I know it's been a while since I last updated. Real Life has gone through several major changes and crazy angst moments. Though I did have time to get a Twitter, so if you guys want update on future chapters, I might have some info posting there, but no promises (see ff profile for details).

I hope you guys like the chapter. As always please let me know what you think, if there are any typos (please, please let me know if you guys spot any) and if there is anything inconsistent. Hopefully the next chapter will be out much sooner than this one.

"Primus, I hope our escape route doesn't include anymore doors," grunted Bumblebee as he tugged at the bottom of the door that would free him and Prowl from their current sanctuary. Prowl let go of the top part of the door.

"Bumblebee, kindly step back," said Prowl pulling up his acid gun. Bumblebee took a few steps away from the door.

"Uh, Prowl, are you sure that's going to work?" asked Bumblebee.

Prowl fired off a few shots from his gun. The acid ate away at the lining between the door and its frame. He pulled the handle and the door fell out of its frame onto the floor beyond.

Bumblebee nodded his helm. "Sorry I doubted you," he said.

Prowl faintly smiled. "I would have thought after so many vorns of knowing me, you'd have learned to trust my orders."

Bumblebee looked a little sheepish, and then realized Prowl was trying to lighten the mood. "So you do know how to tell a joke," said Bumblebee, following Prowl down the hall. "I can't wait to tell Sideswipe."

They checked the small hallway that led from the room they had escaped from. A stairway wound itself down from one end of the landing and there was a small round window opposite the door.

"I believe these stairs lead to the back of the atrium," said Prowl. "We should be in the meditation cells."

"Meditation cells?" asked Bumblebee.

"To better clear the processor and speak with Primus or one of his avatars," said Prowl. "I was not privy to the details of the practice. The priests were known for their secrecy." He started down the spiral staircase.

"Seems like there were a lot of secrets in these temples," said Bumblebee following Prowl.

The walls that surrounded them were covered in vorns old grim and faded murals with chipped paint. Prowl kept his acid gun up and at the ready. Bumblebee made sure to keep up, but took the time to glance around.

"What are all these paintings of?" asked Bumblebee.

Prowl glanced at one of the murals. "I believe they depict historical events important to Praxus." He trailed his servo along a faded image of a Praxian warrior fighting a grayed mech. There was an odd pattern framing the mural. He frowned. "Though, I could be wrong."

Bumblebee watched Prowl. "Maybe they're Praxian stories, like the ones Optimus was collecting. I've seen similar murals in Earth museums," he said.

"Perhaps," said Prowl. He studied another mural with a mech holding spear with a clear blue tip that seems to radiate and repel its enemies. "Bumblebee, would it be possible to look at the crystal your friends gave you?"

"Sure," said Bumblebee carefully taking out the crystal. He handed it to Prowl.

It was like a sudden weight had been lifted from Prowl's shoulders. His doorwings, usually held at an uncomfortably tight position, relaxed and seemed to slightly flutter. He held the crystal up to the mural. "Interesting," he said quietly.

"Interesting?" repeated Bumblebee. "Prowl, what's going on? What do those patterns mean?"

"They are in a very old dialect of Praxian," said Prowl.

"A dialect of Praxian?" asked Bumblebee. "But I thought there was only one language on Cybertron."

Prowl laughed. It was light and free, like a leaf floating from a tree branch down to a river. Bumblebee had never heard Prowl laugh like that. "In ancient times, before the Quintessa, Cybertron was not the united planet we were during the golden age. Much like what we saw on Earth, different cultures with their own languages, writing styles, and frame types developed. When the Quintessa conquered our world, they destroyed the individuality of these city-states. Some cultures were able to hide their knowledge either written or through oral traditions."

Prowl turned back to Bumblebee. He held out the crystal. "Though much of the knowledge was lost, what remained after the Quintessa were expelled was reclaimed. In the early years after that war, it was the priests who maintained those records. I'm certain if you went to temples in Iacon, Simfur, or Crystal City, you would see similar murals."

Bumblebee took the crystal from Prowl and put it back into his subspace. "Hey Prowl, after the Quintessa left, did the minibots, ya know, have their own city-state?"

Without the crystal in his possession, Prowl seemed to tense back up. His doorwings were once again held tightly against his back. "I'm afraid I don't know that," he said. "Minibots are a secretive nomadic group, as far as Cybertronian records are concerned. It is likely that the Quintessa destroyed any city-state they had developed and due to the war, were unable to rebuild."

Bumblebee sighed. "I guess I'll have to ask Brawn and Beachcomber when I get back."

There was a loud banging below their peds. Prowl brought his acid gun back to the ready. "Be ready for anything," he said.

"Maybe it was a glitch mouse," suggested Bumblebee taking the safety off of his gun.

Prowl's doorwings flicked back. "We are rarely so lucky."

(break)

Thundercracker ran along the length of the townhouse roof tops. He kept a sharp optic out for any unstable paths. He nearly fell through the roof of a few of the buildings.

"Oh frag," he cursed as he found himself at a dead end. It was either climb down the side of the building and risk running along the ground or back track quite a bit to find a more stable path. There was so much rubble in his line of sight that it was hard to tell if the strange mech was around or if he had any friends.

Did he risk running on the ground?

He could hear the start of a dull rumbling beneath his peds. Small bits of debris rattled against the roof top where he stood. It felt like the ground was shifting.

Thundercracker turned around and saw the tops of the townhouses he had been running across shift back and forth. The rumbling grew louder until it reached a deafening crash. Then the townhouses started to collapse.

Thundercracker was able to keep his balance as the surface he stood on shifted. The damaged ended just shy of where he was standing.

"Primus, either you really are looking after me, or you have one sick sense of humor," grumbled Thundercracker as he surveyed the damage. He now had no other option but to try to make it across the open area and find a place to seek shelter.

He was still in the Eastern Area of Praxus, but he was getting closer and closer to the central hub of the city. The Eastern Temple wasn't too far from his current location. He could see the crystals growing off the towers. They seemed to glow ominously. It was close to where the signal he had picked up originated. Hopefully he could get there in one piece.

With a sigh, Thundercracker turned towards the center of the massive city. No signs of life could be detected from the burnt buildings. Wild crystals were also growing off of many of the decaying structures, but none of them were as bright as those that grew off of the Temple in the city's center. It wasn't really a temple, not like the other five. It had been an elaborate garden with a shrine in the center that had four large pillars and one obelisk mirroring the location of each of the five original temples of Praxus.

Thundercracker felt a shiver go up his spinal strut. Neither of the paths seemed all that safe, especially with the youngling he was transporting. The signal had come from the east. It was his most likely chance at getting out of the city. It could also be a trap, but something told him it wasn't.

"Primus, I would really appreciate it if you stopped messing with me for a little bit and let me get to safety," said Thundercracker. "Grayscale, I can't stay here in any longer. I hope you understand."

After his small prayer, Thundercracker gently climbed down from the roof he had been perched on. He again checked the area for any movement. He didn't detect anything. Thundercracker ran as fast as he could, using the Eastern Temple as his focal point.

He thought about climbing up another set of row homes to run across the roofs again, but the area seemed to have taken more damage than the others. It was too risky. He turned down an alley way and popped out onto a main road. The ground under him started to shift again. He changed direction and headed down another side street.

Thundercracker's path was blocked by a collapsed high-rise building. It might have been easier to climb through the broken windows, but the ground was still shifting and all it would take was one loose piece of glass to finally end him.

"I just can't catch a break today," Thundercracker muttered to himself. He felt as though some unnatural force within the city was trying to herd him further into its center. After turning down a few more side streets, Thundercracker checked his position against what he could see of the Eastern Temple. He didn't seem to be getting much closer to it. He checked his position to the Temple in the center of the city. The pillars were definitely growing closer.

"What is it with this city!" yelled Thundercracker. He stamped his ped against the ground. He wasn't familiar with this district and had no idea which streets to take to get to the Easter Temple. "If I could fragging fly, this wouldn't be a fragging problem."

Clang! Bash! Bang!

"Oh, slag, that's all I need," said Thundercracker. The noise was coming from behind him. Vorns of heightened war senses told him there was more than one being approaching. Thundercracker took a deep vent and turned around.

Four deathly grey mechs were closing in on him. Three of them jerked and twitched as they walked forward. The last mech dragged himself across the ground, clawing away with shaky arms.

"Oh joys," grumbled Thundercracker sarcastically. "There's more than one." He grabbed his gun from subspace and started shooting. The mechs weren't phased by the hits. "Frag me to seven pits!" Thundercracker decided his best course of action was to run as fast as he could away from the freaky mechs. They weren't that fast and he was a Seeker.

Thundercracker turned to run and found himself surrounded by more grey mechs. "You've got to be fragging kidding me," he said. He was caught like a glitch mouse in a trap.

The ground started to shift again, the rumbling growing to a thundering crash as it had before the roofs collapsed. The deathly grey mechs were within a few meters from Thundercracker. He wasn't sure if he should start praying or laughing hysterically.

He was about to kick on his thrusters and attempt to fly, when he felt the ground pull out from under him. He fell down into the depths of Praxus.

Somehow, Thundercracker managed to curl himself into a ball and safely roll to a stop. Dust and rubble covered him. He took in a few deep vents to calm himself down. After a few kliks, he uncurled from his protective ball and glanced around. None of the grey mechs had fallen down with him.

Thundercracker flicked on one of the lights on his body. They weren't as bright as grounder's headlights, but he could see there were a path and possibly a collapsed tunnel. Thundercracker looked up from where he had fallen. He could see the sky from his position. It was a dark pink color, similar to energon spilt from an injured mech.

"Fine!" yelled Thundercracker. "I'll go this way, but it sure as pit better lead me out of this forsaken city! You hear me Primus or whoever you are! I will not be manipulated by you!"

Getting out all of his anger felt good. It made him feel more in control. He looked around again for a second path or a way to climb out of the hole he had fallen into. There was only one visible path.

"Grayscale, I hope you're looking out for me. I could really use some help," said Thundercracker.

Thundercracker walked for what felt like orns. His legs were starting to hurt and he could feel the youngling in his hold growing restless. Younglings should not be cooped up for too long. He kept telling himself that he just needed to go a little further, that there would be an exit just up a head.

Being underground was disorienting and he couldn't tell which direction he was going. After a few more turns, Thundercracker found himself in a large underground chamber. The air felt lighter than the tunnel he had just walked through. A glance up showed a few small alcoves where one or two mechs could rest.

Thundercracker felt a kick in his hold. "Don't worry young one. I'll let you out soon," he said. The youngling must be hungry. He quickly scaled the wall and climbed into one of the alcoves.

The youngling tumbled out of Thundercracker's hold when he finally popped it open. "Sorry," said Thundercracker to agitated youngling. "I had hoped to have gotten the two of us to safety by now."

Thundercracker pulled two energon rations from his subspace. "Here," he said. He handed a ration to the youngling. "I'll get us out of here soon. Luckily my friend gave me enough energon rations to last a while." He smiled at the youngling. The youngling smiled back at him and took a sip of the offered energon.

They drank their energon in near silence. It was quiet, but the air wasn't still. Thundercracker's wings could detect a cool draft. If he followed the draft, maybe it would lead him out of the tunnels. It was worth a shot, but not at the moment.

Thundercracker felt his body becoming heavy and his optics were starting to flicker. He was tired and in dire need of rest. He had to shake himself to stay awake. The youngling next to him yawned.

"I think we both need some recharge," said Thundercracker to the youngling. He subspaced what was left of their rations. He leaned back against the wall of the alcove. The youngling crawled up his chest and settled his tiny head against his spark. Thundercracker put a servo over the tiny body. It would just be a short recharge. After all, danger was still all around them.