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She learns quickly the nature of Mo Malto's gentle hands as the young champion stood at her pedes. "Are you sure you're ok, Miss Terratronus?"
Lowering herself in a slow, controlled kneel, Terratronus allowed a small smile to etch itself into her countenance. Moving her servo over so that Mo may grip onto her, she said, "I assure you that I am quite alright."
If permitted, Terratronus would say that despite the harrowing circumstances since her awakening—the sight of the sun setting on the horizon settled the creaking groans of her formerly dormant frame. Rusted plates shifted and grated across one another as warmth spread across her faded and splotchy paint. Slowly, the skies that were hidden from her sight for centuries turned a soft lilac and the weight of the world no longer rested solely upon her pauldrons.
"But…" Mo gnawed on her lower lip as she looked up at Terratronus. "You were injured…"
Faintly, the echo of the lancing blow that struck her helm crest blossomed across her frame and throbbed in remembrance. In all of her years protecting that which served Quintus Prime, never before had the Quintessons dealt a truly life-threatening attack so as the one they aimed at her that day. The Judge, in all of their ambition, recognized an old foe in the Titan just as Terratronus had known the commander of the star ship that faced her—and they reacted accordingly.
Yet, even with her cerebral network exposed to the elements, Terratronus found only solace in knowing that she had protected the Maltos during the devastating barrage that followed. After all, it truly felt no different than how her frame felt for centuries on end. The Earth that had once built itself around her broke around her as she rose from slumber and now Terratronus was freer than ever before.
"And I know Nightshade already apologized for waking you back up just to get you to fight for us," Mo sorrowfully continued, to which Terratronus curled the tip of her digit so that it could wrap around the young girl in a facsimile of an embrace. "But I still feel so sorry for it, especially since you got badly hurt doing so. Your head and your eye…"
She trailed off, bowing her head. True, Terratronus' optic suffered in the wake of the battle more so than her main processing circuits had—her field of vision fractured with the crack that went down her shutter into the glass itself. But that mattered little.
"Worry not, child, for there is very little harm that could befall and cull my spark now that I have fulfilled my nascent purpose," she soothed. "I have survived the battle, even when my strength depleted due to the power you all lent me. That is worth celebrating, do you agree?"
"Of course!" Mo hugged the pad of her digit tight. "It's like I told you, we're family! And if there's anything that family does right, it's being there when we need help." Grinning wide, Mo added, "You don't know how long I've waited for the chance to save you after what Starscream did."
A soft chuckle tickled her rusted and unused neck cabling. "And I thank you for that. It has been too long since last I found myself in a moment of peace."
"Plus, with the Quintessons gone—hopefully for good—that means that you can join us all without having to go dormant again!" Mo cheered.
Alas, Terratronus knew that her next words would disappoint her. "I may rest yet again, young one."
Deflating, Mo looked on in confusion. "But… Why? The Quintessons have all retreated and the Emberstone broke apart into dust, you don't need to guard anything anymore."
"I may not need to return to my silent vigil, no, but the work of a Titan such as myself is never quite done." Lowering herself so that she may peer into Mo's eyes on equal grounds, Terratronus inclined her helm ever so slightly. "There are many threats in the galaxy that might attempt to endanger Quintus' progeny—yourself, your brother, and the Terrans. And if I am to protect you all in that moment, then I must recuperate my strength."
"Oh." Mo blinked. "I had thought… That syncing with you would return your energy back to you."
"And it had, enough so that we may deliver justice upon the Judge, but now it wanes once more." Pulling her servo away, she brought it upon her knee—resting it above her jagged poleyn. "I do not imagine that I will go into stasis for nearly as long as I had up till this point, but my recovery will be slower than you would prefer I suspect."
"I understand, but…" Mo sighed, bringing her knuckles to her eyes so that she may wipe away stray tears. "It always feels like whenever I get a chance to get to know you better, something comes along to mess it all up. Is it so bad that I want to hang out and learn more about my cousin?"
"Not at all, it is—as I will always remind you—inspiring."
A sniffle, "I'm going to miss you, Miss Terratronus."
Quintus Prime had birthed her from the Emberstone all those eons ago and she had never questioned her creator. But now, as she gazed upon the young Malto in fondness, Terratronus wondered if he had left her alone knowing that one day a family would build itself around and above her. To consider herself amongst the ranks of the Terrans and as a Malto… no greater honor would bestow itself upon her spark.
With care, she uttered, "This is not a farewell, as you may always visit me should the need arise."
"It'll happen more often than you might think," Mo promised. "No soldier left behind! My mom taught me that. She also told me to never leave the house without a key—and I'm glad she did, because without both of those lessons I might not have taken the spark regenerator key with me from Prowl's ship. And without that, I might not have ever gotten to fight in a battle with you instead of against."
"You have a remarkable spirit, Mo Malto. I look forward to fighting by your side in the future again one day."
"Hopefully not too soon," Mo leaned her head back and laughed. "I'd rather we have a family game night first!"
Even as the need to slumber called to her, she put off her rest for another moment more. "I look forward to it."