Solarflare's reality. Oregon. Frost in the lines
The first thing she was aware of was pain.
Then came the violent shuddering as her systems tried to kick in and boost heat output in response to the freezing temperatures she was registering.
"Easy," said a soft voice no louder than a whisper. "Just let the fire warm you up. I think you've got ice in your pipes."
"Nnnn." Solarflare couldn't keep back the whimper that escaped. "I think so too. Eeeee..."
"Shhhh." A taloned hand gently touched her shoulder, the contact bearing no weight. "You'll be alright soon."
"...Happened?" Solarflare tried to bring her processor up to date.
"You stopped to give Starscream a rude salute, and Thundercracker hit the mountainside with a sonic blast. You've been buried in the avalanche for about a day, but your people are close."
Confused and dazed golden optics fluttered online, and the feathered femme gave her nurse a confused frown. "Who..."
"My name was Jabez." The sky blue femme gently soothed Solarflare's crest. "Shhh, don't worry, you'll be alright. Mirage is coming."
"'Raj." Solarflare managed a smile as her processor called up an image of her sparkmate's legs. But then she frowned and wondered hazily at the presence of a Transformer of Jabez's tech in her reality.
"Shhh, shh," soothed the sky blue one, her ruby optics gentle. "I was sent to help you. It's going to be alright."
"Not supposed... to go... other realities... without permission." Solarflare remembered something that little Oriana 2 had told her.
Jabez nodded. "Yes, but I don't have a reality. And I was invited."
"Who?" Solarflare frowned.
Gentle warmth stole over frozen and aching circuits, and Solarflare caught a glimpse of a feeling of nearly fathomless love and approval. She gasped, her optics brightening. "What... Who???"
"Primus," said Jabez softly as the glimpse faded. "He sent me to get you out, because the others weren't going to get here in time."
"Nnnn." Solarflare groaned and switched her optics off, shuddering again as her processor tried to lock down into stasis. "Want 'Raj."
"He's coming." Jabez put a few more blocks of spruce tree onto the fire. "He'll be here very soon."
"Hate cold." Solarflare was aware that she wasn't very coherent, but she couldn't seem to muster the strength to do anything about it. All she could do was turn her intakes toward the warmth coming from the fire and suck in as much of it as she could. The result was wonderfully warm, to the point of nearly feeling burning after her frozen ordeal.
"There's warmth here." Jabez paused and looked up, then stepped back into the shadows cast by the firelight and seemed to disappear. At the same time a male voice hoarsely shouted Solarflare's name.
"'Raj! 'Raj!" She bit her lip as tears gathered in the corners of her optics.
"Ratchet, how is she?"
"We nearly didn't get here in time. It's a good thing she managed to dig herself out and get this fire going." The white and black medic wrapped a heated tarp around the shivering femme and then plugged the cord into a panel on his arm.
"No, no. Not me," she muttered groggily as the blessed heat sent her under. "Jabez. Jabez dug out... built fire."
Mirage exchanged a glance with Ratchet and with Windcharger, then looked around and tried to pick up any other energy signatures in the area. But there was nothing. They were the only living things in the snow cave.
And as they left after carefully putting out the fire there were no living things in the snow cave, though ruby optics that held a bottomless contentment watched them go from the shadows by the wall.
Then came the violent shuddering as her systems tried to kick in and boost heat output in response to the freezing temperatures she was registering.
"Easy," said a soft voice no louder than a whisper. "Just let the fire warm you up. I think you've got ice in your pipes."
"Nnnn." Solarflare couldn't keep back the whimper that escaped. "I think so too. Eeeee..."
"Shhhh." A taloned hand gently touched her shoulder, the contact bearing no weight. "You'll be alright soon."
"...Happened?" Solarflare tried to bring her processor up to date.
"You stopped to give Starscream a rude salute, and Thundercracker hit the mountainside with a sonic blast. You've been buried in the avalanche for about a day, but your people are close."
Confused and dazed golden optics fluttered online, and the feathered femme gave her nurse a confused frown. "Who..."
"My name was Jabez." The sky blue femme gently soothed Solarflare's crest. "Shhh, don't worry, you'll be alright. Mirage is coming."
"'Raj." Solarflare managed a smile as her processor called up an image of her sparkmate's legs. But then she frowned and wondered hazily at the presence of a Transformer of Jabez's tech in her reality.
"Shhh, shh," soothed the sky blue one, her ruby optics gentle. "I was sent to help you. It's going to be alright."
"Not supposed... to go... other realities... without permission." Solarflare remembered something that little Oriana 2 had told her.
Jabez nodded. "Yes, but I don't have a reality. And I was invited."
"Who?" Solarflare frowned.
Gentle warmth stole over frozen and aching circuits, and Solarflare caught a glimpse of a feeling of nearly fathomless love and approval. She gasped, her optics brightening. "What... Who???"
"Primus," said Jabez softly as the glimpse faded. "He sent me to get you out, because the others weren't going to get here in time."
"Nnnn." Solarflare groaned and switched her optics off, shuddering again as her processor tried to lock down into stasis. "Want 'Raj."
"He's coming." Jabez put a few more blocks of spruce tree onto the fire. "He'll be here very soon."
"Hate cold." Solarflare was aware that she wasn't very coherent, but she couldn't seem to muster the strength to do anything about it. All she could do was turn her intakes toward the warmth coming from the fire and suck in as much of it as she could. The result was wonderfully warm, to the point of nearly feeling burning after her frozen ordeal.
"There's warmth here." Jabez paused and looked up, then stepped back into the shadows cast by the firelight and seemed to disappear. At the same time a male voice hoarsely shouted Solarflare's name.
"'Raj! 'Raj!" She bit her lip as tears gathered in the corners of her optics.
"Ratchet, how is she?"
"We nearly didn't get here in time. It's a good thing she managed to dig herself out and get this fire going." The white and black medic wrapped a heated tarp around the shivering femme and then plugged the cord into a panel on his arm.
"No, no. Not me," she muttered groggily as the blessed heat sent her under. "Jabez. Jabez dug out... built fire."
Mirage exchanged a glance with Ratchet and with Windcharger, then looked around and tried to pick up any other energy signatures in the area. But there was nothing. They were the only living things in the snow cave.
And as they left after carefully putting out the fire there were no living things in the snow cave, though ruby optics that held a bottomless contentment watched them go from the shadows by the wall.