Asking for permission

"I asked the council for permission, and they gave it. Now I just have to know what you feel about it?"

"What's wrong with Uraya?"

"It's a bad place… Most sub-units who end up there are either disabled or end up in the gladiator battles."

"Why is the council sending them there?"

Optronix didn't know how to answer that. He wanted to be honest and tell the child that the council and the senate weren't exactly the best bots in the world, but it wasn't time to completely disillusion the child. Everyone needed to believe in the good of others when they were young.

"I don't think they know how bad it is."

The child seemed satisfied with the explanation. She was still fragile from the bombings, but as soon as he could, he would give her the last spark piece and take her home…

Home… Optronix stood up, realizing that he had neglected to inform a vital person about this change of living conditions.

"You have… what?"

"Adopted a half-spark…"

Elita-One was quiet for a long while, looking at Optronix with a look on her face he couldn't decipher.

"Why didn't you speak to me about it? You know I didn't want a sub-unit… at the very least not in the next few decavorns!"

Optronix nodded, taking her hand.

"I know… But she doesn't have anyone else! They were going to ship her off to Uraya."

"Why is that your problem? I'm sure there are others who would adopt the child if they just waited a few quintun."

"They weren't prepared to do that… Elita, I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about this first, but I'm sure you will like the child. She's well-behaved…"

Elita-One knew she wouldn't win this discussion. Optronix, even with all his work in the senate, had always kept a very strong sense of right and wrong. He firmly believed that maybe he could save the world, one bit-step at a time.

"All right."

Elita-One watched from the window as Optronix followed the child to their home. He was right, the child was well behaved, but the more Elita watched the sub-unit, the more she wanted to take back her words. There was something about the child that scared her. It wasn't an underlying evil. She wasn't sure the child even knew of ill intentions or evil, but it was as if she carried some unknown curse, a sense of foreboding everywhere she went. As if the child would unintentionally cause much pain in the future.

Elita couldn't voice her concern to Optronix; He was enraptured by the child, pouring all his love into the little one. He was more proud than she had ever seen him when she was finally strong enough to receive the last spark piece.

Elita had tried to postpone it, told him that she was still so fragile. In the end, he had decided that to be her name. Maria, the ancient Autobot word for fragile.

Hey, you!

Yeah, you!!

Push the review button darn it! write something! Feed my reviewmonster!

Also, I know it may seem strange, but I never have been able to write a good relationship between Maria and Elita-One. I don't dislike Elita, I think she's a great character, but strangely enough, I've never been able to get Maria and Elita to get along.

It's not hate, it's more a disinterest in each other, I guess...