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“In one aspect, yes, I believe in ghosts, but we create them. We haunt ourselves.” ― Laurie Halse Anderson, Wintergirls
"Greetings, Thundercracker."
The navy blue Seeker, who had been walking towards the entryway for a tunnel leading down into Cybertron's depths, paused as a blue and gold Conehead Seeker stepped out of the darkness at his approach.
Thundercracker snarled. "Get out of my way, Dirge."
Dirge, however, didn't move.
"I know why you're here, Thundercracker. Starscream let me know before my release that you might try to come here once your own term was ended."
Thundercracker growled at the mention of his former Trinemate's name. "I said to let me by...Now."
Dirge just gazed at him impassively for a long moment. Then he shook his head with a sigh. "Thundercracker...you know as well as I that Skywarp isn't here. His shell was among those smelted down when the Victory was pulled out of the ocean back on Earth, along with the ship itself once the Autobots dismantled it and took what they wanted for parts."
"No remains are here, but his marker pedestal was erected, I know that. You wouldn't have neglected that responsibility as Crypt Master, Dirge."
Dirge sighed again. "Yes, but I had to take what metals the new government was willing to grant. And promise I wouldn't allow the place to become more than a remembrance ground." Something he'd been willing enough to do, as he had no wish to see martyrs created from a war that had only brought bitterness and darkness to Cybertron.
Perhaps Starscream had felt the same and that was why he'd surrendered, Dirge mused. But that was something to ponder on later. Right now, he had to deal with his former commander's Trinemate.
"I couldn't give a slag," Thundercracker was saying now. "I came to pay my respects, and then I'm returning to Vos. If you want to kowtow to the new government, be my guest." The last part was hissed. His optics narrowed. "Now get out of my way."
Dirge bowed his head and sighed once more. In truth, he really couldn't keep Thundercracker out of the tomb if he really wished to visit his old friend's memorial, but there was no denying that the other mech's behavior was worrisome.
Then again, he hadn't forgotten how the other mech had died, either...Going into stasis before they'd discovered him, and dying a few breems later without ever regaining consciousness. But perhaps that had been a mercy, considering the condition he'd been in when Tripwind and Spiralcurrent had come across him and called for help...
He'd seen the damage later, when he'd been allowed by Groundhog to come in and give the rites. Skywarp hadn't died easily, Dirge had seen that well enough, and he knew from the Seekers who'd brought him in that both of Skywarp's wingmates had seen him as well. Primus alone knew what Starscream had thought as he'd been told his commander had displayed little emotion at the sight of his dead wingmate, but Thundercracker's face had been quite the display, Tripwind had told him.
And given how events were shaping up at the time, he suspected that Thundercracker had never been able to allow himself time to really grieve for his long-time friend and wingmate...
That thought gave him pause as he focused hard on the mech in front of him all of a sudden. He and his Trine had survived the war, so he couldn't understand that particular pain, but he had known grief in his time, and had witnessed more than one mech becoming upset due to not being able to say goodbye...
Perhaps Thundercracker needed this after all, Dirge decided. Without another word, he stepped away. "Very well."
Without further ado, Thundercracker pushed past the other Seeker and headed down into the depths of the tunnel.
As he disappeared into the darkness, Crypt Master Dirge just shook his head.
While he knew the other mech was likely here to say goodbye, he suspected that Thundercracker was here for another purpose as well. But Dirge also suspected he wouldn't find the closure he sought.
Still, he hoped this visit would bring his former comrade some measure of peace.
There was no doubt in Dirge's mind that Thundercracker needed it.
Thundercracker made his way down through the dim corridors towards the central room, his path lit only by the occasional glow rods, which only seemed to be at half-power.
The dimness didn't really bother him, though. After having lived in bases that ran on less than half power for thousands of vorns, not to mention a prison cell for the past three hundred eighty-five vorns, he'd long since gotten used to things like that.
What he'd never get used to, he reflected grimly, was the fact his best friend since his younglinghood was gone forever...
::Tripwind to Thundercracker.::
::Thundercracker here. What is it, Tripwind?::
::Sir, it's...:: Silence for a klik. ::Sir, we've found Skywarp...::
Skywarp, for whatever reason, had headed off on his own for the perimeter patrol, choosing not to wait for Thundercracker. To this day, he didn't know why Warp hadn't waited for him. Perhaps he'd wanted to pull a prank on either Onslaught or Soundwave's team. Perhaps he just wanted to throw the warnings Starscream had given them about going out there on their own back into their Trineleader's face. Either way, it had proven fatal for him.
None of them had realized that the Stunticons had been given information about their patrol route, likely by one of Soundwave's cassettes. Thundercracker didn't know for sure which one, but suspected it had been Ravage, due to his habit of crawling around the vents.
He smirked coldly. That was one cassette he didn't miss. He'd heard that Ravage had been right next to Soundwave when the Autobots had caught up to him finally. Both had been killed in the firefight that resulted.
Tripwind and Spiralcurrent had gone out looking for Skywarp immediately after Starscream had learned that his wingmate had gone out alone against orders. They'd come across Motormaster and two others of his team beating Skywarp into scrap. They'd been able to drive them off, barely, then called for Thundercracker, who'd then called Starscream.
Starscream had said nothing. Not when he'd told him, not when he'd come down to the makeshift medbay of theirs. He'd just stared quietly at Skywarp's gray shell after Groundhog had declared him dead. Then he'd just turned and walked off, and it went back to being business as usual.
Or so Thundercracker had thought. About a week following Skywarp's death Starscream had called Thundercracker to his "office"...
"What do you want?" Thundercracker snarled at his wingmate as he stalked into the room.
Starscream, sitting at his desk, just raised a browridge at Thundercracker as he set a datapad down. "Is that any way to speak to your Trineleader?" he asked coolly.
"What Trine?" Thundercracker spat out. "Last time I checked, one of us was deactivated."
Starscream didn't even flinch at the acid in his Second's tone, just simply leaned back in his seat and smirked. Thundercracker wanted to punch him. Then he said three simple words: "Motormaster is dead."
Thundercracker was stunned for the briefest of moments. Then he felt a cold, cruel smirk of his own slither onto his face. He didn't need to ask who was responsible, the expression on Starscream's face said it all. He'd acknowledged his Trineleader's action with a nod, then left the room when Starscream dismissed him.
He'd never asked Starscream why he'd done it, given that he'd never once in all the vorns they'd worked together demonstrated that he'd given a slag about being a part of a Trine. Of course, Skywarp and he hadn't made it easy on their Trineleader, either, the navy Seeker would admit. But then, Starscream had always been an enigma to them from the orn they'd first met. Just when one thought they had him pegged, he'd suddenly do something outside the norm they'd come to expect from him. His execution of Motormaster hadn't been the first time he'd acted in a way that surprised his Second.
Thundercracker wondered if he'd ever really know why Starscream had done it...
He shook his head as he reached the end of the corridor and into the central room...
And paused. The room was bright, brighter than he'd expected. He squinted at the light that seemed to be coming from a large torch in the middle of the room. He turned his gaze away from the flame to look around the perimeter of the room.
Nothing but pedestals were to be seen.
A bitter smile crossed Thundercracker's face. Dirge had said as much, but still, he'd hoped...
Turning away, he started to make a circuit of the room, doing his best to ignore the open door and the statues beyond.
He scanned each of the markers...
Soundwave...
Megatron...
Onslaught...
Octane...
Shockwave...
Blitzwing...
Then he spotted it...
Skywarp.
Thundercracker walked over to the pedestal and crouched down, letting his fingers drift over the glyphs listing his friend's designation, clan and Cybertronian date of death. He sighed and bowed his head, off-lining his optics.
"Hey, my name's Skywarp of Chorionfire. What's yours?"
"Thundercracker of Hyperionwing," he whispered back to the memory voice.
That had started a life-long friendship. They had gone through school, the War Academy, the attack on Vos and then a war together. A lot of people had expected the two of them to end up together, but neither had really thought of each other beyond as friends. Skywarp was just too outgoing and brash for Thundercracker's tastes. What was good in a friend wasn't necessarily something that would work in a deeper, longer term relationship. Sure, sometimes it worked, but not in their case.
Which had suited Skywarp just fine. He'd been one of the freest spirits Thundercracker had ever met, and hadn't really cared overmuch for the idea of settling down. Like Thundercracker, he'd come from a decent-sized clan and wasn't the heir. Therefore, there was no pressing reason for him to find a Conjunx. Both their clans had survived the destruction of Vos and, as far as Thundercracker knew, had been a part of the exodus.
He wondered if Clan Chorionfire been informed of Skywarp's death, and if so, what their reaction was. He knew they hadn't exactly approved of Skywarp joining the Decepticons, but they hadn't stopped him, either. Not like his clan had tried to do...
With another sigh, Thundercracker on-lined his optics.
"Why the frag did you go off by yourself that day, Warp?" His optics glowed brightly as he spoke. "Was the idea of pulling a prank or shoving it in Starscream's face that important to you? You knew how dangerous the situation was getting. Pit, I knew...and I still didn't try to stop you."
And that was what bothered Thundercracker the most. Skywarp had gone on a rant on the Earth day that Starscream had given that edict about going off by themselves, and all Thundercracker had done was shrug and let his friend's comments slide.
Two more Earth days later, Skywarp was beaten to death.
And all Thundercracker could see was his own mistake.
"Why didn't I stop you?" he whispered softly to the cold metal under his fingers. "Primus, I knew how slagged off you were and I just ignored it, thinking you'd cool down."
He shook his head.
"I should have known better. You and Starscream could hold grudges forever." He chuckled bitterly as some memories of similar incidents came to mind. "If nothing else, you two were really alike in that regard."
He moved his fingers away from the glyphs and stood up. "But I guess that doesn't matter anymore, does it?"
Thundercracker reached into his subspace and pulled out a holoimage of he and Skywarp as younglings and set it on the pedestal. "Here. I went to your quarters when Starscream made the decision to surrender and found your copy. Also grabbed a few other of your things. Didn't think you'd want Autobots laying their hands on your prank junk." He chuckled again, this time sadly. "Added it to my stuff. I'll hold onto it, if your family says they don't want it."
He checked his internal chronometer. "I have to go. Shuttle to Vos will be leaving from here in about ten breems and it's going to take me almost that long to get to the shipyard."
He turned to walk way, pausing only once to glance back. "Take care, Skywarp. I'll be back when I can."
Without another word, he turned and walked out of the tomb.
"You think he's going to be all right?"
Dirge, who'd been watching Thundercracker flying off towards the shipyard, turned back towards the sound of the voice.
When he saw who was standing there, he gave a slight smile.
"I'm sure he will be...Skywarp."