Wow, three months since I've updated this story...that is a new record for me. The only reason I'm coming back to it now is I need to work on some kind of fanfiction today, and I need to think about what to do with the others. This story though is very spontaneous, I just write whatever and then say it works. Anyway, let's get started.
Random was usually a talker, the kind of person who likes the sound of his own voice. Random often said things for no reason more than to just say something. Which is why Dirge was confused and a bit concerned when after school one day, Random wasn't saying anything. He seemed deep in thought, which was very odd. Random didn't stop to think about things, that was Icy's job.
"What's going on with you today?" Dirge asks as they walk home.
"I'm just zhinking about vhat ve learned about in zience class today." Random says.
"You mean what you learned, because I wasn't paying attention at all." Dirge says.
"Vell, ve talked about stress, and vhat may cause somevon to become stressed." Random says, "von of zhe zhings vas lying."
"So?" Dirge says, "What's the big deal? You don't lie often."
"I don't, but Ramjet does...he alvays does." Random says. "Und haven't jou noticed zhat Ramjet seems a little stressed out lately?"
"Yeah, I have." Dirge admits, "But I thought it was just because he's the oldest, and these past few weeks he's had to actually take responsibility like the oldest should." Starscream and Thundercracker were still mad at each other. It was only when the two fought did Ramjet actually act like the oldest, and the longer they fought, the longer he had to act responsible, which really wasn't like him.
"Jah, but I don't zhink his lying is helping his stress level." Random points out.
"No, probably not." Dirge says, "So what do you want to do about it? We can't just get him to stop lying all the time just like that."
"Maybe ve can." Random says, his face lighting up brightly as an idea comes to his mind.
"Follow me." Random says. The two run the rest of the way to Random's house and head to his room. Random reaches into his closet and takes out a box. He kept many odd and strange trinkets and there, for whatever reason, because they might be useful someday. Random rummages through the box for a minute before bringing out a pocket watch.
"What are you going to do with that?" Dirges asks as he snatches the watch away to look at it better.
"I got it from a hypnotist vonce." Random says cheerfully, "He taught me how to hypnotize people."
"You want to hypnotize my big brother into telling the truth?" Dirges asks, "That seems a little over the top, even for you."
"It'll vork, I swear." Random says, "Don't jou vant to see somevone get hypnotized? Zhere's no vay jou're not curious."
"Alright, I gotta admit, I'd be the one lying if I said I didn't want to do this." Dirge grins, "Let's go." The two pre-teens head for Dirge's home to find Ramjet, which was actually quite easy. Ramjet was just lounging on the couch, resting.
"Hey, Ramjet, can we show you something?" Dirge asks loudly. Ramjet cracks on of his eyes open and looks at his younger brother.
"What do you want?" Ramjet asks.
"Random's going to show me how to hypnotize someone." Dirges says, "Can you be the test-subject.
"No, actually, I'm very busy right now." Ramjet says.
"Great, I just need you to look at zhis." Random says cheerfully. He takes the pocketwatch back from Dirge and swings it in front of Ramjet's eyes, which follow it.
"Jou are getting sleepy," Random says as he swings the watch back and forth, "Very sleepy."
"I think he was sleepy before we started." Dirge says. Random ignores him.
"Vhen I snap my fingers, jou vill vake up, and jou vill not lie anymore." Random says smoothly, "Jou vill tell zhe truth, zhe whole truth, und nozhing but zhe truth...Now." Random snaps his fingers in front of Ramjet's face, immediately snapping him out of his small trance.
"Did it work?" Dirge asks after a minute.
"I don't know," Random admits, "Vhat do jou zhink, Ramjet, did it vork."
"Yes, it did." Ramjet says.
"So it did vork!" Random exclaims, but his face falls a moment later, "Vait, jou vould say zhat eizher vay."
"So ask him something obvious." Dirge says. "Ramjet, how old are you?"
"I just turned seventeen." Ramjet says automatically. His eyes widen in shock, "Did I really just say that?"
"Yes, you did." Dirge says happily. "Random, you really did hypnotize him into telling the truth."
"Awesome," Random says, "Vant to go play video games?" Random had done his job, Ramjet wasn't lying anymore, that should help him to not be as stressed anymore. Random felt pretty good about himself, so why not have some fun for a bit? Random and Dirge race upstairs, leaving a very confused Ramjet behind them.
The boys took advantage of Thundercracker not being home and played his video games in his and Starscreams room. Sure, Starscream was still in there, but he barely noticed the two younger boys were there, and they also ignored him easily. The played games for a few hours before returning downstairs for some food. The two were very confused to see Ramjet, exactly where they left him, looking just like he did before.
"Ramjet, are you okay?" Dirge asks.
"No, I'm not." Ramjet answers simply.
"Vhat's vrong?" Random asks.
"I don't know. I feel weird, and tired, and I don't sound like myself, and it's really weird." Ramjet says really quickly.
"I think he almost looks more stressed than he did before." Dirge says to Random.
"I zhink jou're right." Random says. He goes up to Ramjet and snaps his fingers in front of his face again. "Vake up." Random commands.
"Ramjet, how old are you?" Dirge asks again.
"I'm seventeen." Ramjet says, he was starting to get worried. He didn't want to be a truth teller forever. "It didn't work, why didn't it work?"
"I don't know." Random admits hesitantly. He tries snapping Ramjet out of it a few more times, but nothing was working. "Maybe we should go see that hypnotist I told you about."
"Let's go then," Ramjet says. "I don't want to be a truth-teller anymore."
Ramjet, following Random's directions, drove them to where the hypnotist worked, at a magic store. Random led them inside the shop, which was crowded with items, but devoid of people.
"Mage, are jou back here?" Random calls out. A young man in black comes out from almost nowhere.
"Random, my favorite little freak, how are you?" Mage asks, "Who are your friends?"
"Zhis is my friend, Dirge, and his older brozher, Ramjet." Random introduces them, "Ve need help. Ramjet's a liar usually, but I hypnotized him to tell zhe truth, and now he's freaked out, and I can't break the hypnotism."
"Interesting problem." Mage observes. "When you first hypnotized him, did you remember to tell him to act normal when you snapped again?"
Random opened his mouth to answer, but closed it when he realized that he'd forgotten to do that. Mage grinned slightly at his reaction.
"Don't worry about it, many beginners make that mistake." Mage says. "I'll just hypnotize him again to set him right." Mage stood directly in front of Ramjet and used his own pocket watch to put him under hypnotism again.
"Ramjet, when I snap my fingers, you will return to acting like yourself again." Mage says slyly. He snaps his fingers loudly and Ramjet blinks out of the brief trance.
"Did it work?" Random asks.
"Of course it did." Ramjet says with a grin.
"Didn't we already decide that question didn't work?" Dirge points out, "Ramjet, how old are you?"
"Twenty-nine and a half." Ramjet says completely normally.
"I guess it did work." Dirges says.
"Why did you hypnotize him in the first place?" Mage asks.
"He seemed stressed, and lying causes more stress," Random pointed out, "Ve vere just trying to help."
"Yes, and your way of helping was so very effective." Ramjet says.
"I know it wasn't." Random says sheepishly.
"I guess the only way to help Ramjet is to get Thundercracker and Starscream to stop fighting." Dirge says, "I don't suppose we can just hypnotize them into getting along."
"Of course, after what happened with me, go ahead, do whatever you want." Ramjet says with a shrug.
"Translation, don't even think about it." Dirge sighs.
You know what, let's just stop it there. Gosh, this chapter was interesting...but then again, aren't all the chapters? And yes, I used movie version of hypnosis, but really, it's a fanfiction, I can have magic like hypnotism if I want. Anyways, please review, sorry for the very very long wait, and all that other fun stuff.