The Champion's Return

Of Love and Loss

Hope pivoted and formed a portal against the far wall, then nodded to Optimus before soaring through. Behind her, he lead his comrades onto Cybertron's surface.

"We need to keep him away from the Well of All Sparks. I'll head him off, the rest of you form a barrier. We don't know what he's capable of doing!"

With that, Hope flew off to engage Unicron. The rest of the Autobots fanned out around the well. Optimus called out to Ratchet who was nearby.

"Is it possible to move the All Spark elsewhere?"

"It's in a container deep inside the well but its madness to remove it."

"Can we use the container to trap Unicron?"

"Where would the All Spark go? The only other thing that can contain it, is the Matrix...don't even think about it Optimus! If you leave them together for to long it will be impossible to separate them. Cybertron will be doomed!"

****************

Up above them, Hope rose up to meet Unicron on his throne of stone.

"Well if it isn't the Prime's Champion. Back to be defeated again?"

"I will never let you destroy Cybertron."

With a snarl, Unicron launched himself at Hope. Down below them, the ground came alive. Rock and metal came to life and attacked the Autobots.  Slicing through rock monsters, Optimus and Ratchet moved back to back, protecting each others flanks.

"We don't have a choice Ratchet."

"I just want it to go on record that I hate this idea.  You better make this quick Optimus otherwise you'll be the holder of both the All Spark and Matrix combined forever!"

Optimus merely sliced another monster in half and ran towards the Well, Ratchet in tow. All around them, bots were slicing apart Unicron's army. Above them, Hope had her glowing staff and was in full defense against Unicron. Neither one giving an inch, they were battling to the end.

"Give in Champion and I'll let you live." he snarled at her.

"You'll destroy Cybertron over my sparkless husk!"

"That can be arranged my dear."

At that moment he spotted Optimus clutching the relic container and leaving the Well of Sparks.

"Fools! You bring your own destruction!"

With a roar, he broke free from the fight and attacked Optimus.

"You want the All Spark Unicron? Then take it!"

Optimus hurled the container into space and moved to shoot it but Unicron got there first. Grasping the relic, he looked down at them.

"You ignorant fools. Your decision will be your undoing!"

Holding the container, he pulled the lid off the relic and was pulled into it. Trapped inside, he could only yell when Hope held it up.

"Farewell Unicron, may we never meet again." With a twist of her hands, she formed a shield around the relic and sent it away in a blast of light.

Down below in the rubble, the Autobots cheered. Optimus turned to greet his Sparkmate but was hit by intense pain in his spark.

As he groaned and collapsed on the ground, Ratchet hurried to his side. Hope pushed through the crowd that surrounded the Prime as Ratchet examined him and turned to Hope, his expression grim.

"The All Spark has merged with the matrix. I fear I have no way to separate them."

Hope knelt next to her stricken mate and placed her palms over his spark. The power pulsed inside his chest plate but soon disappeared.

"Healing has no effect on him. I'm afraid that Optimus is now the new holder of the Well of Sparks. His spark has merged with the All Spark."

Her face plate crumbled in anguish.  Even now the sparks were crying out for Cybertron to be restored. Optimus stood and pulled her into his embrace.

"There is another option."

Hope felt his decision before he could announce it. Clinging to him harder, she burst into tears.

"No! You can't do this! I can't lose you!"

Ratchet looked at Optimus in shock as what he was planning to do occurred to him. Stone faced, he spoke.

"You're planning to activate the Well of Sparks with your spark."

It was a statement that moved the group to silence. No one spoke the truth that one life for millions was worth the loss. Optimus nodded and embraced Hope once more before turning and walking to the edge of the Well. Hope fell to the ground, her spark tearing in two.

Optimus looked to Ratchet who had moved to kneel beside the distraught Champion.

"Take care of her for me, old friend."

Ratchet raised optics full of sorrow to his friend and inclined his helm in agreement.

Optimus turned again to the rim and without another sound, flew off the edge and plummeted to the bottom. Hope ripped away from Ratchet and ran towards the Well, transforming to her dragon form before entering the well herself.

"Hope!"

Ratchet was locked into place. She had thrown herself into the Well of Sparks in an effort to save Optimus.  Stumbling to the edge, he was greeted by an explosion of light that burst out of the Well, carrying Hope in her Cybertronian form with it. In her servo's was a ball of light.

Tears still streaming down her face plate, she walked as if in a trance to the center of the fallen city. A red spark flitted around her in an effort to convey comfort. She awakened long enough to raise a servo to the spark before she whispered a quiet goodbye.

Turning to the congregation of bots, she smiled once more before the sphere of light surrounded her and the air became charged with energy. Ratchet and the others watched as she absorbed the sphere's energy into her spark before placing her palms on the ground.

Throwing back her helm as the power coursed through her, they watched as it flowed out of her and along the planet's surface. All around the ground healed up and buildings rebuilt themselves.

"By Primus, she's healing the planet!" Frozen in shock, Ironhide could only stare and stutter.

Thunderstruck, Ratchet stared at the gleaming figure of Hope as the power overtook her again, transforming her into a dragon. An instant later, she had taken to the sky. Hovering for a brief second,  she hurtled towards the ground. Rocks shifted and fell around her, a burst of light flooding the ground once more.

As the dust cleared, there stood a statue where Hope had been.

**************

All around them Cybertron was returning to life but Ratchet could only stare at the statue that had once been Hope. He brought up a shaking servo to her stone jaw but there was no reaction.  His love and best friend had sacrificed themselves to revive Cybertron.  He felt a servo and looked up to see Bumblebee standing there.

The usually cheerful bot looked at him, face plate mourning their shared loss. Hope had been a mother figure to him, always there with a shoulder to lean on and a audio receptor to listen. Optimus had been a mentor and taught him how to fight and what a true leader was.

"It's time to go Ratchet.  The space bridge is open but we don't know for how long."

Feeling every bit of his age, Ratchet moved to his peds and took one last look at Hope.

"Some day when Cybertron is rebuilt, they'll also build a monument to them."

"I'd rather have the real thing around."

"Me too Bumblebee, me too."

The two mechs joined the rest and they traveled back to the base on Earth, leaving Cybertron to heal.

To be continued in Book 2 of the Return series.    Hope's Return