//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Transformers Prime: A Brave New World // by The Carolean //------------------------------// The Nemesis lay sideways in the middle of the Everfree Forest. Fires still burned aboard the ship, though Megatron’s troopers were making quick work of them. Meanwhile, the warlord stood atop the wreckage, overlooking the woods around the ship, with Soundwave by his side. In the distance, they could see Dreadwing approaching, along with a squadron of troopers. The fighters detoured to the crooked flight deck, while Dreadwing joined his master. “What have you discovered, lieutenant?” Megatron questioned. “This species is extremely primitive. The extent of their technology seems to be coal and early electricity, but their weapons are laughable,” he explained. “However, though they lack energy or gunpowder weaponry, they do possess an unknown force. I am uncertain what it is, but it seems to allow the horned subspecies to move objects with their mind, and perform other logic-defying feats. In addition, the normal equine are abnormally strong for organics, and the winged subspecies controls the weather, which could prove to be problematic.” “Excellent work, Dreadwing. And the ones with both wings and horns?" Megatron asked. "I know little of their abilities, but from what I can tell there are only three, and they seem to be the rulers of the whole species," Dreading told him. "I want constant surveillance of the local populace! We will have to gather more information on these equines, so that we might learn to use these abilities. In the meantime, you will supervise the repairs,” he ordered. “Not to question your decisions, my liege, but should I not be searching for energon? A sizable portion of our stockpile was destroyed during our bout with the Autobots. Surly more squads are required for seeking,” Dreadwing pointed out. “This is true, but I want Knockout to retrieve the energon, not you. Flying vehicles would be too conspicuous, and may attract unwanted attention,” he told him. “Understood,” Deadwing said, before changing forms and flew off. Below the ship, a secluded panel began to shake. The plate of metal fell from the ship, as a silver form tumbled out. Starscream quickly righted himself, hiding behind one of the mounds of dirt the Nemesis had excavated. “Did you hear that?” Starscream’s spark skipped a beat. He curled himself into a ball, praying to Primus and Unicron the owner of voice he heard wouldn’t find him. “It’s probably just a hunk of junk falling off the ship.” “Yeah...you’re probably right.” The ex-Decepticon breathed a sigh of relief, relaxing a little bit. He peered over his hiding spot, finding two Vehicon guards with their backs to him. He grinned malevolently, creeping up behind them, before simultaneously impaling them both with his claws. He towed the two corpses to his hiding spot, covering them with dirt. Then, he retrieved his one possesion: red energon. He crept to the edge of the Nemesis’ shadow, peeking out from behind one of its wings. He bolted out from his refuge, making a mad dash to the treeline, hiding behind a tall oak once he reached it. He panted, stingily clutching his read treasure. “Good work Starscream, you're Megatron’s warship, now you just need to figure out where I am,” he said, pausing as his eyes widened in realization. "And find some company. I've been alone so long I've started talking to myself," he added as he aimlessly wandered further into the forest. --------------- Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle sat in their red wagon as Scootaloo propelled them through the Everfree forest. “Scootaloo, this might be the best idea you’ve ever had!” Apple Bloom shouted excitedly. “Are you guys sure this is a good idea?” Sweetie Belle asked. "Don't be silly Sweetie Belle! We may not need to find out cutie marks anymore, but that doesn't mean we should stop going on adventures," Scootaloo retorted. “Yeah, I get that, but doesn't this seem a little, I don't know, poorly planned. Even if we find the Decepticons, what are we going to do about them. I mean, the Autobots are, like, twenty times out size! And we don't have anything to fight them with!" Sweetie Belle pointed out. “We don’t have to fight ‘em, silly! All we have to do is find ‘em, then the Autobots can take care of these ‘er Decepticons,” Apple Bloom told her. “Is that it? Wow, this is going to be a breeze,” Sweetie said. “Hey girls, do you hear that?” Scootaloo asked. The other two fillies quieted down, listening carefully to the distant sound of drilling and shouting. “That ain’t no drill Ah’ve ever heard. Scootaloo, follow that noise,” Apple Bloom ordered. Scootaloo heeded her command, making a sharp right turn towards the commotion. The three came to a freshly cleared patch of woods, then dismounted and continued on hoof. From behind a bush, they quietly observed a group of Decepticons extracting a strange, blue crystal from the ground. “See Sweetie, I knew this was a good idea?” Scootaloo whispered as her wings fluttered in excitement. “This is great now all we need ta do is get back to Ponyville, tell the Autobots ‘bout this,” Apple Bloom said. “Is that so?” inquired a voice from behind them. Before any of the three knew what was happening, they were swept up by a pair of giant metal hands. “Uh-oh,” Scootaloo leaked out as they were hauled into the clearing. “Well, would you look at this, target practice,” Knockout said. --------------- Optimus stood next to the train station, along with Twilight. Sweat dripped down the young royal’s head as she smiled nervously, wildly flailing her hoof at any passerby. “Twilight, is something wrong?” Prime asked. “What? No, everything’s fine, just fine!” she told him, her whole body jittering. “Are you certain? You seem stressed.” He leaned over, putting his mouth closer to her ear. “I believe you are frightening your fellow ponies.” Twilight glanced around, finding ponies had given her a wide berth. She took a deep, calming breath, putting her hoof to her chest, before exhaling. “I’m fine, just a little nervous. I mean....your arrival changes so much. Your technology, your size, just your existence...the idea Equestria isn’t alone in the universe are all revolutionary. This meeting between you and Celestia and Luna could affect the course of history for decades, even centuries,” she explained. “If your rulers are as kind and as wise as you claim they are, then you have nothing to fear,” he said. “They are, they really are,” she told him. “Well then, I’m sure they will be a pleasure to meet,” he said. A train pulled into the station, its breaks shrieking as the machine slowed to a halt. The doors of the passenger car opened, revealing the two royal sisters, along with the pair of guards they’d brought. “Celestia, Luna!” Twilight shouted excitedly as she ran up them. She wrapped her hooves around their necks, though they did not embrace her. Their mouths hung open as their eyes fixed on Optimus. Though the ponies of Equestria were taller than most humans, Prime still towered over all of them. Princess Celestia, the tallest pony in all of Equestria, only came to his waist. Twilight released her fellow royals, turning back to Prime. “Fellow princesses, this is Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. Optimus, these are Princess Celestia, Sovereign of the Sun, and Princess Luna, Ruler of the Night.” “Greetings, your majesties,” he said with a polite bow. Luna shook herself free of her trance along with her sister, both of them smiling back at Optimus. “Greetings, Optimus. You’ll have to forgive our rudeness. Your stature...surprised us,” she told him. “I understand. We Autobots can be rather intimidating,” he said. Twilight lead the sisters through the center of Ponyville, to banner hung over town hall that read: “Welcome Princesses Celestia and Luna!” Despite the size of the table, only a few ponies sat with them. Smokescreen allowed fillies and colts to clamber over him, giving the occasional joyride, with Arcee as their supervisor, while Bulkhead and Wheeljack entertained the older ponies, including Rainbow Dash, with stories of the Cybertronian war. Ratchet attempted to isolate himself, desperate to work out the logistics of their stay, though the pink pony on his head made that feat difficult. “You’ll have to forgive them, your majesties. Having the Autobots as our guests is quite...uh...exciting,” the Mayor said as beads of sweat formed on her head. “It’s quite alright, Mayor. I have to admit that even I’m intrigued by these Autobots,” Celestia told her, as she glanced at Optimus. Prime smiled briefly, but his grin faded quickly. "Before we begin, know if at any point, you wish us to leave your world, we will do so peacefully. We understand if you feel we have brought war to your world, or see us as a hazard," he told them. "Never!" Celestia said nearly the instant he finished his sentence. "We ponies were once forced from our homelands; it would be wrong to deny others who share in our suffering," Luna explained. Prime's smile returned. He bent over, looking both princesses in the eyes. "There is no way I can express my thanks. Know that the Autobots are, and will always be willing to lay down their lives for you and your people," he told them, righting himself. "Now, if you don't mind my asking, what did force you from your home?" Celestia asked. “A civil war title of Prime, the leader of our race, forced us to flee our home. It was a war of attrition, with territory being bought with hundreds of lives one day, only to be lost the next. Worst of all, the war was started by my brother, Megatron,” he explained. “Your brother?” she asked. “Not in blood, but I considered him my brother. Before the war, he was called Megatronus, the gladiator, and I Orion Pax, the librarian. Together, we chose to change the corrupt Cybertronian government. However, once we were summoned to speak to the High Council, he demanded that he be declared Prime. When I was asked if I agreed with him, I answered no, arguing that there should be a new Prime chosen by the people, not a military dictator. This enraged Megatron, but when the council chose to bestow the title of Prime on me, he became furious. He stormed out of the council building and chose to take the position of Prime by force,” he explained. Celestia and Luna exchanged a look, feeling the deepest empathy for him. “We're both truly sorry for your loss. If it helps at all, we know how you feel," Celestia said. "What do you mean?" he asked. "A thousand years ago, I became jealous of my sister's day, and tried to overthrow her," Luna told him. "Her day?" Optimus interrupted. "I raise the sun, and Luna raises the moon. Isn't that how all planets work?" Celestia asked him. "No, on most planets the sun and moon rise by themselves," he told her. "Really? How interesting. Returning to our story, I attempted to overthrow my sister, nearly killed her..." Luna paused, swallowing as she held back her tears. Celestia wrapped a wing around her little sister, smiling at her warmly. "It's alright Luna," she whispered. "I know sister, I know," Luna murmured as she wrapped a hoof around her sister's back. "She was forced to banish her to the moon for a thousand years. I know that won't undo what Megatron did, but-" "No, it's quite comforting to know there are others shares my experiences. Besides, knowing that, and seeing you here," Optimus said. "In the even you're wondering why we've come here specifically, this planet is rich with energon." "Energon?" Twilight asked “It is our very lifeblood; it powers our bodies as well as our weapons. The war exhausted Cybertron’s supply, however, other planets had been accidentally seeded with energon centuries earlier, giving us small islands we could escape to once Cybertron fell,” he answered. “And Equestria is one of these islands?” asked Celestia. “Yes, and quite a rich one too, though it is not the first alien world we’ve discovered with energon. Before coming here, we arrived on a distant planet called Earth,” he told them. "And this is what the Decepticons are after? Energon?" Luna asked. "Yes. Megatron believed he could slip away and harvest energon on this world unopposed, then return and destroy us; however, we discovered his scheme and followed him," Optimus explained. Suddenly, Rarity and Applejack ran up to Twilight with looks of concern on their faces. “Twilight, something terrible’s happened! I can’t find Sweetie Belle anywhere!” Rarity shouted. “Ah can’t find Apple Bloom either, and her wagon’s missin’,” Applejack added. “Girls, I’m sure everything’s fine,” Twilight assured them. “Ordinarily ah’d agree with ya Twi’, but it’s them three and giant transformin’ robots. Do ya really think that’s a good mix?” Applejack reminded her. “...You’re probably right. Come on, let’s get going,” she said. “Do you require assistance?” Optimus asked. “We shouldn’t...but…you should probably come along,” she told him.