While everyone made their final preparations, I stood on the Autobot symbol in the middle of the base. Optimus' blaster was in my hand, and I felt the hum of the Cybertronian metal under my fingertips. Nerves pounded through me, the way they did before a big presentation, but I forced myself to take a deep breath. Still, it didn't help that Ratchet might be right.
I looked up at the medic, who was busying himself with the systems checks again, even though we both knew they were perfectly fine.
"Ratchet," I said, my tone forcing him to turn away from his work. "Thank you. For warning me about the ritual and all."
He gave me a sad look. "I sincerely hope that Cleona's prophecy is true about you, Amanda."
"You are going to be my most powerful champion, Amanda. It was written in the stars. You are destined for greatness, and you will be more than you could ever imagine."
I closed my eyes, letting the words replay in my mind, knowing exactly what Ratchet was referring to. "Yeah, I hope so too."
Am I really okay with this? Am I walking into my end now? Will this really be it? Will my powers be enough? Will I be enough?
"What are you thinking about?" My eyes snapped open and I saw Finn hovering next to me, his helmet tucked under his arm. There was slight concern in his eyes, but that diminished when I gave him a smile.
"Just nervous," I lied. "Everything rests on this working. If something goes wrong..."
He placed his helmet on the ground and wrapped his arms around me. "Nothing will go wrong. You know you got this, I know you got this, and so does the rest of the team. You can do this."
I relaxed, trying not to think that this might be the last time I'd ever get to hug him.
This will work. You have the power to do this. You have the power.
But do I have enough power to do the summoning and survive it too?
I tightened my grip for a moment, trying to expel the thoughts before taking a small step back. "Don't I get a good luck kiss, though? I can't have you getting overconfident in my abilities and not giving me any luck."
He smirked, amused before tugging me close again. He always had the ability to silence my thoughts and didn't fail this time either. The nagging pit in my stomach was forgotten for the moment until we pulled back. Finn's amusement remained- he thought I really was joking- and I smiled, reassuring him that yes, I was kidding. In reality, I was terrified that that was the last time he'd let me escape my doubts.
"Let's go conjure a Prime!" Miko whooped, dashing out in her space suit.
My jaw dropped. "When did you get the time to put pink stripes and stickers on that?"
She grinned devilishly. "There's always time for pink stripes and punk stickers."
"That's state of the art equipment!"
"And now it's pretty!"
I couldn't fight my laugh any longer, earning a triumphant look from Miko. Jack walked out a second later with Raf fixing some settings on his suit, both taking in Miko's customizations at the same time.
"I didn't know we could decorate!" Raf complained, finishing his work.
"We couldn't," Jack smirked. "But Miko did."
Shaking my head, I turned to them. "Are we ready then? Ratchet, systems check?"
"Each space suit is calibrated and synced," The medic said, his business tone ringing clear. It'd been awhile since I'd heard that tone, and nostalgia filled me, taking me back to when Team Prime's Autobots had been in our place.
"Perfect," I said. "Everyone, helmets on. Raf, run your final systems checks. Ratchet, open the ground bridge."
"Um, aren't you forgetting something, A?" Miko asked, waving her hands around me.
A small smile crossed my face and I flared my powers, causing silver dust to coat my body and create a silver outline. "I'm ready."
Ratchet walked to the ground bridge controls, and with his hand on the lever, he gave me a final, questioning look. Do you still want to go?
I nodded firmly, but gave him a reassuring look. He didn't seem to sense that though, hesitating for a second before activating the ground bridge. I turned away from the base, staring into the swirling green and blue lights.
Last chance. You go through, you most likely won't come back.
I won't let Tempest raise Valilorna. We need a Prime to stop the Uprising. There's no other way.
You could fight her yourself.
No. This is something that I can't do alone. We need a Prime.
"Let's go raise a Prime," I announced, mostly to end the conversation in my head, and walked through the ground bridge.
~~~
Cybertron felt just as I remembered. There was a warm, welcoming hum that seemed to radiate off the planet, as though Cybertron itself were welcoming me. But it looked so different. In just one year, so much rebuilding had been done, and a city surrounded the space bridge post we emerged from. I stared in awe for a moment, taking in the sights around us, before two familiar Cybertronians drove up to us.
"We've gotten the immediate area around the Zaren Pits evacuated," Bumblebee reported as he and Arcee transformed in front of us. "Luckily not a lot of Cybertronians were there in the first place."
"Area's got a lot of bad omens," Smokescreen commented, nodding understandingly.
I quickly made a silver shield for Arcee and Bumblebee, then regarded the group. "Wheeljack, Bulkhead, you'll be able to take over the evacuations?"
Bulkhead slammed his fists together. "You can count on us, A."
"Perfect. Be on the lookout for Chaos Fernontas as well." I turned to the others. "Is the Well of Allsparks still safe?"
Arcee nodded. "We drove by it on our way here. It's secure for now."
"And Ratchet, Raf, are our communications up?"
"We can hear you, A," Raf said. "There's just a bit of static, definitely from the gold dust interference."
"It'll have to do for now," I declared. "Team Prime, move out."
The Autobots transformed, and I followed Miko to Bumblebee, climbing into the driver's seat as she grabbed the passenger one. We led Arcee and Jack, and Smokescreen and Finn towards the well, a route I recognized despite all the new buildings around us. I couldn't dwell on the work that had been done, not with a cloud of gold dust on the horizon.
"Any word from Ultra Magnus?" I blurted.
"Not yet," Raf answered.
"He's resourceful," Bumblebee said reassuringly. "And he has a crew of Autobots with him at the beta post."
That won't matter if this doesn't work.
Stop it.
A sickening feeling settled over me as we got closer to the cloud, as well as a pull towards the well itself. Primus' presence was growing stronger, but Valilorna's was making things blurry. I let out a shaky breath. The pressure threatened to crush me, and I found myself thinking to anything that would calm me. The memory that came to mind first was the trip Optimus and I took shortly after the restoration of Cybertron, to a field of Cybertronian anemones.
"This valley was protected by Cleona herself during the war. Should you continue through it, you will eventually come across the path to the goddess' observatory. This was where I began my own journey to the goddess after the Decepticons summoned Valilorna. While I was drawn to the valley, those who followed the chaos goddess were repelled by Cleona's enchantment over the path to her observatory."
I nodded, understanding. "That's why it's like a breath of fresh air here. Because of the remains of Cleona's enchantment." Reaching up again, I took a petal in my hand, feeling the little metal in it hum slightly. "It's honestly beautiful."
"It is one of the only places on Cybertron that was protected from the war," Optimus' gaze was distant, aimed across the valley. "Perhaps, one day, you will take a journey similar to that I embarked on so long ago to Cleona's observatory. It is a sacred place for the goddess, one that I hope you are able to discover in the future."
I followed his gaze, somewhat satisfied with the vast space we were looking towards, happy to not be able to see the observatory at all. "You know, one day I will."
"Here we are." Bumblebee's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I caught Miko's gaze on me. I shot her a small smile, then climbed out to see the Well of Allsparks spanning in front of me. I dimly noticed the others climb out to join me, allowing the Autobots to transform, because my focus was entirely on the statues that guarded the well. The Primes of the past all had their backs to the well, standing tall and almost protectively in front of it. I walked forward until I stood at the foot of the statue of Optimus Prime. I'd spent quite a few days here, sitting by his feet and just talking, as if he could hear me. Sorrow seized me the way it usually did when I was here, cutting through my nerves.
I miss you, Optimus.
"A?" Finn's voice was low next to me, and I glanced over at him. "Are you-"
"I'm alright," I sighed, giving him that same, reassuring smile. "We've got a job to do."
"Not a moment too soon, huh?" Miko spoke up from her place next to Jack, both of their eyes on the sky above. Gold was now streaking across the sky, dispersing from the cloud to spread even farther. I sucked in a breath. I could almost feeling the warm, sticky honey-like grip Valilorna had, making me all the more determined to make sure no one else would ever have to.
"Now or never then," I said, looking back at my team. "Keep your distance. If you get word from Ultra Magnus, go help him."
Arcee shot me a concerned look. "And leave you?"
"Valilorna wouldn't dare come near me this close to Primus." My tone was firm, though I prayed the words were true. "Don't worry about me."
She nodded, and Finn squeezed my hand. I squeezed his back, gave him a final smile, and then let go to walk to Optimus' statue. I moved past it to stand close to the edge of well, and took a deep breath before closing my eyes, feeling the planet and power around me.
"Primus," I said, raising my arms to hang in front of me as the words came to me naturally. "I call upon you as your ally and your goddess."
"Amanda Beckett." Primus' voice rumbled around me, coming from every direction. "Welcome back to the Well of Allsparks, Champion of Cleona. What is your purpose here, my dear?"
"Valilorna has risen again," I replied. "Her champion has started the Uprising, and plans to unleash the goddess on Cybertron and Earth. I ask for you to reawaken the Matrix of Leadership, so that we can stop chaos and war from spreading again."
"I can feel the goddess of chaos, I can sense her restlessness and intentions. Her champion is here as well. You arrived at the opportune moment, my dear. As you wish, the matrix will be bestowed to the Cybertronian who it deems worthy. You will have to awaken it first, though I can sense this was already to your knowledge."
I nodded, my fears forgotten and my path crystal clear. "I'll do what I must."
"Then let us begin."
The calm that had settled around me was suddenly shattered, as the breath was knocked out of my lungs and my powers were torn from my body. It felt like a truck had struck me, and I struggled to stay upright. I could sense my powers flow out of me and my vision was completely silver, though I was still conscious. It hurt, the pain like no other as silver dust was yanked from me and poured into the well. I dimly heard myself cry out and stayed standing until everything flashed a blinding silver before finally going black.