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The unlikeliest places.3,622 words
Lady of the night.1,859 words

The unlikeliest places.

Gruppa Krovi

The unlikeliest places.

'Today is rather cold,' The thought runs through Luna's mind as she steps onto the balcony. The frigid air of the early September morning strikes her like a blow-drier. She still is not used to such new technology, but she is improving.

The coldness of the rapidly dying summer only compounds her melancholia, she is alone. Well, except for her sister, and the six mares from ponyville. But other than that, she is alone. Some could say it is the loneliest era of her life, but at least she isn't trapped in the void of space anymore.

If she can describe this day with a few words. She would describe it as the Loneliest day of her life. Many tragedies have befallen the royal family and surrounding associates. And it has weighed down the family since.

Looking down at the streets below the castle, she can see ponies beginning to work and do their things. It's morning now, time to start the day and stop wallowing in self-pity. Take a shower and go to breakfast like everyo-, everypony. She still hasn't moved on from his way of speaking. She still lets the pain overcome her. She needs to stop wallowing in self-pity, but only if it were that easy.

She walks away from the balcony but looks at the sky one last time, her eyes glistening with tears that have started to well in her sockets. 'I'm sorry, Chris.'

Lonely.

That is what she feels as she sits down at the massive banquet hall. A banquet hall designed for at least five hundred peopl- ponies, ponies. Ponies or other local species, not him, he's gone, dead, suicide. She needs to let go, but if it's of any condolences, Twilight and her friends just lost another friend of theirs. A Russian, like Alexi, they were even friends at one point.

Alexi has been gone for months now, some say he got into that damned drug that has been raising hell in Equestria. Heroin, if only Charlie had not come along with her late coltfriend, then Alexi may not have run off to where every. Regardless, at least he isn't officially dead, but it nonetheless has badly hurt her sister. She is the one who found him, afterall.

The only ponies inside the banquet hall are Luna and her much more well-known sister, Celestia. Thankfully, the servants have prepared a special breakfast today. Nevertheless, an amazing meal to take her mind off of life, which she is grateful for God bestowing upon her. Even though hardly anypony believes in 'God', neither does she, just another saying that reminds her of him.

The meal is exquisite and simply divine, it's what Charlie would have called a full English breakfast. The two foreign dishes are remarkably similar, but filling, and adequate at distracting her from the pain.

A large plater made from fine china sits on the table before her. The meal on the plater consists of two sunny-side-up eggs, a modest portion of baked beans, two adequately sized sausage links, two pieces of bacon, two vines of twelve small roasted tomatoes, eight roasted mushrooms, and a bit of rosemary. A meal surely befitting of royalty, and one that'll be going through royalty rather soon.

The two mares remain silent through almost the entire breakfast, feasting on their respective platers of food. With Tia having a more American style breakfast, or what the cooks call 'modern Equestrian breakfast'. Hash browns, pancakes, scrambled eggs, and more bacon than Luna's. Other than that, the only difference is in each other's beverages. Luna's is coffee and Celestia's is tea.

The two mares finish their meals in record time, gluttony hijacking their brains with dopamine. The sweet, sweet five-second distraction from pain. If only there is another way to kill the pain, besides...

'Not now, please, not now.'

Yet her brain does not listen, and the thoughts come back, again.

It is a cold September morning, and the clocks are striking ten. He has to get to work soon, or else he won't have any way to make money. He needs money and this place is far from the Soviet Union. As horrible as it was living there, at least healthcare was 'technically' free. Though often you'd have to bribe your doctor to get decent care. Regardless, he needs to get to work soon.

Unfortunately, it seems like God has decided to resist his journey to work. As the streets are filled with numerous ponies today, and the buses are shut down. Meaning that he has to push through the crowds of ponies and volt over the obstacles. Barrels, crates, carts, and many other types of obstacles.

Ponies scream at him as pushes through them, 'wait your turn!' 'Get off me!' 'FUCK YOU!!' Things like that. He needs to get there, if he doesn't he won't have a job today, he'll be fucked simply put. He cannot wait, he has four minutes.

Adrenaline flows through his veins as he jumps over a fruit cart. The cart collides with a wall and spills apples and oranges everywhere. Ponies trip and fall over one another and get in his way, but he jumps past them. he needs to get there

Two minutes, and still a block away.

He manages to push over a stallion, thankfully the stallion doesn't get injured, but he still feels bad about it.

One and half minutes.

Someone decided to ride a giant manticore to the city today! Now everyone is losing it! Damn!

One minute!

He reaches the job site, an old building where he works as a wood carver. Carving chunks of wood into tool handles and toothbrushes for little pay. It's the only thing on his record worth a damn.

Lead singer in an incredibly influential foreign 80s band doesn't attract a lot of eyes here. Unlike wood carver, though that isn't as prized as everything else. He reaches to his belt to search for the keys, only to find that they are not there.

His heart nearly stops as he feels his belt once again, but nothing. 'Nothing? Nothing. Nyet!? NYET!?' He pats his pant pockets, his jacket pockets, checks his cheap work boots, but finds nothing. Which means that he is as good as fired.

'Great, great. Feel proud Viktor? Damnit...'

Viktor stands in the desolate alleyway, his blood boiling over as he starts to lose control. He is jobless, and without much money, a foreigner in a foreign land, where he can barely speak the language. His family is probably in another world, not that he even knows where he is exactly.

He could be in a coma right now and not know it, his son now fatherless, his wife a widow, his parents sonless. All because of that stupid fucking bus!

"Godamnit!" He yells, picking up a metal trash can and throwing it at the building's window. It's not like he'll get caught, no witnesses, and the police here are stretched thin already. Though he isn't worried, as he knows how to fight, and not many ponies have the balls to fight him.

Thankfully, Viktor is stopped by the sound of footsteps coming from behind him. He turns around and comes to encounter a familiar face, Vasiliy. "Privyet, Viktor, kag dillia?"

Viktor smiles a bit before responding, "I am fine, Vasiliy, a bit angry."

"I see, there is a broken window and broken trashcan," Vasiliy replies, "What caused you to destroy the window?"

Viktor dejectedly sighs, "I lost the keys to the place, meaning that we are locked out. And we cannot climb in through the bars in the windows."

"So, нас трахают?" Vasiliy asks.

"Da," Viktor answered.

The two men stand there for a moment, before Vasiliy speaks, "We should go home."

"That sounds like a good idea."

'The garden is rather tranquil this time of year,' She thought as she looks around at the garden. It is one of the few things that keep her from the deep end, that and the music he brought with him.

She sits there, contemplating everything, a rush of sadness and melancholia pours over her. She truly is alone in this world, sure, she has her sister, and those six mares, from that small town nearby.

But she needs someone, someone to lay beside every night. Somepony to tell her deepest and darkest secrets too... And lord knows, her sister is far from the best in that regard.

The loneliness is suffocating, it's like a crushing weight that keeps on getting heavier and heavier. And it won't stop, ever. If only he and his grandson had such vigor...

She really needs to let go, but if only it was that easy, to just let go. Let go of the ledge... no! Not again!

But why not? It's not like I'll find anyone anytime soon... Pretty much everybody seems to hate me, and I think, it is for the right reasons...

Looking to her right, she sees a pond, about forty feet deep, shocking for a pond. I could just, slowly swim to the very bottom... Tie a large rock to my chest, using plant fibers, as rope.

No pony, or no one, would ever really know. Nobody knows that I'm out here, either. Nobody is even allowed in this section. Bodies decay four times as fast in water as they do on land. I'd be contributing to something arguably greater than...

No, cease these thoughts!

But you know that it's true!

That you're trying to convince me to commit suicide!

You know that no one cares about your night... That Celestia can easily replace you, and very few would care.

I...

V-Vito i-is dead! Ra-ray-m-mmond is fucking dead! Christopher slit his own throat right in front of me!!

DON'T YOU SAY HIS FUCKING NAME YOU WHORE!!

Fuck you! You know that they're never coming back, you know it! Yet, you avoid death like the plague! Face it! The only ones that had ever really cared are now dead! Or are mass murderers, suffering from circular insanity!

He was my fucking lover!

And yet, you avoid him!

Because HE killed ME when I-...

JUST STOP!

The two men sat in their run-down apartment. Smoking cigarettes made from newspapers and cheap tobbaco, drinking cheap moonshine, while playing cards. It's about all that they can do, with what little money they have. Thankfully, Alexi and two other ponies with jobs live with them, or else they'd been screwed long ago.

"Vasiliy?" Viktor asks. "I'll stay," Vasiliy replies.

Viktor looks at his cards and sighs, "Hit me," he says. Vasiliy gives him a few cards, which unfortunately puts him over 21.

"Cyka."

"Over 21."

Viktor hesitates a bit, before sighing in defeat and laying his hand on the table. Vasiliy flashes him a shit-eating grin as he reveals his perfect deck that hits exactly 21.

"Damnit..." Viktor says. "Hand over your chips, Tsoi." Viktor complies and hands over his deck and the rest of his chips.

Vasiliy counts the chips, before grinning at the dejected Soviet pop star. "Well, looks like I won."

"No shit, you have all the chips." Viktor retorts sharply.

Vasiliy's shit-eating grin doubles in size as he smugly replies, "I know, I can rub the salt into your wounds."

Viktor glares at him slightly, clearly not amused. "Har har har."

Vasiliy takes another swig of a bottle of cheap moonshine, while Viktor goes to smoke another cigarette. Vasiliy stands up soon after he finishes the bottle and walks out of the room. Leaving Tsoi alone with his thoughts.

"Fuck, man. What time is it?" He mutters to no one in particular. He looks down at his watch, an antique watch from the early days of stalin. Another painful reminder of him being stranded in another land. 'What's going to happen to my wife and child?' He thinks.

But he doesn't dwell on that, not at this moment. Looking down at his watch, he checks the time. According to it, it's about six o'clock. 'Fuck! I need to be at the club at eight!'

Time to get ready.

Luna trots down the street towards the old, nearly derelict bar. It isn't a great place to hang out, but it is the cheapest place. And the funniest. So that counts, right?

Nevertheless, she continues on her 'merry' way towards the bar. Tonight is the night when they're reopening their stage and bringing in bands to perform. They say that Daul Sticks and DJ PON-3 will be here, as well as a foreign pop star. Which is... odd, as this isn't a major bar. There really shouldn't be two big-name celebrities and a foreign pop star, right here, at this time. In this part of the city either.

Thankfully, they didn't hike up the prices to maximize profit, so she didn't have to pay all that much. Hell, the alcohol will probably cost more than the tickets or monthly VIP pass fee combined! So, if there truly will be two big names and a foreign star. Then this will be a major win.

Luna pushes past the folks in line, using the permissions granted by the VIP pass as ample coverage. They can levy their anger at the owner of the bar, not her. She has things to do and places to be, and by that, she means getting shit-faced in a grimy old bar. And hoping that she doesn't get drugged, though, somepony would have to have balls of steel to do so.

The inside of the bar is what you would expect an alcoholic shithole to be; grimy, greasy, dirty, crowded, loud, very violent, full of tobacco smoke, and many types of alcoholics. Happy drunks, to violent drunks.

Not that she has to worry all that much, she's armed and well-known. Very few have the kahunas to fight her, or the alcohol tolerance. She forces her way to the front row, sitting down right in front of the stage. So that she can get the best view. After all, she's paying them enough already.

A small group of people walks onto the stage. She immediately recognizes DJ pone-3 as the pony with the keyboard. And Dual Sticks, A griffon with black and blue feathers, with golden talons, on the drums. But there is a human up there too, an attractive human. With messy medium-length hair, pronounced cheekbones, small almond eyes, and a black tracksuit.

"Hello, everyone." The human states as he stepped up to a microphone. "My name is Viktor Tsoi. Maybe one or two of you know me from an old band." He seems to dull a bit, a bitter and sad expression covers his face. But it is stomped out rather quickly.

"Regardless, we are going to sing a few songs tonight." He finishes his previous statement, before clearing his throat. "So without further a do, let's begin!"

The crowd cheer as the lights dim and smoke fills the messy club. A drowned-out noise similar to buzzing pierces the stuffy air, then drumming, then a smooth and sweet voice that drips on every note like honey.

"Teploe Mesto. No Ulici Zdut, Otpechatkov nashih nog." He sings slowly, strumming the guitar to the rhythm. Everypony calms down the cheering as he sings, as the song soothes them.

"Zvevdnaya pil' - na sapogah. Myagkoe kreslo, kletchaty pled. Ne nazhaty vovrenya kurok." He sings, the lyrics and the sounds intertwine, like two souls. At least, that's what she feels as she listens to him sing.

"Solnechy den' - v oslepitel'nykh snakh..."
The song trails off, as the chorus begins

"Gruppa Krovi - Na Rukave! Moy Poryadkovy Nomer - Na Rukave!" He starts off strong, stringing us along in a delightful foreign word salad, crafted by a skilled artisan in the realm of music.

He picks up the pace a bit, "Pozhelay mne udachi v Bayu, pozhelay mne: Ne ostat'sya v etoy trave! Ne ostat'sya v etoy trave!"

"Pozhelay mne udachi! Pozhelay - mne...!" He trails off again, leading us into a musical trap.

"Udachi!" He finishes the chorus with a bang, breaking the audience out of their trance at the lyrical masterpiece. And causing them to squeal with delight.

This is something that ponies have pretty much never seen before. To Luna, though, it is like when Luna and Celestia were first introduced to Mr. Zip-Zip-Zip as young fillies.

A moment that she will cherish for the rest of eternity. Watching him sing, she remembers a person from long ago. Someone, much closer to her, a younger man, a boy even. But that was a long time ago, no point in dwelling on it, she let go of that boy a long time ago.

Though, she still wants to meet this human in private. Mostly because she feels... Less lonely, around him. Like a hole in her heart has been mended. Thankfully, she has a VIP pass, courtesy of the club due to her status.

Maybe she will. Maybe she will.

The backstage of this place is pretty bad. The carpet is matted with dirt and grime, the lights are flickering on and off, the furniture is barren of anything except for a table and some uncomfortable chairs. And to top it all off, a fist almost broke out because some other band's lead singer got fried on whiskey.

Tonight's been a helluva night, that is for sure.

"I thought you said that this was going to be a fun night?" Viktor says, putting out his cigarette in a tin can. Because this place is too cheap to even have ashtrays.

"What are you talking about?" Vasiliy slurs as he slowly shifts towards Viktor.

Viktor rests his face in his hands and sighs deeply. "During our way here, you said that it was going to be fun. You said that there was nothing to worry about and that we would make some money."

"Instead, I got into a fucking argument with the asshole owner. Almost got into a fight. Got paid pissant amounts of money. And generally got fucked out of, well, almost everything except putting on a good show."

Vasiliy stands up, "Look I'm sorry but-"
A sudden knock on the door interrupts the two men.

"Come in!" Viktor shouts.

A rather tall, slender yet curvy, blue unicorn mare enters the backstage area. A gruff charcoal-colored cloak covers her body, cloaking any other distinguishing features behind a wall of coal.

Her eyes can be described as large teal orbs that match with her long night-themed mane. Speaking of her mane, it's one of the most distinguishing features besides the cloak and long horn. Her mane flows in a non-existent wind. White stars sparkle throughout the lengthy set of hair.

"Hello? Are you the man who played on stage?" The mare asks Viktor.

"Erm, Da-yes, I mean yes. Sorry, my English is not good."

The mare beams with joy as she practically hops towards Viktor.

"I saw you play! You're really good!" The mare says as she pulls up a chair right across from him. "Where did you learn how to play like that? And how to sing like that, too?"

"I was, part of a band, in my home country." Viktor stutters a bit, hesitancy lacing each word and stutter that leaves his mouth. Thankfully, she does not seem to care all that much.

"That is interesting." She replies.

"Yes, well, my band became rather popular throughout my home country. It caused the government to change too." Viktor says.

"Oh my! Where are my manners? My name is Luna, what is yours?" Luna asks, "Viktor, my name is Viktor Tsoi."

"Nice to meet you mister twoso!"

"That is not how my name is said" Viktor replies, "Oh? You mean pronounced?"

"Erm, yes, pronounced. It is not Twoso, it is Tsoi." Viktor corrects, "Tsoi. Got it. Thanks for the help."

"No problem, Luna," Viktor replies, pulling out a pack of belomorkanal cigarettes and a lighter. "I was only helping you. At no personal cost, either."

"I see." She says, watching the man light up a cheap-looking cigarette.

"I have never seen that brand of cigarettes before, what is It called?"

"беломорканал," Viktor answers, but his voice is slightly muffled by the thick tube of dried tobacco leaves in his mouth. Luna looks at the other man confused.

"Belomorkanal, it is a cheap brand of cigarettes from where we are from," Vasiliy says.

"Ah, I see, thank you...?" Luna asks. "Vasiliy, you may call me Vasiliy." That name sparked something within Luna's mind, but she shook it off.

"Thank you, mister Vasiliy," Luna says.
"You're welcome."

Her attention is grabbed when Viktor asks her a question. "So, Luna, why do you wear that heavy coat?"

"Oh! W-well, um, because I'm an important pony and I don't want to cause a scene by going somewhere." She answers.

Viktor slowly nods in understanding as he quickly finishes off his cigarette. "Well, Luna, it was great talking to you. But I have to go home now, I'm pretty tired from that performance." He says while standing up from the chair.

Her heart nearly stops for a second as he starts to walk out the door along with Vasiliy. "Wait!" Luna cries out causing Viktor to turn his attention to the mare, who happens to be galloping towards him.

She ruffles around her coat pockets and pulls out a piece of paper with a time, date, and address on it. "Please, if you can, I would like to see you again sometime."

Viktor hesitates momentarily, before giving in and pocketing the old piece of paper. "Fine. Now, Dosvedonya."

Luna watches as he quickly walks out of view. "Uh, yeah, hehe. Dosvedonia! Hehe."

She'll have to visit him later tonight.

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The White devil

The White devil #1 · Aug 17th, 2022 · 1 · ·

Once again, I apologize for the lack of... well, completion. I just wanted to post this to give my followers and any new viewers something to nibble on. I'll have something far superior in the future.

And yes, I am acutely aware of most of the flaws of this story, once again.