by neorenamon
Celestia found that she couldn't move or act as she was magically whisk through the woods by her now evil little sister turned Nightmare Moon. She knew it had to be the strange manacle on her fetlocks, but they also seemed to be immune to her power. But she was aware of what was happening around her. Given a chance, she could have found her way back to Ponyville.
"How does it feel to have the hoof on the other leg?" asked Nightmare Moon.
There was no response.
"Don't worry... I'm not going to banish you right away. Perhaps I'll keep you as a statue for a while before I banish you!!"
Still no response.
"I cannot hardly wait to see their sun-loving little faces when I announce the beginning of my reign of Eternal Night!"
"She knows she cannot respond audibly, doesn't she?" asked Lugnut.
"But she knows that her big sister can hear everything she says," replied Megatron, "Just like an Autobot in stasis cuffs can."
"We've travelled several clicks in these flesh bag bodies," complained Blitzing, "How far are we going?"
"Stop whining!" growled Moon, "We're almost there! It won't take much time to dump her off and get back to Ponyville before the ceremony! Those ponies are so dim, I doubt anypony will even bother to check on Celestia before they announce her!"
"That sounds like low powered processors, alright."
"You should know."
"Thank you for noticing, Master," he replied.
Megatron sighed as a cave came into their view partly hidden behind some bushes and hanging vines. The group travelled a good hundred paces or so into the cave before Celestia was dumped into a corner with no fanfare.
"Stay! Sit! Heel!" she smirked, "I've always wanted to say that."
"I don't get it."
"I'm sure it's some kind of inside joke."
"I'm sure you can find the way back," said Moon as she turned to blue sparkling mist, "This form will get me back faster." Then she raced from the cave back towards Ponyville at great speed.
As she left, Celestia heard Blitzwing say, "Ooo, I want that upgrade!"
"That would surely have its uses."
"This power called magic is surely mystifying, Lord Megatron."
"Perhaps we're going to stay around this planet until we figure out how magic works," replied Megatron, "but we need to terminate any Autobots in pursuit in order to keep this new power secret."
"That sounds like an excuse to blow them up!"
"Yes it is."
...
Twilight grumbled as she followed Pinkie and the others to the main hall for the Summer Sun Celebration. She looked ahead of her as Spike walked at Rarity's side and made small talk even as Fluttershy walked on his other side, listening enraptured at the baby dragon she had gushed over. They all filed inside, leaving little room for movement within. She could see Fluttershy waiting with her birds for their cue even as Rarity stood in place on the upper stage to open the curtains and reveal Princess Celestia to her loyal subjects in Ponyville.
Once inside, Pinkie Pie bounced up next to her as she gushed, "Isn't this exciting? Are you excited, 'cause I'm excited, I've never been so excited-- well, except for the time that I saw you walking into town and I went [deep gasp] but I mean really, who can top that?"
There was fanfare from Fluttershy's birds announcing the Mayor's approach to the lower stage.
"Fillies and gentlecolts," she announced, "as mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!"
There was much rejoicing. Twilight looked up to see that she could no longer see the shadowy image of the Mare in the Moon across the surface.
"In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise, and celebrate this, the longest day of the year! And now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria..."
"Ready?" asked Fluttershy of her birds.
"...Princess Celestia!"
Rarity opened the curtains to reveal... an empty stage. Wow, nopony did check on the Princess ahead of time. "Huh?" she asked in surprise.
Murmurs spread about the gathered ponies as they all stared at the empty stage above them. None of them even noticed that there was now a human looking in through a window as well.
"This cannot be good," said Twilight. It's nice that somepony is still willing to state the obvious.
"Ooh, ooh," gushed Pinkie without a clue, "I love guessing games! Is she hiding?"
"SHE'S GONE!" replied Rarity. Wait, you didn't even know she was there. How could you know she was missing?
"Remain calm, everypony," said the Mayor, "there must be a reasonable explanation!"
"Ooo! She's goooood..."
A sparkling purple mist swirled onto the stage, causing Pinkie Pie to gasp aloud. From the mist emerged a dark blue alicorn mare that only one pony there recognized. The one who believed the legends and saw the signs. "Oh no... Nightmare Moon!" she said in quite desperation. Spike fell as he fainted.
Nightmare Moon gazed out on the gathered ponies as she said, "Oh, my beloved subjects. It's been so long since I've seen your precious, little sun-loving faces."
"What did you do with our Princess?!" asked Dash as she tried to fly at her, but Applejack used her mouth to grab the tip of her tail and stop her cold.
"Whoa there Nelly!" she called with her teeth clenched.
She chuckled darkly as she said, "Why, am I not royal enough for you? Don't you know who I am?"
"Ooh, ooh, more guessing games! Um, Hokey Smokes! How about... Queen Meanie! No! Black Snooty, Black Snooty..." gushed Pinkie before Applejack shoved a apple into her pie hole while still holding back Dash. Ooo, she's good.
"Does my crown no longer count now that I have been imprisoned for a thousand years? Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?" hissed Nightmare Moon. As she spoke, she used her mane as a hoof to spook Fluttershy and her birds, and then stroke the chin of Rarity.
"I did," said Twilight boldly, "And I know who you are. You're the Mare in the Moon – Nightmare Moon!"
There was a collective gasp from the collected ponies. They do that a lot, don't they?
"Well well well, somepony who remembers me," said Nightmare Moon condescendingly, "Then you also know why I'm here."
Twilight stammered as she said, "You're here to... to..." But she paused to gulp hard.
Nightmare Moon laughed as she said, "Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last forever!" Her laughter continued as her sparkly mane-thingie swirled up into a cloud, and thunder effects were heard. There was also flashes of lightning from it. Ooo, what pony does her special effects?!
...
"Wow," said Sari as she watched the scene unfolding, "so many pastel ponies. I wonder if Prime will let me keep one... Oh, this reminds me of a bad cartoon I once saw... I wonder who does the special effects for that dark blue horned pegasus?"
"Sari?!" called Prime over the radio.
"Ooo, busted," she muttered before she replied, "What's up, big bot?"
"Where are you?!" he replied, "Why did you leave the ship?!"
"Calm down," she answered, "I've found out that the dominant species on this planet is... TALKING PONIES! I see ponies, little pegasus, little unicorns and even some creepy looking winged unicorn. She has this disturbing laugh."
"Have you been spotted by any of them?!"
"Oh, I'm better than that, Prime."
"Then you better get back here as soon as possible," he scolded, "Your father would so... what's that word I'm looking for?"
"Ground me?"
"Yeah that!"
But she looked up the road from the bushes as another winged unicorn, a unicorn and a pegasus all made their way towards the back of the building in a rush. She gasp at what she saw, but none of them looked in her direction.
"Prime!" she called, "You aren't going to believe this!"
"You aren't just trying to change the subject, are you?!"
"No way," she answered, "I just saw a gray winged unicorn running around... WITH THE DECEPTICON FACE ON ITS BUTT!!"
"You're right... I don't believe you."
"And there's another unicorn and a pegasus whose bodies have the same coloration as Lugnut and Blitzwing!!"
"If a protoform could take on an organic form," interrupted Ratchet, "There's no reason to believe that a full transformer couldn't do the same."
"That sounds so gross!" protested Bulkhead.
"All the more reason to get out of there, Sari," said Prime.
"What did you... ssshhh... Prime? ssshhh... I'm losing... ssshhh... Gotta check on... ssshhh..." said Sari before she closed the radio link.
Then she ran after where she saw the Deception winged unicorn go.
...
Ratchet walked onto the bridge as he commented, "Bumblebee's fake static still sounds better."
"I have a lock on Sari's signal," said Jazz.
"AUTOBOTS!" he said, "We need to go after Sari if there's even the slightest chance it's Megatron!" Then he looked at Ratchet and said, "It's best if you stay behind with Omega Supreme and monitor the situation from here. I don't need you rolling in too unless we're sure it's not a trap of some kind."
"Very well," agreed Ratchet.
"Everyone use the new mechanical forms!" said Prime as he transformed and rolled for the exit hatch. He rolled down the hallway belching steam as he went.
"This is so under protest," said Jazz as he transformed and rolled out too.
"Me too!" added Bumblebee as he changed and rolled out.
"I'll open the hatch and change once I'm outside," said Bulkhead as he ran after them. The collective steam was fogging his optics a bit even as he did so.
"Good luck," called Ratchet after them.
He opened the hatch, and then followed the others out before he transformed.
"Be careful. These aren't exactly off road vehicle forms."
"Agreed," said Prime, "I don't think we're far from a dirt road. It should be easier once we get to it."
"The things I do for Cybertron," muttered Bumblebee as they rolled out.
...
Nightmare Moon continued her evil laugh as she reared on the stage. More thunder and lightning. Sooo good.
"Seize her! Only she knows where the Princess is!" cried the Mayor as she hoof pointed. Wait! How the heck did she know that?! PLOT HOLE!! WEE!!
Three of the Princess' Royal Guards rushed Nightmare Moon. Wait! When the heck did they show up?! Seriously...
"Stand back, you foals!" she cried as she blasted the three guards away with the lightning. How convenient. Then she turned into sparkling blue smoke and flew away even as Rainbow Dash finally broke away from Applejack's grip on her tail.
Flying outside, Dash called "COME BACK HERE!" Oh yeah, that's gonna work. As she watched the smoke vanish in the distance, she said softly to herself, "Nighttime... forever?"
She looked down to see Twilight with Spike on her back running out the front door... somehow getting past the panicked crowd in the way... nothing to see here.
"Where's she going?" asked Dash as she talked to herself out loud.
...
Meanwhile, Megatron and his associates rushed up the back stairs to the stage to see it was empty. He looked down over the panicked ponies even as some of them began moving towards the exit.
"I AM MEGATRON, LEADER OF THE DECEPTICONS!!" called Princess Megatron from the upper stage.
Every pony stopped to look up.
"Who the hay is that?!" asked Applejack.
Lugnut and Blitzwing rushed up beside their leader.
"WAIT?! WHERE DID THAT NIGHTMARE MOON GO?!" asked Megatron looking around.
"Ooo," gushed Pinkie as she pointed with her front hoof, "She turned into sparkly blue smoke and flew out the front door!"
"Oh great!" she moaned, "Blitzwing: Griffon mode! We're flying after her to see what she's up to!"
The ponies stared open mouthed as a unicorn shifted into a griffon, and then the three of them flew out the open door.
"That... looks... so... COOL!" gushed Pinkie.
Sari ran up onto the stage as she called, "Hey! Where did Megatron go?!"
"Ooo," gushed Pinkie, "She flew off out the front door after Nightmare Moon!"
"SHE?!"
"Well duh. I think I know an alicorn mare when I see one."
Sari burst into laughter. "A mare?!" she laughed, "That's so precious!! I can't wait to tell Prime about that!!"
"Seize her! Only she knows where the Princess is!" cried the Mayor as she hoof pointed. Why not?
The Royal Guards now flew at Sari.
"Hey!" she protested as she was surrounded, "I don't know anything about Princesses! I'm just here to stop... *snicker* Megatron!"
"Wait," said a random stallion, "If she was an alicorn, doesn't that also make her a Princess?!"
"PRINCESS MEGATRON?!" laughed Sari as she grabbed her sides and fell backwards.
"I didn't think it was that funny."