Once the Stars Die
Suggested Theme: Bumblebee/Goldbug of Transformers: Animated and Megatron/Galvatron of Transformers: Armada
Main Theme- Graveyard Dancing by Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows
When Sari stabbed him in the chest, Bumblebee felt his spark diminish before passing out from the pain. He was dead, there was just no way he would survive without Sari's key. He has failed to remove the key from her and thus didn't save her. His best friend might die from her upgrades because of her organic side, and he can't do anything about it since he's dead! He feels empty, lost and defeated; basically, he feels like this how being offline is. Yet, he sees no Well of AllSpark or the horror of the Pits. Primus isn't giving him high-grade Energon nor is Unicron eating his spark. He is in a place where it seems organics have never existed or pollinated the place with the nature that Prowl has a fetish for. The environment lacks color or even brightness that makes Bumblebee briefly believe that he was trasnwarped to a desolate planet without any hopes to sustain life. He can tell there is metal beneath his pedes, but the metal is warp and brittle. For every step he takes, a crack begins to split in the metal like in any moment the surface will give and he'll fall to the Pits. The sky didn't fill him with hope or even a clue to where the Pits he is. The stars are like spiraling spheres of red, blue, and purple fire. Their lifespan seems erratic since when one would go out in a second, but another would only follow after a few minutes. A blue star and a red star blinks out of existence before Bumblebee decides to walk.
He is hoping to find someone for the first twelve stars, but, much like his spark, his hope slowly evaporates. On the twenty-third star, the environment begins to change. The sky and ground remains the same listlessness, but some geological formations are popping up like Cosmic Rust. Crystals in the shape of crushed spines and pierced optics twist out of the ground like organic thorns into fleshy sides. The twisted crystals are red, blue, and purple, making Bumblebee theorize that the crystals are somehow related to the stars. Yet, the crystals don't blink out of existence like their counterparts; instead, they remain stationary like the Elite Guard when it comes to Decepticons. He should be shouting or hollering in hopes it would attract someone's attention, but his experience with those rock monsters keep Bumblebee from buzzing. Fifty-two stars fade before Bumblebee catches a glimpse of another bot. It is a blurred reflection of bot with royal purple and madness red paintjob. The colors of a Decepticon. Bumblebee takes out his stingers, crackling with stinging electricity.
"Come out and show yourself, Decepticon!" Sari would call this a bravado, which means being bold in hopes to intimidate the enemy. Bumblebee has the boldness down, but his diminutive size and color scheme wouldn't scare any Decepticon except for Skywarp. Yet, the Decepticon does come out from behind a red crystal. The Decepticon is roughly the size of Megatron and maybe even bigger from the looks of it. He has cutting, red optics and a fanged mouth. Oddly enough, the mech has red horns that appear to be broken like pinchers torn off a scarab. He has tank wheels on his back, but the left one is missing its chain. There is an ugly, purple Decepticon symbol proudly displayed on his chest. Bumblebee knew he was slagged even though the Decepticon wasn't visibly carrying any weapons.
"What a bold display from an Autobot! You're barely bigger than a Mini-Con. Yet, a golden bug like you actually believes it has a chance?" Dear Primus, the condescension and mockery was almost like….
"Megatron?" Bumblebee's face twists like he got his faceplates rearranged by Bulkhead. To his credit, he doesn't lower his stingers even though the rest of him is trembling. Megatron glowers at him like he can't stand someone so beneath him to say his name.
"I was Megatron. Now, I am Galvatron! Or maybe 'was' would be more accurate since I distinctly remember killing myself." Bumblebee's spark flickers coldly. Megatron would never do that. He would never go the cowardly way out. The old Decepticon is too proud to off himself, or at least Bumblebee's Megatron is. This "Galvatron" is like an unhinged version of Megatron.
"Why?" Galvatron narrows his optics like Bumblebee asked a very simple question.
"Why would I tell you that, little Autobot? I don't even know your name. From now on, you are Goldbug." Bumblebee shoots a jolt of electricity at Galvatron in response to his new nickname. He absolutely hates being compared to insect since Wasp and Ironhide used to call him one during his Autobot Boot Camp days.
"It's Bumblebee, fragger!" Galvatron just laughs and enjoys the static hitting his arms and legs. The Autobot's weak attacks don't faze the former Decepticon leader; actually, nothing can since he is dead. At least, he's pretty certain that he's dead since he sees no Optimus or Unicron. Starscream wouldn't be here either even though he's dead too. He would never be in such a dreary place for his sacrifice.
"Goldbug, where is Optimus Prime? This is an ideal place to fight him without hearing him bitch about hurting those humans." Bumblebee's optics bulge out of his face. Galvatron wasn't some updated version of Megatron, but from some other universe. His Megatron doesn't even know Optimus's name!
"He's not dead, so he wouldn't be here. But I shouldn't be here with you! I should be at the Well of AllSpark for what I did! Or at least tried to do…." Galvatron throws his head back and laughs like the mad mech that he is.
"Your processor must be smaller than you for not having comprehend the situation yet! There is no such thing as the Well of AllSpark or the Pits here! Those places never existed in the first place. They are just stories that Creators tell their sparklings to conceal the fact that they will die on a battlefield. No sparkling born will ever know peace…until I died." Galvatron's red optics spun with brutish mania and his voice took on a gritty edge. Bumblebee is very thankful that his Megatron is nothing like this warmonger. Megatron would've planned out of every step of his war, instead of giving into lunacy like Galvatron. But then again, Bumblebee doesn't know what has happened to Galvatron in his universe. What happened to him exactly? He's seem so lost. Bumblebee almost pitied the mech.
"Does Cybertron even exist in your universe?" Two red stars go out along with a purple one.
"Of course it does, you little fool. It just needs to be rebuilt, which I bet Optimus will be focused on. The peacenik always had a vulnerability to fixing the broken. Probably why he took in Starscream…." Galvatron didn't like to think about Starscream because he always remember holding the Seeker's Star Blade and knowing that bleeding-spark was right. Right about Unicron, right about Optimus, and right about Galvatron. He was never a leader of integrity.
"The Starscream of my universe was no better than slag and didn't know how to stay offline. He even made more of himself…." Bumblebee tried to joke with Galvatron, but the mech snarled in turn like he was insulted for Starscream.
"Then that wasn't 'Starscream'! There's only one, and he's gone. Yet, the little traitor, no, a true soldier, took on Unicron and lost his spark! What a waste of a life, he could've rebuild Cybertron alongside Optimus. Those two deserve peace after dealing with this fragging slag!" Bumblebee jumps back at Galvatron's rage but never lowers his stingers. He makes a mental note of never bringing up Starscream ever again.
"I get that you're the villain, will always be a villain, but do you have any idea what this place is? Why are we here?" Externalists of Cybertron have been debating that since the Golden Age, but the youngling knows nothing of philosophy. Truthfully, Galvatron knows even less since words mean nothing to the mech except for fuelling war.
"The 'why' or 'how' doesn't even matter. It is 'what' will be willing to do to get out of this place that matters. I'm going to follow the crystals. You can follow your stars to oblivion." Galvatron turned and does exactly what he stated. Bumblebee frowns and looks up at the sky for answers. A blue star goes out. He turns off his stingers and reluctantly follows the suicidal ex-Lord.
Goldbug keeps his optics fixed on the stars. Galvatron could tell when he heard the bot trip up on his own pedes. He couldn't tell if Goldbug was a hybrid of a Mini-Con and an Autobot, or maybe created to be short. Goldbug's paintjob is more yellow than gold, but just as provocative. His optics are the stereotypical blue of most Autobots, but his are bigger and almost take up his face. Too much emotion and too young to control them; basically, he's the majority of what Cybertronians are probably supposed to be now. Optics fixed on a bright, peaceful future where spacebridges make traveling to other planets possible again. Galvatron is very grateful that he will never be a part of that future.
"Pick up your pedes, or I'll drag you myself." Bumblebee tears his gaze from the stars and frowns like whenever Ratchet, Prowl, or Optimus lectured him. A part of him is telling him that he could shoot Galvatron from behind, but thankfully Bumblebee has enough sense not to piss this Megatron off. Megatron of his universe is dangerous too, but Galvatron is wounded and unhinged in the processor.
"You're nothing like my Megatron. He was always filled to the brim with patience and planning." It wasn't a compliment because Bumblebee always found Megatron to be a bit boring like a lullaby. The Decepticon Leader still scares the bolts out of Bumblebee, but he just wasn't that exciting like the rumors made him out to be. So far.
"Did those plans get him anywhere?" Galvatron has made plans, and all of them were shot to the Pits. His last plan did work, not even Optimus saw it coming.
"During the Great War, he almost succeeded in conquering Cybertron. Omega Supreme, the AllSpark, some spacebridges, and the Elite Guard were able to beat him and the Decepticons back into the shadows." Bumblebee paraphrased in his best Optimus Prime voice. A purple star goes out this time.
"The Elite Guard? What kind of slag name is that for an army? Your Optimus has obviously spent too much time with the humans." It takes another star for Bumblebee to realize that Galvatron believed that Optimus was the leader of the Autobots.
"Optimus isn't the leader of the Autobots in my universe. Ultra Magnus is." Galvatron stops in his tracks and so does Bumblebee. He turns around with a blank look on his face.
"Then, what is Optimus Prime in your universe?" It is hard for Galvatron to believe that Optimus Prime is anything but the leader of the Autobots in any universe. It's the golden rule of Primus.
"He's just the head of a spacebridge repair crew. If he never came across the AllSpark, then I wouldn't be here. Sari would be alone. Prowl would still be an aft. Bulkhead wouldn't be artistic. Ratchet would probably be the same." All of those names meant nothing to Galvatron; in fact, he didn't hear a word since he began to laugh manically. It takes nearly six red stars before Galvatron can collect himself. It takes only one blue star for Bumblebee feel like he should just hightail it.
"The mighty Optimus Prime is reduced to a repair grunt….Primus, it's more pathetic than funny now." Every time Galvatron laughs, Bumblebee is certain that a blue star goes out. In retrospect, Galvatron is right, especially if Megatron does lose to Optimus. The leader of the Decepticons that has spent centuries fighting and almost won the damn war being defeated by someone that was kicked out of the Elite Guard? He would've laughed at the thought if he didn't hold Optimus in high regard. They resume their walking and return to their posts. Bumblebee looking up at the stars evanescing, while Galvatron focuses on superfluity of crystals. In this place, the future is evaporating for the Autobot, while the present is eternal for the Decepticon.
Half the stars in the sky were gone by the time the pair came across a change in the landscape. The crystals were losing their color like the stars were losing their light. The world is going to become engulfed in complete darkness. Bumblebee isn't sure what will happen when all the stars are gone, but it feels like an end. A very terrible ending. On the other servo, Galvatron feels as lifeless as the crystals. It was like a great peace has ensued inside the warmonger, and he fragging hates this feeling. It was an end to a war that consumed him for so many centuries. A war that has taken him across the stars and bled Energon on a primitive planet. He couldn't feel the pounding of his own spark anymore. Perhaps, Goldbug is without a spark too. Galvatron comes to a stop before a red crystal, making Bumblebee stop too. The red crystal is turning grey much like a bot that goes offline, and Bumblebee seems morbidly entranced by the color evaporating from the crystal. He didn't pay attention to Galvatron's left servo.
"Do you think that the stars-" He heard Galvatron turning, but failed to see the curved blade. Unfortunately, he feels it cut through the circuits in his spark chamber, giving him a powerful sense of déjà vu. He almost cries out Sari's name.
"Fall, Goldbug, fall." It wasn't like Bumblebee had much choice since his legs gave out from Galvatron's crushing weight. He was going to die…again.
"Fragger, w-why?" If these are his last words, Bumblebee wouldn't mind going straight to the Pits.
"You don't want to die in the dark that's why you're so concentrated on those infernal stars! Once your stars are gone, there will be no more light. I don't know what will happen once the crystals are gone, but I bet it will be a fate worse than death!" A very crazed grin settles on Galvatron's twisted face. Bumblebee does not like how close his stabber is to his face.
"G-Get on and kill me, you fragging windbag!" He is reminded of a time when he and Sari marathon a bunch of superhero movies. The biggest and most annoying flaw to all of those movies were that the villains would monologue instead of just kill the hero. Sari would say that love interests are what killed those movies.
"What? Not even a kiss?" Bumblebee's face flares in embarrassment. He has never been kissed and he definitely doesn't want to be kissed by the mech that is going to kill him. Galvatron's lips were inching towards him.
"Here's my kiss." Lips did not meet other lips. Instead, Galvatron's blade finally cut through Bumblebee's spark. All of the blue stars vanish in the sky, along with Bumblebee's body. Galvatron withdraws his blade and gets up from the ground. He gazes at the red crystal and smiles. The smile is not cruel or joyful, but tormented. He is alone again by sacrificing his only companion. Yet, he knows that companion is back to his own universe, or else there would be a corpse to keep the mech company. He holds a vigil over the colorless crystal and looks up at the sky. The stars were going out quickly now. The red and purple stars cannot survive without the blue stars. The loss is accelerating their demise. When you're alone, you fall apart. Galvatron cannot remember if Optimus or Starscream said that to him once. Or maybe it was just the darkness. He has no one. He had someone for a while, but Goldbug didn't belong here. Not with him. The last star, the last red one, goes out.