Optimus Prime, the Autobots, and the rest of the ponies and non-ponies had to devise a plan as to how to defeat their enemies. With the alicorns on the side of the enemy, the ponies and creatures would have to solely rely on the superior might of the Autobots.
“So, Optimus, how are we going to take down those Decepticons? There’s so many of them!” Spike asked.
“We need to hide ourselves from detection in order to sneak into their current base. Our only chance is the element of surprise.” advised Optimus.
“Hmm, that’s a fairly good idea. But...how would we do that?” Rarity asked. “They might have guards everywhere. It would be impossible to get past them.”
“Which is we will need a distraction. Is there anyone of you that is willing to volunteer?” Optimus asked.
Pinkie jumped up and down while raising her hoof. “Me, me! I’ll volunteer!! I’m very good at distractions!” she shouted.
“Thank you, Pinkie. We will have to separate into groups to attack the Decepticons on all sides. Once we have a visual on their headquarters, we will then follow that strategy and execute it wisely. For now, we will have to keep a low profile while traveling there. Are you all with me on this?” spoke Prime.
“YEAH!!” all the ponies and creatures shouted. The Autobots followed suit.
“Great! Autobots, transform and roll out!!” Optimus ordered.
All the Autobots, including Optimus, transformed into their respective alt-modes. The ponies and creatures beheld with awe at the shape-shifting, changing gears, and how they appeared in their alt-modes. Rarity was once again blown away at the designs of their modes.
“That...was...AWESOME!!!” Rainbow Dash loudly praised.
“Yeah! Like, SUPER COOL!!” added Spike.
“Indeed! Those modes look...FABULOUS!!” Rarity added as well in awe.
“Hey Silverbolt, mind if we fly with you guys?” Spitfire asked him. She and the Wonderbolts were impressed by the flight capabilities and history of the Aerialbots when the latter told the former of their personal story moments ago.
“Nope, I don’t mind at all. Come join us!” Silverbolt replied. “We can always use some air support, you know.”
“Great! Wonderbolts, follow me!” Spitfire ordered. They joined up with Silverbolt and the other Aerialbots as they flew out of the cave.
“My family and I sure would like a ride with ya, Ironhide. If you don’t mind...” Applejack said while blushing.
“Feel free to ride on, Applejack.” Ironhide replied. They happily entered into the front seats of the vehicle and drove off.
“Sideswipe, dear, would you kindly carry a lady in good ride?” Rarity asked as she fluttered her eyelashes.
“Don’t mind if I do.” Sideswipe politely complied. He opened one of his doors to allow Rarity access into the vehicle. They both drove off.
“Do you need a ride, Fluttershy?” Bumblebee asked.
“Oh, um, yes...I guess.” she nervously said.
“No need to be nervous, little one. I’ll make sure no harm comes in your way. You have my word.” Bumblebee promised.
“Thank you so much.” she said with tears of gratitude on her eyes. Fluttershy then left with Bumblebee.
“Hey, Ratchet, can I ride with you, please?” Pinkie asked.
“Why most definitely, Pinkie. Just make sure that you don’t touch anything in my vehicle mode.” Ratchet told her.
“Okie dokie lokie!” she agreed.
As soon as she got inside his vehicle form, she saw one of his equipment right next to his windshield. “Ohh, what does this do?” Pinkie idly wondered.
“Wait, Pinkie, don’t!” Ratchet warned too late. She accidentally shattered the glass-like container that had energon.
“PINKIE, I NEEDED THAT!!” Ratchet exclaimed in anger.
“Oops! Hehe, sorry!” Pinkie apologized. They left the cave.
The rest of the Autobots left with their respective pony partners and with non-pony allies as well. It was just Prime, Starlight, Spike, Grimlock, and a young yak named Yona.
“Yona like to go with Grimlock! Grimlock best Dinobot!” Yona said.
“I deeply appreciate the praise, Yona. And yes, you can ride on me.” Grimlock consented. Yona got on Grimlock’s Dino back as they left the cave.
“Come in, you two.” Optimus said. Starlight and Spike got inside his vehicle form and drove off. Thus the Autobots and the ponies of Equestria were on a mission. Stop Grogar and the Decepticons and save Equestria.
As Optimus and the Autobots were traveling with the ponies and creatures, there were several blasts of magic that interrupted their progress. They looked and beheld four alicorns descending from above the red sky. They landed while laughing maniacally.
“You ponies are so desperate to reclaim your destroyed pathetic home by allying yourself with beings that can be easily conquered! How amusingly predictable!!” Midnight Sparkle taunted them. Daybreaker, Nightmare Moon, and Heart Shatter stood side by side together.
The Autobots transformed and readied their weapons. But the Mane Six stopped them from firing.
“No! Don’t shoot! Hold on!” they shouted. The Autobots lowered their blasters with confused looks on their faces.
“Is that...TWILIGHT?!” Applejack exclaimed.
“No! NOOO!! This cannot be happening again!!” Starlight yelled in terror. “Daybreaker and Nightmare Moon?! That’s not possible! I thought you were never to exist again!” She immediately had flashbacks when she had a nightmare where both Celestia and Luna with her witnessed the first appearance of Daybreaker.
“Ahh, but you thought wrong! I’m no longer a past nightmare. I’m now...a LIVING BURNING nightmare!! Hahahahahaha!!” Daybreaker exulted.
“What happened to them? Why are Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and Cadence evil? Who did this?” Fluttershy asked.
Suddenly, a huge yellow and black portal appeared before the Autobots and ponies. Out of it came Grogar once again as he menacingly walked in front of them. All the ponies and creatures were shocked to see the ancient evil ram. Many of them heard tales of his tyranny and of his defeat by Gusty the Great. Knowing of his story made them even more terrified as they saw no longer a myth but a reality.
“It was I. The alicorns are mine to command. Prepare to meet your maker and your destroyer!!” Grogar shouted.
“Who are you?” Optimus asked.
“You may call me...GROGAR!” he answered sinisterly.
This surprised the Autobots. “What?! So that’s the Grogar the Constructicons spoke about? A GOAT???” Bluestreak asked.
“Fool, you underestimate my true power! Once my daughters properly dispose of you, there will be no one to stand against us!!” Grogar boasted.
“You are not the first tyrant I have fought in my lifetime, Grogar. You will answer for your crimes against Equestria and against these ponies!” Optimus spoke. “Surrender now, and we will show you mercy.”
“HA! Such heroic nonsense! Daughters, kill them all!” Grogar ordered before entering the portal again and left the area.
“With pleasure, Father!!” Nightmare Moon enthusiastically complied.
All four of them flew together in the air as they combined their magic to generate a huge wave of deadly magic to vaporize them all. They quickly got out of the way of the blast.
“So that’s what happened?! Grogar turned the alicorns evil?! That explains their disappearance!” Rainbow said. “We need to bring them back! We need them!”
“Look out!!” Starlight warned.
Midnight shot her magic towards the Mane Six and Spike. But Prime used his shield to deflect the blast from harming them. He then turned to them.
“Go! Get the creatures and bring them to safety!” Prime sternly ordered.
“On it!” they obeyed.
After they left, Optimus turned to the Aerialbots and pegasi. “Silverbolt, Spitfire, take the earth ponies and unicorns in the forest over there! Keep them all safe!!” he firmly commanded.
“Yes, sir!!” they both complied.
Once that was done, Optimus and the rest of the Autobots faced off the alicorns. Optimus dealt with Daybreaker, Grimlock with Nightmare Moon, Ratchet, Ironhide, and Jazz with Midnight Sparkle, and Sideswipe, Swoop, Snarl, Slag, and Bumblebee with Heart Shatter. The other Autobots went to help the other ponies and creatures evacuate the area.
“You must be the legendary Optimus Prime Soundwave spoke of!” Daybreaker said as she blasted her fiery flames at Prime. “He would be pleased to see your head under his heel!!”
“Enough with this madness! You must resist Grogar’s spell! I know there is good in you...Celestia.” Optimus appealed as he deflected those blasts with his shield.
“It’s Daybreaker, you dolt! You’ll be dust and ashes once I’m through with you!” she yelled.
“Megatron said the same thing to me when we fought together eons ago and look at me now. If you keep fighting and doing evil, what does that bring you? What will it do for your soul?” Optimus asked her.
Once he said this, she looked as if she never thought about it. She attempted to answer but couldn’t find any good reason.
“I...just want power and ponies to submit to me! I want them to fear me!!” Daybreaker tried to answer.
“But how will they respond to you? Will they love you or hate you if you imposed your cruelty on them?” Optimus said. Daybreaker then started to have a mental breakdown as she never realized the consequences that will follow.
“No...no...no...I don’t want that. I just...wanted to—but...” she stuttered. “NO!! I don’t want this!!” Daybreaker exclaimed. Suddenly, her fiery apparel started to fade away and she was engulfed in a bright light. After the bright light died down, she rose up and saw herself back to normal. She had tears of joy as she looked up at Optimus.
“Thank you...so much, Optimus Prime.” Celestia thanked. Optimus nodded his head in acknowledgment.
Grimlock kept shooting at Nightmare as she dodged all his shots and blasted him in the chest. He flew back a few yards but quickly got up with his energon sword and shield in place. He ran up to her swinging his sword at her but she was too fast for him.
“Too slow, brute beast! Surely, you could do far better than that! Hahaha!” she taunted.
“I’m not slow, pony princess. But you really are annoying!!” Grimlock angrily shouted.
“Oh, I’ll show you some annoyance all right!” she said back. She twirled around to blast her huge wave of magic at him. He deflected her blast with his shield.
“Being an evil type is just a waste of time! Can’t you realize the stupidity that most bad guys possess? Taking over the universe, ‘you’ll never stop me’, ‘I will destroy all who get in my way blah blah blah. Me Grimlock don’t like cliche typical villain monologues. That often gets them killed. What makes you any different?” Grimlock asked.
Nightmare didn’t know what to say about that, especially about the generic villain behavior that often sets their downfall. “I...haven’t really thought about that.” she muttered.
“Then you must see the truth, my sister.” Celestia said to her flying over to Grimlock. “You know how that evil will always overthrow you. Pride clouds your judgement. That was what banished you to the moon. Please, sister...Luna...if you can hear me, I need you back!! Fight Grogar’s spell!! You must!!”
Nightmare then held her head as she then tried to fight it with all her strength. After several moments, a bright light engulfed her and brought her back to the good side. Luna looked at Celestia’s eyes and teared up as they passionately hugged.
“Thank you, sister. I needed that.” Luna thanked.
“Of course, Lulu.” Celestia comforted.
Midnight and Heart fought against the other Autobots with upmost ferociousness. All the shots and blasts were deflected from each other.
“This world will be ours and Grogar’s. The Decepticons are winning!! They will take what is rightfully theirs!!” Midnight said.
“Never! Decepticons never win!! We will stop Grogar from taking what is left of this world! He has no right at all!” Swoop declared.
“You have no right...to live.” Heart Shatter darkly spoke. She then froze the Autobots with her ice magic. They all struggled to move. Midnight got in front of them with her horn charging up and an evil smile on her face.
“Prepare to be exterminated, Autobots!” Midnight said.
But before she could fire, the Royal Sisters got in front of both Midnight and Heart. “Enough! This is not how princesses should behave themselves! You are both better than this! Twilight, I know you are alive somewhere! Please remember all the times we had together even with your close friends, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Starlight, and Spike. Do you think Grogar cares about you for the value you have or as a pony? No! He only cares about himself! Please, you must understand. You too, Candace! Think about Shining Armor and Flurry Heart, your FAMILY!!” Celestia mercifully appealed to them.
Both corrupted alicorns realized the enormity of their mistakes and actually remembered those times they had with their families and friends. Even Heart Shatter herself was then starting to have emotions and feelings. As they cried with bitter tears on their eyes, the light enshrined them and brought them back to normal.
Cadence and Twilight saw each other and the two sisters who were smiling. They all had a passionate group hug as they were eternally grateful for deliverance from Grogar’s spell. Optimus took his sword and struck the ice to shatter it to pieces. Ironhide, Ratchet, Jazz, Sideswipe, Bumblebee, and the three Dinobots were released.
“Thank you for your help. You saved us.” Twilight thanked Optimus.
“No need for thanks. I’m glad you’re back.” he humbly replied. “I am Optimus Prime.”
“I’m Twilight Sparkle! Nice to meet you and your friends!” she said looking at the other Autobots.
“The honor is mine.” Prime said smiling. “Come now, Grogar must be stopped...no matter the cost.”