The human stood, covered in mud and earth, at the edge of the hole. His tailored suit ruined, his angular features pressed into a permanent scowl as his Uncompromising blue-green eyes, looking like an ocean before a storm, stared down at the terrified, bound pony. The human pulled out a cigar, lighting it, before speaking. His voice was rough, sounding far older than the man looked. A gravelly, bone chilling baritone that sent shivers down the poor creature's spine.
"You thought your little smuggling op would turn up diamonds eh?" The creature said, yanking a dirty shovel out of the pile of soil. "Looks like all it bought you was a spade and a shallow grave" . The pony below screamed, crying into the gag as he tried to squirm away, but a quick knock from the shovel, sent the pitiful creature into blessed unconsciousness. Soon, the air was filled only with the sound of digging, and the oncoming storm.
The human nodded, satisfied at his work before motioning to the nearby wagon, causing a young earth pony to trot up. He had a brown coat, green mane. His cutie mark was an overgrown garden, half covered by the black suit and red tie he wore.
"Need a little gardening sir?" the stallion asked calmly, to which the human nodded.
"Make it quick, I need to get my suit laundered or my tailor will try to kill me.....again" the human replied, picking up his torn jacket and crumpled fedora, before setting the worn, outdated and unfashionable accessory onto his salt and pepper hair. Truly, he looked a man out of his time, a relic of a bygone era, where mobsters roamed free, and private eyes got into sticky situations while narrating themselves.
"Understood sir. try not to bleed over miss Needle Eye's carpet too much" the stallion joked, setting his hoof on the freshly turned earth. Instantly, thick and healthy grass began to grow, until all it seemed was that it was a particularly green patch in a sea of overgrown pasture. "Done. All set sir?"
"Yeah. Just put the shovel away. Lets go home, wheatgrass" he sighed, climbing into the climate controlled carriage while the stallion hooked himself into the harness. as the carriage jolted to a start, Gustav finally felt himself relax. Reaching into an ornate box beside him, he drew out a black, sinister looking gem.
"Cursed diamonds of Ponynoake. Most criminals would've had the sense to leave them lie, in that rotting temple. But nooo. Now? Traipsing through a city of ghosts to steal cursed gems seems like a good idea now." Gustav grumbled sarcastically. Of course, he had little room to talk. His organization funded something like 85% of Daring Do's expeditions. (Most of which were not dangerous enough to be written about) and kept her true identity under wraps.
However, omething like 92% of the artifacts she... Acquired.... for him ended up in one of several dozen secure facilities around Equestria, with some of the more dangerous ones being thrown into tartarus itself. Gustav could only sigh, putting the cursed item back in the box, marked with a blackened sun, the logo of his Organization. He traced the highly polished logo gently.
"The black sun." he murmured softly, looking out the window towards canterlot, the city a twinkling silhouette in the distance.
Hours later, Gustav stepped out of the carriage at a nondescript office building right next to the palace. the sign above it said Eclipse Accounting. It was a front, one of many scattered throughout Equestria and beyond. hidden behind the cubicles and busy Ponies running about, was the home of the Black suns. It was Equestria's most secretive organization, founded by Gustav himself a millennia ago. Their purpose was singular, To find and eleiminate threats to Equestria, Its citizens, and their sovereign. The human reported directly to the princess herself, via vague reports and highly encrypted ciphers.
Gustav dispelled the illusory wall just behind the coffee machine and descended the revealed stairs, Wheatgrass following closely behind, smiling serenely.
"Coffee sir?" the stallion asked as the human entered the hidden bunker/command center.
"Please. with just a bit of cream, and two spoons of sugar." The human replied, sitting in a plush brown armchair, just behind a mahogany desk. Behind him, A large mural of the Black Sun Logo, with the motto " Oculis umbra noctis mucronibus " Eyes in the shadow, blades in the night. Gustav stared for a moment at the words, his steely gaze tracing the seal of his office for perhaps the trillionth time since it was installed, before sighing and turning to his work. He had a lengthy report to make, Complicated by the fact he'd decided to personally oversee this mission. It would be a late night.
"Here, your coffee sir." the stallion chirped, setting a steaming cup of gourmet brew before his master, before trotting off towards the reception desk. Gustav had always wondered why his secret bunker needed a receptionist, but wheatgrass was a competent and loyal agent, just as his father before him was, and so on, to the beginning of the organization.
" Hey, Wheatgrass...Take the rest of the night off. I heard you were trying for a foal with that filly of yours. I'll finish up my paperwork and lock up." Gustav said tiredly as the stallion turned back in his direction.
"Well, thank you sir, but I'm not trying for a foal yet. Morning dew is" The stallion said, holding up a package of magical spermicide with a wink. "I don't mind, you see. But I wonder why my seed hasn't taken yet, oh deary me" Wheatgrass sarcastically intoned, trying to surpress his snickering. Gustav could only roll his eyes.
"Wheatgrass, you oversexed idiot, You've got ten seconds to get out of my office before I call up your darling wife, and tell her about your little trick. I do hope you remember how much better she was at martial arts than you before she retired."
The stallion paled, swallowed, and disappeared in a cloud of smoke as the human finally cracked a grin. "Been here long 'Dew?" he asked the empty office.
"Since and hour ago, Sir." Morning dew groused, stepping seemingly from the shadows. "That damned pig!" She fumed, staring after her husband. She was a pretty pegasus mare, a dark blue, with doe brown eyes and well maintained black mane in a tight bun.
"I take it he's in the doghouse tonight? And I told you, I ain't your boss anymore kid, just call me uncle gus, like ya used to" Gustav said with a smile.
"Oh no, I've got worse planned" The mare intoned, Rubbing her forehooves together as she plotted. "And I'm not a filly anymore si- *Ehem* Gus. I'm not calling you uncle anymore. Though, you are as close as family. I was actually hoping you'd join us for dinner, maybe visit with the others this weekend."
Gustav sighed, leaning back in his chair as he sipped at his coffee, humming in pleasure as the dark ambrosia warmed his lanky frame. "You know what this place is like. I can't promise I'll not be working"
Morning Dew frowned, sighing in frustration "That is what you said last week, and the week before that. I mean, by celestia's Glorious backside, you haven't even taken a sick day in the last 15 years! You need a break." She said, placing her hooves on the desk, flaring her wings, before her face softened. "Please, Just for a little while, let yourself get out of here"
Gustav's blue green eyes valiantly tried to maintain a stern expression in the face of the mare's larger, brown one, but he ultimately looked away with a sigh. "I'll...clear my schedule. Barring an emergency, Night watch can command. I'll go."
"Thank you." Morning dew breathed, wiping one of her eyes before hugging Gustav. "You're the closest thing I've got to family besides my idiot husband. You need to take care of yourself, Ok?"
Gustav smiled slightly, patting the mare's head. "Ok little dewdrop. I'll try to get out more often"
Author's Note
This will be a sort of drama, told in flashbacks. I will get to why Gustav is immortal, how he came to create the black sun, as well as their future when the elements come into being. If it was a television show, it'd be on HBO, and have this song as its opening. Or maybe this one
It was well past midnight when Gustav finished the paperwork. He stood with a ragged sigh, stretching his tired.frame,popping his back with a roll of his broad shoulders. He picked up his briefcase, threw his torn jacket over himself, and loosened his tie. He ascended the stairs into the empty office, pausing to look over the rows of cubicles in the moonlight as music from the jazz club across the street filled the air.
Briefly, he wondered what it was like, to be one of them. A normal pony, going to work everyday, getting older. Not having to bear the weight of uncountable sins on their backs. He thought back to his first day in this world, how everything seemed so innocent.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A thousand years ago
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Gustav Hendriksson sighed, stretching as he stood, looking out of the window of his corner office. It was late, as it always was when he left. One didn't become an executive in the largest high-rise outside of new york without effort. He knew a lot about effort. Watching his dad try and build a life as an immigrant in the 30's and 40's, struggling to survive as he stumbled from job to job, and bar to bar, taught him what rock bottom was. Lying about his age to enlist in january of '42? Taught him how to be a man. Charging up a beach in France at 17 years old, taught him about loss and regret, as well as perseverance and determination. Catching a bullet in the knee taught him his most important lesson. He wasn't immortal.
Gustav sighed again, locking up his office, greeting the night guard. He didn't know why he bothered working so late anymore. For awhile, he did it so his wife and son could live the life he never had. He and his wife split up after 13 years, because he was never home. It was a civil divorce, and they stayed in contact, but there was no love there. His boy had grown distant, and ran off to california in a van smelling of reefer and patchouli oil.
"I guess it gives me something to do. Some way to feel useful" he mumbled aloud, lost in his thoughts as he stepped outside. He was greeted by a foul stench and a body slamming into him.
"Oh, I'm s-so sorry *Hic* pal..., tryin' ta get home, bu' I gots a couple of drinksss in me *Burp*" his attacker Mumbled, grinning stupidly as he tried to focus his eyes. He was a big man, hairy, dressed in ratty clothes. quite obviously homeless.
"Its fine. No harm done, Good night" Gustav said, Ever polite. He knew just how easy it was for a man to fall into the bottle. He'd watched it happen to his dad, and several buddies from the army. He turned to walk towards his car when the big mans hand stopped him.
"H-hey *hic* Buddy. You believe i-i-in magic?" the homeless man surred, swaying as he grinned, revealing rotten teeth.
Gustav pushed the guys hand off his shoulder. "No, and I think you should go, before I call security" Gustav said, his hand reaching for the hidden .45 he kept on his person. It was entirely legal, he had permits. He'd only ever had to draw it to end a fight maybe once, so he only carried on magazine.
"Jeez pal..I just wanted to show you a magic trick" The big man slurred, raising his hands to show he meant no harm. "S-see, I found something when I was in Europe back durin' the war. Something that got me a section 8 when I tried to tell my LT about it." He said, pulling out what looked like some kind of tattered book. The swastika and eagle barely visible against the stained, worn leather.
"I'm not interested, especially in anything those crazy krauts had something to do with." Gustav growled, turning around. "Hey, Dimitri! Could you 'escort' this drunk off the property? I'll get you a bonus."
he man had flipped open the book, and began chanting in horribly accented German. A toxic looking green mist billowed from the book as gustav turned back around.
"What the fuck?!" he hissed, drawing his gun as the security guard arrived.
"Cyka Blyat!" the security guard breathed, crossing himself. "Mister Hendriksson! We must go! I not being paid enough for this!"
Gustav looked at the large russian, a man who had often told stories of his time in the red army, and had stood up against three armed robbers in the past and saw fear. "Agreed, Run!" he shouted, Squeezing off a shot at the homeless man, who was now rising in the air, light and green smoke pouring from him as he chanted and laughed insanely. The bullet slammed into the man's chest, knocking him to the ground, interrupting whatever spell he was preparing. There was a bright flash, and dimitri turned to see gustav trip. Before he could help the other man though, there was an explosion of sound and blinding smoke and fire, leaving only scorch marks and a confused looking homeless man and security guard.
Gustav felt as though he were being torn apart as everyting blurred and rushed around him. He saw that which cannot, nor should not ever be, that which may come, and a million horrible truths. These were promptly forgotten as madness took hold, and that was forgotten as well, as sanity returned. Soon, Gustav found himself in a meadow, surrounded by plains on all sides. Everything hurt, he was hungry, exhausted, and confused. all he had was his dirty suit, his gun, and his wallet. As he looked around, he soon found himself staring at what looked like a marching column of troops...but all of them were small technicolored pony-looking things. Behind them, thousands of wagons, being drawn by similar creatures. Others flew by on massive wings, towing clouds. as he stared in awe, he felt something sharp dig into his back.
"Claws in the air creature, else things get rough. Turn around slowly"
Gustav swallowed, raising his arms above him, with his hands open. Turning slowly, he found himself staring at a pair of the creatures, one with a white coat and pink mane, and broad wins, pointing a spear at him, and a darker blue one with just a horn, which was glowing menacingly. Both were well armored.
"Um, hello. I don't suppose you know the way to get to Fayetteville?" Gustav asked, trying to wrap his head around this. He was either dreaming, or the homeless man had drugged him. Maybe both. It was only this thought that kept him from a complete breakdown. Things were finally getting interesting.
Present
Gustav smiled slightly as he walked down the darkened canterlot streets, heading towards his apartment. Morning dew was right, he needed a break. He was getting sentimental in his old age.
Author's Note
Listened to green in blue by miles davis while writing this. You now have an approximate age and time period for Gustav. See if you can guess his age.
