Guys, I apologise in advance for the delay in this short story. A lot of things have happened, especially with how increasingly difficult it has been to maintain a balanced life and stuff. It's been a real drag and I'm still trying to get the spinoff story – Rise – off the ground and its getting even harder the more I try. So hopefully writing this short story will get Earthspark going again. It's been a really long time, but I hope my memory isn't really all that bad.

Characters:

Rodimus Prime – red Ford GTX1 with amber and gold flames on sides and bonnet

Arcee – byzantine McLaren MP4-12C

Springer – dark green 2011 Ford Interceptor Concept/Customised Cybertronian jetfighter

Prowl – black and white 2007 Dodge Challenger police car

Skyfire – gray B-1B Lancer Bomber

Sunstreaker – yellow Lamborghini Murcielago

Chapter 1:

Waiting for the Sun

"Sunstreaker, we need your help on the west side of the colony! Please!"

"Primusdamnit, the Decepticons are everywhere!"

"Don't worry, Sides, I'll take care of the Decepticons on the western side! Keep the colony safe."

"Sunny, are you sure about this? I mean what if the Decepticons get past me and get to the colony? This is the main entrance after all."

"Listen, brother, with you and the others keeping them back, they shouldn't bypass you at all. I promise I'll be right back."

"You swear it?"

"Upon my very spark, Sideswipe."

"Alright, be careful."

"Hey, this is Sunstreaker you're talking to. Nothing can get past me."

"The Decepticons have breached the west side! Wait... what is that? Oh my Primus! GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

"It's coming straight for us!"

"Sideswipe, get out of here, there's a huge Decepticon trashing up the field! Get out of. ARGH!"

"Brother, speak to me! What happened? Answer me! Sunny? Sunny?! SUNNY!"

"NO!"

Sideswipe woke up with a start, optics wide and spark burning with the familiar agony. He panted heavily as he clutched at his chest plates where his spark rested within its chamber. He leaned forward, optics squinting in an attempt to push the pain into the back of his processor, but nothing could seem to stop it from hurting until it settled on its own.

The minutes ticked by before the pain eventually died down and he was able to move again. He lifted a hand and rubbed his helm to clear the beads of oil dripping along the sides and front.

Primus, it had been only been seven decades since the dreams had eventually stopped after he had been separated from his twin brother Sunstreaker when they had been protectors for a neutral colony. He thought he had been over it, but he was as good as wrong. Why did the dreams suddenly start returning again? Why now after all this time? It had taken him many years to get over the loss with the assistance of his mentor Ironhide and his good friend Bumblebee before the dreams finally subsided.

Seven decades of a peaceful recharge now shattered by the unknown.

Sideswipe glanced down at his chest where his spark rested. It still throbbed with discomfort, but it didn't hurt anymore. Exactly why his spark hurt whenever he had those dreams remained a mystery. Even Ratchet had been baffled by the occurring nightmares being connected to his pained spark.

He shook his head to clear the cobwebs from inside and slowly stood up from his berth. Now that he was awake, recharge would be impossible to get back into. His chronometer told him that it was 2:10AM EST. Only a few Autobots would be out and about, some of them even keeping an optic out for Decepticon activity on Teletrann-One.

Things had been relatively quiet over the last nine years since their desperate attack on Mars to rescue Rodimus from Decepticon capture. While Rodimus had been leading the Autobots quite well and could fight with many despite his puny size whenever the Decepticons randomly attacked Earth, Optimus had charged himself to fight Megatron one-on-one on the battlefield now that he could fight again.

The city the Autobots had been hoping to build was still under construction and wouldn't be completed for another seven more months. Wheeljack and his scientists were applying the finishing touches in preparation for the landing of the Iron Hope by mid next year.

Sideswipe turned and rolled out of his quarters, being mindful of the other recharging Autobots. He hadn't been this agitated since seven decades ago and it filled him with nothing but concern. The best option was to see Ratchet, but he had a sneaking suspicious that the dark green mech was busy recharging.

Once he reached his destination, he entered the medical bay and glanced around. Much to his surprise, there was only one mech in the waiting room: Barricade. The black and white Neutral had his head bowed and his taloned servos resting on his thighs as though he was in deep thought. He didn't even acknowledge Sideswipe's presence when he came within proximity distance.

During the past nine years, Barricade had lain low amongst the Neutrals, even after he had removed his Decepticon insignia. As far as Sideswipe knew, Barricade hadn't been very welcomed amongst the Autobots, but the Neutrals were more than happy to allow him in their sector. Barricade no longer wanted to fight, even against his own brethren. Whatever the reason Barricade had for coming to see Ratchet rather than seeing the Neutral medic, it had to be pretty important.

"What brings you in here, Barricade?" Sideswipe asked, keeping his tone evenly calm. "In all your time since you've been here, you've never come down to the Autobot medical bay."

It took a few seconds before Barricade finally lifted his head and stared into the face of his former adversary. At first he said nothing in response to Sideswipe's question, either he wasn't in the mood or he was too busy being caught up in his own thoughts. Whatever was bothering him, it had to be pretty important. Finally, he answered in a neutral tone of voice, "What's it to you?"

Sideswipe shook his head. "To satisfy my own curiosity," he answered stoically. "Why come to see Ratchet?"

Barricade's optical ridges furrowed slightly. "It's not any of your business, Autobot," he snapped.

The silver warrior shrugged his shoulders just as Ratchet came into the waiting room and he blinked once at the sight of the two. Whether it was from surprise or just acknowledgement, Sideswipe would never know. Judging from Ratchet's sagged appearance and dull looking optics, Sideswipe could at least guess that he had been up for a long time and was in desperate need of recharge.

"Sideswipe, what do you want?" Ratchet huffed unkindly. "I've got enough patients to deal with, I do not need you on my waiting list."

Sideswipe raised a hand in a calmly manner. "Relax, old timer," he joked with a hint of a smirk. "I actually came here to ask if you could..." He glanced over at Barricade for a moment and then gestured to his chest. "I just want you to take a look at something for me."

Seeing the movement of the warrior's hand was enough for Ratchet's exhaustion to fade from his optics and turn into concern. He motioned to him to come in and Sideswipe was more than happy to oblige, leaving Barricade alone with his thoughts.

Much to Sideswipe's surprise when they walked inside, he saw Ratchet's sparkmate, Moonracer, sitting with their daughter on her lap, bouncing her up and down as little one was struggling not to cry.

Sideswipe hadn't thought much about Kalila until recently when he began looking at her in another light. Sometimes he found himself staring for long periods of time to the point where even Ratchet often hit him on the back of the head, telling him to keep his optics off his daughter. The more he stared at the daughter of Ratchet and Moonracer, the more he realised how lovely she was beginning to look whenever he saw her. She looked exactly like her mother in terms of physical appearance. But temper wise though, she was just like her father, grumpy and more than willing to throw something at your face if you so much as pissed her off.

Sideswipe's optics softened at the sight of the distressed youngling. "Something wrong with little Kalila?" he asked Ratchet as he settled onto the berth while Ratchet went to get the medical tools.

"Unfortunately," Ratchet answered once he had returned, though he was watching carefully, "Kalila has got systems upset. She has been keeping us up all night with her crying to the point where we had to leave Paeon in the care of Chromia." Ratchet rubbed his optics tiredly.

Paeon was Ratchet's son, but Sideswipe didn't think much of him. He was still a sparkling, but he was already showing signs that he was more like his mother than his father.

Sideswipe nodded. "Then I offer my sympathies to you and your daughter," he told him as Ratchet performed a scan over his chest panels.

"Thank you, Sideswipe," Moonracer smiled as Kalila kept on groaning and sniffling under the discomfort of her upset body.

"Back to business, Sideswipe," Ratchet snorted, forcing Sideswipe to refocus his attention. "When was the last time your spark hurt so much?"

Sideswipe frowned. "About seven decades ago after..." He hesitated and everything went quiet in the room. Even the sniffling Kalila went quiet as well and Sideswipe found himself rubbing his chest panels out of habit. A hand rested upon his and he stopped as Ratchet pulled it away gently.

"Were you having nightmares about the... incident?" the elder mech asked.

He didn't say anything in response. Instead, he just bowed his head and kept silent, confirming exactly what Ratchet was asking. Ratchet made one more scan of his chest and then he pulled away to peer at the results. He frowned slightly and then shook his head. Sideswipe knew exactly what he was going to say next, but he was afraid to hear it. Probably even too afraid to even accept the truth, but he knew that he was stronger than his stubbornness.

He emitted a soft sigh, asking in a teasing manner, "What's the verdict, Doc?"

"The same thing that I happened to find seven decades ago," Ratchet answered, not taking his optics off the scanner. "Your spark is reacting as though it was experiencing the... loss of your brother again, giving you nightmares." His optics diverted to Sideswipe. "Did you do anything to trigger it?"

Sideswipe shook his head. "No."

Ratchet's brow furrowed even more, rubbing his chin with a forefinger and thumb. "Unless I'm wrong," he said quietly, "sparks tend to react subconsciously to old wounds, even though nothing triggers them. Normally, I'd suggest a sedative to help you to recharge, but I don't think that is the case with you."

"Look, Doc, just tell me why my spark is causing nightmares and then I'll be on my way," Sideswipe grumbled. He then squinted his optics shut and a faint image of the crimson flames licking at the corpses of the colonists, the sounds of screaming in his audio receptors, flashed across his field of vision and burned through his audio receptors. He quickly opened his optics, his spark racing in shock. Ratchet was resting a hand upon his shoulder, rubbing it gently to provide comfort. He hadn't realised he was lying on the floor until Ratchet was kneeling over him and Moonracer was standing closer with a wailing Kalila in her arms.

"Easy, Sideswipe," Ratchet said kindly, continuing to rub his shoulder, "you had a spark seizure."

Sideswipe carefully pushed himself off the floor until he was standing back up with the assistance of Ratchet, rubbing his chest panels lightly. "I think that's enough visiting you," he growled softly and slapped away Ratchet's helping hand. "Don't even bother with helping me, Doc. I don't want your pity!"

He turned and rolled out of the medical bay, but not before he stopped and glanced over his shoulder to see the quiet Kalila watching him with her intense blue optics. Shaking his head, he transformed into his vehicle form, not bothering to care if Prowl caught him racing down the halls and leaving tyre marks. He had to get away!

Sideswipe didn't stop until he got outside of the base and was out the lake. He transformed back into his bipedal form and he angled his wheels into his calves to allow his three-toed feet to provide balance for him on the soft dirt. Primus, he didn't want another brush with tumbling on the sand again like last time.

He glanced up at the early morning sky, his bright blue optics reflecting the warm light of the rising sun over the hills that casted an eerie yellow and pinkish red glow on the lake itself. He could faintly hear the birds stirring from their slumber in the trees, but he paid no heed to it. He lowered his gaze and rubbed one of his shoulders.

He hadn't meant to snap at Ratchet, but the feeling of pity from everyone regarding his personal life only made him feel sick to his tanks. While he was not above showing concern for those he cared about, especially for Bumblebee and Rodimus, Sideswipe hated it when those who learned about him losing his brother pitied him. It made him feel weak, pathetic, annoyed, and sick. He was a warrior who was meant to fight and to kill with little remorse, emotion in certain aspects went against his nature.

Once again, the images of long ago burned through his processor, stronger than ever before.

Anger coursed through his chest and he grabbed at his cranium, falling upon his knees and screamed loudly, sending birds flying off from their trees in fright. Why wouldn't the pain stop? Why did it have to start up after so long? What was wrong with him?

All those questions kept on coursing through his processor until a sharp pain struck his spark like a lightning bolt and he found himself rolling on the ground. His body shook and seized as it grew stronger and stronger, the images playing through him over and over again.

He opened his mouth in a silent, agonising scream.

And then, just like that, it passed.

Sideswipe continued to lay there, puzzled by the sudden halting in the pain. He hadn't noticed he had been lying on his back, venting heavily until his optics managed to catch a glimpse of a bright shooting star. He frowned for a moment, sitting up and staring at the object in the sky that only seemed to get bigger and bigger as it got closer.

He suddenly felt something brush against his conscious. Or... was that his spark? It was a sensation he hadn't experienced in over seventy years, a feeling that was both strange and familiar. What was it?

As the meteor got closer and closer, brightening until it began to whistle loudly and chunks of ice and rock broke off its surface, suddenly revealing metal. Sideswipe's optics widened in surprise and he stood up, watching it intensively. The sensation brushed against him again, stronger this time, but it was a feeling of both pain and confusion.

A single thought crossed his processor, a thought he hadn't thought of in so many years.

Sunstreaker.

The metallic meteor flew right over his head and he had to roll out of the way just as it whistled past him and it slammed into the dirt many metres from his position. He whirled around and he ran as fast he could towards the smoking crater, excitement and hope gripping his very spark. It had to be his brother! It had to be!

He finally reached the edge of the crater and he could easily make out the metallic ball, hissing and smoking, covered in Cybertronian glyphs. He recognised one of them and a vent of air caught itself in his vocal processor. But much to his surprise, it was covered in burns and bleeding blue energon in several places. The orb form suddenly began to collapse and shift in on itself and Sideswipe watched with concern with the way how it was shaking and slowing the longer it went. He wished he could go down and help, but instinct forced him to wait until the protoform lay in place of the orb. The protoform was curled up in a ball and it was leaking energon from underneath its chest panels.

"Sunstreaker," Sideswipe gasped as he raced towards the protoform. He slid down the slope until he was at other mech's side. He carefully placed one arm behind his back and helped him to sit up. "Sunny, it's me, your brother."

Slowly, Sunstreaker optics flickered online and they lay upon the mech he had not seen in seven decades. "Sides?" he breathed weakly. "You're...?"

Tears leaked from Sideswipe's optics, he pressed his forehead to his brother's. "Yes, brother, it's me," he whispered. "All this time I... I thought you were..."

Sunstreaker chuckled, but he began coughing violently. Sideswipe struggled to stop himself from crying any further, but the miserable sight of his broken brother only upset his spark even more. "Takes... more than a simple attack... to kill me, Sides... You should... know that..." Sunstreaker said, though he was getting weaker by the moment.

Sideswipe gently shook his brother. No, Sunstreaker couldn't die! Not when he just got him back! "Sunny, hold on," he begged, more tears falling. "I'll get the Doc, he'll fix you up!"

Sunstreaker's optics flickered again. "R-R-Ratchet the Hatchet is here?" he wheezed. "Good, he'll... be a sight for sore optics."

His head lolled to one side.

"SUNSTREAKER!"

Mwahahahahahahaha! Sorry guys for the cliffhanger, but I'm gonna be cruel to you now that I have returned to writing Earthspark stuff! This was a long time coming and I found myself struggling not to cry over this because damn Sideswipe at least deserves to be happy with his brother. Instead, nope, fate decided to be cruel and take it all away again! Or... has it? *grins wickedly*

I'll leave you to figure that out.