Chapter 1
An Unexpected Visitor
The unknown can be exciting or terrifying, it is all how you perceive it - Starswirl the Bearded
--
“It’s fucking cold out here!” I shouted into the radio. "Stick a tampon in it and carry on, 2-Bravo" came the Sergeant of the Guard's reply. Heh, typical military bullshit. For the love of all that is holy, this had to be the worst duty ever. I was just sitting here in a guard tower on an isolated outpost in the middle of the fucking Canterpathian Mountain Range. Nothing ever happens up here.
“2-Bravo, Give me a sitrep” I heard over the radio.
“Nothing unusual to report, SOG. This storm is limiting visibility to an estimated 40 yards.” I responded.
“Copy that, 2-Bravo.”
If anything were to happen I wouldn’t be able to see it coming until it was too late, and the last thing I wanted to do was die in this frozen hell hole.
I took a look at my watch, 2047.
Fantastic, I was going to be up here for another hour and thirteen minutes while the lucky bastards inside were nice and warm.
I looked at my watch again; 2144.
I swear, when I get inside I am going to beat each and every one of…
I squinted into the distance. I thought I made out 3 figures, and then I realized that they were moving.
Oh shit.
“SOG, This is Tower 2-Bravo. I have movement. Estimated distance 40 yards and closing.”
“Nice try 2-Bravo, we all know that nothing happens up here.” He responded.
“I’m being serious.”
I brought my rifle to my shoulder(which was a sniper variant of our UMI FAL Mk. 2), and looked through the scope. Sure enough there were three figures moving in our direction. However, what was strange about this situation was that they weren’t Griffons or Ursas, but Ponies.
“Three Equines, two mares and one stallion.” I reported.
“Say again?”
“I say again, three equines, two mares and one stallion” I repeated into the radio.
“Copy that, Sending out the QRF. If you are wrong, I am going to come outside and shoot you myself.”
Pleasant
Within sixty seconds the Quick Reaction Force was geared up and out the door.
“Keep us covered up there Copper.” Specialist Iron Sights yelled up to me.
I just nodded in agreement and resumed looking through my scope. The six pony team ran in a triangle formation to the three ponies. I could tell they were having some issues because there was about a foot and a half of snow on the ground and they were carrying 60 pounds of gear. It probably took them about five minutes to reach the ponies at the other end. I could see Iron Sights shouting something at the pony that appeared to be in charge of the group. She looked a bit scared but mostly confused.
“2-Bravo was correct - there are three ponies out here. They say that they’re Equestrian. What would you like us to do with them?” I heard Iron Sights say over the radio.
Wait, did I just hear that correctly? Of all the things that I would expect to find at this frozen excuse for an outpost would be three Equestrians was the least.
“Bring them inside, the LT. wants to talk to them.” The SOG responded after about three minutes.”
“Copy that.”
The QRF quickly encircled the three stranded ponies and began leading them back. Through my scope I scanned each of the outsiders. The mare that seemed to do all the talking had a light blue coat with a darker blue mane, her specialty tag was a compass rose. The stallion was peach in color with a brown mane and his specialty tag was three stacked crates. That one made sense because he was pulling a sled with what appeared to be the team’s gear. The final mare was a sand colored pegasus with a black mane. Her specialty tag was a spyglass. Now I wasn’t all that intelligent, but from what I saw I guessed they were some kind of explorers.
“ETA 2 minutes.”
I looked at my watch one more time, 1456. Once the QRF reached the front door my relief came up the tower.
“Let me know what happens in there, Corporal.” He said to me before he assumed the watch.
“Will do.” I responded.
“Get in there and warm up. Also the mares are pretty cute, much nicer looking than our resident female.”
I chuckled as I climbed down the ladder. I hope he is correct because in the 5 months that we have been up here, Private Firing Pin went from about a 5 to a 7; after long enough she might actually scale the ladder to a 10.
--
When I entered the building his words were indeed correct. One of the mares was sitting on a chair talking to the Staff Sergeant, and holy shit was she attractive. I assumed the other one was being interrogated by the lieutenant in another room.
“Ahh, Copper. I see you didn’t freeze to death.” I heard from around the corner. I turned to reply to the smartass that is my best friend PFC. Chameleon, the sniper. Even though this fucker had an orange coat and purple mane, he was incredibly good at camouflaging himself.
“I see that you’re currently not hiding in the bushes spying on the mare’s dorm at the military academy.” I smirked back at him.
“Okay that was one time!”
“HEY!” Sarge yelled at us. “We have company!”
We both turned to the mare and stallion.
“We apologize for that series of comments.” I said. The stallion didn’t seem to care and the mare looked... well... amused.
“It’s alright.” She said sweetly. “I actually found it entertaining.”
Damn, why couldn’t Firing Pin look or sound like this?
The Staff Sergeant returned to his conversation. Chameleon and I decided we should probably listen in to learn what we could.
“So you were saying something about your home city? What was the name?… Can… Can something.” He asked her. I could tell that he was somewhat angry with us because he appeared to be struggling to keep his thoughts straight.
“Canterlot, and it’s not my home city. It’s just where I am attending university.” She replied. “I’m originally from a town called Trottingham.” Chameleon and I decided to take a seat; after all, we haven’t had a visitor from Equestria since well… ever, and this could get pretty interesting.
There was a mild pause before she decided to ask a question. “So where are we? This was supposed to be uncharted territory.” Sarge looked a little surprised in fact. Chameleon looked more surprised than the Staff Sergeant.
Okay sure, I figured that no one from Equestria would ever visit, but for this area to not even exist on Equestrian maps was insane.
Sarge was struggling to find a suitable answer, I assumed he was still slightly in shock about the current turn of events. I decided to bluntly assist him “Unikraine, you’re in Unikraine.”
“Fascinating” she stated. “This whole time there were ponies living here that aren’t backwards savages.” I honestly didn’t know whether to take that as a complement or an insult. “What is your government structure like? What are your occupations? What is this building that I am sitting in? How long has Unikraine been here? I have so many questions now!”
I don’t think anyone in this room ever heard a pony talk so fast in their lives. This was going to get complicated in a hurry.
“Well I guess I’ll start with the easy one” I stated. She immediately gave me her full attention. “Unikraine is a Military Oligarchy.”
“Military Oligarchy?” She asked. “I don’t believe I am familiar with that government structure.”
“The country is governed by The Board. Which is chaired by our three highest military leaders.” I continued.
Before I could go any farther in the lecture she cut me off. “Your country is operated by your military?
“Yes.” I answered. “The three…”
She cut me off again. “So how does that work? Is it like our Guard Captain Shining Armor but instead of leading the Royal Guard, he leads Equestria?”
“Uhh… Not really. I would say it is more like your Guard Captain leads Equestria more often than the Guard. I was about to get there.”
She resumed her attentiveness as I was about to continue the lecture. Chameleon stood there and gave me a strange look. “Copper, how do you still know this stuff?” I had a feeling he was going to ask me that. I mean I’m not exactly the brightest stallion ever or a bookworm. So I guess it was only natural.
“Well, All we have to read up here are history books and Iron Sights’ pornos, and I get bored on watch.” I responded.
“I fucking heard that!” Iron Sights yelled from the bunk room. “and what the fuck are you doing going through my shit!”
“Well it isn’t exactly going through it when you leave it out!” I yelled back.
“Will you two shut the fuck up!” Sarge yelled. We all stood there awkwardly while the sand colored mare let out a giggle. The stallion that accompanied them seemed to be slightly amused as well.
“What’s your take on this big guy?” Chameleon said to the stallion.
“Honestly, I don’t care.” He said.
“Well he is a pleasant one isn’t he?” I remarked sarcastically.
“Oh don’t worry about Wood Crate. He can be that way sometimes.”
Wood Crate, this fucker’s name was Wood Crate. Oh holy shit, this son of a bitch probably got made fun of A LOT in school.
“I didn't take him for much of a talker.” Chameleon stated. “He doesn't look the type.”
“You know, I wish you two were like that sometimes. You’re like a couple of school fillies.” Sarge said. I have no idea why that came up. He normally doesn’t care if it keeps us from talking to him. My guess would have to be he was trying to show some authority to impress the piece of eye candy that sat before us. He was about to go on a bit more but the Lieutenant and the expedition leader came out of the other room. Also pretty good looking… The expedition leader not the Lieutenant.
“It looks like Compass Rose’s story checks out” He said to us.
Compass Rose? That was her name? For the love of… I could have easily guessed that one.
“Staff Sergeant Bayonet, I want you to radio Regional and let them know that 4-31 is bringing them a few Equestrian nationals for immediate transport to Ponyyat.” The LT. ordered.
“Yes sir” He responded.
The sand pony looked at me, although instead of her normal sweet face, she looked worried. “What is Ponyyat and is it a bad thing that we are going there?” She asked.
“Ponyyat is our capital city, and I think you are just going there to talk to someone.”
I honestly had no idea what was going to happen to them. I mean this was the first time a Unikrainian has ever had contact with an Equestrian national.
“You there.” The LT pointed at Chameleon. “Go set up some cots in the storage room for these three to sleep in.”
“Yes sir”
Chameleon immediately set off to fetch the spare cots for the three Equestrians. After a short while he came back and let the LT. know that the cots were set up. The LT. thanked Chameleon and then proceeded to show the three exhausted ponies to their temporary quarters. Chameleon and I also decided to call it a night and we headed to our bunks.
“What do you think this is going to mean for Unikraine?” He asked me.
“I don’t know.” I responded. “but I have a feeling that we are going to get hit by a major shit storm.”