Loyalty Doesn't Quit
Warmth.
Tank stirred as he felt the warmth all around him, easing his body out of torpor. His stomach ached with emptiness. So did his heart. He pushed against the soil. Soon, he would be with the pony who would fix both of those problems. Once his claws worked past the dirt, he would break through to...
Rock?
That wasn't right. Tank had been more than half-asleep when he'd buried himself in the winter, but he definitely would've remembered a rock right in front of him.
Still, it wasn't going to stop him. Tank pushed his head against the dirt. It resisted at first, so he kept pushing. His lungs were starting to burn by the time the dirt gave, but give it did. Sweet air swept over his beak, and he blinked in the light of day. Aside from the rock, the park was largely as he'd left it.
The rock only came up to the bottom of Tank's shell. Once he scraped out a little room to maneuver with his rear claws, he clambered over it easily enough. It was a good rock, flat and sunny. It would make a nice place to wait for Rainbow. Still groggy, Tank shut his eyes.
Soon enough, he heard the sound of wings. A smile crept over Tank's beak. He was patient, but he knew the wait must have been horrible for Rainbow. Well, now it was over. He looked forward to flying again.
"All right, you three, I've given you plenty of warnings. Now you... Tank?"
Tank opened his eyes. That voice wasn't Rainbow. It was Twilight Egghead, staring at him with her mouth hanging open. Tank stared back. Twilight probably knew where Rainbow was.
The two stayed like that for some time. Finally, Tank gave an inquisitive croak.
Twilight shook herself. "This... This is..." She took a deep breath. "I need to call in the girls." Her horn glowed, getting brighter and brighter.
Tank pulled his head into shell. He'd left his sunglasses at home, in the special room Rainbow had made for him. Once he heard a loud burst and the purple light stopped shining through his neck hole, he stuck his head back out, smiling again. Now Rainbow would be here.
Tank's smile fell. Rainbow wasn't here.
On Twilight Egghead's right was the Pinkie Pie, who had gone still and silent. Well, as still and silent as the Pinkie Pie ever was, which meant a great deal of blinking and strange, choked sounds. Tank didn't understand her, but according to Gummy, she was as wise as she was mad. Of course, the same could be said of Gummy.
On Twilight's left was... well, the orange fur and hat made her look like Ayjay, but she was as wrinkled as a tortoise. She was also gawping at Tank, and glaring at him as well.
The Pinkie Pie untangled her tongue. "Is that really—?"
"It is," said Twilight.
Ayjay simply snorted.
Twilight frowned. "Tank, can you understand me?"
Tank nodded. Rainbow spoke quickly enough that a pony like Twilight Egghead was easy enough to understand.
Her frown stayed. "I... I don't know how to tell you this, but—"
"You're really late for your party," said the Pinkie Pie.
Twilight frowned at her. "Pinkie!"
"Ain't like he deserves a party after what he's done." Ayjay's voice came out rough and bitter.
Twilight turned to her. "He couldn't help it—"
"Don't mean it ain't his fault."
Tank looked back and forth and gave another questioning croak.
Twilight sighed. "That first Winter Wrap-Up... well, you just didn't wake up. After a week, we started trying to force you out of hibernation. Physical stimulus, magic, Fluttershy asking nicely..." She shook her head. "Nothing worked. And we were thorough."
Pinkie nodded. "I even shot you out of a party cannon."
"As I said, thorough."
Ayjay doffed her hat. "Rainbow didn't give up on ya, even when th' rest of us did." She rammed her hat back on her head and glared at Tank. "Fat lot o' good it did 'er."
"Ayjay," said Twilight, "please—"
"Zip it, Twi. Ah'm gonna say mah piece." Ayjay stomped closer, barely any faster than Tank. "That mare wouldn't give up on ya, Mr. Sleepytime, but she sure as sugar gave up on everything else! She gave up her friends, her dreams, the sky itself! All 'cause you had t' sleep fer one hundred princess-damned years!"
Tank blinked. He felt his beak fall open.
Ayjay spat at his claws. "Send me back home, Twilight. Ah got a farm t' watch over, an' Ah'll be all day gettin' back on mah own."
"Ayjay, please, be reasonable."
She whirled on Twilight, wincing at the sudden movement. "This is me bein' reasonable! Send me back if ya don't wanna see what me bein' unreasonable is!"
Ayjay vanished in a burst of light. Twilight sighed as her horn dimmed. "I'm sorry, Tank. It... Well, it hasn't been easy for us. Some more than others. When Rarity—"
Tank found himself being lifted up and moving at supertortoise speeds.
"Pinkie, what are you doing?"
The Pinkie Pie answered from above Tank. "He wants to see her. He should."
She set Tank down on the grass, facing another rock. It presented a flat surface, engraved with a familiar cloud and lightning bolt.
"Pegasuses don't usually get buried," said the Pinkie Pie, "but she knew you'd wake up one day. She wanted to be there when it happened."
Buried...
Tank looked down. Grass, and beneath it, dirt. He narrowed his eyes and scraped away the grass with a claw. The grass didn't matter.
"Tank?" said the Pinkie Pie.
He kept digging. The dirt didn't matter.
"Tank..." said Twilight Egghead.
Their voices didn't matter. His hunger didn't matter. He didn't matter. The only important thing in the world was beneath him. She was waiting for him. He would not keep her waiting any longer.
"Tank."
He was lifted off the ground, wrapped in light. He thrashed, claws waving, beak snapping. The time for patience was over. He would deal with anyone who kept him from Rainbow, then return to her.
Tank was spun until he faced a larger pony, one with sparkles in her mane and a moon around her neck. She smiled. “So like your mistress. A hard shell hiding a soft heart. Your devotion does her proud.”
He hissed at her.
The moon horse's smile only widened. "Peace, good tortoise. I am not your enemy, and things are not as they seem. This is only a dream."
Tank blinked. A dream?
"I must say, I have never before seen a beast of the fields have a nightmare so terrible that it required my personal attention. Still, you do hail from Ponyville. I do not know if it is some fell energy from the Everfree, the proximity of Discord, or a legacy of my darker self, but I seem to spend more time soothing that town than the rest of Equestria combined." The moon horse looked around. "And you do show unusual wisdom, recognizing Pinkie Pie for what she is."
She turned Tank to see Twilight and the Pinkie Pie frozen in place. The Pinkie then turned and waved. "Hi, Luna!"
Luna the moon horse sighed. "Lady Pie, I know we do not spend as much time together as you like, but we have discussed intruding on others' dreams."
The Pinkie Pie pouted. "Aww... fine." She returned to her earlier pose.
"Though the Element has returned to the Tree," said Luna, "we both still do the work of Laughter. She brings joy to a town. I chase fear from a kingdom." She smiled. "I believe I see why Rainbow Dash likes you so much, Tank. You are an excellent listener."
Tank gave a small smile back.
Luna set him down. "In any case, rest assured, in every sense of the phrase. Less than a month has passed since the longest night and the beginning of winter. Rainbow Dash is alive and well, and her reunion with you figures largely in her own dreams. And should you not awaken come the spring, I shall personally return you to wakefulness." She dipped her head to him. "For now, I wish you sweet dreams during your long rest."
The propeller hummed above Tank, the sky was clear of any buildings that might jump out in front of him, and the lettuce fields stretched as far as he could see.
Rainbow drifted by, lounging on a cloud. "Don't worry, buddy. I'll always be there for you."
Another tortoise buzzed by, a coy smile on her beak. She gave Tank an affectionate, gentle collision and a coquettish wink.
Rainbow chuckled. "Now go have fun with Ironclad. Just remember, you can't bury eggs in a cloud house."
A bit late? Of course it is. It's a Tank story. Did you really expect me to write it quickly? 
In any case, Tank presents an interesting twist on the longevity blues; it is entirely possible that he could outlive Dash. Given the theme of grief in "Tanks for the Memories," this seemed like an interesting reversal. And Ponyville probably does make up a significant portion of Luna's nightly workload. I cut a scene where she confronts Discord about his possible responsibility for the phenomenon. I think I diluted the initial tone of the story enough as is.
Also, Tank learned the names of Dash's friends from Dash herself. And from Gummy, disciple of the Queen in Pink, long may She party. 
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There was no way this wasn't going to be a dream. ^^ Awesome!
Ya gotta love Tank's tenacity.
Tank is a baller.
YOU ARE KING OF FEELS!!
Seriously, this is the best story about Tank that I've ever read :)
That was sweet.
Tank seems pretty old though. Maybe he was over a hundred when Dash first got him.
...Maybe he used to be owned by Dash's great-great-grandmother and recognized her in May The Best Pet Win.
......Maybe I should stop thinking about this before it kills me.
Dash is going to be so confused or possibly horrified if she overhears Tank and Ironclad having their fun. Given that she didn't know tortoises hibernate and Equestria doesn't have YouTube, I really doubt she knows what it sounds like when they mate.
D'aww!
Heh, shucks.
5973734
Gesundheit.
5973750
But does he wish he were a little bit taller?
5973784
Nah, I'm an Earl of Feels at best. Maybe a Duke. Still, thank you.
5973793
Tank was actually hatched by Star Swirl. He's a time tortoise, and has been loyal to the line of Commander Hurricane since time immemorial.
Or maybe that's just the dream he had before this one.
5973794
Fortunately, that particular Rainbow Dash is, like Ironclad, just a dream construct. She knows what to expect. Good thing, too. The real Dash would probably be incensed by a tortoise abandoning her kids and try to dig up the nest.
5973820
Tank, like his owner, is a most adorable badass.
Well I'll be.
Having told me how you felt about "Tanks", I get the feeling penning this had to have been at least a bit of a brain-strainer for you. I fully expected to read the latest in a line of cynical, unempathic "it's only 3 months guise" fiction that had kept popping up in the wake of the episode's airing.
But no, you went and flipped the script and showed every character at their best anyway. Now I can finally say: thank you for writing this.
5973876
Star Swirl IS responsible for absolutely everything that has ever happened, so probably
Gorgeous. If I have time to say more, I will, but I'm frantically busy right now. Still. Amazing, and for all the right reasons.
5973901 I know. We got mystical Pinkie, the very Tank-centric pov, plus just a hint of Small Gods longevity and stubbornness. Three months is very fast or very slow, depending on who you are and what you're doing.
Amazing!
You're welcome, Earl
5973901
I admit, it's taken me an embarrassingly long time to knuckle down and actually get this one written. I've been mulling over the idea for more than a week, but just couldn't get myself to put fingers to keyboard. Of course, as I noted, a Tank story should take its time for the sake of thematic consistency.
As for the idea itself, I wanted to make a situation that was worthy of the drama the episode presented. Then I thought about relative life spans, and the course of action became clear. Add "Bloom and Gloom" as further inspiration, and there you have it.
5973995
Thanks! And my mother's an English teacher, so I have some vague sense of your workload. Don't feel hard-pressed to provide an in-depth review.
Also, I was tempted to say something about how ground on top of Tank's shell felt right, but lacked elephants. That seemed a bit too silly too early, though.
Well, well, well, isn't this just a delightful little story?
Upvoted but.
Why do you keep spelling it out as Ayjay.
No seriously.
Why though.
5974310
For the same reason the purple pony princess is referred to as Twilight Egghead and the Pinkie Pie is called the Pinkie Pie. Tank thinks those are their names.
5974320 But why not just write AJ. Why Ayjay.
Aww. Tank loves Dashie as much as she loves him.
And hey, Pinkie breaks the fourth wall in dreams too!
Freeeow!
Not bad at all!
A well written and welcome change to all of the allegorical 'Tank' hibernation/death stories. Especially considering that normally one would expect Tank to outlive all of her pony friends except the princesses.
Given that tortoises can live into their 180's Tank may very well have originally been brought to Ponyville as Granny Smith's mother's pet. Tenacious indeed.
There is a thing I can say about this....
D'awwwww! :3
this is sooo good...
why can't I like twice?
This was a nice story. The possibility of outliving those you care about is always an interesting and deep concept to think about (Looking at you "Princess" Twilight).
Still, Tank and the other pets need more stories and slices of life, and I'm always glad to find some like this.
Also, I love how Tank interprets their names. Made me laugh.
A story which involves Rainbow and Tank that isn't some unfeeling, unemphatic mess but is instead a short, sweet little fic that protrays everypony (and everytortoise) perfectly while also managing to tug on the heartstrings?
F'naaaaa, can't be.
For realzies, though. This was a great story.
I usually do not read Pet stories. But when I do, they have to be by FanOfMostEverything. Stay writing, my friend.
Certainly an interesting twist. Thanks for a good read.
In the immortal words of M. Night, "What a twist!" This was beautifully and wonderfully executed. I had a fear of what was going to happen and as I read my worst fears coming true I was on the verge of tears.
Okay spoiler time, seriously don't read this blackened part if you don't want this whole thing spoiled. I assure you it is better to simply read this story.
When Luna's description was brought up I nearly jumped in excitement that it was all a nightmare. Tank's loyalty was truly wonderful, and I loved the allusion to Pinkie being something more than what she seems to be to others... and Luna knowing something about it.
I really like this story. You get an upward facing thumb, a gold star on the Bronywood walk of fame... or um... my favorites list... and you... well I don't have anything else... so, I'll see you at the next chapter.
Very nicely done.
This was heartwarming, melancholy, and sweet all at the same time, and I enjoyed it.
~KBO.
She is OMNIPINKIE, an eternal extra-dimensional entity more ancient than the universe itself! That's how she does all that stuff!
I knew it!
Giggles Twilight Egghead. Hee hee. But seriously, this is beautifully written. I can't wait to see Rainbow dash and Tank reunite.
Very enjoyable. I particularly liked how Tank's POV was subtly influenced by Dash (Egghead, Ayjay).
5975074
This is a good story. I do not believe that the Sad-Tag is right, since it finishes happy.
great story fan! Interesting take , using Tanks perspective. I was expecting a sad-fest, and was pleasantly surprised. As is common knowledge, moon horse is the cure for all ills.
Anyone else tear up when he started digging?
Excellent story goddamnit
5975447 That part was good, and fitting to character. but the rest seemed a bit anti climatic after that. Though that's just my opinion, and not necessarily a bad thing. The part with the pony that interrupts his digging was certainly to character with the portrayal in the show, I'll give coo-dos for that even if I didn't vibe with it personally.
Many tears were jerked out of my eye sockets thanks to this story. I tip my hat off to you!
I upvoted because it turned out not to be a schmaltz fest about somepony outliving their friends. What a pleasantly surprising twist.
Really glad it was a dream, because while I love me some sad "outliving your friends" fimfics, my mind immediately jumped to "she killed herself for a fucking turtle?!?!" and I was rolling my eyes so hard.
Like c'mon bruh.
A nice story, thank you.
That rock damn near gave me a heart attack on its own.
You didn't have to make the dream a surprise. The surprise factor wasn't where the enjoyment cane from.
Three months of winter? Isn't that a little short? But then again, I live in Minnesota. Up here, it lasts for six.
5975716
I feel the same way.
Though, I admit I did feel the tears when Twi told Tank what happened. Pleasantly surprised that it didn't turn into some "you need to feel right now!
" kind of story.
In EQ the ponies control the weather. The seasons DON'T "just happen", they are made to happen. Winter lasts from the Winter Ceremony (unseen as yet), on Dec 21 until Winter Wrap Up on March 21. The seasons don't change gradually, it is like flipping a light switch. It only snows in Winter.
The Queen in pink? Is she related to the King in Yellow? XD
Oh man. This story brought tears to my eyes.
What a lovely story. 
5973695
I think you just spoiled the story...