Fillydelphia Bay- Midnight
“Fascinating…very fascinating,” Tempest marveled as she took in the surroundings. She was inside Lockdown’s chest looking out of a small window at the massive robots working on the ocean floor around a wrecked ship. Some stopped to observe Lockdown and his strange passenger.
“Fellow Decepticons, I have returned with a specimen from the surface. A unicorn named Tempest Shadow. She says she’s willing to help us with our endeavors,” announced Lockdown.
“What? An organic lifeform aiding us?” Starscream asked, taking a closer look at Tempest. “That has got to be the most ridic-”
But before Starscream could finish he was shoved out of the way as Tempest was now face to face with what she assumed was the leader. Megatron stared deep into Tempest’s eyes. Tempest couldn’t help but feel intimidated by Megatron’s gaze. It almost reminded her of the Storm King. After a moment Megatron spoke. “So you’re someone willing to help us change your world?”
“Y-yes,” Tempest stammered. “I’ve been trying to redeem myself in the eyes of ponies and many species whom I wronged. But it seems no one wants to give me a chance. Lockdown here says I might have a chance by helping you.”
“Hmm…yes you would be of help,” Megatron began. “From what some of my soldiers can gather, your world is only beginning its own advances in technological achievement. We can help advance it further but we need more access to whatever technology this world has from transport to military.”
“Why military?” Tempest asked.
Megatron was silent for a moment before continuing. “We were once fighting a long battle and should your world become threatened we can give the defenses to protect it. Think about it, cities and fortresses built to withstand attacks and all commanded by a strong looking creature like yourself.”
Tempest was silent taking in the information and nodded. “Well my old employer had plans for advanced war technology we can utilize. In fact his old fortress should be abandoned after all his former soldiers moved to Klugetown. We can probably salvage those plans.”
“Better, we can salvage his fortress and use it as a base,” Megatron suggested. “This aquatic terrain isn’t exactly suitable for us.”
“Agree, if you want I can escort you there now under cover of darkness.” Tempest said.
“No, we still need to salvage what’s left of our vessel, suggest an area along the coast of your country and I’ll have my best soldiers meet you there tomorrow night.”
“Yes, I’ll do that and uh whats your name?”
“I am Lord Megatron,” said the leader.
“Lord Megatron, I hope we can work well together to build a better future,” Tempest said as Lockdown began to leave and start swimming upward to the surface.
Megatron watched them leave and grinned maliciously. “Yes, my better future.”
Railroad construction Site- The Next Day
The sound of hammers swinging and steam chuffing was nothing new to the railroad builders but what was new was the yellow locomotive hammering spikes into the tracks with small pile drivers. Applejack could only watch in annoyance as other ponies marveled at it. “Idiots, what do they see in that bucket?”
Applejack walked over to a nearby wagon and poured herself a mug of water. With her was a workpony and a pegasus with a rainbow mane. Rainbow Dash drank her own water as she watched the machine work. “Quite a thingamajig it is. Wonder whose controlling it.”
“I think it might be a unicorn controlling it with magic but none of the workers are fessing up. I think somepony is trying to tease us,” the worker said.
“Ya’ll think so? If it was a prank it’s not funny,” Applejack said as she looked at the machine with suspicion. “I see folks pouring water in it and giving it a polish. It’s like we’re working for it rather than the other way around.”
“Same way some of your colleagues fetch you apples and biscuits,” teased Rainbow only for Applejack to glare at her. She then reached for her steel hammer.
Rainbow now looked scared. “Woah AJ, didn’t mean it like that. Come on, you know me. AH!”
Rainbow jumped as the steel hammer struck the ground with a crack mere inches from Rainbow’s hoofs. The pegasus then turned to see Applejack laughing. “Hot tar you’re too easy.”
Rainbow just scowled at her. “Oh come on now, if that machine is giving my hammer a break how about I get you some cider I smuggled aboard?”
“Really?” Rainbow asked excitedly.
“Can I have cider too?” asked the worker.
“Help lay more ties out then we talk,” Applejack said as she started leading her best friend to the crew cars.
Canterlot Castle - Around the Same Time
Luna looked over the maps of the proposed railroad lines in her office. For some reason she couldn’t keep her eyes off the line that was being built to Mount Aris. “I don’t understand it. What is it about this area that makes it feel off?” she asked herself.
Just then there was a knock and Luna opened the door with her magic. In came her sister Princess Celestia. She smiled but then frowned upon seeing her sister’s face. ”Is this about the Mount Aris line? Obviously there’s something about it that troubles you.”
Luna looked down at the map and then nodded. “When I first came back here after my banishment I immediately started dream walking to see if my skills hadn't become rusty,” began Luna. “Ever since then I not only sense the dreams of our subjects but also any other form of life within our borders.”
Celestia nodded. “Yes, go on.”
“I sensed the dreams of individuals from this certain area,” Luna said, pointing to one area on the map where Applejack was. “But these dreams were different. It was as if something has been slumbering there almost in a coma like state. However I can’t exactly enter the dream let alone find the exact point in this area where the dreams are emitting from.”
“Have you thought of investigating this area at some point?” Celestia asked.
“It didn’t feel important at the time, especially since more problems arose, from Discord to the Storm King,” Luna responded. “I just hope whatever is sleeping there won’t be bothered by the railroad construction.”
“If something happens we’ll investigate together,” Celestia suggested. Luna nodded in agreement but deep down she still had an odd feeling about it. It was like this was something far bigger than her.
Railroad Camp - Later that night
The yellow locomotive stood in front of the black locomotive on the tracks. Despite performing excellently on today’s work, no one was able to find where it came from. Princess Twilight Sparkle visited earlier that day but even she doesn’t know who built it, where it came from or even who is really operating it.
Applejack was alone outside, she was hoping to get some fresh air before sleeping but she soon came across the machine that had been doing work for her. She approached it with a stern look. “So everypony is saying you're the future?” She asked.
The machine didn’t respond but Applejack continued. “I’ll have you know true goals are met with hardwork and determination. Steam and steel may carry passengers but it will never replace hard laboring muscle. It never will.” She then started making her way to the crew's sleeping car.
“I’m not here to replace you Applejack,” a voice sounded.
Applejack whooped her head back. “Who said that!?”
Suddenly there were the sounds of metal and steam hissing as the yellow locomotive began changing. Applejack looked up in horror as the yellow engine became a yellow bipedal robot with what looked like small horn tips on his head. “My name is Bumblebee and I'm here to help unite your world.”
“Dear sweet Celestia! This is a bad dream!” Applejack shouted looking up in horror.
Bumblebee however just slowly knelt down to the frightened mare. “I’m not here to harm you either. Me and my kind are called Cybertronians. We are peacemakers that want nothing more but to fight for what’s right.”
“Fight? Are you guys warriors or something?” Applejack asked calming down.
“Kind of we’ve been fighting an enemy who is bent on ruling through tyranny and we, or at least just me, want to help you reach your goal of uniting your nations.”
Applejack looked up still feeling a little intimidated but she slowly took in the knowledge that Bumblebee explained. She then smiled. “So you just want build friendship? I can respect a being that can value that and I somehow sense no lie in you.” She then lifted her hoof out. “Put ‘er there pal.”
“There?” asked Bumblebee as he pointed to her hoof.
“Shake the hoof of a hardworking bearer of harmony Bumblebee.”
Bumblebee carefully took her hoof and shook it up and down slowly. “Thank you Applejack.”
Meanwhile behind some trees two robots watched. Prowl just facepalmed in annoyance while wheeljack rolled his optics. “So much for robots in disguise, why is it always Bee?” Wheeljack complained.
“Either way we have to inform Optimus, let's hope Bumblebee doesn’t expose himself to more of these little ponies,” Prowl said.
Storm King Fortress - Around the same time
Three strange looking spacecraft flew through the night sky as two of them landed and transformed outside an abandoned fortress covered by snow. The last one opened a cockpit and Tempest jumped out before it also transformed. “What is this place?” asked Skywarp.
“The old storm castle, the halls should be big enough for you to walk in,” Tempest said as she pushed the huge doors open.
The inside was dusty and broken. “Looks like my old army wanted to ransack this place before fleeing. Let’s hope the old office still has the files.”
“What’s the importance of these files?” Starscream asked.
“They’re blueprints and schematics for current and future military projects the king had plans to use before he died,” Tempest explained. “Some of them were weapons capable of turning big mountains into small piles of rubble.”
“Fascinating…” Strascream grinned.
They soon found a large office. Inside was a burnt desk, a couple of chairs, and a destroyed painting hanging diagonally on the wall. Tempest walked to the painting before moving it to reveal a vault door. “I’ll have to search this area for a combination or we’re going to have to get more of your comrades to-”
But before Tempest could finish a loud pew sound was heard followed by a bang and a groan as the vault door slowly creaked open, Tempest then saw the massive melting hole that was once. Then she turned to the Decepticon known as Thundercracker who held a gun with smoking barrel. “Or that could work as well,” she said as she crawled inside and soon came out levitating several pieces of paper.
Starscream carefully took one and looked at it. It was the drawing of an airship with cannons. “My my this looks primitive but maybe we can make it better.”
Starscream then looked around the place. “And maybe this place should be our own base of operations.”
“That's what I was thinking too. We should inform your boss, he was right to suggest using this,” Tempest said as she started to walk out of the room with Skywarp and Thundercracker following behind.
Starscream remained where he was, his mind deep in thought. “And maybe this place will be my future capital when Megatron finally kicks the bucket,” he said to himself as he turned to leave the room and join the others.
Ponyville - Around the same time
Twilight sat in her room reading a book when Spike came in. “Hey Twilight, you got a letter from Applejack.”
Twilight rolled her eyes, “Please tell me its not another rant about that machine.”
“No it’s something about a new friend she made out there,” Spike said as he handed her the letter.
Twilight read through the scroll. She then turned to her assistant. “Spike, get some sleep, we'll be going on another trip to see AJ tomorrow.”