Chapter 1: The Desert

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Author’s note: For those who didn't read the bio, this is a sequel. I suggest you read the first story (Devil's Due) before reading this one or you will be lost for the first few chapters. I still have no idea how the first story got as popular as it did.

Five years is a long time, isn’t it? I ask myself that question a lot. I’ve watched everything I’ve built fall apart on me time and time again. Canterlot and the griffons are still unrelenting on my case. They refuse to let me live a peaceful life and therefore, I can’t return home. I’ll continue to hunt them down and roam this desert until this is over or they kill me. Either way, I still win.

The bell rang with ear piercing volume as I held the chrome handgun towards the griffon on the other side of the bank’s security bars. He held his claws up as I looked down at him with disgust. I had developed a special hatred for these creatures. The gun I held was my old M1911A1 that I had from when I had originally come here. It bore a large silencer and laser sight that somehow still worked. The red dot sat on the griffon’s chest as he started to get jumpy and paranoid. He wasn’t that old, maybe in his twenties. I looked over my shoulder to see a white pegasus and dark blue earth pony grabbing everything from various safes and drawers. They both wore black armor and were trained by me. The Pegasus was names Atlanta while the earth pony was called Dallas. I had given them those names five years ago when I first trained them. I never wanted to get attached to them but now, they were my only friends in this world with Alex dead.

I looked back at the griffon and he started to calm down a bit. The bank looked like something out of an old west movie. The floors were made of unprotected wood and all the metal was crude iron that was produced locally. I could see a wanted picture on the wall posting a reward of ten thousand bits for Ryan Laney. I smiled as I pointed over at the picture.

“That’s me ya know?” I asked the teller in a jovial tone “Worked hard to get my picture on that.”

The teller tried to fake a smile but couldn’t. “Yeah, I heard about you. You’re that gunslinger they’re always talking about.”

I looked back at my comrades and said “Slow clap for the teller.”

Atlanta and Dallas ignored me as I turned back and said “Guess you don’t have a lot of fans around here.”

The griffon remained silent as Atlanta finished the safe and looked over at me “We are all clear, captain!”

Atlanta was probably my best friend at this point. He was a stallion from Stalliongrad in the days before he defected. He was never above cracking a joke and was always willing to stick by me.

“Roger that.” I replied before turning to the griffon again “Looks like our time will be drawing to a close… tell me, you got family?”

The griffon looked at me like I was crazy before answering “No…?”

“That is too bad.” I said “You should work on that.”

Dallas and Atlanta finished taking all the gold from the safes and tied up their bags, throwing them into saddle bags on their backs, over their black armor. I motioned for them to head outside with a nod of my head. I got a nod from Dallas before both of them ran out the door, the bell ringing on their way out. I looked back at the griffon and thought to myself. Was I the monster they portrayed me as? I wasn’t quite sure anymore, seeing as the lines had blurred. I took a few steps back and kept the gun trained on the griffon, placing my free hand on the door.

“It is your lucky day son.” I said with a grin under my black bandanna.

“Why is that?” The griffon asked as he lowered his wings.

“I’m in a good mood.” I said as I pushed the door open “I’ve decided that you get to live.”

I ran outside and around the corner of the building as the wind blew through my black trench coat and the sun beat down on my black Stetson. The back of my trench coat carried the same mark as my hands, the handgun that sat over top of pile of shells. The only thing that was different on my hands was the tire treads that ran up and down them. All these things brought back memories that I wish I could forget. I still wasn’t sure if I missed Youngstown or not. At least I wouldn’t be running for reasons unknown to me.

I holstered my handgun in a leather loop that I had placed on the inside of my trench coat. Three other handguns sat inside my coat as well. Seeing as they were the only ones currently in existence, they gave me quite the advantage over this world’s residents while also being a curse. It was my job to make sure they never fell into the wrong hands. If they could be reverse-engineered, it would totally upset the balance of power. I slipped on my mirrored aviators and pulled down my black bandanna so that it sat around my neck. My black Hummer H2 sat on the other end of the street. Back when I first brought it here, it was nearly brand new. Now I had torn most of the doors off (they now were strapped to the roof) and had bolstered it with various bits of scrap metal, barbed wire, and a large steel battering ram that had cost me a pretty penny back in Hoofington.

I jogged over to the driver side and grabbed onto the pillar, pulling myself into the seat. I tapped the wheel, turning the engine on with a low growl. The exhaust system was starting to fall apart as was the bumpers and interior. It seemed that anything that wasn’t vital to keeping the SUV moving was going to rust and fall off. With no replacement parts stores around anymore, it wasn’t exactly going to get fixed. Dallas climbed into the front seat as I reached down and wrapped my hand around the gearshift that had broken down to the stick and had a cloth wrapped around it. I looked up into the rearview and saw a few griffon soldiers behind me, running. They were kicking up dust as I shifted into drive with an audible metallic grind and sped off down the dusty desert town road.

The griffons immediately fell behind as I chuckled and rode down the road. The suspension squeaked as the road turned into desert and rock. I looked up at Atlanta through the open sunroof as he kept an eye on the sky for more griffons.

“See anything?” I asked as I swerved around a large brown rock.

“Yeah,” He replied, not looking back at me “Dust, dirt, and horizon.”

“Smartass.” Dallas said, starting to pick up my vocabulary,

“Play nice.” I said as I slowed down at flipped on cruise control “How much did we get?”

“Around twenty thousand bits.” Atlanta specified “More than enough to put a hurting on that town.”

I smiled as I turned the wheel started down a trail towards the next town. I was giddy because my goal wasn’t to kill all the griffons. It was much easier to just wreck their economy. If they were going to hunt me down, they were going to pay for it. We had cased around fifty plus banks in the past few years, only having started around two years after I had fled from Ponyville. It bothered me to think of that place with no hope of going back. I started to wonder what had become of everyone there. Had Twilight finally studied everything there was to be studied and moved on? Had Rarity moved on to bigger and better things in Manehattan? I took one last mental pause before my mind turned to Dash. Had she moved on? Did the next guy give her what I couldn’t? Did she ever join the Wonderbolts? I just shook my head and returned my thoughts to the present.

The road seemed to continue on forever as Atlanta laid back on the roof and closed his eyes. Dallas played with the radio for a minute before it sparked to life and ‘Gimme Shelter’ by the Rolling Stones came on via the CD player. At least the sound system hadn’t gone. I looked in my side view mirror and saw that the old tattered flag was still flapping in the wind, reminding me of my homeland. I turned away and rested my arm on the door, feeling the wind blow on my face, drying up some sweat and cooling me down. The H2 gave a jolt as I hit a decent size rock and continued on towards the campsite.

The sun was starting to fall from the sky as I flicked on my headlights and saw smoke in the distance. I slowed down before pulling off the road, the tires reconnecting with unbeaten dirt. Atlanta woke up and dropped his head down through the sun roof, looking at me.

“Home sweet desert.” He said as he turned his head to the window.

Atlanta pulled his head back through the sunroof opening and yawned as I slowed down and came to a stop. The site consisted of a tent for Dallas and Atlanta as well as a little fire pit. I let the engine die off on the H2 and the engine rumble was replaced my eerie desert silence. Atlanta flew off the SUV and sat down next to the campfire as Dallas jumped out and walked over to the tent, disappearing inside. The radio continued to play the music softly as I leaned back in the seat and pulled my hat over my eyes. I wasn’t anywhere near tired yet, just physically exhausted. I was only twenty six and I had probably covered over two million miles of road. Driving everywhere, every day was tiring but necessary.

I felt a tug on the side of my jacket and looked over lazily, holding my hat up. A small buffalo stood there, staring at me. I remember him. I think his name was Running Wind or something but I had taken to calling him Toby for some odd reason. There wasn’t a particular reason it was just easier to say. He was a native to these parts and always had information for me, sympathizing for my plights. He was a good kid, often talked about how he saw a good aura around me, yada, yada, yada. I don’t subscribe to that mode of thinking. I offered a tired smile at his as he pushed an apple into my lap.

“For last month and my tribe.” He said in a happy tone, paying me back for giving his tribe enough money to buy their herding grounds back.

I never really had a need for money anymore so I figured it was good enough to give it to those who could actually use it. Toby seemed to have a good enough reason for me.

“No prob.” I said as I rotated and hopped out of the truck “I got more for you.”

“I could not-“ He started.

“Lock it down.” I said as I looked down at him “I don’t have a use for it.”

He wanted to protest but figured it useless, I supposed. I walked around to the trunk and pulled the door open, the metal hissing at the hinges. Toby gingerly stepped over, his footsteps barely audible. He stepped to my side as I moved the rifles in the back of the truck over and pulled out two large, heavy bags of coins. I didn’t bother counting it out or anything. I just lifted them onto his back and offered a smile.

“Tell the tribe I wish them well.” I said before closing the door with another metallic hiss.

“I will.” He said, adjusting his back for the weight “Be careful, friend. The griffons have roadblocks and checkpoints along all the western roads leading towards the oceans and grasslands.”

“Thanks Toby.” I said as I gave him a pat on the head “Remember for your own safety; you don’t know me and you are carrying all that cash for your tribe.”

He turned around and started to walk away before giving wave with a forehoof “Safe travels.”

I waved him off before walking over to the fire where Atlanta had passed out. I sat down next to him as night rolled in and the air began to dramatically drop in temperature. Despite the desert’s reputation for heat, it could drop below freezing at night. I warmed up against the small fire and rubbed my hands together. My stomach rumbled as I realize I still had the apple. I grabbed it and held it up, taking a long look at it through my sunglasses. I took a big bite and savored the flavor as I knew it wouldn’t stop my hunger. I had lost about twenty pounds after being on the run for so long, only weighed two hundred now. I always had a big stature standing at six one but I was damn skinny at this weight. I was going to need some real food at some point soon and the desert didn’t really offer a lot of options.

Atlanta curled up next to the fire as I took off my coat and put it over him. I was raised in the American north. Cold was nothing new to me. I patted down the various holsters strapped to my chest, checking my weapons as I stared into the fire, watching the flames dance. I smiled as I saw familiar faces in them and relived happier memories. I could almost hear my father’s voice from when I was four years old, deeper in tone and gentle. I would never imagine him running out on me like he did. I remembered me and him riding around in his old Chevy Caviler. It was a piece of shit but I didn’t care. I was just happy to be with my father.

I heard the fire snap and I jolted back to the real world, my hand resting on one of my P226s that sat in holsters lower on my sides. I quickly settled my nerves and looked up at the stars. I laid down on my back and placed my hands behind my head. I remember in Youngstown, the light pollution was so bad that you could only really see the moon. I guess now I was forced to enjoy the little things, seeing as how I was yanked from my old life. I still harbored resentment for Celestia. I would love nothing more to send a .45 through her skull. I pushed the thought out of my head before pulling my hat over my eyes again. I guessed I had better get some sleep seeing as staying somewhere for the day was not exactly a scholarly idea.

I woke up to a light kick in my side. I lifted my hat and saw Atlanta standing over me, obscuring the sun.

“Wakey, wakey.” He said with a grin before walking away, allowing me to be blinded by the sun.

I grimaced as my eyes snapped shut and began to water. I sat forward and put my hat on as well as my sunglasses. I seriously missed the cloudy Ohio skies at the moment. The wind blew through the barren landscape as I climbed to my feet, my worn Timberlands kicking up dust. I gave a solid stretch as my back cracked and sent a surge of relief through my spine. I grabbed my coat from the ground and threw it on, my skin not made for this kind of sun exposure. With everything adjusted, I looked around, taking in my surroundings. Dallas had already pulled up the tent and the fire had long ago burnt out. Dallas sat in the passenger seat of the H2 as Atlanta flew over onto the roof. The tent had been secured over the doors, covering them up. I kicked some dirt onto the fire pit and walked over to the H2 with a yawn.

It was time to move along down the road it seemed. I brushed off my sleeves and reached over the center console from the door, grabbing a glass bottle of piss-warm water. I pulled the cork from it, taking a swig. It tasted like watered down alcohol from the bottle. I choked it down before climbing into the truck and looking over at Dallas who had pulled out a map.

“What’s the game plan?” I asked as I corked the water and set it down in the cup holder.

Dallas examined the map, tracing a few different routes before turning to me “It seem that west towards the ocean is the best option.”

“That’s a no go.” I informed “Toby stopped by. Told me all the roads west are closed off. I serious have no idea how that guy finds us on the road.”

“When has a roadblock stopped us before?” Atlanta asked as he basked in the sunlight.

“Since we robbed a bank.” I said as I looked up at him “We are trying to annoy the griffons, not piss them off to the point of hunting us down.”

“I think we already crossed that line.” Atlanta said, stealing the map from Dallas.

“Sounds like someone wants to walk.” I said, tearing the map away from him.

“Buck off.” Atlanta said with a scowl.

“Eat me.” I fired back, checking over the map.

I traced a proper route through the east towards the great grass lands of the north, just on the northeastern border of Equestria. It was right outside of both the ponies’ and griffon’s political jurisdiction, perfect for my purposes. I believe it was actually part of Zebra territory but they were cool with me. Actually aided me in a few occasions because they were enemies of the griffons as well.

“We’re heading towards the grasslands.” I said as Atlanta and Dallas perked up “We can rest of a while when we get there.”

Dallas nodded as Atlanta flopped back on the roof, lying down. I started of the engine and grabbed ahold of the shifter, dropping it into drive and pulling away from the campsite. Dallas turned on the radio again, never liking silence. He hummed along with the song as he stared out the open door. I reached over and gave him a playful knock on his shoulder plate. He turned to me and offered a smile, not saying anything. It isn’t like he needed to. Being around someone every day for years on end, you eventually hear everything they have to say. I am still waiting on the day where we communicate entirely via grunts and nods.

The beat up Hummer rocked down the road for a while as a town appeared on the distance. We had everything we needed, so I pulled off of the road onto the rough desert ground. I was going to give the town a wide berth. It was a standard procedure of ours. I looked over at the town and noticed it was largely populated by ponies and buffalo who’d left their tribe for something new. I smiled for once, seeing a friendly town (I hoped) but never the less, stayed clear. The town was a decent size, probably ten square miles. I eventually cleared it and returned to the road. I was determined not to let anyone get hurt. Not anymore.

After eight hours of uneventful driving through the never ending desert, a roadblock stood about one hundred yards ahead of me. It was a concrete barrier with four griffons in dark blue armor with newly developed crossbows, almost certainly made to deal with me. I slowed the vehicle to a stop and looked over at Dallas who had fallen asleep in his seat. I reached over and tapped him on his head. He jolted awake and looked over at me. I met his eyes and pointed out of the window before motioning towards the roof with my thumb. Dallas gave me a nod as I shifted into park and jumped out.

I ran around to the trunk and pulled it open. I was greeted with a gun rack and a few drawers. I looked over the three rifles that sat in there and reached over, grabbing Alex’s Dragunov from the center. It was a rifle chambered in 7.62x54mmR and was about four feet in length. It was a bit unwieldy at nine pounds but carried a greater sentimental weight. It was all I had left of Alex. I was going to make the griffons pay for killing him. I pulled back the bolt, letting the clunky mechanism do its job before closing the door to the trunk and stepped up onto the bumper. Throwing the rifle onto the roof, I climbed up onto it as well, stepping over the doors and walking over next to Atlanta. Atlanta was still passed out from the drive, choosing to sleep the time away. I laid down next to him and shouldered the rifle, letting the barrel poke through the fog lights and giving me a stable platform to fire from. I got serious as I peered into the scope and looked down towards the griffons and examined them. They had seen us approach but were unaware of who we were. One pointed towards me as I stared him down through the scope, seeing the white of his eyes and the scar running down his beak. Being this close made it personal. I could see his chest rise and fall as I wrapped my finer around the trigger, steadying my breath. I was no sniper but this wasn’t an insane range. The griffon steadied his bow before walking forward towards what he probably thought was a wagon that had broken down. It was simply a case of wrong place and wrong time.

I started to feel my blood boil as I watched him get closer with a friend following him close behind. Feelings of wrath started to course through my head and I felt a twitch in my finger. Atlanta still slept next to me as the hum of the engine cleared my head. I leveled the sight over the griffon’s chest and exhaled. I hesitated for a moment and squeezed the trigger. The rifle gave off a flat crack that echoed through the desert. The gun ejected a casing that flew and hit Atlanta. Atlanta shot awake, he heart probably ready to burst from his chest. I watched the round slam into the griffon’s chest and send a red mist out behind him. I watched him squint in pain as he fell to the ground and went limp. The second griffon jumped back in terror as his friend fell to the ground. I scoped in the second griffon and waited for a shot. He ran over his wounded friend and turned back towards the other two griffons to yell something.

I squeezed out another round and the shell flew over Atlanta as he ducked. The rifle lit up the night as the round slammed into the back of the second griffon. The griffon dropped to his knees and clutched his chest as I fired again and sent another round through the higher portion of his back, almost at the base of his neck. The griffon fell forward and stopped moving. The next two griffon’s took to the sky and started toward our location.

“What the hay?!” Atlanta finally registered.

I sighted in the next griffon that raised his crossbow towards me. He attempted to fire his crossbow but didn’t take into account for gravity and the bolt fell short, sticking into the ground. The griffon now flew only about fifty yards from me as I raised the rifle and fired another round, feeling the recoil. The round went wild and into the distance as Atlanta opened his wings and took off towards the last griffon. I cursed and fired once more in a panic, sending another wild round as the griffon got closer. Now only twenty feet from me, I fired two more rounds from the hip, one going wild and the other slamming into the forehead of the soldier. He started to fall and slammed into the battering ram of my SUV with a loud bang. I lowered the rifle as I looked over at Atlanta who stood over a dead griffon, his knife jutting out of the griffon’s neck.

Atlanta was breathing heavily as he removed his knife and wiped it off on the griffon’s feathers. He shot me a glance before sheathing it and walking away from the corpse. I clutched the rifle as I jumped off of the H2 and landed on my feet, dropping to a knee. I climbed to my feet and jogged over to the griffon that lay in front of the truck. I rounded the vehicle and looked down to see the griffon laying there, limp and bleeding all over the ground. I knelt down next to the corpse and rolled it over. I caught a look at the soldier and nearly fell over. It was a young griffon, maybe no more than fifteen. I didn’t exactly like the griffons but I had just shot a kid. He was probably scared out of his mind. I quickly stood back up, not waiting to look at the griffon for too long. Dallas jumped out of the H2 and ran over to me.

“What is wrong?” He asked before looking down the griffon.

I sighed and turned to him “They are sending fucking kids after us.”

Dallas remained silent before grabbing the griffon by the scruff of his neck and dragging him from the road. Atlanta flew over and landed down on the roof again, kicking a shell casing at the back of my head.

“Warn me next time!” He yelled in annoyance before dropping back down, annoyed that I woke him up.

The first griffon I had shot still lay in the middle of the road, coughing and crying out. I turned to the Hummer and grimaced before turning around and leveling the rifle.

“Shut up.” I said flatly before firing another round from the Russian rifle, killing the griffon on impact.

“There isn’t much you can do.” Dallas said from the other side of the road “We have to move.”

I just nodded “You’re right.”

Dallas walked back to the Hummer and jumped into it, sitting down in his seat as I walked over and climbed in as well. The vehicle rocked as I sat in and shifted back into drive. I drove around the corpses and around the barrier before returning to the road and flicking on cruise.

Chapter 2: The Forest

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The desert’s song of dead wind blasted by as I drove down the trail. The road had long since turned into more of a bumpy mess than the nice flat ground that characterized the desert. Atlanta was plastered the roof as he took a nap and Dallas was staring out the window as we moved along. Sometimes I wondered what he was thinking about when he stared out that door for hours on end. He never did talk much since the attack on Ponyville. Come to think about it, he never really talked at all. He was generally quiet and relied on me and Atlanta to handle social situations. It kind of bothers me that he never really talks much, only giving me one word answers or a sentence at the most. At least Atlanta would give me someone to talk to but he much preferred the howling wind and sunlight of the roof of the H2.

The H2 gave a low hum as the exhaust started to give a loud roar. It seemed that was starting to go as well on the damn truck. I wondered how much longer the thing would last before becoming just a frame and engine. I placed my hand at twelve o’clock on the wheel and coasted north along the road. We had encountered a few griffon patrols through the past few days but it wasn’t really anything new. The land had become somewhat cooler and greener as we moved north, a nice change of scenery. Staring at a dead, brown landscape for years on end can leave a bad impression on you. After suffering dust storms almost every day, it would be nice to breathe clean, dust-free air. I wouldn’t be surprised if I had a fine layer of dust coating the inside of my lungs.

Atlanta stirred from his nap and rolled over, looking down at us through the sunroof “Where the hay are we?”

Dallas looked at him with an unamused look “Heading north like we told you.”

“I’m so dang bored!” Atlanta said before rolling over away from view.

“I told you to get a book before we took off.” I pointed out with a smirk.

I wasn’t really sure anymore if it was healthy how much I enjoyed mocking my friends. It was all I really had to occupy myself anymore when I wasn’t taking pot shots at griffons. I guess it was better than giggling every time I killed a griffon. I used to know people like that.

“You know I don’t like to read.” Atlanta informed us from the roof as I looked in my side view mirror.

“Learn to like it.” Dallas said with a chuckled before returning his gaze back out the door.

Atlanta gave an annoyed grunt before rolling back over onto the roof. Dallas hummed a tune as I stared back out the dusty window. I seriously doubted the Hummer would ever be completely clean of the dust from the desert, no matter how many times I cleaned it. The sun beat down on the roof of the H2 as I scooted over a bit to avoid it through the sunroof. I hated the sun. I preferred a cloudy day or even snow for the matter. I guess you can take the boy out of the north but you can’t take the north of the boy. I reached over to the radio and shut it off as a forest appeared on the edge of the desert, a kind of buffer zone between the grasslands and the desert. It was strange to me because there was an almost immediate switch between mostly dead desert and greenery. I slowed down our approach as we closed in on the forest.

The forest was around fourteen feet tall on average and was just open enough to let light in. The trail lead into the forest as I pulled in, vigilant of tree trunks and ditches. Animal moved around the Hummer as we moved into the forest and putted along at thirty miles per hour.

“What’s our heading?” I asked Dallas as I avoided a tree trunk in the middle of the dirt trail.

Dallas snapped back to our world and fumbled for the map that sat on the dashboard. He quickly opened it and traced a line with his hoof.

“Roughly thirty miles south of the grasslands and twenty miles south of the border marking the end of griffon territory.” He informed before closing up the map.

“Well, Atlanta.” I called out from the seat “Here is that change of scenery you wanted.”

“Well, hooray.” He said in a sarcastic tone.

“That’s the spirit.” I shot back with the same tone.

Atlanta waved a hoof in the air, dismissing me as I looked over at Dallas for some sort of back up. Once again, he was in his own little world. I huffed before looking back out of the dusty window and noticed the forest was getting noticeably darker. I flipped on the blinding fog lights and a few deer went running. The only thing my mind could think of at that point was dinner. The deer jumped into denser forest that I could only hope to get through with a tank. I curse in my head as I snapped back to the road and slowed to a stop. I dropped the H2 in park as Dallas and Atlanta looked over at me.

“Why are we stopping?” Dallas asked as he looked around the forest for any sign of hostility.

“We’re taking a break.” I informed them “Get out and stretch your legs.”

Atlanta jumped down from the roof as I stretched out and every joint in my body cracked with relief. Atlanta did the same, flaring out his wings as I turned in the direction of where the deer had gone. The truck rumbled as turned back around and walked over to the driver’s side door and reached in, grabbing the Dragunov. Atlanta gave me a looked before stepped out from in front of me.

“Where are you going?” He asked as he cracked his neck and walked in place.

“To get my dinner.” I said, pulling the bolt back a bit to check the round and holding the rifle off to the side “Wait here. If I am not back in twenty minutes, come after me.”

“You got it.” He said before walking over to the H2 and explaining everything to Dallas who came running over.

“You aren’t seriously going into the forest, are you?” He asked as if I was stupid.

“I’m scarier than anything we’ll see in here.” I pointed out before sliding through a few trees, not waiting for his response.

I walked through the calm woods as my stomach rumbled. I had not eaten in days. Since there was only one town maybe every one hundred miles in the desert and even fewer non-griffon towns, food was hard to come by. Plus the desert wasn’t exactly good for gathering or hunting. I weaved through the woods as the area around me got darker and darker. I tracked prints in the mud for a few minutes before thinking I had maybe lost it already. I had always been a city boy, growing up in a concrete jungle. I remembered a few things from a couple nature shows I watched but most of it had gone in one ear and out the other. I looked around for a moment before cursing under my breath. I turned around and started back towards the rendezvous before hearing something snap behind me.

I spun around and brought the rifle to bear before the barrel smacked off a tree, the unwieldy barrel hampering me. I lowered it and brought it about before slowly making me way towards the noise. I could hear something trudging around in the mud as I searched for a deer. It was so dark that the only things I could really see were bright colors, like the pale of my hands and the orange-ish wood furniture of the rifle’s fore grip. This was hopeless. I wasn’t going to even get a shot, much less a kill in these kind of conditions. I lowered my rifle before a light appeared in the darkness. I raised my rifle again, scoping in the target. The light danced back and forth as I thought of dinner. It was then it struck me. What kind of deer carries a light? I knelt down, waiting for a sight of the light’s carrier.

A few seconds later, I could hear voices and laughing coming from the light source. I started to sweat as it moved closer to me but it suddenly turned away. I sighed in relief as the light moved away towards my left. The voices didn’t get any cleared as the light disappeared into the woods.

“What the fuck?” I mumbled as I fought the urge to follow the light.

I turned around and had the little fear in the back of my head that whatever that was may have gotten to my crew. I waited a few seconds before bolting through the dense woods, juking the trees. I dodged back and forth before the headlights of the H2 were visible. I stopped for a second to catch my breath before leaning against a tree and peering through the scope of the Dragunov. I ran the sight over the H2 and saw that it had been abandon for whatever reason. I stepped out of the woods, scanning all directions as I made my way towards the Hummer. I pointed the rifle down the road as I looked over into the backseat and saw it was empty.

“Dallas?” I called out in a hushed tone before turning the other way “Atlanta?”

I looked around before sadly lowering my rifle. I huffed before getting the panging fear of being alone. I always had them with me and now they were gone. I thought back for a moment of what we talked about for a situation such as this and climbed into the driver’s seat. I set the rifle in the passenger seat and pressed the horn three times in three second intervals. I was scared this would alert anything nearby but finding Dallas and Atlanta was more important. I jerked out one of my P226s and looked around, hoping to catch site of one of my crew. I looked around for a moment before finding Dallas’ map on the ground. It was then I realized something had happened. He knew that map was our lifeline and couldn’t be lost. To leave it on the side of the road, something had to have happened, but why the H2 still sitting here like I had left it? Why was nothing stolen? The bits still sat in the back and all my guns still sat on the rack in the back.

I felt the urge to cry out from the pain of being alone again but I knew better. I didn’t want to leave the spot in case they came back but something was awfully wrong. I didn’t even have a heading. I looked around for prints in the ground or anything of the sort.

“Game on, birdies.” I mumbled as I looked around, expecting griffons.

I walked over and turned off the Hummer and walked forward, leaving it behind. I would leave it there in case they came back. I thought back for a moment and checked my watch. It was only fifteen minutes since I had left them in the first place. Atlanta may lack a bit of common sense but he wasn’t stupid. I knew he wouldn’t have left yet. Trudged down the path, mud clinging to my boots as I carefully watched the area around me. The trees seemed to peer over me, almost oppressively. My element had always been the concrete jungle, not a real one. I had a death grip on the Dragunov as I stopped for a moment and listened. I could hear the same voices I had heard from when I saw that light. I knelt down and looked for the source. It was almost impossible to see anything. I had a flashlight on my 1911 but I didn’t want to risk being spotted.

The voices faded away again, what they were saying was still a mystery to me though. I stood back up as I noticed the light passing through the trees to my left again. I scoped in on it and adjusted the zoom to a lower magnification. Even though it appeared to be an oil lantern, I still couldn’t see anyone. It was odd because most of the locals used magic style lanterns but this one was putting off smoke, if only a little bit. It kind of reminded me of the old lanterns railroaders used to signal crossings. I followed it for a while, marking the occasional tree with my KA-bar to tell me the way back to my truck. The light dance as it swayed side to side and continued on to through the forest. I stopped for a moment and looked away, pulling my black knife out again and digging an arrow into the tree back towards the way I had come from. I looked back and saw the light was now gone again and the area was strangely devoid of life. No birds were signing, no bugs chirping, the mosquitos weren’t even biting.

“Fuck.” I grumbled as I beat my fist against the tree.

I looked back towards the way I had come and looked down at my watch. It was now over two hours since I had started chasing that light. Maybe Dallas and Atlanta had returned to the Hummer. I pulled my boot from the mud again and started to march my way back. I took a few more steps before looking over at the tree and noticing none of my markings were there. I knew I had just marked this tree and it was a straight path. Something was seriously up here. I looked down the path but nothing but trees and darkness stared back. Even the sky was dark. I knew it had been daylight when we entered the woods and we had only been in them for roughly five hours at this point. I continued back down the path for another twenty minutes before the path started to change. It began to flair out, getting wider from side to side. I cling to my right hand side since I was left handed, giving me a wide sway with the rifle as I shouldered it and cautiously walked down the new trail. I had a feeling that someone was fucking with me.

I looked back up to the sky in a clear spot through the trees and saw that no stars were gazing down on me. Someone was obviously bringing their A game. The only time I had seen magic like this was when I was in the woods and first got Ulik. Man…. That was a long time ago and not a very pleasant memory. It made me shudder thinking of burning the body. I missed that kid. He never even said a word and his memory still haunted me. I just hoped I made the right decision pulling the trigger. He trusted me and I had to pull the trigger on him. This world may have the appearance of innocence but under that thin veil, it was no different than my own world.

I walked for what seemed like an eternity before the trail suddenly broke into a clearing with dense forest on all ends. I felt completely exposed. I turned back to the trail but where it had been was cut off by trees now. I lowered the rifle and looked around for the trail like a lost child looking for their mother. No sight of the trail was visible. I shook the rifle once in anger before turning around. I nearly had to pick my jaw up off the ground from what stood in front of me. My old apartment building stood in the middle of the field. It was a large, indistinct brick building that stood at three stories tall. It was an awful place from what I could remember. It looked exactly like it did back in Youngstown. Lights were on it every room that had the curtains open yet, there were no power lines running to it. A better question was what it was doing here? I had no explanation for it.

I looked over and the H2 sat off to the side of the building. I slowly walked over to it, spinning around looking for targets in paranoia. I slowly stepped over and noticed a white sheet of what looked like printer paper sat under the wiper blade. I took my right hand from the rifle and slowly reached out, pulling the paper from the blade. I set the Dragunov down on the hood of the SUV and opened the paper. It was in scratchy handwriting like a four year old with Parkinson’s disease let his hand fall asleep before writing it.

‘We know what you did.’

That was all that was on the paper. I was puzzled. I folded the paper and stuck it in my pants pocket before grabbing the rifle. My mind was working on overdrive to figure out what the hell was going on. Smoke was ready to start falling out of my ears. I shook my head and knew there was a more important matter at hand. I grabbed the rifle and walked over to the apartment building. It seemed to give an ominous glow as I rounded it and walked over to the door. On the pale green metal door was a message written in the same handwriting in black paint.

‘Come inside to face it.’

I raised an eyebrow as I slung the rifle over my shoulder. I reached down and pulled my 1911 out, flicking the safety off. I fought with myself as I reached down and grabbed the handle. Was this really a good idea? Maybe I should just book it and forget this ever happened. I just couldn’t do that. I still owed it to Dallas and Atlanta. They didn’t abandon me. It didn’t even cross their minds. I turned the knob as it gave off a metal grind that made my spine curl. I pushed the door in a bit before lifting my gun and turning on the gun’s flashlight.

Chapter 3: The Building

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Author’s note: If you haven’t noticed, I like to consider myself an intellectual. I actually kind of model this story after the Odyssey and Iliad in the way that there is a larger goal but many unrelated challenges. Not to say some of these elements won’t last longer or come up again but it allows me to entertain you with something new and practice my skill at different form of conflict.

I lifted the gun as I let the light illuminate the hallway. The hallway looked exactly like my old one but something was just wrong with it like it had been constructed in a dream. The hallways were a dirty white with pale doors on either side of it. Large florescent lights lined the ceiling, placed every ten feet or so, bathing the hallway in a faint white glow that helped point out all the dirt in the hallway. My old apartment was never filled with savory characters. All of the tenets were either poor or defective in some way. When I say that, I mean they suffered from various mental problems like night terrors or manic depressive disorder. It seemed like every six months or so, a tenet was either being carted out of the place on a stretcher babbling to himself or police were dragging him or her away in a body bag.

I walked down the hallway trying to determine if this was a dream or something. I walked over to apartment 100 immediately on my right and tried to listen for anything. Places from my past don’t just show up like this. I could hear nothing though the door and reached down for the knob. I gave it a few jiggles with my free hand before figuring out it was locked. I shrugged and lifted the handgun to the handle, pressing the silencer against it. Suddenly, something bashed into the door on the other side. I nearly shit my pants as I jumped back and kept the gun trained on the door. The door pounded again a few more times before coming to a stop. I slowly approached it again. I have no idea what compelled me to try and open the door again. I place my hand on the knob again and gave it another turn. The handle slowly turned this time even though it was locked just a second ago. I pushed the door in, sweeping the room with my 1911. The room looked like a standard low rent apartment, complete with a large picture of Jesus hanging on the wall on the other end, above the TV. I never was a religious man, in fact, I kind of despised it. There was no place for it anymore anyway. At least I didn’t have mormons coming to my door everyday anymore.

I chuckled as I placed the laser sight over the picture and turned around, keeping the gun ready to fire. The apartment’s lights flickered as I walked into the kitchen and opened the door on the dirty fridge in hopes of finding something proving people lived here. As I opened it, a smell worse than death hit me like a train. Everything on the inside of the fridge was rotten. I slammed it closed and choked at the smell for a moment. What kind of mental patient lives or did live here? Everything in the apartment was squeaky clean except for that fridge. I took a few steps back from the kitchen, back into the living room before turning and hastily making my way towards the bathroom. I kicked open the door and walked in. The room was a nasty pink color with a rubber duck themed wallpaper that wasn’t even in style when it was made. I attempted to turn on the sink but nothing came out. I shouldn’t have expected it to anyway. I turned back around and noticed the door had a note hanging on it, the note hanging of a towel hook.

I snatched the note off the hook and held it in my hand as I stepped out of the room and back into the living area. I opened the yellowish sheet of paper and was greeted by the four year old with Parkinson’s again.

‘No escaping from the past.’ It read.

“Cryptic bullshit.” I said as I folded the note and stuck it into my pocket along with the others.

This paper was of human quality, not the brownish scrolls the locals used. Where the hell were they getting it? The only way through to my world was with Celestia’s help and even then you can’t be there for very long. I must have been some special case. I shook my head with a grin on it from some odd reason as I walked over to the bedroom. I wasn’t playing now. I hiked my foot and sent my boot into the door, almost snapping the shitty wood in half as the door broke off one of its hinges. I lowered the gun and searched around the room, not seeing anything of importance. A digital alarm clock kept ringing twelve and a lamp flickered in the corner from a bad bulb. I walked around the room, running my free hand over the whitish plaster wall before my eyes caught sight of a griffon corpse on the ground on the other side of the bed. I jumped back from the unexpected sight. The griffon was almost cut in half with a large branch impaling it through the chest. I couldn’t even cause that kind of damage. Another note hung off the branch. I carefully reached over and plucked the note free.

‘A gift.’

“Just what I always wanted.” I mumbled as I folded the paper.

It was bothering me that whatever was controlling this, held all of the cards. From the looks of the griffon, he didn’t even put up a struggle. This thing was going to do what it wanted and I was going to be its bitch. I stepped back and walked out of the room, jogging out of the apartment. I slammed it shut as I gathered myself and lifted my handgun again. If I remembered correctly, my room was 309. That meant I was on the top floor and almost at the end of the hall. I still remember how much it sucked getting groceries up there. I completely avoided the rest of the rooms in the hall before reaching the door to the elevator. I tapped the call button and waited a second. Nothing came. I tapped the button a few more times like it would do something before cursing and looking over to the door that lead to the stairs. It looked like I was going to be taking low-tech route. I walked over to the door and pushed it open, it already having been partially cracked open. The stairs were completely pitch black except for where the flashlight on my handgun illuminated. The concrete walls were in total disrepair, chips lining it as well as a large rust stain under where the old lights hung. It looked more like a staircase from a Chernobyl ruin rather than something in an Ohio steel town.

I stepped up the stairs, the faded padding of my boots absorbing the sound. I passed up the second floor hall and immediately ran up the stairs to the third floor. I placed the light over the blue door that lead there and tried to open it. The door wouldn’t give an inch and appeared to be made of steel with bars covering it. The bars were all flaked with rust as I reached a finger between them to rub the dust off of the fogged window. The entire hallway was pitch black. I lifted my light to see inside before I figured out something was just blocking the light. I mumbled a curse and knew there was no way I would be able to get the door open even with my guns. The door weighed at least three hundred pounds, was metal, had a deadbolt, and was most likely rusted in place.

“Every time!” I yelled as I punched the door in anger of the delay.

I turned back around and ran down the stairs and to the second floor door. I slowly pushed it open and found the hallway had no lights at all. I looked up and noticed they were all blown out, like the pressure inside of them shattered the bulbs. I lowered the gun, letting the light shine down the hall. This hall looked like it had been unattended for decades. The paint was flaking off of the walls and the wood on the doors were warping and becoming discolored. That is what you get from shoddy building materials, I guess. I shrugged and walked into the hall before something pushed me and the door slammed shut behind me. I fell into the ground and put two reflex shots into the door, the silencer only letting out two muffled chirps and flashes of light. I laid there for a moment, expecting something to charge through the door. Light suddenly pieced the holes where the bullets had went through the door. I heard voices on the other side of the door now. They were muffled to the point where they sounded like something out of a Charlie Brown cartoon.

I walked over and looked through one of the holes, knocking my hat off my head and onto the dirty floor. I was greeted with the sight of… my mother again. She laid in the middle of the hall, dead with that goddamn crowbar next to her. Something wasn’t right but the pain was all the same. She wore a pair of jeans and an Ohio State jersey that belonged to her girlfriend at the time. I beat my fist against the door a few times as two cops walked up the stairs. The looked over the corpse and pulled out a pen and paper before writing like nothing happened. I slammed my eyes shut as the guilt washed over me for not being there for her. I slid back on my ass and pressed my back into the wall. I looked back at the door and the light was gone just as soon as it had appeared. Something was definitely fucking with me. I only ever told that story to Twilight. I swallowed my guilt and stood back up. I had to continue.

I looked down the hall to where the elevator was. A sliver of light kept getting wider and smaller as the doors attempted to close on something. I started to walk in that direction carefully, trying my hardest not to get pushed around again. I still needed to find Dallas and Atlanta. I had not seen them in… sixteen hours? I just hoped they hadn’t abandoned me. Not like they had anything else. They were fugitives like me. I closed in on the elevator and saw what was blocking it. A human corpse was lying on the ground, face first and very much dead. I knelt down and placed my hands on the dead man’s neck to check for a vital. I don’t know why I did this; it was more habit than anything. I got nothing of course. I reached down and flipped the corpse over. I shuddered at the sight of who it was. I looked away as a seed of anger grew in me.

I beat my fist against the ground as I looked back and was greeted with an old man in a suit. It was my father. His eyes were open and rolled back in his head with a hole between his eyes. I looked at him and clutched my fist. I felt angry and sad at the same time. I wanted this man dead for so long just to find someone already did the job for me. I reached down into his pocket and felt something in it. I pulled it out and found and envelope. Something was inside of it but I wasn’t sure what. I slid my finger into the seam and tore the envelope open. Another note was in it as well as a key to room 306.

‘Is this what you wanted?’ It asked, almost mocking me.

Something was inside my head and it knew me better than I knew myself from the looks of it. I lowered the note and found that my father’s body was gone.

“Someone’s fucking with me.” I mumbled before berating myself for thinking like Captain Obvious.

I dropped the note and stood back up, looking towards the elevator. It looked like it was about a hundred years old and looked about as sturdy as cardboard and Elmer’s Glue. The yellowish incandescent bulb flickered a few times as I tested the floor with my foot. I never trusted this thing five or so odd years ago and I wasn’t going to start now. If I fell through it, I could kiss my ass goodbye. Even if I only broke my legs, there was no one to alert a doctor or to even get me there, let alone out of the pit. Satisfied after a few good stomps, I walked in and turned back around to see a pair of red eyes staring back at me. I had the gut feeling like it wanted nothing more than to kill or maim me. I started pressing the third floor button in a panic as I raised the 1911 with my dominant hand.

The creature looked like nothing more than a solid shadow with eyes. It started to walk forward slowly. As it stepped into the light, the bulb exploded in a shower of light, gas, and glass. I aimed my gun at it, holding the pistol with both hands. As the sight landed on the creature, the laser seemed to go right on through it and the light shut off. I panicked and started firing off rounds wildly. The gun chirped repeatedly as the silencer cut off much of the sound. The rounds passed right on through the creature as I continued to fire. I seemed to finally piss it off and it started charging headlong at the elevator. I kept firing the gun with my left hand as I slammed the close door button with my right. The doors gave a solid lurch before they closed at the speed of a snail across a sidewalk.

The doors finally closed as I stepped back and pressed my back into the wall. I let out a relieved huff before looked at the rust colored floor. Various shell casings rolled around on the floor, their brass shine catching the light. I stepped forward to press the third floor button again when the creature slammed into the door. I fell backwards onto my ass before scooting back so my back was to the corner of the elevator. The door was dented in about two inches from where the creature had made contact. I panicked and kicked the control panel with my foot.

“Come on you piece of shit!” I yelled at the control panel like it would do something.

I heard the hum of machinery start up in the elevator shaft before the elevator started to slowly climb upwards. The creature let out an ear-shattering howl as I ascended to the next floor. I let my head fall back and connect with the wall as I prayed for the safety of Dallas and Atlanta. If I couldn’t kill that thing, I doubted they could. What the hell was it now that I think about it? I had never seen anything like it any equestrian textbooks and I had read a lot in my free time, mostly stolen from griffon towns. I climbed to my feet as the elevator came to a stop with a sickening metallic grinding noise. The doors slowly opened as I was greeted with a half lit hallway, copies of the other two. The lights gave off a slight electric hum as a few flickered lightly. I stepped out of the elevator as the doors closed. With my free hand, I remember the key from the envelope. I jerked out the key and looked over it. It was your pretty standard twenty first century key. It made from steel with Home Depot logo on one side and 306 on the other. I couldn’t quite remember who was living in that unit when I left. In fact, I think it had been empty since I got there. Something about a grease fire came to mind.

With the key in one hand as the gun in the other, I switched the under-barrel light back on and walked down the corridor. There were no windows, so I had no idea what was going on outside. I got about halfway down the hallway before seeing the door on my left with 306 printed on a copper-toned plaque. I walked over to it and looked down at the key.

“Convenient.” I said with a chuckle before sliding the key into the deadbolt.

A growl came from my left, towards the hallway. I looked back and saw that the elevator doors were being pried open by a pair of shadowy claws. I panicked before opening my door as the creature climbed out of the elevator shaft. It gave me a death stare before charging at me again. I fired to rounds from the hip before running into the door and slamming it shut behind me, leaving the key in the deadbolt. The door warped as the creature bashed into it once. I peered to the right of the door and saw a bookshelf. I ran over to one end as the monster slammed into the door again, making the wood splinter. I placed my hands at the top left of the piece of the furniture and tipped it over. It crashed down spilling books all over the floor and blocking the door. The shadow thing slammed into the door one last time before it stopped for some reason.

I placed my hands on my knees as I knelt forward and caught my breath. That was something I hadn’t experienced before. I looked over my shoulder and saw a semi-modern living room. The apartment copied the floor plan of the one downstairs but this looked like it was lived in by someone with an odd sense of taste. The TV was on and nothing but static played on it. It was a large flat screen with two speaker towers on each side. A videogame console sat under it on the entertainment center but I didn’t have time for any of that. I turned my head and wandered towards the bedroom with my gun drawn. There had to be a reason for that key being there. I walked over to the door and opened it as I swept the room with the gun, seeing nothing but a single composition notebook on the foot of the bed.

I was tired beyond belief at this point, having a ten hour day of driving under my belt and all this. I knew this was no place to stop though. I walked over to the notebook and picked it up. The cover was in the standard static black and white pattern with Alex’s name on the cover of it. I cocked my head seeing this, my heart wrenching. It was unpleasant every time I thought of him. He was my only damn friend in that entire world, no, my only family in that world. He looked after me after my mother died and protected me throughout school. I felt bad and grateful know that I thought about it. He took more than one beating that was meant for me. I just wished I could thank him for it now. I owed it to him to go to his grave site at some point if Celestia was nice enough to give him one.

I cracked open the notebook and flipped through a couple of pages covered in hand-drawn maps with names like Iraq, Pakistan, and Niger on them as well as a few operation notes. He always had a knack for drawing even though he never used it. I kept flipping through pages before coming to one labeled ‘Unknown’. I looked over to where the map should be and was met with a big question mark. I flipped the page and was greeted with a few logs.

‘DATE: ?/?/??
LOCATION: Unknown territory
OPERATION: Unknown
EVAC: Unknown and unlikely

DETAILS:

I have no idea where I am or how I got here. I have all of my gear but my radio is dead and I am carrying no GPS system. I keep trying to raise anyone over the radio but nothing is there but static. My location is a colder climate, similar to Germany from what I can tell. No snow yet so weather isn’t an issue. I’ll head south until I see something or and pointed in another direction.

DATE: ?/?/??+1
LOCATION: 5 miles magnetic south of original location
OPERATION: Unknown
EVAC: Unknown and Unlikely

DETAILS:

Came across a creature while on the move. I was wearing my ghillie suit at the time but the creature still spotted me. I have no idea what it is or it origins but I have never seen anything like it. It was roughly six feet tall and five feet long. It looked more or less like an eagle. Strange thing is, it was wearing armor and spoke. It addressed itself as ‘Gilda’ and posed as a soldier from some unknown country. She attempted to arrest me but I fired my weapon and prompt escaped.

DATE: ?/?/??+2
LOCATION: 17 miles magnetic south of original location
OPERATION: Unknown
EVAC: Unknown and Unlikely.

DETAILS:

Killed a few of the soldiers that accompanied Gilda today. They are chasing me now with the intent to kill or capture. I’m running low on ammunition and food. My situation is falling apart rapidly. I’ll update when I can.

DATE: ?/?/??+?
LOCATION: Equestria?
OPERATION: Unknown
EVAC: Unknown and Unlikely

DETAILS:

A lot has happened since I last reported. I stumbled into a cave and was met with a strange form of creature. Insect like from what I can tell. I killed a few more griffons as well before escaping from their grasp again. I pasted out from exhaustion and was helped out by someone named ‘Golden Heart’ (strange name). I stole a map before leaving and continuing south. I found out that the land is called Equestria, wherever that is. Maybe I’ll find a friendly town where I can get answers.’

The journal came to an end there. I snapped the book shut and held it in my hand for a moment before sitting down on the bed. The bed squeaked under me as I leaned forward and looked down at the ground, my gun in one hand and the notebook in the other.

The Dream

View Online

Author’s note: Alright. After numerous requests, I have picked this back up. I’m not going to deal with the petty Dallas arguments and whatnot. Just read and get over it.

I looked over the notebook for a moment, taking time to examine every defect and mark on it. I was feeling almost sentimental. I swallowed the sting of pain I was feeling before sliding the notebook under my bandolier and stood up. I checked my handgun for a moment before walking out of the bedroom and back into the main room of the apartment. Nothing had changed since I read the logs, but the door wasn’t being bashed in anymore. I walked towards it for a second before stopping. Was I a fucking idiot? That thing was going to be waiting for me out there.

I took a few steps back and stepped over towards a window. The window was a standard 2x3ft covered by a black-out curtain. I reached and pulled the curtain aside and looked out the window. From what it looked like, Equestria was still outside. I honestly wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing at this point. I holstered the 1911 under my shoulder, opposite to the Model 29, and pulled the window open. I punched out the screen and watched it tumble three stories down, landing on the hood of the H2 and bouncing off to the side. I looked to both sides, adjusting the rifle on my back with my free hand. A small ledge ran along the bottom of the window and across the building, ending at a drain pipe. I gave a little nod to myself, not sure if I was steeling my nerves or cheering myself up before climbing out onto the ledge. I wobbled for a moment on the ledge, almost falling off before standing up and pressing flat against the wall.

“And for my next trick.” I snickered as I started shuffling across the ledge.

The moon hung over head, a constant reminder to me of my past. I don’t know why but it feels like it is connected to what is going on. I just assumed that it’s me being paranoid. I kept shuffling along the ledge, passing a window before reaching the drain pipe. I didn’t trust half the structure inside and I wasn’t about to now. I grabbed the pipe with my hand before shaking it. I just had to get out of here, get to the Hummer and drive like hell. The pipe wasn’t exactly sturdy, one of the bolts kept giving a metal grind every shake, but it was better than jumping down two stories or facing whatever fucking nightmare was waiting for me inside the halls. I spun around on the ledge and grabbed ahold of the drain with both hands.
I tried to remember the times Alex had told me about his rappel training and such, but I was mostly drawing a blank. I braced my right foot on the ledge before leaning back with a grip on the pipe and lowered my left foot. I didn’t feel anything below it that was sturdy enough to hold me so I was just going to have to hope the traction on my boot was enough. I braced my left foot on the brick exterior of the building before letting my right foot lower. I felt the pipe jerk, one of the bolts holding it up broke off and fell down past me. I slid my hands down the pipe, slicing both of them deeply on the jagged rust before catching a grip on a satellite dish next to me.

“Jesus fuck!” I called out to myself in a panic as I grabbed ahold of the pipe, pressing off of the satellite dish for support.

My hands screamed in pain as I praise my stars for having gotten a Tetanus shot all those years back. Just had to hope it would work. I looked down over my shoulder and saw the ledge for the second floor was within stepping distance. I stepped down onto it, steeling my footing on the ledge, next to a window. I spun around, letting my back press against the wall. I took the moment to decompress and let my heart slow down. I was only 26 but I felt like I was in my 40s. I looked down to the H2 and estimated my chances of just jumping for it. The small clearing around the building I was on looked as though it had changed seasons while I was inside. The leaves were changing colors and the grass was taking on a brownish color, as if there had been a drought. I buttoned the top button of my trench coat before looking towards the drain.

“Ryan!” I heard a voice call out like I was about to be railed at in anger.

I stopped for a moment and looked straight ahead. Who was that? The voice sounded familiar but I wasn’t sure. It sounded female, I knew that. I shrugged it off before checking my hands. I had three gashes on my left palm and two on my right. All of them were bleeding pretty badly from the looks of it. I locked them into fists, breathing deep to try and numb the pain.

“Ryan!” I heard again from my left, away from the building.

The voice sounded like it was getting closer. Blood leaked out from my hands and fell down before I took out my gloves from my pocket and slipped them on. I ignored the voice again as the gloves agitated my cuts, making me grimace. I reached in my coat and set my left hand over one of the 226s that sat in holsters on each side of my hips. I looked over to the source of the voice and saw… Luna? No way. How could she have possibly found me? She stood at the bottom of the building near the H2. I stared at her for a moment, adjusting my hat with my right hand out of bewilderment. I was about to jerk my gun free before I felt something grab my ankle.

I felt my ankle being yanked out from under me and pulled into the window. I fell forward, my face smacking off of the brick as I was pulled back into the building. I heard Luna shout something else but I was too dazed to make it out. I could tell my nose was broken and one of my ribs was bruised at the least. Blood ran down my face as the world slowly came back to me. I was laying on the carpet in another living room of an apartment. My ankle felt like it had been chewed on in a way. I looked up, using my hands to push up on my back and saw the creature again. It stood near the back end of the apartment, staring at me with malicious intent.

“Christ!” I shouted as I reached down for one of the Sigs.

The creature reacted quicker than I did. It shot forward and wrapped a claw around my neck. Its strength was something to be marveled at. I let out a few strangled gasps as it lifted me up off of the ground. I panicked and grabbed ahold of the creature’s forearms. The creature was cold to the touch, like it was circulating refrigerator coolant rather than blood. It stared into my eyes as it pulled one claw back, still holding me there. Its eyes were a deeper shade of red that I originally saw. They still permeated hatred. I watched as the creature pulled its claws back as if it were going to strike. I reached down and pulled out one of the Sigs before jamming it into the creature’s chest and firing a volley of quick shots. The creature stumbled back, dropping me. I fell to my knees and coughed, my lungs burning from the strain. My ears were now ringing from the gunshots, effectively making me deaf for the time being. I looked up at the creature with the Sig still in my hands to see it looming over me.

I went to raise the Sig but received a backhand from the creature. I flew backwards and felt my back connect with the window and shatter it. I fell out the window backwards, watching the sky as my hand still gripped the gun. I watched as the glass glittered around me and the creature ran to the window and stopped. The world seemed to stop for a moment before I landed on the hood of the H2 and bounced off. I landed face-first on the ground, my face leaving an imprint on the dirt. I groaned for a moment and tried to push myself up but failed. My body was now on shutdown mode and trying to keep me out of shock. I felt something walk over to my side before I blacked out.

I jolted upwards in a panic, reaching for my guns and not finding them there. I looked around and noticed I was sitting against a tree with my equipment off to the side of me. I looked up and saw what looked like a dinosaur’s tail disappear behind a tree. I looked down at my hands and saw there were no gashes on them like I remembered. I took a glance down at my watch and saw it had only been an hour since I split off from Dallas and Atlanta. I cracked my neck and tried to think back. All of that felt so real… but it wasn’t? All the pain was so real as were the emotions. I never had a dream like that one before. Hell, I never dream at all!

I took a moment to compose myself before standing up. The bruised rib from what I’m hoping was a dream was gone, as was my broken nose. It was like the entire thing didn’t even happen. I knelt down over my bandolier and slipped it back on, adjusting my holsters before noticing the notes I found while I was in the ‘dream’ were not there. I picked up my tattered trench coat and threw it on before seeing that the notebook fell out. This just raised further questions. I picked it up and flipped through it, seeing all the same notes, maps, and statistics from before.

I snapped the book closed and slid it back under my bandolier before grabbing the SVD from the ground and held it firmly in my hands. I cracked my neck once more before looking back towards where the H2 may be at the best of my memory.

I stepped out of the woods and over to the SUV. Dallas sat on the passenger seat and Atlanta sat on the roof per usual. Dallas noticed my presence and looked over to me.

“Where have you been?” He asked with a weary tone of relief, “We were looking for almost an hour before we came back here.”

“Don’t worry about it, mother.” I played off as I climbed into the driver’s seat and set the Dragunov on the back seat.

Dallas shrugged, “Sorry to worry then. Ready to go?”

“Yeah, come on, let’s get out of this dang jungle.” Atlanta called from the roof as he banged on it with a hoof, “Bugs are relentless.”

“Don’t tempt me to make you wait even longer.” I threatened as I started the engine with a tap of the wheel.

Atlanta gave an annoyed grunt, knowing it was pointless to argue with me. I lightly pressed on the gas and started down the long and never ending trail. The trail led on for another couple of hours before cart tracks appeared in the mud. Dallas hung out of the H2 and looked down at them as we rolled along. He sat back up and looked over at me.

“They’re fresh.” He said with a nod before turning the radio on out of habit.

A song played off of a Poison CD as the end of the trail came along and we breached an open field with a single dirt trail cutting it in half. I pulled off of the road and stopped, throwing the H2 into park. I took in a deep breath. The air seemed crisp, fresh, and the sun was a nice addition as well. The air was free of the mugginess of the jungle as well. I stepped out of the truck and stretched for a moment reaching out with my hands. Driving every day was getting old and slightly painful on my joints. Here I am thinking like an old man again. At least I had a big old Hummer compared to a dinky Smart Car that was parked next to the H2 when I stole it. Dallas stepped out and walked over, checking the tires as I looked up and saw Atlanta span his wings out and take to the sky. It wouldn’t be long before a much needed vacation in zebra country.

Dallas finished looking over the SUV before grabbing the map from the cab and opened it up. He walked over to me and opened it up on the ground. I knelt down next to him and looked over it. It seemed we were going to rim the northern Equestrian border with the Griffon Kingdom and roll right into Zebra reservations without trouble. I pointed down at the map and traced our route to show Dallas and he gave a nod before rolling the map up and walked away. I liked being so in tune with Atlanta and Dallas; cuts down on a lot of unnecessary riff-raff.

I walked around to the front of the Hummer and popped the hood up. I lifted the support into place and took a peek over the engine. It is amazing that this beast has lasted this long. I guess my ‘talents’ made this thing quite reliable. I often thought about using my ‘talents’ to repair the entirety of the vehicle, but I figured it was unnecessary to be put out of commission for a day as long as the thing still ran. I wiped off the logo on the engine cover before closing the hood. I turned around and was greeted by Atlanta landing in front of me.

“There is a roadblock about a mile forward cutting off a mountain pass.” He said in a rather formal tone.

“Then we go through it.” I said like he should know as I crossed my arms and leaned against the grill of the H2.

“You don’t understand.” He said before flying past my head and onto the hood of the SUV, “This one is different. Big metal walls. You honestly didn’t think this through did you?”

“You are assuming I plan any of what I do?” I remarked with snarky tone as I turned around to him.

“And we just had to come this close to the border.” He said with annoyance as he stepped up onto the roof, “I was looking forward to sleeping for this trip.”

“How about you grow a foot taller so you can drive, eh?” I called out to him as I walked over to the cab and grabbed the map.
Dallas jumped back out and walked over to the hood as I joined him and set the map down on it. I opened up the map as he climbed up and used the bumper as a step stool.

“We could take a southern route down through Equestria.” Dallas pointed out as he traced a hoof over a route that would lead us straight up through Ponyville and Canterlot and around the mountain passes.

“But the Royals will be swarming us before we leave Canterlot.” I said, trying to divert attention from Ponyville.

“But the griffons are more of a threat.” He said, calling me out, “Griffons have the pass cut off. Only mountains on one side and a cliff on the other. We sure as hell can’t outrun them there.”

“Then we can out gun them.” I tried, “That works.”

“We can’t afford to get surrounded again.” He pointed out, getting angry with me,“Remember what happened to Alex?”

“Don’t you bring him into this…”

Atlanta looked down with a sneer, “How about you two stop arguing like mares?”

“No.” Dallas and I replied in unison.

Dallas and I exchanged a few awkward glances before I turned back to map, “Fine. We’ll cut down into Equestrian territory but we will avoid the towns.”

Dallas rolled his eyes and walked back over to the passenger side and climbed in, “You can’t keep running from Ponyville forever.”

“Watch me.” I challenged as I rolled the map up and walked over to the driver’s side and climbed in.

The Farm

View Online

I drove for a few hours, pulling off of the main road and rolled on through the field towards a road that ran southbound and into Equestria. It seemed that the griffons were either getting smarter or paranoid with a wall like that. It seemed that with that wall placed there, our way into griffon territory was cut off. Not exactly like I wanted to go there anyway. Not unless I had a death wish. I drove through the field, avoiding the odd rock and tree as the battering ram’s supports squeaked with the terrain’s fluctuations. I looked over at Dallas as I pulled my sunglasses off of the rearview mirror and slipped them on. He was writing in a journal like he usually did. It kind of worried me that he was as cold as he was, after all, I am the killer in the group. Not hard to figure that one out. I could still see the restraint in his eyes when he did what was necessary.

I swerved around a large boulder, the suspension leaning with my turn and showing the wear that the shocks had sustained over time. They were starting to get old. Heck, on a normal vehicle I would have had to change them six times over by now. Not like money was an issue though. The Dragunov rattled against the dashboard next to the steering wheel as I leaned back and steered with one hand. Not like there was much to avoid. It was just a matter of keeping my foot down until we hit the next road. I could hear the flag rattling off of the antenna as I flipped on the cruise control and pulled my water bottle out. I unscrewed the cap and took a familiar sip of piss warm water as the sun lowered just enough to warrant me to use the sun visor. I peered up at Atlanta through the open sunroof and noticed he was staring straight forward instead of sleeping like he normally was.

“Catch something in the wind, doggy?” I called up at him as I set my canteen in the cupholder to my right.

“Bite me.” He shot back “Nice to feel wind that isn’t drier than Canterlot music.”

“Getting sentimental on me?” I asked, trying to keep up some conversation.

“No more than you on a regular basis.” He said with a grin as he kept his eyes locked forward.

“How about I tell another story?” I asked, bluffing more than I meant it.

I could tell that these two had had enough of me talking for a lifetime. I had gone over almost everything I could think of in my life to pass the time with them. Everything from what I learned in high school to breaking into cars when I was fifteen. Even spent a little time in jail for that one. Let’s say my mother was less than pleased with the bill. That was one thing I didn’t really talk about. I never talked about my family. There never was much use in pouting about a father that walked out and a mother and sisters killed in a home invasion. They had asked but I expressed that it was private. These two more than likely knew more about me that Alex did.

“How about fuck no?” Atlanta fired back as he turned his gaze down at me.

“Look at you taking after Papa Laney?” I mocked at the use of a human curse.

“Ok, fine. Buck off.” He corrected with a nod before looking away again.

I shook my head and chuckled “And to think I used to be a general.”

I kept driving for another few hours before I pulled onto the southbound road and blazed down it. After a while, a small farm came into view. I looked over to Dallas and motioned to it with a flick of my head. He gave a nod as I slowed down and he checked the map. He traced the road for a while and noticed that this place wasn’t on there. Good, that meant it was secluded and might not even know I exist for that matter. Maybe we could even barter for something that resembled good water. I kept driving till I found a break in the gate and pulled in.

The house sat on a plot with roughly four acres of fenced off land. It was a small, one story cottage style house with a reddish color paint covering its walls. I pulled up near the porch and shifted into park with an audible metal grind of the shifting metal gears.

“Atlanta; stay with the Hummer.” I commanded as I grabbed the Dragunov from the backseat and slung it over my shoulder.

Atlanta gave me a nod as I jumped out with the engine still running. The front yard of the farm house’s grass look like it had been beaten down to the point where it wouldn’t grow for a while, a sure sign of a lot of foot traffic. I adjusted my Stetson to keep the sun out of my eyes as well as wipe the dust off of my sunglasses before walking around the H2 and over to the porch. I stepped up the few small steps I could have just stepped over entirely and walked up to the front door. Dallas took a position behind me and watched behind me for any activity. The area seemed a little quiet for this time of year. I placed a few knocks on the door and waited

After a few minutes, it was evident that no one was coming. I stepped back and examined the mailbox. Nothing was inside so either this place was vacant or it had been cleared out recently. Judging by porch furniture (that was all too small for me), I’d guess it was the first option. Not about to commit a home invasion, I stepped off of the porch and unslung my rifle. I shouldered it and peered down the scope, using the magnification to scan the fields for any signs of life. Within a few moments, I saw two large earth ponies on the far end of the right hand field. A barn sat behind them as they worked on tilling a field. It seemed that one was tethered to a plow and the other was pushing it. The one pulling it was larger than the other and had a purple coat that was darker than Twilight’s from what I remembered. It was more of a plum color with a matching mane to boot. The pony pushing the plow was rocking a green coat and black mane. Their marks were too faint to make out from this far away, even with the scope. I lowered the rifle and slung it over my shoulder.

“Dallas.” I called out before hearing him trot over to me “Stay with Atlanta. Farmers are over in the fields.” I said as I pointed in the direction with my right hand “I’m gonna try and talk to ‘em.”

“Got it.” Dallas said with no snide remark like Atlanta usually gave.

I looked back over at the H2 and took into quick account its shape. Dust was encrusted in and around the wheel wells with a nice thick coat over the forward ram that stopped just below the headlights. The doors were all off and left the cab exposed but hastily made fencing covered the front and rear windshield. I took a moment to let it sink it what I’d need to do to it before thanking all the apocalypse movies I watched for giving me the idea for the ram and armor. Those reinforced windows saved my life more than once. I clenched my fists, cracking my knuckles in the process before walking towards the earth ponies’ locations.

The fields reminded me of Fowler back in Ohio and of Applejack’s farm. Applejack could never hope to compete with the haul of the Fowler farms due to all of the heavy machinery. But what she lacked in quantity, she made up for in quality. Those apples could almost turn me into a vegetarian. Almost. I walked through the field before the ponies caught sight of me and stopped plowing. I gave a wave as I walked over with my other hand holding the strap to the Dragunov. The green pony slowly backed away as the other held his ground.

“Hola, mi amigos!” I called out jovially as I kept walking towards them.

The plum purple pony’s ears perked up, picking up on my tone and his aggressive stance slowly melted away.

“Ugh… hello?” He asked as I walked over to him and stopped with about twenty feet between us.

“It means ‘hello’.” I pointed out with a smile that I tried hard to keep up.

“Ah, well, hello then stranger.” He said as he took a step forward towards me “What are you doing all the way out here?”

“Stopping through. Running a carriage towards Zebra country.” I said, hiding my intention.

“Never seen one of your kind.” The purple pony said as he wiped his brow with a hoof and used it to keep the sun out of his eyes.

“I get that a lot.” I said as I crossed my arms “Just call me Ryan, alright?”

“Sure thing.” He said as he unhooked himself from the cart and walked over to me, covering about ten feet before turning around to the green pony “You can come too…”

The green pony shook her head, staying behind the cart.

“Shy, eh?” I asked as I looked over at her.

“Yeah… hardly ever even speaks.” He said before shrugging and closed the distance before offering a hoof to me “I’m Row Digger.”

I wrapped my hand around his hoof and shook it twice “Ryan Laney.”

“Mind if I ask where you are from?” Row asked as he retracted his hoof and set it back down on the ground.

“Youngstown but all over really.” I said like he would know before chuckling “Don’t strain yourself, it is nowhere close.”

“Alrighty then ‘yan.” He said, getting my name wrong.

“Ryan.” I corrected.

“Oh, sorry.” He said before walking around me in the direction of the house “Follow me, I’ll get you something to drink. Got anypony with you?”

“Just two others.” I said as I followed behind him, still wondering why the equestrians were all so trusting “But they’re your kind.”

“Alrighty.” He said as he trotted along, leaving the other pony behind with the plow “So what are you doing coming from Griffon territory?”

“Well, you could say we don’t get along.” I said as I laughed in my own skull.

“Sorry to hear that. Griffons always were a little cold.” He said before walking around the farm house and was greeted with the ram on the H2.

Row jumped back, unsure of what it was. The engine was still idling on the truck, giving a steady rumble. Atlanta looked off of the roof, down at Row over the fog lights and gave a wave with a hoof.

Row looked back at me “This… machine yours?”

“Yeah. Just think of it as a carriage.” I said as I walked around him and leaned against the ram.

“Alright, I don’t ask questions ‘cause I doubt I’d understand it anyway.” He said as he walked over and onto the porch. He turned around and looked towards Atlanta and Dallas “Hello. I’m Row Digger.”

“Atlanta.”

“Dallas.”

“Those are some mighty strange names you all have.” Row said as he looked back at me “Where are you all from again?”

“Canterlot.” Atlanta blurted out as he hopped down off of the Hummer.

“Uh-huh.” Row said with suspicion as I snapped my fingers and the engine cut off.

“Row?” I asked as he turned around to me and nodded “Can I ask for a place to hold up for the night and a place to store my carriage? Been a long time since I slept in a proper bed.”

“I think I can help you out.” Row said with a nod “There is a place in the barn for your carriage and your friends can take my foals’ beds. Both are off in Canterlot for school. Only come home for the weekends and summers.”

“Thanks.” I said with a small wave as I walked over to the Hummer and climbed in, starting it back up.

Row walked over to the door and stepped inside as I started up the H2 and drove it towards the barn. The SUV rolled along in second gear before I stopped in front of the barn and pulled it inside. I let it run for a moment before parking it and shutting it off. I jumped out and walked back towards the open doors before noticing the green earth pony over at the entrance with her head poked around the corner, looking at me. I gave an awkward wave to her.

“Can I help ya?” I asked as I held the rifle strap with one arm and smiled at her.

She shook her head at me before ducking around the corner. I sighed before walking out of the door and closed it behind me. The green mare watched me from a distance as I started walking towards the house and stopped after a few steps. Something inside of me just growled and gnawed at me. I turned to her and knelt down.

“Would you like to say hi, at least?” I asked as I rested my arm on my knee and looked at her through my aviators.

The mare shook her head and kept about twenty paces from me no matter how slowly I tried to scoot over to her. I thought to myself before remembering a trick I used to gain a junkyard pit bull’s trust. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small candy I had been saving for a rainy day and held it in my hand, showing it.

“Tell you what, you come over and say hi, you can have it.” I said with the nicest tone I could muster.

She looked at the candy for a moment, obviously wanting it but shook her head.

I sighed and let my head slump forward in defeat “Fuck, you’re difficult.”

I stopped back up and walked over to a wheelbarrow that sat to my left and set the candy down on it before pointing it out to her and walked away. There Karma, I did my deed for the week. I sauntered over to the house and stepped onto the porch. Dallas and Atlanta sat on the porch swing as Atlanta used a hoof to push the swing lazily. Row stepped back outside with a tray balanced on his back. I seriously wondered how these ponies operated without wings, arms, or magic. The glasses were transparent with what looked like tea in them. I picked up a glass as he walked by. Dallas conjured a small fist with his rune that was based off of mine and Atlanta took his with a wing. Row set his tray down on a small table before taking a seat on a wicker chair.

“What brings you to our farm here?” Row asked, justifiably curious.

“Griffon road to the north was closed off. Have to take a southern route down through Canterlot and into Zebra territory.” I clarified as I sipped on the drink to see it was tea like I had predicted.

“Seems like a long way to get around a checkpoint.” Row pointed out.

“They have it set up on a mountain road.” I said with a shrug “Can’t fly so we had to find another way around.”

“Yeah, this road doesn’t see a lot of traffic.” Row said as he looked out over it “Shame though. Foals liked meeting new ponies.”

“I know what it is like to live in a ghost town.” I said as I thought back to Youngstown “My city up and stopped after the steel mills moved out.”

“Sounds like a story.” Row said as he looked over at me “Care to tell it?”

I thought about it for a moment before deciding he already knew enough “These two have already heard enough outta me. Maybe some other time.”

Dallas and Atlanta nodded with me as Row looked over to them “So what do you do with Ryan here?”

“We’re just ex-soldiers making a living off of our training.” Dallas said, coming out with a roundabout way to say he was a mercenary.

“Ah, Royal Guard right?” Row asked as if he had a bit of pride in his voice.

“Well, used to be anyway.” Atlanta added in.

“Well, I didn’t know I had soldiers on the farm.” Row said as he perked up “I’m happy to have you.”

“Well that was a change of tone.” I said to him as unslung my rifle and leaned it against the railing of the porch “Got a reason?”

“Ah, sorry.” Row apologized “My wife died in the Guard. Was an accident.”

“Is that why your, I assume she’s your daughter, so quiet?” I inquired.

“Yep. Field Runner took it hard.” He said liked it was nothing “But it happened a long time ago. No use crying over it.”

“Sorry to hear it. I know what it is like. Lost my best friend in combat.” I said as Row backed down at bit in his seat.

“Well, anyway, we have supper around here at eight.” He said as he climbed out of the seat and stretched, obviously sore from working all day “We’ll see you off in the morning.”

“Sounds good.” I said as I leaned back and watched him walk into the house.

After having dinner with Row and Field, Row showed Dallas and Atlanta upstairs to beds. I was told that there wasn’t anything quite my size but I was given a couple blankets and pillows to make a bed in the living room. I blew out a few oil lanterns before sitting down on the blankets I spread out. I set the pillows at the far end and set my rifle down within arm’s reach. The room was quiet except for some creaking coming from upstairs. I laid back on the blankets, my back straightening out from all the punishment it has encountered over the years. Last time I stayed indoors was when the Buffalo invited me to stay in a tent on their reservation. Even that was over nine months ago and I would exactly call living in the Hummer five stars.

I sat back up and yanked my boots off, setting them next to the rifle and set my hat down next to them. I pulled my glasses off and set them on the hat before laying back down. I considered taking off my bandolier with my holsters but decided against it. I wanted to be farther away from Griffon territory before doing that. I laid back down and stared at the white ceiling for a while. I never really stopped like this often. I took the time to think about my family. This didn’t just mean my parents and sisters. This also meant Alex and… Dash. I never really thought about her anymore. It was almost too painful to do now.

The last time I saw her was through a scope as she lunged at a griffon soldier. I couldn’t even remember what my last words to her. I honestly hoped she thought I was dead. It would be better than hoping I would come home every night. Maybe she found another? That was my personal hope. I hoped she’d do better. That simple. I thought over and over about her for a while before feeling something breathing on my feet. I took on a confused expression before sitting up and saw Field standing there, staring at me with eyes that were the same kind of light purple that Dash’s were.

“Ugh… hi?” I asked as I looked at her “Finally decide to talk to me?”

I wasn’t given a response. Field just stared at me like I was the most interesting thing to walk the Earth.

“O…k…” I mumbled awkwardly before laying back down.

I laid there for a moment, hoping she’d either speak or go away. I closed my eyes before feeling something press against my side. I craned my neck and saw that Field had curled up next to me. I could swear I just met this girl. She stared at me for a moment as I slowly set my head back down. Holy fuck, that stare was creepy. It reminded me or something you’d see in a damn horror movie. Nice to think my fight with the griffons would end with me being dismembered in the basement of some farm with a fucking butter knife or something.

After a few minutes passed before I felt her set her head down on my stomach. That is when it hit me. Fuck you Karma. Seriously, fuck you. This was like Ulik all over again. Even all those years ago, that… moment clung to my soul like a bad smell. No matter how hard I tried to forget, it would still be there, lingering… waiting. Field couldn’t be more than fifteen if my understanding of equestrian biology was up to snuff. I wasn’t going to take this responsibility again. I couldn’t. I felt Field huff as she moved her head back and forth, trying to settle in. Seems like my choice was already made. These ponies don’t know how to take no for answer. I just hoped I could split in the morning. Cut the connection while it was fresh.

The Stowaway

View Online

I felt the sun beat down on my face, waking me up. I reached up with my left hand and rubbed my face before cracking my eyes and peeking at my watch. It was almost 10am now. I groaned and slowly leaned upwards, my back cracking with every degree. The floor was not fun to wake up from. I sat up and stretched out my arms and back. I think I was almost 35 miles out of Ponyville and maybe 60 out of Canterlot. From there it would be a 200 mile drive and boom; diplomatic immunity for a while. Zebra country wasn’t that far from here. I took confidence in the thought.

I quickly noticed that Field was gone now, probably out tilling fields like yesterday. Oh, I see what you did there, Fate. I slipped my faded Timberlands on and set my Stetson on my head before looking around the room for a moment, just letting my senses come back naturally to me. I missed caffeine. All those years of two or three cans of soda a day would bring a dependence out in you. I reached over and grabbed the rifle and placed the stock against the floor, using it as a crutch to stand up. My joints popped back into place, making me wish I had slept in the Hummer almost. I slung the rifle over my shoulder and walked around the house’s first floor for a few minutes before finding a bathroom and stepping inside.

I reached down for the tap and turned on some cold water. I held out my hands and let it create a small pool before splashing it in my face. I braced my hands against the sink as I watched the water turn a brownish color and drain away. I looked up into the vanity mirror and saw that the area I had splashed water on was the only part of me that wasn’t covered in dust. It was like the water carried away the weight of it as well. I felt a bit lighter than usual. Maybe it was the fact I was living like a human being for once. I splashed some more water on my face and scrubbed some of the dirt out of my hair and beard that had accumulated over time. I looked ragged to say the least. Homeless would probably be a better word for it. I’m so glad I had that ward casted on me in Fishtail on the western coast. Keeps me from smelling like death. I’m sure I would be able to incinerate nose hairs by this point.

I shaved myself with my KA-Bar that had been with me all these years, leaving a thin layer of shadow on my face. The blade started out coated in black paint but was now so worn that most of it was scraped off. I slipped the blade back into its sheath on my bandolier and walked out of the bathroom. I stepped out of the house and onto the porch. Today was actually a little bit cold from the wind. It seemed that winter hadn’t left this place like I did. I walked around the house and back towards where the barn was. I had to check on the H2 just to make sure it was still there. This was more of a habit than a feeling. I saw no sign of Field or Row as I walked over to the barn doors and pulled them open.

The Hummer sat inside like I had left it with the front end facing the inside of the barn. The spare tire stared at me as I walked in. It wasn’t like I needed it anymore but I wasn’t going to just abandon it somewhere. I looked over the SUV before stopping in front of the ram. I stared down at it before looking to my right, seeing some old red house paint. A grin formed over my face as an idea came to mind. I waltzed over to the paint, picked it up and brought it back to the ram.

Using my hand as a brush, I painted ‘Road Warrior’ in bold letters across the front of the ram. It made me chuckle, in a way. It wasn’t like anyone but me would get the reference. The Hummer even looked like something out of Mad Max. I capped the paint and wiped my hand off on some hay, leaving a red tint on it and my hand. I tossed the can back where I found it before seeing Row standing at the doorway to the barn. He walked in, pulling a cart behind him full of radishes from the looks of it. He released it near the door and looked over at me.

“Glad to see you are finally up. Your friends still sleeping?” He asked with sweat running off of his face.

“As far as I know.” I said as I walked around the H2 and leaned against it, “I’m not their babysitter.”

“Their what?”

“Not important.” I said with a dismissive wave as I walked over to the door and looked out, checking the skies for griffons.

“Hey,” He started “What was with you and Field last night?”

I looked down at him, confused for a moment before remembering, “Oh, she came over to me in the middle of the night and crashed on top of me.”

“No, I mean why is she so close to you? She still won’t let me touch her.” He informed with no sign of strain or emotional distraught to his tone.

“I used a trick I learned for getting on the good side of guard dogs.” I played off with a laugh as I looked over the clouds and saw one move.

I panicked for a moment before seeing a pegasus jump out from it and gave it a hard shunt, producing a bit of rain, leaving me with a puzzled look. It was like watching a mechanic in a way.

“Nice to know my daughter is like a dog.” Row said with some annoyance

“Hey, it worked didn’t it?” I asked as I took a few steps back inside the barn.

“That isn’t the point.” He said with a scowl at me, “But what did you do to get her to come forward?”

“Ancient Chinese secret.” I said as I walked over to the H2’s trunk and opened it up.

I slipped the Dragunov on the rack before closing the door. After carrying that rifle for so long, you forget how heavy it really is.

“Wha-“

“Just ignore most of what I say.” I said as I closed the door and looked back at him.

“You haven’t been straightforward with me.” He said, calling me out.

“What do you mean?” I asked, playing dumb.

He walked over to the cart and pulled a paper from it with his teeth. He then tossed it over to me, letting it land in front of my feet. It was a standard wanted poster of Dallas, Atlanta, and me. Dallas and Atlanta were both fetching a 500,000 bit bounty while I was rocking 2,000,000 one on my head. Least I was popular.

“This is what. I found it in my newspaper this morning.” Row said as he looked me over, “I know who you are. I should have
sent you on your way or called the griffons. It is no wonder you’re heading to Zebra country.”

“Look, not all of that is my-“

“Get off my farm.” He growled at me as he took on an aggressive stance, “Get your friends and leave.”

“I just love the hospitality.” I remarked as I crossed my arms and stared him down, “Consider opening a bed n’ breakfast with that attitude?”

“Don’t get smart with me. You lied.”

“I never lied; I only told you half the truth.” I pointed out as he took a step forward like he was going to charge.

“I don’t care. Get your friends and leave or I call the Guard.” He said before walking out of the barn.

“Yeah, I’ll visit again.” I said with a snide tone before following him out, closing the barn doors halfway.
I followed him back into the farm house and walked up the small stairs. I saw an open door and stepped inside. The room was a pale blue with two beds hugging the adjacent walls. Dallas and Atlanta were still out cold on the beds. I kicked the frames of their beds, waking them.

Atlanta slowly awoke, cracking an eye, “Five more minutes…”

“I’m not your fucking snooze button, get up.” I said before walking over to him and placed a boot on his chest. I vibrated my leg to shake him awake before stepping back, “Row found out who we are. Gotta leave before we have a whole damn battalion on us.”

“Can you just shoot him?” Atlanta asked as Dallas got up and threw his armor back on, “Then we get to sleep…”

“I don’t shoot people who don’t have it coming.” I said as I placed my left hand on my hip, just above one of the Sigs.

“You and your fluctuating morality.” Atlanta remarked as he got up and yawned.

I heard a knock come from downstairs and watched as Field and Row walked past the open door and down the stairs. I reached into my coat and pulled out my Model 29. The .44 Magnum round from this thing could take down almost anything this world has to offer. I pulled the hammer back, giving a soft pair of clicks. I walked over to the door and looked down the stairs. Row opened the door and a pair of griffons stood on the porch. Row whispered something and the pair stepped inside.

“Two downstairs.” I said as I held up two fingers with my free hand at Dallas and Atlanta.

So much for a healthy relationship with the locals. Dallas took position behind me and Atlanta flew out a window and over towards the barn. I stepped in front of the top of the stairs and looked down at the griffons. The pair looked at me with crossbows in their claws. They never seemed to learn. As one attempted to speak, I jerked the revolver up and fired. The gunshot rocked the entire house, deafening everyone inside. The round hit center mass on the griffon to the right and he dropped down like a deadweight. Smoke poured from the six inch barrel of the revolver as I moved it to my next target and pulled the hammer back. The gun gave another faint pair of clicks that seemed to echo and drown out all other noise. I held the revolver with one hand towards the griffon as he looked in shock at his friend. I fired the next round, hitting him in the chest plate. When were they going to learn that this was a pointless game? The griffon dropped next to his friend, landing on top of him with a metal clank.

I casually walked downstairs and stepped over them. I looked over into the living room to see Row who was holding onto Field. I chuckled for a moment before motioning with the gun for Dallas to come downstairs.

I turned back to Row, “You didn’t actually read the bio, did you?”

Field fidgeted for a moment before breaking free from Row and ran into the other room.

“Field!” Row shouted in her direction before looking back at me.

“What? I’m not the one you should be worried about.” I said as I motioned for him to follow Field.

He gave an awkward nod before taking off after Field. I holstered the Model 29 and yanked out both of my Sigs. I walked in front of the door towards the porch and Dallas pushed it open. I stepped out and lifted my guns to see no griffons in the immediate vicinity. I motioned for Dallas to follow me before breaking into a jog for the barn. As I ran through across the property, Row stood in the center.

“I can’t find Field!” He shot at me.

“Solve your own damn problems!” I shouted back as I busted into the barn shoulder first.
The door flung open with Atlanta sitting on the roof, “We got to go, now!”

I gave a nod and ran over to my door, hopping in and starting up the Hummer. The dials returned to life as Dallas took his seat. I slammed it into reverse and backed out of the barn, kicking dirt in all directions from spinning tires. I stopped and jammed it back into drive, bailing over the property, slamming a wheelbarrow out of the way with the ram before turning back onto the road and sped off southbound. I figured it would be only a matter of minutes before we had griffons on us. My Sigs sat in my lap and I carefully placed one back in the holster and the other in a cupholder with my free hand. The farm was turning into a speck in the rearview as we sped away with my foot planting the gas against the floor.

The H2 roared down the road as we moved into an area with cloud coverage. This was a godsend for us. Most griffons and pegasui would stay above the coverage to avoid bad weather, giving us camouflage in a way. I kept my foot planted for a while before pulling off of the road and into a spot under some trees, keeping us from sight. I took a deep breath before turning off the engine and leaned forward, resting my head against the steering wheel.

“That’s it?” Atlanta asked as if disappointed from the roof, “I was thinking they’d send more after us.”

“Let’s be glad they didn’t, Atlanta.” Dallas said, trying to instill some wisdom in him.

“Let’s just… I don’t know. Fuck!” I said as I punched the wheel, “We were going to be able to just roll through but no. It can’t be that easy.”

Dallas shook his head “Just get the doors back on this thing. We’ll need them for this season.”

I nodded before looking up in the rearview and saw a pair of big purple eyes staring back at me “FUCK!”

I jerked and grabbed my P226 out of the cupholder via instinct. I spun around before sticking the gun in Field’s face. I was breathing heavy from the shock as she stared right through the gun at me. It was like she wasn’t even afraid of me. Dallas looked back with a puzzled expression.

Atlanta poked his head down through the sunroof, “What happ- oh…”

Atlanta caught sight of her and looked over at me. I just shrugged, almost as confused as she was.

“What is she doing here?” Dallas asked, keeping his distance from her.

“What makes you think I know?” I fired right back at him before looking at Atlanta, “You were supposed to be watching the car.”

“Don’t look at me! I was keeping my eyes on the skies for griffons.” He defended, “Not my fault she is quieter than a royal passing gas.”

Field just sort of watched us as we argued. I took a deep breath before lowering the Sig. I wasn’t ready to have another damn tagalong.

“How are we going to get her back?” Dallas asked me as he watched her.

“We are not going back to that farm!” Atlanta exclaimed as he watched the clouds above for activity.

“I don’t know.” I said as I looked up at him.

I looked back down at Field and tried to think of why she was doing any of this. In retrospect, she just met me. All I really did was give her a piece of candy and try to talk to her… well that is creepy when you put it like that. Now that I think about it, her father didn’t really try to talk to her. She cocked her head at me, watching with those big eyes that seemed to be a characteristic off all the things on this planet.

“Can you walk back from here?” I asked before she shook her head at me, “Do I have to set you on the side of the road?” She clamped down around the seatbelt to her right, “We’re fugitives… you can’t come with us.” She just nodded at me like I would understand and refused to let go.

“This is going to get annoying.” Atlanta said from the roof, “Wait, doesn’t she have family in Canterlot?”
Dallas nodded “I remember Row saying that.”

“Fine.” I declared as I stared her down, “She can stay with us as far as Canterlot.”

“Are you sure?” Dallas asked me as he looked at Field, “She can’t exactly fight.”
I stared into her eyes with my bit of time as a general coming back to me “You will stay with the car, understand me? My word is law.”

Field nodded quickly before releasing the seatbelt. There was silence in the H2 for a moment before what sounded like a whip crack erupted from the sky.

“You better put the doors back on. I’m not getting wet.” Atlanta said as he climbed down into the cab and into the backseat with Field.

“I’ll get right on it, your excellence.” I said with a snide tone before jumping out and releasing the bungee cords that were holding the doors to the roof.

The Sign

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With an old set of tools, I bolted and wired the doors back into place. It took roughly three hours with Field staring at my back the entire time. It was a rather odd feeling, similar to being viewed from the other side of a see-through mirror. It was like she had something to say, but couldn’t. She just kept staring at my back like she was judging me. I finished the last door and stepped back, admiring my work for a moment. Dallas sat next to a tree, looking over the map as if trying to memorize it and Atlanta was sitting in a cloud above us, keeping watch for griffon patrols. With Atlanta always in the sky, it made me wonder why he would stick around with us instead of fly off to some town and blend back in with normal society.

I always felt like I was an outsider now, even more so than when I was living back in my world. I could never blend in with a crowd and would always get stares. Some people would kill for a chance to live like this, but I wasn’t sure it was what I wanted. I was just riding the tide of each new day, fighting it back with distance and bullets. One day it was going to swallow me like a surfer getting caught in a wave. My death wasn’t going to come from age. It was going to come from combat. At least I would die fighting because when the gun smoke clears, I’ll at least be remembered for that.

I placed my hands on my hips as I felt a drop of rain hit the brim of my hat. I reached up and wiped it off, spreading it with my fingers. I savored the feeling. It had been so long since I had felt water I wasn’t collecting off of the H2’s radiator with a bucket or draining from some small stream. I walked back over to the H2 and started to close the doors. Atlanta flew back down and landed on the roof before jumping down on the ground. I nodded at him and he opened the door, climbing inside. Field walked over and tried to climb in but failed, falling back down. This made me wonder how she got in in the first place. Adrenaline can make you do some crazy stuff.

I walked over to the struggling mare and knelt down next to her. I grabbed her sides, making her panic for a moment. She thrashed in my hands as I lifted her into the backseat with Atlanta. She turned back, shying away from me before giving a little smile, the first I had seen on her. I tipped my hat before closing the door behind her. The door closing seemed to open the floodgates and the rain opened up. A nice and constant torrent fell down around and on me as I walked over to the door and pulled it open. I used the running board to step inside and slammed the door behind me. I turned the engine on and flicked the wipers on. I looked in the mirror and watched Field’s eyes trace the movement of the wiper blades like they were and odd thing to her. Probably were. I flipped the switched to bring the headlights and floodlights on before dropping the truck into drive and pulled back onto the road, tearing up the grass where the tires met it.

The wipers flipped back and forth as we sped down the road. The array of lights turned night into day as Dallas reached down and turned on the radio, changing the CD to an Everlast one. I looked up at the rearview again and saw Field looked around in wonderment.

“Hey Field,” I said as I saw her eyes snap to me “I guess you probably want to know a little more about all of us.” Field gave a little nod as lightning flashed, lighting up the entire area as I drove at a steady 40mph “I figured as much. I’m surprised you haven’t heard about us.”

“Oh yeah, we’re very popular with law enforcement.” Atlanta snickered.

“Well, there is that.” I said with a shrug “But I’m a simple man. Only one of my kind on this world anymore. Celestia brought me here a while back. Came from an industrialized world.”

“No ‘civilized’ from the sound of it.” Atlanta quipped as I reached back and punched him.

“Shut up. The grownups are talking.” I fired back before returning my attention to the road “To make this short, I came here and was given work as a general and bodyguard because of my combat experience.” I said reveling in the nostalgia “I was soon discovered by the griffons and I found out they were coming after a friend of mine that apparently followed me here somehow. We found the griffons and they killed him. Now we three just roam the land taking out griffons as we find them. No women or kids though.”

Field nodded, not seeming to be taken aback like most at the mention of what I do. Atlanta rubbed out the spot where I hit him and shot me a look before looking at the passing field.

“I was born over in Stalliongrad. Mother pushed me through school and I did poorly. Teachers were boring, what can I say?” He laughed “So I then did what every colt did when he did horribly in school; I joined the Royal Guard. I did well there, then Celestia picked me to train under big, bad, and mouthy in the front seat.”

Field cocked her head at him before looking over at Dallas. Dallas ignored her, looking out the window because he had heard all of this a million times over. The rain streamed down the window as I cut a turn and the H2 leaned left. Field stepped onto the console and poked him in the shoulder as if asking him to speak. He jolted back to life and looked over at her as if she had interrupted a good dream.

“What?” He asked flatly.

“I think she wants you to tell your story.” I suggested before she nodded.

Dallas grunted “It’s not important. I just… Forget it.”

“What? We’re all criminals here and you all the sudden become tight-lipped?” I asked as I looked over at him “Come to think about it, you never even told us.”

“I like to keep some stuff private.” He said before looking back out the window, locking down.

Field looked over at me with big eyes as if she was telling me to make him talk. I just shrugged and kept driving. She slinked back into the backseat, scooting over to her corner and fell silent again. The road was getting worse as I kept driving and the rain kept falling. This was outside of the Equestrian weather service and therefore did its own thing. The roads were starting to get nasty puddles and the dirt was turning into mud. I didn’t really want to go faster than 40mph like I was doing. I weaved around a pothole before seeing a sign that read ‘Ponyville, 20’. The rest of the sign was too faded to read. Seemed nature was beating the landmarks away.

If I remembered correctly, AJ’s farm should be along this road, maybe a half mile outside of town and Dash’s house should be about a mile out, off of the road another half mile. It hurt me being this close again, like my heart was jerking around inside of my ribcage. I’m not sure what to do. I could just off-road the entire way around the town but I wanted to at least look around. I didn’t even have to get out. I could just watch through the scope like last time. The upcoming night could be my shroud. I pressed the gas pedal down, speeding up a bit.

After about another few minutes of driving, the rain had not let up. The rain continued all the way into and though the town. It was within sight now. I drove up to the ‘Welcome!’ sign and noticed something odd. Something was hanging off of the sign. It was large and rectangular but was too faded to make out. It was obviously attached to the sign a long time ago but I didn’t remember it. I slowed down and turned off the lights on the H2, the only ones still on were the indicator and position light on the outside. I reached into my jacket and pulled out my 1911. I looked around the cabin and noticed everyone was out like a light. I took a deep breath and looked down at the gun that sat in my hands. The words ‘Don’t be like me.’ Still sat on the side, the words echoing through my mind in my father’s voice. I switched on the under-barrel light and turned the parking brake on before opening my door.

The sound of rain roared as I closed the door behind me and buttoned my coat. I raised the light and slowly walked towards the sign. It was made of metal but it was unprotected from the elements and had a slight layer of rust covering it. I stopped in front of it and wiped away a bit of the rust and used my light to read it.

‘Come home. We miss you.’

The sign had over twenty signatures on it. I could see that AJ, Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and even Spike had signed it. I wiped away the rest of the rust and knelt down, feeling the rain starting to bleed through the seams in my coat. I could see a hoof print on it as well… Dash’s. I nearly fell to my knees at the sight of just her name. I braced my hands against the sign, my one knee getting soaked against the ground. I grunted as my chest tightened. I wasn’t going to cry. I hadn’t cried since Ulik and I wasn’t going to start again. I punched the sign in a rage and dented it inward.

I felt the rain slam down on me like it was berating me. So many needed me but I couldn’t be there for them even though I left for them. As long as I was alive, I couldn’t settle down. The griffons were never going to leave me be. I punched the sign again but lighter this time as I clenched my eyes shut and squeezed the grip on the handgun in my left hand. All those years felt like they were for nothing, about as fulfilling as my high school years. I felt like I had been shot in the gut and was bleeding out. They say that the mind can bring the worst pain out in a man.

I slowly staggered to my feet and looked up into the dark, stormy, night sky. I closed my eyes and felt the rain fall down and bounce off of my face. I had to keep strong. I could not afford to stagger in hostile territory. I lowered my gaze back down and looked over the town for a moment. A few lights were still on from what I could see. Families living their normal lives and lovers staying close on a night like this. Just a few miles and an undeclared war cut me off from this. This is why I fought. This is why I killed griffons with no remorse. They kept me from this. I was going to take as many of them with me as possible.

I stared for a while longer before feeling something push itself under my right hand. I looked down and noticed Field was standing there with this ‘I got you’ expression on her face. I ran my hair through her wet mane a few times before sighing.

“Get back in the Hummer.” I said before letting go and walking back to the driver’s side door.

I watched Field climb back in and I shut the door behind her and climbed into my own. I shifted back into drive and cut a hard right with the wheel before pressing the gas and driving off of the road towards a forest line. I drove inside woods and parked there, turning on the heater to keep the gang warm before looking over my seat at Field.

“I have to… see some things. Alone.” I said as I holstered my pistol and looked into her eyes.

She gave a nodded before scooting over with Atlanta. She snuggled up under his wing, still wet from the rain and cold. Atlanta instinctively threw his wing around her and pulled her tight against his armor. I smiled, covering up the pain I felt for the moment. It still felt like I was walking around with a gunshot wound. I opened my door and stepped back out into the rain. Most of it was filtered off by the tree cover but it was still a draining experience. I walked around back to the trunk and pulled it open the hinges squeaked as I reached in and placed my hands on the AR. I pulled it form the rack and back up, looking it over. It had been so long since I used it but I needed its silencer in case things went wrong. I don’t think I could stand to see anyone again. At least no up close. The gun still carried its scope, masterkey, laser, and silencer from when I used to use it but I had added a bayonet after a griffon cornered me in an alley with a pike. Was a painful experience. The bayonet was a standard RG knife that I had taped around the barrel with some old duct tape I found with the spare tire.

I gently closed the door before spinning around on my heels. I tapped my left index finger against the trigger guard before jogging towards town. I run though the rain, my boots sloshing through the muggy earth, leaving prints. I wasn’t concerned about this for now. I kept moving till I hit the edge of town and stopped, behind a home. I hugged the wall as I peeked around the corner. The way was clear and dark, only the faint light of the nearby windows cast any light out. I crouched and waddled under the windows of the home, keeping the rifle tucked against my chest. I kept pressed against the house to break up my profile, an old trick I learn from Alex. I stopped at the edge of the house and looked around. The road was exactly like I remembered when I was still around. It looked like nothing changed. In small towns like this one, things never usually did. At least our worlds had this in common.

I kept scanning till I found a spot between a pair of houses. Perfect. I braced myself before sprinting over to it and sliding against the wall in the mud, almost losing my balance. The mud was starting to affect my grip in a bad way. I missed pavement. I crept on through the alley between the houses before reaching the next street. I looked over to see the Twilight’s old tree house. It still stood strong and tall like time never affected it. I knew it would outlast at least me at this pace. I shouldered the rifle and peered into the scope into Twilight’s house. I couldn’t make out anything from this angle, just the ceiling and light of a candle’s flame. I mumbled a curse under my breath before lowering the rifle and crouched back down. I crept up towards her house, avoiding the light from her windows and pressed up against the trunk of her tree-house. I could hear voices coming from inside and looked down at my watch. It was almost 11pm. What the Hell was she still doing up?

I slowly stood back up with my back against the trunk of the tree before peering around the corner. It looked like nothing had changed. Row upon row of books lined the shelves like I remembered. I looked around and saw that Twilight was looking over a book with a candle burning next to her for light. She hadn’t really aged from what I could tell, but what was five years to them? I just know I was going downhill fast at this rate. I looked over her before turning my attention to a pressboard that was on the other side of the room. A few papers, pictures, and maps were on it. They were all to faint to make out from where I was standing. I took a few steps back and used the scope to get a closer view.

The board was covered in papers about me. Most were standard crime counts and biographical info. The pictures turned out to be wanted posters of me with the pictures cut out. I had seen the pictures before. They were taken of me when I stormed a bank in a town I’d long ago forgot the name of. They were of me firing my rifle of a guard before turning to the camera… griffon and fired. The maps were of places I had been like she was trying to find a pattern in them. Too bad we kept it random on purpose. I lowered the rifle and took a few steps back before watching Spike step in the room and walked over to Twilight. He had gotten almost taller than her as the years went on. He handed her a cup of something before talking to her for a moment. I tried to make out what he was saying but I couldn’t read dragon lips. Twilight nodded to him before placing another marker on the map. It was right where we had hit the farm. Seems she was making progress but to bad I was going to slip away unnoticed.

Without warning, she turned around and I met her eyes. I locked up as she stared out the window at me. I watched in terror as she waved Spike over he saw me as well. Fuck. I turned and started to run, my boots only getting half traction in the mud. I ran and felt my foot get no traction at all and just slip. I stumbled forward and caught myself on a wall as I heard a door open. I ducked behind a small picket fence for cover and held the rifle tight against my chest. I heard footsteps run into the area I just was and stop.

“Ryan?” I heard Twilight’s voice ask.

Her voice was a lot more refined that since I last heard her speak. I breathed heavily, knowing the rain would cover the sound. I heard the something walking closer to my position as my finger slowly moved towards the trigger and wrapped around it.

“You can hide all you want! You are only hurting the ones who care about you!” Twilight called out, obviously trying to use my guilt against me.

I sighed as I saw a purple wave of light pass through the area and could feel eyes burning into where I was hiding.

“I’ve gotten better with magic. You can’t hide from me.” Twilight warned “Just come out. I only want to talk.”

“He isn’t going to do that.” I hear Spike say in a deeper voice than I remember “He is stubborn like that.”

“Oh, now that is just insulting.” I called out from behind the fence and heard Twilight gasp “What, not expecting that?”

“Well, no.” She pointed out as she walked closer, evident by the sound of footsteps.

I spun around and stood up with the AR in my hands and a defeated grin on my face “I told you before that I am full of surprises.”

The Run

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“Yeah, you are.” Spike agreed with any angry expression on his face “Like the way you up and left.”

“That is not what happened and you know it!” I fired back throwing a finger in his direction.

Twilight stepped forward but I raised my rifle at her, locking on. I didn’t even want to talk but now I was having to explain myself? No. That isn’t how this game works.

“Calm down.” Twilight pleaded “Put the weapon down.”

Her tone was slow and methodical like she was trying to talk someone down from suicide.

“You have no right to judge me.” I snarled as switched targets to Spike “When I was threatened, everyone backed down. Celestia and the Guard abandon me.”

“They had no choice!” Twilight called out “We don’t blame you for what happened.”

“Then don’t you dare judge me.” I said as I backed up a bit.

The rain trickled off of my hat, obscuring my vision of the scope somewhat. This was turning out to be a rather pointless detour.

“Please, I just want to sit down and talk with you.” Twilight said, her mane and coat almost completely soaked through.

“For what?” I asked “I’m not staying.”

“Then why did you come back?” Spike asked, trying to find a hole in my emotions to dig at.

“This was on my route.” I answered, not lowering the rifle.

“I thought you stuck to the desert.” Twilight said with confusion.

“Things changed.” I answered as I slowly backed away, swapping my sights between them.

“Ryan.” Twilight said as she stepped forward “Things have changed here.”

I stopped in my tracks and lifted my eyes from the sights “Do tell.”

“It is true that you are still wanted but we want to help you.” She pleaded as she walked forward a few paces “Celestia never forgave herself for what happened, but you running away didn’t solve anything.”

“Alex is dead because of her.” I growled “She gets no forgiveness from me. I’d sooner kill her.”

“You can’t solve all your problems with violence!” She said, calling me out “You can hide behind distance and your weapon all you want but you’ll be on the run forever.”

“Thanks for pointing that out.”

“What about Rainbow?” Spike asked, cutting in “She still waits for you. Has an entire wall of her house covered in news about you.”

“Oh… oh that was low.” I said as my grip on the rifle slowly wavered and I lowered it.

That hit me hard. Goddammit, I just wanted her to move on. I couldn’t stand to just let her rot away in that house. It was like an emotional prison. The walls between us were built out of distance and law.

“She never moved her house back up. No pony else is able to climb up on the clouds either. It was just you.” Twilight said, seeing that it hurt me.

It seemed like she wasn’t about to back down this fight either. She quickly closed the distance and stepped in front of me. She lowered my gun the rest of the way and looked up at me.

“What did time do to you?” She asked as she looked me over, noting my torn up attire and ragged appearance “Listen, can you just come inside? You’re going to get sick out here.”

I wanted nothing more but to leave but I couldn’t. I felt like I had chains holding me in place. I took a few breaths as Twilight and Spike looked at me. I felt almost worthless. I probably was too. I knew I was back in Youngstown. Only time I was worth anything in life was my short time in Ponyville. Twilight grabbed my hand with her magic and gave it a tug, looking up at me. I grimaced and jerked it away before slowly walking towards the tree house. I knew this wasn’t going to accomplish anything but it may at least be worth figuring out what is known about me.

Twilight walked past me and over to the door as Spike followed along behind me, cutting off escape. I had a feeling this is going to end badly. Twilight opened the door and I knelt down, stepping in, out of the rain. I was totally soaked through from the feeling of it. I let go of my rifle with my right hand and rested it against the floor on the tip of the bayonet. Twilight and Spike stepped in and closed the door looked over to me. She walked over to the pressboard I saw earlier.

“I’ve been keeping track of you.” She said before pointing towards the map “Every one of the places that you’ve reportedly been.” She moved up to a list “And this is everything that you’ve… done.”

“No matter how many I shoot, they just keep coming after me.” I played off.

“That is no excuse for murder!” She exclaimed as Spike crossed his arms and stared at me.

“You call it ‘murder’, I call it ‘self-defense’.” I defended.

“You tell yourself that.” Spike quipped “And now you pony-napped a foal?”

“What?” I asked as I turned to him.

“That farm to the north.” Twilight said “A filly named Field Runner went missing after you… after you killed two griffons and ran.”

“Yeah, that is a long story.” I said with an awkward look “Don’t worry, she is getting shipped back. I don’t have time for things like that. I’m on an express schedule. Griffons are getting closer every day.”

“I would come after you too.” Spike said like it was an insult.

“What is that supposed to mean, ass-wipe?” I asked as I picked my rifle up and looked down at him menacingly.

Twilight attempted to say something but immediately piped down. I was downright furious with that comment. How would he like living in a cramped metal box with two other people for five years? Living in constant fear of another attack? Having to kill and steal to survive. Not a day went by where that wasn’t clinging to my soul. Spike backed up a bit, seeing that I meant business. I looked between the two before slinging my rifle over my back. A puddle of water sat atop the hardwood floor where I was standing as the rain slowly dripped off of me. I backed up to the door, ready to go.

“Where do you think you are going?” Twilight asked like she had plans on stopping me.

I instinctually set a hand on one of the Sigs that sat on my hips before looking over my shoulder “I am going to leave. The only reason I am here is because my route made me come through here. I suggest you let me go or the griffons will reduce this town to ash in search of me.”

“So you are just going to up and abandon everypony again?” Spike added as he crossed his claws.

I turned back around and felt my eye twitch. That comment made something inside of my head snap like a rubber band. Twilight took on a horrified expression before backing up a few paces. I didn’t even remember charging. I now had Spike pinned against a wall with my elbow against his throat. I lifted him up as he gagged there. I was staring into his terrified eyes as I had the 226 in my off hand, pressed against the area just below his ear. Twilight let out a scream as I held him there.

“Don’t you dare judge me you smug piece of shit.” I snarled at him as I twisted the gun against his head, pressing in with my elbow “You have no idea what I have been through, the things I have had to do just to stay alive.”

Spike made a muffled gagging noise before I felt a large book slam against the back of my head. I dropped Spike to the floor as I clutched the back of my head in pain. My hat fell to the floor, scooting across it, out of my reach. I felt blood trickle down my neck as my instincts kicked back in. It was amazing how the human body can revert back to its fight or flight mode, completely knocking out the rational mind in only a few milliseconds. That is probably one of the reasons I am still alive. I braced my free hand against the wall, my right hand still clutching the handgun. Spike was on his knees, scooting away as he was regaining his breath. I turned around to see Twilight was preparing another book for me. I reacted and sent two rounds 9mms into the book. The book shot across the room and the reports of the rounds deafened everyone in the room. My senses were still dulled as Twilight jerked back, taking cover behind a table. I turned round to the window from earlier and lifted the handgun.

My vision was still covered in a haze from the blow. I didn’t even look down the sights as I sent five rounds at it in quick succession. Three of the rounds hit the wall around the window and two hit the panes of glass. I charged at it, still a little staggered. I jumped and braced my arms in front of me. The frame and window shattered, sending splinters of glass and wood out of the window with me. I landed on the ground, mud clinging to me. My ears were ringing as I slowly looked up and saw that doors were starting to open, letting light out into the streets. I had woken up the entire town with those shots and surely Dallas and Atlanta had heard them. I climbed to my feet and bolted towards the woods where I had stashed the Hummer.

“Somepony stop him!” I heard Twilight’s voice call out from behind me.

I kept running and used my left arm to help me vault a small picket fence. I swapped the gun into my dominate left hand and sprinted as fast as I could. The rain was slamming against my face, chilling and stinging it. I heard rapid succession of hoofs behind me. I looked back and saw I was being chased by three ponies. I held my handgun back and watched as they all ducked for cover. I unleashed three rounds placed into the ground before them, purposely missing. The shots each lit up the night like cracks of man-made lightning. I turned back and ran into an alleyway before reaching the small buffer zone between town and the tree line. I moved one foot after the other, water starting to finally seep into my boots before reaching the Hummer.

The engine was still running as I pulled the door open. Dallas and Atlanta were still asleep as was Field. Nice to see they were getting sloppy. I jerked the gear-shift into drive before slamming on the gas. The engine gave a roar like a prehistoric beast as it kicked up mud behind it and I cut the wheel out of the woods. Dallas’ head smacked off of the window, waking him up. I flipped on the headlights and floodlights, turning night into day. He looked over at me, obviously concerned before looking out towards the town that was starting to light up.

“What the hay just happened?!” He asked in confusion as Atlanta woke up.

“Tits went up and guns went off.” I answered as I drove over a small hill.

The front wheels lost contact with the ground. The tires slammed back down, jolting everyone inside of the cab as the SUV rolled over a fence like it was made of wet cardboard. I pulled onto the road in the center of town as the lights landed on Twilight and Spike, blinding them. I cut the wheel right and let off of the gas for a second. The tires slid across the wet ground before I slammed back down on the gas and the tires caught traction again. I sped out of town, leaving tracks in the ground as I sped off towards Canterlot. I looked in the rearview as a few ponies attempted to chase after me but stopped, unable to keep up.

“Where are the pegasi?!” Atlanta called out as he looked out the window behind me.

He had a point. I rolled down my window and looked up at the sky. My eyes had adjusted to the flood lights and I couldn’t make anything out in the sky.

“Shit.” I said before looking back at him “Wait, aren’t they above the clouds for the weather?”

He nodded as Field hid under one of his wings from the confusion. I looked forward and saw we had mostly clear roads ahead. Let’s see if going dark would lose them. I flipped the lights off and slowed my getaway. I peered down at the speedo and saw I was doing a steady 50mph now. How fast was I going before? I watched as Atlanta rolled his window down and looked out of the window towards the sky. Dallas pulled his map back out and opened it up frantically. Atlanta kept his wing over Field as I turned back and focused on driving. It was almost impossible to see without the help of the lights. The windshield wipers worked frantically against the rain, trying to keep the tide back. I could only really make out faint outlines of the obstacles in front of the truck.

We drove along for twenty miles before Atlanta pulled his head back in through the window. He rolled up the window as I looked over at my hand that still clutched the P226 like I was about to get into a fight. I took a deep breath and slid it back into its holster at my side. I flipped the lights back on and noticed my hand was shaking from adrenaline. It was rare that this even happened anymore. I was jaded against it. I closed my eyes and attempted to calm myself down.

“I don’t think any are following us. No pony could possibly fly for that long.” Atlanta assured as he sat back down in his seat and sat back.

Field reached over and hung onto him. He looked down at her awkwardly before shaking his head and chuckled lowly. I slowed up before pulled off of the road and stopped. I dropped the truck into park before leaning back to calm myself down for a moment. I felt completely empty inside. The only thing that was running through my mind was running and adrenaline. I almost felt like I was missing something. I was now known though. My hat was there, witnesses, gunshots reported, and shell casings. There was no downplaying it. I was going to have to move farther before the night was out. Griffons were soon to be on their way.

The Set-up

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It seemed that all I do is drive now. I remember the days of cruising through Youngstown in my old Ford. This was a piece of garbage. The clutch was hard to operate, the body was rusting out, the tires were bald, and the engine block got so hot you could cook off of it. But you know what? She was mine. My very first car and your first is always special to you. Not like the Hummer I was now driving. I had stolen this one so something about it just felt hollow to me. Maybe it is a personal thing, but what do I know?

The rain let up a small amount but still kept up. The windshield wipers moved back and forth across the window, clearing most of the rain. All eyes were on me in the cabin. Dallas, Atlanta, and Field’s eyes seemed to burn into the back of my skull. I had to lead and could not let what just happened cloud my vision but damn it was hard. I wanted to shut down and disappear but I couldn’t do that to my crew. They counted on me. I had already let Alex down and couldn’t lose another. I would die before that. I took a deep breath before running my hands over the faded leather of the steering wheel and slowly sat back in my seat. Dallas shifted in his seat and faced me. I kept my eyes looking out the window for a moment, locked on the lights of Canterlot that sat in the distance like a beacon. I slowly turned to Dallas and looked him in the eyes. They were not eyes of anger or fear. They were ones of sympathy.

“Are you ok?” Dallas asked as he reached over with a hoof and set it on my shoulder “What happened?”

I remained silent for a moment before slowly reaching over my shoulder and pulled my AR around into my lap. The AR and 226 now sat in my lap like weights that kept me grounded.

“It isn’t important what happened.” I proclaimed, dodging the question “Just know that we have to move. No one got hurt.”

“Come on Captain,” Atlanta called from the backseat with Field still nestled in his side, watching me “We’re here for ya. You don’t just run like you’re bolting from some mare’s house after a one night stand for nothing.”

“Drop it.” I snarled as I set the AR against the dashboard and holstered my Sig again “It doesn’t concern you.”

“Jeez Ryan, what the hay happened to you?” Atlanta asked in a rhetorical sense.

I dropped the H2 back into drive and pulled back onto the road. The cab was silent again as Atlanta set his head against the window and Field leaned against him, never taking her eyes off of me. Dallas gave a concerned look before sighing and reaching over to the radio. I looked over and stayed his hoof.

“Not… not right now. I need some quiet.” I said, almost pleading in a way.

Dallas nodded before curling up in his seat and looked away. I looked back out towards the window before flicking on my headlights and flood lights, illuminating the road like it was a stage. Canterlot sat on the side of the mountain, prominently displayed like a crown jewel. It was lit up like Youngstown was if you were overlooking it from Route 11. It was a sight I hadn’t seen in many years. It stirred something inside of me. It wasn’t sorrow like before, no, this was rage. I wanted nothing but to see the Castle burned to the ground. The feeling was almost sickening. I took one of my hands off of the steering wheel and rubbed my forehead. I tried to force the thought out of my mind. Just had to think of something else. Something better.

I thought back to some of the better times of my life. I remembered going to parties with Alex, spending the holidays with my mother and sisters, my time with Dash at the Gala all those years ago. I felt a small bit better like there was a flame in my soul, holding back the darkness. I switched routes at the fork in the road that led towards Canterlot. I had to drop off Field and then double back and head around Canterlot eastward towards the Zebra territory. I was so close now and I couldn’t deviate.

The way Canterlot was placed, it had three ways in. There was the possibility of air travel but I didn’t have wings so it was out of the question. Then there was a set of train tracks that cut through the mountains but I didn’t have a way to them unless I rode back to Ponyville and followed the tracks. Then there was a road that cut through Canterlot from east to west. I was going to drive up most of the trail and stop. Let Atlanta out to take Field to the train station and send her home somehow. Enough money could get anything done and I didn’t have a shortage of that.

I pulled the H2 up on onto the road and parked it. The rain had stopped and my window was open. The air still smelled of fresh rain. I dropped the truck into park and looked back at Atlanta. Field was out cold on the backseat, opposite of Atlanta. I motioned Atlanta to come closer to me before he stepped and leaned and ear closer to me.

“Listen up.” I whispered to him “You are to take Field into Canterlot and put her on a train back to where she lives. I don’t care how you do it, just get it done.”

Atlanta looked back and Field who was curled up and snoring lightly. He seemed to get wistful for a moment before looking back at me and nodded.

“I’m going to whip around Canterlot and wait on the eastbound road.” I explained before motioning for him to wake up Field.

Atlanta reached over and softly shook Field. Field’s eyes fluttered open before she curled up from all the eyes staring at her. Atlanta crept closer before clearing his throat quietly.

“Hey, I’m going to take you into town.” He said lightly as Field looked to me for conformation.

I gave a nod “We’re shipping you home, kiddo. Your dad is worried.” I tried to say as friendly as possible, finding it kind of hard.

Field looked between us before shaking her head in defiance. She clutched the seatbelt and wrapped it around her before looking into my eyes. I sighed before turning around and seeing the sun rising far off in the sky. It was weaker than the desert sun, that was for sure. I opened my door as the engine continued to rumble under the hood. I left the door open as I walked over to Field’s and opened it up. She looked at me with sad and fearful eyes. I reached down into my pocket and slipped on my sunglasses before looking at her again.

“You gotta go home. This isn’t a place for you.” I said, hurting a bit inside for some odd reason.

Field shook her head again before holding the seatbelt tighter. I rolled my eyes before grabbing hold of her and tried pulling her away from the truck. She gave a muffled crying sound as she held the seatbelt tightly with earth pony strength that always seemed to surprise me. I jerked again and she started crying, showing she didn’t want to leave. I gave another jerk before she finally let go. Field was now full on crying as she continued to try and jump off of me and back into the Hummer. I held her close as she looked up at me with wavering eyes. I looked down at her through my sunglasses like they blocked some of the sorrow. She slammed her eyes shut before clutching onto my weapons harness. I held her with one hand as I closed the door and pulled a large bag of bits out of my coat. I tossed them over to Atlanta who stepped out from the other side of the Hummer and walked over. He started to remove his armor and set it on the ground to blend in before he looked up at me.

I glanced down at Field again, who was soaking my shirt with tears. I pulled her free of me and set her down on Atlanta’s back. She looked back at me before holding her hooves out with teary eyes, hoping for me to pick her up again. I closed my eyes and looked away.

“I’ll meet you on the other road by noon.” Atlanta said before I felt the flap of his wings.

I opened my eyes and they were gone. Just like that. I had once again sent someone away that needed me. I buried my regret before picking up Atlanta’s armor and set in the back seat before slamming the door as hard as I could. Dallas looked over at me and nodded like I had done the right thing. That was me… always doing the right thing. Makes me wonder why I hadn’t eaten my own bullet a long time ago.

I had pulled around the town and had parked the truck under some tree cover. It was hidden from the sky and road fairly well if you didn’t know what you were looking for. The day wore on, making me wish I had my hat. At that thought, I wondered how long it would be before a search party started looking in the immediate area. I ran my hand through my greasy, dirty hair before checking my old watch. It was almost 11:30. He only had a half an hour before I had to either come looking or start moving. I leaned against the spare tire of the Hummer with my 1911 in my free hand and a line of sight on the road ahead. Had to keep an eye out just in case.

I waited till 2pm before walking around to the driver’s side door and pulled it open to see Dallas. Dallas was sitting in his seat, playing with the radio. He turned to me, expecting news.

“Atlanta is late. I’m gonna have to look for him.” I said with a huff “He’d do the same for us.”

“How are you going to do that?” Dallas asked me as he looked me over “It is midday and they all know what you look like.”

He had a point. I couldn’t even go after Atlanta and I sure as hell wasn’t going to send Dallas in as well. Atlanta must have either lost Field or have been captured. I know the Royal Guard didn’t have the balls to kill him. I mumbled a curse and punched the door out of spite.

“Well?” Dallas asked me as he turned off the radio.

“We have to wait.” I answered as I rested my forehead against the Hummer.

It was now almost 11pm. I waited for hours for the sun to go down and now was the time to move. I made Dallas wait with the Hummer and had walked up and into Canterlot. Was easy enough sneaking into the city by hopping a fence. I didn’t need a rifle in this close of range. I held my 1911 in my left hand as I walked into an alley way. The streets were quiet and mostly empty. Oil lanterns lined the streets, casting an orange-ish glow over the cobblestone streets. Stores were all closed up for the night and a few guards patrolled the streets. They wore their standard gold armor and carried pikes. Usually they were unarmed so I assumed their heard I was coming.

I pressed up against the wall and crept over towards the street. I peeked out from the corner like a rat and looked for guards on the street. Two sat on each end of the street, making my job that much harder. I had to find a way around. The alley I was in only gave me the option to go back where I came from and forwards into the street, giving me away. I didn’t want to kill any guard. Griffons were fair game but if it came down to it, I would open fire. I looked down at my feet and saw a brick sitting there. Just what I needed. I grabbed the brick with my free hand and looked back out around the corner. The guards stood there and the pair to my left started walking down the street.

I watched for a while before the first pair passed, moving towards the second pair at the end of the street. I prepared my arm and aimed upwards. I reared back and threw the brick as hard as I could over the building I hid next to and hopefully past the guards so it would gain their attention in another direction. I waited for a thud and heard one sound far off.

“What was that?” I heard a voice ask “The locals should know we have a curfew in place.”

“Go check it out.” A feminine voice say in return.

“I have to do everything. You go.” The first voice returned.

“Quit arguing.” A third voice said.

I braced myself before taking a deep breath and ran out from the alleyway. I sprinted towards a break in the buildings I felt eyes snap to me as I dove into the alley and pressed against the wall opposing the guards.

“Somepony is playing with us.” The feminine voice said as I heard wings flap.

Shit. I looked around before noticing there was no escape. The other end of the alley was blocked by another building, leaving no way out. I clutched my pistol in my hands before hearing something break on the other side of the street. I looked over and saw… Field? She stood over a broken lantern. She looked over at me with her large purple eyes. I was confused at first before one of the guards ran up to her. Time to move.

“What are you doing out at this time of night?” the guard asked as he looked down at her.

I took the time to turn back to the wall that blocked my way. The wall was maybe six or seven feet tall, just within climbing height. I took a running start and jumped. My hands grasped the top of the wall and I used all of my strength to climb up. After roughly a minute of this, I was almost atop before I looked back to check on Field. She was still quiet, watching the guard as he attempted to usher her over to the other guards. She shook her head and took off in the other direction.

“Hey! Get back here!” The guard called out before running after her and another guard followed behind.

I vaulted the wall and landed on the other end. My knees wavered at the impact, showing the wear on my body. I grimaced and brought myself together once more. I looked out of the alley and on the far end of the well-lit street was the side of the castle. One of the basement windows as open and the curtain flapping out of it. Jackpot. I moved towards the end of the alley and looked out. Around ten guards stood at the entrance with eyes locked forward. These were probably the worst guards on the planet or maybe I was just used to the extremity of griffon training. I just walked over to the window and hopped in.

The inside of the room was dark and damp with a musty smell to it. I couldn’t see much beyond where the street lanterns came in through the window. I looked down at my 1911 and switched on the under-barrel light. The LED light illuminated the room, showing nothing in it. It was just a blank stone room. Maybe it was future storage? Perhaps a cell? I pushed the notion out of my head and moved towards the door and tried to open it. I gave a few solid jerks before figuring out it was locked. Who were they trying to keep out? I took the handgun and pressed the silencer against the lock. I had already been discovered in Ponyville, what damage could I possibly do here?

I fired a few shots into the lock, giving metallic thumps. I pushed the door open with ease, thanking the malleable metal these ponies seemed to favor. The room turned into a long hallway with a single lantern lit in the center. Hay protruded from under the doors that lined the halls in a few spots. Seemed I was in a cell block already. Looks like I do have some luck left in the reserve tank.

“Atlanta?” I whispered through the hall.

Nothing came back to me. Maybe he got out? But why was Field running around? Did he get captured or is he still looking for Field? I doubt the second one but maybe he has a bigger heart than I give him credit for. Going to get him killed but what could I do? I picked the direction to the left and walked over to the next door and knocked.

“Atlanta?” I asked in a more normal tone before my voice echoed through the basement.

I listened for a long time but still nothing came. It was like whatever was in this basement was cleared out recently. I flashed my light over the edge of the hallway and something ran past. It was bigger than Atlanta for sure. Seems to me like it wanted me to fall but that could just be my paranoid brain talking. Whatever it was, I wasn’t followed. I turned around and walked the other way, keeping an eye over my shoulder in case it came after me. After a minute of this, I looked forward and Luna sat at the other end of the hallway with my light shining in her eyes.

“Fuck.” I mumbled as I switched the laser on and kept the gun trained on her.

I was hoping the light had kept her from knowing it was me. She took a step forward as did I. The room I had come in from was damn near in between us. I was going to have to make a break for it if anything.

“We knew you were coming.” She said in a way that made my heart stop in fear.

This couldn’t be the night of my capture. I wasn’t going to be taken alive at the very least. They were going to have to kill me.

“First you go to Ponyville and Twilight Sparkle talked to you.” Luna said from the other end of the hallway as I stepped forward, keeping the distance of me and her to the door the same “It only made sense you would come here.”

“Where is Atlanta?” I asked with hostility as my finger tightened on the trigger.

“We have him. He is safe.” Luna said calmly before raising a hoof at me “Put the weapon down.”

“I’ll do that about the same time as you tear your horn off.” I said “Been hit with one too many magic bolts over the years.”

“We would do no such thing. We are here because we saw your dream.” Luna as she took another step and I matched it.

“Dream?” I asked before thinking back and remembered the sensation of being thrown through that window “More like coke-induced nightmare.”

“We don’t want you to run. We are ready this time.” Luna tried to reason “Celestia was wrong.”

“Don’t you mention that name!” I snarled as I tightened my grip on the gun farther “I owe her a bullet.”

The Soldier

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“We said she made a mistake.” Luna repeated, trying to reason with me.

I wasn’t having it. I got ready to pull the trigger before some morality center went off in my head. Luna had done nothing but try to help me. It was Celestia that ruined my life. Even if Luna was thick when it came to seeing this, she still didn’t deserve a bullet.

“She tossed me to the wind.” I fired back as I kept the laser sight trained on the center of her chest.

“Why can you not forgi-“

“You know why!” I snarled back.

Luna fell silent for a moment as her eyes traced behind me. She was obviously looking at someone behind me. I reached into my jacket and pulled out the Model 29 with my free hand. I spun round and trained the 1911 on the spectator and the Model 29 onto Luna, training the guns in opposing directions. I looked back and was… her. She stood there in all of her glory. Her mane caught the light and reflected it in a way. Her eyes were trained into me, not paying any mind to the gun trained onto her.

“Luna,” she started in a voice that had not changed since I left “This is my fault, not yours.”

“But sister…” Luna tried.

“You… “ Was all I could get out in a low growl.

“Ryan,” She pleaded “Just give me-“

“I’LL KILL YOU!” I shouted before turning both guns onto her and started firing.

The revolver gave loud cracks and the 1911 only chirped as I jerked the triggers. Celestia winced as the round slammed into a barrier in front of her and bounced off, giving a light show of sparks.

“Please stop!” She shouted over the rounds.

I didn’t listen. I took rapturous joy in pulling the triggers over and over again, feeling the recoil in my arms. Celestia slowly lowered to the ground, struggling to keep the barrier up. I sent one last round into the barrier and it shattered like glass. Celestia was low to the ground, exhausted from keeping the barrier up against the barrage of bullets. He eyes were nailed shut as I took a step forward and lowered my guns. I smiled before raising my 1911 and leveled it at her head.

“This one is for Alex.” I said before started to pull the trigger.

“Sister!” Luna shouted from behind me before I felt something slam into my back.

I fell face first onto the stone floor with my hands still clutched on my guns. My back burned from whatever hit me. I was to hopped up on rage and adrenaline to feel it. I stuffed the guns back into their holsters before yanking out my knife and climbed back to my feet. I was operating off of tunnel vision now. Luna was next to her sister, helping her up before the pair looked at me. I only held the old black combat knife in my hand before staring at them like a wild animal. I was snarling like a monster. Celestia was in Luna’s grasp as her horn charged with a white light. I tightened my grip on the knife before letting out a roar and charged with the knife like a Mongol warrior.

Celestia shot a beam of light at my feet and disappeared behind what looked like a black hole. I was going to fast in a blind rage to stop before I stumbled through. I slowly caught my footing before looking around. Still growling like and animal, I was focused on killing and not trying to figure out what was going on. I looked behind me to see where I came from was no longer there. Not in the sense I was hoping for. The same kind of doorway that Celestia used to send me to Youngstown all those years ago stood there. I looked down to see I was standing on an old overpass. I looked back up and saw Luna standing in the doorway with her horn charged. I clutched the knife before another bolt was shot at me, slamming into my chest.

The same burning sensation sent pain through my body as I stumbled back and felt my feet connect with a ledge. I stumbled off of it and down. The smoggy, familiar sky of my old Earth greeted me as I fell down with no one to save me. I was now going to die if fate was kind. I was going to die on Earth in my own city just like I had always known. All for nothing. I did not care what happened to me, I just hoped Atlanta would make it out.

I don’t remember connecting with the ground. I just remember the sound of screeching tires, shattering glass, and crunching metal.

“Are you alright?” I heard someone ask as I slowly came back to the world.

My back ached like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it. I tried to move but every muscle protested. I groaned lowly before what felt like a hand touch my arm. I opened my eyes but was blinded by a bright light that hung over head. My eyes snapped back shut before I felt them covered by something cold and wet.

“Give yourself a second.” The voice said, which I could now identify as male.

I relaxed for a moment before opening my eyes again. The light slowly came into focus and turned out to be an electric streetlight. Was I back in Ohio? I looked around and saw I was on the ground next to a highway. Car passed off to the left and a smashed Chevy Silverado sat on the side of the road. I could feel blood trickling off of my scalp.

“Nasty fall off of the overpass.” I heard the man call off to my left.

I rolled my head over to him and saw he was a man in his mid-twenties in U.S. Army fatigues. He stood around 5’10 and maybe 180lbs with brown cropped hair.

“You alright?” He asked as he walked over and knelt down looking me over a few times. “You should be fine.”

“You don’t know the fucking half of it.” I said in a relieved tone, thankful just to be alive.

Patted myself with one of my hands and still felt my gear under my jacket. My knife was most likely lost in the crash.

“Don’t get smart with me, guy."He said as he stood up and pulled out a pack of cigarettes “You smashed my truck. My new truck.”

Like I cared. It was only matter of time before I was tossed back into Canterlot and they would most likely be waiting for me. I slowly sat up, clutching at my back and gritting my teeth.

“Where am I?” I asked before watching him light the cigarette.

He took a long drag before looked at me like I was stupid “You’re in Florida.”

Florida? How the fuck did I get to Florida? This was not the time to question it. I slowly climbed to my feet, wobbling at the knees till I found my balance.

“Florida? How long was I out?” I questioned, not really in the shape to be moving around.

I wiped the blood from my forehead before leaning against the busted truck.

“Maybe two hours.” The soldier answered, not letting the fact his truck was busted get to him “Weren’t really in bad enough shape to call an ambulance.”

“Are you really the one to make that call?” I asked with a chuckle before my ribs stabbed at me.

“I know what I am doing.” He said in unamused way.

“Works.” I said with a nod “I suppose this is the part where you want my insurance or something.”

“Bingo.” He said as he pointed at me with one hand and tossed his cigarette but in the other direction “Cops are on the way.”

I clenched my eyes shut before sitting back down on the ground with my back against the truck. I could only hope I went back before the cops arrived.

“You have a name?” The man asked as he walked towards me and looked down.

“Ryan.” I answered quickly “From… Ohio. Well, was anyway.”

“You a drifter or something?” He asked, just prodding some curiosities.

“You could say that.” I chuckled under my breath “Been to places you wouldn’t believe.”

“I doubt that.” He said with a sigh as he looked over the truck "Damn."

“My bad.” I admitted “Was thrown off of the bridge. Not like I planned this.”

“Still.” He said as he rubbed the smashed hood of the truck.

I looked down at my watch and sat it was smashed as well. I exhaled angrily before pulling it off and tossed it into the grass. I had that watch for years.

“I didn’t catch your name.” I said as I looked up at the soldier.

“Joshua Loyless.” He answered, giving me a full name.

“Listen,” I started as my skin started to tingle and I stood up “I gotta go.”

“You are staying here till the cops arrive.” He more along the lines commanded “You’re paying for my truck.

“I’d love to but I have to go.” I said as I backed away from him.

“You aren’t going anywhere.” He said as he grabbed me by my arm.

“You have no idea what you are getting yourself into!” I warned as I tried to jerk away, the tingling sensation getting stronger.

“You’re paying for my truck, guy.” He laid out before a white light blinded me.

The world disappeared and was replaced by one of the cells of the castle again. I could hear voices outside of the cell and Josh was still clinging to my arm. He looked around, dumbfounded. I whipped my arm back.

“I warned you.” I said with a whisper “I fucking warned you.”

“Where the hell am I?” He asked in a normal tone before I rammed him against the wall and covered his mouth with my hand.

“Keep it down!” I whispered in a pissed way “You’re a fugitive now.”

He pushed me off of him and took a moment to gather what was going on “What the hell do you mean?” He asked.

“Shut the hell up and keep it down.” I ordered as I pulled out my silenced handgun.

“What the hell do you need that for?” Josh asked as he looked at it and watched me over to the door.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” I said as I slowly pushed the cell door open and looked out.

A few guards left the hall and shell casings littered the floor from my outburst. Seems they didn’t quick get how these interdementional spells work themselves. I felt Josh grab my shoulder from behind and throw me up against the wall. He pinned me with an elbow against my throat and held my gun wielding hand down against the wall with exceptional strength.

“I want answers!” He fired at me as I struggled for air.

“You’ll get your answers later.” I answered with a growl to my voice “But if you want to live, you’ll shut up and follow me. You have no idea what you have done by not letting me leave.”

“What aren’t you telling me?” He asked curiously with a elbow still in my throat.

“You’ll have to see it to believe me. You’re going to have to trust me.” I tried to reason.

“F-fine…” He agreed adter a minor hesitation as he let me down and backed off a few feet.

I rubbed my throat as I looked down at my gun. I could shoot him right here and be done but I wasn’t a murderer. If I did that I would be just as bad as the wanted posters made me out to be. Plus Josh could prove useful. He was a soldier after all. He would just have to play ball. I walked over to the door and looked back out into the hall. No one stood out in the hallway now but I was completely lost. It didn’t help my trips to Earth were now only a few hours long. My body still ached like I went a few rounds with Mike Tyson but I was still functional at the very least. I pushed the door open and leveled the gun down the hall. I looked back at Josh and motioned him forward.

Josh casually stepped in the hall before asking “Is all this seriously necessary? What is with the gun?”

“I said you would have to wait to see.” I said before he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Just...lead the way.” He tried before motioning down the hall.

I nodded before walking down the hall. My boots tapped on the stone floor as I walked and checked the doors. I tapped on a few before reaching the end of the hallway. If I was still back on Earth or trusted Josh more, I would arm him but I couldn’t risk losing a gun or one of them getting in the clutches of the griffons or ponies. I peeked around the corner before seeing a single door at the end of the hall. It looked like a cell but it was isolated for some odd reason. I stepped around the corner as I heard Josh follow behind. I holstered the gun before jogging lightly over to the door.

“Can you at least tell me where we are?” Josh asked lifting a brow, tired of being lead on.

“Canterlot.” I answered truthfully “Canterlot, Equestria.”

“What?” He asked like I was feeding him bullshit “Where the hell is that?”

“I said you were going to have to trust me.” I pointed out before reaching the door and tapped on it a few times.

I heard something rustle behind the door for a second before Atlanta spoke up from behind “I already told you I’m not saying shit.” He answered angrily.

“Still picking up my language, huh?” I asked with a smile before I heard he slam against the door.

“Captain!” He shouted with joy in his voice “I thought you were killed by the bitch in the golden crown.”

Josh stood behind me, totally confused by what was going on.

“Listen,” I started before pulling out my 1911 again “Celestia sent me back to Earth. Picked up a tag-along.”

“What?!” Atlanta asked in shock from behind the door “You got sent back?!”

“It wasn’t pleasant.” I said with a pained tone as I rubbed my head, feeling a scab and dried blood from where I was cut before I turned back to Josh “Listen, you want answers, you are going to get a few when I open this door.”

“What is behind the thing? A TM to this place?” He snarked, the reference eluding me.

“You’ll see.” I said before turning around and sent a few rounds into the lock.

I pushed the door open and Atlanta stood behind it. He still wasn’t wearing his armor but he had a few cuts on his chest. He walked forward and up to Josh. Altanta looked up at him as Josh looked down at Atlanta, even more confused. Josh turned to me and looked at me puzzled.

“Where is the guy behind the door?” He asked.

“I am ‘the guy’.” Atlanta answered before Josh jumped back.

Josh started laughing before kneeling down he glanced at Atlanta before looking up at me “You weren’t kidding. I really would have to see this.”

Atlanta looked over at me “Sounds like he is taking all this better than you did.”

“I still don’t believe this.” Josh cut in before looking over Atlanta and saw his wings “Oh, and it flies.”

“Don’t worry;” I said before setting a hand on his shoulder “It only gets stranger from here.”

“Oh....what joy." He mocked before sighing.

“Trust me kid,” I said before looking over my shoulder towards the way we came from “anything is possible here.”

“What else do I not know?” He questioned.

“Well, we’re fugitives for one.” I told him before taking a step back “I warned you.”

“What do you mean ‘we’?” He asked like I was a criminal.

“Just the fact you are human puts you in the same boat, kid.” I informed “But this can wait till we get out of the city.”

“Fine… fine.” He started “I’ll follow you two… for now.”

“And I was looking forward to leaving you for the griffons.” Atlanta shot off with sarcasm before cracking his neck.

“Oh, nice.” Josh said “It's sarcastic too. I think you earned some respect points.”

After a long and hard look through the almost deserted dungon, we made it back out onto the street. It was roughly 5am from the position of the moon. We only had an hour to get out of the city and back to the Hummer. This would be almost impossible. I moved us into an alleyway before crouching behind a dumpster. I looked back over towards Josh as Atlanta flew up to a roof to get a better view. I motioned over to the next alley before he held his hand out to stop me. The kid didn’t even look a little scared. I assume since he had the army uniform on, he had seen much worse. Still, this didn’t really prove to be a benefit at the moment.

“Where are we going?” Josh asked as he looked around.

“We need to get to my truck.” I answered before getting up and sprinted through the street to minimalize my presence.

Atlanta flew over the street before Josh groaned and jogged after me and skid to a stop. We now were at the wall where Field had saved my ass. It seemed she still wanted to come with us even after I forced her away. It killed me to think she was alone in this large city. I would have to ask Atlanta what happened later. I’m sure he didn’t get captured on purpose. I jumped up and grabbed ahold of the top of the wall before pulling myself up, my muscled protesting. When I reached the top, I offered my hand down at Josh. He took a running start before jumping and grabbing my hand. I yanked him up till he could get over the wall himself. I dropped down on the other side of the wall before turning around and saw Field standing there.

“Holy shit!” I let out while startled.

Little thing scared the shit out of me. I placed my hand over my heart, feeling it pounding against my ribs. Field took a step forward before punching my leg with a hoof. She sniffled like she was going to cry before latching onto my leg. Josh dropped down behind me before laughing.

“Seems you are popular with them.” He said before looking down at Field “What’s up with her?”

“I’ll explain everything later.”

The Complication

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Some time had passed while we were sitting back at the truck. The sun was apparently coming up, seeing as how we were out all night, and the light made me squint. I missed my hat, honestly. I think I had lost it when I bolted from Ponyville. I hadn’t exactly made a quick or graceful exit. Not like it mattered. I was still alive for what it was worth, even if it wasn’t much. Just two former soldiers, a battered truck, a few guns, a mute kid, and the new guy; Josh. I still had no idea how he was going to react to the whole deal. He honestly might think he is either high or dead. Maybe it is better to let him live out this fantasy. Maybe I could just shoot him in the back of the head and leave him on the side of the road. With any luck, the griffons would think that he was me and would finally call off the search. I’m not that lucky though. Not at all.
I had moved the truck under the cover of the forest and stopped near the edge. We could still keep an eye on the road from here and it kept us covered from the skies. With any luck, we could rest for a while. I sat on the ram of the H2 with my hands in my lap as Josh sat down against a tree a few feet from me. Atlanta hung out in the clouds overhead, keeping us covered from above as Dallas planned the next leg of our trip from the cab of the SUV. Field was sitting down next to my leg as I looked over to Josh.

“Hey,” I started “If you want to ask questions, now’s the time to do it. I don’t want you to think I am holding out on you.”

“I prefer not to talk. I’m still taking this in.” He said as he looked over to me, then down at Field “I mean, this seems like a crazy dream.”

“I know. I was in your position before.” I assured “I came here under even less favorable conditions.”
Josh took a deep breath and averted his gaze towards the road “Where is the engine noise? The jet noise? Streetlights? People?”

“There is no more of that.” I dashed his hopes “Just you and me on the ‘human’ side of things.”

Field jumped up onto the high hood of the truck and took a spot next to me again as Josh looked back to me with eyes that told me he thought I was his enemy “Look prick, don’t get smug with me! You smashed my truck and brought me here!”

“Calm yourself, kid.” I said with a motion of my hand downward.

“No!” He shouted as he stood up and took a step towards me with an aggressive stance.

I jerked out one of my Sigs and trained it on him “I suggest you sit down and shut up, fuckwit. I’m trying to help you. I could just shoot you and leave you here. Make my life a lot easier. I’m offering you a chance.”

“Fine…” He said, almost defeated as he leaned back against the tree he stood near “Tell me… tell me everything. I’ll save my questions for the end.”

“Everything? That could mean a variety of things.” I played as I lowered my gun back into my lap.

“Your story. “ He clarified with a glare “Tell me everything.”

“Alright.” I said, getting a little more cheery “I’ll tell you the whole damn thing. From beginning to where we now stand.”

Not sparing most details, I told Josh pretty much everything. It had taken almost two hours of straight talking to get it all out. I had told him about my entry to this world via bullet, getting my mark, working as a guard, the Gala, Dash, Alex finding me, training my troops, the attack on Ponyville, about being abandon, and Alex getting killed in front of me. The rest is just unimportant details of being lost in a desert. Seems I'm still wandering that desert in a way now. Not to say I missed it or anything. I'm still picking sand out of my ass. Josh nodded to me as he smirked in a way and looked down towards the ground. I let him have a moment as I looked over my shoulder at Field and saw that she was curled up on the hood of the Hummer, basking in the heat coming off of the engine block. I placed my hands on the Sigs that sat on my hips as I stepped off of the battering ram of the truck and walked over to Josh.

I knelt down next to him "Feeling better now that you know? How does it feel to be a fugitive for merely being human?"

"It isn't the first time." He replied as he looked at me, his eyes meeting my aviators.
His eyes had something to them. They were almost black in a way. Creepy as hell if you ask me.

"Look," I started before I felt him punch me in the gut out of nowhere and knocked me to the ground.

"That…is for my truck." He lied as he sent another kick into my side "And for Dash, I guess." He said with a smug grin.

"You sadistic bastard." I muttered as I sat back up and looked up at him, taking every bit of restraint to not strike back or kill him.

"You had it coming." He said as he pulled me back to my feet and brushed my shoulder off "I still don't believe you at all."

"Good for you." I said "Doesn't change the fact this is your reality now." I reminded as I walked over to the hood of the truck and set my hands on it, coughing from the blows.

Josh just flipped me off over his shoulder as he walked to the edge of the tree line and lit one of his cigarettes. I looked over to Field and reached over, brushing her mane with my hand that had a few cuts on it from my fall back on Earth. It was still amazing I hadn't broken anything. I will certainly be feeling this tomorrow though. Best to deal with that when it comes down to it. I smiled at Field as she slept and pulled my hand back, setting it next to her head for support as I coughed violently again, spitting some blood aside before I felt her touch my hand. I looked back at her and saw she had set her head on my hand and was looking at me with a concerned expression in a way. She reached over with a hoof and pushed some of my hair out of my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah." I started as I reached over and patted her cheek with my other hand "I know. Dash told me to take better care of myself all the time too."

Field just glared at me as I gave a shrug and pulled back, putting a few feet between herself and I. I limbered up, trying to stretch out before my back quickly put a stop to it. I imagine that if my back was another person, it would be trying to maim me. I grimaced as I clutched my back and walked over to the driver's side door of the H2. I pulled it open and climbed in, taking a seat on the worn leather chair before I sat back and closed my eyes.

"How'd he take it?" Dallas asked from the passenger seat.

"Who?" I asked, my brain not working for a second.

"Josh." Dallas reminded in his calm, flat voice.

"Oh yeah." I said before I reached over and punched him as hard as I could in the shoulder.

"AH! What in the fresh hell was that for?!" Dallas yelped as he clutched his shoulder and glared at me.

"That is for all of your help when he kicked my ass just now." I reminded as I sat back in my seat.

"I was too busy trying to find a way around the mess you have made." He growled at me as he threw the map in my direction.

The map had red marker going all around it showing possible routes. The only problem was that most would lead through difficult terrain that would leave us open. The route through Canterlot was shot, leaving only a single route that would take us around the outside of Cloudsdale. That could work. I just know I want to put as much ground between me and this place as possible. It is only a matter of time till they find me. I pointed down to Cloudsdale and looked over to Dallas.

"This seems to be our only option unless you want us to shoot our way through Canterlot." I said as I tossed the map back to him "The guns' barrels are getting cool too."

Dallas disregarded my comment as he folded the map "We can move out at night. I suggest you get some sleep. Likely you won't be feeling well tomorrow."

"I know." I deadpanned at him as Field looked back at me through the windshield.

I dismissively waved her off as I slumped forward and set my head down on the steering wheel, staring down at the ground. It was a long day. I had been up for almost a day? Two? I lost count. Not like it mattered. I just shut my eyes for a moment.

A moment turned into a few hours from the feel of things. I slowly opened my eyes before feeling every pain receptor in my body riot all at once. I didn’t want to move from where I was, slumped against the steering wheel. Every joint ached and it felt like I had a griffon pike stuck in my back. I braced myself for a moment before flinging myself back into my seat so I could sit upright. Bad idea.

The pain immediately doubled as my back connected with the seat and I yelped. I clenched my eyes shut and beat my fist against the console to try and kept myself sane before I slowly relaxed and opened my eyes again. From the windshield and open door, I could tell it was maybe some time in the late evening. The sun was coming down and in its last hour or two. The light came through the breaks in the tree cover and I could make out Josh and Field near the woods’ edge. He looked to be happily petting her as she slept again, curled up in her lap.

“Shit…” I mumbled as I fought the pain and tried to gain enough strength to get out of the truck.

With my body now in full rebellion, I gave up and just sat there. I took a deep breath as Josh looked over to the H2 and took notice of me. He carefully set Field aside and climbed to his feet before marching over towards me. I stepped next to me and crossed his arms with a smirk on his face.

“Bet you’re feeling the pain now.” He led as I weakly lifted my left hand and flipped him off.

“Fuck you.” I struggled out before dropping my hand back to my side.

“I was going to offer you a cigarette…” He started as he pulled one out from one of the breast pockets of his army jacket.

“Fine…” I grumbled with a cough from what felt like bruised lungs “Sorry…”

“Better.” He said as he forcefully stuck it between my lips and produced a lighter “And we’re still not friends.”

“I’m just your best bet.” I added as he lit my first cigarette in five years.

It took only a moment to feel the effect but damn, it was relaxing. It was the first taste of one of my old vices in a very long time. I let the smoke fill my lungs and the effects take over. I held the smoke until my lungs burned and exhaled, getting a look from Josh.

“We’ll go with that.” He said as he looked me over and stifled a laugh “Must be your first cigarette in a long time.”

“You have no idea.” I added “They don’t make them here.”

Josh seemed to lock up with that statement and glared down at me “What?”

“Yeah. You’ll be going through withdrawal soon enough.” I added with a smug grin as I took another drag from my cigarette.

“You’re not getting another cig from me.” He shot at me as he clutched his pack through his shirt.

“Good… I don’t need the habit back.” I lied, wanting the pack of cigarettes more than life itself at this point in time.

Josh walked around the H2 and took the passenger seat where Dallas usually was. He sat back in the seat and looked out the windshield before turning to me, almost apologetic in a way.

“Look, I still don’t believe this is happening. If it is, I think I died in that crash.” He said, admitting what seemed like a small amount of fear for the first time since I met him.

“You’re very much alive.” I said as I tapped ash away from my cigarette and sat up, fighting pain “All I know is that if this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up.”

“Why?” Josh asked with shock.

“I mean something here.” I said, thinking back on how meaningless my life was before my bullet lobotomy “And I have things worth fighting for. I could have taken the Twelve Gauge Express to the next life at any time now, but I haven’t.”

“I…” Josh started before stopping “They’re just animals, man.”

“The road is over there.” I said as I pointed to the dirt road that led to Canterlot “And if you want out, I’ll lend you the gun.” Josh just remained silent as I looked forward “That’s what I thought.”

A few hours had pass but I still ached like I had been worked over with lead pipes. Dallas and Atlanta had created a fire in front of the Hummer and Field sat with Atlanta. He had his wing around her, keeping her close as the ambient temperature of the forest dropped down into the low fifties. I buttoned up my coat, not really cold, and slowly stepped out of the truck. I took care not to move too much due a freakish amount of pain I was feeling. Josh sat by himself near a tree on the opposite side of the fire, keeping himself isolated from everyone else. I don’t honestly blame him but at least he isn’t hostile… yet.
Seeing as how he still might snap, I sat next to Atlanta and Field so I could keep my eye on him. Atlanta lifted his wing up to release Field and she moved over to me. She rested her head in my lap as I turned to Atlanta.

“What do the skies look like?” I asked as I rested my hands on Field, trying to warm them up since I was used to the desert heat.

“The Royal Guard are flipping out as you’d expect but haven’t left Canterlot. Might as well have been banging their heads off a wall.” Atlanta explained as he looked over at me with a friendly smile, still speaking in an accent I have yet to identify.

“I’m assuming the Guard are for show. Just something to calm the locals.” I assumed as Dallas looked to Atlanta.

“We used to do that all the time.” He said as he set a knife he was sharpening aside “Back when the changelings attacked Canterlot, we were totally unprepared to follow them. We just focused on securing the city. Cowards.”

“I was there, ya know.” Atlanta added.

“Was I talking to you?” Dallas retorted.

I took a deep breath before holding a hand up “Calm yourselves. We’re moving out before sunrise, so save your energy.”

We fell silent for a moment as the fire crackled and the logs shifted, throwing sparks off into the sky. I scooped Field up and set her in my lap, getting a smile from her. I offered on back down as Atlanta clapped his hooves in front of me to get my attention.

“Hey, what the hell has gotten into you? First you slip up in Ponyville and then the whole thing in Canterlot?” Atlanta asked seriously.

“You’re the one that was caught in Canterlot.” I tried to dodge.

“You ordered us in.” He pointed out “I still want an answer.”

I panicked inside my head for a moment before killing the notion and stared him down “I had to at least look. The rain didn’t help. Got it?”

Atlanta maintained eye contact with me for a few brief, awkward seconds before backing down “Understood.”

“Good.” I added to maintain my leadership.

This scared me in a way. This was the first time my leadership had been questioned since I originally took him under my command. It is a constant battle every day and there is no room for an insurrection.

As I thought to myself near the fire, a sound erupted from the woods around us. Atlanta stood up and pulled his knife, holding it between his teeth as I nudged Field off of me and I pulled my 1911 out, tightening the silencer down. The woods beyond the first row of surrounding trees were completely black, shrouded in darkness. I flipped on the under-barrel light of my gun and scanned the woods quickly, only to see nothing, I looked to my side and saw Atlanta and Dallas sitting on either side of me. I couldn’t see Josh, but that was unimportant at the moment.

“Stand your ground.” I said as my muscles continued to protest and I kept my handgun leveled at the forest, looking for what made the noise.

The animals usually kept to the Everfree in this region but we were on the very outskirts of a section of woods that weren’t even connected to the Everfree. A few more moments passed before I lowered the gun and looked down at Atlanta.

“False alarm.” I said before looking over my shoulder to see a few familiar faces.

Shining stood there in black armor with a pair of guards behind him and Twilight standing behind them. I lifted my gun back up at Shining as Atlanta and Dallas took an aggressive stance, ready to pounce. One of Shining’s soldiers took a step forward but he lifted a hoof.

“I wouldn’t say that.” He said with a voice that seemed more refined than what I remember.

My finger tightened on the trigger as Twilight moved around and stood between me and Shining “This stops now!” she demanded “No. More. Violence!”

“How many are surrounding the forest?” I asked as Dallas pulled his knife and prepared to fight.

“It is just us.” Shining said as Twilight glared back at him.

“Ryan.” Twilight said as she prepared herself “Celestia, publically, has a bounty on you.” She said, a flicker of anger in me making me raise my gun again “But!” She fired to get my attention “She is offering to get you over to Zebra lands if you disappear.”

“Bullshit.” I called her out, forgoing kindness at this point “This all just doesn’t go away.”

“I figured you wouldn’t listen.” Twilight added before giving a nod to her left, looking off into the dark.

“What the hell are you doing?” I asked as I shifted over in that direction with my sights trained on an emerging figure.

All was quiet as I lowered my gun, almost dropping it in the process. It was Dash… and she was crying.

The Trap

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That moment you feel where all you work toward seems to fall apart? Imagine your life in front of you as a glass window and the one person you trusted comes up to it with a bat and smashes it without remorse. The one person I tried to keep out of all this is now tangled up in the web of my personal war. Thanks, Twilight. I couldn’t help be fall to my knees, still weakened from the fall. I watched Dash for a moment as she took a step towards me. I could hear arguing around me but it didn’t seem to matter. The rest of the world was merely a blur to me. My grasp on my 1911 failed and it fell to the ground, clanking off of a rock.

I tried to find the right words but I couldn’t. I was lost in my own mind. Dash took a moment to lift her head and stand tall as I held out my arms. Dash ran forward and tackled me down onto my back, soaking my shoulder in five years of tears and pain. My vision was blurred with her mane and the stars above. A small part of me wanted to be angry, but I couldn’t. I didn’t care about my own vendetta. I had someone else that needed me once again. How could I hold my own anger ahead of her?

“I…” I tried to start as Dash held tighter, nearly choking me.

“You aren’t going anywhere.” She tried to be angry but couldn’t.

“I’m sorry.” I said, trying to keep myself in working order.

The arguing around me seemed to die down a bit as Dash finally released her grip a bit after what felt like an eternity. I looked up at her, raising a hand and pressing it against her cheek. She hadn’t seemed to age a bit. I stared up into the big rose eyes that I had longed for since I ran off into the desert. I wish I could take back what I had done, but I did it for her; her and her friends. Something I hope they understand.

“I want to-“ I started before she darted forward and kissed me, making the whole world go blank.

The world was empty for a moment, making me feel like I had when I had pulled the trigger all those years ago. It was a warm feeling. I was never a religious man, but I felt calm as I do now. Just an eternity of bliss.

She pulled back and smiled, still fighting back tears “Just shut up.”

I nodded as she stepped off of my chest and I sat up. All eyes were on me. I looked around as I picked up my 1911 off of the ground and slipped it back into its holster.

“What?” I asked like nothing had just happened.

Everyone remained quiet for a second before Shining stepped back “Now!” he called out.

“Wha-“ I stared before griffons stepped out from all sides, in black armor that matched Shining’s.

It was all a fucking trap. Dash looked around, panicked. It was obvious she hadn’t been expecting this. She had been used. Twilight turned to Shining, furious.

“You lied!” She called out as the griffons charged forward to fast for me to count.

I reached down for my .44 as Atlanta pulled his knife again and charged one. Dallas conjured a claymore as his rune glowed a bright red. It was useless. A griffon charged me, kicking the gun from my hand and held me down. I was too weak to stop it. I tried to head-butt the griffon but he pressed me face down against the dirt, giving me view as a trio of griffons tackled Dallas to the ground. Atlanta managed to stab one of his aggressors in the neck, making the griffon hold onto his wound. The wounded griffon fell from view as another came along and rammed a pike through Atlanta’s side.

Atlanta stood there, dropping his blade before the griffon pushed forward again. Atlanta’s armor had failed and I watched blood slowly fall to the ground. I tried to reach out but the griffon had me down and her weight was crushing my lungs. The griffon kicked Atlanta off his pike, dropping him to the ground. Twilight was yelling at Shining who only watched all this as it happened.

I looked up to see what form my death had come in. I met the griffon’s eyes as the confusion continued. I had met this one before. Her eyes pierced down at me with more hatred than I had ever felt before. It was Gilda. Of course it was Gilda.

“You’re mine.” She said coldly before I felt her smash her forehead into my skull.

I had finally slipped up… and my downfall was the one I loved most.

Sunlight came down on my face, making me wince. Where am I? I think I’m still alive. I tried to bring my hands to my face but a rope was holding them to a tree behind me. I peeled my eyes open and lifted my head to see what had happened. Five griffons stood in front of my truck, looking down at Dallas. My holsters and .44 sat on the hood of the H2 and they had obviously beaten Dallas. I looked down at him, my aviators still on my face. One of the lenses had been shattered, giving me a distorted view. Dallas was lying on the ground, barely breathing. His armor had been stripped and cuts ran along his side. The motherfuckers had been torturing him.

“Fuckface!” I instinctively called out, almost instantly regretting the decision.

Gilda and her crew turned back, wanting more blood like ravenous wolves.

I swallowed hard before bracing myself “You fucking deaf?” I shot at her “I called you by name, didn’t I?”

I couldn’t help but thinking how screwed I was. Gilda stepped forward with a sadistic grin.

“I have been waiting for so long.” She started.

“Was it worth the wait?” I started with a broken smile as she stepped in front of me.

Her crew surrounded us, looking down at me with contempt as she spoke again “No… but it will be.”

I was about to speak again before I felt her talon-ed foot kick me in the jaw. My head bounced back, connecting with the tree I was tired to.

I groaned for a second before meeting her eyes, trying to appear strong for Dallas’ sake “You know I like it rough, baby.” I tried to antagonize her.

“Good, ‘cause I’m just getting started.” She said before kicking me in the face again, dragging her talons across my right cheek.

I yelped at the pain but kept myself together. Alex wouldn’t let me back down.

“That is for all the griffons you’ve killed.” She said before taking her claw and dragging it down my face, cutting down from my forehead down to my chin.

I cried out, yelling before piping myself down. I was bleeding profusely from my cheek and face down onto my black shirt. I felt so naked without my guns.

“In… my defense…” I started, panting hard from the pain “They had it coming…”

“I like it when they’re hard to break.” Gilda said before dragging her talons across my chest.

I just gripped at the ropes that held me down, not giving her the satisfaction. She finally stopped and took a step back, almost like she was admiring her work.

“It is a shame Rainbow fell for you.” She started “We used to be good friends.” Gilda took a step to the right, the other griffons taking a few steps back to give her room “But, you are an enemy of the Griffon State… and killed a lot of my other friends.”

“You… came after me.” I called out with blood starting to get into my eyes.

“You?” She started “Right… you think we’d waste everything on you?” she laughed “We came after what you brought with you.” She said as she pointed a wing back at the truck “We would be the strongest in the world with all of that.”

“You… cunt.” I mumbled, starting to feel dizzy “I’m gonna kill you… then your family.” I said out of sheer anger.

She just laughed in my face as she walked around the tree I was tied to “You aren’t going to leave this forest.”

“That… is optimistic of you.” I said before spitting in her face “I hope you get AIDS.” I added like she would know what that is.

“Thanks…” she said as she wiped her face with a wing “I hope you get to meet Alex again.” She added as I tugged at my restraints with righteous fury “Oh… does that bother you? I took pleasure in burning his body.”

“You sociopathic thunder-cunt!” I called at her with a bit of renewed energy.

“You have a nice mouth on you.” She said before taking a single claw over towards my right eye “Is it worth an eye?”

“I’m going to rip your heart out and eat it in front of you.” I growled as she pulled the claw back a bit.

“Wrong answer.” She said before plunging the claw deep.

I immediately lost vision before the pain hit me and I cried out like I had been lit on fire. She retracted the claw and I left my head fall forward, nearly crying. I was shaking, trying my hardest to fight back tears from my good eye.

Gilda stepped back, looking me over before smirking and looking back at her soldiers “I’m heading back to Canterlot to get the equipment to move everything. Kill him.” She ordered before stepped back and flying off into the sky.

I suppose I should have expected this. Maybe my father was right. I wasn’t even worth the time. If I were optimistic, I’d think I’d be with my sisters, mother, and Alex soon but no, I know what death is like. The four griffons moved forward over to me, a few of them almost disgusted with what Gilda had done.

I thrashed at the restraints towards them “You heard her, pussies!” I growled “Do it!”

They took a step back, not expecting that. I could see that Dallas was now gone. At least he had gotten away. If I die here, at least he gets to live. It was something. I slowly lowered my head, blood still dripping off of my face. Maybe this is what I deserved. A few moments passed as the griffons moved closer towards me. I swallowed hard and made peace in my head, expecting a blow.

I waited and the blow did not come. I heard a snap from in front of me that made me look up. One of the griffons dropped to the ground, his neck twisted. Josh stood there for a moment before he punched another griffon in the face, spinning him around. He wrapped his left arm around the griffon’s neck in an instant. He produced a Sig he had taken off of the H2 and fired two rounds into each of the remaining griffons. The pair dropped before he looked over to me, almost apologetically. He pushed the griffon he had used as a shield forward and fired two rounds into its back casually. I hung my head again, once again saved by what felt like pure luck.

I felt Josh’s hand lift my chin up as he looked me over “My God, what did they do to you?” He asked.

I just kept quiet, feeling like death. I was in a massive amount of pain, dizzy, and on the verge of passing out from blood loss. Josh walked around the tree and fired the gun a few times into the rope, breaking it. I fell to my knees, wanting nothing more than death. Josh grabbed me under my shoulders and drug me over to the truck. He opened the passenger door and sat me in it, setting my holsters and Sig he had used in my lap.

“Hang on, I got your friend.” He said before closing the door and walking off.

I looked down at the Sig for a moment, my vision off from the loss of my right eye. Depth perception was now pretty much shot for the moment. It would take a day or two to adjust to it. Josh returned with Dallas in his arms and pulled the driver’s side back door open and set him inside caringly. Josh closed the door behind Dallas and walked around to the driver’s side, pulling the door open in a hurry.

“We need to move!” He called out to me, shaking my shoulder to keep me away as I started to nod off.

“W-west…” I struggled out as I sat back “Head west.”

“No, you need a doctor.” He said as he reached over and looked at my wounds “God, she took out an eye…”

“H-head… to the main road.” I said as I pointed over to the trail “East… Ponyville. Kill… any griffons. Shining… kill him too.”
He nodded as he set my head against my seat. He started the truck as I clutched my guns and slowly faded out of consciousness.

I could hear a beep that kept a steady rhythm. All I could see was white. I panicked and lifted a hand to my face, finding that it was a bandage. I relaxed a bit and focused on the beeping. Had Josh made it to the hospital? How long ‘til the griffons or Royal Guard showed up? I breathed deeply before noticing my shirt and coat were gone. I reached back to my face and pulled a few of the bandages aside before finding out that my right eye was officially gone. A wave of depression hit me with that realization as I pulled the bandage back over the right socket. I looked around with my good eye and could see what looked like a normal hospital room.

My coat and holster harness sat on a table off to the right but other than that, the room was empty. I looked down at my chest and saw that a large bandage covered it. No blood soaked through, so I am guessing some time had passed. It was a miracle I hadn’t died from blood loss. I climbed out of bed, my body still sore. At least I was functional. I walked over to my harness and threw it back on. My next fear was what had happened to Field? Where had the chaos taken her? I put my trench coat on over my harness and check all of the guns. Seemed that everything was the way it should be.

I looked over my shoulder and took notice to a wash basin and mirror. I trudged over to it and looked at myself. I looked like a damn mummy. In an act of defiance, I yanked the bandages off of my face and was almost horrified at what looked back at me. My right eye socket was completely empty. That was accompanied by three deep scars that ran across my right cheek and three than ran down my face, crossing to form a grid pattern near my mouth and chin. I was a goddamn monster.

I reached up and ran a hand down my face, feeling almost empty. Have to keep going. I have to keep surviving. At least that is what I tell myself. I traced the horizontal scars on my face for a second before I heard a gunshot from the floors above. It had to be Josh. I stumbled over to the door and tried to grab the handle, missing it completely.

“Fuck.” I mumbled as I made another attempt but fell short.

The depth perception was going to haunt me for a few days at the very least. I walked till I pressed my hand against the door and drug it down till it made contact with the handle. I pushed the door open and stepped out, looking down an empty hallway. Another volley of shots came off the roof as I walked down the empty white hallway. The door on the other end of the hall led to the lobby if my memory still worked correctly.

I repeated the same process as I did with the last door and stepped into the lobby. It looked like there was a fight. The H2 had been driven right through the doors and casings sat on the floor. The hole where the Hummer had come through was now blocked with a variety of office furniture. I guess it was Josh’s doing. Maybe he did this before?

I walked over to the other side of the lobby and stepped through the broken doors. I walked the halls for a while longer before finding a stairway and started up towards the roof. I charged up the stairs, still feeling weird from the lingering effects of the painkillers. After a few minutes, I reached the roof entrance. I pushed it open only to be blinded by the sun for a few seconds. After my eye adjusted, another shot came from my left. I looked over to see Josh lying prone on the ground with Alex’s SVD and Dallas sitting next to him with a pair of binoculars.

“Ten points for the pegasus over there next to that building.” Josh said as he turned the rifle a few inches to the right.

“That seems a little high.” Dallas challenged as I walked up behind the pair.

I looked over the edge of the building and saw what the commotion was about. The entire front of the building had been cut off by Royal Guard and a few dead lay in a no-man’s land that sat between them and Josh.

Josh looked back from the scope and up at me “Welcome back. Does ten points sound reasonable?”

The Hospital

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“More like five.” I said as I looked over the Royal Guard who had taken positions behind any piece of cover they could.

Josh snapped back to the scope for a second as a Guard stood up and bolted towards the door. He reached full stride and about the halfway mark between where he started and the door to the hospital before Josh fired once. The Guard dropped, skidding to a stop as Josh looked back at me.

“Ten points.” He declared.

“No,” Dallas started “That was a unicorn.”

“Let me have my fun.” Josh retorted as I took a seat next to him and looked out over the town.

I placed a hand over my stomach as it growled, sending a sharp pain through my system. I must not have eaten in days from the way I felt. I set a hand on Josh’s back and looked down to him.

“Thanks.” I said as I set my hand over the bandage that covered my bad eye “I was going to die there. Atlanta…” I mumbled as I set my hand down on the ground and looked away.

It was just like Alex. There wasn’t a damn thing I could do to stop his death. I was just forced to watch. It was like fate was fucking with me. Why wasn’t I allowed to be happy? Did I piss some god off? That is all I could attribute it to. At this pace, I’d walk the earth alone before too long.

“Hey!” Dallas called out, looking over to me “He died fighting with us. I don’t think he wanted to go any other way.”

Josh set the rifle on its side and looked up at me “Look, I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

“Where were you?” I asked out of mere curiosity.

“Picking flowers.” He sarcastically retorted as Dallas pulled his knife out and carved Josh’s higher point into the ground.

“I would have guessed.” I said as I looked out over town “I can guess what happened until now, but have you seen Field? I’m not going to just let her wander out there.”

Josh rolled his eyes and picked Alex’s rifle back up, scanning over the entrenched guards before us “She’s down in the building below us. She hid in the truck.”

“Smart girl.” I said as I stood up and a breeze blew through my open coat “If you see a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane, let her through. You’ll know her when you see her.” I turned to Dallas “You keep an eye out for Shining Armor and Celestia. You see then, order Josh here to send a round through their skulls.” I said with anger that wasn’t directed at him “I have something special in mind for Gilda though.”

“Yes sir.” He said with a nod as he held his binoculars back up and scanned the crowd “Center left, hundred yards.” He offered to Josh like I had trained him.

“Got it.” Josh said as he adjusted and I walked off back into the stairwell.

I started down the stairs as Josh fired and the gun sent a report that thundered through the surrounding area. At least we were making our presence known.

After a good hour of going room to room, I pushed open the door to what looked like the lunchroom of the hospital. It was a blank white with a few tables scattered about. The window where food would normally be served from was locked up with a steel shutter. Field was sitting over on the other side of the room with a few books she had apparently found. A few were open and scattered about like Twilight used to have. I took a few steps forward and stopped, waving over at her.

“Hey… I’m up.” I said, catching her attention.

Field perked up, tossing the book she was reading aside. A smile grew on her face as she ran over to me and latched onto one of my legs. I smiled as I patted the back of her head with my right hand. I wasn’t even aware she cared this much about me. I thought she tagged along to get away from her father or something like that. Maybe just two lost souls meeting or something poetic like that. I’m not that kind of guy. I bent down and hugged Field, selfishly wishing she was Dash for a moment before I let go.

“I’m not dying yet.” I said as she took on a scared expression and raised a hoof to my face, tracing one of the horizontal scars “Yeah, it’s bad, I know.” She pointed over to the white bandage that still covered what was left of my right eye “It’s gone, but I only need one.” I played off as I patted her cheek a few times with a false smile “Why don’t you go sit with Dallas and Josh? I’ll be up in a few minutes.”

Field nodded to me with a smile before running off out of the room energetically. As she left, I looked over to the books she was reading and checked out the covers. Many of the books discussed the anatomy of odd creatures and primates. I guess I could see where she was going with this one. I set the books on the table in a pile as I stumbled off to the kitchen to find something.

I had found a few apples but it was nothing compared to griffon meat. You do what you have to when it comes down to starving or not. Least they weren’t human. Surprisingly, griffon didn’t taste like chicken as you would think. More like turkey.

With the apples in my pockets, I walked back to the truck and grabbed my AR-15 before starting off towards the stairwell again. I could hear Josh fire another round as I started up the stairs and slung the AR over my shoulder. I cracked my neck as I reached for the guardrail and actually caught it the first time. At least I was getting a bit better with depth perception. At least it didn’t take both eyes to look down rifle sights.

I stepped out onto the roof and walked over to where Josh, Dallas, and Field sat. I dropped down prone next to Josh and nestled the rifle into a comfortable position before looking down the scope. I felt Field set her head down on my back as I looked around at what was going on. I could see that some pegasi were preparing to fly overhead. I could only see a few from where I was watching, seeing as how they were behind the Sugarcube Corner. It was a good 200 to 300-yard shot as well.

“See any of my targets?” I asked Josh and Dallas without taking my eyes off the scope.

“Shining is in the library with Twilight. It looks as though they’re fighting.” Dallas said with the binoculars still glued to his eyes.

“Good…” I said as I turned my rifle towards the library and looked through the windows.

I couldn’t see anyone through them at the moment. Either Shining was lucky or learned from the griffons not to stand next to a window when I am in the area. It was cute to see how the guard thought they had cornered us. All it would take would be to ram the Hummer back through the front door of the hospital and maybe smash through a rank of guards before bolting towards Zebra territory. Then we could wait till the whole thing blew over, then come at them again. Makes sense to me.

“Hey.” Josh started as he tapped my shoulder and pointed over to the Sugarcube Corner “Seems your girl is running interference.”

Dash looked to be harassing the sergeant of the particular group, yelling and hitting him. She acted more as an annoyance to him than anything. At least she was still trying to help. I’m not going to leave her here this time either. I’m going to at least talk with her and give her the option. I owe her more but that is all I can afford.

“Still don’t get how you can-“ Josh started before I elbowed him.

“Stop while you’re ahead.” I warned as I kept watching the library windows.

“Dude, that is nasty.” He added as Dallas hit him for me “Hey!”

“You deserved it.” I cut in as I caught sight of a shadow in the library window “I got something here.”

The figured looked bulky, giving me the idea that it was probably Shining. He moved erratically through the room as another figured of a pony followed him. Had to be Twilight but the details from here were fuzzy at best. I couldn’t just take a potshot from here and hope I hit the right one. I would just have to wait.

Josh fired another round and another guard dropped. The guard had peeked over a bench and now had a clean hole through his helmet and forehead. I didn’t take pleasure in killing guards. They were once on my side. It was Celestia and Shining I wanted. Griffons could all burn for all I cared. I seriously wondered how long the guards were going to keep this up. It was like a one sided Waco standoff.

“We have incoming.” Dallas said as he turned his binoculars to the sky “Looks like a royal chariot.”

“On it.” I said as I looked over to where the chariot was coming down from the sky “Keep an eye on the library for me, Dallas. Josh, keep on the kill-zone.”

“Got it, boss-man.” Josh said as he turned away from the chariot’s direction and fired another few rounds down at the guards to keep them pinned.

“If those pegasi make a move, we have to bolt.” I said as the chariot landed behind a building with the direction of a guard that was one the ground.

“We’re never going to get another chance like this.” Dallas pointed out as I kept waiting to see if the princess would step around the building, my heart rate increasing.

“I’m not letting my revenge get you two killed. I already lost Atlanta.” I said, making my word final.

A few minutes passed as I continued to stare at the building, never blinking. My eye started to burn as I watched before I saw Luna peek her head around at the building and pull back around. I inched forward, waiting to see if Celestia had come to. She’d have to be stupid to be in the same place.

“Luna is on the scene. No sign of Celestia yet.” I said as I kept watching “Do not fire on Luna. She isn’t the one who made the call… and someone is going to have to keep everyone calm after I take the shot on Celestia.”

“You put way too much thought into this.” Josh said as he fired again, most likely hitting someone.

“I’ve had way too much time.” I said as Luna stepped out from behind the building but there was no sign of Celestia “No-go on the princess. Returning to the library. Dallas, keep on Luna. She speaks, I talk.”

Luna walked out into no man’s land, looking up at us as she looked back to the library for a second. She was either way too confident or stupid to do this. A minute passed before Twilight and Shining stepped out of the library and started over towards Luna.

“I have a bead on Shining.” Josh said “Take the shot?”

“Wait. I’ll do it. You keep the guards pinned.” I ordered as I looked down at Luna through the scope.

I still had no idea how much longer I could stay on this roof before either the griffons or the pegasi flushed us out. I flicked my scope over to Dash as the guard knocked her away and had a few guards escort her back inside the Sugarcube Corner. I turned back to Shining and Twilight as they each took a side of Luna and looked up.

“Ryan,” Luna started, calling out to us “We request you come down and talk.

I laughed to myself before speaking “Last time I talked to any of you, I was tortured by the griffons.”

Keep calm… don’t take the shot. Not yet. Have to send a message.

Twilight spoke up “That was a mistake!”

“Ever lose an eye?” I challenged “It hurts like hell.”

Twilight looked over at Shining with an expression of disgust. Shining just stood tall as he stepped forward.

“You are an enemy of the state and-“He started before I cut him off.

“Yeah, yeah, I got the same garbage from the griffons, shitstain.” I growled.

Don’t take the shot… I just have to stay my trigger finger. I turned the scope to Shining and placed it over his head as Josh turned his to Luna.

“Ryan, we never meant for this!” Luna called out.

“That doesn’t matter.” I explained “Things can never go back to the way they were. Too much blood has been shed and the griffons will never stop. Plus Gilda owes me a damn eye. I want that damn eye.”

Luna took a step back, probably thinking I was a monster they had created. I don’t blame them. It was time. I looked to Josh.

“Cover fire as soon as I take the shot. Only guards. We head down to the lobby and get into the Hummer. We run and grab Dash and bolt to the Zebra border.” I explained the plan as Dallas and Josh nodded “Josh, you drive and I’ll shoot. Just head due east, right through Canterlot. Celestia is a target of opportunity.”

“Yes sir.” Dallas said with smile and nodded “Let’s do this.”

“We’re still not friends.” Josh smirked as he got up to a crouch and prepared to move.

I looked back down and Dash had started over towards Luna, Shining, and Twilight. I assumed they were thinking of using her on me again. Assholes. Never again. I placed my sights over Shining, resting the crosshair on his right eye. It wouldn’t be too difficult a shot from here.

“Come down and you will be given a fair-“ Shining started before I squeezed the trigger.

The suppressor gave a soft thump and the empty case rocketed across the roof as Shining’s head snapped back, giving red mist before he fell to the ground. I shot to my feet as Twilight ran over to him, cradling his body as Dash stopped in her tracks. Luna looked over at Shining in shock and surprise as Josh and I opened fired on the guards wildly. Dallas, Josh, and I charged through the door and marched down the stairs towards the lobby. We have to move quickly before we were cornered. I just kept running, my calves cramping up since I had been bedridden.

We stepped into the lobby and Field stood next to the H2. I had almost forgotten about her. At least she was smart enough to take care of herself. I grabbed Alex’s SVD from Josh before ushering him into the driver’s seat and walked around to the trunk. I pulled it open and tossed the AR and SVD in before grabbing the G36c and slamming the door closed. Dallas helped Field into the backseat before getting in himself and closing the door. I charged around and jumped into the passenger seat, unfolding the stock to the rifle.

“Ready for this one?” Josh asked with a grin like he was enjoying himself.

“Always.” I said as I opened up the sunroof.

“Can we just move?!” Dallas yelled at is as he held Field to comfort her from the chaos.

Josh dropped the H2 into reverse and slammed on the gas without warning. The SUV reverse before smashing into the barrier he had made to keep the guard out. The furniture burst into splinters as the sun now poured down through the sunroof. Josh spun the truck around, coming to a stop as about fifty guards looked back at us. Luna had taken Twilight and Shining’s body back to a safe distance as I pushed my door open and waved at Dash.

“Come on! We have to move!” I shouted as her as she came out of her trance and flew over.

She flew in through the door and dropped into the backseat with Dallas and Field. I slammed the door shut as Josh stomped on the gas again. The truck charged towards the rank of guards as I stood up out of the sunroof and fired a volley of shot at them. The guards all took cover as I laughed and raised a middle finger at them.

“Where are we going?!” Dash shouted over the ringing in her ears from the gunshots.

“East!” Dallas yelled back as I fired another volley at the guards.

The casings rolled off the roof as Josh kept driving towards Canterlot. The guards stopped at the edge of town as I dropped down into my seat, taking a moment to rest. I set the rifle across my lap as Dash looked into the front seat and took notice of Josh.

“So you are the other human?” She asked as she looked him over.

“It seems that way.” Josh answered quickly as he kept his foot to the floor.

“When you see Canterlot, head down the middle.” I said before turning back to see Dash who recoiled.

“What did they do to you?!” Dash exclaimed as she looked me over.

I just looked away and prepped the rifle again. That right there hurt me more than losing my eye did. I felt my chest tighten up but I buried it deep down with a strong face as Canterlot came up in the distance. I felt a hoof on my shoulder before I just brushed it off and stood back up out of the sunroof to get away. I set the stock of the G36c down on the roof and looked around for any incoming griffons or RG.

Her reaction still hurt me as I tried not to look phased. I had to be the leader here. The road was clear all the way towards Canterlot and the sun was shining overhead. With Shining down, I only had two more targets.

The Question

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I set the stock of my rifle down on the roof of the H2 again and placed my free hand over my eye, keeping the sun out of it as I looked at Ponyville receding into the distance behind us. The pegasi were buzzing around like bees from a disturbed hive. I was honestly amazed that the guard could put their own armor on if this was how they reacted to attack. They were completely unprepared for this kind of thing. Did they ever actually have a war or is the entire guard merely for show?

I felt a tug on my pant leg and looked down through the sunroof. I could see Dash looking up at me with apologetic eyes. I looked over my shoulder at Canterlot for a second before setting the rifle down and dropped back into my seat. Josh reached over and flipped on the radio, filling the cabin with a ‘Hell’s Bells’ by AC/DC. I turned it down and looked back at Dash.

“Yeah?” I asked like nothing was wrong as I kept looking at her and then back through the rear window to make sure we weren’t being followed.

“Hey, you know I didn’t mean that.” Dash tried to apologize in her own way.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.” I played off.

Josh looked over and nailed me in the shoulder “Just accept the damn apology.”

“Fine, Dr. Phil.” I said as I flipped him off in retaliation.

“I’m sorry.” Dash said to gain my attention again “There, I said it.”

“It’s fine.” I accepted reluctantly as I reached over and patted her cheek “Not gonna lie and say I’ve had worse this time.”

“Who did it?” Dash asked as she reached out and traced one of the scars with a hoof.

“Gilda. Her crew killed Atlanta. Fucked up Dallas too.” I said as I looked over to him.

“Just a scratch.” He played off with visible scars.

“Don’t be slick with me.” I said with one last glance over my shoulder out the windshield to Canterlot before leaning over and kissing Dash “We still have some drivin’ to do.”

“What about my friends?” Dash asked as I grabbed the G36c.

“We’ll talk about it later.” I assured as I stood up back out of the sunroof.

We pulled up onto the road that snaked up and around the mountain Canterlot sat on. I was sure they had blockaded the entrance by now. It was time to see if the ram was worth the bits I paid for it. Josh turned the music back up as I pounded twice on the roof and he sped up. I braced myself with my free hand as he cut a corner and the arched stone gateway to Canterlot appeared. With mountain on one side of us and a dead drop on the other, the gate was the only option.

The gate had been boarded up. Normally open, it was maybe wide enough for two of the Hummer side-by-side. But now, only a thin slit was on the outside of the hastily-constructed wooden barricade for soldiers to enter and exit at will. They had to be high if they thought this was going to keep me out. Josh pressed his foot to the floor and the H2 sped towards the barrier at full speed. Two earth pony guards ran off in a panic as we smashed through, the Hummer jerking forward. Splinters flew in all directions as the crowd that were on the streets looked back in shock. In a panic, most ran inside, closing the doors like they had most likely been instructed to.

“Try not to hit anyone but the guards! We’re fugitives, not terrorists!” I yelled down at Josh.

I raised my rifle back up at one of the earth pony guards and fired back at him. A few of the rounds caught him and he fell to the ground. I grinned as I spun round and looked down the street. I felt like the king of the world. Nothing could stop me now. The road led straight through Canterlot and back down the mountain. If we followed it, it would lead us straight east and into neutral country. With Dash, I could finally disappear.

The Castle’s towers were visible, standing much taller than any surrounding buildings, and the entrance sat on the road. I could see the spot where I had parked the Hummer for the Gala. I looked down to Josh.

“Hold up.” I said as I ushered him to slow down “Stop for a second in front of the castle.”

“What for?” Dash asked “We need to get out of here!”

“It’s… a personal thing.” I dodged.

“I have better things to do than drive you around town.” Josh said before I kicked him.

“Just do it.” I commanded.

Josh rubbed his shoulder, glaring at me as he slowed down in front of the castle. In all fairness, he did sucker-punch me in the woods not too long ago. A few figures looked at me through the windows as I leveled the G36c at the castle. With my left hand on the pistol grip and the stock tucked under my shoulder, I flipped off whoever was looking at me with my right hand and opened fire.

I held the muzzle-climb in check as the rifle spit rounds out at the castle, shattering the windows and tearing up the stone walls. The shells bounced off of the roof as I raked my fire back and forth with what was probably a mad-bomber smile on my face. I kept firing till I was nearly deaf and the barrel was giving a slight glow. I beat my free hand off my chest once before dropping back into my seat and looked over to Josh.

“Drive.” I commanded with the grin still on my face.

Josh nodded, looking at me like I was crazy. He stepped on the gas and we set off again for the other side of the city. I could feel eyes on me from below but frankly, I didn’t care. The royals wanted a monster; they have one. I looked back behind us but it was apparent that the guard wasn’t coming after us. Maybe they called off the chase like cops would if a kid got involved. Maybe it was Dash. Hell, maybe they fell into confusion after Shining dropped. All it meant was an easier time for me to get the hell out of Dodge.

Josh slammed through the gate leading out of the city, leaving a path of destruction behind us. What had truly led up to this point? I had to ask myself that. Was it still a political thing or is it merely a game of petty revenge for all three sides? Either way, the guard paid for it today. Serves them right.

I dropped back down into my seat and closed up the sunroof. I took a deep breath as I set the assault rifle down by my feet and sat back. Hell’s Bells still played but I reached over and turned it down to get a moment of silence. I felt justified with my ears still ringing from all the gunfire. I smiled to myself as I turned to Josh.

“I need a smoke.” I stated as I eyed the pack in his pocket.

“Like hell.” He defended as he covered the pack with his free hand.

“I’ll remember this.” I said as I turned back.

“Good.” He shot back.

I felt a hoof tap my shoulder and I looked back to see it was Dash again. She looked a bit confused in a way.

“What was all that about?” Dash asked as she motioned back towards Canterlot in the rear window.

“Spur of the moment?” I asked with a shrug “They did order my death.”

“You killed Shining!” Dash fired back, his actions.

“He let Gilda do this to me!” I yelled as I pointed to my face “He abandoned me when the griffons first attacked! Don’t defend that coward.”

Dash backed down as I nodded, finalizing my point. I know I probably even looked bad in her eyes, but honestly, I just hoped she would understand in time. I know she will. She’s about the only thing I have faith in.

A few hours rolled by before I motioned for Josh to pull over. Dash had been sitting in my lap for the past hour, watching the scenery roll by through the fencing covered window. It was all probably a shock to her but it was better than being alone again, I assume. At least Twilight got one thing out of this; at least Dash has some closure.

Josh pulled over and stopped the Hummer, putting it into park. He stretched his arms out and looked down at a cheap watch he wore on his wrist. I opened up my door and Dash jumped out. I stepped out with her and Joshed climbed out of his side as well. It was getting noticeably dark but that was never a problem. My only thing is that everyone was probably ready to keel over on the side of the road. I gave a good stretch as Dallas jumped out of the truck with the map. He levitated it over to me and I unfolded it, looking for where we were.

“We’re inside Zebra territory. Maybe another hundred miles before we reach the coast.” Dallas informed as I found where we were on the map.

“Coast?” Josh asked from the other side of the truck “Sweet… I miss Florida.”

“God’s waiting room.” I commented as Dash flew up and pulled the map out of my eyes.

“What’s the plan?” She asked as she crossed her hooves.

“What plan?” I asked as I looked around “This is the plan. Do I look like a man with a plan?”

“So… what? We just run off to the Zebra coast and never go back to Ponyville?” She asked, not thinking I was serious.

“Pretty much.” I nodded “My goal was to get you out of harm’s way.” I explained “If I didn’t keep the Griffon’s occupied, they most likely would have come after you.”

“So I never get to see my friends again?” She asked, almost angry with me.

“I never said that.” I tried to defend.

“You’re in trouble….” Josh egged on.

“Shut up.” I commanded at him before switching back to Dash “You can go back… I’m not going to stop you.” I said as I walked around her and leaned against the Hummer “I can never go back. I’m a war-criminal to them and nothing will ever change that. I’ll end up on the chopping block and the griffons will get what they wanted.”

“What do the griffons even want? What did you do to them?” Dash asked innocently.

“They want the truck and the guns. That’s what they’ve always wanted.” I explained “They get them and find a way to make more, Equestria is no more. Get it?”

“Makes sense.” Josh added.

“No one invited you into this conversation.” I fired back at him.

“I have a habit of showing up uninvited.” He quipped.

Dash shook her head “Why can’t things go back to the way they used to be?”

“If only it were that easy.” I wished as Dash flew over me and landed on the hood of the truck.

“So what are we going to do?” She asked, expecting answers.

“Zebra’s don’t like the griffons and Equestria’s too timid to make a move. This is the best place for us. All of us.” I said as I motioned around to Josh and Dallas as well.

“Glad you’re looking out for me.” Josh snidely added as he lit a precious cigarette.

“I’m with you, captain.” Dallas added “Atlanta is too.”

I looked away for a second, trying to think of what to do before looking back to everyone “This is it. We move to the coast. Wait everything out ‘till it all settles down.”

“Yes sir.” Dallas confirmed with a nod.

“Well, I have nothing better to do.” Josh added.

I looked between the pair before turning to Dash “What’s it going to be?”

The Old Friend

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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

The Crew

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I rested my head against the Hummer before closing my eyes. Could finally get some peace for what it’s worth.

I woke up to Remi licking my face. I grunted as I pushed him off and rubbed the spit off of my face. Stuff smelt awful, honestly. The sun hung over the lake, signaling high noon. Josh was teaching Dash and Field to skip rocks across the lake from what I could tell while Dallas sat a few feet from them, watching with a smile. I petted Remi for a few moments before getting up off the ground and stretching.

My guns clanked off the metal fittings on the holsters as I limbered up and leaned against the Hummer. I found my coat spread across the hood and slipped it back on. I would need to find a tailor at some point but it could wait. For now though, I needed a shirt more than anything. I spun around and pulled my door open and leaned in the truck. I flipped on the radio and ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ started playing. I guess this had to be Josh’s doing.

I turned up the radio either way and walked over towards the lake with Remi clinging to my side. I stepped behind Dash as she used her wing to sling a rock as hard as she could, bouncing at least five times across the surface of the water.

“HA!” She proclaimed at Josh “Beat that!”

“Easy.” He smugly replied before rearing back and sent a rock that bounced four times before stopping “Dammit.”

“HA! I win!” Dash exclaimed before Flying up to him and poked his chest “Guess who has to dye his hair pink now.”

“I hate you so much right now.” Josh said, dodging their bet.

“You have to do it now. HA!”

Josh turned to me “I don’t like her. Can we send her back?”

“See… this is the part where I tell you that I like her, so we’re keeping her.” I said as Remi ran full speed and jumped into the water, disappearing under the surface for a moment.

“I’m not a pet!” Dash got offended as she turned back to me.

“Did I say that?” I asked as I placed a hand on my chest “Bad Dash, bad.” I mocked “We don’t accuse people of things.”

“I’m going to make you regret that.” She said as Remi came back out of the water with a fish in his mouth.

“Good dog.” Josh said in his direction before turning to me “I taught him that while you were out.”

“Least I don’t have to hunt something down.” I said as I stuck my hands in my pockets.

Remi hopped out of the water and walked over to Josh, dropping the fish in his hand. He ran back over to me and stopped at my side. Dash dropped back onto her hooves and picked up another rock before throwing it at me. I dodged it as she smirked.

“Game on.” I said as I looked down at her.

“It’s always on.” She corrected me before flying over and latching onto my right arm.

“Adorable.” Josh sarcastically added as he tried to skip another rock but failed to get any farther “Somewhere out there a preacher is crying.”

“Don’t you know I live off the tears of holy men?” I asked, playing along with his sarcasm as Dash gave us both a weird look.

“It’s like Alex all over again.” Dash said as she sat down, looking over the lake “You two talk and I can’t understand a thing.”

“It’s an acquired skill.” I said as I took a seat next to her and put an arm around her.

As Josh tossed another rock into the water, the music from the H2 changed to Metallica abruptly, much to the displeasure of Josh. He spun round as Dallas jumped out of the truck and looked over at us.

“What? I couldn’t stand anymore twang.” He said with a shrug before walking over to the tree he had been under when I woke up.

Josh grumbled something as Field tried to skip a rock and failed at it, not really being equipped to do it since she was an earth pony. I honestly kind of felt bad for them. They didn’t have any real dexterity from what I could make out. I had my hands, pegasi had wings, and the unicorns had magic they could manipulate things with. Earth ponies didn’t have any of that going for them. Maybe ignorance is bliss. It’s not like they really fought over anything and especially while the biggest mass murderer in history still walked the land free.

Dash rested her head on me as I ran my hand along her side. Something about her touch after so long was like heroin. It had such a calming and warming effect and as soon as it ended, withdrawal starts to set in. I was like an addict falling off the wagon. Maybe love really was a drug like they used to say. I used to think I was jaded. One of those guys who stopped crying after his mother’s death. Yes, there were a few points like end of my time with Ulik where I broke down, who wouldn’t?

Field took one last attempt to skip a rock but it just sank as soon as it hit the water. She huffed before running off over to Dallas out of my sight. Remi, still wet from jumping in the water, ran over to me with a stick. Either Fluttershy did a really good job training him or he was damn smart. I didn’t remember teaching him this game. I humored him and took the stick before chucking it out into the water, far off. He ran off after it, jumping into the water without hesitation as Josh turned to me.

“So what’s the plan?” He asked.

“Do I look like a man with a plan?” I questioned “We are just going to get back in the truck and find the nearest middle of nowhere town then hope zebras don’t extradite us. If they try, start shootin’.”

“’Cause we’re classy like that.” Josh chuckled.

Dash nuzzled the side of my head, bringing a smile to my face as I looked over towards Josh “Look, we gonna have to get a move on today. We’ve already been here too long.”

“I don’t know where I’m going. Why are you asking me?” Josh asked.

“Put some of that training to use then.” I said before turning to Dash “Can you grab Dallas?”

She nodded and flew off as Josh moved forward and waited till Dash was far enough away “Look, we’re being followed. I don’t know by what but your dog isn’t the only thing that found us.”

“You ever consider, I don’t know, the fact we’re in the middle of the woods? There isn’t anything for at least fifty miles.” I reminded as Dash got Dallas’ attention and pointed back at us.

“No, I saw it while you were sleeping last night.” He explained “And I saw the same thing back in the woods when we you were attacked by those bird-things.”

“What the hell did you see then?” I asked as Dash and Dallas started back towards us.

“How the hell would I know? It was some lizard looking thing.” He tried to explain.

“That narrows it down to about half the things crawling around in the woods. Quit being paranoid. That’s my job.” I said before he grabbed my shoulder and spun me around to make eye contact.

“I’m serious. This thing has been following you, watching what you have been doing.” He deadpanned, proving he was serious “Damn thing was as tall as me, had claws, and a horn like that guy you shot the other day.”

That made me stop and think for a second. I could feel color draining from my face. That description sounded a lot like what Ulik was. In all my years here, I had never seen another creature like him and his father. Maybe the other were trying to hunt me down after they failed. Maybe they wanted to know what actually happened to Ulik. All the questions and wondering were pointless. Josh could just be making all of this up. After all, how did he see them and I didn’t? I felt a tug on my pant leg and snapped back to reality.

“Are you ok?” Dash asked from my side as I looked down at her “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Fine… just fine.” I stumbled on my words before switching topic and looked to Dallas “Hey, Where are we heading?”

“Uh…” Dallas mumbled as he pulled the map out and looked over it for a second “We’re heading due west. There should be a town of ponies there, actually.”

“What are they doing out here?” Dash asked.

“Something about a land dispute between them and the zebras.” He shrugged “Happened years ago and it has just been getting worse. No bloods’ been spilled over it yet."

“Good.” I said as I buttoned the top button of my coat “That means we can hide in the confusion.”

“Let’s go!” Dash added some enthusiasm.

“Come on Field, Remi!” I called back at the pair as I walked towards the H2.

Josh climbed up into the driver’s seat and I took the passenger’s. Dash, Dallas, Field, and Remi piled into the back seat and pulled the door shut. It was kinda funny watching all of them fight for space in the seats for a moment before Dash finally gave up and flew over the seat into my lap.

“Damn kids.” Josh snarked as I patted the dashboard and the truck started up “You gotta teach me that trick.”

“Can’t really teach something like that.” I said as he started the Hummer over towards the trail.

Josh pulled onto the trail and followed, just continuing along the trail we had taken last night. I assumed he was using the sun to judge direction. I really wished I could still drive but I didn’t want to trust my depth perception yet. Last thing I wanted to do was take all of us off a cliff. It would take a long time to adjust to only having one eye. Maybe I will never adjust to it. I guess I would know when it happens.

I grabbed the G36c off of the floor and set it in between my seat and the door as Dash sat got comfortable on my lap. It was going to be a long ride but at least my crew is still together, even if we were missing Atlanta.

It took almost three hours before the town that Dallas had mentioned came into view on the horizon. He had explained that the ponies that were here were originally part of a colonization attempt on the part of Celestia. The town of Appaloosa was one of the only successful ones though. This town was called ‘Junglewood’ and sat on the edge of the Jungle that separated the fields of Equestria and the grasslands of Zebra territory. From what I had gathered, the Zebras operated through a tribal system. No one government held power and they came together to defend the land as a whole. Most were neutral towards the Equestrians but always hostile towards the griffons. Maybe it was because both were more warrior cultures than anything else.

The dispute itself was because of the Equestrian push to colonize land closer and closer to the border till they practically moved in a few miles behind the border itself. I was effectively home-free as long as these ponies didn’t try and pull anything. I know that the Equestrians didn’t exactly like me but they weren’t exactly tied to Canterlot in any way. They are technically an independent town but still refused to move even though the Zebras requested it. Hopefully the Zebras would see that I was acting in a small group and would leave me be. I hate to leave my fate at the mercy of others.

Josh pulled the truck to the side of the road and slowed to a stop as the brakes squeaked. Everyone inside had been doing their own thing. Remi and Field had been playing while Dallas stared out the window. He never really was one to be social, I guess. Dash had curled up in my lap, asking me for stories about the time I had spent the desert. I censored most of them though. There were things that no one needed to know. I was and still am no saint.

Josh turned to me “Should we just roll in there….?”

“We are in a three ton beast and armed while they are tiny pacifists. What do you think?” I asked.

“Jeez, just asking. Dick.” Josh explained as he pulled back onto the road and sped towards the town.

The town had been built in the style of towns in the west. Everything looked like it had been constructed overnight and then built on top of. Like the settlement was never supposed to last more than two years but was then made permanent. It was built so that buildings lined a single main road that lead from the trail we were on and into the jungle. On one side, there was what looked like a city hall and water tower, while on the other there was general good store and bank. Housing filled the spaces in between.

As we drove closer, the ponies from the town started to bolt inside and hunker down. Doors started slamming, window shutters closed, and only the wind blew through the street. Josh slowed to a stop and pulled over behind a building. He put the truck into park and looked over to me.

“Game plan, captain?” He asked as he cracked his knuckles.

“Dallas and you are with me. Everyone else stays in here.” I said as I pulled out my rifle from between my seat and the door.

“Hey, I can take care of myself!” Dash asserted.

“Look,” I said as I looked down at her and set my hand on my back “If you get hurt, all of this is pointless to me. I might as well have died in Youngstown. I need you to be safe.”

“Oh, you’re good.” She said before punching my shoulder “But I’m still going.”

“Dammit.”

“Ha.” Josh mocked “You’re such a whipped bitch.”

“You, quiet.” Dash commanded him as he brushed her off and opened his door, stepping out.

“Whatever…” I mumbled as I opened my door “Remi and Field, stay here.”

Remi barked from behind as I stepped out of the H2 and Dash hovering next to my left shoulder. Dallas ran around and took my left side as I rested the rifle over my shoulder and walked over to the main street. I snapped my fingers and the locks on the Hummer gave a click. I walked to the center of town and stopped as Josh, Dash, and Dallas took each of my sides.

“So… where’d everyone go?” Josh asked with a snarky tone.

Devil's Regret

by All American

Chapter 1: The Desert

Chapter 2: The Forest

Chapter 3: The Building

The Dream

The Farm

The Stowaway

The Sign

The Run

The Set-up

The Soldier

The Complication

The Trap

The Hospital

The Question

The Old Friend

The Crew