Authors Comment: This story take place long after the episode The Golden Lagoon, but before the events of the first Movie.
It was also greatly inspired by the picture The Golden Lagoon by sakuranez on DeviantArt.
The Golden Lagoon
Beachcomber could remember the day, he could remember the night, he could even remember what had transpired when he was over-energized.
But he couldn't remember getting (at all) energized. That one tiny piece of memory was missing.
And no matter how many times he checked his data banks, he saw no spot where he could have possible gotten drunken enough to get over-energized AND forget about having a drink at all. If there were big black spots from when he was over-energized he could understand. But there wasn't.
He could remember thinking he could drive home, but losing control. Rather then crashing he ended up in that place. His memory was clear, and looking back he could remember driving at over-the-top speeds, ignoring his comrades calls over his comm. link, his processor a blur.
He could remember staggering through the meadow, catching himself on broken trees and scorched rocks. He collapsed to his hands and knees on a small hill, hands gripping the earth has if his spark itself depended on it. Something deep down told him an important moment in his life was going to occur.
But then he heard voices from far away, despite coming from the tunnel not to far away.
The earth seemed to collapse underneath him, and Beachcomber found himself in the bowl shaped hole where the Golden Lagoon had been.
Prime, Ratchet, Spike, and Skyfire all appeared at the edge of the hole. Despite his insistence he was fine the latter insisted on carrying him back via altmode, during which Beachcomber tried to figure out what happened to him.
Ratchet looked him over in the shuttle, finding only that his systems had a sudden dose of energy, as if he had over-energized. That was the official story, but Beachcomber couldn't help walking back and forth across his room, rather then sleeping as Ratchet had ordered.
When did he get over-energized, why couldn't he remember, and how did it pass so quickly. And most of all, why go there?
He shook his head and collapsed on birth, hopping his dreams would clear everything up.
Beachcomber may have known exactly where he was, but it didn't stop him from having no clue where he was.
It was the Golden Lagoon….or at least, it seemed like the Golden Lagoon. All the plants formed a giant circle around him, and the animals were nowhere to be seen.
The lagoon itself was now a shimmering golden puddle, almost like a reflection of the true Golden Lagoon.
Growing from this reflection was a silver tree. Beachcomber did not know a terribly lot about earth trees, but he knew enough to know this was no ordinary tree. The bark was silver, glowing as brightly as the full moon. The branches split many times before leave grew, like a ripple moving through the bark. The leaves themselves glowed many gentle shades of purple, blue, and pink.
The plant life seemed to grow towards the tree, yet something told Beachcomber it was growing from the tree. He approached the tree, placing one servo on the bark. A jolt of power passed through him, making him pull his hand back.
There was a fluttering sound, and Beachcomber glanced up to see doves emerge from the top of the tree. They glowed with a pure, but small, white light that seemed to come from their core.
He looked back down at the golden water, only to suddenly….know that one gulp of the water would make him immortal to any outside harm. He would never get sick or rust, when he was hurt he would heal quickly and feel nothing. The only way he would die is when his own lifespan ran out. But he could only take one gulp of water, anymore would do nothing.
His gaze rose up to the doves, and he noticed something he had not seen before. One dove, small then the others, was having trouble flying. Its light flickered, and a single feather fell from its body.
Beachcomber was still for a moment, then reached down and took a handful of water, he tried to guess if it was a gulp, before deciding it didn't matter.
He held the was up to the dove, then held very, very still. The sick dove slowly moved towards him, another feather falling from his body. Beachcomber noticed the other doves fading, but remand focused on the little one.
The dove landed on his servos and bent down to drink the water. For a moment he wondered if it would work, then the doves light grew stronger then any of the others.
The dove rose, then seemed to stare at him for several moments. In the blink of an optic the dove flew up, spiraling in a big circle before plummeting down, right into Beachcomber chest.
Not onto, into. Somehow the dove flew into his circuitry, and he could feel a warmth, a power, spreading to the rest of his self. The world became to fade into a white light, until he was flouting in nothing. In the back of his processor, a voice spoke.
Beachcomber, the only one to care for the ancient power that lies within, you have earned the right to be its new holder.
Many humans have come here, seeking only the power the pool gave.
Transformers too, both Autobots and Decepticons, have come claming invisibility.
But you only cared for the wildlife, and for that you have a true spark indeed.
…
…
…
…..
Beachcombers optics online quickly, his body reacted too quickly, sitting up far to fast.
The held his pounding processor in one hand, stabling himself with the other.
The looked up to the doorway, his mind still reeling from the dream before.
He got up and opened the doorway, only to…see the air.
For a moment he didn't know what the clear stuff was, clearer then the best glass. Then something clicked in place.
He moved quickly down the halls, passing both Bumblebee and Blaster engaged in some sort of debate. They both had a glow around them, yet at the same time behind them. No, not behind, from within.
He could not explain the colors, even to himself, for they were colors a Cypertronain was never meant to see. Bumblebees spoke of determination and loyalty, as if he got the order right here and now he would fling himself into the line of fire. Blasters spoke a carefree laid back attitude, yet an hidden anger that burned bright towards the Decepticons, fueled by what had happened to his home world.
Yet there was something else, an excitement about a hidden glow deep inside his chest.
"When will he be done?" the words were out of Beachcomber before he realized what he was asking. They both looked confused, so he pointed towards Blasters chest. "The cassette."
Blaster rubbed his chest, still slightly confused. "You-you can tell? Umm," Blaster struggled for something to say. "A week!" he blurted out, rather loudly, causing others to poke their heads out of rooms to see what was going on.
Bumblebee looked confused, and there was an energy around him that meant he was using his comm. link. Something told Beachcomber he could tap into the energy and hear what they were saying, but he ignored them.
Beachcomber smiled slightly and moved off as Blaster was surrounded by excited and curious Autobots.
Beachcomber continued moving until he got outside, where he had to hold in a gasp.
The air spiraled in graceful curves, the sunlight bouncing off the ground and all the objects, bathing everything in a golden glow. Everything had a hidden glow, both livings and non.
His optics rebooted, not just from the sight, but from the fact he didn't feel overwhelmed by it.
He heard someone behind him, and something told him it was Prime. He turned around, and was overwhelmed.
The spark of a Prime was a powerful and great thing, the…aura (he believed that's what it called) reflecting all that.
Beachcomber smiled as Prime nodded to him and continued on, the sound of transformation and a truck driving off clear in the air.
Beachcomber looked down at his servo and contracted. Slowly at first, the servo turned a golden color.