Solis' Sparklinghood *PREQUEL TO RESTRICTED LOVE*

Epilogue

(A/N: I never really had many people tell me what they thought of this story. *shrugs* but I continued it because I liked it... It is now completed.)

Solis had known for a while now that this day was coming... Shockwave had seen to amply prepare her for the time when they would board the small ship and fly off for her to be passed on to her mate-to-be.

Having no choice in the matter wasn't the worst part. Leaving St3v3, D4v3, C4rl, N31l and the others was what was truly bothering her. The vehicons and eradicons alike had been searching for any scrap of information they could find regarding her creators. Unfortunately, they had been able to dig up little to nothing but the fact that Shockwave truly wasn't her creator or related to her in any way.

Bitter at the thought of the mech 'caring' for her for the sole purpose to deliver her to his "lord" as a, a plaything, Solis' lips thinned. The only outward expression of her mood these days, and a bad habit, as St3v3 had pointed out one cycle... Serving a warlord would mean she had to keep any outward signs of how she felt hidden.

Solis turned away from where Shockwave was speaking with a couple of her old friends, crossing her arms over her chassis as she headed off down the halls towards the troops' barracks. It wouldn't hurt to tell them farewell... Her spark cringed as her processor helpfully reminded her that it was for the last time. She wouldn't ever see any of them again.

"Solis?" St3v3 asked the moment the crimson femme appeared, standing up with a conflicted expression on his faceplates. He looked both afraid and concerned, both, Solis knew, was for her. And she was truly grateful for it. St3v3 was more of a sire to her than Shockwave could've ever hoped to be. "Steve." Solis smiled slightly, using the petname she had developed for the older mech.

St3v3 gave a soft chuff of his vents, the closest thing to a laugh he seemed to be able to manage at this point in time. "Solis... I'll keep looking." He finally spoke up, breaking the heavy silence that had fallen between them. "I promise I'll look until I find something worthwhile... Then I will find some way to contact you."

Giving a sad smile, Solis looked away from St3v3 to keep him from seeing the tears filling her optics. "How, Steve?" The red femme asked, fighting to keep from breaking down right then and there. She had to say goodbye to all of her best friends to go off and bond to a mech she didn't know anything of... But the stories told by the troops and Shockwave. Both had very different opinions of her Intended, but Solis knew that the vehicons and eradicons both kept silent for fear of scaring her... Too late for that, wasn't it? She was young, too young to bond with a mech as old and powerful as Megatron, the great gladiator of Kaon, Decepticon leader and warlord for millennial, but Shockwave insisted on sending her to Megatron now. 'To better acquaint yourselves' he had claimed.

Solis looked up when gentle servos gripped at her shoulders, turning her back to face the Vehicon before her.

St3v3 gave the young femme a small smile, reaching one servo up to cup her cheek, wiping away the tears as they spilled over, field comforting and gentle. "I will, alright? I don't care if I have to challenge Megatron to single combat, I will come to you when I have news." The purple mech promised, Solis biting her lip and giving a quick nod. "I'm sorry I can't do anything for you, Steve." She whispered.

When gentle digits attempted to lift her chin up, Solis fought it for a moment. She couldn't look up at the mech that had cared for her for so long. Longer than she could truly remember, St3v3 was always there to take her on the moment Shockwave found her overly annoying or she pestered him too much. It was he that brought back pretty little trinkets and things for her when he was out on patrol... Made toys for her since Shockwave had deemed them illogical.

"Solis... Look at me." St3v3 murmured gently, coaxing the red femme to look up at him. "You've done so much for me as it is. I don't need anything else, alright?"

Solis fought back more tears that threatened to well up, forcing a nod. "I'll do more someday." She whispered, St3v3 shaking his helm. "No. All I want you to do is to find a way to be happy. No matter what. Promise me?"

Taken aback by the suggestion, sensing there to be a subtle meaning about it, Solis gave a small nod, smiling slightly. "I promise." She responded just as Shockwave pinged her, shattering her brief flicker of happiness. "I have to go." Solis murmured softly.

St3v3 vented and gave a small nod, drawing Solis in for a tight hug before reluctantly releasing her. In all respects, he was watching his sparkling go off to bond with some... some cruel mech. The grunts and, dare he say it, Megatron's air commander knew his true form. Starscream and Megatron, it was rumoured, had once been lovers. What then, would happen to his sweet little Solis Arcana?

Solis gave one last smile to the vehicon before she turned away, St3v3 following her back to the hangar and the ship, stopping alongside his brethren to watch the femme walk away, towards the ship and her caretaker, awaiting her at the foot of the boarding ramp.

"I wish we could do something, sir." Br4d3n finally spoke up, though his tone was low enough that Shockwave would never even think he heard them.

"So do I, Braden." St3v3 vented heavily, not sparing any of the others a glance, optics fixed on Solis as she vanished up the ramp, followed by her guardian, before the ramp itself vanished and the ship took off, flying slowly as it cleared the hangar roof before it vanished. "So do I."