TFA: Youngling

Ch.11~ Elite Guard's Arrival

I could feel the tension in the air as the ship drew nearer, everyone looked nervous despite perhaps Ratchet. He seemed more frustrated than anything, or maybe that was his worried expression? Nothing was really making sense today. I woke up and Prowl was proclaiming he wanted to continue looking after me. Why would he want that? I'm not his creation... Why do I keep wishing I was?

I felt a servo on my helm, turning I saw Prowl smiling down at me. He was trying to soothe me… Despite myself, I leaned into his touch, he pulled me into a hug in response. Why was he acting like this? I'm sure as soon as he reunites with this world's Ja I'll be forgotten. I hope at least I will get to talk to the Ja of this world… I'm going to wish he was my Carrier aren't I..? Perhaps it's best I never meet him.

"Are you okay Star?" Bee quizzed, I turned to see him looking at me with concern.

"Tired…" I lied, he reached over to rub my helm.

"Don't worry you'll do fine, they'll believe you." He hushed, I think I'll miss him almost as much as Prowl.

"Thanks, Bee." I thanked; he grinned as I pulled away from Prowl.

"Are you nervous?" Prowl asked, I looked up at him forcing a smile.

"Not used to meeting so many new bots or introducing myself as a princess." I lied; he rubbed my helm.

"You'll do fine, you've got a way with words when you need to." He complimented.

Maybe I can talk my way into staying on Earth, even for just a bit longer…

(Prowl's POV)

We stood as the ship landed, I looked back to see Star looking determined. Maybe she had begun to believe my words. I heard a ramp lower and I turned to watch he would exit. Stepping out of the ship first was Sentinel followed by my bondmate. He spotted me and tore away from Sentinel and raced over pulling me into a tight hug. I hugged him back, I had missed him more than I realized.

"Thank tha All Spark." He hummed pulling back he smiled at me before whacking my helm lightly. "Don't ever worry me like this again."

"Sorry I didn't mean to, you know." I hushed, he smiled and kissed my cheekplate.

"I know, I knew I shoulda gone myself to pick ya up." He teased and we both chuckled.

"Wait you're bonded!?" Bee screamed, I guess I had forgotten to inform the others I was bonded.

"Now who is worse for not explaining him or Star?" Ratchet joked to Optimus and they chuckled.

"Who are you?" Sentinel demanded I turned to see Star standing before him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I am Stargazer first Princess of Praxus." She introduced and curtseys, Sentinels jaw dropped as Jazz looked in shock. "This team has been allowing me to stay with them as I am currently stranded."

"Your highness!" He stumbled bowing low as Jazz raced to bow as well.

"Rise," Star stated and they both stood up. "Are you in command of this vessel?"

"Actually, I am your highness, I am the commander of the Autobot army Ultra Magnus." Ultra Magnus greeted from the ramp and bowed to Star.

"Ah, it's a pleasure, Ultra Magnus." Star greeted, and he walked over and knelt before her, so they were at a more even level.

"Now Princess, what brings you here from your kingdom?" he asked.

"We have a device on our planet we use to cover the planet and travel with ease. It is similar to a space bridge but smaller scale, I was going through one when a surge sent me here. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as space travel. I appear to be in a new dimension from my own." She explained, would they believe her?

"I see, that would explain a bit, I do hope you are doing alright."

"Yes, for now, but we do have a small problem as I am unable to consume any fuel other than energon."

"I see, once we are done with our mission here, I will bring you back to Cybertron a scientist should be able to help."

I need to say something or else they will take her away like she had theorized. How had she known this was going to happen?

"Sorry Magnus, but I will not leave this planet. My family must be trying to find me, I do not wish to make their job harder." She argued, her tone it was like an Earth robot. Was this her battle computer?

"I see, I understand your reasons. When I return to Cybertron I will have my top scientist look into a way to help you return home." Magnus replied, she bowed her helm.

"I would very much appreciate that Magnus, thank you for understanding." She replied I hope she didn't worsen her glitch…

"Now onto the matter of my arrival." Magnus continued.

(Jazz's POV)

Finally, I was reunited with my missing mate, I had so much to tell him. Whenever we get a moment, I must tell him about the twins. I'm sure he'll understand and help me with them. We were being shown their current base, it was primitive but I could dig it.

I heard a giggle turning I saw Princess Stargazer talking to the native they had befriended. She was so young; she must be so lost and worried about being separated from her creators. At least her spirits seemed high, I was worried when I heard her talk to Magnus. Reminded me of the mech Red Alert…

"Young Princess where are you staying at the moment?" Magnus asked, she turned to him her smile dropping.

"I'm still rather young so I've been staying in sir Prowl's room, he's been my main guardian since my arrival." She explained, her tone shift was frightening.

"I see, has he been a good guardian?" Magnus quizzed.

"He has been… has been…" she started but froze before she could continue.

"Princess?" Magnus quizzed, I stared at her confused.

She fell back hitting the ground, I cover my faceplate in shock, Prowl was at her side in a second. Soon the medic joined him, he did something near the back of her helm before sighing. Prowl carefully stood up cradling the small thing.

"Ratchet is she alright?" Magnus questioned.

"She has a glitch, seems it's a bad day for it." The medic explained, a glitch the poor thing. "Prowl, go lay her down, she needs rest after a glitch like that."

"Of course." Prowl stated, I watched him head away from us.

"A glitch? Pfft royal reget much…" Sentinel muttered, I glared at the mech.

"Is it normal for her?" Magnus questioned; the medic nodded.

"She apparently inherited from her Sire." The medic answered, her Sire must have been so upset to learn she had inherited his glitch.

"Jazz mind staying with her while we finish the tour," Magnus stated, I nodded saluting him.

"Not at all, sir." I chimed heading to were my mate had retreated.

Soon I saw a room peering in I saw an organic plant of some kind growing in the room. I had to admit it was beautiful whatever it was. Turning I saw Prowl sat on a makeshift berth the young Princess's helm in his lap. He was looking down at her carefully rubbing her helm. He seemed rather taken with the little thing.

"Does she do this often?" I quizzed, he turned to me in surprise.

"Don't you have to accompany Magnus?" he asked, I walked over to them.

"Not right now, actually he wanted me to keep an optic on the little thing… You seem to like her." I stated leaning against the wall next to him.

"She's very special." He stated, I shuffled closer so our plating touched.

"I can see that, but her tone changes are off-putting," I admitted, I saw him look upset. "Wait did that have to do with her glitch?"

"She was using a special processor she inherited but when she overuses it, it causes her glitch to flare." He explained, a special processor. "She was trying to impress Magnus."

"Impress Magnus? Why?" I quizzed, he looked away. "Prowler?"

"She's been through a lot, what she told you earlier, it wasn't the full story."

"What do ya mean?"

"It's true she is a Princess and that a Space-bridge-like technology sent her here… But her world is still engulfed in the Great War, both her creators perished when she was young and she was living with the Leader of the Autobots in the heart of the war. Her team couldn't dream of saving her, they barely had the resources to support her and fight…"

"By the All Spark…"

"She was scared Magnus would take her away, she's lost so many in her life… She's been hurt so much she can't even realize that I want to look after her… I-I can't even convince her to be a youngling…"

I saw tears flowing down his cheekplates, I stared in shock a second before I turned to embrace him. Prowl never cried, I've only seen him cry two times and once was when Master died… It reminded me of when I found out the Twin's backstory. All I ha wanted to do was bring them home, let them be youngling even for just a bit longer. Magnus had been able to give them time, given them to me to care for. Of course, he would do the same for this little feme.

"I know, you may not believe me but I understand… While you've been missin' I was put in charge of a set of twins. Bright young mechs, but I found out they were younglings. At that point, they had already been reformatted into fliers by the military. Magnus helped me to get them out of full enlistment till their grown… They have trouble being able to relax and be youngling too… They don't have much time left for it either…"

"Heh, Master did always say we end up mirror each other."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

"Me either."

"Do you think she will ever return home?"

"I don't even know if she would have anyone to return to…"

"It was going that bad…"

"She tried to go without refuelling, she even fought the Decepticons."

"What? How?"

"She has blasters installed and, in her world, energon blasters are standard."

"Frag…"

"She is so scared to lose someone again… The way she lost her creators… It was too cruel…"

"How so?"

"Her Sire died so she and her Carrier could escape Cybertron on a ship. Then her Carrier died saving her, but he put her in a stasis pod so she remembers it all so vividly even though she was only a sparkling…"

"Stasis pod? How long?"

"Almost all her sparklinghood."

"How old is she?"

"Over a stellarcycle into her youngling stage."

"Poor thing…"

"We have the same designations as her creators, she even knew mech with names similar to others on the team."

"Wait, we share her creator's names?"

"Yes, me with her Sire and you with her Carrier."

"Do we look similar too?"

"Apparently I don't but I'm not sure about you."

I heard a groan, we both turned down to see the small feme beginning to wake. Her optics onlined behind her visor and it booted up next, she looked up at Prowl confused. She tried to push herself up but Prowl gently pushed her back down.

"Lay down you need to rest." He hushed, she turned her gaze to me.

She looked up at me she appeared frozen in shock, then I saw a tear slip from under her visor. I pulled back and Prowl carefully pulled her up into his servos. She clung to his amour, hiding her faceplate against his chestplates. I guess I must share a resemblance to her Carrier.

"I'm sorry…" she muttered, Prowl rubbed her backstruts.

"It's alright, but try not to use your battle computer, you agitated your glitch." He hushed.

"I don't even realize I'm using it…" she argued, he patted her backstruts.

"You'll be able to tell in time." He soothed, she nodded into his plating.

She pulled away and looked to me, her expression shifted from the shock earlier. It was like she was looking at me in wonder now, I smiled at her. Her expression turned sad a moment before she forced a smile back. Poor thing, it must be so hard. She reached up to trace the side of her visor.

"You're Ja..zz right?" she asked, I nodded. "Prower told me about you, I'm glad I get to meet you."

"I'm glad ta meet ya too, yer such a little cutie."

She blushed at that and turned back into Prowl's chestplates a moment before turning back. Poor thing, she was acting like a completely different feme now. She must have had to put on an act and grow up before her time back in her own world. So young…

"I'm sorry, it's just you look and sound so much like my Ja… my Carrier…"

"Prowler told me yer creators passed, I'm sorry it must be upsetting ta see me."

"No!"

I looked at her in shock, she realized how loud she was and turned back into Prowl. He gently rubbed her backstruts and soon she peeked back out at me before retreating. She did this a few more times before full turning back to me.

"I'm sorry, it's just… I don't know how to say this… I'm not upset by seeing you… It makes me feel happy… Sorry I don't know how to express how I'm feeling…"

"It's alright, you're still young after all, it takes a long time to learn how to express all your feelings."

"Were you anxious earlier?" Prowl asked, she grippe his plating nodding. "Did you think he would take you away?"

She nodded and I felt my spark break, she thought she was going to be taken away. Seems to me she has formed a tight bond with Prowl, and he with her. Poor thing, she lost her creators then was sent somewhere where she may never see her caretakers. She was stuck in a traumatic loop of thought. Reminds me of Prowl when we were young or the twins waiting for me back on Cybertron.

"No one will ever take you away from Prowl, I won't let them," I assured, she looked at me confused.

"You don't mind that he's looking after me?" she asked.

"Of course not, why would I be? Me and Prowler end up mimicking each other without even trying. I'm actually looking after a set of twins right now, they're back on Cybertron waiting for me." I soothed, she perked up.

"Twins?"

"Yep."

"What are their names?"

"Jetfire and Jetstorm, they're quite a bit older than you, they're almost out of their youngling stage."

"It's just like…"

"Like what?"

"My creators, long before I saw born they adopted a set of twins."

"So you had big brothers."

"Uhuh… So you really don't mind me being here?"

"Of course not."

She turned to look at Prowl, he cupped her cheekplate and leaned to kiss her helm. She looked so touch-starved, it made me want to want to cuddle her tightly. Prowl had a look I haven't seen directed at me, it was that fond kind of loving gaze.

"Star I've told you before, I love looking after you. As long as you're here I will look after you."

I saw tears fall down her cheekplates, it seems she was just starting to realize what he meant. I wonder how many times he had to proclaim this. I remember how long it had taken for the twins to believe that I wanted to look after them. That I wanted to raise them. Prowl pulled her into a hug as she sobbed out her woes.

I shuffled closer and wrapped my arms around them both, I felt a small servo grab my plating. I smiled as I cuddled closer to them, seems we have another addition. I hope she and the twins will get along. Hopefully, later I can merge with Prowl, he's always more honest in a merge.

I felt him lean into me, he nuzzled my neckcables. I wish I could feel his end of the bond more, it's been too long. All I could feel was his presence and that he was alive. I wanted to comfort him more, I wanted to share our pain and joys. But first, we need to get this little feme feeling better.