TIL ALL ARE ONE

Chapters

Instruments of Destruction
Dare to be Stupid
Nothing's Gonna Stand in Our Way
The Touch

Instruments of Destruction

Author's Note

Megatron is voiced by the one and only Frank Welker.

Instruments of Destruction

It was a new day in the gigantic underground prison known as Tartarus and just like most days, all was quiet. Even though this prison was infamous for housing the most dangerous creatures in the history of Equestria, none of them were making any sound whatsoever and just lying down in their cages. In fact, most of them were asleep while others were simply resting. To someone who is aware of the violent nature of the monsters, this would be a truly unusual sight to behold. However, that someone would be completely unaware of the fact that these monsters were all tired of attempting to escape from their predicament and thus, they had no will or energy to make another attempt whatsoever. On the other hand, this was a far cry from the events that had transpired here a couple weeks ago.

It all began with the arrival of a new inmate who looked nothing like the other imprisoned creatures. While they were all organic, the newcomer was purely metal and much bigger than the others (about thirty feet tall, in fact). What was even more unusual was that he was bipedal, had two arms and two legs, and there was a cannon-shaped weapon on his right arm. His color scheme was mostly gray with black sections on his legs, red on his arms and chest, and glowing purple lines on his chest and legs. There were cracks and dents on his entire body, and his eyes were intensely glowing crimson. From both his eyes and facial expression, it can be easily seen that he was very furious at something and the way he was looking at his surroundings as was being escorted across Tartarus by both royal guards and Princess Celestia herself was causing every single one of the creatures (even the three-headed guard dog, Cerberus) to violently shake in fear. Finally, the new inmate was brought to a wall at the edge of the prison and he was chained to that wall while the princess imbued the chains with a special enchantment for extra precautions. Once it was all done, she and the guards exited Tartarus from the same portal they arrived there and the moment the portal closed, it was total chaos across the prison as every inmate tried to escape by clawing and biting their cells in order to get away from the newcomer whom they were completely terrified of.

it took nearly a whole day for the commotion to cease and the creatures to run out of energy to make escape attempts. In the end, they realized that escape was truly impossible and that they should just remain in their cells without doing anything that might upset the newcomer.

The said newcomer, on the other hand, had not uttered a single syllable or moved a single cog ever since his imprisonment in Tartarus began. Even though his optics were constantly closed, he was not sleeping at all. Instead, he was deep in thought about everything that had happened to him in the last few weeks, including the humiliating defeat he had suffered at the hands of his mortal enemies and the way some of his closest allies just abandoned him in this disgusting cesspool of a planet. More importantly, he was thinking about the fact that he is no longer the fearsome leader of the glorious faction of warriors he formed all those eons ago. Now that he was stuck in this primitive world full of insects, his throne was vacant and his high-ranking officers would, no doubt, fight each other in order to claim that throne, fracturing the faction and forever tarnishing his legacy.

To sum up, he was at the mercy of his enemies, his kingdom was at the brink of destruction, and there was nothing he could do to save it. The whole situation was making him both extremely angry and extremely sad at the same time. However, since he could not yet see a way out of his predicament, he had chosen to remain silent and think about what he did wrong, what he could do to amend it, and most importantly, what he was to become from now on.

Once upon a time, he was Megatron, a merciless warrior and the undisputed leader of the Decepticons. Now, he was just another prisoner of Tartarus and a king without a kingdom to rule. He wanted to find a new identity and purpose for himself as soon as possible, but he had no possible clue on how to do it. In fact, he was still contemplating it on the fourteenth day of his imprisonment and, as far as he could tell, there was no one he could talk to regarding his issues.

"Well, you've been awfully quiet for quite some time", a voice near him suddenly said.

In response, Megatron opened his crimson red optics and scanned his surroundings before noticing a single cage just a few feet west of his current position. It was inhabited by a creature unlike anything he had seen in the prison so far. His lower body was black, with a white horse tail and cloven hooves. His upper body appeared to be covered in black fur, except his arms and face, which were dark red. He had a pair of horns and a white beard, his eyes are jet black with yellow pupils. He donned steel bracelet, a steel collar, and a ring in his nose. He appeared to be very scrawny and old-looking, and his face had a primate/bull-like shape. All in all, he was a very strange-looking creature in the Megatron's eyes and the way he interrupted his thoughts did annoy him a bit.

"Why do you care if I remain silent or not, monster? Do you have nothing to occupy yourself with?", he angrily asked.

"Alright, first of all, 'monster' is a very inappropriate word to address me with", the creature slyly began to explain. "I may be a prisoner like these animals around us, but unlike them, I'm a sentient being who can actually talk and feel. So, it would be terrific if you show at least a little bit of respect. Secondly, I couldn't help but be curious over the fact that you haven't spoken at all since you first came here. Couple that with your extremely unusual appearance and I must say, I'm very intrigued about your story. So, what do you say? Care to share it with your new neighbor?"

The second he finished that sentence, Megatron struggled as hard as he could to break the chains around him. Unfortunately, the magic on the chains caused several burns on his already damaged chassis and caused him severe pain every time he struggled. So, a handful of seconds later, he gave up and began intensely glaring at the creature, instead.

He then furiously declared, "Listen well, you pretentious little abomination. The only way you're going to convince me to tell you about what I've been through is literally crush me in physical combat. However, given the size difference between us, I can safely say that it's impossible. A much more plausible scenario would be the one where I crush YOU. So, unless you want that scenario to become reality, shut your extremely irritating mouth up and mind your own business."

In response, the creature let out a malicious chuckle and said, "How adorable! You honestly believe you can crush me in physical combat, huh? Well, I've got news for you, my amusingly sensitive neighbor. I may be small and weak at the moment, but as soon as I find a way out of here and drain magic from every single pony in Equestria, I shall regain my glorious appearance and become stronger than you can possibly imagine. I'll tower over the mountains, turn the entire land to ash, and exact terrible vengeance on those who imprisoned me here. Long story short, I'll get to finish what I started long ago and once we face each other in combat, it will most certainly be YOU who is crushed."

As he listened to this, the glare on Megatron's face turned into a look of pure confusion and after the creature stopped talking, he stared at him for a few seconds before asking, "Can you actually do all those things?"

The creature then proudly replied, "Why, yes, of course! In fact, if it weren't for a bunch of puny ponies, my plans would've succeeded without a hitch. I was so very close to realizing my vision of an Equestria soaked in flames, but then, those ponies I spoke of ruined everything by imprisoning me in this dimly lit prison filled with disgusting animals! I was a lord once, you know! I had power, prestige, and a terrifying reputation. I should be out there right now terrorizing ponies and they should cower by the mere mention of my name. In fact, they should call me, 'Lord Tirek the Magnificent, Emperor of Devastation'. Instead, I'm stuck in this underground dungeon, surrounded by dimwitted abominations, talking to a very unimpressed metal giant who probably thinks I'm making this whole story up just to fill the silence. I am truly miserable."

As he hung his head in shame, Megatron thought hard about his words and eventually began to realize how similar he and Tirek were in terms of motivation and predicament. A handful of seconds later, he solemnly admitted, "I know what it's like to lose. To feel so desperately that you're right, yet to fail all the same."

The moment he heard that, Tirek looked up with a face full of curiosity and asked, "Are you saying you believe me?"

"I have seen a lot of things I only heard in legends since I arrived on this planet. So, believing you was easy for me", replied Megatron. "However, I do not just believe you, Tirek. I UNDERSTAND you. I was also a powerful lord once and I, too, suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of my enemies. Just like you, I was very close to victory, but just before I could get a taste of it, I was beaten by my nemesis and his new tiny allies. What is even worse is that, just moments later, I was abandoned by some of my most trusted followers. So, now, I am stuck in the same place as you are while my top lieutenants are battling each other in order to claim the leadership of my warrior faction, fracturing it beyond repair and destroying everything I have built for countless eons! So, yes, I completely understand what you are going through, because I am as miserable as you are right now."

In response, Tirek's facial expression became immensely surprised, he blinked a few times, and said, "Fascinating! I had no idea we were so alike. I understand your pain all too well, my dear neighbor. Humiliation and abandonment are very difficult to endure, indeed. I was abandoned too, you know. I never had any followers or friends, but I did have a family. Well, BARELY a family, because none of them really cared about me in the slightest. My parents always saw me as a disappointment, even though I tried my hardest to please both of them every chance I got. While my Gram Gram was there to cheer me up when I was feeling down, but she unfortunately passed away when I was young and I've missed her ever since. Then, there was my traitorous brother, Scorpan. We weren't very close during our youth, but he did always try to support me and I did appreciate his company a bit. However, it all changed when we came to this land to extract Equestrian magic for ourselves. He betrayed me in the most cruel fashion by befriending pathetic ponies and telling them about our plans, which led to my first imprisonment in this filthy cavern! Though I managed to escape, his betrayal still enrages me to this day and if I ever see him again, I will make sure he feels every single ounce of pain I have felt since the day he left me to rot in here!"

Thought he was a bit confused by this revelation, Megatron let out a deep sigh and revealed, "I may not be familiar with terms such as 'parents' and 'Gram Gram', but I do know what a brother is. In fact, there are a few members of my faction whom I consider as brothers and one of the officers who abandoned me was definitely a brother. Sure, he questioned my command a few times due to him finding those orders 'somewhat illogical', but he never hesitated to fight by my side and he never deliberately disobeyed me. Well, until the day he refused to come to my aid and left me on this revolting planet, that is. I am still unable to understand his motivations for doing that and it is making me more furious than ever!"

He immediately began struggling to break the chains once again and actually struggled even harder than before. Unfortunately, it only resulted in even more severe burns on his chassis and him screaming in pure agony. Several attempts later, he finally stopped his struggle and tried to recover from the agonizing pain while breathing very heavily.

During his recovery, Tirek tried to calm him down by saying, "Whoa! Easy there, neighbor! You simply need to calm yourself and save your energy."

"FOR WHAT PURPOSE?!", exclaimed Megatron. "I must confront my traitorous officer and learn his motivations behind this outrageous betrayal. I am absolutely unable to do that while I am bound to these infernal chains! I will not rust here while that traitor sits on throne and provokes my other lieutenants into trying to take it!"

"Oh, but the answer you seek has been staring at you the whole time", revealed Tirek. "You said this traitor questioned the logic behind your command a few times, yes? Now, what if, on the day his betrayal took place, you did something so illogical that he decided that continuing to serve you would be a lost cause?

Though Megatron's initial intention was to snap back at him, he stopped himself at the last second when he realized that it would accomplish nothing. Instead, he began to think about the events that occurred on the day Tirek had alluded to and after spending some time remembering those events, he eventually came to a conclusion that left him utterly shocked.

"It was the destruction of the AllSpark... ", he muttered. "I failed to save it. I failed to save my people. That is why he turned on me. I underestimated the enemy and my overconfidence led to his betrayal. I am the one responsible for all of this. The defeat, the treason, the imprisonment... All because of me."

He proceeded hanging his head in shame, letting out a heavy sigh, and continuing, "If I am the one who caused the degradation of my faction... then, I no longer deserve to be its leader. I must remain here and atone for my sins. I doomed everyone I cared about and it is best if I never escape from this prison. Who knows? I may even find a new identity for myself during my time here. After all, Lord Megatron, the mighty leader of the Decepticons, is no more."

Right after saying that, he closed his optics once more and remained silent for nearly half a minute. However, this silence was then interrupted by Tirek shouting, "HEY! Get a hold of yourself RIGHT THIS INSTANT! I mean, for heavens' sake, this despicable show you're putting on is so painful to watch!"

Despite hearing that, Megatron did not raise his head by an inch and instead, replied with irritation in his voice, "Unless you know of a way to go back in time and change the past, nothing you say will ever make me feel better."

"Well, if you must know, there is actually a spell for going back in time. The problem is that only a renowned unicorn wizard was able to cast it and he managed to go back a few days at most", Tirek complained. "In any case, my intention is not to make you feel better. Instead, I'm going to tell you THE MAIN THING you did wrong."

Hearing that was all it took to prompt Megatron to raise his head, look Tirek in the eye, and ask with a curious tone, "Very well... You have my attention."

In response, Tirek cleared his throat and explained, "You failed, because you kept trusting that insubordinate officer of yours in the first place. You knew for a long time that he wasn't fully obedient to you and yet, you still let him keep his high rank instead of punishing him by demotion or straight up termination. Think about it. If he had a lower rank or no rank at all, then he wouldn't be able to usurp you. You wouldn't be abandoned here and we wouldn't even be having be having this conversation. Makes perfect sense, right?"

Immediately after the end of that sentence, Megatron lowered his head a bit and began pondering on everything Tirek had just said. Then, a handful of seconds later, he finally began to realize the logic behind his words. After that, he gazed back towards the scrawny-looking centaur and said, "You could be right about that. Perhaps, I did put too much faith in Shockwave's 'loyalty' and that is probably why he easily convinced his soldiers to turn against me. That could be the biggest mistake I've ever made in my entire life. I was expecting this sort of betrayal from a certain air commander of mine, but not from the esteemed science officer whom I had so much trust in. Now, I see that this trust may have been misplaced. Thank you for you helping me realize this, Tirek. You hereby have my respect and, if you want, my friendship."

"Well, thanks, but I do request that you consider me as an ally and not a friend", bluntly replied Tirek. "It was friendship that led to my ruin the last time I tried to wreak havoc in Equestria and I don't want to let that happen again. Your respect, on the other hand, is good enough for me and is well-appreciated."

"Hmmm... Interesting decision, but whatever you say", Megatron declared. "So, now that we are allies, I suggest we work together and formulate an escape plan. My desire for vengeance burns deeper than ever, which is why I must find a way to get back to my faction as soon as possible make Shockwave suffer for what he did to me. As you can clearly see, I am in no position to do that while I am still locked up here."

"Don't you worry about that. I've already started figuring it out", Tirek announced with complete confidence. "However, there is actually something else we need to discuss. Now, you might not know this, but I was probably the only prisoner who didn't freak out or cower in fear when you first arrived here. Rather, I was highly curious. You see, during my first visit to Equestria, I heard a legend about beings like you coming here from the stars a long time ago. Sounds familiar?"

Though he was completely taken aback by this, Megatron tried as hard as he could to comprehend it while managing to blurt out, "Cybertronians in Equestria long before my battle with the Autobots and ponies? No, it cannot be... Unless... You must tell me everything you know about this, Tirek. Quickly!"

"Oh, relax! I'll tell you what I heard soon enough", Tirek slyly replied. "First, though, I must ask of you to do something for compensation. Tell me ALL the knowledge you possess regarding your world. The history, the culture, the people... I want to know EVERYTHING."

Shocked once again by Tirek's words, Megatron stared at him in confusion for a few seconds before asking, "Why would I share all this with you? Even if I agreed to do so, there is no telling how long it would take for me to finish it."

"Why not? I mean, neither of us are going anywhere any time soon. So, we have plenty of time", Tirek gleefully pointed out. "Besides, if we discuss the history of your world together, then maybe, we can better understand the legend I mentioned earlier. Come now, Megatron. What have you got to lose, anyway? Are you worried about what I might do with the information I asked from you? Well, if that's the case, then I give you my word that I will not use it in any sort of way that could potentially endanger your world. You can trust your new respectable ally, can't you?"

Right after asking that, Tirek started snickering maniacally while Megatron let out a very loud groan.

Dare to be Stupid

Author's Note

Bumblebee is voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch.

Dare to be Stupid

It was another beautiful morning in the small but charming town of Ponyville. The sun was shining as brightly as ever, there was not a single cloud in the sky (thanks to the efforts of a certain cyan-colored Pegasus), and the citizens were going casually going about their everyday lives.

Mares and colts were either shopping or going to work while the children were either playing with one another in a nearby park or simply accompanying their parents. There were even ponies who did not have any sort of business to attend to and they were just sitting in cafes conversing with each other on various topics.

Needless to say, every pony was enjoying this peaceful day, and they were not even bothered by the fact that there was a fifteen feet tall metal giant with a yellow and black color scheme and armor similar to that of a samurai warrior strolling down the street.

This mechanical extraterrestrial was named Bumblebee and he was the town's new beloved hero. It was the main reason why every pony on the street was happily waving at him, why he was waving back at them, and why there was a statue about half his height located at the very center of the town. This was all thanks to the fact that he had recently saved Ponyville from a couple of evil robots known as Decepticons all by himself. In fact, he had also helped save the entirety of Equestria from a whole legion of Decepticons and as a result of these accomplishments, he was now hailed as a hero by every single citizen of Ponyville and he was in good terms with pretty much every pony living there. He had even managed to be best friends with a famous baby dragon and three bold fillies who shared his enthusiasm for going on adventures and gaining recognition.

Since the dragon named Spike was currently in Canterlot City for diplomatic business and the fillies known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders were spending time with their sisters that day, he had decided to spend the day walking through the town and seeing if any pony needed his help with something. So far, everything was quite and no pony was in any sort of disress. He had just arrived at the town square and was giving his own statue a salute when he heard a small familiar voice behind him.

"Hey, Bee! How's it going?"

He turned around to find the source of the voice and encountered a unicorn filly with pure white coat, pale, light grayish harlequin eyes, and grayish mulberry mane with pale, light grayish rose streaks. A big smile crossed his face as soon as he saw the filly and he even crouched down in front of her.

"Oh, hey, Sweetie Belle! What's up?", he asked. "I thought you and Rarity were doing something today. Um, was it hat making or sewing up a dress?"

"Well, actually, she's having tea with Fluttershy and the rest of the Crusaders are busy hanging out with their sisters", replied Sweetie Belle. "So, yeah, I'm pretty much on my own today and I thought we could spend the day together, if that's okay with you."

"Yeah, sure, no problem. What do you wanna do first?", excitedly inquired Bumblebee. "Karaoke contest? Bird watching? How about a ride through the Everfree Forest"

"Actually, there's something I've been wanting to do with you for some time. I came up with it about a week ago, but you were too busy hanging out with Spike, and me and the other Crusaders were at school", Sweetie Belle admitted. "Since Spike is in Canterlot with Twilight and it's a Saturday, I thought we could do that thing today."

"Oh, I see...", Bumblebee teasingly commented. "Then, I ask, milady, what exactly were you planning to do with me on this perfectly convenient Saturday?"

Sweetie Belle giggled at his overdramatic way of speaking and then, nervously revealed, "I... uhhh… I've been planning to give you a new color scheme."

Right after she said that, Bumblebee became extremely confused and asked, "A new color scheme? Really? Is there something wrong with the one I have right now?"

"No, no! Nothing's wrong with it!", hastily exclaimed Sweetie Belle. "It's just that I think I can make it even better. I've been practicing painting and coloring all week, and I'm finally ready to give you the best color scheme you'll ever have. Please, Bee. Give me a chance to show you what I can do. Trust me, you won't regret it."

Bumblebee thought hard about this offer for several seconds before taking a deep breath and playfully replying, "Oh, what the heck! I needed a paint job, anyway. So, let's go and see what you got, you little artist."

As soon as she heard that, Sweetie gasped in pure excitement and began jumping in the air while shouting, "YES! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Bee! Thank you so much! You're the best Autobot ever!"

In response, Bumblebee let out a small chuckle, gently picked the little unicorn up with two fingers of his right hand, placed her on his left shoulder, and began casually walking towards Rarity's boutique. The trip only lasted a minute or so and once they reached their destination, he carefully placed her on the ground and she quickly ran inside her sister's shop to pick up the necessary painting materials. While waiting for her to come back, the young Autobot spotted another filly approaching the building. She had a pale magenta coat, pale, light grayish violet mane with white streaks, brilliant cornflower blue eyes, and a silver tiara as a cutie mark. On top of that, she was wearing a similar tiara on her head and had a suspiciously smug expression on her face.

She continued to walk towards the shop and, soon enough, he came right in front of Bumblebee. She looked up and said with an excited tone, "Oh, my gosh! You must be Bumblebee! You saved our town from those evil aliens a while ago and we're all very grateful for it. You truly are one of the greatest heroes in not just Ponyville, but the whole Equestria, as well."

Upon hearing that, Bumblebee let out a nervous chuckle and replied, "Why, thank you, miss. Really appreciate the compliments. Um, I didn't catch your name, though."

The filly giggled a bit before declaring, "Oh, come on. Surely you've heard of me one or twice. Diamond Tiara, the one and only daughter of Filthy Rich, the wealthiest pony in all of Ponyville?"

In response, Bumblebee scratched his head for a few seconds and answered, "I'm sorry, but I really don't recall hearing such a name."

Diamond's facial expression instantly changed to shocked and she even growled in anger for a couple seconds. However, she eventually managed to compose herself and after taking a deep breath, she proudly said, "Well, now you've heard of me and there's one other thing you should know about me. I can paint your body with the most amazing colors you've ever seen in your life."

Immediately after hearing this, Bumblebee became extremely confused and mumbled, "How did.... What?"

"Oh, you're wondering how I know about Sweetie Belle's plan of giving you a new color scheme? Why she couldn't stop talking about it for a whole week", continued Diamond. "I always keep track of what goes on my with my classmates and Sweetie Belle is no exception. While her plan is good, I know how to make it truly spectacular. A hero like you deserve only the best and I know just the pony who can give you the best color scheme you can ever imagine. Me! So, what do you say, Mister Bee. Care to see the magnificent colors I can provide for you?"

Before a completely puzzled Bumblebee could even begin to answer that question, they were interrupted by the sound of something hitting the ground hard. When they turned towards the direction that sound came from, they saw Sweetie Belle surrounded by dozens of fallen paint boxes, brushes, and spray cans near the store entrance and wielding a very furious expression on her face.

"What do you think you're doing here, Diamond Tiara?", she asked, "Didn't I tell you that you can never ever come here?"

"Maybe you did, maybe you didn't. Can't really remember and, frankly, don't really care", Diamond nonchalantly replied. "No need to be so jumpy, though, Sweetie Belle. I'm just here to provide our new town hero with something you unfortunately lack."

Instantly taken aback by this, Sweetie's glare intensified exponentially and she exclaimed, "What the hay is that supposed to mean?!"

Diamond responded by giving her a wicked smile and declaring, "It's quite simple really. Bumblebee deserves the very best color scheme imaginable and I have the necessary resources to give those colors to him. You, on the other hoof, don't seem to have them. So, it would be best if I give him your gift , instead."

"NOT A CHANCE!", shouted Sweetie. "Giving him a new color scheme was my idea from the very start and it's only fair if I'm the one who does so. Besides, I very much doubt that whatever colors you can give him will be better than what I have in mind."

After letting out a sinister giggle, Diamond replied, "Oh, you want to challenge me, then? Very well, but I must warn you, there is a good chance of you suffering a very humiliating defeat. Anyway, let's begin, shall we? RANDOLPH, OVER HERE!"

Immediately after she yelled, a much older Earth pony came to her side with incredible speed. He had a pale blue coat, white mane and tail, light cobalt blue eyes, and a feather dust as a cutie mark. From the tuxedo he was wearing, it could be assumed that he was a butler and since it was Diamond who commanded him, it was clear that he was under the employment of her family.

"Give the new hero of out town the most suitable and amazing color scheme you can think of", ordered Diamond and as soon as she finished her sentence, Randolph took off and returned half a minute later with several buckets of paints, spray cans, and paint brushes of all different sizes. He then immediately began covering an utterly stunned Bumblebee with gallons of paint using both the brushes and the spray cans. He was working at such a rate that it was very difficult for anyone to keep track of his movements. In fact, Sweetie Belle soon became dizzy from trying to watch him. Meanwhile, all Diamond was doing was laying on the ground and contently watching the clouds in the sky, fully confident that she was inevitably going to crush this competition.

Under just one minute, Randolph had finally completed his work and as soon as he did, he took a few steps back so that every pony could see what he had accomplished. Indeed, the moment Sweetie and Diamond laid their eyes on Bumblebee's new look, they were both left completely speechless. The young Autobot scout had gone through a complete color reversal. The parts of his body that were once yellow were now black and the ones that were once black were now yellow. On top of that, his entire chassis was shining as brightly as a diamond under the shimmering sun and every single section of his armor was utterly spotless.

Bumblebee could not help but take a moment to admire the fine work applied to his body and he even let out a small chuckle in pure delight. He then turned his attention towards Randolph and said, "Awesome job, mister! Thank you so very much. You are truly an incredibly talented artist."

While Randolph took a bow before him in respect, Diamond shot a smug look at Sweetie and said, "Go on. Try to top that."

Sweetie's facial expression immediately changed from astonished to determined and she cracked her neck twice before quickly grabbing her materials and beginning her work. While she initially used only primary colors, she eventually started using every single color at her disposal. Moreover, during the whole process of covering Bumblebee with paint, she was also accidentally covering herself and everything around her with it. She even spilled a few drops on Diamond and though she was disgusted by it at first, Randolph instantly wiped them away with his handkerchief.

After two whole minutes of painting, Sweetie was finally finished with her work. However, when Diamond and Randolph took a good look at it, they both gasped in pure horror. Bumblebee's chassis was now covered in a complete mishmash of colors and they were all arranged without rhyme or reason. While there were a few instances of complementary colors like red and cyan being close to each other, there were numerous cases of shades of the same color being in close proximity or right next to each other. Plus, there were just so many colors on display that it was a total mess and even Bumblebee was at a complete loss for words when he saw what had happened to his body.

Before he could make any comments on Sweetie's work, Diamond let out a hysterical laugh and exclaimed, "Oh, my Celestia! That is even more pathetic than I could've ever imagined! Is this honestly what you had in mind when you thought about giving him a new color scheme? Considering you have a sister that specializes in colors and tones, this must be quite embarrassing for you. Just face it, Sweetie Belle. You will never be as good as her and she will always see you as a big disappointment."

Upon hearing this, Sweetie hung her head in despair, sniffled a few times, and tears started to well up in her eyes. She was saddened by her failure that she did not even react when Bumblebee knelt beside her and gently caressed her mane. However, as soon as he said, "It's okay. I actually like this color scheme more than the previous one", she looked at him in total confusion and wiped away the tears in her eyes.

Meanwhile, a completely shocked expression appeared on Diamond's face and she frantically asked, "WHAT?! WHY?! Can't you see just how terrible it is?! I mean, honestly, what aspect of it could possibly make it better than my idea?"

In response, Bumblebee stood up, walk right in front of Diamond, and explained, "It's simple, really. Sweetie actually TRIED to give me a good color scheme. She invested time and EFFORT into preparing this present. It doesn't really matter whether it's good or not. What actually matters is whether or not you put legitimate effort into creating it and Sweetie Belle did just that. Also, do you wonder why I admire that statue of mine in the town center? Not because it looks good, but because the townsfolk took their time and tried their best to show me their appreciation of my deeds. As for you, you did not spend any effort at all and, instead, used another pony to do your job before taking credit for his work. Randolph may have done a good job, but since he's your servant, he's not allowed to take credit for his own accomplishment. So, yeah, I'm sorry, but Sweetie is clearly the winner here."

Right after she heard all that, a huge smile appeared on Sweetie's face and she proceeded to hug Bumblebee's left foot while Diamond screamed in pure rage and exclaimed, "My father will hear about this! Your days in Ponyville are numbered, mister! As for you, Randolph, don't just stand there and take me home right this instant!"

Randolph responded by promptly picking her up with his hooves, placing her on his back, and trotting away at top speed. Soon after they were gone, Bumblebee knelt beside Sweetie and carefully placed him on his left shoulder with one hand before she asked, "Do you think something bad will happen when Diamond Tiara reports you to her dad? I mean, what if Filthy Rich forces you to leave the town. He has the money and power to do that, you know."

"I wouldn't worry about that too much", nonchalantly replied Bumblebee. "Him and I are actually on very good terms. He's a friend of Apple Bloom's family and we even played a game called, 'golf', the other day. It was actually pretty fun."

Sweetie giggled at that before curiously inquiring, "So, um, did you really mean everything you said to Diamond Tiara or was it all just to make me feel better?"

Upon hearing this, Bumblebee gave a warm look at her, held her chin up with one finger, and said, "You know me pretty well, Sweetie. Do you really think I'd ever lie to you or any of the Crusaders?"

In response, Sweetie once again smiled and rubbed her head against his head like a cat while the Autobot let out a small chuckle and gently caressed his mane a bit. Once that was over, she revealed, "I know you said you liked my work, but I gotta admit, it does look pretty ridiculous. Do you mind if I erase it and start over tomorrow?"

"As long as you promise to put actual effort into it", replied Bumblebee. "Deal?"

"Deal!", Sweetie happily declared. "Now, can you please put me on the ground? I gotta go get the turpentine."

Bumblebee promptly did as she asked and watched as the young unicorn trotted towards the store and disappeared as soon as she entered. However, he soon sensed another presence right above him and immediately looked up to see an unfamiliar female Pegasus hovering above him. She had strong orange eyes, a vivid orange mane with light brilliant amber stripes, a brilliant gold mane, and a stylized phoenix as a cutie mark. She was also wearing a blue uniform with several decorations on it and had a puzzled expression on her face.

"Um, you're the Autobot known as Bumblebee, right?", she asked with a raspy voice.

"The one and only, miss", he replied. "What can I do for you?"

"The princesses described you as black and yellow. What's with the mishmash of colors?", inquired the Pegasus.

"Oh, that? Yeah, it's a long story. No need to delve into it", explained Bumblebee. "The princesses asked to see me?"

"Yes, they're summoning you to Canterlot for an urgent meeting and I've been asked to escort you there", the Pegasus replied. "I'm Spitfire, commander of the Wonderbolts, Equestria's elite flight squadron."

"Nice to meet you, commander", Bumblebee said as he saluted her. "Will you be present at the meeting, as well? What's the reason for it, anyway?"

"Everything will be explained once we reach the castle", revealed Spitfire. "So, I suggest you get ready to move out as soon as possible, soldier."

"Will do, ma'am", promptly declared Bumblebee. "I just need a few minutes to wash this paint off of me. You can go ahead without me. I'll catch up to you."

Spitfire responded by shrugging and saying, "Suit yourself", before she began flying towards Canterlot.

Nothing's Gonna Stand in Our Way

Author's Note

Brawl is voiced by Nolan North.

Also, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! :pinkiehappy:

Nothing's Gonna Stand in Our Way

It was another beautiful night in Equestria. The moon was shining as brightly as ever and each of the stars all around it were also a sight to behold. While observing these beauties were quite difficult for ponies living in large cities like Manehattan and Baltimare, it was no challenge at all for those residing in small towns or remote farms. One of these farms was actually a rock farm owned by the Pie family, which consisted of their patriarch Igneous Rock Pie, his wife Cloudy Quartz, and their four daughters Maud, Limestone, Pinkie, and Marble.

Since Maud was currently studying for her rocktorate in the Equestrian Institute of Rockology and Pinkie was residing in Ponyville, the management of the farm belonged to Limestone, who had an enormous respect for the family traditions and a fierce determination to remain in charge of the farm. However, despite her seemingly tough and humorless personality, she also loved every single member of her family with all her heart and one of her favorite hobbies of all time was watching the sky every night. She could not really explain why, but silently staring at the moon and the surrounding stars did fill her with such serenity that she was able to forget all of her troubles and frustrations.

Unfortunately, she was not going to be able to spend any time on this hobby of hers that night...

Her father had recently gotten ill, and since both her mother and Marble were busy taking care of him while also looking after the house, it was Limestone's duty to take care of the chores around the farm each and every day until her father became better. Needless to say, this job was not easy to accomplish at all. Even though she was as strong and durable as the rest of her family, harvesting rocks on the entire field all by herself was extremely tiring for her. Moreover, she could not even manage to finish the workload during the day and this forced her to work during the night as well. While she was saddened by the fact that she would be unable to enjoy watching the beautiful evening sky, she was fully aware of the fact that sustaining the farm and supporting her family had far more importance than a simple hobby. Therefore, she stayed on the field long after the sun had set and the moon had risen, and despite how tired she was, she nevertheless continued to crush rocks without slowing down at all.

However, just as she was about to shatter her six hundredth rock that day, she heard a loud thumping noise coming from a distance. It was as if something really big was walking towards the farm and Limestone immediately thought of the possibility that it could be a lone Arimaspi that had wandered off from their nearby territory and was looking for ponies to eat. With that in mind, she put her tools aside and quickly ran towards the toolshed. Once inside, she grabbed a pair of binoculars and a crossbow she had been hiding there in case a bandit, animal or monster ever came to the farm. Despite the fact that her parents loathed using weapons of any kind, she had decided to gather whatever necessary to keep the family safe and it seemed like she was finally going to be able to use her crossbow that night.

As soon as she took what she needed from the shed, she went outside and used her binoculars to see exactly what was approaching the farm. As soon as she saw it, however, she became so afraid that her blood ran cold. It was a gigantic twenty feet tall bipedal beast made entirely of metal. He had a yellow-colored visor for eyes, two cannon-shaped cylinders on his back, and a big purple insignia on his chest that looked really menacing.

She and her family had heard about these things about a week ago. They were aliens called "Decepticons" and a whole army of them had recently invaded several major Equestrian cities, including Canterlot. Even though they were all destroyed by the combined efforts of the royal guard and their new allies, the Autobots (the mortal enemies of the Decepticons), and the Decepticon leader himself had been imprisoned in Tartarus by the princesses, one of them had apparently survived the Battle for Canterlot. It was slowly but surely making its way towards the rock farm, and Limestone had no idea how she could stop it. She started thinking really hard about the possible ways of preventing his approach and then, about ten seconds later, she came up with a plan that might just work.

She put her binoculars aside, grabbed her crossbow, and aimed it towards the Decepticon's visor. While his armor looked extremely durable and that shooting at it would be utterly pointless, the visor looked more vulnerable. So, she aimed the crossbow at it and began to wait for the creature to come close enough so that the arrow could find its target.

The waiting lasted for nearly fifteen seconds and by the time it ended, the Decepticon had finally arrived at Limestone's shooting range. Unfortunately, Limestone herself also became significantly more terrified of the creature each time he took a step towards the farm, and got closer and to her. In fact, her hooves were violently shaking with fear as a result of seeing the Decepticon up close and she was no longer certain about her ability to hit her target. However, there was one thing she was absolutely certain about and it was the fact that she had no choice but to use everything at her disposal as soon as possible in order to drive the monster away from her land and save the lives of her loved ones. With that in mind, she fired her arrow, watched as it traveled towards its intended target, and...

DOINK!

Her jaw dropped to the floor and her eyes widened with pure shock the moment she saw the arrow missing the target. Instead, it hit the Decepticon's forehead and fell harmlessly towards the ground. The creature, meanwhile, noticed this and immediately gazed at the direction the arrow was fired from. Once he saw Limestone, he began walking towards her and Limestone just stood there frozen from utter terror and all four of her hooves trembling. She did not even scream when the Decepticon gently picked her up with two fingers and brought her just inches away from his face.

Right after that, he said with a rough voice, "I'm just passing through. Not here to cause trouble. So, please, stop shooting at me with your primitive weapons, let me go about my business, and forget this encounter ever occurred. Are we clear?"

Limestone responded by giving him both a sheepish grin and a few quick nods. Therefore, the Decepticon carefully placed her back on the ground and continued on his current course. Limestone looked at him from behind for a short while before realizing exactly where he was headed.

She then galloped towards the creature and once she was right beside him, she yelled, "Wait! You can't go that way! That's where the Arimaspi Territory is!"

Upon hearing this, he stopped walking, looked back at Limestone, and replied, "I'm fully aware of that. It's my plan to go there, anyway. I'm going to spend the rest of my days there, because it's the one place in Equestria where no pony or Autobot would ever think to go. Besides, there are plenty of things I can do to keep myself occupied there. Smashing monsters, smashing mountains, smashing rocks... You name it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a retirement home to get to. Oh, and like I said before, forget this encounter ever occurred."

As he continued to walk towards his destination, Limestone took a few moments to think about what he had just said. Then, she suddenly got an idea and ran after the Decepticon once again. Once she arrived near him, she announced, "Hey, uh, if you enjoy smashing rocks that much, you can stay here and help me with my harvest. I've been cracking rocks all day long and, as much as I hate to admit it, I could really use some assistance finishing up my workload. Besides, this place is pretty far away from all the major cities and towns, so no pony or Autobot would think to come here, as well. So, what do you say? Care to spend your retirement here instead of the Arimaspi Territory?"

As soon as she finished that sentence, the Decepticon stopped walking once again, facepalmed, and let out a loud groan. Then, he once again picked up Limestone with his fingers, brought her close to his face, and angrily said, "I appreciate your kind offer, but there is just one problem with it. If I stay here, I'll be near you and your relatives, and being near ponies is the last thing I need right now. Oh, yes, I do know that you have relatives here, because I saw them with my thermal imaging. Also, I scanned both your DNA and theirs, and noticed that they are very similar to each other. This means you're all related to one another, but that is the least of my worries at the moment. My main concern is whether or not I can trust any of you to keep my presence here a secret. Frankly, I think the risks I would take by staying here far outweigh the benefits. I mean, what if one of you decides to report my presence to the authorities? What if those authorities bring the Autobots with them? What if they succeed in terminating me a second time? Oh, dear Primus, just thinking about it is messing with my cerebral cortex!"

As he made that exclamation, he accidentally let go of Limestone and only noticed her fall when she let out terrified screams a few seconds later. Fortunately, he caught her with his right palm just before she hit the ground and once again brought her a few inches away from his face.

"Um... sorry about that", he nervously apologized. "It's just... being terminated during my last battle with your people and the Autobots was a truly horrible experience and I honestly do not want it to happen again. That's mainly why I've been avoiding ponies ever since."

"Hold on a minute. So, you're saying you actually perished and came back to life afterwards?", Limestone asked with great confusion in her voice. "How the heck did that happen? Also, you Decepticons have an afterlife too?"

"Yeah, we do and it's called 'the Matrix'. It is the realm of our almighty creator, Primus. The spark of every deceased Autobot and Decepticon go there, and be reunited with their fallen comrades. I briefly got to see my brother Barricade when I arrived there. Unfortunately, our reunion was cut short due to my sudden resurrection. It happened when our leader Megatron used a life-giving artifact called, 'the AllSpark', to bring back all of our fallen soldiers in a desperate effort to turn the tide of the Battle for Canterlot. I was supposed to help him achieve victory upon my return, but instead, I chose to run away from the battlefield. Something inside me snapped that day and I realized how foolish was my belief that Megatron's cause was the righteous path. I mean, fighting for him against both the Autobots and the princesses is what caused me to become offline in the first place and what's worse, he interrupted my reunion with Barricade by bringing me back from the Matrix. I had no intention to follow him after that and so, I escaped and I've been wandering through Equestria looking for an isolated place to stay ever since. Even though I do miss my brother sometimes, I don't really have the courage to re-experience the pain of termination once again. I just want to spend what's left of my natural lifespan in peace and doing what I do best. Smashing things."

As he explained all this, Limestone listened to every word he spoke with great interest. Although she did not show it, she was truly fascinated by the things he had talked about and by the time he finished his story, she was feeling legitimately sorry for everything he had been through and she did understand her reluctance to staying on the farm. However, there was still one question lingering on her mind.

"Whoa... That was... quite a story", she managed to say. "Although, there is one thing I don't exactly understand. Why are you telling me all this? I mean, you said a few minutes ago that you don't really trust me and family to keep your presence here a secret. So, what made you think you can trust me with the tale of your resurrection and change of heart?"

"I... don't quite know. Maybe its because I haven't talked to another sentient being for so long that I felt a sudden urge to reveal everything I've been keeping inside. Another reason could be that I see some of my younger self in you. You mentioned earlier that you've been handling the rock harvest all by yourself for the entire day, and that means you're strong and determined just like I was. Also, when I scanned your oldest relative, I noticed that his body temperature was higher than all of yours, which means he is not in good health at the moment and you are in charge of running this farm while your remaining relatives are taking care of him. I admire that kind of strong dedication. Reminds me of how valiantly I served Megatron all those eons even when he was on the brink of defeat. So, yeah, before he went mad and committed terrible crimes against me, I was immensely loyal to him the same way you are immensely loyal to your oldest relative. You know, I sometimes do wish I could go back to those times. When things were simple, my brother was online, and we had a strong leader to both look up to and depend on."

As he let out a deep sigh and hung his head in sorrow, Limestone could not help but shed a few tears before walking on his right arm and making his way towards the right side of his head. Once she came close to it, she placed one of her hooves on his right cheek and said, "I'm so sorry about what happened to you, but you should know that just because you can't go back to those simpler times, doesn't mean you can't build a better life for yourself here. It seems to me that this Megatron was more than just your leader. He was, more or less, a father figure to both you and your brother. You may have been unable to stay loyal to your father, but you can help me stay loyal to mine. Trust me, my father is nothing like Megatron. Sure, he's almost always strict and humorless, but he also deeply cares about me, my mother, and my sisters no matter what. He's fully supported us in all of our endeavors and right now, taking care of the rock harvest until he gets better is my perfect opportunity to thank him for that. Unfortunately, I don't really think I can pull it off all on my own. So, what do you say? Lend me a little assistance during your retirement here?"

Upon hearing all this, the Decepticon slowly raised his head to look at her before declaring, "Hmmm... Alright, then. I accept your offer, little one. I shall retire to this farm and smash the rocks around here so that you could help out your family during this difficult time. Perhaps, then, you could finally pay your debt to a father far nobler than the one I had. There is just one question I've been contemplating, though. How are we going to explain my presence to your relatives?"

A huge smile appeared on Limestone's face as soon as she heard that and as she wiped away the tears on her eyes, she replied, "Leave that to me, buddy. Now, come on! We've got to finish up today's workload before my folks start worrying sick for me. Oh, by the way, my name's Limestone Pie and it’s a real pleasure to welcome you to Pie Family Rock Farm.”

"And I am Brawl. Honored to meet you, Limestone Pie. Now, show me some rocks to smash, already!”

He punched his left palm with his right fist, to which Limestone could not help but giggle at. She then he pointed towards the rocks scattered around the that required harvesting and Brawl gently placed her back on the ground before walking towards the rocks and promptly started smashing them to bits with his bare hands. After Limestone spent about ten seconds watching him while also being completely awed by his brute strength and seemingly unstoppable power, she was suddenly startled by the combined sound of two distinct shocked gasps.

She turned around to see both his mother and Marble staring at Brawl with their jaws dropped to the floor and their eyes widened with terror. In response, she let out a nervous chuckle and managed to say, “Um… I can explain…”

The next morning, a decision regarding Brawl’s stay on the farm was reached amongst the members of the Pie family. He was to stay inside the borders Arimaspi Territory from dawn until dusk and come to the farm to help finish Limestone’s rock harvest between sunset and sunrise. In this way, his presence would be completely hidden from other ponies, and none of the family members would feel the need to report him to the authorities due to his contribution to the farm.

While Limestone was a bit saddened by the fact that he would not get to see Brawl all the time, she nevertheless agreed to this arrangement and his father openly expressed how proud of her he was, as a result. As for Brawl himself, he was extremely happy over the arrangement. He could get to smash monsters during the day and smash rocks during the night while also spending some time with Limestone. They talked about their respective cultures and societies. Additionally, Brawl shared his war stories with Limestone while she shared her family memories with him. All the while, they got to do one of Limestone’s favorite hobbies: peacefully staring at stars.

The Touch

Author's Note

Optimus Prime is voiced by the one and only Peter Cullen.

The Touch

Even though he was travelling at his top speed, it had taken him a whole a day to reach his destination. Along the way, however, he had seen many wonderful sights. These included the magnificent Neighagra Falls, the gorgeous Crystal Mountains, and the truly awe-inspiring city of Manehattan (even if it was observed from a distance in order to prevent panic among the residents). All in all, it had been a pretty amazing journey and it was finally coming to a close. Sure, it had taken a bit longer than the traveler had expected and he had to overcome a few obstacles such as steep mountain ranges and bumpy roads, but it was nothing he could not handle by himself.

After all, he was Optimus Prime, the noble and brave leader of the Autobot faction, who had led his comrades through an eons-long war on their home planet of Cybertron, a millennium-long voyage across the stars, and a hard-won victory against their mortal enemies, Megatron and his Decepticon forces, in a battle where he fought side by side with some of Equestria's greatest warriors. He finally had no more wars to fight and so, he had decided to pursue a profession he was forced to abandon when he became a soldier and a leader: pursuing knowledge.

Since he and his Autobots had no way of returning home and no home to return to at the moment, he was going to explore this planet they had taken refuge in and discover all the secrets it was holding. Though he had no idea where to start his journey at first, his new friend, Twilight Sparkle, had given him the idea of traveling to a place called, "Griffonstone" and after a long but breathtaking trip, he was now standing right in front of the city's front gates, ready to behold all the wonders it could possess.

Unfortunately, once he took a good look at the city, it became clear that he had set his expectations way too high. Instead of a prosperous village inhabited by cheerful ponies, it was a nearly desolate town full of depressed creatures that looked like combinations between the organic versions of the Decepticons Ravage and Laserbeak. Though he initially considered leaving, he soon decided that it would not do any good to just abandon a place he spent twenty four long megacycles trying to reach without spending some time exploring, no matter how unpleasant the place itself appeared to be. So, he took a deep breath and proceeded to enter the town, grabbing the attention of every single resident in the process.

The looks they were giving him ranged from frightened to suspicious. In fact, some of them were either hastily retreating inside a house or outright glaring at him while getting ready to attack with their claws. Despite this cold reception, however, he managed to walk all the way across town without an incident and once he was at the town's edge, he turned to the creatures gathered in front of him before clearing his throat and making an announcement.

"Greetings, citizens of Griffonstone", he began. "I am Optimus Prime of the planet Cybertron. I have come to your kingdom as part of my journey across Equestria. I have no intention to disrupt your daily lives as my sole goal is to discover the secrets and wonders your culture possesses."

The residents responded by staying silent for a handful of seconds while their facial expressions remained the same. The silence was only broken when one of them (the same one who had abandoned Rainbow Dash at the Abysmal Abyss) shouted from behind, "You got bits?!"

A confused Optimus turned around and replied, "I am... not familiar with those 'bits' you speak of. What are they?"

In response, all the creatures loudly groaned in unison and dispersed to continue doing what they were doing before Optimus showed up, leaving him even more puzzled than before. Just then, he sensed something on his left foot and looked down to see an older and grizzled resident poking him in the foot with a wooden stick and even biting it with his beak. The said creature then looked up towards Optimus's face and said, "Well, mister, I can definitely say that your body is made of a metal much stronger than gold, which makes it all the more valuable! Tell me, can you spare any parts so that we can sell them to the highest bidder in a pony town?"

"Sorry, but, no", declared Optimus. "Besides, I cannot imagine any pony would be willing to purchase a part of mine, since they would not have any use for it."

The creature then flew up near the Autobot leader's face and asked, "Oh, really, now? What about a blacksmith, hmmm? I'm pretty sure one of them will pay a huge sum for an opportunity to make something from one of your parts. Have you ever considered that possibility?"

"I have and it is actually the main reason why I refuse your offer", Optimus firmly replied. "My Autobots and I are merely refugees in your planet and we wish for our influence on the Equestrian society to be as minimal as possible. Also, there is a possibility that a pony might turn one of my parts into a weapon and I can never allow that to happen. This kind of weapon may very well endanger innocent pony lives, which is something I cannot abide at any circumstance."

The creature responded by loudly groaning and shouting, "You're much too noble for my liking! Fine, then! If you don't want to sell your parts, then you have nothing valuable on you, which means you have no stinking business here!"

"But, I've come a long way to discover the secrets of your kingdom", stated Optimus. "What can you tell me about those?"

"Well, look around, mister! Do you see anything worth discovering in our sad, miserable town?", the creature asked. "We barely qualify as a kingdom, because we don't even have a king. If you're wondering why what is, I can tell you what happened for a couple of bits. Oh, wait, I forgot. YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT BITS ARE!"

"Leave him alone RIGHT NOW, grandpa!", a nearby voice called out. When Optimus turned towards the direction it came from, he saw a much younger creature hovering in the air. While the one he was speaking with had black eyes, a violetish gray coat, medium gray neck and dark violetish gray wings, this one had light brilliant amber eyes, moderate gamboge coat, white head with pale, light grayish heliotrope edge, and moderate gamboge wings. Also, while the older creature was a male, the younger one was a female, who had an extremely stern expression on her face.

"Don't you have anything better to do than harassing this tired traveler?", she asked.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I do!", her grandpa replied. "I'm late for my weekly card game and then, I'm planning to sleep for the rest of the day, if you don't mind."

"No, I don't mind at all. In fact, I wish you stay asleep FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK!", the granddaughter declared. "Now, buzz off while I deal with our new visitor!"

The elder creature replied with a humph and then flew away while violently coughing on the way. Once he was out of sight, Optimus turned his attention to the granddaughter, who now had a rather annoyed expression on her face. She moved closer to the Autobot's leader face before explaining, "So sorry about that, sir. Grandpa Gruff is always very grabby when it comes to money. Actually, you can say that about pretty much every griffon around these parts. Well, anyway, I'm Gilda and I humbly welcome you to what's left of Griffonstone since the passing of our last king."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Gilda", Optimus replied. "You seem to be the only griffon here who is not corrupted by greed. My name is Optimus Prime and I come from the planet Cybertron. As a refugee on your planet, I am on a journey to explore all of Equestria's features and, as fate would have it, I chose your home as my first stop. So, uh, you wouldn't happen to know the reasons behind your kingdom's current state and your king's absence, would you?"

Gilda let out a heavy sigh and revealed, "Actually, yeah, I do. I didn't actually believe a word of it when I first heard the story, but a recent event made me realize that it was all true. Don't worry, I won't force you to pay me like Grampa Gruff did. So, basically, our entire race was once united in pride by our first king, Grover, through a treasure called, the Idol of Boreas. For the next millennia or so, Griffonstone remained a majestic kingdom and the envy of all other species. Then, it all changed when a monster named, Arimaspi, tried to steal the idol from our last king, Guto. Even though Guto fought the creature, it fell to the Abysmal Abyss along with the idol. With our sacred treasure gone, our entire kingdom fell apart and every griffon here has been living in misery ever since. Does that answer your questions?"

Optimus, who had remained silent throughout the entire narration, solemnly replied, "How unfortunate. I am so sorry to hear all this. Tell me, did the ponies not aid you in any way after the fall of your kingdom?"

"Ha! Of course, not", Gilda bluntly stated. "Ponies have always treated creatures like us as second-rate citizens. Even if they did send aid, we wouldn't accept it. We're much too proud to let others help us."

"Then, how can anyone survive in a place like this?", asked Optimus.

Gilda replied, "It's pretty much the survival of the fittest around here. Most of us collect every little trinket we can find, sell it, and stash the bits we earn in a safe place. Other griffons like Grampa Gruff win their money in a game of cards or other kinds of gambling. As for me, I make a living by selling griffon scones. For the longest time, I've dreamed of nothing but earning enough bits to leave this town and start a better life somewhere else."

"So, what changed your decision, if you don't mind me asking?", curiously inquired Optimus.

After taking a very deep breath, Gilda sadly admitted, "Normally, I downright despise talking about my past, but you do look like someone I can easily confide in. So, I guess I could make an exception just this once. Y'see, I have this friend named, Rainbow Dash. She and I have been best friends since we were little. I was a much different griffon back then: shy, timid, and not even brave enough to stand up for myself. Luckily, Dash always got my back in case I got into trouble with other ponies. Then, after surviving here for many years, I began to change. As much as I hate to admit it, I became as greedy, cruel, and insensitive as my fellow griffons. It also affected my friendship with Dash, because after being annoyed by his new friends, I insulted them and she rightfully called me out on my behavior before ending our friendship. Obviously, I was angry and never wanted to see her again, but a few days ago, she and one of her new friends, Pinkie Pie, came here to solve a friendship problem. They tried to restore the kingdom by retrieving the Idol of Boreas from the Abysmal Abyss, but ended up in serious trouble and it was up to me to save them. Even though that meant giving up the one thing that could save my home, it didn't matter, because I learned that friends are way more important than dumb old idols. So, now, I'm pretty much the only griffon who understands the value of friendship and I'm also on a mission to spread friendship among my kind."

Optimus, once again remaining silent throughout the narration, replied in an astonished tone, "By the Matrix! I must admit, Gilda, your story is both tragic and fascinating at the same time. You have obviously been through a lot and will, no doubt, go through a lot more in the future. However, it pleases me to hear that you now walk a far more virtuous path thanks to the assistance of your friends."

In response, Gilda gave him a dry chuckle and commented, "Yeah, as 'virtuous' as this path is, it's not very easy to follow. I mean, I'm supposed to spread friendship to a whole town full of greedy griffons who only value bits and treasures. Do you have any idea how hard this job is gonna be? It'll probably take DECADES to complete and even then, there's no guarantee my people will stay friendly with each other. I don't even wanna think about how our relations with ponies will change during that time, because I know they won't. Dash and Pinkie are cool and all, but the rest of them aren't even close to that. So, as you can imagine, I've got a very heavy burden to carry and I have no idea if I can handle all of it."

While she turned her gaze towards the town and solemnly stared at it for a handful of seconds, Optimus thought about what she had just said and finally said, "Gilda, I think I understand exactly what you are going through."

Upon hearing that, Gilda confusedly looked back at Optimus and asked, "Huh? W-what exactly do you mean by that?"

"After hearing what you told me about your kingdom and yourself, I have realized that we actually have a lot in common", began Optimus. "I, too, am a member of a civilization that was devastated by a lack of unity among the denizens. However, my story is far more tragic than yours as my people were divided into two factions that battled each other until our planet became unable to sustain any form of life. I was the leader of the faction that fought against those who sought to conquer our world and enslave us all. During those battles, I witnessed so many of my brothers and sisters perish, and since I was their leader, I could not help but blame myself for their loss. As a result, I went through a dramatic change over the course of our civil war. By the time we all left the planet to search for new energy sources, I was no longer a hopeful and confident soldier, but rather a tired and remorseful commander. Unfortunately, I had no time to rest as I was burdened with a most challenging task of leading a group of survivors on a journey across the stars in search of a way to restore our home. We encountered many obstacles along the way and it was always up to me to keep our morale high, despite the fact that I was as tired of the war as everyone else. We went on like this for an entire millennium before we eventually found this world and embraced it as our new home."

By the time he finished explaining, Gilda had become extremely shocked to hear all this and her eyes had widened exponentially in the meantime. After spending a few seconds blinking and trying to comprehend everything, she loudly exclaimed, "Goodness, you're right! Your story does sound more tragic than mine! So, you actually went through all this and kept it together the whole time? Dude, you are one tough cookie, I'll give you that. Also, yeah, I do see that we have a lot in common. So, uh, how did you manage to, you know, not emotionally fall apart during all this?"

Optimus then confidently replied, "I received help from my surviving friends, of course. Even though we had lost so many of our comrades and were left with little to no resources, they still believed in ability to lead them to salvation. We frequently supported each other throughout our journey across the stars and did not leave each other's side even when we faced impossible odds. That is the true benefit of friendship and it is something anyone can and should possess, in my opinion."

As she took a moment to consider those claims, Gilda's face became saddened again and she stated, "I agree, but how can I find a friend to help me carry all that burden I just mentioned. I mean, pretty much everyone here is a greedy jerk who has no respect for one another. How can I possibly hope to make a single friend in a place like this?"

In response, Optimus gently held her chin up and warmly declared, "Friendship may be difficult in an environment like this, Gilda, but I can assure you, it is not impossible. If I can make friends in countless battlefields, then you can certainly make friends in this hostile environment. You just have to perform little acts of kindness every once in a while and over time, you shall have a good number of friends by your side. I know this may be a difficult mission for someone who was forced to mature here, but from what I have seen and heard, I can definitely say that you are up to the task. You possess strength, courage, determination, and most importantly, a drive to better yourself in every way. Trust me, once you begin practicing kindness and humility, I have no doubt that you will become so much greater than what you are now."

Gilda was extremely touched by these words and as she shed a dozen drops of tear, sniffled a few times, and even managed a small smile, she admitted, "Y'know, when I was little, I never thought I'd be the lucky griffon who gets to save this kingdom."

"And I never thought I would be a warrior, let alone the leader of an entire faction of warriors, during my youth", replied Optimus. "Look how we turned out."

Then, they shared a laugh and Optimus let go of Gilda's chin as she wiped away her tears. She then flew up to the Autobot leader's face and happily rubbed her head against his left cheek while he gently stroked her head with one finger. Right after that, she motioned him to follow her and he did so as she flew towards the center of the town and landed near a house that had a carriage in front of it. She then took at least a dozen griffon scones from the carriage and, once again, flew up to the Autobot leader's face before offering him the scones.

"I know you'll be leaving soon, but at least take some of my scones for the road", she suggested. "I know they're not the tastiest food in all of Equestria, but trust me, they were completely inedible before I started using the baking powder Pinkie gave me."

Optimus took a glance at the scones before looking back at Gilda and admitting, "Sorry to disappoint you, Gilda, but my Cybertronian anatomy prevents me from consuming organic food. Besides, I do not even have a mouth."

Though Gilda was briefly saddened to hear that, she eventually got an idea and cheerfully said, "That's okay. You can still take them with you and give them to the ponies you meet along your journey. That way, we can get them to take an interest in the griffon culture and maybe, just maybe, our relations with them can improve."

"That's the spirit, Gilda!", Optimus enthusiastically replied. "I shall put your plan in motion as soon as possible."

Then, he carefully picked up the scones and placed them inside a compartment located on his left arm. As soon as he closed the compartment, Gilda curiously asked, "So, what's the next stop on your journey, anyway?"

In response, Optimus took a few moments to ponder on the answer to that question before finally stating, "Well, since I am going to help you improve the relations between ponies and griffons, I must convince the ponies to take an interest in your culture. I should not start by spreading the word in a highly populated area, because not all of Equestria is accustomed to the Autobot presence and I do not wish to cause mass panic. So, the only logical place to start is in a town like this one. Hmmm... Now that I think about it, there was a small town I passed by while coming here. Plus, it is not very far away. Yes, that shall be my next destination. Thank you so much for your time, Gilda. I do hope our paths cross once again in the near future, my friend."

A surprised Gilda then asked, "Wait, we're actually friends, now?"

"Well, of course, we are", confidently declared Optimus. "I mean, if you want to. If you don't, then I shall not force you."

"No, no, I do!", Gilda sheepishly replied. "It's just that I don't really know what convinced you to become friends with me."

Optimus responded by, once again, stroking her head and warmly explaining, "Like I said, practicing humility and kindness every now and then makes all the difference."

Though she was a bit confused at first, Gilda eventually realized what that meant and became extremely happy before quickly rushing to hug the Autobot leader's chest while he did his best to hug her back. Once that was done, she enthusiastically said, "Thank you so much for everything, Optimus Prime. I, too, want us to meet again soon."

"You are most welcome, Gilda", Optimus replied. "Also, you can call me 'Optimus' if you want. All of my close friends do."

Gilda let out a small giggle and said, "Will do, Optimus. Well, you better go now. I wouldn't wanna keep you away from your journey and mission. Once again, thanks for everything."

Optimus responded with a nod and began walking towards the town entrance. Once he reached it, he looked back at his new griffon friend, raised his fist up in the air, and confidently declared, "Till all are one!", before transforming into his vehicle mode and drove away to continue his exciting journey, with Gilda waving good-bye to him from behind.

Just then, she sensed a presence nearby and turned around to see a much younger griffon hovering in the air and smiling even more brightly than she was a moment ago. Deciding to investigate, she also began hovering in the air and curiously inquired, "Hey, Gabby. What's up?"

She then noticed her presence and nervously replied, "Oh, hi, Gilda. Did you see that metal giant just now? He looked so bold and heroic. I wonder where in Equestria he's from."

Gilda slyly chuckled and said, "See him? I've MET him."

With her eyes widening with shock, Gabby excitedly asked, "Really?! Oh, my gosh! That's so cool! Who is he?"

"He is Optimus Prime", explained Gilda. "He's a war hero from another world who's come to Equestria to stay for a while."

"WOW! That's even cooler!", Gabby exclaimed. "I wish I could be just like him when I'm older."

Gilda happily rolled her eyes and replied, "Well, you CAN be a hero, but I doubt anyone can be EXACTLY like him."