- Tied Winner of "Best Co-written Fic" and Runner-up for "Best Tear-jerker" 2005

Nightmare

Authors’ note: We don’t own Beast Wars, but IceQueen owns her self.

She picked up her feet and ran as fast as her body would let her. This couldn’t be happening! It couldn't, She just saw him not an hour ago. Her legs carried her across the hot sands as a golden sun sank into the sea, dieing it in reds.

Dieing.

NO!

He lay there in a heap at the ocean's edge, sparking and heaving, trying to keep breathing, trying to stay alive so he could see Omicron one more time.

There! Not a half a mile away, her guardian. Primus be slagged if she didn't get there in time.

This time Rampage had simply done better. He'd fought like a demon, like nothing else, and Depth Charge had simply lost the fight. There were no excuses to be had. "Omie..."

The sands burned her bare feet, but she didn't feel it, so intent was she at getting to him

Omicron skidded to a stop in front of the massive Maximal. Or rather, she took off what seemed like two layers of skin from the bottom her feet as the momentum of her flight kept going. So she ended up in an ungraceful heap some odd feet beyond where she wanted to be.

His optics sought her out, weakly lifting his head to do so. The left one was shattered, pouring silver tears of mech-fluid down his cheek. "Omie..."

The rest of him was battered and bruised and torn--he was lying in a growing puddle of his own mech-fluid.

"My God!" She spat out sand as she tried not to think of the sickly sweet smell of mech, "Oh good Lords no." Her voice cracked as she crawled over to him. Her green and blue shorts were stained silver as she did so.

"Hey...." His working optic seemed to smile at her a bit.

Omicron's hand hovered over an open gash on his shoulder, the other just barely touching his face. As if she thought she'd hurt him more.

"How...are you…today?" He asked gently, pained. She knew no matter what state he was in he'd never forget his obligatory greetings to her.

"Just peachy, still hip deep in homework." She tried to give her trademark smile.

"Good...you make sure...to get it…done." The open hole in his side sparked violently, making him twitch and gasp.

Bluish green eyes misted but no tears came, he knew she never cried out right. She made some promise a long time ago on her spirit sister gave that she'd never would again in front of others. Even him.

"You know me, I'll get to it some time." Her voice cracked.

"Hopefully...b-before the due date.." He managed a pained chuckled, but stopped as a wave of pain accompanied it. "Made some...mistakes today I shouldn't...hnnn...have.."

"Told’ja to stay..." She stopped as her voice broke, much to her dismay. She rested her left hand on the side of he's face, looking into the one ruby colored optic.

"I know...and I should have..." His optic dimmed sharply as he sighed in sadness.

Omicron moved, turning so she could rest her forehead against his, right hand traced a deep scratch near the ray's neck, she didn't seem to care about the size difference. Not that she really did in the first place.

"No duh, I'm the Queen here," She said, mech staining her arms and legs silver here and there.

The cut sparked, a little bit of light hitting her arm and warming it mildly. Inside it, she could see chopped and smoldering wires, muscle-cords that would never heal... "I never was one to...argh. .listen to authority.."

"No, you never do," she whispered, the setting sun casting the ray's shadow over her.

He gasped sharply, and looked at her with his one functioning eye. "Oh...I'm so sorry..."

"For what?" Her eyes closed, trying to keep tears in. "I don't see any thing wrong, Primal and the others will be here soon." She lied, not wanting to except that she could lose her Guardian and favorite. "You'll be okay..."

"I'm sorry for not...gyyaahh..!...Being able to protect you anymore.."

"Don't say that, you will." She choked, "You'll be okay, just watch." She couldn't stand the thought, so she didn't believe it.

His great silver hand reached up, covered in mech-fluid and sand, and brushed her cheek a bit. She felt the cold sticky grittiness left on her skin. "No... Primal is too far...stasis lock disabled.."

Her eyes closed tightly against the thought, if she believed it wont happen... it wouldn't, because it COULDN’T!

He curled up suddenly, moaning as he was overcome by electrical interference and sparking. His systems were shutting down one by one...He gasped, "Omie...! I'm sorry..."

"Gods, don't you DARE!" She cried out hugging him as best as she could, "This can't be happening, this CAN'T be happening, "

"Shh..." He relaxed a bit, sighing again. "I…grow tired..." The night enveloped them completely, leaving her unable to see anything but his functioning optic and a dim glow of his broken one.

No longer able to stand it, or keep them in she pushed her head against his blackened armor. To hide the hot tears that seemed to burn their way down her face.

A clod inshore wind curled around the two, it didn't help that Omicron only had shorts and a swimming top on, but that didn't seem to matter...

He felt her tears, and they sizzled broken circuits in the slash by his neck. The hunter rolled onto his back, fins limp and lifeless, and took his steadily weakening arms about her. "Shh..."

"...don't..." Was all that came out.

"I have to." His voice was quiet, nothing but a whisper, nearly drowned out by the sea. "I'm going to…to miss you.."

Omicron heard heavy jets in the distance. Optimus Primal had arrived.

Her hands curled, looking like claws as she looked up, "You stubborn slagger!" Tear stained and getting mad as the Pit she stared at him, "You, the person who took me in as your charge, 'cause you said Primal and the others didn't know frag about what I am, you're now going leave me with them?!"

The shadows were back in those eyes of hers.

"Primal will...protect you.."

"Not like you!"

Rhinox jumped off of Primal's back and ran up. He used a handheld light to check over the ray. After a click he stood up and looked at Optimus, shaking his head. "We're...too late." He turned to Omie. "I'm sorry...we'd only be putting him through more pain if we moved him."

Her shadowed eyes flashed with something neither Rhinox nor Optimus never seen, but Depth Charge had. It was coming out of her, the others would see what see was, his Omicron.

He tried to calm her, brushing her cheek again with a scorched thumb. "Shh...don't get angry…I'm sorry...terribly sorry...but I can't."

"No, you don't have to be..." She leaned into his touch, "I don't want another in me, please. You keep the nightmares back."

His optic flickered, then went out. "Hrmm...I'll keep the nightmares back for you, I promise." He back arched suddenly as the electricity coursed over him again. "Gaaahh!"

She pushed her hands on his armor trying to help the other keep the ray still.

Omicron screamed defiance; her eyes seemed to turn gray as her voice mixed with the other voices of her pasts'.

"NO!!!"

Rhinox and Primal held the ray down as he convulsed. The giant ape asked worriedly, "Is there nothing we can do?"

Rhinox shook his head. "It's his time tonight."

"NO! This CAN'T happen! DO something! Anything......"

"There's nothing to be done!" Rhinox gritted with effort of holding the seizing ray's shoulder's down. "Hold his head, don't let his head hit anything."

Omicron leaped behind him, pulling his head into her lap, hands holding on just under his chin and her own head pressed to his forehead. Kind-of like that one time back at the lake they found a few months back.

Once she was there, he calmed suddenly, both going completely lax, optics black.

Her blue and green died hair framed his face, shielding him from the other two. Later she'd wonder where her hair tie went, but not right now...

Rhinox and Primal backed off to watch a distance away, knowing of Omicron's connection to the gruff hunter. Depth Charge's optic powered up weakly, but other than that, he didn't move. "Primus...it's taking forever for me to die.."

"Maybe 'cause you're not going to?" It was weak question and she knew it.

“No...my spark's fading, quickly now.."

"This is kind of like a few months ago. Remember? By the lake, just before Cheetor's jets gave out and you had to save him?" Omicron wished to any and all the gods that she could be back there, laughing at the cat and the look on Depth Charge's face when he had to get up.

"I remember.... stupid cat.... Omie...oh Primus, Omie…I can't feel.... anything.."

She smiled pressing her head harder against him. Not knowing that she started crying again, or if she did, for once she didn't care if any one saw her. "I'm here, like you were for me, I'll be right here."

"Don't go anywhere.... stay...." It was then she felt extra warmth against her skin, and for the first time, she saw him cry.

Omicron moved a little, blocking him from the other two Maximals, "What ever." She made herself give him her trademark grin.

"Yeah, whatever..." He seemed to smile back, then his optics widened...

She hugged him, as best as she could considering, as she forced herself to relax for him.

His chest plates separated and opened, his last bit of power. His spark bubbled weakly inside the cavity, lighting up her face.

Omicron looked up slowly, and whispered so softly, the waves crashed nearby drowning out her words.

The spark drifted in front of her, almost willing her to touch it.

Her hand hovered just by it she could feel the warmth of the spark. She mixed what he'd told her after they first met with what she said at Storm's grave. "I'll be safe, I'll be strong, I wont cry, I’ll live again...just like you," she added.

Her friend's spark touched her hand, and she suddenly felt this terrible heat! Burning her from the inside out as her other hand was forced to grip the other side. He died in her hands, but a part of him was left behind...in her. As he was extinguishing, a wave of blue energy washed up her arms, and she could hear his voice in her head.

"I'm always watching."

Then he was gone. Dead, his lifeless body in front of her, head a lead weight in her lap.

Omicron looked at her hands, no longer aware of anyone else. She took a deep breath and held it, trying not to scream.

Primal and Rhinox lowered their heads and gave her, her time.

The fire burned in her eyes as she looked up at the stars. She would be strong, she wouldn't cry, she would live again. Just like she knew Depth Charge and Firestorm would.

Rhinox finally approached. He'd always been kind to her, almost grandfatherly to her. "Omicron," he whispered. "We need to take him back to base."

Omicron gasped and took another breath then held it, as she nodded slowly.

He stood up with her and nodded to Primal, who walked up solemnly in the dark. "I'm sorry, Omicron...we've suffered a massive loss tonight."

She looked out over the dark sea, starlight glittered off it, "Whatever." She walked to the edge of great mass of water, the waves pushed up to and around her stained legs, as if trying to clean the pain away.

She stood knee deep in the cool waters and smiled. Then she heard it, and saw it. She saw a reflection in the water. HIS reflection.

"Omie...."

Don't be that way, Omie. Don't shun them like I did. Let them help you with your losses.

"I will, but I want to be alone for a bit." She looked over her shoulder at Primal questioningly.

Primal nodded to her and knelt down, slowly, carefully slipping his right arm behind her friend's shoulders, the other behind his knees and lifted.

She heard mech-fluid dripping from her guardian's body into the large puddle he'd been laying in.

Rhinox turned to her and asked gently, "Do you need any more time with him?"

She looked back at the vast sea, "I'm good."

"Very well." She heard him ignite his foot jets, and carry Depth Charge's body away.

Before the other Maximal's could say or doing anything more Omicron dove in. The two saw why the ray had said she was a good swimmer.

One arm over the head then the other. Pace your self, not too fast, you don't want to tire out. She was heading to a small island she saw a ¼ mile out. It will be all right.

The island had been where Depth Charge went when he wanted to be alone. It was full of gorgeous alcoves and waterfalls and caverns and places to hide.... he'd loved it there, and if there was any place she could go to be near him, it was there.

Omicron pulled herself out of the seawater, the salty smell and taste still with her as she walked to a pool of black looking water.

The herd of wild horses that lived on the island was nearby; Omicron could hear them. In fact, she saw one of them. On the opposite end on the pool, a great black stallion stood, watching her carefully.

"You found me," she said sitting, then laid back down, finally letting herself go and crying her heart out as she curled into a loose ball.

The stallion nickered and bounded off towards his herd, disappearing. As Omicron cried, she SWORE she felt someone close…

She gripped the dragon pennant around her neck as she drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow would come when it did. But who was...?

Depth Charge sat on the rock not too far away, watching his friend. He was in Limbo, not yet in the Matrix, but no longer of the real world. He would spend a small while like this, a phantom, a ghost, waiting for Primus' judgment. He missed her already. Looking down at his hands, he watched and marvelled as they glowed mildly, almost transparent.

Deep, slow breaths came in and out as Omicron fell into sleep, looking almost peaceful. She was content with the 'feeling' that her guardian was still near.

He watched her all night...never sleeping, not needing to. He turned his gaze to the brightening sky. She would not be able to see him, he didn't think, unless what he left in her allowed her to.

"Thank you." Omicron didn't move or open her eyes. She didn't need to she could sense and picture him in her mind.

You're welcome, my friend.

She smiled and tried to drift back into the dream world as he began to sing quietly.

I pray you'll be our eyes

And watch us where we go

And help us to be wise

In times when we don't know…

Let this be our prayer

As we go our way

Lead us to a place

Guide us with your Grace

To a place where we'll be safe

La luce che to dai

I pray we'll find your light

Nel cuore resterò

And hold it in our hearts

A ricordarchi che

When stars go out each night

L'eterna stella sei

Nella mia preghiera

Let this be our prayer

Quanta fede c'è

When shadows fill our day

Lead us to a place

Guide us with your grace

Give us faith so we'll be safe.

Sognamo un mondo senza più violenza

Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza

Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino

Simbolo di pace e di fraternità

La forza che ci dai

We ask that life be kind

E'il desiderio che

And watch us from above

Ognuno trovi amore

We hope each soul will find

Intorno e dentro a sé

Another soul to love

Let this be our prayer

Just like every child

Needs to find a place,

Guide us with your grace

Give us faith so we'll be safe

E la fede che

Hai acceso in noi

Sento che ci salverà