//------------------------------//
// Everfree's Invasion: Part I 
// Story: Of Vodka and Cider 
// by UglyTurnip 
//------------------------------//

Nikolai sat in the room that he had been assigned. Unlike Spike, who had the same room as the princess, Nikolai had a room all to himself. The drunk would normally have found this great, especially since the servants in the castle provided free alcohol, but the Russian felt something in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't quite figure out what the problem was though, and that's exactly what bothered him. 

Outside, he watched as Princess Luna raised the moon. It was truly a remarkable sight, to see such power magically performed by a colorful pony. He had been here almost a week, and he concluded that he had learned next to nothing about the pony world. So, why did he feel so strongly that a terrible event was about to happen? More importantly, why did he know Berry, a pony he had known only for a week, like a close friend?

"I hate thinking, it reminds me that I'm sober," Nikolai mumbled out loud. He turned around to see his personal servant waking by, balancing another bottle of vodka on a silver tray. The servant appeared visibly annoyed.

"Another bottle of vodka, Mr. Belinski," he muttered detachedly.

"Thanks, Jerry!" Nikolai expressed his gratitude by uncapping the bottle and chugging it. 'Jerry' watched in disgust as some of the vodka did not go into his mouth, and instead trickle down his clothing.

"For the last time, my name isn't Jerry, it's Swift Server."

"Whatever you say, Jerry."

Swift Server sighed, and began to trot off. "If you need anything else, you know where to find me," he growled. This certainly had not helped his view of the human species.

Nikolai decided to call it a night early. The clock only read 8:28 PM, but it had been a long day, and the Russian wanted his grim feelings to pass. Without any word, he flopped onto his bed, and made himself comfortable.

There was only one problem: his mind wouldn't stop thinking about a certain alcoholic earth pony.

"C'mon, brain. It's time for sleep. You know this."

But Nikolai's brain was stubborn, and began to worry if Berry would be safe from whatever disaster was about to strike. 

"Berry will be fine, brain. Why do you care so much, anyway? She's just Nikolai's new drinking buddy."

Nikolai's brain was so deep in thought, that he did not notice the loud shriek that came just directly outside his door. Not long after, his brain finally gave him a rest, and allowed him to get some sleep. "This was future Nikolai's problem," present Nikolai told himself. "Let him deal with it."

. . .

"Mmm. . . Vodka. You're so delicious. Don't support Trotsky, vodka, bad things will happen."

The drunk might have continued to ramble in his sleep, had Twilight not suddenly teleport into his room. She went over and began to shake him back into consciousness.

"Huh?" Nikolai groggily asked. "What, is break time over?"

"Nikolai! Something terrible has happened to the princesses! They've gone missing!" She explained urgently. 

Nikolai's eyes shot open. "The princesses?" He smiled. "Yes, with this void of power, Nikolai may seize the government with a communist regime. It's quite perfect!"

Twilight stared blankly at him. "Really? The princesses vanish and all you can think about is your rise to power?"

Nikolai shrugged. "Well, someone has to fill the void."

"I'm a princess, too. Remember?"

"Then why didn't they get you, too?"

Twilight looked around nervously. "That's just it. I don't get it. I don't know where to get started."

Nikolai turned to the princess, and swallowed his communist pride. "Is there anything I can do to help, princess?"

"Who are you, and what have you done with Nikolai?" Twilight cocked her head.

"Seriously?" Nikolai groaned. "And here I am offering help."

Twilight was slightly taken aback by the Russian's sudden willingness to help. "Uh, sure. Spike and I are heading back to Ponyville. I'm going to round up my friends and hopefully use the elements to find out what's going on. You can come along and help defend the town. Now, we really have to go."

Twilight took off, and Nikolai ran after her. "Wait, Twilight! Defend the town from what?!"

Reuniting with Spike, the trio ran out of the castle as fast as they could. Twilight was leading them to the train station from a rather secluded pathway, so they didn't meet any ponies looking for an explanation. Nikolai just now noticed the sky for the first time that morning; it was a combination of night and day! This never happened back on Earth. And, as he judged by Twilight's panic, this was not a common occurrence in Equestria.



"Where are we going?!" Spike asked.

"The Everfree Forest is 'invading', according to the guards. We need to get back to Ponyville and gather the Elements of Harmony. They should help us find out what's going on. In the meantime, Nikolai will help defend the town as best as he can."

"So, how will we get there anyway?" Nikolai asked.

"I was hoping to take the train."

"Uh, Twilight?" Spike spoke up. "There is a better way, you know?"

"How?"

"You could fly us there."

All three stopped on a small bridge.

"I don't know, Nikolai failed his New Years Resolution of getting fit. Maybe I should continue on foot."

Twilight nodded. "Just be sure to reach Ponyville as soon as you can. We're counting on you."

Nikolai saluted, and began to sprint for the train station.

Twilight nervously spread her wings. "Climb aboard, Spike. Things are about to get bumpy."

. . .

One crash landing in Ponyville later, Twilight recovered from their 'landing' in the library to discover her friends going through her books, desperately searching for a solution. 

"Uh, we promise we wouldn't normally go through your books without your permission," Fluttershy quickly assured.

Spike, who had hit the window outside, now opened the front door and began kissing the floor. "Oh, ground, sweet, sweet, ground."

"OK, OK," Twilight frowned. "I get it. I need to work on my flying a little more," she then changed the subject back to the current situation. "It's OK. I'm just glad to see you're all fine."

Pinkie, for once, appeared serious. "I don't know if you noticed, but the Everfree Forest seems to be a teeny-bit. . . Out of control!" Her tail immediately twitched, and she ducked. Rarity, who was right next to her, was struck by a massive dark vine that had found its way inside the building.

"Guess you were missing somethin' in Ponyville after all," Applejack agreed as she shut a window, severing the vine from its source.

Rarity regained her bearings and stood up again. "But perhaps you know the source of all this calamity. Has the princess sent you to dispatch of it post-haste?"

Twilight struggled for an answer. "Well, no. You see, the princesses, they're kinda. . ."

"Missing!" Spike spat out. The news instantly sent the ponies into a fright.

"I'm not sure who's responsible, but I have a hunch we're going to need the Elements of Harmony to stop them," Twilight explained as she opened a glass case that contained the elements.

"Alright!" Rainbow Dash smiled as the her amulet clicked around her neck.

"Boo-yah!" Pinkie triumphantly hoof-bumped Twilight.

"It's good to have you back, Twi," Applejack smiled, but soon replaced it with an irritated scowl. "Now we just gotta find out who in tarnation we need to point these things at."

Twilight stroked her chin with a hoof. "I might have an idea."

. . .

Nikolai busted through the train station's window, as the building had been closed to the public once panic had set in. The staff ponies eyed him with expressions of fear. He marched pass them, and turned his head to one of them.

"Sorry about the window, comrade, but Ponyville needs me. I have orders from Princess Sparkle herself."

The pony nodded, and flashed a nervous smile. Nikolai turned away  from her and continued on his way to the train itself. He used his brute strength to open the door. A frightened unicorn pony stood next to a furnace, while the train's controls were unoccupied.

"I wish you no harm, little pony. Please cooperate."

The unicorn nodded and began to magically toss coal into the train's furnace, while Nikolai fired up the vehicle.

"It's about time I got out of Canterlot," Nikolai mumbled mostly to himself "This city is filled with the filthy stench of royalty. What's your name, pony?"

The nervous unicorn quickly whispered "Coal Cremator." 

Nikolai turned toward him and got a good look at the stallion. His coat and mane were entirely jet black, with dark blue eyes. His cutie mark, barely visible, was only a simple lump of coal.

"Come again?" He questioned.

"Coal Cremator," the young unicorn uttered quietly.

"Speak up, please. Nikolai just wants a nice conversation."

"Coal Cremator!" He shouted in a surprisingly wimpish voice. Nikolai couldn't help but chuckle.

"Oh. So, what do you do for a living?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Don't be so rude, Coal. It would be a shame if Nikolai had to throw you off the train," the drunk Russian threatened. "Now, what do-"

"The train can't function without me," Coal Cremator cut off and countered. "I put the coal in the furnace. I thought you knew!"

"Oh," Nikolai thought of another conversation-starter as the train left the last outer section of Canterlot. He decided to talk about the sky's current condition. "You know, I don't see what all this nonsense is about. In my world, sometimes you can see the moon in the early mornings. Well, then again, we don't exactly have magical ponies that do it for us."

The more Nikolai chatted with Coal Crumbler, the more the unicorn began to think he was insane. He frowned, and levitated another few lumps of coal into the furnace. "Are you OK?"

Nikolai smiled from behind the train's controls. "I've never felt better. Well, maybe some vodka would be good," he chuckled as the train raced down the mountain like a bullet from a gun. "Maybe Cherry has some leftovers she could give me some once this invasion is over."

Coal perked up at 'Invasion'. "What invasion?" He questioned.

"Princess Sparkle," Nikolai choked on the name, disgusted by how girly it sounded. "Ordered Nikolai to help Ponyville drive back the Everfree Forest. I don't see how a forest can invade, but everything seems to work differently here. On the bright side, no zombies! On the dark side, absolute monarchy is the rule here. But, when I drink, all is right with the world!" He let out a loud, hardy laugh.

"You're not drunk now, are you!?" Coal shouted fearfully.

"Of course not, Nikolai," -he burped mid-sentence- "knows the dangers of drinking and hijacking girly trains," he spoke of this as if it was something he dealt with every day.

"I have no idea how I should reply to that," Coal groaned as the train came to a complete stop at Ponyville Station.

"You won't have to," Nikolai shrugged. "This is my stop," he opened the door and glanced back at the young unicorn. "You want to come with?"

Coal's head ached slightly, both from Nikolai's loud voice and the fumes from the furnace. "Sure, I need some time to cool off."

As Nikolai stepped out of the train, his question was immediately answered. Dark, spiked vines had swallowed the majority of the town. Looking up, equally ominous black clouds floated over freely. Nikolai hadn't been in Equestria for long, but even he had learned the free-moving clouds were unnatural in civilized places. This was how a forest invaded.

"Oh, it's simply a weed problem," Nikolai flashed a confident smirk as he drew his combat knife. "It's a good thing I didn't tell Princess Sparkle the full truth," he spoke as he began cutting a nearby vine. "If only I had brought sixth wife's gardening tools," he joked.

Coal was less convinced. "I don't know. These don't look like any weeds I've ever seen."

At that point the vine Nikolai was slicing suddenly sprang to life and slapped him away.

"AAH!" Nikolai screamed as he plucked his knife out of the plant. "It-it's alive! We're all screwed!" He took off running into the town.

"Wow, what a brave warrior," Coal quipped at the sight of Nikolai's cowardice.

. . .

The element-bearers trotted their way into the center of town. Ponyville had become a ghost town since early morning, with pockets of resistance scattered in buildings and on rooftops. Twilight sighed at the emptiness of the normally-bustling town. The coming of these weeds was almost apocalyptic, especially since the missing princesses put Canterlot in a state of anarchy. Yet, this almost seemed to be a test, one of how well Twilight could function as a leader. Celestia was known for purposely weakening herself to test Twilight in the past.

The sound of a train horn caught the attention of the ponies, and Twilight was relieved to see it stop at the station.

"That must be Nikolai. He made good time, given the situation."

"I'm actually surprised he listened to you, Twilight. You are a monarch, after all."

"I was too, but I guess even he knows when to swallow his ideals to help others. Anyway, the sooner we cast this spell, the sooner we can fix this mess."

The others nodded in approval, and began casting their elements. Each one floated up into the air, and a rainbow connected them until it reached Twilight's crown. Then, the rainbow left them, forming a barrier around a certain draconequus in the middle of a shower.

"Winter Wrap-up, Winter Wrap-oh!" He slyly smiled as he covered himself with a towel, not that there was anything to hide. "Now now, Twilight. Princess Celestia promised me you would give me a heads-up before you summoned me with that little spell she gave you. In case you haven't noticed, I was in the middle of a particularly invigorating shower," he rubbed his body with the towel for emphasis.

"Enough!" Twilight barked. "Release Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and stop the Everfree Forest from invading!"

"My, my, whatever are you talking about?" Discord questioned, his smile unfaltering. 

"Don't you play dumb with us, Discord," Applejack commanded. "We know you're the one behind all of this!"

Discord teleported onto a rooftop. "Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love what you've done with the place. But I couldn't do it," he nudged Fluttershy. "I'm reformed, don't you remember?"

"Yeah, right!" Rainbow Dash accused. "This has your stinkin' hoof prints all over it!"

"I'll have you know that I only have one footprint," Discord poofed away again. "Such accusations, and here I thought we were friends," he put on the most pitiful face he could.

"Cut the act, buster!" Pinkie shouted. "We're-

"AAH! They're alive! We're all screwed!" They heard, followed by Nikolai running past them, screaming in terror. Twilight could only face-hoof. 

"Who was that?" Discord questioned.

"Don't worry about it," Twilight rubbed her forehead.

"We're onto you!" Pinkie continued.

Discord put a finger over her mouth. "Ladies, please! I'm innocent! Would I lie to you?"

"Yes!" All except Fluttershy assured.

"Uh, maybe?" Fluttershy finally uttered.

"Well then, it seems we've reached an impasse. I'm telling the truth, but you think I'm lying! What do friends do in a situation like this?" He asked Twilight.

"I say we blast 'em back to stone!" Rainbow voted.

"Works for me!" Applejack agreed.

As the others began to charge up their elements, Fluttershy tried to stop them with a surprisingly quiet "Wait! What if he really is telling the truth?"

"Finally," Discord huffed with mock frustration. "Somepony can give me the benefit of the doubt, you five could learn a lot from my dear friend Shutterfly over here," he criticized them as he held Rainbow Dash, much to her disapproval.

"Uh, it's Fluttershy."

Discord quickly tossed Rainbow Dash away and replaced her with Fluttershy. "Oh, right, Fluttershy."

"If you're not the one responsible, then help us find out who is," Twilight commanded.

"Well, normally I would. But after all this name-calling, and all this hoof-pointing, I just don't know if I want to."

"Why don't you ask your zebra friend?" Discord pointed to a lone zebra pulling a cart nearby. "She knows everything."

"Zecora!" The group happily ran over to help her.

"From my home, I've had to flee. The forest has grown too wild, even for me!"

"Do you have any idea how this is happenin'?" Applejack asked.

"I'm afraid it's a mystery to me, as well. But, I may have something if combined with a spell," she reached into her cart and pulled out a beaker filled with a purple liquid. "I dare not use it myself, the results would be tragic. It only responds to alicorn magic. Princess Twilight, you may turn the potion from purple to white. After a sip, you may see why the sky is both day and night."

Twilight cast one of the most powerful spells she knew at the beaker, and the purple liquid did turn into a pure white color. She lifted it up to her face, but hesitated to drink. Zecora nodded for her to go on, and she did. The drink itself tasted absolutely foul, but she managed to hold it down. After she was finished, nothing happened.

"Doesn't seem to be doin-"

Her eyes immediately turned a pure white, a sign that she had entered a trance.

"Ah' think it must have done somethin'," Applejack joked.