Nothing is impossible! If yoooou have a crowbar!
Title: The Nine Rings of Vos
A Transformers G1 Fanfic
Author: Sanjuno Shori Niko
Summary: The thing about vicious circles is that a Seeker will turn it into a hunting gyre.
Timeline: The rest of the story is right over here.
=/=
(In which the Government is more than slightly cruel.)
Glitterblind perched on the edge of her seat, watching Ravishwing out of the corner of her optic. Although still a fledgling, just like Glitterblind herself was, Ravishwing already had a reputation among the younglings and fledglings of the Flight Academy. Rumour had it that he had a reputation outside of the Flight Academy as well, that he went among the newly adult students of the War Academy when they came home on leave. Although no one came right out and said it, Ravishwing’s unique Sigma ability - reportedly capable of overloading a mech in a click without even touching him - made his attention highly sought after. And not just by the incomplete or un-trined. Not a few mechs were hoping that Ravishwing would come a-courting them for trine. Glitterblind already knew one of her trinemates. He was an unusually staid, patient Grigale with the designation Battalion. Battalion was a few vorns older than she, and had already graduated from the Flight Academy, though he had been her basic firearms tutor for a time. That he had stuck with it for as long as he did - he did not stop her sessions with him until he graduated - had proven to Glitterblind how wonderfully understanding Battalion was. Glitterblind could not hit a Supreme with a ranged weapon unless she stood underneath it and dropped a grenade. Glitterblind was atrocious with ranged weaponry. Her instructors were already working on a specialized program for when she went to the War Academy.
Glitterblind therefore saw no reason to join her age mates in their endless, silly games of are-you-not-you.
Then of course, all of her half-formed plans had been disrupted when they began classes to train their Sigma abilities. Their sparks were finally strong to support sustained practice without stabilization issues. The starry-opticked look that followed Ravishwing around like a bumblepuppy had appeared again as if on cue when he walked into the first class for projective-emotive talents. Only this time, Ravishwing was the one wearing it.
Yes, Glitterblind could admit to herself that she felt drawn to him, but how much of that was trine instinct and how much was the result of Ravishwing’s un-honed Sigma talent? That beautiful, desired-by-all Ravishwing could be meant for Glitterblind - she with her odd, twisted syntax and the linked glitch that left her unable to outright lie - it could only prove that Primus had a very strange sense of humour.
“This is a nice place.” Ravishwing said suddenly, breaking the tense silence as he leaned back on his hands. He held his wings in a relaxed pose as he looked around at the hanging garden with curious optics, “These look like Praxian crystals. Is that what they are?”
“So I believe, that I do.” Glitterblind tilted her head just enough to see Ravishwing fully, feeling her doubled wings lift and spread at the provocative display Ravishwing was putting on, “By one who much admired the Crystal Gardens of Praxus they were built, so I was told. Their beauty did he admire so, that home to Vos the gardens beauty he wished to bring. So he did, but with aesthetics that Seekers please in mind did he build.”
“Explains why our gardens go up instead of out.” Ravishwing said simply, looking up at the sparkling cascades of crystals that spilled down the terraces of the Vos garden. Silver-blue streams of mercury twined and fell amongst the glowing, multi-coloured crystals, providing gentle ambient noise. Ravishwing shot a sly - but oddly shy, how did he manage that combination? Glitterblind wondered - glance at Glitterblind, “This place suits you.”
“Pardon?” Glitterblind asked with a startled blink of her optics.
“Your paint sparkles enough normally that it’s hard for me to pay attention to anything else but how much I wanna smudge it. Here though…” Gently daring, Ravishwing traced a dark magenta claw over a glittering white wing, “Here you’re absolutely stunning. You belong here, surrounded by peace and beauty.”
“Oh.” It was the first time their metal had touched, and it was enough for Glitterblind’s own empathic Sigma gift to filter out the effects of Ravishwing’s talent. He was her trinemate, she was certain now, and from the determined gleam in his optics, so was he. Still, just because they were meant to be did not mean that she had to make things easy for him. Glitterblind shifted, slowly drawing her wings out of Ravishwing’s reach with a flirtatious flutter of sensors, enjoying the slide of his claws on her derma plating.
“Forward you are.” She murmured, coy and coaxing, “All talk, I hear. But actions, none do I see, indeed.”
“Well then, my bright lady.” Ravishwing leaned forward, optics burning with a flattering amount of genuine romantic fervour, “What must I do to please you?”
“Hmm. A riddle, that is. Unable are you to solve it?” Glitterblind smiled invitingly as Ravishwing laughed in delight and made to answer her challenge.
But she never heard his response.
The gardens around her, the other Seeker beside her, they disappeared under a dark wave of cold emotion.
*terror/pain/anger/panic/lost/alone/gone! tearing/ripping/separated/broken! screaming! no/no/no/screaming/hurting!*
They were screaming. Vos was screaming. The windbond carried their pain, their screams. She had to make it stop!
“Glitterblind! Wait, where are you going? What’s wrong?” The fledgling Contrastes did not hear the calls of her future trinemate, she was not even aware of him following as she raced silently through the too-quite, too-still city. She stopped suddenly atop a tower, hidden in the decorative architecture designed carefully with that very purpose in mind, and looked down. Dread filled her at the sight of a scene that haunted every Seeker’s night terrors.
“That’s a government transport!” Ravishwing hissed in disgust beside her, “What are they doing here?”
~Silent, we must be. Use wingspeak, we must. The full cant, for this moment too loud is.~ Glitterblind looked at Ravishwing who looked grim.
~I hear and obey, bright lady.~ Ravishwing tossed his head, glaring down at the street below that was crawling with groundpounder Outsiders, ~What are they here for?~
~What do they do, always and always, when to Vos they come? With troops and with containment fields, to steal from us they come. There, look.~ Midnight blue claws gestured at the phalanx of bulky groundlings, obviously Senate hired enforcers. A returning group carried a screaming hatchling, the trine of protesting creators beaten down under the heavy weight of more guards, ~The younglings they come to take, that they do. The adults there, see? Caged they are. The city, defenceless is. Our numbers, diminished by Council command are. Many trines, sent from Vos have been, under guise of deployment. But in reality, for this reason removed, so that this they cannot prevent.~
~What can we do?~ Ravishwing asked, looking determinedly at Glitterblind, ~We can’t let them do this to us!~
~A moment, please.~ Glitterblind reached out along a trinebond not yet consummated. Normally what she tried would be impossible, but she had known Battalion for vorns now, and her Sigma gift of empathy boosted the windbond and to-be-trinebond enough to make it possible. In the trapped crowd of adult Seekers, a burgundy form began to move with a purpose. Glitterblind smiled in grim satisfaction, ~There. Battalion, of the others will inquire. The locations of the sparklings we soon will have.~
~Where will we take them?~ Ravishwing asked, accepting the first silent databurst from Glitterblind as they crept carefully away, ~They’re crawling all over the place. Where in the city would be safe enough?~
~To the Gardens, we will go. There, a hiding place is. A cavern to hide us, into the design was built. The crystals our signals will mask.~ Glitterblind reached out and grasped Ravishwing’s hand, doing all she could to strengthen the fragile to-be-trinebond between them, ~Sorry I am, that our date interrupted was. Later perhaps, make it up we can.~
Ravishwing looked startled for a moment, then grinned blindingly squeezing back, ~Don’t worry about it. At least it’s a memorable start to the courtship!~
~Careful you be.~ Glitterblind cautioned as she released his hand and turned as the path split, ~At the Gardens, you I shall see!~
~You too, bright lady.~ Ravishwing returned the sentiment before they headed out in opposite directions.
Time passed in a tight haze of terror, locating classmates and friends who had hidden as best they could at their parent’s warnings. Vos was littered with temporary boltholes, proof of the Seekers paranoid battle programming. But the hiding places were at most temporary; Seekers relied too much on their ability to fly away from a danger they could not fight.
Glitterblind felt a guilty wave of relief when she found her best friend Slipstream, the only other femme to attend the Academy at the same time as Glitterblind. Slipstream had dodged the Council goons, carrying her younger brother Starscream to safety and pulling her neighbour’s Seekerlets along as well. Overcast was in the class a level below them, a youngling with a reputation for hating confrontation, but he was clinging to his younger brother Jetfire with a tense snarl that boded ill for any mech who dared to try and take the hatchling from him.
~Invisibility, a useful gift is.~ Glitterblind telegraphed as she ghosted up to the hidden group, ducking into the sheltered alcove that hid them from sight.
~You’re telling me?~ Slipstream’s wings conveyed back, while the white hatchling in her arms stared at the new arrival, silent and wary.
A crunch, the heavy tread of an Outsider’s pede heralding the arrival of another patrol. No Seeker made that much noise just walking around. Slipstream crouched lower in their hidden niche, muffling little Starscream as Overcast did the same thing to his brother. Glitterblind strained her empathic projection to the limits, subtly encouraging the patrol to pass them by without paying too much attention. The young Seekers all slumped in relief when the footsteps faded, and Glitterblind signalled that they were out of her sensing range.
Slipstream looked at her friend, ~Where do we go from here?~
~In the Gardens, a safe place is.~ Glitterblind sent the directions with a quick ping, ~There, we gather. Until gone the Outsiders are, we all must hide.~
~Obviously.~ Slipstream grimaced, then grabbed Overcast, dragging him along behind her, ~Come on. We have to go!~
Glitterblind watched her friend take off, confident that they would be fine. Slipstream was like a force of nature when she had a goal.
Creeping along, Glitterblind winced as Battalion informed her of another sparkling that had already been found by the groundpounder patrols. And they called Seekers incapable of caring for sparklings! Seekers were not the ones tearing hatchlings from their Creators! Seekers were not the ones destroying families and shattering bonds to satisfy greed and petty jealousy! The hulking grounders swarming their city outweighed the comparatively slender Seekers by two or three times. Exactly who were the violent ones here?
Calming herself, Glitterblind slipped into an empty apartment complex, following the directions she received from the residents via Battalion to a small, hidden crèche. Swiftly, not knowing how much time was left before another patrol went by, she put the sparkling in her canopy, swung the two black hatchlings under her wings, snatched the wide opticked Flightless youngling into her arms and dashed out of the building only a breem ahead of the next patrol.
A harrowing cycle later, Glitterblind arrived at the Gardens, picking her way through the crystal clusters until she entered the well hidden cavern that was the Gardens greatest secret. You needed to be either very small, say, no bigger than a hatchling to get in from the ground level. Any larger, and you needed to be able to fly in root mode to even find it.
~Glitterblind!~ Ravishwing rushed up, taking the youngling from her and pushing him towards a group of waiting fledglings, and a pinch faced Slipstream made her way over to them as Ravishwing looked Glitterblind over, ~Are you okay?~
~Fine, I am.~ Glitterblind reassured them and quickly looked out over the assembled Seekerlets, feeling her spark sink as she finished the tally. Handing off the two hatchlings to a pair of tense-winged age mates, Glitterblind did a circuit of the room to double check her numbers. Finally, she stopped walking with a soft sigh, ~Now, here we must stay. Hidden and silent we must be.~
~What about the others?~ Slipstream asked angrily, ~I know this isn’t all of us!~
~Impossible it would be, to unseen move about.~ Glitterblind looked around sadly, aware that the other fledglings were all watching her, ~More, no others unfound remain. Here only are those from Outsiders hands still free.~
~Smelting Pits, no!~ Ravishwing could not stop the growl, though he managed to cut it off, a spark deep pain etching itself on his face, ~You’re sure? My… my brother isn’t here.~
~Battalion, myself did inform, when patrols with sparklings returned, each by each. Also, of the creators inquired, so that all may accounted for be.~ Glitterblind gestured helplessly, aching with regret and the pain Ravishwing felt as he reached along the family bond for his brother, the backlash of *pain/terror* making him cut off his vocalizer lest the anguished keens break free and give them away, ~Match up, the numbers do. All not here, in government hands are.~
~Primus.~ Slipstream held Starscream closer - unwilling to take the chance of putting him down lest he disappear too - as Glitterblind pinged her the numbers. Glitterblind pulled Ravishwing close to her in an embrace both comfort and restraint, to prevent him from rushing to him brother and getting himself caught too. Ravishwing was not the only one there that was being held by friends or classmates to that dual purpose. Slipstream looked at Ravishwing with sympathy instead of her usual distain, ~They’ve taken so many of us. What do we do now?~
~Wait, we must. Nought else can be done.~ Glitterblind pet Ravishwing’s helm and pulled him down beside her as she settled into place next to several hatchlings that looked ready to cry out. The Contrastes set out to project as many calm and soothing feelings as she could to keep the little ones quiet. Ravishwing stirred beside her, and raised his own Sigma gift to bolster hers, sending comfort to his now-lost brother as a grief stricken last gift. The effect of their Sigma talents was immediate, the tiny whimpers and distressed clicks faded as the youngest among them dropped into recharge. Slipstream grimly organized the older younglings and fledglings - all those capable of flight - and assigned them groups of the youngest.
~If we get found, you grab your group and scatter.~ Slipstream ordered them as she finished setting things up, ~You younglings who can’t fly yet, run down. They won’t be able to follow you into the places where you fit, and the labyrinth under Vos is huge. Don’t stop running until you get a call back from your parents or you find other Seekers. Understand?~
Nods and agreement came form all corners, and it was only then that Slipstream released the tight grip she was keeping on herself. Manually disabling Starscream’s vocalizer with trembling fingers just before the pain coming from her parents crashed through her hastily erected barriers. Starscream’s tiny face screwed up as he howled soundlessly and Slipstream doubled over, rocking back and forth as her parents pain lashed at her.
~Slipstream?~ Glitterblind watched helplessly as her friend fell apart.
~It’s Tor Nova…~ Slipstream’s intakes hitched, making her wings jerk and obscuring her message, ~He’s lost the sparkling. The Outsiders… they dragged him off when he went into separation early. They won’t let Tor Ellipsis and Trix Horizon stay with him. The bond to the newspark just shattered! They killed my brother!~
Overcast curled up next to Slipstream, pressing close as he tried to offer what comfort he could. It seemed to help. Slipstream’s shuddering lessened enough that her teal wings no longer rattled. One of Slipstream’s arms wrapped around Overcast, pulling him closer until he practically took up what part of her lap Starscream had not already claimed.
~Glitterblind, can you help calm Screamer down?~ Slipstream looked numb, which was an improvement over hysterical at least.
Glitterblind nodded, focusing on shunting Starscream into recharge before he did himself damage. Then, another sparkling, and another needed the same treatment as their relative safety opened up panic-blocked bonds enough for the gathered Seekerlets to feel their families worry and pain. Eventually, all was calm, and the youth of Vos settled down to wait out their darkest hour.
(Word Count: 2759)
=/=
A~and that's the end of the melodramarama for today! XP
I saw several people express some form of interest in how the Seekers were treated by the government. This particular piece takes place during the worst point. After this, although things aren't good for the Seekers they do get better. For instance, as long as the Seekerlings are kept secret, the Senate won't take them away. By the time Starscream and his trine become the Winglords, things are less Viking Raid and more a mix of Tea Taxes and bigotry. -_-;; And yeah peoples, you'll get to see Starscream get sweapt off his thrusters soon, since so far I've got "Courting Starscream" 2/7 done.
I felt like a bit of a sell-out, doing the voting thing, and realized that since I was just going to write whatever I felt like writing anyway, the voting was kinda meaningless. Still, should you ever feel like asking for a particular scene in more detail, feel free to ask me for it! I'll probably end up writing it sooner that way. XP
Yay for Dragons! XD
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A Transformers G1 Fanfic
Author: Sanjuno Shori Niko
Summary: The thing about vicious circles is that a Seeker will turn it into a hunting gyre.
Timeline: The rest of the story is right over here.
=/=
(In which the Government is more than slightly cruel.)
Glitterblind perched on the edge of her seat, watching Ravishwing out of the corner of her optic. Although still a fledgling, just like Glitterblind herself was, Ravishwing already had a reputation among the younglings and fledglings of the Flight Academy. Rumour had it that he had a reputation outside of the Flight Academy as well, that he went among the newly adult students of the War Academy when they came home on leave. Although no one came right out and said it, Ravishwing’s unique Sigma ability - reportedly capable of overloading a mech in a click without even touching him - made his attention highly sought after. And not just by the incomplete or un-trined. Not a few mechs were hoping that Ravishwing would come a-courting them for trine. Glitterblind already knew one of her trinemates. He was an unusually staid, patient Grigale with the designation Battalion. Battalion was a few vorns older than she, and had already graduated from the Flight Academy, though he had been her basic firearms tutor for a time. That he had stuck with it for as long as he did - he did not stop her sessions with him until he graduated - had proven to Glitterblind how wonderfully understanding Battalion was. Glitterblind could not hit a Supreme with a ranged weapon unless she stood underneath it and dropped a grenade. Glitterblind was atrocious with ranged weaponry. Her instructors were already working on a specialized program for when she went to the War Academy.
Glitterblind therefore saw no reason to join her age mates in their endless, silly games of are-you-not-you.
Then of course, all of her half-formed plans had been disrupted when they began classes to train their Sigma abilities. Their sparks were finally strong to support sustained practice without stabilization issues. The starry-opticked look that followed Ravishwing around like a bumblepuppy had appeared again as if on cue when he walked into the first class for projective-emotive talents. Only this time, Ravishwing was the one wearing it.
Yes, Glitterblind could admit to herself that she felt drawn to him, but how much of that was trine instinct and how much was the result of Ravishwing’s un-honed Sigma talent? That beautiful, desired-by-all Ravishwing could be meant for Glitterblind - she with her odd, twisted syntax and the linked glitch that left her unable to outright lie - it could only prove that Primus had a very strange sense of humour.
“This is a nice place.” Ravishwing said suddenly, breaking the tense silence as he leaned back on his hands. He held his wings in a relaxed pose as he looked around at the hanging garden with curious optics, “These look like Praxian crystals. Is that what they are?”
“So I believe, that I do.” Glitterblind tilted her head just enough to see Ravishwing fully, feeling her doubled wings lift and spread at the provocative display Ravishwing was putting on, “By one who much admired the Crystal Gardens of Praxus they were built, so I was told. Their beauty did he admire so, that home to Vos the gardens beauty he wished to bring. So he did, but with aesthetics that Seekers please in mind did he build.”
“Explains why our gardens go up instead of out.” Ravishwing said simply, looking up at the sparkling cascades of crystals that spilled down the terraces of the Vos garden. Silver-blue streams of mercury twined and fell amongst the glowing, multi-coloured crystals, providing gentle ambient noise. Ravishwing shot a sly - but oddly shy, how did he manage that combination? Glitterblind wondered - glance at Glitterblind, “This place suits you.”
“Pardon?” Glitterblind asked with a startled blink of her optics.
“Your paint sparkles enough normally that it’s hard for me to pay attention to anything else but how much I wanna smudge it. Here though…” Gently daring, Ravishwing traced a dark magenta claw over a glittering white wing, “Here you’re absolutely stunning. You belong here, surrounded by peace and beauty.”
“Oh.” It was the first time their metal had touched, and it was enough for Glitterblind’s own empathic Sigma gift to filter out the effects of Ravishwing’s talent. He was her trinemate, she was certain now, and from the determined gleam in his optics, so was he. Still, just because they were meant to be did not mean that she had to make things easy for him. Glitterblind shifted, slowly drawing her wings out of Ravishwing’s reach with a flirtatious flutter of sensors, enjoying the slide of his claws on her derma plating.
“Forward you are.” She murmured, coy and coaxing, “All talk, I hear. But actions, none do I see, indeed.”
“Well then, my bright lady.” Ravishwing leaned forward, optics burning with a flattering amount of genuine romantic fervour, “What must I do to please you?”
“Hmm. A riddle, that is. Unable are you to solve it?” Glitterblind smiled invitingly as Ravishwing laughed in delight and made to answer her challenge.
But she never heard his response.
The gardens around her, the other Seeker beside her, they disappeared under a dark wave of cold emotion.
*terror/pain/anger/panic/lost/alone/gone! tearing/ripping/separated/broken! screaming! no/no/no/screaming/hurting!*
They were screaming. Vos was screaming. The windbond carried their pain, their screams. She had to make it stop!
“Glitterblind! Wait, where are you going? What’s wrong?” The fledgling Contrastes did not hear the calls of her future trinemate, she was not even aware of him following as she raced silently through the too-quite, too-still city. She stopped suddenly atop a tower, hidden in the decorative architecture designed carefully with that very purpose in mind, and looked down. Dread filled her at the sight of a scene that haunted every Seeker’s night terrors.
“That’s a government transport!” Ravishwing hissed in disgust beside her, “What are they doing here?”
~Silent, we must be. Use wingspeak, we must. The full cant, for this moment too loud is.~ Glitterblind looked at Ravishwing who looked grim.
~I hear and obey, bright lady.~ Ravishwing tossed his head, glaring down at the street below that was crawling with groundpounder Outsiders, ~What are they here for?~
~What do they do, always and always, when to Vos they come? With troops and with containment fields, to steal from us they come. There, look.~ Midnight blue claws gestured at the phalanx of bulky groundlings, obviously Senate hired enforcers. A returning group carried a screaming hatchling, the trine of protesting creators beaten down under the heavy weight of more guards, ~The younglings they come to take, that they do. The adults there, see? Caged they are. The city, defenceless is. Our numbers, diminished by Council command are. Many trines, sent from Vos have been, under guise of deployment. But in reality, for this reason removed, so that this they cannot prevent.~
~What can we do?~ Ravishwing asked, looking determinedly at Glitterblind, ~We can’t let them do this to us!~
~A moment, please.~ Glitterblind reached out along a trinebond not yet consummated. Normally what she tried would be impossible, but she had known Battalion for vorns now, and her Sigma gift of empathy boosted the windbond and to-be-trinebond enough to make it possible. In the trapped crowd of adult Seekers, a burgundy form began to move with a purpose. Glitterblind smiled in grim satisfaction, ~There. Battalion, of the others will inquire. The locations of the sparklings we soon will have.~
~Where will we take them?~ Ravishwing asked, accepting the first silent databurst from Glitterblind as they crept carefully away, ~They’re crawling all over the place. Where in the city would be safe enough?~
~To the Gardens, we will go. There, a hiding place is. A cavern to hide us, into the design was built. The crystals our signals will mask.~ Glitterblind reached out and grasped Ravishwing’s hand, doing all she could to strengthen the fragile to-be-trinebond between them, ~Sorry I am, that our date interrupted was. Later perhaps, make it up we can.~
Ravishwing looked startled for a moment, then grinned blindingly squeezing back, ~Don’t worry about it. At least it’s a memorable start to the courtship!~
~Careful you be.~ Glitterblind cautioned as she released his hand and turned as the path split, ~At the Gardens, you I shall see!~
~You too, bright lady.~ Ravishwing returned the sentiment before they headed out in opposite directions.
Time passed in a tight haze of terror, locating classmates and friends who had hidden as best they could at their parent’s warnings. Vos was littered with temporary boltholes, proof of the Seekers paranoid battle programming. But the hiding places were at most temporary; Seekers relied too much on their ability to fly away from a danger they could not fight.
Glitterblind felt a guilty wave of relief when she found her best friend Slipstream, the only other femme to attend the Academy at the same time as Glitterblind. Slipstream had dodged the Council goons, carrying her younger brother Starscream to safety and pulling her neighbour’s Seekerlets along as well. Overcast was in the class a level below them, a youngling with a reputation for hating confrontation, but he was clinging to his younger brother Jetfire with a tense snarl that boded ill for any mech who dared to try and take the hatchling from him.
~Invisibility, a useful gift is.~ Glitterblind telegraphed as she ghosted up to the hidden group, ducking into the sheltered alcove that hid them from sight.
~You’re telling me?~ Slipstream’s wings conveyed back, while the white hatchling in her arms stared at the new arrival, silent and wary.
A crunch, the heavy tread of an Outsider’s pede heralding the arrival of another patrol. No Seeker made that much noise just walking around. Slipstream crouched lower in their hidden niche, muffling little Starscream as Overcast did the same thing to his brother. Glitterblind strained her empathic projection to the limits, subtly encouraging the patrol to pass them by without paying too much attention. The young Seekers all slumped in relief when the footsteps faded, and Glitterblind signalled that they were out of her sensing range.
Slipstream looked at her friend, ~Where do we go from here?~
~In the Gardens, a safe place is.~ Glitterblind sent the directions with a quick ping, ~There, we gather. Until gone the Outsiders are, we all must hide.~
~Obviously.~ Slipstream grimaced, then grabbed Overcast, dragging him along behind her, ~Come on. We have to go!~
Glitterblind watched her friend take off, confident that they would be fine. Slipstream was like a force of nature when she had a goal.
Creeping along, Glitterblind winced as Battalion informed her of another sparkling that had already been found by the groundpounder patrols. And they called Seekers incapable of caring for sparklings! Seekers were not the ones tearing hatchlings from their Creators! Seekers were not the ones destroying families and shattering bonds to satisfy greed and petty jealousy! The hulking grounders swarming their city outweighed the comparatively slender Seekers by two or three times. Exactly who were the violent ones here?
Calming herself, Glitterblind slipped into an empty apartment complex, following the directions she received from the residents via Battalion to a small, hidden crèche. Swiftly, not knowing how much time was left before another patrol went by, she put the sparkling in her canopy, swung the two black hatchlings under her wings, snatched the wide opticked Flightless youngling into her arms and dashed out of the building only a breem ahead of the next patrol.
A harrowing cycle later, Glitterblind arrived at the Gardens, picking her way through the crystal clusters until she entered the well hidden cavern that was the Gardens greatest secret. You needed to be either very small, say, no bigger than a hatchling to get in from the ground level. Any larger, and you needed to be able to fly in root mode to even find it.
~Glitterblind!~ Ravishwing rushed up, taking the youngling from her and pushing him towards a group of waiting fledglings, and a pinch faced Slipstream made her way over to them as Ravishwing looked Glitterblind over, ~Are you okay?~
~Fine, I am.~ Glitterblind reassured them and quickly looked out over the assembled Seekerlets, feeling her spark sink as she finished the tally. Handing off the two hatchlings to a pair of tense-winged age mates, Glitterblind did a circuit of the room to double check her numbers. Finally, she stopped walking with a soft sigh, ~Now, here we must stay. Hidden and silent we must be.~
~What about the others?~ Slipstream asked angrily, ~I know this isn’t all of us!~
~Impossible it would be, to unseen move about.~ Glitterblind looked around sadly, aware that the other fledglings were all watching her, ~More, no others unfound remain. Here only are those from Outsiders hands still free.~
~Smelting Pits, no!~ Ravishwing could not stop the growl, though he managed to cut it off, a spark deep pain etching itself on his face, ~You’re sure? My… my brother isn’t here.~
~Battalion, myself did inform, when patrols with sparklings returned, each by each. Also, of the creators inquired, so that all may accounted for be.~ Glitterblind gestured helplessly, aching with regret and the pain Ravishwing felt as he reached along the family bond for his brother, the backlash of *pain/terror* making him cut off his vocalizer lest the anguished keens break free and give them away, ~Match up, the numbers do. All not here, in government hands are.~
~Primus.~ Slipstream held Starscream closer - unwilling to take the chance of putting him down lest he disappear too - as Glitterblind pinged her the numbers. Glitterblind pulled Ravishwing close to her in an embrace both comfort and restraint, to prevent him from rushing to him brother and getting himself caught too. Ravishwing was not the only one there that was being held by friends or classmates to that dual purpose. Slipstream looked at Ravishwing with sympathy instead of her usual distain, ~They’ve taken so many of us. What do we do now?~
~Wait, we must. Nought else can be done.~ Glitterblind pet Ravishwing’s helm and pulled him down beside her as she settled into place next to several hatchlings that looked ready to cry out. The Contrastes set out to project as many calm and soothing feelings as she could to keep the little ones quiet. Ravishwing stirred beside her, and raised his own Sigma gift to bolster hers, sending comfort to his now-lost brother as a grief stricken last gift. The effect of their Sigma talents was immediate, the tiny whimpers and distressed clicks faded as the youngest among them dropped into recharge. Slipstream grimly organized the older younglings and fledglings - all those capable of flight - and assigned them groups of the youngest.
~If we get found, you grab your group and scatter.~ Slipstream ordered them as she finished setting things up, ~You younglings who can’t fly yet, run down. They won’t be able to follow you into the places where you fit, and the labyrinth under Vos is huge. Don’t stop running until you get a call back from your parents or you find other Seekers. Understand?~
Nods and agreement came form all corners, and it was only then that Slipstream released the tight grip she was keeping on herself. Manually disabling Starscream’s vocalizer with trembling fingers just before the pain coming from her parents crashed through her hastily erected barriers. Starscream’s tiny face screwed up as he howled soundlessly and Slipstream doubled over, rocking back and forth as her parents pain lashed at her.
~Slipstream?~ Glitterblind watched helplessly as her friend fell apart.
~It’s Tor Nova…~ Slipstream’s intakes hitched, making her wings jerk and obscuring her message, ~He’s lost the sparkling. The Outsiders… they dragged him off when he went into separation early. They won’t let Tor Ellipsis and Trix Horizon stay with him. The bond to the newspark just shattered! They killed my brother!~
Overcast curled up next to Slipstream, pressing close as he tried to offer what comfort he could. It seemed to help. Slipstream’s shuddering lessened enough that her teal wings no longer rattled. One of Slipstream’s arms wrapped around Overcast, pulling him closer until he practically took up what part of her lap Starscream had not already claimed.
~Glitterblind, can you help calm Screamer down?~ Slipstream looked numb, which was an improvement over hysterical at least.
Glitterblind nodded, focusing on shunting Starscream into recharge before he did himself damage. Then, another sparkling, and another needed the same treatment as their relative safety opened up panic-blocked bonds enough for the gathered Seekerlets to feel their families worry and pain. Eventually, all was calm, and the youth of Vos settled down to wait out their darkest hour.
(Word Count: 2759)
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A~and that's the end of the melodramarama for today! XP
I saw several people express some form of interest in how the Seekers were treated by the government. This particular piece takes place during the worst point. After this, although things aren't good for the Seekers they do get better. For instance, as long as the Seekerlings are kept secret, the Senate won't take them away. By the time Starscream and his trine become the Winglords, things are less Viking Raid and more a mix of Tea Taxes and bigotry. -_-;; And yeah peoples, you'll get to see Starscream get sweapt off his thrusters soon, since so far I've got "Courting Starscream" 2/7 done.
I felt like a bit of a sell-out, doing the voting thing, and realized that since I was just going to write whatever I felt like writing anyway, the voting was kinda meaningless. Still, should you ever feel like asking for a particular scene in more detail, feel free to ask me for it! I'll probably end up writing it sooner that way. XP
Yay for Dragons! XD
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