Transformers Prime: The Ties That Bind III
Part Four
Once, I was called Orion Pax. I studied the Histories of Cybertron, of my people, and marveled at the Great Works we had done. And felt the deepest of sorrows when I beheld how far we had fallen. The ideals of the Ancients had been forgotten, the legacy of the Primes lost to the eternal sands of time. Though I lamented what we had become, I hoped for the future, for a path that would return us to the great age of new discovery and exploration, to realize the dream of our creator, Primus, to spread out among the stars, to seek out the wisdom of other races and to share our own in kind. To strive to bring Peace to a Galaxy seemingly dominated by Chaos.
I set out on this path, hoping to find others who shared my dream of a brighter future for all Cybertronians. In the least likely of places I would find a fellow visionary, one who wished to change our world. He was called Megatronus, a warrior of the games who had claimed a title once held by an ancient Prime. He claimed he to wished to see Cybertron ascend to a new Golden Age, to see our people reach for the heavens once more. But, in my great joy to have at last found a true brother, I failed to see the dark seed imbedded within.
Megatron, as he would come to be known, yearned only to assert his will upon not only our world, but the whole of the Galaxy, to see his power surpass even that of our creator. I watched my brother plunge our world into chaos, turning us against one another. Even more tragic was the belief that I was responsible. Had I seen the true face of my fallen comrade, steps could have been taken to steer him from his path. Perhaps I would have succeeded or he would have extinguished my spark before the power of the Primes was entrusted to me.
In the calm before the storm I doubted, uncertain as to the part I had played, or was meant to. But that anguish and doubt would be tempered, and my fears set aside by another.
I had watched her from afar, so grand did se seem to one who's caste was that of a clerk. She was a warrior. No. She was a defender, safeguarding our Leader from the enemies that had yet to be reveled to us. Her life was shadow and secret, death more then life. And yet, I felt no fear when I sought her out, nor did I know concern when she, in turn, sought to know me. No one had ever seen her. Truly seen. She was a weapon to those that served the Primes, or so she and her caste had been taught to believe. I wanted nothing more then to prove to her that she, like so many others, was far more then what an archaic class system had chosen for her. She listened, as few others did, seeing the world I hoped to forge with Megatronus.
When I saw the wonder in her eyes I thought she marveled at what I hoped to build; but, instead, so I would learn, it was I that effected her so. In me she saw something she believed denied her. Something more. In quiet moments when obligations or duty did not part us, we spoke of what we would build, between us, when a better world was realized. Then…then came The War, and then The Fall. Turned against her own people I would watch the light die in her eyes. There would only come one final moment where I would see, truly see, the face of she who held my spark. The day I would send her to her death. Never again would I stand under the stars with her, dreaming of the future. Or so I had believed…
…
Optimus stood on the edge of the plateau, marveling at the beauty of the late evening. So often was he focused on the dangers to the planet around him that he had taken little time to appreciate the grandeur and diversity it offered. It a way, the pristine wonder of it's natural world reminded him of the splendor of Cybertron before the fall. The grand spires of Iacon. The Lights of the Celestial Library. The Imposing beauty of the Decacon. The Children of Primus had forged a magnificent monument to their own legacy, and had quickly lost themselves to it.
Now, in their 21st Century, Optimus watched as the race of man followed the path of his own people, ignoring the warning signs of what was to come, believing that there would always be a tomorrow. Had Optimus found this world free of the threat from the Decepticons how happily he would have shared the wisdom of the Primes, to show Humanity the gift it had been given, and how fragile it truly was. Though humans had sought to take advantage of him and his people, of the technology they carried, and had even sought to take it from them by subterfuge and force, Optimus had not lost hope.
For every Human that tried to take what they had not earned, or tried to harm those who had more then they, there were those who found joy in forging something better, showing compassion instead of anger, spreading hope where others wallowed only in self indulgence and greed. Among the humans Optimus had come to know there were none so noble as the three young ones who had placed their trust and devotion in he and the others, travelers from afar.
He felt great pride in having watched them come into their own, each in their own way. Raf was no longer the unsure child, instead he saw only the excitement of what the future might hold. Miko, while still so eager to prove her quality in the face of her fears, had come to care for something other then her own pastimes. And, most impressively, there was Jack Darby.
When Jack had been pulled into their world he could have, so easily, turned away, wanting only to focus on his own ambitions, for the freedom from responsibility he had believed he craved. But, like Miko, he had found something important, something to believe in and fight for. But, like Optimus had so long ago, in finding someone to fight for he had discovered something even more precious.
Prime had long been aware of the bond between his Commander and her charge. Though he had, at first, felt some small measure of concern, wondering if Arcee was merely seeking to fill a void left in her Spark with little thought to how her choice might effect Jack, Optimus had watched them overtime, seen how one gave strength to the other, renewed their belief in something better.
Arcee, so eager for the battle, and for retribution, now dreamed of what would come after and not only the fight. Jack, likewise, saw sharing his life with another and not seeking something only for himself. There were times when Optimus wondered if the joy he wanted for them now would cause them undo harm later. Like all of their kind, Arcee would live far beyond Jack's years. No knowledge his kind possessed could extend the time all humans, despite some variations, had been given, limited as it was in the grand scheme. Though battle might never part them, time, eventually, would. He only hoped that, when such a time came upon them, one would return to the source of all things in the human world with fond memories of life and love, and the other would endure, carrying the flame of what they had built and shared for them both.
Long ago, Optimus himself had dreamed of such a thing. And now, now that dream had come back to haunt him.
She was out there, waiting for him. He could feel it. He did not know for what reason she had come, indeed he could not even understand how she had survived the devastation Megatron had wrought upon her and her brethren. Yet, when Ratchet had told him of Arcee's encounter, and Arcee herself had confirmed it, Optimus had believed without question. He wondered at what he might do when she stood before him. Would he allow her to simply destroy him, was her wrath so justified? And what had she meant when she had spoken to Arcee of saving them all?
The answers, he knew, would not be found standing out amongst the stars. Giving the nightly vista around him a final look, Optimus moved into the Valley.
…
"We can't just sit around and let her do…whatever it is she's going to do!" Bulkhead bellowed, pacing with dull thuds back and forth in the Silo's Ops-Center. "We should have followed him. We should be out there right now, before…"
"Bulk!" Arcee snapped. The Autobot Commander had taken a perch in the well of one of the Silo's massive wall ventilation ducts to contemplate their current dilemma, Jack seated beside her. "No one likes it anymore then you do. But, if Optimus believes it's in everyone's best interests to stay out of this, then we follow his lead."
Before the armored behemoth could protest further, Arcee continued. "Think about it. Optimus knew her better then anyone else. If she really believes that he poses some kind of threat, there's no one better to convince her otherwise. She's also trained to spot an ambush from miles away. She caught us moving in on her today like we were rookies. If we had gone with Prime, lying in wait, even if it was only to protect him, Optimus wouldn't have a chance of correcting whatever false reasoning she's under."
Arcee leaned back, instinctively placing her hand alongside Jack.
"I want to be out there as much as you do, but we have to leave this between them. Love's complicated like that."
"If you say so." The massive Autobot grumbled.
"Well, even if we can not be there to provide tactical support, we can still keep track of where he is." Ratchet added, keens eyes fixed on the massive screen before him and the GPS telemetry data on the display.
"Where is he now?" Arcee inquired.
"Well, he was on the move, but he has since stopped. It appears he is now in the vicinity of Virgin Valley."
"Do you think she caught up with him?" Miko asked from one of the elevated platforms.
"Don't think so. If anything, I'd be willing to bet he found her first. Fitting place."
"What do you mean?" Jack asked her.
"Think about it. The last time she saw Optimus was in a Valley. Though the topography is certainly different, and there's a distinct lack of lava flows and volcanoes, the irony of the location won't be lost on Optimus."
"So, she's like, trying to throw it in Optimus's face?" Miko ventured.
"Partially. It could also be that she wants to put Optimus off his guard."
"Think it'll work?" Jack inquired.
"She's been apart from him a long time. Maybe something like that might have work on the Prime she remembers, but Optimus has been through a lot since then. It's going to take a hell of a lot more to sideswipe him."
"Hope you're right." Bulkhead replied. "If not, Ratchet better be ready to open the Ground-Bridge right on top of 'em."
…
His face was in the scope, well within the kill-zone, the rest of his body clearly exposed. All that she needed to do was pull the trigger, sending a bolt of energy right through his eye or his Spark Chamber. She tried, willing her finger to apply the pound of pressure required. Try as she might, however, she could not. Something continued to fight her, though she could not say what. Had she been organic she knew perspiration would have covered her body, her breath ragged. Once she had killed easily, dispatching her fallen brethren without a care, devout in her duty to Cybertron, Sentinel Prime, and the Council. Now however it was not merely her world she was killing for, it was for the creator himself, the will of Primus giving her strength to do what no other could.
Why then was she filled with such doubt?
In her mind she could see what had come before. How fire and death had engulfed her and the others of her caste. Light, blinding like a million suns, had filled her optics, and then there had been only darkness. In those final moments she had found solace in knowing that her love had survived. Orion, now Optimus, would endure, fighting on to build the better world they would have shared. Having dealt death to many so often in service to others, she would now welcome it unto herself.
But, then something had happened. The vision, and then she had traveled so very far, found her way to Earth to seek out her quarry. But, even as the memories flooded in something felt strange. Her mind felt as if something was missing. She tried to focus on it, loosing Optimus in her sights for a moment as she struggled to recall. Then the voice was in her head again, booming like a Super-Nova. Powerful and overwhelming.
HE MUST DIE, CHILD. THINK NOT OF YOUR PAST, BUT OF THE FUTURE. THERE IS NO FUTURE IF THE LAST PRIME LIVES.
'Primus. Optimus is your chosen. He…he is the best hope for the future, is he not?'
YOU CAN NOT QUESTION THE WILL OF PRIMUS. IT WAS I WHO SAVED YOU FROM BEING LOST TO THE ALL-SPARK FOR THIS ONE GREAT CAUSE. THE CHILDREN OF PRIMUS MUST BE SAVED FROM THE DOOM OF THE LAST PRIME.
'I…I can not…'
MUST YOU BE SHOWN THE FUTURE AGAIN, CHILD? MUST YOU BE MADE TO SEE WITH MY EYES WHAT AWAITS THIS WORLD AND A THOUSAND OTHERS SHOULD THE LAST PRIME LIVE?
'No…creator. I remember. I remember it.'
THEN BEHOLD THE NIGHTMARE AGAIN!
Almost instinctively Coatzin recoiled from the vision that arose before her eyes. The Earth stood awash in flames, a maelstrom of destruction that enveloped the whole of the world. Then the flame spread, rising from the surface of the burning world to spread out among the stars. The tendrils of destruction descended on a thousand different planets, and Coatzin watched a thousand different races writhe in agony as they were torn asunder by Chaos.
One by one the worlds were left barren and devoid of life. At last, the wave of fire and death found it's way back to Cybertron, the Homeworld having only just begun to recover from the poisoning that had left it dark and lifeless. Coatzin watched as the flame fell like a tide upon the lights of a restored Iacon, reducing the great spires to ash. The flame tore into the heart of the world, filling it with fire from within. Then, Cybertron swelled, the surface of the world splitting, the last survivors perishing. The explosion that followed was bright, the light of the Matrix blazing for one final moment before all was darkness. Though the vision was in her mind, Coatzin had none the less closed her eyes against it.
BEHOLD THE DOOM. THE LEGACY OF THE LAST PRIME. IT MUST BE ENDED. HE MUST BE ENDED. THIS IS THE WILL OF PRIMUS.
'Yes…I…understand…'
Stealing herself, Coatzin raised the sight, tracking Optimus once more. Sweeping slowly across the kill zone before her she searched. Then, he was in the sights, the cross-hairs settled directly upon his face. Coatzin felt the Spark still in her chest. Through the site, the Prime looked directly at her.
…
In the stillness of the night Optimus had felt it, like a great evil falling upon him, a layer of shadow amidst the darkness. The light of Primus with-in his chest had guided him forward until the feeling had grown ever more prevalent, almost overwhelming. And then he had seen her. For a split second her attention was elsewhere, even from his distance he could see she struggled with something, her aim faltering. Then it had passed and she had once more raised her weapon in search of him. When at last her gaze fell upon him she froze again, once more seeming to struggle with something unseen, the rifle visibly shaking as she tried to will herself to pull the trigger. Or will herself to stop. Optimus knew he would not have another, or better, chance.
"Coatzin." He said gently, knowing his voice would carry in the near silence. "I am here. If you believe my death will right some terrible wrong done to you, then I will not stop you. I would only ask that you not carry this act of retribution to your fellow Autobots or the Humans. They have done nothing to wrong you."
"My…oath…is not…for them." Coatzin struggled to say, the entirety of her frame trembling.
"Oath. What oath is that?" Optimus coaxed, trying to keep her focus off of her weapon.
"I have…seen…the future. Seen what you will do. I can't…won't…let it happen. Not again."
"What have you seen, Coatzin? Tell me, and I can try to help you."
"No! You can only…prevent it…if…if you let me kill you!" She yelled.
"You believe I will be the cause of some great calamity?" Optimus replied, taken aback. "Why would you believe such a thing? From where have you learned this?"
"He showed me. He…chose me, as he once chose you. Saved me from death so I could…earn back my life." She stammered.
"Whom?" Optimus asked slowly.
"Primus. The Creator. I was…dead. My Spark…descended into darkness for the wrongs I have done. But…he saved me. Told me I could live to see our world restored. But…I had to serve him. To see his will done."
"By killing me?" Optimus asked.
"It's…the only way. I…tried to tell him. I asked him…if he was…wrong. I didn't…didn't want to believe you could bring…so much death to so many." Coatzin raised the barrel of her rifle, fixing it over it chest. "But then…I remembered The War. So many. So many died…for you."
"They did not die for me, Coatzin. They died fighting for the dream of something better. They died for freedom and the future Megatron sought to deny them." Optimus, hands raised, stepped forward slowly.
"If I could have traded my life for any of theirs I would have done so willingly. The Mantle of Leadership could have been passed to another. My life was no more valuable then any of theirs." Optimus told her somberly. "But, when I thought my time had come, it was you who said I had to live. I did not want to, for I could not imagine a future that did not have you within it. And do you remember what you told me?"
Coatzin looked past him in the scope, seeking buried memories. She was standing on the rise in the valley of fire once more, the sights and sounds of battle all about her. Standing before her, so noble, so brave, was her Orion, now their last Prime. He had been ready to stand alone against the tide, to allow his people to escape with his surrendered Matrix of Leadership. But, she had barred his way. Gazing down the sight, she remembered her words, speaking them aloud.
"There will…at least…be a future if you…are there…to lead them."
"I would have remained, if not for the look in your eyes. You believed. You placed in me so much of your love and faith, I know I would not have possessed the strength to endure had I betrayed that."
Moving forward, Optimus continued.
"I need you, Coatzin, to trust in me, as you did then. I can help you to understand what has happened to you. What you have seen. If you will but believe in me again."
"I…can't…I have to…" She tried, the Rifle tight in her grasp.
"Please, Coatzin." He pleaded, holding out a hand towards her perch among the rocks.
"Have to be…forgiven." She aimed once more, alloyed finger pressing down. "Forgive…me…"
Seeing her aim steady, Optimus closed his eyes, waiting.
Coatzin screamed, then fired.
To be Continued…