- 3rd December 1945 - Morning

All of a sudden, the yellow pegasus could hear things again. Not only that, she had regained some energy. She slowly opened her eyes and noticed it was no longer night time. She began looking in the direction where she could still feel the warmth, and saw a campfire, on top of some stones which kept the fire going even in these cold temperatures. She could feel breathing, but it isn't her, somebody is breathing into her mouth. She couldn't move her hooves as she discovers she was wrapped in a blanket.

"Huh... who's... there?"

"Fluttershy you're alive!" Fluttershy felt herself being pulled up off of the ground and hears loud crying. A half-awake Fluttershy just about notices a rainbow mane.

"R... rain... r... Rainbow, is... is th... that y... you?" Fluttershy shivered, her teeth intensely chattering from the brutally cold winter weather.

"I thought you were dead!"

"W... w... was I- I wa... Was d- Dead?"

"I'm just so glad you're bucking alive!" Fluttershy slowly but carefully gets laid back down.

"W- Why- I can't move..."

"Just relax Fluttershy."

"Wa... was... I de... de- Dead?" Fluttershy's teeth chattered.

"Yeah, but I must've helped resuscitate you- I thought I was too late to save you!"

"I-" Fluttershy is taken by surprise by the hot but delicious liquid being poured into her mouth. She eases her whole body, closing her eyes and enjoys the liquid. She hasn't enjoyed consuming food for such a long time.

"A... aren't y... y- Y- You c... c- Cold?" Fluttershy is still shivering, despite being in a coat, covered in a blanket, wearing a ushanka and had that delicious hot liquid. Rainbow Dash meanwhile only had a coat on, with another ushanka. Both ushankas still had the Soviet emblem on them.

"I'll manage- Anyway, some more of this tomato soup, you'll at least have some energy- How in the name of Celestia did you end up in the USSR in the first place anyways!? Everypony had been looking for you since you disappeared!" Rainbow Dash pours in more tomato soup for Fluttershy to drink.

"I- It's been s- So long! All I- I r... rememb... ber was..."

It was the 5th of January 1942, and Fluttershy was buying all sorts of consumables. But it wasn't for herself or her animal friends, it was for everypony that was fighting the Red Army on the eastern front. Fluttershy was not a fighter, but she still wanted to her bit for the Equestrian war effort by donating essentials to banks that would then be shipped off to the Royal Guard that's fighting against the Soviet Union.

"I hope the essentials keep those fighting out there going," Said Fluttershy.

"I think it will do," Discord responded. Fluttershy and Discord began to walk back to the cottage.

"Is it me or... or does this war seem... off? They're only accepting grown up stallions and... and- The Germans are forcing stallions to fight... even if they don't want to and those refusing to fight don't get seen after..." Fluttershy asked.

"The Germans are definitely hiding something, but I don't know what it is. The Earth has no magic, so my magic is limited unless I do a scheme," Discord replied.

"I mean... the Germans have protected us though. They gave us their equipment to help us defend ourselves and... I feel like we have to show our appreciation. Without them, Equestria would be vulnerable," Fluttershy responded. The 2 were talking so much that they weren't paying attention and walked past the cottage and are actually now in the Everfree Forest.

"Oops, it'd be best if we just teleport-" Something started to suck Discord's magic out of him, then he fell to the ground. The 2 were out of nowhere surrounded by a group of 10 humans wearing ragged clothes and had masks on. They were also holding a silver-coloured revolver, all 10 pointing their revolvers at Fluttershy and Discord. Another human came out, holding an ancient-looking dark-coloured turquoise bell.

"Don't move or we kill you two on spot, you fascist wastes!"

"...after that, they knocked us with a type of gas. We then woke up in a work camp. For three whole years, we tried to escape by making a tunnel." Rainbow Dash blinked a few times. That combination sounds very frightening.

"When you said they have a 'bell', you don't mean..."

"I do mean... that bell," Fluttershy replied.

"Well, we can't do anything about the bell. Those... camps, the Soviets call them... gulags. From what I know... anybody who annoys Stalin... well, off to gulag they go. The one nearest where I found you was... Vorkuta," Rainbow Dash explained.

"How do you know where we are?" Fluttershy murmured as she asked. Rainbow Dash got a map out of one of the pockets with her mouth, but quickly puts the map back, so the bitter winter wind doesn't snatch it off of her.

"Got a map that's in Russian. I learned the language while being at Kolyma... for three years. Even though I wasn't drafted and weren't even fighting, I was ponynapped by them. They must fear me for some reason even though I was completely against the war. While at Kolyma... while I was about to give up... a prisoner named Vasily and I became friends, and he taught me the language. He... protected me... when I was at my most vulnerable..." Rainbow Dash shivers, not from the cold, but at what she went through at Kolyma, memories haunt her.

"I'm so gonna Rainbow Nuke Moscow after what the Soviets did to me when I'm back at good health- They ponynapped me, takes me to Kolyma and kept me locked in chains until I was malnourished to the point I couldn't fly! They then had the audacity to beat and club me with metal rods! They even WHACKED me with ice-cold and then piping hot metal poles in every PLACE a mare shouldn't be whacked, SEVERAL TIMES!" Rainbow Dash huffed and puffed, trying to stop herself crying. She felt so violated, she couldn't hold off an outburst for long.

Rainbow Dash screams into tears and lifts her best friend up to give her a tight hug. Fluttershy plants her head under the chin of her very loyal friend, with newfound but depleted tears, drench the fur of both, both of them crying, which froze and got stuck in the fur of both. For a whole hour they warm each other up, comforting one another. They know escaping is the next step, and even if they do die trying, they at least won't die alone. Both are comforted that they aren't alone in this struggle.

"So glad I found you when I did- Had it not been for Soarin and Vasily-"

"Soarin?" Fluttershy stutters in her interruption.

"He came in nineteen fourth four- Without him and Vasily- Without them two... I wouldn't of got out- I hold them so dear... they protected me... saved me from when I wanted to end itall..." Rainbow Dash sighed.

"Us three raided where the food was kept. We took what we needed to last ourselves at least a week after escaping. Everything went to plan until we got caught. From there we just panicked- I felt like I could've done more and it felt unloyal leaving them- But as you said... in a gulag... it's everypony for themselves... the environment... it- It forces you to go against your cutie mark..." Rainbow Dash sighed, looking away and looked to the ground and wept.

"I don't even know how we're gonna escape the USSR- It's just pointless to carry on! I got a map but what can we use to escape!? I can barely fly or-"

"We can't fly... but what if... we can find something that canflyfor us?" Fluttershy thought of.

"Fluttershy you genuis- We don't need to fly! Aircraft- How you feeling?" Rainbow Dash asked back, her mood and tone instantly changing.

"Still a bit queazy, but um... can you uh... help me out?" Fluttershy requested, who was still covered in the blankets. Rainbow Dash got down and helped Fluttershy out the blanket. Fluttershy also noticed she had a coat on too.

"A... are y... you alright ca... carrying all th... that?" Fluttershy began to shiver as she is no longer warmly tucked in those blankets. Rainbow Dash puts the blanket over herself and Fluttershy, then grabs a corner with her mouth.

"Wha ow ya shay abou weh ow hish?" Rainbow Dash suggested, her words muffled due to the corner of the blanket in her mouth. Fluttershy understood what the light blue pegasus was getting at, and she went to grab a corner with her mouth. Fluttershy gave a nod, a thank you nod, which Rainbow Dash nodded back. The light blue pegasus pointed in a direction with her left forehoof, and the 2 began walking, shielded against the bitter Soviet winter the best they could.

After half an hour of walking, Fluttershy sits and and spits her corner of the blanket she had hold of out of her mouth.

"I need a break."

"Sure- Sure Fluttershy." Rainbow Dash spat out the corner she had in her mouth. Fluttershy shuffles over to the light blue pegasus and leans on her from the left side. Rainbow Dash rests her head against Fluttershy's, both closing their eyes.

"How did you set up that fire?"

"I don't know- It was a miracle it even got started- All I did really was... fabric, any flammable materials on top of stones- Also got hold of lighters galore so... yeah- I'm just glad I at least saved you Fluttershy... having your life robbed of you for absolutely no reason just sucks-" The 2 pegasus' eyes sprung open as they heard clattering and engine noises. Rainbow Dash flips the blanket off of herself and Fluttershy, who she yanks up off of the ground.

"Run! Before they catch us- Over there, now!" Rainbow Dash continued quietly hissing as she and Fluttershy trots. Fluttershy was only able to trot, because of the momentum from Rainbow Dash pulling her. There is a hump of snow which the 2 dived over.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy peak their head over the hump of snow. They saw an army convey, lead by a tank at the front with the Soviet flag. The flag is stuck on the turret, which with it's colossal cannon, made the turret look like an upside down frying pan, except at the back of the turret, the roof was ever so slightly higher, where the hatches are. There is also a black machine gun was mounted at the front of the roof. On top is a human wearing a black hat that's woolly on the inside, and they had their hands on the machine gun. The hull of the tank had a pike-nose shape and had 2 cylinders on the edges of each side at the rear of the tank, which is to store items. It also had a thick black track on each side, stained by snow that went between the terrain below and 6 wheels. At the front and back on each side was 2 more wheels, with 3 wheels at the top which helped the track not fall down.

Following the tank are 8 trucks, all filled with soldiers wearing green fabric uniform and ushankas with the Soviet emblem on them. Each soldier is armed with a rifle, while a few others had submachine guns or other firearms. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy ducked back down.

"What are they doing?" Fluttershy whispered, looking at Rainbow Dash.

"I don't know- Just shush!" Rainbow Dash sternly hissed as she replied.

"Could they be heading to a base? Should we follow them?" Fluttershy next asked, still whispering.

"They could be, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash replied.

"Now we're a safe distance from. Them, we- We uh- We should probably get to following- Them..." As Rainbow Dash turned her head, the army convey had passed by and are now gone.

"Great-"

"Look," Fluttershy interrupted. She points her left forehoof down at the snow where track and tire markings are imprinted.

"We can follow those, imagine it's like following a very dangerous animal."

"Okay, let's follow the tracks," Rainbow Dash responded, nodding in agreement. She and Fluttershy began following the markings on the ground left by the tank and the trucks.

"Where are they going?" Fluttershy asked. Rainbow Dash got out the map she said she had hold of and shows Fluttershy. The map has the whole Soviet Union on it, with each location written in Russian. Above each location's name is a red star, with Moscow having a noticeably larger red star above.

"According to the map... it seems they're heading westwards. We're roughly... there," Rainbow Dash explained, putting the map down and putting her left forehoof at the top middle of the Soviet Union on the map.

"I came from Kolyma, which is... all the way to the east- Not a fun trek at all. Had to hide from those wolves- And dear Celestia... them wolves were more savage and vicious than timberwolves." Rainbow Dash then puts her left forehoof much further to the right before picking the map up and putting it safe into her acquired Soviet coat. The 2 then carried on following the track marks.

"Wow uh, that's- How long have you been walking?" Fluttershy asked.

"Five days- Only got about two or three days of food left, and that's just for one. Between me and you... we've got to run into a miracle today or it won't be good," Rainbow Dash replied.

"Hopefully we ain't got too go much further, right?"

(Time-skip)

It's been 14 hours of non-stop walking, with the exception of a few breaks, and by many, alot. The tracks began to fade away as the snow just got heavier and heavier, the light in the sky getting darker and darker. The wind was so powerful it even pushed both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to the ground a few times. But each time they helped each other get back up.

(End of time-skip)

"How much... longer?" Fluttershy asked whilst breathing heavily, exhausted from the non-stop walking. The more she walked on for, the more she felt her hooves tremble and shake.

"I don't think we got much further..." Rainbow Dash panted as she points her left forehoof at a long tall metal fence with barbed wire.

"Looks like we're here. You see that propeller there? That's an aircraft, which we want to get to," Rainbow Dash explained, her left forehoof pointing at an aircraft behind the fence with great long wings, with a red star and a wheels underneath each wing. There is also a smaller wheel at the back, with much smaller wings on the tail of the aircraft. At the front is a massive black propeller, it's length and height being the same of a human. On top is the windscreen, inside underneath being the cockpit.

However, in the way to that aircraft are a plethora of a mixture of heavy and medium tanks. There's also trucks and jeeps of various roles and uses. The main concern are the soldiers. While the base is fairly small and not many soldiers or crews being inside, a single soldier with a gun is lethal, let alone even a small handful.

"No watch towers? Huh, odd, but that makes this much easier," Said Rainbow Dash.

"You think going into a base full of dangerous soldiers is a good idea!?" Fluttershy quietly exclaimed.

"It's not a good idea, it's our only idea. But as long as we can get to that aircraft, we're free," Rainbow Dash replied.

"Stay behind me, and follow my lead." Rainbow Dash lightly trots towards the base, with Fluttershy following close behind.

"Behind that tank, go go go!" Rainbow Dash whispered. They got behind a stationary tank that had it's engine running, likely indicating the crew themselves are in the tank. It had the same cannon as the tank they saw earlier, but it's turret is less angled and it doesn't have the pike nose-shaped hull.

The 2 shiver, not because of the cold, but because they're so close to soldiers, soldiers that'd kill trespassers on sight.

"What are they saying?" Fluttershy asked in a whisper. She as well as Rainbow Dash hears soldiers speaking Russian. Fluttershy doesn't understand it, but the light blue pegasus does.

"They're saying about an assault, but where... I don't know- At least that's what I believe they're saying," Rainbow Dash whispered back.

"If we don't make it... thank you, for everything, Rainbow..." Fluttershy said very softly.

"It's alright, big sis," Rainbow Dash lightly smiled.

"Кто там!?"

"Oh no- Fluttershy- AIRCRAFT NOW!" Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy began to trot quietly, but then they had to trot at full speed.

"ТАМ! ПОЖАР!"

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had been spotted. They kept behind the tanks for some cover, giving the soldiers no chance to shoot at them.

"Fluttershy! Get that aircraft open! I'll distract!" Rainbow Dash hovers up and went into the open, getting the attention of the whole base. Sirens began to go off, and soldiers are shooting at the light blue pegasus. However, she was just about able to fly, although barely. Despite the hindering conditions Rainbow Dash is in, she can still fly quick enough to avoid bullets. Rainbow Dash gently glides back to the entrance, and the whole poorly-disciplined force in the base chases after her.

Fluttershy is now all alone in the military base. The sirens are still going off. The yellow pegasus tries to lift the windscreen, which she expected to be locked, but was actually unlocked. The windscreen opens forward like a lid. She got in and just hoped Rainbow Dash would return. If anything, it'd most likely be her who may know how to start up the aircraft. Soon enough, the light blue pegasus does return but falls down from exhaustion. Fluttershy hangs out of the cockpit and pulls her friend up into the aircraft before pulling the windscreen down.

"It's cramped..."

"Being cramped for hours to get out the Soviet Union... seems a good trade... " Rainbow Dash said with a quick pace, panting from flying out of the base and trotting back in. She is sitting at the front and Fluttershy is sat behind. Rainbow Dash sees a yellow lever to her left and a joystick in the middle infront of her. The light blue pegasus pulls the lever with her left forehoof, but she didn't have the energy to pull it. Fluttershy leans over and helps pull the lever. The propeller starts spinning and the aircraft moves forward slightly. Rainbow Dash pulls the joystick towards her and the aircraft angles upwards slightly. The aircraft heads for the exit. Rainbow Dash felt the aircraft come off the ground slightly, and pulls on the joystick with all her remaining might. The aircraft takes off, and is now in the air.

Rainbow Dash leans back and sighs. Fluttershy leans back and drops dead from sheer exhaustion. Both hug and cry to each other, knowing that after these years, years of isolation, they'll be able to see Equestria once again. Fluttershy dozes off while Rainbow Dash continues to fly the plane.

(Hours later)

"We- We can see Equestria again... its been so long..."

"Nopony- Nobody... nobody should go through the torture of a gulag. How could a ruler do this... even to their own?"

Rainbow Dash has been speaking to herself for a lot of the journey. But she became quiet when she heard other humming noises outside. To the left and right there's a massive armada of planes flying like hornets in a disorganized formation.

"W- What's..." The humming noise wakes Fluttershy up.

"Are we heading the right direction?"

"Yes, we're above water- We have to be going the correct way. I don't understand why there's so many aircraft heading this way though," Rainbow Dash replied. Then all of a sudden they see several aircraft dive down and they started shooting. Rainbow Dash then notices they aren't over water anymore.

"It's Equestria- Ponyville- Oh no!" Rainbow Dash gasped. She realizes what is going on. Soviet aircraft in Equestria? The image Rainbow Dash has in her head isn't good at all.

- Afternoon

(In Ponyville)

The CMC, as well as the rest of their class were sat at their desks. The CMC, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon and Button Mash are sat on the same row, at the front. Cheerilee is teaching her class Maths. It is the last lesson before everypony can go back home.

"Ugh..." Scootaloo yawned, but not out loud. She dislikes maths. She looks at the clock that's above the door to the right. It felt like there was still over an hour of maths left to go, even though the lesson is about to end. What doesn't help either is that Rainbow Dash hasn't been seen since 1942, the same year Fluttershy and Discord was last seen. It is now late 1945, 3 years since then, and still no trace of them.

"Still ten minutes to go..." Apple Bloom yawned.

"Attention please, it's nearly the end of the lesson. Now, let's recap what we've learnt today. Can anypony remind everypony else what number is roughly Pi?" Cheerilee asked the class.

"Three dot one four?" Diamond Tiara replied out loud.

"Yes, but please put your hoof up next time, but well done, it is," Cheerilee replied.

"Who's whistling?" Sweetie Belle wondered, looking around to see who's whistling.

"That's an odd whistle, being honest," Button Mash replied. The whistle noise became louder and then...

BOOMF! BOOMF BOOMF! BOOMF! BOOMF BOOMF BOOMF! BOOMF! BOOMF BOOMF! BOOMF! BOOMF BOOMF BOOMF!