Chapter 2: The Hooviet Menace
The building was quiet, almost completely devoid of life. Quite a few buildings surrounding the Blue Square were like this nowadays, abandoned, left to be picked over and inhabited by vagrants and the creatures that didn't want to be found. You see, many of these buildings, each a shadow of its former self, grand furnishings torn away in the heat of revolution, belonged to the former rulers of the frigid nation, until the Generalissimus set a hoof down a quarter of a century ago. This building used to belong to some aristocrat, and even in the current state, that history showed. It had a premium view of the fortress complex that held the Solstice Palace, and some form of past extravagance still held sway over the stained and aged green carpets, the shattered multi-paned windows, the ripped red and golden wallpaper, stained with the tears of a dying era, and the after-birth of something greater and unbelievably worse. At least...that's what a new visitor of the building would think…
Comrade Pleasant wasn't a new visitor to this ruin. He had walked this corridor many times, first out of a sense of curiosity, but now out of a sense of need and urgency. The scared eyes, absolutely harmless to him, gazed out of the doorways that they have been forced to inhabit. Anything walking the corridor immediately dived into an unoccupied doorway, fearful of the grey-eyed pegasus. It didn't bother him. He'd seen it all before. The fear, the complete helplessness that the weak feel in the presence of an infinitely more powerful being. After the first year of this reaction, it all became rather droll.
Anyway, he needed to see someone important. Someone that he had needed a favour from, knowing full well that he would have to accept, and couldn't even ask for it to be returned.
It was roughly a half hour since he had left the Solstice Palace, although it was hard to accurately judge the time in this nation of leaps forwards and strides backwards. Each clock read thirteen, and they often were frozen solid due to the snow, which often blocked out the sun and moon from common view. He could have flown above the clouds, just to be able to judge the time, but this was more important than the time. Anyway, he knew exactly who he wanted to be his campaign assistant. It would serve the lucky...Deer...right.
Soon, although longer than he had expected, Comrade Pleasant was at a cracked and worn door, with an old brass plaque that read 'ЯEADIИG ЯOOM." Slowly, but confidently, he shoved the door wide open.
Sat amongst a pile of banned literature and numerous bells, was a common example of the inhabitants of this nation, for while the two most powerful beings in the land were ponies, most of the citizens were deer. Roe Deer, to be precise. Small, lithe and jittery. Small, unimpressive antlers. Easy to prey upon, easy to follow orders of their leaders. Dark eyes, light fur, contrasting with the dark green uniform this one before the Comrade was wearing. And, unfortunately for the deer, he hadn't noticed him, too involved in some scraps of worthless paper.
The Comrade waited a few, fleeting moments, waiting to see if the deer would notice him on his own. When the deer didn't seem to notice him, and instead began to reach for some old book off to his right, the Comrade decided to speak.
"Pavlov!" The sudden yell of the deer's name caused him to jump, dropping the book and snapping his gaze towards the voice that he immediately recognized.
"Ah! M-My esteemed C-Comrade of the Hooviet U-Union! W-What could I be d-doing for you t-today, and what e-exactly brings you to v-visit poor Pavlov in his p-poor abode?"
"Firstly, you can cut the stuttering, or you will lose your tongue. Secondly, my friend," he spat that last word, "I have a job for you."
Pavlov swallowed nervously, and said, "And what is it that you will have me do, sir? For, as you know, I am eternally at the service of the nat-"
"Shut up. That noise may work when the Eyes come knocking to check on you, but it isn't going to work on me. Anyway, from this moment you are now my assistant. You have 5 minutes to say goodbye to your wife and pack your things. That is all." And with that, he turned to leave. Well, he would have if Pavlov hadn't began to speak.
"Wait, what? Assistant? Pack? Goodbye? What?" Were the only words that could fall from the confused deer's mouth. The Comrade just turned to him, cruel and all knowing smile plaster on his face.
"I know you're stupid, Pavlov, so I'll phrase it simply. The Invasion of Equestria is happening tomorrow. I have been made head of the campaign. I need an assistant. That assistant is you. I'm going to leave to be honoured by the HooveBureau. We leave early tomorrow. Goodbye." He turned to leave again but, unfortunately for the Comrade, Pavlov began to speak again. Rapidly.
"B-But sir! Y-You can't just f-force a-a role like this o-on somebody l-like me! Why? I-I don't want to g-go on campaign! I-I could l-look after the f-fort here! M-Make sure of n-no counter a-attacks. C-Can I?"
"What. Did. I. Just. Tell. You. About. Stuttering. You. Useless. Idiot?" A slow, yet powerful anger was building inside the Comrade, all directed at the quivering and pathetic wreck of a deer before him, one that was obvious use to his rage and hatred.
"I'm sorry…" Pavlov's voice was quiet and barely audible, and somehow, you could tell that was just how Comrade Pleasant liked it. Weak, and at his complete mercy.
"Anyway...You want to know why I've chosen you? Well...It's for your own protection, really. I hope you understand."
"My...My protection? What do I need protecting from." Curious and weak, an even better mix that the Comrade enjoyed to toy with.
"Why should I explain myself to you, criminal? Answer me that." The Comrade loved that quick look of shock and disbelief that flashed across Pavlov's face.
"B-But I'm not a criminal! That's your own invention, Comrade Pleasant!" He was growing in confidence, seemingly convinced the Comrade was just bluffing. Overt blackmail.
"Then explain your situation with the native Snow Dogs, Pavlov. About how you still kidnap and extort them? Used in the back alley games and fights that you help to organized for this nation's underbelly? Explain it, Pavlov."
"You've got it wrong, Comrade! I-I don't know what lies the dogs have told you, but I swear that I haven't done anythi-" Comrade cut him off with a hoof and that smirk.
"Let me...explain something to you, Pavlov. I was once a diplomat. This you know already, of course. So, it is in my nature to make some form of contact with all sorts of races. This, I have done with the Snow Dogs. And they tell me things. Things about what you deer used to do them before the Generalissimus took control." He paused, turning away, looking at some of the books that laid around the room, before continuing; "Let me put a question to you."
"What question?"
"Why do the Snow Dogs have more respect for me and the Generalissimus, the monsters that regularly send thousands of deer to their death just for amusement, and rule through sheer will and cruelty?" Pavlov opened his mouth, obviously to answer, but the Comrade cut him off, "Don't answer, because I'll tell you why: It is because we are powerful, and we are making the lesser creatures, such as you deer, suffer. And also, I will not let you torture the Snow Dogs anymore. That is why you are coming with me. So that you will not only understand our mission, but of why your species is just an insignificant blip on the face of the world when compared to the Snow Dogs and their southern kin. Any arguments?"
"But sir I-"
"Now's a good time to tell you as well, Pavlov, that I'm having your wife placed into protective custody. The Cheka Police will be around in roughly twenty - no, ten minutes - to take her to...safety. Just while you are on campaign, you understand. She'll be in the Nation's Comrade Fortress, under complete government protection. So, I would advise you, as your friendly national Comrade, to shut the buck up and get ready. You're already making me late for my own appointments and preparations. Goodbye, and be quick." And with that, Comrade Pleasant turn, moved out of the doorway, and slammed the door hard behind him. Just for effect.
"Damn...I feel sorry for that fool's wife...She'll probably keel over at the luxury of the Fortress when compared to that hovel!" He laughed at that, knowing full well that Pavlov would be listening at the door.
"Ah...I can feel that this campaign is going to go spectacularly." Comrade Pleasant said as almost an after thought, and began to make his way back down the corridor, out the broken doors, past the shivering and frightened eyes, and out into the freezing cold world that he lived in.
