Author: gatekat
Chars: Jazz/Prowl, Bluestreak/Jang-in
Rating: PG-13
Codes: AU, Slash, Sparkling, Death
Summary: Tsubasa is welcomed to the world with death.
Notes: klik = 1 minute; joor = 1.2 hours; orn = day/32 joor; metacycle = 6 (5.9285) years; vorn = 83 years/14 metacycles
This Winter Won't Last Forever 21
Optics lit for the first time, taking in the room and mechs around the sparkling nearly as large as a minibot but built with the aesthetics of the Towers mixed with New Crystal City, a bit of Jazz and a lot of Praxus and Ankmor Park. Tsubasa looked around, pausing at each mech as pre-loaded datafiles identified each.
Lifebringer. New Crystal City sparkling specialist. Expression: pleased.
First Aid. Former Autobot medic. Former Protectobot. Current status: unknown. Expression: concealed. Frame language: reassuring. Focused...
Sirenis. Creator. Formerly Jazz, Autobot Third in Command and Chief of Special Operations. Currently: Singer in New Crystal City. Expression: distressed?
"Do you not want me here?" Tsubasa asked quietly, his golden optics focused on his creator.
"What?" Sirenis jerked himself out of First Aid's embrace to stare at the sparkling half his height. "No, no, nothing like that, sweetspark," he shook his head sharply in denial and knelt to draw Tsubasa against his chassis. "I'm glad you're here, alive and functioning well. Just grieving. Prowl, your carrier, is gone. He meant a lot to me."
"Oh," Tsubasa returned the embrace a little awkwardly for still learning to control his frame. "Didn't he tell you?"
Sirenis sighed, a shuddering vent, and rested his forehelm against Tsubasa's shoulder, their helms side by side. "You'll understand in a few vorns, but sometimes knowing will never be enough to accept the inevitable."
"Oh," he murmured, then twitched sharply. "I'm supposed to tell you something. Lightstep."
Soft Touch cocked her head slightly at the way Sirenis froze, his dark green optic band flashing nearly white. "A mechling's name, one ready to upgrade."
"Yes," Sirenis murmured as he fought to put himself to rights without moving. "Thank you, Tsubasa," he whispered only for the sparkling to hear.
"May I see my carrier's remains?" he asked innocently.
Sirenis shivered, but nodded and loosed his embrace as he stood. "His designation was Prowl."
Though he knew, Tsubasa nodded without comment as he took in the deactivated frame. Memory files uploaded to his banks provided the living colors the gray frame had once sported, as well as what it had looked like on Cybertron and on Earth. A file of his carrier's official records prompted if he wanted to integrate them.
He refused for now. His creator needed him, so he needed to not be distracted by the past.
Motion caught his attention and he looked at a mech noticeably larger than the others in the room.
Skyswept. Knight of the Circle of Light. Native of New Crystal City. Design: Ankmorian combat Aerial. Relevance: assigned to Prowl and Jazz adjust to civilian life. Authorized secondary guardian.
He felt protrusions on his back, attached near the shoulders, shift without direct command and glanced at the responsible coding. He had winglets, capable of being upgraded to either flight wings like Skyswept or sensor wings like his carrier, and they moved to express his emotions as well as gather sensory data.
This movement indicated a shy greeting to the flier.
Interesting.
Why did Skyswept feel so familiar? A friend. It wasn't carry-over from his carrier, though Prowl did consider the flier an ally. Prowl did not consider anyone a friend. Not in the way Tsubasa felt towards Skyswept already.
It didn't matter. What mattered was that his creator was grieving his carrier's extinguishing.
Tsubasa reached up to stroke Sirenis' arched winglets, drawing him out of the revere.
"We ... should go now," Sirenis mumbled, his processors having difficulty focusing much past getting his sparkling home.
"I can introduce Tsubasa to those waiting, if you would like a little more time," Skyswept offered softly, just loud enough for the singer and sparkling to hear.
The sparkling gave a short hum that his datafiles indicated Sirenis used for agreement and watched as creator startle slightly, then stare at him.
Slowly the elegant mech nodded, turning his gaze to Skyswept. "Thank you."
Skyswept smiled softly and put a hand on Tsubasa's shoulder. "Ready to meet your other caretakers? Bluestreak, Jang-in, Mirage and several friends are eager to meet you."
"Yes," he nodded and took the offered hand with only a quick glance at his grieving creator and his carrier's gray frame. He felt a small ping of unpleasant sensation as they walked towards the door and quickly identified it as anxiety at being separated from his creator.
Why would he feel that? He had no bond with Sirenis yet, Skyswept was an authorized caretaker and Sirenis knew where they were going?
Self-preservation protocols a sub-processor supplied.
Any interest in analyzing them vanished at a high-pitched squeal that erupted the moment the door opened. A medium gray mass, quickly resolved to be a mech of similar design to his carrier, rushed towards him.
Reflex had him take a step back as Skyswept stepped forward and used his mass to gently block the assault.
"Bluestreak, be calm," the firm voice of the flier demanded obedience.
"Oh right of course I'm sorry," Bluestreak tried not to squeal again, his full focus on the minibot-sized new sparkling colored bright white with a fair amount of blue and red, a small golden chevron and bright green optics. "Sparklings shouldn't be rushed I know that I'm just so excited to meet him. I mean he's my little brother," he looked up at Skyswept, imploring the larger mech to understand before his processors caught up with what he'd been looking at and his optics snapped back to the sparkling with a stiffening frame and doorwings snapped up in distress before they were forcefully lowered when Jang-in placed a hand on one.
"What is it?" Jang-in asked quietly, right next to his lover's audio receptor.
Bluestreak shook his head and tried to appear relaxed again, but it didn't work.
An old-design noble in light blue and white stepped up to Tsubasa and knelt to be optic-level with him.
Mirage. Autobot Special Operations Commander, spy. Authorized guardian. Loyalty: Jazz. Ally. Trustworthy. Pre-war noble.
"Greetings, creation of my brother," Mirage spoke in the deeply formal tones of ancient High Cybertronian before switching to the modern Cybertronian of New Crystal City. "Forgive Bluestreak. He was expecting a Praxian frame, not the open one you given."
Tsubasa inclined his head, noting how his winglets moved with the motion and the intent to communicate.
"Thank you for welcoming me, Lord Mirage," he smiled at the mech that was all sharp angles other than the arch of his helm.
The noble beamed. "Such a polite sparkling. You do your creators credit."
"Yes I'm sorry I balked," Bluestreak spoke up. "I didn't mean it in a bad way I was just really surprised, you know?" He was about to go on when Jang-in put a hand on his shoulder to silence him.
"I was not offended," Tsubasa smiled at him, raising his small winglets in greeting. "It is an understandable expectation."
"You talk so much like Prowl," Bluestreak's expression fell to grief. "Do you have his battle computer?" he asked softly.
Tsubasa smiled and offered a hand, palm up, while he brought his winglets as far forward as he could. His smile brightened when Bluestreak placed his hand over Tsubasa's outstretched one, then offered his other hand, palm up, and brought his doorwings forward, nearly touching the sparkling's.
"I do have an advanced tactical computer, however even when fully upgraded it will not be advanced enough to suffer the same issues my carrier had with his."
Bluestreak nodded, then lowered his helm to touch forehelms with his new brother.
"Welcome to the family, Tsubasa," Bluestreak greeted him solemnly. "Your carrier may be gone, but you will never be without close kin."
"Thank you, Bluestreak."