CHAPTER 38
Always there. Always at the same place.
Always reading to disadvantaged young bots. This time, there were more of them. At least, a dozen.
Dai Atlas had sent him to collect energon, to the point of spending the entire day if it was necessary. It would be unwise to come back empty-handed. Axe hadn't contested. He'd violated the rules. No violence between the Circle of Light members. Fight between members of a same group was something that Dai Atlas wouldn't accept.
Deep down, Axe thought he could have got worse than this, even if it didn't take away his rage against Star Saber. Speaking of, he didn't know his punishment from Dai Atlas. He'd take him into an isolated room for a private chat yet nothing came out of that meeting.
In one way, going outside was good.
However…he didn't know what he could say to her.
This time, he listened.
"No one is all for eternity." She recited.
She was talking to her audience. She'd just closed her book. For one moment, her optics met his.
Axe caught sight of a hint of smile over her lipplates.
"We're never completely apart from the people we love. Somewhere, fate binds us. In this life…like in another."
What was she talking about? He'd never heard such a speech from her.
Esmeral stood up.
"Solus Prime watches over us and heals our wounds. There is no wrong end. There is only a rebirth."
Solus Prime…
Why was she mentioning one of the Thirteen? Yes. She was the "Mother" but…she was talking about her like if it was a goddess.
A goddess…but Primus was their God.
What did it mean?
"Don't lose hope"
It fascinated him.
Others clapped. Esmeral pulled her books back while the dozen of bots took separate ways. That's the sign for Axe to come to meet her.
Curiosity turned into worry.
How could he tell her about what'd happened?
Esmeral turned around.
"…You were listening"
"Yes…"
"So?"
What he could answer to that?
"That's…strange. I never heard such speeches."
She smiled, understanding.
Nothing like their first meeting. They knew each other now. She was way more welcoming, way friendlier…
A new sensation…it made him forget his situation. Dai Atlas's scolding. His punishment.
That's…nice. And it fascinated him more.
"Is it…a particular religion?"
She nodded.
"The Way of Flame."
"The Way of Flame?" He repeated, confused.
He'd never heard about it. She simply shrugged. It didn't seem to surprise her.
"There are just a few of us. It's normal you don't know."
"What is it actually?"
"Do you have a religion?"
He took a time to answer.
"I believe in Primus."
"I believe in Solus Prime. To us, she is the Mother of all creations. A goddess"
A goddess.
That's…surprising yet interesting.
"And…we believe in reincarnation."
"The Allspark doesn't exist? In the Way of Flame?"
It existed. That's sure. That's the truth.
"Yes. It exists" She replied, a light tone. "But in our religion, sparks don't stay in eternally. They burn in the Allspark…before they get reincarnated. In a different universe."
What a curious way of thinking…life after death…
To Axe, it was hard to swallow. Yet…that's something new. Something that he'd learned.
He was happy that Dai Atlas wasn't around. He'd been the only one who'd listened it…who'd watched it…
He wasn't sure about how his leader would have reacted. Dai Atlas was a strong believer. He hated that people question his faith.
So, hearing about reincarnation, about Solus Prime as a goddess…
"You know. In the book about the many Cybertronian religions, there is a page focusing on the Way of Flame" She said.
"I-"
Worry took over him again. The reason why he'd come here…
He bit his lipplate. He tried to look away, but he couldn't.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"I—"
He'd to be honest.
Slowly and calmly, he explained everything.
He explained that someone had her books burned. It had been a bot he'd viewed as…an ally. Star Saber had never been a friend to him anyway. And he never would be. Not after what he'd just done.
"I see…"
Esmeral's smile vanished. She then coldly stared at him.
This distrust again…
Just like at their beginnings…something that he'd tried not to see again…
But now…
"I'm sorry"
"I hardly believe that it's one of your allies"
She hugged her bag full of books against her chassis.
"They were rare pieces…pieces that we might not find anymore."
"I know…"
"No. You don't know"
She was ready to go, not wanting to listen any longer.
No…he couldn't let her go.
"It already happened!" He burst out, trying to justify himself. "Our books had been burnt. We thought that the culprit had been gone but—"
"It wasn't him. You kept the culprit around. Someone ready to destroy precious things."
She looked down.
"These books were from my parents."
She was…devastated. Disappointed as well.
"Cybertron will never be rebuilt completely…it will never become the Cybertron we'd known."
He felt like a fool. A coward. Stupid as well. Yes. Gasket had never destroyed anything.
Star Saber had destroyed her properties…like if he'd killed his parents one more time. While he wasn't even a Decepticon.
"I didn't want—"
"Stop talking!"
She was ready to go.
He'll never see her again. She resented him…and he'll never see her again.
Because of Star Saber.
This feeling of wellness inside him was vanishing while she was walking away.
There is no wrong end.
Suddenly he caught sight of something flying over to Esmeral, like a projectile…something blue…
He lost no time to rush over to push her away and pinning her on the ground.
"what the—"
A broken glass noise replied.
They stood up, looking all around, checking that there was no more danger.
Axe noticed something running over his back.
Blue liquid…
A cube of energon had been thrown.
From far, three bots booed at them, fists clenched.
"Get out!"
"You slut! You horrible guru! Sacrilege!"
"Blasphemer!"
"Leave that place! Primus is our real God!"
"People like you should get their sparks torn out!"
"Rot along with your parents!"
Esmeral sighed. She helped him up.
"Excuse me" She said, a resigned tone.
Axe looked back. Her disappointment had turned into guilt.
"No…No harm done" He answered, a slight smile.
"No. It's my fault. I'm used to it. I should have warned you."
She held her servo out.
That's a concern…an ask for forgiveness…because she'd rejected him, she'd ignored what he'd to say.
"I can help you to clean up"
"I—"
"No. Please. Accept."
Almost as if she begged him…
Axe gave her a tender smile before taking her servo, intertwining their fingers together.
"Thanks"
He couldn't blame her.
He'll follow her, no matter what.
Of course, he didn't believe in this religion. He didn't believe in the Way of Flame.
But…her religion didn't matter.
She mattered. Only Esmeral.
"Get up!"
Drift stood up. He growled, grabbed his training sword and lunged over at Wing.
His sword flied again.
Drift followed it afterward, crashing onto the ground.
"Get up!"
Okay…Very well.
Drift didn't even try to pick up his sword. He just assaulted him with his bare fists and pedes. He wanted to surprise him. He wanted to amaze his mentor.
But the contrary of what he wanted happened.
The blow resonated in his helm. He received a kick that sent him off.
"Get up!"
"I see he hadn't progressed yet."
They stopped. Drift sat up again, trying hard not to fall down. Everything was spinning around him, warmth coming over his helm.
His vision was blurry…when he recovered it again, Dai Atlas faced him. His expression was emotionless.
"Wing. Let me discuss with your student"
"…Very well"
From far, he could read Wing's concern.
Yet he left the tatami. Drift and Dai Atlas were alone now.
Drift tried to stand up again.
"No. Remain here if you need to."
Dai Atlas was the one who sat down near him.
He didn't speak again immediately. That's like if he let Drift catch his breath. What for? It didn't sound good.
What had he done again?
Finally, his voice rose.
"You know it. Violence is prohibited here."
Will he punish him because he'd punched Star Saber?
Drift coughed.
If he wanted him to apologize…he could kick him out of the Circle of Light. Especially since he knew the true reason why Gasket had been expelled.
It angered him again.
Will he get the same treatment?
"…I was part of Nova Prime's crew once"
Drift turned back to him.
"It had been eight billion of years ago. We called me "God Map" because I was part of a group of adventurers who searched for the Knights of Cybertron. We thought they'd made the planet perfect before leaving it to restore peace in other galaxies."
He sounded nostalgic…He didn't expect that. He didn't expect Dai Atlas to explain his past to him…
He thought he was just a Decepticon through his optics. Dai Atlas wouldn't keep him around. So, why?
"He had been the leader of Cybertron, after Nominus Prime. That's thanks to him that we could have located the Crystal Cities. We thought we could bring a new peace era on Cybertron."
Then, bitterness came over.
"However…Nova Prime believed that the Allspark was the purest thing. Our spark was the prisoner of our head. The free will of each rot us while it was a gift granted by Primus."
Yes. Drift had heard about Nova Prime's story. Power had made him mad. But thinking that Dai Atlas had personally met him…
"He wanted to establish a new Allspark…and all would become one on Cybertron."
Then Dai Atlas stared back at him as if he was trying to scan him.
"I was horrified by what he was about to commit. It wasn't belief. It wasn't about peace. It was fanaticism. Warped belief. When I confronted him about it, he got me exiled."
Why would he tell him all these things?
Drift thought about Shadow Raker. He had also been under the command of a crazy Insecticon who'd disgusted him.
However, he hadn't been exiled. He'd ran away.
Was Dai Atlas giving him a message?
Then Dai Atlas revealed something that he hadn't thought as possible.
"I met Metrotitan. One of last Titans on Cybertron."
Drift almost called him a liar.
But this tone…this nostalgia…everything sounded genuine.
It would have been bad if he'd questioned his story.
"He assured me. I did the good choice. He explained me that, one day, I'll leave Cybertron to protect Primus' light, that I would get some help for this duty."
Metrotitan…The only one Metrotitan…?
Primus' light?
He understood.
The Circle of Light had been created this way.
Dai Atlas briefly smiled. The very first one he'd given to Drift.
"Sometimes, we are blinded. Then we come back in the right path to accomplish things we'd never expected ourselves to do. It happened to me."
He stood up.
It was over.
"…Why did you tell me this?" Drift asked him.
"Because you are like me. Maybe Wing saw something in you the same way Metrotitan saw something in me."
Was Wing listening to them?
He didn't see him.
"I didn't want to disappoint one of Primus' knights. Would you disappoint Wing?"
Disappointing Wing?
It was unbelievable to Drift.
"…Never"
Wing…had done so much to him.
"So…fight. And hold on."
Without any other word, Dai Atlas left the room.