Nighthawk laid in her berth, dreaming of her sparklings that had been seperated. She dreamed of her first trine, of Starsong and Nightshade and their little brother. She swore she had heard Nightshade squeal and giggle, Starsong whine and whimper, and their brother lay in the leaves as he drew one shuttering breath and went still. Primus had changed his mind as soon as the little mechling was born and he took him back. Nighthawk tried telling herself that it was because Primus was in love with the little one and he saw a greater purpose for her son. Tears went down her cheeks as she thought of this and she whimpered a bit. Her door opened a bit, but she expected Nightshade to crawl into her berth like she used to, but her berth did not betray that her daughter had settled. Instead, a knife blade slipped across her neck and Energon spurted out onto her chest.
The Decepticon insignia on her attacker's shoulder caught her optic and she sighed her last. So, she observed. I am a threat to Decepticons.
When Nighthawk woke up, red optics were boring into hers with furious innocence. She lifted her helm and stared into the sparkling's optics, giving a wary smile at it. The mechling giggled and hugged her tightly, surprising the femme. She gave its back a pat, looking up at the "aww"s coming from the surrounding forest.
The sparkling giggled. "Heheheh, I love you, Mama."
The world shook at the sentence and the femme looked down at what could only be her son. A son she never got to raise. She curled around it and pressed her face in his neck. "Oh, my baby... My baby boy..."
Skyquake was falling. He spiralled, smoke pouring out of him and he felt his wires and circuits fry at the heat of an unseen fire reeking havoc on his body. He tried to pull up and level out with the ground, but his body would not react. He gave a cry of fear that was quickly cut off. He thought of his brother and his mother. Where were they? Were they looking for him? Searching for him? Or were they gone? He closed his optics and gave up all fight, slamming into the ground. He left deep wounds in the earth and deeper wounds in his body. He heard Optimus murmur sorrowfully and touch his side.
"You have been a great warrior, Skyqauke. Rest now, great warrior. Rest in peace."
Skyquake walked into a forest and looked around, hearing soft murmurs and small giggles. He whipped his helm around. "Who's there?"
A sparkling of all things charged out and clung to his ankle, laughing and giggling. It was impossible to remove, even when Skyquake shook his leg.
"What are you doing?" He poked if off, but the sparkling just started to cling to his servo instead. "Let go."
A dark femme stepped out of her hiding and the sparkling ran to hug her leg. "He likes you," she purred. She watched Skyquake with...pride...in her optics. "You've really grown up, Skyquake."
The Seeker's optics widened and he stepped closer. "Mom?" He ran to her and wrapped his arms around her, nearly crushing her. "Mom!"
"Yes, it's me. It's me. I'm here now." She patted his back and kissed his cheek. The mech smiled, tears forming in his optics as he hugged her tighter.
Dreadwing marched right into the MedBay. He felt the dull ache where he had once felt his brother before he had passed on. He watched Knockout wake Starscream, the Seeker that had let his brother be killed. He would have let the grudge go if he had not learned that the Seeker then yanked his brother out as a Terrorcon to walk around for all eternity looking for the arm Starscream probably removed to torture his brother.
He let the Seeker know his intentions. He didn't remember what he said, but it was smart and it got to the point. Knockout ran out for the sake of his finish, leaving the two Seekers alone. Dreadwing pulled his sword and pinned Starscream against the wall. He ignored Megatron's orders to release him and he raised the sword to finish the pathetic Seeker.
That's when he felt pain and he looked down to see a yawning hole in his chest. He slumped to his knees, then fell onto his belly, his optics dimming until they closed.
Dreadwing woke up on his back in a forest, his chest whole again. He was unarmed and he jumped up, expecting Megatron to run out and finish him. What he did see made his spark jump into his throat. Skyquake was grinning at him, like he had whenever he thought of a plan that ended up getting the pair in trouble. He walked to his brother and wrapped him in a hug, burying his face in his neck. "I thought I lost you."
"I know. It's good to see you again. It's been a long time," Skyquake said. He looked into his brother's optics. "Mom is here, too, as well as a half-brother."
Dreadwing followed Skyquake to another clearing where Nighthawk knelt with a sparkling. He hugged her tight, forgiving her for disappearing inside herself when he needed her most. She gave up everything for us, he realised. He didn't let go until Nighthawk patted his shoulder.
"I'm not going anywhere, Dreadwing. You can let go now."
Mother and sons looked at each other with smiles and, in Skyquake's case, massive grins. They were reunited at last and this time, no one would take them apart again.
Suddenly Nighthawk gathered her sons together and ushered them deeper into the forest where they watched a group of mechs and femmes jump and play together. Nighthawk whistled and one of them broke from the others, bounding to her.
"Skyquake, Dreadwing, this is Stinger. I wish I could say he was your father, but..."
Stinger hushed her and tipped his helm slowly, a smile spreading across his face as he murmured in Cybertronian. "They look like you," he smiled.
"Am I too late to join the party?" A silver Seeker walked to them with a light blue companion. His blue optics softened and he opened his arms as Nighthawk ran into them. "I brought someone with me."
Nighthawk saw the light blue femme and covered her mouth. "Starsong?"
"She went as Crystal among the Autobots," the Seeker said. He let Nighthawk wrap her arms around the smaller femme and Dreadwing shifted uncomfortably. How many kids did Mom have? he wondered.
"Boys, this is your older sister, Star... Uh, Crystal. I had to give her to the Autobots so Nightshade wouldn't kill her."
Silverwing chuckled as he walked to Dreadwing, offering his servo. "Pleased to meet you, Dreadwing. Nighthawk said you were a sight to see. She was right."
Dreadwing frowned at the Autobot insignia on the mech's shoulder. "You're an Autobot? Why are you here?"
Silverwing looked confused for a moment, then he smiled. "You think you are in Unicron's Realm since you were a Decepticon."
Everyone around him erupted into soft chuckles, leaving Dreadwing frustrated and confused. Skyquake touched his brother's shoulder, but Crystal beat him to explaining.
"Before the war, we were one body of Cybertronians. There were no groups or sides to take. We were happy and peaceful until two mechs lost their way and divided, like Primus and Unicron had. Even though we call ourselves Autobots or Decepticons, we are still one breed: Cybertronians. There is to Primus' Kingdom or Unicron's Realm. There is only the Well and we are all accepted here."
Dreadwing frowned at his half-sister. How, after all this time, can we really just be one thing with a simple label? Have we fought this war for nothing?
He looked around the forest and his shoulders dropped as he remembered what started the war in the first place.
A simple grudge. A petty grudge had managed to push an entire race into putting on labels. Suddenly Dreadwing found that his Decepticon breeding meant nothing to him. He squeezed between his optics. He was a Cybertronian underneath all the layers of lies and misunderstandings.
Skyquake started the group hug, then the Cybertronians he was related to one way or the other joined in and they were one unit, one Dreadwing had not considered for a long time.
They were a family.