>the night fell silent over the bunker once more
>you dreamed of the usual
>a war-torn motherland with Aryanne at the head of the Blitzkrieg
>ponies crushed under cold, machine-like hooves
>tanks tearing asunder farmland
>like clockwork you wake up in the middle of the night, shaking, covered in sweat
>with shaky hooves you rummage around in the blankets, Aryanne is nowhere to be seen
>shit, your rifle!
>you hop out of bed, sporadically looking for it
>it stands at the bunker door, untouched
>if not to kill you in the middle of the night, what is she up to?
>you carefully thread outdoors, making sure to grab your coat on the way out
>Luna's moon glowed radiantly in the night sky
>with no light-pollution out here one could really adore Luna's beautiful work
>a sudden realization hits you
>what's the ONE thing that would interest Aryanne in this winterized wasteland?
 
>you haul ass over to the hill were the stolen Howitzer was located from the battle with the dragon
>true to your gut-feeling you can see Aryanne's rump swaying side to side while tinkering with the enormous gun
>as you watch the sight before you in the dim lighting provided by a basic spell, you start to notice details you've never paid any attention to before
>Aryanne's swaying of the hips were hypnotizing in a way
>her rump like chiseled marble, with strong earth pony thighs to back it up
>no doubt from decades of athleticism
>your mind wanders back to your first encounter with the mare
>with your mind in rage and her body covered in heavy armor at the time her noticeable features slipped you by
>but the result of said features did not
>the way she easily out-maneuvered both you and your telekinetic-controlled knife was awe inspiring looking back
 
>"Enjoying ze view?"
>you immediately turned away blushing
"No! I mean yes- I MEAN-"
>"Now who's ze one who needs to calm down? Relax, I am not offended, meine rump is one of the finest ones in Equestria."
>she turned away from her work to look at you with half-lidded eyes
>"You know, if you think ich bin a freak now, you should see me in der beedroom~"
>you try to dig your face further into your coat
>you were not prepared
>while looking like a school filly who had just been told what a pee-pee was you must have looked pathetic in the eyes of Aryanne
>well, more than usual
 
>the mare let out a giggle
>"You commies are all the same, you'll charge into certain death with a smile on your face, yet you are raised so sheltered that the slightest touch of sexual tension crumbles our facade into that of a little filly. Remind me to report back to meine army and have them dress all of our solders in latex corsets unt fishnet stockings~"
 
>nope nope nope
>get that image out of your head Veronika
>wait, report... back?
"What you mean report back?"
>Aryanne sighed
>"Look, Veronika. This thing."
>she pointed her hoof at you then to herself
>"Going on isn't going to last forever. No matter how fun outdoor camping in burned-down bunkers are Ich still have a war to win."
 
>why did it hurt you for her to say that
>she was, after all an awful, awful pony who did horrible things
>were these emotions the result of bonding, or just loneliness on your side?
>you try to counter her
"How are you even to do that? There is no radio out here, and no way for it to send or receive signals out here even if you had one."
>"Do ho ho, you I have eine radio on ze dragon corpse."
>she popped a lid off the Howitzer and a errie blue glow filled the freezing air
>"You underestimate the enginuity of Germaneian tech, Veronika . With ze Howitzer's power core I can juice up just about anything to capacities unheard of to Equestria since before the Celestial age!"
>she did a dramatic turn
>"Why do you think a lowly Howitzer could not only pierce, but IMPALE an ARMORED dragon?!"
>she was ecstatic in her words
>"All Ich need do is to Jury-rig it to ze radio unt my voice could be heard from beyond the stars!"
"Aryanne, i..."
>"What?"
"You do not have to do this."
>"Why whatever are you talking about, commie?"
"This... This war, the killings. It needs to stop. For both of us. This conflict will be the end of both nations and you know it."
>"HAH! Pish posh! The Gremaneian forces have defeated tens of thousands in mere weeks. We are advancing onto your territory. This war WILL be over, but we will stand as ze victors!"
 
>you scoffed
"These lands will always remain Red, comrade. You've attacked villages and medium sized outposts this far. The head of the Motherland has yet to notice you, generals in Moscow hasn't even recognized your advances!"
>you stared at her intensively
"If you were to radio ANYTHING to your higher-ups it would be to turn back now, flea your armies and never return! In the heart of the swarm lies Evil. Within our boarders waits more soldiers than your nation has bullets, even if you kill thousands, MILLIONS, your attacks would be rubbed off The Red Army's hide."
>you softened your tone of voice a bit, recognizing that you were getting loud
"I am not telling you this as opponent, I am telling you this as friend."
 
 
>Aryanne looked... sad?
>"Mein Freund, this is the way things should be"
>wincing a little the Nazi spone once more
>"War is all I know, it is what I was born to do. I know no other traits"
"I believe ponies can change."
>"But only for the worse. Meine government is just waiting for me to bite a bullet, they know they don't have a remote chance to control me, so they send me out on these STUPID SCHEISSE suicide missions, hoping that the likes of me will not return to society."
>tears rolled down her cheeks, radiated in stunning blue by the Howitzer power core as they hit the radiant snow bellow the two of you
"We can fix you, Comrade. War is hell, you know this better than anypony. Just look what it has done to you! There must be a way to stop it."
>Aryanne shut the hatch in the Howitzer and the blue light dimmed down
>"Maybe. Unlikely. But maybe."
"We will sleep on it, yes? Figure somethings out in the mornings."
>"What's one more day, sure Veronika."
 
>with that you followed her back into the Infirmary bunker and lit a fire to warm the mare
>you both got onto the bed and covered each other in blankets
>for the first time you both slept facing eachother
>not for warmth, not to kill of agonizing loneliness, but as friends.