The titan versus titan match had been against AI opponents, and had lasted a decent while. When it ended, we all got out, and it was night. Getting something to eat, we then went to bed.

The next day, we got up, and everyone on the airship seemed to be happier. During breakfast, I asked the group of girls I had sat with why.

"Well darling, today we reach the Canterlot Stronghold. Home for most of us." Rarity said. And I understood.

"Can any of you tell me about the stronghold?" Twilight nods.

"Well, it used to be the capital. Then, a little after the war started, about fifteen years ago, it was turned into the largest fortress in Equestria. It was built up around the vault that had fell in the center of it. It was opened, but later on, in thr crystal caverns underneath the city, they found another, and have been unable to open that one. After that, the princess, Celestia was the ruler at the time, sent out expiditions to each of the seen crash sites of meteors around Equestria. Some of the vaults opened when we found them, others had to be guarded because we haven't opened them. When they opened your titans vault, it was the first time we had found any sort of mech that we could possible use.

"When they found the other titans in the vault, they didnt know what to do, so they marked it, and had started to bring your titan on tontheir airship." Rainbow cut in.

"We had been searching rmthe ruins for a day and a half when we came across that vault. I had been helping with the guns, pinking them up, and searching for anything of use. Daring and the scientists were pouring over the skeletons that were all around. Actually, if I remember correctly, we found one with the same gear as you, but it was all rusted and broken." I bob my head in understanding.

"Yeah, that might be. My race is the ones that made the titans, after all. That was a Pilot who was killed in battle. Also, you missed a lot of good stuff. The rifle I shot Darings captor with, was in a gun case, protected from the elements, around the top of the building behind your group." She looked at me, and then slumped. After that, a voice came over the intercom.

"we will be arriving at the Canterlot Stronghold in fifteen minutes. I repeat, fifteen minutes."

Everybody in the cafeteria cheered, as did the girls, and they all started eating quicker. Fluttershy looked at me and said.

"Hey, you might want to hurry. Your probably going to be called to the bridge by commander Celestia." I nod, and wolf my food down.

Like Fluttershy said, I was called to the bridge, along with Twilight. As we moved to the bridge, part of the ealelier conversation came to mind.

"Hey, Twilight. Didn't Celestia say that about seven hundred years ago, the vaults fell from the sky? How did she know, especially to send out expeditions for each meteor?" Twilight looks at me.

"Well, Celestia has been Princess for the last thousand years. You might not know it, but she also had to move the planet for those thousand years, as Luna was in a coma, trying to get her fragmented mind in control. Only recently has Luna been awake. And when she woke up, only two of the hundred or so personalities were 'alive' so to say. Luna and Nightmare Moon. We're here." And she walked through the door to the bridge.

As we entered, Celestia saw us, and Luna greeted us.

"Welcome back to the bridge, Cooper. We wanted to give you a view as we came to Canterlot Stronghold." I nod, and stare out the front viewport.

As we came out of the cloud layer, I could see a mountain. And all around that mountain, was the stronghold. The entire mountain had ports with airships going in and out. When the view screen in front of Celestia came on, I could see that inside the buildings built into the side of the mountain, were titan repair and refit stations. In the end, I saw that the entire mountain had been hollowed out, and turned into a fortress. And it was massive.

Celestia saw my look of disbelief at the giant fortress in the mountain, and smirked.

"After the first vault fell and we opened it, we started to tunnel through the crystal caverns underneath the old castle. Then, when the war started, I had the old city demolished, and the people moved into the new city underground. After a while, the entire mountain was hollowed out, and made into a factory for the titans. The ponies live underneath the factory, and the entire factory can be collapsed to protect them. The outside can withstand the force of the old world nukes, and it can be sealed off to fend of intruders. The top of the mountain has a silo, and a thing called a MAC cannon. We never figured out what it meant, but it is a powerful weapon for defense." I look at her, and say.

"Magnetic Acceleration Cannon. MAC. It was originally used to launch crates of food into orbit, and when humanity found an alien race, started to build ships that could shoot giant metal canisters at the enemy. This is a different game, but it is surprising that humanity made it." Celestia nods.

"Thank you for telling us. Set final approach coarse and take us into hanger ten. Tell the technicians to help unload the damaged titans, and have them repaired and find some operators for them." As Celestia started to give out orders to the bridge, Twilight turns to me.

"Cooper, I have a question. When you were talking to me when I was in the titan, and got the nano injection, you said you got it too. What did you mean?" Luna and Celestia looked at me while I answered.

"When I was first starting out in the volunteer program, I needd to get an injection of the same type of nanobots you did. That way, they would have time to change me. You might have noticed your taller now, and you need to eat less? Well, that is the nano bots working to make you better. I only need half the caloric intake than most humans, I can run almost indefinitely at full sprint, and can my muscles are five times stronger than a normal human. Also, my lungs work ten times better than a normal humans. I can almost see in the dark, not quite all the way. My skeleton is five times stronger than humans. My reaction time is ten times faster than normal. And I am still learning more." Twilight is gaping open mouthed at me.

"So I can expect that from me and the girls?" I nod.

"Its a very definite possibility." She starts to mumble to herself, before looking at me again.

"Then, can you teach us to do what you do?" I nod, but say.

"Yeah, I can, but you need the equipment I have." Luna then comes up to us and says.

"We have the equipment. When the second vault was opened, we found the same type of equipment you wear. We conducted tests with them, but they all resulted in injury for the pony. Usually broken bones or whiplash. We never found any who could use them, though that hasn't stopped most pegasi from trying. We can have them to you six by the end of the day. What else would you need?" I grin.

"We're going to need a playground. It needs to have lots of walls, doors, open spaces, windows, anything that can be used to parkour. You do know what that is, right?" Luna nods.

"Yes. We have an indoor parkour training area, mostly to keep ponies in good shape. We will make a new one, and I think I know what you need. We can have it set up sometime over the next few days. I can contact you then." I nod and turn to Twilight.

"In the meantime, when we get the jump kits, I want you and the girls to wear them all the time. Not to obvious places, but when your not there, wear them. Get used to the feeling, and also so the jump kit can get used to you. Day after tomorrow, meet me at the parkour gym. Luna, do you have any jumpsuits as well? Like mine." Luna nods.

"Hundreds, for both male and female body types. We can fit them with those when we do the jump kits." I nod.

"And do you have any wing binds? We will need them for the pegasi." She looks at me, as does Twilight, and says.

"Yes, but they are for prisoners. Why do you need them?" I sigh.

"Its so so can teach the two pegasi how to move without wings, in case they are injured, or lose one." They both nod in understanding, and Luna says.

"I will get them, but you are not allowed to put them on them until training time. Pegasi, and Alicorns, hate their wings being clamped to them. It hurts. So only during training, and teach them how to use the kits with wings as well." I nod. After that, the bridge is plunged in shadow.

Looking out the bridge window, I see we have passed into the mountain. As we do, Celestia says.

"Make final docking preparations, and then announce the good news to the crew. Everyone is to take shore leave, while maintnence is done on the ship. I want you all to have a good time. Cooper, I would like to talk to you for a moment." She then starts to walk away, and I follow.

We make our way to her quarters, and she sits down. "Sit." And I do.

"Cooper, you said that the six new titans wouldn't work without an AI core. I would like to know how to make one." I sigh.

"That is something I dont know. One way that AI's were made was to take the brain of a recently deceased person, and then run electricity through it, into a blank core. But, it would kill any living being. The only other way is to make a program that will constantly evolve itself, slowly making it grow overtime, till it eventually becomes sentient. Those are the two methods I know, and the second is the most dangerous. Reason is, it could grow to despise its creators, and kill them. It has happened in movies, and it is a real thing that could happen. The second method, the effective life of one of those AI's, is seven years, for mostly the same reason. It will slowly start to think itself to death, and will eventually think itself god, or at least human. It was given the term 'rampancy' because the AI would run rampant and ruin most things. I know of no other way." Celestia nods, and then has a thought.

"If you were able to shield parts of the mind from damage, do you think it would be possible to take part of the personality out of a pony?" I sigh again.

"The only person I know of to make a AI from a living human, did it by cloning herself, and using the practically dead clone. The clone was imperfect, and would slowly die from disease or medical complications, but she was able to create an AI that later went on to serve for 8 years, but after seven she still started to go rampant, and she eventually became their greatest enemy, cause she thought herself god. Thats why I told you the down sides." Celestia nods again.

"What if we were to limit the amount the AI could grow? After a certain point, it would stop, and we use it from there?" I think for a second.

"It could work, but how would you stop it? The AI I told you of, she cracked any type of code she could find for fun, in seconds. The only other way to make an AI that I can think of, is to make a 'dumb' AI. An AI that has only specific knowledge, and nothing else. It only has knowledge of one, maybe two areas of need, and it doesn't go beyond. Those AI's I am pretty sure lasted longer. And that is what I am pretty sure the titans AI are. Though, the six used some special ones, and they have their own personality. Not all titans give themselves names." Celestia sighs.

"Thank you for telling me what you could. When you leave, go to the bridge and have Luna set you up with a house in the city. Then Twilight and the girls can take you to it. And Cooper, when training for the girls starts, I would like reports on progress. Try not to hurt them to much. You may leave when ready." I nod to her, and leave.

I then make my way back to the bridge to talk to Luna. Walking back into the bridge, I see she is one of the last few left.

"Luna, Commander Celestia told me to have you set me up a house in the city, and the girls could lead me there. But, if it is alright with you, I would like one of the maintence crew rooms. That way, I can be closer to my Titan. I am used to cramped quarters, so dont worry to much, and also, if you could have one of the technicians teach me how to service my titan, I would also appreciate it." Luna nods at all this.

"I can arrange for all that. Know though, that the crew wont be happy you took one of their bunk rooms." I nod.

"Understood ma'am." I then salute before leaving. Before I get far, she says.

"Cooper. By any chance, was there a training bit in the game?" I nod.

"Yeah, why?" She then says.

"If it was like most tutorials, it would have been somewhat like the game itself. So, I have a feeling it might have been like a simulated neurol link. Am I correct?" I think. Shit, she's right.

"Your right. The tutorial is a fake link. Its like the simulation I did with the girls. Why are you asking all this?" She then says.

"So I can have a training pod made to help train pilots." I nod, that makes sense. She waves me off.

"Go. I will text Twilight later about the location of your sleeping arrangements. And also when the course and gear are ready." I nod, and leave.

Time to prepare some new trainees.

Author's Note

Chapter five complete. I didnt add this to the story list till now. Also, you might notice an avatar change. I hope its likeable enough. Have a nice day.