I do not own Transformers, they belong to Hasbro (c). Mercury and my ocs belong to me. Sorry for the long wait. this chapter was hard to write plus I caught my sister's cold. I hope I was able to make this somewhat good.

Mercury wept alone in the kitchen. She wished so hard that she could go to the ball. Then she heard a knock at the door. Mercury wiped her tears and got up. "Who could that be at this time of night?" she wondered. She cautiously opened the door and saw a bot in a ragged cloak outside. The stranger from the village! "H-Hello?" She asked.

The stranger looked up at her. "I didn't mean to bother ya, but I've got nowhere to go for the night. May I stay here?"

Mercury knew her stepmother would be angry, but at the moment she didn't care. "Of course. Come in." She opened the door for him and took him to the kitchen. "I'll get you some dinner." she said kindly. She immediately started getting some energon for him. Jazz smiled. She was as kind as her mother was. For you see, Jazz was really a magician who had known Mercury's mother Moonlily. Moonlily had been his friend and helped him when he had been in grave danger. In return he had promised to watch over her daughter and that if Mercury ever wished for anything really hard, he'd grant that wish. That was why he was appearing to her now, though in disguise at the moment.

Mercury walked over with the warm energon. "There you go." she said kindly.

"Thank ya kindly." Jazz smiled and sipped some of the energon gratefully. "The name's Jazz."

"I'm Mercury." she replied. She wondered why she'd never seen this stranger in the village before, but thought it would be impolite to ask. She was startled when the stranger put is fingers under her chin and lifted her face. He smiled.

"Yeah." he said. "You look exactly as she did way back when."

"Pardon?" Said Mercury, now more confused than afraid.

"Moonlily would be so happy to see the kind femme ya have become." Jazz said, smiling fondly.

"Y-You knew my mother?" Mercury was shocked.

"Yeah I did." Jazz said smiling and dropped his disguise. Mercury was frightened.

"Who, what are you?!"

Jazz just grinned. "Ya don't need to be scared little lady. I'm not an evil wizard or anything. I'm just a simple magician. I'm not gonna turn ya into a toad or anything.." he laughed.

Mercury still wasn't sure if she could trust this mech. "Oh?"

"Yeah and your mother was my friend. Moonlily helped me out a lot so I promised her I'd watch out for you. So here I am." He smiled.

Mercury thought he seemed honest and decided to trust him. "I knew my mother would never desert me, even after she died.

"Of course not." Jazz said. "Now weren't you wishing to go to the ball earlier?"

Mercury hung her head. "Yes I was but I cannot. I could get there on Dowager but I'm not fit to be seen. Plus I have work to do here."

Jazz frowned. He thought Mercury should have more faith in herself, but he supposed her stepfamily was not helping in that matter. "I can help ya there. Could you bring me some vines?"

Mercury was confused but did as told. She picked vines from the garden and took them back inside. Jazz wrapped the vines around her. Then he took out a wand, waved it and suddenly Mercury's paint was shiny, new and polished. Mercury gasped. "Oh my! This is beautiful!" She smiled. Then she realized she felt slightly taller. She looked at her pedes. She saw she was wearing those things that some femmes wore to look taller on special occasions. Only these were made of crystal and they were lovely. She smiled. "Thank you Jazz sir."

Jazz smiled. "You're welcome and it's just Jazz little lady. Sir makes me feel old." he chuckled. He took Mercury's hand and lead her outside to the stable. Mercury led Dowager out of her stall and put the saddle and bridle on her. Jazz waved his wand again and the saddle and bridle became new and jeweled. Dowager whinnied and seem pleased. Mercury was the happiest she had been in a long time. "Thank you so much Jazz!" she hugged him happily. Jazz blinked but then smiled and hugged her back.

Then he turned slightly more serious. "There is something ya need to remember. You've got to be outta before the clock strikes twelve."

Mercury was surprised. "Before twelve?"

"Look I don't make the rules. The magic only last's 'til midnight. I'll take care of your work here. Now go and have fun."

Mercury smiled, got on Dowager and rode off to the ball.

~3~

Mirage was not having a good time. He was being forced to go to a ball and he never really liked dancing. However his father was extremely stubborn, not even his queen, whom he listened too in every other matter, could talk him out of it. Mirage had only agreed to come if his father would stop interfering with his love life if he didn't find a femme that night. But with the way things were going he probably would not find his princess.

A long, long, long line of femmes was in front of him. One by one they were introduced. Mirage bowed politely to each of them. They curtsied then made room for the next femme. However the prince began to get bored. After a long while the introductions stopped and he managed to sneak out of sight. He felt quite sad. "I can't seem to meet her, the right femme for me. I'm not even sure she exists." He said to himself.

Just then Mercury arrived. She dismounted Dowager and tied her to a post near some carriages. Dowager whinnied as if to say good luck. Mercury smiled, took a deep vent of courage and walked into the ballroom. When she entered, everything seem to come to a stop. All the bots stared at her. Mercury squirmed, not used to quite so much attention. Mirage noticed her from the shadows and was stunned. He walked out over to her.

They would both remember what it was like at the time before their first dance, it was like no one existed but them. Mirage bowed politely in front of her. "May I have this dance?" He asked, offering his hand to her.

Mercury blushed softly. "Y-Yes." she murmured shyly and took his hand. Mirage smiled kindly and lead her onto he dance floor. They began to dance as a waltz began to play. All optics were on them. Mercury was very nervous, but Mirage was patient. As they danced Mercury slowly forgot the audience. She focused on dancing. The king and queen were watching from their thrones.

"Who is that charming young femme?" wondered the King aloud.

"No one seems to know." replied his Queen. Then she smiled. "She must be the one. He's actually dancing."

The King nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, perhaps the boy's caught onto something there."

Darklight looked at Mercury. "There is something vaguely familiar about that femme..."

~3~

The Prince and Mercury danced for a long time, slowly dancing out into the garden. Finally Mirage got Mercury to talk with him. To his delighted surprise she never brought up the subjects or wealth or status. She talked about kindness and generosity. Truly important things.

"...And I think that there should be some system put in place to help the poor find work so they can get back on their pedes and feed their families. It would help reduce the amount of theft and begging complaints." Mercury said.

"Hmmn, interesting point of view. Yet it makes perfect sense." Mirage said thoughtfully. "Wow, she's intelligent too." he thought, his spark fluttering.

Mercury blushed. He seemed very kind to her. Mirage was also a very good listener. "It's very sad to see starving younglings since some bots will not hire their poor creators for work when they seek it. It's not fair at all. I've watched the life of an indentured servant and it's not much better."

Mirage nodded. "I've not seen it, but it sounds terrible. I agree with you there should be a system in place to help those bots." "I'll tell my creators about this." he thought to himself. He smiled at Mercury. "You have amazing ideas. Why have you not shared them?"

Mercury stiffened a bit, afraid to explain her life situation. "Well, I've had a pretty sheltered life."

"So have I."

"Oh? Don't you just feel like running away sometimes?"

"Yes and never coming back."

They gazed into each other's optics for a long while, then kept on dancing, their sparks dancing with them. Mercury blushes, though she couldn't help it. This mech seemed perfectly kind and gentlemanlike to her. She didn't care if he was the Prince, he was a decent bot. She enjoyed being near him. She felt so happy. Mirage was thinking similarly about her. She was caring and intelligent, and noticed bots from all backgrounds around her. She cared about each and everyone of them. "I think I've found her." He thought. "She's the one." He gently bent his head down softly, his optics starting to close. Mercury was nervous but reciprocated. But an instant before their lips met the clock began to chime.

Mercury snapped out of it. "Oh goodness!" Mercury cried. "It's midnight! Goodbye!" She slipped from his embrace and began to run.

Mirage stood still for a moment then ran after her. "Wait! Come back! I don't even know your name! How can I find you again?!" Mercury ran faster, right through the ballroom and out the front door. Mirage was close behind her, beseeching her to stop. The white femme ran down the steps. She stumbled and one of the crystal slippers fell off her pede. She didn't go back to fetch it. She untied Dowager, got in the saddle and bolted out the gate. By the time Mirage made it down the steps, having been slowed by femmes vying for his attention, she was already out the gate and he'd never catch her. He stood sadly gazing at the gates where his love had been. Then a twinkle caught his optics. A crystal slipper on the steps. He gently picked it up. It had to be hers. He held the slipper near his now aching spark and went back inside.

~3~

Jazz was pacing, waiting for Mercury. "Ya tell 'em be home by midnight. Do they ever listen?" Then he heard hoofbeats and saw Mercury ride up on Dowager just as the spell ended and everything returned to it's original state. "There you are! I was getting worried!"

Mercury dismounted and led Dowager to her stall to rest. "I'm sorry Jazz. I guess I forgot about the time but it was wonderful." She smiled and Jazz grinned. Jazz took her inside so she could get some sleep before he stepfamily returned.

To be continued...