The Diego Diaries: After the glow (1) (395)
-0-At the Temple
"Kestrel? Are you alright?"
Prowl heard the voice behind him and turned to see Miler speaking to his in-laws. They were sitting on a bench behind them taking care of the younglings and Miracle. Ven and Miler were checking on them even as a couple of the Imperial Guardsmen stepped up. "If you would like, we can help you get home, Kes," one of them said. "You and Tagg look tired."
Kestrel looked at the four of them, then Tagg. "What do you think, Tagg? Would it be bad form for us to leave? It will be helpful for Orion to have us here won't it?" he asked.
The guardsman's expression gentled. "Kes, I think the Prime would be very happy to know that you are comfortable. If you like, we can help all of you and the little ones make it to the Residence."
Venture nodded, then paused as Prowl stepped up. "I think that's a wonderful idea," Prowl said nodding to the guard. "I would be happy if I knew everyone was comfortable and I know Optimus would be also."
Kestrel stood up slowly, Spirit enclosed in his arms and waited as the infants and Tagg were rounded up. In the company of Venture and Miler, led and followed by guardsmen, the little group headed back toward the city and the Prime Residence in the Mare Tranquilitatis.
Prowl watched them go, then turned to walk back to stand beside Optimus as he greeted and chatted with those who were going into the Temple. They would be assisted by the impeccable presence of eight Household Guards.
-0-Others
Ironhide and Ratchet stood with genitors and infants slowly wending their way into the Temple. They passed Prime and Prowl, exchanging bows and bullshit before making their way inside. They congratulated the new priests, snarked and chatted with the old ones and finally made it to the Well. Saying their prayers, they held the infants up to the AllSpark and set Sunspot on the ledge of the Well to say his. Then they continued onward to the other side. The courtyard was filled as lines walked to the Pavilion which sat on a similar platform with lighted displays therein.
The soldiers were behind them along with the designated civilians, their little segways following slowly with the forest of legs heading up the wide steps. A ramp along the side built in their honor made their progress possible.
:What do you think, Leonora?: Jessie said when they passed the AllSpark.
Leonora Huttle, the only filmmaker allowed inside stared around the vast room, then focused on the Well and AllSpark. "I'm flabbergasted. In a good way." She watched as the bots prayed confirming in her mind that this was a portal to their warrior god. It was reverent here, like in a great cathedral during a holy day and she felt herself hushed with respect and gratitude. "The relics in the Pavilion are said to have belonged to their Pantheon, their gods."
Jessie nodded and glanced over her shoulder at the newbie. :I hope you understand that no amount of pressure put upon you to tell will be worth the breach of trust that would require:
She nodded. :I know. They wanted me to bring a camera. I told them to shove it:
Jessie laughed and drove forward a little more. :Good:
Glenn and Barbara Morshower moved with the crowd following the Fultons, Andrew Settle and Lily Bolger as well as the Roberts and Witwickys. Mikaela Barnes shared a segway with Devon Murphy, one of the Army femmes that had citizenship along with them. The conversation was lively in the lines and hushed inside as they saw something older than their own species and as important to the bots as any holy space was on Earth to them. Behind them walking with a hushed respect, Larc and her people followed.
Larc looked at the giant room with amazing carvings and glyphs of a language she was working at learning. It was a matter of respect for an ally that she be able to understand something of their culture and speech. She understood that the language itself was probably beyond her ability to speak but it wasn't in terms of understanding. She worked at it and so did her people. They would be the ones who would be the bridge between her own people and this one when the time came to retrieve their world and build alliances. She would make sure that these people were given respect. They moved forward and disappeared down the steps that led to the Allspark and Well.
The trine walked up the steps to the Pavilion, Starscream and his family following. On leashes walking with a happy hop and skip, Dart, Flit and Pip meandered behind Kaon. When the groups would stop, the four would play. Then they would move some more. It was fun for them but slow for everyone else.
"I think it might be a good idea to come back tomorrow," Sideswipe said.
"It won't slow down for a decaorn," Sunstreaker said with a shrug. "I want to do this today because we have to kick Vos in the slats tomorrow."
"Dream on," a voice said behind them.
They turned and saw Starscream standing with his bonds. The four infants were playing patty cake together. "We live perchance to dream," Sideswipe said with a wicked smirk.
"Frag that. Vos forever," Sky Warp said.
They would banter back and forth until they reached the relics. Then the greatness there would forestall snarky conversation for the duration.
-0-At the top
Ratchet and Ironhide with Sunspot in arms paused at the top. Ravel and Tie Down had a sparkling each while Alor carried Prowler and Blackjack, Hero. They moved to the first display in the vast open-sided pavilion. They were placed around the rectangular platform, an ornate roof similar to the Temple's own covering the entire space. One could walk around each display completely to see it from all angles with room between each for crowds to walk.
The first relic was the Star Saber. Sunspot sitting in Ironhide's arms looked at it, then turned to his atar. "Atar, what does this sword do? Its so big."
"It is. Prima Prime carried it. It is very important to our culture, Sunspot," Ironhide said as the family gathered around. "It's huge because he was too. Solus the Maker made this sword for him and he used it against the evils lurking at the beginning of our people's lives. It can snuff out stars and crumble planets, or so the Chronicles say. Only a worthy spark can wield it."
"Can you?" Sunspot asked looking at his atar like he was a god himself.
"No," Ironhide said with a chuckle. "But Uncle Optimus can. He can use it and no one else. Prime's worthy."
Sunspot nodded. "He is," he said solemnly.
"Some say Solus forged it from a star using the heat as her forge. The Matrix of Leadership used to be a part of the hilt of the sword," Blackjack said as they looked at the beautiful work of art suspended tip down in a force field, bathed by the light overhead. "It's sacred."
They chatted as they looked at it, then moved forward. The next relic was the Apex Armor. That would be followed by the Chaos Edge, a sword of Nexus Prime displayed nearby, its great beauty and size pause making. Nearby, another sword of that Prime, the Cyber Caliber was also a shining beautiful construction. Next to the Star Sabre, it was the most powerful and dangerous blade in the national collection.
The armor itself was a benign enough looking thing but a small hologram with the display showed how a bot could be contained inside by simply holding it against their chassis and pressing on the surface of the device. It would encase the individual and nothing could harm the wearer. Sunspot and Orion liked that one a lot.
"Look at that, Ironhide, Ada," Ratchet said turning to his family. They moved closer and saw a display with a single slim artifact. It was a dagger, one said to be held by Primus himself. It was beautiful and shiny, bore inscriptions that no one could read and was suspended in a force field that made it turn very slowly.
The family gathered around listening to Blackjack explain to the younglings how it was likely made and the mythology that ascribed it to Primus who was said to use it against Unicron himself. Orion who was sitting on Alor's arm watched with the intense concentration he brought to explanations of AWESOME COOL STUFF that he WANTED LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS!
Blackjack looked around and saw a sheet of silver engraved with copper glyphs that had the names of missing relics from their history and a short description. The Infinite Combinatoric and the Requiem Blaster, a weapon that could destroy stars were listed among others. There was also a listing for the Chimera Stone and the Omega Keys. The Combinatoric and Chimera Stone were unknown artifacts, so ancient that their description and purpose were lost to time. Little more was known about the Omega Keys, the Omega Gate and other parts of the mythology surrounding the artifacts.
But around them were more. They moved on to the exhibit that held the Chronicles and Quill. It was an astounding thing, this set of artifacts. Alpha Trion, unknown to their people as one of the original Thirteen Primes was able to see into the future and the past. It was his great skill. He recorded everything, advising Primes who would listen as a last living member of the original Thirteen still on the material plane. He was nearby talking to pilgrims, adding this and that bit of knowledge to their own.
The page on the right was blank and the one on the left told of the city today on this, the most sacred orn of their calendar. It was bound beautifully and never seemed to run out of pages. The quill was beautiful and never ran out of ink. Most used electronics to write or to record information these orns so the idea of a paper and pen was not only interesting but relatively unknown among the population.
They moved around looking at the other sacred books that were here. There were images and things from the Museum as well. What wasn't there were the artifacts of the Decepticons that were stored for safekeeping in the subterranean vaults of the Temple. The spark extractor, a force field generator, several large weapons and a number of databases about how to build them were stored under lock and key.
The art that surrounded them in the exhibit including ancient tapestries, images and blades given their due as well. They made their way to the last one at this end, the Code Keys. They were two that divided into the Key of Justice and the Key of Power used to run Teletraan I on Cybertron and reach various important structures including the Plasma Energy Chamber. One was kept in lock down and the other, the Power key was kept by Prime at all times. They were forbidden to be kept together since the plasma chamber was not only important to the running of Cybertron and now Mars, it was also the most dangerous energy platform known.
They wandered viewing the artifacts of their culture. It was beautiful and intriguing. As they turned to follow the path outward they passed what they believed was the last artifact on display. They stood silently before the massive, immense Forge of Solus Prime. Beyond it suspended in a force field, the glittering gold sphere of the Magnificence could be seen as well.
They weren't even close to being filled with the complete wonder of their national treasures.
-0-TBC August 12, 20hapter 395 edited 2-16-16