AMPHIBIA-BOTS
a fan-fiction by Slogokonnor99

Chapter 4: Reunion after the struggle

Once Hop Pop got the maps from the house, everyone got inside the vehicle, and drove off into the mountains once more; along the way, Sprig was more curious about Optimus' ability to transform. -So… can you turn into something else?- He asked, -Only a few of our kind have the ability to transform into three different forms- Optimus replied -but why would you want to know that?-, -oh c'mon Prime- Polly intervened -Sprig is not that smart enough to remember it, so there's no need to hide that-. Sprig couldn't do nothing but put a grumpy face after that comment, after all Polly was right, but he felt like he could've come up with some better excuse. -A few of my kind were able to transform into three forms as I said- Optimus stated -most of them were Decepticons-, -And were there any triple changers in the Autobot team?- Polly asked, -I do not recall having a triple changer among our ranks- Optimus replied -but maybe there was one, I cannot remember at the moment-. -What about your color?- Sprig asked -can you change it?-, -The pattern I have is to keep a low profile Sprig- Optimus stated -after that drone attack, having vivid colors would only bring unwanted attention-. Sprig didn't understand the answer at first, but then his bulb lighted up; Anne on the other hand decided to ask something about what had happened recently. -Are there more of those robots out here?- She asked, -Those things were supposed to hunt us down before me and the other Autobots managed to evade them- Optimus replied -what it surprised me about the one we fought however is that it went for you-. Anne was now confused; was the robot really targeting her instead of Prime? Or was that just a supposition?. -What do you mean by "went for me"?- Anne asked Prime, -That robot is one from an army of "Resilient-class" Drones design to hunt down enemies of the crown- Optimus replied -when I fought it, that drone countered almost every attack I did towards it, but when it threw me away towards the town it suddenly focused on you; that's why I managed to destroy it, because it became distracted, but I still wonder why would it target you?-. -Maybe… because I am an "alien" on its program or something?- Anne proposed, and while her supposed answer may sound a bit outlandish, it had a bit of sense behind it.

After 2 hours or so, the questions became vaguer; Anne began to get bored and decided to try and focus on something else, but looking out of the window simply made her sleepy and she eventually fell asleep. As everything turned black, she expected the blue symbols to immediately appear in front of her once again… But they didn't; instead, she woke up in a room, with everything as white as snow. She was a bit nervous to move, as it was odd for her to be in such a place, but she soon gained confidence and decided to explore. As she walked in a random direction, she soon began to notice the room was getting colder; Anne tried to walk faster to be warm, but then, as she began to get exhausted, she heard a voice. -Hello?- Anne asked, hoping that at least the voice would reply back; however, a cold breeze simply swung through her back, pushing her towards the right. -Is this where you want me to go?- Anne asked at the air, but she got no reply. With no other option, she headed in that direction; and when she managed to find the wall, she noticed the walls weren't solid. She then crossed the cold wall and immediately changed mood when she noticed what was on the other side: the same blue symbols that she had been "dreaming" of every time she fell asleep. -UGH, WHY CAN'T I DREAM OF SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR ONCE?!- she yelled in frustration; but as soon as she said that the symbols changed, fusing all together and revealing a blue glowing light. Her mood immediately went from annoyed to interested, as she was being attracted to the light like a moth; but as she tried to get closer, she soon noticed she wasn't even moving at all; she was stuck in the same place just as the blue flame was, why?

Anne tried her best to move from her position, but no matter all the running or walking she was still stuck firm where she was, the flame however began to shift form again, and this time it showed a scene; Anne was now allowed to move closer and as she did so the flame showed a battlefield, with three humans fighting each other, all in armor, and all angry at each other. -Why is it now showing me this?- Anne asked herself as she witnessed two of the humans aiming their weapons at each other's heads, the third one however was carefully positioning herself on the high ground, and as soon as one of two pinned the other down and make a finishing blow, she jumped on her back and dragged her down to a ravine. As the third one watched, Anne was expecting her to throw the sword and back out, but the human started to cry, and while the language wasn't understandable at all, she knew the woman was grieving them; what she saw after shocked her even more: the figure just ran towards the abyss in an apparent suicide action. Anne tried to stop her, but her grasp went through the flame; the figure simply jumped into the abyss, and she could do nothing but just watch as it dissolved in the emptiness of the abyss.

The flames soon began to grow, their blue color surrounding Anne, and enclosing her in an ever shrinking circle; Anne then began to feel extreme heat, sweating intensely, and tried to make her way back to the void room somehow, but the intense flames blocked every exit. As the seconds passed, she felt like she was melting, and to top it all off, the ground also began shaking; battered by the heat, and unable to stand because of the shaking, she soon flopped to the ground and awoke abruptly to reality. -Anne! You've been asleep for THREE DAYS!- yelled Sprig -what happened to you?!-, Anne didn't believe it at first, but as soon as she looked out of the window she noticed that they were in a desert. -Where are we?- Anne asked as she tried to come back to her senses, -We passed the mountain range like almost two days ago- Sprig replied -You really had a heavy dream, didn't you?-, -This is how it looks like?- Anne asked -I was expecting a prairie at least-, -The mountains divide the south west from the north east- Optimus stated -few amphibians can reach this place, and many who have done either stayed for a few days or died due to the extreme heat; that is why I believe the signal was emitted from this area-.

With the sun slowly descending from the middle of the sky, Optimus stopped cold on his tracks and allowed the Plantars to get out from him carefully so he could transform; afterwards he began to send a distress message to see if the supposed survivors were nearby, but as first expected, he got no answer. -We must go further into the dessert I fear- Optimus warned the Plantars -and I doubt your amphibious biology won't allow you to travel during the intense heat of the day-, -Well… I am not one of them- Anne stated -but I can't also take too much heat like…-, she was about to complete her sentence when she saw the Plantars already dried out, -Please tell me you have that lipstick of yours, Anne- asked Hop Pop. Anne hurried to pack out the lipstick to give it to Hop Pop: and as she took it out, she had a thought. -deserts have an oasis somewhere, and every living thing has to come to them for resources, so why not get to an oasis and emit the signal there!- she thought -wow, for once, listening to my science teacher paid off-, -Us Cybertronians do not consume natural resources- Optimus stated -an oasis would relieve the Plantars, but it would certainly not be a place where one Cybertronian would want to hide in-. -Can we at least try to find one so they can quinch their thirst?- Anne insisted, -I will try to scan for any bodies of water nearby, but I cannot promise anything-.

Optimus' size was enough to provide shade for the Plantars as they used the lipsticks to rehydrate themselves; afterwards, all of them waited it out until the sun began to hide in the horizon. Once that happened, Prime transformed and the Plantars hopped inside him and continued their journey. -What's the range of your distress call Optimus?- Sprig asked, -Loud and long enough for any other Cybertronian to listen and answer it, but also low and short enough for others to not catch it… Or at least that was before Anne managed to catch the signal with her caption device-, -It's a phone, Optimus- Anne stated -and that answer wasn't straightforward if I must say-. As the night began, long, cold wind currents began to sweep the desert; Optimus could barely feel the cold but inside him the Plantars were all cozy and preparing to fall asleep… At least the majority. -What happened to you, Boonchuy?- Optimus asked all of a sudden, trying to start a conversation -is your sleeping schedule altered?-, -no, I just… lost track of time- Anne replied -or at least that's what it seems; if anything, I thought I was asleep for like eight minutes-. -Everyone thought you fell into a comatose state- Optimus added -I for one thought that's how your kind took time to restore their energy-, -Well… We do sleep for that- Anne clarified -but not for that long, I'd say 8 hours at least-. -So then why were you asleep for so long Boonchuy?- Optimus stated, and at this point, Anne felt like he was worrying about her a lot; whatever was happening to her was now becoming much serious. -I have this one dream, where I always see blue symbols in front of me- She stated -but this time, those symbols not only showed up, but morphed into humans; and then they fought each other; two of them fell into a crevasse or a ravine, and the third one leaped after them instead of retreating-. -This sounds like you had a vision- Optimus concluded -but what is it exactly that its trying to show you doesn't seem that clear-, -I agree- Anne added -and… has anything important happened while I was… well… asleep?-, -I'd say you didn't miss out on anything for the moment- Optimus replied -this frog family is really tame by the looks of it-.

Feeling that the conversation was getting a bit dull, Anne decided to switch the topic to something different, -So… you say there are survivors from a thousand years ago- Anne attempted to start a new dialog -but… what about the ones who perished? How were they?-, -Some were quite friendly to the amphibians, like Hound or Chromia- Optimus replied -others were quite grumpy like the Wreckers, but we all had a soft spot for their kind; they were a young species, with so much to learn, and we saw goodness in them-. -I don't get it- Anne stated -if you cared about them… why did they turn on you and the other Autobots?-, Optimus was hesitant to answer Anne's question, but he felt like he'd be rude if he at least didn't give her a word, -A thousand years ago, the king of amphibia had discovered how to recreate us. His obsession with our technology seemed boundless, but when he managed to recreate all the necessary parts of a Cybertronian with the help of our engineer Que, he decided that he didn't need us anymore- Prime stated -at first the people of the kingdom were against the king, but the tables soon turned as those machines began to do actions behind our backs. The king convinced the people that we were responsible for those attacks, and without even thinking it twice, they began to pledge the hierarchy to use those drones to slaughter us-, -I… I'm sorry- Anne tried to sympathize -but… how were those frogs smart enough to foolish everyone?-, -Not frogs, newts- Optimus corrected her -back then, the newts had the upper hand on the social system, and the frogs were privatized of most knowledge-, -Eesh, no wonder the frogs at Wartwood are more naïve that what they seem- Anne stated, -I can tell by how that mayor assumed I was just some junk found in the mountains- Optimus replied. Anne and Optimus laughed at that simple joke, but then Prime detected something; noticing Prime's concern, Anne took out her phone to see if the distress signal had also been detected on accident, and it sure had. -A response to the signal I emitted- Prime stated -and its origin is nearly 2300 miles from here!-, -That's awesome!- Anne replied -what are we waiting for then?-, -Hold on Boonchuy- Prime stopped her -don't you think it'd be appropriate for the Plantars to also learn the news when they wake up?-. Prime had a point: waking them up just a few hours after they fell asleep would be really annoying, so Anne decided to wait until the next morning to tell them the news; with her lack of sleep, she then decided to climb onto the roof of the vehicle and stargaze. -If only Sasha and Marcy could be here to see what's going to happen- Anne wondered.

-You're telling me they're closer than we thought?- Hop Pop replied after hearing the news, -yeah, he said it was like two thousand miles from here- Anne stated -we should get there before midday-, -and because of that I will advise that none of you frogs should want to get out- Optimus added -the temperature at that hour will be lethal for you-, -Whatever you say, Prime- Sprig reassured. As the sun began rising even higher, Optimus and the Plantars were one again on the move, following the signal from last night; but as they day went on and on, the signal began to fade. -Prime, why is the signal beginning to shorten?- Polly asked, -It could be due to the conditions of the other survivors- Optimus stated -I do hope that they are safe however-, -I don't want to be the negative person here but… What if we find those survivors in critical condition?- Hop Pop asked. Prime didn't want to answer that question because he didn't want to imagine a "worse case scenario", but before he could even come up with an answer, he began to hear another noise. -Plantars, do not move- Optimus warned them as he stopped -Something is moving-, Anne thought it was another frequency from the surviving Autobots, but this time the Plantars also heard a noise; She then popped his head off the window and saw something. -Optimus, drive!- Anne warned him -drive away, NOW!-; with no idea of what was going on, Optimus simply followed what Anne said and drove. -Anne, what's going on?- Sprig asked, worried that it could be another of those robots; the wind soon began to increase in force, and that's when Optimus noticed why was Anne alarmed: a sandstorm was forming. -Hold tight everyone!- Prime stated as he accelerated as fast as he could, but it was no use; the storm soon engulfed them, and without visibility, it was hard for everyone to see where they were going.

-Optimus, we need to find shelter!- Anne warned him -if we can't find somewhere to hide we'll probably end up buried under the sand!-, -can't you try and shine a path with your phone Anne?- Sprig asked, -it's a sandstorm dammit! Not fog Sprig!- Anne yelled at him. With no idea of where to go, Optimus decided to drive all the way to the right; and soon enough, his decision paid off. -Is that a cave?- Hop Pop asked as he could barely see through the front window, -I don't care what it is, just drive into it Optimus!- yelled Polly. Optimus drove towards the black spot, but the sandstorm was now taking its toll on him: the amount of sand was beginning to clog up his gears; with no other option, he had to transform if he didn't want to become immobilized. -Prime, we're going to suffocate from the sand!- Anne warned him as he held the Plantars in his hand; Optimus tried to walk into the cave, but the winds were blowing from his right side, making it hard to walk. Anne tried to use her shirt to block the sand from clogging her nose while the Plantars huddled together to avoid their eyes being blinded by the sand. As the wind picked up pace, Prime made one last push towards the black spot, and eventually made it inside. -Now I see why you said no frog stays here for long- said Sprig as he shook off the sand from his cap; Anne then tried to assess Hop Pop's leg while Optimus tried to see if the cave went deeper. -I'm not sure if we should venture deeper- said Polly -if anything, we'll probably endanger ourselves like last time-, -Zapapedes do not thrive in deserts Polly- Optimus stated -but I do agree it would be risky to venture deeper-. With no other option, the group decided to wait until the storm passed, and with nothing to do, all but Optimus took a nap, with the latter keeping an eye out for when the winds stop.

As the hours passed and the winds began to slow down, Optimus attempted to send a distress signal, and to his surprise, a dot on his radar was positioned right on top of him. Before he could make a move however, the dot began to move away; Optimus wanted to follow it, but while the winds had severely slowed down, visibility was still poor. -Did something happen Optimus?- Asked Hop Pop as he woke up and tried to stand up, -Someone was on top of us just a second ago- Prime replied in a low tone -We should probably move-. As Hop Pop tried to make his way to wake up Anne and the children Prime attempted to transform, but due to all the sand that clogged his joints, the process was much slower than usual; by the time he did manage to turn into a vehicle, Optimus had lost sign of the dot on the radar. -Do you at least remember in what direction that dot on the map went?- asked Anne, -it went behind it- Optimus stated -but seeing where this cave is located, we may need to go around it-. Optimus then set off and took the long way around, and by the time the curve was made the storm had stopped, and with the radar clear, a new glimmer of hope showed up: Optimus detected not one, but four dots on his radar. -Are those… good?- Anne asked as she and the Plantars saw the radar screen on Prime's front window, -Only one way to find out- Optimus stated.

As he drove at full speed into the open, Optimus sent another distress message, and in response, the 4 dots began to move towards his position. -Remember when you Sprig asked if I could change color?- Optimus asked, Sprig did remember but he questioned why Optimus was reminding him of that moment now; suddenly, Optimus began to shift: his armor changed shape, the rustiness peeled away from his skin, the brown color was exchanged for a bright, crimson red and blue, and on his side, an Autobot logo was imprinted; -OH MY FROG!- Sprig yelled -That was the most amazing thing I've ever experienced!-. As all these changes happened, a green and white figure watched from atop a rock formation. -I can't believe it-he said -everyone! He's back! He's alive! OPTIMUS IS HERE!-; as he said that, he began to shoot at the air, signaling for the other three to drop their guard and join Optimus. -At last, our leader has returned!- said a silver figure as he slid down the pillar he was standing on and transformed into a smaller vehicle; meanwhile, as Optimus reached the meeting point, a black and red robot was already waiting. -Oh yeah! Mister Leader of the free galaxy is back!- he claimed -I knew he'd make it back! I never doubted!-, -We received your message- said the silver figure as he transformed -We were waiting-. -After a thousand years, look at us- said the green and white figure -we got the whole group together again!-. As Anne and the Plantars hopped off Optimus, a yellow vehicle arrived and transformed, -Sorry I'm late- he claimed -I just got the word-. With everyone reunited, all witnessed Optimus transform; all the sand that was clogged was expelled as his parts adjusted to a new body, the red and blue patterns were more noticeable than before, and as his new body was revealed, he let out a phrase:

"Amphibians have banished us for a thousand years; but now… the rules will change"