A Look Back

by Bluecatcinema

The Legacy Of O'Malley

It was a beautiful day in Canterlot. Caboose was in his Royal Guard uniform, on patrol with Captain Fletcher Ulysses. Things were quiet, so the two passed the time by talking about Fletcher's upcoming wedding to his fiancee, Dove.

"So, you got a DJ yet?" Caboose asked. "I think I could get Vinyl to step in..."

"Thanks, but Dove and I are thinking of something less... contemporary." Fletcher admitted.

"Huh?" Caboose frowned.

"We're going for more classical music." Fletcher declared. "Violins, cellos, that sort of thing."

"Oh, in that case, how about Octavia?" Caboose smiled. "I'm pretty sure she could join in the fun."

"That would be nice..." Fletcher smiled. "Thanks, Caboose."

"Hey, what are best stallions for?" Caboose grinned. "It's a good thing that my brother married both a DJ and a cellist, though."

"Indeed." Fletcher nodded.

Just across the street, a stallion with a dark green coat, light green mane, mint green eyes and a Cutie Mark of a scale was walking around. He was clearly new to Canterlot, still getting his bearings.

"Haven't seen him around before." Caboose mused. "Must be new in town."

"And he seems a little lost." Fletcher noted. "Well, as upstanding members of the Royal Guard, it is our duty to assist all ponies, no matter how small the problem."

"Amen to that." Caboose nodded.

The two of them walked over to the wayward stallion.

"Pardon me, sir." Caboose declared. "Might we be of some help?"

"Well, I do need some dir- you!" He suddenly glared at Caboose, hate in his eyes.

"...Me?" Caboose frowned.

"At last, we meet again!" The stallion snarled. "I never thought I'd see the day!"

"Say what?" Caboose asked.

"Now, I will have my revenge, O'Malley!" The stallion declared.

"O'Malley?" Fletcher frowned. He had learned of Caboose's violent, sociopathic alterego while going through Caboose's records, back when he first became Captain. He also heard 'horror stories' about him from the other guards, especially the squadron that was wiped out by O'Malley all by his lonesome. As such, he was well aware of what the stallion was talking about.

Caboose stiffened upon the mention of the name. Ever since his creation all those years ago, O'Malley had been a constant blight for Caboose. While the malevolent personality shard had proven useful on occasion, Caboose had always hated the fact that he could seize control of his body at any time, and use it to hurt others, often brutally. But it seemed there was nothing he could do about it. However, one day, O'Malley decided he wanted complete control over Caboose's mind and body. He almost succeeded, but Caboose was able to fight back, and erase O'Malley from his mind once and for all. After years of being free of him, Caboose thought nopony but his brothers, Dusty and Daring would mention his name ever again.

"Sorry pal, but O'Malley has left the building!" Caboose declared. "I'm Caboose!"

"You expect me to believe such a pathetic lie?" The stallion snarled. "I'm gonna kill you!"

The stallion lunged at Caboose, but Fletcher intercepted him, pinning him to the ground.

"Mind telling me why you're trying to kill my Lieutenant?" Fletcher asked.

"Because he ruined my life, that's why!" The stallion spat.

"Let's start from the top." Fletcher declared. "What's your name?"

"Gangrene." The stallion answered. "Gangrene Grudge."

"And why are you attacking my friend again?" Fletcher prompted.

"Because he broke damn near every bone in my body!" Gangrene snarled.

"I did?" Caboose asked.

"Don't pretend you don't remember!" Gangrene roared. "Some rich guy in Las Pegasus hired me to guard this building of his. Then you showed up and beat me to within an inch of my life! I spent almost a year in hospital because of you! By the time I got out, my marefriend had moved on, I lost my apartment, and I couldn't get a decent job any more!"

"Rich guy...?" Caboose racked his brains. "Oh! That must have been Lucre Grande. The family did a job for a rival crimelord, years back, to rob that building of his. The others told me how O'Malley beat up a guard during the operation. That was you?"

"Well, I'm sorry to break it to you, Mr. Grudge, but the stallion you hold such hate for no longer exists." Fletcher announced.

"What?" Gangrene growled. "What are you talking about? He's right here!"

"Actually, he isn't." Fletcher told him. "This is Caboose Napoleon."

"So... what?" Gangrene frowned. "This is O'Malley's twin brother?"

"In a sense." Fletcher declared. "You see, O'Malley was not a true singular stallion. He was a product of Caboose's fractured mental state."

"Come again?" Gangrene squinted.

"What he means is that O'Malley was my split personality." Caboose declared. "You thought it was me who beat me up because O'Malley was in the driver's seat."

"That's... that's crazy!" Gangrene snarled.

"Crazy or not, it's the truth." Caboose declared.

"How do I know you're actually telling the truth?" Gangrene asked. "Where's O'Malley now?"

"I got rid of him." Caboose declared.

"You... got rid of him?" Gangrene scowled.

"Yep." Caboose nodded. "The guy finally got too big for his horseshoes. He tried to take over completely. Of course, I wasn't having any of that, so I fought him for control. We fell out of that clock tower over here..." He pointed to the said clock tower, which had undergone heavy renovations since then (mostly thanks to Grimoire's contributions). "We hit the ground pretty hard. When I woke up, O'Malley was gone for good."

"And I'm supposed to just take all this at face value?" Grangrene snorted. "For all I know, you could just be stringing me along with some outrageous tall tale! And I won't let you play your little games with me!"

With a burst of strength, Gangrene broke free of Fletcher's hold, and charged Caboose.

"Die!" He yelled.

Caboose took Gangrene's punch in the face.

"Yeowch!" He yelled, clutching his face, "Ouch, ouch, ouch!"

"I've been waiting so long for this..." Gangrene sneered, throwing another punch.

Caboose caught the punch, and twisted Gangrene's hoof against his back.

"Argh!" Gangrene groaned.

"That's quite enough of that, thanks." Caboose declared, grunting from the stinging of his face.

"Good work, Lieutenant." Fletcher declared. "As for you, Mr. Grudge, I'll be placing you under arrest for assaulting a Royal Guard."

"You can't be serious!" Gangrene snarled. "Arrest him! He's the criminal, not me!"

"Not any more, pal." Caboose declared. "Besides, like I told you, I'm not the one you have a beef with."

Caboose and Fletcher brought Gangrene to the barracks, locking him in a cell.

"I don't know you did it." Gangrene glared at Caboose. "Becoming a Royal Guard, making everypony thinking you're an honest, upright citizen..."

"It's a pretty long story, actually." Caboose declared. "Lots of long stories, really..."

"I don't care." Gangrene spat. "This act of yours means nothing. I know who you really are, O'Malley."

"I keep telling you." Caboose growled. "I'm not O'Malley."

"Still sticking to the whole 'split personality' thing?" Gangrene snarled.

"Yeah." Caboose nodded. "Because it's the truth."

"So you keep saying." Gangrene snorted. "But where's your proof?"

"You want proof, I'll get you proof." Caboose said firmly. He turned and left the barracks.

Some time later, Caboose returned, bringing with him Vinny, Lars and Sonny.

"These are my brothers, Vinny, Lars and Sonny." Caboose declared. "They know all about O'Malley. Tell 'im, guys."

"It's true." Lars declared. "O'Malley was a fragment of Caboose's psyche, brought into being by a traumatic experience."

"Which we won't go into, for personal reasons." Sonny added.

"The point is, O'Malley was real, but he isn't any more." Vinny announced. "He's long gone."

"See?" Caboose smiled.

"Forgive me if I don't find your brothers backing up your story to be all that convincing." Gangrene spat.

"It's the truth, pal!" Vinny spat. "You calling us liars?!"

"Easy, Vin." Sonny declared.

"It's hardly our problem if he can't accept the truth." Lars sighed.

"Thanks anyway, guys." Caboose smiled.

"Why do you care so much about what this creep thinks anyway?" Vinny asked.

"Because if I don't convince him, he'll spend the rest of his life hating me." Caboose declared. "I don't want him to waste all those years."

"If that's the way you want it... good luck." Sonny smiled.

"I won't need luck." Caboose grinned. "I have a back-up plan..."

Not long after, Caboose led his wife Daring Do into the barracks.

"So, you're the guy who attacked my husband?" She glared at Gangrene.

"That's right." Gangrene glared back. "And I'm guessing he told you why?"

"Yeah, because you think he's O'Malley, and that he's just been pretending to be somepony else this whole time." Daring snarled. "Well, you're wrong. Caboose is Caboose. He wouldn't hurt a fly. And O'Malley is gone, which means you're in there for nothing."

"Of course you'd back him up." Gangrene sneered. "You're his wife. Of course you'd be taken in by the lies."

"They're not lies." Daring spat. "I've seen O'Malley in action. And I'm telling you, he is gone. Only Caboose remains. And Caboose is a wonderful husband, a caring father, and an excellent Royal Guard. He doesn't deserve your hate."

Gangrene was touched by the depth of Daring's love for Caboose. He almost had a mind to believe her... but shook it off.

"Finished?" Gangrene asked. "Good. Another act isn't going to convince me, lady."

"Fine." Daring growled, walking away. "Have fun rotting in that cell."

As Daring left the barracks, she passed Caboose.

"Sorry, honey." She sighed. "I tried to reason with him, but that clown's just too stubborn to listen to reason."

"That's okay, Daring." Caboose assured her. "As much as I hate having to do this, I still have one more option up my sleeve..."

The next morning, Caboose decided to take drastic measures. He had the doctor who diagnosed his condition send over the medical report. As he walked into the barracks, he passed Fletcher, who was watching over Gangrene.

"Here." Caboose passed the paper through the bars.

"What's this?" Gangrene asked.

"Oh, just a note from my doctor." Caboose told him. "Read it."

Gangrene took the paper and looked at it.

'Caboose has developed the most severe case of dissociative personality disorder I have ever seen. This other personality, who dubs himself "O'Malley" displays all the emotions and actions that Caboose has never allowed him to feel. For years, Caboose repressed that side of his personality, until a recent betrayal by a mare he believed had loved him brought it all to the surface, manifesting itself in a new persona, who acts out all the dark impulses Caboose has ever repressed.'

'O'Malley is by far the most complete, fully-functioning persona I have ever encountered. In medical terms, that would make him a truly unique subject. Alas, it also means any medication I could prescribe would be hopelessly inadequate. Unless Caboose is somehow able to reconcile and reintegrate the two halves of his personality, I fear O'Malley will never leave.'

Gangrene wanted to think it was a trick, but he couldn't. He saw how aged the paper was, and even recognised the seal of the hospital the doctor worked at stamped on the paper (having suffered a minor tumble over in Bitaly a short while ago), along with the doctor's signature. It wasn't a lie, or some cheap forgery. No, it was far too well-made for that. It was fully legitimate. He lowered the paper.

"...So, it's true." He sighed. "All this time, I've been hating some figment of a stallion's mind. One that isn't even around any more..."

"If it makes you feel any better, the whole reason O'Malley even existed was because of me." Caboose declared. "If I'd been better at expressing my feelings back then, all that stuff wouldn't have gotten repressed, and eventually came out as O'Malley. So maybe you should have yourself a little payback." Caboose opened the cell door, to both Gangrene and Fletcher's surprise. "Killing me would be a bit much, but how about you give me a couple of solid whacks in the face? That'll make us even, right?"

"Now hold on." Fletcher frowned. "Even if you're consenting to it, I can't just let Mr Green assault my Lieutenant!"

"Why not?" Caboose asked. "We're all about justice, right. Well, this is justice, and it's been a long time coming." He turned to Gangrene. "Come on, do it!"

"Well, uh..." Gangrene frowned.

"Go ahead." Caboose urged. "It'll make us both feel better."

Gangrene lifted up his hoof, toying with the thought of actually hitting Caboose. After all, it was still technically his fault Gangrene had suffered so much. But, to his surprise, he found he couldn't do it.

"Ah... I can't." He sighed.

"Why?" Caboose asked. "You said it yourself. O'Malley ruined your life. And O'Malley came from me. It's only fair that I take some lumps for it."

"But you're not O'Malley." Gangrene declared. "I see that now. You're nothing like that thug who broke every bone in my body. You may have his face, but you've got something he didn't; A heart."

"True..." Caboose shrugged.

"Your wife was right." Gangrene sighed. "I've wasted too much of my life hating a stallion who doesn't deserve it. It's time I put the past behind me, and move on. That is, if you'll let me."

"Sure." Caboose smiled. "I'm not really in the mood to press charges. Anyway, I've already hurt you enough."

"Thanks, Caboose." Gangrene smiled. "Not just anypony would be so forgiving to a guy who tried to kill them."

"What can I say?" Caboose grinned. "I'm a pretty special kind of stallion."

"If you'll come this way, Mr Green." Fletcher offered. "I'll bring over the paperwork for you to sign."

Gangrene signed Fletcher's papers, and made to depart from the barracks.

"So, what's next for you, my green friend?" Caboose asked.

"Well, I came to Canterlot for a fresh start." Gangrene announced. "So I'll be sticking around."

"Maybe we can grab a drink sometime?" Caboose offered. "Vinny co-owns this great little bar downtown."

"Yeah, maybe..." Gangrene nodded.

Gangrene departed the barracks, giving Caboose a small nod.

"Well, that was... an experience." Fletcher declared, as he filed away the paperwork. "But everything worked out in the end, eh, Lieutenant?"

"Yeah, I guess..." Caboose muttered.

"What's wrong, Caboose?" Fletcher asked.

"All these years, I thought I was finally free of O'Malley." Caboose sighed. "But he keeps on haunting me..."

"It's not an easy thing, getting away from your past." Fletcher sympathised.

"It's more than that." He rubbed his forehead. "Sometimes, I get this weird feeling in the back of my head, like there's an empty space O'Malley used to be in. It's as if my brain's trying to say I'm incomplete now."

"I'm sure that's worth being rid of him." Fletcher declared. "According to the reports I read, he was quite the piece of work."

"Trust me, no mere words on paper can describe what O'Malley was really like." Caboose said darkly. "Nopony knows what I went through with him."

"I could, if you'd explain it to me." Fletcher offered.

"Okay, you want to know what O'Malley was like?" Caboose asked. "He was a total psycho! Sure, he had his good side, but in the end, he tried to take everything from me. Whenever he beat some poor guy to a pulp, I always felt sorry for that guy. Even if most of 'em were enemies of the family, nopony deserved that kind of rotten treatment. For years, I blamed myself, thinking that if I could only keep O'Malley under control, he wouldn't do so much damage..."

"You can't blame yourself for what some split personality did." Fletcher told him. "All that's in the past now. You are your own stallion, free to make your own choices, without O'Malley interfering. And you've been making some pretty good ones, from what I've heard..."

"Yeah, I guess..." Caboose frowned. "But-"

"But nothing." Fletcher interrupted. "Look at all you've accomplished since you expelled O'Malley from your mind: You married a wonderful mare, raised two marvellous children, and of course, became quite the talented Lieutenant."

"You really mean that?" Caboose smiled.

"Of course." Fletcher nodded. "I may not have known you when you had O'Malley in your head, but as far as I'm concerned, that doesn't matter. And do you why? Because I like to think I know you at your best, right now."

"Aw, thanks." Caboose gushed. "You're too kind, Fletch."

"I chose you to be my best stallion for a reason." Fletcher declared. "You may not be the most... professional stallion around, but you have the biggest heart I've ever seen. You are a good stallion Caboose, despite your past. Never forget that."

"I'll try not to." Caboose nodded. "Wherever O'Malley is now, he can't hurt me. Those days are long gone. Ever since he went bye-bye, I've been making my own way in the world. I've done all sorts of thing he never could. I'm a better stallion than he could ever be."

"That's the spirit, my friend." Fletcher smiled.

"But enough me." Caboose shrugged. "Let's get back to the wedding. You still up for Octavia jammin' with the band."

"Absolutely." Fletcher nodded. "And perhaps Sonny and Bon-Bon could deal with the catering?"

"I'll be sure to ask." Caboose smiled. "Now, about the guests..."

The two continued chatting about Fletcher's upcoming nuptials. Being reminded of O'Malley had shaken Caboose up those past few days. Thankfully, those who loved him had been here to provide support, and Fletcher had reminded Caboose of how far he had come since disposing of O'Malley. Caboose was indeed his own stallion, and nothing could ever change that.

Author's Note:

Behind The Scenes:

* "Me, Myself And O'Malley" was our official send-off for Caboose's split personality. We felt it wouldn't be fair on Daring for O'Malley to keep rearing his vicious head, so he had to go.

* (Ebony Stallion) I believe this is the craziest Caboose had ever gotten in our stories. In stories following this, he still has his funny tendencies, but it is more subdued. I mean, we have narrator Caboose and past Caboose chatting it up during this story.

* While written after "Growing Pains", this story was set before it, focusing on Caboose's proposal to Daring, which would of course led to the birth of their daughter Hurricane, who debuted in "Growing Pains".

* The scene where Vinny slaps Caboose and tells him to get a hold of himself is based on a similar scene from Tropic Thunder.

"The scene in "Me, Myself And Caboose" where the brothers sing "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life" is taken from Monty Python's The Life Of Brian.

* The clash between Caboose and O'Malley near the story's end was much like the fight between Charlie and Hank from Me, Myself & Irene.

* This would be the last of our "short" stories; After this, Ebony and I endeavoured to make our stories much longer.

* (Ebony Stallion) He's not wrong there. We went on to much bigger things after this story.

Comments

[HolyCross9]

Its good to see how positively Fletcher and Caboose have progressed in their friendship.

[ShadowsofEquestria]

Great chapter but I know I might sound like a jerk for saying this but who else sees O'malley being inside of Michael. I mean think about it, Caboose says that he has a feeling of something missing in the back of his head where O'malley was and maybe O'malley moved his mind into Michael and might be a complete pony version of him instead of being a different personality in his mind. Also Michael is like around 1 or 2 years old so we don't know what he will be doing and what he will sound like. This is just a theory I was thinking while reading this and it might not happen but who knows, Bluecatcinema might write a story called 'The Comeback of O'malley'