Moon

After hiding in the base for a few hours clutching to Nightshade better than a magnet, I tell Optimus about my decision.

"Optimus, can I talk to you?"

He nods.

"I want to go to the Academy. Its a place where I'll learn how to fight. Ill be gone for about three weeks."

He nods again. "I respect your choice, Half Moon."

"Thank you for understanding."

He nods again.

I turn away, expecting to see any of the kids here.

Guess not.

Must still be in school.

My left ear beeps. I press it, and I hear a message.

Okay, my ear didnt beep, but I had an earpiece installed a little while ago.

"Hi, Moon! Is it okay if I come over today? I really really really really miss you!"

The message stops.

Again, I grin like an idiot.

Little Anti managed to bug his mother enough to send me a Comm.

"Whats the smile for?" Arcee asks.

"Its Anti. A kid I babysit. He wants to come over today."

Ratchet scoffs.

"Not at the base. At my home." I add, and Ratchet nods, clearly not interested.

Nightshade nickers nervously, shaking his mane.

"But I'm just not sure Nightshade will let me go home, especially after what just happened." I say, patting his nose.

"He is welcome here. As long as he doesnt cause trouble." Optimus says after he hears my complaint.

"Thank you, Optimus."

Ratchet scoffs, clearly irratated.

Nightshade snorts, nuzzling further into me.

"I have to warn you, he doesnt like the color red. So please just let him warm up to you first."

Optimus nods. "Of course."

I dont know what I would do without that horse of mine. He protects me better than I protect him.

I kiss his soft nose, and I walk up the stairs to the second level.

I just wanted to walk the stairs for some odd reason. They looked inviting.

I looked at the extremely high cieling. I could barely see the rafters.

I commed Anti's mother, and she said she could drop him off at the kids' school.

I asked Bee to explain to Raph why there would be an extra kid in the car.

He nodded, and Bee, Bulkhead, and Arcee went to pick them up.

Smokescreen was staring at Optimus. He was still in awe that he was in the same building as a Prime, even though hes been here for almost a week.

"Smokescreen." I say, beconing him over.

He comes, his young eyes full of energy and life.

"When Anti comes, dont say anything offensive. I know you dont mean it, just mind what you say, alright?"

"Sorry about that." He smiles, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No worries. I did the same thing to everyone else when they first found me."

He looks puzzled.

"Ill tell you later, dont worry."

Everyone else pulls in, and I glide to the main floor, watching Bee's doors open.

Anti runs to me in his black T-shirt and jeans with his sneakers slapping the floor.

"Auntie!" He screeches, slamming into my stomach.

I bend down on my knee so I can hug him harder.

I ruffle his short brown hair, which he fixes, and then messes up again.

Raph climbs out, smiling. They must have had a good time.

"I thought you werent related." Ratchet asks, arms crossed.

"We're not. His mom is like a sister to me, so he just calls me his aunt."

Miko and Jack look a little puzzled to see another kid, though.

Miko runs over, asking questions and excitedly cheering that there was another on Team Prime.

Anti didnt like her much. He squeaked at her boldness and hid behind my leg.

"Its okay. Shes just a little energetic." I say, coaxing him out.

He is a little timid towards Optimus and Ratchet, but thats only because hes afraid of the color red.

Dont judge him. He has his reasons.

Jack is calmer, as usual, and Anti seems to like him.

I introduce him to everyone, but then I see bluish-black peeking up from his collar.

"What happened?" I ask as he shows me the baseball-sized bruise on his collarbone.

"They hit me again." He says, pointing to his back.

Oh, I will skin those kids. Just because Anti decides not to torment Sean doesnt mean the brats can beat him up.

I enclose my wings around him, forming a barrier from everyone else.

I had tried giving him Dragon Flame potion, but he refused it every time because it was red.

He lifts up his shirt, and lashes are all on his back. Some are fading away, and some are still forming scabs.

I wrap gauze around his back and hug him after.

He latches onto my neck, and then lets go with a extremely goofy grin.

I laugh. He could make any situation funny. It was just his personality.

I fold my wings back, letting him talk to everyone else.

He likes Arcee and Bee, too. Especially Bulkhead. He favored the color green. I couldnt tell if he and Smokescreen were going to play a prank on one of us, but they got along.

Nightshade sniffed him, and he responded by reaching up.

His seven-year-old stature couldnt quite reach Nightshades back.

I grabbed him by under the arms and lifted him high on Nightshades back.

He giggled with glee as Nightshade walked around, clinging to his mane.

When they circled back to me, Anti wanted to say hello to Optimus and Ratchet.

But it took a while.

Optimus was patient with him hiding behind my legs, but Ratchet simply ignored him.

Finally, Anti managed to say a full sentence to Optimus without ducking behind my legs.

"Hi. Im Anti. W-whats your name?"

"My name is Optimus Prime." Optimus stated, getting down on one knee to get to his level.

"I think I've seen you before. At Renew?"

Optimus solemnly nodded.

Anti shyly nodded back before ducking behind my legs again.

Optimus could be intimidating. Couldnt blame the kid.

I messed up his hair again to get a smile out of him.

He got me back by messing up my hair, too.

We went over to Ratchet next.

"Hi." Anti said, more confidence this time.

Ratchet grumbled.

"Ratchet..." Optimus warned.

"Yes, yes, hello." Ratchet said as he never looked away from his screen.

A frown stretched across Anti's face.

"Don't be upset. Hes always that mean." Miko says, Ratchet giving her a side-glare.

He nods, still messing up my hair. I let him. He needs something to laugh at.

Nightshade snorts. He wasnt too happy with me for letting Anti steal me away.

"Guess what I can do?" Anti asks.

"What?" I ask, seeing the excitement on his face.

"I learned how to hang on someone's feet!" He exclaimed, a grin revealing one missing tooth at the front of his mouth.

I frown. That usually means that he will end up to be a wingless angel. But he is half demon, so it can go either way.

But we have to wait and see. He still has another three years until he earns his wings.

"How's your climbing? Have you been practising?" I ask, an eyebrow raised.

He chuckles nervously, eyes on the floor.

"Uh-huh." I say, nodding. "Now I know you dont like it, Anti, but you have to learn. Especially if you turn out to be full-on demon."

He nods again, twiddling his thumbs nervously.

"Come on now, kid. You know I dont mean to hurt your feelings." I say, ruffling his hair again. I get down on my knees, and I see a little grin.

He knocks me over flat on my back, laughing.

"Got ya!" He giggles, pretending to pin me down.

Optimus looks at me curiously. I guess hes never seen rough housing.

"Oh, really?" I say, tickling his sides.

He eventually rolls off, which gives me the chance to stand up again.

"You're no fun." He huffs, his little arms crossed, still sitting on the floor.

I see Smokescreen nod vigurously in my peripheral.

I give him a side glare, scoffing sarcastically.

He puts his hands up, a smug smile forming.

I help Anti off the floor and go up to the third level where the kids were doing thier own thing.

Raph was typing on his laptop, Miko was tuning her electric guitar, and Jack was just lazing about.

Anti goes over to Raph, curious with his fingers moving so fast on the keyboard.

"Grrr..." I hear Miko, clearly frustrated with the tuning.

"Let me see." I say, and Miko hands me her guitar.

I pluck the strings, turning the pegs until they all had the perfect pitch.

Miko looks at me surprised. "I didn't know you could tune a guitar that well!" She squealed, hitting each string in delight.

I nod. "I played a lot of instuments."

Anti shivers. "I hated the violin the most."

"It wasnt that bad!"

"It was, too! That thing sounded like a firebird choking on its own ashes!"

Man, kid. You are really smart.

We all laugh at the comment.

Soon, June comes to pick Jack up. Then Bulkhead and Bee take Miko and Raph home.

When the base is quiet, Anti starts yawning.

I wait till he is fully out to pick him up and get on Nightshade so I can bring him home.

"Ill be back in a little while." I say before opening a portal to the Realm.

I put Anti's head in the crook of my neck, and he balls my hair in his fists.

I rock him into further sleep as Nightshade nears his house.

Simple blue jade, just like all the other houses. But what made this one special was little rocks that Anti had painted to decorate the flowerbeds just below the windows.

I unlock and open the wood door by putting my finger on the finger pad, and walk in, flicking on the darkness.

Instead of lightbulbs, we have darkbulbs. It expells darkness instead of light.

The house is very simple. When you first walk in, the living room with couch, loveseat, and carpet are on the left, and kitchen with bar stool table on the right.

Going past the kitchen there is a long hallway, leading to two rooms.

The far one is Anti's, and the closer one is Galaxy and Cosmic's room.

I walk into Antis room with a bed and bureau with many crystals and stones covering the top of it.

I wake him up just enough so I can help him put on his deep green pajamas.

I lay him in bed when hes asleep again, tucking him in and kissing his forehead before I close the door.

I walk down the hallway and find another note on the counter.

We're out on a job. Be back soon! ~ Galaxy

I would have to wait here for them to come home, then. I couldnt leave Anti here by himself.

Nightshade comes in, barely fitting through the door. But he made it just fine.

It helps when you can make your ribs collapse like he does.

He lays down on the floor, his head on the arm of the loveseat.

Then his parents walk in, exhausted.

They say hello to me and go to bed.

I get Nightshade up and we go back to base.

When we get back, everone is powering down. I didnt realize him and I were gone that long.

Nightshade and I went up to the roof anyway, cuddling together and falling asleep under the black sky decorated with stars.