//------------------------------// // Prologue: The Planet Eater // Story: Light Our Darkest Hour // by Dat Dash //------------------------------// My name is Optimus Prime. For many cycles now, my fellow Autobots and I have defended our homeworld, Cybertron, and our new home, the planet Earth, from those who would wish to enslave or destroy them. It has been twelve Earth years since the Battle of Autobot City; a battle that claimed many casualties on both sides... myself included. Nevertheless, I eventually returned; and after cleansing the Earth of the Hate Plague, the war between Autobot and Decepticon was over at last... or so we thought. It would seem that the day I have feared since my resurrection has finally come to pass... Unicron lives. Though Autobot scouts have scoured the known universe, trying to locate him, they have found nothing. At first glance, it appears that he is nowhere to be found. Yet... I know he is out there. I can feel his presence through the Matrix. And I fear for the safety of all worlds. Unicron could be anywhere; from the furthest reaches of the universe, to perhaps another universe altogether. The Autobots and I must remain ever vigilant. Unicron must be stopped. He is a menace to all sentient life in existence. And if we fail in our duty... ...then Primus help us all. It was a tough job, being Princess of the Night, but somepony had to do it. Princess Luna was no stranger to the hard work involved in keeping the night safe for her subjects, the ponies of Equestria. The constant stress and fear that accompanied her task would be overwhelming for most other ponies, but Luna knew it was her duty to protect Equestria at any cost. She also knew how unwise it was to buckle from the pressure. She could never forget how her own anger and envy had consumed her all those years ago, twisting and warping her mind until she sought nothing less than complete control over her domain; and only her elder sister, Princess Celestia, had been able to prevent her from doing any more damage. And after a thousand years of exile on the Moon because of it, she was not about to let it happen again. She looked at a clock on the wall in her chambers. It was nearly time for the Sun to rise. Luna yawned loudly, and decided that she needed some rest. Confident that her sister had things under control for the time being, she climbed into her bed and fell into a deep slumber. Luna opened her eyes. She was on the Moon once more, though this time, she didn't know why. She looked around her, trying to figure out why and how she was there. "...Hello?" she asked nervously, "Sister... can you hear me?" Suddenly, there was a voice behind her; a deep, powerful, echoing voice, with all the subtlety of a supernova. "You fool," it said, "In the vacuum of space... no one will be able to hear you... except me." Luna turned around slowly, and was horrified by what she saw: a massive ball of silver and orange steel, no bigger than twenty moons combined, with spikes protruding from all sides, and a gaping hole, facing Luna with two, long, curved spikes on either side of it, protruding out for miles on end. "Princess Luna..." said the voice. "I am Unicron, and I come from a place far beyond your pathetic understanding. I have summoned you here for a purpose." Luna gathered up her courage and said, "And wherefore, pray tell, hast thou demanded mine presence?" "This is my command: you are to destroy the Elements of Harmony, the only things on your world-- nay, in your universe --that can stand against me," commanded Unicron, "Do this, and I may spare your insignificant planet of Equus. Fail, and your world will be devoured like the others in my path." Luna merely scoffed. "If indeed you seek the Elements, then I fear you are already too late," she said. "For they hath been destroyed long before thou sought them out. I therefore hath nothing that thou desire." "You lie, Princess," replied Unicron, clearly unamused. "I still sense their power." "It matters not!" Luna declared sternly. "Even if what thou seek still existed, I'd dare not to assist thee still." Luna now stood up, making her contempt clear. "There shant be any agreement, monster. Leave this world, lest thee wish to be forced to!" After a brief pause, Unicron's reply came. "A most unwise decision. Proceed... on your way to oblivion." The ground beneath Luna shook as Unicron drew closer. A great force, like a gust of wind, drew the ground closer to the hungering maw of the titanic iron beast. Luna reeled back and shielded her face with her hooves while Unicron consumed the Moon around her. She screamed in agony and terror as she was sucked into the heart of the beast... "LUNA, WAKE UP!! PLEASE WAKE UP!!" Luna awoke quickly, finding herself cradled in the hooves of her elder sister. "Are you alright, little sister?" asked Celestia, a look of concern on her face. "I heard you screaming in your sleep..." Luna looked around her, making sure she wasn't dreaming still. "Sister... please... contact Twilight Sparkle," said Luna, gasping for breath nervously. "I fear something terrible is yet to occur..." Queen Chrysalis wandered the deserts of Equestria alone, with only her thoughts to keep her company. Thanks to a meddling unicorn she had overlooked, she was now a Queen without a hive; something that she would not stand for. She wanted her hive, she wanted power, but most of all... ...she wanted vengeance. At that moment, she could feel herself being lifted from the ground by some unseen force, as the ground beneath her drifted away. She looked up after about a while, only to find that she was leaving the atmosphere and approaching what looked like a massive, metal moon with orange spikes. She looked back down once more before losing consciousness... The first thing Queen Chrysalis felt when she awoke was the feeling of steel beneath her hooves. The second thing she felt was an intense cold, unlike any she had felt before. "Queen Chrysalis," said a powerful, booming deep voice, "I have summoned you for a purpose." "WHO DARES TO SUMMON ME?!" replied the Changeling angrily, looking around and searching desperately for the source of the voice. "You do not intimidate me, Chrysalis," replied the voice, which seemed to come from all around her. "For I am Unicron, the Chaos Bringer and Planet Eater. If you wish for me to spare your worthless planet, you will do as I command." "And what is it that you want from me?" demanded Chrysalis angrily. "This is my command: you will find and destroy the Elements of Harmony. They are the only power in this land capable of impeding my destiny." Queen Chrysalis laughed. "I'm afraid that can't be done. The Elements have been destroyed already... but I do know who wields their power." "Excellent," replied Unicron. "Bring them to me." "And in return?" demanded the Changeling. "You wish to bargain. Very well," said Unicron. "Do as I command, and you will have a new army at your command, and an opportunity for the vengeance you so desire." The haughty Changeling queen felt like the offer was too good to be true, but she decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. "I accept your terms, Unicron," she replied. "I am your servant." And she knelt upon the metal surface of the Planet Eater... her new master.