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Life is fragile.
Everyone knows that.
Some know it better.
It doesn't matter if one talks about animals, humans... Cybertronians.
Arcee remembered how it was to loose Tailgate. It hurt. It was unbearable. She woke up with sceams for decades, if not centuries after that. She used to be a teacher, she lost count how many of her former students were killed in the conflict. How many died.
But then she met Cliff. And maybe life would go easier on her this time. She hoped it would.
But then she lost him too. And as if life wanted to recompensate her for that loss... it gave her Jack.
The life went on...
For Bulkhead loss was normal. When you are a wrecker you get used to it pretty fast. Because every mission, every task they give you? If you do it wrong, if something goes wrong... you won't see another sunrise.
He lost count how many friends he had lost like that. Even joining Optimus didn't change that.
But, well, it was war.
And then he met Miko.
Life went on...
Bee didn't have much friends before joining Optimus. How could he, when most of his life before that he spent in sublevel 50 after Sentinel sent him there. He grew attached to the older bot. Orion was like cool older brother, but Optimus? Optimus was like dad. So Bee remained loyal no matter what.
Even though it cost him his voicebox.
Even though Elita, who was like big sister, was killed during the war.
Even though their world was destroyed in the war.
But he was still the youngest, and sometimes it felt others didn't actually understood him.
Until he met Raf.
And the life went on...
Ratchet was a medic. Sure, he knew how to fight... but he always put his oath first. Help, not harm. And he tried. But sometimes there was nothing he could do.
The best doctor, they called him... he wished it was true, but life often proved them wrong. He couldn't help Bumblebee, he couldn't help so many other warriors, civilians, friends... sometimes even enemies. But he tried anyway. And he saw so, so many sparks die before his optics.
He remembered Orion, before it all happened. A joyful, young mech, curious about everything. A prankster.
He remembered seeing him die, when D-16, since that moment Megatron, shot him and let him fall down into the well of sparks. And when he returned, now as Optimus Prime, Ratchet knew he wasn't exactly the same person he remembered.
But he took his chances anyway. This was still his friend, someone he cared about... given a second chance.
The life went on...
Smokescreen was just a boy. He barely stopped being a sparkling when he entered the academy and after that was took in by Alpha Trion. The old cybertronian became his mentor, his friend.
If only there was more time.
He wanted to protect his home. Sure, he was excited about the fight, but he understood it won't be easy. That thier life was at stake.
But then the lights went out, then there was Con's ship, and finally Earth.
It was odd. The new lifeforms, culture... but it was fun.
And then the base was destroyed and Optimus was dying and... he wanted him, to become one of the Primes.
But Smokescreen wasn't the same bot that left the Cybertron, forced by his mentor. He didn't manage to save him, but maybe, just maybe, he could save Optimus.
The life went on...
Optimus...
When he was Orion, he wanted to do so much good. He was idealistic. Blind to the lies... that is, until he met D-16, or Megatronus as he called himself in the pits of Kaon.
His views started to change. But not his ideals.
Then the matrix chose him.
And he remembered something.
He became the last Prime
He missed his friend, he never denied it.
Almost nobody saw it, but the loss of Elita One shattered something inside of him.
But it was the same moment when he realized, life was still going on.
So he fought. He tried to get to Megatron. Give him another chance. Over and over again.
Bee, the young mech he started to treat like a son, was hurt, and he promised him he will make sure it never happens again.
He lost so many friends. So many people...
Of the original team, his closest family, only Ratchet reminded by his side until the very end.
And then they found their way to Earth. They met agent Fowler, and met the children together with nurse Darby.
And for some reason, it felt like family, again.
But there was something Optimus seemed to understand better than others.
Cybertronians lived longer.
They all knew it would happen sooner or later.
The time to say goodbye.
Nobody knew when they will be back.
IF...
...They will be back.
That was the sad truth.
Cybertron needed rebuilding. And even if Megatron was gone, decepticons were still out there.
There was no end to tears and hugs, promises, to try and keep in touch.
"Don't be a stranger." Each kid said to each bot.
And they left.
Ratchet stayed behind.
He grew to like Earth.
He learned so many things there. And he wanted to learn more.
What now?
Miko was supposed to go back to Japan since her exchange program was nearing its end.
Jack had to go to college. And Fowler suggested he join special forces afterwards.
As for Raf, he was still a thirteen years old. He had so much time before him. But he knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to be scientist, and maybe... no, it was foolish idea. He kept it to himself.
Optimus was the first who was gone.
He didn't plan on this. Truly, he wished to see his home in its full glory once again.
But it wasn't given to him.
He was yet again one with the allspark, and it had to be returned to the well.
He was glad his family was there with him.
But it wasn't all of them.
How would the children react?
He knew that it wasn't impossible to meet again. His spark would return to its creator, but it didn't mean it will be destroyed. And yet... he could not dare to believe he would be so lucky to meet his friends, his family, yet again in this world.
So he bid his frinds farewell. He watched the desperation on Ratchet's face, the pain in the optics of others. And for once, he wished he actually didn't have to feel anything.
But, well, such is a thing in life, you never get what you wished for.
They managed to visit eart about a year later. They met the children. They explained what happend.
There was no tears this time.
Only silence.
Then they made the promise.
No matter what, they will never loose the sight of each other.
Years went by and the children grew up. June and Will got married and had a little son. They called him Orion. To remember the person that changed all of their lives.
Raf entered the university at the age of fifteen. Bumblebee couldn't be more proud.
Jack entered special forces like Fowler suggested. He wanted to help people, he wanted to fight, for people. Arcee was always ready to give him some practical advice.
Miko studied to become a reporter. She wanted to travel. Tell stories of other people. People deserved to know the truth, she said. Bulkhead immediately asked for every first edition of her every article.
June would always send Ratchet the newest medical magazines from Earth. The bot would update his database with the information he gathered. Just in case.
Smokescreen returned to the Archives, he took it upon himself to teach others about Primes. To remember them, especially Optimus and big A.
They would all meet every year, to commemorate all those who have fallen
Tailgate
Cliff
Elita
All the wreckers
All humans who had died as a result of their actions on earth
Breakdown (courtesy to Knock out)
All the fallen brothers, sisters, friends and lovers
Optimus.
They would exchange stories, tell jokes, live their lives to the fullest.
But lives are fragile...
Cybertron thrived.
Earth was falling into despair.
Jack, was the first to go.
He went down fighting. Not the death he had imagined for him, but he hoped it wasn't in vain. It was a mission, the same as many others. He was a part of special task force... there were people from other countries in it as well. They fought for peace. Or at least tried to.
He would be a fool not to see the direction the humanity was going in. He knew how it would end. He tried to stop it anyway.
He was thirty two.
He left a wife and a daughter behind.
He hoped his death wasn't in vain.
He hoped his family won't see the grimm end he envisioned.
Arcee wanted to blame someone for Jack's death. His comrades, who couldn't save him. Their opponents, who detonated the bomb. The leaders of the countries, for letting their conflicts get this far. Fowler, for getting the boy into the military. June, for letting him go.
Herself... because she knew she had a huge impact on his decisions.
She didn't cry. She didn't scream. She didn't get angry. She remained calm, as she should be.
The funeral was grand. Everyone who could came. She was grateful for that. She saw William comfort his wife and daughter in law. She saw Miko and Bulk, Raf and Bee, Ratchet, Smokescreen, Wheeljack, Ultramagnus.
And life went on...
The funeral was the last time anyone has ever seen Arcee again.
To surprise of many, Bulkhead was the second in his demise.
The old toxen poisoning decided to kick back in the least fortunate moment. They didn't know how or why. It just did.
There was nothing Ratchet could do at this point.
He died on Earth, with Miko by his side. The young woman reassured him, he will be fine.
But he wasn't.
Miko didn't blame anyone. But something had died in her that day. Her eyes lost the glimmer they used to hold, and her voice lost the excitement.
And life went on...
Ultramagnus, who by this point had become even more valuable member of the team, was lost in a fight with one of the last rogue decepticon divisions. His body was never recovered, thrown in to a burning star.
Life still went on...
At the age of fifty four, Rafael Esquivel had found out he had cancer.
They tried chemotherapy. Ratchet, with his gained knowledge of human medicine also tried to help.
All in vain.
But at least the scientist wasn't alone.
He died in his sleep, surrounded by friends and family. He was smiling till the very end.
For his work, he was posthumously awarded the Nobel Prize.
If only he could see it- Bee said. His voice cracked, and it was never the same afterwards.
The warrior returned to Cybertron in silence. The last memeber of his family was gone. First his big sister, then his father... now his little brother.
What now? He wasn't sure. But maybe he would figure it out.
Life still went on...
William Fowler followed Rafael soon after.
He was old by this time. And so it happened he came to regret many things.
So many lives under his command were lost. Jack among them.
Sometimes he wondered if it was all worth it. Because the world didn't change.
But then he would look at, now adult, Orion and Sylvia, Jacks daughter, and at Axel, his grandson, and he told himself, yes, it was.
If only because it gave the new generation more time.
Future belonged to them afterall.
Maybe if given enough time, they will manage to do what their parents couldn't.
His ashes were scattered on the remains of the old Nevada base.
By this time, ever since Cliff's death, six new stone mounds were added at the site.
And the life still went on...
The seventh mound belonged to June.
After years she had finally joined her son and husband. They all cried at the funeral of the old nurse.
Ratchet was especially took the news hard.
Just like once with Rafael, he grew to need June too. He missed being able to talk to someone about medicine (well, someone who wasn't Knock out), especially the human aspect of it. And June was his friend.
She was the mother to them all, Miko, the last remaining child, summed up. And nobody denied that it was true.
The life went on
It didn't exactly come as surprise when Knockout was killed. Over the years he had gotten many threats, from members of both old fractions.
And yet, the remaining members of team Prime where shocked, at the sight. It was hard to describe... all the spilled energon, dismantled parts...
They found those who were responsible, punished them accordingly.
It didn't bring their (not exactly new) friend back.
The only consolation was that he was finally with Breakdown. (And that his paintjob won't be ruined anymore, Ratchet sneered, but he couldn't deny he would miss the red mech)
The life still went on...
Miko Nakadai died peacefully.
Her life was fruitful, exciting. She still missed Bulkhead, but she knew that nobody was indestructible.
She was a proof of that, after an explosion in Minsk damaged her spine. Her remaining years she spent on a wheelchair. She didn't complain.
Ratchet suggested he could create an exosuit to let her walk again. But she refused.
Earth wasn't ready for cybertronian technology. Humans proved it over and over again, with MECH for example.
No matter how much she hated to admit it.
But, well, she learned it first hand.
She was lucky, she wanted to say. Because she knew that those years that were left, were only a silence before the storm.
She wished her family all the best, truly... but even an optimist like her, sometimes has to wake up to the reality.
And the life went on...
Yes, Miko was indeed lucky, as it turned out. Because Earth was in more trouble with every year.
The remaining bots tried to keep in touch with families, but thier bonds weren't as strong as with the children.
And then, after years of peace, an uprising started.
Remaining decepticons decided to try and overthrow the government yet again.
Bumblebee and Wheeljack were lost in the battle. The two remaining members of the team mourned them alone. But their sacrifices weren't in vain. The uprising was stopped and another civil war prevented.
That made now twelve mounds.
Ratchet couldn't believe Bee was gone. After everything that happened. After loosing his voice, then temporarily his cog (again), then even his life when Megatron pierced his spark with the dark saber.
He always hoped, no, believed, that Bee, of all his friends, would outlive him.
Maybe Smokescreen will?
Wheeljack went down with a big BOOM!
The old doctor couldn't help but laugh. That was such a Jackie thing to do.
Smokescreen gave him a look, but didn't say anything. At this point, they just couldn't help it.
Sometimes things are so bad, you can't even cry.
And the life still goes on...
Smokescreen didn't realize when he grew old.
In a way.
He was still much younger than many of his friends, than many of his coworkers.
But he was renowned.
He didn't know teaching could be so nice. That it could feel so good. He had a project he was working on with help of the archivists from Iacon. A project he hoped would help someone one day.
One day when Earth is in peace again.
He and Ratchet met as much as they could. They talked, joked, remembered, gotten drunk on energon.
Sometimes he wondered how it would feel to be gone...
With time the good doctor became even more crankier than when they first met.
But then, he wasn't the same either.
He missed Optimus. He missed Alphatrion, who, he learned, was actually one of the first primes.
First primes...
He remembered how he once wanted to become one. But then he learned two things.
He didn't have to be one to be like Optimus.
And Optimus was...
There was something he didn't tell Ratchet. If only so he wouldn't get his hopes up.
But then one evening they talked, and he couldn't keep it inside anymore.
The following morning the Iacon city woke up to the last two Autobots from team Prime gone.
Where did they go? Nobody knew.
And the life stil went on...
The Life went on...
On and on...
Earth was in chaos again. Another great war.
It killed so many humans.
But they rose up again. Stronger, and maybe finally, smarter.
And Cybertron was waiting.
Those on Earth who knew about the faraway world were either gone by now, or didn't believe the family stories.
Then, the official "first contact" came.
They began working together. Improving their worlds. Meeting other cultures.
They found the Academy. A place for different species to learn about each other, explore cultures and their differences. A place, where they would learn to work together, to leave afterwards.
And explore.
The life went on...
•••
"What are you looking at, boy genius?" Someone asked him. The boy in question looked away from the window and saw the girl he remembered from classes. She was slightly older than him, with long, pink ponytail.
"The planet surface. It's so colorful. It's surprising that the whole life is happening underneath actually." He explained and the girl laughed.
"Maybe. It does look cool. Don't you think?" She asked another teen. He looked at her from behind the datapad.
"Think about what?"
"The surface of the Cybertron you dummy." The girl facepalmed. "Can't you just once take your nose out of the lecture notes?"
"I don't want to commit any faux pas." The boy shrugged but switched the padd off.
"Sure thing, captain."
The trio looked out of the window together and watched as the view changes with the shuttle entering the Iacon city.
A whole year on Cybertron. Studying xenobiology, sociology and many other sciences. Preparing them for exploration of the universe.
"Do we know who we are supposed to meet?" The oldest boy asked.
"There will be someone at the port. Don't you remember what your dad said?" The girl teased.
"Stepdad."
"You still love him."
"Piss off." He grumbled and grabbed his bag.
The other students were already ready to leave, and the three friends soon joined in.
The young mech had problems with keeping still. He loved when new students came to the academy. Especially students from Earth. And he wasn't the only one. Even his two friends, usually the most calm of all the group members (not counting their leader of course) had problem with keeping their excitement in check.
And this time, they all had a feeling the new bunch of "sparklings" would be even more interesting than usually.
"You are bouncing again."
"I know." He grinned enthusiastically. "But I can't believe it's actually happening. Do you know it's my first time being actually an inructor? I hope they will like me. Do you think they will like me?"
"Primus, stop yapping you idiot." They were joined by another mech, older and with a scowl on his face.
"Aren't you excited though?"
"Puh-lease."
Someone laughed.
"Oh, here they are." One of two femmes who were also present pointed at the group of humans approaching them with bags in their hands. They were so small compared to the Cybertronians.
The three friends stopped together with their peers in front of the group of transformers. The bots were so huge, one of them in particular.
"Hey, isn't that..." the girl wanted to ask a question but someone hushed her. She groaned but listened when the very same Cybertronian, who peaked her curiosity, began speaking.
"Welcome recruits, to Cybertron."
"Good morning sir." They replied in unison.
"From your faces I assume you already know who I am, so if you do not mind I will introduce other faculty members you should be aware of. As you already know, each of you will have assigned instructor to whom you may go with any problems or questions..."
The three humans listened carefully as the list was read.
There was Ratchet, the medic.
Smokescreen, Wheeljack, Elita one, Knock out, Breakdown, Ultramagnus... all names that somehow felt familiar.
they wondered why.
Finally their names were read and they approached bots as followed
Arcee
Bulkhead
Bumblebee
"Hello, I'm Jack."
"Hi, I'm Miko."
"Hola, my name is Rafael."
The three children introduced themselves to each of the autobots.
And Optimus smiled.
Life is fragile.
Everyone knows that.
Some know it better.
It doesn't matter if you are talking about an animal, human, or even Cybertronian.
But death, it's just another step.
Another beginning.
Another transformation.
And, well, if this transformation means simply going back to the beginning, maybe that is even better.
Because there is another thing about life.
If certain sparks are meant to meet, they will.
No matter when.
No matter how.
No matter where.
Some friendships, are bound to last longer than one lifetime.
Sometimes, they are just their first, best destiny