"Um. Mr Optimus? Sir?" Twilight asked. "I don't mean to be rude, especially considering you're the first alien visitors our planet has ever had, but...this seems like a really bad idea!" Atop the highest hill in the Everfree, the former Crystal Prep student, her friends and the five visiting Autoots looked out as far as they could see, gazing beyond the edge of the vast woodland to the fields, towns and roads that lay ahead of it. But, being out here instead of in the more obscured cave interior or even the woods themselves, Twilight had a definite and understandable concern. "It's just...we're sort of exposed out here. Any one of those drivers down there on the highway could just look up and see you!"
"I appreciate your concern, Miss Twilight," Optimus replied. "However, a visual is required for us to properly blend in. Had our long-range scanners remained intact after the crash, this action would not be necessary. But circumstances were not that kind to us."
Sunset, looking to the Autobot leader with curiosity, spoke next. "I'm still not entirely sure what it is you're doing. How is looking at far-off cars and stuff gonna help you to hide?"
Chromia took on a knowing smile as she glanced down to the Equestrian. "Oh, trust me, we Cybertronians have a trick up our sleeves on that count." After seeing Sunset blink to her, she continued. "Cybertronians? As in, from Cybertron?" Then, realisation came to her. "Wait, did we not tell you our planet's name?"
"Nnnnnnnnope," Applejack replied flatly.
"We had a lot of things to explain to them, Chromia," Elita reassured her. "I think we can be forgiven for not mentioning everything."
Bumblebee nodded in agreement with her, then let out a series of bleeps which, as usual by this point, Fluttershy was there to relay. "He says maybe we can all get together and talk about it after this. Over a...um...energon-shake?" Bumblebee nervously scratched the back of his head, then bleeped again, prompting a smile on Fluttershy's part. "Oh, you don't need to apologise, Bee. Like Elita said, there's a lot to cover."
Red Alert looked to Fluttershy with curiosity. "I never asked, how is it that you can understand our young friend, when we cannot?"
Rainbow chuckled, patting Fluttershy on the shoulder and answering in her place. "Don't you worry, Red. Fluttershy here is really good at understanding others. No matter the critter, if it talks, she'll understand."
"A respectable skill," Optimus commented. "Understanding of others is something all should strive for. The universe would be a far better place if it could be achieved."
Looking to him, Sunset smiled. "I should introduce you to my old teacher one day. Something tells me you two would get on great."
Then, Rarity took on a smile of her own, pointing out towards the aforementioned highway. "Ah! I do believe I see the rush hour traffic start to come along!"
All looked ahead, and as she'd said, there was indeed a myriad of vehicles now driving along the roads out there, and even at this distance they could hear the sound of them echoing across the air. Optimus, nodding to the sight, gave a silent command to his Autobots. "Yes...I believe those will most definitely do."
And so the girls looked up, seeing, to their curiosity, the blue eyes of the Autobots start to glow brighter than before. This lasted for a solid minute, all five of them staring out at the many cars and trucks on the highway, before the light of their eyes returned to a normal intensity, with Elita looking to her commander afterwards. "Scans complete."
Optimus acknowledged her, then turned, beginning to walk back down the hill to the relative safety of the woodland. All others followed him, human and Autobot alike, and before long they were all down in the shade beneath the forest's canopy. Chromia, looking to Bumblebee, bore a concerned expression. "You still up for this, Bee?"
This time, Bumblebee just gave a thumbs up, leading to a smile on Chromia's part. But, they both stayed quiet when, once they were all gathered together, Optimus looked them over before speaking his command. "Very well then. Autobots...transform!"
The girls took a step back, and watched with amazement as the five giant robots began to change shape before their very eyes. Parts were twisted around, folded into others, all accompanied by a loud and very distinct noise of some sort. With only a few moments, they found themselves looking not at five alien machines, but five ordinary, everyday vehicles, not unlike what they'd just seen on the highway. A blue motorcycle. A small, yellow car. A larger, reddish car. A white ambulance. And finally, where Optimus had stood, an enormous, bright red truck. Seeing this play out, Pinkie expressed an understandable sentiment. "Ooooooooh! Now that's a neat party trick!"
As soon as she'd said that, the girls watched the Autobots reversed the process, becoming the robotic forms they had come to know. Chromia, giving herself a quick stretch, looked more than satisfied with that. "Yep, definitely gonna get some miles in with a vehicle mode like that."
Twilight, stepping forward, tapped her chin briefly. "Well, putting aside the existential crisis of me never being able to look at the cars that drive down my street the same way ever again, this would certainly be a boon for you to traverse our world without rousing too much of an issue."
Optimus nodded to her. "The ability to change has been an integral part of our people since time immemorial. So much so that, in the instances we actually do interact with other races, they almost never refer to us as Cybertronians, but instead...as Transformers."
"Oh, that is an awesome name if ever there was one!" Rainbow remarked.
Elita looked to Optimus, her eyes narrowed. "Now that we can move freely, we need to fan out and scout for the Decepticons."
Optimus looked to her, giving another nod. "Indeed. We may not have intended to come to this world, but we cannot allow it to suffer from the war the way our world did."
"I'll start work on our scanners," Red Alert offered. "I doubt I'll be able to fix them fully, but any advantage will help."
Pinkie shot up her hand, like a student hoping to answer a teacher's question. "Oh! Before you do...can I ride one of you?"
"Pinkie!" Rarity exclaimed. "Phrasing!"