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Ichigo huffed and puffed as he limped using Smokescreen as a crutch. His leg was still badly broken but after being splint by Prowl it wouldn't heal crooked. Bluestreak was up ahead scouting and Prowl was in the rear covering their tracks. If Ichigo wasn't so badly hurt, then he would be running while the three crystals would be flying. There would be times he would have been carried but he was a little heavy to be carried for long stretches.

Walking back to Autobot territory would take longer then if they were flying. but Prowl didn't want them to split up until they were closer to their home and the chance of being spotted by a clan member. That and the Decepticons would not think to look on the ground for them, yet. But the pain was getting to him and soon he was going to have to cave in and ask for a quick break.

"You doing okay there kid?" Panting Ichigo nodded but Smokescreen sighed, "Hey Prowl let's take a break!" he shouted behind him.

The black and white dragon nodded in understand after taking one look at Ichigo. Ichigo grunted as he was lower and hissed when pressured was placed on his broken leg. It didn't hurt as much as it had before when he had woken up in the Decepticon camp. But that didn't mean that it didn't like to send little shocks of pain every time he moved it.

"We must keep going we have not been covering much ground." Prowl said once he met up with his brother and Ichigo.

Ichigo shrinks down knowing that it was because of him that they had to travel slowly. "Sorry, not like I meant to get my leg crushed."

Prowl wings jerked back, and he snapped his head at the youngling. "I am the one who is sorry Ichigo, I did not mean that it was your injury that was slowing us down. I was merely saying that we must keep going to gain more distance before night fall and that being in this unfamiliar area was slowing us down. You have made considerable distance on three legs today."

"Oh," Ichigo blinks up at the older dragon. "I can continue now."

The two dragons snicker, "We still have time to rest before pushing on. I wish to find Bluestreak before night fall, he also needs to rest."

"Blue has been trained by Hound; he knows when to take breaks," Smokescreen added.

"This is true."

Ichigo sighs as the two brothers talk, Prowl had been right he needed a break. His leg was throbbing which caused his neck and head to throb. Normally he had a high pain tolerance, and he still did, but he had never had to deal with a injury for so long without some type of medical aid.

Prowl stood facing the way they came while Smokescreen watched the sky and the sides. They were standing guard while he rested, at first, he thought it was unfair that they would rest while he did. But he realized that they couldn't rest while they were still being chased and as the only two currently not with an injured leg, were the only ones who could fight off any pursuers.

"how far do you think we are from our territory?" he asks curiously.

Prowl sniffed the air, "Not far. Decepticon lands do boarder ours, and their territory is very small. They were small being once until now that is." He says with a frown, "I wish to say that I couldn't believe how foolish they were to used that type of magic, but truly I am not surprised."

"And getting weapons that are outlawed," Ichigo added.

Prowl nodded, "yes and I can guess who supplied them."

"Swindle," Smokescreen snarled, "A pain in the aft for everybody."

Ichigo perked up, "Who's Swindle and why do you hate him?"

Prowl gave a look like he ate something nasty, "Swindle is just like his name. He'll try to sell anything to everybody and not all of if is legal. He is a true shape shifter and can keep a form without losing himself."

"He sell his own carrier and siblings for the right price," Smokescreen scowled.

"Oh, was he among those part of the attack?"

"No, he is a coward. He more afraid of Megatron then fighting though and is part of the Decepticon's human and dragon trafficking." Prowl sighs, "I cannot tell how many times we had to deal with him coming through out lands and trying to take our younglings or humans."

"Okay I can understand how that would make you dislike him, but Smokescreen outright hates him," Ichigo said.

Prowl looked at his brother, silently telling him that it was his choice. Smokescreen blew smoke through his nostrils. "Fine," he wouldn't look at Ichigo, "Before we knew that Swindle was part of the Decepticons he and I were together."

Ichigo knew where this was going, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want too."

Smokescreen waved him off, "yeah I know not like it's a secret. So yea we were together, he fooled everyone. Optimus, Prowl, Jazz we were all enthralled by him. Ironically the ones not fooled by him were the twins." He paced, "He was using me to find out our patrol patterns, our numbers, and species. He drugged one of kills one night, one meant for the near age younglings. He would have gotten away and sold them off if one of the younglings hadn't had a reaction to the drug." He slumps, "Once we found out we went looking, it was then that we saw that he wasn't a dragon and was trying to make off with a few eggs."

Ichigo hissed and Prowl nodded, "Back then Bluestreak was still small and one of Swindle's brothers had him in their jaws. They threw him into the side of a tree with boulders around and he hit his head. Blue doesn't remember that incident. After we caught them Swindle left his brothers to die while he escapes, later we learned that he was part of Megatron's group but haven't heard much of him since then."

"So, you think this guy got them the rockets?" the youngling asks.

Smokescreen snorted, "We know he did, especially since you said that it was forbidden and outlawed. Swindle is good at getting to those things."

Ichigo didn't press the issue, "What now, I mean if he is involved?"

"We must first get back then Jazz will send out his human agents. Once we have enough evidence then we will turn it over to the human and elven authority. Since he wasn't part of the transformed then his fate lies with them."

"Oh," Ichigo wasn't sure what he was expecting but it wasn't that.

"You sound as though he would get off lightly or not caught at all," Smokescreen looked over his shoulder.

"it's just that, in my experience, when others who are not related to the crime deal out punishment, the culprit usually does get off lightly." He says, "But that was normal human judge and jury, I have never heard of this Human and Elf group before."

Prowl nodded as if he understood, "The Human and Elf Authority is mostly comprised of magic users, they oversee those who misuse the Art or those who work with whose who misuse it. Swindle has been on their radar as well. But he is smart enough to slip away before they can interfere."

A chirp had the two-dragon tensing before Prowl chirps back. He was answered by another round of chirping and whistling, following that was the sound of wings and a soft thud. Bluestreak greeted his brothers and Ichigo was helm nuzzles and lifted wings.

"You never guess what I saw! There was this human on a horse, and he was riding around doing nothing then this bird just flies over him and the human falls off his horse. I didn't know humans were afraid of birds I mean they aren't that scary." He breaths and laughs, "but he was the only being I saw, which was weird, this place should be jumping with animals. But there wasn't even a rabbit, and I am hungry but there isn't any big game around to eat."

"I have noticed how quiet the woods were sounding," Prowl mused, "I thought it was because of us but if it is stretching out that far. We must be on guard, there could be someone else in these woods."

Bluestreak frowns, "But I didn't see anyone."

Prowl gave his brother smile, "I know your eyesight is the best Bluestreak, but there are those out there that are older and clever. It would not be much for much for them to…slide by."

Ichigo tilted his head, "Really?"

Smokescreen smirks, "Yep we have on in our own clan who," he grins at his brother, "Slides by. Mirage has the ability to bend light and make it look like he is invisible." He pat's his brother on the back, "Older dragons or wizards can do the same trick but better. So, there is nothing to be ashamed of Blue, the better the eyes the easier it is to trick them."

Bluestreak was pouting but Prowl knew that he would get over it in time, "either way we must press on. I fear of what chaos Jazz and the twins will cause should we linger longer then we should."

"That and you want Jazz to hide you away in his hidden den," Smokescreen quipped mood jumping from angry to happy in a wing beat. "No doubt that the twins will do the same to Ichigo once they lay eyes on him."

Ichigo ducks while Prowl scowls at his brother, "It is better then staying on a cold damp rock, which is what you'll be sleeping on when we get back."

"Aw bro you wouldn't do that to your brother," Smokescreen whines.

"Never would I do that to Bluestreak, he has someone to snuggle up with." Prowl smirked at the scowl his eldest brother shot him. "Bluestreak can help Ichigo this time, Smokescreen you can take point."

Smokescreen shot his brother another look before leaping into the air. Bluestreak snickers, it wasn't the first time he had seen his brothers bicker about something. He shoulders up next to Ichigo letting the slightly taller dragon lean on him.

"You know, you never finish telling me about your life as a human or what happen when you, Sideswipe, and Sunstreaker were human." He said, he could see and feel how Ichigo was struggling with his leg and thought that talking would get his mind off it. "I think that must have been weird seeing them as human and to think Sunny hated humans. What did they look like, huh? I bet that they attached a lot of attention."

"Yeah they got everyone looking," Ichigo mutters, "A little too much in my opinion."

"really; I know that they attract a lot attention now. So, they got a lot femme looking huh, what did you do?"

"I-we weren't speaking to each other at the time." Ichigo grumbles remembering why that was. He sighs at Bluestreak's curious look, "they hadn't taken it well when finding out I was originally human, and how told me to stay away."

Bluestreak hums, "Sounds like them. So how did you get back together?"

Ichigo chuckles, "I had a near death experience."

They jerk to a halt, Ichigo looks down to see Bluestreak's slack jaw expression. "You-you died!" he shrieked.

Ichigo winched from the sound and winched again at Prowls narrowed eye looked. 'oops forgot to tell him about that,' he looks back to his friend. "It was nothing Blue, I-there was a healer nearby that knows me and has taken care of me before. He set me to rights before-

"But-but"

"I didn't die, it was a near death experience." Ichigo rushed to explained seeing Bluestreak's stricken look.

"that's not the point!"

"ya know everyone there said that to," Ichigo adds.

"That's-that's…why did they try to kill you?"

Ichigo blinks, "They didn't."

"But you said-

"My Uncle almost killed me in a sparring session gone wrong. They saw the aftermath."

Now it was Bluestreak turn to blink, "oh…then what happen?"

Ichigo would have rolled his eyes, if Bluestreak was not giving him that puppy look. Thank goodness neither twin knew how to do that…yet. "Well I woke up to find them next to my bed. We talked and slowly started to patch our relationship back. Then Sunstreaker got a fat bug in his hair." Ichigo snickers.

Bluestreak snickers too, "I bet he hated that."

"Oh you should have heard his whining."

"So you three are good now?"

"yeah, I think that we're doing better than good."

"Yeah I never seen anyone, beside Jazz, act so possessively. And that is saying something." Bluestreak laughs.

"I would rather you didn't speak of my own relationship, Brother. Since you have yet to have one of your own."

Bluestreak managed to look both sheepish and annoyed, "I have one," he defended, "I just…haven't' wanted to bring them around to show you yet. You can be intimidating ya know."

"You could have brought them to meet Smokescreen," Prowl pointed out.

"he's scarier then you! Everyone saw what he did to Jazz when he started courting you," Bluestreak huffs. "Scarred them for life."

Ichigo looks over behind him, "He does have a point. Sideswipe mentioned that Smokescreen could be terrifying."

"Our sire made sure that we could hold our own, Smokescreen was slated to be the next clan head before our tribe fell. You are a elder brother too, you understand."

"Yeah, at least now I understand why the girls guy friends were scared of me."

"Which means me being the youngest here, any potential mates have to be made of tough stuff or they'll all get scared off before we get any further. Which is why I haven't brought Silverbolt or the others around, yet." Bluestreak jerks, "Oops ignore that."

Btu it was too late when he saw that gleam in his brothers eye. "Silverbolt?"

"It-it-its…I like him and he likes me."

"So long as he or his brothers don't treat you ill then there will be no problem." Prowl said.

Gray blue wings droop in relief, "Thank you…can we not tell Smokey about this?"

"Tell me about what?"

"Nothing!"

Bluestreak whines when seeing that his quick response only had his elder brother's interest more. But luck was on his side as his brother decided to let it go. "Prowl, I found a spot where we can spend the night and its close to the boarder. If we keep pushing it, we'll make it before it gets to dark to see."

Prowl nods, "that's good news. Since you know the way you lead. Blue and Ichigo you two watch his back and I'll watch yours. Hopefully, we will not be discovered by any Decepticons or that mountain dragon."

Ichigo flinched, "Forgot about him."

"I did too."

Prowl and Smokescreen snorted, "I don't see how you could forget the guy trying to take off with you and turn you into his egg maker." Smokescreen says sarcastically, "that and he is the only one so far larger then Sunny's ego."

"I had other things to think about!" Ichigo snarled, "And he hasn't shown up to take advantage yet."

"That what worries me," Prowl said before anyone else could. "Given his past history he should've already tried to snatch Ichigo and Bluestreak, and yet he has not."

"So your thinking that he changed his mind?"

Prowl shook his head, "No I am saying that it is worrying that we have not seen a sign of his presence."

They walked in silence thinking, their pace quickens, Ichigo gritting his teeth pushing through the pain. With the sudden need to get to the cave Smokescreen mention as quick as possible, the orange dragon didn't care how bad he was hurting. He didn't want to be out in the open where he could be snatched off the ground.

He was ashamed to admit that he jumped when Prowl spoke again. "It is best then that we make ourselves hard to get."

Smokescreen nodded, "no more flying, right?"

"Yes, the tree cover will hide us, but it would be best when we reach this cave you found. From there we will think on how best to proceed."

All four dragons nodded and continued to walk-run to the guaranteed shelter. They didn't stop for breaks or to hunt so when they finally reached the cave all four were tired and hungry. Ichigo was more tired and once Bluestreak freed himself from the orange dragon, Ichigo collapsed. He was heaving and groaning, his leg was on fire and had swollen to twice its size. He didn't think he could move anymore even if the Deceptcions and the Mountain dragon were right outside and about to turn the cave into a oven.

Someone tapped his neck and Ichigo reluctenly opened one tired amber eye. Prowl was standing over him looking just as exshuated as he felt. "You need to drink," he said.

Ichigo groans and tries to get up but his legs buckle. "Too…tired."

"You must drink, or you'll cramp up and be worse for wear in the morning." Prowl said in a commanding tone.

He saddles up next to the youngling when Ichigo tries to push himself up. Once the young dragon was steady, his head handing low, he helps him over to a tiny depression that was filled with something.

"Ignore the taste," Prowl says before dangling Ichigo's head over the liquid.

Ichigo didn't care about the taste, it could taste like spicy fish and clams for all he cared, right now it tasted like heaven. It was cold and felt good sliding down his parched throat. When he had his fill Ichigo made his body move back to his resting place, he made sure that he was sleeping on his uninjured side. The cold rock helped with the pain in his leg but without something else he was in for a fretful sleep.

"Just bear with it a little longer. In the morning we will tend to your leg. If we are lucky there should be a spring nearby, the cold should help the swelling."

Prowls words blurred as Ichigo's consciousness slips. He thinks that he may have nodded but he wasn't sure. He did know that he did closed his eyes caused that was when he no longer thinking. All too soon he was being shaken awake.

"mmuphh,"

"Ichigo, you need to eat."

"muphhmumm."

A soft huff of air, "I know you are tired, but you will feel better if you ate and let me look at your leg."

"hummmphh," Ichigo whines as he fights to open his eyes.

The cave was dark, not pitch black, but hazy gray with the morning sun just hitting the outer rim of the cave. He could see two shadow forms of Bluestreak and Smokescreen near the front and a more grayish hue Prowl standing over him.

"Good, now that you are awake, we will go find something to hunt. I have found a spring nearby that is clean and clear. You can drink and soak your leg there while we hunt." Prowl tilted his head trying to look at the others leg. "Good news is it looks like the swelling has gone down some."

"yea." Ichigo yawns wide cracking his jaw. "Okay." He wasn't morning person and was slow to wake when he wasn't sick or injured. So, while Bluestreak was already chattering away at high speeds to a half awake Smokescreen, Ichigo slowly wobble when he stood. Prowl let him stand there for a few minutes before letting the youngling lean on him.

"You two go on ahead, I will join you soon," he tells his brothers. "Ichigo please stay away," he says to the near asleep youngling. Ichigo just mumbles something but starts to shift more of his weight on his good legs.

The spring wasn't far, just a few steps from the mouth of the cave. It was small and crystal clear that a person could see tiny fish swim. Though it wasn't the spring they wanted it would do. First thing Ichigo did was stick his swelled hot leg in the ice-cold water. He sighed in relief, without much prompting he waded in turning around that his head and part of his neck was on shore. Prowl waited to make sure that he wouldn't drown before taking to the air. Ichigo drank a little before letting himself drift into a light nap.

Back at the Autobot dens Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were sneaking away from the clan. They had made sure to pack what they thought they would have to walk a few miles before they could take to the sky. Optimus had told them to wait for the scouts, but the twins weren't having it. They could sense that Ichigo was close and that he was in pain. Jazz had disappeared some days ago, many figured that the dragon had already flown off searching for Prowl.

"Which direction should we go Sunny?"

"Towards the boarder with the Decepticons."

"But that's a lot of ground; we need to shorten it."

Sunstreaker growls, "they would have them at their camp, it's no secret where that is."

"I don't think that they would stay in one spot with Prowl and Smoky." Sideswipe shook his head, "They could have moved." The red twin jumps at the snarl his brother makes, while he made be the more dominate Sunstreaker was the fiercer of the two. Sometimes Sideswipe forgot how scary his twin could be. "uh, Sunny?"

"If we have to burn the entire country side to scare them out, we will." He says darkly.

"Oookay, lets tone back the hostility there bro. we need to go in with clear heads or we may lose our little poppy."

Sunstreaker only growls and glares but he doesn't attack his brother. Sideswipe calls that an improvement. They were almost at their destination when a shadow flickered in the trees. Sunstreaker imminently whirled and snapped at the figure.

"whoa whoa Sunny its me!" a dark silver form leaps away from the golden twins' jaws.

"Jazz?"

"Yea," the silver dragon sighs. "I see that you had the same idea as me."

Sideswipe gapped at the smaller dragon, "Wha-where have you been; we thought that you already left to look for Prowl."

The silver dragon slumps, "I tried. But I didn't get far before Mirage stopped me. Then it was Hound, then Bumblebee, then Ultra Magnus, and then Kup. I though you two were trying to stop me too."

"Geez, do you think that they are waiting for us to try to leave too?" Sideswipe whispers, "We haven't seen anyone; besides you of course."

Jazz looks back behind the twins, he wouldn't be surprise if Mirage had been trailing them. The dragon ability to disappear was annoying trait right now. "I think that they might all be on the other side of the dens. Hot Rod and Springer might be the ones patrolling this side."

Sunstreaker snorted, he had a small opinion of the green dragon. He tolerated Hot Rod though, "we can take them."

"ha ha ha Sunny." Sideswipe laughs weakly, "Why don't we slip around them. I know you hate Springer but…now isn't the time of showing who's a badass."

"I agree," Jazz adds. "Let's walk a little further before taking off. If I know Prowler they would have already escape and are on their way here. Let's meet them half way, yea?"

Sideswipe tense when Sunstreaker didn't answer right away. "Fine," the golden twin growls. Sideswipe smiles, he walks alongside his twin as they follow Jazz. Behind them the air shimmered as Mirage oncloacks himself.

"Is this wise Prime?" he asks.

Optimus's large form melts out of the trees, his foot steps silent. "I fear that if we stopped them they would have turned aggressive and may not return to us. Jazz is hard to handle on his own; add in the twins…"

"Ah yes, Ratchet would melt everyone's ears with that triad."

The red and blue dragon nods, "Follow at a distance. Take Hound and Bumblebee with you. Once you find Prowl and the others send one back with information. If one needs medical aid-

"I will send them with Hound straight to Ratchet's tender mercies."

The larger dragon nods watching as the blue and white dragon disappears again. He hears the air shift as the Phantom Dragon steps softly past him. with a great sigh the Autobot leader turns back to his clan, he would keep the scouts out hoping that they find any trail that could lead the three members to their missing mates. The last thing he needs his clan fighting each other.