Ratchet's Sparkling 🧡 Transformers Prime [Officially Discontinued]

Nightmare

[Music: Nightmare by Set it Off - because, well, the theme of this chapter]

[That picture was too delightful not to use :3]

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Comet was lost. It was dark and there were no stars, only a cold moon to light his world. He was surrounded by tall trees. His Sire wasn't with him, no one was. He was helpless, then a tall, dark figure emerged from the darkness up ahead.

"Well well. Hello again." Knockout said maliciously with a toothy grin. Comet whimpered and crawled backwards, only for Knockout to stamp a ped in his path.

"Where's your Sire?" The red mech asked almost tauntingly and leaned down closer. Comet didn't answer and his lower lip trembled a little. That answered Knockout's question perfectly.

"You're all alone."

Comet shook his helm and looked around desperately for help. He wanted his Sire to swoop in and save him like last time. But there was no help coming. 

"Mean Cherry."

Knockout simply chuckled and reached out to grab the lone sparkling, prompting said child to back up frantically. But not fast enough. 'Cherry's' claws wrapped around Comet's frame and dragged him from the ground, the cold tips digging into him painfully. A Groundbridge opened behind the red mech, with even darker, blood-red eyes peering out of the green void. Comet began to cry and struggle as Knockout carried him towards it. He kicked and screamed but his captor didn't stop. And as they entered the bridge multiple sets of claws reached out to snatch him. This was it. Comet knew it. He was lost forever.

"SIRE!!!"

Comet woke from recharge with Energon tears drowning his faceplate and was shaking violently. If he was human he'd be drowned in sweat. Looking around the room, he caught no sight of his Sire, but it was dark. Slowly, he climbed down off his small berth that was located in Ratchet's bethroom. He made his way over to Ratchet's larger berth and squinted his optics in the darkness to find he wasn't there.

"Sire?" Comet called into the black. No response. With a few tears still slipping out, the little sparkling wandered shakily towards the door that was left ajar. His walking had improved somewhat, but he still stumbled and slipped on occasion. But gladly he made it into the corridor without a problem, considering where he walked wasn't well lit. Thankfully the corridor was a little brighter. There were large doorways lining it's walls. Comet peeked around the edge of one to see Bumblebee lay on his berth, recharging peacefully. Backing up, he continued down the corridor until he found his way into the main hanger, where a certain medic was pulling another all-nighter.

Ratchet was working on the Synthetic Energon formula when he heard the light clamping of peds against the floor, and he grumbled slightly. Nighttime was when he liked to be able to work in peace.

"Go back to recharge." He sighed grumpily without even turning to see who'd come in. Comet whimpered quietly in response. He didn't want to be in the dark room alone after that dream. He stood still and Ratchet turned to literally force them back to their berthroom. Then he saw his sparkling, looking rather scared, and his mood immediately changed.

"Comet, what's the matter?" The mech asked in concern and bent down to the sparkling's level. Comet only emitted a cracked cry and lept forward and was captured in a warm hug. Ratchet held him tightly and gently rubbed his back while the little one sobbed into his chestplate. Once Comet's cries had just about ceased the medic pulled him from his chest to better see the child's face, now smeared with Energon tears. Ratchet understood, he'd had similar predicaments when he was but a sparkling himself.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

Comet nodded and squeezed his optics shut, igniting a mild sting due to the rawness from crying. Ratchet stroked his helm and rocked him a little, remembering how his own Carrier would after he was awoken by bad dreams. "What happened in the nightmare?"

Comet clung to his Sire tighter. "M-mean Cherry g-got m-me."

Ratchet nodded in understanding. Perhaps Comet's experience with Knockout had been more traumatic then he'd first thought. "Cherry isn't going to get you Comet, not ever. I promise." 

Comet reopened his optics and the tears ceased. He looked up at his Sire, still a little timid. "I stay up?"

Ratchet shook his helm and headed back to his berthroom. "You need to go back into recharge." Comet gave a small "okay" and lay his helm on the mech's shoulder. When they got to the berthroom the sparkling still wasn't 100% better. "Stay?"

The medic sighed and gave a small yawn. Five minutes wouldn't hurt, would it? Ratchet smiled and lay back on his own berth. Comet cuddled into his right side with the mech's arm wrapped around him securely. Ratchet looked down at his little one happily as his own optic lids began to droop. That's what you get with constant all-nighters and raising a child at the same time. Before Comet even fell back into recharge Ratchet had unintentionally drifted off. The little sparkling, finally feeling safe in his Sire's grip, closed his optics and drifted off himself, but not before mumbling quietly:

"Nanite Sire."