The Diego Diaries: Santa Ho-Ho 5
-0-On the platform
"When we came here, my ada and atar had to work a lot and we felt when the refugees came that we had to do things too. Mr. Wheeljack made us brooms with our names on them and we kept the floors clean. Mr. Ironhide told us that we were really helping and it felt so great. He even got us Autobrands!" He looked up and smiled, his happy little face and energy meeting great approval with the crowd. "We also helped in the wash racks in the Fortress so refugees could have a nice towel. My brother, Comet and I did our best." He turned and looked back at the line.
Comet stepped out with his datapad and came to stand by his brother. He grinned. "My name is Comet and I am the youngling of Cambo and Gypsy. My brother," he said nodding to Turbo, "and I are so happy to be here. My ada is a sparkling, youngling and femme doctor. She also is the doctor and medic for the Wreckers. She had been on missions and in battles. She won't leave them because she's brave. So is my Atar. He's seen trouble too. He was a geologist but he trained to be a doctor too because the need was there. It was also his dream but he couldn't have it on Cybertron. Only here."
Turbo stood listening, nodding emphatically now and again drawing chuckles from the crowd. Comet paused and nodded to Turbo. He looked at his datapad and turned to the crowd. "We have a chance again to be a place where everyone can have their dreams come true. We have a city that is better than anyone I ever saw. I don't know that there was a better city on Cybertron. My ada and atar are sad that we haven't seen the places there that they love. We will some day. Some day Cybertron will be free and we can go there and come back here. I think that will be so because our army, the Seekers and Optimus Prime are awesome."
The crowd weighed in on their approval.
"I hope some day to be something helpful. We were told to tell what we were grateful for. I am grateful for my ada, my atar and my brother. I am grateful for my friends, my school and my home. I love this city," Comet said glancing up. "And I love you too."
Turbo who was nodding looked out at the crowd as well. "So do I," he said nodding again.
The crowd exploded. The younglings walked back to the line and Sunspot stepped out.
Alor who was sitting at the keyboard felt his spark tug as the tiny Seeker walked out confidently to the front of the stage. The Seekers were out in force Alor could see, their tall formats everywhere in the crowd. Starscream and his trine stood with Prime and his family, the expression on his face highly emotional for a mech with a hard bitten attitude like his. Alor glanced at Sunspot and settled just as the crowd did.
The tiny Seeker paused a moment looking out at the crowd. Then he looked at Ratchet and Ironhide, both of them nodding. His grandgenitors were there, Ravel, Tie Down and Blackjack. All of them gave encouraging expressions. He looked for Alor and saw him sitting at the keyboard. He smiled and Alor smiled back, nodding to him as well. Sunspot nodded back, glanced at his datapad and began.
-0-In the crowd
"This is going to leave a mark," Springer said tensing up as the little bot began.
"I hear ya," Drift said grimly.
-0-On the platform
"My name is Sunspot. I was a Decepticon warrior once but now I am not. I am grateful for that. I am grateful for my family, my home, my brothers who said they would always protect me and my school. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are great warriors and they take me with them when they do things. I get to see them practice in the dojo and they give me cookies."
A warm rumble filled the space, then subsided.
"I am grateful for being in a family. I was lonely a long time and I wanted to know that there was a home for me somewhere. There is now. I am the youngling mech of Ironhide and Ratchet. I have little brothers, a nephew, a sister and two nieces that are younger than me. I am grateful to be able to help them grow up. I am going to teach them things I know like reading and football. That is what I am grateful for.
"I am grateful that I don't have to be a soldier, that I have a room of my own and I can keep my badges on a bulletin board. My atar says I might need a new one for them and he may be right." Sunspot smiled over the top of his datapad at Ironhide, who smiled back swallowing his tears. "I am grateful for my teacher and aides who are patient and help me learn what I didn't get to know before. I love school. I always wanted to go but you couldn't on Cybertron. No one went especially Seekers.
"I am grateful for Starscream, Thundercracker and Sky Warp. They help me learn to fly. So does Red Wing and Cloudburst. Uncle Silverclaw teaches me about being a Seeker. He tells me stories of my clan and he helps me learn the language of my ada and atars, my real ones. I don't remember them. I remember a feeling but nothing more. That makes me sad sometimes. Then I go to my ada and atar and they make me feel better. I am grateful for that. I am grateful for all the Seekers who love me. I love you back and always will.
"I am learning to swim, to fly and to be a good football player. I am living in a city that is beautiful. Everywhere I look I see our own people. I was lost on Earth a long time. There were no Seekers and other bots there. I was scared, hurt and hungry. Then I got found and came here to live with my family. I will never forget how that felt. I will never forget when they told me that I was theirs forever." He looked over his datapad at Ratchet and Ironhide. Both of them smiled back, their agony an interior thing.
"I am happy. I am loved. I am safe. I am going to help our people. That is what I am grateful for. Merry Christmas Surprise, everyone." With that, he turned and walked to the line to stand once more.
For a moment it was silent, then the crowd exploded.
-0-In the crowd
:Ironhide … are you alright?:
:Ask me later, Ratchet:
Nearby
:That baby is going to kill me:
:We must redouble our efforts to make him happy, Thundercracker. He expressed a lot of happiness this time. I think he's progressing. Don't you?: Starscream asked with a trace of angst as wide as the Valles Marineris.
Thundercracker nodded. :I think so too:
Nearby
Silverclaw stood with members of his family, his angst internal. He had taken upon himself to educate the infant about his heritage and Sunspot was a sponge. He would sit for joors after school listening to the stories he told, the wisdom and lore he offered and speak the language of his clan slowly as he learned it. He loved the sweet guileless little bot and considered what would happen if someone even thought to harm him. The entire population of Seekers on Mars would jump on any would be assailant like an avalanche. He gathered himself and watched the infant with great pride.
Nearby
:That little bot hurts my spark:
:I know, Prowl. He's getting better though. He talked about his joy this time:
:I know:
-0-On the platform
More infants came forward to give their testimonies and as they did more lines made ready to do the same thing. When this group had finished, they were saluted by the crowd as they left. The next few classes did their part, then more and at last, they were finished.
Herling came onto the platform and paused with an enormous grin. "We are going to experiment with something we have been working on for over two decaorns. We have no idea if it will work. This might be the biggest fiasco in the history of the pageants. However, we feel that the littlest bots deserved a chance to shine. So we gathered a number of our oldest infants to show you how wonderful they are. If they can't do that, it isn't their fault. They are sparklings of the Sparkling Day School." He turned and nodded to Neo and Laret, Nova and Roto.
Neo came forward with a line in her servo. It was green and had silver threads entwined in its construction. She tugged it and when she did a helm popped up on the steps. Walking up with help from Roto and Laret, Orion appeared at the top. The crowd became still as the infants one by one appeared, all of them hooked together by the green and silver lead, little Antler hats on their helms. Around their waists on a leather belt were silver bells that jingled as they moved. There were sparklings behind Orion but none of them had the red nose that he had. It was fastened to his own by some sort of adhesive thingo but it couldn't be seen.
Neo knelt as she looked at them, waiting for them to see her. Orion was in front, Han next, then Miracle, Bleu, Mimi, Fifi, Diesel, Kaon, Praxus, Pip, Flit, Dart and in the rear, a tiny femme named Olo. They all looked at Neo who stood and turned moving forward slowly. They all stepped forward to follow, their little bells jingling. Olo at the end of the line staggered until she managed to match her tiny stride to everyone else. Laret and Roto hovered over her and then moved back to await further need.
The crowd didn't make a sound. They all held their breath figuratively if not literally and watched with an overwhelming sense of amazement and delight.
The little bots followed Neo who walked slowly forward. Alor who was sitting at the keyboard began to play a song, one he had rehearsed with them for two decaorns around assignments. He had kept the secret.
It had nearly killed him to do so.
Neo stopped, they stopped. Neo put a ped out, they followed. She put it in, so did they. Then she moved forward again, turning slightly to go back the other way. They followed, clapping their servos, looking at each other as they crept along babbling and laughing, all but Olo who took her role very seriously. Neo stopped and put another ped out, they followed. She pulled it back, they followed. They went around twice, each time doing something else as they paused with Neo.
When they were finished, she lined them in front of the platform and after getting Han and Orion to stop grabbing at each other, she got them to bow. Miracle almost tipped too far forward but he was caught by Laret who had hovered nearby the entire time ready to intervene. Roto who was also shadowing stood over them with a grin like he was Primus inspecting the troops.
Which he was.
Sort of.
They stood and looked out over the bright lights grabbing at their belts, sliding horns back upward from their downward tilt. Then Neo turned and led them off, each of them disappearing into the darkness off stage.
To say the crowd applauded would be putting too fine a point on it. Somewhere in Australia, a kangaroo was looking at the sky wondering if the thunder it heard foretold rain.
-0-In the crowd
Ironhide stood rooted to the spot. His two little mechs had danced for the city. They had worn reindeer hats, bells on their bellies and danced. He felt vapor lock coming on.
Ratchet stood rooted to the spot, then he turned. Prime was beside himself, clapping madly, his expression of amazement, delight and surprise almost too much for Ratchet. Prowl was jumping up and down pounding on Venture who was shouting back. Miler stood clasping his servos talking to Ravel and Tie Down who were nearly levitating with joy. Ratchet howled, then he caught himself as he felt Hero moving in his carry hold. Pulsing her a warm regard, he felt her settle again.
:IRONHIDE! OUR BABIES DANCED FOR THE CITY!:
:I KNOW! DID YOU SEE THAT!? FAR END OF THE AWESOME SCALE! WHAT THE FRAG WAS THAT ON ORION'S NOSE!? I DON'T CARE! MY SON LED THE LINE FOR DANCING! PRAXUS WAS AWESOME!:
It would take a moment for everyone to calm down.
The IntraComm feed would not be merciful for anyone in the crowd.
Even Prime.
-0-TBC
2012 (12)