. That combination of dark magic and really strong regular magic made him super-powerful, even as a kid."
"True." Loveless nodded. "What of it?"
"I was thinking 'how great would it be if we could set things up so we could make our own Maelstrom?"
“...So, let me get this straight…” Loveless held up a hoof, “You want to recreate the circumstances in which Easel was born, so that you could make a Maelstrom?”
“Well, yes. If what Easel said is true, we could potentially create an army of Maelstroms.” Sterling explained, “If a pony like Easel could be this powerful, just imagine having multiple of them, fighting on our side? It could allow us to finally realize Father’s dreams.”
“...I will not lie, the idea does have some merit.” Loveless admitted.
“...But?” Sterling frowned.
“Well, Sterling, you know how Jetstream and I felt about the stuff.” Loveless shook his head, “And I’m surprised you’re even considering the idea, considering you almost died twice to a Nightcrawler.”
“I know…” Sterling sighed, “But every time dark magic comes up… I just get this feeling. A feeling that makes me want to know more about the stuff. I don’t know how to describe it, really.”
“I believe it’s called curiosity.” Loveless mused, “And surely you know that it has the tendency of killing the cat.”
"Not always." Sterling declared. "Some of the greatest discoveries in history came about because of curiosity."
"And the greatest disasters." Loveless countered.
"But if we could get Maelstroms on our side, we could be unstoppable." Sterling pointed out.
"But if we lose control of them, it could mean disaster." Loveless frowned.
"That's the beauty of engineering their birth." Sterling grinned. "We could teach them of the Forefathers' great mission from an early age. Then, when they're old enough, they'll be more than ready to help us make this world a better place. And with them with us, we'll really be able to make a difference. Isn't that worth a little risk?"
"I suppose..." Loveless mused, uncertain.
"...Loveless… I know the whole 'dark magic' thing isn't your cup of tea." Sterling admitted, “But I truly feel like this is going to be my one chance to finally make something of myself…” He then sighed, “Still… the last thing I want to do is disappoint you again. If you think I shouldn’t go through with it… then I won’t. I’ll think of something else.”
“Sterling… you don’t have to-” Loveless began.
“I know.” Sterling cut him off, “But you never steer me wrong before. If you say I shouldn’t do it, then I won’t do it. I trust your judgment..."
Loveless glanced at Sterling silently before shaking his head.
"...No, you should go through with it." Loveless told him. "I may have my misgivings when it comes to dark magic, but I trust your judgment, my friend. If you truly believe this is the path you must walk upon, go for it."
"I will." Sterling smiled. "Thanks, Loveless."
“Any time, Sterling.” Loveless grinned, “However, if you’re doing this, I suggest you start doing some research on the matter. I may never have had a project before, but I do know Father likes it when a pony knows what he is doing.”
"Don't worry, I will." Sterling nodded. "I promise, I'll learn everything I can about Nightcrawlers. And when it comes to finding the right parents to birth our little super-soldiers, I won't settle for anything but the best."
"I suppose I can't ask for anything more." Loveless smiled. "I wish you the best of luck, Sterling."
"Thanks for believing in me, Loveless." Sterling grinned. "It really means a lot."
"You mean just as much to me, my friend." Loveless nodded.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some research to do." Sterling declared.
As Sterling departed the workshop, he felt elated. He felt as if he had finally found the path he was meant to be on. Like his destiny was right in front of him. Whatever happened next, he was ready to embrace it with open hooves.