Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers, the movies, cartoons, shows, etc. All I own are my crazy thoughts and theories about this wonderful fandom that I love beyond the stars. As well as any OCs that may pop up in the chapters and from the depraved depths of my soul/mind.

Started: 5/17/18

Published: 12/3/20

Story: Life is full of wicked turns...

Chapter Warnings: Deaths of two Primes

Chapter Eleven: To Meet in the Past

Previously:

~?Cybertronians have a far superior memory recall than humans, remember?~ cyber-Elly rolled her optics, ~Also, memory suppressants and blocks are tricky to get perfect. They are constantly being analyzed and triple-checked against other memories and facts, until it breaks down or inconsistencies become obvious. As our frame settles more, we have been subconsciously analyzing our memories and, well, reformatting them basically.~

~So then what does this mean? Dad was hiding stuff, okay, what parent doesn't hide stuff from their kids?~ human-Elly scoffed.

~The fact that Dad was working with Cybertronians, and/or their technology,~

~That isn't possible, it can't be,~ human-Elly shook her head, ignoring that her hair was floating around her head. ~I came from a universe where Cybertronians didn't exist!~

~?What about this one?~ cyber-Elly tilted her helm, golden optics scrutinizing. Pausing, human-Elly thought that over.

~No, that means Uncle hurt Sammi in this universe too, wait, I'm confused, did everything that happened in my dimension, happen in this one?~

~?Most likely, but can't you remember how strange Dad and Steven acted, whenever you named your electronics?~

~I did that, in this dimension, too?~

~Mom said so,~

~But why? I mean, if I grew up without knowing about Cybertronians here, then why would I…~

~Because Dad was hiding something, and so was Lore,~ Frightened chocolate brown eyes locked with resigned golden optics. ~He didn't tell us a lot, just enough to manipulate us. He put his Spark inside us without our permission, didn't give any hint about his existence until Sideways showed up to terrorize us, made us run away from the Autobots, threatened Prime, and rushed our decision in helping him.~

~Didn't really help him though, did it? Technically he IS dead now, just living inside us,~

~?What do you think he meant though? He told Prime: Do not interfere with my mission. ?What exactly IS a Descent-class, and what is their mission?~

~I don't know! I have too much information in my head right now!~

~?Exactly, I think he expected that, even anticipated it, but why?~

~Perhaps I can shed some light on this issue, young femme,~ Both of them turned, looking around for the deep voice that rumbled around them. ~First, however, I think you had best return as one,~ Turning back to each other, the two raised their hand and servo, touching before melting together. Elly opened her optics, finding herself floating in front of a familiar planet. Cybertron looked like a mix of G1 and Bay, mostly G1, however, with multi-leveled highways forming a grid-like outer frame.

~?Cybertron?~

~?Are you coming, young femme?~ Looking over, she withheld the startled gasp. The mech floating before her was both familiar and not. He was the silent mech from when Avris had yanked her consciousness away, enabling Sharrow to briefly take control of her frame. Half-hidden in the shadows, she hadn't gotten a very good look at him, despite her attention mostly focusing on him. Even now, standing next to him, he seemed to blend into the background, almost like a ghost. What little form she could see, however, was shocking, especially once he moved closer to her side.

For one, he was large, very large. She barely reached his hip in height, and she knew that they were at the odd human-sized altered reality from before. That meant he was easily over ten feet, which meant he could easily have been larger than Optimus back on Cybertron. Another startling fact: his frame was very similar to her own, except where she took on feathers and a more avian form, his was more of a dragon/reptilian form. Staring up at the horns that curved around his helm, she suddenly felt the urge to swallow.

~Predacon,~ she realized, optics widening as his own flashed with dark humor. He wasn't part of the Decepticon gestalt that called themselves that, no, he was from the feral frame-type, the Predacons that had supposedly gone extinct long before the Golden Age of Cybertron.

~Indeed, but do not look so frightened, young femme, after all, I will not harm a Halfling, and certainly not one of my own,~

~?Wait, what?~

~I see you misread your frame scan, understandable, truly,~ His words held a rough, growling undertone, with a lingering accent similar and yet far gentler than Sharrow's archaic one. ~You are half Seeker, and half Predacon, hence your unique frame-type. I have little doubt that the medic noticed the strange anatomy as well, but noted it as an oddity due to your, organic, origin.~

~?Huh?~

~There is a reason we possess more than one gestation chamber, young femme, but that is for another time and place,~ his optics turned to Cybertron, an unfamiliar expression passing over his faceplates. ~As Heir to the Lore, there is much you must learn and accept, and I disagreed from the very beginning with Skydawn's choice to, ignore, your education,~

~We didn't have much time, and…~

~?Time?~ he interrupted, an amused glint forming in his optics, ~?What is time? No, young femme, he had plenty of time, he simply chose to rebel in his own way, against our traditions and customs. No, he was not dying as quickly as he claimed, but he had other reasons to rush your decision. Skydawn, while the best Heir in a long time, had his own faults and reasoning against following the rules of our lineage,~

~He mentioned that his Mentor forced 'Oaths of Binding' on him, during his, uh, initiation,~ she answered hesitantly. A low rumble echoed from the mech's lower chassis, his dark scarlet optics glinting once more with humor, before blanking quickly.

~Come young femme,~ he beckoned, one large draconian-wing extending across to wrap around her. His field pulsed and purred around her, surrounding her in a blanket of security yet a touch of warning. Before she could protest, she felt his wing magnetize to her feathered ones, and she was containing a scream as Cybertron suddenly raced towards them. Huddled against his wing, her optics flickered as the 'civilized' cities of Cybertron shrunk, the familiar frames becoming fewer and fewer as the surface turned more feral, except for one majestic point. They landed easily inside a beautiful temple-like city, shining brightly like new, surrounded in majestic gardens of colorful crystal gardens. ~This is the original Simfur, unfortunately it was destroyed not much longer than this time now. In the future, only the temple is rebuilt exactly to these precise measurements, and eventually, smaller versions will be built in future cities.~

~It's, beautiful,~ she stared around in awe.

~Indeed, however, we had best get moving,~ His wing nudged her forward, as he began effortlessly guiding her through the halls. Her optics focused on everything she could see, attempting to memorize the alien architecture, and put into words the immense feelings of love and peace filling her Spark. ~This way, young femme,~ Her audials twitched, her focus landing on the large archway that they were heading towards, even as his words began to sink in. He hadn't called her a femmeling, or a little femme, or any other such childish or affectionate names. Instead, young femme was meant as a respectful formal address, there to distinguish propriety. Glancing up at him, noting the black and gray coloration, and odd, etherealness, he seemed to emanate, she suddenly began questioning just how ancient he was.

~?You haven't introduced yourself, is there a designation I may address you by?~ she asked, even as they stepped into the large round room, filled with shelves containing what appeared to be scrolls and books, as well as datapads.

~You may address me simply as Second,~ he rumbled, wing withdrawing and settling against his back as he moved towards the central round table. It took a long moment before she connected it, staring at him in shock. This was the second Mentor of Lore's, and her, Descent lineage? She absently followed him when he made a chuffing, almost purring sound, which seemed oddly cajoling. Stepping to his side, once again blanking at how large he was, she nearly jumped when heavy pede-steps entered the room behind them. Turning, feeling her crest flare, she froze as the familiar mech stepped towards the table, his dark blue optics dim in thought as he shifted the thin metal scrolls to the side. Behind him, a younger mech appeared, holding a pile of archaic datapads in his arms, even as he rattled off various meetings that had been scheduled.

"…You also have that meeting with Onyx Prime, he seemed to be irritated since you rescheduled twice before on him, he made me swear that you would join him in the next joor. Also, Solus Prime wanted your opinion on the different schematic designs that Alchemist Prime had put forward for those new living quarters, and of course, Amalgamous Prime has once again moved Quintus Prime's tools around, and Nexus Prime is claiming no participation in such pranks," the mech rattled off, very similarly to how Elly imagined Bluestreak would, without pausing for any semblance of breath.

"?Thank you Writ, however, did you schedule my appointment with the others like I asked?"

"!Of course sir!" the smaller mech puffed up, she couldn't tell from pride or the sheer nerve that the elder mech thought he hadn't. "!They all responded positively, they will be waiting to join you and Onyx Prime within the next three breems!"

"Good, good, off you go then, youngling," he shooed the dismayed mech away, faceplates soft and warm, an affectionate look in his optics. Once the other had left, the mech turned back to the table, tapping his fingers slowly in thought. "?Brother Vector, will you speak with me?"

"Of course Brother Alpha," another mech stepped from a shimmer in the air. He was primarily white, with red and gold accents and designs on his armor, his main blade holstered on his back.

~?!Wait, is that, Vector Prime?!~ Elly hissed softly, tugging on Second's wrist, ~?!Then that means that is Alpha Trion, right?!~ he ignored her, continuing to observe stoically.

"Tell me your thoughts on this plan, Brother,"

"I approve of Onyx's request, however, I did warn him that his Sect would fall."

"As tragic as that is, they do fall with honor," Alpha Trion hummed once more, glancing down at the Covenant in deep thought before reaching for a similar but more worn journal. "Brother, I am leery of revealing this to our Brethren, however, Brother Onyx has reassured me that you will keep this secret,"

"He did mention that you had something to speak to me about," he moved around the table to Alpha Trion's side, his optics locked on the journal that the other Prime kept his servo on. "?Word from Primus, the Holy Lord?"

"Indeed, Brother, and it is, alarming," he slowly opened the book, turning the thin sheets of metal, until two pages appeared amidst the scribbling of notes in what appeared to be Alpha's script. These pages were odd, written in a blue ink that shimmered in the light, unlike the rest of the matte black ink. "I did not realize how I missed these pages, but they were not written in the Covenant, only in my personal Chronicle, look," Vector and Elly both leaned forward, watching the pages for a long moment, before a golden script slowly formed, over the lines of blue glyphs. It formed an image of an oval brooch-like item. What appeared to be an engraved magic circle design was present on the cover, with an inside view as well. The internal part of the 'brooch' was simple, twelve small jewels encircled a central round jewel. Besides the clear blueprints for this object, however, there was also writing forming. Elly tilted her helm, noting that while Alpha's writing was beautiful, even his version of chicken-scratch notes, this script seemed to flourish perfectly, as though it wasn't made by mortal servos, but simply thought into existence.

"?What does it say?"

"It reads as follows: 'Blessed are my children, thirteen borne. Alas one, then, must be torn. Through trials and doubt, they grow strong and wither. Until all live and die together. One shall stand, and he shall give. His Spark kept safe within. Til All Are One.'"

"?What does it mean?"

"I do not know, Brother,"

'Primus doesn't really know how to rhyme,' Elly internally giggled, 'Or write poetry, I guess,' She felt a nudge of amusement brush against her mind, her optics catching just a flicker of an amused smile cross Vector Prime's lips, before he carefully went blank. Blinking, staring at the Prime, Elly noted that he seemed too blank. Feeling Second's field brush against her side, she glanced up to see him watching her with a touch of amusement in his optics, while the rest of his face remained neutral.

~Come,~ he tilted his chin. Shifting from pede-to-pede, she followed as the two Primes walked out of the room, chatting quietly as they traversed down the long hall. As they did so, Elly noted their surroundings become blurred, before a soft chuckle echoed behind and above her. Sensors twitching, she turned her helm, only to see Vector pacing beside her, his optics glancing down to wink at her.

~W-wha?!~

~An interesting language, or rather an interesting species, you are,~ he rumbled, even as Second huffed a short laugh ahead of them. ~It is truly fascinating how alike our species are,~ he continued, one servo reaching out to gently push her forward. Elly numbly started walking again, not realizing in her shock that she had paused. ~Greetings young Heir, I have been waiting to meet you for some time,~ his lips twitched once more, in humor. Closing her mouth with a soft click, Elly blinked as her mind helpfully reminded her that Vector was the Guardian of Space and Time. Looking over at Second, she vented loudly at his previous hints.

~?Lore was one of your students, wasn't he?~ she asked, giving Second a momentary gimlet optic. The elder gave her an unimpressed glance back, clearly unmoved by the weak facial movement.

~You are partially mistaken,~ Vector corrected, tilting his helm, ~Lore is a title that you have inherited, which we will teach you more about in about a breem,~ he interrupted before she could say anything, ~Skydawn was indeed one of my students, he had a true gift for the manipulation of time and space. It was a pity that he became Lore instead of part of my own Phase. I still trained him, however, with some help from the others. In fact, it was Onyx who led him to you,~ he revealed. Elly blinked at him, mind whirling around the facts that simple, ordinary, boring, human-her, had several Primes interested and actively interfering with her life.

~You are confusing her more,~ Second's voice held a hint of scolding, making Vector chuckle and nod sagely.

~Indeed, and therefore, it is best she sees this meeting.~ He pressed her forward into another meeting room, much larger than the other, with five mechs surrounding an interactive table/console. Elly had to bite her glossa, staring intently at each mech, slowly piecing together their identities. Alpha Trion was inputting codes into the console, making several files open at optic-level, on floating holographic screens. As he did so, Vector stood across from him, also inputting several files, nodding as a Minicon chatted his audial off on his left side. On Vector's right, there was a mech that held the aura of a scientist. To the left of the Minicon, whom she was certain was in fact Micronus Prime, there was a more beast-styled mech. Her optics wandered over his frame intently, the mask that was magnetized to his side immediately catching her attention.

'That must by Onyx Prime!' she internally giggled, 'With his Triptych Mask!' she knew she was fangirling, but she couldn't resist. 'Let's see, Onyx Prime, he's the spiritual being able to see Sparks, times, places, and the afterlife with his mask. Micronus Prime, the first Minicon, he could power-link and increase another's power, but he was also known as the wise conscience. Vector Prime, the guardian of time and space. I think that's Alchemist, no, wait, that must be Quintus Prime! He has the Emberstone, which creates life.' Her attention briefly focused on a larger mech that entered, parts of his frame oddly mismatched, an easy smile lighting up his faceplates as he immediately began poking and prodding at Quintus. 'Nexus Prime, the first one to be able to combine,' Her servos clasped in front of her chassis as she watched, oblivious of the two mechs observing her from behind.

=She is very young,= Vector noted, optics flashing. He noted the slight flicker of tolerant patience within Second's EM field, even as he nodded once, his optics locked on the small frame between them. =That is not necessarily a terrible quality,=

=She should still be protected in the Den by her Matriarch and Set,= he immediately protested, sending a potent but ineffective glare at the amused Prime.

=You forget, just like the 'Autobots' that she was originally organic,= he reminded gently, amused at the slight flinch. He had been observing the young femmeling, a little longer than the human's time period of a month, before her conversion. He had helped Skydawn transfer her Spark, after all, and had even transferred her off-lined frame into a pocket dimension. Unlike the youngling, he knew that they needed to cover that particular trail, in order to protect the new Heir. Returning his focus back to before, it had intrigued and amused him, at how the mechs kept reacting to her. They kept utilizing their scans, and forgetting that she wasn't a Cybertronian femme, but an organic that had undergone bio-conversion. Until they realized that, they were going to keep treating her as a femmeling, and causing unnecessary drama. It wasn't their fault, however, he gave them some credit. Her EM field screamed femmeling, with no discrepancies that hinted towards her organic origin. She wasn't the first organic that was bio-converted by Descent-classed mechs, although she was the first to adapt so quickly.

What they didn't realize though, was that her over-active EM field was purposefully programmed, to keep her from being isolated amongst Cybertronians, as well as to give her a form of protection. It is by one's EM field that one's 'age' is determined, mostly, by their kind after all. Unlike humans, their frames do not show many signs of aging, indeed, their frames could survive eons under the best circumstances. By reading a Cybertronian's EM field, one could potentially 'settle' one into a rough age group. Her EM field roughly read her as a youngling almost fully matured, but with experiences of an older femme. The suppressed memories she held, particularly the violent ones, made her field darker or thicker, versus the playful and joyful lightness that her Spark felt, like when she was interacting with the Scout. Also, a more controlled field indicated either age, or blatant manipulation of said field. There were few whom could naturally manipulate their fields seamlessly, the saboteur Jazz, for instance.

It was more common for Cybertronians to 'reign in' their field instead, keeping it close to their frame and sending out the messages they wanted, rather than allowing everyone to 'see' their emotions outright. Most keep their field about two or three human feet around themselves, granting them their privacy while interacting with others in a limited and non-overbearing practical way. The only ones who really didn't do this were those who had nothing really to hide, or were too young to know how to reign it in. With the mechs reading her field like a datapad, they had little fear of her suddenly glitching and going homicidal, or having more than enough time to prepare for it, if she did. Like with Sharrow.

=Prime,= his optics blinked, re-focusing on Second's amused ones, before he tilted his helm. Looking up, he repressed the smile, his field instinctively stilling, even as he attempted to press his amusement down. The femmeling had crept closer and closer to his Brothers, her EM field lit up with curiosity, awe, and an eager excitement as she examined them up close and personal. She seemed to favor Onyx with most of her attention, he noted, however she also seemed intrigued by the designs on his own frame, which reminded him to explain Blazing and Marking to her as well. He knew the Medic had yet to really sit down and chat with her, especially after his young Brother's Directive. He loved Optimus, but the youngling was quite naïve, and unfortunately, he mistook the femmeling as both a failure and potential threat to his comrades. Perhaps he should intervene before his Brother's helm filled with more doubts? A moment's pause, before he shook his helm. It would be good to see his Brother's confusion over this simple matter, and once the femmeling understood precisely what they expected of her, he was certain she would accept the duties, hopefully with her usual playful and affectionate humor.

~They are about to begin, young one,~ he called. Her wings flared a bit, even as her helm-sensors drooped in disappointment as she backed up to rest between them again. He noted, along with Second's knowing glance, that she felt quite comfortable between the much larger mechs, although that did not stop her from exploring once she received no scolding for wandering off. It was part of her Predacon coding, Vector knew, as such a rare specimen as a femme Predacon, it was instinctive and protective coding for her to remain with her 'Set' or clan, constantly surrounded by mechs, while also being the Spark of their Cluster.

"Brothers," Onyx's warm voice quieted the room, his solemn faceplates turning to look at each mech, his golden optics locking with each for a moment. "We are here to finalize our input into this plan,"

"Indeed Brother," Alpha dipped his helm, easily taking the lead. "As Brother Onyx has stated, the time has come. Each of us has contributed, each of us has agreed to take responsibility for our own Sect. As it was his idea, I encourage Brother Onyx to begin."

"As all of you are aware, my Triptych Mask enables me to see various visions, including the afterlife. I foresee a terrible war, one that brings much pain and destruction. To combat this, there is a small group, known to the mass population of our people as mere myth. They are designated Descent-class,"

'The origins of the Descent-class?' Elly thought, listening intently.

"They must not become known, nor our part in creating them. Tragedy and misery are the only outcomes should it become known," he continued, sorrow making his voice deepen. The others nodded, looking solemn and accepting the consequences. "They hide within sight, protecting with no thought of glory, merely for our people's sake."

"We understand Brother," they agreed. For a long moment, each seemed lost in thought, before Micronus perked up.

"The protection of our people is primary, however, each of our Sects has its own goals as well. ?Has every mech inputted their files?" All but Nexus nodded, the sixth Prime grinning briefly before doing so. Once he nodded an affirmative, the smallest Prime brought up the images each had painstakingly worked on. Each Prime had a simple frame-type displayed on their screens before them, as well as their notes and guidelines. "?Who shall begin?" he questioned, nearly jumping up and down in excitement.

"Firstly, I believe we should name our Sects," Quintus blinked slowly, venting once he noted Nexus's messy scribbling he called notes. "That will enable us to explain more easily."

"Agreed," Vector brought up his screen, allowing it to take precedence. "I have chosen mine to be known as the Phase. Their primary functions will serve as intermediators between our Sects. As they shall be trained in the manipulation of time and space, they would be excellent messengers and information gatherers." As he spoke, they read his notes, observed the benefits of the specific frame-type and modifications most of his Sect would possess, as well as the other information he had decided would be necessary for their duties.

"A good function," Quintus dipped his helm, "I have designated mine as Hunters. They will be the silent guardians, constantly seeking and eliminating threats to our people." Again, as he spoke, his plans took over the console, allowing them to see the meticulously organized information.

"?Do you believe that there will be many threats to our people?" Nexus remained focused on the weapons and training modifications, which Quintus had dedicated most of his notes on.

"Brother Onyx has assured us. ?Did he not just claim that much suffering and pain will befall our future descendants?" his tone was icy with thinly-veiled scorn.

"Indeed he did," Alpha intervened, calming the perfectionist scientist and giving Nexus a brief look.

"As such, I have also chosen my Sect to be guardians. They are the Wardens, specifically to protect our weakest parts of the population. Their primary function will be as defenders of the young and the city-formers." The prankster-at-Spark was unusually somber as they read his notes on his Sect

"?Your city-formers will be some of the largest, yet you feel they require extra protection? ?The young ones I understand, but them?" Quintus scoffed, crossing his arms over his chassis.

"Brother Quintus," It was Micronus's tone that made the scientist back down, his optics lowering briefly as he flinched. "You are well aware that Brother Nexus's brethren will be the gentlest of all, although large and powerful. They must if they will permit our people to live within them."

"Forgive me Brother, I did not mean offense,"

"You are forgiven Brother. I am well aware of your dedication to this project, you have pressed your frame and brilliant processors to their maximum capacity to bring this to life." Nexus reached over and clasped his shoulder, his warm optics glowing. Quintus's shoulders slumped, exhaustion and stress apparent in his frame, now that he was not hiding it.

"Brother Onyx," Micronus returned to slightly jumping up and down.

"My Sect will be the Keepers. Their duties will be to gather dangerous artifacts and to prevent them from being used unwisely." His optics turned, expectantly, towards Alpha, whom stroked the mustache-like metal over his lips.

"Ah, I have decided on the Lore," he smiled. Elly's sensors fluffed up, her optics focusing on the rough schematics. "It will take a bit of cooperation, however, I feel the need for more than our budding Archives to gather and protect information and our history." All of them took a moment to read through the sparse information he had noted down.

"Of course you would desire each of your Lore to become a living library and index," Nexus teased. As Alpha teased back, the others shook their helms, the mood lightening.

"?Brother Micronus, I believe you were ready for your contribution?" Onyx calmed the group, an amused glint in his optics even as he shifted in preparation.

"!Yes! !I call them, the Micron!" the Minicon grinned brightly as his plans replaced Alpha's, all their optics locked on the screens for a long moment. Elly blinked, then blinked again, before tilting her helm.

'What, the, frag, is, that?' she wondered. There were two frames, firstly, and neither were humanoid, or really Cybertronian. The first, and larger one, was an armored giant isopod, as a basic body comparison. The back end was shaped similarly to a scorpion, leading up to a segmented armored back, with three ridges up to its helm, like a horse-shoe crab. Eight pairs of segmented legs ending in a pointed claw, with two larger pincer-like front claws, like a lobster or crab and two pairs of smaller claws protecting the mandibles, with the flat horned helm. Several pairs of antennae jutted out in front of large, multi-faceted orange optics. This one had bio-luminescent markings that glowed and flashed bright orange, in comparison to its dull rusty coloration.

The second frame was slightly smaller, and only slightly, if you did not count the rippling mesh-like sac that extended it to almost twice its length. Similar to the first frame, this one was built wider, with smaller ridges along its back, with a poisonous green bioluminescent markings and larger multi-faceted green optics. It also had the same rusty dull coloration, except with bright green stripes along its armored back. Its horned helm, however, had a larger crest, the points of which were darkened, with tiny pinprick holes.

"?Micronus, what the frag is that?" Nexus leaned in closer, optics staring at the image with his field buzzing with confusion. Vector also looked bemused, his helm tilted even as his optics dimmed.

"!I call it a Crustacon! I am planning on having four major clans of Crustacea, they are dedicated in keeping Cybertron's inner workings and core in working order. I felt that while all of you were more interested in utilizing Cybertronians for your Sects, these Crustacons will be what I call symbionts. They may not possess the higher cognitive reasoning as us, however, they will focus on their Spark callings, as well as the Holy Lord's desires. They will keep our Descents on the correct paths." He beamed as all of them stared at him, undeterred even as they waited for a punchline that wasn't coming.

"I see," Alpha was the first to reason out that he wasn't joking, however, the amused look on Onyx's faceplates indicated that he had already been aware of their smallest Brother's plan. "Very well,"

"You are joking, Alpha," Quintus deadpanned, then groaned, "You are not joking. Fine, be as it may, allow Micronus's fancy to come to life,"

"That is the spirit, Brother," Nexus slapped his shoulder, grinning slightly, even as he grumbled about foolish Minicons. "I believe this ends our meeting. ?The next time, I assume, will be when Vector, Onyx, and Alpha have determined when to create our Sects?"

"Indeed Brother," that said, most of them left. Vector, Alpha, and Onyx remained behind, studiously looking over the schematics, before Vector waved his servo. The walls shimmered lightly, forming a cube-like shield over the room, before they looked solemnly at each other.

"Brother Alpha," Onyx stepped around the console, even as Vector shut down the screens. The Beast Prime pulled free an object from his subspace, staring at it intently, before holding it out to the first Archivist. He accepted it, turning the familiar oval brooch around in his fingers, his field closely drawn in and guarded. "Sister Solus crafted it with little questions, although she did add some protective glyphs to it."

"I see," he held it a moment longer, then popped the cover off. His vents stuttered, seeing the jewels glowing softly, pulsing rhythmically, except for the central one. That one remained dull and empty. "?How?"

"That would be Brother Vector," the two looked at the solemn guardian of time, his optics dark with grief. "Our crystallized Sparks, fragments that you gathered as we died,"

"They are the only parts of us that are now multi-singularities. There is only one Lock, in all the versions of reality, and all their dimensions, that is the only one of its kind,"

"His Spark is not yet here, though," Alpha rubbed his thumb against the central crystal, his optics dimmed.

"When he chooses to return to the Well, that is when I will approach him," Vector assured, reaching forward and gently taking the brooch, sealing the cover, before slipping it away.

"?Brother Thirteen will continue with his plan then? ?He will sacrifice himself as he is now, to be reincarnated for the future?"

"It is his desire," Onyx intoned, but pain flickered in his field. "I, too, am feeling weary. This, will protect him from that, however. Our greatest Descent, they will guard our Sparks, our Thirteen," As he finished speaking, the world blurred, their surroundings shifting, until the three of them stood in a hall. Elly blinked, feeling Vector and Second's presences on either side of her, before her shoulders were caught. Looking up and back, giving the Prime a curious look, she paused at seeing the look of grief and pain cross his face. Looking forward, she could see the Allspark floating majestically on its stand. Further back, she could see what could only be the Well of Sparks. Grief filled the air of the temple, cries and sobs echoing against the walls. That was when she spotted the frame.

A beautiful femme, silver hair-like sensors arranged perfectly around her, resting on a slab of metal, as though merely in recharge. By the cries and mourning, and the dull color of her armor, however, Elly knew she wasn't. Her fingers were clasped over the hilt of a huge hammer, the glyphs lighting up sporadically, before sadly dying once more. Off to the side, Vector stood, servos clenched, even as he spoke quietly to another. Elly's optics flickered, staring at Optimus Prime, albeit a much younger one that was free of many of the burdens of war. No, this was Thirteen, as he was known in this time. She could see his Spark crying, however, and knew that he felt the grief of his only Sister's demise.

~He has chosen his path,~ the Vector beside her intoned, before their surroundings blurred again. They stood closer to the Well, Onyx joining the two Primes. Thirteen offered them both a calm and gentle look, before his optics dropped down to the small brooch in Vector's servo.

"I understand, my Brothers, and I accept." He murmured, before opening his chassis. Vector held out the brooch, part of Thirteen's Spark detaching from his chassis, to swirl and ignite inside the central crystal.

"It will be guarded," Vector promised, holding it close to his own Spark for a long moment.

"We will meet again. Until all are one," the youngest Prime reassured, before nodding to Onyx. The Beast Prime stepped forward, even as Thirteen turned to the Well, releasing the rest of his Spark into it. His frame stiffened as he left it, before Onyx tenderly caught it, closing his chassis, and giving Vector a nod before carrying their Brother's empty frame to the catacombs. Vector vented heavily before turning to them, holding out the brooch and staring at Elly's devastated face.

She idly realized that he was no longer behind her, holding her shoulders, and preventing her from moving. Her Spark was hurting, she realized, reaching up to cup her chassis. She had just witnessed the equivalent ceremony of a funeral viewing, for Solus, and then the willing sacrificial suicide of her favorite Prime. She hadn't even realized her attempt to rush forward and stop it, only the painful dents in her shoulders from where Vector had held her back, were proof.

~?I understand, showing me the beginning of the Descent-class, but why did you show me that?~ her voice was faint, the grief within her Spark easily read in her field and optics.

~The Lock chooses who protects it,~ Vector blinked his optics, warmth filling them.

~!I still don't see why you had to show me that!~

~Femme,~ she turned, biting her glossa, to look at Second. He stared her down for a moment, before nodding to her chassis. Looking down, she blinked when she felt something pulse within her servos. Opening them, her fingers trembled when she realized the brooch was comfortably cupped in her palms.

~He chose you to guard his Spark, young femme,~ Vector dipped his helm, even as she stared aghast.

~Wait, how, I didn't take it, and you didn't give it to me,~ she babbled.

~As I said, our Brother chose you to safeguard his Spark,~

~?!WHAT?!~

"Hello" = speaking

'Hello' = thoughts

=Hello= = com-links

[Hello] = radio

~Hello~ = internal com

"Bold" = spoken Common

Whew! Sorry for the long wait. Hope y'all enjoy the update!

Stay Creative!

Firefly