Salutations to you all! Can I just stop for a moment and say how much I appreciate readers and reviews? You guys totally make my day! Also: If you go to the Tfwiki and search "Predaking", read the captions for the photos. All but one are lines from Tolkien's "The Hobbit", spoken either by or about Smaug. Talk about fitting! (Especially since I JUST finished reading that out loud to my sister.) And if you look up Airachnid, the caption of the first picture you see is: "There once was a spider who knew how to fly / I don't know why the spider could fly / Perhaps you'll die"
On to business then: Our stories for today are both based on Native American folktales. One was requested by TFPKO Fan Girl, and one was requested by Foxbear.
What in the name of the Maker is going on out there? It sounds as if someone is trying to beat the roof in! Is that...no, I must be mistaken. But it sounded very like...cannon fire. No! It cannot be! Those days are over. It is only thunder, from some storm-cell, echoing past my chamber door. Only this, and nothing more. What was that? Was that a child? Little One! What are you doing here? It is the middle of the night, my child! Quickly, come inside. Does your family know where you are? No, no I am well. I thank you for your concern. You were worried about me? Why?
Ah. So you heard about that. Well, I still have to find out how you keep learning of Sparkeaters, but I am sorry that you had nightmares. No, Little One, I was not injured. Not physically. Oh, I couldn't give you a reason. No one really knows why he did what he did. I suppose it comes down to a matter of evil in the end. Because, Little One, there is evil in this universe, and there shall be evil in this universe until the end of all things. Evil is diametrically opposed to good, my child, and shall do everything in its power to corrupt and destroy in any way that it can.
Forgive me. These are not comforting thoughts in the dark of night. But all will be well, my child. In the end, one shall stand and one shall fall, and I promise you this: the evil one is not the victor. Not in this, or any time. Come here, dear one, you are shivering! There, is that not warmer? Yes, Little One, that is my spark. Hush, child. It is only thunder. Shall I tell you a story? Yes, I think that would be appropriate. I know of one, I believe...it's an Insecticon legend,so some of the characters may be a little different from the way they are in other stories.
A Tale of the Manganese Mountains
In the remote Manganese mountains on Cybertron, there is one peak that stands out from the others. It is what we call a caldera: it was once a volcano, but now it there is a lake in its dormant crater. The In'zek'tik'n who live there say that it is the prison of Thunderwing, the herald of Unicron. Long ago, Thunderwing controlled the Underworld, and Prima controlled the upper world. Thunderwing used the top of the volcano as his portal whenever he went to wreak havoc upon the Cybertronians below.
There came a day when, as Thunderwing flew over the terrified people, one caught his optic. She alone would not cower before him, and he was drawn to her beauty. Thunderwing followed her to her hive, and discovered that she was the only youngling of their leader. It could hardly be said that Shrapnel was pleased to see that Thunderwing wished to court his daughter. Of course, he would have been displeased with any suitor at all, but the Herald of Unicron was most certainly not welcome in his home! Shrapnel's daughter rejected Thunderwing because he was hideous, both in appearance and in spark.
Furious, Thunderwing vowed that she would regret her decision and laid waste to her hive and the surrounding lands. He brought the scourge of dark energon upon the In'zek'tik'n, and many of them died. Worried, Shrapnel flew to the highest mountain and reached out to the stars, begging Prima for aid. Prima came down to the land in a thunderstorm, terribly angry with Thunderwing for attacking the Cybertronians. There was a great battle between the two, and in the end, Prima slew Thunderwing and threw him down into the portal in the mountain. Then, to ensure that no Underdweller could ever harm his people again, Prima collapsed the top of the mountain and filled it with rain as a sign of peace. To this day, the In'zek'tik'n people gather at the caldera once every century to remember the battle between good and evil.
You see, Little One? Evil does not triumph. Ah, you have fallen asleep. I thought perhaps you might. I should inform your family, you know. Sooner or later they will discover your absence. But...I find that I cannot bring myself to wake you. You look so peaceful, human child, and as I have seen so little peace in my life, I shall not disturb your rest. This has happened before, Little One. I was telling stories to a little Sparkling I know, and that one fell asleep as well! Perhaps it is my voice...if that is the case, perhaps I shall tell another story, so that you continue to sleep peacefully. And so that this old warrior will have an excuse, should someone ask why I am talking to myself.
The Princess of Trypticon Falls
In the days before the War, long long before Zeta became Sentinel Prime, and when most of the Thirteen still lived, there was a tribe of Predacons. Now, they could transform and speak just as well as any other Cybertronian, but they kept to themselves, and never revealed their intelligence to outsiders. The tribe was led by a fierce warrior named Ser-ket, who had a daughter named Ripclaw. Ripclaw was very dear to her Carrier, because Ser-ket's sparkmate had perished in battle, and Ripclaw was the only family she had left. Ser-ket very carefully chose a suitor for her daughter from among the Predacon tribes.
Grimwing, an honorable warrior, won the spark of Ser-ket's daughter, and their people rejoiced. As the time drew near for Grimwing and Ripclaw to become sparkmates, a great celebration was held in the Predacon settlements, marked by races and contests of strength and song. Seven nights and seven days the merriment lasted, and then tragedy struck. A great sickness spread over the tribe: first sparklings and younglings, then elders fell ill and off-lined. Grief-stricken, the Predacons consulted omens and asked questions of the stars, wondering how this had happened. Now, you must remember that in those days there was no Prime in Iacon, and no one ever knew when they would see Alpha Trion next, so they could not ask advice of them.
For three days the sickness continued and Predacons died, and then a very ancient mech came to them and said, "This is what my Sire told me. My Sire was a seer in the youth of the Thirteen, and before he died he told me a secret. He said to me that for many centuries we would have peace, and then on the eve of a bonding ceremony a great sickness would fall upon the Predacons. The only way to end the death is for a young warrior of pure spark to give up their life for the others. That is the secret my Sire told me." And then the old one was silent, and never spoke again. Ser-ket was grieved, and called forth all the young warriors, including Ripclaw. She told them what the elder had said, and what would have to be done to save their people. "Know this," she said to them, "No matter what happens, the Predacons will face their end bravely. Far better that we die together as a family than one die alone."
The sickness spread, and Ripclaw began to wonder whether something ought to be done about it. Then one day, Grimwing began to show the symptoms of the plague. As Ripclaw tended to him, wiping the creeping rust from his helm, she made up her mind. In the dead of night she left a bowl of energon beside her beloved and flew to a cliff that loomed over her village. She held out her arms and cried, "You who have brought sickness upon us, whomever you shall be, take my spark and leave my people! If you will accept that I wish my people to live in exchange for my life, show me!" As she watched, the moon rose faster than it ever had before until it hung over her helm. She smiled.
The next day, the sickness was gone! "How has this happened?" the Predacons asked each other. Ser-ket's energon ran cold. She summoned the young warriors of the tribes and soon discovered which one was missing. Grimwing flew to the cliff top, followed by all the tribe. There they found Ripclaw, and there they buried her. Then Ser-ket prayed to their Maker, "Show us some sign that Ripclaw's sacrifice was not in vain, and that my daughter is at peace." No sooner had she finished speaking than a rumbling roar shook the ground, and over the edge of the Trypticon cliffs a bright river of energon began to flow. To this day, though it has dried to merely a small spring, the falls remain. It is said that on clear nights when the moon hangs right at the edge of the cliff, the Predacon princess dances among the droplets with Grimwing once more.
It is a sentimental tale, I grant. I suppose I have become a bit sentimental of late...still sleeping, my child? All is well. Tomorrow I shall have to find out how you made it all the way up here on your own in pitch darkness. You seem to be very good at escaping detection, my young friend! Perhaps when you are a little older, I shall speak to some friends of mine about training you to use that skill...Or perhaps not. You have quite some time yet before you need to make any such decision. I only pray there will still be peace by that time...Ah, but listen to me ramble on. What a pessimist I am becoming! The storm is upon us, and the rain shall make the flowers grow tall. It is summer, and life is good.