Ariel Pax

Lightning

The Mech grinned placidly, "Aw… Common Air-head… don't be hatin'."

"Uhl, how grotesque. You sound like an upperclassmen teacher trying to be 'cool'." Ariel glowered over to him; he had some nerve showing his face near her again.

"Oh please, ya know ya love me." He teased.

"Not after what you did." She muttered in disgust.

"Huh?" the mech's face reflected total bewilderment, "What'd I do?"

"Aren't you still a member of dacaw?"

"No! I quit three and a half million years ago."

"Wasn't that when it disbanded?" She said dryly.

"No! It was two years before it disbanded."

"Lightning…"

"Oh chill little miss teacher."

"That's it! You are sooooooo scrap!"

"Ariel, wait!" RedAlert pulled her arms back using his elbows, "A; if you tear him to shreds; I have to put him back together. B; if you attack a fellow Autobot… Optimus'll never let you be a warrior."

She immediately ceased struggling, glancing back at RedAlert, muttering, "I hate it when you're right. Okay, I won't hurt him."

Slowly, Red released his grip. She glared at him one last time before returning her attention to Lightning. He gave her a carefree smile in return, "Aw calm down Ariel. You used to trust me with everything."

"A friend of yours Ariel?" Optimus asked.

"Former, Optimus. A former friend."

"Ariel, what is or was… 'Dacaw'." Optimus further pressed, he was determined to find out what was going on.

"Um…" Fortunately for her a distraction arose

Lightning snapped his fingers like an idea had hit him, "CopyCat! That's it!" everyone looked at him with equally disoriented faces.

"Huh?" Scavenger spoke what everyone was thinking.

"Ariel, do you remember that D-dacaw named CopyCat?"

"Most annoying bot I ever met besides you. He would change his voice and appearance using illusions so you never knew if you were talking to who you thought you we-re…" She faltered, hit with the realization and trying to mentally search for any indication that who had hurt her was an imposter. She finally sighed and said, "I should've realized it was him all along… but then… how do I know it's really you? Hum?"

"Easy Air-head. In our first year of basic schooling you were my only friend, you were the only bot who'd willingly have any kind of contact with me except the teachers." A soft smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, but he continued, "When we were pre-limbotus and one of our closest friends broke my hand…" He pointed to a slightly different colored spot running across her knuckles, "You socked her, got that scar, and thought I never knew you stood up for me." He pointed to a scar on the edge of his facial armor, "And I got this our senior year when that jock called you a slut, I tried to stand up for you and-" (pre-limbotus is the same as American 8th grader)

"He broke your jaw. I remember." Her optics began to well a small bit, tears beginning to pour from her optics, "Oh Lightning, you jerk!" she hugged him tenderly, "Sorry I thought C-C was you."

"I'm sorry too. And I'm sorry for shooting at you. It was only a warning shot but…"

"Ariel…" Optimus hated to interrupt this oh-so-tender moment between Lightning and his sparkling, but he needed to learn more, and he knew that the kid's curiosity would cause them to approach soon, and he wanted to make sure this new bot was safe for them to be near, "What is dacaw?"

"Um… Do I have to tell you?" Optimus folded his arms, "I guess that's a yes then… Fine, well…"

"Decepticon and Autobot Citizens Against War." Lightning interrupted.

"Citizens?" Ariel whispered.

"Yeah, they changed it over five million years ago." Lightning whispered on her Audio, "It was an organization begun by enemies of all Cybertronians, no mater the type. They were recruiting Both Autobot and Decepticons in an attempt to eliminate both species. Ariel was one of the first to bot realize and believe it…"

"I see…"

"Huh? Why would a Decepticon want peace?" Scavenger

"Actually, most of them just wanted to be rebellious against their families. They didn't actually want peace… most of them anyways…" Ariel muttered, thinking hard about a certain Decepticon she knew from it.

"Oh…"

--

Lightning explained that he'd only been passing through this part of the galaxy, and when he had heard that Autobots were on earth; he had decided to see why. Once back at base, they talked it over and decided that, wile he was on earth, that he would be staying with HotShot; much to the bewilderment of the younger 'bot.

"Why do I have to share my quarters! Make Smokescreen share, not me!"

"HotShot…"

Ariel giggled quietly then slunk off to her room, "So much for my first day of training…" she growled as she closed the door behind her. She glanced around the room and saw something hanging from the wall; it was covered. She glanced down at her armor and sighed; she had to get the grains of sand off her armor before they caused it harm. She quickly took off her armor and began to clean it; putting it back on as it was done.

She finally only had her helmet to clean. Her fiber-optic purplish "hair" draping down; the clips that held it up in the helmet scattered on her recharge berth. As she was re-applying them, and putting her helmet back on, someone knocked on her door, "Gimmie a sec okay?" She finished putting her helmet on; glaring instinctively at the covered thing on the wall.

Lightning's voice was heard through the door, "Common! Open up… Ghost-girl-" before he could finish his taunt, the door flew open and she yanked him in; the door snapping shut behind them.

"You jerk! What if someone heard you!"

"They'd think it was some dumb nick-name, don't be so jumpy."

She sat down on the berth, "What do you want anyway?"

"To know what C-C did to you as me."

"He-he… well, let's just say he messed with my head."

"Huh? Wha'cha mean?"

"He… made me think he- no, you loved me… convinced me to…"

"Huh…? …Oh! You mean he made you-…"

"Yeah, then just kinda left; gone, just like that."

"Paxie I-"

"It's okay. I'm fine now. Really." He had at some point sat down beside her, and had pulled her into a comforting hug, "Thanks." She whispered.

"No prob, just remember; I'll always be your best friend; no if ands or buts."

"Right." She mumbled, nodding against his shoulder.

Just at that moment, Hotshot entered, "Hey Ariel guess-… am I interrupting something?" he said in a teasing voice.

"Not really. We were just talking about what CopyCat did to make her mad at me. What's up?" Lightning asked calmly. The two were obviously no longer hugging.

"Yeah right, well… the kid's wanted to know who all wants to go camping with them. Alexis found a nice little spot, not too far from a nice river…"

"River?" Ariel asked, slightly worried.

"Yeah, well?"

"I guess so…" she glanced at Lightning, "You coming?"

"Eh, why not?"

"Great! Now the kids have the three of us, RedAlert, and Smokescreen coming!"

"Great…"

To be continued…

Well? What'd ya'll think? Trust me; next chapter will be much more interesting… (Evil smile) And Sideways fans (the whole one of you) will love his newest evil scheme. Review, don't review… I don't care.