Once Void was back following Andrik. He led her to a room that he called: An elevator. Then, he walked up to the panel on the left side of the doorway. It had two buttons on it, and he pressed the bottom one. Then, they waited as they stood a short distance from the door. Why can't we walk inside? Then, she heard a loud ding, and the door slid open to reveal a tiny, white room with a brass guard rail on the sides. And Andrik stepped aside to allow a male and female human to walk out. As they did, she noted that they both took glances at her. I wonder what that's about? Once they were out of the way, Andrik beckoned her inside. "Right this way."

Once she did, she then turned to see him enter. Before he walked over to a much larger panel that was filled with buttons. I wonder what those are for? Then, he pressed a button that read Э-2. "Hey, that doesn't look like an E." Said Void as she stared at it in confusion.

Then the doors closed, and she felt like the whole room was moving. "Floor 45. Going down." Stated an odd female voice in a monotone.

In response, Andrik turned to face her. "Yes, it is." He stated simply.

"But then- Wait, how did I know that was an E?" She asked more to herself than to him. What is happening to me!?

"I am afraid I cannot tell you right now." He said as she once again glared at him. "But, I will tell you later."

"Fine..." She huffed as she continued to give him a death glare. Why won't he just give me a straight answer!?

The rest of the ride was silent until they heard the same voice announce that they were on floor 2. At which point, Void exited the room, with Andrik letting her out first. Ans she quickly realized that the decor was the same as the floor they were on. Except for one thing: This floor was packed! And she had to navigate through it to keep up with him. Until he stopped at two large, ornate wooden doors, one of which he held open for her. Okay, I get doing it one time. But now I'm starting to think he's doing it for a different reason. Once she walked inside, to say she was shocked would be an understatement. "Oh my gosh..." She said aloud as she looked around. The room was huge and had a domed ceiling with indents. Inside these indents were various depictions of what seemed to be workers. These guys seem to like their paintings, huh? As for the lighting, it was provided by three massive chandeliers that sat in between the art pieces. The floor was covered with wooden tiles, with the occasional carpet spread throughout, along with many tables. Where humans sat eating, drinking, and conversing with each other. So this is the dining hall!?

Andrik then tapped her on the shoulder. "Beautiful, isn't it?" He asked as he stepped in front of her before turning to face her.

"Y-yeah, it is..." She trailed as she looked into his deep, sapphire-blue eyes. And the light reflected off his face, making it appear as though it was glowing. Why do I feel warm all of a sudden?

As he noticed her staring at him, he quickly cleared his throat. "Come Comrade, I'm sure you're quite hungry." Void then blinked and nodded at him. That was awkward. Then, he brought her to another door before he gestured for her to enter. "Alright, I'll be back once I get food. So please, have a seat." Then he opened the door, and she walked inside.

Then, she heard Andrik close it behind her. Inside was a small room was a single round table, much like the ones outside. On the back wall, she beheld a large mural of a city filled with large, grey buildings, tall towers, and a beautiful blue skyline. Okay, now that is cool. Then, she sat down on one of the chairs. "Ugh! But...I still can't get over that stupid feeling I had! I...don't really know how to describe it? I mean...he's got a certain...aura to him." She said aloud as his face came to mind. His deep blue eyes had shown nothing but kindness and concern from the first moment he laid eyes on her. Then, Void felt her wings begin to rise. What is happening to me!?

---

Lieutenant Andrik Pavlov's POV

Nov 27th, 2013
Hotel Nova Ukrainia, Nova Stalliongrad, Greater Equestrian SSR, Union of Soviet Socialist Equestrian Republics
1020

As Lt. Andrik Pavlov made his way towards the restaurant counter. He could not stop his thoughts from bringing him back to his charge. I cannot believe that I actually have a chance this time! He thought to himself as he slowly made it through the line. I may have lost her before. But this time, I will achieve my goal! Then, he found himself at the front of the line. "Greetings, Comrade Pavlov." Said the young, blonde-haired, green-eyed woman in a red uniform behind the desk. "What can I get you today?" She asked with a smirk and half-lidded eyes as she leaned closer to him.

He inwardly groaned and gave her a glare. "Hello to you too, Sasha." He said flatly. As she stood back up and folded her arms. "I'll have two of those new Revolutionary breakfasts. I heard it's pretty good."

"That will be 60 rubles." She stated.

Then he pulled the money out of his wallet with his magic and put it in his hand. "Here you go." He said as he gave it to her.

She then took the money and placed it in the register. Before she pulled out the receipt. "I'll get right on it." Then she handed it to him. Before she went into the opening in the wall behind the counter. And once she came out, she walked over to him again. "The food will be done in half an hour. But, before you go. Who is the other meal for?" She asked with genuine curiosity.

At this, he felt as if he had been frozen in ice. "That is none of your concern." He said in a flat tone as he turned away from her.

"I hope she's nice...brother. Then you can stop your fantasizing and get a wife." She said in a condescending tone. Which caused him to blush slightly in embarrassment. I swear if Sasha jeopardizes my actual first impression with Void. I will throw her into a Gulag myself!

In response, he swallowed hard, which caused the blush to dissipate. Before he turned to glare at his sister. "For your information...I think this is the one. But, can you not say such things in public? The last thing I would want is that getting out." Said Andrik in a cold whisper as he hardened his gaze.

She chuckled slightly before a smirk appeared on her face. "Don't worry, little brother. Your secret is safe with me. But I need to get back to work now. Bye." She then patted him on the shoulder before walking back to the register in front of the line.

"Bye." He responded as he walked back into the dining hall. Before making his way to the small room. That he had reserved for himself and Void. But, as he neared the room, his eyes widened with realization. Void and I are going to be in the same room...for 30 minutes! Okay, this is perfect. He thought as he took a deep breath and entered the room. Inside, he saw Void flying around. "What do you think you're doing?"

Void stopped and carefully floated down to him. "Passing the time." She deadpanned as she blew a stray hair from her face. "Not to mention, I wanted to see if this thing worked." She cocked her head to emphasize her metal wing.

I should have guessed. Andrik thought while he suppressed a chuckle. "I see... Well, if you are quite finished, I would suggest you take a seat." He said as he walked past her and pulled out a chair. Then, Void cocked an eyebrow. Before she shrugged and sat down. "Because I am sure you still have many questions." He carefully pushed in her chair before sitting down across from her.

---

Void Streak's POV

"Okay..." Void trailed off as she tried to think of a question. Come on! Think! Then, her eyes widened as she got an idea. And she turned to face him. "Well, where are we?"

Andrik then adopted a more neutral expression. "We are currently inside the Nova Ukraina Hotel."

I already know what my next question is. "Okay. Then, how did I become a human?" She asked as she stared into his eyes. If he lies, I'll know.

"That is classified." He stated as he flashed her a slight grin.

She physically paused as she attempted to understand. "Uh, what?" She asked in confusion.

He chuckled slightly before turning back to her. "It means I cannot tell you..." He paused for effect. "Yet..."

Well, that got me nowhere real quick. Void gave made an annoyed sigh. "Fine." Then she tried to think of another question. "How did I know that was an E in the elevator?"

He gave once again reverted back to his typical neutral expression. "Well, Comrade..." He began as he pulled a piece of paper from inside his jacket. And unfolded it. "Can you tell me what this means?" He asked as he turned it around to reveal the Equestrian alphabet. Before he pointed a finger to the letter E on the page.

And, much to her shock, she could only understand a few of the letters. Wait...why can't I read it!? She could feel the sweat coming down her forehead as she tried to remember which letter it was he was pointing to. Alas, after a few minutes of desperation, she sighed in defeat. "I-I... Don't know..."

He then placed the paper back in his suit before pulling out another one. "Now, why don't you tell me what this means?" He then unfolded the page, which appeared to be another alphabet. This one, however, was one she did not recognize. What the heck? Then, he pointed to Д.

She scrunched her eyes for a moment before something seemed to click in her mind. "It's a D?" She said aloud. Was I right?

He folded the paper away, never taking his eyes off of her. "Correct." He said as she felt panic rising inside her mind.

She took a few breaths as she attempted to stop herself from sounding panicked. "H-how did I k-know that?" She stammered out after a few tense seconds. Great, I sounded like a nervous wreck!

He shook his head before facing her. "I am afraid I cannot answer that particular question..." He said as she glared daggers at him. "But, I can answer why. And the reason is quite simple. You see, very few people here speak English, or what you might call Equestrian." WHAT!?

Then, her eyes widened. "Wha-How did you know that!?" She yelled in response. "And what do you mean by English!?"

He just sat back in his chair. "Well, for one. Yes, I know you're Equestrian. As to how I know that. It is-"

"Let me guess...classified?" She finished for him. Yep, I should have known.

"Now you are beginning to understand." He then flashed her a slight grin of approval. "And, to answer your other question. English is what we refer to as the language we used during our first encounter."

Then, she took on a more curious gaze. "Okay, then...what language are we speaking now?" Asked Void with a cocked brow.

And, much to her surprise, the dauer man in front of her began to laugh. "Now that is the question I was waiting for all morning!" Then he attempted to quell his laughter by banging the table three times. Before he looked back up to her. "We are speaking Russian!" He bellowed before he coughed into his sleeve and stopped chuckling. "So...next question?" In response, she began carefully shifting her eyes around the room. Okay, I need to find something sharp, quick! As she did this, she did not notice that he had not taken his eyes off her. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked as she felt a chill down her spine.

Then she looked back at him and attempted to quell the urge to kill him. "I-I'm looking for something..." Said Void nervously. Crap crap crap!

Andrik regarded her with a knowing look as he used his left hand to dust off his jacket. "Look, Comrade. I know you want to kill me for what I know." He stated casually.

Her eyes went wide as she processed his words. Okay, it's one thing to hear venom. But...he barely even reacted! "H-how did you know?" She stammered as he sat back and looked at the ceiling.

He then looked back at her. "The eyes Comrade." He said as he stood up and turned his back to her with his arms clenched tightly together. "They are the key to the soul." Then he took a breath before turning to face her. "Now, let me explain why you shouldn't do such things. For you see, we are no longer in the Storm Kingdom."

At this point, she could barely contain herself. Ugh! Why do I feel like I can't hide anything from him! "Wait... Then, where are we?" She asked as she hardened her gaze.

Once again, however, he seemed unfazed by her use of body language. "Now that is indeed a question I can answer." He regarded her with a small smile. "This, Comrade, is the Union of Soviet Socialist Equestrian Republics."

She cocked her brow in confusion as her anger seemed to be ebbed away by curiosity. "What does that mean?"

At this, he chuckled. "You will find out in due time. But for now, all you need to know. Is that it's the nation we are currently in." Then he walked back to the table and sat down. Wait, he mentioned Equestrian? "As for the Equestrian part, that refers to the former residents of this nation." As he said this, she could feel herself quiver at the thought.

"D-did you...k-kill t-them." She asked, her words filled with fear.

And once again, he burst out laughing. "Of course not!" He bellowed as he slammed his fist. Thank goodness! This guy is more spontaneous than Twilight- No, no! I don't want to think about them!

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay... Then, what happened to them?"

He seemed to ponder this for a moment. "Well, they are humans now." He stated matter-of-factly. "Because thanks to the reproductive advantage of humans. The Party felt it was a necessary shift to make."

As he said this, she felt herself blush when he mentioned reproduction. "Um, what's The Party?"

He sat up straight and locked eyes with her in an authoritative gaze. "The Party is our ruling body." He stated as he extended his hand towards the mural. Specifically, the massive tower that had a statue of the human she saw in the painting... On top of it? "That is their headquarters. It is known as the Palace of the Soviets. And the leader of the Party would be the General Secretary. And the leader of the Government is the Premier."

She nodded her head in understanding. "Yeah, I think I understand." She said as she suppressed a groan. And I think that this is all too familiar! I mean, just when I was starting to get it all together. Another ruling party shows up to throw a wrench into my life! She then cleared her throat as another thought came to mind. "So, when will I be able to outside?" And if I can, maybe I could try to get away.

He brought up his sleeve and pulled it back to reveal a watch. "Well, depending on how long it takes you to eat. We should be touring the city in less than an hour." He said as he covered it and relaxed his arm.

She gave him a smile in response. Yes! Then I can ditch him! Giving me back my wings was the biggest mistake they made- She was stopped in her mental rambling as she heard several clicks in her metal wing and back. And when she turned to Andrik, she saw he had a hand enveloped in a blue aura. Wait, humans have magic too!? "Wha-what did you do to my wing!?" She cried as she attempted to move the faux appendage. However, no matter what she tried, it refused to work.

Andrik gave an audible sigh. "Comrade, did you honestly think that we would be foolish enough to not have a failsafe?" He asked in a tired, somewhat sarcastic tone. "And, to answer your other question. What I did was sever the connection with your brain."

Void's eyes widened in fear. "Y-you can do that!?" She yelled as she searched for anything she could use as a weapon. Okay, that's IT! The first chance I get, I'm going to chop off his hands, and- Ugh, what am I saying!?

He just gave her an unsympathetic glare. Yes, and if you don't behave, I'll keep it that way. So, if you are going to continue being difficult. I will-" He stopped mid-sentence as they heard the door open.

In the doorway was a blonde-haired woman in a red uniform carrying two plates. "Here you are, Comrades." She said as she gave Andrik his plate.

"Thank you." Said Andrik as he prepared to eat.

When she came to give Void her food. She found she could not help herself and began to droll. As she took in the sweet smells of the various food items on the plate. Two slices of bread were covered in small see-through orange spheres and cottage cheese. Large, luscious eggs that were cooked to perfection. And small thick pancakes that filled half the plate. And were covered with the same toppings as the toast, except the spheres were red. "Wha-what is this?" Asked Void in her dazed state.

Which elicited a slight chuckle from Andrik and the waitress. "That, my good Comrade, would be rye toast. Topped with salmon caviar and cottage cheese. Premium, locally sourced eggs. And oladyi topped with red caviar." She said with a smile. Oh my gosh... "Well, I hope you enjoy it." Then, she proceeded to walk out of the room and close the door behind.

As soon as she was gone, Void began digging into her food. But, unlike before, she attempted to control herself and enjoy the food. All the while, Andrik ate his slowly. "And they say the way to a man's, or in this case, a woman's heart. Is through her stomach." He said as he grinned widely. And while she would usually respond with some form of re-tort. She could not help but feel content to just keep her mouth shut. Or rather, filled with food. Just because you gave me the best meal I've had, does not mean I'm not going to kill you!

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