Fay spent the rest of the daylight hours in her room, gazing out the window, waiting for the sun to set and for the world to go dark. When that time arrived, she would be able to meet the Autobots for the first time without being confused and terrified. More importantly, it would be for the first time where she didn’t want to run from them or mourn them. The world would be safe for a short while, even under the three-quarters moon. Fay could see it from her bedroom, where it’s color became emboldened as the night wore on. As the last of the sun’s bright colors faded from the horizon, Fay prepared herself, gathering her nerves and forcing them deep down.

        She had no reason to be nervous. These beings were practically her family.

        Practically.

        Fay strode over to the mirror that rested on her dresser, gazing at her reflection for a short while. They were practically family. Her real family . . . Well, Optimus had said it himself. They’d all been murdered by the Decepticons. Just one more reason why she could never return to them. But she wasn’t truly ‘home’ with the Autobots, either, was she?

        Leaning against the dresser, gripping its edges firmly, Fay concentrated, shifting the camouflaging skin-and-bone-like ‘armor’ out of the way, her spark revealing itself. Inside her chest lay the pulsating amber glow. Fay swallowed, her spark feeling like it had sunk further down into her chest. An amber glow.

        While Fay still didn’t quite understand everything about the Autobots and the Decepticons, she understood a few things thanks to Optimus, and her own curiosity. A Cybertronian’s spark was, more often than not, blue. If it wasn’t the being was different in some way. For instance, if the spark was red, the Cybertronian was corrupt. While it was a rare occurrence, it had happened in the past.

        According to Optimus, it had happened with Megatron.

        Whoever ‘Megatron’ was, wherever he was hiding, Fay was certain she’d be able to identify him by the color of his spark.

        But what did the color of her spark mean? Could anyone possibly understand it?

        Fay frowned, staring at the moving colors inside the chamber. If she focused, she could make out other colors as well: small sparks of blue sparked along the core, red strands sliding around the edges. Both slithered through the amber color with disregard. Fay stood watching it for some time, entranced, until a strand of blue and a spark of red struck each other, a bright glow exuding.

        Yelping, Fay fell back onto the floor, her chamber immediately closing itself back up, returning to it’s organic appearance and feel. Shaking, she gripped at her chest. The touch of the colors hadn’t hurt, but it had frightened her. It was all too familiar to see that -- flashes had crossed her mind too quickly to identify. It took the quiet, distant sound of dog barking to get her to come back to the world.

        With a slow sigh, Fay righted herself and stood on uneasy legs. She grabbed the necklace from it’s drawer, fastening it around her neck firmly before she slipped out of her room, holding the pendants in her palm, her spark still pounding in it’s chamber.

        Did they know what was wrong with her? Did they know the problem with her spark?

        ~~~

        “Decepticons! We have brought you a new age of war!” Megatron called out, speaking to a selected group of warriors that now stood at attention, their attention locked to their warlord. “While these beings are still in training, under strict supervision to hone their otherworldly abilities, I have brought you the prime subjects of our successful experiment!”

        That had been their cue. With a slow vent, FarLust strode out from the shadows, leading Kaol and CatClaw, the femme at her left, the mech at her left.

        “You are being given a rare opportunity to see these three, the ring leaders of the elite battalion that shall overtake the Autobots in this war!” Megatron continued, pacing around the platform before he began gesturing to each of them in turn. “FarLust, step forward,” he ordered, and she obeyed, leaving the other two a few paces behind her. “Decepticons, this is the original success. Designation: FarLust. A relentless Autobot murderess who will lead her soldiers thanks to her impossible loyalty and desire to protect those who share her spark. If you cross her, I cannot guarantee your safety.”

        With a nod from Megatron, FarLust stepped back a pace, not as far back as she’d been, but far enough. “Kaol, step forward,” Megatron commanded. The dark grey mech obeyed, stepping forward so that he was barely ahead of FarLust. “This, my Decepticons, is Kaol, the son of Kaon. His strenght is unnatural, as is his gift for battling several dangerous Autobots simultaneously. This mech is armed with several forms of cannons, blades and is more than capable of holding multiple alternate forms.”

        Again, the warlord nodded, and the mech stepped back. “CatClaw, step forward,” Megatron told her slowly, and the former Autobot stepped towards the crowd, her appearance familiar to many of the Decepticons. Several of the loyal warriors immediately drew weapons, but Megatron held up his hand to pause them from firing. “This is not the Autobot you all knew. CatEyes is far gone,” Megatron assured, shaking his helm. “This is CatClaw, reborn as a Decepticon, her spark altered so that she is the same as these two. She has retained all deadly information she held of the Autobots, and will be of utmost use to our cause. These are the deadly trio. And they shall bring dark days upon our Autobot foes.”

        ~~~

        “You can’t have him!” FarLust shouted, glaring at the scientist and the warlord as they approached Kaol, who was being tended to by CatClaw. The mechs paused, looking back at where FarLust stood, snarling. “Don’t you dare touch him!” Fearlessly, she strode over, taking up a post between the injured mech and two powerful beings who threatened to end his existence.

        “FarLust,” Megatron began, a hint of a warning in his tone, though he mostly kept himself calm. “The morale for war is fading. We need to give the troops a reason to fight again. While they vaguely know of your . . . Existence, they are unaware of how many of you exist.”

        It was true. It had been quite some time since the rally. The Decepticons were in an ebb and flow of the war, and currently, they were in a potentially disastrous downturn. “That doesn’t mean you can take him,” FarLust growled, her optics brightening a further shade of red.

        “Stand down,” Megatron ordered, his optics glancing over to the mech crumpled on the ground in a growing pool of energon. “He’s no longer of use.”

        “But he’s okay . . .” FarLust argued quietly, glancing down at the floor. “He’ll be okay . . . He just needs to be healed.”

        “We need to give the troops motivation more than we need an injured mech. The other mechs are more than capable of filling the role of Kaol. This one shall become the tide turner in the war until the rest of you have finished your training,” Megatron explained, his voice low.

        “You can’t . . .” FarLust murmured, clenching her hands into fists. “You can’t-.”

        That was the moment in which Kaol struck.

        The mech lunged, shooting past FarLust and towards Megatron, his cannon drawn, a blade in the other hand, his optics filled with a primal desire to maim and kill.

        In one deft blow, Megatron sliced down, cutting through the catalytic mech whose spark had finally given out.

        In an instant, Kaol was offline. And FarLust was devastated.

        ~~~

        FarLust watched from afar as Megatron presented Kaol’s severed helm to the Decepticon masses. An uproar unsettled the crowd, several shouting for the extinction of the Autobots for their crimes against the Decepticons. FarLust growled, hating the fact that her own kind had abused her siblings, taking them and using them as they needed without a care. Kaol was offline, all for propaganda.

        FarLust’s spark called for energon.

        Another growl hit her audio receptors, one just as primal as hers. When FarLust looked over, a Cybertronian wolf stood near her inside the cover of the shadows. Its armor was colored white with black detailing, bright yellow optics set deep in its helm. FarLust stared at the wolf for a moment, taking in the being’s appearance before returning her attention to the crowd of Decepticons, most of which were calling for Autobot energon to be spilled.

        A silent challenge was issued when FarLust looked back at the wolf to her side, and the wolf made optic contact, a snarl crossing the predators faceplate: “Are you going to let them get away with this?”

        FarLust growled, turning her glare to the Decepticons, the majority of them useless drones. With a snarl of her own, FarLust stalked towards the growing crowd, their shouts growing louder under Megatron’s influence and insistence that the Autobots pay. It didn’t take long before she was in the midst of the crowd.

        For a few quiet moments, she stood there in the crowd, completely silent as she listened to them cheer and shout.

        Then Kaol’s helm rolled up to her peds, lifeless.

        That was the instant in which FarLust drew her first weapon, scarring her place among the Decepticons as she slaughtered one after the other. More importantly, it set the course of events into motion that would alter her potential among Cybertronians.

        ~~~

        The sky was dark when Fay had managed to slip from her room, into the halls, and eventually outside. The darkened hues were lighted only by the light of the moon and it’s slowly waning phases. In the corners of her vision, a few excess shadows teased her sight, but Fay promptly ignored them. Tonight was special, and she wasn’t about to let anything taint the event.

        “Well, well, well! There’s our girl!” The early-twenties man Fay only knew as Jaxson immediately came over to her, throwing an arm around her shoulders. “How’s it been going, Kid? Are you excited? Nervous? I promise everyone’s cool here! We’ve always been cool. That’s why we’re all invested in you, no matter what anyone says or does. You’ll always be one of us, okay? So it’s all good. I promise you.”

        Fay smiled up at him, a bit nervously. Her nerves were getting to her, honestly. She was going to meet the true forms of the beings that had cared for her all her life, and were the closest thing to family she had. “Good to know, Jax.”

        With a devilish smile, the Lieutenant’s holoform led Fay from the doors of the building to the underused football field, where it appeared the Autobots had already congregated. Each one currently sat still in their vehicle modes. As the pair approached, the headlights came on, set by set, and the holoforms that accompanied each vehicle became visible.

        In front of the semi Fay already knew too well, was Optimus’s holoform.

        In front of a large black pick-up truck stood her father, and suddenly, Fay understood all too well why her mother had kept the truck all those years.

        Speaking of her mother, the woman was standing in front of a blue motorcycle, and her mother’s unnatural hair color clicked.

        A young, handsome blond boy stood in front of a yellow and black-striped Camaro. The ‘drunk driver’ who’d saved her life.

        Next to him was an attractive young woman who stood in front of another Camaro, the black stripes substituted for brown, the main body of the car still a bright yellow.

        Jaxson rushed over to his own vehicle mode, the silver Porsche. The car that had been obliterated in the crash. The one that was going to be sold in order for her family to purchase and care for a horse -- the very thing Fay had wanted as a child. “Whatcha think, my little sis?” Jaxson called out, grinning.

        She blinked a few times, rubbing the back of her neck, trying to process how this was possible. “But it’s not possible . . .” She began quietly. “That care was destroyed in the crash. YOU were obliterated in the crash.”

        Jaxson smiled, his true form transforming to reveal himself, gazing down at Fay from behind his visor as he spoke, his holoform breaking down and rejoining his main form. “It may have appeared that way, Farrah. I understand it was a scary experience for  you. I know it seemed that the car was broken beyond repair. But Cybertronians,” he quickly knocked on his armor. “Are much more versatile than any Earth substance. I more than survived the crash, even if it didn’t appear that way.”

        “But you . . .” Fay paused, imagining another part of the equation. “Jax, you were going to be sold . . . For a horse . . . What then . . . ?”

        Jazz laughed. “Well that’s the best part! After a night on the lot, I was going to vanish and continue watch duty from afar. Chrome and ‘Hide were going to handle close danger. I would be there if needed, but . . . Otherwise it was just, you know what I’m saying, Fay.”

        With a slow nod, she looked down. “I know . . . But then things changed . . . A lot . . . And Mom . . . Kept the truck all this time because . . .” Fay looked up, watching as the black truck transformed in front of her, turning into a towering black-painted mech, armed with several cannons. “Because it was Dad . . . And he was always going to watch over me . . .”

        “Every day of my life, Fair,” Ironhide told her gently, nodding. “It was hard. But we managed to make it all right. We made it out of that place. And now . . . Now we’re back.”

        “I’m so glad you’re my dad,” Fay admitted. “I don’t think anyone could’ve been better at it . . . You’re wonderful at taking care of me.”

        Ironhide huffed, shaking his helm. “I can imagine only one mech who may do a better job than I did,” he mumbled, not liking the thought of it. “But that shouldn’t be for a long while,” Ironhide asserted. “I am still more than capable of caring for my daughter. I’m still more than capable of taking care of Fair Meadows.”

        Fay smiled slowly. “That’s my name, Dad . . .”

        Ironhide laughed a little. “I won’t wear it out.”

        Fay smiled a bit more, glancing around the Autobots who’d gathered tonight. “So . . . Um . . .”

        Chromia transformed, revealing her true form to the girl who’d called her ‘Mom’ for so many years. “Do you have any questions for us, Baby?”

        With a nervous laugh, Fay rubbed the back of her neck again. “There’s so many I lost track of all of them, actually,” she admitted. “Whoops . . .” Turning a bit to her right, Fay looked at Optimus, a bit expectantly. Within seconds, the Prime had transformed, standing at his towering height above them all, his form intimidating in it’s presence. If Fay hadn’t known him so well, it probably would’ve terrified her to look up and see him so far above her. Unlike most of the others, Optimus kept his holoform active, giving Fay just a little bit more comfort. “So . . . What about them?” Fay asked, glancing at the two Camaros.

        Optimus gave a nod, and the other two transformed, a mech, and a femme, the pair looking quite similar in their appearance, though the one was a bit more feminine, giving away her difference in gender. “These two are scouts,” Optimus informed her. “The mech is Bumblebee, the first of our kind to arrive on Earth. The femme is Searchlight, a recent addition to our ranks. Both are quite valuable in our tasks, and have pulled fill-in duty while the rest of us are incapable of watching over you to keep you safe from the Decepticons.”

        “So you’re all like . . . Guardian angels or something . . . You keep me safe in the face of danger . . . You’re the angels battling the demons . . . But . . . What, or who, exactly are you protecting from the demons?” Fay looked up at the Prime, then down to his holoform. “Can a created demon become an angel? Is that possible even in theory? Or is the demon doomed to continue walking down the path it was made for?”

        “Sweetheart,” Searchlight called gently, and Fay immediately turned to face her. “Just because the Decepticons had one thing in mind when they brought your spark into existence doesn’t mean you’re stuck with their intentions. Every sentient being has choices to be made. It doesn’t matter what your origins are. As far as the Autobots are concerned, you’re one of us until you give us a real reason to believe otherwise. You’re part of the Autobot family. And if the Decepticons have a problem with it, then oh well, because we’re not going to abandon you for them to snatch up. That’s not how we work.”

        Fay nodded slowly, rubbing her arm. “But what’s wrong with my spark then?”

        “What do you mean, Baby?” Chromia asked. Looking up, Fay could plainly see the concern written across the faceplates of Ironhide, Chromia, Jaxson, Optimus, even the two scouts.

        “I . . .” Fay paused, glancing around nervously for a moment. “I don’t know what’s wrong with it . . . It’s not colored right . . .” With a deep breath, Fay concentrated on the plates that hid her spark, shifting them so her spark was visible, the amber shade prevalent. “It’s not blue . . .” Fay pointed out sadly. “What’s wrong with it . . . ?”

        “It’s because you’re a catalytic.” From the trees of the forest, Ratchet emerged, gazing down at the techno-organic. “When a Cybertronian spark is created, such as yours was, it is called a catalytic spark. The rush that is required to create the spark makes for an unstable being. The outcome can be a primal, dangerous, incredibly deadly being, if they are properly armed. Because your catalytic CNA came in contact with the DNA of the organics on this planet, it calmed some, though far from all, of the nasty side effects of being a catalytic spark.

        “We cannot rightfully say what you would have been like if you had not become a techno-organic as you are now. In addition to catalytics being incredibly difficult to create in the first place, a fairly large amount do not survive the creation process, and most of those become primal and a threat to anything living. This being said, a small fraction of them go on to become nearly average Cybertronians, with a few quirks that set them apart. Regardless, catalytics are always distinguished from their natural Cybertronian counterparts, the most prevalent of these signs being the amber colored spark that resides inside your upper chassis,” the medic explained calmly.

        It took Fay a few moments to absorb the information. “So . . . Because I’m created my spark is different . . . ? Then what about the excess colors . . . ? Those are normal colors . . . They’re just not very strong . . .”

        Ratchet kneeled down, peering into Fay’s spark chamber for a few moments, examining the fleeting shades of red and blue that crossed through the golden yellow. “Optimus,” he called out. “While this raises a few questions and concerns . . . It appears that neither color will ever fully take over the spark. However, which color will remain is up to you, Farrah.” The old medic’s optics flicked to met Fay’s eyes. “Whichever path you choose to follow will decide what occurs within your spark. Whether the outcome involves blue or red isn’t up for us to decide, but for you. and only you.”

        “But what if I don’t have a choice?” Fay argued. “How do I change it then? How can I fight against something if they made it so I can’t? Is that even possible?”

        “Fair,” IronHide called gently. “We have spent the last two decades making sure you had a choice. Between our protection and the changes in your coding from the human DNA . . . You should be more than capable of making your own choices. It’s what we’ve fought for.”

        His response only raised further questions for Fay: what if they’d fought for nothing and there had been nothing to fight for? That possibility terrified her.

 ~~~

A/N: Searchlight is an OC belonging to TFASGAwriter and may make a few more apperances in the series as I see fit.