TITLE: Just A Memory
CHALLENGE SET: #3
CHALLENGE: Forgotten
RATING: PG
WORD COUNT: 1,392
PAIRINGS: None
SUMMARY: Pura reaches Iacon in an attempt to find Prowl, but finds something else instead.
NOTE: Yes I'm still writing these, no I haven't forgotten about it.

I don't remember the way you filled my world with laughter, or how I changed forever after. As I look back it's sad to see my memory is failing me. – Linda Eder.

Iacon was a lot bigger than she had anticipated, and far more complex than she could have ever dreamed. The buildings were packed closely together, the streets were bustling with Autobots, the city was as crowded as it ever got – and yet, she had never felt so alone. Wandering the streets, cycle after cycle, Pura's tired optics searched the faces in the crowds, hoping at long last to see Prowl's, or – eventhough she knew it was unlikely – Pursuit's.

Asking about Prowl's whereabouts, especially at any military station, had gotten her nowhere. They either refused to tell her anything, denied knowing such a mech existed, or said that he wasn't around. Contacting him over her comm.link was just as futile. Most of the time she was just met with static or dead air. There was the one time she thought she heard his voice, right before the link abruptly cut off. It just left her feeling all the more insecure.

Pura sighed. It was almost like he had forgotten about her and Pursuit.

She'd spent a day in the ruins of Praxus, the second day after the attack, searching for Pursuit and waiting to see if Prowl would arrive with help from the 'great' city of Iacon. She'd been disappointed. Finally she decided to strike out on her own, hoping to at least run into Prowl along the way with a rescue convoy, but it was as if Praxus – just like her – had been suddenly forgotten. The roads were clear and deserted.

Pura finally found a small niche down a back street where she could curl up and get some shut down for a while, before continuing her search again. She scrubbed her hand across her weary optics, wiping away a few traces of fluid, along with some dust and other particles. A part of her just wanted to give up, forget him, but if she did there would be nothing else for her to do. She didn't exactly have anywhere to go, or any skills that were of any use.

She curled up as far back in the niche as she could to keep warm – flattening her doorwings against her back – and almost immediately fell into a deep recharge. It was probably due to exhaustion that this time around, she forgot to check on the safety of her surroundings before settling down to sleep. As a result, she was oblivious to the mech across the street who watched her from the shadows, wondering how fast he could grab her and take her away before she drew too much attention.

He started across the street towards her.

Reaching the other side, he suddenly found his way blocked by two large, winged forms. The smaller silver one had his hands resting on his hips, while the bigger blue one had his arms crossed over his chest. Both were frowning.

"Y'know," the silver one said. "I wonder what the Iacon security forces would do if they found a predator in the city."

"Especially one that likes to prey on innocent, young femmes?" the blue asked. "I figure the Vats."

Both fliers turned their frowns on the other mech, who took one good look at their faces and took off down the street. The silver un-spaced a holo-vid disk and tossed it around in his hands.

"Remind me to drop this off at one of the military posts. I'm sure they'd like to see what kind of bots they have on the streets," he said.

"What are we going to do about her?" the blue asked, looking down at the sleeping femme. "We cant just leave her here, who knows who else might try something."

The silver looked back, seeing that the blue was too concerned about the femme to pay any attention to what he was saying. "Maybe we should wake her up and ask her to come with us."

"I don't want to scare her," the blue replied.

"Well, we cant just pick her up and take her with us either, that would make us no better than that other mech." The silver mech knelt. "We'll just take it slowly."

The blue knelt as well. "I wonder what her story is. She doesn't look like she's from around here."

"We can ask her when she wakes up. Here goes."

He reached out to her, but was beaten, as the blue placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and gave her a light shake. She moaned softly as her optics flickered, then lit up with a turquoise blue glow. Then she focused on them and raised her head with a gasp.

"Whoa, its alright. I'm not going to hurt you," the blue mech said quickly. "But its not safe for you out here."

The silver leaned forward. "My name's Lightwing and this is Blue Wing – no relation, merely coincidence – and we uh… just kinda saved you."

The femme sat up. "Saved me?"

Blue Wing nudged the other flier aside and held out his hand. "Please, don't be afraid. We want to help you. Its dangerous for you to be out here alone."

She looked at them. "How do I know you wont take me elsewhere and do something?"

"Because had we wanted to, we would have already done so," Blue Wing replied. "Please, trust us. Trust me."

"And what would I owe you in return for your help?" she asked.

The two mechs looked at each other.

"Sweet Primus, dear femme, nothing at all," Lightshow answered. "We just don't want any harm to come to you."

"We don't want you to get hurt," Blue Wing said.

Pura met the blue mech's optics and held them for a moment, searchingly. For his part, Blue Wing held her gaze till finally she took his still-out-stretched hand and let him pull her to her feet. Lightwing couldn't help giving her an appreciative once-over.

"Don't think of trying anything," she warned. "I can be a lot stronger than I look."

"We wouldn't dream of it," Blue Wing replied in a tone that made it hard to tell if he was humoring her or really believed her. "Come, would you like some energon? You seem under-energized." He led her up the street as he passed her a small cube of energon, leaving Lightwing to bring up the rear. "What is your name?"

"I'm Pura," she said as she discarded the now-empty can. "I came here from Praxus to look for my brother, but…," she sighed. "… he seems to have forgotten me. I cant find him anywhere, or my creator. She may have died though."

Blue Wing stopped and looked at her. "Praxus? Wasn't that where…? Primus, Pura I'm so sorry, but… your brother? He's here?"

"He left home to join the Iacon military some time before the attack. Do you know him? His name is Prowl."

"Sorry," Lightwing said. "We've never heard of him. Wing used to be in the military, but he left before the new Prime came in…. How did you escape Praxus?"

A pained look crossed Pura's face. "I just… just hid… underground." She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I… thank you, but I cant go with you… I really need to find my brother."

"Pura, please…" Blue Wing tried to reason.

"I… I cant. I don't want Prowl to think I forgot him. Thank you for you kindness. I'll be careful next time." She started to back away. "I'm sorry."

Leaving the two mechs where they were, she turned her back on them and hurried along the street. She would have liked to have gone with them, but she still had a job to do. She would have liked friends, but she had already lost two that were closest to her, and she didn't want to go through any more pain. It would be best if she just forgot them, and they forgot her. No one would be hurt that way, she reasoned.

Then, could that be why Prowl had forgotten her?

END