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Fanfiction / Re: Fate/Trans Form
« on: August 13, 2013, 02:08:40 AM »
Fate/Trans Form - Part 2
--------------
Such a beautiful day... thought Shirou to himself, as he sat in the forward compartment of the red/gold vehicle driving itself through the streets of Fuyuki City. He was looking across at the impossibly beautiful woman sitting in the passenger's seat to his right, holding the still-prone form of a former adversary on her lap. Glancing out at the dazzling colours of the morning horizon, it was difficult for Shirou to register just how much had changed in the last twenty-four hours.
One moment he had prepared to risk his life to bring an end to the Grail War, trying to steel himself (an ironic term, given his realm of magical expertise) against the inevitable outcome of the night's events, should he and Saber succeed - that the Grail would be gone, and she would be lost to him forever. But now here he was... and here she was, the same Saber he had completely fallen for, and yet, different in a manner he could not comprehend.
And this vehicle - this comprehensive facade, for a being that was truly more than meets the eye. It should have been the greatest mystery of all, and yet...
"So, you guys feeling okay in there?" And there it was - the voice of Rodimus Prime, the being whose form he had taken at the Ryūdōji temple, who bore the original Matrix from which he had inexplicably replicated in that darkest of hours.
Shirou answered, somewhat cautiously: "Um... Well, to tell you the truth, I feel a little overwhelmed by the whole series of events - it hasn't even begun to sink in for me just yet."
Saber voiced her own concerns. "I also feel uncertain about this new form I have been granted, and what brought me back to this time and place."It seemed that she was not without her doubts either - not least due to her relative lack of exposure to the concept of gigantic talking biomechanoids in disguise.
Heh, as if watching Gun x Sword and The Big O was enough preparation for me! mused Shirou internally, "and even they weren't sentient life forms from a whole other world...
Rodimus replied, in a slightly more relaxed manner. "Well, let me see if I can help with that - but first, let me introduce myself. I am Rodimus Prime, commander of the Autobot armed forces, Protector of Cybertron."
"Cy...baa..." Shirou tried to wrap his tongue around the syllables.
"Cybertron," repeated Rodimus, "my home world - in orbit of the Alpha Centauri A star, not too far away from Sol, in fact.
My people, the Cybertronians, are a race of sentient biomechanical life forms, capable of transforming into a variety of other objects - cars, aircraft, even starships. I lead the Autobots - a force of Cybertronians dedicated to the preservation of sentient life across this galaxy, and to the promotion of inter-species dialogue and co-operation."
Shirou was somewhat skeptical. "So, just how long have you and your kind been on Earth, anyway? And if you are so noble and beneficent, why have we not heard of your kind here before?"
'Well," came the response, "we've been on Earth for a while now, but we feel that it's too early in your world's development for us to declare our presence openly. Your kind has great potential, the possible makings of a major influence on the galaxy - but you are not ready, and you won't be for quite some time.
The most we can do is try to aid you from the sidelines, make what we hope are subtle yet worthwhile contributions here and there... and protect you from those who would show no such restraint in 'introducing' humanity to the realities of the universe around you."
'Wait, just who exactly do we need protection from?' Shirou felt worried when asking. The seihai sensou had been trouble enough.
For his part, Rodimus was not sure whether or not to rush into a full-blown explanation at that particular time. "I'll... get back to that part later, but let's just say for now that unfortunately, not all Cybertronians are as friendly as yours truly."
Shirou and Saber were keen to learn more about the issue, but chose not to pursue it further – for the time being, at least. There were other pressing issues to raise, such as the one Shirou now turned to. "What happened to Saber? And just what has she become?"
"I may need one of my colleagues to examine further, but my guess would be that Saber is a Cybertronian, and one with a Pretender shell to boot," came the reply.
"Pretender?" Shirou asked.
Rodimus affirmed this. "Yes… Traditionally we’ve relied on our alternate forms to try and blend in on alien worlds – though you’d be forgiven if you thought my own vehicle mode was less than inconspicuous! However, recent developments back home, and on other worlds in the galaxy, have resulted in new ‘shells’ – techno-organic bodies which we can use to mimic biological creatures, apes to cheetahs and even humans. The shells themselves are pretty impressive – a Cybertronian wearing one is pretty much indistinguishable from the life form they assume, with blood cells, lungs, a beating heart, the works!"
He addressed Saber directly. "Saber, while in this form, you are as human as anyone on Earth – more or less - but you have the ability to return to your Cybertronian form at will. It might take a little getting used to, though."
Saber lifted up her left palm and looked intently at it, not quite believing that it felt – moved – exactly as she had always remembered it. She put her hand up against her face, half expecting to feel a metal plate instead of her own skin.
Shirou was no closer to understanding the situation, however. "But – how did she become like this? Was it something to do with…"
"The Matrix?" Rodimus said. "I’d say so."
"You’d say so?" was the less than overly sold reply.
Rodimus tried to clarify the point with "Look, the Matrix has been the primary fount for Cybertronian life from the very beginning, but there’s a lot more we don’t know about it than we do. Even as Prime, my connection to the Matrix is… complicated, at best. I knew that the Matrix was reaching out to the two of you at the temple, and I could feel its power reaching outwards – which led me to you in the first place. That, and the portal through which Saber emerged.
My guess is that the Matrix left a fragment of itself in each of you – as it does with each new spark, or life essence, it brings forth – and that fragment followed Saber to the past, and granted her a new spark, a new life as one of us. But I can’t say for certain, not without knowing more. I’m sorry."
Saber saw a series of images in her mind – the last fading light of the forest, the ancient alien being in front of her, the circle of light opening up in the sky…
…and suddenly, she felt tired, as fatigued as at any time she could remember.
"Looks like you could use a nap" noted Rodimus, "you’ve both been through a lot. And just as it happens…"
Rodimus turned the corner, and drove up the Emiya household’s driveway, coming to a stop near the main building’s front door.
"Thank you for bringing us back. Thank you… for her." Shirou had yet to fully understand, but he was still more than grateful, for everything.
Rodimus dodged the gratitude, saying "Don’t thank me, thank the Matrix – but don’t get too excited. There are still a number of unanswered questions to deal with. I’m going to get in touch with our operatives here in Japan, and I’ll be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, if you need to contact me, Saber has a comm unit built into her left arm, and you can take this -" the glovebox opened up, and Shiro reached over to the small communicator within. "- use it if you need to contact me. Take some time to get yourselves together, but don’t hesitate if there are any problems."
"Okay," Shirou nodded, as he then helped Ilya and Saber out of the bay, and carried each to the door.
Rodimus revved his engine, and set out back down the driveway, onto the street beyond. Just before he turned away, he activated the comm unit in Shiro’s hand, and said "You’ve done a great service to your people today, both of you – don’t forget that. You should be proud."
And with that, he was gone.
--------------
Shirou carried Ilya over to her room, and lowered her into her bed. She had hardly stirred since her recovery, but Shiro felt it was best to let her rest.
He carefully closed the room’s door panel, and headed back over to Saber, who by now was resting herself against the wall beside the front door. It was more awkward to carry her through the house, but she still felt surprisingly light – Shirou had half-expected her to weigh several tons.
She had been a thirty-foot tall robot-plane that morning, after all.
He laid her to rest in her own room, and pulled the quilt to cover her up to her neck. She was fast asleep, but what she saw in her dreams Shiro could not say.
In the morning light coming in through the blinds, her face looked astonishingly beautiful. So graceful, so serene… so perfect.
Shirou sat beside her, and reached his hand over to her forehead.
"Saber…" The faintest of whispers, yet he hoped she could hear him in her dreamlike state.
He picked himself up and headed to his own room, and suddenly realised how tired he was, as well.
He crashed down onto his own bed and closed his eyes, and drifted away…
--------------
A verdant forest, the wind gently breezing through the trees.
An inner peace, more sublime than anything one had ever known.
A release, into a new plane of existence…
A noble giant, offering a new chance, a new hope.
A new life…
--------------
A new life, for my new Servant. Konotori Hizen was almost quaking in anticipation as he progressed through the summoning spell, his key to dominance in the years to come.
It had taken years to acquire the magical items needed to form the portal, just as long to gather a stock of sacrifices to power them, and even longer to perfect the carefully-crafted language needed to bring his plan to fruition.
While the Grail had been one means of drawing forth Servants from the far realm, Hizen knew it was not the only one – merely the most notorious among spellcasters. Indeed, many magicians liked to pretend that other means did not exist, or simply didn’t know any better.
They must be delighted at the Grail’s demise, he cackled to himself, "it must be a great comfort when they sleep at night! Those fools!
As the incantation gathered pace, the winds of dark magic formed into an octagon on the temple floor before him, ancient runes and half-forgotten marks burning themselves into the lacquered wood below.
Hizen found it harder to concentrate – it was an aching temptation to gorge himself on the mounting satisfaction he felt as the pieces fell into place. With a sharp blink of the eyes, he re-focussed himself on the task at hand. It was too late to afford mistakes.
He continued the chant: "Son of Heaven, Conqueror of Worlds, Mightiest of Rulers… Step forth!"
The winds of magic within the octagon coalesced into a tornado, a nexus of otherworldly energy focussed on one spot, thickening into jet-black ichor, coalescing into a human-like form.
It was time. "Great Khan, step forth!"
The mass of ichor shattered, and in its place stood a warrior king like no other. The man who had taken the empire forged in blood and fire by his legendary grandfather, and led it to its greatest victories – who ended his days as master of China, and half of the known world. The mightiest ruler to have ever lived.
Kublai Khan.
The Khan looked to Hizen, and simply asked "You are the one who has summoned me?" He stared intently at the magus in front of him, who had no idea as to how the next several seconds would transpire.
"Yes, Great Khan. I – uuughhh!" In a flash, the massive hand of the Khan was pressed against the mage’s neck, throttling the life force from Hizen.
"B..bu… t… y…o.. u..." Hizen choked out the words.
Kublai barked a short laugh. "Are your Servant? Ha! Pathetic. A miserable toad like yourself, daring to challenge the Son of Heaven Himself? However... I have waited for this moment for over seven hundred years – so perhaps I should show you a measure of gratitude for your services, yes?"
In a lightning-fast motion, Kublai threw Hizen across the room, whose body smashed against the temple wall.
Kublai reached over to the assembled artefacts, and despite his severely reduced physical faculties, Hizen could tell he knew every last one of them. As if he had laid them out for Hizen to find, to draw him here…
"Here we are..." he spoke, taunting the battered magus, "the Seturyo Dagger, quite a useful item, and still with fresh blood on the blade. You have been meticulous in your preparations, I grant you that."
Kublai walked over to the prone form of Hizen, who was crumpled in a pool of his own blood. "As I said, I will show you gratitude, and mercy. Normally I can be very particular about dealing with those who would dare place themselves in a position of authority above me, but given the unique circumstances I will spare you a prolonged agony. Rest in PEACE!"
With that, Kublai plunged the Dagger into Hizen’s heart, and almost instantly his body was warped into a fresh portal. It had only managed to bring Kublai across in conjunction with several other powerful objects, but was more than adequate for the task at hand.
In a few seconds, Hizen was gone, and in his place stood a second powerful warrior – one with a deep scar on his face, the legacy of a past shame.
"Liu Fu-hsiang!" bellowed the Khan, and at once, the second warrior knelt before his sovereign. "You were a commander of my armies once, against the inhabitants of these islands – trusted with their subjugation. But not only did you fail me, you allowed yourself to be humiliated! Losing your horse, and your eye, to a samurai. Pathetic!"
Lu knew precisely of what the Khan spoke – his soul had been in agony for centuries because of his failure.
"However," the Khan continued, "I have been known to show mercy, when I judge it to be advantageous. I grant you this chance to redeem yourself, and to have your soul know peace at last. Speak!"
His voice quivering, Liu hurriedly asserted "Command me, lord Khan!"
Excellent… Kublai had known well what the disgraced warrior would say – but it still gratified him to hear it.
Twice before, he had sent armies by sea to Japan, seeking to crush their insolence (they dared to hold their own Emperor as equal to Him? Preposterous!) and to add their holdings to the Yuan Dynasty. And yet, twice had their sheer effrontery been rewarded by salvation, from the skill and fanaticism they had shown in combat, the incompetence of his commanders, and the divine winds which ruined his fleets.
But they would not escape a third time.
Japan would be his.
--------------
Above the modest cloud cover over Fuyuki City, a purple and grey aircraft gracefully flew across the sky. Not that any human sensor could detect it – the stealth coating on the craft’s outer layer protected it from such primitive systems. Even detection equipment from its home world would have a difficult time in tracing its flight path.
The Decepticon saboteur observed the ruins left behind by the Matrix’s unleashing, reminiscent of the day not so long ago that a similar force had saved the homeworld from the clutches of his unholy creator.
His passive scanners followed the familiar sight of a red-and-gold vehicle leave the area, and head towards the city centre.
He was quick to respond to this event. There is much more to this event than I had previously considered. This warrants further investigation. Cyclonus banked his left wing upward, and pulled up and away from the island, out towards the Pacific Ocean. Once he reached a certain point away from Japan, he activated his hyperspace portal, heading back to the Decepticons’ current home base of operations.
Things on Earth were going to get very interesting.
--------------
End of Part 2.
--------------
Such a beautiful day... thought Shirou to himself, as he sat in the forward compartment of the red/gold vehicle driving itself through the streets of Fuyuki City. He was looking across at the impossibly beautiful woman sitting in the passenger's seat to his right, holding the still-prone form of a former adversary on her lap. Glancing out at the dazzling colours of the morning horizon, it was difficult for Shirou to register just how much had changed in the last twenty-four hours.
One moment he had prepared to risk his life to bring an end to the Grail War, trying to steel himself (an ironic term, given his realm of magical expertise) against the inevitable outcome of the night's events, should he and Saber succeed - that the Grail would be gone, and she would be lost to him forever. But now here he was... and here she was, the same Saber he had completely fallen for, and yet, different in a manner he could not comprehend.
And this vehicle - this comprehensive facade, for a being that was truly more than meets the eye. It should have been the greatest mystery of all, and yet...
"So, you guys feeling okay in there?" And there it was - the voice of Rodimus Prime, the being whose form he had taken at the Ryūdōji temple, who bore the original Matrix from which he had inexplicably replicated in that darkest of hours.
Shirou answered, somewhat cautiously: "Um... Well, to tell you the truth, I feel a little overwhelmed by the whole series of events - it hasn't even begun to sink in for me just yet."
Saber voiced her own concerns. "I also feel uncertain about this new form I have been granted, and what brought me back to this time and place."It seemed that she was not without her doubts either - not least due to her relative lack of exposure to the concept of gigantic talking biomechanoids in disguise.
Heh, as if watching Gun x Sword and The Big O was enough preparation for me! mused Shirou internally, "and even they weren't sentient life forms from a whole other world...
Rodimus replied, in a slightly more relaxed manner. "Well, let me see if I can help with that - but first, let me introduce myself. I am Rodimus Prime, commander of the Autobot armed forces, Protector of Cybertron."
"Cy...baa..." Shirou tried to wrap his tongue around the syllables.
"Cybertron," repeated Rodimus, "my home world - in orbit of the Alpha Centauri A star, not too far away from Sol, in fact.
My people, the Cybertronians, are a race of sentient biomechanical life forms, capable of transforming into a variety of other objects - cars, aircraft, even starships. I lead the Autobots - a force of Cybertronians dedicated to the preservation of sentient life across this galaxy, and to the promotion of inter-species dialogue and co-operation."
Shirou was somewhat skeptical. "So, just how long have you and your kind been on Earth, anyway? And if you are so noble and beneficent, why have we not heard of your kind here before?"
'Well," came the response, "we've been on Earth for a while now, but we feel that it's too early in your world's development for us to declare our presence openly. Your kind has great potential, the possible makings of a major influence on the galaxy - but you are not ready, and you won't be for quite some time.
The most we can do is try to aid you from the sidelines, make what we hope are subtle yet worthwhile contributions here and there... and protect you from those who would show no such restraint in 'introducing' humanity to the realities of the universe around you."
'Wait, just who exactly do we need protection from?' Shirou felt worried when asking. The seihai sensou had been trouble enough.
For his part, Rodimus was not sure whether or not to rush into a full-blown explanation at that particular time. "I'll... get back to that part later, but let's just say for now that unfortunately, not all Cybertronians are as friendly as yours truly."
Shirou and Saber were keen to learn more about the issue, but chose not to pursue it further – for the time being, at least. There were other pressing issues to raise, such as the one Shirou now turned to. "What happened to Saber? And just what has she become?"
"I may need one of my colleagues to examine further, but my guess would be that Saber is a Cybertronian, and one with a Pretender shell to boot," came the reply.
"Pretender?" Shirou asked.
Rodimus affirmed this. "Yes… Traditionally we’ve relied on our alternate forms to try and blend in on alien worlds – though you’d be forgiven if you thought my own vehicle mode was less than inconspicuous! However, recent developments back home, and on other worlds in the galaxy, have resulted in new ‘shells’ – techno-organic bodies which we can use to mimic biological creatures, apes to cheetahs and even humans. The shells themselves are pretty impressive – a Cybertronian wearing one is pretty much indistinguishable from the life form they assume, with blood cells, lungs, a beating heart, the works!"
He addressed Saber directly. "Saber, while in this form, you are as human as anyone on Earth – more or less - but you have the ability to return to your Cybertronian form at will. It might take a little getting used to, though."
Saber lifted up her left palm and looked intently at it, not quite believing that it felt – moved – exactly as she had always remembered it. She put her hand up against her face, half expecting to feel a metal plate instead of her own skin.
Shirou was no closer to understanding the situation, however. "But – how did she become like this? Was it something to do with…"
"The Matrix?" Rodimus said. "I’d say so."
"You’d say so?" was the less than overly sold reply.
Rodimus tried to clarify the point with "Look, the Matrix has been the primary fount for Cybertronian life from the very beginning, but there’s a lot more we don’t know about it than we do. Even as Prime, my connection to the Matrix is… complicated, at best. I knew that the Matrix was reaching out to the two of you at the temple, and I could feel its power reaching outwards – which led me to you in the first place. That, and the portal through which Saber emerged.
My guess is that the Matrix left a fragment of itself in each of you – as it does with each new spark, or life essence, it brings forth – and that fragment followed Saber to the past, and granted her a new spark, a new life as one of us. But I can’t say for certain, not without knowing more. I’m sorry."
Saber saw a series of images in her mind – the last fading light of the forest, the ancient alien being in front of her, the circle of light opening up in the sky…
…and suddenly, she felt tired, as fatigued as at any time she could remember.
"Looks like you could use a nap" noted Rodimus, "you’ve both been through a lot. And just as it happens…"
Rodimus turned the corner, and drove up the Emiya household’s driveway, coming to a stop near the main building’s front door.
"Thank you for bringing us back. Thank you… for her." Shirou had yet to fully understand, but he was still more than grateful, for everything.
Rodimus dodged the gratitude, saying "Don’t thank me, thank the Matrix – but don’t get too excited. There are still a number of unanswered questions to deal with. I’m going to get in touch with our operatives here in Japan, and I’ll be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, if you need to contact me, Saber has a comm unit built into her left arm, and you can take this -" the glovebox opened up, and Shiro reached over to the small communicator within. "- use it if you need to contact me. Take some time to get yourselves together, but don’t hesitate if there are any problems."
"Okay," Shirou nodded, as he then helped Ilya and Saber out of the bay, and carried each to the door.
Rodimus revved his engine, and set out back down the driveway, onto the street beyond. Just before he turned away, he activated the comm unit in Shiro’s hand, and said "You’ve done a great service to your people today, both of you – don’t forget that. You should be proud."
And with that, he was gone.
--------------
Shirou carried Ilya over to her room, and lowered her into her bed. She had hardly stirred since her recovery, but Shiro felt it was best to let her rest.
He carefully closed the room’s door panel, and headed back over to Saber, who by now was resting herself against the wall beside the front door. It was more awkward to carry her through the house, but she still felt surprisingly light – Shirou had half-expected her to weigh several tons.
She had been a thirty-foot tall robot-plane that morning, after all.
He laid her to rest in her own room, and pulled the quilt to cover her up to her neck. She was fast asleep, but what she saw in her dreams Shiro could not say.
In the morning light coming in through the blinds, her face looked astonishingly beautiful. So graceful, so serene… so perfect.
Shirou sat beside her, and reached his hand over to her forehead.
"Saber…" The faintest of whispers, yet he hoped she could hear him in her dreamlike state.
He picked himself up and headed to his own room, and suddenly realised how tired he was, as well.
He crashed down onto his own bed and closed his eyes, and drifted away…
--------------
A verdant forest, the wind gently breezing through the trees.
An inner peace, more sublime than anything one had ever known.
A release, into a new plane of existence…
A noble giant, offering a new chance, a new hope.
A new life…
--------------
A new life, for my new Servant. Konotori Hizen was almost quaking in anticipation as he progressed through the summoning spell, his key to dominance in the years to come.
It had taken years to acquire the magical items needed to form the portal, just as long to gather a stock of sacrifices to power them, and even longer to perfect the carefully-crafted language needed to bring his plan to fruition.
While the Grail had been one means of drawing forth Servants from the far realm, Hizen knew it was not the only one – merely the most notorious among spellcasters. Indeed, many magicians liked to pretend that other means did not exist, or simply didn’t know any better.
They must be delighted at the Grail’s demise, he cackled to himself, "it must be a great comfort when they sleep at night! Those fools!
As the incantation gathered pace, the winds of dark magic formed into an octagon on the temple floor before him, ancient runes and half-forgotten marks burning themselves into the lacquered wood below.
Hizen found it harder to concentrate – it was an aching temptation to gorge himself on the mounting satisfaction he felt as the pieces fell into place. With a sharp blink of the eyes, he re-focussed himself on the task at hand. It was too late to afford mistakes.
He continued the chant: "Son of Heaven, Conqueror of Worlds, Mightiest of Rulers… Step forth!"
The winds of magic within the octagon coalesced into a tornado, a nexus of otherworldly energy focussed on one spot, thickening into jet-black ichor, coalescing into a human-like form.
It was time. "Great Khan, step forth!"
The mass of ichor shattered, and in its place stood a warrior king like no other. The man who had taken the empire forged in blood and fire by his legendary grandfather, and led it to its greatest victories – who ended his days as master of China, and half of the known world. The mightiest ruler to have ever lived.
Kublai Khan.
The Khan looked to Hizen, and simply asked "You are the one who has summoned me?" He stared intently at the magus in front of him, who had no idea as to how the next several seconds would transpire.
"Yes, Great Khan. I – uuughhh!" In a flash, the massive hand of the Khan was pressed against the mage’s neck, throttling the life force from Hizen.
"B..bu… t… y…o.. u..." Hizen choked out the words.
Kublai barked a short laugh. "Are your Servant? Ha! Pathetic. A miserable toad like yourself, daring to challenge the Son of Heaven Himself? However... I have waited for this moment for over seven hundred years – so perhaps I should show you a measure of gratitude for your services, yes?"
In a lightning-fast motion, Kublai threw Hizen across the room, whose body smashed against the temple wall.
Kublai reached over to the assembled artefacts, and despite his severely reduced physical faculties, Hizen could tell he knew every last one of them. As if he had laid them out for Hizen to find, to draw him here…
"Here we are..." he spoke, taunting the battered magus, "the Seturyo Dagger, quite a useful item, and still with fresh blood on the blade. You have been meticulous in your preparations, I grant you that."
Kublai walked over to the prone form of Hizen, who was crumpled in a pool of his own blood. "As I said, I will show you gratitude, and mercy. Normally I can be very particular about dealing with those who would dare place themselves in a position of authority above me, but given the unique circumstances I will spare you a prolonged agony. Rest in PEACE!"
With that, Kublai plunged the Dagger into Hizen’s heart, and almost instantly his body was warped into a fresh portal. It had only managed to bring Kublai across in conjunction with several other powerful objects, but was more than adequate for the task at hand.
In a few seconds, Hizen was gone, and in his place stood a second powerful warrior – one with a deep scar on his face, the legacy of a past shame.
"Liu Fu-hsiang!" bellowed the Khan, and at once, the second warrior knelt before his sovereign. "You were a commander of my armies once, against the inhabitants of these islands – trusted with their subjugation. But not only did you fail me, you allowed yourself to be humiliated! Losing your horse, and your eye, to a samurai. Pathetic!"
Lu knew precisely of what the Khan spoke – his soul had been in agony for centuries because of his failure.
"However," the Khan continued, "I have been known to show mercy, when I judge it to be advantageous. I grant you this chance to redeem yourself, and to have your soul know peace at last. Speak!"
His voice quivering, Liu hurriedly asserted "Command me, lord Khan!"
Excellent… Kublai had known well what the disgraced warrior would say – but it still gratified him to hear it.
Twice before, he had sent armies by sea to Japan, seeking to crush their insolence (they dared to hold their own Emperor as equal to Him? Preposterous!) and to add their holdings to the Yuan Dynasty. And yet, twice had their sheer effrontery been rewarded by salvation, from the skill and fanaticism they had shown in combat, the incompetence of his commanders, and the divine winds which ruined his fleets.
But they would not escape a third time.
Japan would be his.
--------------
Above the modest cloud cover over Fuyuki City, a purple and grey aircraft gracefully flew across the sky. Not that any human sensor could detect it – the stealth coating on the craft’s outer layer protected it from such primitive systems. Even detection equipment from its home world would have a difficult time in tracing its flight path.
The Decepticon saboteur observed the ruins left behind by the Matrix’s unleashing, reminiscent of the day not so long ago that a similar force had saved the homeworld from the clutches of his unholy creator.
His passive scanners followed the familiar sight of a red-and-gold vehicle leave the area, and head towards the city centre.
He was quick to respond to this event. There is much more to this event than I had previously considered. This warrants further investigation. Cyclonus banked his left wing upward, and pulled up and away from the island, out towards the Pacific Ocean. Once he reached a certain point away from Japan, he activated his hyperspace portal, heading back to the Decepticons’ current home base of operations.
Things on Earth were going to get very interesting.
--------------
End of Part 2.
