The Diego Diaries: Aftermath (dd7 338)
Its amazing how with such a long light period this time of year how easy it is to forget how late it is and fall on your face. HERE WE GO! (Its nine o'clock here and it looks like noon.)
=0=Late that night
They had stayed late, the group, and had gone home eventually, some being led by others to the places they had to go. As it was, half a dozen sots were sleeping it off in the berth rooms of the big kids who were staying over at their Ammas and Appa. Children were in bed, Ratchet was puttering around somewhere and he was staring out the window at the airfield below which was starting up its usual constant stream of air traffic. Here and in the southeast of The City at the Autobot City Municipal and Interplanetary Airport, ships were getting ready to kick into gear for the usual run of business.
Ironhide liked the view from his house perched halfway up the tower, Tower Two in the building history of The City. Upstairs, Prime lived. Down below Prime, Kestrel and Tagg lived in a very cute and cozy little apartment. Across the hallway from his own house, Ironhide's genitors lived with his little brother, Scout who looked identical to him and could be Orion's twin but that Orion was slightly taller and bigger overall.
Next door, the apartment of Ravel and Tie Down was located and next to that, the apartment of Corr, Chan, Docker and Appa Ratchet. They were offered more space when an apartment down around the bend of this floor became available. After deep consultation with each other, they told Ironhide, "Thank you, son, but we like this. It feels nice and homey, like the good times in the Jumble. Only better. And safer. And not so awful. You're a good son to think about this for us."
It was. He often checked in during the orn and stayed for a 'sip and a nip' … something to drink and whatever AMAZING baked good someone had made that orn. Down below on other levels, his ammas and appas lived, most of them but for Hardie and Delphi who lived in Iacon in a tower across the street from the one his brothers occupied. Flint and STU-RT lived together in Tyger Pax while Steiner and Lissie still shared an apartment together happily. Scout and Trooper lived in the apartment in the Performing Arts Center most of the time but their apartment was still available in their town, floor to ceiling that it was with compositions, plays, books, writing and the like.
That one.
There were grown children all over the place … Iacon, Tyger Pax, etcetera. It was all good. Everyone had the same innate homing device to find each other. So it was with Prime and Prowl. Ironhide couldn't remember where Zenith and Shadow lived but Styre and Stealth lived nearby. Venture and Miler still lived in the Vos Tower in Metroplex and were waiting for a home for Styre and Stealth when one came open there. It was slow going since the seniors who lived there were rugged healthy and loved the Center down below with its cafeteria buffet, games, classes on this and that and all around bull sessions amongst the clannish elders living there.
All was well in his world.
He wondered what Prime had been told about things from the Powers. He hoped it was good news. Given that Prime's aura was so bright, it couldn't have been all terrible. Sometimes when it was, the lingering light of his energetic signature remembered it with dark spots here and there in it. Energy beings like themselves could read this stuff, especially if you were someone who had been with Prime as long as Ironhide had.
"You going to stay there?"
He glanced over his shoulder at Ratchet who was standing in the hallway. "Nope." He walked through the living room and kitchen with the dining room, then walked to the berth room with Ratchet. Peering into berth rooms along the way at peewees there, he satisfied himself that everyone was copacetic. Entering their room, he walked to the berth and lay back. He felt every beer and every bite as he did. "I think I ate too much."
"Drank too much, too," Ratchet said as he lay back himself. "There's always tomorrow. Do I need to get a lawyer on retainer?"
"Yep," Ironhide said with a grin.
"Consider it done," Ratchet said with a grin. "Goodnight, Ironhide."
"Goodnight, Ratchet."
=0=Up there
"How do you feel?"
"I feel good, Prowl. You?"
"When you feel good, I feel good," Prowl said as he fussed around their huge berth room suite.
Prime watched him with amusement. "You are nothing if not loyal."
Prowl grinned at him. "Are you just noticing that?"
"I have always noticed that," Prime said as both of them lay back. The lights went off and it was quiet. "That is, when you weren't throwing things at me."
Prowl frowned slightly. "You enjoy reminding me about that.'
Prime grinned himself. "I do." He glanced at Prowl. "Do you have questions about the Matrix side of the orn?"
"I always do but I'll never ask them without permission. This part of your personhood is sacred and I'll never breech it without invitation."
[Silence]
"You have it."
Prowl glanced at Prime, then turned on his side. "Who did you meet?"
"Orion and Halo."
Prowl raised himself up. "Those two?"
"They were images that the heralds of Onyx Prime like to use. They were very amusing. When Orion really begins to talk its going to surprise everyone." Prime mused on it. "They became sub adults after a moment and when They changed again, they were Prima and Solus Prime."
Prowl leaned in closer, resting his servo on Prime's broad chest. "What happened? Did you get what you needed and wanted?"
Prime nodded. "They decided that I needed to see my family. My ammas and appas were there. It was astonishing how happy it made me to see them. You would have loved them."
"I would," Prowl said. "Every member of your family is remarkable. Was it Sirius?"
Prime nodded. "Yes. Sirius, Falcon and Justus. I have thought of them since that moment in the Matrix and it occurred to me that none of them including my genitors ever did anything but support me. It astonishes me, Prowl. I never had anything but encouragement from them. They never said anything that did not elevate and encourage me forward. I just noticed that after all these vorns and eons." He glanced at Prowl. "Why did I not notice that before?"
Prowl considered Prime, his handsome face and pained voice. He caressed Prime's face gently. "Because you have so much to think about. Thinking about them doesn't come easy to you because they were lost. Sometimes I couldn't even think about my family even in passing, it was too painful. They were wonderful and raised a wonderful grandson. I wish I had met them so I could thank them for such a wonderful mech as you."
Prime stared at Prowl, his handsome face filled with love and tenderness. "They would have loved you."
"Do you think so?" Prowl asked softly.
Hopefully.
Prime nodded. "They would because I do."
Prowl kissed him, then lay back down, his arm around Prime's broad chest. "Tell me what moves you. I won't ask for more."
Prime squeezed him gently. "You can ask for anything and its yours."
=0=Elsewhere
They sat together in front of the window that showed the city outside. They lived in a tower that was part of a huge residential district in their city. Lights from apartments in other towers, overhead from ships, satellites and the streets below were beautiful against the inky velvet of a Martian night. They were sipping tea together.
"I have been to many Festivals. I never felt what I did from any other Prime," Styre said.
Stealth nodded. "He is surely The One Who Comes." He glanced at Styre. "I love this place. I hope that we can get an apartment in the Vos Tower. I love the culture there. I think Miler wants me to join his debate club."
"You should. You would be very good at it, Stealth." Styre grinned. "I'm not sure I'm interested in working yet though Venture has a position for me in data analysis that looks very interesting. I would have an office down the hallway from him."
"I think that would be wonderful. Don't worry about me. I'm going to see if Scout and Trooper need a hand. I've always wanted to see how things like that function. Their theater schedule is very exciting when the new season begins in a couple of months."
Styre grinned. "You should take up acting. Be an understudy or something until you really get your confidence back. It could be a whole new avenue for you."
"Confidence. What's that?" Stealth said softly. "I don't know about that, Styre. But I know that its very exciting to watch them do things with plays and music."
"Then its settled. Frankly, it'll be a toss up who has the more exciting time," Styre said with a wink.
Stealth grinned. "You need to get out more."
"I am," Styre said. "I'm going clubbing with the boys." He grinned at Stealth with great satisfaction.
Stealth grinned back. "I'm going camping with the Squad."
Both laughed long and loud. It felt amazing.
=0=Up there
"The Matrix presents Itself as a youth and has for some time. He told me that I would have to take care of myself." He glanced at Prowl. "I delegate that to you." He grinned at Prowl.
Prowl grinned back. "Consider it done."
"He told me that the move of Cybertron would be assisted, that Primus Himself would ensure safety. That eases my processor more than I can express."
Prowl nodded. "And mine."
"He told me that The One was concerned for Primus, that harm was not in His life plan as I have been able to discern it. Thus, They will assist. I also met Guardian Prime. I am glad that I did. He is and was remarkable. We must ensure that his legacy is remembered and honored."
"Alright," Prowl said as if making a list.
Prime grinned slightly at the thought. "I also met someone else ..."
^..^
He was tall, metallic like Prime but different. His body was Cybertronian but His aura was not altogether anything Prime had ever encountered before. It seemed so vast to Optimus that it was almost intimidating, like universes lived in His energy field. It would have been intimidating but for the love that radiated out of Him. It could be seen it was so strongly a part of what and who this individual was.
Prime considered that, then bowed deeply. As he did, he knew who was standing before him.
It was The one.
^..^
He could feel Prowl tense from surprise. "Are you kidding me?"
Prime grinned. "No."
Prowl eased back up to stare at Prime with a look of shock and seriousness. "The One. You met Him?"
"I did. I wish you could have felt the love that He embodies. Its the most intense thing I have ever felt."
"What did He say?" Prowl asked almost breathlessly. "If … that is, if its alright ..."
Prime chuckled. "He told me that we were loved and He always is with us. He gave me three questions."
"God let you ask three questions. About anything?" Prowl asked in a whisper, almost as if he would violate something if he spoke normally.
"Three. The first established that Megatron is far away and occupied. He is consumed with death and destruction, thus making his efforts to find allies impossibly hard. He also told me that we will move the planetary empire to safety with Cybertron the first. All of the souls of these planets will help us. They want to be safe and something tells me that they want to stay together. I asked about the hearings to come and the Functionalist Council. Many are doing rather well who were recalled but that group is difficult. Time will tell. Then He told me that I had a gift waiting at Simfur. He left at that moment."
"The relics. He put them there," Prowl said.
"Nothing is above Him. Everything is Him. We are here to live, love, learn and go back to tell what we know when we leave for the Matrix. He takes that and creates more and different things for us to experience. It was an amazing thing. All of it."
Prowl nodded. He lay back down. Then he grinned. "You're going to tie one on tomorrow after all this. I wonder what They would think about it?"
=0=On a planetary dimension not so far away
"What will You think about it, brother?" Solus asked.
Micronus grinned. "I may have to go with them."
The others grinned, agreed, then all of Them faded away. The Festival of Primus was over for another year.
All was well.
For now.
=0=TBC 7-27-2020 Message replies and fixers uppers for all the good souls who notice such things coming tomorrow. Wherever you are in the world, take care and know that you are loved. Profoundly loved.