A/N
I LIVE! I want to apologize for my absence, I've been dealing with a busy life and the return of my chronic writer's block. Have some feels, my loves.
The forest was perfect. It was serene and the only sounds were the animals and the little river he had sat next to. He watched it, wondering where it began and why its supply seemed so endless.
He was also pondering how to move forward in his current situation. His Autobots were becoming more unruly by the solar cycle, and Prowl and himself had enough to worry about without the others picking fights every couple of joors.
The Decepticons, for one. Who knew where they were or when they'd try something next.
And he can't bear to lose any more of his friends. He needed them all focused on their duties, but they were being like human politicians. Hard to reason with without threats and insisting they can fend for themselves when really, they'd be lost without him. He didn't like to say it out loud because it made him feel stuck up and he didn't want to put them down, but it was true.
"What's wrong?"
He whipped out a cannon toward the source of speech and froze. It was just a little human femme. He looked around and back at her. She was all alone. He lowered and dismissed his weapon.
"Pardon…?"
"You look sad."
Oh, she couldn't have been any older than a few years, likely eight or nine.
"Why are you out here by yourself?"
"I come here all the time. Why are you out here by yourself?"
"... I needed to think about some things. You would not understand."
"Oh, really?" She climbed up on the pile of boulders next to him and sat down. "Try me."
She was a few meters up, could easily fall to her death, and yet she had not the slightest bit of fear about her.
"I have lost many of my friends, and those I still have do not entirely trust me to keep them safe."
"Do you keep them safe?"
"To the best of my ability, yes."
"They sound very ungrateful. Why do you still protect them?"
"I love them, and it is my responsibility. It will take much more than their lack of trust for me to stop trying."
She studied him for a few moments, then climbed down from the rocks and sprinted away.
Shocked by her sudden departure, he vented and looked back at the river. It was still flowing.
She was gone for about a joor before she came running back, something grasped in her hand. She panted as she climbed back up the boulders and sat down.
"You are very strong. Do you like flowers?" He nodded and she held her hand out to him. In it were several colorful clusters of large flowers.
"What are these?"
"They're gladiolus flowers. They mean bravery and courage."
"How do you know this?"
"My dad runs a flower shop."
"Well..." he reached and carefully took the flowers. "Thank you."
"You're welcome!" He hadn't moved his hand away so she used it to stand and begin her descent.
He decides to help her down the rest of the way, and she gives him a big smile before walking back in the direction she had come from.