//------------------------------// // Chapter 24: The Good Memory // Story: Devil's Due // by All American //------------------------------// Author’s note: I’d like to give a big shout out to all my faithful commenters and readers. Without them, this story would never have gone past the first chapter. I’m talkin’ about Wayofthepen, Fryeghost, Frees, Rarelygood, shirotora, bucknorris, and frieD195.These readers/commenters have been with me since chapter one and I’d like to thank ‘em for it. I’d especially like to thank frieD195 for being my pre-reader and Frees for taking the time to make ya’ll some lovely cover art (Work in progress). That’s enough mushy talk from me; let’s move on with this story. P.S. Tech-pri3st is currently working on ‘Devil’s Due: Flip-side of the Coin’ and has the first two chapters written. He wants to get at least 10,000 words written before he publishes it. We’ll see where this takes us because if he fucks up, I’ll deny any involvement and kill any mention of his character to save the story. - I peered outside as Dash was curled up on top of me. The night was rolling in and most of the clouds had vanished from the sky. I had to say that the pegasi were at least quick at their job. It still amazed me that they can control the weather. Every time I think about it, I think back to all the tornados, hurricanes and floods that could have been prevented by them. Mankind may have technology down pat but Mother Nature still held the big stick. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm my nerves. I had spent so much time thinking back to Ulik and my mother that it began to take over my mind. That was in the past now, I had a girl to look out for and a job to uphold. It was time for me to set an example and move on. It sounds so easy when you think about it. I looked down at Dash and saw that she held on to me with one hoof and played with the necklace in the other. My handgun still sat in my hand and I took a peek down at it. It was waiting for a command like a newly trained puppy. I tried not to focus too much on it as I returned it to my holster and sat back on the couch. Dash returned her attention from the necklace to me as I looked in the other direction. She seemed to be trying to figure me out for the moment. As soon as I turned my head back to her, she looked away as well. “Can’t pull that one on me,” I said as I placed my hand on her chin and turned her head to me “I practically invented that one.” Her ears dropped as a small smile erupted on her face. “Hey,” She said as she lifted a hoof and traced the deep scar on the left side my face “How did you get this scar?” “Why? Do you like it or something?” I asked. “Yes, I do.” She replied with a smile. “It was a bar fight I got into a few months ago. I am still not used to the damn thing every time I look in the mirror.” “Could you tell me the story?” She asked in a tone that was a mix of love and curiosity. “I could, but it involves me killing again.” I pointed out as I placed my right hand on her side “I’ll tell you if you really want to know.” She seemed to think about it for a moment before she nodded at me. I just hoped she was ready. “It happened in July, I think.” I said as I ran my fingers through her hair, parting each of the colors “I was at a bar call ‘Chevy’s’ in a place called Vienna, Ohio. A song called ‘Fat Lip’ was playing on the radio as I was drinking at a bar with one of my friends. We were both pretty toasted when it happened. We sat at the bar on a slow night, drinking after my friend had just broken up with a girl he had been seeing for less than three months.” “What’s your friend’s name?” She asked at her big purple eyes met mine in anticipation. “Alex Litivnova. He is… was my friend since grade school.” I said as I hung my head a bit. It hadn’t really struck me that I’d never really see that Russian bastard again. I never really thought about him since I came here. Everything else seemed to get in the way. I remember how we were pretty much ‘brothers in arms’ as we used to call ourselves. Whenever there was a fight or drink to be had, the other was always around as support. “Hello?! Earth to Ryan?!” Dash exclaimed, trying to regain my attention. “Oh,” I replied, coming back to reality “I kinda slipped out there for a second.” “What was it?” She asked. “I was just thinking back to Alex and how I’ll probably never see him again.” “Hey,” She said as she hit my shoulder “You got me now.” “That I do.” I said as scratched the back of her neck. “Continue with the story!” She demanded in excitement. “OK! Where was I?” I asked. “The ‘girlfriend’ part.” She said as she seemed to stress the word. “Oh, right.” I said as my train of thought came back to me “We were sitting at the bar, bullshittin’ each other when three obnoxious college students wandered in. They were hollering, ordering shots, and hitting on all of the waitresses. Just beginning general ass-hats.” I watched Dash nod her head “Alex, getting increasingly pissed, walked over to the collage kids and told them to, quote ‘I’d like to ask you to politely shut the fuck up.’. The kids didn’t take to kindly to it. One threw a punch that missed Alex by a few inches. Alex landed a hit directly to his jaw and knocked him right on his ass. The other kid grabbed chair and slammed it over Alex’s head. I knew it was my time to step in. I jumped out of my chair and tackled one of the kids to the ground. I landed a few blows on him before he smashed a beer bottle on the ground and cut me with the result. That turned me into the handsome devil you see before you.” She traced the scar on more time before retracting her hoof back to my chest. “Well, I like it.” She told me. “The story isn’t over.” I said as I saw Dash tense up to prepare herself “I recoiled in pain as the kid kicked me off of him and I planted myself against the bar. The kid prepared his weapon before Alex kicked the back of his knee in, knocking him over, and jammed a knife into the kid’s neck. I thanked Alex as he helped me to my feet. I was about to tend to my wounds before I saw the first attacker grabbed a piece of glass and lunge at Alex. Not thinking, I grabbed my gun and fired two rounds into the kid’s chest. I killed the kid but saved Alex.” I finished my story and looked into Dash’s eyes. They weren’t filled with anger or horror, but what looked like joy. Happiness in the fact I was alive. I probably would have been mourning the kid if I wasn’t thinking back to Alex. The man was my only friend back in that shithole and I pretty much abandon him to the wolves. We were both loners but at least we had each other’s backs. That hadn’t even crossed my mind on the night of my ‘arrival’ to this world. Maybe one day I could ask Celestia to send me back to Youngstown for a while to explain myself but I think she had enough the first time. I snapped back to reality again and saw Dash was playing with her necklace once again. I figured that he might have a field day with my situation. He always was the one to use humor to defuse awkward situations. I could almost hear him in my head. ‘You? Dating a mythological horse?! Ahahahha! I didn’t know you swung that way!’ Douche. I looked back outside and locked my eyes on the moon. Dash seemed to notice my distress a bit and tried to bring my head back around. I allowed her and she met my eyes once again. “Are you going to be ok?” She asked in a genuine tone of worry. I honestly didn’t know what to say because I didn’t know. “I don’t have the slightest clue.” She seemed to begrudgingly accept my answer and rested her head just above my heart. I wasn’t sure of my next course of action. I still needed to get this awkwardness with Twilight out of the way before I could really move on but what was I supposed to tell her? I told her exactly what she wanted to know. Sometimes it is just better to stay in the dark because the room around you is horrifying. “Oh,” Dash said, looking up at me “Pinkie told me that she wanted you to meet her at her Sugarcube Corner tomorrow around two-ish.” “Why?” “I don’t know! She said it was important.” “I guess I’ll stop by but something tells me that there is something more to this.” I said. I hadn’t talked to Pinkie much over my time here but I knew she was going to be a handful. Hell, the first time I met here, Twilight had to shut her up. She kinda reminded me of a meth addict. Dash seemed to be satisfied with my answer and curled up on my chest with an ear firmly planted to my heart. I just threw my arms over her and held her tight. She squeaked a bit before settling down and returning her ear to my chest. I wanted to just focus on her but my mind kept returning to Alex like fate had something planned for him. I figured that it must just be a grief thing and I pushed it into my mind’s ‘do not open’ door. With the door locked tight, I shut my eyes and forced some sleep. - I cracked my eyes open as the sun began to shine on my face. I started to resent the morning and the sun as they had come to symbolize my ejection from peace. My dreamless sleep seemed to be the only place that I could get any rest anymore and the ghost still haunted me there. I looked around the room and tried to figure out what time it was. Dash was still asleep on top of me as tried lean forward. I fell back into my seat and sat there for a moment. I figured I should sit with her for a little while at least. She deserved that much. I could see that my shirt was a total mess and that the rest of me was more or less the same way. All the rain didn’t do my shirt any favors. I remembered that my suit coat still sat in the H2 as did my rifle. I figured that I could change into my dress suit from the Gala for today and see about getting this one cleaned. I still had some of my clothes from my first day here still in the H2’s trunk. I knew that my jeans and boots were serviceable but my shirt was shot. It was completely stained from all the blood. Dash rolled onto her back, disrupting my deep thought session. I smiled to myself for a moment before placing my left hand on her head and began to gently stroke her mane. It was almost like a relationship between a child and his favorite stuffed animal. Her mane had an almost therapeutic quality to it. I noticed that she seemed to be enjoying the contact as her tail wagged unconsciously. Suddenly, Dash woke up almost violently. She shot up and looked around the room before looking back at me. I offered a smile to her and a strange tear came to her eye as she threw her hooves around my neck and pulled me tight. “Are ya alright?” I asked as I place one hand on her back and another on the back of her head. “I was… worried that you left again.” She said as a tear hit my neck. “Left?” I asked. She seemed to almost cry as she pulled me in and almost strangled me. “When you left for your world, I thought you left permanently. With your story yesterday, I dreamt that you left again.” She explained as another tear hit my neck. “That life is over.” I explained in a comforting manner. ‘That life is over.’ Those words rattled around in my head for a moment. How could I just forget that place? Without my memories, I wouldn’t be me. “I’m not going anywhere. Alex is just a distant memory now. He can handle himself. I’m sure of it.” She seemed to take solstice in my words as she seemed to calm down. “I was never this way before you got here!” She exclaimed, trying to bury her dismay in jovial bravado “What have you done to me?!” “I have no comment.” She rolled her eyes at me before flapping her wings and hovering at around seven feet off the ground. I climbed to my feet and looked down. “I’m a fuckin’ mess.” I mumbled to myself as I stood up. “I noticed.” Dash explained “I can smell you from here!” “Thanks for the compliment.” I shot back sarcastically. “I’m just telling you!” she explained defensively. “Is there somewhere I can get cleaned up?” I asked as I brushed my pants off. “Yeah, follow me.” She said as she motioned with a hoof for me to follow her. She flew down a hallway and I followed in hot pursuit. She was obviously holding back as I jogged behind her. The hallways were a light white color and had a few pictures hung on the walls here and there. I was glad that most of Dash’s house was accessible to me since most of the house was built to my height. Dash finally stopped in front of a door and opened it for me. “Why thank you, my lady.” I said with a sarcastic bow. “Don’t be like that.” She said in reaction to my antics. I stepped into the room and saw that it was a standard bathroom like Twilight’s with one very big exception; the shower was my height. My knees wanted to praise Dash in thanks because Twilight’s was far from comfortable. I turned to Dash and had a favor to ask. “Can you snag my extra suit from the trunk of my car?” “Trunk?” She asked, obviously unaware of what it meant. “The back of the car, behind the back seats.” “Why do I always get sent on errand missions?” She asked in a faked whiny tone. “Because it pleases me.” I said with a smile. She shook her head and shot back down stairs. I gave a muffled laugh before unbuttoning my shirt and undoing my tie. I yanked them off with my holster still strapped on. I tossed them in the corner of the room. A few bruises still lined my torso. I catalogued each one and tested if there was any further damage from each one. Finding none, I pulled the rest of my clothes off and walked into the shower. - <<>> - After I got dressed and adjusted everything accordingly, I made my way back into the living room with the familiar couch and window. Guess I wasn’t a guest anymore. I took a step towards the window and placed my hands on the sill before looking out towards the town. What would Pinkie want to do with me? I hadn’t the slightest clue. The sun was high in the sky so it had to been noon at least. I turned around and saw Dash flying over to me. She seemed to have collected herself again. I noticed that she still wore the bullet chain around her neck. At least she liked it. “You want to come with me to Pinkie’s?” I asked as she hovered at eye level with me. “Duh! Why wouldn’t I?” She asked with her forehooves crossed. “Well,” I said as I put on my aviators “let’s get a move on then.” I stepped over to the door and pushed it open. The sun pierced my glasses as I stepped outside making me recoil a bit and throw my arms up to shield my eyes. I walked along the cloud before stepping down from the cloud onto solid ground. The earth let out a squish as it was still soaked from yesterday. Dash flew over to my left shoulder and hovered there as if she was a parrot. “Hey,” She said trying to get my attention “After you see Pinkie, you should let me show you some tricks. It would be so awesome!” “Whatever you want.” I replied. “Sweet!” She exclaimed in the most eager tone I’ve ever seen her in. I stepped over to the H2 and admired the large amount of mud that caked the wheel wells. It made me feel like a true, red-blooded, American for a moment. Something in me missed the States, not Ohio though. I wasn’t sure if it was just another bit of propaganda still clinging to me or if I actually liked the country. I guess a part of me will always remain rooted there. I opened the door and Dash flew inside before taking her place in the passenger’s seat like she had so many times before. I had no idea why she liked the truck so much if she could fly but who was I to question? I situated myself in my seat before placing my hands on the wheel and letting the engine roar to life. I gave it a little gas and listened to the engine purr like a month old kitten. I smiled as I shifted into gear and gunned it.