My first few steps are clear and easy to take, but step by step the path becomes impossible to find in the dark underbrush, and I am forced to go slowly in order to avoid rocks and tree roots. After a few minutes of this careful walking, I stumble over a tree root and careen down a slight incline, sliding through the moist leaves. Immediately I check my bow for damage, but it is unharmed.
The bottom of the incline is flat and even, and I must rest my head against the cool earth before standing again. Walking is easier now without constantly worrying about the incline. Tightening the strap with the saddlebags on it, I march determinedly towards Ultra Magnus.
I walk for half of the moon cycle before finally stumbling out of the trees into a small clearing, which does not look familiar. The middle of the clearing is lit dimly by the moon-sliver, and as I try to pinpoint the town's location by the moonshape a soft growl rolls out of the bushes to my right. Instantly my body listens more closely, and I shrug my bow off my shoulders and pull an arrow out of my quiver, ready to string the arrow and shoot at any moment. The bushes shake violently and that is the only sign I need-bow and arrow held tight, my legs gather and propel me out of the clearing and back into the trees.
Life pounds in my ears as my legs kick up clumps of dirt and weeds. The farther I run, the louder the growls become until there are at least three beasts running alongside me, snapping at my legs. One well-placed kick hits a beast squarely in the jaw and it falls back, yelping and squealing in pain. In mere moments after harming the beast I am bursting out of the real tree line and into the massive, empty field surrounding the village.
My hooves pound on the ground as I race for the lights of the village.
"ULTRA MAGNUS!" I shout as I near the village, beasts still running after me.
Lights brighten and blink alive in the village as doors open, the strange humans peeking out. On the opposite side of the village, Ultra Magnus emerges from his living space, a RIFLE held in his hands. Reaching the village and brighter light, I wheel around to make a stand against these beasts.
Something that vaguely resembles a laughing dog lunges at my legs and I rear up, driving my hooves down onto its back. Shrieking, it dances away and I rear up to strike at the other beast.
BANG!
The other beast drops next to my legs, head exploding with the bang. Screaming, my hands release my bow and I fall backwards. Landing roughly on the ground, my breath whooshes out as I scrape to stand and run away from the dead beast and the loud noise. Tears cloud my eyes as I relive the horrific death in my mind. I launch off of the ground, racing on through the village to get away. In my haste, I did not see Ultra Magnus standing before me, and I run full on into him, falling a second time.
My knees drag painfully on the ground, and the strap snaps on the saddle bags. Quiver pitched over my head, I scream again and throw it off, standing shakily and sprinting out into the darkness. Pure energy powers my legs as I stretch out in a full stride, surging for the opposite tree line.
A short way inside the forest is a thick briar patch, and I rip up the thorny tendrils, ignoring the pain in my hands and body as I shove myself under in a desperate attempt at protection.
...
Ultra Magnus falls to the ground squarely, breath knocked clean out. His rifle drops to his side as he clutches at his rounded midsection, body tensing as a wave of pain tears through his carrying chamber. Freelance had woken at the sound of the fight and comes out of his cabin at the exact moment to see Ultra Magnus fall.
"Magnus!" he shouts, running over to the big blue mech. "No, no-no-no-no-no. Hey! You two! Help me get him inside!"
The two new recruits, drawn by the fight, run to help Freelance lift Ultra Magnus and bodily move him back into his own cabin. Freelance lays Ultra Magnus down on the bed and sends the two recruits out to guard the door. Watchman looks on anxiously as Freelance scans Ultra Magnus' frame, receiving many warnings of a premature abortion.
Pulling his medkit from his subspace pocket, Freelance prepares a syringe of suppressants and injects it into Ultra Magnus' arm.
"Come on, Magnus," Freelance says, rubbing the injection site. "Breathe, breathe. You must calm your system before this all goes wrong."
"Raindance, Raindance, she..."
"We'll find her. The gunshot was surprising, that's all. Don't worry... everything will turn out alright. It's okay..."
Bit by bit, Ultra Magnus slumps into the berth padding, forcing his system to quiet.
...
In the moonlight, Fireside sits on the ramp to the ship, pondering over the engine troubles. The boilers overheated and sent too much pressurized water through the pipes... but why...
In the town, shouts and a gunshot echo sharply in the night and Raindance comes racing out into the field. Her silver skin glints in the moonlight, but instead of turning for the ship to visit Fireside she continues on into the forest, legs stretching out as much as they possibly could. Questioning and worried, Fireside stands and walks down the ramp, determined to find Raindance and learn what was wrong.
...
Underneath the brambles, it is cold and damp. The thorns rip at my skin, and I can feel a rock embedded in my back left hoof. The beast's death is the only thing on my mind, the head's explosion replaying a hundred times in front of my eyes. My side is stained with its' lifeblood.
Through the trees I hear a crunching and everything in my body tenses, ready to run again.
"...Raindance! Raindance...!"
I pause, just about to get up and run. Is that Fireside?
"Raindance! Raindance, where are ya?"
Words flash across my sight as I struggle to say something in response.
"I... Fireside..."
The footsteps grow closer. "Oh, Raindance... come out from there..."
He lifts up the brambles carefully and I drag myself out, pressing against him. Legs trembling, I turn my face into his chest. His arms wrap around my shoulders and he holds me close.
"Shh... you're safe..."
"Fireside," I whisper, lips quivering with my tears. "It was awful, the bang..."
Words pour out of my mouth, and somewhere in my hysteria my speech changes from the Mecha language to my own, yet through it all Fireside holds me. Only when my tears dry does he turn me towards the ship, walking with an arm around me all the way there. The rock in my hoof causes me to limp.
I stumble up the ramp, and he leads me down the hall, past my room to some other room.
"Where..."
"My room," Fireside murmurs. "It has bedding in there to lie down on. It'll be comfy."
I cannot form a response, throat choking up once again. Opening the door, he leads me inside. One of those berth things takes up the middle of the room, but Fireside easily tears bedding off of it and piles it in the corner, helping me to lay down. The bedding is so soft, and warm...
"Rest," Fireside murmurs, stroking my cheek with his thumb. "I will watch over ya, all night..."
"Fireside..." I whisper. His eyes are the last thing I remember before the darkness takes me.
...
When I finally wake up, the first thing I feel is warmth all around my body. Opening my eyes, I look around in the dark room and locate the source of my heat; Fireside lies against my back, curled around my upright body, chest to my back and arm around the union of my two bodies.
He stirs in sleep and his arm tightens and holds me close. His presence against my back is so comforting and warm...
My stomach growls loudly, and I feel the pain of hunger twist my insides. I need food so badly...
When my stomach growls again, Fireside wakes and withdraws his arm.
"Are you okay?" he asks quietly, looking me over. "I didn't have any supplies to patch yer wounds with, but I managed to pick out the thorns and the rock from yer hoof."
I look down at my hands, bloodied and scratched from tearing at the brambles.
"Oh."
My whisper is the only noise in the room until Fireside puts a gentle hand on my back and leans forward. "Come on. Let's go back to town, and I'll find Freelance to patch you up."
I look back at him. "Fireside, you- Ultra Magnus said you have to stay on the ship, and-"
"I can walk you to town, to Freelance," Fireside answers, standing. "C'mon. He will have some breakfast for you, I'm sure."
"Will you stay?" I ask, wearily standing with him. Something burns in my leg and I look down at a very distinctive bite.
"I will stay as long as I can," Fireside rumbles. "Are you okay to walk?"
"...I think so," I tell him, and he opens the door to the hallway.
Damp from the engine failure, the floor glistens with soft afternoon light.
"What... what time is it?" I ask, walking out into the brightness.
"Mmm... it's around eleven, I believe."
The walk through the field is quiet, the rustling of the grass tickling my legs and catching in his armor. The villagers stare at me as I walk past to Freelance's living place. Fireside knocks on the door before turning the handle and letting himself in. "Freelance...? Raindance needs a medic."
Freelance stands up, ushering us inside. "Raindance!" he exclaims. "Are you alright? Sweet Primus, last night, you-"
"I'm okay," I whisper, curling in.
"Come over here, let me look you over...goodness, those wolves really bit into you hard. Here, put your hoof on this chair and I'll inspect your leg."
He turns his chair outwards and I walk over, lifting my injured foreleg up and placing it onto the chair. The wound has dried and blue energon covers the holes where the teeth of the beast tore into my leg. Freelance grabs a jar off his desk and wets a rag, carefully dabbing at the wound. I lean away from his touch, but Fireside comes up behind me and puts his arm around me.
"You have to do this," Fireside tells me softly. "Freelance needs to help your leg."
Gritting my denta, I force myself to remain strong. I had watched the healers in our village repair many wounds, binding legs and broken arms, but I had never been the direct patient before... once, I fell and scraped my knees but I never broke a bone or received a large fleshy wound.
"Freelance," I whimper, curling into Fireside. "It hurts."
Freelance cleans the bites with a bit more force, nodding. "I know, I know..." he murmurs. "I have to."
Fireside's arm is strong and sure around me, helping me to maintain a straight posture as Freelance cleans. What feels like ages later, he finishes cleaning and wraps a bandage around my foreleg.
"Ultra Magnus took quite a tumble last night," Freelance murmurs, taping the last bit of the bandage down. "He's confined to a berth until the tear in his gestation tank seals."
I stare at the floor, trying to digest what he has told me. "So... so..."
"You need to be gentle with him," Freelance tells me softly. "He is stable, but needs lots of rest. In a few days, you can visit him. For now, you should help around the village or back at the ship with Fireside. Where is Steeltrap? Still out camping?"
I shrug a little. "I do not know," I murmur. "I believe so..."
Freelance nods, thinking. "Then why don't you stay with Fireside. Perhaps he can help you to settle down."
Fireside rubs my arm and steps back. "Yeah, Raindance, it'll be fun. We can talk while I fix the engines."
"Okay," I tell him. "That sounds... fun..."
He smiles a little and opens the door. "Come on, Raindance. Freelance probably has to check on Magnus."
I deflate at the sound of Ultra Magnus' name, and follow Fireside out silently. After we exit the village, he stops.
"Raindance, it's going to be okay," he tells me. "I'm sure it was an accident. You wouldn't hurt Magnus on purpose-"
"I hurt him," I say flatly. "The intention does not matter. I hurt him."
Fireside holds his hand out to me, and after a few moments, I start walking. Silently, we walk back to the ship.