DwhitetheGamer

Copper was humming a tune a bit as he sat on a chair, waiting for the others to arrive. When they did, he looked over and stood up, observing the ragtag bunch with a curious expression. Shrugging, he nodded at them and said, "Greetings. My name is Copper Strikes. I've been hired by your team to be an alternative, obviously."

@Literally Snails The only one of Team Lotus who didn't feel any sort of uneasiness was Copper, who was still with Shining Armor. Then again he never faced Team Rotaka, so that was something. The mercenary, when he was doing his job, was the most emotionless pony anyone would ever see, which is fitting because when he does his job, he's in some pretty intense focus, to the point where he cuts out any sort of talk directed at him. He looked at Shining before speaking. "Seems like Team Rotaka is a really tough team. They must also be favorites to win the tournament because of their fan club."

Copper gave a nod to Shining and turned his attention back to the fight. "Alright. Fair enough. it's better to make sure they don't tire out while thinking than to do so when I get there. Hopefully they'll be ready for their respective fights, as I will be."

"Team Crimos..." Copper watched with some interest as the fight went on. Nodding briefly, he looked at Shining and continued. "Seems so. I'm also assuming I won't be here for long and I'll take what I can get. I'd rather meet my team members first before I charge into battle, so I'll need to go soon."

His eyes lightened up at the mention of Dynamo Pad, and he cracked a smile. "Actually one of them knows me because we were friends long ago. Dynamo Pad was, and should still be, my good friend." He shook his head a little and his smile faded. "I'll worry about reunions later, for now I have to get there to my team. I don't think Dynamo knows I'm a mercenary yet."

"You won't need to," Copper simply said to Shining, shaking his head and waving a dismissive hoof. "What you said was just enough. All you have to do is take me to where I need to be and I'll be on my way. But I will ask, who are my team members? If I happen to know at least one of them it won't be a total disaster for me."

@Illiad Easle Copper smiled at Wind as the Pegasus spoke to him, but still had some thoughts about the two tails his exchange pony had. However, he said to the Pegasus, "It's a bit complicated, but I can show you some time later or tomorrow." He nodded at the Pegasus as he said he'll make room for him to sleep. "Much appreciated," he replied. "Having to walk this way from the Outward, assuming the area after the Inward is called the Outward, took a bit of a toll on me." He then looked at Lift before replying to his question. "Well, I work as a mailpony back in Ponyville, where I currently live. I also contribute a lot in my society, occasionally helping friends there with certain projects, like construction, baking, etc."

Copper noticed the unicorn walking through the lobby and went up to him. "Let's not waste any time," he said to the unicorn. "I want to make sure my mission is as clear as day. Explain everything you can, and please for the love of Celestia, leave the extended explaining out because I'll try to figure it out. I'll follow you to your room."

@Literally Snails Copper Strikes had gotten a call from someone to help out in a tournament lately. He wondered why exactly he needed to be there, but it was a job, it looked like, to help a team advance to the next round. Whatever the case, he needed to figure this out and what the cost will be. He sat down on a chair in a waiting room and waited out for somepony to show up. They told him to come to this area to meet someone, but didn't disclose who it would be.

@Illiad Easle The Earth pony nodded at Lift and sighed contently in his seating position, getting comfortable before the Wind Surfer he was looking for arrived. The moment he saw the two tails moving independently rewarded a face that would tell anyone he was intrigued by this guy. How did a pony have two tails? Did it enhance or hinder his ability to fly? He was sure Twilight would want to know these things as well. Whatever the case, he hopped off his seat and approached Wind. "Hello there," he greeted. "I'm Copper Strikes, the one you've been waiting for. Sorry I didn't come here when you intended me to be, but I chose a quicker route to get here."

@Illiad Easle "It's all right, sir," the Earth Pony replied as he sat down where the unicorn made him room. "It's partially my fault because I should've mentioned that I would be here earlier than you'd expect." He sighed contently, taking off his Amulet and putting it in his saddlebag. "So what's your name? I think you know me as Copper Strikes, right?"

@Illiad Easle "Hello," the blue Earth Pony said to the unicorn as he sighed contently. "I'm looking for a Wind Surfer, and if the description is correct he has a light blue coat with a two tone blond mane and tails, and the cutie mark is a straight wing on the wind, representing his talent in flight and gliding. I've been told to come to this house because that's where he lives."

@Illiad Easle "So many Wind Surfers..." Copper thought as he saw the old Stallion go away. He sighed, but thankfully it was a sigh of content. At least he knew now where Tails would be. He trotted over to the house that the stallion pointed to and went on the front porch. Once inside he knocked casually on the door, or rang the doorbell if there was one, and backed up a little, waiting for somepony to answer whether it be Wind or his brother.

@Illiad Easle The blue pony was surprised to see this elder pony know about him. He gave a look that would tell the old stallion he was thrown off. "Oh, he told you, huh?" he asked. "Well, yeah, I didn't take the train as he expected me to. I flew my way here, and if you wanna know how, it's thanks to my Amulet." He pointed to it, which was around his neck. "If you could call somepony to tell Wind that I'm here that would be much appreciated," he continued. "Also tell them to tell him that I said sorry for scaring him so badly."

@Illiad Easle "...Well that was a failure," Copper sighed as he shook his head. He saw his fellow Earth Pony close both boxes before looking at the Pegasus's name. "Wind..." he said to himself. "Great. I don't think I'll ever get this Cultural Exchange with Tails done now," he said out loud as he sat down. He lowkey hoped Tails would be able to hear. If not, he would be forced to leave.

Looking at the dejected pony made Copper feel bad for them. He always hated seeing ponies, or any other kind of species, like this, so he does his best to cheer them up. He walked to the Pegasus and patted their shoulder. "Hey," he said in a soft and calming tone. "You okay? Did something happen to you?" If it was Wind Surfer, he would notice that Copper had his Saddlebags, and one side had the Equestrian symbol on it. The Earth Pony really hoped there was something he could do to help.

@Illiad Easle And even then he had a nice amount of bits for a few more lunches and dinners should he choose to get more in the future. Eventually he sat down at a vacant table and ate his lunch, which was a nice salad that was enough to get through the next few hours. After eating, he told the cashier to thank the manager for such a good place to have food in, and he would most definitely come back if he traveled here again. He then set off on his journey to Wind "Tails" Surfer's house. If he remembered correctly Dats said it took him seven total hours to reach there on a good day, but with him it should take 2-4 keep a good enough trot to where he wouldn't get in trouble but was quick enough to get through traffic.

@Illiad Easle He had to assume that was a few hours of walking, in which thankfully he had brought a few bits with him for lunch time. He set off in his usual trot, deciding to grab a bite at the nearest food place. Once he entered the place he ordered himself a sunflower sandwich if available, if there wasn't he would go with the next best thing on the menu.

@Illiad Easle The mention of the mailing address snapped into Copper's brain and he quickly scrambled in his saddlebags to find one of the letters. "I actually forgot about that!" he said to Dats. He found it, remembering that he was supposed to use it to locate the house itself. "Let's see... PO Box 2113-Wind. I was supposed to keep one in case I ran into somepony like you."

@Illiad Easle HOLY HELL that was an extremely rough two hours for Copper. It was tiresome enough to learn that there were so many Wind Surfers, none of which with the nickname Tails currently, but there was also literally a thousand different sections, which if he calculated right would be more than the entire country of Equestria. That was more than enough to burn him out entirely, at least until he met the colt who went by the name Dats. He hoped to Celestia that this would be the way for him to find Tails. "That was partly my fault," he replied to Dats as he followed the colt around the ginormous place. He actually realized that he didn't ask for an address. "I didn't ask for a specific location to find him. If anything, he would've called up a search party, but I don't know if this place truly cares that much to find one single pony. Not that I mind much, because I don't know the inward that much except for the 1000 sections that I'm gonna have to go through. Watch it be the very last section, I'm willing to put five bits on it." He couldn't help but laugh at the joke, but then it turned into a cringe-like sound since he was thinking about it. "I REALLY hope that I don't have to go through all of the 1000 sections," he added to Dats. "I'll be praying to Princess Celestia that I don't."

Hello. I'm lowkey disappointed that you won't speak for DHX lol. That throws my question of a shameless plug of OCs out the window. The other question I have, though, is how fun is it to work for the guys in DHX? Also who's Bernie?

@Illiad Easle "I'm definitely not from around here," he smiled at her, "more like a couple hundred miles away in Ponyville, Equestria. That being said, thank you for telling me. I'm headed off then." He trotted out of the School and back to the main highway, keeping the usual trot he had when he first went around the scene. Copper made it to the inward of the Archback Mountain. She did tell him the inward was as dense as heavily populated as outside and from the looks of the species gathered, it didn't disappoint. Despite that, he kept his usual trot, looking around for Wind Surfer, and avoiding getting into trouble.

@Illiad Easle "Tails?" Was the first thing that came out of Copper's mouth when she spoke. Who was this Tails fellow? He certainly didn't remember a pony named Tails, but then he nodded and said, "Oh," after realizing it was Wind Surfer. The Earth Pony smiled and continued. "Would you kindly tell me the directions to the inward? I want to hurry as quickly as possible to meet... uh... Tails and start this Exchange."

@Illiad Easle "Hmm," he thought for a moment before speaking. "If I remember correctly, he said, and I quote: 'I am a young adult pegasus from the Children of the Night colony on Archback Mountain. I have a light blue coat with a two tone blond mane and tails. My mark is a straight wing on the wind, representing my talent in flight and gliding.' Do you know of anypony who matches that description?" He looked a little worried that this was going to be a longer search than usual if she didn't know the Wind Surfer he was describing.