//------------------------------//
// What's a heartbreak if you ain't crying all through it? 
// Story: BACK TO LIFE 
// by CROSSOVER KING 
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Early in the morning, when Sunset Shimmer had excitedly agreed to patrol the streets of Canterlot City with the leader of a cybernetic alien faction who all had the capability of transforming into various types of vehicles, she would have never imagined that this mission would be one of the most tedious and boring ones that she had ever been a part of. 

She and her Autobot guardian Optimus Prime had been driving through the said streets in his semi truck mode for well over two hours and they had already covered the entire city almost three times by that point. So far, the Autobot leader's sensors had not detected any Decepticon energy signatures and there was no unusual activity whatsoever. It was just a regular Sunday morning with people going from place to place, hanging out with one another, and generally having fun. 

The only one who was having no fun at all was Sunset who had become extremely tired of staring at the city she had been living in for several years and being unable to notice anything out of the ordinary. Not helping matters was the fact that her new companion from a world completely different from both Earth and Equestria had not uttered a single word since the start of their patrol, not even when Sunset had turned on the radio at the end of the first hour and begun listening to not only some music, but also the local news in order to prevent herself from losing her mind out of boredom. 

Unfortunately, this attempt only proved to be successful for about an hour and a half before Sunset turned off the said radio and decided to start a conversation with the Autobot leader in an effort to break the ice a bit. Therefore, after a few moments of thinking about the topics she could discuss with him, she proceeded to ask, "Sooo... ummm... You think that's enough patrolling for one day? What do you say we go back to either my place or yours? We can always go on another patrol tomorrrow morning or maybe this afternoon." 

"I believe we should perform one more sweep across the city just to be safe," replied Optimus. 

This caused Sunset to loudly groan in annoyance and proclaim, "Are you serious right now?! We've already covered the entire area three freaking times, man! If there were any Decepticons planning to ambush us, I bet they would've done so by now. Also, do you actually do nothing but work all day? Even when you're not commanding an army?"

"I no longer command an army, Sunset Shimmer. Only a very small team consisting of five Autobots are under my leadership at the moment," Optimus clarified. "Even when I am not leading them to battle, my duties as a soldier almost always prevent me from enjoying privileges like resting or 'hanging out with friends' as you call it. So, to answer your question, yes; I do nothing but train, strategize, and go on patrols when I am not leading my Autobots during missions." 

"Oh... I see," Sunset replied with a surprised tone of voice. "And what exactly were you doing before you became a soldier and a leader?"

"I am sorry, but that information is not something I am comfortable sharing with you or any of your human friends," declared Optimus.

"What? What's that supposed to mean?", asked Sunset incredulously. "It's not like I'm not asking you to tell me about your entire life's story. I just wish to know what you used to do before the start of your war with the Decepticons." 

"I understand your curiosity in this matter all too well," Optimus explained. "However, the details of my past is only known to a few select individuals and I would very much like to keep it that way."

Upon hearing that, Sunset let out a deep sigh and explained, "Look, if you're worried that I can't keep a secret, please don't be. Between yesterday afternoon and this morning, I talked to at least a dozen of my friends from both school and the sushi restaurant I work at, and not once have I mentioned anything about giant sentient robots from outer space who can turn themselves into vehicles. You can absolutely trust me to keep important secrets." 

"I am truly grateful for what you have done for us," replied Optimus. "Unfortunately, this is not at all related to your ability to withold crucial information from your peers. If I start speaking about the part of my past you are requesting to learn about, you may not be able to comprehend any of the events that I would describe."

At that very moment, a flabbergasted expression appeared on Sunset's face before she furiously exclaimed, "WHAT?! Just... Just hold on a minute, mister! What the heck do you mean by I can't understand what you have to say? Is it because you did some shady or downright evil stuff before becoming a heroic leader? Well, guess what, I've been through the exact same thing! I did tons of things I'm not proud of before becoming friends with those other girls you met yesterday and it took a whole lot of effort to gain not just their trust, but also the trust of everyone else at school. So, if there's anyone in this city who could understand what you've been through, I bet that person is me." 

After remaining silent for a few moments, Optimus finally stated, "I sincerely doubt that our respective experiences are even remotely similar to one other. Therefore, I find it difficult to trust your claim that you can actually understand what I have been through." 

Hearing this caused Sunset's eye to twitch a few times and she even loudly growled in pure rage before opening the door next to her and shouting, "Pull over!"

Optimus could only say, "Excuse me?" before Sunset once again yelled, "I SAID PULL OVER! As in, 'move to the side of the road so that I may get off'. If you don't that, then I'm jumping off of you and into the traffic right now! Your choice!" 

In response, the Autobot leader complied and drove towards a nearby junkyard that appeared to be abandoned. Once they were deep inside the said junkyard and away from the sight of the road, the truck came to a halt and Sunset quickly got off before walking towards the front of the truck and angrily declaring, "Okay, I've had just about enough of your attitude, Prime! You clearly have a whole lot of trust issues and the only way to solve them is to see what exactly happened before the war on your planet started. Since you're so adamant in not sharing the information I need with me, the only way I can help you is if I look into that information with my magic." 

As she walked closer to the nose of the truck, Optimus asked with concern in his voice, "What are you planning on doing?" 

"Something I thought I'd never have to do," Sunset revealed. "I'm going to use my power on an Autobot." 

Immediately after saying that, she touched the nose of the truck and started exploring the memories of the Autobot leader.