Author's note: Let me pre-empt those sticklers for accuracy in timelines and continuities… Yes, I know the episode ''The Search for Alpha Trion'', Prime has been on Earth for a while before he receives the message to lure him to Cybertron to save Elita. However, to follow that canon would not work with the storyline I have been trying to tell where Prime had NOT been back to Cybertron since he left, which is what Elita accused him of in an earlier chapter. So, to that end I made the events of that episode seem to have taken place BEFORE Prime left Cybertron in search of the Allspark so it would fit with my timeline. Clear as mud? Once again, just go with it 😊 Please…
Also, I apologise for my affinity with italics and bolded words. I will try and reign myself in - OKAY! :-)
Here we go people. Time for Elita and Prime to have ''the talk''... enjoy.
Chapter 98 – Truth and Consequences ''Part 1''
Prime P.O.V
We had travelled in relative silence along Interstate 25 for the better part of seven earth hours. We were each lost in our own thoughts after our earlier ''discussion''. Darkness had well and truly fallen, and it was perhaps a wise idea to stop for the day to recharge and refuel. We were still almost a full day's drive from our destination, and we would need our strength. I commed Elita to inform her of my decision to pull over and rest for the evening. She was thankful.
Up ahead the lights of a small town beckoned. As we approached the city limits and I read the signpost, I felt a sinking feeling as well as a sharp smack of irony. The town was called ''Truth or Consequences.'' I stifled a sigh. /Rachet would love this/. We rolled through the streets, mainly deserted given the late hour and headed for the other side of town. The Rio Grande River flowed alongside this town and I thought we might find a place by its banks outside of town. Somewhere where we might spend what remained of the evening in relative peace and quiet.
After a quick search we found an area by the riverbanks that seemed to be deserted. It was almost midnight, so we were likely to be left alone. A thought which was both comforting and unsettling at the same time. As we rolled to a stop and cut our engines. I hesitated a moment before I transformed. I had not been alone with Elita for millions of years. The last time I had been alone with her had been our desperate and passionate farewell as I left Cybertron.
Much had changed since that fateful day. While Elita and I had grown closer over the past two years, we had still not had the opportunity to discuss all that had transpired in our respective lives. How she came to be here and how my spark now belonged to another femme. /Something tells me that would all change over the course of the next few hours/.
Elita transformed and walked towards the edge of the riverbank. ''What a pretty place this Earth is Prime. It never ceases to amaze me. No wonder you have found it hard to leave here. There is much to enjoy and appreciate.''
I transformed too and walked over to join her, mindful of not standing too close. ''Yes Elita. It is indeed a beautiful planet and one worth protecting from the treachery and greed of the Decepticons. There is much on this planet that has, endeared, it to my spark.'' My optics took in the fast-flowing river and the way the moonlight shone on it, giving it a silvery glow. It was indeed beautiful.
I felt Elita's optics rest on me. ''Will you ever leave it? Journey back to Cybertron to try and rebuild it?''
I continued to gaze at the water, ''I do not know Elita. Perhaps. First, I must ensure the Decepticon threat is neutralised here, so this beautiful planet does not suffer the same fate as ours once did. We cannot let our war destroy Earth as well.''
Elita gave a small, wistful sigh and replied softly, ''No. I guess not.''
I turned to face her then. She had brought her arms up to wrap about her waist in that very familiar gesture and her optics had dimmed as if deep in thought. I continued to stare at her, taking her features in. She was indeed as beautiful as I remembered. /Would that things were different perhaps I could love her again/.
She turned to face me then, and noticing me watching her, she gave a quick smile. ''Yes Optimus. I really am here. I'm not a ghost. I thought you might have gotten used to me being around by now.'' Though she spoke in a playful manner, there was a sadness in tone.
I blinked my optics and looked away for a moment, ''I'm sorry Elita. Forgive me. I do know you are here.'' I walked over to a clump of rocks where several looked like they might serve ably as a seat of some sort. I carefully lowered myself before I continued. ''I confess, at first, it was strange getting accustomed to seeing you. As no doubt it must have been for you regarding me.''
''And now?'' She queried as she turned to face me, folding her arms across her chest.
I blinked my optics, taken off guard by the direct question. ''Now, while I have moments where it feels different, I am mostly glad that you are here and alive and well.'' It was true.
Elita gave a small snort as she shook her helm, ''Mostly glad.'' Her optics took on a sorrowful look. ''That is where we differ Optimus. I have been nothing but glad to see you and be with you.'' She fixed me with a penetrating gaze before turning her optics back to the running waters.
''I'm sorry Elita, I misspoke. Of course, I am glad you are here.'' I paused a moment. /Might as well ask now/. ''I am, however, curious as to how you ended up here after all of these years.'' My voice dropped to a whisper, ''Especially after our bond seemed to disappear. Where were you? What happened to you?''
Her smaller frame gave a slight shudder at my words before she closed her optics and a sad smile spread on her dermas. ''Yes. I guess it is time we broached that subject.'' She sighed out loud and walked over towards me, taking up a position on some rocks to my right. ''After you left,'' she cycled air quickly as the thought still caused her pain, ''things went from bad to worse. It was as though the loss of the Allspark and you took a heavy toll on what remained of our race. A large portion of our hope had left our planet.''
I felt a wave of guilt wash over me at the thought that I had essentially abandoned my planet and my race to their own devices while I travelled over the galaxy on some wild chase in search of the Allspark I had disposed of. I felt a small wave of reassurance brush against my spark and try to soothe me. I sent Elita a small smile of thanks.
Without missing a beat, she continued. ''Thankfully, Megatron and most of his seasoned warriors left with him which did help in some small way to level the playing field for a time. Although Shockwave did stay behind for some time causing no end of nightmares for us all.'' Her optics grew distant for a moment.
Without thinking I reached out and placed my servo over hers giving it a gentle squeeze of support. Elita looked down at it for a moment and smiled before she continued. ''Our planet was dying. Soon it was not about winning battles and skirmishes, or about reclaiming territories. It was simply about finding enough energon to survive. My Autobot femmes were amazing and we formed a tight unit. Chromia, do you remember her? Firestorm, Moonracer and of course Arcee.''
I nodded my helm and smiled fondly, ''Of course I remember them. Fine soldiers and femmes - all of them.''
Elita smiled brightly then, ''Yes Optimus, they are. Or were anyway.''
I squeezed her servo tightly. ''I know Arcee found her way here but what of the others? Do, do they still function?''
Elita closed her optics in painful recollection and her voice faltered slightly, ''I, I do not know how many of them still function.'' She removed her servo from under mine and covered her faceplates to hide her grief.
I brought an arm up to bring her towards me, gently holding her against my side. I said nothing. What words could I say that would make the situation better. By all accounts I must share a portion of blame in all that happened. I was the one who jettisoned the Allspark into space in a bid to keep it out of Decepticon servos. I was the one who left my planet – my race - to its own fate for so long.
Beside me I felt Elita remove her servos from her face and lean into me slightly. ''As I said, with energon so low we would often have to raid the Decepticon's stores. This was dangerous. Any fight was swift and violent as a means to abruptly end the conflict and conserve energy. Though it was a case of risk that or go without energon. Although we femmes tended to stay as a group,'' Elita allowed a swift smile to grace her dermas as a memory surfaced, ''you see we femmes were stealthier than our mech counterparts, we had to, from time to time, team up with what remained of the Autobot mechs for greater firepower and strength. Ultra Magnus, Kup, Hot Rod, Springer and a few others would team up with us on occasion.''
I felt a brief stab of jealousy at the mention of Ultra Magnus' name. Though I greatly admired and respected his fighting abilities and viewed him as a sort of ''brother'' figure, there was a time when he and I had vied for Elita 1's, or Ariel as she had first been known to us, attention. The thought of him alone on Cybertron with her for millions of years, albeit in a war zone, aroused a petty jealousy I was ashamed of. I had no right to be jealous and, I am sure, no cause. /Not that it mattered anyway, I do not lay claim to Elita's spark anymore/. I quickly discarded the feelings though not before Elita cast me a strange glance and then cuddled into me closer.
While I did not remove my arm from around her shoulders, I did sit upright further and continue the conversation. ''So, how did you end up here? What eventually caused you to flee Cybterton? Did anyone stay behind?''
Elita sighed yet again. ''Well, a few million years ago,'' she paused for a moment, ducking her helm slightly, ''probably about the time our bond started to fade, the interrogations of Autobots who were captured and kept as prisoners intensified and became more,'' a shiver went through her frame, ''violent as Shockwave and the other Decepticons became more desperate to learn of Megatron, the Allspark and your whereabouts. The few who escaped told of torture, and untold cruelty in a means by the 'Cons to gather any intel that might divulge your location and that of Megatron.'' Elita's optics dimmed once more and took on a vacant look for a moment. I simply sat there and held her close.
There had been a time millions of years ago just before I left Cybertron in search of the Allspark, when the Decepticons had used Elita as bait to lure me into a trap to dispatch of me. They had tortured her for hours beforehand until I had arrived. If Elita had not used her special power and frozen time just before I was dropped into a vat of acid, I likely would have perished that day. As it was, Elita almost lost her life as using her special powers drained her life force considerably. Had it not been for Alpha Trion… I felt a shiver run through my frame and I closed my optics and pulled her towards me ever so slightly.
Elita buried her helm closer to my chest and wrapped her arms around my chest. ''We lost many friends in the cruellest of ways.''
''Oh Elita, I am so sorry,'' I squeezed her tight for a moment and laid my helm on hers.
In a voice almost inaudible, she whispered, ''As the fighting intensified, as the torturing increased, I..'' Elita paused, venting heavily, trying to gather the necessary fortitude to say what she had to say. I felt myself tense beside her, preparing for them to crash upon me. ''Optimus... I... deliberately tried to break our bond. I tried to weaken it, dampen it to the point it would seem to be – no more.'' There was a loud sob from her before she raised regretful and perturbed optics towards me, ''I only did it to prevent them from using it to get to you! I also did it to try and protect you from feeling any of my pain should I be captured and tortured. I did not want you to suffer because of me. I am so sorry.''
Elita's optics held such sadness and sorrow within them I had to look away for a moment. She continued quietly, ''I destroyed our bond Prime, to try and keep you safe.'' I returned my gaze to her, a strange feeling of anger, sorrow and regret flooding my systems. She smiled ruefully at me, ''though it seems my actions cost us dearly.''
I looked at her for a moment before releasing her. Standing to my pedes, I walked a few paces away from her and stalked backwards and forwards, like some beast trying to break free from its cage. I had kept my feelings towards Elita and what had happened between us buried deep inside me. I had not had the opportunities to process them not until – Phoenix had come along. I had so many emotions whirling around inside me, I hardly knew which to choose to try and process first! /She broke our bond on purpose! She put me through utter hell for millions of years on purpose!/. I could not fathom what I had just heard.
Elita had wrapped her arms about her and remained where she was. She did not try and approach me. Her voice, almost devoid of emotion now as she continued, ''While it was the hardest decision I have ever had to make, I am glad I did it because they did capture me. A few millennia ago.''
I froze in my tracks, my helm snapped up and my optics locked onto her. My fists clenched into tight balls of fury by my sides. I felt my frame shake. I closed my optics tight and made a small sobbing noise. A white-hot wave of indescribable anger washed over me.
The anger I felt consume me was directed not just towards those Decepticon slaggers but at myself. For what I had allowed to happen. For the fact I was not there to save her. For the pain and suffering I brought upon her in my absence.
/ALL. YOUR. FAULT/. The words cut into my spark, indelibly marking it for all time. The weight of what I had inadvertently caused to befall my beloved Elita threatened to crush me.
In a voice barely a whisper, trembling with incandescent rage and icy cold fear I asked the question I dreaded to hear the response to. ''What. Did. They. Do. To. You?''
