What Is Light?

Chapter 3

He wasn't sure why he decided to have this...thing in his car. It watched the view outside the window as Knockout drove back to base. " What are you?" He finally asked.

" A child. Mostly. I'll explain later." She replied. " Most people call me End."

" Knockout." He said briefly. ::I have a situation. Possibly another life alien form has reached Earth. I'm taking one to base.::

:: You're what?:: Ratchet asked in disbelief through the private comms.

" That's a nice name." The child said.

" End is an interesting name." Knockout said to distract himself with a conversation.

" My name is not End. It's just a term they use for us." Knockout swears if this kid could just stop being so damn cryptic. " Is this your home?" She asked as they arrived.

" No." He replied simply as he opened the door for her to get out. " Alright, Ratchet. What's this about an intruder?" He asked looking around the empty room. " Ratchet?" He could hear heavy footsteps coming from down the hall and fast approaching.

" Don't let it get away!" Wheeljack's voice echoed as he chased after the flying creature. The creature seems to hum as a small figure perched on it honked repeatedly. Knockout watched with great bewilderment as the white creature flew right past him and circled higher. Ratchet came from the other side, close to catching it. The small figure shrieked with a shrill honk and the creature swerved into the wall, flying through it. Ratchet ran into Wheeljack and Knockout, forming a tangle of limbs as the small figure landed safely and slowly next to them.

The child like figure shook its head to snap from the dizziness of running into a wall and looked up at the pile just as they untangled themselves. It caught Knockout's gaze and jumped in surprise. Turning around, it made a small bell like noise and cried.

" Could you two explain?" Knockout asked just as the white creature literally went through the walls again, returning and appearing in a taunting manner before disappearing completely.

" Monowing." The three mechs turned their optics to the female voice as she watched the creature disappear. The small figure that was crying earlier looked up and immediately ran to her. " Not very good at riding mantas, are you little moth?" She said to it. The 'moth' jumped up and down, honking in different tones like it was complaining. " Well, basic hair and brown wings are the start." She replied as the smaller figure stomped their feet and turned around to show her something. " I see."

" Hold up. How come we can understand you but not this...moth?" Knockout asked, the moth hid behind her immediately to hide from him.

" Well, I unlocked it." She said simply. " Friendship is established when you give each other light, usually in the shape of candles." She explained. " I gave you my candles." The smaller figure honked at her angrily. " Why not? The situation right now needs as much help as we can get. Could you give us a couple minutes?" She held up a hand and took the moth aside to speak with her.

" Why did you bring in another one?" Ratchet glared at Knockout.

" They're clearly aren't human." He pointed out. " She said she was lost and isn't it what Autobots do? Helping others?"

" She said something about sharing light with you." Wheeljack pointed out.

" Yes. It was weird."

" We're ready." She called to them. " Go on, Patch." She insisted for the smaller one to move forward. Repeating the process End had done, Patch offers the candle to Ratchet. " Please accept it. It'll be easier to talk to this way." She insisted.

" How do I even..?"

" Like this." Knockout takes his servo and holds it close to the candle but not touching. The candles evaporates and the light moves towards him. " Relax, it doesn't do anything to your spark. Hopefully."

" Hopefully?!" Ratchet echoed.

" Can they understand me now?" The voice asked.

" Uh, yeah?" Wheeljack answered.

" But I thought it should only work on one person at a time?" Patch asked End.

" We're of different things, little moth. Between ourselves is individual. But this is a shared light between species." End explained.

" Okay." Patch agreed. " Uh, hi? We're from a world called Sky and we just need to get home."

" As in the blue atmosphere of Earth?" Knockout asked.

" Allow me." End began. " There has been an anomaly in the realms. Some pieces of our world may have ended up in yours. If we don't put them back where they belong then our realities could collide with catastrophic results. And for this to work out, have you seen any others like us? Six precisely."