One Dream (for Silverhornd)
(How did Primal find out about Optimus?)
Primal Major was sitting in the bridge on Alpha Supreme, optics trained on a single screen. On the screen was a security footage of his current charge, guest and all on mission. Optimus had had some trouble falling into recharge after learning that his room was apparently the captain's cabin. In fact, he had fallen asleep only recently, having tossed and turned for joors on end before his body finally forced him to rest.
The older bot sighed, thinking about the red and blue young Prime. He was definitely a strange, interesting character. Primal really didn't know what to think of him. The kid showed promise, sure, but there were many other mecha who did so, too, yet something told him this is who he has been looking for. Maybe because he fit the description their damned Creator had given to him all those vorns ago?
Yes, Primal Major has been visited by Primus, a long time ago, in a dream.
It was just after he had lost his crew to the black hole and its energy sucking properties. He had given them a burial fit for Magnuses and had tossed and turned for joors, much like Optimus was now. Only he had been tossing and turning from hurt and lost and, most of all, which had frightened him, anger. He had been so, so angry as he let energon tears slide down his middle aged faceplates. He was angry at his crew for deciding he was worth all of their lives. He was angry at the sparkling made war weapon of mass destruction for even being that way. He was angry at the Council and at Ultra Magnus for even allowing such a project to come to life. He was angry with the Ministry of Science for building these ships and making them sparklings in all but body. Eternal sparklings, slag it! He was angry at their so called magnanimous creator for giving up on them. And he was angry at himself for ever being born Cybertronian.
Why was he in this war? What good will it do to wipe each other out? Were the Decepticons really the only evil ones here? Such questions would get him offlined on Cybertron in seconds, and if not, then he will be reprogrammed so that he won't ever think that again.
Why was Primus letting us do this to ourselves? That was his main line of questioning. If Primus was as merciful and as loving as those old stories said, then why was he letting his children destroy themselves. Are we no longer worthy of being saved? Have we crossed one too many lines? That must be it, because if it isn't ...
He never finished that line of thought as he finally collapsed on his berth in deep recharge. And he dreamed, really, really dreamed. It wasn't a recharge flux, where mostly memories were showed over and over again. Nor was it something his spark so desperately desired. It was an honest to Primus dream. He was floating in infinite darkness, so hollow and empty, when a giant orb of light appeared, passing by him. He watched as the orb traveled and something was pulling him after the orb. It was bigger than even Cybertron! Twice as big as his home planet! And Cybertron was one of the biggest celestial bodies in the Universe, only a few stars were bigger.
After what seemed like eternity, the orb started changing, transforming into the biggest mech Primal had ever seen, and he was in charge of an Omega Sentinel. More time passed as they cruised the Universe and then Primal was the eitness of the birth of Primus and Unicron. Many things were hidden from him after that, until he was standing in front of a young looking mech decked in the royal colors of blue and red, the two colors making flames on his finish. He looked like he had been in one Pit of a fight and his plating was cracked in some places, but he looked like he could go on for days if it was needed. His chestplates were open and a strange object was glowing from deep withing his spark chamber, completely enveloping his spark in a protective cocoon.
Primal was basking in the radiance of that light when he was suddenly pulled away from it and into the echoing vastness of space. Wait, echoing? "What's going on?!" He finally demanded although he wasn't really expecting an answer. Imagine his surprise when an ancient voice reached his audials through the supposed dream vacuum.
You wished to know why I let my creations do as they are doing. I showed you. It said in a sad manner, sounding resigned. Conflicts have existed longer than time itself, starting with me and my twin brother.
"Wait, are you really Primus?"
Indeed I am, Primal Major. Indeed I am. I have heard your thoughts through your sorrow, and be assured that I mourn their loss as much as you do. However, destroying Alpha Supreme will not bring them back. Primal cringed at the admonishment, but it felt more like a sparkling being scolded by its creators than the wrathful judgment of an angry god. Honor their memory and the memory of all those others who have given their life for peace by ensuring it.
"How!? What can I do? I didn't even manage to save my own crew! How can I do anything to end this slagging war!?" Primal ranted, not at all caring what he looked like right now. What would be the point of hiding his frustration from a being that can sense it halfway across the galaxy, anyway? Besides, it felt good. Felt good to let some of his anger and fears out and who better to listen to it all than the one being who can actually do something about it?
You are capable of more than you may think. Primus told him patiently, not at all angry by his rant. He had lost some of his Amica Endura, he had the right to be angry. But there is something I would like you to do, as you are now in a unique position.
"What is it?" The mech asked both warily and expectantly. He just wanted this war to end. If Primus was finally about to do something in regards to stopping it, he was all audios.
Do not return to Cybertron until you find the resting place of almost all of the Relics of the Primes.
Primal blinked at him. Right. If Primus was real, why wouldn't the Primes, the real ones, his children in every sense of the word, be? "Okay... but where do I look?"
There is a small pocket in the Universe made by Vector Prime. It is undetectable by scanners but once you find it, it will be clear what it is. The god explained in a kind and patient voice. It is surrounded and naturally protected by a constantly moving asteroid field. In its very center lay a vessel that has taken the Relics there. You will not be able to retrieve it, nor do I want you to. I want you to find someone who you consider worthy of being a Prime. A true Prime.
"How am I supposed to do that if I can't go back to Cybertron?"
I never told you to stay away forever. Primus reminded him. Only until you find this place. Remember its coordinates and take that mech there. Tell him that it is his mission to get those Relics. Don't tell him what is inside other than that it can stop all conflicts. And it will. He will.
"Who is he?" Primal asked in a breathless whisper, the image of the mech he saw earlier imprinting itself in his CPU. He had to find this mech! He had to! Even if he spends the whole of eternity searching for him, no matter where he has to go, he will find him! "Who is he?"
There was a moment of silence before Primus's booming voice, now sounding far away, answered his desperate question. He is my last and most perfect creation. He is the Thirteenth Prime.
He had received a few more instructions from the god before he had jerked awake in his berth in the late afternoon. With the dream still fresh in his memories, Primal Major had taken out a data pad and typed the whole thing down in one go. As he was instructed, he never left any evidence that he, and soon enough the lost Prime he will have to find, was searching for anything in any way related to Primus or his children. After that was over, he had done his best to recall the features of his soon to be charge and he memorized the image deep in his processor. He spent the rest of the day doing repairs on Alpha Supreme and then slept when it was time for recharge. The next whole day he spent in the library that was stacked with all the copies of data pads from the Great Archives of Iacon. And he did the same the next day and the day after that, and the day after that until he had read them all. He had been low on fuel reserves, so he had landed on the nearest planet and thus began his quest.
Stellar cycles later, he found the destination, but he also found something else that might impair his mission. He had quickly made it back to Cybertron, where he had studied each bot for years until he found Optimus Prime, a young, smart and spirited mech in the care of the Head Archivist, Alpha Trion, who looked almost exactly the same as the mech he had seen in his dream. It was going to be tricky to get him away from the old Archivist, who Primal was having doubts of his identity of being only as old as the first War For Freedom. He thought long and hard and even managed to think up a great plan! Only for the mech to be kicked out of the Autobot Academy and be sent off of planet, where he disappeared after finding the Allspark and, supposedly (those idiots on Cybertron didn't believe them, the slagheads) Decepticons.
Of course, he was then forced to wait for Optimus to return from his adventure on Earth. He observed him some more before he was certain and then he had taken the kid in the dead of night. And now here he was, wondering if the kid will be alright. After all, Primal won't have the time to teach him everything he will need when he sets off towards his destination. He can already feel some of his systems dying out and he hopes his writings will be enough to teach Optimus everything he needs to know.
He will worry for the kid, later on, after he offlines in his arms. He will worry and watch and marvel as Optimus turned the whole Universe upside down, one megacycle at a time and he will be happy when he sees the kid smiling. He will be sad when Optimus cries for him and Alpha Trion and he will be overprotective of the young mech when Megatron comes into thepicture as a potential mate. He will be happy when he sees that it was all worth it, all those sacrifices made and those precious lives lost, as planet by planet, galaxy by galaxy, peace spreads everywhere at the command and under the leadership of Optimus, the last of the Primes.
To think so much can change just because of one dream.