//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8 
// Story: Metro 2033: A Stalker's Tale 
// by Hurgusburgus 
//------------------------------//

So, where exactly do I start off at?

I don’t really know. Ah, well. Let me think for a second…
Okay, here we go.

When we had finished with the breakfast, we went outside and I winced slightly in the sunlight. The weather was amazing. I had an inkling it was like this most of the time – sunny, warm and generally nice. Shrugging slowly, I followed Applejack and the rest of her family. Applebloom was understandably sullen, I guess – she wanted to stay home and talk to me instead of going to school.

“Don't worry, Applebloom, I am not going to disappear into thin air. I'm still going to be here by the end of the day!”
“D’ya promise?”
“Da. I promise.” That seemed to make her slightly happier and she smiled at me.
“’kay, then. See ya after the school!” With that, she grinned and trotted away down the path. I turned to Applejack and she motioned for me to follow. I nodded and off we went into the Sweet Apple Acres proper.

Well, this was… new. Then again, the Apples were the best at growing… apples. Anyways, the hills were covered in all manners of apple trees, laden with the ripe, red/orange/green/what have you fruits and I involuntarily licked my lips. Applejack chuckled at that.
“Easy there, pardner. You’ll be able to get some later at break time. For now, let’s get to applebuckin’!” I nodded and followed her into the valley…

I stared up at the apple tree, eyeing the shiny fruits dangling from the branches. How, exactly, was I going to get to them by kicking the tree?
“Why didn’t I ask her about it earlier? Blyin.” I cursed, then sighed. Welp.

Time to go all monkey style, I guess.

As it turns out, clambering across a tree, plucking its fruits loose and tossing those into a basket five metres below you isn’t all that easy. I’d nearly fallen several times, and a couple of the branches had nearly snapped under my weight, causing me to use several choice curses and scramble back towards my previous location. But I was getting the job done either way. After a while, the basket was full and I set out back towards the farm. On my way I came across Applejack, who waved at me. She too, was carrying apples – two baskets slung across her back and I chuckled as we walked along the path.
“Way to one-up me, Applejack.” She chuckled in return.
“Well, the basket’s full. That’s all that matters. Just keep doing what you’re doing, Alyona. Every little helps, right?”
“I guess that’s true.” I muttered to myself and reaffirmed my grip on the basket as we walked.

Once back at the farm, we emptied the baskets into an empty cart and headed out towards our separate destinations once more.

Rinse and repeat.

Rinse and repeat.

It went on for several hours – even though I started to get sore at some point, I could simply just tough it out. I’d been put through worse things, believe you me. As I went about my work, I started up my music player, and clipped it to my belt – I opted not to use my earphones. The damn things would most likely get snagged somewhere, and I didn't have a spare pair. I hummed to myself as I kept filling up my basket with apples, the tunes from my music player helping with breaking my task's monotonous pace.

Take me down to the Paradise City
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Oh, won't you please take me home...?

I leaned downwards, and tossed a pair of apples into the basket. Two points, yeaah~

Take me down to the Paradise City
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Oh, won't you please take me home...?

I clambered along, taking more care now as several more apples landed in the basket, some good, old-fashioned Guns N' Roses blasting from the small device on my waist – the sound was somewhat tinny, but clear enough for me to hear and sing along. It had a positive effect on me, too – I moved across the branches more confidently, the apples came loose with less effort, and my clothes didn't get snagged anywhere. I suppose it had something to do with the fact that I could actually relax in this land – no one was out to get me here, a particular mint-green unicorn aside. I wasn't going to get jumped by bandits, or mutants. Or anyone and anything that was detrimental to my well-being, once more, a particular mint-green unicorn aside.

Hem, hem.

The time passed by faster as the music poured from the small music player, but my mind was still unsettled – how would I return to the Metro? Was there even a way for me and Bourbon to get back? I didn’t actually mind this place, but the Metro was my home, after all. I would have to ask Celestia someday if she could help me with this predicament. And, speaking of Bourbon…

Could I still rely on him? If the news were that we were stuck here forever, how would he take it? Bad or good? Seeing as he had an affinity for debts in the Metro, he might be happy to stay here, but that’s just wild speculation. For now, I was content with recuperating from the strifes of the post-apocalyptic Moscow…


Another two hours later, as the sun was slowly, but decidedly making its sojourn towards the horizon, Applejack called it a day. I emptied the basket and set it down, stretching my arms, sighing as I felt the pops emanate from the joints.
“Oh, that’s better…” I finished stretching and looked at Applejack. She was smiling at me.
“Well, Ah’ll be! You’ve done quite nicely, even if Ah say so ‘myself!” I shrugged.
“I have my moments.”
“Nonetheless, Ah’m rather impressed by your dedication! If only more ponies worked like you do. Well, for now, let’s go an’ get some dinner, hmm?”
“Dinner sounds good.” I nodded and walked at her side, when a curious thought popped into my mind. “Say, why don’t you just collect apples over the entire day? I mean, there’s more daylight left.” She chuckled at that.
“Well, because Granny Smith needs said daylight to sort them apples! Can’t do it overnight, now can she?”
“So, she’s doing it all alone?”
“Yep. Says we distract her and keep messing up. She’s an old hoof at her trade, can sort a basket of apples in a flash. It won’t take her that long to sort this day’s harvest. In the meantime, we can fix up some grub!”
“Ah. I see. Let’s get ourselves cleaned up, then.” She nodded and we went inside the house. I went over to the sink and washed my hands, then had a quick drink of cold, refreshing water. That done, I turned to Applejack.
“So, anything I can help with?”
“Hmm. Well, Ah guess ya could set the table while Ah get the cooking underway.” I nodded and she gestured to a pair of cupboards nearby. “There’s the dishes and suchlike.”
“Cool. I’ll get right on it.” She nodded and turned her attention to the cooker as I strode over to the cupboards in question, picking up several plates, spoons, forks, etcetera, and carried them over to the large table in the middle of the spacious kitchen, placing them in front of the chairs, followed by the cutlery – how did they hold anything without fingers, anyways? They had hooves! – and I stepped back, giving my work a brief once-over, then nodded, satisfied.
“Well, I’ve got the table set.”
“Nice t’know! Oh, that reminds me – could you go into town and get Applebloom and her friends? The school’s going to be over soon and it’d be nice if you could do it, seein’ as Ah’m busy right now.”
“No problem. Applejack.”
“I wager that the food’s going t’be ready when ya return.”
“Cool. I’ll get to it, then.” She nodded and I walked outside, heading towards Ponyville.

Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle scowled at the other two fillies – Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, to be precise.
“Look, you two, if you’ve got nothing sensible to say, then let us go. We’ve got more important things to do than bicker with you.”
“Oh, really? How is being a bla… bluh-bluh-bluh~” Diamond Tiara trailed off, eyes wide as plates as she and Silver Spoon stared at something behind them.
“What? What is it?” Applebloom spoke up, but got no answer as the two bullies galloped away, squealing with terror and she shrugged. “What’s got into them, I wonder? Ah, never mind. At the very least, they ain’t botherin’ us no more. Right, girls?” Her words were met with silence, once more and she groaned in frustration. “What is it with ponies not answering me today…?” She turned to look at her friends, and found them staring at somepony who made her heart jump a little in joy.
“Alyona!”

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out.” I responded to the yellow pony in front of me, while her friends kept staring at, their jaws figuratively scraping across the ground. Applebloom grinned as I ruffled her mane a little.
“Your sister sent me to pick you up from school.”
“Oh, she did? Well, Ah’m glad ya came along when ya did. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon jus’ can’t leave us alone…”
“Really? Why?”
“Well, because we are the only ones of our class still without cutie marks.”
“So, they pick on you just because you’re different?”
“Ayep.” I tsk’d sourly at that.
“Some people need to mature up, it seems…” I looked at the two fillies nearby, jaws still wide open. “They, uh, gonna be alright?”
“Oh, those are my friends – Scootaloo an’ Sweetie Belle!” She pointed at the pegasus and unicorn, respectively. I nodded at them.
“Girls, where’s yer manners? Say hi to Alyona!” Applebloom whispered to them. That seemed to snap them out of their shocked state and they waved meekly to me. I crouched down, bringing myself face to face with them. With the height difference somewhat alleviated, they seemed to turn less nervous and grinned at me, muttering out a weak ‘Hi’.
“Nice to meet you two.” I turned to look at Applebloom. “Well, then. Let’s get going. Food should be ready when we return.”
“Ah.” She nodded and turned to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. “Come on, girls!” Slightly hesitant, the two small ponies nodded and followed me and Applebloom back to the Sweet Apple Acres. On the way to the farm, I told Applebloom's friends about me, where I came from, that sort of stuff -  pretty much the same thing I had told to others.



Celestia looked up from her desk and her heart skipped a beat or two – a black, angular, and utterly alien face was eyeing her, its red eyes boring into hers.

Oh... Hello again.
Our time runs short.
Yes, you have said so earlier. I promised I would earn her trust, and I am doing so. But I cannot hurry this process – it could make her suspect something.
I implore you – do what you can. We do not wish to be extinguished like everything else.
And I will, in due time, explain it to her. Maybe even arrange a meeting between you two. Then you can get down to the brass tacks, as the saying goes.
Very well. We will eagerly await for any development of the situation. Do not hesitate to contact us.

The odd being faded away like dust and she sighed, her shoulders slumping a bit.

What have I gotten myself into?