Author's note: Sorry for the terribly long wait! My muse died, and stayed dead, until just an hour before this was finished I read a… rather sad story and was hit by my muse. Yes, that's right, he's come back! The result is this less-than-happy chapter that turns the story onto a more serious road. Now, that doesn't mean it won't be without its happy moments, no, it just means there will be some serious ones thrown in. (Trust me, there'll be happy moments. Like the upcoming chapter when Sam and Mikaela are eating breakfast and the Allspark tells them that Starscream is- ah, don't want to ruin the surprise, do I? Never mind.)

Anyway, a warning for this chapter- non-graphic robotic violence, semi-graphic robotic "blood" and gore. Enjoy.

Oh, yes, and a thanks to all my readers who survived my writer's block and came back, as well as all of you who have reviewed! I'd mention each of you, but right now I'm too lazy, and really should be doing my chores.

Mikaela opened her eyes to darkness, a feeling of nothing, and yet everything, surrounding her. She turned her head to the left, and saw, just as she knew she would, her boyfriend, standing there. Boyfriend, she mused, after sharing this he's so much more.

As always, the pair stepped closer to each other, and without really thinking, held hands. Every time, they did, and every time, they would.

The presence around them felt different this time. It seemed… sad, or apprehensive, maybe. Something bordering on unsure, but that was silly, how could the Allspark be unsure of anything?

"I have sheltered you," the voice announced, sounding almost… pained. "I have not shown you the true meaning of war."

The pair felt the presence draw closer, comforting, but unable to stop what was to come. Like a parent holding their child as they watch a loved one die.

"I didn't want to show you…."

Mikaela grasped Sam's hand tighter. He knew what she was thinking. He agreed. She looked out into the darkness, strength clear on her face. "We can take it!" she called out. "We are stronger than you think!"

"Oh, I wish that were true…." Another wave of almost-sadness swept over them, but they held strong. They would be strong, for the Allspark.

Suddenly, Sam and Mikaela were standing in one of the first places the Allspark had shown them- a battlefield. They ducked insinctively as plasma blasts and rockets flew over their heads, though no one seemed to notice, or even care, about their presence. On their right, they saw the looming form of Megatron, and hear him bellow, "Retreat!" The Autobots yelled after them, charging forward, chasing them off. They could see Optimus, though his form was different from the one they knew now, a grim expression on his face. Soldiers from both sides had varying expressions- horror, satisfaction, joy, grim determination, sorrow, pain, fear, nothing….

The picture paused, allowing them to walk amongst the froze soldiers, touch them, study them, but not move them. They could grow in size with a thought, or shrink down with a blink, as they inspected the gruesome scene before them. They picked out faces they knew- Ironhide, a barely visible fear on his face, but with the will to go on, to protect what he believed in. Ratchet- horror, pain, but the need to help others, so clear, not hidden as his emotions were now. Jazz- panic, hidden behind the cockiness and sarcasm he was known for. Megatron- defeat, determination, blood-lust, anger… but there were underlying emotions, barely seen under all of the others. Starscream- fear tinted with panic, but something that said, "If I don't do this, I die." Barricade- hysteria, encroaching insanity, and the fearlessness that came with it. Frenzy- fear, determination, inexperiance. The list went on and on. They saw sickening expressions of joy and excitement in Autobot ranks, they saw fear, and the knowledge that what they were doing was wrong in the Decepticons. They saw blank expressions that clearly said, "I don't want to know what I'm doing, so I'm going to pretend I'm not doing it." It twisted the couple's guts, it saddened their hearts, but they must go on, for the greater good….

The picture continued. They watched in silence as the battle finished. The metallic ground was strewn with bodies, one could barely take a step without tripping on one. Blue energon and clear coolant dripped and ran across the ground, collecting in gory pools. Moans of injured mechs and femmes echoed throughout the treeless, flat landscape. There were a few, too few, wading through the bodies, trying to reach those who were injured, trying to help, both factions there, not caring that the medic they were working with was from the other side, just trying to help, just trying to stop another spark from fading….

They wandered toward Ratchet. He was working furiously, trying to save the one below him, he knew this femme, they could see it in his optics, but there was nothing he could do, it was too late, they knew, too late, he knew, but unwilling to give up. He had to keep working, had to keep trying! If he could just save her, he could save the others, he knew….

Optimus rested a hand on the neon mech's shoulder. He shook his head sadly when the medic looked up. The wrench-wielding menace keened painfully and kept working, even faster, even harder….

They knew when she had died. Ratchet stopped working suddenly, optics filled with disbelief, and then so much sorrow, no one should have to deal with that much sorrow, it's not right, not right…. He threw his head up and cried out, a horrible, hear-rending sound, filled with so much raw emotion. A couple of the other medics looked up, giving Ratchet a sympathetic glance before returning to work.

Optimus gave one last shake of his head to Ratchet before moving on. He had troops to get back to, rations to hand out, planning that needed to be done…. He couldn't help save the lives of those he had early fought with, fought against. He didn't have time to think about how many he had just killed. No time, no time…

The picture faded out.

"That was one of the very first battles, and one of the worst. Warriors hadn't yet gotten used to the idea that they were killing someone, medics weren't yet used to loosing the patients they cared about most, leaders couldn't find the right words to comfort them because there are no words that can make you feel better."

They stood silently in the darkness for a while before the Allspark spoke again. "War is never good. But sometimes they need to be fought."

Silence reigned, thought Sam and Mikaela were thinking the same things: the Allspark was right to worry about them, but they would be strong, they would survive war, and all the nasty things that came with it.

A/N: A special thanks to Kikizehfox for bringing my muse back with "Walk a little straighter Daddy."