Hasbro owns Transformers and the name Xanthium, Lego owns Bionicle and the names Jala and Ketongu, and Galem owns Tali, Ava, Amber, Iris, Diego, Alyan, Adhira, Valera, and Kasar.
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Chapter 39: Mars
Diego sat on the side of his bed as he stared out at the wasteland surface of Mars. Since his light was off, it was easy to see the white polar caps and the rusty red ground that easily inspired the ancients to call it the Red Planet, named after the Roman god of war. But Diego's mind wasn't on history anymore. In fact, the history of this planet was what led the young Bioformer's thoughts to where they lingered now. Home. The blue/green marble of Earth. He had grown up there, fearing being caught, discovered and exiled. He didn't want to lose his friends or run the chance of never seeing his dad again, and worse, never seeing his mother. But thankfully, that had not happened. His friends kept him safe and he was reunited with his mom shortly after the Council had lifted the ban on Bioformers, prompting him to relax and reveal more of his abilities. And then things went south. Due to the betrayal of a friend and mentor, Diego's fear came true, which was why he was now staring blankly at the barren land below.
A sharp rap on his door jolted him out of his thoughts. "Come in." He called softly after he had quickly wiped away the tears that had been streaming down his faceplates.
Almost immediately, the female Ta-Toabot walked inside, concern written on her black kualsi. "It's Diego, isn't it? I'm Felicia, you helped me out earlier"?
With the Toabot being as handsome as he was, she had to admit that she would be a little hurt if Diego didn't remember who she was. But that wasn't why she had decided to visit. She had actually been on her way to her dads room, but then she felt a feeling in her liark, telling her to enter this room and check on the one living in said room. Knowing that it was God telling her by the peace she felt in her liark, she agreed fully and knocked, happy when Diego's voice had answered. After she had asked Diego if he had remembered her, she had sent a quiet prayer of thanks to God for sending her here to help out her crush, however God willed this help to happen.
"Yeah, I remember." Diego offered a small smile, happy to see her up and about. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm doing fine". Felicia responded. Then turning on the lights via a light switch: "But I'm a little more concerned about you. You look worse than me". Then raising her hands in worry. "And by that, I don't mean you look bad or anything, I just mean you don't look like you're doing so well".
Shuttering his optics a bit from the sudden light, Diego tried to make his smile more genuine, hoping that the tiredness and tear tracks would go unnoticed. "I'm fine. Really."
"No you're not". Felicia argued. By the looks of both the tear tracks and the dark circles around his optics, plus the wiping sound she had heard after knocking on the door, she knew Diego wasn't okay. Then with an apologetic look, she added: "I'm sorry if I'm being a little too forward in saying this, but I see how you look every time someone says that traitors name. Plus, everybody's been telling me the same thing, so I'd appreciate it if someone decided to be honest". Felicia finished that statement with a stern look.
This of course wasn't the first time had noticed Diego in emotional pain. She had noticed it earlier when she was being patched up, and also whenever people talked near him about how bummed they were over the current situation. It was even more so evident now and she was very happy that God had told her where he was before his pain could potentially get worse. From all of her therapy sessions with Rack, she knew for a fact that one of the best ways to get through something like this, was to talk about it, and that was exactly what she was going to get Diego to do. That, and pray for his well being, and ask him to do the same whilst having this conversation.
Seeing that she had given him no opportunity to talk his way out of this conversation, Diego slumped with a defeated sigh and finally came clean. "Alright, I'm not okay. I'm devastated. Better?" He snapped out that last part before he could restrain himself, the anger that had been festering inside him now starting to boil over.
Felicia prayed immediately to be given the patience to deal with Diego. Of course because of the temper her dad had installed in her, she had wanted to initially snap back, but she knew it was out of liarkbreak. Out of the pain of the possible death of Paradox and because he would probably never get to see any of his friends ever again. She had felt the same liarkbreak as well, despite dealing with it in a more private mourning. Regardless, she didn't want to add an argument to his pain. For now, she would be there for him as a shoulder to cry on, as a friend.
"No Diego, not better". Felicia responded as she sat next to him on the bed, their shoulders almost touching. Then with a sigh: "I know it's none of my business and I know I'm just a stranger to you, but I'd like to hear a little more about it, and then I'll help you out alright"?
Diego stared at her for a solid minute, taken aback that she had not snapped at him and he had thought she would. Seeing the sincerity in her optics, he gave her a small, but true, smile. "Thanks, Felicia." Maybe she was right. Maybe it was time to get some things of his chest finally. "So, what do you want to know?" He asked, sitting a little straighter as he mentally braced himself. Old habits die hard.
"What happened to you, that made you look like he pooped in all four of your meals"? Felicia asked.
Suppressing a cringe, Diego replied, careful to keep as much bitterness out of his voice, "He took my symbol, the element I inherited from my mother. Now," he held his hand out in front of him, attempting to make an arch of lightning appear, but nothing, "I'm powerless."
From a far distance away, Felicia had heard Ketongu's radio play: "And you, had it all, but I was by, your side, powerless". It was a lyric from the song powerless by Linkin Park. Though Felicia knew Ketongu was trying to lighten the mood, as he had been trying to do all day, she knew that song may not have been the best idea and sighed before speaking again, also praying that Diego hadn't just heard that, and that if he had, he wouldn't run over and beat up their only Toabot of light.
"I'm sorry". Felicia replied. "That must really suck".
"you have no idea." Diego mourned. "I was just starting to get a handle on my powers. Now, I'll never be like my mother." He slumped over a bit, letting his helm drop between his shoulders.
Felicia winced a little at the word mother, but kept it hidden as she told him in a reassuring voice: "You don't know that".
Sure, Adhira was a Guardian Toa, one of the few to ever walk the planet of Earth for that matter, but she highly doubted that Diego would've never mastered his elemental power. despite the fact that chances of it happening now looked slim after having his symbol stolen, it wasn't impossible to get it back. If he prayed hard and faithfully enough, she was certain God would give it back somehow. Plus, the fact that a Guardian Toa had been his mother, mean he had the potential to be one of the most powerful of the Toabots, not to mention skilled if he had at least learned the basics.
"You don't know my mother." Diego looked away from her, immediately guilty of the sharp tone with which he had snapped at her.
Felicia snapped back a mere second later: "And I never knew mine, but that didn't stop me"! Felicia's optics widened upon the realization of what she had just said and the fact that she had just snapped at the male she was trying to help as she turned away, sniffling as she spoke sadly: "I'm so sorry".
Diego froze for a bit as he let her words sink in. She never knew her mother? Why not? His initial thought was that her mother had been sent on a mission when she was a baby and had not been heard from again. If that was the case, they were more alike than he thought. And seeing that she was still hurting over it activated a desire in his liark to calm her.
"It's okay." He said, resting a hand lightly over hers. "In truth, I never really knew my mother. She handed me over to an Autobot family when I was a sparkling. All I knew of her growing up were only the legends that surrounded her." His countenance grew sad again as he remembered long hours at school where history had been his favorite subject just because he got to see the pictures of his mother and family and hear about all the amazing things they had done. Then when school let out, he spent the rest of the day at the New Onu-Metru Archives, combing the records and books for more information and images, desperate to fill in the hole in his heart.
Felicia looked back over to Diego, noticing the genuine care in his eyes and feeling much better because of it. To know that she was not the only one who had been without her mother for a significant amount of time was reassuring. Though she was still jealous that Diego had a mother, it still made her feel a bit okay inside. Plus, she had come in here to help him talk about what was bothering him, and that confession may have just helped make that job easier as it meant Diego trusted her a little.
"And that winged Toa of fire"? Felicia asked curiously.
"Her older sister, my aunt, Valera. Both are Guardian Toa." He smiled warmly.
"Hm". Felicia had responded with a nod. 'Okay Felicia, he opened up to you. Now it's time for you to do the same'. She took a deep breath as if she were in laboring pains as she looked to Diego. "My mother died. Not in this war though, she uh... she died giving birth to me".
As she uttered the last part of that sentence, tears had already began to stream down her faceplates. Though it had been years since the birth, she had still felt a massive pang of guilt and sorrow. Guilt because it had practically been her fault that her mom died, and sorrow because of course she wouldn't get to see her mother for a very long time. That sorrow only grew whenever she saw any children playing or cooking outside with their mothers on Planet X. Armor, her dad, had done his best to make her feel better in whatever way he could, taking her out to shooting ranges, shopping, or out to restaurants, which of course had resulted in a tomboyish personality that both she and her dad were proud of. But it couldn't take away her pain.
"Oh. I'm sorry." Diego muttered softly. What else does one say to that? He had thought that was a reason for her previous outburst but he had turned it away for the more positive assumption. But now that she had confirmed the worst one, Diego was at a loss for words and what to do.
Felicia looked down, her sorrow more evident by the second as she continued: "Dad said it was her giving me mercy. He told me she said she couldn't live with herself if she aborted me". 'Even though he clearly misses her'. She thought.
When Armor had told Felicia the amazing stories of her mother, she had always seen a hint of sadness in his optics. A sorrow that spoke: I wish she were still here to tell these stories with me. Felicia didn't blame him. From what her dad had told her, her mother had always been a selfless and woman, and much more patient than Armor. Armor admitted quite a few times that he was surprised that she had responded yes when he had asked her out. After all, the two had started out as mere co workers, and hadn't really known much about each other before then. She was the typical work crush. Though a romance themed friendship had developed between the both of them, much quicker than Armor had expected it to. Her mother had also been a Toabot medic and soldier training under Rack from what Armor had included, which only gave them more time to spend with each other, something they had both found to be very fortunate as they had gotten married months before the war had started. The more she had heard of her mother, the more Felicia missed her, and wished she could've gotten to meet her. 'Why couldn't it have been me'? Felicia wondered sadly.
"I think she made the right choice." Yes, Diego felt for Felicia losing her mother like she had, and while his mother was alive, he had known kids who had lost their mother's in the same way as Felicia.
Felicia shed another tear as she responded: "Well, regardless, it was her choice". Then looking at him in concern, and remembering why she had come here, she asked: "Can I um, do anything to make you feel better, about everything"? 'Maybe a shoulder to cry on if he needs it'. She thought.
Diego shook his head with a sad smile. "Honestly, I don't know, Felicia. I feel so empty inside. Everything I've known is gone. I...I don't know what to do anymore."
The very second Diego had said that, a biblical verse had popped up in Felicia's head, making her smile. 'Thank you Lord'. She prayed happily before then speaking.
"When all things are lost, faith, hope and love remain. But the grandest of these is love". Felicia gripped Diego's hand a bit tightly. "So when and if you see Xanthium again, you allow that love to put mercy in your Liark. Because maybe that's why we've been losing ourselves, because so much has happened that we've forgotten that there is always a right choice. Be sure to pray long and hard about it sometime after I leave too, okay? Although, I'll pray with you if you need me to". Felicia finished with a smile.
Of course Diego and everyone else on this ship was mad, and Felicia could easily understand why, but it the midst of it all, Jesus had still paid the ultimate price for every sin those Makutacons had ever committed, and that exact same price was paid for them as well. That in itself should've inspired the Toabots to not allow their rage to control them and to offer mercy whenever the opportunity was given to do so. Plus, hate was the weapon the Makutacons had chosen to use. Their weapon was the strongest force in this universe: Love. And because of the fact that God is love itself, they needed to let their anger go and allow this love to take ownership of their lives to be the protectors that Jesus had always desired them to be. warriors of peace, forgiveness, and most importantly love.
Sighing, Diego nodded. "Okay." Bowing his head, he prayed, "Father God, please forgive me for holding hate against Xanthium for the betrayal he committed against us. Please help me love him the way the way you love him, and help me let that love flow through me to him the next time we should meet. I ask this all in Jesus' name. Amen."
Felicia smiled as she responded: "Anytime". Then, in an act to cheer him up further and because she just wanted to, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek before walking out with a wink.
Diego continued to stare after the door closed on her, his processor reeling, trying to acknowledge what had just happened. "Did she just..." He muttered to himself, not truly understanding why she had kissed him on the cheek. They weren't dating. they had just met. It wasn't logical. Suddenly, the gravity of the gesture hit him like an asteroid. "Oh no."
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Diego, Ketongu stood on his knees directly behind his berth just out of eyesight, a mischievous smirk on his faceplates as he cranked up the volume in the radio in his chest as loud as he could. Then smirking wider upon selecting the appropriate song in his data banks. Two seconds later, Diego was greeted with a loud: "AND THE TRUMPETS, THEY GO-"! The trumpets in the song playing loudly after the set of lyrics.
"YIKES!" Diego yelped in surprise, shooting up like a rocket only to hit the floor hard enough to cause an armlet to bounce away unnoticed as its owner turned to the source of the obnoxiously loud noise. ""Ketongu, what are you trying to do?! Give me a Liark attack?! And how long were you back there?!"
Whilst chuckling, Ketongu responded: "Dude, I literally crawled in here while you two were talking. And, I've been there a while". Then standing to his full height with crossed arms and an interested look: "Now, lets talk about Felicia for a second. What do you think of her"?
Huffing at the change of conversation, Diego stood back up before noticing the runaway armlet. Quickly snatching it up, he worked to replace it on his upper arm while answering his friend. "Uh, she's okay, I guess. I mean, she apparently was really trying to cheer me up and she's a good listener from what I saw so far."
Ketongu waved his hand as he responded: "Yeah, I know all of that". Then looking at him questioningly: "But what I'm asking is: Do you think she's hot"?
Ketongu could already tell that Felicia had the equivalent of a high school crush on Diego, but that didn't necessarily mean Diego felt the same way. After all, in all of the time he had known him, he didn't think Diego was the type of person to just go after any girl who liked him, which due to his $20/hr pay, would be a lot of people outside of their team. Then again, Felicia was a pretty intelligent girl herself, having been raised by Armor how to strategize, work machinery, and fight in a severe battlefield, all at the age of five. Though she had never really fought in this war before coming to earth and had gotten injured, she survived, meaning there was more than meets the eye to her upon initial encounter. Maybe that along with her various other attractive traits, other peoples words, not his, would've earned his affection.
Diego swallowed nervously. "Well, uh, I guess, she's pretty, um, attractive." He stuttered, feeling his faceplates heating up.
Ketongu wanted to ask Diego more on that matter, but soon became distracted on the armlet Diego placed back on his arm and allowed that matter of thought retreat from his processor. "Also, what's with the armlet"?
Glancing down, Diego smiled fondly at the medallion held around said arm. "Mom gave it to me before she left. She made me promise to never take it off." His smile grew softer as he remembered when she gave it into his care.
"This medallion is very special to me and I want you to have it." She had said as she placed it in his hand. Confused, he had looked it over and had to admit it was a true work of art as it depicted the perfect merging of the symbols of Old Ta Metru and Ga Metru.
"Whoa." He breathed in awe at the craftsmanship. "What is it?" His mother smiled warmly as she traced her finger around its edge.
"It's one of two medallions that my stepfather, Lhikan, made for me and Valera, using the same Kanoka disks that are used to created a Kanohi Hau." Diego stared with a new founded respect as the weight of what he was being entrusted with rested on his shoulder. Not only was he holding a precious family heirloom and crest, created and fashioned at the hand of one of his grandfathers, but he was carrying a device that could help him protect himself and those around him should he need it.
Ketongu nodded with an impressed look, also having taken notice of the craftsmanship as he responded: "Interesting". Then remembering why he had come here in the first place, he added: "By the way, if you ever find yourself wanting to let's say, flirt with her, just come talk to me. I know a few things".
Though most people probably wouldn't believe him, Ketongu did know a few things when it came to the ladies. Matter of fact, Ketongu had managed to gain the romantic interest of a couple Xtronian women via his humor and often relentless flattery and flirtations. Granted, those relationships never lasted longer than a couple weeks as neither of those females had really given him the marriage material vibe, but regardless he knew those flirts worked. Plus, he had his single optic on another femme, but that was a story for another time.
"Does this have anything to do with the radio?" Diego rolled his eyes with a sigh. He was certain the only way his friend knew how to pickup girls was with his radio and loud music.
Ketongu chuckled in response to Diego's quip. "No, just a few flirty words that nearly got me a few restraining orders when I was younger". He joked with a smirk.
"Right." Diego gulped nervously, the sinking feeling in his tanks getting worse at that. "Ah, I'll think on it."
Ketongu chuckled, lightly hitting Diego's shoulder as he said: "Hey man, I'm kidding". Then will a smile of reassurance on fondness in memory: "They all loved it".
Though again, Ketongu had his sights set on another femme to spend the rest of his life with already, the memories of him flirting with femmes and earning their affections were still a reminder of a past that had been. A past that he had not hoped to forget soon. Even as some believed they would spend the rest of their lives on this red planet. Though Ketongu still believed and prayed that one day they would be allowed to return and fight for the freedom of the planet from the hatred of the Makutacon army. Though they vastly outnumbered them now, Ketongu knew that if they were to return, it would make little difference. For as the Bible had reminded them numerous times: If God is for us, no one can ever stand against us.
"And thanks for thinking on it too". Ketongu added with a smile. Then gazing down at the datapad Athena had given him earlier: "I've got to go. See you later?"
"Sure thing. No problem." Diego nodded, still confused about the conversation.
The stomping of agitation caught their attention outside Diego's door, Ketongu's smile as the footsteps grew closer. A few minutes before entering the room, Ketongu had been tasked with giving out red velvet cupcakes to the Toabots and other Xtronian inhabitants on the ship. Though Ketongu knew better than to prank the entire ship, there was still one out of many of the Toabots on the ship whom he loved pranking, and thus being given the opportunity, would not pass up the chance to replace the vanilla frosting on Armor's cupcake with another substance.
A few seconds later, Armor stepped in, a rageful expression on his face and a white substance on the side of his face as he shouted: "Ketongu, what did I tell you about replacing cheese frosting with vanilla lotion"?!
Ketongu shrugged, a smirk on his face as he jokingly replied: "Hey, I thought it was pretty good"! Before then transforming and quickly driving out of room.
"KEY"! Armor exclaimed as he chased angrily after the laughing yellow vehicle that sped down the halls.
Chuckling, Diego rolled his eyes as he watched the two run down the hall. "Ai, Key." He muttered to himself before returning to his bed. 'Maybe things won't be so bad. Yes, it still stung his liark that he might never see his home again, but he had to stay positive for the sake of his friends, and remain comforted by the thought that somehow, one day, he will be reunited with his family.
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Biomarvel740: The vanilla lotion replacing the cheese frosting is a reference to , specifically the prank on Jesse's birthday.
Galem: It's a reference to what?
Biomarvel740: The vanilla lotion replacing the cheese frosting is a reference to PrankVSPrank, specifically the prank on Jesse's birthday.
Galem: Ah, okay. Cool!
Biomarvel740: (smiles, looks to the readers) What did you all think of the chapter btw?
Galem: Please leave us a review or PM either of us if you have any questions.
Biomarvel740: We thank you all so much for taking the time to read-
Galem: and please...
Biomarvel740 and Galem: Have a God-blessed day! XD :D
