Now that I have finished one of my fanfics, updates will come a bit faster for this fanfic!

Here's the next chapter! Hope you like it!

Chapter 10

Megatron and the other Decepticons quickly led us out of the open field, and I didn't struggle. It was too late for my sister, and it was almost too late for Cybertron.

Almost.

Megatron did not even address my deceased sister, and I knew he was doing everything in his power to convince us to seek out the Matrix. It was working, although we would not be reporting back to him with it.

"Fellow Decepticons, we must begin the search for the Matrix, although I must first clear things up with the High Council. After the recent—incident—" He turned to me and smirked, and I bowed my helm in shame. "—we will have to discuss our ideas with the Council and have clearance to search for the Matrix! After all, Cybertron's Elite Guard will be all on us after—"

I interrupted, "Do you really think that the High Council will grant you permission to search for the Matrix after you murdered dozens of Cybertronians?" I folded my servos, but Megatron's smirk only grew.

"No, I don't think that they would grant me clearance. But they might grant it to my brother." He gestured to Orion, and I frowned, confused, at him, but Orion simply stood there silently, ashamed that he would have to help his power-hungry brother conquer Cybertron.

"Orion? Would they?" I asked quietly. He did not reply.

"By all means, we must get going now if we ever want to have a chance of even entering the High Council's room!" Starscream exclaimed, transforming, and a whole seeker armada followed his lead.

"Starscream, you fool! We cannot just barge in there without being taken into custody!" Megatron exclaimed, causing a few of the seekers to transform back.

"But, my liege, I—"

"STARSCREAM, GET BACK DOWN HERE AND AWAIT MY INSTRUCTIONS!" Megatron shouted at him, and the cowardly seeker shriveled down in fear as he took robot mode, the seekers following him.

"Things would have been smoother if I were leading the Decepticons," Starscream muttered.

"What was that, Starscream?" Megatron asked smugly, putting him on the spot.

"Nothing," he muttered, turning away from the group and sulking on the ground.

"Now, Orion, Ariel, I believe you two the best fit for the job. If you don't go straight to the High Council and retrieve the Matrix—" Megatron aimed his large cannon at the cluster of Arcee, Sentinel, Bumblebee, Firestar, and Moonracer, who shriveled back in fear, "I think you know what happens next."

I held my breath, just waiting for the cannon to fire, but Orion tapped my tense shoulders and gestured to us to get going. I released most of the tension and followed him, transforming into a simple cargo car and him something very similar.

We rode on, and I caught up to Orion and asked, "How are we supposed to even find this Matrix?"

"I have experienced dreams suggesting where it might be," he replied, and I frowned to myself.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't know what they meant until now."

We stayed silent the rest of the ride, and after driving through city after city, we finally came upon the High Council's building, transforming and pausing just to gaze at its magnificence.

"Whoa," I breathed as I took in the large, golden dome. A grand staircase lined with energon crystals, some stolen by those who couldn't afford regular energon, made up the front and led to a grand door with inscriptions about the original 13 Primes. One of the inscriptions told the sad story of Solus Prime, who was murdered my Megatronus in a battle between the two, and her body became the Well of Allsparks that powers all creation today. It is a sad story, but it is one of romance and sparkache.

It didn't feel right stepping on such a sacred building for the purpose of aiding Megatron, but Orion took my servo and led me up. He slowly pushed on the door, and it creaked open.

The hall was quite empty today, except for a simple, bearded mech carrying datapads, and we could hear the distant chatter of the High Council arguing. I heard the squeal of a few chairs, and I was tempted to shut off my audio receptors before things got ugly.

Another, smaller door that was barely open stood straight across the room, and Orion and I cautiously approached it. We opened the door and were immediately met with protests and shouts, and I was tempted to run back out. When we gazed up, though, we found out that the members of the High Council weren't shouting at us, but at each other.

I cleared my throat, but the bickering just got louder. I cleared it again, but still, they did not listen. Orion tried, and his deep voice shook the whole room, causing the High Council to stop in their tracks and gaze down at the two of us.

The High Council was not how I remembered it in the history books! The members wore grand capes and carried staffs that signaled their caste, but they looked like ordinary bots. One looked not much older than me and reminded me of Sentinel, what with his smug grin.

He turned his optics on me and whistled. "And what do we have here?" he taunted, gesturing to the other mechs among him to follow. They whistled as well.

I stepped partly behind Orion and gazed wide-eyed back at him. This was the High Council? No wonder there was chaos all over Cybertron! Who was the genius who left them in charge?

An older golden femme stepped out from behind the swooning mechs and shoved them aside. "Boys, do not be rude!" she scolded, and I sighed with relief as I stepped out from behind Orion. "I do apologize, although I share a fascination for how you two ended up here."

"No, we just wanted to know how she ended up here," one of the mechs corrected, propping his servos on the balcony and starting to slide backwards. The femme slapped him across the helm, and he whimpered and fell backwards.

"I am sorry about my sons. They do not know how to behave around femmes, especially one as lovely as yourself," the golden femme commented, gesturing to me. I smiled, not much about the compliment but more because she was in charge and not the others. "I am known as Goldenwing, because I am gold—" She turned around, revealing large seeker wings on her back, "—and I have wings."

"Very—original," I commented, sighing at Orion, who was doing his best to stay serious.

"Goldenwing, we would like to concern you about the caste system. It is not functioning well, and—" She stopped Orion before he could continue.

"I do not want to hear another ridicule about the caste system, especially after the last Cybertronian showed up here and demanded to overthrow the caste system with violence and weapons, and—" She shuddered. "It was such a gruesome method."

"May I continue?" Orion asked.

"Is your method gruesome and violent?" she quickly asked.

"No."

She smiled a somewhat-sweet, somewhat-sour smile. "Then please, continue."

"Our vision is one of a peaceful, even society. Cybertronians would no longer have to stick with one career and stay in one area because of the caste they were born into. Instead, we would be allowed to move freely and pursue whatever path we wish. There would no longer be protests and riots demanding freedom! Our world would be known as a free and just society. This is our vision, and it is one of a peaceful, a free world! We do not wish to nag you on, but we believe that our methods would be the most just and non-violent way to ensure peace throughout Cybertron."

Goldenwing nodded her helm up and down in fascination, and we startled when we heard loud clapping, and it wasn't from the crowd gathered on the balcony. Goldenwing and the others stepped aside to reveal the bearded mech from before, and he was clapping grandly and making his way down the steps.

"By the power of Primus, that is something that we have never heard before!" he complimented, approaching both of us. "Peace is difficult to achieve, and we believe that you have just described the perfect and peaceful society that Cybertron aims for! Well done, Optimus Prime, Elita One."

Orion and I frowned at each other. "E-excuse me?" I stuttered.

"Never before have we witnessed such nobility from individuals! Orion, is it, I see something in you that you don't see in yourself. That kind of nobility only comes from a Prime, and therefore, I deem you one."

Orion stuttered. "But-but the Power of the Primes can only be granted by the Matrix of Leadership!"

"The Power, but the nobility of a Prime can only be granted by one individual who can make a difference in the world. Young Orion Pax, I sense that nobility in you, and I believe that you do, too, you just do not realize it."

"And-me?" I asked, still confused of how he came up with that name.

"You have heard the story of Solus and Megatronus, have you not? They were two lovers, but it did not end well for them because they did not have the love that I sense within you two."

"Us?" I asked, gazing out of the corner of my optic at Orion. "But we've barely known each other!"

"Yet you stay by each other, you like being around the other, and you trust each other."

"What does that have to do with my name being changed?"

"You have the nobility of a Prime as well, but only Orion can become one, for he carries a part of the Matrix within him that needs to be reunited with the real thing. Thus, you still have the Power of a Prime, but not like Orion."

"Hence the name Elita One."

"That is correct."

"But, where do we find the Matrix?" I asked.

The mech stood for a moment in thought before replying, "I have no idea."

Orion and I gazed in shock at him. We came all this way, only for our friends to become victims of Megatron's wrath and Cybertron to fall at the servos of the Decepticons.

He seemed to read my mind. "But you do."

Orion and I both looked expectantly at the other, and the mech laughed. "Trust me, you should know. I knew at some point, but sadly, Primus deemed it that only the next Prime know. And that Prime is you, Optimus Prime."

"So, you're a Prime?" Orion—Optimus asked.

"You don't recognize me?" the mech asked.

I examined him for a few moments before exclaiming, "Alpha Trion?"

"Indeed, but my time as a Prime has come to an end. It is now up to you two to find the Matrix and stop Megatron! Optimus, I realize that, as hard as it may seem, your brother must be stopped before he destroys Cybertron! Elita, after the loss of your sister, I understand the desire to destroy comes with grief, but Cybertron will be poisoned unless Megatron's scheming is put to an end!"

"That is not my brother," Optimus muttered.

"Now, go! You don't have much time before Megatron finds it! The bond Optimus and Megatron share as brothers will allow him to see the location of the Matrix once you figure it out, so you must act quickly!"

I glanced nervously at Optimus, and he glanced back down at me.

"We have to do this," he whispered.

"I know," I replied nervously. "For Cybertron, and for all who wish for peace."

"For Cybertron," Optimus agreed.

"For Cybertron!" everyone, including Goldenwing and her sons, cheered.

For Cybertron.

~Ariel

This story is coming to an end, and it seems so soon! The thing about it is that even if I continue it, it will be the same story that everyone has heard after the Autobots and Decepticons leave Cybertron! However, I will try to include at least the part with Bumblebee losing his voicebox (since that happened in Prime).

Thanks for reading! Hope you liked it!

Signing off, theautobotprincess.