//------------------------------// // Request // Story: The Wayfaring Strangers // by BiasedAmerican //------------------------------// Trixie was bored from keeping watch and wandered the forest a bit, she heard groaning but she didn't know where. She yelled, "Who's there?!" She frantically looked around as she was frightened that the groaning wouldn't stopped. Until she heard branches breaking above her and a human clad in black tactical gear falling on the ground in front of her. Tankery groaned as he was asleep until a slight waking up on a tree branch and falling down. "Hey." A muffled Tankery said as he raised his hand hoping it was Trixie or Elta. "Tankery?!" She screamed. She cleared her throat and said in a calm voice, "Tankery? What're you doing here? Were you asleep?" Tankery sat up and said, "No... Yeah I was. I haven't been able to get much sleep. And besides, nothing happened while I was asleep." Tankery looked upwards and noticed, "Besides the fact that it's night time." The light from the moon was shining on them through tiny cracks from branches and leaves. "So, what has the enemy been doing?" "Staying still as you last saw them. I think, but I'm never wrong." Trixie answered. Tankery had a doubtful face on him and said, "Sure... Let's go check on Elta in case anything happened." Tankery got up and started jogging to Elta's last known location. As he arrived at their MG nest, he saw Elta asleep on the ground. He turned and looked outwards from the treeline and saw the vague outlines of camps and small lit campfires. This gave him an idea, he grabbed his radio on his vest and spoke on it. "Soviet, this is Tank. We got camps of enemy troops near the border. I need you to get the radio to Celestia or whoever the fuck is in charge." Meanwhile in Ponyville, Soviet was shopping with Starlight for supplies for their office. Soviet got the message and replied, "This is Soviet.. Celestia is in Canterlot. I'll send Dash to deliver the message. Best I can do, what do you need approved?" Soviet asked. "Artillery strike on enemy formations." Tankery replied. "Hold until approval, report any major movement or enemy scouts." Soviet answered. "Roger." The radio replied. "I wonder if Elta is with him." Starlight questioned. "Probably, she might be the only one he trusts the most here." Soviet replied. "Anyways, what time is it..." Soviet looked at his watch under his sleeve, "8 PM?! That was fast. We only went out for supplies. But I might miss the First day of school because I need to visit Canterlot to see Luna. Haven't seen her much since Discord. The CMC's will cover for me." Soviet explained. "Sounds good, I'll tell Twilight. But you're going to surprise the students when you get back. Wear something nice for once!" Starlight jokingly yelled. They both laughed as Soviet nodded and silently said "Yeah.." "Anyways, we need to drop these off at the office." Soviet said as he raised the several bags of supplies he was holding so Starlight wouldn't carry much. "And quickly, they're heavy." Soviet's voice started to sound like crying, but she knows he's faking it for a humor effect which she slightly chuckled. "Fine, let's go." She chuckled. The duo walked from outside of a store, through a calming town with the bright night sky with stars bring visible, streets lit by streetlights and house lights, and barely anybody outside except for a few ponies wandering around. Soviet let out a sigh and said, "Wish Luna was here. But I'm thankful you're here too." He said. "What an awful nice thing to say... What do you want?" She said as she suspects he wants something from her. "Nothing, it's just that I get emotional at times like this. But a hug would be good, but later. I could vent what I'm feeling, but that would waste your time." Soviet explained. "Well, that's.. new. You can vent to me, but not in public because obvious reasons. Didn't know that you had deeper emotions that us, we mostly don't have much to handle or bottle up our emotions on. But you can lay it on me once we get to the office." Starlight explained. The duo continued walking to the school. Almost half an hour passes and they finally arrive at the steps of the School of Friendship. They walked up the steps and Starlight opened one of the main doors for the struggling Soviet to pass through and rush to their office. "Finally! Now I'm going to sprint to the office because these are heavy." Soviet then sprinted down a hallway. Starlight was going to speak until Soviet ran back and asked, "Which way to our office?" Which Starlight pointed with her hoof which turns out to be the opposite hallway Soviet ran down. As he ran, Starlight chuckled and followed him. She reached the end of the corridor and saw a confused and lost Soviet at the corner. Which Starlight then pointed her hoof to the door with a sign clearly saying, "Counselor's Office". "I knew that." Soviet said as Starlight opened the door with her horn. "Yeah, sure." She said while she moved aside to let Soviet go in the door. "Totally." Soviet added as he walked in, with Starlight following after. The room was sort of empty, except a desk with a chair behind it and 2 in front. And multiple pictures on the walls, next to 2 full bookshelves filled with various books. Soviet put down the bags and said, "So this is our office." As he sat on one of the two couch seats in the corner. "Yup. We're going to be working here for a while." Starlight added. "Oh Jesus, that reminds me. Is Twilight or Rainbow usually awake at this time?" Soviet asked. "Think so. Why?" Starlight asked. "It's important. Sorry but I need to go. See you tomorrow." Soviet excused himself by running out of the school. "Either he was speaking the truth, or to skip unpacking..." Starlight sighed as she raised the supplies out of the bags. A few minutes later, Soviet arrived at Twilight's castle by sprinting. He rushed in and started running to the throne room. He rushed through the door and saw a bored Twilight looking at the map table. Her curiosity peaked as Soviet basically bashed through the door. "Twilight!" Soviet yelled. Twilight began to get scared from his scream and him trying to catch his breath, she asked, "Yes? What is it?" "I need you to tell Rainbow to give a message to Princess Celestia." He approached Twilight. "Sure. What is it? Is it important?" She asked. "Very." Soviet replied. They both heard footsteps behind them and it was approaching fast. "I heard message, so I brought this!" Spike brought a typewriter. "Spike? Were you eavesdropping?" Twilight asked in a serious tone. Spike nodded no and Twilight scoffed a little. "Soviet, I don't think it'll work. We used to use it but it's not made for ponies and it's broken." She warned. Soviet picked up the typewriter and placed it on the table and hit it on the side with the palm of his hand. It made a loud cling noise that spooked Twilight and Spoke, and Soviet began typing on it and it started to work, which surprised the duo. Soviet muttered as he typed. "Dear Princess Celestia, Tankery has begun a scouting mission at Vanhoover at the border. He requests an artillery attack as retaliation for the scout infiltration a while back in Ponyville. He has reported multiple enemy troops massing at the border, both Changeling and Griffon. A fire mission would be more than enough to disperse them, and justification would be trespassing into Equestrian territory. I await your orders to pass onto Tankery. From, Soviet. And if I may add one more thing, don't tell Luna that I'm going to be in Canterlot tomorrow." Twilight became worried until the sneaking into Canterlot part to surprise Luna which made her smile. Until she realized, "Wait! You're not going to be at the school tomorrow?" She asked. "The day after to surprise the students. It'll make you have a nice look that a 'HERO OF EQUESTRIA' is working at your school." Soviet said in a manly voice to quote the hero of Equestria on the school paper Sweetie Belle attends. This made Twilight chuckle. Soviet pat Spike's shoulder and said, "Thanks for the typewriter dude. I'm going to be catching the train, see you two later. And Twilight? Give that paper to Rainbow Dash." He got up and grabbed the paper from the typewriter and placed it in front of Twilight. He did a short salute then placing a radio on the table, then he jogged out of the Castle to the train.