A Chat With A God (for Silverhornd)
As he traveled down the Well of Allsparks, Alpha Trion contemplated his life and the choices he had made so far.
He has always tried to do good in his life, by both his brethren and by the generations that surrounded them ever since that fateful, tragic day all those centuries ago. He may not have always succeeded but he had done his best and sometimes that mattered the most. It's what his youngest brother always did and believed and he had been the most powerful of them all. But his youngest brother was gone, as were the rest of his siblings with the exception of Megatronus, who he could still sense somewhere in the Universe, traveling and avoiding Cybertron because of what he had done and what that one mistake had started.
He was alone and every day that passed by Alpha Trion watched as his home planet and these people he shares it with were more and more deranged by both aliens and themselves. They had forgotten all about Primus and the Thirteen Primes were nothing but stories to them. They were mythical beings that never really existed, that never did anything for them. It was a disgrace to Prima, who gave his life to save them the first time from the Quintessons; a disgrace for Amalgamous and Alchemist, who gave their lives in order to take down as many enemies with them as they could; a disgrace to Vector and Solus and Quintus and Liege Maximo, who invented so many things in order for those ungrateful fools to live more comfortably; a disgrace to Micronus and Micronus, Nexus and Onyx, who gave them all new species and forms; a disgrace to Megatronus, who the Covenant of Primus proclaimed would give his life to end this war; it was a disgrace to Alpha Trion, who recorded their history and watched them destroy everything that he and his siblings have built. It was a disgrace to Optimus, who gave his life so that they could exist.
Not to mention that they always took all of their names in vain, or sometimes they pretended to believe and they preached all sorts of things, but always for gain. He had yet to see anyone, even the priests and acolytes in the Temple that he and his brethren have built for Primus, be remotely sincere about what they say they believe about Primus or Unicron. It was astounding on some days while it was revolting the rest of the time and Alpha Trion always mourned his brothers's deaths and sacrifices in the name of those fools. But what's done is done and he can't mourn those sacrifices as they have brought about some wondrous things.
However, he can't take this anymore. He had dealt with eleven deaths, has felt eleven sparks extinguish and he didn't want to deal with the twelfth. He knows he's being selfish; his death would be Megatronus's twelfth and knowing him, he won't take it well. Alpha Trion just hoped that Megatronus won't start destroying things with his Requiem Blaster in his sorrow and pain. His second youngest brother always did have a temper. Besides, he couldn't just go and ... off himself! Not only was he a Prime but how could he do that when his siblings have all given their lives for a greater purpose (except poor Solus and Liege Maximo. They died in the War of the Primes)? He simply couldn't so he had soldiered on until he could no longer stand it, the void from their missing sparks or their physical absence.
And that was the reason he was here, to talk to his Creator, to his Carrier - to Primus. No, he wasn't going to ask for Primus to take his life nor was he going to ask for both his and Megatronus's suffering to swiftly come to an end. That would doom the Universe and Megatronus would hate him for not letting the stubborn fool to die in battle as is befitting such a fine warrior. Besides, that would be a cowardly way out and no Prime was a coward. Especially not him, who has seen the worst of every generation.
Not to mention that it would be bad to leave the people in the greedy servos of Sentinel Zeta Prime and his equally selfish Senate. They had overthrown Nominus for ruling like a tyrant yet they were no better. If things went on the way they were, Cybertron will fall to ruins even before a deciding battle happens between their army and the Quintessons. At least Nominus listened to Alpha Trion when the old mech spoke up about what the people would feel about a new law but Sentinel Zeta cared less for the people of Cybertron than even the Quintessions did.
Alpha Trion snapped himself out of his thoughts when he passed the empty curving that should hold what has become of Optimus Prime and his spark ached in that familiar way it does whenever he thinks upon that day, so long ago. He has to force himself not to weep and instead continues downwards until he is falling down to the planet's Core where Primus's Spark rests and watches over his creations. Optimus had gained beautiful wings that allowed him to fly or at least control his free-fall but Alpha Trion had no such gift. He had to rely on a dormant god to catch him before he really does leave poor Megatronus alone, and due to his own lack of caution no less. The fall felt long but it soon slowed down before he came to a stop right in front of the giant sparkchamber. It didn't open to admit him like the Covenant has shown him it had opened to let in his youngest brother, but Optimus was a special case.
"Greetings, my scribe and archivist, my Third creation, one of my Primes. Alpha Trion." His Carrier's voice echoed all around him, seemingly healing his age and old struts, causing Alpha Trion to sigh as he was washed over by love and affection. The Archivist sighed and let his woes be carried away, even if only for a bit, and enjoyed the feeling of familiarity that he has not felt for a few centuries.
"Primus ... Carrier ... I know you are perfectly aware of why I am here." He said after five minutes of silence since his Creator had addressed him. Despite the reunion after millions of vorns, it was not really a happy occasion and many participants that should be there, weren't.
"Yes. I am."
Alpha Trion waited for five kliks but nothing else came. "What? That's it? You're just going to say "yes" and be done with it? With us? How can you be so cold to your own children?"
"Eleven of Thirteen of my Children have given their lives for these creations of mine, one way or another. Two more will do the same in their own way, leaving the Last Prime to be all alone. Excuse me if I am not thrilled about such a time coming, and relatively soon." Primus practically deadpanned and Alpha Trion would have been beyond furious by now had he not caught an interesting detail in the statement.
"Did I hear wrong or are you really planning to make another Prime? Not like Nova or Nominus or especially like Sentinel, but like me and Megatronus. You're not really about to do that, right? Because if you are-" Alpha Trion stopped and reset his optics, once, twice, when he heard Primus laughing. "And what, pray tell, is so funny?"
"One: you thinking you can intimidate me, the entity that gave you and your siblings life-"
"We both know that Optimus was never planned." He cut in and a cold feeling took hold in the big chamber and just outside of it, where Primus's Spark and Alpha Trion were respectively.
"No. My greatest creation has come from a moment of spontaneous desire for me to have a uniter that could get the Twelve of you to function as a proper team. Yet," Primus said. "Optimus made you, made all of us, family. It is for that reason that I consider him the greatest creation in existence. Far greater than even the One, for he may as well be shat has made me and Unicron one." Alpha Trion took the short pause the Creator God made to ponder this new possibility. "And the second reason I was laughing, as we are returning to the topic that we have strayed from with talking about Optimus, is that you, even after all these years of knowing the truth about you and your brethren, would still think that a Prime can be made."
"I know Primes are only born but-"
"There is no 'but's about it. A Prime can never be unless he is born. You and your siblings were born before time itself. No new Prime can ever be born because you have made the Universe. There is no way or space for a new Prime."
"Then how can there be left one Prime to be alone and lonely?" Alpha Trion all bit yelled the question, sick of not knowing. How can there be one last Prime after both he and Megatronus die? There were only Thirteen of them and all of them would be in the Well of Allsparks after he and Megatronus die. All Thirteen in the Allspark... "No." Realization dawned on him and he dearly wished he had remained ignorant because he will forever be haunted by this information. By the information that he will be left alone. "No, you can't mean-"
"One Prime has never actually died." Primus's response confirmed it and the Archivist was suddenly very cold and felt twice as old as his real age. He was even more tired now than before but he no longer felt like he could rest. "He has simply taken on a new form ... He has transformed, if you will. It is the part of our deal."
"Deal?!" The old mech asked incredulously. "What deal!?"
"I gave him the task of stopping your infighting after Solus's unfortunate death and I told him to use any method he thought fit. He left here with an idea but was uncertain. He got determined after Liege Maximo was dead and Micronus and Onyx were close to joining him and Solus. It was his idea, and although I didn't like it, I had allowed him to do whatever he thought was necessary. I hate the day the Allspark has formed but it is as much my creation as it is his."
"Back to the deal, please." Trion snapped, impatient to hear about his youngest brother that they had all thought would forever be out of their reach. As the Allspark itself, Optimus could not join them amongst the deceased, even if he wanted to. How he was supposed to come back was beyond even a Prime's understanding.
"Right, yes. The deal was that Optimus comes back when the people need him the most, so that he can lead them back into the prosperity you all once had. He will be reborn, meaning that one day, I will help take out his spark from the Allspark and give him a new frame so he can live a new life. He will not have his memories until he finds the Matrix of Leadership once again. You will have to raise him."
"What?" The usually very composed and sophisticated speaker was now left beyond dumbfounded at what he was hearing. No, he must have some audio receptor malfunction. That had to be it! There was no way Primus was that sadistic as to give Cybertronians a leader that will have to be raised! They need Optimus Prime, an aware adult, not an innocent little sparkling! Just thinking of all the things that could go wrong with his upbringing had Alpha Trion flinching away from the responsibility. He loved his brother the way he had been, thank you very much!
"You will raise him, Alpha Trion, as only you will remain when he is reborn." Primus said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"But I'm not good with kids!" His response was ignored as Primus said "That is all" before sending a gentle pulse from his spark that pushed the Third Prime all the way out of the Well, at least saving him the journey. "Fragged up sadist of a god! How am I supposed to raise a Prime?"
The unexpected answer to the rhetorical question startled the mech out of his plating. "You will be raising a Prime to be a Prime. And you will be raising Optimus to be Optimus, as all you remember him to be." And with a last burst of light, the Well quieted down, leaving a bewildered Alpha Trion to stare but at least he now knew he will have to do his best, both in preserving Cybertron long enough for Optimus to come and in raising his brother.