My Little Battalion: Tank Battles Are Magic

by CyberFan479

Chapter 4: All Will Fall And Be Eliminated In The End

"Another day, another healthy serving of the mess hall's delicious, unidentifiable grey stuff," Silver Lining said, turning to Cirrus Breeze, "Nice to see you back in action Cirrus!"

"Believe me sir, I'm just as happy as you are," the cobalt blue unicorn replied, he frowned slightly, "By the way, doesn't your aunt work here? Why not just ask her what this is?" gesturing to the pile of a lumpy grey substance that covered the central portion of his tray.

"And spoil the secret?" Silver shoved a spoonful into his mouth and swallowed before pointing his spoon at Cirrus, "My aunt would rather destroy the secret recipe than reveal its...uh...secrets."

"Wow, that recipe must be really important to her," Cirrus replied, as the Harmony Tankers sat down next to them.

"Nice to see you again Twilight," Golden Heart greeted.

"Good morning," Twilight replied. Golden Heart noticed her tangled bed hair and dark circles around her eyes.

"Did you stay up all night or something?"

"Yes...no...I mean yes," Twilight admitted, "But I had to come up with a proper strategy to win today's Blitz Battle."

"Blitz what?" Rainbow Dash asked, slightly confused.

"A Blitz Battle, Rainbow Dash," Golden Heart explained, "In the King Of Steel Tournament, there are several kinds of matches or 'battles'. Blitz Battles pits one team against another. Standard Battles also known 'tag-team battles' matches two similarly tiered teams against another two. Assault Battles are similar to Standard Battles except that there is only one base on the map belonging to one team while the other team has no base at all. Encounter Battles are similar as well except that the base is under neither teams' control at the start, and they spawn at opposing sides of the map from it. And most importantly of all, there's the Tournament Battles. Similar to Blitz Battles, these battles are held every day. The teams that win one battle moves on to the next round, those that don't get held back until next day's battles. If a team loses 5 times in one round, the entire team is disqualified from the competition."

"Wow, that's a lot to remember," Rainbow Dash remarked.

"By the way Twilight, you did compensate for the fact that the battlefield in today's battle is randomly chosen, right?"

A wave of silence washed over the table, Twilight stared wide-eyed at Golden Heart. Her eyelid twitched, and Golden Heart swore she saw Twilight's hair frazzle even more.

"Argh! I completely forgot!" Twilight dejectedly slammed her head onto the table.

"Seriously, you didn't think of that?" Rainbow Dash said, before getting jabbed in the ribs by Applejack's elbow.

"Don't worry Twilight." Golden Heart reassured, "A good leader adapts to any situation."

"Exactly, that's one of the reasons why they chose me to be a team commander," Silver added, "There are certain times when you don't have a war room or several hours to plan an assault."

Twilight looked up, she looked a lot less flustered than before, but the look of anxiety on her face was quite obvious.

"Here, you can have my coffee," Golden Heart handed her a mug of steaming coffee, "You'll do well, I'm sure of it. Same goes to all of you."

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash pumped her fist, "Look out everypony! The Harmony Tankers are coming!"

---

After breakfast, the Harmony Tankers drove their tanks to the 'battle zone'. It was a long passageway bordered by large areas divided by barriers, inside each one there were two marked zones, one for each team. Beside these were large amounts of weird machinery.

"From what I heard, we drive our tanks into one of those 'zones'. Then, the teleportation devices transports us into the battlefield, or 'map'," Twilight explained, as the Harmony Tankers drove to their designated zone.

"Is it true darling? How exactly does it work?" Rarity asked.

"Well, all this technology is a new division of magic, it's called 'Cybermancy'. To put it simply, it combines magic and technology to create new technology to allow everypony to do things magic or technology alone couldn't."

"Woah, that sounds really cool!" Pinkie remarked.

"Well, we're here now," Twilight said, as they drove into their 'zone', "Okay, so we've got some time before the match starts. Make sure all your equipment is working properly, I'm gonna get myself familiar with the map."

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie responded.

Twilight climbed out of her tank and walked over to the information board set up in the center of both 'zones'. She looked at every detail of the match.

Battle Type: Tier 1 Blitz Battle
Map: Malinovka

Team 1: Harmony Tankers
Team Members:

Twilight Sparkle (Team Leader)
Tank: Vickers Medium Mk. I

Rainbow Dash
Tank: Renault NC-31

Pinkamena Diane Pie
Tank: Leichttraktor

Rarity Belle
Tank: Renault FT

Applejack Smith
Tank: T1 Cunningham

Fluttershy Posey
Tank: MS-1

Team 2: Blazing Steeds
Team Members:

Parthian Shot (Team Leader)
Tank: Renault NC-31

Quick Scope
Tank: Leichttraktor

Cloud Kicker
Tank: Renault FT

Rapid Rush
Tank: Renault Otsu

Berryshine Punch
Tank: MS-1

Comet Tail
Tank: T1 Cunningham

It felt weird reading her friends' full names, but she knew as this was an official sport tournament, it was mandatory to present one's full name. Twilight carefully studied the map that was also on the board.

"Initial staging areas are separated by a wide open field, ideal for defensive operations and sniping. Flanking maneuvers and natural defenses like woods, hills, and farmhouses, can be decisive. Another option is a high-speed combined arms attack across the field which could potentially bring victory, but also a higher risk of losses," Twilight thought out loud.

"Come on Twilight! The match's starting soon!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"Coming!" Twilight ran back to her tank, and climbed back into it.

"Alright, can everypony hear me?" Twilight said over the radio.

"Yeah, I can hear you."

"Loud and clear!"

"Of course, darling."

"I can hear you just fine, sugarcube."

"Yes."

"Good, our radios are working fine, time to show them what the Harmony Tankers can do!"

"Aw yeah! Ready or not, hear we come!"

Everything went white as the teleportation device started. A few seconds later, the blinding light was gone, and the landscape around the tankers changed.

They were now sitting in formation in a field surrounded by some trees, bushes and what appeared to be some houses fallen into ruins, behind them was a large marked circle with a makeshift base and a green flag.

"Battle commencing in thirty seconds!" announced a voice.

"Gah! Who was that?" Twilight asked, startled.

What happened next was one of the strangest experiences that Twilight will remember. A small light blue stallion, barely the size of Twilight's hand, phased into existence. His mane and eyes were also light blue, and he gave off a bluish glow and was slightly transparent, like a projection.

"Who are you?" Twilight asked again, blinking in astonishment.

The stallion grinned slightly, "I'm am the Tank and Commander Assistance System, but you may call me TaCAS for short."

"So...uh, TaCAS, what are you doing here?"

"Well, first of all, I operate all of the tanks systems. Essentially, I am your crew, your Gunner, your Loader, your Radio Operator, you get the point," TaCAS said proudly, "I also assist you in repairs and Automatic Aiming."

Twilight nodded, "Does my teammates know about you?"

"Don't worry, they have been informed as well."

"Alright then."

"Battle commencing in 5...4...3...2...1...time to roll out!"

"Alright everypony! Let’s do this by the book and we should have no problems! Rainbow Dash you go scout out the side of the enemy field-" Twilight paused as she noticed the empty spot where Rainbow Dash's Renault used to be.

---

"Come out and fight like the stallions you are!" Rainbow Dash screamed as she raced across a large field. What she didn't know, was that she had crossed into no pony's land.

With a sudden 'Ping!', Rainbow Dash's tank came to a grinding halt.

"What was that? Why can't I move?"

TaCAS reappeared, "One of our tracks was hit, we can't move!"

"Well, this is just perfect!" Rainbow Dash groaned. Just then, a movement caught her eye. When she turned her viewfinder around, several red words popped up on her head-up display. She didn't need to read them to know what was coming.

"Well, buck..."

---

An explosion could be heard in the distance. On her mini-map, a small green rhombus faded away.

"-or you could just rush out into an open field and get eliminated immediately," Twilight said, slightly agitated, "Okay then. Pinkie, you have to do scouting duties."

"Okie dokie lokie! I’m gonna go say hi to the other team then come back before you could say 'oatmeal'!" Pinkie replied enthusiastically.

Twilight watched as Pinkie drove off, losing a teammate this early in a battle had taken a toll on her confidence.

"Don't worry Twilight, if Golden Heart can have faith in you, so can you," Applejack reassured.

Twilight drew a deep breath, "Right, we can do this, we can do this," but even after those words had parted her lips, she still lacked a bit of confidence.

"Fluttershy, you go snipe from the hill to our right!" the only reply she got was a barely audible whimper. Looking back, she could see that Fluttershy hadn’t even moved from her starting position.

Rarity in her Renault reversed back beside Fluttershy’s MS-1. “Come now, Fluttershy, we need to work together as a team!” she said.

"But...but aren't tanks loud...and scary and...violent?”

"Remember what I said Fluttershy, nopony's gonna get hurt," Applejack said, repeating what she told her yesterday.

"Okay," Fluttershy began to slowly crawl forwards.

"Rarity, you go back up Fluttershy."

"Certainly, Twilight," Rarity drove close behind Fluttershy.

"Applejack, you and I will defend the base and cover the left flank."

"Alright Twilight." Applejack replied, the two tanks manoeuvred into position.

"I wonder how Pinkie's doing?" Twilight wondered.

---

Pinkie hummed a happy tune as she trundled along, scanning the treeline for anypony she could find.

"Where did everypony go?" she thought out loud, blissfully unaware of the barrel sticking out of a nearby bush slowly zeroing in on her tank's large lower hull plate.

"Are we playing hide and..." she was interrupted by a 'Ping!', her Leichttraktor came to a complete stop.

TaCAS' frantic voice shouted, "Our fuel tank is hit! We're on fire!"

"Oww! Hothothothothothothot..." Pinkie paused as she noticed a High Explosive shell flying towards her.

"Aww, you're no fun at all!"

---

Twilight froze up at the sound of cannon fire followed by a loud explosion, she saw another rhombus on her mini-map fade away.

"Friendly vehicle knocked out!" TaCAS announced. Twilight slammed her fist down on the dashboard in frustration.

She took another deep breath, "Alright, we can still win this, we can still win this," however, her confidence was dwindling by the second.

---

"Have you seen anything yet, Fluttershy?"

"No," replied the timid pegasus, nervous since Dash was taken out.

Rarity reversed behind Fluttershy, focusing on her left flank where the enemy would most likely come from.

"Umm, Rarity, are you watching our right flank?' those few words made Rarity stop in her tracks. At that moment, a barrage of shells rained down on them from their right flank. In panic, the two tankers bumped into each other and desperately tried to turn their turrets around. Rarity tried to return fire, but the shot harmlessly flew overhead.

"The main gun is damaged! It can't fire accurately!"

Rarity could only place her face in her hands and sigh with annoyance, as the enemy team whittled her down. Fluttershy tried to get away, but she forgot that her tank was situated near a plateau overlooking a lake. She screamed as her tank slid into the water, one of her tracks sustaining critical damage from the impact. She could only watch as another tank casually drove up to the plateau to finish her off.

---

"Guess it's up to us now!" Twilight exclaimed, as another two rhombuses faded away.

"Ye...aw shoot!" Applejack shouted as two shots nearly hit her.

"They're coming, get ready!" Twilight said, aiming her gun to her right. A few tanks came into view.

Twilight attempted to fire, but a shell hit her gun, disabling it.

"The main gun suffered critical damage! It won't fire!"

Twilight immediately got behind cover. Not a simple task, given how large her tank was. She checked her head-up display, she noticed that she and her friends had managed to get zero kills in this whole battle. She threw her head and hands up, this entire fiasco was finally getting to her.

"I ain't goin' down without a fi..." an Armor Piercing shell ended Applejack mid-sentence.

Now, Twilight knew just how exposed she was, she tried to back away, but a High Explosive shell penetrated her tank's paper-thin armour and exploded in the engine, utterly destroying it.

"Critical engine damage! We're stuck here!"

Twilight helpless watched as the enemy tanks opened fire on her. Frustrated, she slammed her head on the dashboard as her tank was enveloped in a bright light.

"Fall back everypony, this battle...is over..."

Author's Note:

Tanks introduced:

Renault Otsu (Rapid Rush's tank): http://wiki.wargaming.net/en/Tank:NC27

Comments

[CyberFan479]

5103883 Well, It's hard to make out your complete personality with just 'a very serious expression'. Or maybe Stygian twisted your arm, or both?

[cellum95]

Also as my second post, can I be at least get out of Stygian battalion? I mean like I said I don't like assholes. And can I be an assistance to the Mane 6?

(And also the great Malinovka, the very first map you would be play in the game. Nice camping dudes!)

[cellum95]

5103909 Although yes I'm serious when playing the game, I have very good sportsmanship, no lashing on anything. Assholes on the other hand I find them intolerable, however I would just 'what the hell are you doing' and/or reporting them.

[CyberFan479]

5103921 I'll see what I can do...

[cellum95]

5103966 And on more thing

1.) I usually help my teammates
2.) When accidentally killed a teammate, I will apologize immediately.
3.) I use the words 07(means salute) and gg.

[CyberFan479]

5103979 gg means good game right?

[cellum95]

5108959 Yes