Niave

Chapter 20: My Unhappily Ever After

After Lila told Fowler she wanted to go home, he seemed a bit disappointed, but still helped her arrange everything. Although her bedroom was gone and her family's fortress was in ruins, Lila still wanted to return home.

Standing in the foyer now, Lila found herself softly touched by regret. This was the place she'd grown up and her family's purpose and history was written within these walls. For a long time, that was a history she'd neglected, but now, her mission was complete.

Lila's fingers dragged along the newly cleaned walls as she made her way down a path she'd walked a million times before. There was a long row of portraits and Lila walked past each one, finally noticing the gleam and purpose within each of them. Lila stopped in front of the most recent and gazed at it for a long while.

Amy Vinci. Her mother. A woman who had been driven by determination and purpose, but whose daughter laughed in the face of tradition.

Lila wasn't laughing anymore.

Finally, Lila moved on, sliding a flat surface out of her pocket and mounting it on the wall. The picture of Lila stared back at her. In her eyes, Lila could see how much she'd changed since Megatron and Starscream first appeared at her door.

It was a month after she'd killed Megatron and Lila still didn't feel quite right. A sadness lingered within her. Maybe it was guilt, or perhaps something more, but by now, she doubted the ache would ever fully leave her.

Lila turned away. This was who she was now. This was life she had been destined for. Sitting in the weapons room, the Staff of Primus took it's place on the mantle that had been built for it. That was where it belonged. They were both where they belonged.

In her pocket, something began to beep loudly. Lila barely glanced at it before making her way to the front door. She opened it and peered outside, where Optimus was hanging upside down from a pole, struggling to release himself as a razor came at him.

Lila reached over and pressed her foot against a step in the corner, deactivating the traps momentarily. Optimus fell into the sand and sputtered before getting up and approaching her.

"I thought you'd memorized the layout," Lila called up to him teasingly.

Optimus frowned. "I missed a spot."

Lila hummed and led him back inside. Optimus passed through the doors with ease and looked around.

"It's looking better in here," he noted. "You've been busy."

"I have," Lila smiled. "Feels like home again."

The Prime looked down at her. "Speaking of home, we've finished constructing the space bridge."

"Ah," Lila licked her lips, "so it's time?"

He looked away. "We have no other safe way of restoring Cybertron."

Lila shook her head. "I understand. I'll go get it."

She turned away and went to the weapons room. Optimus followed behind her like the faithful guardian puppy he was. Lila grabbed the staff and held it out. The moment Optimus touched it, the Matrix within him pulsed and the staff grew to fit his servo.

"Will you ever return?" Lila asked quietly.

"In time," he replied. "I must first fix my planet."

Lila nodded and looked down. She'd be long dead by the time he came back. Maybe it was for the better. Earth wasn't ready for Cybertronians yet.

Lila pulled herself together and smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're finally getting your planet back. It's been too long."

"Indeed," Optimus agreed. "And we have you to thank for it."

Lila shook her head. "We should be thanking Megatron for being such a terrible leader."

Optimus looked down at her, and after a moment, he knelt. His face was soft with kindness, as always, but this moment felt more tender.

"Lila, you are a hero, and Megatron has nothing to do with your triumphs. You have made yourself into who you are today," Optimus told her. "Megatron was the villain of your story, but he was only the beginning. You have a... long... life ahead of you and you will do great things."

Lila smiled and wiped her nose. "Yeah, you too."

Optimus stood. "I should be going now."

"Good luck," she said.

"And to you too."

Lila followed Optimus outside and watched as he made his way to the waiting groundbridge. She sat down after he'd passed through and the last cybertronian she'd ever see vanished. Lila sat down and reactivated the booby traps.

Her eyes watered, but she looked up, refusing to allow them to fall. She refused to be weak anymore. Now she was the sole protector of Cybertronian history on Earth.

Her mother took that role with stride. Lila had a long way to go before she'd ever live up to that legacy.

"Lila?"

Lila tensed.

"Lila?"

The voice shook. Lila stood up and turned, freezing when she spotted her mother, laying on her stomach and eyes wide.

"Mom?" Lila's voice shook. She didn't dare move forward. This couldn't be real.

"My baby," Amy gasped, clearly in pain, "I'm so sorry."

Before Lila could say anything more, a large figure walked out from further within the fortress. Lila's eyes widened in horror.

"I told you this was not the end," Megatron rumbled.

"No," Lila stepped forward. "No! You're dead!"

Megatron grinned. "I warned you."

Lila snarled and ran forward, but Megatron was faster. His pede moved and slammed down into the ground where Amy had been laying. Lila skidded to a stop and screamed in horror.

Megatron's pede shifted, revealing a mess of human leftovers. Lila stumbled back, still screaming, and staring at the remains of her mother.

She reached into her pocket in an attempt to contact Optimus, but before she could grab it, Megatron's servo had wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her sides.

"NOOO!" Lila screamed and jerked, flailing with the force of her fury and grief. "I'LL KILL YOU! YOU MONSTER!"

"No, you already tried that," Megatron told her. "Now Optimus, the staff, and the rest of the Autobots are gone. It will be years before they realize I've returned."

Lila stared into his optics. "So what are you going to do?"

"It's only a matter of time before the prophesied day comes," Megatron explained. "By the time we get there, you will be under my control again. And then you'll destroy the Autobots once and for all."

Lila snarled. "I'm not afraid of you anymore. You can't make me do anything."

Megatron laughed.

"You will be."