Light Our Darkest Hour

by Dat Dash

Chapter 3: Screams Among the Stars

All was not well on the planet Earth. Though the Great War between the Autobots and Decepticons had ended over a decade prior, the peace that followed had not been a smooth one, especially for the Decepticons. Understandably rejected by the Earthlings, they had retreated into exile on Earth's moon, where Galvatron's barely-recovered mental health was being strained by the cycle. The Decepticon leader pondered his place in the universe upon his throne, when he suddenly felt a sensation he had not felt in twelve Earth years...

"Ｗʜᴀᴛ　ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇｓ　ʏᴏᴜ，　Ｇᴀʟᴠᴀᴛʀᴏɴ？" asked Soundwave, the eternally-loyal communications officer.

But Galvatron paid no attention to his subordinate's words, for his mind was filled with the echoes of a voice he had long ago hoped he would never hear again, even after his sanity chips were damaged by his "plasma bath" on the planet Thrull.

"Galvatron... you have failed me..."

"No... no..." Galvatron muttered quietly.

"And since you have been replaced as my Herald... your existence is useless to me." Unicron's voice was blaring in Galvatron's mind, drowning out all other sound in the room.

"No... please..." pleaded Galvatron, but it was too late. His purple metal plating turned gray and began to crumble off of his body, revealing the silver machine underneath that had seemingly died long ago.

He had regressed into Megatron.

Scourge and Cyclonus, too, had their armor stripped away, returning them to their past forms of Thundercracker and Skywarp, respectively.

"Soundwave," said Megatron desperately, "Unicron has returned! We must contact Optimus Prime at once!"

"Ｉᴍᴘᴏｓｓɪʙʟᴇ," Soundwave replied, "Ｐʀɪᴍᴇ　ᴀɴᴅ　ғᴏᴜʀ　ᴏᴛʜᴇʀｓ　ʜᴀᴠᴇ　ᴅᴇᴘᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ　ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ　ᴛʜᴇ　Ｓᴘᴀᴄᴇ　Ｂʀɪᴅɢᴇ．Ｃᴏ－ᴏʀᴅɪɴᴀᴛᴇｓ：　Ｕɴᴋɴᴏᴡɴ．"

"Then we must follow them!" replied Megatron, "If Unicron has returned, it will be the death of us all!"

"Ａｓ　ʏᴏᴜ　ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴀɴᴅ，　Ｍᴇɢᴀᴛʀᴏɴ．A ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴜʀᴇ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴏɴᴄᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ."

The Decepticons flew off through space for the Space Bridge.

"It's good to be back, Soundwave" said Megatron smugly. "Though I wish the circumstances were less... dire," he added, his smile fading.

At that moment, a familiar screeching voice could be heard from behind them.

"I thought you had been reformatted, Megatron," said the ghost of the traitorous Starscream, "Why ditch the new look?"

Megatron scowled as he turned towards the phantom. Even in death, Starscream was still an annoyance.

"Starscream, you fool, Unicron lives!" said Megatron.

"Yeah, and the universe is screwed if we don't give the Autobots the sitrep! So get lost, Screamer!" added Skywarp.

"Working with the Autobots?" replied Starscream smugly before cackling maniacally, "And you said my coronation was a bad joke."

"Ｓᴛᴀʀｓᴄʀᴇᴀᴍ，　ᴛʜᴇ　ᴡᴀʀ　ɪｓ　ᴏᴠᴇʀ　－－　ғɪɴɪｓʜᴇᴅ，" Soundwave explained.

"No! It never ends, Soundwave! And mark my words, I will lead the Decepticons to victory!"

"And we thought Galvatron was delusional," quipped Thundercracker to Skywarp, upon which the latter chuckled to himself.

"I HEARD THAT!" shouted Starscream angrily. "DON'T INTERRUPT MY SPEECH, THUNDERCRACKER!!"

"We must warn the Autobots about Unicron! And we don't need your presence getting in the way!" Megatron chided.

"Then I'll take the fight to them!" said Starscream as he drifted towards the Space Bridge.

"AFTER HIM!" shouted Megatron as he and the Decepticons gave chase.

Author's Note:

Well, it's your lucky day! You get TWO chapters today!

Remember when I said that a big problem with post-S3 Transformers fics is that you can only use so many members of the original 1984 cast (Prime, Starscream's ghost, Bumblebee/Goldbug, Soundwave, etc.)? Well, it's a good thing Megs and the other two Seekers never technically died in the movie, eh?

And yes, I'm one of the people who think Skywarp became Cyclonus instead of Bombshell. I don't think it makes much sense to have an Insecticon become Galvatron's second-in-command, thematically speaking. But I'm here to tell a story, not argue.

Also, note that this fic accepts neither The Rebirth nor Headmasters as canon.

That's all for now. As always, leave your thoughts in the comments. Next chapter coming whenever.
-Dat Dash

Comments

[Ze1a7in]

Ohhhhhhh, the team-up I always wanted is finally happening! No strings, no ulterior motives, just a good, old-fashioned Bot and Con team-up to fight the greatest evil in the Universe. BRING ON THE PAIN FOR CHRYSALIS!

[Foxhelm]

A reluctant Depicicon-Autobot alliance... well it happened in the season 3 finale of the original Transformers run. As for Starscream... it wouldn't surprise me if he got a bo... wait a minute he did manage to get a new body it was in the episode that he worked with Unicron attempting to make Cybertron the new body for the planet-eater...

[Foxhelm]

8293447
Actually resurrection is a light/healing based magic... again he can change reality but all that can be done now is wait and see

[Dat Dash]

8295783
Technically no. In terms of Transformers, this fic is set in the G1 cartoon continuity (post-S3, disregarding Headmasters and "The Rebirth"). Optimus simply scanned a new vehicle mode in Equestria.

[darkfire95]

8296009
So would his robot form be the same or no?

[Dat Dash]

8296477
Mostly, except for a few cosmetic differences indicating he turns into a train.

[darkfire95]

8296851
Like heart of steel optimus prime?

[Dat Dash]

8296931
Sort of. Just imagine his G1 robot mode but with train wheels on the legs and a folded-up cowcatcher (the metal grate-like part in the bottom front) where the grill should be.

[darkfire95]

8296948
Oh okay one last question you going to draw this?

[Dat Dash]

8297792
I can't draw very well, sorry

[darkfire95]

8298129
Oh okay thanks for answering my questions and can't wait for the next part of the story. I hope Starlight and Thorax comes back alive.

[Discordigan]

The Decepticons' point of view was pretty fun to read in this next chapter.