The War Machine

by Urimas Ebonheart

Chapter 5: The Mare in the Moon Part 1

When we returned from the meeting, Twilight and I instantly got started on Equestria's first radio tower in Canterlot. It took her a month to understand how radio waves and signals worked and during that time Celestia let me build the radio tower at the back of the Castle. Once built, I connected it to the Trailer's battery to power it up temporarily, though I'll have to build another battery just for it later. Maybe even Canterlot's very own electro-fusion power station maybe?

We've placed the changeling I caught into a cell for the time being and Celestia herself volunteered to allow the changeling to feed from her. The first scan showed a transparent energy encompassing Celestia which then drained her of a specific energy signature. The transparent energy then flowed back into the changeling and nourished it. More testing will be required as I also picked up that signal again from the changeling; I'll have to find a way to boost my signals to listen in to it.

Twilight has also been teaching me about magic and crystals that can store magic in them. After her explanations and reading over forty books on the subject, I believe I can make rechargeable magical batteries to power smaller radios with but I will need to experiment first.

The first test of the battery didn't go as planned. Once I connected the battery to its crystal core it detonated in my left hand, mangling two of my fingers. Twilight had a panic attack, but I told her I feel no pain and they can just be replaced. I believe I used too big of a crystal.

The second attempt was far more successful after repairing my hand. Once completed, I had a battery the size of a human double-A battery but it held enough magic in it to last a week of constant use before needing a recharge which any unicorn can do.

It looks like a human battery, but the inside is nothing but a pure crystal with a carbon rod in it. It doesn't need Manganese Oxide or Ammonium Chloride in it. This would have to be the world's first safe and cleanest battery I know of, from Earth or here.

During the second month, Twilight understood it well enough and began making receivers and transmitters which we connected to the tower. Beneath the tower formed a radio station similar to the one in the Trailer's driver cab.

We ran a test where I went into the castle while Twilight, Spike, and Celestia remained at the radio station. The radio tower worked like a charm and Twilight was extremely excited about it. I then told her we could get started on making one way radios that ponies could buy and have in their homes to listen to different channels for news, entertainment, and music.

Celestia has told me she's never seen Twilight this dedicated to something before, even to her magical studies.

News about my presence in the Castle has spread out and made the news papers. Some of the ponies welcomed me with open arms while the others didn't care or thought I was a metal pony-eating monster... hard to do that without a stomach, mouth, or teeth I think.

Further tests with the changeling showed that it wasn't emotions it was draining, but very small amounts of magic instead. Ponies thought it must have been love since the changelings impersonate people that they love and care for to get closer to them. With this discovery, Celestia has started a project to create crystals that can absorb magic from the atmosphere where changelings could then feed off it instead. Since I don't know that much about magic itself yet, this project went to the pony scientists in the lab.

By the end of the third month, I had advanced solar panels connected all over the tower to a newly made battery earning the result of making it self sustaining. The station below also has a basic computer, only designed to keep an eye on the battery and radio systems. Should the battery malfunction, the computer should automatically shut the battery down. I have taken the liberty of uploading all of my music into it and programmed five channels to play different genres.

The lab also now has its first personal radio powered by the crystal batteries to listen to the music with. Celestia even has one in her office so she can listen to the music while working; she says it sounds much clearer than the vinyl records they have.

There are plans to mass produce the radios in a few months time but an event called the Summer Sun Celebration is happening in two days in a town called Ponyville.

"Twilight, I'd like for you to personally oversee the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration," Celestia instructs her.

"But, Princess! What about the prophecy I found? On the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will align and the mare in the moon will escape!" Twilight tells her. She's still going on about that? Ever since she found that book about these stones called the Elements of Harmony, she's been adamant something will happen in two days.

It was faint, but I noticed a cringe on Celestia's face. "Don't be silly, Twilight. You know that's just an old pony's tale," the Princess replies.

"B-B-But... there's never been a prophecy that's been wrong before. Starswirl himself predicted this!" Twilight says.

"Twilight... let me tell you a little secret..." Celestia whispers and looks around like it was something classified. "Starswirl was drunk when he wrote that one," she tells her with a grin.

Twilight looks stunned with a twitching eye. "Then why have you let it be published?" she asks.

Again I see a slight cringe on her face. "Ponies thought it sounded like a good story for Nightmare Night and it has stuck ever since," she replies. "Now then, you need to get prepared for your trip to Ponyville tomorrow. I'm counting on you, Twilight," she says.

Twilight hangs her head and sighs. "Okay, Princess," she replies and walks off.

I was about to follow her to help, but Celestia stops me. "Adam, I need to have a word with you in private," she tells me seriously.

This is the first time I've heard her this serious before. "Alright," I reply and follow her to her office.

Once inside, she locks the door and wards the room. "Twilight wasn't wrong. My sister will break free from the moon and return to plunge the world in eternal night. I've been planning for this day for the last four-hundred years. All of the ponies who can save her are in Ponyville, apart from Twilight. She will be the key to finding the Elements of Harmony and finally redeem my Sister from the parasite that has possessed her..." she tells me.

I stand here processing what she just told me. "Then why lie to her?" I ask.

"She needs to discover the Elements herself, along with the ponies that will be with her. The Elements will only show themselves once they discover what makes them special. Laughter, Kindness, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, and Magic. When these six ponies come together and show their virtues, the Elements will be revealed. It is the only power strong enough to save my sister," she says.

"And what do you want me to do about it?" I ask.

"Nightmare Moon is a ruthless and cruel being. She's using my sister's body as a host and leeching off her magic and she'll stop at nothing until she completes her goal, and she'll most likely seal me away when she returns. I need you to protect Twilight and the others from her until they find the Elements, but please don't kill Nightmare Moon as you would just only end up killing Luna in the process," she tells me.

I look down and process this information. A powerful threat is coming in two days where Twilight and five others have to stop her and she can't find out about it until Nightmare Moon arrives.

"So how would I ward off Nightmare Moon if I can't fight back?" I ask.

She closes her eyes and replies in a shaky voice. "Y-You can retaliate with physical force to incapacitate her. If you can, try to knock her out so Twilight and the others have time to find the Elements and use them on her. If you can't... Keep her distracted, she'll consider you a much greater threat to herself than the others," she replies.

"Alright, I'll do my best to keep them safe. Can you tell me what to expect from her? The more information I have, the better I can be prepared," I ask her.

"She can manipulate shadows to her will. She also has the same level of power I have. She focuses mostly on long ranged magical attacks, but is still a formidable opponent in hoof-to-hoof combat," she tells me.

"Okay. What's the highest voltage of electricity you can withstand?" I ask her.

"Why?" she asks back in confusion.

I raise my right hand and turn on the taser. "I could probably knock her out with a shock from my taser, but that depends on if an alicorn can withstand the voltage I can give out," I reply.

She frowns in thought. "We can be struck by lightning and only be mildly hurt from it," she tells me.

"Then my taser won't affect you or her... Would one of those magic inhibitor rings work on her?" I ask, deactivating the taser and lowering my arm.

She shakes her head at me. "I'm afraid not as our magic is too strong for them to contain," she explains, shaking her head.

"If I managed to at least grip her horn, would it stop or cancel the flow of magic through it?" I ask.

She blushes a bit. "Y-Yes. Our horns are quite sensitive when magic is channelled through them," she tells me.

At least if I get close enough I can cancel her magic and possibly pin her down. "Alright. I'll do my best and I won't tell Twilight," I tell her.

"Thank you, Adam. If by the end of three days, Twilight and the others can't find the Elements..." she says and takes a deep choked breath. "I need you to kill Nightmare Moon... to end her eternal night and to release me from her seal," she tells me.

That must've been a tough decision to make. "You have my word, Celestia. I should go back to my Trailer and make sure I'm fully functional and prepared for the upcoming battle. Please excuse me," I say and head for the door which she unlocks.

"Thank you," she quietly tells me.

I leave her office and head back to the Lab to get myself ready.

Twilight and Spike have everything they need. I've also checked myself over, all my weapons are armed, loaded, and in the Trailer. Twilight was going to take a carriage but when she was told I was coming along, she jumped at the chance to travel in the Trailer again.

So here we are, on the road down the mountain heading towards Ponyville.

"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with... T!" Spike says sitting on Twilight's lap.

Spike decided to play “I spy” along the way and I'm using my turret to look around our surroundings while keeping my optics on the road ahead.

"Is it a tree?" Twilight asks bored.

"How'd you figure that out so fast!?" he asks her.

"Maybe because there's so many of them around?" she replies with a deadpan tone.

"Oh..." Spike says.

I then decide to have a go. I look around and see a bird flying alongside the Trailer in the air. "I spy with my little optic, something beginning with K," I say.

"K? What's out there that starts with a K?" Spike asks looking around.

This seemed to perk Twilight up a bit as she too looks around.

After a few minutes of searching, she spots the bird. "Is it a Kestrel?" she asks.

I nodded to her. "Correct," I reply.

"What?" Spike says and looks up. "Aw man... I didn't see that there," he grumbles, getting Twilight to giggle.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence as we listened to the music coming from Canterlot's new radio tower. Spike liked the techno style music the most while Twilight liked the ambient more, said it was nice relaxing music to read books to.

The town comes into view and I reduce speed to ten miles an hour, as to not frighten the locals. The ponies of the town stop and stare as we slowly drive along the small town roads and soon we stop at the town centre where a crowd has gathered around us.

The ponies can't see us due to the one way nano-fibreglass covering the driver's cab. Twilight and Spike get out first and are asked questions to what the Trailer is. I then get out and everything goes quiet.

"Hello," I greet the gathered crowd.

The ponies stare at me for awhile when three mares with different flowers for cutie-marks scream their lungs out. "It's the Canterlot Metal Monster!" the cream-coloured one with a red and pink mane and tail yells.

"The horror! The horror!" the pink mare with a blonde mane and tail yells next.

"Run for your lives!" the lighter pink mare with a light green mane and tail shouts as they all sprint away. Others start to panic and run around the town centre and sometimes into each other...

I look to Twilight who just places a hoof on her face. I then look to Spike who's trying not to laugh. "Was it something I said?" I ask.

Spike couldn't hold it anymore and fell off Twilight's back from laughing too hard.

Twilight drops her hoof only to have a very pink pony in front of her. "Erm, hello?" Twilight says to her while flinching back slightly.

My processors then start to glitch as the pink mare jumps into the air, gasps while defying physics by floating there and then dashes away in mid air; leaving a dust cloud that's roughly in the same shape she was.

Processing... Processing... Cannot compute. Subject cannot be explained. Examination and testing required. Rebooting processors.

"Well... that happened," Twilight says and sighs as only a few ponies remain nearby. "Let's just get this over with, what's first on the list, Spike," Twilight asks him.

Spike pulls out a scroll from Twilight's saddlebags. "First is the catering at Sweet Apple Acres," he replies.

I leave the Trailer locked at the town centre but stay connected to the turret. Twilight has a map in front of her and I follow behind her.

"How far is it?" I ask, trying to sneak a peek at the map to copy its contents to my hard drives.

"About a mile from the town," she replies.

That will take too long walking. I pick Spike up and place him under my left arm. "Dude? What are you doing?" he asks me confused.

"Twilight said to get this done quickly. So I will carry you both there," I reply and then pick Twilight up under my right arm.

She yelps and struggles. "Put me down, Adam!" she yells at me.

"This will be much faster and you did tell me you wished to see my jet skates in action," I reply.

She grumbles but stops her struggling. I move them around a bit until they're comfortable. I then power up the small jets under my feet and on my back. I lift off the ground's surface by barely an inch and turn up the power to my back thrusters.

I start off slow and pick up speed. Twilight's front legs grip my arm tightly while Spike tells me to go faster. I glide across the road at ten miles an hour following Twilight's directions. Leaning in either direction has the effect of making me turn in that direction.

Ponies yelp and stand aside when they see me coming. I reach the edge of town and pick up speed to twenty-five miles per hour and follow a dirt path to the west. After five minutes we reach an apple orchard where I cut the power to my jets and slide across the dirt path to a stop.

"Dude! That was awesome! Can we do it again on the way back!?" Spike says and asks.

"Sure," I reply as put them down where Twilight wobbles slightly.

"Argh... I feel dizzy," she says, pressing a hoof to her head.

"Sorry, but it would have taken us about thirty minutes by walking," I reply.

"Then why couldn't we take the Trailer?" she asks me.

"It was faster this way. Otherwise we'd be getting in and out of the Trailer all day. Plus, the roads are smaller than Canterlot's, It's harder to navigate here than it is there," I tell her.

"Fine. Let's just get going already... I need to head to the Library and find out more about the Mare in the Moon and the Elements of Harmony," she says.

"But Celestia said that was just an old tale," I tell her. I feel a new emotion... guilt for lying to her.

"I know, but I just got this feeling it's real..." she replies.

We walk in and find an orange mare with a blonde mane and tail with three red apples as her cutie-mark and a brown stetson hat on her head kicking a tree with her hind hooves. Apples then fall down into the baskets below.

"Excuse me? My name is Twilight Sparkle. I'm from Canterlot on behalf of Princess Celestia for the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. I'm told this farm is responsible for the catering?" Twilight asks her.

"Well howdy there, Twilight. Ah'm Applejack," she replies and shakes Twilight's hoof quite vigorously. "and we sure as sugar are! We here at Sweet Apple Acres take great pride in the quality of our apples," the mare replies. "Would ya'll care to sample some?" she asks and lets go of Twilight's leg. Her leg comically keeps shaking up and down for a few seconds before Spike grabs it with a chuckle.

"Oh erm... that's okay. We really need to be moving on," Twilight says before her stomach rumbles. She then smiles sheepishly. "I guess a little wouldn't hurt," she then says with embarrassment.

Applejack then looks at my legs then slowly up to my head. "Whoa nelly!" she says and steps back after a few seconds of staring. Seems like she only just noticed me. "What in tarnation is that!?" she asks and points at me.

"This is Adam. He's a friend of ours and the Princess. He helped bring us here from Canterlot," Twilight tells her.

"Hello, Applejack," I say to her with a nod.

"Eh hehe. Yea', howdy. Sweet Celestia, yer taller than Big Mac," she replies while lifting up her hat just to see my face.

"Thank you," I say.

She shakes her head and smiles. "Well then, let's get ya'll somethin' ta eat shall we?" Applejack says and we head towards the red house. She walks up to a metal triangle and starts ringing it. "Soups on everypony!" she yells out.

The sound of hooves thundering on the ground gets closer as nearly a hundred ponies rush over to us.

"Let me introduce ya'll to the family!" Applejack says and begins naming them one by one. Each one leaves a plate of food with the same name as them. "...Applebloom, Big Macintosh *Gasp* and Granny Smith. Up an at'em Granny, we got guests," she finishes.

The elderly mare in a rocking chair wakes up with a start. "Huh? Wha? Ah'm a comin' ah'm comin'," she says and slowly walks over.

"It's very nice to meet you all," Twilight says.

Spike starts drooling at all the food while Twilight picks a few pieces. I just stand behind them while they eat.

Applejack walks over to me and looks confused. "Yer not going to eat anythin', Adam?" she asks me while the other ponies talk with Spike and Twilight.

"I apologise if not partaking of your food insulted you, but I do not need to eat. I have no stomach or organs to digest it with," I tell her.

"Ya have no organs?" she says horrified. "Then how are ya still alive!?" she asks.

"I am an A.I. made of metal and wires. I am powered by the energy from the sun," I tell her.

"Then... yer a machine like those made by the gryphons?" she asks.

"Not exactly, I can think for myself and act for myself. I'm just like you in a way, just not made from flesh and blood," I reply.

"Hoowee. Now ain't that somthin'. If the gryphons didn't make you then who did?" she asks me.

I then tell her of my creator and how I ended up here.

"Landsakes. Ya mean ta tell me ya been dead for the last two years?" she asks with wide eyes.

"I guess you could call it that. I shut myself down to prevent any more damage done to me. Twilight and Celestia are the ones who repaired me," I tell her. The little filly named Applebloom is now sitting next to me with wide eyes and craning her neck just to look up at me.

"Geez yer tall! What's it like always seein' things from up there?" the filly innocently asks.

"Applebloom! Mind yer manners," Applejack scolds her.

I hold my left hand out in a calming gesture. "It's alright, Applejack," I tell her and look to the filly. "Would you like to see for yourself?" I ask her.

She gasps and nodded quickly. I pick her up and hold her up to my chest. "Wow," she says while looking around. She then frowns and narrows her eyes towards the orchard. "Timberwolves!" she yells in fear and clings onto my neck for dear life.

The ponies all stop and look in that direction. I use my optics to zoom in and see eight wooden creatures resembling wolves from earth slowly creeping their way over here.

I gently pry the filly off my neck and give her to Applejack. "Find somewhere to hide. I'll deal with them," I say. "Twilight, can you deal with any that might get past me? I left my guns back in the Trailer and I don't want to use my missiles here unless I have no choice," I tell her.

"Alright. Just take them out quickly. If you give them enough time, they could merge together making one big timberwolf," she replies.

"Understood," I reply and start walking towards the wolves. Twilight gets everyone under a magical shield as they watch me.

"Will he be alright?" I hear Applejack ask Twilight.

"He's the safest one here at the moment and he's out there with them," she replies.

The wolves growl at me as I stop seven metres away. I mark and track their energy signatures on my minimap. Twilight told me of these creatures, they're manifestations of the ambient magic in the Everfree Forest that have come to life by possessing wood, twigs, and leaves.

My minimap detects one of them attempting to sneak up behind me. I do nothing as I know they cannot even scratch my armour with their wooden teeth or claws.

It gets behind me and pounces on my back and bites into my neck. I just reach my left hand over and grab it between its shoulders and lift it over me. I then grip its spine with my right and with hardly any effort, snap the wolf in two. The lower half has stopped moving but the upper half is flailing in my grip.

I toss the lower half away and grip its head in my right hand and squeeze. Its head snaps and caves in as a green mist like energy seeps out and flies off back to the forest. I throw the remains in front of the other wolves and charge right at them.

One to my right leaps at me and I react quickly, dodging out of the way with a step. I grab its left hind leg and swing it into another wolf. I grip the leg tightly and shatter the wood in my hand before I let go of the leg's remains and extend my blades. Another one leaps onto my back and I thrust my right blade into its forehead. The same mist leaves and heads towards the forest again.

Weakness located. Saving data to hard drive.

I pull out my blade and crouch down. I then use the jets under my feet to help boost my jump as I leap five metres into the air and come back down on one of the other wolves head while another just avoids me. It gets crushed under my weight and a small one foot deep crater is left with two foot prints in the middle.

Another mist of energy escapes and the remaining wolves regroup and retreat into the forest.

I check my minimap and no more are in the area. I pick off a few bits of wood and leaves from my shoulders and hands as I walk back over to the others.

"No other timberwolves are in the area. It is safe now," I tell them.

Twilight drops her shield and sighs. "Thank you, Adam. Everypony is here and accounted for," she tells me.

Applejack walks up to me and smiles. "Thank ya kindly fer protectin' mah family an' farm, Adam. If ya ever need anythin' just give us a holla," she tells me.

I nodded to her. "Thank you, Applejack. I'm only glad I could help," I reply.

"Ya know. It's a might bit creepy that ya have no face... Ah can't tell what expression ya showin'," she tells me.

"My design was not meant to show expressions, the military believed that a soldier that showed no fear or emotion was a lot more intimidating on the battlefield," I reply.

She shivers. "Ah can see why," she says.

Twilight then walks over and smiles at Applejack. "Thank you for the food, Applejack. It's perfect for tomorrow," she says.

"Well shucks. Ya'll welcome back anytime ya want," Applejack tells us.

We say our goodbyes and head back to town. I once again pick up Spike and Twilight and jet skate back to town.

Once we reach the edge of town, Spike gets his list back out. "Next is the weather. There should be a pegasus pony named Rainbow Dash clearing the clouds," he says and we all look up.

There's still a lot of clouds in the sky.

"Well she's not doing a very good job now is she," Twilight says.

Seconds later, a light blue blur rockets towards us. I max out my processors and zoom in to find out it's a sky blue pegasus mare with a rainbow coloured mane and tail with a white cloud and a three coloured lightning bolt coming out of it for her mark.

I quickly reach out and try to catch the pegasus before she collided with Twilight, but even overclocking my processors, I wasn't fast enough and she slams into Twilight right into a muddy puddle. I walk over and pick up the pegasus by the scruff of her neck.