Cybertron
Starscream and the others walked off the spacebridge and looked into the blank, soulless face of Shockwave. "Put these coordinates into your computer and tell me where to find Elita 1." Starscream hissed. A few moments later, they were airborne, headed for the Beridian province, and the home of Elita 1.
Elita awoke from a brief recharge with a smile on her faceplate. She had been dreaming of Optimus again. How she missed him! It had been so long since she had felt his strong arms hold her close, and rested her head upon his broad chest plate. She missed looking into his bright blue optics, and seeing the love and gentleness reflected in them. She closed her optics and remembered the last time they'd been together. She could almost feel his kiss again, so sweet and gentle at first, then with deepening passion as she clung to him. Suddenly a loud roar interrupted her reverie. Elita snapped open her optics to see four jets screaming through the air toward her.
She strained her optics to try to make out who they were, and her optics widened when she saw an all too familiar emblem on the lead jet. Decepticons! She hurried to take cover she could attack before they saw her, but she knew her situation was dire. How could one Autobot fight four Decepticons? She needed help, but who could help her? There were very few Autobots left on Cybertron since the Great War, and most of them were past the age to fight.
The deep growl of an engine reached her audio sensors and she turned to see a very familiar large red and blue truck coming towards her, followed by several smaller vehicles. Optimus! Before she could run to greet him, the Decepticons opened fire.
"Autobots, open fire! Stop the Decepticons at all costs!" Prime shouted. He ran toward Elita, but before he could reach her, Starscream launched a missile straight at her! Optimus fired his cannon at Starscream, but it was too late. The missile had found its mark.
"Elita! NO! Optimus roared.
"Decepticons, retreat!" Starscream yelled. "Our work here is done".
"But Starscream" Thundercracker growled. "I was just about to make scrap out of these Auto-Jerks".
"Never mind that! They won't be a problem any longer, with their fearless leader busy with his precious Elita" Starscream sneered. With that, the four jets transformed and flew off, with the other Autobots firing after them.
Optimus knelt beside Elita, gently picking her up in his massive arms. Tears glistened in his optics as he saw the huge hole in her armor, perilously close to her spark chamber. "We have to get her to Alpha Trion. He's the only one who can save her!" Ironhide carefully took Elita while Optimus transformed, and gently loaded her into his trailer. "Hold on, my love. We will be there soon" He said.
They arrived quickly at Alpha Trion's workshop, and Optimus gently laid
her on the examining berth. "Primus, don't take her from me" he whispered.
"Can you help her, Alpha Trion? Prime asked. "I will do everything I can,
Optimus, but she is very badly damaged" Trion replied.
Just then, Elita's optics fluttered. "Optimus; You came back"; she
whispered.
"Yes, my love. I couldn't let anything happen to you. I
never should have left you behind. If I had taken you with me, I could have
protected you", he said, as a tear slid down his faceplate.
Elita raised her hand and gently wiped the tear away. "You're here now.
That's what matters". She coughed, and spat up energon. "I love you, Optimus";
she whispered, and her optics went dim.
"Elita? Primus, No, please!" Optimus cried.
"I'm so sorry, Optimus, but she is gone"; Alpha Trion said, gently placing his
hand on Optimus' huge shoulder.
"My love, my sweetspark!" Optimus wailed, as he put his head on Elita's
damaged chest plate. Great sobs shook his massive shoulders, and hot
energon tears flowed from his optics, splashing on Elita's lifeless form. The
other Autobots kept a respectful distance, allowing their leader to grieve for his
spark mate. The others didn't quite know what to think. They had never really
seen their leader show emotion, and were a little uncomfortable seeing him like
this.
Just then, Ironhide spoke up. "Let's leave him alone for awhile, guys. He
needs time to say goodbye". With that, the rest of the Autobots quietly filed out,
leaving Optimus alone.
"Ironhide, why is Optimus acting like that? I have never seen him lose
control like that, and it scares me"; Bumblebee said.
"Let me explain something to you, little buddy"; Ironhide said, putting a
rather large arm around Bumblebee's shoulder in a comforting fashion.
"Things are very different when you have a spark mate. Even the most
hardened mechs can lose control when it comes to their spark mates."
"How do you know so much about spark mates, Ironhide?" Bee asked.
"Because I had a spark mate myself, a long time ago. Her name was Chromia,
and she was the cutest little femme you ever saw. Her optics were bluer than
the bluest Cybertronian sky. We were so much in love, I asked her to be my
bondmate, my wife, as the humans put it. Not long after we were bonded,
Chromia told me she was expecting a sparkling. I was over the moon with joy."
"Wow, Ironhide, you, a father? I never woulda guessed!" chuckled
Bumblebee.
"Yes, bug; me! Anyway, it was almost time for the little sparkling to be
born, and Chromia and I were busy making preparations. We were out shopping
for things our little one would need, when the 'Cons attacked. One of their
missiles hit the building we were in, and it collapsed, killing my Chromia almost
instantly. Ratchet tried to save our sparkling, by delivering him early, but he was
just too young, and fragile. He died a short time later. I was overcome with grief,
just as Prime is now. It took me a long time to even accept they were gone, and
I couldn't do more than cry for a long time afterward. If it hadn't been for Prime
helping me through that horrible time, I doubt I would have come through it at all.
Bee, we just have to give him time to heal, and be there for him when he needs
us;" Ironhide said.
"Wow, Ironhide, I never realized love could be like that. C'mere, you big
lug!" Bee chuckled as he tried to hug Ironhide.
"Knock it off, or I'll swat you, bug"! Ironhide chuckled as he playfully took
a swipe at Bumblebee. "I'm going to check on Prime; see if he wants any
company" said Ironhide as he walked away.
Ironhide quietly entered the room where Optimus still sat, weeping
inconsolably. He walked up behind Prime and gently laid his hand on Optimus'
broad shoulder. Optimus looked up at his old friend, anguish on his faceplate;
energon tears flowing freely. "I lost her! Dear Primus, I lost her! I couldn't save
her. I was too slow! What will I do without her?"
"It wasn't your fault, Optimus" Ironhide said. "You did everything you
could to save her. Let me help you, Prime. I know how much you're hurting right
now, and I want to be there for you, like you were for me."
"Thank you, old friend" Prime choked, "but I just want to be with Elita right
now." And he laid his head gently on her breastplate once again, energon tears
flowing.