Author's Notes:

PLEASE READ.

Okay, so I'm just gonna stop saying that I'm going to have a distinct posting date… just expect that if its gonna happen, it will happen on Friday.

Also! This is new and an idea I borrowed from Mist-Howler: I'm going to post links to the songs that open my chapters on my profile. PLEASE CHECK THEM OUT. I SET THE CHAPTERS AND THE MOODS AFTER THEM. I will go back and post the old chapter ones as well, so you can look at them if you want~! (especially the KO chapter, cause I not only love that song, but I think it melds the chapter cetter to hear the song)

Final note! I have started the rewrite! It's going to be posted over the summer, and I highly suggest reading it. Not only is it much better written, but it will have certain elements worked into it that were not in the first, but will be prevelant in Chasing Shadows.

So, with that said, ON TO THE STORY!

"Hold it together, birds of a feather,
Nothing but lies and crooked wings.
I have the answer, spreading the cancer,
You are the faith inside me.

"No… don't…
Leave me to die here,
Help me survive here.
Alone, don't remember,
Remember…

"Put me to sleep evil angel.
Open your wings evil angel.

"A-ah.

"I'm a believer,
Nothing could be worse,
All these imaginary friends.
Hiding betrayal,Driving the nail,
Hoping to find a savior.

"No, don't
Leave me to die here,
Help me survive here.
Alone, don't surrender,
Surrender…

"Put me to sleep evil angel.
Open your wings evil angel.

"Oh.
Fly over me evil angel.
Why can't I breathe evil angel?

"Put me to sleep evil angel.
Open your wings evil angel.

"Oh.
Fly over me evil angel.
Why can't I breathe evil angel?"

Evil Angel, by Breaking Benjamin

I wish I knew what day it was. How much time had passed. What had happened while I was stuck here. Here in this Nothingness.

I was getting stir crazy. Pacing back and forth, I had every intention of taking advantage of my ability to pace, seeing as how I didn't know how much longer the ground would last.

And how long it would be gone the next time it vanished.

I began to grumble to myself, my pacing slowly increasing in speed before I finally gave a sound of defeat and allowed myself to fall backwards, sprawling along the ground. "Come on, Ev… What's takin' ya so long?"

My femme had been gone for a while. She was alive, hopefully, if that Pit-spawned Con kept her end of the bargain. But still, she should have come for me by now. Agreeing to bring me back was the only reason she took Airachnid's bargain, the only reason she offered a piece of herself to the Spider.

"I wonder what ya lost for me…" I sigh. "Please don't be ya voice. Or ya eyes…" It was too quiet here. I didn't like the quiet. I talked so much during my life to fill the silence, to fill the void. Never did I think it could get this bad. Get this quiet.

The quiet I had been living in was almost deafening.

"Is it really a surprise that you resorted to talking to yourself, Cliff?" I sit up and stare at the white and ever expanding Nothingness. "Anything to fill this void of waiting for her…"

In the first part of my time here, I wandered, calling for anyone and anything. I felt myself slowly fading away, slowly losing who I was. Slowly forgetting everything. Till I thought of her. "Everon…." Slowly, I began to remember her. The haze lifted from my mind, and memories of her led to other memories, till I found myself once more.

So, I soon realized what my reason for being here was. I was waiting for her. I couldn't join the Allspark unless I knew she was at my side. So, I waited. As dull as this place is, she was worth the wait. I could wait an eternity for her.

I didn't think she would come so soon. She died too soon…

Seeing my girl wandering in this void nearly tore my spark out. Seeing her nearly lose herself to the haze, being so confused as to where she was, as to what happened to her… "You were too young. Too young have to of endured that. To endure the torture, to die…"

I knew she was human. I knew their lives were but a whisper in comparison to ours, to Cybertronians. But this… She had yet to even live. I knew it was not her time. It was not her time to die. She deserved to live. She deserved to live out her life. I could happily live in this void alone if I knew she had the chance to live. I would wait an eternity for her.

Her leaving was best. Her making that fragging deal with Airachnid: I still question that. I don't want her to lose anything of herself. I don't want her to change. "I hope you know what you've gotten yourself into, Ev…"

That's when I heard it.

It was faint, but I heard it.

I stood and turned round, pivoting in place, trying to find the source of the sound.

The sound that seemed to be constantly moving, never coming from the same direction.

The flutter of wings.

"Come on out!" I shout out. "I promise I don't bite!" Nothing. The fluttering dies away, and I begin to panic. "Aww, come on! Don't leave me to talk to myself again! Despite popular belief, I do get tired of the sound of my own voice!" Nothing. The silence reigned, and my shoulders slumped in assumed defeat.

Until a voice rose above the deafening silence.

"Light and dark, come: follow, follow…"

I spun, the voice coming from behind me. It was unsure, as if it were testing itself, testing me. But the musical voice continued, though quiet and virtually nonexistent.

"Raise and fall and rise once more."

Without hesitance, I took off running. The voice was faint and distant, and who knows how far sound could travel here. All I knew was running after this disembodied voice, no visible speaker in sight.

"Light and dark, come: follow, follow…"

Frag, what I wouldn't give for the ability to shift. My feet were moving, but I felt like I was going nowhere, just hoping to catch the barely audible voice.

"From the deep, the empty shore-

I call thee, bid thee answer."

"I might be able to answer better," I grumble, "…if I fragging knew what I was doing…" The voice stopped for a minute, and I begin to panic. "Wait! Don't stop!" My running ceases, and I begin to spin around, trying to make out anything or to hear the voice again. "Cliffjumper you idiot…" I mutter harshly to myself.

But then, the voice began again, this time, a bit more determined in its call.

"Fire and ashes,

Blood and pain,

From nothing to nothing

Rise again."

The voice was slowly growing louder, and suddenly, I knew.

"Light and dark, come: follow, follow,

From the grey betweening's door."

I knew this voice.

"Light and dark, come: follow, follow,

Wretched heap upon the floor-"

"Everon!"

"Shalt be nameless, evermore?"

Those words had been but a whisper, one that seemed to surround me, to echo from all directions. My helm turned from side to side, trying to find the source, but suddenly, I tensed, back straight and rigid.

I could feel someone standing right behind me.

"And what art thou, that I should care?"

The voice spoke in a slightly singing tone directly at my back. A taloned servo stuck in between my armor plates before slowly drawing down, ending the movement close to my hips. I remained tense, confused as to why my girl's voice sounded so…. Close. She was so small, and this….

I had my answer when a shadowy figure slowly sauntered around in front of me.

"And who wert thou, that tears my spark?"

The figure was clearly Cybertronian, and the shadows enveloped it much like Airachnid had been when she came for Everon. A femme, one shorter than me by several feet, just slightly under Arcee's height. I couldn't make anything out, sans one distinct feature: a long pair of wings protruding from her back.

"You're an Aurilian."

"Why should I not leave the part-of-the-way…"

Her clawed servos shot out, one hand grasping my faceplates and preventing me from looking away. I didn't allow myself to flinch as I stared back at her as she slowly leaned close, her helm tilting slightly to the side while she spoke-sung her words again, no mouth noticeable on her shadowed face.

Nothing noticeable except her optics.

"And leave thy stumbling in the dark?"

Her words were slow and measured, a taunting, and dare I say it, seductive tone to them. "Everon…." I whispered, my voice hollow and confused as I watched my girl continue, turning back to the matter at hand.

"Light and dark, come…"

Her servos released my face and moved to grasp the edges of my chassis.

"Follow, follow…"

Her optics never broke contact with mine.

"No balm to soothe the stormy sea…"

I felt like I was beginning to fall backwards. I should be panicked, worried, trying to catch myself.

But I couldn't care less.

"Light and dark, come: follow, follow…"

All I saw or cared about were the silver optics boring into mine.

"Autobot, return to me!"

The transition from the Nothingness was seamless.

At least, for the most part, it was seamless.

Since my gaze was locked on hers, the first noticeable change was the feeling of my body growing heavier, feeling more solid, a feeling I hadn't felt in ages. I felt as if my entire being was being recreated. My armor fitting snuggly together, certain pieces pressing against one another. Feeling a pulse actually slowly begin to flow through my body. And then, even feeling my spark beat return to me.

I hadn't even realized it was gone.

Then, I felt something solid beneath me: the dirt floor of Earth rather than the strange ground found in the Nothingness. My hands slowly gripped at the dirt below me, and I thought of how I never could of imagined how happy I would be to feel dirt between my servos. And to feel the actual sun shine down on me… It was so much nicer to feel warmth rather than nothing. I actually took a breath, venting in air just because I could. Because I actually had real, fresh air to breathe…

And then there was her. Sun lightly framing her face from behind her helm, the shadows slowly melted away from her face, making her features more defined, all while my gaze remain locked on her optics. Her face formed before me, and I became painfully aware of how my girl was no longer my girl.

This was now my femme.

And she was beautiful.

And she still gazed at me with a look that was both curious and serious. I vaguely realized that she was still grasping my chassis, and that she was now straddling me with long, silvery wings drooping down on either side of us, her chassis close to mine as well as her face. And I couldn't help myself.

Arms shooting out, one locked about her waist while the other grasped the back of her helm, pulling her face closer as I lifted mine to meet her in a kiss. Once our lips met, I let my helm and shoulders fall back to the dirt, keeping my grip on her waist and helm. Her form seemed tense and shocked, and she barely let her defenses slip to allow herself to melt into the kiss.

"Everon…" I mumbled against her lips.

Then, quick as lightning, she jerked back from my grip and slapped me across the face. Hard. As I rubbed the side of my face, she sat upright from where she was straddling me and yelled, "What in the frag is with you Autobots and kissing me?!"

"My lady… The process isn't complete yet!" I turn my helm to see Airachnid scowling at us, one hand placed on her hip while the other gestured to us in a manner as if we were unruly children. "Do you want all of your work to go to waste? His spark is not fully formed yet," she scolded. "If you break the connection now, it's going to be a messy death when his body dies off…"

My femme growls at the Con, but then leans back down closer to my chassis and resumes her grip on either side of it. As she does this, I became more aware of what was going on. More importantly, that Everon's spark chamber was open, as well as mine, a strange energy sparking between them. "Uh, what are you doing?"

She didn't talk, just clenched her jaw and refused to look me in the optic. Confused even more so by her cold demeanor, I go to ask her again, and she snaps, "I do not have to answer to you, and I shouldn't bother to finish this Primus forsaken ceremony after that stunt you pulled."

That's when something hit me, a thought that had previously escaped me in the confusion from tonight. "Wait!" I say suddenly, my mind returning to just after our kiss… Well, after the slap, which my face still stings from… "What did you mean by 'Autobots' earlier? As in plural?"

The sounds of someone cautiously and nervously clearing his vocal processor came from the side. My head snaps in the direction opposite of Airachnid, and I see the rest of the Autobots. Man, this is awkward… All their optics turned to look at a white mech with green and red decals, the one who had nervously cleared his throat. In an exasperated tone, he responds defensively, "What? I kind of freaked when I recognized her!"

Arcee sighed and shook her face. "Explains why she beat the scrap out of you at the last fight."

"Hey!—"

"Will you all shut up!" Everyone's gaze turned back to the pissed off femme who was still leaning in close to me. Her gaze darted down to me, and she snapped, "And don't you say a word about this."

"But—"

"Not. A. Word." She then glared down at my spark, as if willing whatever was happening to hurry up. I tried to stay quiet, knowing that speaking would only upset her further, but I couldn't help myself.

"I am so confused."

She growled and was about to yell at me, her wings bristling up behind her, when Airachnid approached. "Easy, little one. I think you are done now."

With surprising speed, she had her chassis snapped shut, and she was up and away from me before I could respond. Standing away from all of us, she glowered as a familiar figure approached to curl about her legs. I could feel my optics practically bulge from their sockets, and my jaw would have hit the ground were it not for the position I was in, propping myself up on the ground. "Is that Ravage?!"

She ignored me and glared at Airachnid. "Can I go now?"

"Aww," she responded mockingly sweet way. "And here I thought we were having such fun."

I was growing more confused as time passed. "What's gotten into you, Ev?"

Her optics met mine, and I felt an unfamiliar coldness come from them. "My name is not Everon. Not anymore." She turned, and without sparing a glance over her shoulder, she announced, "I would take this as a courtesy, Airachnid: make yourself scarce. The Decepticon cause does not take well to traitors."

"Thanks for the care…" Airachnid muttered darkly before stalking off into the forest, quickly vanishing from sight.

My femme was about to take off, and I couldn't just sit there in a daze anymore. Jumping from the ground, I rush forward. "Everon!"

"Cliff, don't!" Arcee warns, but I don't listen. I just rush forward and grab Everon's wrist as she moves to take off into the sky. Her helm snaps around, looking up to glare at me with a distant coldness.

I could feel my spark begin to sink as I spoke to her. "Ev… Ev, what are you doing?"

A flash of what I think could be sorrow crossed her face along with a hint of recognition, but it was soon smothered. "I'm not your Everon anymore." She turns to stare at me blankly as she reached for my face. "I am Shadow Tronus, and I lead the Decepticons in my father's stead. And you and I…" She looked at my chassis, and my spark began to ache as she whispered, "We are nothing."

She sounded like she was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince me.

With that said, she turned and barked out, "Ravage, let's go!" The symbiot jumped and shifted, melding himself to her chassis armor and wrapping slightly about her back before she took off into the sky, leaving me broken and confused and trying in vain to keep together the shattering remnants of my spark.

To think, I just got out of that void, and I was already wishing I could go back. I wanted the silence back. I wanted the void back. I was even willing to fall into that haze again, the haze of knowing nothing that was going on around me.

That… that wasn't the same girl I had known before. Frag it, yes, she had shifted. Only Primus would fully understand how that worked, but… she was so much colder now. My girl had always been slightly broken, too caring for this world, but this…femme…was slowly destroying anything left of my girl.

"Alright, scans seem normal," Ratchet responded, turning to the computer to type in some more notes on my condition. "Never would have believed it if I hadn't of seen it with my own optics, but you appear completely whole again."

I snort in disagreement, and Ratchet pauses to look at me carefully before cautiously resuming his typing. Footsteps could be heard approaching me, and I look to see Optimus stopping next to me. "Cliffjumper, how are you feeling?"

The look I gave him made him falter back a step.

I sigh and turn my gaze away. It wasn't Prime's fault, and I shouldn't be taking this out on him. He was the one who lost a daughter, after all. But still… the femme I loved was gone. And it was my fault. If she hadn't of made that deal…

"That's it." My helm snapped up just in time to see the new Wrecker, Wheeljack, approach me, anger radiating through his frame. "You and I are going to have a little talk before the others get back with the kids." Before I could protest, he had grabbed my shoulder and none too politely yanked me from my seat on the medical gurney over to the base's lift. "We will be down in a bit, Prime. Just keep Miko from chasing us up here when they get back to base."

Soon, I found myself on the roof of our base, but Wheeljack didn't let go just yet. I found myself being dragged along and then shoved forward to a pile of stones. "Look," he said in a harsh tone, crossing his arms angrily across his chassis.

I glance at the stones before shooting an angered glare at the mech. I don't say a word, I just move to head back inside, but apparently he had other ideas. Grabbing my shoulder, I shrug off his grip before turning my gaze to glare at him.

He gave a semblance of a laugh before glaring back. "Thought you were more of a talker than this." I grit my teeth and continue to glare as he moved right into my face. "Do you think this is what she wants?" He gestured to the stone pile. "Do you know what that is? It's your slagging grave marker."

"I don't have to listen to this," I snap back. Trying to walk away again, I was stopped by a hit to the back of the helm, sending me flying forward to the ground. "What in the frag is your problem?!" I snarl at him, looking back at him from my place on the ground.

His frame quivered in anger. "You never saw it. You weren't there to see it." He stalked forward to grab my chassis and yank me to my feet. "You weren't there t see her pain. Her sadness." He shoved me towards the grave marker again. "You never had to watch her cry over your grave!" And then, in a quieter voice, he added, "You never had to cry over her grave…"

That's when I saw him look in another direction, and I took in his slumped frame. I could practically feel the sadness radiating off of him. My hands began to shake before I clenched them shut. "It's my fault."

Wheeljack glared at me. "You were dead. How in the frag could any of this be your—"

"It's my fault she can't remember us." He looked shocked and confused, and I had to turn away. Gazing off the edge at the setting sun, I mutter, "She always loved this view…" With a sigh, I continue. "When Airachnid revived Ev, Ev made her swear to bring me back as well, whatever it took. I told her not to make the deal…."

Wheeljack walked up to me and asked, "What does that have to do with her losing her memories?"

My gaze hardened. "Aurilians don't do anything without a price." His frame tensed, and I said, "She had to give up something. We had no idea what it would be: a limb, her eyes, her voice…." My voice shuttered. "I told her not to make the deal. I told her just to reclaim her life. I told her not to…"

Realization dawned on the mech. "Her price was her memories."

"Got it in one," I respond dryly. I felt my frame slightly shake. "I want her back… I want my girl, my femme…"

"You aren't the only one." My gaze settles on the mech next to me as he stares off at the sun. Then, he looks at me with a serious and determined gaze. "We are going to get her back. You need to keep that thought. And you need to promise me something."

I snort. "Depends on what you're asking. I haven't had the much of luck lately and don't want to push things."

"I need you to promise that when we get her back, we aren't going to fight over her." He looks down. "I'm ashamed to say it, but I caused her a lot of stress allowing myself to drag out a fight with a friend of hers over who she should choose. She hated it, and it tore her apart having to choose…"

I stare at the mech next to me, and I could tell that he cared for her. I just knew that he loved her as much as me, even though he hadn't of known her as long as me. "I think I can handle that."

He looks to me and gives a quick nod before turning his attention to the ground below. "Looks like the others are back." I glance down to see Bulk, Bee, and Arcee disappear into the base's entrance, each presumably carrying their respective charges.

With a smirk, I say, "Well, let's not keep everyone waiting."

"So, you're Arcee's partner? What was being dead like? How are you alive if your body was blown up? Did you get to fight any ghosts—"

"Miko!" Arcee snapped. "Stop harassing him."

"Aww, lighten up, 'Cee," I say in the exuberant girl's defense. "She's just curious."

Bee leaned towards Bulk and said, "I think those two are going to be a dangerous combination…"

"That's an understatement…" Bulk muttered back.

"Hey!" Miko yelled. "I may not understand you Bee, but I know you two are talking about me!"

I couldn't help but laugh as I finally turned my attention back to the three humans on the balcony before me. The girl was glaring over at Bulk and Bee, while the smaller boy was over with Ratchet, listening to him explaining some technical thing about my scans, occasionally stealing glances towards me. The other boy just stood on the balcony, assessing me.

"So…" he began, seeming unsure of himself.

I merely grin. "Happy to finally meet the infamous Cliffjumper?"

He smirks back. "Yeah, though it's starting to hit me that you met me way before I officially met you."

With a laugh I say, "Yeah, the perks of being a car that Ev drove around." I sadly smile at him. "You know, I never got to say thank you."

Jack seemed startled. "For what?"

"For being her friend. Besides Fowler, you were the only human I knew of that she truly trusted." Lightly laughing, I added, "She had been off and on plotting to kidnap you one day and tell you the truth about her and us. Unfortunately, she kept losing her nerve."

He looked about ready to say something else, but Ratchet all of a sudden spoke. "By the Allspark!"

Optimus looked to the medic with a concerned gaze. "What is wrong, old friend?" Ratchet didn't respond: all he did was stride over to Wheeljack who had taken to leaning against the far wall. Grabbing him, he unceremoniously yanked him towards the med bay.

"Hey! Easy, doc!" Wheeljack yelled as he stumbled after him. Ratchet merely grumbled about not calling him doc before turning to the white mech and scanning him. Then, he returned to the monitors and furiously began typing and looking over his scans.

"By the Allspark…" he muttered.

"Doc!" Wheeljack yelled. No answer. "Frag it, Ratchet! What's wrong?!"

The medic slowly turned around, all eyes and optics on him. "Remember how Airachnid used a fragment of Wheeljack's spark to recreate Cliff's spark?"

"Wait, what?" I ask in confusion. Wheeljack merely shrugged and motioned for the medic to continue.

"I saw the changes in Cliffjumper's spark, and scanning Wheeljack's just confirmed it." He looked to Wheeljack and then me. "You both are giving off the same spark pulses as someone born with a split spark. I don't know how else to say it, but technically…"

"We're twins." I look to Wheeljack who had spoke at the same time as me, and we both shared an equally shocked look. Everyone was dead silent. Until Miko spoke up.

"That. Is. Awesome!"

FINAL NOTE:

Make sure you read the top part! It's important!

And review please! I want to know your opinions, both good and bad!