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Chapter 40: A Message From the Past

Author's note: Just stick with me here. All will be explained later (mostly in the sequel).

-


The morning started off as always. Without opening my eyes, I sat up on the bed and yawned. I felt a bit relieved as I stood up and opened my eyes. As I did, something was off. The room was a pale white and oddly familiar. The walls seemed to be coated in a plaster that I hadn’t seen since Youngstown. My heart increasing in pace, I turned to the bed to find Dash absent and found that the bed was a regular old box spring mattress.

“Oh god no.” I muttered as I looked over at the nightstand and saw my shoulder holster with my 1911 in it.

I walked over to the gun and put on the holster, nestling the gun under my right shoulder. As I finished strapping on the holster, I noticed a picture on the stand as well. Timidly, I grabbed it and held it to the faint light coming from the windows on the opposite side of the room. I was horrified by what it was. It was a picture of a man in his late thirties with black and grey hair, Nikey glasses, a set of dark brown eyes, and a stone cold expression. It was my father.

I turned the picture over frantically and found a bit of writing in the corner. It was mostly faded but ever stranger, it was in my father’s hand writing as well.

‘Be careful,’ it read ‘or you will end up like me.’

The picture fell from my hands as my blood ran cold. That picture hit me where it hurt. I took a few steps back from the picture and felt my back hit the door. Without turning around, I fumbled for the handle and open the door in a hurry. I stumbled backwards into the next room and slammed the door. I was panting heavily as I turned around to see my old living room, beer cans and liquor bottles as well.

“Oh shit.” I mumbled as I ran over to the door for the balcony.

I ran past my old couch as I pushed the door open and was greeted with the skyline of Youngstown. It was all there. I could see a plane landing in the distance, past the old steel mill. I could see the football stadium in the far distance as well as a smoggy sky. The sun was barely breaching the horizon as I looked down from my 3rd story apartment and saw the street busy as always. Cars were trying to pass each other, people walking down the sidewalks to their ever repetitive jobs, and the ever familiar drug dealer on the corner trying to earn the rent.

I closed my eyes and placed my hands on the railing. I could feel a tear running up to my eye that I beat down with regret and anguish. I beat my fist against the railing once and felt it buckle under my anger.

“God dammit.” I cursed out before I heard someone walking around in my apartment behind me.

I spun around to find no one there. I walked back into the apartment as a car honk its horn behind me and a shotgun went off in the distance. I trudged through the halls as I made my way into the kitchen, which was empty as well.

“Hello?” I called out in the hope of hearing Dash’s voice.

Only silence greeted me. I looked down to see that I was still wearing my dress shoes, pants, shirt, and tie that Rarity made for me. None of this made any sense. I walked towards the exit and reached my hand out towards the knob.

“You’re not leaving yet, are you?” A deep voice called at from behind me “It is rude to leave family without so much as a goodbye.”

It can’t be. It shouldn’t be. It was impossible. I hadn’t seen him in at least thirteen years. I pulled my 1911 from my holster and walked back towards the living room. The gun still had all the engravings as well as the pitch black grips. That was only there after I was in Equestria. I rounded the corner to the living room to see my dad sitting on my couch with the TV on. A Brown’s game was on, a team I hadn’t watch since my father had left.

“How the Hell did you find me?” I asked as I leveled the gun with his forehead.

“I never lost you.” He said as he sat up on the couch.

“Bullshit!” I cried as I took an aggravated step forward.

“I knew you would never leave this city. Your heart is always here.” He said, dodging my question.

“This place is a Hell hole! Where is Dash?! Where is Alex?!” I shouted.

“Who are Dash and Alex?” My dad answered in a calm tone before climbing to his feet.

My father took a few steps towards me as I took an equal amount back.

“Son, I just wanna spend time with you.” He said with words I only wish I could have heard when I was thirteen and living in a ghetto.

“LIES! YOU ABANDONED US YEARS AGO!” I damn near screamed at him.

“Calm down, Ryan.” He said, keeping his cool “Who else did I leave?”

“I thought it would be obvious.” I fired with an overtone of anger.

My father’s smile vanished from his face as he turned away from me and faced the door.

“I never wanted to hurt you.”

“It doesn’t matter. That is exactly what you did.”

My father walked towards the door as I lowered the gun to my side.

“I guess I should be proud.” My father said with his back to me.

“Why is that?” I said with my curiosity shining through.

“My son has his own apartment, job, life, and didn’t even need me. You’re a lot like me.”

The gun immediately shot up and leveled out with his head “I AM NOTHING LIKE YOU!”

“Oh really? You live alone, drink yourself to sleep, and abandon the ones who love you.” He said as if he knew everything.

“I abandoned no one.” I pointed out.

“Then where is Dash?” He said as he made his way towards the door “Where are Celestia, Rarity, Alex, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Remi, Twilight, and Applejack?”

“Wait… you said you didn’t know who Dash was. How do you even know about the others?!” I shouted as I took a few steps towards him.

As I walked forward, my father started towards the door.

“I know more than I let on.” He said as he stepped in front of the door.

In anger, I fired two shots into his back, the silencer muffling the shots to mere chirps. My father jerked and pressed up against the door. He let out a cough before slowly turning around. Two big blood stains appeared where the bullets had exited his chest.

“Exactly like me.” He said as the blood stains slowly disappeared.

“What the fuck?” I muttered as he turned around and opened the door.

“Bullets can’t solve all of your problems, son.” He said before stepping into the hallway and looking back at me “Take care.”

With that said, he closed the door.

“Not that easily!” I shouted as I charged the door.

I charged into the door, sending my shoulder into the center of the door. The door didn’t even dent. I just fell onto my ass.

“DAMMIT!” I yelled as I fired five shots into the door.

I climbed back to my feet with my gun in a death grip. I gritted my teeth as I turned around and walked back into the living room. Defeated, I dropped down onto the sofa and set the gun down next to me. I buried my face into my hands as I attempted to burry my pain.

“Don’t be like me…” echoed in the room as if an ambient voice had called it.

I peeled my face from my hands and looked over at my gun. It had changed once again. Where it had been all black before, it was a polished nickel with pure white grips. A floral pattern followed all the way up the slide and onto the silencer as well. Even the engraving had changed. It read ‘Don’t be like me.’ It took everything in me not to toss it out the door and off the balcony.

I picked the gun up as the phone in the kitchen rang. I was to distress to question it. I holstered my 1911 and climbed to my feet. I stumbled into the kitchen and made my way over to my corded phone on the wall. It rang once more before I got to it.

“Y-yes?” I stuttered.

“Ryan?” I heard Dash’s voice ask.

“Dash?” I asked.

“Ryan?” she asked as if she didn’t hear me.

“Dash!” I called into the phone “I’m right here!”

“Ryan?!” She called out as if distressed.

“DASH! I AM RIGHT HERE! ANSWER ME!” I cried out.

Suddenly, the call ended and the hang up tone chimed in my ears. The phone fell from my hand as I sent my fist through the wall.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?!” I shouted at the top of my lungs.

I dropped to my knees and slammed my eyes shut.

-

I awoke in a cold sweat with Dash standing over me. I looked around the room and found that I was still in Equestria with Dash. I shot up and wrapped my arms around Dash.

“Thank Celestia you’re ok.” Dash said, relieved.

“Celestia had nothing to do with it.” I said as I let go and kissed her with all I had.

When we broke away, she kept her eyes closed.

“Please… don’t leave.” She said.

“I can’t do that.” I pointed out with a sense of duty in my tone.

“Why?!” She asked as her eyes flew open.

“Alex is going to need my help. You should know that.”

My words must have struck something in her.

“Fine… is there something I can do to help?” She asked.

“Actually, yes. I need you to tell everyone to stay inside.”

“I can do that!” She said enthusiastically.

“Good. I need to link up with Alex though.” I pointed out.

“I’m gonna get started then.” Dash said before flying into the other room and out of the house.

I rubbed my eyes before climbing to my feet and grabbing my 1911 off the nightstand. I looked over it to find that it was exactly the same as it was in my dream.

“Something is seriously fucking wrong here.” I said to myself as I pocketed the gun.

-

After I had gotten dressed, rearmed, and fed, I stepped outside to see my recruits and Alex waiting near the H2. I walked over to them as the morning began. It had to be maybe 8am at the most. Grey skies hung oppressively overhead as snow fell to the ground and the wind blew through my trench coat. The snow crunched over my feet as I walked over to Alex, who was taking all the weather in stride.

“What’s the situation?” I asked him as I pulled my aviators out.

“It’s bad. Very bad.” He said in a grim tone.

My mind raced as I thought of a burning Ponyville “What happened?!”

“I’m out of smokes.” He said with his expression unchanged.

“You’re an ass.” I said as one of my recruits chuckled.

“Fuck you.” He said with a cold tone.

I couldn’t help but laugh a bit at his pain.

“Anyway,” I said regaining my composure “what is the deal with the griffons?”

“I watched over them the last night. They have set up a camp to the east and number in the dozens. Probably about thirty or forty. They mean business.”

“Good to know.” I said before looking over the recruits “You all are with Alex. Listen to him and we all meet up in the center of town at ten pm sharp. Understood?”

All my recruits gave a quick salute and Alex just gave a stark nod before they returned to camp. I collapsed the stock of my G36c with the press of a button and tucked it away in my coat before opening the door to the H2. I climbed inside and let the engine start up.

I had someone I needed to meet with.

-

I hit the outskirts of town within ten minutes as the engine hummed under the hood. I passed AJ’s farm and a few other houses before I hit town and drifted around the first corner in the snow. The town was eerily dead. Even more so than last night. I had no idea what happened to the concert last night but it didn’t really matter at this point. I drove down the main street before Twilight’s house came into view. I cut the wheel and let the car slide sideways a bit before coming to a stop.

I shifted into park and cut off the engine before I climbed back out into the familiar cold. Dash must be quick with her work because no one was outside. Some houses already had boards over their windows. I walked towards Twilight’s as the wind played with my hat and coat before coming to a brand new door. I just assumed magic had something to do with that. Where else are you gonna get a door at midnight in a town like this? No Lowes around here away. I knocked on the door and a response came quickly after.

“Hello?” Spike’s voice called out from behind the door.

“Open up, little man.” I called back “It’s Ryan.”

After several metallic clicks, the door opened to Spike standing knee high. I looked over at the backside of the door as saw several deadbolts in place.

“Getting prepared eh?” I asked.

“Twilight has been freaking out about it all night. I haven’t slept either.” He said, his lack of sleep evident in his low tone.

“Sorry about that. Not much I can do.” I said feeling a slight bit sympathetic for the little guy.

“Don’t worry about it.” He said before taking a peek behind him “What do you need?”

“Can you send a letter to Celestia requesting her presence immediately?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’ll send it right away.” He said before looking back again.

“Thanks.” I said before looking around the corner of the door to see a hastily constructed book-fort in the corner of the far wall.

I just turned around and walked off. I didn’t have time for this. I walked back to the H2 and climbed back into the driver’s seat. I reclined the seat and started the familiar waiting game.

-

About two hours passed before a careful knock sounded from my door. I sat the seat up and looked out the window to see Celestia waiting.

“This should be fun.

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