Anti

Early the Next Day

  Star stayed asleep for almost 7 hours on me.

  My shirt was still damp with her tears by morning.

  We both fell asleep on the couch, Mom awake all night doing paperwork and figuring out who should take dad's job for the time being.

  She didn't get any sleep.

  Her eyes were red and tired, her hair a complete mess.

  I've never seen her like this.

  Nightshade was beside her, eyes also tired.

  He didn't sleep, either.

  He had a wing on her back, his head beside her leg.

  She was leaned on him, her arms draped over his back.

  Star moved a little, rubbing her eyes.

  She yawned, resting her arms on the sides of my neck.

  I gently scratched her back, and she breathed in deeply, sleepily looking up.

  She passed right back out, her breathing slow and calm.

  Mom stood with the help of Nightshade's head, and she wobbled over to the couch.

  She brushed Star's hair out of her face, kissing her forehead.

  She looked at me with tired eyes, brushing my cheek with her thumb.

  She smiled, kissing my forehead.

  "My boy...  Are you sure this is what you want?" She asked me, her eyes tearing up.

  I nod. "I really want this, Mom.  I really do."

  She turns her head to the side and nods a few times to herself, biting her bottom lip

  "Okay." She looked at me, her eyes still red and puffy, a grin just at the edge of her mouth.

  "Get some rest, Mom. If she wakes up I'll take care of her." I say, and she glances at sleeping Star.

  "You always do." She smiled, going over to Nightshade where the two passed out on one another.

  2 hours later

  Star had woken up, going over to Ratchet who was welding something on his desk.

  He had put her on the desk, putting a cybertronian visor in front of her to shield her from the sparks and so she could watch.

  Mom had gotten up, still a little tired. But much better than what it was.

  She yawns. "We'll start when I wake up a little more." She stretches her wings out.

  I nod. "Okay, mom."

  After a few minutes, she is fully awake.

  We go to the sparring room.

  She makes a cushion cover the metal floor, some parts going up the walls.

  "Okay. Show me your stance." She said, arms crossed.

  I put up my fists, my legs apart.

  She winces, shaking her head to herself.

  "Okay.  Now, come at me."

  "Mom..."

  "You said this is what you wanted. Now, come at me." She said, getting into her stance.

  She put up her fists, her elbows near her stomach.

  Her legs were behind one another, ready to make a quick move.

  Her spine was leaned forward, giving her a little more control of her balance.

  I see my faults in my stance, quickly fixing them.

  Mom tilts her head a little, grinning with pride, her eyes glittering.

  I dive for her, but she dodges by stepping to the side.

  I fall flat on my face.

  "Only dive like that when you're quick and close." She said, letting me get up on my own.

  "Can we try hand-to-hand?" I ask, and she nods.

  "Use your forearms.  I'll try to come at you, you block me." She said, and I nodded.

  She uses her forearm to go at my side, but I hit her with my elbow.

  She uses her other arm to get to my other side, then quickly jabbing me in the stomach.

  "Ow." I say, rubbing my stomach.

  "You need to keep your torso protected. Keep those elbows close to your sides."

  I nod, and we go again.

  I keep my elbows in and close to my stomach, which gave me the protection I needed and a good range of motion.

  It was easier for me to move, and made it a little harder for her to hit my stomach.

  When she was slow.

  She sped up, and I could barely see where her arms were going to hit me, striking me in the side.

  "You'll get faster as time goes on, don't worry about that yet. It helps if you look at your opponent's abodomen.  It gives you hindsight on where thier arms are going." She teaches me, showing me to look at thier stomach or shoulders.

  I almost hit her once, but she dodges and somehow finds an opening.

  "Always keep your guard up. Never let it drop. That can be your worst mistake." She warns, opening her arms.

  She was going to let me hit her.  Willingly.

  I found that wierd, but I went for her stomach.

  She grabbed my wrist and pressed a pressure point, making me wince.

  It didn't hurt much, it just felt really weird.

  I tried kicking her shin, but she side-stepped, grabbing my ankle and lifting up, making me lose my balance and fall.

  "Never fall for that old trick." She smiles, helping me up.

  "Very funny." I say, tackling her.

  She gets knocked over, laughing. "Now that wasn't fair."

  I shrug, getting up.

  I offer her my hand, and she flips me on my back.

  "Ha.  Got ya." She smiled, watching me just blink blankly.

  "Really?" I ask, and she nods.

  We both get up, going again and again.

  I keep learning from my mistakes, making my stance and block better and better.

  I kept failing every time.

  But I wasn't mad because she had defeated the Empress.

  If she can do that, I stand no chance against her if we were actually fighting.

  Luckily she was just teaching me.

  After about an hour, we take a break.

  I started getting tired and my moves were starting to get sluggish.

  "I think we're done for today." Mom said after I asked if we could go again.

  "Why?" I ask, whining a little.

  I really wanted to keep going.

  I wanted to keep learning.

  "Because if you do any more, tomarrow you're gonna lock up." She said, gesturing to my knees.

  I nod. "Okay, that sounds fair."

  She flashed me a look saying I'm always right.

   Star comes to me, tugging on my arm.

  "Can we play?" She asks me, those innocent blue eyes staring up at me.

  I shrug. "What do you wanna play?"

  "How to find Daddy."