Reviews, favs and hits have all been much appreciated throughout this story's posting. Thank you to everyone who has shown an interest in this fic so far! And especially thank you to all my reviewers!

Answers to Optimus's strange and worrying experiences begin in this chapter with a few interesting revelations about the Matrix and the Primes. Changes are coming...

This chapter will probably have more impact and be better understood if you've read my previous fic "Rising Sun" which introduces the Primes of old.

Just to let you all know, i've planned 13 chapters and 5 epilogues for this fic, so we're getting closer to conclusions. The chapter to follow after this one will be the event that this story has been building up to. Hope you all will find it satisfactory.

Anyways, enjoy this chapter and remember to let me know what you all think in reviews!

Chapter 10: Revelations

"Access code: Island. Voice journal entry 151. Earth date: February 27th, 2010.

I sought solitude an Earth week ago, venturing out on my own onto the sun-coloured beaches of Diego Garcia.

The calls of the Matrix had become incessant. The indecipherable voices in my mind were demanding to be heard. And the rising heat in my spark had been spreading fiercely through my body for the past two Earth weeks. I could not ignore it all anymore.

A light from within the core of the Matrix had been drawing me in my moments of privacy. I would feel a pull in my chest toward the artefact when it glowed. It seemed to whisper my name. But I was uncertain what it desired of me and hesitated to respond to its calls.

As the peaceful sounds of the sea washed against my audios, I regarded the Matrix in my hand. It was glowing again, calling. I held it close to my chest.

My previous merging with the Matrix in Egypt had served to revive me from near death. I did not know what it would do if I attempted a second merge with it, but I knew somehow it held answers to the visions, dreams, voices and sensations I had been experiencing ever since my visit to the tomb of my forefathers. I had to find out what it was trying to tell me.

The Matrix seemed to draw itself to the gap between my chest panels. Next, I could not tell whether it was me or the silver artefact itself that plunged the Matrix into my very being.

Images, memories, scenes familiar and unfamiliar and overwhelming energy flooded me. A sea of data was being downloaded into my processor just as on my first merge with the Matrix. It threatened to send me into stasis-lock. I fell to my knees.

The voices began to grow in volume around me, from scattered whispers to deafening echoes. They called my name…

Optimus…

Optimus Prime…

Our last son…

My hands flew to cover my audio sensors, but there was no reprieve from the sea of voices. They were overwhelming me. I cried out.

"What do you want of me?!"

They stopped abruptly. I heard nothing.

I was still on the beach, on my knees in the sand, but now I could not hear the waves of the sea anymore. I looked out to the sea. It was still. The waves had been frozen in mid-approach to the shore. There was nothing but silence and stillness surrounding me.

A magnetic breeze swept past my face. It drew my head up.

I came face-to-face with a reflection of own royal blue optics. I was looking into the vibrant optics of Prima.

"Father…"

I was trapped somewhere between dream and disbelief.

Bent down to me on one knee, his long and elegant finger tips delicately touched the side of my face. His whole being was radiant with a divine light. His voice echoed softly.

"My precious son, we want only to speak to you."

I became aware of the forms of the other six first Primes, standing in a semi-circle from behind Prima. Their bodies seemed to be haloed in celestial light as well. I remembered their faces from my visions at their Egyptian tomb. I remembered their names.

"Forefathers…"

"We have been waiting for you," Prima resonated.

My father's timeless voice filled me with joy and warmth.

"For hundreds of stellar cycles, by my final request, your guardian and mentor, Alpha Trion, kept you guarded from the Fallen's wrath through secrecy. You were safe in ignorance of your past and origins. But you have also been made vulnerable through that ignorance, living what is a half-life for a Prime. You were never taught to develop the powers of a Prime. You were starved of solar energy and weakened as a result, though you could not know it. For that, I am truly sorry, my son. But ignorance is no longer a possibility now. And with new knowledge comes new power."

On Prima's left, Vector Prime spoke.

"Optimus Prime, you have been feeling the changes within you. The Matrix has been the catalyst. Your ascension has begun and you must be prepared for it."

"Changes? The Matrix? Ascension? I do not understand…," I protested.

"You will, my son," Prima reassured.

The Primes raised their hands and the Matrix was drawn from my chest. It floated up and was suspended in the air above me.

"The Allspark, the life-giving cubic heart of Cybertron, was created from the primal forces of the great singularity that birthed the universe," began Logos Prime.

"It was without conscience and judgement. It simply 'was', existing to grant life and power to Cybertron," Nexus Prime continued, "But its energies were not limitless. It required replenishing from the energy of suns."

"We were tasked with searching for suitable suns for harvesting to feed the Allspark with. And we and all of Cybertron in turn were fed by the energies of the Allspark," Alterius Prime informed.

"Solar energy was our life-energon," Maximus Prime stated, "We had to feed on higher amounts of it to sustain our bodies and powers."

"Only the energy of suns could replenish our and the Allspark's finite energies and thus provide energon to feed our young and developing world and race," Nexus explained.

"Though it was necessary for us to draw energy from suns for our and Cybertron's survival and growth, we were judicious in our selection of suitable suns. We searched only for suns that we were sure did not sustain life," Alterius said.

"At the beginning of our search for harvestable suns, we fashioned the Matrix of Leadership from the energies of the Allspark," Vector revealed, "It would be the key to activating our Sun Harvester constructs, automatically linking to and siphoning solar energies, then storing them within itself."

"But the Matrix was not just a key and vessel for solar energies for our Sun Harvesters, it also was a storage device for our collected memories and wisdom," Maximus added.

"The Allspark lacked sentience and will of its own. It did not distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil," Logos informed, "It was simply a source of great power. Its power needed to be guided, directed. We were aware of the need to ensure that the life-giving powers of the Allspark were always used wisely and responsibly by future generations. So we recorded our important thoughts and knowledge into the Matrix."

My father, Prima, spoke again finally.

"The Matrix of Leadership was named so because it was carried by the first leaders of Cybertron, us, the Dynasty of Primes. We intended for it to be passed down from Prime to Prime, from fathers to sons. Our descendents would gain the accumulated wisdom of Primes past. And they would know how to use the power of the Allspark wisely by accessing the Matrix's archived knowledge and power."

His brilliant blue optics gazed at me gently.

"The Matrix has now finally found its way to its rightful inheritor: you, Optimus Prime, our last heir."

"But the Allspark is now gone, and with it the future of our race," I stated sadly, "What good could the Matrix be without it now?"

"The Allspark may be gone, but its power can never be destroyed. A portion of it is still contained within the Matrix, combined with our knowledge," Prima revealed.

Prima lifted his long and elegant hand up to the still suspended Matrix.

"The Matrix has gradually been preparing you to be its carrier since you were first merged with it," he explained, "That is what you have been experiencing internally for the past several Earth months. The Matrix has chosen you to be its guardian. You are to be the vessel of what remains of the Allspark's power within it."

My gaze was drawn to the silver artefact suspended above Prima's hand. My father continued.

"Much has come to pass and greater battles still lie ahead of you. The Matrix will aid you in what lies ahead."

Prima's hand descended and the Matrix floated down toward me. A blinding blue-white light shone from the silver artefact's centre and bathed me in it.

"Keep the Matrix close to your spark, my son. Let its power and wisdom be a light in your darkest hours. The Allspark is gone, but there may yet be another way to bring life back to our dead home-world and save our race from extinction. Search for the answer."

I took hold of the radiant Matrix in my hands. My chest panels pulled themselves open and the Matrix settled itself into a cavity in front of my spark chamber. It then drew the covers of my chest panels over itself securely.

"The future of our race lies in your hands now."

Prima approached me and I realised I was still on my knees. He extended his long and elegant fingers to me.

"Come, my rising sun. Your dawn approaches…"

I did not understand what he meant, but I reached out and took hold of my father's warm and ancient hand, slowly rising to his feet.

A ball of fiery white light encapsulated us.

Then everything disappeared in blinding light."