When Saphira woke up, she could hear the familiar rumble of the peterbilt engine, and she opened her eyes to see the peak of dawn as the golden light filled the sky and touched the clouds. She rubbed her eyes as they adjust to the natural, bright light of the sun and she looked out the window, and she saw familiar, open fields of long grass. She blinked and looked around, spotting cows and horses grazing in the pastures and she smiled. She knew where she was. They were not far from her grandfather's house and she was quick to wake up.
"Good morning, my sweet gemstone," Optimus's voice purred through the radio. "And happy birthday. I see you already seem to know where we are." Saphira nodded as she looked around, feeling memories rushing back to her. She remembers being in the old, brown sedan her parents used to own and she would have the window all the way down and she would sing her heart out while hanging her head out the window as they drive to her grandparent's house. "I dare hope that today is going to be filled with good memories."
"I have no doubt that it will," Saphira said confidently, placing her hand on the window button to roll it down. She peered out the window with a smile. She smelt the air and she caught the scent of livestock and hay. "Oh yeah, I remember that smell." She chuckled softly. "I am surprised you didn't pull in already."
"I felt it would be wrong to roll into the property while you were asleep," Optimus said gently, happy that Saphira was feeling excited about being here. "We have already pass the property once and we decided to just drive around the area. I have to say, it is rather nice out here. There are no huge buildings surrounding us, there is just open fields with animals and there is something pleasant our here."
"I am glad you seem to notice. I am afraid it is something that people who live in the city don't seem to notice. They only see that there is hardly anything like cinemas, amusement parks, big shopping centres and restaurants, and that is why most tend to dislike the country living." Saphira shrugged as she liked being out here. "And while I've lived in the city, there's nothing like coming home to the country." She closed her eyes as the wind blew through her hair. "This is so nice…and there's hardly any traffic out here. That is what I love about it. We might be hours away from the nearest town, but it is worth it."
"I assume that would mean we would have to take you shopping, right?" She nodded a little. "And another reason why you intend on growing your own food…that I can definitely understand." Saphira chuckled softly as she was happy Optimus could understand. "Hmm…maybe while we are here, we can help you set things up for your garden."
"Really?" Saphira looked at the dash before looking at the passenger seat as his holoform formed and she smiled at him. "I would love that. I want to set up a green house too. I can't have a garden without a green house, and a chicken coop."
"Sounds like we have some projects, but we will focus on having fun today first," Optimus said as he shuffled closer, and she pulled her head inside to lean over and kiss him. "I suppose while you are still healing, it will make life easier for you." She giggled and nodded in agreement that it would be easier. "We are about ten minutes from your grandfather's house. Shall I take my time?"
She gave him a playful frown before turning and grabbing her bag to grab out the keys. "Don't you dare. I really want to get home, Optimus. It feels like it has been a long time coming. Besides…I think…" Saphira paused and looked out the window. "I probably will end up being emotional. I have a lot of memories tied to this place…and I know I will remember a lot of things with my granddad."
Optimus placed a hand on her shoulder, looking at her sympathetically. "I am expecting it to be that way. And I will make sure that I am here for you, no matter what, Saphira." He kissed her again and she felt happier. "If you need to take your time today, I will make sure you are given that right. I know the others are excited, but we want to make sure you have a good day. I have a feeling answers will be revealed, and more questions will also arise."
Saphira had no doubt that would be the case. She did not even know if anything has changed in the house, as she did not know if the furniture was still there. Even if it was, she doubted it could be in good condition. She knew the fridge and stove definitely would need to be changed, but whether she could do that yet or not was another thing. Today likely would not have many changes done to the house, and she may not do too much for a while.
She smiled a little as she thought back to when she was a kid. "When it was my tenth birthday…well, a week before, my parents dropped my off here and they didn't come back for like…two weeks. But it was the best birthday I had as a kid. I wasn't used to parties, really…but when it was my birthday, granddad got me the best cake ever." Optimus smiled as he listened to her speak about the past. "It wasn't the prettiest, he did make it himself. But it was a chocolate and vanilla layer cake with a thin layer of vanilla icing. As he didn't go into town much, he learned how to cook and bake on his own. And this cake he made, I think he made the day before. I remember the house smelling so good, but I never went into the kitchen and asked."
"I guess you were subtly aware that it was your birthday."
"Not really. I didn't think much of it." Saphira looked out the window as she thought back to it. "But it was a surprise. He woke me up that morning and gave me a bike for my birthday. I never had a bike before, so that was a surprise. And he taught me how to ride it that very day. It was scary, but I'll never forget it. After, he made me the best mac and cheese in the world. Finally, we shared that cake and had ice cream with it. I may not have had my parents around, and my grandmother had already passed away by then…but I have no memory of my parents ever doing that for me. They didn't even give me a birthday present when they picked me up, and they only complained about taking the bike home. And I am glad, because I used to ride that bike to school…and sadly, it did get destroyed. It was an accident though."
"It sounds like Everett cared more about you than your parents did." Saphira nodded in agreement. She often wished she lived with him instead of her parents. "At least he'll always be with you…" Tears fill her eyes and she took a deep breath with a light sniffle. "Because everything you now have, whether it is the wealth and the estate, is gifted to you from him. You deserve every bit of it."
Saphira nodded and sniffled again. She felt his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug, which she gladly accepted. He rubbed her shoulder gently as Saphira took a deep breath as the emotions began to run. She held back her tears though, she did not want to cry too much on her birthday. She knew that she did not want to turn the day into something sour. It was nice to have someone to lean on for the day though.
She sat there in silence as she watched the fields go by until she spotted the familiar, worn, white posts beside the dirt road at the entrance of the property. She smiled a little as she saw it. "We're here." Optimus nodded and the truck turned onto the driveway to follow it up. She looked ahead and smiled as the pine trees ahead were hiding the house behind them. The grass was very long and the trees have not been trimmed in years. "It's a mess…but we are home."
Optimus said nothing, only smiled as he drove further up the path. The path was still clear, but it had been unused for a long time, so weeds had grown over the path and Optimus could barely see it. But he was able to see where tyres have been, so he followed that carefully. He did not want to disturb anything unnecessary while he rolled up the road. Saphira was silent the entire time too, and he had no doubt the memories were flooding back to her.
The first thing they would see is a big, old shed. It was large enough to fit a few vehicles underneath it. Saphira smiled as she remembered there used to be a tractor here. It was no longer in the shed, but she remembered the tractor. And Everett's old Chevrolet Silverado also used to sit in the shed, but it too was gone. Saphira would have liked to kept them as sentimental vehicles, but they likely got sold for parts. Both had seen better days.
There was also a smaller, wooden shed that was leaning to the side. It used to house Everett's white, 1980 Firebird. Saphira was curious to know if it was still in there. "Could you do me a favor?" Optimus looked at Saphira curiously. "Can you open that shed? Grandpa's favorite car used to stay in there. If it is still in there, I'd like to fix it up."
"What kind of car was it?" Optimus asked curiously.
"A 1980 Pontiac Firebird, he loved that car." Saphira took a deep breath as Optimus approached the shed. "Though…it does not have to be right now…"
Optimus chuckled lightly as he followed the road around and he spotted it. A white, two-story house with faded paint on the panels. A red brick chimney on the side of the house has also seen a little bit of better days. The roof looked dull, despite being a green colour, it was dull and didn't look pleasant. Plants green all around the house and there were vines crawling up the walls. Optimus could imagine something like this being in a human horror movie. He's had the displeasure of being shown a few movies thanks to Dino and Bumblebee. At least the house did not look like it was falling apart. Even the front porch looked okay, it just needed serious wood polish.
Saphira stared at it, glancing to the right side to see the old chicken coop that had collapsed from no maintenance all of these years. She could easily see herself here, back as a child. The amount of adventures she had here as a kid was something she would forever be thankful for. And she knew, without her grandfather, she would not be here.
If only he was still here…though things might not be as they are now…
When Optimus came to a stop by the front of the house, he sensed Saphira's hesitation. It was clear it was only due the memories that she had with her grandfather here, and the sadness she was feeling from grief. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "It will be okay, Saphira. I am here if you need someone to lean on."
Saphira smiled at him and kissed him before she opened the door and carefully climbed out. Her back was still sore and it was hard to even climb down from the peterbilt. Once she was on the ground, she felt a little bit better. She looked up at the house and took a deep breath, holding the key to the front door in her hand.
She walked towards the patio and stopped when she realized none of the autobot holoforms were following her. She glanced at Optimus briefly before sighing and walking up the stairs onto the patio. She heard the wood groan from the weight of her body as she approached the door. She turned her head to the left, looking at the spot where there used to be a rocking chair on the patio.
Flashback
Running between the trees and laughing loudly, a seven-year-old Saphira and a black and white border collie, Brody, were playing together between the pine trees. She had been throwing sticks for Brody to fetch, and now the dog was happily chasing her and she was laughing loudly. Saphira's clothes were a little muddy as she and Brody had been at the dam together and went for a swim.
Sitting in the rocking chair was her grandfather. He was watching with a smile as his beloved dog and granddaughter play together among the pine trees. He always would watch while relaxing as he could keep an eye on her, while not interrupting the playtime. Saphira and the dog had a very close bond.
"Saphira, honey!" Saphira skids to a stop and giggled as the dog ran around her and barked at her, giving a play bow to keep playing. "It's time for lunch! Come and get yourself cleaned up, dearie!"
"Yes, grandma!" Saphira responded loudly as she chased the dog around again with a laugh before she ran towards the house. "Grandpa! Grandpa!" She raced onto the porch and over to Everett. The man smiled and held his hands out to her. "Brody and I had a great adventure! We went to the dam, we chased butterflies, he fetched sticks and we played tag. You should have come with us."
The man chuckled and picked up the girl to sit her on his lap. "I am afraid I am not as young as I used to be, Saphira. I would love to go with you, but I would not be able to keep up. You and Brody have a lot more energy than I do."
"I guess." Saphira shrugged and hugged him happily. "We would have kept to your pace, grandpa. You know Brody takes care of you while I'm not here."
"I am aware." He rubbed her back gently as he hugged her and kissed her head. "Let's go inside. Grandma has made some grilled cheese and tomato soup."
The girl gasped excitedly and got off her grandfather's lap. "Oh boy! Grilled cheese and tomato soup!" She giggled loudly as she raced into the house with her granddad standing up from the chair slowly and following her instead.
End of Flashback
She looked back at the front door with a smile. The while door had paint peeling off it and she took a deep breath, stepping closer and pushing the key into the keyhole and turned it. She heard the click and turned the doorknob, pushing open the door. She caught the smell of dust and mould, though it was something she could deal with. The door was stiff as it opened and stopped about halfway, so she gave it a push to open it further.
She let out a shriek of surprise as she almost forgot the witch statue was always the first thing anyone would see walking into the house. She placed a hand on her chest, frowning at the statue. "This still fucking scares me…" She muttered as she looked at the statue. Saphira did not know where Everett even got it, it was an old, gothic, witch statue and it always frightened her as a kid. "I am getting rid of you as soon as possible."
She sighed deeply and stepped inside, walking into the hallway and looking to her right to see the large living room. The furniture inside seemed to be pretty much untouched. The blue sofas were covered in protective plastic to keep them as fresh as possible. Thankfully, it seemed like no moths got to them. She knew the fabric on those sofas was rather expensive. The strong odour of moth balls was also very present in the house.
She looked around the living room, looking at the picture frames and smiling as she saw photos of her and her grandparents on the wall. She also could see frames on the mantle of the fireplace and a few on some tables in the room. She was happy they were still here and the pictures looked like they were still in good condition. There were a few statues around as well, but nothing that really caught Saphira's eye as she walked around.
She walked into the kitchen, and she saw that everything was still here too. Including the fridge and stove. She did know electricity and water was not running at the moment and she would need to reconnect that, but she was fine with not connecting it for now. The round table in the kitchen was small and this was where she and her grandparents had their meals. She smiled as she walked around the table before checking the laundry, study and playroom. She saw that the toys she used to play with as a kid were still here as well.
She than made her way upstairs. The boards of the stairs creaked as she walked to the second floor and made her way to what used to be her room here at the farm. She opened the door slowly and smiled as she saw the dark, purple walls with white painted stars at the top of the walls. There were also glow in the dark stars on the roof. She saw the round, fluffy, white rug at the end of her bed which was a wooden bedframe. She saw the desk was still in here, along with the white wardrobes and dressers around the room, and the golden mirror Saphira had fallen in love with at a thrift shop that had shells around the frame.
She looked at the bed to see the purple quilt was still on the bed, and the bed had been left unused for all these years. She did notice the brown teddy bear and noticed a white envelope on its legs. She walked over curiously and saw her name was on the envelope. She had no doubt Everett had left the envelope here for her to find and read. She felt tears in her eyes and she stepped closer to the bed and picked the envelope up. She heard the voices of the autobots downstairs, and she was glad they were coming in to have a lot around.
But she had something else. She sat on the bed and stared at the envelope, not knowing if what she would read would be something that would concern her or not. She had no doubt that she would get answers from this letter right now, and she hoped it would be the case. She took a deep breath, knowing her grandfather left this for her to read and she had to open it so that she could know what he had left behind for her to read. She opens the envelope and pulled out the letter carefully to read it.
To my dearest granddaughter,
Today is your eighteenth birthday, congratulations. I am sorry I cannot be there with you in person, but none of us ever has the choice in when it is our time to go. When it comes, one should never feel fear because we are all going to get there at some point in our life. And not everyone is lucky to reach an older age like I have.
Especially as I have a lot of stories to tell. I am sorry I will never be able to tell you in person, but I know you will enjoy your life from now into your young adult life. I hope you remember me telling you there was something I did, but you had to wait until your eighteenth to be told. Because now is the time for you to inherit much more than just money and buildings. You also inherit my job in protecting a secret that I believe you may even already know at this point.
We are not alone in this universe. I know this first-hand during my time in the military, and meeting some extraordinary beings who, were literally, from out of this world. They call themselves transformers, and they differentiate between each other by the names of autobots and decepticons. They are autonomous robotic organisms, and they come from a planet Cybertron. Their world used to be inhabitable, until a war broke between the two and it eventually tore the planet apart.
Now they seem to be seeking something that had arrived on our planet. I was told this by an old, wise decepticon who has gotten tired of war. He called himself Jetfire, and he was an exceptional asset in our fight. There were other warriors that I met, but Jetfire and I became rather close friends. And we made the best team to ensure the safety of this planet at the time. And little did I know, I would be introduced to a secret organisation dedicated to the secrecy of the transformers.
There are many people who knew, and this included Archibald Witwicky. Although, unfortunately, that man did fall into some kind of madness. But we were able to obtain information about him and his glasses. All of those things are important, and that is why I passed them onto you all those years ago. You might have seen them as useless items, but I know that they are far from it. And maybe you know this now at the time of reading this letter.
Jetfire and I did not stay in contact after the end of the war, but I did meet with another. He called himself Hot Rod, and he has been working with a few members of this secret organisation. And I have no doubt you will meet him too. Edmund Burton is a close friend of mine, and he is currently one of the oldest members alive keeping this organisation a secret. After the war, he and I used to travel around the world in communication with specific people regarding the transformers to ensure none of that information got out into the public eye.
By the time I retired to spend time with you, there was not much going on. But I was informed by Burton things were getting heated when you turned eight. I wish I could have told you at the time, but I was sworn into secrecy and could not tell you until now. That is why we used to look up at the stars together with my telescope. I wanted you to look forward to something special.
I do believe that one of the mightiest warriors would have arrived on our planet since my passing. Burton informed me that a Prime was set to arrive on this world, and from what I have been told, they are one of the strongest of the transformers. I do not know everything about Primes, but I do know that you might have met one. Because there is a prophecy that implies he would be here by the time you read this letter.
The tears of Dawn shall rain on Egypt's call, the ground will shudder and burn, destiny brings the glimmer of Matrix to her cries, undoing the Deceiver's lies. Beneath the flesh shall heart and spark be merged, Excalibur shall awaken and the knightess under Primus light will be engraved within eternity.
I have no idea what exactly that means, but there are many other things that I could tell you that I have been told as well. However, Burton will contact you sometime after your birthday. Please prepare yourself for that. I am sure that your mind is feeling overwhelmed at this point. This is a lot of information, and I have no doubt you will have more questions in your mind. But all of what I have written for you is true.
I am truly sorry I cannot be there for you, Saphira. I love you with all my heart and I will always be with you, even if you can't see me. Let your heart guide you, and I know you will have a fulfilling life ahead of you.
One last thing. Follow Narnia for more clues.
Tears fell onto the letter as she read through it. She did not find herself getting surprised by much, aside from the fact she could receive a call from someone named Edmund Burton. She didn't even know if this person was still alive, but it didn't matter. Still, Everett also left her with another clue. Follow Narnia…Everett used to read the Chronicles of Narnia to her as a kid, and there was a specific closet downstairs she used to pretend was the magic wardrobe to Narnia.
She gasped and stood up, wiping the tears from her cheeks as she walked out of the room. She jumped as she almost walked straight into Optimus. "Oh, you almost scared the life out of me!"
Optimus smiled at her and placed his hands on her cheeks. "I apologize, I wanted to make sure you are okay." He leaned in and kissed her, making her smile. "I sensed you were feeling emotional." He looked into the room and saw what was inside. "I guess this room was yours."
She nodded. "Yeah, it was." She looked ahead towards the master bedroom. "My grandparent's room is down there…I don't feel like going in there. It would feel a bit disrespectful. At least for now." She looked at the letter in her hand and Optimus glanced at it. "My grandfather left a clue. I am heading downstairs to see if it is right."
Optimus watched her walk around him and run down the stairs. He was curious about what clue Everett had left for Saphira and followed her downstairs. She surprised the others when she reached the bottom and ran through the hallway to the tall, wooden wardrobe at the end of the hallway. It was always empty, which was why she used to play in it. It also had some nice floral carvings in the woodwork of the wardrobe.
She walked up to the wardrobe, thinking for a moment. She knew nothing on the inside of the wardrobe would be what her grandfather was talking about, but she opened it anyway and she didn't see anything. So she felt around the back of the wardrobe and smirked slightly when she felt a gap before pulling gently and gasped when the wardrobe slid forward and the wall behind it opened, revealing a staircase heading down into a hidden basement.
"This explains all the weird door noises I used to hear as a kid," Saphira said softly as she looked into it. "But…I did not bring a flashlight…I did not think I needed one. Optimus…" She turned and stopped in surprise when she saw his eyes glowing brightly like his optics would. "Uh…your eyes…"
"They should give off enough light to guide the way down." Optimus stepped closer and Saphira saw he was right as the light from his eyes illuminates the stairs. "You can stay by me if you wish so you don't fall, but I promise you that this is enough light. The others can illuminate theirs too."
"I think that would be good." She turned her head and smiled at the others. Bumblebee's eyes were the first to start glowing and she looked back into the open door. "Alright…I guess we should see what secrets are down here."
Saphira took the first step down, holding Optimus's hand as they walk down the stairs together. She noticed the stairs were made of stone instead of wood, which was good as stone lasts much longer than wood. She had absolutely no idea what to expect. Even with the light of the holoform eyes, she could not see much of anything. She was sure once they reach the bottom of the stairs, they would see things down there. And she was feeling both nervous and excited about it.
