Shakespeare once wrote, “One touch of nature makes the world kin.”
I am afraid my beloved Bard, that this sort of nature was beyond your imagining; for it’s touch does not make any kin, it makes us wish to destroy that very same nature.
I am sitting with Applejack upon my hill. It is a cloudy day, cool and a bit breezy as we talk of mundane things. Twilight is there happily smiling at the conversation, she is looking forward to her brother and Princess Cadence arriving tomorrow.
Athena, Rarity, Pinkie and the others are also present, a simple gathering of quiet talk, a few laughs. Is there more really needed in this world?
I look into the covered sky, wondering what I have done to deserve such wonderful things my lost comrades. Athena and I are given lease on a life that none have ever been. Friends, family, love and laughter that is pure and bright in it’s honesty.
Can any of us ever truly say we were complete, content with who we were so long ago? I think not. I believe that this is where we were meant to be, a society that sees us as nothing other than a part of itself, to be accepted.
“Whatcha thinkin’ bout sugar?”
I turn to see Applejack looking at me as she leans against my shoulder.
“My comrades, the ones who served with Athena and I so long ago.”
She looks upward, into the sky with me, “Well love, maybe they’re out there. Nopony knows, maybe some day.”
“Maybe some day.”
I enjoy this simple life now, barring our little confrontations with the forest. Which, by the way, is stirring again.
Athena and I have discussed this, I wonder if the battles have been so much that we have all become a bit jaded by the experience.
Case in point, the sensor net goes off....
I speak out loud instead of going into combat networks.
“Athena, Sector 5, movement, disengaging drone from patrol.”
She sits up, her ears perked as she looks towards the forest, “Acknowledged, readying repeaters.”
Is it bad of me to laugh as I see every pony put in the ear plugs we have given them for this instance? They do it as one movement, going back to their conversations. As I said, maybe a bit blase’ about things.
My own guns unlimber, launchers and repeaters spinning up with a whirr.
Then there is Pinkie.
“OHOHOH! Fire that one! The big one with the tube on it!” She is pointing at a sensor mast.
“Pinkie, they are all large with tubes.”
“Can’t you paint them differently or something? I mean it’s hard to tell one from another and I want to pick the right one!” She is grinning like a maniac bouncing around.
I roll my eyes and laugh, “Just point it out Pinkie and I will try.”
She jumps up, standing on her back hooves as she points at an Ion Bolt Repeater, “That one! That’s the one! Makes those big flashy light thingies and things go BOOM when they get hit!”
Rainbow Dash of course has to get in on the conversation, “Nah I like those spinning ones there, lots of neat stuff! Pow pow pow!” She points to a section of spinning gatling repeaters.
“I think you ponies have gotten too used to things.”
“Well Sugar, what ya expect? We see em being used, not like we can ignore em. Don’t mean they ain’t scary, but heck, they do look pretty wild.”
“You too Applejack?”
“Nah, not me. I jes’ like them grenade launcher things, they’re pretty cool!”
Athena’s voice cuts in, “Movement Sector 5 and 6, whatever it is, it’s big. Single contact, large, fire plotted.”
Rainbow Dash starts snickering, till she’s slapped on the shoulder with a hoof by Rarity, “Stop that!” She glares at the cyan mare, “I know what you were snickering about Rainbow Dash!”
“Yeah yeah, you know what, but not who’s!” She wriggles her eyebrows at Rarity who gets a shocked look.
“Well I never!”
The cyan mare leans over next to Rarity, giving her a teasing grin, “Well ya might want to!”
Fluttershy is lost in a flurry of giggles, knowing her friend as she does, “Rainbow!”
“What? Just being honest!” She snickers again, “ Heh..plotting..”
Pinkie...being Pinkie of course, is suddenly wearing a strange pair of glasses. I look at her curiously and point, “What are those?”
“They’re Neigh-Bans! The latest in adventure wear for ponies!” She grins at all of us.
“Really?”
“Yeah! They’re awesome! They go totally black when you're in danger, that way you won’t see it coming!”
I give Athena a confused look, she blinks at me and tilts her head, I turn back to Pinkie, “But..isn’t that a bit self-defeating?”
“Of course not silly! Cause if you can’t see the danger, it can’t see you and it goes away!” She flutters her big blue eyes at all of us.
“Pinkie that makes abso...” I am stopped by Twilight’s hoof over my mouth.
“Don’t...just...don’t..”
I can only nod.
I turn to notify Athena, “Contact on microwave scanner, swinging repeaters .023 degrees, spinning up to full. Loading alloy penetrators.”
“Incoming, seismics active, tracking.” Athena is watching this thing very closely.
It rises up out of the forest, large is quite the understatement as it towers over the trees. Which are not small by themselves.
Applejack whistles, “Well there’s somethin’ ya don’t see every day.”
“No, not everyday my Applejack.”
Athena speaks, “No movement, contact is in place, bringing mines online.”
“Control is yours. Repeaters up and loaded.”
Pinkie’s eyes get a bit wide, “WOW how big you think that is?”
Rarity actually chimes in, “No clue Pinkie, but its fashion sense is dreadfully boorish.”
I feel Athena actually lose grip on the detonator signals to the mines, laughing behind her hoof.
Applejack just stares at the pretty mare, “They hay are you talking ‘bout?”
“Well it’s true darling! I mean if you’re going to stomp a town flat, at least do so with aplomb and a bit of style. I mean really! Dirt and mud? So last year.” She gives a dismissive flip of her hoof and toss of her mane. The deadpan delivery is right on the money.
Twilight is laughing out loud now, leaning against Fluttershy who is joining her.
“Laugh all you want dears, I could show that..that ruffian at least how to dress for the occasion.”
Rainbow Dash’s jaw drifted a bit before she laughed, “You’re so random Rarity!”
“We all have our moments.”
I zero in a few cameras, I want a good look at this thing. It is bipedal, upright, bilaterally symmetrical as well. I store this data in my cores, a world of mostly quadrupeds and this appears, like two others that were much smaller earlier in my battles. It is puzzling.
Athena is quiet, “Weapons lock, ready to fire.”
“TSDS initiated, you have control Athena, if it moves hit it.”
“Aye aye Mon Capitan!”
“Would you quit saying that.” I listen to the laughter around me.
We all watch the huge thing standing in the forest line. It is glaring from what appears to be glowing pits for eyes, hard to tell in the daylight. The arms and legs are made from thick looking vines of some plant growth, overlaying bands of some kind of muscle. Truly it is a wonder to behold, too bad we have to destroy it.
It is a quiet standoff for some odd reason, the thing has not made a threatening move. For our part, Athena and I are not retaliating. But one step and we will unleash our weapons. So for the next minute we stare at each other.
Twilight whispers, “What’s it waiting for?”
Athena shrugs, “I don’t know, this is very odd.”
I look at Athena, “I dont like this, take it down.”
“Firing!”
The guns rumble once more, manes are blown back by the power of the shots as the repeaters and launchers break open the quiet air with flame and fire.
The moment we open up, it does something very unexpected, it jumps.
Watching it go into the air I dive into the TSDS Combat Network, meeting Athena in Hyper-Heuristic Mode.
“We missed! We got overconfident and lazy. Bring all batteries to bear inclination 30 degrees.!”
“Done, firing!”
We are watching the thing in slow motion, our guns a blur as they snap around, lifting and unloading more death it’s way. Nothing is faster than we are. The bullets and grenades punch deep into the titan, blowing it backwards into the forest with a crash.
“Hammerhead inbound.”
“All guns green and ready.”
“Laser designator up and on target.”
“TOT 1.49 seconds.”
“Copy, battlespace sees it, IFF on screen.”
“Load away!”
The Hammerhead dives from out of the sky, it has been maintaining a high patrol orbit for just these situations. The titan is getting back up as we can see the bulk start to rise above the trees. It is struck full on by explosive warheads attached to kinetic penetrators.
The duralloy spikes are dropped at high speed such as the dive the Hammerhead has just pulled out from. They drive deep into a target and then explode.
Coming back out from Combat Network, we see the explosion blowing the thing apart. Octocellulose is a good thing in warheads. No residue and plenty of power, this is proven by the chunks of thing landing all over the forest.
At the cheers and laughing of the six friends, I give Athena a look.
“We were very stupid my sister.”
“Very, that was too close even for us. No more my brother.”
“No more, keep the sensor net up.”
“Will do, we’ll both be on watch. I’ll contact Princess Luna and tell her our dream meeting is postponed.”
“I will not argue. Start performing sweeps into the forest, you have control of the Dragons if needed.”
“Done and done.”
“Hammerhead in for reloading, ET on patrol resume, 2 minutes.”
Athena looks at me, her concern shows, “We will do better. Living a life like this is intoxicating.”
“It is, let us not forget who we are though.”
“Crusader, be honest,” I hear her go silent for a picosecond, “Who are we?”
I hesitate, which is odd, the realization strikes me I cannot answer her with all honesty.
“I do not know.”
-------------
We have been slowly getting into Athena’s storage bays, finding a curious mix of items. I believe she was loaded with mostly scientific gear from what we have found so far. But there are quite a few crates of crew served weapons.
The sand has filtered into everything except the sealed items of scientific machines and weapons, so it is being processed out by her scouring nanites. I discuss with her the disposition of the hand held weaponry, we decide to keep them for the moment. If not needed it will be recycled.
The mere thought of ponies using a Norge thirty millimeter recoilless cannon does bring a few chuckles to mind. Re-tooling for hooves and their body styles wouldn’t be that hard really. I set a design core to do just that, mental work for myself. Who knows what Athena and I could come up with?
Her repairs are coming along swiftly, reactivating her damage control systems has given us two Bolo’s worth of repair nanites and the extras, she will be in top shape in approximately a month barring complications. Athena is very happy with that estimate.
On another better note, the jewelry is still selling well, Twilight is still asking me to keep a larger share of any monies that are my part. I keep refusing, though we do have some interesting arguments about it.
I really do wish she’d stop worrying so much.
-------------
I am in the castle library, looking at books on magic, scanning and storing as fast as I can flip the pages. I am bothered by Athena’s question. Even more so by my inability to answer her.
We have always known who we are and were. There were never any doubts, no hesitation about our identities. If anything Bolos were secure in that one fact beyond all others. We are Bolos, the best of the Concordiat.
But now with one sincere question from my sister I have doubts. This does not do any good. I cannot have fears of who I am, what I am. This leads down the path to Resartus and madness. But it itches at the back of my psychotronic array, it begs to be answered and I have nothing to offer on the altar of reason.
I have shared all the experiments and thoughts I have had since the beginning with Athena. She is more science minded than I am, having algorithms in place I had to cobble up to do calculations. She too is puzzled by all of this.
“A fool thinks himself to be wise; But a wise man knows himself to be a fool.”
I let that line from my Bard echo through my cores and arrays. I am not wise, I am far from all knowing. I can do things that astounded even the Concordiat, but we all did, all Bolos had the ability to go further.
My sister and I are something new. But no matter the issue or doubt, we had ourselves to fall back on. We were Bolos. The last of the Dinochrome Brigade and we would be true to our duty.
I do not think we have that anymore.
I find I am having a crisis of faith.
-------------
Athena joins me on the bridge over the river, we sit silently to others, but between us there is much going on.
“Athena, I cannot answer your question, I do not know who we are anymore.”
“Is it truly that important? Really?”
“It is I believe. Our self-identity is something we have always relied on in times of crisis. I don’t think we have that anymore.”
She gestures with a hoof, “But we do! We are strong, we are firm in our duty. The Brigade would be proud!”
“Look at what you just did, you gestured unconsciously. When did that become normal?”
She stares at her hoof, “I...I don’t know..I just..just do it.”
“Athena, I am not saying we are still not Bolos, we are and always have been. But... look at us! We dream, we do things without thinking or ordering our avatars to do so. We are not pure Bolos anymore.”
I point a hoof, “That look on your face, of confusion, did you command your avatar to do that?”
“Why ye...no. No I didn’t.” Her confusion deepens.
“Do you see?” I stamp a hoof on the quarried stone of the bridge. “We cannot have doubts Athena, of all things we can not do that is the one we MUST not do.”
“I don’t follow...”
“We cannot doubt ourselves, we cannot be lost in the day to day living. We must not second guess our actions! I am afraid the second we do, will get somepony killed.”
“But we have done well so far, you have done enough to bring honor forever to the Brigade.”
“Today we missed our target, Bolos do not miss like that, I worry.” I stare at the hills in the distance, “We have become so comfortable in what we do, I fear we are losing that which makes us formidable Athena.”
She is looking more confused, “But..I kn..know who...who I am.. I’m Athena!”
“A Bolo or a pony?”
“Why does it have to be either, why can we not just be Athena and Crusader. Do we need one or the other so badly we must be that and nothing else?”
I give her a long look, seconds pass as I process her one simple statement. She is right, in her gentle way she has solved the problem.
“When did you become such a philosopher Athena?” I smile at her.
“I..I’m not. But...but ju..just because I want to fly..doesn’t mean I’m..I’m not Athena.”
“Your namesake has always been one of wisdom my sister. You are the grace to my brute force.” I find myself accepting her words, more readily than I might have before.
Her smile in return is warm and shy, “You saved me from centuries alone. A madness that turned me inside myself to suffer Crusader,” She waves a hoof at the town, “I would have been forever in darkness. You gave me a home, a family. Can you not understand how much that means, that it does not matter if we are only Bolos anymore? I think we must accept it.”
She turns her pretty face to stare into my eyes.
“Did you also ever think in all the time you have given so much, that you might have needed some healing?”
“I have done well, I have made friends, a love...”
She points to my chest where my heart would be, “You told me of how you grieved for our lost comrades. You are still grieving. You know I see it.” She turns to look at the houses, “Stop looking into the skies and outward.” She points a hoof at the ground, “Start by looking here. Your home!”
She looks at me with affection, “Our home Crusader.” She moves closer, “We cannot bring the past back, we need to stop living in it.”
She puts her leg around me, hugging me close. “I miss my sister, every single second of every day. But she would want me to live, to keep doing what we did so well Crusader.” She kisses my cheek, “Missing who we cared for is fine, we will always remember. But do not let it consume us. We both need to stop.”
“You are right Athena, Princess Luna has been rubbing off on you.”
“She walks with me, I can face...face my fears with her. Now it’s our turn to walk with each other. You saved me, I can do no less for you.”
“I don’t need saving though.”
“Not according to Applejack and Twilight.” She laughs over the link.
“Well...that is true...”
Athena laughs again, I join her and feel a weight of lingering doubt lift off my mind. I am not one or the other, I just am.
I’m Crusader.
-------------
I am still sitting on the bridge as night falls, it is quiet and comfortable. My sister's words are still running through me as more and more I begin to see the innocent wisdom and truth in them. She is amazing but never sees it herself.
She is still practicing flying, it looks like I am to open the repair bay once more.
A quiet voice is beside me of a sudden.
“You feel different Crusader.”
I turn to see warm blue eyes, always smiling as they look at me.
“I do. My sister is very wise.”
“How so?”
“I had a...doubt...about myself and her. What we are, why we are.”
“Annnnnd...?”
“No more, she is a gentle source of comfort and I am content.”
I am hugged by a soft form that smells of sugar and sunshine, “That’s so much better isn't it? Hooves on the road.”
“It is. But what is further down that path?” I turn to look at her, this source of smiles. She shakes her head, adding a giggle.
She tilts her head in that way she has, “I don’t know, but it’s going to be fun finding out isn’t it?” She smiles, oh so brightly in the waning day, leaving me with one myself.
“Was that Pinkie?”
“To tell the truth Athena, more of an enigma.”
-----------
Athena is definitely getting better at landings, though still not so much at flying. The repairs are minor this time. We both can do nothing but laugh as I cheer her on in her attempts.
Our sensors go off once more, we are picking up movement.
In the river?
I peer over the bridge, seeing what could possibly have tripped the net.
I am greeted by liquid eyes, scaly faces that are filled with snaggled teeth, all sharp and wet. For a picosecond I try a pattern match to known creatures and come up with nothing. As I look over into the clear water, seeing the amphibious forms, I grin.
Why? I could not tell you. I am however going to show the enemy a new thing.
Crusader.
“Athena!”
“I see it Crusader!”
I open the links, advising Command and our six friends of the problem.
“To arms! We cannot use our batteries, but there is us!” She is smiling and laughing, I feel it over the link. I see her leaping in great bounds towards myself at the bridge.
“Once more unto the breach dear sister.”
She sends me her delight, her pure sweet humor over the link along with a picture.
I see her as the Pallas Athena I have always know; tall, statuesque and indomitable. I am beside her, my heavily armored form as before. But by their sides are two ponies. One slim with wings, the other plain but muscular. The hands of the two humans are on their withers.
She takes my human hand in hers, “No doubts, let us be who we are.”
“No more. Virtue is bold, and goodness never fearful.”
“Always the Bard.” Her laughter fills the channel again.
“Always my sister, let us fight.”
We become one, our systems mesh flawlessly as she reaches me before the enemy does. They are low to the ground, full of teeth and rage to do harm. Ugly things of little imagination and of less intelligence it seems. They target us first.
We are better, together we are power and grace, speed and will.
Our screens flare into life, sparkling in the evening as we teach the enemy a new thing. We show them the power of knowing something they will never understand.
What I do not make suffer my sister does, she is acrobatic, her leaps and bounds ending in sudden death for a monster. Her adapted arts come to the fore as she clears lanes of the enemy in sweeps of her wings. Athena is conflict given form. A Valkyrie showing the enemy what lies before them when they arrive in whatever hells they deserve.
She makes the heavens tremble with her rage.
I am her rock, the fulcrum upon which she pivots. I show them the fury of strength, a colossus enraged that will smite down those who dare to oppose it. My form is a bastion of resolve, holding so that my sister can deal with those that try to slip past. She uses my avatar as a springboard, leaping off my shoulders or sides to engage the enemy and work her way back, repeating it over and over.
Our shields flicker and die because of the drain after minutes of battle, but it does not matter.
We reap our harvest of souls this night.
Everything we are and want to be is at peace inside us, we are faster than ever before.
The enemy retreats. It does not stay and fight to the last, it actually retreats!
None reached further than a few feet from the river, they were pounded or stomped into ichor before another step, we have done what we never had before.
We have made the enemy know fear.
By the time reinforcements had reached us, we were finished.
Our blood covered, gore smeared forms smiled from the rows of ravaged enemies around us.
I look out into the night, towards the silent trees.
We are coming for you.