Chapter Thirty-Seven

                                    

                                          
And my streak continues! Hope everyone's proud I've done this much so far!
                          


                          
[Amanda]
                          
  With the heartbeat still pounding into my head, I dimly felt someone guide be backwards until I hit something soft. Someone's hands were on my shoulders, someone was talking to me, but I couldn't make out anything over the pounding. 
                          
    "It is time, child. It is time."
                          
  Then it all stopped. I gasped, eyes flying open to see everyone looking at me in concern. My breathing was coming in short rasps, and my eyes darted around the base to reorient myself. I was sitting on the couch, Ms. Darby crouched in front of me, her hands on my shoulders as concern filled her eyes. Finn and Jack hovered nearby, Raf sitting right next to me and Miko on the other side. Agent Fowler was right behind Ms. Darby, his expression full of concern as well. The next closest one was Optimus, who was nearly over the railing. For an Autobot who did so well at hiding his emotions, he could barely hide his worry and fear. 
                          
  I took a long breath, steadying myself, and shook my head. "It's passed. I'm okay now."
                          
  No one moved, so I decided to move on myself. "That noise, it was a heartbeat. How is that possible? A heart pumps blood, but there's nothing inside the earth to pump."
                          
  Raf sat up next to me. "Except the blood of Unicron."
                          
  A stab of pain went through my mind but I pushed it back, wanting to take the attention off of me. 
                          
  "Okay hold on," Miko said, noticing my discomfort and continuing the discussion. "You mean something's living down there, inside out planet?"
                          
  "I fear that the earth's very core is not comprised of magma as your science has suggested," Ratchet said, unable to keep himself from answering. "But of dark energon. And if we're hearing a spark, then Unicron is the rising darkness that the prophecy foretold."
                          
  "How do we stop this thing from rising?" Agent Fowler asked, stepping away. Ms. Darby gave me a defeated look when she noticed I wasn't willing to talk about what happened, handed me a water bottle, and then stood as well.
                          
  "That, I am afraid, was not foretold." Optimus said grimly, also seeing my attempt for space. But he gave me a look that said we weren't done talking about what just happened. 
                          
  "How can something be in our Earth's core and be alive?" Ms. Darby asked. 
                          
  "Such a thing is not unprecedented," The Prime said. "Before the beginning, there was Primus and there was Unicron. One the incarnation of creation, the other of destruction. For aeons, Primus and Unicron battled, the balance of power shifting between them more times than could be counted. In attempts to help their cause, both deities created a goddess with the power to help their creators win the battle. Unicron created Valilorna, the goddess of chaos and war. Primus created Cleona, the goddess of truth and justice."
                          
    Those names sound so familiar...
                          
  "Still, the balance of power continued to shift between the two sides." Optimus continued. "Only by working together to create the 13 original Primes who preceded me, were Primus and Cleona able to defeat Unicron and Valilorna. Valilorna was banished and caged in the Zaren Pits, and Unicron was cast out. Primus became one with the very core of our planet, creating life through the Well of Allsparks, while Unicron was never to be heard from again. Until now."
                          
  I rubbed my eyes. This all sounded so familiar, as if I had heard it already before.
                          
  "Maybe we can find the hole this Uber-Con left when he dug himself down there," Agent Fowler said. "And fill it full of explosives."