Optimus Prime shoved Discord away from his face.
“I have no need for your welcoming celebration, Discord. Leave me be,” Optimus muttered, trudging his way into Ponyville with a dead limp to go with it.
The confused draconequus continued staring at the back of the last Prime. He strayed down the road heading straight for Princess Twilight’s castle, completely ignoring the ponies gawking in awe and surprise to his sides.
“Great,” Discord mumbled, dropping his party hat on the ground. He lowered himself down to the earth, his crooked eyes turning to the large piles of party supplies. Signs and decorations of all shapes and sizes littered the grounds of Ponyville, each one with writing welcoming Optimus back home. They all had crude drawings one would expect out of a school filly and not the master of chaos.
Discord turned back to Optimus’ disappearing form, pointing to his party supplies and shouting, “What am I supposed to do with all of this now?!”
“Jus’ make it disappear. We know ya can,” a southern voice drawled from behind. Discord spun his neck completely around like an owl would and witnessed the most depressing sight he’d seen all day.
His friends, all five ponies and one baby dragon all pushing their way into Ponyville, their heads low and whimpers loud. Discord noticed Fluttershy clinging onto Rainbow Dash for support, the poor Pegasus to heartbroken to even walk by herself. Only with the help of a friend could she truly be supported, lifted up.
Discord brought his gaze upward, spotting Celestia’s chariot taking to the skies.
He shook his head, staring down at the five ponies walking passed him. He slithered next to Applejack’s ear, asking, “So I can assume that Twilight went through with it after all?”
Applejack just sighed and nodded bitterly.
“Yup,” was her response.
In silence, the five mares walked down the dirt path towards Twilight’s castle, the location Optimus Prime was standing alone. Spike rested on Rarity’s back, his tired eyes too weak to even give Discord a glance as they walked by.
Discord narrowed his eyes, allowing a pair of binoculars to appear in his talons. He stared through the eyepieces, slowly smiling when he witnessed the Autobot approaching Optimus.
“This ought to be good,” he chuckled, snapping his fingers and appearing on said Autobot’s shoulder in less than a second.
A collection of surprised gasps erupted from the ragtag bunch of Autobots huddled around Twilight’s empty castle. The only Autobots that didn’t gasp were surprisingly Optimus Prime and Drift, possibly because they were too busy staring at each other.
Discord snacked on a bowl of popcorn while sitting on Drift’s shoulder. He and the Autobot continued to stare forward, both of them waiting for something to happen. Only it wouldn’t. Nothing would happen. His leader, Optimus Prime, was standing right in front of him and he had now gone completely blank.
Optimus narrowed his optics.
Not a good first impression.
Drift looked down to see the other five ponies huddle underneath Prime’s feet, their stares towards him filled with mixed emotions. Sadness, grief, distrust. Drift disliked all of those feelings sent his way, just like he disliked the silence building between him and his true master.
He needed to act. Twilight put a lot of faith in him before she left.
"You need to help Optimus learn how to fight like a true warrior when I’m gone. Just as you’ve trained the other Autobots, I want you to train Prime. We’re going to need a leader when the inevitable fight comes, and Optimus is that leader. Can I trust you with this, Drift?"
…Yes, Twilight. You can.
“…You can,” Drift muttered, shaking his head when he noticed the odd looks he received from the last Prime. Shaking those thoughts aside, Drift approached Optimus with a hand stretched outwards.
“Greetings, Optimus Prime, my name is Drift and I’m here to assist you with-”
Optimus shoved right by him without another glance.
Drift continued to stare at Prime’s back, his jaw dropped and emotions running wild. He was finally broken from his stupor when Discord stretched his neck all the way in front of Drift’s golden-plated face, smiling big.
“You’re doin’ great out there, sport! Keep it up,” Discord whispered, giving Drift two big thumbs up. Drift shook his head and ran forward, leaving Discord hanging in midair.
“Optimus Prime! Sensei! I wish to speak with you about the changing tides of fear and war approaching this world! Only you can lead us into this darkness with the light…only you can free this world with your leadership!” Drift shouted, catching up to Prime and placing his palm on his large shoulder.
Optimus spun around instantly, frightening the ponies behind Drift. Even Drift took a step back.
He glared at the strange new Autobot, shaking his head.
“I am no leader,” Optimus growled in a tone never heard from before. “Leave me alone.”
“Does that mean I can be leader now?”
All angry eyes turned to face Cliffjumper, the tiny Autobot slowly sinking to the ground with the deadly glares he was getting. He slowly lowered his hand, chuckling nervously.
“Right…just shut up…and stay back. Got it,” Cliffjumper muttered, taking his place behind Ironhide to remain silent.
Optimus shook his head once more, turning to face Drift as the Autobot began to speak again.
“You are Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots,” Drift said, pointing his finger towards Prime’s glowing red symbol that graced his shoulder. He then pointed that same finger towards his chest, his own symbol dark with a wicked gash straight across it.
“The sole reason I joined the Autobots was to be under the command of the protector of peace throughout the galaxy, not to be enslaved by a war-mongering beast from the pits of Kaon. You are the light Autobots look for in the darkness, you are their leader. Twilight wanted me to-”
“Twilight is gone because of me!” Optimus interrupted, taking a step closer to Drift.
“Twilight is gone because she wanted the best for Equestria!” Drift retorted, stepping closer to Prime, not backing down. “Her faith in you was far stronger than anypony’s faith I’ve seen on this planet! She believes in you, Optimus, she believes you can be taught…as your fellow Autobots have.”
It was Optimus’ turn to be taken aback. He turned towards the Autobots behind him, noticing their nodding heads.
“I’ve taught them many things, sensei,” Drift said, causing Prime to face him again. “I’ve taught them how to properly fight, how to transform, how to reveal their weapons, and all the knowledge I was granted from Alpha Trion. We are brothers, us Autobots, and we must share our knowledge with one another in order to truly stand as one.”
Optimus Prime was stunned for a brief moment. He turned his head around once again, surprised to see Ironhide holding a massive Scrapmaker heavy machine gun in his right arm. Cliffjumper’s and Jazz’s engines roared to life with Bumblebee punching the air behind them. Jetfire stepped forward, relaxing the assault rifle on his right shoulder.
“We’re ready for war, Optimus,” Jetfire stated. “Drift taught us many things…things that will no doubt save our lives for the fight coming. Let him help you. Let him help you lead us.”
For many times before, Optimus was stuck. This was no different. The guilt he felt inside, the guilt he felt when he saw Twilight be taken away from her friends…because of him. She gave up herself for him, a worthless waste of scrap metal with no purpose in life, no purpose that he could find.
He sighed, turning to face Drift. He could see the five mares staring up at him, tears in some of their eyes.
“Drift…you are a far more qualified leader than I can ever become,” he sadly told him. Drift reached his hand forward to protest, but Optimus interrupted him quickly. “You have trained my...these Autobots faster than I could even remember their names. I am no leader, Drift. I’m not the best for Equestria. I’m not what they need in a leader. Twilight surrendered herself for a cause that has no hope in winning.”
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing.”
Optimus looked slightly upwards, as did Drift. There was Discord lying on Drift’s head, his expression as shocked as the five mares below them all. Discord huffed, disappearing and reappearing in Prime’s face.
Discord crossed his jagged arms over one another, one eyebrow of his rising to unnatural levels only a creature of chaos could achieve. He said, “Twilight Sparkle cried over your dead body after I killed you back in Canterlot…sorry about that…and she also laid everything on the line just so your freedom could be granted.”
Discord chuckled a bit, having a copy of “Storming Ships for Dunces” appear out of thin air. He flipped through the pages, stopping on one particular page and said, “I for one suggested an all-out assault on the Decepticon flagship for a rescue mission. Twilight, of course, denied any of my help, telling me that she needed to do it alone. Alone! Can you believe that?!”
He cleared his throat, having the book disappear. “But I’m getting way off track here. The point is that Twilight didn’t want me to help because she feared that if we attacked then they’ll kill thousands of ponies and even Optimus in the process and blah, blah, blah. But the main reason, the MAIN reason she denied my help…was because she wanted me to stay here and help in the war effort. Apparently I’m a big deal around here.”
Discord sat back in a floating throne, a smaller pair of floating sunglasses to fly over and rest on his eyes.
“Twilight Sparkle believes in you, Optimus. She believes that you can lead us to victory against the Decepticons, and maybe…just maybe…with Drift’s and my own assistance that can be achieved,” Discord finished, sighing under his breath. “I guess we all kinda believed in you too…but after what I’ve heard come out of your…‘mouth’…I don’t really know anymore.”
Optimus clenched his fists, his optics shut tight. He tried to hold in the pain and trust their words, their beliefs in him, but it was much harder than he thought. The guilt was too strong. The look of fear on Twilight’s face as Shockwave took her away. Gosh…it was all too hard to believe that she wasn’t afraid to give herself up for him, that she wasn’t afraid to…die.
He opened his eyes and looked down. Fluttershy cried into Rainbow’s shoulder, the Pegasus softly patting her friend’s head and holding her close. Spike…the baby dragon staring up at him…as if waiting for an answer…an order.
They needed a leader.
“A leader…” Optimus began, capturing everybody’s attention, “a leader would not be captured and put his friends’ lives in danger, as well as the lives of this world.”
“What do you mean?” Pinkie asked from the ground.
Optimus turned to stare at the ponies, his optics narrowing. “When I was held captive in the Decepticon warship, I witnessed them creating acts of terror beyond this world’s comprehension. Thanks to the final component they’ve stolen from me, Shockwave will be able to finish his weapon of mass destruction and annihilate this planet’s race.”
Prime waited for the collective gasps from the Autobots and ponies to settle before continuing.
He clenched his fists hard, harder than he’s ever done before. Prime muttered, “I know you all mean well, but the faith you hold in me, the faith Twilight held in me, is something I cannot offer. I have no destiny, no purpose. What could I possibly offer you all than more pain and suffering?”
For so long, no one answered. Even Drift couldn’t find the words to reply to Prime’s plea. It was all too much, and Optimus began to slowly close his eyes, his shoulders sagging.
“Hope?”
All eyes turned to Fluttershy.
Optimus stared at her, bewildered.
She stared at him, through the teary eyes and all.
Optimus Prime sighed, his shoulders sagging even further. He turned around, facing Twilight’s castle with blue optics completely devoid of any life.
“There is no hope,” he said.
He walked down the path, the path of broken houses and broken families, leaving all the Autobots, ponies, and one draconequus standing in the middle of town. Each of their heads slowly began to fall, Drift’s included, knowing that Twilight’s final wish wasn’t going to be given. Their leader, Drift’s sensei, had lost hope.
Rarity felt a lack of weight on her back. She spun her head around and gasped to see Spike’s imprint but no Spike to be seen.
“Optimus!”
The five mares all faced forward, even Fluttershy having recently stopped crying, to witness the baby dragon running for the retreating Prime, his tiny legs barely getting him any yards before he face planted in the dirt.
Applejack and Rarity both sighed.
“Ah’ll go get ‘im,” Applejack muttered, slowly trotting down the road with Rarity on her tail. The other ponies followed, having reaching Spike in less than ten seconds. Even Rainbow Dash was keeping count.
“Come on, Spike, get up,” Applejack said, poking the baby dragon in the ribs. However, he refused to budge, mumbling something incoherent. Applejack frowned, reaching both of her hooves forward and flipping Spike around.
“None of us are in the mood, Spike! So get up an’-!”
Spike burped a green flame right in Applejack’s face, the letter smacking her muzzle.
“Oh! A letter!” Pinkie pointed out, tapping it once with her curious hoof. Applejack coughed pure smoke and rubbed her muzzle, sighing as she did so.
“What’s it say?” the farmpony asked, her voice giving the thought that she was far too disinterested to care. Rarity levitated the scroll out of the dirt and unraveled it. Clearing her throat for much longer than she needed to, Rarity began to read it out to her friends.
“‘Dear Spike, tell Twilight’s friends and the Autobots to get to Canterlot as quickly as possible for an important meeting. I have just received word that Appleloosa has been…’”
Rarity dropped the letter, her eyes wider than anypony’s ever seen.
Rainbow Dash frowned, shoving her hoof into Rarity’s side none too gently. “Well,” she shouted, “what does the rest say?!”
“Appleloosa…” Rarity muttered, her lower lip quivering and her eyes beginning to water. She turned to Applejack, her friend’s eyes filled with concern and worry. “Appleloosa…has been attacked…by the Decepticons.”
Optimus Prime slowly turned around.
That was it.
Applejack cursed loudly, ripping off her hat and slamming it into the dirt.
“Consarnit! Ah knew we shouldn’t have trusted those awful, connivin’ Decepticons ta keep a promise! Now they have Twilight, an’ they’re still goin’ out an’ killin’ folk! Jus’…jus’…DAMMIT!” she screamed and cried, slamming her hoof into the dirt repeatedly.
She wasn’t the only one. Rainbow Dash screamed in anger, stomping her front hooves in the dirt while Fluttershy watched on in fear. Rarity was simply speechless, her head slowly shaking side to side as if she still couldn’t believe what she just read. Pinkie sat on her rump and cried, large rivers of tears pouring from her eyes.
Spike quickly got up to his feet. He snatched up the letter and held it outwards, shouting loud enough for everypony to hear.
“You all heard what Princess Celestia said! She wants every one of us in Canterlot as quickly as possible!” Spike announced, turning to face the quivering unicorn. “Rarity, what time does the next train leave for Canterlot?”
Rarity shook her head, staring off towards the large clock in Ponyville’s distance. She squinted and said, “In about…ten minutes!”
“Then we haven’t much time,” Drift said loudly, frightening everypony as he appeared from behind them. Spike stared up in wonder as the other Autobots all came together by Drift’s side. Two loud crashes came from behind, prompting Spike and the five mares to spin around and see Optimus Prime tower over them.
Spike fumbled over his words as Prime’s shadow covered his body. “But…but I thought that you…tha-that you didn’t want to hel-”
“I may not be the leader you all deserve,” Optimus interrupted, “but I will not allow the Decepticons to harm anymore innocent ponies. Death will be waiting for me at the end of all this madness soon enough, and I don’t want to die knowing I could’ve saved one more life. We need to get to Canterlot at once to learn how to stop this aggression from progressing any further into Equestria.”
The grateful looks of the mares and dragon were cut short from Ironhide’s cry.
“Then what are we all doing just standing here? Let’s get to the train already!” Ironhide shouted, motioning everyone forward.
Instantly, each Autobot ran forward, leaping over the ponies and rushing for the train station. Cliffjumper, Jazz, Bumblebee, and Ironhide all transformed into their vehicle forms, revving down the dirt path and creating quite the show for the cheering ponies outside their homes. Jetfire flew over everypony’s heads, his destination trailing the four Autobots ahead of him.
Optimus and Drift both looked at each other.
They both nodded and ran.
“Come on, girls,” Rainbow Dash shouted, flaring her wings outwards. “We got a world to save!”
Rainbow Dash led the way, followed by Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike. Applejack was momentarily by Rainbow Dash’s side but stopped, letting her friends take the lead. The farmpony looked back, noticing the draconequus still hadn’t moved out of his floating throne.
She whistled and said, “Hey! Discord!”
“You rang?”
Applejack yelped in surprise, spinning around to see the creature of chaos smiling ear to ear, his crooked eyes staring into her emerald.
Composing herself, Applejack pointed to the town of Ponyville, her hoof stuck outwards in front of Discord’s nose. She said, “Ya see Ponyville right here?”
Discord nodded, his eyes now curious.
“Ah want you ta get everypony out o’ here an’ ta somewhere safe in case of a Decepticon attack. Can Ah trust ya with that, Discord?”
The delighted draconequus smiled wide and gave a raspberry with his tongue, sending spit into Applejack’s face. She grimaced, her glare only intensifying on Discord as he continued to do it.
Finally, he stopped and said, “Is that even a question? Of course I can get everypony to safety! Why, I already have the most delightful places in mind!” He began to count them off on his fingers.
“The Everfree Forest, the Badlands, Froggy Bottom Bog, the Frozen North, Ghastly Gorge…” he was saying, only stopping when he noticed the heated stare he received from the orange mare. He chuckled nervously, saying, “I’m kidding! I’m kidding! Yes, I’ll get everypony somewhere safe.”
“Good,” Applejack muttered, spinning around to catch up to her friends.
“Oh…and Applejack?”
She stopped and turned around only slightly.
Discord smiled at her, a sincere smile, a smile that was usually never gracing Discord’s face. What he said next almost surprised Applejack.
“Good luck…and I really hope you get to Optimus. He needs us more than we need him.”
Discord vaporized into the blowing winds, leaving behind a shocked pony. Applejack breathed in and out, turning to face the train station and the upcoming storm clouds headed for Canterlot. She could’ve sworn she’d seen something glowing in that cloud.