Disclaimer: I only own my OCs.
Pandimala: This peace feels great.
Chaom: Yep, and we all have Authoress to thank.
Authoress: Thank you Chaom. This will be very interesting since the peace is here.
Remcy: What do you mean by that Authoress?
Ch. 21: What Fresh Air Brings
As Pandimala walked down the streets of Iacon, she sighed as she still saw the lingering signs of nervousness from Autobots and Decepticons alike toward the opposite faction. It had already been about thirty solar cycles now and she would have thought that they would have mellowed out by now. She hated seeing everybot interacting so jaggedly with each other. True, they weren't being rude, but they were trying to avoid each other at all costs.
When she arrived at her home, she sighed and walked inside. She had just come back from a very long and boring meeting with Ultra Magnus, Megatron, and the Autobot council. Pandimala was pretty sure that she must have napped through half of it at least because Megatron had to keep nudging her awake. But, it wasn't like she was actually been trying to. As of late, her recharge was getting shorter and she never seemed to have enough energy to get through a full solar cycle.
"Chaom, are you home?" Pandimala called out as she entered their living room.
She let out a smile when Chaom walked in and gave her a hug and a quick peck on the lips before saying, "Yes dear. And, how was your solar cycle?"
Pandimala sighed and said, "Tiring as ever. Dragstrip carried on forever about the standards of their supplies. I thought that I was going to turn into an old bot before he got done. Megatron even had to wake me up a few times. Of course, Sentinel still seems upset that he is even there with me. I'm pretty sure that he still wishes that the war was still going on."
Chaom led her over to the couch and they both sat down before he said, "Well, that does sound boring. As for Sentinel, well, he will get over it in a few stellar cycles; we just have to suffer him until then. But, there is something that you and I have to discuss."
Pandimala looked at him with worried optics. Was there something major happening that she needed to be at or was there something wrong that she needed to help settle? "What's wrong?" She asked.
She was relieved when Chaom let out a laugh and kissed her cheek before saying, "No, nothing like that Pandimala, though it is important. There is a special date coming up in two solar cycles and we have to decide what we are going to do for it."
Pandimala now thought deeply. She had been so stressed lately that she now had to think deeply about what this could be. There wasn't a Cybertronian holiday coming up that she could think of. At the word 'holiday', she decided to try and think of some Earth holidays. Once she got her calendars straight, she let out a gasp as what was coming up. It was Christmas. And more importantly, it was hers and Chaom's bonding anniversary! "Oh my Primus how could I forget?" Pandimala exclaimed.
Chaom smiled and said, "Dear, I know you have been extremely busy with working out this peace. That's why I'm reminding you now. So, what could we do?"
Pandimala sighed and leaned against Chaom before saying, "I don't know. There is just so much on my processor right now that I can't think."
They were both silent for a click until Chaom suddenly stood up and held out a servo to Pandimala before saying, "Why don't we go on a walk dear? That way, the outdoor air can clear your processor."
Pandimala nodded and stood up before leading Chaom out of the door. Once they started walking down the streets, Pandimala took in a deep intake and slowly let it out. Chaom, of course, was right. She was feeling loads better now that she could relax and feel a soft breeze on her wings. For some odd reason, her thoughts suddenly went to her time in boot camp and she suddenly had a longing to go over there. She then remembered that the Autobots were still training bots there and Pandimala now wanted to go and see those bots that the Guardians had been watching. So, she hugged Chaom's arm and smiled at him before asking, "Chaom sweetspark, I was wondering if we could go to the training grounds and watch the recruits that Tana and them have been talking about train?"
Chaom sighed and said, "Anything for you darling. Now, are we walking or flying?"
Pandimala thought about that for a nano-click before saying, "Let's walk. We don't need to scare them and have one accidently shoot at us. That would not do well for this peace."
Chaom nodded and wrapped his arm around her shoulder before the two of headed toward said training grounds. It was a little of a walk but Pandimala was excited when, as they walked around the field, she heard the sound of training. This made her feel almost like she was back in boot camp. Seeing Tana and the other Guardians, including the twins, Pandimala jogged up to them and said, "Hey bots."
Tana turned and smiled before saying, "Hey 'Mala, you just missed Megatron. He was here watching for a little before heading back to Kaon. What are you doing here?"
Chaom let out a chuckle and said, "Pandimala wanted a break from politics so she decided to come down here and of course, I just had to come with. We also want to watch these recruits you have been talking about so well in action with our own optics."
Pandimala smiled and said, "Especially this mech you say can clone himself. I haven't seen that fun of an ability since Elita being able to clone mods from other bots."
Tana nodded and said, "Yes, both him and Shrike have been coming to us for some training help and I must say that they are coming along just fine."
Pandimala nodded and went to ask another question but stopped when she watched as the group of trainees jogged up and stopped, the instructor, Kappo she was sure Tana called him, up front.
"Ok bots, drop and give me fifty transform ups!" Kappo shouted.
The bots groaned but did as they were told. Pandimala had to smirk at that, she hadn't had to do a single transform up until much later in her training and those only happened a few times because the instructors didn't like how she would switch from transforming from a jet to a tank and back.
Pandimala was so in her thoughts that she didn't even realize that the instructor had walked up to them before his servo was suddenly in front of her and he said, "Pandimala, it is an honor to finally meet you. I'm Kappo and I am an instructor here."
Pandimala took his servo and shook it while smiling and saying, "It is a pleasure Kappo. I have heard that you have been doing a wonderful job with these bots."
Kappo let out a laugh and motioned toward the Guardians before saying, "I couldn't have done it without their help. This is my first team and I don't know where I would be now if it wasn't for them all being here to help me."
Pandimala smiled at the Guardians and said, "Trust me; I wouldn't know where I would be without them either."
Hinge laughed at that and said, "Don't give us all the credit Pandimala, you are the one that took us in when we were booted from Cybertron and you reunited us with the twins and Tana. If it wasn't for you, the Guardians wouldn't be around today to be so helpful."
Pandimala was about to say something when she heard the sound of metal hitting metal coming from the trainees. Glancing over, she was shocked that the five of them were fighting. When Kappo turned, she heard him growl and say, "Not again. This is the third fight this week."
He started to walk over but Pandimala put a servo on his shoulder to stop him. "Hang on Kappo; I want to see how this plays out."
Kappo looked weary but nodded before saying, "Fine, but if it gets to crazy, please jump in because I don't think that I will be able to stop it once it gets worse."
Pandimala nodded and said, "Fair enough. This should be fun because I don't think that they have even noticed that Chaom and I are here yet."
Kappo nodded in agreement so Pandimala turned her attention to the fight. She could see that it was the two bots name Shrike and Alphego against the others. But, Pandimala wasn't too worried about the fact. If the training that they were receiving from the Guardians paid off at all, this should be a very quick fight that will go in their favor.
Shrike growled as she ducked Flarespot's punch. The idiot thought that he could say that to her and get away with it? Plus, it didn't help his case that Alphego heard as well. Since they both greatly respected the Guardians, it was not a smart thing for him to say that the Guardians were pathetic excuses for bots that followed the traitor known as Pandimala. Yeah, Shrike was not going to hold herself back when he said that and she planted a nice punch to the fragger's faceplate. That of course, hadn't gone unnoticed by the other two of his lackeys.
"Take that back Flarespot." Shrike growled when the two sides separated and got at a standstill.
Flarespot chuckled and said, "You stupid femme, you are just upset that I am right. So, why don't you calm down and maybe I won't have to beat you."
Alphego let out a growl and stepped forward before saying, "You would have to fight me too Flare, and I don't think that would be in your best interest."
Toxic Root let out a laugh before saying, "What are you talking about shrimp? We clearly have you outnumbered."
Shrike smirked when Alphego's clone turned up on his other side, putting the actual Alphego in the middle of their now trio. "What were you saying Root? Because it now looks like we are evenly matched." Shrike stated.
Nightfreeze shook his helm and said, "You haven't used that clone of yours since the first day and you barely kept that active for long. As soon as one of us hits it, that clone will be out and then you two will be helpless against us."
Alphego narrowed his optics at Nightfreeze and said, "Well, why don't you find out for yourself Freeze? I'm sure that Shrike and I would love to prove you wrong."
Nightfreeze growled and charged forward, with Flarespot and Toxic Root on his sides, and he swung at the clone. They were all surprised when the clone actually stuck back and hit Nightfreeze, sending him back almost at the same time that Alphego hit Flarespot.
Shrike of course, also got in a hit at Toxic Root when he tried to hit her. To her, it looked like he must have been expecting her to freak out because he seemed surprised when she dodged his attack and gave him a kick in the faceplate in return.
The three idiots backed up and glared at them before Flarespot asked, "You pieces of scrap! How did you get so good?"
Shrike shook her helm at them and smirked before saying, "That is for us to know, and for you to wonder at."
She felt her optics widen in shock when Toxic Root transformed his servo to his gun and aimed it at them before saying, "Let's see how the two of you deal with a little acid growth."
Shrike felt her spark stop when he fired. She knew she didn't have time to dodge so all she could do was stand and stare as the seed flew closer.
A streak of fire crashing down on the seed from above caused them all to jump in shock and glance up. Shrike was surprised to see a black jet with lime green markings. That was, until, it transformed in the middle of them and Shrike was amazed to see the leader of the Dragon Scouters, and Tana's leader, Pandimala, standing between them now.
"That is enough!" Pandimala ordered before turning toward Toxic Root and saying, "You ever pull that again and I will personally come down here and rip your mods out of you, and trust me, it isn't a pretty sight."
Shrike saw Toxic Root actually shiver as she said that. Of course, Shrike had felt her own systems grow cold when Pandimala had said that. Now she knew why the Decepticons respected her enough to help her end the war. She could be one scary femme when she wanted to.
Shrike was pulled out of her thoughts when Pandimala said, "You three are to go to your bunks immediately and stay there for the rest of the solar cycle. Dismissed."
Shrike could see that the three mechs wanted to argue but the glare that Pandimala sent them was enough to make them turn tail. Once they were gone, Shrike heard Pandimala sigh before she walked up to them and asked, "Are you two ok?"
Alphego nodded and said, "Yes ma'am."
Pandimala shook her helm and said, "Please, call me Pandimala. Now, what started that?"
Shrike stepped forward and she noticed just how giant Pandimala was. Taking an intake, Shrike said, "Flarespot, the red mech, said that 'that the Guardians were pathetic excuses for bots that followed the traitor known as Pandimala', you, and I had previously told him not to insult the Guardians in my hearing again. I couldn't go back down on my word and Alphego here helped me to keep it. They need to learn when to keep their traps shut."
Shrike felt nervous when Pandimala raised an optic ridge and asked, "And you thought that you two would be the best ones to do this?"
Shrike was surprised when Alphego confidently nodded and said, "Yes Pandimala, we did. Since we have been receiving extra training from the four Guardians that you have had here on Cybertron, we would be perfect examples to show that the Guardians are not pathetic. Shoot, they have helped me to gain some confidence and allow me to control my clone better and they have helped Shrike."
Shrike nodded and said, "Exactly. It wouldn't have had the same effect if we didn't do that."
Shrike waited nervously as Pandimala studied them. It felt like her very spark was being examined and it felt weird. Pandimala was an impressive figure and she couldn't think of what the council was thinking when they had kicked her off of the Autobot side. Well, looking at recent events, she was sort of glad they did.
"Well," Pandimala started to say, drawing Shrikes attention back to her. "I guess the only thing that I can do," Shrike panicked when Pandimala paused. Was this punishment going to be painful? "Is, to thank you both and offer both my training abilities to help you along with my bondmate over there, Chaom's, as well. You have both honored us greatly and it has been a long time since I have seen one as young as you stick up for other bots like that."
Shrike just stared dumbly, not knowing what to say. This was Pandimala, the leader of the Dragon Scouters, offering both hers and her bondmate's help in training. This was amazing.
Luckily, Alphego answered, "Thank you Pandimala, we are really happy that you are doing this for us."
Shrike nodded and finally said, "Yeah, thanks Pandimala."
Shrike felt really happy when Pandimala smiled and said, "You are both very welcome. Now, I have to go now but I think I might come watch more of these training sessions. Have a good solar cycle." Pandimala then walked back over to the others and latched her arm in Chaom's before the two of them walked out.
Once they were gone, Shrike nudged Alphego and said, "Did that really just happen?"
Alphego nodded and said, "Yep."
Shrike and Alphego just stood there for a click, still in amazement about what had just happened.
Shrike: Well, that was awesome!
Alphego: Yeah, Pandimala actually saved us and offered to train us more!
Authoress: Yep, Pandimala sure is a helpful femme.
Shrike: Luckily, I recorded all three of their scared looks when Pandimala came down.
AN: Ok, I hope you all liked this. Next chapter is going to have some more interaction with more Autobots and maybe some more foreshadowing. There was a little foreshadowing this chapter and I wonder if you found it. Well, I'll try to be quick with an update so please read and review. But no flames.