Wind whipped wildly atop the mountain, blowing snow across the stallion’s face and eyes. Even though the sun was setting rapidly and the cold was beginning to penetrate his thick fur, he remained there, standing and staring at the grave. It was the first chance he had been given to visit his brother ever since the Blue Knight’s return, his first chance to mourn his brother in almost a month. There was no name on the grave, but he knew that was for the better. Besides, it wasn’t as if there were anypony else but him to mourn the stallion buried beneath the round stone.
He reached out a hoof and brushed off a small pile of snow that had begun to build up on top. He wanted to ensure that nature wouldn’t simply cover up his brother’s grave and forget about it like everypony else. The stallion was bitter, certainly, but given the vile emotions he had now that the stallion who had killed his brother was back, he felt renewed sorrow. It should have been him who was punished for their mistakes, not his smarter younger brother. He was the idiot who kept making the mistake of chasing that mare. He was the one who had been useless in the fight against the Blue Knight in the street.
The boss probably knew he was up here at this moment, thinking the exact things he was thinking. The boss was smart like that, knowing a ponies thoughts and desires just from looking at them once. Brick was never that smart. Brick had been a stupid stallion who had never once used his head to think, only focusing on how strong he was and how hard he could hit somepony. If only he had realized sooner what Thorn had. Maybe if he had let himself learn a thing or two, his brother wouldn’t be a charred corpse buried under some gravelly dirt and covered with a rock. Maybe the world would be better already.
The stallion who had once been Brick had made many mistakes in his life, far too many to waste the breath justifying. He had been the one who turned to crime when the urge got to him, and he had dragged Thorn along because he was the older brother. Then, he had been the one to try and rob that mare in the alley. He was the one who put them in that jail cell and he was the one who got his brother and himself almost killed when they attacked her again. That stupid mare seemed to have a charm on her that summoned the Blue Knight instantly, and he had only learned when his ribs were shattered.
By then, it was too late to escape the Blue Knight’s omnipresent shadow. The boss had thankfully bailed them out and healed them, but that only drew his attention one more time, and that time there was blood. The stallion still had a small, thin triangular patch of missing fur on his left cheek from a particularly hard hit from the Blue Knight. Unicorn or alicorn, the stallion hit hard and fast with his hooves. The boss had theorized that the Blue Knight was an alicorn since he could do so much with his body and magic. The stallion kept his thoughts to himself before they could hurt anypony.
The only good thing from the past eight months was how the plan was slowly proceeding. Factories in Baltimare, Manehattan, and Whinnyapolis had been purchased and operations connected there. Crimson had taken naturally to her line of work, but for obvious reasons, the stallion didn’t know exactly what she did, only that it was highly effective. Everytime she returned from one venture or another, the boss traded a cigar for a bottle of wine, and sometimes that was enough for the stallion to keep his mind off his failure. Thankfully, as always, the boss had been there to turn him away from drinking his pains away. While more than likely it was to keep him a functional member of the team, he knew that, if the boss had the time, it would also be because he cared.
It was the only reason he was still here anyway. After the colossal disaster that had been their confrontation with the Blue Knight in that street, the boss had every reason to out the stallion or straight up kill him. Directly because of his actions, the cause had lost one of its most vital and irreplaceable cogs. It was grounds for a complete outsting, but contrary to everything he had expected, the boss had helped bury Thorn and promised his death would be a martyrdom remembered in the future. Funnily enough, it already seemed like that statement was true thanks to the reaction Canterlot had to it.
Joining the boss was one of the few times Brick had listened to Thorn. It was the best decision he had ever made, listening to his younger brother and beginning down this path. For the first time, he and his brother were accepted for the ponies they were and given a job to do. He remembered the thrill of joining a cause so marvelous, visionary, and complete as the boss’, given an opportunity to become more. Sadly, there didn’t seem to be anything left of those feelings now that he had buckled the weight of his failures. What had been a fun excuse to let loose and be himself had quickly become nightmarish to Brick, constraints and obligations hindering what he wanted to do. He had forced his way past those with Thorn loyally by his side, and in the end, it got his brother killed.
Now he understood. He knew what it meant to be part of the cause, what he had joined even as a naive and stupid stallion. Even though he had chosen to follow the boss for the wrong reasons, it was still the right thing to do. It just took some growing pains for him to finally get it through his thick skull, the gravity of the situation and the risks he was going to have to take to make the world better. For both himself and Thorn, he was invested completely in the boss’ plan and his part in it. Nothing, not even the return of the Blue Knight, would sway him from that.
“Mourning again, I see,” the boss suddenly noted from behind the stallion. He didn’t flinch, having guessed that at one point or another the older stallion would come to give him orders.
Turning to face the boss, he nodded slightly and softly asked, “Whaddya need, boss?”
The white unicorn looked the stallion up and down for a long moment, squinting through the wind. It had grown sharper as the sun set completely, leaving the mountain to be lit by the moonlight that seeped through clouds above them. The stallion didn’t change a thing, didn’t even dare think while the boss slowly scrutinized him, stepping close enough that the collar of the unicorn’s brown overcoat brushed his fur. Finally, after several long seconds of staring, the boss sighed and took a step back.
“Brick, when I hired you, you were a dull stallion with only your powerful hooves to back you up,” the boss laid out flatly. “It was annoying, and to be perfectly honest, I only hired you because it ensured your brilliant brother’s employment as well. But the brothers I hired two years ago died that night of the encounter with the Blue Knight. Thorn died to the Blue Knight’s magic, and Brick died to the collateral damage. The brute earth pony I hired has been missing ever since the stone that covers your brother’s grave was placed down. What happened to him?”
“He thought that he was invincible, that his actions didn’t have consequences,” the stallion mumbled, glancing back at the grave. “He died when both were proven wrong…”
There was silence for a moment longer, the boss analyzing him thoroughly, before he finally said, “Well, if you aren’t Brick, then who are you, my friend?”
“I don’t know,” the stallion mumbled, staring out over the mountain. The snow had come to only a slow drift, which meant, if he strained, he could see the distant lights of Canterlot. Down there, it was still warm enough that snowfall was a rarity this time of year, yet the mountain almost always had a blanket of it. It was a struggle to keep the grave cleared of snow, and even with his best attempt, he knew there were many hours when it was buried and forgotten. Turning back to the stallion, he replied, “I do not deserve to be a new stallion. I am simply one whose only purpose is to fulfill my brother’s dream. Maybe then I’ll find myself.”
“That is a long time to be without a name,” the boss muttered, eyes locked onto the stallion’s. “I think, for now, we shall call you my Student. You are swiftly learning and growing, becoming the culmination of your brother and the strong stallion you were. If you continue to seek out improvement and knowledge, I suspect that you will quickly be prepared to fulfill your brother’s dreams and make him proud. It is a rare thing to see a stallion completely reshape who he is, especially at your age. For my part, I look forward to seeing your growth as both a stallion and a friend, that the cause will find a new powerful witness in you.”
With that, the boss turned and began to walk away, leaving the stallion thinking hard. The white unicorn lit his horn, but before he could teleport away, the stallion shouted, “I’m worried!”
When he saw the boss’ horn stop glowing, the unicorn silent, the Student continued, “My brother did not die a good stallion, sir. He died for the cause, which is a noble and right thing, but he also had many mistakes in his life he did not make up for… I still have many of those same mistakes. I’m afraid that my brother and I have done too much wrong to deserve the nobility and honor that comes with the success of the cause. I’m worried that ponies will only remember my brother for his many mistakes, not having an opportunity to redeem himself like I do. How do I protect him from that?”
“Your brother may be dead, my Student, but the current thriving success of the cause is his legacy,” the boss replied, finally turning to look at the stallion. Strangely, he smiled as he said, “Fillies and colts across Equestria will learn that even imperfect ponies can make a lasting good impact. It does not take a perfect pony to be a good pony. It is the strive to do good in the world, to become a better pony, that truly embodies a great individual. In that sense, I think your brother shall be remembered fondly and honorably, a martyr for the cause and a strong embodiment of what we hope to do.”
In spite of himself, the Student felt tears slowly beginning to drip down his face. After months of worry, confusion, and fear, he felt the turmoil in him unwind, the strands of each of those emotions letting go of his heart and slipping away. A flood of relief and understanding instead took their place, warming him in spite of the cold. Without warning, the boss stepped forward and wrapped one hoof around his Student’s neck, pulling him into a light hug. Finally, he broke down crying in full, sobbing against the smaller unicorn. For several long minutes, they stood like that, the Student sobbing in the snow while the boss softly hugged him.
When the Student stepped out of the hug, he felt new resolve, a growing hunger in him that called for action. “Thank you for that, sir,” the Student gratefully nodded. “I think I’ll be going back now. I’ve got to get myself back into a more proper state than this.”
“Indeed, you do look more like a hobo than a hero,” the boss chuckled, before reaching out one hoof and resting it on his shoulder, preventing the Student from leaving. “However, before you go, my Student, it only seems right that I reveal to you something of great value to me. You see, for over two years now I have had you in my employment and have known as much as I wanted to know about you. It wasn’t until today, though, that you made me realize you are a far greater stallion than I first thought. For that, you have my respect, and with that, you will know my name.”
Taking a deep breath, letting it out slowly, the boss stated, “My Student, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. My name is White Gold.”