Half Moon

  I wake up beside Nightshade, my back up against his neck.

  I never want to leave him again. I need to protect him.

  My headache is gone. My body isn't sore anymore.

  I move just a little, my spine feeling like it should crack.

  Not in a bad way, though. I stretched back further, my spine cracking in several places.

  I sigh happily, Nightshade lifting his head groggily.

  I scratch beneath his chin, and his whiskers gently brush my face.

  I stroke his neck as he puts his head back down on the floor, his eyes closing tiredly.

  I silently get up, seeing the kids on the level with the T.V.

  I walk to the other side of Nightshade, to where the burn was.

  Power fills my hands and fingers, wanting to twitch.

  I try my hardest not to twitch, putting all my concentration on healing his wound the rest of the way.

  I close my eyes, just thinking of healing him.

  When I stop and open my eyes, the burn is healed. Not even a scar left.

  All the other scars and marks on his body was gone.

  I kneel, my hand gently brushing his wing.

  He was out. No waking him up unless I screamed.

  I went up to the kids. I was curious to what they were up to. And where the others were.

  I had hoped to see at least Ratchet, but I didn't see him anywhere.

  I wondered how I could walk up the stairs so easily without anything hurting.

  Miko waved at me, Raf and Jack smiling.

  I got a way better viewpoint from here.

  "Hi, guys." I whisper out of habit, not wanting to wake up Nightshade.

  They turn on the TV, a game popping up.

  "Wanna go?" Miko asks, sticking a plastic game remote in front of me.

  I just stare at the remote and wonder what she wanted me to do with it.

  I just put it my hand, confused.

  Jack tilts his head a little. "We'll teach you. Don't worry."

  I flash a smile. "Thanks."

  Miko and Raf played a round together, showing me what the buttons did in the process.

  After that, I went up against Miko. I lost miserably.

  Went up against Jack. Lost 20 to 0.

  Went up against Raf. Lost 100 to 2.

  Everytime I lost the kids would give me tips, making me a little better each time.

  They played a few more games, and I got bored watching.

  I had a feeling they were getting bored, too.

  "Where is everyone?" I ask, sitting on the coffee table after shutting off the T.V.

  "Went on recon. They think they might have found another autobot."

  I chuckle. "Well, they thought I was an autobot."

  Miki grins. "Well, at least we got another member of Team Prime!"

  I laugh at her enthusiasm.

  "You guys showed me some of your tricks. How about I show you some of mine?"

  Miko and Raf's faces lights up, Jack nodding.

  "Ooh, can you do cool stuff?" Miko asks, acting like she was fangirling over BTS.

  I nod. "It's all I ever do." I smile.

  I stand up, leaning on the railing next to the stairs.

  The kids turn around and watch me.

  I tap my toe for a few seconds, thinking what I could do without exhausting myself.

  It clicks.

  I cup my hands together, a blue crystal ribbon spinning in the middle.

  I uncup my hands, the ribbon drifting to the floor.

  I kneel, my index and thumb pinched together.

  I jump up, the ribbon shooting up through the air, stars raining from the end.

  I use my pinched index and thumb to guide where the ribbon went.

  I let it drift to the floor, catching it before it hit the ground.

  Miko laughs. "Sweet!  Can you do something else?!"

  I shake my head. "I would love to, but I can't exhaust myself."

  She frowns, a little bummed.  Raf and Jack nod, looking a little upset, too.

  I get an itch on my back.

  I make my wings fold out, and a feather should have fallen out, but it was stuck. And of course I couldn't reach it.

  "Can one of you just grab that feather that's sticking out?  It's itchy." I ask, and Miko gently takes it out.

  She hands it to me, and I tuck it into my hoodie pocket as I thank her.

  I hear Nightshade get up, his hooves clacking loudly on the metal floor.

  I go down the steps, watching him try to come up, but his hooves slipped.

  "Wanna come pet him?" I ask the kids, and they all get up.

I told them to stay behind me until I said so.

  I pet him, and he nuzzles into me.

  I kiss his nose, and he snorts on me happily.

  "Alright, who's first?" I ask.

  "Me!" Miko said excitedly, putting her hand up.

  He sniffed her hand, nuzzling.

  Raf was next. He was a little timid, and I can understand.

  He barely came up to where his legs meet his body.

  Nightshade was gentle with him, sniffing his hair and then his face, fogging up his glasses.

  Miko scratched beneath his chin, and he laid down, accepting attention from the kids.

  Jack just pet the side of his head.

  Raf rubbed his belly, and he nickered happily, loving all this extra atrention.

  We hear Optimus through the loudspeaker, saying "Raphiel, open the groundbridge."

  Raf runs up to his computer typing in a few numbers and letters.

  Nigtshade gets up, stepping in front of me.

  His eyes were locked onto the groundbridge, his tail flicking.

  He was protecting me. Again.

  The portal opens, and everyone walks through, a new bot beside them.

  I walk next to his neck, patting his chest.

  The bot was the same size as Bee, his color scheme white and blue with a little red on the sides of his head.

  The longer I look at him, the longer I feel like I know him.

  It snaps.

  Smokescreen.

  Graduate of the Elite Guard.

  Once worked in the Iacon Database with Alpha Trion.

  Ratchet becons me over to his station, Nightshade staying in between me and the new bot every second.

  Ratchet was taking off my casts.

  I laid down on the gurney, so excited to get these heavy, tacky, and uncomfortable things off.

  He opens them a little with pliers, then lifts them off with his fingers.

  The moment the casts come off my wings, they straighten out, feeling much better already.

  Ratchet told me I could go, and I decide to meet the new bot.

  The kids were crowded at his feet, asking questions.

  He looks down at me, confused. "What are you?"

"Smokescreen." Optimus scolds, slightly glaring.

  "Sorry." Smokescreen replies, looking down at the ground.

  It was easy to tell that he looked up to Optimus.

Nightshade stepped in front of me again, huffing protectively.

  I pat his neck as I put my hands on his spine, jump up, and swinging one of my legs over.

  I shrug at Smokescreen. "It's all right."

Nightshade's stomach rumbles, stomping his hooves.

  "What is he doing?" Arcee asks.

  "He's hungry." I respond, patting his neck.

  "If he is that hungry, you may leave to feed him. Arcee, accompany her please." Optimus said, asking Ratchet to open a groundbridge.

  It opens, and Nightshade trots through once he knows Arcee is behind us.

  I hop off, happy to find we ended up at a large grass field.

  He chomps down happily, rolling in the abundance of sweet green grass.

  Arcee and I sit down as he eats.

  "Quiet, huh?" She says, chuckling.

  "Yeah. I hate it." I smile, and she smirks back.

  We fill the silence with stories.

  I already knew a good portion about her home, but I was engrossed in her stories.

  I told her some of mine, and she was just as interested.

  I told her about my home.

  "I would like to see that." She said, comming Ratchet to bring us back.

  "I could make that work.  But I have to talk to the Elders first. I honestly think they'll let you in, since you saved my life and all." I chuckle.

  Nightshade's stomach was full. He would be happy for a while.

  He nuzzles into her ankle.

  She looks down, confused.

  "That means he liles you." I smile, and she smirks back.

  We walk back, my mind racing on what to do when the bots get to see my home.