LT. Andrik Pavlov's POV

Nov 27th, 2013
Nova Ukrainia Hotel, Nova Stalliongrad, Greater Equestrian SSR, USSER
1057

Once Andrik and Void had finished their food, he tipped the waitress and led Void out of the dining hall. "Hm, that was good." Said Void as they left out the door, and Andrik turned and led her back towards the elevator. "Hey, uh, didn't you say we were going to go outside?" She asked with a cocked brow.

This caused him to pause. Great, now I have to explain this to a former pony. He sighed before turning to face Void. "We are, but first, you need to change. As not only is it -10° outside, but you're also wearing nightclothes." He stated in a matter-of-fact tone. Please don't press this.

Void continued to stand in place. "Uh, I don't understand. What do you mean nightclothes?" She asked confusedly. Well, there goes that idea.

He scratched the back of his neck. "Well, Comrade. What I mean is that what you are currently wearing is...inappropriate for going out in public." He said as he attempted to stop himself from sounding awkward. And he could feel himself heating up.

She now shifted her expression from one of confusion to one of understanding. "Ohh, now I get it..." She said as a slight blush appeared on her face.

Andrik breathed a sigh of relief as he felt the heat die down. "Yes. So when you go to your room. There is a closet filled with several different outfits. With instructions on how to put them on." He said. Hopefully, she understands.

Void, not realizing what he meant, adopted a look of confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

He proceeded to iron out his forehead in frustration and continue to look away from her. "Well, let's just say that do to you're...changed biology. It would be very embarrassing for both of us if you had a wardrobe malfunction." He said as he tried to prevent himself from going into more detail.

And once again, this caused Void to blush profusely in embarrassment. "O-oh, I-I d-didn't k-know..." She said as she held her arm.

He gave a thankful sigh before he strutted forward again."Yes, so let's just get you up to you're room, and you can change by yourself."

20 minutes later

Andrik sat at a table patiently outside the door as he waited for Void to finish. I hope she can do it...for both our sakes.

Maybe you should check on her?

No! I am NOT that kind of man. He fixed his suit so that his lieutenant rank shoulder boards were in the proper position. Besides, I'm sure she can- He stopped mid-mental debate as he heard the doorknob turn. And, when he turned to look at her, he was met with Void wearing a well-fitted grey sweater-jacket with a white-collar shirt underneath and a matching skirt. Her hair was slightly less messy than before, and she even had that cute, awkward smile. She is gorgeous! Of course, he covered up his true thoughts with a neutral expression. "I'm not sure how I feel about this..." She said as she sighed deeply. "But it's all I had in the closet-" She was cut-off by Andrik grabbing her shoulders firmly, and the moment he did this, Void froze in shock.

"You look just as you should." He said as he looked her directly into her panic-filled eyes. Her eyes are still as beautiful as I remember... He quickly shook himself out of his daze. "Now, I think you could use some time outside. Yes?" He asked, to which she nodded. "Then come." He then let go of her and turned to face away from her as he could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks.

"Uh...okay." She said as she cautiously followed behind him. "What was that about?" She whispered to herself.

Void Streak's POV

Once they had made it to the first floor, Andrik led Void to the packed entrance hall. This is beautiful... Void could not keep her eyes from looking at the splendour of the architecture. The large marble columns held up the roof all the way to the second floor. As the second floor ended in a balcony, with two staircases leading to the first floor. In the center of the roof was a large painting of humans and... Ponies? Waving red banners in what appeared to be a city. That looked very similar to Canterlot. Okay...I think I'm going to ask him about that picture later. And then she came to one of the three double doors, which Andrik held open for her. "Come Comrade, the city awaits." He proudly announced as she walked out the door.

"Wow..." That was all she could say as she was overwhelmed by the sheer scope of it all. The high-rise apartments stood like massive boxes, and clean streets looked like nothing she had seen before. With the tallest being the hotel, the top of which seemed to touch the sky. Whereas the base of it spread outwards. And in the distance, she could see the top of the Palace of the Soviets. But what shocked her the most were the various carriages that seemed to drive by themselves! "That mural barely does this justice." But then, she began to notice something...interesting. As she saw that there were different types of carriages. One looked like a large box with square windows placed on the side. Whereas the other was much smaller and sleeker in comparison, with windows shaped to the frame. And all of these being different colours. This is...overwhelming. And lastly, she noticed the people. She saw a good number coming in and out of the hotel. Another group being dropped off on her side of the road by one of the boxes. And she could see many others just walking on small paths built right next to the road or crossing it.

Then, she saw Andrik walk up beside her and outstretch his arms. "Welcome, Comrade! Welcome to Nova Stalliongrad!" He then pointed to a sleek, pitch-black carriage that was parked close to the hotel. "Come, I think you could use some fresh air." He said as he guided her towards it. Well, here goes nothing. And she followed cautiously behind him. I mean, it looks safe enough. Then, he opened one of the rear doors for her, and she stepped inside. Before sitting down on a small, but comfortable bench inside.

And then she saw him close her door before going around the other side and entering the front seat. "So, what now?" She asked as she fumbled around with what appeared to be a safety harness.

He turned his head to look over his shoulder. "Simple. You buckle up and enjoy the ride." He stated as he turned his head to face the window in the front. And after a few more moments, she managed to put the buckle in the lock.

Then, she heard what sounded like the roar of a dragon before it turned into a low hum. "What was that!?" She yelled as she ducked for cover, only to be stopped suddenly by the harness. Which caused Andrik to chuckle. "What's so funny!?" She glared into his back.

He then attempted to stop. "What's funny is that you freaked out over the engine being turned on!" He adjusted the small mirror that hung above him to see the frown on her face. "What? Am I not allowed to make jokes now?" He asked in a sarcastic tone as she felt the vehicle jolt forward. And it began to move onto the road proper, following another few vehicles ahead of it. And she could also feel it picking up speed as it did so, up to the point where she wanted so badly to feel the wind. So much so that she could not help staring at the city as they passed by. "Do you want me to roll down the window?"

"Huh?" She responded, barely registering what he had said.

He cleared his throat, which seemed to gain her attention. "I asked if you wanted me to roll down your window?" To which she enthusiastically nodded. "Alright, just...try not to do anything wired." Then she heard an odd zzz and saw as the window slid down. And when it did, she stuck her head out, and a smile graced her features as she suppressed the urge to yell in excitement. This is awesome! And, all the while, she did not notice as Andrik grinned in the mirror.

As they continued on their way through the city, Void could not help noticing how almost all the buildings, despite the difference in size and shape, all looked the same. Minus small touches like greenery and colour. As well as rows of buildings that were the same type ending in a road. And then there would always be a new block that would continue the pattern. "Uh, I was wondering, why does everything look so...cookie-cutter?" She asked as she stared out the now-closed window, as it had become too cold to keep it open.

Andrik once again adjusted the mirror to look at her. "Well, Comrade, the reason is quite simple. You see, due to how our society works, we like to keep things simple." He explained.

Void, meanwhile, keep her gaze fixed on these buildings. "Does everyone live in those? They look quite cramped."

This caused Andrik to chuckle slightly. "Yes, we do. And yes, they are." He answered in a blunt tone. "But, there's something good about living so close to your Comrades that always makes you feel warm. And, of course, each micro-district has its own school, shops, playground. And even a park." And even though Void could not see past the first few buildings on either side of the road. She could still imagine living in one of these blocks. Wow! That's gotta be a large crowd.

But then, her thoughts turned to that word: Comrade? Hey, now that I think about it, why does he seem to call everyone that? Then she turned to face the mirror. "Hey, why do you call me Comrade Streak? Like, what does that even mean?"

Andrik seemed to ponder his answer before she saw his eyes in the mirror. "What it means is a friend or colleague." He said as he attempted to look between her and the road. "And the reason I call you that is...more complex. You see, we believe that all are equal. So, as I'm sure you can imagine, we use that title for everyone. For example..." He paused as he carefully navigated around a large vehicle. "Instead of using Miss, Misses, Mister, or Sir, we use Comrade."

Okay... She then looked back out the window. "Yeah, I think I understand." She said as she put a hand to her chin. Huh, that's...actually kinda smart, I guess. At least simpler.

They continued the drive in silence as Void attempted to put together everything she had learned. When she noticed that they were slowing down. "Hey, why are we slowing down?" She asked curiously.

Once the car stopped, Andrik turned his head. "Because we've arrived." He stated as he threw her a long, linen, khaki coat with no visible buttons, a belt and a fur hat. "You might want to put these on." He then adorned a similar jacket, but he had the same odd shoulder and collar decoration as the suit he wore underneath. Whereas the one she was given had none. Then, he put on a khaki visor cap with blue lining and a gold oval with a red star in the center.

Once they were both dressed, they exited the vehicle. And when Void turned to see where they had stopped, she cocked her head at Andrik. "Uh, Andrik. Why did we stop at a micro-district?" She asked as she looked over the apartment buildings.

Andrik just chuckled and gestured for her to follow. "Well, I wanted to take you outside." He said as he led her through a small gap in between two buildings. And into a large, semi-wooded area that was surrounded on all sides by apartment blocks. In this area, she could see many paths, a few smaller buildings, a playground, and even a sports field. And one that appeared to consist of cubes that had been mushed together to form a single structure. She also beheld many people sitting on small benches or walking on the paths. It really does feel like a small village.

And then Andrik tapped her on the shoulder. "Huh-what?" She said as she was taken out of her daze.

He just shook his head. "Comrade, you should really pay more attention to your surroundings." He said in a sarcastic tone as he gestured over to a bench. "Come, sit." He then walked over to it and sat down.

She proceeded to stare at him for a moment before joining him on the bench. "Okay. So, why did you bring me here?"

Andrik seemed to ponder this for a moment before he turned to face her. "Well, I thought it would be a good idea to let you see this." He gestured to the area around them. "As I thought you would be interested in seeing how we live."

Great, he sounds like an egg-head. But on the other hoo-hand, it actually is kinda cool. "Well, yeah, I guess I am." She said with a shrug. "So...what are we going to do?"

Once again, he looked away in thought. "Well, why don't we go for a walk?" He asked as he stood up.

In response, she nodded and stood beside him as they both started their walk. "Anyway..." What's something I could talk about? "You could tell me about yourself?" She asked with an unsure-sounding tone.

This caused him to slow down, so he was beside her. "Well, what do you want to know?" He asked in his typical simplistic tone.

Well, what do I want to know? She pondered this for a moment. "Well...where were you born?"

His eyes seemed to become misty for a moment before he shook his head. And he had a smile on his face. "Well, I was born the 2nd eldest to Fayina Pavlova and Grigorii Pavlov in a flat in Borirsk. A small mining city in the north owned by Borirsk Dimond, Gurzovsky Engineering, and Sevozhdeny Manufacturing." He said as they continued.

Wait...what? That was all that came to mind as she heard him say this. "What do you mean your city was owned by...you know?"

Again he shook his head. "What I mean is that these corporations own all the jobs and land in the city." He stated matter-of-factly.

She looked at him with shock evident on her face. "That sounds horrible!" She blurted out.

Which caused Andrik to shrug. "It's fine Comrade, Besides, if my father hadn't worked hard enough, well... Let's just say I would still be living there." He, again, sated in an uncaring tone.

"Okay..." She said as she tried to hide her discomfort. What kind of place did I end up in? She then tried to think of another question. "You said you were the second oldest?" To which he nodded. "So, do you have any siblings?"

As she asked this, a small smile appeared on his face. "Yes, I do. In fact, I have seven. With my sister Sasha Pavlova being the oldest." He explained. That is a lot of siblings!

"Wow, you have...a big family." She said while trying desperately not to make it sound judgemental.

"Well, by our standards, it's actually not that big." He said as her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. "As I said before. Humans are quicker at reproducing than ponies." Upon hearing this, she turned away to hide the blush that had formed on her cheeks. What is it with these people and that topic!?

"I guess that makes sense." She said as she held her arm and avoided eye contact. Geez, I couldn't even imagine what that would be like. She turned back to face him. "Anyway, what do you do for a living any way? Other than being a stalker?" She added with an emphasis on stalker.

Andrik chuckled darkly before locking eyes with her. And where before, his eyes showed only kindness and compassion. Now they were grim and threatening, causing a chill to run down her spine. I think I just poked the bear... "I'll have you know. That without our intervention, you would still be sleeping in that cheap inn. Eating nothing but stale bread, dried meat, and dried fruit. With a high chance of dying. And, as so far as we can tell, there is no law to prevent someone from killing you in cold blood." He said in a darker tone than she was used to. Before he reverted back to his typical expression. "But, the important thing is that you are safe now. So, would you like some lunch?"

Void was taken aback by how suddenly Andrik had gone from dark and creepy to calm and polite. Okay, that is creepy. "Uh, sure." She said as she turned away, wanting to avoid having to see that again.

At this, even his slight grin came back. "Come Comrade, I'm sure we can find something in this park." He said as he headed towards a large two-story building near the center. And she cautiously followed behind him. "Look, I'm...sorry I scared you like that."

Void's heart nearly stopped as she registered what he had said. "W-what?" She stammered, unable to come up with a proper response.

He sighed before stopping and turning to face her. "I didn't mean to say it like that. As I should've known, you would react that way. So, I am sorry for my misconduct." He said as he stood up straight with his shoulders back and his eyes aimed at her's. In fact, to her eyes, he looked more like a soldier. "So...can you forgive me?"

And once again, Void's jaw went slack as she comprehended what he had said. Did he actually just ask me that? Void then hardened her gaze. "No, I won't." She said as she looked around for anything she could use to hit him with. "Will you forgive me for fillynapping you, messing with your mind, and threatening you?" Ugh, who does he think he is? But, when she looked back at him. His eyes seemed downcast, almost like he was disappointed.

He sighed as he closed his eyes. "I don't blame you, Comrade." Then, he reopened them. His eyes filled with steely resolve. "However, I hope that as we get better acquainted. You can find it in your heart to forgive me." This guy really needs to learn when to quit.

Void chuckled slightly in amusement before her expression turned sour. "Yeah, as if." She sated with venom as he stood and regarded her with his steely glare. But, before she could continue, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as her stomach let out a low growl.

And he turned away briskly and began walking away. "Come Comrade, let's get your food." He said with a slight chuckle. Oh, it is ON! She bent over and picked up a sharp rock beside the path and threw it at him... Only for him to turn and catch it in his blue aura and toss it aside. "Comrade, I thought we've been over this? It's illegal to assault people with any sort of weapon... Including sharp rocks." He said in a calm tone as her jaw dropped. How did he- Wait...did he say illegal!? And her mind began to panic as she thought of all the horrible things that could happen to her. Could I be thrown in a dungeon for that!? Well, then again, I did try to kill him... But he deserved it! But then maybe- Her mind stopped the instant she came into contact with a large object. And when she looked up, she saw two sapphire blue eyes staring down at her with concern. Only now coming to realize the difference in size between them. Wow...even as a human, I'm still a head shorter than him- She paused again as she felt an arm on her shoulder. "It is alright, Comrade..." He then bent down and whispered in her ear. "I promise I won't tell anyone." He then stood up and began to walk away.

Leaving a very flustered and very confused Void as she held the shoulder that he had touched. "Just who are you?" She asked herself. After which, she shook her head and followed after him. I WILL find out, and when I do...I actually don't know what I'll do. But I know I'm going to find out!

A few minutes later and she found herself following Andrik into a small building. Once inside, she quickly figured it was some kind of small restaurant. As it was filled with wooden chairs and tables filled with many people. Including what she assumed to be human foals. As these were far smaller than all of those that she had seen so far. "Ah, there you are." Said a deep voice she instantly recognized as belonging to her kidnapper. She quickly turned and saw that he was sitting at a table by himself and was inviting her over. "Come, I have already ordered lunch." He said with a grin as she walked over and sat down.

But, before she could pull in her chair. Andrik stood up, walked behind her, and then pushed in her chair. This again? Then, he walked back to his seat and pulled out a newspaper that read: Union Daily at the top. As he did so, she got to look at a few of the headlines:

"Red Square Fashion to acquire Kuzma designs in a bid to root out competitors: Is this the beginning of a Fashion Revolution?"

"Kalibay or Belgodnoye: Which company has the better wheat?"

"Klilzhsky has announced a new car factory for Tokan Inc.: What does this mean for the proletariat?"

And this continued throughout the page, with small paragraphs following each headline. "Hey, watcha reading?" She asked as he lowered his paper.

He then put the paper on the table. "Well, Comrade, it's an economic paper." She cocked her brow. Huh? He cleared his throat upon noticing her confusion. "What it means is that it talks about the economic development of this republic. Or, in lamens terms, how something like how a corporation can affect a city and its people." He then pointed to the last title she had read. "For example, the city of Klilzhsky has made a deal with Tokan Inc. And, the paper is drawing you in by asking the question: How will this affect the proletariat? Or, in other words: The workers?" He explained as she tried to keep up with him. Why is everything so...complicated here? "So, do you understand?"

She proceeded to stare at him blankly. "Uh-huh..." She said as her mind drew a blank.

He chuckled before putting a hand on her shoulder, which caused her to snap out of her trance. And she stared at where she had been touched. "Don't worry, Comrade. You will understand in time." I-uh...

She could feel the blood rushing to her face as she shugged him off. "Y-yeah..." She said as she looked away and waited for the blush to subside. What the heck is wrong with me!? First, his stupid eyes get stuck in my head. And now I can barely think straight! Is it because he put a spell on me? Or is it because... She found herself blushing again as she thought over her previous interactions with him.

Or is it because no other guy has ever looked at you that way before? She shook her head.

No no! It has to be some kind of spell! There's just no way I would fall for the guy who fillynapped me, right? RIGHT!?

Come on. Stop lying to yourself.

I-I'm not lying. This to be a spell! As her mental battle continued. Andrik looked on with a concerned frown. However, before he could try to ask her what was wrong, the sound of footsteps. And he turned to see a gruff man wearing a black apron and grey work clothes holding a tray with one plate of Beef Stroganoff and a bowl of Sсhi soup. "Here you go, Comrades." He said as Void was taken out of her daze by the smell of the food. And he proceeded to place the Stroganoff in front of her and the soup in front of Andrik. Wow, that looks good. "Is there anything else I can get you, Comrade?"

He then turned to the waiter. "Yes. I would like two shots of vodka. And two shots of zakuski." He said as he relaxed in his chair. The waiter then nodded before walking back the way he came.

In the meantime, Void was examing her food. It's like the pasta I had that one time... But wired. She then sniffed it and absorbed the scent of the meat and noddles. Oh, that really does smell good. Then, she looked to Andrik, who was spooning the soup into his mouth. "Hey, what is this?"

He stopped and sat up. "Hmm?" He then looked to see she was pointing at her food. "Oh, that is Beef Stroganoff. It's good, trust me." Okay, here goes. She grabbed the fork she had been given and began to dig into it. As she did, she quickly realized he was right. Mmmm, this stuff is good!

Then, they both heard the sound of footsteps and turned to see that the waiter was back. This time, with four small shot glasses: Two filled with clear liquid and two that were filled with an icky green colour liquid. Huh? He then put them all on the table. "Thank you, Comrade. That will be all." Said Andrik as the man nodded and walked away. I wonder what those are? He then turned to face her. "Now, Comrade, allow me to explain." He began as he pointed to the clear liquid. "This is Vodka." He gestured to the green liquid-filled glasses. "And that is zakuski or pickle juice." He stated.

Void just stared at him in confusion. "And why would I drink that?" She asked as she pointed at the pickle juice.

He then began chuckling. "Because if you don't. You will probably have the worst hangover you ever had." He stated coldly as his joking manner drained away.

Void then glared in return. "You wanna bet?" She asked in a challenging manner.

He then began full-on laughing. "Is that a challenge I hear?" He asked.

Void stood up. "You bet your butt it is! Come on, you and me, drinking game!" She yelled as some of the other patrons began to look in their direction.

Andrik just cracked his knuckles and stood up. Staring down at her with unforgiving eyes. "Alright." He said quietly as his brow furrowed. "But I promise that you'll regret this!" He bellowed. Oh no, YOU will regret this!

Then the waiter came back as a crowd began to form. And Void began hearing excited whispers:

_{"Is that girl crazy? She just challenged a KGB agent to a drinking game!"} Came one woman.

_{"Well, dear. That girl is either very brave or very stupid."} Said the man beside her as he looked on with pity. Oh, come on! I can out-drink him!

_{"Isn't that one of the Premier's sisters'?"} Asked another man as he scrunched his eyes at her. What does he mean by that?

However, this came to a stop the moment the waiter arrived. As everyone in the crowd watched in anticipation. "Comrades!" He announced as he looked between her and Andrik with worry. "Are you sure you want to go on with this?" He asked as he turned to Void with a pleading expression. To which she firmly nodded, causing him to solemnly nod in acceptance. Why is everyone worried about me? It's him they should be thinking about! He then turned to Andrik. "And what about you, Comrade Lieutenant? Will you allow this action?" As he asked this, everyone in the room seemed to hold their breath.

Andrik carefully finished his soup before razing his head. "Yes, I do." Said Andrik as the whole room then exploded in cheering. As the waiter went back to presumably grab more drink. Wow, this feels almost like one of Pinkie's... Ugh, no! But, before she knew it, Andrik was already holding his vodka.

She then reached for the vodka first. "Oh, it is on!" She bellowed as she was about to drink.

But, before she did, he cleared his throat and moved his glass closer to her's. "It is tradition to start with a toast." He stated with a smirk. Which caused some members of the audience to snicker or chuckle. Oh, I am going to wipe that smirk off your face! She then brought her glass to his as he yelled: "За нашу дружбy" – to our friendship! And they clinked their glasses together and drank.

Who will win? Place your bets below!