More than meets the eye (16/8/2007)
Author's notes:
Sorry guys, I know you want to see Transformer action soon but my heart bleeds for Optimus and I want him to know some love before everything hits the fan. Believe me, some angsty things are going to happen, I hope you guys will appreciated some "feel good" stuff before they do. It's been a long time since I did a real comedy and I want to see if I can pull it off with the great Optimus Prime. Sorry to all hardcore Transformer fans if you feel that I've done the greatest blasphemy to the Autobot leader. Just flame me before you leave.
Chapter 14: Siblings
It was evening when Bumblebee and Kasumi finally found Optimus Prime. The Autobot leader had been seen driving aimlessly all over the Amazon city until he finally went out of the city and into the wilds. Kasumi and Bumblebee had been trying to track him but after Optimus went out of the city, they had to ask Hound to search for Optimus. The Autobot scout pinpointed Optimus location nearly instantly after they asked him. However, it appeared that the Optimus had transformed and gone off the beaten path, resulting in Bumblebee having to transform and carrying Kasumi on his shoulder as he walked through the Amazon jungle. He had to trek for quite some time and for a long distance before they finally spied Optimus.
He was standing at a small clearing, looking at the gradually visible moon. His posture was stiff, his fists were clenched, as though he was about to roar at the moon like a werewolf. The elder Tendo sister did not know what to say even though it was her idea to find Optimus in the first place and talk to him, his emotions was like…
….. like Kasumi's when her mother had died.
Carefully, Bumblebee took Kasumi from her shoulder and set her in on the ground. A soft song played from his radio as Kasumi walked to Optimus.
No more
sadness
I wanna be the one to make you happy
I wanna be the one
to give you hope
But in these days of conscious living
We've
got to take it slow
You can't be sure of who you've met
You
just don't know what you might get
Cause in these crazy times
we're living
Love can turn into regret
"Good evening Optimus. Penny for your thoughts?" Kasumi asked.
He really did act surprised when he heard Kasumi, as though the elder Tendo had actually sneaked up behind him. Whatever was bothering him, Kasumi felt that it had consumed his whole mind.
"Kasumi…. you know I'll never understand some of your Earth phrases. How can one thoughts be worth only a penny?" Optimus asked.
"Most of the time, they don't, the intention of such phrases is sometimes to disguise a serious question or situation with a little jest. Such as the phrase, Out of the frying pan and into the fire, which means that you get out of one bad situation only to land in a worse. This is almost always what happens to Ranma. But rather than say to him, you're in deeper shit now, I try to cheer him up by using the other term so that while he knows exactly what he's in for, I'm not making him feel worse than he already is," Kasumi said.
Optimus gazed at Kasumi and then slowly sat down cross-legged on the ground. "Fascinating insight to Earth's language. As always, there is more to you than meets the eye Kasumi." He then casually took a large boulder nearby and set it on the ground next to him, then put Kasumi to sit on top so that the girl could look at him at eye level. "Of course there are times when no amount of humour can disguise the gravity of the situation," he said solemnly and with great sadness.
But you,
could be the one to change my point of view
It's all up to you,
Give you love without the pain
Show you light beyond the
rain
Gonna make you happy
Gonna make you happy now
There'll
be days when things go wrong
I'll be there to make you
strong
Gonna make you happy
Gonna make you happy
"As in everything else, we have to try first. It's the thought that counts most of the time," Kasumi said. "Optimus, you risked your life to save me. I can't see myself doing that anytime soon and I'm already in Bumblebee's debt. You can joke all you want about me repaying you with a Japanese cuisine but frankly I thing it's poor payment for saving me rape, insanity by Nerima madness, abduction by Amazons, and sharing your secret identities. Until I save you, I AM in the debt of the Autobots for life, now and forever. So the least I can do is be your friend and here out your thought. I get the impression that while all the Autobots know you and trust you, you don't exactly share your feelings with them."
Optimus shook his head. "Leaders rarely do that with their comrades. We have to remain strong for everyone's sake, for only in serving others, will we have the strength to overcome our own insecurities and weaknesses. I can't very well spend my time wallowing in self pity and crying when I have to save Jazz's behind from angry female natives armed with plasma weapons capable of melting our armour."
Kasumi suddenly had a vision of Jazz running away from a horde of Amazons all throwing spears at him, almost like an Autobot version of Happosai running away from the female mob he had just stolen panties from. The vision made her laugh heartily and Optimus joined in moment later.
I
wanna find a place where dreams can happen
I wanna find a love
who'll take me there
And in your eyes I see a vision
That makes
me want to care
And if two people both agree
That only love can
set them free
Then together let us make a world
Of which others
only dream, ..
Optimus, I don't know how similar your psychology is with the human race. But most leaders who shoulder their burdens alone gradually go mad. Worst still, they even become the very thing they fought against. Communication is important, as well as giving yourself some form of mental relaxation. I don't suppose you have a hobby when you are not chasing Decepticons?" Kasumi asked.
The Autobot leader said, "Kasumi, there is little time to think of other things when we are racing against time to find and prevent a megalomaniac with an ultimate weapon of conquest being unleashed in the universe. It has taken as many millennia to do so and now that we've finally found him…. I don't know what to do." Optimus' suddenly found the ground very interesting to look at. If Optimus were a human being, she would have been willing to bet that his depression aura would have made a Shi Shi Hokodan to rival Ryoga's.
Kasumi stood up, prepared herself and then jumped unto Optimus' shoulder. He was surprised when she did so and quickly put his hand near her in case she fell off. She did not however and comfortably sat beside Optimus' head and then put an arm around its back. His head was much larger than Bumblebee's so her arms did not quite go around it.
Make you
happy Yeah
Make you happy Gonna make you happy
Make you happy
Make you feel so good
Make you happy Happy in love
Make you
happy Love without the pain
Make you happy Light beyond the
rain
Make you happy Gonna make you feel so good
Make you happy
Happy
Make you happy Yeah Yeah Yeah
Make you happy
It's all
up to you
"Optimus, it'll be alright. You are not alone. It's time you were reminded of that fact as well. I know I'm only a twenty-year-old girl but I don't think you should keep everything to yourself. I know it's not my place to ask, but I feel that something about Megatron's imprisonment is eating you, and I don't think it's just about your war," Kasumi said softly.
Prime sighed and looked at the moon again. "Kasumi, what is your relationship with your second sister Nabiki?"
The question threw Kasumi off guard. "Well, I'm close enough to her that I know most of her ethically questionable activities but she does not confide her emotions or feelings to me. In the last few days, I've been putting my foot down on her activities and I fear that she is beginning to resent that. There's also the fact that I refused to share Bumblebee's secret with her, which is the biggest wedge in our relationship now."
"Have you disagreed with her to the extent of actually quarrelling with her? Something she did that was so wrong that you felt you had to do something drastic to stop her?" Optimus asked.
"Uhmmmm, not really. I mean, she hasn't murdered anyone yet or been directly responsible for another's death. Although I am very uncomfortable with her blackmailing activities, not least being Ranma. Unfortunately, due to the financial status of my family, I couldn't afford to stop her. So I left it be as long as she didn't permanently hurt someone," Kasumi said, somewhat embarrassed at herself for letting her sister continue her dubious activities.
"What if your sister had done something so awful, it undoes whatever love you have? Something like arranging Happosai to rape you in return for the profits of marketing your body?"
"OPTIMUS!" Kasumi shouted at his choice of words. If he weren't the Autobot leader, she would have slapped him but even though she was angry, intellectually she knew that Optimus had a point to make somewhere.
Optimus then gently took Kasumi from his shoulder and sat her on the boulder again. "What would you have done Kasumi if your sister had betrayed you? What if she did the same to Akane, her classmates, even Ranma himself? What would you have done? How would you have felt?" Optimus challenged her. His blue eyes looked as though they were drilling into her very soul seeking the truth of her answer even as they gazed into her brown ones.
The elder Tendo sister had not been so mentally distraught since the night of Happosai. "I… I ….. I…… I……. don't…….. know," she finally mouthed, utterly horrified of even the thought of her sister doing something so debased.
Optimus bowed his head. "A wise answer Kasumi. I hope for your sake that you will never have to find out. Unfortunately, I can answer those questions," he said mournfully.
Realisation dawned on Kasumi's face. "Are you saying," she said slowly as though reluctant to confirm her suspicion, "that Megatron….. is your brother?!" she exclaimed.
The Autobot's head nodded. "It's time for a history lesson again. Are you prepared?"
She could only nod. The Autobot looked into her eyes and once again, a beam of light emitted from each of Optimus' eyes into Kasumi's brown orbs.
Xxxxxxxxxxx
To Kasumi, it looked like she was looking at a movie playing from a screen. She was back on Cybertron, looking at some sort of laboratory where there were two skeletal robots lying dormant on two tables. Each looked identical to each other but had no outer skin or armour covering their inner workings like the Autobots she saw had. Their eyes were empty and lifeless and to Kasumi, they didn't look alive, yet.
She saw movement from a corner and then saw the most ancient looking Autobot she ever saw. In truth, he looked ancient because his humanoid form so resembled that of a hunchbacked old man, he even had a long flowing white beard that looked like metal strands covering more than half of his face. The old Autobot was carrying two things in his hands. One was a strange green glowing orb that was encased in an orange casing, with two handles on each side which looked like it had finger slits for someone to take hold of it and open the orb. In another hand, he held a large staff similar to the ones the Amazons Elders used except that at the head of the staff, was engraved with the Autobot symbol.
The being put the staff into a hole on the floor in the middle of the two tables so that it was standing erect. It then sighed and put both of his hands fingers into the handles of the glowing green orb. With a look of concentration and painful expression, he pulled the orb's handles in opposite directions. From the middle of the orb shot a ray of green light at the Autobot symbol on the staff. From the Autobot symbol, it seemed like two shining stars emerged from it. The stars floated around the room and eventually hovered around the chest of the two dead Autobots. After a while, the two stars entered a body each and from both of the bodies, two gasps for breath was heard and the old being briefly smiled before collapsing on the floor.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Kasumi shook her head, slightly dazed as Optimus stopped looking into her eyes. She then looked at Optimus. "By brothers, do you mean that you and Megatron were created together?" she asked.
"Yes. In essence, our 'father,' Alpha Trion created us to be Cybertron's greatest leaders, one in war and the other in peace. I was to lead the Council of Elders while Megatron lead our armies to protect the Cybertronian Empire. At the time, our Empire was threatened by another alien race known as the Quintessons. We needed more warriors and Megatron fit the bill to a tee. Megatron was named Lord High Protector of Cybertron and lead our armies to defend the Cybertronian Empire. At the same time, I lead the Council of Elders, a group of our wisest Autobots in order to support Megatron's armies from home. Having a leader greatly sped up decisions and made Megatron's victories come true. Unfortunately, in the times of peace that followed, Megatron grew restless with merely protecting our territories and eventually committed his betrayal which you saw previously," Optimus said solemnly.
"I came here to recover the Key and undo the damage Megatron caused. At the same time, I have travelled the galaxy to become stronger so that I may beat him in future combat and bring him to justice for our race's near extinction. If necessary, I would kill him, my brother who was once the dearest Autobot to me, for his betrayal," Optimus finished, speaking as though with gritted teeth. He then lifted his face upward to see the full moon.
Kasumi was rather overwhelmed with the amount of venom in Optimus' final words. It was so unlike the Autobot to be vengeful although his words said that he only wanted to bring Megatron to justice.
"Are you disappointed that you can't kill Megatron now?" she said quietly.
Optimus' head whipped down to face Kasumi and deny it but the look on Kasumi's face DARED Optimus to lie to her.
"Yes ….. and no Kasumi. I… thought I would be happy to battle and kill him once I've found him. But to see him in the pool, imprisoned and for once helpless…. it deflated my feelings of revenge and for some reason, the once brotherly love I had thought was long dead welled up in my spark. Even after hearing of the Amazons sacrifice to subdue him… I pitied him. By the Matrix, I PITIED HIM! I MOURN FOR HIM! I STILL LOVED HIM AS A BROTHER!" for the first time, Kasumi saw Optimus loose his temper and he angrily slammed a huge fist into the ground making it shake violently until Kasumi had to lie her body on the boulder to prevent herself from being thrown off.
"And I can't recover the key without dooming another poor soul to become Megatron, even if he or she would only become Megatron in body and not in heart. And Cologne has already stated that might not happen due to the complexities of the mixture of magic spells. For all we know, we could well be waking up Megatron from his slumber," Optimus said exasperatedly. "Do you understand Kasumi? We're backed into a wall here. If the Decepticons come here, they will throw anything into the pool to get their leader and the Key back. The only option we have is defend the Chinese Amazon Valley and prevent them from doing so. We can do nothing but wait and guard whereas the Decepticons have plenty of time to wait and plan for their attacks. We're stuck here unless by some miracle we find a way to destroy the pool or move it elsewhere. We're sitting ducks Kasumi."
Kasumi slowly came to understand Optimus' worries as well as the conflicting emotions the Autobot leader was feeling now regarding his worse enemy. 'In the end, it always seems to come down to family. Tofu's betrayal, Ranma and Akane's engagement, the capture of Megatron, even an intergalactic war between the Autobots and Decepticons,' she thought.
The elder Tendo sighed. "Optimus look at me."
The Autobot leader reluctantly raised his eyes to look at Kasumi.
"The future is uncertain, to all of us. Nobody knows what tomorrow may bring. It may not be as bad as it seems. For all we know, the Amazons have modernised since the last time they faced Megatron. After all, they did fight you and Bumblebee to a standstill didn't they?" Kasumi asked.
"Only because Bumblebee and I were doing our best not to stomp the Amazons flat," Optimus replied.
"Even so, you've seen the weapons they carry. And they had warriors that tried to freeze you and Bumblebee to capture you. We only saw ten of them attack the both of you. What if they had a horde of such warriors? Wouldn't it even the odds a great deal to have the mightiest women army at your side? Not to mention Saotome Ranma, the best martial artist in Japan with the biggest mouth to boot?" Kasumi asked.
Optimus remained silent but now he appeared to be pondering.
"You see, everything is only as bad as we make it. That's why I encourage you to talk to your comrades or at least to someone when you're feeling frustrated. This way, you can see a whole new perspective that you hadn't noticed earlier. Optimus, before I met Bumblebee, I thought I had no friends. My life was down in the dumps and I pretty much resigned myself to die as an old maid to my family. But talking to just one person, or Autobot in my case, was enough to change my life and my thinking forever. I beseech you Optimus, please save some happiness for yourself. I am already in your debt but I hereby pledge myself into making you happy for as long as I live," she said as she kneeled into a formal Japanese bow of submission.
I'll
give you love without the pain
Show you light beyond the
rain
Gonna make you happy
Gonna make you happy now
There'll
be days when things go wrong
I'll be there to keep you
strong
Gonna make you happy, make you happy now
Some days the
sun don't wanna shine
And I'll be yours and you'll be mine
Gonna
make you happy, make you happy now
I ain't the kind to be
untrue
Wanna spend my life with you, .
Gonna make you happy
yeah
Make you happy yeah
Be your love I wanna be your love
Show
you light beyond the rain
So what ya gonna do
I give you love
without the pain
Show you light beyond the rain
Optimus was stunned at Kasumi's reasoning although her pledge was something he more or less expected. His doubts were cleared and hope once more blossomed like a dying ember suddenly blown into a roaring flame in his spark. As he looked over Kasumi's head, a huge drop of liquid leaked from his eye and dropped on to Kasumi, drenching most of her clothes, making her yelp a little. This promptly made Optimus as flustered as Ranma.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry Kasumi," Optimus stuttered. From one of his fingers, a small little hand poked out of it holding a towel and he started to dry Kasumi. The elder Tendo girl giggled at the normally stoic Autobot leader actually looking flustered from drenching her with his tears. Strangely enough, the tear felt and tasted like water and Kasumi was not the least unhappy with it.
"It's OK Optimus, I haven't had a bath since yesterday. Maybe you would like to join me in the shower later?" she decided to play with the Autobot leader and smiled seductively. She had a feeling that Autobots didn't seem to mind human females if Jazz was any indication and wanted to see how Optimus' taste went.
Her suspicion was proven correct when Optimus actually blushed, his normally bright silver face actually darkening to a dark mocha silver. Then he looked apprehensively at Kasumi. "Alright Kasumi, that's about enough of you that's more than meets the eye that I can take for one night. And for your information, I am NOT available," he said while crossing his arms and glaring at Kasumi.
Kasumi's eyes went wide. "Do you have a wife? Where is she? I thought most of your race is nearly gone," she said in astonishment.
"Most is not all. To be honest I don't know. I only know that the bond I share with her has not been broken yet so she must be alive. We were separated during the war and thus far I have not been able to search for her. I can only hope that Bumblebee's signal was seen by her as well. He was calling for all Autobots to come to Earth you see, not just my contingent." Optimus' eyes actually became dreamy. "Dear Elita, how I've missed you," he sighed.
Kasumi smiled. "Elita, what a beautiful name. I hope I can meet her one day," she said.
"I pray that you will, considering we're going to be in dire need of reinforcements. She is actually one of the few Autobots that can take on Megatron single-handedly. Anyway, I hope you will understand that I won't appreciate any form of seduction you might employ over me," Optimus said and now it was Kasumi's turn to blush.
Optimus then grinned mischievously. "Although your boyfriend Bumblebee might appreciate such a gesture."
This made Kasumi blush even redder until there was little difference between her face and that of a tomato. As she opened her mouth to protest his remark, from above the giant pine trees above, there was a series of loud crashes, as though something was falling down from the top and crashing the boughs and branches as it continued its descent to the ground. The next thing she knew Bumblebee had dropped to the ground and crashed on his head.
"Wheeee, look at all the pretty colours…" his radio voice sounded and even his blue eyes seem to swirl round and round in different directions on his face.
"Oh my, are you alright Bumblebee?" she cried as she knelt beside Bumblebee's head.
"…. Will you tell me how to get… how to get to Sesame Streeet…."
"Uhm, Optimus, I think we just broke Bumblebee," she said in concern, not looking at Optimus who was trying his hardest not to laugh.
"Thundercats are on the loose, Thundercats are loose, Here the Magic, here the roar, Thundercats are loose…."
"It's his fault for trying to eavesdrop on what was suppose to be our private conversation," it was strange to here Optimus suppressing a laugh but that was what the thirty foot robot was doing.
'By the Power of Grayskull, I AM HE-MAN!" the Autobot was now on his feet and holding an imaginary sword.
"Optimus! Do something!" Kasumi cried frantically as Bumblebee started prancing around like a lovesick butterfly.
'My little pony, my little pony, what will today's adventure be…'
The Autobot leader's roar of laughter must have carried on for several kilometres. "Oh no Kasumi, do you know the odds of an Autobot landing on his head and actually scrambling his circuits? In all my long life, the odds I've calculated is one every ten thousand years! And this is definitely the ten thousandth odd! I am going to enjoy this for a long long long time," Optimus cheerfully said.
Big mistake.
"Optimus Prime, fix Bumblenbee NOW," the glare from Kasumi could have frozen a penguin in the Arctic. And for some reason, it was working on alien robots from outer space as well.
Prime actually gulped at the deadly look he was receiving and nodded meekly. "Are you sure you're the same Japanese doll that Bumblebee met two weeks ago? Because you've sure grown in that period and right now I don't know if it's for good or bad," he said.
Kasumi's glare faltered and then a small smile graced her features. Optimus was at the moment sitting on the forest floor with his legs in front of him. She carefully walked to his hand and gestured for him to pick her up, which he did and then followed her gesture to put her on his shoulder again. The Autobot leader didn't know what to expect after the death glare but a hug and a kiss on his cheek was certainly not the first thing on his list.
"It's all because of you and Bumblebee, Optimus. I hope you won't mind if I invite you as part of my family," she whispered into what would be an ear to a human.
Optimus sighed. 'At this rate, my spark is going to melt along with Matrix into a mushy goo,' he thought to himself. "Dear sweet Kasumi, it was a pleasure to all of us to have met you, even Ironhide though he won't admit it," he said as he patted Kasumi's back.
I'm a Barbie girl,
In a Barbie world,
Made of plastic, it's fantastic,
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere,
Imagination, that is you creation,
COME ON BARBIE LET'S GO PARTY!
That did it. This time not only Optimus but Kasumi also lost control and literally rolled on the ground laughing at Bumblebee dancing to Aqua's most famous song. Optimus barely had enough control to make sure he didn't roll over Kasumi. It was quite sometime before they managed to compose themselves again
"Seriously Optimus, I think we better get Ratchet to look at his head. Bad enough his voice doesn't work properly, now he's going to be singing pop songs and cartoon impersonations for the rest of his life?" Kasumi said as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
Optimus grinned and walked over to the dancing Bumblebee who was now doing the Mambo No. 5. "I really shouldn't encourage you to use this healing technique but for most Autobots whose parts are not in working order, this usually works." He then balled his hand into a fist the size of a refrigerator and landed a hard blow on top of Bumblebee's head. The yellow Autobot started moving wildly as though drunken, a strange sound emitting from his radio box almost like a radio trying to get a transmission. After a moment, he stilled himself and shook his head.
"Whoah, who dropped the house on me? I just dreamt that I was a little pink pony prancing on….." Bumblebee stopped his line of thought when he saw Optimus and Kasumi doing their best to hold their laughs. A look of horror engulfed his face. "No, I did not just hit my head and go haywire! It's impossible! Only one in ten thousand years!" he cried hysterically.
Kasumi burst out laughing. "Well, that would make you a one," she said and she and Optimus promptly had a good laugh at the yellow Autobot's expense. Eventually, the sight of his leader and Kasumi laughing brought a smile to his own face and he knelt down to Kasumi.
"Mission accomplished?" he asked while holding out his right palm to Kasumi.
She smiled brightly. "Mission accomplished," she said and gave the Autobot a high five. Then she squealed in delight. "Bumblebee, you're voice, it's cured!"
Optimus promptly stopped laughing and looked in astonishment at Bumblebee, who suddenly looked stoned, as though he was afraid of the next words coming out of his mouth. "Go on Bumblebee, say something," the Autobot leader coaxed him.
Bumblebee was silent for along time and eventually turned his gaze to Kasumi. He took Kasumi's small hand in his huge ones.
"Uhmm,, uhhhhh, May I have the honour of riding you home?" he stuttered then realised what he was saying, "I mean giving you a ride home, giving you a ride home!" he shouted frantically.
The elder Tendo sister put her other hand on his. "Of course you may give me a ride home Bumblebee. May I ask you out to dinner? What do you say to Chinese food?" she asked sweetly. This only made the yellow Autobot smile brightly and he promptly gently lifted Kasumi to sit on his shoulder and start their journey back to the Amazon city…..
…… leaving behind a thirty foot Autobot standing in the moonlight. The Autobot leader's shoulders slouched. "I hate being ignored," he mouthed irritatingly.
Then a smile graced his lips. "I don't know how their relationship is going to work out, but I'm sure it will all be fine in the end," he said, unknowingly stating Kasumi's motto.
'Thank you Kasumi, for reminding us on what it's like to be happy,' he thought as he too, proceeded to walk back to the Amazon village.
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To be continued….
Author's notes
Laughs like Jiraiya the Perverted Hermit of Naruto
Kah Kah Kah Kah Kah! Bet you were all expecting a cliffhangar to spoil your happy moods and whet your appetite for next chapter. Well I'm sorry to say that I've had a wonderful week so far and decided to make an extra fluffy and light episode. To Eric Thorsen, I'm sorry but my serious muse decided to take a vacation and the Lord asked me to try making you all laugh. So here's a return to my comedic self, at least for this episode!
Thanks for your support everyone. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter although I realised Optimus was seriously Out Of Character here. There may not be much laughs to come soon though as I feel I'm going to be hunted by the Ranma fan squad again next chapter. That's all I'm going to reveal for now.
Oh yeah, the song is Make You Happy by Celine Dione.
Until the next time, Goodnight and God bless you all.