The soft familiar touch of the ground and the soft grasses floating gently in the air around you, you've never been to a planet with "grass" so this was only an illusive guess about what it felt like. Just like the sun that danced along on your frame warming the plating is only an assumption of how it would feel against you. 

Everything is just a guess.

A truth you made for yourself.

Lidding your optics a little you heaved a soft sigh enjoying the beauty of the painted sky hanging above you, and the faint breeze that ruffled through the trees rattling them faintly. It was like a page from a story book that would be read by a carrier. Your smile slowly fell at the thought.

You've never had a carrier, or a sire, never been a part of a family, just a drone cranked out by a system needed to fight in a manufactured war against no one. Just blank slate soldiers with empty sparks and minds, bots easy to send out because no one would miss them. No one would weep for a bot with no place. 

Even then they had a purpose, a false nobility they can fill in the blanks of same eulogy with, but you have no purpose, nothing but a living breathing experiment in a system that wouldn't care if Preceptor cut the wrong wire and caused your empty hollow death on the operating table, then to be tossed out like a broken tool, any useful parts taken to be used on someone else.

The air was growing colder, the ground no longer felt as welcoming to lay against. The grasses scratched and clawed at you as wind began to grow more aggressive and angry as you worked your way slowly to stand up, the sky began to blur with blues and greys leaving you standing at the top of Iacon tower gazing over the familiar buildings of your home. 

The first time you've seen Iacon, you remembered this moment well standing on the edge of the building blinded by the brilliant lights that surged across the city. It was sadly ironic because the reason you had rushed up here didn't match the reaction to the beauty you've seen before you here.

You only faintly noticed the warm sensation of tears rolling over your cheek plates instead just taking in the euphoric feeling of the adrenaline filling your chassis as your pedes began to shift to take you off the building and join the lights down below you. 

"So, pretty isn't it?" Oh you were beginning to wonder when he would show up, turning with a shake you found Wheeljack there, not approaching quickly, and talking oh so casually, but that is what you had needed at the time, a sense of normality 

"It's the first time you've seen it right?" The mech chuckled softly, "I like to come up here and enjoy the sights myself too." 

"y-yeah.." The voice that came from you sounded so broken and hollow, scared even.

"But I don't think you're up here to enjoy sights are ya?" He asked as you turned back to face the lovely lights before you, this memory was something you've thought back so often on reflecting if you made the right choice here

He sighed, "I know Percy ain't the kindest spark in the world but I never thought something like this would ever happen..." 

"I... I never thought so either." You didn't know really what you were referring too as you rubbed a still bleeding wound on the soft side of your arm where some sort of monitor or drip had been, "But I'm here, at least I got to see something nice before I retire." 

"Not much of a retiring after you've only seen one beautiful sight. The world is full of 'em shame to end it without seeing more right?" Wheeljack added placing his crossed arms on the wall where you were standing upon, "I'm sure you'd love to see the world and the bots in it, take pictures of the things you love?"

"Y-yeah..." You felt as though your pedes were finally on the ground despite being so high up , "Y-Yeah I'd.... I'd love to see more of this place.."

"Then you should come down and take a picture with me." He hummed offering you a servo to gently take to help you down from where you were tittering on the edge. Not forcing you to take it nor telling you to stop, just a simple suggestion.

The world began to blurr once again as you reached into your subspace and pulled out the small picture, the first of your vast collection. Just a photo of you and Wheeljack with the lovely lights behind you. Smiling faintly you stroked a thumb over Wheeljack in the photo doing a small peace sign with you looking much worse for wear but smiling the widest you probably ever smiled.

You saw Wheeljack a lot more after that, and it really felt like he's there for you and a friend you could rely on and trust. Someone that would sneak you photos of places you'd love to see and would make you laugh when times were hard. A highlight of your day whenever he would visit.

...Someone that would miss you if you left...

Your optics widened a little at the thought, he would miss you if you were gone. So would the Twins, two bots you had grown to know better than most, they could understand where you were coming from and your experiences. Best friends who were always there for you, someone else that would miss you terribly if you were to ever leave them alone in this cruel place.

They were the closest things you had to a family, the bots who you belonged with the most. Bots that have shown you so so much about the world you exist in with them. They would be so hurt if you ever left them. 

"(y/n)!"

You jolted at the sound of Blurr's voice and turned around to face it only to find the echo of the loud call hitting you from the side. The world began to spin as his voice bounced off nothing within the blank space of your mind. Optics wide you began to step in one direction as your thoughts began to drown you.

Where does Blurr fit into this?

Would he miss you as well?

Or does he not care at all about you and would just see you as another drone swallowed by the war?

Does he truly love you?

As you love him?

"(Y/n)! Wake up!" 

You snapped your helm up from the clear call to break through the loud echoing. Clear and direct, easy to locate where it was. What direction it is coming from. 

There is only one way to answer all of your questions.

You began to do what you were manufactured to do.

Run.

Run to him.

To the life you weren't ready to leave behind.

To your friends.

To the place you will make for yourself.

To the love you had found.

Slowly you began to go faster, your stride lengthening, frame and armor and changing to your current familiar frame as you reached out a servo to find your bearings into the physical realm. 

To get back to him.

With a gasp you met the floor with a loud crash as your visor began flashing and filling with alerts and vitals.

You were back, for them.