She remembered the crowd. The cheers, the chanting. Colourful lights filled the air as Aura, though in this case was ORA-3578 stood on stage, single file in a line with other mechs and femmes standing at attention, though proud smiles and smirks showed on their lips as they looked onto the crowd. Their graduation ceremony.

The headmaster of the famous academy stationed on Lunar-1 gave a speech to the crowd. He was a tall and thin Cybertronian with crimson paint along their build with golden racing stripes along his torso and lower legs, the wheels of his alt mode disguised as his heels. He loves to use those to skate around the walls. He prefers that compared to walking, even his own alt mode. A sort of strange one. We called him StarSweeper.

Before he was headmaster of this school, he was once a famous racer, considered one of the best. He had always said as much as he enjoyed racing he considered it a hobby, a favourite past time. Teaching was considered his primary career path. He outlined their schools achievements and highlights and made sure to praise each member of their graduating class.

"Now, I think our graduates have waited long enough," he spoke out to the crowd.

The femme's helm snapped back to attention as the headmaster waved over to an associate of his. A femme came up on stage carrying a box. Opening the lid, inside contained ten identical copies of an insignia. The same red insignia Aura had seen on Ultra Magnus' chest, as well as his guards and the medibots, and plastered on the wing of his ship.

The Autobot insignia.

"I am pleased to officially recognize these young Cybertronians achievements and welcome them with open arms into the Autobot ranks," The headmaster proclaimed.

Aura watched as one by one her fellow students went up front to be presented their Autobot badge, their right of passage. She could feel her spark pounding inside her chest, lifting her servo over her torso to feel its vibrations. She had been training for this moment for almost all her life. Of all the times to be nervous, why now?

The brand placed along their chests, neck plates, and shoulders, they were also all given a designation. An official name they'd be assigned to permanently.

Influx, Wildbeam, Dynamo, Volley, Cascade, Ember, Trident, Comet, and Melody.

The closer down the line they went, the harder her spark pounded. It was as if the sounds around her were fading out and the pounding of her spark took over her audio receptors.

"Last but certainly not least, ORA-3578,"

Hearing her ID number seemed to steer away the fear that coursed through her nerves, at least for the moment. She slowly began her walk towards the front centre of the stage towards StarSweeper, glancing over to the silent smiles and cheers of her peers. ORA stood before the headmaster, saluting him in greeting. "Sir,"

"Please kneel," he commanded. The femme knelt down to one knee, pulling her neck back to star up her teacher. "ORA-3578, I am so proud of what you have become. One of the top students in your class, you've set a fine example for future generations. I now present you with your well deserved Autobot brand, and new designation,"

The femme watched with sparkling optics as his associate stepped closer, extending the box towards him. Taking the last badge out of the box, he pulled it over and held it in front of his chestplate. He slowly extended it towards her neck.

"From this day forth, you shall be known as--"

The surface below them shook. Everyone on stage wobbled as ORA nearly toppled over. The Autobot badge fell out of StarSweepers grasp and onto the stage floor. A crackle like sound caught her audio receptors, a loud one at that. She whipped around and looked off into the distance. It was as if her pedes locked in place, no, her entire frame.

There was an explosion. Smoke and fire engulfed a building as it toppled over to its side. Screams and cries could be heard from the crowd. How? How could this have happened?

Emerging from the smoke, ORA peered her eyes to see fliers in the sky. Sleek jets with dark colours. One of them let go of a missile. It soared through the air, heading straight the ceremony floor.

ORA's digital pupils shrank as she turned around and sprang up, "EVERYBODY, RUN-!!!"

Impact.

And then, Aura woke up.

********

Her optics shot open as she sat up from her berth. Her vision was dizzy from sitting up so quickly as an ache corrupted her processor. Aura rose her servo to her helm, growling as she shook it slowly. 

The nightmare again. 

It had been just over six orbital cycles since Ultra Magnus had taken her under his wing. She was brought to Fortress Maximus' hospital centre where she was operated on and worked through her recovery. After that, she was transferred and relocated to The Metroplex, the Autobots main Headquarters and provided with her own private living quarters. 

Pulling her servo away from her helm, she looked down at her new refurbished legs. They didn't look any different from her old legs, at least from what she could remember. At a glance you couldn't tell that they were new. But Aura reminded herself that when her metal digits brushed down the metal plating. No scratches or scraps of any kind. 

Her memory of attending her old academy was still incredibly foggy, but she remembered that horrible time clear as day. The medibots described it as a cause of amnesia. It was unclear if she would ever remember her time on Lunar-1 again. They suggested to let her memory come back naturally, worried about the possible heavy toll on her processor if she were to be fed so much information at once. 

Sometimes she'd curse herself for not remembering, and wish she could right here and now. But she can't. She wished someone could just tell her now, but hey, where was the fun in that? No big surprise. 

The nightmare of that day would return every so often. This was its first resurface in the last deca-cycle. Her medic would reassure her that she was indeed getting better. A strange, grumpy Autobot, but he was always good to her. She prayed to Primus that she truly was getting better. Certain things were more clearer than previous viewings. She wished she could believe that tonight. 

Aura looked over at the time. 4:30am. She laid back down with a sigh and closed her optics, attempting to go back into recharge. She tossed and turned, seeing flashing images of the attack as well as its aftermath when Ultra Magnus found her. 

"Slag it," she cursed with a vent, sitting back up as she pulled herself off the berth. 

It was clear she wasn't going back into recharge tonight. She'd have to find something to do to keep her busy until all of Cybertron would actually wake up. Brushing the grogginess out of her optics, she sluggishly made her way out of her room and maneuvered herself through the halls of the living complex of Metroplex. It was a long shot, but she may know one mech who would be up by this hour. 

She stopped in front of his door, knocking against it. Waiting a couple seconds, she knocked again as a voice echoed through the other end of the door. A mech groaned, as if forcing himself awake. Within moments the door opened, sliding to the side as the mech emerged at the doorway. 

"You do know what time it is, right?" He grumbled, leaning against the archway. 

"Morning to you too, Hot Rod," Aura smirked in response. 

Hot Rod was the same height as her, though upon closer inspection you could guess he had inches more on her. Decked out in a dark magenta brown with orange forearms, blue optics and a grey faceplate, wore an orange collar around his neck with matching colored fang like horns on the front of his headpiece. The wheels of his alt mode hanged on his hips and he had a bright burst of flames painted on his chest, with the Autobot insignia embedded over top. 

 Hot Rod was considered a prodigy in his boot camp and after blessings given by Ultra Magnus, Sargent Kup, his drill sergeant moved him up into the Autobot Academy. The Academy was Cybertron's highest ranking school where some of the best of the best trained to become future members of Cybertron's Elite Guard who would serve as vital cogs in the Autobot machine, commanding directly from Ultra Magnus himself and the High Council. 

With his surprise attendance, is room at the academy wasn't quite ready yet, and was offered to stay in Metroplex until further notice. It was then that the pair became acquaintances, and would often spend time together when neither of them were busy with their own affairs.  In some causes those times would be like right now, in the middle of the night before day break. 

"What are you doing up?" He asked, "If Ratchet finds out you're up late again he'll go nagging to Ultra Magnus," 

"Couldn't slip back into recharge," the femme answered, her servos tied behind her back as she crossed her pedes, her aqua blue paint blending well with the dark navy walls. 

The high ranking mech watched her for a moment before he sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Was it the nightmare?"

Aura nodded in response, not saying a word.

"Do you remember anything new?" He asked, raising an optic ridge.

She stayed silent only this time shrugging her shoulders. 

"So the usual then?" He offered with a soft yet defeated smile. 

"I'll treat you to Maccadam's after before you have to go to class," Aura quickly added, spinning on her heels as she twirled in place. 

"I'll hold you to that," he grinned as Hot Road leaned away from the doorway, stepping back into his room. "Meet me at the training grounds in a cycle," 

"You got it, choosen one," she teased in reply as she began to take her leave. 

Hot Rod poked his helm out of the doorway, glaring at her. "Who told you that?"

"What can I say? I hear things," she retorted, firing finger guns at him. 

Hot Rod couldn't help but laugh in response as he waved her off. "Just go, I'll meet you there," 

Finally taking her leave, Aura made her way through the halls and exited the dormitories, crossing over to the training grounds that overlooked Autobot Boot camp on end, and Autobot Academy on the other. One section of the grounds had an indoor training arena, which was the pairs normal destination when it came to their early morning traditions. 

Logging into the control terminal, Aura changed the settings of the room. The hard metal floor sank down and shifted into training mats. A side panel on the wall next to her opened up, revealing training weapons of all caliber. The femme walked over to the cabinet, scanning inside before finding her preferred weapon of choice, selecting two daggers. 

"Predicable as always," a voice rang. 

Aura smirked as she twirled the handle of the blade before throwing it on a curve towards the source of the voice. Hot Rod ducked down in time as the dagger avoided his helm, the blade piercing through the mat to his right. The mech appeared unfazed by the action as she slowly stood from his ninja like crouching position. 

"Quick reaction time," she complimented. 

"Your aim is also improving," he complimented in kind as he reached over and plucked the dagger from the floor. Tossing it playfully up in the air, he glanced her way. "Now for today's lesson, try and get it back," 

"Won't you need--?" Aura pointed back towards the practice bow inside the weapons cabinet. 

Hot Rod shook his helm with a hearty chuckle. "No need," He reached over to his back, pulling out a strange looking metal pole. His grip on it relaxed as he flexed it forward and the pole suddenly branched out, its shape snapping and curving and a energetic light drew a line in the back. "I've got my own," 

"You got your weapon!" Aura's metal lips formed into a proud smile as she stepped forward, unable to properly contain her excitement. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I knew how much you love surprises," he teased.

"So the usual then? Loser buys the drinks?" she wagered, twirling her remaining dagger in her right hand. 

"Loser buys the drinks," Hot Rod repeated in confirmation.

The two of them got into their starting stances, brandishing on their weapons before one another. No one moved a circuit. Their optics trained on one another as they patiently waited for either one to make the first move.

Aura leaped forward and with a wave of her servo, directed her dagger to strike down towards Hot Rod from above.