9. Balance

9. Balance

Fusion walked along the broken path, a raging river far below her and a crowd of angry Saltarians behind her, blocking her retreat back to safety. Ahead of her, thick tail swinging and claws gripping the path with a steady sureness that Fusion could never hope to have, Shadow made her way forward stealthily. A small hint of jealousy played at the edges of Fusion's mind. Though she knew there was nothing to be jealous of, it was the way the Reptalians had been designed that gave her friend such amazing balance and skills.

The slipping of a foot dragged Fusion back to the present. If they were going to make it out of this alive, they would have to keep focused and moved forward, no matter what they might meet in the darkness beyond the end of the path. Arrows landed near Fusion's feet, making her stop and look over her shoulder. Some of the Saltarians had overcome their fears and were following them along the path.

"Shadow, we have to move faster!" Fusion whispered urgently, ducking another arrow, this one flaming. Losing her balance, she stopped moving, her arms cartwheeling in the air as she tried to stay atop the path. Looking over the edge, she saw the gaping mouths of multiple snapfish, waiting for a tasty treat. Once her balance was regained, she sighed with relief and began walking faster.

Shadow had almost reached the end of the path, turning to look over her shoulder, her yellow eyes wide with worry. Fusion nodded to her and, upon reaching a wider section of path, began to jog, keeping her arms out to her sides to maintain her balance.

Passing through the thick, overhanging branches, Fusion and Shadow gasped in wonder at their find. A large temple stood before them, vines dangling down its sides, surrounded by tall, overhanging cherup trees. Stepping closer, Fusion stopped as her foot sank into the ground. A moan escaped her and she let her shoulders slump.

"What is it?" Shadow stepped up beside her and looked down, her eyes narrowing.

"A trigger, I just tripped a trap," Fusion admitted with a shrug.

Groaning, Shadow shook her head and smirked, "Only you Fuse."

"Oh shut up," Fusion growled back, attempting to look angry.

"Stay there," Shadow ordered, looking into the branches of the nearest tree. Before Fusion could respond, her friend was gone, her long, sharp claws digging into the side of the tree, her tail disappearing among the foliage.

A crashing sound made Fusion drop her optics to the forest around her, seeking the cause of the noise. When it did not happen again, she turned her gaze back to the branches overhead. She imagined she could hear Shadow as she walked along the thickest of the branches. It seemed hours before a long thin rope dropped down on Fusion's head from above.

Grabbing the rope, Fusion moved to tie it about her waist, stopping as the crashing sounded again. Looking over her shoulder, she could make out voices as well. A slight panic filled her and she quickly tied the rope off, tugging on it to get Shadow's attention. All around her, the temple and vines disappeared, the path turned into an old fallen tree and the river into a thick mossy undergrowth. The game was over because there was a real enemy coming. One that didn't shoot fiery arrows or shout curses. This enemy forced her to leave her friend, to return to 'society' and live a 'normal' life. This enemy was called father.

Shadow pulled her up just before the crashing stopped again, followed by a long line of expletives. Fusion grabbed the branch and, with Shadow's assistance, pulled herself up, sitting with her feet dangling over the edge.

"Who is it?" Shadow asked, her mouth moving but no sound coming out.

Fusion shook her head; the voice was not that of her father or of her godfather.  Moving so that she was straddling the branch, she ducked her head beneath the leaves and watched for whoever was making so much noise as they moved through the forest. Beside her, Shadow wrapped her powerful tail about the branch and leaned down, nearly dangling from the branch.

As they watched, two mechs stepped through the thick underbrush, one of them a deep red with red optics, the other was larger than the first with blue armor and yellow optics. The red one was the cause of the cacophony earlier, as he was muttering darkly and yanking multiple pieces of plant life free of his armor as he walked.

Fusion and Shadow exchanged glances, covering their mouths with their hands to keep from laughing at the way the mech was overreacting to the forest's habit of grabbing at the armor of those brave enough to enter it.

"Who's brilliant idea was this?" the red one demanded, snarling as he ripped a gouge into his shoulder armor, tossing the offending branch away.

"Orders came from Screamer," the blue one answered, his yellow optics scanning the surrounding area, passing over Fusion and Shadow's hiding place.

When she saw his face, Fusion gasped slightly, it was red. She had never seen a mech with a red face before. Everyone she knew had gray faces, as well as gray bodies. Her curiosity started to get the better of her as she looked the mech over, wondering if the rest of his body beneath his armor was red too.

"Fuse, no," Shadow hissed, gripping her leg.

Looking over at her friend, giving her a dirty look, Fusion sighed and settled back down on the branch, watching as the two strangers moved forward, passing beneath them.

"Just look at this, my armor is a mess! It'll take me weeks to repair all of this damage, I'll go through all of my polish supplies, not to mention my paint supplies…" the red one continued complaining while the blue one listened.

Fusion had to wonder how he had the patience to listen to the other one's complaints constantly.

"KO, look here," the blue one interrupted a particularly nasty string of curses that Fusion had only heard once in her life, the day after her father had nearly melted the support beams of the residence and her mother had let him have it, loud and clear.

"What did you find?" KO asked, his tone changed completely as he approached the blue one. They stood where Fusion could no longer see them through the thick leaves. Only their feet were visible and it was obvious they were not looking at the ground.

Reaching out and, gently, pulling the branches apart, Fusion looked down at them, her body shaking as she moved her center of gravity on the branch. She gripped the branch tightly with her left hand as the right continued to hold the leaves apart.

"Looks like one of those tablets, the ones you were searching for before the war," the blue stated, his hand was pointing toward the crown of the tree beside Fusion and Shadow.

Glancing over her shoulder, Fusion asked Shadow silently if she knew what they were talking about. Either Shadow understood the expression and did not know or she thought Fusion had lost her mind because she just shook her head and shrugged. Her interest had waned in the two mechs, though she was still very aware of their presence in her home territory.

"And, exactly how are we going to retrieve it, eh Breakdown? Fly up there and get it?" KO snapped.

"How should I know? Aren't you in charge, so go be in charge!" Breakdown growled back, wiping away the dense dew that had collected on his shoulder.

A small giggle escaped Shadow, making Fusion look over at her in startlement. The quick movement resulted in her losing her balance and, scrabbling for purchase, fall from the branch. Luckily the rope was still tied around her waist and Shadow was fast enough to grab it before she could fall too far, slamming into the forest floor. A hissing scream echoed through the canopy as the rope burned Shadow's hands, then it went tight and Fusion lost the air she had pulled into her vents. With a grunt, Fusion rolled over and looked up at the branch, wincing in pain. Shadow dangled from the branch, her tail wrapped tightly about its circumference and the claws on her feet digging into the bark. Her tongue moved in and out of her mouth fast in agitation as she narrowed her eyes at Fusion in irritation.

If she had been able to speak, Fusion would have apologized to her, but as it was, speaking was rather difficult as she was yanking copious amounts of air into her systems.

"Well, well, well, what have we got here?"  KO's voice made Fusion snap her head around, the red mech was approaching her with the other, Breakdown, behind him.

"A very small femme," Breakdown commented, sneering at Fusion with distaste, "One that doesn't even exhibit feminine qualities."

With a strangled cry, Fusion tried to move away from KO as he approached, curling her shoulders closer to her head and pulling her legs up. Instead of moving away, she swung back and forth on the rope. A long, thin hand wrapped about her body, stopping the swinging. Keeping her optics closed, Fusion whimpered at the touch of a long finger sliding along her face.

"No, not a small femme… a sparkling," KO commented. Something in his tone scared Fusion worse than the approach and touch.

"A sparkling? …But they're all gone, the well, it was ejected," Breakdown responded, sounding baffled and slightly lost.

"Leave her alone!" Shadow shouted, her fangs bared as she continued to grip the rope as tightly as she could, fighting with the strength of KO holding Fusion's form.

"And what will you do to prevent me from taking this little one with me, scaly? Bite my legs off at the knees?" KO scoffed, yanking hard on the rope and nearly dislodging Shadow with the same movement.

"NO! Bring her back!" Shadow's screams fell on deaf audios as the two mechs began walking away, exchanging meaningful expressions.

Fusion began to fight the further they walked from Shadow, clawing at KO's armor and kicking him. Each time he would get a finger near her face, she would bite at it, once drawing energon from the appendage. That had earned her a slap to the face, not hard enough to seriously damage her, but hard enough to remind her who was the larger of the two of them.

It was also the first time anyone had ever struck her. Tears began to stream down her face and she cried hard, screaming at the top of her lungs, hoping someone would hear her.

"Shut up or I will give you something to cry about, pipsqueak," KO threatened, his optics moving from her face to the shadows that seemed to move about them. The trees began to speak and the wind began to howl. Fusion continued to cry, screaming for her family as she tried to claw her way out of KO's grip.

"KO, I don't like this, those trees… they're… changing," Breakdown said it quietly.

"Trees don't change, Breakdown, you've been watching too many horror vids," KO stated firmly, though he did choose that moment to clamp his hand over Fusion's mouth, effectively cutting off the screams.

Digging at the hand, Fusion tried to push it away, tears still streaming down her face. She could feel the mech beginning to speed up. The further he got from the hamlet, the less likely it was someone would hear her cries for help. She had to get free somehow and fast. Unfortunately, the sheer difference in her size when compared to that of a full grown mech made most plans impossible. As it was, she fit neatly into the crook of his arm.

As they passed through a natural arch, two large trees overhanging the path with their branches intertwined, Fusion spotted a 'shadow' that moved with them. Focusing her optics on the shadow, she recognized the shape and configuration of the body. A Reptalian, camouflaged to blend in with the surrounding foliage. The process wasn't perfect and their bodies had to adjust to the changing of light sources and colors, but it was effective enough for hiding from two mechs who didn't know what to look for. A hand moved, making a silencing gesture. Whoever the Reptalian was, they were there for her, she hoped.

After a few more minutes of pointless struggling, Fusion stopped. Aside from shaking from fear, she remained perfectly still, keeping silent and waiting. The Reptalian had disappeared and she was starting to think it had been a figment of her imagination. Then the forward movement of the two mechs stopped and a sharp indrawn breath told Fusion there was a reason for that sudden stop. Looking over KO's arm, Fusion instantly recognized not only Shadow, but half of her village. Claws were unsheathed, bows drawn, and spears held at the ready. More of them appeared in a ring that closed behind KO and Breakdown.

"Release the child and we will let you leave unharmed," the head female ordered, stepping forward slightly, Shadow on her heels.

"And what are you going to do with us? Shot us with you little arrows and claw at our armor?" KO sneered, his optics moving over the group of Reptalians.

"We will do more than 'claw at' your pretty armor, red one. If you bothered to learn of the other species on planets prior to your deciding they are yours to take, you would know just how dangerous we are to your kind," the female stated, snapping her jaws together at the end of her sentence.

"Breakdown, show them what we can do to them," KO ordered, stepping back and allowing the big blue mech to approach, a nasty smile on his face.

Fusion watched in horrified fascination as the blue mech used a cannon that was mounted to his shoulder to fire at one small group of Reptalians. Most of the lizard-like people leapt out of the way, but a few were not so lucky. Her spark sank and the tears started again, only this time, she was beginning to get angry.

"NO!" Fusion's voice rang out over the sound of screaming and crackling flames. It surprised KO enough that one of the male Reptalians was able to get closer, snarling as he dragged his claws through the thick armor on KO's upper arm.

Cursing, KO was forced to move Fusion to his other side as his right arm went limp. Breakdown looked at him and their optics met. Fusion hated to think what that silent conversation was about and she had no intentions of finding out, seeking out a space between his plates of armor, Fusion found what she was looking for. Her fingers and hand were small enough to fit into the space and she made contact with KO's dermis. Within seconds, she was falling to the ground and running for Shadow and the tall female. The effects of her manipulation of KO's body wore off fast and with another curse, he raced after her.

Before he could grab her, three male Reptalians blocked his path, hissing. Fusion didn't look back until she was safely behind the female's legs, panting.

"Go now before you create more of a disturbance in the forest," the female ordered, pointing toward the forest border. Fusion followed her hand, realizing, for the first time, just how close she had come to being taken away from her home. Shuddering, she leaning against the scaly gray-green legs before her.

"Let's go Breakdown, don't need the little Sparklet anyway," KO said, his tone haughty and smug.

The two left without a fuss, though the male Reptalians surrounded them and made certain they left the forest in peace. Fusion looked up as the female she hid behind knelt down and set a large hand on her head. Shadow approached and smiled at Fusion before wincing at the look from the female.

"Fuse… this is my egg mother, Lilly," Shadow said it quietly, with the utmost respect.

"Thank you," Fusion said, trying to look abashed, though her curiosity was starting to mount again.

Lilly laughed a hissing laugh and shook her head, "You are as Shadow described you, incorrigible and too curious for your own good." Fusion blushed and looked down at her hands, saying nothing to disagree with this fact.

"Family, come, we will return to the caves and there, I will decide how to return Fusion to her own kind," Lilly called the others to them. Many were grumbling about taking a bot with them to their home.

"We leave no child unattended in these dark forests, you are all aware of that fact, though we have a few," Lilly spoke solemnly, her eyes moving to Shadow before continuing on, "Who do not appreciate this fact. Come, now both of you, you need rest and nourishment. Then, Shadow, we will discuss your punishment and I will converse with my advisors on returning Fusion home."

"Yes mother," Shadow responded quietly, wrapping an arm about Fusion's shoulders and leading her toward the caves. Fusion looked up at her friend, disbelieving how easily she accepted her mother's words. Whenever her parents spoke to her in such a way, Fusion argued with them, normally winning in the end because she had more staying power than her parents. But Shadow just accepted it and followed in obedience. It was hard for Fusion to believe this was the same female she had befriended so long ago.

The caves were a long walk through the dense jungle, along paths that only allowed for a single Reptalian to traverse them at a time. Fusion and Shadow were small enough to continue walking side by side, but the rest had to spread out. There was a mixture of the genders and a few walked in pairs, talking and laughing with one another. With her audios, Fusion was able to hear them and distinguish between their voices. There were thirty in all, according to her scanners. A few had dropped away, disappearing into the forest. But most had stayed with the main band.

Entering the caves caused a large commotion as children crowded around and stared at Fusion. Quietly, Shadow explained that most of them had never seen a bot before and even fewer believed them to be anything but myths and fairytales.

"Shoo now, go to your caves," Lilly waved a hand over the children and all disappeared. The more Fusion saw, the worse she felt. Not even her curiosity could make her feel less guilty about running from her father and godfather or for fighting with her mother that very morning.

"Inside," Shadow whispered, indicating a small opening in the cliff wall. Fusion nodded and went inside, sitting on an animal-skin rug, near the wall, waiting for Lilly and whoever else was to join them to come.

Instead of a group of Reptalians, only Shadow and an ancient female joined her. The female settled down beside a fire pit and began to build a new fire, keeping her eyes focused on her work. Soon the cave was filled with warmth and the art on the walls became visible. Looking around, Fusion felt her spark shrink with fear. There were images of Reptalians and bots engaged in battle, the bots being torn apart by the Reptalians' claws and teeth.

"It's all right Fuse, those are the old stories, the ones before your clan were not very friendly toward us, that's why we don't like to intermingle with you all," Shadow said with a shrug, running a claw along the fur of the animal skin rug.

"But… you intermingle with me," Fusion responded, looking over at the calm face for a moment.

"That's different," Shadow stated, refusing to elaborate any further on the subject.

"Here little one," the ancient female handed Fusion a small clay bowl, filled with liquid energon before standing with a moan and returning to the fire.

"How did you…" Fusion was cut off by Lilly's entrance to the cave.

"We have a reserve here, little one. Now, tell me, who are your parents?" Lilly asked, sitting down across from Fusion and Shadow.

"Aero and Luminescence," Fusion answered, taking a small drink of the energon before setting it aside.

"Do they know where you are?" Lilly asked, glancing at Shadow for a split second before turning back to Fusion.

As much as Fusion wanted to lie and say that they did, she had a feeling that Lilly would know it was a lie and she didn't want to add that to the list of disobediences that was growing by leaps and bounds. So, instead of going with her instincts, she shook her head and looked down and away.

"I thought as much. I will escort you home and Shadow shall accompany us. I believe I will take council with your parents before deciding my own offspring's punishment. Now, rest you two, we will leave shortly before nightfall," Lilly ordered, waiting for the two of them to lie down before covering them both with another animal skin. She rubbed her cheek on Shadow's forehead and patted Fusion on the shoulder before standing and leaving the cave. It was not hard for Fusion to go into recharge, though the nightmares started almost the instant she closed her optics.

When Fusion woke, a small scream on her lips, she felt a finger settle over her mouth. Looking up, she realized she was being carried by Lilly. The forest loomed about them, the three moons' light filtered down through the thick canopy, creating a patchwork effect on all surfaces beneath the trees.

As they reached the forest's edge, Lilly stopped and looked about, her neck plating rising slightly in alarm and her tongue moving in and out at a heightened rate of speed. Fusion had a feeling this was the first time in her life the leader would be stepping out of the forest alone.

"Please, I can go home on my own from here… I live in the residence closest to the forest," Fusion said, nearly begging. On her own she could convince her father that she had just gotten lost in the crowd and that she didn't want to rely on a stranger for help. But, with Lilly and Shadow, he'd know precisely what she had done and where she had been.

"No, I cannot allow you to go alone, it would not be right," Lilly stated firmly, "Shadow, come along."

The hill that her family's residence sat upon was steep and difficult to climb if one was not accustomed to it, but Lilly had no trouble at all. She made it to the top in a fair amount of time and, standing at the door, knocked loudly. A few minutes passed before the door slid open, revealing Fusion's father's tired and cranky face.

"What… Fusion," his voice sounded tired when he said her name and he took her into his arms, setting her against his shoulder before speaking again, "Thank you for bringing her home… you must be Shadow's egg mother."

With this said he stepped aside and allowed both passage into the residence. Fusion's mind whirled with surprise. He was never this friendly and rarely did he invite anyone inside. Even rarer was for him to speak to someone who had brought her home with any type of respect.

The door closed and Fusion found herself doubting her ability to survive the coming conversation.