IWalkAlone
Chapter 7:
Suicide
The next day, Moonstorm ran around trying to find Cubiczirconia but just happened to run into a toxic green colored mech. Oh! I'm sorry! Are you alright?" The mech offered a hand to Moon as she had fallen backwards on her aft. She blushed and nodded, starring wide eyed at him.
He was a nicely built young mech a little older though, his paint was acid green running up his body there were brilliant blue flames.
"T-thanks..." she managed to studder as she stood with his help.
"Where are you going in such a rush?"
"I'm looking for my friend.. I can't find her anywhere..." she looked around again.
"Would you like somehelp?"
"That would be wonderful..." she sighed smiling up to him.
"I am StarFire, by the way."
"MoonStorm."
"Who are we looking for?"
"CubicZirconia..."
"Zirconia...?"
"Yeah, Zirconia, shes my best friend." The tone of her voice held a slight edge daring him to say something bad about her. He thinks for a second, "Isn't that the Decepticon girl?"
"Yeah, she is, but that is beside the point."
"Do you really trust her? I mean being a decepticon and all?"
Moon stopped and whirled around to face him, "That is the past! It is not who she is! And if you're going to be a dumb aft I'll find her myself!" she snapped and stormed off. StarFire stood there shocked, never having met someone with such dedication to their friends before. Nor had anyone ever spoke to him in such a manner. He acked and chases after her, "Wait! I didn't mean for my words to sound mean! I was just wondering if...hey! wait!"
Moon Paused and let him catch up turning to face him with an optic ridge arched and her arms folded over her chasiss.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean it that way.. It just..." He paused and swallowed hard, basking in the beautiful fury of th femme before him.
"It's just?" she demanded.
"I shouldn't have spoken badly, I do not know her. I am sorry." He apologized, his optics falling to the ground.
"Hurry up or we'll never find her..." Moon turned so he wouldn't see the red tint on her face.
As the two walked up to a random hallway, they heard a ruckus in one of the resting areas. They ran into the room and saw a group of mechs looking around, "Where'd she go?!"
"I saw her go into this room!"
"Well, she isn't in here."
They turned and saw Moonstorm glaring, "...And who are you looking for?"
"..."
Behind the formidable looking femme the mechs noticed another mech.
"Toxic?! Great its just a freak fest down here!" One of them jeered, when he caught Moon's gaze he ducked.
"Answer me, Who are you looking for?!" She knew the answer, she wanted to hear them admit it though. Zirconia, hiding from the others in a small cabinent, watched as the mechs started to say something back to the femme. She took out her bow and arrows and aimed through the small hole in the door she was hiding behind and shot the main mech in the back, then swiftly stopped her movement, trying to make sure her location had been given away. The leader of the group gave a sudden wail of pain. "Augh!!" His buddies gasped at the sudden arrow that sprouted from his back. Moon caught a glimps of the arrow as it sailed, her optics flicked to a cabinet as she grinned.
"See, There may not be as many of use here... that you can see..." she started toying with their minds, paranoia is wonderful when used in the right way. The small cluster looked around. "You made the assumption that there were only two... Us." She gestured to herself and StarFire. "Foolish, no wonder you aren't allowed to go out to the feild. You'd be offline in half a hyper cycle."
That struck their ego. StarFire had to grin, he didn't realize that it looked quiet creepy half in shadows as he was. After the mechs ran away from the pshyco looking femme in front of them, she raced to the cabinent where the arrow had come from. Once she got there she realized the small door wouldn't open, "Zirconia?"
"I'm sorry.."
"Open up!"
"..." All that could be heard was a muffled sob.
"Zee, Open it. You know I could break it..." she said softly tapping the door lightly with a finger. Zirconia had to admit...the small space was killing her but she wouldn't open the door for the fact that she, once again, had energon pouring from her head from the mech's attack on her earlier, "I...think I'll just stay in here."
Moon sighed, "Fine..." She turned to the mech with her and said sometihng quietly so Zee couldn't hear. With a nod he left. "Come on Zee, You and I both know you're cramped in that tiny cabinet... come out please?"
She sniffled and finally opened the door, looking up at Moonstorm.
MoonStorm gave her a gentle smile, "Come on..." She held her arms open offering a hug to her. She crawled out of the small space and stood up, looking down at the ground, "I can't even get a break...not even for just one day."
Moonstorm was about to say something when huried footsteps were heard, she looked over her shoulder to see Ratchet skidding to a halt at the door.
"A-are... You... Alright?" He managed to get out as his cooling systems heaved. Star was right behind him doubled over from having run the distance twice over.
Zirconia just dropped to her knees, not wanting attention, "I don't know..." She hoped no one would notice the big gash in her head but it was kind of hard not to notice the pool of energon dripping from her head to the small puddle on the floor, "Why can't they just leave me alone?"
Ratchet walked over as Moon stepped aside for him, knealing he said gently, "You scare them..." His hands were gentle as the traced around the wound. He becconed to Star, who held his portable medical bag. With it in hand he cleaned her up explaining, "To see you, excelling above them without even trying, it scares them. They do not want to loose the so called power they think they have in the social light..." Moon and Star backed away to give them privacy. Ratchet looked at the opened door, "You managed to get yourself in there?"
She nodded.
"You'd make a decent spy."
"...Is that good?"
He laughed softly, "Yes, that is very good." His smile was warm as he stood, "Lets get you to a berth, you need to rest."
"But...I just woke up an hour ago..."
"I didn't say recharge, I said rest. I blow to the head like this can take a lot out of anyone."
She looked up and saw the mech behind Ratchet and stopped all movement. Ratchet paused and looked behind him to see what had made her so uncomfortable. He turned back to her, "He's the one who came and got me."
Moon stepped forward and smiled, "He's alright Zee."
Zirconia just stared as if in a trance then brought a hand up to her head, confused.
"Zee, Lets go..." Moon said gently, taking her forearm and gently tugging. Star stayed back, not wanting to upset the injured Femme any further. She didn't move at first, memories of her mother and the Decepticons were playing in her head. Her optics just stared at her hand that was covered in her energon. "Zirconia..?" Ratchet watched her carefully a frown carved into his features. He didn't like the spacey look she had. "StarFire... Would you give me a hand?" He stooped to pick her up, Star was right there helping to keep her head as still as possible till Ratchet had her in a bridal style hold. Star grabbed the bag and the group headed out the door.
Unfortunatly in order to get to the medical bay, they had to go through the court yard where many lounged. All of them watched, half of them snickering as the others gossiped and tried to figure out who could take the credit for this bought of injury to the 'decepti-freak'.
The three walking stood tall and walked with determination, ignoring the words that swirled in the air around them. Moon desired to blow them all to peices, her hands groaned in protest at the tight fists they were being squeezed into. StarFire scooped one into his own in a comforting manner, trying to get her to calm down a little. She shook her head and put on a stone face determind not to show any emotion to the sad 'bots around them. when they had cleared the court she let her cooling systems give a long output of air. Star asked her softly, "Are you alright?"
"When Zee is taken care of I'll be fine.." she replied not looking at him for fear of breaking down.
Zirconia was out of her trance and laying on her side on the berth Ratchet had put her on. She jusy rolled over on her side and curled up in the fetal position with wide optics. On the other side of the door voices could be heard, muffled and unimportant to her as she hugged herself. Just then the door opened and a familiar voice called softly, "Zee?"
She was still until she heard her friends voice, "Storm?"
She steps inside closing the door before she went over to her friend, "Yeah.. its ol' me." She said in a soft joking voice.
"Where...did Ratchet go?"
"He's just outside, do you want me to get him?" She moved to do so. Zirconia couldn't speak, she just wanted someone to put her to sleep so she wouldn't have to go through all the bullying again. She knew no one would come in here.
Moon slipped through the door and went to get Ratchet, who had gone to get a warm cup of energon.
After a few minutes of being alone, she sat up and reached for one of her arrows, holding it against her chest. She just wanted to fit in, but she knew no one would accept her.
The door opened once more and Ratchet stepped in, dropping his cup upon seeing Zirconia, "No!" He threw himself half way across the room to get to her. Zirconia couldn't hear or see anything but the other youngling's faces, calling her names and attacking her. She wasn't in the right state of mind at the moment and tried to jerk away from Ratchet, "No! Let me go!"
He called for help as he tried to wrestle the arrow from her grasp. Moon, Star, and Bumblebee came at a run to help restrain her. The femme eventually broke free and attempted to run out of the medbay before Jazz and Prowl ran in and grabbed her, Jazz taking the weapon out of her hand and Prowl pinning her to the floor. He never really liked this femme but he couldn't let her take her own life. He put his hand over her mouth, silencing her screams. Moon yelled at Prowl, "Don't hurt her!" As she watched her friend being tackled. Ironhide soon joined in after hearing the commotion down the hall, "Restrain her!" He immidiatly called Optimus and Elita.
Moon cried at them "Stop it!! Stop it you're hurting her!!" Almost leaping on top of them, though StarFire caught her.
"They have to..." He murmured holding her arms to her sides as energon streamed down her face. Optimus and Elita came at a run in time to see Ratchet give her a sedative to put her to sleep. Her body eventually went limp but didn't go into recharge right away. Prowl stood up, looking down at the femme. Elita just screamed, "Would somebody just tell me what the pit happened?!"
Ratchet stood slowly, his form shakling slightly, looking to Elita he said in a very low voice, "She tried to kill herself."
Prowl's face seemed to have guilt written all over it, "I thought...she tried to attack one of you."
At that, Moon wretched away from Star and slapped Prowl, "How dare you!?" She demanded. She took a moment to glare vehemently at him before she left quickly going to her quarters and locking the door.
Everyone in the room was in shock, their optics flicked to one another wondering what had just happened.
Ratchet kneeled down and grazed his fingers across her cheek. Optimus turned and immidiatly turned the small crowd that had formed in the door away then turned back, "Would someone go talk to Moonstorm?"
Starfire raised his hand, "Um...I will!"
Optimus nodded, "Then why are you still here?" StarFire jumped and quickly left making his way to the closed door. "Uh... MoonStorm?..." He knocked. No one answered. Leaning close to the door he could hear sobbing.
"Moon Please.. talk to me?"
"Go away!" She yelled.
"I am not going anywhere..."
He stood outside the door until she finally opened it, "Moonstorm..." He walked over and wrapped his arms around her. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed as her head rested to his shoulder. Her body shook and jerked as she sobed heavily.
"I'm sorry..."
She shook her head and hiccuped, "It's not your fault..."
"There was a crowd...outside that saw...do you think they changed?"
She let him go wipping her eyes, "Crowd? Where? Anywhere Zee goes there is a crowd of fragin' slag faced afts..." she swore heavily as she wandered around the room.
He sighed and watched her, "She's still alive, it's ok...I'm sure Prowl didn't mean what he said."
"I don't care if he ment it! He said it!" she growled, "Just like the others..."
He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and turned her around to face him, "Do you want to go back? See if she's ok?"
She glared at him for a moment and let out a ejection of air, "Yeah. I do." She gave her face one last wipe to be sure no one would know she had been crying.
