TFA: Together We Stand (Season 1)

Chapter 13: Mantis's Life Story; Picnic to Panic! ~2~

Yoketron clasped his servos in front of his spark chamber and bowed at the entrance to the small shrine built within his dojo, optics closed. Then he entered it.

It was a small room, barely half the size of the dining room, and there laid the statue of their creator Primus. The statue was slightly smaller than Yoketron himself. He sat there with such a kind yet serious expression, gentle optics filled with wisdom, kindness, compassion and a hint of sadness with a thin soft smile.

He then knelt on the cool metal floors before the statue of Primus and bowed, helm touching the floor and servos placed beside it flat. The floor was made of metal for a reason. Metal is the very surface of Cybertron, thus it was connected to Primus himself.

He took three iodine sticks from the nearby container that easily snapped opened. Flint scraped over steel and the distinct smell of burning iodine filled the air.

With the burning iodine sticks clasped in his servo, he pressed them to his brow and bowed before the statue the Primus and began to mentally tell him his request.

'Please provide me the strength and wisdom needed to guide my daughter and please provide her with the right guidance in what's to come for her in the future.' He thought.

With his prayer said, he placed the three iodine sticks in the nearby bowl set in front of the statue and knelt there, helm bowed, the smell of iodine permeating the air clear to his intakes.

He stayed there, optics closed, his spark thumping in his spark chamber in a comfortable rhythm. He vaguely heard a breeze rustle the energon trees outside. The smokes from the iodine sticks drifting aimlessly through the air like an intangible mist.

Overall it was peaceful........

Then there was the sound of tyres squealing on the floor, a shocked yell and the thud of something- or rather, someone painfully crashing into something.

He winced ever so slightly and his optics cracked open. He turned around to see a slightly frantic Mantis hurriedly bowing in front of the entrance.

"Good morning and sorry I'm late!" Mantis gasped out. Her dreads weren't even tied up properly and were a mess while her shades were slightly lopsided.

Yoketron raised an optic ridge. "The morning star had rose quite some time ago." He said. It was routine for them to always come to the shrine for prayers after waking up before moving on with other daily activities such as eating or training.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to oversleep, I don't know what came over me." Mantis said. She was more often than not, a natural early-riser. The fact that she actually woke up late for once surprised her.

Yoketron waved her apology off. "I believe it is best if you do not delay your prayers with Primus any longer." He said.

"Right, right." Mantis said and grabbed three iodine sticks from the container. She lit them and bowed before the statue with the iodine sticks pressed to her brow the same way Yoketron did.

They fell into a comfortable silence, the only sounds being the iodine sticks slowly burning away and Yoketron's humming.

Then Yoketron pushed himself up. What surprised him was how his joints creaked slightly in response, protesting against the action. Another proof that he was getting old.

"Come, little jade. The cycle is young and there is much I want to tell you." He said.

Mantis nimbly hopped to her pedes and placed the iodine sticks in the bowl next to Yoketron's before following him out. That small simple action once again emphasized how young she still was, how she was still full of so much energy and curiosity that demanded answers to the world around her.