The Diego Diaries: Parade (dd6 122) needs editing
-0-On the street
"My name is Silverbow and these are my friends."
Jacx, who was kneeling to speak to her and the group of kids surrounding her, smiled. "Tell us about what you children just did?"
"Well," she said as she turned to the kids gathered about her, all of whom nodded encouragement. She looked up at Jacx. "We thought about all our refugees and the ones who were killed a while ago. We wanted to do something to welcome everyone." She looked at the others who nodded, then all looked up at Jacx again.
"So you had a parade? Tell us about it. How did this all come about?" Jacx asked.
"I was on my computer at home. I was looking at cat videos on YouTube. I want a cat," she said as she looked toward her genitors. They grinned, then nodded.
"I want a cat," Rebel said as he stood beside his sister gripping her servo.
"I saw some cute videos," Silverbow said with a big smile. "Then I saw a parade. It was a big one on Earth with balloons that floated and lots of horses and floats and things. I thought this was what we needed to do for the refugees and our army. We needed to do something nice."
"Something nice," Rebel said as he nodded with a serious expression on his little face. Then he smiled. "I WANT A CAT!"
Laughter greeted that, then Silverbow continued. "I looked at a lot of videos, then talked to my friends on recess. We decided to make a parade but we needed help. So we talked to our teacher, Mr. Terradive," she said as she glanced around to find him. He was standing nearby with Roto. Silverbow waved and so did the other kids including the humans. Terradive grinned and waved back as did Roto. Silverbow looked up at Jacx. "We planned it, you know … like they teach us at school. Figure out your goal, make a plan, then work it out. We showed it to our teacher who showed it to Mr. Herling and Mr. Nova. They went to Uncle Optimus with my ada and atar to tell him. He said it would be nice so we began to make this parade.
"We had balloons made at The Game Store and Uncle Sunstreaker came to paint them for us. We used a lot of things we had and borrowed some horses so we could have equestrians." She looked up at Jacx. "They like horses in a parade. Our best players did the music. There are bands in these parades. We had the cars decorated and carried signs to tell everyone we love them and we're glad they take care of us. This was for all of us."
Jacx nodded. He looked at Sandy who was standing with Minka and James Hoyt. "What about this? What was it like to be in a parade here on another planet?"
Sandy and James glanced at each other, then grinned. :This was amazing. We got to march down the middle of the street to the Temple and back during the noon rush hour: James said as Sandy nodded.
:I was never in a parade before. I had so much fun. I would have loved to ride the horses though. I didn't know the stables had miniature horses: Sandy said. :I want one:
Huge laughter greeted that as Jacx held out his microphone to Rain Harris. "I'm told you're a new student from Earth2. What is your impression about this?"
Rain glanced around at the group, then Jacx. :I've never been in a parade before. Silverbow asked me to ride a horse because I have horses on Earth. This was so much fun. Going down the main street of the biggest city here was amazing. I didn't know they let you do something like that. They wouldn't have on Earth. I don't think they would, anyway:
Everyone nodded in agreement. They chatted a bit more, then the parade continued to the tower where they would dismantle and organize a reluctant return to school. Trailbreaker and Hound would return the little horses to their paddocks and the cars would be stored by Sunstreaker and Sideswipe while Blue carefully saved all the placards and streamers, banners and pictures to take to their school later.
Jacx walked across the street to the crowd on the other side, Prime and his committee included. "What do you think about the parade, Prime? Any comments?" Jacx asked with a grin.
"When the proposal was presented there was only one good answer for the request," Optimus said with a grin. "I wish all my decisions were this wonderful."
Laughter greeted that remark. "Are we going to see more parades then?" Jacx asked.
"I hope so," Optimus said with a grin.
The conversation continued a moment as the kids boarded a bus. The bus pulled out as they waved, disappearing into traffic. The cameras rolled a bit more, then Jacx headed back to the shop to put it on the news. Sela and the priests watched them go, then turned to Prime. "This was a nice interlude," Sela said.
"It was. I hope all the new refugees see it and feel comforted and welcomed," Prime said with a grin.
"I do too. Right now, we're organizing their settlement and its going well," Templar said.
Everyone nodded, then Sela stepped closer to Prime. "We have requests from the newbies at Earth2 for permission to join in the various charitable and supportive endeavors that other groups take on. They have started their own social group at Earth2, rather like the Autobot City Ladies Auxiliary. There were also requests to learn about the Circle and Knight philosophy. I think a sit down with Heatout and Olivia about this would do a bit of good in sorting out what to honor and what won't be. Unless, of course, you already know what you want about this."
Prime thought a moment, then glanced at the others. "Let us talk about it soon."
They discussed the situation as it stood, then all of them broke and went their way. It was a bright and shiny interlude straight from the spark, just what everyone needed and it would be on their local networks and news programs in a short time. It would also be the hottest topic in local social media for a while.
-0-At school
They walked in with great exuberance, then found their chairs. Staring at Mr. Terradive who looked at them with a grin, they all began to talk at once. It would take a moment before they settled down again.
-0-Lunch
Partition sat nervously in a booth in the Diner On The Corner with Ratchet as they awaited his genitors to arrive. It was starting to fill up but the booth Ratchet usually used was still there. He was nervous, Ratchet was expectant and when the pair appeared in the doorway, Ratchet waved them over. Lucien with Laslo came over and sat tensely, giving their orders to the waiter who appeared almost out of thin air. When he was gone, Ratchet grinned. "How are things going?" he asked.
Lucien regarded Ratchet levelly. "Well. You?"
"I can't complain. Especially after we were rescued from captivity," Ratchet replied evenly as he bit the bullet to get this part of their obvious angst over with.
Lucien glanced at his son. "I would like to know how that actually occurred. You took my son into a combat scenario and he was captured. That part I believe you told me, son."
Partition stared at his father uncomfortably. He adored both his genitors. Being this way hurt down deep. "We went to get injured mechs. It was a trap. We were captured, then we got free. It wasn't anything for you to worry about."
"You get captured and face death and I'm not supposed to worry," Lucien said as he stared at his son.
"I'm learning to be a soldier. I go with experts. You don't have to worry," Partition said. He glanced at his shoulder, then turned his arm toward his father. "See? I'm in the Home Guard and the army." On his shoulder was an Autobot sigil and that of the Home Guard. It was brand new and looked good.
Lucien stared at them, then Ratchet. "You tell me that Cassio Imperialis was the aggressor."
Ratchet nodded. "He was. Right now, he's sifting through the ash pile that we left him when we took all the refugees away. It serves him right, the slagger. He thinks he's big enough to stand against us who have this place, Cybertron and half the Empire. Even with Razorclaw, we'd obliterate him. The only reason Razorclaw has been silent is that very fact. That your son wants to help defend his people is a thing for which you should stand up and cheer."
"My son wasn't intended to do this sort of thing," Lucien said. They waited until the food was delivered, then he continued. "My son is a university graduate in diplomacy and he was intended to do great things there."
"I'm the Autobot diplomat, Lucien. Partition can assist and I'll call upon him when the moment arises. He's smart, quick to learn and has a spark. I like helping mechs find their true callings and this mech has. He was genuinely brave and solid during captivity and did everything I asked him to do to a high degree of ability. You would be proud of that."
Lucien stared at him. "You don't think I'm proud of my son? I am. He's my son."
"Then honor what he wants to do," Ratchet said. "I'd love to cut you three loose to live your life on your own but I don't know. Partition is exceeding expectations but you two? It isn't clear to me yet."
It was silent, then Laslo leaned back. "We don't want him killed."
"He won't be. He isn't rated for combat," Ratchet said. "It's a learning process with a long curve. He has the aptitude and desire. He has the greatest teachers and instructors of all time. He's got the guts and the smarts. Lots of kids do that fill the ranks of the Home Guard. That doesn't mean they go into combat. That would endanger them before we could analyze them for the experience."
"But I would, you know," Partition said as he sat beside Ratchet. "I would do it and follow the rules."
Ratchet nodded. "You would. You have a lot to learn first. We'll teach you and you'll work with me. I think you'd make an outstanding field medic too."
He looked at Ratchet a moment, then nodded. "Okay."
His genitors looked at him with surprise and some unease. It looked to them like their son was under some sort of mind control or personality binding. They had seen him in all kinds of conditions and moods, but worshipful agreement wasn't one of them.
Ratchet grinned at him, then his genitors. "Your lunch is getting cold."
Reluctantly, they began to eat their food.
-0-School
"This was a great idea, Silverbow. You worked it out together, planned and distributed the work to those with the greatest skills, sought outside experts at The Game Store and Sunstreaker to assist, then organized it all together," Terradive said as he grinned at his kids.
"I thought it was something we could do to tell everyone that we were proud and loved them. I saw the parades on YouTube and they looked like fun. They all had the same thing … horses, a band and floats."
:I liked riding in the Lamborghini. Sideswipe's Lamborghini is so much fun. I'm so glad that the little cars are back from the library: Annie Lennox said with a big smile. :We have to do this again. Maybe other classes can do it too:
For a moment, they all talked together, agreeing that a parade that was bigger was a great idea. Then the bell rang for outside recess. They gathered together, walked to the elevator in a line, then ran outside for the playground where others would gather around them to discuss the 'great thing' they had seen on the television monitors in their classrooms.
-0-Ops Center, Autobot City
Prowl smirked at Optimus as he walked from his office to get more work containing data of about a million things that needed his attention. "You and the kids made the media on Earth."
He grinned. "Did we?"
Prowl turned to the console beside him, then pressed the link to the MCA. The screen filled with talking heads analyzing and enjoying the tiny parade that had bound up traffic down the main street of the gigantic urban center of Autobot City. The children were much commented upon, the general consensus that they were adorably cute was had by all. The cars and tiny horses were much remarked upon. The last part where Prime was tackled by everyone, that was receiving rave reviews as well. All-in-all, the parade was a solid hit on two planets. "See?"
"I see. Silverbow is going to be Prime some orn," Optimus said as he picked up a stack of datapads. With a grin, he walked back to his office where he sat, turned on the monitors to the MCA download and listened with amusement at the delight the others had in their children's event. That two of his own children were part of it was the cherry on the top of the cake.
-0-TBC 9-9-17