Okay, so its starting to get in the 90's up in NY, and yet my Dad says its too early to open & clean the pool, or put the AC in the living room. But it's going to be even hotter tomarow... And worse, I have to go to the infurno called Highschool for 2&1/2 more weeks. Bleh, I can't even think straight... It might be about time to find more shorts...

Anyway, Alot of characters and concepts introduced this chapter, I own all new non- Hasbro owned characters minus DeathScythe & Chaser

Enjoy!

Shadows of Them

Old Friends, New Friends

"Optimus, what's a sparkling?" Bud asked, looking up to the Autobot leader.

Optimus Prime looked away, so Blaze Prime butted in, "You haven't explained to these poor kids about creations yet? That's sad. Mind if I explain it to them?" He moved toward the kids.

But Turbine shook her head, "It'll take you all of five years to explain," She turned to the kids, "I assume you understand what a creation is," She didn't wait for them to answer, "Well, a sparkling is what a young creation is, they're called a creation when they reach maturity and become able to transform." Then she shrugged, "Or at least that's how it works here, is that how it is on Cybertron?"

Optimus looked taken aback, "Well… yes…"

Lori gave them a skeptical look, "So you build your children?"

Turbine again took the chance to talk, "Sometimes, but on this planet they're spark is created inside a femme's body, and just their body is built by it's two creators- a data transfer between the creators is how the spark is created in the first place- understand?"

Lori Kobe and Bud nodded, and then Jetfire asked, "How do you know Turbine anyway?" He snapped to Blaze, changing the subject completely.

Blaze's gold visor faded as if blinking, "I was the one that found her, brought her to the council for judgment."

"We must've been really good friends for you to be such a jerk to my friend." Turbine quipped, "So where's Lady 1 anyway?"

Blaze pointed to a road leading to the left, "She took Ace and Cody to the Spark-Park, 'said they wanted to hang out with their friends and stuff." He looked over at a tower-top that was visible despite being clearly a long way away. He headed off down a road leading toward the tower, "Gotta go! Tell Lady Prime I said congratulations! It's almost my shift!"

Turbine waved at him, "See you later!" She motioned to the road that lead to what she had called the "Spark-Park". "Come on, if Lady 1 knows you than she has to know something!"

After a walk that seemed to take forever, they made a sharp turn and walked into a place that looked similar to a children's park on earth. Sparklings ran around the park, chasing each other and playing games that made no sense. Adult 'bots were sitting or standing near the edge of the park, most were out of view, but there was one that made even Hotshot gape, he shouted, "DeathScythe! Is that you?"

The purple femme looked to them and jumped up from her seat, "You!" She shouted, glaring at them, she looked into the crowd of sparklings and shouted, "Chaser, Chaser get over here!" Several adults looked at her with curious glances.

A pink hand rested on her shoulder, "Calm down 'Scythe, they wouldn't be walking around if the council thought they were dangerous, besides, we know them too well for that."

The femme's armor was almost completely pink, sparkling blue optics resonating from her silver face that was surrounded by a rather large head-crest. Optimus looked at her shock-struck, "Elita?" He gaped.

The femme gave a soft smile, "Yes Optimus, it's good to see you again." Her voice was soft and smooth, as if a relief had just come to her, like all her fears had been pushed aside.

"Blimy! We all thought you two were-" Jetfire began.

"Believe me, we aren't the only ones." Elita smiled, "I see you've found Turbine."

Turbine gave her a confused look, "You mean you knew my name was Turbine- knew who I was and didn't even tell me my name? At least Jetfire told me who I am!"

Elita waved her hand kindly, "You know the council's rules. They understand that you, honestly, cannot adjust properly if you're told who you are- besides, that also prevents fraudulence concerning who they are."

"Get down from there!" A mech shouted who Optimus clearly recognized, Optimus turned to the voice, as did Elita, a smile upon her face.

The mech had similar coloring to Optimus, only more red, and he was clearly younger and no where's near as heavily armored. He was yelling at a sparkling that was climbing on top of the highest toy, a place meant to be a roof, where the little white and blue femme clearly shouldn't have been.

"Elita, is-is that Orion?" Optimus whispered.

She smiled, "Um-hum. That is our Orion Pax 2. I did say that a lot of us that you think are dead are right here." She looked to the ground a bit, "Technically speaking anyway."

Optimus looked at her, about to ask what she meant when Orion shouted again, "Ace! Get away from there!"

He was pointing at the sparkling again, then to the ground, however she didn't seem to be listening. A red black and yellow sparkling at Orion's feet knocked on his leg, "'Rion?" he asked, "The 'bots I saw in my bubbles are talking to-"

Before the little one could finish, Orion spun around and ended up looking Optimus dead in the optic. He gaped a minute before a tinge of a smile crept upon his face, and then he looked back up to the little femme, "Ace! Ace come here quick!"

"Not yet! I'm gonna slide down the wall!" She chirped joyfully.

"Ace! Ace there's someone you and Cody have to meet!"

She cocked her head sideways then shrugged, "Fine, I'm coming." She moved to the edge of the toy and grabbed one of the support-beams; sliding down it.

Optimus looked at Elita in confusion, she chuckled and said, "She has a lot of you in her Optimus."

He gave her a shocked look, "What do you mean?"

Landmine scratched his head, "That doesn't make any sense."

Elita shook her head, "Notice Ace's coloration- she and Cody are twins by the way, but what's important is their creators."

Hotshot mumbled, "Her colors look like Red Alert's old colors."

Elita nodded and smiled, "Yes, and who is Red Alert's bondmate?"

"Hold on, that would mean the femme we saw on the tape that took Red Alert, am I to understand that she's-"

Elita nodded again, "Destiny's alive and well too Jetfire, she figures the only reason she was sent here was because Ace and Cody's sparks would have gone out too."

"So that's what Red Alert meant…" Scattershot whispered, "When he said that other people needed him more than us, he meant his sparklings."

Elita added on to Scattershot's statement, "All three of them."

"Three?" Optimus asked.

"What's going on here?" a gruff voice behind them asked. A platinum-blue mech with heavy back armor, red stripes, a large Autobot insignia on his chest, blue optics, and a white face walked toward DeathScythe looking at the group carefully. A small smile broke his serious face, "So you guys finally bit the dust too huh?"

Jetfire's optics widened beneath his visor, "Wait just a moment, Blurr? Is that you?"

Blurr rolled his optics, "No, it's Santa Clause, of course it's me."

DeathScythe tapped Blurr on the shoulder, then pointed to the park, "Make yourself useful and go get Chaser."

Blurr groaned, "Why do I have to get him? He runs."

DeathScythe got in his face, "And who's fault is that?" she snapped, "Who is it who taught him speed was a good thing?"

He groaned again, "Not this again…"

"Huh?" Hotshot was confused by the two's behaviors.

As Blurr walked into the crowd of sparklings, looking for Chaser, DeathScythe returned Hotshot's stare, "What? Oh… right… you guys wouldn't know would you?" She smiled sweetly, "We've bonded since he arrived, then we had Chaser."

Hotshot gaped, "Whoa-whoa-whoa, you two are bonded? And have a sparkling?"

"That's what I said."

"A lot has changed for those of us that live here now." Elita murmured.

"'Rion! Put me down!" Orion was carrying Ace over his shoulder, and she was fussing and squirming, "'Rion! I can walk!"

Cody was trailing them, smirking, "I told you not to climb that thing!"

Blurr was walking behind them, a small red and platinum sparkling tailing him. When the sparkling saw DeathScythe the little sparkling grinned and ran to her, "Mom! Who're they?"

She scooped him up in her arms, "Some friends."

Ace looked at Elita, "Se-quina shi butorllo?"

Elita answered in the strange language, "Heviu Fei-sha."

Cody answered along with Ace, "Fei-sha!" Ace looked to Optimus for a moment then said, 'Riutunima, Se-quina. Wo nu."

"Wo un." Elita answered.

"What in the name of Primus?" Optimus asked.

Ace looked at him carefully before saying to him, "Grandpa?"

He nodded carefully, Cody cocked his head sideways, "You looked different when I first saw you in my bubbles."

"Bubbles?" Optimus inquired.

"Uh-huh, Eavesdrop used bubbles to see what goes on in far away places." Ace answered.

"Don't call me Eavesdrop!" Cody snapped, jumping on his sister.

The two started fighting and everyone around was dumbstruck, Orion tried to pry them apart, he looked to Elita, "Um… help?"

"Don't worry about it- you and your sister fought almost as much as these two when you were little. Best thing to do is just distract them." She turned to the fighting youngsters, "Arial Alert, Code Red, do you two want to see how your mommy's doing?"

They stopped and got to their feet, Ace nodded, "Uh-huh, I can't wait to see our baby sister!"

"Brother!" Cody argued. They badgered back and fourth, Elita signaled the group to follow her, and even though they were arguing.

Elita took them to the Guardian residence, introducing them to a few of the off-duty guardians. The first ones they saw were also servants of Primus. Aquarius Prime, she's the bright-blue smooth-talking servant of water, Cyclone Prime, he's the grey high-flying servant of wind, and finally Gaea Prime, the sweet green quiet and kind femme servant of ground.

After the 'bots began to mingle, Orion was sent to get Override from the station. Elita pulled Optimus to the side, in a hallway where there was no one, Optimus immediately hugged her as if he was going to lose her if he let go, and he even gave her a brief kiss.

Elita shook her head, "Optimus, I need to have a serious conversation with you, Optimus… Did you talk to Magnus when you heard I was destroyed?"

"He was the one who broke the news to me…"

Elita shook her head, "He didn't tell you did he? Optimus, I gave up on the war, Ultra Magnus was the one who convinced me to participate in what was supposed to be my last battle. Optimus, I've changed. But my feeling for you haven't, and never will." She put a hand on his mask, "You have to understand that, I've made a life on this planet, the kind of life that we always said we'd have when the war was over."

"Elita… What are you saying?"

"I'm saying… I'm saying I don't want you to leave… I want you to stay on Tolerace… with me… for the rest of our lives."

Well? What did you lot think? Let me know soon, though for the next couple weeks (Exams & lots of Homework) I might be too buisy to write.

Thanks for reading!