I only own Mariposa!
My First Riding Lesson
August 18, 5:00 am, Third POV
Jazz smiles as he pulls in the drive in front of the house. He unlocks the door and walks in quietly. It wouldn't do for him to wake anyone this early. He tilts his head to the side when he sees doorwings in the kitchen, but is surprised to find him deep in recharge, one hand on a half-filled cube.
He rests a hand on Prowl's shoulder. "Prowler?" The Praxian shifts before looking over at Jazz. "Were ya watin' up fo' meh?"
Prowl shakes his head. He'd simply drifted off at the table after getting a second cube. "Not intentionally."
"Le's ge' ya ta berth." He sighs as he leads Prowl to the stairs. "How's Mari been since tha' nigh'mare an' the bully?"
"She has been fine, Jazz. She did go to berth early last night, but she was exhausted from her first skating lesson, so I do not believe there is anything to worry about."
"Ya go' 'er in skatin'?" He smiles. "Good. She needs ta be 'roun' younglin's 'er age."
"The bully is in her ice skating class as well. I got quite the lecture from her mother yesterday for defending Mariposa."
"Then ah'll jus' hafta take 'er in nex' week."
"You would face her father. Mrs. Mearing will be in Washington D.C. for four months."
"Then ah'll take her in, an' talk with the Sire nex' chance ah ge'. Ya need ta ge' ta recharge, Prowler. We can talk 'bou' this more when ya ge' up."
"Mariposa's schedules are on the refrigerator. Try to stick with them, if you can."
"Schedules? Prowler…"
"She needs routine, Jazz. Having her day scheduled out may be the only reason she only had two meltdowns while you were away."
"All righ'. Ah'll do mah bes', Prowler." He smiles. "Ya had a pretty good week, didn' ya?"
"Yes, we did." He sighs before lying in their berth. "She is usually up by eight if left on her own, and she needs to get her chores done before she can play. Her chores are with the lists."
"Gotcha."
Jazz skims over the datapad he finds magnetized to the fridge. "Prowler made 'er san'wiches, with apples… Guess she likes 'em, if 'e marked i' as 'er fave."
7:00 am, Normal POV
I blink before looking at the ceiling. Binky's beside me on my pillow, having fallen out sometime during the night, and the house is strangely quiet. With the sun already up, it feels kinda strange. Carrier's usually up by now. I slide out of my bed and look around, then pick up Flutter. "Carrier sai' I gotta do my chores early on Saturday, an' I gotta help clean before riding lessons…" I look down before smiling at my butterfly. "Bu' i's better than hafin' ta do i' all 'lone!" I giggle. "Maybe I can ge' started now…"
"Mari?" My eyes go wide as I stare at the door. That voice… "Mari, wha' ya doin' up?
"SIRE!" I run over and jump into his arms. "You're home!" I kiss his cheek before sliding back to the floor. "When you ge' home?"
He shrugs. "Couple hours ago." He kneels to me. "Ah need ya ta keep ya voice down. Ya Carrier's still 'chargin'."
"Didya b'ing me somefin'?"
"As a matter o' fac', ah di'. Ge' dressed, an' ah'll ge' i' for ya."
"Bu' Carrier—"
He smacks himself in the head, then pulls out one of Carrier's data-pads. "Righ'. Ah forgo'. Prowler tol' me 'bou' ya needin' schedules." He glances over something. "Ah'll ge' ya breakfas', then we'll ge' ya dressed."
I nod. That's more like it. "An' my p'esent?"
"Ah'll ge' i' for ya soon as ya're dressed."
"Fanks!" I hug his leg before running downstairs.
Kitchen
Sire sets my pink butterfly print plate in front of me, followed by the matching cup, then hands me some syrup and my fork. Breakfast isn't as fancy today, but it doesn't matter. He made a lion out of toaster waffles, scrambled eggs, and bacon, with olives and the last of the blueberries. I take a bite and grin. "Yum!"
"Hurry up, Girly. Ah go' ya presen' in the livin' room."
I perk up at that. "Present?" I quickly finish my food, then slide down. "Where present?"
He points to my plate. "Ge' ya dishes." He glances down. "An' finish ya milk. Ya need ya' 'gon."
"I know." I quickly finish the glass, then walk over and slip them into the sink. "Now present?"
"Wha' do ya say?"
I give him my best "kitten eyes". "Pwease pwesent?"
Sire smiles. "O' course." He hands me a box wrapped in pink and silver butterfly print paper.
I tear away the paper, revealing a box with a picture of a merry-go-round. "I' pwetty, Sire…"
"I's a music box." He smiles. "Ah'll se' i' up on ya dresser for ya."
"Tank you!" I start for the stairs. "I dress now?"
"Yep, ya need ta ge' dressed, then ge' ya chores done."
"Then help you an' Carrier clean up." I blink up at him. "Big Bro come?"
"Bi' bro? Ya don'—"
"She means First Aid." Carrier crouches to me. "And he is busy this morning. He might be able to come later this afternoon, but I do not know for sure."
"Aid ain' 'er brother."
Carrier straightens up. "He offered to be a mentor for her until she is old enough to train." He sighs. "She is just as compassionate as he is, Jazz, and—"
"LA…" He sighs. "Oh, Prowler…"
I look up between them. "I okay now, Sire… Aid… Aid talk-a me 'bout i', an' he teach me when I ready 'a learn."
"Speaking of…" Carrier turns back to me. "Are you still sore from yesterday's lesson?"
"A li'l." I shrug. "I' no' bad… wanna skate 'gain!" I grab Sire's leg. "Siwe take me this time!"
He smiles down at me. "Ah plan ta, Girly."
"Yay!"
"Now, ya need ta ge' dressed. We've go' lots ta do today."
"Including your lesson with Sarah."
"Ya go' 'er ta teach Mari?"
"It was not hard." I watch as Carrier pulls out an outfit before laying it on my bed. "You need to get dressed."
I run over and change into the white cap sleeved T-shirt with a pink and red butterfly graphic and red collar and cuffs and red shorts. Normally, I'd wear red flip flops with it, but I don't think I'll be going outside yet. Finally, I slip my yellow binky around my neck, then look up to Carrier. "Now what?"
Carrier braids my hair and ties off the ends with white hair ties. "Get to your chores. Jazz and I will be ready for your help when you finish." He glances around my room. "And, I will help you clean your own room."
"But Carrier!"
"No buts, Mariposa. I will not allow you to live in anything resembling a battlefield."
"Ya Carrier's righ', Mari. I' looks like a bomb wen' off in 'ere."
Carrier sighs. "If this gets any worse, it may set Bluestreak off."
I sigh heavily. "Okay… When?"
He glances over the data-pad in Sire's hands. "After your chores, but before you help us."
"Okay…" I get the little vacuum Carrier had bought earler this week and sweep off the furniture. It's all I have to do on my own right now, and the sooner I get it done, the sooner everything gets done, and the sooner that happens, we get to do something else.
"Good. Now put the vacuum away, and we can get started on your room."
I nod. "I need my cleanin' stuff?"
"Yes, you will. Be quick. I will meet you upstairs."
My Bedroom
I step inside and set my cleaning stuff on the ground before turning to where Carrier is kneeling on the floor with an arm under my bed. "How did you get so much trash in one week?" I blink and shrug. I have no idea what's under that bed. I haven't pushed anything under it! He sighs before standing. "Get your toys picked up. I will get started on the bathroom."
"Okay…" I look around the room with a sigh before shaking my head. I hate cleaning. I look over the toys, and start to pick them up. At least Carrier's helping me. No one would in my human family.
Carrier steps out with my hamper. "We need to pick up your dirty clothes now."
I huff, but start picking them up anyway. I've got riding lessons today, and I don't want Carrier keeping me home because I didn't listen.
Before long, we're done. Carrier finishes making my bed, then carries the hamper in one hand as I run after him. "What's next?"
"Next, we finish the rest of the house."
"An' then?"
"Then, you will go to the grocery store with your Sire while I finish the laundry, and get some work done for Optimus."
"An' then?"
He looks down to me. "Then we have lunch, and you get an hour of TV before we have to leave for your lesson." He crouches to me at the door to the laundry room. "Then your Sire and I will help you with what powers you have learned, then you will get to play."
"Swim?"
"Do you know how?" He sighs when I nod. "Maybe, but not without Jazz or I." He sighs as he stands. "Then you will have supper, and time to play before your bath."
"And bed af'er bath."
"Right." He opens the door. "Help me sort the clothes." I watch him for a moment before jumping in once I know what I'm supposed to do. We have it done within ten minutes, and he throws a load into the washer before leading me out. "Jazz." Sire turns to us from where he's finishing in the kitchen. "You and Mariposa need to start dusting. I will start on the floors."
"Wha' 'bou' Blue?"
Carrier sighs. "Bluestreak babysits during the week, and has to handle most of the housework at the same time. He gets the weekends to himself."
Sire sighs heavily. He looks bored. "Alrigh'. Come on, Mari. Le's ge' the dustin' done."
I run after him and take the dusting cloth he hands me. "You soun'ed bored."
"Ah don' like cleanin', bu' ya Carrier hates messes."
I giggle. "Me either. I no like cleaning! I' borin'!"
"Ah know, Sweetspark, bu' we can' live in a mess, an' ya Carrier an' ah've lived in a battlefield too lon' for i' ta be good…" He sighs. "Ah don' think there's any problem with makin' ya Carrier happy."
"Jazz? You had better be working in there."
"Ah'm workin', ah'm workin'." We share a look, and I start giggling. "Ya think tha's funny, do ya?"
I nod. "You both silly!"
"Oh, we are?"
I giggle. "Yep!"
"Ya goin' shoppin' with meh today?" I nod. "Ah'm leavin' in a half an hour. We'll need ta ge' ya changed."
"Only if you have finished the dusting, Jazz."
"Ah have, Prowler!"
I look around again to make sure. "Yep! No dust!"
"Good." He sighs. "Then get Mariposa changed. She is going with you." He sighs. "Do not let her talk you into going to the mall. She does not have the time in her schedule, and we do not need anything from any of the stores there."
"Ah go' i', Prowler." He turns to me. "Come on, Mari. Le's ge' ya changed."
"'kay…"
Sire helps me into a blue and white short sleeved dress with a purple butterfly graphic on the blue and white striped top, and a blue tutu skirt, white cropped leggings, and blue jelly sandals with butterflies on the toes, then slips my everyday butterfly tiara in. He grabs my old clothes and carries them downstairs with us.
Once we get downstairs, Sire sticks his head into the laundry room. "We're leavin', Prowler."
"Hold on." Carrier steps over. "Captain Lennox already gotten it cleared with the Tranquility police for you to take her in the front seat, but you are still required to use a booster. I bought one for you last week, and it is waiting by the door. She is allowed to take one stim toy, but no more."
Sire nods. "Well, go pick ou' ya toy. Ah'll be righ' outside, figurin' ou' wha' ya Carrier's talkin' 'bou'."
I giggle as I kneel beside my box and dig around for a minute before grabbing a fuzzy Tangle®. I twist it around my wrist before running out the door, to Sire's vehicle mode and holoform.
"Ya ready ta go?"
I nod and hold up my wrist. "Yep!"
"Climb in." He deactivates his holoform as I climb in, then shuts the door. "Buckle up." I do, quickly. "Wanna ride with the top down?"
"Can we?"
"Mari, ah scanned a convertible. O' course we can!"
"Yay! I never rode ina 'vertible 'fore!"
He lowers the roof before taking off. "Jus' be careful wha' ya tell ya Carrier. 'E may no' be happy 'bou' meh doin' this."
"I will!"
Grocery Store
Sire activates his holoform and climbs out before walking over to me. I slide out and slip my binky in. "Now, hold mah hand til we ge' inside. Ah don' wanna lose ya here." I reach up and take his hand as he sighs and looks over a human-sized data-pad. "Man, ya Carrier's go' a bigger lis' than I the one ah lef' 'im. 'kay…" He looks around before spotting the shopping carts. This store has many colors, but they, unlike the school, have two of my favorites—of course, all the purple are gone, and there's only one yellow left. "Ya wanna pick the car'?"
I squeal and run toward the yellow one, grabbing it at the same time as someone else.
"Hey! I had it first!" I look up and find Daniella holding the other side of the cart. "DADDY! MARIANNE'S TRYING TO STEAL MY CART!"
A man with dark hair glares down at me. "What are you doing? That's my daughter's cart."
I whimper softly, but hold tight to the cart. She's not ruining my first day with my Sire back. "I-I saw it first, Sir."
"What do you mean, you saw it first? My little Dani—"
"Excuse me?" I look up to find Sire with his arms crossed, shorter than the man, but not a bit afraid—if anything, he's angry. His face softens as he looks down at me. "Ya 'kay, Girly?"
I shake my head, and nuzzle into his leg, still holding the cart with one hand. "'Ella' a bi' meanie-bu'."
He turns back to the man. "You are?"
"Damien Mearing. You?"
"Ah'm Jazz, NEST Head o' Special Ops. Ya wanna tell me why ya think i's a good idea ta le' ya li'l one pick on mah li'l one?"
"What do ya mean!? Dani told me she's been doing her best to get her in trouble!"
Sire glances down at me. "Woul' ya 'xplain?"
I nod. "Firs', all I do is go ta school. I need special 'tention, cause I's differen', so I ge' more 'tention. I needa pway to learn, so's I getta pway. She no like. Then I go to art, and I pain' a pwetty cas'le, an' she knock-a pain' in my lap, and I cwy. Daddy hadda come ge' me, an' I hadda call you, and everyfing…"
He nods and pats my head when I trail off. "Go on, Girly."
"Everyday she ge' the lellow scooter, so I ask for i' yes'erday, an' Mis'er Clark say i' my turn. She lelled a' me ina hall, an' Unca Blake wa' comin' back from takin' a no'e to da office, so he too' 'er to da office, then keep me safe 'til bell ring." I blink. "Den 'er Mommy lelle' a' me fron' Daddy a' skatin', an' Daddy 'fended me. An' tha's all." I sigh. "Now she wan' our cart, an' i's da las' lellow, and dey no gots purple lef'…"
Sire crouches to me and runs a hand over my head. "An' 'er punishments?"
"She go' sen' to da principal twice for bein' a bully, an' I gotta use a lellow scoo'er yes'erday cause she hogged i' like a piggy…" I cover my mouth when an image of her dressed up like a piggy and covered in mud comes to mind. I don't wanna laugh right now. They'd take that against me. She'd make a really funny looking real piggy.
Sire straightens up with a sigh. "Mr. Mearing, Mari's autistic. Mos' a wha' she does, she can' help, an' wha' she can, is usually no' somethin' we don' wan' 'er ta do. She's a swee' girl if ya try ta ge' ta know 'er."
"Then why did she steal all the attention that Dani was getting?"
Sire sighs. "Mari's a princess. Ah thin' wha' happened is tha' mah li'l Girly has somethin' they wan'. Once the new wears off, things'll ge' back ta normal for everyone."
"You're royalty?"
"Ah, no." He rubs the back of his neck. "Mari's…" He sighs heavily. "Where we come from, any couple coul' have someone like Mari, bu' only two chil'ren can be like her in their generation—one boy, and one girl. Mah commander is the boy, an' Mari is the girl." He sighs. "Now, ah need ta ge' mah shoppin' done, an' Mari needs ta stay on a schedule. Ah'm sure ya li'l one can handle change better than mine…" He smiles when Damien nods. "So ah guess we ge' the car'." He sets me in the top before starting for the doors.
"Jazz!"
Sire turns back to him. "Yeah?"
Damien hands Sire a slip of paper. "Here." Sire gives him a look. "It's my cell number."
"Thank ya."
He shakes his head. "It's nothing. Thank you for serving our country."
Third POV
"DAD~DY! YOU LET HER STEAL MY CART! AGAIN!"
"He's military, Baby. They keep us safe, so they deserve our respect."
"Like Mommy."
"Sort of." He sighs. "You know what your next pageant's about."
"America…"
He nods. "Freedom, Baby. Freedom."
"An' her Daddies protect freedom?"
"Yep." He sets her into a green cart.
"Does that mean I hafta be nice to her? She's a glory hog! She stole my spotlight at school, an' she stole it in skating!"
"I won't make you be nice, but don't go so far that I get called into the school. Your mother may make most of the money, but I still have to work so I can fund your career."
"I know…"
Normal POV
Sire looks over the list. "'Kay, le's star' with the laundry stuff Prowler needs, then we'll move on ta the rest."
I look down and fiddle with my tangle, Binky in my mouth. "'Kay."
"Ya all righ', Girly?"
I nod. "I'm fine."
"Why ya so quie'?"
I shrug. "No like crowds… 'Ella no' nice…" I watch as he puts an orange jug, a white jug, a blue jug, a black bottle, and a white spray bottle in the cart. "An' I no wanna keep tellin' wha' she do ta me."
"Ah won' ask ya 'gain, okay?" He grabs a box with a green lid.
"An' Daddy?"
"Ah'll tell him wha' happened once we ge' home. Ah'm sure ya'll be all right by then." He glances over the list. "Now, we need ta ge' more o' ya bath stuff." He glances at me. "Ya wan' the same scent, or do ya wanna choose new?"
"Same."
"'Kay." He grabs strawberry shampoo, conditioner, detangler spray, body wash, bubble bath, and toothpaste. "All right. Now…" He turns back to the list. "Did ya ask for yogurt?"
I shake my head, but smile. "Daddy wants ta try something to see if I could handle it with fruits…or something. I don' 'member."
"Ah won' ge' mad a' 'im, then."
I glance around. I hate having to use Papa and Daddy. "Sire?" He looks down at me. "Wan' Twix."
"Wha'?"
"Wan' Twix. Ceweal."
"Oh… Okay."
11:55 am
I help Sire put the last of the bags in the trunk before climbing in.
"Ya ready ta ge' home?"
I nod. "No 'Ella a' home."
"Nope, an' as long as she's gonna be like tha', she ain' comin' over, neither."
"Thanks, Sire."
"Now, ya need ta buckle up. We've gotta ge' home."
I nod before buckling myself. "Hungry."
"Ah know, Mari. We'll ge'cha somethin' ta ea' soon as we're home."
"I know…" I smile. "Then riding, right?"
"Yep! We' gotta be a' the Lennox farm a' two this afternoon."
"Yay!"
I run inside to find Carrier setting my green butterfly print cup and bowl at my spot on the table. I climb up and look in the bowl to find alphabet pasta and meatballs. "Yummy! T'anks, Carrier!"
"You are welcome." He turns to Sire. "How was she?"
"She was very good, Prowler." Sire sighs from where he's putting things away. "Bu' we ran inta the bully ya was tellin' meh 'bou'." Carrier turns to him, and his doorwings twitch slightly. "Bu', I handle' i', Prowler. She was with 'er Sire, an' he 'spec's the military."
"That is good to know." He sighs before turning to me. "I have a surprise for you in your berth room, Sweetspark."
"Really?"
"Yes. You may go see once you finish your lunch."
"'Kay."
"Wha' do ya wanna watch?" I look up to Sire. "Ah'll get the TV se' up soon as ah'm done puttin' things 'way."
"Powerpuffs!"
"Um…"
"It's a show about three superheros about her age. She really likes it."
I look up. "Unca Blue! Where was you?"
He sighs. "Recharging."
"Why?"
He crouches beside me. "Because I was up late." Carrier glares at him. "I was doing my homework!"
Carrier sighs. "I am aware that you would have a lot of homework, but you have three days."
"Ya're one ta talk, Prowler! Ya spen' all ya time in ya office!"
Bluestreak sighs heavily and shakes his head. "Mari? You okay?" He looks down to find me with my hands over my ears. He picks me up and hugs me close before turning to glare at Carrier and Sire. "Guys!"
They turn to us. "Mari? Wha's wrong?"
"Oh, Mariposa…"
Bluestreak sighs. "Just…stop arguing. You're upsetting her, and she doesn't need that—not after the scrap she gets from her classmates." He turns toward the living room. "I'll get the TV set up, and I'll stay with her."
"Thank you, Bluestreak." Carrier turns to Jazz. "You need to mow. I cannot force Mariposa to play in a jungle, any more than I can tollerate her living in a battlefield."
Bluestreak sticks his head around the corner. We had just stepped out of the room. "What about a battlefield?"
"Mari's room looked like a battlefield this mornin'. Prowler helped 'er clean i'."
"Oh…" He turns back to me. "Ready to watch Powerpuffs?"
"Yay!"
2:00 pm
"Come on, Mari! I's time ta ge' ya changed."
I can't help but whine. My show's still on, and I wanna see if they save the day! "Bu' it's no' over yet!"
"Mariposa."
I lean back to see Carrier standing beside Sire. "Oh… Hi, Carrier."
"Do you want me to tell Sarah we cannot come this week?"
"No…"
"Then you need to let your Sire help you change. You can watch more next week."
"Prowler…" He sighs. "Ya don' le' 'er watch TV durin' the week?"
"She does not have the time. We have to start teaching her to safely use her abilities."
"Then what have you been doing when the schedule says 'training'?"
"Teaching her about her condition, and my glitch, so she will not be afraid the next time I crash, or when she inevitably does."
Sire starts toward the stairs, then turns to me. "So…ya comin'?"
I slide off the couch. "Coming!"
Sire leads me into my room before stopping short.
"Sire?" I step around him, and grin. Carrier got me a desk and chair! They're both dark brown, just like my bed and dresser, with lavender legs and pink trim, with three drawers, and three shelves above the desktop. "Wow… Pwetty."
I step over and run my hand over it. I open a drawer to find that Carrier's already put my coloring pages from my base backpack in the drawers—the middle one—along with three new coloring books and drawing paper. The one on the left has new crayons and pencils, and my Color Wonder markers, and the one on the right has chargers and my download cable for my iPod. The middle shelf has my Leapster 2 in a case. I open the case and find all my games, then close it again. The shelf to the left has my iPod, earbuds, and the remote for my TV, and the left has boxes of kids card games, and a new pink Bible. The back is split into three, and is made of cork backed with wood, and there's a box of pink and lavender push pins pushed against the far left.
"Ya like i'?"
I nod. "Yeah…"
"Ya Carrier tol' me 'e was gonna ge' i' for ya." He pulls my new riding outfit out of the closet and helps me into a pink long sleeved button up western shirt, blue jeans, a light pink western belt with a silver buckle with white rhinestones, a dark pink heart, and light pink banner with "cowgirls rule", pink socks, and new pink cowgirl boots, then changes my hair ties and plops a pink cowgirl hat with a tiara and silver trim onto my head. "Ya ready?"
I nod. "How I look?"
He grins at me. "Ya look like a cowgirl." I squeal. "Ya like cowgirls?"
"Like-a d'ess like 'em!"
"Well, ya Carrier's gonna be busy with the laundry all day, so ah guess ah'm takin' ya to the Lennox's."
Lennox Farm
Sarah meets us at the barn. "Hey, Mari."
"Hi!" I run over to the fence and look in. "Who'm I gonna ride?" Annie steps out of the barn, leading a brown horse with a white heart on her head. "She' beautiful…"
Sarah lays a hand on my shoulder. "You like her? She's yours."
"Wha' ya gonna name 'er?"
I stare at her for a few minutes. "Star."
"Star?" I nod. "I'll make sure that gets on her papers."
Sire looks down at her. "Papers?"
"Yeah. Her vet forms, and her breeding papers. She's a Morgan." She leads me into the barn, and swaps my hat out for a helmet. "We'll start with how to care for her, but I'll have you riding before you leave."
50 minutes later
I wave to Sire from my pink saddle as Sarah takes me around again. "Hi, Sire!"
"Ya havin' fun?"
"Yeah!"
"Sarah." Sire motions to her. "Keep going. Just keep the rein on the right of her neck. You're doing great." She steps over to the fence. "You didn't have to get her a horse…"
She shrugs. "It was Will's idea. He taught Annie to ride. Now we've gotten her into formal riding lessons in town. She loves it."
"All right, Mari. Let's take her back in."
"Awww!"
"I'm gonna show you how to take care of a horse when you finish riding. You won't be here all the time, and we'll be able to arrange for you to have Star sent with you."
"Thank you." I slide off like she'd shown me, then walk into the barn behind her as she leads Star.
Outside, 10 Minutes Later
I run out the door and, after rubbing my feet on the grass to make sure I don't have anything gross on my boots, then clamber into Sire's front seat and buckle up.
"Ya ready ta go?"
I nod. "Wanna tell Carrier 'bout Star!"
"Ya like havin' ya own horse?"
"Yep!"
Sire sighs. "Ah gotta ge' ya home. Ya Carrier's ready ta star' teachin' ya ta use ya powers."
I blink before looking at the dash. "Which ones?"
"Ah don' know."
Home, Training
"Hi, Carrier!"
"Hello, Mariposa." He smiles. "How was your lesson?"
"Great! Will go' me my own horsie!"
"He did?" Carrier crouches to me. "How do you like her?"
"She's pretty. I named her Star."
"I will see what I can do about meeting her." He stands. "Jazz, get her changed. I will meet you both in the basement."
"The basement? Bu' Carrier—"
"You are only allowed down there in emergencies without your Sire or myself, but I have set up a training room for us to use."
"Okay…" I look up. "Change clothes?"
Sire leads me upstairs. "Yep. Ya Carrier's go' a outfit for ya ta train in, so ya don' ge' ya good clothes messy." He helps me into a pink long sleeved top and pink baggy pants, then ties on a white belt."
"I learn Asian fighting?"
Sire shakes his head. "No, but you will learn ta 'fend yaself." He smiles "Ya Carrier's a master."
"Really?"
"Yep." He sighs. "Bu' firs', ya gotta learn ta use ya powers."
Carrier turns to me as we step into the training room. "Ben'?"
"What do you mean?"
"Show my human dad use' ta watch. It 'bout this li'l boy, older than me, but still younger than Unca Blue, who coul' use Asian fighting to control air, water, earth, and fire. I' was so cool!"
Carrier sighs. "You may be able to learn some forms, once I get some more information. Until then, we will work with your other abilities."
6:00 pm
I'm playing with my four blonde Cabbage Patch kids—Lily, Mable, Jessie, and Katie. I like to pretend they're quads. The two brown haired ones—Laura and Nellie—are twins, and the black haired one—June—is all alone. Carrier changed me back into my top and shorts from this morning, so I don't have to worry about getting my training clothes dirty.
"Mari! Ya supper's done!" I look up from where I'm playing to check the time on my digital clock. Carrier had put it up after my diagnosis. I sigh and put Lily, Mable, Jessie, and Katie into my toybox, then stick the diaper bag next to my toy box. "Mari?" I start for the door. "Ya Carrier sai' ta turn ya music off. i's too loud for 'im." I turn around and turn my CD player off before running down the stairs.
I run down and jump into Carrier's arms. "Carrier!"
He looks down. "Mariposa?" He sighs. "You have a lot of energy tonight." He turns to Sire. "Did you give her sugar?"
Sire shakes his head. "She had syrup this mornin', bu' she didn' even ge' a candy from the store. She was too upse' from runnin' inta 'Ella ta ask."
Carrier sighs. "So this level of energy…"
"Mus' be from 'er systems."
"Jazz, you must have done something. She has more energy than Hot Spot usually does."
"She hasn' go' a lo' of exercise today. Maybe ah should take 'er ta the park or somethin'."
"It is too late for that." Carrier sighs. "Take her out back once she eats. She can play for half an hour before she has to come in for her bath."
"Wha's for supper?"
Carrier sets my yellow and blue butterfly plate in front of me, with a clear plastic cup. It's macaroni and cheese, with peas mixed in. "Ooh…" My old human family never thought to try this, but it looks really good…
"Prowler, did ya forge' 'bou' no' mixin' 'er food?"
Carrier sighs, causing me to look up at him with my mouth full, and cheese on my face. "She does not seem to mind."
I swallow before looking up at them. "I like some stuff like that, Sire. Love stew… Love tuna caserole—bu' no other fishy stuff… Love 'amburger helper!" I look down at my plate. "No one mix peas wif mac an' cheese 'fore…bu' i' good!"
"Wan' me ta take ya outside after ya done?"
I nod. "Swing?"
"Of course."
7:30 pm
Carrier crosses his arms. "How did she get so dirty in half an hour?"
I grin up at him, my hands and face almost black in places. "I play ina san'box! Make mud castle!"
Carrier sighs heavily. "You let her play in the mud, so you are bathing her."
"Bu' Prowler—"
"Bluestreak bathed her last week while I was cleaning up. It will not kill you to bathe a youngling femme." He sighs. "I need to clean up. Get her bathed."
My Bathroom
"Sire no wan' help me?"
Sire sighs. "Ah've never washed a sparklin' or younglin' 'fore."
"I's easy, Sire! Ya just gotta ge' me clean, an' wash my hair."
"Shouldn' be too hard…" He sighs, and turns the water on before turning back to me. "Ah'll need ya to help meh, though…"
I nod. "I can!"
"'Kay. How's the temp?"
I stick my hand under before pulling it back quick. "Hot!"
He turns the cold up before nodding to it. "How 'bou' now?"
I stick my hand in again. "Pe'fec'."
"Good…" He sighs and shifts into holoform before sticking the plug in. "All right… Guess ya need ta ge' in." I strip and climb in carefully, and stick my head under the water. "Um…"
I point to the shampoo bottle. "That one. It' used ta wash hair."
"Right."
"No ge' in eyes, pwease."
"Ah'll try, Sweetspark."
"Then you use the con'itioner—it look like the s'am'oo bottle. Then you pu' tha'—" I point to the body wash, then the sponge. "On tha', an' wash body."
"Wha's this?" He holds up the bottle of bubble bath.
"Bubbles!"
"Bubbles?" Sire looks down at me.
"Bubble bath!"
"Oh… Ya wan' some?"
"Yeah!" He puts a little into the tub before stirring it around, then starts washing my hair. "Ask Carrier curl hair for 'morrow?"
"Curl your hair?"
I nod, then point to where Carrier stashed the curlers he'd gotten. "Pu' those in, wear all nigh', has curlies!"
"An' where ya goin' tomorrow?"
"Church! Annie goes too!"
"Ah. Then ah guess ah'm goin' too." He smiles. "Sure. I'll ask 'im." He sighs. "Do ya like i'?"
I nod. "Grammy use' ta take me when I little. I miss'ded bein' there. We hadda take Annie las' week, an' Carrier like too, so we go 'gain."
Sire grabs the sponge and starts scrubbing at the dirt. "Ah hope someone told them 'bou' ya Carrier an' I." I nod. "Good." He grabs a towel before pulling the plug. "Now, le's ge' ya ou', then ah'll have ya Carrier curl ya hair."
Sire returns to his normal form and helps me into a light pink long sleeeved nightgown with a bow at the empire wist, ruffled cuffs, and a ruffled hem, then leads me downstairs with my curlers, my brush, and a comb. "Prowler?" Carrier looks around the corner. "Mari wan's curls tomorrow."
He nods. "Would you finish the kitchen while I do that?"
"O' course."
Carrier tucks me in before slipping Binky into my mouth. "Goodnight, Sweetspark. Sleep well."
"I will. Love you."
"I love you too."
