"Lady Middia?" Bulkhead demanded as the other 2 Primes rose. Middia laughed lightly as she watched the black and white Cybertronians stand on their feet.

"At least some know respect for their elders." Middia chuckled. "And yes Bulkhead, it's Lady Middia."

"We have come for Miko, return her to us!" Optimus decided to shout, steering the topic to the reason they were there.

"Oh, you always are ruining things, Optimus." Middia pouted, but then she brightened as she glided forward to take a seat upon the middle throne. "But onto business. I'm guessing you know my little prophecy?" The Autobots nodded gravely. "Then you know 3 Primes must defeat me, only they can. Ah Aramayus, it has been quite a while hasn't it? My chosen hero, and Critius ordered into position by Brother Unicron. I have not seen you in some time, you have grown. And my pesky goodie two shoes brother's chosen Optimus Prime, welcome to my home Prime."

"It is on uncertain ground I come before you, Lady Middia." Optimus replied respectively. "I will battle for my friend Miko, but if I win I also get Mitzi back. I know you have her here hidden somewhere, agree to release her." Optimus negotiated, and Middia burst out laughing.

"Oh no, no, no. That won't do, dear. Mitzi will be staying with me. She has to." Middia replied from her place at the throne.

"We won't leave without her!" Arcee said hotly. "Aren't you going to say something? They have your human Ara! What are you gonna do about it Critius?"

"They will do nothing, they are under my control."

"What do you mean 'under your control'?" Arcee demanded, but Middia just shook her head and ignored the question.

"Let me ask you something, do you honestly believe that a little human being such as Mitzi could have lived at your base without detection for so long a time? Honestly?" Middia asked with a secretive smile.

"I always had my doubts." Ratchet murmured quietly. Middia simply smiled in reply.

"Oh, don't you always?" She laughed, and waved her hand to the wall behind them. Turning, the Autobots watched as the wall was suddenly inscribed with a long paragraph in Cybertronian script. "My prophecy, isn't it something? It took me a while, but I was pretty bored that day anyway. In it is all you'll need to know, and you'll need to learn some things to survive." Bumblebee let out a series of curious beeps and clicks. "Oh, you didn't think you were going to show up in my home and automatically participate in an all out battle did you?"

"Um, yeah." Arcee replied.

"Well we're not, that would just end my fun, and I like having fun dearie. As long as you keep in mind my little wall of writing back there, you should be fine. This is going to be interesting, little Autobots. Now, it is time for the fun to begin." Middia laughed, and she waved her hand and the room shimmered, and then everything disappeared. Sitting calmly at her throne, Middia watched as all the Autobots fell to the floor. She was going to be having fun before they 'defeated' her. Taking a simple blue heart necklace she had just created out of boredom she twirled it about her fingers with a smile.

"You know what you're doing, right Middia?" A familiar voice asked with a smile.

"Oh, you know me." Middia replied with a laugh.

"Of course, we're one anyway." The other voice responded with a laugh. Middia turned her head from her alter form, a human, and turned toward the sleeping forms.

"I love power." Middia giggled, and rose to float above one of the Autobots. Without a word she slipped into a blue, two wheeled vehicle and began one of her games.

~(0)~

Arcee looked about her carefully. Where ever she was, it wasn't earth, and it wasn't Cybertron. The world was pure gold: the floor, the walls, the building rising from the golden ground, even the plants sprouting from the shining golden ground with a twinkle of the shimmering stone they world was made of. Suddenly, a form walked out of one of the buildings, and Arcee drew her weapons and readied to fire.

"Arcee? What are you doing here?" The form asked, and Jack stepped out into the golden world.

"Jack? What are you doing here? How did you get here?" The blue 'bot asked surprised.

"Beats me." Jack shrugged.

"We have to be careful, Middia sent us here, and I don't trust that femme at all."

"Not many do." Jack replied. "But we should probably find out where we are. I mean, just knowing we're on a golden planet doesn't really do us a world of good, now does it?"

"Yeah, you're right, Jack, climb on." Arcee replied, and altering her form to the motorcycle she felt Jack climb on. Arcee started forward slowly, losing traction on the golden surfaces, but as she adjusted to the weird flooring she gained speed and finally acclimating to the surrounding she was finally able to floor it. The golden world sped by them, but an end never came in sight.

"Stop!" Jack called out, and Arcee slammed on the brake.

"What? What is it?" Arcee demanded as Jack got off her.

"There, look!" Jack pointed, and in an alley way stood a person in a long silver cape, an odd contrast to the golden world about them. "Hey! Hey you! Come here!" He called out, but the form just turned and walked away.

"Should we follow her?" Arcee asked curiously, but Jack had already started after. "Jack! Wait! You're mom's going to kill me for this." She grumbled as she followed behind.

"Wait! Come back!" Jack was shouting, but the silver form sped up and disappeared.

"Jack stop, something's not right." Arcee warned, and picked her partner up so he would stop moving. "We have to stay together, that person, whoever, whatever is trying to separate us. We can't let it win."

"Shh." A voice whispered, carrying over the quiet terrain. Arcee spun to find the silver robed figure atop a golden building. She stood at Arcee's eye level, blond hair encompassed by the silver hood. The girl had pale skin, bright, energetic blue eyes, and a long silver dress that blended with her robe, and a blue heart necklace that stood out against the silvery style.

"Who are you?" Arcee asked quietly, not wanting to rupture the young human's eardrums.

"Shh." The girl replied again, and then started running away across the roof top.

"Wait!" Jack called, and the whispered 'Shh' came from behind them. Spinning, there stood the silver robed girl on the opposite rooftop.

"Shh." The figure repeated, and disappeared.

"Come back! We have to find her!" Jack said urgently, and twisted out of Arcee's grip with the frenzy of a madman. Arcee for her part was surprised a human had gotten out of her grip, but then realized Jack was missing in the golden world.

"Shh." The voice whispered again, and spinning all over again Arcee found the sliver girl on the original roof top.

"I get it, 'Shh'." Arcee groaned. "'Shh' what?" The figure started racing across the rooftop, and on the other side stopped to look at Arcee before looking the other way again, and then back at the blue 'bot. "Oh, I get it." Arcee realized, and praying the golden roof wouldn't collapse under her weight slowly climbed up onto it. The roof held, and finding the silver 'Shh' girl already running Arcee hurried to follow. "Wait! Where are we going? Do you know where my partner went?" Arcee called desperately, but the small human was outrunning the Cybertronian by leaps and bounds. "Wait!" Arcee finally called desperately, and with a faint smile on her pale lips the girl dropped from the roof to the ground far below. "No!" She shouted helplessly, and when she finally got to the roof edge she found the robed girl perfectly fine floors below. "How...?" Arcee trailed off, but shook her metal head and slipped to the ground far below. The girl was moving again, and as Arcee followed she realized something wasn't right. How was a human even here? And why was she, Arcee, here anyway? Where had that dumb Lady Middia sent her anyway? The sliver clad girl finally stopped, and Arcee finally was able to halt. "Where-"

"Shh." The girl whispered.

"I get it already! 'Shh', I know!" Arcee complained, and the sliver girl motioned across a golden river to a bowed form on the opposite shore tied and captured on a stake. He was bloody and dripping sweat and panting, and Arcee looked across in horror. A golden form rose from the golden ground, brandishing a bright shining silver knife, so bright against its background it gleamed it the golden light. "Oh no!" Arcee exclaimed in horror as the golden robed assassin rose against Jack.

"Shh." The silver form beneath her murmured, and Arcee ran to get her partner. As she reached the water's edge she felt an electric current zap her, and push her back.

"What?" Arcee murmured in disbelief, and tried again. The barrier zapped her with more energy, and Arcee fell to her knees as the knife came down with a sweeping gesturing. "No." She whispered in horror. He couldn't die, she didn't know if she'd survive. She had to save him, she had to! Rising again she pushed to at least enter the water, but Arcee was practically backhanded to the golden ground. "No." She whispered as the knife slashed again, and a scream of pain echo in the golden world.

"Shh." The silver form murmured, and drifted away in silence.

~(0)~

Ratchet rose from the environment he found himself in. It was quiet, unusually quiet. He was back in the base, standing before his 'super computer' and blinking rapidly. Hadn't he just been before Middia? What had happened? What? Turning he found 3 docile humans up on the balcony, all being unusually quiet.

Even Miko.

Wait, Miko?

"Miko?" He asked surprised.

"Yes, Ratchet?" The girl replied with a docile smile.

"Weren't you kidnapped?" He asked bluntly.

"No, sir. Not to my knowledge, was I kidnapped Jack?" Miko replied politely with a hesitant laugh, turning to the older human for confirmation on her kidnapped status.

"No, why would Miko be kidnapped? Are you okay Ratchet?" Jack replied slightly perturbed.

"Um, fine. Continue your homework." He murmured. Wait, Miko was doing her homework. Miko was doing her homework!

"Whatever you say, sir." Raf said in response for the group. Gaping in shock, he watched the 3 humans continue their studies in solemn silence, no one making a peep. Miko didn't make a snarky comment, Jack wasn't having to play referee, and Raf wasn't having to help anyone with their work at all.

Something was either extremely wrong, or he was in heaven.

Arcee entered the room quickly followed Bumblebee and Bulkhead. They were talking in bright chipper voices, and smiled upon seeing him.

"Oh hello, Ratchet. Just the 'bot we wanted to see." Arcee said brightly.

"Really?" He replied surprised.

"Of course!" Bulkhead laughed.

"One so wise as yourself would always be coveted for conversation, Ratchet." Arcee laughed.

"You were always the smartest of us." Bumblebee agreed with a nod.

"You have seen so much old friend, we were wondering if you could tell us of the Olden Days." Optimus said as he entered the room.

"Oh, yes please! I love your stories, so full of wit and wisdom, so pleasantly worded. Tell us the stories of so long ago, would you oh wise Ratchet?" Arcee begged, coming to stand before him with earnest pleading eyes.

"Um," Ratchet replied in shock. They wanted to hear him tell of past times? They never cared for his histories before, his tales passed from generation to generation, stories left to be guarded by him from the generation before him. "Okay, I guess a story would be adequate." He allowed.

"Awesome!" Bulkhead cheered.

"Huzzah." Bumblebee laughed, and almost in union the four other 'bots came to sit at his feet as he told stories of long ago. As one tale blended into 2, then 3, and so on, and with such an enraptured audience, Ratchet began to forget why he had thought his home had been weird and something was wrong. As he began one of the famous poems by Blazing Streak, an unnoticed fourth form appeared behind the 3 addicted humans to the stories of Cybertron from long ago. A silver cloak was about her shoulders, bright blond hair tumbling over her shoulders and her blue eyes alive with mirth. Ratchet began another tale, and as he became absorbed in the story he didn't even notice when the unusual girl took her leave.

~(0)~

Bulkhead awoke with a start. He had been dreaming there had been a third original power, someone called Middia. Shaky off the dream, but being unable to, he stood up and walked about him in confusion. He was on Cybertron, the metal city around him rising about him in a stately fashion.

"Bulk! Hey, earth to Bulkhead!" A voice was laughing, and in confusion he spun to find a friend beside him.

"Bolter?" He asked confused, and the yellow and orange femme laughed at his confused face.

"Duh, Bulk, who else would it be?" His friend giggled.

"Bolter..." He whispered in awe. In the dream, Bolter..she had been killed by Decepticons before true warfare had broken out. And in that dream, he thought he had been living on this planet 'earth'. Weird right?

"You okay, Bulk? You're acting weird. Now come on, we're going to the coliseum to see if Megatronus will be fighting today." Taking Bulkhead's hand in hers, she lead her friend down a street and down another and another until the great coliseum rose about them. "Come on, Bulk! You're so slow!" Bolter was laughing, and pushing and shoving the 'bot was able to get them seats right by the edge of the coliseum walls so that whatever energon was spilled out from the battlefield would splatter them. "I can't wait! And I can't wait to get splashed, I made sure we had seats in the splash zone. I never get any energon, I repel it or something. Oh, and when do you have to get back to the construction zone?"

"What?" Bulkhead asked surprised.

"Oh Bulk, you really are losing it. Remember, you just got a job as a construction 'bot, you have to be back by...?" Bolter prompted, her yellow face begging him to remember.

"Before the second sun hits midday." Bulkhead remembered after a moment's pause.

"Oh then we have time! Yes!" Bolter laughed, and turned her face eagerly to the coliseum floor. 2 'bots were already brawling it out, and Bolter cheered along with the crowd as one bot began to beat the other, and then the other gain the upper hand. Eventually, the one 'bot that everyone had come to see took the field.

Megatronus.

"Kill 'im, Megatronus! Kill 'im!" Bolter shouted. "He's gonna kill his opponent." Bolter laughed in Bulkhead's ear.

"Probably." Bulkhead replied carefully. The dream was still playing in his head, and his dream, so life like, had painted Megatronus as the bad guy. Megaton, that was the Decepticon's name. It wasn't a dream. He realized with a start, it had all been real. So, was this the dream? "Bolt, we need to get out of here." He warned her in low tones as energon spilled out everywhere, Megatronus winning.

"Why?" Bolter pouted. "We just got here, and the second sun is nowhere near midday."

"Just trust me, please." Bulkhead begged, but Megatronus had just won his battle, and was going to speak.

"Thank you all for coming here, I would just like to say that if you don't join my army you will be destroyed." Megatronus began calmly with a narrowed gaze. Murmuring broke out from the crowd, the citizens of Cybertron standing in confusion and surprise. "Either you assimilate to my cause or you will die." Megatronus proclaimed, and Decepticons poured into the arena, beginning the slaughter they Decepticon race would be famous for.

"Well this isn't good." Bolter murmured, pulling out her swords and mounting a counter attack. "Citizens of Cybertron, fight for your world!" Bolt shouted as she took back her home. Cybertronians mounted a counter attack under Bolt's guidance, but it began to dwindle as the inevitable happened.

"Bolt!" Bulk shouted in horror as his friend was slashed for retaliation. She began to fall to her knees, and Bulkhead race to catch her. "Bolt, just hang on, okay?" He begged, and with a grimace the femme turned to look at him.

"It wasn't how I wanted it, but I finally got splattered with energon." She murmured with a pained chuckle.

"Bolt..." He whispered, and gave a shout as Bolter's spark left her body.

"I am Megatron, Decepticon Leader! All who oppose me will perish!" Megatronus proclaimed, watching the slaughter behind him. Laughing as only an evil Power can, Middia floated above the slaughter house, not approving or disproving the display.

"Pain and Pleasure, Wrong and Right. I am it all." She declared quietly, high above the battle below.

~(0)~

Bumblebee was driving down a highway with Raf in his backseat, humming lightly as he played on a video game.

"Do you think it's possible there might be parallel worlds?" Raf suddenly asked. Bumblebee had to think about it for a second before he could answer.

"I think there might be." He allowed. "But I doubt they could be found under normal circumstances."

"Maybe you're right." Raf sighed in agreement. "But I think it would be so cool to have a twin, what do you think Bee? What would you do if you had an exact copy of yourself?"

"That I'm not sure about." Bumblebee laughed in reply, an exact copy of himself could make life interesting.

"We were talking about it in Advanced Theory class, and it started this huge debate! The class was practically torn! Half said it was scientifically impossible, the other half said anything is possible since we don't know everything yet. I guess I'm like the romanticizers, I think it could be possible. But at the same time, it's kinda silly isn't it?" Raf asked, looking up from his game in confusion.

"We don't know everything and we never will." Bumblebee told his little partner gently. "Some mysteries are here so we can open our minds to infinite possibilities, others so we can reach farther than we ever dreamed."

"You're kinda smart, Bee. Thanks." Raf smiled, and then gently repositioned himself in the front seat. So what do you want to do?" The boy asked eagerly.

"I have to get you home, Raf." Bumblebee replied, and Raf's face fell.

"Oh." He sighed, leaning back into the seat with a crest fallen face he was battling to get rid of.

"I'll be back in the morning to pick you up. You still owe me that rematch, remember?" Bee promised cheerfully.

"Okay." Raf replied, his face lighting up again. "Here's my stop." He said after a moment, and Bee pulled into the driveway of Raf's home. "See ya, Bee." Raf told his friend cheerfully, patting the hood goodbye as he walked up to his front door. Bee watched his human friend turn the key into the lock, open the front door to a melee of shouting, screaming, and laughing, and head on into the hubbub with the door slamming behind him. Bumblebee stood idle outside his friend's house for a moment, making sure nothing was amiss before slowly backing up and returning to base. It was just another day. He decided, not noticing the sleek silver car that pulled up beside him with an unnatural mirth under its hood.

"I am obliviousness." The car whispered, and a bomb exploding shook the ground. Bee transformed midair, looking back in horror as the silver Middia continued on.

~(0)~

Optimus was standing in a white expanse. There was nothing around him, absolutely nothing. Turning, the white expanse still stretched before him. There was no way out of this place, there was no here. Turning back the other way, he jerked back in surprise.

"Critius, Aramayus, where are we?" He asked after got over the shock of the other two Primes sudden arrival. "How did you get here?"

"I am so sorry, Optimus." Ara replied, a quiet desperation entering her tone. "We are so sorry, she made us. We aren't even supposed to be here."

"What are you talking about, Aramayus? What is it?" Optimus asked quickly, reaching out to steady the trembling 'bot.

"Crit?" Ara asked hopefully, turning her head in her black companion's direction.

"Middia game's in play, I'm sure she can handle a twist in the plot." Critius replied with a nod.

"Ask anything Optimus, if we know we'll tell you. I swear on my off line spark." Ara said, turning to the Prime before her.

"What are you talking about?" Optimus rumbled.

"From the beginning?" Ara asked with a quiet fear edged in her voice.

"The story is all we have." Critius replied solemnly.

"From the beginning." Ara sighed quietly. "Our story begins a long time ago, when Cybertron was still whole. When the faction of Autobot vs. Decepticon hadn't even been thought of, before Unicron had been banished off the planet... We were alive then. Trulyalive."

"I do not understand." Optimus said confused.

"No pretty words Ara, just the truth." Critius told his partner firmly. The white bot sighed, nodding.

"Sorry, words are all I have. Critius and I lived during the time Unicron had been banished off the planet, and that's when we met Middia. We were dying then, energon was spilling from our core, our sparks were fluctuating between living and dead. Middia offered us a deal of sorts. She would put us in stasis, saying we were going to be guarding Unicron's paralyzed form. There are tricks she is good at, Optimus. We stopped dying, but she still had the power to take us back to the brink of death and let us die. We died Optimus, we aren't here anymore."

"What?" Optimus asked, shock and confusion written on his features.

"We were tossed aside once Middia had what she wanted." Critius said softly. "And you must know, the prophecy, there is more to it! And Mitzi-"

"Is perfectly fine." A chuckling voice answered. Middia stepped toward the group, a smile on her face. "You are not supposed to be here, be gone." Midda decided, waved her hand, and suddenly the other two Cybertronians were gone. "Ghosts, such a difficulty to work with." Middia tsked.

"Where are my comrades?" Optimus demanded.

"In there own little worlds. Pain is so easy a trick to your friends, so easy." Middia laughed.

"And what of Mitzi? And Miko?" Optimus demanded.

"Perfectly fine, like I told you."

"What do you want? How do I get out of here?" He demanded.

"You didn't listen to Critius? The prophecy's your answer, you solve that, and your friends do as well, you can get out, and actually escape my Palace. I doubt that though, no one has solved my game before. And those little 'bots that are in so much pain, I doubt they'll see the light anytime soon."

"You call this a game? You are punishing us! My comrades? What have you done to them?" Optimus demanded, but his adversary simply laughed.

"Oh, you are a treat! I haven't had a plaything like you in quite some time. Don't worry though, soon that determination and passion will lesson, and you'll give up the fight. They all do."

"I will never give up." Optimus warned her as his eyes narrowed in anger.

"They all say that, we'll see if your group is different though. Maybe, you never know." Middia replied loftily.

"Where is Miko and Mitzi?" Optimus demanded again.

"You'll see them again if you win, but I doubt you'll do that. Besides, Mitzi is with me now." With that said, the great Original of both good and evil disappeared.

"I will get out of here, Middia! I will not give up!" Optimus declared loudly, turning in the silent stillness of his white landscaped confinement. "I will not." Middia's voice laughed in the white abyss, and Optimus knew he could not give up, he was a Prime after all.