Somewhere over the Griffin Kingdoms...
Soundwave was not a happy Con, although he did not show it outwardly. Most thought he'd done away with his emotions entirely, and Soundwave was content with keeping it that way. But emotions he did have, few as they were, and annoyance was one of them. This annoyance stemmed from the fact that for days now, he had been unable to track down the rogue Cybertronian who had escaped from the crashed Stasis Pod despite with all of his surveillance equipment and his scout drone/Deployer Laserbeak and terminated Breakdown in a brutal and ruthless fashion. However, this manner of killing did tell Soundwave a few things about his target. One, he was probably insane. Two, he did not care how he dispatched his targets, only that he did so. (Soundwave, admittedly could understand this reasoning. It was better to make sure your foe did not get back up, as he would probably come back later to stab you in the back if you didn't finish him off. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Soundwave often thought about quietly "Disposing" of Starscream if he thought he could get away with it without no one noticing, as he knew of the Decepticon Air Commander's propensity for treachery and all around backstabbery.) Three, his target had seemingly no loyalties to tie him to any side, and finally, he was very dangerous. Problem was, at least for the rogue Cybertronian at least, Soundwave knew himself to be very dangerous as well. It wasn't arrogance, Soundwave was just simply THAT good. He had proven it time and time again and although Starscream was Second-in-Commander aboard the Nemesis, every bot knew where the real power lied. It was an unwritten rule to never, ever get on Soundwave's bad side, otherwise you would probably find yourself sucked through a Groundbridge into a dragon's maw or into Tartarus itself, as more than a few Vehicons had unfortunately learned. Not that Soundwave could bother himself to care, they were all expendable after all.
Suddenly, just then, Soundwave at last picked up imagery of a tall red and purple figure (Looking frighteningly similar to Megatron in body shape and mass.) moving through a forest just a few miles ahead from Laserbeak's camera. He fired his afterburners and mentally prepared himself for the fight ahead. He would have smirked, if he could have. This... being, still pending a name, had no idea who, or what was coming for him. It was only a few minutes later that he was above the figure, and with a whirring and shifting of parts, all the while reconnecting with Laserbeak, he landed in front of the figure known as Protoform X.
"Ah, it seems I have an unexpected visitor." The truly frightening transformer, who sounded remarkably like a younger Anthony Hoofkins said calmly. "And who might you be?"
Soundwave of course, gave no answer, even as the two stared each other down like two old western gunfighters.
"What is your purpose in bothering me?" Protoform X growled out, this time his tone becoming more menacing and promising untold amounts of pain and suffering. "Speak up now, or be slaughtered Decepticon."
There was still no answer from Soundwave.
"I knew your kind would come for me eventually, after I brutally slaughtered your comrade. That is your purpose for being here right?" Protoform X inquired with an raised optic-brow.
This time Soundwave did respond in turn, playing back Megatron's orders to him, if only in a distorted variation of it.
"A big Stasis Pod, a big soldier..." Megatron mused aloud before looking directly at Soundwave. "Soundwave, a great opportunity has... presented itself to us. It seems we have a rogue. Find him, and bring him in to me. Oh, and one last thing. This mission shall be yours and yours alone. Tell no one else of your mission, understand?"
Protoform X laughed long and hard. This was what the unknown Decepticon (To him at least, he never bothered with the names of those who he was about to kill.) had come for? To retrieve him and bring him to his master to be expected to grovel before him like a common Cyber-Hound? Surely not! He must not have known whom he was messing with. He was Protoform X, the bot with no allegiances to any side, the slaughter of hundreds, the Reaper of Cybertron! In his day, it took both the Wreckers and the Lightning Strike Coalition Force to bring him down, and even that was only to put him in a Stasis Pod and exile him to the stars, hoping never to be found again. But, as luck would have it, he had run into a wormhole in his journey across the stars, and traveled through both time and space to the here and now only to crash land on this putrid planet.
"You really think you can defeat me?" Protoform X asked with a laugh. "In my day, I was the slaughterer of hundreds of Cybertronians, any bot who tried to stop me just got their spark ripped out and eaten. Just like I did with your friend. Oh, how I loved his spark. It was delightfully delicious. I ate it with a plate of fava beans." He growled, and Soundwave felt a new emotion rising in him, one which he hadn't felt in a long time. Anger, no, that wasn't right. Rage. Rage for the desecration for a fellow Cybertronian's corpse, and the manner of how this monstrosity of a Cybertronian had snuffed out his spark, just like that, without a thought or a care in the world. Soundwave's long slender fingers sharpened like talons and Protoform X laughed again.
"Oh, so we're going to fight now? Just you and me? I'm fine with that. Another spark for me to snuff out like a light." He chuckled darkly before raising his left arm, which had a mighty cannon, uncannily similar to Megatron's own infamous Fusion Cannon (Soundwave figured that whoever designed this creature had wanted to strike fear into the hearts of whoever he set it on.) and fired one powerful green blast of energy heading right for Soundwave, who didn't move a muscle, nor flinch in the face of death. He was not afraid of this creature, he was Soundwave, personal attendant to Megatron and he never let anything frighten him, not even this unholy creation of the Pits. Soundwave's face lit up with coordinates, and a Groundbridge opened up right in front of him letting the energy blast pass right through before the Groundbridge vworped out of existence. In another part of Equestria, where gleaming spires loomed high into the sky and ponies of solid crystal roamed the street, where a Princess of Love ruled, another Groundbridge portal opened and the blast from Protoform X's cannon appeared and hit the rooftops of a building where inside a yellow male unicorn wearing glasses and a starry cloak with a orange mustache was hard at work on spells. He felt the rumbling of the hit as a piece of rubble landed on his chemistry set and made it explode, sending the poor unicorn flying backwards and leaving him covered in soot.
"W-Well... T-That was an unexpected result. Wrong mixture maybe?" He mused. Back with Soundwave and Protoform X, the red and purple rogue stood stunned. He certainly hadn't expected that, to say the least.
"So, this one's got a few tricks up his sleeve." Protoform X mused aloud. "But that won't be enough to save you. Every bot's tried fancy tricks on me, and all have always failed. Just. Like. You."
Protoform X then lunged for Soundwave and slashed at him with talon like fingers but Soundwave used the wings that made up his arms to block ever blow expertly. As he did so, Soundwave noted and analyzed his opponent's fighting style. He fought like a beast, one that was out of control, almost as if it was on a Rampage. Using this knowledge, Soundwave predicted every move this "Protoform X" made and countered it with one of his own. Soundwave scored a slash across his foe's chest, slashing the big "X" symbol on it before he launched two tendrils, each with tips crackling with electricity and used them to pin his opponent to a tree and hit him full blast with charges of electricity. Again and again he charged him, but still Protofrom X would not fall. Eventually, the giant Cybertronian pried, with great strength and effort, the two tendrils off his chest and blasted Soundwave backwards with his cannon, finally scoring a solid blow at last. Protoform X laughed in triumph! Finally, this fool was starting to learn! Once again, he lunged towards his foe and caught him off guard by grabbing him by the foot and using all of his strength, Protoform X tossed Soundwave behind him who crashed several times into the snowy ground but eventually the Decepticon Spymaster got right back up.
"Don't you ever learn?" Protoform X asked sarcastically. "I'm unstoppable!"
If Soundwave could have arched an optic-brow, he would have. In all of his years of fighting in the Cybertronian Civil War, he had learned no opponent was unbeatable, especially one with such as unrefined fighting style techniques such as this. Protoform X lunged once again and charged right at him putting all of his forward momentum into the charge, but this time Soundwave was ready for him, and created yet another Groundbridge and let Protoform X run right into it, before vwopring the Bridge out of existence and then creating yet another one behind him letting Protoform X run right into a clump of trees making them fall like dominos.
"DAMN YOU TO THE PITS!" Protoform X roared in rage. He was furious beyond measure. No bot had ever lasted this long against him in singular combat, and he was now more determined then ever to avenge this insult against his being. His opponent just used cheap tactics, with no direct blows almost ever used against his bodyframe. He growled venomously and slowly, but surely got right back up. Soundwave made a small image of the pony known as Rainbow Dash laughing appear on his face.
His strategy was winning, and he knew it. Just a few more blows and he would have him. And he knew the perfect way to put his opponent down for good. With two small clicks he released two disks from his chest, and two almost identical robots, one red, and one blue transformed from those disks. They didn't know why they had been summoned, but as soon as they saw Protoform X, they figured it out at once.
"Alright, get ready to crumble before Rumble!" The blue one said, and his twin smirked in return.
"First we crack the shell, then we crack the nuts inside!" The other one, Frenzy laughed manically before both Deployer's arms turned into piledrivers and they slammed the ground repeatedly, sending cracks towards Protoform X, who stumbled and struggled to hold his balance, but the quakes just kept on coming. Finally, at last, Protoform X toppled to the ground, and this time, he did not get back up. And then, Soundwave spoke, perhaps for the first time in a very long while...
"Soundwave Superior, Protoform X Inferior."
Soundwave created another Groundbridge and dragged his defeated enemy into with Rumble and Frenzy following...
The Ark
Meanwhile, Applejack and Twilight had rushed to the Ark as quickly as they could to report their findings to the Autobots. They needed to know about this. If there was a rogue Decepticon on the loose slaughtering his own comrades without any rhyme or reason, there was a possibility that he might start coming after Autobots next, or worse the citizens of Equestria. Panting, the two ponies galloped to Optimus Prime's office, where the Autobot leader sat at his desk, going over strategic maneuvers for their next attack against the Decepticons. Optimus had grown tired of constantly going on the defensive all the time and just waiting for the Cons to come to them or attack some unknown target, and now wanted to find THEM.
"Op-Optimus, t-there's something you need to know!" Twilight gasped out, tired from her long run to the Autobot Base, sweat dripping down her every pore.
"What is it, Twilight Sparkle?" Optimus inquired, his wise and gravely voice reverberating around the room. And so Twilight and Applejack explained what they had found, starting with Twilight learning of the crashed Stasis Pod last Nightmare Night, to her and Applejack actually finding the thing and the remains of Breakdown.
"And what did this Pod look like?" Optimus asked, growing immediately concerned. From what the two ponies had described, it sounded as if some-bot he long thought gone and never hoped to hear about again had returned.
"It... It was branded with this here big bad looking X mark!" Applejack replied, and then from behind them, they heard the clattering of tools hitting the floor even as Optimus's eyes widened. Twilight and Applejack turned to look behind them, only to see Wheeljack, his own optics wide as saucers and his face stricken with fear and horror.
"A-Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?" Wheeljack demanded, not even bothering to pick up his fallen tools. Twilight nodded, and for confirmation, she used a spell she had just recently learned to play back the events she and her friend had just recently experienced, with a series of images appearing above her in a purple glowing bubble.
"If ya say so Twi...." Applejack trailed off, and just then Twilight stopped right in front of her and Applejack nearly bumped into her hindquarters because of her sudden shock from the sudden stop. Twilight's horn became illuminated with a purple aura, and the area around it swiftly followed suite and the surrounding, almost choking mist cleared to reveal a huge Stasis Pod with it's hatch torn and ripped open, almost... almost as if something had clawed it's way out from the inside out. Twilight swallowed nervously, with Applejack doing the same. Meanwhile, unknown to them, a tall, slender, and dark blue figure watched from the shadows, his "Face", if you could call it that, recording everything said and done by the two ponies.
"Well, whatever it was, it's gone now." Applejack muttered nervously, very keen on getting out of her as fast as possible. She certainly didn't want to meet whatever was once in that Pod. Suddenly, she heard a call from Twilight.
"Hey, over here!" She heard Twilight exclaim, and Applejack rushed through the mist as fast as her four legs could carry her towards the direction of Twilight's yell only to come across a gruesome sight. There, in front of her, lay the Decepticon formerly known as Breakdown, ripped wide open, with where his spark would be torn out and wires sparking and energon laying in pools all around the area. Applejack nearly retched at the sight.
"No... No it can't be. HE can't have returned!" Wheeljack panicked, his worse nightmares coming back to life before his own very optics. The brutality of the killing, the Stasis Pod, it was all exactly the same.
"I'm afraid... Wheeljack, that Protoform X is indeed alive and well, and on this planet right now." Optimus confirmed as he stood up and went for a weapons locker and opened it, bringing out a huge black blaster rifle. "And it's our responsibility, for both the ponies of this planet and the safety of Cybertronians everywhere, to find him and bring him down."
Sweet Apple Acres...
Meanwhile, the CMC along with Babs Seed were racing each other through the apple orchards of the Apple Family farm. Apple Bloom was currently in the lead, her strong Earth Pony legs propelling her forwards. Trailing behind them was their teacher, Ms. Cheerliee, shouting "Girls, wait up! You know I can't keep up with you!"
"Ha! Guess Y'all are just too slow for mah!" Apple Bloom laughed in triumph. She was going to win this race. But so focused as she was upon looking at the three ponies trailing behind her, that she didn't see the tree stump right directly in front of her. Apple Bloom tripped and went flying before falling flat on her face as Babs ran past her.
"Jeepers, guess you need to look where you're going cuz!" Babs chortled, even as Apple Bloom growled and ran after her, attempting to catch up and regain her lead. The two traded positions over and over, each regaining and losing the lead throughout the snow covered orchards. Just then, Apple Bloom heard a voice.
"I assume all is going to plan?" The voice said, and she held up a hoof in front of Babs to stop her even as Sweetie and Scootaloo caught up.
"Hey, what's going on?" Scootaloo asked, and Apple Bloom quickly hid behind the cover of a tree trunk with Babs budging up next to her as Apple Bloom gestured for Sweetie, Scootaloo and Cheerilee to hide themselves as well. As soon as the other two CMC members were safely behind the cover of a boulder, Apple Bloom peered out from behind the tree.
"What do you see, cuz?" Babs whispered, and Apple Bloom hissed at her for to be quiet. What she saw was an unfamiliar mare with her purple and turquoise hair tied back in a high ponytail and an equal sign for a Cutie Mark talking to a holographic projection of a menacing looking robot using a small device held in her hoof. On her back was a long wooden staff with an amethyst colored gem on top of it, forming it's tip.
"Yes, milord Megatron (Apple Bloom's, along with the rest of the CMC's eyes widened. So THIS was the Megatron they'd been hearing so much about.). Those pathetic Elements of Harmony have interfered with your plans for the last time." The mare chortled, and Apple Bloom could swear she could she her smirk.
"Good, Starlight. With those Elements gone and trapped in another world, we'll only have one thing stopping m-I mean us, from taking control over Equus, those accursed Autobots, and they can be easily dealt with." Megatron replied before Starlight raised an eyebrow.
"What about the Princesses?" She asked, and Megatron laughed long and hard.
"The Princesses? Don't make me laugh, my pathetic little pony. (Starlight's eyes narrowed at the insult.) They're just like Astro-Flies under a boot, waiting to be crushed. I have other plans in the works, and if Soundwave succeeds at the task I set for him, and I have no doubt he will, those three will never know what hit them."
Megatron smirked even as he cut the transmission feed. He knew more then he was telling Starlight. Yes, he did have a very good idea on who he'd sent Soundwave to track and capture. He'd heard the rumors about the Reaper of Cybertron, and his unstoppable force. Both the Autobots and the Princesses wouldn't know what hit them when he sent it out. Finally, Apple Bloom had heard enough.
"Hey! You there! If you think you're going to send mah sis and her friends, along with mah teacher to another world with that fancy-smancy staff of yers, ya got another think coming!" Apple Bloom exclaimed as she dashed out from behind the tree even as Scootaloo facehoofed and muttered "So much for secrecy. And they say I'm the rash one." while Ms. Cheerilee shouted "Apple Bloom, don't!"
"Oh look!" Starlight said in a mock sweet tone even as Apple Bloom's friends and teacher rushed to her side with Cheerilee saying "If you think you're going to hurt my students, you better think again!" she yelled, sounding like a protective mother. And to be honest, that really wasn't far from the truth. All of her class, even Diamond and Silver were like her kids, and if anypony was going to hurt them, they would just have to stand aside as she would not let that happen.
"A group of pathetic little fillies and a school teacher, thinking they're going to stop moi? Don't make me laugh." Starlight snickered.
"Hey, who you calling pathetic?" Sweetie Belle squeaked out even as she tried focusing magic to her horn but found she just couldn't focus just quite enough to manage even one spell. Starlight burst out laughing, having to clutch her sides to keep from falling over in sheer amusement.
"You, apparently." Starlight mocked. "But I think our time chatting is over. Buh-bye now." Starlight finished, and pulled out her staff. She waved it around in a fancy motion before the tip glowed and she pointed it straight at the CMC and fired a purple beam of energy at the foursome. There was a blinding flash of light, before the next thing the CMC and Ms. Cheerilee knew, they found themselves somewhere in a desert, with high mountain peaks and plateaus all around them. Then, even as she groaned picking herself up off the ground, Apple Bloom got a good look at her friends and her jaw dropped. They now all had two legs instead of four, and wore strange garments with their arms having hands and fingers at the ends of them. They looked like themselves, but not quite like themselves at the same time.
"Wh-What's happened to us?" Scootaloo asked even as Sweetie Belle rubbed her head and wiped a bit of blood from her hair after hitting her head on the dirt covered ground. Sweetie winced in pain. Chances are she probably had a concussion.
"Better question might be, where are we?" Babs asked, before she caught eye of a green sign that read in big white letters this very phrase.
"Welcome to Jasper, Nevada"
Apple Bloom gulped.
"Girls, Ah don't think we're in Equestria anymore..."
THE END...?