Primrose and Paige walked through the forest. "So what do you want to do first, Paigey?" Primrose asked with a soft smile.

"I don't know," Paige giggled at her nickname and Primrose smiled more. She loved hearing her charge's laughter. And a part of her didn't care that she was with Ratchet.

"I'm surprised we're on the same mission Arcee and Jack went to," Paige said. "Heh, it's not exactly the same mission but I suppose you can call it your first scouting assignment," Primrose said. Ever since the Bots found out that Paige could turn into a Cybertronian, Optimus had been teaching her how to fire her blasters since it seemed that those were the only weapons she could have.

Paige looked around. She and her guardian were in a rather large forest. The wildlife was quiet and it made her confused.

Primrose looked at her, "stay close alright?" Paige looked up at her and nodded, "mmkay."

The two walked down an old dirt road. Paige transformed into a black wolf and she sniffed the air.

"So what kind of Galatrian are you?" Primrose asked. Paige paused and she looked at her guardian. The Prime was taken aback by the look on Paige's face. She seemed a bit upset by the question.

Paige looked away, "as my eyes are ruby red, I guess you can say I'm a Ruby Galatrian." "What's the difference?" Primrose asked.

"Ruby Galatrians are second class," Paige said, "so we are only prematurely born with two or three powers." "And... Sapphire Galatrians?" Primrose asked.

Paige gritted her teeth as she held back her anger and frustration. Crystals grew around her feet. She took a deep breath and exhaled, "Sapphire Galatrians are very powerful. They're Monarchs and are far more different than us. They care about us."

Primrose nodded, deciding to stop the conversation there. She looked around before she saw paw prints in the ground.

"Those belong to a wolf," Paige said, furrowing her eyebrows, "...are Cybertronian wolves usually that big?" "Not this one," Primrose said, her optics narrowing.

Paige looked up at her, "what's the matter?" "Paige... on the count of three, run," Primrose said as she unsheathed her sword.

Paige's cautious gaze turned to fear as Ember burst out from the trees and lunged at Primrose with a snarl.

Paige screamed in fear and she quickly ran just as Ember tackled Primrose and the two tumbled across the ground. Primrose snarled before she kicked Ember off.

Ember landed on her pedes and smirked, "Primrose. It's been a long time. Too long." "What are you doing here, you traitor?!" Primrose snarled, her optics blazing with unbridled fury and grief.

"Awww, did you miss me already? I've been busy leading the Decepticons while my lord and master is in stasis," Ember said, "but since I'm here, I've left Soundwave in charge until I've had my fun."

Primrose narrowed her optics as she took out her sword. Ember noticed Paige and she grinned. "So Optimus gave you another human, did he? I'm surprised," she said darkly, "considering how much trouble you put the last one through."

Rage and guilt flooded Primrose's senses and she charged at Ember, shouting, "SHUT UP!" She swung her blade at Ember who dodged it.

Paige hid behind a rock as she watched the fight with wide eyes. A ball of fire appeared in Ember's palm and she slammed it into Primrose's side.

Primrose snarled in pain and she raked her digits across Ember's faceplates. Ember grunted before slamming her pede into the other femme's side.

There was a shrill crack and Primrose screamed in pain. Ember swung her claws across Primrose's face and kicked her back, sending the Prime falling back.

"A little bird told me that you have a Galatrian charge," Ember said, "that's very intriguing. Perhaps I should see her myself."

Paige widened her eyes before she started to run away, transforming into a cheetah as she ran.

"No," Primrose growled in pain as she struggled to get up. Ember glared down at her and she slammed her pede down on the Prime's back. She yelped in pain before she slumped over. Ember huffed before she walked away.

Paige had hid behind a tree, pressing her palm against her mouth to keep quiet. "A Galatrian," Ember's voice echoed around her, "I must say, when I heard of you, I was very excited- intrigued even. My lord and master has given me many of your kind; even more so that I've kept many different Magic users. But Galatrians and Irilians... they were so fragile. So innocent. I kept their eyes as my own personal gems."

Horror rushed through Paige and she felt sick to her stomach. She shut her eyes tightly, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"And to think that you and many Magic users are humans, born on planets far away from here... bleeding the same crimson red that these humans do on earth," Ember said, "it's delightful."

Her knees buckled and she fell to her knees, muffled whimpers escaping her. "But considering that you're a prematurely born Magic user, I think I'll keep you as my own personal favorite," Ember said.

Paige widened her eyes and she looked up to see Ember standing over her. A scream escaped her and she quickly dodged Ember's claws and ran in another direction.

She yelped as she tripped and fell down a hill. She grunted when she reached the bottom ground and there was a crack.

She let out a muffled scream and gritted her teeth together. She looked at her leg and ankle as her heart pounded against her chest.

Pain flooded through her leg and she slumped over on the ground, crying softly. She bit her lip as she gripped her leg tightly, tears streaming down her face.

She quickly turned it and her body violently twitched when there was another crack. She gritted ber teeth before she forced herself to her feet.

"Awww, trying to run?" Ember called out from behind her, "kit, you have nowhere to go! No Magic User has escaped me! Even you can't!"

Paige covered her ears as she continued to limp. She couldn't run, she could barely walk. It wasn't long before she reached a cliff edge. She whirled around as Ember stepped out of the trees.

"You won't jump, little one," Ember chuckled, "you know better than that."

"You can't hurt me!" Paige snapped. "Aww, it's cute that you really think that," Ember said, grinning, "we both know how much damage you can do to yourself whenever you get locked up in your own thoughts. Imagine how much worse it'll be when I'm the one doing it."

She flexed her claws, "human bodies are so weak, don't you think? Their souls and minds are only marginally stronger. So you see, I've been waiting for this for a long time."

Paige stepped back, her eyes widening. "Stay back," she said, her hands shaking. Ember grinned. Paige glanced back at the cliff edge, the rushing water below.

She felt her heart pounding against her chest and she looked back at Ember. Her eyes widened and she let out a fearful yell as her hand shot out and crystals flew at her.

Ember, not expecting the sudden attack, hissed in pain as the crystals embedded themselves into her arm.

Paige quickly jumped off the cliff edge and into the water below. Ember looked down at the water, holding her bleeding arm. She frowned as her optics scanned the water for the Galatrian.

In her dragon form, Paige dug her claws into the slippery rocks underneath her as she fought to try and control her movements in the raging waters.

Pain rushed through her entire body and the cold water wasn't helping. She looked up as a wave knocked her back and the last thing she felt was something hard slamming into the back of her head before she fell unconscious.

Primrose slowly opened her optics. She fully opened her optics and she clutched at her side. "Paige!" She exclaimed as she scrambled to her pedes.

The faint image of a boy with bright sea green eyes and vibrant black hair flashed through her processor but she shook it away as she ran through the forest.

'No! Please no! Primus, please don't let her die too!' She pleaded, her optics widening with fear as she ran out into the open. Ember was gone. And so was Paige.

"No... Primus, please no," she murmured, her optics widening with terror. Her spark lurched and she looked over the cliff edge, her optics widening.

She saw the rushing water. She transformed into her vehicle form and drove alongside the cliff. 'Hold on, Paige! I'm coming! Just please hold on!'

Paige drifted down deeper into the water, her lifeless eyes gazing up at the sunlight. She felt cold and alone. There was a distant rhythmic beat.

Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump.

She stared up at the sun. It showed vibrant colors- yellow and orange and red- in her eyes. A warmth surrounded her heart.

There was a distant splash and bubbles and froth surrounded her in seconds. Her vision became black.

Primrose managed to reach the bottom and she transformed into her bipedal form. She widened her optics when she saw her charge laying on the ground.

"Paige!" She called out, tears welling up in her optics as she hurried over to her. Paige laid on the ground, her eyes closed and her bangs covering her eyes.

Primrose knelt down and she placed her digit on Paige's chest. "P-Paige," she whispered, shaking. Paige gasped and coughed hard, startling Primrose who turned her charge onto her side and rubbed her back.

"You're okay. You're okay," Primrose said, rubbing her back. Paige breathed heavily before she started to cry, clutching at her head.

Primrose scooped her up into her servos. She was tempted to ask her charge if she was okay but that would end up with her being snapped at.

Paige let out a pained cry and clutched at her leg. "What's wrong?" Primrose asked worriedly.

"M-my leg," Paige whimpered, resting her head against her guardian's thumb. Primrose carefully pressed her digit against Paige's leg and the girl flinched.

"We have to get you to base," Primrose said. "No!" Paige snarled, startling the Prime.

"Paige, this isn't something that we can ignore easily and-" Primrose paused when Paige was staring at her wrist.

"Give me your wrist," she said quietly. Primrose hesitated before she slowly held her wrist out in front of her. Paige's fingers grazed the soft mesh part before she leaned down towards it.

That was when she bit down on it. Hard.

Primrose froze, completely caught off guard. That was when the pain set itself in and everything in her screamed at her to pull away but she couldn't.

Paige pulled away, breathing hard. Before Primrose's own optics, the girl's leg started to heal. Primrose looked at her charge in worry.

"Please... don't tell the others," Paige murmured. Primrose bit her lip before she sighed softly, "okay." She held Paige close to her chestplates.

'If you trust someone you barely know with a secret like that, then your life must be a lot more fragged up than I thought,' she thought warily as she commed for a ground bridge.

The figure that Optimus had spotted the day before watched as Primrose walked through the ground bridge. Paige felt a surge of warmth and light rush through her and she looked over Primrose's shoulder.

The figure removed his helmet and he looked directly at her with glowing eyes. Paige blinked slowly before she closed her eyes and slumped against Primrose.

◊◊◊◊

Primrose walked into the base. "What happened!?" Ratchet gasped. Primrose glared at him, "we ran into Ember."

"You had a run-in with a Decepticon too?" Jack asked worriedly. "What do you mean?" Paige asked as Ratchet set her down.

"We ran into Airachnid," Arcee said. Paige froze for a moment, her eyebrows furrowed, "Airachnid?"

"Yeah," Arcee said and Primrose sensed the discomfort in her voice. "Arcee? Are you okay?" The Prime asked.

Arcee inhaled and she looked at Paige who stared at her in worry. "Airachnid... had a ship," she said, "and there were... Galatrians in these... cages. They're dead, Paige."

Paige froze, "wh-what?" "I'm so sorry Paige," Jack said.

Paige stepped back, staring at the floor before she hurried into the hallway, clutching at her chest. She ran into Primrose's room, falling to her knees and clutching at her head as she continued to silently cry, as a feeling of hopelessness and loss filled her heart.