Armored core: Equis

Celestia's perspective

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Upon hearing this, I wondered how Telos was able to tell that those changelings were scouts, and furthermore, see right through the disguises that I'm sure they were using. "Ah, yes, those would be changelings, and their queen is rather sore about what happened at Shining Armor's wedding with Princess Cadance a few months back." I said, explaining why this whole absurd situation was even a thing.

"Changelings huh? Can't be much worse than my rival Brawler." Telos said.

"Brawler?" I echoed.

"Guess I'd better explain where I come from. Let me power this thing down first." Upon saying this, the AC became lifeless once more, as Telos popped the hatch and jumped down without even bothering to extend the ladder. Twilight and her friends gasped as she did this, worried that she would be hurt, but Telos stood up shortly after landing, apparently unharmed.

Telos's perspective

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"Hah, I've always wanted to try that, but my support crew always caught me with a damned safety net," I said, chuckling a bit.

"Why would you want to try something so dangerous without wings?!" Twilight said, obviously concerned.

"Relax Twi, you don't mind me calling you that, do you? Anyway, If I can withstand the G forces that I pull with a hairpin turn at the speeds the OB causes, A 15 meter fall is nothing, though I guess my feet are going to be a bit sore. I digress, shall we return to the castle? I'll inform you of my world on the way." I said, brushing stone flakes from my calves that had burst up from my rather heavy impact, before walking off in the direction of the throne room.

Groaning at the nickname, Twilight followed me, closely accompanied by her friends and the princesses.

"Where to start? Well I guess I'll explain what led to me coming here. I had recently destroyed a machine known as the internecine, who's sole purpose was to create mechs with one purpose: Destroy Everything. First one I dealt with was simple enough. It used tank treads, had a pair of laser cannons on it's back, and it's arms ended in a weird fusion of laser blades and an actual physical blades. Thing was slower than a turtle. Cut the limbs and cannons off before blasting what was left with rockets. The next type was a lot more dangerous, because even my AC, which is heavily specced for mobility, had difficulty keeping up. It's armaments were identical to the tank type, with the main difference being the legs, which were quadrupedal.  My standard setup, the one that you've seen, couldn't damage it fast enough. Had to swap the arms out for a set of arms that fire enormous missiles. These missiles follow their targets relentlessly, and are about 10 times the size of the doors of the throne room. Needless to say, when they connected, the damn thing went down instantly. The next type was even more dangerous, as it was even faster than the quad, and had more weapon systems in the form of a rapid fire energy weapon built into the blade somehow. No Twilight, I don't know how it was done," I said, quickly cutting her question off, something she was probably going to find irritating." It also could somehow fire off a very large energy blast by crossing the blades and bringing them down. Also of note, this one was bipedal. At this point, the Pulverizers, as these things are called, stopped mimicking AC's and became much more deadly. The next one was a hovering type, very quick and very dangerous, simply because it had orbit pods, weapons that follow their target while constantly showering them with laser bolts. The next type still had the blades, but almost never used them. It was absurdly large, making my AC look small. It carried several weapon systems, like an energy missile launcher and heat laser. After this, I had assumed my work as a Raven was done for some time, as I destroyed it and the internecine in a rather intense battle. Yet somehow the Internecine managed to create a final Pulverizer, one which rectified the main flaw of all previous versions. It had an A.M.S. which is short for anti missile system. It also was able to create an energy barrier which could block even the most powerful of weapons, and while this was up it deployed a very powerful weapon, which I'm still unsure as to what it was, but it fired a series of explosive energy blasts, only 4 of which would have reduced my AC to so much slag. It also did something at the beginning of the fight that I'd never seen, not by an AC, not by an MT, and not by any other pulverizers. It lunged at me with such speed it made my Overed booster seem slow, trying to end the fight before it even started, and almost did. As it lunged, it drew back one of the blades that remained constant throughout the series, and attempted to stab straight through the cockpit. Thankfully, my years of dealing with rushing ACs meant that I knew the best way to dodge this, and that was a quick flash of my boosters, pushing me to the left. Funny thing about that, I finished the fight in a way similar how to it attempted to, and cut it in half. That lead to a dimensional anomaly that got me here." As I finished that little lecture, we reached the throne room.

"Why would cutting a machine like that in half result in a dimensional anomaly?" Twilight asked, obviously confused, with all of her friends, along with Celestia and Luna, seeming to agree.

"Ah, see, the pulverizers used an unknown energy source, None of the corporations were sure as to what it was, just that it was an immense source of power.  As for the Brawler I mentioned, he was a constant rival of mine , constantly showing up on missions where I had to destroy something to try and stop me. I call him Brawler because that's the name of his AC. No one knew his real name. Had the whole 'mysterious merc' vibe goin on. As for the name of his AC, it fits quite well, it is an almost unstoppable juggernaut with so much armor it could shrug off more than a few rounds from a grenade cannon and just keep coming." At this, They all gasped rather loudly." Literally the only advantage my AC has over his is mobility. See, Brawler is a tank legged AC, equipped with a wide variety of heavy shell weaponry along with a laser cannon that can reduce most AC's to slag in a couple shots. He preferred not to use it though, instead using something called a linear gun, which fires high impact rounds at a respectable rate, generally knocking any AC it hits off balance for a moment, which means he could lock you in place if you aren't careful. As for his arm weaponry, he has a pair of large, very powerful bazookas, which fire high power H.E. rounds capable of destroying most M.T.s in one shot, as well as dealing significant damage to AC's. Long story short, he's a Raven you don't want to fight if you can avoid it."

"What's a Raven? Cuz here ravens are a kind of bird. " Pinkie said, asking the question that must have been on all of their minds, considering how even Princess Luna looked at me expectantly.'

"Just the term for someone who pilots an AC . Rolls off the tongue much better than A.C. pilot, doesn't it?" I responded with a chuckle.

"How much does that thing weigh? It can't be too heavy if it can go that fast." Rainbow dash asked, apparently a bit oblivious.

Laughing , I said " It's probably around 100 tons. It goes that fast because the output of the OB is so damn high that it could probably get YOU going fast enough to escape the atmosphere, Rainbow Dash." After saying this, RD's jaw dropped, and I quietly closed it, saying "That is how you catch flies RD."

"Why are you constantly reffering to these 'Corporations'? Does your world have no government?" Asked princess Luna.

Sighing, I resigned myself to explaining the depressing part of my world and job. Sitting down in my chair, I began, "Well Luna, it indeed used to have a government. The corporations long since dismantled every nation and government, and now practically own the world. These corporations are large and powerful enough to have their own armies, far surpassing the average national army. The only advantage they would have had were Ravens, but seeing as the corporations manufactured most of the parts our AC's used, we thought it wise to side with them. I was not yet a Raven by this time, but rather an M.T. pilot, in one of the more advanced models, the OWL. It's pretty much an AC, just not quite as strong. It had an ECM maker, which scrambled the readouts of all enemy H.U.D.s and radars. Because of this it was useful for infiltration. But that's beside the point. Shortly after the first nation fell, I completed the test to become a raven, and was given a base AC , which in all honesty, and forgive my profanity, was a piece of shit in comparison to my current AC. Its weaponry was all cheap, and while effective against MT's and Guard MT's, which are small,unmanned units for base defense, were completely useless against AC's. Here is where the depressing bit starts. I have had to kill many innocents on orders of the corporations, for fear of a bounty being placed on my head, which is often what happens to uncooperative Ravens. I regret every innocent life I've taken, but it was me or them, and I wasn't about to risk the wrath of the corporations. Eventually my AC became what you see now, and I became one of the most sought after Ravens in the world. Just before destroying this last Pulverizer, A fellow raven informed me that I was apparently a dominant, a being raised solely to Pilot an AC. Sadly, I had to kill this raven, as he was jealous of me and my abilities, and attacked soon after informing me of this. Having killed Brawler in a mission who's sole objective was just that, it left me as the last Raven in the world." As I finished all of this, tears were rolling down my face, reminding me that the hard life as a Raven was something not many would want. " But seeing that I'm no longer in that world, it would appear that Ravens are now extinct. I-" While I was about to inform them that the only thing I'd need is a mission to carry out, I was wrapped in a furry embrace from all eight of these ponies.

"How horrible, no wonder you were crying near the end of that!" This, unexpectedly, came from Fluttershy, who normally didn't talk much. The rest were crying as well, save Applejack, who was still obviously shaken by what had been said, knowing that they had it easy in comparison, considering most of the time their problems were little things, like dealing with a competition or not having enough tickets for an event. However, this was a bit uncomfortable for me, as having eight ample pairs of breasts pressed against me was not something I was used to.

"While the affection is appreciated ladies, I would rather you'd warned me, I'm Bi-curious, and this is rather uncomfortable." Upon hearing this, they pulled off of me,  all blushing, Fluttershy more than the rest, her face almost completely red. "As I was saying, If you have anything you need done, anything at all, just contact me and I'll draw up a contract for whatever needs done. I can live in my AC, as the cockpit is surprisingly large, and as long as I have food and water, I can patrol constantly."

Hearing this, Celestia perked up. "Having that AC patrolling around Canterlot would certainly deter Chrysalis and her hive, seeing as it's very large and intimidating, and if you could keep that laser blade active constantly, it would most likely dispel any disguises they could create, as intense sensations generally disrupt the concentration required to keep them up."

"Sounds good, How does 500 units of your currency per day of patrolling sound?" I responded, certain that my millions of credits were useless in this new world.

"Why so little? You are basically preventing an all out war just by being around. We would say half that per HOUR of patrolling would make more sense." Luna replied, with her sister nodding agreement.

"I might be a Raven, and by extension a mercenary, but I'm not a greedy, money grubbing bitch, like Mumu was before her untimely demise at my hands. Bah, I'm talking about my own world again, apologies."

"Mumu?" They all echoed, like usual when I mentioned someone from my world.

"Warlord independent of the corporations. Sadly, her entire army was poorly equipped, including her AC, which I tore apart with little effort. Light weight AC's are laughably easy to destroy, especially since most of them are specced for close range combat. Her spouse however, proved a tougher nut to crack, his name was Cerberus Garm, and he piloted a heavyweight Bipedal AC with a mirage manufactured Shade laser rifle, handgun and a large rocket launcher. He went down too though. His last words however, made me regret having to kill them. 'I tried to warn you. She would be here, we shouldn't have come. You didn't listen, and we both payed the price for our foolish greed.' It made me feel like a monster, one who had no second thoughts about killing." As I said this, I laughed, but it was a dry, hollow one, devoid of any humor. " I suppose I would have retired after dealing with this last pulverizer, I know I was getting tired of all the killing. Funny how things work out, isn't it? I planned to retire, and I end up thrust into a new conflict instead." Standing up, I started off toward my AC to begin patrolling, but Celestia spoke up.

"Are you certain you wish to keep fighting , even after all of what you have been through? The knowledge that you have killed another being, even if you had no choice, is a heavy burden to bear Telos."

"In all honesty Celestia, I don't want to keep fighting, but I have to. This is a curse I am burdened to bear. As a dominant, my sole purpose is fighting. Seeing as your sister seems to be the warrior of the group, I believe she will understand this phrase. 'Live by the sword, die by the sword' I know killing is wrong, but fighting and killing are all I know. So I keep on fighting, hopefully making wherever I am a better place by doing so. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm headed back to my AC." Walking away, I let my posture droop, practically announcing my current depression to any who would pay attention. Upon reaching my AC, I remotely popped the hatch and extended the ladder, and after grabbing on, just retracted it, too weary to bother climbing. Jumping in the cockpit, I started up my AC, holstering the Karasawa and drawing the sword. Figuring a relaxed posture would keep these ponies happy, I rested the blade lightly on the shoulder joint of the right arm. Jumping out of the castle, I landed in a rather empty street, cracking the pavement. Sighing and opening one of the last MREs I had, I began the patrol for today, walking slowly as to not incite panic, as I'm sure a 15 meter tall mech would if it started sprinting.

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Celestia's perspective

"Telos has been through much, it would seem," Luna pointed out.

"No offence yer highness, but that seems to be puttin it lightly," Applejack said, still wondering how a being who had killed and hurt so many could still be so sensitive.

Sighing, I responded, " I would have to agree with Applejack in this instance. Telos is mentally scarred after having been in as many conflicts as she has. Yet somehow she remains honest , kind , and generous... These corporations she spoke of seem awful. Corrupt and powerful, bending ponies to their will, and destroying all who opposed them."

Walking to the balcony, I rested my arms on the railing and looked out over Canterlot, trying to find Telos in her AC. It took me all of ten seconds to do so, seeing as the red and black color scheme of it made it stand out, almost as much as its size. Now that I was seeing it walking, it surprised me as to how quiet it could be, and how beautiful this machine of war really was. With its sword resting on its shoulder, it almost seemed peaceful as it walked through the streets,sunlight glinting off of the edge of the blade, while the body of the sword seemed to absorb the light, it was so dark. As I watched, it kneeled and the thing I assumed to be what was called a grenade cannon unfolded, and fired a round straight up, exploding a few hundred feet above the city, almost like a firework. However, while it was pretty, I assumed this firing was a warning shot, meant to show any hostiles that there was an AC defending the area, one with a weapon of immense power.

"Was that the grenade cannon? Why did Telos fire that?" Twilight asked, somewhat confused.

"I believe it was a warning shot. She fired it to inform any and all that wish to invade this fair city that there is something here with a weapon of immense power standing between them and their goal. I'm certain she is not ever going to fire that inside the city, as she has used it many times before, and knows the amount of collateral damage it can cause is dangerous." I responded, smiling at my former student.

As I said this, however, Telos turned and fired it at a much lower angle, aimed towards the badlands, where Queen Chrysalis's hive was. Even that far away, I saw the explosion as it detonated directly above their hive, most likely shaking up any and all changelings there.

"As for that shot, I believe she was informing the changelings of what would happen should they attempt to invade again. I believe that this time, Chrysalis will not come herself, not after what just happened. It surprises me though, how precise such a weapon can be, despite being so absurdly destructive." I said, a bit unnerved at the directness of Telos's tactics.

"It worries us though, that Telos is a mercenary, and thus follows whoever pays the most. If Chrysalis were to contact her and offer more money, what would stop her from turning on us and laying waste to the city and this country?" Luna pointed out, obviously worried about this possibility.

"Hey, she said not ten minutes ago that she's not a greedy, money grubbing bitch, and that she has morals." Rainbow dash pointed out, more than willing to support Telos.

"We are aware of this, but some can be swayed with enough payment." Luna said, still worried.

"Forgive mah rudeness yer highness, but give the gal some credit. She's been through a lot, and still shows compassion." Applejack said, also coming to her defense.

"I would have to agree with them Luna, from when I met her, Telos showed a considerable amount of mental fortitude, as she saw straight through a changeling's disguise upon her arrival." Celestia said, putting in her opinion on the matter. " Telos can be trusted, and If chrysalis does indeed contact her, I believe her offer would be refused almost immediately. She seems to have a strong moral compass."

"We only hope that you are correct Celestia, T'would be disastrous for us should Telos side with Chrysalis." Luna said, still ill at ease.