Several solar cycles later, Scythe went back to the city of the Guardian to continue exploring. As she was wandering around, she realized that she was getting close to the great pyramids. She stopped and gazed up at the towering monuments of white stone. Polished to the point of being potentially blinding, they were truly an amazing sight.

And to think that one of them actually hides a devastating weapon that could destroy this world, Scythe mused.

A scary thought for a fleshling, I'm sure, Leech sent back. But we could easily survive on a dead world.

I know but I like this world just the way it is, thanks.

It could stand to be a little less organic.

You could stand to be a little less annoying, Leech.

Oh, yeah? Well, you could-

A loud explosion suddenly interrupted Leech's thought.

Scythe had been heading back toward the Guardian's temple. The fleshlings ahead of her started screaming and running away from the noise.

What the frag was that? Leech wondered as Scythe looked up and saw smoke billowing from the direction of the temple.

Scythe looked down again at the faces of the people running toward her. She recognized one of them as a young priest she had seen the last time she was there. He was one of the ones who was collecting offerings.

Scythe grabbed his arm as he tried to run past.

"What is going on? What happened?" she asked him.

"Monsters!" he screamed at her before yanking his arm free and scrambling away.

"Monsters?" she repeated in confusion as she watched him flee and something rumbled in the distance.

Scythe turned and moved toward the temple but kept getting bumped or shoved by the fleeing fleshlings. So she stepped it up to hyperspeed. When she finally reached the temple, she found that it was in the process of collapsing. The front courtyard was littered with the corpses of the temple guards and a few priests.

In the middle of the mess stood a seeker. They were quite small compared to the other seekers Scythe had seen before. They were painted black and purple and their red optics shone nearly white as they glared down at the fleshling in their servo.

Scythe recognized the fleshling as the head priest. The seeker seemed to be saying something so she slowed down to hear what it was.

"...is 'Star-walker'? Where is he?" the seeker demanded with a vicious snarl.

The poor priest was pale with fright and trembling like a leaf. "Ah…"

The seeker gave him a shake. "Answer me!"

"I-I don't k-know," the priest managed to whimper. "T-the G-guardian s-said-"

Scythe had heard enough. Transforming, she ran up to the seeker's peds and used her blade, in the form of a sword that extended well beyond her height, to stab them in the wrist joint. They shrieked and let go of the head priest. Scythe caught the fleshling before he hit the ground and carried him to safety.

"Y-you… Y-you're t-the…" he stammered as she sat him down in the shade of a building.

"The messenger, yes," she replied. "I'm sorry. I didn't know this would happen or I would have come back sooner."

"T-the Guardian?"

"The Guardian…" She looked away and then closed her optics. "...The Guardian has passed on."

"I see," muttered the priest.

She looked at him again. "But I am sure he would have wanted you to live. And that he would grieve for those who were lost." While she spoke, Scythe remembered to check her ability and that's when she realized that there were in fact two spark signals at the temple. And they were bonded. "I have to go now. I will draw the monsters away and make certain that they do not attack you again."

She left him there and headed back to the temple. The second bot was also a seeker. They were bigger than the first and painted with browns and golds. They were inspecting the smaller one's wrist where Scythe had cut them.

"And you didn't see who did it?" the larger seeker asked.

"No," the smaller one said with a grimace when their partner moved their wrist the wrong way.

"Tch. In that case, I will start burning this city to the ground until I find out who it was."

"That won't be necessary, ya damned crankshaft!" Scythe called. "I'm right here!"

They both looked down at her. The bigger one snarled as he stepped toward her but he was stopped by his partner who grabbed his chest armor.

"What's the matter, Ucon?" the bigger one asked. "Don't tell me you are afraid of that little thing?"

"That 'little thing' is a Laserblade, Warpkey," the smaller one, Ucon, replied, trying to pull him back. "Just one of them is as dangerous as a horde of scraplets. Let's get out of here."

"But-" Warpkey started.

Ucon pulled at him again. "Let's go."

"Alright, alright," Warpkey growled, displeased.

And just like that they teleported away from there. Scythe waited, keeping an optic on the SDS until she saw their signals reappear, then she teleported after them. They were now in a mountainous region somewhere south of the great pyramids.

"Don't think you can get away from me that easily," Scythe snapped after she tripped them both. "I want answers. Why did you destroy the Guardian's temple and even kill the fleshlings they cared for?"

"As if I'd tell you anything, little scraplet," Warpkey snarled as he pushed himself up into sitting position.

Scythe brought out her staff.

"Please wait!" Ucon cried, putting himself between Scythe and his partner, much to Warpkey's annoyance. He quickly added, "Star-walker was our Amica! We felt him die and went to find out what happened!"

"So you just lost your tempers when the fleshlings couldn't tell you anything?" Leech said, crossing their tails. "Hmh. Sounds like someone else we know."

The two seekers just stared at them dumbfoundedly for a few seconds.

"It… talks?" Ucon asked finally.

"Yes, I do," Leech replied. Then, they noticed that Scythe seemed to be distracted. They whacked her gently on the helm with a tail. "Hey, what's your problem now?"

"I knew their name all along," Scythe mumbled. "I just didn't know that that was their name."

"You know what happened to Star-walker?" Ucon asked. He was basically sitting on Warpkey's lap to keep him from doing anything stupid. Warpkey could have easily removed him but the fact that he didn't meant that Warpkey was respecting his wishes.

"Bet she killed him," growled Warpkey. He had one arm wrapped around Ucon's waist, ready to pull him aside if necessary.

"I did NOT!" Scythe snarled dangerously, her blade activating when she slammed the end of her staff against the ground.

Warpkey tightened his grip on Ucon as the smaller mech pulled his legs back.

However, Scythe did not move with the exception of the sudden droop of her shoulders as she sighed. She even deactivated her blade. "We simply took him away to fulfill his last regret. He died on his own."

"What was it exactly?" Ucon wanted to know, relaxing ever-so-slightly.

"Are you sure you want to tell them about It?" Leech asked Scythe. "You didn't tell Jetfire."

"Jetfire?" both mechs gasped, leaning forward.

Scythe frowned. "Why is everyone so surprised when we mention him?"

"Because that old fool tried to fight the Fallen on his own," said Warpkey. "Pretty much everyone thought he died."

"He's a stubborn mech then," Scythe said with a laugh, "cause he's still kicking."

"Star-walker was just as idiotic for protecting the fleshlings too," commented Warpkey.

"Why?" Scythe asked with a tilt of her helm. "This is their planet. Or do you agree with the Fallen in thinking that Cybertronians are superior and all other life can just be wiped out?"

Ucon twitched. "I wouldn't go that far…"

"We're off track here," said Warpkey. "What was Star-walker's last regret?"

"Technically, it was wanting to see Cybertron again," Scythe replied. "But who knows what the planet looks like now since the most recent war practically killed it. Also, I can't teleport that far. So I just took him to see the next best thing."

Warpkey was getting just a little more annoyed with her and growled, "Which was?"

"The AllSpark," she finally answered.

"IT'S HERE?!" Warpkey gaped in disbelief, leaning slightly around Ucon. "ON THIS PLANET?!"

"...You're joking," Ucon added, just as surprised as Warpkey.

Scythe shook her helm. "I'm not."

"Then prove it!" Warpkey demanded. "Show us where it is."

Scythe shifted on her peds to lean on her staff. "Can't do that."

Warpkey's optics narrowed. "So you're lying."

"No. It's real. It's here," Scythe replied. "And I don't care if you believe me or not. I won't show it to you because I can't trust you. I don't know how close you still are to the Fallen. I don't want the AllSpark winding up in the wrong servos."

"You…" Ucon said. He stared hard at her. "You know something about the Fallen, don't you?"

Scythe shrugged. "I used to be slave to his apprentice."

Ucon blinked. "He has an apprentice now?"

"Obviously you old seekers don't know much about what happened on Cybertron after the Fallen disappeared, huh?" observed Scythe.

"No. Not really," answered Ucon. "We just know that we're supposed to be searching for the Matrix of Leadership. And we know it's on this planet somewhere."

"Are you two actually trying to find it?" Scythe asked.

Ucon shrugged this time. "I mean, yes and no. We're keeping an optic out from signs or clues but we aren't as actively looking for it as some of the other seekers."

"And what about the Star Harvester?"

"What about it?"

"Do you know where it is?"

"Why do you care?" Warpkey suddenly piped up.

"Oh, I already know where it is," Scythe said. "Star-walker told me. I was just wondering if you guys knew as well."

"Yes, we do," replied Ucon. "We were with Star-walker when he discovered it."

"But unlike Star-walker," Warpkey added, "we had very little tolerance for the fleshlings so we left him there and continued our search for the Matrix."

"We went back a few times since," Ucon said. "And I will admit, seeing the architectural might of the fleshlings, even if it was influenced by Star-walker, is impressive. I suspect that none of the other seekers have any idea where it is or that it has been hidden."

"Star-walker said he also sent some fleshlings to look for the Matrix as well," commented Scythe. "And, if they ever found it, he told them to hide it the same way they did the Harvester."

"Hoh?" Warpkey mused with a dangerous glint in his optics. "Then do you think if we go around smashing more of the fleshlings' monuments, we might find it?"

Scythe glared up at him. "You really want to get stabbed, don't you?"

"Oh, can I eat him?" Leech asked, a little too excitely.

"Hey!" Warpkey snapped, only to have Ucon shove him back with a servo on his face.

"Why don't you want us to find the Matrix?" Ucon asked Scythe.

"Because there is no reason to turn the Harvester on, is there?" she replied. "Not when the AllSpark is already on this planet."

Ucon thought about it for a moment. "...I suppose you do have a point."

"And besides that, isn't it against the rules to harvest a star that nurtures life?" Scythe wanted to know.

"Those were the other Primes' rules. Not the Fallen's," Warpkey growled.

Scythe hummed. "You are truly a Decepticon, aren't you?"

"You got a problem with that?"

"Very much so," she replied. "However, if you ever decide to stop being one, I wouldn't mind helping you out."

"What can you possibly offer us?"

"Access to the AllSpark for one. Medical services for another. I'm afraid your partner's wrist will be forever useless unless he gets it replaced. Aside from that, I can offer energon, shelter, camaraderie. Most of my current companions are also former Decepticons, except they are of the younger generations that followed the Fallen's apprentice rather than the Fallen himself."

"So essentially, you're asking us to join you," Ucon realized.

"Yeah, basically."

"How shameless," huffed Warpkey.

"Why us though?" asked Ucon. "Have you asked any of the other seekers to join you?"

"No. When I met Jetfire, we really hadn't established a group yet, so I didn't ask him. And every other seeker I have come across since never seemed to be in a talking mood. Then I met Star-walker. If he had accepted my help, I would have asked him, but…" She trailed off and shrugged.

"You didn't answer the first question. Why us?"

Scythe shrugged again. "Just from talking to you, I believe you guys can't be all that bad. Not to mention, you were his Amica."

Ucon and Warpkey shared a look.

"Can we… Can we get some time to think about it?" Ucon asked finally.

"Certainly. Take your time. And regardless of your answer, if you come to these coordinates," she sent them the coordinates for the outpost near the AllSpark, "I will make sure your wrist joint gets fixed."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Of course. I'm gonna go ahead and head home now. I hope to hear from you guys soon." And then she just up and disappeared.

Do you think they'll join us? Leech wondered.

I honestly have no idea, Scythe replied. But I hope they do.

Once she returned to base, she told the others what happened and ordered them to be on the lookout for possible visitors at the cave outpost near the AllSpark.

Sure enough, not quite half a lunar cycle later, two seekers showed up near the cave. Delta and Fritz were on duty when the proximity alarm went off.

"Stay inside the holographic barrier," Delta told Fritz as they went to check.

Bolthex had set up a hologram to hide the cave entrance in addition to the other security features such as the proximity sensors.

"I'll go take a look." Delta teleported outside so that the location of the entrance would not be exposed. He appeared on a rocky outcropping above the two seekers and, pointing his blasters at them, he demanded, "Who are you and what do you want?"

"This sparkling-" Warpkey started to growl.

Ucon put out his servo to silence his partner before he looked up at Delta. "I am Ucon and this is my partner, Warpkey," he said. "The Laserblade told us to come here to receive help. Surely you were informed of our arrival?"

Delta narrowed his optics. "What's their name?"

Ucon blinked. "...What?"

"The Laserblade… What's their name?" Delta repeated.

"...Now that I think about it…" Ucon replied as he replayed his memories of their meeting. "She never told us that, did she?" He looked up at Warpkey for confirmation.

Warpkey frowned. "Hm… No, she never did."

"That's an oversight on my part," Scythe said, suddenly joining the group, having been called there by Fritz. "I do apologize. My designation is Scythe, and this is Leech. It is good to see you two again."

"Once again, I am Ucon," said the short seeker, "and this is my partner-"

"Warpkey," finished the taller one.

"By partner, I assume you mean your Conjunx?" Scythe asked.

Ucon nodded. "So you were aware?"

"There is a bonded pair already in our group," Scythe replied, "along with a full trine."

"In that case," Ucon went down on one knee to get closer to her level, "I look forward to meeting them."

"You mean…?" Scythe asked as Warpkey followed his partner's example by going down on one knee as well.

"Warpkey and I discussed it, and we would like to take you up on your offer." Ucon extended his servo out to her.

"You are willing to join us?"

"That was the idea, yes."

"Then I accept," said Scythe, offering her servo as well.

Ucon gently grasped her much smaller servo. "I at least look forward to working with you, Scythe."

"Same here, Ucon."