Nightstrike's reality. A boat over the Laurentian Abyss. A Christmas wish.
Nightstrike stared down at the waves, bracing herself unconciously against the buck and toss of the human vessel that she'd commandeered so as to have something to stand on as she mused.
He was down there, all that was left of him.
A sigh left her intakes, and she unconciously clenched one fist, once more swearing vengeance on the beings who had killed her glorious leader.
"Nightstrike." The voice was shrill and abnormally soft.
"Starscream...." Her wide optics narrowed as she turned, then blinked with confusion as she realized that the Transformer that she was facing was a sky-blue Seeker femme, and that though this femme was perched on the edge of the boat the vessel was not tipping or in any way registering the femme's weight. "...Who are you?"
A quizzical ruby gaze took her in as the young femme replied. "My designation is Jabez: deputy Allspark guardian and messenger of Primus."
"The Allspark's been destroyed." Nightstrike took in the Autobot logo on the Seeker's chest and tensed slightly.
"The physical manifestation of the Allspark was destroyed," said Jabez softly, repeating the silent words of the invisible Autobot beside her. "The Well of All Sparks itself can never be destroyed."
She didn't have a bio signature either, Nightstrike realized.
"So what do you want?" Her own smooth voice held little of her irritation and confusion.
"You made a wish."
"...No, I didn't."
"Yes. You did. You wanted to be with Megatron."
Nightstrike folded her arms over her cockpit.
Jabez just looked up at someone that the living femme couldn't see, someone who was glowering down at her and at the Autobot ghost beside her. "She's not going to believe me. You'll have to let her know you're here yourself."
-Don't tell me what to do, Starscream brat.-
-That's the Megs we all know and love.- Ratchet chuckled and grinned up at him.
-If I weren't dead you'd suffer for that.-
-But you are, and you're feeling it. So go touch your friend there so she can sense you as more than just some bad static.-
The tall ghost snarled, but then looked thoughtfully at the purple-eyed femme who was watching Jabez so distrustfully. He knew her. The one who stared at him, and at whom he'd stared a few times himself. Being alone and disembodied was a wearying and painful thing, especially to a spark as damaged as he was by his contact with the Allspark cube. Still, he had his pride, and to follow the order of an Autobot.
-Whatever. Come on, Jabez. Let's leave Meggy to his own devices.- The white mech put out a hand to the young Seeker, who gave Nightstrike a sad glance before she followed him away from sight and away from the reality.
Nightstrike blinked as the Seeker ghost vanished, then scowled and turned her attention back to the waves and her musings.
Something touched her on the shoulder.
She started and scowled, weapons powering up and sword popping out of storage. "Leave. Me. Alone."
-Hrrmph. Is that any way to speak to your leader?-
A squeak left her vocalizer as she heard the voice... that voice... in her mind. "My lord Megatron??"
-In the spark.- The voice held a smirk. It also held pain, and she could feel static creeping up her circuits from his touch.
"My lord, are you... can a ghost be damaged?" She held still, fearing to move and break the contact.
-I am,- he admitted with difficulty. -And being without a body is painful.-
"Take mine."
He was silent for a moment, only the static letting her know that he was still there. Then, -I may rest in your shell?-
"Yes, my lord." A smile curved her mouth as her wide optics shone.
Megatron blinked at the feelings he sensed from her, then let go of his living form to become a ball of faintly glowing light which slipped through Nightstrike's chest armor and then seemed to curl up just beneath her spark compartment. Lulled by her living circuits and the shelter of her shell, his pain eased and he exuded contentment and satisfaction.
Nightstrike put a hand over her chest, her expression wondering as she felt him fade into recharge. The thought that her master trusted her enough to give himself into her keeping like this....
Her com crackled, and a bored voice reported that Starscream was looking for her.
Nightstrike grunted, felled to Earth by idiocy. But then she smiled and leaped into the air, not caring about the boat that swamped and sank beneath her as she transformed and roared back toward base. Not even Starscream could get her down now. She had treasure that the backstabbing Seeker would never know.
He was down there, all that was left of him.
A sigh left her intakes, and she unconciously clenched one fist, once more swearing vengeance on the beings who had killed her glorious leader.
"Nightstrike." The voice was shrill and abnormally soft.
"Starscream...." Her wide optics narrowed as she turned, then blinked with confusion as she realized that the Transformer that she was facing was a sky-blue Seeker femme, and that though this femme was perched on the edge of the boat the vessel was not tipping or in any way registering the femme's weight. "...Who are you?"
A quizzical ruby gaze took her in as the young femme replied. "My designation is Jabez: deputy Allspark guardian and messenger of Primus."
"The Allspark's been destroyed." Nightstrike took in the Autobot logo on the Seeker's chest and tensed slightly.
"The physical manifestation of the Allspark was destroyed," said Jabez softly, repeating the silent words of the invisible Autobot beside her. "The Well of All Sparks itself can never be destroyed."
She didn't have a bio signature either, Nightstrike realized.
"So what do you want?" Her own smooth voice held little of her irritation and confusion.
"You made a wish."
"...No, I didn't."
"Yes. You did. You wanted to be with Megatron."
Nightstrike folded her arms over her cockpit.
Jabez just looked up at someone that the living femme couldn't see, someone who was glowering down at her and at the Autobot ghost beside her. "She's not going to believe me. You'll have to let her know you're here yourself."
-Don't tell me what to do, Starscream brat.-
-That's the Megs we all know and love.- Ratchet chuckled and grinned up at him.
-If I weren't dead you'd suffer for that.-
-But you are, and you're feeling it. So go touch your friend there so she can sense you as more than just some bad static.-
The tall ghost snarled, but then looked thoughtfully at the purple-eyed femme who was watching Jabez so distrustfully. He knew her. The one who stared at him, and at whom he'd stared a few times himself. Being alone and disembodied was a wearying and painful thing, especially to a spark as damaged as he was by his contact with the Allspark cube. Still, he had his pride, and to follow the order of an Autobot.
-Whatever. Come on, Jabez. Let's leave Meggy to his own devices.- The white mech put out a hand to the young Seeker, who gave Nightstrike a sad glance before she followed him away from sight and away from the reality.
Nightstrike blinked as the Seeker ghost vanished, then scowled and turned her attention back to the waves and her musings.
Something touched her on the shoulder.
She started and scowled, weapons powering up and sword popping out of storage. "Leave. Me. Alone."
-Hrrmph. Is that any way to speak to your leader?-
A squeak left her vocalizer as she heard the voice... that voice... in her mind. "My lord Megatron??"
-In the spark.- The voice held a smirk. It also held pain, and she could feel static creeping up her circuits from his touch.
"My lord, are you... can a ghost be damaged?" She held still, fearing to move and break the contact.
-I am,- he admitted with difficulty. -And being without a body is painful.-
"Take mine."
He was silent for a moment, only the static letting her know that he was still there. Then, -I may rest in your shell?-
"Yes, my lord." A smile curved her mouth as her wide optics shone.
Megatron blinked at the feelings he sensed from her, then let go of his living form to become a ball of faintly glowing light which slipped through Nightstrike's chest armor and then seemed to curl up just beneath her spark compartment. Lulled by her living circuits and the shelter of her shell, his pain eased and he exuded contentment and satisfaction.
Nightstrike put a hand over her chest, her expression wondering as she felt him fade into recharge. The thought that her master trusted her enough to give himself into her keeping like this....
Her com crackled, and a bored voice reported that Starscream was looking for her.
Nightstrike grunted, felled to Earth by idiocy. But then she smiled and leaped into the air, not caring about the boat that swamped and sank beneath her as she transformed and roared back toward base. Not even Starscream could get her down now. She had treasure that the backstabbing Seeker would never know.