//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: War in Equestria // by FlamingSamurai //------------------------------// “What is that thing?” “I don’t know… but it looks like it’s made of metal, just like the last one.” “Do you think it’s alive?” “The other one didn’t seem like it. I mean, after a fall like that…” Gilda suddenly heard a groan coming from the metallic creature that she was inspecting and flew off it with a screech of surprise. She flew down to her companion and the two hugged one another in fear. “Get back”, Gilda said. “I think it’s coming to!” The giant metallic creature colored red, black, and blue slowly sat up, dazed from his fall. Shaking his head, he rubbed his eyes with his right hand and slowly looked around. Wherever he landed, it looked like some mostly green landscape, but barely any signs of life, with the exception of two small creatures near his right leg. Their heads were white with yellow beaks, their bodies were brown with tails on their ends and what he assumed were wings on their sides, and their legs (which took the forms of talons) were yellow. They seemed to be organic beings “Strange”, he thought to himself. “These creatures seem to be a mix of all sorts of different species. The talons remind me of the Dinobots.” Then, he noticed something else. The two organic creatures seemed to be afraid of him, judging by how slowly they were backing away. Optimus dared not move from his current position, otherwise he might send them into a run. Instead, he simply raised his right hand and saw them brace themselves for the worst. “Bah-weep-granah-weep-ninny-bong”, he said. The two organics looked up in confusion at the metallic giant and soon came to realize that he may not mean any harm towards them. “Uh...” one of the creatures spoke up in a feminine, raspy voice, “what was that?” “The universal greeting”, the giant said. “It is a way of showing beings of other worlds we find that we come in peace. I take it you have never heard of it?” “Not really”, she said. “Who are you, anyway?” “My name is Optimus Prime”, the giant said, slowly bringing himself up to one knee. His blue eyes never left the two beings he was speaking to. “I’m an autonomous, robotic organism from the planet Cybertron. And who might you be?” “Oh, me?” the speaking organic asked, shock in her tone of voice. When Optimus nodded in reply, she obliged, “My name’s Gilda and this is my friend, Gretta.” Next to her, Gretta waved a friendly talon at Optimus, but still had a sense of fear on her face. “We’re from Griffonstone, the heart of the griffon homeland”, Gilda explained. “It’s not very far from here. We were out here looking for some supplies for a housing problem we’ve got at home and found you and some other… thing like you lying unconscious in craters. You look like you just fell from the sky or something.” “A pleasure to meet you, Gilda”, Optimus dipped his head with a polite bow before turning to Gilda’s companion. “And you, Gretta.” Gretta’s nervous face never seemed to leave for every second she stared up at the alien robot, but she at least responded with another wave from her talon. Optimus then looked at Gilda again. “Now, correct me if I'm wrong, did you mention that there was another one like me around here?” Gilda nodded, unfurled her wings, and flew up to Optimus’ head, pointing in the direction behind him. “We found another one like you just about a mile or so from here”, Gilda explained. “It looked like it… or he… had been through some sort of fire.” “What do you mean?” Optimus asked. “Well, he looked all burned up”, Gilda continued. “And when we got up close, we don’t think he was alive, like you.” Optimus looked down for a moment to consider what he had just heard. Then, he pulled himself upwards until he was standing upright. Gilda and Gretta’s beaks hit the ground at just how tall their alien visitor was; from Gilda’s perspective, he seemed almost as huge as the castle in Canterlot. “Can you take me to where he is?” Optimus asked. Gilda flew upwards until she was looking into Optimus’ face again. “I guess so”, she said. She then turned downwards to face her friend. “Gretta!” she called. “Let’s go!” Gretta complied as she flew up next to Gilda. “Um… okay”, Gretta finally spoke. “But, where are we going?” “Didn’t you hear? We’re gonna take Optimus here to that other alien we found”, Gilda explained with an annoyed sigh. “Uh… o…kay…” Gretta managed to cough out, still unable to handle the sight of the large alien in front of her. Fortunately, Optimus seemed to know what she was thinking. “I am sorry if my appearance frightens you, Gretta”, Optimus told her. “But know that I have no intention of harming you. I would never do something like that to an innocent, sentient life-form.” Hearing that made Gretta smile a little bit and slowly, her fear started to melt away. “Come on!” Gilda said as she flew past Optimus’ head towards the direction of the second crater. “We don’t have all day!” ----------------------------------- It didn’t take too long, but the trio finally arrived at the crater where the other Cybertronian lay. In that time, Optimus explained to Gilda everything that had happened to him, from the war between the Autobots and Decepticons to the battle that caused them to crash-land on this planet. Optimus also asked Gilda if there were any other life forms around, but she told him that he and the other Cybertronian they were approaching were the only ones in the area. This disheartened the Autobot leader, who prayed for the safety of his friends and comrades, especially his young scout Bumblebee. But that wasn’t the only thing that concerned him. When he and his first lieutenant Jazz were being pulled out of the Ark’s bridge by a vacuum suction, his archenemy, Megatron, had been pulled out with them. Optimus knew that Megatron must be somewhere on this planet, and if that was true, then the other Decepticons would come looking for him. If Gilda and Gretta were any indication, this planet was inhabited. The Decepticons would no doubt put every single one of those inhabitants in danger in order to find their leader. Optimus could only hope that the rest of his Autobots were still around to stop them. Approaching the crater with Gilda and Gretta, Optimus was forced to focus on the present situation as he bent down and examined the body. Gilda was right about one thing: it had burns all over it. Beneath the burns, he could make out it’s color scheme: primarily white with red and blue decorated on it. The helmet the body wore was black, not because of the burning, and a cracked blue visor covered his eyes. Optimus slowly lifted the body up and put his audio receptor to its chest plate. After a few moments, Gilda spoke up again. “Well?” Optimus turned around. “He’s still alive”, he reported. “Who is he?” Gretta asked. Picking the body up off the ground, Optimus turned towards his companions. “This is my first lieutenant, Jazz”, Optimus explained. “He stood by my side during the Great War.” “Is he going to be okay?” Gilda asked. “That is unclear”, Optimus answered. “The burns he has suffered, coupled with the fall, must have crashed his internal systems. If I do not find my medical officer, or any of my fellow Autobots soon, he may go offline. Permanently.” Gilda and Gretta flapped in place and looked at each other shocked. They were alien robots, they knew that, but robots with emotions? Robots who could think? Robots… that could die? “Gilda, are you sure that you saw no one else in this area?” Optimus asked. “Yep”, Gilda said. “You guys were all that was around here. Plus, that giant sword over there.” She pointed near the crater where Jazz was found in and Optimus noticed the sword sticking out of the ground. Walking over to it, he put Jazz’s unconscious form down for a moment and managed to take the sword out of the ground. Gilda and Gretta saw a slot on his back open up and Optimus placed it in there. Picking Jazz’s body up in his arms again, Optimus turned to the two griffons once more. “Do you know of any place on this planet where they could be?” Gilda thought for a moment before snapping her claws. “You could try Equestria”, she suggested. “Where is this ‘Equestria’?” Optimus inquired. “It’s a continent just west of the griffon homeland”, Gretta told him, pointing outwards to the west. “It’s populated mainly by ponies, unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies to be exact. There are some griffons and dragons there, but for the most part, it’s just ponies.” “I do not know what these ‘ponies’ are”, Optimus said, “nor do I know what these ‘dragons’ are. But if what you say is true, my friends could be in trouble. I must go now to find them.” Optimus then turned his head over his shoulder to examine the jet pack on his back. The storage unit for his Star Saber seemed to remain intact, but the twin engines looked worse for wear, mostly likely a result from the fall. He wouldn’t be able to fly Jazz to Equestria, forcing only one other option. To the amazement of Gretta and Gilda, Optimus threw Jazz over his shoulders and onto his back. Then, he suddenly changed. Parts retracted, folded in on themselves, and folded outwards until Optimus was a large, metallic vehicle of some kind. He had wheels on the front and back end and a black opening in the front. Jazz’s body lay on top of him, his arms dangling off the sides. Optimus then moved forward slightly, until Gilda and Gretta could see the side. There appeared to be a door there, as the two observed. “Do you know of any specific way to get to Equestria the fastest?” Optimus’ voice came from the giant vehicle he had turned himself in. Gilda shook off her shock and managed to give an answer. “There’s a railroad that connects the griffon homeland to Equestria. That would definitely be the quickest way for us.” “Thank you, Gilda and Gretta”, Optimus said. “Be safe and watch out for anyone like me with a purple insignia. Those are Decepticons. Anyone with a red insignia are Autobots. If you see any of them, direct them towards Equestria.” “Will do”, Gilda said. And with that, Optimus drove away at top speed with Jazz’s still-unconscious form. He just hoped he would make it there soon and that the Decepticons hadn’t resurfaced at all in his absence. Several miles behind him, Gilda and Gretta stared in his direction, unable to comprehend what just happened. “Gilda?” Gretta finally managed to ask. “Yeah, Gretta?” Gilda replied. “Let’s not tell anyone about this. Agreed?” Gretta suggested. Gilda looked back at the crater then back towards the direction where Optimus was driving away with Jazz. “Agreed.” ------------------------------------------- They are here, Princess Celestia. That's what the grey earth pony in a suit and fedora told her before her meeting with Twilight's friends. It wasn't until a few hours after she had sent her message to Twilight and her friends requesting them to meet her in Canterlot when Celestia had gone to address her subjects and declare a state of emergency. Once it was over, she headed back to the throne room to await Twilight's arrival. She hadn't gotten far before images only she could see began appearing before her eyes: objects falling from the sky and turning into large metallic beings with blue and red eyes, shapeshifting into different forms, fighting each other, locking blades, and killing each other on a fiery battlefield. Once the images stopped appearing, her guards were at her side asking if she was alright. Then he appeared. The stallion gave his message quickly before the guards pointed their spears at him. Suddenly, he vanished before their eyes, leaving them bewildered. Now, as she stared into a mirror, putting on protective headgear, she realized that whoever the stallion was, he must be right. The last time she had a vision, it was about Tirek returning, and he did so. Whatever was the meaning behind these visions, Celestia knew they were not to be ignored. She had to investigate immediately. "I don't know what they are, but I will find them," Celestia vowed to herself. "I cannot stand by this time while my country is threatened, by Chrysalis or whatever these beings are." She thought to herself before finishing, "And I don't intend to do so alone." Taking one last moment to examine the armor she was now wearing in place of her royal regala, Celestia departed the changing room to her chambers, where Sunset Shimmer was waiting.