//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Memories // Story: My Little Pony: Flesh and Steel // by Gyvon //------------------------------// Chapter 5 Memories LOCATION: Ponyville Town Center TIME: Afternoon Ponies seemed to be filing in for the celebration from all over Equestria. Before long, Ponyville's population seemed to have quadrupled, and even more revelers kept showing up. Soon, Princess Celestia had to order the Royal Guards to begin turning ponies away. The dragon's corpse was hauled away by the 1st Airborne with relative ease, and anypony that saw it gave a great shout. General Icewing then ordered the guards on a rotation. Half would remain to enjoy the party, while the rest would return to Canterlot in case of an emergency. Later, the one's who had stayed would relieve the guards sent back to Canterlot, so they could enjoy the festivities as well. While the corpse was being fitted with tackle, Twilight formally introduced Gyvon to her friends. All throughout the party, ponies kept assaulting Gyvon with questions. What was he? Where did he come from? Why was he here? Gyvon answered their questions to the best of his ability. Some giggled when he said his world was called "Earth". He didn't tell them about the war, or about how he came to have his transformation ability. However, Twilight Sparkle managed to corner him away from anypony else and asked how he was able to transform. "After the party." he had told her. "Gather your friends and the Princesses. I'll explain everything then." Satisfied that she'd finally get a straight answer, Twilight went off to talk to her teacher. The Royal Caterer's had outdone themselves. They had provided various treats and drinks, some relatively mundane to Gyvon, such as the various cakes and juices, others more exotic, such as the alfalfa sandwiches and salt-grass stuffed tomatoes. Guess I shouldn't have expected meat here. thought Gyvon, trying one of the tomatoes. The party lasted long into the night. However, eventually, the ponies began to file out in ones and twos. At midnight, all but the most diehard party animals had gone off to bed. Twilight rounded up her friends and the Princesses. "Alright, Gyvon. Time to tell us..." but she didn't finish her sentence. Gyvon had slipped out at some point, and was nowhere to be found. The only trace of his passing was a set of deliberately-made footprints headed towards Stargazer Hill LOCATION: Stargazer Hill. TIME: Midnight. It was quiet. Gyvon knew this would be the perfect place to tell his story. I hope Twilight found my trail. It's not like I bothered to hide it. he thought to himself. He wanted to keep some of the details secret, but he owed Twilight, her friends, and the Princesses the full truth. Gyvon laid down on the grass when he made it to the top of the hill, and stared off into the night sky, searching... He found it. It was an easy task. Gyvon saw the coordinates for Equestria on the console before taking the bridge. From that starting point, the calculations were a simple matter for his Cybertronian brain. He stretched his hand out, as if to grasp the target of his search. Earth. Home. "There you are!" said Twilight Sparkle, shocking him out of his reverie. He smiled. "I was wondering when you'd show up." Gyvon sat up and looked over to see Twilight and her friends. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were right behind Twilight. Fluttershy was further back with the Princesses. To his surprise, Gyvon also saw Brigadier General Icewing to the right side of Princess Celestia. "I wasn't expecting you here, General." Icewing straightened up when he was addressed. "Protocol dictates that the Princesses must always be accompanied by a Guard while out of the castle. I volunteered when I heard that they would be meeting with you." Gyvon sighed. "I was hoping to keep this quiet. Still, better you, General, than someone I haven't met before." Princess Luna stepped forward. "Why all this secrecy?" she asked. "Yeah, what's the deal?" demanded Rainbow Dash. Soon, all of the ponies were pleading to hear the story. All except Princess Celestia. She cleared her throat, bringing all to abrupt silence. "I too am curious. I noticed during the celebration that you wouldn't give anypony a straight answer. There must be a reason. I got the distinct feeling that you're used to keeping secrets." Gyvon chuckled, and nodded. "You're right, Princess. It's a bad habit I picked up." he said. Gyvon removed the Budweiser badge from his lapel and held it up as if to inspect it. "However, I believe that all of you need to know what I'm about to tell you. It's... not a pleasant story." Gyvon told them about the war. The first contact with the Cybertronians, the finding of the AllSpark, the Battle of Mission City, the formation of NEST, Operation: Firestorm, everything. Most of it was second-hand information, since Gyvon was either in the Academy or in SEAL training when the events took place. Chicago was a different story. He had fought in Chicago. Using his hologram projector, he showed them the highlights of the battle, from the moment his team swam up the river, to the deaths of Megatron and Sentinel Prime. Everypony was appalled at the destruction of the city. General Icewing, however, did nod in approval at the tactics used to take down the Decepticons. "Casualties for the battle were relatively light for the military. However, thousands of civilians were killed when the 'Cons took control." said Gyvon. "My word!" exclaimed Luna. "With the death of their leader, the Decepticons became less a threat and more of a nuisance." said Gyvon as the recording ended. "Leaderless, they either scattered to distant corners of Earth, left entirely, or defected. The war was over. At least, that's what we thought." Gyvon brought up another image, this one a fleet of ships traveling on the ocean. "After over a month of bickering, it was finally decided that Megatron's corpse would be dropped into a volcano. On the Big Island of Hawaii to be specific. Unfortunately, things didn't go according to plan." As he finished that statement, there was an explosion on the one cargo ship in the flotilla. "Megatron had been revived somehow, and took the name Galvatron." In the hologram, a massive figure flew out of the explosion, and up into the night sky. "Afterwards, the Decepticons once again became a threat. They began raiding cities all over the world. They were still beaten easily enough. Even without Autobot assistance, the various armies of the world knew how to defeat them." The image winked out. "One day, NEST got intelligence about the location of a major Decepticon base. My team, along with one of the Autobots, was sent in to investigate..." LOCATION: Rub' Al Khali, Saudi Arabia TIME: 0001 Zulu, 1 year ago. "Miles and miles of miles and miles." noted the C-17 pilot, taking in the scenery of the Empty Quarter. The perfect place for a hidden base. "How much longer? Asked the Lieutenant over the intercom. His men were getting jumpy. "Five minutes to the drop zone." answered the pilot. The Lieutenant called out for everyone to get ready, and approached the dune buggy they had brought with them. "How you holding up, Dune Runner?" he asked. The holographic driver simply nodded, but the Lieutenant could tell the Autobot was agitated. They had worked together long enough. "Two minutes!" called the Loadmaster. "Alright, listen up troops." said the Lieutenant. "Dune Runner's going first. After he leaves, we go in. Remember to pull your chutes immediately after you jump, it's gonna be a low one." His men already knew the plan. They had gone over it in detail numerous times before. "Thirty seconds!" The SEAL's under the Lieutenant's command stood, and lined up for the jump. When the rear doors of the transport opened, Dune Runner shot out, transforming midair as he did so. Shit, the Lieutenant thought. The Autobot jumped the gun. Time to improvise, and with that, he jumped out as well, his men following close behind. They all landed safely and regrouped with Dune Runner. "See anything?" asked the Lieutenant. "Not yet" replied the Autobot. "Then let's move out. I'd like to be out of here before dawn." The SEALs swiftly made their way towards their destination. Satellite imagery had only shown light activity, but the Decepticons could have easily built a base underground. When they were within a mile of the suspected base, Dune Runner stopped. "Wait!" he said. "Something's not right." It would be the last he would speak. A Decepticon sniper had managed to line up a shot right through the Autobot's spark, killing him instantly. Before he could come up with an escape plan, the Lieutenant's team was surrounded. The Decepticons had risen from the very sand of the desert. The SEALs formed up around their Lieutenant, ready to fight their way free. To the Lieutenant's surprise, one of the Decepticons spoke. "Humans. Lay down your weapons and surrender, and we'll spare your lives." Whatever the Lieutenant had expected, it wasn't this. According to reports given to command, the Decepticons were not interested in prisoners. One of the greener soldiers panicked and fired on the nearest Decepticon. For his trouble, he was instantly vaporized. "I will not ask again. Lower your weapons and we will spare your lives." Surrounded, outnumbered, and outgunned, the Lieutenant saw no way out of the situation. "You heard him, men." he said, lowering his rifle to the ground. The others swiftly followed suit. From above there came a bright light. A Decepticon ship had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. When it landed, the Lieutenant and his men were soon herded aboard. PRESENT DAY Gyvon paused his story, making sure the listeners were keeping up. He did not need to worry. All of the ponies, even Fluttershy, were leaning in, hanging onto his every word. "Why did you surrender?" asked Icewing. Gyvon chuckled. "General, ever since I graduated from the Academy, I had always believed that my first duty was to the men under my command. All of them had loved ones waiting for them to return. We were surrounded. We had no hope of getting out of that mess alive. Then, they offered me a way out." Gyvon said, looking up to the General. "I couldn't believe it at first, and my hesitation cost one of my men his life. I had to take the offer. It was the only way out I could see." As he finished, tears began falling from Gyvon's eyes. "How wrong I was." LOCATION: Decepticon Mars Base, Prison Area. TIME: Unknown, 1 year ago It had been a week since their capture, and the Lieutenant was the only one left of his platoon. Galvatron himself had come and taken the SEALs away to some other part of the fortress. He had no idea what had happened to the men under his command, but judging by the screams, they weren't having fun. With his men most likely dead, the Lieutenant had to fight to keep from giving in to the despair he felt. He was less than surprised when the door to his cell had opened, and found Galvatron towering over him. Show no fear, the Lieutenant told himself as Galvatron grasped for him. Don't give the bastard the satisfaction. He was held tightly as Galvatron carried him from the prison and into the adjoining chamber. What the Lieutenant saw shocked him deeply. It appeared to be a medical lab. Far from the torture chamber that the Lieutenant was expecting, but the signs were still ominous. He knew that some Decepticons enjoyed torturing humans, and that Galvatron had done so from time to time, but the place looked too pristine to be intended for torture. Galvatron carried him to the far wall, and the Lieutenant noticed two human-sized surgical tables. One was empty, but the other one had what looked like a small Cybertronian protoform strapped to it. Galvatron laid the Lieutenant on the empty table, and strapped him down. As the straps were being adjusted, the Lieutenant spoke up. "Just kill me and save us both some time. You won't get me to talk." Galvatron laughed as he finished with the straps. "Talk? I don't want you to talk." he said. "No, you don't know anything important." He shook his head at the small creature's ignorance. "Instead, I'm going to give you a great gift." "Gift?" asked the Lieutenant. "What kind of Gift?" Galvatron waved a small scalpel at his prisoner. "Ah, ah, ah. That would spoil the surprise." he said. He walked over to a monitor hanging on a wall and activated it. "I offered the same gift to your men, but they couldn't... appreciate it." Galvatron picked up a tray of surgical instruments, grabbed another strange device and approached his prisoner. "Unfortunately for you, I don't have any anesthetics available, and this will hurt. I'm going to enjoy this." As Galvatron picked up a scalpel and began cutting, the Lieutenant had to struggle to keep from screaming out in pain. PRESENT DAY. The ponies were horrified at what he was saying. Rarity looked like she was about to pass out, and Applejack appeared sick to her stomach. "I'll spare you all the details." said Gyvon. "Please do." said Princess Luna, barely able to contain herself. Even Princess Celestia was visibly shaken. "Suffice it to say, it was painful. Unbearably so. I passed out halfway through the... procedure. And when I came to..." PAST Darkness faded from the Lieutenant's mind. He could see Galvatron standing over him, gloating. Sirens filled the room. "Ah, good, you're awake." said Galvatron. "And just in time too. The Autobots are almost here." He tilted the table forward. "It's too bad I couldn't finish the procedure. You would've made a wonderful assassin." He turned away, heading for the back door. "However, you've made an excellent experiment. A proof of concept, as it were." Experiment? Proof of Concept? "What the hell are you talking about" asked the Lieutenant. His voice sounded strange. Galvatron laughed. "Why, take a look to your right and tell me." The Lieutenant did so, and what he saw shook him to his very core. The surgical table was splattered with blood, fluid and flesh. A bloodstained skeleton was strapped to it. But what shocked him was that it was the very table that Galvatron had strapped him to earlier. "No." said the Lieutenant, barely more than a whisper, as he realized what had been done. His very consciousness had been downloaded into the protoform, and his flesh used to cover it. Galvatron laughed. "Oh yes. Machine and flesh, working together in perfect harmony. But, I digress. He opened the medical bay's door. "Unfortunately, I must flee before the Autobots get here." And with that, he left, closing the door behind him. "YOU BASTARD!" the Lieutenant yelled, unable to contain the anger he felt. "GET BACK HERE! COWARD!" but it was no use. Galvatron had fled the base to parts unknown. His yelling, however, did serve to alert Optimus Prime to his location, and before long he came storming through the entrance. "Lieutenant!" he exclaimed. "Where's Galvatron?" The Lieutenant nodded towards the back door. "Fled." he said, "He's long gone." Optimus approached Gyvon and unstrapped him from the table. "I see." he said, dejected. Ratchet was the next Autobot to enter the room. "What happened here?" he asked as he surveyed the scene. PRESENT DAY. "After I filled the Autobots in, we destroyed the base and returned to Earth." Gyvon said, finishing his story. "Why would that monster do something so horrible?" asked Fluttershy. Gyvon shrugged. "Dunno. He said he wanted an assassin, but I don't think that's the real reason. It would've been much easier to fake a defection." Gyvon shook his head. "No, I think he just..." before Gyvon could finish his statement, Pinkie Pie collapsed and began snoring loudly. "Oh my. It is awfully late." said Rarity matter of factly. "I think it's time for everypony to turn in for the night." Everyone nodded at that. "Alright. I'll carry Pinkie Pie home." said Gyvon. "I just need to do one more thing before I do so. It'll only take a minute." The ponies headed their separate ways. The Princesses and Icewing flew off towards Canterlot, and Twilight and her friends all went home, leaving Gyvon and Pinkie Pie. Now alone, Gyvon began dictating a message to be sent to Earth. He detailed how he arrived, and the inhabitants of Equestria. He even included footage from the battle with the dragon. Finished, he attached the copied the coordinates for a space-bridge jump, and transmitted the message. Even at transwarp speeds, it would take weeks for the message to arrive, and god knows how long for the Autobots to respond. Ah well, first vacation in a year. Might as well enjoy myself. he thought, turning toward the sleeping pony. Before picking her up, he transformed into combat form. It'd be quicker to fly her home. He cradled Pinkie Pie in his arms, and took off for Sugarcube Corner. LOCATION: Sugarcube Corner TIME: Very Early Morning. Gyvon landed in front of the store, taking care not to wake anybody up. He couldn't transform back to human, not with Pinkie still in his arms. He tried the door and found that it was unlocked. Quietly, he sneaked in, taking care not to wake up the proprietors. He tiptoed up the stairs, avoiding a creaky step that his on-board sensors warned him about. Unfortunately, there was one that noticed his intrusion. Waiting at the top of the stairs was a little unicorn filly. Gyvon looked down on the little one and saw that the poor thing was on the verge of tears at seeing a monster like him. He raised a finger to his lips and made a quiet shushing sound. "Do you know where Pinkie's room is little one?" asked Gyvon, whispering. The filly's face lit up, and she nodded. Quietly, she bounded towards the end of the hallway and dissapeared into an open door. Gyvon followed, taking even more care not to make a sound, passing another open doorway as he went.. As he reached where the door, he saw what was most definitely Pinkie Pie's bedroom. Bright wallpaper and balloons of all shapes, sizes, and colors assaulted his vision. He approached the bed, and gently set Pinkie down, covering her with the blankets as he did so. Turning around, Gyvon saw that the filly was standing next to him, staring at him curiously. "You should be in bed, little one." he said softly. He gently picked her up in one hand and carried her out of the room, closing the door behind him. He walked to the open doorway he passed earlier and peeked in. He saw two cribs, one currently occupied and the other conspicuously empty. Gyvon placed the filly into the empty crib, humming the tune of an old nursery rhyme as he did so. The filly was asleep before he could cover her with the blanket, forcing Gyvon to smile. He turned and crept out of the room, down the stairs, and out the door. Finally clear, he transformed back to human form and walked back to the library. Definitely worse places I could have ended up.