A Knight No More

Settling in

Orion's pov

All around me there was destruction. Sweet, sweet destruction. I was doing it, destroying earth to save my own world. My spark was telling me no, but my mind was telling me yes. Quintessa floated up to me and stroked my cheek. I wanted to smack her servo away but couldn't.

"You did it, my Knight. You saved our world." She said to me in her sickly sweet voice.

I didn't answer with anything but a nod. But, she said 'our' world. Ours. Does that mean I am to rule it with her?

I don't want to do anything with her. Nothing at all. I don't want to see her, I don't want to hear her, I don't want to be anywhere near her.

"But, now that you have done as I asked, you're betraying of me all those years ago will not be forgiven." I heard her say, raking a claw through the cheek she was stroking.

I didn't cry out, my body wouldn't let me.

"I understand, my maker," I said, but I don't understand why I had no control!

I was leaking energon, my cheek stung, but I couldn't put my servo up to cover it. The ground started to rumble, the thundering of pede steps approaching. Furious cries of rage and anger. Clashing of weapons.

Quintessa disappeared and I suddenly regained control, but I was already surrounded. Cuts and gashes were placed on my frame, white-hot pain flashing through my body as I was torn apart. My arm was cut off and there was laughing. My leg cut off and deafening cheers of encouragement.

My other arm. My other leg. They were cheering because I was being torn apart. Finally, as I lay helplessly on the ground, limbless and brutally wounded by these savage, ruthless mechs, a sword was brought down... directly through my spark.

I snapped awake and frantically looked around, slowly realizing that I was in no danger as I panted. There was a knock at my door and I jumped, not having fully recovered from that night terror. I gulped and, with my breath shaking, said,

"Come in."

My door opened and a tall mech walked in. Optimus. His optics were soft and full of worry. I shakily sat up, on the verge of tears.

"Is everything alright?" He asked as he kneeled down, his voice comforting and low.

I shook my helm, letting out a small whimper as the night terror flashed through my mind again. He sat up on my berth and wrapped his arms around me carefully, gently pulling me to his chest. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his shoulder, softly crying as he rubbed my back. His atmosphere was so calm, yet so distressed, like he was silently pleading for help.

Then it suddenly all turned to sadness as I felt something wet on my shoulder. I looked over to the Prime and saw that he had started to cry too. I cradled his helm as he did to me and he leaned into my servo, nuzzling it a little. I heard him sniffle and hide his face in my shoulder.

I pet his helm and back as tears continued to flow from my optics. I hate to see others sad, absolutely despise it.

"What's wrong Optimus?" I muttered, keeping my voice low as he had done for me.

"It's been so long since I've actually hugged someone other than Ratchet." He whimpered into my shoulder, seeming to want to prolong our embrace as long as possible.

I wanted to as well, feeling comforted by the fact that we both need to get some crying done. After we calmed neither of would let go of one another, both wanting to just relax for a bit. And we did, for several hours actually. It was about 4:30 A.M. when Optimus had gotten enough bravery to actually leave.