//------------------------------// // Chapter 92-And the World You Built Upon // Story: Transformers: The Requiem // by JDPrime22 //------------------------------// “We as Equestrians stand this day as a testament to the hardships, the bravery, and the sacrifice that the Revolutionaries performed during the Equestrian Revolution. Never will we forget all the ones who lost their lives, the ones who were forever scarred, and the heroes that risked their well-being for our freedom. “To all the shining nations across the seas who aided us in our dire time of need, we are forever indebted to you. Your aid has given us the hope we needed to push the enemy away from our lands and drive them straight back to the pits of Tartarus to which they rightfully belong. We, as the recovering nation of Equestria, thank you…with all of our hearts. “Today marks the remembrance of that fateful day, our Equestrian Revolution. We remember those who risked their lives for the future generations. The heroes who gave it all up to protect us in a time we could not fight alone, against an enemy that could not be defeated by our limited strength. They do not wish to make it known, but we cannot hide the truth from the world any longer. “The Decepticons, with aid from the betrayal of the Alliance of Alien Activity, have taken over Equestria and caused crimes never before seen in our nation’s history. It was only with the combined strength of the brave Revolutionaries and the Autobots did we defeat the Decepticons, and any surviving members of the Alliance forever remain as wanted fugitives. “Today…we mark our nation’s uprising, the first and hopefully the last. Today, we stand together…not as withering nations begging for a protector…but as a single force of peace and protection. With this I say to you, as one of the rulers of Equestria, our world is safe from extinction…for the last time.” It had been several days since the rebuilding. Since the Revolution, Equestria had barely survived. With its powers stripped and armies depleted, Equestria was close to an economic collapse. Thankfully, oh-so thankfully, their neighboring nations came together to meet with the princesses and discuss trade. Simple trade, really. The Equestrians give them the remains of the Decepticon and Alliance armies and in turn they get riches. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had no choice but to accept. With aid from the Griffon Kingdom and Minotaur Nation, the enemy army was wiped off the boot of Equestria’s soil, the seemingly useless machinery taken to different countries across the globe. The two sisters questioned to their top scientists on such a trade, thinking that the other nations would try to use the technology to reverse engineer it to their favor. They did not need another “AAA” incident. Canterlot’s top scientists, even the Autobots had concluded that the enemy army’s weaponry was far from being rebuilt with the amount of damage the Rainbow Power had enacted. But sometimes…Celestia and Luna just didn’t believe it. They remained cautious to that day, never breaking their eyes away from the Griffon Kingdom. Maybe it was meant to happen. The griffons got what they wanted all along: alien technology. And in return, the ponies finally got what they truly desired: peace. Celestia continued to pray that that peace lasted. Even as she and her little sister stepped into the Canterlot Sculpture Gardens, her mind was still racing on the terms of trade between the nations, and how the future might be affected. The griffons may have the technology, but they’ll never have what Equestria acquired after the Revolution… Autobots. That’s why it pained her so much for what came next. Canterlot was in ruins once the Royal Sisters made their return. Citizens of the fallen capital fell to their knees and kissed the hooves of the two Alicorns once they stepped into the streets. From the looks in their eyes, from the pain in their hearts, the sisters knew right away what the Decepticons had done. The mass graves… The Energon camps… Everything… Even as they stepped out into the welcoming sunlight, Celestia felt a chill crawl up her spine whenever she turned to see one of the massive holes in the gardens get filled to the brim with dirt. What once remained during the Decepticon and Alliance reign…would be buried, forever resting in peace. Patched up, covered in bandages, the elder and younger sister made their way into the Sculpture Gardens. Royal Guard bustled about, aiding numerous workers in cleaning up the remainder of the sculpture rubble. Celestia and Luna were both saddened to know that all the Autobot sculptures were destroyed. For a reason the two already knew, none of the Decepticon statues were broken, none of them had one scratch… For now. Celestia turned her gaze over to a group of worker ponies levitating a certain Decepticon statue into a large case. It was laid flat within the wooden container, the workers turning around to now levitate the wooden seal in order to keep it from falling out, or in this case…being seen. One worker stepped forward, clearing his throat and catching the attention of the two Alicorns. He bowed his head lightly in respect, looking up at them with curious eyes. “Just to be certain, you want all the remaining Transformer statues removed, right?” he asked. Celestia and Luna both looked over to the statue the team was levitating into the case. Their glares mirrored one another, their eyes locking on the statue of the Decepticon Shockwave. Princess Celestia faced the young worker, her stare remaining as hard as it ever was. “Get them out of my sight,” she muttered coldly. The worker nodded quickly and returned to his team. All the unicorns in the group wrapped their combined magic around the wooden covering, placing it over the case and nailing it shut. Princess Luna sighed, as if the nails penetrating the wood meant a final closure to her. Celestia draped a wing over her sister’s withers. Luna, closing her eyes, leaned her head back into her sister’s neck, sighing contently against the elder’s warm embrace. Luna whispered, “Finally…it is over, dear sister.” Celestia nodded, watching as they pushed the wooden case away. “Quite,” she replied. “Perhaps now we can be more careful with how we run our nation, and how we protect our little ponies. This should be an important lesson for us both.” Celestia managed a chuckle. “If only we could send letters on what we learned to somepony.” Luna shared in her sister’s laughter before falling silent. Celestia joined in the silence, watching as each and every Decepticon statue fell and was hauled away, never to be seen again. In that silence, wrapped in her sister’s warmth, Celestia recollected her thoughts, what she learned, and the lesson that was given to her. She had learned only one thing… Not every pony can be saved. Noctune just wanted power. In the beginning, he lusted for something much more glorious, a position as Celestia’s top guard. He would’ve made it, too, if it weren’t for fate’s treachery turning that innocent child into something far worse. As time slipped by, Celestia watched him grow into the monster he was that day in Manehattan. He never wanted the protection of Equestria’s citizens. All Noctune wanted was power, and to feel like the legends that used that power for the wrong reasons. Well, he was part of them now. The legends. And he was the worst one of them all.