SidewinderX

This all started after I drew and posted my one drawing of a Raven BattleMech in Rainbow Dash's colors. It wasn't supposed to be anything special, just a fun drawing I'd wanted to do after playing MechWarrior Online with a paint scheme added on a whim. Still, it got me thinking. I wanted to write a short fic about the drawing. Nothing too big, right? Then I decided I'd need lore. Then, less than 24 hours later, my hyperactive brain came up with something like this: Equestria is in its 3,050th year of Celestia's reign, and the nation is experiencing a technological renaissance. In recent years, spurned by the possibility of another invasion and unburdened in a time of peace, ponies have advanced in leaps and bounds. Items once thought to be fantasy—self-drawn carriages, digital computers, and advanced communications equipment, as well as flying machines—have risen into prominence in the last thirty years, partially through the rediscovery of old technology. The most prominent advancement, however, are 'Mechs: giant, towering machines capable of lifting tons of cargo onto airships and aircraft alike. They also serve another purpose: combat. BattleMechs, military versions of the civilian IndustrialMechs, are armed to the teeth with guns, missiles, and lasers. Powered by mighty fusion reactors, their very presence makes Equestria seem invincible to another attack. If only it were that easy. Long has Equis been under the watchful eye of the Tribes, ancient groups of warrior alicorns whose old technology is the basis of Equestria's new designs. The Tribes have not stayed still, however, and their tech has long since surpassed that of the Kingdom. Now, the Tribes are back to reclaim the land of Equis from the alicorn traitors who made themselves the rulers of Equestria, and the cowardly ponies they lead. Soon, Equestria and the planet it occupies will be in a fight for their very existence, across hills and deserts and alpine slopes, in space, in the sky, and on the ground. And it could very well be their last stand. I also have some 'Mech designs for the universe, which I will share below with their lore descriptions. I'm thinking about making this universe a scattered collection of multiple short fics. That way, I can add to the story whenever I want, without feeling an obligation to regular posting or following a specific storyline. What do you think? Would you read fics set in this AU? 'Mech Designs: Syakura (40-ton Tribe OmniMech) Image credit: Shimmering Sword. Weapons: Varies between configurations Fluff/lore: A mainstay of the Tribes' light BattleMech forces, the Syakura is a heavily armored (for a light) scout 'Mech. It is fast enough to scout ahead without sacrificing too much space, and carries electronic warfare equipment to help hunt the enemy. It is considered a generally superior equivalent of Equestria's 35-ton Ravens, being capable of carrying similar weapons while moving at higher speeds with better armor. The PRIME variant of the Syakura is armed with four ER Medium Lasers and three ER Small Lasers, giving it good range and damage against other light 'Mechs. As an afterthought, one of its Small Lasers is mounted rearward to defend against flanking opponents, which, when combined with its flippable arms, gives it good potential against rear-facing targets. KNG-3F Kingfisher (95-ton Equestrian BattleMech) Image credit: Alex Bockhorn. Weapons: 2x Gauss rifles 1x Long Range Missile 10 launcher 4x Medium lasers 4x Machine guns (two forward, two rearward) Fluff/lore: Following the sudden and unexpected Tribe invasion in 3050, many of Equestria's BattleMech designs were found to be insufficient against the new threat. The unheard-of technologies that were standardized among Alicorn units outmatched even the few advantages the Equestrians could eke out with their Stealth Armor and other specialized tech. In a desperate scramble to design a 'Mech to properly counter the enemy, the Princesses approved a new Assault-type BattleMech built using the best technology available. The result of this unprecedentedly quick development—a little more than a year of research and development—resulted in the imposing KNG Kingfisher. Weighing 90 tons and moving at a top speed of just over 32 kilometers per hour, the Kingfisher used two of the most innovative weapons to grace Equestrian design: Gauss rifles. The two heavy weapons were paired with Medium Lasers, Machine Guns, and a Long Range Missile launcher for maximum firepower. This loadout permitted the Kingfisher to, in theory, engage most Tribe forces on equal terms regardless of their tonnage. However, the rushed design had its own issues. The 190 Celestial fusion engine was intended for mediums and was underpowered for such a heavy chassis, leading to serious reliability issues. The experimental Gauss weapons also had a tendency to lose power without warning, which could be a nasty surprise for a MechWarrior with an enemy in his sights. The limb mynomers were vulnerable to being destroyed or jammed, especially through spalling. Despite these flaws, the Kingfisher saw fairly widespread use against the Tribe invaders, with mixed success. However, its large size and intimidating appearence garnered it a fearsome reputation among the Tribes, who, initially unsure of its real designation, granted in the code name 'Delyamai,' (Doomhammer), a reference to an ancient Alicorn legend about a great warrior who slew a mighty dragon millennia ago.

Fixed! If you're still having issues, I also posted it here.

A place for me to put my MLP and MLP-related fan art. Feedback welcome and wanted. Tools: Magma Krita Paper and pen/pencil Drawing tablet A Raven races through enemy fire to rejoin its comrades on the other side of the battlefield after getting separated. I've been playing a lot of Mechwarrior Online recently, and I wanted to try my hand at drawing one of my custom 'Mechs. This is an RVN-3L Raven with three Light Particle Projector Cannons, Stealth armor, and an LRM 5. I (sadly) don't have this paint scheme in MWO, but I thought it'd be cool to draw a Raven in Rainbow Dash's colors, especially since I've basically been listening to SlyphStorm's song Pegasus Device on repeat recently. This is far from my best work, and some of it (mostly the Raven's body) was traced, but I feel like it came out pretty well. It could use some shading, though.

You've proven to yourself and to all of us That you're not fit to fly like a pegasus You don't even deserve those wings you bear When you stand beside a legend you can't even compare All of the failures help to fuel success In the bloody and visceral weather game of chess And just because you've disappointed you'll pay the price Now accept your fate and die in the pegasus device.

New chapter has arrived! Well, technically two, but the first is less than 100 words and I'm not counting it. Update speed will be reduced to once every two weeks for my sanity.

Welcome aboard! I hope you enjoy your stay!

...I can do that? Oh yeah. Symphonia in G Minor.wav There it is!

I'm really sorry to hear that. I hope everything works out!

Banned for not liking bands.

New chapter is (finally) up! Sorry about not running it past you first, @Street Light, I just wanted to get it published already. I was so behind...

It's been eight hundred years since the return of Nightmare Moon and the rise of the Elements of Harmony, and Equestria is under siege. Several years ago, the Griffonian armies landed in Equestria, surprising the defenders and pushing them back. Despite what was supposed to be a quick counteroffensive by the Equestrians, the conflict has settled into a near-stalemate, with both sides taking heavy losses as the Griffons slowly but steadily push toward Canterlot. Equestrian troop numbers are dwindling, and to replace their losses, the Princesses are throwing everything they have into the fray, scraping the bottom of the barrel. Among the bottom-feeders sent to the frontline is Operani Linux, a batpony and IT technician with the Equestrian Army Reserves. Despite having no combat experience, Linux and her comrades must adapt quickly if they hope to survive the meat grinder of war. Rated T for violence, death, dark themes, etc., etc. Link: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/577342/the-reservist

An older song I composed a while back on MuseScore. It's a classical piece, and I think it fits Octavia well. Link:

... I'm not sure what to say here. This seems like a duplicate text box.