partisans of Eqwuestria

by Ferencelvtars

The Strike

The Strike

Sweetie Belle couldn't bear the silence any longer. "Ferko, why do you say you're not going back home? Even if we defeated Sombra, there's nothing holding you here," she asked sadly.

You know, if this ends, I have to choose between my homeland, my family's plans, and you, and I have no idea what my final decision will be. My world needs a savior, but how many can fill that role, and how many ponies can make you happy in my place? Right now, I'm probably the biggest selfish person in the world. Ferko explained slowly, getting tangled up in his own thoughts.

Sweetie Belle thought for a while and slowly realized that not only she, but not even Twilight, could answer these questions.

Once someone told me: those who choose their heart are happy, those who choose their duty are useful, but those who don't choose have their lives decided for them. Maybe someday you'll find answers to everything, but for now, you don't need to choose, and who knows when the time will come. Sweetie Belle slowly embraced her friend, who was slowly shedding tears. "When the time comes, you'll know the answer. I'm quite sure of that," she said, then patted his back and hugged him tighter. Ferko held on like this for a while, then slowly let go of the embrace.

"Thank you, Sweetie Belle. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't be here anymore. It seems this friendship is deeper than I thought, maybe even more than that," he said, wiping away his last tears.

The rest of the evening passed quietly. The two good friends sat together on the makeshift construction, hunting for constellations. They found themselves a frosty cup, a peacock talisman, and even one that resembled Sweetie Belle's sister's boutique. The moon, always full, was descending. The two good friends slowly closed their eyes and started sleeping on each other's soft fur, against the cold snowy wall. Ferko felt Sweetie Belle's fur so pleasant and warm that the cold bricks didn't bother him at all. Sweetie Belle felt similarly, maybe even stronger.

The morning slowly illuminated the city, waking up the small group. They emerged from the ruined houses, first Silver Stream and Smolder, then slowly Ocellus, Scoutalu, Apple Bloom, Diamond Tiara, Rumble, and finally Sunboar poked his nose out of his house. Smolder burned a hole in the stream, while Ocellus brought wood. The others set to work on the apples and the plethora of carrots. Ferko, Sweetie Belle, and Sunboar realized they smelled a faint but distinct smoke. Their eyes widened, and they anxiously searched for the source of the smell, which surprised them. Smolder was boiling water in an old pot, and the smoke was provided by a small burning bonfire. Ferko climbed down from the wall, while Sweetie Belle teleported closer. Meanwhile, the water in the pot had begun to steam by the time the two ponies arrived.

"So, did you come up for a little heartwarming?" Apple Bloom asked cheekily.

"Uh, well...?!" Sweetie Belle blushed as Apple Bloom openly hinted at what she thought.

"Good morning to you too, Apple Bloom!" Ferko interjected. "Actually, Sweetie Belle just had a bad dream and came to talk to me so I wouldn't be lonely," he added with a pushy tone.

The others left them alone, and Ferko started training the four new recruits with Sweetie Belle and Smolder. Apple Bloom and Sunboar practiced shooting, Silver Stream learned combat from Smolder, Diamond Tiara learned the basics of first aid. Ferko didn't know much about it, but he taught her what he could. Starlight, on the other hand, was an excellent teacher for him.

They practiced for three days until they roughly understood the basics. Ferko was satisfied with the progress, but the sand in the mystical hourglass was running out. Ferko was teaching Dimond Tiara resurrection magic when they suddenly heard loud hoofbeats. Since there was no doubt about the approaching sound, Ferko fired a magic rocket to alert the team. Except for the rookies, the team began to fight Shining Armor's legion until the others gradually secured the city wall so that no one could get through. Once this was done, Ferko teleported the small team inside the wall. Ferko and the others fired from behind the well-protected wall with their weapons and magical horns, targeting the pony and yak army. After an unsuccessful attempt to break through, the warriors had to retreat.

As the troops withdrew, Ferko and Sweetie Belle pulled the only wounded ponies behind the wall and, after much effort, expelled the dark magic from them. Unfortunately, they were only able to save 20 ponies and a pegasi foal who couldn't fly yet. Meanwhile, Smolder and Apple Bloom brought more apples from the beauty crosses' yellow wooden house, but they knew these supplies wouldn't last long.

That evening, Ferko couldn't sleep, his mind filled with thoughts of the day's battle. Did he really kill and order others to do so? Walking around the battlefield, he dug graves and slowly buried the dead, who could number from 100 to 300. Sweetie Belle approached him with Ocellus.

"Ferko, what are you doing?" Sweetie Belle asked with concern in her voice.

"You know, Sweetie Belle, in my world, this is a tradition. After a war, the dead must be buried to honor their heroic death and show respect for their lives before. He replied as he kneeled down and placed a cross on top of another grave, on which the yin-yang symbol was visible.

"Well, if it's so important to you..." Apple Bloom began.

"We'll help you. Finished Ocellus.

The others quickly started digging graves without hats, as Ferko said it was appropriate. Ferko collected personal items from every warrior. These were usually not interesting, a jade brooch, a badge shaped like lightning, a few old horseshoes, but one item was interesting. Ferko recognized that item, a white coin that could be hung around the neck. Ferko shuddered as he took the coin in his hoof, his heart filled with bitter sadness and fear, but to such an extent that Ocellus, who was meters away from him, began to gag. Ferko just stood there frozen until...

"Ferko, what's wrong?" Sweetie Belle asked anxiously. Ferko slowly turned his hoof, on which the small coin lay.

"They have all of them," he announced as he dropped the talisman into the snow. Sweetie Belle quickly ran over and picked up the talisman, but tears welled up in her eyes too.

After finishing the work, they went behind the wall, and Ferko sent the mouse talisman to a safe place between the locations. The others sat around a small fire, eating apples, carrots, and salad. Ferko received the last carrot as food, but he didn't mind, and he began to work with Starlight on a plan to acquire Ponyville, codenamed the Nix Som maneuver.

That day, Smolder, not Ferko, was the observer, so Ferko slept in one of the houses with Sweetie Belle and the rescued foals. However, in his mind, he only pondered how much time it would take to train these 20 new soldiers. "1 week, maybe 2?" he mused in his sleep. His dream was set on the snowy tundra, with the great Battle of Stalingrad playing out before his eyes, where the Soviets and Germans played all or nothing. However, his dream was beginning to turn into jelly, slowly turning into an alicorn.

"Sombra's disappearance," Ferko shouted, trying to wake up.

"Oh, how ironic, it happens again what you swore it wouldn't. By the way, my troops have never been defeated. Sombra declared.

"Well, your team has never had an opponent so far. The army of yaks has never lost because they are strong, not because they are good, just because there hasn't been an opponent. If you really want to know, I let you come here on purpose." Ferko retorted.

"Why would you want me to be here?" Sombra asked incredulously.

"Oh, it's just diplomacy, a prisoner exchange would be involved. Ferko made the first move.

"Hmm, he is indeed a good strategist, and I'm interested in what you would offer in return for Equestria's best commander?" Sombra continued the negotiation.

"Not a small price, but I think it's fair, hehe." Ferko said half-seriously. "I want my friends to be released unharmed, oh, and for each exchange, 5 kilograms of food," Ferko announced.

"Be there tonight at midnight at the castle of the two sisters, or there's no deal." Ferko gave Sombra a piercing look as if he were facing Stalin himself.

"I'll be there," Sombra sealed the deal, and flew away from the dream.

Ferko woke up and knew what he had just done, but some of the others needed it, at least some of them. He quickly woke up Ocellus and took Sweetie Belle's pendant. Then he outlined his plan to the young changeling. To be continued.