10: Glimpse into the Past
Blackarachnia opened her eyes. Where was Knight? She had followed him to a stand of boulders, then something had touched her and she found herself on the ground, alone. She was still in the same stand of rocks; she could only guess that something had knocked her out.
"Knight? Are you there!?" Blackarachnia called. There was no answer. "Hmm…I hope nothing's happened to him." She traced her steps backward, to the glen where she had been with Depth Charge only a few moments ago, it seemed. Depth Charge was not there, nor were any of his footprints. Something weird was going on. Blackarachnia knew she was pretty close to the Transformer's arc, and that if she climbed a tree, she could see it. So she did.
After scrambling up an old beech tree, Blackarachnia could see the mountain where her friends were staying. But the entrance into the base was covered by rocks; the very same stones she and Silverbolt had dug through when she was still a predacon.
"This is too weird," Blackarachnia whispered. She set off running, and after a few cycles reached the place where the Axalon had stood before it was destroyed. The Axalon was not there. Using her internal computer, Blackarachnia scanned for any robotic life-forms. The scanner read a big, fat zero. "I'm dreaming," Blackarachnia told herself. "I have to be dreaming. Huh…"
Suddenly she gasped, for she saw two ships in the sky, crashing downward; and she at once recognized them as the Darkside and the Axalon.
"Is this some kind of simulation?" the black widow thought in perplexity. "This is weird; this is beyond weird…this is totally bizarre. It's like I've gone back in time."
Blackarachnia began to think, and perhaps there was still a touch of her predacon-like power-hungriness. If she were back in time, then she could perhaps change time as she knew it. Blackarachnia could stop Tarantulas from reprogramming her, then she would have never become a predacon, and then Silverbolt would be saved a lot of trouble. She thought broader. Why, what was to stop her from changing time in other ways? She could make sure that Silverbolt was not out walking with her at the time of the rock slide. Then he would be safe, and sound, and hers.
But should she really go through with this? Was it even possible? Dinobot proved that time could be changed but those particular instances—Megatron trying to destroy the Autobots, for example—were destiny. It was something that had to have happened. Dinobot and all the maximals were meant to be heroes from the beginning; they were purposely placed here to interrupt Megatron's plans. If things were not all chance after all, could history really be changed?
Before Blackarachnia could make up her mind, there was something like an earthquake, and she fell to the ground. Blackness came from out of nowhere, and engulfed her like a sack. Soon Blackarachnia found herself almost entirely surrounded—no, within—the blackness. But there was a hole of sorts, a window, which still looked out into the Past. Blackarachnia felt she would rather be out there than trapped inside this blackness, but the hole was too small to fit through.
Suddenly a heavy body was thrown on top of her.
"Ugn!" a familiar voice came.
"Silverbolt! Uh—I mean Knight!" Blackarachnia exclaimed excitedly.
"Uh, you're safe," Knight said, though he sounded strangely breathless. "I wondered where you were. I got swallowed up by this blasted darkness—someone was fighting me—"
"Are you hurt?" Blackarachnia asked concernedly.
"I am…undamaged, thank you," Knight said. Suddenly he got quiet, as if remembering something suddenly.
"Silv—Knight," the spider said, "I'm sorry. That maximal you saw was Depth Charge. He's is my friend, but that's all." She knew he was injured; being Silverbolt, after all, he was sensitive. "It's not what you think. These past few days have been almost impossible for me, and they've made Depth Charge and I understand each other. Depth Charge has been a kind brother and guardian to me lately. Nothing else. Knight, surely you know, that you're the only bot I could ever love."
"Alright," Knight sighed. "If you say so."
"Oh, and Knight?" Blackarachnia asked.
"Yes?"
"Can you get off me?"
"Oh—sorry!" Knight fell to the floor and scrambled onto his feet again. "You are undamaged as well, I see. Good. I don't know where we are, but we'll get through this together."
Blackarachnia transformed back into robot mode and, despite the circumstances, couldn't be happier. She was with Silverbolt. The only thing left to do was to make Knight see that he was Silverbolt.
***
Optimus came back to base with Depth Charge and Cheetor, fruitless in their search. I knew it; I just knew it, Depth Charge though bitterly. I just can't ever allow myself o get close to anyone. Some way or other, I'll lose the people I care about. Always have, always will, probably. How could I have been so slagging weak?!
"Optimus, get over here!" Rhinox shouted, still at the computers. "Look at this!"
The five maximals looked at the computer screen. A message was coming up.
"A time like this," Rattrap said, "and you want to check your E-mail?!"
"Shut up, Rattrap," Optimus ordered, "and look at the message."
"Maximals," Rhinox read aloud, "I seem to have one of your maximals stuck inside my vortex. That, of course, I don't mind—the more the merrier! But I thought it only fair to warn you that you won't be seeing her again. No hard feelings; after all, when I'm done, there won't be any of you to give any feelings. Lovely chatting. Adieu."
"How dare that slag-spouting freak-bot!" Cheetor shouted.
"Shut up, Cheetor," Optimus ordered.
"Now ya know how I feel," Rattrap sighed.
"What does it mean, 'the more the merrier'?" Rhinox pondered. "Optimus, I don't know what to do. I don't know where the vortex is or how to access it. Hang on." He typed a message hastily in reply to the one he had received. "I don't suppose there's any use in trying to negotiate?" was Rhinox's message.
"I don't think so," the incoming message read.
"Nobody move," Rhinox said suddenly. "Look. I don't know who this is who is talking to us, but while his message is up, I may be able to tamper into his controls. I need to concentrate."
Silence.
"I've got something," Rhinox exclaimed. "Man, this guy has a high-tech internal computer system; he's controlling the vortex and sending messages to us without even using a console. Hmm, here we go; the Vortex info and controls. It's an unsteady vortex, just like I guessed; it's unpredictable, but it can be opened and closed. The Vortex seems to be a portal back into the past. Blackarachnia could be trapped in the past! If I can get control of the vortex, then I can get her out. If the Vortex closes, she'll be temporarily stuck inside it, neither in the past or in the present, just stuck."
"But only temporarily?" Optimus asked.
"Only until the person who has control of the vortex frees her. Uh-oh." Rhinox went stiff. "I think he knows I'm looking through his records and controls. Ah, slag! He's closing up the vortex!"
***
Blackarachnia and Knight were, of course, no longer in the past or present. They were stuck between, in the darkness. The only light came from the opening which led into the past, and which was getting smaller as the vortex closed.
"We're trapped," Blackarachnia exclaimed, realizing it for the first time. "Is this some kind of time wormhole?"
"It would seem so," Knight agreed; he then went and peered out of the vortex opening.
"What do you see?" Blackarachnia asked.
Knight gasped. "A maximal. He looks so familiar! Hmm, if I do say so myself, he looks rather handsome."
"Is he silver, with a black faceguard and eagle wings?" the she-spider questioned.
"Why, yes! Who is he?"
"He's you—I mean he's Silverbolt. And you're right, he is very handsome. And charming too." Blackarachnia smiled. "What's he doing?"
"He seems to be fighting; yes, now he about to fire a missile at—a female maximal. She resembles you, though a bit smaller, and yellow and black instead of blue and red."
"That's me," Blackarachnia admitted, "in my Original form."
"Ah, he will not fire at her. It is against his honor," said Knight. "Oh, what's this? It appears time has passed, and now you…you're fighting him. Excellent fighting skills; you're talented. But he will not fight back; he sees there is good in you and pities you as well. Now he is being blown away by some mighty squall, it seems. He is with you again! You are hiking along together through the jungle." Knight was getting more into the story. The feelings he guessed Silverbolt must be feeling seemed to be his own feelings now. "Silverbolt goes across a log bridge, knowing he ought to go first, lest it should fall. He would not want to lose you. Now he is battling to save you—he is fighting a panther or something, but—uh! He topples off a cliff!"
"Then I save him," Blackarachnia said, going through the story in her head. "He knows I'm meant to be a maximal, but I won't accept it…yet."
"Now," Knight went on, "you and I—I mean, you and Silverbolt—are faced by a giant robot. He seems mad, and I step up to protect you. Silverbolt does, that is. The beast is a crab; he has me held in one of his pincers."
"I hate this part," said Blackarachnia.
"Don't worry—friends come to help us. You are falling now, but I rescue you. The crab is defeated; I finished him off."
"That part was cool."
"Time skips again, and I—Silverbolt, I mean to say—looks heartbroken. I have lost a brother; he lived a warrior and died a hero. I look sad for other reasons, too. An innocent creature came: a disfigured, unintelligent being: a Transmutate. But she died. I heard that two maximals—a Tigatron and Air-razor, seemingly—have been kidnapped and we cannot recover them. Though Silverbolt seems sad, he is not giving up on you."
"He never does."
"Silverbolt meets you by a lake, but looks distressed. He is fraternizing with the opposite faction—with you—and this violates his honor and makes him feel guilty. But he knows he cannot give up on you. He longs for you to join him. His commander orders him to destroy you, but Silverbolt disobeys; he can't stand to hurt you. Thus Silverbolt is punished and imprisoned; angry and riled, he gets violent and he hurts his fellow comrade. It pains him to do it, but it is for the adolescent's own good. Now Silverbolt finds his love and…the spider-girl shoots him! How could she do that to me?"
"Sorry."
"Time skips, and we are both in front of a giant ship. Megatron—how do I know his name?—is there with us. You save me from him. There is chaos, a time storm, and shouting, but with my help you manage to stop the storm. Phew. Oh no! You are in my arms, having sacrificed yourself for the good of the maximals! I assume you are dead but soon learn that you are only unconscious. Don't scare me like that! Time skips, and now you are hurt or sick. I am worried. A large, green maximal tries to repair you, but a spider scientist interferes and causes him to fail. I am heartbroken. Revenge is all I can think of, and I pursued the spider scientist. I would have killed him, but the crab returns. And then…you're back! I am utterly shocked, and utterly relieved! You rescue me, and you look like you do now."
"Not too shabby."
The hearts of Blackarachnia and Knight were completely open to each other, and both hearts seemed to sing when they were together.
But suddenly Knight cried out. The window into the past shut! Everything was black. No, wait, it was not altogether black. There was another window—Blackarachnia knew instinctively it was the Window To The Present.
"Shall we make our way towards the light, as always?" Knight said.
"Yeah—but hurry, it's getting smaller!" the she-spider exclaimed. "And it looks so far off! How do we get there? I can't see you!" She was frantic—she just got Silverbolt back, and now she might lose him. The vortex might close up, they might get lost in the dark!
Knight nudged her softly, and she felt his thick, soft, wolf fur. It calmed her down somewhat. "Get on my back," said Knight gently. Blackarachnia did as she was told and, though it was not quite like riding Silverbolt, it was satisfying.
"Let's go, Silverbolt," Blackarachnia said.
The wolf made no objection to the name this time, but whether he had truly got his memory back or not remained to be seen.