Title: Reminders

Rating: K+

Continuity: G1?

Characters: Megatron, Optimus Prime

Disclaimer: Still don't own. Trust me, if you did, you'd know.

Prompt: 2. setting: a courtroom

Optimus Prime stood in the ruins of the old Courthouse. It had been one of the first structures taken out by the Decepticons, back in the beginning of the war.

Understandably, to be honest. The justice system back then had been corrupt and broken. Innocent lower class mechs had often been tried and found guilty then, just because they didn't have credits to hire a lawyer.

The place now was crumbling ruins where there had once been elaborate decorations and expensive materials. The Prime stepped slowly though the building, following the tugging at his spark, debris crunching under his large pedes. He wandered through the faintly familiar hallways. He had been an archivist, before he was a soldier, before he was Prime, and had often been called upon to bring documents here. The memories, like all memories from before the Matrix, were fuzzy and indistinct, but he remembered enough to know where he was now.

A court room. There was where the Judges – a council of five mechs who would determine the fate of the prosecuted – sat, a row of five elevated chairs that looked more like thrones. Then the two podiums where the accused and the accuser stood, with or without their lawyers. And the rows of benches where onlookers and witnesses sat.

It was desolate, now. The once white metal was warped and black in most places, dim and gray in all the others. Ashes covered every surface, and lumps of metal from the ceiling were scattered over the floor. The benches were warped and torn. Most would be impossible to sit in now.

A large, gray mech with pointed armor was sitting on the edge of the pitted dais where a prosecuted mech would stand.

Optimus moved slowly and quietly to the Judges' chairs and pulled himself into the center chair.

"Decepticon Megatron," he said after a moment, smiling when the Warlord's helm jerked up, his expression one of surprise. "You have been found innocent of the accused crimes. Evidence has been supplied that you were under the control of a virus, created by a mech designated Shockwave. The guilty party has been accused and punished accordingly. You are free to do as you will; all charges have been dropped."

Megatron smiled softly, a strange expression on the hard face. It looked more ferocious than gentle, what with his hard angles and sharp fangs.

But Optimus was more familiar with his one-time enemy than he once was, and knew now when he was being kind.

"Thank you, Optimus," the old Decepticon said with a nod, optics crinkling at the edges. "However, I already know that."

"I know," the Prime said as he slid off the chair and walked up to his bondmate. "But we all need reminding every now and then. Us especially."

"Perhaps," the gray mech said, pulling the blue and red mech down to sit next to him. "And like I said, thank you."

"You are welcome, Megatron. What were you doing here, anyways?"

"This is the next building the Constructicons are tearing down. I just wanted to see it one last time. Remember."

"Mm," the Prime hummed in agreement as he leaned against his mech. "You have been doing this for most of buildings."

"Yes. I wanted... I..."

"To remind yourself what it was all for?"

Megatron blinked, staring with warm, red optics at his bondmate. "Yes. I suppose so."

Optimus smiled. "I have done the same. Next time, invite me, and we will remember and remind ourselves together."

Megatron smiled again, wrapping his arm around the Prime and pulling him close. "Of course."