Three months have passed by since the autobots finally closed the black hole and destroyed Galvatron, and everything returned to its normal form, even their lives.
With Optimus gone to build the new space bridge, Jetfire and Eriel had to do visits to the other planets according to the protocol. And According to the call that they received from Scourge three days before, this time they will visit Jungle Planet, thing that Jetfire didn't like at all:
-"What about cancel this? I mean we don't have to visit him!"- Jetfire said as they climbed the temple's stairs: -"You can go back if you want! I made a promise to my brother and I have to respect it!"- Eriel said as she finally reached the last stair.
Jetfire shook his head:-"No I didn't mean it like that!"- He said.
They walked into the temple, by Eriel's side was her little daughter Ariel, as any kid of that age she started to touch everything there: -"Hey! Don't touch that! If you do it a big dragon will came out and he will eat you!"- Jetfire told Ariel trying to scare her, instead of that she giggled:-"Plush!"- She said.
Jetfire smiled and picked her up:-"Okay! Then come with me, I'll take care of you for a while!"-
As they walked trough the big hall, they noticed that they were celebrating something, and when they arrived to the main room they noticed that it was Scourge's birthday.
Eriel checked her black pad and noticed the date, it was May 6th and in the corner of her pad she had a little note: 'Scourge's b-day. Don't forget':-"Yeah! Right I forgot it anyway!"- She told to herself. She felt a terrible guilt for that, and she also felt ashamed because she didn't buy a present for him, so as soon as she saw him, she walked to him:
-"Hey there Scourge, Happy birthday!"- She said as she hugged him.
Nobody in the room say a word:-"Thank you!"- Scourge softly said as he placed his arms around her.-"How you dare to do that? Nobody touches the emperor of Jungle Planet!"- Undermine said as he ran in circles.
-"Did I do something wrong? I just wanted to congratulate you!"- She shyly asked him.
Scourge placed his hand on her shoulder:-"It's okay! Fellows they are my special guests! They can do whatever they want"- Eriel turned to him and smiled, Scourge's cheeks turned red and he looked away without saying a word.
After that Scourge invited them to take a sit and so they did. They served them some liquid energon with some kind of straw, Eriel stared at the food, she shyly looked at Jetfire and then she looked up to Scourge:-"Excuse me but can I have a spoon?"- Scourge spat out his energon. –"This is an insult!" Undermine said again.
Scourge shook his head cleaning up his mouth:-"we don't eat this with spoons, we put the straw here and then you drink it!"- He patiently said.
-"I'm sorry!"- She shyly said. Scourge shook his head again:-"You don't have to be sorry!"-
They ate almost in silence, just once in a while they heard Ariel drinking up her energon.
After a while they served ice cream, as a normal thing lil' Ariel finished with hers quickly.
-"Please do not disturb him; I don't want to get in troubles while your brother is gone!"- Jetfire whispered on Eriel´s receptor.
She shyly nodded, and looked up to meet Scourge's optics:-"So how's everything? How's your brother, Evac and Override over there?"- Scourge asked her.
-"They are okay! Just a bit homesick"- She said smiling back at him. Then she saw him turned to his right side:-"Ish ceam!"- She heard a little voice and she suddenly jumped off her chair and rushed to Scourge's place.
-"You want more ice cream?"- He said as he picked up Ariel on his arms and gave her his ice cream.
-"I'm really sorry emperor!"- Jetfire said as he made some kind of reverence. He looked back to them:-"it's okay let her eat! She needs it to grow up and be strong right?"- He said looking back to Ariel.
She giggled:-"Plush!"- She said as she placed her hands over Scourge's face.
He looked back to Eriel, she tenderly smiled at him again:-"Thank you Scourge!"- She said.
-"You're welcome!"- He said as he saw how the little girl made his ice cream disappear.
After that, the rest of Scourge's guests along with Jetfire stayed outside having a nice chat, but Eriel and her little daughter were inside with Scourge, they were talking about more personal things:-"How you've been since Galvatron's death?"-He asked her. She looked down:-"Well I've been better, but I'm getting along with that!"- She said evading Scourge's optics.
As if they were close friends Scourge softly hugged her:-"I'm sorry; I didn't want to hear that! But if you need anything I'll be here for you!"- He said. Eriel's cheeks turned red and she shyly nodded.
Ariel was running around the temple, as her mother and Scourge slowly walked behind her talking about the new space bridge.
They kept on that 'till the baby girl found a piano in a big room, she ran back to her mother and took her hand:-"pla fo me mama!"- She asked Eriel.
She turned to Scourge, and he nodded:-"Go ahead!"- He said. Eriel walked to the big piano and noticed that it was dusty:-"You don't play so often huh?"- She told him, Scourge's cheeks turned red and he shook his head:-"I don't have enough time for that!"- Eriel softly smiled and then she started to play, they were there in silence listening her play She was playing Megatron´s favorite melody- She played it with all her spark as two shining tears crossed her cheeks, when she ended the song Ariel clapped:-"again mama!"-
-"Do you really miss him that much?"- Scourge asked her, but she said nothing. Eriel wiped away her tears:-"Why don't you play for us emperor?"- She stood up and made Scourge take a sit:-"But I don't know any song!"- He said.
Eriel giggled:-"Juts improvise!"- She said.
Scourge nodded:-"I will, but you'll have to sing with me, and I don't accept a 'no' for answer! Let me tell you that an Emperor shouldn't be doing this"- Eriel smiled and nodded. He started to play:-"You my biggest dream, like a butterfly, you my princess the most beautiful!"- He sang as he turned to meet Eriel telling her with his optics 'it's your turn'.
She softly started to sing too-"You, my brave knight, my prince, my eternal love! Take me away like in the fairy tails… take me to your kingdom!"-
Ariel was happily clapping as she heard the voices game. When they noticed it, the rest of Scourge's guests were in the room but they kept on singing:-"You the most beautiful, the most naïve, you drive me crazy, you're my owner!"- He played without paying attention to the rest of their audience.
"You, the one I've been waiting for, the one I've been dreaming of; in your green optics I see it so clear!"- Eriel was standing by Scourge's right side.
Snarl was laughing to death 'because it was really strange to see Scourge doing those things.
And Undermine was about to kill himself because Eriel showed them the soft side of the great emperor of Jungle Planet.
The rest of the people including Jetfire were clapping with tears on their optics…
When they finished the song Eriel turned to Scourge:-"I didn't know that you were so talented!"-
Scourge looked away and inevitably his cheeks turned red:-"Well it is because I am a modest warrior!"- He answered. She smiled again.
In the big room's threshold Snarl looked up to Jetfire:-"Is something happening between those two, right?"- He asked.
Jetfire shrugged:-"Maybe it is, Maybe no! Maybe they are about to start their own 'Beauty & the Beast' history, they just have to realize it!"- He said looking back at Snarl.
By the evening they saw Scourge, Eriel and Ariel walk outside the temple and sat down in the first stair, Ariel climbed Scourge's legs and placed her little hands on his face again:-"Plush!"- She giggled.
Scourge half smiled-"Why does she call me like that?"- He asked.
Eriel giggled too:-"It is because she can't pronounce 'Scourge' and because her father gave her a dragon plush that looks like you!"- She sadly answered.
-"Hmm! I like that, it make me feel huggable!"- He joked trying to make her smile.
And it functioned because she smiled, and smiled again as she saw Scourge nuzzling Ariel, she saw how a smile appeared on Scourge's mouth:-"Wee wee wee!"- Ariel babble.
Then Scourge softly took Eriel's hand:-"Thank you!"- He said as he finally smiled back at her:-"You really made my day, this is the best birthday I have ever had, you know? You let my self be, you didn't judge me for anything or expect the great thing from me… you showed me that there is nothing wrong in committing mistakes or brake rules, you even made me sing in front of my people!"- He said as he softly kissed her hand.
-"You know Scourge; this is the first time I saw you smile!"- She said as she fixed her blue optics on his.
-"It is because I don't usually smile, but you made me do it and I thank you for that!"-
Eriel shook her head-"No thanks necessary! That's what friends are for!" She said as she softly gave him a kiss, then he felt another lips on his left cheek, it was Ariel giving him a kiss too. Scourge's cheeks were red:-"whew! I'm lucky aren't I?"- He asked them joking, then they laughed.
Jetfire, Undermine and Snarl were staring at them from the inside:-"Is that a smile on Scourge's mouth?"- Undermine asked in disbelieve.
Snarl nodded:-"You shouldn't be so surprised; Scourge is a normal mech like you and me, he has feelings and he can love too!"- Snarl answered without apart his gaze from them.
Scourge was now embracing Eriel and he had Ariel on his lap, they were watching the sun went down.
-"The Prime's have that power, they can always make you smile and make you feel beloved, is their nature, you can never deny anything to them, specially to Eriel, she is just like an angel who is wiling to make your life better and better everyday!"- Jetfire said.
-"Is Scourge in love?"- Undermine asked to Jetfire. Snarl hit him on his head:-"Don't ask stupid questions you fool!-
They saw how Scourge and Eriel were looking at each other, and how they smile to each other without saying a word…
Jetfire chuckled-"I don't know yet buddy! Only time will say that!"-
-"You're a never sure about anything!"- Undermine madly protested
-"You may be right Undermine, but I can tell you that I'm sure about one thing...!"- Jetfire whispered
."And what is that thing?"- Undermine asked again.
-"We will always remember this day, because today's the day that the emperor smiled!"- Jetfire told them.
Snarl looked at Undermine and smiled then he looked back at Jetfire:-"You're right my friend, you're right"-Snarl whispered…
5
- The Day that the Emperor Smiled"-