A/N:
Surprise! I've returned for a totally random update that I suddenly had the whim to write! Enjoy as my muse continues to tear me away from my other short stories and novels which have been pre-occupying my time away from fanfiction.

If you're still following this story in all its LONG twists and turns, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart! You are amazing :)

-2Tame a River


Chapter 41: Stasis


Galvatron watched as Elita One tenderly traced the delicate first page of the most ancient book in the universe. The Book of Alsparks. For a moment, he reflected on how truly marvelous it was that one book alone was capable of containing detailed answers to all of the world's darkest mysteries. He recalled how finding it had been one of his most crowning moments as Megatron. His pride in that moment had evoked more powerful feelings within him than any victory he had attained during his glory days in the gladiator pits. And yet, despite his excitement for being the first to locate the book of legend, he had not the guts to open it, nor to read a single line on its frail pages. Megatron's only concern those days was getting to it before Optimus Prime, and hiding it somewhere the Prime would never be able to find. Even then, Galvatron had refused to face the truth of his actions.

The almighty Megatron was too cowardly to face the ultimate truths within the ancient writings. Why? Because a part of him dreaded that the Book would prove he was wrong. That his cause was unjust. That the Decepticons were an ill conceived crusade with no truth to back them. That all his hard work, and all of his followers, his devoted servants, were following principles built upon lies. For the Book of Alsparks was said to be the laws written down by the Primes. Written by the Fallen himself, were the rules of conduct for how to run Cybertron, and how to govern every soul upon it. Megatron could not stomach a reality where the Fallen's own words might oppose the Decepticon way.

Such was the weight of respect in which Galvatron perceived the book now. Even in Elita One's hands, he could feel the authority emanating from the book across the tomb and into his spark. It whispered to him, as if possessed, speaking ancient words he could not understand. Could Elita hear it too?

"I can't believe we did it," Elita One said. Her words startled Galvatron from his deep musings. She flipped a page and began reading. Galvatron shifted awkwardly.

"Perhaps we ought to return to the safety of the ship," he suggested.

"Feeling anxious?"

"I would prefer to return to the others, lest they think I have put you into some harm," Galvatron admitted.

"Very well." Elita One nodded and closed the book carefully. They then turned to ascend the stairs together. Galvatron led the way but hesitated when a loud whirring noise suddenly started just behind him, followed by a frequency so high pitched it almost blew out his audio receptors. Galvatron spun around and was greeted by the sight of Elita One glowing a bright blue, her face paralyzed in shock, as the Book of Alsparks slowly began to phase into her, transforming her chest region as it inserted itself.

"Elita, what is happening?" Galvatron demanded, not believing his optics.

"I can't move- I-it's taking over!" Elita One managed through a locked denta. Her entire body twitched and convulsed, trying to free itself from this strange paralysis that had taken over as soon as the book had started to enter her. Inch by inch it disappeared into her chest cavity, and Galvatron could only watch. The matter was over in the span of a few nano clicks, and then the book was entirely gone, and Elita's body ceased glowing blue. However, as soon as the mystical light dimmed, so did Elita One's strength. Without any warning, her optics shut down and she collapsed. Galvatron leapt to catch her before she tumbled down the stairs.

"Elita! Elita!" He cried, panic taking hold of his spark. He didn't know what to do.

His cries were immediately heard by Chromia and Soundwave. The pair ducked over to the stairwell and stopped as soon as they saw Galvatron emerge. He held Elita One's unconscious body with trepidation, highly aware of how suspicious this looked.

"What did you DO?" Chromia screeched. The young femmes all gasped.

"Nothing!" Galvatron barked, "I led her to the book as requested and just as we went for the stairs it started to possess her! The book phased inside her," Galvatron explained hastily. Yet even as the words tumbled out from his mouth, he knew his testimony sounded preposterous.

"YOU did something to her!" Chromia snapped, activating her wrist sword without delay and aiming for his throat. Soundwave responded in kind, activating his guns and aiming at her. The young femmes followed suit, activating each of their guns and missiles and in turn aiming them in frantic confusion toward Soundwave and Galvatron.

"Soundwave, stand down," Galvatron said. Soundwave did not listen.

"Set Elita One down now," Chromia ordered, her tone as sharp as the sword she held to Galvatron's throat.

"Chromia, I need you to believe me," Galvatron began calmly, "I caught her right before she could fall. I am just as confused as you as to what happened..." Galvatron was certain that if he lifted his voice for any reason, it would only make matters worse.

"You might have had Elita One fooled, but I. DON'T. TRUST. YOU," Chromia roared, "Now put her down!"

Galvatron had little choice but to comply. Carefully, he lowered Elita One's frame to the moon's surface and stood back two paces. He then flicked an angry glare over to his spy.

"Have your audio receptors taken damage whilst in the Shadowzone? I said stand down, Soundwave."

Soundwave took a half a nano second longer than Galvatron would have liked. But the spindly mech did lower his weapons, deactivating them back into his arms with a swift little flip of his wrists. Chromia was not so keen on lowering her guard.

"Firestar, Greenlight, take Elita One into the ship. The med-bay," Chromia instructed. The femmes did as they were asked, though Galvatron did not miss the loads of caution in their eyes as they approached him. Together, they lifted Elita's limp form and carried her off.

"Moonracer, go fetch the stasis cuffs," Chromia ordered next. Galvatron let out a groan as the young teal femme sped away.

"I understand you are suspicious of me, but I am no more of a threat than I was ten cycles ago," he insisted.

"I'll be the judge of that. With Elita One out of commission, I'm the one in charge. And I say neither of you are going to roam around in my ship freely. If you're truly as friendly as you claim, you won't resist being secured as I see fit."

Galvatron let out another heavy sigh. Soundwave was only staring at him through his blank, black visor.

"Don't look at me like that. You're the one who pledged your loyalty to me. You had your chance to escape," Galvatron snapped. Soundwave continued to stare, though his index digit flexed with what Galvatron could only guess was frustration.

"Hands out," Chromia instructed, just as Moonracer reappeared on the scene with two stasis cuffs in hand. Galvatron and Soundwave complied, albeit begrudgingly, as Chromia slapped the cuffs onto their wrists and gestured them toward the ship.

"I believe you both remember the way to the brig," Chromia said. They did.

The sight of Elita One's motionless body upon the cold slab of the medical bay was jarring. Firestar shuttered, barely able to hold back the distressed sobs she fought to suppress. Greenlight stared too, her expression gray and bleak, even as Elita One's vitals blipped onto the spark reading instruments. Thanks to Knockout's classes, Greenlight knew how to preform above average first aid and understood a fair deal of the medical instruments at her disposal within standard starships. Firestar was the one who felt quite hapless as Greenlight had buzzed around their leader's limp form, plugging in all the correct wires and syncing the receptors to the medical maps on screen.

"She has to be alright," Greenlight said. Firestar swallowed. Yes. She did. Because if she wasn't, Firestar didn't know what she would do with herself. Everything she was, everything she wanted to be was because of Elita One. How could she, a simple femme ever become anything worth while without her mentor to help her? Elita One was irreplaceable. Surely every femme on board all knew that.

Nano clicks later, Chromia burst into the medbay. Her previous look of fury was wiped clean by the sight of her immobile friend and leader.

"Report," Chromia commanded.

"All systems are stable. Her spark signal is normal, and she appears to have no injuries," Greenlight answered.

"Good news, all things considered," Chromia remarked, "Any indications of why she's unresponsive?"

"Not yet, but I will run her through a few tests, with your permission," Greenlight replied.

"Proceed," Chromia said. Greenlight nodded and turned back to the computers. Then, Chromia turned to face Firestar.

"Firestar, I need you at the helm with Ultra Violet and Flare Up. I want you to fly the ship. Coordinates to Cybertron are already available in the navigation pre-sets." Firestar blinked, entirely shocked.

"M-me, ma'am?"

"Yes you," Chromia insisted. "Step to."

Firestar had barely begun to register the weight of her command by the time she was half way down the hall to the bridge. Of all her team mates, why her? Surely Ultra Violet or Flare Up were perfectly capable of piloting. And Moonracer. Where was she?

Walking into the bridge, Firestar wasted no time in striding to the command chair.

"Where is Moonracer?" She asked her crew mates. Flare Up and Ultra Violet snapped to attention.

"Moonracer was tasked with watching the prisoners," Flare Up answered. Prisoners. Galvatron and Soundwave were now prisoners. Firestar felt every circuit, every chord running up and down her body, from her peds to her shiny red helm, stiffen. The circumstances were far more dire than she had first anticipated.

Don't think too hard about this. You'll freeze, like you did before…

Suddenly Firestar's processor plunged her straight back into a vivid memory. A memory from not that long ago, that still brought her terror to relive. She could hear the snapping of the monster's jaws as it cornered her, corralled her. The huffing of it's nostrils and the steam pouring from its mouth. She had been so terrified. So alone. So certain of death. She had run through the wilderness until she dared not run any longer. Her body had been overcome with despair and collapsed to the ground in the nook of a desert outcropping. It was there she had curled into a ball and prayed to Primus for a swift end. The fire breathing beast was nearly upon her. And then she had arrived. Elita One. Her savior.

Firestar shook her mind free of the memory. She had to do this. For her mentor. Filled with new determination, Firestar sat down in the command chair, too big though it might have felt, and directed Flare Up to engage the navigation controls for Cybertron. The ship rattled and hummed as the engines thrummed to life.

"Engine power holding steady," Ultra Violet reported.

"Buckle up ladies. We're going home!" said Firestar.

Elita One had no idea where she was, or what had happened. All she knew was she was hanging somewhere on the fringes of all space and time. How she knew this, she couldn't determine from any visual hints from her surroundings. Rather, it was a still small voice, in the quiet confines of her spark that told her so.

"Optimus?"

Her voice echoed into the vast unknown. And for the first time in many cycles, Elita One couldn't feel him. It terrified her.

"Am I… offline…?"

She didn't recall moving her denta to speak. It was more accurate to say her thoughts were what rang loudly within the space which she hung, as if they had been projected through loud speakers.

"No, "a voice answered. But it was not Optimus' voice that spoke. "You are in temporary stasis."

Elita groaned.

"Not again…"