A/N: so after a long hiatus because of an authors block for the story I have returned with a new chapter introducing a new character, hope that you will like it.
IV. Friend or foe
It was eight in the morning on the Jungle planed and while most of the planet's population was sleeping in the palace was pure chaos.
"Snarl did you see my dress which I got from granma?" asked the soft voice from the now twelve years old Clara as she was packing her things for the week she would spend by her grandparents for the first time since her mother brought here in her new home. She was really excited about seeing the planet where her parents were born and grew up, got married and had her.
"Here it is Clara." Scrooge said smiling as he held a dress out to the girl which looked remarkably like the one her mother always wore.
"Thanks Scrooge and don't worry I will take good care of myself and call you every day I promise." She said smiling as she hugged the bot affectionately.
"I know Clara." He said while trying not to sound worried for the girl he took care of since twelve years, but he understood that her grandparents had a right to see they last connection to they death daughter.
After everything was packed went both Snarl and Clara in to the space ship which would take them down to Earth. Clara waved one last time till the doors closed, Scrooge couldn't leave the planet for so long and so he asked Snarl to accompany the girl.
The trip to Earth was in Clara's option one of the most amazing things she ever saw, she was really stunned to see how beautifully green they planet was, green was always one of her most favorite colors. She watched the stars sparkling around them and even pointed out some of the constellations which Sensei showed her, she looked at all the planets out there in the galaxy and wondered how many of them knew about the live on the other planets, how often her parents traveled in the galaxy on how many planets they have been while teenagers and then adults she wondered if her powers would let her fly out there and not be harmed by the cold or be bothered from the lack of oxygen. She had already found out that she could at least for two hours be under water when she was nine and fell accidentally in the lake and noticed stunned that she was not drowning, when she was eleven she fund out that her 'gift' as her Sensei called it could allow her to fly, she really loved playing with the wind. She was suddenly pulled out of her thoughts by Snarl's voice, who in the meantime took his boast-modus form, telling her that they have arrived to Earth. Looking out Clara could see the blue planet nearing them. After they landed and the doors opened Clara walked outside smiling, Snarl as a wolf walking behind her.
"Wow, Earth is much different then Jungle planet." She said as she looked around, she was used to endless rain forests, lush and gigantic trees, soft green grass which tickled her skin when she was laying in it, the sons of the birds, the sound of the waterfall, but here she saw a desert given to where they landed.
"Clara, is that you?" called suddenly a surprised female voice and the young girl was already swept in the arms of her crying grandmother. "It is so wonderful to see you my little darling." She cried while nuzzling the child's dark hair.
"Hello granma." Clara said as she hugged her back.
"It is good that you are finally here." Her grandfather said. Clara then pulled away from her grandmother and walked up smiling to the wolf bot.
"Granma, grandpa this is Snarl." She said smiling and her grandparents nodded.
"Thank you, you were one of those who raised our granddaughter." She heard her grandfather say gratefully while her grandmother hugged the now blushing wolf.
"It was a honor for us." He said finally.
"Come now, we should go now." Her grandfather said smiling.
Sometime later they reached a forest and Clara started to feel herself much better after seeing all those trees surrounding them. The car stopped by a gigantic mountain and suddenly a hidden door opened and a gigantic bot stepped out from which Clara assumed must be Optimus Prime the leader of the Autobots here on Earth.
"Hello Clara." He greeted the little girl as he kneeled down in front of her, one immense hand held out to her.
"Yes." She said after fighting down her shock and put her little hand of one of the large fingers, they shook hands.
After that she was lead inside to a rather big welcome party where she met the funny mini-cons, her mother's other "older-sibling" a rather nice fame named Override, Hot Shot who in her option was also rather funny, Jetfire, Landmine who reminded her somewhat on her Sensei, Red Alert and many other friends of her parents. She had lots of fun together with everyone and after that staid Snarl by the Autobots then he was to big to go with her to her grandparents where she spent the night sleeping peacefully in her mother's old room.
On the next morning she sat down by the breakfast table after helping her grandmother making breakfast.
"Clara, you are our guest here, you don't need to help out." Her grandmother said smiling softly.
"But I like to help, on Jungle planet I do that also, Scrooge always manages to sleep in and while Snarl gets him up I start breakfast and after that they help me by cleaning." She told her grandmother happily while placing three plates on the small round table.
"And what are you doing on the Jungle planet?" her grandmother asked curiously. She had already noted after seeing her granddaughter the first time since twelve years that her daughter made a wise choice by choosing the Dragon-bot she often talked about as guardian for her child, she would have liked to thank him, Clara was healthy, energic like every girl in her age should be, she was kind, helpful, intelligent and most of all happy.
"I help out in the castle, play in the forest or by the lake sometimes alone, sometimes with others, learn many things, read, draw, train with Sensei so that even if I'm safe on the planet I could protect myself, Scrooge always tells me that there is nothing wrong in it if a young lady can protect themselves." Her grandmother nodded at this in agreement, she felt also more better when Lori learned self-defense you never know when you need to protect yourself. "Everyone is really nice to me and always tell me stories." Said Clara smiling when her grandfather stepped in the kitchen. "Morning grandpa, breakfast is ready in a minute."
"Ah, morning darling." Her grandmother greeted her husband who gave her a peck on the check.
"Morning you two." He greeted them.
Clara's week on Earth was full of excitement and fun in the first three days till on the fourth day Clara walked alone in a valley exploring. She was walking around calmly, but the strange feeling of being watched, be she didn't see anyone. As she continued her way suddenly a strange sound hit her ears. Turning around sharply she noticed to her horror that the upper stones must have loosened and were now rolling with a great speed in her direction. Raising her arms to form a shield she suddenly saw a great shadow appear in front of her and the rocks broke in to many peaces.
"I could have done that alone." She said.
"Is that the way to thank someone who just saved you?" asked a male voice, clearly sounding annoyed.
"Yes, because I didn't need help." She said while raising her arms and creating the blue shield.
"Nice, but it doesn't look to strong." He said while slashing at it playfully only to be knocked from the shield in to the opposite stony wall of the valley, a five little rocks falling on it. "On the other hand that thing is damned strong." He groaned while rubbing his head.
Clara grinned and used the time to look over at her 'savior', she was stunned to see that he was also a Dragon-bot like Scrooge, in his beast-modus was that really not that hard to tell, but he was shorter then the other and from the voice she guessed somewhat younger also, his eyes sensors were a crimson color a bit deeper then that of her beloved guardian, hi main color was also not orange, but a dark shade of blue and the parts which were in her guardian's case violet were black.
"Really funny." The dragon growled as he shakily got up.
"I told you that I would have been perfectly fine with my shield against those rocks." She said arms on her hips. "But thanks for meaning it good, I'm Clara." She said suddenly, her arms resting again on her sides.
"Your welcome." He answered sighing, this was definitely not how it should have go, he soo hated getting humiliated mostly thanks to his own idiotic, really smooth. "My name is Shadow." He said finally while making a little bow in front of her.
"You are not from Jungle Planet and also not from Earth because then I would know you." Clara said.
"Yes, I come from an other planet farther away from this planet." He answered casually.
"Ah, are you on some sort of a holyday here?"
"Yes, I'm traveling around between the planets." Shadow said.
"Oh, for me it is the first time here on Earth since a long time, my mom brought me to Jungle planet when I was a baby as a war broke out and I grew up there." She explained.
"Ah I see." He answered as his sensors suddenly alarmed him and he jumped away just in time before Snarl's claws slashed the spot he stood a five seconds ago. The great wolf growled as he stood protectively in front of the girl.
"Snarl, what do you think you are doing?" Clara asked the wolf. "He didn't do anything wrong and actually protected me even if I didn't need help." She told the wolf who even if confused at the scene to see the girl with an unknown decepticon and somewhat amused as Clara acted perfectly like Lori would in such a situation.
"Well then thank you." Snarl said, his sight-sensors never leaving the stranger, all the fights and wars he needed to live through made him hard trusting. "My name is Snarl." He said firmly.
"Shadow." He answered.
"Ah would you two stop with this glaring match?" Clara asked the two male bots annoyed as she stepped between the two, hands on her hips while she shook her head in mock sorrow making the two bots first look down at her confused then back at each other. "So is it better." She said. "And now if you would excuse me I want to explore further.
And with that she marched away leaving both Snarl and Shadow to stare dumbfoulted after her disappearing figure.
"Erm…is she usually like that?" Shadow asked as he turned back to Snarl who sighed in defeat.
"She comes after her mother…" Snarl said as he was still staring after Clara, then he turned back to Shadow. "Leave her alone do you understand." He growled before leaving, he didn't trust this new bot.
Shadow watched the other leave, a grin appearing on his lips.
"Really as if you would have a say in who she can see and who not if she wants to." He said chuckling and waited till Snarl was out of sensor reach and made his way in the direction Clara went.
He reached her after ten minutes of running around in the valley which turned out to be similar to a damned maze, but there was no room to open his wings to fly, and beside that he could miss the girl even so which meant it would be useless to do.
"What do you want now?" Clara asked the bot as he neared her.
"Well as you know I'm traveling around and I have only arrived here only two days ago and had no real time looking around everywhere." Shadow said grinning and Clara sighed in frustration.
"Come then…" she said finally and started walking again, Shadow sighed, but went after her.
To be continued…
A/N: so this is the end of the chapter what do you think?