All Creatures Great and Small.
Directors Edition
Chapter 3

Buffy woke up. Everything around her was a dancing mix of blue and green. She got out of the car, looking at the world around her in detached wonder. Deep in side she felt something akin to pure joy. Whatever was happening was good. The moments turned into years when all too suddenly the glow faded and the world returned to normal.

Xander looked at Buffy she had the same smile on her face as everyone else, including himself. 'Do you have any clue what that was?'

The smile grew several notches; 'No I can tell you it was good and important but you already knew that.'

Actually he didn't. 'Those T.V crews haven't left yet. Lets ask them.'

'You think they know something?'

'Sure. T.V. knows everything.'

Buffy looked at him and actually laughed 'Xander!' He smiled back, it was a long time since he saw his friend laugh like that.

Just a short distance from them lay a small, purple, old fashioned cassette player. Over looked and ignored by most as part of the rubble no one saw the long metallic tendrils that stretched from its sides. They were monitoring the crash site, little cameras and sensors scattered across what was left of the building watching the humans search attempts. Two of them were next to the young human adults. Curious the two sensors followed the pair like metallic snakes.

Within the Ark Ratchets optics reactivated. Shortly after so did his higher brain functions. He found himself lying against the wall. A quick diagnostic told him that there was no damage, getting up he looked for Prime and the girl. Standing before him was someone the size of Omega Supreme, painted a mix of green and blue it looked a bit like Prime but this transformer had a set of steel wings, more armour and seemed to be a lot leaner and more powerful. From the looks of things it was also deactivated.

Slowly its eyes glowed, showing Ratchet he was active. 'Prime?'

Its voice was strange, almost like Prime's but different. 'In a sense my son, I am Optimus Primus.' Ratchet was shell shocked; Primus was the name of his god and ultimate creator.

'W… what happened? Where is the girl, Dawn?'

'They merged. The power of The Key and The Matrix now both reside within me. In a strange sense Miss Summers and Optimus Prime are my components and my parents while I am an aspect, an amplified echo of the original Primus.'

'She was telling the truth?'

'As far as she knew it, yes.'

Ratchet was still routing this information through his logic, and sanity, processor chips when just about the entire Autobot army burst into the lab. 'Prime; are you alright?' 'What the…' 'What's happening?' 'Who's the big guy?' Everyone was talking at once. Finally Optimus Primus held both hands up.

'I think it's best if they explain.' His lower body opened up and he took out what looked like an engine. As he did so his colour faded into the familiar red, silver and blue of Prime. Dawn transformed back into a robot and stood up.

'That was too weird' she said holding her head.

Prime had reverted back to his normal size and shape 'I agree Dawn, very... weird.' He stopped for a moment, most likely reordering his own thoughts. 'Autobots; somehow the combination of myself and Dawn allowed the power of the Matrix and a trans-dimensional energy field know as The Key to join together and act as the catalyst for the rebirth of Primus.'

While the Autobots looked shocked a small hand was held up to knee level. 'I know I am partially responsible for this but who is Primus?' she asked

'Primus is the name of our God. Untold aeons ago he fought the daemon God Unicron, He sacrificed himself to imprison the Dark God of Destruction and then gave what was left of himself to give our kind life.'

Dawn took a step back 'Why would he do that?'

'Primus knew if Unicron ever found a way out of his prison the universe would be in grave danger. Unicron wants nothing less than total destruction of everything and everyone in the universe. Unicron was the equal to Primus, a fallen God with powers we can not imagine. Ancient evil from a time beyond imagining. The stories say that He did once destroy His own universe. The cosmos was reborn into this one that created Primus as it's ultimate guardian.'

The little power-master took another step back and looked at her own feet 'I hate to tell you this but I think he got out.'

'WHAT!'

'My sister has been having these visions things for a week now.' Dawn backed up holding her hands up in surrender. 'Telling her that something or someone is coming here. From what you just told me this Unicorn guy sounds just like it.'

Optimus looked at her. 'What do you mean visions?'

'Visions, as in messages from a higher power. I didn't want to have to tell you guys this but this world has it's own fair share of troubles. Have you guys heard of vampires, I mean the things that go bump in the night?'

'Hay babe I've spent years researching earthen culture. Your talking fairy tales little girl.' Jazz was their Earth expert. Prime told Dawn that and she laughed.

'Well their real, demons and monsters under the bed all exist. My sister is the Slayer, that means that she's been chosen to fight them and make the world safe for humans. She's the reason this worlds still here.'

Jazz looked at her 'The stories say that these monsters and things are strong and powerful, better fighters than humans. How can she fight them?'

'When she was chosen she was given powers herself. She's stronger faster and more powerful than them. some sort of grand cosmic balance thing, I don't know. We need to find her, we were looking for this volcano, and I'm just thinking we might actually be in it.'

Optimus nodded and gestured for her to carry on.

'I have to tell her where I am. She's probably turning the town upside down looking for me.'

This time he spoke up, 'Are you not old enough to take care of yourself?'

'You'd think that, but to her I'm still a baby.'

'Alright Autobots, If she's right we need to be ready. Prepare yourselves as best you can, myself and Dawn will find her sister and bring her here.'

'You'll need help Prime, and we'll all be too busy. Take Rewind and Eject with you.' Blaster opened up his deck and let them out.

Dawn watched as two large tapes unfolded and became man sized robots. One was yellow and the other red. They looked like twins, both having the same sort of face as Prime. Behind her she heard Prime transform into his truck form. 'Let's go.' He ordered revving his massive engine.

As Prime drove out of the cavern Dawn looked behind and saw what the metal caverns were part of. A starship really was buried within the volcano Buffy was looking for, its five engines pointing towards the sky.

After a few minutes Dawn had to ask something 'So after today I guess your stuck with me'

'I believe so. Is that a problem?' Primes voice came from a flashing box behind the driving wheel.

'Well no but I don't think Dawn is a good name for a kick ass 'bot. I like it but I think I need another.'

Prime laughed before one of the tapes started talking; 'Would you chose "Sunrise"?'

She shook her head at that. 'No? How about "Sunburst"?' the other one asked

'I think that works.' Prime approved

'It's good! Then from now on I'm Dawn "Sunburst" Summers.' She liked the sound off that.

'So we know that light show was seen all over the world, and because of that no one knows where it came from.' The female said.

The male looked thoughtful as he rubbed his forehead. 'Think its anything to do with your dreams?' he asked after a moment.

She answered quickly 'It has to be, but what?'

Soundwave retracted his sensor. The small human female believed she knew something about the strange energy emissions? Megatron would be interested. Transforming into his robot form he tapped one off the console switches on his abdomen and radioed Decepticon headquarters.

'Soundwave to Megatron. Prototype not recovered. Data regarding unknown energy pulse:- Possible. Request orders.'

'How possible?' His leader didn't bother to hide his anger.

'Human female. Said to have limited information. Should I investigate?'

There was a faction of a pause before; 'Bring it to me immediately, understand?'

The ruthless Decepticon leader meant failure was not an option. 'Yes Megatron.' Braking off contact Soundwave pressed a button on top of his chest. 'Rumble, Frenzy, Laserbeak, Ravage:- Eject. Operation:- Capture!'

Buffy sat on Xander's car. She had no real idea what was happening. Her dreams were a jumble of images and no matter how much she tried she couldn't sort them out. The Slayer was so focused on wringing some sense out of the mess that she didn't notice the shadow behind her. A large hand grabbed her shoulder, reacting on instinct she flung whoever it was over her head and delivered a snap-kick to the their head but it wasn't human, or even a demon. A jolt of pain shot up her leg as it contacted metal. A blocky robot, painted red and black, picked itself up and tried to punch her. It was slow but the Slayer had no intention of letting it touch her. Buffy dodged before landing a drop kick on the robot that pushed it away. It was enough for her to take stock of the situation but no where near as far as she would have liked. What was that guy made of?

Make that guy's plural. To her right Xander was wrestling with a robotic panther and a oversized bird. As usual he wasn't doing that well. She moved to help when another robot, this one blue, spun her around. It's fist changed as it reeled back and the whole arm morphed into a pile-driver before her eyes.

Even with Slayer reactions Buffy was too shocked to move as it rocketed into her chest. A normal human could have been turned inside out from that blow.

Buffy was sent flying, doing back flips and tumbling through the air. Hitting the ground she continued to roll twice more, bruising her shoulder and left arm. She ended up spread eagle on the blacktop, with a flip she was on her feet again. Spitting blood and feeling a cracked rib or three, Buffy ran back to the robot and gave him a pointed lesson in Slayer strength.

She was about to rip its head off when she felt a gun barrel pressed to her head. Looking for Xander's help, she saw him battered and bruised at the feet of the two animal robots. 'You're strong human.' Now both robots had guns pointed at her. 'But now that you've finished punching, you're coming with us.' Knuckles raw from pounding unyielding metal Buffy let her arms drop and opened her mouth...

Out of nowhere someone shouted; 'I don't think she's started yet Frenzy!' Another three robots jumped out of an approaching truck. Two looked a bit like the two who had just captured her, but they were painted differently. The third had a similar head but its body was completely different. They fired at Frenzy and blue boy.

Diving out of the way Buffy saw the two she had fought shoot back, It looked like they had forgotten about her. The two man-shaped ambushers ran for cover behind Xander's car, still firing. Buffy was suddenly picked up by the big bird 's vice like grip, it was stronger than her and hadn't forgotten.

'No you don't, bird brain.' She could have sworn she heard Dawn's voice from the odd robot out. A laser burst shot a hole in the birds wing causing it to drop her and crash.

Dawn smiled behind her face mask. Her first shot, ever, and she nailed the target. 'Yes' she cheered, pumping the air. A metallic growl aimed at her came from the right. panning around she fired wildly at the big cat that was coming at her. Dawn was trying not to hit Xander behind the charging mechanical black cat.

Her two companions were fighting tooth and nail with the already damaged Decepticon tape-men, no help there. The cat ran at her, dodging this way and that from her shots. She knew she couldn't hit him, he was too fast, but Dawn didn't back off. Letting him get closer was a risk she had to take, then he jumped right at her…

Buffy saw it happen. Inches from impact the silver and blue robot scissors-kicked the panther mid flight. When as the panther got up, the other one pivoted on it's heal and roundhouse-kicked it to the floor again in a shower of sparks and dirty oil. Both were moves she had taught Dawn less than a week ago. She could hear it, no she, Buffy could hear Dawn laughing! Dawn was inside that robot? Looking around she saw that the other robots were defeated and running for it. Going out on a limb she shouted 'Dawn what's going on?'

'We just saved you and Xander from four Decepticons Buffy. Oh by the way that's Rewind and that's Eject.' She pointed at the flanking robots who nodded to Buffy.

Xander got up. 'Am I dreaming or does that robot have Dawn's voice?'

'It's me Xander.' Buffy watched as the green plate over Dawn's eyes slid into her helmet and the one covering her mouth and nose split in two and fell back into the sides. Dawn was laughing 'So what do you think of the new me?'

End Chapter 3