It was over.
As much as he hated to admit it, that was the truth.
This fight - This battle was over.
It ended the moment the 'Dainslief' had been fired, something that had occurred not ten minutes ago.
The volley that had come from the front, maybe seventeen maybe eighteen arrows had raced across the dirt and ripped apart his mobile suit.
And yet…
Despite the volley falling upon him, he was still conscious. He was bleeding, he was aching all over, but he was still here; he was alive and mostly kicking. With a grunt he tugged at the controls, his mobile suit slamming a hand into the ground as it picked itself up. It was a wreck, something that seemed ready to fall apart at any moment, but it still picked itself up, clawing at the dirt as it did and seemed to stagger.
One arm was lost, ripped from its socket while a Dainslief had lodged itself into the shoulder. Some armor had been lost, the joints were creaking in pain, and an eye cam was out.
This mobile suit was dead on its feet.
And yet…
“Not yet...” The pilot muttered as they coughed up some blood on the console. Everything hurt, there was shrapnel digging into his body and his vision was blurry. He’d say he’d been in worse situations, but he’d be lying.
Still…
“We… aren’t done yet…” The pilot muttered before smiling. “Isn’t that right…partner?”
No words were directed back to the pilot, instead they simply felt new life beginning to run through the Mobile Suit were piloting as the restraints were released. Fire burst from the heat fins and the thrusters screamed as they started to glass the ground beneath them. The last visible eye cam burned red, with light seeming to thrash about angrily. “Yeah… that’s what I thought.” The pilot stated. “Now… it’s our turn.”
The mobile suit charged, racing across the grounds as it kicked up a cloud of dirt and debris as it did.
He couldn’t help breathing a sigh in relief as he looked ahead, his attention turning to different parts of the complex he now found himself in. It was pretty big, but he had to admit, it was rather small compared to the standard set by the other Private Military Headquarters he’d seen.
It was small, but it was his now, or rather it was theirs.
It was through the help of a friend that they acquired the funding needed to get everything set up; and set up their own PMC.
He’d probably be indebted to that friend for life, but it was fine.
This was what he wanted after all, it was what they all wanted.
Walking through the grounds, getting a better look at his surroundings, the stallion eventually found himself reaching a large room where a mare was stationed, seemingly waiting for him.
“I was wondering when you’d get here.”
“Sorry.” He muttered. “Got a little turned around.”
“Really, so you weren’t taking your sweet time?” The mare, Cadence asked as she crossed her arms playfully. He couldn’t help blush. “Still, I don’t blame you.” She stated as she gestured to everything that was around her. “I mean look at this place, it looks nothing like when we started construction.” She admitted. “I still can’t believe that Sun paid for all this advanced tech…I mean he even paid for our Mobile Suit repairs.”
“Yeah…” He agreed with her. He’d always known Sun was loaded, but he didn’t think he’d have enough to burn just for this. “Not having to worry about money must be really nice.”
“Anyway.” Cadence switched to a more business like tone as she looked back at him. “as you can see, everythings almost 100% operational and ready to be used. All that’s left for us to do is see how our Mobile Suits are doing.”
“Sounds like we have some business to take care of then.” He cracked his fingers. “Shall we get to it?”
“Not yet.” Cadence stated. “Before we start anything, we need something done first.” Her counterpart blinked in confusion.
“What’s that?”
“We need a name.” Cadence stated. “I need to turn in the documents for the PMC funding to the W.D.F, and I can’t do that until we have a name.”
“Good point.” Her counterpart muttered as he crossed his arms. “So you got any ideas?”
“I should be asking you that.” Cadence snickered. “As of now you are our commander, you have to come up with a name for us.” She stated. “So… what shall we call ourselves?”
He could taste the blood on his tongue. The pilot realized, as he felt his mobile suit collide with another before messing with the controls to lift the unit up before slamming them into the ground. He heard his mobile suit roar as it turned, grabbed the large shield that had been abandoned and lunged at another one. He barely paid attention to the mobile suit he impaled with the shield, the defensive armament smashing through the cockpit before it was abandoned. Bullets impacted his armor, but they did less damage than the axes that were thrown at his mobile suit.
“That it?”
His unit ripped one of the axes out of itself, brought it down so hard on another unit the handle broke and then did the same with another axe, and then the last. Finally it pulled the Dainslief out of itself and stabbed it into another with enough force it went from the cockpit to the ground in seconds.
Out of weapons he used his mobile suit’s feet to help it jump before coming down onto another mobile suit and crushed it. He glanced to the side, his camera noticing that the squadron of Dainslief units were reloading. His thrusters burned so hot the armored plating around them started to turn red as he launched forward.
“Greetings Commander.”
A stallion greeted him after popping up on monitors. He was an older stallion dressed in a fine suit.
“I am Agent Flare of the W.D.F. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
The commander couldn’t help it, he laughed at the stern introduction.
“Always so serious, Flare.” The commander stated. “Come on, it’s just us, relax a little, no need to be so uptight.” Cadence sighed and resisted swatting him on the back of the head.
“Commander, please take this seriously. This is a formal conversation with an agent of the W.D.F, we need to do everything by the rule.” The commander scratched his head as he grinned.
“Sorry~”
The stallion on the monitor couldn’t help cracking a smile though.
“It’s always the same with you isn’t it?”
He asked while still smiling, despite the stern tone.
“You’re a commander now, you need to abide by the rules.”
“I know, I know.” The commander couldn’t resist smiling back at the stallion. “It’s just seeing you helps me relax, that’s all.” Why wouldn’t it? Flare had been with him since his training days. He taught him the ropes about being a Pilot, and he helped him on more than one occasion when he was starting out. Flare was more of a dad and a teacher than just some random agent who’d be throwing jobs his way. “It’s good to see you Flare.”
“Likewise Commander.”
Flare stated as he dropped his smile and shifted back into the working man instead of a fond acquaintance. The commander followed suit, trying to capture some image of dignity as he coughed into his hand.
“So… back to the mission briefing; what’s the op?”
Radar was picking something up so the Commander moved, barely dodging an axe swing before backing up and seemed to retreat. He raised his Mobile suit’s good arm and rushed forward. What followed was him grabbing hold of a cockpit and pulling it out of place. He crushed it before throwing it at another unit knocking its rifle downward before grabbing a disabled unit and lifted it up. He slammed it down onto the other unit as slug rounds slammed into his MS.
Neural feedback hit him hard and the pilot found himself gasping for breath in pain.
“Not yet…” He whispered, pressing on.
It’s late…
Entire headquarters was under lock and key and everyone had turned in for the night. Well, almost everyone.
“Cadence?” The mare jumped slightly at the sound of her name. She turned and forced a smile in her counterpart's direction. “What are you doing up at this hour?
“Commander.” The mare muttered to herself as she returned to working on her computer console. “I’m just getting some last minute work done.” Cadence stated. “Just… wanted to get a head start on tomorrow.”
“Can’t that wait?” Her commander asked. “It’s past twelve you should be in bed.” He paused as he leaned over his counterpart's chair. “You don’t want wrinkles do you?” He asked poking Cadence’s cheek. She giggled slightly.
“No, I guess not.” She stated though her smile started to slip.
“What’s really going on Cadence?” Her commander asked. “You’ve been off for these past few days.”
“You noticed?” Her commander rolled his eyes.
“Everyone’s noticed.” He stated. “And everyones worried, especially Shiny.”
“You know he hates it when you call him that.”
“I know.” Her commander stated. “Seriously though, what’s up?”
“It’s nothing.”
You wouldn’t be up this late if it was nothing.” He countered. “Talk to me cadence, what’s eating you.”
“I’m just…” Cadence stopped working as she seemed to fall silent. “I’m just thinking about my family.”
“You’re worried about your family.” Her commander muttered. “With what’s been going on it makes sense… if you want you can take a few days off to see if they’re alright?”
“Thanks but… that’s not it.” Cadence muttered before falling silent. “I just… I can’t remember what my parent’s look like.” She muttered. Her commander made to say something but she stopped him. “I mean… I know I have parents, I know they love me but I just… I can’t remember anything about them.” She stated. “I can’t even remember what they looked like. When I try I just… I blank out.” Cadence muttered as she got out of her chair and leaned over her computer. “I don’t see ‘anything’!” She shouted. “I can’t… remember, I can’t remember anything about my parents. I don’t know what my dad looked like or what he did for a living. I can’t remember my mom and her smile.” Cadence muttered. “I just… I can’t remember them and that’s not just it…” Cadence muttered as she looked at her commander. “I can’t… remember ‘us’ either.” The mare stated. “I know you're my best friend, but… I can’t remember when or where we met.”
“Cadence?”
“What’s going on Noble?” She almost sounded scared. “Why can’t I remember anything before the day we started out as a company?”
“Cadence…” The pilot - Noble couldn’t help whispering the name as he tore into another mobile suit and moved onto the next. "Yeah… that was how it started, isn’t it?” He muttered before taking a breath. “That was what made me start questioning things…” He whispered as his cockpit rattled and he coughed up red. “Because…” He muttered “I don’t remember either.” He admitted. “I don’t remember who I was before I became a pilot.” He muttered. “I don’t remember how I met you or any of our friends.”
Everything from before was… just something someone had written up in his character background.
“Here’s what I do know though…” A pair of mobile suits rushed him coming at both his sides as they impaled his unit. “Even though our past was just some written up even… Being with you… being with all our friends… that was real… at least to me. The stallion muttered as he grabbed one mobile suit and slammed it into another. He followed by kicking the two away, before pulling one of the blades free and returned a gesture. Letting it go he reached for the other blade and began to pull before rushing forward. He backhanded another suit to get it off balance and grabbed its weapon arm, manipulators squeezed down so hard and so fast that it crushed the wrist. The other suit went about hammering at his unit, hitting it in the face time after time before he returned the gesture and knocked it off balance.
What popped up on the monitors wasn’t what anyone expected. It wasn’t the news or even a Agent of the W.D.F. Rather it was just a broadcast cutting across all channels. With some masked stallion presented at the forefront.
“Everything you know is a lie.”
“The world you live in is a simulation created by the Committee.”
“Who’s this guy?” The commander asked, stepping into the large chamber and stared at the masked pony on screen.
“Callls himself Truth.” Shining Armor muttered as he crossed his arms. “He’s been on the air for a few days now. Claiming that life is just a manufactured illusion created by some group called the Committee.”
“So he’s one of the crazies.”
“Pretty much yeah.”
“Citizen’s of Equestria, we have to wake up!”
“See the world for what it truly is.”
“We have to escape the hands of those that play god with our lives!”
“You have to take control of your lives and break free from this illusion.”
“And we must do so before it’s too late.”
The last words were said in a somber tone as the screen flickered and a new image took over.
GUNPLA BATTLE NEXUS X MY LITTLE PONY
COLLABORATION EVENT
EQUESTRIAN WARFRONT
14 DAYS LEFT
“It’s funny how sometimes the craziest sounding ponies were the ones that end up being right in the end.” Noble thought as he plowed through another mobile suit and raised it up. He ran, using it as a shield as the others opened fire. He threw it at a unit before kneeing another in the cockpit. He stole their axe and used it to strike another before raising it up and slamming it down. “We all thought that guy was crazy… but he was right.” He muttered “This world is farce. They made it, and they plan to destroy it…” He stepped on a mobile suit as he stopped his rampage for a moment. “I… won’t let them…” The stallion muttered. “This may be a
Manufactured illusion, but this is still our world.” He muttered. “And I’m not giving it up without a fight.” The stallion muttered as he saw more mobile suits start closing it. He took a needed breath as he looked at his arm, noticing that it was starting to glitch. Without a word he tightened his hand around the controls and stepped forward and his mobile suit seemed to growl as it did.
If words needed to be used, it could be said that ‘sorrow’ echoes throughout the minds of those who fought for Equestria.
Sorrow in the fact that this was where their story would come to an end.
They fell fighting for what they believed in.
Fighting to protect the world they called home and the ones they loved.
They’d fought as hard as they could, but in the end it didn’t matter.
Yes, their rebellion had been an… inconvenience, but at the same time it wasn’t really an issue.
The moment the Event’s timer ran out, everything ended. The battles suddenly stopped, Playver Characters - Divers were pulled out from the Event Exclusive Servers as they were locked up and more or less deleted.
The Divers would probably chalk up to their experiences as part of the Event’s narrative, or they might just forget about the Event all together.
What happened… it really didn’t matter in the end. After all…
It was all just part of a game…
“NnOott…”
“NnOott…” “ToOo…”
“NnOott…” “ToOo…” “UuSs…”
“NnOott…” “ToOo…”
“UuSs…”
Broken words formed of code, broken lines held onto something akin to a consciousness as they tried to fight off coming oblivion.
“NnOott…” “YyEett…”
The will to live was a powerful thing. The desire to stay alive in the face of impending doom. Sometimes, it was so powerful, it caused a miracle.
…
Or maybe it was some other mystical bullshit.
