Author's note: Here is another chapter, please read and review! Warning: There is a spark rape in this one although the details won't be too graphic for your sake. Also a death scene that contains blood, or rather energon…. So read at your own discretion.

Chapter 12

It felt like an eternity. Time kept passing rapidly by as it always did but for Aethelgythe it was just another day, just another week, of torment by her captors. They treated her like they would any other Autobot prisoner despite her very young age. The Decepticons barely gave her the small rations of energon required just to stay functional, keeping her weak.

There was one who came sometimes to give her rations and he seemed nice enough. He seemed oddly out of place. He was no Decepticon at spark although she could tell he'd been brainwashed by Decepticon lies and propaganda. He was excited because they were going to initiate him into their ranks soon.

Aethelgythe figured this must be a previous youngling that had been young and impressionable enough to be so easily turned. Whenever he came, she begged him to join the Autobots. He got angry every time so she eventually stopped when she realized there was no getting through to him.

Then came that fateful day…

The day that Aethelgythe, daughter of Optimus Prime leader of the Autobots,…lost her innocence completely.

She didn't lose it willingly. It was stolen from her.

Megatron came into the cell to spew more lies and pointless drivel when it happened. He looked at her with predatory red optics, practically burning into her very spark and a sick grin widened on his face as he obviously thought of something sinister.

"If you won't see the truth of the Decepticons…I will MAKE you see them!"

Then his much larger body was above hers and it was with sick horror that she understood what he was doing as his chest armor parted to reveal his tainted spark. She screamed and struggled to get away but he had her pinned down. She struggled to keep her own armor firmly closed but his larger hands easily pried it open. Then without any hesitation or any mercy, he carried out the evil act, robbing Aethelgythe of her honor, pride, and innocence.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she could see her father screaming and reaching a hand out towards her as he felt what was happening to his child, helpless to save her. He went into a rage and fought against the restraining hands of Ironhide and Ratchet and screamed, "I HAVE TO SAVE HER! LET ME GO! I ORDER YOU TO LET ME GO!" Ratchet acted quickly and sedated his leader before he could do something rash. Ratchet looked at Ironhide with sad optics and answered his silent question. "He felt Aethelgythe being tortured, quite possibly spark-raped." Ironhide's icy blue optics narrowed at that and he beat a fist into one hand and snarled. "They do anything of the like and I'll tear em' limb from limb!"

Then the weird out-of-body experience ended and Aethelgythe came back to herself to find that Megatron had gone and she was once again all alone. She curled up into a ball and sobbed, begging Primus to save her from this nightmare especially when she felt the after-effects of the spark bonding. Megatron…was now a part of her young spark. And there was nothing she could do to reverse it. She cried for her stolen innocence, for the pain she was forced to suffer, for the fact the Autobots hadn't rescued her in time to prevent it, for her miserable weakness that Megatron kept referring to, and for her father.

She had plenty of time to be alone and to heal from that scarring and most traumatizing event. How could that sick monster rape a youngling? For weeks…Aethelgythe asked herself that question. She never found an answer.

Then again she figured the answer was simple…a monster can do bad things to people because that's what evil does. Good people don't do those evil things. It was one more reason for Aethelgythe to keep a firm grasp on Autobot beliefs. She would NEVER join the Decepticons, especially not now!

The time came when Megatron summoned her to his throne room.

"I have a proposition for you. You will hear once again all about our faction's beliefs. Then I'm going to give you a most generous opportunity to prove yourself worthy of making an honorable choice. You will either join us or die."

Aethelgythe said nothing and didn't struggle against the two Decpeticons that half carried and half dragged her out of the room back to her cell. A few days passed and she found that her "friend" was a full-fledged member of Megatron's pit-forsaken, suck-fest. He was happy and she was too because he was the closest thing she had to a friend in this nightmarish place.

Then Megatron returned as he promised he would and began to teach her. At first she refused to even listen, but as time wore on, some things began to make sense. She began to believe his lies, until at last she was so confused she didn't know what to believe. The matter of the spark bond weren't helping either since half the time it felt like he was forcing her to feel certain ways during his constant chatter.

"You were not appreciated by your father or his lackeys. They would not make you a part of their team."

"They started my training as a scout."

"Yes, but they didn't give you any missions, am I right?"

"Yeah…"

"I can complete your training! I can offer you a place in my army where you will not be invisible. You can be someone of importance. You may even rise up through the ranks and become my second in command…and together we can bring order to this chaotic universe."

At first she tried not to listen but it seemed true. They did push her aside back home. Now he was offering her the chance to unlock her full potential and something about that scared her. The fact was that she really, really liked the idea of having power and becoming someone important. Megaton smiled down at her, the smile not looking quite right…it wasn't warm and true like her father's was. He placed one hand on her small shoulder and she wanted to flinch away at his touch.

"You will come to find in time, that you and I are not so different."

"No…that's where you're wrong. We are very different. I'm nothing like you," Aethelgythe softly spoke.

Megatron glared at her not at all pleased with her insubordination. Optimus's daughter continued, laughing inside...uncaring of the future consequence her words would bring her.

"Whether you like it or not...deep down, I am like my father and you know it. My father is stronger than you. It must burn you inside knowing what a failure you are...he's going to kick your ass. Evil will lose."

"I'll destroy Optimus Prime and the Autobots!"

"Oh really? Unlikely. Look at how many losses you've suffered. Admit defeat Megatron...you can't hope to win."

"You sound just like your father!" Megatron snarled as he backhanded her roughly.

Aethelgythe recovered herself and gave him a haughty smirk.

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment!" Megatron raged.

Aethelgythe knew that pissing off the leader of the Decepticons was most unwise...but the youngling knew it was only a matter of time until he killed her. So the young one chose to give Megatron as much hell as she possibly could. She always suffered for it but it was worth it. Megatron could be funny sometimes when angry.

With each passing day, Aethelgythe could feel his dark, tainted spark polluting her own. It hurt. Every time he was near, it hurt her chest as she felt the bond with her father slowly fading away. Megatron bond blocked her from Optimus for what felt like an eternity. She couldn't even remember what her father felt like anymore…

Slowly over the course of time, she felt darkness filling her spark. She knew she didn't want to be evil, she wanted to be good. Megatron's darkness…his evil…felt good. During her time as a prisoner, Megatron got her to go against her every belief and perform wrongful deeds she normally wouldn't do. Like lie, steal, betray, and even hate. Amazingly enough, her spark remained strong and goodness was still retained at its core. She hadn't lost love entirely…the memory of her father and the love she had for him pushed her on. It was the fire, the light in her spark. The lessons he taught her she carried within.

Her Decepticon friend noticed her internal conflicts. One day he visited her when no one was around and told her that he was going to help her escape. He said that he would help her only because he could tell that she would never be one of them—that she was too weak. He wanted to save her from her impending death.

She was so close to freedom.

They were so close.

They were caught.

They were both held apart as Megatron stepped forward. He said that the penalty for helping a prisoner escape was punishable by death.

"Megatron, spare his life. It was all my fault…I threatened to kill him if he didn't help me!"

Megatron knew she was lying and chuckled.

"Kill him, Aethelgythe."

He handed her a gun.

She couldn't believe it.

"Mercy is for the weak and we do not spare traitorous lives"

She hesitated and considered shooting Megatron instead but he looked right at her and using their accursed bond said, "I know what you're thinking, little one. Do it and I'll kill you."

She didn't want to kill her friend…she couldn't.

"Do it and prove to everyone that you belong here. If not…you will die with him."

Aethelgythe could sense Megatron's sincerity with those fateful words.

She couldn't bear to look her friend in the optics as she worked up the nerve to point the gun at him. When she found courage to look at him, all she saw in his eyes was a firm resolve, as if he accepted his fate. He gave her a subtle nod, as if silently telling her that it was okay. Aethelgythe knew that if she didn't kill him, he would suffer a far worse death…and she knew Megatron would force her to watch.

"DO IT OR FACE YOUR OWN DEATH!

Many in that small crowd vocalized their excitement at the prospect of her dying. She knew she had to do it, to survive another day. She screamed in both agony and rage as she pulled the trigger, certain that she would never be able to forgive herself.

He was her friend. Her only friend in this hell…

They dragged his lifeless body away and she vaguely recalled feeling numb. She was just forced to do a deed that went against her every belief. She hated herself for doing such a horrible thing and began to wish that she had died. The gun slipped out of her hand and clattered to the floor. It was in this moment that she knew she had to find a way to escape.

She escaped her cell once. She ran down hallways and realized to her horror that this "escape" was too slagging easy. That was when some of the Decepticons appeared from hiding places and laughed at her. They thought it was a hilarious joke…to give her false hope that she was escaping only to find out from them that escape was impossible.

There were only two ways she would be escaping from this hellish place. She would either have to join them or die.

When Megatron came back to her cell, he gave her the choice.

"I'll join you."

Of course in her spark it was a lie, she just wanted to go home.

She was released and she bumped into Starscream. She had a very interesting talk with him. He felt threatened by her and believed that she would one day take his place.

"I'm flattered you think I'm that strong a warrior but there is something I must tell you. I'm not interested in power like you. You can keep your position."

She tried to make a deal with him.

"I'll help you overthrow Megatron so that you can be leader of the Decepticons and in return, you must let me go home."

"It's a deal," Starscream smirked.

Aethelgythe was a bit older now, about the earth equivalent of a ten year old. Just when she thought she was going to be home free…she was betrayed.

She never should have made a deal with the sniveling coward. He revealed her true intentions in front of everyone during an assembly. Megatron did not seem surprised. She was furious.

"DAMN YOU STARSCREAM! YOU SLAGGING COWARD! I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!"

She lunged for the traitor, intent on ripping his head off. Other soldiers restrained her and held her back. She screamed obscenities and death threats but stopped her tirade when Megatron spoke again. She felt the worst fear she had ever felt before in her life squeeze her spark when he boasted how he had known of her treacherous intentions all along. Decepticons dragged her back to the cell that had become her second home. Megatron confronted her with a sick, demented smile. She knew something bad was about to happen if the psychotic gleam in his optics was anything to go by.

"Your first, albeit failed, act of deception has granted you the honor of joining my army."

She couldn't tell if he was serious or not. Joining them had never been her intent.

It didn't matter…because the youngling was powerless to stop all of them from beating her to within an inch of her life. They left her bleeding on the floor, to die a slow, agonizing death. She couldn't move it hurt so badly. Megatron continued to torture her by saying things.

"If you survive, you will be one of us forever! Prove your true strength and rise above the pain! Use your hate and your anger, it gives you power!"

This only frightened and disgusted the sole remaining offspring of Optimus Prime. It wasn't much incentive to live at all. When she felt herself drifting further away, Megatron would return and kick her or jar an injury to cause her more pain. Pain was her constant companion…until she neared death itself. Soon the pain faded and the youngling was sure she was hallucinating because her tormentors left her alone and during this time, she revisited old memories although her mind was too jumbled to make sense if anything was real.

She was rescued at last! Her father and the Autobots found her! She saw a vaguely familiar face and felt her broken body cradled in the arms of one of her rescuers. She struggled weakly to get away when she recalled what Megatron said about surviving. She screamed, cried, and begged him to take her back and leave her to die.

"You're talking crazy kid, you made me do this!"

She was rendered unconscious.

When she woke up she was still in incredible pain but at least she was back with her friends and her father. He was sitting next to her. She cried and begged Ratchet, her father, and Ironhide to just let her die. They didn't understand. She passed out again.

When she awoke the second time, she sobbed and told her father why she wanted to die so badly.

"Megatron said that if I survived I'd be a Decepticon like them!"

There were various reactions. Optimus was comforting, Ratchet and Ironhide were outraged, and the twins were silent although she could see the rage in their optics. Later she saw a warrior party returning, the twins among them. She learned that they had gone out, found some of the ones responsible for what they did to her, and killed them to avenge her.

She was glad in a way but knew that what they did was wrong. She told them that what they had done made them no better than the Decepticons. She was upset with what they had done partly because of what she had done. It wasn't easy living with the knowledge that she killed her friend in cold blood, even though she hadn't wanted to. He was gone forever now because of her, even though she knew that if she hadn't done it, someone else would have stepped forward and done it for her.

It became really hard to tell truth from lies, especially about what Megatron said. She felt torn in half. On the one side, she knew that Optimus was right and Megatron was lying. The other half said the opposite. Her anger and confusion grew with each passing day until she considered running away and joining Megatron.

Her father called her over to speak with her. He wanted to hear her story so that he could understand a little better. She laid herself bare and turned to leave, thinking he was disappointed in her.

"I don't belong here. I'm a murderer like them."

"That is not true. You did what you needed to do…to survive."

Something about his words seemed off and she had a suspicion.

"I hated my enemies. Isn't that wrong father?"

"No…not when there is a good reason to hate them."

That's when she knew for sure that this imposter sitting in front of her wasn't her father at all. He never would have said that. She pointed a finger at him in accusation and stepped backwards with horror in her optics.

"Y-you're not my father!"

Megatron's voice echoed from the image of her father, crushing her spark completely.

"No! I'm not!"

The images all fizzled out from view and Aethelgythe fell to the floor and sobbed as the cruel reality sank in. She had never left her prison. They had used holograms to make her think it was all real. There was never a rescue.

She didn't fight back or struggle as they lifted her by her arms and dragged her away after Megatron said, "I think it's high time we disposed of this pitiful creature. They're no fun when they are completely broken!"

They chained the youngling up on a wall, both arms out and secured enough that she couldn't struggle even if she had wanted to. The Decepticons stood behind their leader and watched Megatron approach her with blood-thirsty optics.

"I know that within your spark, you are weak just like your father and therefore have no place with the Decepticons. Now you will die like your mother and brother before you."

Aethelgythe whimpered and squirmed when Megatron pulled out a wicked looking knife and slowly approached her with it. Tears ran down her cheeks and she cried out when Megatron pried open her chest armor again but with the knife. She kicked and squirmed, straining little, arms against the chains in the vain attempt to protect her exposed spark. Megatron toyed with her at first, grinning cruelly until he finally got bored and began her public execution. He mercilessly cut the main energon lines in her left arm and leg.

She cried and squirmed as she saw and felt the energon running out of her body. The youngling despaired at the fact she couldn't cover the wounds or stop the bleeding. She felt her life slowly slipping away. She felt the most fear she'd ever felt in her life. Aethelgythe was afraid and didn't know where her spark was going…where she would end up on the other side. Would Primus damn her and cast her out into the void for all the bad things she'd done? Soon her spark began to hurt. It was far worse than any pain imaginable. Worse even than a severed spark bond. She sobbed and despaired at the fact she would never have the chance to tell her father and the Autobots good-bye.

Then in the midst of it she thought she heard a voice say, "This pain pales in comparison to the pain you will feel upon your return" That made no sense to her, but then again she was dying and didn't people hallucinate stuff when they died? Megatron and the Decepticons cheered and laughed, hooted and hollered as her spark dimmed dangerously as it nearly extinguished. With one final whimper, Aethelgythe's head drooped and a white light engulfed her vision accompanied by a feeling of weightlessness and freedom. The pain was gone!

Then she heard that warm, soothing voice again say, "Your time is not yet over, you still have much to accomplish little one."

That was when she realized that she was dead. She wasn't alone because in front of her was Primus and He was wonderful! The wise being embraced her and made her feel better as she sobbed about her death. In a way...Aethelgythe was rescued. She was no longer a prisoner.

"This is all part of My plan, dear one. You have a pure spark and you've been forgiven. I have great things planned for you. In time, you will see. Do you remember how much your father loved you in life?"

She nodded her head with a smile. How could she forget him?

"I love you a billion times more than him."

That statement blew her away! Her Creator loved her more than her father? A billion times more, no less! It was here in heaven that Aethelgythe learned many things... she would soon learn why Primus allowed her to die. All would be brought to light and all would be explained. For Aethelgythe, her journey was far from over.

Death was only the beginning...the beginning to something far greater. Greater than anyone would ever believe...


Author's note: Yes, I know you are mad at me for killing Aethelgythe but honestly, it all ties in with the sequel. IF you haven't already guessed it, Aethelgythe ends up as a human in the sequel. So please hang with me! Thanks please review!