//------------------------------// // Ch8: Well and Truly Desolate // Story: Applebloom: Transform and Roll Out! // by Dusty the Royal Janitor //------------------------------// (A/N: This story takes place after issue 10 of the My Little Pony Comic Book and the Cutie Mark Crusaders Micro Series comic. This story also does not officially recognize any events of Season 3 onward. The story primarily takes place in the Transformers Aligned Continuity Family with certain smaller inspirations taken from the Transformers Animated and G1 continuity families.) ___________________________________________________________________________________ Applebloom: Transform and Rollout! by Dusty the Royal Janitor Chapter 8: Well and Truly Desolate “It’s a monster!” one pony screamed galloping down the streets of Ponyville. “It’ll destroy us all!” Another shrieked, leaping in through a window of a nearby building. “Somepony save us! Save the foals!” A mother yelled, pulling her child indoors. “Wait, no!” Applebloom pleaded, trying to raise her hands placatingly, only for the tiny ponies in the streets to gasp and take fearful steps away from her, some galloping away as fast as their hooves could carry them. Applebloom looked down on the crowd as she towered over the buildings in Ponyville, her shoulders level with most of the town’s rooftops. “Please! I’m still me!” she begged of them. “Get away from our town!” One pony shouted, throwing a brick at her. The tiny projectile futilely bounced off of Applebloom’s giant metal face, not even leaving a scratch, but hurting nonetheless. “Monsters like you aren’t welcome here!” he continued. The rest of the crowd of tiny ponies cheered. Some of them were suddenly holding torches and pitchforks and other improvised weaponry. “I don’t want to hurt anypony, I swear!” Applebloom cried, tears welling up in her giant eyes as she stumbled clumsily around Ponyville, trying to shield herself from the ponies throwing things at her. She felt a market stall crunch under her massive, metal foot. She reached out to grab something to keep her balance and ended up tearing a thatched roof off of a cottage. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!” she shouted. “Liar!” One of the ponies in the crowd shouted. “How can you say that when you’re destroying our town!” “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Applebloom repeated, only for her to get blown back as a bolt of magic struck her in the chest. “Everypony back!” came a voice Applebloom recognized as Commander Ballista. His horn was glowing and his face was set in a stony frown. “We’ll handle this monster!” The crowd cheered. “No, please!” Applebloom shrieked, holding up her massive metal hands to try and shield her face as she felt dozens of magical bolts start striking her body. Suddenly, a readout in front of her vision appeared reading ‘self-defense protocols activated.” Something shifted in her. Applebloom gasped as her hands split open to reveal massive cannons like the ones the Vehicons had been using. “No, I don’t want to!” Applebloom shouted. “Everypony run! I don’t want to hurt you!” she said as she felt her body stand up to its full, twenty-foot height. “Hold your ground!” she heard Ballista call. “We can take her, stallions!” Her body moving on its own accord, she took aim at Commander Ballista. She felt a fiery energy build up deep in her arm, the pressure building to immense levels as her arm grew hot and uncomfortable. And all at once, the pressure released, firing a hot bolt of plasma right into the middle of the guards. The ponies were disintegrated immediately. “No! NO!” Applebloom cried, tears flowing freely. “I’m sorry! I can’t control it!” “Stop her! She’ll destroy the town!” The angry mob charged towards her, improvised weapons raised. They didn’t stand a chance. Just a few meager shots from her arm cannons and the mob was vaporized. “No! This isn’t me I swear!” Applebloom howled, feeling like she was going to throw up. “Liar!” A pony called from inside a house. Applebloom turned and fired a bolt into his cottage, setting it aflame. “Monster!” Another called. Her house shared the same fate. “Stop it! Everypony stop!” Applebloom wailed as she clutched her head in the middle of the burning town. “Just get away from me!” “Y’all are the one what gotta be stopped!” came a voice. Applebloom started to turn only for a long rope to loop around her throat. A sharp tug on the lasso and the loop suddenly tightened around her neck and pulled her backwards, sending her tumbling and crashing to the ground, destroying more buildings as she impacted with Ponyville’s dirt roads. Her vision went dark for a moment only for her to open her eyes and see Applejack standing over her. “Applejack!” She shouted. “Please run! Get away from me!” “Y’all took my sister from me,” Applejack snarled, her eyes cold and full of murderous hate. “I ain’t running,” she said through grit teeth. “Applejack, no!” she protested through her sobs. “It’s me! It’s Applebloom!” Suddenly Applejack was holding a bottle of something in her hoof and had a sickening grin on her face. “Cheerilee said this stuff worked on that other robot,” she said, with a sick sort of glee. “Betcha it’ll work on you too…” Her hoof tipped. The bottle’s contents came spilling out. “No! NO!” * * * “NO!” Applebloom cried, her eyes snapping open as she sat up suddenly in her bed. Her mane was slick with sweat and her breaths were shuddering and shaky. Her long, metal limbs trembled as she came back to her senses. The little robot looked around. She was in a large, stone room. It was dimly lit and shadows danced in the light of a torch on the wall, but aside from the gray, stone brick walls and lack of lighting, it was actually a cozily decorated room. There was a brightly colored rug on the ground, a small writing desk with a comfy-looking armchair next to it, a small lowered corner where there appeared to be some sort of combination shower and toilet stall, and a table with a large platter on it with all sorts of foods on it. And ‘all sorts’ was right. Among fruits and vegetables, flowers, pastries, pastas, and hay, she could also spy things like gems, slabs of meat - both cooked and uncooked, tree bark, mushrooms, and bowls full of bugs. Applebloom shifted in the bed, sitting up and swinging her legs off the side. It was plush and well stuffed, covered with colorful blankets. It creaked as she shifted, though, like the springs had rusted some, and it smelled kinda musty. It had seemingly not been used in a long time. The whole place would have seemed somewhat homey… were it not for the fact that one whole wall was made of iron bars, guarded by two white pegasus stallions wearing golden armor. They glared at her, expressions never faltering from their stern, angry glare as they stood stock still. Applebloom pieced the puzzle together pretty quickly, a sad frown overtaking her face. She was in the Canterlot dungeons. * * * The Captain of the Guard’s office was a spartan sort of place. A simple blue rug with gold trim sat on the floor beneath two medium-sized leather chairs in front of a large, mahogany desk. The desk was neat and orderly, a small stack of papers on one side and a few quills and an inkpot on the other. The rest of the desk was clear, save for a couple photographs of the captain. One of them depicted him hugging a small, purple mare with an indigo mane and a pink stripe in her hair. The other was one of him and his wife, Princess Cadance sharing a kiss at the Coliseum in Roam on their honeymoon. The walls were a stark white and the room was lit with electric lamps set in the back two corners of the room. A single guard recruitment poster, tattered and worn with age, was hung on the wall behind the Captain’s desk. Aside from that, there was no other decor in the room. Shining Armor looked impassively over his desk at the branch commander before him. His hooves were steepled and his ears were turned backwards. His practiced face betrayed no emotion, but inside he was fuming. “So let me see if I’ve got this right,” The captain-slash-prince said, slowly. “You got a hysterical report from two fillies that miss ‘Applebloom’ had turned into a monster of some kind.” “That’s correct, sir.” Branch Commander Ballista said. “So you rushed over to the schoolhouse to investigate the claims.” Shining Armor continued. “When you got there, you discovered that the schoolhouse had been attacked by, as you say, ‘metal golems,’ one of which was lying broken in a grove of trees nearby.” “Yes, sir.” Ballista nodded. Shining Armor grunted, closing his eyes. “So ‘following procedure,’ you went to cast the Changeling detection spell,” he continued. “The schoolteacher, Miss Cheerilee, and Applebloom’s two friends tried to dissuade you from using the spell, attempting to ‘explain something,’ but you dismissed them.” Ballista gulped a little but nodded again. “Yes sir.” “Upon casting the spell,” Shining Armor growled lightly, “You say that Applebloom turned into a metal golem herself. Smaller than the broken one, but obviously the same shape. Upon the change, you say that the stallions under your command became frightened and attempted to use excessive force on Applebloom.” Ballista held up a hoof. “I said they attempted to subdue her, sir.” Shining Armor raised an eyebrow. “Was Applebloom acting out or threatening them in any way, Commander?” Ballista began to sweat. “Well… no, sir. She was still just sitting there. She actually seemed to grow faint after the spell was cast.” “So you had a suspect who was just sitting there and was seemingly either ill or injured…” the captain said dangerously softly, “And your subordinates attempted to ‘subdue’ her. A creature that was not acting in any way threatening to you, your ponies, or the present civilians.” “Well you see-” Shining Armor held up a hoof sharply, cutting him off. “Commander Ballista, this is what we call ‘use of excessive force,’” he snapped. “Well… I suppose.” “From there,” Shining Armor continued, “Upon seeing their friend under attack, the civilians, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Miss Cheerilee, attempted to try and stop your soldiers from hurting her. Your troops immediately turned upon them, declaring them brainwashed and hitting them with sleep spells.” Ballista was silent as he fidgeted in the seat. “You ‘defused the tension’ and then decided that ‘the situation was above you.’ You had Applebloom and the civilians loaded into a prison cart and sent here for further questioning. However, before you could send the cart off, you were attacked by Miss Applejack.” “Miss Applejack was drunk and in hysterics, sir.” Ballista said. “I was defending myself.” “And why do you think she was in ‘hysterics,’ Commander?” Shining Armor growled. “I can certainly tell you that I would not be happy to stumble on a scene like that.” Ballista’s mane was slick with sweat. “Nevertheless, she attacked an officer of the law.” “Yes. Yes, she did.” Shining Armor said with a sigh. “But maybe… just maybe... if the situation had been handled with any sense or reason, she WOULDN’T have, Commander.” Shining Armor snarled, placing a certain amount of angry emphasis on the last word. “What would you have me do, sir?” Ballista protested. “I mean, it’s well known that Changelings are capable of brainwashing ponies. Of course Changelings will have ponies trying to vouch for them. That’s why it’s mandatory to cast the spell, even when ponies try and vouch for them.” “Yes, Commander.” Shining Armor massaged his temples. “It’s mandatory to cast the spell. But you didn’t even let them try to explain the situation.” “Why would I?” Ballista said “I mean, yes, it could have been avoided. But how was I supposed to know that they’d try and tell me something so ridiculous as ‘She’s not a Changeling but she’s actually something else entirely that looks like that metal golem out there.’ We anticipated the civilians would merely say she wasn’t a Changeling over and over again, and we could have been there for hours trying to explain that the spell was mandatory. It’s not like that doesn’t happen with some frequency elsewhere in Equestria, wasting guards’ time and diverting ponypower. And when it does happen, more often than not, there’s a changeling involved!” Shining Armor sighed. It was a long suffering, exasperated sigh. “Are you really so thick, Commander?” “Sir?” Ballista said, taken aback. “You do realize that there are other shapeshifting species in this world besides changelings, right?” Shining Armor snapped, his impassive mask shattered. “Mimickers, Seaponies, Kirin, Kitsunes… Even normal unicorn ponies can learn and master shapeshifting magic! Not to mention the sheer number of hexes, magical afflictions, and enchantments that involve shapeshifting and the changing of one’s body!” The captain shouted, his scowl growing deeper with every passing moment. “Well… I mean…” Ballista stuttered, his armor growing very hot. “So, what, Commander? You just assumed that we were dealing with a changeling when they didn’t immediately agree to the spell? You just assumed that they were brainwashed and would just try and dissuade you by saying she wasn’t a changeling over and over again?” He snapped. “You didn’t even give them a chance to explain that maybe there may be other circumstances to take into account? You didn’t give them a chance to share information that may have been vital to their safety and yours? We give them a chance to explain so that the exceptions can tell us what’s going on and we can judge the situation and react accordingly!” “It’s procedure, though!” Ballista sputtered. “I mean, we had to cast the spell either way, right?” “Just because you had to cast the spell doesn’t mean you should just barge into places and start casting spells on ponies without giving them a chance to talk!” Shining Armor shouted. “There’s holding to the letter of the law and holding to the spirit of it, Commander! Our job is not just to keep ponies safe, but to make sure they feel safe, Commander. Ponies need to feel safe and comfortable around us so that they can come to us with their problems and we can work to help them!” Shining Armor stood up on his hind legs, slamming his forehooves down on the desk and leaning over it, glaring madly at Ballista. “How can we expect ponies to feel safe and comfortable around us when we aren’t letting them get a word in edgewise? What kind of picture does it send when we start barging into schoolhouses, casting spells willy-nilly, and then carting off schoolfillies and teachers to the Canterlot dungeons because we’re apparently too lazy to handle it in house?! How are we supposed to protect them when that obviously sends the message that we are more dangerous than the criminals and the monsters?! How are we supposed to protect ponies when the skittish, hysterical actions of our privates clearly show ponies that we’re a bunch of incompetent, cowardly rookies that can’t handle a sick manticore cub?!” Ballista was speechless. He felt an inch tall before the captain’s furious, fiery glare. He tried to stutter something out, but before he could say anything, the captain slumped back into his chair and massaged his forehead. “It’s not just the rash, ignorant, and self important way you acted, Commander. It’s the way your soldiers reacted that bothers me. One little unexpected hiccup and they get sent into a panic. Have they even been trained?” Shining Armor’s horn glowed and a bottle suddenly was pulled from a drawer and placed on the desk. “Suddenly it’s all starting to make sense why my sister and her friends are the ones that have to take care of monsters and villain attacks in Ponyville. Hay, the skittish, panicky attitude of the whole TOWN makes sense. How can they feel safe in a crisis when their guard is made up of a bunch of rookies that don’t know which end of the spear goes in the monster?” Shining Armor sighed deeply. “I blame myself…” “Sir?” Ballista practically squeaked. “Twiley told me that the state of the guard in Ponyville was pretty pathetic, but I thought she was just talking about the small size compared to Canterlot. I told her that the guard in a small town would naturally be smaller and more lax than the guard in a big city like Canterlot. I never imagined it could be this bad, though…” Shining Armor grumbled. The captain was quiet for a minute. The whole room was cast in an oppressive silence. The air was thick and heavy and Ballista felt like he would melt in the heat of his armor… that his nervous sweat would drown him. Finally, Shining Armor spoke up. “I’m ordering a full-scale investigation into the Ponyville Town Guard.” Shining Armor growled, levitating a form out of one of his desk drawers and signing it with a quill and ink. “This has gone on too long, Commander. You’re being placed on unpaid leave for the next month while the investigation carries out.” He spat, yanking the Branch Commander’s badge away from him with a burst of telekinesis. “Stow your armor and go home, Ballista. You’ll know my final decision in time.” Ballista hung his head glumly. “Yes sir,” the shamed guard mumbled as he trudged out of his office. Shining Armor groaned, grabbing the bottle in his telekinesis and taking a swig from it before replacing it in the drawer. The captain sighed and slumped back in his chair. “What a mess…” he mumbled. “Indeed” came a voice from a shadowy corner of the room. Shining jumped to his hooves as a swirling cloud of purple and blue smoke started to pour out of a dim corner of his office. The clouds swirled into a vortex of sparkling blue dust before coalescing into the shape of a tall, dark blue alicorn pony. “‘Tis nasty business, is it not?” Shining Armor bowed respectfully. “Princess Luna,” he greeted. “Arise, Captain. Be at ease.” Luna said with a small smile. “Thou art kin, now, upon thy marriage to my niece. Thou need not bow to me. Please, call me Luna.” Shining Armor grinned slightly. “Of course, Luna. It’s just a bit hard to break habit.” “We had come,” Luna said, “To ask thee what sort of creature was having such horrid nightmares in our dungeons. We sensed the mind was young and afeared, and yet it was somehow alien to us. We observed the most terrible dreams, but knowing not what the creature was or what it did to land itself in the dungeons, we deigned not to interfere.” She cocked her head. “Now, though, we hear that this creature is, in fact, young Applebloom? Sister to fair Applejack?” “From what we can tell, it’s either that or some sort of golem creature that has replaced her. We have no reason to assume either at the moment. Especially since everypony who might explain what the hay is going on is unconscious” Shining growled. “All we have is Ballista’s report, and given his recent performance, I’m not sure how much in it we can believe.” “Well, the creature that may or may not be Applebloom has since awoken, Captain.” Luna said. “Mayhaps, we should depart your office and attempt to ascertain exactly what has occurred in fair Ponyville?” Shining Armor nodded. “If she’s up, I think that’d be best, yes. The sooner we can clear up what happened to Applebloom and what happened at the schoolhouse, the more informed a decision we can make.” Luna nodded with a smile. “Then let us-” “SHINY!” called a voice from outside the room. The two ponies stopped, turning to see a bedraggled purple unicorn with a mussed up indigo and pink mane gallop into the room, before stumbling to a halt. The exhausted pony slumped, eyes screwed shut and panting heavily. “Twiley?” Shining Armor asked. “Shiny… *hahh* ...you’ve gotta… *hahh* let Applejack… *hahh* go…” She panted, her chest heaving with every breath. Twilight opened her eyes to see a pair of slender, indigo legs right in front of her face. Looking up, she found herself staring directly into the teal-green eyes of the Princess. Twilight squeaked, jumping backwards and dipping into a bow, all in one motion. “P-Princess Luna! I’m so sorry for the intrusion!” “Worry not, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna said, covering her mouth with a hoof to stifle a princessly giggle. “But methinks thou should consider exercising more if the run through the castle has put you in such a state.” “What’s going on, Twiley?” Shining Armor asked. “Shiny” Twilight said, turning to her brother. “You’ve got to let Applejack out. She wasn’t in her right mind and she was just worried about her sister after a whole lot of family trouble.” “Trouble between sisters, I wager?” Luna mused, her lips pursed in a pensive frown, her ears turned back sadly. “Y-yes…” Twilight stuttered. “She’s been having trouble with Applebloom recently, apparently. I didn’t get the full story. She ran off to try and save Applebloom before I could.” “We’ll sort this out, Twiley, don’t worry.” Shining Armor said, grabbing a piece of paper out of his desk and a quill. Writing out a quick note, he levitated it over to Twilight, who took it in her own magic. “Give this to the guards guarding her cell in block E.” he said. “They’ll let her out and we can start putting the pieces of this puzzle together.” “Oh, good.” Twilight said, relief washing over her, before her head perked back up. “But wait, why do I have to give this to them? Aren’t you coming?” Shining Armor shook his head. “Princess Luna and I are going to head over to block C to speak with Applebloom,” he said. “We’re going to figure this out straight from the horse’s mouth before anything else can come of this mess,” he explained. Twilight huffed. “Alright. I just hope I can get over to the cells before-” A gray-coated unicorn guard suddenly stumbled into the room. “Shining Armor, sir!” he saluted, “We’ve got a situation in Cell block E!” The three ponies all groaned. “Alright,” grumbled Shining Armor, “new plan.” * * * Dead End grumbled to himself as he lay on the cold hard medical table, the right side of his face having long since stopped burning, instead settling on a tingling numbness. He could barely feel much of anything when Blitzwing prodded at it with his medical tools. His left optic had been repaired relatively quickly, but, if Blitzwing was correct, his right one would have to be replaced. The mad doctor was currently away from the medical ward, presumably searching through part storage for a compatible optic, leaving Dead End in the med ward with two unconscious vehicons and one VERY conscious vehicon. Dead End turned his head to look at Vehicon ST-3v3, who was gazing at him with his unblinking cycloptic eye. Of course, it was impossible to tell what ST-3v3 was thinking from his face, given that Vehicons weren’t manufactured with emoting faces. But if the trembling limbs and overreacting fuel pump monitor were any indication, he wasn’t exactly keen on having to stay in the bed next to Dead End. The sight brought a wicked smile to Dead End’s half-melted face. “Boo,” he whispered, flashing the Vehicon a toothy, fanged grin. ST-3v3 quickly turned away from him rolling onto his other side with an audible yelp. Dead End let out an uncharacteristic chuckle. ST-3v3 had been particularly tasty for some reason. Turning back to stare at the ceiling again, Dead End grunted as he heard the automatic door to the medbay whoosh open. “About time,” he snapped. “Did you find the optic BliaaAAACK!” The figure that had grabbed his throat and tightened was not Blitzwing, but instead the massive, cycloptic form of Lord Shockwave. His massive hand clamped around Dead End’s exhaust pipes, the scout sputtered as his leader leaned in closely. “What happened?” Shockwave said. His voice was perfectly neutral as he strangled his scout’s circulation systems. “Gkkkkkkk...” Dead End sputtered, his voice box and airways inoperable under the pressure. Shockwave released the scout’s throat, allowing Dead End to let out an invisible cloud of exhaust. He coughed and choked a little, trying to regain his bearings for a moment before speaking. “Lord Shockwave…” Dead End coughed, attempting to explain, “I apologize deeply” “I care not for your apology, Dead End,” Shockwave said levelly, pacing around his bed. “I want to know why you came back without the Autobot Minicon, and why you are in such a state.” Dead End hissed, rubbing at his throat, trying to relieve the pain. Dead End locked his working left eye with Shockwave’s singular one. “We… underestimated our foe.” Shockwave did not move as he replied. “Your foe was a mere Minicon,” he said, still no evident tone in his voice. “One that you claimed to have already damaged. Explain how you could have been overpowered by something so insignificant.” “There wasn’t anything ‘mere’ about this Minicon, sir!” Dead End protested. “She was… well… it was downright crazy how powerful she was!” he sputtered. “Elaborate.” Shockwave said sharply. Dead End gulped. “She… well… she was stronger than any Minicon I’ve ever seen. She was incredibly fast and strong enough to actually damage a chassis, which I’ve only ever seen a handful of Minicons ever do. Laserbeak, Ravage, Ratbat, Rumble and Frenzy are the only Minicons I can think of that were actually combat capable, and she was stronger than any of them.” “Even Soundwave’s minions would not be capable of standing up to three Vehicons and a Decepticon Commander on their own, Dead End.” Shockwave retorted. “Even the most physically strong Minicon would not have been able to overpower you. This still does not explain your loss.” “I’m trying to tell you, she was more powerful than them, sir!” Dead End said, holding up his hands in a futile attempt to placate his leader. “She has one of the most absurd abilities I’ve ever seen!” Shockwave loomed. “Minicons have the ability to bond with, repair, and strengthen other Cybertronians,” he said. “Any other abilities they might have, such as Rumble’s pistons or Laserbeak’s cannon, are the result of manual upgrading. Your natural energon siphon should have easily been able to counter such a thing.” “This wasn’t some upgrade, Lord Shockwave.” Dead End said, gravely. “She had the ability to copy my siphoning ability.” Shockwave was silent. His single, unblinking eye gazed at Dead End, but his body was still as a statue. Dead End took that as cue to continue. “She was weak as a wounded turbofox when I first encountered her, but then a light flashed out of her optics, like she was scanning for a new Alt-mode, but different. Next thing I knew, she was draining our bots dry.” Dead End clenched his fists and growled as he went on. “And if that weren’t ridiculous enough, she went and pulled an Amplified Energon warhammer out of her aft and turned out to be a slagging triple changer!” He snarled. “I swear to you, sir, she was a damned point-one-percenter!” “There has only ever been one Minicon in history who was a point-one-percenter, Dead End, and he was returned to the Allspark long before you or I came online.” Shockwave said impassively. “Sir, I’m telling the truth!” Dead End protested. “I am aware.” Shockwave said. “Your vitals indicate that you are not lying, and your injuries line up with your story, save for the wounds on your face.” Dead End snarled, pressing a hand to his scarred face and blinded eye. “The Minicon didn’t do this to my face, sir. It was an Allspark-damned organic. One of them threw some kind of acid at my face when I finally got the slagging Minicon where I wanted her.” “That supports suspicions that the Autobots have formed an alliance with the organics.” Shockwave said. “Well, that, and we were threatening to kill them.” Dead End coughed. “At least three of them seemed to recognize the Minicon in her robot mode, though, so it doesn’t seem like the Autobots are laying low and pulling their whole ‘robots in disguise’ trick this time. They probably are in league with the fleshbags, assuming there are any more of them on this planet.” Shockwave turned his chilling gaze back upon Dead End. “You are already aware of the situation, Dead End.” Shockwave said, his cold voice somehow making Dead End shake more than any time he’d been yelled at by the likes of Starscream or Dreadwing. “Just as the atmospheric effects of this planet disrupt short-range signals, there is a substantial blind spot around a mountain nearby the crash site you were sent to investigate. As I stated to you before your failure, it is logical that it is a jamming tower meant to disrupt cybertronian signals.” Dead End grumbled. “Your intel is valuable, Dead End,” Shockwave said, before levelling his massive arm cannon at the scout’s face. The tip of the barrel began to glow with a dangerous green, crackling energy. Dead End yelped, attempting to back away but his limbs were still weak from the fight with the little Energon sapper and he merely shuffled limply. “But you still disobeyed orders and alerted the autobots to our presence on this planet. Three Vehicons were damaged and one put offline by your actions. You left Waspinator and your squadron to scout out the area in search of cheap thrills. I will not tolerate this kind of insubordination. It is hardly logical, but Waspinator somehow managed to perform more optimally than you did.” “L-Lord Shockwave, please!” Dead End stuttered. “We’re up against a point-one-percenter and an unknown number of autobots. Surely we need all the botpower we can have. K-killing me would do no good, right?” Shockwave stood still for a moment, considering his words. The cannon did not lower, but the green glow suddenly died down, the charged shot dissipating. Shockwave remained silent, his chilly gaze still locked onto Dead End’s working eye. Dead End let out a long breath of relief. Shockwave pulled the cannon back and then swung it forward, slamming it straight into the side of Dead End’s skull, causing the scout to cry out in surprise and pain, “This does not excuse your insubordination and your poor performance. Point-one-percenter or not, a minicon is a minicon. By nature they are less powerful than the average cybertronian. Empowering them with a green spark should merely put them on level with an average warrior, and you are capable of handling such a bot. You have still failed me, Dead End, and I will tolerate no more failures or disobedience. Is that understood?” “Y-yes Lord Shockwave.” Dead End coughed, spitting out a small blob of Energon. The door to the med wing whooshed open to reveal Blitzwing’s slender frame as he sauntered into the room. “You’ll never guess vhat I found in storage, Dead End!” he said, holding up a bright orange optic in his hand. “A perfect duplicate of your damaged opt- Herr Shockwave!” he said, suddenly noticing the massive cyclops looming over his patient and dipping into a bow. “I-I vas not avare you vould be here. I vas just about to replace dear Dead End’s optic and repair ze damage to his face.” He sputtered. “Replace his optic, Doctor.” Shockwave said, stepping back from the patient bed and turning to the door. “But do not repair the damage to his face.” “What?!” Dead End shouted. “But, Lord Shockwave-” he protested, only for Shockwave to cut him off, continuing to speak with Blitzwing. “If you repair his face, Blitzwing, you will be taken offline. Is that clear?” Blitzwing gulped. “Y-yes, Herr Shockwave.” “I must speak with Waspinator.” Shockwave rumbled. “After you are finished with Dead End’s surgery, Blitzwing, you will meet me on the bridge with Brawl.” “Of course, Herr Shockwave.” Blitzwing said, bowing. Shockwave stepped out of the room, his massive footsteps echoing as he stalked down the hallway before the door whooshed closed once more. “My vord!” Blitzwing chuckled nervously. “You must have really screwed ze turbofox on zis last vun, Dead End!” “Shut up and give me a mirror, Blitzwing.” Dead End snarled. Blitzwing shrugged. “Eh. I vasn’t going to show you, since ze surgery vould have cleared it up, but as long as you’re keeping it.” Blitzwing reached out to a desk and picked up a large hand mirror. “Zough, frankly, now zat I zink about it, it’s very you.” Dead End held the mirror in his hand, shaking with both rage and fear at what he would see. Holding the mirror up to his gaze he snarled and threw it across the room at what he saw. The formless metal that made up the soft parts of the right side of his face was completely gone. Where once there was a handsome face (at least by Cybertronian standards), there was a metal skull peeking through. Whirring cogs and sparking bolts squeaked and groaned as he moved his face without the fleshy metal to muffle and lubricate it, locking the right half of his face in a perpetual, deathlike grin. “Well, at least ve’ll be fixing your optic, Ja?” Blitzwing chuckled. Dead End fumed. “When I’m done with her, there won’t be anything left of that Minicon.” * * * Cell Block E was in an uproar. Well, ‘uproar’ was probably a bit of a generous way to put it. An uproar would suggest that there had been some massive prison break that threatened the integrity of the prison and potentially the safety of Canterlot Castle as a whole. That was hardly the case since there were only four ‘prisoners’ and three out of four of them were still unconscious, and the last one was too hungover to even try breaking out. A better way to describe it was more like a noisy racket, since there was only one pony causing the disturbance and she wasn’t even a prisoner. “What do you mean we can’t see her?!” Rainbow Dash snapped as Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie desperately held onto her to keep her from attacking the guards at the doors of the block. “Do you know who you’re talking to?! We’re the bucking Elements of Harmony!” “We’re well aware of who you are,” said a batpony guard exasperatedly, her wings drooping with exhaustion at the rainbow-maned mare’s antics. “And we’re going to let you in! We just need to wait for your friend to get back with permission from Captain Shining Armor!” “We can assure you, your friend is fine!” Another batpony said. “You’ll get to see her in just a moment if you’ll only calm down!” “This is horseapples!” Rainbow Dash spat. “AJ, Scoots, and Sweetie didn’t do anything wrong! This is wrongful imprisonment and I have half a mind to sue the royal guards!” she snarled. “I know I still have Silver Tongue’s number somewhere from the hurricane incident.” “Rainbow Dash, please be reasonable.” Rarity said, holding onto her friend’s tail with her magic. “I’m just as upset as you are that they have my Sweetie Belle locked up, but you’re not going to make anything better by attacking the royal guard and breaking them out of the dungeons.” Rainbow harrumphed and finally stopped putting up a fight, landing on her rump on the ground and crossing her forehooves. “This is all that gutless mule Ballista’s fault,” she snarled. “Lazy featherbrain could never do his job right.” “You’re hardly one to talk about being lazy,” Rarity said, cocking an eyebrow. “At least I get my job done!” Rainbow gnashed her teeth. “When have the town guards ever helped worth a buck when some monster attacks the town or when changelings invade or when gremlins decide to steal everypony’s left horseshoe?!” She snorted. “The royal guards are a joke and maybe they should just step aside and let the real heroes get on with their lives!” she snapped, giving the evil eye to the two batpony guards. “Rainbow, that isn’t very nice.” Fluttershy protested. “I mean… well… yeah… there was that one time Archie the boa constrictor got out of his cage and slithered into town and when I went to them to help find him, the Guards responded by declaring martial law and then hiding in the station…” She frowned. “He didn’t even attack anypony. He just wanted some fresh air.” Rarity cleared her throat. “And… they did start panicking with everypony else when Cerberus showed up in town.” Pinkie Pie chimed in with a grin. “I’m pretty sure that when Discord got out, he literally turned them all into big chickens!” “Exactly my point!” Rainbow snarled, glaring pointedly at the female batpony. “The Royal Guard is a joke and should just-” “Should just what, Rainbow Dash?” came a voice from behind her. Rainbow wheeled around, only to bump noses with a very unamused-looking Shining Armor. The tall, white unicorn looked down at her with a raised eyebrow and his mouth set in a straight line. “Erm…” Rainbow stuttered for a moment, only to take a deep breath and regain her composure. Her face regained its look of righteous indignation and she tried to continue. “No offense to you, Shining, but the royal guard is a bunch of-” “A bunch of what?” came another voice from behind Shining Armor. Rainbow looked up to see Princess Luna looming over her. “Pray tell, fair Rainbow Dash. What wert thou to say of our personal guard?” Rainbow’s wings drooped and her ears folded back. “I… you… personal guard?” she sputtered, feeling sweat beginning to form on the back of her neck. “I… eh-heh… I wasn’t going to say anything about your personal guards, Princess Luna,” Rainbow said, smiling weakly. Pinkie scratched her head. “Are you sure, Dashie?” she said, confused. “I coulda sworn you were saying just a moment ago that the Royal guard was a bunch of pansy candy-flanks who couldn’t save a town from an angry baby bunny, even if they had a whole fleet of tanks and airships.” “Pinkie!” Rainbow snapped, zipping over and clamping her hooves around her pink friend’s mouth, before turning to the two royals and chuckling nervously. “I didn’t say anything like that, really!” The male batpony spoke up. “You also called us know-nothing horses who wouldn’t know how to handle a crime if we had a flow chart, totalitarian police-state thugs that lock up innocent ponies, and you accused my partner here of bedwetting.” The female batpony fumed a little. “I… well… I mean, yeah, I might have said those things but… Well I…” Rainbow stammered. Shining Armor sighed. “Nopony’s mad at you, Rainbow.” “We’re not?” the female batpony asked. “Hush, Sunstorm.” Luna said, prompting Shining Armor to go on while the guard known as Sunstorm huffed and stood back at attention. Shining Armor continued. “It’s come to my attention that the Ponyville branch of the Royal Guard is in need of something of an overhaul.” Rarity sniffed. “That… might be something of an understatement.” “Unfortunately, when we grant specific town guards the autonomy they need to operate efficiently,” Shining explained, “sometimes problems slip through the cracks.” “Sometimes big problems, apparently.” Rainbow grumbled. “I’m going to be launching an investigation into Ponyville’s town guard within the next few days,” Shining went on. “I can guarantee you things will be changing around town for you. But I’d ask that you don’t judge the royal guard as a whole, and especially not the Princesses’ personal guards, based on your experience with Ponyville’s town guard. I can assure you that that’s a bad example.” Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “I’m still not convinced.” she muttered. “After all, it’s not like you guys were much help when Discord showed up and when the Changelings invaded.” “One was a reality warping demigod and the other was an invasion of a bunch of strength sapping, brainwashing shapeshifters that had been in our presence for weeks whittling away at everypony.” Shining Armor raised an eyebrow. “I’d hope we can count those as exceptions. Rainbow grumbled. “Now if we are quite finished,” Luna said, clearing her throat, “I believe that we were here to speak with Applejack and shed light upon the curious events that led to her imprisonment.” She waved a hoof at her two guards. “Dirge? Sunstorm? If you would, please?” The two guards bowed, parting from in front of the door and pulling the massive handles, opening the dungeon door and granting the six ponies entry into the cell block. Cell block E, like Cell block C, was actually relatively well furnished and maintained. It was a section of the canterlot dungeons that was meant to hold low risk ponies who hadn’t actually done much wrong. Ponies who partied to hardy and ended up getting drunk and disorderly on the castle grounds or mischievous colts and fillies who tried to sneak into restricted sections of the castle were normally the ones that ended up housed here, and rarely for very long. Usually just until they sobered up or their parents came around to give them a good scolding. More recently, though, it had been occupied by ponies who had found themselves under the mental sway of Changelings and needed to have their minds put back in order, but again, those ponies never stayed longer than it took to undo any of the Changelings’ mind-meddling. As a result, the cells were all relatively cozy, but not particularly extravagant. Each cell had a simple, clean bed, and an armchair opposite. Rugs on the floor softened the solid stone bricks that made up the cells, and each cell had a water cooler in the corner should the prisoners get thirsty. The six ponies trotted past three cells, two of which contained sleeping fillies and one of which contained a slumbering schoolteacher. Rarity let out a concerned whimper and Rainbow Dash an annoyed grunt as they passed the cells on their way to cell E-4. The cell in question was occupied by a groaning orange mare, curled up under the covers of her bed, her head stuffed under her pillow. “AJ!” Rainbow shouted. “Hey AJ!” The lump under the covers shifted and squirmed, an orange hoof poking out and swinging in her direction. “G’way!” Came Applejack’s muffled reply. “Don’t wanna talk.” Rainbow flew up and banged on the bars of the cell, making a loud clanging sound. “Not happening, AJ!” she snapped, banging her forehooves against the bars. “You owe us an explanation! What the hay is going on with you?!” Her response was a pillow thrown against the bars, right where she was hammering. “I said git!” Applejack snapped back, sitting up in bed, her eyes bloodshot and her mane drenched with sweat. “Dashie, stop,” Pinkie said, grabbing Rainbow’s tail in her teeth and pulling her away from the bars, “She’s had a rough day.” Rainbow huffed, crossing her arms and sitting on the floor. “She still owes us an explanation.” “I agree.” Shining Armor said. “Applejack, please, tell us what happened. We’re going to have to keep you locked up, maybe even for a long time, if we don’t figure out what’s going on.” Applejack scowled, turning her furious gaze upon Shining Armor. Her glare spoke of fire and bloodshed, though her half-drunken swaying and sweat-drenched mane rather lessened the effect. “I ain’t got nothin’ to say to the likes of y’all. Not after what yer guards went and did,” she snarled. Shining Armor massaged his temple with a hoof. “Here we go again,” he muttered. “Look, Applejack-” he began, only for a midnight-blue hoof to shoot out in front of him and cut him off. “Then speak not to Shining Armor, fair Applejack, and speaketh to me,” Princess Luna said, a firm but gentle tone permeating her voice. “Thou art a friend of ours and we wish to see thy problems solved, but if thou do not work with us to solve them, then there will be no choice to lay more troubles upon thee. And nopony here wishes such a thing.” Applejack sat still for a moment, looking at the Princess. After a minute though, she shook her head, retreating back under the covers. “Ain’t no solvin’ what I gone and done.” There was silence in Cell Block E for a moment, before Rarity spoke up. “That’s it?” Rarity huffed. “That’s all you’re going to offer us, is it Applejack?” She sniffed and held her nose in the air. “And they say I’m a drama queen.” Applejack turned over in the bed to look at her, an angry eyebrow raised. “Beg yer pardon?” “Oh puh-lease!” Rarity huffed. “You go and make one mistake and suddenly you can’t bear to face the reality of what you’ve done!” she said, dramatically sweeping a leg up and holding it against her forehead. “Oh woe is Applejack! She went and got drunk one day and ended up doing something foolish! Now she simply can’t face the world anymore! Her honor is besmirched and she can’t even bring herself to speak to the ponies that care about her, so great is her shame!” the fashionista scoffed. “I would appreciate it if you’d stop doing a poor impression of me for half a minute and actually act like yourself.” “Back off, Rarity.” Applejack snorted. “Y’all don’t know what’s been goin’ on.” “Obviously more than mere drunken shenanigans.” Rarity huffed. “You can’t possibly think us so poor at perception. But then again, we can’t know or help with whatever the problem is if we don’t know what the problem is” “An’ I’m tellin y’all the problem can’t be fixed. Not that it’s any of yer business, anyway.” Applejack retorted. “So why don’t y’all just leave and quit botherin’.” “Because we’re sick of seeing you beating yourself up in there!” Rainbow shouted, flying up to the bars again. “Hell, even if whatever it is you did is ‘so bad it can’t be fixed’ then you gotta tell us so we can help you keep it from getting any worse!” “I can’t think of how it could get worse.” Applejack grumbled, slithering back under the covers. “Just go.” Rainbow fumed for a moment before trotting away. “Come on, girls. If she wants to be a crybaby then we’ll let her.” “What?” Fluttershy squeaked, finally speaking up. “But, we can’t just leave her in there!” “If she doesn’t want to talk to us and just wants to wallow in her own self-pity, then there’s nothing we can do, dears. Let her be.” Pinkie Pie’s hair drooped a little as she looked upon the orange farmer, lying sullenly in the prison bed turned away from her. With a sigh, she too turned and started walking away. “We’ll give you some time, AJ. We’ll be back, though.” Shining Armor sighed as well. “Applejack, I’m sorry to say this, but if you aren’t going to cooperate then we’re going to need to keep you in there for now.” “Yeah, yeah.” she replied. “Ain’t like I deserve nothin’ less.” Shining Armor trotted to join the others. Luna looked into the cell without a trace of emotion on her face. Reaching up to touch the bars gently, she spoke. “When thou wishes to act like the mare who helped save me from myself, we will be here to talk.” She said softly, before she dissipated into a blue mist and disappeared through the cracks in the ceiling. “ Yo, Sunstamp! Digdug!” Rainbow called out to the two lunar guards and nodding her head sharply at the other three ponies in the cells. “You gonna let these three out or what?” The two guards glared at Dash for a moment before turning to look at Shining Armor. The captain nodded, motioning for them to go ahead. Saluting, the two of them quickly pulled keys out from their suits of armor and unlocked the three cells containing Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Cheerilee. With the two fillies draped over Rarity and Rainbow Dash’s backs respectively, and Cheerilee supported by Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, the ponies all filed out of Cell Block E, leaving Applejack alone in the dungeon, with nothing but her traitorous thoughts to keep her company. * * * (Meanwhile…) * * * Applebloom sat on the edge of her bed, her head in her hands. Part of her felt like crying, but she couldn’t bring herself to tears. Another part of her felt like screaming, but she couldn’t muster up the energy. She was tired and confused and as frustrated as she’d ever been in her life, but she couldn’t even bring herself to feel anything at that moment. After the past couple days, she found herself just so confused by everything around her since her entire worldview had been shattered, that she felt like a mess of conflicting, roiling emotions that could never be compromised. On the one hand, she couldn’t help but be enthralled by her new abilities. The potential within her seemed limitless. She could turn into a wagon, fix machines with a touch, fight better than she ever could have imagined, copy other robots’ abilities, and more. The ideas of what she could do with such powers thrilled her, and she’d already had such fun with them before in that brief moment she and the others had racing across Ponyville. But they came with such a cost. Her sister hated her, ponies feared her and locked her up, and she was bringing danger down upon her friends simply by existing. If that was the price of her powers she wasn’t sure she wanted them. Applebloom sighed. ‘What was it Yoketron said?’ she thought, thinking about the giant robot that she knew so briefly, yet spoke with such familiarity to her. ‘I’m a child of two worlds? That I’m a pony if I really feel like one deep down?’ she shook her head. ‘I guess he was wrong. If it were so easy I wouldn’t be scaring everypony and putting them in danger. An’ I don’t even know what I feel like anymore.’ She looked down at her hips. “Who knew getting a cutie mark would be so complicated?” “Eh?” came a voice from somewhere in the cell. “What po-nee say?” Applebloom jumped up, looking around her cell. “What?! Who said that?” she asked, startled. “Over here!” came a hoarse but feminine voice from behind her. Wheeling around to look at her bed, Applebloom saw that a brick had been removed in the wall her bed sat against. Applebloom clambered atop her bed, looking closely at the new gap, peering closely into the next room, which, from what she could see, looked to be a mirror image of hers. There was nopony to be seen in the cell, though, until a canine face suddenly sprang up, startling the little robot and causing her to squeal and stumble back. The dog let out a throaty, scratchy laugh. “Heh heh. Don’t be scared by Lassie, po-nee. Lassie likes po-nees.” Applebloom sat up, looking at the creature in the next cell. It was a diamond dog. A she-dog if her voice was any indication. Her face was shaped somewhat like a collie’s, though with the spiky, toothy underbite that was characteristic of diamond dogs. Her fur was bleach white and she looked to be an albino if her pink eyes were any indication. A few tufts of fur poked out at the top of her head and down her neck a little, making it look like she had a sort of false mane atop her head. Further down, she wore a yellow collar that looked to be studded with purple gems and a purple vest, which appeared to cover small mammary glands on her chest. Her handpaws were thick, clumsy, and clawed, like most diamond dogs and her hindlegs were muscular and powerful. Her tail was covered in the characteristic, mace-like spikes of your average diamond dog, but they were slightly hidden by her slightly shaggy, bushy fur on her tail. In fact, her whole body was slightly more shaggy than the other diamond dogs Rarity had spoken of. It reminded her of Winona’s fur, now that she thought about it. “W-who are you?” Applebloom stammered. The diamond dog cocked her head. “Already told po-nee. Lassie is who I am! Who is po-nee?” Her voice sounded strikingly similar, as though Applebloom had heard it somewhere before. And yet, for the life of her, she couldn’t place it. She could swear that she knew who it belonged to, but the name just wasn’t coming to her. Applebloom blinked for a moment before sighing. “Applebloom.” she said sadly. “At least I think so. I don’t really know. I know I’m sure as hay not a pony, though.” Lassie blinked before sniffing at the air. “Applebloom smell like po-nee.” The little robot frowned a little then shrugged. “Yeah, I guess… but look at me!” Lassie nodded sagely. “Do look strange for po-nee, yes. But all ponies look strange to dogs.” She said in her oddly familiar voice. Applebloom rolled her eyes and huffed. “Yeah, well diamond dogs look funny to ponies too.” Lassie suddenly barked out a scratchy, yipping laugh, before nodding again. “Suppose true.” she said with a toothy, canine grin. The dog then pointed through the hole in the wall at the platter of food left for Applebloom. “Applebloom gonna eat that?” Applebloom blinked, looking at the platter of food. “Um… no.” she said, “I’m not hungry.” “Lassie can have your bugs then?” she said with a wide, doggy grin. Applebloom grimaced and stuck her tongue out, but handed her the bowl of bugs through the hole in the wall nonetheless. Lassie yipped with excitement and quickly dug in, shoving beetles and crickets down her throat. The bugs made crunchy, smacking noises as she chewed, causing Applebloom to turn a little green as the diamond dog chowed down. The little robot turned away from the hole in the wall and sat silently as her next door neighbor began to speak with her mouth full. “Sho…” Lassie began with a gulp. “How did little Apple po-nee end up looking like metal Minnytaur?” she asked. “And how did little Apple po-nee end up here?” Applebloom sighed, her shoulders slumping. “It’s… it’s a long story.” she mumbled. Lassie gulped down another pawful of bugs. “Lassie got time. Nothing but time down here in dungeon.” The little filly-bot remained silent, her shoulders drooping. Lassie frowned before finishing off her bugs and tossing the wooden bowl to the side of the room. “Here, po-nee. Lassie tell you how Lassie got here, then you tell Lassie. Okay?” asked the familiar-voiced dog. Applebloom said nothing, but turned back to the dog, a slight spark of interest in her eyes. Lassie grinned. “Lassie was with diamond dog ambassador as bodyguard yesterday when dogs come to discuss borders with po-nees,” she nodded. “Talk go good. Afterward there was banquet. Lassie no like fancy food, though, so she went to castle pub with guards. Drink lots. Lassie danced on a table and tried to go on date with painting,” the diamond dog winked. “Po-nees have good drink.” Applebloom giggled a little, nodding for Lassie to go on. “So, Lassie coming back to room from castle pub, when she get lost in all the twisty-turny halls of palace!” Lassie said, making little wavy motions with her paws to demonstrate. “Dog tunnels are twisty, but po-nee halls are madness.” she grumbled. “Anyway, Lassie finally think she finds her room, and opens door, super tired. Crawls into bed.” “What’s so wrong with that though?” Applebloom asked, sitting cross legged on the bed and leaning her chin on a fist. Lassie laughed. “Not Lassie’s room!” the dog barked. “Lassie turn over in bed and come muzzle to muzzle with Po-nee Princess Cadance!” Applebloom gasped, but couldn’t hold back a giggle. Lassie laughed too. “Po-nee Princess Cadance scream like ‘EEEEK’ and Lassie yell like ‘BARK BARK!’ and suddenly Po-nee Princess husband, Shiny Armoire come charging out of bathroom and snag Lassie in force field.” Lassie laughed. “All really funny. Talk to Po-nee princess later in dungeon and clear things up. They say let me go when talks are done.” Applebloom laughed. “That’s pretty funny, Lassie.” Lassie nodded. “Now you tell me story, Apple po-nee.” The filly-bot’s face fell. “It’s… I don’t want to talk about it.” The diamond dog cocked her head. “Lassie tell you. Why you no tell Lassie?” Applebloom's voice was barely a whisper. “My story isn’t as funny as yours is, Lassie.” Lassie frowned, then nodded sagely. “Maybe you need tell story more, then, Apple po-nee.” The little pony-bot was silent for a moment as she considered Lassie’s words. Granny had always told her that talking about her problems would make her feel better and sometimes give good perspective on how to solve them. She was still skeptical, though, as every time she tried to come to terms with her powers, something new would happen to shake her world up again. Applebloom thought it over, looking into Lassie’s expectant eyes. Finally, she relented with another sigh and spoke up. “Y’all promise to hear me out before ya go thinking anything ‘bout me?” The diamond dog held up one paw, crossing the other over her chest. “Dog’s honor.” Applebloom nodded, looking back and forth between Lassie and the two guards that were still standing watch over her cell. Despite the conversation with the diamond dog, they hadn’t made a single move and continued to stand still as statues. Applebloom spoke low and soft into the hole in the wall. “I’m an alien robot from outer space,” she whispered to the diamond dog. Lassie quirked her head. “For reals?” “Eeyup,” Applebloom nodded again. “Whoa.” The dog looked stunned. “Apparently”, Applebloom began, “I’m something called a ‘Mini-con’ from a planet called Cybertron. And when I was just a foal I landed here and took on the form of a pony. Cybertronians can change shape, ya see?” “Really?” Lassie asked, “Can I see?” Applebloom nodded, stepping into the middle of the room. Taking a deep breath, a familiar clanking sound rang out through the cell block. In mere moments, a bright red wagon sat in the middle of the cell. Lassie yipped out a little gasp, leaning into the hole in fascination. “Hail Underdog, is amazing, po-nee!” Applebloom shifted back into her robot mode and clambered back onto the bed. “Thanks, but not everypony seems to think so,” she said, sadly. Lassie cocked her head once more. “What you mean, Apple po-nee?” Applebloom turned and slumped against the stone wall, her back to Lassie’s cell. Her arms akimbo as she slumped, she stared at the darkened dungeon ceiling and recounted her tale. “It was kinda neat when I first got them. I got to show off to my friends a little, and we had fun… but there was always this feeling deep down that… I dunno… something was wrong with me,” she pouted. “I didn’t know what to make of myself. There was… somebody I trusted who told me that I was a ‘child of two worlds,’ being cybertronian in body, but pony in spark or spirit or something, having spent my whole life here and having friends and family here.” “Sound like wise po-nee. Who said that?” Lassie asked from out of view. Applebloom shook her head, a tear dripping down her face, her voice remaining neutral. “It don’t matter now,” she mumbled. “Anyway, even though I was worried, I still had fun with the powers for a little while, but…” her head drooped. “Then it all went wrong.” Lassie whined. “Wrong how?” “My sister…” Applebloom said, curling her legs up and letting her knees meet her facelike chest. “She found out about it. An’ she was mad. At first she thought I was some kinda monster who ate her real sister or somethin, on accounta my pony face bein’ stuck on my chest and all.” she mumbled, poking experimentally at her pony eye, currently appearing as nothing but an orb of glass on her chest. It was weird that it felt nothing like poking herself in the eye in this position. She went on. “She got real mad an’ nearly attacked me, but my brother stopped her. She said that I basically been lyin’ to her my whole life and that I weren’t her sister.” Lassie was silent for a moment. “That no good,” she finally said. “And I don’t know if she’s right or not.” Applebloom started to sob. “I mean… I thought Yok-... the “Two Worlds” fella… I thought he was right for a while, but then I started goin’ and tearin’ my family apart just by bein’ what I am.” She sniffled. “And then, just when I thought things might get better, somehow I led some really BAD robots from Cybertron right to my friends. I don’t even know how they found me, but they attacked my school and almost really hurt my teacher and my friends.” Her breath was shuddering as she continued her story. “And somehow… somehow I actually managed to fight them off. I beat them… but I beat them bad. I even…” Applebloom gulped, going quiet. “I even…” The cell block was silent for a full minute before Lassie finally spoke. “Applebloom?” Applebloom took a shuddering breath, continuing. “And the worst part is, I liked it. Fighting them felt… exciting. I don’t even know why. And I can’t stand that I felt that way!” The two of them shared a silence for a little bit before she went on. “After that, I tried to talk with my teacher and friends about it, but the town guard came by and cast a freaky spell on me that made me shift out of my pony form. I ended up turning into a robot in front of everypony and they said I was a monster and arrested me… and maybe they’re right.” Lassie was silent as Applebloom continued her story. “I mean… I don’t even know anymore. Apparently the evil robots… Decepticons they’re called… apparently, they can track me wherever I go. And if they can do that, then ponies are in danger when I’m around. Especially since I seem to like fightin’ so much. Who knows when I’ll just snap and go all ‘crush, kill, destroy’ on everypony?” Applebloom wept a little and lay down on her bed. “Maybe it’s safer if I just stay here. Everypony will be safe from the trouble I attract and will be safe… from me.” The cell block was silent for several minutes as Applebloom sniffled and cried. Eventually, though, her tears came to a stop and she noticed the deafening silence that the cell had been cast into. The diamond dog that had been so chatty and friendly before had said nothing for a good ten minutes at this point. “L-Lassie?” Applebloom sniffled, only to turn over and see that the stone brick in the wall had been replaced. Turning back over and closing her eyes, she was alone with her thoughts again. ‘She must hate me too. Must think I’m a monster… I should have known. Ain’t nopony or nodog who can trust me after what I brought on everypony… after what I done’ “I’ve heard enough.” Came a refined, but strikingly similar voice to Lassie’s from the other side of the bars. Applebloom’s eyes shot wide open. She figured out where she recognized the voice from. Hopping off the bed and wheeling around so fast she almost lost her balance, Applebloom came face to face with Lassie, standing on the other side of the bars. Suddenly, Lassie’s eyes began to glow yellow and her form seemed to stretch and distort. The two guards that had been standing watch suddenly vanished in a puff of yellow magic as Lassies stance became a quadrupedal one, the digits on her paws melding together and becoming hooves. Her tail exploded out in a burst of colorful, rainbow colored hair and the tufts of manelike fur she had quickly followed suit, creating a flowing, chromatic mane. A horn sprouted from her head and spiraled out over a foot and a half long, and her canine muzzle quickly shrank into an equine one. Wings burst from her back and her golden collar with purple studs suddenly shifted into a necklace, as well as a set of slippers and a crown, which arranged themselves neatly in the appropriate places on her body. In mere moments, standing before Applebloom was not the diamond dog Lassie, but none other than Princess Celestia herself. “Wait what?!” Applebloom started, blinking dumbfoundedly. “But… WHAT?!” Princess Celestia lifted a gold shod hoof to her mouth and giggled. “You aren’t the only pony who can change what she looks like, Applebloom.” “But… why?” Applebloom boggled. “Why would you disguise yourself like that?” Princess Celestia’s expression turned into a somber smile. “You’d be surprised at how hard it is for ponies to open up to me when I look like myself.” she said with a shrug. “You didn’t need a Princess. You needed a friend.” Her horn glowed a shimmering gold and the door to Applebloom’s cell unlocked. “Now then, shall we get out of this dank hole? We have more comfy places to talk upstairs.” Appleboom started to protest, only for Celestia to hold up a hoof. “Ah ah ah. I don’t want to hear another word about this ‘monster’ nonsense. As far as I am concerned, you are as much one of my little ponies as anypony else.” “But…” Applebloom stuttered. “The other robots! The fighting!” “We’ll discuss that in time, Applebloom.” Celestia said, a motherly smile on her face. “For now, how about you tell me what kind of tea you like?” Applebloom blinked, screwing up her face. She had just gone and told Princess Celestia that she was a violent, fight-loving robot that attracted evil robots straight to her, and the Princess was just letting her out of the cell?! It didn’t make any sense! The Princess raised an eyebrow. “I don’t like that look, Applebloom. That’s a look that says you’re thinking far too much about what kind of tea you like.” “I… but…” Applebloom stammered, looking down at her feet. “I wasn’t” “Shhhhhh…” Princess Celestia said, placing a hoof under Applebloom’s chin and raising her eyes to look at hers. It felt so strange to Applebloom, being almost exactly eye level with the Princess of Equestria. The only thing that made her any taller was her horn. Applebloom was stunned further as Celestia slung the hoof around her back and drew her in for a friendly hug. The closeness of the hug made her almost completely freeze up. She had never seen the Princess get this close with anypony except her own sister and Twilight. Still, Applebloom couldn’t help but relax in the Princess’ embrace. She felt safe and secure as the Princess’ hoof patted her on the back. All too soon, the Princess broke the hug and stepped back a little. “I’ll do everything in my power to clear everything up, Applebloom. For you. For your family. With the school and the town and the guard. But that will all come in time.” She patted her Applebloom’s shoulder with a large, angelic wing. “For now, though, you need to relax, and calm yourself, and trust that everything is going to be alright.” She smiled gently, “So please, I would be delighted if you would join me for tea. Applebloom sniffled, a tear leaking out of her eye. It wasn’t a sad tear though. Her wide smile gave that away. Finally, she had a glimmer of hope. A chance for everything to turn out okay. Applebloom sniffed and gave the Princess a big smile. “I like Cinnamon Apple Spice.” The princess smiled and nodded. “Good choice,” she said, opening the dungeon doors and leading the little filly bot up the stairs. “Now come along. We have much we need to clear up.” Applebloom followed the Princess out of the dungeon and up into the brightly lit halls of Canterlot Castle. Things were finally looking up. * * * ...ten minutes later, a lavender unicorn trotted down the dungeon steps. Twilight Sparkle looked around mutely. “Applebloom?”