Revelations

by Phantom

Chapter Six

"Feeling any better?" Megatron asked rather roughly, but was unable to keep a note of sympathy from his voice.

"I wish I could say yes," Prime replied, regarding Megatron solemnly. "I can feel myself growing steadily weaker. If only I had replenished my energon reserves. Every Autobot is required to carry some extra energon chips in case of a crisis. Unfortunately, I consumed mine some time ago and never replenished them. I had more important concerns at the time."

"That is a very smart idea," Megatron said thoughtfully. "I wish I had thought of it, actually." A small smile lifted the corners of his mouth.

Prime's optics glowed faintly, conveying his own amusement. "Unfortunately, you'll never get a chance to test it out. It still amazes me how we've been able to get along together so well under these conditions."

Megatron nodded in agreement. "If someone had told me I'd be having this conversation with you, I'd probably slag him."

"I wish there were some way to let the others know we are alive," Prime murmured. "Especially Alita...." His voice trailed off, as if unwilling to elaborate on the thought.

Megatron looked at his companion solemnly. "It's so creepy down here. I feel closed in, as if I've been buried alive." He shuddered. "Perhaps I need something to distract me, keep my mind off of the claustrophobia I feel creeping over me."

"Okay," Prime said slowly. "What do you want to talk about?"

Megatron sat silently for a moment, pondering the question. "I guess I've always been curious about your relationship with Alita One. I find it amazing that you've been able to stay with one femme for such a long time."

Prime smiled faintly under his mask, thinking about the femme that he loved so much. "I'm not really sure where to start. She was my first femme, so she is very special to me. You wouldn't know it from looking at her, but she has a very unusual sense of humor." Prime leaned forward, becoming more animated as he spoke. "In fact, when Alpha Trion remade us, she couldn't decide on how to spell her name. So instead of choosing just one spelling, she decided to use them all. At first she would select one spelling to use for a short period of time and then adopt another, but very soon we all lost track and used any of the spellings that came to mind. She finds it amusing to see all the variations on her name. I think it's because she likes to confuse people." He chuckled softly.

Megatron leaned forward in fascination. "Was she the only femme you've been involved with?"

Prime looked rather embarrassed at the question. "Actually, there have been several others. When Alita and I were changed into our present forms by Alpha Trion, we knew that we were both very different from Ariel and Orion Pax. We decided to put the relationship on hold until we became adjusted to our new personalities. We were afraid that the death of our previous selves might mean the death of our love for each other, and we were not prepared to resume our relationship until we could understand ourselves better. So she and I both went our separate ways, romantically speaking, for a short while. Then one night we ran into each other suddenly and discovered that our love had not died at all, but had become even stronger. From that moment on, we were inseparable. At least, until the Ark left to search for more energy. It hurt to be separated from her, perhaps more than I'd like to admit. But at least we both survived and are together again, as it was meant to be." His expression saddened. "At least, we were until I was trapped down here."

"Does Alita know about the other femmes you've seen?" Megatron asked curiously.

"Of course," Prime repled calmly.

Megatron was astonished. "Why would you tell her such a thing?"

Prime's expression hardened. "I don't lie to her, Megatron. She knows everything. Certainly I would never broadcast everything to my troops, but I love Alita too much to keep secrets from her." He paused, then said with a note of mischief in his voice, "Besides, she's done her share of seeing others too." He held back a chuckle at Megatron's flabbergasted expression. "What about you, Megatron? I've heard rumors about your, um, vast experience with females, but was there ever any special femme? Did one ever stand out from the rest?"

Megatron gazed at Prime sharply for several long moments. "I have no idea why I'm telling you this. Well, if you must know... Nightbird did seem to be different from the others. She was special somehow."

Prime could not conceal his surprise. "Nightbird!" he exclaimed. "You mean the Earth robot? The one constructed by the human scientist?"

"Is there something wrong with that?" Megatron said with a dangerous edge to his voice.

"No, not at all," Prime said hastily. "I'm just a little surprised. You've always scorned the humans' creations."

Megatron stared off into the distance, smiling faintly. "Nightbird was different. She was absolutely incredible."

Suddenly Prime let out a small cry of alarm and hunched over, his fuel pump contracting painfully as it ran low on the fuel to power it. "I'm okay," he murmured softly as Megatron bent to help him.

"Perhaps we should shut down our systems for a short time to conserve our energy," Megatron suggested, feeling his own fuel reserves beginning to dwindle. "Several Earth hours, perhaps?"

Prime nodded. "That's a good idea. Perhaps an idea will come to us while we are dormant." He stood up and crossed the small room. Once he found a spot that he felt comfortable with, he stretched out and forced himself to relax, preparing to shut down his higher-level functions. He was drifting close to unconsciousness when a voice broke through the silence.

"Prime?" Megatron whispered silently, standing beside his long-time foe.

"Yes, Megatron?" Prime murmured hazily.

"I--" he began, choking on the words. "I'm scared, Prime. I'm afraid we'll never get out of here. There is so much that I have not yet accomplished. I'm not ready to die!"

"I feel the same way, Megatron," Prime reassured him. "But somehow it doesn't seem so bad with you here."

"I feel so cold," Megatron said, beginning to shiver as his internal environmental controls began to lose power.

"Lay down next to me," Prime instructed. Hesitatingly, Megatron lowered himself to the ground. "I know it isn't much," Prime said apologetically, "but perhaps some of my warmth will help."

"Thank you," Megatron murmured, unable to look Prime in the eye. "You're being so kind to me. Somehow I don't think I deserve it."

"Don't worry about that now," Prime said. "Just try to conserve your energy. Perhaps when we reactivate we will have thought of a way out of here."

"I hope to Primus you're right," Megatron sighed as he began his shutdown procedure. Very soon the silence returned to the caves as both robots lay soundly unconscious, each dreaming their own dreams.

end of Chapter Six

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