The Ghost Of Me

by Bluecatcinema

Darkest Part

The group made their way to the mess hall, where they got their food (which was, as per the name of the night, tacos).

"Okay, let's make this quick." Caboose urged as he set his plate. "I'm dyin' to know what happens next."

Caboose began shoveling food into his mouth.

"If you eat too much, you'll be just plain dying." Fletcher grimaced.

"Who's dying?"

Caboose and Fletcher glanced up, as none other than Ballista joined them. He had changed much since Black first joined the team. He was more weathered, had a few more scars, but otherwise, he had aged well. He was wearing a collared sweater and a black leather jacket. The only thing that had remained consistent was his balding mane.

"Hey, Ballista." Black smiled.

"Black." Ballista nodded. "I see you're still showing the newbies around. I figured you'd be done by now."

"Sorry about that." Black rubbed his head. "They were a bit hesitant to come with us, especially after finding out I was alive, so I had to tell them my life story."

"Well, I guess that was unavoidable, mate." Ballista joked. "I'm surprised these two are still listening. How long have you been telling this story, nearly two days?"

"What can I say? I'm quite the storyteller." Black boasted.

"So you're Cutter Ballista." Fletcher mused. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Black has told us a lot about you."

"Charmed, mate." Ballista smirked. "You must be Fletcher." He turned to Caboose, who was still chewing his food. "And that must make you Caboose."

"Thfff's mmmf." Caboose suddenly gulped, and smiled, sauce dripping out of his mouth. "That's me, sir! And you're the guy who turned Black into a psycho, lied to your own troops, and went ahead with an attack to wipe out a bunch of peaceful Changelings!" Everypony else remained silent, as Ballista stared at Caboose, who was wearing a particularly dumb smile. "Don't worry though, we won't hold it against you."

"...So..." Ballista gave Black an awkward smirk. "Nice to know you spared no details in explaining what happened."

"Sorry, but I couldn't pull any punches." Black cringed.

"Nah, it's fine, mate." Ballista shrugged. "I'll admit, I made some mistakes I wasn't particularly proud of."

"Haven't we all?" Pike suddenly declared, taking a bite of his taco.

"Well, some of us, at least." Ballista shrugged. "But at least we've gotten the chance to make up for those mistakes."

"You're preachin' to the choir, pal." Pike nodded.

"So, Black. where are you up to now?" Ballista asked.

"Oh, just the part where I 'died'." Black declared.

"Then you're getting to one of the good parts." Ballista smiled.

"I'll say." Pike agreed. "I really get a chance to shine in this part."

"Hey, I'm the one telling this story." Black pouted.

"Yeah, but you were out for most of what happened next." Ballista pointed out. "So let me pitch in."

"Okay, fine..." Black sighed. "Go ahead."

"Thanks." Ballista smiled, as everypony turned to him. "So, here's what happened next..."

Years ago...

As the Crystal Empire recovered from the devastation, Elite ruminated on what to do next, having just witnessed Black's final stand alongside Armory.

"Black..." Armory whispered as he and Elite watched from afar, observing Black's body being put on a carriage pulled by Big Red at the castle's gate. "I just can't believe he's gone. After everything we've been through..." He sadly turned to Elite. "Why did he do that?"

"Who can say?" Elite sighed. "Perhaps Black felt this was the only way he could repent for what he did... or whatever that horn made him do. I guess we may never know."

"Yeah..." Armory murmured, sniffing a bit. "So... what now? Are we really just going to leave him like this? I know his family would afford him a decent burial, but..." He trailed off, letting out a sigh.

Elite watched as Big Red began to pull the carriage away, his destination being the train station where a train to Dodge Junction was probably waiting for him. His face hardened as he knew what he had to do.

"...Armory?" Elite asked suddenly. "Do you still have those teleport crystals from all those years ago?"

"You mean the ones from the faked assassination attempt?" Armory frowned, as he pulled out the light blue crystal that Black had donned during the said event. "Um, yeah... why?"

"Did you ever figure out that flaw with the 'range'?" Elite asked.

"Well, duh, it was the very first thing I worked on since Black disappeared the first time." Armory snorted. "But I don't see why-"

Armory lit up, having caught on to what Elite was implying.

"OH!" He gasped. "So you want me to... 'warp his body'... back to us?"

"That is exactly what I want." Elite said firmly. "I left Black hanging once, and I am never doing it again." He let out a sigh. "I know this Big Red fellow is like family to Black, but we can't let him be buried in the belief he was a traitor. He was one of us, and we're going to honor him in our own way."

"But how are you going to do it?" Armory asked.

"You just leave that to me." Elite smiled, taking the light blue crystal. "Tell the others to get back to the HQ, and have the other crystal set up. If anypony asks, I've got an errand to run..."

"...Alright, sir." Armory nodded, giving a small smile,."Good luck."

Utilizing all his stealth from many years of experience, Elite followed Big Red back to Dodge Junction, keeping his distance all the way to the train station and then taking to the air to follow the train all the way to its destination.

Ultimately, Elite arrived at the cherry orchard, where he watched as Black's body was placed in a homemade coffin. The Director hid behind a nearby tree, biding his time until Big Red, after notably looking at Black's body with a silent, sad look on his face, made to dig the grave.

Elite rushed over, and opened up the coffin. Swiftly, he pulled out the light blue crystal and planted it against the back of Black's neck, so to not attract any attention. As soon as he did, Elite couldn't help but pause for a moment and glance at Black's lifeless form.

'You're coming home, old friend.' He thought, gingerly rubbing his mane.

Hearing hoofsteps, Elite quickly rushed back under cover, and watched as Black's body was buried, with Big Red, Shine and his family watching. Once they all departed, Elite contacted Armory over his mini crystal sphere communicator.

"It's time." He declared. "Get ready..."

Back at the base, Armory was in his lab, having cleared a table for his deceased friend, the other teleport crystal (being of a light orange color) glowing brightly at the head of it.

"Here goes nothing..." Armory mused, as he tapped the crystal.

Meanwhile, Mist stood alongside her fiance Blue Blazes, talking to Black's headstone.

"I'm not sure what to say." She admitted. "You were a monster, but from what I've heard, you had the best interests of Equestria in mind. If only you hadn't been so extreme in your views, things might have turned out differently. Maybe I could have known my uncle, and you your niece. But at least now, you're at peace." She sniffed, tears coming to her eyes. "Goodbye... uncle."

"Nice speech, Mist." Blue declared.

"Thanks." Mist wiped her eyes.

As Mist and Blue walked away from Black's grave, Mist caught a glimpse of a brief flash of light out of the corner of her eye.

"What the-?" She turned to look back, but everything around the place was the same.

"What's up, Mist?" Blue asked.

"It's... nothing." Mist admitted. "Darn watery eyes got me seeing things..."

The flash Mist saw was actually the result of the crystal activating, and pulling Black's body away from what was intended to be his final resting place.

In the blink of an eye, Black's body appeared within Armory's workshop.

"Eureka!" Armory smiled, as he then brought up his own communicator crystal sphere. "You did it, sir! Black's body is with us!"

"Excellent." Elite declared. "Have Triage prepare him for a proper burial. I'll be there soon."

"Roger that." Armory nodded.

Obeying orders, Armory brought in Triage.

"I'm glad to see everything went as planned." Triage mused.

"You and me both." Armory agreed. "Poor Black... just look at the mess he's become. It makes me feel terrible, knowing my old friend wound up in such a state." He sighed deeply. "You've gotta help him. He needs to be buried with dignity, not looking like he was trampled by a buffalo stampede."

"I assure you, I'll do the best I can." Triage declared.

"Thanks, T." Armory smiled. "Good luck."

Once Armory left the room, Triage went to work, as he examined Black's body, intending to clean him up, and make him more presentable for the funeral.

"It's truly a shame." Triage sighed, as he examined Black for any broken bones that needed to be put back into place. "I know you and I didn't really know each other. But I do know that you didn't deserve to have your life cut short like this. I only hope that you will find peace with yourself in the afterl-"

Suddenly, his instruments picked something up as he checked Black's chest.

“Huh?” Triage’s ears perked up, as he glanced at his instruments. “I could have sworn…” He shrugged. “I must be hearing things…”

The instruments picked up something again.

“There it is again.” Triage frowned. “But how? Either these things are busted or…”

Triage froze, as he glanced at Black’s body suspiciously.

“No…” Triage muttered, “It can’t be…”

Acting on his suspicions, Triage pulled out his stethoscope and placed it on Black’s chest. For an agonizing few seconds, he heard nothing. He was about ready to call it quits and chalk things up to faulty equipment… until he heard the faint thump of a weak heartbeat.

"Incredible..." He whispered, as another slow beat gradually followed. "Absolutely incredible..."

Minutes later, Triage rushed into the main area, just as Elite returned, with the others already there to greet him.

"Good to have you back, boss." Ballista declared.

"Rrf." Titan smiled.

"It just isn't the same here without you." Incognito admitted.

"Of course not." Armory smiled. "He's our boss."

"Well, obviously." Master Mind rolled his eyes. "But it is good to see you return, sir."

"Thanks, guys." Elite smiled.

"Everypony!" He gasped, winded by his efforts.

“Triage?” Elite frowned. “What’s wrong?”

"Is there a problem with Black's body?" Armory frowned.

"Quite the opposite, actually." Triage declared. "Black... he's alive!"

"You've got to be ribbing us." Ballista frowned.

"If he is, it isn't very funny." Armory growled.

"See for yourselves!" Triage urged, leading them back to the medical unit.

Black was on a hospital bed, his body plugged into a life support monitor, which was making small beeps at regular intervals.

"He is alive." Elite gasped.

"But how?" Incognito frowned. "The crossbow bolt pierced his heart!"

“About that.” Triage stepped forth. “After I got Black set up, I ran some tests and I found that the bolt missed his heart by the smallest of margins.”

“Then why did it look like he died?” Armory frowned.

“Well, the bolt was so close to the heart that it must have stopped from shock for a few moments.” Triage declared. “But after a bit, the heart started beating again.”

"But still, the massive blood loss, and all his injuries, should have finished the job." Master Mind mused. "How could he have possibly survived this long without medical treatment?"

“I have a theory.” Triage mused. “You said that Black was until recently infused with the magic of the Alicorns and Sombra. It may be possible that when Black lost that magic, there was a bit of residue left over, and that somehow preserved his body in a weakened state.”

"He's gonna be okay... right?" Armory asked.

"I don't know." Triage sighed. "He's now in a deep coma. There's no telling when he'll come out of it... if at all."

"Rrr..." Titan pouted.

"Let's just be grateful for the miracle." Elite declared firmly. "Black is alive. For now, that should be good enough for us."

"Yeah, I suppose..." Armory sighed.

"One day, Black will come back to us." Elite declared. "I know it. We just have to be patient, and wait for that day to come."

"I suppose we should be grateful for this minor miracle." Master Mind stated.

"Yeah, you don't get one of those every day." Incognito admitted.

"If only we could get another..." Armory said sadly, looking upon Black's prone form.

"Trust me, Armory." Triage declared. "If there's any change in Black's condition, you'll be the first to know."

"Thanks, T." Armory smiled.

"In the meantime, we've got work to do." Ballista left the medical unit. "I know I do..."

Meanwhile, in the recesses of Black’s mind…

Deep within a black void that once comprised Black's consciousness, there was nothing but total darkness. It was completely empty, save for one stallion.

Black laid there, at what seemed to be the bottom of the void (though with everything so dark, it was hard to tell where everything ended), utterly dormant, his "death" rendering him unconscious… until that very moment.

“...Oh…” Black stirred, as his pale eye opened, only to see nothing but darkness. “Huh?”

Black sat up, as he looked around. All he saw was the dark void, as far as his eye could see.

“What the…” Black glanced back and forth. “...Where am I?”

"Good question." Another voice declared, one that sounded familiar to him.

"Huh?! Who's there?!" Black yelled.

"You are." The voice answered.

"Say what?" Black frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“You will in a second…”

Suddenly, a small glimpse of light appeared before Black, causing the stallion to rise to his hooves in a startle, as a colt who looked exactly as Black did when he was young.

“You…” Black whispered, recognizing his former self.

“Hello… me.” The colt smiled.

The darkness around them soon began to melt away, revealing green grass and a bright orange sky as the sun was setting. Black glanced around, and noticed a simple two-story house…

“...Home…” Black murmured.

“It's been a while, hasn’t it, Black?” The young colt asked.

“Yeah…” Black sighed, as he turned to the colt. “So… are we going to do this again?”

“Do what again?” The colt questioned.

“Well, I’m dead, aren’t I?” Black frowned. “This is where you and those other guys torment me for all of eternity for the awful things I’ve done. My ‘eternal punishment’, right?”

“You’re not dead, Black.” The colt deadpanned.

“...I’m not?” Black gasped. “But how?! I got shot in the heart!”

“Almost got shot in the heart.” The colt corrected. “It was close, but the bolt missed your heart. However, the near miss caused your heart to stop for a couple of seconds. As of right now, you’re in a very deep sleep.”

“But… why?” Black grimaced. “Why did I survive? ...I should be dead.”

“Well, you’re not.” The colt repeated firmly. “Not yet, at least.” He then turned down the path that lead off to the "homestead". “It won’t be easy, but if you keep on walking… you will find your way back to the land of the living.”

Black glanced at the path, only to turn away with a shamed scowl on his face.

“Why would I want to go back?” Black scowled. “I shouldn’t be alive! I nearly destroyed Equestria, harmed and killed so many innocent ponies…” He dropped to his knees, as his eye grew misty. “I don’t deserve to live after what I did…”

“Come on, don’t be so hard on yourself…” The colt soothed, patting him on the shoulder.

“I’m a failure…” Black gritted his teeth. “Dad was right about me all along… I'm a disgrace to the Paladin family. I'm not even a Paladin…”

"You're not a disgrace, Black." The colt declared. "Your father raised you, having you believe that you weren’t worthy to be called a Paladin, but that never stopped you. You never let the way you were born hold you back. You never let your father’s words define you. You found the strength to keep on going, and do the right thing. You were a true Paladin, even without wings."

"Yeah, maybe." Black sighed. "But that was a long time ago. Things change..."

"Do they, though?" The colt asked. "In many ways, Black, you remained a foal in your heart. Afraid to reach out, keeping ponies at hoof's length, only wanting to play the game of life your way. All because you felt that you were better off on your own. Because you felt that they would be better off without you.”

“Because they were.” Black shook his head. “Big Red, Cherry, Marshall… White… Belle… if I hadn’t existed, maybe they'd be happier…”

“That’s the thing… they wanted you in their lives.” The colt explained. “They saw you for the good pony you were. And in a way, you saw it too. And that made you stronger for it. And that's what made you important to them. They made you want to be the stallion they looked up to, the one they loved and admired. A stallion of honor and strength.”

“But I’m not that stallion anymore.” Black growled.

“But you still can be.” The colt explained. “You just need to find the strength within. That could be your salvation… if you could only find it again.”

Black bowed his head, unsure.

"Don't give up, Black." The colt urged. "Listen to your inner foal on this one..."

As the colt and the homestead vanished back into the darkness, Black was left to reflect on what he had been told.

"Yeah, find it." He muttered, as he stood up and began walking. "If I only knew where to look..."

You dragged the depths of my soul until you found it
A darkened room locked away, I let you in
You looked inside then you turned away
My makeshift savior, He left me right here in my chains

But still I whisper
(I'm calling out)
Still I call you

In the waking world, Elite and Armory kept vigil over Black, as the others went about their work.

"Do you think he'll ever wake up?" Armory asked.

"I hope he will." Elite sighed. “Black is a trooper. He can pull through this.”

"He has to." Armory declared. "He cheated death. He can cheat this, too."

"If any pony can beat the odds, it's him." Elite smiled.

Ballista then entered the room.

“Hey, guys.” Ballista greeted, taking a moment to glance at Black’s prone form. “So… nothing's changed?”

“That’s an understatement.” Elite shook his head. “He hasn’t gotten any worse, but he isn’t getting any better.”

“That’s a shame, mate.” Ballista gave a sympathetic nod. “Still, I’m glad I found you here. I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Can it wait?” Elite frowned.

“‘Fraid not.” Ballista nodded. “I've been looking through the files of new potential candidates-”

“Whoa, wait, new candidates?” Elite cutt him off. “New candidates for what?”

“For Project: Argo, of course!” Ballista announced.

"What?!" Elite gasped.

"You can’t be serious!" Armory yelled. “You’re still going to carry on with Project: Argo?!”

“Now, hear me out.” Ballista frowned. “What happened with Black was tragic. Really, it was. But now we can take steps to avoid those mistakes with the new recruit.”

“So, just because Black didn’t turn out the way you wanted, you want to replace him with some other guy?!” Armory snarled in outrage. “Black isn’t even dead, and you want to chalk him up as some failed experiment?!”

“That’s why I am not asking you.” Ballista glared at Armory, as he turned to Elite. “Come on, Elite, I know we can get it right this ti-”

“Are you out of your bucking mind?!” Elite roared.

“Uh, Elite-” Ballista gasped, stepping back in shock of his outburst.

“We've already ruined Black’s life!” Elite spat. “And now you want to have us ruin another stallion’s? No chance in Tartarus!”

"Seriously Ballista, have you learned nothing from all this?!" Armory frowned.

"Of course I have!" Ballista pointed at Black. "Black showed me what we did wrong. That’s why I wanna continue! We can do it better. We can do it right. Whattaya say, boss?!"

“No!” Elite snarled. “I refuse to even entertain the idea. I will not risk another soldier's sanity like we did Black, just because you can't admit to yourself that Project: Argo was a disaster!"

"But Project: Argo can work!" Ballista yelled. "It just needs a few tweaks!"

"Project: Argo has done enough." Elite spat. "I want no further part in it! In fact, I want it shelved, permanently!”

“But Elite-” Ballista protested.

“That is my final word on the subject." Elite said coldly.

Ballista glared at Elite.

"When did you become such a coward?" He snarled.

"When did you become such a stubborn fool?" Elite retorted.

"Better than being a two-faced quitter, like you!" Ballista snarled. “You know I've been working on this for a long time, and all of a sudden, because of this guy...” He gestured to Black. “You're trying to take the ‘moral high-ground’ with me! Do you realize the hypocrisy of what you’re saying?!”

“I'm not going to deny that I allowed this to go on.” Elite shook his head. “No matter who started this project, what happened to Black is on both our heads. However, I am not going to let somepony suffer the same as Black did.”

“You can’t do this!” Ballista snarled. “Project: Argo was going to make a diff-”

“All Project: Argo is going to do is keep on opening the same wound.” Elite growled. “Ballista, you have to realize by now that nothing about this project is ever going to bring him back.”

Ballista stood in place, his hooves starting to shake.

"It's true." Elite declared, his anger turning to sadness. "You would be better off putting his memory to rest."

"You... you don't know what you're talking about!" Ballista yelled. "You buckin' coward!"

"You call me a coward, but you couldn't be more wrong." Elite said coldly. "You're the coward, so afraid to let go of the past that you'll embrace mistakes you've already made. I don't think our superiors would like that all..."

“Oh, and they’re going to like that we're keeping the guy responsible for the near destruction of Equestria on life support any better?” Ballista sneered. “You'd be putting both our necks on the line.”

“If it means you letting go of Argo, so be it.” Elite grunted. “I’m sorry, Ballista, but I'm only doing this because you are my closest friend.”

“Yeah, right…” Ballista snarled. “Go ahead, tell mum and dad. I’ll do this alone if I have to!”

Ballista stormed out of the room.

"What was that all about?" Armory asked. "Whose memory needs to be put to rest? Is there more to this Project: Argo that I don’t know about?!"

"I'm afraid I am not at liberty to divulge that information." Elite growled in frustration. "If you want the truth, you'll have to wring it out of Ballista. Good luck with that..."

'Oh, I will.' Armory declared, as he glared at the door Ballista stormed out of. 'I have to know where this project that almost ruined Black came from. And I will find out. With a little help...'

I never wanted you to see
The darkest part of me
I knew you'd run away
I waited, but you never came

So afraid to be alone
I tried to let you go
Still I find you
Lost inside the darkest part of me
It's my descent, a familiar pain

Of watching all I believed fade away
Of traitors and fools
Of beggars and thieves
Which mask will you choose
What is underneath

The next day, Ballista was on his way to the records room. He was still livid at Elite for shooting down his attempt to revive Project: Argo.

"Bloody, stinkin' coward." He muttered to himself. "Who does he think he is? I've got a half a mind to smack that mule-faced dungheap right across the-"

“Ballista.”

“Oh, bollocks…” Ballista growled as he turned to see Armory standing there, glaring at him. “What do you want?”

“I want the truth.” Armory frowned. “There's still something about this project you neglected to mention, and I want to know what it is.”

“Well, sorry to disappoint you, mate.” Ballista snarled. “But I ain’t telling you crap.” He proceeded to storm past Armory. “Now leave me alone-”

He then bumped into Titan.

“Titan? What are you doing?” Ballista glared.

“Ruff!” Titan frowned.

“Oh, great. You want to know too?” Ballista scowled.

“Not just him.”

Ballista felt a vein bulge in his forehead as Master Mind and Incognito appeared from behind Titan.

“Really? What’s this, a gang up?” Ballista snarled.

“Ballista, ever since the whole Crystal Sun mess started, you, Armory, Elite, and Natascha have been dropping the name ‘Project: Argo’.” Incognito frowned. “Ever since then, me and Master Mind have been wondering what it was and why it had you all riled up.”

“And why we were the last to know.” Master Mind glared. “According to Titan, even that Pike stallion knew what it was, and he was one of the enemies!”

“Ruff-ruff!” Titan growled, voicing how annoyed he was.

“Hey, it wasn’t my fault you were all kept in the dark.” Ballista scoffed. “That scumbag and Mr. Gearhead here weren’t even supposed to know about it in the first place. The project was supposed to be for me and Elite to know alone!”

“Well, we do know now.” Master Mind declared. “I think, as your comrades, we deserve to know the truth.”

"Especially after all the trouble this project caused." Incognito added.

"Rrrrr...." Titan growled.

“No more lies.” Armory said firmly. “All we want is the truth.”

Ballista glanced all around, as his comrades stared intently at him. He knew that there was no getting out of the situation…

“Oh, bugger it all.” Ballista shook his head with a defeated sigh. “You guys want the truth? Well, here it is...”

I never wanted you to see
The darkest part of me
I knew you'd run away
I waited, but you never came

So afraid to be alone
I tried to let you go
Still I find you
Lost inside the darkest part of me

Back in Black's unconscious realm, Black continued his walk through the darkness of his mind.

"Walking in the dark again." Black muttered. "Isn't that just the story of my life..."

Black's musings were silenced by a bright light suddenly erupting through the darkness.

Black instinctively covered his good eye to shield it from the light. The blinding light lasted for only a moment, and he lowered his hoof.

“Huh? This is…” Black gasped, as he suddenly found himself standing on the grassy knoll right by the watering hole. “How…”

He glanced over to his left, and was surprised to see himself, this time as a teenager. The younger stallion was busy throwing rocks, skipping them along the lake.

It wasn’t long before the teenager took notice of him.

"Oh, hey, big fella." The teen Black smiled. “I was wondering when you'd get here.”

"Another kid me." Black snorted. "Great. At least I looked somewhat handsome as a teenager.”

“Please, you're too kind.” Teen Black joked.

“So… I’m guessing you’re here to tell me I gotta go back as well?” Black frowned.

"You're a sharp one, huh?" Teen Black smirked. "But yeah, why not?"

"Because of all the terrible things I've done." Black sighed. "The things I did when I succumbed to the darkness within me. It's better I don't come back. That way, the darkness won't come back either.”

"Why are you so afraid of it all of a sudden?" Teen Black asked. "You used to use that darkness all the time. Do you remember all the ponies you faced off against in your lifetime? Like Fresh Mint, that Griffon, and all of the Forefathers. They were all awful ponies (and a Griffon) who believed they could do what they wanted just because, no matter who they hurt. While others chose to suffer in silence or just do nothing and be ignorant, you decided that you wouldn’t stand for it. You faced each adversary head on, using the darkness within to fight them, so you could protect the ones you loved, and stand up for what was right in your own way. And every time, you never let that darkness consume you.”

"Until I did." Black sighed. "Somewhere along the line, I lost control of the darkness, and it took control of me. And I nearly destroyed the ones I loved. I'm not afraid of the darkness, if that’s what you're thinking… I'm afraid that I go back, then the darkness will take a hold of me once again. That I'll end up killing everypony I love…” He shook his head. “The darkness within me is just too much to control anymore.”

"But you can take back control, Black." Teen Black urged. "You can still embrace the light again."

"I think it's a little late for that." Black frowned.

"We'll see." Teen Black declared. “But I think you should continue on either way. Maybe then you'll come to realize that you still have a purpose…”

With that, he and the watering hole faded away into the darkness, leaving Black alone once again.

“Well, it's not like I have anything better to do.” Black sighed as he began walking once again.

In the waking world, Ballista had just finished his story.

“And that’s why I started Argo.” He finished. “Are you all happy now?”

"...Wow." Armory gaped. "Just... wow."

"I think I understand why this was so important to you." Master Mind admitted.

"Me too." Incognito nodded. "I’m really sorry, pal. We had no idea...."

"Rrooo..." Titan whimpered.

"Thanks, mate." Ballista declared. “I guess after all this time, I felt there was no point in dragging up old demons.”

“Ballista… I’m sorry.” Armory sighed. “I’m sorry you had to go through all that…” Then Armory frowned. “But still, that didn’t give you the right to keep this from all of us. Or drag Black into this.”

“See, I knew you were going to say that.” Ballista growled.

“Ballista, Armory’s right.” Master Mind glared. “No matter what the reason for Argo is, Black didn't have to suffer for it.”

“Well, what do you want me to do? Say I’m sorry?” Ballista demanded.

“We just want you to do the right thing.” Incognito frowned. “It isn’t us that you should be saying sorry to… it’s Black.”

“Yes… tell Black what you told us.” Armory declared. “Black ended up this way because he thought you, Elite, and everypony here saw him nothing more than a murderer. You need to tell him the whole truth.”

“Hmph, even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.” Ballista scoffed. “Black is in that coma, and I don’t see him waking up any time soon.”

"That'll change soon enough." Armory declared firmly. "If there's one thing I know about Black, it's that he's a fighter. He'll get out of that coma in no time."

"We can only hope." Incognito mused.

“Well, I’m not holding my breath.” Ballista glared, as he pushed past Titan and Master Mind. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I got work to do.”

Ballista stormed off.

"Well, who'd have thought Ballista had those kinds of demons inside him?" Incognito mused.

"Not I, that's for sure." Master Mind admitted.

"Rooo." Titan sighed.

"I'll admit, knowing all that makes it a little harder to hate Ballista for what he did." Armory confessed. "But only a little..."

Am I the black stain of your perfect life
Am I the darkness that you need to hide
It covers you
It spills over you

A short while later, Armory was walking by Elite's office, thinking about all Ballista had said earlier, when suddenly, he heard raised voices.

"I'm telling you, I won't do it!" Elite's voice yelled.

"What the-?" Armory frowned, approaching the door. "I really shouldn't do this again. But I've got to..."

Armory peeked through the gap between the door and the frame. He saw Elite speaking to an enchanted mirror, but couldn't see who he was speaking to.

"Elite, I don't know how many times I have to say this." A voice declared. "You will give Black's body to us. Alive or dead, active or coma, we must deal with him."

"And I don't know how many times I have to say this." Elite snarled. "Black is going nowhere. I won't let you have him, especially in the state he's in right now. Perhaps when he awakes, I'll consider it. But for now, he's staying here!"

"This is bordering on insubordination, Director Everest." The voice growled.

"Bordering, but not quite there." Elite smirked. "You know as well as I do that you can't afford to kick up too big a stink about this. If the public were to find out that Black Knight Paladin has been working for me, and by extension, you, all this time, they would not be pleased."

"Maybe I'd be willing to risk it." The voice snorted. “You and Ballista are to blame for this Crystal Sun debacle more than anypony. Black was your responsibility, and just as I predicted when we allowed you to take Black in, you somehow botched it up.”

“I do realize that.” Elite retorted. “But if it will keep Black safe, I am willing to go down with you. But know that I won't be pleasant about it. For now, Black is staying here. End of discussion… sir."

"Elite, don't you-" The voice started, before Elite deactivated the mirror, then let out a frustrated sigh.

Armory moved away from the door.

"'Sir'?" He wondered. "Didn't know Elite had a boss..."

Meanwhile, Pike was still in the pipeline. Ballista came down to bring him his lunch.

"Well, well." Pike glared. "General hypocrite, reporting for duty."

"Shut it, jackass." Ballista growled. "I'm in no mood for your mouth."

"That's your problem right there." Pike sneered. "You refuse to listen to others. Maybe if you did, you'd realize what a mess you were making with Black."

"There you go again, tryin' to take the moral high ground." Ballista spat.

"I'll admit, with most ponies, I'd sound like a total hypocrite." Pike shrugged. "But not you."

"Keep telling yourself that." Ballista sneered.

"And you keep telling yourself you aren't responsible for completely destroying Black's morality." Pike retorted. "You lied to a pony who trusted you completely, so why not lie to yourself too? It's not like you can sink much lower..."

Ballista paused. Normally, he would make a retort… but he could not help but felt there was some truth to Pike’s words. He actually felt a bit of guilt building up in the pit of his stomach.

"I heard that Black's here, in recovery." Pike declared.

"What? How?!" Ballista growled.

"Armory told me." Pike shrugged.

"Of course he did." Ballista spat.

"Now don't go hauling him over the coals." Pike sneered. "Not after what you've done. I can't imagine how you ever thought messing with Black's head was a good idea."

"I... I don't have to explain myself to you." He growled.

"I don't want you to." Pike scoffed. "But you should explain yourself to Black. He trusted you, and you used him. And not only that, you dragged Elite into it. If you ask me, you owe him an explanation."

"Well I wasn't asking you, was I?" Ballista snarled. "You have no right to tell me to do the right thing, you lowlife!"

"Don't I?" Pike retorted. "I may be a scumbag killer for hire, but there's still a part of me that hates what I've become. And I've never done anything as bad as what you did with Black. You should be ashamed!"

"You don't know what you're talking about." Ballista turned away.

"Don't I?" Pike asked. "You're telling me you don't feel the slightest bit guilty over eroding a good stallion's nobility?"

"Shut up." Ballista snarled.

"That you don't hate yourself for taking Black's purity and smashing it to pieces over the course of twenty years?" Pike continued.

"Quiet..." Ballista growled, barely able to keep himself together.

"Any stallion with a scrap of good in him would be repulsed at doing something like that." Pike declared. "By rights, you should be wallowing in recrimination and self-hatred-"

“I KNOW!” Ballista screamed, slamming his hoof into the opposite wall.

Pike paused, as he saw Ballista’s body shuddering, trembling. Ballista pulled back his bruised hoof as he turned back to face Pike, his face twisted in anguish.

“You think I don'tget it?” Ballista sighed. “Project: Argo wasn’t supposed to hurt anypony! It was supposed to do good! I only wanted the perfect soldier!” Ballista sniffed, holding in what he feared would be a lot of tears. “Instead… I turned a good stallion into a would-be dictator. Into a Faust-damn psychopath!”

“Yes, I think we established that part.” Pike frowned.

“I’m a pathetic excuse for a commanding officer.” Ballista bowed his head. “I used and abused somepony who trusted me. I basically dumped a truckload of manure on my comrades… and now, I’m getting lectured about morality by a ex-bounty hunter… buck my life.”

"No offense, but I think you did that yourself." Pike pointed out.

"That I did." Ballista sighed. "In championing Project: Argo, I tore down my own sense of morality as well as Black's. I brought untold misery upon countless ponies. And pushed a comrade towards madness."

"And you're sorry?" Pike urged.

"Of course I'm sorry!" Ballista roared.

"Well, don't tell me that." Pike declared. "Tell Black. If he ever wakes up."

“Yeah… if he ever wakes up…” Ballista sighed.

I never wanted you to see
The darkest part of me
I knew you'd run away
I waited, but you never came

So afraid to be alone
I tried to let you go
Still I find you
Lost inside the darkest part of me

Back in Black's mind, Black was still walking, contemplating all that was said to him so far.

"Easy for those guys to tell me to find the light and strength within." He muttered. "I probably don't even have that stuff in me any more. All I have is empty darkness..."

Suddenly, as had happened twice already, a blinding light shined. Black simply closed his eye as the surroundings soon changed to that of the barracks from back in Saddle Arabia.

When Black opened his eye, he saw himself, clad in the Royal Defense Legion uniform.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised..." Black sighed.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Soldier Black asked.

"A lifetime." Black sighed. "You're what I used to be: Strong, noble, determined to help others... before it all came apart."

"It was an awful decline, I'll give you that." Soldier Black admitted. "But that doesn't mean you can't dig your way out of the hole you made for yourself."

"But if I did, I'll be bringing the darkness with me." Black declared. "It was that darkness, not Sombra, that almost destroyed Equestria. In a way, I'm responsible for what happened."

"That's true." Soldier Black nodded. "But the darkness isn't as powerful as it once was."

"How can you be so sure?" Black asked.

"Follow me." Soldier Black urged.

Black followed his counterpart inside the barracks. To Black’s shock, he saw what looked like the dark side that had tried to take over him before… but he was different.

Black’s dark side was laid out on one of the barracks’ beds. The bottom half of his body was missing, leaving only a shadowy haze in its place, and the top half was battered and bruised. His face was stuck in a perpetual scowl, but by the look of his sole golden eye, he seemed to be trapped in a comatose state, just like Black in real life.

"That's..." Black gaped.

“Your dark side.” Soldier Black admitted. “We found the miserable thing barely clinging onto life.”

“But why is he here?” Black frowned. “After all the trouble that I caused because of him?”

“Because, Black…” Soldier Black took a breath. “Like you said, the darkness will always be a part of you. The same is true for any pony. For every light, there is darkness. Some ponies have it worse than others. But that’s what makes one stronger. The darkness may have taken hold of you once, but you can still control it.”

"Yeah, right." Black scoffed.

"I mean it." Soldier Black declared. "The darkness only preyed on you because it sensed the hopelessness within you. When your brother died, you began losing sight of what you were fighting for. Without a purpose, you lost your way. But by sheer force of will and determination, you managed to hold on. All because of the light inside of you. All you have to do is keep that light close. As long as you hold on to it, you'll never succumb to the darkness within you again.”

"The light..." Black mused. "How do I know it's even still in me?"

"If it were, would I be here?" Soldier Black smiled. "Would any of us? Never doubt the inner light, Black. The light within you is what made the Taskforce your friends. What made Belle fall in love with you. It is the part of you that kept going, even when the world itself had turned against you. Because you believed in justice and protecting those you love. It is the one thing that can burn away even the greatest darkness. Embrace it..."

The doppelganger and the barracks disappeared, and Black began to consider what he had been told.

"Is it really true?" He asked himself. "Is the light still in me? The other mes seem to think so. And Elite... he never stopped believing." Black raised his head, gaining strength. "Armory, too. White loved me 'til his dying day. And Belle... even if she never knew the real me, she still loved me, for who I am."

Black had been a slave to his inner demons for so long, he had forgotten just how many ponies there were who cared about him. Ponies who believed in him. Ponies who thought he was a good and noble stallion. Who saw the light within him, even when he was doubting himself. All he had to do was believe the light was there, and embrace it.

"I will." Black declared, a warm feeling stirring in his heart. "I'll embrace it. And I'll never let go of it again..."

As Black closed his eyes, a pure, brilliant white light emanated from his body, as the darkness began to fade away…

“I’m coming home…” Black whispered.

With that, everything turned white.

Back in the real world, Elite, after recuperating from his argument with his superior, had returned to the medical bay, still dismayed to see Black’s condition had not changed.

"I know I said that you'd come out of this coma, but that day is seeming further and further away." Elite sighed. "I try to put on an optimistic face for the others, but I'm starting to worry that you'll never wake up. And I need you to, so I can atone for the mistakes I've made with you..."

Elite then grasped his hoof with his own non-metal one.

“Please, Black…” Elite silently prayed. “Come back to us. We need you. If you can just come home, I swear, I will find a way to make things right with you… just come home… please...”

Suddenly… Elite felt Black’s hoof clutching his.

“What?” Elite’s eyes widened.

"Ughhhh..." Black groaned, as he finally returned to the waking world. The first thing he noticed was everything was pitch black. Then he remembered that he had been completely blinded when Miracle blasted him in the eye. That would explain why he felt cloth over his eyes…

“Black?!” Elite gasped, his smile growing. “Are you…”

"Elite?" Black asked, hearing Elite’s voice. "Is... is that you?"

"Yes, old friend." Elite nodded, putting his hoof on Black's shoulder. "It's me. You’re home..."

“Elite…” Black whispered, as he felt his body shuddered. Overcome with emotion, Black sat up, and hugged Elite. “Oh, Elite!”

“Whoa…” Elite gaped, surprised by the sudden movement.

“Elite, I’m… I’m sorry…” Black sniffed, tears pouring from his formerly good eye. “I bucked things up so bad. I betrayed you, I betrayed this team, and I nearly bucked up all of Equestria… I’m so sorry…”

"...It's okay, Black." Elite comforted him. "It's okay. I always knew you'd come back to us one day..."

"That makes one of us." Black said weakly. "I'm sorry I ran out on you. No matter what I was going through, I was still a soldier. I had no right to desert my team."

"In your defense, you had every right to." Elite sighed. "If I'd been honest with you from the beginning, and not tried to mould you into a weapon like Ballista wanted, none of this would have happened."

"Let's not go that far." Black sighed. "We've both made mistakes. What say we call it even?"

"Glady, old friend." Elite smiled.

A short time later, the others came in.

"Black... I can't tell you how good it is to have you back." Armory beamed.

"Same here." Black smiled. "I've missed you, pal."

"Rrf!" Titan rushed over, hugging and licking Black.

"I'd know that breath anywhere." Black chuckled, patting Titan on the head. "I missed you too, ya big lug."

"For what it's worth, I'm glad you're okay." Incognito smiled.

"Indeed." Master Mind agreed. "Even if you weren't our friend, you were still our teammate. And we care about all our teammates."

“I owe you two the biggest apology…” Black sighed. “I’ve done nothing but treat you both like dirt. I resented you, Incognito, for taking Shadow’s place after he died, and I took my own failings with Micro out on you, Master Mind. Neither of you deserved that, and I’m sorry…”

Master Mind and Incognito glanced at each other.

"Apology accepted." Master Mind smiled.

"Armory was right about you all along." Incognito declared. "You can be a reasonable stallion."

"Sometimes..." Black joked.

"Okay folks, visiting hours are over." Triage entered. "I've got to change Black's bandages."

"Yippee..." Black cringed.

"We'll drop by again soon, Black." Armory smiled. "Promise."

"You'd better." Black chuckled. "Even if I can't see you, it's good to hear your voices."

After the others left, and Triage had provided him with new bandages, Black drifted off to sleep. The next morning, he was approached by Elite.

"Good morning, Black." Elite declared.

"Hey, boss." Black nodded, noting the odd tone in Elite's voice. "What's up?"

"Well, as I'm sure you know, everything you've done in recent times has come with a heavy price." Elite sighed.

"Yeah, I know." Black frowned. "I made my own bed there..."

"But I think I've put together a suitable compromise." Elite declared.

“'Suitable compromise'? What do you mean?” Black asked.

“Look, after everything Ballista and I put you through, I feel like it would be wrong of us to ask you to do anything more for the Taskforce.” Elite frowned. “I've talked it over with the others, and I am giving you an out.”

“'An out'?” Black repeated. “You mean, leave the Taskforce?”

“Yes.” Elite nodded. “Just name the place you want to go, and we will take you there. You can live the rest of your life in peace. You will never have to hear from us ever again…”

“Really? Just like that?” Black frowned.

“We felt it was the least we could do.” Elite shook his head solemnly, before placing his hoof on Black. “However, if you are willing, after you've fully recovered, you can simply return to working with us.”

“Are you serious?” Black frowned. "Can I really just go back to working with you guys after everything that's happened?"

"Of course you can." Elite nodded. "In case you haven't noticed, none of us harbor any grudges. Despite everything that happened, we always considered you a part of our team, and now that we have you back, we would be delighted to have you aboard again."

"It's not them I'm worried about." Black sighed. "It's me. I betrayed you all. How could I go back to working alongside you all after that?"

"I see..." Elite frowned.

"On the other hoof, I don't think isolation might be such a good idea either." Black mused. "Hiding out on my own, never interacting with other ponies ever again..."

"I understand that this is a difficult choice." Elite noted. "I'll give you some time to think about it."

“Thank you, Elite…” Black murmured.

"I'm sure you'll make the right choice." Elite declared, “But do know that no matter what happens… none of us will think less of you for it…” With that, Elite left the room.

Ballista, standing a short distance away, watched Elite depart.

'Okay, it's now or never.' He thought. 'Time to tell Black the truth, and the whole truth...'

Back in the medical unit, Black was considering his options.

'Leave, or stay.' He thought. 'Some choice...'

Ballista came in, knocking on the frame of the door.

"Hey, mate." Ballista said quietly

"Ballista, is that you?" Black turned to face the door.

"Yeah, it's me." Ballista nodded.

"I was wondering when I'd be hearing from you." Black mused. "You weren't there with the others."

"I know... sorry about that." Ballista sighed. "I had a lot on my mind."

"I see..." Black said quietly.

The two remained silent for a moment.

"So... how are you holding up?" Ballista asked finally.

"Well, Triage told me that I was really lucky the bolt missed my heart." Black answered. "The fact that I survived past the shock and the coma is nothing sort of a miracle. He says that after a couple months of rest, I'll be back to normal..." He pointed to his eyes. "Well, almost normal."

"Yeah... I heard Elite offered you a way out." Ballista declared.

"...That he has." Black nodded.

"Are you going to take it?" Ballista asked.

"I don't know... I mean, after everything that happened, and all the mess I caused, it would be all too easy to just walk away and live my life in peace." Black bowed his head. "I know Elite gave me this offer just to make it up to me..."

"But..." Ballista urged.

...But do I really want to do that?" Black asked. "Just walk away and fade into obscurity? To walk away from the Taskforce for the last time? Can I really just do that?"

"Well, with the way things are, most ponies would." Ballista shrugged. "The thing is, you've done a lot for the Taskforce, Black. All those years of service. Elite hasn't forgotten that. I haven't forgotten that. And we made sure the higher ups hadn't forgotten that. We just thought after all that mess, it would be fair to just let you go and live your life the way you wanted it."

"But in a way, I can't." Black sighed. "I wouldn't be able to go back to Belle or Shade. I wouldn't be able to show my face in Equestria again. It would be like living in exile."

"I guess it would... but it was the best we could do." Ballista admitted.

"I know... but if I were to stay... what good would I be?" Black sighed. "For crying out loud, I'm blind."

"I'm sure Armory and the others could come up with a way to deal with that." Ballista assured him.

"I guess... but what would be the point?" Black asked. "Do I even have the right to stand beside the others after what I've done?"

"Well, Elite sure thinks so." Ballista declared. "So do the others, and so do I. But at the end of the day, that's up to you to decide. And whatever the choice, we'll accept it... even if we don't like it." He sighed deeply. "And besides, you're not the only one who's done wrong. I've been wronging you since the beginning. My 'Project: Argo' made you do all those things."

“...It isn’t all on you, Ballista.” Black shook his head. “I think we both know I already had this… ‘dark side’ of me. All you really did was bring it out of me… constantly.”

"Yeah, you may be right about that." Ballista frowned. "That dark side was exactly why I chose you."

"And we all know what came from that choice." Black said, his anger rising. "You made me worse than I could ever be on my own..."

“I know…” Ballista sighed. “And that's why I'm going to tell you the truth, about why I started this project in the first place…”

“Well, I guess that would be a start.” Black sighed. “So, what’s the story?”

Ballista let out a sigh.

"You see… a long time ago, I had a friend... a friend named Argo." Ballista declared.

Black's brow perked at the name.

"He was my best mate back in the days of being in Her Majesty's Service." Ballista smiled. "We were two of a kind. We hung out both on and off the battlefield, drank together, joked together, everything. We had each other’s backs, through thick and thin. So when Elite and I started the Taskforce, Argo was one of the first to join." He gave a small chuckle. "He was a lot like you, actually."

"In what way?" Black asked.

"He was a noble, honorable stallion." Ballista smiled. "Tough, and fearless. Had quite a sharp tongue on him too. Nothing seemed to shake him. He was unstoppable. I really thought he'd live forever. But I was wrong..."

"...What happened?" Black asked.

"It all started with this mission in Libyoke." Ballista declared. "Some Forefather agents had taken some locals hostage and were forcing them to work in the mines for mithril and sunstone, but it wasn't long before the mines dried up and the agents intended to clean up any loose ends. Me and Argo were to lead the charge in rescuing the hostages and taking down the hostiles. It was supposed to be simple: me and Argo would have found a vantage point, and we would snipe the one who had the bomb trigger and have the others flank the agents, and everything would had been hunky-dory..."

"But?" Black urged.

"But... when me and Argo got to our position, and we'd identified the one who had the trigger... Argo choked." Ballista revealed. "As it turned out, the one who had the trigger was somepony he knew... his brother."

"Brother? You're kidding..." Black gaped.

"I wish I was." Ballista sighed. "A while before, Argo had a falling out with his brother, and they hadn't seen each other for months. When Argo saw him there, with the Forefathers, I could see his heart shatter into a million pieces."

"...What happened next?" Black cringed.

"...I couldn't fathom what Argo was going through when he saw his brother there, but it didn't change the fact that we still had a mission to do." Ballista continued. "His brother had the lives of innocents in his hooves, and if we hadn't dneo something, they would have been forfeit. So, I tried to tell Argo, as he had the better shot, that he needed to take the shot, if not for them, but for his brother's sake...

"...But he didn't... did he?" Black asked.

"No...I didn't like the situation anymore than he did, but there was lives at stake, and Argo...Argo just wouldn't take the shot." Ballista frowned. "I tried to get him to fire, but Argo refused. He told me he couldn't shoot his brother, and I tried reminding him of his duty, but he wouldn't budge... it got to a point where I had to act, so I pulled up my crossbow and I was about to take my shot... then Argo shoved me out of the way at the last moment. In that moment, I not only missed my shot, but I alerted our enemies to our presence... and all hell broke loose." He let out a sigh. "Bolts and magic beams went flying, and agents and soldiers and hostages began to fall left and right. I wasn't sure what happened, as me and Argo had ducked for cover... but a blast struck one of the explosives, and..."

"Oh Faust..." Black gulped, predicting what came next.

"In the end, twenty five were dead." Ballista sighed. "Eight out of ten hostages, five soldiers, and a dozen Forefather agents... including Argo's brother."

"Faust, that's horrible." Black frowned. "Argo must have been devastated."

"If only that were the end of it." Ballista sighed. "After all was said and done... I was pissed. No, I was more than pissed, I was outraged. All those lives were lost because Argo wouldn't take that shot. I really let him have it for that. I told him he was a disgrace of a soldier, a weak coward, that I was disgusted that we were ever friends, that I utterly hated him for costing so many innocent ponies their lives. I was just so angry, I couldn't stop myself. It just kept on pouring out... by the time I was done... Argo couldn't say a word. The look on his face was that of a poor broken stallion who had just died on the inside. All I did afterwards was send him on his way."

“...Look, I'm not going to say what Argo did wasn’t wrong… but surely you should have understood.” Black frowned. “I mean, let's face it, you were asking the guy to kill his brother… if I was in his hooves and I had to shoot White… I’m sorry, but I wouldn’t do it.”

"...I know." Ballista nodded. "After I told Elite everything and retired for the night, I couldn't sleep. The guilt over what I said to Argo just kept on building and building, until I couldn't take it anymore. So I got out of bed, and made my way over to Argo's room... I was ready to take it all back, to beg for his forgiveness, and maybe have a late night drink with him... but when I opened that door... I found Argo... hanging in the middle of the room."

"Oh, no..." Black sighed. "I can't imagine what that must have been like..."

"It was the worst moment of my life." Ballista grimaced. "I tried to resuscitate him for what seemed like hours. When that didn't work, I broke down and wept. My best friend was dead, and he'd died thinking I hated him."

"I know a little about what that's like." Black sighed.

"I fell into a deep, dark place after Argo's funeral." Ballista sighed. "I still worked with the Taskforce, doing what we did best… but every day since, I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened. I tried to think about what I did wrong. What I could've done different… Before long, I realize that all of that happened… because Argo let his emotions control him.”

“His emotions?” Black frowned.

“Yes…” Ballista shook his head. “Argo didn’t take that shot because he loved his brother, in spite of their fallout. While I respected that… it was just selfish.” He stifled a snarl, clenching his hooves. “Thirteen ponies lost their lives because of it. It was right there and then that I decided that I was going to bring the Taskforce the best soldier I could find, one that was without emotions… one that had the capability to become a cold and efficient killing machine… that was when I decided to create Project: Argo, and named it in honor of my lost friend. I sought out a lot of possible candidates, and one day, I found somepony I thought was perfect... you."

"So that's how it all began." Black mused.

"True be told, I saw a lot of Argo in you." Ballista admitted. "I thought I could make you as good as him, maybe even stronger. But I was wrong. And I'm sorry. I should never have tried to turn you into something you're not. I was a fool. And my mistake almost ruined Equestria. Almost ruined you." He sniffed a bit, wiping a tear from his eye. "I know I don't deserve forgiveness, but I have to ask anyway... can you ever forgive me, Black?"

Black paused for a moment, considering everything.

"...Yes." He nodded.

"You do?" Ballista asked hopefully.

"Well, I know that you were only trying to do right by your friend’s memory. Despite everything, you had my back, just like the others." Black said solemnly. “But still, there's a part of me that's still pretty pissed at you for what you did… it’s going to be a while before things will really be squared between us…”

Ballista lowered his head.

“But apologizing is a pretty good start.” Black smiled.

"Thanks, Black." Ballista smiled back. "It's more than I deserve... I swear you won't regret this. I'll do everything I can to repay you.”

“Just stay your cockney asshole self.” Black smirked. “That’s all I ask.”

“Will do, mate.” Ballista chuckled. “Well, now that I got all that wishy-washy stuff off my chest, I think I’ll just leave ya to recuperate.” He made to leave, then he glanced back. “Get well soon, pal…”

"Thanks, big guy." Black grinned.

A few days later, Elite and the others were called into the meeting room. Black, his eyes still bandaged, stood before them.

"Thanks for coming, guys." Black declared, having heard them enter.

“Mind telling us what this is about, Black?” Incognito asked.

“Yeah, Triage said you had something very important to tell us.” Master Mind declared.

“I do… it’s about the proposition Elite gave me before… about leaving the Taskforce.” Black explained.

“Oh, really?” Armory frowned in concern.

"I take it you've come to a decision?" Elite surmised.

“Yes I have. Ballista kinda helped me with the last part.” Black smirked.

“I did?” Ballista shared the same frown as Armory.

“Yep.” Black nodded. “And I decided… I’m staying.”

"Oh, thank Faust." Armory smiled.

"Rrf!" Titan barked joyfully.

"You are certain of this?" Master Mind asked. "We don't want you to think you're obligated to stay-"

"It's not that." Black shook his head. "Between the Crystal Sun business, and all that Project: Argo nonsense, I lost sight of things... no pun intended." He smiled weakly. "But after getting some time to think, I've realized that, in the end, all I've ever wanted was to protect Equestria. I joined the Taskforce for that very reason. I realize I made some pretty big mistakes, and I will have to live with that for the rest of my life… but I also realized that if I just backed out now, then all the sacrifices I made would mean nothing. I joined the fight against the Forefathers to protect Equestria, and come Tartarus or high water, I'm going to finish it... with my comrades."

"You don't know how glad I am to hear you say that, Black." Armory smiled, tears in his eyes.

"We're all happy to have you back." Incognito declared. "You're one of us. Always have been."

“Indubitably.” Master Mind nodded.

"Welcome back, Black." Elite placed his hoof on his shoulder.

"It's good to be back." Black grinned.

“Arooo!” Titan howled happily, hugging Black.

As the group celebrated Black’s staying, Ballista gave a smile.

"That's the spirit, mate… now things can go back to normal." Ballista beamed. 'But before that... there's one more loose end to tie up...'

A short while later, Elite was happily doing some paperwork, overjoyed at Black's decision. Ballista then entered, bearing a bottle of bourbon and a pair of shot glasses.

“Hey, Elite.” Ballista walked in. “How goes it?”

“Oh, just fine, Ballista, just fine.” Elite smirked, blissfully overlooking their earlier spat. “Whatcha got there?”

“A peace offering.” Ballista declared, as he set down the bottle and glasses. “Just a way of me saying… I’m sorry… for everything.”

“Ballista…” Elite shook his head with a smirk. “We may have our differences, but I could never stay angry with you… though the bourbon is a very nice gesture. Don’t you think it’s too early, though?”

“Hey, it’s five o’clock somewhere.” Ballista smirked as he opened the bottle and poured the contents into the two glasses. “Cheers, mate.”

“Cheers.” Elite chuckled as the two stallions down their glasses.

“So, it must be great, knowing Black is sticking with us.” Ballista declared, as he poured another glass.

“Yeah. Black is a strong stallion. I told you that many times.” Elite mused, only to frown. “...Though now, I'm going to have to figure out how to convince the higher-ups to give Black a second chance. I kind of left things off on a bad note.”

“I know. That’s why I took the liberty of doing it for you.” Ballista smirked. “I managed to convince those bloody gits to give Black a second chance.”

"Did you now?" Elite raised a brow in intrigue. "I must admit, I'm surprised you were able to sway them."

“Come on, mate, how could they say 'no' to a face like this?” Ballista boasted. “Sure, they didn’t make it easy, but I made sure to bring up Black's many years of service, to remind them of what a valiant stallion he is, and just might have earned a little leeway..."

"Really?" Elite mused. "That's all it it took?"

“That… and I might have had to throw in a little blackmail here and call in a favor there, but yeah, pretty much.” Ballista shrugged.

"Now that makes sense." Elite chuckled.

"Bottom line, they're letting Black stay with us." Ballista grinned. “Under probationary measures of course. But that'll work itself out in a few months. And it's not like Black's going anywhere anytime soon.”

"Excellent work, Ballista. That’s why we work so great together." Elite laughed, as he poured some more bourbon into his glass. “You know, I’m glad you came in when you did. I wanted you to speak with you about Project: Argo…”

“Look, say no more.” Ballista groaned. “I’m done with it. I’m moving on from that trainwreck.”

"I know it didn't work out the way you expected, Ballista." Elite noted. "But I've been thinking recently."

"What about?" Ballista asked.

“For all the trouble the project caused us, it was because of it that we discovered Black.” Elite pointed out. “And look at all the good Black has done. In spite of the Crystal Sun incident and the breakdown before that, Black managed to overcome it all, and hold onto his sense of honor and nobility. Like it or not, we had a part in that.”

"Yeah, maybe..." Ballista mused. "What's your point?"

“My point is… why should we stop there?” Elite declared. “I propose that we put together a team…”

“...Don’t we already have one?” Ballista deadpanned.

“I mean a team of ponies like Black.” Elite explained. “Ponies with that special something… ponies that are willing to go a step beyond to serve Equestria."

"You're serious?" Ballista gasped.

"Never more so, my friend." Elite nodded. "We shall create a new project, one that you and I shall head together."

"I don't know..." Ballista frowned. "You know how badly Argo went."

"Indeed, I do." Elite admitted. "But this time, we're going to do things right. No lies, no subterfuge... we will be completely honest with our recruits, and let them choose the path for themselves. We will do it right this time. Are you in?"

Ballista thought about it for a moment.

"Ah, what the buck?" He shrugged. "I'm in. ...But just in case, I think I should let you call the shots this time."

"I believe I can accommodate you in that respect." Elite smiled, as he put his hoof on Ballista's shoulder. He raised his glass. “To a brighter future!”

“...To a brighter future.” Ballista smirked, raising his own glass.

They clinked their glasses together, as the beginning of a new chapter was unfolding...

The present...

"So, that's how Elite came to recruit us?" Fletcher asked.

"Not quite." Ballista declared. "We had a few prospective recruits before you two..."

"Besides, my story isn't over yet." Black pointed out. "Or have you forgotten the whole eye thing?"

"Oh, yeah." Caboose mused. "I actually did..."

"Well, let's just say there are still some surprises left to be told." Black smiled. "And a story to finish, at long last..."

Author's Note:

"Darkest Part" belongs to Red.

Comments

[Turbo the Brony]

Origin of Project: Argo and how Black 'came back from the dead' finally revealed!! And the starting point of the recruitment program which brought Caboose and Fletcher began! This is so cool!

[HolyCross9]

Looks like I was wrong about Black being a Nightcrawler.

[Vakama95096]

7644595 so, he manged to survive the bolt? He's one tough mother bucker