As he had expected, the day passed by slowly for Nikolai. Most of it was spent on the roof of a new house on the outskirts of town, idly hammering in the boards. Despite not actually working for a long while, Nikolai was still proving himself to be a valuable asset to Rusty's company; he could do a day's work in just a little over an hour. So, even on this day, when he actually had to work, Nikolai mostly spent the day slacking off, since he had run out of jobs to do. He could just lie on the roof and bask in the warm glow of the sun, which was fine by him.
The only downside was that Rusty prohibited drinking on the job, so he sobered up shortly into the day. Nikolai had indeed been completely serious about his proposed labor law, but he was also all bark and no bite about it. Besides, he didn't want to get fired if it failed, which even he knew it probably would.
But the day itself was relatively mundane. The only conversations that came were from the stallions (and Nikolai) partaking in idle chit-chat and jokes while working. Rusty had himself a nice group of hard-working, masculine stallions, and Nikolai sensed a strong comradery between each of them that could only be earned through years of daily interactions and teamwork. The magic of friendship seemed to affect everyone in Ponyville. It created a society that, while not perfect, seemed to be less restricted by human nature.
The prospect that he may one day leave it all frightened him. Obviously, he didn't show it while he worked, but it ate at him inside. He tried to give it some thought, he really did, but as the sun lowered on the oranging western horizon, he was even more conflicted than he had been that morning.
"Well, crew," Nikolai, still lying on the roof, heard Rusty announce from below. "It's five o'clock sharp. I think we did good today."
"Of course we did!" Hasty Hammer replied with a good-natured shout. He was on the other side of the barn, halfway done with nailing a wooden board. "We always do, sir!"
Hasty was a stallion with a bright red coat, a short crimson mane, and a fast-paced worker. Nopony in all of Ponyville- hell, probably in all of Equestria- could match his skill with a hammer and nails. He was rather slender for a stallion, though he was by no means weak. Nikolai guessed that he was about 25.
As he began to climb down the ladder, he heard another stallion say, "I have to say, I was a little apprehensive about you hiring that ape, but I've never seen someone with that kind of magic before."
"Hey," Nikolai playfully shouted as he reached the bottom of the ladder. "This ape could easily kick your ass, Mister Stronghoof."
Stronghoof was a pony that lived up to his name, though truthfully every pony lived up to their name. He was a bulky stallion, though not nearly to the level of somepony like Bulk Biceps, and could carry even the heaviest loads that Rusty required with ease. He also had a fondness for sprinkling complex words into his otherwise-simple sentences. It was no secret that he kept a pocket dictionary in his work saddlebag. His coat was an unattractive stony-grey color, and his mane, black as night, was never styled. Instead, it merely fell in whatever direction it wanted to on a given morning
Stronghoof smirked at Nikolai. "Is that a bet? You don't look so tough, you drunk monkey! Why don't we take this outside!?" Of course, he was just joking. He and Nikolai got along just fine, even though the hairless ape joke was beginning to wear thin on the Russian's patience.
Nevertheless, he laughed. "Nikolai is tougher than you think, little pony!"
"And magical," Hasty added, coming around from the other side of the building. "You saw him with those boards, Stronghoof. What if he slams you in the face with a two-by-four? That would be a sight I want to see."
"No," Nikolai said, eyeing the ladder behind him. "I would rather 1v1 all of you noobs in an old-fashioned 360 double-tap off the ladder noscope match!"
The other two workers acquires puzzled frowns as they true to make sense of what Nikolai told them.
"Never mind, it is a meta joke; you wouldn't get it without an explanation. Anyway, I hate to just go off, but I promised Dempsey that we would drink tonight, and drink we shall.0
"Leaving so soon?" Hasty questioned. "I figured we would go to Pinkie's or something and throw a 'Welcome Aboard' party for you."
"I would love to, but it will have to wait another time. Dempsey just arrived this morning, and we haven't had a chance to unwind yet. Besides, we have some plans to discuss."
It was then that Rusty joined them. "You sure? You've been gone on adventures for a long time. There will be vodka at the party, if you want."
"I can't tonight, Rusty," Nikolai sighed. "Something else may happen to Equestria, Rusty, and we need to prepare."
"Great," Rusty muttered under his breath. "There's always something happening in this town."
"Seriously?" Stronghoof groaned, loud enough to be heard by everyone else. "In like a year, we've dealt with Nightmare Moon, Discord, a changeling invasion, and black vines. I'm subscribing to the theory that Ponyville is hexed."
"You guys do seem to be a magnet for trouble," Nikolai said with a slight grin, but it soon faded. "Well, maybe Dempsey and I can prevent another disaster, at least if things go well."
"Just be careful out there, Nikolai," Rusty warned. "We can't lose someone as talented as you, now, can we?"
Nikolai turned back to his boss as a sly thought entered his mind. "If that's the case, we may need to negotiate this whole 'no vodka on the job' thing."
Rusty let out a sharp, hearty laugh. "Alright, alright, with how quickly you get things done, I'm sure we can work something out."
"Let's hope so," Nikolai nodded as he turned his head back to town. "I should probably get going; can't keep such a good friend waiting now, can I?"
"Of course not, you're free to go."
"Take care of yourself, Nikolai," Hasty said as he patted Nikolai on the back. "See you tomorrow?"
"I should hope so," Nikolai turned back to face him. "I might actually get a few weeks in before something happens this time."
And with that, Nikolai turned away from them and walked towards town. He began to think back over everything that had happened since he arrived in Equestria. It was funny how long ago he received this job, and just now he was working it. It had been quite the ride in this land of ponies, he could agree on that. A new sensation had entered Nikolai since then; an urge to protect this land and its citizens. Was he one of their own now? He hoped so, since he had helped them out the best he could.
"There's the man I've been looking for!" Came Dempsey's voice, followed by a slap on the back. Nikolai immediately snapped out of his thoughts with a light jump, but shook it off and gave Dempsey a smirk. "How was work?"
"About what you would expect," Nikolai replied. "Dull as hell, but I'm good at it, so it will do."
"My day's been just as dull, I'm afraid. I'm not much of a politicker."
"That makes two of us," Nikolai nudged Dempsey. "But it won't be your last time. There's no telling how many times I've been in the company of a princess, discussing politic events that I had caught myself in."
"Yippie," Dempsey droned dully.
"Would you believe I attempted a communist revolution when I first came here?"
Dempsey gave Nikolai an amused grin. "You didn't."
"I did."
Dempsey bursted into full-fledged laughter. "Oh, Nikolai," he said when he caught his breath. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?"
"No," He said with a chortle. "I guess I have not. You haven't either, though."
"True, true," Dempsey admitted. "So where is the bar, anyway. I tried to find it earlier, but I didn't exactly know the name of it."
"And you didn't ask anyone?"
"No, no. I did, but they all just gave me blank stares. They acted like they've never seen a human being before."
Nikolai facepalmed. "I think you're forgetting where we are, Dempsey. There are no humans in Equestria."
"Of course there are," Dempsey replied obliviously. "There's me and you, right?"
"Only since today."
"You were still here for a month. Surely they're used to your presence now."
"I thought they were, actually. They stopped staring, at least. Maybe they're just wondering why there's two of us now. Anyway, the name of the bar is The Hopping Gryphon."
"The Hopping wha?" Dempsey raised an eyebrow.
"Gryphon," Nikolai repeated.
"That's a fucking stupid name if I've ever heard one. Who names their bar The Hopping Gryphon?"
"Cherry Pop. She's a teal pegasus with a red mane and a cherry cutie mark."
"Cutie mark?"
"Oh yeah," Nikolai chuckled. "That's right, you don't know what those are yet. Those are the things on their butts. It apparently has to do with finding out your special talent or some shit."
"Ohhhhhhhh," Dempsey shook his head slowly. "I just thought they were just born with them and that's how they named them."
"That is a strange coincidence," Nikolai added. "I wonder if my cutie mark would be a bottle of eighty-proof vodka or a hammer and sickle."
"I'd go with vodka, you're more drunk than communist."
"I suppose so. How about we go drink now? I've been sober all day, and I don't want to be any longer."
"Of course. Lead me to this Hopping Gryphon place. I hope they have beer."
"Beer?" Nikolai uttered as he made a disgusted groan. "Yuck, Dempsey! Your taste in alcohol is absolutely horrific."
Dempsey shrugged. "Whatever. I like it."
And so, as dusk settled over the small village, Dempsey and Nikolai walked along the street and chatted about days gone by. They spoke of their remembered experiences in the war, including heroics both real and fictional to impress the other. They discussed their favorite weapons for zombie-killing (Dempsey favored the Ray Gun, while Nikolai found the PPSH-41 quite efficient and fun) and how delicious Juggernog tasted. Whatever topic they spoke about, they kept the conversation pleasant. Now was not the time to discuss Richtofen's treachery, nor of the upcoming battle that would take place in Equestria. It was simply a time for two friends to enjoy each other's company. Eventually, before night had fallen completely on the sleepy town, Nikolai and Dempsey found the bar.
Standing outside the small, homely wooden building, Dempsey couldn't help but smile. It was universes away, but it still felt like an all-American bar. What Nikolai said about Dempsey was true; he would never stay in this place and give up his life on Earth, but he was happy to find something that didn't seem entirely foreign to him. Oh, how long it had been since he had been in a bar. Really, it had been a long time since he could unwind, what with the zombies and all.
"Well, the bar looks better than it sounds," Dempsey thought out loud.
"I think you will like it fine. Just don't expect there to be any whores," Nikolai joked as he opened the door and vanished inside. Dempsey quickly followed, suddenly feeling very thirsty.
"Good evening, Cherry!" Nikolai announced his presence.
Cherry stood on the other side of the counter, apparently in a conversation with none other than Bertrot and Scarce. She turned to face Nikolai with a friendly, genuine smile.
"Ah, if it isn't Nikolai," she greeted politely. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" She then noticed Dempsey behind him, and her mouth instinctively dropped open. "Polonsky!? You're alive?"
Dempsey raised an eyebrow. "Polonsky? No, I'm Dempsey. Who's Polonsky?"
Nikolai sighed as an image of Polonsky's zombified corpse flashed through his mind. He was not afraid of it, since he had the closure of putting him down, but it did still sadden him. "Let's not worry about it right now, Dempsey. He was a man that looked a lot like you, but now he's dead. That's all you need to know."
"Yeah," Bertrot spoke up. "I don't want to be reminded of what happened in Stalliongrad right now," He said before taking a long swig from his beer mug. "In fact, I don't want to be reminded for a long time."
Nikolai just now seemed to notice that Bertrot and Scarce were there. One look at them was enough to tell that they were still deeply affected by what had happened back in Stalliongrad. Bertrot's eyes were half-lidded, and his mouth curved harshly into a deep frown. Scarce, at least on the outside, still lived up to her emotionless reputation, but it was clear that she wasn't in the mood to talk with anyone. She simply stared at her empty mug with dull, soulless eyes, lost in thought.
Nikolai, though he felt bad for both of them, didn't want the night to be all doom and gloom, so he sat on the other side of the bar and nodded to Cherry. "Vodka, as I'm sure you'd expect from me."
"Of course," Cherry nodded. "And what would Polon-, er, Dempsey like?"
Dempsey stared at the two lost ponies on the other side of the bar before he turned back to Cherry. "On second thought, I think I need a Scotch."
"I'll get you one right away, sir," Cherry answered awkwardly before she got to work. Other than the occasional clinking of a bottle or shot glass, the bar remained unusually and deathly quiet. Scarce, Bertrot, Nikolai, and Dempsey were the only customers in the bar, and nobody wanted to make the first move.
Nikolai did eventually clear his throat. "Bertrot, how have you been since. . . You know."
"What do you think?" Scarce said with a mouthful of venom before Bertrot even had a chance to reply. "We nearly died back there. I lost my sister!" She snapped loudly, her eyes suddenly wide open and scowling at both of them. Then, as quick as her fury appeared, it vanished, and she was back to staring at her drink.
"Forgive her," Bertrot spoke when the awkward silence threatened to take over again. "I'm afraid her grieving has made her irrational, not that I blame her. As for me, I'm fine, all things considered. I didn't die back there, so that's a silver lining."
"I guess there's that," Nikolai shrugged as Cherry came back with their drinks.
"I've spent my days in here, pretty much. I'll start the journey back to Germaneigh next week. The higher-ups decided I deserved a vacation."
"Hell of a vacation," Nikolai replied. "Even I would rather spend it doing something else than just sitting in a bar all day."
"Why is that pony speaking with a German accent?" Dempsey cut in.
"Not now, Dempsey," Nikolai whispered.
"At least my feet get to rest," Bertrot added with the best genuine smile he could muster. "That is something I should thank you for."
"What did you mean?"
"You and Polonsky got us out of there alive. We couldn't have made it without your help."
"Yeah?" Nikolai cocked his head. "Well, I'm no hero, Bertrot. I'm just a man who fights zombies."
Bertrot rose from his stool and stretched. "Well, either way, you saved us. That makes you a hero in my book. Hopefully, Scarce will come to see it that way as well."
"What will she do now?"
"She's decided to come with me," Bertrot said as he gave the mourning twin a sympathetic glance. "There's nothing left for her in Equestria now."
"I see," Nikolai said after taking his first sip of vodka. Bertrot reached for his saddlebag and began fishing for his bit pouch.
"Don't worry about paying tonight, Bertrot," Cherry's said as gently as she could. "It's on the house."
"All of it?" The stallion questioned with a raised eyebrow.
Cherry nodded.
"You don't have to leave," Nikolai assured. "We don't mind your company."
"No, it's OK. You two came in here to have a good time, not to dwell on what happened back there. Besides, we've been in here for a few hours now, anyway, right Scarce?"
Scarce did not reply, but she did manage to stand and drunkenly stumble after Bertrot.
"Hey, Bertrot,"
Bertrot turned around right next to the front door. "What?"
"Good luck out there. I'm sorry we had to meet in such a tragic way."
Bertrot smiled. "Same to you, friend. It was quite the adventure, no?"
It was meant to lighten up the mood a bit, but it only failed. Both parties just turned away in silence as Bertrot and Scarce walked out into the night.
"That was weird," Dempsey noted.
"More like sad, if you ask me," Cherry said, her face already weary from a long, sad day. She took their mugs and began to idly wash them out. "Scarce lost everything in Stalliongrad. Thank Celestia for Bertrot's compassion, otherwise she'd be alone and bitless."
"I'm lost," said Dempsey after a good long gulp of scotch. "I have no idea what you guys are talking about."
"I'll tell you some other time," Nikolai muttered while giving Dempsey a solemn pat on the back. "We shouldn't discuss such a tragic matter on a night that should be joyous."
"Amen," Cherry smiled. "You two catch up and relax, I've got some, uh, preparations to make."
"Uh, sure," Dempsey nodded. "Cherry, right?"
"Yeah, Cherry Pop. Any friend of Nikolai's is a friend of mine."
With that, Cherry excused herself to the back room of the bar, leaving Nikolai and Dempsey alone again.
"I have to admit, these ponies sure are a friendly bunch. I can see why you've been enjoying your stay here, Nikolai."
"They've been good to me," Nikolai remarked. "Berry's been the nicest by far, since she gave me a place to stay and access to the fridge."
"Sounds like you've got it made here, amigo. It certainly has been better than what I've been doing in the meantime."
"Yeah. It's so nice, I might actually stay here after everything's been settled."
It was a mere slip-up on Nikolai's part, but the truth had suddenly come out. Dempsey, however, simply laughed and patted Nikolai on the back.
"Ah, Nikolai, my friend, it's good to have you back once again."
Nikolai laughed it off nervously and managed a smile. "You too, Dempsey. Toast?"
Just as the two clinked their glasses, Pinkie Pie burst through the back door, followed by a rather bewildered Cherry. In the pink party pony's hooves was a rather mountainous cake.
"So, you thought you could just wander into Equestria without a party, huh, Tank Dempsey? Well,"- she playfully jabbed Dempsey's nose with a forehoof.- "I don't think so!"
Dempsey merely stared at her as a short period of silence fell upon the room. "I'm sorry, but what the fuck?"
"Wordy dirty!" Pinkie exclaimed, still playing around. "You shouldn't say things like that, mister! This is your 'Welcome to Equestria' party, and this"- she gestured at the cake-"Is your 'Welcome to Equestria' cake!"
"OK, then," Dempsey uttered, still taking in what just happened. He scooped a finger in the icing and brought it into his mouth. Almost instantly, his face lit up with what could only be described as pure happiness. "Is this what I think it is? Buttercream icing? But how did you know that was my favorite!?"
Pinkie only giggled and winked at the marine. "That's a secret. Go on, now, eat up! Save some for Gummy, though, buttercream is his favorite, too."
Taking a spoon (that had been hidden in Pinkie's hair, but he didn't bother with that), Dempsey began to help himself to the cake. Nikolai, though more concerned with his vodka, had a slice or two. Though it was not one of Pinkie's grand parties where half of Ponyville attended, the four of them managed to have a good time that night. Now that Dempsey had received his welcome treatment, it felt like the best of two worlds had come together. It would not last, Nikolai knew that, but that would be future Nikolai's problem.