Archive of Our Own ^beta

May Iacon be blessed with glory and prosperity under the new Prime.

And that glory and prosperity required the countless labor. As Optimus Prime had been a miner all his life, he had no idea that Iacon had such a variety of fields. The life of a miner was all about mining energon and shipping it somewhere. So when Prime was faced with the problems of Iacon’s road traffic, air pollution, illegal buildings, medical costs, waste disposal, cultural facilities, educational inequality, artifact restoration, public library construction, bribery among government officials, lack of correctional facilities, military reorganization, replacement of aging buildings, budgets for each government department, and shortage of lubricants, he was overwhelmed. Fortunately, Optimus Prime proved Primus’s judgment right once again by humbly admitting that he did not know any of them. He calmly said to Elita.

“Elita, I have never heard of what was written on these data pads. I would like you to gather what the experts in each field thought as the best way.”

And Elita also said calmly.

“It was already done. The result is the mountain of data pads, Optimus.”

Optimus Prime was amazed that such an overwhelming scale was not some manuscript but the data pads waiting for final approval. Elita thought that Optimus Prime had fainted for about three seconds. Elita showed her wisdom by not mentioning it. Instead, she showed him a list of citizens who wanted to meet him, making Prime faint for another five seconds.

On the 21st day of his duty, Optimus Prime once again proved that Primus had made the right choice. Optimus Prime, who was swept away by the problems of Iacon that were pressing in from all sides, realized that the data pads that were coming up to him were not enough to get the full view of the city. Some were trying to pursue their interests in the blind spot of the inexperienced Prime. Some were holding back their words for fear. Some were begging for Prime's approval, not to solve the problem but to prove their points. To make a decision that was truly in the best interest of Iacon, Optimus Prime needed to meet with many citizens in person.

And that meant that Optimus Prime's day would be filled with much more schedules. May the new Prime be blessed with glory, prosperity, and countless labor.

——

One day, Optimus was about to move quickly to the next schedule as soon as he finished one schedule. Then, he heard several people arguing behind him. When he turned around, he saw the bodyguards were blocking someone with their whole frames. The mech trying to push the bodyguards away and step forward was two heads taller than the others and stood out because of his massive size. Three bodyguards were there to block him. He didn't even look at the bodyguards blocking his steps but only looked at Optimus. Optimus's optics met his. Then, the mech shouted in urgent as if holding onto a lifeline.

"Prime! Prime, please! Just one word will do! Please!"

Was he a fervent follower? Or was it a reporter trying to get the front page? Optimus had become accustomed to those following him. And sadly, he knew that he couldn’t spare the time for every citizen who caught him. Now, he had to attend an important meeting about reorganizing Iacon’s medical facilities. He knew he should decline. But no words came out of his mouth. His feet remained firmly planted on the floor.

“Optimus.”

Elita whispered beside him.

“You will be late.”

Optimus had been locked optics with the large mech until then. The large mech was painted blue and red here and there, but aside from that, he was completely white. Optimus thought that the white resembled ice for some reason. Optimus opened his mouth.

“I’m sorry, but I should be in an important meeting.”

Upon hearing those words, the white mech’s shoulders sank. The light on his optics dimmed. Optimus knew he had to turn back. He must excuse himself and ask his subordinates to listen to him. Most problems are better dealt with by ordinary workers than by Prime. It would be Prime’s problem only when they could not solve it. That was the right order. But in the end, the words that came out of his mouth were not right.

“So, what I’m saying is, um, if you don’t mind, let’s talk on the ride.”

Optimus pointed to the private train waiting behind him. At that moment, Elita blocked Optimus’s path.

“We agreed to stop this behavior. What will you do by showing the citizens that you will give in to them if they come at you? That won’t help the city in the end. It’ll ruin the system.”

Elita said in a cold voice. Optimus sighed.

“I know, Elita. But you know…”

“Optimus Prime.”

“I don’t think I was that wrong! Why do you use my full name? No. Sorry. Don’t look at me like that. But Elita, you trust my intuition, right? I just felt like I must listen to that white guy.”

Elita placed both servos on her waist and glared at Optimus Prime’s optics. It was clear that Elita was suspecting that he was using intuition as an excuse. Optimus smiled awkwardly, while not avoiding Elita’s optics. Unable to find any trace of a lie, Elita stepped back and grunted.

“… That damn intuition.”

Freed from Elita, Optimus looked at the white mech again. The guards were hesitating now, but they were prepared to stop him again if the situation changed. Optimus saw that the white mech was tense. Optimus smiled slightly and gestured toward him. The guards who saw that opened the way. The white mech quickly walked towards Optimus as if he would not miss the opportunity. When he got closer, Optimus was a little surprised. As Primus had given Optimus a height, he had looked down on almost everyone since becoming Prime. However, this white mech was not looking up at him but looking down at Optimus. Optimus realized why he could not ignore the white mech. It was because of his optics, his gaze. Optimus knew that gaze even though he just met this white mech. However, he could not clearly remember where he had witnessed that gaze. However, he could not leave the white mech alone.

Optimus got on the Prime-only train and waved to the white mech. The mech entered the train with agile movements that did not match his large frame. As the two sat down, the train departed.

He could see Iacon outside the window. Iacon was changing rapidly day by day. Above all, they were tearing down all the deceptive structures that Sentinel had built and constructing the facilities in need. Outside the window, the winds of hope and change were blowing. Those who newly acquired their Cogs were eagerly creating a new era. However, the mech across from Optimus seemed not interested in the scenery outside the window. He had his servos clenched on his knees, tense as if Optimus was about to judge him. Optimus asked him a question in a voice that was neither light nor heavy.

“What is your designation?”

The white mech slowly opened his mouth in response to the question. Its voice trembled thinly.

“My name is Skyfire.”

Optimus found the name familiar but couldn’t remember where he heard it. Had he participated in the race? If D had been here, he would have let him know, but D wasn’t here. Optimus chastised his mind for turning to D in that brief moment. He nodded lightly at the mech sitting across from him.

“So, you have something to ask?”

“Yes. About when you were on the surface.”

“Ask freely. There’s only you and me here.”

Skyfire took a deep breath before asking the question. The fan in the vents whirred.

“Have you seen Starscream?”

The voice was trembling with earnestness. Optimus was dumbfounded by the unexpected designation. He was not sure if he had heard him correctly. He asked back.

“Starscream?”

Skyfire misinterpreted Optimus’s question and began to explain in a more desperate tone.

“A flying mech. Average height. Red frame, blue limbs…”

“Wait, wait. I know who you’re talking about. I’ve met him.”

As soon as Optimus said that, Skyfire shot up from his seat. A massive shadow loomed over Optimus. Optimus thought he would have been quite nervous if he had met him when he was cogless. Skyfire wasn’t trying to threaten or intimidate him. Still, his large frame was innately intimidating. Skyfire asked with a voice that held onto a sliver of hope with all his might.

“Was he okay?”

Optimus was speechless again. It was another question that Optimus had not expected at all. Optimus looked at the other mech carefully. The experience that was evident in Skyfire’s words and gestures showed that he was quite old. He seemed to be about the same age as Starscream. The screw clicked in Optimus’ head.

“You knew Starscream?”

“Yes, I am his…”

Optimus waited for Skyfire to finish the sentence, but Skyfire could not. It seemed that even Skyfire had difficulty defining what he was to Starscream.

The train was now moving at a fast speed—the scenery of Iacon passed by outside the window. Although the train was clearly traversing the innermost part of the city, the inside of the train felt isolated from the city. The moving shadows swept over their faces a few times. Then, Skyfire spoke again.

“…was he okay?”

Skyfire leaned forward as if he didn’t want to miss a single word of Optimus’s answer. Optimus didn’t ask any more questions and gave his answer.

“The last time I saw him, he wasn’t just okay. His every part was intact and he crashed into me at a frightening speed. Is that enough for you?”

Hearing that, all the tension in Skyfire’s frame seemed to drain away. He sank into his seat. Then he clasped his servos together and buried his faceplate in them, mumbling.

“Thank you, Primus.”

The train made a slight turn, sending vibrations to its passengers. The train entered a new section of the city. Optimus asked Skyfire.

“How do you know Starscream?”

Skyfire lifted his faceplates, which he had been hiding behind his servos. The transparent blue optics looked at Optimus.

“We first met at the Iacon University lab.”

“The university lab? Wasn’t Starscream a Highguard?”

“Yes. But at first, we were both young jets who wanted to be scientists.”

A scientist. Optimus tried to recall Starscream. The word ‘scientist’ didn’t fit the image of Starscream sitting on a grand chair in the wrecked ship. Optimus couldn’t hold back his pure curiosity and asked.

“What happened?”

Skyfire smiled a little bitterly.

“At that time, a soldier was more needed than a scientist. Unlike me, Starscream answered the call. After completing his cadet training, I asked him, ‘Starscream, are you happier now as a soldier than when you were a scientist?’”

Skyfire seemed to be looking into the distance.

“Why did I ask that? Anyway, he answered, ‘Yes! This is much more fun.’ I still don’t know if he was trying to reassure me or if he thought that. I hope he was sincere. He wasn’t the type to conjure a lie for someone…. But maybe I am thinking that way to ease my guilt…. Fortunately, the job seemed to fit him. He started as a mere soldier but was quickly promoted to Highguard, aiding the Primes. He always came back with a proud record. He bragged to me about every shiny medal he earned. Then I always said, ‘Star, you’re amazing.’… Actually, I didn’t care about medals.”

A bright smile spread across Skyfire’s face as he reflected on the past. But a shabby shadow fell over his face again. Optimus could tell what was going through his mind without asking. Primes and Highguards left in secret. Sentinel returned alone. The news of the annihilation of every Prime….

“It took me a long time to accept that he was gone. I wanted to find his frame, but as you know, the surface was off-limits to ordinary citizens. They said it was too dangerous. Only the Sentinel and his escorts could go to the surface. While I only could fly in this suffocating underground space.”

Optimus looked at the wings beyond Skyfire’s back. There were marks on the wings that had been scratched persistently. Marks that could not be hidden even with thick paint. Optimus suddenly remembered a report he had read before. It was about the stress experienced by aircraft trapped underground. The aircraft usually had a difficult time adjusting in the underground, which was blocked on all sides. The grounders did not lament the loss of the sky that much. Those born in the underground, who had never seen the sky, did not question the absence of the sky. However, some of the aircraft who remembered the sky reported terrible mental pain.

Skyfire kept saying calmly.

“After that, I somehow managed to live on. I thought this was my life now: overcoming the loss and living in memory of him. But that was not the end…. A broadcast announcing the betrayal of the Sentinel was everywhere. I was on the outskirts of Iacon at that time. All I could see was a blurry video. I stared at the screen, barely able to breathe, wondering what was happening in this city. And there…, for a moment….”

Skyfire closed his optics, unable to say anything more. Optimus listened to the silence. After a moment, Skyfire spoke in a strangled voice.

“I watched that video a thousand times to make sure it wasn’t a delusion…, that I wasn’t deluding myself….”

Optimus nodded.

“You saw it right. He’s alive.”

Skyfire let out a small laugh at that.

“…You know what? Even though he chose the life of a soldier, he hated getting dented. He said he’d rather have his arm cut off. It’s ridiculous. I nagged him when he came back, preparing to tinker and paint. ‘Star! Even Primes won’t polish as much as you.’ Then he called me a dullard. He said I could memorize all the molecular structures but knew nothing about beauty. Now that I know he’s alive, I worry about whether he has the right tools for tinkering. He….”

Skyfire seemed to have been waiting for someone to listen to him. He kept talking about Starscream. How arrogant Starscream had been the first time they’d met. How unhappy he had been when he got involved in Starscream’s trouble. How special the energon they drank over the landscape of Iacon had tasted! Skyfire spoke vividly as if it were yesterday.

Optimus wanted to stop Skyfire's story. The Starscream Skyfire spoke of was so alive. He felt like a friend of someone he knew, not an enemy who had attacked him. But Starscream was now Iacon's enemy. It was painful to know too much about someone you had to deal with mercilessly.

However, Skyfire's words continued and Optimus couldn't stop it. His mouth didn't move. The world was getting further and further away. It felt like the cold was creeping up from his peripheral circuits, freezing even his spark. Optimus knew that this coldness had been passed on to him from Skyfire. There was a frozen part inside the white mech that would never melt. An eternal snow that no joy in the world could melt. Even Optimus becoming Prime, regaining the matrix of leadership, and the return of energon flow was not enough to melt Skyfire's loss.

Optimus realized why he couldn't have ignored Skyfire. Skyfire's expression while speaking of Starscream was familiar. Now Optimus knew where he had seen Skyfire's gaze. It was the expression Optimus saw in the mirror every morning. The face of a mech who agonizingly missed someone. The face of a mech who had to live with a longing he couldn't tell anyone. He had seen himself in Skyfire.

After becoming Prime, Optimus prayed every night he prepared to recharge. Tomorrow, I will miss you less. Even if I still miss you tomorrow, I will miss you less the day after. I will forget you more in the future. As time passes, memories dilute and affection wears away. And eventually, I will be able to face you with a peaceful spark. That was Optimus' only hope.

But Skyfire came to him and crushed that hope. Skyfire lost Starscream before Optimus was even born. Even after all this time, the longing on Skyfire's faceplate was still vivid. It's the expression Optimus saw every morning in the mirror. Skyfire had his expression. The snow doesn't melt.

A flash of realization flashed through his mind.

Some sorrows are forever yesterday.

I will grow old like you.

The realization shattered Optimus.

——

The train finally arrived in front of the Iacon Hospital. Skyfire got off the train with a relieved face.

“Thank you for your time, Prime.”

Optimus couldn’t be sure of his voice, so he just nodded. Skyfire smiled slightly.

“I’m applying for the ground exploration team that’s recruiting now. I hope to see you again on the surface.”

Optimus had to say it clearly. I don’t doubt your abilities, but as I now know your motivations, it’s hard to include you on the ground exploration team. Right now, Iacon needs an exploration team that’s true to its purpose without any distractions. Anyone interested in the Decepticons can’t go up to the surface. At least not yet.

But Optimus couldn’t say that. If he did, he shouldn’t have gone up to the surface either. Optimus could only say something nonsensical.

“Good luck.”

—————————————————————————————

Megatron held the binoculars Soundwave had given him. Close to the entrance of Iacon, he could see a structure that had never been there before. It was a temporary base that had been built in a short period. It was easy to guess why they were there. Now that the situation in Iacon had stabilized somewhat, Prime had turned his attention to the surface. He needed an exploration team to assess the situation on the surface before he started preparing to drive out Quintesson in earnest. Megatron counted the number of the team members every time he saw a new one in his field of vision.

“About ten. There’s a giant white shuttle. That might be the one in charge of transporting…”

As soon as he said that, his vision changed. His nose hurt like he had hit something hard. Soundwave and Shockwave turned their heads simultaneously. Megatron followed his two subordinates. Starscream was looking over the binoculars that he had taken from his boss. He furiously turned the gear to adjust the magnification of the binoculars, looking around here and there and then fixed his sight on one spot. The second-in-command took a deep breath, clenched his teeth, groaned, and showed other ugly expressions.

Megatron rubbed his cold nose and looked at Soundwave as if it were natural. In his short experiences as a Decepticon, Megatron had figured out that Soundwave was always the one with the answer.

“Why did Starscream react like that?”

And Soundwave answered smoothly, not disappointing Megatron’s expectations.

“White shuttle: most likely an ex-lover.”

Shockwave also supported Soundwave’s argument.

“Based on that reaction, it’s definitely an ex-lover.”

Starscream, who had been listening to the conversation between the three, took his binoculars off his optics and looked at them. Starscream scolded Soundwave and Shockwave.

“Stop talking nonsense!”

Megatron guessed what Starscream would say next. What kind of petty excuse would he use? His lover was someone else? Were they just friends? However, what Starscream said was unexpected.

“…We never broke up!”

Soundwave and Shockwave didn’t say anything, but Megatron could sense that they thought Starscream was pathetic. Megatron looked at Starscream. Starscream tried to return to his view beyond his binoculars. What stopped Starscream in his tracks was Megatron’s cold words.

“You chose to leave Iacon.”

At those words, Starscream glared at Megatron with optics that seemed ready to stab him. Megatron could not feel the slightest threat in those optics.

“You chose me, the Decepticons. Or are you going to change that choice now?”

“Do not insult me. I was the first one to respond to your name that day. I did not make that choice lightly.”

Even while speaking words of loyalty, Starscream did not hide his displeasure. It was almost as if he was making fun of his superior. He roughly placed the binoculars on Megatron’s servo. A loud noise was caused as the binoculars hit Megatron’s palm. It was so loud that he worried that the lenses might have broken. Megatron clicked his tongue at his second-in-command.

Starscream did not remain in Iacon. If he had surrendered, Optimus Prime would not have been so cruel. He might have been sent to prison. But would he have forbidden him from seeing anyone? Optimus Prime would not have done so. Starscream could have met someone that way. If he had really wanted to see someone, he could have chosen that path. But Starscream did not remain in Iacon. He decided to follow Megatron, to receive the Decepticon brand and continue his life on the surface. That was all he had for so-called love.

But Megatron could not take his optics off Starscream's face. There was a faint sadness on his face. That sadness did not resemble any aspect of Starscream that Megatron knew. It was too transparent to be the feelings of the second-in-command of the Decepticons and Megatron's disloyal adjutant. It was too straightforward to be grieving after being betrayed by Sentinel. It was too fragile to be the feelings of the proud Highguard. That feeling alone was Starscream's, without any modifiers. It was the remnant of a young and innocent mech who lived in Iacon, whom Megatron did not know or have ever met. Neither Sentinel, nor the Quintesson, nor the Decepticons, could take away that fragment of youth.

A thought flashed through Megatron's mind.

Some pasts must survive.

I will grow old like you.

No one knew it, but it took a great deal of self-control for Megatron not to shoot Starscream that day.