Aria sat on Optimus Prime's shoulder. They were both sitting silently, Optimus with a slightly gloomy feel about him. Aria was only quiet because she was talking to Perceptor about Raf's science project, which she was helping with.

Ratchet walked up behind them, noticing their quietness. "Optimus, why so glum?" he asked his leader, "This planet, all planets, are finally free from Megatron's tyranny."

"I do not disagree, Ratchet," Optimus replied, looking up at the Groundbridge, "It's just... a small part of me hoped to change Megatron's mind. Not extinguish his spark."

"Optimus!" exclaimed Ratchet, sounding slightly scoldish, "His spark was not slain by your own hands, but by his own twisted arrogance!"

Aria perked up when she felt Optimus' shoulders sag. "Ratchet!" she said, turning around, "That's not exactly the best way to comfort someone who lost a former friend!" She gently patted Optimus' shoulder, causing him to turn and give a small smile.

Ratchet looked down at the ground and said, "I'm sorry. I know the two of you had quite a history."

"But the Megatron I once fought alongside perish eons ago," said Optimus, accepting Ratchet's apology, "The day he chose to become a Decepticon. The Decepticons might be in disarray, but they are not without leadership," he added, turning to Ratchet.

"You mean Mrs. Starscream?" Aria asked, "Honestly, he does look like a girl. Are you sure Primus meant for him to be a femme instead?"

"He's in your head," said Ratchet, chuckling, "Why not ask him? How'd you see him?"

"I, uh, was there when Optimus and Bee rescued Cliffjumper and Arcee," she responded nervously, "I think you saw me," she added, looking at Optimus.

Optimus nodded and said, "Maximo showed me where you were. And while Starscream is no Megatron, he is far from predictable."

"Prime has a point," said Skywarp in Aria's head, "Screamy's too unpredictable. I lost count of how many schemes he came up with to try and take command of the Decepticons."

"And Megatron didn't kill him why?" she asked him.

"Maybe because he needed a living punching bag," said Thundercracker, "I lost count of how many times Megatron punched Starscream in the face after a plan went wrong too."

That's when the sound of an explosion caused all of us to jump. "Decepticons!" yelled Ratchet.

"No, actually," said Aria, "That was probably Raf's science project exploding." She hopped off of Optimus' shoulder and gave a small yelp when she suddenly appeared on the ground next to the Groundbridge controls. "That's a new one," she said to herself, then followed the two Autobots into the other room.

"It's alright Ratchet!" called out Raf, looking at the pile of melted paper in front of him and Bumblebee, "It was just my science project. Former science project." he added in disappointment.

"Were you using potassium and water?" asked Aria, walking up to him and Bumblebee as she used her powers to put it into a garbage bag she had brought along with her when she came to base. When Raf nodded, she said, "You probably had too much potassium. And what's wrong with the old baking soda and vinegar trick?" She happened to notice Ratchet's optic twitching as Optimus looked around in curiosity.

Miko was busy painting a sculpture of the solar system, trying to paint Jupiter's red spot and telling Bulkhead to hold still. Arcee and Jack were in a corner trying to figure out how to put a motorcycle engine together with some schematics that Aria had give them.

Finally, Ratchet asked, "What's going on in here?"

"Ten seconds," commented Perceptor, "I was expecting shorter."

"Our projects are due tomorrow," responded Jack as Arcee held up what looked like an exhaust port and said, "Maybe it needs one of these... doohickeys."

"You're a motorcycle, Arcee," said Jack, sounding slightly teasing, "Shouldn't you know how to build a motorcycle engine?"

"You're a human, Jack," retorted Arcee, "Can you build me a small intestine?"

"Owch! Burn!" said Aria, laughing at the look on Jack's face. "Hey!" he yelled at her, "Shut up!"

"And what is your project, Aria?" asked Optimus, looking at me.

"Since I'm a senior this year," said Aria, "my project is to help someone in the younger grade get theirs done. Raf asked for my help, so I'm his partner."

"But you can't do your science projects in here!" protested Ratchet, "You'll make a mess!"

"But our projects are due tomorrow," sad Raf, frowning slightly.

"Yeah!" said Miko, "If Bulkhead doesn't help me finish with this model of the solar system..."

"Oh?" said Ratchet, "And what does Bulkhead know about the solar system? Or Bumblebee about volcanoes? Or..."

"Arcee with motorcycles?" added Jack.

"Well, that's another reason the 'bots are helping," said Aria, "So they can learn about earth! Can you drop your pride for one minute and learn something about our kind? Perceptor likes learning about this kind of stuff, so why don't you?"

"Well, for one," said Ratchet, "I am a medic, not a scientist! And two-"

"We are their guardians, Ratchet," said Optimus, smiling at his friend gently, "Would it hurt to learn more about earth by helping our young friends with their schoolwork?"

"Well," said Ratchet, looking away, "maybe our young friends should try to learn something about Cybertron."

"Like what?" Aria asked, "About Cybertrons landmarks? Like the Hydrax Plateau, close to the Well of Allsparks, which is where Cybertronians come from when they are made? Or the Sonic Canyons, the deepest and longest set of canyons on Cybertron? Or the Iaconian Plains, which holds Cybertrons oldest and capital city, Iacon?"

Everyone stared at her with shocked expressions. "What?" she asked innocently, "Perceptor doesn't just teach me math and science, you know."

Ratchet just walked away with a slightly dumbfound expression on his faceplates as Optimus gave a slight chuckle. Arcee gave a dry chuckle and said, "Not every day that someone can one-up the doc."

"I heard that Arcee!" came a call from the other room. Arcee just winked at Aria, who giggled.

*Have you back-talked to anyone we know?* asked Bumblebee.

"Oh yeah," said Aria, helping Raf start to set up his volcano again, "Ironhide and Sunstreaker started a sass competition one time. Finally, a little tired of it, I just got up and one-upped them so hard that Sunstreaker fainted and Ironhide nearly fainted himself. Those two were quiet for days."

"How'd you one-up them?" asked Bulkhead, he and Miko turning to look at her in curiosity.

Aria looked at all the Autobots present and cleared her throat before saying, "I told them to put a sock in it, and when Ironhide came back on, he asked me when I had learned how to speak Iaconian dialect."

Ratchet peeked into the room as Optimus' sevo clapped to his mouth as he struggled not to laugh. The others just went into an uproar, Bulkhead having to set down Miko's model so he wouldn't drop it and Arcee just collapsing to the floor, trying hard to intake. Bumblebee was laughing very hard and managed to play a radio clip that said, *You're killing me, Smalls!* That only made the laughter worse.

"What did she say?" asked Miko.

So Aria told them in english and Miko and Raf burst out laughing while Jack, who was taking a drink from a water bottle, gave a snort and the water came pouring from his nose. Ratchet just continued to look on at Aria, who was laughing at Jack, who was waving his hands in front of his nose and saying, "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow..."

Aria later told Optimus that Ironhide and Sunstreaker were oddly quiet for the rest of the day.

()

As soon as everyone had calmed down, Aria and Raf were talking to Bumblebee about Cybertron, and Bumblebee had told them how much he had wanted to be a warrior. "But I've see you in action, Bee!" said Raf, "You're awesome!"

"Yeah!" agreed Aria, "A couple of the guys in the Allspark say you can tangle with the best of them! Even a few of the 'Cons agree! How come you haven't been promoted from scout already?"

Optimus came forward, laying a servo on Bumblebee's shoulder, "I second your opinion, Aria," he said, "But Autobot life cycles are much longer than those of humans. And although it may be hard to believe, our young scout still has much to experience."

"Really?" asked Aria. She turned to Bumblebee and asked, "How old are you?"

Bumblebee thought for a few seconds, then said, *In earth years, I'd probably be about as old as you. Maybe a bit older.*

"So, you'd be eighteen or nineteen?" she asked incrediously, "Wow. I thought in earth years, you'd be around twenty-three or twenty-two."

Bumblebee shrugged, then looked up as the monitor beeped. Everyone turned to look at Ratchet as he said, "Exposed energon. And it's on the move."

"And since we're not the ones moving it," Bulkhead growled, "guess who is?"

"Decepticons," snarled Arcee.

"Without Megatron?" asked Miko in shock.

"Unfortunately, Megatron's legacy will live on, as others rise to take his place" said Optimus, turning to the younger girl. He then said to the team, "Autobots, you have projects to complete. Ratchet, I may require aid."

Ratchet looked at the kids and Aria and all the voices in her mind went, "Uh oh," at the look on his face. "Science is a big part of their grade, Optimus," Ratchet finally said, "Perhaps I'm better suited to remain behind and advise."

"Very well," Optimus said. He turned to Bumblebee and said, "Bumblebee, let us see about the energon in transit."

As the two Autobots walked over to the portal, Aria mentally contacted Optimus and said, "Optimus, Ratchet has that mad scientist look about him. He might mess things up."

Optimus turned to look at her and responded, in an eerily humerous voice, "Then perhaps you can teach him a few things about earth."

Aria looked at her guardian, then said, "One-up him?"

"One-up him,"came the reply. Then, Optimus and Bumblebee left through the portal.

Aria grinned and rubbed her hands together. This was going to be rich. Now how to proceed with this?

()

She finally got her chance when Ratchet tried to take over Jack's project, even though he was nearly done with it and Raf's volcano was finished and tested- Perceptor had recommended doing baking soda and vinegar, which had worked out well- and Aria was helping Miko with stringing up her solar system. Aria had rolled her eyes and said, "Okay, Ratchet? A word if you please?" She guestered to the other side of the room.

Ratchet gave her a sour look, but when he tried to argue, she shot him a look that made him nod and follow her. She thought she heard Miko go, "Oooooooh." when she got up, but that only made her grin.

Once they were there, Aria asked Ratchet, "How exactly would you do the projects?"

"Well," said Ratchet, looking a little pleased that she was asking him, although he thought it was for advice, "Rafael's volcano I would make bigger, Miko should have a model of Cybertron, and Jack should have a proton engine." He nodded after he finished.

"So, you're saying that you would replace it all with cybertronian stuff?" she asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yes," said Ratchet.

"When they should actually have earth stuff?"

Ratchet looked at her with a grumpy expression and started, "Now, look-"

"No," she interrupted him, "Let me finish. We're all supposed to be doing stuff that comes from earth. This isn't Cybertron or some kind of youngling science fair. This is an earth science fair, where we need to have earth stuff. So like I said, if you would like to help with the science fair, which I'm pretty sure we're just about done here, then follow the advice I gave earlier and drop your cybertronian pride for at least ten minutes." She then nodded and started to walk away. When she heard Ratchet trying to scoop her up, she didn't want to find out why, she quickly teleported back to Miko's side. Bothe her and Bulkhead jumped when she popped up next to them. "That's a new one," commented Miko.

"But it comes in real handy," she said, sticking Saturn onto a wire and placing it beind Jupiter.

()

The next day, Optimus asked how the science fair went. "Straight A's for everyone!" said Aria, high-fiving Raf, Miko, and Jack.

*Sorry I missed helping,* said Bumblebee, picking up Raf and putting him on his shoulder, *Me and Optimus had to deal with Skyquake. Is he in there?*

"Yeah," said Aria, "but he's not talking to me. No surprise there."

While they had been completing their science projects, Optimus and Bumblebee had found Starscream and Soundwave trying to bring back online a Decepticon warrior named Skyquake. Skyquake had attacked Optimus after the pleasentries had been dealt with, and with a passing by Agent Fowlers help, Optimus and Bumblebee had been forced to kill Skyquake, but Bumblebee had noticed during the fight that Starscream had left, although Soundwave had remained behind.

Aria noticed Ratchet beckoning to her. She teleported in front of him and he gave a small start. "Please don't do that," he asked.

"No promises," she told him, "Now then, what can I do for you?"

Ratchet looked a little nervous for a few seconds, then said, "I'm not sure why I'm asking this, but is there any way that I can learn a little more about earth's science? Anything you could reccomend?"

"Whoa!" said Sideswipe in shock, "Doc's dropping his pride? Somebot pinch me!"

Aria looked down at the ground and gave a small smile as there came a yelp, then she looked up at Ratchet and said, "Well, there are a few websites I could reccomend. Want me to give them to you?"

Optimus watched as the two of them conversed together, and Aria pulled out a notebook from the satchel hanging at her waist and started scribbling on it. He gave a small smile. Maybe Ratchet could learn a thing or two from her.

He was glad she was his companion.