The Man in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

“Wake up, Rainbow Dash,” I called calmly for the fourth time.

The Cyan mare mumbled slightly but otherwise remained quite still. My nerve with the damn Pony was being stretched thin as I simply gave her a simple smack on the head which caused her to startle to wakefulness, an amusing spectacle.

“Wha? Huh?” she muttered in her dazed state as she gazed around in the unfamiliar room. Her eyes finally dawned on the clock which read 6:30 AM quite clearly compared to the dark contrast of the room. “Why are you awake so early on a Saturday!?” Her groan erupted as she dove straight back into the welcoming pillow's embrace.

I watched all of this with a small twitch in my eye. If she was going to become my partner, she was going to train up to the level of expectancy. I don't expect superpony powers but god dammit if I'm not expecting some effort in getting up in the morning! My hands grasped the edges of the mattress as I gave the whole thing a sudden lift which caused a cry to erupt moments before pillows, blankets and Mare were tumbled onto the carpet. “Breakfast is in ten minutes. Get ready,”

I then walked out of the room where the kettle whistled for my attention. All in all I simply had the table set for breakfast for two considering both Letter and Vehement would be asleep for a couple hours more. It may not have been particularly fair on Rainbow Dash but I needed to see how much she actually is dedicated to this job. I don't need a two to three month temporary covering my back. To them, it's a simple job to guard the bushes considering no pony ever goes near the Zone besides Binary Storm and myself. I needed to see if Rainbow Dash can keep a cool head when things get turned upside down, literally.

Just as I poured myself some lemon tea, I noticed the dishevelled Mare approach the table. Her mane was jutting out here and there along with slight bags underneath her eyes. What I noticed the most however was the narrowed gaze of distaste directed at me. Something deep in my conscious agreed that I may be seeing much more of that look over the next few weeks. “Eat up, you have a big day ahead of you,” I inform her before scooping up some porridge of my own.

“You could have just asked me to get up, ya know,” she muttered before slowly eating the porridge on her side of the table.

“Yeah,” I agreed for a moment while faking a look of deep reflecting before grinning. “But then again, I did enjoy tossing you off the bed,” I admit before breaking down in a small chuckle before finishing the last of my own porridge.

“You're an ass,” she muttered before trying to finish the rest of her porridge with the same gusto as myself.

“Damn straight I am,” I mutter as my eyes rested on the window that showed a still dark canvas but the sky was becoming a shade lighter. “We better head off soon,” I say although my attention was on the window.

“Where?” Rainbow asked as she gave her body a long stretch while still sitting in the chair.

“We're going to the Zone,” I announced with narrowed eyes now levelling on Dash's.

She was blank with disbelief for a moment before waving a foreleg suddenly. “The Zone? You said all last night that I wasn't ready for it!” she began to protest.

“You're going to learn just like everyone else does; trial by fire. I know the Wonderbolts is a military organization so you must know some combat basics,” I stated while starting to place dishes away. “We are going to make a small excursion on the very edge and pop your Zone cherry,”

“Pop my cherry?” Rainbow Dash said with slight confusion before standing herself to deposit her own dishes in the sink.

“Yeah,” I said with some confusion myself. “You know what that means, don't you?”

“Never heard of that phrase before. Maybe it's a Human thing?”

Oh boy. “When I say 'Poping your Cherry', it usually means that you are trying something for the first time,” I explained and I could see the sudden redden blush spread over her face as it all started to click on for her. “I think you get it. Alright, lets get outta here and on the road. If we return, it'll be dark out already and it's never a good idea to be anywhere within that forest at night,”

Rainbow Dash was quietly occupied in trying to keep her wings at her side. To be honest, it was a weird thing to witness. What good was a pegasus if she couldn't even keep her wings under control? Odd. Ignoring it however, I made my way to the office to retrieve the equipment we'd need. Most was for me but since Binary wasn't here, Dash could use some of his stuff. Noticing that the Mare had recollected herself from whatever body malfunction she was going through, I tossed a camouflage suit at her.

“What is this?” her enquiry came forth as she held the suit oddly. She kept turning it over and over only to frown deeply. “It has no holes for my wings to fit through,”

I opened my mouth to argue the point of useless flying only to look at her. She probably had the bare minimum of combat training to defend herself. With out the power of flight, even low flying, may just put the nail in her coffin. “Put the suit on,” I ask her only to get a defeated look in return.

It took her a few minutes to figure it all out but she stood proudly in her new dark forest pattern camouflage. She strutted about for a moment as if to show off to me although why she did it is beyond me. “Stand still,” I order which she thankfully followed. I approached with a black marker and begun to feel her sides of her back.

“Woah! Woah!” she shouted while jumping away from my touch. “Going a little fast don't ya think, buddy?” she accused directly at me with an angry tone although the blush on her face seemed like an awkward counter.

“Going fast?” I repeated as I held the marker out. “I'm going to mark holes in your suit so your wings can come out,”

“Oh,” she simply muttered only to hang her head low in sudden shame. “Sorry, Ruffles. Wings are sort of a sensitive spot for Pegasi,” her explanation caused me to reel for a moment in sudden realization.

She thought I was trying to grope her. My mind ran a mile a minute as I studied the Mare before me in finer detail. She was definitely built like an athlete with the muscle shown even through the suit she wore. Her mane obviously stood out the most but what could easily hold my attention was the strong gaze her eyes often had shown over me. “Sorry, Rainbow Dash. I didn't mean to offend you or anything,” I apologized in the hopes to ease any unwanted tension.

“It's alright,” she simply muttered while holding still for me. As my hands glided over the suit, she flinched every time my fingers ran over what must have been the joint between her wing and torso. Turning my own head to look at her face, she was turned so we couldn't make eye contact. I decided that any sort of lingering was only going to harm our already tipsy work relationship.

“All done. You can take the suit off so I can puncture some holes in it for you,”

She did as instructed without giving any verbal response. I simply let out my own drawn out breath before taking my knife out and made progress with her suit. The whole ordeal was done in a awkward quiet as she just simply watched my hands cut away the material so as to leave a comfortable amount of room for movement. I didn't like the idea of puncturing the suit at all but then again, simply hovering may save her one day. “All done,” I stated while tossing the suit back over to her before standing to get to my own locker.

She quietly started to get dressed before turning back to me with a sudden shocked look. “What are you doing?” she asked as she noticed my naked torso and the fact that I was starting to get undressed myself. Her wings did that thing again where they just snapped to attention. I noticed her apt attention to my exposed skin as I gazed down myself to see nothing out of the usual. I was muscled but nothing over the top. It's hard to keep all that extra muscle and the payoff was almost always aesthetic. Putting more bulk on was just more weight to have when you had to run away from a mad pack of Bloodsuckers.

“I have to put my own suit on and what is with your wings?” I had to ask. I almost wanted to go over there and try to pin them to her sides myself. Maybe some tape would work? “Stop looking so shocked, will you? It's not like I adjusted my eyes while you changed. You Ponies walk around naked all day anyway,” I stated before dropping my pants to the floor which caused Dash to grow red in the cheeks.

“Ok, that's it. Stand outside if this embarrasses you so much,” I ordered only to get her shaking her head rapidly. She wasn't enjoying this, was she? The whole idea of actually having someone romantically interested in me, even if just for a good romp, was so foreign to me that it was honestly shocking to think about. There's no room for romance in the Zone and it even seemed more bizarre of a thought to even think about dating while in Equestria. The look Rainbow Dash was giving me however was very, very odd.

She simply sat on her haunches with what seemed to be a mix of embarrassment and intrigue. Donning my own suit and tactical vest, I begun to retrieve my own weapons and ghillie suit. I proceeded to make a few checks over my things like jumping up and down to check for noise. It was the usual stuff like a reflective surface or loose metal that gave a Hunter's position away.

“What are you doing?” Rainbow asked as her eyes watched me carefully as I begun to jump up and down.

“I'm checking for any noise I can be creating by loose objects I'm carrying,” I explain as I smile with satisfaction of being quite silent. Sheathing my knife on my chest and double checking each weapon I finally gazed down on Rainbow Dash with a frown. She sat there watching me prep with a sort of fascination. It was odd considering Twilight always told me that Dash was the one that didn't like to sit still long. Another thing that caught me while checking my magazines was the lack of firepower that the Pegasus was packing. I let out a long hum of deep thought while placing each loaded magazine away in their respective pouches.

“What?” Dash asked as she caught my gaze than begun to look at herself.

“Have you ever used a knife before?” I asked while tapping my lip in thought.

“I've had some self defence and hoof-to-hoof combat training while back in basic,” Rainbow answered while scratching the back of her head. It almost seemed like she was trying not to brag in front of me but I only thought the training was minimal at best. “They let us use a few knives to get the feel of them,”

I opened the locker once more and pulled out my seven inch hunting knife before offering it to her, my hand grasping the actual blade. “Tell me how this feels for you,” I offered her as she gripped the handle within her mouth. She gave a few swings with even a switchover so the blade was jutting out the other side. I have to be honest when I was actually surprised at how well she could handle the weapon. She was quick with each potential strike while also maintaining a strong centre of balance. “How is it?” I finally asked as she placed the large serrated knife on the carpet.

“It is way better then the crap they gave us in boot camp! It's a bit heavier too but I don't mind all too much,” she admitted as she let loose another confident grin.

I smiled as well before gathering the sheath which she begun to strap onto herself. “I'll see about getting you some sort of custom firearm made but the Princesses have been very, very restrictive of my human produced weapons. I'll bring it up in the upcoming Gala,” I informed Dash before closing the locker and locked it. With that we made our way into the main room where two young, sleepy eyed ponies waited at the bottom of the stairs.

“Are you leaving now, Dad?” Vehement asked as she rose a hoof to wipe any lingering effects of sleep away from her eyes. It was a cute spectacle to be sure as I knelt down on one knee as I had to push my HK rifle to the side so it wouldn't drag along the ground because of the sling.

“I am, Hemi,” I respond softly as I rubbed both Letter and Vehement's head affectionately. “You two be on your best behaviour. Star will be home soon to look after you two while I'm gone so try not to cause her too much grief and tell her I'll be back late tonight,” I ordered as both Ponies nodded their heads in understanding.

“You'll be careful, right, Dad?” Letter asked almost shyly before I gave the top of his messy mane a quick rub again.

“And what?” I ask with a heartening tone. “Miss one of your Magic lessons with the famous tutor Twilight Sparkle herself? Wouldn't miss it for the world, Letter,” I answered which made him smile before fixing his glasses so they sat on his muzzle straight. “And you'll be a good girl while I'm away?” I turned to look at Vehement as she shot a hoof in the air.

“Don't worry, Dad, I'll protect the house!” she volunteered herself gallantly which only caused me to crack a wider grin and a slight chuckle from behind me.

I let a small chuckle escape myself before giving the Filly a kiss on the forehead. “Just don't destroy the house, please?” I ask which caught a slight groan in return. “Alright, give your old man a hug before he goes,” I ask which was responded by an energetic rush of fore hooves wrapping around my chest as I scooped the two small Ponies in a tight hug. I hate to leave them like this, not knowing if I was going to return but they are a strong family. Releasing both of them back onto the floor I simply say “I love you guys. Make sure you let Star know,” I respond once more before pushing the front door open to exit.

“You are a pretty cool Father, you know that?” Rainbow Dash acknowledge my flimsy parenting skills. Although my facial expression didn't really give her much praise for her comment, it was nice to hear all the same.

“I try,” I simply muttered back as I tapped the magazine housing of my rifle with my trigger finger. The rest of the walk to the forest was quiet as Dash took the time to do a few aerial manoeuvres in the sky while she still had the chance. It was a calming quiet that I appreciated as a familiar sight approached along with the edge of the foreboding forest. Two gravestones stood erected near the trail that had a few flowers beneath each stone.

I pulled my rifle horizontally so when I knelt to the two graves it could rest on my legs. My eyes ran over the well known names as a small smile crossed my features. The two that were buried here could be the closest thing I had to family when I first came to Equestria. The smile faded from my face as my eyes darted to the bare spot twenty meters or so off. Bad things happen to good people however. . .

“Are you ok, Ruffles?” Dash's voice suddenly pulled me away from my thoughts as I twirled while I was still kneeling.

“Yeah, yeah,” I replied before putting on my serious face and standing. I didn't leave the graves before kissing my hand and placing it on both stones.

“It's been a long time since then, hasn't it?” Rainbow asked which I simply nodded too.

“Let's go. We still have a while to go before we reach the Zone,” I ordered as I begun to walk towards the forest. My hand deftly grasped onto the cocking handle as the calming effect of hearing a round loaded in the chamber filled my ears. It was officially go time and with a FNG team member to boot. “Keep talking to an absolute minimum and pay attention to where you are walking. Game face time, Dash,” I ordered as Dash simply gave a nod back in understanding.

The forest welcomed us with it's usual sounds of sudden silence. The birds stopped any sort of chirping but after half an hour of bush whacking the animals seemed more then eager to return to their instinctive calling. Rainbow Dash, for her own credit, tried her hardest to remain quite although she needed much more practice and experience in path finding. There was times I honestly thought she purposely stepped on every damn twig in the forest. It was an assuring thought however as the Pegasus did manage to keep any comments to herself unless directed too.

I paused silently as I heard another twig.

“Sorry,” Rainbow finally broke her own silence as her voice was from what I could tell, of guilt and anger.

I turned my head slightly just so I could see her with my peripherals. She was making sure there was another clear spot for her hoof before placing it onto the forest floor once more. When her hoof connected, however, the unmistakable sound of a twig snapping came forth once more. Dash and I both froze however as she raised her hoof to see no twig underneath.

In an instant, my form turned to a small sound of nearby bushes ruffling slightly. My HK rifle was levelled with my finger slightly touching the trigger guard. Whatever that was coming out of that bush was getting a quick double tap. It was quiet for a moment as both Dash and I watched the foliage with an uneasy tension until the creature finally busted from his hiding. My finger slightly depressed the trigger until the thing in my iron sights actually locked within my thinking.

“A fucking Rabbit,” I whisper hoarsely as I lowered the muzzle of my rifle only to watch the creature run off in fright. “Are you ok, Da-,” I turned to ask until a small rustle of bushes was all I heard before the strike. It came blindly fast and I was completely caught off guard. The fangs already sank into my side as the shot of pain escaped my lips in a small cry of agony.

“Ruffles!” Dash shouted at me with shock and worry.

“I'm alright! Get your knife ready!” I ordered through the pain as I gathered my own wits as my rifle raised to meet my attacker. What I witnessed however was something that shocked me. To newbies, it would look like some deformed dog, which in a right, it is. Too much radiation over a long time has deformed the beast so large patches of bubbled and distorted skin affections have appeared. What was visible however was the pure muscle in its legs and large teeth from it's maw. It was a damn Pseudodog.

My hesitation didn't halt my trigger finger as the rifle kicked back into my shoulder with it's recoil. The loud gunshots echoed out in the forest but my focus was purely on my fast moving target. My initial double tap connected as I grinned with slight delight at seeing the creature limp away into the bushes.

“Ruffles, are you alright?” Rainbow Dash's voice sounded out surprisingly close as a sudden jab of pain echoed through out my body. I gazed down to see that Dash had slightly jabbed my bleeding thigh wound with her damn hoof!

“I'm fine! Fuck, Dash,” I say allowing one of my hands to come down to smack her hoof away.

“I'm just worried, Ruffles,” Rainbow suddenly got defensive to the point where I had to shake my hand in front of her to stop any more argument.

“We gotta get out of this forest. The rest of that dog's pack will be back here any moment!” I point towards what seems to be a small clearing ahead. We needed to get into a clearing so I can at least see my attackers approaching instead of getting ambushed from dense foliage. “Fly, Dash! Go!”

“But you said I can't fly in the Zone!”

I was already jogging with my rifle still close to a proper shooting position in case the damn mutt returned. “We haven't even entered the Zone yet! It shouldn't be for another good 500 meters!” I shouted even though I could tell she was easily keeping up with my pace. It was impossible. It just couldn't be true. The Zone doesn't just extend it's border and the Mutants never go beyond said borders.

Freak encounter. Yeah. That's the only explanation. Must be...

Dash took my words to heart as I could only hear a brief flap of her wings before she shot out in front of me till she entered the clearing. She turned constantly while hovering in one spot as if to check every inch of the surrounding area. It was almost hysterical to watch if my sides didn't scream in agony. I witnessed her turn to me for only a moment before a howling erupted behind me.

“Ruffles!” Dash's voice cried out but I didn't turn to see.

My feet carried me through the last of the foliage moments before I felt a force crash into my back sending me sprawling in the dirt. My sides burned as I rolled before coming to a stop where I witnessed my attacker getting ready for another pounce. It almost seemed like the previous Pseudodog but was smaller and its eyes were very diluted with a milky glaze. I didn't give it another moment of satisfaction as my rifle raised in a violent embrace. The five round burst seemed more then effective at ending the creatures life as the body collided on top of me with a loud thud.

The force of the impact made me exhale much of the needed air in my lungs. I coughed for a few moments in pain as my arms protested in an aching pain. The Dog thankfully didn't weigh too much as it slid onto the ground in a lifeless thump. It was then that I glimpsed the next attack. The radiation afflicted canine had already leapt towards me. There was no time to bring my rifle to bare.

A blur of blue overcame my vision for a moment as I tried my best to concentrate through the pain. A grunt left my lips as I got to one knee only to see Dash wrestling for dominance atop of one of the beasts. Its maw was snapping but luckily Dash had some decent sense in her to avoid the attacks. Her hoofs worked in quick succession to pin the beast down on its back as she held her knife in her mouth.

“Dash!” I shouted as I stumbled a step before letting my rifle dangle on the sling. My hand quickly pulled my pistol from its holster as I took a careful moment to aim. My shot echoed out in the sudden silence as I witnessed Dash just staring at what used to be a dog's head below her. Her eyes just stared for a moment until I could finally get over to her side. “Dash!” I said along with a nudge of my free hand.

She was still for a few more moments which made things worse. She might be in some sort of shock after seeing everything develop. Especially for Equestrian standards, it's not every day death or violence is involved. I let my hand run under her muzzle and forcefully pull her gaze to mine. It was there deep in her pupils. Fear and deep shock showed much like the old saying of the eyes being the person, or pony's, soul. “Concentrate on me, Dash. Breath,” I ordered her as my own eyes held their gaze upon her.

It took a few moments before her breathing regulated but she blinked once or twice. She relaxed her muzzle in my hold but otherwise remained quiet. Her eyes grew soft as I could see the acts of that she just witnessed finally registered.

“Are you alright, Rainbow Dash?” I asked with the most caring voice I could muster.

“Yeah, Ruffs, I'm ok,” she answered although her tone carried the exact opposite notion.

“You just witnessed more violent deaths in less then a few minutes than others would in a life time. You won't be ok for a while, Dash,” I tried to explain but death is a thing people conquer in their own styles. “You're not alone though,” I tried top comfort her by removing my hand from under her muzzle to pat the side of her head gently.

“I think you've seen enough of this-,” I tried to explain to her before bending over with a grunt of pain. The warm sensation of blood running down my leg came back to my fore front. “Fucking mutt nicked me good,” I chuckle as I started back to the forest only to give out a curse as my injured leg flared with every step. I grumbled for a moment before taking out a stripe of gauze and medical pad to help stop the bleeding.

“You can lean on me,” Dash was suddenly beside me with a wavering smile.

It was quiet between the both of us but comforting. I could only give her a smile and nod before heading back home before sundown.

“I need a drink,”

“Amen, Dash,”

The clock in the living room ticked as both Pony and Human sat in comfort. Dinner had been a hectic affair of questions and worrying glances which he tried to deal with. Vehement was trying to defeat her salad like some sort of monster of the Everfree while Letterhead simply observed the conversation in silence. Star Struck however was more worried about the leg wound getting infected. After a quick visit to the hospital to get things stitched up they had all returned back home. I had just managed to get Vehement to stay put in bed long enough for sleep to claim her before heading downstairs with Rainbow Dash.

“You did good today, Dash,” I said before placing the bottle that I had retrieved previously from the kitchen.

“Doesn't feel like it,” she muttered from her recliner seat. Her tail flicked once or twice but it seemed more out of some inner thought troubling her.

“You saved my ass back there,” my admittance got one smile out of her although I also notice her attempt to hide it. “You and I need a drink. It's tradition to have some good Vodka after a intrusion into the Zone,”

“Vodka?” she asked with a hint of apprehensive guilt. “Vodka and I have a bad past, Ruffles,”

“Yeah? Well join the party than, butter cup,” I chuckle as she gave me a roll of her eyes in response. The first gulp of the drink was down right burning. It was a good burn that brought both memories and soon enough, a sort of relaxation. “Bottom's up, Dashie,”

“Don't call me Dashie,” she gave me a dead panned stare but other wise refused the bottle.

“Alright, Dash, I admit that you are going through some shit right now. Is me offering you a drink pretty damn stupid and irresponsible?” I started to explain and when she tried to respond I squished her lips together with my free hand. “You bet it is. I can tell what kind of Mare you are and you will keep shit to yourself till you explode. Now indulge in a little drinking and then you can go home or crash here,”

Rainbow Dash, after pushing my hand away from her lips, stared hard at me but softened slightly. Her response soon came in a swipe of the bottle and a very long chug of the bottle. I couldn't believe my eyes. This Mare had more balls than Binary did when it came to a good drink! She placed the bottle back on to the table and wiped her muzzle with a hoof. She noticed my shock and quickly acquired a smirk.

“Damn, Dash,” I simply muttered as soon as I recalled my wits. “I wish Binary could drink at least half as much as you. He barely has a few shots and starts juggling my damn furniture!”

“That sounds like Twilight when she has a few too many hard Ciders. You should have seen her at the last party Applejack hosted!” Rainbow started to recall the story between a few snickers. “Who knew Twilight loved jello shots so much?”

I let out a genuine laugh as Rainbow Dash easily followed. The tension between us seemed almost non existent as we shard stories of our past. The bottle was passed between us until the last drop hit my tongue as the clock hit close to one in the morning. It was also at this point where I had witnessed Dash in all her drunken glory. She could pack the stuff but keeping her cool was not part of it.

“And then I was all like POW, BAM, ZAM! The stupid Manticore went runnin' fer its life!” Dash retold her, apparently, heroic fight scene against a Manticore during Twilight's initial visit to Ponyville atop of my living room table. She sluggishly did a few jabs in the air but otherwise tried to maintain her balance.

What Dash apparently forgot was that I trailed the group the entire trek to face off against Nightmare Moon. I didn't partake in the fight, as per Celestia's orders, but I can still recall the Manticore incident clearly. “Gotta admit that I'm a damn fine Mare,” she bolstered once more but this time by shaking her flank on my living room table.

“Uh, Dash?”

“Waz up?”

“You are one of a kind,” I simply mutter with a goofy smile. I swear by the hairs on my chin, that it was the alcohol talking. I meant it however.

I watched as she stood there mid way through some unknown dance move, frozen in some sort of shocked state. It was hard to tell if she had a slight blush on due to the colouration caused by the drink but it seemed as if I rightfully flustered her.

I was quick to mentally slap myself for mild stupidity. “Sorry, Rainbow, I just let a thought out-,”

That was when it happened. I had never expected, planned, foreseen such a thing to really occupy my mind or soul. Rainbow Dash leaned in quickly to press her lips against mine.

The whole event only lasted for a second before the Mare succumbed to the reality of physics; specifically gravity. She fell with a thump against the carpet only to lay still. A soft snore came in little purrs to show that the pegasus still drew breath into her lungs.

I on the other hand was still holding mine. It felt like hours until I blinked away the sort of haze that fell before my gaze. My mind refused to think of anything other then the lips that preoccupied my very personal space only a moment ago. Was it purely drunken stupidity that drove Rainbow Dash to such an act? It had to be. I lived on this planet for years now and I've yet to have any sort of relationship. I only took care of what matters to me. My kids, my friends and my duty to the Zone was all that was ever required of me.

My gaze fell upon the snoring Mare who seemed quite happy as she smirked at some hidden dream within her own imagination. It was also there that I decided to take the route I was meant too. This incident was a mistake caused by drinking and nothing more. Rainbow Dash will wake the next morning without a clue as to what happened last night.

“You are one of a kind,” I repeated although weighed down by deep thought. I cradled the Mare in my arms as I stumbled towards the guest room to lay her under the covers. I paused for a moment at the door to gaze upon her one last time. “Remember the good times; lock away the bad, this I swear,” I muttered before flicking the light off and heading to my own bed.

I placed my holstered pistol on the side table to my bed as I undressed to the dim light provided by the lamp. It was there that I crawled into bed and held one of the objects that I still held dear to me. My brother's goofy grin staring at me. What an odd day...