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Homesick.
That was the perfect word to describe the violet knight. He wasn’t fond of looking at the stars, but he found himself doing it pretty often since he arrived on Earth. Ironic, he thought, considering how much he hated his alone time up there.
While traveling through space, he couldn’t do much more for entire solar cycles than look at the starry sky. It was so repetitive that he had turned the autopilot on and decided shutting himself down was the best he could do. He didn’t keep track of the time either. Whether he had been traveling for Mega-Cycles or Vorns didn't really matter; mostly because his processor couldn’t quite make sense of what had happened.
Although he saw the explosion with his own eyes a long time ago, a part of him simply erased the memory. Somehow, he convinced himself he would be back at Machina soon to continue with his training. It was fine to lie to himself. He didn’t feel as horrible as he thought he would because nothing happened to begin with.
There was nothing in the open space, and he wanted it to be the same with his mind.
The only thing that made him get out of that trance was the emergency alert. For the first time in who knows how much time, his processor actually woke up. The red light that bathed his frame activated all the survival protocols just before he crashed against a ring of meteors. For some reason, he had stopped traveling at light speed, and now half of his spaceship was being pulled by the gravitational force of a planet, while the other half simply drifted away in the distance.
A quick, panicked scan revealed most of the damage and the new route he was being forced to take. One of the engines wasn’t responding at all, but if he managed to divert the ship a little, he could make it out of the planet’s orbit and fall back to the original navigation route— Not that he would go far with half of his ship missing. On the other hand, his ship would end up propelling itself in a totally different direction if he miscalculated the speed even slightly.
It was a long shot, indeed.
Wild Guardy didn’t know what happened next. Darkness took over his vision after his helm hit against one of the interior walls. Probably another meteor.
When he finally opened his optics again, sometime after the crash, there was no ship anymore. He wasn’t sure what it meant at first, but a sweet smile welcomed him to this organic world. It was new, weird, and to be honest, kind of gross. He eventually got used to it, regardless.
Loneliness didn’t quite fit his situation. Crest was a good friend to him. He was sure he wouldn’t have made it without his help, and he was thankful. However, there was only so much that, as a kid, he could do to help.
Crest was someone whose life was just about to start. He didn’t know much about life-or-death situations. Even less about crushed dreams buried in the darkest pit of one's mind. The knight did know that Crest’s parents weren't too present in his life; unfortunately, that was a pain he didn’t quite comprehend due to his robotic nature. All they could do was listen and be there for each other when the sky looked a little too gray. Those shared moments helped him to keep his mind away from Machina for a long while. At the same time, they kept Crest’s thoughts away from his parents. It was how they worked. It was their own thing until Crest decided it was time to move forward.
Yes, it crushed Wild Guardy’s core.
Crest had a life. There was a future he was getting ready to take over. It didn’t matter how much he’d like to stay with him; the kid was just helping a friend for a while, and the responsibility of keeping him safe consumed too much of his time.
His planet was safe after all.
...
Just like Machina was.
But Wild Guardy understood— Of course he did. The moment the knight saw that he was becoming a burden, he swore to Deus Machina that he would find a solution to his situation. It was rough to hide from the humans, though, especially outside.
His frame ached from all the time he had to stay in his alt mode. His movements grew slower due to the soreness that consumed his limbs, and without a Metal Breath, it was almost insufferable to keep Crest’s Dad’s interest away from his personalized car when he was actually at home.
A Metal Breath was the solution. He wasn’t able to use it himself, but perhaps Crest could. After all, the kid was a kind soul, and all his problems would be resolved immediately: He could stay safe by his side in this alien world, and Crest wouldn’t need to worry about keeping him hidden. The problem was, he didn’t know where to find one. The Star Guardians were are the only ones with access to the artifacts, and with the ship’s computer gone, Guardy didn’t have a way to track other life signs across the galaxy, nor travel to them.
He had to think about other ways for now.
Meanwhile, he started training again.
The memory of the Star Guardian reminded him of his unfinished business. Life returned to him as the ethereal gleam of his sword and shield called his name every night to keep him on the path. Crest was kind enough to turn the surveillance service off so he could use the yard without problems.
For a while, Wild Guardy felt the vigorous fire he once felt looking up at his idols. He would be ready once the opportunity presents itself, whether it be a Metal Breath or a ship.
Then, it finally happened.
When Crest said they were moving to Mowtown to follow the subtle trace of another Cardbot, he was absolutely ready to fight whoever got in his way. He was going to take that ship by force and keep going with his life.
He was going to do it for Crest.
For Deus Machina.
And for himself.
...
Of course, he didn’t count freezing up at the moment he saw an actual Star Guardian, with a Metal Breath, right in front of his optics.
Not just any, but Blue Cop himself.
The inspiration that once filled his heart with sparks was now being beaten to the ground. His shining armor was now covered in dirt, and the confident look in his optics was replaced by a painful grimace.
Time moved slowly, almost imperceptibly.
His mind quickly traveled back and forth between the glorious days at Machiina and the pitiful present his race had to face now. Pain shattered his core, while the memories of Machina destroying itself returned as vividly as his anger building up inside him.
Last thing he knew, he had cut Heavy Iron’s chest, then fled in the middle of chaos.
How dare they?
How dare they put Machina’s pride on the floor?
How dare Blue Cop take orders from anyone else but Deus Machina itself?
Words couldn’t describe the feeling that gnawed every inch of his being. Crest listened as always, but it wasn't enough this time. It felt wrong. It was wrong. He himself needed to take back what little he had and clean it; otherwise, he couldn’t pick up his pride from the floor again.
The idea of surpassing a former Star Guardian became the driving force that propelled him forward. He definitely was better than that.
He must be.
As months passed, Wild Guardy simply judged that Jun wasn't a worthy holder of the Metal Breath, yet Crest insisted on talking to him over and over again. It was a rainy day when the knight confronted his friend about his insistence on it. In the eyes of the robot, Jun just wasn't the solution they were looking for.
Thunder fell from the sky as the argument escalated, and then... the knight noticed a small detail in Crest’s features.
He didn’t notice right away due to its insignificance; yet it was the only detail he could focus on as Crest tried to explain his point. His face was different since the first time they met. It was more… defined. His cheeks weren’t as round as before, and his eyes were slightly higher; his nose was a little bigger; his eyebrows were thicker.
“Just give him a chance!” Crest yelled as the storm began to ease outside.
The knight heard the words, but his processor was unable to hold them for long. Silence followed, while his optics wandered all over the human’s face with care and fondness. His chassis felt heavy at the realization. Oh, how quickly time had passed...
“Alright...” He mumbled. It took every bit of strength in his body not to break right there. “I’m sorry...”
Crest's eyes widened at the sudden agreement. He saw himself reflected in his dearest friend’s optics; both beings broken for the circumstances. That’s how they worked after all.
He was a strong kid, but he couldn’t help but bite his lip at the thought of what was coming next. Tears rolled down his warm cheeks. It wasn't easy for him either, but they both had to move forward regardless.
“Thank you, Guardy...” The kid sighed, though he lost himself when the robot tried to put their foreheads together as a goodbye.
“Thank you, Crest...”
They decided to meet Jun the next morning. A fair deal was put on the table by Crest. Wild Guardy or the metal breath. They both had something precious to lose, though the number of new gigantic faces made Crest's stomach ached.
Once things were settled, Wild Guardy unfolded his sword and attacked— One, two, three... Unworthy opponents.
Memories of the Star Guardian back at Maquina were revealed before him each time. Anger, sadness, grief. The heat of the sun bothered him like never before, and his heavy steps wiped off a layer of dust that stuck to his frame. The fact that Blue Cop refused to take a stand against him only infuriated him, strengthening the grip on his sword.
How dare he?
How dare he not treat him as a rival?
Was he not worthy enough?
Overwhelmed was indeed the best word to describe the knight once he stood against Blue Cop.
All he could think of was Machina, his home. Oh, his dear planet. Hopes and dreams of a young mech died when his God abandoned him. Deus Machina was no longer. His reason to be— Long gone, light-years away from here.
All he could do at the moment Blue Cop finally decided to fire... was yell. Everything he knew became cosmic dust. Everything he believed once didn't matter anymore. His shield held firmly against the one who once meant the world to him, growing weak each second. He was anything but what he once wanted to be.
A final blow tore off his shield and sword.
A blinding flash; then nothing but the blurry sun overheating his HUD. When he could open his optics again, he noticed the way he was lying on the ground. Debris and dirt surrounded the poor state of his frame. The knight stayed there as the others celebrated, feeling a small hand holding his own armor to bring him some peace to face what had just happened.
He lost.
That was it.
So, he closed his optics again, realizing how tired he actually felt.
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He stayed with Crest all the time until he flew aboard. Goodbyes didn't hurt as much as that rainy day, though.
Today was his first night at Edo’s, so Mega trucker threw a party to welcome him. Even though he was supposed to be the star of the celebration, he stayed outside, hiding behind some metal containers.
Not exactly in the mood to dance, he looked up at the nocturnal sky one more time, trying to shut his processor down while counting, and counting… and counting stars.
“Not a fan of parties?”
Wild Guardy snapped back but didn't move. He could recognize that voice anywhere, and the last thing he wanted to do was remember how he felt about him. He looked away, evading any visual contact.
Blue Cop was looking at him from above, his optics gently smiling. The containers weren’t that big, so he just relied on them and watched the sky as well.
“Machina used to be that way.” Was everything Blue Cop needed to say for Wild Guardy to look in the same direction.
“How do you know?” He asked, narrowing his optics in disbelief.
“The engine of my escape pod is dead, but the computer still works... if you ever want to see the maps.” Blue Cop walked around the container and sat beside the knight, whose frame froze at the proximity. “We are still far from our original destination, you know?”
Blue Cop kept silent for a second.
“We’re lucky this planet was here, considering how many escape pods malfunctioned in this sector.”
“Lucky is a way to describe it.” Wild Guardy’s tone didn't pass unnoticed by the police car.
The light that Blue Cop saw brightening in Guardy’s optics before now seemed dim. He was no fool, and frame language never lied; there were signs that the knight’s core was in a dark place. The mech stated clearly what was bothering him before in his duel. Even though they had already covered the basics for coexistence, there were still some tensions, and the fact that Crest left today didn't help.
He was lost, just like all the others once were.
Usually, Blue Cop would have put a servo in his shoulder and said something about teamwork. Unfortunately, Wild Guardy seemed to hold some kind of resentment toward him, and loneliness was not the problem here. The police car wanted to fix that, and if luck really smiled at him tonight, bring him back to the party. He didn’t know exactly how to do it, though, so he applied his legendary Star Guardian’s interrogation technique.
“What’s on your mind, Wild Guardy?”
The knight blinked tiredly at him, not sure if he wanted to answer. Blue Cop stared back softly and then looked up at the firmament.
“I want you to feel comfortable here. These mechs are good people, and they’re dying to know who you are. I am excited to know too...” Blue Cop did put a servo in the knight’s shoulder, making him shiver a little. “But I know there’s something bugging you and I... I can get an idea about what it is. I want to be sure, though, so we can work on it.”
Wild Guardy stared at him.
How dare he?
How dare he look exactly as he looked in Machina?
The blue moonlight washed over him as magnificently as the lights at the podium. Every single detail he remembered of his helmet was right there. The blue optics behind his visor were so full of life in contrast with his own pitiful reflection. He always wished Blue Cop had seen him just like that before, to notice the potential he had. He always dreamed about them being equals. Now that he got the darn look... He wasn't completely sure if he wanted it after all.
Still, he couldn’t bring himself to look away.
There was no multitude; no Deus Machina; no Star Guardians. It was only him, Blue Cop, and the noise from a distant party that began to fall in the background. The knight closed his optics, looking for answers deep inside him.
He didn't know if he was ready to completely land.
He wasn't sure if he could forgive those around him, nor himself.
He didn't know if he was capable of letting go of that life.
All he ever knew was the pain in his chest. All he could feel was the hollowness consuming his frame every single night since the accident that brought him to Earth.
“I don’t know where I am.” Admitting it out loud was harder than he thought. The knight closed his fists when some static threatened to scrape his vocalizer, but he managed to stay strong.
Blue Cop nodded slowly, taking in his words. Sometimes he wished he had magic to solve everyone’s problems, but life didn’t work like that. Change was inevitable... and some things just take time. All he could offer was company. Lots of company.
“What about... Edo’s workshop?” Blue Cop joked, trying to ground the mech in the present day. He didn’t want Wild Guardy to wander in a past life. He held his shoulder firmly, making sure he knew he wasn't alone. “With me here, trying to cheer you up?”
Wild Guardy rolled his optics because he didn’t have the energy to do more. He ended up chuckling hopelessly at the crappy joke instead, burying the helm on his servo. Never meet your heroes, indeed. Deus Machina, how terrible he was at giving pep talks.
On the other hand, the Star Guardian stood up, satisfied with his reaction. He wiped off some dust from himself, then he turned back to him, offering a servo so Guardy could follow him.
“If I’m being honest, most of the time I don’t know where I’m standing on either.” The confession hung in the air for a couple of seconds. His optics were as genuine as they could be. “But one must keep moving either way...”
Hesitant, the knight extended his own servo and grabbed it. Blue Cop pulled him up.
“You don’t have to figure everything out.” One more time, he stared at the blue mech’s optics. If Blue Cop noticed, he didn’t mention it. “Not now, at least... It’s your welcome party.”
Wild Guardy imitated a sigh at the reminder while Blue Cop’s goofy laughs filled the air. He had no choice but to surrender to such a pointless celebration. What was so special about him joining the team, anyway?
“Alright...” They slowly walked back to the party. The hollowness from before began to fade away as the police rubbed a servo on his shoulder. It felt warm. It even seemed like, for once, he was ok with not having an answer.
It was fine, and he was exhausted.
“I miss home.” The violet mech finally mumbled, right before entering the body shop.
Blue Cop nodded without letting his shoulder go.
“Me too...”
When they both went in, a cheerful chorus of mechs welcomed them back.
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Flame Nova was sealed.
It was so fast that Wild Guardy could barely process everything that happened in that single hour. The aftermath, though, was one of the liveliest moments Wild Guardy had experienced yet. He needed to take a moment to close his optics and ground himself to Earth. Otherwise, his mind and frame would have collapsed right before Jun called him back to recover at the Metal Breath. He stayed strong, as always, and passed out almost instantly once he felt safe enough.
Not knowing exactly why, a funny, weird feeling struck his core; however, he couldn’t figure out what it exactly was before being called out from the metal breath again— too soon to his liking.
That’s when things became wild.
So many new faces celebrating together after being stuck in a dark place was something Guardy didn’t think he would experience twice. It was welcome, nevertheless.
He had a strange relationship with parties, but Porcaca’s crew were quite the characters.
Finally, Shadow X had bots to spend all his energy with. There have been at least three sparring matches and two races — One being played in teams — to settle who was the best of the four younger mechs. They were so entertained by each other that they barely spent time with the others, and everyone shared a good laugh about how competitive they all were.
Fleta Z, being himself with Cielo and Sky Gallop, made the knight roll his optics. Trying to escape from the view, he found out Gallon Buster examining Speranza with an enthusiasm that no one had ever seen before.
Spars, laughs, stories…
The first day at Peruru’s was absolutely the most chaotic of the three.
There was so much going on that the hours flew faster than his reunion with Crest, whom he spent the whole evening with. Even after sunset, Speranza was so full of music that nobody noticed how the party continued past midnight until Maruru took all the kids home. Wild Guardy stepped aside once the cyan-haired boy was taken away, leaving the music and laughs fade behind him.
He found peace in the quiet halls of the ship, which was dangerously huge. A few bad turns and you could end up lost in that metallic maze. He passed a servo, watching carefully at the details of the walls written in his native language. They were legible even when the symbols were all worn out over time.
The same feeling from before slowly returned. He stopped at the sight of two gigantic doors in front of him, standing out from the rest. Some constellations were drawn over the metal, resembling the location where Machina used to be between the stars. His optics dimmed slightly, feeling how his frame could only gather enough strength to gently push the doors open.
Beautiful lights welcomed him. A soft mix of yellows and blues washed over him as he stepped in. He wandered the room where thousands of Cardbots were patiently waiting for their rest to end. Wild Guardy stopped in the middle of the room and pushed his back against a pillar that reached the ceiling. The soothing buzzing of the machines keeping them safe lulled him, so he shut his optics and slowly slid to the floor. Crossing his arms and legs into a rest position, he stayed there for a while, feeling a warm sensation run through all his frame. He didn’t have the energy to figure out what it was; All he wanted to do was fall into stasis just like all the others around him.
He did fall into recharge for a bit; however, one of the doors was quietly open not much after. His processor warned him about the movements his sensors caught, so he slowly turned his optics on. The primary blurryness faded as he saw a tired Blue Cop leaning into the room, inspecting the inside before stepping in. His optics wandered, amazed by the soft lights, and stopped at Guardy, who greeted him with just a nod.
“Are they still at it?” Asked Guardy, watching how Blue Cop dragged his pedes.
“Yes...” He chuckled in a low tone, “I don’t believe it’s going to end any time soon...”
The Star Guardian slowly made his way to Guardy’s side. He imitated a sigh, sliding down the pillar as well, and feeling how his frame was begging to recharge.
“It’s breathtaking...” Blue Cop commented, admiring the colorful walls around them one more time. “I couldn’t find the chambers, but this is somehow better.”
The knight gave him his usual, unexpressive stare.
The memories from the past battle returned one by one. He took advantage of Blue Cop being distracted, so his optics traveled all over his teammate’s frame. Dear Stars, he looked so different up there. He was so tall and bulky, but still keeping his essence as Blue Cop… and now he was just— Well, Blue Cop. Not in a bad way, though. Wild Guardy didn’t know what he would have said if he kept that gigantic form.
“It looks just like Machina.” The knight shared, avoiding the optics that turned to him. “Everything feels so unfamiliar, though…”
Blue Cop chuckled.
“You’re right…” He looked up again, “I haven’t thought of Machina in a while.”
“Yeah...” Guardy mumbled tiredly, “Me neither...”
The comfy buzzing of the machines was all they heard for a moment. Wild Guardy noticed how the silence began to grow between them, and he wouldn’t admit it out loud, but there were so many things that he wanted to say to him, still… the words didn’t quite fit.
“Hey, Guardy?” The knight turned his gaze at him, “Thank you for standing with me today.”
The knight didn’t answer right away, so Blue Cop closed his optics; his frame relaxed and ready to recharge.
“I felt more confident knowing you had my back...”
The knight waited a bit before answering.
“Sure...”
Weird.
The funny, warm sensation returned.
The police car had fallen into stasis by the time he spoke. A silence settled in the room, which was filled by their slow intakes not much longer. Surrounded by all the lives they both saved today, he shifted his frame in a more comfortable position. He thought about everything that had happened today.
Would his younger self believe him?
He probably would. The violet knight, whose dreams were as big as his admiration for the Star Guardians, was always sure they would achieve big things. That young, naive mech...
How dare he doubt him for even a second?
Guardy’s chuckle echoed softly through the walls. It was a sad, but lovely laugh...
His core ached, mourning the rough path his younger self had to take. Oh, Deus Machina, that mech didn’t deserve to lose all his will to live in the way it happened. If he only could, he would have traveled back in time just to tell him that things were going to be alright.
That he didn’t need to count stars to shut himself down.
A new home was waiting for him somewhere in the cosmos, and everything he needed was to be patient. He would have traded anything just to keep him company up there, though, because the loneliness was hardly bearable.
But it was fine. The knight knew that the other would survive when life wasn’t fair, so his frame loosened up with a sigh, feeling the close warmth of Blue Cop’s frame.
He watched with a soft, thankful glare the Cardbot beside him, resting ignorant of Guardy’s feelings. It was better that way; the knight was never someone to share sentiments. No one had to know about them but himself.
Carefully, he closed his optics and rested his helm on Blue Cop's shoulder. He was sure that once the party ended, someone else would come eventually and make themselves comfortable by their side, so he'd better take the good spot.
That night, he dreamed about a planet far away, as beautiful as the stars that decorated the sky above it. He saw a young, smiling mech full of hopes and dreams, who finally earned his precious badge. Standing proudly at the podium, he smiled brightly at the audience, knowing that perhaps one day he would achieve even more than that.
He knew he would defend this planet and his people from everyone who once wished them wrong. He would be admired; respected... But overall, he would belong to an even greater purpose, which Deus Machina itself chose its Star Guardians to fulfill.
It was a good dream, which let him peacefully rest until dawn.