Hi everyone! I believe a request was made for ghost stories? Not my forte, but the Elder has been searching the archives and says he's found some interesting ones. I have infiltrated this chapter and asked, however, that he tell my favorite ghost story first...it's kind of a funny one :D
What's that you've got, young one? Ah, that's a book of ghost stories from varying cultures. But surely you don't want me to read you this! You're sure? Well, will you be frightened if I read these? No, eh? Then again, humans are a great deal more resilient than we give you credit for. Very well, I will read them. Oh look, we have an eavesdropper! Hello to you too, my friend! You want to hear the story as well, do you? Just one before you go then, I see. Well, I'll make it a good one.
The Ghost of the Bleeding Armor
Once upon a time, a very old femme lived in a hovel on Praxis. What's Praxis? That's an organic world near Cybertron. One stormy night, she was sitting at her front door when suddenly the sky turned black, and the thunder cracked, and a voice came howling over the moors: "I'm the Ghost of the Bleeding Armor, and I'm coming coming coming!"
The old femme became worried, and she went inside and shut the door. Surely, it was only the wind playing tricks on her audial receptors! She waited for a few moments, and when she heard nothing more, she relaxed. She took up a cube of energon and settled into her chair happily. Then the room went dark, and the thunder barked, and a voice came howling over the moors: "I'm the Ghost of the Bleeding Armor, and I'm very nearly there!"
The old femme dropped her cube of energon in fright. She pushed her chair in front of the door and covered the window. Then she waited, but even when she didn't hear anything, she didn't relax. The femme went into her kitchen and sat on the floor beneath a counter to wait. Suddenly, her chair broke in half, and the thunder laughed, and a voice came howling from very nearby: "I'm the Ghost of the Bleeding Armor, and I'm in your front yard!"
The old femme cried out and ran into her quarters. She shut the door and locked it, then hid under her recharge bunk. For a while, all was silent, but it couldn't last. Suddenly, something sneered, and the thunder cheered, and a voice came howling from right. Over. Her. Helm. "I'm the Ghost of the Bleeding Armor. Have you got a cloth? It's dripping everywhere."
Yes, I agree. That was a silly story, but sometimes it helps to laugh at scary things, doesn't it? Oh, was that the only one you wanted to hear? Well, my little friend, let's say goodbye to our visitor. Let's see now, wasn't there one you were about to ask for before? Trains, hmmm. Well, I'm not sure I've ever seen a train on Cybertron, except as an alt-mode. I suppose we probably had trains at some point, though. I've seen the old tracks down near the mines of Kaon. They're a little disconcerting in and of themselves, you know. Just two steel girders, trampled into the planet's surface, leading into nowhere. You're right: when I put it that way, it does have the makings of a good story. Let me see if I can't expand that a little.
The Shadow Train
In the days when the caste system held sway in Cybertron, not everyone could be a miner. But one young femme from Altihex decided to try her hand at it, certain that she would strike it rich on her first go. All the good places in Kaon were already being developed into mines, so she decided to head off on her own and explore the nearby wastelands. The femme wandered into a maze of canyons, however, and soon became hopelessly lost. The walls of the land formations were blocking her internal navigating system, making it impossible to even know what direction she was driving in.
After four days in the canyons, she began to wear out her energon reserves, and her systems became dangerously overheated. Barely able to drive in a straight line, the femme knew that if she didn't find shelter and fuel soon, she would go offline. The land seemed to shift and waver before her hazy optics, but she doggedly struggled onward. At last, the miner collapsed on the ground and gave herself up for dead. Suddenly, she heard the puffing of a train! "I must be malfunctioning!" she thought to herself, "There are no tracks here, and no town for leagues!"
Still, the sounds of the train grew louder and louder. A shadow, darker than the sky at night, fell over her, and a single red light shone from the front of the vehicle. The miner began to tremble, for she was directly in the path of the oncoming transport. She wanted to move, but she only had enough strength to raise one hand above her helm. The train screeched to a halt, and a pleasant looking mech stepped out. He stood over the femme, looking at her with a compassionate smile. Strong arms lifted her from the canyon floor and carried her into the train, where someone else took her from the conductor.
They laid the femme on one of the seats, and several strange faces hovered over her. "Energon!" she croaked, then her system shut itself into stasis lock. She awoke some time later to find a tall, grim mech tending to her frazzled systems. Seeing that she was awake, he held a cube of energon to her lips, ensuring that she did not drink too quickly. When the femme could finally speak again, she rasped, "What happened?" The silver mech shrugged. "Found you in stasis lock, about five kliks from town." The femme was confused. "Wait, where am I?" "Maccadams, in Kaon," he answered gruffly, "You must've really scrambled your sensors if you can't remember where you were headed!"
"Is Maccadams a stop on the railway?" she asked groggily. The bigger miner frowned. "What are you talking about? There are no trains out here! Haven't used them for generations." The femme's optics widened, but she decided not to say anything, lest the large mech think her crazy. "You'd better rest awhile longer," he advised, handing her another cube of energon, "I think your processor needs defragmenting." The femme left the mining profession forever, and settled into a life working in her local archives, but she never forgot the shadow train, performing one last duty before vanishing into history.
What did you think? You want to know who the silver miner was? Oh, let me see...I think his name was D-16. Yes, he has another name, you can ask if you like, but you'd have to go to Kaon to do so. Oh, do not make that face at me, young one! I am allowed to have a sense of humor, am I not? What was that? What?! Where did you hear that word?! Sparkeaters are not something to joke about, Little One! Where did you hear about them? A little girl in the street was talking about them? Please, I need to know how many people know about them. Curiosity about such matters will only bring pain, I promise you. I understand that you are confused, believe me, but I am trying to protect you, Little One.
Please, child: do not ask me about them. For myself, I wish never to remember the things I learned. Oh, oh please do not look so distraught, my child! Come, do not be angry. Here, pick another story. Any story you like, I will read it to you. Oh dear, you are determined to frighten yourself one way or another, aren't you? Very well. As I have promised, so shall I read.
The Black Cyber-dog of the Smelting Pits
There was a settlement in Kaon near to the Smelting Pits where a huge black Cyber-dog could sometimes be seen. It would follow travelers for miles, and then vanish into thin air. Some thought is was lucky, and some called it the Hunting-Hound of Unicron. The mechs and femmes of the town had a saying: "And if a mech shall see the Black Cyber-dog once, it shall be for joy. If he shall see it twice, it shall be for sorrow. Three times, and he shall die."
A warrior named Straxus did not believe in the superstitions of the town, and traveled from Kolkular to enter a competition of strength that was to be held in the small city. As he drove through the streets, he saw mechs, femmes, and sparklings turn their helms away and cover their optics, lest anything had followed him. Sure enough, a monstrous hound ran at his side, easily matching speed with him. Straxus transformed and patted the dog roughly. "Alright then, old thing," he said cheerfully. He walked a little further, and turned to see if the Cyber-dog was following. It was nowhere to be seen.
"Fast fellow," he said, and inquired after lodgings. As he sat in the tavern that evening, a messenger arrived and asked if he was Straxus. When the mech replied that he was, the messenger said, "I bring you word from your sparkmate, who was expecting. She has given spark to a healthy child: you have a daughter!" Overjoyed, Straxus ordered drinks for the whole room and raised his tankard in a toast to his sparkmate and daughter. As he downed the concoction, his optic fell upon a shape at the window. It was the Cyber-dog, watching him with wide, white optics.
As he sat back down, a second messenger rushed in asking for him. "Sir, I bring terrible news!" he cried, "Your sparkmate, who was expecting, has died suddenly!" Stricken, Straxus asked after the fate of his sparkling. "She lives, but if you do not hurry back to Kolkular, she will be raised by another!" Straxus paled. He rapidly paid for the drinks and sped out of the town without ever joining the competition. As he drove past the Smelting Pits, he heard the sound of running feet behind him, but dared not look back. Suddenly, the footsteps stopped. Fearfully, he risked a glance behind, but the road was empty. Sobbing with relief, Straxus revved his engines and plowed onward until he had nearly reached his home. He never reached the door.
The next day, the medic who had been taking care of the sparkling found Straxus's empty husk lying on the front doorstep, with a great black Cyber-dog sitting beside him, watching her. Startled, the femme jumped back inside and code-locked the door, calling authorities. As it was determined that Straxus and his sparkmate had no next of kin, the custody of the sparkling was given to the medic, who had always wanted a child of her own. Blessing the Creator for her good fortune, she tucked the little one into her arms and left the empty house, and did not see the Cyber-dog sitting in the doorway behind her.
Little One? Little One? Where are you? Oh! How did you get in there? Oh, oh dear. Are you stuck? Well don't move, just give me a moment. No, I can't move either, my plating will shift and it might crush you! Ah, there's someone! Yes, would you mind, I'm afraid this is a rather unusual request... You see, ah...Little One, wave your hand for a moment. There! See? Obviously, I can't move. You have smaller hands, would you mind removing our young friend from under my armor?
Stop laughing! I have no idea how it happened, but I do not find this situation amusing! Oh, thank you! Yes, you may go. And Jazz, I had better not hear anyone talking about this tomorrow! There, are you alright, Little One? The story was a little scarier than you thought, wasn't it? No? You were just cold? I see. Well, if you say so, child. It has certainly grown dark out...Do you need me to take you home? Of course I don't mind! It'll be quicker if I drive, after all. Come along then, dear one. We'll have you home in no time at all. There we are then, Little One. Fear no nightly noises as you sleep tonight, child. Nothing can harm you as long as I am here.