Disclaimer: We do not own Transformers Prime or its canon characters; Hasbro and the Hub do. We do however own our OCs. Blondie-moyashi owns the lovely Skye Shelsher, Chimero, Plasmarift and Silverblaze, and Dream'sRealm owns Darkstorm, Skybreak, Emusa, Starlight, Drift, Shiv, Jolt, Blackout, Air Raid, Caliber, Speedway, and Jetfire.
Theme Song: Uprising by Muse
Optimus paused as the base received an incoming transmission… from Vos. Cautiously, he answered the call. "This is Optimus Prime," he stated. "And it has come to my understanding that you have captured one of our own. Why?"
The one on the other end of the signal paused before answering. "D-Darkstorm's okay, I talked to her just a little while ago." The voice sounded like a young mech, a nervous one at that. "B-but I need to warn you tha-" He yipped as a banging noise came over the comm.
"Chimero, what're ye doin' in there?!"
"J-just maintainance on the comm system. I-I'll be done soon." After a moment the voice seemed redirected to the transmission. "A-are you still there?"
Optimus' previously rough and wary tone softened as he realized that the mech was placing himself in danger all to contact him. "Yes. I'm here. You said that Darkstorm was online and well?"
"Y-yeah she's okay. I-I just mm . . . I need to warn you that my ca-err our leader is planning an ambush. Darkstorm's life signal will be appearing on your sensors soon, and when someone comes . . . w-well I don't think they'll fire until 'given reason to' but I had to warn you. Some of these mechs are . . . mm well let's just say trigger happy."
"Understood," Optimus nodded. "Thank you, Chimero, for contacting me. We are relieved to hear that she is safe and unharmed. Tell your leader that we shall meet as they request but we refuse to negotiate unless Darkstorm is returned. Do you understand?"
"Oh slag-ack, sor-She, eh, doesn't really know I'm telling you all this . . . I shouldn't even be near the comms . . . I-I'm not sure I can."
"Chimero, listen to me," Optimus' tone became solemn. "You must be strong now. If you do not communicate my terms, then Darkstorm will continue to be kept from her family and the bitterness between your company and the royals we protect will never cease. I am asking you not only as the leader of the Autobots but as a friend who has lost another, help us."
"Hoohhh slaaaaag . . ." The mech on the other end took several deep breaths before seemingly coming to a decision. "O-okay, I'll talk to her. A-and I promise I'll do what I can for Darkstorm-I mean like I said sh-she's fine, but . . . y-you know . . . I-eh-nevermind, forget I said anything."
"Thank you," Optimus smiled softly. "We shall await your leader's decision."
"I-uh-eh . . . y-you're welcome. I probably won't be able to contact you again after this, so . . til all are one."
Optimus' optics widened slightly in shock. Of course, it should have been no surprise. The Autobot code was widely known among all Cybertronians but the way this mech said it with such pride… And a mech that was a member of those that stole one of his own.
Perhaps, there was more to them than met the optic.
His smile slowly returned. "Until all are one, my friend."
Chimero approached Skydancer, who was preparing to activate the ground bridge for this catastrophe-in-potentia to commence. Darkstorm was to her side, and that thought should have been enough to give the young mech the confidence they needed. The knowledge that he was about to tell his carrier to her facial plating that he defied her orders and warned the "enemy" of her plan crushed any said confidence, however.
He gulped as he got close enough for a conversation. "Eehhh C-Carrier, can I talk to you for a minute?"
Skydancer glanced at him then back to the computer that controlled the bridge. "Can it wait till later? We're just about to leave."
"It's-ahh-well . . . it's kinda concerning this whole . . . thing." Chimero's spark rate increased by the minute. Slaaaag he couldn't do this- ack, he had to stop cursing!
He looked to Darkstorm as though to scream "help me, I have no idea what I'm doing here."
The sparked femme's brow creased in concern as she saw Chimero's worried state before she realized… he did it. He actually did it! Voors of stress seemed to melt off of her facial plating as she grinned. "You told him. You told Optimus."
Skydancer turned on the two, optics wide. "You did what?"
Oh slag . . . he was so offline. "I-w-well I might've . . . maybe . . . kindacontactedOptimusPrime?" He winced as he rushed the last bit. He knew she wouldn't strike him, but for the rage she was about to unleash, being hit would be a lot less terrifying.
His carrier brought a servo to her forehelm as she turned partially away from him again. "Why would you do that, Kai? You realize you've just put us all at risk? This just got a lot more complicated-and dangero-how did you even do it?!"
He partially relaxed, though "relax" was a massive overstatement. "I eh remembered the codes from when you had me do maintenance on comm systems before? B-but he just wanted me to tell you that he won't negotiate unless Darkstorm is released, n-not that they'll retaliate or come in guns-a-blazing or anything."
Skydancer vented. "This changes everything . . ." She looked to Thunderblast, who as always was by her side. "Alright, tell the others there's a change of plans. Everyone's following us through, no second wave, no extra coordinates." She vented again as she looked to her son. "But you are staying here. No following us, understood? I have enough to worry about without concerning myself with you stepping in front of an ion round."
Chimero lowered his helm. He would've been pleased that he wasn't being yelled at, but he knew it was still coming. What's more, she had the "disappointed" tone-that was worse than yelling.
"O-okay." He glanced at Darkstorm, not even sure what he was looking for from her, but knowing it couldn't be worse than his carrier's reaction.
Darkstorm tried to offer him an encouraging smile as she placed a servo on his shoulder plating. "You made it this far… Thank you."
He weakly nodded with a small vent of his own. Soon enough his attention shifted to several sets of footfall, and by the time he looked up several mechs were surrounding himself, Darkstorm, and his carrier.
She again looked to the young mech. "I mean it, Chimero. Stay here." She looked to the other mechs before hitting a control on the computer. A green and blue vortex appeared behind her.
"Move out!"
Thank you, God, for answering my prayers, Darkstorm silently prayed as she eventually reached the surface, away from Vos and the refugee camp.
Coolant welled in her optics as she felt Bumblebee contact her again. 'Storm, we've got your life signal. We're on our way.
Please, hurry. And make sure you bring Optimus and the others.
Darkstorm and the others waited in an uneasy silence before a ground bridge portal opened. Bumblebee and her brother ran out before Dreadwing, Moonracer, Plasmarift, Silverblaze, Optimus, and the two Vos royals followed.
Tears of joy ran down Darkstorm's buccal plates as she ran to Bumblebee, spark pulsing in joy as his arms wrapped around her. "Oh, 'Storm…" he whispered as he held her close. "I thought I'd never see you again."
"I-I'm so sorry…" Darkstorm tightened her grip on him. "Please, forgive me. I should never have-"
"Shh, it's alright," Bumblebee soothed. "You're safe now. It's alright."
Darkstorm offlined her optics painfully before a familiar voice met her audials. "Sister!"
The Seeker femme turned before shakily smiling and embracing Skybreak. "Oh, Bruda… I thought I'd never see you again."
Sunstorm observed the reunions before turning to the others, snarling. "Why? Why have you done this?"
Skydancer pointed to said royal. "Answer me this first, what makes this femme so different than the younglings you almost terminated in our last encounter?" She angrily gestured to the bots behind her. "Is it because she's special to you? What of all the families whose lives were ruined when yours ruled Vos?"
Sunstorm's orange optics filled with rage as he walked to the front of the crowd. "You! You were the one who nearly terminated my sister and I. We came here for safety, away from you. And you do this! Steal a sparked femme away from her family all to satisfy your petty slights. The lives I ruined? I am not my sire and I refuse to be treated as such!"
"I'm doing what I can for all the souls who have come to pain because of your family. And before you say I am being ridiculous in my assumption that you're all the same, let me say this: the laws of Vos were such loooong before you, your sire, even your grandsire were born. The way lower class citizens are treated is taught to new royal generations, so I am not so wrong as you might claim in my assertion."
Sunstorm growled angrily and moIved to activate his weapons before he was stopped by Prime's gentle servo. He glared up at Optimus. "She deserves to pay for this," he hissed from in between clenched denta. "She almost terminated my sister and I. She almost terminated Dar'sain. I refuse to give her any more chances."
Three simple words made Sunstorm immediately freeze. "Prove her wrong," the Prime said lowly before releasing the royal.
Sunstorm rubbed his shoulder plating before turning back to the femme. "What do you want from us?" he asked coldly. "And why did you bring Dar'sain into this?"
"I am not proud of what I have done, but I did what I thought was best for my family. For all I knew, while you were hiding in Iacon you were planning to attack us. And after last time, I couldn't afford to underestimate you. As for what I want-"
"We want peace!" A voice cried from behind everyone else, and they all turned or stepped aside to see Chimero hiding behind a group of Skydancer's mechs. He ran to join her and Darkstorm, for once not looking the unsure young mech, but instead taking a strong stance between the royals and his carrier.
"My carrier's told me the stories, and I saw how brutal you can be firsthand, b-but we didn't come to offline you outright." He turned to shyly look to his carrier before facing front again and continuing. "She just wants the fighting to stop, as do we all. Please."
Sunstorm's cold countenance did not change. "And why should I believe you? After your 'family' has attempted to take our lives on several occasions and dragged an innocent into this feud, why should I believe that you want peace?"
"W-well why do you trust the Autobots? We protect our own like them. A-and like them sometimes we come to blows doing so." The mech's shy nature started showing through again as he spoke, and the matter of who he was talking to probably didn't help much. "I'm not saying that there might not have been a better way to . . . talk, but we just want things to be different."
Sunstorm's glare deepened. "You should have thought of that before you-" he moved to retort before a familiar servo could be felt on his shoulder plating. He turned his helm to meet his sister's gaze. He vented, calming somewhat, as Slipstream turned to Chimero.
"We too desire peace. The whole reason we wish to reestablish the monarchy is because of that fact. I know that our family has not exactly been worthy… but that is why Sunstorm and I are seeking to change that. We want all to be treated fairly in Vos." She gazed at Skydancer seriously. "We are not our sire, uncle, aunt, or Starscream. We wish to make things right just as much as you."
The other femme matched the expression. "Even if I were as gullible as my son, I am not the only one you need to convince. I have hundreds of destitute, hungry, and desperate bots who remember how things were, and if you ever wish to fly over Vos again you'll have to convince them that you're really ready to change how it used to be run."
"Then I will start with this," Slipstream replied evenly. "Optimus has informed us of a… human concept. One that a monarchy on Earth underwent. The monarchy became too powerful and in order for there to be more equality, the power was shared between the monarchy and a cabinet consisting of the people, a Parliament. I will personally see to it that it is in place because my brother and I refuse to alienate our people-" She held out a peaceful servo. "Not anymore."
Skydancer looked between the servo and the femme's facial plating. "What do you two get out of this arrangement? What angle are you trying to work here? Nothing this good comes without a price of some kind."
"The only price we ask for is peace."
Skydancer glanced at the outreached servo again before looking to her son, who was staring up at her with concerned optics, then turning to see the expressions of those who had come with her and Darkstorm. None seemed sure of what was going on, yet some had hopeful expressions. Skydancer turned to Slipstream before hesitantly taking her servo.
"I expect the people to be allowed to choose this 'Parliament' and that it will have power comparable to the monarchy."
"Naturally," Slipstream nodded.
"And I trust my sister will be kept out of all future negotiations?" Skybreak asked as he walked up to Slipstream, standing by her side with his arms crossed over his chassis.
Skydancer's wings elevated in a subconscious attempt to make herself appear larger, a tactic that sometimes worked in making mechs think she wasn't easily pushed around. "Your sister was a last minute addition to the plan, and I apologize for dragging her into this." She averted her optics. "I've had to do a lot of difficult things to assure the survival of the innocents under my care, many of which I'm not proud of."
"Still, a simple comm call would have sufficed," Skybreak muttered under his breath before a gentle voice interrupted him.
"Brother… Please."
Skybreak visibly softened as he saw his sister's gentle gaze. "You know I'm not allowing you outside the base now without me, don't you?"
Darkstorm chuckled slightly as she wrapped her arms around one of his. "I suppose that's to be expected." She smiled as she turned to Chimero. "Thank you, my friend, for helping me."
"I-oh-I em . . . y-you're welcome." He sheepishly looked away and rubbed the back of his helm. "G-guess I won't be seeing much of you anymore, huh? S-since your family's on the surface and everything . . ."
"Our doors are always open, if you wish to visit," the femme replied warmly.
He shrugged, "With the energon shortage in Vos I'm not sure I'd be able to."
"I wasn't lying when I promised to help. I know a friend who is an expert on energon," Darkstorm shot Plasma a smile before turning back to Chimero. "I am certain she can assist you and your family."
"Yeeahhh . . ." Chimero still dodged the invitation. "I dunno, with how crazy things are gonna get in Vos I still don't know if I can."
"Chimero," as Skydancer spoke the young mech turned, "You don't have to make excuses. If there's something you want to say, just say it."
He vented before looking back to Darkstorm, and seemed to be making himself appear smaller as he prepared to speak. "If it's okay with my carrier, d . . . do you think I can . . . um . . ."
Darkstorm smiled encouragingly, gesturing for him to continue. "Can what, Chimero?"
"Well I um . . . you know I'm a grounder so I'm not sure how well I'd fare in Vos . . . d-do you think there's maybe some extra . . . mm extra space in Iacon?" He half-winced as he finished, as though he'd been requesting an insane amount of currency for a poor mech or making some equally insane request.
Darkstorm smiled at Optimus who slowly approached the mech in question. He studied him before offering him a friendly smile in return. "Iacon's doors are always open to mechs with good sparks such as you. We would be most honored to have you."
Chimero stared up at the Prime in shock, with optics about as wide as they could go. "O-Optimus Prime?" He assumed a straight posture with arms at his side, as he'd seen mechs his carrier worked with do with their superiors, only usually said mechs didn't look like something would break from the tension as he did. "I-it's an honor to meet you! W-well to see you in person. I've read all about you-b-but not in a weird or stalkerish or weird way! I really admire you. Mmmm no that doesn't sound right either . . ."
He was stopped by Skydancer putting a servo on his shoulder plating from behind, and she extended her other hand towards the Autobot leader. "Darkstorm mentioned your name a time or two, but I'm not sure I actually expected to meet you. It really is a pleasure, sir." Chimero looked at her servo with a mix of "what are you doing?! You can't touch him!" and "my carrier's about to shake Optimus Prime's servo!"
Optimus smiled softly as he shook her servo. "My only regret is that we had to meet under such previously tense circumstances. The pleasure is mine."
The femme's friendly smile slowly dropped as she put her other servo on Chimero's shoulder. She remained silent for a moment before turning her optics on her son's helm, idly wiping at the dirt he'd collected. "So are you saying you want to stay here on the surface instead of coming back to Vos, Kai?"
He turned to face his carrier with a heavy expression. "I-I don't mean for it to sound like I'm abandoning you or anything. I just . . . I can stay in Vos if you want me to."
"That isn't what I asked."
Chimero looked to Optimus before turning back to Skydancer. " . . . I dunno, we've been travelling through space for most of my life. I don't think I'm done learning and exploring yet."
A knowing smile slowly crossed her facial plating. "I've known you for long enough to recognize this is the closest I'm getting to an answer, isn't it?" As her son smiled, she vented, "I just want you to be sure this is your decision. I'm not kicking you out, and you know you'll always have a home with me, right?"
She was surprised as he quickly hugged her with a genuine grin, the likes of which she hadn't seen since he was a sparkling. "Of course."
She returned it immediately, though still a bit surprised. After a moment she looked to the Prime, still embracing Chimero, "Do you promise me he'll be kept safe, cared for?"
"We will care for him as if he was one of our own," Optimus smiled and nodded.
Skydancer vented a bit heavily as she returned her focus to her son, as though hesitant to commit to a decision either way. "It won't be the same without you by my side, kiddo, but . . . I guess I'd be hard-pressed to find a better group for you to stay with."
The young mech's sheer joy seemed curbed as he shrugged. "I dunno, you'll still have Thunderblast. It won't be that different."
His carrier furrowed her optic ridges before breaking off the embrace and kneeling in front of her son. She placed her servos on either side of his shoulder plating. "What do you mean, Kai?"
He shrugged again, his smile dropping as he looked to his peddes. "I dunno, saying it out loud sounds bad . . . but I guess I just never felt important. Like I was never big o-or old enough to help that much so I kinda just did what I could, which was really easy stuff anyone could do. It's not like Thunderblast, who you might not be able to function without."
Skydancer bit her lip components at just how matter-of-factly he spoke, like he'd resigned himself to being insignificant. She pulled him in for another hug, though held him a bit tighter than before. "Kai, you've always been the most important thing in my life. I kept you at a distance like I did so you wouldn't be in danger like this, but it never meant I didn't love you." She vented, "And I'm sorry that you felt like I didn't care."
Chimero nodded as he wrapped his arms around her. "I know. A-and I knew that you always loved me. I just hope I can help here like I couldn't be much help in Vos. Or when we were in space, even."
The femme glanced up to Optimus before redirecting her focus to her son. "I'm sure they'll be happy to have you." Her voice was unusually weak, as her walls keeping her emotions from the public took a pounding. "I know it won't be the same at home without you."
"I'll miss you too, Carrier." Chimero's voice was showing his emotions as well, but he also had a new hint of certainty. It was said tone that made Skydancer feel better about the situation, regardless of the fact that she didn't want to let her son go-especially after having lost his sire like she did.
Optimus hesitated before saying, "Skydancer, our doors are always open to you as well, if you should choose to visit."
She looked up at the Prime, still holding her son. "Thank you . . . I might have to take you up on that."
D/N: *sniffles* This chapter was just too sweet. Chimero and Skydancer are adorable and things finally got resolved. All's well that ends well, aye? And mech, me and my friend had so much fun at Knott's Scary Farm! I even got a totally cute skull dress so I am pumped. And they even had a zombie maze that was sooo realistic! They had army guys and plastic guns and everything. I swear, I felt like I was in the Walking Dead. My heart was pounding and every time a zombie ran towards me, I almost had a heart attack. Lol, I love Halloween.
To Bluefeather4299: Aw, thanks. We're glad you liked it. And I know right? Chimero is just so spastic and awkward and adorable. I love 'im.
To Saibot-Vapor: Well, we hope you enjoy your little vacation and may you have a blessed day as well. Thank you so much again for your support!
"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:1-9
May God bless you and your day, my darlings!
Until next time, Dream'sRealm
B/N: Let me start by saying I spazzed like crazy for every review we got saying you guys like Chimero x3 y'all rock. So a maaaassive "thank you" to everyone, not just for liking him in particular but for encouraging us in general~ it really does help keep us going
Also, for any of you who may be curious to read blondie's individual stuffs I finally updated my OC fic on my profile. Totally different series/OCs/fandom, but still
See you lovely peoples next time~