When I woke, I laying against a tree. I looked around to see no one there. However, I could hear footsteps in the distance. I tried to get up, but my head went dizzy, and I almost fell.

"Careful", a voice says. "You don't need to get more hurt than you already are." I blink as someone forces me to sit back down. I look up to see a familiar blue and red Autobot.

"Ultra Magnus?" I ask, surprise filling my voice.

"I see you know who I am, yet I have no recollection of you", Ultra Magnus says. I blink before chuckling softly.

"It's only your favorite techno-organic", I say as I allow myself to shrink and my armor to recede. Ultra Magnus kept a straight face, but I think secretly he was shocked.

"Astraea?" he asks incredulously.

"Hey", I say softly. "How you been?"

Ultra Magnus sighs. "Better. The new council on Cybertron has been blaming Optimus for what happened to Cybertron, and anyone who defends him is usually sent into exile. Even Arcee and Wheeljack, with their sparkling." I blink, before my face contorts into a very angry expression. 

"THEY WHAT?!" I cry out angrily, my wings bringing me up to Ultra Magnus' height. Ultra Magnus sighs.

"That was many cybertronians reaction", he murmurs. "But it is too late now. Bee was smart getting out when he did. I am... not sure where he went though. I chose to come here, to a familiar place."

I blink before chuckling softly and nervously. "Um... about Bee... he... he wasn't originally going to leave... he... maybe it's better to let him explain it. He knows what happened better than I do."

Ultra Magnus was quiet for a moment. "Are you saying that Bumblebee is here, on this planet?"

I nod happily. "Yep! And... he's helped me a lot too. Come on, we should go before they get wind of a Decepticon." 

Ultra Magnus nods, so I grab my swords, strapping them on, and lead Magnus to the road that leads to the scrapyard. I turn to him. "Do you still have your earth-based vehicle form?"

He nods once more and transforms, opening the passenger door for me. I hop in, and the door closes on its own accord. I smile softly before directing him to the scrapyard. We have to stop outside it because the gate wouldn't open. I quickly call Denny.

"Yo, Denny, can you come open the gate? I brought an old friend to see Bee", I say as soon as he picks up. 

"Gate's opening", he says after a moment. The gate opens, and Ultra Magnus drives through, where I direct him to the command center. After a moment, we make it to the command center, where Bee and the team where waiting in their vehicle forms. I chuckle softly as I hop out. Ultra Magnus quickly transforms, Bee following soon after, causing the team to follow as well. Ultra Magnus looks to Bee.

"Ultra Magnus!" Bee exclaims in surprise. Ultra Magnus nods to Bumblebee in acknowledgement. "Astraea, where did you find him? Also where have you been? It's been almost six hours since you called in saying you were being attacked!"

I blink before sighing. "You could Miko a run for her money, Bee. Seriously. Anyway, I was attacked by Steeljaw and Thunderhoof, and they knocked me out, and I assumed that it was Ultra Magnus who saved me."

Ultra Magnus shook his head. "I only found you leaning against the tree, and kept watch over you until you woke up. I do not know who rescued you."

I blink before my mind remembers the voice that told the 'cons to let me go. It was a familiar voice, but definitely not Ultra Magnus'. It was Optimus'.

I let out a soft sigh. "I know who it was. He must have appeared for just long enough to help me escape from the 'cons, but couldn't stay long enough for me to wake up."

Bee's eyes widen in realization. "He's always protecting those he loves, isn't he?"

I nod, a small smile on my face. "I only wish I could have seen him."

Bee was about to say something but Magnus cut in. "Who is 'him'?" 

I smile at him, pausing for a moment before answering. "Optimus Prime."

Ultra Magnus looks at me, before sighing. "Optimus is dead."

I shake my head. "He's in the realm of the primes, training for... something, I don't know what. We've all seen him, except for Charcoal and you." I pause for a moment. "And Scarlett and Evelyn", I add as an afterthought. Magnus sighs, but doesn't argue.

Bee and Magnus discuss stuff and that's when I notice Strongarm staring at Ultra Magnus, a large grin on her face. "That's Ultra Magnus", she whispers. "The Ultra Magnus!"

I chuckle softly, noticing the similarities between them. I shake my head. If the time difference wasn't so small, I'd say they were maybe related. Then I freeze. When was Strongarm created?

I quickly fly over to her. "Hey, Strongarm... is it alright if I ask you some... personal questions?"

Strongarm blinks before nodding. I sigh softly. "When were you created?"

"Towards the beginning of the Great War. I grew up on Cybertron with my carrier, though we barely had enough energon to survive. My sire wasn't in the picture; my carrier said that he was a very important figure in the war, though she never would tell me who it was. But she said that he knew of me, and that he loved me very much. I had hoped to meet him when Cybertron was restored, but that didn't happen. I still haven't met him to this day."

I nod, before smiling softly. "What was your carrier's name?"

"Sunburst", Strongarm says softly. "I... I miss her sometimes, but she knows that what I'm doing now is important. I can feel her through my bond with her sometimes."

"Can you feel your sire?" I ask. Strongarm nods.

"It's fainter than my carriers, but it's there", Strongarm murmurs. I smile at her.

"Alright, well, that's all for now. I'm... going to try and solve a mystery I put together just now!"

I fly away, not looking back. I land on Ultra Magnus' shoulder, to which he spares me a simple glance before continuing on with his conversation with Bumblebee. After a few minutes, they were done speaking, and Bee went to go get Sideswipe and Strongarm to behave. I ignore them, and look at Ultra Magnus.

"Hey, Magnus, did you ever have a sparkmate?" I ask softly. Ultra Magnus freezes before sighing.

"Yes",  came his simple answer. I smile softly.

"What was she like?" I ask. Ultra Magnus smiles at the thought of her.

"She was beautiful, often shining like the sun itself. She had this bubbly personality that she sometimes couldn't keep contained, though there were a few times when she knew she had to be serious. Most of the time though, she was joking and messing around, almost like Sideswipe over there. But she was the love of my life", Ultra Magnus murmurs.

"Was?" I ask.

"After the war... I was unable to find her, nor my sparkling. I know they are both alive, due to the bonds I share with them, but I have been unable to see Sunburst since the time we first began to create our sparkling together. I have never met my sparkling."

"Sunburst? Is that your sparkmate?" I was excited, because I had just solved a mystery for both Ultra Magnus and Strongarm.

"Indeed", Magnus answers. I let out a loud, happy cheer, attracting the attention of everyone at the command center. Ultra Magnus looks down at me. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I know who your daughter is", I say. Ultra Magnus' optics widen as he stares at me. 

"I never told you my sparkling was a femme", he whispers. I grin as I fly off his shoulder and fly towards Strongarm, before pausing and looking back at Ultra Magnus

"No, you didn't. But... when there are two similar looking bots in the scrapyard at the same time, along with two very similar stories..." I look over at Strongarm, who had a very shocked look on her face. I grin as she walks over to Ultra Magnus, who looked down at her. She was very short compared to him. They were silent for a moment, but Strongarm soon got tears in her optics and threw her arms around him. Ultra Magnus- and everyone else- was surprised, but I think the Bee Team was even more surprised when the usually stoic Ultra Magnus knelt down, and wrapped his arms around her, and began to leak lubricant as well. I fly over to Bee, and landed on his shoulder. 

"I never thought I would see Ultra Magnus cry", he whispers. I smile softly, watching as the father daughter duo pulled away. Strongarm looks to me, gratitude filling her optics. I only give her a smile, and Ultra Magnus nods at me before looking to Bee.

"Is there somewhere private where Strongarm and I can catch up?" he asks. Bee nods and tells Strongarm about this quiet corner in the back of the scrapyard. Strongarm and Ultra Magnus  leave and Bee tries to get the team to stop gawking at the direction they left in. Sideswipe was especially shocked.

"No. Way. There is no way that that is her sire", Sideswipe mutters.

Bee laughs. "I only wish I had seen it sooner. The color scheme, plus the way Strongarm is kind of a stickler for the rules."

I smile softly, though a yawn soon over takes that smile. "Well, is there anything else you guys need me for? I need... to make a few calls."

Bumblebee shakes his head. "You're free to go, Astraea."

I nod and walk to my trailer, where I found Scarlett and Evelyn playing a board game. However, when I entered, they immediately stood up and pulled me into a hug. I chuckle softly.

"I was so worried, Astraea, especially when the other bots came back without you", Scarlett says. I sigh softly.

"Don't worry too much about me. I'll be fine. I just... I need some rest that doesn't include being hit in the head or is filled with nightmares."

Evelyn nods. "Go get some rest, Astraea."

I shake my head. "I can't. It's too light out for one, so if I go to sleep now, my sleep schedule will be whacked, and two, I need to make some phone calls."

My friends sigh, and I smile softly at them. "Before I go make those calls, though, I need to talk to you about something."

Evelyn looks at me in surprise. "What about?"

I smile lightly. "The scrapyard isn't exactly the safest for you, especially with the Decepticons. How would you like to go and stay with Tori, and the other three at the military base, where there aren't any threats to your safety? And then you can be a little more comfortable with actual beds instead of just sleeping on the floor."

Evelyn looks skeptical while Scarlett looks like she's about to downright refuse.

"What about you?" Evelyn asks. I smile at her, though it was a sad, tired smile.

"I need to stay here. I'm a big help to the team... and... I need to be here for when Optimus returns", I say. Scarlett raises an eyebrow.

"Optimus?" she asks. I chuckle softly.

"Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, and currently in the Realm of the Primes training. He'll be returning soon, and I have to be here when he does. I'll try to visit you from time to time or at least call you, but I might be extremely busy soon", I say. 

"You seem to really care about this Optimus fellow", Evelyn says. "Almost reminds of how you used to talk about that Orion guy. What happened to him anyway?"

I blink before a small, nervous smile made its way onto my face. "Um... Orion is Optimus?" 

Scarlett and Evelyn's faces went blank as they blinked several times. Evelyn was the one to speak first. And well... it was more like a yell.

"You mean to tell us that you were actually dating a giant robot?" she asks, disbelief filling her voice and face. I blush, and nod.

"Yes?" I say, though it comes out as more of a question. Evelyn sighs.

"You are the strangest person I know", Scarlett murmurs. I chuckle loudly.

"But you know you love me", I grin. They only roll their eyes and I get back on topic. "But seriously, are you guys okay with going to stay with Tori and the others?"

Scarlett sighs before nodding. "We trust you, Astraea. If it's for our safety, then we'll do it." Evelyn nods, agreeing with what Scarlett  says. I smile softly.

"Then I'll go give them a call." And with that, I walked off to where my bed was, to give a call to Tori.