A New Dawn - Transformers Prime (4)

Chapter Two

  Ratchet made the space bridge deposit me near the Well of Allsparks, making my walk a short one. Over the past year, I'd asked him countless times to bridge me to Cybertron, and while he never asked why, I think he knew where I'd gone every time.

  Life was now bustling on Cybertron, and it was amazing to see. Deep down, I knew it wasn't what it once was, but it was really getting there. Each Autobot on Team Prime had told us on Earth all about the great changes happening on Cybertron, but hearing wasn't the same as seeing. I'd been able to watch as the planet repopulated and rebuilt, shiny new towers now standing where battlefields used to be. Sounds of construction echoed across the area, but it seemed to go around the well somehow.

  Optimus would be so happy to see this.

  The thought rang clear in my mind, refocusing me on the reason why I came here in the first place. I turned towards the Well of Allsparks, specifically a certain statue that guarded it. Even though I glowed silver in the daylight, no one noticed me as I used my size to my advantage to slip through the places no Cybertronian could. The first few times I visited alone, I'd been caught off guard again by Cybertronians who treated me like their goddess. I had tried to tell them that I was just the Champion of Cleona, not the goddess of truth & justice herself, but they refused to change their ways. Luckily, Arcee had been around to swoop in and save me then, but there truly was no way to change how the Cybertronians acted around me, so I gave up.

    The shadows of the Primes towered over me as I walked up next to one statue, and I started climbing the stairs I had made on the base of the statue. All the Primes stood on a slight podium- their feet didn't touch the ground- but only this one had human stairs on the side. I mean, I did need a way up. Once I reached the top of the slight podium, I looked up, the Cybertronian sun hidden behind the Prime's head.

  "Hey, Optimus," I said to the statue. In a way, I felt a little flare within me, as though the spirit of my Prime was awakening briefly. Where I used to feel my connection with Optimus, where there was an emptiness inside me now, hurt all over again, but I pushed that aside and moved to sit at the Prime's feet. Leaning back against his foot, I surveyed the opening of the Well of Allsparks, taking in the silence. For some reason, the loud sounds of the construction that was taking place all over the planet couldn't be heard here. I liked to think of that as Primus' way of letting whoever ventured here find peace, even if it was temporary.

  "I know, I haven't been here in a little bit," I said, finally breaking the silence. "I've been caught up with finals and culminating assignments that I've barely even had time to keep up with what's going on at BeckIT too. I mean, it's my last ever high school finals season. I have to make it good, right?

  "I don't know what comes next, though. After high school. Sure, I have university offers, hell they've even offered me scholarships that cover my tuition and residence and everything, but I haven't accepted anything. I just... I can't see myself leaving Jasper. I can't go to university and leave behind Finn, or Raf, or Fowler, or even my manor. But there's no way I can go to university without leaving."

  I sighed, shaking my head. "Maybe I'll just spend the year focusing on BeckIT. I'd like to take more of a role like Mom did, instead of just being there to approve final decisions. The only problem is that if I went all in with BeckIT, I wouldn't have time for almost anything else, and I don't know if I'm ready for that commitment."

  My words died in my mouth and the silence took over again. I tried to imagine what Optimus would have said if he could reply, but it didn't really help.

  "I don't know," I said again. "There's also this whole being Cleona's champion. I can't be done with these powers, Optimus, it's not possible. Yeah, sure, Primus is alive again and that was the whole goal of the champions, but it can't be over. There has to be something else for me to do.

  "I think at this point, I need something- anything- to do. Something for me to busy myself with. I had grade twelve for the past ten months, but now that it's ending, I don't want to have nothing. I need to keep busy, I need to stay..."

  My voice trailed off as I came to a startling realization, and I scrubbed my hands over my face. "I need to stay relevant. Optimus, I just don't want to be alone again. I- I don't think I can be and then come out okay afterwards. If I leave for university, I'll be alone. If I focus on BeckIT, I'll be alone with my work. I can't do that again. I can't. I need something, I just need anything, to keep me with my team. I don't want them to go, I don't want to lose them, but I can't keep them around forever. I know one day they'll all go somehow, but I don't want that day to come. Just like that day I lost you."

  A slight breeze caused my face to feel cold all of a sudden, and only then did I realize there were tears streaking down my face.

  "I wish you were here, Optimus. You'd be able to tell me what to do. Sometimes, I still expect you to be in my driveway in the morning and it- it really hurts when you're not. I wish there was some other way, I wish you could have waited and that we could have figured something out where you didn't have to go but... I guess that was impossible. Still, there should have been something for me to do. I'm the Champion of Cleona and I couldn't even-" I let out a huff. "I know, you'd hate that I even thought that. I'm sorry. It's just hard. The others, they all feel bad for spending time and having fun with their Bots while I can't, but it doesn't bother me. Yeah, I miss you like no tomorrow, but I don't need a hug everytime someone mentions the Autobots."

  That made me laugh under my breath, and I got up. "Gotta love those guys, though. Anyways, I should get going. Technically I still have two exams to study for and I really want to keep my average up, just in case I do decide to go to university someday. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but I will be eventually. Try not to get too bored without me."

  I started down the stairs, pulling out my phone to text Ratchet but first looked up at the face of my Prime.

  "Bye, Optimus."