Luna sat in her sister’s throne, awaiting the arrival of the next pony who needed something done. In that moment, she understood why her sister had chosen to run off with Optimus. The guards next to her were equally bored, though they still stood resolute and stern all the same. Fortunately for her, the evening was drawing to a close, and soon she would be allowed to guard the dream world.
Suddenly, a dark, ominous shadow snuffed the golden light shining down on the throne room's floor. An earshaddering humming from outside caused the entire palace to shudder. It’s incessant vibrating stabbed the princess’ inner ear, making her grunt in pain. A lone royal guard burst into the throne room, his panting emphasising his urgency. He quickly spun around, closing the doors behind him. Before Luna could ask him anything, a large metal fist pierced the door.
“Guard, what is happening?” Luna asked as she was forced to cover her ears with her hooves.
“My lady, there is a-gah!” The guard paused mid-sentence as the hum became too great for any of them to bear. “D-Decepticons.”
Luna only needed to hear that word. A blue aura enveloped the stallions around her, lifting them off their feet and drawing them closer to her. Just as a squad of Vehicons broke through the palace doors, Luna and her guards disappeared.
---------------
Optimus, Celestia, and the Kickback pushed through the forest, the changeling leading the two through the mysterious forest. The queen seemed to be one with the forest, finding seemingly invisible paths without even looking at them. These paths were far from easy, though Prime and the Princess were able to keep up with Kickback fairly well, for those from outside the forest.
Later, as the sun began to fall towards the horizon, Shrapnel and Bombshell returned carrying fruits and nuts they’d found. Shortly after the two returned, they made camp, consisting of a fire and a few blankets Celestia had brought.
Shrapnel stoked the fire, Kickback and Bombshell sitting on either side of her, and Prime and Celestia taking their places on the other side of the fire. "So, how did you get the name Shrapnel anyway" Celestia inquired.
"Durring the invasion, I lead the charge. I smashed into a window, and the glass gave me this scar" Shrapnel explained, motioning to the mark on her chest.
"And what of your name Bombshell?" Prime asked.
"Next verse same as the first. I actually hit the same building, though I hid a beam, not a window," Bombhshell told him.
"I kicked a guard," Kickback said in a dry tone.
Suddenly, Celestia stood, her biological clock telling her it was night time. Once Celestia lowered the sun, the changelings took the rocks they’d used for the fire ring and laid on them to sleep, pulling the blankets overtop of them.
“Clever,” Celestia commented. Watching the changelings sleep, the princess couldn’t help but yawn. She took more of the rocks, laying them under her own blanket.
“Go to sleep Celestia, I can keep watch,” Optimus told her.
“Are you sure?” the princess asked as her eyes already began to droop.
“I shouldn’t need to power down for a few cycles yet, unless I do something especially strenuous,” he explained.
“Alright then, goodnight,” she said, giving him a quick hug before covering herself with a blanket and going to sleep.
With his companions asleep, Prime sat alone, listening to the sounds of the forest, watching the blue light of his optics illuminate the trees in the night. Clouds had blocked out the stars as well as moon, making him the only source of light. Though Prime had a form of night vision, he chose not to use it at the moment, favoring only the visible light spectrum. The faint blue light gave the Everfree a spectral aura, reminding him how beautiful nature could be.
Suddenly, something brushed Optimus’ hand. He instinctively drew his weapon, pointing it in the direction of the unseen attacker, the cannon’s barrel doubling as a flashlight. To his surprise, the pale blue light of his gun fell on Shrapnel, who was raising her hooves to protect herself. The light shinned of her carapace, creating a wondrous shimmer.
Prime retracted his weapon, allowing the poor queen’s eyes to readjust to the night. “Shrapnel? Why aren’t you in your bed?” he asked.
She sat next to him, curling her tail underneath her body. “I wanted to speak with you in private, so I could apologize to you,” she told him. “You see, I was afraid after the-what did you call them? Decepticons?” she asked, Prime nodding to answer her. "Decepticons killed so many of us." She chuckled sadly to herself. "I'm a terrible leader," she said, hanging her head low.
Optimus did not respond, merely averting his gaze to the stars. “Shrapnel,” Prime said suddenly, causing the Lamia to jump. “What happened to your people is a tragedy, one that may or may not have been avoidable, but in the end, neither of us are at fault. I am sorry for the slaughter of your people, both now and in the past, with Equestria’s help, we can...we will make Megatron pay for what he did to you,” he promised.
Shrapnel smiled in the darkness, placing her hoof on Primes hand. Suddenly, she gasped in shock. “What is it? Is something wrong?” Prime asked.
“Nothing, I just never suspected you’d be so warm,” she told him. “It’s actually...quite nice.” Her entire body migrated towards Optimus as his body’s warmth hypnotized the changeling.
“You should return to bed, you’ll need your rest,” he told her. Reluctantly, the Chansellor left the Autobot, sliding into her blankets and drifting off into sleep.
---------------
“Celestia” a faint voice called in the distance. The princess chose to ignore it, favoring sleep to anything a disembodied voice could offer her. “Sister!” it called again. That got Celestia’s attention. She sat up, only to find the ground underneath her hooves gone. The entire world was nothing but blackness, save for herself and her sister.
“Luna? Why did you come to me? Is something wrong? Are you hurt?” she asked fanatically, bombarding her sister with a barrage of questions.
“I am unharmed sister, but something is wrong. You mustn't return to Canterlot, for Megatron is holding the city captive,” Luna explained, causing Celestia to gasp in horror.
“Are you safe Luna? Are you still in the city?” she asked again.
“I am fine, sister. I teleported out before the fiend had a chance to confront me. Twilight and I are planning a way to retake the city, but we’re going to need yourself and Optimus. Come to Ponyville, quickly,” Luna ordered as her sister woke up.
---------------
The earth beneath the princess violently shook her awake. She leapt to her feet, watching as Prime ran towards her. Sleep had obscured her vision, but she could make out a black shadow gliding overhead. Suddenly, the shadow fired a missile at her, barely giving Prime time to knock her out of the way. He all but tackled Celestia, kneeling over her on his hands and knees to protect her from the blast.
Behind him, the changelings fought three Decepticons already on the ground. One of the Vehicons raised his weapon to fire on them, but Bombshell was too fast. She was able to crawl up his side, shielding her hoof in green energy and jamming it into one of his joints, effectively locking his arm. Then Kickback took one of the rocks he’d been sleeping on and threw it into his eye-slit. Despite being an organic, he threw the stone with enough force to blind him, causing him to fall backwards.
With the Vehicon fallen, Shrapnel rushed in. She looked over the soldier's arm, before using her magic to remove his weapon. She reached her hand inside its casing, connecting two wires; to her surprise, nothing happened. She tried again, this time changing one of the wires, and caused the weapon to loose a volley of red energon bolts, one of which struck the second Vehicon.
With two of the Decepticons down, Shrapnel took aim, and fired, striking the third in the head and killing him. “Is everyone alright?” the chansellor asked.
Optimus pointed his gun skyward, blowing the final Decepticon out of the sky. “Yes, but we need to move,” Prime told them, his tone colder than ice.
“Optimus, we need to get to Ponyville as soon as possible,” Celestia said as she stood.
“What’s wrong?” Prime questioned.
“It’s Megatron, he’s holding Canterlot hostage,” the princess explained.
“By the hive,” Bombshell whispered.
“Cowards,” Bombshell spat.
“Are the citizens alright?” Prime asked.
“I...I don’t know. Luna told me in a dream. She’s safe in Ponyville, but I don’t know about anypony else,” Celestia answered. “We need to get there quickly.”
Optimus sighed, resting his head in his hand. “I have one option, but it will be...uncomfortable to say the least,” Prime said.
“What is it?” Shrapnel asked.
---------------
Celestia squirmed against Optimus’ door, trying in vain to keep Kickback’s elbow from poking her in the side. However, her mobility was hampered by Bombshell’s chest, which was currently pressing against her back, and Shrapnel's stolen weapon, which was poking her wing. Of course, the changeling would have been glad to move, were it not for Kickback pinning her against Prime’s side.
They’d reasoned this arrangement was the best option, since Kickback needed to be in the front to guide Prime, and Celestia would need to shield them if they were attacked. That left Bombshell and Kickback squished in the back, with only two tiny windows and whatever they could see past the other two passenger’s heads.
“Hold tight, we’re almost there,” Kickback told the others
“Thank the goodness,” Bombshell whispered as she wriggled against her daughter.
“What a shame? I was so comfortable,” Shrapnel said in a tone saturated with sarcasm, gifting her fellow passengers a much needed chuckle.
As Prime crested one final hill, the spire of Twilight’s castle rose with the treetops. Celestia couldn’t help but smile as she returned to her native land. Optimus quickly descended the hill, finally leaving the Everfree. He carefully traversed Sweet Apple Acres, weaving between apple trees, when he suddenly came to a halt.
As her face smacked into Optimus’ windshield, Celestia hastily put a shield around her back, protecting herself from Shrapnel’s fangs; she did not want another encounter with changeling venom.
In front of the massive Autobot stood a short, elderly green mare waving her hoof at him, and a much larger, red stallion. “Hold on there feller!” she shouted. Optimus opened his doors, allowing his passengers to clumsily tumbled out, before he changed forms.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“Applejack an’ Applebloom have up’n gone missin’,” Granny Smith explained.
Big Mac stepped forward, looking up at Prime, his eyes full of desperation. “Ya gotta find my sisters, Mr. Prime. Ah’ve looked everywhere and can’t find ‘em. They could...could...” The stallion paused, struggling to hold back tears.
Optimus raised one hand, silencing Big Mac. “I promise I will do everything in my power to bring your sisters home,” he told the pony.
Celestia stepped towards Mac, wrapping a comforting wing around his shoulder. That was the last straw. The brave stallion finally broke down, crying in his princess’ chest. “Oh my,” she gasped. Once she got over the shock Big Mac had caused her, she laid one of her hooves over his shoulder, further comforting him. “Don’t worry, my little pony, I know your sisters are fine,” she told him, firmly but caringly as well. The princess’ affirmation was enough to allow Big Mac to release her as he whipped one last tear from his eye.
While Big Mac was crying, the Autobots had gathered on Sweet Apple Acres, impatiently awaiting their leader’s instruction as Ratchet stepped forward to greet his old friend. “Optimus, are you alright?” he asked.
“Did you get the relic?” Wheeljack asked.
“Optimus, Starscream disappeared while you were gone! What do we do?” Arcee interjected.
Prime looked away, unable to face his Autobots. “The relic was a ploy Megatron was using in an attempt to capture me, one that would have succeeded were it not for Celestia," he told them.
"Oh...I see" Ratchet said, sharing in his leader's disappointment.
“Worse, I fear I...have lost something very valuable," he told the Autobots.
"What do you mean?" Bulkhead asked.
Suddenly, Optimus opened his chest, revealing the void the Matrix of Leadership once held. "The Matrix of Leadership" he said, his voice lacking its normally commanding quality. "has been stolen."