The Secrets of the Cyber Worlds: Short Stories of the Past
Peace and Desist
The peaceful planet of Junkion proved less so after the Autobots and Decepticons arrived in pursuit of each other. Wreck-gar remembered well the chaos that ensued including his people and himself getting kidnapped by Thundertron. Although they were released, he didn't expect Thundertron and his Star Seekers to return. The surprise came as the captain's vessel landed as the pirate mech stomped out enraged. Wreck-gar thought he could greet him with newfound peace; he was wrong.
"Bah-weep-Graaaaagnah wheep ni ni bong, travelers. Fancy seeing you here again," he said with a smile. While his people were already growing weary at the sight of the intruders, Wreck-gar didn't lose his grin until Thundertron wordlessly and enragedly stuck a blaster muzzle inches from his face. He retracted his expression now slightly worried and asked, "I take it this is your version of the universal greeting...?"
"You." Thundertron hissed, "You cost me those Cybertronians' lives! I would have had that Prime and that other mech had you not delayed us!"
Seacore stepped close and yelled, "Leave him alone! Haven't you done enough damage for one stellar cycle?!"
"Shut up, barbarian!" Thundertron growled nonverbally at first before shouting, "Round them up and bring them to the shipyard!"
His Star Seekers exited the vessel and began corralling the Junkions towards the Howling Wastes. The sparklings present were hidden by those still in the huts before they walked out unarmed. Wreck-gar was forcefully led by Thundertron himself until they came to a spot under the ruins of a large starship stuck at an angle among the junk of the planet.
Thundertron shoved Wreck-gar as the latter watched two of his citizens perish, a quick shot to the helm of each, making all the Junkions fearful. Wreck-gar refused to fight back, instead attempting to reason with the mech.
"There's no need for hostility. We are peacef-"
"I don't care for peace! You and your kind are disgraces to the very existence of our race as a whole. I should have destroyed you the first time I had you aboard my vessel in pursuit of those Cybertronians! Personally, I think exterminating you regardless might be merciful, and I normally am not, but I'd make an exception here and now for the entire universe."
The insult went over Wreck-gar's head. He smiled dumbly much to Thundertron's chagrin.
Seacore and Detritus were both pushed to kneel with blasters and swords aimed at them. Seacore growled until he received a blunt strike to the back of his head by a handle which only angered him more, but he was unable to do anything about it without killing himself through retaliation.
Wreck-gar then asked, "Was it because we didn't dance with you? I can do a mean polka if you want."
Thundertron paused for a brief second dumbfounded before clutching the sides of his head and shaking profusely, his rage ever growing. "No, you moron! Don't you listen?! I'm tired of you, I'm tired of your very existence, and I loathe this planet! It is a hideous blemish in this galaxy, and I will eradicate it if it's the last thing I do! Do...you...UNDERSTAND?!"
"...Which part?"
Like a kid throwing a tantrum, the Star Seekers were forced to watch their usually competent leader pace and curse up a storm. His resolve was completely shattered. The meltdown raised brows, had the Junkions staring, and Wreck-gar was grinning like an idiot.
"This planet is hell! I can't take it anymore!" Thundertron shouted, "You and your Junkion bug-infested, smelly, waste of space mechanoids have stood in my way for the last time!"
Detritus frowned, "We didn't do anything...?"
As soon as a weapon was pointed at Wreck-gar's second-in-command who gulped, Wreck-gar himself tried to calm Thundertron. "Now, now, no need to get angry. We can offer you an oil spa, vacation time...free dragon?"
In the background, everyone barely acknowledged a piece of ship fell to the ground. Faint bumps farther out indicated the shipyard was falling apart at a snail's pace.
Thundertron glared at the mech, shaking his head slowly, "You have got to be the dumbest being I have ever encountered. Stupid."
"I am Wreck-gar and I dare to be stupid!"
The Junkion leader then grew confused when Thundertron suddenly began cackling, "Indeed. And that'll make it even more satisfying when I take your head as my trophy."
A sword unsheathed and its tip was abruptly shoved to touch Wreck-gar's chest threateningly. Wreck-gar's expression dropped considerably again. The Junkions gasped with Seacore tensing and Detritus unhappy. This time, Thundertron remained serious.
"All the more satisfying...when I kill you in front of all these people and watch their hope die. For years, you've inhabited this junk pile of a planet. For years, you relaxed and played to your spark's content without a single care in the universe. Nothing to challenge you, no danger, and no enemies. Well now, you have one and yet, here you are cowering each time a weapon is near you. Not so cocky now, are you?"
A sudden punch from the Star Seeker captain, then another, had him shocked beyond reason, falling onto his servos with a cough as Energon dripped through the nasal vent slit under his nose plate. Wreck-gar didn't answer the rhetorical question not just out of surprise but because he had run out of things to say. He peered at his citizens who were more frightened than ever, Seacore and Detritus looked miserable, and he had no contingency plan. His humor was running dry, and time was up.
Thundertron hissed, "I want you to know before death that I will kill everyone on this miserable planet once you're gone. Your paradise is no more."
Above them, a piece of the rear fin near the engine thrusters loosely hung undisturbed, dangling like it was merely attached by a string. A shift in a vacant breeze by the atmosphere made an instant snapping noise, brief but barely audible. It fell over two hundred meters towards the planet's surface.
Thundertron struck Wreck-gar once more with sickening glee at seeing the mech pathetically try crawling back away from him, his blade gripped in his still servo. "You useless, little maggot, say goodbye to the people you condemned with your obliviousness."
Wreck-gar looked up at him wide-eyed in complete fear unlike anything he had ever felt before in his carefree lifestyle. He watched Thundertron raise his sword preparing to decapitate him, and he closed his optics as his second-in-command and his friends shouted in dismay. He prepared for the blade, but it never came. Instead, a sudden metallic swooshing rang out.
His optics shot open. He wasn't dead, or maybe he was...and it was too quick to hurt. Everyone was dead silent with the Star Seekers the most horrified he had ever seen them. Wreck-gar wondered what scared them so until he peered at Thundertron. The only problem was Thundertron wasn't exactly staring back.
His head and chest mutilated, cut in half and bleeding heavily, the sword dropped from the limp grip and Thundertron slowly tilted backwards to hit the ground floor lifeless. Wreck-gar saw how the piece of the ship hit him straight from above by how clean the impact through the mech was. It still had him breathing hard and keeping down his initial fright from the image. As Thundertron laid there, his Star Seekers grew perplexed and suspicious as the creaking of the Howling Wastes were like the shipyard's namesake, howling with the dead space.
"This place isn't worth it. I'm out of here," one Star Seeker said.
The others agreed and one by one, they abandoned the Junkions to whatever fate had in store for them. Wreck-gar was still stuck reeling in the immediate death of Thundertron who he slowly crawled to the side of. It was rare for anyone to be hurt by ship scrap but not impossible.
Wreck-gar then whispered offhandedly, "Goodbye..."
He then caught a glimmer of metal that didn't match the rest of the mech. Pulling it out, he grew intrigued as he brought to light a pendant with the Star Seeker logo. It was strange to say the least, but Wreck-gar held a firm grip on it in memory of his attempted killed. No one deserved to die, in his opinion, but it wasn't his call to make.
"Wreck-gar, are you alright?" Seacore asked concerned. Detritus was less so.
The orange and red mech blankly nodded, "I'm...I'm fine."
Despite the Star Seekers coming off as aggressors and nearly being killed by them, Wreck-gar didn't blame them though he would admit the deeds done had scared him shitless. As he looked over the pendant, he found it a small reminder of the dangers of the universe. Nevertheless, he ignored it as long as his citizens were safe and now, they were. It was a win-win anyway. He examined the pendant with a bit more confidence returning with a smile at the humorous karma that was.
"Just fine."
Dragonland
Taking a vase and dipping it in the oil spring, Seacore monitored the hira hyenas lingering by that stared at him curiously with their low cackles echoing. He gave them no real mind, just making sure they didn't try anything. Despite being the peaceful creatures they were, they weren't above hunting lone bots for food. Once he gathered his oil for the village, he placed the vase end on his hip holding it while the unoccupied servo sat on his other hip as he raised his brows at the hyenas trying to get close. If they were wise, they would stay where they were, or it was hyena for dinner.
He confirmed they essentially gave up and readjusted the vase to be held by both servos, grunting at the weight but it was nothing new to him. He had done it multiple times before. As he carried the oil back, he suddenly heard a whine to his left. Turning, he was nearly nose to nose with a pygmy distiller dragon.
Distillers weren't normally attackers of bots, preferring scavenging above all, but face to face with one wasn't the best situation and could go south in a second. But the distiller licked the side of its outer upper jaw goofily, partially hitting its optic with a lizard-like grunt. It then turned its head to the side before turning it towards Seacore's right to only glance at him with its left optic to study him. The quick flinches of its head and the sounds told Seacore it was contemplating him.
"Shoo..."
The distiller didn't move. He decided it was best to just leave, make the creature think it had won or whatever-
He barely got twenty feet away when it made another small noise, and he peered down to see it now following behind him. The so-called dragons, Wreck-gar's naming from watching broadcasted TV from a planet far beyond their reaches, were annoyances at best except for the scrap dragons, the giant beasts that roamed Junkion. To see one tailing him was not uncommon but slightly disfiguring because that meant it was locked onto him until he pleased its interest.
Seacore thought about it and took a piece of scrap that resembled a mangled bowl. He poured a few inches of oil into it and offered it to the distiller. The rustic dragon chirped, peering down at the offer before sniffing. With a few licks, the dragon slowly let its guard down to drink it up completely. Seacore used the distraction to leave it.
After reaching the village, he placed the vase of oil on Lantern's stand who was currently with Visionair. "Deliver this to Wreck-gar please. I have to go into the oil fields to get some more."
Lantern chuckled, "Will do, Seacore. Fancy you would be taking up Wreck-gar's tasks the most."
Seacore scowled, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, nothing. I just find it kind of...nice. Ever since Nancy-"
"Do you have to remind everyone about that?" Seacore hissed, "It's bad enough it happened!...I'm just doing what I can to help him. He just lost his conjux; he needs someone to be there and if you aren't going to do it then who else is it supposed to be? Or are we supposed to leave him to mourn by himself."
Both Lantern and Visionair were silent with the former ashamed for bringing up the loss. Wreck-gar was in no position to be doing his normal tasks at the moment. Seacore sighed seeing their faces drop and closed his own optics.
"We do what we must, right? Let Wreck-gar grieve. I'll handle everything because that's what I'm going to do for both of them." The rusted green mech then said softly, "I promised her that much."
Without another word, he passed Detritus and grabbed an empty container for his next round of gathering oil from the pools out yonder. He barely acknowledged the sand lions lying about lazily nor the hira hyenas nibbling on scrap. As he went back to the pool, he saw multitudes of distillers flying about this time. But they weren't the only dragons around.
He suddenly hid behind a pillar of trash and loose parts as the huge wingbeats of a scrap dragon were heard before it came into view. The distillers scattered around it, their hive undoubtedly serving the scrap dragon's needs to keep themselves off the food chain of the unruly beast.
The massive dragon circled above with a roar, distillers circling with it as it scouted the landscape until it spotted the hyenas fleeing, their metallic sheen reflecting the galaxy's light and making themselves easy targets. It swooped down mid-barrel roll to change direction to head straight at them. Seacore watched eerily as a few of the hyenas whimpered mere seconds before being snatched off the ground by hungry jaws mightier than any other creature's on the planet. The scrap dragon landed and flung the one hyena that wasn't secure entirely in its mouth upward. All Seacore could do was wince as the hyena screeched as it was airborne and fell silent when the dragon's jaws snapped shut on it as it descended.
The scrap dragon stretched its wings and gave a loud bellow, crooked and strained from the various metal pieces its voice had to reverberate through to be heard. It shook its head as a few distillers tried to land on its neck and snout, snorting with a grunt. It sniffed the thin air, growling as it walked forward on all fours with its mismatched armor clattering with each step. It didn't need to be silent; nothing could get away from it and nothing could fight it.
Seacore observed the creature and its vast influence on the other present species. It was a monster unlike anything Junkion ever had. The fact that they were located across the planet but fewer than fifty specimens known intrigued his curiosity. How did such a species with so much potential live so long yet existed as so few? They were said to reproduce once every few centuries, but he had never seen any young in his stay.
He had to stay still no matter how long the scrap dragon dwelled. While the distillers weren't dangerous unless provoked or hungry, scrap dragons weren't as reasonable. They were a constant danger to the lives of Junkion inhabitants, native mostly to the southern sector of the planet which acquired the newly proclaimed name of the Dragonlands. Multiple individuals of scrap dragons lived in the region, each with their own territory hundreds of kilometers between one another. To see one this close to the oil pools was rare. Now, it was the waiting game.
Seacore sat hidden between two columns of scrap waiting and waiting for what felt like hours. The scrap dragon lingered a lot longer than he expected, lying in front of the pool he visited previously. Its yellow optics searched for any other disturbances until finally, it got the incentive to leave. Loose trash was blown out of sight by its wings as it flew off. The distillers only followed a certain length before the coast was clear in their territory and they could retreat to the hive.
Once he determined the scrap dragon wasn't coming back, he resumed approaching the oil pool and did his thing. He smirked a little at the distillers eyeing him, this time with little ones poking out between their wings and from under their bodies where it was no doubt warm. One dragon settled next to him to drink cautiously from the pool.
He remarked, "Those beasts have you whipped to do what they demand, don't they?"
The distiller understood none of that. He didn't expect them to. When it finally got bold and nudged his arm as he remained crouched with the vase partially submerged, he carefully reached out and petted it. The distiller froze for a moment before leaning into the touch with a purr.
"You know, Nancy liked you little pests, would always study you and show us her notes. You were probably her favorite."
The distiller rumbled, peering around in all directions rapidly unafraid. Its wings twitched but all it did was continue drinking from the pool before settling in a loaf position at its edge, not finding Seacore a threat. The others in the area simply cleaned themselves, played in small puddles of oil like birds, and they did little to annoy their guest. After filling the vase, he set it to the side and sat down beside the distiller with his elbows on his knees and his forehead resting against the side of his servo intertwined. The dragon, of course, was oblivious to his thoughts. In his mind, he was torn.
"I miss her so much and Wreck-gar...he doesn't deserve to feel that pain. Junkions are supposed to be indestructible and she...she..." He swallowed harshly, "And here I am supposed by the more responsible of us because Detritus won't do anything. I know he's being an ass about this, uncaring and selfish! And then I have you pests. The guardians of the oil fields where you just roam free to your spark's content and just live like we don't matter to you, working with a mighty demon that wants nothing less but to kill anything that moves. We only inhabit less than one percent of this entire planet, yet we're supposed to be this intelligent species compared to all of you...but we have a lot more to lose."
The distiller peered at him nearly optic to optic as he said in nearly a whisper, "How is that fair?"
His voice nearly cracked at the last word. The silence that followed, despite the background chirps of the other distillers, haunted him. Suddenly, the distiller casually placed its head among his thigh, a two-toned grunt following. He stared down at it as it closed its optics to rest while he was grieving. The gesture seemed a bit rude but how else was it supposed to react? It didn't even know what he was saying let alone what was dilemma was…only that he was sad. In a way, the insensitive napping of the distiller really wasn't that. Maybe it knew that he was hurting, and it could only offer the comfort it knew how.
Seacore blinked unsure before a small smile played on the edge of his mouth. "Of course you would think so."
They stayed there for who knows how long, one contemplating and the other resting. It hardly helped a few more dragons curling next to him after carefully sensing him. They seemed to know his internal war over the changes not meant to be yet had happened. The entirety of it, he was practically ranting out of the blue. He couldn't really recall to himself what he said a few minutes before his ongoing muttering. And the dragons were barely fazed by it.
The border of the Dragonlands offered little comfort but a lot of chances to get things off his chest. He hated how fate had been so cruel to take Nancy away from Wreck-gar and leave him to look after the mech. He knew Wreck-gar would eventually be recouped enough to retain his leadership; the mech had the ability to get over negative emotions rather fast but it wasn't out of insensitivity, it was just his means of coping and being the leader he was meant to be. Seacore, on the other hand, had trouble understanding why it would happen…why it could. It just wasn't fair.
"I sound like a youngling," he scoffed to himself.
The distiller dragons remained undisturbed still leaning against him, wings moving ever slightly. He knew he should get back to the village before Detritus decided to pretend he died out here just to upset Wreck-gar even more than he already was. After a few more minutes, he nudged himself away from the sleeping distillers who were a little perplexed at his leave and rumbled upset.
"What? I can't stay here forever," he replied. "You have a nest to keep up and I have chores. Sorry."
The distillers merely watched him take the vase and leave the area with small chirps and whines between one another. He couldn't help thinking about them. The simplistic creatures were far better listeners than any of the bots he resided with. Not a single word of constructive feedback from them, but he felt like he had gotten a lot off his chest. Dragon therapy was not what he thought he needed.
Dangerous yet relaxing, the Dragonlands were just another place in their world. Seacore certainly believed he found his new favorite spot in the area.
"Now I see what you meant, Nancy."
As he reached the village and set the vase in Lantern's care, Seacore was about to do a third run when he hesitated to reach for the empty vase to instead look towards Wreck-gar's hut. The mech was no doubt avoiding letting his Junkions see him distraught, but Seacore only wanted to know if he was alright. He had all day to do Wreck-gar's chores. He pondered if visiting the reclusive mech was a good idea. He made his decision with a sigh.
Wreck-gar's hut was decorated to the brim with trinkets and random colorful junk, most of it partially rusted. Still, it made sense for the likes of Wreck-gar. Seacore entered after knocking and growing concerned when he didn't hear anything. There, with a lopsided elbow on the makeshift couch, Wreck-gar stared at a commercial for a human device called a "dishwasher" that Seacore had no clue what its real function was. Brand new at $160.50, whatever currency that was. He rarely frowned and seeing him with a mute expression was off-putting.
"Wreck-gar?"
The orange mech looked at him barely before resuming to stare at the TV. Seacore tried to figure out what he could possibly do to stir the mech's depression. He had been cooped up for quite some time.
"Everyone misses you," he said wholeheartedly.
Wreck-gar rubbed the bridge of his noseplate when suddenly, a commercial for Nancy Carroll appeared for a "Paramount Pictures." Both of them stared at the woman on the screen acting in a small preview for an upcoming movie. In the corner of Seacore's optic, he saw Wreck-gar's mouth quiver as the familiar actress' name popped up. Seacore was there beside him immediately. He quickly turned the TV off and instead placed himself in front of Wreck-gar's view to try and calm him. The mech had his faceplates scrunched with lubricant prickling at the corners of his optics.
"She should have been fine…she promised she would be fine…Nancy…"
Seacore held back his own tears, sniffling, "Yes, and she is. She's no longer in pain, right? She left us safe and-and we have each other. We still have her notes…we can still…um, we can see those distillers she loved."
Wreck-gar glanced to the side with a heartbreaking flurry of eye movements searching in the spot where Nancy used to sit, his knuckles pressed against his mouth. "She wasn't supposed to go, and I couldn't do anything to help her…"
"That's NOT your fault, Wreck-gar. It was just bad circumstances. We may be invulnerable to being torn apart, blasted, and shredded…but no one is immortal. Everyone…has to die someday, and it was just Nancy's time. We didn't want it to happen. It just can and it did. Her sickness was maybe preventable but maybe it wasn't. We can't blame anyone for what occurred, not even ourselves. She loved you to the very end. You know that."
Wreck-gar leaned back, placing a servo over his optics with a whimper but he gradually calmed as Seacore refused to leave his side holding his other servo with a tight grip.
"You still have items that meant a lot to her." Seacore then paused and thought about the Dragonlands, the home of some of Nancy's favorite species. "And maybe you would like to see what she loved out in the Dragonlands."
Upon hearing the name, Wreck-gar looked at Seacore with masked interest hidden behind the understandable sadness. Seacore took the mixed emotion as a confirmation and slowly coaxed the Junkion leader into following him, leaving his hut for the first time in who knows how long. He didn't bother with taking the vase, instead leading him past the distiller dragon nests further into the actual territory itself. Wreck-gar's mood slowly calmed though there were still a few sniffles until they reached the ledge of a half-buried giant object. It was the same location Nancy would go to study the creatures in times of quietness. They both recognized it as she had taken them alongside her a few instances.
Standing there, they both gazed in awe as the foreground skies were covered in hordes of distillers and a few scrap dragons flying about thankfully too far to disturb them. The Dragonlands were alive like never before under the light of the galaxy that took up more than half the visible atmosphere. The bots sat on the object to make themselves blend more to make themselves less of a target. It was at the same time a smile slowly came back onto Wreck-gar's features. He remembered coming here too.
Oil geysers were prominent in the region, columns of distiller nests reached higher than any other towers they had seen with the highest integrated with what appeared to be the remains of either a large building or a blocky ship. The scrap dragons flew down to a large ledge where various pieces of metal were intertwined like a bird's nest. In the middle of it lay the rarest sight of all: two eggs were hidden among the nest. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event that had both mechs flabbergasted. Even Nancy had never seen any eggs from the species except once long ago.
As the scrap dragon carrier nestled on top of them with a purr, the bots watched intensely before Wreck-gar suddenly said, "Nancy would have loved to see this."
Seacore smiled, "Yes, she would."
Wreck-gar grinned too as distillers swarmed everywhere, some diving close to them roaring as they soared downward to the large oil reserves. It was a thing of beauty to witness firsthand.
Nancy may not have been there to enjoy the moment, but they believed she was there in spirit as Wreck-gar's woes faded the more he watched the creatures his mate loved. Seacore was equally tranquil watching the Dragonlands come to life. If anything, the area was a memory they shared of what they lost, and its inhabitants were well loved like they never knew.
Royal Rugrats
"And remember," King Kronos finished, "they are sparklings. They need supervision. Trade them amongst one another, do what you need to but always make sure someone has an eye on them, just for today."
All the Kronos children peered down at the two sparklings, Eclipse and Phantasmos. The latter's optics trailed up from Tigressa's hold to his sire who stood far above everyone, squeaking pleasantly before falling on his back on her palms. He then played with his tiny pedes and his tail curled up wagging slightly. Eclipse was held by Poltergeist. The little one yawned and stuck her glossa out a few inches in a small blep. King Kronos had to turn his head a little to get a good look at the actions of the two babies before smiling proudly at them with a soft chuckle.
Tigressa raised a brow, "And you couldn't get any other babysitters because…?"
The king's smile faltered looking away from his two new offspring. "Because I think this is a good chance for all of you to get to know your little siblings. They want to know you, just for one day at least."
"Yeah, Tigressa, can't you enjoy being among your sisters and brothers for once?" Entity huffed.
She rolled her optics and handed the tyke to Spirit who grinned widely and made baby noises to get Phantasmos giggling. He then tried to hand him to Kalypso, but the purple femme shook her head uncomfortable with grabbing children. Phantasmos was passed around with his siblings each making sure he was happy until the last to obtain him was Demon who was a bit indifferent with the kid though everyone knew he secretly enjoyed holding the sparklings.
King Kronos exchanged glances with his mate, Queen Kiara, and sighed, "I suppose this is the best it's going to get. Look, we'll be gone until dusk. Just…be careful."
All the children acknowledged their sire's request, ignoring the baby babble of the enthusiastic twins. Even Ghost ignored it despite Eclipse innocently sitting between his horns and drumming on his nostrils between his optics before the curve of his anteater-like snout after Poltergeist had placed her there. His left optic twitched but he didn't do anything otherwise.
The king and queen ran to the edge of the balcony with thunderous steps and leapt out as they transformed into their beast modes. The dragons took to the sky and flew up towards the distant moons and the visible ring of meteors circling their world. Both suddenly teleported with a ghostly ripple to parts unknown.
Once they were gone, Tigressa cracked her knuckles, black spinal spikes raising to stretch before she began to walk away. Blossom caught this and nearly shoved Eclipse into her after grabbing her off Ghost's head.
"Uh uh, you're the eldest. You get to babysit first. Those are the rules."
"Since when?" Tigressa scowled.
"Since now," grinned Blossom with sarcasm. "Have at thee."
Tigressa reluctantly held the little kitten and was even more confused when Phantasmos was placed on her white rigid shoulder. Phantasmos cooed sucking on his fingers as he smiled and looked at his big sister lovingly. Once Tigressa got over the initial shock, she huffed slightly before succumbing to her dreaded fate with a deadpanned sneer. She shot Demon a wicked scowl when he laughed and gently took Phantasmos off of her to make her hold him again. As her siblings left her to care for the sparklings, Phantasmos and Eclipse both looked up at her curiously. She responded unchanged in her expression and merely peered down.
Tigressa had to retreat to her room, lowering the lighting to hopefully trick the kids into falling asleep. She set the two sparklings down on her desk and collapsed into her seat as her tail drooped lazily against the floor. She rubbed her optics annoyed until she heard their baby prattle. Despite not knowing how to talk yet, the two were already communicating with one another in gibberish. She listened curiously though nothing said was translatable.
From squeaks to unknown noises, the two kept close with Phantasmos touching the most objects in his range. Tigressa watched them for a good three minutes before turning in her seat to face them and leaning closer. Eclipse was awestruck while Phantasmos was fearless against her naturally scary demeanor.
"What makes you two so special? Hmm?"
Phantasmos babbled trying to mimic her. She let a smile slip through before she could catch herself, then shaking her helm irritably once she realized what she did. But she heard the two giggle and coo at her and raised a brow at them finding such a mood funny. Her ears moved unsure at the feeling bubbling within at them. She didn't care about them but still found the notion cute.
Suddenly, Phantasmos began to run on all fours. Tigressa had to resort to catching his tail with her jaws carefully as she went quadrupedal when he accidentally leapt off the high table. Her catch with her fangs was soft enough to not penetrate the delicate armor but didn't allow the tyke to slip from her hold. She huffed distraught as Phantasmos squeaked, gripping his little pedes again as he hung upside down.
She had no clue what to do with two sparklings. She was no babysitter and no mother figure on top of that. This was far beyond her realm of knowledge. Tigressa set Phantasmos down, loosening her jaws before bringing Eclipse to the floor with him and watched as they began to play fight as much as two near newborns could while she contemplated what to do. The fight mostly consisted of nibbling and pushing. She disturbed their "battle" when she plopped on her aft on the floor, tail settling behind her with a bang. The noise had a negative outcome.
The two were shocked and slowly began to whimper. Tigressa realized what she did and tried to soothe them. "Hey, hey, hey, no, no, it's-it's okay! It's okay! Damn, this isn't working!"
Eclipse resisted but Phantasmos rubbed his optics with his ears pressed back. Tigressa growled at herself this time, anger flaring. For a brief second, her shadow form melted through with a demonic grunt as her bio lights flared purple with dark fire. Then the oddest thing occurred. She froze when she heard them giggling at an appearance that most adults found horrifying and monstrous...yet these two were laughing up a storm about it. Her powers weakened back to her original form, and she tilted her head confused. Ironically, Eclipse and Phantasmos mirrored her. They weren't scared of her. She didn't get it.
"You cry, you don't cry? What is it with you two?"
The sparklings cooed pleased at her voice. Tigressa thought long and hard about what to do to entertain them if even figure out how their little minds worked. Then a rather cruel idea came to mind. The sparklings would be fine...but her siblings wouldn't.
"Alright, you two, you like my anger? Maybe you should see the other side of me. I think I know what to do with you. Let's go bug your brothers and sisters," she grinned. If she had to be in babysitting hell, her younger siblings were going to be a part of it whether they liked it or not. The sparklings wagged their tails unaware, only feeding off the vibes of their sister.
Her first target was her twin, Demon. The mech was flirting with another Ridgeback who worked at the bakery, one with pretty aqua bio lights and rounded stripes. Tigressa made sure the two sparklings were still on her shoulders before taking Phantasmos and redirecting him to crawl towards Demon. Her plan was to embarrass the mech. A master of fear he may have been but easily embarrassed was he. Tigressa smirked deviously while holding Eclipse as Phantasmos worked his baby magic.
"Ohhhh! How cute!"
Demon sputtered midsentence of what he was telling the other mech and blushed profusely thinking he did something without his knowledge that was "cute" until noticing the gaze of his interest was directed past him. He peered back right as he felt something on his leg. A baby coo made him stare down in shock.
"Phantasmos?! Where did you-?! Where's Tigressa?!"
The mech he was flirting with picked up the sparkling and smiled, nuzzling the baby. "Aren't you so precious? Yes, you are!"
Phantasmos didn't care that he was being pampered by a stranger, just that they were sweet and his eldest brother was with him. Demon, however, was burning in the face as he tried to search for Tigressa before coughing awkwardly.
"Y-Yes, yeah, that's my baby brother…" he said, rubbing the back his neck.
Tigressa watched all of this cackling silently.
"Oh, is it? He's adorable!" The other mech then said, "That reminds me though, I should get back and meet up with my brother for lunch."
Demon was flustered as he was handed the sparkling carefully. As the mech said goodbye, Demon kept his quivering embarrassment subsided until he was out of sight, then growled deep in his throat when he heard someone coming up behind him. "You…bitch."
Tigressa scowled amused as she jumped down with Eclipse, pointing at her in emphasis, "Ah, ah, children present."
The only response she got was him turning around to face her, a deadly glare with a blush still present, and Phantasmos handed to her. Demon refused to move, only trailing her laughing form visually with a fanged sneer as she instead walked off with Eclipse squeaking at him.
Blossom was next to torment, using both Eclipse and Phantasmos to let loose in her gardens. Blossom barely noticed them at first until she did a double take upon seeing two sparklings sliding down the curling vines of her Mayvie tree, a heavily vined willow hybrid. Swooping in before they fell off, Phantasmos was caught by a branch controlled by her and Blossom had to dive into her own vines to catch Eclipse. She lay on her front entangled in them with a servo extended holding the sparkling and both were dangling above twenty feet off the ground. She sighed miserably as Eclipse squeaked in laughter despite the awkwardness of Blossom being partially stuck now. The green wolf felt defeated after attempting to get out of the vines without dropping the baby and having to multitask in securing Phantasmos by summoning the branch to lower him to safety. Then Tigressa strolled by, casually taking both sparklings much to Blossom's ire.
"Thank you for watching them for a moment. You're a natural, Blossom, really," Tigressa snickered with a toothy grin.
Blossom grew deadpan and as she hung limply in her vines. "Of course you're inept at doing it yourself."
She was then bopped on the noseplate as Tigressa replied, "And whose fault is that?"
Blossom didn't reply, realizing her mistake and struggled to focus to untangle herself as the two sparklings left with Tigressa. The latter then aimed for Poltergeist.
The black and green Ridgeback prince was digging as his own personal excavator. He dug rocks and gems in his spare time near the mountains, but he was often so focused that he opened himself up for attack…or to be jumped by babies. Tigressa's optics were glowing in the darkness as she stalked close in his blind spot. She crawled along an upper level of the mountain and hooked Eclipse onto her tail, curling it securely around her to lower her near Poltergeist. Eclipse looked down at her older brother excitedly. Poltergeist, however, was oblivious to the sparkling until…
Eclipse squeaked nearly next to his head in glee. Poltergeist shot up and wacked his head against the rock ceiling he was under. His optics contracted and fluxed in shock before leaping back and balling up in pain on his front with his servos clutching over his head and optics with a groan. Tigressa and the sparklings were having a ball at his misery. When he realized who was to blame, he all but yelled at them.
"You're a jackass, Tigressa! Goddammit!" Poltergeist winced and stroked the space between his horns.
Tigressa made a faux innocent smirk and reeling Eclipse back up to her, leaving the scene with a cackle.
ElectroHyena was a being of lightning…but that didn't make her immune and Tigressa used that against her. Water plus electricity was bad news. While ElectroHyena had a tolerance, energized water was different. Eclipse having water-based abilities worked wonders. The sparklings giggled and squeaked when the femme was tricked into grabbing Eclipse wandering "alone" and Tigressa snuck around to scare her while the sparkling was warping water from the storm clouds around them uncontrollably. She immediately pounced and grabbed Eclipse, scaring ElectroHyena shitless…but that made the grey, black, and yellow femme discharge electricity while being wet from energized water. Phantasmos grunted a bit perplexed watching his sister get quite a nasty shock, but Tigressa and Eclipse were less concerned.
Spirit didn't seem bothered by Phantasmos suddenly appearing until he realized Tigressa should have been watching him. He levitated the little tyke by manipulating the air current to bring him up into his servos. The mech said proudly, "Phantasmos, you little troublemaker, did you sneak out?"
The sparkling shook his head lopsidedly which confused Spirit as he didn't expect him to know what he was saying until he got the feeling he was being watched. Phantasmos was mimicking someone else shaking their head in mockery. Before he could turn around, Eclipse fell on his helm, and he nearly screamed before growing irate. Tigressa dropped down with a grin as she was playfully struck in the arm and back walking past Spirit and taking the younglings from him.
"Damn it, Tigressa, just because you are allowed to watch them doesn't mean you can teach them how to disturb people! Don't you have anything better to do?!"
She was swatted again as she held the two sparklings and flinched laughing, "Of course not!"
The prideful, annoyed Spirit growled, "Some role model you are!"
Entity and Firefox Tigressa didn't bother as she didn't want to rile up Firefox who would accidentally get a little rowdy with the sparklings not knowing her limits. And Entity already was technically babysitting, so he had enough to do.
Kalypso and Ghost were meditating as per usual with the latter honing his Processor Over Matter. He still had trouble with certain elements but was working on it. What better way to cause chaos than unleash sparklings into the mix? Tigressa eased Phantasmos and Eclipse into a range they could approach the two without hassle. She watched them instinctively waddle towards their siblings.
Ghost opened his optics when he sensed them, growing irritable at them wandering on their own. Kalypso immediately shot her helm back gaping in angered disbelief that the two were there and no one was watching them.
"You have got to be kidding me…Ghost."
Her twin said nothing at first and peered down at the sparklings narrowing his optics, then he sensed someone else. "Tigressa, you are the worst."
Tigressa pursed her lips in the shadows as Ghost picked up Phantasmos and eyed the area. Kalypso held Eclipse uneasily and quite wrong which her twin looked at her dumbfounded at the lack of common sense before taking the kid from her.
"Reveal yourself now," he sighed.
Tigressa hated getting into arguments with Ghost despite being far older. He matched her wits and ruined a lot of her fun. Phantasmos patted his chest with babbling while Eclipse yawned when the tiger-dragon appeared with a huff.
"Yes, Master," she said in a despondent accent.
Ghost facepalmed after placing the sparklings in the crook of his tail. "Why do you have to antagonize everyone? And why are you bringing them here? When Sire said bond with them, he meant be a good mentor. This is your idea of mentoring?"
Tigressa shrugged, "It's my entertainment for today."
The mech narrowed his optics and pointed back at the palace. "You better take them back and stay with them for the remainder of the day or I will personally kick your ass. You act more like a sparkling then they do."
Tigressa was handed back the kids and had the urge to stick her glossa out but that would only prove Ghost's point.
Upon returning to her room, she sat back in her seat grumbling and was about to place the sparklings on the table when she paused upon seeing them nuzzling into her abdomen tired. Eclipse had already fallen asleep and Phantasmos yawned with a squeak, stretching all four limbs. He placed his tiny servos on his snout and blinked until his optics shut. Tigressa couldn't move without waking them up and risking them crying, something she really didn't want to deal with. She sat there looking down at them.
She wouldn't admit they weren't bad to be around. Teaching them bad habits, well, it was her being herself. She doubted they would retain the behavior, especially with Spirit and Ghost around, both highly responsible and confident bots. Not her problem. But it was kind of nice to do something with them even if it wasn't the best of influences.
Tigressa refused to budge, finding herself a bit tired too. As she confirmed the sparklings were sound asleep, she closed her optics too.
Later that day, Demon found her stationary with both of them in her loose arms. Peering around carefully, he made sure they were alone before taking a mental picture and sharing it among his siblings with a whisper of a bemused laugh. He wasn't going to let her live this down as revenge.
How I Met Your Father
Kiara grabbed a loose cup from the drawer, balancing on her clawed paws on a built-in ladder and was careful not to knock away anything with her tail.
Unlike her creators, she had yet to grow as big as they had gotten at over two hundred feet. Sure, she was an adult, but it underwhelmed her how small she was compared to them which made households and apartments like hers, meant for larger beings, quite a hassle to navigate. Thankfully, most apartments were designed for all heights with ladders and other features to make it as comfortable as possible. Ridgebacks, Razorbacks liker her, Dinobots, Hydraveers, and many other species could grow as long as they were maintained after slowing down from the normal growth from sparkling to adulthood. It made her scoff internally as the only reason the king and his mate grew so large was because they had access to the best care their fortune could buy.
She filled her cup with a sharp gold colored Energon and sat on her couch with a huff. It was also because of the current king prices of apartments were so high and keeping one not that accommodating was the best she could get. Her job as a medical consultant did not pay the bills as well as it should.
Suddenly, her best friend, Zander, nearly kicked in her door faster than it could open automatically. The cherry red, silver spotted wolverine was nearly jumping in place to her confusion, her optics trailing the rapid movement and gestures with some concern forming instead.
"You aren't going to believe this, Kiara! There's a fair being held in Gemelo in two weeks! It's the princes' creation day! There's going to be food, music-"
"That's great..." she said unperturbed.
The mech paused mid-sentence with grunt and a bewildered expression before frowning. "I didn't even get to the best part."
Kiara laughed, "What can possibly be better than food though?"
"Fair point," he muttered. "But seriously, it's a big gig and hey, maybe you'll have fun. I see you cooped up, working your aft off all hours of the day, so why not have a break? If anything, yes, we'll appear for the street vendors. My treat. Quailridge is bringing back his famous flurry lava flake cakes I heard."
"Really?" That piqued her interest. Quailridge was a deserts master, and she couldn't say no to a good flurry lava flake cake. She sighed with a smile, "Alright, you convinced me. For the food...and because you're going too. The princes can take their celebration day and stick it for all I care."
Zander's fluffy-plated tail wagged in victory.
The two weeks passed rather slowly. The city prepared for their extravagant creation celebration for the princes, and it showed. Castle Kronos was the first to be decorated. It was a glare among the cityscape with its tall, dark walls meant to isolate it like a fortress. Its architecture was nothing short of narcissistic with the face of King Arcadius Kronos' visage almost everywhere with his bright reddish orange coloring watching over like a dreaded reminder he was always watching. Gemelo had its fair share of red designs as well, but there was some diversity with pink, white, maroon, and orange. The color barrage was quite beautiful together.
Kiara and Zander appeared as the festival was kicking up though they both didn't care about the premise. Their immediate first stop was Quailridge's tent. They sat in a booth overlooking the pompous celebration taking utensils to the rose-colored cake with large rust flakes lining the sides vertically, a pink frosting on top and within it had molten lavender Energon oozing out when they cut into it. Of course, they had to mock the arrogance of the king in whispers as there was no doubt loyalists were out and about, and the guards weren't nice either. Afterwards, they went out to roam.
"You'd think Kronos would not show off himself as much for his sons' creation day."
The comment was one Kiara couldn't help but agree with. She didn't even see the princes, but King Arcadius Kronos stood out in the distance with his mate. There was a family of dancers, performers of various other trades as well captivating crowds but no sign of any royalty otherwise. But why would they intermingle with the likes of the regular populace anyway other than showboat themselves as better specimens of the species they ruled just like their sire?
Kiara was shoved by someone, and the rows of light armor overlapping plates attached from beneath her helm panels like hair were pushed to intertwine with her spinal barbs. In annoyance, she had to take a second to untangle the mess. Unfortunately, the distraction led her to accidentally hit face first into the back of a bot. Thankfully, she didn't poke her optic out against his own spine.
"Oh, ow, oh…" Kiara started before realizing what she had done, tail drooping considerably low to the ground, "oh, I am so sorry!"
The white and dark blue striped Razorback tiger-dragon was met with the sincere and puppy dog-like grey optics of a humble Ridgeback who equally apologized despite not being in the wrong. He chuckled, "I'm sorry, no, it's alright. Not the first time I've been bumped today, to be honest with you."
He was decently handsome for a Ridgeback. His soft grey optics and white stripes and bio lights were a rare color for his species, and something about his calming smile made her abdomen flutter.
"Same," she said to break the tension. "It's a bit too crowded for a mediocre celebration."
When she realized she said that out loud, she bopped herself on the forehead but to her surprise, he agreed.
"Yes, quite stupid really. I would rather they celebrate on their own terms. The world doesn't need to be forced to endure…this. I would think a creation day would be private."
Zander then said, "Thank you, dude! Someone else gets it. The princes seem like overrated jerks anyways. They don't understand our point of view on stuff like this. I mean, it's a great way to convene but I wouldn't really see it as anything else."
The black and white mech asked, "So…you both feel that way about the princes, huh?"
Kiara shrugged, "Not by choice. If only one of them could, you know, stand up for the people they are supposed to help then no one would be angry or disappointed. Arcadius Kronos just wants control; I don't think he ever cared about us."
He nodded somewhat solemnly before raising a brow and peering off to the side curiously, "Indeed."
"Yep…" the femme said pursing her lips awkwardly trying not to stare.
The mech then asked out of the blue, "Forgive me but what was your name?"
"Kiara. Yours?"
"My name is…Prometheus." It was a nice name, familiar but she couldn't place a digit on it. The hesitation was suspicious though, but Kiara let it slide until she noticed Zander was wandering.
"Look, it was nice talking to you, Prometheus, but my friend and I really have to get going. We mostly just…came for the food," she said with a faux upbeat of her voice, clasping her servos together with another shrug. She then waved, and she and Zander disappeared navigating between people before he could object.
The two stayed at the fair for a few hours more, conversing and eating on the lip of the fountain when they heard the most upbeat music with laughter and cheering. Kiara mostly ignored it until a familiar face was seen dancing and singing along with the music. She nudged Zander who looked up from his focus on his candy cloud cone.
Prometheus was having a blast, not a tune out of place nor a misstep to any beat. He had plenty of practice it seemed. The glare he got from King Arcadius Kronos was an image of disappointment. Kiara blushed as she watched him, earning her a playful nudge from Zander whom she elbowed softly. As she took a bite from the candy cone, she smiled when he looked her way, not realizing her fangs were gunked up with the fluffy sweet substance. She quickly covered her mouth blushing hard and peering away, much to Zander's amusement. She barely saw Prometheus grinning like mad at the sight.
"Aw, show him that smile," the wolverine mech said.
"Stop! That's not what I want him to see me like."
"So, you do like him? Or was that gas I saw when you ran into him?" Kiara tried defending herself though fits of laugher, but Zander cut her off, "Don't lie to me. I ain't your best friend just to be pretty. In all fairness, he kind of-"
"No! Zander!" Kiara cackled, leaning into him.
She then saw Prometheus growing more enthusiastic. In a way, she could almost mistake the dance of a courting ritual, especially when he brought out his wings hidden in his backside. There was something odd about him, and she didn't cease thinking about it even after he stopped, thanking almost everyone on the way over to her. It helped her none that Zander left them alone with a whisper and a pat on the shoulder. She barely understood what her friend said when heat flared on her cheeks.
"Please don't tell me you saw that," she muttered through her laugher.
Prometheus chuckled, "Maybe I did, but don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Where did your friend go?"
"Left to get something…you're a good singer and quite light on your feet. Where did you learn to dance?"
"Would you believe in law school?"
"No," she giggled.
Prometheus held a wide grin himself and sat beside her. For nearly an hour, they did nothing but talk. Kiara wouldn't say it was fate because she had just met the guy, but he also proved to be quite humorous and easy-going. He had jokes and after he bought them two more candy cloud cones, he took a bite and she happened to land a joke that made him smile with the candy partially stuck among his fangs too. They both realized the similarity and Prometheus showed off his colorful grin again to make Kiara laugh more, looking like an adorable dork the whole time.
As the creation fair celebration for the vaguely seen princes winded down, Kiara and Prometheus resorted to wandering until it grew dark. They never left each other's side as they told the tales of their jobs. Kiara found he would skim over why he chose such a job as a galactic-wide lawyer but never pressed the interest. By the time he needed to leave, Kiara gave him her commlink frequency. They stayed together for the last hour with her servos intertwined with his as he gleamed at her with appreciation she had never seen any bot give her before. His servos were warm or maybe that was just her. He didn't do anything more, respecting her boundaries and bowed to her surprise when he had to leave. She hesitated to move from her spot as she watched him part before snapping out of her trance and instead searching for her friend. Zander was at Quailridge's with a mech he had befriended.
"Hey, Kiara, how did it go?"
Kiara snagged his drink with a sneer, "Thanks to you, swimmingly."
"I did my job and that was to make you happy," he said, pointing vaguely in the direction Prometheus disappeared to, "and back there, you were happy. You got out of your apartment, you were having a grand old time, got some food, and you met someone. Now, that last part wasn't in my plans..."
"You aft," she grinned.
Zander leaned forward on his elbows on the table. "So...do you think you'll see him again?"
Kiara didn't answer but she held a notable smile peering down at her servos in comfort. She looked in the same vague direction he had pointed. "Maybe..."
She encountered him again as Zander predicted near the gates of the palace facing them, but he refused to step beyond the line into the area like he despised the palace. Kiara knew it wasn't in her right to pry, but the coincidence was jarring.
"Are you okay, stranger?"
Prometheus peered back and grew a wide grin. "Kiara, I didn't expect you to, uh, see me here. I'm just...recalling old memories, ones that I dislike greatly about this place."
"Oh? Well, would you like to join me to get your mind off it? You know, my carrier once told me bad memories are only as powerful as you let them be. The past hurts but only you have the power to create its effects. If all else fails, why not make some new memories to outweigh the old?"
Her words surprised him, and he peered back at the palace once more. This time, he was shy. When she offered her servo, he looked at it with an unknown expression. Like a leap of faith, he took it. Kiara didn't have a lot of money to do the fun things, but Prometheus didn't want to do anything than just be with her.
They walked around the plaza, skimming the water with fish swimming in it. The dusk settled in but neither left one another, instead preferring the peaceful aura of the growing night. They didn't know how long they were walking and joking with each other even as the stars and the vibrant colors of Kanjis' rings made a makeshift muted rainbow catching rays off the moons. Sitting on top of a building's roof watching the stars and the moons out was content enough for both of them after a while.
"It's so strange how many wonderous worlds are out there yet we barely know anything about them."
"Never had the time nor the chance, I suppose," Kiara stated. "I would love to meet new species, but I can't afford the travels."
She reached to the side of a roof light placed to attract small bugs and bent it to siphon its power into an orb in her servo. Prometheus watched intrigued.
"You are a light weaver?"
"Yeah, and you?"
He replied by gesturing to the metal of the rooftop and his optics flared. A metal panel twisted off and began taking the shape of his desire. The product was reminiscent of a monogoliath. He tinkered with the little pieces for better accuracy by servo. "Metal."
"That's a rare ability," Kiara threw up her eyebrows. She then paused and looked at the mech suspiciously, "Very few have it but there's only one Ridgeback known that carries it...Prince Kronos."
Prometheus froze and grew remorseful, realizing he had given himself away as Kiara glared at him. "It's-It's not what you're thinking..."
"What am I supposed to think?" Kiara demanded. "That everything I told you could have been relayed to your sire-?"
"I didn't tell him anything...that's why I was at the gates," he insisted, "because after the festival, I knew enough already to know he wasn't a good leader to begin with, but your opinion as well as Zander's just made me see how screwed up everything is. I didn't present myself to you as a prince because I wanted you to know me as just...Prometheus, not this palace brat or just a high-class mech. I'm not greater than anyone, I'm not a prince...I'm just...me."
Kiara's optics softened a little, seeing him ashamed of himself made her feel guilty but her anger was right to exist. That wasn't her true intentions to belittle him, but she quickly rectified the situation by asking, "Then who do you want to be if you get the throne?"
He peered at her with his ears back and his puppy dog optics returning. "Just someone who can help people. But I don't know where to start. Seeing you and Zander and all of our citizens just looking at us with hatred we made for ourselves...I can't stand knowing we are the reason you are suffering."
Kiara placed her servo over his and said, "You can start by just listening first. Arcadius Kronos has never listened to his people, but no one's brave enough to stand up to him. You want to make a change? You listen first. That's how you understand what needs to be done. And you better be listening to me now."
Prometheus smirked a little at the last comment. Kiara could tell his spark was in the right place, but he had no clue what to do. Well, she would guide him as a friend or whatever they were going to be. She wasn't one to abandon a cause even if something stood in her way.
"Thank you for not tattling, by the way. Arcadius would probably have had me executed."
The prince's servo intertwined with hers as he looked her in the optic dead serious. "I would never allow that to happen to you nor Zander."
The gesture was appreciated. While it was still quite a shock to find out she went on two unofficial dates with the prince, she found she cared less. Together, they would bring about change. She could feel that. A rebel and a prince together was scandalous, but Prometheus was set on keeping their newfound relationship secret. Until Arcadius reigned hell, they had a kingdom to fix.
They stayed in each other's company gazing at the stars, unsure of what the future held for all those same worlds they knew were probably suffering the same as them under King Arcadius Kronos' rule. They would remedy the inconvenience no matter how long it took. That was what they promised as one.
Dear Prometheus
Dear Prometheus, I have not but a legacy to pass onto you that I hope you understand. I made sure you had a world to rule and a galaxy to maintain later on when I retire. I kept it secure for you to follow in my footsteps for a future unlike anything before.
The guards shoved the citizens roughly as King Arcadius Kronos merely glanced with a raised brow and sneer. His King Consort, Ironton, wasn't as pleased with the sight. Behind them, four sparkling brothers were with their caretakers but while the other three were content but oblivious to the cruelty, one was not. Tiny, wide, grey optics peered out from behind his carrier's pede even in the gentle hold of a nice Rozarian who coddled him to see out.
The sacrifices we often must make to maintain the norm you may not acknowledge now but in due time, you shall see that what I have done was a necessity. I only ask you to consider upholding my traditions and keeping to the written laws we have. A kingdom is like a clock. One bad spring and it falls apart. As a king, it is your duty to preserve time and understand its balance in a society that must thrive on differences even if you don't agree with them.
The humiliation stung the family as they were tied in restraints and made a spectacle of for failure to heed the bylaws. King Arcadius Kronos merely smirked at the sight, ordering his guards to make sure they didn't try to break their bonds and escape as he took a seat on his throne. His reddish orange bio lights and stripes glimmered among the desolate silent balcony. He watched over the city like a hawk and peered up at the stars above at the other worlds he ruled. He had enacted a firm set of new rules he intended to spread across the galaxy like wildfire and damn any who defied him. He was done playing their games with what they thought they could get away with behind his back.
I chose you from your brothers because I saw something different, something unique. You were always the most curious of my brood. I find curiosity valuable with the most room to grow, and a leader should always be willing to learn.
The Rozarians cowered in the presence of the four-hundred-foot king followed by a two-hundred-foot Ridgeback of a softer breed, the pale-yellow coloring among black was more appealing to them and Ironton harbored no ill-will towards them for fearing him or his family. Seeing the young adult princes was a surprise. A parade of black and various colors of stripes was normally an eyesore but after the vivid sunset orange, the purple-pink barrage, and the deep maroon princes passed, the last in line was the black, white and grey Prometheus Kronos who held no similar expressions to any of his family. He instead looked at the fear in all his sire's subjects and stared at them. This was wrong. No one should look up to people protecting them in fear.
I give you my throne in death or in retirement, knowing my practices and my legacy will live through you. Do not let the lesser beings of the universe guide you for they cannot fathom the knowledge of ruling a kingdom as vast as ours. The galaxies need a king, not a friend. It sounds tough but I know you will do the right thing.
Behind everyone's back, aside from his carrier's, he took up a hobby most would claim he did just for clout. As a lawyer, he learned a lot about the galaxy's various justice systems and figured out the bylaws that did or didn't make sense in such a galaxy-wide rule and beyond. Most laws set forth by his father constricted life. The fact that it had gone on for millions of years was traumatizing to know. His siblings weren't bothered by it, but Prometheus hated what the monarchy had become. Billions of years in legacy his family reigned…but at what cost to those who wanted to live not under imperial rule but as associates of the crown, equal members or something more. He couldn't let it continue but there wasn't much he could do at the moment.
When Prometheus was finally crowned, watched over by billions gathered and stationed in their respective worlds from across the galaxy, he kept a neutral but pleased expression...despite being able to sense the worry in everyone that he would be exactly like King Arcadius Kronos. When the crown was placed on his head, he vowed internally that this fear was not going to continue. And no one was prepared for what he demanded.
Usurping such delicately woven laws wasn't normally possible unless one pulled "the king says" clause…but Prometheus knew another way thanks to his studies of law, a loophole without the bad publicity. It took time unwinding all the webs of lies and corruption of his old man, but he wasn't chosen just because his sire thought he was a good little minion. He chose to do away with certain taboos and start anew, much to the loyalists' ire. He didn't care. Let the heads roll.
Dear Prometheus, it is unbecoming of a king of your caliber to intermingle with commoners and the working class. I understand making a great impression but there are rules, rules that exist for a reason. You are new; you will see.
He did. He saw a lot of it growing up. Thankfully, he found someone who shared his vision. A sweet commoner who was witty and had a nice sense of humor among many things. As insult to injury, he married the commoner who showed him her perspective of the previous Kronos rule, using her inputs to target what needed to be done first. It was safe to say he became his father's least favorite in no time, but it wasn't like the mech could reverse the decision as that required the councils of Kanjis as well as popular opinion to overthrow him. The councils had always been in his sire's favor which was why no one could summon his sire's siblings to take over. Prometheus had both the councils and the people on his side now.
The likelihood of failure is overstepping boundaries, and you have done too much. You defy me after all that I have given you. If punishments don't exist, no one learns. If consequences become scarce, the classes become unruly. You must understand the limitations of what you seek.
One by one, the new King Kronos, not requiring people to memorize his full name for convenience, toppled each unjust rule he saw legally and fairly. He would start anew as he promised and fulfill it he did. With his dear mate beside him, Queen Kiara, he felt like nothing could stop the people and nothing had any means to oppose his vision of the galaxy.
He loved his father, and his carrier had secretly been behind him the whole time, but things needed to change. If it meant burning a single bridge over millions of lives…he had to take that leap. His brothers stopped talking to him, one of whom he had no choice but to exile when he got extreme. There were nights he cried having no ability to right his relationship with them, but the people should have always come first.
The world operates on order. Order must be maintained for security and prosperity. Overriding the rules does not make the wrongs right nor do you become the leader you are supposed to be. I see within you potential far more than your siblings, but this chaos is not you. You are the best of the Kronos line...why can't you act like it?
King Kronos used most of his power to pull a lot of changes, sometimes with him having to man the lawyer's table to make sure the council understood the loopholes. The Royal Guard went through the same changes. No more bullying the subjects by brute force. By the time he had corrected as much as he could, he was nearly twice his height upon first starting as king. Millions of years of changes and…he felt old. He was busy keeping the galaxies he commanded at peace with the complexities of the new order that he never got to start a family of his own, not that either he or his mate minded. Finally, the chance to rest and be the ruler he could be watching over with care, letting the people guide him as he did them, came.
The worlds he knew growing up were different, many of them were now freelance with him mainly as guidance if anything. He made it a personal rule to not interfere unless he needed to. While he watched over, he also became a first-time sire himself. It scared him to see such little beings hatching in a well-guarded pen. Unfortunately…he forgot about the probability of even numbers for his species. Tigressa was somewhat planned, Demon not so much but he fell in love with them both. With the birth of his children, he knew his sire would despise them being the offspring of a "lesser," but he didn't care.
Prometheus Kronos was a benevolent leader, and he made sure to try and pass down his ways to his children as best he could with the last-born little Phantasmos, a valiant youngling full of courage and humbleness. An heir that could maintain the peace.
Dear Prometheus, as I watch from afar, your carrier and I have seen the so-called progress you have been making. I, for one, am stunned that you have defied us so. But I cannot do anything about it from what it seems. Whatever you choose to do, I guess you shall reap the rewards or the consequences. I am very disappointed in you.
Processor Over Matter
Farseer and Ghost both gawked as a stray rock kept bouncing off random walls. Pieces of it shattered off the large mass and there wasn't much they could do about the chaos. The psychic Dinobot ducked while Ghost leaned back slightly when the rock came flying too close for comfort. Finally, the rock shattered indefinitely.
Yoketron grimaced with his servos clutching into fists. "Maybe less focus?"
The two masters of the art stared at him before Ghost huffed, "Same focus just less clutter in the processor."
Yoketron resumed his meditative pose after Farseer went back to her mat, shoving rock pieces unceremoniously off it with a frown, and he flicked a piece too in slight disappointment. Ghost was the most resolved out of the three, pacing with his servos behind his back as he had the pink water from the nearby pools shoot out and coil among one another in a helix pattern.
"The mind is your most powerful weapon. If you will it, it can be. Most species only use a fraction of their mental capabilities therefore they are chained to the boundaries of the common mindset. Did you know if you believe you are dying hard enough, it's entirely possible for your processor to permanently shut down without any complications?"
Yoketron grew intrigued by that as Ghost peered at him in all seriousness.
"Yes, you can will death and death can come. Your mind can translate its own off switch if it is fooled into doing so. Your spark can cease receiving signals to empower it, your nervous system, limbs, spine, all connected to your processor and can be altered. Now, imagine what can be achieved from the outside."
"Yes, Sensei," the gold, black and white Cybertronian said.
"You had the right idea, but something was hitting your mind at the same time. It became more powerful than your focus and caused you to lose concentration over the rock. Clear your mind; strong emotions will only cause chaos that can not only do worse than what you intend but can harm you just as much as everyone else," Ghost warned. "Believe me, I've had a few incidents upon discovering the vast secrets of my own mind. Multitasking should not be done until mastery is finessed."
It was with that Ghost vaguely touched the scar on his face running down from his optic. Yoketron was curious of the story behind it. To demonstrate the power of Processor Over Matter, Ghost had several elements circling him, each with their own velocity, difference in weight, and acknowledgement of their limitations.
Yoketron exhaled and concentrated on the water beside him. He closed his optics after a second when he found his connection wasn't pulling through. Instinctively, his brows furrowed in frustration.
"Stop."
He opened them to see Ghost eyeing the water with a neutral expression.
"You are stressed and focusing on the actual element."
"How else am I supposed to control it if I do not know what I am controlling to begin with...?" Yoketron sneered before bowing his head in respect adding, "...Sensei."
Ghost let the anger slide and simply replied, "Because you aren't controlling anything."
Yoketron was confused until Ghost made the water dance in front of both with shifting movements and coiling into symbols and shapes recognizable.
"Everything, including you, is made up of molecules. Your mind functions on energy, small little fragments of natural electricity that power each little wire and circuitry able to then calculate your basic needs and with it comes individual thoughts outside said basics. When you focus on elements, you aren't controlling them per say, you are manipulating the energy the very molecules use to function to shape them into whatever you desire. Deconstructing and rebuilding the elements into a form of movement is simply a cognitive spell of signals provided by our minds intertwining with the energies of the universe. In blatant terms, you're communicating with the molecules by the billions, but you just don't realize it."
Ghost gestured to the water, and it then shifted from a ball to an animal-like form undistinguished, running around him before changing to a halo that spun in his palm. He wasn't even paying attention to the rocks and fire circling him still.
"So, in summary, don't focus on the elements themselves, feel the energy within them. For instance," Ghost suddenly stomped his pede against the ground and two pillars of rock shot up, "vibrations, tiny but present, can allow me to sense through the ground where you sit now as well as Farseer. The energy and signals of both the molecular structure of the rock and the vibrations paint a picture of the world around me and gives me the power to mold any part of the ground to my liking. Now, I want you to try again."
Yoketron closed his optics, forcing his mind into a blank slate. Like the rock beforehand, he focused on what was slowly being drawn out from the mental picture of the landscape. The energies blending among one another had to be unraveled as he wasn't ready to take on all of them at once, instead pinpointing a boulder and its molecular structure. If he willed it, it will be his.
His optics opened slowly as he heard the boulder breaking free from the ground. He kept his excitement numb and his doubts free from his mind. Symbiosis. The boulder levitated and remained as such with him more focused than ever. He narrowed his optics slowly and broke the boulder in half. He tried to mold the two rocks into different patterns but then he lost his edge. Both rocks hit the ground hard, breaking into more pieces and breathed finally.
Ghost held a rare smile, "Not bad. Moving the object is the first step. Reshaping it is another process. With enough practice, you'll get the hang of it."
Farseer nodded as well, "Excellent, dear, indeed."
Yoketron was about to comment when he received urgent news from his home world. He stood up and gave Ghost a bow. "Sensei, thank you for the lesson. I shall return again for more."
"You're leaving?" Farseer frowned. "But you haven't even begun the complex motions."
"I'm afraid so. Cybertron has been...quite the political battlefield. It seems they need me. But I promise, Sensei, I shall practice and with your permission perhaps teach others once I at least master levitation."
Ghost didn't seem completely open to the idea, but he relented and sighed, "Only the basic Processor Over Matter and only to a select few individuals. Use your best judgement and choose wisely because these teachings cannot fall into the clutches of disturbed and evil individuals. Unfortunately, there are degrees of Processor Over Matter that will devastate many if they ever learn it. I...learned the hard way discovering them when I did and who I used them on the consequences of misuse. I refuse to teach those forms because of how terrible they can be."
"I understand," the Cybertronian replied. "Only the basics. Even though we will be a galaxy apart, I will not fail you."
The Kanjian returned the bow honorably as Yoketron took his leave. When the mech was gone, Ghost's ear twitched and he side-glanced to acknowledge Farseer behind him.
"I sense there might be some altercations regarding such a passing of knowledge and the conflict on the planet...unbearable."
"You assume correct..."
"How much time?" Ghost pressed.
The Dinobot posed with the pads of her front paws pressed together, the banners attached to her horns moving gracefully in the distant breeze as her tail swayed slowly. The inscriptions engraved on her horns and her optics glowed before she shook her head. "Less than a million years to go. The anger of their world will consume and destroy them."
Ghost peered back in the direction Yoketron left in. "How...pitiful. I guess even the most arrogant of species cannot escape their own anger. I do hope Yoketron does not get caught up in the events that lie ahead."
"As if he'll have a choice just like so many others? Cybertron will change drastically, and no amount of 'what you set your mind to' talk is going to prepare that mech for his home's imminent destruction."
Ghost bit his lip tense, rotating one of Yoketron's broke rocks in his palm as his optics instead watched it. "No, but maybe it will at least give him a wiser perspective of the trials ahead...whatever they may be. After all, it only takes a focused mind to see through more than just the functionality of elements. He will do the right thing as will many others."
AN: There were some cut stories and they will be addressed instead in a short series called Sins of the Leaders that will take a deeper dive into the physical and mental states of each leader as well as those they are directly affected by. Kanjis representing Envy is through Tigressa, not Kronos himself but the reason they are associated with that sin as a whole is because of the lack of attention to preventing it that causes the events on Kanjis to grow. I decided to not show Envy much here for the short story of Royal Rugrats due to complexities that will be better off seen in the other fic instead.