Aleksandr

Chapters

Prologue: Cold
I am alive! But... Where am I? (X)
Playing With Fire (X)
I need a drink... (X)
And You Are...?
Нет.
At The Gala
Pompous Little Prick
Medic!
How About No?
What Kind of Compounds?
Bittersweet
Kill 'Em All
Guilt
Letters (X)

Prologue: Cold

Waiting. So much waiting. As a sniper, patience had to be one of my strong suits. If you aren't you can and will fail. Looking away from your scope for even a second could mean failure. One wrong move could mean death, especially when fighting other snipers. Whoever moves first, loses. This was one such moment. I was positioned in a destroyed building, on the fourth floor, and a German sniper 400 meters downrange, across the small channel that divided our locations. I did not know where he was as of then and was searching for him. I kept a sharp eye out for anything that could indicate his presence, be it light reflecting from his rifle scope, movement, or his muzzle flash.

Where are you? I thought.

Seconds later, I saw a figure moving in an apartment 450 meters out. What are you doing...? My eyes widened when I took a closer look at what he was doing: he was on a radio. This was very bad news for me. He was either calling reinforcements, or an artillery strike. Both of which, I didn't like. Quickly, I aimed, and slowed my now fast breathing. I zeroed in on his head, calculated the bullet drop and began to fire. Slowly depressing the trigger, my rifle kicked back as the shot was fired. I saw a spray of blood and his body fall. Breathing a sigh of relief, I cycled the bolt, and rose to a crouch. Gotcha! Little did I know, I was too late, as he had finished his transmission. My victory was short lived, as a series of distant booms were heard, as well as a sound you never want to hear: the whistle of falling artillery shells. Scrambling for my gear, I weighed my options, either take the stairs and be obliterated, or jump into the water. I chose the latter, and began to jump. Getting a running start, I ran to a hole in the wall, created by a tank shell. Before I could jump, the shells impacted the building, and the force sent me flying out into the cold water. Drifting away, I began to frantically swim to shore. Upon reaching it, I began to cough up the water I inhaled. Checking my gear, I found that I miraculously had it all, my Mosin Nagant, Tokarev, my knife, and my ammo belt, which contained 20 rounds of 7.62x54mmR, 36 rounds of 7.62x25 Tokarev, in addition to the ammunition in my current magazines. Slinging my rifle to my back, I drew my pistol, and climbed up into the street. I then remembered I had more pressing matters: I was in the open, and I was soaked through with icy water. Shivering, I ran to the nearest building. I pulled out my old lighter, and found some pieces of broken wood to burn. I had to make the fire in a discreet location, so I chose an alleyway, witch had rubble blocking both sides. Perfect. As long as I stay quiet, I should be able to remain hidden. The rubble is piled high enough to keep me away from any prying eyes of Germans. Quickly lighting the fire, I took off some of my gear to let it dry, as I huddled next to the small flame. I opened one of my small field rations, and began to eat. Finishing my tiny meal, I began to feel drowsy. I went around the perimeter, setting makeshift traps such as tripwires, and "bone chimes" made of cans. Slowly shuffling back to the fire, I laid down, and let sleep overtake me.

//\

Jolting awake, I snatched up my pistol, and began to search the building. I had been woken by one of my can chimes rattling. Peeking around the corner, I saw a Wehrmacht soldier field stripping his Sturmgewehr 44.

What is wrong with him? Doesn't he know he activated a trap? Well, It's his mistake.

I approached the oblivious man, and drew my knife. Creeping up to him, I waited for him to finish. It was a miracle he didn't turn around. This guy was a complete idiot, in my opinion. He clumsily put his assault rifle back together, and I lunged at him. Locking him in a chokehold, I whispered in his ear. "Auf Wiedersehen."

The man's eyes widened, and I plunged my blade into his heart, before yanking his dog tags off. Stuffing the metal ovals into my pocket, I watched the man fall to the ground. Dead. I picked up his weapon, checking the magazine. I patted him down, taking his ammunition belt, with a total of 120 extra rounds of 7.92x33. Checking his other equipment, I found something odd. He was carrying a Tokarev TT-33, the same sidearm I had. While this was strange how he was carrying a Russian-made pistol, it was convenient that I now had 16 extra Tokarev rounds. I went back to my camp, and donned my now dried combat gear. I slung my rifle on my back, holstered my pistol, and shouldered my newfound automatic rifle. I kicked dust onto the remains of the fire, and left the building. I continued to walk along the street, gun at the ready, keeping an eye out for Germans. I began to think about my friends, my family, and just the war in general. Little did I know, I had made the worst mistake of life. I let my mind wander away from my current task, and paid the ultimate price. I heard a loud crack, and felt a stabbing pain in my chest. Looking down, I noticed I was bleeding profusely from a large hole in my right lung.

No... No... NO! This can't be it! I want to see my family again! I want to laugh with my friends once more! I don't want to die... I thought as my whole life flashed before my eyes, from my early childhood, my adolescence, my adulthood, and the war.

As the life drained from my body, I fell to my knees. My last thoughts, were of home... Of how I will never return to it. I began to cough up massive amounts of blood, and my vision began to fade.

I am alive! But... Where am I? (X)

Chapter One: I am alive! But... Where am I?

My eyes fluttered open, and I was blinded by sunlight. Sitting up, I noticed something was off... Very off... I clearly wasn't in Berlin anymore, as it was relatively warm, and there was no snow or sounds of gunfire. Cautiously, I surveyed my surroundings, and found that I was in the middle of a forest. Only everything was so... Colorful. The trees and grass were a lively shade of green, and the plants many different colors. It was beautiful. Never had I seen such a place. Snapping out of my trance, I gathered my gear, only to find that all of my ammunition pouches were filled, which were only at about 1/2 capacity. This was strange, and slightly unnerving.

Wait... I should be dead! I'M ALIVE! But... How? I was shot, and bled out. This is probably the strangest thing that has ever happened to me... I thought.

I stripped off my winter camouflage, and stuffed it into my bag. My earth-tone clothes would blend in better, for obvious reasons. Doing a final check of my gear, I looked under my shirt only to find a scar and dried blood where the gunshot wound would've been. I shouldered my assault rifle, which was still with me. I began to trek through the woods, keeping a close watch for trouble. My stomach began to rumble, and I rummaged through my bag to find that I had eaten my last ration. Cursing silently to myself, I resumed my journey through this unknown territory.

//\

About an hour later, I heard distant howls. This was extremely bad news, because this meant wolves. Opting to use my pistol and knife, I slung my assault rifle to my back, and dropped to a half crouched-half standing position. I continued walking, only to be stopped by growling. My blood ran cold, and I whipped around, to be faced with 6 wolves. Only something was wrong. They were made of wood. One lunged at me, which I stabbed through the head with my knife. It shattered into a pile of twigs. Two more lunged at me, and I shot one, and stabbed the other. Apparently, they didn't learn from their comrades' mistakes, and used the same tactics of lunging directly at me. I proceeded to shoot both, and watched them shatter into a thousand pieces. Seeing its' friends were dead, the last which I assumed was the alpha, due to it being larger, went for a different plan of attack. It dodged my knife, and latched onto my knife arm. Screaming in pain, I shot it through the eye, and watched it detach itself, and suffer the same fate as it's friends, being reduced to a pile of splinters. I released the clip on my now empty pistol, put the empty mag into my belt, grabbed a new one, slid it into the receiver, and released the slide, emitting a satisfying *CLACK*. Searching through my bag, I found the half empty bottle of vodka I found in a destroyed bar. I opened it, and poured it over the wound.

"Gah! Блядь, That hurts!" I swore rather loudly. I heard distant voices, and quickly ran into the bushes, and behind a tree.

"Rainbow, there's nothing here. Are you sure you heard these 'popping' noises?" My heart nearly stopped when I saw what the voices were coming from. It was a pair of brightly colored horses. One of them was purple, it had a lavender colored coat, a purple mane with a magenta stripe through it and a horn on its head. The other one was a light blue, and had a rainbow colored mane.

"I swear I heard it! There were loud pops, about seven or eight of them! I even heard some screams!" The rainbow one defended.

"Rainbow, there's nothing here. Just a couple of twigs... And... Blood." The purple one looked like she was going to be sick. The other one wore a similar expression.

"See? I told you there was something here! Whatever it is, I don't think it's good." The rainbow one overcame the amount of blood, and was back to normal, only a bit disturbed.

"We're going to have to keep a sharp eye out for whatever did this. Let's get back home, and notify the guards." The two horses began to leave, and I breathed a sigh of relief. They hadn't found me. Yet. The burning question in my mind was 'What were they? Where am I? Why am I here?' One of the few pluses was they spoke a language I could understand. I was one of the few in my platoon who could speak and write in English. When I was little, before the war, I had a neighbor who immigrated from America. We went to the same school, but he had difficulty speaking our language. He could get by, but spoke mostly in broken Russian. One day, I offered to teach him, and we became friends soon after. After school, I would help him with speaking Russian, and in return, he taught me English. Our friendship lasted until shortly before the war. He left for America, soon before the war broke out. Afterward, I reinforced what knowledge he passed on to me with multiple English textbooks I found in the local library. I wonder what happened to him. Did he join the American military? Did he just live a normal life? I never found out, as he never sent any letters from America. Snapping out of my daydream, I remembered two very important things. I was bleeding, and in possible enemy territory. Digging through my bag, I found what I was looking for: Painkillers and sutures. Gritting my teeth, I brought the needle down into the bite in my arm. Holding back screams, I continued to stitch up the wound. After a few minutes of self-induced agony, I was done. I cut a strip of cloth from my useless winter camouflage, and wrapped my injured arm in it. I fixed my olive-drab and brown clothing, I surveyed my surroundings. I was in a forest, obviously. Where, I didn't know. Popping a few painkillers into my mouth, I gathered up my equipment. I moved to the edge of the forest. I searched for a vantage point, and found one. It was a cliff overlooking the little hamlet. I had a perfect view of the entire town.

I hope this town isn't filled with those weird horse-things. I thought. I unslung my rifle, and peered through the scope. I was wrong. Various small horses were walking about in the town. It hurt my eyes just looking at them. Too many bright colors. I observed some of said ponies, and noticed some wore armor, and carried pikes or halberds. They had armor which appeared to be made of gold. Why?! That would be useless in combat! Either way, they were threats. I saw the two horses I encountered earlier. The blue one waved to the purple one, and left, leaving the purple one to walk to a large tree. Said tree had windows... And a door. It was obviously her home. A Molotov would make quick work of that... I thought. I began thinking of ways to make first contact. I could turn myself in to the local law enforcement. And risk execution. Bad idea. I could just waltz right in... And risk execution. Damn. I'll just have to wait.

"Scream, and you die." I threatened, pointing my assault rifle at her. She backed into the corner, and shook with fear.

"P-please don't hurt me!" She pleaded.

"I won't, just keep quiet. I wanted to introduce myself, and show that I mean no harm." I slung my rifle to my back, and held up my hands.

"What are you?" She asked, her fear replaced with awe.

"Human."

"Hooman?"

"Close enough."

"What is your name?"

"Aleksandr. What about yours?"

"Twilight Sparkle. It's a pleasure to meet you, Aleksandr."

"Likewise."

"Why are you here?"

"I am not entirely sure."

"What is that thing in your claws?"

"Hands, not claws. And to answer your question, these are weapons, but I will leave it at that."

"Okay, seeing that you are friendly, I will allow you to stay here, but under close watch. I will have to inform the princess of you."

"Fine by me. Leave me alone, I'll leave you alone. But... Where do I sleep?" She led me to the basement.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to sleep here tonight. I'll bring you some food and water, but before I do, what do you eat?"

I replied, "Grain, fruits, vegetables, meat, we're omnivorous."

She looked scared, and began to back away at the mention of 'meat'.

"If you think I will eat you, I won't," I chuckled. "I won't eat anything I can hold steady conversation with."

Looking relieved, she said, "Anyway, I'm sorry for not having a proper room for you. There's an old bed down there, and the bathroom is upstairs, last room."

"I am thankful, very thankful. But why? Why are you helping me? I'm alien soldier, yet you welcome me with open arms! I have never been shown such kindness before!" I replied.

"We show kindness to all creatures, no matter who they are. You are no different."

"But I do have an open wound, you know. Could I get some bandages please?" I replied, showing her my wound, wrapped in cloth cut from my camouflage clothing.

"Oh, my! I'll be right back!" Dashing up the stairs to the bathroom, I slowly unwrapped my arm, which has now stopped bleeding. Taking a closer look, I noticed the bite wasn't too deep, for some odd reason. Returning, Twilight had a roll of bandages and a bottle of disinfectant floating in a purple aura.

Jumping back, I yelled. "What the hell is that?" Pointing to the strange aura.

"What?" She asked confused. "You mean my magic?"

"Magic isn't real!"

"Umm, yes it is..." She replied.

"Whatever! I'm too tired to argue. Let's get this over with."

She motioned me over to the sink, and I put my arm over the basin. She poured the alcohol over my arm, earning a pained grunt from me. I bandaged up the wound, ate the meal she had prepared for me, which consisted of an apple, a roll, and a glass of water. I heard her mention something about writing a letter to a 'Princess Celestia', but I was too tired to ask about it. I thanked her, and went to my temporary bed. Stripping my gear, I placed it under the bed, and fell into a deep, much needed sleep.

Playing With Fire (X)

Chapter 2: Playing With Fire

Mornings. I hated mornings. I was either woken up by gunfire, artillery shells, or worst case scenario, Panzers. This was not the case. I was awoken by the early morning sunlight pouring through the window, which was 'conveniently placed', to where the sun would be right in my face. Fuck you, sun. Groggily, I sat up in my new bed, which I found was about half a meter too short for me. That mattered little. Stretching, I heard several pops and cracks from my joints. Standing up, I crouched and pulled out my gear bag and clothing. I went over my equipment. Clothes, check. Winter camo, check. Ushanka, check. Knife, check. Guns... Not check! Someone stole my guns! Quickly donning my greatcoat and Ushanka, I stormed up the stairs, knife in hand, I slowly pushed the door open, cautious not to alert Twilight, who was sitting at a table, reading a newspaper. Slowly creeping up the stairs, I checked the most logical place to find my guns, the room which was most likely hers. Opening the door, I found my guns, dismantled, lain out on floor with a notepad next to it. Thank god I learned to speak English, for I wouldn't know what the notes were. They were of my guns. I cannot allow them to have such knowledge. I assembled my weapons, loaded them, holstered them, and tore out her pages of notes. Rifling through my bag, I found what I was looking for. My lighter. Papers in hand, I stormed back down the stairs, and threw the front door open.

"Hey, I see you're awake," She greeted. "Sorry for taking your weapons. You have no idea how much they'll benefit-- Wait, what are you doing?!"

By the time she finished talking, half of the papers were burned. Turning to her, I threw the burning parchment on he ground, and she watched, her expression one of horror. I was beyond angry. I was livid.

"What is wrong with you, Aleksandr?! You have no idea how much that can help Equestria! Just think of how much our technology can advance from them!" She screamed at me. Dozens of ponies were staring, some confused, some afraid, most likely of me. I didn't care.

"For a scientist, or whatever you call yourself, you're pretty stupid. You are like a child, toying with fire. You think this can benefit Equestria? Guess what? It won't. It will destroy it." I said coldly.

"Enough!" A female voice said. I whipped around, assault rifle pointing at the source of the voice. It was a tall pony, she had pure white fur, a pastel-rainbow hair, which seemed to flow in a nonexistent wind, and she had wings and a horn.

"How dare you speak to my sister that way?!" A gruff male voice said, furiously.

"Good morning." I said to him.

"Shining! You don't know what you're going up against! Aleksandr will kill you! Please, everypony stop!" Twilight said, fear evident in her voice.

"Twilight, stay out of this! I doubt this hairless ape could best me! It isn't wearing any armor! And it's weapon has no blade, so what's the worst it can do?" The one called 'Shining' taunted.

"My rifle can easily put a nice hole in that helmet of yours." I chuckled.

"Silence!" The tall one screamed, causing everyone present to jump.

"Hello to you too." I joked.

"You're trying my patience." The tall one said.

"Look, let's start over. I'm Aleksandr. What are your names?"

"Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria." Hearing this, I snapped a sharp salute.

"Shining Armor, Captain Of the Royal Guard." Instead of a salute, I flipped him off.

"Princess, Why can't we just kill this thing? It's obviously going to be nothing but trouble!" Shining said, and some of the guards nodded their heads.

"You all need to learn some respect and discipline! Didn't they teach you not to talk out of turn in boot camp?" I said, annoyed.

"He's right Shining." Celestia said, scowling at him.

"Sorry, princess." He looked as if he was going to piss himself.

"Now, onto the matters at hoof. I wish to welcome you to Equestria. I will allow my student to ask you some questions, if that's alright with you." She said warmly.

"Thank you," I said. "Sadly, I am dead where I come from, and I cannot see my friends or family again. So, I wish to become a citizen of Equestria." I said bitterly.

"Oh, you poor thing. You will need to sign a few documents, and I will pay for a home for you." She said, smiling warmly at me.

"Alright then. Safe travels, Princess. Oh, and Shining Armor, fuck you." I said, walking back to the library, leaving the large crowd behind.

I need a drink... (X)

Chapter 3: I need a drink...

When I returned to the library, I pulled the door open, but was interrupted by the sound of hooves. Turning, I expect Shining Armor, but instead a slightly angry Twilight. Continuing inside, I begin to walk toward the basement, in hopes of being alone. Twilight wasn't having any of it.

"Look, I didn't like how you practically threatened him back there. While he may have been a jerk, he's still my brother!" She said, glaring at me.

"Well, he needs to learn to hold his tongue, especially in front of the motherfucking Princess! He may be the Guard Captain, but that was just disrespectful."

"Whatever. Later tonight, I'm going to call the girls here, and we'll get to know each other better. How does that sound?"

"Да."

'What does that even mean?"

"It's Russian for 'yes'." I said, opening the door to the basement. Walking down stairs, I began to look for a better place to hide my weapons, in order to deter that overly-curious pony. Finding an old wardrobe, I opened it. I found a large spool of thick cloth, dark grey, almost black in color. Deciding to keep it, I set it aside, and propped my rifles against the back of the large wardrobe, and closed the door.

Wow, I thought. She's got a lot of shit down here. Whatever, this is my room for now, so this stuff is mine for the time being.

Checking my clothing in the mirror, I adjusted my ushanka, fixed my belt, and holstered my pistol. Maybe I'll take a walk around town, get a better feel for the area. Maybe buy something, if the shopkeepers don't shit bricks when they see me. Seeing that I was ready, I walked up the stairs, opened the door, and approached Twilight.

"Hey," I began. "Not to sound ungrateful, but could I maybe have some spending money?"

"Yeah, sure. Just let me go and get some for you." Waiting patiently, I wondered what I should do. Most of the ponies had probably seen me already from the whole 'burning research' fiasco, so other than a few stares, I should be fine. I was pull from my thoughts by the sound of jingling coins.

"Here you are. decided to be extremely generous and give you 75 bits." Dropping a brown bag of coins into my hand, I thanked her.

"I have no knowledge of Equestrian currency, so is this a lot or a little?" I asked

"Well, purchasing necessities for yourself should take up about a third of that, leaving the rest for you to spend as you see fit. Our currency system works to where different coins have different values. Copper bits are worth one, gold bits are worth five, silver are worth ten, and platinum are worth fifty." She explained. Nodding, I continued on my way out the door, and began to stroll about the town. As expected, I got many stares, in addition to mothers keeping their children as far from me as possible. Like I cared. Some of the patrolling guards sized me up, others just ignored me. I continued to admire the quaint little hamlet, until I felt something tugging at my belt. Whipping around, I found a pegasus with my coin pouch in its' mouth. It's eyes widened, and it ran, pissed, I gave chase, until it flew. Then I was REALLY pissed. I drew my pistol, and with expert marksmanship, shot it in the flank. I heard it scream in pain, and fall to the ground. I walked up to the pony, looking as threatening as possible.

"D-don't hurt me anymore! Please!" The pony, who was obviously female pleaded, tears streaming from her eyes.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"P-Pad Hoof."

"Listen, Pad Hoof. Unless you want me to aim for your head, I suggest you never touch me agai--" I was interrupted by a few guardsponies, all pointing pikes at me.

"Stop! You have committed crimes against Equestria and its' ponies! What say you in your defence?!" The middle one asked.

"She attempted to steal my money, so I shot her. She'll be fine, you just need to have a doctor dig out the bullet, and treat it like an arrow wound."

"I-I have a filly at home! Please, I just need money to feed her!"

"Look, you could have just asked. I would have gladly given you a good bit of money. You don't have to steal. I'll even pay for the doctor's bill!" I said, feeling bad for the mare.

"You still committed assault, ape!" One of the guards shouted at me.

"Me? Assault?! How is that assault if she made the first move? It's called self defense, look it up!"

"Look, we'll let you off the hook, but we'll keep an eye in you." They replied, reluctantly.

"Just get her to a doctor, this should cover the bill. Let her keep what's left." Handing the guardspony 50 bits, they carried her off, to the nearest doctor.

I visited the shops, walked about the town, and eventually reached the library. Pushing open the door, I was greeted by six ponies, all enjoying some quality time.

"Ah! Aleksandr! Perfect timing!" Twilight said cheerfully.

"Evening, ladies." I said, smiling.

"Anyway, we'll begin in a few minutes. Is there anything I can get you?"

"Got any booze?" I asked, hoping for vodka.

"Umm... No. You would have to go to the bar for that."

"Damn!"

"Anyway, Let's begin, shall we? Let's have a proper introduction. I'm Twilight, She's Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, and she's Pinkie Pie. I'll go first. You said you were a soldier, correct?"

"Да."

"Of what army? What was your role?"

"I was a Sniper of the Red Army, under the rank of Sergeant."

"What's a sniper?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"A sniper is a soldier who uses a sniper rifle, similar to the long one I use. They usually lie in wait, using said rifle to take accurate shots from long range, in order to pick off enemy soldiers."

"What is that hat you were wearing?" Rarity asked.

"That is my Ushanka."

"DO YOU LIKE PARTIES?!?!?!?!?" Pinkie Pie screamed at me.

"Нет!"

"I have no idea what that means, so I'm gonna take that as a yes!"

"No other questions?" The other two hook their heads.

"Alright, goodnight then." Returning to my quarters, I sighed.

Oh, I really need a drink.

And You Are...?

Chapter 4: And You Are...?

Sleep. I usually dreaded sleep. Then again, I hated everything. I have good reasons to hate sleeping, mind you. Some Wehrmacht asshole could easily slit my throat and I usually dreamt about the war. My dreams were usually about fallen comrades, or the horrors of WWII. Tonight, was the latter of the two. I had a nightmare about my good friend Yuri.

///\\

"Hey Yuri, how's your family?" I asked while cleaning my SVT-40.

"I just got a letter from home last night. My little brother just turned 9. Mother's fine. Sadly, father's sick, but the doctors say he should recover. What about yours?" He said.

"According to the letter I received two weeks ago, they should be just fine. You know, I just hope we return from all of this." I answered. We were in a destroyed building, talking quietly amongst ourselves.

"Yeah, me too Aleks, me too." We continued to talk, unaware of the amount of danger we were in.

"I'm gonna check the perimeter, I'll be right ba--" He was going to walk around, but was interrupted by a German soldier, wearing a manic grin. This particular German had a Flammenwerfer on his back, which was pointed at Yuri.

"Беги!" I screamed. I was too late. The Nazi pulled the trigger, and a long gout of flaming liquid engulfed Yuri. The insane Nazi laughed his head off as Yuri was screaming in agony.

"YURI!!!! NOOOOOOOO!" I screamed, all the while anger burning in my heart. Fixing my bayonet, I kicked the German in his stomach, sending him flying into the street. In a fit of rage, I stabbed him repeatedly in the chest, effectively killing him. Rushing over to my mortally wounded friend, he spoke to me, fighting back screams. His voice was barely a whisper, but I remember what he said, verbatim.

"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live." He croaked out, before he drew his last breath.

"Goodbye friend, I'll forever remember you." He was the first friend I lost to those bastards. For some odd reason, everything stopped. Turning around I found a midnight blue alicorn, with a moon cutie mark. She was looking at me, tears in her eyes.

"You must be Aleksandr." She said to me.

"Yes. What is your name?"

"Princess Luna, co-ruler of Equestria." Same as with Celestia, I sharply saluted her. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that. I could have stopped this dream, prevent the emotional stress, but my curiosity got the better of me. I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine. These nightmares emphasize who I am, and why I am fighting. Strangely, they help me keep going."

"How can such a dream be good? If that's how you cope, that's fine, although it's strange. It's almost time for me to turn in for the day, so I'll wake you up. Safe travels, Aleksandr."

"Same to you, Princess."

"Before I go, the Grand Galloping Gala is coming up in a few days, and I'm currently talking my sister into inviting you. If you have any questions, all you need to do is ask."

"Да, I will keep that in mind."

Нет.

Chapter 5: Нет.

Slowly waking up, I stretched, groaned, and carried out my new routine. I checked my weapons, to make sure Twilight didn't tinker with them. I opted to just walk around in my pants and undershirt. It was too warm for my greatcoat and ushanka. I holstered my Tokarev, satisfied at it's comforting weight in my holster. I did a few stretches, jumping-jacks, push-ups, and went up for breakfast. I sat down at the table, and noticed the chairs were much too small for me. That mattered little to me. I preferred my meals 'to-go'. I grabbed a few apples off the table, dropped them into my satchel. I picked up a buttered roll and began to nibble on it, savoring it's fresh-baked flavor. I was about to leave, when I noticed a small purple lizard... Thing staring at me. Once it noticed I was looking back at it, it made a poor attempt to look as if it wasn't staring, busying itself with dusting.

Is it Twilight's pet? If it is, I wonder how she taught it to clean the library. Strange. I thought. Continuing with my original plan of a morning jog, I finished off the roll and began to run around the perimeter of the town. I still got some stares and glances, and some went as far as insulting me, yelling things such as 'Monster!', 'Ape!' or even 'Get out of our town!'. I still didn't care. They didn't like me, that's their problem. Fuck them. I continued to jog, ignore the ponies' taunts, until I reached a bar. Finally! Thank god I kept my money in my satchel. Sauntering up to the bar, I heard music and laughter inside. This was odd, as bars were only really busy at night. I pushed open the door, and all sound stopped. All of the bar's occupants were staring at me. Some were too drunk to care, and went back to what they were doing. Others glared at me. I walked up to the counter, and sat down.

"What the buck do you want, ape?" The bartender sneered. Some "ooh's" were heard.

"Give me a shot of vodka. How much?" I replied nonchalantly.

"Why should I serve you?"

"You're forgetting I'm the one who can kill you without even getting up from this chair. I would change my attitude if I were you."

"Really? I highly doubt that."

Drawing my pistol, I took aim at one of the bottles behind the pony. I pulled the trigger, and the large bottle of bourbon shattered, spraying everyone within ten feet with hard liquor. Everyone had their hooves over their ears, some wincing in pain.

"Believe me now, horse?"

"Okay, okay! Don't shoot me! Take the whole bottle!" He handed me a rather large bottle of vodka, and I smiled triumphantly.

"Glad we could reach an agreement." I said, leaving.

///\\

I returned to the library, and it was late afternoon. I entered the library, and saw Twilight sitting on her haunches, a letter hovering in front of her face.

"Oh, hey Aleksandr! I just got a letter from the Princesses, and it says you, in addition to us, have been invited to the Grand Galloping Gala. Aren't you excited?" She was practically bouncing off the walls.

"I don't even know what this 'Grand Galloping Gala' is!"

"Oh... Well, it's a formal event were a bunch of noble-ponies gather for a large ball-type event. There's food, music, and dancing. Besides, it's a great place to make friends."

"Нет. I do not want to go."

"The princesses want you there."

"Fine! I'll go, only out of respect."

"Glad you could see reason." She said smugly.

"Wait, when is this going to be?"

"We go tomorrow."

"What?! Why did they send the invitation a fucking day before the event?!"

"I think she means it as a test for us. To see if we can get something done on a moments notice."

"Whatever you say." I ate the apples I had in my bag as my small dinner, and went back to the basement. I went to check my weapons, only to find that there were multiple boxes of ammunition for my weapons, about 250 rounds of 7.62x54mmR, 300 7.92x33mm Kurz, and 400 7.62x25mm Tokarev.

Wait, WHAT?! How?! Why?! I gasped in shock when I saw what else had been added. A PPSh-41, with drum magazines. This was beyond strange. This was bat-shit-crazy.

"Twilight!" I called upstairs.

"Coming!" She opened the door, and trotted toward me.

"Did you happen to get any guns?"

"Y-yeah... Princess Luna teleported them to me... One with weird pan-shaped things, In addition to a couple heavy boxes. I don't know what the crates contain. Seeing how you reacted last time I took any of them, I just gave them to you. I hope you like them."

"Thanks, I am very grateful. I really like them already. Hell, I should join the Equestrian military at this rate! But... How did she get these?"

"She didn't say."

"So, about this 'Grand Galloping Gala' thing. Do I need a suit? Either way I don't have one. The most formal-looking thing is my greatcoat and ushanka."

"I guess you can go in that, but you may want to see Rarity about cleaning it up." I inspected the submachine gun, and checked for any errors. It was in perfect condition. The metal had a new black finish, and unlike most I saw, it had a finished stock. The parts were clean and polished to mirror sheen, the sights were dead-on, and it was just perfect. I was trusting that the princess didn't reverse engineer it, but I had to ask her anyway. I could tell her how muskets were made... I think she would appreciate it. It was the least I could do to repay her.

At The Gala

Chapter 6: At The Gala

The next morning, I ate my breakfast, and set off to find Rarity's boutique. I carried my greatcoat draped over my arm with my ushanka on my head. I continued to walk around the town for about an hour, and eventually realized I didn't know where the fuck I was going. Looking around, I found the best pony to ask for directions: a guard.

"Excuse me miss," I began.

"Yes?" The mare replied.

"Could you point me to the Carousel Boutique?"

"Just continue down this road east and you should see it. You can't miss it." I nodded to her, and followed her directions. I eventually found the place, and nearly gagged at it's color scheme.

Ugh, does everything here have to be brightly colored? I walked up to the tacky building, and pushed open the glass door. A bell rang, and a female voice called from a few rooms away.

"I'll be right there!" I sat down in a chair, but remembered I would probably break it. I opted to stand and wait patiently. I held up my coat, and noticed how much caked mud, dried blood, and holes there were. I must have put it through a lot of abuse. I waited for another five minutes, and the sound of clopping hooves was heard. A stark white unicorn trotted in through the door, and smiled at me.

"Good morning, Rarity."

"Same to you, Aleksandr. What can I do for you on this fine day?"

"All I need is for these to get cleaned up."

"Oh, my! I simply cannot let you wear that! That is an insult to fashion!"

"This isn't some fashion item, Rarity. It's part of my battle dress. All I need is for you to clean it off, and fix the holes. That is all."

"Oh, I can do that within the hour."

"How much?"

"Oh, it's free, since it's your first time here. I am the element of generosity after all." I nodded and smiled.

"Wait, what are you and your friends going in?

"We all have dresses, some simpler than others. They are strictly for special occasions." I sat in the corner, and began to strip my pistol while she worked. I cleaned the parts, inspected for any damage and reassembled it. I practiced a few combat maneuvers such as cornering, reloading, quick-drawing, and a few others.

"Alright, I'm done. What are you doing?"

"Oh, uh, just some combat exercises. Thank you for fixing up my clothes."

"Think nothing of it, dearie." It was only then I noticed what she had done to them. The holes looked as if they were never there, and the stains were completely gone. My ushanka looks brand new, it was cleaned, and the Red Star was polished to a mirror sheen. Now, we just had to catch the train, and we set off.

///\\

We were all gathered at the train station, the ponies were wearing simple-ish dresses, and I wore my coat and hat. They had packed a few suitcases, while I just had my Tokarev and PPSh, in addition to some spare rounds. I had my knife tucked into my boots and my SMG hanging from my shoulder.

"Is everypony ready?" Twilight asked.

"Yep"

"Yeah!"

"Yes."

"Y-yes."

"Yup."

"Да."

We all filed into the train, and sat down. Most ponies scooted away from me, some staring. I didn't care. I gazed upon the beautiful Equestrian countryside. Maybe living here won't be as bad as I thought. The locals are okay, the food is good, the weather's nice, and the countryside looks nice. I was snapped out of my thoughts when Twilight spoke to me.

"Aleksandr, do you always have to carry those things around wherever you go? It's not like we're in a warzone!"

"You never know. Besides, I want ponies to know I mean business. To know not to fuck with me."

"But they're afraid of you! How is that good?"

"That is exactly what I want. I want to be feared. I am part of the Red Army. I must act the part."

"I still don't like it. You should be more friendly!"

"Look, I just came from Berlin! Give me a break for fuck's sake!"

"Okay, okay! I'll leave you alone then!" By now everyone in the car was staring at me.

"What the fuck are you all staring at?!" They all jumped and looked away. The rest of the ride was uneventful. I would get the occasional glance from a pony, I would stare at the passing land, or hum a simple tune to myself. One pony actually had the balls to talk to me. She was a grey mare with a black mane. She had a treble-clef cutie mark.

"Are you going to the Gala?"

"Да."

"Do you like music?"

"Да."

"Do you play anything?"

"My parents made me take piano lessons when I was small. Do you play anything?

"I'm a cellist. I'm playing this year at the Gala. How good are you?"

"I only know a few songs. You know, I may just play at the Gala. I can probably make some arrangements with the princesses."

"What do you mean?"

"I want to make a good impression."

"No, by 'Make arrangements with the princesses'?"

"They invited me here, so I can probably just ask nicely."

"Wow! They personally invited you? That's such an honor! Either way, what song would you play?"

"You'll see. What is your name?"

"Octavia. I already know yours. Word gets around." Our conversation was cut short by the train whistle announcing our arrival.

"Well, I look forward to seeing you at the Gala." I finished. The ponies filed out of the train, and we regrouped at the station platform. We all gathered our bags, and were on our way. We had small conversations on our way to the castle. After about 45 minutes of walking, we reached the castle gates.

"Halt," Shouted the guard. "Please present your tickets." Twilight handed him the tickets and the letter. Instead of a ticket, the princess wrote that I am to be allowed entry in the letter. The guard nodded, and we proceeded into the large structure. We passed by multiple guards, who nodded to me. The nobles just gave me disgusted glares. I flipped them off. It's a vicious cycle. We eventually reached the dining room and the princesses looked up from their conversations when we entered. They beckoned us over to their table, and pointed at seven reserved seats, each had our names on them.

"So nice of you all to join us!" Princess Celestia greeted warmly.

"I trust you're well, Aleksandr?" Said Princess Luna.

"Good evening to all of you." I said smiling.

"Auntie, why must you let this ape sit at our table? Last I checked it was for royalty only!"

"And special guests!" Celestia said with a glare.

"Blueblood, I will not allow you to insult our guests! Hold your tongue!" Luna chastised.

"Apologies..." Blueblood replied, glaring daggers at me.

"Anyway, we're here tonight, that's all that matters. What has been going on with you all?"

"Nothing special, just having to listen to nobles ramble on about their petty requests." Celestia replied.

"Same here. You know Aleks, I enjoy being able to have a conversation as equals. That is one of the things I like about you. I dislike all of the formalities. You need not call me 'princess' every time you address me. Simply call me Luna." Said Luna, smiling at me.

"Thank you for the compliment. Anyway, I have a few things I've been meaning to tell you."

"What might they be?" Celestia asked.

"The first, is I wish to join the Equestrian Military. I have the perfect skill set for it, and I've seen heavy combat. I would be perfect."

"You would have to go through initiation, but we can make arrangements. I think you would be perfect for it." Luna said.

"Secondly, I know I am making many requests, but, is there any way I can make a surprise performance at the show tonight?"

"What do you plan on playing?"

"Oh, just one song on a piano. That is all."

"That can be arranged." Soon after, dinner was served, and we all enjoyed a meal together. Laughs were had, stories were shared, and food was eaten.

*///\*

A few hours after dinner, the show started. Multiple ponies performed, but I wasn't really impressed. Then, Octavia, the pony I met on the train trotted onstage, holding a cello. She began to play, and to be honest, I enjoyed her much more than the other ponies. When she finished, I clapped, and waved to her. A grand piano was wheeled onto stage shortly after she finished. Soon after, a male voice was heard, sounding like it was coming from all around us. Probably magic.

"And now, a surprise performance from... Aleksandr!" The ponies stared at me as I walk up onto the stage. I sat behind the piano, and they fell silent. Unlike the other ponies, my song had more energy to it. Everyone else's was too... Weak. I lifted my hands up to the keys, and began to play.

Youtube Video

"Wow! That was great!" Said Luna.

"That was definitely the best song I've heard in a while!" Celestia complimented.

"I thought it was rubbish!" Said Blueblood bitterly.

"I didn't ask for your opinion, Blueballs."

"Anyway, Flash Sentry will lead you to your rooms for tonight." She said, nodding to an orange-coated guard. He did as he was told, and we were escorted to our rooms. We all bid each other goodnight, and entered our temporary quarters. I stripped down to my underclothes, and hid my SMG under my bed. I kept my knife and pistol on my bedside table, and fell into a deep sleep.

Pompous Little Prick

Chapter 7: Pompous Little Prick

I was jolted awake by the sound of hooves slamming on the door.

"Hey! Hey! Wake up! It's time for breakfast!" I recognized that voice. It was that pompous little prick from last night's dinner; Blueblood. I didn't like this little fucker. Doesn't he realize who he's messing with? Quickly getting myself ready, I showered, combed my hair, and dressed myself. I straightened my coat in the mirror, sheathed my knife and snatched up my pistol, leaving my SMG in my wardrobe. The little dickhead slammed on the door, only louder this time.

"Hey! Ape! Are you almost done in there?!" I don't have time for this. Stomping over to the door, I threw it open, revealing a smug-looking Blueblood. "I see you're awake. How are you?" He said sarcastically, grinning.

"Fan-fucking-tastic!" I said, smiling widely, before pistol whipping him across the face.

"Aaaaaah! Help! Guards! Seize him!" Damn. I hit him hard. He was bleeding profusely from his nose, and I knocked a few of his teeth out. A small group of guards sprinted in, spears pointing in my direction. They lowered them after seeing who was there, and began to carry him to the infirmary.

"What are you doing?! Seize him!" The guards shrugged, and carried him past me. I got a few 'Good hit!" and "Nice one, Aleksandr!"'s whispered to me as they passed. Clearly, no-one liked him. Good. I continued to walk to the kitchen, which was right next to the dining hall. I entered, and saw the chefs working tirelessly. A few of them looked up at me, but gave respectful nods before returning to their cooking. One of them trotted up to me, I assumed he was the head chef, or something like that.

"Hello, you must be the Aleksandr fellow I've heard so much about, yes?"

"Да. The one and only."

"What brings you here on this fine morning?"

"I just wanted to have a look around. Besides, I was going to get some breakfast."

"Ah, so, what will it be, hmm?"

"Just a buttered roll, a bowl of fruit, and some coffee. Dark roast if you have it."

"How would you like your coffee?"

"Whole milk, not too much sugar."

"Alright then. You heard him! Get to it! It will be ready in a few minutes. It'll be on the counter when it's ready." Nodding, I proceeded to sit down in the dining room, and waited patiently. I began to inspect something I hadn't touched since boot-camp: my gas mask. It had sat in my mask bag for the entire time I was in the service, and it miraculously had no damage to it. My маска-08's hose was un-punctured, the filter had next-to-none in the way of dents, the lenses were un-cracked, the face-piece wasn't dry rotted, and the harness was in one piece. I practiced some fitting drills, and was interrupted by a pony calling my name.

"Your meal's ready, Aleksa-- Sweet Celestia! What is that on your face?!" She looked slightly disturbed.

"Oh! Sorry!" Quickly removing my mask, I draped it over my shoulder and took the plate and sat down. It was just as I asked, a roll, coffee, and a small bowl of fruit. I munched happily on the roll, ate the sweet fruit pieces, and gulped down my coffee. I hadn't had real coffee in a while. A maid took my plate, and I set off to find the princess. She was most likely in the throne room. I found it, and entered the large room. I was about to approach her, but she was in the middle of listening to some random pony babble about a problem. It just happened to be Blueballs, who looked as if I never hit him. Magic! Wooo! Fuck physics!

"And there he is," He said, whipping around to face me. "Oh, you're really going to get it now, ape!"

"Simmer down, Blueblood. With how you've been treating him lately, I think you deserved it." Celestia deadpanned. Ouch. Not even she likes him.

"Morning, Blueballs." I said, grinning at the little asshole.

"I swear, you both will pay, mark my words!" He shouted before storming off.

"Ugh, I should just strip him of his title and kick him out. Anyway, what brings you here today?"

"I just wanted to ask when I can join the military here. I need a job, after all."

"Yes, yes. Of course, all you need to do is gather your belongings from Ponyville, and we can begin. You may set out today, if you like."

"Да I will leave at once." I left, and jogged back to my room. I collected my SMG, ammo, and put my ushanka atop my head. I resumed my departure, and stopped at the palace gates. I checked over my equipment, seeing I had my PPSh, Tokarev, ammo, and my knife. I held my SMG across my chest and jogged down to the train station. I kept glancing at the upper windows, checking for enemy snipers. Then I remembered where I was, and felt like an idiot. I reached the train station, and boarded one of the rearmost cars. This one was completely empty. Good. I decided to get some rest before I arrived.

///\\

The train had arrived in Ponyville, and I had arrived at Golden Oaks Library. I entered, and was surprised to see Twilight organizing the book shelves.

"Wait, I thought you were still in Canterlot?" I said, confused.

"Oh, good afternoon, Aleks. My friends and I left early." I nodded, and went down to the basement to retrieve my weapons. I found an old black duffle bag and put my sniper rifle, SMG, AR and ammo boxes into. Jeez, this bag had a lot of space. I walked up the stairs, and bid Twilight farewell.

"Goodbye, Twilight."

"Wait! Where are you going?! You can't leave! Where are you going to stay?"

"I'm moving to Canterlot. Don't worry, I'll write."

"Why?"

"Potential job as a Royal Guard." Before she could respond, I was out the door, and making my way to the train station. I went to my previous spot, and found it to still be empty. To pass the time, I stripped, cleaned and loaded my weapons. For the rest of the way, I sharpened and polished my knife.

///\\

I walked down the streets of Canterlot, and received many confused stares. I resumed my journey to the castle, and it was around 4:00PM. I found the princess, and found that she was talking to Shining Armor. Shit. I forgot I would be taking orders from him.

"There you are, Aleksandr. I just finished talking to Shining Armor about you joining the Royal Guard. He accepts, but believes you shouldn't keep your original rank. Do you accept?" Said Celestia.

"Can I at least be higher than Private?"

"No."

"Damn! So, when do we begin? I'm going to ignore the fact that you just insulted me as a Red Army soldier."

"We will start your initiation shortly. If you would follow me?"

"Да. Please tell me I don't have to wear that shitty armor."

"You will have a set custom made for you."

"I refuse to wear it. It is heavy, and useless in combat."

"Then how will ponies know who you are?"

"I will have a duplicate set of clothing similar to what I am wearing. I will have it tailored to have gold accents, and the ushanka will have the equestrian symbol instead of a Red Star. Maybe an armband with the Equestrian insignia on it. What do you think of it?"

Hesitantly, he replied. "Fine. We're here." We were in the training grounds, and a bat-pony thing was sitting on it's haunches, waiting for us.

"Now, if you can beat Night Blade, You're in. He's gone undefeated for over 6 years. Don't kill each other. No weapons, no armor. Have fun, you two." I removed my ushanka and coat, and put all of my weapons into the duffle bag. Placing them to the side, I cracked my knuckles, and dropped into a fighting stance.

"Bring it, horse."

Medic!

Chapter 8: Medic!

"Bring it, horse." Enraged, the bat-pony charged at me, looking to take me down in one blow. He stood on his hind legs, and assumed a fighting stance. He aimed his hoof-strike at my head, which I dodged with practiced efficiency. He was an offensive fighter. He was looking to make the first move, and the last. I, on the other hand, was not. I tired my enemy out, and when they are worn down, I go in for the kill. He continued to throw swift punches at me, one actually hitting me, although it was just a tap. He got a little cocky, and decided to throw heavier punches at me. This made him vulnerable. His strikes were slower and sloppier. He was nowhere near hitting me. I was like a Spanish bull fighter; I let him charge at me, then moved from his path at the last second.

"C'mon! Is... Is that all you got?!" He panted. He was showing signs of fatigue. His punches were weaker, and slower. Seeing this as my chance, I intercepted his next punch by grabbing his hoof. I pulled him forward, and brought my elbow down on his hoof. I heard a sickening crunch, and saw his leg bend at an unnatural angle. He fell back, and was screaming in pain, clutching his hoof to his chest.

"Aleksandr is the winner! He has ended Shadowhunt's winning streak! Medic!" Shining announced to the crowd of guards present. Some cheers and boo's were heard, and Shining approached me. I gathered my equipment, and dressed myself. He led me off the field, and through a hallway. Then, I was holding back my anger for him, not wanting to make a bad impression out in public. We were alone, and I let my anger resurface. This bastard stripped me of my rank. He won't walk away unharmed. I pistol-whipped him in the side of the head, and pinned him against the wall by his neck.

"Listen, you son of a bitch! You openly insulted me in public by stripping me of my rank. I am a sergeant of the Red Army. Do you know how many Nazis I've killed, how many bodies I've crawled over, how many comrades I've lost to get to where I am now?! How dare you make me a Private! This is a slap... No, a fucking rifle-butt to the face in terms of honor! What if you were wrongly demoted from captain? I doubt you would like that. Now, allow me my original ranking, or I swear, there will be hell to pay for you..." I said, pressing my knife to his throat.

"O-okay, okay! Let me go! You can be a sergeant! I'm sorry!" He choked out.

"Yes, thank you." I said, smiling triumphantly. He coughed, and dusted himself off. Glaring daggers at me, he led me to the training grounds. There were ponies of all shapes and sizes practicing different skills. I wanted to scare them. Make it known I am better than them. I fitted my gas mask, removed my Sturmgewehr from my duffle bag, and shouldered it. Some trainees looked up at me, but quickly returned to what they were doing, obviously not wanting to incur my wrath. Shining led me to an steel-grey pony, observing the recruits' performance.

"Hello, Iron Clad. How are the recruits faring?"

"They are doing an average job. Nothing new. Is this Aleksandr?" Iron replied.

"Да. The one and only. A pleasure to meet you, Iron Clad. I assume you will be showing me the ropes, correct?" I said, voice muffled by my mask.

"Likewise. Yes, but judging from what I've heard, and saw at the sparring match between you and Shadowhunt, you will not need additional training. I will simply be telling you the rules. We will begin later today, after lunch. I look forward to seeing you then." We parted ways, and I dropped off my bag at my room. I removed my Nagant's scope, and used it as an infantry rifle. It's familiar weight in my hands comforted me, and reminded me of home. Ah, the memories I've had with this rifle. Slinging it to my back, I headed down to the kitchen for lunch.

///\\

Finishing my meal, I checked my equipment, which consisted of my Nagant and Tokarev. letting my mask hang over my shoulder, I speed-walked down to the training grounds. Finding the earth-pony from before, he began my 'initiation'. This was just laying down some rules for me.

"First, do not attack unless attacked." He began. "Secondly, you must protect the princesses at all costs. Thirdly, you must refrain from using deadly force, only use it as a last resort. Finally, respect your peers. Any questions?"

"No, I understand. It is an honor to serve here." I replied, saluting.

"Good to hear it. Oh, and one last thing, the captain put in an order for your new uniform. It will be made to your specifications. He said something about it being an altered copy of what you are wearing as of now." Nodding, I walked away, looking to find something to do. I found a crate of empty bottles, in addition to an area free of those annoying ponies. I set the bottles in a row about 100 meters away from me, and took aim with my rifle. Inhale slowly, exhale as you fire. Relax your muscles, depress trigger slowly. I recited the words that have been burned into my head since boot camp. As I fired, a bottle exploded, sending bits of glass in all directions. I cycled the bolt, and repeated those actions another four times. I reloaded, and after putting the fifth round into my rifle and closing the bolt, I noticed I had a small audience. Some of the maids and guards had come to watch me 'work my magic' with my rifle. I was a pretty good shot, even without a scope. Some of the other recon snipers envied me, but respected my skill with a rifle. Some of the ponies applauded when I fired, impressed by my marksmanship. Not wanting to waste anymore rifle ammo, I holstered it, and swept up the glass shards with a broom I found. Maybe they'll 'warm up to me' faster than I thought.

How About No?

Chapter 9: How About No?

After blowing some shit up with my rifle, I went to check in with Shining Asshole. Heh. I like that nickname. I jogged about the castle, better familiarizing myself with the layout. Eventually, I came across a sign that read "ARMORY -->" And had a picture of a sword behind a shield. I'll have to stop by sometime. Besides, I may need something more cost effective in the future. After all, my ammunition is limited. A bow or sword would help me save ammo, as arrows are plentiful here. I still needed to find Shining. I decided to ask one of the guards of his whereabouts. She was a small "Normal" mare. I hadn't yet learned much about the ponies' anatomy or culture.

"Excuse me, miss," I began.

"Y-yes?" She asked timidly.

"Can you point me to the captain?"

"H-he's in his office, near the b-barracks. Please don't hurt me..." Aww... Poor girl was scared shitless. She was shaking in terror, and looked pretty young, too. I quickly left, as to keep her from pissing herself. Am I really that intimidating? I want ponies to fear me, but not be utterly terrified by my presence. Maybe I should take Twilight's advice, and be a little friendlier. But how? That was for me to find out. I kept walking, spinning my pistol on my finger, like an American cowboy. I passed the usual guards and nobles, who were slightly less hostile than before. After about fifteen minutes of walking, I reached the barracks, and found Shining's office near it. I rapped on the door, and his voice called from the inside.

"Enter." Following his instructions, I pushed the door open, and saw him busy with a stack of paperwork.

"Afternoon, Sir."

"Ah, Aleksandr. Anyway, what brings you to my office?"

"I came to ask a few questions."

"Well? Let's hear them. I have things to do."

"Firstly, when will my uniform be here?"

"It will arrive at the quartermaster sometime tomorrow or the morning after."

"Will I be able to acquire a new weapon from the armory?"

"Why would you ever want something from the armory? The best we have are cap-lock muskets. A recent addition to the armory, in fact." He replied, raising an eyebrow.

"I can't go around wasting bullets. A sword or bow would be more cost effective."

"I will send a weapon package form to the quartermaster. Pick it up at your leisure."

"What type of rank is sergeant, in the equestrian army?"

"Pretty high up there. You will have a squad of 10-15, maybe 20 if you're lucky. You can either pick some new recruits, or choose a squad with an opening for Sergeant."

"Finally, does the castle have a library?"

"Yes, in the recreation area, in the eastern section of the castle."

"Thank you. Have a nice day sir. But before I go, when is my first assignment."

"Tomorrow." Nodding, I left his office. I walked about for a while, and headed back to my room. On the way, I decided to check out the armory. (Substitute guns for medieval weapons and muskets, and people with ponies.) I saw an old unicorn stallion sitting behind the counter, and multiple other ponies working tirelessly on weapons of all shapes and sizes. Swords, bows, spears, a few muskets, and armor. The one who I assumed to be the quartermaster, looked up from his work, and reluctantly beckoned me over to the counter.

"Hello, Aleksandr. What brings you to our humble armory?" I heard the slightest bit of disdain in his voice.

"I would like to see what you have in terms of weaponry." I replied, folding my arms.

"Fine, if you would follow me. Stupid ape... Just had to bother me." He lead me to a large room, with multiple weapon racks. Each was lined with a variety of weapons. Longbows, shortbows, recurve bows, composite bows, crossbows, greatswords, war axes, war hammers, long swords, broadswords, bastard swords, gladii, daggers, shortswords, carbine rifles, full size rifles, and the list goes on. Fuck the armor, I won't go into detail on those piles of shit.

"Do you have a pen and paper I can borrow?" I asked him.

"Yes." He trotted back to the desk, and came back with a clip-board and quill. I thanked him, and walked past the weapons. I used the paper to record the ones I wanted:

Weapons:

Bastard Sword
Recurve Bow
Dagger
Gladius
War axe

"Thank you. I will return later." Stuffing the paper into my pocket, I wasted the rest of the day jogging around the castle. During that time, I began to think about my current situation. Why am I here? Am I part of something important? Will I ever return home? Can I truly start a new life here? Did the Soviets win the war? How is my family faring? I thought, becoming saddened by my thoughts of home. Soon, it was night, and I was tired. I just wanted to get away from it all. I returned to my room, and turned in for the night.

What Kind of Compounds?

Chapter 10: What Kind of Compounds?

After the lovely talk with the armorer, I set out for the library. After all, I will need to know as much as I can about this land I will (hopefully not) be staying in for the rest of my life. I walked for a while, and quietly sang a song as I went. I had a bounce to my step as I walked, probably from the song I was singing. It reminded me of my home, and the great Soviet Union. I walked for a bit, and eventually came across what I assumed to be the "recreation area". It was a large courtyard, with multiple ponies milling about, some reading, some chatting, others simply relaxing. Looking around, I saw a hanging sign, which read "Canterlot Castle Library --->". I followed the sign, walking down a long painting-lined hallway. The hallway led to a large archway leading to the library. Entering, I noticed how large the place was. There were three whole floors, lined with books, books, and guess what? Books! There was an old unicorn mare sitting behind the desk reading what appeared to be an *ahem*, adult magazine. I needed to know where to look in the library to find what I needed.

"Excuse me miss," I began, and smiled when she jumped, stuffing the magazine under her desk, blushing furiously.

"Y-yes, how may I help you? Make it quick." She replied, still blushing.

"Where would I find books on Equestrian History, Pony anatomy and local fauna?"

"History is on the second floor, right side, in the corner. Medicine and anatomy is on the first floor, near the stairs., left side, in the middle. Plantlife and fauna is on this floor, in the back." Thanking her, I set out to find these books. I found the ecology section, and perused the shelves. I found "Menacing Monsters: A Traveler's Guide to the Dangers of the Equestrian Wilderness", and "Of Plants and Ponies: Equestrian Plants And Where To Find Them". Moving on, I stumbled upon the Medicine and Chemistry section. Intrigued, I walked down the aisle, and found a few interesting tomes. "Herbal Medicine: Volume 1", "Herbal Medicine Volume 2", And "Pony Anatomy for Idiots". I also found another interesting book on dangerous chemicals and how to make them. Why the fuck that was in a public library, I didn't know. I stuffed the chemical book in my coat, not wanting to be seen with it, for fear of being placed on some list of criminals and terrorists or something. Either way, it could help me later on. I will not bore you any further by describing my oh, so fun adventure in the library. In short, I collected nooks on World history, checked them out, and dropped them off at my room. I picked up my papasha, and returned to the armory. I jogged down, and returned to the old stallion sitting behind the counter.

"It's you. Hi." He deadpanned. "The guard captain sent a weapon requisition form for you. I need you to read it, and sign at the bottom."

I read the form, whitch contained mostly terms and conditions, such as to only use them in self defence, blah, blah, legal shit, blah, blah. I kept reading, until I read that I could only have 3. And they were to be kept in my personal locker at all times, which I didn't have. Bullshit! I signed the form, but I wasn't going to let them keep them for me. I am a strong soviet man! I can wipe my own ass! I know how to handle a weapon! Fuck them and their rules! I may need some tutorials on how to use them, but I'll keep them. So what if they come after me for it. I'll kill them all. Why they would do that is beyond me. Anyway, back to business. I waltzed into the armory, plucked a recurve bow, bastard sword, and a war-axe off the wall. I threw them upon the desk, and he documented my choices.

"Do you even know how to use them?" He asked, concern evident in his voice. "I wouldn't want you charging out there and getting gutted because you can't use these, son."

"I have no fucking clue."

"Sweet Celestia, you need to sign up for some classes. Now scram." Taking my weapons, I dropped them off at my room, and went to the dining room, as it was around dinner time. I entered the dining room, and oddly enough, I found both princesses waiting for me at a table. I walked over, and when they saw me, their ears pinned back, and they looked sad, for some reason. Seeing this as a bad sign, I cautiously approached, and sat down across from them.

"Aleksandr, there is some good news, and some bad news. The good news is that you can return to your home."

"I can?! My god, thank you so much!" I practically shouted in excitement and happiness.

"But the bad news is, it will only last for a day, two at most. When the spell wears off, both of us will be physically and magically drained for a few days. Finally, the spell cannot be cast more than once. While most may see this as a waste, we are willing to use it on you." Luna replied, her voice solemn.

"O-okay then... I do not know how I will ever repay you..." I said, tears in my eyes. Now, do not call me weak for crying, this was a very emotional moment. Finally... I can say goodbye to my family... My head buzzing with thoughts, I ate my supper, and still shaken from the sudden revelation, turned in for the night.

Bittersweet

Chapter 11: Bittersweet

This was it. I, although temporarily, could return home. I threw on my coat and ushanka, donned my ammunition belt, holstered my TT-33, shouldered my papasha, and walked out the door. As I went about my day, I was actively searching for the royal sisters, eager to begin my journey home. After quite some looking, I found them both in Celestia's bedchambers. I found them with spell tomes stacked high in one corner, while they were drawing complex runes on the floor, all the while muttering incantations. Seeing that they required concentration, I decided to stand outside the door, next to her guards.

"Hey," I whispered to one of the guards, tapping him on the shoulder. "Do you know when they will finish?"

"Not exactly. They should be done within the hour. They have been working on this since about last night, nonstop." He replied emotionlessly, not even turning to face me. How rude. Anyway, I paced about the hall, admiring the hanging artwork and ornate architecture. After a while, I got bored and sat down and tapped my fingers to an improvised tune.

~--~

After about an hour and a half, the two alicorns walked out of the room, scanning the hallway. Standing up, I approached them.

"You two look like hammered shit. You should get some rest." I said, concerned for their health.

"Fear not, Aleksandr. We have been taking shifts. One of us works, the other rests. We changed every two hours. We can begin any time you like." Luna replied.

"Now is good, if you are okay with it, chuvak."

"'Chuvak?" Celestia said, raising an eyebrow.

"Is Russian slang. It is an informal word for friend, like calling someone 'dude'." They led me inside, motioning me to the center of he circle. I fixed my hat, and gave them the 'thumbs-up'.

"Alright, before we begin, you must clear your mind, as to prevent any unwanted accidents. Next, we need you to envision a clear image of your desired destination. Finally, make sure your belongings are secure, meaning put all loose objects into a bag or pocket. Also, hold onto your weapon and hat. When you are done, you just need to say my name, and tell me." Nodding, I stepped into the circle, slinging my SMG to my back, my palms sweaty. This is it. I thought, my heart racing. I followed her instructions, and checked my gear, slowed my breathing, and focused on an image of my family's farmhouse. I looked over at them, and nodded. They charged their horns, and prepared the spell. The few minutes of waiting felt like hours. Finally, they threw their heads forward, sending massive amounts of energy into the rune, myself included. I felt myself beginning to lose consciousness, then, white. My vision was filled with pure white light. Then, I blacked out.

////\\

As sunlight began to pierce my eyelids, I regained consciousness. Groggily, I sat up. Looking around, I saw some very familiar things. At long last, I was home. Scrambling to my feet, I noticed I was in a large open field, with tall weeds. It was rather warm, as it was probably the beginning of spring. Before I left, it was nearing the end of winter. Damn! Now the Germans were more likely to prevail, as they're more used to fighting in warm weather. I smiled, remembering the 'winter fritzes', Wehrmacht soldiers wrapped in tablecloths, blankets, tarps, and canvases, looking utterly ridiculous. They were unprepared for our harsh winters. Most froze to death. One does not simply invade Soviet Russia in winter. We will kick your asses. Anyway, back on topic. Checking my gear, making certain I looked presentable, I ran to my front door. Rapping loudly and rapidly, I awaited a response. I rocked back and forth on my heels, wondering if they were even home.

"I'll be right there, hold on!" It was my mother. After a few seconds, I heard the deadbolt slide open. The door opened a crack, and then swung open, revealing the astonished face of my mother.

"Did you miss me?" I said, grinning.

"Oh, Aleksandr, my baby! We got a letter saying you were dead! How are you here?! Please come inside!" She said breathlessly, tears in her eyes. I entered, hanging my ushanka on the hat rack, and leaning my PPSh against the wall. I began to walk around, old memories flooding back to me. I went into the dining room, and sat down. Within a few minutes, my whole family was in the room, hugging me tightly.

"While it is good to be back, I cannot stay forever."

"I thought you were-" Said my father.

"Yeah! Why can't you stay? I want you to stay! I missed you, big brother!" My little sister chimed in.

"Well, sit down, this will be a long story to tell. Natasha, please go to your room for a few minutes. I need to speak with mother and father for a few minutes." Reluctantly, she obeyed.

////\\

"How do we know the war hasn't made you crazy, and this was all in your mind?" My father said, skeptical about the whole 'Equestria' thing.

"Sweetie, I find it hard to believe as well."

"Well, the army doesn't lie. You received the letter, did you not? Then, tell me, how do you explain me being here? And I assure you, you are not dreaming."

"What letter?" I heard my sister say, who had just returned after I called her back in here. I felt a pang of sadness in my heart. She doesn't know I died. It saddens me to think of it, my sister asking why the war ended, but her brother didn't come back.

"Hush, Natasha."

"I know I shouldn't ask, but may I have a bit of money? I wish to buy clothes and ammunition before I return." My father had walked into the cellar, probably to fetch some rubles for me to spend. Hopefully. A few minutes later, he returned holding a fat envelope.

"Be my guest. I am proud of you for following in my footsteps of being in the military, even if it is in another dimension." Handing me the envelope, I opened it, to find that there were a whopping 800 rubles in it. Thanking him, I took a wooden crate from the cellar, and headed out into the town.

"Bye! I'll be back later this evening." I said, jogging down the long road leading to the little hamlet I used to call home.

////\\

Reaching the village square, I received many stares. Probably due to me being in uniform, hat and all. First, I needed clothes. I went to the local clothing shop, next to the seamstress. I tried on a few shirts, pairs of pants, and jackets. Satisfied, I took the items to the counter, and paid for them, the shopkeeper insisting I get a big discount, due to being in the service. Next stop was the cobbler. I bought a pair of running shoes, a pair of dress shoes, and normal boots. Finally, I went to the hunting shop. I perused his wares, and eventually bought a box of bulk 7.62x54r, and 7.62x25's meaning 100 of each. Luckily, they were on sale, for 25% off. Yay, me. On my way out, I saw a nice pump action hunting shotgun, mounted on a wall.

"How much for the shotgun?"

"100 rubles."

"Can you do 150, and throw in some shells?"

"Yep, that gives you the gun, 150 surplus buckshot shells, and some empty shells. For you, I am willing to go the extra kilometer." Ooh! Everyone was being awfully generous today. Probably out of pity. I threw him 150, leaving me with only 20 rubles. Finally, as a bonus, I went to the bakery and bought a fresh loaf of bread. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, and I started to walk home.

*////\\*

"I'm home!" I called as I opened the door. It was about dinner time, and my family was just sitting down for their evening meal.

"Ah, Aleks! You're just in time for dinner! I made your favorite." I quickly sat down, putting half of the loaf on the table.**

"Oh, and ma, I got a fresh loaf of bread. We can also have that." Hungrily, I sliced myself some bread, and began to eat my plate of potato Pirozhki. Ah, it was good to be back home...

*////\\*

Soon after, dinner ended. Here comes the sad part. It was time for me to leave. Forever.

"Mother, Father, Natasha, It is time for me to leave. It was great to return, but our time together must come to an end. A sad, but necessary parting. I will miss you all."

"Goodbye. Oh, how I will miss my little baby... I love you, Aleksandr." My mother said, sobbing.

"Farewell, son. No matter what, I want you to die fighting. Good luck." My father also wept.

"Don't go! I love you!" My sister said, crying as well.

"I know you do. I love you too. Here, take these. Something to remember me by." I said, handing her a few empty rifle casings.

"I will cherish these. Goodbye." Before I left, I went up to my old room. I wanted to get a few things, a few mementos of home. I took my old acoustic guitar, some of my childhood toys I had stuffed away, some old textbooks, and lastly, a picture of my family and I, smiling happily at the camera. I held the photo for a few minutes, not noticing the teardrop that fell on it. Gathering all of my belongings, my gun, and hat, I said a final goodbye, and made my way out into the field I appeared in.

"Well... Beam me up, Celestia..." I said forlornly. Within seconds, another flash engulfed me, and I was standing back in Celestia's room, both sisters nearly passed out from exhaustion. I picked both of them up, and placed them in the bed, Celestia spooning Luna. It was pretty cute, and both of them were too tired to object, and just went with it. Jesus they were heavy. I took the crate to my room, and turned in for the night, exhausted myself.

Kill 'Em All

YEAAAAAAH

I shot up out of my bed, eager to kill. I donned my combat uniform, loaded my guns, and took my TT-33, PPSh, Shotgun, Axe, and mosin. There was a tiny voice in my head, telling me to Kill. Kill them all. Show no mercy. I first poked my mosin out the window, and picked a random Pegasus that was flying over the courtyard. I zeroed in on her head, and pulled the trigger. Her head exploded, showering confused ponies below with bits of skull, grey matter, and blood. I cycled the bolt, and aimed at Blueballs. I shot him in the neck, and laughed while he choked on his own blood. I put my rifle back, shouldered my shotgun, and kicked the door open. I pointed the shotgun at the guard to the left of my door, pulled the trigger, and watched his chest cavity explode in a mess of blood and flesh. Before the second one could react, I drew my axe, an planted it between his eyes, effectively cleaving his head in two. I saw another guard puking her guts out, while another one shit itself. I threw my axe into one's neck, and blew the other one's head open with my shotgun. Filled with rage, I ran toward the throne room, my thirst for blood ever growing. I found the door, and bashed it in. Sprinting inside, Found her sitting on her throne, talking to a noble, who upon seeing me, turned pale.

"Woah, Aleks, what's wrong? Why are you covered in blood!?" Ignoring her, I ran up to her, and raked my combat knife across her throat, then embedded it in her eye. Pulling it out, I shot the guards with my TT-33, and threw my knife into the hind leg of the noble. I sprinted up to it, withdrew my knife, and curbstomped him in the head, until his head was no more. I sprinted to Luna's quarters, all the while spraying the halls with my PPSh, racking up a huge body count. Eventually, I reached her bedroom, took a guard's pike, threw it, pinned one of her guards to the wall, through its chest. The next one, I tackled, repeatedly bashing her skull with the stock of my shotgun. At this point, my greatcoat was no longer olive green. It was stained red by massive amounts of blood.

"What's all that ruckus!?" Luna shouted, coming out of her bedchambers. I pinned her down, and shot each of her knees with my shotgun, and hacking off her wings with my axe. I pressed my pistol to her horn, and shot, taking it clean off. She was screaming in agony, tears streaming down her face, all the while writhing on the floor. I took her severed horn, and stabbed it through her chest, heart, spinal cord, and it came to rest in its' original spot, in the middle of her forehead.

////\\

I awoke screaming, in a cold sweat, and my heart pounding. The guards threw the door open, and rushed inside.

"Are you alright? I heard screaming." One said.

"Fine, just a nightmare. Return to your posts."

Guilt

Chapter 12: Guilt

After the whole "waking up screaming" thing, I walked out of my room and noticed there multiple ponies clustered in the hallway, murmuring about nightmares. I realized I was not alone. Many of them had bags under their eyes. I put on my new jacket, strapped my tokarev to my waist, and headed out. The ponies were growing increasingly worried, and some were shoving the guards. I had no idea why they were freaking out over this. Within minutes, there was shouting, some minor fighting, and overall chaos. Growing tired of this madness, I drew my pistol, and fired a single shot into the ceiling, creating a smoking hole. They all stopped, staring at me, with their ears pinned back.

"Now, can someone tell me what the fuck is going on here?!"

"Yeah, I'll tell you! Everypony's been having nightmares, the sun rose an hour late, and the princesses are nowhere to be found!" A unicorn stallion shouted at me.

"And we think you have something to do with it! Let's get 'em!" What. The. Fuck. They all charged at me, probably wanting to beat the living shit out of me. I was not having it. I shot one of them in the leg, and the whole crowd stopped, horrified. Most of them turned and ran, tails between their legs. Others continued to cower at my feet.

"What're you waiting for? Go on! Get!" There was still a pony lying on the ground, bleeding. Picking him up, I ran him down to the infirmary, careful not to get blood on myself. Along the way, I received many confused and startled looks. The medics looked at me with disgust and anger. Carefully, I dropped him on a table, and ran out before they could ask any questions. There were more pressing matters, one being that the princesses were now bedridden, and probably needed assistance. Jogging down to their quarters, I noticed some guards standing outside, who had white accents on their armor, and had a red cross on their helmets. Combat medics. Approaching the doors, they put their pikes in front of me.

"State your name and business with the princesses."

"Uh, Aleksandr, and I think you know why I am here."

"You require a permit, or a personal invitation from the princesses."

"Let him pass." Came a raspy, barely audible voice from inside the room."

"Fine, you may enter, but wear this." He handed me a white doctor's mask, and I entered the room. There were various bits of medical equipment, doctors, and mechanical beeps. I felt guilty, as my personal desire left the two of the most powerful beings in this world temporarily crippled.

"Hey," I began softly. "How're you two holding up?"

"Just fine, thank you." Replied Luna.

"You sure as hell don't look fine." They were indeed pale and tired-looking.

"Well, while magical exhaustion is a common thing among unicorns, Alicorns get it bad. And, it's hard to deplete an Alicorn's magical reserves." A nurse added from behind me.

"Did I ask for your advice?" I deadpanned, glaring at her.

"N-no."

"Hey! Don't be so hard on her, Aleks." Celestia scolded. "Would you all kindly leave? We would like to have a moment alone with Aleksandr." Hesitantly, all of the doctors.

"Apologies. As of late, I have had problems controlling my emotions."

"Also, I got a report that you shot a pony. Again."

"Oh. Uh, you heard about that." I said, somewhat embarrassed.

"The whole castle knows about it." I heard Luna mutter.

"I am concerned for your mental health, Aleksandr. I really am. You need to see a therapist. You need to learn to control your anger, or you may kill somepony."

"I understand. I will seek out help."

"But, let's not dwell on your mistakes. Let the past be in the past. So, how was your trip back home?"

"Bitter-sweet, to say the least."

"Oh? Do explain. If you feel uncomfortable, we can talk about something else." Said Luna.

"It was nice, being able to see my hometown one final time."

"Care to elaborate?"

"It is a small little hamlet, similar to Ponyville. I visited my family's farmhouse, had a nice chat with them, and explained my current predicament. I then headed to the market, bought some clothes, some of which I am wearing." I said, standing and doing a full rotation.

"Hmm. Yes, continue."

"I bought ammunition, and a new weapon." They seemed to figit uneasily in their hospital beds at the mention of this. "It is a shotgun, which fires small pellets in a conical spread pattern. Finally, I brought some stuff from home." I finished my little story, and Luna's face lit up at the mention of my guitar.

"Finally, it appears that what we did caused some chaos in the castle. Ponies have been having nightmares, and apparently the sun rose later than it should have. I am terribly sorry that I caused such a disturbance with having you teleport me." I said, hanging my head in shame.

"Yes, while this may have caused a problem, we did this for you."

"Why? Why did you go out of your way to help me?"

"You will find out soon enough."

"Fine, fine. anything else?" I asked.

"Yes, you mentioned you had a guitar, did you not?" Asked Luna.

"Yes, I did. Why?"

"I was always a fan of the acoustic. Would you mind playing it for me?" I agreed, and went back to my room to get it.

/////\\\

After I got my old instrument, I began to tune it to the best of my abilities. I never really got to use it, so it was in pretty good condition. The strings were practically new, there were a few scratches in the wood, and it was in need of a polishing. I pulled up a chair, and began to play. It was a song we played around the campfires in the evenings, where we would talk, play cards, eat, and maintain our gear.

"Hm. I liked it. Definitely one of the better song's I have heard."

"Thank you, but one question. How does a pony play a guitar without fingers?"

"Oh, it's pretty easy. You strum or pluck with the corner of your hoof, and move your other hoof along the strings to change the note." I nodded, and got up to leave.

"One final thing, you may want to check in with the Guard captain. Shining Armor went back to the Crystal Empire, so his 'substitute' so to speak is handling all guard affairs. Have a good day."

Letters (X)

Dear Princess Celestia,

I wish to inform you there has been a slight... Disturbance. Earlier today, I was in the middle of studying when I heard a series of loud pops and howls coming from the Everfree Forest. Seeing that this may be a problem, I went to investigate with Rainbow Dash. We arrived at the site, but only found twigs and blood. We shrugged it off as nothing, and went back home. A few minutes ago, I was approached by a tall creature similar to a monkey, but with no tail or fur. It called itself 'Aleksandr', and appears to be friendly. He spoke in a thick Stalliongrad accent, and sounded distinctly male. He is currently residing in my basement, and is asleep. It appears to have contraptions which appear to be weapons, which were likely the source of the pops I heard earlier. I will attempt to study his weapons, for they could greatly benefit Equestria.

Sincerely,

Twilight.

///\\

To my most Faithful Student,

I will arrive in Ponyville tomorrow afternoon. I will be accompanied by Shining Armor, in addition to a squad of guards. I am sorry for such a short letter, but this is important, and must be addressed ASAP.

From,

Celestia