~Knocked-Out~

Promises.

"I'm sorry." Nightstreak said, before turning around, and jumped.

"No!" Knockout screamed, and lunged for her disappearing hand.

He wasn't sure what it was, the energon rush, or just the desire to save her, but he had jumped so powerfully, so quickly, that he was able to grasp onto her servo, before she slipped out of his grasp. She gasped, and looked up at Knockout's face.

"Let me go, Knockout." She said.

"Never!"

"Don't be a fool, if you don't I'll pull you down with me."

Knockout realized this to be true as he felt his body slipping against the grass. He tried to pull up, but he was too weak. His lack of energon and the chase had drained him of his strength.

"No, no. I..I will not let you fall, not alone, not today, not ever" Knockout said, trying to tap into any last hidden strength he might have hidden away.

Nightstreak looked down at the raging river that flowed underneath them. She looked back up, with tears in her eyes.

"Help me, Knockout." She whimpered. Knockout smiled a weak smile, and felt as her grip on his servos tightened. He also felt as his body slipped through the grass, loosing any traction it had had before, and started to free fall. Nightstreak screamed as the neared the water. Knockout pulled himself to her, and pulled her into his arms, before they crashed into the river.

The current was strong enough to rip Nightstreak out of Kockout's arms, no matter how hard he held her. It was also strong enough to keep them afloat. As Knockout's head popped out of the water, he yelled out Nightstreaks name. He didn't see her anywhere, and felt as his body was wrestled around by the current. He noticed some rocks up ahead, near the edge of the cliff the water ran against. If he could only...

Knockout kicked his peds, and swung his arms wildly, finally lining himself up with the upcoming rocks. As he approached them, fighting against the raging water, he transformed one of his servos into a saw, and rammed it into the rock, lodging his saw into it. As the water fought to release his grip, his saw was able to keep him attacked to the rock, although being jerked around by the water.

"Nightstreak!" He yelled, scanning the murky brown water. Where was she. Had she already passed him? Had she...drowned. As Knockout continued to scan the water, he noticed a bit of gold going under just a few feet away from him.

Nightstreak. Sure enough, he noticed her face plate come above the surface, before going back under. She was heading his way, being tossed around and wrangled by the water. When she got close enough, Knockout reached out, and grasped her by the servo.

"I've got you."

He pulled her closer to him with his free servo. He rested her against his body, the force of the current ramming against him keeping her afloat, and tried to get her to wake.

"Nightstreak? Nightstreak! Please, answer me! Please!" He yelled worried, stroking her faceplate, hoping to stir her from her slumber. At first, he wasn't sure if it was from the storm approaching, but Knockout swore he heard a groan. Then, Nightstreak's optics slowly flickered on, and she stared up at him, smiling.

"Knockout." She said, with relief. He smiled, and held her close with his free servo, vowing never to let go. He had almost lost her, and didn't plan on ever risking that again. Nighstreak was filled with such a happiness, that she couldn't help but to sob tears of joy. She hugged him back, wrapping her arms around his head and resting her head against his damp neck cables.

"Don't get too comfortable, remember, we're still in a river." Nightstreak's optics shot open, and she looked around. She heard the crumbling of a rock, and heard Knockout exhale with worry.

"Knockout?" She noticed him staring towards his servo lodged into the rock, and looked.

The rock was cracking.

"Knockout?" She asked again, looking up at him, as he looked down.

"Hm?"

"Promise you won't let go." She asked.

"Of course." He whispered, and heard more crumbling. They both looked at the rock, as it started to crack more. Nightstreak closed her eyes, and wrapped her arms around his neck cables, holding herself as close to him as she could.

"Hold on tight!" Knockout yelled as the rock finally gave way, and they sere swept down once again. This time, no matter how hard the water fought, they fought harder, not letting the other be taken away. Nightstreak buried her face into Knockout's neck cables, as he hid his face into her helm, and they both closed their optics, embracing the presence of each other. They could feel themselves being pulled under, jerked left and right, being rammed into rocks and other objects. Nighstreak whimpered, and pulled herself even closer than she thought was possible to Knockout, who did the same. Soon, the water calmed down, enough so that they weren't being pulled under and jerked around, but still strong enough to keep them afloat. As Nightstreak pried her face from Knockout's neck cables, he found herself staring at his face. She chuckled awkwardly, and he smiled a warm smile. When they finally peeled their optics away from each other, and turned to look at the water up ahead, they both screamed. In front of them, the water vanished, the sign of a waterfall. They both resumed their previous position, but this time, Nightstreak wrapped her legs around Knockout waist. She whimpered again, and Knockout whispered "We're going to be ok. Don't worry, I'm here." Knockout lifted his head to look at the approaching drop.

"Get ready..." He said, and Nightstreak whimpered again.

"I...I don't want to die." She said shakily.

"You won't, I promise, I'll make sure." He mumbled, and placed his servos on her face, lifting it up to look at him.

"I promise." He whispered, and kissed her on her forehead. She smiled, and placed a kiss of her own on his cheek. Looking up at him again, she noticed he had a strange expression on his face. He cupped her face with his servo, holding her with the other, and kissed her on the lips. Nightstreak was shocked at first, but quickly got over it, and melted into the kiss also. As they felt the water disappear from under them, and they started to plummet, neither one had the urge to scream.
Because they had each other.

And all the while, they never broke the kiss, not for one second.