Optimus Prime toy: OUT BOX! Nooooooooo box no box no box!

Blurr toy: Ha-ha! Boxboxboxboxboxboxbox!

Override toy: Now quit taunting him, it's not his fault he's a collectible.

Can't I talk at all?

Hotshot toy: No.

Sure, you're one to talk considering you now have a re-paint.

Hotshot: Huh?

Believe you me, I was astounded that they dared paint a Hotshot toy red with flames, give it a blue guitar-gun, and call it Excillion.

Wind Razor toy: I thought that, when converting Galaxy Force to Cybertron, they're the same.

Thunder Blast toy & Crosswise toy making out Override: I guess you were serious about making them fall in love.

Yeah but I think I made them fall in lust, not love. It probably was intensified by their hate for each other.

Red Alert toy: Oh for the love of Primus, that's still disgusting. MajesticBurn doesn't own Hasbro, she only owns her characters, and DeathScythe119 owns DeathScythe and she is using her with permission.

Thank you, Red Alert; you're still screwed in this chapter; and not in the way Hotshot is thinking.

Red Alert: Just get on with the Primus forsaken story.


Not who you think I am

A Shadow of a Destiny

Red Alert was in the middle of telling Optimus Prime all the things he needed to about Ariel Pax's transformation or upgrade. Then he heard her scream. Both Red Alert and Optimus dashed down the hall, by the time they made it to the med bay Ariel's body was finished with the, as humans would say, skin-deep transformation. Her body was now a sparkling, silver-white, and she now had two dark, soft turquoise optics were offline, and she had a black symbol on the back of her shoulder that looked like a "P".

"Ariel! Ariel are you alright?" Red Alert cradled her in his arms, trying to make her regain consciousness.

Destiny's image appeared on the nearby reflective object, her voice sounded strained, but clear, "Her-our body is transforming form the inside out. As soon as it's complete, then our sparks will become entirely synchronized, then merge together. It shouldn't take more than a few hours."

"Red Alert, is there anything you could give her that could make her transformation less… painful?" Optimus Prime whispered to the medic.

"I'm sorry Sir, but there's nothing I can do." He hugged Ariel Pax's unconscious form tightly, cradling her slightly. "Stay offline Arie, just stay offline. You'll be okay, and if you stay offline you won't hurt as much."

"I'll leave you two- or… three alone, I've got to contact Cybertron, let Elita know what's happened… happening."

"Alright Optimus… Thank you." As soon as Optimus was gone, Red Alert moved her onto the medical table and started hooking her up to some equipment; he knew firsthand how dangerous and painful natural upgrading could be, and he hadn't ever experienced an upgrade had been so suppressed. He wished more than anything in the world he could help her, but she was out of his help. He loved her more than any functioning or destroyed being in the universe, and didn't want to risk losing her.

"Reddy?" Ariel's voice quivered from the reflective piece of wall.

He turned to her instinctively, putting his hand gently on the 'mirror', as if touching it would make her disappear, "Arie? Are you going to be alright? I-I… I'm afraid I'll lose you."

The reflection hand pressed invisibly against his, "I promise you, I'll always be a part of you. Even if we're physically separated, we will always be together. Okay-?" She took in a sharp intake of air, and started to slip, her image fading.

"Arie! What's wrong?"

"I-I'm starting to merge with Destiny… Reddy… I love you, you understand that don't you? Please tell me you do!" she wanted to say so much before she was part of Destiny. But she had so little time before merging…

"Of course I do, and always will, because you know I feel the same."

"Reddy…"her optics dripped a bit, and she faded completely.

He turned back to her body, tenderly putting his hand beneath her chin, then pulling her into his arms, "I swear Arie, I will protect you if it kills me, I will love you if it kills me, I will be with you if it kills me. I swear by my spark's lighting, I swear…"


Long after Red Alert's scanners showed Ariel Pax's and Destiny's sparks had merged, she remained offline. They-she was out long enough that she had to be hooked up to a machine to keep her energon levels on proper levels. Red Alert became focused solely on checking her systems. He seemed obsessed with her health, mostly due to the fact that she was in an unnaturally long recharge. He himself began to bare the marks of lacking recharge. He became tart with everyone, and even snapped at Optimus Prime when given an order. Optimus seemed taken aback, but not fazed. He merely ordered Red Alert to take a much needed recharge, and assured him Long Arm would awaken him if Ariel awoke.

Of course, they both knew Optimus was lying through his teeth, but Red Alert, no matter how stressed, couldn't refuse an order. He lay still for a long time in his berth; it felt huge to him since he was alone in it, even though he and Ariel Pax barely fit in it together. He tried with all his might to fall into recharge, but failed miserably. Neither his body nor mind managed any kind of rest.

Red Alert sat next to the recharging Ariel Pax; he hated himself for not being able to help her; and his lack of recharge couldn't have helped. He had scanned her body trying to bind what was keeping her offline, and had discovered why she had to upgrade. He knew that he wouldn't have the spark to tell her, or anyone else for that matter.

He was jolted from his thoughts when he heard a soft gasp from Ariel, it didn't quite sound like her however, the voice was slightly older, and her jumped to her side, "Arie! Are you alright! Ariel Pax? Can you hear my voice?"

"Yes Red Alert. I hear you. But I'm not Ariel Pax anymore. She's a part of who I am yes but… I prefer to be called Destiny. Is that alright with you?" her optics turned online, and she moved her head to look at him.

"A-alright… Do you remember your promise?" He whispered, hoping beyond all hope she wasn't just Destiny.

"Red, merging sparks didn't change how I feel about you. I still love you, and always will. However right now I'd like to be able to move." He smiled; silently thanking Primus she had kept Ariel's humor. He unplugged all of the equipment from her, allowing her to again move freely. She sat up, seeming uncertain of herself only for the briefest moment. She stood up, and moved awkwardly for her first few steps. She lost her balance only once, and Red Alert caught her before she hit the floor. "Thank you Red."

He couldn't help but frown. Ariel almost always had called him 'Reddy', and it hurt him that she had gained an all-professional tone with him. "Arie-Destiny… Why are you being so cold?"

"You miss being called Reddy don't you? Believe me, my intentions are not to be cold it is just… the 'mirror' Destiny was far more formal than Ariel Pax was, so I am somewhere between the two in formality. I apologize if it makes you uneasy. It will merely take a while to re-adjust. Is that alright… Reddy?"

He smiled shyly, feeling stupid not to have realized, and ashamed at not telling her what else was wrong. He steadied her on her own feet before letting go, "I'm sorry; I didn't realize-"

"What is wrong?" That Primus-forsaken professional tone again, but this time it held a tinge of worry. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut short by her, "And don't try telling me nothing's wrong. I can feel it through the-… our bonding link." She looked into his visor, silently begging him to confide in her, as she was his bondmate.

"Ar-Destiny please; don't be silly, nothing is wrong; I just had trouble recharging while you were out cold." She gave him a look that clearly told him she knew that wasn't the whole truth, but didn't press the matter.

DeathScythe's voice could be heard calling to Red Alert, saying "Red Alert! I'll be leaving in less than an hour! Is she online? I wanna say goodbye!"

For a while Red Alert was silent, looking into Destiny's optics as if searching for something, "She's online!" he called after what seemed like eternity.

'Scythe ran in, pouncing on Destiny as if she had been resurrected from the dead for the first time in millennia. "Paxie! Thank Primus' god! I was worried I'd have to leave before you woke up!"

"Get off of me!" she hissed, her new voice taking on a tone Ariel would have never taken. "My name is Destiny now, alright you twit?"

"Destiny!" Red Alert growled; she had always been nice to Scythe, they had been friends since they were sparklings, why was Destiny being so cruel?

"It's okay Red Alert. She's just upset, and who can blame her? She's like a new person and the old one all at once. You can hardly blame her for that."

"Yes but-"

"Cork it." DeathScythe waved her hand, "I'll talk with her a bit while you go… do smart people stuff."

"Perhaps he should go tell Optimus I'm back online." Destiny suggested.

Red Alert felt something coming from her, like a need, like she was silently asking him to put Optimus' mind at rest. He looked Destiny in the optic and nodded, heading to the control room. Though he couldn't help but wonder what the pair were going to talk about that 'Scythe wanted him out.


"Red Alert? I think we need to talk." Destiny wasted no time with small talk the moment Red Alert entered their quarters.

"Destiny, what's wrong?" He sensed her anger, and a tinge of fear.

"What's wrong? What's wrong? Red, I want to know why I've upgraded. And I want to know now." She looked into his optics, giving him a cold, firm stare.

"Fine Destiny, but can I at least talk to the side of you that is my Ariel Pax; my bondmate." He locked optics with her, searching for the Ariel in her.

"Reddy I-I…" She seemed speechless for a long moment before continuing. "I love you, but… I have to know what's going on. I don't like you not telling me the truth. Please just…" He pulled her off of her seat on the recharge berth, hugging her tightly before giving her a quick kiss. She looked past his visor and into his optics, surprise plastered on her face, "Reddy! What's gotten into you?"

"Look… Arie-Destiny… I-I just… I scanned you while you were out and… Oh Primus…" He looked to the floor, holding her arms.

She put a hand under his chin, forcing him to look her in the optics. "Red, you're scaring me. Please just tell me what's wrong with me."

Neither of them noticed that Red Alert had left to door open, and that Hotshot was listening in. Red Alert rested his head on hers, finally whispering, it isn't for sure, but there is about a 78 chance that you are with spark. I-It isn't 100 positive but…"

"Reddy… I… I'm sorry that I was rude I-I just…" Red Alert was surprised at how quickly she had changed moods, and wondered if it was a side effect of spark-merging.

"Destiny, it's alright, you don't have to worry about it; I understand how you feel. Just remember that I'll always love you, and I know you're alright."

"Oh my Primus…" Hotshot whispered, what was happening just dawning on him, "She isn't… they're gonna be creators? Red's gonna be a Demority? Arie-Destiny's gonna be a Comility? Wah-? But I thought… She must… I'll wait until after they know for sure and then admit that I eavesdropped." He slunk away, deciding it better to give the love-birds some privacy.

To be continued…


End. Primus Forbid I do more than one more chapter or I will go out of my gourd. I've got to finish this story so I can work on the sequel… sequels… RnR please.

Optimus: Let me out of Box!