Meeting Mom Part 5
The fight between Shockwave and Optimus still continued and Despite his best efforts he couldn't penetrate Shockwaves Armour, and the more he fought the more energon he used however Shockwave remained as strong as ever, "leaving ones weaknesses exposed to the enemy is a poor tactical advantage as you should know, you are full of flaws." Shockwave stated as throughout, that is exactly what he was looking for.
"Social conversation during combat is also a fatal flaw; as you lower your defenses." Optimus stated back.
"So tell me, why did you come here? Something vitally important that intercepts with our goal? An item perhaps?" he then made a sound that suggested he laughed, "Surely you did not come here to engage in social interactions?" he said smugly, as he retracted his weapon confident of his position.
Optimus didn't answer him, merely kept to a combat position.
"Oh how primitive, 'loneliness' 'companionship'." Shockwave then said, "The only purpose of a sparkmate should be for co-existing, especially as you seem to be deteriorating in the number of soldiers." He said purposely mocking him, "hypothesis would be that neither of you are functioning in that area?" He stated obviously not up to date with the status of the Allspark.
Optimus growled at him, "I have endured your ignorance to a certain point Shockwave."
"Your attempts of terminating me were a good endurance challenge for me after all i have not been in battle for a while now, however i am instead behind schedule." He then made a strange clicking sound of a very high frequency; it was not there native tongue. The ground then rumbled as the floor opened up without any sign of warning and collapsed on itself Optimus backed himself to the far side of the room as Shockwave jumped down into the hole as quickly as he resurfaced on the top of a metal-worm like creature who shrieked and whirled, its head barely fit in the room. "I could terminate you right now...but that is not my place to do so. It would be...illogical" Shockwave said as the worm like creature then dived back under as Optimus fired upon the beast that descended below into darkness.
"Shockwave!" he yelled still firing endlessly into the darkened hole, even when he knew it was gone for sure, and finally he stopped as he retracted his weapons, he looked to the other side of the room as he looked for a way over "Illogical?" he then questioned.
Meanwhile below, Elita and Ellen felt the tremor themselves, as well as a high shrieking sound, "what's that?!" Ellen exclaimed clinging onto the nearest object.
"I don't know but you have to come here now!" she said again attempting to reach for her.
But as quick as it came it was gone. "E-Earthquake?" Ellen said.
"Quake? No, we don't experience any kind of planetary quake." She said. "You're not hurt are you?" she asked looking her over.
Ellen then patted her head, "i can still touch my head so i know my arms haven't fallen off." She stated seriously.
"You are humorous." She chuckled shaking her head. she then stared at her for a while her face was slightly shaded with old tears and she looked so sad despite her tone, Elita then turned her gaze to her little hands and feet, very small and would lightly clench and wiggle from time to time, like a curious new born expressing its reflex motions, it was very captivating for her... "How old are you?" she finally asked.
Ellen blinked at her a few times then looked at her fingers briefly, "erm...six!" She said holding her fingers up triumphantly.
Elita's eyes sparkled she couldn't help it, how giddy she was when announcing her age, "your just a sparkling yourself aren't you?" She said slightly cooing.
"No way, I'm just a...really cute...adult?" she said slightly defensively.
"Of course you are." She chuckled though she felt guilty still mainly that she had made the decision to not be her mother and yet nature had other plans.
"Elita?" she then said in a small voice holding onto her knees and swaying shyly.
"What is it?" she asked encouragingly.
"If i could put myself in your spark chamber, would you like me then?" she asked naively and very abruptly.
Elita looked slightly stunned as a slight whirling sound was heard from inside her head, but then she nervously chuckled, "e-er no t-t-that's okay you don't need to do that. W-where...where did y-you here that?" she asked trying to hold a casual smile.
"Ironhide said that's where they come from, the er, sparkling's, and it's on a femme or something and you carry it like a compartment?" she said scratching her head.
"W-Well it is certainly for carrying." She said nervously laughing.
"How come you can't have a sparkling?" she then asked. Elita's head sunk slightly ashamed not that she was malfunctioning or anything but she still felt like it was her fault, "i-i'm sorry, i didn't mean to upset you!" She said frantically.
Elita shook her head, "N-No, you're c-curious." She said weakly smiling as she sighed long and then cupped her hands, "you see the Allspark gives life to all Cybertronians, when both the Sire and Creator are before the Allspark and have recently...'performed' the action for creating a sparkling an empty fragment of a spark will reside inside the femme's spark chamber for a duration of time, the Allspark will ignite that spark and will grow and develop into a sparkling, if not the fragment is merely absorbed back into the femme's spark." She explained and surprisingly she felt slightly better. "Of course this can be either the mech or femme." She said.
Ellen's mouth slightly hung, "y-you mean the dads can carry sparkling's too?!" she exclaimed wide eyed.
"w-well yes." She said, "Must be the females that can only carry for her species." She thought, "b-but just forget i mentioned that bit." She said awkwardly.
Ellen slowly nodded her head as she looked past the 'mech carrying' fact and understood the problem, the two fell silent again as Ellen awkwardly played with her shoes, she understood why she was so angry, "i'm sorry you can't have a sparkling Elita." She said holding her feet.
Elita let a slight 'aw' sound echo out her vocal processor as she was presented with compassion, and for her to understand...to be honest she didn't expect that reaction and she herself felt very apologetic. "N-No, i'm sorry, i shouldn't have disregarded you as...well, i was hurt i didn't mean it, really." She said slightly begging.
"That's okay...i h-hurt y-you first." Ellen then turned her eyes to the floor; she flinched as if in pain as she started softly whimpering.
She understood but at the same time she didn't, Elita raised her hands as she waved them frantically in front of her, "No, no, no, you haven't hurt me this is my problem, you have nothing to do with it, it's something i need to accept and move on, s-so please don't cry." She said feeling a slight pinch on her spark.
But once she started she couldn't stop, "I want my M-Mom..." she uttered as she laid her head in her arms, "I tried to act normal today, but i can't repress it." She continued though Elita slightly frowned.
"I don't understand." Elita said narrowing her eyes slightly in confusion.
"I never told Dad the date my Mom died." She said lifting her head sniffing.
"The date...?" Elita whispered to herself but then she placed a hand over her lips as from the Ellen's tone alone was the biggest giveaway, "Oh, my, Primus." she said as a gasp.
"I thought i could've been distracted, instead of being miserable i thought i could up someone else's misery." She said in a normal tone but welling up, "B-But i just made it worse." She frustrated hitting her fist into the ground.
That maternal instinct slowly risen in Elita as she beheld the vulnerable child, "you mean because i had a sudden mood swing?" she scoffed at herself, "No i made it worse, Optimus fine before he saw me, i sensed that, he just missed me, but he wasn't miserable." She added. "You should've told him." She hushed, but Ellen sunk lower as she blushed slightly embarrassed.
"May i ask?" Elita said slightly cringing.
"W-What?" Ellen replied slightly nervously.
"How long have you been without your mother?" she asked wincing at the words that came out her mouth.
"Two years." She said flatly.
"that is very brief to our standards how she has managed to hold back tears till now i have no idea...still must be horrible, dying and leaving your child alone to the mercy of the world, no matter which world. Life alone is still a struggle. And not knowing there future, not seeing them grow up...not seeing how they are dealing without you." Elita thought.
"She died under a collapsed building at a military base." Ellen added slightly more angrily.
"She was of military background?" she asked.
"Yeah, i was under her, she shielded me and kept the debris up so i could escape the building." She said.
"Self sacrifice...your mother sounds wonderful." She said admirably.
Ellen shot her head up, "She was, i didn't have much time with her and i-i can't remember everything i did with her, but i was still connected with her. I still remember her smell, the feel of her hair, her voice..." She then held a hand on her chest as she murmured slightly, "my heart hurts." She whimpered before looking to the floor.
Elita looked her over again as she tilted her head smiling as she tried to force Ellen's eyes to meet with her optics, "poor little one, lost a mother, lost a father, and she's still able to function, though not as easy as she appears to have been, she wanted me to be her mother, even if she can't say it herself..." she thought as she held a hand to her own chest, "maybe i can't have a sparkling...but i can be a mother and thinking about it now i can't leave her, it's not as simple as i thought it would be when i was in such a state before." Now both her and Ellen had their hands on their chests, both reasons of loss. "You are a cute little thing." She said sweetly as she looked into her sad little eyes, Ellen in turn blushed slightly making an 'o' on her mouth, "come here." Elita said very gently as she showed her, her open arms. Though Ellen hesitated like a wary cat. "Come on little one." She said again, encouraging her.
"W-why?" she choked.
"So i can hold my Daughter." she said showing her a gentle smile as she put more emphasis on her arm gesture as if encouraging a child to walk for the first time.
Ellen's eyes turned to the size of dinner plates, she stood herself up, and then she looked her over, she was unsure to start and slightly frowned at her in case this was some kind of betrayal. "Come here sweetspark." She cooed, and with that she was hooked, her expression softened and her smile glowed and she climbed over the debris towards Elita.
Elita gently cupped her into both her hands as she raised her to eye level, it was intriguing as this was the first time she had held a human, she was so light she could barely feel her through her fingers, Elita placed the tip of her finger under Ellen's hand as she took grip of it, a slight whirl sound came from Elita's mouth as Ellen tilted her head intrigued at the sound, "you have a good grip." She said shaking her head at that 'happy' sound she made. Ellen then started letting her hand trail down Elita's fingers as they were much daintier, her touch felt soft to Elita due to the texture of her skin, like the soft metal form of a sparkling, "you do need a mother don't you?" she said brushing her face with the side of her palm.
Ellen rubbed a hand into her eyes as they stung with salty tears, she then started frowning at her, "i would be hurting you more if this was only a guilt thing." She said sternly.
Elita slightly widened her optics at her comment but shook her head as a response, "No, i was drowning in my own sorrow i couldn't see what was in front of my optics, i was overwhelmed with different emotions when Optimus told me of you i just...exploded, i couldn't help it. Forgive me you're adorable, physically and mentally, but besides that you are a very brave girl if you've been able to go through everything you've been put through, as well as putting up with my sparkmate and his 'male' friends." She said, Ellen puffed a laugh at the last bit as Elita then held her just under her neck as Ellen lay against her Armour, something caught her attention though as she heard a slight humming thumping sound emanating from there, Ellen looked shyly at Elita as she nodded at her, and Ellen then lay her head against her chest as she heard her spark beat, "I hope one day that my spark and your heart can beat as one." She said softly.
"Huh?" Ellen said.
"Oh you most likely won't experience it until you're a little older." She said.
"Again...huh?" Ellen repeated with a dumbfounded look.
"A connection, a bond, something me and your father have, so we are able to feel what the other is feeling, but being light years away from each other it can effect that bond, i couldn't detect him at all, until he was on the planet itself." She said.
"So, this bond, can you feel if he's happy or sad?" she asked.
"mostly positive feelings, but with enough control you can sometimes cut off the one you have a bond with so they cannot feel what they are feeling, which he has done on numerous occasions." She said sounding slightly annoyed.
"So i could have a bond with you? And dad?" she asked a cross between excitement and nervousness.
"Yes." She said smiling gently at her.
"H-How?" she asked.
"You already have bond with him but to be mentally connected...well, i'm sure he'll show you when you're older..." she said.
"I still don't get it." She said looking dumbfounded.
"Well maybe not now, but you will." She said with a light chuckle, "This feeling." She then said dreamily as she lightly touched her cheek, "forgive me, now that i am holding you i feel slightly overwhelmed." she then changed Ellen's position into a cradled one as she held her in the crook of her arm, though at first Ellen was a little uncomfortable but until Elita started to sway side to side that feeling was gone, Elita then placed a finger under her chin making her giggle, "cute little girl." Elita said softly before her smile turned brighter, "my little girl." She repeated as she nuzzled her to her cheek.
"Oh no" Ellen said voice full of dread.
"What's wrong?" She said in a teasing tone.
"You're not going to make me feel goofy are you?" she said pleading slightly.
"Goofy? In what sense?" she asked.
"Like if i was on goofy gas?" Elita looked puzzled, "erm, paranormal? Parakeet? Furrynomes? Fera- Pheromones!"
"Oh, pheromones! No i would ask your permission seeing how it does affect your behavior, w-what have you...has some bot...?." she then shook her head, "you know what give me a detailed description when you get back." She sighed holding her head tiredly. "Well i knew this would be tiring, no matter the race."
Ellen grinned at her, "You know you're a bit faster with talking to me casually then Dad was, he was pretty awkward around me to start with, so how come you're faster?" She asked.
"You've most likely struck me when I'm most vulnerable plus the fact i am very strong in maternal instincts, like your father, except he tries to pretend he has none. But a long time of war made him...distance himself from others."
"Oh he's maternal beliveeee me." She said rolling her eyes. She then sighed as she though they would probably be leaving soon, "Hey, Elita? Are you going to come back with us?" she asked.
Elita grew slightly annoyed as she remembered their position right now and that this was a brief visit and that they had just got to the status of 'Mother' and 'Daughter', what more could fall on Elita? But she didn't want to scare Ellen again. "I'm afraid i can't sweetspark." She started, caressing her head, "i have my place here, you saw the beasts that took you, there are many who still serve under the name decepticon on our planet it wouldn't feel right in letting them take full control of our dead planet." She said.
"Can we still contact you?" she asked.
Elita thought for a moment, contact would be great but it still wasn't the same, "Perhaps, i would need to provide Optimus with the exact frequency for us to make contact without risk of security. But it would be great to be able to speak with you often." She said.
Ellen then stood up in her palm excited, "I'll call you every day, what's your favorite color? Do you like science fiction? Do you like cats? Do you even know what a cat is? I have a cat! She's clever so she's good around base." She said.
"So is this what you're like now that you're feeling more brighter?" she asked chuckling again.
"Elita! Ellen!" Optimus called as both Elita and Ellen jumped slightly.
"Optimus i think we would both appreciate that you don't announce yourself on a planet that is dangerously quiet and is riddled with vermin and large beasts." Elita scolded.
"I'm sorry, it is just..." he started but Elita interrupted him.
"What of Shockwave?" Elita asked sternly.
"He has...fled...with a driller." He said gravely.
"Fled? To where?" she asked.
"Underground, though only temporarily, but that is only my theory." He said as Ellen reached out arms in his direction constantly throughout the conversation with a stupid grin on her face and standing on her tippy toes, Optimus smiled at her as he took her from Elita's hands, "i am so relived you are okay, and i fear i may be repeating this phrase for years to come." He said brushing a little dirt from her cheek with a finger, "are you in any pain my darling?" he asked holding her overhead.
She shook her head as she lightly blushed, "ooh darling, this must be special occasion." She jested as Optimus gave her a no nonsense look, "I'm only messing with you, but seriously I'm okay, but that big cat things teeth hurt but it was an uncomfortable pain."
"Teeth? He bit you?" Elita asked now Ellen was between both of them, not that she was objecting to the attention.
"No, he carried me in his jaws." She said imitating a 'snapping' motion.
Elita lightly growled, "Of course a beast like that would know what gentle was." She said as she then placed her hands out in front of Optimus.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Give her to me, poor little femme is probably traumatized inside." She said.
"I-I just got to hold her now." He said turning sideways slightly from Elita in a subtle act of possessiveness. "Wait...you want to hold her?" he said looking over his shoulder to her.
"I want to comfort our child." She said the phrase just rolled through her vocal processor.
"So you...that is, you have changed your mind?" he asked his optics brightening.
"I guess i have been pretty judgmental, i didn't pass the chance to even speak with her." She started rubbing Ellen's hair when he finally turned back, "but i would be lying if i didn't understand how easily attached you can be to her." She finished.
"That is...wonderful." he announced.
"Mm-hmm can i have her now?" she said glancing over his comment.
"N-o, we may be in this together but i claim right of 'i visionary came in contact of her first'." He stated.
Elita grinded her jaw slightly as she slapped a hand other her face, "You look liquidized right now you do know that right?" she said folding her arms.
"It is a curse; i personally think humans release a pheromone of there own that affects our logical way of thinking." He said.
Elita lightly laughed at him at his attempts of defending himself with a compelling argument, "No, you're just soft; your armour is very soft right now you can bend it." She said mockingly teasing him as she lightly gripped his shoulder as if it were memory foam.
"Either way I will hold her until we get back to Ratchet and Moonracer." He said.
"Fine." She scoffed teasingly.
"I would put an arm around you but we are in constant danger as long as we are out here." He said whipping his head around.
"Just watch her head." She said to him.
He furrowed his brow at her, "How is it your suddenly lecturing me on how to hold her now?" he said as they started running.
"With your fingers? Hardly delicate." She argued.
Ellen whipped head back and forth between the arguing couple, "Yay family feud, now life is perfect." Ellen said clasping her hands together, but then she rubbed her eyes as sudden fatigue hit her.
Optimus held her against the crook of his neck as she lent on him and lightly gripped his Armour; she nuzzled her head into him as she let her eyes become half closed, "you can rest." He said.
"You will wake me when we get there right?" she said eyes shut.
"Yes." He said rolling his optics.
"Is this...the equivalent of recharging?" Elita asked rubbing her back.
"Yes and a particular favorite action as she is the most quiet." He said sighing.
"Now you have to let me hold her." Elita said trying to get her hands on her but he merely turned this way and that to avoid Elita getting a hold of her.
"N-No." He said as if telling her off.
"Don't be such a sparkling." Elita hissed quietly as Ellen was deep in slumber.
"b-but...no you can hold her when we reach the others." He said slightly turning sideways to her again.
"For primus sake." She hissed throwing her arms down, but she was secretly pleased with his actions.
It took a mere five minutes for them to get back and Ratchet was right at the entrance it was almost eerie how he predicted their arrival, he must've been tracking them the whole time, "what happened? Is she...well?" he asked.
"She's fine Ratchet." Elita said as she turned to Optimus who held her still at the crook of his neck.
"What she doing?" Moonracer asked pushing Ratchet out of the way and shoving her face in close to get a better look.
"Sleeping." He said lightly swaying.
"Arh, how cute." Moonracer said barging her way through, "can i hold her?" she asked eagerly clapping her hands together.
Optimus looked rather hesitant when she asked "u-uh well..." He said looking at the bundle, she lightly stirred with a slight groan but nothing too concerning.
"Moonracer is very gentle Optimus." Elita said teasing him.
"Of course, it's just..." he started, cupping another hand around Ellen, "well, yes, yes you can hold her." He said as Moonracer held out both her hands as if to receive a handful of candy, "just cup your hands slightly just as a barrier." He told her as he lightly placed her in her arms; he then looked back at his own hands as they were bare.
"Ooh, she's very light i can hardly feel her weight." Moonracer said cradling her.
Elita then turned to Optimus as she fell into him placing her arms around him best as she could, "Now you also have something to hold." She said as Optimus kept looking past Elita at Moonracer.
"She's fine, you are sweet in being concerned, but you can't protect her from the world." She said.
"I can and i will." He argued getting an amused look from her, "speaking of concern i need to ask you something." He said looking straight at Elita's optics but now and then his optics would flick back to Moonracer.
"What is it?" she said.
"Do you have any information about any other Autobot here, where is Chromia and Firestar? They are normally a part of your team?" he said.
"They occupy the planet the same as me, we just decided to expand our number of bases in case we were discovered, we would know where to go. As for any others, they left the same as you; i have searched Cybertron thoroughly and have not seen any others." She said.
He then sighed, "Then we can only hope that they have found a home, and Ironhide will be relieved that Chromia is well." He then looked in the direction of the hallway, "We better return to the space bridge, Ironhide and the others may be engaging with the decepticons and even Ironhide has his limit." He said.
Elita clutched onto him tighter, "Must you go? Ironhide did blow up a whole planet once with what he's packing." She said with a nervous tease.
"It was only by chance i was able to locate you in the first place." He said looking at Ellen, who still slept but her mouth hung this time, "i could not pass the chance." He said.
"What are you talking about?" Elita asked.
"I had been missing you for quite some time and i eventually showed it, Ellen wanted to find me a space bridge so i could see you and with her powers of...manipulation and...Deception. She made that possible." He said. "however that is not exactly the traits i want to encourage." He gravely stated.
Elita then gave him a firm look, "I also need to say something, you need to explain the whole subject of sparkling's to her, not get bits of it from Ironhide." She said.
His optics widened in fear, "Elita it was a hard time explaining where her own species sparkling's come from please do not get me to explain this to her just as we depart, i cannot do it solely." He said wearily.
"Whoa! Who are you?!" Ellen exclaimed from across the room looking at a grinning femme but it looked kind of scary.
"Moonracer, what's your name?" she said in a child like voice again.
"U-h Ellen?" she said as she looked around for help, and held her hands out to Elita, Elita pointed to herself and mouthed 'me?' as Ellen nodded frantically as she looked nervously at Moonracer.
Elita felt giddy as she took her from Moonracer, "Okay." She said cheerfully as she brought her up over her head getting a slight laugh from her, she then brought her down as she placed a light kiss on her cheek, she then placed her in one arm and wrapped the other around Optimus now Ellen was between a hard place and another hard place, and then they both started being affectionate towards one another, there weird gestures were grossing her out again especially since it was happening above her. "I wish you didn't have to go." She solemnly said.
"Until we meet again my love." Optimus said equally as solemn in an almost whisper letting his hand slip from hers as he took Ellen off her.
"Optimus." She said as she lent herself onto him, "you better contact me."
Optimus draped an arm around her, "We will." He said as he didn't actually let go of her this time, "this is very difficult." He said.
"You have Ellen to take care of you." She lightly jested, finally being the one to break the embrace.
"You crazy? I can barely reach the cereal box from the top shelf." Ellen said scrunching her face up.
And with that, they departed, they stood up top where they had started before descending under, it felt as though they had just got there, Optimus had to pull himself around to be able to walk forward again; Ellen was asleep again and...they did not leave empty handed either, turns out Elita had a large hoard of energon, and after supplying themselves with a way of transporting it, they headed back towards the spacebridge, Ratchet had a big grin on his face to be able to have energon that was manufactured from his planet and not Earths was a treat.
As they stopped at the entrance Optimus thought back to what Shockwave said, "illogical." Why would it be? Perhaps he feels it is Megatrons right? No, that can't be it.
Whatever the reason that word would still linger on his processor. On the other side of the spacebridge the others had seen little action as Ironhide leant against the control panel, he cursed and yelled at how much of his time was wasted, and at one point was that bored he made a crater in the jungle with his cannons, earning a whack from Ratchet and a lecture from Optimus about how he has made him break a promise to General Morshower. Regardless he'd probably do it again if he had too. Despite this being a somewhat bitter sweet encounter, the hoard of energon was a good excuse to save their respected status with the humans, none of them thought that 'Prime had to see his girlfriend' would go down well.
A/N Was this chapter okay? tell me what ya think :3 in the meantime there will be an epilogue of this little saga, then the next chapters titled, 'mixmaster', 'Halloween' and that's all i've worked on at the moment lol please continue to review and if you have a suggestion that hasn't been mentioned yet feel free to leave a suggestion :D