The sky was lit with the dawn of Cybertron's suns as they gradually rose into the sky, there was no sound in the distance, not even a breath of wind to disturb the resting civilians. For once, it was a peaceful morning and no one had to shoot out of their birth and start ducking for cover. This would have been the perfect morning for every bot to get caught up on their powerdowns for the first time since the war began.
But it wasn't silent enough, the silence was loud enough to wake Acrion. The morning was too quiet, something was bound to happen either way. If it wasn't the sound of guns going off, it would be the sound of somebot knocking on her bedroom door. She waited to hear her mother knocking on the door, waking her so she could get started on her dreadful music and dance lessons, and Primas knows how many other things she needs to learn. Surprisingly, there was no knock. Which shot her optics up and putting a smile on her mouth valve, the silence was a blessing from the Heavens. At last, she finally got a day where she was free to be Acrion, not some proper-femme-in-training. Quietly, she got up and walked to her door, stopping to put her audio receptor against the her carrier, she was possibly waiting to get her with a surprise you-got-busted expression. After waiting for a few moments, she slowly opened the door and peeked out. The hallway was dark and quiet, Acrion slipped out around the corner out of her room. She tiptoed near her caretaker's room, listening to her the silent hum of her mother's motherboard in powerdown mode.
"Sneaking out again are we?" A deep and quiet voice asked. Acrion's circuit wires tensed up, realizing she was caught by her creator, Skreen. Turning around and smiling innocently, she turned to look at Skreen who was looking at her with a stern expression and his arms crossed.
"Well, you see...I was...I mean I..." Acrion tried to think of an excuse for being up early and sneaking around.
"Going out to the Crystal Forest?" He asked, keeping his arms crossed, studying her faceplate.
Acrion nodded, she couldn't lie to him. It was just like Skreen to see through her lies. Acrion hoped that this would be one of those mornings where he would have been laid back, and let her sneak out. A strong wave of disappointment weighted heavily on her spark when she realized, this wasn't one of those mornings. With her head hanging down in disappointment, she sulked back towards her room.
Then she felt a servo on her shoulder pad.
"I didn't say 'no', did I?"Skreen asked.
Acrion stopped and turned to looked up at Skreen. Skreen looked down at her with a wide, understanding smile. Noticing that he was having a laid back morning, her smile returned with a touch of more excitement. He walked past her and into the room he shared with his mate.
"Get out of here kid." Skreen whispered over his shoulder pad." Before you're mom catches you."
"Thank you daddy." She whispered, hugging him tightly.
"Yeah, yeah." He mumbled back. Unlike his mate, he was more the fun caretaker. He wanted his daughter to actually enjoy her life span for as long as possible. One day, he feared, she would be a soldier in this forseeable war. Then she won't have a life at all. "Don't say I never did anything for ya."
After Acrion released her hug, Skreen turned to watch her dash out the door and into the Crystal forest. He snickered, remembering how much the Crystal Forest meant to him and Rimma, and Acrion didn't even comprehend why they appreciated the forest so much.
'It has brought us much joy.'Rimma always replied.
"She's right." He whispered, crawling in next to his mate. Not too long after he brought Acrion to Rimma that he and Rimma fell in love. At first, he believed that she loved him for the sake of Acrion. But as time went on, he realized her love for him was just as strong as his. Their love led to their marriage. Skreen realized, after the wedding, if it wasn't for his usual walks along the edge of the Crystal Woods, he probibly wouldn't have found Acrion. Then he probibly wouldn't have married Rimma and be a good creator to a growing sparkling.
A life he could enjoy, for the time being.
With the wind blowing in her face plate, her landing pads pounding hard against the ground, her home growing smaller as she got further away, and her hands gently pushing off the crystal's, Acrion felt free. No, not free, she felt like a sparkling living her life. Every opportunity she had, she always took it. She always prayed to have a morning where she could just run into the forest and be with her true friends. Being in the Crystal Forest always made her feel at home.
Once she made it to her usual spot, she sat and leaned against the crystal. She closed her optics, letting her husk relax against the roughness of the crystal. Then she dug into the small opening and brought out her hidden stash of sweets. As she slowly devoured them, she closed her optics again, taking in every crunchy bite and every sweet and salty taste. As she took out another piece, she opened her optics and watched one of the suns slowly rise into the sky. The stunning sights, the gleaming shine of the crystals, the cool air, the calm silence of the world, and the sweet taste of the treat in her mouth was like a vacation.
A nearby thud startled her. Looking to the left, she spotted a small, four-legged creäture running up to her.
"Hey Silver." Acrion greeted, gently petting the top of Silver's ears. "Are you just as surprised to see me out here as much as I am?"
The silvery white creature tilted her head in response.
"Yeah me too." Acrion lifted up the creature and placed Silver on her lap, letting her nuzzle against her stomach pit." No lessons, no spiels, no punishments, nothing but fun and fresh air."
For as long as she could remember, Rimma has been teaching Acrion what a proper femme is supposed to do and how to act. Nearly everyday, she would have to wake up, attend every lesson from speech to waltz, and nearly everyday her mother would criticize her for anything wrong. Her mother wanted her to become the proper femme that she was while growing up. Acrion always felt annoyed as she set her elbow joints on her knee pads. Why was her mother always trying to control her life?
"But I should be happy that I even have a mother." She whispered to herself, remembering what's been happening to the carriers of her friends and what may possibly happen to hers. Acrion didn't listen to the broadcast system or the reports, she could see just by walking down the street that a war was coming. She just hoped that she wouldn't have to be in the army or either one of her caretakers.
Silver nudged her gently, being the kind of pet she was, she could tell that something was wrong. Acrion contently petted Silver who purred in response. After a few strokes, Silver gently bit Acrion's servo and started pulling her forward.
"Ow! Let go Silver!" Acrion shouted, not really wanting Silver to let go. Whenever Silver bit her servo and started pulling her, it always led her to excitement. This time, Silver led her to a small oil pond. Acrion's optics went wide with excitement, her mouth valve formed a big smile. Taking in a deep breath, she lept into the pond, rolling around and laughing like a toddler. After she was done rolling, she laid back and stared at the dawning sky slowly turn brighter and brighter.
"Hello."
Acrion shouted in shock as she stood up, looking around. She looked over the hill and noticed a tall, blue, dark red and dark silver husk looking at her with a charming smile. Acrion felt her face plate turn bright red in embarrassment, her circuits were buzzing out of control like her body wanted to jump up and down like a toddler getting her present on Christmas. Hastily, she tried to brush off the dirt and oil on her husk.
"Oh I'm so humiliated." She whispered, chuckling to herself and looking back up at him. "I-I'm so sorry, this isn't the normal me."
"Oh no, it is alright." He said, walking down the hill and stopped at the edge of the oil pond. "I believe it iss rather darling."
Acrion could feel her face plate turn redder as his smile seemed to gleam with a ravenous glow, sending a chill down her spinal cord. Acrion smiled back at him, staring dreamily at him.
"My name is Roads." He said, holding his servo out to her like a gentlebot helping a femme up.
"I'm Acrion." She said, taking his servo. She gasped as he pulled her out so quickly.
"My my, you are most certainly a light one." He commented, crossing his arms behind his back.
He thinks I'm light!? Oh Primas, give me strength.
"Oh, well, thank you." Acrion replied, shyly. Messing with her helmet in a girly fashion, looking at him with a small glint in her optics. His smile grew and his optics glowed beautifully like the sun itself was reflecting off his optics. His husk was strong yet small and gorgous, like his smile and teeth digits. Acrion felt she couldn't breath or move, her body went numb and her optics continued to stare in amazement. Her spark raced at a pace she never felt in her life.
"I must admit." He said, looking down at the ground, scratching the back of his dark helmet." You really are a creature of beauty, Acrion."
Acrion, if she didn't have a strong stomach and a strong head, she would have fainted. Even if she just met him, Roads was more than charismatic, he was something else that seemed alien in nature, almost too beautiful to be real.
"Acrion!" A voice shouted from nearby, making Acrion cringe in fear.
Of all the...
"Please forgive me." Acrion pleaded, bowing her head down slightly. "But I must leave. My mother is calling."
"When may I see you again?" He asked in a pleading tone, his smile was gone and the dashing glint in his optics was gone. All of those were replaced with a combination of hope, anxiety and despair.
"I will try to come back every morning." Acrion promised, placing her servo on top of his. "I will try to return as much as possible Roads."
"I shall await for you my darling."
Acrion ran as fast as she could, still hearing her mother's loud voice like a war siren going off for everyone to duck and cover. Acrion ran and jumped over broken crystals. As her house came into view, if she wasn't running, she would be cringing in fear. Before she could see her mom, she could already see her glaring pure firey daggers at her. Her arms would be crossed, her optics almost red with anger, her face as stern as a drill sargent.
When the house finally came into sight, her mother actually had her back to her. Acrion slowed down, placing her servos on her knee pads, breathing heavily. "Yes mother?"
Rimma turned around, keeping a firm face and her optics as hard as granite. Acrion tried to smile innocently like she did nothing wrong, which disappeared quickly. "What have I told you about playing in the oil mess?"
Acrion looked down at herself knowing that she wasn't clean, she was nothing like the femme Rimma wanted to raise. Acrion held her breath, hoping that she would disappear into a hole so her mother wouldn't see her. Deciding on looking up at her mother, she tried to act like an innocent child which was pretty ease since she was 6 stellar cycles old. It may not ease her mother's anger, but it could at lease ease the punishment. However, this time, it wasn't working. Rimma's bright blue optics were still narrowing at her.
"A proper femme does not play in the oil mess or dawdle with small, dirty creatures." Rimma scolded. Acrion looked behind her to look for Skreen, not noticing he was around. He must be either hiding in shame or he was in trouble from Rimma." Acrion, I have told you countless times that a proper femme must have cleanliness, she must look presentable even to her you wish to be a part of the finishing school, you must practice and change your mannerisms and behaviors."
"Yes mother." Acrion grunted, looking at her landing pads. Shame, anger and embarrassment mixed in her stomach pit like the oil mixing in with the ground and the crystals in the was the same lecture every time she played in the forest, same lecture every time she rough housed with Skreen, same lecture every time she picked a fight with another femme at the sparkling care.
"She also keeps her head held high." Rimma said, putting a finger under Acrion's chin plate and gently lifted it being a strict carrier, she still cared and loved her daughter. "She must have pride and confidence."
This time, Acrion just stood still and looked at Rimma with a blank stare.
"Now come on Rima love." Skreen said, coming in from around the corner, kneeling down and patting Acrion's helmet lovingly. "She is still a little kid, let her have some fun."
"Skreen, she is a lady." Rimma reminded him.
"Yeah I know, dear." Skreen replied, standing up and walking up to her." But let's not ruin her childhood yet."
Rimma let out a sigh of defeat, he always pulled an alluring look and warm smile at her. Rimma took his servo and looked down at Acrion.
"Come now daughter." Rimma commanded gently, holding out her servo. "It's time for your lessons."
"Yeah momma, I'm coming." Acrion stated, running up to Rimma and took her servo.
"You''ll do great kiddo."Screen encouraged, rubbing her head. "Hard work, a bit of practice and a lot of support makes a successful femme."
"I know daddy." Acrion said, grinning at him.
Rimma and Acrion stopped and looked out the window. Acrion gasped, covering her mouth valve in fear, grasping Acrion's servo tighter. Acrion tried to tug her servo out, grunting and pulling as hard as she could. As she tugged, she could hear Skreen telling Rimma to take Acrion to the next room. Rimma knelt, picked up Acrion and walked into the next room.
The next thing Acrion knew, both of her caretakers were crying.