The Diego Diaries: Festival (dd6 415)

-0-Just as dawn breaks

They sat their horses in the middle of the intersection watching as groups of individuals made their way toward the Temple. It would be ground zero until after Prime exited and that would be where millions would head. Most would have no hope of seeing things directly. They would follow on their internal monitoring capabilities, listening and watching the whole thing. They wanted to be here in proximity to the greatness about to happen, to feel together in the multitudes the Blessings as well as comradry as envisioned by their creed. If they got there soon enough, they might be able to touch Prime, a very good thing on an orn like this. The holiness of the moment would mean a lot to those who could.

Traffic was being funneled as Springer watched them go by, some waving, some petting the horses of his posse. They wouldn't eat, most of them, until the siren called but a few of them, the younger among them would. No one cared. It was all well. There was no judgment here. Tapping the sides of his horse with his heels, Springer rode forward to see what was happening down the road at the human habitat, Sciences. The others followed him single file amongst the crowd.

-0-Sciences

Some of them were up early, some eating, some not. Outside in a steady stream, the crowds began to build. It would start from the Temple, then fill every street, alleyway, rooftop and ledge between here and way the heck and gone out there. Everyone in Sciences including family and friends were invited to come and they would. For those who were new here, it was scary and exciting. For those who had been here a while, it was just exciting. The only scary part was getting through the forest of legs to the human sector down front. There would be a lot of people there this time.

"Are you going to eat breakfast?" someone asked another as a group walked in from the apartments below.

"No. Maybe," they said sleepily. Food was sitting on the counter. All of it would be gone by the time everyone suited up and headed out for the platform.

-0-Earth2

Most of the facility was sleeping but for those who worked night shift. The command crew in the Ops Center had left having put the big facility on automated control. No one was there. It was tantalizing and would be a hoot to go look around if he were a less strategic and patient man. But Owen Harris knew how to wait. He walked to his desk in his office with his breakfast tray retrieved from the buffet line at the commissary. A lot were there dining, most of the facility he imagined, though some were going to fast in communion with their neighbors. Everyone was going to be in front of a monitor today, he, himself in his office, too. He knew that there was a long wait, usually, before Prime came out. What came after that he didn't know, though he felt a whole lot better afterward for a while.

No one was allowed to broadcast that part to them and Earth, the best parts but perhaps, today, they might relent. A man could hope. He sat down and began to work, eating as he did while outside, the habitat's population was getting ready to wait out the event, hoping that proximity to the source would mean they would feel something, too, other than a brighter sense of well being for a while.

Even on Earth, they felt the love of the Blessings. They just didn't know more than it made them feel impossibly loved for a moment and great afterward for a while.

-0-Family

Venture and Miler with Prima in Venture's hold made their way through the throngs to the tower beyond. Day and Night Watch were already there getting ready to ensure that things went well. The highway was already cleared to the Temple so they walked along the barricades street side to get to the tower. Others did the same, coming to the same good conclusion so it was slow going. They would make it with time to spare …

… A rap on the door caught Zenith's attention. He looked up from a particularly difficult piece of their puzzle. "Come in."

The door opened as Prowl stepped in, shined and ready to go to the Temple. He walked to the pair who were working over a diagram datapad laying on a work table. "Good morning," Prowl said to his grandparents.

They straightened, then turned toward him. "Prowl. Good morning. What brings you here?" Shadow asked.

"It's the day of the Festival of Primus. It's the right and habit of family to escort a Prime to the Temple and back again. I'm inviting you to have the honor with me and mine." Prowl waited, noting their surprise at the gesture. They didn't remember it either, but then, they seldom remembered anything when working on research that was vital to their interests. A good problem could confound them for orns.

"That's very kind, Prowl. We will gather ourselves. I'm assuming that the progress is at 0900 as usual?" Zenith asked.

Prowl nodded. "Yes, it is. When that's finished, we have dinner at the stroke of midnight. I invite you to the Primal Residence in Tower 1 for dinner and to watch the fireworks. Everyone will be there and we'd be honored to have you come."

They stared at him, then glanced at each other as if to have a brief conversation. Shadow nodded. "We shall. Thank you, Prowl."

"I'm honored to ask," he said with a slight grin. "I have to go. The Progress is soon. Please do come." With that, he walked to the door, bowed his helm slightly, then left. It closed silently behind him …

… "ADA!"

"WHAT, YOU LITTLE SLAGGER!?"

"You not doing this with the shes?" Orion asked as he held out a piece of 'bacon'.

Ratchet stared at it hungrily, then shook his head. "No. Not until later. Eat up, peewees. We're going for a walk in a moment."

They dug in, great and small, as Ratchet and Ironhide sat in their chairs envying the slag out of all of them …

… Gathered together at Earth2 on couches and chairs pushed into a grouping, a good dozen individuals huddled together to watch the giant monitor showing the gathering crowds outside the Temple and around the downtown area of Autobot City and beyond. The different kinds, colors, sizes, and shapes of the bots were astonishing to the humans as ever. The cameras spanned the crowds around town, then settled on the gathering humans at the edge of the Temple steps.

"Look. There's Monica and Zak," Bonny said as the others nodded. She pulled her phone, then furiously typed a text. They watched the screen as the cameras paused on the humans, allowing the commentators at New York City and London for the MCA to discuss with Aleph what they were seeing. It was then that they saw Monica startle, then dig for her phone. She opened the text, read it, then looked around. Smiling broadly, she waved toward where she hoped a camera could show her. She showed the others who looked at her, then turned to wave as well. She would text back and forth with Bonny through the waiting for Prime, then the waiting for him to return. It would be an amazing exchange of messages and no one on Earth would miss what Monica and the others were doing …

… Prowl let them in, his genitors and Prima. Before they could even sit, the door was opened again to show Zenith and Shadow waiting outside. Prowl walked to them and invited them in, following them to the living room where they took a chair together. The little kids walked up for hugs and got them, then everyone waited silently for Prime to step off the balcony and return inside. When he did, everyone stood including Prime's own genitors.

Shadow and Zenith bowed deeply. "Lord Optimus, I would like to say that it's an honor to be asked to attend to you during this, the holiest orn of our calendar. We're grateful to be here."

Prime nodded his helm. "We are honored to have you. You are not guests in this house, nor strangers," he said in an old fashioned manner. "My House is your house."

They bowed again, then Miler and Venture made the salutations, bowing deeply as well. Tagg and Kestrel who were less conservative and formal in their religious thoughts and practices glanced at their son. He had the look he bore when he was nearing the Matrix. He had the kind of confidence and power about his aura that could be seen and felt by everyone. Stifling the urge to bow themselves, Tagg walked to his son. Placing his servos gently on his son's shoulders, he looked at Optimus with great love. "You're our hero, Orion. You've made a miracle and you will make more. Please tell the Pantheon that Tagg and Kestrel of Iacon revere them and we are grateful that we have a son such as you."

Optimus pulled his father into an embrace, then his ada as well. "I will," he said. "It is time."

They both nodded, then picked up children, those delegated to them. Everyone gathered children and things together, then turned toward Prime. They bowed deeply, including the older children, then silently filed out. Prime watched the door close even as his spirit began to prepare to leave this dimensional plane for another.

The sunlight streamed in as he waited to leave, knowing his entire extended family would be walking down the street toward the Temple steps. The Guard was in the lobby waiting for him, Springer and Drift would be on horseback to follow them and all would be well. He would go to the Matrix and They would tell him what he needed to know. They already knew what he needed. He just needed himself to hear it from Them. The clock ticked by as he waited …

… At each stop of the elevator, family joined them, riding down together to the lobby where more waited. Turbine would follow Prime along with Cyclonus and Lauren. The Guard would accompany them and the sight would be beautiful. Flags would fly, banners would proclaim and the entire multitude would be as silent as a snowfall as he walked down their midst to meet with the Warrior Gods of their creation.

They reached the lobby and grouped up. Prowl and his family would be first, then Ironhide and Ratchet next. Among them as family were most of the Senior Autobots including all of Ratchet and Ironhide's extended families as well as Partition and Maelstrom, the 'new kids'. Accompanying Partition and Lancer would be a solemn Lucien, an emotional Laslo along with an overawed Inweld and Morius. Grown children of Ratchet and Ironhide, dread and titan youngling mechs and the rest would walk with measured steps in line with their age and height to the street where they would walk between the multitudes toward the Temple a Cybertronian mile and a half away.

Everyone would see them, everyone would know that these were the ones who took care of the Prime, his family both personal and extended who were the ones who were his deepest confidantes and those who helped him through every hurdle. Ultra Magnus walked with Arcee and the titan and dread kids followed by Clipper, Dangerous and a serious solemn Typhoon. Miracle walked with Bos, Co-D, Reflector, Silverbow, Kaon, and Sunspot, some of them holding hands as they looked around themselves with interest. The family of Bos and the other two little mechs walked behind them, included because of the babies. The twins and Bluestreak walked on either side of Prowl holding children and carrying others in their carry holds.

The femmes were here and they walked with Kestrel and Tagg who were with Zenith and Shadow. Those two were solemn and respectful, more than aware of the honor accorded them. Ahead of them, waiting at the Temple were the humans but also the mechs who were also their family, their group, their comrades of a million sleepless nights. They watched the group walk slowly toward them, taking the time for The People to see them, those who were closest to the Prime.

They passed silent crowds who watched them pass, nodding to them, waving and getting waves back. Friends smiled, some called out their best wishes and got them back as the group slowly approached the steps. The humans there watched with fascination and emotion as the group passed through the silent multitudes. It was an amazingly emotional moment for many of them, especially those who were friends from the old days.

Prowl reached the place set aside for Prime's family. The others followed and took their places, passing around children and whispering to friends and comrades waiting there. Ratchet saw Rainmaker, his sons, one of his bonds and Sky Warp when the crowd parted, then closed. He saw Arrow but not Paragon through the mass of color and shapes. Others were there, Kup, Hercy, all the usual suspects. More he knew were about though he couldn't see because he felt their auras around him. It took a moment to situate everyone as a murmur of conversation began to arise, then it died down again.

Everyone looked down the street, wide open and lined deeply on both sides. Banners waved slightly in the breeze and flags flapped, their sound nearly the only one. On roofs and windows all along the path, bots leaned out to look down the street. A ripple of noise rose up … 'he's coming' … then died down as the sound far away but distinct of a heavy tread could be heard …

… He walked to the door of his house and stepped out. No one was there. Taking the elevator to the ground floor, Optimus Prime stepped out into a lobby with a crowd waiting. They all bowed deeply and he nodded to them respectfully. Stepping forward, he headed for the door as the Guards fell in beside him on both sides. Then Turbine fell in behind Prime, taking into the moment the honor and wisdom of his clan, The Ones Who Know The Secrets of The One, it was said. They actually did. Cyclonus and Lauren walked behind Turbine for the major factions and all smaller ones in the colony.

Springer and Drift who were chatting walked out ahead of them and mounted up, moving their horses to fall in line behind him. The crowd would follow as Prime went forward so they would ensure that there was enough room for him to do so without the crush following too closely. Prime passed, the Guard escorting, then the two fell in to follow. As they did, the crowds all around and behind them began to accompany them, too.

Prime walked forward silently to the road and stepped onto Metroplex Highway #3. Down the road a mile and a half, Metroplex in Pretender gear watched for him to come, the first time he and his comrades of great stature could do so like everyone else. It would be a surreal experience for all of them and affirmed in their minds that this was The One Who Comes. The loyalty and sense of service that would fill them at that moment would exceed even their programming.

He walked forward and headed to the intersection to turn to the left and Metroplex Highway #2. It would be a long slow walk. He knew he had to take the time to show himself to his people and allow those who wished an opportunity to touch him in passing without getting hurt. Those who did were usually from very small sects who had deep religious convictions, such as him being even more the embodiment of Primus on such an orn as this. During other times, he almost never noticed, so often did someone do it.

Prowl had said he never saw anyone touch Nova, Nominus, Sentinel, or even Zeta. Those were the Primes of his life and he never saw it. They were placeholders, he had said. They weren't meant to be. The Matrix was waiting for you, Optimus, for you alone. You are The One Who Comes. He had said that and Prime had hugged him. Prowl was nothing if not loyal.

He passed businesses and began to approach the steps while behind him a sea of bodies followed. The humans watched him once again struck by his beauty and dignity. Prime seemed like a god himself, so beautiful and charismatic was he at this moment. He was dignity personified. He was honor and goodness, fairness, courage, intellect, and decency. All of them felt it, the love that The People gave him as he neared the Temple and they felt it, too. They were here because Optimus Prime was a good mech.

Optimus noted them all around him even as they became less and less notable to him as he approached the steps. It was always like that. He faded from this world even as he walked onward. They reached the short path to the steps of the building. Turning to go there, he nodded to his family and friends, then continued. They watched him reach the steps where the Guard smartly stepped into place and assumed parade rest. They wouldn't move a single digit until Prime returned. They were beautiful.

He walked up the steps to meet Alpha and the priests. They bowed deeply, then Alpha grinned at him. "Enter, Pilgrim, and find what you seek."

Prime nodded. "I seek enlightenment, old friend," he said uncharacteristically. Then he continued onward as the group bowed again. Pausing at the doorway, he looked back at the crowd, all of them waiting and depending upon him. The weight of it was heavy a moment, then it lifted. Though his body turned to walk into the building, then down the stairs inside to the Well and AllSpark, the spirit of Optimus Prime of Iacon was already making its way to the Matrix.

-0-TBC 7-17-18 edited 7-18-18

NOTES

optimus prime101 chapter 414 . 12h ago

I think you should add some were in here where the public wants to know what the president of the united states thinks of the bots and the peace treaty they have with them.

ME: BWAHAHA! That might be a good idea. :D:D:D:D:D HUGS!

Leoness chapter 414 . 19h ago

As bad as I feel for them, the functionalists are so creepy. Cults always are.

ME: Anytime a group asks you to ditch your family and give control over to them, run. I agree with you. HUGS! :D