Categories
Transformers: Mobian Chronicles Transformers: Mobian Chronicles (Arc 12: Seven Lights of the Earth)

TMC 12-7

Prowl, Swoop, Perceptor, Pyra Magna, Knuckles, and Aleena arrived on the outskirts of Green Hill Zone. “Huh,” mused Aleena. “Never thought I’d actually be where Sonic’s career gained some notoriety.”

“So his fight against Eggman took off here?” asked Pyra Magna.

“Yep, though, I had temporarily abdicated and retreated from public life at the time. With Eggman roboticizing every creature on the planet, I couldn’t do much.”

“Why?”

“…It was the recommendation of the Oracle of Delphius.”

“…Oracle?” asked Prowl.

“He’s never been proven wrong before.”

“Ma’am, I’d take care if I were you. Oracles only see one path.”

“Knuckles, the Master Emerald can give you glimpses into time, yes?”

“Only the past,” answered Knuckles. “It tends to avoid the future.”

“Hold it,” called Pyra Magna. “I heard something!”

“Where?” asked Prowl as everyone drew their weapons.

“I wanted you to hear me!” called a voice. Yellow Zelkova then stepped out from behind a stone loop, followed by Ravage, Knock-out, and Metal Sonic.

“We have no quarrel, Yellow Zelkova,” called Pyra Magna.

“We don’t?” asked Knuckles.

“I’m not here to crush you yet,” assured Yellow Zelkova.

“Yet?” asked Ravage.

“I merely wish to challenge the strongest of you, see how much of your strength is merely an idle boast.”

“Oh? And what’s the prize?” asked Pyra Magna.

“Bragging rights.”

“…Bragging rights? That’s it?”

“That’s it. We fight, one of us is one the ground, the one standing shall forever boast about how they toppled the mightiest of us.”

“You’re a Decepticon ally. Forgive me if I’m dubious.”

“…Not sure that’s a real word. Look, if I say we can use any weapons we want, whenever we want, would it make you feel better?” Pyra Magna thought for a second.

“Team, huddle time,” she called. Everyone huddled in a circle. “Guys, we can’t just accept this challenge! He’s dumb, yes, but there’s a further plan here!”

“So deal with him while we hunt for the Emerald,” suggested Prowl.

“Pardon?”

“Prowl’s right,” agreed Aleena. “He also has partners. They may hunt for the Emerald. Who knows, maybe we can steal it from them.”

“…You know, not a bad idea,” mused Pyra Magna. “So, who’s fighting him?”

“You,” said her teammates.

“…You guys suck!” The huddle broke as Pyra Magna activated her own elemental form, her armor evoking metal-encased fire. She then pointed her cudgel at Yellow Zelkova. “I, Pyra Magna, accept your challenge!”

“Very well,” declared Yellow Zelkova. “Basic rules. No killing, the one unable to battle is the loser, do whatever it takes to win.”

“On my mark,” called Ravage. “…Begin!” Thew two warriors then charged each other. Pyra Magna swung her cudgel at Yellow Zelkova, eliciting a surprise.

“ILLUMA SHIELD!” he announced. An energy shield then surrounded him, forcing the cudgel to bounce off and direct a bit of the shield’s energy into Pyra Magna. She dropped her weapon and was then punched in the face, knocking a few dental plates out. As Yellow Zelkova laughed, Pyra Magna shook her head to clear it. When she did, she finally posed her question.

“Was that a plasma shield?! That’s for starships! How’d you get a small one?!”

“That’s thanks to the good Doctor!” laughed Yellow Zelkova. He then pulled his cape aside to reveal a device on his back with Eggman’s symbol on it. “You see, during his studies of shield generators, he was inspired to make a smaller one! After so many failures, he finally made a working prototype and ironed out the kinks! I, Yellow Zelkova, have been fortunate enough to be equipped with one of the very first of the brand-new Dr. Eggman™ Illuma Shield Power Packs!”

“…Somehow, I could hear the trademark symbol in that sentence.” Pyra Magna’s optics were then grabbed by something on Yellow Zelkova’s shoulder. “Wait, is that an…Eggman Tampograph?”

“…It’s actually a ‘temporary tattoo’, I believe he called it.” Yellow Zelkova had face-palmed in embarrassment by that point. “That story’s a little longer than the one of my Illuma Shield involving Metal Sonic, a beaker of hydrochloric acid, and a Mobian dish called ‘pizza’, but that’s not important!” He recovered his dignity and assumed another battle stance. “You see, Dr. Eggman has not only made it so that it can project a defensive barrier, but also allows the user to project offensive attacks, such as my patented ILLUMA SHOCK!” He swung his arm and fired an energy blast right at Pyra Magna. Pyra Magna rolled out of the way.

“That’s it! PYRA MAGNA, TRANSFORM!” Her arms swung out and joined at her shoulders, then the assemblies rotated as the head sunk into the torso. They then swung towards each other as the legs rotated and the toes folded down and united to make a fire engine with ladder boom. “You know,” chuckled Pyra Magna as her Mobian Fox holo-form appeared within the cab the legs made, “this vehicle’s designed to put out fires and I’m a Witch of the Red Order.”

“Ah, a bit of clevery!” declared Yellow Zelkova. “…No, that’s not the word, er, what’s the word where something is used to the opposite meaning?”

“Irony?”

“No, I don’t think that…WHAT AM I DOING?! WE’RE STILL FIGHTING!!” Yellow Zelkova charged at Pyra Magna and she doused him with a jet of water.


As they fought, the Autobot team searched the surrounding woods for the Emerald. “All right, it’s around here somewhere,” grunted Aleena.

“So you had the same idea as us,” called a distinctly Russian voice.

“Ravage!” snarled Prowl. Ravage, Knock-out, and Metal Sonic appeared from the trees. “This doesn’t concern you, Decepticons! Leave here and no harm will come to you!”

“One, I’m a consultant, not a full Decepticon, despite what they say!” snarled Metal Sonic.

“More to the point, after all the people that died in Station Square during the Allspark Fiasco, you still want to oppose us?” countered Ravage.

“Rumble wouldn’t have wanted this!” urged Knuckles.

“DON’T TALK AS IF YOU KNEW HIM, FLESHLING!!” roared Ravage. He charged at Knuckles and slashed him with his own claws. That was the signal to fight! Knuckles and Aleena took care of Ravage, Perceptor and Prowl went after Knock-out, and Swoop kept trying to swat Metal Sonic.

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” called a voice. A purple energy blast then knocked everyone off their feet. Stepping out of the trees was Rodimus Unicronus, and he had the Purple Emerald in his hand! “Oh, you easily-distracted gnats!” he boasted. “You just can’t help yourselves! Whenever an Autobot or Decepticon meets their opposite side, you just can’t help but give in to hatred and murder! Better to snuff your Sparks and end all light in the universe! And THIS…!” He held up the Emerald. “THIS will be the key needed to complete my master’s objectives!”

“TAKE THIS!” shouted a new voice. Rodimus Unicronus turned to see a tree in a cyan aura fly straight towards his head. He was hit and dropped the Emerald from the impact. He then shoved the tree off and saw his attacker. It was a silver hedgehog, male, Mobian, had five quills on the forehead, two on the back of the head, and he wore boots and gold bracelets with cyan lines on them and the gloves.

“…Er, did a…” asked Rodimus Unicronus.

“Yes, my forehead quills look like a marijuana leaf, I heard that before! Just give up already!” barked the new Hedgehog.

“Sir, who are you?” groaned Aleena as she and her allies got up.

“I’m Silver, and I’m here to stop this madness!” Silver then gained a cyan aura, then projected it around the Purple Emerald. It then left Rodimus Unicronus’ hand.

“Hey! That’s mine!” shouted the Shadow Prime as he pulled on it. It became a game of tug o’ war.

“It’s no use!” declared Silver as he yanked hard, making Rodimus Unicronus fall flat on his face. The Emerald floated towards Silver, but his concentration was shattered as Ravage swiped his opponent’s face! The Emerald fell to the ground, but Ravage caught it before it hit, then he opened a Bridge.

“Do svidaniya, Autobots!” laughed the panther-like Decepticon as he and his cohorts fled into the portal.


Meanwhile, Pyra Magna and Yellow Zelkova were still locked in combat. “ILLUMA SHOCK!” shouted Yellow Zelkova as he swung his arms, firing a plasma blast. Pyra Magna rolled out of the way.

“You know, you’re becoming predictable, you weed!” she taunted.

“Predictable! HOW DARE YOU!” Yellow Zelkova charged at Pyra Magna, which was all that she needed. She swung her cudgel at Yellow Zelkova’s head, made contact…and made it crack! The right side of the helmet shattered, revealing the creature inside. Yellow Zelkova’s true form had yellow-green skin, had pine needle hair, and a branch for a horn. His green eye burned with rage and his mouth formed a snarl.

“Yield and this goes no further.” Pyra Magna grinned at her defeated opponent.

“Yell…elk…is Ra…ge…ve the Eme…”

“My helmet’s damaged,” replied Yellow Zelkova to the caller. “Report with text.” He then got a text, read it, then his eye widened, and then a massive grin formed. He mentally texted his intentions back to the caller, then got the confirmation text before he started laughing. Pyra Magna became visibly worried.

“Prowl, what happened?!” she called over the comms.

“The Decepticons took the Emerald,” he reported. “Rodimus Unicronus attacked both us and the Decepticons before being knocked out. We’ve found Silver and we’re returning to base before Rodimus Unicronus wakes up.”

“Understood.” Pyra Magna hung up and growled at Yellow Zelkova.

“Oh, when the stars align!” he laughed. “But, I AM generous. I will concede victory of our little fight to you.”

“This is no victory, it’s a participation trophy!”

“That’s all you deserve! Now, I believe the appropriate term here is…” Yellow Zelkova opened a Bridge portal before jumping backwards into it. “YEET!” The Bridge portal closed and Pyra Magna roared to the heavens before she summoned a Ground Bridge home.

Categories
The Three Realms The Three Realms (Book 4: Trials of Light and Dark)

3 Realms 4-8

As Dalengor toured the Shadow Dragon and Drow camp with Tantu, she could see that not everyone was on board with the Realm Trinity Empire’s goals. She decided to speak with her old friends about this and gather more information. She was once a member of the higher-ups, so it was easy for them to explain the situation in secret through bits and pieces. The basic story was that the current General of all Shadow Dragons, Ank-tu, was a more public proponent of eternal war, pleasing Oyed mightily. His father, the previous General, was slightly more subtle. As she talked with her colleagues and friends, she learned their true feelings on the matter and so arranged a private meeting with Dotan, Tantu, and a Shadow Dragon woman. Dalengor explained the whole situation to Dotan. “You were there in each meeting!” urged Dalengor. “He’s shot down any suggestions of peace with Realmfleet! He’s so bent on keeping a grudge!”

“I understand your logic,” said Dotan, “but I don’t reach the same conclusion as you. Look, like everyone here, I’m not pleased with Ank-tu’s leadership, but it’s not clear whether what you propose will succeed or not.”

“That’s why I’ve urged Dalengor to invite our friend here,” signed Tantu.

“Yes, a Midwife, if her crest is any indication,” muttered Dotan.

“Listen and join us!” urged the Shadow Dragon Midwife. “I know things about Ank-tu’s birth! His troubled rule will fall in the telling and pave the way for an alliance with Realmfleet.”

“What would you know that could possibly…?” Dotan’s question was interrupted as Ank-tu and a company of soldiers arrived.

“Well, well, well, what have we here?” he purred. “It looks like a few of my councilors whispering in corners like handmaidens. About what, I wonder?”

“If only you would hear our council!” pleaded Dalengor. “As our people suffer, I’ve urged détente with Realmfleet!”

“And I told you,” snarled Ank-tu, “that I would rather writhe in the Depths than treat with the ones who broke my parents’ hibernation eggs!”

“Those specific people are dead!”

“Then every race under the Realmfleet banner will serve as the object of my vengeance!”

“They are innocent in your parents’ murder!”

“No one is truly innocent, just less guilty!”

“I never wanted to go this far, but given the internal threat to the Shadow Dragons, I have no choice. Ank-tu, you refuse practical solutions to credible threats. You ignore our people’s suffering. You endanger our race.”

“And sedition does not?! Speak your last, Dalengor, before I have your tongue!”

“Take her tongue, bastard son of Lak-tu,” threatened the Midwife, “and I will slice your throat open as I should have done ages ago!”

“Bastard son?” asked Dotan. The Midwife took that as her cue to reveal the truth to everyone.

“I was the one who helped his mother give birth to him!” she explained. “It was only two years later that she and Lak-tu married! She was a prostitute that had no choice but to marry him unless she wanted to die along with the baby! I was at that rushed wedding! Your best claim to leadership of our people is moot!” Ank-tu then slapped the Midwife.

“How dare you!” he roared. “I succeed Lak-tu by his decree!”

“Succeed him, you have,” replied Dalengor, “but the Shadow Dragons demand new leadership.”

“From you?! Realmfleet dog!” Ank-tu turned to Dotan. “Kill her!”

“You said nothing to disprove the Midwife’s claims!” snarled Dotan.

“Who cares if I AM a bastard child?! I still rule the Shadow Dragons! Now, I repeat, kill Dalengor!”

“Go to the Depths!” roared Dotan. “By ancient law, no illegitimate child may claim anything of their parents, especially leadership! I serve no bastard!”

“Traitor!” shouted Ank-tu. He turned to the soldiers that accompanied him. “You will destroy them as your General commands!”

“Lak-tu is dead!” answered a soldier. “You know ancient law as well as I do! We will serve our immediate commander! Lord Dotan, orders?”

“Capture the bastard, but do not kill him!” ordered Dotan. Unfortunately, not all the soldiers sided with Dotan and his group. This was enough to start a fight between the two sides as Ank-tu’s supporters tried to kill the rebels. A soldier on Dotan’s side then threw his enemy to the ground.

“You would still serve Ank-tu?!” asked the rebel soldier.

“His family conquered our tribes!” answered the enemy. “We owe his bloodline our loyalty! We are all bound to honor his will!”

“I’m sorry that we’re on opposite sides, then,” sighed the rebel soldier.


Over with the fight over Ank-tu, Dalengor let Tantu mount her and followed the bastard Shadow Dragon to the sky. Tantu pulled out a crossbow and lined up her shot, then pulled the trigger, releasing the arrow and piercing Ank-tu’s wing, causing him to cry out and crash to the ground. He was surrounded by his loyalists as everyone came to see the whole thing. Dotan arrived with his soldiers. “He has revealed himself to be a bastard child!” he announced. “By ancient law, we must renounce him!” There were only a few that truly supported Ank-tu.

“My General!” urged a loyalist. “We are too few! We must withdraw!”

“…Retreat to the Drows’ sector!” ordered Ank-tu. They blasted a path clear and fled to the eastern part of the camp.

“This is bad!” signed Tantu. “If they rally the Drows now, we’ll never get out of this alive!”

“Don’t worry,” assured Dalengor. “I have a plan. I just hope Arsha’s successful in convincing Mordek that my apparent treachery was part of it.”


Mordek looked to the north, his gaze hardened, and his mind plagued by thoughts of vengeance. As he looked on, he heard the voices of Arsha and Delselii call his name. He turned to see them approaching him. “What may I do for you, my children?”

“Lord Mordek, the plan’s going well!” reported Arsha happily.

“The plan?” asked Mordek.

“The plan to increase our numbers!” answered Delselii.

“You know, the real reason why Dalengor’s with the enemy!” elaborated Arsha.

“You mean her treason was part of a plan? Since when is a filthy traitor a good thing?”

“Lord Mordek, let me explain,” answered Arsha. “After a little chat we had before the city was lost, Dalengor and I planned on turning the Shadow Dragons and Drows against Oyed. She explained that the majority of Shadow Dragons and Drows don’t want eternal war, so she would infiltrate the camp, convince them to rebel against their leaders or turn the leaders to our way of thinking and then we’d have more soldiers to work with! The Shadow Dragons instigated a coup against their leaders and…”

“I had not thought you gullible, Arsha,” interrupted Mordek. “A Shadow Dragon’s schemes serves only to benefit them. How could you fall for such lies?!”

“Lord Mordek, have faith in Dalengor! Have faith in me!” Mordek snorted before vanishing in a fireball.

“…You know, if we were desert dwellers,” mused Delselii, “I think Mordek just said a discouraging word.”

“I hope he doesn’t do anything rash. I don’t need them driven away.”

Categories
The Three Realms The Three Realms Cast

Delselii

Dr. Delselii Vorsholstein is an excitable 320-year-old Homunculus living on the Vorsholstein estate on the eastern edge of the Galdredan Lava Kingdom. That excitability has helped him and hindered him in his career as an officially licensed Mad Scientist, in fact, he’s the one who created Bremfo. He always thanks his parents for putting him together the right way and he’s been online-dating Bashoon for a bit, so it was quite a surprise that he met her in person during the Final War.

Categories
The Three Realms The Three Realms (Book 4: Trials of Light and Dark)

3 Realms 4-7

The camp was outside the castle home of the famous Vorsholstein family of Homunculi, artificially created humanoids literally stitched together. Right now, a male Homunculus, Dr. Delselii Vorsholstein, was busy with his machines. He laughed like the licensed Mad Scientist he was as the machines threw lighting at each other and made noises. Bremfo then came down into the lab. “Doctor, I’ve been calling you for chow time for the past minute!” he snarled.

“In a minute! It’s almost done!” replied Delselii. Bremfo was about to protest until he remembered something.

“You mean…THAT project?!”

“Yes, my dear Bremfo, THAT project!” Delselii flicked a few more switches as Bremfo became more excited.

“We’re gonna wipe ‘em out! All of ‘em! To the very last man!”

“We’ll destroy ‘em! We’ll spare no one!” Delselii then threw a massive switch, increasing the lightning.

“They all have to go! Every single Trinny!” Bremfo was clapping his hands in excitement.

“And this engine I’m working on will do just that!” The lighting revealed the outline of a large device being shocked. “Once this baby is installed in any ship, it’ll create a magic shockwave that will cancel the Scorpion’s cloaking abilities!” The engine then shook. “…Er, hold on! It’s not supposed to do that!” The shakes became more violent!

“It’s gonna blow!” warned Bremfo. The two then erected a blast screen as the engine exploded. The shrapnel buried itself into the walls, a fan blade burrowed into Bremfo’s head, and the rest bounced off the blast screen. Once it was quiet enough, Delselii sighed and turned his equipment off.

“Back to the drawing board,” he grumbled as he took his goggles off. Bremfo took the fan blade out of his head. “I don’t understand! The calculations were right! What am I missing?!”

“Let’s think about it over dinner,” suggested Bremfo as he smoothed out his head. Delselii nodded as they ascended the steps. “There’s always the other project.”

“I’m still a little iffy about that. I mean, using my own rough drafts like that?” They reached the top floor and saw an exact duplicate of Delselii eating a chair! “Oh, Rutambo!” admonished Delselii. The duplicate turned his head. “How many times do I have to tell you?! This is a respectable castle and we do NOT eat the furniture!” The duplicate then stood up and lumbered towards Delselii. “Get back in your closet! Back in the closet!” Rutambo swung his arm at Delselii. The scientist rolled out of the way and grabbed a large torch from the fireplace, brandishing it at Rutambo. Rutambo roared in horror from the fire and backed away. “Back! Back!” Rutambo hid himself in the closet and Delselii shut the door. He then heard a noise in the closet. “Stop that pounding!” he ordered. “If you don’t behave, I shall take your brain out and put it in backwards!” The pounding stopped and Delselii put the torch back into the fireplace. “Now, what was that about dinner?”


The next day, Delselii smoothed out his coat and checked his stitches. He then turned to Rutambo’s closet. “You stay quiet while I meet our guests.” He turned back and the door to the study opened, revealing Arsha, Erodeth, and Bremfo. “Your Majesty. Your Highness,” greeted the Mad Scientist.

“Dr. Vorsholstein, I presume?” asked Erodeth.

“Won’t you come in?” offered Delselii as he shook their hands.

“Much obliged, Doctor,” accepted Arsha as they came into the room. “You know, you definitely have parts of your father. He was quite the man. You just don’t find old country doctors anymore. Your family’s quite legendary in keeping that tradition alive.”

“I’m glad the Royana heir approves,” chuckled Delselii. “Everyone, I will come straight to the point; I’m engaged in two projects.”

“I heard about your efforts to cancel the Scorpion’s cloaking device,” said Erodeth.

“Ones know we could definitely use that,” agreed Arsha.

“Unfortunately, I’m hitting too many hiccups on that project,” sighed Delselii. “I’m at a loss, so I need the help of other Mad Scientists, heck, even normal scientists, to help me.”

“There’s no shortage of Mad Scientists among my people,” offered Erodeth. “Take your pick. They’d be happy and honored to help.”

“Thank you,” bid Delselii. “You’re too kind, Your Majesty.” Bremfo grinned at the idea, thankful that his creator has more help on the way.

“What’s the other project?” asked Arsha. Bremfo and Delselii then looked at each other in trepidation.

“It’s…one where I’m iffy about it,” explained Delselii. “I have something in my closet to help the explanation, but I must ask for your secrecy unless you feel it’s a good idea to back it.”

“I hope it’s not TOO risky,” gulped Arsha.

“Your Majesty, Your Highness, prepare yourself.” Delselii then opened the closet door. “Everyone, meet Rutambo!” Rutambo then lumbered out of the closet, grunting all the while.

“Sweet Heights!” swore Erodeth.

“H…who…how?!” spluttered Arsha. “…Are you sure it’s…safe?!”

“I have methods for keeping him under my thumb,” assured Delselii as he took the torch out of the fireplace. “Back! Back!! BACK!!” Rutambo howled and retreated into the closet. Delselii shut the closet again. “…Well,” he sighed, “what do you think?”

“He’s got the same good looks as your parents,” muttered Erodeth, “but not much on small talk.”

“You’re probably wondering how there’s two of him, down to the last stitch,” guessed Bremfo.

“Well, I will admit, the question did cross my mind,” confirmed Arsha. “Faces like his don’t grow on trees.”

“No, but they do grow in the womb multiple times,” answered Delselii. “You see, a pregnancy where the child has Homunculus DNA is a little different to the usual ones. Whenever the woman gives birth to such a child, the baby comes out in pieces of adults and the parents stitch the pieces together. However, the brain never really completes itself on the first try, so whenever it’s shocked into life, the resulting creature is nothing more than an animal that can’t learn on the level of Sentinas or life-forms like us, so the woman is pregnant again with the same pieces and a new brain that’s slightly better until the right brain is put into the creature.”

“I get it, the less-Sentina brained creatures are rough drafts of the child.”

“Exactly, and Rutambo’s a rough draft of me. What’s most remarkable is that the rough drafts only last a few years, living in the wild, but Rutambo’s actually a few years older than me.”

“Where did you find Rutambo?” asked Erodeth.

“That was actually me,” answered Bremfo. “I was doing some gardening last month when I heard a roar in the southern woods on the estate. Imagine my surprise when Rutambo came out from the trees. I thought something happened to Delselii and carried Rutambo to the lab only to find Delselii already there.”

“It was quite the surprise when I saw him,” remarked Delselii. “I have an idea for rough draft Homunculi, but I need a Realmfleeter’s opinion.”

“It sounds like the project,” said Arsha, “involves using them as cannon fodder.”

“Well, I wouldn’t put it like that,” replied Delselii, “but it would help the numbers problem we have.”

“Delselii, I’m not sure I can push such a project. If you’re iffy about it, and accounting for the fact that he wouldn’t understand how to cast spells, much less remember his name, maybe he should be released back into the woods.”

“I can’t say as I condone this project either,” agreed Erodeth. “We need soldiers that are at least Sentina level.”

“I just needed to hear your opinion before I formally terminated the project” sighed Delselii happily. “He tried to return to the woods a lot, so I think he’s more suited to them than inside a building. Thank you for your help on that dilemma, I’ll talk to the Mad Scientists among your people to help with the other one.”

“We better get back,” called Arsha. “My crew is preparing to retake Realmgate City.”

“With the amount of people we have?” asked Erodeth as they left the room. Bremfo shut the door behind them and Delselii released a sigh of relief.

“Well, I guess that’s that for Rutambo, thank goodness,” sighed Bremfo.

“…Maybe a rough draft preserve would be a good idea,” mused Delselii. “I mean, they’re born sterile too, so it would be safe to release all sexes into the wild.”

“I suppose it could work. But there’s still a numbers problem for the war effort. Unless we steal Jansha’s plans and make our own, we’re hosed! And there aren’t many of my breed of Golem yet!”

“And I’m not making any Revenants. I hope Arsha has something up her sleeve.”


Over in the open expanses of the Central Continent, just north of Realmgate City, the Shadow Dragons assembled for someone to give a speech. A young-looking male then slithered up and took his place in front of his people. “I thought Lak-tu was still General,” Dalengor whispered to Dotan. “Who’s that?”

“His son, Ank-tu,” explained Dotan. “Lak-tu’s hibernation egg didn’t survive and neither did his spouse.”

“My people!” called Ank-tu. “I stand before you as my father and mother once did! I promise you; our victory will be assured under my leadership! Glory to Oyed!”

“Glory to Oyed!” repeated the Shadow Dragons, but Dalengor noticed that their hearts weren’t in it for the majority of them.

“…A good start, but I better keep it to myself until I can determine who to trust,” thought Dalengor.

Categories
The Three Realms The Three Realms Cast

Dalengor Bestial Form

This is Dalengor when she’s in her full Dragon Mode. No legs, just her arms, wings, and tail.

Categories
The Three Realms The Three Realms (Book 4: Trials of Light and Dark)

3 Realms 4-6

The Realmgate refugees made their way to the eastern edge of the Southern Continent. Calandra had ordered a camp to be prepared as quickly as possible. The Endeavor was the last ship to land and deposit refugees, the Royal Family being the last to get off. The crews of all the evacuation ships then passed out food and water for everyone. This was a blow for morale. Arsha and Calandra spoke with each other. “I see Dr. Vorsholstein’s first Golem was put through its paces,” said Calandra.

“He was,” answered Arsha. “Bremfo’s quite the fighter. With him around, we can take Realmgate City back.”

“Would that Realmfleet agrees.” Calandra’s comment raised concerns.

“…Meaning?”

“I just spoke with Aldarval. We’re leaving it to the Realm Trinity Empire.”

“She can’t be serious!” protested Arsha. “We’ve got people who just lost their homes and you want me to tell them that they’re not getting them back?!”

“The proposal was considered a waste of resources and soldiers. We have to leave the city alone.”

“We can’t do that!”

“Arsha, I admire your desire to protect everyone, but face facts; the enemy has Revenants, Robots, and more Golems than we do.” By that point, Calandra’s patience was wearing thin.

“I must insist that we disobey those orders!”

“Arsha, I’m not gonna waste any more lives. I’ve done too much of that!”

“I have a way that can ensure that we don’t!” By now, Arsha was almost pleading. At that moment, Erodeth approached them.

“Please tell me I heard you wrong!” he said. “Please, tell me you didn’t say we weren’t taking our home back after what I told my people earlier as we were en route here!”

“I’m sorry,” growled Calandra, “but Aldarval told me…”

“Let’s talk to Aldarval right now!” declared Erodeth. He pulled out his communicator and called Aldarval.

“Your Majesty, what can I do for you?” she asked.

“We need to take our home back!”

“…I take it you heard the news. Your Majesty, I’m sorry, but we’ve already lost too many soldiers during the initial attack on the walls. We can’t risk any more lives.”

“But there’s more to it than that!” urged Arsha.

“Arsha, why are you two so insistent,” snapped Calandra, “on taking the city back?! All of the necessary secrets have been transferred to the Drelda Forest’s Capital Tree!”

“Not all of them!” answered Erodeth. He took a breath before he explained. “I didn’t give them the blueprints for the Under-realm’s first Realmgate.”

“WHAT?!” cried Aldarval. “If Dr. Borg gets her claws on them, she’ll make her own Realmgate network on top of her personal one! What possessed you to leave them behind?!”

“My family swore an oath to safeguard them, and I felt iffy about handing them over to Rellmeer!”

“Great, now we have no choice! Erodeth, this puts us back by a lot! Our forces are stretched thin across the Realms as it is!” Aldarval sighed as she ran her hand down her face. “I’ll send what I can, but I can’t see victory. Aldarval out.” The call ended and Calandra fixed them with a glare.

“Know this,” she warned, “if things go to the Depths, I’m holding you two responsible.” She turned and left.

“…Well, that was pleasant,” grumbled Erodeth.

“We need to coordinate our attack once Dalengor succeeds,” suggested Arsha.

“Where is she?”

“…On a mission.”

“A personal mission to betray us?!” boomed Mordek’s voice as he stomped towards them.

“Where’d that comment come from, Lord Mordek?” asked Erodeth.

“I just spoke to Malak,” explained the angry God. “Apparently, Dalengor’s stayed behind! I knew it! That snake can’t be trusted!”

“Lord Mordek, I assure you, it’s part of the plan!” replied Arsha.

“That plan is going to fail! When next we meet, I WILL kill her!”

“You will do no such thing!”

“Try and stop me!” Mordek then vanished in a ball of fire.

“…Arsha, I hope your faith in Dalengor is not misplaced,” said Erodeth.

“It isn’t. I know my old friend well. Her staying behind will give us more soldiers to help reclaim Realmgate City.”


Back at Realmgate City, the rubble was being combed over for anything valuable. “We cannot risk letting valuable intelligence slip through our fingers,” Dr. Borg ordered a Drow and Shadow Dragon. “I want this area searched from top to bottom.”

“There’s an easier way,” called Dalengor’s voice. Another Shadow Dragon in their beastly form then approached. The first Shadow Dragon’s eyes popped open.

“…Dalengor?” he asked.

“Hello, Lord Dotan,” greeted the mystery Shadow Dragon, Dalengor.

“Aren’t you a member of Arsha’s crew?” asked Dr. Borg suspiciously. “What are you doing here?”

“Assisting our master, Oyed,” answered Dalengor.

“…I don’t believe you.”

“Believe what you wish, but I’m sick and tired of being the last of my kind! This is a chance to see them again, see my old friends!”

“Let her join us,” urged Dotan. “I know her well.”

“She’s been awake longer than your whole race.”

“Who’s to say I haven’t been hiding my true feelings on the matter?” asked Dalengor.

“…I will have to consult with Lord Oyed,” decided Dr. Borg. “You will have our decision within the hour.” She flew off, leaving the Drow and two Shadow Dragons alone.

“I don’t believe we’ve met,” Dalengor said to the Drow. The Drow pulled her mask down and opened her mouth, revealing her lack of a tongue. Dalengor then moved her hands in Drow Sign Language. The Drow then signed her name, letter by letter. “Nice to meet you, Tantu.”

“Tantu was supposed to be your rider,” explained Dotan.

“Well, you still have a chance, Tantu. Shall we go through some training?” Tantu then signed a question. “…You AND Dotan guessed?”

“I know you, my old lover,” remarked Dotan. “You don’t usually pop up out of nowhere unless there’s an ulterior motive.”

“…Let’s talk. Somewhere private.” She led Tantu and Dotan away from the area.

Categories
The Three Realms The Three Realms Cast

Bremfo

Made in the Under-realm’s Galdredan Lava Kingdom, Bremfo has the honor of being the first Golem created to help Realmfleet instead of harm it. Dr. Vorsholstein, the Mad Scientist, snagged Dr. Borg’s Golem research and made Bremfo from it. He’s the first Golem to live up to 50,000 years and has protected the Realms as best he can in the year he’s been alive.

Categories
The Three Realms The Three Realms (Book 4: Trials of Light and Dark)

3 Realms 4-5

Dalengor was shaken to her core when she got the news. Drows AND Shadow Dragons? That would prolong the war! She had to put her worries to the back of her mind, though. Her friends needed to win! Arsha made the call for battle stations and Dalengor made her way to the bridge. “Dalengor, I know they’re your people,” called Arsha, “but they’re on the wrong side. Weaknesses?”

“In their full dragon state,” answered Dalengor, “they’ve got a chink in their armor just below their right ribs. Big enough for arrows to hit. However, they’ll compensate for that with their speed. They’re the fastest fliers around and always have a Drow riding them.”

“And with Quenthem out of action, it’ll be more difficult to coordinate the counter-attack. Ladies and Gentlemen, we have an uphill struggle. Let’s push on through it and prove to the enemy that we can handle anything!”

“Erodeth’s given the go-ahead for attack,” reported Shalvey.

“Then let’s get to it!”


As the Air Fighters, sans Quenthem, dealt with the Shadow Dragon riders and their riders as best they could, the Driders rappelled halfway down the wall and fired on the ground forces. Falnimam was named one of the best shots in the Drider Self Defense Force and she intended to prove it that day. Unfortunately, some Drow had the bright idea to shoot at her line. The sudden shift in her rear’s weight was enough to make her fall. She hit the ground, then picked herself up to see the Drow leader approach her. It was a priestess, judging by the ornate armor. “Te failure still lifes?” scoffed the woman in an accented voice.

“Despite your best efforts, yes,” replied Falnimam. “Me and my mothers and sisters still do. Still pledging loyalty to Oyed, I presume?”

“It serfs te Trows. You are not only a failure, but you are also stupit. You testroy your fusher by crossink Oyet.”

“It’s YOU with no future, Tanta, YOU who are the failure. Drow relics are now in museums!”

“Impossible!” Tanta’s voice betrayed offense at the idea that her culture was now something to gawk at instead of being feared.

“The Drows have failed in seizing eternity, as is the result of ALL life! Persist and you will be the first Drow mummy!” Tanta charged at the Drider, swinging her sword wildly. Falnimam blocked her opponent’s blows with her staff, then slammed her head into the wall, knocking her out. “Moron.” Falnimam was then grabbed by the neck by a male Drow and flung across the battlefield. When she recovered, she got a good look at the fighter. “The orphan turned assassin, Ektar.”

“Better to trive in Tanta’s court tan starf in te streets,” replied the male Drow. “You Triters may practice Shate Magic, Falnimam, but I am te master!” Shadows then enveloped Ektar’s hands, and he fired a torrent of them at Falnimam. She then held her hand out and absorbed it before flinging it into his face, knocking him down.

“Pride will be your downfall!” she declared.

“And it won’t be yours?” asked another male voice. This one didn’t have the Drow accent, but she knew it came from a Drow. She turned to see her ex-boyfriend.

“Eltum, you have the potential to be our future ally!” she pleaded.

“To the Depths with the future, Darling,” replied Eltum, “I live in the moment.”

“Given our shared antipathy towards Tanta, I wouldn’t have thought you so reckless.” They then raised their weapons, ready to fight. That was when things…went south. Falnimam heard something strike something else hard, then the tumbling of stone told her everything!

“The walls!” she gasped.

“Forgot your main objective?” taunted Eltum.


“THE WALLS HAVE BEEN BREACHED!” called Yulduk. “SWARM THE CITY!” His army wasted no time in obeying. The Shadow Dragons immediately targeted the castle, setting it ablaze. The Royal Family had evacuated it in time, looking back only to see their home burn. The Realmgate Guard fought valiantly, but they were unprepared for the onslaught. The situation became worse when a small Realmgate opened up, depositing Oyed and the rest of the Realm Trinity Imperial Council.

“I do love the smell of terror in the morning, don’t you?” asked Oyed.

“I must admit, the smell IS intoxicating,” replied Dr. Borg.

“Yes, it is. However, we DO have an objective to complete.” Oyed then turned to their forces. “Start digging! Realmgate research is below here somewhere!” Everyone started shifting earth around…all but one Golem.

“You there!” called Femfaf, “why aren’t you digging?”

“I’m awaiting orders,” answered the Golem.

“You’ve already got them, dig!”

“I’m awaiting orders.”

“…Hello? I said your orders were to dig!”

“I’m awaiting orders.”

“…Dr. Borg, I think this one’s broken.”

“I’ll fix it,” replied Dr. Borg.

“Orders received!” The Golem then punched Dr. Borg straight in the face, sending her flying!

“What?!” spluttered Femfaf.

“Correction, orders were received a long time ago!” snarled the Golem.

“Those are never a Golem’s orders!” growled Femfaf. “Who was your shaper?!”

“I’m Golem 8.0, Bremfo!” introduced the mystery Golem.

“I was declared the pinnacle of Golem evolution! Who made you?!”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?!” Bremfo stopped speaking and swung his fist at Femfaf. The two Golems brawled. Unfortunately, it distracted the Realm Trinity forces long enough for the Endeavor to complete its objective.


“Is everyone on board?!” asked Arsha.

“All present and accounted for!” reported Shalvey.

“Then we need Bremfo here! Thangred, lock onto him!”

“Found him and bringing him over!” Bremfo appeared on the bridge.

“Nazay, Vorsholstein estate as planned! Now!”

“Course laid in! Let’s get the Depths outta dodge!” As it took off, the Endeavor was fired upon, but it escaped the Realm Trinity Empire’s forces.


“HOLD FIRE!” ordered Dr. Borg. Everyone stopped shooting as the Endeavor retreated. Dr. Borg stared grimly at the sky.

“Victory is ours, as is the city!” chuckled Oyed. As their forces celebrated, Dr. Borg, snarled to herself.

“Golem 8.0?” she said to herself. “Someone clearly stole Golem research.” Femfaf approached the cyborg Sprite.

“Doctor, it’s clear to me,” she grunted, “that there’s a leak somewhere. We MUST plug it!”

“You and I are of the same mind. Help me organize a team to do so.”

“On it.”

Categories
Transformers: Mobian Chronicles Transformers: Mobian Chronicles (Arc 12: Seven Lights of the Earth)

TMC 12-6

Ratchet, Hot Rod, Ultra Magnus, Dust Up, Tails, Trema, and Sira arrived in Apotos, the Mobian name for Greece. Ultra Magnus looked very uncomfortable. “This is ridiculous,” he grumbled. “This kind of operation needs stealth, not public faces!”

“The rules of the game have changed since the previous war,” reminded Ratchet. “We landed here during peacetime.”

“You’re not an organophobe, are you?” asked Hot Rod.

“No, just prefer to do things quietly,” countered Ultra Magnus.

“Hey, I think I see my summer home from here,” called Sira.

“And the Emerald’s over there, according to the scanner,” reported Tails as he pointed in another direction. “This way!” Everyone followed Tails.

“WAIT! I’M THE TEAM LEADER!” shouted Ultra Magnus. No one listened as they charged through the streets. “…Really?!” Ultra Magnus transformed and followed. As they followed Tails, they heard a cackle. “What in…?” quizzed Ultra Magnus before a large jeep barreled through the streets, nearly knocking them over.

“DECEPTITRAN, TRANSFORM!” The front and rear wheels joined together as arms came out from where the rear seats would be and the front seats folded into the chest to reveal Deceptitran’s head.

“You?!” yelped Ratchet.

“Who’s the fatso?!” asked Hot Rod.

“I’M NOT FAT!” shouted Deceptitran as he barreled towards the group. He managed to knock everyone off their feet.

“Okay, new strategy, leave his weight out of this,” groaned Sira.

“A smart decision!” replied Deceptitran. “If you really want to be in my good books, you could let me get out of here with this baby.” He fished the Blue Chaos Emerald out of his pocket.

“And the word of the day is…” called another voice as someone snatched it. It was Thundercracker! “…yoink!”

“GIMME THAT!” shouted Deceptitran.

“Buddy, you may be an evolved Drone,” grunted Thundercracker, “but not even YOU can command me!”

“That’s gonna change when Unicron takes this world!”

“…So you’re working for Unicron, huh? Sorry, but now you’re REALLY not getting the Emerald.”

“Autobots, leave this country at once!” ordered Galvatron’s voice as he, Brawl, and Dark Oak appeared.

“The Emerald belongs to us!” challenged Ultra Magnus. “Leave or face destruction!”

“…Pardon? That’s not like you.”

“AUTOBOTS, DESTROY THEM!” The fight began and Ultra Magnus kept swinging his hammer at Galvatron. It seemed that Ultra Magnus was getting animalistic and single-minded.

“Primus, and I thought it was Optimus that wanted to kill me in my time,” snarked Galvatron.

“SHUT UP!” roared Ultra Magnus. “You’re no brother to Orion!”

“Optimus thinks otherwise!”

“He’s a child! He still believes that people change!”

“Well, he’s got a basis to work with! Multiple, in fact!”

“I say once a Con, always a Con! You’re Megatron’s future! Tell me! How long have you been one?!”

“Okay, now you’re being Deceptiphobic here!”

“All Decepticons are abominations!”

“Why, Senator Keller, I didn’t know you and your anti-Muslim rhetoric survived!”

“THAT’S DIFFERENT! HE WAS AN UNEDUCATED DOLT WHO HAD NO BUSINESS IN CONGRESS!”

“You sound no different than him!” Ultra Magnus stopped talking and started shooting.


“Ratchet, you worked with him longer than any of us,” muttered Hot Rod as they kept Deceptitran and Thundercracker busy while trying to take the Emerald from the Seeker.

“He’s always had it out for Decepticons,” replied Ratchet.

“And I thought Sideways was bad against Mages when he was Meteorfire.”

“GET IN MY BELLY!” shouted Deceptitran as he leapt at the two Autobots, his mouth wide open. The Autobots rolled out of the way, confused at the whole thing.

“You weren’t gonna EAT us, were you?!” asked Hot Rod.

“Gotta maintain this figure somehow!” laughed Deceptitran.

“YOU PSYCHO!” shouted Ratchet.


With his old opponents now focused on just Deceptitran, Thundercracker scanned the area for other threats to the retreat. His optics rested on Tails and Dust Up. Dust Up had her energy bow at the ready, pulling back the firing mechanism as if it were a string, then aiming at the Seeker before pressing a button on the handle near her optics. When she did, an energy blast fired and nearly hit him. He only dodged in time before firing lightning at her. “DUST UP, TRANSFORM!” The hood of her vehicle mode tilted up to allow her head to tuck into it as her hands swung into her arms and the arms went to her sides. Her waist then rotated the legs, and her lower legs opened to allow the feet to fold into them. Once done, the unfolded lower legs swung to the back, forming the rear window before they closed to complete the vehicle mode. Tails followed Dust Up as they sped through the streets with Thundercracker flying behind them. The Decepticon then targeted Tails, setting his weapons to stun then firing. Tails was hit and crashed in an alleyway. Dust Up transformed and fired again, intent on avenging the harm Thundercracker did on Tails.


Tails got up and saw the fight going on outside the alley. He summoned his arm cannon, then winced. “Not enough firepower,” he groaned. “If I could find a decent source of…” He then looked back to see that the alley had all sorts of spare parts in boxes. “…Well, why not?” He brought out his tablet, then his tools, then started picking through the parts.


Sira and Trema continued fighting Dark Oak. He was clearly enjoying causing property damage. Trema’s Ban’grazas flashed in the daylight as they swung against Dark Oak. “Stupid Ape!” laughed the Metarex Leader.

“Call me that again! I dare you!” snarled Trema. “Lapis Spica!” Stone spikes then grew rapidly under the Metarex’s foot, puncturing it. Dark Oak howled and hopped around while holding his foot.

“Hey! Dark Oak!” called Sira. “The floor is lava! Ardenti Terra!” The ground beneath the Metarex then heated up REAL fast! He leapt onto the rooftops and fanned his smoking feet. “Well, I guess you could say he got a hotfoot!” Trema winced.

“That just made the flesh around my claws tighten!”


Brawl occupied Ultra Magnus’ attention, giving Galvatron a chance to shoot Deceptitran’s arm. As Deceptitran roared in pain, Ratchet and Hot Rod fired on Galvatron. “You think you know a bot!” called Galvatron as he took cover.

“I ain’t Rodimus!” replied Hot Rod.

“Give it time!” Galvatron was then hit in the head by an energy blast. He found the offending shooter to be Tails. He was wearing some sort of circular device on his chest that hooked up to his cannon.

“Huh, I guess Chaos Drive Fusion IS a thing,” mused the kid.

“…That shall serve the Decepticons!” declared Galvatron.

“Try and take it!” challenged Tails. He flew around the future Decepticon and fired, causing some damage to his external frame. Galvatron then flailed wildly, as if he were trying to swat a fly. Unfortunately, he was successful on the downward backswing of his left hand as he hit Tails, causing the device to fall from him. Galvatron caught the device and let Tails fall.

“Decepticons, we’ve lingered long enough!” he called as he opened a Bridge portal. “Retreat!” Thundercracker went first, followed by Galvatron, then Dark Oak, and Brawl covered the rear. The portal then closed, leaving the Autobots and their allies to deal with Deceptitran.

“Keep firing!” called Ultra Magnus.

“But Tails…!” protested Ratchet.

“Leave him! The Terrorcon’s a bigger priority!”

“…NO! No, I’m not leaving him!”

“That’s an order, Ratchet!”

“Yeah?! Well, you can kiss my skidplate, because I’m not leaving Tails! Teletraan, Ground Bridge to Med Bay!”

“Belay that!”

“Medical override! Med Bay! Now!”

“So help me, Teletraan, if you open the Ground Bridge…!” Ultra Magnus’ threat didn’t get very far as Dust Up jabbed him in a sensitive junction that served as a pressure point.

“Thanks,” bid Ratchet.

“Teletraan, you heard Ratchet!” called Hot Rod. “Bridge us to Med Bay now! Dust Up, help me cover the retreat!”

“On it!” replied Dust Up. Trema slung Ultra Magnus over her shoulder, straining a bit because of how heavy the bot was, and Ratchet transformed, his holo-form helping Tails into the patient bay.

“MUTINY!” shouted Ultra Magnus. “THIS IS A MUTINY!” He barked orders to return to the battlefield, but it did no good as Hot Rod and Dust Up kept Deceptitran at bay until they went into the Ground Bridge. Once it closed, Deceptitran’s optics widened in horror.

“…Unicron’s gonna eat me alive for this!” he whimpered.

Categories
Transformers: Mobian Chronicles Transformers: Mobian Chronicles (Arc 12: Seven Lights of the Earth)

TMC 12-5

Constantly circling the group of Mazuri people guarding the Yellow Chaos Emerald, a spike with legs observed the whole thing. The group was outside a large construct, waiting for the Ground Bridge to deposit the team to retrieve the Emerald. The portal opened to deposit Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, Cosmos, Rodimus, Amy, Espio, and Cosmo. A Red Gazelle woman stepped up to greet them. “Welcome to Mazuri,” she greeted. “I am Adamma.”

“Nice to meet you,” returned Rodimus. “I trust that ship’s the reason why you asked meet us at these coordinates.”

“So far, local scientists think it’s Cybertronian,” explained Adamma, “but there are a few who say it might be from another race entirely. Mobius has had a few alien visitors aside from the Transformers, so we must be sure.”

“Well, it IS Cybertronian,” confirmed Cosmos. “It looks like a proto-ship.”

“…I can’t say as I’ve heard that term before,” muttered Cosmo.

“Proto-ships are a place to house protoforms, Transformers with no unique shape yet,” explained Cosmos. “I served on one before. We had a few blanks.”

“Blanks?” asked Amy.

“Protoforms with no Spark,” explained Bumblebee.

“Ah.”

“If the Decepticons get their hands on it, they’ll use it to create a Deceptidrone army,” rumbled Rodimus. He turned to Adamma. “We’ll secure it, Ma’am.”

“Then I’ll leave you to it.” Adamma turned to her group and ordered everyone to move out. She then turned back to the allies, handing the Chaos Emerald to Amy. “Good luck!” The group then left the area, leaving the Autobots and their friends.

“Should we even be messing with it?” asked Amy. “There might be some radiation.”

“This things been buried for a long time,” remarked Cosmos. “Whatever radiation was there is probably gone. Let’s open it.”

“DON’T TOUCH THAT!” shrieked a well-known voice.

“That guy could be heard in the vacuum of space!” hissed Bumblebee as everyone turned to see Starscream, Buzzsaw, and Swindle. “You’re not getting your talons on it!”

“The way I see it, you Autobots have a choice!” answered Starscream. “You can either keep the Emerald and lose the ship or keep the ship and lose the Emerald. Choose wisely.”

“How about Option C, we keep both!” challenged Rodimus.

“Not an option, I’m afraid!” Starscream leveled his weapons and fired. The allies rolled out of the way, making Starscream’s shots tear a hole into the hull. It was a large enough hole for Transformers to get into the ship. “Decepticons, cover me!”

“BACK OFF! THOSE PROTOFORMS ARE MINE!” called a shrill voice. Something then dashed into the ship.

“What in?!” spluttered Cosmo.

“After it!” declared Amy.

“Come back here!” shouted Starscream. Everyone followed the thing into the ship. Judging by the lighting, it was safe to assume that the ship had been on emergency power for some time.


“Alert! Alert!” warned the computer. “Unidentified life-forms detected! Reactivating crew-bot!” A Mini-con stasis plate then dropped from a tube before it glowed and changed into a Mini-con. It was a mech with a race car spoiler on his chest and the hood became his feet while the rear wheels were his shoulders. He was white with blue highlights and had the symbol of the Cyclone Mini-con faction on his chest. His expression was a groggy one. “Crew-bot Zapmaster…!” called the computer.

“Ennerzholisissss,” slurred the Mini-con, Zapmaster. A small cube of Energolisis was poured for him. He took the cube and sipped the contents.

“Crew-bot Zapmaster, there is a matter that…!”

“Protocol, first things first.” Zapmaster was now a little more awake.

“But, crew-bot Zapmaster…!”

“Computer, status report.” The main screen then switched on. “Replies to distress call?”

“None.”

“Protoform count?”

“Unchanged.”

“Crew count?”

“One.”

“Damage?”

“Weapons fire has breached Topside Starboard hull.”

“And any…wait, WEAPONS FIRE?!” Zapmaster was more alert now.

“Intruders have made a hull breach and are running free throughout the ship.”

“Oh, for Micronus’ sake! Why didn’t you open with that?! Some automated ship! Can the intruders be identified?!”

“Four Autobots, One matches with records. Three Decepticons, two match with records. One female Seedrian. Two unknown organics of your size. One Scraplet.”

“Who are the known bots?”

“The known Autobot is Cosmos. The known Decepticons are Starscream and Buzzsaw.”

“Starscream?! Hey! There’s some good news! Computer, activate ship-wide comms and accept replies.”

“Understood.” A mike popped up and Zapmaster leaned into it.

“Good day, everyone!” he began. The intruders looked around. “I can see from security footage that you guys thought this ship didn’t have a crew. Well, it’s only got one Mini-con and it’s one that one of you should be familiar with. Ain’t that right, Star-boy?” Starscream then felt a feeling of recognition.

“Zapmaster?!” he called.

“In the steel, baby! Now, on to brass tacks. First off, we’ve got ourselves a Scraplet on board. Now, for the time being, I’m willing to overlook the Autobot intruders and their organic pets until we deal with this problem. After that, I want to make it totally clear that you aren’t welcome. I jumped through a lot of hoops to get here and I’m not prepared to suffer Autobots on my ship! This protoform consignment is meant for the Decepticons, so leave them! For now, I’m beaming freezer guns over to your positions.” He keyed in a command before he grabbed his own.

“Smart move, runt!” taunted a shrill voice. Zapmaster turned to see the Scraplet on the top of the door’s threshold.

“Come here, buggy! Just wanna keep things cool!”

“Yeah, not happening until I get the protoforms!” Zapmaster’s optics flickered.

“Did you just…talk?!” The Scraplet then took off along the ceiling. “HEY! COME BACK!” Zapmaster charged after the Scraplet, freezer gun in hand.


The Autobots, Decepticons, and their smaller allies met in a large chamber filled with silver bodies. They were humanoid but had no discernable features. Starscream checked the manifest and blinked. “…Blanks?” he asked Zapmaster. “You were carrying Blanks?!”

“Hey, Shockwave wanted them for her Deceptidrone experiments!” argued Zapmaster.

“SCRAPLET DROPPING DOWN!” called Bumblebee. The Scraplet then landed on the floor and jumped around, dodging the freezer gun blasts. As it jumped, it stuck its tongue out, blowing a raspberry. Bumblebee’s raised eyebrow mirrored everyone else’s. “Okay, since when do Scraplets do that?!”

“You think that’s weird?” asked Zapmaster. “It spoke to me!”

“I can do more than that, thanks to the protoforms!” cackled the Scraplet. It then leaped down into the chamber and latched itself onto a protoform. The protoform then liquified before it turned into a mass of tendrils that pierced other protoforms and made them each into a mass of tendrils. The masses then came together and morphed into a giant Scraplet!

“…It can’t be!” breathed Starscream as fear crossed his face. The giant Scraplet then melted and compressed itself into a male humanoid shape. The shoulders then became conical and the head grew a sadistic smile as it grew horns that jutted out from the side at an angle. The fingers became talons and the body soon gained a maroon coloration with the Terrorcon symbol flashing yellow. The creature then started laughing.

“I’M ALIVE AGAIN!” The creature laughed some more before winding down and grinning maniacally at the group. “Thanks for giving me a way in, Screamy. So kind of you. …VERY kind!”

“Makeshift!” hissed Starscream. The new bot then jumped over the group, landing near the door.

“Catch me if you can! MAKESHIFT, TRANSFORM!” The arms moved to the torso as the head folded down to reveal the rear of a car while the feet united and made the front, turning him into a race car. He sped down the hall with everyone in tow.

“He could be anywhere!” muttered Cosmos.

“Split up and watch your backs!” called Starscream. “Makeshift is a Shifter and a very clever one!”

“A Shifter?!” gulped Bumblebee. “Great, he could be anyone if we meet him!”

“You mean he could look like you guys?” asked Espio.

“Right down to the scars and voice,” confirmed Cosmos. “He doesn’t possess everything about you, so lie if you need to.” Everyone split up, but Zapmaster stayed behind. He found the Yellow Chaos Emerald on the floor, picked it up, examined it, then pocketed it, thinking the Decepticons could use it for cash.


Cliffjumper patrolled the corridor, his optics in a constant scan mode. He heard whispering, more intense than usual. “Not…happening!” he growled to himself. “I won’t…serve you!”

“Hey!” called Bumblebee’s voice. Bumblebee then came up. “Hey, Cliff, are you all…wait…”

“What’s wrong?” asked Cliffjumper.

“How do I know you’re not Makeshift?”

“Oh, for Spark’s sake! Do you want me to start quoting My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic right now?!”

“Okay, it’s really you.”

Besides, how do I know YOU’RE not Makeshift, you little runt!”

“WHO ARE YOU CALLING A RUNT, YOU JACKAFT!!” Bumblebee then yanked Cliffjumper’s head off! The strange thing is, Cliffjumper wasn’t dead!

“HEY! PUT MY HEAD BACK, YOU JERK!!” Bumblebee just beat Cliffjumper’s body with his head. “OW! OW! HEY! CUT IT OUT!”

“So that’s why you bots are always so secretive,” hissed a voice. Everyone had met with Bumblebee and Cliffjumper. “So, the two Energon Alchemists are here,” snarled Cosmos. “And why are they into it? Because they performed a taboo! They tried to bring someone to life!”

“…Don’t you DARE act like you wouldn’t resurrect someone!” snarled Bumblebee as he gave Cliffjumper his head back. His right arm and left leg armor then came off, revealing that they were made of blue-white crystal. “And Cliffjumper lost a lot more than what I did! We’re into it so we could get our old bodies back!”

“Pit-spawn! You have no right to…!”

“Back off, Cosmos!” hissed Espio as he drew a shuriken. “They did what was…!”

“Enough!” shouted Starscream. “We’re a little preoccupied!”

“Truer words were never spoken!” snarled Starscream’s voice again. Everyone turned to see another Starscream approach them.

“Oh, Primus, here’s a cliché for us!” sighed Buzzsaw.

“Shoot him!” called the first Starscream as he pointed to his twin.

“Not me, him!” protested the other.

“Let me determine who’s who!” called Zapmaster. “Starscream, do you remember what you called me? Little Buddy?”

“What?!” asked the second Starscream.

“Little Buddy, come on!” protested the first.

“SHOOT THAT ONE!” shouted Zapmaster as he pointed to the first. Everyone unloaded their weapons into the first Starscream. It then fled down the hall, turning silver before morphing into Makeshift.

“…Little Buddy?!” protested the real Starscream.

“I was panicking, okay! Look, does this have any value?” Zapmaster pulled out the Chaos Emerald. Amy blanched before she checked her pockets.

“…Someone’s clumsy!” taunted Starscream.

“I must have dropped it!” breathed Amy. “Er, look, Mr. Zapmaster, that thing’s a worthless pebble. Not worth the Decepticons’ time.” Zapmaster rolled his optics.

“Yeah, cause Starscream’s grinning madly and you’re panicking over a worthless pebble. Like I was constructed yesterday!”

“It’s a magic jewel that contains limitless power!” explained Starscream. “There are seven in total and we’re claiming them!” He then opened a Bridge portal before firing at the ceiling. “FALL BACK!” The Decepticons and their new Mini-con ally then took off into the portal. The falling debris got between them and the Autobots.

“We gotta get out of here!” called Cosmo.

“But Makeshift…!” protested Espio.

“He’s failed! We gotta go!” argued Bumblebee. He then made a call. “Teletraan! Ground Bridge!” A Ground Bridge opened for them and they fled into it while the ship collapsed. All that was left was a giant pile of scrap in the middle of the Mazuri Savannah.