Just a few miles North of the Crystal empire lies Stalliongrad, the industrial powerhouse of Equestria. With it’s abundant source of coal and steel mills, Stalliongrad has no shortage of ponies here to work the mines and factories. however, most of the working population are truck ponies, hauling loads between factories or even over to the nearby empire to drop them off at the train station to be shipped across Equestria.

Ruby Scales was here on business, Madam Zatara had asked her to check up on Zatara’s primary Latex provider and make sure the quality of the material was up to snuff. Ruby didn’t like Stalliongrad, everything had a fine layer of coal dust making even the happiest colors depressing,and the noise! The air was full of the sounds of truck engines and generators, the low churning of factories and trains bustling coal and steel.

After Ruby had finished the check, she slithered over to the transportation Depo, she mentioned Zatara and the staff bent over backwards to get her a ride back to the crystal empire, because the trains here only deliver coal and steel and no passengers.

“And here’s your taxi!” the manager said as he threw open the door, Ruby was expecting something like a bus or maybe an enclosed semi with a trailer. Instead, a rusty old truck with mismatching parts waited with an old wooden lumber trailer, a large insulated tarp and some straps. The manager explained this was the best they could do on such short notice and left. Rudy slithered up to him, he looked at her with old tired eyes, his body covered in soot and oil, he looked like a barely functioning wreck. Ruby carefully climbed into the trailer, the old wooden boards creaked and strained under her, but held.

“Hello,” He started, his voice was tired and hopeless, like had given up, “My name is Borshov, I am your taxi today, where would you like to go?” Ruby tucked as much of herself as she could under the tarp.

“Take me to the Crystal empire please” Borshov nodded, and with the grinding of gears he pulled away from the curb, engine coughing and sputtering. wow, these ponies went out of their way to make this land depressing, everything here just seemed to sigh and carry on, Ruby’s eyes went from one bleak building to the next, until her gaze fell upon her taxi. “so Borshov, how long have you lived here?”

“About 30 years or so.” Ruby nodded,

“Do you like living here?” Borshov shook his head.

“I hate living here.”

“Then why don’t you leave?” Ruby asked, Borshov heaved a sad sigh.

“I can’t.”

“What’s stopping you?”

“I…I don’t think you’ll want to know, it’s a long story.” Ruby crossed her arms,

“I got time.”

“Well, alright, if you insist.”

Borshov tells of how when he was only 10 years old he was sold here to Stalliongrad to work as a delivery truck, but that was before the factories, Stalliongrad had been a charming little skiing town. Back then Borshov loved bouncing across the fun country roads, running deliveries from the empire and back, and ferrying passengers to and from the slopes. Borshov did his best and everyone loved him for it, he loved the excitement of ponies to see him, excited to go skiing and spend time with friends at the lodge. when he turned 18 he met his wife, an ambulance with a fun wild personality. They dated for a solid year then got married and had a son. Borshov recalls his early years fondly, he had money, a wife and child, he was the best truck in all of town. Sadly, when Borshov turned 20 industry started to creep in. At first it was small, just a small gem harvesting operation, and at first Borshov was happy, now he was makeing runs for the gem company, but soon after that coal was found.
Borshov describes it like an explosion, suddenly companies descended upon Stalliongrad and set up shop, the town was slowly taken over, the slopes were closed, the lodge was demolished to make room for the steel mill, unable to support it’s people, Stalliongrad sold everything it had to survive.

Borshov and his family found themselves bound to a contract of service, claiming them as property of the city and forbidding them from leaving. Borshov was forced into working for the coal plant, his wife at the hospital was busier than ever and hardly ever came home, Borshov’s son, Kilamint, was enrolled into the military and shipped to Equestria to work for the army. Borshov worked as hard as he could, but his old frame and worn engine was just too slow to keep up and out of the blue he was fired from the coal plant and on top of that had his family was evicted from their log cabin Borshov had built himself. Borshov sold everything he could to pay for spare parts and fuel. Borshov spent a few months doing odd jobs around town but it wasn’t enough, the company threatened Borshov, if didn’t get a solid job and keep it, he’d be scrapped and his wife and son would be handed over to the SS for importation. Borshov went door to door asking for work, he shortly found the Department of transportation and was hired on as a long distance taxi.

“And here we are.” not long after Borshov finished his tale, the huge dome over the Crystal empire came into view…