Disclaimer: same as before; I don't own Transformers. Waaa!

A/N: Please feed the cookie monster! ^ ^

Warning: This chappie is kinda short and it's mostly dialogue; it was supposed to be a part of the previous one but I figured that chapter 6 was too long. Don't want to burn my readers out or myself in that matter. Enjoy!

Chapter 7: News from Afar

It was hot. That was what woke me up. The extreme heat. Where am I?

Turquoise eyes opened only to quickly shut as the sun burned through his eyelids. The sun? Sand? Extreme heat...

"Holy crap! I'm in a desert! Out of all the places on earth, the Primes put me in a freakin desert!" Sam cried out as he jumped up, hopping on one foot or the other to prevent foot burns. The human then stopped as the expected pain did not come. He examined his feet and found no burn marks on them. A light bulb popped into his head and he attempted to pierce his foot with a cactus needle from a nearby plant. The needle broke into pieces and Sam suddenly remembered the Primes telling him that his human form was too fragile to hold the Allspark.

"Oh my God! I'm not even human!" Sam yelled to no one in particular and his hands touched his face. No, I still have a chin, a nose, and two eyes. Ok, so I'm not exactly a super japanese robot either. Geez, what did they do to me?

As Sam was bemoaning his position, he failed to notice a small dust storm gathering in the west. A large vehicle sped across the distance and before Sam could even fathom of an escape, the mech transformed, its alliance symbol visible on the mech's helm.

"Samuel Witwicky, I have come to escort you to the Autobots," the new mech said, his servo extending out to the humanoid who was too busy gawking at the enormity of his new visitor.

"We must hurry before the Decepticons learn of our location,"

"But, you're a Decepticon! How do I know you're telling me the truth? You're probably going to take me to your friends and have your Doctor whatever it is slice my brain!"

"I did not come all the way across the slagging globe to pick you up just to have that Doctor slice you up."

"..."

"We need to leave now!"

Sam flinched at the stern tone of his voice, but acquiesced to the Decepticon's request. It transformed and a minor sandstorm gathered up behind it as the vehicle sped across the flat plain of sand, taking its precious charge to Optimus Prime.


"Virtus Prime, we need to have further words," Optimus told his brother as he entered the new arrival's berth. Virtus' optics onlined and the newcomer rose gracefully from his meditation posture to follow the Autobot Leader to an empty room located behind the Medic Bay and right next to Prowl's office.

"Who are you really? I was never told of this, and your arrival is under strange circumstances." Optimus asked, his optics were icy blue and the servos clenched at his side. He was truly hoping that it was Sam who had saved him, not his 'lost' brother. It broke his spark when he onlined from his comatose state after that fight with Starscream only to find Ratchet and Virtus at his side, and not the human he desperately wanted to see.

"I had an inkling of your distrust, Orion," Virtus replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "but it's true. Everything I told you last night is true." Optimus' audio receptors analyzed the pitch and frequency of the Prime's voice; its steadiness of it gave no hints of lying or deceit.

"Also, the Primes sent me to tell you a message-"

"The phrase on your pod,"

"Yes. That message was for your eyes only, which is why Barricade didn't get a visual of it. The Primes told me to get to you as soon as possible."

" Why? I talked to the Primes already and they said Sam was found,"

"He is."

"Where?"

Virtus exhaled slowly and his arms uncrossed.

"That I don't know. The Primes didn't tell me and I assume they didn't tell you either. Perhaps there is a reason why and we shouldn't question it. However, they told me one thing."

"Yes?"

"You're deteriorating slowly and if you don't find Sam soon, both of you will suffer terribly. When you made contact with me, I sensed your status and tried to transfer some of my energy to you. If I hadn't, Starscream would have killed you with that blast instantly, considering how weak your regeneration systems were and still are. Plus, the Primes really wanted to talk to you and it was the only way available for them to do so. And I've something for you to see."

With that said, Virtus gave his brother a cube not unlike of the Allspark.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"No, it is not the allspark. I took this from the Council before leaving Cybertron and I think now is the right time for you to see it."

The cube was exchanged between servos and Optimus opened it. A click sounded followed by whirrings of gears as the cube unlocked one section of itself to reveal a holographic manuscript. Optimus' optics widened at the message:

In the ninth hour of the Hexarian sphere,

the Sleeper shall awaken and destruction

he will rain till all becomes silent.

The Hammer of Dawn the Brother carries,

to reawaken all who pass into the Void

and only then will The Sleeper slumber

until the time is nigh for renewal.

"The End is coming, Optimus. For all of us." Virtus said solemnly and Optimus suddenly found himself wanting Sam's company, Sam's laughter, anything but this dreaded feeling he has in his spark.