Disclaimer: We do not own Transformers Prime or its canon characters; Hasbro and the Hub do. We do however own our OCs. Blondie-moyashi owns the lovely Skye Shelsher, Plasmarift and Silverblaze, and Dream'sRealm owns Darkstorm, Skybreak, Emusa, Starlight, Drift, Shiv, Jolt, Blackout, Air Raid, Caliber, Speedway, and Jetfire.
Theme Song: Better than Drugs by Skillet
Sunstorm vented darkly as he observed the coronation's happenings. He was all too accustomed to the mundane ceremonies and his responsibilities as a Vos Prince during them. He felt jealousy fill his spark as he saw his sister laughing next to the Kaonian orphan that she had fallen in love with.
Oh, how he wished he experienced such love...
Not that he wasn't grateful. Darkstorm led him to God... He was able to change for the better because of it yet that still did not heal the hole in his spark. She was a treasured friend but he felt he would always wish that she was more than that. But alas, it could not be. She had a sparkmate and it wasn't him. She had a beautiful pair of split-sparked twins and they were not his.
And he supposed he would have to be content with that.
After the dull speeches had ended, the music began to play and the dancers emerged from their hiding places. The celebration had begun.
He vented once more. He neither felt like celebrating nor observing others doing so.
For none of the femmes here could compare to his Dar'sain.
Yet a lone femme caught his optic. Her lithe frame floated gracefully above the others and matched the music perfectly, beat for beat. Her aquamarine and indigo frame reflected the sparkling lights as if she was made out of precious gems herself.
Well, she was a good dancer, he could give her that much.
He turned to a lord of the royal court. "Pardon me but who is that femme that dances so gracefully?"
He chuckled. "She is Aurora, my charge. Does she please you, my prince?"
Sunstorm turned back to the performance. Her dancing was beautiful and for the first time since he left Iacon, he was able to put all thoughts of the love he could not have out of his processor.
"... Yes. Perhaps, she can dance for me at a later date?"
"Certainly," the lord smirked and bowed.
After the cheers had ended, Aurora and the other femmes returned to their places in the palace chambers. The other femmes giggled and talked amongst themselves whilst Aurora shyly drew back. She wasn't used to social activity and she'd be lying if she said she enjoyed it.
She suddenly jumped, startled, as their master came inside with a flourish. She expected him to congratulate those more skilled than her but rather, he embraced Aurora roughly, causing her to stiffen at his touch. "Oh, my little gem. What fortune you have brought me. The prince favors you. You dance for him tonight."
Aurora's spark rate increased as she turned away from the stench of high-grade pervading off of him in waves. The prince... favors me? "N-No," she stammered. "Surely, you must be mistaken."
"Would I ever lie to you?" He grinned, not entirely in a welcoming manner, before pushing her away. "Now, go! Ready yourself, for you have a private royal audience."
Aurora fiddled with her digits nervously as she waited outside the prince's chamber. Oh, this was a mistake, she silently lamented. What if he was wrong? What if it was another femme rather than myself? I could be offlined for failing him... not to mention what the sadistic prince could do if he did indeed find favor with me.
She knew all too well the stories of his brutality in the royal palace and while her faith in Slipstream, especially with her new sparkmate, had grown, she was still wary of the prince. She was wary of all mechs, truthfully.
She offlined her optics. She'd been failed by them for far too long. Her carrier died of the cybonic plague and her sire during the war Vos had with Tarn. And what had become of her? She was sold into slavery and forced to be abused by the so-called nobility of Vos.
She owed nothing to them.
A melancholy baritone voice interrupted her thoughts. "Come in."
Heeding the prince's command, she entered and deeply bowed. She fought to keep her voice from trembling. "W-What is your wish, my prince?"
His command was simple. "Dance for me."
B-But... there was no music, she began in her mind but her processor quickly prevented her from voicing such treasonous thoughts. Questioning a royal could be punishable by death... at least, that was how Vos was before the War.
She wilted under the prince's gaze as his orange optics turned to her. "Do you not hear me?" he asked coolly. "Dance for me."
"A-Anything you command," she stammered before bowing once more.
She performed several simple steps and yet the prince's brooding gaze never changed. After several minutes, Sunstorm eventually spoke, "Enough."
Aurora's spark sank. Had she done something wrong? "M-My liege?"
"You may leave now."
Aurora studied the prince before hastily bowing and running out of the chamber while she still could.
She feared that her services were scorned and even more so for her life when her slave master entered her quarters. She instinctively winced, expecting another beating, but was instead met with a wide grin.
"Congratulations, my little gem. Your services have been extended for another night."
Aurora did not know what to make of the Seeker prince at first. She had heard rumors of servants that had been terminated by his own servo on the grounds that they were "infidels" and she knew his temper was renowned. Yet, none of these emotions were ever seen from him. At times, he was aloof as if afraid to approach and yet others... he was as warm as the sun, full of charm and wit that made Aurora break out into gales of laughter, laughter that she had not partook of for so very long.
But yet other times, only a cold emptiness and an ache could be seen on his facial plating when he was at his weakest.
Aurora paused in her dancing as she saw streams of coolant escape his optics. She hesitated before whispering tentatively, "M-My prince, are you displeased?"
He seemed to come out of a daze. He stared at the femme in shock before raising a servo to his optics. Once he felt the streams of coolant, he turned his helm sharply away. "I am well... continue."
What could cause this Vos prince who had been gifted with the world such pain? she wondered. She opened her mouth, moving to comfort him, before she hesitated. It would be best for her to obey his wishes.
As if hearing her thoughts, Sunstorm asked brokenly, "What do you wish to say?"
Aurora's optics widened slightly in fear. Was this some sort of test? "My prince?"
His sorrowful gaze met hers. "The old monarchy has ended, you know this. You need not hold your glossa in my presence. I ask you again, what do you wish to say?"
Aurora hesitated once more before asking, "Why do you weep?"
Sunstorm vented deeply before averting his gaze. "A femme... a femme as fiery as the sun yet as beautiful as the moon has stolen my spark."
"Love does not produce bitter tears," she said before she could stop herself.
Sunstorm chuckled humorlessly. "You are wiser than I took you for." He vented once more. "My love is unreachable. She was the first femme I have ever met that has stolen my spark and she... helped me to see the light." His gaze darkened. "But, I arrived too late. She has a family and a love of her own."
Aurora felt her spark ache for him. "... Do you not think that a mech like yourself can earn the affections of another femme?"
"Not a femme like Dar'sain." His voice had lowered to a tearful whisper. Aurora frowned and attempted to console him before Sunstorm held out a servo, causing her to draw back. "You may leave now."
Little did Sunstorm know that Aurora's affections had already grown toward him. Even more so when he gave her something she had lacked for so very long.
Sunstorm frowned when he saw the femme's skittish state. True, she was naturally introverted and hesitant but nothing like this. She was practically shaking with fright. When she bowed, she nearly screamed when Sunstorm placed a servo on her shoulder plating. He softly "shh'd" her as he knelt down to look her in the optic.
"Aurora, what troubles you?"
Only fear could be seen in her optics. She opened her mouth several times but no words managed to escape. Sunstorm's gaze hardened as he observed the dents on her frame and the dried energon on the corner of her lip components. "Aurora, I cannot help you unless you speak to me. So, speak. What troubles you?"
Aurora no longer had the strength to hide within herself. Sunstorm's spark softened as she began to cry, wings twitching in distress. She fell onto the prince, all fear of punishment forgotten.
Sunstorm tensed, unused to such contact, before hesitantly wrapping his arms around her. "Aurora, shh... It will be alright. Now, who did this to you?"
A long silence followed. Sunstrom tried again, this time with a softer tone. "Aurora, who did this? Please… I need to know."
Another silence rang throughout the elaborate palace chamber before she brokenly whispered, "My guardian." She suddenly tilted her helm up to look at him as if reminded of what she had just revealed, optics wide with fear. "P-Please. Do not let him know I told you! H-He-"
"He shan't do a thing," Sunstorm growled. That fool dared to lay a servo on her? "I am the prince. He answers to me and he shall pay for this." Upon seeing Aurora's renewed tears, Sunstorm softened slightly before venting. "Do not weep, dearest Aurora. I shall take care of you. I declare that now you are free... And that no one shall harm you again."
Aurora stared up at the prince, almost disbelieving. For the first time since her creators deaths, was she truly free? "W-What?"
His expression softened further. Has this poor creature been captive for so long that any prospect of freedom seems like a mere jest? "I said, you are free. He shan't harm you or anyone else ever again."
It took Aurora several moments to process what had just been told to her before she moved to prostrate herself on the ground. "Thank you," she cried.
Sunstorm frowned and moved to stop her. "No, please. I tire of your bowing. Only God deserves it, not I," Sunstorm commanded though his voice was still gentle. He turned upon hearing approaching footfall and observed his sister and her sparkmate.
"What the frag is going on in here?" Skybreak demanded.
"The femme is upset..." Sunstorm whispered before handing her over to her sister. "Take her to the medics, Sister. We shall discuss what happened later."
Slipstream moved to argue before venting and complying. The femme obviously needed medical attention. She could always give her brother an audial-full later.
When the two femmes had left, Skybreak turned to Sunstorm. "Sunstorm, what's going on?"
"Something I wish I had done more to prevent in our still-rebuilding home," Sunstorm whispered before turning away.
Skybreak's brow furrowed as he stopped him with an outstretched servo. "Look, Sunstorm," he began softly. "I really am sorry. I know things have been rough for you but this femme-"
His mood changed on the flip of a coin. "I did nothing to her!" he turned on Darkstorm's brother with a snarl.
Skybreak calmly put his servos up. "I never said you did. I..." he vented. "You know, Sunstorm, I once thought that I'd never have a femme in my life. But my sister always says that God works in mysterious ways. And if a screw-up like me can have a sparkmate, then you sure fragging can. And maybe this femme-..."
Sunstorm offlined his optics painfully. "I appreciate your counsel, Skybreak, but my spark is still broken. I think it will remain that way."
Then Skybreak said something Sunstorm thought he'd never hear again. "You just have to have faith."
Sunstorm freely vented once he left. True, he often prayed for a companion but he doubted he would ever find one. While Aurora was beautiful and he cared for her dearly, he hardly believed his broken spark was ready for love...
At least, not yet.
Aurora's affections towards the Seeker prince grew. Her slave master was banished from Vos and never heard from again and she was free to live her days in the palace under the royal family's care. And that warm affection that she held in her spark towards Sunstorm slowly grew into... dare she say it? Dare she even think it? Love.
She adored him. His sly voice, sharp wit, and the way he doted upon her endlessly. The way his facial plating softened whenever she needed a companion most... She even adored his rare outbursts of anger and how he would still mourn for the femme that he could never have.
She knew it was foolish. He was still in love with another but oh, how she hoped and prayed to this God that one day, he could feel love in his spark for her, however unlikely that scenario seemed.
"Aurora, tell me what is on your mind."
Aurora was pulled out of her thoughts. "My prince?"
He smirked. "I told you, my dear, that you need not use such formality with me. Tell me, what is on your mind?"
Aurora hesitated, her spark pounding. With the courage that she felt only when he was near, she began, "Sunstorm, I have made a most intriguing discovery."
Sunstorm raised an optic ridge. "Intriguing discovery? Do tell."
The femme steeled herself. "What if I told you that a femme desperately sought your affection? That this femme dreamt about you day and night and loved every aspect of you... and that she would give anything in the world just to know that her affections are returned?"
Sunstorm felt coolant rush to his optics. Such sincerity... He never thought he could ever-... And yet- "Continue... What else does this femme proclaim?"
Aurora found she could not stop herself and so she let the rest of her feelings escape her in a torrent of words. She had to tell him; even if he shunned her, she did not care. She needed to tell him. "She proclaims that she is willing to spend the rest of her life caring for the prince that has stolen her spark and granted her her freedom. She wishes to repay the kindness that he has shown her and to make him see... that he is not alone in this world. That he is loved and will continue to be loved until the cycle this femme offlines."
Sunstorm cleared his throat cables as they clogged with emotion. "You are mistaken... There is no such femme."
Aurora's spark ached for the lonely prince as she placed a servo over one of his own. Sunstorm tensed slightly at the contact and looked into her blue-green optics. "What if I told you that I was that femme?"
All walls around the prince crumbled as tears freely streamed out of his optics then. "Then may I ask this femme why?"
"Because you are a gift from heaven, my prince," Aurora smiled softly.
Sunstorm gasped softly before wrapping his arms around the femme, freely sobbing now. Tears sprang from Aurora's optics as well as he began to kiss her facial plating, servos trembling as if grasping a priceless treasure. All ties still holding him to Darkstorm's memory vanished and all that was left his love for Aurora, the dancer that eased the pain in his broken spark.
"Gail'en, my angel, my light... Forgive me. I love you. I love you."
"I love you, Su'sain. And I always will."
Sunstorm's lip components met hers as both of their sparks began to pound.
Thank you, God, Sunstorm prayed. I cannot ever repay You for healing my wretched spark but thank You.
D/N: Well, here you have it ^^ I just couldn't in good conscience let Sunstorm be alone so Aurora was born. I hope she wasn't a Mary Sue and that you enjoyed her (because I think I did a terrible job. Please tell me otherwise). And this story is almost over, can you believe that? *sniffles* We have come so far, blondie, Dar'sain, and I.
To Guest: Oh, don't worry, hon ;) We still have a bit to go before this story ends.
To Bluefeather4299: Aw, shoot. Thank you. I'm glad you liked the last chapter, however short it may have been.
To Havik: Hello there, lovely. I don't mean to seem rude but if your intention is to roleplay, I would prefer it to be done on Dar'sain's Tumblr. The link is on my page and you don't even need an account to leave questions. I hope you understand.
"But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness" 1 John 1:9
"He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west" Psalm 109:12
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" 2 Corinthians 5:17
May God bless you and your day, our lovely followers!
Until next time, Dream'sRealm
B/N: See? We're not always horrible totally evil sadists xD though this is totally Dreamy here, I'm just the coauthor who's swinging by for her two-cents-worth this time :'D I will say though that slave characters can be fun (as I've found out with my newest FC/OC for something else). There's a neat aspect to keep in mind for writing about a character who's basically a possession . . . hopefully said aspect is just as fun for y'all to read~
God bless and see you lovelies next time~