//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 // Story: War in Equestria // by FlamingSamurai //------------------------------// Since Celestia had left with Sunset Shimmer, Princess Luna had been left in charge of defending Canterlot and along with that, complete leadership over the Grand Army of Equestria. Deep down, Luna wanted time to rule alone, like her sister had done in the one thousand-year period that had become known as the Great Celestial/Lunar rift. But she didn’t want it to happen like this. Not in these circumstances. And especially not with the idea of aliens infesting Equestria. Luna could hardly believe it when Celestia had the vision of large creatures falling from the sky. The idea of beings from another world seemed preposterous to her, but her sister’s visions had never been wrong in the past, so she reluctantly let her indulge herself. “But did she have to bring Sunset into it all?” Luna wondered, eyes closed as she sat on her sister’s throne. “She was already brave enough leaving behind the life she had in the human world to help us. But helping investigate alien activity? I hope Tia knows what she’s doing…” The two of them had departed after Celestia had raised the sun and now it was almost the start of the afternoon and still no word from them. Celestia had told Luna that she would send her phoenix Philomena a message if she had found anything or if trouble had befallen them. Either Philomena got delayed or all three of them had been captured. Luna could do nothing but hope for the best. She suddenly opened her eyes when one of her Shadowbolts, flanked by two guards, entered the room, hastily ran up to the throne, and bowed deeply before the Princess of the Night. Underneath her Shadowbolt’s uniform, Luna could see a light purple coat and her mane and tail were white with light blue streaks running through them. She had a scroll in a string around her neck, as well. “Princess Luna”, the pegasus simply said. “Ah, Sugercoat”, Luna greeted her in a warm and welcoming tone of voice. “It is good to see you again. How is the defense of Manehattan?” “Defense of Manehattan is going well, Your Highness”, Sugercoat said in a quick and blunt voice. “Additionally, Discord has reported that no attacks have been made on Baltimare and Fillydelphia. None of the Wonderbolts or Shadowbolts accompanying him have seen anything either, nor does it seem that they have been replaced by Changelings.” “I see”, Luna said. “Contact Discord and have him assume complete and total protection over Fillydelphia and move all forces from there to Baltimare. I trust that Discord has enough power to protect an entire city.” “Will do, Your Majesty”, Sugercoat replied. “But… I also have bad news.” Luna’s face went from happy to concerned. “And what would that be?” she asked. “Our forces in Baltimare received a message from Queen Chrysalis herself,” Sugercoat said nervously. “She… has taken Appleoosa. General Applejack has been captured along with her entire battalion.” Luna stood up and her eyes widened. “What?!” “I am just as surprised as you, Your Grace, but it’s true”, Sugercoat said sadly. “They took the city before they even arrived and ambushed them. They never saw it coming.” Luna’s heart sank. “Applejack… no… what will Twilight and her friends say about this?” “There is more.” Luna’s ears perked up. “What more could there possibly be?” Sugercoat’s head was starting to drip with sweat. “Chrysalis claims to have something powerful in her possession. A giant... robotic being that we believe she’s saving for you and Princess Celestia.” Luna held her position for a moment. “A giant... robotic… being?” “Are these the alien creatures Celestia was talking about?” Sugarcoat nodded. “I didn’t believe it myself, but she has a picture of it that she sent with the message… Captain Sour Sweet asked me to give it to you.” Luna walked down to the base of the throne and stared her dead in the eyes, something which made Sugercoat even more nervous than what she was right that moment. “Show me,” she ordered. Sugercoat removed the scroll from her neck and a blue aura wrapped around it as Luna pulled it in front of her face and unfurled it. A lump in her throat formed as she saw the picture: a smug-looking Chrysalis presenting a large, blue and red being with green eyes holding a large, golden hammer in one hand and a Changeling cocoon in the other. Looking closely at the image revealed the poor pony inside of it. “Applejack.” She looked down at the message written on the scroll and slowly read. “Princess Celestia, As you can see from the above image, your forces in Appleoosa have failed. You may have also noticed my new pet. His name is Ultra Magnus and he is from another world where he claims to be a defender of his people. Since running into me, though, he has had a change in allegiance. He serves me now and with his untold power, Equestria will be mine! Baltimare is the next target for our conquest and Magnus here is spoiling to prove his loyalty to me. I doubt any of your forces will be able to survive his might. I also suggest surrendering soon unless you want any more of your subjects to suffer the same fate. See you soon, Queen Chrysalis” Luna couldn’t believe it as a shocked expression formed on her face. A being from another world. A being that had some sort of power that Luna nor anyone else could possibly comprehend. A being that, if the message is anything to go by, was once a protector that had been brainwashed into being the Changeling Queen’s personal servant. And now the Element of Honesty had fallen. “Princess Luna”, Sugercoat spoke up nervously. “What should we do?” Luna didn’t answer right away. What could they do? She didn’t know what this thing was or where he even came from. Was this really one of the creatures falling from the sky that Celestia says she saw in her vision? If so, where are the others? After a second, Luna raised her head towards her subject, rolling up the scroll and putting it aside while barely managing to conceal her growing anger. “Sugercoat, return to Baltimare with these guards at once. Sour Sweet will need all the help she can get. Tell her to evacuate the citizens and lead them to Canterlot; we have more than enough room for them to take shelter. Drop a few of them off in Ponyville if you wish. I’ll send a message to Discord, Captain Spitfire, Princess Twilight, and Princess Cadance and tell them everything that has happened.” “But, Your Majesty… what about that giant robot?” Sugercoat asked. She couldn't believe this conversation was happening. Luna closed her eyes. She still didn’t have an answer. “Just… do what you can. If you find any weaknesses, let me know immediately. I will inform Celestia of what’s happened when she returns.” Sugercoat saluted. “Yes, Your Majesty.” Luna watched Sugercoat walk out of the room in silence. The Princess of the Night then unfurled the note and looked at the image again. She wanted to rip the scroll in half and scream. The same questions swirled in her head over and over. What could they do against that being? Is there anything they can do? Then another thought crossed her mind. “If there are others like this ‘Ultra Magnus’ out there, what if Chrysalis has gotten to them, as well?” Returning to Celestia’s throne, Luna breathed deeply and prayed for the safety of her sister and friends. She hoped Celestia would come back in one piece. --------------------------------------------- It had only been a few hours since Celestia raised the sun. The two of them had left Canterlot and Sunset was already getting tired. Normally, she was very alert and active, but after walking for several hours (not including one or two breaks), she felt like she had climbed Mount Everhoof. They were long past Ponyville and the Everfree Forest, although no one had seen them. As Celestia had said, this adventure was completely off the record. No one else had to know that aliens had come to Equestria at the same time the Changelings had mounted a full-scale war. Sunset yawned as the two of them trekked along. As they approached a set of train tracks, Sunset suddenly fell to the side, Celestia catching her with her magic. Then, she brought her back to her feet, let her rest at her side, and giggled. Sunset looked up at Celestia. “Sorry, Princess”, she said. “There is nothing to apologize for, Sunset”, Celestia said with a warm smile. “The good news is, we’re almost there. If my vision is accurate, the life forms landed just beyond these railroad tracks.” Celestia hoisted her first student up onto her back and hopped across the tracks when she was sure nothing was coming. Then, she spread her wings and turned back to Sunset. “Hold on. I promise the rest of the trip will be quick!” Sunset nodded and held tight to the back of Celestia’s neck. Her former mentor took to the air and flew, something which snapped Sunset back to full awareness. Having never really flown before, unless she counted the first encounter with Twilight’s human counterpart, Sunset looked around in awe as they passed several birds flying around them. She looked down and saw how beautiful the ground looked, even though they weren’t that high in the air. “I wonder if Twilight ever enjoys these sorts of things while flying”, Sunset thought. Within one or two minutes, Celestia could make out a large crater in the distance and began flying lower and lower towards the ground. She turned back to Sunset and told her to prepare for the landing. But as they drew closer to the ground, Celestia suddenly gasped and flew slightly backwards into the air, Sunset clinging harder onto Celestia’s neck for support. Sunset immediately wanted to ask what Celestia was thinking and what she saw. She ultimately answered her own question when she looked down at the crater below and gasped herself. Celestia was right. Lying in the crater was a large being, colored mainly orange and black, with some grey mixed in. His head, which bore a helmet with a red “V” on it, was turned over to the right-hoof side (or in this case, his right-hand side), its eyes closed and what seemed to be a black moustache. The center of the being’s chest bore a red symbol that looked like some sort of face. As Celestia managed to position herself and Sunset in a hovering position above the being’s chest, noticing that its armor was badly cracked and cut, like it had been through some sort of battle. Celestia touched down gently on the figure’s chest and allowed Sunset to get off beside her. She then signaled for her former student to stay close to her as they cautiously approached its head. “Hello?” Celestia called out to it. “Can you hear me? My name is Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria. Are you alright? Hello?” No answer came from the being. Sunset frowned and cocked her head. “Do you think it’s dead?” Sunset asked. “Perhaps”, Celestia answered. “Or it is just out cold. I’ll try and use my magic to see if I can wake it up. Now please step back, Sunset. I think we might be standing over his heart.” Sunset nodded nervously and backed away as Celestia’s horned glowed in a yellow aura. She then bent her head down onto the surface of the being’s chest and fired a blast of magic directly into it. Sunset was nearly knocked off her hooves as she felt the massive vibrations of Celestia’s magic surging through the being’s body; she could even see the gold aura spreading out all over the place! The body seized itself upwards for a moment before returning to its original resting place and the aura faded away. Sunset slowly walked back over to Celestia’s side as she examined the body. For a moment, they could hear nor see anything to indicate the creature was still alive or not. Then, they felt a small sound coming from beneath them and bent their heads to listen. It sounded like the beating of a heart, something which made both ponies’ faces go into a mix of shock and surprisingly enough, joy.             That’s when the being slowly began to move and groan. --------------------------------------------- The moment Megatron had ambushed Optimus, the rest of Team Prime knew that they needed to act. Ratchet immediately directed the team to head inside the Ark, noting that it may be safer there than out in space with the rest of the Decepticons. As they moved to evacuate, Starscream ambushed them, accompanied by a few more Decepticons, including Shockwave. One of them, Dreadwing, followed Team Prime into the Ark while Drift found himself cut off by the Decepticon second-in-command. Despite his efforts, he was quickly overwhelmed. Even in stasis lock, Drift could hear Starscream’s words echoing in his mind. “You should never have left us, Deadlock! You would have been a worthy addition to the multitude of soldiers honored in the soon-to-be Decepticon Empire!” “My former self is as dead as The Fallen!” Drift had shouted back. “The only thing your kind understands is violence! That is exactly what lead to Cybertron’s destruction!” “The way I see it, Lord Megatron simply saw that Cybertron needed a change in leadership”, Starscream sneered. “I saw it too, so I was all too happy to follow him!” “Then you are following him to your death!” Drift yelled as he lunged forward in an attempted tackle. Starscream sidestepped him with ease, deploying his null ray before firing on his enemy. Drift found himself stunned, left helpless as Starscream grabbed him and flew the both of them off the ship as the Ark gave way beneath them. Drift saw where it was headed: a small planet with unusual clouds. Starscream chuckled. “Funny”, he said, pulling Drift up to his face. “I believe that is where you are following Optimus Prime!” The last thing Drift remembered after that was Starscream spinning him around once, throwing him into the direction of the planet, and firing another blast from his null ray to knock him into the atmosphere. The Autobot tactician blacked out before he even hit the ground. Now, what seemed like eons later, he was feeling something. It felt… warm. Happy even. It was like someone was taking all of his anxieties and fears away. Whatever it was, it was moving all over his body, pulling him out of the blackness. Groaning, Drift managed to slowly blink his eyes and moved his head around. Then he stopped suddenly. He realized that he was now feeling something else. Two small objects standing on his chest. The Autobot warrior managed to open his eyes to the best of his current state to get a glimpse of what he was feeling. What he saw caught him off guard. Two small, pastel-colored creatures on four legs, wearing armor, and the tallest one was carrying some kind of weapon. Drift wanted to brush them off, but he was too weak at the moment to do so. Instead, groaned and slowly asked, “Who… are… you?” The tallest creature, colored white with large, flowing hair stepped forward, a small smile on its face. “My name is Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria”, it said in a feminine voice. “This is my companion, Sunset Shimmer.” Drift gave the two a closer look. They looked like those horse creatures he had seen during the Autobots’ time on Earth. But these types of horses seemed to possess a higher intelligence, given their ability to speak. Plus, their names seemed strange to him, especially given all the other planets he had been to. “Do you have a name?” Princess Celestia asked. “Drift”, he replied wearily. “Where… where am I?” “This is Equestria”, the equine replied. “Equestria?” Drift asked. “You rule an entire planet?” Celestia and Sunset chuckled. “Actually, Equestria is just a mere country. Equestria is one of the largest countries on this planet and up until recently was the most harmonious.” Drift cocked his head. “What do you mean by ‘up until recently’?” “We are at war”, Celestia replied. “A race of beings known as Changelings are attempting to take over Equestria.” Drift stared at the two Equestrians when he heard that. Most of the planets that the Autobots had been to had mostly been peaceful races, with the exception of Earth. Hearing that this planet, this country rather, was in the middle of what he could assume was a full-scale war made him feel ill. “War…” Drift repeated. “Just… like… us." Celestia and Sunset exchanged curious glances. “Are… you at war, too?” Sunset asked. Drift found the strength to reach up his hands to his chest and motioned for the two equines to hop on. They did so and Drift slowly rolled onto his side and set them down before attempting to stand. “To answer your question… Sunset is it?” Sunset nodded. “Good. Yes, I am involved in a war. One that has lasted for what seems like millions of years.” The two equine’s ears perked up. “Millions of years?” "Indeed”, Drift said, managing to stabilize himself on one knee and looking down at the two natives. “I come from a world known as Cybertron, a planet inhabited by robotic life forms capable of changing shape. For the longest time, we lived in peace and happiness, until the Decepticons rose up and took over the planet, ruling with an iron fist. Those of us loyal to Cybertron’s last peaceful ruler, Sentinel Prime, rallied under him to liberate Cybertron. We call ourselves ‘Autobots’.” “Autobots…” Sunset repeated to herself. “That name reminds me of those cars in the human world.” “Unfortunately, Sentinel eventually fell in battle”, Drift continued. “His second-in-command, Optimus, succeeded him as our leader and became the last of the Primes.” “The Primes?” Celestia asked. “They were the first Cybertronians in existence”, Drift explained. “Their goal was to be guardians of Primus, the creator of our once-proud race. And they were. Until one of those primes, Megatronus, betrayed them and was cast out. After that, they disappeared, the only trace of their existence being a legendary artifact called the Matrix of Leadership.” Sunset’s excitement was growing by the second. She was right about one thing: Twilight would have a field day learning about this mysterious race if she were here. “The Matrix carried a small fraction of Primus’ power. Whoever wielded it would be granted a new sense of wisdom and as the name implies, the right to lead the Autobots and be called a Prime.” “And this ‘Optimus’ is the one currently possessing it?” Celestia asked. “What is he like?” Drift sighed. “Optimus Prime… is one of the most compassionate warriors I have ever met. The dedication he has to his warriors is so strong… he is the one who convinced me to join the Autobots in the first place.” “Really?” Sunset asked. “Yes. Optimus made me realize that the Decepticons should not be allowed to trample over the lives of others. When I joined the Autobots, I became one of his tacticians as a way of saying thanks.” Drift then tried to stand up fully, only to be met with a pain in his left side. Clutching it, he yelled and fell over, startling Celestia and Sunset and causing them to back away. “Drift!” The two of them turned around towards the top of the crater and what they saw made them freeze. A large, red-colored robot with horns on its head slid down the slope and ran over to Drift, not noticing the two equines standing near him. He looked over Drift’s body and slowly helped him onto his knees. From what Celestia could guess, it seemed to be the same size as Drift. “Drift, are you okay?” the red robot asked. Drift nodded. “I am fine, Cliffjumper. And happy to see that you are still online. Where are the others?” “I’ve got Sideswipe, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack with me back at the top. Not sure about the others, though. I can’t even get a clear read on the Ark’s signal”, Cliffjumper said. “If the Ark is indeed on this planet, then there is a chance the others are still online”, Drift said. “We must find them soon.” “Um, excuse me?” Sunset’s question gained the two robots attention. For a moment, Cliffjumper gave Sunset a confused look before turning back to Drift. “Uh, did that horse just…” “Yes, Cliffjumper,” Drift replied. “It is a long story. They are the ones who woke me up after I crashed.” Cliffjumper turned back towards the two equines at his feet. He looked closely at them and widened his eyes at the horns on their heads and the wings that Celestia had. “Well then,” Cliffjumper said. “Optimus is probably gonna kill us for this, but I think the rest of us have time for a long story.” “Happy to oblige, sir”, Sunset said. “Name’s Cliffjumper, kid”, the red robot said. “I’m Sunset Shimmer and this is Princess Celestia”, Sunset said “Nice to meet you, Sunset”, Cliffjumper tipped his head. “Looks like we’ve got a lot to talk about.”