“Attention all dropships, attention all dropships.” The ever-buzzing speaker in the hangar bay burst to life, startling the sole occupant of the hangar. The voice continued, bored, the announcer saying lines she had said hundreds of times before. “Jumping to light speed in five minutes. Repeat, we will be jumping to light speed in five minutes.”

Christophe Black, the man standing atop one of the four brown and green camouflage painted battlemechs sighed and shook his head in disbelief. “Think I’d get used to that one of these days. Right Midnight?” He grinned as he kicked the particle cannon arm of his Stalker to a low metallic ringing sound. “Let’s see how that arm is holding up. I told them I could squeeze two double heat sinks in there around the myomer, but does anyone believe me? Noooo. ‘Do it yourself, crazy mech jock’.” He imitated the nasal sounding idiot with a scrunched face as he knelt down atop the 40 foot tall war machine and began unbolting an access hatch.

He ran his pale hand through his military cut brown hair as he worked, squirming around to reach the synthetic muscle fibers that moved the giant arm. Tools clanked as they jostled loose on top of the somewhat phallic looking walking tank. The myomer twanged, sounding like the giant rubber bands that made up the arm actuator. Grunts, twangs and electronic beeps filled the hangar as he worked for several minutes.

Clang, clatter.

Thud, swear curse mutter.

Byoinining, beep beep.

Vlorp.

The lights flickered out and came back on as if nothing had happened.

Christophe Black, twenty year mechwarrior veteran of the Clan wars, stopped working and looked around the hangar very slowly with wide frightened eyes. He looked at the cockpit of the 85 ton Stalker battlemech with ‘Cdr. Christophe “Omega” Black’ stencilled below the triple reinforced cockpit glass. No lights, no movement, certainly not occupied. “Don’t screw with me like this Midnight, what the fuck just went ‘Vwerp’?”

He put a hand up to his ear and flipped his radio back on. “Omega to Alex, did you just hear the weirdest fucking noise?” Maybe the captain of their company Leopard dropship knew something he didn’t.

“Alex to Omega, define ‘fucking weird’.”

“Like...Vorp.” He did his best to imitate the low vibration of what he thought he’d heard.

“Sure it wasn’t like...Vworp?” The captain sounded equal parts confused and scared over the earpiece.

“Coulda been-look did you hear it or not?” Chris looked around the top of Midnight without really seeing the scattered tools.

“Yeah, I heard something Omega. We’re about to go FTL. Just...hang on and I’ll ask the jumpship.”

“Yeah, roger.” Chris shook his head. He hated having to ferry with the larger jumpships, but considering that faster than light technology had been lost in the 300 years of succession wars and the only jumpships remaining were literally priceless artifacts, his small time company couldn’t afford to buy one. His eyes flew open with sudden realization. “Wait, about to, or just did?” It had been five minutes. The captain didn't respond.

A low hum crescendoed from nothing and became loud enough to drown out the background noise of the dropship. His eyes finally focused on the access hatch and scattered tools. “Oh shit Midnight,” he said as he dropped back to his knees and grabbed for the monitoring tool inside, “what the fuck have I gotten us into now.”

A shorter but much bulkier figure ran into the hangar, loose brown mohawk bouncing across his tanned face. “Omega, did you hear that?” He asked with honest curiosity. His military boots clanged across the hangar deck.

“The Vwerp?”

“Nah man, more like a vwump. Now it’s just humming.” He stared with some confusion up at the Stalker.

“Yeah, I heard, Reaper.”

"We dropped out of jump. We're orbiting. The jumpship is gone," he called up expectantly.

"Fan-fucking-tastic." Chris paused for a moment before removing another lit box from the arm.

"You wanna get out of the hangar? Figure out why the jumpship abandoned us who the fuck knows where?" Reaper put particular emphasis on the cursing with his voice and his hands.

"I want to make sure Midnight is running if we're going to be landing." Chris moved to slide the access hatch closed.

"What?" The sound of tools clattering was his reply. "Oh. Shit, good point." His heavy boots rang across the hangar deck again as Reaper ran for the tallest machine, and then up the ladder. Chris shook his head and chuckled to himself as he dropped tools into a bag.

“Lemme the fuck in Atlas,” Reaper cursed at the metal hatch on the back of his Atlas with ‘Dan “Reaper” Wilks’ stenciled above the door. He bashed the appropriate numbers on the keypad. The door swung open with an electric whirring, Dan slid inside, then it whirred again as it closed behind him. The tiny cockpit inside the fifty foot tall battlemech had enough room for his seat, the control panel, and the minifridge. That hadn’t kept him from decorating the interior with the few medals he’d earned and getting the seat reupholstered with an empty cloak and scythe emblazened on it. He slipped easily into the chair, grabbed the harness and checklist, and began running through switches and dials with gritted teeth.

A large bald man ran in, boots ringing across the deck. He went straight to the third machine, taller than the Stalker but wider, and with arms that ended in two foot long steel claws. He called in a rich bass as he opened his hatch. "Omega, we're dropping, prep for reentry burn and hot drop."

"Got it Big Bear." ‘Rolf “Big Bear” Hansf’ read the stencil above his hatch. “You seen Ninja?”

“Neg, Omega.” The hatch to Big Bear’s Kodiak swung shut.

“Would it kill you to have a conversation?” Chris muttered as he tightened the last of the bolts. He dropped the tool into the bag draped the bag across his shoulders, and walked carefully across the top of the Stalker to the ladder. The omnipresent humming that had started after the strange noise was joined by two louder hums as lights on the inside of the Kodiak and the Atlas turned on. Chris opened the hatch on Midnight and climbed inside. He dropped the tool bag and walked the ten feet to his blue and purple chair. He tapped the radio again. "Hiro, this is Chris, you'd better get to the hangar and get suited up."

"Say again Chris," a static-filled response came back, "Can't quite hear you." The broken tenor voice was panic-filled.

"Ninja. Hangar. Now." Chris slid into his seat and reached for the checklist.

---

The overgrown and foreboding Everfree Forest swayed in the cold autumn night breeze. Ponies stood in silent anticipation as they watched their leader mumble while his horn glowed. He finished the incantation and dropped a scroll to the forest floor, which was instantly lost in the low flickering torch light. The cloaked unicorn grinned to himself. After so long. The magic in the scroll was used, and the preparation was done. It was time to set the real plan into motion. It was time to summon the Titans, trapped in the earth, to bring about the end of the arrogant sky-lords. Only an alicorn could conceive to run the planet for all beings, only an alicorn could be so pompous. This would finally show them, they were finally ready. He grinned privately as his hooves crunched across the forest floor. He nudged the hood off of his head, strode up to the now bubbling cauldron, and motioned for his aid to bring him the items for the summoning ritual.

Then he lifted his head to look around the clearing, already occupied by dozens of other cloaked figures. The six who had accompanied him took their place in the crowd. He spoke with conviction. "My brothers! My sisters! The hour that we have prepared for so long is at hoof! Tonight we bring back the Titans!"

Murmurs of excitement swept through the gathering of ponies as the wind shifted direction, making the eerie vines in the trees sway. All conversation stopped and those waiting turned to face the cauldron.

The four legged figure took his place on the stage and cleared his throat. The crowd stared in rapt attention. His horn glowed, casting an eerie blue light over the cauldron and the crowd. "One skeleton, an embodiment of death. We summon you, Atlas. Herald the end times for the Alicorns, and the coming of a new order." The words were spoken clearly over the hushed excitement of dozens of cloaked figures. A vial of an unidentifiable thick liquid was poured into the vat. A bone from some animal was added after that. A hissing and acrid smoke came from the cauldron. A ripple of murmurs went through the crowd.

---

Dan Wilks flipped the switch to turn on the reactor of his Atlas battlemech. He pulled the brain-synched helmet over his head with practiced motion. The computer spoke to him softly as his hands danced across the control panel. The computer recognized the two large lasers, the eight small lasers, the twin missile launchers and the giant tank buster autocannon. Dan grinned wickedly from the inside of his 16 meter tall war machine. His cockpit looked out of the left eye of the skull head. Whatever was happening, he was as ready as he got.

---

"One to tirelessly hunt down our foes." Another vial. An eyeball. A short cheer of excitement came from the crowd, followed by a few more voices hushing them.

---

Chris looked around the hangar from the inside of his Stalker. “Omega to Alex, any word from the jumpship? My guys say it's gone.” The humming inside the hangar got louder.

---

"One to destroy the populace with feral rage." Another vial. A bear's paw.

---

Rolf finished the checklist, stashed it away, buckled himself in, and slipped on his helmet. He waited for the helmet to match his brainwaves and started his Kodiak assault ‘mech as the humming got louder. He frowned and gripped the joystick.

A fourth figure ran into the hangar, shorter than the others, black hair flopping messily around his narrow face. He saw the rest of his lance in their mechs, and ran to his Catapult. It was the smallest of the four machines, with a triangular tank body, two boxy arms, and backwards knees that make it look like a giant flightless bird. “Come Tiger, ancestors keep us safe,” Hiro “Ninja” Suzuki muttered to himself as he climbed the ladder and opened the hatch.

---

"One to pounce from the skies and strike with the fury of Tartarus itself!" Another vial, several tiger's teeth, an item wrapped in cloth, and a pinch of a dust were added to the pot. The crowd cheered.

"We pray to you our dark lord of the earth to bring us avatars of your vengeance! Send us Atlas to rightfully rule this land again! Send us those who know only war and death! Bring chaos and suffering to destroy this kingdom!" Wild cheering erupted from the crowd, stomping their hooves in excitement. A few whinnied, unable to control themselves. The preacher’s voice rose as he whipped the crowd into a fervor. "Join me my brothers and sisters! Chant that the very earth may hear our prayers!"

The mass of cloaked figures chanted as one.

"Bring to us the titans! The giants who rule the earth! Overthrow the kingdom! Overthrow the kingdom!"

---

Twilight Sparkle, purple unicorn and student of magic to Princess Celestia, huddled under the giant white wings of her mentor in the throne room, frightened and unsure. "I know I felt it, Princess. This is not something I would joke about."

"I know you wouldn't, Twilight. I just want to be sure." The Sun Goddess alicorn Princess Celestia spoke with calm authority, but she looked and sounded grim. There were always those who would abuse dark magics, but seldom did they group in such an organized fashion. She caught Twilight’s eyes before she looked out the window into the darkness before the dawn. "I feel it too." Detractors of the kingdom were in short supply in these days of high prosperity and development, but that did not mean that they did not exist. "If some pony or some creature is casting dark summoning magic in the Everfree Forest so powerful that we can feel it here, then it is our duty to respond, for the safety of Equestria.” She stepped back and lifted her wing up, uncovering her frightened student. “Twilight, I will find the captain of the guard, you fetch your friends and the Elements."

Twilight turned to leave, then opened her eyes with a sudden thought. "Should we get Princess Luna?"

Celestia nodded in agreement. "I will, Twilight.”

Twilight simply disappeared in a flash. Celestia grinned momentarily, taking pride in her pupil, then ran across the castle, taking flight after a few moments. Dark magic was being used in great power in the Everfree Forest. To what end and by whom was uncertain. She only knew of one faction daring enough to use summoning magic so blatantly. Atlas was a thousand years overdue to try to overthrow Equestria again. But there was no proof it was a titan cult yet. The only thing that was certain was that after the attack by the Changelings this would not go unheeded, and they would not be put on the defensive again. The fate of the kingdom rested upon it.

---

"Captain, this is Omega, we got an ETA?" Chris spoke louder and slower into his helmet mic. He winced as the humming got worse. Ninja saluted to him from the inside of the Tiger across the small hangar, and he nodded in return.

"Omega, this is Alex. We're not sure where to land yet." The voice of the captain finally buzzed in their ears.

“No sign of a good landing zone?" Chris asked.

"No sign of a planet," Alex replied with apprehension obvious in his voice.

The four mercenaries looked across the hangar at each other with worry.

Chris kept talking. "What? Don't tell me we're floating in deep space."

"Alright,” Alex said calmly, “I won't tell you."

Chris slumped back in his chair. The incomprehensible distance between stars was a much, much worse place to be suddenly stranded than above a planet. "Well where are we?" He was the leader after all. Had to keep on leading.

"We're not sure. We, um. We can't find any stars." The dropship captain’s unshakable calm was starting to shake.

"Wait, any?" The impossibility of that statement threw the mercenary commander, stars were always visible.

"Any."

The humming got louder. The medal for valorous combat hanging on the side of Chris’s cockpit began to shake. He turned his head slowly to look at it and gripped his controls.

---

Twilight stopped running. Her friend and fellow unicorn Rarity did too. Her other friends, the other four elements of harmony, almost ran into them. "What? Come on!" Rainbow Dash the cyan pegasus urged.

"It happened." Twilight looked haunted. Rarity nodded in agreement, her perfect purple mane bouncing in a very unladylike manner. It seemed that she was too frightened to remember to faint dramatically this time.

"What happened?" Rainbow asked in exasperation. Her wings flapped as if trying to fly away on their own.

"It was…a summoning, or teleportation. Very powerful summoning. I don't even know how it found a target. It doesn't make any sense…" She looked down with scrunched eyes, trying to imagine the spell and it’s myriad of moving parts.

Applejack, tan country pony, stepped up. "Forget how, Twilight, let's just get there. The Pegasus air wing will beat us to the Everfree Forest at this rate!"

"Forget this, I'll meet you girls there." Rainbow turned and bolted. The shockwave of sound that she left in her wake reached them seconds later as she hit Sonic Rainboom speeds and kept going.

"Rainbow's right this time, Twilight. Understanding now isn't gonna help us any,” Applejack said with concern.

"You're right, I'm just scared, Applejack. It’s just that I have never felt this kind of…” Twilight looked down for a moment and got quiet. “Darkness."

"I know Twilight. But the princess and the Equestrian Guard will be there. We have to help."

"You're right." Twilight nodded, and looked like she would start running again. "No…I've got a better idea. Get close, Girls. This is going to take a moment…"

Twilight grinned for a moment, then got all…eye glowy.

Applejack looked at her friend. "Twilight? What are you…oh no."

Waves of purple magic spilled out of her horn, enveloping the rest of the Elements of Harmony. In a flash of light, they all disappeared.

---

Vlorp.

Author's Notes:

Welcome to my entry in the battletech/mechwarrior/mlp crossover section. It's long, there's cultists killed by lasers, and the girls are traumatized several times. Edited by my wife who claims it's a funny story nonetheless. Hope you enjoy.