More December challenge angst.
Title: In the deep places of the world.
Rating: PG
Warnings: ANGST, Character Death it might be a good idea to get tissues.
Prompt: Hold me as I lay dying
Pairing/Characters: Beachcomber/Seaspray
Summary: Ambushed by the Decepticons Seaspray and Beachcomber find themselves falling into the depths, a journey from which only one of them will return.
Authors note: Okay so having written this one way already for the Dec challenge the angst muse took my fingers off at the shoulder and gave me this reverse fic. *sigh* I think this is more depressing than the first one.
The cavern was silent now except for the plink, plink of water dripping down a stalactite and shattering the reflected image of the far distant sky into a thousand bright ripples. Seaspray came online in a rush and after a quick scan knew that he and Beachcomber where alone down here in the dark. He tried to move and knew in that second that he wasn’t going anywhere in this world again without serious help as white-hot agony raced around his body.
“Don’t move ‘Spray.” Beachcomber’s voice murmured next to his audio, “I need to seal a few more holes in your hull first.”
Seaspray let his head drop back off lining as many of his pain sensors as he could “Feels bad ‘Comber. Feels really bad.”
Beachcomber glanced up careful to keep his energon an coolant stained hands from view, “Not gonna lie to ya ‘Spray it’s messy but I think we can handle it. After all ya kept this landlubber afloat when that whale wanted ta’ play, this is gonna be easy after that.”
Seaspray grinned remembering the first time he’d got ‘Comber out on the water, they’d been way out of sight of land when a juvenile humpbacked whale had taken an interest in them. There’d been an enormous splash and a cry of “Whoa!” and Beachcomber had been swept off his deck and onto the fin of the creature.
Although possessed of the strength to seriously hurt both of them the giant child had been content to spend an hour or so playing chase and dive with ‘Comber gripping firmly on to a fluke. Racing through the waves and weaving in complex patterns around his hull before gently resting a fin on his deck and allowing ‘Comber to scramble back aboard.
“I think that had more to do with him than me ‘Comber,” Seaspray confessed, “Not much I could have done had he wanted to play rough.”
Beachcomber paused in his work, he didn’t like the sound ‘Spray’s intakes were making. There was a wheezing under tone that he’d heard too many times in the past. He forced down the shiver and sat back on his heels to scan the cavern the ‘Cons ambush had dropped them into.
“Ya’ve always kept me afloat ‘Spray, how ever many holes I had in my head and hide my turn ta repay the favour.” his visor flickered as it analysed their surroundings “hmmm, looks like a Dolamitic Limestone hypogenic cave.”
“And that’s a god thing?” Seaspray asked, cautiously turning a few pain sensors back on.
“It’s an okay thing, cave isn’t gonna be huge, Dolomite's somewhat resistant ta erosion. Also until we made a hole in the roof it looks like it was sealed so not much chance of anything living down here to crawl into either of us.” Beachcomber’s voice had that vaguely lecturing tone it often adopted when explaining the landscape to a fellow scientist.
He was walking about the space mapping it and looking for a way to get himself and Seaspray out when a scream of pain made him spin round and race back to his friend’s side.
“Don’t ‘Spray, just lie still.” Beachcomber cautioned “Time ta work out how ta get you outta here when I’ve found a way outta here.”
Seaspray onlined his optics and forced out “No good, not going to make it.”
Beachcomber felt his energon freeze, never in all their long friendship which had seen the depth of the pit and the heights of the matrix had he heard ‘Spray utter those words.
“Don’t talk silly, of course ya gonna make it.”
Seaspray shook his head once, a tight fast movement full of agony, “Fall dropped me on a spire. Gone right through armour, felt it inside. Tore a main line when I moved”
It seemed to Beachcomber that the world stuttered and realigned itself along darker lines, the thought of having to carry on without ‘Spray there to hold or kick him when he needed it was extremely unpleasant.
He dropped back to his knees beside ‘Spray and gently rested a hand on the nearest prop, “Not gonna lose you ‘Spray, need you too much to loose you.”
Seaspray raised a hand to cover ‘Comber’s where it rested, “You always said the dead weren’t lost, just,” he drew in a long wheezing breath “in the next room.”
Beachcomber looked down at the rapidly widening pool of energon and coolant that he was kneeling in and knew with spark shattering certainty that he’d be leaving the cave alone. Looking up he caught Seaspray’s optics, fading from their customary vivid blue to the washed out pale blue of early dawn and dragged up enough strength for a small smile.
“Remember me in that room, ‘Spray and say hi to all the mechs and femmes who’ve got there before me.” He got out in a voice that was steady although much of its normal joy had fled.
Seaspray gasped out “I, will, don’t, you, forget, me.”
‘Comber shook his head vigorously “I won’t ‘Spray not ever.”
Seaspray gave his friend a long look and then whispered “Two things; one you follow after me for any reason other than old age or ‘Con activity and I’ll personally kick your tailpipe from one end of the matrix to the other.”
Beachcomber made a sharp hiccupy sound that could have been a laugh, a snort or an agreement.
Seaspray smiled gently and continued “and two, hold me close.”
Beachcomber swallowed and whispered hoarsely “I move you and …”
“It’s all over anyway ‘Comber, let me go over the horizon in the arms of a loved one.”
Wordlessly Beachcomber nodded; gently touched his forehead to Seaspray’s carefully wrapped his arms around Seaspray and with the strength built up by voorns of working with rocks hefted him off the deadly spire and into a close embrace.
Seaspray made no sound; he didn’t even feel the pain of being moved or the gush of vital fluids from the large hole in his back. He was aware only of the gentle comforting feel and smell of Beachcomber, a mix of hot dry rocks and verdant life filled plains. His limbs felt too heavy to move so he contented himself with smiling serenely and whispering.
“Fair winds and bright stars ‘Comber.
“And a welcoming harbour at the other end ‘Spray.” Beachcomber whispered back as the blue optics went out and yellow armour turned grey. He held the body close for a long while letting the deep silent places of the earth see his grief.
After a while he gently laid the body down and looked about, picking the best stop he set about building a cairn out of the sparking minerals around him, each stone carefully chosen and cut just so to form a glittering multi coloured dome over Seaspray’s body.
When it was done to his satisfaction, he stood back remembering all the things they had shared searching for some words that felt right to say in farewell.
“The Deep Peace of the running waves you sailed over be yours. The deep peace of the flowing air that carried our laughter and dried our tears be yours. The deep peace of the quiet earth we’ve both grown to love be yours. The deep peace of the shining stars we travelled through be yours. The deep peace of the gentle nights we treasured be yours. The deep peace of the love we shared still be ours even though you are gone.”
Rating: PG
Warnings: ANGST, Character Death it might be a good idea to get tissues.
Prompt: Hold me as I lay dying
Pairing/Characters: Beachcomber/Seaspray
Summary: Ambushed by the Decepticons Seaspray and Beachcomber find themselves falling into the depths, a journey from which only one of them will return.
Authors note: Okay so having written this one way already for the Dec challenge the angst muse took my fingers off at the shoulder and gave me this reverse fic. *sigh* I think this is more depressing than the first one.
The cavern was silent now except for the plink, plink of water dripping down a stalactite and shattering the reflected image of the far distant sky into a thousand bright ripples. Seaspray came online in a rush and after a quick scan knew that he and Beachcomber where alone down here in the dark. He tried to move and knew in that second that he wasn’t going anywhere in this world again without serious help as white-hot agony raced around his body.
“Don’t move ‘Spray.” Beachcomber’s voice murmured next to his audio, “I need to seal a few more holes in your hull first.”
Seaspray let his head drop back off lining as many of his pain sensors as he could “Feels bad ‘Comber. Feels really bad.”
Beachcomber glanced up careful to keep his energon an coolant stained hands from view, “Not gonna lie to ya ‘Spray it’s messy but I think we can handle it. After all ya kept this landlubber afloat when that whale wanted ta’ play, this is gonna be easy after that.”
Seaspray grinned remembering the first time he’d got ‘Comber out on the water, they’d been way out of sight of land when a juvenile humpbacked whale had taken an interest in them. There’d been an enormous splash and a cry of “Whoa!” and Beachcomber had been swept off his deck and onto the fin of the creature.
Although possessed of the strength to seriously hurt both of them the giant child had been content to spend an hour or so playing chase and dive with ‘Comber gripping firmly on to a fluke. Racing through the waves and weaving in complex patterns around his hull before gently resting a fin on his deck and allowing ‘Comber to scramble back aboard.
“I think that had more to do with him than me ‘Comber,” Seaspray confessed, “Not much I could have done had he wanted to play rough.”
Beachcomber paused in his work, he didn’t like the sound ‘Spray’s intakes were making. There was a wheezing under tone that he’d heard too many times in the past. He forced down the shiver and sat back on his heels to scan the cavern the ‘Cons ambush had dropped them into.
“Ya’ve always kept me afloat ‘Spray, how ever many holes I had in my head and hide my turn ta repay the favour.” his visor flickered as it analysed their surroundings “hmmm, looks like a Dolamitic Limestone hypogenic cave.”
“And that’s a god thing?” Seaspray asked, cautiously turning a few pain sensors back on.
“It’s an okay thing, cave isn’t gonna be huge, Dolomite's somewhat resistant ta erosion. Also until we made a hole in the roof it looks like it was sealed so not much chance of anything living down here to crawl into either of us.” Beachcomber’s voice had that vaguely lecturing tone it often adopted when explaining the landscape to a fellow scientist.
He was walking about the space mapping it and looking for a way to get himself and Seaspray out when a scream of pain made him spin round and race back to his friend’s side.
“Don’t ‘Spray, just lie still.” Beachcomber cautioned “Time ta work out how ta get you outta here when I’ve found a way outta here.”
Seaspray onlined his optics and forced out “No good, not going to make it.”
Beachcomber felt his energon freeze, never in all their long friendship which had seen the depth of the pit and the heights of the matrix had he heard ‘Spray utter those words.
“Don’t talk silly, of course ya gonna make it.”
Seaspray shook his head once, a tight fast movement full of agony, “Fall dropped me on a spire. Gone right through armour, felt it inside. Tore a main line when I moved”
It seemed to Beachcomber that the world stuttered and realigned itself along darker lines, the thought of having to carry on without ‘Spray there to hold or kick him when he needed it was extremely unpleasant.
He dropped back to his knees beside ‘Spray and gently rested a hand on the nearest prop, “Not gonna lose you ‘Spray, need you too much to loose you.”
Seaspray raised a hand to cover ‘Comber’s where it rested, “You always said the dead weren’t lost, just,” he drew in a long wheezing breath “in the next room.”
Beachcomber looked down at the rapidly widening pool of energon and coolant that he was kneeling in and knew with spark shattering certainty that he’d be leaving the cave alone. Looking up he caught Seaspray’s optics, fading from their customary vivid blue to the washed out pale blue of early dawn and dragged up enough strength for a small smile.
“Remember me in that room, ‘Spray and say hi to all the mechs and femmes who’ve got there before me.” He got out in a voice that was steady although much of its normal joy had fled.
Seaspray gasped out “I, will, don’t, you, forget, me.”
‘Comber shook his head vigorously “I won’t ‘Spray not ever.”
Seaspray gave his friend a long look and then whispered “Two things; one you follow after me for any reason other than old age or ‘Con activity and I’ll personally kick your tailpipe from one end of the matrix to the other.”
Beachcomber made a sharp hiccupy sound that could have been a laugh, a snort or an agreement.
Seaspray smiled gently and continued “and two, hold me close.”
Beachcomber swallowed and whispered hoarsely “I move you and …”
“It’s all over anyway ‘Comber, let me go over the horizon in the arms of a loved one.”
Wordlessly Beachcomber nodded; gently touched his forehead to Seaspray’s carefully wrapped his arms around Seaspray and with the strength built up by voorns of working with rocks hefted him off the deadly spire and into a close embrace.
Seaspray made no sound; he didn’t even feel the pain of being moved or the gush of vital fluids from the large hole in his back. He was aware only of the gentle comforting feel and smell of Beachcomber, a mix of hot dry rocks and verdant life filled plains. His limbs felt too heavy to move so he contented himself with smiling serenely and whispering.
“Fair winds and bright stars ‘Comber.
“And a welcoming harbour at the other end ‘Spray.” Beachcomber whispered back as the blue optics went out and yellow armour turned grey. He held the body close for a long while letting the deep silent places of the earth see his grief.
After a while he gently laid the body down and looked about, picking the best stop he set about building a cairn out of the sparking minerals around him, each stone carefully chosen and cut just so to form a glittering multi coloured dome over Seaspray’s body.
When it was done to his satisfaction, he stood back remembering all the things they had shared searching for some words that felt right to say in farewell.
“The Deep Peace of the running waves you sailed over be yours. The deep peace of the flowing air that carried our laughter and dried our tears be yours. The deep peace of the quiet earth we’ve both grown to love be yours. The deep peace of the shining stars we travelled through be yours. The deep peace of the gentle nights we treasured be yours. The deep peace of the love we shared still be ours even though you are gone.”