Sharing Sunsets
It's not a secret that my last job kind of sapped any and all interest and love I had for writing, fic or otherwise. Everything I started eventually stalled after like... a chapter or two. And I started to realise that maybe I was holding on eventhough I didn't have the love for it anymore. So I let it go, figuring that when it was ready to come back, it would come back.
I didn't expect it to come back from watching TF Prime, but never look a gift horse in the mouth, as they say. I'm just hoping this is the start of getting back into my groove. So without further ado...
Here's just a little character sketch of Raf, following the incidents in Episode 7 "Scrapheap". It would help if you've seen the episode, but it should still be okay if you haven't.
Consider it rated G.
Sharing Sunsets
Well that had been an interesting way to spend a Saturday. He’d come in expecting to play a few video games with Bumblebee - which had gone out the window when Miko snatched up the controllers - and had ended up playing bodyguard to his big alien friends.
That had been surreal, with a good dose of creepy… definitely creepy. Those scraplets had looked so cute at first, who knew they’d turn out to be vicious little robo-locusts intent on devouring the Autobots, how had Bulkhead put it… from the inside out? He shuddered. And he’d gone and brought one to them.
A look of dismay stole over his face. What if it was all his fault? Maybe bringing the first one into the presence of the Autobots had led all the others to them. If so, he’d nearly gotten them all killed. His shoulders slumped. What if all of them thought that as well? He sighed. Way to screw things up again, Raf.
He paced the doorway waiting for his ride home. Footsteps sounded behind him, but they were not the usual light jaunt that signified Bumblebee. These steps were heavy and he turned to see none other than Optimus Prime approaching.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, craning his neck to look up at the big Autobot leader. “Where’s Bumblebee?”
“Still in Ratchet’s care,” Prime replied kindly. “I’m afraid he will not be able to escape our good medic till Ratchet is certain there’s no lasting damage from the Scraplets.”
“Oh…” Raf looked even more crestfallen. “But… he’ll be okay won’t he?”
“Bumblebee has been through worse, he’ll be fine.”
“That’s good.” A little bit of relief went through him. “Guess I’ll have to hitch a ride with Bulkhead.”
Prime chuckled softly. “That won’t be necessary Raf.” He transformed into the impressive long-nosed truck and opened a door. “I’ll be taking you home today.”
The boy’s eyes widened like saucers behind his glasses. “Really?” He could hardly believe it. Riding with the leader of the Autobots. “Are you sure you don’t have anything else to do.”
The engine rumbled, and Raf swore it sounded like laughter. “I thought it would be a good idea to make my escape while Ratchet’s distracted. His medical check-ups can be a little intimidating.”
Raf giggled as he climbed up into the cab, somehow finding it hard to believe that the Autobot leader, who had probably faced countless larger and scarier Decepticons was nervous around one little medic - so to speak.
Then again, he thought as he settled into the seat and Prime drove off, the scraplets were smaller than him and look at the damage just one of them could cause.
As Prime hit the highway, Raf looked down at his hands, his dismal mood starting to creep back up on him as the silence in the cab lengthened.
“Is there something on your mind, Rafael?” Prime asked softly.
Raf looked up quickly. “Huh? No… I mean…” he trailed off with a sigh.
“Would you like to talk about it?”
It amazed sometimes him that such a warm voice could come out of a being made almost entirely of metal, but he had seen first hand how the Autobots could emote and empathize amongst themselves. Perhaps Prime would understand.
He looked up and watched the setting sun through Prime’s windshield, trying to gather his thoughts and his courage, knowing the Autobot leader was waiting patiently.
“I’m sorry I let those scraplets hurt Bumblebee and the others,” he said at last. “I brought the first one into the room where they were and it attacked them, and I think that’s what led the others to them, and all of them got hurt, and you and Arcee would have frozen to death if the ground bridge hadn’t worked, and it’s all my fault.”
His lower lip quivered a bit, though he forced himself not to cry. He was a boy and too old to cry.
“You upset yourself needlessly, Rafael, for nobody holds you accountable for what happened today,” Prime replied. “If anything, your actions may have in fact saved all our lives.”
“Saved you? How?” Raf removed his glasses, cleaning the lenses on his shirt before popping them back on.
“If you hadn’t made Ratchet aware of the scraplets, he might never have realized that the infestation was causing the problem with the ground bridge. This day could have ended far worse had it not been for your actions.”
Raf let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Hearing those kind words from the Autobot leader had helped to take a huge weight off his shoulders, but there was still something that kept it from being lifted off completely. Prime seemed to realize it, too.
“Is there something else?”
The boy fidgeted. “It’s just… I’ve never killed anything before. I mean, I may have swatted a mosquito or accidentally stepped on an ant, but not like this. I’ve never been so angry.”
There was a moment of silence, and from the subtle switch in the sound of the truck’s engine, Raf wondered if he’d offended the Autobot.
“There is no joy to be found in taking a life, Rafael,” Prime said at last, and rather gravely. “The Decepticons might disagree, but we Autobots find no satisfaction in killing any living being be they sentient or non.”
“But you still do it,” Raf said quickly and then bit his lip. “I mean…”
“Regretfully,” Prime replied. “Megatron gave us no choice. Had we not fought back, the Autobot race may have been extinguished. Even then, most of us - those of us who were there from the beginning of the war and saw all the horrors that befell the unlucky - we still try not to kill. Sadly it becomes a necessary evil when the choice comes down to sparing an enemy or saving a friend. Much like you today, Rafael.”
“I didn’t mean to… it just attacked Bumblebee and I just… snapped.”
“I understand.”
And Raf realized that Prime had probably ‘snapped’ more than a few times over the course of his life. It was still strange to think that these were robots who were able to mourn and feel regret, but there it was. There was still so much about them that they didn’t know, Raf thought. So much they can’t tell us because we wouldn’t understand.
“How do you get used to it?” he asked.
“You don’t.” Prime’s voice was solemn. “And the day you get used to taking a life, the day you feel no remorse, is when you become no better than a Decepticon.”
The boy let that piece of advice sink in and suddenly he felt a lot lighter. “I’ll remember.”
“In the case of the scraplet however,” and here Prime’s voice took on a lighter edge. “Think of it as swatting a rather large mosquito.”
Raf smiled. “Thanks, Optimus. You really are a good leader.”
“I’m honored you think that of me, Rafael, thank you.”
Feeling at ease now, Raf settled back in his seat and looked out of the window. The last rays of the setting sun had bathed the landscape in a soft gold so that everything seemed to be glowing.
“Looks beautiful, doesn’t it, Optimus?”
“Indeed. Very pleasing to my optic sensors.”
Something occurred to Raf, then. “It’s not just to escape Ratchet, is it? You could have taken the ground bridge straight to my town instead of driving through the desert to reach it.”
Prime’s engine rumbled in a soft laugh. “Perhaps not. I find peace in your sunsets. I thought you might be able to do the same.”
“The sunset’s not the only thing,” Raf said, and relaxed for the rest of the ride.
=====
The last bit of daylight had just left the sky when Prime finally pulled up at the back gate to Raf’s house. His engine rumbled so softly that not even the neighbor’s dog barked, and Raf was grateful. The last thing he wanted was to draw attention to his current mode of transportation - there would be too many questions that he couldn’t answer without giving his friends away.
He opened the door and was about to climb out, when Prime spoke.
“Just one more thing, Rafael.”
“Yeah?”
A small compartment near the floor slid open and Raf peered in to see what looked suspiciously like a little snowball sitting amidst a puddle of water. It had probably been a lot bigger before it started to melt. As it was now, it was slightly smaller than a baseball.
“You remembered!” he exclaimed as he took it out and turned it over in his hands. “It’s so cold!”
“I did promise you,” Prime replied.
“Awesome! Thanks, Optimus.” He didn’t know if his smile could get any wider. “This means a lot.”
“I thought it would.”
Raf happily tossed it in his hands for a few more minutes before hurling it out of the open door, watching it splat and melt on the pavement before he climbed out of the cab.
“Goodnight, Rafael,” Prime said as he shut his door once the boy was safely on the ground.
“Night, Optimus, and thanks for the ride.” Raf turned to go in at the gate, then stopped and looked back. “Oh, and tell Ratchet there’s no school on a Sunday either.” He grinned wickedly.
Prime laughed. “I will be sure to break it to him gently.”
“Good luck. See you tomorrow.”
And with that, boy and Autobot parted ways for the night.
~END
Enjoy!
And first time writing in the TF Prime verse, so any feedback is appreciated =)
I didn't expect it to come back from watching TF Prime, but never look a gift horse in the mouth, as they say. I'm just hoping this is the start of getting back into my groove. So without further ado...
Here's just a little character sketch of Raf, following the incidents in Episode 7 "Scrapheap". It would help if you've seen the episode, but it should still be okay if you haven't.
Consider it rated G.
Sharing Sunsets
Well that had been an interesting way to spend a Saturday. He’d come in expecting to play a few video games with Bumblebee - which had gone out the window when Miko snatched up the controllers - and had ended up playing bodyguard to his big alien friends.
That had been surreal, with a good dose of creepy… definitely creepy. Those scraplets had looked so cute at first, who knew they’d turn out to be vicious little robo-locusts intent on devouring the Autobots, how had Bulkhead put it… from the inside out? He shuddered. And he’d gone and brought one to them.
A look of dismay stole over his face. What if it was all his fault? Maybe bringing the first one into the presence of the Autobots had led all the others to them. If so, he’d nearly gotten them all killed. His shoulders slumped. What if all of them thought that as well? He sighed. Way to screw things up again, Raf.
He paced the doorway waiting for his ride home. Footsteps sounded behind him, but they were not the usual light jaunt that signified Bumblebee. These steps were heavy and he turned to see none other than Optimus Prime approaching.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, craning his neck to look up at the big Autobot leader. “Where’s Bumblebee?”
“Still in Ratchet’s care,” Prime replied kindly. “I’m afraid he will not be able to escape our good medic till Ratchet is certain there’s no lasting damage from the Scraplets.”
“Oh…” Raf looked even more crestfallen. “But… he’ll be okay won’t he?”
“Bumblebee has been through worse, he’ll be fine.”
“That’s good.” A little bit of relief went through him. “Guess I’ll have to hitch a ride with Bulkhead.”
Prime chuckled softly. “That won’t be necessary Raf.” He transformed into the impressive long-nosed truck and opened a door. “I’ll be taking you home today.”
The boy’s eyes widened like saucers behind his glasses. “Really?” He could hardly believe it. Riding with the leader of the Autobots. “Are you sure you don’t have anything else to do.”
The engine rumbled, and Raf swore it sounded like laughter. “I thought it would be a good idea to make my escape while Ratchet’s distracted. His medical check-ups can be a little intimidating.”
Raf giggled as he climbed up into the cab, somehow finding it hard to believe that the Autobot leader, who had probably faced countless larger and scarier Decepticons was nervous around one little medic - so to speak.
Then again, he thought as he settled into the seat and Prime drove off, the scraplets were smaller than him and look at the damage just one of them could cause.
As Prime hit the highway, Raf looked down at his hands, his dismal mood starting to creep back up on him as the silence in the cab lengthened.
“Is there something on your mind, Rafael?” Prime asked softly.
Raf looked up quickly. “Huh? No… I mean…” he trailed off with a sigh.
“Would you like to talk about it?”
It amazed sometimes him that such a warm voice could come out of a being made almost entirely of metal, but he had seen first hand how the Autobots could emote and empathize amongst themselves. Perhaps Prime would understand.
He looked up and watched the setting sun through Prime’s windshield, trying to gather his thoughts and his courage, knowing the Autobot leader was waiting patiently.
“I’m sorry I let those scraplets hurt Bumblebee and the others,” he said at last. “I brought the first one into the room where they were and it attacked them, and I think that’s what led the others to them, and all of them got hurt, and you and Arcee would have frozen to death if the ground bridge hadn’t worked, and it’s all my fault.”
His lower lip quivered a bit, though he forced himself not to cry. He was a boy and too old to cry.
“You upset yourself needlessly, Rafael, for nobody holds you accountable for what happened today,” Prime replied. “If anything, your actions may have in fact saved all our lives.”
“Saved you? How?” Raf removed his glasses, cleaning the lenses on his shirt before popping them back on.
“If you hadn’t made Ratchet aware of the scraplets, he might never have realized that the infestation was causing the problem with the ground bridge. This day could have ended far worse had it not been for your actions.”
Raf let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Hearing those kind words from the Autobot leader had helped to take a huge weight off his shoulders, but there was still something that kept it from being lifted off completely. Prime seemed to realize it, too.
“Is there something else?”
The boy fidgeted. “It’s just… I’ve never killed anything before. I mean, I may have swatted a mosquito or accidentally stepped on an ant, but not like this. I’ve never been so angry.”
There was a moment of silence, and from the subtle switch in the sound of the truck’s engine, Raf wondered if he’d offended the Autobot.
“There is no joy to be found in taking a life, Rafael,” Prime said at last, and rather gravely. “The Decepticons might disagree, but we Autobots find no satisfaction in killing any living being be they sentient or non.”
“But you still do it,” Raf said quickly and then bit his lip. “I mean…”
“Regretfully,” Prime replied. “Megatron gave us no choice. Had we not fought back, the Autobot race may have been extinguished. Even then, most of us - those of us who were there from the beginning of the war and saw all the horrors that befell the unlucky - we still try not to kill. Sadly it becomes a necessary evil when the choice comes down to sparing an enemy or saving a friend. Much like you today, Rafael.”
“I didn’t mean to… it just attacked Bumblebee and I just… snapped.”
“I understand.”
And Raf realized that Prime had probably ‘snapped’ more than a few times over the course of his life. It was still strange to think that these were robots who were able to mourn and feel regret, but there it was. There was still so much about them that they didn’t know, Raf thought. So much they can’t tell us because we wouldn’t understand.
“How do you get used to it?” he asked.
“You don’t.” Prime’s voice was solemn. “And the day you get used to taking a life, the day you feel no remorse, is when you become no better than a Decepticon.”
The boy let that piece of advice sink in and suddenly he felt a lot lighter. “I’ll remember.”
“In the case of the scraplet however,” and here Prime’s voice took on a lighter edge. “Think of it as swatting a rather large mosquito.”
Raf smiled. “Thanks, Optimus. You really are a good leader.”
“I’m honored you think that of me, Rafael, thank you.”
Feeling at ease now, Raf settled back in his seat and looked out of the window. The last rays of the setting sun had bathed the landscape in a soft gold so that everything seemed to be glowing.
“Looks beautiful, doesn’t it, Optimus?”
“Indeed. Very pleasing to my optic sensors.”
Something occurred to Raf, then. “It’s not just to escape Ratchet, is it? You could have taken the ground bridge straight to my town instead of driving through the desert to reach it.”
Prime’s engine rumbled in a soft laugh. “Perhaps not. I find peace in your sunsets. I thought you might be able to do the same.”
“The sunset’s not the only thing,” Raf said, and relaxed for the rest of the ride.
=====
The last bit of daylight had just left the sky when Prime finally pulled up at the back gate to Raf’s house. His engine rumbled so softly that not even the neighbor’s dog barked, and Raf was grateful. The last thing he wanted was to draw attention to his current mode of transportation - there would be too many questions that he couldn’t answer without giving his friends away.
He opened the door and was about to climb out, when Prime spoke.
“Just one more thing, Rafael.”
“Yeah?”
A small compartment near the floor slid open and Raf peered in to see what looked suspiciously like a little snowball sitting amidst a puddle of water. It had probably been a lot bigger before it started to melt. As it was now, it was slightly smaller than a baseball.
“You remembered!” he exclaimed as he took it out and turned it over in his hands. “It’s so cold!”
“I did promise you,” Prime replied.
“Awesome! Thanks, Optimus.” He didn’t know if his smile could get any wider. “This means a lot.”
“I thought it would.”
Raf happily tossed it in his hands for a few more minutes before hurling it out of the open door, watching it splat and melt on the pavement before he climbed out of the cab.
“Goodnight, Rafael,” Prime said as he shut his door once the boy was safely on the ground.
“Night, Optimus, and thanks for the ride.” Raf turned to go in at the gate, then stopped and looked back. “Oh, and tell Ratchet there’s no school on a Sunday either.” He grinned wickedly.
Prime laughed. “I will be sure to break it to him gently.”
“Good luck. See you tomorrow.”
And with that, boy and Autobot parted ways for the night.
~END
Enjoy!
And first time writing in the TF Prime verse, so any feedback is appreciated =)