Month: July 2021

Categories
Transformers: Mobian Chronicles Transformers: Mobian Chronicles (Arc 17: Living Stories)

TMC 17-3

Optimus and his group made it to the cave exit and found more Eggacons surrounding a short-range ship, commanded by Swindle. “Primus, the Combaticons are here too!” grunted Optimus.

“How do we get past them?” asked Blackarachnia.

“I got it!” whispered Sonic. He then dashed around the enemy. “YOU’RE TOO SLOW!”

“SONIC!” yelped one of the Eggacons.

“Priority One: Hedgehog!” shouted Swindle. “Skin him, boys! He’ll make a nice pelt!” The Eggacons and Combaticon then followed Sonic while Optimus and Blackarachnia led King Arthur into the ship. The cockpit was big enough for two Transformer pilots and Mobian passengers.

“Better hurry through the pre-flight checks,” muttered Blackarachnia.

“We don’t have time! Sonic can’t keep this up forever!” argued Optimus. “We need to take off the instant he gets inside!”

“Well, I don’t wanna explode in mid-air, so…!”

“Forgive mine interruption, but do I take thy words correctly?” interjected Arthur “Doth this structure fly like a bird?”

“Yep. One of the fastest ways to get around Mobius, aside from the Ground Bridge.”

“Here comes Sonic!” called Optimus. “Off we go!” The ship then took to the air as Sonic jumped aboard and Swindle and his mech fired.

“THAT’S MY SHIP! I JUST GOT THE INSURANCE PAID OFF!” shouted Swindle. The ship left the area and the people inside relaxed slightly.

“Sweet Primus,” sighed Optimus as he flew the ship.

“…So, where are we going?” asked Blackarachnia. Optimus’ optics widened. “YOU DON’T KNOW?!”

“I HAD OTHER PRIORITIES! LIKE OUR IMMEDIATE SURVIVAL!”

“Aye, they be husband and wife,” muttered Arthur to Sonic. Sonic only nodded, then he saw something on the console.

“HEY! GUYS!” he called to the two bots.

“WHAT, SONIC?!” they demanded.

“Console!” Sonic pointed to a green light. Optimus then opened the communications channel.

“This is Shadow of G.U.N,” said a well-known voice. “Incoming aircraft, explain why you were fired on.”

“It’s because we stole it from the Eggacons, buddy,” answered Optimus. “It’s Optimus flying this thing and I’ve got Blackarachnia, Sonic, and another Hedgehog with me.” He transmitted his i.d code to Shadow. After a few seconds, Shadow became slightly more friendly.

“Good thing you’re on that ship, Optimus. There’s a sword in northern Spagonia.” Everyone blinked in their usual fashion.

“I’m…sure there are swords all across Spagonia, heck, all across Mobius,” snarked Blackarachnia.

“Any of them pop out of an anvil on a stone that rose from the ground near a glowing tree?” Everyone’s eyes widened.

“Is there an inscription on the anvil?!” asked Optimus.

“There IS, yeah,” answered Shadow. “‘Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise king born.’”

“Sit tight, Shadow. We’re on our way. Optimus out.” Optimus ended the call and looked to Arthur. “Your Majesty…”

“There be no need to stand on ceremony,” assured Arthur. “Thou mayest call me Arthur or King Arthur.”

“King Arthur, if that sword is the same one you used, I thought you had Sir Bedivere give it to the Lady of the Lake. That was HER hand that grabbed it, right?”

“It was, and she was among those women who bore me to Avalon. …It WAS she who took the sword and kept it in the lake, so how be it on land again?”

“Another question, why is it next to a glowing tree?” asked Blackarachnia. “…Come to think of it, why IS there a glowing tree? …Unless…!” Optimus and Blackarachnia came to the same conclusion.

“MERLIN’S PRISON!” they exclaimed together.

“I don’t get it,” remarked Sonic.

“In many versions of Arthur’s legends,” explained Optimus, “the Lady of the Lake, Nimue, had fallen madly in love with him, but he didn’t reciprocate. So, she wove a spell on him that imprisoned him inside a tree. If that tree is glowing, it must be charged with raw magical energy.”

“Magical energy that Merlin must be manipulating from inside!” continued Blackarachnia.

“Thus bringing Excalibur out of the lake and onto dry land!” realized Arthur. “My friends, we MUST free Merlin!”

“You’re right about that!” agreed Optimus. “Time to pour on the speed!”

“Wait, this vehicle flies faaaaaAAAHH!” The ship then rocketed towards Shadow’s position.

Back in Station Square, Tails was taking Cosmo out on a date. Cosmo always wanted to see the people and culture and now, she was at a size to do so. They were sitting at a café and enjoying a nice lunch. “You know,” sighed the Seedrian, “in all my years, I’ve never experienced life like this. To see everyone so happy, so full of energy, it’s staggering!”

“Well, seeing a primordial evil defeated after it ruled over a planet,” mused Tails, “WILL make a person optimistic.”

“You’re right about that. And on such a sunny day, THIS is life!” Cosmo’s jewel then flashed. “…What in…?” she muttered. “Can’t this wait?!”

“What is it?”

“A transmission from Greengate. It might have something to do with the Metarex’s absence from this planet after Unicron.” She took the jewel off and opened it to reveal a holographic projector. It displayed a scene of many Seedrians in an amphitheater with the Metarex Five in the center. They then took their helmets and part of their torsos off, revealing the internal Seedrians inside. Dark Oak then spoke. What he said threw Cosmo off entirely.

“I am Lucas, formerly of Greengate,” he announced. “With me are my fellow founders of a radical group that resisted change, thus alienating ourselves from our families. What we have witnessed has proved we were in the wrong. We were on Mobius when the Transformers’ Dark God, Unicron, rose from the core of the planet and made his intentions plain to destroy this universe. He spouted the same rhetoric as we did, that change is destructive and all living things that change must die. I thought what I was saying was good, but this was repeated by a primordial evil who lived to be evil, nothing more. The five you see here are the Metarex Five, the founders of the flawed Metarex race. We started it and we’re about to finish it. We hereby renounce Metarexism and its offshoots and denounce all those who continue to fight in its name. Our proof is the return of the Planet Eggs we have stolen. There is nothing intrinsically wrong about changing, nothing that lifts unchanging people above others. If anything, our refusal to change has brought us down. We were wrong to assert ourselves. And, to all those who follow us, I personally say this: do not expect guidance, or wisdom, or answers. We have none. We never did. To those Metarex still out there, we give one final order: stand down. Remove your suits, report for genetic repairs so you can regenerate into new bodies as you once did, discard your weapons, tear off your badges, and stand down. The Metarex are over. Our war against change is over. Free yourselves from the shackles of a flawed philosophy and move on.” The Metarex Five then held their hands out and were shackled and led away. The transmission then ended. Cosmo was stunned.

“Never, in all my years…” she muttered.

“In the short time I knew him,” agreed Tails, “I never would have thought this would happen from Dark Oak.”

“Lucas. …His name is Lucas. It looks like he’s trying to cast off Dark Oak.”

“…Do you think Megatron could do the same?”

“We’d need to find him first before we get that answer. …Oh well, enough of that! We’ve got some more exploration to do!”

“I know of a great park to rest in after this!” The two then continued their meal.

Categories
Transformers: Mobian Chronicles Transformers: Mobian Chronicles (Arc 17: Living Stories)

TMC 17-2

Panting, groaning, and wounded, the Autobots and their allies were in their base, trying to grasp what happened. “What IS this?!” protested Prowl. “The Decepticons are striking at points of now strategic value and doing nothing but waiting for us before SHOOTING at us! There was nothing of value there! Pit, even that recent skirmish in Chun-nan is nothing more than an Energon drain, since we found that the amulet they were after was nothing more than something to sell to tourists! Primus, I’m spinning my wheels here!”

“Well, stressing over it,” replied Goldbug Magnus, “isn’t going to help. All we can do right now is to stop the Decepticons where we can.”

“With how much we’ve been gobbling up Energon,” retorted Prowl, “I don’t know if we CAN sustain it! Ratchet’s running low as it is and he shouldn’t have to patch us every single day!”

“I hate to sound callous, but it IS part of the job. In any event, there’s not much else we can do. …Hey, on a slightly related note, where’s Optimus?”

“…I thought you knew. I was gonna ask you.”

“If he’s gone charging off alone again…Teletraan, where’s Optimus?!”

“He and Blackarachnia are currently in the old English countryside,” reported Teletraan. “He mentioned that they’re fighting a blast from the past, but the call cut out before he could explain who it was. He’s still alive, from what I can detect.”

“Send a Sky Spy to his position,” ordered Goldbug. “We need to know how many we’re facing, or even WHO we’re facing.”

“There’s also the matter of Cliffjumper not here.”

“Oh, that? He’s investigating an incident in Shamar. Oil’s being drained from their reserves.”

“They don’t suspect us, do they?”

“No, they don’t. They think it’s a Decepticon, but they want us to confirm it. So, I sent Cliffjumper to help them out in any way they can. If he gets overwhelmed, he’s comes back, and we send backup.”

“Very well.”

Shamar, once known as the Middle East, still as enchanting as its legends say. Cliffjumper always wanted to check it out and this mission was the perfect opportunity. A Male Mobian White Oryx and a few G.U.N soldiers approached him as he parked at the President’s Mansion. “I never thought I’d see a Transformer face-to-face!” chuckled the Oryx. “I’m Naaman Abdallah, President of Shamar.”

“I’m Cliffjumper,” returned the bot. “It’s a pleasure to help in any way I can.”

“Let’s talk inside,” invited Naaman. He led Cliffjumper’s holo-form through the Mansion into the War Room. Naaman’s staff was waiting for them. “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Autobot representative, Cliffjumper,” he introduced before sitting in his seat. Cliffjumper sat between a female Sand Cat and a male human. “Now, as I’ve mentioned last night,” continued Naaman, “I invited our Autobot friend to confirm our thoughts on this being a Decepticon raid on our oil reserves. Mr. Cliffjumper, many of us are still confused by your faction symbols, even going so far as to mistake Thundercracker for an Autobot at one point when Unicron ruled Mobius.”

“Let me show you my faction’s symbol first,” began Cliffjumper. He rolled up his sleeve and showed off the Autobot symbol tattooed on his shoulder. “This is what bots on my side show off and we’ve got blue optic lenses. The Decepticons wear this symbol,” the tattoo became the Decepticon logo for the duration of the rest of his explanation,” and their optics are redder than my paint-job.” The symbol returned to the Autobot one.

“Well, that confirms it,” declared the human male. “The Decepticons are raiding our oil reserves. Fuel, possibly?”

“I mean, oil CAN be converted into Energon cubes, but it’s a very bitter taste for us. We only convert other fuels into Energon as a last resort and this planet is saturated in natural Energon crystal, so much so, it’s too much of a good thing for us.”

“So they shouldn’t even be so desperate,” surmised Naaman.

“That’s not stopping them from taking it,” grumbled the female sand cat as she looked on her tablet. “I just got a call that the Decepticons stole 630,000 gallons of oil an hour ago.”

“That’s 15,000 barrels!” exclaimed the human.

“Were they seen converting it into Energon cubes?” asked Cliffjumper.

“That’s the glowing pink beverage you lot consume, right?” asked the sand cat.

“Yep.”

“Then, yeah, they were seen doing just that. Just to put this in perspective, one thousand barrels of oil makes one tiny cube!”

“So, this team of Decepticons just stole fifteen cubes in the past hour,” summarized President Naaman.

“Rest assured,” promised Cliffjumper, “I won’t let them take one more quart of oil in ANY second in time.”

“We appreciate that. We’re using Chaos Fusion Drive power like the rest of the world, but it would be nice to have a back-up power source.”

Over in the desert, the Decepticons that stole the oil were meeting with a person and their aid. The leader of the Decepticon team was a heavily-built femme with the alt-mode kibble of a mining drill, the second was a mech with a twin-rotor helicopter alt-mode, the third was a jet with the nosecone as his feet, the fourth was a mech that had motorcycle kibble, and the last was a tank with the barrel above his right shoulder. “With all due respect, sir,” began the jet-mech, “it was the Shamaran Military that brought Autobot attention, and yet, you summon us!”

“I would lower my voice, if I were you!” warned the person’s aid. The jet-mech continued.

“First, you gave us a useless ring!”

“That ring holds more power than you realize!”

“Then you tell us to scavenge for our own fuel!”

“You have the equipment!”

“And then you tell us to search for more useless rings!”

“The Seven World Rings are meant for our use! Stop speaking for your boss as she was the one who organized this meeting with nothing to show for it!”

“She is in the middle of deciding whether or not it’s worth the effort for her to speak to you directly, Erazor!”

“YOU ARE THE ONES NOT WORTH THE EFFORT FOR MY MASTER TO ADDRESS DIRECTLY!” The jet-mech then squashed the aid. As he wiped his heel, the motorcycle-mech took his turn.

“We only ask that you take this matter seriously,” he explained. The person then flicked their hand and the mechs were flung into the wall. The femme looked directly at the person as they lowered their cloak to reveal a muscular man with light purple skin, a cardinal red beard and ponytail curving upwards, pointed ears, and black eyes with red rings. He wore a brown cape, gold armbands, brown and white baggy pants held up by a brown and gold belt, and brown, curly toed boots.

“The only matter I do not take seriously, madam,” he snarled, “is you! The politics of the Transformers BORE me! You side with a human with a demeanor equivalent to that of a pouty child and, apparently, you do not understand what the Seven World Rings can do or why you were tasked by that man to go after them. Tell this Eggman that I shall honor our agreement if you bring me the Rings. But return to me empty-handed again, and I shall bathe the deserts in your innermost Energon! So decrees the Erazor Djinn!” He then faded in mist. The mechs picked themselves up.

“…I hate him!” grunted the tank-mech.

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

3 Realms 4-36

A Realmgate Repair ship lay in ruins below the Under-realm Realmgate it was assigned to. The crew of the Scorpion worked fast as they began the countdown on the explosives they had placed. “All right, that’s it, everyone!” called Scorpo. “Get inside and move us back!” They wasted no time in obeying. Once they were at a safe distance, the countdown went from 10 to 0. The instant it did, the bombs exploded and tore through the Realmgate. Soon, it fell, a blackened hulk sinking beneath the waves. This was the same for every Realmgate in every realm. Scorpo called Dr. Borg. “Our target’s down,” he reported.

“As are the other targets, from what I’ve heard,” answered Dr. Borg. “That’s all of them. Our organization is the only one that can cross the Realms. Oyed will be making his address any second now.” The instant the call finished, the skies across the Realms became covered in black clouds. A hole in the clouds then opened and Oyed appeared in it.

“You have all failed to take me down!” he proclaimed to the Realms. “With the Realmgates gone, you have no choice but to pray to me for travel between Realms! And for those thinking Arsha can save you, FORGET IT!” He then displayed what he did to Arsha. “As you can see, Arsha was nothing more than a mere fox and I was the hunter that slaughtered her! To all those who dare oppose me, give it up! Your hope is dead! Your future is dead! Your hero, Arsha, is dead! I am the true master of the Realms! You only exist to amuse me! The instant you don’t, I will destroy the Realms and make a single Realm! I will fix my children’s mistakes one way or another! Bow to me! Obey me…or SUFFER!” The hole closed, but the clouds remained, as did the grief of the Realms.

Over in the Over-realm, Elgrad and Hanako were being comforted as best they could be by their friends and Arsha’s lovers. Elgrad then knelt down. “…This is it, isn’t it?” he mumbled as he drew a knife.

“Elgrad, NO!” pleaded Endram.

“ELGRAD, YES!” wailed Elgrad. “MY DAUGHTER IS DEAD! I’VE LOST MY KINGDOM! THERE’S NOTHING FOR ME NOW!”

“HOLD!” shouted a new voice. It was Falheem. She managed to wrestle the knife out of his hands. “Elgrad, it’s not your time!”

“NOT MY TIME?! MY DAUGHTER IS DEAD!”

“No!”

“…Don’t give me hope! Hope is dead!”

“Arsha’s alive, so is hope!” Falheem then summoned a loom with a tapestry still being woven. Each thread was still weaving itself through the strings of the loom. On what was completed, one could see the major events of Arsha’s life.

“…Arsha’s life is still being woven?!” asked Elgrad.

“Exactly. We still don’t know how it will end.” Elgrad still stared in disbelief, then he sheathed the knife.

“Well, it WON’T be ending any time soon!” he declared. “If Oyed was that sloppy, then that’s a weapon to use against him! I’m not giving up anymore! With the Realmgates gone, I’m severed from my Realm, but I will take this chance to find her! I will scour EVERY falm of the Over-realm, right down to the precise zarruk! When I find her, I’ll look for Oyed and then KILL him!”

“If you think, for one minute, you’re doing this alone,” called Foresna, “then, Your Majesty, you’re out of your Ones-damned mind!”

“We’re joining you!” proclaimed Emfam. “You have the resources of the Over-realm at your disposal!”

“Everyone!” called a new voice. It was Denstra. “Everyone, did you see Oyed’s…?!”

“Falheem proved him wrong!” replied Elgrad. “Arsha’s alive! The tapestry of her soul’s still being woven!”

“…Need a ship to help scour the Over-realm, then?”

“Commander, I will happily accept your offer! Falheem, can we rely on the Divine Ones to help?”

“If my siblings can be found,” replied Falheem. “Somehow, they’ve passed beyond my sight. I must search the Realms and find them. I shall start in the Under-realm.”

“Good luck. Join us when you can.” Falheem bowed to Elgrad and vanished in black smoke.

“This way,” directed Denstra as she led everyone back to the Endeavor. The search was on!

Falheem arrived in Frigandor and immediately felt the presence of her fellow Divine Ones. “…Here? All in one place? …So low?!” She followed the presence to a cave in a glacier and went inside. After an hour, she found a room with her fellows hanging like meat in a butcher’s storage room! They were all emaciated and ashen-skinned with a tendril embedded into their spines! “WHAT IN ALL THE REALMS?!” she yelped. “My siblings! What happened to…?!” A metal tendril then buried itself into her spine and shocked her. As she screamed, the tendril drained black liquid from her body. She soon became emaciated like her fellows, then the tendril made her join them. She lost consciousness as the people behind this stepped into the room. One of them was a robot with more human-like features and a black visor with two red lights functioning as eyes, the second was Dr. Borg.

“I bet no little girl alive could boast of having such a massive doll collection,” joked the robot in Jansha’s voice.

“Indeed,” replied Dr. Borg as she patted the robot’s head like a parent would with their child. “Speaking of which, how’s the new body working out, Jansha?”

“Better than ever!” answered the robot, the new Jansha. “So much more efficient than Dr. Ganshar’s construction!”

“Good to hear. It should help process the Divine Mana as efficiently as an organic’s body.”

“We still need Oyed’s.”

“That will come in time. For now, we must still keep this hidden until Oyed’s sufficiently distracted enough.”

“All right, Mom. In the meantime, we need to ensure that no one can fight in Arsha’s memory.”

The Realm Trinity Imperial Council met again. Oyed was grinning from ear to ear. “You should have seen the look on Elgrad and Hanako’s faces as I made it clear that they were gonna bury their daughter!” he laughed. “I have NEVER seen anyone fall into despair so quickly!”

“My Lord, this has secured victory for us!” praised Dr. Borg. “The soldiers are dancing in the streets right now!”

“As they should! Oh, I have NEVER felt such joy! The Final War’s going OUR way now! No need for Drows or Shadow Dragons! They can keep the Manticores and Sphinxes! The Gryphons and Gorgons can join Realmfleet! IT WON’T MATTER! WE WILL ALWAYS WIN!” The ale was passed around as Weltam came back in. After Reb stabbed her, she was returned as a Revenant. “Ah! Weltam Forsorna! Come! We’re just celebrating our recent victory!”

“With Arsha dead as a door nail,” giggled Remsu, “we’re all riding on a victory!”

“Yeah, she can’t get any deader than that,” mumbled Weltam as her face faded to a pained smile, she then muttered under her breath “unless we kill her again.”

“…Kill her again?” asked Oyed. Weltam then decided to change the subject.

“Hey, Remsu! You said you wanted to try out a Felansi Dancer’s dress?!” She pulled out a design-book ladened with all sorts of dresses for Felansi dancing.

“Weltam,” called Oyed.

“I was thinking this design has enough frills at the hem for a little exciting flash as you swish them.”

“Weltam.”

“Although, I must admit, that design looks a little more flattering on someone who’s a little more, erm, how do I put this politely…larger in the waist.” Oyed then snatched the book out of Weltam’s hands as everyone glared at her.

“I DID kill Arsha, right?” asked Oyed. “Tell us Arsha’s dead. We all need to hear these words.”

“…Did…did you have to hear all those…words…exactly?” Dr. Borg’s metal hand then grabbed Weltam’s shirt and yanked her towards her face.

“She’s still alive?!” snarled the Cyborg Sprite through gritted teeth. By now, everyone was very, VERY angry!

“One of our operatives,” sighed Weltam as she told the truth, “saw Falheem whip out Arsha’s soul loom in front of her parents, lovers, and potential in-laws. It’s still weaving itself.”

“Oyed!” Dr. Borg turned her gaze to the Titan as she shoved Weltam back.

“I mean, with the amount of wounds I gave her, not even a Champion’s Aura should have saved her!” protested Oyed. “Gravity can still kill someone at that height! Weltam, of all the times to deliver this news…!”

“Hey, don’t kill the messenger!” gulped Weltam. “I just though we should prepare for her return!”

“She CAN’T return!” growled Tormo.

“I guess it WOULD be a setback, after Oyed’s address to the Realms.”

“YOU THINK?!” roared Oyed. He then turned to his minions. “You and I are all gonna search every zarruk of the Over-realm! If she breathes, we’re THROUGH! Now! Let’s! MOVE!”

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

3 Realms 4-35

“OF ALL THE BONE-HEADED CRAP YOU DID, THIS TAKES THE CAKE, ORBAK!” Arsha shouted at the Under-king as he was learning how to pop a wheelie in his new wheelchair.

“I’ve heard that from my own family, the rest of your lovers, your parents, Lardeth’s parents, and Marshii,” grunted Orbak, “and, frankly, that’s too much!” He set the front wheels back down.

“There’s a thing called necessary violence, and what you just did TOOK IT PAST ALL THAT!”

“Arsha, I will bet my crown that YOUR father would do the same thing if he had the same abilities as me!” Orbak grabbed the handles on the driving wheels’ covers and he left the room at the same speed as someone walking. Arsha snarled…then sighed.

“I hate it when you’re right,” she muttered to herself.

“Stubborn man, ain’t he?” asked Malnar as she entered the room.

“He had hobbies, many of them requiring legs.”

“Knowing Daddy, I’m pretty sure he can find a way to at least still be able to bake.” Arsha smiled.

“…It would be nice for that to happen. He’s always loved that.”

The Gorgons and Gryphons met with the Falchineve Driders the next day. They sat down at the table, with some trepidation from the Falchineve delegation. “Your Majesties,” began Hanjar, “our first discussion here was one where we accused you of encroaching on our lands. We believed only your Driders could be capable of such acts. …We were proven wrong. Someone played on our pride and hid the details from us. Realmfleet then sent those who opened our eyes on who was really behind the encroachment of our lands. For the Gryphons, it was a rogue human, a member of the Under-king’s family, that convinced others that his way was the only way to stay neutral when they would have been the first target. Orbak swiftly dealt with that problem and has given us ideas on how to use the fort for our purposes.”

“For the Gorgons, the object was the result of a careless Realmfleet Captain who ignored the Dwelga Accords and constructed a cloaking device so long ago,” continued Erudsa. “Realmfleet was made ignorant of it thanks to a high-ranking Admiral and now the Supreme Admiral had to clear the mess. We’re using the ship now as a multipurpose facility for housing, gardening, trade, and medical care.”

“But there IS something we need to settle,” supplied Hanjar. “King Hekcho and Queen Yumbii, how can we ever make amends for the slander we threw at you?” The two Driders looked at each other, equally confused.

“I…er…” stammered Hekcho.

“I mean, I suppose…” Yumbii was just as lost for words.

“It’s not our usual manner, we’re aware,” assured Erudsa.

“We have long held the belief that Oyed would settle things quicker than Realmfleet,” explained Hanjar, “but his forces have forgotten us, and we were reduced to a low end on the totem pole. So, if we may be selfish for a bit, we would like to stick it to him.”

“…You know, that’s something we ALL can get behind,” chuckled Yumbii. “Let’s discuss new relations.”

While that went on, Arsha decided to go for a little stroll with her, her lovers, her parents, and her future in-laws. She was feeling very proud of herself. “With the once-buried races now on our side,” she mused aloud, “we actually have a shot at winning this!”

“I know it seems like we’re winning,” cautioned Jeefef, “but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We still need to dismantle Dr. Borg’s economic system.”

“She’s right,” remarked Orbak as Elgrad pushed him along. “We need to keep on our guard. The Blood Contract hasn’t been fulfilled yet.”

“Yeah, but we can smash them at a faster rate now with fewer casualties!” insisted Arsha.

“Are you quite sure of that?” asked a voice. Everyone turned their heads to see Oyed stepping towards them.

“It’s over, Oyed!” proclaimed Arsha. “Your buried races defected to our side!”

“And for that, I am absolutely livid!” snarled the Titan. “However, I’m also impressed. You managed to keep your faith in my children despite what they did to them!”

“They humbled themselves when they realized their mistakes, something REAL Gods do!”

“I AM a real God! I will not bow to any of you defective insects!”

“And that’s why you fail! You believe yourself perfect, but your children don’t see themselves as such. They did, once, but that led to the War of the Depths. They’ve long accepted that they are as imperfect as the rest of us!”

“That is THEIR stupidity! Everything is according to MY design, NOT theirs!” Oyed then fired an energy wave and knocked everyone to the ground. He then spoke in a commanding voice that echoed and froze them all in place, speaking the long, yet powerful speech of the Gods. “I am the First Being: Oyed the Titan, the Father of Gods, who was before the One World before the Realms and made it! The darkness of my design lies upon this fractured world and all that is in it bends to my will in the fullness of time! But, upon you and all whom you love, my desire shall weigh as a cloud of doom, and it shall bring you and your precious ones down to darkness and despair! Wherever you go, you shall be confronted by my warriors and beaten down! Whenever you speak, your words will fall upon deaf ears! Whatever you do, your actions will bear no fruit! You shall die without hope, cursing both life AND death!”

“If that’s your curse,” growled Arsha, “then here’s mine for you, Thrall Oyed! What I say doesn’t come from the teachings of your children, the Divine Ones, but from my heart in this very hour! You are NOT the Master of the Three Mortal and One Immortal Realms and those who dwell within both, and never WILL be! All Realms may yet fall under your dominion, but, beyond the Circles of All Realms, you will not pursue those who refuse you!”

“True, beyond the Circles of All Realms I will not pursue them, for I have no reason to, as beyond the Circles, there is nothing! Within the World, however, none shall escape me until they fade into nothing!” Arsha’s face contorted into angered disbelief.

“You lie as usual!”

“You shall see, and you shall confess that I do NOT lie about this!” Oyed then snapped his fingers and his enemies’ eyes burned for a good minute. Arsha’s, however, did not. She tried to cast healing spells, but it did no good. The treatment stopped and something went wrong. They weren’t seeing their immediate surroundings, but Oyed’s! They could see Arsha leaning over their bodies and could see themselves picking their bodies up.

“Wha…what’s going on?!” demanded Elgrad.

“Look you now through me!” replied Oyed as he advanced on Arsha and grabbed her by the throat, hoisting her above himself and strangling her. “Look as you witness how darkness and despair shall come upon your savior whom you have delivered to me! You have dared to mock me and have questioned the power of Oyed, Master of the Fates of the Realms! Therefore, with my eyes you shall see, and with my ears you shall hear, and the death of your hope will never be hidden from you, even as you shut your eyes!” Oyed then rocketed up to the sky with Arsha in tow, then stopped when he neared the clouds. He then slammed his fist into Arsha’s face, sending her flying straight backwards until Oyed zoomed past her and grabbed her head before pounding her spine. The pain shot straight through Arsha as she cried out. Oyed then continued pummeling her for a good minute until she was covered in bruises, cuts, and her own blood. She was too weak to lift a finger. Oyed then formed a blade of dark mist from his hand and sliced across Arsha’s abdomen before letting her tumble to the ground. He floated there for a minute until he raised his hand to his head. “Did you get all that, Doctor?” he asked.

“Every grisly detail,” confirmed Dr. Borg’s voice. “Good work, My Lord. We’re setting the charges on the Realmgates now.”

“Excellent.” Oyed then vanished and ended his curse on Arsha’s family and lovers. Elgrad and Hanako had long fallen to their knees in disbelief as they saw their daughter defeated in such a violent manner and left for dead.

Categories
Transformers: Mobian Chronicles Transformers: Mobian Chronicles (Arc 17: Living Stories)

TMC 17-1

It has been a year since the defeat of Unicron and his Terrorcons. After he was banished, Gaia had taken over as the guardian of light and dark for Mobius. Though, it didn’t mean peace was coming. Eggman was biding his time…until now. A pair of Autobots were now fighting his forces in Spagonia. “WHY DID EGGMAN DREDGE THESE UP AGAIN?!” shouted Optimus as he and his wife fired on the enemy.

“I think a better question is WHY AREN’T THEY DYING AS FAST?!” retorted Blackarachnia. “You know, it’s times like this I wish I still had the Apex Armor!”

“It’s still in the Vaults, Legs! You know this!” Just then, a trio of jets arrived. They were bulky, but still able to fly. They then transformed into robotic copies of Eggman. These were the Eggacons, drones forged to look and act like Eggman.

“Oh, it’s been too long since we had this kind of fun!” laughed one of the Eggacons.

“And looky who we have here!” laughed another. “I believe Blackarachnia took down a few of us when she was alone!”

“My congratulations to the Bride!” giggled the last.

“I’ve already gone the whole nine yards here,” remarked Blackarachnia. “I’m Optimus’ wife now!”

“This way!” called Optimus as more Eggacons arrived. These had tank alt-modes. Optimus and Blackarachnia then ducked into a cave large enough for their robot modes to stand up straight and sealed the entrance by blasting the roof. They took a minute to catch their breath.

“…You know, in hindsight,” panted Blackarachnia, “we should have them in and ducked outside before sealing the cave.”

“It was a heat-of-the-moment decision,” replied Optimus.

“HEY!” called a voice. “OVER HERE!”

“That’s Sonic!” realized Blackarachnia. Sonic then met up with the two Autobots.

“Guys, what’s going on?!” asked Sonic. “I was doing some exploring here and then I heard blaster fire!”

“That’s thanks to the Eggacons Eggman sent here,” explained Optimus.

“Eggacons?! The Eggman Transformers?!”

“The same.”

“Sonic, how far back does this cave go?” asked Blackarachnia.

“Pretty far back. It ends in some sort of tomb.”

“Let’s hole up there, then we fight our way out,” declared Optimus. “Lead the way.” Sonic led the two bots through the cave and to the tomb. It was a rather spacious one and had a single stone coffin in the center.

“You know, if circumstances were different, we’d have a team of archaeologists here,” mused Blackarachnia. She knelt by the coffin and examined it. It had writing along the side in latin. “…‘Hic jacet Arthurus, Rex quondam, Rexque futurus’. He he, It almost sounds like…wait a cycle. Rex is king…futurus is future…and Arthurus is…holy scrap! BOYS! GET OVER HERE!”

“Can it wait?! We’re making a barrier here!” replied Optimus.

“Come on! Now!” Optimus and Sonic then paused their labors and joined Blackarachnia as she pointed out the inscription.

“…Okay, and?” asked Sonic.

“Come on, don’t you know your latin?!” protested Blackarachnia. “Hic jacet Arthurus, Rex quondam, Rexque futurus!”

“Okay, so some of it sounds like an Arthur fellow that was a…no fragging way!” realized Optimus.

“Translated, it reads ‘Here lies Arthur. The once and future king.’! Boys, this is King Arthur’s tomb!”

“But…but he’s just a story, right?!” Just then, they heard stone being dragged across stone. They then saw the coffin lid moving.

“Getting Unicron flashbacks here!” gulped Sonic. Optimus and Blackarachnia leveled their weapons at the coffin as Sonic prepared for a spin dash. What came out…wasn’t a zombie at all. It looked like Sonic in royal garb and with a beard! The new Hedgehog looked groggy, then stared blearily at the group.

“How…how long?” groaned the Hedgehog. “How many nights hath slept Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther Pendragon, King of Briton and Lord of the Holy Roman Empire?”

“…You know, I kinda expected a human,” muttered Blackarachnia. The supposed ‘King Arthur’ then looked around.

“This place…it be not Avalon,” he muttered. “What place be this and…and what manner of creatures be ye? Metal men and a…a blue Sprite?”

“Sprite?!” protested Sonic. “Dude, have you looked at yourself lately?!” The mystery Hedgehog then looked down and his eyes widened.

“By the Lord!” he swore. “What manner of witchcraft be this?!”

“I’m as stumped as…” Optimus’ reply was interrupted by the barricade being blown apart. “Ah, SCRAP! INCOMING!” The Eggacons burst in, and the fight began. The Mystery Hedgehog looked on and was amazed.

“Two factions of metal men?! …A woman among them, unless mine eyes be…is that creature…it IS! It hath curled like unto a hedgehog and then it propelled itself…what world be this?! …I hath narrated to myself long enough!” The Mystery Hedgehog then leapt onto the head of a nearby Eggacon. The Eggacon tried to throw him off but couldn’t do so.

“ARTHUR, GET OFF!” warned Optimus. The Mystery Hedgehog then leapt off and Optimus shot it through the head. It fell dead as Blackarachnia and Sonic tore through the remaining two. Everyone then panted and sat down to recover. “Impressive, Arthur,” praised Optimus.

“…You know not who I am?” asked the Mystery Hedgehog.

“I’ve read about the Arthurian Legends, but he was a man when he ruled England.”

“Optimus, isn’t there a way to check if it really IS King Arthur?” asked Sonic. “You know, the one it’s supposed to be instead of the one I met?”

“…The one you met?” asked the Mystery Hedgehog.

“Why don’t we have a little confirmation of your identity?” suggested Optimus. He transformed, activated his holo-form, and held a hand over the Hedgehog’s head. “Mens revelare.” Optimus and the Hedgehog were bathed in a yellow light for a few seconds before Optimus pulled his hand back in surprise. “It IS King Arthur! Holy Scrap, you’re real!”

“Did…didst thou read mine mind?!” yelped King Arthur. “Was that…magic?!

“I did, and it was. Even us machines can be wizards and witches. You know, I think we have you at a disadvantage. I’m Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots of the planet Cybertron. This is my wife, Blackarachnia.”

“Hello, Your Majesty,” greeted Blackarachnia.

“And this is Sonic.”

“Hey, how’s it going?” welcomed Sonic.

“It…it goes…how is WHAT going?” asked Arthur.

“Okay, I think we better get him up to speed,” suggested Blackarachnia. “I mean, he DID sleep for a long time and it’s 4024.”

“4024? That be the current year of Our Lord?” inquired Arthur.

“That’s right.”

“By Heaven, I slept for longer than I thought. …But it hath served its purpose, for the wound given to me has healed.”

“The wound that Mordred gave you in the Battle of Camlann?” asked Optimus.

“Thou know’st mine final fight?!”

“Your legends are quite popular on my planet.”

“Then Merlin hath underestimated how far men would know of me! From beyond this little sphere! I dared not imagine!” King Arthur was smiling from ear to ear.

“Er, Your Majesty, I hate to interrupt,” interjected Blackarachnia, “but we can’t stay her forever.”

“The lady speaks truth,” agreed Arthur.

“As she always does,” chuckled Optimus.

“Flatterer,” giggled Blackarachnia. They then kissed.

“…Be they lovers?” Arthur asked Sonic.

“More than that,” came the reply. “They’re married.”

“Ah.” King Arthur smiled happily. The two bots then stood up.

“Come on, we better get out,” declared Optimus. The group then made their way to the tomb’s exit.

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

3 Realms 4-34

“Now, all that’s left,” sighed Empria, “is to disconnect the last two wires, red first, then green.”

“We need to remove the less-active line first,” guessed Twirja, “then the other line can’t complete the circuit.”

“Yes,” answered Empria. Thangred took care of the wires, and the cloaking device was fully disconnected, this time with no explosions. He then noticed a small light fade and opened the device. It looked like a crystal was inside.

“Ah HA!” he exclaimed. “So THAT’S how it still got power! There’s an Engine Crystal inside it!”

“That must be why it exploded during the first attempt,” mused Twirja.

“That’s why I was so against them disconnecting it in the first place,” explained Empria. “You boys worked with plenty of Engine Crystals in your day. You know how reactive they are if they’re not disconnected properly.”

“Hoo BOY, do I!” agreed Thangred. He got to work extracting the crystal and placed it in a safe-box once he was done. “Now this thing can be destroyed without…” He then heard the sound of a spell charging up. “…That better be you, Twirja.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” muttered Twirja as he raised his hand over his head. Thangred did the same as he got up and both of them looked to Empria as she pointed her wand at them. “Madam, what do you hope to accomplish?” asked Twirja.

“I am finished now, you lot have ruined me,” replied Empria. “Thanks to you, my name is forever shamed! But, if you and I keep the workings of the thing to ourselves, we can be RICH!”

“It’s a bit late for that!” remarked Thangred. “I already copied over the schematics and gave them to Aldarval and Endram! There’s no point to this!”

“…Do you have any idea how unstable you’ve made the Realms?” asked Empria as tears streamed down her face. “You DO realize some of the mutineers survived?!” Twirja’s eyes went wide.

“They’re…they’re alive?!”

“And some of the survivors joined Oyed’s side! Once this gets out to our side, there will be a mass exodus of people flocking to the Realm Trinity Empire!”

“You don’t know that.”

“What other conclusion can be reached?!”

“You use that phrase too often for my tastes. Not only are you a traitor, but you’re also a coward.”

“THAT’S IT!” Empria fired, distracting the two men, and taking the cloaking device.

“STOP!” called Thangred. She didn’t listen as she tore down the hallways of her old ship. As she ran, she bumped into Erudsa and Aldarval. She dropped the device and tried to pick it up, but Erudsa grabbed her wrist and forced her to look into her eyes. They glowed yellow, she hissed, and the snakes making up her hair then all faced her and hissed, their own eyes glowing yellow as well. At that point, Empria felt something rocklike on her body. She looked down and her eyes widened in horror as she realized she was turning to stone! She then stood there, a gray, rocky statue with the eyes still moving.

“You will be released once the prison transport arrives,” hissed Erudsa.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Gorgon perform their trademark petrification stare,” mused Aldarval. Erudsa then wobbled. Aldarval caught her before she fell to the ground.

“It…requires…concentration,” panted the Gorgon Queen.

“A lot of it, by the look of things.”

The prison transport arrived and Empria was placed into it before Erudsa and her snake hair stared at her with green eyes instead of yellow. The stone crumbled away and released Empria. The former Captain of the Crelima glared at Erudsa and growled, then proceeded to growl at Aldarval. The transport then shut its doors and then took off. “With all that you’ve shown me,” Erudsa chuckled to Aldarval, “I think we can easily repurpose the Crelima now that we can see the doors.” The Crelima was being looked over by a troop of Gorgons. “Aldarval, thank you for what you’ve done. You’ve prevented a nasty war between us and the Falchineve Colony.”

“I hope the same can be said of the Gryphons,” muttered Aldarval.

“Given who surrounds you, I think it can.” Erudsa then remembered something. “We MUST give credit where credit is due for the woman who came up with this team formation.”

“Indeed, we should. Captain Royana, would you come here for a minute?” Arsha then approached them.

“Yes, Admiral?” she asked.

“Arsha, you are a credit to Realmfleet,” praised Erudsa. “You organized a team that solved a problem in a satisfactory manner and brought the truth to light.”

“That’s what I always strive to do, Your Majesty.”

“For that, you need to be rewarded.”

“There’s no need, I simply did my duty.”

“Humble as well, I like that. In this instance, though, I must insist. You shall be the first non-Gorgon to be awarded the medal of the Diamond Scale.” Erudsa then pulled out a scale shaped diamond tied by a strap. She placed the medal around Arsha’s neck, then bowed to her. “Let this be the action that signifies the Gorgon race’s willingness to fight against Oyed!”

“…Your Majesty, I am honored,” thanked Arsha. Aldarval then got a call.

“…What?! How did…?! …Oh my, can he…? …No?” Aldarval sighed. “Where is he? …By Gryphon? …So they ARE joining us against Oyed? …Good to hear, I just wish he hadn’t done that. We’ll be there straight away, Aldarval out.” She hung up and sighed again.

“Admiral?” asked Arsha.

“The Gryphons took over the fort and are flying the Realmfleet banner,” explained Aldarval. “They’re joining us against Oyed.”

“Perfect!” cheered Arsha. She then recalled what happened during the call. “…Was there a casualty?”

“None of the team you put together lost their lives…but Orbak lost the use of his legs.”

“WHAT?! WHERE IS HE?!”

“He’s in the Endeavor’s Sick Bay. We need to go back there now and get the whole story.”

“Me and my guards shall escort you back,” offered Erudsa. “I would like to know this story myself. After that, Hanjar and I will meet with Hekcho and Yumbii to apologize for our rash actions and how we can make reparations.”

“Then let’s get going,” suggested Arsha. “I want answers. …Ones, who knows what Malnar’s feeling! Did she even see it happen?!”

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

3 Realms 4-33

Everyone was in the Crelima’s conference room. Enough power was restored so Endram could display the cloaking device’s schematics. “I must say, this is quite the device,” muttered Endram. “Pity that such a thing is illegal.”

“WAS illegal,” argued Empria.

“Last I checked, the Dwelga Accords are still in effect,” remarked Arsha.

“Look, every second I worked on that project, a piece of me died, but this is war, and we need all the advantages we can get. You know the Scorpion has a cloaking device. We need to level the playing field!”

“If this device were constructed during the Final War,” growled Aldarval, “perhaps I WOULD have authorized it, with the Imperium’s permission and that of all the Royal Families.”

“However, that thing,” continued Elgrad, “was constructed before me and my fellows declared war. 500 years before that, if I’m reading the dates on the schematics right.”

“Realmfleet Regulation 9, Paragraph 4,” quoted Empria, “in the event of war, all factors must be considered, and certain treaties may be suspended!”

“At the determination of the Supreme Admiral,” reminded Aldarval, “and we weren’t at war 500 years ago!”

“In my judgement, we were!”

“At war?!” asked Bashoon. “Who was the enemy?! When did the All-realm Royals declare war in that time?!”

“Pirates and Splitters, that’s who!” answered Empria.

“As Bashoon mentioned,” remarked Olmarfa, “we didn’t declare war on them!”

“We were trying to lock them all up, what other conclusion could be reached?! It was the only chance we had to end their threat quickly!”

“And where did you obtain this permission to violate the Dwelga Accords?”

“From Rooshee! Who else?!”

“Rooshee!” grunted Bashoon. “How many illegal operations did she have her fingers in?!”

“Empria, there was a mutiny you asked me and Twirja to help cover up!” hissed Endram. “I want to know the details of that mutiny! I want to know why we were tricked into sacrificing our arms for a damn cloaking device!”

“We had others helping us get you out of this boat!” roared Twirja. “Start talking!” Empria sighed.

“As I said, Rooshee, with permission from then-Chancellor Garsheek, authorized me to construct a cloaking device. She told me that it was a tenth level code black operation as she didn’t want everyone to know about our breach just yet until I reported the results. …Unfortunately, one of my lieutenants, an Incubus by the name of Rolto, managed to find the schematics. I told him that we needed to stay secret about this, but he had a Goblin husband at the time, a high-ranking politician, and felt his loyalties to him were greater than his oath to Realmfleet. He copied the schematics and was about to transmit them to his husband, but a security team managed to intercept the transmission, prevent it from being completed, and traced it to him. I had him stripped of rank and thrown in the brig. The problem was, he told other people before he was arrested. They broke him out and staged a mutiny. …I think Endram and Twirja can explain the rest.”

“We’re not letting you off that easy!” snarled Endram. “As your King, I’m ordering YOU to finish the story!” Empria sighed before continuing.

“The cloaking device was wired to the engines. I was the only one who could shut it down safely, but the mutineers wouldn’t listen. I got others on my side, particularly those that I gave clearance to know about the project, and we tried to stop them from disconnecting the device, but it was too late. The explosion took the mutineers’ lives, and the shrapnel took the lives of a few on my side while harming the others, Endram and Twirja being the most immediate examples.”

“Rolto was my best friend in Realmfleet, and you made me deaf to his explanations!” snarled Twirja.

“You made a good deal of us turn on our friends,” continued Endram, “and break our oath to preserve the peace of the Realms both from without AND within! You made us turn on our brothers and sisters as they were trying to correct a wrong!”

“Every day, I honored your sacrifice, old friend!” pleaded Empria. Twirja then grabbed her by the front of her dress and brought her to his face.

“LIAR! YOU SPAT ON THAT SACRIFICE EVERY SINGLE DAY SINCE THAT DEBACLE! NOW, THANKS TO YOU, OUR GOOD NAME IS FOREVER SULLIED! I OUGHT TO…!”

“TWIRJA! PUT HER DOWN!” shouted Endram. Twirja glared at Endram, then put her back in her seat.

“Empria Dewlna, if this ship is still under the effects of the cloaking device, then you will tell us how to uninstall it. After that, we’re going to destroy it.”

“You can’t do that!” protested Empria. “If the Imperium hears of this…!”

“They already have!” interjected Bashoon. “I had a line open for Chancellor Penshek and he’s already met with the Majestics. They’re going along with the decisions of Realmfleet and the Over-realm Royal Family on this matter.”

“In that case, Empria Dewlna,” proclaimed Endram, “you are charged with violation of the Dwelga Accords. As King of the Over-realm, I’m placing you under arrest! You will instruct Thangred on how to uninstall the cloaking device safely, so we don’t have another explosion. After which, you will be relieved of your titles and land as you will live the rest of your life in prison!”

“Your Majesty, I wish to join them,” called Twirja, “I want to see that thing destroyed once it’s removed.” Endram turned to Denstra.

“Your Majesty, give him that form of peace,” she urged. “It’s been haunting him for too long.”

“Very well. Know this, Empria, those that knew about this and still helped you despite that knowledge will be punished as well.”

“Your Majesty, please, show them leniency!” pleaded Empria. “Like you, they were acting under my orders!”

“Then they made the same mistake as Twirja and I have done! Thangred, Twirja, take her to the engine room!” Thangred and Twirja flanked Empria as she remained in her seat for only a few seconds. She then stood up and headed to the door with the two men behind her. She stopped and turned back to look at Endram.

“The Final War would have been over a lot quicker,” she remarked. “You just extended it by two years.” She then left them with Thangred and Twirja following close behind. Aldarval sat down, then ran her hands down her face. Erudsa then placed a sympathetic hand on the Troll’s shoulder.

“I went through a similar incident once I became Queen,” she remarked. “It’s tough when those you trust betray you like that.”

“…Yeah, it is,” sighed Aldarval.

“There IS one upside to all this.”

“What’s that?”

“You’ve proved that you want all of Realmfleet to adhere to the principles it’s set out. That’s the mark of a good leader. This affair may not be formerly settled, but we ARE allies.”

“You mean, you’re going against Oyed?”

“Until the end of time!”

“You won’t regret this, I promise!”

“With leaders like you , I don’t think I will!”

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

3 Realms 4-32

Thangred continued fiddling with the electronics inside the console. As he worked, he muttered Dwarven curses to himself. “I worked on this kind of console all the time on the Endeavor!” he grunted. “Why’s this one giving me grief?!”

“Hey, should that green thing be tilted?” asked Twirja. He pointed to a green piece of electronic circuitry.

“…As a matter of fact, no, it shouldn’t,” remarked Thangred. He then turned it to a horizontal position and the console came to life. “The data-linkage, of COURSE! Thanks, Twirja!”

“Any time.” Thangred then typed away at the console and went through file after file until he came to something that was restricted, something called “Project: Veil”

“Damn!” he swore. “I hoped there wasn’t anything secret!”

“Let me try,” offered Endram.

“Enny, with all due respect, there’s no way the computer’s going to recognize your override code,” argued Twirja.

“I think it will. With the Endeavor in the area, it should read on what’s the up-to-date codes since the last update. Given that Dauntless-class vessel computers always check each other, I think it should work.” Endram then typed in a code for the files. A loading screen then popped up. “GAH! COME ON!”

“Loading screens: the bane of all technology lovers,” chuckled Thangred. It took two minutes for the screen to change. Once it did, the new screen read “Access Granted”.

“Perfect!” cheered Endram. “Tenth level code black, my ass!” He typed away and opened up tech specs. As he looked at them, his brow furrowed. “…Thangred, what’s your opinion on this?” Thangred got a look and goggled in horror.

“Pre-made light refraction spells, spell-diffusors made for the outside of a hull, Endram, this is a severe breach of the Dwelga Accords if I ever saw one!”

“A breach of the…” Twirja then realized what the schematics were for. “…Are you telling me…?!”

“I’m getting an arrest warrant for Empria!” snarled Endram as he began a call to Realmfleet.

“My council has heard something about a treaty known as the Dwelga Accords,” Erudsa remarked to Aldarval as they investigated the Sick Bay for use as a potential infirmary.

“Oh, that? That was a treaty signed during the First Age,” explained Aldarval.

“What are the specifics?”

“Well, before all that, I need to explain the history surrounding it.”

“I’m a bit of a history buff. Please, explain.” Aldarval took a deep breath before beginning the story.

“It was during the First Age of Unity when it all started. Back then, when the Goblins were first using the Realmgates, they had constructed machines that could make a ship look invisible, using pre-casted spells and machinery woven throughout the ship’s hull. They weren’t on good terms with the earliest iteration of Realmfleet, the Realm Skyship Federation, as they used to be raiders.”

“Raiders? What would they raid for?”

“All sorts of valuable objects, food, water, money, all that stuff. However, then came the Raider Skirmishes. For a while, both sides used these cloaking devices to attack each other, but the people hated the guerilla tactics used by both sides, so the royal families of all Realms stepped in and forced both the Federation and the Goblin Imperium to talk. Eventually, both sides agreed to end the construction and use of ship-board cloaking devices and signed the Dwelga Accords. The royal families signed the treaty as well. Now, any ship using such a device is to be considered crewed by pirates and everyone will be arrested with a maximum penalty of a life sentence.” Erudsa thought on what Aldarval had said.

“…Harsh, but fair. You know, I think the Gorgons would benefit from signing this treaty. Is there room for my signature?”

“There should be. The Treaty is self-updating, so each signature changes to the current ruler.

“Perfect, then after this mess, I will…” Erudsa was interrupted as Aldarval’s badge chimed.

“What in…?” Aldarval opened her badge and read the notification. Her eyes went wide as she reread it twice over. “…I don’t believe it!” She showed the notification to Erudsa.

“…I thought Realmfleet was bound by the Dwelga Accords!”

“We are. This is us only now fixing an oversight! I can’t believe this! Right under my nose! I let that silver-tongued idiot convince me to not look too deeply into this! Her use of a tenth level code black should have alerted me from day one!”

“What will you do to fix it?” asked the Gorgon Queen.

“At the moment, corner her and place her under arrest!”

“Drows and Shadow Dragons?” Empria asked Arsha as they searched another room near the bridge. “I thought they were extinct.”

“For a while, Dalengor hoped so,” replied Arsha. “That is, until she convinced them to join us as Oyed only saw them as a tool.”

“So, they’re fighting for the Under-realm right now?”

“Yep. …Although, Mordek DID suffer a bit. Don’t get me wrong, it was necessary, but it somehow felt…weird to see a God humbled like that.”

“I must admit, I never thought they were capable of wrong.”

“Well, apparently, they are. From what Mordek said, he wronged my first ancestor, Mortak, as she led a successful slave revolt and became the Queen of the Mid-realm.”

“So, your family was wronged by the Divine Ones?”

“I’m surprised Mortak never mentioned it in her diary, though.” As they searched, they heard footsteps. The whole group turned to see Aldarval, Erudsa, Endram, Twirja, and Thangred approaching them, with Aldarval leveling her wand at Empria.

“Lady Empria Dewlna, you’ve got some explaining to do!” she snarled.

“Admiral, what ARE you talking about?” asked Empria. “And what’s with the wand business? Do you REALLY need to point it at me?”

“Considering that we learned what Project: Veil was, yes!” snarled Endram.

“I can’t believe you!” growled Twirja. “Endram and I lost our arms over a Ones-damned CLOAKING DEVICE?!”

“…You poked your nose into the wrong files, Enny,” grunted Empria.

“The correct form of address is ‘Your Majesty’!”

“Hold on, did I hear that right?!” snarled Bashoon. “Is that why this boat’s invisible?! Realmfleet was constructing a cloaking device?!”

“Empria will explain the story,” hissed Endram as he went behind Empria and grabbed her shoulders.

“…You just lost all the respect I had for you, Endram!” growled Empria.

Categories
Transformers: Mobian Chronicles Transformers: Mobian Chronicles (Arc 16: The Unicron Games)

TMC 16-10

The base was set up for the wedding. The Autobots and their friends lined the aisle and the Groomsmen and Bridesmaids waited by the altar. Trema was the Maid of Honor and was accompanied by Amy, Sira, and Arcee. Jazz was the Best Man and had Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles with him. Chromia stood as the one officiating the wedding. Everyone waited for the Bride and Groom to arrive. They didn’t wait long as Optimus arrived. His helmet stayed blue, but the rest of his armor was white. After waiting a little longer, the Bride arrived at the aisle. Like Optimus, Blackarachnia’s armor was white while her helmet stayed the same. Prowl escorted her down the aisle. She then joined Optimus at the altar and Prowl took his seat. “Dearly beloved,” began Chromia, “we are gathered here today to witness the greatest moment of happiness anyone can imagine, marriage. Today we witness the union of Optimus Prime of the House of Pax and Blackarachnia of the House of Klizarg. If any object to the union of this mech and this femme, speak now or forever hold your peace.” The room stayed silent. After confirming no one would object, Chromia turned to Optimus. “Optimus Prime, do you take this femme to be your Conjux Endura? To unite your Spark with hers for as long as you both shall live? To forever cherish her until your Spark fades into the Afterspark?”

“I do,” answered Optimus. Chromia then turned to Blackarachnia.

“Blackarachnia Klizarg, do you take this mech to be your Conjux Endura? To unite your Spark with his for as long as you both shall live? To forever cherish him until your Spark fades into the Afterspark?”

“I do,” replied Blackarachnia.

“Then,” proclaimed Chromia, “by the power vested in me by Primus and all in attendance, I now pronounce you both Conjux Endurae! Optimus Prime and Blackarachnia Pax, you may kiss!” The two bots did so, and everyone cheered.

At the reception, it was time for the dance. Blaster was the Wedding Singer and his cassettes, Steeljaw, the twins Rewind and Eject, and Ramhorn, were his band. They had played slow music for a bit, letting Optimus and Blackarachnia sway together in peace. Once the song finished, Blaster then cleared his throat. “You know, it’s a tradition on Cybertron for the Bride and Groom to pick the final two songs in secret, but the thing is, they asked for the same song.” Optimus and Blackarachnia blinked, then looked at each other.

“You asked for that one?!” they asked in unison.

“So, if I might, Optimus and Blackarachnia, since you both picked the song, you mind if we just play that for the final number?” The Bride and Groom looked at each other, then grinned.

“You know what, go ahead!” called Optimus.

“It’s appropriate, given what we just survived!” agreed Blackarachnia.

“In that case, Steeljaw!”

“You got it!” Steeljaw then played the opening notes on the keyboard and Blaster started singing!

You got the touch! You got the power!

Yeah!

Rewind, Eject, and Ramhorn then joined in with the guitar, bass guitar, and drums! Optimus and Blackarachnia then danced at a much faster pace and Blaster continued singing!

After all is said and done, you never walk,

you never run! you’re a winner!

You got the moves; you know the streets!

Break the rules, take the heat! you’re nobody’s fool!

You’re at your best when the going gets rough!

You’ve been put to the test but it’s never enough!

You got the touch! You got the power!

When all hell’s breaking loose,

you’ll be riding the eye of the storm!

You got the heart! You got the motion!

You know that when things get too tough,

you got the touch!

You never bend, you never break! You seem to know

just what it takes! You’re a fighter!

It’s in the blood, it’s in the will! It’s in the mighty

hands of steel when you’re standing your ground!

And you never get hit when your back’s to the wall!

Gonna fight till the end and you’re taking it all!

You got the touch! You got the power!

When all hell’s breaking loose,

you’ll be riding the eye of the storm!

You got the heart! You got the motion!

You know that when things get too tough, you got the touch.

You’re fighting fire with fire!

You know you got the touch!

You’re at your best when the going gets rough!

you’ve been put to the test but it’s never enough!

You got the touch! You got the power!

Yeah!

You got the touch! You got the power!

Touch! At that last line, Rewind began his ending guitar riff and the crowd clapped and cheered for Optimus and Blackarachnia!

While the reception went on, the Decepticons were performing their usual duties. “…This is insane,” Thundercracker muttered to Shockwave. “We should be finding Megatron.”

“We can’t and you know this,” replied Shockwave. “With what our…ally has done to us; we can’t do anything without him knowing.”

“Those slagging guards of his!” grunted Thundercracker. “They’re nosier than Soundwave was!”

“He’s coming.” At Shockwave’s news, they stood at attention when Eggman walked into the room.

“Ah, there you two are!” he remarked. “Trying to rebel, are we?”

“No, Doctor,” answered Thundercracker.

“…Doctor?”

“…Lord Eggman.”

“That’s better! Now, Thundercracker, I have an assignment for you.”

“What would you have me do?”

“There’s an energy reading that needs investigation. My network says that it’s a dark one, but nowhere near as dangerous as Unicron or the Terrorcons. It reads as organic, so don’t get your hopes up about it being Megatron. I need you to describe it and, if it’s safe, bring it here.”

“Understood.” Thundercracker then left the room.

“Nice boy, pity about his usual sour demeanor. Now Shockwave, how goes Project: Regenesis?”

“All salvageable blank genetic material has been retrieved,” reported Shockwave. “All alt-modes are ready. All we need is a genetic donation.” Eggman then whipped out a cotton swab and wiped the inside of his cheek with it. He then handed it to Shockwave, and she put it into a machine. “Production has begun,” remarked Shockwave.

“Excellent! Mark my words, this time, we WILL triumph!” Eggman’s laughter then echoed throughout the base.

Categories
Transformers: Mobian Chronicles Transformers: Mobian Chronicles (Arc 16: The Unicron Games)

TMC 16-9

Once Optimus came out of the Repair Bay, he met with everyone else to see Rodimus, Galvatron, and Silver off. “So, this is it, huh?” he remarked. “I have to say, it’s been a wild ride.”

“No kidding!” agreed Silver. “Now that we’ve got something to beat the Unicron of our timeline, we actually have a shot to survive and thrive!”

“…Optimus,” muttered Galvatron, “I know you aren’t the one of my time, but I need to say that I’m sorry for what I’ve done.”

“Remember, Rodimus Unicronus caused your version of me to go nuts,” reminded Optimus. “If he’s anything like me, I’d say he would forgive you. I would.” Galvatron then hugged Optimus, hiding his face so his brother from another time couldn’t see his tears. It was initially awkward, at first, but Optimus got over it and reciprocated. The hug then ended as Galvatron wiped his eyes.

“Hey, Future Me!” called Hot Rod. Rodimus then turned his gaze toward his younger self. “Believe it or not, you helped me get a lot of emotional baggage off my conscience. I know we had a rocky start, to put it lightly, but I know you’ve changed me for the better. So, do me a solid, will you? Wreck your Unicron’s scrap!”

“That’s the idea!” chuckled Rodimus.

“So,” Sonic asked, “how are you guys gonna get home?”

“With this,” answered Silver as he pulled something out of his pocket. It was a hexagonal jewel with no points whatsoever.

“A Time Stone!” breathed Amy.

“The last one,” explained Silver. “Similar to a Chaos Emerald, but it only controls time instead of time and space. One call of Chronos Control and we’re off!”

“Since Unicron destroyed Cybertron,” continued Galvatron, “we’ve been imperiled by a black hole that threatens to destroy the universe. We’ve determined the cause to be the absence of Primus, so the absence of Unicron should close it up.”

“That’s what the Primes of my Matrix told me,” confirmed Rodimus. “So, with our versions of the Three Powers, we’ll get rid of our Unicron and his Terrorcons, send them into the black hole, and then the Gaia of our time may heal the planet since we’ve lost our Chip.”

“So the Gaia of your time is still alive, is she?” mused Gaia. “Excellent. The circle can be restored easily.”

“Here, you’re gonna need these,” called Tails as he handed Silver the devices that formed Unicron’s energy cage.

“Thank you,” bid Silver. He and his Transformer friends then looked on. “You guys are the greatest. Don’t ever give up the fight against evil.”

“You got it, Silver!” promised Optimus. The three time-travelers then drew their weapons, with the Skyboom Shield having compressed itself into a form Silver could use, and Silver held up the Time Stone.

“CHRONOS CONTROL!” The three were then caught up in teal light, then vanished to return to their time.

“…Well, that’s enough time-travel for this zombie,” muttered Cliffjumper.

“Cliffjumper,” called Gaia, “you have suffered much and wish to be restored to a fully living body, wanting to escape your undead fate, right?”

“Yep.”

“…If you are willing, I can give you a proper body.” Cliffjumper’s optics flickered.

“You…You’d do that for me?! But I’m made of metal!”

“Refined earth, unrefined earth, it matters not. I can restore you to life. In return, you must continue to fight against evil as you did in the past.”

“Sounds like a fair bargain to me! I accept!” Just as she did before, Gaia raised her arms and summoned a green circle beneath her.

“Restored to true life, to continue to grow!” she chanted. A green light then enveloped Cliffjumper, then died after a few seconds. Cliffjumper stood still, then his optics switched back online. Instead of purple, they were Autobot blue! Cliffjumper then tried to take his head off and cheered when he couldn’t!

“I’M ALIVE!” he cried in happiness. “WHOO HOO!”

“All right!” cheered Bumblebee. Ratchet then rolled his optics. Gaia saw this and patted his shoulder.

“I will not resurrect the dead so willy-nilly,” she promised. “Besides, my own medical skills are terrible. Yours, on the other hand, are the greatest of all Cybertronian doctors.”

“…Well, at least I outshine a Goddess in THAT regard,” muttered Ratchet as he took some comfort in that.

“There’s one more loose end that needs tying up,” called Optimus. He then approached Bumblebee. “Bumblebee Stinger, you have gathered all anti-Unicron forces and led them in my absence. You kept morale up and you sought solutions to problems that helped us to victory. I can think of no greater reward for you-” he then pulled out the Forge and converted it into its familiar Magnus Hammer shape- “than to promote you to Magnus.”

“…Me, sir?!” gulped Bumblebee. “You want ME to replace Ultra Magnus?!”

“I can think of no worthier candidate. Remember, you DID gather even Decepticons. I think you’ll be the one who can help me achieve peace with them. And I mean PEACE, not just quiet.”

“…Well, my first duty IS to Prowl, right now,” answered Bumblebee.

“What are you hesitating for?” asked Prowl. “You’re the perfect bot for the position!”

“…Prowl, it’s been an honor to have been commanded by you.” Bumblebee and Prowl then shook hands.

“I was honored to have you under my command, Bumblebee Stinger.” Bumblebee then turned to Optimus.

“I accept!” Optimus then handed the Magnus Hammer to Bumblebee and the little scout was enveloped in blue light. “SWEET PRIMUS!” yelped Bumblebee. The light then faded, and a more mature looking bot took Bumblebee’s place. He had black bee stripes on his back, a gold paint-job, and a dark-gray helmet.

“…Bumblebee?” asked Cliffjumper.

“I feel different,” remarked the bot. It was still Bumblebee’s voice, no mistake. “Someone get me a mirror.”

“Got you covered,” replied Teletraan. A mirror then popped up from the floor and the bot got a good look at himself.

“…Holy Scrap!” he breathed. “I’m better than ever! Check out the paint-job! I’m gone beyond just being plain old Bumblebee! I’m a gold bug! …Gold bug…gold bug! I think I found my new name as Magnus! Everyone, from this day forward, I shall be known as Goldbug Magnus!”

“Congratulations, Bu…Goldbug Magnus,” bid Cliffjumper.

“Welcome to the Command Corps of the Autobots, Goldbug,” wished Optimus.

“Thank you, Sir,” replied Goldbug.

“I see the weight of the position has gone and made you grow shorter,” snarked Arcee. Goldbug flinched, then turned to Arcee with a forced smile.

“Arcee, you got it all wrong!” he said through clenched dental plates. “You’re supposed to say, ‘That upgrade’s made you grow so tall, Goldbug’!”

“Why would I say something clearly untrue?”

“I’M STILL TALLER THAN YOU, PINKY!”

“And the Napoleon Complex is still there,” sighed Optimus. “All right, I know we’ve earned the victory celebrations here, but the Decepticons have offered no indication that they want to call off hostilities with us. I hate to remind everyone, but we’re still at war with the Decepticons. With Megatron missing, however, we have a chance to talk to them. Once Blackarachnia and I are married and we’ve had the reception, we’re going to make attempts to parlay with the Decepticons and find Megatron. Hopefully, we won’t need to fight any longer. If Eggman’s taken control of the Decepticons, then we should have an easier time of things.”