Chapter Text
The last thing Optimus remembered when he still functioned was the warm embrace of Cybertron's core.
It wasn't the heat akin to flying into a star like some might expect, no; it was like falling into the embrace of an old friend. It was warm, gentle.
It sang in harmony with the millions of sparks he carried within him.
It.. it felt like coming home.
There was no pain.
There was no suffering.
Just.. warmth.
(It.. was a better death than he deserved frankly.)
But then..
The sounds of tearing..
Pain..
Darkness..
(Heat like nothing he'd ever known-)
Then-
Warmth again, but.. different.
His optic-eyes, he had eyes now, opened.
"-And to your left, you'll see the Hanging Gardens of Paradise, perhaps the largest botanical garden in the city! I've heard recently that they'd just gotten flower transplants from the Eden Reserve in the Old Capital and they-"
Optimus broke from his musings, admonished himself slightly for spacing out, and looked down at his guide, a tan-skinned young woman named Ramona, who was currently rambling as she lightly tugged him along by the ser- hand.
She was a being that Peter (the young man guarding the gates) had introduced to him as another kind of 'angel', a 'virtue' if the sticker on her green and white checkered sundress was anything to go by; with four fluffy, stormy grey wings, a singular halo that looked like a neon green wreath, and soft brown curly hair and eyes.
And, for the last few hours (not counting the baffling time that everyone burst into song the moment he'd stepped through the gates), she'd been acting as his guide to this strange place amongst the clouds.
And what a place it was..
Silver and gold paved streets, gentle neon and pastel colored lights, hyper-advanced buildings sculpted from every precious metal and stone known to mankind; it was was a feast for the eyes, yet not overwhelming so.
Honestly, it almost felt as if he'd been taken back in time to the Golden Age, when Iacon was still a brilliant, bustling urban center.
(Iacon.. something twisted in his new organic chest at the thought.)
In fact, it had almost felt so akin to Iacon - barring the varying Angels and "Winners" walking the streets that seemed all too willing to gawk at him for some reason (Hm, Perhaps it was the uh.. 'toga' and the 'sandals' Ramona had given him?) - that the last Prime hadn't even questioned the sight of Iaconian Neocybex on inspirational billboards and other signage.
..Until he abruptly remembered that this was not Iacon, nor even Cybertron for that matter.
When he inquired to his guide about why his home dialect was on everything that could be read and not her home's own language, Ramona paused in her rambling and just softly smiled.
"While we angels do have our own written language," She explained with the practiced ease of someone who had known this their entire life, "We thought it best for the convenience of all, especially Winners, to have things translated via blessing into the language the person looking at it is most comfortable reading."
Optimus simply nodded.
"Ah, speaking of reading!"
Ramona stopped both of them in front of a rather large building that vaguely reminded him of the museum he and his Autobots had to ah.. relieve some relics from.
A gold plaque in front of said building held its purported purpose: Heavenly Records and Assignments Office
It had a dome shaped glass roof with purple and white bricks, gold trim and Greek columns, and large crystalline windows. Oh, and a massive set of marble steps. Steps Ramona was currently lead him up.
"It's about time we get your paperwork in order!" Her eyes then turned nervously sympathetic, "Now, I know most people don't find paperwork all that fun or well heavenly, but I promise. It's for your benefit and it won't take that long."
The last Prime gave her a small smile.
(An Angel passing them on the steps nearly dropped his latte at the sight.)
"That is fine Ramona, thank you," He rumbled softly.
The young virtue flustered like a shy child - a comparison that wasn't helped by how much smaller than him she was.
"O-Oh uh, no need to thank me, Optimus! I'm just doing my job!" She stuttered.
"Still-" Prime continued warmly, "You have been very informative. I appreciate that."
The poor angel looked like she was about to melt into the stairs from that single compliment, so Prime decided to spare her any further praise.
Together they passed through one of the crystalline rotating doors (which he only had to slightly lean down to step inside of) into the office's foyer.
Much like everything else in Heaven thus far, it too was breathtaking.
Purple marble floors polished to a mirror's shine bordered by clean velvety carpet, ceiling lights that floated through the air like miniature stars, Golden imperial staircases that framed a bronze fountain with a crystal dove holding an oil branch in its mouth beneath an actual rainbow at its center; Another casual display of wealth and elegance.
"O-Okay," She guided to Prime to one of the many plush couches and chairs that dotted the downstairs foyer, "I'm going to go get you the proper Welcome booklets going over things I wouldn't be able to go over today or if you want a refresher. Just stay here and wait for them call your name, alright? I shouldn't be more than a few minutes. I'll be right back!"
Optimus's opti- brows furrowed.
"And how would they-?"
But Ramona had already fluttered off, parts of her halo falling away like leaves and disappearing.
So, the Prime sat there on the.. admittedly very comfortable yet slightly too small loveseat - thankfully not sitting on his new hair thanks to the green hair scrunchie, also curtsey of his guide - his large wings shifting awkwardly as he tapped his knees in silence.
As he waited, he turned his gaze to the assortment of Winners and Angels flitting to and fro through the building.
From the Cherubs carrying stacks of paperwork..
("Just remember, Cherubs and Cherubim are not the same thing. In fact, You'll likely offend a Cherubim if you tried to call them a Cherub these days-")
..To the Dominions behind transaction desks made of purple marble and gold that lined both sides of the walls..
("Much like Principalities, Powers, and Virtues, Dominions look very human due to their Winner heritage, even in their full form, but their wings are typically made of either Electrum or Amber and their halos are made of electricity or fire. But uh- don't try to roast marshmallows over them because-)
..To the other stickered Angel Guides chatting with Winners just as new as him..
("H-Hello! My name is Ramona! As a part of the Welcoming Committee, it's my job to make sure all Winners assigned to me are as comfortable and informed as possible! But first.. let's pull up that hair and get you some shoes, ok?")
And now that he had a moment to himself after the whirlwind of the past handful of hours, he could now just sit and.. contemplate the oddity of it all.
'I am not one with the Allspark..'
He then looked down at his hands, just as he had when he stood before the Gates of Heaven, and felt the feathers on his wings puff up from the uncertainty his face did not show.
Skin and nails..
Muscles and blood..
Nerves and cells..
'This should not be possible..'
And yet, it was.
He was in the Human Afterlife in a humanoid organic(?) body.
Perhaps another Cybertronian in his place might feel horrified or disgusted at becoming organic, or - at the very least- something akin to being organic, but Optimus simply felt..
Well.. he wasn't exactly sure how he felt about it.
(Millennia in a body he'd come to know like the back of his servo. A body that was now gone. No. It did not matter. Compress. Suppress.)
The only thing he was sure of.. was that this was most certainly going to take some getting used to (more than his.. upgrade did perhaps). For he, more than likely, was never going to return to how he was before.
He could feel it, deep inside, that something in his spark.. had changed.
He absently rubbed his chest.
"Optimus Prime!"
The Prime in questioned blinked and turned.
One of the Dominions was looking around calling his name.
The Cybertronian turned Winner got up from his seat and proceeded to that Dominion's desk.
(Several heads turned and several conversations stopped as the behemoth and beauty of a Winner passed by them.)
This particular Dominion has two wings and eyes of amber, white hair in a side pony-tail, and a vermillion red ring of flame around their head. He looked down at the tag pinned on their red vest.
Ziya
Dominion
They/Them
"Optimus Prime?"
The Prime leans down a little and slowly nods with acknowledgement.
"That is my name, yes."
Ziya looks him up and down, then let's out a shuddering breathe.
"So, you're 'Mona's Winner.."
(Optimus swore he could hear them mutter a soft 'goddamn' under their breath, but chose not to comment.)
"Indeed I am," Optimus affirms, "Ramona has been most helpful these past few hours in getting me acquainted with Heaven and it's peoples and has spoken at length about many things. It has been an educational experience."
Ziya chuckles slightly.
"Yeahh, 'Mona can be kinda chatty if someone's willing to indulge her rambling, hopefully she didn't talk your wings off too much about something random like the historical usage of Sanctuary Flowers or something."
The Prime tilted his head.
"I actually found their history to be quite fascinating."
Ziya blinked.
Optimus stared.
There was silence between them.
The Dominion then coughed awkwardly into their hand.
"Right.. A-Anyway, let's get down to business. First things first, do you have any aversions to touch?"
Optimus paused.
That.. was an odd question.
"No, I do not believe so. Why?"
Ziya stood up.
"I uh, well, we kinda have to ask first before we do this."
"Do what?"
With a hesitant hand and flushed face they placed their palm on the center of his stomach.
(Several Dominions, Angel Guides, and even Winners made faces like they'd sucked on a particularly sour lemon. One Dominion even bemoaned "It should have be meee..")
It was Optimus's turn to blink.
"What are you-"
Ziya didn't meet his eyes and their voice was oddly faint.
"T-This'll feel a little weird, but I promise, it's not bad."
Their hand glowed, then sank into his abdomen, and then-
Something around the Prime's spark gently tugged.
(Ziya was right that it was an odd sensation, but not painful. It vaguely reminded him of something phasing through him via the Phase-shifter, but somehow also not.)
The Dominion pulled back and took with them what looked to be a glowing neon blue scroll.
'Huh,' the white haired Dominion thought absently, brain still very much scrambled after touching.. those, 'Never seen one that color before..'
"This-" Ziya waved the scroll, the flush on their face slowly fading, "Is your Soul Documentation. Anything and everything of import should be on here."
They then hand him the scroll.
"Just read it over, make sure everything is correct, and I'll send it off."
Optimus gingerly took the scroll from their hands, stared at it for a moment, before slowly unraveling its contents.
(Unlike the scroll itself, the lettering was not blue but.. red. As if the scroll itself was scrawled in human blood. Prime swallowed.)
Just as Ziya said, all his information was there.
From his name (both of his names), to his age (frag, was he really that old?), even things all the way down to his favorite drink (Maccadam's Homebrewed Visco) was documented.
"It.. appears to be correct."
The Prime re-raveled the scroll and handed it back to Ziya.
The Dominion smiled, nodded, then tied it off with a golden string attached to a golden wax seal inlaid with a dove on it.
Prime raised a brow.
"Are.. you not going to look it over as well?"
Ziya laughed.
"Nah, we don't have to. You can't really fake anything on a Soul Document and even if you somehow did-"
Their smile turned almost eerie.
"We'd know. Immediately."
Optimus.. nodded. Slowly.
"Very well."
Ziya then placed the scroll in a bronze tube attached to their desk, and pressed a button.
The scroll was sucked away, down the pipe and up the wall along side many other brass tubes attached to many other desks where many other Winners seemed to be undergoing the same process.
The Dominion then started counting down with their hand as they stared down at their desk.
"Three.. two.. and-"
Ding!
Two things then appeared on Ziya's desk in a flash of light.
A silver key with the number [11262010] stamped on its side and an address attached to it.. and an neon blue identification card.
"Here's your ID." They placed the card into the Prime's larger, waiting hand - who then quietly tucked it away in his toga, "And this-"
They held up the silver key.
"This is the key to your new home!"
They also placed it into his hand.
"And don't worry about losing them. They're automatically keyed (heh) to you, so even if you set them down somewhere, they'll automatically reappear either in a place you can find them or in your pocket!"
The Prime's eyebrows rose slightly.
"Impressive."
Ziya chuckled.
"That's Heaven for you!"
"Optimusss!" A familiar female voice interrupted.
Both the Prime in question and Ziya turned towards the voice.
Ramona anxiously flapped over towards them, arms full of bags upon bags pack to the brim with pamphlets and small books.
"I am so sorry," She cried, huffing and puffing as she struggled to adjust the bags to a more comfortable angle, "They moved the bookshelf and brochure holders, so I had to go looking for them, but then when I did find them I just kept finding books that I thought Optimus would find interesting but then I got distracted by the history booklets and there were so many little history booklets and then a Cherub intern started asking me for directions and-"
"Ramona. Ramona, breathe-"
Optimus promptly caught the virtue when she'd plopped down beside him and almost toppled over from the weight of her haul. He then gently pried some of the bags from her arms, carrying them almost effortlessly (much to several oogling eyes's admiration), and gingerly patted her back as she slumped down with a.. curious little storm cloud floating over her head.
"Holy moly 'Mona," the pale blonde Dominion gawked, "Did you grab the whole freaking bookshelf?!"
Ramona perked up and the storm cloud over her head blew away in a gust of imaginary wind.
"Ziya! I didn't know you were working today!" She tilted her head curiously, "I thought Raul was covering your shift?"
"Yeah, well, apparently his boyfriend had planned a surprise cruise for the two of them, so he had to back out at the last minute. He won't be back for at least two weeks," Ziya rolled their eyes with a frustrated sigh," Lucky ba- uh. Guy."
"Well," Ramona gave them a sunny little smile, "I'm glad to see you! Were you uh-" she then looked between them and Optimus, then backed away a little shame-faced, "Sorry, sorry! I'm probably interrupting things aren't I?"
"Nah, it's okay 'Mona," Ziya gave her a small look of exasperated fondness, "We just finished. You're good."
Optimus blinked.
"We did?"
"Yup!" The Dominion said with a popped 'p' at the end, "You're all set!"
"But it was only one document?"
"It's the only document we needed from you!"
Ramona giggled softly.
"I told you it'd be quick," The curly-brunette virtue chirped.
She then gently took him by the hand once more.
"If you're finished, then that means you have your key! If you'd like, I could walk you home!"
(Several eyes glared holes into the back of the young virtue's head.)
"I very much appreciate that Ramona," Optimus inclined his head to the virtue, "I would be honored if you accompanied me. I still need a little bit of help finding my way as well as carrying all the.. supplemental material you've supplied me with after all."
"Of course!" She proclaimed, hefting up what bags she had left and giving him a lopsided salute, "Romana Bag Express reporting for duty!"
Ziya snorted little at the sight.
"Ok then. Shoo. Off with you. I have more Winners to process. Ramona, don't hurt yourself, alright? You don't need to go overboard just 'cause he's your first Winner. And Optimus..?"
The Prime met the Dominion's eyes.
They gave him a small smile.
"..Enjoy your new Eternity."
Optimus.. paused at that.
'Eternity..'
...
(How long would Eternity be for a being as old as him?)
Romana then tugged him away from the Dominion's desk just as they began calling for the next soul to undergo documentation.
As they exited the building the virtue turned back to him with those bright honey-brown eyes.
"May I see your key?"
Optimus showed her the silver key that looked almost comically small in his hand.
Ramona squinted at the address then beamed up at the massive Cybertronian turned Winner.
"I know where that is! It's just down the street from the Library! But that's a ways from here and you well.." She looked at his new wings, "Can't fly yet. Which means.."
Her smile grew and her wings shimmied and flapped eagerly.
"We can take the Starline Metro System! And I can tell you allll about the history of the tracks and stations we pass! We can even use some of the pamphlets I got you as a visual! If uh.."
She stopped, her wings shyly folding against her.
".. if you.. still want?"
Optimus smiled tenderly down at her.
"Of course Ramona. Lead the way."
The brunette virtue let out a little squeak of joy, grabbed him by the hand again (after he's tucked the key away of course), and led him down the street towards the metro station, babbling all the way about tracks constructed from residual stardust and why the beings of Heaven would even need a metro when they could all fly.
The sunset through clouds of Heaven was beautiful, the Prime would admit. Very beautiful.
(Though.. he did not think that it would ever beat, in his spark of sparks, the sight of twilight falling over the desert landscape of Nevada... His chest twinged.)
Optimus watched the birds dance through gloaming skyline as he and his angelic guide exited the metro station of, what Ramona called, the 114th District. It was on one of the farther ends of the city, where the buildings shortened and the crowds thinned significantly.
"The New Alexandrian Library should be up the street from here, 5th Avenue I think," the virtue in question chimed in "I'd take us over for a quick visit, but they're closed by now and you're probably tired."
"Perhaps I shall visit another time," Optimus acquiesced, "It would be.. nice.. to walk the halls of a knowledge repository again."
Ramona furrowed her brows and mouthed 'knowledge repository?' before his words fully hit her.
"You like libraries Optimus?" She asked.
"I.."
The Prime paused.
"..I once bore the title of Archivist. It was.. a comfortable job."
Ramona stopped, dead silent.
"Hm?"
Optimus stopped as well.
"Ramona?"
The Prime then watched as his young guide then proceed to fall to her knees, dropping the bags along side them, and hold her head in her hands. A small, dark cloud formed over her head, almost threatening to rain.
"Ramona?!"
'I've spent so much time yapping about history and the city and so much other random shit that I forgot to ask about himmmm!!! This is his day and I'm supposed to be make him feel properly welcomed but after several hours all I've been talking about are the things I find interesting and I still barely know more than his name and his new address?!' the brunette angel screamed internally at her own perceived social fumble, 'Oh sweet Speaker he must think I'm such a jerrrkkkkkk but is too nice to say anythinggg.'
"Ramona are you-?"
"I'm sorry!!" The virtue blurted.
The Prime's brows furrowed in blatant confusion.
"For wha-?"
But the virtue cut him off by immediately flapping back to her feet, which, in turn, promptly dispersed the storm cloud, and clasping both of his large hands.
"Tellmemoreaboutyourlife!!"
Optimus blinked.
"Could you.. repeat that?"
Ramona sucked in a breath.
"Tell me more about your life," She repeated, slower, calmer, "Before you were in Heaven. Anything. Anything at all! I mean uh.. O-only if you want to, obviously! Um.."
There was silence. Awkward, heavy silence.
"Well.." Optimus tilted his head in thought, "As I said, I was an archivist for a time."
"And.. after that?"
The Prime looked down at those nervously hopeful doe-like eyes.
"..I was.. in the military."
Ramona nodded in understanding, then scooped up the bags, and turned back to him.
"And where did you live?"
"It was a small town," Optimus rumbled as the two of them began walking once more beneath the sun's fading rays, "Jasper, in the state of Nevada. My comrades and I were stationed at a base near it."
"And.. what's Nevada like? I know almost.. everything there is to know about Heaven, but I've.." Ramona nervously fiddled with her fingers, "..I've never been to Earth, cause I-I never ended up getting my Miracles License. I mean, we have some Earth media. In fact, I saw this movie recently about this man who woke up in space with amnesia and befriended a spider-like rock alien and-"
Ramona immediately cuts herself off, much to the Prime's concern.
The virtue vigorously shook her head and gave Optimus an awkward smile.
"S-Sorry. So, Nevada?"
And so the conversation continued like this. A gentle back and forth as the two traveled down past small businesses, homes, and vibrant greenery. With Optimus, reminiscing about his time on Earth and Ramona, soaking up whatever story he was willing to share like a sponge, asking relevant questions every so often.
But, like all good things, they're time together that day would soon come to an end.
"Annnd here we are!"
By Heaven's standards, it was a quaint and humble looking home, nestled into the expansive landscape of clouds. Nothing fancy, which Prime was very grateful for. It was two stories, with walls a soft powdery blue, a simple oak porch, windows with white frames and shutters, and a white tiled roof. It was.. a little old looking, but not in a rundown or abandoned way. Just. Old. Like him.
Both he and his guide walked up the porch steps to a door that was.. perfectly tailored to his height.
"Care to do the honours?" Ramona beamed up at him and gestured towards it.
Optimus pulled the key from his toga without fanfare and inserted it into the lock.
The lock glowed for a moment as he turned the key.
Then-
-the door opened and-
-Optimus's eyes widened.
("Welcome to your new home, Orion Pax. I know it's not much, but knowing you, you'll probably end up spending more time at the Hall of Records then here, am I right?")
"A lot more high-tech on the inside then the exterior would make you believe, huh?" The virtue chuckled then looked up at her Winner's face and stopped.
"Optimus?"
The bags fell from the Prime's arms and hit the floor with a loud thud.
"?!"
The Cybertronian turned Winner stepped inside as if trapped in a daze.
This was..
This was..
("We're sorry to inform you Sir. The Decepticons managed to breach our defenses and raided the this sector of the city. Several buildings were destroyed and we've suffer a loss of almost-")
This was not possible.
But, Heaven had already shown it could do the impossible, had it not?
For, how else could this house hold an almost exact replica of his home in Iacon, his very first home, before him?
"Optimus!"
The Prime finally snapped from his trance and turned around.
Ramona was looking at him with very open worry.
"Optimus are you.. ok?"
Her Winner's face was blank. Perfectly blank. Too blank.
Yet, any angel worth their halo could see those wing shutters and feather puffs and immediately know her winner was distressed and anxious.
"I am fine Ramona," Optimus said in a completely steady and unphased tone as his wings were screaming that he needed a hug. Badly.
Which she did. Promptly.
It was one thing to know Winners are.. traumatized, it's another thing all together to see it.
("Winners who come to Heaven are always gonna be hurt in some way Ramona," Her Dominion manager, Beryl, had told her, "Whether from their own deaths or from how life treated them. You always need to be prepared for that, ok?")
She hugged his neck a little tighter, her wings ginger flurrying keeping her aloft.
The Prime was stock still.
(Yet Ramona could swear to the On High themself that she felt something.. rumbling(?) beneath her and inside the Winner's chest.)
Then.. Large hands carefully found the small of her back beneath her wings, holding her like she was as small and fragile as a glass figurine.
Ramona wanted to cry.
Someone as kind and gentle as this should never have had to suffer..
She pulled away just enough to look him in the eyes.
(Eyes that were far too old and had seen far, far too much.)
"Ok, but," Her own eyes darted nervously, "I-I know we only just met today, but uh. If you ever feel like you need to talk. About anything. Even small memories like we did early then.. I'll be willing to lend an ear."
His far-too-old eyes softened and Ramona felt those tears burning her eyes.
"Of course. I appreciate that Ramona."
The Prime sighed, quietly.
"It seems I am thanking you quite a bit today," he murmured.
His angelic guide giggled, a sound akin to tinkling bells.
"Don't mention it."
She pulled away, fully this time, and the Prime let her.
She gave him a wink.
"Just don't be surprised if I stop by tomorrow to bring you and your family here a proper Welcome gift basket, ok?"
Silence.
"I.. do not have any family here Ramona. All the family I have are still.."
His eyes were sad again.
'Oh. Oh. Oh no,' The virtue quailed, realizing her mistake, 'Dang it Ramona, you and your stupid mouth ruining things again.'
"I'm so sorry I should have-"
Optimus gave her a smile that didn't quite meet his eyes.
"It is alright Ramona. You did not know."
She should have though. Good Angel Guides were supposed to know this stuff already. And She.. she..
..She wanted to hug him again. She really really wanted to hug him again.
But Optimus then placed a large hand on her small shoulder. He's smile holding a little more genuine joy to balance out the sadness.
"However," His tone was lighter, his wings shuffled slightly, "I would be grateful if you stopped by tomorrow. If that is not too much of an imposition. I have enjoyed your company."
Ramona nodded so hard her head might have flown off with the speed if it wasn't firmly attached to her spine.
"Me too! So uh, Tomorrow then?"
Optimus inclined his head to her.
"Tomorrow."
He expected her to move towards the door after that, but the virtue.. hesitated.
"Will.. will you be alright? By yourself?" She broached tentatively.
The Prime nodded.
...
..Ramona gave him a look like she didn't believe him, but a little voice in the back of her head that sounded a lot like Ziya told her not to push, so she didn't.
"Well uh," she fluttered back to the front door, grabbed the bags he dropped (Optimus made a small noise at that) and gently placed the abused pamphlets and books down on the table where her own already sat, then pivoted to face him again, "I hope.. you have a good night then."
"You as well Ramona," Her Winner, her sweet, precious Winner that she'd only had for a few hours but she was willing to do anything to keep him smiling, answered.
(...She didn't deserve a Winner as kind as this. She really really didn't.)
She..
She patted him on the head.
Optimus stopped.
Ramona stopped.
They both just stared at each other.
She immediately yoinked her hand away with a golden flush to her cheeks and back peddled mid-air over to the entrance of his.. new home.
"Uh! Uh! Bye!!"
And the virtue darted away, out the door, and out into the open sky, wings making an odd, almost car like, nooomm at how fast they were flapping.
Optimus stared out the open door and blinked.
Once. Twice. Three times.
And he huffed. Not quite a laugh, just.. a huff of amusement.
He closed the door.
He turned back to look at the far too familiar surroundings-
("Optimus.. We.. We found Elita One. She was-")
It was right here.
In this very foyer.
Or.. The Cybertronian version of this foyer.
He swallowed heavily.
(Compress.)
He breathed.
(Suppress.)
He endured.