Metro: A New World

...Rainbow?

THUMP THUMP. THUMP THUMP.

...Can she hear us?

THUMP THUMP. THUMP THUMP.

Maybe I should try....HEY, DASHIE!

Rainbow Dash slowly fought her way out of her drowsiness and pain. She struggled to open her eyes. It felt as if they were glued shut.

She's waking up!

After a minute of willing her brain to help her, the cyan colored pegasus opened her eyes to see Pinkie Pie and Twilight in front of her.

"What the?"

"Dashie! You're okay!" happily exclaimed Pinkie as she warmly embraced her pegasus friend.

"Hey, Pinkie." said Rainbow.

Rainbow noticed she had a gauze bandage wrapped around her head. She slowly reached to touch it and was rewarded with white hot pain hammering her head.

Rainbow groaned

"It appears the painkillers haven't taken effect yet." said a voice. Rainbow and company turned to the source of said voice came from a middle aged, gray unicorn stallion with a salt and pepper mane and tail.

"Hello, Dr. Mend." greeted Twilight.

Dr. Mend looked up from his cluttered clipboard and responded "Greetings, Ms. Sparkle."

Mend turned his attention to Rainbow "How do you feel, Ms. Dash?"

"I feel-" Another jolt of pain shot through Rainbow's head, causing her to grit her teeth and cringe "I feel fine, nothing I couldn't possibly handle."

A small grin spread on Mend's face "I knew you'd say that. Now. Do know what happened to you?"

"I-I think so.."

"Well then. Let's start with what you remember."

Rainbow closed her eyes and willed her memory to help her.

"Well?" asked Pinkie.

"Patience, Pinkie." said Twilight.

Rainbow could see what happened, but the memory was in fragments. She could remember Fluttershy's scream. Then she saw the hulking figured looming over her friend. She could feel in her hooves the impact of hitting the creature. The only part she couldn't understand was when the creature was against the tree. Before Rainbow could finish it off, the creature pulled some-sort of object from it's right side and pointed it toward her. Then the last thing she remembered was the loud bang, and her immediate descent into darkness.

Mend gave her a few minutes.

"Anything?"

"I remember helping Fluttershy look for her rabbit, Angel, in the Everfree Forest." answered Rainbow.

"Uh huh."

"We split up and looked for him. After what seemed like failure, I was about to turn around when-"

"When?"

"When I heard her scream. On instinct, I flew as fast as I could to reach her."

Mend remained silent, allowing Rainbow to continue.

"As I flew towards the direction of the scream, I came upon a small clearing and went to investigate. That's where I found her. And the thing that threatened her."

"Are you certain that it was going to harm her?"

"Obviously. Nothing good ever comes from the Everfree."

"What about Zecora?" asked Pinkie.

"Different story."

"Then I guess you proceeded to attack the creature before it attacked your friend." said Mend.

"Exactly. Everything was going fine, until it did something that landed me in the hospital."

"From what I gathered, the creature defended itself with a projectile launcher."

"Like a slingshot?" inquired Twilight.

"Kind of. The projectile in question was found embedded in a tree by one of the Royal Guard."

"Wait. THE Royal Guard?"

"Sent straight from Princess Celestia herself. Anyway, the projectile was embedded deep into the tree, suggesting that the launcher has an advanced propulsion mechanism."

"Could that mean the creature is probably an advanced race?" asked Twilight.

Mend gave a shrug "Probably, but I don't delve into such things, so I can't really voice my opinion."

Rainbow sat quietly and took all what was said in.

Did...did I attack an innocent creature?

"Where is the creature anyway?" asked Rainbow.

"Other side of the hospital. Per special request."

"By who?"

"The pony you saved. Your friend Fluttershy."

Rainbow hopped out of her bed and walked right out of the room.

"Where are you going?!" asked Mend.

"I'm going to have a chat with this creature."

I have been transported to a new world. A world far from the pain and suffering of Moscow. A world that has blooming trees, fresh air, and exotic wildlife, including talking ponies. I have met a pony during my short time here. A yellow pegasus named Fluttershy. Everything was going great, till her friend attacked me. The only thing I remember about the whole thing was me drawing my revolver and squeezing the trigger. I had killed her friend. Some first impression.

I woke violently from my passed out state. My heart started beating like a drum as I scanned the room around me. It was dark, dank, and smelled...familiar. I reached for my lighter and flicked it on, dimly illuminating the room. I looked to my right and saw a familiar sight, my wall of postcards from around the world.

A dream. It was only a dream, albeit, a very lucid one.

I breathed a sigh of relief. My experience was all imaginary. I slowly got up out of bed and made my way to the door. As I opened it, I noticed that my home station was a deathly quiet. Usually, it was about as loud as it was before the war, with people talking and going about there business. Now, it was completely silent. I was a bit unnerved as I peeked around the opening to make sure that it wasn't a well thought trick. I exited my room and began checking the nearby rooms. All empty.

Where the hell is everybody?

I continued further into the station, checking everywhere for some sign of life. Not even a mouse was present. As I continued walking, I saw a faint white light before me. Curious, I approached cautiously. As drew closer, I could hear voices.

...tyom...

Was that?

Artyom! Artyom!

Sometime after the war.....

Exhibition Station

"Artyom! Artyom!" screamed a voice.

An adolescent Artyom looked up from his journal to see the source of the voice.

"Hello, Mishka. What brings you here today?"

Mishka was dressed in her usual garb, a bright pink sweater with matching pants and boots. She was described as the station's only source of color, and a beacon of happiness. Mishka then pulled a toy out of her right pocket, a miniature, calico horse.

"Isn't it cute, Artyom?!"

"Yes." Artyom answered with slight annoyance. He went back to his journal.

"Did you know that before the war, my dad owned a horse ranch?"

Artyom looked back to Mishka "Yes. In fact, you've told me...about ten times."

"He also got me a pony for my sixth birthday!"

"...A what?"

"You know, a pony! It's like a miniature horse. Her name was Sugarcube. She had the most brushable mane-"

"Are you going to get to the point as to why you're here or not?"

Mishka backed away a little from Artyom "You seemed sad lately, so I tried to make you happy."

"Why would you do that?" asked Artyom.

"All you've been doing is burying yourself in your journal. You don't do anything!"

"Why is this such a concern to you?"

Mishka looked down and put her hands together "Because...everyone deserves to be happy. That's what my mom told me, and that's what I've been trying to do."

"Listen, while I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, I'm perfectly content with how I am. So please, go somewhere else."

Mishka stamped her left foot "No!"

"No?"

"I'm not leaving until you're happy."

Artyom was starting to get annoyed "Leave. Now."

Mishka crossed her arms and pouted her face, resisting Artyom's command.

"Leave!"

"Why are you so mean?!"

"I'm not! I just don't liked being bothered!"

"We're you not hugged enough as a baby or something?!"

That sentence struck a nerve in Artyom.

"I--" Artyom choked back a sob "I never knew my mother. She died when I was a baby. She died...protecting me."

The realization dawned on Mishka, making her feel extremely guilty for bringing up bad memories. She noticed a singular tear leave Artyom's right eye and trickle down his face. Mishka approached Artyom and hugged him.

"I'm sorry, Artyom. I never knew that happened to you."

Artyom returned Mishka's embrace "It's fine, just...just don't ever bring it up again."

The two hugged in silence for a few moments.

"Did I tell you about my pony?" asked Mishka.

A small smile appeared on Artyom's face "No, but I would like to hear about it."

The light faded as I was filled with an overwhelming sense of sorrow. Mishka was perhaps one of my only friends in Exhibition. Aside from my stepfather, she was the only other person I could talk to. I remember that she and her father, Nikolai, moved to Hole Station, but I didn't see her when I was there. Wherever she is, I hope she's okay. After reflecting on my life choices, activated my headlight. It was rather dim. I didn't have my universal charger on me, so I had to make do.

As I neared the center of the station, I noticed a blood trail leading into one of the nearby homes. I reached for knife and slowly approached the door. I bashed the door open, only to be greeted by a skinless corpse. Blood and limbs were strewn throughout the small room. The smell was absolutely dreadful. I slammed the door shut while catching my breath.

Whatever did this is probably responsible for this death and the disappearance of everyone in my station.

After I was certain that I wasn't going to vomit, I continued to the center of the station. As I did, the light on my helmet started to flicker.

Come on. Not now.

Once I reached the trading hub, I saw a grisly sight. Everyone from Exhibition station was lying dead in the trading hub. Limbs missing, heads removed, skin burned, you name it, it happened. As I approached the mass of bodies, a familiar voice spoke.

.....Are you proud of yourself......?

.....Hero of Russia......

"What do you want with me?!"

....Repentance.....

....You must pay for your sins.....

"How?! How am I supposed to do that?!"

....Eternal damnation......

....Unreversable....

I ran, hoping to escape the nightmare around me. As I did, blood began to leak from the walls like in a horror film. Before I could run any farther, a Dark One appeared before me. It stretched out it's right hand and stopped me. A black sword then appeared in it's left hand

....No escape....

The Dark One thrusted the blade through my chest. I could feel myself bleed onto the ash colored blade. As quickly as I was stabbed, the blade was ripped out of me. The Dark One released it's grasp of me and let me drop to the floor. I felt the life drain from me. The Dark One moved closer to me.

....How does it feel......?

My vision faded to black.

I awoke a second time to find myself not bleeding out on the ground. Instead, It appeared that I was in some sort of hospital. My clothes, backpack, and weapons were gone, replaced only by a patient gown. I guess this means I'm still in Ponyland, or whatever this place is called. I got out of the hospital bed and stretched. My back cracked during the process, which means I must have been out for a time. I noticed a nearby window and walked toward it. I opened the shade to let some sun in. After I did that, I heard the faint sound of hoof beats. The sound got louder as I turned around to be greeted by a familiar face.

"Oh...um...good afternoon, Artyom." said Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus was nervously looking around the room, as if she wanted to avoid eye contact with me.

"Hello, Fluttershy."

"How...how are feeling?"

"I'll live, I've been through worse."

The pegasus gave me a warm smile "That's good to hear."

"May I ask you a question, Fluttershy?"

"Oh, of course! What is it?"

"Did..." I swallowed hard "did I kill your friend?"

Fluttershy looked at me with concerned eyes. She could probably detect the guilt and remorse in my voice. "No. She just received, from what the doctors told me, a flesh wound."

I felt a huge weight being lifted off my shoulders. While I felt good that I didn't kill her friends, it was probably going to be much more difficult to make amends with her.

"May I ask as to where my clothes and pack went?"

"Oh, they're in there." Fluttershy pointed her hoof to a nearby locker. I slightly bowed and moved over to the locker. I opened it to see all of my belongings intact.

"Fluttershy?"

"Yes, Artyom?"

"You don't hate me for what I did right?"

"You were defending yourself. I can't hate something that defends itself."

A sense of happiness began to fill my heart.

"But I believe Rainbow thinks different."

I chuckled "I figured as much."

I reached for my clothes and was about to change when I remembered that there was someone else in the room.

"Fluttershy?"

"Yes?"

"Would you kindly leave the room. I'm going to change."

"Of course." The pegasus then left the room. With the room to myself, I removed my gown and began the laborious task of reequipping my clothes and armor.

A few minutes later....

I slid on my Kevlar vest and sighed in contentment. It felt good wearing this. I decided to not don the gas mask since the air here isn't laced with radiation. Least, I think it isn't. I placed the Kalash 2012 and my Automatic Shotgun in my surprisingly spacious backpack. I took a look at my revolver and examined it. I almost killed an innocent creature with this. I checked the cylinder. Five shots left. I holstered it for now since I had no current use for it.

"You can come back in now."

The pegasus walked back into the room and gave me a once over.

"How do I look?"

"You look fine. Everything seems to be in order." she answered.

"Thank you."

The sound of hoof beats echoed through the hall.

"Friend of yours?" I asked.

Fluttershy turned and peeked out of the doorway.

"Oh hi, Rainbo--- EEP!" The yellow pegasus was pulled out of the room. I arched an eyebrow in confusion.

What just happened?

My answer came when a blue pegasus appeared in the doorway with a bandage on her head. I would have been further confused if I didn't see her mane. All the colors of the rainbow, which only meant one thing.

"There you are!" said Rainbow Dash. I could tell from the volume of her voice that she wasn't happy. Hell, I don't thing anyone would be happy if the were shot at.

"You have a lot of nerve to be talking to my friend after what you did!"

"Um...Rainbow." said Fluttershy.

"I ought to pound right now!"

"Rainbow."

Fluttershy was once again drowned out by her loud friend "What have you got to say for yourself?! Hmmm?!"

I remained silent as I observed Rainbow's actions. I could detect a hint of arrogance from the way she was talking. Her voice somewhat reminded me of my own when I was younger. She was most likely a tomboy. No mistaking it.

"Well?!"

"I don't suppose saying I'm sorry would help."

Whatever bravery Rainbow had immediately vanished as she back peddled as fast as she could out of the room.

"Rainbow! There you are!" called another voice. More hoof beats drew closer as the sound reached my door. A purple unicorn then appeared in front of my room.

"What were...you....think...ing." Whatever the pony was going to say died at her mouth as she looked at me. I could see sweat droplets form at the top of her brow. I was intimidating to them.

"Um...Twilight, Rainbow. This here is Artyom." introduced Fluttershy.

I gave my most non threatening wave I could to the two ponies.

The unicorn, which I assumed was Twilight, gave a slow wave "Hi."

"Don't worry. He's not threatening." Fluttershy turned to me "Isn't that right?"

"Yes. That is correct."

There was an awkward silence as Twilight and Rainbow looked at me with bewildered expressions.

"Did...did you just...talk?" asked Twilight.

"Yes. Why is this such a surprise to you?" I answered.

"It's not everyday that we encounter a new species, let alone one that speaks our language."

"I'll take that as a complement."

"See, I told you he was nice." said Fluttershy.

"Then can he explain why he attacked me?!" asked Rainbow.

"To be fair, you attacked me first. I was simply defending myself."

"Well--how was I supposed to know you weren't going to hurt Fluttershy?"

"It wouldn't have been in my best interest to hurt her."

"Why?"

"Because why would I hurt something as adorable as her?"

A light blush surfaced on Fluttershy's face.

"Plus, I don't hold a grudge for you attacking me. If I were in your position, I would've probably done the same thing."

"Wait...you...you aren't mad?" asked Twilight.

"No. She was merely trying to protect her friend from a creature that she has never seen before. Why would I be?"

"She did attack you and all."

"And that automatically gives me the right to be mad?"

"No, it's just weird how you are taking this."

"That's because a wise man taught me an important lesson when it comes to dealing with certain things."

"What was it? The lesson I mean."

"I'll answer your question with a question. When you think of fire, do you think of good or evil?"

"Evil. Fire destroys everything it touches." answered Twilight.

"I side with Twilight." said Rainbow.

"I...um...agree with Twilight."

"Uh huh. Now, tell me, what do you use to heat up your food."

"Fire." answered Twilight.

"What do you use in the winter months to keep warm?"

"Fire." answered Rainbow.

"And what do you use to illuminate the darkness?"

"....Fire." answered Fluttershy.

"See? Fire, depending on a certain point of view, is either good or evil. Try to get a better understanding of things before making a judgement."

The three ponies remained silent for a time as they reflected on what I said.

"Wow. I never realized that before." said an awed Rainbow.

"I didn't either." said Twilight.

"Where did you learn that, Artyom?" asked Fluttershy.

"Like I said, a wise man told me."

"He seems like a nice...man, as you put it."

"Now then, with that out of way, I think we should properly introduce ourselves. Isn't that right, Rainbow?" said Twilight.

"I don't see any harm in that." answered Rainbow.

Twilight extended her hoof to me "My name is Twilight Sparkle, it's a pleasure meet you."

I grasped her hoof "Hello, Ms. Sparkle. My name is Artyom. It's nice to make your acquaintance."

I shook her hoof lightly and released it.

"Your turn, Rainbow."

The blue pegasus approached me and slowly extended her hoof while giving me a smile "Name's Rainbow Dash."

I took her hoof and smiled also "Artyom, it's nice to meet you, Ms. Dash."

"Sorry for attacking you. I didn't know your intentions."

"It's fine, and I apologize for wounding you, I was just defending myself the only way I know how."

"It's cool."

I released her hoof.

"You know what? I think you're pretty cool, but I will get payback." she gave me mischievous smile.

"I'll be expecting it." I gave her a sly grin.

"We'll see about that."

"Yes we will."

"Now, with that out of the way, Artyom." said Twilight.

Me and Rainbow turned our attention to Twilight "Yes?"

"How would you like a tour of our town?"

"That sounds good. I needed to get my bearings around this place anyway."

"Alright then, let's go."

"Excellent, there's just one problem."

"And that is?"

"I don't think the town would react well to your presence, no offense."

"None taken. I understand completely."

"So how are supposed to give Artie a tour?" asked Rainbow.

"Artie?" I asked.

"It makes it easier to remember your name."

"So how we supposed to do this?" asked Fluttershy.

I got an idea "What floor are we on?"

"Second floor. Why?" asked Twilight.

"From where I'm from, I'm good at sneaking around. I can probably go through town unnoticed."

"Are you sure?"

"Trust me, I'm good at what I do."

"Alright. We'll meet back up at the library. Look for the big tree in the center of town."

"Understood." I reached into my pack and put on my night vision goggles.

"It's getting late." said Fluttershy. I noticed to as the sun began to disappear over the horizon.

"Makes my job much easier." I moved over to the balcony and jumped the rail. From there, I made a quick dash to the nearby forest.

"Good luck, Artie!" distantly yelled Rainbow Dash. I was going to need it.

Meanwhile.....

The Royal Palace

Princess Celestia watched as her radiant sun dipped below the horizon, being replaced by the moon. She casually sipped her cup of tea and moved to her desk. She picked up the report in front of her, regarding the incident in the Everfree. Apparently, Rainbow Dash was injured by some unknown creature through unknown means. Celestia quietly read while occasionally sipping her tea. After turning the final page, the alicorn ruler stretched her wings and yawned. It had been a long day for her. The pure white alicorn went over to her massive bed and unceremoniously dropped herself on it. Celestia felt herself slowly drift into sleep.

.....Celestia......

Celestia shot up from her bed and frantically looked around. She sighed as she tried to calm herself down.

"Nothing. It was nothing." she told herself. She was about to lay down again when she noticed a dark figure before her, standing in the middle of her room.

"No. It can't be."

More of the figures began to appear beside the original

......We will return......

.....Expect us soon.....

They all began to leave, all except the first one.

.....Wake up.....

Celestia woke with a start when she realized that it was just a dream. The sound of frantic hoof beats approached her room door. Her door was flung open, revealing a dark blue alicorn with a crescent moon cutie mark.

"Sister! Was that--"

"Yes, Luna." answered Celestia "The Dark Ones have returned."