The familiar human world of Earth had fallen away, and now, it was spinning, haphazard as a flung marble. It rolled down down its celestial path, the swirling clouds wafting over the face of the blue. Optimus found himself floating miles above the small heaven. He was floating languidly in the drifting cosmos, and gaping at the luminous swaft of human lights.
It was the most beautiful, and disorienting experience that Optimus ever had. He heard the strange, wafting hiss of a coy chuckle, heaved out through ancient vents from somewhere behind. Turning, or floating, he wasn't sure which he actually did-he saw the source of the laughter. It was even odder than the experience of dying and orbitting the Earth. The very galaxy itself seemed to shift back into a vortex, dizzyingly rapid and refracting back to the Tomb. It happened so fast, Optimus had no time to even cry out.
"It's a rather dull place, but it's a pretty lil' planet,none the less." Optimus's optics shot open as he whirled through the enormous tomb to locate the sound of the voice.
There was a dry, brittle cackle, heaved out from aging vents. Optimus gaped as the old robot rocked with silent laughter, his rusted parts creaking in time to the chortling had bronzed his metal to a dull sheen of golden-black, but his fiery red optics were blazing up at Optimus with some sort of recognition. The old robot tottered forward,
the loud scrape of old metal competing in volume with his hiss of effort to move.
Optimus stiffened and readied his cannon when he saw the muted sepia of the Decepticon symbol flicker over the dulled rust.
The old robot merely looked amused as he waved a joint between them, as if he could brush aside the obvious. "Now, there's no need for that, here. The cannon's will do you no good, and you've no need for them. I know it's hard to believe, what with the marking and all, but I'm on your side."
The old robot looked at the canon, and his shoulders creaked in the hitch of the shrug.
"What would a Prime have to fear from the likes of me, anyway?"
Optimus scowled in confusion, and lowered the cannon old robot continued,as he waved a hand to indicate the entire tomb, "What sense would there be in a true Decepticon hanging about this tomb, when he should fly and inform Megatron that what he wants has been found,eh? Does that sound like the action of somebody on *his* side?"
Optimus sighed at that logical reasoning. He stared levelly at the robot, non-plussed, as he sternly demanded, "Who are you?"
The old bot narrowed his optics as he lurched over, raising his placating hands to show he meant no harm, and was weaponless. "Name's Jetfire, and I'll have you know that I've been on your side longer than you've been aware of this planet."
Optimus considered that information, carefully. Calmly, he spoke,"If you changed sides to the Autobots, why was I not aware of your existence beforehand? Why did you not make your allegiance known?"
Jetfire recoiled, his blades wafting back like a disturbed hornet's wings. "And what would be the sense in declaring my allegience to your side if you were going to blow my bloody head off after seeing the mark? Changing sides is a choice, bearing the symbol isn't."
Optimus sighed, and wearily scrubbed a hand over his optic shields. "Then accept my apologies for my....scepticism."
There was a caustic hack of a chuckle as Jetfire tilted his head to peer at him. "After bein' on their side and seeing what they can do, you've good reasons for your all, it was Megatron's cruelty that brought you here."
Optimus shuddered at that, the memories overwhelming, as Jetfire regretfully bowed his head. "It's the very things that he did and expected me to do that made me change sides. Who wants to live a life of hate, anyway?"
Optimus inhaled two shaking breaths, the old remembrance of his life's ending reverberating, the wound feeling just as fresh as when he was slain.
He flinched when Jetfire suddenly faced him, inches apart, the agony of guilt withering in his eyes as he bowed his head again. "I can't take back what Megatron did."
Optimus forced the measured reassurance as he finally forced himself to speak. "I hold no-one responsible for Megatron's actions but Megatron."
Jetfire stared at him for a long moment, and finally said, "I know you may find it hard to understand now, what with me being naught but a rust bucket, but I'll help you in bringin' that monster down when the time comes."
Optimus forced his facial plates to remain passive and unrevealing as he simply nodded his head. "Thank you." It was a kind but futile offer. What on earth could such an aging old robot do?
Jetfire was now gazing upward at the tomb around him, the vague sadness even more poignant as he lay a hand reverently across one of the twisted appendages, and sighed.
"They suffered, you know. They lingered here in this place of stone, in this world that they had no reason to care for, and they died for it. Do the humans even have an inkling of their existence, or the price they paid?"
Optimus shook his head."Were it not for their presence here, the humans would have never been put in danger."
Jetfire squinted at that. "It ain't us being here that's the problem, it's Megatron's hatred that's endangering them. Until you and the humans learn the difference, there's naught else to be done."
Optimus stiffened bitterly. "And what is there possibly left to be done, Jetfire? Megatron took my life. It was in vain!"
Jetfire was silent, before he shook his head, the vague appendages rattling. "I don't suspect that the human boy you saved would view it that way. As for what's left to be done, if your work was finished on that lil' planet, you wouldn't be *here*"
