…
…
Megatron and his resurrected Predacon forces had a lot to learn about being among Equestria's greatest enemies. And the humiliation of Megatron having his position of leader stripped from him didn't help. Still, he was determined to make the most of a bad situation. He'd done so before, and he hoped he could do so again.
One night, while Grogar was asleep, Megatron walked into a large library in his dragon form. Once he discovered there was no one else around, he transformed into his robot mode and began searching for what he was looking for.
"There's got to be something in here to rid myself of that meddlesome Grogar, yes," He seethed, going towards a series of books that he had a particular interest in. "Robbing me of my position as Predacon leader…who does he think he is?! No one tells me what to do!"
Going through the shelf of books, Megatron attempted to find a book on killing or anything that could help him overpower Grogar. Finally, he came across a book about slow and silent killings that looked promising. Unfortunately though, it was written in a strange language that he could not understand.
"Blast!" He hissed, throwing the book on the floor. "I can't read whatever writing this is! There must be something written in a language that is within my databanks!"
Using his dragon head, Megatron began searching through all the books in front of him. But they all displayed the same language that he could not decipher.
"It may take all night, but I will get my position back, yes!" He said to himself.
But he soon found out he wasn't alone.
"Golly, you aren't going to get that far by throwing books around like that," A high pitched voice called, and Megatron turned to see Cozy Glow floating around in the doorway. "And you might as well face it, Megatrump, Grogar is the boss and we all must get used to it. I know I have."
Growling, Megatron watched as Cozy flew into the library.
"Leave me, young creature," Megatron growled, clearly not wanting to be bothered. "This doesn't concern you. I learned long ago to be mindful of who I allow to get involved with my plans."
"Oh really? You don't trust me?" Cozy remarked with Megatron's back turned to her. "We all have the same goal, don't we? To retake Equestria from Twilight Sparkle and her goody two horseshoes friends. Besides, you swore an oath to Grogar, didn't you?"
"Only to help me get what I wanted, which is the destruction of the Maximals and a way to get back to Cybertron! But Grogar double crossed me and took away my status as leader of the Predacons!" Megatron grunted, before he took his eyes off the books and turned back to Cozy Glow. "What are you even doing here anyway? Isn't it past your bedtime?"
"It seems to me like if you're to get what you want," Cozy declared, looking at her bottom left hoof like she had shined it. "Then you're going to need somepony to help you, Megatron. Besides, I couldn't sleep with you making so much noise. So if I'm going to be up I might as well be useful."
Sitting down in a chair, Megatron listened to what Cozy had to say to him.
"You've got a lot to learn about the enemy you're fighting and what makes them different. What if I helped you learn about something like…pony holidays, like Hearts and Hooves Day for example?"
Grunting Megatron turned his back on Cozy Glow.
"I don't have time for your games, young one," He remarked while going back to assaulting the shelf of books in front of him. "Leave me at once, and tell no one about this if you value your existence. You don't want to know what I do to those who betray me, no."
But just before Megatron could grab another book, Cozy placed her hoof on his dragon head. "Oh, I insist." She sinisterly whispered, much to Megatron's bewilderment.
"Why do you insist?" Megatron growled, snatching his dragon head away from Cozy Glow. "You're a pest even worse than bumbling Waspinator!"
"Because I've learned that you can't learn anything just from ready books," Cozy replied, snatching a book from Megatron's grasp and throwing it away. "Sometimes we all need a visual representation of what we're trying to learn about. Twilight was always fond of saying there's more than one way to learn, and that books don't always hold all the answers?"
Megatron just grumbled further. "And your point is?"
"Well, you see, there are two friends of mine who are in love with each other and want to spend a little time together," Cozy confessed. "But with Grogar and Sombra keeping an eye on them, it's near impossible for them to do that."
"What has that to do with me? I am not programmed for love," Megatron snorted. "The only love I feel is the love of crushing my enemies in battle, yes!"
Cozy just grinned as she told the Predacon.
"Well too bad, you're going to be the one who suggests that they get together."
Megatron was in shock by what he heard.
"I…I…I…" He stammered, before placing two of his fingers in his eyes in disbelief and sighing to himself. "Look, little one. I'm a Predacon, not a matchmaker. What makes you think that I'm going to be the one to get your two 'friends' together?"
Cozy had her ideas and was more than determined to get Chrysalis and Tirek together to teach her new comrades what hearts and hooves day was like.
…
Meanwhile unable to sleep himself, Tirek was in his quarters, picking petals off of a flower.
"She loves me," He said while his attention was turned to the flower. "She loves me not. She loves me. She loves me not. She…"
Before he could finish picking off the flower's petals, Tirek sighed heavily and laid back down.
"Ugh, why am I getting the feeling that Chrysalis somehow doesn't love me? I mean, we've already confessed our love for each other, so why can I not shake the feeling? Maybe Grogar might have suspicions about our relationship and he intends to do away with us using that bear of his? But why? Since when was being in love a bad thing?"
No sooner did Tirek say those words than did he hear a low growling sound right outside his quarters, making his spine tingle. Peeking outside his quarters, he saw a fainting light of fire coming from the next level of the castle and Scarface going up the stairs.
"What's that Grogar up to?" Tirek thought to himself as he quietly moved to the bottom of the stairs. Hiding from view, Tirek listened into what was happening.
Meanwhile, up in his quarters, Grogar sat at a desk and was drawing up a document of surrender while Sombra watched with interest. As soon as he was done, Grogar rolled up the document and turned to face his second-in-command.
"Do you think Vorak will agree to these terms, my master?" Sombra questioned.
"Of course, I always give my enemies one chance to surrender," The demon goat declared. "But I hope he rejects the terms like all my enemies do. And if he does I shall enjoy crushing him and his forgotten kingdom!"
Just then, Scarface made his way into his master's quarters.
"Ah, my pet," Grogar spoke up, chuckling slightly. "Feeling that old desire, aren't you?"
Scarface grunted at what his master said.
"Well don't worry, you'll get your chance," Grogar snickered and rubbed his hoof on Scarface's head, much to Sombra's amusement.
"Vorak's kingdom shall be the first in Equestria to fall to us," Sombra boldly declared. "And then all of Equestria shall feel our might and power! They'll be left shaking in their boots!"
Delighted to see his second-in-command's ambition, Grogar smiled.
Then the two villains heard a knock at the door, revealing it to be Inferno on the other side. "Sentries have come in from Vorak's colony, royalty!" He announced.
"They have something to report?" Grogar inquired. "Send them in at once, sub-commander!"
"As you command, my queen." Inferno bowed as he let in Terrorsaur and Cyclonus who were in their robot modes. Both Grogar and Sombra watched intently as they walked into Grogar's quarters.
"What do you have to report?" Grogar asked as the two Predacons bowed down to him.
"The defenses of Vorak's are improper," Terrorsaur announced, rising to his feet. "Very weak. Forces are weak too. Not much of an army for him."
"Yes, not a major threat to you, my emperor," Cyclonus added. "It is ripe for the picking."
"Hmm, Vorak's kingdom never truly made improvements?" Grogar pondered. "Crushing him will be easier than I thought, which will make his defeat all the sweeter."
"But, the Articles of War…" Sombra cautioned.
"They shall be followed," Grogar replied while looking at Sombra's face. "Vorak will either surrender, or I shall take great privilege in putting an end to his rule forever!"
Having overheard the conversation from down the stairs, Tirek couldn't believe what he was hearing. Grogar was planning to attack his home kingdom.
"He can't do that!" The centaur declared in a quiet voice so as not to be heard. "If there's one who will do away with my father for all the pain he caused me, it will be me and me alone!"
In a fit of frustration, Tirek stormed away from the stairs and returned to his quarters, attempting to get some more sleep.
…
But Tirek couldn't sleep. All he could do was lie on his side, his mind racing on Grogar's decision to finish off his father. But he wouldn't be alone in his quarters for very long.
"You look troubled," Chrysalis commented in a sympathetic voice as Tirek got up. "What is it, Lord Tirek?"
"It's Grogar," Tirek sighed. "He's planning to attack my homeland and do away with my father, something that I should be doing. It's not fair!"
"Nothing's ever fair, my love," Chrysalis sympathized as she sat down next to him. "With all the times I tried to get my claws on Twilight Sparkle and especially, Starlight Glimmer, it seems like…like…each chance I get, it gets away from me."
Then Chrysalis realized something about her new boyfriend. "What was the relationship like with your father?"
It was a sensitive topic for Tirek, who turned away in embarrassment. "I don't want to talk about it right now," He sadly declared. "I'm not ready for it."
Detecting feelings from her boyfriend, Chrysalis wanted desperately to get to the truth. She wanted to help Tirek, but he needed to be open and honest with her.
"My feelings aside," Tirek said after a brief silence as he walked over to his weights and began to exercise with them. "I want to return to my homeland and just…get back at my father for all the times he put me down."
"Put you down?" Chrysalis wondered in a hushed voice.
"Keep me down, ensure I was weak," Tirek explained as he began his exercise routine. "You know how it is, Chrysalis. Twilight and her friends always kept us from reaching our goals. It was the same thing with my father. Discord was more right than he knew when he implied my father was the reason why I did what I did. If you were in my position you could relate."
...
…
Meanwhile, in his kingdom, King Vorak sat on his throne. He was still still brooding over the discovery of his eldest son's escape from custody.
"Father, perhaps it's no use to keep thinking about Tirek," Scorpan suggested. "He's probably in a place where we can't reach him."
"It's a lie, Scorpan!" King Vorak groaned. "He's out there somewhere and we are going to find him if it takes all eternity! He WILL face punishment for his acts of treason, and be punished the way all traitors are punished!"
"But Emperor Grogar," Scorpan protested while walking up to his father's throne. "What if he really did take Tirek under his wing? What are we supposed to do against something even the ponies couldn't stop?"
"It's near impossible for that to have happened, Grogar is but a fairy tale," King Vorak remarked while looking back at his son. "Perhaps what we are hearing isn't true. Maybe that snake Sendak cast some kind of a spell to extract Tirek from the statue. I'm going to find him and I'm going to ensure he never again can rise against me or anyone else! If he must die for the greater good, so be it."
Scorpan became troubled by his father's rage and wanted to lead him away from it. But he wasn't sure how.
Suddenly, both felt the ground beneath them start to shake!
"What is this?!" King Vorak cried out! "What is happening?!"
The rumbling grew louder and louder and all of a sudden, the ground opened up beneath them to reveal a black, crystalized mountain emerging from underneath the floor! King Vorak and Scorpan watched in horror as the mountain grew larger and larger until it reached the ceiling.
After a few moments, the mountain broke apart and revealed Grogar and Sombra inside of it along with Scarface. Neither King Vorak or Scorpan could believe what they were seeing before them!
Laughing quietly, Grogar looked up at the elder centaur and his gargoyle son with a sinister smile on his face.
"Well, aren't you going to ask us how our trip was?" Grogar remarked.
"Who are you?!" King Vorak demanded.
"Don't you recognize a famous friend when you see one?" Grogar asked again, his grin still plastered onto his face. "Shame on you, Vorak! It's me…Grogar, or have you forgotten? Perhaps you still think I'm just make believe."
"Answer him!" Sombra demanded, also with a sinister smile on his face. "Or are you too cowardly to respond?!"
"I am not cowardly, King Sombra!" King Vorak thundered, rising from his throne. "I know who you are! The dictator of the Crystal Empire! An empire you stole from a weak pony princesses!"
"Or so I used to be, but now things have changed. Now I serve a higher purpose," Sombra remarked, suddenly activating his magic to pull Scorpan towards him and up into the air. "And who is this? Your gargoyle son? Honestly Vorak, you should have…"
"PUT HIM DOWN, SOMBRA!" Vorak demanded, interrupting Sombra who did as he was told, releasing Scorpan from his dark magical grip. "What are you both doing here and what do you want?! For that matter how did you bypass my guards?! I must know so that after I've dealt with you both I can punish them for their poor conduct."
Opening the doors to the throne room, Grogar and Sombra revealed the hypnotic state that Vorak's guards were under.
"We gave them an advanced notice, old friend," Grogar hissed, shutting the doors to the throne room. "Now, let's get down to business."
"What business?" Vorak demanded.
"The business of you surrendering to me, of course," Grogar answered, taking a scroll from Sombra who magically made it appear. "I've come with a proposition for you to surrender to us without any form of fighting whatsoever."
Vorak stood his ground, knowing that Grogar was hoping he would buckle under the pressure.
...
…
Meanwhile, Chrysalis continued to struggle with how to help her boyfriend. All she could do was pace back and forth in her quarters, trying to think of a way to help.
Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door of her quarters.
"Enter," She called and the door opened to reveal Megatron on the other side with an awkward look on his face. Seeing Megatron in the doorway made Chrysalis feel somewhat better. "Megatron, how unexpected. What are you doing here?"
"Um, Cozy Glow wants to know…" The predacon spoke, feeling embarrassed at the idea of having to go through with the crazy filly's plan. "If you and Tirek have…"
"If we have what?" Chrysalis replied as she rolled her eyes. "Confessed our love for one another? Been there, done that. I have far more pressing matters with him at the moment."
Sensing this, Megatron made his way into Chrysalis' quarters. "Um, what kind of pressing matters do you have with him?"
"Matters from his past that haunt him, and I want to help him overcome them," Chrysalis answered. "But he won't open up to me. He must have had a difficult past with his father, because it's all he's been talking about."
Just then, Megatron turned around to see Cozy Glow quietly peeking in from behind the doorway.
"Um, look Chrysalis," he awkwardly asked. "Cozy Glow is trying to teach about us the holidays that her kind has, and she wants to know if you and Tirek would…"
"Would it be the holiday called Hearts and Hooves Day?" Chrysalis remarked. "The one where love is abound?"
"Um, yes?" Megatron asked.
Chrysalis came to a realization that if she was going to get Tirek to open up to her, she would have to go along with what Cozy Glow was planning.
"I see," She whispered, turning her head away from Megatron. "Well then, I'm willing to go along with what that little alicorn wannabe has planned. If it's the only way I can help Tirek with his problems, so be it."
Still peeking from behind the doorway, Cozy Glow reveled in the fact that her plan to teach her allies about pony holidays like Hearts and Hooves Day was about to take that next step.
…
Back in the distant lands, Vorak still couldn't believe what Grogar and Sombra had offered him.
"You wish to have me surrender?!" He thundered, throwing the offer aside! "I will never surrender to the likes of you, Grogar! Never!"
"Father…" Scorpan protested.
"Quiet!" King Vorak snapped to his youngest son. "I don't fear you, Grogar! And I don't fear the barbaric monster behind you!"
Scarface growled at this remark as Vorak pointed at him, snarling quietly at the old centaur king.
"If I were you, I would seriously consider surrendering," Sombra suggested in a sarcastic voice. "Not that it will do anything for whatever subjects you have!"
"Be forewarned that the next time I come back," Grogar cautioned as he rose. "Sombra and Scarface will not be the only company I bring. As we speak, I'm preparing a vast army to wipe out your kingdom and all the other kingdoms across the lands! Nothing shall stand in my way!"
Scarface growled again and Grogar decided to bring his pet in.
"And my pet will have every single leader on his dinner menu, including yourself! Or if you put up too much of a fight, I shall simply let you become Scarface's new chew toy."
Angered and insulted, Vorak turned to the scar faced grizzly bear and attempted to fire a blast of magic at it. But Grogar activated the powers of his bell and stopped Vorak, throwing him back against his throne and knocking it over!
"FATHER!" Scorpan cried at the top of his lungs, only to be picked up by Sombra and thrown at his father's side, his back hitting the bottom of the throne in painful fashion.
Groaning, King Vorak got to his feet and kept his gaze on the two villains.
"This isn't over!" He insisted. "If my son thinks hiding behind the likes of you will save him from my wrath he's sorely mistaken!"
Saying nothing, Grogar and Sombra disappeared along with Scarface. With Grogar and Sombra gone, Vorak and Scorpan were left to absorb what had happened, and contemplate their next move.
…
…
Back on the moon, Chrysalis stood in front of a mirror in her quarters wearing a long black dress and feeling slightly embarrassed.
"Do I have to wear this?" She complained to Cozy Glow in the mirror's reflection.
"You want to look your best for Tirek, don't you?" Cozy Glow suggested as Chrysalis turned around to face her. "After all, ponies always dress up nicely for one another for Hearts and Hooves Day. Just another lesson I learned at the School of Friendship. Besides, I think Tirek will think you look great. If you won't do it for yourself, do it for him."
Chrysalis merely scowled at Cozy Glow, thinking that what she was being put through was too much.
"I never had to do something like this when I ruled over my hive," Chrysalis thought to herself. "I hope Megatron isn't doing anything similar to Tirek."
Emerging from her quarters, Chrysalis was led by Cozy Glow down to one of Grogar's meeting rooms, where the large table had been replaced with a small table set for two. And there, sitting at the small table, was Tirek, wearing a bow tie.
"H-hi…Chrysalis," Tirek stammered, stunned to see his girlfriend dressed up. "You look…you look…"
"Beautiful?" Chrysalis finished as she walked to the table. "You might say that. Despite the strangeness of our situation."
Sitting down at the table, Chrysalis looked at her boyfriend.
"If you could say that," Tirek replied. "Cozy Glow said that…"
"-Ponies dressed up for that lovey dove holiday of theirs?" Chrysalis finished again, sighing heavily. "I guess you learn something new every day. I'm... sorry you have to put up with this."
"Cozy Glow insisted," Tirek replied again. "But I don't care. I could use the distraction from what's happening in my life."
It was then that Chrysalis decided to focus on what was bothering Tirek.
"You said that your father and you…didn't get along?"
"Chrysalis, I…I…" Tirek stammered. "You don't know what it was like, being the son of a king. Even more so, the son of a king who always put you down when you wanted to be up. If I could just get my hands on my father…make him feel what I felt…then, the pain of my past wi=ould be healed."
Through the toughness of Tirek's form, Chrysalis could sense that deep inside was a sad centaur who was never appreciated for what he was.
"You...you must feel like I do," Chrysalis sighed, briefly turning away from Tirek. "After Starlight stole my hive from me. All my life, I was taught to rule with an iron hoof by my parents."
"You had parents?" Tirek asked in surprise.
"Of course I did," Chrysalis answered sadly and sharply. "They were…they were killed when some of our subjects attempted to overthrow them. After they died, I became queen and adapted a personal way of life: Not to get mad, but to get even."
Sighing, Tirek took in what was being said by the love of his life.
"I…I guess that's one thing we have in common, right?" He whispered. "That's what I love about you, Chrysalis. There's…there's something about you that makes you wonderful to me. I love you for your ambition…your determination to make Equestria bow down to you."
The more Tirek spoke, the more Chrysalis couldn't help but slightly blush.
"No one has ever said that about me," She whispered back. "Perhaps the maker had a plan for me…to fall in love with you, Tirek. We both come from similar backgrounds, have the same desire, and…"
"Put up with a pest like Cozy Glow?" Tirek chuckled.
…
At that moment, the Storm King emerged wearing a waiter's uniform and carrying out a plate full of moving worms. "Now here you are," He declared in a mock accent. "The best-a worms in-a town."
Serving the plate of worms, both Tirek and Chrysalis each ate a worm and a few moments later, Megatron came into the room playing an accordion followed by Inferno playing a guitar as Megatron began to sing while Tirek and Chrysalis dined:
Oh, this is the night, it's a beautiful night
And we call it bella note
Look at the skies, they have stars in their eyes
On this lovely bella note
Side by side with your loved one
You'll find enchantment here
At one point during their song, both Tirek and Chrysalis ate on a worm and suddenly, their lips touched one another. Both of them couldn't believe it: They had shared their first kiss with each other.
The night will weave its magic spell
When the one you love is near
Oh, this is the night and the heavens are right
On this lovely bella note
As the song ended, Chrysalis' sickly green eyes looked up and twinkled, knowing that she had made her passion and love for Tirek known to all.
However, peeking out of sight, Lockdown was taking in what was happening and retreated to a secluded room away from what was happening.
Transforming back into Discord, he produced a telegraph and began to relay a message back to Twilight: "Tirek and Chrysalis falling in love, stop," He said, tapping the device quietly so as not to be heard. "Tirek and Chrysalis kiss, stop. Lavan sings sappy song, stop. Cozy Glow instigated situation, stop. Tell Fluttershy I miss her, stop."
Just then, Discord saw the portal containing Grogar, Sombra and Scarface open up and they stepped back into the castle.
Transforming back into Lockdown, he transformed into a t-rex and carefully walked over to the doors to the throne room to listen in.
"So he refuses to surrender?" Grogar remarked as he sat on his throne. "Very well then. I can accommodate that. I offered him a peaceful solution but if he's determined to fight I'll show him no mercy!"
"Shall we prepare for a full assault on Vorak's kingdom?" Sombra asked.
"Yes," Grogar answered, looking down at his bewitching bell. "I want King Vorak's kingdom to be the first kingdom to bow to my new power, Sombra. For it will serve as a warning to others. A warning of what is to come for the rest of the world. Twilight Sparkle and her fellow princesses will watch one by one as each kingdom falls, until they are the last obstacles left standing! Then I'll crush them too!"
His eyes widening, Lockdown ran off with his footsteps being heard by Grogar and Sombra.
"What was that?!" Grogar thundered, quickly rising from his throne. "Who's there?! Come out, I say!"
"It's probably a spy or something," Sombra suggested as Grogar grunted and sat back down. "Shall I organize a search?"
"No, Sombra," Grogar replied, turning to Scarface with a sinister smile. "I have a beast that can track down spies."
Sensing his master's motivation, Scarface departed the throne room to search for the source of the disturbance.
…
Hiding in another part of the castle, Discord produced the telegraph machine again and began to send another set of information to Twilight.
"Grogar declares war on King Vorak, stop. Lives likely to be lost, stop. Will try and send help, stop. Prepare for full assault, stop. Tell Fluttershy I miss her, stop."