Speedwriting Fills for This Week!
Title: Repeat
Rating: K
Continuity: G1
Characters: Wheeljack, Jazz
Disclaimer: Don't own
Prompt: 1. Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same results. -Albert Einstein
Wheeljack smiled to himself, helm fins flashing happily as he fiddled with the mess of wires, duct tape (such an amazing invention, and from those primitive little humans, too!), solder, and plastic resting on his work table.
“Now, where was that - ah! There.” Grinning, he reached over and grabbed his soldering iron. “Let's see... This needs to connect here, and that goes there, and-”
BOOM!
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
“Okay, I’m sure this wasn't where that goes,” the inventor murmured, poking at the (repaired) bundle of parts on his scorched work table. “I put that there, and that one goes in through there and around and up... Red goes with blue, and gray goes with turquoise... or was it the other way around? Hm... No, that's right, this one goes-”
BOOM!
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
The bundle of parts had been completely rebuilt now, and Wheeljack was, once again, fiddling with it.
“Right, this through here, has to be touching that, and - oh, whoops. That shouldn't go there. This should-”
BOOM!
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
Slowly, the inventor's steady, gray hands pulled a couple wires apart, then fused two more together. A heavy vent was released. “Oh, good, I didn't think-”
BOOM!
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
“Whoops! I-”
BOOM!
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
“Oh, that doesn't go-”
BOOM!
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
“Okay, I’ll try-”
BOOM!
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
Wheeljack sighed as he followed Jazz down the hall. The saboteur had followed the sound of the booms. Jazz loved watching the explosions Wheeljack caused, and would often visit the inventor in his lab, and, sometimes, played “Escort the Crazy Scientist to the Insane Medic's Lair.”
Actually, Jazz played that a lot, now that he thought about it.
At the moment, Wheeljack had his left arm slung over the black and white's shoulder, while his detached right arm was held in the saboteur's grip. His left pede was scorched and rather melted, but he could still walk on it.
“What'd ya do this time, Jackie?” Jazz asked suddenly, grinning widely.
“I was trying to see how many different ways I could accidentally set off a bomb.”
“You... Jack...”
“What?”
“You do realize that a bomb's gonna go off no matter what if ya don' defuse it?”
“Yes. So?”
“I... Urgh. I give up.”
Title: Fluff
Rating: K
Continuity: G1 or Movieverse. Could be either.
Characters: Sam/Spike, Bumblebee
Disclaimer: Don't own
Prompt: 2. Fluff
“What... What is it?”
“A cotton ball.”
“Why do you have it?”
“I dunno. Carly gave it to me earlier. I guess I forgot it in my pocket.”
“Why did she have it?”
“Not sure.”
“What do you use it for?”
“Eh, cleaning stuff up, stopping bleeding. Carly uses it with nail polish remover to get nail polish off her nails.”
“... Why?”
“Bumblebee...”
“What?”
“I... ugh. I don't know, Bee. It's a little ball of fluff. We use it for whatever we use a little ball of fluff for.”
“... Oh.”
“Yeah.”
Title: Speechless
Rating: K+
Continuity: G1
Characters: Prowl, Jazz
Disclaimer: Don't own
Prompt: 3. Rendered speechless
They hadn't known it was possible. Sure, when he crashed, he was quiet, and he used a minimum number of words most of the time anyways, but...
To render Prowl speechless was...
Well. It sort of rendered them speechless also.
It had been an ordinary day. Wheeljack blew himself up no less than three times, Ratchet threw a few wrenches, Prowl made plans, Optimus wrote speeches and was his usual noble self, Sideswipe pranked everyone he could get his hands on, Sunstreaker whined about his polish, Mirage was walking around invisible, and Jazz was planning a party.
Just a normal, Friday night party, with no real reason as to why, other than, “it's Friday night, we aren't busy (as long as the 'Cons don't attack), and, well, why not?”
Then, things started taking a turn for the strange. Jazz managed to convince Prowl to attend. No one was quite sure how, and they were pretty sure they didn't want to know.
So, Prowl sat in a corner booth, deep in the shadows, and everyone forgot he was there.
Until, of course, Jazz made a scene.
Or rather, a serenade.
With, of all things, a Disney song.
The music started, and Bluestreak (who had a penchant for such things) and Bumblebee (who had seen many movies in his time watching the Witwicky's children) exchanged amused, rather frightened glances. They recognized it.
“All those days, watching from the windows, all those years, outside looking in. All that time, never even knowing just how blind I'd been,” he crooned, and the room was silent save for the faint background music and his voice.
Prowl was staring, gold optics wide, doorwings stiff and quivering. This had happened before, though no one here save for himself and Jazz knew of it.
“Now I’m here, blinking in the starlight. Now I’m here, and suddenly, I see. Standing here, it's oh so clear, I’m where I’m meant to be!” Jazz sung, slowly striding toward his fellow black and white.
Prowl stared some more, watching with pale optics as Jazz moved toward him.
“And at last I see the light, and its like the fog has lifted. And at last I see the light, and it's like the sky is new. And it's warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted. All at once, everything looks different, now that I see you,” Jazz hummed, sidling up next to Prowl, tucking himself under the warm arm and wide doorwing.
The music continued playing for a moment as the two stared at each other. Then, the crowd was even further rendered speechless.
Because Prowl was smiling.
And Prowl was singing.
And Prowl didn't sound half bad.
“All those days, chasing down a daydream. All those years, living in a blur,” the Praxian practically trilled, looking down at Jazz, a soft light in his optics, a warm smile on his face. “All that time, never truly seeing things the way they were. Now you're here, shining in the starlight. Now you're here, suddenly I know. If you're here, it's crystal clear, I’m where I’m meant to go.”
The music reached a crescendo, and Jazz's smile widened.
“And at last I see the light,” they both sang.
“And it's like the fog has lifted,” Prowl sang alone.
“And at last I see the light,” they again sang together.
“And it's like the sky is new,” Jazz crooned.
“And it's warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted,” they hummed together. “All at once, everything looks different now that I see you. Now that I see you,” they finished. Prowl tightened his arm around Jazz, and Jazz snuggled deeper into the taller mech's side.
The rest of the Rec Room watched in stunned silence. Their relationship wasn't a secret. Things like that couldn't be hidden from a crew like that of the Arc. But Prowl was never this obvious about it. Never allowed Jazz to hold or touch or kiss him in public.
And now, a public serenade, that he participated in?
“What... What brought that on?” Sunstreaker finally managed.
Prowl blinked, glancing up from where his optics had locked with Jazz's visor, and smirked. He said nothing, though. Neither did Jazz.
And they never would.
Title: Haven
Rating: K+
Continuity: Complete and total AU. But G1 characters.
Characters: Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Optimus Prime, Jazz
Disclaimer: Don't own.
Prompt: 4. Was that... a dragon?
Notes: This is some weird AU that got into my head a while ago. I can't get rid of it, but it just seemed incredibly awkward every time I tried to write it. Thankfully, this turned out okay. And yes, the Twins are centaurs and Optimus is a dragon. No idea where it came from, but it did, and it stuck. >.<
“Come on, Sides.”
The red mech glanced up at his brother with dim optics. “'M tired, Sunny. Wanna stop.”
“We can't,” Sunstreaker said softly, moving back toward his brother, hooves thumping quietly on the soft ground.
Mechanimals moved through the crystals and circuit-vines around them, hooting and calling and chirping. The road they were on was barely worn, rarely traveled, and empty save for them.
Just the way they liked it.
Sideswipe shifted on his hooves, the armor of his equine frame flaring out, then settling with a rattle. “Suns, we've been running for two orns now.”
“And they're still on us,” Sunstreaker insisted. “We need to go.”
“Please.”
The yellow half-mech glanced around, then vented heavily. “Fine. One joor,” he allowed, lowering himself to his knees, long legs folded up underneath his body. Sideswipe collapsed next to him, and was in recharge almost instantly.
Frowning, Sunstreaker allowed himself to fall into recharge as well.
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
They woke to a shout.
“The hounds've got 'em again!”
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe exchanged a glance. A quick check of their chronos revealed that they had been recharging for more than four joors.
~Up, up!~ they said as one as they scrambled to their hooves.
~Which way?~ Sunstreaker asked, glancing between the open road and the tangled mass that was the woods.
~Woods are more difficult, but harder for them to track...~
~And we're still tired, so no flat-out out-running.~
~Woods.~
With that, they reared up on their hind hooves, wheeled around, and plunged into the thick mass of crystal trees and bushes and circuit-vines.
They stumbled as they ran, thick branches uneven under-pede, thin vines and wires grabbing at their frames.
~Keep going!~ one of them shouted across their bond, though neither was sure which said it.
Shouts and barks rang behind them.
~You still have your sword?~
~Yep. You?~
~Of course,~ Sunstreaker said, and managed a sly glance at his red half. Sideswipe smirked back, then unsheathed the long, sharp sword, the action mirrored by Sunstreaker.
They immediately went to work hacking at the wild growth in front of them.
That didn't last long, though. A petro-hound burst from the brush around them, lunging fearlessly at Sideswipe. The red Twin lashed out with a hind hoof, catching the canine on the chest, crumpling the armor, throwing the petro-hound back into the brush.
~Run!~ Sunstreaker shouted as the injured hound disappeared. ~Run!~
~Already on it!~
And they were off again, hooves pounding on the ground, fans working overtime, optics bright with fear and exertion.
They had been running for barely a breem when they broke through the brush and stumbled to a halt.
It was a wide clearing. The ground was flat and hard, covered with pale blue crysgrass.
“Come on!” Sunstreaker huffed as a petro-hound barked behind them, and he and his Twin took off, pounding across the clearing.
Moments later, behind them, petro-hounds and mechs riding cybersteeds exploded into the clearing behind the two half-equine mechs. They spent the barest fraction of a klik milling about in confusion at the sudden lack of branches, vines, and other cybertronian flora, then were once again after their prey.
A low rumble filled the clearing, and the petro-hounds slowed, then stopped. Then they turned around altogether, whining as they ran back the way they had come. The cybersteeds reared back, neighing. A few of their riders crashed to the ground. Others managed to hold on as their mounts, like the dogs before them, galloped away.
Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, hearing the chaos behind them, pulled up, hooves scrambling on the crysgrass.
~What the frag...?~ Sideswipe managed, glancing between the few remaining mechs and his brother.
~No idea.~
The rumble grew louder, then paused.
A great roar echoed through the air, and a shadow fell upon them all.
The Twins, who were almost out of the clearing, whirled around again, turning on hind hooves to see what the mechs on the ground were staring at.
Something loomed over the trees. Blue and red scale-like plating rattled. A deep, strut-shaking growl echoed from its chest.
“Is... is that a... a dragon?” one of the downed mechs stuttered, and the Twins exchanged a stunned glance.
~Dragon?~
~What- they don't exist!~
Sideswipe managed a dry, coughing chuckle. ~We're not supposed to exist either, Sunny. Sparks are supposed to be whole, not halves.~
~Well-~
“Dragon!” the downed mech shouted again, and Sideswipe and Sunstreaker turned to glace at where he was lying.
Or had been lying. He was disappearing into the brush now, along with his companions.
Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were alone in the clearing.
Alone with a dragon.
They backed up, hooves settling steadily, rhythmically, in step, their swords back in hand and lifted as they stared at the dragon.
It was massive. Wide, sweeping wings blew gusts of wind around them. It had broad shoulders and huge limbs. Large hands with sharp, curling talons clutched at the ground as it landed, scraping the crysgrass from the soft ground where it grew. Bright, yellow horns protruded from the sides of its helm.
Sideswipe and Sunstreaker hefted their swords again, for once not grinning at the prospect of a fight.
A sharp set of fangs was revealed as it smiled.
“You have no need to fear,” a deep voice rumbled, and the Twins jumped.
“What the frag?”
The dragon smiled again, fangs showing, but... it wasn't... threatening. Somehow. “You have no need to fear. You are on the borders of my realm, a place many have taken to calling 'Haven.' You are welcome here.”
“What-” Sideswipe started again, but was interrupted.
“Hey, OP!” a cheery voice said, and a small silver mech strode from the edge of the woods. “Ya scare 'em off?”
“Most of them,” the dragon rumbled, optics sparkling.
“Most? Someone wantin' t' stay?”
“Perhaps. What do you think, Centaurions?” the dragon asked, turning to the Twins.
“'Centaurions'?”
“Yes. You do not know what you are?”
The two exchanged glances, thoughts flying between them. “We've... kinda... been alone. Forever,” Sideswipe said, glancing down.
“Well, ya ain't anymore,” the sliver mech said, and the dragon nodded in agreement. “Welcome t' Haven.”
Title: No Place Like Home
Rating: K
Continuity: G1
Characters: Carly Witwicky, Wheeljack
Disclaimer: Don't own.
Prompt: 5. This Picture
Carly still loved Earth, but she would willingly admit, and often proclaimed, that her home was often outclassed by other places.
Like this one. A small, out of the way planet that had a binary star system. It had little atmosphere, so, had she not been wearing the exo-suit the Autobots had made for her, she would have been dead. But even with the heavy suit...
It was beautiful. One scarlet, flaming sun, backed by a smaller, bluish one. Stars glittering around them, dotting the dark air.
Yes, Earth was home, and it was beautiful, but there were wonders out there...
“Beautiful,” she murmured, and someone chuckled behind her. She turned, and was greeted with flashing helm fins.
“It is, isn't it?”
“Nothing like home, 'Jack, but...”
He didn't say anything, instead simply moving and sitting down beside her.
Title: Leaving
Rating: K
Continuity: G1
Characters: Prowl, Jazz, Optimus Prime
Disclaimer: Don't Own
Prompt: 6. “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.” - Dr. Seuss
“It's harder than Ah thought it'd be,” Jazz said as he leaned against his bondmate. They were sitting at the controls of the repaired Arc, staring at the monitors currently displaying the planet Earth fading away behind them.
“I know. It has become home.”
“Yeah.”
Optimus chuckled as he stepped up behind them. “I would agree, though it will be nice to return to Cybertron. I will miss our little friends.”
“Yeah. We had some fun times, down there,” Jazz said, a sparkling light flickering through his visor. “Gonna miss it.”
“Indeed.”
“Remember th' purple gryphon?”
“How could we forget?” Optimus asked as he lowered himself into one of the seats next to them.
“What about the Twins' first prank with duct tape?” Prowl asked, optics shining with a mischievous light not many would believe him capable of.
“Oh, Primus, that was amazing,” Jazz said with a grin. “Cliffy ain't ever livin' that down.”
“Hm. And all our blunders with the language?”
Prowl chuckled. “Of course. Yet, now...”
“We speak it over Cybertronian. Yes, Earth...”
“Is home. Was home.”
“Indeed.”
Rating: K
Continuity: G1
Characters: Wheeljack, Jazz
Disclaimer: Don't own
Prompt: 1. Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same results. -Albert Einstein
Wheeljack smiled to himself, helm fins flashing happily as he fiddled with the mess of wires, duct tape (such an amazing invention, and from those primitive little humans, too!), solder, and plastic resting on his work table.
“Now, where was that - ah! There.” Grinning, he reached over and grabbed his soldering iron. “Let's see... This needs to connect here, and that goes there, and-”
BOOM!
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
“Okay, I’m sure this wasn't where that goes,” the inventor murmured, poking at the (repaired) bundle of parts on his scorched work table. “I put that there, and that one goes in through there and around and up... Red goes with blue, and gray goes with turquoise... or was it the other way around? Hm... No, that's right, this one goes-”
BOOM!
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
The bundle of parts had been completely rebuilt now, and Wheeljack was, once again, fiddling with it.
“Right, this through here, has to be touching that, and - oh, whoops. That shouldn't go there. This should-”
BOOM!
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
Slowly, the inventor's steady, gray hands pulled a couple wires apart, then fused two more together. A heavy vent was released. “Oh, good, I didn't think-”
BOOM!
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
“Whoops! I-”
BOOM!
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
“Oh, that doesn't go-”
BOOM!
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
“Okay, I’ll try-”
BOOM!
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
Wheeljack sighed as he followed Jazz down the hall. The saboteur had followed the sound of the booms. Jazz loved watching the explosions Wheeljack caused, and would often visit the inventor in his lab, and, sometimes, played “Escort the Crazy Scientist to the Insane Medic's Lair.”
Actually, Jazz played that a lot, now that he thought about it.
At the moment, Wheeljack had his left arm slung over the black and white's shoulder, while his detached right arm was held in the saboteur's grip. His left pede was scorched and rather melted, but he could still walk on it.
“What'd ya do this time, Jackie?” Jazz asked suddenly, grinning widely.
“I was trying to see how many different ways I could accidentally set off a bomb.”
“You... Jack...”
“What?”
“You do realize that a bomb's gonna go off no matter what if ya don' defuse it?”
“Yes. So?”
“I... Urgh. I give up.”
Title: Fluff
Rating: K
Continuity: G1 or Movieverse. Could be either.
Characters: Sam/Spike, Bumblebee
Disclaimer: Don't own
Prompt: 2. Fluff
“What... What is it?”
“A cotton ball.”
“Why do you have it?”
“I dunno. Carly gave it to me earlier. I guess I forgot it in my pocket.”
“Why did she have it?”
“Not sure.”
“What do you use it for?”
“Eh, cleaning stuff up, stopping bleeding. Carly uses it with nail polish remover to get nail polish off her nails.”
“... Why?”
“Bumblebee...”
“What?”
“I... ugh. I don't know, Bee. It's a little ball of fluff. We use it for whatever we use a little ball of fluff for.”
“... Oh.”
“Yeah.”
Title: Speechless
Rating: K+
Continuity: G1
Characters: Prowl, Jazz
Disclaimer: Don't own
Prompt: 3. Rendered speechless
They hadn't known it was possible. Sure, when he crashed, he was quiet, and he used a minimum number of words most of the time anyways, but...
To render Prowl speechless was...
Well. It sort of rendered them speechless also.
It had been an ordinary day. Wheeljack blew himself up no less than three times, Ratchet threw a few wrenches, Prowl made plans, Optimus wrote speeches and was his usual noble self, Sideswipe pranked everyone he could get his hands on, Sunstreaker whined about his polish, Mirage was walking around invisible, and Jazz was planning a party.
Just a normal, Friday night party, with no real reason as to why, other than, “it's Friday night, we aren't busy (as long as the 'Cons don't attack), and, well, why not?”
Then, things started taking a turn for the strange. Jazz managed to convince Prowl to attend. No one was quite sure how, and they were pretty sure they didn't want to know.
So, Prowl sat in a corner booth, deep in the shadows, and everyone forgot he was there.
Until, of course, Jazz made a scene.
Or rather, a serenade.
With, of all things, a Disney song.
The music started, and Bluestreak (who had a penchant for such things) and Bumblebee (who had seen many movies in his time watching the Witwicky's children) exchanged amused, rather frightened glances. They recognized it.
“All those days, watching from the windows, all those years, outside looking in. All that time, never even knowing just how blind I'd been,” he crooned, and the room was silent save for the faint background music and his voice.
Prowl was staring, gold optics wide, doorwings stiff and quivering. This had happened before, though no one here save for himself and Jazz knew of it.
“Now I’m here, blinking in the starlight. Now I’m here, and suddenly, I see. Standing here, it's oh so clear, I’m where I’m meant to be!” Jazz sung, slowly striding toward his fellow black and white.
Prowl stared some more, watching with pale optics as Jazz moved toward him.
“And at last I see the light, and its like the fog has lifted. And at last I see the light, and it's like the sky is new. And it's warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted. All at once, everything looks different, now that I see you,” Jazz hummed, sidling up next to Prowl, tucking himself under the warm arm and wide doorwing.
The music continued playing for a moment as the two stared at each other. Then, the crowd was even further rendered speechless.
Because Prowl was smiling.
And Prowl was singing.
And Prowl didn't sound half bad.
“All those days, chasing down a daydream. All those years, living in a blur,” the Praxian practically trilled, looking down at Jazz, a soft light in his optics, a warm smile on his face. “All that time, never truly seeing things the way they were. Now you're here, shining in the starlight. Now you're here, suddenly I know. If you're here, it's crystal clear, I’m where I’m meant to go.”
The music reached a crescendo, and Jazz's smile widened.
“And at last I see the light,” they both sang.
“And it's like the fog has lifted,” Prowl sang alone.
“And at last I see the light,” they again sang together.
“And it's like the sky is new,” Jazz crooned.
“And it's warm and real and bright, and the world has somehow shifted,” they hummed together. “All at once, everything looks different now that I see you. Now that I see you,” they finished. Prowl tightened his arm around Jazz, and Jazz snuggled deeper into the taller mech's side.
The rest of the Rec Room watched in stunned silence. Their relationship wasn't a secret. Things like that couldn't be hidden from a crew like that of the Arc. But Prowl was never this obvious about it. Never allowed Jazz to hold or touch or kiss him in public.
And now, a public serenade, that he participated in?
“What... What brought that on?” Sunstreaker finally managed.
Prowl blinked, glancing up from where his optics had locked with Jazz's visor, and smirked. He said nothing, though. Neither did Jazz.
And they never would.
Title: Haven
Rating: K+
Continuity: Complete and total AU. But G1 characters.
Characters: Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Optimus Prime, Jazz
Disclaimer: Don't own.
Prompt: 4. Was that... a dragon?
Notes: This is some weird AU that got into my head a while ago. I can't get rid of it, but it just seemed incredibly awkward every time I tried to write it. Thankfully, this turned out okay. And yes, the Twins are centaurs and Optimus is a dragon. No idea where it came from, but it did, and it stuck. >.<
“Come on, Sides.”
The red mech glanced up at his brother with dim optics. “'M tired, Sunny. Wanna stop.”
“We can't,” Sunstreaker said softly, moving back toward his brother, hooves thumping quietly on the soft ground.
Mechanimals moved through the crystals and circuit-vines around them, hooting and calling and chirping. The road they were on was barely worn, rarely traveled, and empty save for them.
Just the way they liked it.
Sideswipe shifted on his hooves, the armor of his equine frame flaring out, then settling with a rattle. “Suns, we've been running for two orns now.”
“And they're still on us,” Sunstreaker insisted. “We need to go.”
“Please.”
The yellow half-mech glanced around, then vented heavily. “Fine. One joor,” he allowed, lowering himself to his knees, long legs folded up underneath his body. Sideswipe collapsed next to him, and was in recharge almost instantly.
Frowning, Sunstreaker allowed himself to fall into recharge as well.
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo.
They woke to a shout.
“The hounds've got 'em again!”
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe exchanged a glance. A quick check of their chronos revealed that they had been recharging for more than four joors.
~Up, up!~ they said as one as they scrambled to their hooves.
~Which way?~ Sunstreaker asked, glancing between the open road and the tangled mass that was the woods.
~Woods are more difficult, but harder for them to track...~
~And we're still tired, so no flat-out out-running.~
~Woods.~
With that, they reared up on their hind hooves, wheeled around, and plunged into the thick mass of crystal trees and bushes and circuit-vines.
They stumbled as they ran, thick branches uneven under-pede, thin vines and wires grabbing at their frames.
~Keep going!~ one of them shouted across their bond, though neither was sure which said it.
Shouts and barks rang behind them.
~You still have your sword?~
~Yep. You?~
~Of course,~ Sunstreaker said, and managed a sly glance at his red half. Sideswipe smirked back, then unsheathed the long, sharp sword, the action mirrored by Sunstreaker.
They immediately went to work hacking at the wild growth in front of them.
That didn't last long, though. A petro-hound burst from the brush around them, lunging fearlessly at Sideswipe. The red Twin lashed out with a hind hoof, catching the canine on the chest, crumpling the armor, throwing the petro-hound back into the brush.
~Run!~ Sunstreaker shouted as the injured hound disappeared. ~Run!~
~Already on it!~
And they were off again, hooves pounding on the ground, fans working overtime, optics bright with fear and exertion.
They had been running for barely a breem when they broke through the brush and stumbled to a halt.
It was a wide clearing. The ground was flat and hard, covered with pale blue crysgrass.
“Come on!” Sunstreaker huffed as a petro-hound barked behind them, and he and his Twin took off, pounding across the clearing.
Moments later, behind them, petro-hounds and mechs riding cybersteeds exploded into the clearing behind the two half-equine mechs. They spent the barest fraction of a klik milling about in confusion at the sudden lack of branches, vines, and other cybertronian flora, then were once again after their prey.
A low rumble filled the clearing, and the petro-hounds slowed, then stopped. Then they turned around altogether, whining as they ran back the way they had come. The cybersteeds reared back, neighing. A few of their riders crashed to the ground. Others managed to hold on as their mounts, like the dogs before them, galloped away.
Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, hearing the chaos behind them, pulled up, hooves scrambling on the crysgrass.
~What the frag...?~ Sideswipe managed, glancing between the few remaining mechs and his brother.
~No idea.~
The rumble grew louder, then paused.
A great roar echoed through the air, and a shadow fell upon them all.
The Twins, who were almost out of the clearing, whirled around again, turning on hind hooves to see what the mechs on the ground were staring at.
Something loomed over the trees. Blue and red scale-like plating rattled. A deep, strut-shaking growl echoed from its chest.
“Is... is that a... a dragon?” one of the downed mechs stuttered, and the Twins exchanged a stunned glance.
~Dragon?~
~What- they don't exist!~
Sideswipe managed a dry, coughing chuckle. ~We're not supposed to exist either, Sunny. Sparks are supposed to be whole, not halves.~
~Well-~
“Dragon!” the downed mech shouted again, and Sideswipe and Sunstreaker turned to glace at where he was lying.
Or had been lying. He was disappearing into the brush now, along with his companions.
Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were alone in the clearing.
Alone with a dragon.
They backed up, hooves settling steadily, rhythmically, in step, their swords back in hand and lifted as they stared at the dragon.
It was massive. Wide, sweeping wings blew gusts of wind around them. It had broad shoulders and huge limbs. Large hands with sharp, curling talons clutched at the ground as it landed, scraping the crysgrass from the soft ground where it grew. Bright, yellow horns protruded from the sides of its helm.
Sideswipe and Sunstreaker hefted their swords again, for once not grinning at the prospect of a fight.
A sharp set of fangs was revealed as it smiled.
“You have no need to fear,” a deep voice rumbled, and the Twins jumped.
“What the frag?”
The dragon smiled again, fangs showing, but... it wasn't... threatening. Somehow. “You have no need to fear. You are on the borders of my realm, a place many have taken to calling 'Haven.' You are welcome here.”
“What-” Sideswipe started again, but was interrupted.
“Hey, OP!” a cheery voice said, and a small silver mech strode from the edge of the woods. “Ya scare 'em off?”
“Most of them,” the dragon rumbled, optics sparkling.
“Most? Someone wantin' t' stay?”
“Perhaps. What do you think, Centaurions?” the dragon asked, turning to the Twins.
“'Centaurions'?”
“Yes. You do not know what you are?”
The two exchanged glances, thoughts flying between them. “We've... kinda... been alone. Forever,” Sideswipe said, glancing down.
“Well, ya ain't anymore,” the sliver mech said, and the dragon nodded in agreement. “Welcome t' Haven.”
Title: No Place Like Home
Rating: K
Continuity: G1
Characters: Carly Witwicky, Wheeljack
Disclaimer: Don't own.
Prompt: 5. This Picture
Carly still loved Earth, but she would willingly admit, and often proclaimed, that her home was often outclassed by other places.
Like this one. A small, out of the way planet that had a binary star system. It had little atmosphere, so, had she not been wearing the exo-suit the Autobots had made for her, she would have been dead. But even with the heavy suit...
It was beautiful. One scarlet, flaming sun, backed by a smaller, bluish one. Stars glittering around them, dotting the dark air.
Yes, Earth was home, and it was beautiful, but there were wonders out there...
“Beautiful,” she murmured, and someone chuckled behind her. She turned, and was greeted with flashing helm fins.
“It is, isn't it?”
“Nothing like home, 'Jack, but...”
He didn't say anything, instead simply moving and sitting down beside her.
Title: Leaving
Rating: K
Continuity: G1
Characters: Prowl, Jazz, Optimus Prime
Disclaimer: Don't Own
Prompt: 6. “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.” - Dr. Seuss
“It's harder than Ah thought it'd be,” Jazz said as he leaned against his bondmate. They were sitting at the controls of the repaired Arc, staring at the monitors currently displaying the planet Earth fading away behind them.
“I know. It has become home.”
“Yeah.”
Optimus chuckled as he stepped up behind them. “I would agree, though it will be nice to return to Cybertron. I will miss our little friends.”
“Yeah. We had some fun times, down there,” Jazz said, a sparkling light flickering through his visor. “Gonna miss it.”
“Indeed.”
“Remember th' purple gryphon?”
“How could we forget?” Optimus asked as he lowered himself into one of the seats next to them.
“What about the Twins' first prank with duct tape?” Prowl asked, optics shining with a mischievous light not many would believe him capable of.
“Oh, Primus, that was amazing,” Jazz said with a grin. “Cliffy ain't ever livin' that down.”
“Hm. And all our blunders with the language?”
Prowl chuckled. “Of course. Yet, now...”
“We speak it over Cybertronian. Yes, Earth...”
“Is home. Was home.”
“Indeed.”