*****Chapter 6: Exhibition—Evening of day 2*****

Cadence sighed as she stood on the balcony of the royal suite, staring over the Crystal Empire, more importantly, staring at the NEXT that Liam called his own. She reflected on the lunch they had shared earlier in the day, remaining rather unimpressed with his assessment of his species.

It seemed to her that working as a mercenary had made him rather jaded toward his people, with the exception of two that he had mentioned in passing. One of them being his mother, and the other remaining unnamed. She had seen it, though. The pain and sorrow of losing a lover. What had surprised her more was the surge of love that flowed from him in the seconds after, it was pure, more pure than most married ponies, even.

The pink Alicorn sighed again, for what had to be the tenth time in the past ten minutes. She focused on the machine currently kneeling before the Crystal Palace. It was, in a way, alien. Completely foreign to the Crystal Empire, with its harsh and utilitarian design clashing against the organic and crystalline architecture around it.

And yet. . .

Her eyes drifted toward the sword at the NEXT’s hip, a nauseating wave of nostalgia sweeping over her.

That blade. . .

She turned back to her room, the one she shared with her husband. Stepping inside and turning to a stack of paperwork that she had seen to during the afternoon. With a flick of her magic, the papers hung in front of her, the discouraging assessment written by some clerk in the newly established foal services department glaring at her from the parchment. The interview over lunch had been no mere coincidence, although the Human research group had made a good cover for one of the members of foal services. It had taken almost no convincing on her part to get the group to the castle.

The report itself urged caution, if it was not outright distrustful of Liam. If Cadence was basing the outcome of the adoption on that report alone, she wouldn’t have hesitated to reject his candidacy for the adoption of Skylight. Being who he was, or what he was, though, she was hardly in a position to deny him this.

With that thought firmly in mind, she brought her seal down beside her signature of approval.

Liam lie flat on his back, the soft, downy form of Skylight tucked under his left arm. Her little barrel rising and falling in a peaceful rhythm as she slept. The only light in the room was a dim bedside lamp, made of some form of crystal that illuminated when touched. In his right hand was one of his last personal possessions, the gold watch that he had gotten from Catherine.

On the watch’s face was a beautiful embossed moon. Where the rest of the case was what appeared to be gold plate, the silver façade of the lunar surface gleamed at him in the cool light.

Liam rested on his back in the cool grass of the cradle greenhouse, watching the moon pass overhead through the thick glass.

Catherine, or Kat, as he so often called her, spoke softly next to him, “You know,” she mused, “I think tonight’s the winter solstice.”

He glanced over, grunting a quick ‘huh?’ as he noticed her cyan eyes locked on the silver orb overhead.

“The winter solstice,” she repeated, “The longest night of the year. It’s amazing that the moon is full tonight, it’s beautiful.”

“Yeah, it is,” Liam agreed, taking in the sight of Kat for what seemed like the first time. The two were only seventeen, but had known each other for what felt like forever. His eyes roamed her features, from her silky onyx hair, to her heavily tanned skin. She had an athletic build, and her eyes were something of an anomaly among the cradle. The doctors had told her it was benign, kojima exposure in the womb having mutated the already blue pigment in her eyes to a captivating turquoise.

Her waist length hair shifted as she turned to look back, seemingly unsure of herself. Liam rolled his head back to stare at the moon again, pressing his lips into a thin line as he felt his ears heat up a little. He felt a foreign presence in his hand, but didn’t dare look as he felt fingers interlock with his own.

He wanted to say something, anything, to her.

She shifted closer, now laying shoulder to shoulder with him, and sighed contentedly.

He opened his mouth to speak-

And the greenhouse’s flood lights snapped on, blinding them both.

A single tear rolled down Liam’s cheek, unnoticed. That moment was one he had come to regret in the years since. It had been their last substantial time together until his fateful mission. He could’ve sought her out, but he had convinced himself the next morning that she just wanted to be his friend. Convinced himself that, in the hell they were living in, where the extent of their travels could never take them beyond the cold, steel walls of the cradle, there was no chance.

”Oh well,” he thought, ”I hope she finds someone worthwhile.”

Still staring at the watch, tears in his eyes, Liam almost jumped when a tiny, smooth hoof reached up from Skylight. She gently wiped away the tears that she could reach, inching up onto his chest so she could reach the right side of his face.

Her antics brought forth a smile from the Lynx, as he glanced down at the filly. Her worried pout lifting into a hopeful, yet sad smile of her own.

A soft knock at the door broke the calm. Liam, placing Sky back on the bed as he stood and strode over to the door. On the floor, just inside the room, was a slim folder containing an intricate wax seal. He picked up the package, breaking the seal and pulling the few papers from within, among which was a letter of congratulations from the foal services department. He didn’t grant the letter much credit, seeing as the first line read, “Congratulations, lady or gentlecolt!”

What did catch his eye, though, was the documentation beneath it. A gold-embossed seal on an official adoption certificate, as well as a birth certificate (presumably brought up to date to be concurrent with the rest of the world) with the name “Skylight” clearly written in an intricate scrawl.

Liam smiled wide, his heart warming as he glanced from the paperwork to the now sleeping filly on his bed. He glanced at the clock, which read 11:30pm. Much too late to wake Sky to tell her the good news. The Lynx slid the papers back into the folder, placing it on the bedside table with the watch and the strange locket he had found. He slid back onto the bed, Sky curling into his side in her sleep with a small sigh.

That sigh rekindled the fire in his chest. To Liam, that sigh was one of safety. That sigh was his whole world as of that moment.

He lifted his head, planting a soft kiss between the filly’s ears, and swearing a silent vow that he would tear apart the demons of Hell with his bare hands if it meant seeing her safe and happy.

*****Morning of Day 3*****

Dear Princess Celestia;
I wanted to give you some notice in advance. Within the next week to ten days, a guest here at the Crystal Palace will be arriving in Canterlot. His appearance may be frightening at first, but as Shining and I have found out, he is a good pony. He will be bringing a heavy piece of equipment with him, and will need space to store it. It would be best if that space was out of the public view, as it is most definitely not a toy.

Best wishes;

Princess Cadence

Cadence grinned as she sealed the scroll and engulfed it in a teleportation field. That’s for all the vague letters you’ve sent me throughout the years, auntie.

Liam woke slowly, noticing first the sun peeking through the curtains, and then the soft snoring of a certain turquoise filly at his side. He smiled again, rolling on his side and running his fingers through her silky, auburn mane.

He got up before he accidentally woke her, replacing himself with a plush pillow, which was quickly snuggled, and headed to the washroom to prepare for the day. He took his piloting gear with him, as he had a special treat in mind for the day.

Stepping out of the steamy bathroom, Liam secured his helmet to his belt just in time to catch a speeding fur ball to the chest. He laughed as he wrapped his arms around the giggling filly, bringing her into a fierce hug.

“Good morning, you,” he said, scratching her ears, “Sleep well?”

Sky looked up at him warmly, “Mmhm!” She nodded, bobbing her head. Her mane, somehow, was still in perfect condition. Her bangs bouncing with the rest of her head.

“Good,” Liam smiled, “I have a treat for you today.” He paused for dramatic effect, Sky’s eyes growing wide, “First, the paperwork went through, so you’re stuck with me now.”

Sky smiled, tightening her hug a little. There was a little sadness behind it, but that was why he had told her about the adoption’s success first.

“Second,” he grinned, holding up two fingers, “How would you like to go flying today?”

“What?” Sky asked, tilting her head to the side and flicking an ear back. She craned her neck around, “But you don’t have wings, how are we supposed to fly?”

Liam laughed at her confusion, “I’ll show you. Just trust me, okay?”

Her face brightened back up, nodding again even as a knock was heard from the door. Liam set the excited Pegasus on the bed, walking to the door and pulling it open. Cadence was on the other side, and appeared surprised to see them both up and Liam in his full piloting kit.

“Oh,” she chirped, “Good morning, Liam.” She tilted her head to look around him, “And good morning to you, Skylight!” Said filly waved a cyan hoof at the princess.

“I’ll be right back, Sky,” Liam called over his shoulder. He motioned for the princess to follow him out into the hall, pulling the door closed behind him and turning to face Cadence. “So what’s up?”

Cadence smiled at his casual attitude, quite tired of all the formality between the Empire and Canterlot. “Actually, I wanted to let you know that I’ve sent off a letter to Canterlot, telling Princess Celestia to expect your arrival within the next ten days.”

Liam nodded, “Good, hopefully that will limit the panic from the civilians when a giant robot flies overhead.”

Cadence’s face grew confused, “Flies?” She paused for a second, the gears turning in her head, “THAT THING CAN FLY!?” Her scream almost blasted Liam off his feet, he rocked back on his heels, laughing.

“Of course! I flew the other day, remember?” He managed through his chuckles.

“I – I can’t, what. . .” Cadence stuttered, words failing her for the first time in what felt like an eternity. After a few seconds, she recovered. “I thought it could just jump really high. . . but flight,” she trailed off.

“How about I show you,” Liam offered, still chuckling. “I wanted to take her up for a test flight today, to make sure all the systems are running clean for the trip. You’d be welcome to watch, of course. Skylight is going to be in the cockpit with me so I can familiarize her with what she’ll need to know during the trip.”

Cadence nodded, sighing, before turning and heading back toward her room with a subdued goodbye. Liam shook his head in amusement as he headed back into his room, finding an energetic filly surrounded by pillows on all sides, wearing a pillow case for a cape.

“Fire!” She shouted, launching a pillow from behind her with all the force she could muster. The pillow itself bounced off of Liam’s knees.

He glanced down at the pillow, then back at Skylight with a raised eyebrow. The filly’s response was a very theatrical gulp as she readied another pillow. Liam picked the one that had hit him up from the floor.

“You,” he growled, smirking, “Have no idea what you’ve started.”

And thus the fourth great pillow war began, lasting for a total of 45 minutes, and resulting in ten destroyed pillows, and four scarred maids. The war ended with a decisive victory for the Pegasus filly, or so she said, and she could not be convinced otherwise.

They will be remembered for their brave sacrifice.

Liam hauled himself and Skylight up the rope ladder to the cockpit, punching the entry code in and strapping Skylight into the jump seat at the back of the control pod.

“Remember,” Liam reminded her as he pulled on his helmet, “Don’t touch anything unless I tell you to. There are some very sensitive electronics in here, and I don’t want either of us getting hurt. Okay?”

“Yes, Sir!” Sky chirped, scrunching her muzzle up into a ‘serious’ face and throwing a hoof to her forehead in a mock salute.

Liam smiled, hauling himself into the pilot’s chair and strapping in his own restraints. His fingers danced across the controls, bringing the metal behemoth to life. The sun was high in the sky at this point, and to his displeasure he’d found that his NEXT had become quite the center of attention. The crowd around taking pictures with what appeared to be old Polaroid cameras, and occasionally sitting their kids or family members on the hands and feet to take pictures with the ‘giant’.

He’d shooed them off when he arrived, warning them that the NEXT was about to go active, not that it mattered to them. They crowded right back to the machine, pushing and shoving to get the best shots. He supposed it was to be expected, and grinned as he tapped an auxiliary screen, accessing one of the files within the several petabyte hard drives.

He keyed up the external speakers, before blasting a sound file over them. The effect was immediate, ponies pinned their ears to their heads as they ran for cover. Within a minute, Liam had the street all to himself, the ponies having backed off to a safe distance.

“You ready, Sky?” He asked, glancing back at the filly as he hit play on another file.

She nodded, staring forward at the displays in awe as they came to life to the chanting of a choir, granting her a full view of what the NEXT was looking at.

Cadence unpinned her ears from her skull, that horn had been LOUD, and she had heard Celestia use the Royal Canterlot Voice before. Her husband stood beside her, his ears still flat as he recovered from the shock.

Her ears perked up as music began emanating from the giant machine, the chanting of a choir. It sounded deep, almost ominous, as the machine rolled its shoulders. She watched in awe as small pops were heard from the back, clouds of dust being kicked up behind the machine as it stood to full height, easily looking down on the royal balcony. Most rooftops were about at its waist.

Liam grinned, slowly throttling up the thrusters as the song reached a crescendo. The NEXT rose off the ground as the music grew more intense, thrusters making minute adjustments in the form of tiny pops that resounded through the hull. His grin grew, the best part still to come, as he focused his optics on Cadence and Shining Armor, both trying in vain to keep their jaws off the floor.

And then the heavy guitar kicked in.

With an echoing WHUMP, the NEXT shot straight into the air. Gaining an easy hundred meters of altitude in a couple short seconds, before kicking the left leg forward, throwing the whole mech into a backflip and plummeting to thirty meters.

Flexing in harmony with the machine, the NEXT shot to the right, before shooting twice as far left. All of these actions taking place within a second, probably giving the observing ponies whiplash as they tried to keep up. Liam was fully immersed in the flow, now. He spun around, leveling his chest with the buildings as he kicked the thrusters into high gear.

Cadence’s eyes somehow widened even more as the massive machine came straight at her. Liam had already shown that it was capable of maneuverability that would put all but the most elite of Pegasi to shame, and now it hurtled straight at her at speeds she doubted anypony but Rainbow Dash could pull off. Just as she threw a shield around herself and Shining Armor, it stopped. They felt the hot blast of air, along with the resounding whump that came with several panels on the front opening, blasting blue and orange flame from them to halt the behemoth’s flight.

Liam kicked the machine to the side, skirting around the palace in a single burst of speed before leveling off and heading for the outskirts. Cadence tore her eyes away to check on Shining Armor, who despite his tough façade, was physically shaking next to his wife. She couldn’t tell if it was fear or anger, though, as she didn’t know which of those two she felt herself.

Skylight was not a complicated filly. She liked food, fun, laughing, and being impulsive every bit as much as the next filly.

But this. This was something entirely new. The first few seconds were spent in stunned silence, as her dad flipped and turned the giant machine with hardly any effort.

Then, they turned toward the outskirts and he floored it.

“WOOHOOOOO!” The little Pegasus screamed, throwing her forelegs in the air as she was pinned to the back of her seat.

Liam grinned, the inertial dampeners of the NEXT operating flawlessly. They couldn’t eliminate the force entirely, but they did reduce it by a substantial amount. The piece of technology made it possible to pull off extreme-G maneuvers without getting pasted across the inside of the cockpit.

Reaching the edge of the city, Liam’s mood brightened even further as he noticed the Kojima conduits throughout the LYNX were reading full. Even though the reactor was reading offline, which confused him for a moment before he decided to experiment, lost in the moment as he was.

He took off on standard thrust, flying a few meters off the ground. As he watched the scattered farm lands fly by, he made a critical error. He slammed his body forward, kicking the NEXT another fifty meters off the ground.

Igniting the NEXT’s Over-Boost thrusters.

Before he could stop it, Kojima particles flooded the oversized boosters on the mech’s back. Pillars of Kojima radiation combined with normal thrust plumes to slam the NEXT forward. He shattered the sound barrier immediately, the sound of the thrusters, and the music, vanishing as the behemoth simply outran them.

Corporal Broad Shield sighed, smoke coming from his mouth as he held a cigarette in his hoof. Border patrol was the worst, there was literally nothing that could get through the frozen wastes around the Crystal Empire, let alone threaten their borders. A low rumble in the distance made the tired guard glance back toward the city, before shrugging and looking up at the clouds.

As he did so, a huge shadow shot over him, and was gone in an instant.

KRA-BOOOOM

The Corporal’s cigarette was flung from his hoof, the long grasses of the farmland around him bending almost to the ground. He looked back up in shock, seeing the thing that had made that shadow spewing enormous plumes of green magic out of its back.

The Corporal’s mouth hung open, his eyes staring at the sky, as his hoof retrieved his cigarette. Still staring, he took another drag, coughed a bit, and sat down. . . where he would remain for the foreseeable future.

Cadence watched through binoculars as two panels on the back of Liam’s NEXT split open, revealing two huge boosters. She gasped slightly as energy erupted from them, the metal giant being thrown forward by pure magic.

She gritted her teeth, feeling the pressure of raw magic from so far away. It could be extremely harmful if not managed properly, but even as she made ready to move in and rectify the rogue energy, she felt it dissipate.

The magic around the NEXT was re-routing the raw magic particles, sending them back to the conduits they came from. Cadence sighed in relief, sensing no raw magic contaminating the area around the NEXT’s flight path even as the giant thrusters cut off a few seconds later. The machine flew in a lazy arc over the city proper, coming back to rest on the street. Cadence noted that the Crystal Heart’s magic had worn off during the flight, leaving a proud, tan and black figure standing before her. She was captivated by it, her eyes drifting over the flawless armor, the robust hydraulics and joints.

Her eyes were drawn to the side of the torso, where they stopped. What she saw chilled her blood, and her heart plummeted through the floor.

The insignia.

Familiar.

Author's Note

Here it is. I finally quit procrastinating for one evening and got this written.
Honestly, I didn't realize how long it had been since I updated anything. The days just blur together for me.
I'll try to get into a good rhythm with the updates, maybe once a week or so.
I make no promises, though, other than this one.
I WILL finish this story, no matter how long it takes or how many distractions or interruptions occur. It will be completed.

After checking the AC4A wiki, I have confirmed that, yes, Over Boost does put the NEXT into the supersonic range, about Mach 1.15
For those that don't know what a sonic boom sounds like, here's a high speed pass. It's not a real sonic boom, but pretty close.