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.