Hi all! I hope you're enjoying your Monday more than I am! Anyway, as promised, the next part. And it's a part that I think a couple of you have wanted. At least, the start of it. We're going back in time!

Optimus Prime stared at the Allspark shard they'd finally found. Bumblebee had it as they entered their base. "That thing was almost more trouble than it's worth," Ratchet grumbled.

It had been. The shard had become lodged in a… a machine that dispensed some sort of beauty product. Optimus didn't understand it when Sari had tried to explain, but then again, he didn't quite understand human standards of beauty. They were so different from Autobot standards. Not wrong, just different. Just like humans in general.

But then the shard had lodged into the machine, and it had gone haywire. The machine had tried to make humans younger- which wasn't possible. Thankfully, there were no deaths, but there had been injuries. Mostly bumps and bruises, and a few broken bones.

"So, I guess we should put it with the others, right?" Bumblebee said.

"Right," Optimus replied. "Just… I'm not sure what's going on, but that particular shard is making me uneasy."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure," Optimus replied. "It just… feels wrong."

Bulkhead handed Sari to Optimus, and headed over to where Bumblebee stood. "You sure, Bossbot?" Bulkhead asked.

Optimus frowned. "Yes," he finally said as he followed Sari's wordless demand and set her on his shoulder. "There's something wrong with that shard. I don't know what."

"What does that mean?" Sari Sumdac asked.

Optimus shrugged- very carefully, so she didn't lose her balance. "I don't know," he added.

Sari sighed. "It'd be nice if you could just know what was wrong."

Optimus chuckled. "It would," he said in amusement. "But unfortunately, I can't. I think we're lucky I can even tell something is wrong to begin with."

Optimus sighed as Sari sat down on his shoulder and leaned against his neck. "I guess," the little girl said, sounding dissatisfied. "Still think it's cool that you can tell," she added, trying to sound encouraging.

Prowl drifted over to where Bulkhead and Bumblebee were eyeing the shard. "If it's dangerous, should we keep it with the other shards?" he asked.

"Where else can we put it? We've got all the shielding in that room, so the Decepticons can't find them," Bulkhead pointed out. "There's nowhere else that would be safe."

"We can always build a container for this one, and put that in the room. Keep them separate that way," Ratchet offered.

Optimus nodded. "Let's do that," he said. "Make sure it's really well shielded. I think that… what did you call it?" he glanced at Sari.

"Vending machine," Sari said.

"Right. I think some of the programming of the vending machine got into the shard, somehow."

"Primus, this planet," Ratchet muttered.

Optimus sighed and nodded.

"Bossbot?" Bumblebee started.

Optimus turned to look at him.

"What is it?"

"I think the shard is doing something."

The shard flashed, and everyone flinched back.

Optimus spat out a Iaconi curse. He'd felt that flash of energy. It reminded him of the fight with Starscream, and of using Sari's key against Megatron. And yet it didn't. Something in the energy was… different, but it wasn't inherently evil. Just not normal.

The light cleared, and nothing had changed.

"Bulkhead, start putting together a container for that thing," Optimus ordered. He reached up and gently picked Sari up off his shoulder and cupped his hands around her. "Sari, I want you away from the shard. Considering what that machine was doing, and how it just feels wrong, I don't want to risk you getting hurt."

Sari looked up at him, little face serious. "I thought that the Allspark could only do things to machines. Don't you think it's more dangerous for you guys?"

"We're all fully grown," Optimus replied. He glanced back. "Young, yes, in several cases, but we're all considered adults. You, Sari, are not. Plus, I don't want your key near it."

Sari sighed, but for once, she didn't argue.

Optimus watched for a moment as Bumblebee held the shard out for Bulkhead to take, to place in a temporary container, but before Bulkhead could pick it up, it flashed again.

Instinctively, Optimus spun, putting the bulk of his body between Sari and the shard, as the light flashed even brighter. He couldn't see a thing, but something was happening, and he almost lost his grip on Sari. He fell to his knees, so if he did drop her, she wouldn't fall as far.

The shard was doing something, changing him. He could hear his team's startled cries, and he knew the same thing was happening to them.

He just didn't know what was happening.

Sari opened her eyes once the light had faded. She'd closed them as soon as the light had started to flare, trusting Optimus to protect her. His grip had changed, though, and she needed to see what had happened.

As she opened her eyes, she was set on the ground and she looked up at Optimus.

She blinked. It was Optimus, right? Except he was shorter- a lot shorter. He was still taller than her, but he couldn't have been much taller than an adult.

The red and blue 'bot was staring down at his hands, and body. After a moment, his head snapped around and he looked at the rest of the room.

"Call out!" He shouted. His voice was different. Softer and… just different. He was different. Shorter, and his face wasn't quite the same, and he just looked different.

"Bossbot, is that you?"

"What happened?"

"I don't… what?"

"Frag it!"

Sari recognized Bumblebee, Prowl, Bulkhead, and Ratchet, even though all their voices were changed too.

"Optimus?" she asked.

He looked at her. "I… what happened?"

He wasn't asking her. She reached up and grabbed his hand- it was as easy as grabbing an adult human's. "You're smaller," she said.

"I'm… not just smaller," Optimus answered the unspoken question. He tilted his head. "I'm missing a lot of my upgrades and systems."

Ratchet- it was Ratchet, even if he was smaller too- stomped over, dragging someone who could only be Bulkhead, and followed by Bumblebee and Prowl. "You would be. We all are," he said. "It's been a long time since I've seen 'bots like this, but somehow, we've been turned into Sparklings!"

Next chapter should be on Thursday, unless my RL goes crazy. (Always a possibility.) See you then!