It had been a few days since the incident with the energon harvester, and Azura learned what happened when Bulkhead had returned to Greece. He did find Starscream there harvesting the energon that was uncovered at the historic site. And he had actually managed to destroy the harvester, even though it had almost cost him his life. Azura thought he was very brave, even if he destroyed a tool that could have been very useful for the autobots. But she knew it was a necessary extreme measure for him to take, especially considering that if he did nothing, he would be with the All Spark right now.
Miko had also been bragging about how she realized how smart she was when she was kept in the security office of the museum. She had been retrieved from the museum after Fowler was informed about the harvester and the replica Ratchet had managed to make to be taken to the museum so that Miko would not be in trouble for it. Though given Miko was only a single teenager, it would have been hard to convict her of stealing the sphere anyway. That didn't stop her bragging about it, and she actually got her history report done very quickly because of it.
Azura still couldn't get the image of seeing Optimus being stabbed by the electric rod Knockout had used on Optimus. She learned who Knockout was after asking about him. Regardless, she has been unsettled by that since the incident. She didn't want him to go through that again, even though Optimus has reassured her that he's recovered from it and that it was unlikely to happen again. That still didn't stop Azura from thinking about it and getting upset.
He did manage to get her mind off it by taking her to do some training on her abilities. It has been a while since he's taken her on a training trip, and Azura actually had a good time. He had her focus on controlling fire, and she had actually managed to create a control burn over a body of water. And Azura had a lot of fun with getting creative with it. She was getting better with her abilities, and she honestly couldn't wait for the day she could use her abilities without needing to concentrate.
Today, Azura was in her room currently. She had been bored, but she had decided to grab out her old clothes from the wardrobe and she had found some thread, but she had to form a needle, to try and keep herself entertained by turning her old clothes into dolls. She had form a needle out of ice, and she was currently wondering how she was going to make the dolls with stuffing for the insides.
She was on her own as Optimus had taken the other autobots to scout out an energon deposit, so she needed to entertain herself. Azura was staring at her old clothes as she thought about what to do. She did not touch her dresses, as she didn't want to ruin them. But her old pyjamas, shorts, shirts and jeans were spreading out along the floor. Azura hummed for a moment before she thought about using pillow stuffing. She couldn't use her pillow from her berth, but she did know there were other pillows somewhere that might replace her current pillow.
She decided to do just that. She smiled to herself and went over to her linen closet to grab out the pillows, and some of the cases too to use as the material for the heads, hands and feet. Azura was very excited as she plopped the pillows and pillowcases down on the ground by the clothes and grabbed some scissors. She settled sitting on the ground as she cut into the pillows to grab out the filling. None of them had feathers in them, so she did not have to worry about that.
The first doll she decided to work on would be wearing a pink singlet and denim shorts. She did wish she had socks to create shoes on the dolls, but she was quite happy with what she had now. She hummed softly to herself as she sewed the bottom of the singlet to the shorts before she cut a pillowcase to create the limbs and sewed they to the singlet and shorts, and sewed the ends of the limbs before she began to stuff the doll with the stuffing.
Azura did make sure to try and keep the floor as tidy as possible as she didn't want Optimus or Ratchet getting mad at her for the mess. But she knew that this would be a little messy, given there were small pieces of the pillow stuffing on the floor. She would definitely clean it later though. For the moment, she wanted to make several dolls as she still loved her plush toys. And having handmade toys was going to make them feel very special.
Azura finished filling the first doll with the stuffing before she made the head and sewed it onto the singlet. She pulled the buttons off some of the clothes to make the eyes, but she didn't have anything to make the hair, so she knew she would deal with that a bit later. She knew that her father was going to be surprised that she made her own dolls, even with all the plush toys she has. But Azura found comfort in having many stuffed toys, and she was happy to make her own. Especially since she can't go into a toy store to buy them anymore.
She set the first doll aside and more onto the next doll that would have a yellow floral blouse and jeans, and work on that for another little bit and finished it. Her sewing skills that she learned at the orphanage really has come in handy and Azura was happy she put it to good use, instead of being forced to do it. Azura was smiling the whole time she worked on the dolls, and she made a total of five after an hour.
She jumped when the door opened as she was about to start of the sixth doll, and she saw Bulkhead walking in and he stopped, and widened his optics when he saw what Azura was doing. "Uhhh…this is quite the mess you made in here, Azura." He looked around and spotted the five dolls she made and he smiled. "But you have been putting your spare time to good use, I see. Well done, Azura." He Walker closer and leaned down as the sparkling giggled softly. "I guess you needed some entertainment while I have been helping the others with the energon deposit we have been at. You are incredibly talented, Azura. I know Optimus is going to be thrilled."
"Thank you, Bulkhead. I was kind of hoping for another hour, but I guess you guys don't waste any time." Azura chuckled softly as she grabbed some more clothes to start the sixth doll. "I am hoping to have ten dolls made by the time daddy shows up. You can watch if you want, as I don't think your hands are able to help me much."
"I know, I'd probably break something and you will get upset by it." Bulkhead eyed off the dolls and looked at Azura. "I was actually coming here because I got some good news for you." Azura looked at Bulkhead with a curious expression. "Optimus has given me permission to take you out for a little bit. And I already have a place in mind. What do say?"
Azura was surprised as she had not been expecting that at all. But Bulkhead did promise to take her out, so she looked at the dolls for a moment and looked back at him. "Okay, I am curious about what you plan for us to do. But I am excited. We should tidy this up first." She looked at the pillow stuffing on the ground. "The pillow stuff might take a bit to clean up…but everything else is easier."
Azura gathered the five dolls she had made and took them over to a desk to sit them on before turning back to see Bulkhead picking her clothes up. "The clothes can just go back into the drawers. I'll figure out where to put the pillows and pillowcases." Bulkhead just nodded as he put the clothes into the drawers as Azura first gathered the pillow cases and put then on an empty desk and moved the uncut pillows onto the desk as well. As for the pillow stuffing on the ground, she found a bag to put as much into it as possible. "Hopefully no one else walks in here until we get back." She clapped her hands and looked at Bulkhead before lifting her arms towards him to be picked up. "What exactly do you have in mind?"
"I will tell you when we get there." He cradled her in his arm as he made his way out of the bedroom towards the lobby. Azura was curious and excited about the activity he has planned. "But you are going to love it. And don't worry, I will make sure that you are not going to get hurt."
"Good. Daddy would not be very happy otherwise. The most I will probably get is dirty, right?" Bulkhead nodded affirmatively, making Azura giggle. "I do really enjoy the baths, so if I get another excuse for one, I will happily take it."
"I am sure you will say that once you get to experience an oil bath too." Azura nodded, as she knew from what she's learned from the autobots, that oil baths were very, very good. And she hoped to try them someday. "I also heard from Optimus that you are getting better at your abilities. That must feel really good."
"Yeah, it does. But I am also still kind of scared of myself…I had known I had abilities, but…it still scares me." Azura knew she had gotten an excellent achievement in being able to control fire better than she had before. Azura had honestly wanted to get better at it because she didn't want to be in a position like Optimus. Though she did know that she could end up in that position. "I guess you wouldn't know the feeling. But daddy does say that being young means I lack control of those abilities…and I probably won't be in full control until I am much older…"
"Just think of them like emotions, Azura. Emotions are harder to control and understand when very young, but as you mature, you get better control of your emotions. And the way you express them is different to when you are young. Sparklings and human children are not too different, Azura. Compare Miko and Jack, you can already see who has better self control than the other." Azura giggled as she couldn't disagree with that. "I know I am Miko's guardian, but it does sometimes feel like I am watching a sparkling. But you are better behaved than her, and you're an infant…though I guess because she's in a rambunctious phase on her life, she does things without thinking. I am sure she will learn."
"And Miko loves being around the autobots in general, so I guess she probably thinks she has to enjoy every single day to the fullest. Even if it means she does things that can get her into trouble. But it is nice to know that I am a well-behaved sparkling. I do, do my best as I don't want to disappoint anyone. I know I will probably make mistakes, as that is the nature of everything…but…I still don't want to disappoint." Azura smiled at him as he knew how she felt. "Though I guess you feel that way too, huh?"
"Yeah, being my size has a lot of disadvantages. You already know I am good at breaking things, but I do what I can. Besides, you know you will always be loved, even if you did do something that would make Optimus disappointed. Mistakes happen, you just have to learn from them. You will be fine. Honestly, I have more to worry about than you anyway." Bulkhead looked ahead as he approached the lobby. "At least my track record is good."
Azura chuckled at him in amusement and looked ahead to see Optimus standing in the lobby waiting for them. The energon cubes have already been moved to storage, even though she knew that the energon would be used up quickly. Ratchet has been concerned about the use of energon, and the reserves have been going down. Azura knew that Optimus probably would be given priority for the energon if rationing was something that they had to do, as he had to feed Azura. But she was worried how that would go if it did happen.
Optimus looked at Bulkhead as the wrecker walked into the lobby. "Where exactly do you intend on taking Azura to, Bulkhead? You haven't exactly told me the location, only giving a brief response as to what it looks like. A rocky and mountainous terrain is not a good enough explanation, Bulkhead."
Bulkhead grimaced as that gave away on the terrain he was taking Azura to, but he walked over to the bridge controls to put the coordinates in and pointed to the screen. "We are going to this place. It is far from any human populations, no energon mines and it isn't the place humans would go. And the decepticons wouldn't even go there for no reason. It is safe, Optimus. She won't be in any danger."
Optimus looked at the coordinates carefully with scrutinizing optics. Azura could tell that Optimus was really thinking about it and she hoped he would be okay with letting her go. Optimus said nothing for a few minutes before he looked at Bulkhead. "I do trust you will keep Azura safe, Bulkhead. You have already proven that by making sure she was safe in Greece at the time of finding the energon harvester painting. And you are a trusted member of this team, Bulkhead, so I am placing all my trust with you right now. I do hope that when you return, the only thing Azura needs is a good feed and a bath." He glanced at Azura who was giggling and nodding excitedly in agreement. "Don't let the wrecker side of you get the better of you."
"You have nothing to worry about, Optimus. You and Ratchet would most definitely be on my tail pipe for a long, long time if something terrible happened to her. I will ensure that Azura is well taken care of, Optimus. We haven't had much bonding time since the humans arrived. She just has been missing some time with me." Bulkhead looked at Azura who was shrugging and nodding as that was true. "And she is extremely excited to spend time with me. Fresh air will do us both good."
Optimus sighed deeply as he could tell that Azura was excited, and he smiled at the two of them. "If you ever feel the need to come back sooner than planned, do feel ashamed. We all know that sparklings, even at her age, can get fussy." Azura tensed a little and frowned slightly upon hearing that. Optimus smiled at her reaction. "You can, Azura. And you haven't reached the stage where sparklings are usually at their most stubborn stage, but that is most definitely soon."
Azura did not know how to respond to that and looked at Bulkhead who was smirking. "Can we go before I get more embarrassed?"
Bulkhead chuckled lightly and nodded. "Okay, I think we can." He activated the ground bridge as Optimus watched them in amusement. "And don't worry, not all sparklings are stubborn during that phase. He's just teasing." Azura guessed that, but clearly it was also something Optimus was letting her know about. "Then again…I am a full grown, autobot, and I am still stubborn. So it really doesn't matter." He chuckled some more and walked towards the bridge. "Let's rock and roll!"
Azura giggled as Bulkhead transformed. While Azura was still slightly alarmed by the movements she felt when she is held by an autobot while they transform, she was getting used to it and it actually made her laugh. She glanced at the mirrors to see Optimus watching as Bulkhead drove into the bridge to leave the base. Azura was still very curious about what they were going to do.
When they reach the other side, it really was as it was described. A rocky terrain with mountains, and they were currently on a ledge overlooking a rocky valley. Azura was very intrigued by this place, and she was curious. "So…what exactly are we doing here, Bulkhead? This is kind of an odd place to be."
"I am going to show you one of the favorite pastimes' we wreckers did back on Cybertron. Wheeljack and I used to do it before the war engulfed the whole planet, and it is a very simple, fun game." Azura was curious as Bulkhead came to a stop by multiple, large boulders. "The game simply involves picking up and throwing boulders at the side of a mountain, and the first to trigger an avalanche wins. We are high enough, so we won't have to worry about an avalanche hitting us." He opened the door and Azura frowned a little. "Also, Miko showed me the movie Star Wars, and I guess I kind of want to see how far you could throw a boulder using some kind of levitating ability."
Azura hummed softly as she thought about it and slipped out of the car, and walked towards the boulders as Bulkhead transformed. "That is kind of interesting. My influence over nature does allow me to influence earth, and rock is earth…so I could give it a go. This isn't some kind training idea you got from Star Wars, is it?"
Bulkhead laughed in amusement at the sparkling. "Nah, of course not. Hut I do think that you should use your abilities sometimes for fun. And I do mean sometimes. After all, you can get into some serious trouble if you use them for any kind of fun." Azura fully understood, and she looked at the boulders in front of her. "Plus, from my understanding, once you relax it is easier anyway. And don't worry, you have to beat me. So…" Bulkhead walked over to the boulders and picked up one. "Let's see who can cause an avalanche first. And do not cheat, because I know you can cause one with your abilities if you wanted to."
Azura giggled as she knew that Bulkhead probably will know if he used her abilities to cause an avalanche. She watched as Bulkhead threw the boulder, and she honestly was always amazed at how strong the autobots were. Her optics followed the boulder as it soared through the sky and smashed into the side of the mountain. The impact the boulder had on the mountain was loud and heavy, and Azura even felt the rumble of the impact of the boulder.
"What is it with wreckers wanting to do stuff like this?" Azura asked with s giggle.
"It's out nature." Bulkhead looked down at Azura with a smile. "Your turn, Azura. Give it your best shot. I am not going to be like Optimus to tell you to concentrate, I just want you to do your best. I can easily find us something else to do here."
Azura wanted to give it a try, so she picked a smallish boulder and concentrated. She was really excited to see if she could do it. It took a moment before she gasped and grimaced as the boulder began to levitate. Azura smiled gleefully as she was ecstatic she was able to levitate the boulder. She just now had to throw it. She groaned and moved her hands before she made a throwing motion, and she managed to throw the boulder at the mountain. She stumbled and fell onto her knees with a shriek as, even though she was levitating the boulder, it was still very heavy. She giggled as she watched the boulder slam into the side of the mountain and jumped to her feet excitedly.
"I did it! I did it!" Azura exclaimed happily with her arms in the air. She turned to Bulkhead who was grinning excitedly. "Now the game can really begin. I hope I beat you, Bulkhead." She glanced at the sky as she also noticed dark clouds approaching, which meant it would rain soon. "The weather here looks like it is going to make things around here a bit muddy." Azura wasn't worried about that though. If it rained, she would quite enjoy it.
"A little mud is not going to bother me." Bulkhead picked up another boulder with a grin on his face. "But just remember, Azura, this is just about having fun." He threw the boulder at the mountain and looked down at the sparkling. "I had considered going off roading, but Optimus would not allow it. Even if you would be and secure, I know he would not allow it."
"I guess you would be right." Azura watched as the boulder hit the mountain. No avalanche started yet, but she could see all the rocks rolling down the mountain. "I bet if you told him about this, he would also say no. I bet he was suspecting it." Bulkhead nodded as he watched Azura levitate another boulder, though she groaned as this one was heavier. "Oof…a bit heavier…" She managed to throw the boulder high up on the mountain. She did not stumble this time as she had better balance, and she smiled as the boulder hit the mountain. "If it does rain while we are still here, I can easily think of something else we could do."
"And what would that be?"
"A mud fight."
Bulkhead widened his optics in surprise and frowned a little. "A mud fight? As in…scooping up mud and throwing it at each other?" She nodded affirmatively as the bot rubbed his chin. "Hmm…maybe when you are bigger, Azura. I know that I don't have to use much force, but it could also be enough to hurt you if I was to throw mud at you that way. So that might not be a good idea."
"Aw…but we could try." Bulkhead shrugged as he picked up another boulder to throw at the mountain and Azura looked at the sky. She smiled to herself, and she quietly influenced the weather so that the clouds would gather a little faster so it would rain sooner. "At the very least, we could dance in the rain." She watched the boulder hit the mountain, and still no avalanche. "And maybe the rain can help with the avalanche."
"Well…I will consider it, Azura. But I promised Optimus that you will go home uninjured. So it does mean avoiding activities like that." Bulkhead looked down as Azura levitated another boulder. He had not noticed the clouds that were gathering quickly above them.
"We could do a bit of off roading while we are here, Bulkhead. Daddy does not have to know." Bulkhead hummed a little as he did not know if that was a good idea. He watched the boulder levitate and she groaned a little as it was hard to make the boulders levitate, but she managed to launch it at the mountain with a groan. "But hopefully we do something else. I don't think I can lift and throw boulders for a whole hour."
"I am not expecting you to do that. I imagine you would get tired quickly." Bulkhead watched the boulder hit the mountain and he widened his optics for a moment as he watched as multiple rocks began to fall with a heap of debris. "Oh, well, that was fast." Azura's smile widened and she giggled as she saw she had successfully created an avalanche. "I guess you one. And we tend to call it the Avalanche Summon game, very simple and very fun." Bulkhead chuckled a little as he watched the avalanche. "At least we are not in the way of it. Alright, let's go off roading and see what we can find around here."
Azura watched Bulkhead transform again and she jumped into the passenger seat before Bulkhead began to drive along the ridge of the cliff they were on. She giggled happily as she stared out the window. "If there is a steep hill around here somewhere, we should roll down it. It would be a lot of fun."
Bulkhead chuckled. "That is certainly something that Miko and I have done before." Bulkhead turned to the right and Azura shrieked in surprise as she felt the gravity shift as Bulkhead began to roll down the hill. She giggled happily as he rolled down the hill. "I am glad you are having a heap of fun right now, Azura. It makes me super happy."
Azura was definitely having a heap of fun. And she already knew she was going to try and have a lot more fun when the rain would start. And the sky was darkening very quickly, and she was actually very excited by that. She would definitely try to start something as she was feeling the need to run and play at the moment. Bulkhead could tell she had a lot of energy with how she was bouncing. He at least knew that when they would get back to the lobby, Azura was going to have a good recharge. And Optimus would certainly be very thankful for that.