Over the years, Crystal had visualized many scenarios Involving him seeing his brother again. Most of them revolved around Sterling being either cuffed, locked up, or even dead (by a number of unpleasant circumstances)
This scenario was by far the worst possible scenario that Crystal would have wanted, as he sat there in his carriage, his bodyguards all incapacitated and being stared down by his brother, with a gaze that make his blood run cold.
"Oh, no..." Crystal gulped. "Oh, Faust, no..."
"Oh, Faust, yes." Sterling smirked. "You shouldn't be surprised, Crystal. You had to know this day was coming..."
"...Hi, Sterling." Crystal trembled, trying to act casual. "Not that it isn't great to see you, but I'm afraid my schedule is packed at the moment. Next time, maybe you should book an appointment..." He carefully tried to lunge for the opposite door of the carriage.
Suddenly, he heard the unmistakable cocking of a crossbow.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Sterling glared, “I happen to be real good with a crossbow, and I will kill you right where you stand.”
"Oh, buck…” Crystal silently cursed, as he faced the stallion, “Sterling, please... don't do this..."
"Do what? I haven’t done anything… yet." Sterling taunted, holding his crossbow firmly. He gestured out the carriage, “Come on, get out of the carriage.”
“Get out-what are you-?” Crystal demanded.
“I said: get out of the carriage.” Sterling seethed, “You and I are going to take a little walk…”
Meanwhile, back at the Taskforce headquarters, the team were poring over the files they had gained from Natascha.
“Eesh, this is some shady stuff.” Master Mind grimaced. “Rigging polls, mirror tapping, money laundering...”
"Using election funds to go on vacation..." Incognito scowled.
"And cheating on his wife of five years with a mistress." Armory added. "This guy's a real class act."
"All reprehensible acts, but not quite what we're looking for." Elite frowned.
“Hold on, I think I might have found something.” Ballista declared, “According to this, a few years back, Crystal was a ‘suspect’ in the disappearance of his family’s old gardener, but was dismissed due to lack of evidence.”
“From what I heard about Crystal, I’m not surprised.” Black snorted.
“But why would he go to the lengths of having that sealed?” Master Mind frowned, “Especially since there was no evidence against him?”
“Maybe it has something to do with the fact that not long after, Crystal was a suspect in the disappearance of their old mailpony. Not to mention their gardener, their notary public, their family lawyer... The list goes on and on.” Ballista declared.
“Hold up, he was suspected in all these disappearances, and not a single thing was done about it?” Incognito gaped.
“Well, he’s a senator. He probably went to lengths to have these allegations buried…” Elite mused, “That, and I bet we will find cops and others who tried to do a little detective work on that list...”
“You don’t think Crystal actually had those poor ponies killed, do you?” Armory grimaced.
“Barbossa did tell me how many of the Cross family’s friends and acquaintances seem to have vanished off the face of the planet.” Elite explained, “And considering how upset Crystal got when he learned of us asking around… it’s a good possibility.”
“But why would he do this?” Black asked, “Why would he go and almost kill everypony that came in contact with his family?”
"Probably tying up loose ends. They must have known something Crystal really didn’t want getting out." Master Mind frowned.
"Whatever that was, let's hope it's in the rest of these records." Incognito declared.
"Only one way to find out." Ballista mused.
"Indeed." Elite nodded. "Let us continue perusing these documents..."
Back in Haygypt, Sterling was dragging Crystal through the outskirts of Cairode. After forcing Crystal out of the carriage, Sterling had escorted him through the back alleys and outside the city’s walls, their destination unclear. Crystal was struggling fruitlessly against Sterling's firm grip.
"Look, are we going to talk or just go sand-surfing?" Crystal demanded.
Sterling's only response was to shove him.
"I don't know what the Forefathers hope to achieve, but I'm sure you and I can come up with a better plan than kidnapping a senator." Crystal suggested.
"The Forefathers don't care about you." Sterling scoffed. "And knowing you, I don't blame them."
"Then why are you doing this?" Crystal asked. "I doubt your little terrorist cell would appreciate you kidnapping a senator!"
"Firstly, they prefer the term 'controversial visionaries', and secondly, this has nothing to do with them." Sterling revealed. "I've cut ties with the Forefathers."
"Wha-" Crystal turned to face Sterling. "Then why are you here?!"
"What? I can't revisit my home country?" Sterling asked flippantly. "After all, it's a country of great culture, historical significance, splendid art, and stunning natural beauty."
"And you cared about any of that since when?" Crystal scowled.
"Hmph, nothing gets past you, does it?" Sterling chuckled. He then shoved Crystal forward. "The truth is, a good stallion I met gave me some advice about my life... he told me that I can't keep running from demons, and that if I am ever to know peace, I have to face them."
"Demons? What the hell are you talking about?" Crystal frowned.
"I'm talking about things I've left unfinished here in Haygypt." Sterling answered. "Things that I should have taken care of a long time ago."
"...So is that what this is?" Crystal asked. "You've finally come here to exact your revenge?!"
"Don't be so melodramatic." Sterling scoffed. "Seeing you was on the list, but I also did some shopping, walked by some of my old haunts, even paid dear ol' dad a visit."
"Dad?!" Crystal glared at his brother. "What did you do to him?!"
"He and I just had a rather... illuminating chat." Sterling admitted. "And not that you actually care or anything, but I didn't kill him. As we speak, he's probably still crying in his own urine. That's dad for you."
"Oh, Faust..." Crystal whispered fearfully. He tried his best to keep calm. "So, mind telling me what your big plan is? Because I find it hard to believe that you would risk imprisonment just so you can come here and kidnap me!"
"No big plan." Sterling shrugged. "Just some unfinished business between you and I."
"What unfinished business?!" Crystal asked.
"Don't act like you don't know." Sterling growled.
"Sterling, please! I have a wife!" Crystal begged. "Her name's Desert Wind!"
“A wife, you say?” Sterling mused.
"Yes, yes!" Crystal nodded. "My adoring supportive wife, whome I love more than life itself!"
"I see... does Desert Wind know you're sleeping with Sandy Stone?" Sterling asked.
Crystal froze.
"What the- how did you-" He spluttered.
"I kept tabs on you every now and then, back when I was with the Forefathers. You never struck me as a monogamous type of pony." Sterling revealed. "...But speaking of tabs, I’ve been rifling through your desk before you got there, and it seems you've been trying to do the same."
"So, you've been looking through my desk." Crystal growled. "That's how Gold's-"
"Don't change the subject." Sterling slapped the back of Crystal's head. "You've been busy, bro."
"Yeah, busy trying to track you down." Crystal declared. "I even made plans to join forces with Equestria to find you."
"All this effort, just so you could have me arrested?" Sterling frowned.
"I did it so I could get you help!" Crystal retorted.
"Oh, by help, you mean having me taken somewhere isolated and quickly executed?" Sterling glared.
"Come on, I wouldn't do that-" Crystal started.
"Yes, you would." Sterling said coldly. "I know you, Crystal. It's what you do."
"What are you talking about?!" Crystal snarled.
"I'm talking about you!" Sterling yelled. "For as far I as remember, you always had a way with words. Telling everypony who asks how messed up I was, how troubled I was, how I was the problem child... making it look like I'm the bad guy!" He chuckled darkly. "If only they knew the real story..."
"Sterling, please, I... uh..." Crystal struggled to find the words.
"Keep bluffing. I'm enjoying this." Sterling smirked.
"Enjoying what?!" Crystal asked.
"Watching you work." Sterling grinned.
Crystal sighed in exasperation.
"I'm... I'm trying to have an honest conversation!" He groaned. "One second, I think I'm gonna be meeting Desert Wind, and the next thing I know, you're just dragging me through the desert."
"Changing tactics, using names, mentioning your wife..." Sterling gave fake wistful sigh. "I used to fall for all your tricks."
"That' is not how I think, Sterling!" Crystal said angrily. "That's how you think!"
"And now you're turning it back on me." Sterling shoved him again. "You take after mother."
"Listen to yourself!" Crystal turned to face Sterling, outraged. "Just listen to yourself! You twist every act and blame it on somepony else! It's what you do! Mom and dad were terrible, but they didn't put the match in your hoof when you burnt down that damn house! And I didn't squeeze the trigger when YOU killed all those ponies!"
"...No. It is my fault." Sterling glared at Crystal hatefully. "I let you all hollow me out... control me."
"Spare me the non-apology. I'm a senator." Crystal said, exasperated.
"At least I take responsibility for my actions, Crystal." Sterling announced, stopping shortly after. "Now, it's your turn."
"What are you-" Crystal suddenly stopped, realizing where they were; in front of them was the old well that Sterling and Gold used to go to. The opening was all boarded up, presumably following the sole death the well was associated with.
"The well... You still blame me for..." He became frustrated as realization dawned. "Sterling, when are you going to face facts?! Gold's death was an accident!"
"Do you sleep better telling yourself that?" Sterling growled.
"I don't know what crazy lies you've been telling yourself all these years, but the well doesn't exist anymore!" Crystal declared, agitated. "It's gone. Mom and dad had that thing sealed off!"
"Oh no... they just boarded it up." Sterling huffed. Suddenly, he reached into his bag and tossed down in front of Crystal a crowbar, something he bought earlier from the market. “And you're going to unboard it."
"What? Why?" Crystal gaped.
"You're find out soon enough." Sterling held up his crossbow. "Now, get to work."
Terrified, Crystal picked up the crowbar, and walked over to the well.
Meanwhile, back over at Infinity, Loveless was busy, working on an new piece of equipment for his chair, a sonic projection weapon.
"This should really rattle my enemies..." He smirked.
Suddenly, there was a knock on his workshop’s door.
“Go away!” Loveless growled, “I’m busy!”
“Um, it’s me, sir.”
Loveless immediately recognized the voice, as he turned around to see Seeker entering the shop.
“Seeker, what are you doing here?” Loveless frowned, “Why aren’t you out there looking for Sterling?”
“Well, I wanted to come here and tell you in pony the good news.” Seeker smirked, “I’ve located Sterling.”
“Wait, really?!” Loveless gasped, “Oh, thank Faust! Well, where is he?!”
“In Dodge Junction.” Seeker answered, “I was in Trottingham when one of the other agents in that area spotted him. It seems he’s been hiding there for a while.”
“Well, that makes sense." Loveless nodded. "An out-of-the-way town like like that is the perfect place to hide.” He smiled at Seeker, “I don’t know how to thank you, Seeker. You truly went above and beyond for me."
“I was just doing my duty, sir.” Seeker declared, “Besides, I can’t take all the credit. It was thanks to Agent Aboot that Sterling was found.”
“‘Aboot?’” Loveless repeated, “...I don’t recall an agent by that name.”
“To be honest, neither did I.” Seeker admitted, “But he brought up one of Ricochet’s parties, so I assume we met there.”
“You know what, it doesn’t matter. What matters is Sterling’s been found.” Loveless shrugged.
“So, what are you going to do now that you know where he is?” Seeker asked.
“...I don’t know yet.” Loveless admitted, “I wanna go right now before anypony can find him… but I don’t know what to say to him… especially if he isn’t feeling ‘open’ to coming back.”
"I'm sure you'll think of something." Seeker assured him. "Maybe you could get him a gift or something to break the ice."
"I suppose that could work..." Loveless smiled. "Hold on!"
Loveless rushed over to the other side of the workshop, picking up a device he had been working on a short while ago.
“Well, that will be all, Seeker. If you excuse me, I have to go do something.” Loveless declared, the device laying in his lap, as he turn to leave. He pulled out his mirror and tapped the crystal to call somepony, “Hey. I’m gonna need a rush order. I will be by with the parts-”
Soon, Seeker was walking down the corridors, quite pleased with himself.
"Another job well done." Seeker smiled as he left the workshop. "Sterling, you're about to be welcomed back to the fold…”
"Did you say... Sterling?"
“Huh?” Seeker turned to see Lunard, as he was leaning against the wall, next to the workshop’s entrance. Seeker recognized him as that brute that helped Sterling broke out of prison. “Lunard? What are you doing here?”
“I was looking for you.” Lunard smirked.
“You were? Why?” Seeker frowned.
“Well, Mr. No Legs brought to my attention recently that I had this ‘quota’ to fill, and that I need to make that up.” Lunard explained, “I was wondering how I was going to do this… but then I heard that you were looking for Sterling, the traitor. And what from I overheard just now, you’ve found him.”
"And what if I have?" Seeker asked, a bit suspicious, “What does that gotta do with your problem?”
“I did some asking around, and it turns out that those seeking to make up on quotas usually do so by doing a little bounty hunting.” Lunard explained, a cold grin on his face, “And from what I understand, Sterling should have quite a big bounty on his head, being such a big honcho who up and deserted the Forefathers. If I bring in his head, that oughta wipe my debt clean.”
“Hate to break it to ya, Lunard, but that won’t work.” Seeker scoffed, “Father himself made it known that Sterling is off-limits. No pony is to go after him till the month has passed.”
“What? You’re kiddin’ me, right?” Lunard glared, “That asshole left us to die back in Canterlot! Why would the big man himself give that traitor a headstart?!
“Hey, don’t get mad at me, that’s what he said.” Seeker pouted, “Apparently, there’s reasons to believe that Sterling might come back.”
“Come back?! Oh hell no!” Lunard snapped, “He’s the reason I’m in this mess to begin with! That motherflapper has to die!”
“Well, that’s too bad.” Seeker rolled his eyes, “Look, if you wanna go after him, you’ll just have to wait a few more days. If Sterling ain’t back by then, then it’s open season!”
“So that some other hay-muncher could beat me to him? NO!” Lunard stomped his claws, “I have a score to settle with that bucker!
“Okay, I think you should calm down-” Seeker frowned uncomfortably.
"Don't tell me what to do!" Lunard snarled. "Where is Sterling! Tell me!"
"N-no." Seeker refused.
"Wrong answer." Lunard grabbed Seeker, lifting him off the ground in one talon (his enhancements had made him very strong) and slammed him against the wall.
“Uh-!” Seeker gasped, struggling against the griffon’s unnaturally strong grip.
“Here’s how it’s gonna work: either you tell me where Sterling is… or I’ll try breaking every bone in your puny pony body… starting with your genitals!” Lunard reared back his free claw, balling up and…
“Okay, okay! Dodge Junction! Sterling is in Dodge Junction!” Seeker cried.
“Dodge Junction?” Lunard gaped. He knew the place all too well, “He’s hidin’ in Dodge Junction?!”
“That’s what I SAID!” Seeker snarled.
“Holy crap, that’s even better!” Lunard smirked. He dropped Seeker unceremoniously on his flank, “I’ll get my payback on Sterling, and on those buckin’ farmers!”
Lunard walked away, a twisted glee in his step.
"You won't get away with this, Lunard!" Seeker yelled angrily. "There will be consequences!"
"And I don't care." Lunard grinned darkly. “I’m comin’ for you, Sterling…”
Meanwhile Crystal, under Sterling's supervision, was hard at work, pulling boards off with the crowbar. The older brother was sweating profusely, having stripped his suit jacket.
"I don't understand." Crystal panted as he removed another board. "What do you want out of all this?"
"I want the truth... about this one event from my past... about what really happened when Gold fell down that well!" Sterling yelled.
"Dear Faust, to this day, you never moved on?" Crystal groaned. "It was over twenty years ago! You were only fourteen! Get over it!"
"That's what I've been trying to do." Sterling growled. "For the past twenty years. I'm not you. I don't throw all notions of him aside like trash!"
"Hey, I've done my grieving." Crystal growled. "I moved on with my life! You say throwing notions aside, I say it's letting it go! Something you can't seem to grasp!"
"Well, I guess that's the difference between you and me." Sterling shook his head. "You may have forgotten about what went down that day... but for me..." He sighed. "I've seen many things, done many things... but the one thing I could never forget was everything that happened that day."
Sterling turned and glanced out into the desert.
"It was an hot summer day." He recalled. "Really hot. I got up early so I wouldn't have to deal with mom or you. Figured today would be a good day to spend out on the Nile with Brody on the schooner. It completely slipped my mind that I was supposed to hang out with Gold and go down to this well together. But I didn’t even stop to think about it. I just wanted to stay out of that house and away from all of you…”
Sterling let out a sniff.
“When it got late, and I got back home… I saw Nile, mom, dad, you... mom and dad were crying for some reason… and Nile had a look that I just didn’t like… then I saw Gold's stuffed doll." His eyes began tearing up, the memory instilling anguish once more, "Nile told me... that Gold went down to this well all by himself... and when he was making a wish, he leaned too far and he fell... and just like that… he was gone."
Crystal's face turned to sadness.
“When I first heard it, straight from Nile... all I could think about… was how scared he was, dying in that dark well… alone.” Sterling quivered in sorrow, “All because… I wasn’t there for him.”
"Sterling..." Crystal lowered his head. "I know that must have been hard for you, what with you and Gold being so close. You must have really gone to pieces over it. But you can't blame yourself."
"I know... and for a while, I did." Sterling sniffed. "Losing Gold was like losing a leg... I could feel his absence every single day. A constant reminder of my biggest mistake..."
Sterling's sniffling soon faded, as he then spoke.
"But then, I came to a realization."
"...And what realization was that?" Crystal asked.
“I wasn’t sure at first… but slowly, it became clear to me. When you left Gold in that well after he dropped his doll, Gold still had nightmares about it." Sterling revealed. "He would have never done something like leaning too far into the thing that scared him."
"Come on, that means nothing." Crystal scoffed. "Scared or not, Gold was just a little colt."
"Really?" Sterling sneered. "Well, it certainly got me thinking. So, I decided to ask Nile for more details about what happened that day. He told me how he found Gold's doll sitting on the ground next to the well. He started doing that after you made me leave him in the well. If he knew better than to do that, then he wouldn't have simply leaned in too far like you say he did."
"What? Sterling, this is abs-" Crystal started.
"But you wanna know what the kicker was?" Sterling glared coldly at his brother. " Mom and dad saying you were gone the same time as Gold was. That was when I pieced it all together..."
"Pieced what together?!" Crystal demanded. "I was hanging out with Detail!"
"No. No you weren't." Sterling retorted. "I didn't have any hard proof... and I doubt anypony would believe me. But there was only a few ponies who knew that Gold loved going to that well. But there was only pony I knew who hated him enough to actually kill him... you, Crystal..."
"Wha- that is insane!" Crystal yelled. "I did not kill Gold!"
"Yes, you did!" Sterling roared. "You went out, followed Gold to that well, waited for him to make his wish, and once he was vulnerable, you shoved him!"
"That is outrageous!" Crystal retorted. "You're out of your-"
"But that shove wasn't enough, was it?" Sterling cut him off. "When I went back to the well, I saw scrapings on the inside of it. Then I remember how you had a bruise on your foreleg. I thought it was something mom did to you... but it wasn't. When you pushed Gold, he grabbed onto you, didn't he? He was hanging onto you for dear life, probably begging you to pull him up... but you didn't. You just let his hooves slip and let him fall!"
"For the love of- you are just making stuff up as you go along, aren't you?!" Crystal growled. "I did not shove Gold!"
"You're lying!" Sterling roared.
"I am not!" Crystal insisted. "But that isn't good enough, is it? You've been holding on to these delusions that I had a hoof in Gold's death for so long that you let it rule your life! It's no wonder you're so bucked up! You're not well, Sterling! Gold's death has left you in a dark place, and because of it, you had been blaming everypony but yourself for your mistakes!"
"What?!" Sterling scowled.
"That's right!" Crystal nodded. "It's what you always do! Every time something goes wrong in your life, you cope by blaming it on somepony else! You blamed our parents, you blamed me, you blamed everypony, because you cannot bear to blame yourself, because it would mean that you did this to yourself! You and only you!"
"Shut up..." Sterling hissed.
"There's no denying the truth, Sterling!" Crystal yelled. "You perverted Gold's death, and used it as an excuse to do all these ugly, horrible things! And now that they're done, you are trying to reconcile them with the hero that Gold thought you to be... the hero you desperately want to be."
"I said shut up!" Sterling snarled.
"Do you think this is what Gold would have wanted?" Crystal inquired. "To see you like this, trying to blame his death on somepony else? Please, shame his memory no longer-"
"I SAID SHUT UP!" Sterling tore the crowbar from Crystal's grasp, and smashed it against the last of the boards. He gave a glare at the shocked Crystal as he dropped the crowbar. "Well, looks like you've run out of boards."
"Sterling, please... don't do this... think of Gold!" Crystal pleaded.
"Don't say his name!" Sterling spat. "Gold is dead because of you! You can deny it all you want, but I know it to be true! Gold could had a good life... but thanks to you, he will never have that. The very least I can do is make you pay !"
Sterling grabbed Crystal and leaned him over the edge of the well, much to Crystal's horror.
"Wha-AAAH! No! No!" Crystal screamed.
"Does this feel familiar?!" Sterling growled. "This is exactly how Gold was when he was making his wish. He had no idea that his life was about to end! Killed by own brother!"
"For the last time, I did not kill Gold!" Crystal stood fast. He then screamed as Sterling pushed him further. "Ahhhh!"
"You're not making this any easier, Crys." Sterling said coldly. "Admit it!"
"No! I didn't do it!" Crystal insisted.
"I said admit it!" Sterling pushed him again. "Not just to me, but to yourself!"
"NO!" Crystal screeched.
"It's dark down there, Crys!" Sterling pointed out. "Gold was afraid of the dark, you know!"
"I didn't-" Crystal started.
"Not to mention, you'll have plenty of alone time to think about what you did!" Sterling started. "Just like Gold was when you left him to die!"
"Sterling, please!" Crystal started panicking. "I'm your brother! Please!"
"So was Gold..." Sterling glared at him.
"Sterling..." Crystal said hoarsely.
"Goodbye, Crystal." Sterling said coldly, as he prepared to make the final shove.
"ALRIGHT, I ADMIT IT!" Crystal yelled. "I KILLED HIM!"
Sterling's glare hardened as he pulled Crystal away, sending his brother stumbling to the ground, panting heavily. Crystal began shuddering and tearing up.
"Why? Why did you do it?" Sterling asked.
"You got your answer, isn't that enough?!" Crystal sniffed.
"No." Sterling said bluntly. "I need to know why you would kill Gold! I deserve the truth!"
"You want the truth?! Well, here's the truth: I wanted him dead!" Crystal snarled.
Sterling's eyes twitched, as Crystal continued panting.
“...You weren’t the only one who thought about that day." Crystal admitted. "It started out so normal..." He sniffed. "Mother didn't have time to carry out her daily torment that morning, so I got out of there. I wasn't sure what led me to this well that day. All I knew was that I wanted to be out of that hell hole.
Flashback...
The young Crystal was wandering aimlessly through the area.
"It was so hot. I never got why anypony would go out this far just to go to a dumb old well." Crystal narrated.
Suddenly, Crystal noticed Gold at the edge of the well, his doll by his back hooves. Crystal frowned as he approached his little brother.
"Then I saw him. I wanted to see what he was up to."
As Crystal drew near, he noticed Gold flipping a Bit into the well.
"It was then that Gold made that wish... that one damn wish..."
The words were inaudible to all but Crystal, whose face went taut with anger.
"His wish was about you and him. He wished that you no matter what happened, you two would be able to survive. That you wouldn't be hurt by mom anymore. That the two of you would be able to stick together forever, like the great brothers you were. And that... I wouldn't turn out like mom."
The present...
"Gold was the only one mother didn't lay a hoof on." Crystal pointed out bitterly. "She and dad just adored and loved him so much. And why wouldn't they? Gold was their golden child... and we were just their rejects. But Gold loved them all the same... Gold loved you all the same... yet... he didn't love me."
"That is a lie." Sterling retorted. "Gold did love you."
"Then why did he wish for only your dreams to come true?!" Crystal growled. "That mom would stop hurting only you?! He wished that I would not become like mom! How could he compare me to that wretched whore?!"
"You're really asking that?!" Sterling scowled in disgust. "Think about all the terrible things you did to Gold! All the things you made me do! You made our lives a living hell, just like mom did to us!"
"Only because she never did it to him!" Crystal yelled.
"Now who's the one blaming others for his mistakes?!" Sterling snarled.
"It's about what's fair, Sterling!" Crystal retorted. "Our mother cherished Gold so much, that we were nothing to her! That stupid bitch..." He sniffed. "And to be likened to her by Gold... I... I snapped."
Flashback...
Crystal growled as he stomped towards Gold.
"I got so mad... that I didn't realize what I was doing until I was actually doing it."
Before Gold could catch on, Crystal grabbed him and flung him over the edge... but then, in a flash, Crys realized what he had just done and he immediately caught one of Gold's hooves. Gold held on tightly, screaming and crying.
"The next thing I knew, Gold was clinging onto my hoof for dear life, scared out of his mind. Seeing his sniveling face made me lose all my nerve at first... and I was moments away from pulling him up. Really I was..."
Crystal glanced down, horrified, as Gold was trying to climb up. Crystal was about to pull him up... only to pause.
"But then, as I looked at Gold's face... all I could see was mother's Faust-awful face, screaming at me, sneering at me... laughing at me..."
Crystal's panicked face turned into a emotionless one.
"That was when I realized... it had to end. It just had to end. That witch had made our lives a living hell... and all I wanted was for her to feel our pain... to endure our suffering... but I didn't have the courage to do it myself..."
Gold's hooves were slipping, as Gold was crying for Crystal to pull him up.
So I did it... I just let Gold... go..." Crystal confessed, his voice cracking.
In seconds, Gold lost his grip, crying out Crystal's name as he fell. Crystal tried his best to block out the sound. There was a loud thud. After that, all that could be heard was a weak moan and a sniffle. Crystal simply walked away...
The present...
Sterling was silent, his hooves shaking.
"Sterling... I am so sorry..." Crystal said, his voice shaking. "I just wanted to punish mother... I-"
Suddenly, Sterling slugged him.
"Gah!" Crystal grunted, clutching his bleeding snout. "Brother, I'm sorry!"
“You… will be…” Sterling seethed, pulling out his crossbow. Crystal felt his heart beating quicker.
"Sterling, please, you got what you wanted, just let me go!" Crystal pleaded, holding up his hooves.
"You killed Gold in cold blood." Sterling stated, quiet fury in his voice. "You had his life in your hooves, and you let it slip!"
"It was a mistake, Sterling!" Crystal admitted. "I was a fool! I just wanted the pain to stop!"
"By making me live through the pain of not having my baby brother?!" Sterling shot back.
"I did it for the both of us!" Crystal claimed.
“For the both of us?!” Sterling snarled, becoming more incensed than ever, “That is a load of horse-crap and you know it!”
“And why is that?!” Crystal demanded.
“Because it’s you, Crystal!” Sterling spat, “Because not once in your life have you gave two craps about anypony but yourself! Because you made my life a living hell! Or do you not remember what an asshole you were back then?”
“Okay, I’ll admit, my feelings back then were… complicated.” Crystal admitted.
"Poor you." Sterling sneered. "I just had to feel the great, all-consuming pain of being terrorized by my older brother, and losing my little brother!"
"Oh, you think you had it so bad?!" Crystal scoffed. "You had not idea what it was like back home since you were gone. With both you and Gold gone, I was the only one mother could torment! She only got worse after Gold died!"
"I can see why." Sterling seethed.
"I wasn't even sure if I was going to make it!" Crystal yelled. "You certainly didn't help matters when you came in and tried to burn me alive!"
Sterling thrust his crossbow forward.
"Because of what you did to Gold!" He roared. "You don't get it! I never forgot what you did to Gold! Every waking hour I spent in military school, in juvie, with the Forefathers, in jail, and on the run, I spent thinking of how I wasn't able to protect Gold from you!"
"You make it sound like I was torturing him!" Crystal yelled.
"You did!" Sterling yelled back. "And you liked it! You enjoyed every minute of it!"
"I was just a kid, Sterling!" Crystal retorted.
"So was Gold!" Sterling pointed out. "So was I! That was no excuse! You were our big brother! You were supposed to protect us, not hurt us! But that's just what you did. You hurt Gold... in the worst way possible. You took him from me... and I wasn't even there to… to…”
Sterling dropped to his hooves.
"I wasn't there..." He said agonizingly. "I wasn't there for him when he needed me..."
Overcome by sorrow, Sterling set down his crossbow.
Crystal's face put on a concerned look.
"Sterling, I..." Crystal spluttered, stepping forward. "I'm sorry. I had no idea my actions hurt you so much."
Sterling didn't answer, his only sound being ragged, wretched breathing.
"But it's not too late to do something about it." Crystal offered. "To make things right. To make up for what I've done for you."
Sterling's breathing became less ragged. Crystal moved in closer.
"I know I wasn't the best brother." Crystal admitted. "But I can try to be. I can help rid you of all that pain you've been holding onto for years. You can finally be free of it."
Crystal reached for Sterling's crossbow, a wild look in his eyes…
“You know… I would love that….” Sterling whispered.
Crystal felt his heart pounding, as Sterling’s crossbow was just about within his reach, along with his salvation.
“...If only I believed you.” Sterling’s whisper turned into a snarl.
Crystal, realizing the jig was up, trier to grab the crossbow, only for Sterling to slam his reaching hoof, and slug him again.
“Argh!” Crystal cried, as he now bleeding from his snout and his mouth.
"Gotta say, bro. You almost had me going there." Sterling sneered, "But as the saying goes, fool me once…"
"Sterling, please.." Crystal pleaded, tears welling up in his eyes, "I... I don't wanna-"
"You can stop pretending now..." Sterling growled.
"Pretending?!" Crystal cried, "What are you talking about?!"
"I'm talking about this." Sterling said coldly, "You pretending to act like you are scared for your poor little life..."
"I... I don't understand!" Crystal sobbed.
"Of course you do!" Sterling growled in frustration, "All you've done your entire life was fooling everypony into thinking you're a normal pony like everypony else... but you're not. You're a lying, cruel, manipulative, self-centered sociopath..."
"No, no I'm not!" Crystal snapped.
"You can hide it from the rest of the world, Crystal, but you can't hide it from me!" Sterling snarled. "So knock it off with this 'scared senator' bit and face me like the pony you really are!"
Crystal continued sobbing, tears dripping from his cheeks, his body quivering, seemingly scared for his life...
But as he sat there... his crying soon turned to a small chuckle... then into full twisted laughter.
"Ha-ha-ha!" Crystal laughed madly, glancing up at his younger brother with a wicked grin, "There's no fooling you, is there, Sterling?"
"Now there's the Crystal I know." Sterling scowled.
"That's right. The real me." Crystal grinned darkly, "The one that poor little Sterling was always so a-scared of. Missed me?"
Sterling simply glared.
"Oh, how cute. You're giving me the same look you gave me when you broke Gold's kite." Crystal snorted.
"You mean when you made me broke his kite." Sterling growled
"If anypony is to blame, it's yourself." Crystal chuckled, "You were always so easy to bend to my will. All I had to do was threaten you with bodily harm or with mom, and I could get you to do whatever I want, without having to get my hooves dirty."
"Yes, and I hated myself every day for it." Sterling seethed, "For letting you manipulate me into hurting Gold day after day..."
"Faust, always the same, always about Gold." Crystal rolled his eyes in annoyance, "I hated that about you most of all. Constantly fawning over him, trying to be a good 'big brother' for him. It makes me sick."
"One of us had to." Sterling grunted, "From the very beginning, you hated Gold, when he has done nothing to you!"
"Oh, yes, because Golden Cross was completely infalliable." Crystal Cross sneered. "He could do no wrong. He was the son that mom always wanted. The third time's a charm. With him around, none of us mattered! He took all the love and affection that was rightfully ours!"
"And he deserved to be punished for it?!" Sterling snarled, "That was on mom, not him!"
"Of course you would defend him, Sterling." Crystal scoffed, "You always do. All you did was make Gold more deserving of my hate. Because I could hurt you even more through him."
"And why hurt me? I suffered as much as you have!" Sterling asked angrily.
"I dunno." Crystal rolled his eyes, "Maybe it's because my torment began when you were born. Perhaps it's because I needed to take my anger towards mom out on someone smaller than me. Or since you were all 'buddy-buddy' with Gold, you were mom's second-favorite by proxy..." He then glared fiercely at Sterling, "Or maybe I just hated you just like the rest. You take your pick."
"Really?" Sterling growled, "If you ask me, I say it's because you are spiteful hate-filled piece of scum that gets off hurting other ponies."
"Hey, I am just what the world made me to be." Crystal declared.
"...Excuse me?" Sterling snorted.
"You heard me. Look at us, Sterling." Crystal gestured to himself, "You're a terrorist. I'm a sociopath. You think we chose this for ourselves?! No! The world... or rather, our mother, made us this way. She put us through hell, made us suffer! It was all because of her upbringing that I became this way! Just as she is responsible for you becoming one of the Forefathers?"
"Seriously? And how do I know it wasn't because of you?" Sterling challenged.
"You think it matters whether or not I had laid a hoof on you?!" Crystal scowled angrily, "I could had avoided you like the plague and it wouldn't have changed a thing! Let's face it, Sterling, we didn't even stand a chance!"
"Yes, because none of what you did was your fault." Sterling said sarcastically.
"And there it is again." Crystal growled, "That infuriating sense of 'self-righteousness', acting like you are somehow better than me!"
"Just because you were raised by an abusive monster doesn't mean you have to become one." Sterling glared, "And it's sure as hell doesn't justify the things you've done."
"Oh, like you're not a monster?" Crystal scoffed. "I've heard all about what you did with the Forefathers. The things you've been a part of..."
"Like I told you before, I take responsibility for my actions." Sterling said calmly. "I don't try to pretend that they never happened."
"Sure you do..." Crystal mocked him, looking at him with disdain, "You've deluding yourself into thinking you're any different from me. Well, let it spell it out for you, you're not. You're just as messed up as I am!"
"No, I'm not." Sterling snorted.
"Aren't you?" Crystal jeered. "You're doing this all for Gold, aren't you? Still livin' in the past..."
"I'm just trying to move forward." Sterling declared.
"Yeah, right." Crystal spat. "This is all about petty revenge. Mom and dad knew what I was, and they did nothing, all for the sake of their reputation. Everything you've done to me these last few years was about trying to punish me now that you don't have to worry about their blindness."
"Sure it is." Sterling scoffed.
"Like how you tried to burn me alive." Crystal recalled. "And you weren't even able to do that right!" He chuckled madly. "How pathetic is that?"
Suddenly, before Crystal could react, Sterling clutched Crystal’s neck with his strong hoof.
“Gah! What the-” Crystal growled, gripping the strong hoof, trying to pry him off… to no avail, “Unhoof me!”
“Not a chance in hell.” Sterling said coldly, “It’s time to end this.”
Sterling began moving over to the well, Crystal struggling with all his might against his brother’s stronger grip.
“No! You can’t do this!” Crystal snarled, “You don’t have the stones!”
“Oh, if you knew half the things I’ve done, you wouldn’t be saying that.” Sterling scoffed.
Sterling made to throw Crystal in.
"Y-you don't want to do this, Sterling!" Crystal spluttered.
"Don't I?" Sterling scoffed.
"Do you really think you'd be able to live with yourself if you did this… killed your own brother?" Crystal pointed out. "Haven't you got enough blood on your hooves already?"
“...I've lived with having done a lot of horrible things… you’ll just be the last.” Sterling shrugged.
With a swift heave, Sterling lifted Crystal up.
“No, wait!” Crystal screamed.
Without another word, Sterling threw him forward into the well.
“ARRRRGH!” Crystal roared, “NOOOO-ugh!”
His scream was cut short by he landed on a mound of sand.
“Huh?!” Crystal frowned, as he sat up. He glanced around and found himself sitting in a pile of loose sand. He wasn’t hurt save a little sore from the landing, “How am I- what is this?!”
“What? Didn’t you know?”
Crystal glanced up, seeing Sterling smiling down at him. It wasn’t the same cold smile Sterling was giving him earlier… in fact, this smile seem… smug.
“It’s like you said. The well was boarded up years ago. You just landed on twenty years worth of sand that’s been piling up in here all that time.” Sterling smirked.
“Wait… you knew throwing me in here wasn’t going to kill me?” Crystal asked.
“Well, there was a small chance you might had hit your head on the way down, but yeah.” Sterling shrugged.
“So what?! You’re not going to kill me?” Crystal growled.
“No.” Sterling shook his head, “Maybe you’re right. Perhaps we were doomed to be this way from the moment we were born. Perhaps our parents did mess us both up… but we're not the same. For starters, I actually care about others. I don't hurt them out of amusement, and I don't murder them without reason. Or even if there's a good reason."
Crystal glared up at Sterling.
“Killing you won’t bring Gold back.” Sterling admitted, “And I can’t really have you sent to jail. That would involve having to turn myself in… and I really don’t want to do that. There’s still things I haven’t done.”
"Then... why?" Crystal frowned. "Why put me through all this?!"
“Because I wanted to prove my point.” Sterling retorted, “That despite every awful thing that you did to me… that mom did to us… it didn’t break me. It doesn’t define me.”
"What's that supposed to mean?" Crystal growled.
"It means you lost, Crystal.” Sterling declared, “You may be senator, Crystal. You may have all of Cairode in your hooves. And you can even write our history in your favor. But it won’t change the fact that I’m not afraid of you anymore. You have no power over me… and you will have to live with that for the rest of your life. That enough is justice for me and Gold.”
“So you’re telling me you just came here to gloat?!” Crystal asked incredulously, before snarling, “Faust damn, even as a wanted criminal, you’re still as spineless as you were when we were kids!”
"Like you can talk." Sterling sneered. "Pushing around your younger brothers, using Detail to beat up the neighborhood kids..."
"At least I grew out of it!" Crystal yelled.
"Have you?" Sterling snorted. "No, you haven't. You're still hiding behind Detail. The only difference is that you're using your position to bend the rules and get anything you want... liked a spoiled foal."
"I am not a foal!" Crystal yelled, as Sterling turned to leave. "Take that back!"
“Oh… before I forget.” Sterling paused, as he looked back down, “I would suggest that you stop looking for me.”
"Oh?" Crystal sneered. "And why would I do that?"
“Maybe because of this.” Sterling smirked, holding up a tape recorder.
“Wait… is that…” Crystal gasped. In Sterling’s hoof was the bane and nightmare of all politicians everywhere...
“Yup. Picked it up along with the crowbar..” Sterling chuckled, as he clicked the recorder, “Had it rolling since you got out of the carriage. It caught everything. Your confession in killing Gold, as well as your little spiel.”
“S-so what?!” Crystal snapped, clearly a little unnerved, “You think that tape is going to take me down?!”
“Probably not.” Sterling admitted, “...But it will show the whole world just who Crystal Cross is. Who he really is. No pony will ever look at you the same way again…”
“...You son of a draft horse…” Crystal seethed.
“So, unless you want every new outlets in the world to hear what you had to say, I would back off.” Sterling sneered, “Does that sound good to you?”
“GRAAAHH!! I'LL KILL YOU!” Crystal roared, trying to claw up the well’s wall. But hooves were clearly not meant to climb walls.
"I'll take that as a 'yes'." Sterling taunted.
"You won't get away with this, you hear me?!" Crystal screamed. "When I get out of here, you’re dead! I’m gonna find you, and I’ll make you pay!”
“In that case, I’ll leave this here.” Sterling set down his crossbow on the side of the well, the one bolt still sitting in it, “Save you the money. But you won’t find me. It’ll be a while before anypony finds you out here. When they do, I will be long gone by then…” With one last look at his angry older brother, Sterling simply spoke, “...See ya ‘round, big bro.”
Sterling turned and walked away from the well.
"You buckin' bucker!" Crystal spouted in fury. "You sand rat! ARRRRRGH!"
The sun began to set over Cairode, businesses around the city beginning to close down for the night.
Big Red was waiting at the warehouse district as instructed. A docking port was nearby, but there was nopony working there at the moment.
“What’s keepin’ ya, Sterling?” Big Red murmured, “Please… please don’t have killed yer brother… I really don’t want somepony’s death on mah conscience…”
"Hey, Red. Sorry to keep you waiting."
Big Red turned to see Sterling, approaching him.
“Sterling! There ya are!” Big Red smiled, both elated and relieved, “Ah was beginning to worry...”
“Sorry about that.” Sterling apologized, “I guess I got so distracted with things, I lost track of time. But I’m here now.”
“So… how did it go?” Big Red asked, “The talk with yer brother?”
“I say that it went pretty well.” Sterling gave a warm smile, “For the first time in Faust knows how long… I feel like a weight’s been lifted.”
“And Crystal?” Big Red questioned.
“Don’t worry, he’s fine.” Sterling smirked, “He's feeling a little... Low at the moment. But trust me, it's nothing he can't crawl his way out of..."
“Well, I’ve never doubted ya for a second.” Big Red chuckled, “So, does that mean we’re done here?”
“Yeah. As good as it was being back home, I think I’d feel a lot better being back in Equestria.”
“Ya took words from mah mouth.” Big Red nodded.
"With pleasure." Sterling nodded.
The two left the port, heading to their airship outside Cairode.
Meanwhile, the Taskforce were still looking through the notes.
"Hey, take a look at this…” Master Mind mused, apparently, Crystal had been seeing a therapist back when he was only a teenager, following a string of very serious misdemeanors.”
“That’s not really that surprising.” Incognito scoffed, “Rich parents always send their bad kids off to therapists to ‘straighten them out’.”
"With mixed results..." Ballista scoffed.
"Hold on." Armory declared, as he glanced through more papers. "I think this is a transcript of a recording of one of their sessions." He scanned the transcript. "Let’s see, it says that she put Crystal under hypnosis on the insistence of his parents. To try and remove him of his ‘violent tendencies’... but halfway through the hypnosis… he…” Armory’s face fell, eyes lit up with shock, “Oh my..."
"What?" Incognito asked. "What is it?"
“...According to the transcript, Crystal began rambling about something… and amidst that rambling… he apparently confessed to having killed his little brother, Gold.” Armory said grimly.
“Little brother?” Black whispered, visibly disturbed. “He… he murdered his brother?”
“Hold on, I looked into Sterling’s family.” Incognito frowned, “According to reports, Golden Cross’s death was classified as an accident. He slipped and fell into a well.”
“Well, this transcript says otherwise.” Armory pointed to the paper.
“But Crystal was under hypnosis. You can’t really take what a pony says then at face value.” Master Mind reasoned.
“Really?” Armory frowned, passing the papers to him, “If you read on, Crystal seems to go into details in his confession.”
“Let’s see… 'I followed Gold out to the well'... 'I got angry at that stupid wish'... holy crap.” Master Mind was taken aback, “I think he might have actually done it…”
“Seriously?!” Incognito asked, disgusted “I can understand nothing being done about the disappearances! But they literally had his confession in writing?! What the buck?!”
“I concur.” Master Mind frowned, “You’d think the therapist would've done something with this information.”
“Well, chances are, Crystal’s parents bought her silence on the matter.” Elite scowled, “Nothing screams ‘career killer’ like having a murderer for a son.”
"I don't know what's more disgusting." Black spat. "That his parents covered it up, or that the therapist actually agreed to it."
"Speaking of which... According to this file, the therapist later died under ‘suspicious circumstances’." Armory frowned. "Not so suspicious, if you ask me..."
“Lauren Faust… forget blackmail, this Crystal Cross is a monster!” Black scowled, as he turned to Elite, “Elite, we can’t honestly let Crystal get away with this, can we?”
“Right now, our only concern is to find Sterling.” Elite said firmly, “We’ll continue reading through the rest of these files. Every little dirty secret, every shocking would-be scandal, it will count when it comes to making sure Crystal keeps away from Sterling. And once we get Sterling… then we’ll deal with Crystal."
"I'm definitely looking forward to that." Black chuckled.
The Taskforce continued their work, eager to gather more incriminating evidence against Crystal.
After an uneventful journey back, Big Red and Sterling returned to the hangar back in Dodge Junction.
"Good tah be home." Big Red smiled as they disembarked.
"You said it." Sterling smiled. "...Say, you mind if I make a quick pitstop before heading home? I have somepony I need to talk to.
"Sure thing." Big Red nodded, having an idea of who the 'somepony' was.
"Thanks." Sterling smiled. "Let the family know I'll be back soon."
Sterling made his way into Dodge Junction, stopping outside Marshall Starr’s residence. He knocked on the door, with the door promptly opening up to reveal Shooting Star.
"Oh." Shooting Star said awkwardly, no doubt remembering their last meeting. "...Hello, Sterling. What brings you here?"
“I just got back from doin’ something with Big Red, and I realized that I needed to talk to you.” Sterling explained, “May I come in?”
"...Sure, come on in." Shooting Star nodded.
Sterling followed Shooting Star into the living room.
“So, is your brother here?” Sterling glanced around.
“Naw, he’s still down at the office.” Shooting sat on the couch, gesturing the seat next to Sterling, “We’re all alone right now.”
“Ah, good.” Sterling nodded. “I know we buried the hatchet and all, but I don’t think he still wants to see me around here.”
“So… what did you want to talk about?” Shooting frowned.
“Well, it’s about what happened the other night at the concert.” Sterling began, “...I felt I owe you an explanation-”
“Sterling, please.” Shooting held up her hoof, “You really don’t. I get it. You don't want to hurt me. You don't want me to get close because you're not going to be around too long.”
“Yeah, but I shouldn’t have blown you off like that.” Sterling declared.
“It’s fine, Sterling. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed.” Shooting Star admitted, “Besides, you’re just trying to earn enough Bits to get on outta here. Don't need distractions like me slowing you down..."
"No, it's not that." Sterling shook his head. "I don't think of you as a distraction. You're a beautiful, talented, amazing mare."
"Well, that's sweet of you to say." Shooting Star gave a small smile.
“The truth is, Shooting… I’ve been dealing with a lot of emotional baggage lately.” Sterling revealed, “Some of which has been bugging me for a long time.”
"That sounds terrible." Shooting Star frowned. "And such a burden."
"It was." Sterling sighed. "But I've put all that behind my now, and I'm ready to move on."
"Really?" Shooting Star smiled happily.
“Which is why I’m here to tell you… I’m going to be leaving Dodge Junction tomorrow.” Sterling sighed.
"You... What?" Shooting Star's smile changed to a look of sadness. "But... Why?"
"Even after making peace, with my demons... I just can’t stay here." Sterling sighed. "I told you first because I care about you."
"Well... I guess that's something." Shooting Star pouted. "At least you had the nerve to say it to my face. Not every guy is willing to do that..."
“But there is something I want to do before I leave…” Sterling revealed, “...I would like to have that drink with you.”
“Wait… really?” Shooting asked, surprised.
“That’s right.” Sterling nodded, “I want a chance to see what it is that is between us, and if my feelings for you are real…” He rubbed the back of his head, “And… maybe… just maybe, we could possibly give it a shot. Y’know, you and me… if you’re not busy, I mean.”
"Mmm..." Shooting grinned, “You know… I think I could definitely make some time for that."
“Great.” Sterling smiled, “Well, I better get back to the homestead. I kinda had a long day, and I’m starving.”
"Go on, then." Shooting Star kissed him on the cheek. "I've waited this long. Another day won't hurt."
"I'll see you then." Sterling stroked her cheek.
Sterling returned to the homestead, rubbing the spot where Shooting Star had kissed him.
"That went pretty well." He smiled. "Maybe things are finally looking up. Maybe I can finally begin a new chapter in my life..."
After making it back to the homestead in time for dinner, Sterling made quick work of the food (while providing vague answers to the boys when they asked how his trip with Big Red went). Afterwards, he cleaned up and went to sleep back on his couch (finding it strangely comfortable after their time apart).
The following morning, Sterling joined the family for breakfast. As he sat down and ate, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness. He was more than aware that there was only two days left before Father’s deadline was up and he would be hunted by the Forefathers.
After everything the family had done for him, he knew that today was a better time than any to leave.
"Great breakfast, Cherry." He smiled.
"Thank you, Sterling." Cherry nodded.
"Ya must like it." Big Red chuckled. "Yer already close tah finishin' yer seconds."
"Seriously, Sterling, we already have one eating machine around here." Huckleberry joked.
"Very funny, Huck." Globe pouted.
"At least you'll have plenty of energy to work the orchard today." Eclipse noted.
"Yeah, about that..." Sterling's face fell. "I figure now is a better time than any to tell you… I’m planning on leaving today.
"Say what?" Big Red frowned.
"You are?" Cherry gasped.
"Oh..." Globe bowed his head sadly.
"Like, today, today?" Huckleberry asked.
"So you're running out on us, just like that?" Eclipse glared, half-disappointed, half-angry.
"Why, Sterling?" Big Red asked. "Why are you sayin' this?"
"Red, I'm grateful for everything you did for me." Sterling admitted. "Taking me in, letting me be with you and your family, giving me a job, being a good friend… helping me with my own… problems. I'll never be able to thank you enough. All of you." He looked around at the others. "But... I have to go.”
“Really?” Big Red frowned, “Sterling, ya can’t just leave. Especially if ya don’t know where ya goin’.”
“That’s the thing. I do know where I’m going.” Sterling gave a small smile, “You see, I was thinking of maybe taking a tour around Equestria. Go places like the Badlands, Rainbow Falls, Luna Bay... I’ve been here for many years, and there so much I haven’t seen.”
"Is that really what it's all about?" Cherry frowned. "Sight-seeing?"
“...Well, there might be a little more to it than that..." Sterling admitted.
“Well, if ya asked me, Ah feel like yer runnin’ from… yer problems. Runnin’ won’t solve anything.” Big Red declared, knowing full well Sterling’s true reason, a bit disappointed, “Ah’ve thought that maybe after all the time ya spent, ya would know that by now…”
“I do know that.” Sterling nodded solemnly, “But I can’t simply stay here forever. That is why I wanna go see the world. My ‘problems’ will catch up eventually… when it does, I’ll face them, with no regrets and without running… I promise you that.”
“...Ah guess that's sumthin'." Big Red admitted. "Good luck, pardner."
"Here's hopin'." Sterling nodded.
"I know we didn't exactly get off on the right hoof." Cherry admitted. "But I'm glad to have met you, Sterling."
"Same here, Cherry." Sterling smiled.
"We're gonna miss you, Sterling." Globe pouted. "You were a great houseguest."
"Things sure were interesting with you around." Eclipse admitted.
"You can say that again." Huckleberry chuckled.
"Thanks, boys." Sterling smiled. "I'll miss you all too."
Sterling brought the boys into a hug (Eclipse reluctantly joining in).
"And you might want to tell your folks about Bolero." He whispered to Globe. "After I leave, of course."
Globe nodded silently.
"If he'd told us sooner, we coulda put together a proper farewell for ya." Big Red declared.
"That would've been nice." Sterling admitted. "But I really should be going, before-"
Suddenly, the kitchen window shattered, and a silver canister flew into the room. Before anypony could comprehend what’s going on, the canister started emitting a white gas.
"What in tarnation..." Big Red trailed off, as he dropped to the floor, unconscious.
"My wor..." Cherry collapsed.
"What is..." Eclipse stumbled.
"I just woke up..." Huckleberry groaned, teetering over.
"Sterling...?" Globe mumbled, before dropping downwards.
“No… no…” Sterling panicked, as he struggled to stay awake. “The Forefathers… they’ve found me… but… but I have two days left… why are they…”
Sterling fell to his knees, his vision growing fuzzy. As it did, he heard faint hoofsteps as they grew closer to him.
"Grab the others." A voice ordered.
The last thing Sterling heard before falling unconscious was more hoofsteps.