//------------------------------// // One Shall Stand // Story: Transformers: Equestria's Darkest Hour // by JDPrime22 //------------------------------// -CHAPTER XXVII: ONE SHALL STAND- “YOU CANNOT STOP ME, PUNY AUTOBOTS AND DECEPTICONS! I AM…TRYPTICON. I AM…YOUR DEATH!” TELETRAAN OFFLINE ____________________ “But…I’m afraid he wasn’t lying about Jazz.” When he said that, Pinkie Pie whimpered hard, breaking down into heavy tears yet again. Optimus watched with such a broken spark as Applejack and Rarity trotted over to their pink friend, gently nuzzling her in an obvious show of comfort. Optimus looked down at Makeshift’s remains again. “Twilight, come here.” Optimus addressed the unicorn, watching as Twilight slowly came up to Makeshift’s dead body. Optimus kicked it hard this time, looking down to see Makeshift’s hand open up. Twilight’s mouth opened but no words could escape. Her eyes were locked on the twelve crystal shards completely unharmed and lying in the Decepticon’s grasp. She levitated each piece, holding them in mid-air as she smiled at the last Prime. She opened her mouth to speak again…. …until a very large explosion came from behind them. Everypony spun around, even Optimus Prime looked forward to see what the commotion was. The mushroom cloud remained in its position…but something had fallen into the crater where the castle had once stood…. Instinctively, the six ponies slowly trotted over to the crater with Optimus Prime right behind them. Dodging several large pieces of rubble in their way, they made it to the edge to where Twilight peeked over first. What she saw had to be part of her imagination. Something was stirring in the crater…..rumbling…..growling….moving…. It was only until then did the yellow eyes shine in the darkness below. ____________________ -10 MINUTES EARLIER- Jetfire opened his optics, slowly standing up and rubbing his head in immense pain. It was only until his optics landed on the massive hole in the center of the room that he remembered all that had happened before he had passed out. Jetfire quickly stood up, involuntarily hunching his shoulder when a massive wave of soreness went straight through him. He quickly made his way over to the hole in the ground, muttering words of horror. “No…no, no, no, no, please no.” Jetfire mumbled under his breath, peeking over the edge of the orbital cannon. What he saw…was too much. The Crystal Castle….there was no castle anymore. All that remained was a rising tower of smoke and ash slowly reaching the cannon room. Jetfire took a step back, reality seeping into his mind to tell him that he had failed as an Autobot. He failed to stop the Nemesis from destroying the only hope Equestria had left. He fell to his knees, clenching his fists as he hung there in misery. Jetfire wanted to scream, but instead of that he smashed his hand on the hard, metal floor, denting it slightly. After several more silent moments alone, Jetfire opened his optics again, staring at the floor. Ashes. He looked forward, watching as more and more ashes slowly fluttered into the orbital cannon room through the massive hole in the center. They all flew upwards, hanging in mid-air before descending down and landing on the floor. A new feeling came to him: anger. He clenched his fists hard again, glaring at the massive cannon above his head. Even though he failed to stop it from destroying Equestria’s last hope, he was going to do some massive damage on this ship…and ultimately Trypticon. Jetfire spun around, making his way over to his unconscious teammates. Each of them were scattered across the large room, each of them out cold. After waking each one of them up, Jetfire got back up to full height, turning his gaze towards the far wall. Slingshot rubbed his forehead in pain, making his way over to Jetfire. “What’s the plan now, boss?” Slingshot asked as the other Aerialbots circled around him, turning towards Jetfire for an answer. Jetfire sighed heavily, glaring at the far wall. “We’re gonna take down the Nemesis…by destroying the conversion cog.” Each Aerialbot minus Jetfire exchanged shocked glances, eventually falling back to the ‘crazed’ Aerialbot. Air Raid stepped forward, nearly jamming his finger in Jetfire’s chest. “Are you insane, Jetfire?! You out of all of us know what’ll happen if we do that!” Air Raid shouted but retreated back to silence once a deep growl was heard echoing through the flagship. Once the growling subsided, Jetfire nodded. “I know, Air Raid. But do you think that now that the castle, the one thing that could’ve saved this world is gone, that we can still have a chance to fight back? Did you ever wonder for one nano-click that we can make a difference…to change the course of this war?” Jetfire asked, his blue optics brimming with sorrow. “If we don’t stop the Nemesis now…..its rampage of destruction will keep going.” The Aerialbots hung their heads in sorrow, each of them slowly feeling the pain and suffering the ponies must be feeling down below them. After a few seconds of silence, each of them slowly nodded, turning their gazes towards Jetfire. “Okay, Jetfire,” Silverbolt said, “you lead the way.” Jetfire smiled, facing the far wall yet again. After a few seconds of calculating, Jetfire had to find out where the conversion cog might be. Last time it was in the control center of the orbital gun back on Cybertron….so that means… “Okay, Aerialbots, we’re going to destroy the conversion cog and re-route Trypticon to his original form. Anything is better than the Nemesis at this desperate time. Once Trypticon has fallen to the crater below us, we can contact any surviving Autobot down there so we can bring him to an end.” Jetfire explained, morphing his right arm into a thermo rocket cannon. “Stand back, everybody.” Jetfire warned, firing three missiles at the far wall. Each Autobot shielded their optics, glancing back to see Jetfire transform and fly right through the hole he had just created. The Aerialbots all joined together, transforming and taking off right on Jetfire’s tail. It was impossible to explain every detail the six Aerialbots faced while flying through the twisted turns and jagged edges of the Nemesis’ inner sanctums. Jetfire led the way; using rockets to blast open the walls in front of him so none of his team could get lost in this dark maze. Fireflight caught up to Jetfire, quickly shouting. “My scanners show that there is large quantity of unstable energy coming ten meters forward!” Fireflight shouted, dodging the tight turns and sharp corners. “That’s the conversion cog!” Jetfire shouted, sending one missile to the wall in front of him and his team. After the explosion, the six Aerialbots flew into a new area…full of darkness. They could feel it. A dark entity was flowing through their circuits as they flew into the vast openness of the Nemesis’ bridge. The massive glass shield in front of the room was shattered, thousands of ashes raining inside along with the dark clouds flowing past it. Jetfire faced the nose of his vehicle mode forward….to where he saw what Fireflight was talking about. Fireflight flew forward, his scanners going wild near a large dome of some sorts stuck to the floor in the center of the damaged bridge. “Scanners show….oh Primus….Jetfire, you gotta come check this out!” Fireflight shouted, hovering closer to the large dome. Once Jetfire and the others finally arrived to his location, Jetfire hovered downwards, the nose of his vehicle mode nearly hitting the dome. Jetfire looked downwards, to where he spotted a glowing red orb in the center, its essence practically sparking pure energy. Jetfire knew what this was….Trypticon’s conversion cog. He had to act now. “Aerialbots, destroy the conversion cog now!” Jetfire screamed, flying backwards and taking the very first shot. He launched a single missile forward that smacked perfectly on the side of the dome. Once the explosion of the rocket hit the dome, the entire ship rocked back and forth. “RAAAAWWWWWW!!!!!!!” Skydive looked back and forth, mentally quivering in fear. “I think we just made it angry.” Skydive muttered, immediately being silenced to Trypticon’s terrifying voice echoing throughout the bridge. “INSOLENT LITTLE TRASH-HEAPS! YOU WILL NEVER DESTROY ME!!!” Instantly, several sentry turrets appeared on the walls and floors, each of them aiming for the six Autobots. They fired in unison, the Aerialbots taking immediate action and dodging the incoming fire. “Whatever we’re doing we have to finish it now, Jetfire!” Silverbolt screamed, flying wildly in mid-flight. Jetfire mentally groaned, destroying several turrets blocking him from his goal. Once he was in-range, Jetfire hovered a few feet away from the dome, his rockets reloading. “Aerialbots, fire on the dome now!” He shouted, activating his back thrusters. “We’ll try our best!” Skydive shouted, dodging the missiles intended for him and firing missiles of his own on the dome. “Here goes nothin’!” Air Raid bellowed, firing several rockets towards the dome. “Let’s take it down!” Silverbolt screamed, diving downwards and bombing the dome. “Yeah what Silverbolt said!” Fireflight added in, with him and Slingshot flying right for the dome, their rockets soaring right from under them and smacking against the heavy metal. “I sure hope you know what you’re doing!” Slingshot commented, making his retreat to make way for Jetfire as he swooped down to deliver the final blow. Once the missiles hit their mark, the dome actually shattered with pieces of metal flying everywhere. Trypticon’s groans of pain could still be heard throughout the bridge as Jetfire flew in closer and closer. “YOU WILL SUFFER FOR THIS, AUTOBOTS!!!” All it took was one missile and a perfect lock-on. Jetfire shot one missile that hit the glowing orb in the center of the dome, destroying it instantly. As soon as that happened, the entire bridge, it’s once glorious interior was now falling apart. Trypticon screamed, his entire form….changing. “NO! NO!!! CANNOT MAINTAIN NEMESIS FORM!!!!!!” Jetfire took his focus off the dome and onto the glass shield in the front of the bridge. The glass began to shatter, large, pointed pieces of red-hot metal erupting from the floor and locking in place. Silverbolt flew right passed Jetfire, bringing him back to reality. “We have to get out of here now!” Silverbolt screamed, taking off towards the only opening in the Nemesis: the shattered glass window. “What’s he changing into?” Skydive questioned, his thrusters deactivating as he stared in horror above him. Several pieces of jagged metal formed and locked in place above all six Aerialbots, receiving several stutters from Skydive. “A-are t-those t-t-teeth?!” Jetfire soared right passed him, bringing the Aerialbot back to the real world. Together, all six Autobots dodged the growing spikes that jammed upwards and downwards from the floor to the ceiling. At first Jetfire’s anger had made him lose control on all sense he had, for he had destroyed Trypticon’s conversion cog….re-routing it back into…… The bridge was ripped apart before the Aerialbots’ optics, their fears only intensifying when the top and bottom half opened up and screeched. The Aerialbots luckily escaped the Nemesis through the shattered window in front of them, but they had bigger worries ahead of them. Jetfire had made a terrible mistake. Outside in the storm-filled clouds, the Nemesis was being torn apart. No…it was changing. Once the six Autobots flew out of it, the entire flagship whirred, clicked, morphed, shaped, and formed something else….something terrifying. Jetfire stopped flying away, slowly turning around to witness what he had done. He couldn’t believe it…but it happened. The Nemesis was no more; a once horrifying flagship for the Decepticon leader was now a beast of epic proportions, its terror and power to outmatch all foolhardy enough to challenge it. Jetfire watched the entire time, his anger now being replaced with something he had felt once before… Regret. Jetfire stared ahead as the Nemesis transformed into the mighty Trypticon, the Decepticon beast free-falling to the crater to which it created. And the entire time….Jetfire could only imagine the suffering Optimus Prime, the Autobots, and the ponies will face once they meet that wretched monster….and it was all because of him. “HA! HA! HA! YOU HAVEN’T DEFEATED ME, AUTOBOTS! YOU HAVE ONLY UNTETHERED YOUR OWN DESTROYER!!!!!” ____________________ “Adjusting optical sensors…” Megatron awakened, looking down at his fists. There he could see them tattered, shredded, and war-torn. He looked for the location of the voice he had heard, his optics landing on the Decepticon Communications Officer practically standing over him. Soundwave offered his hand to Megatron below him. “Lord Megatron, the Decepticons crave your guidance. A new threat has emerged. Quickly, give me your hand.” Soundwave spoke to his master. Mentally growling, Megatron realized that this was the only support he would be getting for a while. He lifted his hand upwards to where Soundwave gripped it in his and lifted him up. Once Megatron was back to his feet, he turned towards his Communications Officer. “What has happened?” Megatron asked, his voice as raspy as ever. His only answer was Soundwave pointing towards the rising column of smoke. Megatron followed his finger, his optics finally landing on the mushroom cloud that seemed to be fading away in the air. Nothing new, really…Megatron had already seen that cloud created by…. Now he saw it….. Something was inside of the crater, the only thing remaining from the Nemesis’ orbital strike. “Let’s move out,” Megatron grunted, slightly touching his chest in pain, “Contact Shockwave and the other loyalists to our position. We may need ALL our soldiers for this.” He brought his gaze off the cloud over the massive crater and onto the Communications Officer right as he began to speak. “I have already done the liberty of contacting the Combaticons, the Stunticons, the Insecticons, Barricade, Thundercracker and his squadron, and of course Shockwave. They are nearing the crater as we speak.” Soundwave coldly explained, his red visor scanning the dusty streets for any signs of life. Megatron nodded, wincing with each step forward. “Very good, Soundwave. Quickly, I see them coming into focus.” Megatron quietly said, limping faster when the Decepticon insignias began coming closer…… But something was off…. There were red symbols as well as the purple. Megatron knew what this was. He scowled lightly, immediately hunching forward once the pain returned even harder this time. Soundwave reared forward and held his master up, holding him so he wouldn’t fall. The Decepticon leader knew he couldn’t fight the Autobots for long, especially the entire Autobot army ahead of him. The pain in his circuits along with the terrible migraine in his forehead would certainly hinder his progress to fight. As much as he hated to admit it…really hated to admit it…he needed their help. He would have to make peace with them….for now. Besides…they would need ALL of their soldiers for whatever had landed in the crater. It was something truly powerful as well….Megatron could feel it, which meant…they would need all the help they could get. Autobots were stupid and trustworthy enough to believe him in this case anyways. Megatron sighed heavily, pushing Soundwave off of him as they entered the clearing. He wasn’t that well with negotiations….but he could definitely make a scene. ___________________ Twilight backed away from the crater, her eyes wide with shock. Levitating the twelve crystal shards downwards in front of her haunches, Twilight’s chest rose and fell at a quick pace, as if she just saw death preparing to take her soul away. It was actually pretty similar to that… Twilight Sparkle didn’t even know what was down there in the crater…and she was already afraid of it. Those yellow eyes had stared directly at her only…as if whatever was down there had found her as its newest target. A sudden commotion brought the unicorn’s head backwards, her gasps echoing with her friends’. The entire Autobot army was behind them….well…not all of them. The only ones that were actually there and standing were Optimus Prime, Sideswipe, Ratchet, Ironhide, Wheeljack, Perceptor, Blaster, and Warpath. A sudden pain in each mare’s chest brought them back to remember that Jazz, Cliffjumper, Bumblebee, Snarl, Swoop, and Slug were possibly injured beyond repair…maybe even dead. Hound was the traitor so he was definitely not there anymore. No sign of Grimlock….or Ultra Magnus. The Autobots were all scattered across the street, each of them slowly approaching the crater. Optimus led the way, his hands slowly swaying side to side as he moved up. But that wasn’t why the six ponies gasped….they gasped when the Decepticon army emerged out of the mist. Slowly, each main Decepticon all six of them knew by name exited the smoke and ash and walked into the clearing, each of them visibly limping. Oddly enough, none of them dared to attack the Autobots, Twilight believed that they were possibly too injured or had their focus on the crater…and what had fallen into it. Onslaught, Brawl, Swindle, Vortex, Blast Off, Motormaster, Dragstrip, Wildrider, Breakdown, Dead End, Barricade, Sharpshot, Hardshell, Kickback, and Shockwave. The entire Decepticon army (minus the armada the six mares had seen falling from the skies) was there and walking right for them, their red, yellow, and purple optics all focused on the massive crater where the Crystal Castle once stood proudly and visibly. Twilight dared not take her eyes off the Decepticon forces. She had witnessed first hoof their ambition for conquest: their armies destroying Canterlot, Bruticus burning Ponyville to the ground, and of course the colonization of the Decepticon re-birth right here on their home planet of Equestria. All the while, Twilight still couldn’t understand why they didn’t just attack the Autobots when they had the chance to do so. The Decepticons just walked forward, some of them even standing next to an Autobot or two! She quickly found out why… Two Decepticons, who Twilight presumed to be Wildrider and Dead End, backed away when a large bipedal creature pushed them aside, making its way into the clearing. Twilight could hear her friends next to her quietly growl in unison when the creature finally came into focus “Megatron.” Twilight spat out the words as if it was dirt on her tongue. But strangely, Megatron, out of all of the Decepticons, did not attack the Autobots when he had spotted them. Many of them (including Decepticons alike) all gasped and backed away when Megatron and his trusty lieutenant Soundwave walked forward. That seemed to get a certain bot’s attention. Twilight looked up, her eyes growing wide with anticipation once Optimus Prime slowly turned his head back to see his old rival and hated brother emerge forward, his limp almost as bland as his attitude. Megatron stopped once Prime had spotted him, Soundwave as well. He narrowed his red optics at the very Prime he could not defeat, Optimus doing the same. For a short while, Optimus could see no vile attempt in Megatron’s optics to thwart him at that very instant, no ambition to crush his very essence along with the Autobot spirit. It was strange….but Megatron didn’t seem threatening. After a short, pregnant pause, Optimus was about to speak out against this, but Megatron acted first and lifted up his hand towards Prime, quietly but sternly explaining, “I have no need to fight you, Optimus ‘Prime’. We have a bigger problem as it seems…” Megatron made himself taller, the pain he was feeling faded away. “And that goes for all of you! I don’t want to see another dead Autobot until this new foe is dealt with! Whether you like it or not, we will NOT be harming the Autobots until I say so!” Megatron announced, mush to the other Decepticons’ dismay. Many of them groaned, some of them shouting out against their master as to why he would even say such a thing! But their questions died away once Megatron finished his statement. “Unless you want to end up like Starscream…an exiled traitor of the Decepticons?” That seemed to get the response Megatron wanted. None of the Decepticons spoke out, none of them argued. Megatron could feel Shockwave’s cold glare pierce through the back of his head, but that didn’t matter right now….what really mattered was figuring out what this was all about. Megatron approached Optimus Prime; he looked down to see the six familiar equines get in a pouncing stance, ready to attack him. Except for the yellow one with pink hair and the pink one with a deflated mane, each pony was giving him the worst glare he had ever seen….and he’d seen a lot. “Back off, ponies,” Megatron snarled, “I will not harm your precious Autobots…yet. If you will let me, I would like to have a conversation with Prime. And if you won’t let me….well….I think you all know what I might do.” That seemed to do the trick. The mares began to cool down, their glares fading away like mist. But Megatron didn’t have long to enjoy it, for Prime had shoved his hand none-too-gently in Megatron’s shoulder. “Leave them out of this, Megatron,” Optimus said in a stern tone, his optics hard on the Decepticon leader, “I know what you want to discuss….and it is true.” His glare left his facial features, allowing Megatron to gain his own glare as Prime finished his statement. “Trypticon has fallen into the crater.” Twilight’s ears perked up at that. That name had lit a light bulb in her brain, allowing the gears to grind in her thoughts as to how everything played through. The Nemesis was hovering over the Crystal Castle, it destroyed it, and now it somehow transformed and landed inside the crater to become Trypticon. She shuddered slightly, unwanted memories raining over her thoughts of her wretched nightmare where she first heard the name. Shockwave mentioning that Trypticon was actually the Nemesis in disguise right before he jammed the blade right into her- “I see…and how do you suppose we stop Trypticon, Prime?” Megatron asked, completely shattering Twilight’s thoughts. Optimus was silent for a few moments, his optics scanning the rubble-strewn road. When it seemed like he didn’t have an answer, Ironhide stepped in between the two leaders, explaining his own thoughts. “We could do it just like last time, Optimus,” Ironhide exclaimed, “Using precise attacks to injure Trypticon’s weak points until he crumbles down. It worked last time then it could work again.” Megatron crossed his arms, scowling under his breath. “Autobots…so unpredictable.” Ignoring Megatron’s comment, Optimus patted Ironhide on the shoulder, nodding his head slowly. “Nice idea, Ironhide, we can use the same plan as last time,” Optimus brought his attention to the large army of Autobots and Decepticons behind Ironhide, “but now….we have more comrades to assist us.” Optimus let his hand fall to his side, his head facing Megatron. “Megatron, will you and your Decepticons help us to take down Trypticon? With our combined efforts, we can drop all bad blood between us and rise up to defeat a greater force that is stirring inside that crater.” Optimus held out his hand towards his once-brother. Megatron thought about it. His optics turning towards the six ponies sitting at Prime’s side. He almost laughed at their expressions, but decided against it when he knew that his would soon be similar to theirs with what he was about to do. He nodded, but dared not to shake Prime’s hand a second time. “For now, Optimus.” Megatron quietly said, really hoping that no one but Prime had heard. The Autobots and Decepticons around them shared unsure glances between each other, as if really deciding if they should assist their sworn enemies. The Elements of Harmony seemed to be doing the same, except their glances were focused towards the Decepticons. Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie all stared ahead at the Decepticons and their leader, their eyes wide with shock and surprise. Although they had seen this only once before, during Discord’s fall to Optimus Prime and Megatron joining forces back in Canterlot, it was still really odd to see two forces of sworn hatred simply stand next to each other. It was like waiting for a bomb to go off. Megatron was once again to shatter Twilight’s thoughts. He stepped forward; right by Prime’s left side as he stared into the dark crater before him. He frowned, finding himself asking Optimus Prime on what to do. It was odd asking his hated brother on what their next attack should be. “What do you have in mind, Optimus ‘Pri-?” He never got to finish….for a dark shadow erupted right in front of both leaders. “Megatron, look out!” Soundwave shouted, backing away with each Decepticon and Autobot. Instinctively, Megatron and Optimus Prime backed off from the towering shadow rising high above each of their heads. Twilight found herself quickly scrambling away on her hooves, her eyes darting downwards quickly to levitate the twelve shards away from the darkness slowly overcoming the ground. Once she and her friends had found a safe distance at Optimus’ feet, they stared above at the tower of darkness, their colorful eyes growing wide to see the twin green orbs glow in the middle. “King Sombra!” The shadow melted away, revealing a truly horrific face with a very, VERY wide grin. Several rows of razor sharp teeth hung in his mouth, only bringing everybody’s eyes upwards to see those glowing green eyes, followed by the purple mist fading away at the eyelashes. King Sombra smiled broadly, his shadowy head hovering above each Cybertronian. “MY GLORIOUS SLAAAAAAVES!” King Sombra growled. At first blush, no Autobot or Decepticon seemed to understand what he meant by that. It wasn’t long before the Decepticons’ anger was aroused by this. “Hey,” Barricade shouted, pointing a deadly finger at the colossal shadow above him, “We are NOBODY’S slaves, you scrap-eating freak!” Many Decepticons nodded in unison, shouting words of hate towards the King. Unfortunately, this only caused Sombra to chuckle in delight, his giant head slowly flying above their heads. They couldn’t help but feel their spines quiver when that deep voice echoed overhead. “HAVE YOU ALL FORGOTTEN YOUR PLACE ALREADY? YOUR LORD AND MASTER HAS ALREADY SUCCUMB TO MY POWER…YOU SHOULD ALL FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS.” King Sombra growled, licking his lips once he appeared over Megatron. Megatron clenched his fist, pointing his other one towards the so-called “King”. “LIES! DECEIT! Do not listen to him, my brethren! He is nothing but a pest in our path of conquest!” Megatron shouted, his anger boiling up to a new level. But when he shouted those words, his red optics flashed green before he nearly fell on his face, clutching his head in pain. King Sombra laughed manically, his green eyes watching as Soundwave helped up his master with obvious glee. During his chuckles, Sombra lowered himself down to the only equines in his presence at the moment. Twilight and her friends backed away closer to Prime’s feet, their eyes growing wide once Sombra’s giant face was suddenly pushed closer to theirs’. “SO….YOU SEEMED TO HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR,” His glare landed on the cyan Pegasus from before, his smile growing wider to show the mare his rows of teeth, “AWWW…YOU MUST BE RAINBOW DASH...GRIMLOCK AND I HAD THE MOST WONDERFUL DISCUSSION ABOUT YOU.” Optimus Prime brought his attention down to Rainbow Dash, along with every other Autobot. Their confusion just as strong as every other bots’. Sombra just said he had a discussion with Grimlock, that couldn’t be true because Grimlock was dead….wasn’t he? Instantly, Rainbow’s wings flared up, her eyes glaring at the shadowy figure of King Sombra. “You stay away from him, you…you…excuse of a king!” Rainbow shouted, much to Sombra’s dismay. His green eyes began to glow red, his massive horn began to spark up. Rainbow smiled, knowing she just got him angry. Her smile changed to a look of despair once Sombra charged up his horn, ready to strike her down. Instead, Rainbow looked forward to see a massive black fist grab her and bring her back to the ground softly, the same hand using itself as a protective shield to cover the six ponies. Everypony looked up to see Optimus covering them, his blue eyes locked on with Sombra’s green. Once he did that, Sombra’s horn died down, his eyes now locked on with the last Prime’s. “It’s you…and me, Sombra. Leave the ponies out of this…they have done you no harm. If you truly want to fight someone to release your anger…then you can try to vanquish me instead.” Optimus Prime muttered, never taking his hand away from the six equines. “Optimus…no.” Twilight whimpered, her eyes beginning to burn fresh tears. She brought her attention back to Sombra, who seemed to have taken that quite funny. King Sombra laughed hard, his giant head fading away before re-appearing above his towering column of darkness in front of the massive crater. His chuckles faded away and only a horrifying, crooked smile remained. “DO YOU ALL REALLY BELIEVE YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO STOP ME?! I HAVE RULED OVER THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE AND ITS POPULACE FOR OVER A THOUSAND YEARS! IT TOOK MAGIC FROM THE TWO PRINCESSES TO IMPRISON ME, IT TOOK THE CRYSTAL HEART TO DEFEAT ME, AND BOTH OF THOSE ARE GONE! DO YOU ALL SEE NOW?! NOTHING CAN STOP ME FROM FULFILLING MY DESTINY!!!!!” Oddly enough, King Sombra wasn’t receiving the horrified stared he had seen once before and enjoyed. All he saw was the Cybertronians lifting their heads higher and higher with each passing second, an even darker shadow appearing from behind. Not even Twilight Sparkle had seen this before; then again….this alien race had many surprises to hold. During King Sombra’s speech, something long, big, and dark was rising out of the crater, the very tip of it being sharp and pointed. Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rarity brought their eyes off of King Sombra’s shadowy tower and on the even bigger tower raising above him…their bodies quivering with fear. Once it had reached its full height, Rainbow Dash finally got the courage to ask just what this thing was when it finally came into focus. “Is that a….tail?!” The Pegasus shouted. “HUH?” Was all that Sombra could say….right before he turned his massive head around. All he managed to catch was the gargantuan tower highly above him….suddenly crashing down on top of him. King Sombra screamed in horror, although those quickly died off once the large tower had crushed his very essence, be it a shadow or not. Dirt and dust flew everywhere, causing the six Elements to instinctively cover their eyes with their forelegs. Once the dust cleared, Twilight and her friends looked back towards the tower to see it sink back into the crater. This provoked everybody behind them. “Jetfire, we’ve located Trypticon! Uploading the coordinates now!” Optimus Prime bellowed, dashing right over the six ponies and running straight for the large crater. Ignoring King Sombra’s injured form below him, Optimus Prime leaped into the crater, his path blaster in tow. Instantly, the mares turned around to see every Autobot and Decepticon shout battle cries and follow Prime into the crater as well. It was a frenzy; Autobots and Decepticons ran right past them and jumped into the massive hole in the ground that obviously contained Trypticon in its ruins. “What’s going on?!” Fluttershy quietly screamed, causing a certain Autobot to stop right by them. Ratchet leaned down towards the mares, pointing his finger towards the crater. “All of you must stay here! Do NOT go in that crater! Do you understand?!” Ratchet shouted, watching as the ponies quickly nodded their heads. He nodded back only once, turning towards the crater and jumping inside. Together, the Elements of Harmony watched as every Autobot and Decepticon vanished from their position, each of them now inside the ruins of the Crystal Castle. Twilight brought her head down, her eyes gazing sadly at the twelve shattered pieces of the Crystal Heart. Reality quickly returned to her, telling the unicorn that it was all over. All they could really do now was sit at the edge of the crater…waiting… That would have to wait as well. “What’s g-gonna happen, T-Twilight?” Applejack stuttered, tuning her head towards her lavender friend. “I would like to answer that.” Heavy footsteps came from behind them, causing each mare to slowly turn their heads around to see none other than Shockwave approach from behind. His cyclopean eye stared each one down, sending chills towards each pony. Once he stopped right next to them, Rainbow Dash immediately got in a pouncing position, her eyes glaring daggers at the Decepticon scientist. Shockwave caught this, raising his right hand in front of his chest. “Do not fear me, Ms. Dash. Given the orders from lord Megatron, I will not harm any of you in any way, shape, or form, even though I would very much enjoy it.” Shockwave coldly explained, his purple eye turning back towards the crater. It was silent for a few moments. Twilight turned her head back towards Shockwave, a sudden feeling she had felt from staring at him suddenly vanished. She didn’t feel as afraid of him as she once did, he appeared harmless to them….to her. When it felt like a minute had passed, Rarity turned back towards the Decepticon, eyes brimming with both fear and curiosity. “So….erm…what’s going to happen, s-sir? I mean down there of course.” Rarity bit her lip nervously once the Decepticon turned towards her, his purple eye glowing in the dusty air. Shockwave stared at her a few moments more before turning back towards the crater. “Surely you all must understand, Trypticon’s power cannot be outmatched. Even with the aide of both Optimus Prime and Megatron, the Autobots and Decepticons will surely fall under that beast’s might.” Her eyes widened momentarily, centering on the Decepticon before dropping to the ground again as did each mares’. “Oh….so…you’re saying that there’s not a chance?” Rarity asked, her voice as hopeful as ever. Shockwave shrugged, his purple eye flashing over and over. “There is always a chance, Ms. Rarity. What I am telling you all is to not get your hopes up too high. Your Autobot friends might not make it out of their alive without extra support…and I don’t mean the Decepticons.” Shockwave quietly stated, gently rubbing the blaster replacing his left arm. “Hey,” Rainbow Dash sternly began, “Optimus Prime is the strongest and bravest Autobot ever, next to Grimlock of course,” she chuckled a bit before continuing, “We don’t have to worry that much because we all know that Optimus can stop whatever the hay is down there.” Shockwave shook his head. “Predictably, you and your friends hold too much trust towards the Autobots and their leader. You have all seen that massive tower a few moments ago, correct?” Shockwave asked, turning his head down towards the ponies to see them nod in unison, “That was but a small portion of one of the most powerful and vicious Decepticons to have ever lived.” Shaking instantly, Fluttershy forced her head towards the Decepticons, gulping quietly before asking, “How…how big is he?” Looking back down, Shockwave watched as the timid, yellow Pegasus quickly averted her gaze from his, finding strange interest in the smoking crater in front of her. He sighed, facing the crater as well. “He is larger than Omega Supreme.” ____________________ Optimus dug his hand into the walls of crusted dirt that lined the massive hole he and his soldiers had entered. He only had a split second to memorize the battle grounds he would be fighting the mighty Trypticon in. Darkness filled the massive circular-shaped hole he was entering, a large amount of light coming from the deadly mushroom cloud above their heads. It gave the crater a light gray color, the winds of dust falling towards the center. Large pieces of rubble and crystal debris lay across the sides of the crater, forcing each Autobot and Decepticon to dodge the incoming structures. The winds flew upwards towards the Autobots going down, filling their vision with soot and ash. Once he had hit solid ground again, Optimus Prime got back to full height, cocking his path blaster as he stared towards the center of the crater. That area seemed to be where Trypticon was staying, daring them to attack. The others quickly arrived, both Autobots and Decepticons alike. Megatron pushed away the soldiers in his way until he was right at Prime’s side, whipping out his riot cannon. “Implore me, Optimus, tell me how you manage to inflict as much pain and suffering on Trypticon before he can do the same thing to us?” Megatron asked, the ashy winds flowing past his feet. Optimus turned towards his questioning brother, almost ready to answer him. Until a piercing screech came from the front. Optimus held up his fist, waiting until the large group of Autobots and Decepticons quieted down. Once everything had fallen silent despite the howling winds, Optimus began to speak, not even looking back. “Everyone, stand tall! Trypticon is as powerful as they come! Follow my lead and stick together!” Right before Megatron could question Prime’s absolute disregard of trying to take command of HIS soldiers, another screech came from the front, causing each Cybertronian to ready their weapons. The darkness of the crater suddenly lifted…two yellow eyes glowed in front of them. It was only until then did the massive Decepticon appear in front of them, roaring as loud as possible. It was truly impossible to explain all the details this monstrous creature contained. Trypticon’s raw power emulated a glow from his very being: a dark purple glow. His jagged ridges only appeared terrifying once one would keep going to observe the rest of his form. Trypticon’s chest pointed outwards, revealing the truly horrifying Decepticon symbol on his chest. Two long arms protruded out where they should be along with two massive legs. His head was long with several rows of jagged teeth, each of them glistening in what little light there was. Trypticon rose up on his two feet, chuckling with delight. “HA! HA! HA! MY DINNER HAS ARRIVED,” He brought his gaze downwards, his yellow optics landing on the Decepticon leader, “MEGATRON, MY OLD FRIEND! I WAS BEGINNING TO THINK MY ORBITAL STRIKE HAD ERADICATED YOU! BUT I AM SO GLAD YOU ARE ALIVE, FOR I WANTED TO CRUSH YOU WITH MY OWN HANDS!” Megatron clenched his fist quietly, preparing to attack on his orders. When he didn’t respond, Trypticon continued with his optics falling on the last Prime. “OPTIMUS PRIME! I WOULD SAY IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN…BUT THEN I WOULD BE LYING! NO ONE, NO MATTER HOW BIG OF AN ARMY YOU HAVE, NO ONE WILL STOP ME! HA! HA! HA!” “Bam! He’s just laughin’ at us!” Warpath shouted, immediately falling to silence once the beast continued. “ABANDON ALL HOPE, VERMIN! YOUR DEATH APPROACHES!” Trypticon finished, smashing his claws to the ground. Instantaneously, the Decepticon’s shoulders poked outwards and two giant cannons appeared. They brightened up in the darkness and fired wave after wave of missiles on the army of Cybertronians. They scattered, many Decepticons taking their alternate form and driving or flying away to dodge the missiles intended for them. Optimus and Megatron got behind the nearest piece of rubble, the missiles smashing against it on the other side. “How do we stop this thing,” Sideswipe yelled, “My bullets aren’t doing anything to it!” Soundwave got to cover from one of the many shattered crystal rubble strewn across the crater. His back hit the side of the rubble, his head turning towards his master not too far away. Soundwave looked out from the cover just in time to see Trypticon’s shoulder cannons glowing bright red. The missiles stopped. “Megatron, scanners indicate Trypticon’s shoulder cannons are overheating. We must deactivate them before they recharge.” Soundwave explained, getting out from behind the cover. Megatron looked back at Optimus at his side, smirking with delight. “This one is mine, Prime,” Megatron shouted and turned towards a group of Decepticons a few hundred feet away from him, “Swindle, Vortex, Blast Off, transform and overload those shoulder cannons! Trypticon must not fire again!” Vortex and Swindle stared at their master stupidly for a few moments. Blast Off smacked Vortex’s shoulder and said, “Come on, guys! Let’s take to the skies!” “Race ya?” Vortex asked with his voice deep and competitive. “You know it!” Blast Off shouted, changing form into his shuttle mode. He dashed away with Vortex hot on his tail. Swindle ran forward, shooting his grapple hook which connected to Blast Off’s underbelly. All three of them moved forward right for Trypticon’s head. The beast bellowed in anger, swinging his claws at the approaching Decepticons. Vortex easily dodged the swipe but Blast Off was not so lucky. Swindle broke off just in time for Trypticon’s claws to fly right passed him. Blast Off flew downwards while Swindle began to free-fall right for the beast’s shoulders. As the Munitions Officer landed on Trypticon’s left shoulder cannon, his comms link roared to life. “Swindle, this is Onslaught, Megatron has ordered you to destroy the shoulder cannon. Place a detpack in a wounded area near the target! Hurry, Swindle! Trypticon’s about to-!” Swindle looked up just in time to see a massive claw headed right for him. Instinctively, Swindle fired his grapple hook towards the monster’s head, connecting perfectly to his temple. Once the claw had smashed the shoulder cannon in a bright explosion, Swindle chuckled and said, “Trypticon’s wrecking himself! I don’t need to do much!” His gaze landed on Trypticon’s right shoulder. The cannon was almost completely recharged. Onslaught shouted again in his comms link. “That cannon is gonna fire on us at any second! Get a move on, Swindle!” Trypticon screeched again, bringing his massive claw towards his face to crush the Combaticon. Swindle jumped off and grappled over to the last shoulder cannon. He pressed his comms link and shouted, “Vortex, Blast Off, anyone really, can you guys give me a hand here?!” Almost on cue, two jets swooped down from above and fired an array of deadly missiles, each of them impacting on the shoulder cannon. Trypticon screeched in anger right as Swindle placed a detpack in the newly made opening. “Detpack is in position, Onslaught! I need a lift out of here before I blow it!” Swindle shouted, looking upwards to see Blast Off heading for his position. Grappling for the underbelly again, Swindle flew off of Trypticon’s shoulder right as it exploded. The three Combaticons arrived back to the large group below them. Vortex and Blast Off transformed back to see what kind of damage they caused on the beast. It wasn’t much. Trypticon screeched in a mixture of pain and anguish. He glared down at the Cybertronians again, smashing his claws on the ashes below him. “I’LL GRIND YOU ALL TO DUST!!!” Trypticon screamed, preparing for another devastating attack. “I think we just made him angry.” Ironhide commented. The gargantuan Decepticon reared back, his mouth glowing brighter by the second. “FEEL THE POWER OF MY LASER!” Trypticon shouted, opening his jaws wider. A long, purple beam of raw energy exploded out of his mouth, practically melting the ground where many Autobots and Decepticons once stood. He continued to eradicate the dark grounds of the crater just to be sure he got everything. Trypticon closed his mouth, stopping the beam from creating anymore damage. The firefight continued. Several hundred bullets and missiles rained through the ashy air while Trypticon continued his assault with deadly lasers. Optimus Prime got in the mood of firing and wasting clip after clip of path blaster bullets on the heavy armor of this creature. He ignored all the painful memories this brought back, his mind only dead-set on focusing on the battle. Just hearing Trypticon screech after they fired endless supplies of firepower brought Prime to finally realize that this had all happened once before. Trypticon crashing into a large crater, their forces fighting him for survival, and it would all lead down to one standing and one falling. Optimus Prime wasn’t going to fall this day. After more bullets clanged off his chest, Trypticon brought his long tail forward and screamed, “YOU’LL PAY FOR THAT, YOU VERMIN!” He smashed his tail on the ground, sending several Autobots and Decepticons on their backs. Practically ignoring the pain, they all got up and continued to fire on the Decepticon beast. Trypticon growled again. “Autobots,” Optimus began, reloading his path blaster, “Trypticon is about to attack! Be ready for anything!” While the Autobots stood their ground, many of the Decepticons began to back away, each of them cowering in fear. Megatron turned towards them. “Cowards! You WILL fight on or I will have your heads!” Megatron screamed, pointing his riot cannon towards the group of cowering ‘Cons. He jerked his head back once Trypticon began to speak again. “YOU CANNOT ESCAPE FROM ME! NOW DIE!” His growls of anger were soon drowned out once the Insecticons began to scream. Trypticon raised up his mighty tail when it was practically hanging over his head. In one instant, Trypticon smashed his tail right in the middle of the Autobots and Decepticons, sending several of them skidding on their backs. “TASTE MY LASER!” Trypticon bellowed, opening his jaws to fire. But strangely, nothing came out. Trypticon looked at his chest and growled in anger. His ribcage had opened up and bright red panels lay inside. Steam erupted from the panels. Soundwave got back up, his visor scanning Trypticon’s chest. “Megatron, Trypticon’s dissipation coils have obtained too much heat. Direct fire on his ribcage will destroy Trypticon’s laser fire.” Blaster came up to Soundwave’s left side, chuckling quietly. “Wow…you’re such a nerd, Soundwave.” Blaster quipped, receiving a dark glare from the Decepticon Communications Officer. Megatron growled with his face set in stone. Aiming his riot cannon in the right position, he fired one blast at the red panels strewn across Trypticon’s ribs. That direct hit caused Trypticon to rear back in pain. “That’s one down!” Barricade shouted. Megatron turned back towards his loyalists, pointing his left hand towards the injured monstrosity. “Onward, my Decepticons! Destroy Trypticon’s chest NOW!” Instantly, the air was filled with the ringing of bullets followed by the constant blasts from several missile launchers. Autobots and Decepticons alike fired waves of firepower on what remained of Trypticon’s dissipation coils. It only took a short while until they both were destroyed, receiving several screams of pain from Trypticon. “AAAHHHHHH!!! I’LL CRUSH YOU! I’LL CRUSH YOU ALL!!!” Trypticon shouted right before his rage was unleashed. He smashed his claws to the ground, scratching and hopefully trying to destroy any Cybertronians that stood before him. Blinded by fury, Trypticon released several thousand missiles from his back, many of them connecting to the ground and sides of the crater. He swiped and smashed his tail all over the ground, sending several Autobots and Decepticons flying back several feet while others stood their ground. Optimus covered his face to stop the dust from flying into his optics. Once he lowered his hand he caught view of Trypticon screaming in pain. “Keep it up, Autobots! We’re hurting him!” Optimus shouted, much to Trypticon’s dismay. He stopped slashing. Trypticon clenched his claws as well as smashing them against the ground, making only his head the main target for the Cybertronians to hit. “YOU ARE FOOLS! I CANNOT BE DEFEATED AGAIN! WITNESS MY TRUE POWER!!!” Trypticon bellowed, causing the entire crater to rumble. “We barely even slowed him down!” Wheeljack stated. Ratchet pointed upwards to where every other Cybertronian looked. Trypticon’s tail began rising over his head, several missiles firing out from the massive tower. The tip began to glow a bright purple. “Watch out for the tail!” Ratchet yelled, backing away quickly once the mighty tail stabbed at them. It continued to do just that, stabbing at the Autobots and Decepticons while creating large purple bubbles in the ground. “DIE!” To their horror the bubbles expanded upwards to create purple crystals. The crystals exploded and many insect-like creatures began scurrying outwards towards the Cybertronians. After crushing several under his feet, Optimus finally remembered what these things were: Cybertronian Spiders. “Our weapons aren’t hurting him at all!” Motormaster shouted after wasting an entire clip on his scrapmaker. Their bullets merely bounced off Trypticon’s heavy armor, granting no weakness of any kind to be seen. Megatron grunted after one of the many spiders bit him in the leg. Kicking it away, Megatron looked back towards Trypticon and shouted, “He has to have a weakness,” He turned his gaze towards the last Prime, “What is it that you and your Autobots did to defeat him the first time?!” Optimus thought for a moment and then caught sight of the red panels on Trypticon’s back. “Those power cores on his back look vulnerable! Autobots, focus all fire on Trypticon’s dorsal power cores!” Optimus Prime ordered, firing several shots from his path blaster that struck the outside of the panels. Once all fire was focused on his only weak point, Trypticon rose up on his two feet again, blocking their bullets from hitting the power cores. “I HAVE LEARNED FROM MY PAST MISTAKES! NOTHING CAN STOP ME! NOTHING!!!” “Great! What’s the brilliant plan now?” Warpath yelled. Though Optimus could clearly hear his fellow Autobot’s question, he wasn’t clearly focused on him at the moment. His along with many other Autobots’ and Decepticons’ optics were focused on the black dot soaring straight for Trypticon’s head. ____________________ Grimlock stood at the very edge of the crater. After Sombra had fled from him, knocking him out with one of his many spells, Grimlock woke up a few minutes later to hear a massive battle unfolding in the center of the crater. Even through the dusty air, Grimlock could see a massive beast in the center along with thousands of explosions following underneath it. Whatever was down there was causing a massive amount of damage, the same amount of damage that Grimlock wanted to inflict on the Decepticons. “What is that?” Grimlock asked no one, eyeing the crater cautiously. He zoomed in with his added thermo-optics (acquired during the war for Cybertron) and spotted several red outlines of many anomalies fighting the large purple outline. Red meant Autobot…purple meant Decepticon. Growling, Grimlock took several steps back from the crater. Once he was set, Grimlock pulled out his orange blade. He was ready. Sprinting forward, Grimlock pushed his speed to the limit right as the ground disappeared and only a deep crevasse remained in the earth below him. “CRUSH YOU!” ____________________ Surprise struck each Cybertronian quickly once the back dot smacked against Trypticon’s head with such force that the beast took several steps left to recover from the hit. They all watched in awe as Trypticon slashed back and forth to get whatever was on him off. The black dot climbed all over Trypticon’s face, stabbing him with an orange sword of sorts. But it really caused some damage once it jabbed the sword into Trypticon’s left optic, shattering the yellow light. “AHHHHH!!! MY EYE!!! YOU’LL PAY FOR THAT!!!” Trypticon screeched and reached his claws towards his face to grab whatever was attacking him. But the dot moved quickly, climbing over Trypticon’s forward and onto the back of his neck. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! STOP! NOOO!!!” Whatever it had done had inflicted so much pain on the Decepticon. ____________________ Grimlock jumped over Trypticon’s head and landed on the back of his neck. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! STOP! NOOO!!!” Trypticon screamed in fear. Ignoring his blight, Grimlock reared back and sliced again and again on the massive red panels rising out of the beast’s back. Trypticon roared in pain but Grimlock just kept on going, making sure to inflict as much pain as possible. To finish it off, Grimlock reared back and jammed his sword right into the middle panel, shattering the entire thing. Trypticon screeched so loud it nearly shattered his hearing processors. Grimlock lost his footing once the beast began to slash back and forth. A mighty pressure was applied to his body forcing Grimlock to look up and see what had grabbed him. It was Trypticon’s fist. Grimlock tried to break free but it was useless. He felt himself being hoisted upwards until he met the mighty Decepticon’s face. Trypticon roared loudly, shaking the Dinobot in his fist. “I’LL TEACH YOU A LESSON YOU WON’T SOON FORGET, VERMIN,” Trypticon threatened, raising his fist over his mouth, “TRUST ME, EATING YOU WILL BE MORE UNPLEASANT FOR ME!” Grimlock couldn’t break free from the power this Decepticon had. Trypticon’s fist opened up and Grimlock felt himself free-fall right into the monster’s open mouth. Grabbing one of his many teeth, Grimlock’s fate of becoming dinner to the creature didn’t come true as he hung on for dear life. “You no eat Grimlock,” Grimlock shouted, planting his feet at the bottom of Trypticon’s mouth. He pulled out his sword, raising it above his head, “GRIMLOCK CRUSH YOU!!!” Jamming his sword in the bottom of Trypticon’s jaws caused the beast to scream in pain. Grimlock let go and felt himself being pushed out of the monster’s jaws and into open air. Trypticon roared, rearing his tail forward towards the Dinobot in hopes of impaling him on his tail. Grimlock saw the tail coming for him…and he couldn’t stop it. “Scrap!” Grimlock screamed, bringing up his shield right as he began to fall onto the pointed tip of the tail. He felt another push. “I gotcha, Grimlock,” Shouted a pretty familiar voice. Grimlock felt his shoulders getting tighter. He looked up to see that friendly beak and flapping wings over his head. He almost chuckled at that… Swoop saved him yet again. “Swoop, you’re crazy.” Grimlock gave a soft chuckle once the innocent face of the pterodactyl looked down at him. Swoop said, “Hey, us Dinobots gotta stick together!” Grimlock had enough of that. Swoop had constantly called the Lightning Strike ‘Dinobots’ for far too long. Right as he was about to lash out at him, Grimlock stopped. He looked down at the battle still unfolding… “You’re right, Swoop,” Grimlock quietly stated, lifting his head towards his fellow Dinobot, “We Dinobots need to stick together….always.” Swoop opened his beak, screeching happily. “That’s the Grimlock I know!” Swoop shouted, taking off downwards towards the cataclysm below them. They passed the several feet of dark clouds until they arrived to where the Autobots and Decepticons were battling the mighty Trypticon. “Swoop, head for Trypticon!” Grimlock shouted, his body flying around like a limp doll under Swoop’s feet. “Got it!” Swoop said, speeding up towards the gargantuan Decepticon. As he quickened his speed, Grimlock clenched his right fist once the beast had come into view yet again. “One shall stand…” ____________________ After Twilight and her friends had heard of truly how big Trypticon was, any hope they had was quickly fading away. That was over half an hour ago and nothing really changed. It was a scary silence. The six mares sat at the edge of the crater and simply stared into the darkness that filled the large hole like water in a bowl. Shockwave stood by their side, his silence was almost as terrifying as the one that resounded around them. Nothing important happened. They shuddered a few times once a loud screech or explosion came from the battle under their hooves. Aside from Swoop suddenly taking off into the darkness there was nothing they did that could’ve helped the Autobots. Fluttershy continued to stare at her hooves, her cheeks dry from the amount of tears flowing down from them. Rarity was biting her foreleg pretty hard once a new sound would come from below her. She stopped once she began to taste blood. Applejack had taken her hat off and placed it over her chest, eyes closed. Pinkie Pie didn’t even stare into the crater as did her friends. Tiny tears fell from her eyes every few seconds along with her continued sniffles. Her mane remained deflated along with her heart. Rainbow Dash stared wide-eyed into the crater in front of her. Her ears twitched every few seconds, especially once she began to hear a very deep and threatening voice come from below. No emotion was strewn across her face…nothing but a blank expression. Twilight Sparkle was much like Fluttershy. But instead of staring at her hooves her eyes had drifted on the twelve crystal shards, a slight pain of sorrow burning in her chest. The Autobots had just taken off to fight whatever beast was down there. She wanted to help them but knew she couldn’t. if Trypticon was truly as massive as Shockwave said he is and as powerful too then there was really no way her or her friends could defeat such a monster…even if they were the Elements of Harmony. But she had to believe. She had to believe that there was still hope. But what hope was there now? The Crystal Castle was destroyed. The Crystal Heart was destroyed. King Sombra would awaken any moment now and kill them. Decepticons continued to destroy their home world. Shining Armor and Princess Cadance were probably in the castle when…. Twilight closed her eyes tight, fresh tears falling from her face and hitting the shards below her. It wasn’t until Applejack broke the scary silence. “…Wh…What are we supposed to do now?” Applejack drawled, placing her hat back on her head. Shockwave turned his head over to the orange pony but remained silent. He wanted to see what they would do…study them…see how they would react and solve problems. It was intriguing to him. Twilight opened her eyes again, gently wiping her nose with a foreleg. She looked over to Applejack and muttered sadly, “I don’t really know, AJ. I know none of you want to hear it but-“ “No!” Fluttershy squeaked, covering her ears with both her hooves in a desperate attempt to disregard the inevitable. Twilight’s eyes brimmed with sorrow as she slowly stated, “I’m…I’m sorry, Fluttershy. But…but there is no-“ “Don’t say it!” Rainbow Dash shouted, her eyes beginning to burn. Fluttershy scooted over to her and wrapped her forelegs around her chest. The two Pegasi held each other and wept silently. Twilight sighed heavily, more and more tears falling from her eyes. Her voice was quivering at this moment, almost stopping her from saying: “I’m sorry, girls. But there isn’t any ho-“ “Twilight….please,” Rarity whimpered, her nose stinging. Her eyes were burning and wanted fresh release. “Please, Twilight…please don’t say that there isn’t any-“ “There isn’t any hope.” Rarity began to wail in despair at this point, forcing Applejack to wrap her in a kind hug to calm her down. Pinkie Pie remained oddly silent, keeping her crying to a minimum. The two Pegasi continued to cry in each other’s hooves. Even Twilight broke down once the truth had reached them. There can’t be hope. “…Hm…pity.” Shockwave shrugged as the mares continued to cry a few feet away from him. Ever since he had begun studying these life forms, he had notice a strange passion in each of them. The passion for hope. He knew that these ponies could go through a lot. The Decepticon attack on Canterlot had truly diminished any hope Shockwave believed the ponies to have. But this war…this new war was not only in the capitol but in every city on this planet. If the ponies were truly to give up hope then this would truly be a perfect time. And he wouldn’t blame them any other way. A gentle crack came from behind them. Shockwave slowly turned his head back to see several colorful blobs coming out of the debris and enter the tattered streets of the Crystal Empire. He examined them a bit more and finally came to a conclusion. “Crystal ponies.” Shockwave muttered. The Decepticon’s voice brought each mare’s head up. They had heard him mutter the very words ‘crystal pony’, which brought their heads behind them to see for themselves. It was true. Several if not many hundred crystal ponies practically crawled out from their hiding places under the crystal debris. They poured out into the streets, many of them crying as they approached the large crater where their precious castle once stood. Twilight Sparkle stopped looking at the empire’s populace once a small sliver of light caught her eyes. She brought her head back down to see the twelve shards of the destroyed Crystal Heart near her haunches glowing softly. They were reacting to the presence of the crystal ponies. Once Twilight’s eyes widened, a small spark could be seen in her pupils.