• Published 16th May 2015
  • 2,090 Views, 27 Comments

Through The Looking Glass - Darkryt Orbinautz



They came down from the stars. The ponies called them heroes. They call themselves Decepticons. But whatever they are, they've made life good for the citizens of Equestria ... and Queen Celestia will not tolerate such insolence against her reign.

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Shards

They descended from the stars. Giants forged of steel and copper. For transport, they rode atop giant, thundering discs or on spurts of fire. For weapons, they used beams of light or eyeless dragons nailed to their arms. Some of them stood on their fellows' shoulders. Others transform themselves into monstrous beasts with swords for nails or vast birds of prey …

And they floated down from the stars … and they saved us from tyranny and greed … and they will protect us from the cruelty of others as well.

"Wow, momma!" The young filly expressed. "These guys are sound amazing! I wish they weren't a story. I would love to meet them."

The mother, telling her this story, giggled. "They're not a story, young one. They're quite real." The mother pulled her filly closer, rubbing her filly's mane. "They're just outside, protecting us."

"We call them saviors. They call themselves Decepticons."


The next morning, Chrysalis, Princess of the Changelings, went through her morning route. Every day, Chrysalis went on a trek through Canterlot, feeding off the love and compassion of the residents. The Changelings fed off the love, or as Sir Soundwave put it, "good vibrations" of a populace. The more positive the emotion, the happier the Changelings fed. So the Changelings made it their goal to spread peace and harmony wherever they went, whether it was by doing something as trivial as community clean-up or as earth-rattling as toppling a regime. Which they did, which made the impoverished ponies of Canterlot delighted. And thus, an excellent food source.

Chrysalis smiled and hummed to herself, pleased with the result of her work. Her lips quivered and scowled as they tasted negative feels, a warning of a pony who was not so happy.

"Fancy Pants." Chrysalis said, recognizing the red-haired pony in front of her, clad in overalls. Fancy Pants had made himself a nuisance to her and her friend Megatron, always complaining about one thing or another. "What is it this time?"

"Hmm." Fancy Pants huffed. "The same thing as the last time. And the time before that. The time before that. And the time before that. WAGES! My unskilled laborers need an increase in their wages! Cadence's drove our paychecks down further and further and left us nearly bone-dry. When will Lord Megatron get around to fixing it?"

"Megatron will get to you." Chrysalis said, smiling. "Eventually, Megatron intends to get to everypony in Canterlot. He just has a lot on his mind, that's all."

"Hmph." Fancy Pants huffed again. "Any leader who can't push aside his personal issues to lead is unfit to lead." Seeing his complaints wouldn't be addressed today, Fancy Pants turned around and left. "I certainly didn't vote to elect him king."

The "elected king," Megtron was out standing on a cliff plateau, watching the clouds float by. He was observed by his soldiers and friends, Cliffjumper, a fish out of water, and Side Swipe, a broody loner. Side Swipe had his arms crossed while Cliffjumper smiled, content to let Megatron watch the sky.

"What are we even doing out here, anyway?" Side Swipe asked.

"Aww, let Megatron have his fun." Cliffjumper said. "Side Swipe, if you keep crossing your arms as much as you do, they'll get stuck in place like that."

"I'm just thinking." Megatron said. "I come out here to think. At night, if you look close, you can see Cybetron. It looks like an orange star."

"Aww, that's nice." Cliffjumper said. "You should invite us out here at night sometime."

Megatron turned to Cliffjumper with a smile. "Perhaps one day, I will." He looked back to the clouds. "Strange, isn't it. How after I toppled their monarch, these ponies elected me to be their king. It's two completely forms of government. Monarchies and democracies and on occasion, democratic republics."

Side Swipe groaned and buried his head into his hands. "Really? We've been stranded on this planet for six months and your first concern is giving the ponies a class in government?"

"You're right, Side Swipe. I'm sorry." Megatron said. "I should be focusing on finding us a way off this planet. Or at least helping with the issues of the natives."

"Or trying to find something to power up and revive our Decepticon friends." Cliffjumper said.

"There's not a natural source of Energon anywhere on this rock, so we'll have to find something to convert."

"I'm not so sure." Side Swipe said. "Remember our ship is still full of deactivated Decepticons and Autobots. Anything that could bring the Decepticons online could also bring back the Autobots."

"Ah, we have numbers." Cliffjumper waved Side Swipe's worries off. "The Autobots are down not only a member, but also by a leader who's at the bottom of a river. They're a four-man band of scumbags and thieves running around the land trying to figure out what to do. Why, I'll bet they're already at each others' throats."

"Leaderless does not mean powerless, Cliffjumper." Megatron said. "And I doubt they'll stay that way for long. Between the four of them, they can put their heads together and one of them will realize they need leadership. Granted, they'll probably decide who it is by having a brawl and the last man standing gets to lead. But still, we shouldn't underestimate them."

Chrysalis appeared. "Underestimate who now?"

"Oh, hi, Chrysalis." Cliffjumper waved at her. "We're were just talking about the Autobots. You know, Rodimus and his gang."

Chrysalis laughed. "Ha. I'd like to remind all of you the full force of my Changelings at your side. The Autobots won't be any worry."

Megatron wasn't convinced. "Ehh, are you sure? The Changelings are … well, small and squishy. And trust me, the Autobots are good at squishing."

"Yeah, and their only attack is, like, going kamikaze." Cliffjumper said. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable sending forces who can only do that."

"Not true! They can also shoot lasers." Chrysalis smirked. "Can you imagine Autobots on the run from a flurry of lasers sent by a swarm of Changelings?"

The image was comical in the Decepticons' minds and they shared a laugh.

Megatron, remembering Side Swipe's words, decided to redirect his focus on helping. "So, anything going on in town, Chrysalis?"

"Not much. Fancy Pants is still complaining."

"Of course he is. What is it this time?"

"Oh, the usual nonsense about wages." Chrysalis said. "Honestly, some ponies are just so impatient."

"Well, he has been complaining about it for a few days now." Megatron scratched his head, embarrassed. "We should have gotten to him by now … and some other ponies as well."

"Yes, but … Fancy Pants is a jerk." Chrysalis said.

Megatron was about to reply in Fancy Pants' defense when a little filly walked up to them. Megatron eschewed the debate around Fancy Pants to greet her.

"Hi, Diamond Tiara! Did you enjoy your day at school?"

"Not really." Diamond Tiara walked up to Megatron and sat by him on the cliff-edge. She looked down over the side of the cliff as thought she was contemplating throwing herself off

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing." Diamond Tiara said. "Just … there are these fillies at my school who make fun of my Cutie Mark."

Side Swipe and Cliffjumper leaned towards each, whispering in conspiracy.

"Cliff, what's a Cutie Mark?"

"I don't know. I think it's, like, that tattoo they have on their haunches."

Chrysalis comforted Diamond Tiara, placing a hoof on her (and steering her away from the edge before she jumped off). "How are they making fun of your Cutie Mark, dear?"

"They said I'm "lame" because I have my destiny laid out for me." Diamond Tiara said. She turned around and buried her head into Chrysalis' chest. "But it's not. It's just my special talent, not my destiny."

"Who are these fillies?" Megatron asked. "And why isn't your teacher doing something about it?"

"They like to call themselves the 'Blank Flank Rangers.'" Diamond Tiara said. "And I told her about it, but she just said it's good for – what did she say? She said it's good for us kids to pick on each other so we can be 'prepared for the disappointments of life.'"

"Did she?" Megatron narrowed his eyes. "That's not right. A preschool teacher shouldn't speak to their students like that."

"Yeah." Side Swipe said. "They're not supposed to do that until high school."

Megatron gave Side Swipe a curious look. "Sometimes you worry me, Side Swipe. Anyways, Diamond Tiara, I think your teacher and I should talk. We can't have ponies espousing rhetoric like that if we want to make this planet a better place to live for its residents."

"'Espousing rhetoric' …" Side Swipe said. "Megatron, do you hear yourself talk? Sometimes you worry me."

This earned Side Swipe a tired glare from Megatron, as if asking "did you really just say that?" without using his words.


"Miss Cheerilee! Miss Cheerilee!" The three "Blank Flank Rangers," as they called themselves, went running up to their teacher. One of them was lugging around a sheet of metal on their back.

"Oooh." Miss Cheerilee groaned and slapped her head. "Vat do you vant, children? Did you not hear class was DISMISSED?"

"We know, we know." One of the Rangers said. "But we wanted to show you this awesome shield we found! Isn't it cool?"

"Yeah. I'll bet it's, like, an ancient relic or something from an epic pony war thousands of years ago!"

"We found it by the-"

"I do not care where you found it!" Miss Cheerilee snapped at them. "Every day, I must put up with you miserable miscreants in my classroom til closing time, where I can finally get some peace and quiet. I do not need you little monsters around during my free time -"

Cheerilee's rant was interrupted by the whine of a jet engine overhead. She and the Ranger looked up to see the condor-esque form of Megatron hovering overhead. The four ponies backed away from each other, giving Megatron a wide berth to land.

"Miss Cheerilee." Megatron converted from one form to the other, wings folding away. Gears were exposed and large sections of the aircraft split open, reforming together as arms or legs. His engines performed double-duty as the heels of his feet, allowing him to use the engine's fire to ease his descent on the ground.

"Miss Cheerilee, is it?" Megatron spoke with a pleasant and genial voice.

Miss Cheerilee, quavering in the presence of the giant Decepticon and sweating bullets, nodded.

"As I'm sure you're aware, I am Megatron." Megatron bowed. "Now, I've heard that you've allowed these fillies over here to bully Diamond Tiara, another one of your students and a close friend of mine." Megatron gestured to the Rangers. "Now, that's not true, is it?"

"Uh ..." Cheerilee lost her voice. "Vell, you see … it's good for the children. It toughens them up."

Megatron crossed his arms and rubbed his chin. "Mmm, I'm not sure I agree. See, because for children to grow up healthy, they have to have a sense of self-confidence. A degree of self-worth they can use to realize the worth of their existence. When bullies like you or the Rangers here pick on them and call them names, it erodes that self-confidence, that self-worth. It makes the little filly in question think she's not good enough or that she's somehow failed some great, imperceptible test. It's not healthy for a filly to grow up thinking like that. It's not a good life for them."

Megatron got down on his knees, bringing himself closer to eye-level with Cheerilee.

"I'll have you know, while I am here, I intend to make life good on this planet for everyone." Megatron's voice never changed by a decibel, his tone remaining ever calm. Yet Cheerilee could hear the unspoken threats in his voice if Diamond Tiara continued to be mistreated. "Do we understand each other?"

Cheerilee nodded.

"Good. Because I would hate to hear life isn't good for my friend." Megatron said with a disarming smile with a double-meaning so thick it could be cut with a laser scalpel.

Megatron got up from his knees and looked at the Blank Flank Rangers. "That goes for you too, kids. Quit picking on Diamond Tiara, and any other fillies while you're at it." The fillies were eager to agree.

"Okay!"

"Yes, sir, Megatron, sir!"

"Please don't vaporize us with your laser cannon."

"Sweetie Belle!"

"What?" Sweetie Belle shrugged. "We were all thinking it, I just said it."

"Good, good." Megatron nodded, pleased with their responses. "Bye now, children. Play nice! Oh, that's a nice shield you got there. Kinda looks familiar." Megatron jumped into the air and shifted again, his legs and arms collapsing into a curved shape made airborne by two sets of curved, iron wings and rode on a spurt of fire from its engines. Megatron heeded for Canterlot, meaning to start work with the inhabitants there.

Sweetie Belle's held her gaze to the skies as Megatron flew in the shape of an iron bird, going faster than anything she had ever seen.

"I will never get used to that." Sweetie Belle said.

A pony some distance away watched the whole transaction between Megatron and the little ponies. She would be inconspicuous as a bystander if not for her black cloak and hood which hid her face.

"Yes." The pony's words came out as a hiss. Her eyes were on the shield the Blank Flank Rangers found. "Yes, children, that is a nice shield you have."

Seeing Megatron cover several miles' worth of distance in less than minutes, the pony reached up and pulled down her hood, revealing her face to be Twilight Sparkle's. Dangerous madwoman and known associate of what little Autobots were active in the area.

"You enjoy being king, Megatron." Twilight kept her eyes on Megatron's fast-fading form until it was out of sight. "It won't last. You ..." Twilight pounded the ground. "You took my O.P from me. Soon, I'll take something from you …"

Pulling her hood back up, Twilight gave one last, longing look at the shield the Rangers were playing with before galloping out of town. She ran over tree trunks, rocks, and swatted aside anything else in her way until she reached her destination; a cave somewhere outside the town of Ponyville.

A cave where her friends and the Autobots were hiding.

Upon her arrival, said Autobots stepped out of the cave. Each of them were carrying several quarter-tons of supplies, ranging from steel I-beams and electric wielders to tiny screws and lightbulbs.

"Hey, Sparkle!" Tossing his load to the ground, a black Autobot went up to Twilight. "We got, uh, all the things you, eh, requested."

"Did you?" Twilight eyed the pile of parts the Autobot had tossed before moving and inspecting the loads the other Autobots were carrying, dropping said loads as she walked by. "Yes, yes, you did. Excellent. We have everything we need ..."

"Uh, 'ey ..." The Autobot said. "Not to question youse wisdom, but are youse sure this crazy plan of yours will work? I mean, I seen what youse' pony magic can do, but making raw Autobots out of nothing ain't easy."

"It will work, Rodimus."

"One would hope this plan works." Another Autobot spoke. He approached Rodimus and leaned over him, his tall size putting Rodimus in his shadow. "After all, I, Grimlock, would hate to think we've been following your's and Twilight's lead all this only to end up with nothing of value."

"Youse tryin' to start sumpthin, Grimlock?" Rodimus showed he would not be intimated by poking Grimlock's chest.

"Not at all." Grimlock said. "I, Grimlock, are merely stating should this plan of yours fail for any reason, perhaps we might seek more effective leadership."

"Are youse implyin' my leadership ain't effective, ya overgrown lizard?"

"Your words, Rodimus, not mine."

"Listen." Rodimus pointed a finger at Grimlock. "We got two options here, see? To get more Autobots here so we can have an army to take over this planet and we either storm Megatron's ship, which is guarded by hundreds of those pink puff-ball Changelings or we can work on Twilight's plan and hope it works. Speakin' o' which ..."

Rodimus walked to Twilight and produced a blue hologram from his wrist. "Twilight, since youse building these Autobots of raw materials, youse think youse could make some … modifications?"

"Modifications?" Twilight's horn shined a light and she disappeared, reappearing on Rodimus' arm, clinging to the limb to get a better look at the hologram. "Oh, you are an enchanting creature!"

"Yeah." Rodimus said. "It was sumpthin ol' Optimus was workin' on back home before we got stranded on this here rock. Think youse can replicate it on our new recruits?"

"Mmm, yeeesss … I believe I can." Twilight said.

Rodimus shuddered. "Do youse have to say "yes" like youse some sort of snake? It creeps me out every time."

"Mmm, sssorry, Rodimus." Twilight hopped off Rodimus' arm, teleporting before she reached the ground. "Now we come into the only real problem with my plan ..."

"Problem?" Rodimus said. "What problem?"

"I can build us new Autobot soldiers out of this scrap … but I can't make them live." Twilight stressed the last word.

"Not a problem." Rodimus said. "Mindless drones are better anyway."

"In some respects, yes." Grimlock said. "But a mindless drone can't adapt to a changing situation. It can only follow orders. A drone can't think for itself, make a battlefield decision in a split-second, or pursue objectives without being told. Even with the risk of them revolting, living Autobots would be better."

"Fine." Rodimus said. "But where are gonna find something to bring 'em to life, huh? Don't tell me youse think there might be a terminal of some kind on this mudball."

"No. But … perhaps if one of us were to volunteer, we could split their Ember and use the pieces to power our warriors. Perhaps that would be enough to infuse them with life."

"Volunteer, huh? Now where would we find one of those?" Rodimus scratched at his artificial beard. He snapped his fingers. "Goldbug."

"What?" The Autobot known as Goldbug snapped to attention. "What did you say?"

"I said, I'm volunteering youse!" Rodimus gestured at Twilight, whose horn was sparking and whose lips were smirking. "Come over and help Twilight out with her little plan. C'mon. Take one for the team."

"N-no." Goldbug walked backwards. "No way, man. I see through your ruse. This is a trick. A ploy! You think if I donate my Ember for splicing, it'll be a good way to get rid of me, don't you?"

"There's always the hope." Rodimus muttered under his breath.

"There is a chance the splicing procedure could be fatal." Grimlock said.

Goldbug continued to back away.

"It's a tiny chance!"

"I don't believe you, Grimlock." Goldbug reached over his back and was about to pull out his blaster. Rodimus tackled and pinned to the ground, where they wrestled and struggled until Rodimus grabbed Goldbug in a grip and held him down.

"Now, Twilight! Do it now!"

"No, no!" Goldbug kicked and flailed, trying to fight his way out. Twilight Sparkle climbed onto his chest, still smirking her devious smirk. "Get away from me!"

Twilight's horn emitted a bright light which engulfed Goldbug's chest. Goldbug's chest was pried open, swinging on two doors and exposing Goldbug's internal systems. At the center of these systems was a space for holding a spherical blue orb, which gave a faint light and pulsed, as if it were a beating heart. Twilight Sparkle crawled into the systems, aiming to touch her horn to the sphere and cut it into pieces.

"Get away! GET AW - AAAAAARRAAGH!"

Goldbug's scream of pain from the horn touching his Ember was loud enough to frighten several birds from nearby trees.

A large portion of them were crows.


Megatron went flying back to Canterlot, expecting Fancy Pants to complain at him again and for Chrysalis to have formed a single-file line of ponies whose problems needed fixing.

So when the first he noticed upon his return was Fancy Pants throwing a can at his jet form, and Chrysalis, Side Swipe and Cliffjumper trying to hold back a riot led by Fancy Pants, he was caught off-guard.

Converting to his bipedal robot mode, Megatron landed on the ground. He noticed a building with a multiple huge holes torn into it, as if something had crashed through one way and smashed its way out the other.

"What is going on here?" Megatron asked.

"I'll tell you what's going on!" Fancy Pants threw another can at him. "Your Decepticons have been raiding our factories!"

"What? We did no such thing."

"Then how do you explain that?" Fancy Pants pointed at the building. "That's an iron and scrap works factory. It's just been torn into and several shipments of metals were taken from it! It's bad enough you Decepticons won't work with my union on wages, but now you actively rob from us?"

"Fancy Pants, I assure you, my Decepticons had nothing to do with this."

"Well, then who did?" Fancy Pants blew air from his nose. Seeing a target to place blame on, he pointed at Cliffjumper. "What about him? His little face-badge is different from your other Decepticons."

Cliffjumper did his best to smile and defuse the situation. "Eh-heh … the story behind that is a long and complicated one."

"Wait." Side Swipe said. "Fancy Pants may be onto something, albeit from the wrong direction. Think the Autobots did this?"

"Without anyone seeing them?" Chrysalis asked. "How?" Chrysalis turned towards Fancy Pants. "You didn't actually see the thieves, did you, Fancy Pants?"

"No." Fancy Pants turned his head and grimaced. "Just the results of their handiwork."

"Now how would four Autobots manage to sneak into Canterlot mountain, ransack a factory, and still be able to get out before anyone noticed them?" Side Swipe wondered.

"Look at the holes in the building." Megatron directed his men at them. "Notice how they don't reach the ground? They're all in the upper corners or on the roof."

"So?" Side Swipe asked. "What does that mean?"

"It means maybe the Autobots who did weren't earthbound." Megatron said. "They must have flown in, smashed their way into the factory, grabbed what they could, and flew out. That's how they went unnoticed. They must have flown over and dived in, which is why there are so many holes in the building."

"And anyone who saw them flying would probably think it was you or Starscream." Chrysalis said.

"I think you're all forgetting something." Side Swipe spoke up. "None of the Autobots we know are active can fly."

A terrible thought entered Clifjumper's head. "Uh … guys? What about Autobots we don't know are active?"

Side Swipe was doubtful. "How would that work? The guards at the ship haven't reported anything. They have no way of sending a transmission to Cybertron for reinforcements, and they couldn't just build a new Autobot … they don't have the materials."

"Hush." Megatron waved his hand out when something bizarre happened. A little wisp of blue flame appeared in the air, with no fuel source or anything to trigger the ignition. The wisp burned and burned, fading away and extinguishing itself to reveal a letter. The letter floated floated into Megatron's hand.

"What is it?"

"Perhaps when we read it, Cliffjumper, we'll find out." Megatron cleared his throat and read the letter. "'Dear Megatron, I know you and your fellow Decepticons have stuck on this planet for the last few months. If you'll meet at this location, I may have a way for you to get off-planet. Your other Decepticons may not approve of it, however, so please … come alone and we can discuss whether or not you'll share it with your troops.'"

"Wait, did they actually write out the ellipsis?" Cliffjumper asked, trying to read it over Megatron's shoulders.

"I don't like it." Side Swipe said. "It is way too convenient for our situation. Plus, it comes in around the same time this is happening?" Side Swipe pointed to the ruined building and Fancy Pants' disgruntled labor strikers. "Don't tell me you think that's a coincidence?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Megatron held the letter in his hand. He crumpled it up, about to put all of his hopes. "But if there's even a sliver of a chance it being truthful and they have a way off this planet, I have to try. I owe to the Decepticons who've served me."

"And if it is, what about the Autobots?" Cliffjumper asked. "We can't leave them here to run amok on this planet."

"One bridge at a time, Cliffjumper. One bridge at a time. Think the three of you can handle this riot until it settles down?"

"Yeah." Side Swipe's came out as grumbling. "Go on. We've got this covered."


Megatron gave an acknowledging nod of his head and converted to jet mode. He flew out of Canterlot towards the location written on the letter, unsure if he was making the right decision in choosing to meet the mysterious sender in pursuit of a way home.

Megatron arrived at the given location, swooping down from the sky, channeling the spirit of a falcon going after prey as the screech of his turbines echoed across the landscape. His passage disrupted the flow of air, sending a ripple through the wind which shook the trees.

He transformed in mid-air and landed on his feet in the middle of a rugged patch of land. He looked around, trying to spot the author of the letter.

He gave the landscape a thorough investigation. To his west, there was a small patch of forest. To his south, a large cave carved into a mountainside. There was no telling how deep the cave went.

"Where could he – or she – be?" Megatron wondered of the person who was supposed to meet him. Still searching for a person, Megatron noticed an object.

"What's this?" Megatron walked up to the rock formations by the cave. He bent down for a closer look at what caught his eye. A loose screw was by the boulder. Most regular ponies – heck, most Decepticons – wouldn't notice it, but Megatron could see disturbances in the rocks and the dirt. There was a fine line of a substance leading from the screw to the rock.

Megatron picked up the screw and inspected it. He brought close to his face, identifying the same substance was clinging to the threads of the screw.

"Sawdust." Megatron said. He stood up and tossed the screw in the air. "Now what would sawdust be doing here?" Thinking it could give him a clue, Megatron took another look at "here." His thoughts wandered back to Side Swipe and his concerns.

"Heh. You know, now I think about it, this might make a good place for an -"

Megatron was interrupted by a laser blast striking him in the dead-center of his back, knocking him down.

"An ambush?"

Megatron grunted, reeling from his wound. He managed to roll over and look up to see, to his horror, five Autobots hovering over him, all dressed in dark or dark-complimentary paint jobs.

"That was what you were gonna say, right?" The tallest one, no doubt the leader, asked.

"F-flying Autobots?" Megatron said. "How?"

Megatron shield his eyes from a flash of light forming atop one of the boulders. The light produced Twilight Sparkle. "What? You think your Decepticons have a copyright on the power to fly?"

"Of course not." Despite his wound and the pain it brought, Megatron pushed himself up. "But I know all of two Autobots who can fly out of two-hundred."

"Well, that ratio just got a lot smaller." Twilight said with a mad grin. "Megatron, I'd like you to meet the newest members of the Autobot empire, the Aerialbots." The Aerialbots took turns greeting Megatron in their own ways.

"What's up?"

"How's everybody doing tonight?"

"Hi … I'm Air Raid, and I'm going to kill you … I guess. We're all gonna die anyway. What's the point in trying to speed it up?"

"Quit being so negative, Air Raid. It's grinding on my nerves."

"Do you like them?" Twilight asked with the kind of quiet voice used by children asking parents to approve of their first art project. "I made them myself."

"Made them yourself? How did – you!" Megatron put two and two together. "You were the ones behind the factory thefts!"

Twilight giggled. "Guilty as charged!"

"So that explains where you got the materials for their bodies." Megatron hardened his gaze at the Aerialbot leader, who returned the favor. "But how did you bring them to life? There's no terminal anywhere on this planet … is there?"

"Mmm, I don't think so." Twilight said after a moment's thought. "I guess I should just be thankful Goldbug was so willing to give up his Ember to make the Aerialbots, shouldn't I?"

"You what?" Megatron's jaw hung open in horror before he got a grip on himself. "I wish I could say I'm say I'm surprised you sacrificed Goldbug like that, but I'm not. Congratulations, Twilight Sparkle. You're monstrous enough you really do deserve to be called an Autobot in your own right."

"Oh, quit your worrying. He's fine … which is the color-wheel opposite of what you're going to be when we're done with you. Now, Aerialbots … I believe it's time you showed Megatron your special talent."

"Special talent?" Megatron knew enough about enough things to know he should be afraid.

The Aerialbot leader nodded. Two of the Aerialbots got on the ground, shifting in shape and converting in size. Their arms sunk into their bodies while their feet snapped together. The leader hovered overhead and spread his arms out, his head lifting up and folding into his back. His legs collapsed into on themselves. The remaining two Aerialbots flew up to the torso of their leader and had their legs click together while their arms converted into decoration, akin to spikes.

"Oh no." Megatron said with growing dread. "I've seen this before on Cybertron ..."

The Aerialbots attached to each other as if by magnetic attraction. Joints clicked, gears groaned, and the Aerialbots themselves let out gasps of pain as they were painfully fused together into a single, monstrous form. A new head appeared on the gestalt sum and hands and feet were created from nothing to give the impression of a full body. Megatron stepped back as the giant's shadow loomed over him.

The terrible beast spoke, and when he did, it sounded of thunder, of multiple, independent voices struggling to speak the same unified thoughts.

"SUPERION … SMASH."

Thinking for options as Superion advanced towards him, Megatron realized he could do one of two things. He could either stay and fight and get flattened by Superion, or he could turn and flee to get help from the Changelings and the Decepticons. The second option seemed a much more sound plan of action.

Megatron turned around and jumped off the rocks. As he always did, he converted in mid-air to jet mode and prepared for takeover towards Canterlot at the highest speed he could go, even if might mean overheating his engines.

"GET BACK HERE!" Superion snatched Megatron out of the air, grabbing the Decepticon leader in his massive fist. Superion rose his hand over his shoulder and smashed Megatron into the mountainside. After embedding Megatron into the rock, Superion was content to let go … and let Megatron fall to the ground, where Megatron busted a few circuits on impact.

"Yeah, okay, that's not gonna work." Megatron said to himself. He rolled over and detach the weapon on his arm. "Okay, Rumbler, don't let me down." The weapon took a transformation of its own, producing a pair of caterpillar treads for it to roll on.

"Megatron!" Twilight said. "Does that removal of your weapon mean you're giving up?"

Despite being outclassed by Twilight's monster, Megatron flashed a grin. "Twilight, my dear … I'll have you know, when it comes to laser cannons, I am not left-handed."

"Uh, what?"

Two gun barrels flipped out from Megatron's back and formed his over his shoulders. He shot a blast from each barrel, hitting Superion in both shoulders at once. The shot made the giant stagger, but otherwise had little effect.

"I've always wanted to say that!" Megatron said. "Now to even the odds a little ..." Megatron jumped up, trying to get the engines in his feet to turn over and propel him through the air where he could take potshots at Superion while staying out of reach. When there wasn't even a spark or a sputter, Megatron knew he was in trouble. Superion slamming him into the mountain did more damage than he realized.

"Uh-oh." Megatron cartwheeled out of the way of Superion's plummeting fist, dodging by a nose-hair and leaving Superion's fist lodged into the mountain. Megatron knew Superion's fist wasn't going to be stuck there for long. He would pull his fist out and Megatron would be having to fight a gestalt combiner robot while he was down a cannon and with no flight ability.

This was far from his ideal position to be in for a fight.


At Canterlot, Side Swipe, Cliff, and Chrysalis had calmed the riot down. The other functioning Decepticons, Starscream and Sir Soundwave, joined in the efforts before it was over and Diamond Tiara arrived to hang out with her Decepticon friends.

"Well, that was an ordeal." Chrysalis said. "But I'm glad we managed to talk them down."

"Yes." Starscream said. "Now let's just hope nothing else unfortunate happens for the rest of the day."

"I don't think we're gonna have luck on that, dudes." Sir Soundwave pointed at the roads. "It's Rumbler."

"Rumbler?" Diamond Tiara asked. "Who or what is a Rumbler?"

"Rumbler is Megatron's weapon-drone." Chrysalis said. "When Megatron needs to fit into a tight space he can't get into by himself, he'll usually send Rumbler in."

"Yes, but there's no tight spaces around here I'm aware of which Megatron has any business being ." Starscream said. "So why is it here?"

The Rumbler tank pulled up to them and began beeping at them.

"Why is beeping?" asked Diamond Tiara. "Starscream, why is it beeping?"

"It's beeping because-" Starscream paused, realizing he didn't have an answer. "Because ..."

"Wait." Side Swipe raised his hand up for silence. "Listen. That's Morse code."

The Decepticons went silent and counted the number of beeps from Rumbler, matching the beeps with finger movements.

"What's he saying?" Chrysalis asked.

"He?"

"He's saying Megatron is at a quarry being harassed by a super-solider. And trust me, Cybertronains are a bit of a leading authority on what is and is not a super-solider. Also, he says "Side Swipe You Were Right.'" Side Swipe added with a smile.

"Sounds like Megatron is in trouble."

"Rumbler will be able to led us back to him." Side Swipe said. "Come on!" The Decepticons transformed into their vehicle modes and followed Rumbler out of the city. Chrysalis joined them, leaving Diamond Tiara behind to keep her from danger.

"Did that … laser cannon talk to them?" Diamond Tiara asked, confused about this "Morse code" she never heard of before worked. "Now they're following it out of the city. They're following a laser cannon out of the city. I will never get used to that."


"HOLD STILL!" Superion shouted while he slammed his fist into the ground again, getting more and more agitated with Megatron's constant dodging and cartwheeling.

"Why would I do that?" Megatron asked, rolling away and firing a shot from his shoulder cannon to slow him down. Slowing him down was all Megatron could do, but every little bit helped. "You are trying to smash me and crush me. Why would I hold still for you?"

"Uh, to make it easier on all of us?" Twilight said. "Seriously, Megatron. Why don't you you just roll over and die so we can all quit wasting our time? There's no way you can beat Superion. He's strong, he's big, he's fast … seriously! Just give up already."

"I don't know if you've noticed, Twilight Sparkle – ugh!" Megatron grunted from trying to dodge another of Superion's blows. "But your creation has a few weaknesses."

"Weaknesses?" Twilight reeled back, the idea of her creation having any weaknesses being a complete scandal to her.

"First – oof – he's big. That can be used against him. I can go places he can't." Megatron demonstrated this by leaping through the gap of Superion's legs to avoid his fist. Superion lifted his foot to stomp on Megatron, but Megatron rolled out of the way of the foot as well.

"Second, even on Cybertron, the combination process was far from perfect. I doubt you've manage to make any improvements on it with some bots you cobbled together from spare parts. Third, he's slow-witted. Fourth and finally, he's crazy."

"Crazy? He's not crazy. He's not anymore crazy than I am!" Twilight took a proud stance.

Megatron rolled his eyes. "Oh, that makes me feel so much better." Megatron yet again rolled out of the way of Superion's fist, this time curling up and taking a tumble.

"SUPERION SMASH MEGATRON!" Superion shouted, putting together both of his fists and bringing them down. He missed Megatron, but he did cause the earth to shake. "SUPERION CRUSH … TERMINATE."

"Ooh!" Megatron said. "I'm impressed, Superion. For a combiner, 'terminate' is a very big word!"

"SUPERION DOESN'T LIKE MEGATRON'S MOCKERY!"

"Ooh, 'mockery!'" Megatron goaded the dimwitted combiner. He knew the combiner process diminished the intellectual capacity of the individuals who performed the combination. "Though I'm not sure whether that's more or less impressive than your use of a contraction and a possessive."

"QUIT IT! SUPERION SMASH!"

"Now see, that's more the kind of dialect I expect from a combiner."

Superion, in his rage, thrashed about without rhyme or reason. He swung his fists around, lacking any aim to his blows.

"Superion!" Twilight shouted. "I know Megatron is upsetting you, but you need to focus-"

"GRAAH!" Superion roared and punched the mountain out of frustration. A distant, echoing rumble came from the mountain, followed in short order by pebbles rolling down the mountain's slope. The pebbles were but heralds for the arrival of full-size boulders. Superion had triggered a rockslide.

Superion scratched his head, not sure of what he'd done, but still certain it was something he wasn't supposed to. "OOPS."

The rockslide was unexpected, but Megatron saw an opportunity and went for it. Racing to the mountainside, he aimed his shoulder cannons and blasted a rock to pieces, turning it from a boulder to pebbles. He used his practiced jumping skills to jump into the air and grab onto a falling boulder, staying on only as long as it took for him to launch himself from one boulder to the next. He continued this chain of action, alternating between blasting boulders to get out of his way and jumping onto them to proceed. Each jump brought him higher and higher, scaling the mountain and getting him closer to where he needed to be. At last getting close enough, Megatron launched himself from the boulder and towards Superion's face. Superion was too surprised to react, so he was unable to prevent Megatron's fist from smashing into his visor, cracking the visor and sending Superion toppling over.

Twilight's eyes widened as Superion's long shadow was cast over her. She wasn't expecting Megatron to pull such a death-defying stunt and turn it into victory against her creation. She also saw the rest of the Decepticons and some Changelings approaching, marching through the forest and shoving trees out of their way.

"Well, that didn't go as planned." Twilight commented before teleporting, right before Superion would have landed on top of her and crushed her under his weight.

"Megatron!" Chrysalis yelled for him, hearing the thud of Superion's fall. "Megatron, are you all right?"

Megatron landed on his feet, his gambit against Superion a success. "I'm fine, I'm fine."

She noticed Superion. "What is that?"

Cliffjumper let out a whistle. "If that's what I think it is … a whole lot of trouble."

Side Swipe flicked out a sword. "Well then, let's take care of it before it gets back up."

Side Swipe may have the right idea, but it was too late. Superion was already recovering, groaning and sitting upright. "W-WHERE AM I?"

The Decepticon/Changeling force all opened fire on him with every laser they had to spare, whether it was from a magic horn or an advanced firearm. None of it seemed to have any effect. Superion got to his feet, the lasers bouncing and pinging off his armor.

"WHERE AM I? WHERE'S TWILIGHT?"

"Aww." Chrysalis frowned. "The poor thing is confused."

"Chrysalis, you weren't here a minute ago." Megatron said. "There are a lot of things I could call him, but "poor" isn't one of them."

"RRRAAGH!" Superion clenched his fists, frustrated he didn't have anyone to guide him. The tiny pellets the little pink bugs and tiny robots were shooting weren't doing any favors to improve his mood, either. "TWILIGHT! RODIMUS! SOMEBODY!" Superion roared and went sprinting. His footsteps shook the ground and knocked the Decepticons off their feet. His massive weight crushed the trees in the forest underfoot.

"Well, that didn't go over well." Side Swipe observed, getting back to his feet and helping Cliffjumper do the same.

Megatron watched Superion fade into the distance, stampeding off for parts unknown in a blind attempt to find someone he recognized and would trust. Megatron didn't try to stop him. Megatron knew there was little they could do against Superion now. But maybe, if they could regroup back at Canterlot, they could come up with a solution.

"Decepticons," Megatron turned to address his troops, "we have a problem. You all saw what that thing just did to an entire forest. Now, he's going across the Equestrian countryside. The Equestrian populace, a populace dominated by farmers, bakers, and laborers, is now going up against … that without any protection or preparedness. They are going to get slaughtered unless we can figure something out. So … anyone have any ideas?"

As the seriousness and grimness of the situation set in, the Decepticons all turned their gaze towards the path of destruction Superion left in his wake.

"Begun, the Combiner Wars have."

"Cliff, why are you talking like that?"

Author's Note:

06/17/15 - Editing the first mention of a "five-man band of Autobots" that the Decepticons discuss early in the chapter, as at this point, the Decepticons should only know of four Autobots who active, as Optimus Prime is deceased at this point.