//------------------------------//
// The Old Friend 
// Story: Devil's Regret 
// by All American 
//------------------------------//

Dash took a minute before nodding “You, my friends can always come here.”

I stepped forward and hugged her, burying my face in her neck. It was the best feeling I had experienced in a very long time. I could hear a sarcastic ‘awww’ from Josh but ignored him. Nothing was going to bring me down from this. I finally had a possibility of a life again. Something beyond the next mile and bullet. In Zebra territory, I wouldn’t have to worry about any more griffons or the royals. I could finally live a semi-normal life.

“You’d seriously expect less from me?” Rainbow played off, patting my back.

I just remained silent for a moment before letting go of her and stepping back. I had suffered through so much to get here but it was worth it even if I was to die right here. Years of the hot-ass desert, starving, being dehydrated, getting stabbed, eye gouged out, scars, and losing friends. It was worth it. I guess love really does turn you into an idiot. Didn’t matter much to me but I’m sure if my mother was still around, she’d have some interesting questions. Never live this one down. Hell, Alex made sure of that one.

I looked over to the truck and saw Field was waking as her head poked over the backseats. I guess she must have gotten into the trunk somehow in transit. Least she was still breathing. That was all that mattered when it came to her. I still needed to get her home but I doubt she would be happy with that. Not to mention it is roughly four hundred miles in the other direction. I guess her father had to be a shitty parent or something. Heh, I know the feeling, kid.

Dallas climbed back into the truck, ready to move as Josh walked over and set a hand on my shoulder “I will never understand you.”

“I wouldn’t try to, kid.” I said as Dash flew back over to me.

She place a hoof on each side of my face and looked it over before raising an eyebrow “We need to do something about that eye.”

“Eyepatch?” I asked before getting a laugh from Josh.

“Pirate.” Josh snickered behind my back as Dash just shooed him with a hoof.

“There no way we can save it?” Rainbow asked as she let go of me.

“Not really. Gilda did a number on it.” I explained.

Dash scoffed at the name for a second “I can’t believe she did that. Any of this. She used to be my friend.”

“You need better taste in friends.” I said as I ran my hand over the bandage that covered my dead eye and cringed at a sting of pain.

“I said ‘used to be’.” Dash defended with a punch to my shoulder.

“Fine, fine. Twilight hasn’t been exactly stellar either.” I reminded as Dash just rolled her eyes and flew back into the truck.

Who was I to lie? I motioned for Josh to get back into the driver’s seat as I climbed back into the passenger’s, setting the G36c back into my lap. The sun set started to set, just as it always had as Josh started back down the road again. Come nightfall, we’d be in Zebra territory and pretty much home free. The griffons would have to get pretty ballsy to invade just for me and Celestia was still too much of a coward to come after me directly. Hope she likes the sight of Shining in a box.

-

Another few hours had passed as I explained what had been happening over the last few years as well as who Field was and how she had come to be with us. Like one big fugitive family, really. Let’s just hope we don’t go out Bonnie and Clyde style. It’d be a shame to come this far only to die. Wouldn’t surprise me though. Had to lose five years, an eye, two friends, and gain a few scars just to get Dash back. One can only imagine what I’ll have to pay to get a peaceful life. Fate is a fucking scalper at the door.

The land had changed quite a bite since we left the borders of Equestria. Maybe the land changed with the people that walked it. It had gone from lush fields and forests to jungles, trails, and mountains. We had long ago crossed the border, so there was no real rush. We were just going to keep driving till we hit coastline. Had to do it eventually.

“So tell me,” Dash started from the backseat at Josh “Where are you from?”

“Same country as Pirate.” He said as he motioned over to me “But much farther south.”

“God’s waiting room.” I mocked, remembering he was a Florida native.

“Snowbird.” He shot back.

“Foals.” Dash said before stepped forward onto the console and used her forehooves to separate us.

“Anyway,” Josh switched back to the main topic “It was much warmer… and much less crime.”

“Thug life.” I mocked, feeling really white.

“What was it like?” Dash asked Josh as she climbed into my lap, smashing the rifle into it uncomfortably.

“Beach life is the best thing ever. I surfed a lot. Only joined the army because I was kinda forced to by my parents.” Josh explained as I moved the rifle out from under Dash, making her drop down onto her side, glaring at me “Went to a military school growing up.”

“No wonder. They really beat the fun out of you.” I cut in as Dash kicked my leg to get me to shut up.

“Was in the middle eastern desert for a while before coming home on leave. Then…. This.” Josh said as he motioned to the world outside the window “Went all through a tour only to die coming home. Lucky me.”

“At least you’ll be on the beach again.” Dash reminded with an awkward smile.

“Yay me.” He replied with a twirl of his finger.

Dash looked up at me and I just shrugged. What exactly was I supposed to say? I scratched behind one of Dash’s ears as I leaned back in my seat. With my free hand, I reached up and lowered my sun visor and used the little mirror on it to see what was going on in the back seat. Dallas had passed out and was leaning against the right side door. Field had crawled up next to him and snuggled up under one of his hooves. I honestly thought that maybe she had regrets about leaving home and was lonely now, but maybe the better answer is that she was trying to comfort Dallas. I was used to the horrors and violence we saw on a regular basis. Dallas was just soaking it up as he went along. Atlanta just never really cared and shrugged it off but it seemed Dallas couldn’t do that. I could tell this life was eating Dallas away and what the griffons did to us didn’t help. Hell, he even lost his armor.

-

After another few hours of driving, the coast was in sight. Hell, maybe it was just a lake but it was something at least. The water lay beyond a cliff we drove along and it was a five hundred foot drop at the very least to the bottom. The moon glistened off of the water as the fog lights lit up the rocky and dangerous trail ahead of us. I hadn’t seen a zebra yet but we were well within the border by now.

Josh drove down the trail till we reached ground level and stopped hear the water. He shifted into park as the gearbox gave a soft grind. He took a deep breath before opening the door and jumped out. He started off to the water, leaving the door open, and sat down. It seemed only Josh and I were still up. The day had been hard on us all but I can only imagine how long it had been since he slept. He did watch over the roof with Alex’s rifle for who knows how long.

Dash was curled up in my lap, holding onto one of my hands. It seemed like she was still afraid of me leaving again. Just… no, never again. I should have taken her with me the first time. All I did was waste five years trying to give her a peaceful life. Really, it seemed that she did want it. But… why me? Why was I special? How was I picked by the powers-that-be for all this? I always thought my end was going to come by a bullet and when it did, this happened. I was given all the things I had lost when I came here only to lose them again. A family of sorts with Twilight, Rarity, AJ, and the rest of the crew as well as a good girl to call my own but it all came crashing down on me out of nowhere. Maybe that was the price for being able to say goodbye to Alex.

Maybe this is all I need. Maybe everything is finally calming down for the last time and I will be able to truly live. Listen to me; I sound like a record on repeat but it is true. Think about it; I have my girl, a kid of sorts, and two friends as much as Josh doesn’t want to admit. Hopefully he will accept all this as his new reality. I know it took me a while and we both have to adjust in our own ways.

I cradled Dash up into my arms and she started to stir a bit, looking up at me with squinted eyes. I pushed the rifle off of my lap and it bounce off of the floor as I opened the door and hopped out with Dash. I closed the door as she set he head down on my shoulder and yawned, passing back out. I really just needed to get the hell out of the Hummer. I walked around to Josh’s door and closed it as the engine died and the lights cut off.

I thought about sitting next to Josh to try and talk to him but I figured I’d let him have some space for a bit. I sat down with my back against one of the wheels of the H2 and let Dash curl back up in my lap. Something she was wearing caught the moon light and I looked down. I brushed her mane away and saw that she still wore that necklace I had given her all thought years ago. The .45ACP round still hung off the old locket chain. I remember I had yanked the actual round from the casing and emptied it before punching out the primer and slid the chain through the hole. The locket was still inside with what was probably the last picture of my mother and sisters. She had kept it all these years. I know I should’ve expected this but hell, it still got to me a bit.

I missed my hat and wondered what had happened to it for a second before shrugging it off. I could always get another. I looked back down to Dash for a second before a branch snapped from a wood line that lined the area off to the left of us. Instinct dictated that I had to see what it was. I carefully lifted Dash out of my lap and set her on ground in a grassy spot before pulling my coat off and draped it over it. She grabbed onto it and hugged it tight as I stood up. I still had no shirt and the only thing that covered my chest was a white bandage and my harness that connected all my holsters. Both Sigs sat at my hips, my 1911 under my right shoulder, and the M.29 under my left as always. I pulled out my 1911 before noticing Josh had heard whatever it was as well.

I signaled for him to follow as I switched on the light that hung under the 1911’s barrel. He nodded and moved in behind me as I stepped forward, scanning the woods for whatever had made that noise. I swept left to right and back, not seeing anything before Josh pointed off to my right where I had just passed. I did so and saw a pair of eyes glowing back at me. Whatever it was, it was a damn predator. I took aim, bracing for the shot before the creature ran out into the light.

“Shoot it!” Josh commanded as I lowered my gun.

“I know this one.” I said as I bent down and holstered my gun.

A raggedy white wolf with a dirty coat stepped it. It looked to be maybe between seven and nine years old and had a few scars tracing over its face. Damn, it was Remi. Remi ran forward and tackled me to the ground, licking my face as his tail wagged wildly behind him. He whimpered and whined loudly as he licked my face and I chuckled. I sat back up and knocked him over, giving him a belly rub.

“What… the hell?” Josh asked as he looked down at us.

I looked back up and Josh as Remi rolled back and forth, still flipping out finally finding me again “This is Remi… my dog.”

“Bro… that’s a damn wolf.” He pointed out as Remi looked up at him and barked once playfully.

“I know.” I said as I used my free hand to scratch one of his ears that he was missing a bit of “I was training some guards to kill and we came across his pack. Lot of fighting and he was the last one left. I spared him and he started following me around.”

“Are you even slightly sane?” Josh asked as he back up from me and Remi.

“Sane went out the door when you hit Equestrian soil.” I reminded as Remi stood back up and whimpered at me for more attention as I turned back to him “I knoooowww… I’m sorry but I had to go. The better question is how’d you find me?” I asked him like he’d respond.

Remi’s ears shot up and he ran over to the Hummer, sniffing the exhaust before looking back at me.

“Smart S.O.B.” Josh added as he crossed his arms.

Remi ran back to me and pressed into my side, looking up at me with his tongue hanging out, possibly the happiest creature on the face of the planet. I laughed as I scratched his back and looked back at Josh.

“You could try and be friendly.” I said as Remi looked over at him.

“Weird fuck.” He said before throwing his hands in the air in defeat and walked off back towards the water.

“His loss, buddy.” I said as I patted Remi’s head and walked over towards where I had left Dash.

I sat back down against the wheel and moved Dash back into my lap with her still wrapped up in my coat as Remi laid down next to me with his side against my leg. Finally some good is coming out of all the recent bad. I just wanted to live up this moment forever but I know it wouldn’t last.

I’ll be paying for it soon enough