Four mares stared at each other, eyeing each other, carefully, daring each other to make the first move. Not a single pony blinked, this was the battle of the ages. A white hoof raised up, deliberately slow to add some dramatic effect. All eyes immediately went to the hoof, watching it rise up. A door slammed open, causing the four cadets to jump up in shock.
"Come on! There's a Kaiju attack at Las Pegasus!" Mellow exclaimed, brimming with excitement. She hurriedly tried to wave the four friends to come watch with them. Babs and Scootaloo wrestled each other to the door, trying to be there first, while Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom trotted after them.
"About time you got here!" Wind Sprint waved them over to a spot next to her. The four took their spots and turned their attention to a TV mounted on the wall. "They named this Kaiju; Ragged, a Category III, and the Las Pegasus Shatterdome sent out Rising Honor."
Ragged, a Category III Kaiju, with the four vine-like appendages on its back. It's mottled scaly back, is tough enough to withstand a normal shock cannon. Rising Honor, piloted by Green Tea and his brother Black Tea. The brothers hail from Japony and are skilled in swordplay.
***
"Baka! This Kaiju respects nocreature!" The Tea brothers rose up on their hindlegs; their Jaeger custom built to their fighting style, and unfolded their katana. Forged from the finest bladesmiths in all of Japony, using heaps of metal, to create an arc of destruction.
Ragged roared, and charged, crashing through many buildings in the process. Glass shattering filled the entire city, as the large monster thudded closer, and closer, its vines whipping around, grabbing various objects. Car after concrete chunk after signpost, the Kaiju hurled at Rising. Like the samurai of old, the Tea brothers sliced through every projectile like it was butter.
When it was Ragged's turn, however, that was when Rising had some trouble. The four vines atop the Kaiju's back attacked without abandon, whipping one way, and slashing the other. The Tea brothers waved their sword about, trying in vain to block every strike. After a while, metal scraps started flaking off the Jaeger, no doubt resulting in much pain for the Pilots within.
Soon enough, Rising was forced back to the ground, its sword discarded. One of the hooves looked in critical condition, much of the metal completely ripped out, showing sparking circuitry. Doom seemed imminent for the Tea brothers, as they bowed their head down in respect to the foe that finally brought them down.
However, before the Kaiju could thrust its vines into the connpod, a bright yellow figure descended onto Ragged. Smaller than the usual Jaeger, the new attacker was small in stature, bright orange and yellow, and looked like an Alicorn. The camera zoomed in to see the name of the new Jaeger; Daybreaker, imprinted on the head. The style was simple, standard alloys that made up the outer shell of the Jaeger, plus some razors on the wings. The hooves were sturdy, but not bulky, allowing it to gallop more easily.
Daybreaker, smaller and thus faster, zoomed about the destroyed city, bucking and swiping at the Kaiju, damaging it slowly but surely. Despite the onslaught, Ragged somehow got a grip on one of Daybreaker's wings with its vines and threw it over the horizon. It roared in victory, but it was cut short by a tackle from a dark blue form.
Nightmare Moon, the sister Jaeger to Daybreaker, also an Alicorn. Similar in design, the key differences, however, were the colors; Dark blue, and black.
While Nightmare Moon distracted the Kaiju, Daybreaker was able to sneak behind Ragged, and together the sister Jaegers were able to distract the monster while Rising Honor stumbled to pick up its blade and finally killing it.
***
"Aw, that was awesome!" Scootaloo jumped into the air, her wings buzzing in excitement.
"Yeah, but we still don't know who the Pilots are for Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon." Sweetie Belle commented, her face thoughtful.
"It doesn't matter who they are, they've got awesome Jaegers!" The orange Crusader didn't seem deterred. "I wonder if we could build our own custom Jaegers. Imagine that, I totally would have crazy wing scythes that could slice through any Kaiju!"
"CADETS!" Marshal Rack's voice rang out, scaring the young mares half to death. After many shufflings about, and apologies, and some salutes, the Marshall continued, "time to get back to training. You are here to do tag teaming, and tag teaming is what you'll be taught!"
"Well ah'll be, they're actually continuin' the program." Apple Bloom muttered with wide eyes.
"Yer darn right Cuz, who's gonna teach us? AJ's just up and left, Pharynx and Thorax sure ain't well enough to teach us, Ah don't think the Pilots for Broken Table are qualified for teaching Cadets. That leaves Marshall Rack himself, Ranger Pay Check, Soarin, and Spitfire." Babs mused out loud. "Who d'ya think it'll be? Pay Check already is gonna teach us, cuz that's his job. Y'all think the Marshall will help?"
Marshall Rack lead the eight mares down a long corridor, where they finally found themselves in a large simulation room, enough to fit 12 ponies, all running magical programs at once.
"I don't know. Wouldn't that bring back painful memories? His partner died the last time he drifted, maybe it's not healthy." Sweetie replied, surprising the other Crusaders with her sudden wisdom.
"Alright Cadets, I'll be your co-teacher, and while we wait for AJ's replacement, let me tell you about what we are going to do today." Pay Check started rambling about how the eight of them will be split into two teams of four, and those two teams will face off against a Kaiju in a simulation. Of those four, they will split into two Jaeger connpods, and they will have to help each other defeat the Kaiju. The Jaegers and Kaijus will be randomly decided, giving the Cadets more of a challenge. Pay explained that it will help them react faster and help them overcome strange situations. Etc etc.
A loud bang made Pay stop talking, and everypony looked at the door. Another bang, and the door shook on its hinges. The Cadets, except Peach, started shivering in fear. Then the room went silent and the door stopped shaking. Pay Check shrugged his shoulders and opened his mouth to continue speaking, but before a word could come out, the doors exploded.
"PINKIE!?" The Crusaders exclaimed, their jaws on the floor.
"Hiiiyaaa! Who's ready to party!?" Pinkie's joyful grin turned into a sadistic smile. "Time to wreck Kaiju."
***
"Oooh, scratchy hoof. A clone's doing something important!"
"What's that Pinkie?"
"Nothing!"
***
"Ah can't take anymore of Pinkie's 'training!'" Apple Bloom complained as she flopped down on her bed, her muscles sore from intense drills this past week. The rest of the Cadets murmured in agreement, even Peach. The yellow mare twisted around in her bed, trying to get under the covers, and prepared herself to sleep. Before she could however, the door slammed open.
"Cadets! We're going to the Griffish Isles tomorrow, so prepare your personal effects and rain gear. Especially the rain gear." Pay Check's voice boomed out, scaring the mares out of their furs. Sweetie found herself on top of a groaning Scootaloo, Apple Bloom was hanging upside down, and Babs', somehow, mattress went flying across the room. The Ranger grumbled something about being unprepared, then slammed the door closed.