I sling drink

"Vladamir...what do you think," I slowly walked behind her wrapping my arms around her, my hands resting on her stomach.

"I think...Mira, maybe Natalia," I rocked back and forth with her.

"And if is boy?"

"Gregor...."

"...yes, is good name...I know you miss him,"

"He saved me...was my brother, without him I would never have you,"

"We should visit him,"

"...perhaps when you get home,"

"I shall bring flowers," She wiggled away from me, "I will be back soon, is short day,"

"Yes...goodbye, until later," I let her go, the last time she would leave my home.

"...der'mo..." I rolled out of bed, "Yeblya sooka..." I looked around, the clock read a little before five am, "Fuck...I need walk," I got dressed sloppily, a coat sufficed. I pushed out the bedroom door, on the floor lay Nightshade, curled in a blanket, "Idiot...idiot child," I hazily scooped her up and laid her on my bed.

"Vlad~?" She asked half asleep.

"Quiet....go back to sleep,"

"Sorry..." She closed her eyes and quickly passed back to sleep.

"Idiot child...." I closed the door and walked outside. It was frigid. My breath visible from the moment I opened my mouth. I gave a quick snort which mimicked an angered bull. I walked hazily through the foggy morning.

It was quiet...A calm quiet morning, no one else around. It had an eerie feel.

It gave me time to think, of everything. My life, my past, my future.

"Good morning," I whipped around meeting a grim looking batstallion in the face, "Vladamir Sidorov, soldier, immigrant, friend to the night," He said pacing slowly around me, "Do you recognize me?"

I leaned in to take a quick look at him, "...Vodka..."

He gave a deep sigh, "I do have a name you know...not just my drink,"

"Apologies, no offense but all you horse people look similar to me,"

"And you humans look the same to me, Libra,"

"Yes...brother to the girl who follows me,"

"That's me...let's walk," He started off down the street, I eventually caught up with him.

"How long did you wait for me..."

"Not long, you walk very heavily, easy to hear,"

"Carrying forty pounds of equipment and heavy clothes will cause this,"

He stopped and turned to me, "Do you regret what you did?"

"...if you speak of war...no, was right thing to do,"

He narrowed his eyes, "I'm glad you understand me, your file was....extensive,"

"Oh? I would hope so,"

"Tell me, why did your country go to war, what purpose did it serve,"

"For my country...land, for me...one could say revenge,"

"And why's that,"

"Islamist Chechen take much from my family, family in Georgia, in Ossetia, all across Caucasus,"

"I understand..." He looked off into the distance, "Things here...maybe not exactly the same problems, but similar."

"Is sad...I remember visiting my uncle in Georgia, the mountains were beautiful...was bitter lie. Death permeates that land," He nodded.

"Let me ask you something else...what was she like,"

"Mind yourself..."

"I mean no disrespect," I took a deep sigh.

"...She wanted better things...like your sister, always hoping to live free of prejudice...she was from Serbia, came to Russia during Bosnian war, always said she thought it was pointless," I stuck my hands in my pockets, "Always say, "They are people, religion never change that, person is person" ...I tell her, people do not care, she tell me we should make them care," I took a deep breath, "Your sister...I see much the same idea, wanting to be free from ignorance that will never end, dreaming of an ideal that will never come, you see this yes?"

"I am well aware,"

A blew a stream of air our slowly, "A week ago...I not give shit about your people, I not give shit about anyone. Now...I do not know...your people have my sympathies, and I will keep open mind about serving anyone," I fished around in my pocket, "I was given this, is sterling..." I held my new pin out, "I never wanted to be caught up in this again,"

"You don't have to be,"

"What is alternative, lose my business, be branded traitor by all, all because I kicked out drunk from my bar," I stuffed the pin back in my pocket, "I see no alternative!"

"Leave...there are plenty of places to go in Equestria,"

"Oh just leave, leave everything I have built and go elsewhere?!"

"If you want to be rid of it-"

"I DO NOT CARE! I tell you all I do not care!"

"I don't mind if you lie...just don't yell at me while you do it,"

"What!?"

"You care about my sister, even if it's not the way she wants,"

"...is like child I lost..."

"She want's to be with you, you know,"

"No..I think she just follow me home for fun, steal my food, clog my shower,"

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you,"

"And being serious does not suit a fool like yourself,"

"Better to be an idealistic fool than a bitter, resentful, hung up, cynic,"

Things got quite for a short time, "...is not easy letting go,"

"It never is,"

"What did they take from you,"

"Our parents, driven from town into the wilderness, they never made it back,"

"And yet here you are, keeping them safe at night,"

"They aren't the ones who did it,"

"But are the people of those who did,"

"But they had nothing to do with it,"

"...for a horse-bat thing...you are good man, better than I, I think,"

"Not at all, I just hide it better,"

"Perhaps...perhaps...what do you want me to do with this,"

"This? how vague,"

"You understand my meaning...let us not drag on,"

"Move on...if not for her than for yourself, it's carved into your face like stone,"

"And you keep yours behind your eyes, perhaps in this I am more honest,"

"Maybe...anyways I trust you to make the right choice," He slowly trotted into the fog, "I'll see you tonight Russian,"

"Da....and perhaps as more than comrades if your sister has her way!" I jeered.

I started walking back home, his words slowly sinking in. I passed a frost covered window, a passable mirror.

I looked like hell, face cut deep with creases, a stubbly beard ever present, my eyes faded from their normal blue to a pale grey, I resembled my father in is fifties. I remember my picture with Anna...the man behind her...tempered by war, but no where near as old as myself now. I felt old...more than anything I felt old, too old for my actual age, to old for someone in retirement. I pulled my gloves off.

"Anna, Ya nikogda ne zabudu tebya, ya obeshchayu..." I slowly wrapped my fingers around my ring, "Ya budu lyubit' tebya , poka ya ne umru, eto ya obeshchayu." I quickly yanked the ring off, the flesh around it soft and tender, "I love you..." I set my glove on the window sill, the ring laying gently in the center, "I need not trinket to remind me..." I grabbed at my finger, now bare and un-ornate, "...I think you would tell me to do this...to help them...to make this better...does not make it easy," I was biting back tears, "I will make you proud...proud to say I did what was right,"

I started back to my home, every part of me felt like going back and taking the ring with me. It felt wrong. Like a weightlessness, I wanted to feel something digging into my finger, I missed the weight. But I took comfort in the idea that even without that weight, she would always be with me. My new companion a constant reminder, a mind just like hers. I think they would have gotten along. Or fought like cats, arguing who was more right about acceptance...foolish.