Interrupting Extinction

Interrupting Extinction - Three

          They began their journey just as Cybertron's suns were peaking over the horizon. They were peach in colour, and bathed the settling landscape in soothing pastel tones. Alice had always imagined what Cybertron would be like from her family's stories, but... reality far exceeded her expectations. And, a world repairing itself to its original glory held an odd sort of charm. It felt like the cracks and slivers in her heart could heal too. Just like the chasms that had closed before her very eyes all those months ago.

Unexpectedly, Alice would travel on foot alongside Sunsprinter. Rather than carrying her in his servo, the guardian had meant exactly what he had said; that she would need to walk across Cybertron's surface in order to quicken the planet's healing process. What surprised the most, however, was the faint glow that outlines her footsteps. Every time she took a stop on Cybertron's bare surface, she would leave a glowing imprint. It quickly faded away seconds later, but it still freaked her out initially. And that was another thing. She had to walk around barefoot. As in, no shoes.

It didn't matter if her shoes were already scrapped up from her initial journey to the temple. She'd liked those shoes! She thought back on how they looked when Sunsprinter asked her to take them off. Well... she'd liked them more when they were relatively functional and aesthetically pleasing. Unnecessary. Cybertron-would-never-hurt, the Allspark whispered, insistent. Alice kind of expected that, since she hadn't died from her pitfall during her first cycle on Cybertron. Of course, knowing and instinctively feeling that we're two very different things.

"I know," she mouthed silently, directing her gratefulness towards the Allspark, "Thank you, carer." The Allspark hummed happily one her mind, causing a warm contented feeling to spread across Alice's chest. Alice breathed deeply, taking a small comfort in the quiet, but living, noises that Sunsprinter made as he followed her. He was clearly a mech of great elegance, and rarely did he waste his energy on unnecessary actions. At least, that's how it seemed to her.

"Sunsprinter," Alice called out, her voice barely louder than the soft wind blowing from in front of them. She heard him shift behind her, the guardian coming to a stop next to her. She turned, looking up and into his optics.

"Yes, honoured-one?" Sunsprinter waited for her to speak, chassis moving up and then down almost imperceptibly. Alice rolled her lip in between her teeth for a second, letting her idea tumble around her head for a bit. When the Allspark said nothing in denial, she took a breath to speak.

"Let's visit the Gardens of Lacon first. Or whatever they have become now. One of my—" Alice stopped herself short. She looked down. Fathers. She had wanted to say 'fathers.' She opened her mouth to continue speaking but couldn't. It was like her throat had swelled closed, leaving her teary-eyed and frustrated. Hadn't she already decided to shove these troublesome feelings in a lockbox for now. Ratchet's face flashed behind her closed eyelids. Alice bit her cheek, unable to even curse. Her heart twisted in pain, stubborn to the end. Looks like her mother's old Vane blood wasn't as weak as everyone thought it was. Passion, the Allspark murmured to her, drives-us-all.

When Alice built up the courage to look back up at Sunsprinter, who was still patiently waiting, the kind look on his face almost made her jerk away to cry again. It was so similar to her mentor's. As it was, she tried to sniffle unnoticeably.

"My mentor," Alice started again. "My mentor told me it was one of the places where you could feel Primus' presence the most. According to legend." Her cheeks burned as she wiped furiously at a traitorous tear. She didn't have time to break down! She— once the first drop slid down her face, it was too late to stop the following one. Or the next one. Or the tears following that. Eventually Alice gave up on trying to push the feelings away. It felt like her lockbox had busted open, and everything was flooding her at once. Her chest heaved and hitched.

At some point Sunsprinter had picked her up, but Alice wasn't aware enough to pinpoint when. Instead she just curled up in the cradle of his palm. Bringing her knees and arms close to her chest, Alice tucked her head into her self-made cove and cried. Hard. Like she wouldn't have to stop or wake-up. Like when she did, her head would ache and her eyes would be swollen and she— ...And Ratchet wouldn't be there to comfort her. Nor would her human father, or her brother. Or her kids.

Alice cried so hard that she hiccuped. Her stomach rolled and dry heaved as well. Any discernible thoughts disappeared in the cacophony of her terrible sorrow and the soothing purrs from her carer and guardian. Sunsprinter had restarted walking not long after he had brought her near his spark chamber. Time passed. However much, Alice didn't know. It didn't matter. She never did these days. To her, it felt like a wretched eternity of turbulent emotion and helplessness. Looking back, she would surmise that it was because she really hadn't freaked out since being transported to Cybertron. At that moment though, it would be enough just to get through the breakdown episode.

Eventually her sobs and heaving slowed to a stop. Her hiccups stopped popping from her chest one right after the other, and her stomach loosened in exhaustion. Her limbs splayed out. Alice laid spread out on Sunsprinter's palm, just breathing. Just... breathing... Her eyes closed tentatively, no longer hot to the touch nor soaked in tears. Tender and bruised. The forward wind caressed her skin, and Alice's breathing evened out.

Oddly enough, Sunsprinter did not set her down once she had calmed somewhat. Or perhaps, not odd at all. She still had to do more to learn about the guardian mech. Instead, it felt as if the Allspark was... channeling through their skin-to-plating contact? Not-as-effective, the Allspark admitted, but-Primus-understands. Sends-his-comfort. Alice's breath caught in her chest. Despite her family being literally lightyears and experience-years away... Love gushed from her in that moment. Alice had never felt more grateful nor believed in Primus more than in that moment.

An unfamiliar, yet familiar baritone hum echoed throughout her mind. Followed by the image of all those she considered family, outline in a soft golden light. Showing that they were alive. Immense relief immediately surged within Alice.

"Thank you," Alice mumbled into the air, her eyes still closed even as one more tear gathered at the corner of her eye. "Thank you."