Chapters It was a nice day in Ponyville. The sun shone brightly, and Cloudsdale had scheduled a cloudless summer day for the small village. With this perfect weather, ponies were out enjoying it. Fillies and colts ran about in the streets, while the adults carried on with any shopping or business that was needed done.
There were foals playing in the park as well, but most had cleared a large section of the park for a small group of 7 ponies and a dragon, who seemed to be preparing something special.
“So, Twilight? Why is Trixie here again?” Applejack whispered to the purple Unicorn, who was staring furiously into a spell book.
“Because, you simple farmer, The Great and Powerful Trixie demands a rematch against Twilight Sparkle!” The sky-blue showmare stomped her hoof upon the grass, sticking her chest out. She stood tall, having set her cloak and hat aside, ready to duel.
The orange Earth Pony shot a scowl back at her. Twilight and the others were trying to ignore her at this point, but Applejack couldn't stand somepony as stuck up as her sticking around. “Look Trixie, ah've been puttin' up with you for long enough. Cancha see Twilight's busy?”
With a humph, Trixie glared back. “This is a demand from Trixie herself. She will not wait for somepony to be 'free' from their schedule. Trixie wants her rematch now!”
Finally, Twilight couldn't ignore it anymore. With a grunt, she threw her head to face the sky. “Will you both shut up?!” Her outburst caused all of her friends to turn in shock. The Unicorn turned from her book, giving a scowl to both of the ponies. “I told you Trixie: You will have to wait until I finish my spell! I'll gladly accept your challenge after I'm finished.” With a flick of her tail, Twilight turned back to her book, which was levitating in her magic.
Trixie wanted to say something, but turned her eyes to the earth pony, knowing that it would only start another futile argument with the farmer. Applejack just stared coldly in the Unicorn's direction, willing to give Twilight her silence.
'Just one distraction after another today,' Twilight grumbled to herself. She had been trying to re-alphabetize the books in the library, until a letter arrived from Princess Celestia. It was instructions for a spell that the Princess had been working on. The spell itself was similar to teleportation, but much larger, and a much farther distance. From what Twilight could understand, the Princess was studying a spell that could transport any object, no matter how large, from one location to another, no matter how far, in a single flash.
Twilight had asked her friends to help gather some simple magic channeling items, and were on their way to Ponyville's central park, when an old acquaintance decided to rear her head.
Trixie had returned to Ponyville after all these years, having finished her latest tour. This time, however, was not to boast about her strength. She had practiced her magical talents, and now wanted to challenge Twilight in a competition of magic prowess, and back her boasts of strength. But she told Trixie that she had more important things to do.
So, with the tension gone, Rainbow Dash decided to lean in to look at Twilight's spell book. “So what is it the Princess wanted you to do, Twilight?”
With a huff, Twilight rolled her eyes. But, it was a worthy question that did need answering. “Princess Celestia wanted me to practice a new spell she has been experimenting with. But it's too powerful to be using indoors, such as the Castle in Canterlot. So, she wants me to practice this in a more open area. And Ponyville Park is the widest space within the town, so I figured I would just practice here.”
“But, wouldn't that be dangerous to the other ponies in the park?” A timid voice asked. Twilight turned to Fluttershy, who was now looking over her other shoulder.
“Well you see: It's not so much that the spell needs a large area,” Twilight set down her book, ready to give a quick explanation. “Just in case the spell begins to miscast, or it was cast incorrectly, I can diffuse it by releasing the energy building inside, dispersing the energy in the spell to the surrounding area. Like Dash's Sonic Rainboom.” She waved her hoof around the air to demonstrate what she was explaining. “So, if the spell needs to be diffused, it's best to not be close to a bunch of buildings, let alone inside.”
After finishing her rant, Twilight opened her eyes to see that everypony was staring blankly, clearly having lost interest. Without another word, the Unicorn turned back to book, almost hurt that nopony cared about the answer to the question they asked.
Rarity, Pinkie, and Spike, who were standing off to the side, were the most confused at the events about to take place. “So, if it's supposed to be some super-duper hard spell, why does Twilight need us around?” Pinkie asked the purple dragon with a raised eyebrow.
Spike leaned over to Pinkie. “It's because she wants us all to be here for moral support.” He put a claw up to his mouth and nearly whispered. “Truth is, she's scared she can't do it, and wants us to support- Ow!” An airborne rock cut him off.
“I can hear you, Spike.” Twilight stated, without looking from her book. “Don't blame me for being nervous casting a spell the Princess is nervous to cast.”
“Yes, Spike. Be a bit more sensitive to poor Twilight. She's obviously very stressed, and you wouldn't want to make it any worse.” Rarity nudged the dragon with her forehoof.
All was silent for another few seconds, until Twilight stood up, slamming the book shut. “I got it! Did everypony bring the items I asked?” She turned to her friends, all perking up from Twilight's outburst.
Rainbow Dash plucked a feather from her wing, spitting it on the ground. “There's your Pegasus feather.”
Fluttershy set a small tail on the ground. “Well, the newt was really kind, and it will grow back, but I still didn't feel right taking his tail.”
Rarity lifted a bag over, setting it near the pile. “And here is the crushed sapphires. I hope you know I would only do this for you, Twilight.” After giving a small smile, her curiosity was just too much. “So what did you need these for? To channel the magic?”
Twilight paused for a short time, her cheeks turning red, then rubbed her hoof against her head. “Actually...Spike's right. I just wanted you guys to be here. This is really powerful magic, and I wasn't sure if I could do it without you guys backing me up.”
Everypony groaned, thinking that they had a reason to be here. Applejack was just tagging along, and Pinkie refused to miss out on a group get together. A loud laugh was heard over the groans, though. The ponies turned to Trixie, who was trying to stifle her laughter. “So, Trixie's 'rival' can't even cast powerful magic without the support of her friends? While heart-warming, it shows how much ability you lack, Twilight Sparkle.” The blue unicorn lit her own horn, lifting the spell book over to her eyes to see. She wanted to see what was so difficult about it, and began to read through the info on the spell Twilight was practicing.
Ignoring her, Twilight turned to the open field in front of them. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, and began to surge the magic from her horn. 'Now, just imagine what you want to teleport, and where it is right now.' She began to think of Princess Celestia. What better way to show her the spell works then by bringing her over? Twilight thought of Canterlot Castle, and of the Princess, focusing harder as she began drawing the magic runes in her mind.
Trixie found herself drawn closer to the group as she read, but also looking over Twilight's lavender aura as it grew larger and brighter. Pinkie and Rarity stared marvelously at the light, amazed by the power Twilight was using. Applejack, Rainbow, and Spike just covered their eyes, and Fluttershy was hiding behind Rainbow Dash.
Once Twilight finished charging the power, it suddenly shot out as a beam of energy, straight ahead of her. Her eyes shot open, knowing that wasn't supposed to happen. The beam went about 20 feet, before splashing into a green oval, as if it was paint hitting the ground. The energy began to swirl around, creating a large wind tunnel.
Instinctively, Applejack shouted “Get down!” and jumped on Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, pinning them to the ground. Twilight dug her hooves into the dirt as firmly as she could, trying to diffuse the spell, but also fighting the strong winds that were trying to pull her in. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Spike and Trixie, who were all caught off guard, attempted clinging to the grass, but tried too late. All 4 of them were swept into the air, and vanished in the wind tunnel.
“No!” Twilight shouted over the wind, almost losing her grip on the ground. Just as soon as her friends disappeared, so too did the vortex, leaving the grass underneath scorched and black. Her mouth hung open in shock, unable to comprehend what just happened.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Ratchet, have you placed the beacon in the coordinates I provided to you?" asked Optimus Prime.
"Yes Optimus, but i still don't know why you had me place a beacon in the middle of a random forrest." replied Ratchet.
"What are you bots talking about?" asked a voice. Optimus and Ratchet turned and saw that Arcee, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Smokescreen had joined them.
"I was just asking Optimus about something, it's not important." replied Ratchet.
"No Ratchet, your question is valid and I'm glad you are all here to hear what i have to say. Based on recent events including my time in the arctic and the event with the red energon, Starscream has become more of a nuisance that a real threat. However, I cannot allow him to disturb any more missions or jeopardize anymore relics to either himself or the Decepticons. Therefore, I had Ratchet plant this tracking beacon in a distant and remote location. I will activate it and give it a frequency that Starscream can pick up. He will be drawn to the signal and when he arrives he will come with us, either peacefully or by force."
"Good plan boss bot, do you really think he'll go for it?" inquired Smokescreen.
"He's been doing a good job of finding things we don't want him to lately." said Bulkhead.
"But now that we do want him to find it, maybe he won't." added Arcee.
"We must pray that he does. Ratchet, energize the beacon. Bumblebee, Arcee, you will accompany me to the beacon site and we will wait for Starscream."
"Aw, come on Optimus! You saw how i handled Starscream last time, now he's even more vulnerable without his armor, I could take him down in nothin' flat!" shouted Smokescreen in frustration.
"Smokescreen, while I admire your spirit and eagerness to help us, our mission is not to harm Starscream, but to bring him back peacefully. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir." The Autobot walked off in defeat, not willing to argue beyond that.
Meanwhile, in Starscream's hidden warship base, a computer monitor flickers on. A globe appears, then the screen begins to zoom in to a small area deep within a thick forest of evergreens. Then a notification pops up next to the area, written in Cybertronian text.
"Hello there." said Starscream as a grin crept across his face turning into a devious smile. He tapped the coordinates into his ground-bridge and activated it. then he casually walked through it and was gone.
High above the Earth, hidden in the clouds, the Decepticon warship hovers silently. Megatron stood on the bridge, arms folded behind his back, starring out into the open sky. His mind wandering, wondering, waiting for a sign of sorts, something that would be worth his valuable time rather than just standing here.
"Lord Megatron! I have something you need to see!" shouted a trooper at one of the many command computers.
Megatron walked over to the screen where the trooper was standing. "What is it?"
"I'm not sure Lord Megatron, but i believe it shares the same data signature as some of the ancient relics we've been tracking."
"I see, very good," then Megatron turned, "Soundwave, bring Knockout before me, I have a task I need him to complete for me."
Moments later a sleek red and silver Decepticon came walking onto the bridge. "You rang, Lord Megatron?" said Knockout as he gave a courteous bow.
"Yes Knockout, i have a task for you, a new relic has surfaced it seems, I want you to go and investigate."
"I'll need to take some back up. I don't think we are the only ones to have discovered this signal, my liege." he added with another bow.
"Very well, take as many soldiers as you think you might need and bring me back that relic!" shouted Megatron.
"Yes Lord Megatron," he turned and walked away.
Flying fast over the Nevada desert, Whelljack was putting the Starhammer through it's paces. "Come on baby, after that last run-in with those Insecticons, you haven't been flyin' just right. You gotta be in tip-top condition if you want to survive the next encounter we come across."
Just then his computer clicked on and brought up a strange energy signature coming from a thick forrest area.
"Welp, guess you get to see somethin' sooner than we planned, huh?" And with that, he kicked in the afterburners and zoomed off to the location of the energy signature.
Starscream was first to arrive at the site, he walked slowly and cautiously out into the clearing where he saw something jutting out of the ground. He walked over and pulled it out of the ground, he looked at it and recognized it as an energy beacon.
"GRRRAAAH, WHAT?! WHO DARES TO INSULT ME BY PLANTING THIS PIECE OF JUNK HERE?! If I get my hands on whoever did this, they will feel the WRATH OF STARSCREAM!!"
And with that he through the beacon down at the ground and it bounced off something that made a loud metallic sound. Starscream's eyes got wide, he looked down, what could have possibly made that noise? He began to dig and dig until he unearthed what seemed to be a capsule. Upon opening it, he saw that the only contents were a data pad with a screen and tracking graph on it. “What is this?' Starscream said in his head.
Suddenly, another ground-bridge opened. Starscream hastily put the data pad inside a compartment in his back just as Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Arcee walked out. Immediately Arcee and Bumblebee trained their weapons on Starscream, but Optimus pushed their weapons down and stepped forward. "So, it was you who planted the beacon, eh?" Starscream asked.
Before Optimus had a chance to answer, a loud roar of engines could be heard in the distance, then a loud thud, then a new roar of engines, but this engine noise was much smaller, about the size of a car's engine. Then, from behind the Autobots, a sleek white sports car with red and green accents came racing to the scene and transformed into Wheeljack.
"Well well, got quite the party goin, don't'cha Optimus?" asked Wheeljack with both swords drawn, one down at his side, the other pointed straight at Starscream.
"Wheeljack, drop your weapons, we are not here to attack Starscream!"
"What?" said Wheeljack and Starscream at the same time.
Optimus turned to face Starscream directly. "Starscream, I know you have no intentions of joining our side and I also know that you have turned your back on the Decepticons. I am here to offer you solace and safety from the Decepticons and in return, all I ask is for Intel on everything you know concerning Megatron and his strategies." pleaded Optimus Prime.
"I already have solace and safety, thank you very much. And as for Intel, I have been absent from the Decepticon warship for 7 quartexes now, so any Intel I have would be useless to you." Starscream replied.
Starscream turned to walk away, but Optimus had one last plan. "I can see to it we return you to the skies." Optimus added.
He paused for a moment, not sure if he heard Optimus correctly. "What did you say?" Starscream turned, his eyes wide.
"I can return your transformation cog to you, we have the body of Nemesis Prime, and from what i hear Silas put your t-cog into it when he tried to impersonate me. I can have Agent Fowler bring it to us and Ratchet can put it back inside you."
Starscream stared in amazement, that anyone, let alone an Autobot, would go out of their way to help him regain the greatest loss of his life, his ability to transform.
The other Autobots were looking at Prime, they were confused as to why he would make such a claim.
"Optimus, you aren't really gonna give 'scream back his ability to fly, I mean, once he gets it, what's to say he won't just take off and leave?" asked Wheeljack. Bumblebee and Arcee nodded in agreement.
"Wheeljack, I always keep my word, if Starscream does come with us and give us the Intel we desire, I will honor my promise and give him back his t-cog."
"But Optimus, the t-cog also effects his ability to use his weapons," added Arcee, "what's to stop him from slagging us all?"
"Easy, we out number him." grinned Wheeljack as he flipped his sword in his hand.
"So Starscream, what is your choice?" Optimus asked.
"I...I..I choose..." stammered Starscream, but that's all he could get out. Because at that moment, yet another ground-bridge opened up. Knockout stepped out of the ground-bridge followed by ten Vehicon troops.
"So, what have we here? Four soon-to-be-dead Autobots and one traitor, I guess the real question is who wants to get slagged first? said Knockout as he reached up and grabbed his electro-staff from over his shoulder. All the Vehicons raised their weapons as well.
"Autobots, we must protect Starscream!" shouted Optimus.
"Did he really just say that?" asked Wheeljack.
Arcee turned to look back at Starscream and saw that he was running away. "We can't really protect what isn't there now
can we?" replied Arcee.
Optimus turned, and saw Starscream disappear into the woods. "Autobots, follow me, we must bring him back to base at all costs!"
"Hmm, I wonder why Prime wants 'scream so bad? Decepticons, let's go bag us a traitor!" shouted Knockout.
Now it was an all out race to see who got to Starscream first. Optimus was in the lead with the Autobots keeping Knockout and his Vehicons off of his back. Then Wheeljack had an idea, he transformed then shouted to Bumblebee. "Hey Bumblebee, how's about you hop on and get some target practice in, huh?"
Bumblebee beeped in agreement and hopped on to Wheeljack and started picking off Vehicons left and right. Farther ahead, Optimus and Arcee had almost caught up with Starscream. "Starscream, we can help you, just give us a chance!" Optimus pleaded.
"No, no, stay away from me!" shouted Starscream in return.
"Sorry 'scream, wasn't a request." added Arcee.
Arcee leaped onto Optimus' back, climbed up to his shoulder and jumped onto Starscream, bringing him down to the ground.
"Ratchet, we need a ground-bridge, now!" commanded Optimus into his wrist communicator.
"Wheeljack, floor it!" screamed Arcee.
But as she yelled for Wheeljack, she loosened her grip on Starscream, he pushed her off his back and quickly brought up his own ground-bridge. But something was wrong, Starscream's bridge opened in the exact same spot as the Autobot's bridge. The three bots looked at what was in front of them.
Unfortunately, Wheeljack, Bumblebee, even Knockout and the remaining four Vehicons, had taken Arcee's advice to floor it. They all crashed into Optimus, Arcee, and Starscream, forcing all ten of them into the multi-bridge. They were thrown around the two unstable bridge portals for what seemed to be an eternity, but just as soon as it started, they were shot out the other side of the bridge.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
They tumbled and stopped on solid ground in the middle of what seemed to be a small farming town. The Autobots and Decepticons got up and straightened themselves out and stared at each other, than drew their weapons. But before firing, they looked at the surrounding area. They noticed two very distinct things, one: Starscream was gone, and two: the town they were in had no people in it, instead there were brightly colored ponies running in multiple directions in a frenzied panic.
Once she could stand up straight, Twilight started to run to where the portal had been. This can't be happening, she thought. There was no way she could have screwed up this badly.
Before she reached the burnt grass, however, another portal opened of the same design. This one lacked the hurricane winds, and instead of sucking things in, spat out a large amount of huge objects.
These objects rolled on top of each other, like a ball, towards the nearest buildings. Upon crashing into the first house, splintering it, they stood upright, on their own. They were made of metal, and seemed to have the forms of minotaurs, though with much sturdier legs.
Upon gathering their sense, they divided themselves. 4 on one side, 5 on the other. Their hands all shifted, turning flat-ended and glowing either a faint purple or blue. Twilight stared in fear at these creatures, not sure of what they were doing, or what they planned to do.
On the bridge of the Decepticon Nemesis Warship, Vehicons typed away and watched the screens that lined the rounded room. Each seemed to be in order, save for one, which began to show multiple red bars across an overhead map. The black and purple Vehicon operating the computer stepped away from his screen. “Lord Megatron! Something has gone wrong!”
The towering Decepticon averted his attention from the Earth's sky to the vehicon's terminal. “What is it?” Megatron asked with disdain.
“Lord Megatron, Knockout's signal seems to have disappeared, as well as the Autobots'.”
“What do you mean?” Now curious, Megatron turned and began to walk to the computer.
The Vehicon typed away on the keypad. “I was monitoring their signals, but they suddenly disappeared right here,” He pointed at the screen, “At the point of a strange anomaly.”
He scowled, red eyes darting over the screen. “And what would you mean by 'strange'?”
“It would appear an anomaly similar to that of a space bridge appeared, and when it disappeared, the energy signals vanished as well.” He explained as he turned back to Megatron.
Megatron rubbed a hand against his chin, “Interesting.” was all he said. While he was somewhat concerned with what this anomaly could be, his curiosity was needing to be satisfied. “Soundwave,” he shouted, not turning from the screen. “Go and investigate.”
When Rarity came to, she found herself laying on a field of grass. She groggily opened her eyes, her head was dizzier than than the time she played on the merry-go-round with Sweetie Belle. And similar to that occasion, Rarity felt an incredibly uncomfortable sensation in her stomach. Upon having the strength to stand, her legs shaking, the Unicorn slowly stood. She saw that she was no longer in the park, or anywhere near Ponyville for that matter. It appeared that she was in a clearing of a forest, and it wasn't the Everfree Forest nor the Whitetail Woods, so Rarity was rather baffled where she landed.
After looking around, Rarity saw Pinkie and Spike, as well as Trixie still unconscious around her. She slowly made her way to the dragon, lightly shaking him. “Spike. Spike, are you alright?” Rarity asked quietly.
Gasping loudly, Spike's eyes darted open, and he tried to stand up, immediately falling over. He had a massive headache, and could barely roll over to get on his knees.
“Careful, Spikey! You're going to be really dizzy for a while.” She leaned down and nuzzled him, glad to see that he was just disoriented.
“Rarity?” Spike tried to clear his head. “Where are we? What happened to Twilight's spell?” He turned to look at the white Unicorn, worry clearly on his face.
She sighed, looking at the other two, who were still asleep. “I don't know, but all I can assume is that she made a mistake or something. At least we landed in a forest, and not over a cliff.” Rarity giggled a bit, starting to feel better by now.
Spike, now able to stand, looked around the clearing. “This place doesn't even look like we're in Equestria anymore. I haven't seen trees like these before.” He started waddling around, looking at the sky and forest. Celestia's, well, maybe it wasn't Celestia's, but the sun was beginning to set, causing the sky to turn a light orange.
Trixie and Pinkie Pie soon awoke as well, and Rarity explained the situation to them. Pinkie seemed to take it rather well, always being on the optimistic side. Trixie was a lot less accepting, but didn't say much, being more irritated at Twilight than anything. She went to Ponyville for one reason, to duel Twilight Sparkle, and now she found herself in who-knows-where, with a bunch of losers.
As they began to think on what their next course of action should be, a large, green vortex opened about 20 meters from them. “No, Not again!” Pinkie shouted. A large, circular portal opened, swirling green energy into it's black center. As the ponies dived for cover, they realized that this portal was lacking the crazy winds.
They stood up, surprised that this vortex wasn't trying to suck them in, just as they saw a towering blue figure emerge from the portal. It was a light blue, two-legged creature with a slender form, with a spiked head and a flat face that resembled black glass. The creature took slow, long steps until it was but a mere step away from the ponies, staring down at them.
As the towering being made its way across the clearing, Rarity waved her hoof to the others. “Get behind me!” She wasn't sure what she could do, but it was the only thing that she could think of. Rarity turned back the monster, now standing tall over them, and summoned her magic from her horn, causing it to glow a faint blue.
Soundwave paused before the small creatures. His scanners had never detected an energy source of this form on Earth before. Upon further scanning, he found the source was from the white Earth horse closest to him. It stood in a defensive pose, with this mystery energy emanating from a horn protruding from it's forehead.
He could not determine what it was, so he concluded that the best solution was to have this energy studied aboard the warship.
Rarity's bravado quickly shrunk as she realized the faceless monster reached down with it's incredibly long arm. She tried to run from it's grasp, but it caught her in it's cold fingers and hoisted her off of the ground. The other ponies jumped back from the claw, but Spike lunged forward on a burst of adrenaline. Rarity began to scream in panic as she left the ground, and Spike managed to grab hold of one of her legs, refusing to let this thing take her from him.
Trixie stared in shock, an overwhelming fear taking her. This was far worse than the time she was face to face with that Ursa Minor, which had so far been the scariest moment of her life. Pinkie was stuttering, wanting to run, but wanting to charge the towering hulk threatening her friends.
Holding the horse in his hand, Soundwave sensed a small reptilian clinging to it's leg. But this creature as well was not a typical Earth lizard. He gently tugged it off of the horse, ignoring the sounds of panic from both of them, and held the second creature by it's tail with his free hand. It would appear that both of these creatures should be studied.
Before he could turn his attention to the other two, a blip appeared on his map. A ground bridge opened about 100 yards from his position. Soundwave turned to see a white car speed through the green spiral, to reveal an as of yet unidentified Autobot signal.
Smokescreen shifted from his vehicle mode, jumping into the air before landing in his robot form, guns drawn. “Freeze Decepticon dirtbag!”
Soundwave decided that fighting would be pointless when he already had what was of value here. With that, he created a ground bridge behind him, and the tall Decepticon retreated through the portal, with two still screaming creatures in his hands.
Seeing the Decepticon's ground bridge close, Smokescreen growled in frustration. “No one ever listens when I say 'freeze'.” He put his weapons away, and turned his attention to the ground, noticing two brightly colored horses staring at him, giant eyes wide with shock. He looked around quickly to be sure that there was no signs of Optimus or the others. He saw a few piles of scrap where Vehicon husks lay smoldering, but no Optimus, Arcee, not even Starscream. “How am I gonna explain this to Ratchet?” He said, scratching his head with one hand.
As if on cue, Ratchet patched in to his radio channel. “Smokescreen, what's the status of Optimus and the others?” He sounded somewhat panicked, like he always is whenever things get a little hairy.
Before he could answer, Smokescreen heard a faint voice. “Did you come here to save us?”
“In a minute.” He waved a hand to the small pink and blue horses near him, placing a hand against his comm link. “Don't know how to put this Ratchet, but...WHAAA?!” He jumped back a step, unsure if that voice came from what he thought it did.
As he stared at the tiny horse, Ratchet spoke into his ear again. “Smokescreen! What's wrong! Respond!”
“R-ratchet? Are Earth horses supposed to talk?!”
“No! Of course not. What kind of idiotic question is that?”
“Wait 'till I get back. I have an idiotic answer for you.” Smokescreen kept his optics centered on the creature.
The pink horse tilted her head slightly, now with a wide smile on her face. “You came here to save us, didn't you?” It stared at him with huge blue eyes.
“Uh...yeah. I guess I did?” He replied, not sure on how to react. When a creature that isn't supposed to talk talks, it puts you off guard. After a pause, he heard Ratchet ask if the Autobots were there. Smokescreen said there was no signs of any of them, and Ratchet ordered him to return to base.
Turning to the two horses again, the white Autobot sighed, asking himself if he was really about to say this. “Alright, I need to bring you two to safety, and you guys have to follow me back to my base. Is that clear?”
The blue one, having the look of shell shock on it's face, simply nodded. But the pink one nodded sharply and spoke back, “Okie dokie loki!”
“Ratchet...just send the bridge.” Smokscreen shook his head, unable to comprehend the situation. He had been on Earth for only a short time, but was pretty darn sure that humans were the only race that could speak fluently on this planet.
The ground bridge opened behind him, startling the small horses. But after a reassuring wave, they reluctantly started walking through. After the two had made their way through, Smokescreen followed through, the bridge closing behind him.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Knockout looked at the town, then at the Autobots, then cried out to his troops,
"Decepticons, Transform and retreat!" They did as commanded and the five of them took off for the mountain face in the distance.
"Optimus," said Arcee, blasters at the ready, "Should we pursue? Optimus?" She turned to see Optimus kneeling down next to a green pony with a lighter green mane and a picture of a harp on her flank. She was crying and laying on her side clutching her front left leg. Arcee looked closer and saw that it was broken.
Optimus reached out to her, "Are you alright little one? Did you hurt your leg?" He wiped away the tears from her eyes, she looked up at him, her lip quivering. Optimus reached down and scooped her up in his hands and held her close to his chest. Something about this creature convinced him that it was intelligent. "What is your name?" he asked.
"L...Ly...Lyra..." she said through her tears.
"Hello Lyra, My name is Optimus, is there somewhere we can get your leg looked at?" She nodded and pointed with her good hoof towards a building that had a red cross on the front of it. "Don't worry, I will take you there." As he walked away, he called back to the Autobots, "Look around and see if there is anyone else who needs assistance."
As the Autobots got to looking for other injured ponies, Optimus was approached by a violet pony with a dark purple mane with a pink streak in it and a pink star on her flank.
"Hello little one, are you also in need of assistance?" said Optimus while still walking towards the medical building.
“My name is Twilight Sparkle... And I believe we need to talk...” Twilight hesitantly said to the metal giant before her. She had let him safely bring Lyra to the hospital, but was not about to let him go until he agreed to explain himself. At least, it seemed like a him from it's voice. She and her friends had led the titan-sized creatures to the library, much to the discomfort of the citizens of Ponyville, but Twilight reassured everypony that they would do no harm. So, her, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy now stood on the second floor balcony of the library, nearly eye-level to the creatures.
“Indeed we do, Twilight Sparkle.” He responded with a booming voice. The large creature leaned in to get closer, much to her discomfort. “You probably have many questions, as do I. But I shall offer you answers first, on account of us invading your world.”
Twilight noticed that he was at least civilized, which instantly made this process five times easier. She surged the magic out of her horn to pick up a roll of parchment, quill and ink she got from the hospital, and hovered it before her, ready to write down what she heard. “Very well. First: Who are you, what are you, and what are you doing here?” She set the quill near the parchment, awaiting his answer.
The energy that Twilight Sparkle used to pick up the objects intrigued Optimus, being something his scanners have never seen. But he would get his turn for questions. For now, it was his duty to explain himself.
"My name is Optimus Prime. This is Wheeljack," he motioned towards the white robot, "Arcee," then towards the blue robot, "and Bumblebee," and finally towards the yellow robot. "We are Autobots, those others you saw that escaped were known as Decepticons."
"Auto-whats?" asked Applejack.
"Decepti-who?" accompanied Rainbow Dash.
"SHH, let him finish." said Twilight, turning back to Optimus.
The Autobot nodded to her. "As for your second question: We are a race of Autonomous Robotic Organisms, from the planet of Cybertron. It used to be a peaceful world, until war ravaged it's surface and infected it's core. Neither side was to blame for what happened, but neither side was innocent either. We left, hoping to find a new world to call home, and that is when we came across a planet called Earth. We landed there and made friends with some of the indigenous species of the planet. But, to our dismay, Megatron and his Decepticons followed us from Cybertron to Earth. Now we fight, defending the Earth, hoping to one day rid the universe of the Decepticon threat." The ponies stood in amazement at Optimus' story, taking it all in.
"But, as to how we came onto your world, I am not sure. We were pursuing a rouge Decepticon named Starscream. We offered him sanctuary with us and-"
"Wait just a minute!" shouted Rainbow Dash, flying up to
"Rainbow, be quiet!" hissed Twilight.
"No, what did you mean by giving a Deception sanctuary? He's the bad guy!"
"While Starscream is the furthest from the title of ally then any other Decepticon, he has on more than one occasion provided us with information about the Decepticons that has proved vital both times."
"Why would he turn on his own kind?" asked Applejack.
"Starscream and Megatron have gone through power struggles more times than can be counted. I believe Starscream could no longer take being second-in-command, and abandoned the Decepticon army, though it appears he has not fully changed his ideals." Optimus hesitated at the last part, as if not sure how to explain.
“And because he is no longer with your enemy, you hope he would assist you?” Twilight spoke up, now confident she understood the situation.
He took a moment before responding. “The few times where he did aid us has shown that there is a part of him who is willing to join the Autobot cause. I believe everyone should be given the chance to prove themselves, and that is why we are seeking out Starscream.” The red and blue titan looked to the other Autobots, who nodded in agreement.
The smallest of the group, who was known as Arcee, then spoke up. “Alright, that's our side of the story. What's yours?”
“Yeah. Would you mind telling us where we are?” The white Autobot Wheeljack asked.
Twilight Sparkle took a short breath before answering. “This is the land of Equestria on the planet Earth, which is rather coincidental with the planet you were from.” Optimus was interested by this statement, but decided not to interrupt. “We are ponies, residents of Equestria. There are actually three separate races of ponies: Earth, Pegasus, and Unicorns. Earth ponies are just normal horses, while Pegasus ponies have wings, possessing the ability to fly, and Unicorns, like myself, have the ability to use magic.”
“Please explain what you mean by 'magic,'” said Optimus, curiously. He was interested in learning about her glowing horn.
“Yeah, from what we see you doing right there, it seems that this is real magic. From where we come from, magic means tricks that use slight of hand and misdirection.” explained Arcee.
“And just how would you know that?” asked Wheeljack, seeming to be skeptical of Arcee's explanation.
“Jack showed me.” she replied waving a hand at him.
Twilight took a moment to figure out how to explain it to them, rubbing a hoof against her horn. “Well, to put it in simple terms, Unicorns can use their minds to just imagine the magic happening, and we use our horns to actually make it happen.” That was a stretch, but she wasn't sure how else to put it. “I was actually trying to cast a spell before you arrived...”
“What was this 'magic spell' supposed to do?” Optimus interrupted, growing curious, and leaned close to the Unicorn.
“Uhm, well, it was supposed to be an advanced teleportation spell.” She began, nervous with the Autobot so close now. “From what I could understand, it should be able to transport any object, no matter what it is, from one place to another. But I think I cast it incorrectly, because it created a green vortex, sucking everything in, including some of our friends.” She added that last statement somberly. “Then, you all came from another vortex which appeared after mine vanished.”
After thinking a moment, Arcee looked to the others. “From what I hear, it sounds like a ground-bridge. Not much else that can do stuff like that.”
The yellow Autobot, Bumblebee, nodded, and responded with a multitude of incoherent “beep” sounds, causing confusion for the ponies. Optimus looked back to his team, standing up straight. “Correct. It appears that it was indeed similar to a space-bridge, due to the tremendous distance it reached to. But you had not set any sort of coordinates for it, did you Twilight?”
“N-no. All I did was picture what I wanted to teleport. I didn't expect it to create a portal.”
“Then my only guess is that with no coordinates, this 'space-bridge spell' searched through the stars until it located and locked on to where our ground-bridges spawned. And with it having the largest strength, we were pulled to Equestria, where the bridge originated.”
“But what about our friends?” Applejack asked worriedly. “Sure, ya'll can make it through these 'bridges' alright, but will Ponies be safe goin' through 'em?”
Again, Arcee spoke up. “Oh, they should be fine. We have a few Human friends back on our Earth who go through ground-bridges all the time. They make you sick at first, but you get used to it.”
Everypony sighed with relief. At least the other four were alright. Then, Twilight had an urge to ask a possibly stupid question. “What are Humans?”
The bots all stared blankly at the Unicorn for a few moments, causing an awkward silence. “Looks like we have a lot more to talk about than we thought...” Arcee muttered.
- - Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Ponyville - - -
Knockout and his four remaining Vehicons sped up the face of a mountain in their vehicle modes, looking for an area to set a base of operations. “Where the frak are we?” The red Decepticon grumbled to himself, “This looks like Earth, but no part of Earth that I'm familiar with. And where is Starscream? Lord Megatron will have my head if I fail again.” Knockout's thoughts cringed, fearing what horrible consequences would follow.
As his mind raced to figure out a solution to this situation, he saw something in his side mirror. Adjusting it to get a better look, Knockout noticed that in a forest just down the hill, the trees were parting in a rather unnatural way. Well, at least one problem is accounted for. The Decepticon turned his tires, and skidded to a halt. The four Vehicons copied him, all stopping on the hillside.
He contemplated what action he should take for a moment. He needed Starscream, but obtaining the traitor would prove fruitless if they could not contact the Nemesis. Knockout noticed a small cave higher up the mountain, and made his decision. Still in his vehicle form, Knockout shouted to the Vehicons, “You two, go investigate the forest, it could be Starscream, the rest of you, follow me.” The two rear cars spun around, tires digging into the dirt, and raced to the forest towards the moving trees.
Knockout and the other two eventually made their way to the mountain cave. The inside was dark, and they each crept in slowly with their headlights on to be sure it was clear. The three transformed back into their robot forms, glad to see the ceiling was high enough for them to safely stand. The two vehicons awaited their Commander's order, while Knockout turned his attention to the landscape below him.
The cave they found was actually rather high above the land they stumbled upon. Off in the distance, the Decepticon could make out the small settlement where they had arrived, as well as the forest where he sent the two Vehicons to investigate, and a large mountain far on the horizon grabbed his attention as well. Well, first things first: “We need to reestablish contact with Lord Megatron and the Nemesis. Now, I have an idea as to how we do that, give me your communicators and I’ll combine them with mine, see if we can't get a faint signal.”
The two Vehicons drove through the forest till the sun hit the horizon. After a while of following a trail through the trees, they transformed to their robot modes. Their jet-black bodies shone in the moonlight, their single optic visors and the energon from their arm-mounted guns shone throughout the darkness of the forest. The large footprints in the dirt had vanished, as well as pushed bushes and trees. If Starscream was here, this was where he was hiding.
A loud snap caused them to turn, just in time to see the Rouge landing right in front of them, on one knee. Before the Vehicons could raise their weapons his direction, Starscream thrust his sharp fingers deep into each of their spark chambers. With a small grunt, he shoved the Vehicons back, knocking over a tree, into a nearby clearing, and slamming the two Cons onto the ground, their sparks extinguished instantly.
Starscream stood up, ripping his claws from their chests, shaking his hands clean of the energon dripping from them.
“Cannon fodder at it's finest.” He muttered with a hint of amusement, seeing the Vehicons were just as simple-minded as when he left the Decepticons.
He raised his eyes from the ground to look up at the dusk sky, only to see it nearly covered by dozens, possibly a hundred, of these small, armored winged horses, similar to the ones from that small settlement. They all carried a small, metal-tipped spear, all of which were pointed at Starscream. He looked to the ground to see just as many horses surrounding him, some of them emanating a soft glow from an appendage on their foreheads.
One took a step forward, clearly the horse in charged, sticking his chest out. “Creature! Surrender to us now, or we will use lethal force!”
Taking another look around him, Starscream gritted his teeth. He had been in a situation like this before, but this was different. He wasn't sure what these creatures could do if he tried to run, so he was not going to risk it this time. Reluctantly, the Decepticon raised his hands, darting his eyes back and forth as the horses closed around him.
“...Scrap.”
“So, what do you propose we do with them?” asked Ratchet, losing his patience at the situation. He turned to Smokescreen, giving him a cold stare as he gestured to the two brightly colored ponies on the stairwell.
“I...I don't know.” Smokescreen said, sighing. “Look, they think I was sent there to save them. I can't tell them it was just a coincidence. The pink one especially looks up to me.” He leaned in to whisper the last sentence, noticing that the pony had waved to him.
The medic placed his hand against his head, unable to come to terms that this was even really happening. Then he caught something out of the corner of his eye.
“DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT TOUCHING THAT!!!” Ratchet shouted to the pink pony, who was now hanging over his terminal by her hind legs.
Pinkie Pie, as she had introduced herself, lifted her head up to look at him, a smile on her face. “It's funny, it seems like everywhere I go, somepony is always saying that, heehee!”
“Well gee, I can't imagine why... wait, some-'what'?”
Ignoring his question, Pinkie zoomed to a different device, just as curious as she was with the first. Despite Ratchet's complaints, she tried to climb down to a large lever, accidentally falling onto it. The switch activated the ground-bridge, the green and blue swirling vortex burst into life.
“The thing is back! Save me!”shouted Pinkie Pie.
“Oh please, even Trixie knows that thing can't hurt us no-” Trixie tried to explain before Pinkie crashed into her, screaming her head off. She lost her magical hold on her book, and it fell onto the keypad Ratchet's computer, shutting the computer down instantly.
After fumbling to shut off the bridge, the red and white Autobot groaned in frustration. “I need that on!” Ratchet pressed the power button to return the holographic screens back to their previous state. “It hasn't even been an hour, and I'm this close to...” His attention was drawn to the small book laying on his keypad. “What is this?” he muttered, picking it up.
Trixie managed to get Pinkie to let go of her after the bridge disappeared, yelling to Ratchet. “Return Trixie's spell book to her!”
“Spell book?” Smokescreen asked. “Do you mean like magic tricks?”
She gave a blank stare to the Autobot. “While Trixie is quite exceptional at magic tricks, no. This book contains writings of real magic, such as Trixie's levitation ability.” On cue, her horn glowed a light blue, and the book was torn from Ratchet's grasp, floating gently beside her once again.
“By the All-Spark. You mean to say that your race can utilize these arcane arts?” Ratchet asked. Having little to no knowledge of human myths and legends, he wasn't sure that these feats were physically possible. Yet, here was a horned pony, using levitation before him.
“Well, Trixie can, for she is a rather powerful Unicorn. She, however,” Trixie gestured to Pinkie Pie “Can not, for she just an Earth Pony.”
Shaken from his amazement, “Earth Pony? But you said you were from Equestria!” He threw his hands up from sheer confusion.
“HEY!” Pinkie yelled loudly to get everyone’s attention. “I don't wanna put a damp on the party, but what are we gonna do about Rarity and Spike?”
The room was silent for a few seconds, before the other three simultaneously asked. “Who?”
Pinkie turned a confused look at Trixie, not really sure if she just asked that. “When we first got here, there were two more of our friends. But, then a giant blue thing with spikes on it's head came out of the green thingy and took them away! We need to go save them!”
“Giant blue thing?” A confused Smokescreen asked. “Was it like one of us?”
“Yeah! But it had a black face and really long arms!”
Ratchet and Smokescreen shared a concerned look. “Soundwave.” Ratchet turned to the ponies. “I'm afraid that your friends may be in the hands of Megatron, if our assumptions are correct.”
Upon hearing this, Trixie actually closed her book to ask a question. “He is this all-powerful leader of the Decepticons of which you spoke of, correct?” She turned to Pinkie Pie. “I'm sorry, but Trixie believes they are a lost cause at this point.”
Pinkie puffed her cheeks, quickly turning back to the Autobots. “We need to save them! You guys saved us, can't you save them too?” She looked with sad eyes towards Smokescreen.
“Well...We would like to...” He turned to see Ratchet showing that he thought otherwise. “I would like to help, but the Decepticons are dangerous. We wouldn't be able to just charge in their base, even if we knew where it was.”
“Then it seems luck is on your side today.” Trixie smugly announced. “Trixie has been studying the spell which brought us here originally. Trixie can locate those two with the resonating magic that Rarity possesses, and find where she is, then use the vortex spell to take us there. Now the only question remaining is, who's coming with me?”
---Meanwhile in Equestria---
“...'Now we fight, defending the Earth, hoping to one day rid the universe of the Decepticon threat.' And what's this here...a rouge Decepticon named...Starscream... hmm.” Princess Celestia rolled up the scroll, pondering what she had just read in the letter Twilight sent. She stared at the fireplace while trying to conceive the thought of beings from another dimension. A loud noise echoed from the throne chamber, the doors opening wide.
“Princess Celestia! Come Quickly!”
Celestia looked away from her letter to see a panicked Unicorn soldier enter her chambers. He seemed composed, yet shaken by something. Without a word, she stood up quickly and entered the throne room.
The Princess emerged into the great hall only to see a large gathering of her soldiers marching their way into the throne room. They were all surrounding a large, silver giant with glowing red eyes. Said eyes grew large as he entered the throne room, his eyes darted around the entire room, taking in as much as they could.
Celestia stood tall at her throne, waiting for the creature to get closer. The guards soon halted, with the titan stopping just behind them. A tense moment of silence passed before she spoke.
“I am Princess Celestia, to whom am I addressing?”
“A princess? Forgive my rudeness,” He spoke with a deep, raspy voice, giving a deep bow, gently crossing one arm across his bent front, while flourishing his other arm behind him, all the while not once breaking eye contact with Celestia. “I did not know I was in the presence of royalty.” A grin crept across his face as he said those words. “I am Starscream, Air Commander of the Decepticon Armada.”
“Your highness.” One of the guards stepped forward, “We had received news of a disturbance from the forests outside of Canterlot. Upon investigating, we had found him...killing two others of his type.” He seemed to cringe speaking the last sentence.
She thought back to the letter Twilight had sent. In it, there was specific mention of this 'Starscream,' a rouge of the Decepticon Army. If the story the Autobot 'Optimus Prime' said was true, Starscream was no Commander, let alone commander of an armada. Cautiously, Celestia eyed over Starscream, it was time to put him to the test. “Explain why you are here, Commander.”
“I am from the planet known as Cybertron. On this world raged a war between the Autobots and the Decepticons. I am what you call an outcast, a destitute if you will, once belonging to the great Decepticon army.” Starscream folded his arms behind his back, and began to pace across the hall. “I was cast aside by our so called leader: Megatron. I had followed him loyally for so long, fully convinced in the vision he had fed us all on a daily basis. But, as the war raged on, neither Autobots nor Decepticons gaining the advantage, the leaders of the two factions began to take drastic measures. No longer following their dreams, both Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, and Megatron resorted to obtaining weapons of mass destruction, committing mass genocide to defeat the other side.”
“And you disagreed with this action?” The Princess asked bluntly.
“But of course,” he said, flourishing his arm again. “Upon realizing that Megatron had become more intent on battle, rather than Cybertron's future, I attempted to reason with him and the other Decepticons. He did not receive my words with much...enthusiasm.” He looked at the ground, taking a short breath. “He branded me a traitor to the cause. Now I am my own army, fighting for the greater good of Cybertron. And at last, I have come to possess the ability to succeed in this task,” He reached behind him, pulling out a thin slab from a hidden pocket. “This artifact may look simple, but it is the key to a weapon that will end this war. Unfortunately, a platoon from both factions has followed me here, trying to get this from me. That what your guards found me doing, although I abhor anymore loss of life, I had to defend myself.”
“I see, so you took them down out of self defense? Tell me, what side were they on?” Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.
“They were...Decepticon...scouts...” Starscream was not sure how to word it, having just admitted that he was on their side at one point. “Their acting commander Knockout sent them to capture me most likely!” He clenched his fist tightly as he seemed to growl in anger.
Celestia paused. He appeared to be telling the truth, speaking in such a way about one of his 'ex' comrades, but there was something in his story that just didn't feel right. “What would you have done if they were Autobots?”
Starscream winced, but tried to hide any signs of being startled. This Princess knew how to pry for information. Only pausing for a moment, the Decepticon's expression turned grim, and he shook his head. “Though I no longer desire to take the lives of either side, if in a similar situation, I would have done the same.”
The room fell silent. A tense feeling hung in the air, causing some of the guards to shift nervously. After a deep breath Celestia spoke once more. “Before I decide on what to do with you, Starscream, I believe I will first consult my sister.” As she spoke, the Princess turned to the entrance of the throne room, where the double doors swung open once again, revealing a thin, dark blue Alicorn.
“Sister, the guards told me of a...” Princess Luna took a moment to make eye contact with Starscream, a bit startled by the presence of the Decepticon.
---Earlier that day in Ponyville---
“There. I just sent the letter. The Princess should receive it shortly.” Twilight announced as she emerged from the library .”Sorry I took so long, but I had to look up the teleportation spell that...my assistant uses.”
“It's alright, not like we're goin' anywhere any time soon.” replied Wheeljack.
The ponies and the bots stood in silence for a time till Arcee turned to Optimus.
“Optimus, what are we supposed to do now? We can't just stand here with both 'cons and Starscream out there on the loose.” Arcee asked.
“For right now, we must do nothing. I am certain that in due time, both the Decepticons and Starscream will assuredly find us when they are ready to do so. Until then, I suggest we become more acquainted with our hosts and their world.” Optimus replied.
Arcee wanted to say something to him about not chasing after the Decepticons, but she knew he made this decision. He had decided to protect the life on this world from any further harm. Taking a sigh, she looked to Bumblebee and Wheeljack who nodded in agreement, knowing that they came to the same conclusion she did. Arcee turned back to the four ponies on the balcony of the library.
“So, who wants to go for a ride on a motorcycle?”
As the day drew on, the Autobots each had a pony with them to show them the sights around the town. Arcee went with Applejack to Sweet Apple Acres to see what Applejack did for work. Arcee even learned how to buck a tree. And later, after some time of working, Arcee tried out some tricks in her vehicle mode to see if she could buck off Ponyville's Best Bronco, to which she was overly successful, and accidentally sent Applejack into a barrel of discarded apple cores.
Meanwhile, Wheeljack and Rainbow Dash challenged each other to a race around the outlaying areas of Ponyville to see who was the fastest. Wheeljack had gained a large lead ahead of Rainbow when he came up to a creek with a single bridge arcing over it. At first, he thought it was wide enough for him to slip through, but his targeting scanner told him otherwise. The Autobot decided to swerve to the side, planning to make the jump across the creek. However, he did not notice the large rock jutting out from the other side of the the creek, which would collide with his bumper before he could clear it. Needless to say, Rainbow won that race.
Fluttershy took Bumblebee to a quiet area where she showed him all the different animals she had made friends with. The animals weren't quite sure what to make of Bumblebee, they all backed away from him every time he reached out to them. After much pleading, Fluttershy reassured her animal friends that there was nothing to be afraid of, and slowly, one by one, the animals all came to see Bumblebee. He thanked her, although it was just beeps and whistles that came from him, after animals were crawling over his arms. She acknowledged his thanks, then they both looked at each other in shock. Fluttershy realized that she could somehow understand what Bumblebee was saying, similar to the way she understood animals. The pair spent the rest of the day talking and sharing things about each other.
Night started to envelope the little town of Ponyville, the sun setting over the horizon, and Wheeljack was strolling along the outskirts of town.. “Can't believe I lost that race cause of a rock. At least Applejack helped get that ding out of my bumper.”
He walked to the scene of the crash, the rock no longer in the bank due to the race, squatting down to get a closer look at the bridge.“Can't believe that bridge was too small, if I could've gotten over-”
“HEY WHEELJACK!”
“AAAH!”
“”Wheeljack jumped and turned from surprise. After regaining his balance, he noticed that his foot had crushed the bridge. He paused from shock, but found the situation rather ironic, though he was not looking forward to what Optimus had to say on the matter. He looked to see who called his name to see Applejack, with an expression equal to his. “What are you doing, scaring a bot like that?!” He asked.””
“I was jus' wondering what you were up to, I guess you were jus' lookin' ta get even with that there bridge for makin ya loose yer race.” laughed Applejack, shaking off the initial shock of seeing a giant robot step on a bridge. Sure, she shouldn't have been laughing, but that sight was just too much.
“Well, they don't call me a wrecker for nothin'.” replied Wheeljack, weakly trying to maintain his cool. After a short pause, the Autobot scratched his head nervously. “Say, thanks for helpin' get rid of that dent in my bumper. I would have had a heck of a time trying to get that right on my own. I owe ya one.”
“I'll hold ya to that.” She did a quick look around, “But, uh, now's the time to get outta here before somepony notices what's happened.” Applejack said, nodding towards the town where lights were turning on.
Wheeljack agreed. “I'll drive, get in.” Wheeljack transformed into his sleek sports car mode and Applejack hopped into the passenger side seat, sticking her head out the window as they sped off into the night.
“YEE-HAW!”
---Celestia's Office, Canterlot Castle---
Luna stood, confused, before Celestia. Not a word of explanation was given yet, she was just ushered into the office by her sister. She seemed concerned, possibly afraid.
“What is it my sister?” she asked.
“It concerns our...guest, I need you to keep him safe for a short while. The only place I can think of is on your domain, the moon. I just need him there until I can make sense of this situation. Can you do this for me?” Celestia spoke, looking back towards the throne room.
“Make sense of what situation? What is going on dear sister? You can tell me.” pleaded Luna.
Luna looked at her sister with trying, searching eyes, but Celestia would not meet her gaze, staring at Starscream through the crack of the door.
Celestia turned to give her sister a stern gaze. “Luna, I warn you, while he is under your protection, do not listen to a word he says. I sense that he is a very devious creature, and may try to use one of us in his favor. Do you understand?” Her tone was sharp and fierce.
“But, Celestia, who is this Creature? And-”
“Do. You. Understand?” Celestia was staring straight into Luna's eyes, a look of sheer sternness, but Luna saw a hint of fear in her gaze.
Sighing in defeat, Luna nodded “I understand sister, I will not listen to a word he says.” Her eyes shut and her head hung down, she had not seen her sister like this in a long time and knew it meant trouble was soon to come.
In the Throne Room, Starscream was beginning to feel uncomfortable waiting for the Princesses. His eyes darted back and forth between all of the guards around him, and wasn't sure if he was able to take much more waiting. He rubbed his hands together, shifting his weight from one side to the other again and again. His gaze turned to the large windows, which could easily fit him. Starscream began to wonder if he could escape, or if he would have to fight his way out. He started wondering how many he could defeat before they would overpower him. There must be even more guards outside of those doors, so that wasn't appearing to be a good option. Then, there was the Princess. She seemed to have a lot of power, and that horn, it could easily skewer him if he wasn't careful. The second Princess seemed to posses just as much strength, if not only from blind loyalty to her 'sister', they could probably defeat him on their own without his weapons.
He needed to get out of there, but he wasn't able to transform, and his arm rockets were now far more valuable to him than anything else he had in this world, even more so than...the relic! Why had he not thought of it before? The data pad could have an offensive function. Or, knowing his luck as of late, be a total dud. Looking at the data pad in his hand, Starscream nodded to himself. Enough was enough, it was time to do something, anything. He needed to make his move now or never. In three...two...one...
Just then, Celestia's door opened and Celestia and Luna exited the living quarters. Starscream felt a wave of relief wash over him. The princesses stood in front of him, and Celestia spoke.
“Starscream, my sister and I have discussed the situation, and we have agreed to assist you. But, unfortunately, I am unable to let you to stay in the castle, so my sister shall take you to her domain, the surface of the moon.”
Starscream placed a hand upon his chest as he bowed. “I wish to thank you, and Princess...Luna,” he said, eying her with intrigue. “for your hospitality and generosity, you will not regret this.” He added, a sly grin creeping up one side of his face.
“Farewell my sister. Make our guest comfortable, and remember what I told you.” said Celestia, nodding to her sister.
“I will sister, and farewell to you as well.” replied Luna. She had not understood Celestia's words, but knew that her sister would explain everything in time. Luna spread her wings, reared onto her back legs, her eyes went white, and her horn glowed brightly with her dark blue magic aura. A white circle appeared on the floor and expanded under Luna and Starscream, sparking and crackling, and as suddenly as the circle appeared, it was gone along with Luna and Starscream.
Celestia sighed upon their departure, unable to decide what to do. So many things, all happening within a single day, was too much to stress herself on without rest. For now, the most apparent threat had been contained, so she was free to determine what to do with the other. Tomorrow, she would write Twilight a letter. For tonight, she needed to rest.
---Moon Surface---
A white circle sparked to life out of nowhere on the moon, instantly revealing Luna and Starscream. Starscream looked around and saw a glorious palace made from the very rock of the moon itself. The Decepticon looked at the stars that dotted the blackness of space. He looked at the planet he was on just moments ago, his mind buzzing with curiosity, thinking just how they had arrived here so swiftly. “I wasn't aware you could create a ground bridge.”
Pausing for a moment, unaware of what he was speaking of, Luna spoke to Starscream. “Just in case you did not know, Unicorn Ponies, as well as my sister and I, possess the ability to use magic, such as the teleportation spell you just witnessed.”
“Magic, you say?” Starscream asked, intrigued. He had only read snippets of it on the Internet, but never delved too deeply into simple human myths. “I cannot say I'm familiar with this subject. Forgive my rudeness, but would you be able to enlighten me of the customs of your world? Your sister had little time to explain exactly where I had arrived.”
Luna hesitated, remembering her sister's words. She was not supposed to listen to him, yet something told her that nothing could go wrong by simply dismissing his confusion.
The two shared a quick exchange of questions, while heading to the roof of Luna's castle. Starscream reiterated what he had said to Celestia, describing the war between the factions, his 'betrayal', and his reasons for needing to hide from the Autobots and Decepticons who followed him here. Luna quickly explained the land of Equestria, it's three races of ponies, and the details he needed to know about it's residents, mostly of her and Celestia's roles in the Kingdom.
After the explanations were finished, Luna still had one question that bugged her. “Starscream? If it is not too much to ask, what was the real reasoning behind you leaving your comrades?”
Starscream looked at her, a confused look on his face, before she continued. “You said you left the Decepticons, no longer wanting to take part of their evil. What was the real reason of leaving your leader Megatron?”
The Decepticon frowned, and looked to the planet. “Unfortunately, it was not only their actions which I did not agree with, but it was my pleas which landed on deaf ears, unwilling to listen to my ideas. Even our leader, Megatron, refused to pay any attention to what I had to say. I had planned on ending the war peacefully, but he demanded it be won by force.”
The two were silent for a short time, Luna now feeling somewhat guilty for asking a personal question. Starscream, on the other hand, knew that she had spoken with Celestia, and needed to keep his story the same as he conveyed to the other Princess. That meant he had to pretend to be the victim, as he rightfully was, and try to not make enemies too soon.
This was going to take a lot of planning.
---On Earth, Inside the Nemesis---
Megatron followed Soundwave into the ship's laboratory where Soundwave's...prisoners, were being kept. He had received a report of two peculiar creatures that Soundwave had brought back from the battle site, and he could not understand the descriptions he was given.
The lab doors opened with a hiss, and Megatron's gaze fell upon a cage that was resting on a table in the center of the room. The cage was large, meant to act as a carrier to contain any violent beast they decided to experiment on, but it was mostly empty, save for a white Earth horse, and an odd, purple reptile.
“So these are your creatures, Soundwave?” Megatron turned to the blue Decepticon behind him. “Other than their odd colors, they don't appear to be anything of value.” He walked over to the cage, shifting his gaze from the horse to the lizard, both of them giving him a scared look.
Behind him, Soundwave displayed the energy readings he analyzed from the horse, his monitor showing a wavelength, emitting a strange humming noise.
Curiously, Megatron turned to observe the wavelength. He studied it thoroughly, but could not identify what it was. “Interesting. Soundwave, what type of energy is this?”
The wavelength on his monitor shifted to a video feed. It showed the two creatures that were aboard the ship now, along with two other horses, one blue, the other a bright pink. The white horse stood in front of the group and shouted “Get behind me!” So, they were able to speak.
Megatron saw the horn on the creature's head glow a light blue, hearing the same humming from the frequency Soundwave recorded. “Pause it there.” The video froze, and Megatron looked closely at the horse, focusing on the horn and it's light.
Grinning, he now understood the potential Soundwave saw in this creature. Megatron returned to the cage, and leaned in close so that his face was nearly against the bars of the cage door. “So, what else can our little friends do?”
In an instant, the horse's horn lit with a faint, blue light, and released a beam of energy, directly into Megatron's face. He was caught by surprise, and nearly blasted off of his feet. Taking a step back to recover, Megatron laughed in amusement, rubbing a hand against his face. “Very interesting.”
The horse in the cage stomped it's hoof forcefully. “That's what you get for kidnapping us, you brute!” She sounded much more confident than just a moment ago. “Honestly, first you kidnap us, then throw us in a dirty cage, and then treat us like we're nothing but wild beasts.” The purple lizard walked behind her to hide from the Decepticon's gaze.
Megatron gave an intrigued look to Soundwave. “Forgive me, where are my manners?” He bowed, crossing an arm over his chest. “It is not often that we have such...special guests.”
“Guests? We are hardly guests. You imprisoned us with no just reason, and you have yet to introduce yourself.” She glared at the Decepticon leader.
“And to whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “In common courtesy, I do believe it is the captors who greet the captives.”
“But of course.” He smiled to the horse. She was very brave, speaking to him in such a manner. He was unused to such mannerisms around him. “I am Lord Megatron, Leader of the Decepticons. This is my Chief Science Officer, Soundwave, and you are currently in his lab.”
“A lab? Well, that would certainly explain all of the dusty corners and the uncleaned cage.” She cleared her throat. “Now then, I am the Unicorn Rarity, or, if you would prefer, Miss Rarity. This is my dragon companion, Spike,” She moved so that the purple creature could be seen. “And we would both appreciate to know exactly why we are being held here.”
Megatron sat quiet for a moment, interested in how vocal this creature became. “Well, Miss Rarity, you are simply a humble guest aboard our ship for the time being. You will soon be needed, but in the meantime, make yourselves comfortable.”
“Comfortable? Comfortable?!” Rarity exclaimed. “How could one be comfortable in such a drab place? This room needs some serious cleaning before it becomes comfortable. The walls need some sort of decoration, maybe a few curtains hanging from over there-”
Megatron turned away from the ranting horse, now done with her complaints. “Soundwave, be sure to analyze the Unicorn very carefully, and be sure to get more samples of her...energy.” Soundwave nodded in acknowledgment.
The Decepticon looked at Rarity one more time, who was now pointing out flaws in the layout of the lab, before taking his leave. “And here I thought Knockout was missing.”
---Moon Surface---
Luna stood atop her small, lunar castle, staring at the stars in the sky which she had crafted for the night. Far ahead of her, she could see the Earth, shrouded in darkness. She had been mulling over the events that took place tonight. Her sister, whom she trusted entirely, had thrust this creature, Starscream, upon her without any forward notice, and with no information. It was not as if Celestia didn't trust her, but she could have told her what was really going on...
“I hope I'm not intruding?” A voice came from behind her. Luna turned to see the silver Decepticon climbing to the roof to join her. She waved him over, hiding the worry from her face.
“Not at all, Starscream. I hope the room is suitable for someone of your size?”
“It is more than enough. I must thank you for your hospitality, Princess. I was unsure that your sister would take me in, but I am glad to see that your two agreed to aid me.” He took a knee beside where Luna had been sitting.
She looked away, staying silent for a moment. She and Celestia had not exactly come to an agreement, it was more of a demand, but she could not tell him that her sister only placed him here to be out of the way. “Starscream, may I ask why exactly you were being pursued?”
“Pardon, Princess?”
“You said earlier that the Autobots and Decepticons were after you. But it cannot just be because you are their enemy. What are their intentions after catching you?” She gave him a serious look, locking onto his eyes.
Starscream winced slightly at the question. It sounded as if she already knew the answer, and was testing him to compare his story with Celestia once again. He wasn't sure if it was wise to reveal the artifact just yet, if at all, but he had little choice in this situation, it seemed.
Sighing, Starscream reached into his back compartment, where he was hiding the data pad. “The two scouting parties...are after this.” He held the pad in front of him, now serious. “This artifact has the potential to end our centuries-long war, and not for the better. One side shall stand victorious, but one shall fall to dust. I alone possess the key to this weapon, and neither shall not rest until it is in their grasp.”
Luna nodded, taking in his words. “And my sister, Celestia, does she know of this key?”
“But of course. I told her everything. One cannot earn trust if they hide things from those they admire.”
The Princess said nothing, looking back to the stars. His last statement got her mind buzzing. She hated to admit it, but he was right.
Starscream cocked an eyebrow, curious from her reaction. It had appeared he had struck a nerve, not that she would let him know. A multitude of ideas began to grow in his head, but first, he decided to steer the conversation to a different topic, and see if he couldn't find the answers to his questions.
"My Dear Luna, I feel that I must ask you, why do you live up here on the moon and not with the rest of your kind?" pondered Starscream.
She seemed to be caught off guard with that question, "What do you mean Starscream?" asked the night princess with a puzzled look.
"I only ask because, judging from the delicate design and age of this castle, one would suggest that this is your home, and the Earth is not." he explained.
"Ah, I see, a keen observation on your part, yes, this is my home," she said staring off into the sky towards the Earth.
"But why would someone of your stature be forced to reside far from her subjects? Why not live among them with your sister?" said Starscream, reaching for an answer.
"It is...a long tale.” She took a deep breath, “In my past, I made a terrible mistake, and because of it I was banished here for a thousand years, but I escaped. I kidnapped my sister and tried to take over all of Equestria in an eternal night," she explained, "But I was rescued from the evil that had taken over me, by six very good friends. Though, some of our subjects still have a hard time understanding my situation, so I choose to remain here, so that I will not cause them any trouble."
"Luna," he started, “You have shown how generous you are by just taking me in, a complete stranger, whom you have no reason to trust. I find it hard to believe that you were once evil.” goaded Starscream, his grin coming back to him.
Luna looked up at him, she felt both safe and uneasy at those words he spoke. She could sense he was trying to talk his way to her good side, but at the same time, there was a sincerity to his voice. Like maybe Celestia was wrong, and that he could be trusted.
---Nemesis Warship---
The dark, purple hallways of the Nemesis were quiet, save for the humming of the engines, and the occasional pair of Vehicons that patrolled the halls. Deep in the storage section of the ship, a loud crack was heard, followed by a gust of wind. A bright green vortex opened in one of the storage rooms, passing through it a blue Unicorn, a pink Earth Pony, and a white Autobot. As the three exited the ground bridge, it closed behind them, leaving them in the Decepticon Warship.
“Hmph! Trixie told you that it was an easy feat. She can't believe you didn't think of this before.” Trixie smugly announced to Smokescreen, who had his weapons drawn, and didn't seem to notice her snide remarks.
“Alright. So we need to stick together, and find your friends quick. The less time we spend in here, the better.” Smokescreen motioned for the two to follow him.
“If that is the case, why not split up? Trixie can easily handle herself, and does not need a bodyguard.”
The Autobot lowered his weapons, rolling his optics. “Look, no offense, but you're not exactly a combat-trained soldier. If a Decepticon or two shows up, you might-” He was cut off from a door behind him opening, revealing two Vehicons.
All three of the bots stood still for a moment, then quickly drew their weapons. Smokescreen saw that they would fire before him, and prepared to dodge, just as two blasts of blue, energy-like beams blasted each of them in the chest, arcing electricity over their bodies. The Vehicons shook for a moment, before falling to the ground, their Sparks extinguished.
Smokescreen blinked twice, then turned to Trixie, who was holding her head high. “You two shall head that way. Trixie will go this way.” With that, she calmly strut out of the storage room, the door closing behind her.
The Autobot stood in shock, and Pinkie finally spoke up. “Well that was easy! If Trixie can do that, I can't wait to see what you can do!” She then proceeded to bounce down the hall, in the direction Trixie pointed.
The Autobot didn't know what to do anymore. He could understand being outgunned by Optimus, or any of the others, but this was the first, and hopefully last time, that his tailpipe was pulled out of the line of fire, by a colorful Unicorn of all things. He thought it best not to mention this to the others, and followed Pinkie.
The pair went deeper into the ship, and so far, they had managed to slip past the patrolling Decepticons, with no help from Pinkie Pie. Many times, she had nearly bounced right into one of them, or had been tempted to ask for directions, only to be barely stopped by Smokescreen. He had decided to perch her on his shoulder and told her to stay put. That didn't help with her talking problem, however.
Pinkie had been asking a multitude of questions, like why the Vehicons all looked the same, and why Smokescreen couldn't just blast them like Trixie did. He only answered the later, saying that he would prefer to be stealthy.
After aimlessly exploring countless rooms, the pair were starting to lose hope, wondering just how long it would take before they were noticed, a loud scream was heard echoing through the halls of the warship.
“Oh my gosh! A super loud, ear-piercing, hooves-on-a-chalkboard scream!?”
“Hooves on a what?”
“That can only be Rarity! It sounded like that it was that way!” Pinkie jumped from Smokescreen's shoulder, and proceeded to dart down a random hallway.
Surprised, Smokescreen tried to catch up to her before he lost sight of her. “Wait! Pinkie!”
---Elsewhere, on the Nemesis---
“Another falls before the might of Trixie.” Trixie said aloud as she walked around another motionless Vehicon. So far, she had casually strolled her way through the corridors of the warship. Her small size allowed her to easily ambush any patrols coming her way. It was almost sad at how easy these Decepticons were beaten. The Autobots made it seem that these villains were unbeatable, not for Trixie.
Looking down both ways of the hall, Trixie decided to enter the room closest to her, maybe then she would find Twilight Sparkle's friends. The door hissed open, and Trixie found herself face to face with a large, purple cannon, mounted above a fist. The owner of said cannon looked down upon her with disdain.
“Are you lost, little one?”