Chromia POV
I went stiff in surprise. The message I'd just heard from Starscream indicated that he was willing to discuss a possible cessation to this war. There had been countless bots killed in this war. Mechs, femmes, and even sparklings had been brutally slaughtered and for what? I'm not sure. Actually… I really don't have a clue. I've heard a lot of theories about everything from ambition to greed and lust for personal power, but I can't say if any of them are true.
Because of the time, I knew that Autumn would be getting some energon soon. A brief comm signal to both Elita and Arcee let me know that Autumn was already in the rec room with several others, and that she had already consumed a cube of energon.
I stepped out of my quarters and ran into Elita as she came out of hers. Neither of us needed to say anything as we both headed for the rec room. We were about halfway there when Wheeljack came out of his lab.
Wheeljack had an empty energon cube that was now full of mineral wafers… at least I think that's what they are. They have a very strange color to them.
"Hey Chromia!" Wheeljack called out brightly. "I used a new recipe to make these mineral wafers for the sparkling. You said she doesn't like the energon treats, so I made this batch with three times the normal amount of minerals, and I also added a lot of the elements a sparkling needs, so I guess you could call these 'Sparkling Wafers'."
"You made those specially for Autumn?" Elita asked in surprise.
"Yes. I know I've only encountered her once, but she was very nice, and she didn't act like I was going to explode at any instant either." Wheeljack answered amiably. "That's part of why I made these for her. I hope she likes them."
"Well we're heading to the rec room since that's where she is. You don't seem to have any of your experiments with you, so you're welcome to join us." Elita replied.
"Oh that would be great! Then I can find out if Autumn actually likes these; I hope she does." Wheeljack said eagerly.
"I hope she does too Wheeljack." I told him.
We had kept walking towards the rec room while we talked, and as I walked in I saw Autumn sitting next to a very large femme that I didn't know. One look at her face plates and I froze. Elita did the same thing right beside me. I could easily recognize the torso and head that Autumn had constructed while in apparent recharge, and I'm pretty sure that Elita did too. Then I saw who was sitting across from Autumn… it was Soundwave.
I'll admit that I don't really trust Soundwave because he was a high ranking Officer among the Decepticons, but to see him that close to Autumn doesn't give me a pleasant feeling. It makes me want to use a plasma cannon on him. Then there's the frame Autumn built. She's sitting right next to it, and I'm guessing that this is the femme called Kinetica.
It isn't until I took a good look at the strange femme that I realized something. That femme had the exact same face that Autumn had constructed out of sand on the beach. It was the same face that Autumn believed had belonged to her human Carrier!
From what had been said, I knew that Autumn placed a high value on the few memories she had of her human Carrier. So why would she construct a frame so that her Carrier's face could be used by someone else? It's a question that needs an answer, and the only way to get that answer is by asking Autumn.
I move to the energon dispenser and obtain a cube before sitting down next to Soundwave so that I'm across from Autumn. She has a light, contented smile on her face as she sips on a cube of energon that includes the minerals her frame needs. To see Autumn smile is a fairly rare thing, but it's something I've seen before. I will admit that those occasions are very rare, but it has happened. To see her doorwings in such a relaxed state is something I have never seen though! Concern for her fills my spark.
"Autumn… are you okay?" I ask her seriously.
Autumn's smile gets very large and her entire face almost lights up as her optics glow brighter and she nods happily.
"Mami is here now! I have Mami, Ravage, and now Mikaela is even my sister! So I have a whole family now." Autumn exclaimed happily.
"That's right Autumn… you do have a new family now. But you also have some good friends too, and you can't forget about them." Kinetica said cheerfully.
"Friends? What friends do I have?" Autumn asked in apparent confusion.
"There isn't a bot who has met you that doesn't like you Autumn. Even those bots that you have barely interacted with, the ones who hardly know you, want to get to know you better. The femmes you've met like you very much Autumn, and they consider you to be a valuable friend. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe even like being around you. You can ask anyone here… those two don't seem to like anyone! They do like you though, so that says a lot about you, now doesn't it?" Kinetica said softly.
Kinetica had spoken before my spark could even fall at those words from Autumn. I'd been told that she thought of herself as expendable, but I'd had no idea that her ideas of self worth are that low. That fact that Kinetica is forcing Autumn to reevaluate things so quickly is a great relief to me. It's something that shows me that Kinetica will not allow Autumn to retain such a low self-esteem.
Wheeljack sits down next to me and opens the cube of energon in front of him.
"Autumn? Can you try one of these and tell me if you like them? Chromia said you don't care for the energon treats, but she said you like the mineral wafers a lot. So I made a new batch of them and used a lot more minerals than normal. I also added a lot of the minerals that you need for proper frame development." Wheeljack said as he slid the container of wafers over to her.
Autumn frowned as she got one and looked at it dubiously before taking a tentative bite. Her eyes shot wide and her doorwings rose in surprise before she quickly shoved the rest of the wafer in her mouth.
"Those are great! They taste like banana pudding with coconut and a bunch of other stuff in it. I don't really know what it tastes like, but it's good!" Autumn exclaimed happily.
"Oh I'm so glad you like these!" Wheeljack replied as he indicated the container in front of her. "I made them for you, but you can share them if you want." He added as the fins on the sides of his head lit up in bright blue.
Elita POV
I sat down on Soundwave's right so that I was just across the table from Autumn. Ravage was on the table in front of her and was slowly lapping at a cube of energon. Mikaela was sitting on Autumn's right shoulder with a steaming cup of what had to be coffee if I were to judge by the smell. To Autumn's right was the very large femme with the designation of Kinetica. It's clear that this femme is keeping a close watch on Autumn because every time she looks up, Kinetica is looking back and smiling at her. I see that she smiles at Mikaela quite often as well. I'd heard what Autumn told Chromia about Mikaela being her sister. I can't help but feel that this will be good for Autumn. She will be able to be around those that she feels care about her. Curiosity compelled me to begin asking her some questions.
"It would seem that you intend to care for Autumn now… is that correct?" I demanded intensely.
"Absolutely! I suspect that a recording of Sterben's 'confession' has been circulated around this base. I will agree that the confession was horrible!" Kinetica told me bluntly.
"The truth of the matter though… is that the 'so called' confession actually told very little about the nightmare that Autumn was forced to endure! I know every detail including those that Autumn was too young to remember, or those that have been thankfully lost to her by the fog of the past. While I intend to return every possible memory she has of her human mother, I will not allow her to dwell on the painful things she still recalls." Kinetica continued in a firm and serious tone.
"Are you really an incarnation of the Allspark?" I asked her.
I know what I want the answer to be, but somehow… I just don't believe that it's possible. I'm not sure how Autumn was able to get this frame functioning, but for her to be the Allspark? There was just far too much raw power contained in that cube! The power to give life to a sparkless frame, the power to restore life to a sparkless frame, and even the power to create a frame and bring it to life out of a simple machine… that is what the Allspark had! There is just no way that this frame in front of me can hold that same power. It simply isn't possible!
"Elita One… daughter of Silverstar and Bright Rim… I really am a new form of that which you knew as the Allspark. Granted, this frame, as large as it is, can not begin to hold the power I once had. I can no longer generate a dozen sparks at once. Giving life to a pre-built frame is something I will now have to do one spark at a time. I will also be forced to rely on energon the same as you." Kinetica answered me plainly.
I could feel my spark freeze in the chest of my frame. Not even Optimus knew the names of my Creators! I had never told anyone who they were, and yet this strange bot knew them, knew their names.
"The form I used to have was destroyed. That destruction consumed a vast amount of my power, and converting Autumn from human into a bot consumed still more. Yet I survived. The only reason I was able to survive… is because most of my physical form was in subspace. My knowledge, my memories, and who I am… all of that was nearly lost! A small fraction of me was left. That piece was small enough that Mikaela would be able to wear it as a piece of jewelry. Through that tiny sliver, I was able to sense some of my surroundings. Neither Sam or Mikaela had any need to become a bot, and changing one of them would have taken more from them than I could ever return. When they were brought here, and I sensed Autumn's presence, I knew then, that I could give her what she truly wants, and needs! To do that, I needed to change her, and I did. In return, she has provided me with a place to safely reside while some of my power returned. After that, I was able to construct a basic frame to hold my being, which would still allow me to create life." Kinetica told me honestly.
I could tell that she meant every word and it all made sense to me. Her powerful body was destroyed, so now she has to make do with a frame that isn't capable of containing anything close to that amount of power. I can only hope that one day, she'll recover enough that she can regain her abilities. Somehow, I don't think she intends to relinquish the mobility that this weaker frame grants her. I'm not sure I can find any fault with her for that.
"I know the question that you really want to ask. You want to know if I will begin to create new life as I used to do, and if so, what will become of Autumn. The answer to that is that Autumn is going to be the first of many. I will create hordes of new sparklings. Those sparklings will go to loving bots who will care for them and raise them. No more will a sparkling only go to those who consider themselves to be privileged, sparklings will be available to all. There will be one exception to that however… Autumn will stay with me!" Kinetica told me with a light smile.
"Mami can make all the sparklings she wants, but I don't have to worry about that anymore." Autumn agreed.
"Actually Autumn, that is no longer true." Kinetica told Autumn seriously.
Autumn looked up at the femme with complete confusion on her face. "But… but Ratchet said that I… that… that they…"
"Autumn, I want you to listen to me." Kinetica said as she turned and placed her hands on each side of Autumn's head so that the femmeling was forced to look at her.
"There is nothing physically wrong with you anymore! I fixed all of the damage that was done to you when I changed you into the sweet young femme that you are. Should you and Bluestreak decide to create a sparkling when you are ready, then you have that ability. I made certain of that, Little One."
Autumn's face lit up into a brilliant smile as she looked up at the femme holding her. "You really fixed me? I… I'm not broken anymore?"
"I don't think Mom's going to let you stay broken Autumn. She already fixed your body, so the only thing left to work on now is your spirit and mind. I don't think she'll let that slide either." Mikaela said with a rueful smile, but a tone that wasn't the least apologetic.
"That is absolutely true Mikaela! I do not plan to leave my sweet little Autumn in a heart broken state. She has a spark rather than a heart now, but both of you know exactly what I'm talking about." Kinetica replied easily.
Autumn had a look of shocked disbelief on her face as she turned to look at Mikaela who was perched on her right shoulder. "You really mean that, don't you? She'll make me better… won't she?"
"Autumn… if she wasn't serious about this, do you really think she would be claiming me as her daughter? I mean, she can't have known me for very long, but that didn't make any difference now did it? I don't think she's going to let anything slide anymore." Mikaela said with a smirk.
Autumn POV
Mikaela turned back to her coffee and I focused on the energon in front of me. It was really weird to think of Mikaela as my sister now. She had always been the most beautiful girl in school with lots of friends and people who liked her. Now, here she was, better looking than a lot of movie stars I'd heard about and willing to say she's my sister!
"I can't believe I've got a Mami and a sister now." I muttered to myself.
It all seemed so unreal. One cycle it feels like everything is crashing down on me, and the next, I've got Mami here to make sure that doesn't happen to me. I'd seen Mikaela around school many times. So I knew that she didn't always do what everyone expected her to do just because she was in the popular crowd. There was a lot of times that she did what she wanted no matter what everyone else said about her. She just doesn't care what people say or think about her, and sometimes that gets her in trouble, but she still does it. I know I used to be sort of like that, but I'm not anymore, and I don't know why.
"Yeah… you've got a sister now. You might be bigger than I am, but I'm still older than you are, so that means you have to listen to what I say." Mikaela told me with a smug grin.
"That's very true Autumn. As long as she's with you, you should listen to her advice. An older sister will look out for her younger sibling, and Mikaela has already proven that she has your best interests at heart. So I want you to listen to what she tells you. However…" Mami told me smiling.
"She will have to listen to me, and so will you!" Mami added seriously.
"Sparklings are always supposed to listen to their Creators." I said quietly.
"Yeah, and somehow… I think Mom is going to know everything we get up to and all the trouble we get in." Mikaela whispered in a mischievous tone.
"That's entirely true Mikaela. I am able to know everything that goes on around Autumn just by thinking about it! That means that as long as you two are hanging out with each other, I will know everything you two are doing!" Mami said while smiling.
"I'm not going to resort to spanking you with a belt Mikaela, and I won't be placing Autumn in the brig. Putting her back in the brig would result in a nearly vegetative state of mind for her, and that will not be tolerated. By the same token, corporal punishment isn't practical for use on either of you because of your age and level of maturity. But… Mikaela… you can still be grounded!" Mami added firmly.
"Am I to understand that Autumn has a severe psychological aversion to the brig?" Prowl asked Mami.
"Yes Prowl, she does. That one stay in the brig did almost as much psychological damage to Autumn as her entire time with her father did to her body. You didn't know what placing her in the brig would do to her mentally, but I can't allow that to happen again." Mami answered.
I looked over at Prowl to see him shutter his optics while his doorwings drooped. He opened his optic shutters and looked over at me with a sad expression on his faceplates.
"I must apologize Autumn. I was unaware that such confinement would be so detrimentally devastating to you. Allowing myself to become absorbed in my work so that I forgot about you was also unwarranted." Prowl told me with a sad look. "It will not occur again."
"Prowl… no one is blaming you!" Mami said seriously. "You did what you thought was right at the time. You followed procedure and acted according to the rules. You could not have known that Autumn is terrified of being in the brig."
"Everyone needs to drink up. It's going to be an interesting day today." Mami said with a smile.