Episode 1

Prologue

I'd like to say that this is a happy story about happy people in a happy land. But it isn't. This is a story about real life, and real life is never happy. You live and you die. All the time in between is just torture. And that's at the best of times. This story takes place during what seems to be a constant war. That's about 10 million times worse than normal life. Nobody can remember when the war started, and it certainly isn't getting any closer to finishing. But this story isn't about the origins of a war. This story begins on a dark night, around the forest area of a Rogue village. I was 7, on my way home from….something. It seems like so long ago, I don't even remember what it was.

The forest was dark, and it scared me. I'd heard stories about that forest. Ghost stories. Everyone told me about the ghosts, so I wasn't sure whether they were true or not. Still, everyone could always here the strange sounds coming from the forest. That wasn't anything strange, it happened in all forests….didn't it? I heard a twig snap and jumped back, barely holding back a scream. I could sense someone there, watching me. I closed my eyes and steadied my breathing. There was nothing there. I was just imagining things. I was just upset because I'd been having the nightmares. The nightmares about Luke. I hadn't told anyone but Tessa about those nightmares. I told Tessa everything. It was just a dream though, why was I getting so scared about it? I opened my eyes and glanced at the forest again. Nothing there. I turned away, heading back in the direction of home. That's when it happened. I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. Someone in the forest, coming in my direction. I'd like to tell you I wasn't scared at all, that I stood my ground in the face of this threat, but that would be lying. The truth is, I screamed and started running home. I could hear him behind me. He was just walking, taking his time. I don't know why. I guess he knew he would get me anyway. His laughter was something I'll never be able to get out of my head. I could feel his footsteps shaking the ground. The nearest source of light was behind us, so his shadow was stretched out on the ground in front of me. He didn't say anything. Just laughed as he came after me.
I don't know why he let me get home. Why he didn't catch me before then, when he would have been perfectly able to. But I do know that that's probably what saved my life that night. I found myself running into the house and almost slammed into Tessa, who caught me and laughed.
"Wow, you're in a rush, Clara!"
"There's a….there's a-"
"There's a what?"
"A man!"
Tessa looked at me, her smile fading.
"Clara, there are always men walking about out there. You know that."
"But he's chasing me!"
Tessa frowned.
"Are you sure, Clara?"
"Yeah! He came out of the forest and came after me!"
Luke came into the room at that moment and picked me up. Okay, so maybe I owed it to him to tell him about the dreams, but that wasn't gonna happen now – I was too scared. I didn't realise then that that was actually my last chance to tell him. Tessa had gone through to another room to look through the window for the man. She must've seen him, because she let out a startled squeak and came running back to us.
"What happens now?" I asked them.
"We'll keep you safe, Clara." Luke said, "We'll keep you safe forever." He smiled, and for a moment all the worry left his face. "I promise."
His promise calmed me down a little, but I could sense the tension in the air. I'm good with emotions. I can usually sense what somebody's feeling, so long as they're feeling it strongly enough.
Somebody banged hard on the door and I shrieked.
"We have to get her away from him!" Tessa said, taking me from Luke and running in a random direction. We found ourselves in the basement. Tessa hid behind a stack of crates, holding me to her tightly.
"Do you promise too?" I found myself asking her.
Tessa looked at me for a moment.
"I promise too. I'll keep you safe forever."
I felt safe then. I guess back then I liked the feeling of being protected. We heard the front door crash to the ground above us, and there was yelling. Another crash, as if someone had been thrown to the floor. We could hear someone coming down the stairs towards us. Then something happened to Tessa. She stiffened, her eyes wide, and then her whole body went limp. I thought we were still safe. That she'd just gone to sleep or something. I was just a child.
At that moment someone grabbed me, picking me up easily with one hand. I shrieked and I struggled, but I couldn't do anything. I could only shriek and struggle harmlessly while he carried me upstairs and out of the house, taking me towards the forest. I didn't want to go in there. I was helpless, just waiting for someone to come along and save me. Nobody did. Why would they? It was easier to just pretend nothing was happening and let him take me.

Somewhere, a long way away from the Rogue village that I called my home, 2 years after that night, an Autobot village was being seized by the Decepticons. There was a boy, 10 years old, caught in the middle of the fighting. He was just standing there, frozen in fear, oblivious to the bullets flying around him. He was an Autobot boy, his father fighting to protect their home against the threat.
The boy was completely oblivious to the stray bullet that was hurtling towards his back. If that bullet had hit him, it would've killed him instantly. He was lucky. His father was nearby, and he dragged him out of the way just as the bullet whizzed past. The man picked up his son and ran with him to the edge of the village.
"Optimus, listen to me!" he yelled. The boy looked at him, trying to keep his body from shaking. "Optimus, you've got to get out of here!"
"But-"
"No buts, Optimus. Run now! Get as far away from here as possible. I'll catch up!"
Optimus didn't want to go, but he knew he'd just get in the way if he stayed. If he stayed, his father may even die as a result. How would he be able to live with knowing that that was his fault? And that was if he even survived in the first place. Unable to disobey his father's command, he nodded. His father hugged him, and he ran.