Kneeling to the Sword

by Gatekat

Knights of Light. Dai Atlas/Axe. When General Dai Atlas and his SIC decide to retire from Nova Prime's army, they know it could cost them dearly and plan accordingly.

16. Healing the Spark

Fandom: Transformers G1
Author: gatekat, ultrarodimus on LJ
Pairing: Axe/Dai Atlas, Sheerwing/Kaleidoscope
Rating: PG-13
Codes: Slash, Historical Setting, Knights of Light, Spark
Summary:
Disclaimer: The authors are only playing with their own twisted muses. Transformers belong to Hasbro. Fandom-side, check the inspirations page (gatekat-fics .livejournal 290 .html). We draw from a ton of amazing stories and authors you should read.

Kneeling to the Sword 16: Healing the Spark
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dai Atlas felt his wings quiver along with his spark as the Citadel of Light disappeared from his sensors over the horizon. It had been difficult to explain to his family - a word that still felt strange to him - that while they were welcome to visit and he would return for any important events, he wished to train without the distractions of having them there.

Axe had understood, though he hadn't been happy about it. Wing had clung to Dai Atlas' frame for a long breem before finally coming loose, wings twitching, then attached himself to his younger brother despite the larger mech's attempts to dislodge him.

Vanguard, a former priest himself, had given Dai Atlas his blessing. The other Knights of the Citadel had gathered in the courtyard to see their comrade off. While no one spoke of it, most knew that he wouldn't be back to stay for centuries.

It was not something Dai Atlas was happy to think about, even though he'd chosen it. Instead he focused on what he had already learned from Dei Kanal's training records, reviewing them as he made the long flight to Tyger Pax.

The flight took several orns, even with brief stops for energon and rest. Finally, Tyger Pax appeared on the horizon ahead, the city glowing in the distance. The priests at the temple had been notified that Dai Atlas was coming, so they were awaiting his arrival and had arranged quarters for him in the temple complex for the duration of his stay. They knew even better than he did that this was not going to be a short visit.

The giant transformed and set down with the easy grace of a long lifetime before the main entrance.

The High Priest, Stormwing, emerged from the temple, white optics fixed on Dai Atlas' red. Stormwing inclined his helm to the larger mech. "Welcome back, Dai Atlas."

Wide white and blue wings dipped in respect. "Thank you for agreeing to train me," he replied smoothly. "The records helped me a great deal."

"I am glad." Stormwing smiled. "We have gone through all of our records, even consulted with archivists from other temples, in order to fill in a few gaps and ensure that we are able to train you properly. It has been a very long time since there has been a spark healer at any of Cybertron's temples." He turned slightly, one hand gesturing toward the main entrance. "Come. I will show you to the rooms we have set aside for you."

"Thank you," Dai Atlas said and followed the temple leader inside. "It is regrettable that suitable gifts are so rare."

"It is," the High Priest agreed. "Such a gift is so rare it is considered a myth until it actually turns up. Before Dei Kanal, as far as I know there was only one other with that power." He led the way to the living area of the complex, where all the temple residents had their rooms. Only a few suites had been designed for larger frametypes, and the largest had been prepared for Dai Atlas.

When he stepped inside red optics cycled and wings flicked in surprise. "You are most generous," Dai Atlas murmured as he stepped into the spacious living room with two doors leading off it. One double set opened to a balcony he could see, the other was closed but likely lead to a berthroom, since there was no berth in the room he was looking at.

"This suite was the most suitable for your frame size, as well as having been built to accommodate flying mecha," Stormwing replied. "We took your age into account when setting everything up for you, with some suggestions from an anonymous mecha who contacted us not long after you notified us that you were coming."

Dai Atlas' laughter rumbled through the room. "Titan never has stopped looking after me. I appreciate the effort to make my stay a comfortable one," he said with honest sincerity as he met the High Priest's gaze. "If it is acceptable, I have had a long flight. I would greatly appreciate time to wash up and rest before the evening meal."

Stormwing inclined his helm in response. "The rest of the orn is yours, to rest after your long flight. Tomorrow, you will be getting up before sunrise along with the other temple residents to meditate with the dawn, clean and clear of processor."

"I understand, High Priest," Dai Atlas inclined his helm. "I will see you at the evening meal then?"

"One of the acolytes will come to show you to the dining hall." Stormwing smiled warmly up at the larger mech. "Your quarters have a private washrack. Rest well."

Dai Atlas gave a surprised flick of his wings and smiled. "I will, High Priest," he canted his wings respectfully before Stormwing left him to explore his quarters.

SXSXSXSXSXSXSXSX S===================S SXSXSXSXSXSXSXS

Over the vorns that Dai Atlas had been training his gift at the temple in Tyger Pax, he had long since gotten used to the sounds of the city's factories and industries, audible through most of the temple complex. He'd quickly learned to tune out most of the sounds, no longer registering the ever-present roar of heavy industry just as he'd tuned out the every-present sound of laser fire and explosions in the military.

The orn started off the same as every other orn. Dai Atlas was well into his morning studies when a new sound caught his attention, a sound there was no mistaking for anything other than what it was. The explosion shattered the air, the sound echoing off the buildings and factories. In the near distance, thick clouds of smoke and ash rose over one of the industrial complexes, and the red glow of flames could be glimpsed between the buildings.

Temple residents paused for the barest of instants before dropping whatever they had been doing, streaming toward the main courtyard. Dai Atlas joined those with airframes as they rose to rush to the factory to render what aid they could. He had no idea what he could do, but he trusted his long existence on the battlefield to lead him to what needed to be done first and identify those that should be giving him orders.

Rescue personnel were already converging, working on putting out the flames while others pulled badly wounded mecha out of the wreckage. The priests and temple residents were setting up a makeshift medical center, seeing to the wounded.

Stormwing looked up, spotting Dai Atlas and waving to catch his attention. The High Priest was standing next to a large red mech, first responder firefighter.

"This is Inferno," Stormwing introduced the larger mech.

"How may I help?" Dai Atlas asked, nearly demanded, as he came in for a hard but precise landing.

"Is your armor fire resistant?" the firefighter asked.

"It's top-grade military," Dai Atlas nodded. "I can walk into a generator and survive."

"That's going to be nearly as bad," Inferno said grimly. "Maybe worse. There are mecha trapped inside. Help me get to them."

"I will," Dai Atlas nodded, all his military training and combat protocols kicking in at once. Inferno was his commander and this was a battle. It was time to move.

Inferno nodded shortly, seeing no need for wasting time on talk when there were mecha trapped inside the burning, slowly collapsing wreckage. He headed right for the nearest entrance into the factory, a gaping hole with smoke pouring out of it. "This facility was in full production. Most of the workers were on shift and the wreckage collapsed on top of them."

"Just point me at what needs to be moved," Dai Atlas assured him, already reaching for a beam blocking their way to break it.

"Just be careful that moving something won't bring something else down on top of us." Inferno gauged the debris critically. "The last thing we need is to end up buried ourselves." He waited for Dai Atlas to remove the beam, then led the way deeper into the factory. Metal creaked and groaned over their helms, dust and ash sifting down to coat their armor. Flames licked out at them, quickly dealt with by Inferno's foam cannon. The heat was intense.

"Understood," Dai Atlas said, his processors seeing a battlefield rather than a factory. The fire, the death, destruction and danger. In a way, it felt good to be on such familiar ground again. He trusted his armor and tactical computers. He'd be fine.

In some places the rubble choked off access to the deeper parts of the factory. Inferno helped clear as much as possible, judging how much of the strain load each piece of debris supported before moving it. Some pieces he warned Dai Atlas away from, and on several occasions they had to find alternate routes to get in deeper.

As they approached the main production area, the screams and cries of the trapped mecha became audible over the groans of stressed metal and the roar of the flames.

Dai Atlas spat a series of curses, a couple words of which Inferno even recognized as Cybertronian, though the gist of the commentary was clear enough.

The firefighter gave his companion an impressed look as they made their way toward the first trapped mecha, almost completely buried under a pile of wreckage and pleading for help. He'd heard some inventive swearing before, but nothing quite like that. "Let's get this mech out of here." Grabbing a chunk of debris, he began hauling it away, dropping it in a clearer area so there was no chance of accidentally burying another mecha under it.

Dai Atlas put his frame into the effort, showing that he had the strength his frame indicated and then quite a bit. "Never thought I'd regret giving up my heavy weapons," he muttered as the first of the workers were freed.

"Energy weapons would do more harm than good in a mess like this," Inferno pointed out as he heaved a chunk of what looked to have been a catwalk off another trapped mech. "This place is unstable enough as it is. One wrong move could bring the whole thing down on top of us."

Other rescue workers were coming in behind them, taking each freed mech outside as the two big mechs dug them out of the wreckage. Most were horribly burned or crushed. Some were visibly only barely alive, their frames already showing unhealthy amounts of gray.

"I had enough firepower to open this up to the sky in one round. Makes evac safer and simpler," Dai Atlas said simply as he freed a mech nearly as large as himself and almost completely gray. Only a few flickers of power still lit his optics as he whispered, pleading for forgiveness. With a small shudder Dai Atlas began to hum, his voice kept quiet and focused on the mech he'd freed.

"Still dangerous," Inferno replied. He paused, looking over at Dai Atlas, wondering what was going on. The mech the priest had pulled from the rumble had no chance, and it looked like all three of them knew it. Yet Dai Atlas was doing something he considered more important than rescuing the next mecha that might live.

A cry for help dragged Inferno's attention back to his job. The red mech made his way toward the cry, shoving chunks of debris out of the way and tossing other chunks onto the "safe" pile. "Hold on! I've almost got you out!"

He had the mech, who was missing both legs, pulled free when he noticed that Dai Atlas was back at work on the debris, the mech he'd been singing to fully gray and deactivated.

Inferno gave Dai Atlas a sideways look. Now was not the time to say anything, but when they were finished, the firefighter wanted to know what the big blue mech had been doing. Ruffling his armor slightly, Inferno handed the mech he'd just dug out to the rescue crew, moving on to the next. He kept a sensor on Dai Atlas as they continued to work, noting seven more times when the giant paused to sing to the dying, and also noting that he hadn't exaggerated the quality of his armor. The heat would melt a priest to their spark chamber, but Dai Atlas didn't even have badly scorched paint. When a beam fell, he took the strike, protecting a trapped worker without hesitation or even flinching.

Watching Dai Atlas singing to those dying and beyond help was making Inferno very curious. The firefighter wanted badly to know what was going on, barely keeping his curiosity contained as they worked in relative silence to clear the survivors.

"That's everyone," Inferno announced joors later.

Dai Atlas paused, focusing inward, and shook his helm. "There are three more, over there," he pointed to a place with no signs of life that Inferno could detect.

Inferno paused, looking from Dai Atlas to the indicated area and back. "I'm not detecting anything... How do you know there is anyone over there?" Blue optics narrowed slightly at the larger mech.

"It's my gift," he said simply, singing his designation in full even as he began working towards the spot. "Primus granted me the ability to feel all sparks and tend to them. There are three sparks there that have not departed yet."

The firefighter stared at him for a long moment. "That has something to do with what you were doing with the dying?" He followed Dai Atlas toward the indicated spot, moving debris out of the way.

"I can draw the negative emotions from a spark, giving them peace," he explained as he began to dig for a mecha he could feel. "Those were pleading for forgiveness before they returned to Primus. I granted it."

Comprehension lit blue optics. "Ah, I see." He glanced toward the hole where they'd entered the factory. "Considering the conditions of some of the mecha we've pulled out of here, there might be more of that for you to do outside." Shifting slightly, Inferno grunted as he grabbed a chunk of fallen ceiling, heaving it out of the way to reveal a slender pink leg.

"I know," Dai Atlas said grimly as he revealed a white face and soft yellow helm charred mostly black.

Inferno winced at the mangled state of the mecha they'd found. Part of the wall and a massive chunk of ceiling had fallen in that area, taking with it some of the manufacturing machinery. He had to be amazed that anyone had managed to last this long trapped under that.

"Primus has plans for them," Dai Atlas said simply as he freed the yellow and white mech. "No other way dock workers would last this long. Especially that femme."

"That is true." Inferno shoved a piece of machinery off the femme after making sure the place he shoved the debris into was free of trapped mecha. Another chunk of ceiling pinned the femme in place; removing it made it possible to carefully extract her from the slag pile. One of the other rescue workers scuttled over to take her.

Dai Atlas gave her a glance, then focused on digging out the last of the three, a red and blue mech the same average size as his yellow and white companion. "This one got sparked in the wrong line of work."

"How so?" Inferno moved over to help, shoving a piece of collapsed wall out of the way.

"A spark this strong and empathetic has better things to do than move freight into transports," Dai Atlas said, humming a soothing tone as the red and blue mech abruptly appeared on Inferno's sensors.

"I wasn't detecting him before, but I am now." Inferno began helping Dai Atlas free the blue and red mech.

"He's ... I don't know how to describe it ... but he's decided he's not ready to leave," Dai Atlas tried to explain. "Pull him out when I get the beam up," he shifted to put his shoulder under a beam that would lift a large section of machinery.

"Gotcha." Inferno reached down to take firm hold of the pinned mech. "Ready when you are."

A small nod and Dai Atlas heaved his frame upward, clearing an unsteady stack of debris from the crushed worker. "Hurry," he hissed under the strain.

As soon as the debris was out of the way, Inferno quickly pulled the mech out from under it. "I got him!"

The crash of the debris made the floor rattle for a moment as two other rescue workers came forward to gently take the crushed mech outside, to the small army of medics waiting outside. Inferno vented heavily, then looked over at Dai Atlas. "Is there anyone else?"

He turned off his optics and focused on his spark and the ability to map all the sparks around him. He normally did it on reflex, much as most mecha used their proximity sensors, now he put all his attention on it.

"No," Dai Atlas eventually said. "There may be empty frames with traces of spark energy, but nothing with a spark."

"Another team will be coming in to retrieve the deactivated once all the fires are out. Our priority was the living." Inferno reached over to lightly swat at Dai Atlas' shoulder. "Let's get out of here."

The larger mech nodded and quickly followed the firefighter out. He had a long orn ahead of him in the medical tents, but that too was a familiar thing. He always walked among his injured soldiers after a battle.

Once outside, Inferno paused, looking back toward the smoldering factory, then looked over to Dai Atlas. "Now I go from rescue to firefighting." He gave the big triple changer a friendly clap on the shoulder. "It was nice working with you. You can be on my rescue team anytime." Inclining his helm with a grin, Inferno headed off to where a group of other firefighters were preparing to tackle the fires still raging in another section of the factory.

SXSXSXSXSXSXSXSX S===================S SXSXSXSXSXSXSXS

The sound of jet engines echoed through the temple grounds, bringing curious residents out to look for the source. Three airframes were descending toward the main courtyard, flying in precise formation. In the lead was a glossy ebony and gold jet, flanked by one of deep purple and a much smaller shape of gleaming white. They maintained their formation as they descended, aiming for a landing in the main courtyard.

After centuries apart, the rest of Dai Atlas' family had decided to come for a visit. It would be the first time they had seen him in many vorns.

~Love,~ Dai Atlas greeted the other half of his spark with intense affection as he stepped out of the building and prepared to take off to greet them.

The white jet immediately bolted out of formation, darting straight down toward Dai Atlas. Wing transformed on the fly, retaining just enough processor space to slow down before landing right on the much bigger mech. His loud, excited trill was audible even over the sound of engines. Axe, about to respond to his mate, burst out laughing so hard he almost fell out of the air when Dai Atlas crashed flat on his aft and nearly his wings from the impact of their elder creation. Next to him Sheerwing slid sideways, shaking in mirth.

"Wing!" Dai Atlas roared in laughter as he hugged his excited creation.

"Dai! I missed you!" Wing was almost vibrating as he clung to the larger mech's frame, wings wiggling against Dai Atlas' arm. He was purring so hard his armor rattled.

The priests couldn't help staring for a long moment, more than a few smiling or chuckling at the enthusiastic greeting. Axe managed to touch down fairly neatly, walking over to his mate and extending a hand to help the larger mech back to his pedes. ~He's spent the last couple of orns flitting about as if he were overcharged,~ the black and gold mech sent through the bond, amusement coating the words.

"Some things never change," Sheerwing grinned, amusement sparkling in his pale red optics as his carrier settled on his pedes once more with Wing firmly attached to his chest plate. "You'd think he was a sparkling."

"So much for being on his best behavior," Axe snorted, reaching out to tease a white wingtip. "Might need a pry-bar to get him off later." The black and gold mech stepped forward, wrapping his arms around his mate and the white jet latched onto him. ~We all missed you so much, love.~

~I've missed everyone greatly as well,~ Dai Atlas murmured, wrapping an arm around Axe and glancing at Sheerwing with his other open.

With a smile his second surviving creation joined the family embrace, still careful of having anyone touch Shadows of the Fire that rested on his back. "You've been missed, carrier."

"By all of us, though Wing shows it most clearly." Axe rested his helm against Dai Atlas'. He glanced around at the curious priests, all maintaining a respectful distance, most of them smiling. ~Is there place we can sit and talk without much of an audience?~

~Yes. They have been most generous with my quarters,~ he smiled and kissed his mate on the chevron before urging the embrace to break up so they could walk. ~They moved a couple extra berths into the living room so the youngsters can recharge there, if you don't have a hotel in the city.~

~We'd much rather stay with you,~ Axe replied, reluctantly peeling himself away from Dai Atlas. ~Though Wing is probably going to recharge on you.~ He smiled at the white jet, who had yet to even loosen his grip on Dai Atlas' chest plate and was still purring. Wing, as if somehow knowing that Axe had been talking about him, turned his helm to give the black and gold mech a wide-opticked innocent look.

~I'm sure he wants to, but I want to recharge with you,~ Dai Atlas rumbled, a reminder of just how long he'd been without a lover. "Everyone remember the rules. I can not take time off because you are here."

"We know," Sheerwing nodded, following slightly behind the more tactile group with a sense of dignity born of discomfort with the behavior.

~It might take all three of us to pry him off,~ Axe noted, eying the grip Wing had on Dai Atlas' armor.

~If we can't, we'll just have to have our reunion with him between us,~ Dai Atlas teased.

"I remember," Wing chirped, tilting his helm to look up at his creator.

"I'll make sure they remember," Axe added as they reached the door to Dai Atlas quarters.

The black and gold Knight laughed through the bond. ~That would be slightly awkward... Hopefully there will be some way to pry him off.~ He tweaked Wing's audial flare, then turned his attention to inspecting Dai Atlas' quarters. "Nice, and big."

"Titan had something to do with it," Dai Atlas chuckled and motioned everyone to sit. "I'm afraid I do not have energon to offer, but we can relax here."

"Why am I not surprised." Axe settled onto the couch, waiting until Dai Atlas settled, then sidling over to lean against him. Wing loosened his grip enough to settle into the blue mech's lap before clamping down again. "He's been looking after you in one way or another for most of your existence; I hardly expect him to stop now."

"Very true," Dai Atlas smiled. ~You wanted to talk about something?~

~I prefer to catch up with you without a large audience,~ Axe replied. "How is your training going?"

"Very well, I believe," he smiled and tipped Axe's face up for a kiss. "I can use my gift for minor grief and guilt without tearing myself apart, or even alerting you. Did you hear about the factory explosion nearby a few vorns back?"

Axe returned the kiss, pride flowing along the bond. "I am glad to hear that the training is helping relive the effects using your gift has on you. Yes, we know about the explosion. The Citadel keeps track of all the Knights who are out and about, on walkabout or otherwise, and Wing has been glued to the monitors."

"There were twelve who felt relief that orn, and I'm reasonably sure you didn't feel it," Dai Atlas said with obvious pride at the accomplishment. "I recharged when it was over without nightmares or needing oblivion. It was good."

"No, I did not feel it." Axe practically glowed with pride.

Wing chirped. "I'm so glad the training is helping." He had seen the power of Dai Atlas' gift, and had seen the toll it took on him. The one spark merge he'd had with his creator had also shown him what the much larger mech endured.

"Will you be coming home soon, then?" Sheerwing asked, his wings flicking hopefully.

"I do not think so," Dai Atlas shook his helm. "I'm over half finished with the studies, but there is much left to learn. I intend to take full advantage of this opportunity."

Wing made a soft sound of disappointment, clinging tighter. Axe lifted a hand to rub his mate's shoulder lightly. "Take as long as you need, love. When you do choose to come home, Wing will latch onto you and not come off for orns, and the rest of the Citadel will celebrate your return."

"As will I," he murmured, leaning in for another kiss. "And I am afraid I need to recharge." ~And have a little time with my mate.~ "Mornings are early here."

"I can imagine." Axe nodded. He eyed Wing for a moment. "Let's see if we can get Cybertron's cutest cyber-barnacle off of your armor."

Wing huffed, fluffing his armor.

"We are going to have mate-time," Dai Atlas said firmly, even though his field was full of tolerant amusement. "I don't think you want to be there when we play."

Wing pouted, turning wide golden optics on Dai Atlas. Axe laughed at him, shifting around to get a better grip, sliding his fingers behind a white audial flare. The white jet immediately melted. ~You pet him, I'll detach him,~ the black and gold mech told his mate, laughter accompanying the words.

With his own rumbling laughter Dai Atlas began to stroke between Wing's wings, turning the defiant barnacle into a puddle of purring white metal.

"Which means I have to keep him company," Sheerwing huffed, though the cant of his wings suggested he didn't mind nearly as much as he put on.

"Works every time," Axe chuckled as he pried Wing loose, lifting the almost limp white jet away from his mate's plating. Turning, he placed Wing on Sheerwing's lap, patting their younger creation's elegant helm.

Sheerwing scowled at his creator, but his field was full of amusement at Wing and affection as he watched his carrier pull Axe towards the berthroom.

SXSXSXSXSXSXSXSX S===================S SXSXSXSXSXSXSXS

More centuries passed. It had been a long and sometimes difficult path, especially when it meant that Dai Atlas was away from his mate and creations for a very long time.

Stormwing, the High Priest and temple leader of the Temple of Primus in Tyger Pax, approached Dai Atlas, white optics meeting red. "You have completed your training, Dai Atlas."

Wide white and blue wings flicked in partial surprise and very real relief. "Thank you." ~Love, I am done.~

The priest raised a hand, his gaze solemn. "Before you leave, there will be one final test of your power and your control."

Dai Atlas inclined his wings in acceptance. "What must I do?"

"You will prove your control by using your gift to heal, or trying to heal, a mech." Stormwing eased closer. "The mech is former military turned criminal, with uncontrollable post-traumatic stress, looking at complete reformatting."

Dai Atlas twitch, a mostly-controlled flinch at the fate. "I will do my best."

The High Priest patted his arm gently. "I know you will." Red armor ruffled slightly. "Arrangements are already in progress. You will be summoned when it is time."

"I will be ready," Dai Atlas promised before turning to the central crystal garden of the temple to meditate until it was time. ~One final test and I will be coming home.~

Warmth reached back through the bond. ~I'll have the hot oil pool and the high grade ready for you, my love. And a good pry-bar, because you know Wing is going to be attached to your armor as soon as you're in reach.~

Stormwing nodded formally, then left to see to the preparations.

~Just make sure his current lover is free to pick him up when we stroke the off switch,~ he laughed brightly, thoughts full of just what he had planned for Axe as soon as they managed to extract Wing from their quarters.

Axe purred. ~I'll make sure of that, love.~ His thoughts brushed against Dai Atlas' in the non-physical version of a kiss that was returned warmly before the bond was dimmed so Dai Atlas could focus on his meditation in preparation to save a mech from reformatting.

It was a couple of joors before Stormwing reappeared, walking through the crystal garden. He was in full formal mode as he approached Dai Atlas, stopping a short distance away. "It is time."

Deep red optics glowed to life before Dai Atlas stood with precisely control grace as he instinctively responded to the formality by matching it. "I am ready."

The High Priest inclined his helm. "Come." He led the way to the main courtyard, where several other priests waited. "The healing will take place at the prison itself; the prisoner is too dangerous to be brought out for any reason."

"I understand," Dai Atlas responded, ready to take off for the flight when signaled to.

Stormwing took to the air, the other priests following. They settled into a V-formation, Dai Atlas in the center for the short flight to the primary spaceport of Tyger Pax. Though Dai Atlas was well able to reach the smaller of Cybertron's two moons and the maximum security prison there, it was an extremely long flight for the smaller fliers with him, and a use of energy that was better saved for the task awaiting him there.

A small shuttle awaited them at the spaceport, bearing prison markings. The prison was restricted airspace, so only shuttles and transports registered there were permitted to come or go. The group boarded, slow and one by one, as their identities were checked and each was confirmed to be unarmed. While Strength of Conviction was glared at, Stormwing quietly but firmly reminded the guard that the artifact was under special permit and was allowed to pass.

When all of them were seated and strapped in, the guard nod to the pilot that they were ready for take-off. The three joor flight was silent, each mecha occupied with their own thoughts and prayers. In Dai Atlas's case it was spent kneeling, Strength of Conviction on his lap, and deep in centering meditation. He knew all too well what was awaiting them.

Deep inside personal demons were gnawing at him, reminding him that the last time he attempted this he had failed miserably.

The prison had part of the moon's surface all to itself, the moonscape perfectly smooth for miles in every direction to provide clear lines of fire in case of any escapes. The complex itself was built like a fortress, with thick walls and heavily armed guards on constant patrol. Off to one side was the landing pad, with two other shuttles already there. Just outside the landing pad on the path to the prison stood the warden, a heavily armored black mech with a yellow visor that stood as tall as Axe did and even heavier built as nothing of his tank-alt had been sacrificed for flight capability.

"I had wondered what he was assigned to now," Dai Atlas murmured to himself as they disembarked.

"Welcome to Moonbase One," the warden said with cool formality. "The prisoner is waiting for you."

"Thank you, Colonel Turmoil," Dai Atlas exchanged a momentary steady look with Turmoil before the warden turned to lead them inside.

The priests fell in behind the black mech, Stormwing settling next to Dai Atlas. Guards eyed them as they passed, armor bristling as they spotted the Great Sword Dai Atlas carried, though none of them said anything about it. Prisoners glared out of cells or through barriers, calling insults and vulgarities. The priests ignored the yelling, though they stayed in the center of the corridors to be out of spitting range.

It was not lost on a single priest, or a single resident, that Dai Atlas was not only unflustered by the insults and threats, but was not disturbed by them in the least. When they reached the deactivation row lockdown, it was a very different scene. The mecha here were largely sullen, broken to the point they accepted their fate and that it was near an end.

Baleful optics glared at them from the depths of the cells, the prisoners not even bothering to get up. The priests kept watchful optics on the watchers, staying well away from them.

The ultra-security holding cells were located just past the deactivation row section. Several guards, massive, heavily-armed mecha, stood around the door. Their optics snapped toward the approaching group.

"Open it," Turmoil ordered, his voice level and nearly devoid of emotion.

One of the guards nodded. Weapons were trained on the door as it was opened.

Inside was a heavily-built mech, deep green with gray and black trim. Red optics glared back at the guards, a look that clearly stated that he would gladly rend any one of them limb from limb if he could. Maximum-security stasis restrains bound his arms and legs. He was immobilized as surely as if he'd been placed in medical stasis, only fully aware of time and surroundings.

As far as Dai Atlas was concerned it was a fate far worse than deactivation, reformatting or anything else.

"Prisoner P-R-56438-895226748," Turmoil stated.

"What was his designation?" Dai Atlas asked simply, taking in this mech on every level.

The warden looked at him in disgust at he would grant such a thing to a prisoner, but he answered anyway. "Backblast."

Dai Atlas nodded. "You may leave. Watch on the monitors if you wish. I am capable of dealing with him if need be."

"As you wish," Turmoil grunted and turned on one heel, leaving Dai Atlas and the priests in the room with the psychopathic monster the military had created.

Backblast's optics narrowed as he looked the group over. The priests he dismissed as easy prey, no threat. It was Dai Atlas whom the psychopath focused on.

"So. You're the one who's apparently going to try to 'heal' me." There was mockery in the prisoner's voice.

"That is the purpose of my being here," Dai Atlas acknowledged. "If I can not put your spark and processors to right, the reformatters are who you will see next." He considered Backblast. "Would you prefer that? To forget everything and become a newly sparked mech."

Backblast shifted slightly, his restraints rattling. "You can try your little mystic mumbo-jumbo games with me, but I doubt it'll work much better than anything else that's been tried on me." He bared his dentas.

Dai Atlas nodded and focused inward, to his spark and to his gift. His voice rose, the sounds a chant in a language even Prima had only distant memories of; the language of Primus himself.

Backblast scoffed, smirking at the big blue triple changer. He was certain that this would be like the other attempts at rehabilitating that had already been tried on him. All show and no substance.

Within a few kliks, the prisoner lost his smirk, feeling something actually happening. His spark began to pulse in time with the chant, in time with the beat of the singer's, and deep down he knew it now pulsed in synch with Primus'. Tiny wisps of something alien flickered in his spark, sensations he couldn't put designation to.

The green mech squirmed uneasily, his restraints rattling. Red optics flared as Backblast glared suspiciously at Dai Atlas. "What are you doing?"

"This is my gift," Dai Atlas said softly. "I absolve others of pain, grief, anger, loss ... I can heal the spark."

Backblast's lip curled, and he spat at Dai Atlas' pedes. "Make-believe holy slag." He flexed his arms, pulling at his restraints.

Instead of arguing Dai Atlas returned to his chanting hum and the flickers of alien sensation in Backblast's spark became more numerous, then began to coalesce.

Backblast squirmed as much as his restraints would allow. It was not a comfortable feeling at all. "Stop it!"

"That is no longer your right to command," Stormwing spoke instead of Dai Atlas. "He is saving you from reformatting, and quite possibly the smelter. Is that not worth some discomfort?"

The prisoner tried to lunge forward, his restraints bringing him up short. One of the younger priests flinched, but the others didn't even twitch. "I said stop!"

He was completely ignored this time as Dai Atlas' voice increased in volume, the song stripping out memories and sensations that were the foundation of Backblast's very sense of self.

Backblast thrashed, letting out a rough cry. Red optics flared nearly white. This felt alien, wrong. He didn't like it at all. He was only distantly aware of Dai Atlas stepping forward to place a spread hand over Backblast's spark, channeling the energy of his gift through touch, but also sharing his very personal and intimate understanding of what Backblast was going through.

The former military mech turned to pull away, hissing. He felt weird. More than weird. It was unnerving. He felt like the layers of his mind and spark were being stripped away, baring something that he did not want to face.

~The distress is worth it, brother,~ Dai Atlas' voice came across their mingled fields and physical contact. ~The pain will end this time without crippling you.~

~Stop it!~ Backblast yelled back. ~Leave me alone!~ He fought harder to get away, but got nowhere. The green mech was forced to stay still and endure what was happening. Red optics widened, unseeing.

~I cannot. If you still wish to be reformatted or smelted when I am done, it is your right,~ Dai Atlas told him, focusing more of Primus' power through his spark and frame and into his subject. It was sickening to force this on another, though not anywhere as bad as it was to use it as a weapon. He knew, deep down, that reformatting would be a mercy to this spark, but he could not stop. As he said, reformatting could happen later.

That alien feeling began to close in around Backblast's spark, drawing another cry from him. His frame twitched and jerked. He could feel the change as a power far greater than he was began to reformat him fully awake, aware and struggling to retain what he was. He remembered everything he was, everything he'd experienced, all that made him what he was, and yet its grip on him and his grip on himself fell further away with each klik that passed under Dai Atlas' focus.

Backblast managed a rasping scream, optics flaring blindly as that power washed through him, seeking out the hatred and the anger that drove him. He felt as if he were burning from the inside out and yet he could find nothing inside him to fight with. Old memories of when he'd been newly sparked, before his first battle, flickered up to explain the way he felt.

Before the pain. Before the anger. Before loss.

Backblast went limp, slumping forward, vents rasping. It was gone, all the pain and rage. He felt ... off balance. Like something was missing.

~A great deal is missing, brother,~ Dai Atlas felt himself trembling from another lifetime of agony and violence taken on as his own. ~All that Primus objects to is gone. You may exist as a free mecha now, free to choose your own path and not the one inflicted upon you.~

~It feels... too strange. Off balance, off kilter.~ The green mech trembled, red optics flickering. His restraints rattled as he shifted in his chair.

~It will feel natural in time, once you have adapted to existence without pain,~ Dai Atlas promised.

Backblast made a sound low in his throat, slowly straightening in the chair. He stared up at Dai Atlas for a long moment, processors lost in the effort to try and absorb what had just been done to him.

Stormwing shifted slightly, tilting his helm toward the blue Knight, hoping for some sign that it was over and if it had worked. Dai Atlas remained fixated on his subject, his vocalization reduced to a soft, soothing hum as he felt Backblast work through the fundamental change in his spark and emotional state.

Green armor trembled. Backblast made a soft keening sound, slumping backward. This adjustment was not going to be easy; it would still be some time before he could be reintroduced to society, but he was no longer dangerous.

"He may still choose an easy path, though doubt it," Dai Atlas said quietly, without any true sense of accomplishment in the task. His spark ached, sick at forcing his gift on another as much as what he'd taken on. "The healing worked."

The High Priest nodded to him, then turned to loom at the guards just outside the cell. "The healing is over. It was successful."

"A song reformed him?" Turmoil's golden visor glinted with disbelief.

"No," Dai Atlas said tiredly, still shaking faintly and immensely grateful that they had a shuttle for the flight back. "The song is simply how I learned to connect with those I affect with my gift. Primus uses me as a conduit to take the pain, loss, grief, anger and insanity from the spark of those I heal. He must still learn how to function in society. It is only the rage and madness that is no more."

"Those restraints are no longer necessary." Stormwing touched Dai Atlas' arm lightly. "My fellow priests, Dai Atlas and myself will be returning to Cybertron."

Turmoil looked almost too stunned to respond, but he nodded after a moment. "I will show you to the shuttle."

The flight back to Cybertron had been spent in silence, as had the short flight back to the temple. Once the group touched down, the other priests scattered into the complex, leaving only Dai Atlas and Stormwing.

The High Priest laid his hand lightly on a dark forearm, looking up at the larger mech. "I will have energon sent to your quarters. Go and rest. Once you are ready, you may begin your journey home."

"Thank you," the giant let his frame relax slightly. "For everything. I will see you before I leave."

Stormwing smiled, inclining his helm. "You are most welcome. I will be here when you are ready."

With that Dai Atlas returned to his quarters and settled in, not for recharge, but for the simplest of bindings that he could do on his own. With his wrists on the hook above Strength of Conviction's pommel he allowed his helm to sink forward to rest against the brilliant, glowing yellow gem and surrendered himself completely to the state.

SXSXSXSXSXSXSXSX S===================S SXSXSXSXSXSXSXS

The entire population of the Citadel seemed to have gathered in the main courtyard of the Citadel when Dai Atlas returned. Wing was a white flicker darting around the towers, almost vibrating as much as he was flying. Axe was also aloft, darting out to greet his mate before the rest of the Knights. They all remained respectfully grounded, watching the bonded pair dance in an airborne greeting of affection and display of their coordination. Slightly further out from their creations, one that looked like they did and the other a tiny blur of white, greeted their returning creator.

~I've missed you,~ Dai Atlas nearly moaned when Axe brushed close enough for their fields to touch.

~I've missed you, too, very much,~ Axe replied, sneaking close enough for his wingtip to almost brush Dai Atlas. Their fields reached out and caressed, exchanging sensations and emotions.

Wing darted and spiraled around the pair, chirring and trilling. His field reached out to touch the blue giant's, warm, welcoming and full of excitement. The brush he received in reply was just as happy at the reunion.

Slower to join the dance, both out of respect for his creators' reunion and a lingering distaste for public display, Sheerwing eventually slid by to caress his field by Dai Atlas as well.

~The whole Citadel has gathered to welcome you home... But after they're done with you, and we can pry Wing off, I have plans,~ Axe purred.

Wing was a blur of motion, darting and dancing, weaving around his creators and younger brother. He was moving fast enough that he was nearly a blur.

Dai Atlas quivered at the tone of his mate and abruptly tipped his nose to space. ~Come dance with me.~

Axe eagerly followed, Wing peeling off as if sensing what they were up to. The little white jet returned to buzzing excitedly around the Citadel towers while the two much older mechs headed for the heights of the atmosphere.

Sheerwing transformed as he set down smoothly, only to find himself caught in the embrace of his lover, the first mecha to share his berth that could also command him. The large blue and black Kaonite Aerial wrapped his arms around Sheerwing, purring roughly in his audial, idly, teasingly, stroking his fingertips over Sheerwing's armor seams. Blue-tipped black wings flared behind Kaleidoscope's back as the armorer glanced up toward the dancing mecha. "Any chance they'll be noticing anything but each other tonight?"

"Tonight, tomorrow, most of the next," Sheerwing shivered, his frame submitting in a way he never thought he could to the smaller mech.

Kaleidoscope smiled devilishly up at his taller lover. "Then I've got you all to myself."

"Yes," Sheerwing breathed, his wings quivering as he willingly allowed himself to be dragged to his quarters.

Far above Dai Atlas slowed and turned, offering himself to the mech chasing him as he did for no other. Axe swirled around his mate before closing in, wrapping his arms around the larger mech. ~Beloved.~

~My love,~ Dai Atlas moaned as their mouths met in a fierce kiss fueled by a too long absence and passion that had never cooled.

Axe returned the kiss, sneaking his fingers into a seam along Dai Atlas' shoulders. ~Want you so bad. Need you.~

~Mutual,~ Dai Atlas trembled from crown to pedetips as he unlocked his chest plates. ~Please...~

Blue light flared as Axe opened his chestplates, his spark glowing brightly in its casing. Threads of blue light crawled across the crystalline casing, waiting to be released so they could reach out and twine with threads of red. ~Of course, beloved.~

With no more hesitation spark chambers spiraled open to release their prisoners to a joyful reunion. The physical world fell away for the mates as everything narrowed to the universe in their sparks and the bliss of renewing their bond.