Passed the Alliance-guarded fences, passed the bridge that led to the city of Manehattan occupied by Decepticon and Alliance forces, passed the two metal doors into the abandoned complex and underneath the city of Manehattan, the Equestrian Resistance was preparing their soldiers for the revolution.
Crates of food, water, supplies, and weaponry were pushed forward by groups of sweating stallions into the large tunnels. The crates were ripped open by numerous unicorns. All the supplies were levitated from the open crates and offered to the soldiers and families surrounding them.
“Thank you,” one stallion wrapped up in rags whispered after he was offered bread and water. That stallion limped over to his silent family resting up against the wall. He split the bread into four pieces, giving each one to his two foals, his wife, and himself.
Families without homes filled the maze of tunnels that sprawled under the streets of Manehattan. The tunnels were constantly filled with noise, whether it was harsh whispers or silent cries. They mostly remained quiet, fearful of what was hunting them above ground. Mares tended to their young, wrapping them in whatever clean cloth there was to keep warm. All able body stallions got out of the grime and aided the resistance in any way they can.
They had nowhere else to go, to turn to…but the resistance.
Ponies that were given weapons from the supply crates carried those weapons over to the weaponry to be tested. The weaponry mostly consisted of whoever survived out of the Royal Guard handling the weapons. There weren’t many Royal Guards left after the attack.
The weapons, however; they were the real deal.
Smuggled all the way from the Griffon Kingdom, ponies were finally greeted to firearms. Large barrels protruded from the base of the weapons’ handles, showcasing a trigger the griffons created to fit the hooves of their neighboring ponies. It was a special gift, the kind of gift the griffons wanted to see play out when the revolution hit, that is if it even hit.
Sergeant Echo, a surviving leader from the Royal Guard, grinned widely after feeling the weapon in his hooves. It felt natural. He aimed down the sights of the weapon, making sure to switch to his other shoulder since his bandaged eye offered little to no help. He imagined Shockwave’s face in the crosshairs.
Echo was relieved that the resistance now had a means of actually defending themselves with weapons that could match the Decepticons’ firepower. But he was even more relieved to know that there was still a country out there watching their backs through it all. Through it all.
“How does it feel?” a voice the Pegasus recognized asked. Echo turned towards the direction of the voice, smiling to see Lieutenant Broken Heart approach him. His golden armor was replaced by rags, and his helmet by a black bandana wrapped around his muzzle.
To put it simply, Broken Heart looked just like a regular freedom-fighter.
Echo placed the underbelly of the weapon in his other hoof, sniffing loudly. “It feels good,” he stated simply. “It feels real good.”
“That’s good,” Broken Heart added, taking a seat next to his sergeant. The white unicorn chuckled a bit, prompting Echo to turn his nose towards him. “You know…for a second there I thought we were officially on our own. But for once…I’m glad the whole world turned against the Alliance.”
Echo’s smile was closed, but still there.
“Now the real question is when do we get to use these bad boys?” Broken asked. His hoof, bandaged and wrapped in dirty cloth, was pointed towards the rifle in Echo’s forelegs.
Before the Pegasus could answer, a couple of swear words were heard coming from the door to their far left. Nopony in the weaponry could deny the words erupting from their captain’s mouth.
Echo gripped his rifle. “Not soon enough,” he grumbled, his eyes locked on the door.
Inside the briefing room, a map was laid out in front of the two princesses. Shining Armor placed the tip of his hoof over the location of the Crystal Empire, the entire area crossed out in a red “X”.
“You see this?” Shining asked, his eyes grim and full of weariness. The two Alicorn sisters could only stare at his hoof, no words being formed on their tongues.
Shining Armor shook his head. “We just lost the Crystal Empire to the Decepticons and the Alliance. The Crystal…bucking…Empire! That was our last stronghold, your majesties! We have nothing left! The Decepticons have officially taken Equestria!”
His hoof slammed into the wood, cracking it. The two princesses did not flinch from his anger. Their eyes were still hovering over the map, noting down all the other cities crossed out, Canterlot and Ponyville included. Luna looked up for a quick second. Princess Cadance was already by her husband’s side, comforting him the best she could.
“It’s alright, Shining,” Cadance cooed, gently nuzzling her husband’s cheek with her own. The young prince lifted up his head only slightly, gently returning the embrace. He eyed his beloved wife, noting the rags she wore to keep warm in the wretched climate they were all forced to live in. He didn’t look any better. In fact, Cadance wore far better clothing than most ponies hiding with them.
There weren’t many rations to begin with, and now they were close to running completely out.
If they ran out…they’ll have to go up…there.
Straight into-
“Decepticon territory,” Princess Celestia murmured, running her hoof across the large map spread across the table. Both Shining Armor and Princess Cadance lifted up their heads to hear Celestia speak. The solar goddess continued on, her tired eyes scanning the tattered map.
“Every city…every stronghold…everything. They’ve taken it all. Our freedoms, the freedoms of our little ponies…they’ve even taken that,” she muttered, her eyes now dark as night. “But there is one thing, one thing the Decepticons-!”
“And the Alliance,” Luna hissed.
Celestia nodded. “And the Alliance…will never take, will never acquire. As long as we are here, in Manehattan, then there is still hope that the revolution can be successful.”
“I have had many nightmares over the past few nights,” Luna quietly stated, earning the worried look of her older sister. “There are ponies above us…chanting, screaming our names. They are rebelling as best as they can against the aggression of the Decepticons and the Alliance, but it is all for naught. They are not organized or coordinated. Without the proper tools that we have…the proper leadership…they’ll be wiped out.”
“Same goes for the revolution.”
Both sisters turned to Shining Armor, who had somehow found the willpower to sit up straight in his creaking chair. There was a single light bulb hanging above their heads. Shining Armor cast the sisters a grim stare, one that could only tell the feelings in the young prince’s heart.
Cadance stood next to her beloved, nuzzling him as he spoke.
“We may have a few weapons from the Griffon Kingdom, but we can’t test them without making enough noise to draw in the entire Decepticon army walking over our heads. The Autobots can barely train in these tight tunnels, so getting help from them is hardly gonna aid us. Ponies are starving behind that door over there, and we can’t climb out of these sewers fast enough before they all die of starvation.”
“Your words are doing little to help us at the moment, captain,” Luna muttered, bringing her crestfallen expression back to the conquered map of Equestria.
Shining Armor snorted. “What I’m saying is that with all the odds turned against us, it’s going to be all the more difficult to fight back when he have to reveal ourselves, because whether or not you two want to admit it,” he pointed his hoof to the two princesses sitting in front of him, “we still need to fight back against the Decepticons. However, the revolution can only be successful if we eliminate Shockwave and Noctune.”
“And they’re just in Canterlot, enjoying the spoils of war and refusing to leave while they let their followers hunt us down,” Celestia growled, her powerful gaze locked with Canterlot on the map.
Princess Cadance finally broke the embrace with her husband, joining the conversation with her hooves resting on the table.
She spoke, her eyes shifting to all the cities crossed out. “We need to somehow pull them out of Canterlot and bring them to Manehattan. Then we can spring a trap where are forces can ambush them and take out the leaders.”
Cadance stopped suddenly, receiving a look from her husband that told her the whole story.
“Even if we managed to do that and set an ambush, we just won’t have the means of fighting back once they attack with full force. You know Noctune, he’ll stop at nothing until Celestia and Luna are stopped once and for all,” Shining Armor explained. His wife’s eyes fell in a mixture of disappointment and understanding.
He finished his explanation to the two sisters as well, rather loudly.
“Even with aid from other countries across the world, even with guerilla tactics, the Equestrian Resistance is headed for a bloodbath if we reveal ourselves.”
Rarity brought her head away from the door, her ears falling flat against her skull.
“Well, what did they say?” a raspy voice whispered sharply, only to be shushed by her fellow equines. The sounds of water dripping into the sewer lines was all that was heard, followed by the rushing streams of filthy water flowing passed their hooves.
The white unicorn finally brought her eyes to her friends. The look she gave them told the tale.
“…They…they said that the resistance was headed for a bloodbath no matter what we do.”
The words tore into the little ponies’ hearts one by one, only stopping at the young dragon to punch him right in the gut. One by one, their eyes fell to stare at the scum and grime that surrounded their hooves, neither one of them strong enough to look at each other.
Rainbow Dash sighed and finally descended from what little flying space she had. It wasn’t much, and her wings were beginning to cramp once again for not being in the sky for so long.
Fluttershy sniffed loudly, her tears falling down to join the sound of dripping water impact the heavy filthy concrete. She felt a hoof wrap around her shoulder, bringing the yellow Pegasus close to Applejack’s side. She rested her head against Applejack’s chest, weeping silently as the strong pony comforted her.
“Maybe we should go check on the Autobots…an’ see how they’re doin’,” Applejack spoke, her western drawl echoing throughout the maze of tunnels that surrounded them.
Not a word was spoken between the six friends. They didn’t even nod, as if the life was stripped from their very souls. They did, however, acknowledge Applejack’s thought and turned away from the princesses’ quarters. The clopping of hooves joined together in the flowing sewer water and the crying of a certain Pegasus.
Spike pushed open the rusty, metal door, holding it open for each mare to retreat inside.
Once Applejack and Fluttershy finally walked by, Spike quietly shut the door behind him, locking it for safety measures he was constantly reminded of for the past month.
“Bee…do ya mind…?” Spike heard Applejack speak from behind. The dragon turned around, being the first to witness as Applejack handed Fluttershy off to Bumblebee, the massive yellow bot sitting in the far off corner.
Bumblebee nodded, having his assault rifle transform back into a black fist. “Come on, Fluttershy…take a seat,” he gently offered, patting the concrete next to him.
The timid Pegasus quickly fell out of Applejack’s embrace, sitting down next to Bumblebee, refusing to look him in the eye. It wasn’t long before she began crying again. With her hooves pressed against her face, Bumblebee acted fast and began rubbing the Pegasus’ back, telling her words that were meant to ease.
Spike scanned the entire room, noticing the leaks from above letting in little droplets of water. He noticed the flickering light bulbs above everybody’s head that offered little light to the room. Tables and chairs were scooted to the far off walls, leaving a large opening in the center of the room where Drift was currently training Optimus.
Drift swung his sword slowly back and forth in front of him, turning his glowing blue eyes to the last Prime standing a few feet away.
“The most noble of weapons…the sword,” Drift stated, making sure to keep his voice low. During his time underground, he’d gotten used to it. He turned the end of the blade to Optimus, who refused to move from the dagger being pointed to his chest.
“Just as we’ve practiced, Optimus. You control yourself. Every bit of you, including weaponry, is commanded only by the bot willing to take it. Now…reveal your blade to me.”
Rainbow Dash snickered, only to receive a strong glare from Jetfire sitting right next to her. The other Autobots were huddled next to the walls of the enclosed sewer room. Ironhide was joined by Applejack, Jetfire by Rainbow Dash, Bumblebee by Fluttershy, Cliffjumper by Rarity, and finally Jazz with Pinkie Pie, the pink mare curling up like a cat in Jazz’s lap.
Spike stood alone, watching, waiting, as Optimus stared down at his hands.
After a month of training in horrible conditions, Optimus Prime still stood straight up, his mind on the task at hand. Reveal his blade. He had done it before, numerous times…thanks to Drift. At his command and his command only…his body would obey and function properly. That’s what Drift told him for about a month in the sewers they stood in.
Control…
It’s about control…
Optimus clenched his right fist.
You control it.
His wrist opened up, popping a short staff right into Prime’s hand. Optimus swung the staff out, allowing the rest of the blade to transform at his will.
Drift smiled.
“Excellent work, we will continue another day…but for now I would like you to-” the Decepticon turned Autobot stated, about to finish his statement until he was interrupted. Optimus’ sword is what interrupted him, nearly impaling his foot to the concrete when Prime slammed it down.
Whatever noise was in the room completely vanished. All eyes turned to the last Prime, all wide and full of confusion. Fluttershy’s terrified squeaks followed soon. Prime did nothing but grunt, sending one final stare to Drift before turning and retreating to the corner of the room. He sat down by a large sewer hole blocked by iron bars, the light of the outside reflecting off his armor.
“What was that all about?”
Drift, still eyeing the blade so dangerously close to his foot, turned away and brought his attention to the young dragon standing right below him, his reptilian eyes staring longingly at the Autobot leader.
Drift could do nothing but sigh, reaching back to place his blade safely inside its holster. “Optimus…is still upset about everything that has happened. He’s especially worried about Twilight, which is completely understandable. I, too, would be worried for a friend.”
Spike stared at the ground miserably. “I know how that feels…” he muttered, kicking a small stone.
The Autobot faced Spike, falling to one knee in order to be in close distance for whispering. He said, “If you are going to talk to him…then good luck. Nothing I have done over the past few weeks have worked to convince Optimus.”
The words did little to help Spike’s enthusiasm, and he shuffled nervously as his eyes shifted to Prime and then back to Drift.
Drift chuckled quietly, rubbing his chin. “Then again…you were Twilight’s closest friend…so maybe you two can share something that I could not.”
He let that hang in the mucky air for Spike to grasp onto. Drift stood fully up, the ceiling barely touching the top of his head. Spike watched him slowly walk over to the edge of the sewer room, sitting down and crossing his legs. Drift’s optics grew dark and his head fell only slightly, it was as if he was resting.
That left a single, baby dragon standing in the middle of the room with flickering lights and crying ponies surrounding him. He turned to Optimus, the massive Autobot staring at his feet with only half of his face visible from the outside light.
He gulped.
He approached the last Prime.
When he was standing directly beneath him, Spike took the time to realize that the sewer hole Prime sat next to showcased the bridge that led out of Manehattan and to the rest of Equestria. The sewer hole led outside, only to be stopped by the bars at the end of the hole.
Spike looked up at Prime, sitting down himself.
The soft thump caught Prime’s attention. He brought his gaze down to the dirty dragon looking up at him. He sighed, turning to stare at his hands once more.
“Yes, Spike, do you need anything?” Optimus asked rather dully, his weak voice barely penetrating the sewer walls.
It was quite a while before the young dragon actually responded, making his voice appear stronger than the small conversations held between the ponies and the Autobots. Prime didn’t even turn his head towards Spike. He found his hands and the filthy water at his feet to be quite interesting.
“How are you doing?”
Optimus shook his head, his optics opening and closing only once. “Not so well,” he muttered.
“Let me guess,” Spike responded immediately, pushing his claws back so he could lean on them, “you’re still upset about what happened to Twilight.”
Prime clenched his right fist.
Spike sighed, leaning forward with his eyes ready. “Listen, Optimus, I was just as close as you were to Twilight, if not closer.” Prime turned his head towards the dragon, the light from the hole creating a shadow that descended upon Spike.
He continued with Prime eyeing him closely. “I didn’t know who my parents were, but she raised me ever since I first hatched. I know Twilight was your friend…but she was more than that to me. She was my mom…and her sacrifice hurt me more than it hurt you.”
Prime could see the fresh tears boiling in his reptilian eyes, yet he still tried to conceal them.
“And I know you feel like this is all your fault…but you just have to understand that what Twilight did wasn’t just for the safety of Equestria.”
“It was not for the safety of Equestria,” Prime interrupted. “The Decepticons lied regardless of Twilight’s appeasement to their lusts. You’re not the first one to tell me that Twilight sacrificed herself for me as well. She imagined I to be the hero this world needed to lead them into battle, to lead them to victory.”
Optimus sighed, clenching his fists. “Oh, how wrong she was.”
“You see that? That right there is what everypony’s been trying to get through to you!”
A compilation of shushes filled the room, prompting the baby dragon to keep his voice low. There were still enemies walking over their heads, listening carefully for the prey.
Spike took in a deep breath, opening and closing his eyes only once more to stare at Prime with a fresh gaze. He said, “You need to face the facts Optimus: you are the leader of the Autobots, and that’s a title you have to live with regardless if you want it or not. Twilight used to tell me all about the stories you once told her, how you were given the Matrix of Leadership out of your bravery and courage. You rose amongst every other Autobot on Cybertron, taking the form of someone that everybody looked up to, that everybody believed in.”
Prime blinked slowly, his blue optics shimmering with new light. Spike continued. “What we’ve been trying to tell you…is that you’re still that same person. Deep down…you’re still Optimus Prime. And no matter how much of your memory has been destroyed from the Decepticons…they could never destroy you.”
“They’ve taken everything,” Optimus began, his voice so lost that even Spike had trouble finding it. “The Decepticons have greater forces than us, greater firepower, and the potential to rip this planet apart with just one simple act. Why do you continue to believe that there is still hope and fight against them when they’ve stripped everything away?”
Spike shook his head, laying his head back onto a nearby stone and using it as a makeshift pillow. He stared up at the ceiling, at the flickering light bulb that hung from it, and at Optimus’ face still staring at him from the far left.
He blew out a helping of air, turning his eyes towards Prime. “It’s called faith, something you’re still clearly lacking.”
Prime was taken aback, remaining silent for Spike to continue.
“Faith is what makes everything worth fighting for, and even if we don’t have the army to fight back…I know we’ll never give in and never surrender. That’s what my friends would do,” Spike whispered, turning his head lightly to the right to see Fluttershy wiping away her tears, everypony else by her side comforting her.
Spike managed a weak smile. “It’s what the princesses would do…and it’s what I’ll do too,” he said, leaning his head back to face Prime. “It’s what everypony would do because you taught them that.”
With that said, Spike rolled over with his back facing Optimus, his snores soon to follow.
Optimus was at a loss for words. He just received the ludicrous and surprising speech he’s been waiting for, one filled with impossible odds and even stronger hope. And it was even more surprising to have come from someone far younger and more inexperienced than he was…and it felt right. It felt right to be talked down to for once, because for once…Optimus could finally understand why he was needed, why Twilight gave up everything for him, and what to believe in.
What to believe in.
What would Prime believe in?
He stared at his hands, his blank, dark, powerful hands and clenched them into fists.
He stared at the symbol resting on his shoulder.
What would Prime believe in?
He’d believe in himself.
He’d believe that Twilight had faith in him to lead.
He’d believe in Twilight.
Faith is what makes everything worth fighting for, and even if we don’t have the army to fight back…I know we’ll never give in and never surrender.
And even if we don’t have the army to fight back…
The army to fight back…
The army…
Optimus opened his optics for the first time in his dark life.
“An army…” he heard himself mutter, causing Spike to tussle in his sleep. The young dragon yawned quietly, turning back to see just what Optimus was talking about. He was met with Prime’s gaze almost instantly.
“Spike…we need a new army,” Optimus Prime stated, his tone heavy and powerful just the dragon remembered it to be. Slowly but surely, Optimus stood up, his horns merely scratching the cracking ceiling as he approached the center of the room.
All eyes fell on him. Nopony moved as Optimus reached forward and ripped his sword out of the concrete, having it transform back into a staff and back into his wrist. Drift smiled.
Spike came up from behind, tapping Optimus’ foot.
“What are you doing…and what did you mean by a ‘new army’?” he asked, waiting patiently as Optimus turned towards him, his optics only narrowing. Prime looked across the room, now realizing that he had gained the attention of the ragtag group of Autobots and his pony friends as well. They were all sitting, waiting for him to do something.
Prime simply turned around, his eyes resting on the hole at the end of room.
“I’m going out there, and when I return I will bring the resistance what they need to fight back and reclaim Equestria.”
“You’re going out there?" Jazz questioned, pointing at the hole Prime stared at. “There’s nothin’ but Decepticons out there huntin’ us. What’s possibly out there that we still need?”
“And don’t choose the obvious answers like supplies and what not, because we got enough of that here in these sewers,” Cliffjumper added, crossing his arms.
Prime breathed. He knew the horrific odds he faced, he knew what was out there hunting him, but he didn’t care. Like Spike said, he needed to have faith. And his faith told him that there was an army out there…one that he knew was still capable of fighting. They weren’t dead, Prime knew it.
With his eyes locked on the hole, he answered them.
“When I return…you’ll understand.”
“Well, you’re not going alone,” Jetfire stated, beginning to stand up alongside Ironhide. He was immediately brought back down by Prime’s fiery glare. It was a type of stare he’s never seen escape Optimus’ gaze, a type of stare that only a leader could acquire.
“Yes, I am,” Optimus growled, pointing at each and every Autobot, “and I want each and every one of you to stay put until I return. None of you are to leave this room unless instructed by Princess Celestia. That’s an order.”
Jetfire and the others looked at one another, sharing the same surprised stare. All optics fell on Drift, who only nodded from his peaceful position. They all sighed, falling back onto their behinds. Optimus nodded back, turning around and taking once step forward…
…only to hear a collective group of hooves join in his path.
“That goes for all of you, too.”
“Oh, come on!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, being shushed by the rest of her friends. She sent a hoof over her mouth, lightly turning crimson. With her smile deflating, she continued. “I know we can all help in some way. And we won’t even get caught or cause you to get caught, I swear.”
Sadly, even with her pleading eyes, Optimus still shook his head. He didn’t even look back at them.
“I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash…but I have to do this alone. Do not follow me.”
Optimus Prime made his escape, climbing through the hole big enough to fit him. The mares practically scrambled over one another to get a glance at where Prime’s destination was. Spike leapt over Applejack’s head, landing softly on Pinkie’s back and getting the perfect view.
Optimus pushed open the bars, holding it up so that he could jump out into the rocky surface. His black fist gently lowered the bars back, creating only a soft screeching noise of metal against metal. The four ponies popped their heads up while Rainbow Dash hovered over them. Along with Spike’s curious eyes, they observed the location, the short amount of scenery that was offered to them in the tight hole’s exit.
They could see the bridge leading out of Manehattan. They could see Optimus walking into the water, his entire body concealed as he slowly began his journey to the mainland and the rest of Equestria.
“We’re still gonna follow him, right?” Rainbow Dash asked.
Rarity smiled devilishly, wrapping her magic around the bars and lifting it up. “Oh, definitely,” she whispered. Everypony nodded to one another. With Spike on Pinkie’s back, he and the pink mare led the way by climbing up into the hole and following Prime’s trail.
The Autobots watched them leave, completely disobeying Prime’s orders. They should’ve stopped them, told them that it wasn’t safe, but they didn’t. Not even Drift.
They simply smiled.