The Diego Diaries: Relations (dd6 259)
-0-Residence shortly after
Prowl paused his pacing to turn toward Optimus who was sitting on his chair in the living room. The children were playing elsewhere and the two were alone, albeit home early from work. "It was like time hadn't passed. They were just like I remember. There was no warmth or recognition, no love for my ada, none for me. I have never met such coldness and they wanted me to be just like them." He looked solemn. "I was … for the longest time."
"No," Optimus said. "You were never like them. You would have never achieved the fullness of yourself if you were, Prowl. I am sorry."
Prowl looked at him with an emotional expression. "This will disrupt our life. They won't accept things as they are. They're so bound into their life that they nearly destroyed my genitors. I rebelled because I couldn't be them and still, I had some of it seep into me."
"We will not allow it. We can see how this plays out. They will have to accept that the past is past and that now is the way it is. As for the children and the others … we shall protect them as we always do," Optimus said.
Prowl nodded. "We shall," he said. Then he began to pace once more.
-0-Vos Tower
Miler stood by the window staring out at the approaching night. Across the way, The Praxus Tower stood, the home once upon a time of the trine. Now they lived in Tyger Pax, closer to Sunstreaker's business and the younger set that made up their friend circle. Living here was a blessing. It was close to work and they had most of their own set here, the center of life among the elders of their community. Though Venture and Miler trended to the younger end, they had legions of friends among those older, all of them the spectrum of caste labeling from the old system.
"Are you coping, Miler?" Venture said as he held Prima. The infant was recharging in his father's arms, wrapped in a blanket that was embroidered with Lord Prima's name, his symbol and a few of his greatest and most comforting sayings.
"Mostly, Ven. This is not a good thing for our family," Miler said. "I missed them terribly and reconciled myself to their death. Now they walk in from the mists and have no give, no emotions from their travail. I'm sure their life was hard and if I didn't know them as well as I do, I would chalk this up to that. But I know them very well. They were part of the effort to make us their image and I can't live like that again, Venture. I would have to renounce everyone that I love, renounce every idea and value that I have come to embrace and that won't happen."
"Why don't we give them a bit of time, Milie. Let them settle in and maybe we shall see what they've become. Everyone in the end becomes someone different after all of this," Venture said.
Miler turned to him. "That's what I pray for," he said. "I will take them to the Temple tomorrow and we will have an understanding. If they wish to be a part of our lives, they have to reach up for it. I won't be going down."
"None of us will. Maybe if they get lonely enough they will change. This isn't Cybertron in the orn where they had control of everything," Venture said.
Miler paled. "What if they invoke?" he gasped.
Venture stared at Miler with a sinking feeling. "I don't think they would do that, Miler. One orn at a time, one moment at a time. You must believe that love will find a way."
Miler stared at him, then nodded. "For me and you, it has. I just wish it could for them. I never understood how lonely and solemn they were before today."
"Nor I, mine," Venture said.
Miler walked to him, then sat on the coffee table before him. He rested his servo on Venture's knee. "They will be found, Only One. It's almost like its supposed to be now. Over 23% of the migrations now deliver someone to a resident here. I have faith in all things, Venture."
He nodded. "I think so, too."
They sat together talking quietly for a long time. Outside, the lights moving overhead did the business of empire while the 23 million stories of the colony spun onward.
-0-Raptor, Blackjack, Flint and 'Stewie', Hard Drive, Ironhide, Kup, and Hercy
"Your deal, old mech."
"Who you calling an old mech?"
"You." -everyone there but Hard Drive
Hercy grinned as he shuffled the cards, then dealt them. They were gathered in the man cave for the usual card game. Many of the usuals, Perceptor and Wheeljack, the twins, Optimus, and others were busy with slag. Unusually, they weren't here. Optimus and the two scientists for the family reasons and the others for the huge card at the Races. "So … what's going to transpire with Miler's genitors, do you think?"
Raptor shrugged. "They will change or not. Their special kind of slag isn't worth anything here."
"But they can invoke," Hardie said as he anted up.
Everyone glanced at him. "What would happen, Atar?" Raptor asked.
"The invocation would be valid, son," Hardie said.
"What sort of recourse would Miler and the others have against it?" Ironhide asked as his tanks began to churn. "Those slaggers would do it, too. What a cold pair of slaggers."
Hardie shrugged. "There's very little you can do if you uphold your cultural traditions. I invoked on you, Raptor, that time, remember?"
Raptor glanced at the others. "Uh, yeah, but keep it to yourself."
Hardie grinned at the others glancing from Raptor to Ironhide. "If you wish." He looked at his cards. "Ante?"
They anted, then Ironhide leaned forward. "What invocation? No one ever told me that any of you were ever invoked."
"Moda invoked on Smokey. I hear he and Hot Rod are still feuding. Young love. I could hurl," Hercy said with a smirk. "Oh, did I change the subject?
Hardie grinned, then nodded to Hercy. "Yes, you did, recruit. Thanks."
"Don't mention it," Hercy said as he threw tossed in another Oreo.
"TELL ME!" Ironhide demanded.
"Mouthy little mech. Takes after a certain sonny that looks like him," Raptor said with a frown. He looked at his son. "You were supposed to teach him to respect his elders, Blackjack."
"I did what I could with what I had," Blackjack said as he anted up, too.
"Oh, ha-ha. That doesn't change the subject. Talk," Ironhide said.
"I don't remember," Hard Drive said because he liked Ironhide's little frowns. He grinned at the miffed youngster. "I don't. Do you, Raptor?"
Raptor glanced at Ironhide, then his grandfather. "If I did, I wouldn't tell."
"You're both covering for him," Ironhide said. "See if I tell you anything EVER!"
"We'll just ask Ratchet," Blackjack said. He smiled brilliantly at his son who frowned.
Ironhide would never know how many adults sitting in the room enjoyed that he did.
-0-The next orn
It was a tense morning in The Residence as Prowl and Prime got the children going. Breakfast was had, then a short walk to the street for the buses to come. Ratchet and his menagerie joined them with their kids and Ironhide. He had lost the night before, surrendering all his Oreos to the others who made a point of telling him how tasty they were as they ate them in front of him.
The buses began to come down the street, stopping to pick them up in bunches. The little mechs with Sunspot, minus Rambler, hopped on board and took off. The next bus took the big kids and Rambler. Then Hero's cab arrived. Finally, the special buses for Sparkling day … Miracle, Orion, and Praxus took the first to Sparkling Day while Sojourner, Solus and Prowler were carried aboard theirs for Circle Prep by aides. It left and all of them stared as it departed.
"I don't know about all of you but this is an intervention by the gods," Ratchet said. They all agreed, then everyone turned toward Prime and Prowl. "What's going to happen today, Prowl, and how can we help you?"
Prowl considered that, then called his ada and atar. They chatted, then Prowl turned toward Optimus. "I just called my genitors and they think the first real meet up should be with the three of us. They don't want any of you being treated badly, if at all. We don't know what they think or believe but last night wasn't a good start. I, personally don't want you to be mistreated even accidentally, Optimus."
"I can go with you," Prime said. "All of us can. Just tell us what you need."
Prowl glanced at everyone, then Prime. "I think I'll go with what Ada and Atar suggested for their sake. Then we can go from there. You don't mind? You aren't hurt are you?" he asked.
"No. I will do what you three need," Optimus said as Prowl stepped into his embrace. "We can come at a moment's notice."
"I'll remember that," Prowl said as he looked up at Prime. "I will meet you at The Fortress, then."
Prime nodded, then all of them watched as Prowl walked onward heading toward the Diner On The Corner.
Ratchet glanced at Prime. "This is fragged. I would hate to have this happen to me and mine."
"We were too poor, Ratchet, to have this much time to make things difficult," Optimus said.
Ratchet nodded. "You got that right," he said.
Ironhide didn't say a word.
They walked onward together to the Ops Center to wait.
-0-At the Diner On The Corner, Autobot City
Prowl sat in a booth near the back waiting anxiously for his family. No one spotting him would notice that feature. He was in full control of himself. When they appeared in the doorway, Miler with Venture who carried Prima in a carrier followed by Zenith and Shadow, he felt tension grip him. He stood and waved to them. They walked up and sat down as Prowl pulled a chair for himself. The two sat quietly, their elegance like an aura around them.
Zenith looked at Prowl. "Good morning, Prowl. Is the Prime unable to attend?"
"He had a detail to take care of. If he can, he will join us," Prowl said as the waiters brought menus.
They took them, studied them, then looked at Prowl. "I will defer to your greater wisdom with the menu, Prowl," Shadow said.
When the waiter came, Prowl ordered for them, himself, then his genitors did their own. It was quiet a moment. Prowl looked at his grandgenitors. "Did you recharge well? How do you like your apartment? Perhaps we can move you closer to The City here when an opening comes about," Prowl said.
"We recharged well," Zenith said. "The apartment is beautiful and luxurious. We have not had such amenities in some time."
It was silent a moment. "Did they see Prima?" Prowl asked his grim faced ada.
"They did," Miler said. "He was happy to meet them."
"He is a very beautiful child," Shadow said. "I understand that the schools here are excellent."
"They are," Prowl replied. "We have always had a school since we always had infants in the company. We have private schools and public. We put our daughters into the Circle Prep Academy because we wanted them both with us during the day and they have an excellent home school program."
"Prima is going to be placed shortly. We want him to have all the advantages," Venture said. "It's hard to have him gone from us even for such a short time but we have to make sure he's given the best we can."
Zenith nodded. "What about religious schools?"
"We have one at the Monastery of the Clavis Aurea. We have lessons in the schools with Lady Sela. We don't have a Temple school for children yet. What do you think, Ven? You're on the Temple Council." Miler asked.
"They discuss it but its mostly for older individuals with a focus on the priesthood," Venture said. "I will talk to Sela if you wish it."
"I would be interested, Venture," Zenith said.
It was silent again, but mercifully, the waiters came and delivered big platters of food and large drinks of Cybertronian 'tea'. They left and the two sat for a moment staring at the food. "What is this, Miler, and how do you eat it?"
"Its energon-based food shaped and designed to taste like that of the cuisines of our allies, those who live one planet over. It's really delightful and most delicious," Miler said, unconsciously falling into his old role of peacekeeper between his genitors. Venture and Prowl. "Why don't you try it? This is called butter and you put it on the pancakes. Then you pour this syrup over them and eat them that way. The eggs and bacon are eaten without fuss."
They did what they were told and soon everyone was eating. Prowl looked at them as they ate as regally as they lived, with great manners. "What do you think? I love this food."
"It's different," Zenith said. "I'm not used to the flavors or textures but I can see how you might like it. Are there Cybertronian restaurants here?"
"There are, Atar," Miler said. "I will show you things. I'm taking the orn off. Venture is as well. We can show you this miracle and I know you will be amazed."
Zenith nodded. "I am sure we will be, Miler," he said.
They continued their meal without conversation.
-0-Ops Center
"Prowl is a wreck. I can only imagine Miler," Ratchet said.
Prime nodded. "He is tense, tenser than I've seen since we came to this system."
"Well, unless they invoke, there isn't much they can do about things." Ratchet glanced at Ironhide. "Is there?"
"You're asking me?" Ironhide replied.
They sat together tensely waiting for Prowl and his family to be finished. What they would do after that was anyone's guess.
Time would pass slowly in Autobot City this orn.
-0-TBC 1-28-18 edited 2-2-18