Inspiration strikes like the thunderstorm above my house yesterday. Must. Write. New. CHAPTER!
Starts off in Sparkling Prime's POV. I don't own squat.
Hope you enjoy the latest chapter of Tiny!
I shivered next to Ratchet's chassis as I lay awake in my friend's dark berthroom, despite the heat emanating from his recharging form. The storm had only grown worse and I could hear the thunder as clear as day, each boom shaking the entire silo. I attempted to drown out the sound of the storm and shut down for recharge, but the noise I was trying to ignore was pulling me away from the sleep I now desperately needed. A long whine escaped my voice box when the thunder gave a particularly loud rumble. The frame next to me stirred and shifted.
"Mmm… Optimus? Are you alright?" Ratchet asked sleepily as he looked down at me, optics dim. I was not 'alright', but I do not wish to disturb his night of recharge. I said nothing, merely blinking back at him, striving to conceal the increasing dread in my optics. I would have succeeded had I been a grown mech.
"It's the storm, isn't it? Don't worry; it's nothing to be fearful of. Sleep now, little one." The medic said reassuringly. I gave him a small nod and curled closer to him, my back pressed against his chest plates. I remained alert as I listened to Ratchet fall back into recharge. His ventilations grew deeper as thunder cracked again. I felt a miniscule twinge of jealousy. How could one recharge so peacefully with the booming thunder going repeatedly? How could that sound not evoke fear in one's spark?
I stared at Ratchet's silver and black servo and push myself further into my friend's chest plates. My old friend was slightly curled around me as he recharged, protecting me in a way. I quickly realized that even though I was in the comforting warmth of my friend, my fear would not easily fade away. I turned my helm just enough to see Ratchet's relaxed face.
Shifting silently away from Ratchet, I made sure to not wake him. I jolted as thunder boomed again, echoing through the base. Fear squeezed my spark as I scrambled off Ratchet's berth, barely landing on my pedes. Not bothering to steady myself on my pedes, I allowed myself to fall to my knees.
I would seek help elsewhere.
…
I managed crawl halfway, though my progress was agonizingly slow. I grew tired frequently, but the booming thunder and cracking lightning motivated me to keep moving. I never realized how far away Arcee's room was from Ratchet's berthroom.
Pain grew in my joints as I worked on my servos and knees to pull myself through the dark hallway. Unable to push myself any farther, I collapsed on the floor near the wall. I curled into a tight ball and quaked with fear as the thunder boomed again and again. There was nothing for me to hear but the thunder. No matter how hard I tried, all I could focus on was the thunder. I could no longer think properly without the child fears overwhelming me. I attempted to clamp down on the fears, only to fail. Losing control, the thoughts of a child raced through my processor at light speed. Fear of the storm going on continuously. Fear of the thunder. Wishing to be found by someone and terror tore through my spark at the thought of no one finding me until morning.
Long buried emotions suddenly forced me to do what I had been trying to resist for this entire night.
...Bumblebee's POV...
I had woken up because of the storm twenty minutes ago. It was pretty bad out there and it showed absolutely no sign of stopping anytime soon. I wasn't able to get back to sleep so I decided to go grab a cube of energon. While I was walking there, I heard a very strange noise. I stopped dead in my tracks, waiting for noise to- there is was again! What the heck is that?
Having nothing else better to do, I followed the sound down the hallway. It sounded almost like a bird chirping and grew louder. It didn't take me long to discover the source of the sound.
I gasped and ran over to Optimus's tiny shaking form. He was shaking from both fear and the cool air in the silo. He was curled in on himself, tears flowing down his face. His clicking and buzzing were of a sparkling distress call, something I hadn't heard in... Well, a really long time. I picked the sparkling up and held him close, humming a little song I remember learning when I was little.
After a while, his shaking and crying slowed. How in the world did he get out here? I know for a fact Ratchet would not have let Optimus out. He probably left Ratchet's room without him knowing. But why would he leave Ratchet's berthroom? I decided to ask him that, but I got no response as thunder resonated through the silo. That boom caused the tears to begin streaking down his face again and his sobs grew louder and slightly higher pitched.
His fear of this storm almost frightened me. Optimus was never afraid of anything. Even in the worst situations, the most he would show was frustration. And even then you had to be looking at him for a really long time for you to really notice it. The rawness of his emotions saddened more than I would have liked. I know that Optimus Prime is a sparkling now, not a grown mech. That stone wall he built around his emotions is gone.
The little sparkling in my arms grabbed weakly at my chest plates with cold servos, trying to pull himself closer to the seams in the armor over my spark. I gazed down at him as he jolted and whined after every boom of thunder. The dimmed lights in the hall started to flicker irregularly, frightening the little one even more. I know a decent bit about how to care for sparklings, but I have never seen one so scared before. It angered me knowing that I couldn't do anything to ease the fear. Optimus had done it for me so many times I don't even bother keeping track. It hardly seemed fair. He helped me, and when he needs help I can't give it to him. I refocused my optics and gazed down the darkened hall.
I need to get him back to Ratchet.
...Ratchet's POV...
My optics snapped open, my CPU fully alert. I servo instantly moved to rest on Optimus's little side.
Only he wasn't there.
Fear striking me like the lightning outside, I shot off my berth and jumped up. I looked all over my room for him, only turning up with nothing. Anger and dread swirled in my spark as I checked my room over again. I have to find my sparkling!
The thought made me freeze. How could I think that? No, Optimus was not my sparkling. He is the Autobot leader turned into a sparkling. Disconcerted by the level of sincerity of my connection to the new sparkling, I raced over to the door, ready to throw it open when it was opened for me. Bumblebee stood in front of me with a tired look in his optics as he held a sobbing Optimus. The little sparkling was holding onto Bumblebee for dear life as he cried into the young scout's chest plates. The thunder had yet the let up and it was obvious that the storm was what was frightening him. Relief washed over me and I thanked Bumblebee as I took Optimus from his arms. The young scout nodded and headed off down the hall. Optimus calmed down somewhat as I walked back into my berthroom, my engines creating a low hum. I sat cross-legged on my berth and placed the little sparkling on my lap, allowing him to lean into my grill.
It saddened me how scared he was of the storm. The thunder had him shaking uncontrollably and the sobbing never stopped. His large optics was wide with fear as tears rolled freely down his face. He moved as close as he could to me as the storm outside vocalized the immense power of nature repeatedly. His fright ridden, stuttered whines hit my audio receptors, despite their low volume. At this moment, Optimus Prime is no longer here. In his place was a sparkling that needed help. Though I can't make this storm stop, I can soothe him the best way I know how.
"Primus loves his little sparklings.
All his sparklings of the world.
Grounder, flyer, he cares not.
They're all precious in his sight.
Primus loves his little sparklings of the world."
Almost instantly, the little one's cries began to quiet as I softly sung the old Cybertronian hymn. His shaking began to subside as I repeated the lines and his engines began to make a purring sound. I pulled a rag from my subspace and gently wiping his little face. He stared up at me with so much unmasked love in his optics; I found it hard to remember that those same optics also belonged to a scarred war veteran.
Optimus chirped softly as he shut his optics. I have to remember that the stasis grenade merely affected his body, and not his mind. I have to remember that he won't stay like this forever. I gently rubbed his little back as he fell into recharge, the rumble of my own engine trying to drown out the booming thunder for him. I moved on to another song I had found on the Internet. I heard that many human sparklings were soothed by this one, so I decided to try it for Optimus. I shuttered my optics and swayed to the rhythm of the song.
"Near the village, the peaceful village,
The lion sleeps tonight.
Near the village, the quiet village,
The lion sleeps tonight."
I looked down and smiled to see Optimus sound asleep. Not wanting to wake him, I stayed in the same position and sang the lyrics of the upbeat, yet gentle song. There was a sense of accomplishment in my spark as I allowed myself to be pulled into recharge.
"Hush my darling, don't fear my darling.
The lion sleeps tonight.
Hush my darling, don't fear my darling.
The lion sleeps tonight..."
...Next Afternoon...
I was sitting on one of my medical berths, watching the children play with the little sparkling. I had plenty to do around my medbay, but I'd rather watch over Optimus. Arcee was currently on monitor duty, but I had the feeling that she was keeping an optic on Optimus as well.
"Hey Ratchet, I picked up a strong energon signal in the forests of the southern Rocky Mountains." She gave me a sideways look. Nodding in recognition, I commed Bulkhead and Bumblebee. Soon enough, the two of them came walking the main control room. I stood and explained to them the mission at hand and sent them on their way. Because of the forest's density, I had Arcee go along with them. If neither Bulkhead nor Bumblebee could fit in certain spaces, I'm confident the blue femme could.
After cleaning my frame welder and a few of my favorite wrenches I looked back over to the children's recreational corner, noticing the sudden silence. I stiffened as I saw none of the children in the little area. Fear and rage tore through my spark as I realized what happened to the children and the little sparkling I quickly came to love dearly.
...Soundwave's POV...
Lord Megatron assigned me to scout for a strong energon signature with a small group of troopers in the forest. He was confident that the energon was there, but we needed a solid confirmation of the source's exact location. I sent the soldiers under my commander in separate directions, to search for any trace of raw energon.
I refrained from ejecting Laserbeak, despite how much he would assist in the search. The sight of my surveillance drone would draw unwanted attention from the humans to the area. We needed this mission to remain covert. I had no trouble remaining quiet, despite my size and the limited space between the trees. The troopers were not used to such environmental conditions and were doing the best they could to quiet their steps, though I would prefer it if they were silent on their pedes.
As I watched them go in their assigned direction, I heard a very small noise south of my current position. I stood still and waited for the noise, so I could pinpoint its exact location and indentify what it is. Finding the source of the sound via sensors, I extended my tentacles and sent them along the forest floor, feeling for the source. I heard a loud squeak as one of my tentacles closed around a small limb. The small being on the other end of my tentacle struggled against my grip as I pulled the creature into view. What the 'creature' shocked me, which is a feat in itself.
It was a sparkling and was, without a doubt, Optimus Prime.
The Autobot leader turned sparkling stared up at me with large optics, wide with fear. He doesn't appear to recognize me. Perhaps what ever conducted this physical change affected the Autobot mentally as well. I gripped the sparkling firmly, yet gently as I transformed to my UAV drone alternate mode. I sent a transmission to the scouting troopers to continue searching for the energon. I noticed three humans running into the clearing I once stood in the second after I flew off towards the Nemesis, sparkling in tow. The humans were the three associated with the Autobots. I focused my attention on returning to the warship. The humans were foolish to bring the Autobot leader here in such a vulnerable condition.
Soon I will see what Lord Megatron will do with the little Autobot sparkling.
...Ratchet's POV: Autobot Outpost Omega One...
"Miko... I will murder you!" I yelled, stepping angrily towards the little human. How in the world did she possibly think this was okay?! A hide and seek game was no excuse! If that's all she wanted to do, she could have just asked me! Rage boiled in the energon pumping through my fuel lines as Bulkhead did best to restrain me. My processor was set upon killing the human that was the source of my current distress.
The little human had a very sad, hurt and guilty look on her face. She couldn't look anyone in the eyes or optics as I snarled animalistically at her. Jack offered her no help and merely stood off to the side, mumbling how he tried to stop her. My angry display was frightening Bumblebee and Rafael, but I didn't care. All I wanted was for the little one to be returned to me. Arcee felt much the same way.
However, her emotions were not shown like mine. She stood very far away from us in the main control room, as stiff as a board. No one was looking at her, but I could clearly see the single tear rolling down her face. She had lost yet another family member.
"It'll be alright, you guys. We'll get him back." Bumblebee buzzed confidently, but I could still the tiny flicker of doubt in his voice. I firmly ignored it and restrained my increasing anger.
We will find him, even if it kills me.
...Optimus's POV: The Nemesis...
I sobbed in Soundwave's servos as he walked steadily into the command room of Megatron's warship. I let the child in me have more control as I cried. All I wished for right now was to go back to the base and be welcomed by the warmth of my family. I wanted to feel warm again. Here, there was only still, frigid air. Soundwave did not hold me with any sort of affection. I missed how Ratchet and Arcee held me close. I missed being blanketed in their protective warmth. I missed being at home.
"What is it, Soundwave?" Megatron turned and looked at the silent mech, who, in turn, held me up for the warlord to see.
"A sparkling? Here on Earth?" He stepped closer and leaned in closer. I shrunk back once I felt a warm ventilation come from him. I could not help but stare into his intense red optics. The sheer size difference between us made me very wary of him in such close proximity to my tiny form.
"A sparkling who is Optimus Prime, no less!" Megatron mused, grinning as he picked me up roughly. I squeaked in protest and tried in vain escape his grip. Realizing that my attempts were futile, the child within overwhelmed me and I loosed a long wail. An angry look flashed across Megatron's scarred face and he bore his sharp denta slightly as he dropped me back into Soudwave's grip.
He stood at full height and turned his back on Soundwave, servos behind his back. "He doesn't seem to recognize me... It would be easy to snuff his spark now and leave the Autobots in shambles."
I whined, terrified at the thought of being taken away from my family forever. I know Megatron has done horrible things during this long war, but I would have never thought I would see the day that he would even consider killing a little sparkling.
He looked back at me with a piercing red optic. "But, there would be a greater effect on the Autobots if we kept the sparkling alive and raise him to believe in the Decepticon cause." I hid my horror as I looked at Megatron in Soundwave's slender servos.
"Soundwave, since you found him, you will attend to the needs of the sparkling." The silent mech nodded once and turned, leaving the command center. We headed down the dark, cold hall. More than I few Vehicons stared at me as Soundwave passed by. I whined and whimpered quietly the entire way to our destination.
Suddenly, the silent mech stopped in front of a door and opened it. The spacious room inside was surprisingly warm and welcoming, with small knickknacks decorating the desk on the far side of the room and datapads fixed to the walls. He silently walked in and placed me on his padded berth. I watched him as he moved over to a black metal cabinet and pull out a cube of energon. I stared as he picked me up, surprisingly gentle, and cradle me in a way that reminded me so much of the way Ratchet held me. I instinctively relaxed and grabbed for the energon cube as Soundwave sat on his berth. I shut my optics and the fear began to fade to the background as I drank my fill of perfectly warmed energon from the cube Soundwave was holding close to my face.
Once I was finished, Soundwave gently placed me back down on the berth and headed for the door. Just before leaving he ejected Laserbeak and the drone hovered its way to a high corner in the back of the room. Laserbeak made me feel as if I was being watched for my own protection. Soundwave dimmed the lights and silently left me in his personal quarters under the watchful optic of his surveillance drone.
I never thought the mech could be so gentle towards someone. I had only seen the hard mask he wears, unable to see any emotions. All I could see for a very long time was his fierce loyalty to Megatron. Soundwave, from what i have just experienced, is a gentle, protective mech and has experience in caring for sparklings. Even his room gives off a gentle, caring sensation. I lay on my side and curled tightly into the fetal position and shuttered my optics. I shifted slightly, pleased at the warm sensation coming from Soundwave's heated berth. I felt recharge pulling at the corners of my mind. As nice and comfortable as Soundwave's room is...
I must find a way back to my family.
I credit the lullaby idea to Mrs. Ferb Fletcher-inator and the scene where Optimus tries to crawl to someone for help to Naughtia. Thanks, you guys!
How'd I do for Soundwave's POV? This actually the first time I've done a Decepticon's POV, so I'd like to know how I did.
Megatron told me that on Thursday, November 1st, there is going to be a 26 hour (that's every episode) marathon of Transformers Prime. It starts 5:30pm Eastern, 2:30pm Pacific. The Transformers Prime 26 Hour Takeover leads up to the explosive season finale! I am SOOO excited!
I just watched the newest episode of TFP and there are more than a few surprises in that episode.
See you all next time and let me know what you think!