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In this farewell2,200 words
There's no blood, there's no alibi3,000 words
'Cause I've drawn regret2,600 words
From the truth of a thousand lies5,700 words
So let mercy come and wash away1,700 words
What I've done2,500 words
I'll face myself4,300 words
To cross out what I've become6,500 words
Erase myself4,100 words
And let go of what I've done5,100 words
Put to rest2,000 words
What you thought of me1,500 words
While I clean this slate1,600 words
With the hands of uncertainty2,200 words
So let mercy come and wash away...1,700 words
What I've done!2,700 words
I'll face myself to cross out what I've become1,900 words
Erase myself and let go of what I've done2,700 words

So let mercy come and wash away

Author's Note:

Just to avoid confusion;
1 cycle = 1 minute
1 mega cycle = 1 hour
1 solar cycle = 1 day
1 stellar cycle = 1 year

Meanwhile, Optimus and Twilight were meticulously working on making the train carts operational again. Although this job was a bit tiresome, they had made great progress by exchanging useful information between them. Optimus had supplied Twilight with his surprisingly extensive knowledge about train mechanics and she, in turn, had taught him pretty much everything there is to know about the crystals in Equestria. Now that their overall work had been significantly reduced, and that she had recently been notified of Spike's complete safety, Twilight realized this was the perfect time to ask the Autobot leader some questions regarding their world and culture.

"So, how come you're from a different planet and yet, understand our language so well?"

"Our audio receptors and vocal processors are equipped with universal translators. In this way, we are able to hear your words in our language and speak in yours."

"Wow! That's so cool! Where can I get one of those?"

"I am sure Ratchet has brought a spare in case one of ours got damaged. You may ask him when he returns from his search. Hopefully, he will bring the AllSpark with him."

"What's his deal, anyway? He seems so cranky all the time. Was he always like this?"

"I would not worry about it too much. His behavior is mostly a result of his experiences during the war. Besides, I imagine any bot who has reached sixty million Equestrian years of age can have a bit of a negative attitude."

Right after she heard that fact, Twilight's eyes widened exponentially.

"WHAT?! Sixty million years?! You guys can live THAT long?!"

"Eventually. We may be mortal, but are also made of metal, cogs, and circuitry. Therefore, our cybernetic nature allows us to live much longer than organic beings."

"Oh! So, you're basically living machines. Wait, if that's so, what do you use to power yourselves?"

To answer that question, Optimus opened his chest plate to reveal glowing and beating orb of pure energy. Twilight could not help but stare at it for a handful of seconds in admiration while her giant mechanical friend laid out more exposition.

"I believe you call this a 'heart'. We call it a 'spark'. It is the life force that is possessed by every functional Cybertronian in the universe. We keep them beating by supplying ourselves with Energon, a resource that was once plentiful on our planet. Until pride and a lust for power divided us. Now, we are forced to scour entire galaxies to find alternate energy sources, and fight enemies who were once our brothers."

"Whoa. That's really messed up. I assume this whole war began just because Megatron wanted all the Energon to himself."

"More or less. He and his top lieutenants were initially built as a new generation of elite warriors in charge of maintaining Cybertron's security. Unfortunately, they became dissatisfied with their status and rebelled against the very system they swore to uphold in order to gain more power. In time, they recruited hundreds of warriors sympathetic to their cause and our once-majestic home was drawn to the brink of collapse."

He somberly closed his chest and tried to concentrate on his work. A few seconds later, though, he sensed a presence on his shoulder and discovered an equally sad Twilight sitting on it.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. Watching your own people destroy each other could not have been easy to stomach. But, I promise you, my friends and I will do anything in our power to help you find the AllSpark and bring an end to this war."

Optimus silently pondered about that for a little while before managing to give her a warm look.

"Thank you, Twilight. Your courage and determination is very admirable."

She giggled a bit and warmly smiled back at him.

"Don't mention it, big guy. Just glad to be helpful to a friend. Speaking of friends, how did you meet Bumblebee and Ratchet in the first place? Did you run into each other during a battle or were you already close before the war began?"

"Actually, you are correct and incorrect on both occasions. I first encountered Bumblebee during the final battles on Cybertron. He was a valiant and extremely driven fighter, but he was also arrogant and impulsive. I had to save him from an entire squadron of Decepticon soldiers that he had decided to take on all by himself. Throghout the next few millennia he spent under my service, I mentored him on the importance of discipline, patience, and teamwork. Even though he still struggles to rein back his emotions, I am proud to say that he has managed to greatly hone his combat and social skills. As for Ratchet, he has been a close friend of mine long before the Decepticon uprising. I would often visit his office to either check my systems or ask him some questions regarding medical science. Also, during these visits, we would discuss our planet's current situation. I admit, politics was never a subject I found particularly interesting, but his opinions on our government officials were always fascinating to listen to."

While Twilight's expression was intrigued during Bumblebee's story, it switched to confused as soon as Optimus began talking about his visits to Ratchet.

"Um, why would a soldier like you be so interested to know about medical science?"

"Well, I was not always a soldier. Prior to the war's inception, I worked at a hall of records in our capital city of Iacon as a data clerk. When I realized our archives did not contain sufficient information about medical science, I decided to consult a professional on it and every bot I spoke to recommended Ratchet."

Instantly, Twilight's eyes greatly widened once again and she let out giant excited gasp.

"SWEET CELESTIA! You mean you were once a librarian?! What a coincidence! So was I! You've got to tell me all about your experiences! Was it working there fun or boring? Were the books you read there enlightening or dated and inaccurate? Did the visitors come for knowledge or to just get away from the loud suburban environment?"

Though he was certainly bewildered by her extreme enthusiasm, Optimus succeeded in keeping his expressions as calm as possible during this freak-out. However, he also let out a deep depressed sigh by the end of it.

"I appreciate your interest in my former occupation, but I am afraid it no longer carries any significance."

"What are you talking about? Of course, it does! Being in charge of preserving and organizing these gold mines of useful information is always a noble profession."

"Perhaps, but I completely left that old life of searching information and enriching my wisdom behind me. It was before Megatron. Before I became a Prime."

"Huh? Wait, so, 'Prime' isn't really a part of your name, but rather a title?"

"Yes, it is given to those who are entrusted by the Cybertronian Council to lead and protect our people during times of both peace and war. After Zeta Prime was terminated by Megatron himself, the council chose me as the new leader due to my substantial contribution to the war effort and the amount of lives I saved during the battles."

"Really? Oh, wow! I think the number of similarities between us has just multiplied, because earning this title sounds a lot like becoming an Equestrian princess like me. The only difference is that I had to learn tons of lessons about friendship and complete an ancient friendship spell left behind by a really wise wizard who just happens to be my childhood hero."

"Then, it seems you were considerably more fortunate than I was. My path towards leadership brought me to nothing but pain and suffering. Even though I gained many friends during the war, I bore witness to many more perishing at the hands of either Megatron or his forces. It pleases me to learn that you have earned a leadership position without experiencing any sort of tragedy at all."

Although she was pretty stunned by this statement, Twilight still managed to give a nervous smile to Optimus.

"Um, you're welcome, I guess."

"Now, let us focus on finishing our work and reach your capital before the sun sets."

With that, they continued on repairing the train. However, a grim feeling had begun to eat away Twilight from the inside. She was thinking about how surprisingly similar she and Optimus were, and this was causing her to ask herself one ominous question: How would she have turned out if she had gone through the same experiences as he did?

Her efforts to find an answer to this question was making her imagine all kinds of scenarios where she would be in the middle of a war that was tearing her civilization apart and causing her to lose nearly all of her friends. She had begun to ponder how these circumstances would affect her personality and whether or not she would remain sane by the end of them. Needless to say, the more she searched for answers, the more scared she was becoming.
Moreover, due to these horrible thoughts, she could not concentrate on her duties as much as she wanted to. Luckily, though, Optimus was more than willing to assist her with anything she was struggling with and so, their work was not delayed at all. In fact, it only took them about ten to fifteen minutes to wrap everything up and when they were finally done, both of them were really pleased with each other's effort.

"Before we head to Canterlot, I would like to ask you something", said Optimus.

"Sure!", Twilight replied. "What's up?"

"I am actually curious about the history of your people. If it's not too much trouble, would you be interested in briefly recounting how your civilization first came to be?

"Trouble? Pfft! Please! I can recount the whole history in my sleep! Well, that's technically impossible, but you know what I mean, right?"

"I do and I simply cannot wait to hear this story."

They sat down beside the carts and Twilight cleared her throat.

"Once upon a time, there were three pony tribes: Earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi…"

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