ONE SHALL RISE IS DONE! Its about freaking time. I will say though, as much as I despise this three part-er, the fight scene where Optimus and Megatron are fighting back to back on the bridge inside of Unicron had me FANGIRLING! I had never noticed how extremely epic and cinematic it is! I'm telling you, I re-watched that one scene like 5 times and squeaked happily every time I watched it.
Also, thank you KristenVerne for helping me come up with the title of this chapter!
Please note: I do not own Transformers. I do, however, have my own OC's which I have inserted into the story. My OC's include Reese Shields and Chase Sanders. Electra belongs to my sister.
The Shadow Falls
The events of this chapter correspond to the episode "One Shall Rise Part 3"
About an hour had passed since the autobots had bridged into the Earth's core. As soon as they had made the jump, much to the human's dismay, the team's signals disappeared. Ratchet had to assure everyone that it was just because their signals were being interfered with by the electromagnetic anomalies happening globally, courtesy of Unicron's reawakening.
Reese sat impatiently in the main room, staring into space. Hundreds of worries ran through her head with each passing minute. What if the team succumbed to the dark energon? What if Megatron turned on them once they got down there? What if they could never make it back?
"Hello? Earth to Reese?" Miko stood in front of her, waving her hand two inches away from Reese's face.
"Huh?"
"We have been trying to ask you a question for the past several minutes? What's going on in there?" Miko lightly rapped her knuckles on Reese's head.
"Nothing… I just have a lot on my mind."
"Clearly. Well, anyways, we were trying to ask you, did you want a sandwich? Jack's mom is making lunch."
"No, I'm not hungry."
"Reese, as your current physician, I suggest you eat. The energon transfusion has helped get you back on your feet, but your body is still recovering from the ordeal you put it through," Ratchet turned from his computer and chastised.
"Ratchet, I'm fine. I'm not hungry."
"Well I'm commanding you to eat something, even if its only a little bit. Miko, go get her a sandwich," Ratchet ignored Reese.
"I don't understand how anyone can even think about eating at a time like this. Our friends are down fighting inside Unicron's freaking body, and you guys are just sitting around like its no big deal! Isn't there something we can be doing to help them?" Reese leaned forward and slammed her fist onto the coffee table.
"I'm with Reese on this one. I have had enough as well!" Agent Fowler exclaimed. "I can't just sit on my hands while the world spins out of control!"
"An what exactly do you plan to do about it?" Ratchet asked sarcastically.
"Anything! hook up with my friends at the Pentagon and find a way to bury that monster for good," Fowler slammed his fist into his other hand.
"Are you saying that you don't believe Optimus can?"
"Don't you mean Optimus and Megatron? We can't trust that con to keep his word!"
"Nobody is thrilled about this situation, Agent Fowler, myself included, but with Optimus and Megatron together again- "
"Whoa, Whoa, what do you mean, again?" Jack cut Ratchet off.
"There was a time, back on Cybertron, in the twilight hours of the Golden Age, when Optimus and Megatron were not sworn enemies. Do you recall when I mentioned that Optimus wasn't always a Prime? Well, he wasn't always Optimus either. He was once a clerk, serving in the Iacon Hall of Records, named Orion Pax. As he learned more about Cybertron's past, he became increasingly concerned with the present corruption in high places. A caste system had formed. Those in the upper castes were greedy and corrupt, living lives of luxury at the expense of those in the lower castes. Cybertronians in the lowest of castes were slaves, seen only as tools, and this was something that Orion could not stand for. He believed that all life should be treated as equal. No one Cybertronian being seen as less than another.
Orion became inspired by a gladiator, one who had named himself after one of the original thirteen Primes, Megatronus. Megatronus vowed to challenge Cybertron's leadership, and demand that all Cybertronians be created equal. This gladiator, turned visionary, quickly gained a loyal following, Soundwave, who is now his head of communications, chief among them.
Orion began corresponding with Megatronus, who came to be something of a mentor to the young clerk. As Megatronus left the gladiatorial arena for the political, he sought fit to shorten his name to Megatron, and before long, he appeared before the High Council to propose his vision for a "just" society. It was here that he began to reveal his true colours. He proclaimed that Cybertron's current government and guard needed to be overthrown with force. He also arrogantly demanded to be named the next Prime, despite the fact that naming Primes was not within the High Council's ability.
Orion, however, did not believe in violence as a means of achieving justice. The sparks and minds of the Council were moved by Orion's words, and they truly believed that if anyone was worthy to be a Prime, it was Orion, But, that honor could only be achieved by earning the matrix of leadership.
"With his ambitions thwarted, Megatron severed all ties with Orion and the Council, and came to wage war on all who opposed him. He used his gladiatorial experience to wage a war that would eventually poison the very planet of Cybertron.
Orion journeyed to the core of the planet, hoping to reverse the ill effects of the war, and found himself before the very spark of our life giver, Primus himself. Though weak and ailing, Primus sensed the innate nobility within Orion and bestowed up on him the Matrix of Leadership, which turned a very surprised and humbled Orion into Optimus Prime, the last of the Primes." Ratchet sighed as he finished recounting the story.
"So, your planet's core gave Optimus the Matrix of Leadership, and now he is going to give it to Earth's? What is to keep Megatron from just taking it for himself?" The kids asked.
"Only Megatron's greater desire to save this planet so that he can then conquer it for himself, as he previously mentioned. That is, if the lord of the Decepticons can ever fully be trusted."
Reese, who had gotten up from her forlorn little corner came over and rested her hand on Ratchet's servo. She had been inspired by Optimus' story. If anyone could save this planet, it was Optimus.
"I'm not sure how, but I truly feel like this is all going to work out. Optimus will be successful, and he will return to us. He promised."
"I truly hope you are right, Reese," Ratchet sighed again.
Deep within the Earth's core, Megatron led the others through Unicron's body, towards his very spark chamber. They walked into an open room filled with dark energon infested bridges. In fact, literally everything around them oozed with the dark stuff, which was to be expected, since dark energon comprised the very blood of Unicron.
As the team began crossing the main bridgeway, Bulkhead began to groan and hold his helm.
"What's wrong Bulk? Are you okay?" Bee whirred anxiously.
"I'm fine… Just a little woozy, that's all."
Arcee turned and came up beside Bulkhead, trying to help support him. "Optimus, the dark energon is starting to get to him, we need to work quickly. Alright Bulk, easy does it. We don't want you falling off this bridge. Who knows what could be down there?"
As if to answer Arcee's question, the sound of screeching, hissing, and beating wings reached the audial receptors of the bots. Everyone looked around frantically until they saw a swarm of flying creatures headed right for them. These creatures oozed with dark energon as well and let out an ear-piercing screech as their sensors targeted the intruders.
"What are those things?" Bulkhead asked anxiously, as he and his teammates activated their blasters.
"As we are within Unicron's body, it would stand to reason that those things are some sort of antibody," Optimus deduced, as he and Megatron activated their blasters as well.
The team readied themselves as the swarm came right for them, and once the antibodies were within blaster range, everyone let loose, destroying as many of them as they could.
It didn't matter how many they hit, there were just too many. The antibodies opened fire upon the intruders, peppering them with red blasts. The team held strong, though, continuing to take out any antibodies that were unfortunate enough to get too close.
Arcee shot round after round at one of the antibodies, jumping out of the way in order to not be hit. However, when it exploded, the blast was enough to send her off flying the bridge. She somersaulted in the air, regained her since of direction, and landed safely on one of the bridges below. She looked up to see Bulkhead stumble and lose his footing, causing him to also fall from the bridge.
Bumblebee, quickly taking notice of his larger friend's predicament, ran over and grabbed his outstretched servo. "I got you Bulk!"
"Bee, let me go. I'll only take you down with me!"
"I'm not letting you go. You have to stay strong, for Miko."
"Just let go, kid," Bulkhead grimaced as he felt Bee's grip slipping.
"Bulkhead!" Arcee called out from the platform below, watching helplessly as Bulkhead's servo slipped from Bee's grasp.
At the last moment, Optimus, who had been fighting back to back with Megatron, dove forward and grabbed Bulkhead's outstretched servo. "I've got ya," he said as he lifted Bulkhead back onto the bridge. "We need to keep moving, if we can get off these bridges, we will be in a better position to protect ourselves. Arcee, do you think you can get back up here?" Optimus called out.
Arcee nodded and took a running leap right onto the back of one of the antibodies. It screeched and writhed as it attempted to throw Arcee from its back, but she held on tightly, grabbing its wings and guiding it up to the bridge where the others were. Once above the bridge, she slammed her fist through its back and then jumped off, landing safely on the bridge as the antibody exploded behind her.
Now that the team was all together again, they took off, running to the other end of the bridge and back into one of the many tunnels within Unicron's body. They weren't far off from his spark chamber now, so if they moved quickly, it wouldn't be long before they reached it.
"I still can't get their signal. I wish I had some way of knowing their progress. Blast these electromagnetic anomalies!" Ratchet vented in frustration.
"Hey Ratchet, if we can't see their signals, and we can't communicate with them, then how are we going to know when they need to be bridged back?" Miko looked up at the medic nervously, worrying about the safety of her guardian, as well as the rest of the team.
"We will have to hope that once they have sent Unicron back into remission, that the anomalies stop, and that the team's signals come back online." Ratchet explained, though he was quickly distracted by the sound of clinking metal. He looked over to see Jack absentmindedly tapping the key, that Optimus had given him, on the guardrail he was leaning against.
Ratchet's optics widened in surprise when he saw the key in Jack's hand. "Jack, where did you get that?"
"Uh, Optimus gave it to me, but I don't see why he would entrust the key to the ground bridge supply to me," Jack said, still fingering the key. "He gave a similar one to Reese, said they needed to be used together in order to work."
"Jack, there is no key to the ground bridge."
"What is this then?" Jack held the key up, inspecting it more closely.
"That is the key to Vector Sigma. You and Reese are holding one of Cybertron's most important relics!"
"I shouldn't have this! Ratchet, here, take it," Jack held the key out to Ratchet.
"Optimus entrusted you and Reese with the key. It has imprinted upon each of your biosignatures."
"But that doesn't make any sense… why would he entrust us with something this important? And why would he lie about it?"
"Because he doesn't plan on coming back…"
Back within Unicron's body, the autobots continued making their way toward the titan's spark. Deeper and deeper they went, continuing to be chased by the flying, dark energon imbued, antibodies.
They ran into a slightly more open chamber, still blasting away at any antibody that dared come close. It was in here that Megatron's optics began glowing a bright purple, he fell to one knee, grasping his helm and yelling in agony.
"Megatron!" Optimus turned to check on the war lord. If Megatron fell, then so did their chances of ever defeating Unicron.
Megatron lifted his helm, his optics flashing dangerously as he looked at Optimus. Something wasn't right, he wasn't himself. He raised his ion canon towards the Prime, the canon beginning to glow as the charge powered up. Before the blast could shoot forward, killing Optimus, Megatron seemed to come back to his senses, and shoved the Prime out of the way. The blast hit one of the antibodies instead.
Megatron ran a servo across his facial plating, rubbing his optics a little. He seemed to grow in pain the deeper they went. "Optimus, Unicron's spark is just beyond that door," Megatron motioned to a door on the other side of the chamber. "We need to get through there quickly."
"How are we going to get past the door?"
"By fooling Unicron's defenses into thinking that we're not a threat." The decepticon insignia on Megatron's chassis glowed a bright purple, and he stood in front of the door's locking mechanism, so that it could sense the dark energon emanating from his body.
Upon recognizing the dark energon, the door opened, and Megatron walked through it.
"Autobots, I will need you to keep our attackers at bay for as long as you can. I am going to go extinguish Unicron's spark!" Optimus called out to his team as he followed Megatron into the corridor. The door to the tunnel closed once Optimus crossed over its threshold, leaving the rest of the team to fend off the antibodies until Optimus could do his job.
Optimus followed Megatron down the corridor, noticing that it opened up a little further ahead. The two stepped into Unicron's spark chamber, optics wide as they took in the glowing purple orb in the centre of the room. This was it, Unicron's spark.
"Optimus, work swiftly! Being this close to Unicron's spark means that I don't know if I will be able to resist his attempts to control me," Megatron ordered.
"Understood," Optimus walked forward, fighting against the waves of dark energy that threatened to fell him where he stood. He collapsed to his knees as a particularly large wave shot out from the spark and slammed into him.
Another wave shot out and slammed into Megatron, causing his optics to once again glow that ominous, ghostly purple. He too dropped to his knees, yelling in agony and holding his head. His sword activated against his will and he found that his feet were bringing him closer to the struggling Prime. His arm involuntarily raised, preparing to strike down Optimus, but with what might he had left, he held the sword back with his other hand, yelling even louder as Unicron sent waves of pain through him for disobeying.
With another agonizing yell, Megatron retracted his sword, and despite the pain that coursed through his body he still vocally defied Unicron's attempts to control him. "Megatron is commanded by no one!"
Megatron's defiance only made Unicron's spark swell with anger, causing the whole room to tremble. The spark glowed brighter and brighter, and eventually, Megatron collapsed, passing out from the pain.
Optimus took this as his chance to get close to the spark. Since it was focused on controlling Megatron, perhaps he could get close enough to activate the matrix upon it.
"Matrix of Leadership, I call upon you," Optimus voiced allowed as his chassis opened, revealing the Matrix contained within.
"You cannot defeat me, disciple of Primus. I have transcended physical being! By my will alone, all things upon this world shall fall into chaos," Megatron's frame lifted from the floor, surrounded by a ghostly purple flame. It was clear that he was being completely controlled by Unicron at this point, and that it was Unicron who spoke through him.
"Not while I still function, Unicron! The power of the Matrix will light our darkest hour!" Optimus declared triumphantly as the Matrix's power grew into a bright blue aura that surrounded Optimus. Then, from the Matrix within Optimus's chassis, a bright blue beam shot out, striking the glowing purple orb that was Unicron's spark.
"Nooooo!", Unicron's spark screamed in anguish before fizzling out entirely. Leaving both Optimus and Megatron collapsed on the chamber floor.
"DOESN'T PLAN ON COMING BACK!?" Reese practically levitated off the sofa, running right up to Ratchet. "What do you mean he doesn't plan on coming back? He promised he would!"
"I'm sorry Reese, but that is the only reason why he would leave such a valuable relic behind, in your care. He knew he wouldn't be needing it where he was going."
"NO! I don't believe that! Not for one second! He can't just leave us like that!"
"Reese, calm down, getting worked up about it isn't going to help anything."
"Calm down!? Ratchet, you're saying that our leader is going to die, and you want me to calm down?"
"Reese, Please-" Ratchet tried to calm Reese, but was thwarted by a sudden quake causing the entire base to tremble. The overhead lights swung dangerously as rocks from the ceiling cracked and fell loose. "Quickly, everyone take cover over here!" Ratchet ordered the humans to one corner of the platform. He leaned over them, providing shelter from any falling debris.
The tremor lasted for several minutes before it finally let up. Even once the room stopped shaking, everyone was still wary to come out from under Ratchet's protective covering.
"Careful, there could be aftershocks," June warned, looking up at the ceiling dubiously.
The others looked at the computer screen, their concern shifting to joy as they saw the autobot's life signals come back online. "They did it!" everyone shouted in unison. "Optimus defeated Unicron!"
The humans jumped up and down excitedly, and Agent Fowler even scooped June up in a giant bear hug, much to the nurse's surprise.
Even Reese breathed a sigh of relief, as she noticed that Optimus' life sign had come back too. That meant that Ratchet was wrong. Optimus had survived the ordeal. She turned towards the ground bridge expectantly as Ratchet fired it up.
One after the other, Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee walked through the portal, but something was wrong. Their faces were downcast. What had happened, and why wasn't Optimus with them?
"Where's Optimus?" Reese asked first, her stomach suddenly tying itself in knots.
"He… He looked right at us and didn't recognize us. Megatron took advantage of his confusion and convinced him that we were the enemy. He took Optimus back to the Warship with him…" Arcee explained, her voice as pain stricken as her facial plating.
"No, that can't be! He can't have forgotten! He just can't!" Reese felt her knees give out beneath her and she sank to the floor, tears welling up in her eyes. She had lost the closest thing to a father that she had had since the passing of her parents.
"It would appear that when he relinquished the matrix, Optimus lost all of his memories as a Prime," Ratchet mused. The others just looked at each other with depressed expressions, none of them able to console the other.
The Earth had been saved, but now their mighty leader was gone, and they had no way to get him back, at least that they knew of. It truly was a dark and sad day for the Autobots, but all hope was not lost, for Optimus had left them a contingency, they would just have to be brave and persevere in order to get their beloved leader back.
I cannot express enough how happy I am to be done with the One Shall Rise trilogy. Now I can finally start getting into the Orion Pax arc. It's still not one of my faves, but I like a whole lot more than the Unicron Arc. Hopefully the Orion Pax trilogy wont take a long as the One Shall Rise one did...
Also, please continue to be patient with me. It is still the beginning of the semester, I am only in my second week of classes, and so as things pick up, I'm going to be hard pressed to find time to work on my fic. Also, this is an accelerated semester, so I won't be getting a fall break D: Thank you so much in advance for your patience. Feel free to leave me a comment or a PM letting me know what you thought, or if you have any questions. Love all of you and I hope you have a lovely and blessed rest of your day - Lucy