Chapter Four
Darkness was all she saw, Ariel had wondered if she had become one with the All-Spark, after feeling her life leave her body, and the feeling off her spark-mate holding her close, she felt herself floating, it seemed to go on for a long time, until light began to invade her eyes.
"It's been a success!" a voice came "She's online!"
"By the All-Spark!" came another voice "You did it!"
"Whose there? Where am I?" Ariel choked, finding her voice.
"Stay calm my student."
"Alpha Trion?"
"Stay still." she heard the voice again "So much has happened whilst you were laying in stasis."
Ariel blinked her optics then wriggled her fingers as well as flexed her ankles feeling for her pedes.
"What happened to me?" she asked still trying to make sense of where she was and why by miracle she was online.
She had remembered being chased by Megatronus in the Halls of Iacon then he cornered her, then snapped her neck right in front of Orion and Ironhide.
How after such a fatal injury could she still be alive? And also, there was something not quite right about herself either, even though she knew she was the same person, there was something else about her.
She didn't know how she could explain it, but she felt like she was stronger, not just in body, but in spirit, like she was...reborn again?
"Alpha Trion?" she said again "What's happened to me?"
She felt the elderly mech's hand on her forehead and she soon relaxed under his touch.
"Relax my student." Alpha Trion said softly "All will be explained to you soon."
Ariel closed her optics again but as she did, she heard some doors open and a voice, a voice she knew filled her audio receptors.
"Alpha Trion! Ratchet! Is she alright?"
"Calm down my student, she is online, I was able to repair her systems and keep her spark alive, yet there have been some alterations, and from what I have seen, you have been bestowed upon, and by Primus himself, for your courage."
"I just...I only tried to save our home..."
"And such courage and honour you had within, you were rightfully given what was gifted to you. It shows even the life giver himself knew you were a Prime, even though you didn't see it yourself."
"Orion?" Ariel whispered softly as she turned her head and opened her optics.
"Ariel." she heard her spark-mate's voice again.
Ariel blinked her optics and her vison soon cleared and she soon found herself face to face with her beloved Spark-mate.
But she soon saw, he no longer possessed the appearance of the mech she knew, he had his colours, yet his body seemed slightly more bulky than before, and he was taller, not that he wasn't always tall, but merely towered higher.
"Orion..." she said again trying to life herself up, yet she couldn't, and she soon felt a servo move under her back and lift her gently so she was sitting upright.
As she was pushed up, Ariel soon saw that Orion was kneeling so he was level with her as she sat on the berth with her legs dangling off the side facing him.
He then leaned towards her and placed his forehead against hers and cupped her face.
"Oh Primus..." he said "I thought I had lost you!"
"What happened to me?" Ariel asked as she held Orion's large servos.
"After Megatron snapped your neck..." Orion said "I brought you here to Alpha Trion's workshop, he and Ratchet managed to save you, Primus must have blessed me twice to bring you back to me."
Orion kissed Ariel's forehead and optics gently before moving down her face to her lips and the femme relaxed as she felt her spark-mate's familiar loving touch if not more passionate than before.
She then took the time to look at her body and saw, that like her spark-mate, she too had changed, more toned and more strong, she also lifted her servo and felt around her head where she found that the design had changed, instead of a smooth appendage, she had some spikes and jagged parts.
"What did they do?" she asked "What did they do to me?"
Orion moved his servos down her cheeks to down her neck and over her shoulders.
"Your body was broken." he said "Alpha Trion and Ratchet said you would not survive unless you were rebuilt, you are still the same femme, but you are upgraded."
Ariel felt her body then looked at Orion.
"You are online again my love." he said stroking her cheek again.
"Online." Ariel whispered "And I am grateful to them both, and to be with you again."
She stroked his servo holding her cheek, then suddenly Ariel remembered Dion and how Megatron had shot him point blank.
"Where's Dion?" she asked desperately wondering if he had been saved as she had been "Is he alright?"
Orion looked at his spark-mate, sadness filling his optics and he closed them slowly.
"Sweet-spark...I'm so sorry." he said, his voice was slightly wavering as he spoke of his friend who had tried to help Ariel.
"What?" the femme asked, dread filling her spark.
"He's offline..." Orion managed "Ratchet couldn't save him."
"No...oh Primus, please no..." Ariel cried, a servo coming up to her mouth and sorrow filled her spark at the mech who had been a friend, Orion's best friend had not survived the attack.
It wasn't long before her sorrow turned to anger.
"Megatron...he slaughtered Dion!" she hissed "Where is he?" she asked.
Orion narrowed his eyes.
"As you were in stasis." he explained "He gathered an army at Kaon, he has formed his own band of followers and has experimented with dark energon, poisoning Cybertron in the process."
Ariel shook her head in shock.
"No..." she whispered.
"I tried to purge the core." Orion continued "Try to purge Primus of the poison...but I couldn't...yet I felt Primus's touch within, and he blessed me with what Megatron has sought most since trying to become a Prime..."
Ariel's optics widened and she placed a hand on Orion's chest.
"The Matrix of Leadership." she said as she looked at her Spark-mate "The power of Primus...and combined wisdom of the Primes! And only a true Prime can weld it!"
Orion nodded.
"Then you are a true Prime!" Ariel said "Even though you never believed it! It chose you! Primus chose you!"
Orion nodded.
"Yes..." he said "But now, as we speak, our home is dying, we have to get every mech, femme and sparkling to safety and fight against Megatron...I have to lead the Autobots...I'm not that data clerk Orion Pax, it's Optimus now...Optimus Prime."
Ariel stared in shock at her spark-mate as he looked at her, not with the naïve eyes she knew, but now the eyes of a leader, a soldier, a warrior with determination and no fear, yet still gentle and compassionate.
"I am Optimus Prime." Orion declared "And I must do what I can to save the planet, and help those in need as well as lead those into battle."
Ariel looked at her spark-mate, hearing him speak she felt the same strength fill her entire being and seeing him accept that he was indeed a Prime and how such duties had been bestowed upon him, she knew in her spark that he should not have to carry them alone, and she made up her mind to be there for him, just as she had promised to be at his side when she had bonded with him before all this had happened.
"Then let me fight with you Prime..." she said looking into his optics "As your spark-mate, I promised you I would stand by you, even when times were dark, and that time has come."
"Ariel." Optimus spoke
"No..." Ariel said before the Prime could continue "I will not stand to the side as you fight alone, you might be a Prime, but you will not carry this burden alone! I will fight alongside you! Help you defeat Megatron and his Decepticons, even if it means risking my spark, I will help you!"
"Ariel." Optimus said "I can't let you, I could never forgive myself if you were hurt, I cannot loose you again."
"You won't." Ariel said "The upgrades I was given, like you, I am no longer the data clerk in the Halls of Iacon, I must do my part in helping you fight against Megatron, and help you save our planet and the innocent lives on it! I will fight until the end, and I will assist you in everything, that is my vow to you, my promise! On my very spark!"
Optimus was speechless as he listened to his spark-mate speak, she was so stubborn, and so determined to follow him and be by his side in battle.
"I took my vows into my spark when I bonded with you!" Ariel declared "And I say the same when I vow I will stand with you in battle!"
Optimus placed his servos on Ariel's face and looked into her optics to which he saw the fire of a warrior within.
"I promise to be there for you, stand by you, protect you and die for you." Ariel said fervently "I am no longer Ariel the Data Clerk...I am...Elita-One!"
Optimus felt his spark pound within, his love for his spark-mate was strong, but now it felt stronger as he felt the fighting spirit within his love surge along with his and he leaned down to his beloved.
"Then, by the power of Primus..." he said holding her cheeks "I declare you, my second in command...spark-mate of the Prime, my beloved, Elita-One, fight alongside me, so we may win this war against the Decepticons!"
"Yes..." Elita-One replied "I will!"
Optimus then placed his mouth on Elita-One's, a passionate ravaging kiss, one that would seal the promise of love for each other, as well as a vow to fight alongside each other, protect each other in the war that raged around them, fighting together to win it, or die together trying.
As the lovers held each other in their passionate embrace and made the promise, Alpha Trion and Ratchet watched from the doorway having left the room to give the lovers time alone.
Their sparks soared seeing such passion between the mech and femme, observing so amongst such hate and destruction that was consuming their planet there was still such a powerful force that could rise above it.
"Even at the darkest times," Alpha Trion commented "There is still a light, still burning within such darkness."
Ratchet nodded in agreement as he continued to watch the lovers with a small smile gracing his face.
The Present
Elita-One hugged her knees tightly towards her chest. She had vowed to help Optimus in his fight against the Decepticons, and she had.
She did all she could to help, she helped many innocent mechs, femmes and sparklings get to evacuation ships so they be safe from the war, she had fought and killed many Decepticons, even faced Megatron again himself.
Before long, she had found herself separated from the mech she loved, their duties had torn them apart, even though they wished beyond all their beings they didn't want it to happen, yet they vowed, like they did when they had bonded, that they would be together again, even if it meant meeting in the well of All-Sparks, they would be together again.
Despite fighting alone, she along with Optimus, could not save the planet and like the others, she too had to leave her beloved home with her own band of warriors and refugees.
Despite her breaking spark, she like the leader she accepted to be to her own band of femme warriors, she had to protect those under her care.
Yet Optimus was never far from her mind, and neither was the hope of restoring her home.
"Even if we never met again." she said "My bond with you is still strong Optimus."
She looked towards the window and at the many stars that covered the never ending blackness of the galaxy.
"I'll never give up! I vow that I will keep fighting! We will end this conflict! Megatron will be defeated! And Cybertron will be restored, if not for us, but for many generations after that! That I promise!"
Placing her servo over her spark chamber, Elita-One knew what lead her to where she was. Her dedication and her love for Optimus Prime, and her determination to save her home, and she would never give up the fight, never! She would keep going!
Till the End of time! Till All Are One!
And thus ends 'What Lead Me Here' And Elita-One's journey through space continues as she searches for energon and her beloved Optimus Prime.
I hope you enjoyed it!
I'm hoping to write more Transformers and I even got plans for a Transformers Crossover with TMNT!
Stay safe ya'll!
Love Bloodrayne666
