War for Ponytron

Chapter One: The Battle of Canteon

Database entry 83 from the log of Optimus Prime:

It has become apparent to me that Cybertron is lost. Megatron’s forces are relentless and will stop at nothing to destroy us, going so far as to doom the very planet he desires to control. Not a day goes by that I don’t think I could have stopped this if I had not upstaged Megatron at that Council meeting. Perhaps, even then, I could have convinced him to side with me.

The Ark launches tomorrow, and I fear Megatron will not let us leave without a fight. I hoped that he would have the decency to allow us to surrender to him what is left of Cybertron. However, as Warpath reminded me, Megatron is not one for decency. I’d like to believe that somewhere deep inside that cold spark of his, there are still remnants of the Megatronus that I once admired.

End of log.

        The era of peace, that came to be known and loved, passed like a fleeting moment, lost in the wind. Ponytronians came into this world with nothing. The landscape lay wasted after eons of warfare and destruction. They knew not what caused such devastation, yet their sparks felt the sorrow left behind by their predecessors all the same. For too long, Primus was left with the brutal reminder of the failure of the race he cared for so greatly. The rusted planet, the mounds of scrap, the spilled energon, even the dust that was doomed to carry on through the skies of Cybertron forevermore. Everything he had created lay ruined before him, and it pained him so.

This new race brought hope for a return of the crude landscape to the glory it once knew. The Ponytronians built new, greater cities. Atop the ruins of the fallen capitals, now rested towering cities, bright with potential. Primus educated them of the Council of the Ancients, and in turn, educated the newly formed Council on the history of Cybertronians. As long as Primus remained in the core of Cybertron, he would not let it die. Nor would he let fade the memory of the race he took pride in, despite the many mistakes that were made.

On the night when Luna murdered the Council Leader in cold blood, Primus's spark grew somber. He knew what was to come, for he had seen it before. The Great War lasted millions of stellar cycles, a seemingly never-ending conflict. He feared that yet another Great War would soon be upon them, and he would be forced to idly watch as yet another race fell to extinction on this planet. Soon, the curtain would fall and spread the fog of war.

The blazing flames covering the once great city of Canteon reflected off the metallic, navy finish of a Lunarcon as he brought his hoof down on the head of an unconscious Solarbot. The Bot’s optics cracked and energon began to seep through his audio receptors. The Con took aim at another Solarbot, who had just emerged from cover, when he was struck in the chest by the second Bot’s neuron rifle. Sparks burst from the Con’s chest as he fell to the hard metal surface that was the streets of Canteon. Streams of energon trickled down the streets, diverging as they ran alongside the scrapheaps that were once soldiers.

        Inside the Chamber of the Ancients, stood Celestion Prime, the newly appointed leader of the Solarbots. She was eager to assist in the defense of the city, but apprehensive as she had no experience of leadership. The Council had chosen her as a last ditch effort to hold their city and push back the Lunarcon invaders.

        “Go, Celestion Prime, lead the troops and defend this city,” said the Council Leader.

        “You now possess the strength of a Prime,” began another Council member, “and only you can lead the Solarbots to victory.”

        “I have never lead soldiers before, and I’m not sure if I can now,” said Celestion Prime.

        “You have within you, the Matrix of Leadership. If you cannot lead, the city will fall,” stated the Council Leader. “Now go, and prove to us that we chose correctly in choosing you.”

        “I will do what I can. No, what I must,” said Celestion Prime, as she turned to leave.

        “Till all are one,” said the Council, as Celestion Prime exited the chamber.

Before entering the battlefield, Celestion looked out the windows of the Solarbot base. Her face wore the horror of one who witnesses war for the first time. Helpless Solarbots clung to life, forced to watch as the substance that gives them life slowly exits their body. Their only saving grace would be for a Lunarcon to mercifully bring down his steel hoof, ending the suffering. No such mercy would be delivered. Not on this day.

The raging fires engulfed the city like a sea of inferno. Screams of agony reached the halls of the base. Soldiers and the innocent alike, caught within the waves of burning torture, with no hope of survival. The Lunarcons ruthlessness astonished Celestion. This was the way of her former friend. This was the way Celestion foolishly followed for so long before that gruesome day with the Council.

Luna's egregious crimes would not go unpunished. Even if fate decides that the endgame of this war would be cold steel through somepony's spark, then that is the fate Celestion would accept. She had read of the Great War, of the heinous acts Megatron committed against his own people. She believed that another Great War must be prevented. No matter the cost. Even if the cost is her life.

        The battle raged on outside the base. Victory edged ever closer towards the Lunarcons, their persistence unwavering. The Solarbots were forced to retreat to the inner city. Hope seemed to be lost as the eyes of the Solarbots filled with despair at the thought of the brutal deaths that awaited them. All eyes fell upon Celestion Prime, as she emerged from the base. The shining sun reflected off her striking white finish. The light was so brilliant that all Bots had to focus their optics to recognize the figure that stood before them.

        “The historian? What is the Council thinking, sending a bookworm to lead a battle?” shouted one Solarbot.

        “I don’t know. Celestia looks different now. Maybe the Council gave her some sort of armor,” stated another Solarbot.

        Celestion Prime looked at both of the soldiers. “This is no armor. My new form is the result of the Council’s decision to make me a Prime. I am no longer the historian you once knew. Now, I am Celestion Prime, your leader,” she said.

        The Solarbots’ once grim expressions turned to grins. They let out a unanimous war cry, and saluted Celestion. “Alright! Now, there’s no way we can lose! We have a Prime!” shouted a soldier. Another soldier said, “I heard that Primes are supposed to be the best of the best! We can actually win this now!” Their moral restored, they all waited for Celestion’s orders.

        “Let me just say this now, I have no experience in the battlefield, as I’m sure some of you know. However, I am very knowledgeable of war and tactics. We will need two squads of earth units to flank both sides of the advancing troops. Pegasi will wait atop the Chamber of the Ancients. When I give the call, you will deliver a missile strike to the center of their troops. Unicorns take positions in the second floor of the base, and take out any Lunarcon you see with long-range fire,” ordered Celestion Prime.

        As the Solarbots moved to their positions, a single pegasus soldier approached Celestion Prime. “What will you do?” asked the soldier.

        Celestion turned her head towards the gates of Canteon, and looked back at the pegasus. “I will take flight and combat their leader at the gates.”

        “You mean you’re going to fight Nightmare Moon?”

        “If that is what she chooses to go by now, then yes. I will engage Nightmare Moon in combat.” Celestion spread her wings. “Good luck to you, soldier.”

        The pegasus spread his wings as well. “And to you too, commander!” The pegasus transformed into a jet and ascended to the Chamber rooftop, where the other air units were lying in wait.

        Celestion Prime transformed into a heavy Ponytronian jet, equipped with a long range cannon. She flew above the city towards the gate, and watched as the Solarbots and Lunarcons engaged each other in mortal combat. The sight sickened her, but she knew there would be plenty more unless she could put an end to Nightmare Moon.

        Atop the walkway of Canteon’s frontal wall, stood Nightmare Moon. Her horn glowed dark blue as she fired upon the Solarbots attempting to push the Lunarcons back through the gate. Her wings spread as she noticed the incoming Celestion Prime. She transformed into a sleek, black jet, similar to that of Celestion.

        Nightmare Moon approached Celestion at mach speed, attempting to skewer the Prime with her horn. Celestion evaded and quickly did a turn around. She began tailing Nightmare Moon, attempting to destroy Moon’s engines with her cannon. After a few hits landed, but failed to do serious damage, Nightmare Moon performed a somersault and turned the tables. Now using her own cannon, she fired upon Celestion Prime. Not wanting to risk serious damage from Moon’s much more capable hooves, Celestion landed in the center of the battlefield. Moon followed.

        Both transformed and began to clash horns. Nightmare Moon went in for a fatal blow by attempting to penetrate Celestion’s chest with her horn. Celestion, however, realized this and used her wings to quickly step back. As the two commanders battled, the earth squads reached their positions and begun laying down fire upon the Lunarcons with their side-mounted neuron rifles. Several Cons were picked off by the sniper fire from the unicorn soldiers.

        Nightmare Moon’s combat experience far exceeded Celestion Prime’s. As the Lunarcon numbers dwindled, Nightmare Moon became more desperate to extinguish Celestion’s spark. Despite her superior strength, she was not as agile as Celestion.

        “Is this the best the Council could do? Why they ever chose you to be a Prime is beyond me,” mocked Nightmare Moon.

        “The Council entrusted this responsibility to me, and I will not fail them. Even if it means I must destroy you, my old friend,” said Celestion Prime.

        “You were never a friend of mine, but merely a pawn in my plan. Just like the former Council Leader. Your fate will be the same as his!” shouted Nightmare Moon with a smirk.

        Nightmare Moon fired a cannon blast from her horn, which hit Celestion in her front right leg, crippling her. Unable to dodge like before, Celestion was forced to evade as best she could, receiving numerous scrapes from Nightmare Moon’s horn. Celestion used her trump card, the pegasus unit, and ordered them to deliver their payload. The two commanders were in the center of the blast zone.

        Two pegasus units, who had participating in the ground battle, noticed this. They flew over to Celestion, without transforming, and lifted her from the battlefield. In their current forms, their speed was reduced, and soon found Nightmare Moon close behind. One of the two pegasi transformed, and rammed Moon back to the blast zone. The bombing squad approached the target and dropped the bombs. The blast lit up the courtyard, the flames from the explosion spread as far as the gates.

        Nightmare Moon was severely damaged by the bombing. Her second-in-command, Trixie, ordered troops to retrieve Moon. Titan units from the Lunarcon army moved into the courtyard and began pushing back the Solarbots until Nightmare Moon had been evacuated. Then, the titans retreated through the gates to escort their master back to Lunus Omega.

Celestion Prime was lowered to the courtyard by the two pegasi. She stood and watched the Lunarcons as they retreated. The Solarbots rallied behind her, cheering. Celestion Prime did not cheer, for she knew that this was but a taste of Nightmare Moon’s forces. She turned to address the troops.

“Today, we are victorious, but we must not celebrate yet,” she said. “The war is just beginning. I’m sure that the battles to come will be much more strenuous and challenging. Now that Nightmare Moon knows we have a Prime, she will be prepared and ready for us when we next face her troops.”

A soldier stepped forward from the crowd. “But ma’am, the city is safe. Isn’t that worth celebrating? There may be more to come, but we won this one, and you proved yourself out there.”

“Your words are appreciated, soldier, and you may be right. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to enjoy this first victory. However, I will not be joining you. I have much to do if I hope to defeat Nightmare Moon next time we meet.”

“Ol’ Nighty won’t be able to stop you once you get some combat experience under your chassis. And until you do, we’ve got your back.” The soldier smiled. The gesture was not returned.

Celestion Prime departed from the crowd and made her way back into the Chamber of the Ancients. She looked back at the city. Where there wasn’t fire and destruction, there were corpses. Solarbots and Lunarcons alike. “We can only hope that he’s right,” she said to herself, as she proceeded into the Solarbot base.

As she walked through the halls of the base, she came across another Ponytronian who possessed a horn and wings. This one bore a rather pristine pink finish with purple and yellow stripes for added flair. She was the chief communications officer, Cadence. Tasked with receiving status reports from troops and dealing with on-the-fly mission strategies, she spent most of her time in the control room, preparing for the war.

“Celestion, I take it the battle went well?” asked Cadence.

“I could not stop Nightmare Moon, but the battle has been won,” replied Celestion Prime.

“That’s good. She can be stopped another day, but if we lost Canteon, that day would never come. You did well.”

“Canteon may be safe now, but Nightmare Moon will return, if we don’t strike first. Cadence, I need status reports from all units outside of Canteon. We need to know where everypony is, in the event of another attack.”

“I’ll retrieve the reports as soon as possible. Anything else?”

“Yes, the Lunarcons have titan units in their ranks. I fear they may cause trouble for our soldiers. Ask Doctor Whooves to look into countermeasures. The ground bridge must be operational as well.”

“Yes, ma’am. It’ll be done soon.”

Cadence departed for the control room. Celestion Prime began in the same direction, and took the first left into an adjacent hallway, heading towards the Chamber of the Ancients. She contemplated her future as a Prime, as she walked the towering halls of the Solarbot base. Large decorative arches began to adorn the ceiling, indicating the Chamber would soon be upon her. Celestion entered the Chamber, and all eyes from the Council fell on her.

“Celestion Prime,” began the Council Leader, “you have done well today, but you cannot rest. You must plan for the war ahead.”

“I have already issued tasks to Cadence. Once she receives status reports from the field units, I will begin strategizing,” said Celestion Prime.

“We may not have time for that. We believe it would be most beneficial if you lead a squad to recon the enemy’s headquarters.”

“I don’t think it wise to take those who defend Canteon. It is paramount that they remain here, in the event of another attack.”

“Then, do you have somepony in mind?”

Celestion Prime pondered this for a moment. “Yes, I believe I do. It is time to take the Sparkle Brigade to the field.”

Cadence entered the room, and bowed before the Council. She looked and Celestion Prime and said, “Ma’am, the Sparkle Brigade has already entered the field. They’re currently scouting the ruins of Tyger Pax.”

“What is the ground bridge’s status?” asked Celestion Prime.

“Currently, inoperative.”

“Very well. I shall travel to Tyger Pax and retrieve the Sparkle Brigade.”