Hello everyone, it's me again. Sorry Chapter Fourteen took so long, but I have been very busy (schoolwork and such)…but it's here now! I decided that this chapter should be the official Christmas chapter, since Christmas is coming up so soon. Anyway, enjoy!
Recently, the Decepticons had been watching their TV much more frequently, considering the schedule had been switched around a bit.
The final episode of Seeker Daily Drama was airing this solar cycle (finally!) but nobody wanted to watch it, and at least for now, the time slot for Seeker Daily Drama would now be filled with reruns from Starscream's favorite TV show. The show was called Wings on the Wind, Spirit in the Sky, and it was the ultimate Seeker program.This caused Starscream to do a lot more TV-watching than ever before, but he was jubilant that they gave his TV show more time, and Megatron was just happy Starscream wasn't bothering him as much any more.
Skydive, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as joyful.
"Mom! Dad!" she shrieked, running out of the TV room and into the kitchen, where Starscream and Spaceflower were casually talking by the refrigerator. "I can't believe this! They took Autobot Makeover Madness off the air!"
"Really?" said Starscream. "What are they replacing it with?"
"Cybertron Sings," Skydive told him grumpily. "Who in Primus wants to watch—"
"Did you say Cybertron Sings?" Spaceflower practically screamed. "They're putting that back on the air? Oh, I love that show!"
"Mom, are you serious?" Skydive looked baffled.
"Yes," Spaceflower replied happily. "Cybertron Sings used to be on TV when I was a sparkling, younger than you. I always wanted to try out but my parents said wait, wait until you're older. By the time I was old enough they had taken it off the air—I don't really know why, but they did. Now I can finally try out!"
"And just think, you will most definitely win," Starscream said, grinning. "Never forget your voice weapon."
"What if they don't accept Decepticons?" asked Skydive, a little worriedly.
"They do," Spaceflower told her. "Remember, I've watched the show before."
"If you won, Mom, it would bring a lot of honor to our family…and to the Decepticons," Skydive added, looking excited. "You know what? I think you should do it. Where are the auditions?"
"They're located in Central City, the capital city of Cybertron," Spaceflower replied. "But…but…what would become of my family? How could I abandon all of you? We have a young sparkling."
"We can take care of him," Starscream assured her. "I need to teach him how to fly soon, anyway…and we need to think of a better name."
"The tryouts are right around New Year's," said Spaceflower. "At that time, I'll have the Autobots help me find a space bridge. We won't have time to build a new one, but…"
"They'd be helping Decepticons get to Cybertron," Skydive reminded them. "If they don't get permission from the Elite Guard before they transport you there, they'll be sent to the stockades for who knows how long. So we have to get the Elite Guard to agree to it first."
"Like they will," Starscream said. "Those glitch-heads on the Elite Guard would never help us with anything. Even if it is only a singing contest, they'll always think it's some secret plan of Megatron's to take over Cybertron."
"Well, there's no harm in trying…" Spaceflower smiled hopefully.
"Oh, you know I can't say no to you," Starscream said.
"It's settled then," Skydive said firmly. "Come on, let's go watch TV."
Someone had left one of the human channels on. It was a Christmas special (since Christmas was in only a few solar cycles).
"Yay, it's finally December 25! Christmas!" some random human girl was saying on TV. She was standing next to a huge, decorative tree, which was surrounded by presents. "I wonder how many presents are for me!"
"Now, now, don't be selfish," said her mother, walking into the room and smiling. "Remember, Christmas is the day when we all give and get presents. How wonderful!"
"Christmas?" Starscream, Spaceflower and Skydive all said at the same time. Intrigued, they watched the rest of the program. They learned about Christmas trees and Christmas cookies and gift-giving, and decided it would be a fun holiday to try to celebrate.
"It's already December 15," Skydive informed them all seriously. "So we'd better get cracking."
Several solar cycles later…
Very easily, the Decepticons had set up a holographic Christmas tree in the TV room, and instead of cookies (which they couldn't eat, obviously), they were setting out treats like candied cyberberries—which was, of course, Skydive's idea.
"This is going to be so much fun," Spaceflower said happily. She was studying Christmas carols, so that she could sing a few on Christmas Day. "We can have quite the celebration."
"There's one more thing we have left to do before Christmas, though," Skydive told everyone solemnly.
"What's that?" Starscream asked.
"We need to find Fireblast." Skydive had never looked so determined in all her lifecycle. "I'm not going to rest until I do."
Meanwhile…
Ostensibly Microdigit and Fireblast were watching one of the human channels as part of their "human study time", but really it was just their "couple bonding time". Sure, it was important to learn about humans, but neither Microdigit nor Fireblast really cared what was on TV as long as they were together.
"All these Christmas specials…" Fireblast let out a romantic sigh and leaned into her boyfriend as yet another Christmas special played on TV. "These humans have so many holidays. First it was Halloween, now Christmas!"
"Do you like the holographic Christmas tree I set up?" Microdigit asked sweetly, gesturing to the Elite Guard's brand-new, holographic Christmas tree (similar to the one the Decepticons had).
"I love it," Fireblast replied, kissing him on the cheek. "I'm very impressed. I still don't know how you did it all on your own like that."
"Oh, well, I try," said Microdigit, blushing furiously. If truth be told, he hadn't set up the hologram all by himself—Perceptor had helped quite a bit, too—but when Fireblast saw the hologram the next solar cycle, and remarked on how beautiful it was, Microdigit decided she didn't need to know that he had gotten a little extra help.
"You know, I don't think that tree is a hologram." Fireblast pointed to the Christmas tree on the TV screen. "I think the humans use real trees on Christmas."
"Wow," said Microdigit, shocked. "I wonder where you get one of those."
Fireblast just shrugged, and they continued watching the Christmas special.
Christmas Day, back at the Decepticon base…
That morning, Spaceflower was singing the most beautiful version of "The First Noel" any of them had ever heard. Swordslash reached for Skydive's servo and she leaned into his shoulder. The music was drifting around them, filling not just their auditory sensors but every bit of their circuitry.
Once Spaceflower was finished, everyone screamed, "ONE MORE! ONE MORE!"
"Oh, well, if you insist." Spaceflower blushed and, in her beautiful soprano, began to sing "Silent Night".
Once the song was over, everyone went over to the table to devour some energon, motor oil, and candied cyberberries. After everyone was done eating, Spaceflower ran up to the front of the room and cried, "Now who's ready for some special Christmas dancing?"
"I AM!" everyone hollered. Starscream was staring at Spaceflower. Her optics were glowing with the enthusiasm she always showed when she was singing, and he thought how lucky he was to be in love with a femme who had something she was so passionate about. Spaceflower grinned and a collective cheer went up as she began to sing "Jingle Bell Rock."
Everyone started dancing (even Megatron—no longer could he resist Spaceflower's vocal weapon), and they danced all solar cycle long. Spaceflower might have been older, and married for stellar cycles (with three children, one of whom had disappeared), but she was still as energetic…and beautiful. Starscream kept his optics more on her than anything else when he was dancing, even when he was in the newly erected Seeker mosh pit.
Skydive and Swordslash came dancing past, and Skydive said, "Merry Christmas, Dad."
Meanwhile, on the Elite Guard ship…
It was barely light out when Fireblast and Microdigit ran to the main monitor room of the Elite Guard ship to celebrate Christmas. No one else was awake, and they were the only ones there. There was nothing but the glow of the artificial lights on the Christmas tree, but they could easily identify each other's optic sensors glowing in the dark.
Microdigit stuck one servo through the holographic Christmas tree. It made a strange sound and the image faltered for a second or two, but as Microdigit, smirking, pulled his servo out, it returned to normal. Fireblast giggled and stuck her own hand around her boyfriend's waist.
"There's nobody here but us," Microdigit pointed out. "And you don't need to be a genius to put two and two together."
Before he started dating Fireblast, Microdigit had been shy and insecure, but she had boosted his confidence to an unimaginable level, and he often found himself feeling quite flirtatious.
Apparently, Fireblast felt the same way. She knocked her nerd-bot backwards into the hologram, but neither of them noticed, as they had already started to make out.
"Merry Christmas, Microdigit," she whispered seductively.
"Naughty points for you," Microdigit joked.
"Well, I'm a Decepticon," Fireblast reminded him, grinning. "What did you expect? I'm all naughty. Not a nice wire in my circuitry."
Microdigit stared into her red optics and smiled. This femme was naughty…
"And that's just the way I like it," he told her, resuming their makeout session.
It had been going strong like that for at least half a megacycle when Sentinel Prime came storming into the main monitor room.
"What in Primus is going ON out here?" he hollered, scratching his head. He had obviously just woken up—his blue optic sensors were still halfway closed and he was stumbling around angrily. Twice he bumped into the doorway, then through the Christmas tree, and then he stepped on Microdigit's head.
"OW!" Microdigit yelled. "Watch where your feet go!"
"Huh?" said Sentinel sleepily. "What…what did I step on?"
"You stepped on my HEAD," Microdigit told him. "Just go back to sleep."
"I can't!" Sentinel told him. "You and your good-for-nothing girlfriend are making too much noise."
"Good-for-nothing?" yelled Fireblast. "No wonder nobody likes you!"
"Can we please stop this?" Microdigit cut in. "I mean, honestly…it is Christmas, after all."
"Microdigit's right." Fireblast quickly sat up and turned to her boyfriend. "You always were."
"Well then, it's University of Central City for me," Microdigit replied (he couldn't really think of anything else to say, but Central City was where he was planning on going to college, using the money from his internship).
"You're going to apply to University of Central City?" asked Fireblast.
"I already applied," said Microdigit. "Now I'm just waiting for them to answer…I hope with an acceptance letter."
"So you can become a scientist, like Percy," Fireblast added. "Don't worry. I'm rooting for you. I know you'll get in."
Before Microdigit could say anything back, they heard the Jettwins bouncing into the main monitor room, happily screaming, "Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas, Jetfire and Jetstorm," said Fireblast, smiling and sitting up.
Ultra Magnus and Jazz walked in at that time. Jazz looked happy, but Ultra Magnus still looked a little bit tired (he was holding an energon cube and sipping it slowly, looking rather disoriented).
"Merry Christmas, sir!" said Microdigit, saluting. "Come look at our presents and the holographic Christmas tree I set up all by myself!"
"M-Merry…Christmas…" Ultra Magnus mumbled in reply. He walked over to where Microdigit was standing, near the Christmas tree, and promptly tripped over one of the Christmas presents laying on the floor.
"Ultra Magnus! Watch out!" Fireblast shrieked.
Before anyone could do anything, the energon Ultra Magnus had previously been holding spilled out of his servo and onto the Christmas tree. The image faltered again, fizzled, then, horribly, exploded, right in front of all their optic sensors. Fortunately, the explosion seemed to wake the Elite Guard leader up.
"Did I…did I cause this?" he asked uncomfortably, knowing, most likely, that Autobots in his lofty position typically do not do such things.
"It was an accident," said Fireblast, shrugging, and then, turning to her boyfriend, "Maybe you can fix up another one later today?"
"Oh, um…sure!" Microdigit replied, more than a little nervously. "After all, you wouldn't believe how easy it is to set up a holographic Christmas tree. I did it a couple days ago, and I'm sure I can do it again."
"You're so smart, Microdigit," Fireblast cooed. "Of course you can…"
Microdigit was blushing furiously and about to kiss Fireblast's cheek (possibly), but that was when Percy walked in.
"Merry Christmas, everyone," he said. "Wait…why is there energon all over the floor? And what happened to my Christmas tree hologram?"
"Your Christmas tree hologram?" asked Fireblast, glaring at Microdigit. "Microdigit said it was his. He said he set it up all on his own—with no outside help."
Percy's arms were crossed, and he looked indignant, but finally he sighed and said, "Well, he did help me with it a little."
Microdigit laughed nervously and blushed again. "Um—sorry…"
Fireblast was still glaring, but then she saw the Jettwins giggling, and remembered the importance of forgiveness…
"I guess I'll let it slide this time," she whispered, drawing her boyfriend into a romantic Christmas kiss. "Just don't let it happen again."
TO BE CONTINUED!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!