CHAPTER ONE

Separation

***

Meg: Funerals are harsh…especially burials.

Ratchet: Didn't your Aunty Joy faint at your Nanna's funeral?

Meg: That she did – it was a bit OTT, in my parents' opinions, because we were a lot closer to Nanna then what Aunty Joy was…oh well, on with the story…hang on, wait a minute, where are the twins?

Ratchet: *Smirking*

***

I stood there, leaning on my crutches, and staring at the smouldering and burning wreckage, the black smoke rising high into the sky.

I don't know how I was still standing.

I didn't care.

My mind was numb, and blank, as I stared at the destruction before me.

I didn't register in my mind what it had caused, or who could have done it. My entire body felt like a block of ice, and suddenly something began chipping in to it.

That got me moving.

"Nenona!" I shouted, and threw my crutches aside. I ran forward, ignoring the pain that shot through my ankle. "Jerome! Leveret!" My breathing came out sharp and ragged as I ran forward, only to be stopped by Bumblebee, who had come up behind me.

"Emma, you can't go there!" He told me, holding me close so that I couldn't get away, but I continued to struggle.

"Nenona!" I screamed, tears running down my face. "Jerome! Leveret!!" I struggled to get free. "I have to get to them!"

"Emma, you can't!" Bee cried. "They're already dead – my scanner can't pick up their life energy…"

I froze, the full impact sinking in.

My family…gone…I was…all alone.

I realised this, and then my entire body was wracked with sobs, as I broke down completely. I sobbed for Nenona and Jerome, who hadn't known what was going on in my life. I sobbed for Leveret, who had barely begun to live his life.

And, I sobbed for me, who had brought this upon them all.

Bee held me close to his spark, running circles on my back with his finger to calm me down. Which it did – to a degree.

And then Bee stopped. "Wait…what's that?"

I sniffed, and looked up with blurry eyes. "What's what?" I heard sirens in the distance, and knew that our time was running short.

Bee walked forward toward the wreckage, keeping me held firmly but gently in his hand, as if I might try to escape again.

Bee reached forward, and dug around in the rubble for a second…before pulling out a very smoke-dirt-blood-covered orange something.

It was Leveret…and he was alive.

"LEVERET!!" I shrieked, as Bee handed my cat to me, and I held on to him for dear life. He weakly nuzzled against my throat, mewing pitifully. He gazed up at me with his big green eyes, and seemed to sense how and why I was so upset. He managed to put his paws on my shoulder, and lick the tears off my face. "Leveret…" I murmured, feeling my heart rate start to increase as I realised what was happening. "We have to get you…to Ratchet…"

And I blacked out.

*

I awoke a few hours later to the sound of voices.

Sharp ones.

I opened my eyes.

I was in the med-bay, and I was all alone, save for Leveret, who was curled up at my side, and wearing bandages around hi front legs and middle.

"Leveret…" I whispered, and he woke up immediately, getting up slowly and nuzzling against my side. There was something different about him, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was.

It didn't matter, though, because I heard the voices again.

I recognized Opti's voice.

"She doesn't need any of this right now," He said, and I could tell that he was trying to keep his voice calm. I knew immediately that he was talking to humans.

The next voice confirmed that. "Be that as it may, she is as involved in this as you are. This was is affecting mankind now, and we have as much right to fight for our lives as what you do." I didn't recognise the voice, but it was a man's.

"But what does this have to do with Emma?" I heard Bianca ask.

"Because if what you say is within her is what these Decepticons are after…" The strange man began, and then I heard Bee's voice.

"She doesn't know about that," He said, and I had never heard him sound this angry. "She doesn't need to know about that right now, not after what's just happened to her!"

"Keep your voices down," This time it was Ratchet who was speaking. "She'll be waking up soon, and the last thing she needs is more stress in her life."

"She's going to have to deal with it soon, regardless." Another unfamiliar male voice said.

"I won't let you take her away!" Bee said suddenly.

"Just what is your relationship to her, Autobot?" The first man asked.

"I'm her…guardian…" Bee said, and I sat up.

I picked up Leveret, and used my powers to get us down to the floor. I looked around, and picked up my crutches.

With Leveret on my shoulder, I made my way slowly out into the hall. I turned left, because that's where the voices were coming from.

I made my way slowly, thinking about each step, and Leveret just sat quietly on my shoulder. I could feel his shoulder against my left ear, and I felt something strange within it too.

I didn't stop, though. I would confront Ratchet about it later, now that I knew what it was.

The door was open, so I just swung my way in, and announced my arrival by clearing my throat.

Everyone looked up. Two strange men were sitting on one of the couches. They were wearing suits, and looked official. Bia and Opti, looking well-repaired, were on the other, and Bee, Ratchet and Ironhide were leaning against one wall.

When Bee saw me, he came over, and picked me up. "Are you okay?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yes – I'm trying not to think about…anything. Just tell me why these two men are here." I said, and my voice only wobbled once.

Leveret meowed softly.

Bee turned around, so that I was facing the two men. "Emma," He said, in a different voice. "These are Rowan Bolston and Cray Charles. They're of the Australian Army."

My heart nearly stopped beating. "The…army? So then…they know?"

Optimus nodded. "Yes. They've been observing you and Zikya for quite awhile now…they've seen plenty of things that could jeopardise us."

"So then why are they here!?" I demanded to know.

Rowan had stood up, and walked partway across the room. He seemed to be staring at me, somewhat fascinated although he hid it well. "This is Emma?" He asked, glancing at Opti and Bia. "She doesn't look…"

"She was injured in her fight with Megatron," Opti interrupted him. "But she was able to fight using the power of the All-Spark. Both Emma and Zikya have been staying with us."

"So, you consider them to be your friends?" Rowan wanted to know.

Bia shook her head. "No – they're our family."

Rowan coughed. "That is…very strange. But, be that as it may, it still remains that the two girls are both considered minors, in the state of WA. I will have to place them into foster care."

"What!?" The voice was my own, and Rowan turned to look up at m. In Bee's hand, I felt very tall. "You're going to take me away from the only family I have left!?"

"And me too?" Zikya had just come in to the room through another door. She was on Wheeljack's shoulder.

Rowan raised an eyebrow. "This is…hardly what could be considered proper living arrangements for two seventeen year old girls…" He said, glancing between Wheeljack and Bee. He then turned back to Optimus. "Rest assured, the girls will be well looked after. The Australian Army has gotten involved now – I believe that we can help you fight the Decepticons, and keep this all quiet…"

Bia looked at Opti. "You know, Opti, much as I hate to admit it – he may be right."

"Bianca!!" I fairly yelled, and everyone turned to look at me. My hands were shaking and, if I hadn't been holding Leveret, I might've decked someone…or a lot of someones. "Why can't Zikya and I live here!?" I think I already knew the answer, but I wanted to hear it spoken out loud.

"Emma, my child," Optimus stood up, and walked over to us. "You know that we must try as hard as we can to obey the laws of this planet. If that means that you must be placed into this foster home, then that is how it must be."

Tears leaked from my eyes.

Opti wiped them away. "We won't leave you alone, though," He said, and glanced at Rowan. "Emma and Zikya are to be placed in the same home – is that understood?"

Rowan nodded. "That can be arranged, Mr. Prime. Nenona and Jerome will be buried at Karakatta Cemetery tomorrow at ten o'clock. After the funeral, the girls will go to their foster home."

"That is fine." Bianca said tiredly. She sounded dead exhausted.

Zikya and I exchanged a look, one that was filled with sadness and confusion.

Leveret meowed again, and that was when I remembered something. "Uh, Ratchet?"

"Yes, Emma?" He glanced at me.

"Who said you could turn Leveret in to a part robot cat?"

***

Meg: *Goes out to the volcano. Looks out over the river of lava*

*Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are hanging, suspended by chain, just mere inches above the lava*

Meg: O.O