Random Reality, ELVerse, Nexus, Time Stream. Various Locations. Family Reunion
Ratchet: *blinking as he watches the large, hairy people standing up on their wall in defiance of the other race who has come to besiege them. Boggles and then facepalms as the defenders begin to sing 'We will Rock You'*
gShowtime: *doorwings fluttering as she looks up at the wall* Good grief... it's almost like Mornbein was there...
gDesinex: *calmly, as she studies the battle tactics being used* Nah. There'd be more stuff blown up if Mornbein was there.
gShowtime: ... *facepalm* Only you would point that out, Des.
Ratchet: No... I'd say she has been here, since this is where she picked up her kids. But I still don't know why we're here. *frowns at the stronger looking force that's facing the wall*
gDesinex: *shrug* Noo idea. The Boss just told Show and me to come here...
gShowtime: *small frown as she watches*
Ratchet: Yeah, same here. *and then his sitting forward, his optics brightening, as an ancient, creaking figure steps forward with battered wings held up proudly* Jetfire.
people on the wall: *now singing 'We Are The Champions'*
gDesinex: *brow ridges up. Remembers meeting a Jetfire once, though not of the same tech as this guy*
gShowtime: *watching the old soldier's movements and wondering if this is why they were called*
Ratchet: *quietly* That's our bot. He's come here to die.
gDesinex: *small nod, understanding clear in her optics*
gShowtime: *softly* He wants to go out with honor and dignity.....
Ratchet: *compassion in his insubstantial face as he watches the old warrior bellow his challenge to the attackers, but then he's looking around* Can you girls handle this? I just got another call.
gDesinex: *nods* Go... We've got this... *chuckle*
gShowtime: *nods in agreement with her friend*
Ratchet: *grins for his apprentices, and then checks to make sure Bumblebee's not lost again before he vanishes from the reality*
el 'verse
Ratchet: *to appear as soundlessly and invisibly somewhere else.*
Eclipse: *is that orange and black shape on the nearby berth. If she, or the blue mech that is seated by the berth notice Ratchet's presence, neither one is showing it*
Lumen: *gently holding his mother's hand and talking to her softly* Everything's gonna be alright, Mom... You'll see.... *doesn't really believe what he's saying, but it's clear he's said this time and again in the past*
Ratchet: *steps quietly into sight. Gently* Yeah, buddy, it will.
Lumen: *startles and gives the white mech a wary look*
Ratchet: Easy, Lu. I'm a friend. *holds his hands up reassuringly*
Lumen: *not sure he should believe you, Ratchet...* *attention back on his mother as the femme shifts position* *soft clicks as he reaches to gently smooth her helm*
Ratchet: *softly* Have you heard of Primus here?
Lumen: .... *blank look*
Ratchet: Here. *gentle touch for the young bot's shoulder*
Primus: *gentle greeting, soft approval*
Lumen: *slight, almost unnoticeable wibble at the approval, before he's schooling his expression into a mask of quiet neutrality*
Ratchet: *very gently* He wants to talk to your mom. Is that okay?
Lumen: *very small nod, will gently squeeze Eclipse's hand*
Eclipse: *barely moves her head. She accepted that she's dying many years ago, when she felt WakeJumper pass. Now, she's simply waiting for the time to leave*
Ratchet: *reaches for the little femme's hand, his expression full of quiet encouragement and peace*
Eclipse: *very softly, as she gathers her strength to reach for Ratchet's hand* Lumen will be alright.... *shutters her optics*
Ratchet: *gently squeezes her hand as Primus' love and approval flows through him to her* -It will take awhile, but he'll be alright. And this won't be the last time you see him, either.-
Eclipse: *very small nod. Is tired, and just wants to rest* -When all are One....-
Ratchet: -No. When you come to the Nexus to visit him... with his dad.-
Eclipse: *softly* -I felt WakeJumper die....-
Ratchet: -He's dead here. But he doesn't live here anymore.- *optics twinkle slightly*
Eclipse: *confused* *unshutters her optics slightly* -I don't... understand...-
Ratchet: *gentle tug on her hand that seems to tug gently on her spark* -Come and see?-
Eclipse: *slowly sits up as her systems come to a stop, and then she's leaving her shell behind*
Ratchet: *turns to Lumen and holds out his other hand* Come on, buddy. There's someone waiting to meet you.
Lumen: *confused now, though he'll hesitantly reach for Ratchet's hand*
Ratchet: *gentle squeeze for that hand, and then tells the boss he's ready*
Nexus, near the blanket factory
Ratchet: *and here the three of them are somewhere else, and a tall red and blue femmebot is turning to look at them with wise yellow optics, her hand on the shoulder of a burly orange and black mech*
WakeJumper: *intakes hitch as he sees Eclipse*
Eclipse: *stumbles a bit, but regains her footing quickly*
Lumen: *looks like he's going to be ill*
Ratchet: *lets go of Eclipse's hand to put his arm around Lumen's shoulders* Easy, buddy. Everything's gonna be alright.
Optimus: *squeezes WakeJumper's shoulder encouragingly*
WakeJumper: *takes a few steps closer to the little orange and black femme* *quietly* E-Eclipse?
Eclipse: *looks up, disbelief clear on her face*
Lumen: *cycling air and trying not to purge his tank*
Ratchet: *is transmitting peace with all his ability as he supports the blue youngling* Easy.
Optimus: *just standing back now and watching the others who are here*
Eclipse: *starting to shake a bit. She knows she felt WakeJumper die.... Yet he's here, standing before her as though nothing happened....* *squeaks as the triplechanger scoops her up for a hug, and then she's wibbling and hiding her face against him*
Lumen: *even with a queasy tank, he's warily watching the big orange and black mech*
Ratchet: *was a father, is now a grandfather. His hand needs no guidance to go to the youngster's back and rub it soothingly*
Lumen: *slightly bewildered as he watches the distress that plagued his mother for all of his memory fade away*
WakeJumper: *rumbling softly as he holds Eclipse close and rubs her back*
Optimus: *quietly* WakeJumper, don't forget your son.
WakeJumper: *attention going to the blue mech, will move so he can try and put an arm around the youngster's shoulders*
Lumen: *doorwings up as he tenses. Can see all too familiar features in the stranger's face*
Eclipse: *softly* Lumen, it's alright.... This.... This is WakeJumper....
Ratchet: *steps back a little, but hovers to make sure Lumen's going to be alright*
Lumen: *uncertain. Can remember vague mentions of the mech by the Aquabots, before they all left Earth....*
WakeJumper: *gentle clicks as he offers a hug*
Eclipse: *going to put her arms around WakeJumper's waist and shutter her optics. She can feel the triplechanger again....*
Optimus: *quietly, her alto voice kindly but firm* You won't be able to come with them, Lumen. But they will be able to come and see you here.
Lumen: *looks to the tall femme, mouth working a bit before he nods his understanding and hesitantly allows WakeJumper to pull him in for a hug*
Optimus: *steps back for a bit and lets them have this time together, her mind absently conversing with Primus as she watches the Allspark Messenger do the same*
WakeJumper: *trying not to let his intakes hitch as he hugs Lumen and lets the youngling know just how proud of him he is*
Lumen: *trying so hard not to let his feelings get the better of him, though his doorwings are buzzing softly*
Eclipse: *quietly singing one of the songs Bluestreak used to play for her when she was a sparklet of about the same age as Lumen is now* *will gently patpat her son's hand*
Ratchet: *quietly* Time for me to go, seems like Jetfire's trying to pick up his guides instead of things going the other way around.
WakeJumper: .... *snerk* I don't even want to know.
Eclipse: .... *headshake*
Lumen: *showing his age by resting his audio against his father's chest and simply listening*
Optimus: *face palm* You can't take a Jetfire anywhere.
Ratchet: Well, I can. *grins and fades away*
Optimus: *shakes her head, long-suffering, amused memory on her face*
WakeJumper: *soft sigh, returns his attention to his family, will gently rub Lumen's back in between the youngster's doorwings*
Optimus: *as she lets her hand fall* *quietly* I know a place where the three of you can rest for a little while and get to know one another better.
WakeJumper: *curious look for Optimus*
Eclipse: Hm? *puzzled blink blink*
Lumen: *barely lifts his head, is still listening to WakeJumper's spark*
Optimus: *still quiet* It's safe; a place where the presence of the Greatest Creator is very strong.
WakeJumper: *looks to Eclipse, who gives him a small nod, looks to Lumen, who also nods* Alright....
Optimus: *nods as well, and then reaches over her shoulder for the twinned swords, which she separates and holds up*
WakeJumper: *quietly, to his family* Get ready for something cool.... *slight grin*
Eclipse: *watching Optimus, that strong curiosity that most of her alternates have in spades just starting to creep into her expression*
Lumen: *raised brow ridges, isn't letting go of Dad yet*
Optimus: *swords flash and cross... and there is a blue-edged portal shining in the air*
WakeJumper: *shaking with soft laughter as Lumen repeats a curse word he himself learned from one Bobby Epps*
Eclipse: *optics widening as she tries to figure out what just happened*
Optimus: *pairs the swords again and returns them to her back, then steps through the portal and reaches back for WakeJumper's family*
WakeJumper: *moves to bring his family through the portal, trusting Optimus*
Optimus: *as the Time Stream opens all around them she starts to shine with gentle blue flame, which reaches out to surround her three companions* Stay close to me. I'm not the best with forcefields yet.
Eclipse: *holding onto WakeJumper, and looking around curiously*
Lumen: *doorwings up as he warily looks around*
WakeJumper: *moves closer to Optimus*
Optimus: *nods, and then shoots forward as the portal closes and vanishes behind them. Is soon zipping over, around, and below obstacles, some of which her companions will be unable to see*
Eclipse: *trying to make sense of what she can see, is having a bit of a difficult time with that!*
Lumen: *clinging to his dad, kthx!*
WakeJumper: *doing his best to reassure Lumen, is amused by Eclipse acting the way he remembers her acting*
Optimus: *fist lashes out, and something shatters, but it only becomes visible after it's broken into little grey shards that are swiftly left behind*
WakeJumper: *slight start* What the slag was that?!
Eclipse: *'wings' up! Clings to boyfriend!*
Lumen: *boggling*
Optimus: A slight barrier. Nothing to worry about. *intent on the way before them as her wings glint in the light... of whatever that blue ball they just passed is*
Lumen: *very soft clicks as he tries to make sense of what he's seeing*
Eclipse: *'wings' moving as she does the same thing*
WakeJumper: *slight frown, but will trust Optimus' judgement* Alright....
Optimus: *very slight glance toward Eclipse as she senses that curious gaze rest on her for a moment. As she returns her attention to their path* I'm WakeJumper's commander.
Eclipse: Oh.... *small nod*
WakeJumper: Optimus Prima.
Lumen: *disbelief is clear on his face*
Eclipse: .... *raised brow ridges*
WakeJumper: Her reality of origin differs from ours, 'Clipsie.... No two realities are ever exactly the same..... *quieter* I learned that the day Showtime died.
Lumen: But the commander of the Autobots...
Optimus: *quietly* No. I haven't held that title for a long time, Lumen. *can see the river up ahead now*
Lumen: .... *trying to work this out*
WakeJumper: *gives his son a gentle shoulder squeeze* Different realities, Lumen....
Lumen: *frowwwn* So what is her title?
WakeJumper: Guardian of Time and Space and Leader of Ghost Team.
Lumen: ... *and now his resemblance to Eclipse is clear as he wears a look of confused disbelief*
Optimus: *to the two newcomers* Can you see it?
Eclipse: *looks* *puzzled headtilt* Is that a river?
Optimus: Yes. *hear the smile in her voice?*
WakeJumper: *perks slightly. Missed being in water*
Lumen: *puzzled* It's... upside down?
Optimus: *more smile in the voice* Maybe we are. Look at the islands.
Lumen: *looks. Boggles* 0_0
Eclipse: *blink blink, looks and headtilts*
WakeJumper: ...Huh....
Optimus: *flips onto her back, but now everything really looks upside down*
Eclipse: *startled squeak, clings to WakeJumper*
WakeJumper: *soothingly* Optimus won't drop us, 'Clipsie... Everything's okay...
Lumen: *trying to figure this place out*
Optimus: *and then she's hovering by the waterfall, and looking up at it as the peace of the river is mirrored in her face*
WakeJumper: *looking around curiously, even as he begins to relax*
Eclipse: *softly* What is this place?
Lumen: *doorwings fluttering as he looks around as well, his tight grip on WakeJumper loosening slightly*
Optimus: *her own voice soft* The river. I've never heard another name for it. The presence of the Greatest Creator... of God... is strong enough here that you can feel Him. It's a place of peace, and of healing.
Eclipse: *slight frown as she thinks back and remembers hearing some of the NEST soldiers talking about God, small nod*
WakeJumper: *quietly* What do we do?
Optimus: *as her fire fades from around them* Jump.
Lumen: *lets go of his father, hesitates for a few moments, and then jumps in*
WakeJumper: *small nod, and then he and Eclipse are jumping in as well*
Optimus: *flies upward between the floating islands, keeping pace with the three as they hurtle rapidly along the fall's rush, then hovers beneath them as she watches them reach the quiet water and drift quietly together. Much as she longs to join them there she can feel clearly the injunction to stay away for now. This is not her time, but that of the family to be together. So she watches them cling together peacefully; watches as they relax into sleep. And then she bows her head for a moment before turning and flying away*
((written with random_xtras))