It is my pleasure to announce that we have reached the end of this story. My complete thank you author's note is at the bottom of the page. Please read this chapter first before you dive into the author's note. This final chapter play's a vital key into another story that is part of the Earthspark Trilogy. more information at the far bottom. Please enjoy!
It had been a full on week since the Passing ceremony and Hot Rod had officially declared he was now Rodimus Prime. After the Matrix of Leadership had been given to him, the Autobots and Neutrals had celebrated for three days before they became overly energized with high grade energon and knocked out cold. Wisely, Rodimus had decided to avoid drinking the stuff because he simply didn't want to repeat the events of when he had got drunk upon his first day in living with the Autobots. Every time he tried to ask Mirage what had happened, the ruby mech merely answered that it didn't matter and that he would rather forget about it.
Though it puzzled Rodimus completely, he decided it was best that he left it at that for now. Besides, he had more important things to worry about. His private lesson with Kup had gone smoothly, and he realised that he was getting a lot better in fighting hand-to-hand combat. He just didn't quite get the hang of a certain matter due to the distraction of bearing the title of Prime. Kup had kindly told him that it was normal to be distracted, as the title was a very tremendous burden to be placed upon his youthful shoulders. However it was also a great honour to hold.
And as Rodimus walked towards Optimus' quarters to begin his lessons with him, he couldn't help but shake his head as the whispers echoed through his processor. Optimus had said it was normal, and he had once learned a trick to ignore the voices of those that came before. The former Prime had wanted to see him today for his lesson in order to teach him a method that could help with his problem, as he was still learning the aspects of bearing this huge weight upon his shoulders.
He soon found himself at Optimus' quarters, and Rodimus found himself becoming increasingly nervous about what this lesson was going to be about. He raised his hand to press the button to let Optimus know he was here, but then he stopped and lowered it back down. Uncertainty and doubt crept into his processor and he paced around briskly in front of the door.
Rodimus couldn't bring himself to see Optimus, not since he had been given the Matrix.
He had kept a distance from nearly everyone during the celebration. While many Autobots had come closer to give him their congratulations and welcoming him kindly, some of the Neutrals had approached him to see if he really was the 'Chosen One'. They even began asking him questions on whether or not he was going to ever live up to their expectations until Sideswipe and Bumblebee had ordered them to leave him alone. Rodimus didn't really pay much attention to the details as he was caught up in another world, listening to the voices that echoed inside his processor.
Optimus must have noticed how distracted he was as he had approached the young Prime and had told him to come to his quarters to have a special lesson with him when things had quietened down a little. Rodimus barely remembered, but he recalled how serious Optimus had sounded in his request and the way how his cyan optics glowed with determination, and then he had left him alone with his guardians.
Arcee had been nowhere in sight when Rodimus had tried to find her. He then had learned from Skyfire that the byzantine femme had left the celebration early. Rodimus tried to pry out information from the gray mech, but Skyfire refused to speak anymore, as he told him that Arcee will seek him out when she was ready.
However, after speaking with Skyfire, the massive Autobot flier had just announced to everyone that he was now bonded to Windrazor. It had shocked Rodimus completely and the Autobots had erupted into a huge cheer. It was nice to know that the war hadn't stopped anyone from committing their love to each other.
But for some strange reason Rodimus felt a tad bit jealous.
The thought of the feeling had completely shaken him, and he merely pushed it aside. He sometimes wondered on when he was going to find someone to love someday. It made him feel lonely and hurt by the fact that not one femme seemed to want to approach him. The only femme that had ever approached him was Arcee, but she was his best friend. It was nothing more and nothing less. She didn't seem to see him as a potential mate, and it would be a crime to come between her and Springer. No doubt the dark green mech still had feelings for Arcee.
"Rodimus, are you well?"
"Ah!" Rodimus cried as he almost leapt out of his armour. He blinked several times to find Optimus staring at him with surprise on his facial features in the middle of the doorway to his quarters. "Um... yes, Optimus... I'm perfectly well. How did you know I was here when I didn't even buzz the button?"
Optimus didn't seem convinced by this, but he shrugged his broad shoulders and took a step backwards. "I was about to go for a walk down the corridors in order to strengthen my muscle cables," he explained. "But as I opened the door, you were standing right there in front of the door with a blank expression on your face plates. I could tell something was bothering you."
The young mech bowed his head dejectedly. "I'm sorry, Optimus," he sighed. "I just... have a lot on my processor. Prowl decided that I am not quite ready to lead the Autobots and said that I should continue my lessons as always. He also said that he would look after them until I was confident enough to lead them."
A comforting hand rested upon Rodimus' shoulder. He looked up to see Optimus was gazing kindly into his optics with love and understanding. "It's alright, Rodimus. Prowl has everything under control until you feel comfortable with making decisions that will affect everyone around you. Until then, you continue to learn, and that is why I requested that you come down to my quarters early for this one."
"I'm ready, Optimus," Rodimus answered sombrely.
"Then please come in," Optimus insisted.
Rodimus complied and he found himself entering Optimus' quarters. Optimus had immediately left to go and find where he had stashed the deck of cards that had been specially designed to fit Cybertronian hands.
While he waited, Rodimus quietly looked around the mech's quarters. He hadn't exactly seen all of Optimus' quarters due to the distraction of the lessons, but it didn't bother him much at all. But as he got a better look around, he noticed that Optimus' quarters were a lot more complex than his, and a little bigger. Maybe it was to suit the former commander's size or it was because he was a Prime. It didn't matter to him, but he was just curious.
He could hear Optimus making grunting noises and Cybertronian curses from the room next door, indicating that he still hadn't found the cards for the poker game. This gave Rodimus to have a closer look at the room. He soon found himself gazing at a small table in the far right corner of the room. It was of strange design and appeared to be welded to the floor and wall. It was also covered in Cybertronian inscribes that were different compared to the ones he saw on Optimus and most of the other Autobots. Sitting on the flat part of the table was a data pad that sat up like a photo frame. It appeared to be flashing pictures of Optimus in his Cybertronian battle armour with one arm wrapped around the waist of a femme that stood a head shorter than him. Then it flashed to the femme again, but this time she was sitting on a metallic stool with one knee up against her chest and she appeared to be looking towards the left with a strange gaze in her optics, a gaze that was longing and lovely.
"She's beautiful isn't she?" Optimus' deep baritone voice said softly, snapping Rodimus from out of his thoughts as he turned to find Optimus looking at the picture with optics filled with a great sadness that made the young mech to want to comfort him.
"Who is she?" Rodimus asked, lifting an optic ridge as he pulled away from the photo.
"That is my sparkmate Elita-One," Optimus answered quietly as he placed the deck of cards on the table behind Rodimus. He then came over and carefully picked up the data pad. "That picture you just saw there was on the day my Autobots and I left Earth to find the Allspark Cube. It was also the day when she finally told me she had finally decided to bond with me after I proposed to her several weeks earlier."
"W-what happened to her?"
The sadness in Optimus' optics grew stronger as he bowed his head and he placed the data pad back down on the table. "That I don't even know the answer to, Rodimus," he said, his tone getting lower with grief. "I left her far behind back on Cybertron many Earth years ago. I have no idea if she even made it off the planet during its transportation through the space bridge."
"I'm sorry, Father," Rodimus whispered as he patted the mech's shoulder comfortingly.
"It's alright, my son," Optimus smiled, the grief fading away and being replaced with his usual fatherly tone. "You didn't know about Elita up until now." He turned his gaze back to the table. "But we have other matters to discuss about. Let us get into our lesson."
They headed over to the table and Optimus began dealing the cards out. While he did so, Rodimus felt a nagging feeling at the back of his processor, but it wasn't the voices that were bothering him this time. Rather, it was a feeling unlike anything he had felt before. After looking at his hand and setting in his credits, he asked Optimus, "Before we begin the lesson, I have a question to ask."
"You may ask me anything you like," Optimus said, nodding.
"How do you know when you have found the right femme that could be your potential sparkmate?"
At first Optimus didn't immediately respond to Rodimus' question. He just sat there with a stoic expression on his face plates. Not even a smile appeared upon his lips until he blinked his optics and he let off a humorous chuckle. "You will know when you meet her," he answered. "Your spark tells you everything, even if you don't fully understand it at first." A faraway look in his optics appeared as he seemed to recall something. "Your spark feels like it will jump right out of its spark chamber and into your vocal processor. It will pulse over a thousand miles per nano-klik, and it will make you do crazy things. Things you've probably never done before."
"Does this come from experience?" Rodimus asked.
"Indeed it does," Optimus replied with a faint smile. "It took me giga-cycles to work up the courage to ask Elita out short after I had met her." He shook his head at the memory. "It was not the perfect relationship between us, but we had our ups and downs."
Rodimus nodded and he gazed down at his lap for a moment until Optimus spoke up again, causing him to look back up again.
"Are you interested in anybody?" Optimus asked as his optics flickered with amusement.
The young mech shrugged his shoulders. "No, I'm just curious," he said quietly.
"Then let us continue our game," Optimus said. "I'm laying in one hundred."
Rodimus felt his insides quiver as they continued the game of poker for nearly half an hour. No matter how many times he had a good hand, Optimus always seemed to guess what he was thinking and getting his guesses right all in one go. They switched back and forth for several more minutes until Rodimus was sure that he had a good hand. At least he hoped so.
Before he lay down the cards, he decided to ask Optimus his lesson's question. "How did you manage to learn to become a Prime so quickly?"
Optimus smiled as he placed his hand of cards face down on the table and leaned back in his chair. He rested his hands upon his lap as he answered in a fatherlike tone, "I didn't. It took me many vorns before I was confident enough to be able to lead the Autobots myself. I had Prowl take care of things for a good long while. When I had enough confidence, I kept my battle mask up whenever I was present with my soldiers, as I was afraid that I would appear weak to my people. Eventually, I learned to mask my emotions without having to need to put the mask up except to shield my face on the battlefield."
The young Prime gulped nervously. "Do you think I will be a good leader like you?" he asked. He chewed his bottom lip, trying to hide the fact that he was scared of what Optimus was going to say next.
Optimus seemed to sense Rodimus' nervousness and he leaned forward to rest a hand upon his right shoulder, the smile growing on his lips. "You have good leadership potential, Rodimus," he answered. "However, it would be a long time before you are fully confident enough to take on complete responsibility as Prime. Being a Prime doesn't just involve leading an army, but it also means that you are a connection to Primus."
"Do you believe in the prophecy that you spoke about?" Rodimus questioned.
Optimus' smile never faltered. "I know that you are destined for great things, Rodimus, and I believe you will accomplish what you were sent here for."
Rodimus nodded as the lesson concluded and they resumed playing. Optimus picked up his cards and looked at them once more. He raised an optic ridge when he saw his hand and then a quick smile flashed across his lips before he resumed his poker face. Rodimus felt his doorwings tremble violently, but he tried to keep a good pose. However, it was impossible to know what Optimus was thinking until he began laying out the cards that he had in his hand.
The Ace of diamonds, the King of diamonds, the Queen of diamonds, the Joker of diamonds, and finally... a ten of diamonds...
"A royal flush..." Rodimus sighed as he lay down his cards in defeat. "You win again, Optimus."
"It's alright, Rodimus," Optimus chuckled. "I just got lucky this time. You would have beaten me if I didn't draw the Ace of diamonds."
"But how did you know I was even bluffing?" Rodimus demanded, his bottom lip forming into a pout.
For a moment, Optimus said nothing as he picked up the cards and began to pack them away back into their packet. Once he was done, he tapped the side of his nose plate. "That, Rodimus," he answered with a mischievous tone, "is my secret to keep and never tell anyone else."
Rodimus swallowed some fluids that got stuck in his vocal processor and he stood up. He bowed his head with respect and thanked Optimus for the game. He then headed towards the door, disheartened.
"Rodimus," Optimus' voice called, stopping him in midstride. "You will beat me someday, youngling. I know you will. That is why you made that oath, correct? Do not give up hope just yet. Until you have mastered your emotions, these lessons will keep on going."
Rodimus merely chuckled underneath his breath, mumbling 'sure' and he was about to open the door...
...only to have the door open up all by itself and reveal Ironhide standing right there in front of him. As soon as the old mech's optics lay upon the young Prime, he breathed a sigh of relief. Next thing Rodimus knew, Ironhide had grabbed hold of his right wrist and began dragging him down the corridors. Rodimus let off a squeak of surprise and tried to wiggle free from the old mech's grasp, but Ironhide ignored him.
"What's all the fuss about, old timer?" Rodimus cried as he continued to try to remove Ironhide's hand off his wrist. The way how Ironhide was twisting it was beginning to make him hurt and wonder what exactly was going on.
Ironhide doesn't respond to Rodimus' question. He kept on dragging the young mech down the corridors with Optimus following closely behind. Optimus trotted up alongside them and he gazed at Ironhide for a moment. Ironhide gazed back, and Rodimus believed they were talking over the internal com-link. Whatever it was that was going on, it had to be serious enough to want to drag Rodimus away from what he was going to do next.
Much to his surprise, they ended up in the command centre. Optimus moved aside and Ironhide shoved Rodimus forward, earning a squeak of protest from his lips. He growled at Ironhide, but the old mech merely chuckled and made a rude gesture to him. Wisely, he ignored it and faced the console just as Prowl was finishing off something.
"What is it that requires my attention, Prowl?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest impatiently.
Prowl turned to face the trio, and Rodimus saw a data pad in his hand. The black and white mech strolled forward and handed it to him. "Please read it, Rodimus," he insisted.
Confused, Rodimus glanced down at the data pad and began to read it out loud. "This is captain Ultra Magnus of the Iron Hope. We have received a message from Autobot Commander Optimus Prime that the Allspark Cube is no more and that Earth is our new home. Currently we are in the Delta Quadrant and have stopped on the fifth planet from a star called Regulus to refuel our resources. We have at least two hundred and seventy mechs, three hundred and sixty femmes, a hundred younglings, and at least forty sparklings. Judging from our hyperspace power core and according to our pilot, we should arrive on Earth within at least ten or twelve years."
After he finished reading the data pad, he felt his body tremble violently as the shock and horror appeared all over his facial features. Even his doorwings were shaking and rattling against each other. The voices inside his head began to grow stronger and overwhelming.
"Take it easy, Rodimus," Sideswipe called from afar as the silver mech came into his blurry view.
But it was too late. Rodimus collapsed on the floor and blacked out.
Blackness... there was nothing but blackness all around Rodimus. He couldn't feel anything except a cold, empty feeling that surrounded him. It was cold, lonely, and barren. He didn't know exactly how to describe what was happening to him, but he was aware that he was floating in midair and being unable to touch the ground. It seemed a lot like space, but it was completely empty of stars, nebulas, planets, comets and asteroids. There was absolutely nothing but a jet black void.
"Rodimus Prime."
Shocked, Rodimus attempted to face the voice that called his name, but his cyan optics couldn't pierce through the gloominess. "Who's there?" he called nervously. "Are you a friend or a foe?"
A flash of bright light exploded from in front of him, causing him to become temporarily blinded by it. It felt like there was a star right in front of his face, but it was less hot and more... warmer and welcoming. The light began to die down, but it was still too intense for Rodimus to see through, so he was forced to squint.
"My name was lost to the endless depths of time, young Prime, on the day I gave up my own body to protect the Matrix from The Fallen's burning greed,"the speaker replied, though the tone sounded similar to Optimus', but the baritone was much, much deeper and had an endless amount of wisdom in it. A pair of heavy footfalls began echoing all around Rodimus. "But you may identify me as a friend."
A shadowed figure emerged from the depths of the light, blocking most of the intensity of it. From what Rodimus was able the make out of the figure was tall, much taller than Optimus. He had a strange Egyptian like crown surrounding his helm, and he was carrying a sharp looking sword that had a bright light illuminating from its hilt.
Strangely, the figure seemed to glow with a strange aura that warmed Rodimus to his core, making him feel safe and no longer alone. Then, the figure spoke in a tone that echoed in both his processor and his audio receptors, and it carried a power unlike anything Rodimus had heard before, "It is good to finally meet you at last, Rodimus Prime."
"Do I know you from somewhere?" Rodimus asked.
The mech chuckled warmly, "No, we haven't met before, young one. This is the first time we have come face to face."
"Exactly where am I?" the young Prime questioned, tilting his head to one side in puzzlement.
"You are in the Matrix of Leadership," the figure replied. "It's the very same place where all of those who have carried it before you, and where their wisdom is stored to be used by their next successor."
Rodimus blinked in surprise, glancing all around him. So this was the Matrix? Was he dead? Was he no longer even living in the world he knew and love? Fear took a hold of his spark and he felt his insides beginning to mash together and turning into sludge. He didn't know what to do! How was he going to get out here?
"Be calm, little one," the figure said softly, raising his arms in a motion to calm Rodimus down. "You are not offline. You are merely unconscious and your spark was transferred to the Matrix so that I may speak with you. Do you not worry, once we are done speaking, I will send you back to where you came from."
The young mech nodded as the figure took one more step closer, his bright cyan optics glowing coolly, but with a sense of warmth spreading through Rodimus' essence. "I sense that the Autobots will be getting more arrivals soon. Am I correct?"
"Yes," Rodimus answered simply, for he was still under the spell of how amazing the great mech looked.
"With those new arrivals coming as time passes on," the figure explained, "you will no longer be able to hide for much longer. That is a problem that must be taken care of as soon as possible. In order to win this war against the Decepticons and to combat against the rising darkness in the distant future, you will need to reveal yourselves to the human leaders of the world and recreate the alliance."
Rodimus blinked. "How do we do that?" he asked, trying to keep his voice from cracking with emotion.
The figure took a deep breath that brought winds from out of nowhere. "That is something that you must figure out on your own, Rodimus," he answered. "However, I may know an answer to them problem with the arrival of the many mechs and femmes aboard the Iron Hope."
Before Rodimus could question the figure, the mech then raised his arms above his head and the fierce light behind him began to glow intensively, forcing Rodimus to shield his optics with his arms from it. When he lowered his arms and opened his optics, he gasped in shock when he looked down upon the ground.
"What the hell?" he gasped.
Rodimus and the mech were hovering above an island in the middle of a gigantic ocean. It was unlike anything he had seen before. He glanced over at the figure, only to see that most of his features were revealed, but his face remained shrouded in white light. However, his cyan optics were the only things that broke between the light.
"This," said the mech, "is Auckland Island. It is a land that is completely isolated from all human civilization."
The scene changed again and they zoomed in a little closer to the island. This time, they were standing on a hill that overlooked a calm and peaceful river, the water running crystal clear and strange seabirds screeched as they searched for fish amongst the calm sea that the river ran towards. But it was not the scenery that they were after. Rather it was what lay beside the massive river that caught the attention of Rodimus.
At approximately a mile wide, with silver towers that reached towards the sky. There was one that stuck out amongst the rest, one that made the others look tiny and insubordinate compared to it. It was unlike anything Rodimus had ever seen, and remarkably beautiful. Even the Autobot symbol hologram that was produced by the gigantic tower sparkled and flashed in the sunlight.
"Welcome to Autobot City," the mech smiled. "It is a place of sanctuary and peace for those that wish to live in harmony with each other. Here is where the Autobots and Neutrals will live when you have accomplished your task in your path towards your destiny. It is a destiny that you must walk alone in."
Then the vision vanished and Rodimus realised they were back to where they had started. The light was less intense than before, and he felt less concerned than before. However, he noticed that the mech had stepped even closer until he was only half a meter away. Rodimus still couldn't see what he looked like, but the cyan optics that was the only thing being shown through the intense light only glowed even brighter with fatherly love.
"Before we depart, Rodimus Prime," he said softly, his deep baritone voice now a whisper, "I wish for you to pass on a message to Optimus for me."
"Um... of course," Rodimus nodded. "What's the message?"
"Please tell him that I am very proud of him for what he has done in the past and that I will be watching over him and his family in the many vorns to come," the figure explained.
And then in the blink of an optic, the white light grew even more intense than before and Rodimus found himself evaporating into nothing. Then his whole world went black once more.
Rodimus gasped and he sat up with a start, his body trembling violently just as his head accidentally hit the one that had been looking down upon him. He heard someone cursing at him violently before he was slapped across the back of his helm. He winced in pain and felt a pressure on his chest that forced him to lie back down. He soon discovered that his breathing was laboured and his vision was still blurry before he had passed out.
"Damn it, youngling!" Ratchet's voice snarled as the lime green figure came into full view along with the rest. From what Rodimus could make out, his nose plate was dented and bleeding from where he was headbutted him. He realised he must have accidentally broken his nose plate. "Why can't you just stop scaring us?"
"Sorry," Rodimus sighed regrettably.
He soon made out the rest of the figures that had also been in his vision. Both Optimus, Prowl, and Ironhide were there. There was even Sideswipe, Bumblebee and Arcee. He shook his head just as Ratchet was finishing off his scan.
"Are you alright?" Arcee asked worriedly. He could see that her hand was holding onto his and stroking it tenderly. He even made out tear streaks on the sides of her cheeks. "Y-you had us worried for a while there."
"I'm alright, really," Rodimus protested as he attempted to sit up, but Ratchet pushed him back down. "Ratchet..." he growled in warning.
"Don't you lip me!" the lime green mech snapped, causing Rodimus to lift an optic ridge. "Primus, you're becoming as stubborn as Optimus when he refused to sit down while I scanned him in the past."
Amusement flickered in Optimus' optics, but he seemed to wisely ignore Ratchet's grumpy tone.
"What happened anyway?" Rodimus asked, glancing over to Ratchet. "I-I remember blacking out and then... I was somewhere I had never even been before."
"Quite honestly, Rodimus," Ratchet explained, "you died."
"I died?" Rodimus screeched as he bolted upright and nearly hit Ironhide in the face this time. "What do you mean I died? I was here the whole time! I was just somewhere else!"
"Keep your voice down, youngling," Ironhide hissed impatiently. "You're attracting too much attention, and we know you have an explanation as to what happened to your spark. To be perfectly honest" –he glanced over at Optimus– "Optimus was the only one who seemed calm about the whole situation while Ratchet was busy freaking out like a monkey with a flea problem."
"I was not!" Ratchet snapped loudly, but they all ignored him.
Rodimus glanced around the room and noticed onlookers were drawing closer to investigate what had happened to their new Prime. He glanced over at the others and sighed. "Can we go somewhere private without having to have anyone listening in on our conversation? This matter is... confidential."
Prowl nodded as he stood up and headed over to Mirage. He whispered something to the ruby spy, who gave his response before Prowl returned to their side. Arcee and Bumblebee helped Rodimus back onto his pedes.
"We'll head to my quarters," Optimus suggested. "No one will bother us while we are there."
"Lead the way, Optimus," Ironhide said, earning a nod from his old friend.
Together, the group headed towards Optimus' quarters, with Rodimus being helped by Bumblebee and Sideswipe. His arms were draped over them as he relied on them to support his weight. After having been in the Matrix for Primus who knows how long, Rodimus didn't fully have the strength in his legs to walk, but at least he had the tendency to look over to Arcee and see her concerned facial expression.
Ever since he had became Prime, Rodimus hadn't even seen Arcee as much as he liked. It was almost like as if she had been avoiding him most of the time. He missed her company, but his lessons with the officers had prevented him from hanging out on their usual race day. He then remembered that he hadn't had the race that he'd promised his guardians and Arcee. Frag, no wonder why she was avoiding him!
As soon as he was done talking with them, he would talk with Arcee, Bumblebee, and Sideswipe as soon as he could. Right now, the main thing was getting this problem sorted out as soon as possible.
They arrived at Optimus' quarters and the former Autobot commander locked up the door to prevent anyone else from disturbing them while they talked. Bumblebee and Sideswipe carefully set Rodimus down on the couch while they stood on either side of him, with Arcee sitting next to him, and Optimus, Ironhide, Ratchet, and Prowl sat on the couch on the opposite side.
"Alright, Rodimus," Prowl sighed, "we are out of earshot. Tell us what happened to your spark."
Rodimus pinched the bridge of his nose plate and rubbed his optics to clear his thoughts. It was going to be difficult explaining this to them. What if they didn't believe him and think he was crazy? Despite Arcee gently rubbing his back in between his doorwings, he still felt uneasy. But it was best to get it over and done with before the officers lost their patience with him.
"You're probably going think I'm crazy," he began, "but what happened to me was that my spark was sent into the Matrix of Leadership, there I met... someone who was part of the Dynasty of Primes."
"The Dynasty of Primes?" Ratchet cried. "But they've been dead for thousands of ano-cycles! How could they speak to you after all this time? They've never once contacted Optimus during his time as Prime. Why would they be talking to you instead?"
Optimus raised a hand to quieten Ratchet. "It is true that the Dynasty have never spoken with me during my time as Prime," he explained calmly. "But there were times when I used the collective wisdom of the fallen leaders to aid me through negotiations and other dire situations. However, I have never spoken with my ancestors."
He bowed his head and motioned to Rodimus to continue, and that they were listening without interrupting him.
Rodimus thanked Optimus before he continued, "This member of the Dynasty was unlike anything I had ever seen before. He was a lot bigger than me or Optimus, but... he shone with intense light and his optics burned a bright blue. Anyway, he came up to me and told me that I still have another task to complete before before we are to prepare for the new arrivals that are heading to Earth in ten years time."
"What did he tell you?" Arcee asked as she continued to rub his back, giving him encouragement.
"He said that... if we are to build our new home – Autobot City – then I must first recreate the alliance between the Autobots and humans," Rodimus answered sombrely, his head bowing until he was looking at the floor.
Arcee gasped while Bumblebee and Sideswipe talked to each other excitedly in Cybertronian. Ironhide, Ratchet, and Prowl were in complete shock, while Optimus just looked on stoically. It was as if the officers were thinking exactly what he wanted to say. "That's absurd," Ironhide growled. "There's no way in Pit we'll be able to ally ourselves with the humans again, not after what happened back in Chicago!"
"I, for once, agree with Ironhide," Prowl nodded. "It completely goes against the importance of keeping our location a secret at all costs in order to protect ourselves. The humans still don't trust us after what had happened, and the alliance is fragile enough as it is."
"But I like the name Autobot City," Bumblebee put in thoughtfully. "It sounds like a beautiful vision."
"We cannot build Autobot City on human land unless we get their permission first," Optimus said softly. He was looking at Rodimus with his arms folded across his chest and he was leaning back in his chair, his lips in a thin line. "The humans have become wary of us after what happened to them, and I cannot blame them for that. That is why I cut off the NEST alliance between us in order to protect my people and the humans. It was better to hide from them and prevent the Decepticons from finding our location. However, it would seem that they have found us and we will need to find a new place to live."
"So... you agree with me, Optimus?" Rodimus asked.
"I am not saying that I don't agree with your idea, Rodimus," Optimus replied. "But as I said, without the humans' permission, that idea cannot come into being. I'm sorry, Rodimus."
Rodimus sighed, his thoughts going out to the Dynasty of Primes, I tried... He then picked himself up off the couch, wobbling on his pedes, but he ignored the stinging sensation in his legs. His guardians and Arcee followed after him with concern just as he opened the door.
"Rodimus," Optimus called, stopping him from going any further.
The young Prime turned to face him with pain in his cyan optics.
"While your vision of Autobot City is a hopeful one," Optimus explained, "we cannot move forward with it until we work out a way to see that we are not the monsters they think we are."
Rodimus was thoughtful for a moment as he considered how to answer to what Optimus had just said. Finally, he answered, "I will find a way, Optimus, to somehow convince the human leaders that we Autobots are here to help defend them and their planet." He slapped the Autobot symbol in the middle of his chest plates. "That you can be sure of."
He was about to leave again when he remembered and he turned back to Optimus, a smile forming on his lips. "Oh, and the member of the Dynasty wanted me pass on a message to you."
Optimus raised an optic ridge. "What is it?" he asked.
"He was very proud of you for what you had done in the past and that he will be watching over you and your family in the many vorns to come," Rodimus quoted.
Shock was written all over Optimus' facial features, but Rodimus wasn't done yet as he looked over to Prowl. "Prowl, you're in charge until I get back," he told the vice commander. "I'm going for a drive for a while, as I need some time to myself."
He then immediately departed with Sideswipe, Bumblebee, and Arcee following close behind him. Despite the discussions that were going on back in the quarters, he pushed them to the back of his processor, even the voices within the Matrix ceased to be nothing more than just a nagging feeling at the back of his cranium.
He was eternally grateful for his guardians and Arcee's company. He reminded himself to ask the byzantine femme why she was avoiding him. But it seemed like after his little trip down into the Matrix, she was willing to talk with him again. He understood her concern, and he was glad of it.
Once they were outside, Rodimus found himself gazing up at the sky where the morning sun was just rising from beyond the mountains. Rodimus realised that the snow was beginning to melt and it took him a moment to notice that spring had finally come at last after a long, harsh winter. And with spring's arrival, it was the beginning of something entirely new.
It was the beginning of a future.
He hadn't noticed that someone had placed a hand upon his shoulder until he looked to who had. He wasn't surprised to see it was Bumblebee. Bumblebee was looking at him with a brotherly passion that made him feel much better inside and forget about the discomfort in his legs.
"Don't worry, Rodimus," the yellow mech smiled, "Sideswipe, Arcee, and I will always be by your side no matter what decision you're going to make."
Rodimus gave his guardian a warm smile of gratitude.
Arcee came up alongside him and wrapped her arms around his chassis, leaning her head into his neck. "We will stick with you through thick and thin, Rodimus," she told him. "Just like we've always had since I first met you. Together we can accomplish anything."
The young Prime leaned into the comfort of his friends as they watched the sunrise for a little while longer, the snow melting faster than usual and the air was warming to a suitable temperature. He closed his optics and felt the warm rays touching his ruby red and amber yellow armour, making it glow in the sunlight with a beautiful healthiness.
He then opened his optics and turned back to his friends. "Autobots," he declared, "it's time to transform."
Arcee, Bumblebee, and Sideswipe look at each other for a moment until they burst out laughing. Bumblebee playfully mock salutes and complies by transforming into his bright yellow Camaro form. Sideswipe and Arcee shift to their silver Corvette Stingray and byzantine McLaren MP4-12C forms. They rev their engines powerfully, but Rodimus felt that none were as powerful as his own. None were as loud as his own. Well, except Optimus of course.
He too transformed into his amber flamed and ruby red Ford GX1. He revved his engine loudly that would have had humans covering their ears. But the young Prime didn't care as he gave the final order for his group: "Roll out!"
With loud honks of excitement from behind him, Rodimus drives forward and onto the road with his three friends following close behind him. And as they drove towards their destination, they were unaware of a figure who was watching them from the entrance of the Autobot base.
A small smile of love flowed from the former Autobot commander's optics as he watched the four friends disappear into the horizon, their engines growing fainter with each mile they drove. "Your rising to becoming Prime is just beginning, Rodimus, for dark days loom ahead of you."
He gazed up at the sky longingly, a faraway look in his optics as a single tear rolled down his cheek.
"And for all of us."
A/N: I must thank everyone for sticking with this story to it's very end. As you may know, this is only just the beginning of Rodimus' story as we march on forward to the second part of the Trilogy. For those that stuck with Roddy's story since the beginning, I must thank you from the bottom of my heart and that you will continue to follow his story until the very end.
However, I've decided to do a midquel story that takes place during the ten year gap that passes in between "Birth" and "Future". It tells of how Rodimus accomplishes the task that will direct him towards his destiny. The title is known as "Prime", as it will surround Rodimus' adventures and learning life's important lessons on being Prime, a good friend, and loyal Autobot before we move onto "Future". If you guys would like to see it or you don't want that, the please place your vote in the poll on my profile. I'd greatly appreciate your honesty.
Special thanks to: RazormusPrime for taking the time to making Roddy fanart - including a full body deisgn. 1HotRod for pointing out my mistakes and giving me encouragement when I need it. Prowls-little-angel for being so quick to respond to my chapters whenever they come up. Redconvoy who took the time to read my story when I least expected it, one who I deeply respect for his humorous Yu-Gi-Oh! fanfic "What Would Yugi Do?". And to everyone else I couldn't name due to being a "Guest". Thank you all so much! My heart goes out to you all in gratitude. I could not have done this without your continuous support and love. Roddy humbly thanks you too from the bottom of his spark!