Shattered Crystals 1

Sequel to "I'll Be There"

Part 1 will centre mostly on Bluestreak with two OC's and Barricade for purposes of the plot, where after the setting will move to Iacon in part 2.

Time term = Cybertronian equivalent

Click = second

Breem = minute

Cycle = hour

Orn = day

Decaorn = week (10 orns)

Vorn = year

Disclaimer: not mine and not for profit.

Part 1: Praxus

The beautiful city rose out of the scarred landscape like an oasis in the middle of a thirsty desert, providing a place of sanctuary and rest to those fighting the brutal war that was corrupting the very core of their home planet.

Its glittering towers shone with the light of seven suns and a thousand rainbows as the rays were diffracted into a myriad of colours, while from the Helix Gardens soft symphonic notes could be heard as the solar winds gently caressed the musical crystals.

Praxus was, without a doubt, the most beautiful sight and sound on the whole of battered Cybertron. It was not only the trade and academic hub of civilization, but also of culture, refinement and intellect. The 1.2 million mechs who lived here lived lives of sophistication, lives of prosperity and lives under an illusion of peace, yet that illusion was soon to be shattered…

…

Four orns before the fall of Praxus

"Barricade! Welcome to our home! I trust your journey went without any mishaps?" The big Praxian slapped his former partner on the back and drew him into a hug.

"Cobalt! It's good to see you too!" Barricade laughed as he returned the embrace. He pushed away and held Cobalt at arms' length and looked him up and down. "You are looking good. It appears that Neutrality suites you." He smiled.

"Oh Cade!" Cobalt waved his hands dismissively in the air, "You know the femme would never allow me to choose sides! Besides, war is no place for a youngling." Cobalt smiled as he turned around and indicated to the door of his house. At the entrance, a slim, grey femme held a bouncing youngster in her arms as she smiled tightly at Barricade.

Barricade politely dipped his head in her direction and proceeded to following the babbling Cobalt to the door. Cobalt stopped next the grey femme and took the gawking youngster from her.

"Barricade, it is good to see you again." The femme said frostily as she lightly brushed her hand against Barricade's as a form of politeness.

"Axis." Barricade intoned flatly and gave a slight bow.

"And look here Cade! This is our little sparkling!" Cobalt said as he hoisted the youngling up. "Say 'hello' blue!"

The youngling giggled happily as his sire gave him a little shake. He raised big, blue optics to the armored mech in front of him and gave a lopsided grin. He opened his mouth and…

"Hey I'm Blue I don't think I can remember you. Can you remember me? Probably not but it would be nice if you did remember me cause Cobalt has been talking about you the entire time telling me that you were coming and the last time you were here I was still a sparkling, but I'm not anymore I'm a youngling now, but it's almost as if he thought I knew you which I'm not sure I do, but you do look very familiar, so maybe I did see you when I was a sparkling…"

Barricade stared at the youngling, his frown deepening as the youngling continued to rattle on, sometimes in circles, other times jumping from subject to subject as if it was the most normal thing on Cybertron to do.

Cobalt hid his mirth behind his hand until he thought he would blow. He took a capture of Barricade's facial expression and stored it to memory to retrieve later. The rest of the mechs down at the station would get a kick out of seeing it.

"Bluestreak." Axis interrupted her youngling. "I think Barricade would like to go inside. It is rude to stand outside when our guest has traveled so far to reach us." She grabbed Bluestreak from Cobalt's arms and marched inside, leaving the two mechs to follow.

Cobalt looked over Barricade's stunned expression and burst out laughing. "He's something isn't he? He can keep at it for hours! I don't know where he gets it from, but it's absolutely hilarious to see him entertain our guests. The medics have even been examining his vocal abilities since it is unusual for a youngling to have such advanced vocal skills. Funny but after they interviewed us, they described it as normal? Can you imagine that?" Cobalt said as he stepped into the house, throwing his ex-partner a questioning look before shaking his head.

"Oh, for some reason I can." Barricade replied dryly. "I would have thought it's quite obvious."

Cobalt gave another roar of laughter as he entered the lounge. "If you want, I can show you to your room." He turned and looked at Barricade, who gave a curt nod. Cobalt smiled and headed towards the berthrooms. "You will be sleeping in Blue's room since this is only a two-berthroom house. I asked him to clean it right proper so it ought to be neat." He said as he stopped outside a door and entered the code.

The doors slid open to reveal an average sized room that was neat, except for the myriad of toys and puzzles sticking out from under the berth. Barricade eyed the display and entered the room. Bluestreak's walls were adorned with images of the crystal city and on a small desk a stack of datapads were stacked neatly on top of each other. Barricade walked over and picked up a pad. "Isn't Blue a bit young to be studying mathematical equations?" He asked as he glanced over his shoulder at Cobalt who was casually leaning against the door.

Cobalt pushed off the door and ambled over to Barricade, taking the datapad that was handed to him. Cobalt smiled broadly as he looked at it. "Blue's smart. Says he's going to be a marksman one day at the enforcers'. And since Axis teaches mathematics at the university, we thought an early start to the field would be beneficial." Cobalt placed the pad back on the stack.

Barricade nodded. The war was escalating, and even though Praxus was officially a Neutral city, as declared by both factions, war inevitably found its way into everything. Barricade smiled sadly as he thought of the illusion the mechs lived under. "You realise that war will someday reach even this place?" He asked softly before he could stop himself.

Cobalt sighed and looked around the room. "Yes. It is another reason why we are teaching Blue from an earlier age. We might only have a couple of vorns to teach him the basics. Axis and I haven't really talked to Blue about the reality of the war yet. He knows about it, but, you know younglings. They live from day to day and rarely concern themselves with the affairs of older mechs. Especially Blue. So I'd appreciate it if we didn't talk about the war around him, or Axis for that matter" He turned back to Barricade, smiling broadly. "Now, what do you say to some energon out in the gardens? Axis is amazing when it comes to growing crystals. You will barely recognise the gardens!"

Cobalt interlaced his arm through Barricade's and strode down the hall. "Axis, love, would you mind bringing us some energon out in the garden?" He shouted into the kitchen. Silence followed his request and then two loud clangs could be heard as the energon cubes were slammed down onto the kitchen table. "Of course lover." A snippy remark followed.

"Ain't she something? She's so sweet. Blue acts a lot like her." Cobalt boasted. Barricade cast him a side long glance before shrugging his shoulders. His opinion of Axis had never been very high, and it was steadily decreasing even further as the breems slipped by.

"Yes, she's just like I remember her." Barricade drawled as they stepped into the gardens. Barricade shuttered his optics at the beautiful sight that met his optics. Crystal shrubs adorned the sides of the garden while crystal trees extended their bows upwards towards the open sky, bathing the gardens in subtle light as the rays of the suns refracted through them. "Impressive" he mumbled as he was tugged towards a small alcove near the back of the gardens.

"Indeed! Didn't I tell you my Axis is a wonderful gardener?" He elbowed Barricade in the side before letting go and moving to take a seat. "Oh, by the way how long will you be staying? The others down at the station would love to see you again." He said as he settled down into his seat across from Barricade.

Barricade leaned back in his chair and stared lazily at the different shrubs in the garden. "I've got leave for about six orns. Took me about an orn to get here, since I had to stop at Kalis. Have to stop on my way back as well, so I'll probably be here for about three, maybe four orns, if that is acceptable to you."

"Acceptable? Cade! This is like your second home! You can stay as long as you like. Axis and I would enjoy that." Cobalt said as he gestured towards the house.

Barricade raised an optic ridge at that statement, for some reason he didn't think his presence was that welcome by Axis, in fact he had had friendlier receptions at some Decepticon basis. Still, to be granted a small reprieve from the war was worth the unexplained animosity. Barricade was distracted out of his thoughts by the sound of Cobalt's chuckling. Looking up at the source of his mirth, Barricade's lips curled into a small smile.

Bluestreak slowly walked down the path leading to the alcove. Doorwings held high, his face was scrunched in concentration and his optics focused on the two cubes of energon he carried carefully towards Cobalt and Barricade.

"Need some help Blue?" Cobalt asked his youngling. Bluestreak bit his lower lip and shook his head, then immediately stopped as the bright pink fluid lapped dangerously against the cube's sides. He waited until the liquid settled then started inching forward again until he finally reached the two adult mechs.

Cobalt reached forward and took both cubes from Bluestreak's servos."Thank-you Blue. Why don't you grab a chair and join the mechs with some 'mech-talk'." Cobalt said as he handed Barricade his cube.

"Really? I would really like to join, but it would only be for a little while cause Axis wants me to work on my homework while she is here so that she can help me. She's …"

"Ok Blue, settle down and let me and Cade have some conversation as well." Cobalt gently rubbed his youngling's chevron affectionately.

Barricade chuckled as he saw Bluestreak shut his mouth and begin purring as his sire continued to rub his bright red chevron. "So, is that some kind of switch you use when you want to talk?" He asked Cobalt.

"Yip, works like a charm. I prefer spending as much time with Blue as I can. So this is one way for me to be able to talk to my friends without having the conversation overruled by my over-ambitious youngling. That, or we just talk over him. But I don't like doing that. Not good for a youngling to be ignored." Cobalt said as he gazed fondly at his purring creation.

They sat and talked for a while, catching up on old stories and old comrades. Barricade let the conversation wash over him and reveled in the peace he felt in his home city. He could almost believe that the war did not exist, that outside of the Praxus state was an illusion. But the scars on his frame and the memories in his processor bore witness to the cruel reality. There was a war. A war that needed to be won so that all mechs could be equal. That the deep-seated corruption would be obliterated. He shook his head, he was on leave. Let him at least live in this blissful illusion for the few orns he had.

"What's that?" Bluestreak pointed towards Barricade and Barricade frowned down at him.

"What's what?" He asked in his gruff voice as he looked down at his chest armor.

"The purple thing on your chest? It looks funny. What is it?" Bluestreak asked as he turned big optics towards his sire. Barricade also looked towards Cobalt, his promise from earlier coming to the front.

Cobalt grimaced at his son and looked at Barricade. ::It's ok. You can tell him.:: he said over a private comm. Barricade nodded and looked at Bluestreak, absently fingering the purple decal on his chest.

"It's my faction symbol, much like the symbol your sire wears to indicate he is an enforcer." Barricade said, "It's a symbol for everything I believe in and signifies why I fight. For justice and equality." He laid his hand flat over his chest and bowed his head. "I wear it, so that I will never forget. And so that all who see me, will know that I am a Decepticon."

Bluestreak cocked his head at Barricade, his mouth agape with wonder as he watched the purple symbol. He raised his hand and laid it on his chest. "One day I will also wear a symbol that signifies what I believe in. Just like you. And just like sire. That makes me think, we should probably get a symbol for Axis as well. Then we will all have symbols and everybody would now who we are." Bluestreak stated proudly as he pushed his little chest out.

"Bluestreak! Have you finished you homework yet?" Axis shouted from the porch as she watched Bluestreak scramble off his char.

"I have to go, but I'll come back later and then we can talk mech-talk again. I like talking mech-talk it's interesting. You know so many things…" his voice drifted off as he ran towards his carrier, servo outstretched to grab onto her extended servo before heading back inside.

"He's a smart kid." Barricade said after they disappeared inside.

"He is. But also naive " Cobalt's smile faded as he turned towards Barricade, his expression and tone turning serious, "Some nights I lie awake, worrying about what would happen to them when the war finally breaches the walls of Praxus." His fist closed tightly over the energon cube. "It's coming Cade. We see it coming closer. The factions are becoming intolerant to each other within the city itself. Lately, more and more Autobots are being murdered in Praxus, and most of the civilians are blaming Decepticons. And I don't blame them. Most of the time, Cons are responsible."

Barricade glanced down at his cube while Cobalt took another swig of his before continuing.

"I just want my family to be safe Cade. That's the only reason I haven't picked a side yet. I want them to be safe, to live their lives as normal as possible. I want to see Blue grow up to become an Enforcer. Maybe have another sparkling with Axis. But I can't, Cade. Not with this war." He leaned forward in his chair, gaze unfocused as he stared at the cube in his servo. "The thing that scares me most is what would happen if Blue decides to join the war? Axis is afraid of it too. It's been clouding our bond, straining our relationship. Even in this little piece of the Well, we are haunted by our own fears that ravage us worse than any war ever will." He warily rubbed a servo over his faceplate.

Barricade said nothing as he watched Cobalt. The soft musical tones drifting through the garden was quite ironic given the turmoil his friend had just revealed. Sighing, he set his cube on the small table between them. "I know what you fear. I have thought of it many times as well, and that is why CB and I never bonded like you and Axis. Though Primus knows I miss him." Barricade said.

They sat in companiable silence, each busy with his own dark thoughts until Cobalt broke the silence. "Let's not waste our precious time talking about dark thoughts." He said wearily, before throwing his partner a calculating look.

Barricade crossed his arms over his broad chest. "What?" he asked as Cobalt mirrored his position.

"How are things between you and Codebreaker these orns? You said that you never bonded, so I can assume you're pretty serious about him." Cobalt smirked as Barricade rolled his optics.

"Don't gloat just because you set us up." Barricade chided but was unable to hide his smile as he thought about his lover. "Truth of the matter is I haven't seen him in vorns. He's on a mission. I've received small cryptic notes, but he could never risk direct contact. But that will all change in a few orns." Barricade said and stretched out his arms before placing them comfortingly behind his head.

Cobalt lifted an optic ridge at him and smiled a knowing smile. "Oh really, only a few orns? And what do you plan to do once he gets back?" Cobalt wriggled his optic ridges suggestively.

Barricade laughed at that and looked squarely at Cobalt. He raised his cube in a mock salute.

"I'm going to frag him senseless!"

Reviews, suggestions and positive criticism are appreciated. :)