//------------------------------// // Chapter 17 // Story: Transformers Prime: Ponies in Disguise // by RavageXeno //------------------------------// Starscream finished unlocking the last shackle on Pinkie’s hoof before turning to watch the battle. He could hear them all talking behind him, but he decided to give them a moment to themselves. And a moment to calm his confused thoughts. Olethron’s army was losing. They were practically back at the ridge now. Though the other army was no longer pursuing them, and had dropped back. Leaving a mile long stretch of land that was empty except for the fallen and injured soldiers. The sight felt natural to Starscream. It was what he had been used to for the past few millennia, but it felt unnatural in a world such as this one. And the word’s Rainbow told him back in the chariot echoed back to him. He shook his head, then turned to the group. But he didn’t look Rainbow in the eye. He couldn’t. They joined him, looking over at the battle field, and he made sure that as many ponies as possible stood between him and Rainbow. “Look at all that carnage and destruction...” Rarity said with a sigh as she looked down at the battle field. “Can’t you stop it? Use the Elements of Harmony or whatever they’re called..?” Starscream asked, hoping there was an easy solution. “No, for that we need Applejack. And anyway, Fluttershy is back at the castle. Out of harms way,” Twilight replied, placing a gentle hoof on Starscream’s shoulder. “And thank you.” He looked at it, unsure what to do, then just shrugs it off. Pulling off his cape and crown he throws them to the ground, before crushing the crown beneath his hoof with a rather gratifying crunch. I’ve waited so long for that... he thought silently to himself, before returning to the current situation. Looking up, he’s greeted with the smooth carapace of Xena Rose’s more alien form. He leaps back a few paces with a yell, whilst she just laughs. Realising who it is, Starscream calms down a bit, but doesn’t even bother about asking how she just climbed up the side of a cliff face. “Nice stunt Screamer. I didn’t actually think you’d pull through for us,” she says, as she starts walking around the ridge. She has her saddle bags on, and poking out of one of them Starscream can just make out the tip of the Requiem Void. “Hey have you seen Haunt?” Rainbow asks, as she returns from her quick flight around the ridge. “No, but if I know her, then she wouldn’t want to miss any of this. She’ll be here soon. In some dramatic over the top way,” Xena Rose replied, looking up as a bolt of lightening coursed through the sky. It was quick followed by two more, then a final one which arched down and hit the ‘no mans land’ before exploding outward in a blast of energy. But it didn’t reach anybody. A split second later, Haunt burst through the clouds, following the same path as the lightning did. “Told you so,” Xena Rose said, almost to herself. “She’s always been a show off.” Her chariot landed gracefully in the middle of the empty stretch, but with the back facing Olethron’s army. She’d modified it since the last time Starscream has seen it. Now, instead of the row of seats there was a large metal cage in their place, with the thick metal panels probably weighing a ton. But the Seekers seem to be having no problem pulling the chariot. Lily circles down and lands on top of the cage, growling at anyone who attempts to get too close. Hk-47 is standing next to Haunt, obviously arguing with her about something, though they’re too far away for Starscream to hear. After seemingly winning the argument, Haunt looks up at her brother on the opposite ridge and waves. He then watches Scar visibly sigh, before facehoofing at his sister. Haunt then beats her wings, launching herself into the air before landing next to Lily on top of the cage. She then walks to the edge of it, and looks down at the crowd forming some distance away around the chariot. Her horn begins lights up with magic as she smiles at the army below her. “Surrender now, and we shall let you leave peacefully,” Haunt declared, using the same spell Scar and Olethron did to project their voice. “Or will I have to send you running home to mummy with your tail between your legs?” She was greeted by mocking laughter, that spread like wildfire through the army. Haunt merely smiled at them, before knocking with her hoof four times on the cage. Presumably, Scar’s army knew what was going to happen. As they had collectively taken a few steps further away from the chariot. Even the Xenomorphs had fallen back, almost back to the tree line. Xena Rose had pulled a box of popcorn out of her bags and was now eating it, whilst she used her tail as a seat. Pinkie had been instantly at her side, and Xena Rose had - reluctantly at first - shared some of the popcorn with her. But she wouldn’t tell them anything about what was going on. The cage beneath Haunt and Lily had begun to shake, increasingly so until it was almost throwing them off. But by some form of sheer luck they were managing to hold on. A menacing growl emanated from the cage, making the soldiers take an involuntary step back. Suddenly, the doors at the back of the cage exploded off their hinges. Parts of them partially melted and twisted in bizarre shapes as they slammed into the ground a few feet away and kicking up a large dust cloud. A loud roar cut through the air as the dust began to settle. Grimmy charged out of the cage, jaws open wide as a torrent of flame burst from between them scorching the ground in front of him. He charged into the waiting mass of soldiers, crushing and scorching all those who dared linger in his path. As the first few ranks fell, the ones behind them balked. Instinctively turning tail and fleeing. Though some of the braver, or possibly more foolish among them, stood proudly and fought. Starscream closed his eyes against the blinding sight. But even when he did, the scene was burned onto his eyes. It reminded him of the final days on Cybertron, he had only caught a glimpse of the devastation that Grimlock had caused. But Starscream was almost certain that Grimmy could live up to the feats of the original. “Yep. Always been a show off,” Xena Rose said, laughing to herself as she continued to eat her popcorn.