Consider this chapter revised!!
Thanks to:
Stesuna the Dragon: I don't know...I thought it would be a good twist but now that I look back on the chapter it seems kind of...not in the flow with the story. Ahh, oh well. I fixed the situation in this chapter and I'll probably leave the alchemy in my FullMetal Alchemist fanfiction I'm writing.
Starstreak 777: Yeah, alchemy is awesomely cool!
OH!! DONT FORGET TO VOTE IN MY POLL!
Chapter 16
The Autobot Strategist
It had been four days since Nexia lost her voice and she had gotten somewhat used to being mute. She hadn't needed her voice back when she was a youngling and now she only used it for communications purposes.
She was smart, though, and could find other ways of communicating with her loved ones. She now wore a small silver bell around her wrist provided by Wheeljack and Ratchet. Wheeljack thought that it was mainly his fault that she lost her voice in the first place since he was the one who thought that they should dabble with the liquid chemicals. The bell helped her announce her presence when the Autobots were busy and the only drawback was that she could no longer sneak up on Ratchet.
Nexia still visited the glaive near the Autobot base by herself, often taking Kenai, the small fox, with her. Ratchet rarely left her side, which she was grateful for, and the other Autobots were very supportive. The winged girl could tell, however, that the Autobot medic missed their conversations. Jazz even gave her a small whiteboard to communicate on whenever she felt the need to express herself in words.
It was like every other day around the Lennox household. Since Nexia had no use for summer school, since she was being tutored by an Autonomous Robotic Organism who happened to be the Commanding Medical Officer, she had decided to watch the sunrise from the roof of the Lennox's house. Sunrises were her favorite – she preferred them over sunsets.
Ironhide was to her left and Ratchet was to her right, both sitting back in their bipedal modes. They leaned casually against the side of the house – it had been reinforced with steel to hold their weight.
A small smile graced the winged girl's lips as she thought back on the previous months; those were some of the happiest months of her life. It was exceptionally hot outside, causing her to strip down to a blue sports bra and a pair of black spandex shorts underneath a teal spandex exercise skirt. They were quiet, each enjoying the others' presence, until a loud beeping noise broke through the air.
Ironhide glanced at the other two figures briefly before answering the small message left on his Communications System. It was a nice night – he had ignored the message at first but eventually listened to it due to the prodding of Nexia. The silence was restored until Ironhide broke through it, once again, to convey his message.
"Apparently an Autobot is due to arrive in several hours. He didn't communicate with us because his long distance communications systems were damaged in a fight with some Deceptions. He will land one hundred miles south of here but will meet us at the lake where we first met Nexia." he stated, turning back to watch the rest of the sunrise.
Suddenly, the soft jingle of bells indicated that Nexia was laughing, crying, or writing something. There was no need for her to cry and he couldn't have possibly said anything that would make her laugh, so the only logical response would be that she was writing something. Ironhide hoped that her writing would be legible…but somehow Ratchet could always understand the winged girl's writing.
"Wow! I think that was the most Ironhide has ever said at once! Shocker." Ratchet read aloud. Ironhide playfully glared as she trembled from her pent up laughter. The Autobot medic wistfully sighed, wishing that he could hear the winged girl's laughter once again.
"Yeah…yeah." The Autobot Weapons Specialist grumbled, playfully turning away from the others. He was above pouting, however, but his actions made Nexia laugh anyway.
Once the sun was up fully Will stepped out of the house, fully dressed in a casual pair of shorts and a white tee. Nexia stood, stretching as Ratchet helped her from the roof. He gently cradled her in his hand, despite the fact that she could have easily flown to the ground, and carefully set her on the ground. The winged girl rushed inside, changing into a pair of jean shorts and a white halter top. She pulled on her ever faithful ninja sandals and was ready to go.
"Ready, Nex?" Ratchet asked her once she came out of the house. She nodded excitedly and took off, looking back to her spark mate while pointing to the sky. He nodded, albeit a bit worriedly, and let her fly. It wasn't like he didn't want her to fly…he was just worried for her safety.
"Alright, but if you get too tired you can always ride in my cab." he said, looking at her with loving optics. His optics stayed trained on her as she lowered herself in the sky, never wavering as she turned to look at him. Nexia smiled back at him and winked, blowing a kiss in his direction. The medic chuckled as he transformed, following the battle-hardened Weapons Specialist and the winged girl.
The mute winged girl sighed happily as she rose higher and into the clouds, letting the water vapor soak in her wings and dampen her hair. The moisture felt wonderful in the upcoming sweltering heat. The day was just beginning and it was already hot.
It had been forever since the other Transformers had let her go flying by herself. Nexia knew that Ratchet was only worrying about her safety but it was Frenzy's fault that she had lost her voice. Hopefully, with the power of her spark, she would be able to get the use of her voice back. There was a chance, however, that her voice would be gone forever.
The winged girl rose higher, above the clouds this time, and let the sun dry her clothes of the dew from the clouds. Her wings stretched, the large muscles pumping in order to heave her higher in the air. She had taught herself to hold her breath the higher she went in order to conserve oxygen. Therefore she was able to go higher than any plane would dare.
Eventually she straitened out, glancing around to find where the lake she was supposed to meet the others at. Finally, she spotted it – it was surprisingly close to where she was - and dove down, gliding on the air currents towards her destination. The air felt so good against her body and she was regretful to leave it…but she wanted to meet the newest Autobot.
Much more to her surprise she was the first one at the lake. It seemed like she had been in the air for much longer than she really had been. The others must have been moving more slowly than she thought, or they were either held up by Decepticons.
Nexia knew that they would be able to handle themselves and continued on to land near the water. She sat down, after taking off her sandals, and dipped her feet in the cool water. The warm sun beat down on her as she relaxed, leaning back on her arms. The coolness of the comforting liquid calmed her worries as she felt herself relaxing even more while she was waiting for the others.
A few minutes after she began relaxing there was a rustle in the brush. She turned, thinking that it was one of the Autobots that were coming to the lake with her. She froze, though, when a strange mech met her gaze, frozen as much as she was. The winged girl cocked her head to the side, somewhat realizing the paint job over his protoform. Optimus had talked about him a little bit.
"Are you Prowl?" she asked, standing up. In her state of curiosity she didn't realize that her voice was back. Suddenly, the large mech had his plasma weapons trained on her, causing her to cry out of shock.
"How do you know my designation, wingling?" the mech demanded, powering up his plasma cannons. He was calm, as if he was facing a foe, but his movements were sharp, like he was weary of being in battle. His optics narrowed slightly, convincing Nexia that this was, indeed, the Autobot strategist. He was contemplating his every move and weighing the consequences.
"I don't know if Ratchet told you this but I'm his spark-mate! I'm telling the truth!" she exclaimed, waving her hands in front of her face and taking to the sky. His eyes trained in on her as his weapon followed her every move. Her wings beat nervously as she hovered in front of the Autobot Strategist.
"Improbable. An Autobot cannot mate with a fleshling. An Autobot cannot mate anything without a spark." He said, narrowing his optics. His weapon emitted a vicious warning shot, smoldering a tree that was to her right. She screamed and ducked, instantly dropping back towards the ground. She was afraid that Prowl was going to shoot at her again but she was scooped up in another mech's warm hands.
"Prowl! Stand down!" Optimus' voice echoed throughout the clearing as she quivered in the mech's hands. A probe of her link let her know that it was Ratchet as she started to relax…but she refused to relax completely.
"What do you think you were doing, Prowl? Did you not think of the possibilities that she could, in fact, be my mate? Is she not of Cybertronian origin?" Ratchet's deadly calm voice growled at the strategist. Prowl, himself, looked taken aback as the medic glared at him.
Nexia guessed that Ratchet usually had some sort of respect for the large white mech. He, too, had taken on the guise of a police cruiser, but he had the proper words running down his arm. His 'teeth' were not sharp…or existent…and his optics were a gentle but sharp blue color. Optimus led Prowl over towards the other mechs, plus the humans who came with them, leaving the medic to talk with the winged girl.
"Are you alright, dear one?" Ratchet's worried voice broke Nexia from her thoughts. She jumped, turning towards the larger form, and smiling sheepishly as he chuckled a bit. She nodded and smiled, causing the medic to smile as well. He didn't hear her before and didn't know that she could speak.
"Don't be mad at him, love. I surprised him because I knew his name." she mumbled, ashamed. She lowered her gaze as he looked back at Prowl, suddenly stopping and whipping his head back towards the winged girl. His optics flickered in surprise, not believing that she could suddenly speak again.
"Nex?" he asked slowly as if he were hearing things. She looked at him a bit worried; he was acting like she had done something wrong. It was silent for a moment before she replied.
"Yes?" she replied, cocking her head to the side. His optics widened in surprise before his face split into a large grin. The winged girl became confused, wondering why her mate was grinning. She looked at him for a moment before she gasped loudly in realization, bringing her hands up to her throat. Tears came to her eyes before she smiled widely.
"Oh my god…I can speak!!!" the winged girl exclaimed, drawing the attention of the other mechs. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe rushed to the duo, each demanding her attention. The red mech would get her attention for a few seconds before his twin would shove him out of the way.
"Speak to us, beautiful!! Let's hear that angelic voice!" Sideswipe exclaimed, optics happily gleaming. Sunstreaker was smirking behind him as they all laughed giddily, happiness practically radiating from their forms. They continued to talk, enjoying the sound of Nexia's newly regained voice as Ratchet questioned Wheeljack about her recovery.
"I truly don't know. My best guess would be that the chemical mix has worn off and that the effects her healing sleep has finally kicked in. It looks like there will be a little scarring, though." The inventor said, pondering Nexia's situation.
She didn't care as she was happy one way or another. Her attention was drawn from her thoughts, however, when the white-silver strategist approached her, meekly smiling in an attempt at peace.
"I must apologize for my rash actions. I did not know that you were one of the last Phoenixes of Cybertron. I also apologize for accusing you about lying to be Ratchet's mate. Optimus has informed me of the situation, however, I am still questionable about your fighting technique." He explained, bowing his head in submission. She smiled, accepting his apology, and stood, ready to do whatever the mech requested of her. She would prove her fighting technique was capable.
"What do you suggest? I will do anything required of me." she asked curiously, wanting to get the request over with and enjoy her time at the lake. It was a special place for her and she wanted it to still be filled with special memories. After a few seconds Prowl's voice dragged her from her thoughts.
"How about a friendly spar with Ironhide? That will show me you are competent to fight for the Autobot cause and Ironhide needs to brush up on his skills a bit." The white mech concluded, earning a heated glare from the Weapons Specialist. Nexia nodded her head in agreement, taking to the air as the other Autobots created a circle around the two. It was silent and still until suddenly…Nexia attacked the huge black mech.
The winged girl took to the sky, tucking, diving, and curling between Ironhide's legs and causing him to become dizzy. His plasma cannon was whirring but he couldn't focus due to her buzzing about.
Once the winged girl was behind the great black mech she felt the familiar sensation of heat welling up from her hands. She smirked noticing that her hands were once again alit with flame. The effects of the Eclipse was finally done. Nexia smirked, powering up her Phoenix Flame, and chanting a spell that would multiply its power by tenfold.
"Zhuque, the fervid Phoenix, Lord of the South, his enchanting song pouring fourth from his mouth. Rubicund feathers smothering his frame, he takes flight; his glittering glory none shall tame. One who possesses astounding knowledge is he, Appearing with good fortune; at a time none can see. Representing the Empress in wedded euphoria, moving with such grace - like that of a geisha. PHOENIX FLAME!" the winged girl shouted as the spell came to an end. The red ball came alight with dancing colors and hues of all intensity.
The wild flaming ball in Nexia's hands exploded into the shape of a great Phoenix, causing Ironhide's blue optics to widen in alarm. He had never faced a foe like this. The other mechs whispered to each other in awe, never seeing the likes of the fire-bird before.
The flames danced as if they were alive while Nexia's eyes closed in concentration. Her eyebrows furrowed as she started flexing her fingers. She spread her wings, the great bird copying her movements while it let out a musical cry. Ironhide ducked as the legendary bird dove towards him, his aft heating up and turning red due to the immense heat. The Weapon Specialist yelped in surprise, causing the others to laugh at his expense.
Nexia's eyes were glowing softly as she reopened them, continuing to control the great flaming bird. A red tint was added to them because of the glowing embers of the Phoenix's fire. Feathers shed from its wings, puttering out once they reached the dirt on the ground.
Only Ratchet seemed to notice the small beads of sweat trailing down her temple. He was concerned for her welfare but didn't want to interrupt the intense battle that was currently taking place. It would seem like he was being overbearing. The winged girl gritted her teeth as she concentrated harder, narrowing her eyes as she summoned more of her strength to make the bird larger.
Suddenly the flaming bird exploded in a shower of dancing sparks, reforming itself into a majestic black fiery unicorn. The flames smoothed out to make soft fur while his mane stood wild, waving in the wind. Its tail flared out and elongated to reach the ground, even though he easily stood at sixteen hands. A gleaming horn adorned his head while a small beard protruded from his chin to match the small flames emerging from the back of his diamond-like hooves.
The mechs stood amazed as they had no knowledge of her powers being this stupefying. Some of the pathogens must have still been in her blood, enhancing her fire powers. Nexia's wings became tired, causing her to float gracefully down towards the ground. Ironhide took this time to try to attack the winged girl but the unicorn stomped his strong fore hoof, causing the ground to shake under the weapon specialist's feet. The ground before him shattered, causing Ironhide's foot to get stuck in the Earthy mass.
"Whoa! What?!" the great black mech exclaimed, coming to a halt in front of the horned figure. He managed to rip his foot from the ground, growling at the flaming unicorn. Nexia finally settled upon the unicorn's back, eyes glowing brighter as she upped the power she was feeding to the flamed unicorn.
"Now…attack with a Fire Spin!" she commanded the unicorn, tightening her thighs as the unicorn reared, neighing into the sky. His mane flared into life, spewing black fire towards the surprised mech. It was about to circle around the mech and incase him within the heat but it suddenly stopped, causing the Weapon Specialist to blink his optics in surprise. He looked around, finally setting his gaze upon the smiling winged girl.
"Pretty good, huh? I think it was." she asked, while petting the unicorn. The flaming unicorn neighed in response, nodding its head as she stroked the small flames that made up his coat. She patted his side as he winked at her, slowly fading into oblivion as she jumped to the ground. She turned back to the mechs, laughing soundly at their surprised faces. She sure showed them! She smiled softly, preparing herself to answer a lot of questions in the near future.