1 Fairytale lands!
He sat there not knowing what to do but then he remembered. He suddenly regained his conscious. Yes. His reelection of events passed came flooding back, but with these a sense of urgency overtook him. He needed to move, but he couldn't see. He was covered from head to toe with mud and he couldn't see through his gasmask. His vision was completely obscured. He fumbled in his pocket for the cloth; that small piece silk that meant so much to him. Cloth or no cloth, life or death, he had to find it. He grew desperate. He had checked all his pockets, which meant it was, yes, in his rucksack! He pulled it out from under his back and onto his chest. This by all means, wasn't an easy task. He moaned as he pulled it out from under him. His entire Wight was resting on that pack, but he was able to rip it out. It took a couple of seconds for the pain to register, but when it did it was nearly paralyzing. He recovered; it was just a short burst of agony, thankfully. The fall had fucked him up far more than he thought. He might have had snapped a couple vertebra, and he was sure he had fractured a rib or two. He fumbled in his pack, and retrieved the cloth from the bottom and bringing it up to his mask; he began frantically wiping the glass. It was slow going, the mud he was covered in was very hard to wipe away. He placed the cloth under the exhalation vent on the bottom part of his mask to moisten it. Hopefully a damp cloth would clean better than a dry one. It took him a couple minutes but he finally cleaned his gas mask’s lenses. He looked around, now able to see. He gasped at his surroundings. It wasn't what he was expecting, not at all.
He sat up, his ribs felt like they were on fire. He wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but this place was too strange. It was too good to be true. It was like a fairy tale. He was in the middle of a mystical forest, the moonlight shining through the lush treetops, huge mountains towered in the distance. The moonlight was a crystal blue. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. And the stars! It was simply amazing. He gazed upon scene before him, unable to move. He was star struck; however he eventually came to his senses. He had no idea what he should do, no plan, no course of action, but he couldn't just stay there. He needed help. He went to stand up but he only got about halfway. He came crashing back in agony, slumping over against the hard earth. Suddenly he felt a warm liquid running down his left leg and he was reminded that he had been bleeding uncontrollably. This was bad. Realizing there was no longer an immediate threat, he could now turn his full attention to himself. He removed his belt and tired it around his leg, just before the gash and pulled it tight. It hurt like hell, but it had to be done. That helped a little but if he didn't get help soon he would really be in trouble. He ripped parts of his undershirt off and tied them around the wound. He needed to find help; if he stayed here he would die. He thought about trying to walk again, but instead settled on crawling. That would be easier, less painful.
He crawled through the underbrush of the forest, his kneecaps and hands became soaked from dew on the grasses. It didn't take long for him to realize how thirsty he was. He retrieved his canteen, inserted the drinking straw into his gasmask and sucked, but only air came through. He was out of water.
“Wait!” He thought aloud. “This isn’t St. Petersburg!” He ripped his gasmask off, and cautiously at first, he took a breath. After confirming the air was fine he sucked in the sweet air as fast as he could. He took huge, deep breaths, and emptied his lungs all the way. Oh it was so nice, so fresh. It was a welcome change; he had been breathing stale air from that gasmask for almost 5 days straight. It felt amazing. He hid his mask and his canteen away in his pack where they were safe.
The thoughts of water and thirst came back to him though. His throat was extremely dry and his tongue kept sticking to the roof of his mouth. He became frustrated; he looked around trying to find a source of water. He saw a small dip in the landscape in the distance. There must be water there. He set out, painfully crawling towards it. Along the way he started licking the dew off the grasses, even breaking twigs off trees and sucking on them, anything for a little bit of water.
Then he heard it, just for a second. Running water! He crawled towards it, and after about a half-hour of slow, painful crawling, he came across a small stream. He stared at the trickling water. The thought of catching water borne illness did occur to him, but that was the least of his worries at the moment. He bent down towards it and started to lap up the cool water. It tasted amazing. He took huge gulps of it, he couldn't get enough. He had to stop periodically because it was too cold. After a while he decided he would finish up, and he produced his canteen, filled it, and placed it back in his pack. Cupping water in his hands he attempted to clean some of his wounds. He redressed some of them, but it really didn't help much. Blood was still steadily flowing from him. He decided to follow the flow of the creek, it had to lead somewhere. But before he went he sat up against the stream bank. He looked out, past the forest, at the towering mountains. He could see now, a castle lit up against the moon. It hung on the side of a towering mountain.
“Hah, this really is a fairytale” He commented to himself. It was too far of a crawl, he would never make it there. He was disappointed but relieved. There were people here! If there were people, there was also life! He had to make his way there. But how? It was miles away, up there in the mountains. He decided he would follow the stream; see where it would take him. It had to take him somewhere right?
He started to crawl again. There was no sense in waiting there, he would just bleed out. He started to mumble to himself. He sang old songs to pass the time. He must've sounded crazy, but it was the least he could do to distract himself from the grievances that had taken place in the last week. Suddenly something moved in the dark of the shadows. Just off to his left, this time he swore he heard something; twigs snapping. He turned his head upward and directed his gaze into the dark. He could see fine in the moonlight, but not in the shadows. He peered into the pitch black, eager to see what was there.
“Hello?” he said softly. He didn’t know why he spoke, but he felt compelled to. Then it moved from the shadow towards him. He nearly freaked out! He wished he had his gun, but he had lost it long ago. He reached for his combat knife, but he stopped. Something about the way it moved told him it wasn't hostile. It moved slowly, but confidently. It stood in the moonlight. Its form was strange to him, and it fur was a dark blue color. Was he hallucinating again? He had lost a lot of blood, he was probably dehydrated, on the verge of exhaustion. It was a very real possibility. He crouched lower, away from it, and it seemed to tower over him. He still had a grip on his knife, ready to summon it if need be. Then it spoke to him.
“You are not of this world, are you stranger?” She said quietly. He now knew it was female, whatever it was, and that it spoke his language perfectly. She smiled at him, although he couldn't see the gesture in the dark, he could feel it. She meant no harm to him. “I mean no harm. I am Luna, princess of the night. What shall I call thy?” She asked. He relaxed, and put his hands back onto the ground to rest, he wouldn’t need his knife anymore.
“Dmitry. My name is Dmitry. Please, I need help. I'm in a lot of trouble here!” He said in reply. Hopping she was willing to help. His voice was shaky.
“Oh! Of course! What’s wrong?” She said worried. She came close to him. He could see her in more detail now. She resembled a pony! She had wings, and a horn. She looked amazing. He sat down, his legs out in front of him. He began pulling his pants back to reveal his wounds but he struggled to keep conscious. His strength was dwindling, and soon he would lose it. He began to fall backward. She gasped slightly. She stretched one of her hoofs out to support him.
“Please” He coughed. “Please, you gotta help me” He was shaking now. He looked her in the eyes. She could see he was desperate. He was on his last legs and if she didn’t do something that would be the end of it.
“I can help! I’m here to help!” She proclaimed. Her horn started to glow and soon his wounds were surrounded by what he assumed to be magic. It tingled at first, but then it gave way to an immense pain. It was shocking. Before he could protest he passed out.
Little did he know, he was in the Everfree forest. He was in Equestria, a Fairytale land.
2 Entering the Metro
“Damn! Dmitry, do you see anything back there? Did they follow us?” Boris asked. Boris was the leader of their expedition. He was the oldest one. He was only 19 when the world went to shit. He was now 41.
“I, uh, I don't think so? Do you need help with this airlock?” Dmitry asked scanning the tops of the escalators. His eyes fixed upwards towards the top of the vestibule. He was worried. They had come all this way and now they couldn't enter the damn station. Dmitry was the youngest of the three. He had lost his parents, unlike Boris and Tanya. He was now 33. He was 11 when the world collapsed around him.
“Gah, Fuck! Suka!” Tatiana kicked the red airlock with all her might, and the mighty door protested with a dull noise. “Dmitry, we don't need your help, just make sure those fuckers didn't follow us down here!” She paused for a second. “Boris, the air lock isn't going to budge; we need to find another way in!” She said, leaning against the rusty door, looking at Boris who was still struggling with the electrical control panel. Tanya was a brave woman. There weren't many of them amongst the rangers. She was now 35, and she was 13 when the world around her changed forever.
“I know Tanya, I know! You still think there are people inside? The nosalises didn’t follow us down! Maybe they’re scared! Maybe they know something we don’t!” Boris said, hoping that there were people on the other side of that mighty door.
“Well if there are people we just scared the fuck out of them with all our banging” Dmitry said.
“Dmitry’s right. Either way this airlock isn't going to open for us. We have to find another way inside…” Tatiana admitted. Looking downward at the ground.
“well then, let’s get the fuck out of here. Look, through this maintenance door! I bet that leads inward. It has to!” Boris said as he walked to the door. He tried the knob, and it wasn't locked, thankfully. He opened it cautiously, its rusty hinges squeaking. Tatiana followed him in, gun raised and ready. Dmitry swept the vestibule one last time with his sights, and then deciding nothing was following them, entered the door after them.
Dmitry switched on his headlamp. Boris and Tatiana had already done so. Inside there was a locker room which lead to a long, straight, hallway. They didn't say anything, just set off down the hallway. Boris, who was leading, took soft cautious steps. Tatiana followed him down the hallway. Dmitry quietly closed the door behind them, locking out all light. Now it became truly dark inside. Even with their headlamps, it was hard to see. Eventually they came to a fork. There was a map, and each hallway had a number assigned to it.
Boris came up to the map, and leaned towards it. He studied it for a second, and then said “This way, down hallway 6. Then we take first right. That should lead us to Moskovskaya Station!” He said. Once again he lead the way down the dark, damp hall way. After a while they came to the turn, and took the hallway off to the right. Shortly after that they came upon a door. Above it read “Moskovskaya Station” and Dmitry turned around to check their flank. Peering into the dark hallway from which they came. Boris tried the handle, but it was locked.
“Damn! Bastards.” He cursed. He reared back and slammed his foot into the door. It didn't even budge. “Fucker, that hurt! Ohhh! Damn, Tanya, shoot that fuckers hinges off!”
“Wait Boris! How do we know there isn't something waiting for us in the station? After all, you said it earlier. The nosalises didn't come down here. Maybe they know something we don’t! Maybe there aren't humans on the other side, but something worse!” Tatiana said curiously.
“Well what are we suppose to do then? There’s only one way to find out, there’s only one way we can go! Blast that fucker inwards!”
“I guess you're right, stand back!” She shouted, and raising her shotgun, she took aim at the hinges and fired twice at each set. The door still didn't fall over. “Strong ass door!” She commented. Boris stepped forward, and kicked the now weakened door. It screeched and then fell inward with a loud crash! Tanya stepped in first. Her gun readied for anything. Boris followed her in, and then Dmitry came after them. They entered the station just behind a ticket office. The station was dark and empty. They all sighed. It was a big disappointment. Boris signaled for them to clear the station out. They moved quickly through the station, quietly, in the shadows. It was classic Spartan protocol. Classic Ranger!
They cleared the immediate station, but the tunnel airlocks were open. They were still at risk. They reunited at the center of the station platform. All the airlocks to the tunnels were open. They usually would be closed. This fact scared Boris a little. “Okay, watch the tunnels, but for now we’re safe.” Boris said.
They looked around and there were obvious sings on human habitation. The roof was blackened from soot and ash. There was trash everywhere. Near where they were standing there were signs of the community bonfire. A big black scorch mark, ashes were everywhere. The station had been thoroughly cleaned out before the humans had left. That was an obvious sign. Why they left remains to be unanswered. But it was comforting to know they didn’t leave in a hurry.
The station was still very eerie. It didn't feel right. Every time humans abandoned a station, there must've been a good reason for it. It could've been something like a bad water supply, but it also could be something worse. Much worse. The three of them scanned the station with their dim lights. That’s when they saw it. Their hairs raised, and they were immediately put on end. At the far side of the station platform, near the bathrooms there were copious amounts of blood, accompanied by bullet holes. Lots of bullet holes. Boris slapped Tanya, who was looking the other direction, and swung her around. She gasped when she saw the scene.
“Okay, so I guess there’s a reason no one lives here. Boris, can we go soon!?” Dmitry said anxious to leave. His voice was all shaky. He wanted to run away from those bathrooms. He could feel something very evil. Something was inside those bathrooms, and they could all tell it didn’t want them to be there. How could they not notice this before? Didn’t they clear the entire station out? No, they didn’t. They had missed the bathrooms. They were hidden behind the wall. It could only be seen from the Center Platform. They had walked right past it, and now they were in trouble.
“Shhh, quietly. We don’t want to anger whatever is in there. But yeah, let’s get the fuck out of here guys. Dmitry, you take point. Tanya and I will watch the bathrooms.” Boris said. They started to back up, slowly. Dmitry’s back was against Tanya’s and Boris’s. They had only made it a couple of feet before the most malevolent growl came from the bathrooms. It was a low grumble at first. Then it picked up into a very high pitched scream. It sounded so hideous, so inhumane. It was tremendously vehement. Whatever was in there, it wanted them dead, and it was coming for them. The hairs on their necks stood up, and they all froze in cold sweat. Suddenly Tanya Backed up quickly in to Dmitry. They tripped on each other.
“FUCK! RUN!” Boris shouted. He had already passed Dmitry and Tatiana who were struggling on the concrete floor. They got up a split-second later and sprinted after Boris, who had already disappeared through one of the tunnel doors. They could hear it now. It was running, and it let out another screech! Dmitry looked over his shoulder at it. It was moving so fast! It was fucking huge! He could only see its silhouette, but he swore he could see pure evil pouring from it. He fired his gun behind him blindly. Screaming at the top of his lungs, he must've sounded like an opera singer. Tanya and he ducked into the tunnel end jumped off the platform. The tunnel echoed of their screams and Dmitry’s gun fire. Boris was waiting in the tunnel, already turned around kneeling with his gun raised.
“RUN!” He shouted in his mighty voice. Dmitry swore Boris’s voice had raised 3 octaves. Hell he probably sounded like a little girl! Tanya tripped again, and bashed her leg hard against the rail.
“Ahhh Fuck! Blyad!” she screamed in pain. Struggling to her feet she took off. Dmitry was now in first, followed by Tanya. They had passed Boris who stood there just firing at the thing. They could hear his bullets rip through it. And it let out another screech, this time in pain. Boris saw as it temporarily reared away from them. The pain of the bullets came as surprise to it. Quickly Boris got to his feet and thundered away through the tunnel after his comrades. He fumbled with his magazines as he ran through the tunnel.
“Damn! Dmitry! Shoot Dmitry! Shoot it! Common Tanya!!” Boris shouted trying to get his scared comrades to cooperate. They were scared, and he was too, he just needed them to think clearly. Dmitry whirled around and let a couple short bursts loose at it, before truing around and running again. Tanya did the same. They were still about 10 feet in front of Boris, and Boris was only about 20 feet in front of the thing. By now they had passed the last of the airlocks leading to the station platform. They were now completely in the tunnel. Dmitry, thinking fast, threw an improvised explosive back at it. Boris saw him throw it blindly over his head. Heck it nearly smacked right into him! He nearly shat his pants, but he was able to jump out of the way. Suddenly it went off. It sent Boris flying onto his face. Shrapnel and shards went everywhere. The thing let out a hideous drying shriek.
Boris recovered quickly. He didn't even look back at it. He just ran for his life. Tanya had stopped, and was firing back at it. It was half blown to hell. But it was still alive. It hobbled after them, much slower now. Tanya’s bullet hit home, and it collapsed in the tunnel, shrieking in pain all the while. They were the worst screams any of them had ever heard. So much terror and hatred in each scream. Dmitry turned around and emptied the rest of his magazine into it.
“SHUT THE FUCK UP! Please! Shut up! Please!!!” He cried! He hated the screams, more so than Tanya or Boris. It went quiet. The tunnel echoes of explosions, heavy footsteps, screams and gunfire faded away. Tanya was resting staring at the thing, while Dmitry loaded another magazine. Boris caught up to them, and sat on one of the rails. They were all panting. They still and their gas masks on, they hadn't had time to test the air. They had no idea if it was safe down there.
“Well, Fucking shit!” Boris said, panting between words. “Well we made it! Hah. I thought we were dead for sure.” He said chuckling. Dmitry made his way to the tunnel wall and leaned against it. They all just rested. But then their hearts sunk.
A very similar shriek as the first one they heard rung through the tunnels. It started low and then built in pitch and intensity. It echoed. It was far in the distance but it was there.
Suddenly Dmitry awoke! He was in a bed, with magnificent white sheets. It was very bright and pleasant inside his room. The sunlight flowed freely through the windows. He never thought he would see sheets as white as these ever again. He never thought he’d see the warming rays of the sun! He was amazed by this world. The fairytale world! He was panting, still recovering from his nightmare however at one time it wasn't a nightmare. At one point it happened. It was actually just a couple days ago since he was down there with Boris and Tatiana. He was just reliving that horrible experience when they first entered the St. Petersburg Metro.
“Nightmares?” Celestia asked.
“Uh, yeah.” He sighed. Celestia wished she could've done something but the only one who had that power was her sister. She tried to get Luna to teach he the spells to enter someone’s dream but Luna refused. Celestia realized she should introduce herself to her guest.
“I'm Princess of the Sun, Princess Celestia. I see you've already met my sister Luna!” Celestia introduced herself.
“Thankfully!” He said. “I’m Dmitry” he added.
“Yes I know, Luna had filled me in. The doctor will be in to see you soon. We also have an expert on Humans coming. Until now Humans were basically just myth; however we do have an expert on human mythology. I’m sure he can help with the healing process.”
“In the meantime you should just rest.” A nurse who was standing at his side spoke up.
“I’ll try my best” He confirmed.
“Good. I’m sorry my dear, but I must be off! I will return at a later time!” and with that, Celestia left the room. Dmitry was still full of questions, but he was still in great pain. He told himself the questions could wait. For now he would do as the nurse told him. He would just rest. He needed it. She made her way to Luna’s room. She opened the door. Her sister groaned as sunlight poured into her dark room. She tucked her head under a pile of pillows.
“Is that anyway to greet your sister? Haha” Celestia chuckled.
“Is he okay?” Luna removed her heard from her pillows and looked at her sister questioningly.
“He’ll be fine. He had a bad nightmare. He was panting and squirming around in his sleep. His face was really pale when he awoke as well.” Celestia informed Luna.
“Really? Why didn't you wake me? I could've helped!” Luna Protested.
“Calm down my sister. It was just a nightmare. If he has anymore I’ll be sure to come get you!” Celestia smiled at Luna. “I must be off now! I will see you tonight!” Celestia left her room. She had royal duties to attend to. She closed the doors to Luna’s room, leaving her in total darkness. Luna was happy to be in her dark room, and she went back to sleep.
