> MLP: FIM War Of The Ravens > by PainfulHeart > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > A Normal Day > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a normal day in Equestria. The princesses were keeping up with their duties, ponies going about their normal lives. Everything seems to be peaceful, but...How long will it last? I had been months since the last major conflict. Some ponies kept it in mind that anything could happen, even if it sounds completely insane. Luna had most of the day free, most of her duties were at night. She wondered around the castle, bored to death. Luna steps onto a balcony and looks out over the landscape. Everything seemed so peaceful. So peaceful in fact that Luna drifts off into sleep, unaware that the peace will soon be broken. Brad was doing what he does everyday, constantly keeping his Armored Core(AC) unit in top condition. He was a Raven, AC pilots that gets hired when major governmental companies go against each other. Ravens need to be constantly on their toes, for the missions they do mostly pits them against each other or against stronger adversaries. Being a Raven isn't a laughing matter, if you screw up, you die. He was finishing a basic test against two unmanned bots called MTs. Once back in the hangar, Brad received a message from some government AC development company called Mirage. The message was a mission request describing an unknown territory that has yet to be explored. Mirage's main competitor, Crest had already sent a few MTs to explore. Mirage has requested Brad to intercept Crest forces and destroy them, Mirage will later send another Raven and their own exploration team to explore the territory and expand. Brad decides to accept the request and quickly prepares his AC. Luna was waken by her sister, Celestia. The day was over and the night just starting. Luna trots to the throne room where she awaits for any problems to come by. A royal guard bursts through the door, "Princess!". Luna almost jumped from her seat due to the sudden outburst, "what could be the problem?" . "We have seen unknown machines near Appleloosa" the guard reported. "machines?..." Luna wonders, "send twenty guards to investigate this" . "Yes your highness" nodded the guard. > Unforgetable Night > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brad had been in the AC transport ship for hours, being transported to the mission area. A voice sounds over the loudspeaker, "Now approaching the combat area, we will drop the ACs then return to base". Soon the airship's hatch opens and Brad's AC was deployed. The AC lands on a rocky plateau. The AC's computer starts going through multiple scans, "targets found, number of MTs, ten". Brad directs the AC towards the MTs, firing at them. They instantly took notice and starts firing back, "a Raven?!...destroy it!". Brad effortlessly dodged the gunfire and comes in close to slash at them with an energy blade, hitting three and destroyed them. The remaining seven back up and fires barrages of missiles, "we need assistance!" Luna hears the explosions and feels a lump in her throat, "sound like a battle is taking place...". She decides to go see for herself, flying higher than the clouds. The closer she gets, Luna starts to hear the loud cracks of gunfire. Then she sees a glimspe of the AC. Luna found where the group of guards were hiding and lands near them, "what is this?!". "we don't know you highness" replied the guards, "we can't get any closer, it's too dangerous!". All they can do now is watch the AC fight the MTs. The AC easily proves too much for the MTs as they can't do enough damage to slow the it. "reinforcements detected" the AC's computer stated, "number of ACs, one". Brad looks up as he sees a cloud of dust being kicked up by a dashing AC, "I knew it...". He wastes no time in destroying the rest of the MTs, then turns his attention to the new rapidly approaching target. "not another one..." moaned one of the guards. "quiet!" hushed Luna, she has no idea if they can be heard...or noticed. The enemy AC fires a powerful laser at Brad's AC. His AC dodges before the lase hits, firing back, then kneels and fires the dual cannons on it's back. The enemy AC was hit directly and was thrown from the blast. Brad then approaches the downed AC and impales it with the energy blade, finishing off his target. Brad scans the destroyed AC and detects no lifeline, "they've sent a rookie...". He goes to call in the transport ship when his radar detected movement. Brad quickly turns his AC around and destroys the rock that Luna and the guards were hiding behind "what the...". Luna froze while the guards panics. Brad lowers the AC's weapon and runs a scan on them, "strange lifeforms" he thought to himself. Luna stares up at the AC, not sure if it will attack them or not, then she hears a loud chopping sound as the AC's transport craft arrives. Brad doesn't move for a bit, fixated by Luna and her guards, then directs the AC into the transport, leaving them in the dark. The night grew silent again. > The Next Day > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brad was running back and forth all day, meetings with clients, AC maintenance, and all the while analyzing the scan he did on Luna, and researching for any hint or clue as to what he had saw and encountered. "what can they be? they has the form of regular equines, but the coloration, wings....horns" he ponders the data over and over, "are they native to that land? ugh! so many questions, but no answers!". Luna can't stop thinking of last night, the night that she may have lost her life. "Where did that thing came from?!" she wondered, "what was it doing here?". She had informed her sister on what happened, so now the Castle is bustling with activity from the guards. Luna looks out from her balcony, still wondering about the AC, "most of all, why hasn't it attacked?". By noon, Brad has a massive migraine from thinking too much on the creatures, "well, I won't find anything about them here....I should head back there and take a closer look". He looks through the window to the hangar, at his AC. > Unexpected Results > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brad heads for the hangar, loading extra equipment into the AC, just in case if he were to run into any complications. He then suits up and climbed into the cockpit, located in the AC's abdomen. "All systems functional" the computer announced. Brad then pilots the mech out of the hangar and starts boosting in the direction of Equestria, using the same route the transport aircraft had taken. Luna was watching the guards attempt in a drill in case of another AC appearance. The unicorns had practiced all day, for they figured that it is possible to deter the large mechs if they can cause a big enough attack from combined magic. Luna is confident that her's and her sister's magic combined would take down an AC. She heads back into the castle and waits. Brad had managed to pilot all the way to the outskirts of Appleloosa before running into Mirage's scouting party. The AC intercepts Brad, "you have no business here, leave now". Brad ignores the warning and tries to go past them, into Appleloosa until the AC opens fire; which Brad in turn, retaliates and sinks the energy blade straight through the enemy's cockpit, killing the pilot instantly and leaves. "Luna!", Luna nearly jumps from her chair when the guard busts through the door, "that machine is back! it's in Appleloosa!!". "what? alert the others" Luna said calmly, "and get my sister". The guard nods and runs out the door, rallying the guards while another one woke up Celestia. Luna sighs, "we'll now know if we can use magic to destroy this thing". Once the guards are rounded up and Celestia by her side, Luna leads them towards Appleloosa. The AC dashes through the town, avoiding the ponies that are running away from it. Brad watched them run into their homes, slamming the doors, "so they do live here...". He decides now to leave Appleloosa and continue on, not knowing that soon, him and Canterlot's army are about to meet. He was about halfway to Canterlot when he had to dodge the first blast of magic, "what? they're attacking? but how?". More blasts of magic rush past him as he dodges. "ready?" Luna asked her sister. "ready" replied Celestia as they both flew up, charging their magic. "hm?" Brad looks up as they combined their magic and fired. The AC failed to miss this one, getting hit squarely where the cockpit was located, the blast missing Brad by only a few inches. "WARNING, damage at 99% now ejecting pilot" the computer announced in a static voice. The pilot's seat was ejected as well as a big box. "did you see that?" Luna asked, watching the ejected seat and box land inside the Everfree. "we should go and find it" Celestia stated, "into the forest, find whatever had left this machine, me and my sister will examine this thing"