Ch2: Robot in Disguise
(A/N: This story takes place after issue 10 of the My Little Pony Comic Book and the Cutie Mark Crusaders Micro Series comic. This story also does not officially recognize any events of Season 3 onward. The story primarily takes place in the Transformers Aligned Continuity Family with certain smaller inspirations taken from the Transformers Animated and G1 continuity families.)
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Applebloom: Transform and Rollout!
by Dusty the Royal Janitor
Chapter 2: Robot in Disguise
“Greetings, small one.”
The voice rang out from the blackness and resounded through Applebloom’s brain, as if somepony had just rung the Ponyville Clock Tower’s bell right next to her ear. Applebloom made to hold her head with her hooves, only to notice that she had none. In fact, she had no body whatsoever. She was just an empty consciousness floating in the endless blackness.
Before she could question where she was or why she was there, however, an image appeared before her nonexistent eyes. Slowly it faded into being out of the nothingness, coming to a rest before her, towering overhead. The figure shone a pure, glowing white in the inky blackness that surrounded her, illuminating the immediate area. Though to be fair, all that did was change the vast inky black void into a vast off-white void.
The figure loomed overhead, and Applebloom immediately recognized it as the image of the titanic robot that she had seen in the strange structure she was just in. It was dressed in the same Japonyse style armor and helmet as before, though its midsection was a lot more intact than it had appeared before. It stood, tall and thin, but with a wiry, strong demeanor. And yet, it looked calm and kindly, a gentle smile upon its metallic face. The little disembodied filly couldn’t help but feel somewhat more at ease in its presence. If she had a body, it would have relaxed at the sight of the stranger.
“Who are you?” Applebloom tried to ask. She had no mouth with which to speak, and yet, the words rang out in her voice, echoing around the void. Questions came spilling forth like a flash flood. “What happened back in that place I was just at? What was it? Where am I now? Why did I feel so funny back there? What was that thing I just stuck my hoof-”
“Calm yourself,” The image said, lifting a hand to silence her. “Our time is short, and I can only answer so many questions.”
Applebloom huffed, or would have if she had a body to huff with. “Alright then, partner. How’s about you start by telling me who and what y’all are?” her voice echoed through the void.
The robotic apparition smiled faintly. “Once, long ago, I was known as Yoketron,” the vision announced humbly. “I was a teacher and a warrior in days gone by. Now, though, if you and I are conversing, it would appear that I have passed on.”
“Passed on?” Applebloom asked. “But y’all are here talking to me right now!”
The apparition shook its head. “That is not the case, small one. What you are speaking with right now is but a memory. A fragment of my consciousness saved in the computer files of my spaceship and downloaded into your processor when you interfaced with it.”
Her mind reeled. “Y’all just used at least six words I couldn’t make out. You mean to tell me you’re a ghost from space? You’re a space ghost?!”
The figure chuckled, his deep voice echoing around the void, making the empty space feel just a touch warmer. “Not quite a ghost, small one. However, you are correct in that I am from space.” The ghostly figure held a hand to his chest. “Back on my planet, I was the Commander of the Autobot Cyberstealth Corps.”
“Autobot?” Applebloom asked.
“It’s short for Autonomous Robotic Organism, a faction of my race from the planet Cybertron.” Yoketron replied patiently.
“Okay...” the filly paused. “And is all of this ‘Cybertron’ made up of robots like you? And if y’all are robots then who built y’all?”
Yoketron chuckled. “You are indeed perceptive. Yes, all of the creatures of Cybertron are as mechanical as I. However, we were not ‘built’ in the manner you are thinking. We are as alive as the creatures of this world are.”
Applebloom sighed in the void. Every answer only seemed to raise more questions. Still, there were a lot more things she needed answered. “Alright,” she continued, “why are you here?”
The giant robot frowned a little. “I was sent off my world in an attempt to protect the remaining pre-alpha unit protoforms. You would better equate such life forms with the concept of organic ‘embryos,’ I believe. They are the first stage of life for my race, forged from the life of Cybertron.” Yoketron closed his eyes, his head tilting down a little. “However, I failed in my task when a Decepticon bounty hunter crippled my ship, the Axalon, and I was forced to make an emergency transwarp jump, eventually crash landing upon this planet.”
“Decepticons?” she asked, “What in the hay are those and why did they attack you?”
Yoketron sighed sadly. “The Decepticons, like the Autobots, are a faction of Cybertronians. For millennia, my Autobot brethren and I have fought a civil war over ideals with them, all in an attempt to decide control of the people of Cybertron and its supply of energon; the lifeblood and fuel of all Cybertronian technology.”
If she could have, Applebloom would have given the robot her best piercing glare. “And these Decepticons... they are the bad guys, right?”
The Autobot chucked sadly. “Both sides have their own problems, small one. However, if I were forced to simplify the situation, then yes, the Decepticons are the ‘bad guys.’” He looked upon Applebloom with a pained expression. “To summarize some... complex ideologies... Decepticons believe that only the strongest of Cybertronians should be permitted to survive. Furthermore, they believe that Cybertronians are the superior beings of the universe and that any other species out there in the universe are meant to be enslaved and subjugated, put to work as manual labor in their heinous operations.”
“That’s awful!” The little filly reeled for a moment, but then stopped, thinking the matter through a little more. “But wait a minute! How can I tell yer not lyin? Or that you ain’t one of these Decepti-thingies? And what does all of this have to do with me? Why did your spaceship get all uppity when I was around but it didn’t do a thing for Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo?”
The apparition looked upon her with... was that pride? “How clever you are, small one. Indeed, perhaps it is not wise to simply take everything one says at face value. After all, things in this world and upon many others are often more than meets the eye...” Yoketron said, kneeling down on one knee, and looking Applebloom directly in the nonexistent eyes. “However, I believe if you search deep inside your mind, you’ll find that I am indeed telling the truth.”
“Search inside my mind? What the hay?” Applebloom gawked.
Yoketron chuckled. “I merely ask that you try it, small one.”
Applebloom groaned, but decided to indulge the old robot. Obviously if he were trying to hurt her he’d have done it by now, right? She searched deep through her memories, in what she knew would be a fruitless attempt to remember anything about this Cybertron or the giant robot thing before her.
The search, though, turned out to be anything but fruitless.
As if on command, the moment the little filly tried to think of anything the robot had talked about, memories and information suddenly flooded her brain, crashing to the forefront of her mind in a terrible, sudden wave of data and facts. She knew of Cybertron. She knew of the Autobots and the Decepticons and what they were fighting for. She knew of Yoketron and the Cyberstealth Corps. She knew of the Wreckers, the Constructicons, the Insecticons, the Aerialbots, the Lightning Strike Coalition Force, and the Seekers. She knew of the millennia of fighting and suffering that they had all gone through and that the planet they lived on had gone through. She felt that suffering.
Looking further into her mind, she saw a noble red and blue warrior with a prominent faceplate squaring off with a sinister looking violet and white tyrant with a massive cannon attached to his arm. She felt the courage of the warrior. She felt the rage of the tyrant. And through it all she felt the pain and the cries of the planet itself.
And then, just as all the information came... just as it crashed to the forefront of her mind... the images went away. Like waves on a stormy beach, the information simply was swept back into the recesses of her mind.
Applebloom hurt. An astonishing fact, as she had no body at the moment that could hurt. It was like her very thoughts were in a state of aching, lingering pain from the sudden flood of information she had experienced.
“W-What... What w-was that?!” she managed to stammer out to the being before her.
“I apologize for how that must have felt.” Yoketron sympathized. “Learning information in such a manner is not natural and is often unpleasant. I believe that may be why the data cylinder fell out of fashion back in the golden age...” he mused, tapping his chin with a ghostly robotic finger.
“You ain’t answering my question!” Applebloom snapped, the pain slowly alleviating. “Just what was all of that?!”
“Information, downloaded into your central processing unit.” Yoketron replied, as if it answered everything. “When you interfaced with the Axalon’s computer, you were fed an unabridged history of Cybertron, the ship’s most recent logs, as well as a self-deleting shell program personality meant to be expunged shortly after installation.”
“Don’t come at me with all that hooey fancy talk, pardner. Just tell it to me straight: What did y’all do to me?!”
The apparition seemed to sigh and roll its eyes playfully. “When you touched the silver pool on the Axalon’s console, it downloaded information about Cybertron into your mind, as well as the image of me you see before you.”
Applebloom would have blinked. “...Oh.” She still only had the faintest idea of what all of that could have meant, but she latched onto one thing in particular. “Wait, the image of you?!”
Yoketron smiled sadly. “I’m sure you must have seen me out there in the ship, yes? As I said earlier, I have been offline for over a decacycle.”
Applebloom’s mind spun. “And y’all are talking to me through this ‘self-deleting shell’ thingy?”
“Self-deleting shell program personality.” he answered, nodding. “Indeed. It is but a fragment of my personality saved in the Axalon’s computer for all this time, meant to be passed onto you when you inevitably found this ship. I saved it there so that when you found the ship, I could answer some of the the questions you’d have in a more personable manner than merely flooding your brain module with images, which is quite the painful process as you have no doubt noticed.”
“So now I’m gonna have a voice in my head the rest of my life?” Applebloom yelped.
The old robot chuckled. “No, of course not, small one. That is what I meant by self-deleting. In a few moments, I will be gone completely. I will be fully one with the Allspark and leave you in peace.” The image of the robot flickered. “It appears as though your processor has already begun purging me...”
“What?!” Applebloom shouted. “But... but I just met you! And I have so many more questions!”
The old robot smiled. “You need not worry, small one. All the answers you will ever need are right up here now.” He said, tapping his ghostly head.
“But thinking about all of that stuff hurts! Getting answers from you is far less painful!”
“Be at ease.” Yoketron replied. “That is merely your processor having trouble sorting and filing all the new information. In but a few solar cycles, the information will have been filtered properly for you, fitting to your unique processor and according to what you, as a bot, will personally require. You will have an imperfect knowledge of Cybertron and its inhabitants, but it should suffice for most of your needs.”
“But... but why?!” Applebloom howled at the fading image. “Why’s all of this happening to me? Why did y’all put that stuff in my brain in the first place? Why did the ship respond to me and not the other Crusaders? How is all of this possible? And why do you keep referring talking about my processors and brain models and things like I’m one of you?!”
Yoketron blinked.
“I would have thought it obvious, small one.” He said softly.
“You are one of us.”
Applebloom stopped. All of her panicked thoughts and any frantic questions she may have had simply ceased to be.
“No.” she said softly. “No that can’t be right. I’m Applebloom! I’m a member of the Apple family! Applejack is my sister and Big Macintosh is my big brother and Granny Smith is my Grandmother! I’m a Cutie Mark Crusader! I’m friends with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo and Pipsqueak and Twist and Featherwight and Button Mash and Miss Cheerilee! I’m a Ponyvillian and an Equestrian!”
“All of that you are, small one.” Yoketron nodded. “And you are also a Cybertronian.”
“No I’m not!” Applebloom stamped her nonexistent hoof.
Yoketron shook his head, his image flickering again. “Remember, small one, how I said that I failed in my mission in protecting the pre-alpha unit protoforms from harm?” When Applebloom didn’t respond, Yoketron kept going. “All of the protoforms under my care died. Perhaps it was in the Decepticon attack or perhaps they all expired in the crash landing. I know not. All I do know is that all of the protoforms ceased to function.
“...All but one.”
Yoketron pointed at Applebloom.
Applebloom gasped. “The empty slot.” She whispered, suddenly flashing back to the giant spherical room, one pod missing on the domed wall.
“Indeed,” Yoketron spoke. “That stasis pod was yours.”
“But...” Applebloom stuttered. “But that doesn’t make any sense!” She shouted. “How could I be like you?! I’m a filly! I’m an earth pony like AJ and Big Mac! If I’m a Cybertronian, how come I don’t look like y’all and walk around all robot like?!”
“I know not the answer to that, small one.” Yoketron shook his head. “My shell program was installed in the Axalon’s computer before I could observe the final fate of your protoform. I know not how you came to be what you are.” The image of Yoketron sighed, looking despondent as his image wavered again, this time more harshly. “I had hoped, when I uploaded this shell program and set up the eventual data transfer in the Axalon’s computer, that you would seek out this ship when you were truly ready: That when you discovered this ship, you would have already found out for yourself that you were much different from the other inhabitants of this world. It seems that you have discovered this place much earlier than you were intended to.”
Applebloom sniffled. “We were just playing in the woods. I didn’t mean to find this place. I never asked for all of this to happen and to suddenly find out I was some sort of alien robot.”
“I know, small one.” Yoketron said, a somber edge to his voice.
The two stood in silence for a few seconds, Yoketron’s image flickering again. Eventually, Yoketron broke the stillness.
“Applebloom,” He spoke softly.
Applebloom snapped to attention. “Y-yes, Mister Yoketron?”
“As this shell program is inside your mind, I am capable of seeing what you have experienced over the course of your short life. Out of respect for your privacy, though, I did not do so until just now. I merely assumed that you already knew that you were different from other inhabitants of this world and thrust upon you knowledge that you were not yet ready to behold. That was a mistake. If I had known that you were still so young and had no idea of what you are, I would have had the shell program command the Axalon to withhold the information for a later time. Alas, I have visited upon you a grave injustice this day. I can only beg for your forgiveness.” The giant, flickering robot bent down on one knee, his eyes turned to what would have been the floor were they not still in an empty void.
Applebloom was stunned. The giant robot was bowing to her and begging for her forgiveness?!
Yoketron continued. “While this program was originally intended only to bestow information about Cybertron and your heritage, I wish for you to know something more personal.”
“What is it?” Applebloom asked tentatively.
“While it is true that you are a child of Cybertron in body, you would do well to remember that in your Spark... your soul... you are a child of Equestria. Your adopted homeworld and your adopted family are as much a true family as any band of brothers you may have had on Cybertron. Indeed, it is as you said. Applejack is your sister, Big Macintosh your brother, and Granny Smith your grandmother. Your friends are still your friends and the town of Ponyville is still your home. You have long since departed from the world of Cybertron, and made a new home here. And if you were to ask me, you are much better for it. Even in the coming days, with all that you now know, with all the knowledge that I perhaps should not have bestowed upon you, remember that this is and will always be the place that you truly belong. Cybertron is likely a dead world now, with nothing for you. You need not concern yourself with it.”
“But I’m still-” Applebloom started to protest, but Yoketron cut her off.
“What was it you called yourself? An earth pony?”
“Y-yeah...” Applebloom stuttered.
“Do you still feel like an earth pony, or do you now feel like a Cybertronian at heart? Would you like to get on a spaceship and go out searching for Decepticons to fight, or would you prefer to stay here on the planet you’ve always known as home and live a peaceful life with people who care about you.”
“...no.” Applebloom said softly. “I am an earth pony. My name is Applebloom and I want to stay here with my family. With my friends.”
Yoketron smiled. “Then that is all that you truly need to know, small one.”
“But-” Applebloom tried to argue, only to see Yoketron’s flickering grow evermore intense, his image distorting and stretching for several moments before he came back into focus.
“It appears that our time is up, small one,” the giant robot said softly. “Remember well the wisdom I have imparted. Concern yourself not with a war that is a universe away. Live your life happily here among your real family. That is my final wish for you.”
“But Mister Yoketron, wait! I have a ton more questions!”
“And it pains me that I cannot answer them for you, small one. But my time has come.” The old Autobot raised a hand, as if to wave goodbye.
“...’Til all are one, Applebloom. Farewell.”
The image of the old Autobot flickered one last time and then vanished from sight. The void went white.
Applebloom awoke to an intense pounding in her head, as if a hundred tiny minotaurs were trying to smash their way out from inside of her skull. With jackhammers. The little filly groaned, a nauseous burp finding its way out from her stomach. Her limbs all felt stiff and weak and she felt a pervasive chill running through her body.
To make a long story short, she felt like horseapples.
“I think it’s waking up!” A familiar, high pitched voice whispered.
Applebloom shook her head. Her body felt peculiar. It felt almost like she’d been put through the rack; as if she’d been stretched out like taffy. Not to mention there was something else hard to describe about how she felt. It felt like she’d had the skin on her face rubbed raw, except without any pain. Her face felt a lot more sensitive, exposed, and a little moist, but it wasn’t exactly an unpleasant feeling. More alien than anything else. Weirdest of all was it felt like she was in a lying-down position, but she could feel from her orientation that she was very plainly standing up. All in all, it was a very perplexing feeling. And yet, it wasn’t entirely disagreeable. While it all certainly felt strange there was a certain comfort to it as well. The best way she could describe it was waking up after a long sleep, throwing off the covers and having a good morning stretch.
“Poke it with the stick again!” Another familiar, scratchier voice suggested.
The little filly suddenly felt a sharp prod against her cheek, causing a bizarre, harsh shiver to go down her spine. Applebloom attempted to tell whoever was poking her to “Knock it off,” but it came out more like “Nnrrrkedderrrfff.” She attempted to move her limbs but found that she couldn’t. They were bound by thick cord. Applebloom’s eyes snapped open, but her vision was too blurry to make anything out.
“It’s awake!” The scratchier voice shouted. “Quick, Sweetie! Knock it out again!”
“EEEEK!” She heard Sweetie Belle scream, moments before feeling a sharp strike against her skull and a loud metalling ‘CLANG’ resounded around the room.
“Aagh! Sweetie Belle, Why’d y’all go and do that!” Applebloom shouted, her vision still blurry and flickering from her groggy awakening and the recent assault on her cranium.
“It’s using its mind zapping powers to get into your brain, Sweetie! Hit it again!”
Again, something struck her skull. “Nyaaagh!” Applebloom grunted. “Cut it out, Sweetie!”
“It’s not working, Scootaloo!” She heard Sweetie Belle shriek.
Applebloom blinked away the pain, shaking her head and bringing her eyes into focus. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were standing before her, their postures defensive. A bent metal pipe was floating in Sweetie Belle’s aquamarine magical aura.
It was strange though. They seemed shorter than they usually were. “You guys, what’s the big idea?!” Applebloom shouted.
“What did you do with Applebloom?!” Scootaloo shouted, taking the metal pipe into her hooves.
“I am Applebloom, ya idjit!”
“Horseapples!” Scootaloo snapped, approaching the earth filly. “You aren’t Applebloom! You’re some sort of... of... Robo-Changeling!”
Applebloom couldn’t help but cock her head. “Robo-Changeling?! What kind of fool idea is that?!”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes and huffed. “Well, I sure don’t know what you are, but I know you can’t be Applebloom, that’s for sure!”
“How can you say that?! We’ve been friends for two years now! We formed the Cutie Mark Crusaders together at Diamond Tiara’s Cuteceñera!”
Scootaloo got a dangerous gleam in her eye. “No. We formed the Cutie Mark Crusaders with Applebloom.” She stamped her little orange hoof. “I don’t know how long you’ve been in Ponyville or how long you’ve been watching us, but I’m not letting my friends be captured by changelings... or whatever it is you are... again!”
Applebloom winced. Those few days where she and her friends had been captured by Queen Chrysalis and taken to her castle hive that she set up in the middle of the cuddle cat civilization were some of the worst she’d ever been through. If she hadn’t had her friends there to help her get through it with lighthearted banter and playful teasing, she might have broken under the pressure of it all. Still, she didn’t have any idea why Scootaloo was going on about that.
“Just why do y’all think I’m a ‘robo-changeling?’” She asked, annoyed.
“You let your disguise drop.” Scootaloo pointed at her.
“Disguise?”
“Sweetie Belle...” Scootaloo prompted. The little unicorn filly nodded, then reached out with her magic, weakly grabbing a shimmering plate of slightly warped metal and held it up for Applebloom to see. Her breath caught at what she saw in the reflection.
Mirrored in the sheet of metal, tied up with cord to a pipe, was a bipedal thing. It was shaped very similar to Yoketron from her dream. It had a round, silvery-blue head without a muzzle to speak of and a simple mouth where one should have been. The light yellow of her coat wrapped around the sides of the head and a lustrous red mane decorated by a familiar pink bow draped down its neck. The neck led down to a slightly curved torso, with a chest that seemed downright eerie, given that it seemed to have a disturbingly familiar face plastered onto it. From the shoulders dangled long arms ending in four silver fingers. And from the hips sprouted long silvery legs ending in familiar stubby hooves. Familiar, save for the wheels sprouting from the ankles. Most striking, though, was the eyes. They were pupil-less, glowing yellow lights. They could barely be called eyes in any traditional sense, they were simply voids of yellow light. The sight was so stunningly outlandish Applebloom found she simply couldn’t breathe. For a moment, her mind simply went blank.
This creature... this thing... was her.
‘This was what Mister Yoketron was talking about.’ Applebloom thought. ‘When he said I was one of them... that I was a Cybertronian...’ She gulped. ‘Is this the real me?’
Applebloom shook her head. She looked at Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. The pegasus was pawing at the ground angrily, like she was ready to attack Applebloom. Sweetie Belle on the other hand looked to be hiding from her, like she could break out of her binds at any time and attack them. It looked like it was taking all of her willpower just to stay there to keep the mirror aloft.
‘I can’t deal with that now,’ She thought to herself. ‘Right now, it’s more important that I keep my friends on my side.’
“Scootaloo...” Applebloom said slowly, using every last bit of her willpower to keep herself from completely freaking out. “...I swear, as a member of the Apple Family, that I am Applebloom.” She took a deep breath. “I promise you that, it’s me. Apparently I’ve always been a robot. I’m only just finding out about it now myself.”
The orange pegasus raised an eyebrow. “You really expect me to believe that?”
The robotic filly squinted her glowing yellow eyes. “What would I have to do to convince you?”
Scootaloo tapped her chin for a second. “Tell me about something that only we would know. Something we did when nopony else was around to see us together. Then maybe I’ll believe you.”
Applebloom racked her brain before coming up with a decent answer. “Hats.”
The orange filly cocked her head, perplexed. “Hats?”
She nodded. “When we first found Imp and discovered she was a mimicker, we brought her back to the clubhouse and made her an honorary crusader. Then we helped her practice her shapeshifting powers to see if she had a favorite form. We started by showing her a bunch of hats. Then toys. Then furniture, then power tools, then musical instruments. After an hour or so, she got tired of shapeshifting and we decided she’d stay with me for that night. And nopony else was around to see us.” Applebloom raised a metallic eyebrow. “And ’less I’m Imp, and I’m pretty sure I ain’t since Imp couldn’t talk Equestrian, there ain’t nopony else I could be but Applebloom.”
Scootaloo’s feathers bristled. “Yeah, well...” she stuttered, trying to come up with a retort.
Sweetie Belle came out from behind her cover, approaching Applebloom cautiously. “She... does have a point, Scootaloo. Maybe it is her?”
The pegasus shook her head. “No way! That wasn’t that long ago! I’ll bet she just replaced Applebloom before we met Imp!”
“It was a three months ago! Applebloom is our best friend. If she’d been replaced by a robo-changeling that long ago, I think we’d have noticed it before now.” She scurried a little closer toward Applebloom and stood beside her. “I... I think it’s actually her, Scootaloo.”
The orange filly crossed her arms. “No. I’m sorry, but I still can’t believe it. It’s like something straight out of a bad comic book. There’s no way Applebloom could actually be a robot.”
“Your mom calls you her little pumpkin-doodlebug.” Applebloom deadpanned.
At that word, Scootaloo’s ears pricked up and her posture went rigid.
Applebloom grinned wickedly. “It sure was a hoot, weren’t it Sweetie Belle? It was our first Cutie Mark Crusader sleepover at Scootaloo’s and the second we walk in the door, her ma’s all fawning over her and fussin’ at her little pumpkin-doodlebug’s mane an-”
“You jerk!” Scootaloo pointed with an accusing hoof. “You promised that you’d never bring that up again!” She slapped her hooves over her mouth just as the words slipped out, looking up to Applebloom with wide eyes.
The filly-bot smirked.
Scootaloo frowned at her. “Alright, Applebloom...” she twirled around at her, “if that IS your real name…” the robotic pony rolled her eyes at Scootaloo’s theatrics. “Maybe you’ve convinced me... or maybe you just stole Applebloom’s memories!”
Both Applebloom and Sweetie Belle rolled their eyes. “Scootaloo...” they both groaned.
“What’s Applebloom’s favorite color?!” Scootaloo shouted into her face.
“Red.” Applebloom deadpanned.
“What’s her favorite food?!” Scootaloo said, turning away from her and pacing around the room like a lawyer from a bad courtroom drama.
“Apple fritters.” She sighed as a pale green glow overtook the cords binding her.
“What’d I get her for her last birthday?”
“Some kinda weird toy rock that changed into an alien of some sort.” The cords fell off as Sweetie Belle tearfully ran up and hugged her, Applebloom wrapped her new, metal arms around the little filly.
“What kind of martial arts does Rainbow Dash and Rarity instruct her in?” Scootaloo said, still not looking towards the farm filly as she drew closer to the pair.
“Tae Pon Do.” Applebloom said, looking up from her hug with Sweetie Belle.
“A-HA!” Scootaloo shouted, only to accidentally bop her nose into Applebloom’s metal shins as she turned. The little orange pegasus fell onto her rump, rubbing her nose. Shaking it off, she glared at Sweetie Belle. “You let her out?!”
Sweetie Belle huffed. “Scootaloo, I really think that it’s Applebloom!”
Scootaloo sputtered. “But... but she got it wrong!”
The robotic filly rolled her eyes. “Actually, Scootaloo,” she said, letting go of Sweetie Belle and standing over her pegasus friend, “Rarity says it’s really called Tae Pon Do. Rainbow Dash just calls it Karate because she ‘parently don’t know its real name.”
Scootaloo’s ears folded down. “But... but...”
“Scoot...” Applebloom said, kneeling down to her level, “It’s me. I swear it.”
There was a moment of tense silence between the two of them, before the orange filly suddenly grabbed ahold of the robotic pony’s waist and squeezed tightly.
“I’m sorry, Applebloom...” Scootaloo cried.
Applebloom hugged her back. “It’s okay Scoots.”
Scootaloo broke the hug. “I thought something terrible had happened to you! I thought a robot had eaten you and stolen your brain and skin or something! Or that you’d turned into one of the Mechaponies from Nebulos like in those Flash Sentry serials!”
Applebloom rolled her eyes. “Naw, Scoots. I’m still me.”
“I mean, how was I supposed to know?” Scootaloo said, shuffling at the ground. “You fell of that giant desk thingy and then suddenly your body got all twisty and you turned into a robot! What were we supposed to think?”
Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yeah, I mean, nothing you’ve done ever made you seem like you were a robot. How were we supposed to know it was you?” She cocked her head. “I mean, have you really been a robot all this time?”
Applebloom rolled her yellow eyes. “It’s fine, gals. I’m not mad or nothing. If the same thing happened to either of you, I’d have probably freaked out myself.” She said, bending her arms and legs a little, testing out the joints, before looking at the little white unicorn. “And yeah, Sweetie. I reckon I always have been a robot.”
Scootaloo stamped a little hoof. “Why didn’t you tell us?!” she whined, before gasping and grabbing her shoulders. “Are you sworn to secrecy by your mad scientist creator? Did Big Macintosh build you?! I always knew that there was more to that big lug than he let on!” Scootaloo scowled. “He was always too quiet.”
Applebloom shook her head, incredulous. “What? No! I weren’t built by nopony!”
“But then how were you made?” Sweetie Belle asked, her head cocked.
“I...” Applebloom started to say, trying to remember how she might have come to be, only to buckle over in pain, clutching at her head. “Raaghh!”
“Applebloom!” Both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo shouted, quickly surrounding her and supporting her upright.
“It hurts... to remember...” Applebloom gasped out. Her mind swirled painfully with an overabundance of information. Images of strange beings made of liquid metal forced themselves into her mind. Living metal, endowed with a fragment of a spark, poured into molds in the heart of a mechanical planet. An enormous, spherical supercomputer giving them true life. Giving them shape and personality. Names, functions, and technical specs...
And then it left, just as it came. The pain faded away and the world oriented itself once more.
“I wasn’t built.” Applebloom mumbled. “I was... poured? Cast from living, molten metal in a high pressure mold, far away... on another planet!”
“Another planet?!” Sweetie Belle squeaked.
“Whoa... So that means...” Scootaloo stamped a hoof and grinned “I knew it!”
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes.
Scootaloo buzzed her little wings. “What was it like? Do you know?”
Applebloom shook her head. “It hurts to remember...”
Sweetie Belle pouted. Scootaloo stamped a hoof. “Well, why didn’t you tell us?!” The pegasus filly whined. “Why couldn’t you tell us you were a robot?!” she cocked a head “Shaped like a troll or a minotaur, no less!”
“’Cuz I just found out today myself, Scootaloo.” Applebloom explained, pointing at the console she fell from. “When I touched that thing, it stuck a whole bunch of information into my head. Too much information,” she grumbled, rubbing her head with a metallic hand. “I can’t keep most of it straight without getting a splittin’ headache.”
“Are you sure it didn’t turn you INTO a robot?” Sweetie Belle asked, cocking an eyebrow.
“Not according to Mister Yoketron.” Applebloom explained.
Scootaloo blinked. “Mister who?”
Applebloom pointed at the towering dead robot still sitting in the massive metal chair. “He put his brain in the computer I touched just before he died or something, but he didn’t see how I became, well... me. He explained a lot of things to me when I fainted after I touched the computer but...” she trailed off, her eyes downcast, “he’s gone now...”
The robotic filly went silent, her head beginning to pound again as information about Cybertron swept through her mind, unbidden. She hissed, clutching her head and sending the information away. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked between each other for a minute before the little unicorn cleared her throat.
“Applebloom? Are you alright?” Sweetie Belle asked.
Applebloom snapped out of her reverie and looked at the little unicorn. “I don’t know, Sweetie. This is way too much to take in in one day.” She took a step forward toward Yoketron, only to stumble over her own two feet and fall to the ground. The other fillies were by her side in a moment, helping her up. “Darn things. How does anybody walk around on two legs?”
“You really didn’t know you were a robot, didja?” Scootaloo chuckled.
Applebloom righted herself and took another step, slower this time. Slowly she crossed the room toward Yoketron, steadily getting the hang of two-legged mobility. As she reached the colossal robot, she looked up into its darkened face. Her eyes trailed down his form somberly, resting on his chest for a moment, taking in the emblem he wore proudly on his chestplate in life. She contemplated the meaning of the shield for a moment, before her eyes continued downward. Sighing, she rested a hand on the dead robot’s upper shin.
“Thanks...” she muttered under her breath, before turning and walking away from the robot. Turning back toward the other two she smiled at them. “I got a lotta thinking to do, girls, but... I think I’ll be alright.”
“You sure?” Scootaloo asked.
Applebloom just nodded.
“I just realized,” Sweetie Belle said, lifting a hoof. “Are you stuck like this now? I think your family is going to be a little shocked to see you come back home a two-legged robot taller than Big Macintosh.”
Applebloom’s eyes lit up. “Oh! I think I can do something! Lemme give it a shot!” Applebloom clenched her eyes shut, curling her new fingers into a fist and scowling as she tried to concentrate. The headache encroached again for just a moment when all of a sudden, her body started shifting and twisting again. Her fingers retracted back into her arm and her old pony face lifted up off of her chest back over her eyes and mouth. Her midsection compressed and her neck slid backwards, shifting her orientation again. Her limbs compressed and her center of gravity shifted again. Her mane lifted back up and oriented itself atop her head again.
“Whooa! WHOA!” Applebloom shouted, stumbling over onto her rump as the transformation finished. Dazed and upside down, though she may have been, Applebloom was back to her pony self.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo stared, jaws dropped for a moment before they squealed and tackled the filly with glee. The three of them tumbled a few feet across the metal floor before coming to a stop.
“You’re back to normal!” Scootaloo shouted, hugging her midsection.
“And you don’t FEEL like metal anymore.” Sweetie Belle said, poking at her face. “Your fur and skin feels just like any other pony. How do you do it?”
Applebloom righted herself out from under the two happy fillies. “I don’t know.” She said with a little shrug. “Not sure I want to think about it too much, though. There’s prolly an explanation, but I don’t want to risk the headache.” She said, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof.
“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, Applebloom!” Scootaloo shouted. “Look at your flank!”
The yellow filly blinked. “My flank? What’re y’all-” she started to say, only to turn around and gasp. Her flank flashed with a bright light for a second before fading away to reveal a picture.
“Oh my gosh!” Applebloom squealed. “I got it! I finally got my cutie mark!” She squealed, leaping up and hugging the other cutie mark crusaders.
“What is it?” Sweetie Belle asked, cocking her head.
Applebloom spun around in a circle, gazing at the newfound mark. “It looks like an apple mixed with an Autobot symbol!”
“Auto-” Sweetie tried to ask but she was cut off by Applebloom’s rambling.
“What Mister Yoketron said must be right! I’m an Apple as much as I am a robot!” She grinned. “I was worried for a bit, but now I know! This is so amazing I can barely think!”
“But what’s it for?” Scootaloo asked. “What does it mean you can do?”
Applebloom stopped spinning in place for a second, scratching her head. “I dunno, really. It must have something to do with being a robot. There are probably a bunch of things I can do as a robot that I never knew I could, so I guess I’ll just have to figure that out.” She smiled. “Hay, maybe I’m just good at everything a robot can do.”
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow. “Almost sounds like you still don’t know what your special talent is.”
That snapped her out of it. The filly frowned, scratching her head again. “I... I dunno. I feel like I’ve figured something out, but you’re right. I don’t really know what my ‘special talent’ is.”
Sweetie Belle tapped her chin. “Rarity told me once that when she got her cutie mark she didn’t really know what to make of it either. She said that she knew she got it for finding gems, but wasn’t really sure what that meant for her until a few weeks later.” She shrugged. “Maybe you have to figure out something similar?”
Applebloom frowned. “But I’m not even sure what I just got it for. I musta done something just now that gave it to me, but I’m not even sure what that is!” She groaned. “Great. I got a cutie mark, but I don’t even know what it’s for, unless it’s just ‘being a robot.’” She scuffed the ground with a hoof. “What kinda talent is ‘being a robot’ supposed to be?”
“Aw, come on, Applebloom.” Sweetie Belle said, wrapping a hoof around her neck. “I mean, I’m sure it has something to do with the fact that you’re a robot, but just ‘being a robot’ can’t be it.”
“Besides,” Scootaloo said, slapping her over the back, “Even if it is just ‘being a robot,’ that’s a cooler talent than you’re making it out to be.”
Applebloom raised an eyebrow. “Ya think?”
Sweetie Belle giggled. “I sure can’t do it!”
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle chuckled a bit as Applebloom’s face lifted into a smile.
“And remember,” Scootaloo said, “We are the cutie mark crusaders! We’ve always tried to help each other find our special talents, and now we’ll help you figure this mystery mark out! You can count on us, Applebloom!”
“Yeah!” Sweetie agreed.
Applebloom grabbed up the other two in a big hug. “Thanks, gals.” She sighed, her mind wandering as she was squeezed by her two best friends in the world. Breaking the hug, she nodded to her two friends. “I think, I want to go home, now.” She looked up at the slumped form of Yoketron. “It’s been... something. But I really need to go home and see my family now.”
“I’m sorry I got you into all this, Bloom.” Scootaloo said, scuffing a hoof.
Applebloom shook her head. “Naw, Scoots. I think I needed to see this. I’d have figured out I was... different sooner or later. Better to get it over with, I suppose.” She shrugged and pointed at her flank, “And hey, I got a cutie mark out of it!”
Scootaloo nodded. “Yeah, I guess that’s right.”
The farm filly wiped her brow. “But right now, I need to get home. It’s been enough excitement for one day, ya know?”
“Oh no!” Sweetie Belle squeaked, the two turning to her, shocked. “I just realized, we’ve been here for hours now! It’s probably gotten dark outside!”
“Oh, hay!” Applebloom groaned. “Applejack’s gonna tan my hide! We told her we’d be back before sunset!”
Scootaloo buzzed her tiny wings, galloping out of the massive chamber back into the hallway. “C’mon, girls, we gotta go!”
The three little fillies galloped out of the massive control chamber, the lights dimming and flickering out as they left. Neither Applebloom, nor the others, however, were aware of what was happening right behind them. In the darkened room, sitting upon the console that had transformed little Applebloom, was a blinking red light.
A massive black and purple starcraft floated in the void of space. Starlight glittered off of its polished hull as it sailed through the sea of stars. It hung like a harbinger of death above a small planet in the Gamma sector of space.
Through the massive, dimly-lit halls of the ship, eerie mechanical beings stalked. Peering emotionlessly at readouts on holographic screens, silently throwing switches and dials, none of them said a word. All of them were identical; chrome and violet with a piercing red eye and a spiked chassis.
The silence was deafening throughout the bridge of the ship. The only sounds to hear were the footsteps of the mechanical monstrosities as they stalked from station to station, keeping the ship running, all of them averting their glowing red eyes from the massive chair that sat in the middle of the room.
A whooshing noise suddenly rang out through the room, causing every red, cycloptic eye to turn to the bridge entry. A distinctive newcomer, red and black in chassis with two orange eyes, large red shoulders, and black ridges running down the top of his head, stood there with a dispassionate look upon his face. He scowled at the Vehicons, waving at them to go about their business, then brushing some dust off of his front as he stepped into the room. His arms crossed over his front as he approached the massive seat in the center of the room, only to stumble back when a growling buzz echoed out from the ceiling.
The red robot looked up to see a massive insectoid mech dropping from above him. The Insecticon hissed at him, his sickly green face opening in an alien, sideways manner as he screeched.
The red Decepticon hardly flinched. “Oh, bug off, Waspinator. I have news for the boss.”
The green, insectoid robot known as Waspinator raised a sickly claw, pointing accusingly at him. “Masssster sssaid he did not wish to being disssssturbed. Dead-bot will sssstaying away.” The bug’s hackles raised, his wings buzzing and claws flexing.
“This news is vital enough to interrupt his pointless daily sulking session.” The red robot said, stepping forward challengingly. The Insecticon took a step back in response, buzzing out a growl. “Now let me through and get back to wallowing in your filth elsewhere.”
Waspinator hissed, his purple compound eye gazing back at the newcomer threateningly, but eventually he relented and buzzed back up to the ceiling, grabbing a hold of it with his claws and crawling along the roof out the entryway.
The newcomer rolled his orange eyes, striding towards the massive seat at the center of the room. His arms still crossed, the robot gazed into the shadows where his master sat, only his massive purple feet visible in the dimly lit room.
“Why do you disturb me, Dead End?” A low, monotone voice spoke out from the shadow.
The one known as Dead End straightened up. “Sir,” he began, “we’ve just picked up a signal on the scanner. An Autobot distress signal.”
The figure in the seat remained motionless. “The Autobots have been encrypting their distress signals since the middle of the war so we could not pick them up. This must be an older one...” the monotone voice trailed off.
“Indeed, sir.” Dead End replied. “The good doctor and his brute were saying that older Autobot ships sometimes carried artifacts from the Iacon Archives or valuable resources they meant to smuggle offworld before the war got too heated.”
“I am aware.” The voice betrayed no emotion.
Dead End continued, “Blitzwing was saying that they may just have the sort of thing you’re looking for to finish your various projects.”
“Where is the signal emanating from?”
“Not far, sir.” Dead End smirked. “A short hop over to Epsilon Sector. A planet logged on Cybertronian star charts as 8090-P.”
“I am familiar.” The voice rumbled. “A cosmological curiosity, as the planet is orbited by a star, despite all logic.”
Dead End cleared his throat. “Your orders, sir?”
There was a moment of silence as Dead End stared into the shadows. Slowly, a single, red-glowing eye peered out of the darkness. The figure leaned forward, looming over the red and black con. A massive cannon lifted out of the darkness in place of his left arm and was brought to rest on the his lap. Dead End gulped as the figure ponderously stood up and gazed down at him.
“...Activate the transwarp drive, Dead End.”
Dead End bowed. “By your command, Shockwave.”
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YOOOOOOOOOOOSH! New chapter! I'm totally writing right now and can't read but I am SO SKIPPING SLEEP FOR THIS!
I think you left your italics on halfway through the chapter. Other than that, it was a fantastic read! Can't wait to see the town's reaction!
You created a new headcannon for me.
Also I was reading Waspinator's dialouge, and automatically thought of him in Beast Wars... but you broke my heart when he didn't talk like Beast Wars Waspinator.
What's with the all italic?
Shockwave. Oh. Crap.
I am both psyked that my favorite Decepticon is in this, and scared for Applebloom.
In any case, Big Mac and/or Applejack will probably have some 'splainin to do. ...That's even assuming THEY know.
3645084
'Sounded' pretty much like Beast Wars Waspy to me. Probably a little of the Animated version mixed in though, since that personality would be more suited to an Aligned Insecticon.
@Dusty the Royal Janitor...
1. Technical writing heads-up... You seem to have "lost control" of the italics roughly two-thirds through the chapter (2). I am guessing you missed an [ /italic] command. Might want to fix that ASAP.
2. Steve Blum... Is there any role that man does not do? Besides his magnum opus role as Marvel's Wolverine [No one does Wolvie better, to my ears], he voices nearly a third of the NPCs in Star Wars: the Old Republic MMO-RPG. For TF:Prime, he was great for portraying the mad-scientist themed Starscream, but also did most of the Decepticon drones too. And hopefully you are using the more dangerous Waspinator from TF:An, not the comedic bumbling 'goon from TF:Beast Wars.
2. I would have thought to use original G1 Shockwave voicer Corey Burton, myself. I always found his voice best for the cold and logic-aloof Shockwave.
3. I do not know if Malcom McDowell would do Transformers. But yes, if he did, he would pretty much "have" to be a Decepticon (the man is just too good at being Bad Guys). Hopefully Dead End is a crafty sort, befitting of the highly cunning & dangerous villains McDowell generally tends to be cast as.
4. Also, George Takei voiced for Alpha Trion for TF:Prime. But I can see using him for yet another elder Transformer figure too. Another possibility might have been renowned & veteran voicer Keith David.
5. I was moderately disappointed by the "data-dump" into PonyBot Apple Bloom's matrix-core to give her Transformer-nature information, it was a rather The Matrix's "I know kung-fu!" eye-rolling moment. Personally, I would have much preferred an AutoBot mentor-figure to teach PonyBot Apple Bloom in the ways of being a Transformers.
6. Not bad for PonyBot Apple Bloom's Cutie Mark / faction-symbol. Though I might have made it more AutoBot-distinctive than apple-ish.
Oh shit.
Shockwave instead of Megatron?
Logical annihilation is imminent.
3645160 3645075 3645126
Italics have been fixed.
As for you, pendrake, I chose Sobolov as he was the one that voiced Shockwave in TFPrime. And I know that George Takei voiced Alpha Trion there, but he also voiced Yoketron in TFAnimated, and I loved him in that role, so I figured that using him again would be okay. I doubt I could think of anybody else I'd have in that role anyway. Save for maybe, I dunno, Jackie Chan.
The Data Dump was used in a manner similar to the Data Cylinders from Transformers Prime. The one that messed with Bulkhead's brain and had him write out the formula for synthetic energon, just less harmful in the long run as it was applied properly this time. As much as I would have liked to give Applebloom an Autobot mentor, I could not figure out a way to make such a thing work. Applebloom is meant to be on her own in this fic, save for her family and friends. Throwing another bot in there would feel like too much, probably, and I did not want another pony to randomly turn out to be an autobot. I know a lot of people were suggesting I do such a thing when I released chapter 1, but there's a VERY GOOD REASON that Applebloom is a transformer, and it would not work if anypony else were a transformer as well.
Also, Applebloom was born and raised an Apple. No matter where she goes from this point on, she will always be an Apple first and a bot second.
Hope that answers most of your concerns.
Is... Is everything towards the end supposed to be all in italics?
Because that was a little uncomfortable to read after a while.
3645193...
7. Fair enough, since you intend this to be a solo story for PonyBot Apple Bloom. As I have said, it is your CrossOver fan-fiction, write as you see fit. As long as it is not wildly out of source-accuracy (which is always doubly tough with a CrossOver), I can let a lot of things slide. It is when going way out-of-bounds for source-accuracy, that is where the nerd-hammer starts swinging
.
8. Jackie Chan also would have been a good voicing choice. I had not known/recalled that George Takei did Yoketron; but as I have said, TF:An was not one of my favored TF-series [But I watched it with my girls, both as a fan and as a parent.]
9. David Sobolov did not really impress me for his voicing of Shockwave for TF:Prime, to me he just felt flat rather than cold and logic-aloof.
3645084 He also didn't get blown into peices like he did frequently in Beast Wars.
I find myself considering how my OCs might fit into this story... Anyway, please continue, I wanna see how the CMC try to hide what happened when Applebloom has her cutie mark... Does she lie better than Apple Jack?
3645218
Admittedly, my favorite voice for Shockwave was actually Corey Burton's David Warner-style voice from TFAnimated. But as this is in the Aligned continuity, I felt it best to go with the Aligned voice.
I remember Transformers Animated the most out of the Transformers cartoons I watched growing up. Shockwave and Waspinator were both some of my favorite Decepticons, and seeing them being in the Rogue's Gallery against Applebloom...
Needless to say, I'm loving it so far, keep the good work up! 
Finds out it's shockwave.
"Shit."
Anyway, finally an update, yay! :D
I usually ask this with all new beings but, how tall is Applebloom in her new form and when will we learn about her strengths?
Also, will any Autobots try to get to the distress signal?
Lastly, do you think you could find some references on the internet for the transformers that are cannon? I'm thinking at the moment that they look like the ones from transformers prime but I'm not sure... Just to be an added visual or something I guess...
And on a different note, I wonder how Applebloom will react to realizing that she was adopted and nobody told her.
Enjoying the story.
Though I think discipline at Sweet Apple Acres may have just fotten a mite more difficult...
3645357
Applebloom stands about as tall as Princess Celestia, short of the horn. She can look Princess Celestia in the eye, so about as tall as a moderately tall human being.
And sure. I was intending to go in and insert some references.
3645058 Ditto on that!
Huzzah~!! This COMPLETE derailed my sleeping plans, but what the heck! I've finally got the chapter I've been hoping for.
The whole exposition was A-okay in my book. Honestly, the only thing I was really looking forward to in this chapter was the reaction of the other two CMC members. Thinking about it, I should've seen Scootaloo's reaction coming from a mile away.. It was definitely a great emotionally charged scene when you get down to it, and I can't wait to see how the others are gonna take this... particularly Applejack. Granted, being the element of Honesty as well as having known Applebloom since she was a little foal (if she was a foal in this story's continuity...) she'll probably start to realize it's the truth a good bit quicker than Scoots.. if she can get past her stubbornness, anyway.
It was great, and I'm looking forward to the next chapter!
One last thing of note though.. you made a few mistakes with the formatting at a couple of spots. You used arrows instead of brackets at these two spots. There's also a slight grammatical error in the second quote I have down below.
3645408 4 a.m. and totally bucking worth it! I even got some serious writing done too! I'm off to pass out as only a knuckle head with no regards for a sensible sleep schedule can do!
3645381 By the way, awesome chapter Dusty! The wait was a bit disheartening but way worth it. Don't sell yourself short in your writing, and I'm looking forward to working with you on that project we talked about in the new year! Till then, I have my own stuff to groan about. see ya 'round!
Love it
, I hope for more
Rarity enjoys her spa day with Fluttershy and her spar day with Rainbow Dash
3645504
I just really really like the idea that Rarity is secretly a ninja, and goddammit, I'll stretch a single split second clip of 'Return of Harmony Part 2' well beyond the breaking point to make it happen!
3645551 It was my headcannon for a while that Rarity and Dash went to the same dojo, and Rarity is the one who usually beats Dash.
Lavender unicorn syndrome? Where? I can't see it...
Well, that's an exposition done right. I mean, they are robots, data transfer should be like breathing to them. And taking first breaths hurts.
Very good reactions of the trio.
Dagnabit... Sure, let's turn on the distress beacon, why don't we? They should have programmed some sort of 'too late to use it, likely jeopardised already' protocol...
Welp, this fic is going places!
Keep up the good work!
So, uh.... Great cutie mark, or Greatest cutie mark?
All we need is explosions everywhere. Someone get Michael Bay on line one!
3645678
Only problem with a 'too late' protocol is that...what is 'too late' for a cybertronian? Remember, the average cybertronian lifespan is several MILLION years, meaning that what might seem to be an excessively long time period to us wouldn't seem all that long to them.
Me reading through this:
Wow, Applebloom's going through all this self discovery, including downloading the entire history of her home planet, and STILL no sign of a Cutie... OH MAH GAAAAAAWWWWWD!!!!!!
This chapter is full of win.
I was kinda disappointed that you didn't use the Beast Wars Waspinator but then again it's probably for the best since like it was mentioned before that he was more of comic relief. Never really watched the never transformers past Beast Wars though so I only have the vaguest clue save for your links to go by.
Oh and those secret links. I found both of them. Both 3 seconds of course. Such a blast to the past indeed. Now we just need to wait before the Decepticons start busting stuff and Applebloom comes to save the day. Or at least make Dash very suspicious of her.
... What? Too expected of her?
Wonder how DT and SS will react to her cutie mark though... I'm sure they will ask questions and mock her too.
I'm just waiting for the epic reveal, wait did I mention that already?
But I do believe one question is in order... how exactly did the Apples come across Applebloom?
I was so happy to see that this updated. Now that I've read the update, though...
SIR, I DO BELIEVE I REQUIRE MORE, AS FAST AS IT CAN BE COMPLETED.
Excellent chapter. I am very much looking forward to seeing what happens next.
Just FYI, the latest chapter of Stardust currently has a rather large discussion going on as to the military implications of Celestia physically moving the sun around. The energy requirements for that are so pants-on-head enormous that it becomes difficult to square with either her canon fight against Queen Chrysalis or any fanfiction fight where she is seriously threatened. I'm not really complaining personally, as I happen to be in the "it can work" camp, but be aware that laying out the cosmology this way tends to ruffle some feathers, particularly in a fic involving physical conflict.
3645816
Every code can be cracked.
With this in mind, a being capable of living for millions of years would plan accordingly. One would think changing the coding system every million years or so wouldn't be too much of a hassle. In a war event, it would actually be the logical and preferred course of action. Most likely earlier than million years as well.
So it stands to reason to assume that the old system is compromised.
Of course, this creates a moral problem: should we use a code that is so old it's likely long cracked and using it will attract enemy or should we not use it and stay stranded.
Considering all but one protoform died, it would be a logical course to not only postpone the beacon activation but also code it so it only activates if the remaining protoform is in major distress.
If it fares well and it decides to activate it, sure, go for it! But don't do it without warning and, even worse, regardless of the protoform's decision.
Then again, that's how I would plan it. And I'm unfortunately not a million-years-old Transformer, so excuse me if I'm not thinking like they are.
Edit:
All that aside...
Oh, Great Author! Are you planning on showing us the scene from the cover image? Because it would be absolutely hilarious!
So my Transformers knowledge is limited entirely to Gen 1 and Beast Wars. How screwed am I in reading this fic?
3646139
Considering I'm almost completely not into Transformers, you are better off than me.
And I'm having fun!
You have said that this takes place in the Aligned continuity family. But you don´t say when it takes place, is it before or after prime or after the series ending movie.
32. I counted a total of 32 transformers links in this.
Oh. My. Freaking. God. So many references. Ugh. The only thing I have to say is, I hope Blitzwing gets an appearance, 'Cause from what little I remember of him, he was funny. And what the heck is a 'lavender unicorn syndrome'?
Random moustache!
3645373 Funny, good gag. But I'd never want to see it in the real story.
Shockwave.... Forget Megatron, Shockwave is the scarier villain!
I certainly hope that an Autobot or two comes to help AB out. She has one hell of a learning curve to fight Soundwave and his minions.
3646111
Well, in any case, the points here are moot because 1. Yoketron is DEAD and thus would be unable to update to encrypted channels and 2. Applebloom probably accidentally activated the signal when she was downloading stuff, so it probably wasn't actually on until just now. And anyways, the signal is an easy way to explain why the Decepticon team shows up right after Applebloom finds out she's an Autobot.
aaaw, no cutie-mark-crusader combiners...
Since Yoketron is in this, I'm guessing this is the Animated continuity? Is Applebloom the only autobot on Equis? Or did some bots pick up the distress beacon too?
I like that Applebloom's not the only one getting an education in this chapter. Stuff like this is good for the readers that aren't as well versed in Transformers lore (like this dipshit
)
Now it'll be interesting to hear the backstory between the Apples and Applebloom. Did they find her after the crash-landing (a la Superman)? Or is this going to be a new discovery for everypony?
And will AB's mark give Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon more ammo to tease her with?
Find out on: Applebloom: Transform and Roll Out!
3646171
"Lavender Unicorn Syndrome" is basically when you describe the character you're talking about, rather than name them.
Comes from a common tendency to call Twilight Sparkle "the lavender unicorn" more often than her name.
3646275
I could argue that dead or not, he should make sure he's not endangering Bloom by shitty security protocols, but you are correct: there would be no Decepticons otherwise.
So let's just sit back and enjoy explosions!
Like I said applebloom can't face all those decepticons alone. I got a fox maximal you can use to help back her up. He is the normal red fox variant with blue eyes for beast mode. His robot mode is based on cheetor in looks only his tail stays. His theme is sort of a Knight. His name kitsune as an error made him look like a nine tailed fox. He can help guide applebloom with the current info on Cybertronians. His role is a guardian class and has a good heart. Personality wise he is a protective trickster.
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It takes place a couple years before the events of Transformers Prime.
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It takes place in the Aligned continuity. This is the Aligned version of Yoketron.