Once the six ponies had finally reached the edge of the Everfree forest, their pounding hooves came to a screeching stop, followed by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash gently lowering themselves onto the ground. A trail practically carved into the forest complete with snapped twigs and trampled undergrowth, courtesy of Rarity's fleeing, confirmed the direction of the first meteorite.
"Rainbow, can you check which way the other comet is?" asked Twilight. Grinning and giving a small nod in reply, the blue pegasus spread her wings and launched herself upwards, scanning her eyes over the tops of the trees. Her sight finally came to rest on a large section of trees missing on the far left of the woodland area and a long stream of smoke waving out of it. Landing herself on the ground, she kept her eyes focused on the direction and pointed a hoof into the trees.
"Thataway!"
"Okay then, Rarity and Fluttershy, you're both with me. We'll investigate the one Rarity found." Twilight declared, pointing a hoof at each pony as she spoke their names, "Rainbow, you go with Pinkie and Applejack to inspect the other one. Once we find each one and we've made contact, we'll meet back here, got it?"
"Okey dokey lokey!" Pinkie beamed with a salute before bouncing off into the forest joyously, rambling to herself as she did so, "Ooh, if I'm gonna meet an alien, I'd better start planning that Welcome To Equestria party. I wonder what aliens eat anyway?"
"Hey, wait fer us, Pinkie!" Applejack called, speeding off into the forest after her, immediately followed by Rainbow Dash in the air.
"Good luck!" Twilight called after them, before turning towards the other direction into the woods. Fluttershy was shivering slightly as the cold breeze coiled around her ankles ominously.
"Is it too late to turn back?" she asked, her voice practically a whisper. Turning towards her pegasus friend, Rarity trotted over and placed a calming hoof on her shoulder.
"Fluttershy, darling, pull yourself together." She responded gently, "You've been through these woods before so there's absolutely no reason you should be worried." As she turned to look into the darkness however, her fear from before began to creep back into her body, earning a quiet gulp from her throat.
"I hope." She added to herself in the same tone as Fluttershy. With that, the three friends cautiously stepped hoof into the unwelcoming forest, Rarity especially. The leaves on the branches that weren't destroyed in the white unicorn's panicked rampage seemed to reach out like ghoulish arms and snare their legs. Fluttershy and Rarity shifted about uncomfortably as they walked, though Twilight remained stoic.
"I must admit, Twilight, that was some quite impressive leadership back there." The unicorn managed to say after moments of eerie silence has passed, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say the skills of a princess are beginning to rub off on you without you realising." That comment instantly formed a blush on Twilight's smiling cheeks.
"Oh, stop, Rarity, I-I was just giving instructions." She replied with a shake of her head as she continued walking. A raise of Rarity's eyebrow indicated she wasn't buying it.
"Indeed," Came the cheeky response, "Like a princess."
"Come on, you know I'm still adjusting to this new role in my life," the Alicorn said modestly, "I wouldn't go around claiming I already know what I'm doing with this responsibility. If I had to take charge of a whole kingdom for one day, I'd probably drop in less than a minute. You know, I wouldn't have a clue what to do."
"Oh, Twilight, don't be so modest." Rarity protested, still smiling confidently at her friend, "You handle being one of the Element bearers well. Not to mention you've helped us save Equestria from being on the brink of destruction countless times. The way I see it, being a princess and having command over a kingdom would be a simple breeze for you."
"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna make it look so easy though, even with their huge responsibilities of raising the sun and the moon." Twilight replied, "They've been princesses much longer than I have, Rarity. Over a thousand years even! So getting used to this whole princess duty for me will take lots of time and…"
"Um, Twilight?" A meek voice finally interrupted. Both ponies turned towards Fluttershy at the back of the group, staring straight ahead.
"I-I think we're here."
No sooner had she finished speaking, the putrid smell of singed dirt and grass rudely entered through everypony's nostrils. Promptly, Twilight and Rarity spun around to survey the scenery.
The long trail engraved into the ground remained in the same spot as Rarity had found it, small wisps of smoke still rising from its incinerated edges. Twilight and Fluttershy could only gaze in astonishment at the destruction while Rarity felt a chill shoot up her spine at the very thought of seeing the metal creature again. Silently, though fangirling mentally, Twilight boldly stepped a hoof into the clearing and slowly made her way towards the end of the trail, her two allies following close behind. With each step, they both shook more and more while the Alicorn could hardly contain her excitement.
By the time they all made it to the place where the crashlanding had halted, the spot where the alien had been was empty. All that was left were a pair of huge rectangular footprints of flattened grass leading away from the trail and into the trees. Twilight and Fluttershy gaped at the size of the prints; Rarity surprisingly wasn't exaggerating when she described it as being big.
Very big for that matter.
"The alien must've walked away once it stood up." Twilight whispered, in case the creature was anywhere near them, "We follow its trail, we find it." Groaning quietly at the thought of having to walk more, Rarity nonetheless followed the Alicorn into the forest again, Fluttershy treading softly behind. And once more, the darkness seemed to surround them unkindly.
"Oh, I do hope we find these creatures fast so we can all leave this dreadful place." Rarity murmured, "I can't stand to be out here a minute longer." Rolling her eyes slightly, Twilight turned her head back towards her unicorn friend.
"Rarity, I thought we discussed we don't know if this creature is here to harm us." She replied firmly but quietly.
"She's right, this alien might be friendly." Fluttershy added, her voice still a whisper, "It could be alone or lost or scared or…" Her sentence was never finished. Instead her pupils shrinking as she stared ahead blankly, her mouth slightly open. Confused at her abrupt stop, Twilight and Rarity directed their attention to what she was gazing at.
What they saw made them freeze like statues.
Through the trees, they could all see a huge metal being with a red and blue colour scheme and bulky stature in a small clearing. It was kneeling down on one knee and gently moving one of its giant hands towards a lone deer, standing frozen but staring in wonder at this unknown beast and its shining blue eyes. The ponies were truly mesmerised by this sight. Until…
"TRYING TO HURT THAT POOR DEFENCELESS DEER!"
The normally timid pegasus was instantly a yellow blur and leapt in front of the tiny animal, spreading all her limbs out like a shield but holding one foreleg up almost threateningly towards the startled alien.
"YOU STEP AWAY FROM THE DEER, BUSTER, OR PREPARE FOR THE MOST UNPLEASANT LECTURE OF YOUR LIFE!"
Neither being said nor did anything for the longest time while Twilight and Rarity stared from the trees anxiously. Should they run to help her in case the metal creature was indeed out to harm others? Would the alien try to eviscerate them once they gave away their position? So many questions rattled about inside their heads as the silence remained.
At last, the giant being spoke through the metal plate covering its mouth.
And this time, Rarity listened carefully to its voice. It almost instantly calmed her nerves. The tone it spoke was almost deeper and rumblier than Big Mac's voice was. It was obviously loud, given it was coming from a large creature, but also gentle in a way. Soothing. Wise. Compassionate. A sort of godlike voice Twilight always imagined Star Swirl the Bearded probably would have had.
"I can assure you, I possess no intentions of harming this creature."
The moment the final word left his mouth, Fluttershy's protective stance died down and her glare softened. The deer sprinted off into the trees but she didn't notice. Her attention was too focused on this incredible creature and its radiant blue eyes staring calmingly into hers.
"Oh." She said at last, "Umm… okay."
Another period of silence passed until Twilight inhaled deeply and stepped out of the shadows. Now fully calm, Rarity followed suite. The being turned his gaze towards the two of them, but they didn't flinch. The purple Alicorn finally spoke.
"We're sorry about the commotion," she spoke slowly just in case, "But I promise we mean you no harm. My name is Twilight Sparkle and these are my friends Rarity and Fluttershy. What's yours?" Gazing at her, the creature finally moved, standing up at its full height of nearly thirty hooves tall. Rarity and Fluttershy practically gasped aloud at his large size but Twilight kept her cool. Then the being spoke again.
"My name is Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots and descendant from the planet Cybertron."
Twilight was almost squealing at this point; there was a real life metal alien standing in front of her with a name who claimed to be from a distant planet.
"But I must inquire, what planet am I on?" The being who called himself 'Optimus Prime' asked. Snapping out of her fangirl moment, Twilight regained her composure and responded in the calmest way possible.
"This is Equestria, the land of ponies, like myself." Rarity stepped forward this time and cleared her throat.
"Um, I hope you can forgive me for my rude introduction earlier." She stated sheepishly, "You just startled me is all, what with your voice and… colossal stature."
"It is quite alright." Optimus replied understandingly, before gesturing one of his large hands towards Fluttershy, "Though I do admire your friend's courage. She appears very determined in spirit." The pegasus couldn't help but blush at that comment, while the other two ponies smiled at one another.
"Th-Thank you, sir." She said nearly inaudibly. Not only did this alien have a grand voice and a tall stature, but it was polite too.
"Um, pardon me, Mr… Optimus Prime," Twilight broke the silence once more, "But Rarity says she saw another meteor enter the atmosphere and crashland on the other side of the forest."
"Yes, is it another one of your kind?" the white unicorn added, "A friend of yours perhaps?"
Suddenly a loud echoing shriek followed by the thunderous sound of an explosion caught everyone's attention, emanating from the direction of where the other comet had landed. Twilight instantly recognised that scream as belonging to Pinkie Pie. Turning his head towards the noise, Optimus' glowing blue eyes grew thinner, almost as if they were narrowing in anger.
"Hardly." Came the reply. Suddenly yet another bewildering thing happened that evening.
The alien began to change. His metal body instantly began folding and twisting itself into an entirely new shape, his limbs and head disappearing completely into the metal shifting ball. Different parts of him disconnected, reconnected and rearranged themselves almost in a blur. When the loud clanking and whirring ceased, Optimus no longer stood in front of them.
In his place was a bizarre-looking mode of transport. It was a sort of giant red and blue carriage comprised of metal, but with a flat back suspended by two pair of silver wheels. The front half was more bulky, donning two windows and a grill on the front, held up by one pair of wheels and with six metal pipes jutting out of the back, each one shooting out roaring flames. A giant metal talking alien was strange enough. But a giant metal talking alien that could transform itself into a weird means of transportation. That was even more incredible.
It wasn't until a rectangular hole in the side of the vehicle opened to reveal three custom-made seats just their size that the pony trio snapped out of their stupor.
"Get in." came Optimus' voice from somewhere inside the transport, sounding calm but firm.
The three ponies stared at each other in deep thought. Could they trust this alien being that seemed kind but they had literally just met? Especially regarding all the strange things it could do? As much as those questions rang endlessly in her head, Twilight could sense a great amount of purity in the heart of this being. Or whatever it was he had to keep him alive.
Letting her heart think for her, the Alicorn clambered up the metal side of the truck and into one of the seats. Glancing at the stunned Rarity and Fluttershy, a simple nod of the head stated her answer loud and clear.
xXxXx
Ten minutes earlier
Applejack and Rainbow Dash, having finally caught up to Pinkie, carried on with their trek through the darkness of the trees, Pinkie obviously bouncing her way along while still mumbling to herself about her preparations for the party. Rainbow hovered above the trees, her eyes still focused on the direction of the meteor.
"Hmm, I wonder what colour balloons these aliens like? Do they even have balloons? Well if they don't, I know they'll love 'em once they see 'em!" the pink Earth pony giggled to herself.
"Pinkie, remember what ah told ya," Applejack interrupted, her voice low and almost a whisper, "We don't know whether or not this thing wants ta hurt us or not. So don't get too excited about this."
"Aww, Applejack, you worry too much." Pinkie responded, the smile never leaving her face once, "That isn't to say I can't try to make peace with it. Maybe we'll reform him, just like Fluttershy did with Discord." Applejack couldn't help but roll her eyes at this, still very sceptical about whether or not the Spirit of Chaos had truly changed his ways.
"Yeah, that'll be the day." The cowgirl muttered to herself, though she said it about Discord. It wasn't until their pegasus friend dropped down between them that they stopped walking.
"We're here." Rainbow bluntly stated, staring ahead with slightly wide eyes. Both Earth ponies followed her gaze, their eyes also growing wide at the sight of the long trail engraved into the ground, blackened chunks of mud and plants laying in its wake. Near the edge of the crater was half of a boulder, unfortunately in the way that had gotten melted by the temperature of this comet. Removing her Stetson and placing over her chest, Applejack's eyes remained fixed on this crashsite.
"Whoa, nelly." She said at last, "I know Rarity said the alien was big but ah didn't think the other one would be big too."
"Oooh, bigger means better!" Pinkie almost squealed, shaking with eagerness on the spot. Slowly but surely, the three ponies treaded closer to the end of the trail, the lumps of burnt dirt crumbling instantly under their hooves as they trotted. Waving at the smoke emitting from the finish, Rainbow peered into the crevasse almost nervously, followed by the others. Patches of shining silver accompanied by faint purple lights peeked out from underneath a humungous pile of smoking mud and grass. The moment she saw the possible size of this extra-terrestrial, Applejack muttered the first words she could muster.
"What in Equestria…"
Before she could say anything else, Pinkie Pie was already on the mountain of earth and vigorously digging away at the pile, excitement present on her face.
"Pinkie! Wait a minute!" Rainbow whisper-shouted as she glanced anxiously at the dirt mountain, starting to dread what was buried under there.
"Ah'm sorry, ma eyes must be playin' tricks on me, but is the amazing Rainbow Dash scared?" Applejack couldn't help but tease, nudging her cyan friend with a playful elbow.
"What, you kidding?" she replied, pathetically trying to cover up her obvious emotions, "No, that's… stupid. Uh, I just… don't want Pinkie getting her hooves dirty. It-It could be carrying alien germs." All she got in response was a raised eyebrow and a knowing grin from the orange pony. But before the argument could continue, they were cut off by an "oooooh" from Pinkie. Turning back to the crater, they could see that she had uncovered what looked like a head and torso. The being's dull metal face, complete with furrowed metal eyebrows above its closed eyes and a mouth, was encased in a much brighter dome-shaped helmet of silver colour. And the silver torso was sleek and almost triangular, the top of the chest pointing out and purple dim lights running down the sides, almost giving it the complexion of a ribcage.
"Shiny!" was all Pinkie could say, practically hypnotised by the moon's gleam on this creature's armour.
"Is it made of… metal?" Rainbow wondered aloud in disbelief as she stared.
"It must be," Applejack replied while gaping at this alien's incredible physique, "Ah don't see any hair or scales on it."
But the feature that really stood out on the body of the metal beast was the symbol just below the tip of the jagged chest. It resembled a sort of intimidating horned face with pointed eyes as it too glowed faintly purple.
"Well whatever this thing is and whatever that symbol means, I don't think I wanna find out." Rainbow said, taking a step backwards. Her pink friend, still smiling, glanced over at her as she sat on the torso like she was having a piggy back ride.
"Oh, Dashie, you should know better than to judge ponies and other creatures just from how they look." She replied in her usual cheery manner, "Didn't we learn this lesson in Season One?" But before Rainbow Dash had a chance to respond, something unexpected happened.
The alien's eyes lit up a blood red colour like lightbulbs, a low growl emanating from its mouth as the purple lights on its body immediately glowed bright.
"Holy horseapples!" Applejack exclaimed as the rest of the earth coating the creature's body began to crumble. Pinkie Pie slid off its chest as it slowly rose from its comatose state, masses of mud and vegetation dropping from its body as both Rainbow and Applejack could only stare. Finally the being stood at nearly forty hooves on its two bulky legs, in all its metallic glory. The lines of purple lights rain down its arms and legs like snakes. The shoulders it possessed were large and spiked, almost like two big metal rocks resting on the corners of its upper body. Both its arms were sleek but burly, red spiked elbows jutting out of the back like splinters. Instead of hooves, the thing possessed some other form of limbs in the colour blackish-grey, similar to Spike's in appearance. The main part of the body that was easily noticeable was a huge black tube which was sort of stuck to its right arm, almost as big as its entire body.
Pinkie lay on her back and merely glanced up at this giant alien in wonder and eagerness. But Rainbow practically jumped into Applejack's forelegs as the creature roared out a word in a monstrous voice that made them both tremble:
"PRIME!"
The metal beast's head looked around in different directions furiously as if desperately searching for someone. Dropping her pegasus friend unceremoniously, Applejack shook away any fear she had and cleared her throat, albeit very quietly.
"Uhh… excuse me, sir?"
The alien's head snapped sharply in her direction the moment those words left her lips, a piercing glare unmistakeable in its gleaming red eyes. The Earth pony flinched slightly but stood her ground as the creature regarded her with interest. "Hmm, intriguing. Shockwave's statistics viewing the species of this world as primitive appear correct."
"Uhh… huh?" Rainbow could only tilt her head in total confusion at the babble that had left this being's mouth.
"Yet they retain the ability to speak," he continued to himself, "Most interesting." Turning his head to whom he assumed was the dominant member of this group of lifeforms, which happened to be Applejack, he inquired. "So tell me, creature, since you seem to possess speech capabilities: What planet am I on?"
A high-pitched giggle suddenly came from beneath him, instantly turning his attention towards his feet. Pinkie Pie stood there, her smile still present and gazing up at him in both amazement and excitement.
"You're on Equestria, silly!" she answered between laughs, "My name's Pinkie Pie and these are my bestest friends Applejack and Rainbow Dash! What's your name?"
"If you must know, parasite," the alien replied dangerously, standing taller with each description, "I am Megatron, commander of the Decepticons, conqueror of the planet Cybertron! Ruler of galaxies! Destroyer of all worl…"
"Oooh, that's a mouthful." Pinkie interrupted, scratching her chin while still smiling, "Can I call you Megs for short?" Her innocent little question didn't seem to go over well with Megatron whose face twisted into an aggressive expression. The next thing she knew, he was pointing the large tube on his arm directly at her, suddenly making her feel quite scared.
"You dare to mock my title by shortening it to an insulting degree, you carbon-based fleshbag?!" At the enraged tone of this being, Pinkie's mane deflated slightly as her eyes grew big with fear. It was abundantly clear that this creature was in no mood for befriending anypony. Her shock fading away, Rainbow's eyebrows furrowed until the bridge of her nose was crinkled. This alien had the guts to threaten one of her most innocent friends like that? Shooting off the ground, the pegasus flew straight up to Megatron's face and stared him straight in his luminous eyes.
"Hey! You think you can yell at Pinkie Pie like that and get away with it?" she shouted back, "Well if you think so, you got another thing coming, pal!"
"Now, Rainbow, calm down!" Applejack called from the edge of the crevasse, "Ya don't wanna make him mad!" Displaying no signs of fear, Megatron's metal lips crept up into an unpleasant grin.
"Yes, it would be wise to heed your companion's advice, 'Rainbow'," he stated in a sickly tone, "I don't believe you would wish to be on the receiving end of my wrath." Demonstrating, Megatron unexpectedly swing up his right arm with the tube on it, colliding with Rainbow's tiny body and knocking her to the ground beside the pit, earning a horrified shriek from Pinkie. Smirking disgustingly, the metal creature directed the tip of the tube towards the half-melted rock by the trail.
Then two things happened.
Firstly a deafening noise erupted from the tube as a giant ball of purple energy shot out at lightning speeds, making Pinkie and Applejack cover their ears. The next thing that occurred was the shocking sight of the energy ball striking the rock, instantly creating an explosion of black smoke and scorching hot fragments of it. The two conscious ponies gawked at this sight, only to snap out of it at the sound of a low hum progressively growing higher and louder.
Pinkie cautiously turned only to end up gazing down the barrel of Megatron's fusion cannon, the insides becoming brighter with purple energy. Lying down on her stomach in terror, the pony barely squeaked out her next question.
"Can't we just be friends?"
"Friends?" The brute scoffed, "I am leader of the Decepticons. I've no time for such petty nonsense, especially with pitiful creatures like you." His boast was short-lived as Applejack dived into the ditch and skidded in front of her pink friend. Her hateful glare met with the barrel of the charging weapon, her body shielding Pinkie's entirely. This only caused Megatron's smirk to grow as his cannon's ammo grew more and more brighter.
"How noble."