Five years had passed since the three sparklings were born -Metalsound gave birth to hers a month after Strongarm and Arcee did- and now it was time for them to choose their vehicle form. "Come on you three, it's time to get your vehicle forms," Bumblebee tells them.

To say the boys were excited was an understatement, Emberwing was a little nervous and had been staying close to her father.

"What are you going to pick, Seajumper?" Nightback asked his friend.

Seajumper looks over the cars, "Not sure yet. But watch Emberwing pick something girly," Seajumper giggled quietly. The said femme whimpered softly as she hid behind her father. Nightback sniggers.

"Seajumper, be nice," Wheeljack says glaring at his son.

"Sorry."

"Papa, what if I don't like any of the cars?" Emberwing asked with worry, looking up at her father.

"You can choose whatever you want to be, sweetie. Doesn't have to be a car."

"Can it be a plane like Aunt Windblade?" She asked as her optics lit up at the thought.

"Sure thing, sweetie."

Nightback and Seajumper were looking at the different cars and trucks, trying to find the most awesome-looking one. Seajumper eyes a sports car, "That looks awesome," he states as he stares at the car in awe.

"Go for it then," Wheeljack tells his son. Seajumper scanned the car before transforming, he raced circles around his dad while Nightback kept looking for something that was fast but held a sense of law enforcement.

"Do you know what you want, Nightback?" Steeljaw asked his son.

"I want something like what mom has."

"Oh, you want a cop car like your mom."

"Yeah, but it has to be fast."

"So, a cop car like your mom but also a fast car like mine."

Nightback nodded, his tail wagging with excitement.

"Why do boys like going fast?" Emberwing asked aloud. Nightback just shrugged.

"Nightback, did you find a car yet?" Seajumper asked as he pulled up to the older child.

"No, still looking."

Emberwing scanned a model plane and tried to transform into it, "Papa, it's not working," she complained, unable to transform.

"Really? Try thinking like an airplane."

"OK." She closed her optics and imagined that she was flying through the clouds with her Oka-san, Aunt Windblade, and Uncle Predaking. She heard the sounds of a transformation as she slowly opened her optics, "It worked!" She was able to transform but not in the way she was thinking. The boys look at her and their mouths drop at the sight of her new form.

"How do I look?" She asked unaware that her new form was not a plane like she was thinking. She had a body similar to an Elk, her hooves had three long claws to help her balance, and her helm was a mixture of a wolf's helm as well as an Elk's. Her tail swayed with joy and on her helm was a set of developing antlers.

"Oh, my Primus!" Seajumper exclaimed until Nighback elbowed him in the side.

"Certainly not girly, that's for sure," Nightback said.

"Do you not like it?" Emberwing asked as she took a step closer to the boys. Feeling herself taking the step she looked at her body. With soft whimpers she examined her new form with growing fear, "I didn't scan this. What am I?" She asked as her red and purple optics glassed over. In her panic she tripped over her feet, falling to the ground. Seajumper laughs but Nightback goes to help her up along with her father. Wheeljack smacked Seajumper on the back of his helm making him stop laughing.

"Ow, what was that for?" Seajumper asked, rubbing his helm as he glared at his father.

"It's not nice to laugh at someone!"

"But it was funny," he countered, making Emberwing hide her face behind her wings.

"No, it wasn't," Nightback countered.

"I thought it was funny," Seajumper muttered. Emberwing whimpered before she ran away from the group, tripping over her feet as she ran. She ran to her favorite hiding spot on the Alchemor. Thunderhoof looked all over the scrapyard, with no sign of his daughter. He knew she was still in the scrapyard, he just wasn't sure of where.

Predaking was walking around the Alchemor and spotted Emberwing sobbing, "Are you alright, Emberwing?"

"No," she whimpered. She had transformed back into her bot form when she made it to the Alchemor. "We got our alt. forms today."

"That's not something to sob over. What did you get?" Predaking asks as he sits down next to her.

"I don't know what it is, but it wasn't a plane like I wanted." She brought her knees to her chest, her tail wrapping around her feet.

"I see. Can you show me?"

She shook her helm, afraid of his reaction. What if he laughed at her as Seajumper did?

"Why not? What are you afraid of?"

"I look scary," she replied sadly, "And I tripped over myself."

"Nonsense, I'm sure you look beautiful. Don't mind the tripping over, you'll get the hang of it. Now show me your form, I would like to see it."

"Promise you won't laugh?"

"I promise."

Emberwing transformed, slowly walking out from the shadows. She kept her optics glued to the ground, still scared.

"You look beautiful just like I said you would, and this is perfectly normal because you're a hybrid between a wolf lion and an elk."

"You really don't think I'm scary?" She asked slowly looking up at him, her optics were like giant orbs.

"Not at all."

Her tail wagged and she wrapped her helm around him, hugging her uncle, he hugged her back. Then they heard the flapping of wings, "Sounds like your mother's back."

"I'm going to show Oka-san, bye Uncle," Emberwing ran off to greet her mother.

"Alright, bye."

The three sparklings greeted their mothers as they made their way back. "Now where are the sparklings?" Metalsound asked in curiosity, knowing that they were in front of them.

Emberwing giggled, "Mama, I'm right here."

The two boys hugged their moms, Wheeljack told Arcee what Seajumper did and Arcee dragged him off. Nightback was hugged by his mom after Steeljaw told her how nice he was and how he stood up for Emberwing. "That's my boy, you always make sure you do the right thing." Nightback grinned, feeling proud of himself, but he felt bad for Seajumper.

"Your beast form is beautiful, Ember. You're as big as me," Metalsound grinned as she transformed into her bot form. "I'll have to teach you how to use it to its full potential when you're a little older."

Seajumper comes back with Arcee and he walks right up to Emberwing, "I'm sorry, Emberwing, for laughing at you. Your form is actually pretty awesome."

Emberwing huffed, still upset at him, "Emberwing," her mother warned softly.

"You're forgiven," she grumbled, "You really think it looks awesome?"

"Yes," he replied with a smile. He then noticed something, "Nightback, why is your tail intertwined with Emberwing's?"

Nightback looked down at his tail and saw it wrapped around hers, he quickly pulled it away and jumped back. "How did that happen?"

Emberwing blushed as her mother chuckled, "Oka-san, it isn't funny."

"Sorry Em, it was too cute," Metalsound grinned.

Thunderhoof and Steeljaw looked at each other with a little smile, they knew exactly what it was. "Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," Thunderhoof grinned, his voice holding a small threat toward the young mech.

"I'll make sure he doesn't," Steeljaw responded.

"Papa, can you show me how to headbutt things?" Emberwing asked as she walked over to her father.

"Sure, Emmy, let's find something to headbutt."

The young femme pranced around with joy as she ran ahead.

Nightback looked at his father, "What was that all about, Dad?"

"Nothing, I'll tell you when you're older," he replied as he rubbed his son's helm. He then turned toward his mate to give her a brief kiss.

Seeing his parents making kissy faces, Nightback stuck his tongue out, "Gross."

They both laughed at his expression, "You think that now but you'll be all into it when you're older," Steeljaw chuckled. Nightback and Seajumper looked disgusted before they transformed and started to race each other. Their parents just laughed. Metalsound chuckled as she left to join her mate and daughter.