~O~

Justice

Drones were having quite a bit of fun in the recreational halls of the Twilight.

Eros had been curious by what Decepticons do with free time, so she and Grumble visited the hall to investigate. Some of them seemed to be getting into brawls, Energon-drinking games, and others appeared to be practicing shots on makeshift dummies.

Optics fell on her when they noticed she'd walked inside, but most of them refused to speak to her.

"It's Lord Jhiaxus' little plaything!" a drone sneered to another.

"Don't let him catch you saying that. He'll turn you into one of his pet projects." another drone warned.

Eros overheard the conversation and walked by. "Speaking against your leader seems rather cowardly."

The drone who had spoken first stood up. "You're a little low on the chain to be mouthing off to me, Autobot!" he hissed.

The second drone laughed weakly and looked at Eros. "He doesn't mean it, Autobot. Really." he stammered, trying to pull the drone back down. "He's had a bit too much to drink and doesn't know who he's talking to." He hissed the words with warning in a manner that suggested he would be clenching his denta if he had any.

Eros smiled tauntingly up at the drone. "I think he's a big boy. He can speak for himself."

"Keep pushing my buttons, glitch!" the drone hissed with a snarl in his vocals.

"What are you going to do?" Eros shot back.

"He's going to sit down and shut up!" the second drone snapped at his comrade.

"You shut up!" the drone shouted.

He suddenly punched his comrade in the face and it initiated chaos. Drones were getting in on the fight and throwing things at one another. A bowl of Energon cubes flew through the air passed Eros and she ducked to avoid getting hit with it. A drone who wasn't fighting among them walked up to her and watched the sight.

"Why are they fighting?" Eros asked, laughing a little. "This is crazy."

"This is politics." the drone replied.

Eros cupped her mouth and yelled over the chaos. "Stop the violence! Can't we all get along?"

The fighting continued and she merely laughed, walking from the room with Grumble following. The drone who had been speaking with her ducked as a knife flew in his direction and embedded itself into the wall behind him. He growled in frustration and tried to restore order.

"You need to stop!" he shouted. "If Jhiaxus sees this, he's - "

"Jhiaxus already sees this!" The voice of the warlord stopped the chaos immediately.

Jhiaxus stepped into the room and his optics surveyed the damage done. The drones quickly stood up and attempted to look somewhat presentable. Jhiaxus simply regarded them coldly before taking a deep intake, attempting to collect himself.

"I have an open mind," he said, evenly, "Anyone care to explain?"

"J-Just a bit of friendly squabbles, my lord..." a drone in the back stammered.

"Really?" Jhiaxus approached the place where the knife had been thrown and yanked it from the wall. His voice gradually grew in volume. "Because, it appears to me that you are all ACTING LIKE A PACK OF RABID ANIMALS!"

He flung the knife and it embedded itself into the drone who had spoken, right in his helm. The others watched as the drone's body collapsed to the floor.

"And that - gentlebots - will simply not do." Jhiaxus resumed his calm persona. "Not if we wish to be rid of those accursed Autobots once and for all. Not if we want to survive out there."

Jhiaxus started to go.

"And clean up this mess, will you?"

After the incident, Eros wandered down the corridors with Grumble. The turbo wolf led her toward a door and seemed to scratch at it. She sighed and tugged at his tail a little. "Come on, Grumble. Don't do that." she told him. "We need to get back."

She looked up at the door and entered it.

The room was filled with various trophies and items retrieved from battle. Some looked to have been stolen from Autobots, but Eros had to guess that was what happened when Jhiaxus defeated his enemies. She expected it and nor did it grant any surprise.

She was intrigued by a crate when she noticed something familiar sticking out of it. She walked over and noticed that it was an Energon javelin that once belonged to one of her fellow Academy members. She couldn't remember his name, but she knew he used the weapon many times in battle. She continued to see what else she would find.

Grumble became bored with the wait and decided to chew on the javelin.

"He's certainly made a collection..." Eros murmured, mildly disturbed by all the deaths she knew he had committed.

Grumble simply growled softly in response.

Eros rooted through the crate until something caught her optics. She blinked once, reached in and removed a music box. Her optics widened as she ran her fingers over the design and hand-crafted sculpt of metal.

Grumble sensed her unsettled way and nudged her, but Eros barely acknowledged.

She stood up and walked from the room.

O

Jhiaxus was sitting in his library when Eros entered. She looked troubled, and even a little bit more than angry. But most of all, she looked as though she sought answers. Jhiaxus straightened and stood up, noticing the music box in her hands.

"This was my mother's." she said, "What are you doing with it?"

Jhiaxus stared down at the object in her hands for a long time. He closed his optics for a moment before looking at her.

"Would you prefer a lie or the truth?" he asked calmly.

Eros scowled at him. "Don't play games!" she spat. Her voice shook with another emotion that Jhiaxus could compare to fear. "Tell me. Why do you have my mother's music box? She gave that to me when I was a sparkling and took it with her right before she..."

She trailed off and her optics widened in horror. Realization hit her all at once.

"Oh God..."

Eros backed away from him, unable to resist dropping the music box to the floor. She shook her head slowly, as if she struggled to process it. Jhiaxus approached her, reaching out with two hands, but Eros shrieked and swung her hands, slapping him across the face. Jhiaxus took them for a moment before he grabbed her wrists to stop her. Eros made an effort to break free, but her furious features slowly crumbled and she shook with despair and anger all at once.

"You killed my mother!" she shrieked. "You killed her!"

Jhiaxus stared down at her, still holding those wrists and watching with a look of internal struggle.

"Yes..." he said, quietly.

Eros looked shocked to hear that, panting heavily through her intakes. "Why?" she moaned, anguish in her vocals. "Why?"

But she knew the answer. Decepticon. Autobot. It was obvious why he did it.

"Your mother's death was swift," Jhiaxus replied, still unusually quiet. "I encountered her and took a shot to her helm. It ended immediately."

"And that makes it RIGHT?" Eros nearly screamed. "Is that what you're trying to do to me? Are you trying to finish the line of Magnus? IS THAT IT?"

Jhiaxus narrowed his optics and his brow knotted. "Why in the name of science would I do such a thing to you?"

Eros was freed from his grasp and glowered at him, tears streaming down her face. "I don't know, WHY WOULD YOU?!" she spat. "Why do Decepticons do the things they do? They do it because they care about no one but themselves! My mother was EVERYTHING to me and you took that away! You took it away because you are the cruel, Energon-thirsty lord they claim you to be! I thought there was something in you that could be redeemed, but I was WRONG!"

Eros turned and left the room in tears.

Jhiaxus stood there for a long time before he let out a snarl and punched the wall so hard, it buckled the metal and shook the collection of data he had on the shelf beside it. He rubbed a hand across his face and struggled to contain the horrid beating of his spark as it raced so rapidly behind his chest plates. Curse these emotions! They threatened to consume him!

He truly felt remorse for what he had done. It was the first.

And it was frightening.

O

Eros had cried herself to sleep and Grumble had taken a spot beside her. When she slept, she dreamed of a time when life made more sense. When she would sit beside the fountains in the center of Iacon and just daydream about wonderful things.

Her mother walked up to her.

"Eros...I knew I'd find you hiding here." Rhea laughed gently.

"He doesn't understand." Eros grumbled, staring down into the Energon pool.

"Your father has his spark in the right place, dear." Rhea chided, "But he sometimes needs to be reminded. We all do at the best of times."

Eros sighed. "I know, mother..."

Rhea placed her hands on Eros' shoulders. "Sweet spark, give him a chance," she said. "We've all done our part for Cybertron and you will do. We simply want to see you better yourself so that you can live comfortably and find a suitable mate. Someone who would love you as much as I love your father."

"I don't want to be a council member!" Eros protested. "It's so...boring! How do you manage to go through it?"

Rhea smiled. "Knowing I can come home to my dear family, that's how."

Eros actually smiled now. "Yes, I suppose you're right, mother." She turned to her a little with an amused look. "How are mother's so smart?"

Rhea kissed her forehelm. "It comes with the programming, sweet spark." She flicked her playfully where she had kissed her. "Now then, do you promise to behave for your father a little more? I don't want to hear any more horror stories from Pontus again."

Eros rolled her optics. "Pontus is a dumb aft."

"Well...we used to be friends in school, but Pontus is the last person I want to hear these things from." Rhea said. "He still believes there is a future for himself and me. I don't know how many times I have to say the word 'no' to that mech. I would just as soon avoid him entirely. So please...behave?"

Eros smiled a little. "Okay, mother. I promise."

"That's my girl." Rhea said, standing. "Now, you have studies to do. Alpha Trion will wait no longer."

"Yes, mother."

Rhea winked at her and they walked away together.

The dream shifted and the happy, peaceful world of Cybertron was gone; it had been replaced by the decrepit, obliterated realm of war and death. Eros was older, standing before her mother while holding the music box she had been given. Rhea was going to depart with her squad members on a mission to Kaon and Eros wanted to make absolutely sure that her mother had something to remind her of what waited for her when she returned home to Iacon.

"Eros, you don't have to give that back to me," Rhea said, smiling.

Eros pushed it into her hands. "Listen to it when you need to remember us, mother."

Pontus was standing beside Ultra Magnus and watched the sight with restrained grief.

"Okay then, Eros. I will." Rhea laughed gently.

Eros embraced her mother tightly. "I love you, mother. Come back safe."

"I love you too. Take care of your father." Rhea whispered in her audio receptor.

Eros giggled a little. "I will."

O

Eros awoke from her dream with a small moan of anguish.

Grumble lifted his head and leaned forward, attempting to offer her some for of comfort, but Eros would not have it. She pushed the wolf away with a groan and leaned her head back to the side, facing away from the door of her room and attempting not to weep again.

"Mother...what do I do?" she asked, softly.

Just then, the door opened and she heard Jhiaxus' voice. "Stupid creature..." he spat, at Grumble. "Why should you be permitted to comfort her?"

Eros wanted to say something to that, but she felt his weight at the other side of the berth and didn't move.

"I understand your anger, Eros." he said, "What I did was unforgivable. But I know you could not believe me when I tell you that I am sorry for it. And I am. I don't know why I feel this way for you, but I do." He chuckled sadly when she didn't respond. "It's okay. You don't have to answer me. I understand."

Eros frowned somewhat.

"Truth of the matter is...I don't know how to cope with such emotion," Jhiaxus admitted. "Admitting I do not understand something is difficult, believe it. But you... You've awakened something in me I can't ever look away from. If hating me for what I've done makes you happy, then I can be happy. Because I never want to see you sad again."

Eros couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Jhiaxus..." she said.

It startled him and he blinked, turning around to see her facing him.

"I don't hate you..." she said, smiling sadly.

Jhiaxus closed his optics when she touched his cheek with one hand.

"But it's going to take me a long time before I could forgive the murder of my mother." Eros told him, her smile disappearing. "You took her life. But I have also taken the lives of Decepticons. We are both to blame for this, this is true..."

Jhiaxus stared down at her. "Yes...we are."

Eros sighed and closed her optics. Jhiaxus carefully placed an arm around her shoulders and held her to his chest.

It was strange. It was wrong.

"I should hate you, but I can't..." she whispered. "I feel only emptiness."

Jhiaxus closed his optics and grimaced with pain.

It would take a long time to heal.

O

Note - When Justice appears in a throw, it usually signals that some injustice needs righting, that something in the world is dangerously out of balance. This could be interior to the Querent (not giving the self its due; arrogance), or it could be the calling of the Querent (to right some external wrong). It is important, however, that the Querent be aware that most things in the exterior world that they perceive (at least as mediated by a tarot throw) are in fact an externalization of some interior process or conflict.

There is a song called "Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri and it reminds me of this chapter.