//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Uneasy Alliances // Story: Devil's Due // by All American //------------------------------// Author’s note: I am trying so hard to remain in character and am finding it harder and harder to do that. You people better be enjoying this. Truly frustrated, All American P.S. A big hand to frieD195 for Being my pre-reader. - *Snap* My eyes flew wide open to the sound and my hand found the pistol and clutched it tightly. I brought the handgun up only to be met with an empty road. I let out a content sigh and tried to get a bearing on my surroundings. The sun was barely coming over the horizon as I finally realized the situation that I was in. It had not been an alcohol infused nightmare, it was real. I tried to climb to my feet but my ankles betrayed me and I fell back onto my ass. I was stuck until I had recovered from my run the previous night. I lifted my arms into view and noticed that my arms were torn up and had scratches lining them. They didn’t exactly hurt but I didn’t want to risk reopening the wounds. I pulled back the slide on the 1911 and was met with a puff of expended gunpowder and a single bullet. I took the .45 and shoved it into my pocket. I released the empty magazine and selected a new one from my belt. The handgun gave a satisfying clunk as the slide came forward on the new round. “This is bullshit.” I mumbled under my breath. “Ya’ shouldn’t talk like that.” A voice called from the opposite side of the road. I raised the handgun and saw the group of three ponies from the other day. I switched between targets as I began to panic in my mind. I didn’t have a problem firing, it was that I would attract a lot of attention from the shots and I still couldn’t move. “Back off! There is nothing for you here!” I said trying to be as intimidating as possible. “Why would you run from the Princess like that?” the purple unicorn asked. I one-handed the gun as I tried to get to my feet and fell back down. “Looks like you caught me.” I stated as sarcastically as I could manage. “He appears to be hurt. We need to help him.” The unicorn said with an authoritative tone. The ponies began to approach me and went into panic-mode again. I raised the handgun and fired a shot into the air out of panic. The group retreated a few paces with a grimace of pain from the gun’s report. I leveled the handgun at the Rainbow maned Pegasus and watched as a look of fear turned to one of bravado, like I’ve seen on many thugs before they were shot. She took a few steps toward me and stopped. “Why do you have to be so dense? We’re trying to help you!” she yelled at me. The scowl on my face only grew in intensity “I do not need any help. I’ve managed to evade the guards thus far.” I spat venomously. The Pegasus took another step forward “You will have our help if you like it or not.” I gave a little smirk at the sheer audacity of the Pegasus “You forget that I hold the gun in this situation right?” “All that thing does is make a loud noise!” I dropped the barrel to her hooves and fire a shot, clipping one of her hooves. She let out a small gasp, not of pain but of shock. “Get out of here while I’ll let you. You’re lucky I still don’t hold a grudge from the stunt you pulled back in the city.” The purple unicorn and the orange pony look at one another, as if trying to weigh their options while the Pegasus only took another step forward. “You got gall kid. I can respect that.” I said unmoving. She brushed the comment off and took one more step forward. “You’re testing me now.” The Pegasus shot a small smirk at me as she finally closed the distance. I gave a small sigh and holstered my weapon. “You’ve caught me but I. will. not. give. up. my. weapon.” I said with a stern voice. The blue Pegasus walk up to me and stopped just shy of my feet which were laid out in front of me. “What’cha name kid?” I asked. “Stop calling me a ‘kid’. I’m not a dang baby goat.” She shot at me. “Slang term for a child where I come from. Still, what is your name?” “Rainbow Dash. You?” I let out a small laugh at the absurdity of the name. “What’s so funny?” I cut off my laugh and said “Nothing, nothing at all, I’ve just had one hell of a day.” She was unamused by my remark and shrugged it off “Well, what is your name if you’re so special?” “Ryan Laney.” I spoke flatly. The Pegasus took a few steps back and turned around flicking her head up as if to say ‘enough with you’. “The rest of you are?” The orange pony was the first to speak “Mah name is Applejack,” she said before raising a hoof to the purple unicorn “and that’s Twilight Sparkle.” “A pleasure I’m sure” I said in a sarcastic tone. I received a few nasty looks from the group before Dash attempted to speak. “Should we take him back to Celestia?” “Fuck that.” I interjected “You’ll need to fight me the entire way there.” “I have a better idea,” Twilight said “Let’s take him to Ponyville first.” My palm immediately met my face. “Goddamn puns.” “Can yah stop cursin’?” Applejack said in a slightly disgusted tone. “I’ll stop swearing when shit starts making sense again.” I replied in exasperation. The group gave me a perplexed look before Twilight spoke again “Can you walk?” “If I could, you would have never found me.” “Why are you so against us?” she asked almost quizzically. “That is a question best saved for later.” The trio of ponies exchanged looks amongst each other before nodding to one another. With a plan formed, apparently, Applejack and Dash trotted towards me. Everything in my mind was screaming at me to run but I knew that my legs wouldn’t let me. Dash and Applejack walked over to each side of me and motioned for me to pull myself up. With that, I placed a hand on each of their backs and pushed up. Their fur was soft to the touch as I slowly pushed myself upwards. I finally reached my feet I could feel my legs wobble benegth me. I threw my arms out to level myself out and let out a little sigh. “I can walk, but not very far.” “Don’t worry, Ponyville isn’t far from here.” Dash said with reassurance in her voice. The group of ponies then began to walk with me in tow. I tried to keep up but it was going to be a battle. My legs were yelling at me in protest as I struggled to keep moving. It was a similar feeling to being beaten with a baseball bat and being told to jog a mile. I just grunted as I attempted to keep my displeasure a secret. “You ok back there?” Twilight asked, the worry evident in her voice. “I’m fine. Mind your own damn business.” I shot back. With that being said, I pretty much set the tone for the rest of the hike back to the… where ever the hell they were leading me. - After another hour of walking, a town appeared on the horizon. By this point in time, my feet felt like they were on fire and my legs were on the verge collapsing again. I begrudgingly continued to carry on in the name of looking tough. This was definitely not the time to seem weak. By this time, the ponies had a lead on me. I tried to keep up but I soon fell on my knees for my legs had completely given up on me. “Ryan!” Dash called as she ran back to my position “Are you ok?” “I said I am fine.” I retorted in a dark voice “I’m going to go sit under a tree for a while to get some rest.” I pulled myself to my feet and limped of the road and collapsed under a tree. My legs felt even worse than after my initial run. The ponies all gave me a look of sympathy as I dragged myself up to a tree trunk, pressed my back against it, and slid down onto my ass. I let my head sink into my lap as the ponies all began to gather around me. “I said. I. am. fine.” I shot at them as they got closer. “In just want a few moments to myself.” “You need help.” Twilight said in a voice not unlike a whimper. “I do not! I made it this far and I can make it the rest of the way.” “Why won’t you let us help you?!” Dash exclaimed as she got in my face. My eyes locked with hers as she closed in. I could feel my eyes drain of color as she stared into them. I watched as her eyes meet every movement of mine. I placed a hand against her chest and pushed her away. “I’ll be fine. Just come back here in an hour.” “It will be dark in less time than that.” She said. “I find your lack of faith… disturbing.” I replied with a slight smirk. With words finally being exchanged, the ponies seemed to come to the consensus that helping me was futile. Within seconds, Dash flew off toward the town. Twilight and Applejack followed not soon after and began to walk toward the town. I was finally alone again. I sat there for a few minutes watching the sun begin to descend over the horizon as I tried to contemplate what I was going to do with my life at this point. That was the longest conversation I had had with anyone other than Celestia in years. I pulled my 1911 from the holster and held it in the palm of my hands. I could just end it here and be done with it, but something in the deep recesses of my mind kept telling me no. I wrapped my left hand around my handgun and brought my legs up and wrapped my arms around them. I them just lowered my head into them and sat there, alone, like I had so many times before. I could feel my eye lids getting heavy as my mind wanted to shut down once more. With nothing pressing at the moment, I shrugged and just let the darkness take me once again.