The Diego Diaries: Fireworks! (dd7 49)
=0=In the night
The light of fireworks burst over every city in the colony at the same time. They were launched on a timed schedule by Teletraan and administered by groups of smart kids, demolitions experts and scientists for the edification of the masses. As they flew up and burst into great luminous beautiful shapes, figures and words, the same was going on all over Cybertron and the inner planets. It had been a herculean task but one accomplished for now and into perpetuity.
Even for Wheeljack and Perceptor, this was just too big.
Prime and those who went with him to Simfur had returned just before after a nearly deliriously happy interlude in "The City of The Temple". The next year, they would hold the festival there, utilizing the Temple and its facilities. Unless Primus switched up things, they would do so with some very ingenious holograms that were so perfected that you could touch them with your hand or servo. The city would have its primacy back every other festival, alternating with Autobot City.
Right now, most of them were standing on the balcony of The Residence with Prime watching the show in the skies. It was elaborate, filled with symbolism and images of everywhere and everyone. There were short movies of scenes from the colony and from Cybertron. They would be archived for anyone to see at some point by IntraComm and the news service that it operated on Cybertron, the newly consolidated operation, News-Net, but for now the view overhead was sufficient.
Children were swaddled in blankets and onesies, held in the arms of their elders. It was dazzling and even though the dogs and Bob hated the noise and flashes the view was unsurpassed for everyone else. The animals hid in the living room waiting for the slag outside to pass by.
Inside as well, mountains of food awaited, all of it brought there by everyone who was coming which seemed like half the army. No Seekers were there because they were burning down Aerie Hill to celebrate the return of two more sub chieftains and a chieftain of a big clan. It would be a hot time in the old town tonight, or so Thundercracker advised. Given the amount of wild aft flying that roared overhead and around the city itself after the Festival itself, the swirl of lights and the fiery flight of what could only be Warlord dominated the skies. It was clear that there would be massive hangovers tomorrow.
The last flash of brilliant light appeared overhead, then disappeared leaving a sense of calmness over the crowd as they celebrated another Festival with Cybertron, the inner Empire and the local group in their servos. Cybertron would take a bit longer to finish their fun and games given the extra images of life on world added to the presentation. It was deeply and gratefully appreciated.
When the music ended softly the creed exploded into the sky. "UNTIL ALL ARE ONE! UNTIL ALL ARE ONE! UNTIL ALL ARE ONE!"
A roar raised up filling the heavens as the crowd stamped the ground and let the Pantheon know their feelings. It would last a while, the die down as the applause of the masses turned to laughter, happy conversation and movement back to their homes inside the District of Autobot City. It would take a long time for the nearly one million spectators to disperse. There would be relatively light Watch intervention activity in their midst.
Prime glanced around, then grinned. "When is dinner, Prowl?" he asked sweetly to great laughter and 'yeah, Prowl, when's dinner?'.
Prowl smirked. "In a breem. When the siren blows."
"Well, that blows, too," Sandstorm said as he walked back inside with Rambler in his arms.
The rest followed as they entered the gigantic apartment, then closed the night and the cold out when the door slid shut behind them. Finding their seats again, parting out children, everyone glanced at the others.
"I don't know about you," Sandstorm said, "but fasting isn't my cup of tea."
"Since when did you ever drink tea?" Springer asked as he sat on a love seat beside Drift.
"About the same time you didn't," Sandy said to laughter and mockery.
"They don't make them as tough as they used to," Hercy said to Prime who nodded. "I can remember when a cup of tea was a meal."
"Oh, here we go," Twin Twist said with a chuckle. "Poor stories."
"You infants can't best the exempts," Kup said. "Don't even try."
Hardie laughed as he glanced at his brothers with a wink. "I remember when licking the inside of an old oil can was a cause of celebration."
"Eww," Prowl said.
Everyone looked at him, smirking as he shriveled a tad.
Prowl sat straighter, then held out a cookie for Sojourner. "Here, baby. I realize its not AN OLD OIL CAN but its the best I can do on the spur of a moment."
Huge laughter greeted that as Sojie took her cookie. Everyone under three feet then flocked to Uncle Owl to get one, too.
"What's the worst thing you ever made energon from?" Lon asked Hercy as Partition and Bezel watched with intensity. Sitting nearby watching as well, Inweld and Morius with their significant others listened. Their genitors weren't here. They were at the Halls of Order having break fast with the rest of their circle, Vinn, Joon and the others. The squad was well accounted for at the Halls of Order.
Hercy considered that, then smirked slightly. "You don't want to know."
Huge laughter and goading greeted that but given a look from Prowl, Hercy deprived them of knowing how low you can go when you're hungry enough.
"What about you, Ratchet? You grew up scratching with the chickens as the humans say. What was that like? Educational purposes for the kids among us who benefit mightily from the sweat of our brows?" Twin asked. He, himself had grown up in poverty and could tell a few tales himself.
"Well," Ratchet began as Ravel began to give him The Look. "What can one say about watching your genitors and grand genitors go without so you can have a toy?"
It was silent.
"What can you say?" Twin asked with a grin as Maelstrom and Chromia smirked.
"Not much, really. It was fragged as no humans say," Ratchet said with a chuckle.
"The humans have a lot of sayings," Hercy mused as Kup who was sitting beside him nodded. "I like when they get surprised some of them say, 'Well, I'll be swanned'."
"They say that?" Bezel asked.
"They do. They also swear a lot. I'm sort of surprised how long it took to infiltrate the entire security apparatus of the Watch. Even the guards at the jail speak the same slag," Springer said.
"It bothers his sense of religious piety," Drift said with a snicker.
"It does but not as much as your fascination with colors," Springer said. "What sort of evening would you say this was?"
Drift glanced around, then grinned. "Sort of lavender if I'm pushed to guess."
"Are you one of those colorist slaggers?" Kup asked.
"There's a lot of truth in color," Drift replied.
"Your bond is a hippy, Springer," Twin said. "I heard about them on a movie."
Springer glanced at Drift, then checked his aft. "I don't see it, Twin."
Huge laughter and insults greeted that remark.
It was then that the siren could be heard rolling out across the plains from the tower at Fort Max.
DINNER TIME!
Half a breem later …
Many were the mechs and femmes sitting around the room with incredibly heaped plates and one to two bottles of something to drink sitting beside them. The clink of silverware and muted comments around bites of food took precedence for a moment.
Ratchet found his seat, then grinned at Sun who was filling his face. "You don't appear to handle fasting well."
Sun grinned at Ratchet. "Frag no. Feels like prison."
"Were you ever in prison, General?" Bezel asked.
"A few times. I don't like being ordered around by slaggers. Have a point, then follow it," Sun said. "Have you ever noticed how many fraggers there are in charge of things?"
Everyone paused their forks.
"Present company not included," Sun said with a chuckle.
"I should hope so," Prime said with a grin. A row of children were standing in front of him grinning at the biggest softie in the room. He fed them, then they danced onward to form a wall in front of Hercy and 'Jack. They were fed there, too.
"The semi finals are in three orns," Ratchet said. "What's the team prospects like? I need to lay off a bet."
"You have to ask?" Prowl said as he paused a fork. "You of little faith. Among other things."
An elbow took care of that impertinence.
"I think there are only blue skies ahead," Prime said as the twins smirked at him.
"You have to get past us," Sunstreaker replied.
"I do believe we have done that twice now," Optimus replied to everyone's great delight. It wasn't often that one saw the First Disciple of Primus trash talk.
"He got you, Sunny," Sideswipe said with a chuckle. "I'm thinking of bringing a gun or maybe a blunt instrument."
"Then you're bringing all of your personality this time, Sideswipe?" Bumblebee asked as First Aid nearly swallowed his tongue laughing.
"Ha, ha, shortie. How about joining a team?" Sideswipe said. "We could use a good go-fer."
"As if," Bee said. "I'm joining a team next season. You can get your own slag yourself."
"What team? A mini-con team? What would you call a mini-con team?" Sideswipe asked.
"Jail Bait? The Autobot City Jail Bait and Tabernacle Choir," Bulkhead said with a chuckle as the room erupted in laughter. "Tell me, Bee … why do so many of you shorties get over energized, then serenade The City?"
"Because unlike you overrated giraffes we sound good," Bee said with his usual chutzpah.
First Aid nodded with pride and agreement though he would be thrown into the giraffe pen at the zoo with everyone else.
"Mini-cons," Bulkhead said as his sons ran up for a bite from him and Tyro. "By the way, Optimus … I never did get your opinion on Transformers: Prime about Primes never partying. When that's cleared up, I'd like to hear from you, Arcee."
"About what, Bulk?" Arcee asked as she lounged next to Magnus on a couch. Both of them were slagging it down, Magnus with the same gusto as Optimus and the other big mechs in the room.
"Remember when we were supposed to keep Megatron away from the space bridge? He picked you up like you were a doll. I never asked you about that. I think its tremendous how the humans work so hard to keep things real."
Huge laughter and guff greeted that.
"Well, I didn't think much about it, at least not in a good way but they did get my best side," Arcee said to great laughter.
"All of your sides are great," Magnus said.
A moment to aww was undertaken, then Arcee grinned. "I don't think if they really knew me that they would've made me Megatron's barbie doll." She looked at Optimus who grinned at her. "As for the party stuff … I do remember a few times when you did. It was fun. At least when we crashed the parties in the next district. You never got over energized, though. We tried to get you drunk, Optimus, but you always found excuses."
"Someone had to get us back home in one piece. Magnus was not that dependable then," Prime said with a chuckle.
Everyone glanced at Magnus who paused his fork. "What?" he asked.
"You actually mean that Ultra Magnus has a wild side?" Sideswipe asked with incredulity.
Magnus frowned.
Arcee put her arm around his shoulders. "You better believe it."
"That's what I was saying about Ironhide," Ratchet said as Ravel glanced at him sharply and began to rise. "Why, last night in the berth-" was as far as he got before his Ada pummeled him nearly into the ground.
"RATCHET! THE PRIME!"
=0=TBC 7-29-19
NOTE: Drift is part of a religious point of view that uses colors as their points. I have been dredging the universe to find that again so when I do I'll edit this mention and use more complete information as we go. Once he noted discord in a party or gathering and another practitioner agreed saying it was a 'magenta' moment. I love this fandom.