Work Text:
Title: If fate means you to lose...
Author's Notes: You see what happens when I'm left to amuse myself.
He wandered through the wasteland, damaged, alone, abandoned by friend and enemy alike. He couldn't transform, couldn't fly to a more hospitable place and wait for his self-repair systems to patch him back together.
A ceaseless wind drove dust through rent plating, polluting already damaged circuits. The brutal sun beat down relentlessly, searing his optics and taxing his cooling system.
Finally, impossibly, a rock outcrop rose up before him, offering shelter from sun and wind. He summoned the last of his strength, staggered the final few feet, sprawled gratefully in the shade.
"Wazzzpinator think it's time to consider early retirement."
Title: Horse Sense
Author's Notes: Crossover? No, no, these sparkling, candy-colored ponies are completely unrelated to any sparkling, candy-colored equine toy line you may be thinking of. There is also no fourth-wall fracturing meta conversation. Really.
"I thought this sort of thing was forbidden, Optimus," Dinobot growled.
"It does skirt the rules a little," Optimus admitted, "but it's the fastest way to get where we're going."
"Faster for you, maybe," Cheetor said, "but why do I have to ride these things? I could be there and back before they even get moving!"
"Fastest and safest. Now, are you going to keep arguing, or can we get this over with?"
"Just one question, fearless leader," Rattrap said, looking out over the milling herd of sparkling, candy-colored ponies. "Which one of us has to ride the pink one?"
Title: Star Bright
Author's Notes: Monkey needs a hug.
The stars gleam overhead, a brightly glowing band against the darkness of the night sky. One day - assuming the Maximals don't fail, he doesn't fail - the humans of this world will call that bright river the Milky Way, not realizing it is the heart of their own galaxy they gaze upon.
He journeyed between those stars, until the terrifying, magnificent vastness of space became a commonplace. Only now, planetbound, does he regret his failure to fully appreciate the stars when he held them in his hands.
Optimus sighs.
He is an explorer.
Some day, he will hold the stars again.
Title: The Friendly Skies
Cheetor was not going to complain about being a transmetal. For one thing, his weapon system had gotten a mondo upgrade. For another, he looked awesome. And of course, there was the flying.
The real problem was that flight made travel boring. Especially since Optimus had forbidden him from buzzing the local wildlife after the Unfortunate Antelope Incident. (There were always capitals in Optimus's voice whenever he brought that up; Cheetor thought it was totally unfair.)
Up side, plenty of Preds could fly. And, Cheetor assured himself as a familiar shape appeared on the horizon, Waspinator was always fair game.
Title: Doesn't Get You Anywhere
Author's Notes: I felt guilty about Waspy's first drabble this week. I feel...less guilty about this one.
Waspinator dodged under monkey bot's attack, then found himself face to face with stupid dog bot. He shot upward, dog bot following, but Waspinator was faster, smaller, sneakier.
Waspinator had also noticed cat bot's single-minded approach.
Cat bot was fast.
Cat bot sucked at stopping.
Waspinator buzzed to himself as cat bot and dog bot tumbled from the sky in a tangle of screams and feathers. Then monkey bot was back, and it took Waspinator a long time to get rid of him, this time.
Waspinator looked around.
He was exactly where he'd been where he started.
"Slag," Waspinator muttered.
Title: Wings in the Winter Sky
She cupped her wings against the chill air, beast mode instincts drawing the focus of her gaze to the skitterings of a mouse as it dashed from winter-killed bush to a clump of dried grass. She circled once, shadow sending the mouse burrowing into half frozen ground, before continuing on her way.
The variations on this planet fascinated her, from the harsh deserts around the Axalon to the lush jungles, from the rich swamp land to the tundra she presently soared over. She could spend a lifetime here, just flying, watching, learning.
Wistfully, she wondered if she'd get that chance.