Fade with Time
Autumn was such a melancholy time of year.
Strange how he had never really noted the differences as time passed on Cybertron, or perhaps not; there weren't any plants or animals to show the changing of the seasons like they did here, after all. He wondered suddenly if he would miss this cool season when he returned home. Would he think back on the bright splashes of color as the trees changed, or the odd smell in the corridors of the Axalon as Rattrap hoarded food for no logical, Cybertronian reason? Would he miss the darker colors spreading on Cheetor and himself? Of course, he'd find out about that last when they returned to the area of the base. The plains surrounding the Axalon didn't experience such a dramatic change as the planet circled the sun, and he had the feeling that his new winter color would quickly fade out again in the heat. What a shame that something that looked so splendid would soon be gone, but the mission was ending. They'd have to return soon, or the Predacons would notice that he and Cheetor had slipped away.
It had been a pleasant thing to fulfill his primary function, even for a little while. He'd felt sorry that Rhinox had needed to stay behind, but only Cheetor could fly, a precaution against returning quickly in case of an attack. Nothing had happened, however, and Cheetor had enthusiastically helped him survey the area as summer slipped easily into fall. Dinobot, no matter how much fun he was to tease, hadn't been as fun a companion in his work. Of course, being this far away from the base only reminded him of who his previous partner had been, flying with him far away from the Axalon to explore this fascinating world...
He shook himself from his thoughts, then felt sad that they had let him go so easily. It felt like she was disappearing from him, hiding in the past while he moved on to the future. Most of the time he barely even remembered her, but every once and a while something would remind him, pricking at his mind. She was only one of three crew members he'd lost on this world, but with such a small crew the loss was hard. He thought, somewhat guiltily, that if there were more Maximals here with him he wouldn't have felt the loss so badly, but the pain wasn't nearly so hard to bear any more. Just spurts and flashes of it, when he was reminded of her.
Optimus Primal looked down at the hawk feather he'd found on the ground, a gentle look of sorrow in his optics. Sometimes it felt like his memories of her were fading, like colors in the sun. Someday the color would be gone completely, lost in the background of other friends, past and present.
Autumn was such a melancholy time of year.
.
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It always bothered me that by the end of Season 2 and in Season 3, nobody ever seemed to care that they'd lost Airazor and Tigatron. They just kinda disappeared. Call this a "behind the scenes" moment.