I sling drink

*Knock* .... *Knock*..... *knock* Is not Ginger.....to early, different knock.

I quickly swung out of bed, found my pistol and hurried down the stairs. I pressed against my front door, hiding my gun hand behind the door. I slowly opened it, "Chto?" There stood a stoic looking bat pony mare.

"I was sent to inform you of an attack on your bar, may I come in?" I emptied my gun and pulled the slide back, pocketing the pistol.

I pulled the door open, "What happened?! What about my bar?" The batmare strode in, stopping in the middle of my entry.

"Hmmm charming, reportedly when you left your establishment last night someone threw a brick through your window,"

"What!? Who would do this?" I said growing agitated at my intruder.

"Who doesn't like the nightguard, who doesn't like Luna? The point is, whether you realize it or not you've picked a side here,"

"...WHAT!? You come in my home, tell me my business has been damaged, and now you tell me I am on a side!? What side, what is fight!?"

"....Do you really not know?"

"Racism yes?"

"Yes, I'll keep it short, Luna's resurgence has been recent, as has ours. There are many that still fear us or hate us, it's simple prejudice,"

"...and why am I on a side?"

"You really are strange; you threw a royal guard out that was harassing a batpony, one of the lieutenants to be precise-"

"I do not care! Leave me alone, Is your fight, not mine. Get out!" I shoved her out the door, "You people, just like back home," I slammed the door shut.

Fucking bullshit. I needed to check on the bar.

"What is this shit?!" I ran over to the bar, a window missing, glass strewn all over.

"Vlad!" Ginger ran from behind, "What happened?"

"I do not know, come," I hurried and unlocked the front door. I pushed in and looked around, glass everywhere, a few smashed bottles lay everywhere, "Bliad! FUCKING DAMMIT!"

Ginger entered with a gasp, "No...." She tiptoed around the bar, "Animals."

"Fucking fuck!" I checked the rest of my bar, aside from a few missing bottles and the window everything was okay, "Ginger go home, bar is closed."

"Bu-"

"Tomorrow, early. I talk with friends, they repair and restock," I gave a deep sigh, "But....for tonight is nothing we can do." With the window smashed I was going to end up staying for the day and keeping people out, "Go home, relax, I take care of this," She looked beaten, she gave a quick mournful look at the bar before trotting off. It was only noon, this was my day now.

I made a few calls, by tomorrow my drinks would be restocked and my window fixed, "...da spasibo, (Yeah...thanks)" I hung up, "*sigh* bliad," I looked around my bar, it pained me to see it in such a sorry state.

"Hello?" A voice rang out before a batmare walked in, "Anyone home,"

"If you come for drink, bar is closed..." I walked out from behind the counter, "Oh....is you,"

"Do you remember my name?"

"...do I care..." She stopped dead before lowering her head to the floor, ".....Nightshade,"

"...I heard about what happened, everyone on the nightguard did," She trotted careful past the broken glass, "Are you alright?"

"I was in war...this was daily life," I said trying to find an unbroken glass, "This," I threw my arm out across the room, "This is nothing," I finally found a glass and an unbroken bottle of cheap vodka.

"But...I mean, your bar," She took a seat at the bar.

"Is only things, nothing of great value,"

"....You still don't get it, this place is important to more than just you,"

"Oh," I said taking a drink, "Some fucking symbol I suppose?! For you and your people. Your people do not matter to me, none of you matter to me, I leave my home to get away from people like you, people like those who did this," She looked hurt, like she just realized something she never wanted to know, "I leave because people refused to leave me be, to let me live without conflict," I slammed the drink, "Is your struggle, not mine!" I hurled the glass at the floor, causing it to shatter, "ARUGH! Never ends!"

".....I'm sorry..." She shifted off the seat, "I thought you cared," She started out with her head hung low, "I thought you were different,"

"......come back, sit," I said to the quite room. The mare slowly turning back and taking a seat, now crestfallen and on the verge of tears, "Why did you come?"

"I was worried...."

"About what? Bar, bar is not harmed, is made out of brick and mortar," I found another two glasses and poured what I could find, "You people, to give such meaning to a shitty bar," I slammed another drink.

"It's not about the building....it's about not being turned away,"

I set my glass down and leaned over the table, head hanging to the counter, "I learn that prejudice....prejudice is bad for business, so are fights. So I throw idiots out, why does that mean I am friend of yours," I flicked my head up, "Why should I care?"

"...I don't know....we thought you did, Luna thought you did," She was yet again near tears, "Have you ever been thrown out of a restaurant because you were different....ever been called a freak by everyone," Her eyes were slowly being filled with tears, "Been told you were a reject, something that wasn't supposed to be allowed outside."

"You sound like my Anna," I said taking a drink strait from the bottle, "She....always worried about what others thoughts," I took another rather heavy gulp, "....she....she protested what happened in Chechnya, land of different people, taken by mine. Government say, are under their rule," I took another drink, the burning gone, replaced by hollowness, "They do not accept it, they fight back....they-" I could feel my eyes burning, "-They take my Anna, they blow themselves up, to make stupid point, they blow up train, they kill my Anna," I was crying by now, "What is fair about it eh!? Is fair that they take such a kindhearted, beautiful women from me?!" I lifted my head from the bar counter, "WHAT HAVE YOU LOST, WHY DO YOU THINK I GIVE A SHIT!?"

"....I'm sorry,"

I lowered my head again, "For what, was your fault?" I looked her in the eyes, "If is not your fault don't apologize,"

"...should I go?" She asked looking down at her drink.

"if you wish, I cannot stop you,"

We sat there for a while, I cleaned my face as did she, "...I don't want to go,"

"Then don't....you cause no harm, I do not care,"

"....of course you don't...."

"...what do you want!?" I shouted at her, "You want me to say this bar is only for your kind!? To kick out all others? My assistant, my patrons, to do exactly what you complained about only to other people?!"

"NO I-"

"Then what!?"

"I don't know!.....why is this so hard..."

"Because is life....life is hard,"

"I just- I just want one day...one day that is normal, One day I don't get stared at, one day I don't get called freak,"

"...."

"I just....I want to be normal,"

"...no one is normal," I said in a muted tone, "I'm leaving," I stood and started towards the door, "Follow me if you wish....I can tell you will," She looked down at her drink before jumping off the stool and following me out, "....is so early," The clock around five.

"..." She pressed into the side of my leg, "I'm sorry....for all this," She leaned even harder into my leg, "Without us....this would never have happened,"

"I do not care.....is only money," I looked around as I swung my coat on, "Come...we eat," We walked briskly down the road, her head never leaving my side.

"Is good?" I pointed to a number of restaurants, "I never eat this early,"

"I don't know....I've never been in any of them," She looked around, "Let's try that one," She pointed out a small but tidy cafe.

We walked there quickly pushing into the door, "Hi how can I- ....how can I help you," The man behind the counter seemed to jump as he looked at us.

"....Coffee, black," I said strolling to the counter and setting some bits, "You," I looked down at my company.

"Uh... I'll-"

"Sir...can I speak with you," The pony behind the counter lead me to the side, "Look...I can put up with one of you...but them," She said nodding towards my company.

I could feel my face contort in anger, "Do you enjoy money?"

He looked confused, "Uh....yes?"

"Then you take my money, you give us food, or is there problem?" I said leaning nose to nose with the stallion.

"Uh... no, no problem..." He shook his head violently.

"Good...." I slowly retracted myself from his face. We quickly returned to the counter, "order,"

Nightshade quickly asked for some long order, it was expensive, "Twelve bits,"

"Bliad...." I shelled out the coins and took the drinks, "Come...we sit," I found a booth near some windows, "Twelve bits....der'mo"

"It's good..." She said sipping her drink, "Thanks...."

"Is not food....but is ok," I hurriedly drank my coffee.

"no really....thanks, I heard what you said,"

I glanced back at the counter, "Ah...is mudaki, is my money not good?"

"Heh...I guess it is....you can be quite imposing when you need to be,"

"As said....was in war, it changes people, some more than others,"

"...What's it like,"

"Chto?"

"War...I've only ever read about it,"

Memories of Chechnya flashed through my mind. "...Is loud....painful....many people screaming at once, pray you never see it," I grabbed a nearby sugar dispenser, "I once see man walk down street," I made a side to side motion with the thing, "He get halfway into street and hit floor," I flipped the dispenser sideways, spilling sugar on the table, "He cries, "HELP ME, PLEASE HELP ME," to anyone who can hear him. My friend, he took his rifle and killed him, *BANG*" I slammed the table for emphasis. The was a short silence, I grabbed the side of my face and slowly pulled it down, "He was our enemy, but does not make it easy," I cleaned up the mess I made, "Had to be done,"

".....so....you killed.....people,"

"One....shooting at me, I shoot back, I think you can tell who won,"

"Oh...."

I gave a deep sigh, "When I come home from war I go back to Moscow, I work as police officer," I finished what was left of my coffee, "two years later I meet Anna, eight years after that I lost her.....I spend three years in bar in Novgorod, then I come here,"

"Are...did....the same people?"

"The war and my wife, yes, Chechen dogs" I stood quickly, "Come...Is still matter of food," I took her drink off the table, "What even is this?"

"It has caramel..." She said in a tone like a scolded child.

"....bah..." We hurried down the street.

I jammed my key in the door, "Is it," I said throwing my jacket on a hook, "Is glorious palace," It was about seven now, "Find seat...I make food," More oatmeal or something like that...wait, "Can....can you eat meat? I know your people are different,"

"...yes..." She smiled and pointed to her teeth.

"Oh.....very good," I hurried into my kitchen to make something simple.

"not really....they call us freak and murderers because of it,"

"Yes well fuck them," I yelled back, "Come to kitchen, we eat soon," She quickly appeared and sat at my dining table.

"What are you making,"

"...I do not know....beef something," I said throwing a few chunks of meat onto a pan, "Maybe twenty minutes,"

"Is done," I slid a plate of steak chunks and potatoes over to her, before taking a seat, "So" I said grabbing a fork full, "What is plan?"

"Plan?" She asked taking a bite.

"For night, I feel there is reason you come here,"

"I don't know....got anymore stories?"

"Many...but are of sadness,"

"....any that aren't sad,"

"No,"

"Oh...." We quietly ate our food.

"When I come here - they tell me welcome, land of happiness and friendship....fucking lies,"

"Yeah...maybe outside of Canterlot,"

"Is everywhere, prejudice is universal," I retorted. The conversation died again.

"....can I stay tonight," She chirped, breaking the silence.

I looked at her blankly, "Do you not have job?" She shook her head, "....fine, is guest room,"

"I was thinking...."

"No...." She popped her head up before sinking it deep onto the table.

"it's because I'm different...isn't it.." I held my hand up.

I took a quick bite before slamming the table, causing her to jolt upright, "No....this is why," I said pointing to my ring with the fork. Apparently she knew what it was.

"Sorry...again...Luna, I'm so stupid!"

"Calm down...you just have guest room," I finished my food and stood, "Done?" There was a few bites left on her plate.

"Yeah...." She pushed the plate towards me, I quickly ate what was left, "...I thought...your wife,"

"She is...."

"So you're not-"

"I cannot let her go....not yet," I felt my fingers turn the ring around my finger, "I miss her..." I wandered out into my entry with Nightshade, "You see this," I pulled a picture off the wall, "Is only picture I bring from home,"

"She's beautiful," She said being careful with her words.

"Yes...my Anna, was....." I set the picture back on the wall, "They make me identify her body....to see her like that" A brief flash of her body crossed my mind.

"I- I'm sorr-"

"STOP, IS NOT YOUR FAULT," I yelled taking a step towards her, "Just....don't be sorry, she never like seeing people sad," I said leaving the entry, "Is room here," I pushed the guest room door open. She stood there looking into the room, "Well?"

"No..." She said planting her hooves on the ground.

"Then leave," I walked past her.

"No," I stopped in the hall and faced her.

"Leave or be thrown out,"

"NO!" We had a short staring contest, "One night, nothing happens," She took a step towards me, "I wont try anything...just let me be close to you, for one night!" Her usual tone mixed with anger and fear.

"....Bah!" I turned to go into my room, the mare following close. I quickly undressed down to underwear and jumped into bed. She quickly followed, curling herself around my torso and gut, ".....loh sooka," I pulled a large fur blanket over us.

"Thank you..." She said turning to nestle her head into my chest, "Thank you for everything," her breathe lapping across my stomach. Apprehensively I moved my hand around her back and gently stroked her back.

"Is ok.....was nothing,"

"It wasn't nothing....I had coffee in public for the first time tonight, do you realize how amazing it felt,"

"*sigh*....is like you are child, seeing city for first time,"

"I'm no child...."

"Da and I'm sure you're eager to prove it...go to sleep," It was a warm night. Pleasant. It was only eight pm.