//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: Transformers Prime: Return to Equestria // by The Carolean //------------------------------// Shrapnel grappled with another changeling, punching, kicking, and biting in an effort to gain the upper-hoof. She delivered a firm kick to her opponent’s stomach, sending him flying backwards. The enemy changeling righted himself, charging sharpel, when he found himself suddenly lifted from the ground. Bombshell held Chrysalis’ soldier by a plate of his carapace, using her teeth to hold him off the ground. Before he could break free, she cast him aside, sending him flying into a tree. “Good work Bombshell,” Shrapnel said. Bombshell nodded, before wordlessly taking her Chancellor's side. “Yes ‘Bombshell,’ well done indeed,” Chrysalis said as she strode out of the forest, clad in her green armor, with armored two guards flanking her. Bombshell charged the queen, her horn glowing green as a cone of magic formed around her head. Chrysalis rolled her eyes, before igniting her own horn. In an instant, Bombshell fell to the ground, laying motionless her emotionless eyes glowed green. Chrysalis calmly strode past the fallen warrior, causing Shrapnel to slowly back away. “Foolish little nymph, why do you resist your queen?” Chrysalis questioned. Shrapnel’s eyes narrowed as her horn began to glow. “Are you out of your mind? Did you forget about the army of evil aliens?” she asked. Chrysalis rolled her eyes, waving the idea away with her hoof. “They’re the pony’s problem, not ours,” Chrysalis argued. “And what are you going to do once they’re done with the ponies?” Shrapnel asked again. “Oh, I-” Chrysalis found herself rudely interrupted when a purple magic bolt whizzed past her face. Twilight Sparkle flew towards Chrysalis, throwing one of the changeling queen’ guards out of the way before slamming into her black carapace. The two tumbled across the remnants of the Free-Love Enclave, biting and striking each other as they rolled. As they neared the edge of the Enclave, Chrysalis gained the upper hoof, standing victorious over the princess pinned under her hooves. “Well, well, Twilight Sparkle, fancy-” Twilight formed a magic shield around herself, throwing Chrysalis backwards as it expanded. Using her wings, the alicorn righted herself, just in time to see Chrysalis doing the same. The queen fired a magical bolt at Twilight, who dodged it with a flap of her wings, before sending a bolt of her own back at the changeling. The bolt struck Chrysalis, seemingly having no effect on her as it struck her carapace. “Aw, what's the matter Twilight? Tired already?” Chrysalis asked. Twilight didn’t answer the queen, instead running to Shrapnel. Chrysalis gave chase, only to suddenly find her hoof encased in ice. “Now Optimus!” Twilight shouted. Optimus, Bulkhead, Ratchet, Wheeljack, and Grimlock drove out of the the forest, knocking aside changelings as they drove. With their queen immobilized, the enemy changelings shattered under the Autobot’s charge, fleeing further into the woods. In the skies, Rainbow Dash and Gilda flew in a corkscrew, knocking most of Chrysalis’ changelings out of the sky. Luna joined them, using her magic to subdue the enemy changelings. Just as victory seemed in their grasp, Chrysalis’ horn began to glow. Trees and rocks erupted into a mass of changelings who fell upon the Autobots, along with the Enclave, bogging them down by sheer weight of numbers. In the sky, the Enclave changelings did the same, bringing Rainbow Dash and Gilda to a halt. Twilight leapt over to Shrapnel, using her wings to help her close the gap. “Shrapnel, get up! You’ve got to call of your changelings!” Twilight ordered frantically. Shrapnel slowly righted herself, her motions sluggish and mechanical, before she tackled Twilight. She pinned the alicorn to the ground, hacking up a green wad onto her horn. “Shrapnel, what are you doing?” Twilight asked frantically. Chrysalis broke her hooves free from the ice that encased them, laughing as she strode towards Twilight. “She’s completely under my control,” Chrysalis explained as she booped Twilight on the nose. The alicorn struggled against Shrapnels grap, only to have Chrysalis’ guards leap onto her. “You lo-” Without warning, a hoof encased in golden armor emerged from a bright flash of light, striking Chrysalis in the face and sending her flying. As Chrysalis flew, Twilight the three changelings on top of her lifted from her back. Chrysalis’ guards were gast carelessly aside, while Shrapnel’s legs were encased in ice. Celestia stood before Twilight, clad in her full battle armor. The older alicorn momentarily lifted her faceplate, Smiling at Twilight briefly, before lowering her faceplate again. As the changeling queen righted herself, Celestia flew towards her, the alicorn slamming into her with her front hooves and carrying her into the sky. Chrysalis grimaced, firing a beam of magic down at Celestia that sent the princess plummeting. After falling briefly, Celestia created a cone of magic around her head, before stopping herself with a single large flap of her wings. She sent a bolt shooting up towards Chrysalis, knocking the queen out of the way as it impacted with her. Chrysalis tumbled backwards, her wings fluttering fruitlessly as she tried to right herself, when Celestia teleported behind her. The alicorn ealt a series of blows to the changeling; first a kick to the back, then a punch to the face, and finally, a buck to the chest with both of her rear legs. Too dazed to stay airborne, Chrysalis fell, crashing through the trees as she impacted the ground. Celestia gracefully landed beside the Chrysalis, gazing down at the pile of foliage that covered the queen. Suddenly, Chrysalis lunged at Celestia, hissing as she sent twigs and dirt flying. In response, Celestia leapt backwards slightly, before grabbing a tree with her magic and knocking the changeling aside. Chrysalis bounced across the forest floor, finally stopping at a tree. Celestia quickly but calmly strode to the queen, lifting her off the ground with her magic. She raised her head so they were eye level, their noses nearly touching as Celestia’s magic held Chrysalis in place. “Let them go,” Celestia ordered. “all of them.” “Make me,” Chrysalis spat defiantly. “Very well, then I have no other choice,” Celestia sighted, before ripping Chrysalis’ horn from her head. The changeling queen screamed in pain, her tongue flailing as her howl echoed through the woods. Suddenly, the Enclave changelings, now free from Chrysalis’ grasp, attacked the enemy changelings. With their queen defeated and under attack by Autobots, ponies, and changelings fled. Celestia dropped Chrysalis, freezing her legs to the ground. Then, a purple pony materialized in front of the alicorn. “Princess Celestia, are you alright?” Twilight inquired, as she began to search for signs of injury. “I’m fine, Twilight,” Celestia answered, stroking the smaller pony’s mane with her hoof. Luna joined the two, inspecting Celestia just as Twilight had done, though with far more subtlety. “Impressive, sister. Your magic seems to be returning quite well,” she said. “Indeed,” Prime added as he joined the alicorns. “well done.” Suddenly, a cackle erupted from behind them. “Oh you poor little ponies. You actually think you’ve won something,” Chrysalis said. The four turned to her, each of them with a confused look on their face. “What are you talking about?” Twilight asked. “You aligned yourselves with the Autobots, I aligned myself with the Decepticons,” Chrysalis told the young alicorn, before letting out a brief cackle. “This whole battle was only a distraction! The Decepticons are mobilizing on the Crystal Empire!” Just as Chrysalis began to laugh, ice covered her mouth, silencing the queen. “We need to get back to Ponyville, now,” Luna said. “Agreed,” Prime said mid transformation. He opened his side door, allowing Twilight and Luna to enter him. Meanwhile, Celestia secured Chrysalis to Optimus’ bed, before joining the other alicorns. --------------- Spike, Flash, Megatron and Starscream, and the Crusaders sat around the cutie map, each taking a chair, with the exception of Flash, who chose to stand instead. Spike sat in his throne, peacefully reading a comic, while the crusaders fidgeted in a mix of nerviousness and excitement. Applebloom sat in her sister’s seat around the cutie-map, tapping her forehooves nervously. “So, what do y’all thin’ A.J. and the others’ll thin’ ‘bout Starscream?” she asked. “You know, now that you say it, that name doesn’t sound right,” Scootaloo commented as she rested in Rainbow Dash’ seat. “Yeah. I mean, he’s not just Starscream now,” Sweetie Belle added from Rarity’s chair. “Well we can’t rightly call ‘em Megatron nigher, not by that logic anyway,” Applebloom pointed out. “A new name does seem appropriate,” Starscream said as he stroked his chin. “As much as it pains me to agree with you, Starscream, you are correct,” Megatron told him, much to Starscream’s shock. Then the doors opened, allowing the princesses to file in, along with Optimus. The five gasped in unison as they saw Megatron sitting in Twilight’s throne. “A male alicorn?” Celestia whispered under her breath. “Not quite, my dear princess,” Megatron said as he strode across the Cutie-Map. Optimus’ pupils shrunk to the size of pin heads as his optics widened. “No, that’s not possible,” he gasped. He shuffled backwards, steadying himself on the door. “Megatron?” “No, that isn’t quite right either. My name is Galvatron.”