What should have been six months had never felt like six years to the girls. While they would say later that it had been a relatively quiet journey, it took far longer than Twilight had said it would, no matter how hard the pilots tried to make it faster.

The shortest route to Mars was traditionally along the Ariadne Network, a network of relays set along the most heavily used routes of the Sol System. With each beacon set one million kilometers from each other, and each beacon able to sense the Ahab Waves of the next beacon's reactor, ships could use this data to travel in relatively quick succession by following the beacons to wherever they wished.

Unfortunately, as the girls found out, that also made them sitting ducks for any mobile armor that sat along the routes. The machines had apparently left Earth behind and had moved into the Outer Sphere. And it was common knowledge that ships used the Network.

Twilight tried not to think about how many ships they had heard of going dead on the Network and what that meant. None of the girls wanted to think about what that meant.

Mankind was losing this war, and they were losing badly, with no end in sight.

So now, with the most direct routes a virtual death sentence for any ship crazy enough to try it, the shuttle had to take the long way around the Network. What should have been six months turned into almost a year, before the Red Planet came into view.

With not much else to do, the girls had tried to keep themselves occupied by getting to know each other better. Namely, Twilight trying to fit herself into the tight-knit group of six girls.

Something about Sunset though set her apart from the rest of the group, that piqued Twilight's interest. Not in a romantic way (neither of them liked girls like that, as Sunset had explained at one point), but there was something that was... Off, about her.

It didn't help that Sunset refused to talk about where she came from, aside from a couple of small details. She and her family had a falling out, and then Sunset had an even bigger falling out with her teacher and mentor, someone she saw as almost like a second mother to her.

"My past is dead, Twilight. Even if I wanted to, I can't go back home. I won't abandon my friends. And I have no place to go home to. I and the princess didn't exactly leave on the best terms. I doubt she's mellowed out by now," Sunset had explained.

When Twilight had asked the others, they had said the same thing had been told to them as well. Fluttershy in particular didn't seem happy about what little they did know about Sunset and what she wasn't telling them about herself.

For the moment at least, they kept those thoughts to themselves at least. There were plenty of things they could all bond over, as it turned out. Twilight and Rainbow bonded over their shared love of science fiction and Daring Do, while she and Fluttershy gushed over their favorite animals.

While fashion had never been something she had looked into, she and Rarity could debate which outfits would look best on them when all of this was over. And while Twilight and Applejack came from very different backgrounds, both respected each other for their dedication to whatever they set their minds to, and family. Family especially.

Applejack was just old enough so that she remembered her parents before they died to an unknown sickness some years before all of this started. Twilight had been too young to remember her parents and brother to remember them. All she had, was the few photographs her adopted family had of them from various events they attended together. It wasn't much, but for Twilight, it was better than having nothing at all.

But finally, after far too long for all of them, Mars had finally come into sight in the windows. From here, they could see the faint gleams of light that came from the cities on the surface. It almost looked peaceful, except for the numerous gun platforms and warships that hung in orbit.

Twilight though didn't look all too happy, as she returned from the cockpit. "Well. I got good news and bad news. Which one do you want first?"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Some good news would be nice, darling."

Twilight nodded, as she looked out at the defense fleet. "Good news is, that they're not going to shoot us down and that we have access to the surface."

"And the bad news?" Applejack asked, afraid to know the answer.

Twilight sighed, as she took a seat, as the fleet made a path for the shuttle to pass through. "We're the first shuttle from the Inner Sphere they've seen in eight months. And, if I heard right, we're the only shuttle from Earth that's made it here. In fact, I think we're the only shuttle that made it off of Earth before it fell."

Rainbow growled, as Twilight took her seat and the shuttle began to vibrate from atmospheric entry. "Great. Just bucking great. Can this get any worse?! When are we gonna fight back? We can't keep running forever."

The girls all nodded, even Fluttershy looking like she wanted to fight as well. Twilight though looked thoughtful about something, and Sunset could tell something was on her mind. "Come on, Twilight. What is it?"

Twilight shook her head, as she removed her glasses and cleaned them. "I heard there is something in the works on Mars. Something that could help end this war."

"What is it?" Pinkie, unusually calm for once.

Twilight shook her head. "They didn't say. They called it Project G. Most of Mars' resources and manpower have been diverted to help with it. They've even started looking for pilots."

Rainbow perked right up at that. "Where do I sign up?"

Applejack shot her a look. "Really, Rainbow?"

Rainbow though wasn't backing down. "I'm done running, AJ. It's time we fought back! Where else are we gonna run?"

Nobody could argue with that. "I'm with Rainbow. Where do I sign?" Sunset asked, trying to keep her cool at the very thought.

Twilight chuckled. "They didn't say. But someone must have put in a good word for us since they asked if we could go see them as soon as we could."

The girls shared a look at that. Who would know any of them all the way out here? Twilight saw the looks and rolled her eyes. "I don't know who it was. But they apparently asked for all of us by name."

That didn't clear anything up, but as the shuttle finally landed with a soft impact, the girls put it out of mind for the moment. They were safe, at least for the moment. That had to count for something.

A few minutes later, the girls stood on a tarmac, surrounded by frenetic activity, as the crew began to service the shuttle. Though none of the group could think of where it would go from here. What drew their attention though was the limo that seemed to be waiting just for them.

An elderly gentleman came up and bowed to Twilight, who blushed at the sight. "Lady Twilight. It is good to see you. We have been so worried ever since the news came that Earth had fallen."

The girls giggled at Twilight's look. She quickly pushed her glasses up and tried to remain. "It's good to be back, Alfred. Where is everyone? Are they alright?"

Alfred nodded. "Your parents are still on Jupiter. All in system traffic is strictly regulated now. They felt it was much safer out system. Master Agneika left for Olympus Mons some months ago. But that was while the Federation still existed."

Twilight's brows shot up. "The Federation is gone?"

He nodded. "All of the senior commands were killed when Washington fell. All that is left is what has been pulled together from the Outer Sphere Fleet, what could be saved from the Inner Sphere, and a few that ships that Mars has been able to produce. Hardly enough to call it a fighting force if I do say so myself."

None of the girls could argue that. Alfred though didn't seem to mind their presence. "All of you are more than welcome to join Lady Twilight at our estate. We have more than enough room for all."

That was a relief, and so the girls were more than happy to join Twilight.

The drive to the estate was a lot more relaxed than the shuttle journey had been, though more cramped. With no real threat at the moment, the girls finally relaxed a little.

Sunset watched the passing scenery with interest. Chryse reminded her of Canterlot in a lot of ways. Not perfectly of course. But it was odd how much of the city looked like her old home.

That feeling only shot through the roof when they came to Twilight's home. Aside from a lack of towers, and not being built on the side of a mountain, it was almost a carbon copy of Canterlot Castle.

Rarity's eyes sparkled as she took in the large home, as they all piled out. "You live here, darling?"

Twilight chuckled. "Yeah. It's not the Main House of course, though it probably is now after losing it on Earth. But it's home."

Sunset shook her head as they entered the Main Hall, once more putting her in mind of Princess Celestia's home back in Equestria. "Where did you even the money for all of this?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "The Half Metal mines we own across the planet. And we did have a hand in developing the Ahab Reactor. That kind of thing makes a lot of money. For all the good it does now."

Alfred nodded as he joined them. "Despite what this might show, the family is also one of the honorable of the Old Families of Mars."

Pinkie giggled. "Aren't you just saying that because you work for them?"

He shook his head. "No. While I am loyal to them, of course, I have for one have seen the good they all possess. They have bad days of course, as do we all, but they are a rare thing."

Twilight nodded. "I was spoiled and never wanted for something if I really wanted it. But I was never any different from other kids, aside from all of this," she said, gesturing at everything around them. She turned to look at the butler again though. "Why is my brother at Olympus Mons?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid I am not quite sure of it myself. He said that it had something to do with this Project G. Whatever that might be. But a fighter pilot with his skill would be something not to be wasted."

Excusing himself for a moment, Alfred disappeared into a side door, returning a moment later with a thick stack of papers. "Speaking of mysterious projects, this arrived not long before you arrived in orbit, Lady Twilight."

All of the girls looked at it. It was marked Top Secret, so it must have been important in some way. But what really threw them all for a loop were the names attached to it all. It was addressed to them, even Sunset.

Sunset blinked in confusion. "How do they know about me? I don't know anybody here, except you guys."

Alfred nodded. "Be that as it may, miss. Shimmer, your name is on it. Miss. Luna insisted upon it, though I cannot say why."

That brought everything to a screeching halt, as six of the seven girls looked at him in shock. "Luna. As in Vice Principal Luna?" Fluttershy asked hopefully.

He shrugged. "I do not know about that title, but that was the name of the lady who gave this to me. How she knew about you all arriving when you have, I could not say. But I cannot think it is a coincidence."

While Twilight didn't fully understand what was wrong with her friends, she had a feeling that there was something there she didn't know about. But that could wait a while longer. "So what are we supposed to do with these?" She asked.

Alfred shrugged. "Look them over, I suppose. That is what I was told at least. When you have rested for several days, there is a lift to Olympus Mons for all of you waiting. I pray that something good comes from all of this. We need a bit of good news."

Later that night, the girls had retreated to Twilight's room and things had turned into an impromptu sleepover. While Twilights' room was like most of what they remembered for their own, the row upon row of bookshelves added a personal taste to it all. Oh, and everything was done up in the most opulent style they could imagine.

"What can I say? I like to read," Twilight had said sheepishly when Rainbow had pointed all the books out.

With so much stuff around them, everyone had found something to keep them occupied. Rainbow had her head buried in the newest Daring Do book (now five years old), Applejack and Pinkie were at it in the latest fighting game, and Rarity and Fluttershy busied themselves sprucing themselves up after going so long without a spa date.

Sunset and Twilight meanwhile, were busy looking over what had been given earlier in the day. None of it made much sense to either of them.

Sunset rubbed her forehead as she lay one paper in particular. "Twilight, I'm no engineer, but none of this doesn't sound feasible. What could possibly need two Ahab Reactors as a power source? Why would it even need two? One is more than enough."

Twilight pinched her nose. "I don't know. It doesn't make sense to me either. And then there's this," she said as she picked up another sheet. "The Alaya-Vijnana. It's Sanscrit for "All-encompassing foundation consciousness." But they also call it a Man-machine interface. What does that even mean?"

Sunset shook her head. "I don't know. And I'm not sure I want to know. Machines have been kicking out butts for so long now, why would we want to do anything with them?"

Rainbow snickered. "And here I thought a couple of eggheads like you two could know everything. Guess not."

Sunset shot the rainbow-haired girl an annoyed look, while Twilight just giggled. "Come on, Rainbow. No one knows literally everything. No matter how much we may want to."

Fluttershy looked at the scattered pages. "So then, what do we do now?"

Sunset pinched her nose. "I say we go to Olympus Mons and see what all of this is about. If they're asking for us, it shouldn't be too much trouble to find out what's going on."

"Do ya think Vice Principal Luna is still alive?" Applejack asked.

Rarity nodded. "She's too stubborn to not be, Applejack. I'm not sure how she made it all the way out here. But I would be glad to see a friendly face once more."

That, if nothing else, the girls couldn't argue with.

A few days later, the girls were ushered through the heavily guarded Main Gate of Olympus Mons. It all looked like a military base from the outside, with heavily armed watchtowers and guard posts everywhere. There seemed to be a lack of buildings, but they could have been built into the cone of the volcano.

The volcano itself was covered in mechanical-looking things, none of which made any sense to the girls. A thin stream of smoke rose from the top of the crater, showing something was going on inside.

"I thought this place hadn't erupted in a long time?" Sunset remarked, looking far above the group to the crater.

Twilight shook her head, as she showed the group's pass to the guard on duty, who only smiled and allowed them to pass. "It hasn't. I have no idea what could be going on. None of this was here the last time I was here."

Fluttershy looked around. not a little unnerved at the activity around them. People went here and there on various tasks, some in groups and some alone. Few paid them much mind. "It looks like they're preparing for war."

Rainbow smirked. "About time then. This better be important if they have all this here."

The girls nodded, as a uniformed officer walked over to the group. He smiled as he saw Twilight. "Lady Twilight. It's been a long time. It gladdens my heart to see you alive."

Twilight gasped, as she recognized who the man was and rushed over to hug him, one he was happy to return. "Commander Coral! It has been way too long. I'm glad to see a friendly face. Is my brother alright? Where is he?"

Coral chuckled as they pulled apart. "Agneika is down in the Main Hanger. He wanted to be here to greet you himself. But duty calls."

Twilight sulked for a moment, as Sunset finally asked what they were all thinking. "What is all this for? You guys spent a lot of money on all of this. What is going on here?"

Coral shook his head, leading them all to an elevator. "It is not my place to tell you. We try not to talk about it too much, in case someone tries something. What we do here could help end this war. That is what I hope and believe in."

The girls shared a look, as the door closed and the elevator began to descend. "What could possibly help to end all this death and destruction though?" Pinkie asked, calmer than she had been in a long time.

Coral smiled, as a window on the far wall of the car opened, revealing a cavern beyond. "See for yourselves."

Curious, the girls crowded around the window and looked out. Nothing seemed to stand out until they looked toward the bottom of the cavern.

And their mouths dropped in shock at what they saw. Not at all of the activity. But at what was being built.

Laid out, row upon row, humanoid machines lay in various states of build. Some were almost a complete skeleton, while others were only a few parts that demarcated a body. All shared the same basic design, however.

"What in tarnation?" Applejack asked, giving voice to what they were all thinking.

Coral smiled. "The culmination of years of work and research. Digging into the Black History. A weapon that could help end this war. The rebirth of the mobile suit."

Sunset gave him a look. "Mobile suits? Those are supposed to be a myth. No one's ever seen one. I didn't even think they were a thing at all."

Coral nodded. "Be that as it may, miss Shimmer. That indeed is what you see before you. These are nowhere near ready of course, nor do we even have pilots for one, let alone all of them. But this is the beginning."

Twilight looked away from the window, even as the car came to a halt. "So what names do you call them? Please tell me you have some kind of name for them, not just what they are."

Coral chuckled, as the door opened, and the group walked out into a scene of frantic activity, with technicians bustling about here and there, or yelling orders at those working on the frames. "We do have names for some of them. Someone came up with the name, Gundam Frame, for what you see here is just the inner frame of the mobile suit."

Rainbow tapped her chin, as she looked at the nearest frame. "Why does that name sound so familiar?"

"It is said to be the name of a legendary mobile suit. One that helped to end many wars during the Black History," a new voice said, one that five of the girls knew, but never expected to hear again, as a middle-aged woman with blue skin, and even bluer hair approached them, a smile on her face. "And as much trouble you once gave me, I have never been gladder to see you, girls."

That was all Pinkie needed, as she rushed over and hugged the woman. Taken aback for a moment, she smiled as she returned the hug. "It is you, VP Luna!" Pinkie said happily.

Luna shook her head sadly. "That title has no meaning now. Nor has it for a long time. But I am happy to see you too, Pinkie Pie."

The rest of the girls were more restrained, but no less happy to see her. "What about Principal Celestia?" Rarity asked.

Luna winced, her good mood vanishing just like that. "Tia, she. She died saving me. She made herself as big a target as she could, and the damn Pluma went for it. I vowed to our parents, that I would make each and every one of them pay for that."

Sunset felt her heart clench. That was just something Celestia would do. No matter what world it was, she always put others above herself. She had never met this world's Celestia. But hearing that from her sister, she couldn't hate her like her pony counterpart.

For a moment, she and Luna met eyes, and something seemed to pass between them. Luna smiled slightly, seeing something there that Sunset couldn't see herself. "Enough with the sad though, this is meant to be a happy reunion. I managed to get here, and have been helping ever since."

Coral nodded. "Luna has been a great help. She knows how to motivate when the mood takes her. Rather harshly too, when she needs to."

The girls chuckled weakly, as Luna grinned evilly. Most of them could remember what it was like to be on her bad side in some way. Twilight and Sunset only shared a confused look and shrugged helplessly.

Curious despite herself, and making sure not to get in the way, Sunset walked over to the nearest Gundam Frame. This one was one that looked almost complete, except for whatever armor would go on top of the inner frame. "So, do you just call them all Gundam? Or do they have their own names?"

Luna's smile softened as she joined her. "They each have their own unique name. This one here is the ASW-G-08 Gundam Barbatos." She pointed at the one they had first passed. "That one is the ASW-G-01 Gundam Bael." She gestured at the other frames that stretched into the distance. "And so on, and so forth."

Twilight tapped her chin. "Why are they named after demons from the Ars Goetia? I didn't think any copies of the book still existed."

Coral shook his head as he joined Sunset. "Your brother thought they needed a name that reflected what they will battle against. People, for some strange reason, have begun to give the names of the ten classes of angels in Judaism to the mobile armors. I cannot say why. They are nothing like them. But people are strange that way, I suppose. Whoever first created them never gave them a name as far as I am aware."

Rainbow ran over to another frame but made sure to try and stay out of the way. "And they're supposed to fight like this? There's no place for a cockpit. Heck, they don't even have armor."

Luna nodded, pinching her nose. "We are very well aware of that, miss Dash. The cockpit will be situated in front of the twin Ahab Reactors. Getting two of them to work together has been a major headache. The armor will go on after that."

Fluttershy joined Twilight, trying not to look scared at everything around her, but they could all see she was. "Um. Why would they even need two? If you don't mind me asking that is? I'm not an engineer."

Coral nodded. "Two is indeed more than is needed to power the mobile suit. The second is to help try and land a blow on the mobile armors. Very few weapons have been able to land a clean blow on even one of them. We have found that, somehow, their armor is all but impervious to beam weapons. That only leaves one option."

Applejack looked happy at the thought. "Up close and personal?"

Coral chuckled. "Indeed. It is however just a theory. All of this is. No one has any idea if any of this will even work. On top of that, we do not have any pilots yet. Few of the old Federation's pilots made it to Mars, and of those, all of them are assigned to the First Defense Fleet in orbit."

That was all Rainbow needed to hear though, as she ran up and saluted. "Where do I sign up?"

The girls sighed in exasperation, and even Luna looked annoyed. "Do you even know what you would be signing up for, miss Rainbow Dash? I have never once doubted your courage or resolve. But this isn't Canterlot High, anymore. This is life and death. There is no second chance," Luna said.

But Rainbow only shook her head. "I don't care. I'm done running." She looked at her friends, a pleading look in her eyes. "Look at us. None of us have a home to go back to. We're the closest thing any of us have to a family now. Where else can we go? What else can we do, but fight back?"

None of the girls could meet her eyes, for they all knew she was right. Their pasts were dead, and there was no way to bring them back. But they could still have a future.

Sunset was the first one to say something, stepping forward to stand with Rainbow. "I'm with Rainbow. I'm done running. It's time we fought back. There is no future if we don't."

One by one, even if Fluttershy came the slowest, the others followed, all sharing the same expressions. Luna and Coral shared a knowing smile. "Then let me be the first to welcome you all to the resistance. Today, mankind fights back against extinction," Coral said with a smile.

Luna nodded, her own smile growing by the second. "They may have won the first round. But we will win the war. Or die trying."

Author's Note

So now that we've officially met the Gundam Frames, though not all 72 (and not all 72 will be shown in the story), I can now finally say which Gundam the girls will pilot.

Twilight Sparkle: ASW-G-01 Gundam Bael.
Sunset Shimmer: ASW-G-08 Gundam Barbatos.
Applejack: ASW-G-47 Gundam Vual.
Rarity: ASW-G-66 Gundam Kimaris.
Fluttershy: ASW-G-56 Gundam Gremory.
Rainbow Dash: ASW-G-29 Gundam Astaroth.
Pinkie Pie: ASW-G-11 Gundam Gusion.

Luna will pilot one as well. But I'm not sure which one yet. There's still plenty for her to choose from. And for those wondering, this is what a Gundam Frame looks like.