When All Lights Go Out I (TFP)

Chapter 23

"I guess so..." Azura did think it was peculiar she was related to dragon. But she felt okay about that. A lot more than she felt okay about being Optimus's daughter. She wanted to accept that fact, but she was still too frightened to, despite the wall melting away. "Would you mind not telling the others just yet?" Optimus was surprised by her request. "I know, I know...I am probably being too selfish...but...I really want to wait on telling the others."

Optimus listened to her quietly. He had planned on not telling the other autobots until much later, but with her requesting he keep it secret for the time being, he felt compelled to listen to her. He smiled at her kindly. "I will keep this between us for the time being. I know you'll be in a position to tell them, whether it will be good or not. But I am curious if you told Cliffjumper about it." She shakes her head immediately and he softened expression. "I see. I am sure he would have suspected."

"I think he did. But I just never told him." She rubbed her arm nervously and yawned suddenly. "Oh, looks like I am starting to feel tired. I always do after a bath." She chuckled a little before glancing at his chassis and looking back at his optics. "I know I binged on ice cream, but I would like to have some low-grade energon, please. I have been feeling peckish for ice cream for a little while."

Optimus obliged as he opened the panel to draw out the fuel line. Azura grabbed onto it and relaxed in his hand as he cradled her against his chassis. "I had suspected you were feeling hungry for it. While I know the feeling of hunger for energon, you might have a different feeling of hunger for human food." She seemed to think about that because it had not actually occurred to her. "Regardless, your need for energon will outweigh your need for human food. But I know that your tank can't hold all of it." She raised an eyebrow when he referred to her stomach as a tank and she placed her mouth on the fuel line to drink the low-grade as it flowed slowly. "If there isn't much difference, you may not notice it straight away."

She shrugged as she didn't think there was a difference. But Optimus could also be right, so she didn't care to argue about it. She just focused on filling her stomach with the low-grade...even though she still had to get used to the bots referring to it as a tank. Maybe it was a tank, but that still sounded weird to Azura. She really had a lot to get used to, and she suspected it will make her go a little bit crazy at some point. She knew they may not use those words around the kids, but...she couldn't be totally certain.

"Now that you have shown me your abilities, taking you to places privately will be more important," Optimus said gently, making her look at him in surprise. "I know being stuck in the base you are limited to your potential. If you wish, meditating at the top of the base in the fresh air will be one way for you to work on your abilities. I do not know what situations you have found yourself in to need to use them...and thinking back to when the bus was attacked..." Azura shuddered as she hated that memory. "I think you might have used your abilities to try and get away." She didn't admit that she did or didn't as she just kept drinking the low-grade energon. "If you had, it seems in those situations, you can use your abilities. It will be better for you to learn without stress and fear."

Using time to spend with him to learn to control her abilities sounded good, but Azura genuinely would prefer to spend actual time with him. However, she was open to doing both. She doubted he would prevent them both from spending real, quality time together. She would take what she is learning in her dreams and apply them as well, even though Primus had already told her she would still need to learn and practice. Especially being able to transform.

"Well...sounds good to me," Azura simply commented with a slight smile. "But I do just want normal time with you too, Optimus. Spending time worrying about the decepticons and training all the time will make me not want to go anywhere." He did not react as he listened to her concerns. "I don't think that is much to ask."