It took time for the Autobot team to get used to having a youngling around, but they adjusted. Since Jazz's femme creator had to bring Jazz along on with her on the Autobots' missions, she was assigned a new team to better protect her youngling. She no longer fought along side Elita One and her team. Her new commander was Hot Rod, a young mech that was determined to prove his leadership skills to Optimus Prime. Though Hot Rod tried, everyone knew he could never inherit full leadership from Optimus Prime. Jazz's femme creator often found herself instinctively taking charge when their inexperienced commander didn't know what to do. Some Autobots even started to look to her for advice, before consulting with Hot Rod. All this responsibility, and she still had a youngling to care for. Those first vorns without the day care center were absolutely dreadful.
Eventually Jazz's femme creator got Jazz into the youth sectors for Autobots. Jazz was safer there, but he was also lonely. Some nights, his femme creator had to take over night missions. So Jazz recharged at the youth sectors. The longer he stayed there, the more the youth sectors began to look less like a school, and more like an orphanage. Sometimes Jazz wondered if his mother was ever coming back from the war.
Eleven vorns passed, and Jazz was growing up into a very mature youngling (with an occasional smart remark or a prank here and there). Jazz was at the top of his class in Special Ops. His instructors had a lot planned for him. Late in the vorn, it was time for graduation again. The younglings who had progressed the most to their ability would be sorted according to the Autobot commander they would serve the Autobot cause with. They would also earn their official Autobot insignia. As preparations were made, Jazz sat idle on the sidelines. One of his instructors came to stand by him, and asked him,
"What are you standing around for, mech? This is your graduation. Don't you care about it." Jazz gave his instructor the 'Are you kidding?' look.
"With all due respect sir, ah aint standin' up on that stage! Ah aint ready. Ah can't leave the sectors now. The 'Cons'll shoot me offline the nanoklick ah step outta this place!" Jazz exclaimed. His instructor chuckled.
"You are more prepared than most of the younglings here. You may feel nervous about becoming an Autobot. But that's why Optimus Prime and his officers will be your next instructors. Your education will continue through them. You will be assigned the right team that will help you on your way. In the case of a youngling like you, I don't see why you have anything to fear."
"Ya think ah will ever be ready?" Jazz asked.
"I think you're ready now." The instructor said, handing Jazz a card with a number on it.
"Ya already signed me up?" Jazz squeaked. "Why?"
"You've learned everything we can teach you here, Jazz. It's about time you became an Autobot." Jazz looked at his number again. Seeing that it was really high, he figured he'd be selected to his team last, with less of a chance of being assigned to Optimus Prime's team. That only gave him another reason to wait till the next graduation ceremony. He nodded to his instructor.
"Thank you sir. Ah won't let ya down." As his instructor began walking away Jazz quickly skipped in front of him. "Unless you're not so sure. Ah mean, ah understand if ya wanna change your mind. It won't hurt my feelings, honest!" Jazz blabbered nervously. "Ah mean ah don't have a problem if ya'd rather have me stay another vorn. Maybe two vorns?"
"No Jazz." the instructor said firmly. Jazz stopped dead in his tracks, and let his instructor pass by.
"Okay. That's cool. But if your still not sure..." Jazz called back.
"Jazz!" That was enough to send Jazz running. He got the point.
On graduation day, the Great Hall was busy with commotion. Jazz stood backstage, rocking back and fourth on his peds. He was especially nervous about the branding. He heard plenty of stories of how mechs and femmes were branded with the Autobot symbol. Jazz asked them why the Autobots had to be marked in such a brutal way. The only answers he got were, "It has been a tradition since the war began." and "The Decepticons do it too." Jazz never understood that last answer, because his understanding was that it was bad to be like the Decepticons. Nevertheless, Jazz wasn't getting out of the branding procedure unless he didn't want to be an Autobot. The lights on stage brightened up. The ceremony was about to start. The sight of the magnificent Optimus Prime entering on stage captured everyone's attention. Jazz and every single graduating youngling was absorbed in Optimus Prime's words. His opening speech made it clear to Jazz that he was where he was meant to be. An Autobot was his calling. He had no doubts now.
The branding was first. The younglings came on stage one row at a time and they were organized by the position in the Autobot ranks which they had trained for. For example, there was a row of scouts, several rows of warriors, a row of those who'd trained in the medical field, and many more. When Jazz's row was finally called on, Jazz walked proudly with his head held high. It was mostly just an act to look good in front of the Prime. At the center of the row, Jazz looked very confident. Then he saw the branding iron. Optimus Prime held it loosely in his hand. He stood in front of the first youngling in line. She was small and timid. Optimus Prime took time to prepare her for the branding.
While they talked, Jazz looked out at the crowd. Sitting in the first row in the audience was Optimus Prime's officers, one of which would be Jazz's future commander and mentor. Jazz saw Elita One, Kup, Silverbolt, Hot Spot, Scattershot, and Jazz's own femme creator, Amplify. Amplify had taken the roll of commander over Hot Rod's team after Jazz's third vorn at the youth sectors. Now that he'd been at the youth sectors for eleven vorns, and was graduating, the fact that his femme creator was an Autobot commander finally got to him. He was so proud of her, and he knew she was proud of him. 'We could be partners!' Jazz remembered saying when he was young.
The pink femme, who was first in the row, caught Jazz's attention again. Optimus Prime held the branding iron next to her shoulder. When he pressed the iron against her arm, the femme let out a quick pained cry that the whole audience could hear. When the iron was removed, optics were leaking coolant tears. But they were no longer tears of pain. She looked at the red Autobot insignia on her arm, and then looked back into Optimus Prime's optics with tears of joy. As Optimus Prime continued down the row, Jazz wondered how he was going to be remembered. How was he going to be remembered when he and other Autobots looked back on this moment. When Optimus Prime came to the last mech before Jazz, he paused with the iron over the right side of the mech's chest. Jazz knew the mech's designation was Prowl, but he didn't know much else about him. This was the moment in time when Prowl would be remembered. What Jazz saw next, he was sure he'd never forget.
Optimus Prime held up the iron longer than he had with the others. Then he spoke to Prowl. Jazz had noticed he'd only talked to the first femme since he started. Why was he stopping now?
"Can I rely on you?" Optimus asked quietly. Jazz barely heard it.
"Without a doubt. I'll never let you down, sir." Prowl answered. He didn't sound the least bit nervous. Optimus pressed the iron to Prowl's chest. To Jazz's amazement, Prowl didn't flinch. He didn't shed tears like most of the others had. He didn't show even the slightest sign of discomfort. His optics were serious and locked on Optimus Prime the whole time. When the iron lifted, his expression still didn't change. Again, he did something Jazz hadn't seen yet. Prowl saluted to Optimus Prime in a swift motion. No pained pause or second thoughts about what he was doing. Optimus Prime nodded and moved directly in front of Jazz. The Prime seemed surprised when he saw Jazz was wearing a dark visor over his optics. (Back then the style of wearing a visor was very uncommon, whether it was worn to improve vision or worn as a fashion.) The thought of how Jazz was going to be remembered, still raced around in Jazz's processor. Optimus didn't lift the branding iron. He just looked at Jazz. Jazz nervously gave him a playful smile, and waited patiently. Finally, the Prime spoke. Jazz froze.
"Do you have faith in me?" Optimus asked Jazz. Jazz panicked. 'Scrap! Prowl got the easy question?' Jazz figured that was the point of the test. He had to prove he was capable of being the perfect Autobot if he wanted to be selected into his mother's team. Jazz kept half a smile on his face as he answered.
"Ah've been taught since ah was a sparkling, ta be an Autobot. Ah believe in ya n' ah'll follow ya inta battle anywhere, anytime, till this war is over." Jazz said honestly. Optimus raised the iron over Jazz's chest. But when he pressed down, Jazz forced himself not to flinch. The branding iron's heat was so intense over Jazz's spark chamber, he thought it would burn through his spark. 'That's what ya gotta do.' He thought. 'Devote yourself an' your whole spark to the Autobot cause!' Suddenly the pain passed straight through his spark, and then it seemed to numb. Jazz looked up at Optimus with surprise. Optimus Prime still held the iron to Jazz's chest, but it didn't hurt anymore. Jazz realized that was what Prowl had done. He was able to ignore the pain because of his strong commitment and belief in Optimus Prime. Jazz didn't keep a straight face like Prowl had. Instead, he smiled the whole time Optimus held the iron to his chest. When his branding was over, Jazz also saluted Optimus Prime, but the movement was shaky. When the row was done, the audience cheered for the new Autobots. Jazz felt like he was floating off the ground.
After all graduates were marked, they sat down in their assigned seats in the audience. The Autobot commanders moved to the stage on both sides of Optimus Prime. Optimus Prime announced every graduate's designation and their assigned commander. Said graduate, would stand up in the crowd to be recognized. The audience cheered for every new Autobot. Jazz cheered especially loud for the mechs and femmes he knew.
"Thank you all for coming to support our new troops..." Optimus said. Jazz's jaw dropped once he realized Optimus Prime was beginning his closing speech, and his designation hadn't been called! A few more gasps came up in the crowd. Their designations hadn't been called either. Jazz anxiously listened to Optimus Prime talk. Then he perked up when Optimus Prime began to change the subject. "It has come to my attention, that a select few of this vorn's graduates have gone above and beyond expectations in their training. It is very rare when Youth Sector graduates are assigned directly to my first and highest ranks." Jazz's spark was pulsing out of control. "I would like the following Autobots to be recognized for their hard efforts. Autobots Prowl," Prowl stood up. "Jazz," Jazz jumped up. "and Bluenote." Jazz's spark stopped for a moment! He couldn't believe his audio receptors. But there he was! Just three rows behind him, was Bluenote. Jazz's best friend was an Autobot, and he was standing tall, holding his insignia marked forehead high, to prove it. "Congratulations all of you." Optimus continued. "It is an honor for me to be your leader, and your Autobot team commander."
The whole audience roared with cheers and hollers. Jazz didn't know how much more excitement his spark could take. The three meches were called up onto the stage, but Jazz didn't hear. Instead of following after Prowl, single file, Jazz bolted away from the stage and straight into the massive sea of newly graduated Autobots. He stepped on peds and pushed others down and captured the attention of everyone in the Great Hall. Jazz leapt through the crowd, and pounced on the only mech that mattered in the universe to him at the moment.
"BLUENOTE!" Jazz screamed. He'd never been so happy to say his friend's designation again.
