DISCLAIMER: I don't own Transformers: Prime or any of the characters and locations associated with it. But I own the story "A Test of Time" and all references to dialogue not originating from Hasbro.

Author's Notes: The inspiration for this Earth Day one-shot came when I re-watched the Discovery Channel's 2009 "The World is Just Awesome" commercial, which includes a cameo by Optimus Prime. I thought, 'Optimus would love Earth since it's his new home, right?' followed by, 'What kind of tree could he hug?' Boom-de-yada, boom-de-yada!

Timeline: Set between Transformers: Prime episodes "Predatory" and "Sick Mind."

Test of Time
by Jami-Bunny

Optimus Prime stood in the shadow of a large tree, awed.

He had gone out on a solo scouting mission in the mountains of eastern California, with the intent of investigating an Energon deposit that had been detected there. The location, situated above a forested valley, had indeed proved to contain a significant number of crystals, most of which had been uncovered and dislodged by a recent rockslide. Luckily, the loosened ground meant that the Energon could be extracted with minimal, barely noticeable damage to the landscape.

Processing the location's coordinates for later use, the Autobot leader opted to survey the surrounding landscape, scanning for the presence of Decepticons, Humans, and other anomalies. He cautiously made his way down the mountain, constantly keeping watch on his sensors and hoping that anything sentient could not see him. It was a short time later when Optimus had walked about a half-mile past the tree line that he found himself facing the trunk of a tree.

The wide, thick trunk of a large tree.

Optimus blinked his optics, then shifted his focus to the top of the tree. Amazement grew when he noticed how far he had to adjust his gaze. On impulse, he searched through his personal database of Earth's flora and fauna.

Sequoiadendron giganteum. The Giant Sequoia.

Upon further inspection, Optimus's sensors indicated that the forest he was standing in was mostly composed of giant sequoias, all in different stages of growth. While it was fairly obvious the tree in front of him was old by Earth standards, he could not help but be awed by it, especially when his scanners revealed its exact height of 271.53 Earth feet and age of 2,836.22 Earth years.

To Optimus, standing underneath such an ancient being felt humbling. While the sequoia was young in comparison to the Cybertronian, it didn't stop him from realizing that it was one of the biggest and oldest of Earth's organisms. Impulsively, he laid a metal hand on the sequoia's trunk, and somehow, he could feel a sort of strength emanating from the tree. Perhaps it was because this organism, this sequoia, has managed to keep its place in an ever-changing world.

Finding a strange, yet natural, sort of camaraderie with it, the Cybertronian wrapped his arms around the strong truck. An unspoken, yet understood, promise that both of them would endure and continue standing the test of time.