What Dreams May Come
Optimus Prime could feel himself slipping away, his spark moving toward the Matrix. But something stopped him. Something was holding him in this world. But whatever it was could not preserve him for long, he knew. But how did he know? He wanted to stay, but it seemed inevitable that he would soon join the Matrix. Still, he would hold onto life as long as he could.
He could hear voices, but they were so faint and distorted that they seemed to be coming from light-years away. He tried to focus in on them but had only marginal success. He could make out five, no six, separate voices, but he still could not tell what they were saying.
Suddenly, Optimus felt a new force drawing his spark in a new direction, away from the Matrix. At first, he resisted, thinking that this new force sought to draw him into the Inferno, but he soon realized that this force had a familiar feel to it, as if it were something he should know. Sensing this, he allowed himself to be pulled toward this new force. He felt his spark leave his body and a moment later enter a new body.
However, to his surprise, Optimus was not alone in this body. There was already another spark present. This second spark strained to contain both of their energies, even though the shell it was in was not capable of doing so. Optimus knew that he must act, or both he and this strangely familiar being would die, but what could he do? Due to the strain, fragments of memory filtered through to him from the second spark. Images of various robots and... organic animals? ...both identified as either friend or foe filtered though his consciousness, but made little sense to him. A flash of his own body shell, the head of which was nearly destroyed, and Prime knew the second spark's plan: to hold his spark within it's own body until repairs could be completed.
The second spark also believed that it had pulled the Matrix into itself along with his spark. This Optimus knew to be untrue. This body was not capable of bearing the Matrix, which in reality remained safely within his own body. However, having carried the Matrix for so long, a bit of the mystical object's power had rubbed off on him. Prime knew exactly what to do as he accessed the shell's systems and began upgrading and modifying them to be able to contain both of their sparks. He sensed the second spark's alarm at the changes its shell was going through. Prime worked to calm the other spark as its body shell changed, becoming larger, stronger, and more durable.
The alterations complete, Prime's spark relaxed somewhat. Making the alterations to this new shell had drained him, and the second spark regained control. Vague flashes of perception darted across Prime's mind. Explosions. Transforming. Flight. Optimus's next clear perception was of being in battle, a laser blast heading straight for him, and he was trapped in this body shell, helpless to save himself! It seemed that he would be joining the Matrix today after all... but something blocked the shot! The second spark had saved him, by deflecting the shot with its arm. The deflected shot struck what looked to be some sort of downed spacecraft, which broke apart and crashed into the river below. A wave of sadness and loss came to Optimus from the second spark. Optimus understood. The ship had been this spark's home, and in saving him, it had been lost. Prime felt guilty about being indirectly responsible for destroying this being's home, but he also knew that he could do nothing to change it. The shell he was in transformed again, and once again, they were flying, rocketing over an organic landscape below, returning, Optimus somehow knew, to where his own body lay.
Soon, upon returning to the place where his body lay, repairs to it were found to be complete. Optimus could feel his spark leaving the upgraded body shell and returning to his own. Suddenly, he was back in his own body. His optics came online, and he found himself looking down at a small group of robots, one of which he recognized as the one he had upgraded. He couldn't help but think that of all the robots before him, this one, which bore a startling resemblance to himself, was in its optimal form. Prime then felt a great weariness consume him, pulling his mind into a state of dormancy...
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Optimus Prime came out of recharge mode. He looked around his quarters at the newly completed Autobot City, disoriented for a moment. 'What an odd dream,' the Autobot leader thought. 'So vivid. Almost like... a memory.' At that thought, an odd feeling washed over him and the image of that other bot's face, so like his own, flashed through his mind again. He dismissed it, however, and rose to begin the day.
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In another time and another place, the commander of the Axalon watched as a legend gazed down at him. Fleetingly he wondered what he should call himself now. Bearing the Autobot leader's spark had... changed him... somehow and not just in the obvious ways. He wasn't quite Optimus Primal anymore. Now he was different, he was...optimal? Where did that come from? Upon consideration, though, he found it fit perfectly. No longer Optimus Primal, now he was...Optimal Optimus. As he watched Optimus Prime fall back into stasis lock, he wondered if the Autobot leader would remember any of the events of the past day. Optimal Optimus mentally sighed. He'd probably never know.
Optimus Prime could feel himself slipping away, his spark moving toward the Matrix. But something stopped him. Something was holding him in this world. But whatever it was could not preserve him for long, he knew. But how did he know? He wanted to stay, but it seemed inevitable that he would soon join the Matrix. Still, he would hold onto life as long as he could.
He could hear voices, but they were so faint and distorted that they seemed to be coming from light-years away. He tried to focus in on them but had only marginal success. He could make out five, no six, separate voices, but he still could not tell what they were saying.
Suddenly, Optimus felt a new force drawing his spark in a new direction, away from the Matrix. At first, he resisted, thinking that this new force sought to draw him into the Inferno, but he soon realized that this force had a familiar feel to it, as if it were something he should know. Sensing this, he allowed himself to be pulled toward this new force. He felt his spark leave his body and a moment later enter a new body.
However, to his surprise, Optimus was not alone in this body. There was already another spark present. This second spark strained to contain both of their energies, even though the shell it was in was not capable of doing so. Optimus knew that he must act, or both he and this strangely familiar being would die, but what could he do? Due to the strain, fragments of memory filtered through to him from the second spark. Images of various robots and... organic animals? ...both identified as either friend or foe filtered though his consciousness, but made little sense to him. A flash of his own body shell, the head of which was nearly destroyed, and Prime knew the second spark's plan: to hold his spark within it's own body until repairs could be completed.
The second spark also believed that it had pulled the Matrix into itself along with his spark. This Optimus knew to be untrue. This body was not capable of bearing the Matrix, which in reality remained safely within his own body. However, having carried the Matrix for so long, a bit of the mystical object's power had rubbed off on him. Prime knew exactly what to do as he accessed the shell's systems and began upgrading and modifying them to be able to contain both of their sparks. He sensed the second spark's alarm at the changes its shell was going through. Prime worked to calm the other spark as its body shell changed, becoming larger, stronger, and more durable.
The alterations complete, Prime's spark relaxed somewhat. Making the alterations to this new shell had drained him, and the second spark regained control. Vague flashes of perception darted across Prime's mind. Explosions. Transforming. Flight. Optimus's next clear perception was of being in battle, a laser blast heading straight for him, and he was trapped in this body shell, helpless to save himself! It seemed that he would be joining the Matrix today after all... but something blocked the shot! The second spark had saved him, by deflecting the shot with its arm. The deflected shot struck what looked to be some sort of downed spacecraft, which broke apart and crashed into the river below. A wave of sadness and loss came to Optimus from the second spark. Optimus understood. The ship had been this spark's home, and in saving him, it had been lost. Prime felt guilty about being indirectly responsible for destroying this being's home, but he also knew that he could do nothing to change it. The shell he was in transformed again, and once again, they were flying, rocketing over an organic landscape below, returning, Optimus somehow knew, to where his own body lay.
Soon, upon returning to the place where his body lay, repairs to it were found to be complete. Optimus could feel his spark leaving the upgraded body shell and returning to his own. Suddenly, he was back in his own body. His optics came online, and he found himself looking down at a small group of robots, one of which he recognized as the one he had upgraded. He couldn't help but think that of all the robots before him, this one, which bore a startling resemblance to himself, was in its optimal form. Prime then felt a great weariness consume him, pulling his mind into a state of dormancy...
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Optimus Prime came out of recharge mode. He looked around his quarters at the newly completed Autobot City, disoriented for a moment. 'What an odd dream,' the Autobot leader thought. 'So vivid. Almost like... a memory.' At that thought, an odd feeling washed over him and the image of that other bot's face, so like his own, flashed through his mind again. He dismissed it, however, and rose to begin the day.
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In another time and another place, the commander of the Axalon watched as a legend gazed down at him. Fleetingly he wondered what he should call himself now. Bearing the Autobot leader's spark had... changed him... somehow and not just in the obvious ways. He wasn't quite Optimus Primal anymore. Now he was different, he was...optimal? Where did that come from? Upon consideration, though, he found it fit perfectly. No longer Optimus Primal, now he was...Optimal Optimus. As he watched Optimus Prime fall back into stasis lock, he wondered if the Autobot leader would remember any of the events of the past day. Optimal Optimus mentally sighed. He'd probably never know.