The War Machine

by Urimas Ebonheart

Chapter 20: Air Superiority

The CMC are no longer getting picked on by two of their school mates named Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon now that they have their cutie-marks. The two bullies have even begun to act nicer now as well, but they still act all high and mighty now and then.

Twilight's friends have visited occasionally during the last three weeks along with Celestia who is talking a lot more with Eve, Celestia is even helping to teach things to her.

Trixie is now suffering from morning sickness and her mate named Quicksilver, who runs the local blacksmith with another stallion named Caramel, has visited a few times to check on her and bring her lunch. He's a quiet stallion but kind and always has a smile around Trixie. In the meantime, Twilight and Trixie have finished examining the new gryphon rifle and have begun plans for the next Arcana Rifle. From what Twilight told me, it will look similar to my Isis Rifle with two barrels; one for a new kind of physical projectile along with an improved version of the current magic projectile from the first model.

The gryphons haven't made a move yet after the defeat they suffered from our last battle, but it won't be long until we or they attack again. The Titans have also been repaired thanks to Luna's magic fixing and reinforcing the plating back into place. The Apache is now about eighty-four percent complete and only needs the plating, weapons, and rotor attached. Shouldn't take more than a week to finish now and I’m becoming increasingly worried that we won’t be finished by the time the gryphons try something again.

During Celestia's visits, as I promised Twilight, I handed her the blueprint for an old steam train and tracks which I'm sure they could modify to run on magic instead of coal. I can't risk giving them a more modern design as it requires an Electro-Fusion Battery and I don't want that falling into the wrong hands. The one powering the Canterlot radio tower is heavily guarded and has fail safes to ensure that no one can remove it. Should it be moved from its current spot, it will fry all the circuits and the conductor coils will overheat and melt, damaging the core beyond repair but not detonate it in the process.

Luna has been getting more and more... affectionate would be the term I think, towards me lately since the battle by spending most of her time with me. She even got me to play some of the few movies and games from earth for her and Eve on my Trailer's computer. We even spent a few nights out just talking and watching the stars as she made them seem brighter than normal.

Right now I'm welding another plate into place while Twilight and Trixie are making the finishing touches on their latest Arcana Rifle MK II model.

Using the crude gryphon bullets as a base, the new ammunition now fires small bullets made from enchanted crystals that do different things.

The red crystal bullets explode on contact, they had to be careful making these ones as a couple exploded when they charged them. Fortunately they did it behind a blast wall. The explosion isn't big enough to damage a tank, but if it hits a foot soldier... well, there's a high chance of blowing a limb off.

The blue crystals freeze the target on contact and if the bullet penetrates, it also freezes their internal organs as well.

The purple crystals give off a moderate discharge of electricity that will paralyse the target for ten or so seconds and possibly knock them out, or even kill them if it hits near the brain from the amount discharged.

And finally the green crystals: these ones are more like tranquillisers as they put the target to sleep for an hour or two.

These new crystal bullets are very well made and I'll be sure to upgrade my own arsenal with them later.

"Adam! Here's the next plate," Luna tells me with a smile and levitates the plate over to me.

"Thank you, Luna," I reply and take the plate from her and begin welding it onto the Apache.

I catch Luna staring at me for a while before she gets back to making the next plate. We've had to order more materials but Celestia said we can have whatever we need in payment for the Train blueprint.

"Ahhh!" I hear Twilight yelp in pain as the rifle she was working on accidentally discharges into her right foreleg, fortunately it wasn't an enchanted crystal but a normal one.

Luna quickly goes over to her and starts casting a healing spell to close the wound, after a few minutes a small scar is now in its place.

"Are you alright, Twilight?" I ask her and walk over.

She bends her leg at different angles but nodded after. "Yeah, still don't know why it went off, I didn't even pull the trigger..." she replies with a frown while staring at her new scar.

"Father, there is a unicorn outside wearing a cloak with some kind of signal jamming field around it," Eve suddenly warns us. "I didn't notice it before due to the field, but now that I am actively searching, I can see it," she tells us.

"Sounds like a 'notice me not' spell," Twilight says with worry.

Eve sends me the location and I quickly grab my Isis Rifle and head outside, and true to her word, there's a unicorn just outside the wall with a distorted effect around it. I can't make out any physical details or features due to the distortion.

"You will remain where you are, any sudden movements and I will open fire," I warn the unicorn.

From the gasp I hear, the unicorn sounds like a female. She growls and her horn glows green, but before I could fire she disappears in a flash of green magic.

That magic signature I just picked up matches that of the changeling still in Canterlot.

So not only do we need to deal with the gryphons but now possibly the changelings?

I head back inside after patrolling the perimeter a few times while Eve scanned our surroundings with the turrets on the roof. We found no trace of other changelings and I go back inside to tell the others.

"So the changelings are getting involved now? We may need to confront their Queen before we deal with Jackaal. I just hope the magic crystal my sister has been working on is finished soon, then we can use it to hopefully pacify the changelings or even make them allies," Luna says with a frown.

"I've got a general idea on where they are in the Everfree from the data I collected from the changeling in Canterlot. So once we've finished the Apache, I can go in and scout out their base or home. Possibly make contact and request an audience with their Queen," I reply and look at Luna. "I will need your help making a new weapon I wish to use," I ask her.

"What weapon is that?" she asks back.

I walk over to my computer and bring up the schematics for a Death Machine Minigun.

The seven point sixty-two calibre, triple barrel, one-thousand round, four-hundred pound weapon with a rate of fire of two-thousand rounds a minute is displayed on the screen in all its destructive glory. Soldiers on earth required an exosuit just so they could lift and carry the weapon and all its ammo around, this won't be an issue for me though.

"What is that!?" Luna asks with wide eyes as she reads the statistics of the weapon.

"It is called a Death Machine Minigun, and is one of the most lethal firearms ever created. I would like to have one made before I attempt to make contact with the changelings, if they get hostile then this will surely intimidate them and more," I reply before heading back to the Apache to continue welding.

After a minute or two, Luna returns and also gets back to making more plates. Eve is now actively scanning the perimeter while Twilight and Trixie are taking more precautions with the rifle and its ammo.

Eve has scared off a few more changelings that tried to approach and it seems some tried to get into Ponyville as well, but one was captured and the others chased off. The captured one was carted off to Canterlot and placed with the other one there. Although Celestia has been unable to get him to talk.

Celestia was not happy that the changelings were starting to attack her ponies so she sent more guards to protect Ponyville as well.

Not much has happened over the days except for the changeling activity, Luna and I mostly kept to working on the Apache and she even brushed up against me a few times, which confused me quite a bit. I think she is just being friendly towards me, she does tell me I'm her most best friend in the world.

Eve has also continued her studying and I believe she is almost ready to have her own body made, I will be making a child like body first and then later another when she is ready for one my size.

The Apache is finally complete and ready for a test flight. Twilight, Trixie, Luna, and Celestia are standing outside while I gradually pull the Apache out of the workshop.

Luna gawks at my strength as I'm pulling the multi-ton helicopter out. Once in a large enough clearing I stand beside the others and commit a single processor to control the helicopter.

The rotor starts to spin and picks up speed, same with the tail rotor. The others are now covering their eyes as the blades cause a gust of wind to blow into their faces.

I increase the power and swap my vision to the on board camera and take off. The Apache lifts off the ground and rises to one-hundred feet in the air.

"Oh my, I had my doubts something this heavy and big would be able to take off..." Celestia says with wide eyes.

I ignore her and begin testing the movements of the Apache. I strafe it left and right, then I turn it on the spot followed by raising and lowering it. I then make it take off towards Canterlot before turning it around and head back towards us.

It flies over our heads as the ponies cover their ears from the loud noise. I do a quick fly by over Ponyville where the towns folk stare in awe at the machine flying over them, Rainbow Dash even tried to get close but the rotor blades made her keep her distance. After a few more minutes of testing, I return the Apache to the workshop where I make it land on the roof where I had a heliport built for it.

"It would seem the Apache is in perfect condition. All we need to do now is arm it," I say and turn to face them.

It takes them a few minutes to shake themselves out of their stupor.

"That was incredible!" Luna shouts out in excitement. "And to think I aided in building such a machine!" she squeals with glee prancing around on the spot.

I chuckle at her giddiness and Look to Twilight. "How is your Arcana Rifle coming along, Twilight?" I ask her.

She shakes her head and looks up at me. "It's going well, it should be ready for testing in a couple of days," she replies.

"Good, now that the Apache is complete, I want to start making my Minigun before I head off into the Everfree," I say and head back inside the workshop.

"Minigun?" Celestia asks confused as she and the others follow me inside.

"It's a powerful weapon that looks like only Adam will be able to comfortably use. He's going to go and talk to the changelings and convince them to stop attacking us," Luna tells her.

"I see... Thank you for showing me the test flight of the Apache, Adam. It was very impressive and I'm sure will save many of our guards lives in the coming battles, and I also wish you luck when you talk to the changelings. The magic crystal is almost ready, the only problem is it takes awhile to absorb the magic in the air and we're working on a way to speed it up," she says and nodded to me. "Now I must return to Canterlot and return to my duties," she then tells us and then nuzzles Luna. "Come and visit me sometime this week, I miss you," Celestia says sadly.

"I will, sister," Luna replies and nuzzles back.

Celestia steps back as her horn then glows and she teleports away.

"Trixie and I are heading into town to get lunch, she's been having cravings for hay smoothies again," Twilight says with a giggle.

"Hey! I will have you know that hay smoothies taste delicious!" Trixie retorts and stomps out of the workshop.

I chuckle and shake my head. "I will remain here and get the schematics ready for the Minigun along with the materials needed," I inform them. "Why don't you go and join them, Luna?" I then ask her.

She looks conflicted for a second before nodding. "Lunch does sound good right now," she admits and follows the other mares out the door.

I look back at the pile of materials in the far corner and begin collecting the required parts and tools that I'll need to make this weapon.