Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Kup had lived within the great forest for many vorns. Well, on the edge of the forest. Only fools and the insanely brave would live within the great forest itself. Many dangers filled the dark shadows that lay beneath the great crystal tree branches. Several wild herds of sleipneir roamed free as well as whispered rumors of micro-scraplet swarms that would strip a mech to nothing in a breem. The worst peril of the forest however were the crystal trees themselves, or one type of tree anyway. The feared carnivorious trees that lured bots in with their sweet smelling fruit and then drained them of their fluids, their rusty frames drawn deep by the tree roots to fertilize the trees to larger growth.

Many mechs thought Kup to be a fool, since his job required him to enter the forest every sol but no bot had said that being a woodcutter would be easy. The forest held few surprises for Kup anymore, he had walked its twisted paths for so long and he had learned how to avoid many of the dangers. He knew where the spark-ghosts haunted the places mechs had fallen; where the vengeful water spirits waited in certain solvent ponds and even how to avoid the wailing cries of the Mourner.

Kup had become friendly-like with the mischevious Good Neighbors as well and aside from small tricks and pranks, they left him be and so did all those who owed allegience to their court. There were few things he could not handle at his point. It was just his luck he ran into one such danger that fateful sol.

Kup strode into the forest, his trusty axe sharp and ready on his shoulder as he took his familiar path through the shadowy depths. He was having to go further and further into the great forest to find tree suitable for him to chop down. He hated the new laws that stipulated what tree could be cut down. No tree that was smaller than four decavorns growth or larger than a centivorns. That was a narrow range.

 Oh well. Slaggin' councilmechs.

 He had been forced to go into a new part of the forest, deeper than he had ever gone before. In fact, possibly deeper than any mech had gone before since the path had faded away a while back and now he was forced to slog through the undergrowth of crystals and mechano-grasses. Kup looked around, assessing each tree he passed to see if it fit the narrow range he was allowed to harvest. 

 He passed a few that were too young and many many that were too old and finally he saw one that fit what he was looking for. There in a small clearing ahead, bathed in sunlight, were three trees. Or maybe one tree, since the three trunks seemed to join together at the roots.

 Heading over to the clearing, Kup walked around the tree, having to duck under several thick vines as he did so, before deciding that the tree was perfect. Hefting his axe off of his shoulder, Kup drew it back and swung it forward where it buried itself deep into one of the trunks.

 Big mistake.

The trunks of the tree began to move and the thick vines wrapped around Kup and hoisted him into the air. As Kup thrashed in the vines grip, three mechs emerged from the tree, one from each trunk.

"What the frag do you think you are doing?!" One of the mechs said pointing a finger at Kup angrily as the second mech helped support the third that appeared to be leaking energon.

The first mech turned to the trunk that still had his axe buried in it and pulled it out.

"So, you came here to try and kill us? Was that your plan?"

Kup tried to protest but a vine wrapped around his helm and covered his mouth before he found himself flipped and dangling upside down before the angry mech.

"Spectro, help Spyglass over here. He needs to feed to help fix the damage this oaf caused."

Feed?!

The injured mech was guided over to where Kup was thrashing in renewed fear and the angry mech held Kup still, letting the injured mech bare fanged dente and bite down onto Kup's neck and the fuel lines there.

As Kup watched, the gash on the mech's chest began to seal itself as the mech drank his fluids. As soon as the injury closed, the angry mech gestured for the mech to let go, but he did not. He continued to drink, making Kup get dizzy with fuel loss.

The other two mechs managed to separate the mech from Kup's fuel lines after a moment and that was the last thing Kup saw before he passed out.

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Reflector was very unhappy. Unhappy and irritated.

Some aft had come along and tried to chop down their tree, had damaged Spyglass and now Spyglass had had to be forced to stop feeding. That had never happened before.

Viewfinder turned back to the intruder, confident that Spectro would be able to control Spyglass. He drew a finger from the slightly leaking fuel lines that had begun to seal themselves. It looked like regular mechfluid. It even smelled like regular mechfluid. However as soon as he put his finger in his mouth, he moaned. No mech had ever tasted like this before.

He drew away from the bound mech before he could try to bite him and draw more of that wonderful fluid from his lines.

 Viewfinder was not one to ignore a sign from Primus. He would have this mech. /They// would have this mech. Primus himself had sent them the perfect mech for them to bond to.

 Reflector eased their future mate to the soft mechano-grasses that surrounded his tree and laid him on the soft ground closest to their tree.

"Viewfinder?"

"He has the sweetest taste I have experienced, Spectro. Primus has sent us our mate!"

Spectro looked at Viewfinder aghast, "Him?! He tried to chop us down! He can't be our mate."

Viewfinder swipped a finger through the residual mechfluids on their mates neck and shoved it into Spectro's mouth. "See?"

Spectro's optics dimmed and as soon as Viewfinder removed his finger said, "Okay, he /is// our mate. How do we convince him of this?"

Hmm...that would take some planning.

=============================================

Kup woke up with an aching head and a low fuel warning.

He looked around and saw he was lying under a tree.

Oh scrap! He remembered where he was now.

Jumping up, Kup scrambled away from the carnivorous tree and its mech eating dryads. He looked around and his axe was no where to be found. Scrap. He needed that. Axes that were strong enough to chop down trees were expensive and he could not afford to buy another one. He looked around and saw a vine on the tree twitch and a flash of metal revealed where the axe had gone.

Up in the tree.

Double scrap.

"Hey! Give meh back mah axe and I'll go! I'll stay far away from ya, I swear!"

The angry dryad emerged from the trunk it seemed to live in, "No."

Kup paused at the simple 'no', "Give it back!"

The dryad looked at him up and down and gave a little smirk, "If you want it back, you have to do something for us."

Kup sighed, why was nothing ever easy for him?

"What do ya want?"

The dryad pointed to the east, "There is a pond over there with a treasure at the bottom of it. Bring it to us and you may have your weapon back."

Nope, nothing could ever be easy for him.

"Fine!" Kup stomped out of the clearing, missing how the dryad ogled him and his aft as he strode away.

He hadn't walked for very long when reached a small clear solvent pond that seemed to have no bottom. Resigned to having to do this to get his axe back, Kup moved to edge and eased into the pond. He let himself sink down, looking around as he descended. The pond had smooth walls that offered no points to grab onto for when he started back up.

After several breems, he finally reached the bottom and landed on a soft sandy floor. Looking around in the solvents he saw nothing but sand and began to think that the dryad was playing a trick on him. He turned to start heading back up and saw something shine under the sand, bending over he revealed a large jeweled  . In fact it looked suspicously like the coronet that the Magnus' mate had worn before it had been stolen.

Placing it in his subspace, Kup began to swim up to the surface of the pond. It took awhile since he had to pace himself so he wouldn't have to rest on the way up since there was no place to rest at. Finally he reached the surface of the pond and climbed out of it.

Heading back to the dryads' tree, he moved through the woods quickly so he could get his axe and head home. The sun was getting low, and the way to his hut was long. Even Kup did not linger in the forest at night.

He finally reached the clearing with the dryads' tree within it and took a few steps towards the tree and stopped. "I gotch yer treasure. Now bring meh mah ax and ah'll trade ya."

The angry dryad emerged and one of the vines handed him Kup's axe. The dryad threw the axe into the grasses next to Kup. "Take it. You may keep the treasure. If you return here, we will tell you where other treasures may be found."

Kup looked at the dryad confused, but took the axe and quickly subspaced it where the dryad couldn't get to it.  "Uh, thank ya?"

Kup edged away from the tree and the dryad. As soon as he reached the edge of the clearing he began to run towards the path to his home.

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Kup could not believe he was having to do this. He did not want to do this, but he had no choice. He had travelled to the near by village to speak with the magistrate about finding the coronet in the forest.

It had not gone well at all.

The magistrate, a pompous and agressive mech named Sentinel, had all but accused Kup of stealing it in the first place. Then had demanded that Kup go to where ever he had found the coronet to look for the necklace that had been stolen from the Magnus' mate at the same time. When Kup had tried to protest, the mech had threatened to charge Kup with several crimes and fine him for supposed violations of the law.

So now he was trudging through the woods trying to find the crazy mech-eating dryads' tree again.

Such was his luck it seemed: bad, very bad, and you poor dumb slagger.

Finally he reached the clearing, and cautiously approached the tree. "Hello?"

The same dryad emerged from it's trunk, "You have come back. Perhaps you could give us your name this time, before you flee like a sparkling?"

Kup looked at the ground and hufffed, "'m Kup. And...and ah need yer help."

The dryad looked pleased by that fact. "Oh, and what do you need our help for Kup?"

"I need to find the necklace that was stolen when the coronet was."

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Reflector looked his mate-to-be over, and did not like what he saw. His mate, his /Kup// looked weary and scared. This would not do.

"Why do you need to find this necklace?"

Their Kup looked away and sighed. "Ah tried ta turn in tha coronet, and tha magistrate tried to say ah stole it. He says if'en ah don't find tha necklace, he'll charge meh with stealing and lock meh up."

Reflector hissed in anger at the idea of his Kup being taken from him. "The necklace is at the base of a tree by the pond. It should be big enough that you could see it without having to dig. Do not harm the tree though."

His Kup looked confused but nodded and headed away from the clearing. "Wait, Kup!"

Kup looked back at him in confusion, "Yah need somethin'?"

Reflector looked at him and smiled, "You can call us Reflector. If you come back, we can tell you where the deadfalls are. There are no laws against those are there?"

Kup gave him a confused look, "Why are ya doin' this?"

Reflector just smiled and went back inside his portion of the tree.

-----------------

Kup stared at where the dryad, Reflector, had been and shook his helm. He would never understand strange beings like these.

He headed off towards the pool where he had recovered the coronet and hoped he could find the necklace quickly. It had taken him longer than he had liked to find the dryad tree and it was later in the sol than he was comfortable with.

He knew he had to get that necklace fast.

As soon as he reached the pond he began to search under the trees that were nearby. It took him four tries before he found the necklace. He moved it to the pond and dunked it a few times to clean it off and was amazed at what he saw. No wonder the Magnus and his mate wanted this back: the pendant was made of orange and gold cora.

Kup carefully slipped the valuable necklace into his subspace and turned to leave. He carefully retraced his steps to the dryad's clearing and paused as he crossed it before saying, "Ah found it. An' ... Thanks."

With that Kup hurried out of the clearing and made his way towards the path that would lead him home.

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Reflector was pleased with how his plan was going on luring his mate-to-be to them, Kup came to see them nearly every sol to ask where the dead crystal trees had fallen so he could harvest them free of restraints. Kup had slowly lost his fear of them as well, and would walk right up to their tree now, though he was careful to never touch their tree either.

Spectro and Spyglass had been working hard to create a gift for their Kup and were finally done. They had woven several of their branches together, hidden up in their canopy, and created a rough loom. Viewfinder had walked their clearing gathering the finest mechno-grasses and the bits of petro-rabbit fibers from the bushes as well the fibers from any that they caught before they fed.

The three of them had created a nice warm hooded cloak to keep their Kup warm and dry. Now Kup would be protected when he had to work in the forest on rainy sols and the acid would not harm his frame. They worried about their Kup, he took such poor care of himself.

It was a good thing he had them to take care of him now.

A sudden rustling from the bushes on the edge of clearing alerted Reflector to something approaching them. Going back inside their tree in case it was Kup, they waited to see what was coming into their clearing. To their pleased surprise, it was a large beryllium boar, rooting around in the high grasses. Reflector slowly lowered a few of their vines to the ground and let the sweet sap in them leak out a bit. The beryllium boar snuffed the air curiously and began to move towards their tree.

Excellent.

Reflector waited until the beryllium boar got close, nearly to the lure vine, and then struck! He whipped his vines down and around the beryllium boar and yanked it up and off the ground. The boar began to thrash and squeal in its bonds and Viewfinder was just moving forward to feed when Kup came running into the clearing, weapon ready and slid to a stop staring at Reflector.

Oh, root rot!

-----------------------

Kup was not sure what he had been expecting to find when he came barreling into the clearing, but a squealing beryllium boar in Reflector's vines had not been high on the list at all.

"Is ah, everthin' okay Reflector? Ah heard screaming, er...squealing ah guess."

Reflector looked....embarrased? "We are fine, Kup. Do not worry. We merely caught this boar, that is why it is squealing."

Two of Reflector's frames merged back into their tree trunks and the boar was hoisted higher into the branches where Kup could no longer see it. Shortly after the boar's squeal cut off suddenly, making Kup feel slightly queasy as he realized the other two frames must be feeding up there.

Viewfinder stepped towards him, and Kup reflexively stepped back. Viewfinder's faceplates took on a sad look and drew back. "We thought you no longer feared us, Kup. We thought you knew that we would never hurt you, you are our...friend."

Well, frag. Now he felt lower than slag.

"Ah know that. I'm sorry but, ah've never seen ya...feed before." 

It hadn't helped that the boar was dangling there just like he had been when Reflector caught him though.

"Very well. We will try not to feed around you since it makes you uncomfortable. Come, we have a gift for you."

Kup had no idea what kind of gift a mech-eating dryad gave a bot, but he hoped it wasn't something from one of their mech victims.

He had no idea how he would react if the dryad tried, but it likely would not be nice.

Kup moved closer to the tree, making sure to stay on the side furthest from where the boar had...disappeared. Viewfinder climbed up the tree and soon came down with a large bundle.

"We made this for you, Kup!"

Kup took the bundle and began to unfold it, revealing a warm and soft cloak with a hood for covering his helm. Kup looked at Viewfinder, "Ya made this fer me?"

Viewfinder look pleased at how surprised he was, "Yes! We wanted to have a way to help you when you are working. It will protect you from the cold and the rain."

Kup looked at Viewfinder and gave him a soft smile, "Thank ya. This is the nicest thing anybots ever done fer me."

Viewfinder moved a little closer and took Kup's cloak from him and threw in around Kup and tied it on snugly. "There, you look better already!" 

Kup looked down at Viewfinder and was surprised at how close the dryad had gotten. Kup stiffened as the dryad leaned closer yet and then...kissed him on the lipplates. As soon as Kup realized what had happend, Viewfinder had already drawnback and was merging back into his tree trunk with one last look over his shoulder before he was gone.

Well, that was new.

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Reflector watched as Kup stared at the trunk where Viewfinder had just been before heading out into the forest. Viewfinder had been so bold, stealing a taste of their mech so soon after he had been unnerved by their feeding. Spectro and Spyglass kissed Viewfinder to share in the faint taste of Kup that remained. Once they had shared the taste, Viewfinder went to go and claim his share of the boar still dangling in the branches. As soon as he finished, they would submerge the boar down amongst their roots to draw its nutrients into themselves.

The boar would join illustrious company down in their roots- they had fed on many things after all: petrorabbits, sleipneir, beryllium boars and titanium moose, of course. They had also fed on many mechs before Kup: theives, knights, wanderers, a few woodcutters like Kup and even a rouge princeling once. All their frames were below now, their frames having fed Reflector long ago.

However, now that they had found their mech that was all over. They would have to be content with just the mechanimals of the forest to feed on. Their Kup was worth the sacrifice though.

They just hoped Kup would be careful this sol, they could feel something dark in the forest. The trees whispered to each other of danger and caution in the east, and Kup had headed to the west. It surely would not go so far.

Surely.

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Kup swung his axe, driving it deep into the fallen log he was hewing in two. The log was big enough to provide several sols worth of work for him and give him a good enough supply of logs that he could load his trailer and take them to the village to sell. He knew he would get a good price this time of stellar cycle as mechs began to stockpile fuel for the cold cycle coming up.

He would have to spend most of the credits he earned buying his own supplies for the cold cycle but hopefully he could get enough loads in before the snows began to fall that he could have a bit of credits saved up for emergencies.

He had set Reflector's gift to the side, hanging from a branch of a near-by tree so it wouldn't get ruined as he worked. He would hate to have damaged a gift that must have taken a while for the dryads to have made just for him.

He suspected that Reflector cared for him as more than a friend and that kiss that he had stolen seemed to support that idea. Kup didn't know how he felt about that to be honest, he had learned to like the dryads once he was sure they weren't going to eat him and sure the three of them were pretty attractive in their bare protoforms.

He suspected his feelings for them may be more than friendship as well.

A snap of a branch breaking broke Kup from his introspection and made his look around to try and find the source of the sound. There on the opposite side of the fallen tree was a dark figure in a deep black cloak. As he moved closer to Kup the light seemed to fade and the shadows spread and darkened.

Kup shifted his grip on the handle of his axe, the ominous sense of danger filling him. The cloaked mech began to move around the log towards Kup, only to pause when it reached the cloak still hanging from its branch. The mech reached out a servo that Kup could see was dull grey, grey as an offlined mech, and eaten away by rust and corrison.

"That's mine! Let it be!" Kup said loudly, this mech was dangerous but he would not lose Reflector's gift to a thief.

The ominous mech slowly turned his hidden face towards Kup and a horrible, wheezing sort of laugh escaped the mech. It then reached out and drew it's servo along the length of the cloak, before it drew back slightly in surprise. "A dryad made this for you. A mech eating dryad at that. They thought well of you and wished to protect you."

The mech moved his servo back to his side and hid it within his cloak once more. With one more look at Kup's cloak, the mech moved closer to Kup and drew to a stop before him. "Tell me woodcutter, how did you befriend this dryad?"

Kup looked at the mech in slight confusion, "Ah, ah tried to cut down their tree and they stopped me."

The mech looked at him curiously, then before Kup could react the mech's decayed servo shot out and nicked his fuel line in his neck. The mech drew his servo back and licked the drop of fuel from his claw.

"Ah, I see." Then the mech began to laugh and walked away in the shadows and disappeared, the laughter faintly echoing before it to vanished.

What the frag?

-------------------------------- 

Reflector could feel the danger passing away to the west and was afraid that the darkness in the forest might harm his Kup.

He waited and listened to the whispers the trees brought to him. They brought whispers of danger, of darkness and of death.

They whispered of a fateful meeting and of spilled fuel on thirsty roots. Of choked screams and a fallen axe.

Reflector felt his sparks freeze at that whisper and he prayed to Primus that his Kup was not the one the trees whispered of, that he would return soon and would be alright.

He prayed and prayed until he heard something coming through the bushes that surrounded his clearing. Peering out, he was overjoyed to see Kup coming through the bushes into the clearing, although he looked nervous and kept throwing looks over his shoulder.

"Are you alright Kup? The trees kept whispering about something in the forest and we were worried about you!"

Kup looked up at them and gave them a smile, "Ah'm okay. Met an odd fellow in the forest but he just asked meh a question and left." 

Reflector froze from where they were emerging from their tree. "A-a question?"

Kup looked at Reflector curiously, "Yeah, he looked at the cloak y'all made me and asked meh how ah met yah. Ah told him and he laughed and walked away."

Reflector stared at Kup a moment before running at him and clasping him in a hug with all three of his frames. "Do you not realize what that was? That was one of the undead mechs who wander the forest. He could have killed you in an instant."

Reflector felt Kup stiffen in his hold, "O-one of the spirits from the lost cities?"

Every mech knew the stories, how long ago before the forest grew up and spread over the land, two cities had existed here, though exactly where no mech remembered. The cities had warred with each other until at last both were destroyed, but even in death the mechs still wandered searching for their enemies to slay and often slaying those who wandered into their paths without mercy.

Reflector softly answered, "Yes. They have mostly found rest but a few still stir occasionally."

Reflector held Kup a moment longer before letting go reluctantly. "I am so glad you are safe, Kup. You had us so very worried. You should head straight home now though. If the restless dead are walking, worse will be out in the dark cycle."

Kup nodded and headed towards the path he had worn to Reflector's clearing and headed out as fast as he could. Reflector could only sigh in relief that for what ever reason, the restless undead had spared his Kup.

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Ever since Kup had had his encounter with the restless undead, he was careful to always have returned home well before the dark cycle began and to always carry Reflector's cloak with him.

He had taken his load of wood into the village the next sol and learned that two other woodcutters had been found torn to pieces in the forest. He somehow knew that their fate would have been his own if not for the cloak Reflector had given him.

He had sold all his wood for more than he had thought: with the murders of the two woodcutters, fewer were going into the forest and wood was even scarcer. He had even had enough for an unnecessary purchase that was safely tucked into his subspace.

He followed the path he had worn over the time he had known Reflector to the dryads' clearing. As he approached the tree, Reflector emerged from the trucks and smiled as they waved to him. The near death experience had led to them growing closer and Kup would admit, to himself at least, that he had very strong feelings for the dryads at this point.

He walked towards the dryads and Reflector met him halfway. "Kup! There is a new fallen tree! It is just to the east of here, not too far at all. The trees say it was a very old tree, one of the giants of the forest!"

Kup could not believe his luck, a giant?! Those trees were the largest in forests and so large that even a gestalt would be dwarfed by them. Kup smiled at Reflector and then remembered his package in his subspace. "Thank yah for telling meh, Reflector. Ah have a surprise for yah, please offline yer optics fer a moment?"

Reflector gave Kup a curious look but one by one all three frames shuttered their optics. As soon as their optics were shuttered, Kup moved towards their tree and reached up for the lowest branch and in less then a breem it was ready. He moved away from the surprise and stood so he would be able to see Reflector's reaction to it.

"Yah can look now."

Reflector's three sets of optics unshuttered and onlined and they looked at Kup for a moment before they looked around to find their surprise. It didn't take them long to find it either.

"Oh Kup! It is beautiful!"

Kup felt himself blush lightly at Reflector's praise. "It was nothin'. Ah saw it and thought yah might like it is all."

"They are beautiful, Kup! Beautiful!" All three of Reflector's frames were over by their gift and exclaiming over how lovely it was. The pretty little windchime tinkled in the little breeze and chimed delicately. Kup had seen the carved piece above the ring decorated with a wreath of leaves just like Reflectors and even the wind catcher was carved like one of Reflector's leaves. He knew he had to get it for Reflector.

He turned to make his escape when Viewfinder ran over to him and grabbed his helm, drawing him down into a kiss. "Thank you Kup!"

Kup was then kissed by the other two frames, although he honestly could not complain about it. He ended up heading off in search of the fallen tree with a sort of goofy grin on his faceplates.

He soon found the tree and had to agree it was indeed a giant. That turned out to be the problem, in fact. The tree was so large that it had become hooked on another tree as it had fallen. Kup looked at the tree from several angles to try and figure out the best way to get it all the way down.

He decided to trim the branches down that he could reach and then try to seperate the trunk in two so the portion stuck in the air would fall. Unfortunately, as Kup was trimming the branches near the stuck portion, a mighty cracking sound was heard before the rest of the tree fell free.

Right on top of his leg.

Frag.

Kup tried to wiggle out from under the tree, his leg luckily in a slight dip in the ground so it was only slightly damaged instead of crushed, but he could not get free on his own. Finally Kup began to chop the tree on either side of his leg to try and cut a segment away so he could get free. It took most of the rest of the sol and the dark cycle was fast approaching as Kup finally freed his leg.

He managed to get to his peds, his injured leg barely up to holding his weight. Kup grabbed a branch from the ground and began to limp back towards Reflector's clearing and the path home to his hut.

He had not made it far when thought he heard something in the distance. It sounded like turbo-hounds on the scent and the screams of riding-slepneir. The sound of a hunting horn shattered the quiet of the night. Kup felt his spark freeze and moved as fast as his injured leg would allow.

He could only pray that the Hunt was not here for him.

Those prayers were proved to be in vain as the sounds drew nearer and louder. Kup scrambled towards Reflector's clearing as fast as he could. The turbo-hounds drawing near enough he could see the lights of their optics and heard them take up the shrill cry that they had found their prey.

He moved as fast as he could and burst into the clearing and headed towards Reflector's tree. Reflector did not emerge from within their tree, but instead their vines whipped down and snatched Kup up into the branches high above the ground and hid him among their leaves.

Kup could barely see the ground but caught a glimpse of a turbo-hound with deep red optics and razor fangs snuffling the ground below before Kup shuttered his optics and clung to the branch he had been placed on.

For a long breem that seemed to go on forever, indescribably evil voices discussed what had happened to their prey and then selected a new target and went tearing off into the darkness.

Kup trembled from his perch and clung tight to the branch and the vines holding him.

At long last the branch seemed to twitch and a familiar servo emerged, and cupped Kup's faceplates, then moved over his frame as though searching for any injuries. When the servo reached his damaged leg it froze and the very gently went over it, examing to see how bad it was. The servo then slid back inside the tree.

The vines holding Kup in place shifted and Kup felt himself being moved to a larger and broader branch slightly lower to the ground. Once he was situated, Viewfinder emerged from the trunk above the branch and cuddled against Kup. "Oh Kup! We were so frightened! They almost had you! /They// almost got you! Oh, Kup, what happened to your leg?"

Kup let Viewfinder fuss over him for a little while then silenced him with a kiss before saying, "Part of the tree fell on meh. Thank yah fer yer help."

Viewfinder looked up at Kup, "We would never have let you be hurt, Kup. We- we love you."

Kup froze at the word, then melted. "Ah love yah, too Reflector."

The rest of the dark cycle was spent with the two cuddled together in Reflector's tree.

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Kup hated this. Hated it so much.

The cold cycle was upon them, and soon the snows would begin to fall and it would be impossible for him to come into the woods to see Reflector.

The snows would be too high to get through until the thawing cycle began later in the stellar cycle. He worried about what would happen to Reflector, surely he could catch no prey in the high snows. What if he starved? Or was knocked over by the storm winds in the winter? So many things things could happen to an unprotected tree.

A woodcutter could try to chop them down! And Reflector may not have the strength to protect himself!

He ran into the clearing where Reflector's tree was and froze in shock. Every leaf on their tree was a deep brown and more than half had fallen to the ground. Was Reflector sick? Primus who would know how to treat a sick dryad tree?

Kup ran to the tree and called out, "Reflector! Reflector? Where are yah? Are yah okay? Reflector!"

A sleepy looking Viewfinder slipped from his tree trunk, yawned and said sleepily: "Hi Kup! What's all the yelling about?"

Kup drew Viewfinder to him and ran his servos over him, "Are yah okay? Yer tree! It looks like-"

Viewfinder cut him off with a kiss, "Isn't it pretty? All the pretty colors! We are glad you came to see us before we slept for the winter, Kup. We will dream of you though!"

Kup paused, "Sleep? Whatcha mean sleep?"

Viewfinder laughed softly, "We sleep through the winter with our tree. Unless we get attacked we won't wake up until the thawing cycle starts."

Kup ducked his head and said, "Ah was worried about yah. Ah'm glad yah'll be alright then."

Reflector smiled brightly and slighty blearily up at Kup, "We love you Kup! You are the sweetest mech ever." 

Kup blushed, "I love you too Reflector. You must be the best dryad ever."

Viewfinder leaned up for another kiss, then sleepily stumbled back to his tree trunk and merged inside.

Kup looked at the tree and how bare it was becoming before noticing that Reflector had added stronger fibers to tie their wind chime to its branch. The fact they had taken such care with his gift made his so happy.

He turned and left the clearing, heading back down to his far too lonely hut.

-----------------------------------------------------

Kup could hardly believe the thawing cycle had begun at last. He had been trapped in his small hut for most of the cold season after a blizzard had struck. For the first time in so long he was free!

He was free and he had a plan.

Well, actually he had two plans. Both of them were going to work though, he just knew it! Now he just had to ask Reflector what he thought of the plans. 

He had his axe over his shoulder and was heading up to Reflector's clearing when he smelled something sweet drifting in the air.

He soon reached Reflector's clearing and gawked in surprise at the sight before him: Reflector's tree was covered in the most beautiful sweet smelling blossoms he had ever seen. He started to walk forward towards the tree and was halfway there when vines whipped out at him and off to the side of him. He found himself dangling from the vine next to a struggling petrorabbit. Viewfinder and Spectro emerged from the tree trunks, and Viewfinder swept Kup in a deep kiss while Spectro grabbed the petrorabbit and moved behind the tree trunks.

"Hello Kup! It is thawing cycle!" 

Kup smiled at Viewfinder, "So ah see. Yah look beautiful! Yer blossoms are amazing, ah didn't even know you /had// blossoms."

Viewfinder kissed him again and Kup knew his plans were going to be the best thing ever!

Kup pulled back from the kiss, and Viewfinder frowned at him, "What's wrong? You like our kisses."

Kup gave Viewfinder a small kiss, "Ah do. Ah gotta question fer yah though. What do yah think of meh moving up here by yah?"

Viewfinder looked at him oddly, "What do you mean?"

Kup smiled at him, "Ah want ta make a new hut, no a /cabin// up here. So ah can be close tah yah all tha time. What do yah think?"

Viewfinder stared at him for a long time, "You want to move up here, to be with us? Be with us always? Oh Kup! Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Kup smiled back at Viewfinder, "That settles it then. Ah'll work halfa each sol on the cabin, then find some fallen logs tah get ready to sell. Ah'll have the cabin built in no time!"

------------------------------------

In reality it had taken Kup all of the thawing season and half of the warm season to finish the cabin. Every sol when Kup left to go chop logs to sell in the village Reflector would go over and look at the cabin. They had never seen a bot dwelling before and thought it looked kinda strange. There were so many things that seemed to make no sense to them at all but they supposed it would be a good home for their Kup, since after all he couldn't go into their tree with them. Although there were myths of sparkbonded mates who could draw their nondryad mate into their tree with them.

However, the important part was that Kup was moving in this sol! Their Kup would live with them in their clearing forever now. Any moment now Kup would return from fetching his belongings from his old hut and bringing them here. Kup had said he may have to make two or three trips to get everything but Reflector didn't mind. His Kup was going to be with him forever.

---------------

It had taken him /four// trips to get everything moved to the new cabin, including the trip into the village to buy new things to put in the cabin since it was so much bigger than his old hut. He knew Reflector had been running  in and out of the cabin and was anxious to see it finished and furnished fully.

He finished unpacking his last few storage cubes and put his supplies away, then went to the door and opened it wide. "You three can come in and see now!"

Reflector emerged from their tree and hurried over, their faceplates alight with curiousity. They eased in the cabin, each frame giving Kup a kiss as they came in before moving around the cabin looking at every little thing and asking dozens of 'whys' and 'what is this' questions. Kup answered their questions as best as he could. "That's a chair, yah sit on it. That's a holocube, Spectro it shows image captures. That would be a fireplace, Spyglass."

The last one had caused them all to move away from it quickly and kept shooting it dark glares as they continued to explore the new cabin. Finally they came back to Kup and gave him each a kiss once more. "Your home is beautiful Kup. We are so glad you moved closer to us Kup!"

Kup blushed and took Viewfinder's servos in his. "Ya'll know ah ain't that good at speakin' none. But this ain't mah home, ah want it ta be /our// home. Reflector, would yah three bond with me?"

Viewfinder looked up at Kup and all three frames said at once, "Oh Kup, Yes! We would love to bond with you!"

-----------------------------------------

Three stellar cycles have come and gone since Kup bonded to Reflector. Things had been going so well for the two of them, but lately Reflector has seemed sad.

Every thawing cycle Reflector would be energetic and horny as frag, but as it drew closer to the warm cycle he would stare at his tree and sorrowfully watch as the blossoms slowly faded and were replaced by new leaves.

Kup didn't know what they were watching for but he wished he knew how to make his beloveds happy again. He didn't like it when Reflector was unhappy.

Kup went to Reflector where they were sitting in their tree, working on the looms that they had made by twinning branches into the shape they wanted. "Reflector, somethin' is botherin' yah, ah c'n tell. Talk tah meh sweetspark."

Reflector looked up at Kup and then looked away sadly, "We have failed you."

Kup looked at his bondeds confused, "Yah have never failed meh, yah give meh more than ah could ask."

Reflector simply shook their helms and huddled together, drawing comfort from his other frames, "We have failed you! We can not give you..."

Kup drew the three huddled frames into a hug, "Give meh what? Yah give meh everythin'."

Viewfinder looked up at Kup and softly whispered, "We haven't given you a sparkling."

Kup froze. The idea of having a sparkling with his beloved Reflector had been beyond what he thought was possible. "Ah didn't think it were possible, sweetsparks."

Viewfinder looked up at Kup before turning back to the other two frames, "It is. We have tried and tried but every stellar cycle our blossoms fade away without leaving any fruit to grow. We are so sorry, our Kup."

Kup drew the three frames as close to him as possible, now understanding why they looked so sad when their blossoms faded every stellar cycle. "We will just haveta keep trying."

Reflector looked up at Kup with love in their optics, "You...you are not mad?"

Kup chuckled softly, "Ah could never be mad at yah, ah love yah."

---------------------------------------------

Kup had planned this out very carefully. He had begun preparations shortly after learning of Reflector's attempts to spark. He had begun going into the village and speaking with all the older mechs and femmes, as well as asking the bots known for their outstanding gardens.

He was ready.

He began by bringing back from the village large bags of special fertilizers which all the gardener bots had agreed was the best type to use. He would never forget the dark cycle after he had added it to the ground around Reflector's roots, Reflector had been beyond wild.

Next he poured out a large container of blessed solvents he had had the local village priest bless for him all over Reflector's roots right before Reflector went into his cold cycle sleep.

All through out the cold cycle, Kup tended to Reflector. He made sure that before the snows fell he had placed the fallen leaves in high piles around the base of the tree trunks and over Reflector's roots. He then covered the piles with thick canvas meshes he had saved all stellar cycle. He made sure to water Reflector every decacycle with solvents mixed with special nutrients to help keep him healthy.

His hard work was rewarded when that thawing cycle, Reflector's tree had more blossoms than any stellar before, and the blossoms were bigger and more fragrant as well. Reflector emerged from their recharge and all but pounced on Kup as soon as they left their tree trunks.

However as the warm season began to arrive, one by one the blossoms faded and fell. Reflector and Kup watched with heavy saddened sparks as every sol more blossoms dropped. Finally there were only a few blossoms left and Kup and Reflector mourned that they would remain without a sparkling for another stellar. 

Then Kup saw it.

There on one of Reflector's branches was a very very small fruit set. Spectro immediately scurried up to it's branch and gently touched their tiny sparkling-to-be. Viewfinder and Spyglass drew Kup in a tight hug then kissed him thoroughly. They had a sparkling!

Kup could hardly believe how lucky they were. They would have to watch over their fruit very carefully until it was safe.

----------------------

Every sol as Kup was coming home from harvesting fallen logs in the forest, he would stop to check on their sparkling. His spark seemed to get lighter each time he saw their precious little bundle growing on its branch. One of Reflector's frames was always perched on it's branch keeping careful watch over it, going so far as to shield it from the wind on particularly breezy sols.

They loved their sparkling and could hardly wait until they could plant their sparkling's seed and watch it sprout and grow into a fine sturdy dryad. Kup had been confused at first but once Reflector had explained that the fruit actually contained their sparkling's seed Kup had been more understanding. When the cooling season came this stellar, their sparkling fruit would ripen and drop- into Reflector's waiting servos- and they would carefully store the fruit in a nice cool and dry place so it could be safe until the thaw began.

Kup actually wanted to suggest that they plant their sparkling seed after it fell, inside a large planter pot. He would tend to it all through the cold cycle while Reflector recharged and when thaw can, they could plant their sparkling as a sprouted sapling insead of a tiny seed.

Get their sparkling a bit of a head start.

He worked hard to chop as much wood as he could, he wanted to expand the cabin so their sparkling would have a nice nursery and later his own room for when he was not in his tree.

Every sparkling needed a place of their own sometime, and he has noticed dryads can't take things into their tree unless it is in their subspace. This way their sparkling will have a place for its sparklinghood treasures and toys.

-----------------------

Reflector was overjoyed. They had a sparkling! He had produced a fruit for his Kup!

He had worried that they were barren, that fruit would never be born on their branches. It had been sparkbreaking to think. However, their wait had ended and they had born fruit!

He kept at least one frame out of their trunks each sol, with one frame always on the branch above their fruit keeping watch over it. They would ensure nothing harmed their little seedling.

Their little seedling.

Just thinking the phrase made their sparks pulse with pride. Their little one would be the best dryad ever, they just knew it! They could hardly wait to teach their little one everything they needed to know: how to lure different prey, and the best ways to feed off of them as well as how to properly tuck their prey's frames in their roots.

He turned the optics of the frame guarding their little one to the small growing fruit, It had doubled in size now with a soft slighty fuzzy skin of a soft but deep red. It was lovely.

---------------------------

All through the warm cycle, Reflector had guarded their seedling. They fought countless battles against strong winds, mechano-insects, and avians. Anything that might be a threat to their precious offspring was not tolerated in the least. It was slowly becoming the cooling cycle and Reflector had patiently posted a frame under their seedling at all times, ready to catch it carefully when it was ready to separate and fall.

Kup had made sure to add blessed solvents every decacycle as well as nutrient pellets and rich fertilizing soils around Reflector's tree to help keep both his bondeds and their sparkling fully healthy. In fact he was bringing a load of soil back that very sol.

Kup carefully headed up the path that lead to the cabin and Reflector's tree and was nearly home when he heard a branch snapping behind him. He turned and saw one of the naive young mechs from the village following him. What was his name again? Oh yeah, Hoist.

"There a reason yer followin' meh, Hoist?"

The mech had the sense to look embarassed to have been caught, but replied, "I wanted to see your cabin. The mechs in the village say you built it all by yourself and that it is the strongest cabin anymech has ever seen."

"Why would ya want to see that?" Kup was puzzled as he looked at the mech.

"I want to build houses and cabins and temples and everything! I want to know everything about buildings! So I want to see how you built your home!"

By this point, Kup and Hoist had reached the clearing that held the cabin and Reflector's tree. Reflector had obviously heard the loud young mech and had hidden all his frames except the one guarding their sparkling fruit in the branches of the tree. Even Kup could barely see him up there and he knew where to look.

Hoist took one look at the cabin and dashed over to it, exclaiming over every little thing and asking Kup a never ending flow of questions: "What is this wood? Why did you put the wall here and not there? Did..did you only use wooden pegs instead of nails or screws? Did you hand hew all the wood for it too?"

After almost two joors, Hoist finally ran out of questions, which was a good thing because Reflector was running out of patience judging by the feelings coming through the bond. Reflector wanted to be out in case their sparkling fruit decided to drop this very moment.

Kup began trying to draw Hoist away from the cabin and finally managed it. Only for Hoist to notice Reflector's tree.

"Wow, I've never seen a tree like this before! Do you know what kinda tree it is?"

Kup coughed and looked at the ground, "It's a rare tree, ah ferget the proper name fer it. Now, yah should be gettin' home afore it gets ta be the dark cycle."

Hoist looked startled as he realized how late it had become. "You are right! I should start heading back to the village. No wonder I was getting hungry! Mmm that looks tasty too!"

With that to Kup's horror Hoist reached out as though to pluck the sparkling fruit from Reflector's branches.

"STOP!" Kup bellowed, as he grabbed Hoists servo. "Yah never never touch a fruit offa these trees!"

Hoist stared at Kup startled out of his wits. "W-why? What's wrong with it?"

Kup glared at the young mech, "Ain't nothin' wrong with it! It ain't for eatin' though! Yah try and yah'll be deader than dead in a nanosec! Now get going'. Go on! Get!"

Hoist tore out of the clearing like Unicron himself was after him.

As soon as Hoist left the clearing, Kup began to examine their sparkling terrified that it had been hurt or injured. Reflector was cooing as he gently stroked the little fruit, worry on his faceplates as well.

Kup looked at his bonded and asked, "Is it okay? Did he hur-"

With a soft snap, the small sparkling fruit broke free of the branch. Reflector made a soft gasp and reached out to catch it only to barely miss it. Shocked, Kup lurched forward and carefully caught it mid-fall. Reflector dashed down from the branch and his other frames emerged from the their trunks and rushed over to Kup to exclaim over their sparkling fruit.

Kup looked up at Reflector, knowing now was the time to ask. "What do yah think a' plantin' it now?"

Reflector looked at Kup in horror. "You want to kill our sparkling? It would not have time to grow before the cold cycle came and it would freeze and wither. How can you-"

Kup looked at Reflector, his servo covering Viewfinder's lipplates. "Ah would never hurt our sparkling, Reflector. Ah got one a those big planter pots. Ah..ah was thinkin' a' plantin' it in that and ah take care of it all cold cycle and we plant it out here in the thaw cycle."

Reflector looked at Kup, and kissed him softly. "We know you would never hurt our sparkling, Kup. Forgive us. We would need to see the ...pot to see if it is big enough. Our trees have large roots. I will show you how to tend our sproutling if the pot will suit."

Kup nodded and led Reflector into the cabin and showed him the planter he had bought for their sparkling. It was a large, wide planter that had been painted a soft pale blue and decorated with flowering vines and cyberflies. Kup thought it was perfect for a dryad sparkling.

Reflector moved around the planter, his Spectro and Viewfinder frames examining it minutely while Spyglass gently cradled their sparkling fruit.

After a breem, the two frames nodded and turned to Kup, "This is an acceptable pot. You will fill it with the good soil and the nutrient solvents. And then you will need to..."

Kup looked at Reflector when they stopped talking, "Ah'll need ta what?"

Reflector looked at Kup, "You will need to add some of your own energon to the soil before we plant our sproutling and then you will need to add a little every decacyle until it sprouts out."

Kup looked at Reflector, "Our sparkling ain't gonna try an eat meh, right?"

"Of course not, my Kup. Our sparkling will love you!"

-------------------------------

Kup gazed into the fire burning on his hearth. He had just checked the soil in his sparkling's planter and rotated it so it would warm evenly. He would do anything to keep his sparkling healthy, even give the sparkling his energon once a decacycle.

The cold cycle had begun a few decacycles ago and Reflector had retreated into their tree for the cycle. Leaving Kup to watch over the sparkling growing in the planter. His only concern was that his wood pile was beginning to get low and he would need to fetch more wood from the larger pile he had made outside. Normally, Kup would have no problem getting the wood but he didn't want to leave his sparkling alone even for a little while.

Finally, after checking and double checking the planter, Kup headed out to fetch the wood. He had only made it half way to the stack of wood when the distant howl of a cyberwolf rang out through the dark cycle. Kup moved quickly to gather the wood and had begun loading his arms with it when the cyberwolf howled again- much closer this time.

Knowing that cyberwolves had little prey this time of the stellar cycle made Kup nervous, they would try to attack anything if they were hungry enough.

Kup turned to return to the cabin and began to follow his trail back to the door, when a blow came from the left side and pain lanced through his arm as a cyberwolf worried his armor trying to break through to the vulnerable protoform below. Kup kicked out at the cyberwolf, trying to break its grip on his arm only for the cyberwolf to bite into his leg when it drew close enough.

As the cyberwolf ripped into his plating, Kup reached into his subspace and pulled out his axe. He gave a massive swing of the axe and it caught the cyberwolf on the helm, knocking the cyberwolf off of his leg and driving it away into the darkness.

Kup gathered the wood as best as he could with his injuried frame and hobbled into the cabin before returning for the rest of the wood he had dropped. He looked over his frame at his injuries and knew he needed to see a medic, but he would not leave his sparkling behind and would have to make do without one until thawing cycle started.

Kup went to a cupboard in the cabin and pulled out a long unused medical kit and pulled out a long flat piece of metal and set the tip of it into the fire. He would have to seal the wounds and there was no one else around to do it. 

This was going to hurt.

-------------------------------

Several decacycles had passed since the cyberwolf attack and the foul creature had not returned. Kup limped a bit from the very rough welding he had had to do to seal his wounds but he still tended to his sparkling as carefully and dilligently as before. Kup went to check the soil of the planter his sparkling was growing in and froze in shock.

There in the planter, just barely shyly peeking above the ground was a teeny tiny bit of sprout. His sparkling was sprouting! Kup could hardly believe his optics and his spark was so happy he could hardly contain it.

He carefully poured in the nutrient solvents and a bit of the liquid plant fuel into the planter around the tiny sprout. He carefully checked the temperature of the soil and rotated the planter a bit so the soil was warmed evenly through.

His sparkling would never want for anything if he could help it.

----------------------

Kup hardly wanted to take his optics off of his sparkling. Every single breem it seemed like it was getting bigger and growing faster. His barely there sprout was now a full servo span above the soil now. Kup was so proud.

His sparkling was going to be so big and strong when the thawing cycle came, Reflector would hardly believe it!

Now more than ever, Kup was careful to give his sparkling fresh solvents as well as nutrient fluid.

He would never let a sparkling go hungry, let alone his own long desired sparkling, if he could help it.

He loved his sparkling already and he would offline before he let anything harm it.

He was careful not to give too much solvents or nutrients at once and had placed the planter close enough to the fire for it to stay warm and by a window so it got sunlight. Nothing but the best for their sparkling.

Kup checked on his sparkling again, then returned to his comfy chair before the fire making sure to keep an optic on the planter beside him. Kup reached into his subspace and pulled out a small sharp knife then got a small piece of wood from the special box beside him. He tried to avoid moving while his leg finished healing.

He began to shape the wood with his knife, slowly carving out a wooden cyberfly. He would make sure his sparkling had nice toys and things. He had already finished carving furniture for his sparkling's room. It was full of cupboards and drawers for a sparkling to fill with treasures and Kup had even carved a small berth, in case his sparkling needed a nap and was too tired to go back to its tree.

His only regret over having a dryad sparkling was the fact that he would never be able to do as much with his sparkling since it would be unable to travel too far from its tree. However, just having a sparkling made up for almost all of it.

-------------------------------------

Reflector woke from recharge and immediately left their tree to rush into Kup's cabin. Inside they found Kup taking a stasis nap in his chair by the hearth and their sparkling's planter beside him. Reflector could not believe his optics, when he had agreed to Kup tending their sparkling over the cold cycle he had never thought their sparkling would grow so big! It was already a slender little sapling with, Reflector squinted at the tiny thin branches, tiny leaf buds. Their sparkling had its first buds!

Reflector was so proud.

They had nevered dreamed their sparkling would be this big and so developed already. Now they just needed to find the perfect spot for their sparkling to be planted. It needed to be close enough to their tree so they could help take care of their sparkling but also far enough away that it would give their sparkling a healthy area to hunt for food.

His sparkling needed the perfect spot. The best spot!

Now he, they, just had to find it.

Perhaps a spot near the cabin? They knew Kup would like that.

Reflector nudged their Kup gently from recharge, and smiled as Kup slowly onlined. Kup was about to say something, but Reflector drew him into a searing kiss.

They had much...catching up to do.

-----------------------------------------------

It had taken much discussion but they had finally decided where to plant their sparkling's sapling.

They had decided to plant it beside the cabin, where it would be visible to both Reflector's tree and the window in the cabin. That way they both could keep an optic on their sparkling.

Which was why they were both standing here with their sparkling sapling safely in it's planter and Kup was carefully turning over the soil.

For the last decacylce Kup had been carefully tending to the soil. Kup had turned the soil, breaking up the solid clods so the soil was soft and light for their sparkling. After that Kup had added in nutrients and fertilizers to the soil to make it rich and healthy. The soil would be perfect for a dryad sapling to be planted in now.

Kup carefully turned the soil and dug out the soil he had prepared for the last decacylce, leaving a wide but not too deep hole. Reflector carefully used all three of his frames to gently remove their sapling from it's planter.

Carefully, they lowered their sapling into it's new and permanent home and Kup gently covered it roots with the rich and soft soil. Once their sapling's roots were covered and the soil had been patted down a bit, Kup poured out a bowl of blessed solvents carefully over the slim sapling.

"Are you sure it'll be okay? I mean all alone out here? Couldn't we have kept it inside for a while yet?"

Reflector drew Kup against him and gave his helm a soft kiss, "It was time, my Kup. Our sapling needs to be outside, needs to let it's roots spread. We will watch over our sapling and ensure that it will flourish and grow strong. Soon our sapling will grow large enough that our sparkling will emerge and we will be able to hold them for first time."

Kup could hardly wait to hold their sparkling for the first time.

--------------------------------------------------------

Kup and Reflector had fallen into a routine. Every sol, Reflector would watch over their sparkling while Kup headed out into the woods to harvest the fallen dead trees. When he returned home each sol, he would watch over the sapling and Reflector would take the time to feed and hunt.

Every sol, they marveled at how well their sapling was growing. It seemed every sol brought something new with their sapling. The sol that their sapling grew almost a full mecho-inch in one sol. The sol that their sapling sprouted it's first tiny leaf. Reflector had almost popped with pride that sol.

Now their sapling was almost as high as Kup's chest and had several slender little branches filled with dainty little leaves. Kup had to admit that their sapling was the loveliest little tree he had ever seen. He had to wonder what their sparkling would look like once it emerged from it's tree for the first time.

Every sol after he returned from cutting wood, Kup poured fresh solvents on his sapling and once a decacycle he would make a small cut on his palm and let his energon drip onto the sapling's roots as well. He suspected Reflector was also feeding the sapling on energon from their prey.

It was therefore a thrilling and wonderful surprise when one sol as Kup was finishing pouring solvents over their sapling's roots that a tiny little servo reached out of the sapling and curled around his servo.

Kup froze at the sight of the tiny servo, and ever so carefully held still and without raising his voice too much, called out for Reflector to come over.  Reflector hurried over and gasped at the sight of the tiny servo emerging from the sapling.

Ever so carefully, Kup gently set the empty pail away with one servo while Kup held onto the tiny servo with his other. Carefully he drew the tiny servo to his sparkplates and as the tiny servo felt his sparkbeat, a tiny helm peeked out with huge blue optics.

Reflector reached into the tree and carefully drew the sparkling dryad from it's, no /his//, tree. A tiny little mech sparkling with large blue optics and tiny helm fins. Kup felt himself melt as he looked at their tiny sparkling.

"'e's gonna need a name yah know." Kup asked as he turned to Reflector.

Reflector looked at their little sparkling and smiled softly. "What do you think of Orion?"

"Orion? Hmm. Orion. Ah like it." Kup looked down at their sparkling cradled in Reflector's arms and smiled as well. "Hello, Orion."

----------------------------

From the moment Orion had first emerged from his tiny sapling, he had had Kup wrapped around his tiny servo. Kup knew this, but couldn't bring himself to care. He loved his sparkling with all his spark. Every sol he looked forward to coming home and seeing his tiny sparkling.

Orion was still too young to even crawl, he just cooed and waved as he smiled at them.

He was already so precious to him and he would murder anybot who tried to hurt him or his sapling tree.

He had already carved tiny rings for Orion to gnaw on as he burbled on the mat Reflector had woven for their sparkling. He knew Reflector was worried about their sparklings dente for some reason, but Reflector had not explained anything to him yet and Orion's dente looked fine to him.

Every time he tried to ask Reflector about it, they just said it was nothing. He would take their word for it. He just wanted to go and play with their sparkling.

--------------------------------------

Reflector was worried. They loved their sparkling so very much, and they were very worried about him. They had offered their precious Orion a nice fresh petrorabbit and Orion had simply pet it and let it go. They had tried again with a helium-hedgepig but had the same results. They had taken a look at Orion's dente and had been shocked by what they had found.

Their precious Orion had no fangs.

He had two sharp semi-fangs in the front but the rest of his dente were strange gear-like dente. They did not know what to do.

How would their sparkling feed? How would their sparkling find fuel?

Reflector hadn't even seen any vine buds in their sparkling's tree. They tried not to think about it, but they couldn't help that they dwelled on old stories of....of deformed sparklings that suffered from blight and did not revive after the cold cycle.

That would just break their sparks and Kup's.

They would just have to hope for the best.

---------------------------------

Kup headed back to his cabin carrying his supplies as well as a surprise for his sparkling. He had noticed how Reflector had been looking at their sparkling's dente and he realized why his dente looked so familiar.

His sparkling had crystal eater dente.

He had bought several soft crystals from the trading post and would see how his sparkling liked them. When he learned which ones his sparkling liked best he would get seed crystals so his sparkling would always have some to nibble on. Sparkling crystals were easy to grow even for a mech like him.

When he arrived at the cabin, he found Reflector once again examining their sparkling's dente. He walked over to them and then sat beside the mat their sparkling, who had learned to roll over at this point, was on.

He reached down and lightly tickled Orion's tiny belly, prompting a round of tinkling little giggles from their happy little sparkling. Kup helplessly smiled at his sparkling, he loved him so much.

"Was he good today?" Kup asked as he looked up at Reflector.

"He was fine, my Kup." Reflector smiled back at Kup but Kup could see the worry in their optics.

"Ah brought him a treat. Ah think he'll like it." With that Kup reached into his subspace and pulled out one of the soft crystals and broke off a tiny bit that he place into Orion's mouth. Reflector jerked and tried to take it out, only to stop as the faint tiny sound of grinding gears was heard as Orion's dente processed the bite of crystal quickly. Orion burbled happily, tiny servos waving in excitement, and smiled up at them both in joy.

"What did you? How? What was that?" Reflector looked from Kup to Orion and back.

"Ah thought his dente looked familiar. Ah knew a bot with gear dente, and he was a crystal eater. So ah thought ah'd get Orion crystals ta try."

Reflector looked at Kup in amazement and then gave him a hard kiss.

"You have saved our sparkling, Kup! We feared he would never be able to hunt with those dente! You have saved Orion!" 

-------------------------------------

It had taken a few decacycles but there were now sparkling crystals planted around Orion's sapling. The crystals were growing well and Orion liked to look at them as much as seemed to like eating them.

Orion was able to crawl a bit now, and would make his unsteady way to the crystals and nibble them before taking a recharge nap, often with a crystal still in his mouth.

It was adorable.

Reflector had asked the trees to relay a question to a near-by dryad grove. He wanted to know if Orion was normal or if they would take precautions for his safety. The reply was unexpected. The other dryads had been amazed and overjoyed that Reflector and Kup had produced such a sparkling, which they called a cyberfly bush dryad. They were apparently very very rare.

So rare, none had been created in almost 40 centivorns.

They had also eased Reflector's fears over Orion being more vulnerable than other sparklings. It appeared that the opposite was true: Cyberfly bush dryads were very hardy.

They had warned Reflector that wildlife maybe attracted to his sapling, that they may need to cover their sparkling's tiny tree with a fine net to keep it safe.

Kup had gone to the village and bought one that sol, and carefully set it up to protect Orion's tree.

Kup made sure that nothing could get in at all and that their sparkling would stay safe.

-----------------------

Orion looked around, his papas were not paying attention to him at the moment and that meant this was his chance. He moved away from his tree cautiously, he knew if his papas caught him they would put him back on his mat. His mat was /boring//.

It was time for an /adventure//!

Orion crawled away quickly and had almost made it past the ring of crystals that surrounded his tree when Papa Kup scooped him up in his arms.

"Where da yah think yer goin' sparklin'?"

Orion twittered and chirped up at his papa, telling him to put him down and let him explore. Can't he see that he is on an /adventure//? Papa Kup simply carried him back to his mat and set him down. Orion was about to head off again when he saw something new on the mat. It was big and round and was blue with red. Orion crawled over to it to find out what it was, but when he touched it it moved away.

Well, he was not going to stand for that! Orion began to chase the...thing around but it kept getting away. Finally he lunged at the thing and ended up on top of it, only to roll off it and it slipped away again.

Orion glared at the thing and growled at it.

His papas laughed and Papa Viewfinder grabbed the thing and held it still. "Here, Orion. I'll hold your ball still so you can take it. Papa Kup was so nice to get it for you, wasn't he?"

Orion chirped as he lunged at the ball thing and managed to grab it. He burbled triumphantly and held it up as much as he could to show his papas how he caught the mighty ball thing.

He is the best sparkling ever. He knows it.

-------------------------

Kup watched as Orion rolled his ball to Spectro and Spectro rolled it back. His sparkling loved the ball he had gotten for him. It was rare to see Orion without his ball anymore, their sparkling would be chasing after it or laying on it and rolling over and over.

Orion had even used the ball to help him balance as he practiced standing. Kup had a feeling it would not be long now until their little sparking would be walking. Fortunately the warm cycle had arrived and the clearing was carpeted with soft metallo-grasses and pretty crystal flowers. Their little sparkling's sapling was growing bigger, it was now as high as Kup's helm and the slender trunk was wider around. Their sparkling's tree had sprouted several new branches and many soft tender leaves.

They had been forced to keep an optic on their sparklings tree carefully since many of the mechano-animals seemed to like their sparkling's tree a bit too much. Kup had had to shoot several metal-moles trying to burrow around their sapling's roots as well as having Reflector ...feed on the many silica-sparrows and dynamo-deer that tried to harm their sparkling's vulnerable sapling tree.

At the moment, Reflector's other frames were within their tree resting and Kup came over to watch their sparkling so Spectro could rest. Orion looked up as Spectro stood up and headed for his tree before Orion burbled up at Kup and held up his ball beseechingly.

"Alrigh' Orion, we'll play with yer ball. Roll 'er ta papa!"

Orion smiled up at Kup and, with a mischeivious look, lobbed the ball to the side then laughed. Kup shook his helm and mock-glared at his little Orion who was giving his papa a smug little grin.

"Ah bet ya think yer funny?"

Kup leaned down and began to tickle little Orion into submission, making the clearing ring with tinkling sparkling laughter and giggles. Kup let his sparkling intake air and headed to fetch his ornery little bitling's ball. He began to look through the bushes and shrubs that lined the clearing.

A sudden shriek from behind had Kup sprinting back towards his sparking, only for his spark to freeze in it's chamber.

There, standing far too close to his precious little Orion, was a sleipneir. It was mangy and had faded stains of mech energon on it's muzzle. It was standing between Reflector and Orion as well. Reflector's frames were standing there hesitating over whether to try to rush over to snatch up their sparkling. Kup summoned his ancient laser-musket, he had had it ever since he had briefly served with the Magnus' military and he had kept in good order ever since.

Kup drew his laser musket to his shoulder and quickly drew his sights onto the sleipneir. Orion wailed as the sleipneir snuffled around the mat and moved closer, it's long tongue flicked out and licked Orion along his tiny chest.

Kup waited a nano-sec before he pulled the trigger. The sleipneir's helm shattered and it's limp frame collapsed next to the mat. Reflector dashed forward and scooped up their sparkliing. Orion wailed as Kup ran towards his little family, anxious to see that Orion was okay.

Reflector lightly bounced Orion trying to calm him down while his Viewfinder frame wipped away the gore that had splattered him from the deactivated sleipneir. Kup ran a servo over Orion's faceplates and pressed a kiss to the top of his sparkling's helm. Orion looked up at him with huge optics filled with lubricants, and Kup felt his spark break.

They almost lost their sparkling!

They had almost lost their precious precious Orion to that foul beast.

Kup would have to take measures.

-------------------------------------------

It had taken quite some time, the warm cycle was nearly over but Kup had finished building his protection for their sparkling. He had surrounded a large portion of the clearing with a good stout fence that enclosed the area around his cabin and Orion's tree. Reflector's tree and a portion of the clearing had to remain open, so Reflector could hunt and feed.

Little Orion was able to toddle around on his peds a bit now, and was getting into everything so Kup was greatful that Orion was corraled by the fence and gate. Kup loved that his sparkling was kept safe and his bonded could hunt in peace.

It was a great relief on his mind.

Kup walked through the forest, his axe on his shoulder as he headed to where Reflector said a large tree had come down. He moved around the disheveled limbs and paused at the sound of somebot swearing.

"Primus forsaken tree! Fragging stupid thing! Slag! Slag! Slag!"

Kup moved around the last of the branches and saw...a very small mech, all in red. The little mech had one leg trapped under the fallen tree, and glared up at Kup as he moved closer.

"Great! Now I get caught by a fragging woodcutter! Slagging perfect!"

Kup shifted and looked at the smaller mech, "Do yah need help?"

The trapped mech gave Kup a look as though he was glitched. The mech then looked harder at the cloak Kup was wearing. "Wait, are you Reflector's mech?"

Kup blinked and looked down at the cloak, "Yeah, ah am. What of it?"

"Well, if anyone had to find me at least you aren't too bad! Now get me out of here!"

Kup gave the mech an unamused look, and hefted his axe. With one good swing the axe split the tip of the trunk off. The little mech hopped up as soon as he freed and tried to flee only to get plucked up by Kup.

Kup stared at the small mech, no bigger than a youngling, as he struggled in Kup's hold. "Ah believe yah owe meh somethin', seein' as ah caught ya an' all."

The little mech glared at Kup, then snapped his fingers and a large crock filled with credit chips appeared. "There! Now, let me go!"

Kup just held onto the mech and gave him a look, "An'?"

The mech gave an even blacker glare to Kup, before he sighed in resentment and drew a small fife from his subspace. "There! Use the fife to summon me for your fragging wishes!"

Kup let go and the little mech ran off as soon as his peds touched ground.

-------------------------------------

When Kup returned home, Reflector came up to him as he sat down by Orion who was once again chasing his ball around the fenced in area. "My Kup, is it true that you caught Cliffjumper?"

Kup looked at Reflector in surprise, "Cliffjumper? Little red mech? 'Bout as big a youngling?"

Reflector stared at Kup before laughing, "That would be him my Kup. I take it you did catch him then?"

Kup grinned and reached into his subspace and pulled out the crock of credit chips. "Ah did. He was stuck un'er tha tree ah went to cut."

Reflector stared up at him before bursting out laughing, "Cliffjumper was stuck under a tree and you caught him that way?"

At Kup's nod, Reflector began to laugh once more. "He will never live that down, my Kup. Never!"

Kup looked at his bonded and laughed as well as he drew Reflector against him and pressed a soft kiss to each frames helm.

Spyglass looked up at Kup, "Did you remember to get your wishes? I know Cliffjumper is a tricky leprechaun, the seelie court says so and that he is too mischeivious for them sometimes."

Kup chuckled, "Ah remembered, sweetspark. He gave meh a summoning fife. Ah want to save the wishes fer something important. In case something happens and ah need help, or you and Orion do."

Reflector looked up at Kup with loving optics, "You take such good care of us. I swear no dryad has ever been so happy or so loved as Orion and I are!"

Kup could only smile at that declaration and drew two of Reflector's frames away to their berthroom in his cabin.

--------------------------

The warm season slowly drew to a close, and Orion grew bigger every sol. He was walking very well now, and even taking a few short staggering runs on occasion. Orion's tiny sapling had grown higher than Kup's helm and Reflector had been surprised at how many leaves it had for it's first stellar cycle.

Kup watched Orion chase after his ball as usual, with his sparkling stopping to nibble the sparkling crystals that surrounded his sapling. Orion loved to nibble his crystals and Kup had had to go and buy several more varieties that were more nutritious since he had worried that Orion was only getting sweet crystals.

Orion was very smart, he would chirp at everything as he looked it over and often tasted things. Kup watched as Orion toddled over to him with a large smile on his little faceplates. Orion burbled up at him and held up a piece of crystal and made the sparkling chirp for papa.

"Fer meh, Orion? Thank yah."

Orion beamed up at him and chirped happily up at him. Orion got a strange look on his faceplates and his mouth moved but nothing came out. Kup knelt down and looked at Orion in worry, "Yah okay, Orion? Show Papa Kup where it hurts."

Orion moved his mouth a few more times and nothing came out. Then Orion got a very determined look on his faceplates and then looked up at Kup and made a soft 'pp' sound.

"Orion? What's wrong sweetspark?"

Orion looked up at Kup and gave him a sweet smile, "P-papa!"

Kup sat down hard and stared at Orion. He drew his sparkling to him, "Say that again, Orion?"

Orion looked up at Kup and smiled, "Papa! Papa!"

Kup yelled out, "Reflector, come here!"

Reflector came over with all three of his frames, "Kup, what is wrong? Is Orion alright?"

Kup beckoned to Reflector to come over, and pointed at the three frames of Reflector "Orion, who is this? Who is this?"

Reflector looked at Kup in curiosity that changed to delighted surprise when Orion pointed at them and chirped out, "Papa! Papa! Papa!"

Reflector lifted up Orion, "Oh, Orion! Such a smart sparkling!"

-------------------------

Kup walked back to his cabin, excited to get back to his sparkling. He had gone to the village and purchased a set of datapads that contained the downloads that his sparkling would need. He would get Orion the very best of everything he could. He had spoken with the village medic and had explained that he had bonded to a very shy mech who would not come into the village. He claimed that his bonded had demanded to have a 'natural separation' and would not let his sparkling come into the village.

The medic had railed at the supposed superstitiousness of Kup's bonded but had sold the datapads to Kup and explained how to download the files to his sparkling. Kup had thanked the medic and then headed over to the village store to pick out several presents for his bondeds and for Orion. He could hardly wait to see their faceplates at the gifts he brought them.

He soon reached the fence surrounding the cabin and Orion's tree. He walked inside the fence and moved to where Reflector and Orion were playing by Orion's tree. "Hello my sweetsparks!"

Orion looked over and ran squealing over to Kup, "Papa! Papa!"

Reflector moved over to Kup and kissed him with each frame. "Welcome back, Kup!"

Kup returned Reflector's kisses and scooped up Orion. "Were yah good fer yer papa Reflector?"

Orion nodded and made a sparkling chirp of want as he waved his servos up at Kup beseechingly. Kup laughed and reached into his subspace, "Let meh see what ah have fer such a good little sparklin'"

Kup drew out a little drawing datapad, a small doll of a pretty truckbot mech and a miniature set of gardening tools. Orion's optics grew huge as he gazed upon his gifts with wonder. Orion grabbed up the pretty doll and a small solvent can from the gardening tools and clutched them to him as he made sparking chirps of joy and 'mine!' over and over.

Kup turned to Reflector and reached into his subspace again. He pulled out a pretty wrap for each of his frames, a lovely set of cubes filled with high grade and two more wind chimes so each trunk of Reflector's tree would have a wind chime. Reflector cooed over their gifts and pressed many kisses to Kup. Kup simply grinned and sat down on the soft mechano-grasses and watched his little sparkling carefully pretend to tend his crystals, although he nibbled more than he tended.

Life was good.

-----------------------------

The cooling cycle had begun, and Kup could tell Orion was scared and confused as his little tree began to have it's leaves change color and fall to the ground. The first time a leaf had fallen, Orion had grabbed it and run crying to Kup and Reflector, holding it up and sobbing.

Reflector had explained to Orion that his tree was simply getting ready for the long recharge that was coming up in the cold cycle. Orion had seemed confused about the whole idea and Kup only hoped that Orion would be okay.

Kup made sure his sparkling studied his learning datapads. He may go to the village and order school pads to teach Orion, since his sparkling was smart. Orion seemed to grow smarter every sol. Orion had even looked up how to properly tend to his crystals and could be seen every sol carefully tending to them.

Kup looked out the window of his cabin and could see Orion carefully pouring solvents over the crystals. His little Orion was such a responsible little sparkling. He would be sure to not over graze his crystals and would rotate through them to be sure to leave plenty to grow. Orion was a good gardener.

Reflector was teaching Orion everything he needed to know to be a good dryad and get ready for their recharge. Orion kept insisting that he wasn't tired and didn't need to nap for that long or at all. Reflector promised Orion that when they woke up in the thaw cycle that Orion would be bigger and older but Orion didn't seem to care. Orion just tidied up his 'garden' that surrounded his tree and carefully raked up the leaves that fell from his tree. Kup had taken several of the leaves and had carefully put them in a press to preserve them.

Kup headed outside and moved to where Orion was carefully raking his leaves away from his tree. Orion beamed up at him and pointed at the little piles he had made. "Look papa! I cleaned up! See papa!"

Kup patted Orion on the helm, "Ah see, Orion. Yer such a good sparklin'!"

Orion looked thrilled at the praise, but suddenly froze and stared up at the sky. He whimpered and drew up close to Kup. Orion pointed to the sky and whispered, "Papa, what is that?"

Kup looked up at the sky and saw the first few flakes of snow lightly drifted towards the ground. Kup turned to Orion and patted him on the head, "It's alright, bitling. It's just snow, it's harmless."

Orion looked at it warily, "I don't like it papa! Make it go away!"

Kup just laughed and cuddled Orion to his side.

-------------------------------------

Kup felt like his spark would break. It was the first sol of the cold cycle and Orion and Relfector would be going into their cycle long recharges. He hated how he was left by himself through the cold cycle, no loving bonded or wonderful sparkling to play with.

Kup would be alone.

He had already decided to work on preparing some larger gardens for Orion and setting up some crystal bushes on Reflector's side of the fence to help lure in prey for his bonded to feed on. It would take awhile to get everything finished. When it was too bad to go outside, Kup had selected several seasoned peices of wood to make into a small table with a bench for Orion to sit at as well making Reflector a proper loom.

Orion ran in and clung to Kup's leg. "Papa! I'ma big bot! I don't wanna nap! Wanna stay awake with you! Please, Papa?"

"Ah wish yah could, sparklin'. But yah gotta, just like Papa Reflector."

Kup scooped up Orion and carried him back to his tree, where Reflector was waiting. Reflector gave Orion a hug and kiss from each frame, then Kup did the same thing. Reflector then took Orion and gently placed him within his tree. Reflector then turned to Kup and each frame gave him a deep searing kisses before fading into their respective tree trunks.

Kup shook his helm, it was hard to love dryads at times.

-----

Kup headed back to his cabin, a load of wood in his arms and a large bundle strapped to his back. He stopped inside the fence to put down the wood on the large woodpile he had built up this stellar cycle. As he was stacking the wood, he heard a soft chirp from behind him. Turning around he saw a small servo slip from Orion's tree followed by his little sparkling himself. Kup ran over and scooped up his sparkling fearful of him being damaged by the cold with his unprotected protoform.

Kup carried Orion into the cabin, and set him to warm in his chair by the fire. "Orion, what are yeh doing out? Yah just went into yer tree a decacycle ago! Yah should still be in recharge!"

Orion looked up at Kup as Kup went to his cupboard and drew out several heating blankets and wrapped them around Orion. "Not tired papa! I am a big bot! I don't need a nap!"

Kup chuckled softly as he saw a look on Orion's face that knew he got from him. "Alright, no nap. Ah don't know how we'll tell yer papa 'bout this."

Orion snuggled deeper into the blankets and looked around the cabin curiously. Orion didn't come into the cabin very often, since he preferred to be outside with his tree and his little garden. Orion sat up and chirped in his excitement when he saw the carvings that Kup had done on the support beams for the roof. There were four of them, and two of them were carved intricately. One was carved with images of forest mechano-animals and the supernatural beings all over. The second was carved with with images of Reflector's three frames as well as their tree.

Orion hopped off the chair and walked over to over to the pillar and cuddled against the carving of Reflector. He chirped up at the carving and then looked back at Kup with a large grin. "Papa! It's papa! Look, it's Papa!"

Kup laughed as he patted Orion on the helm, "Yep, that's yer papa. That came out real well, ah think. Ah'll be carving yah this cold cycle."

Orion looked up at Kup with wide optics, "Carve me, Papa? Will it hurt?"

Kup groaned as he knelt down and drew his sparkling to him laughing, "Not gonna hurt ya ever, bitling. Gonna make a picture of yah is all."

Orion looked at Kup curiously, "Make picture? How?"

Kup picked up Orion and walked back to the chair by the fire, and sat Orion on his good knee. Kup reached onto the side table and grabbed a half-finished carving of a cyberfly. He showed it to Orion, "See Orion? Papa Kup carves the picture? See the cyberfly?"

Orion watched with wide optics as Kup took his whittling knife from his subspace and began to work on the cyberfly.  Orion put his little servo out and patted the pretty little cyberfly, "Pretty papa! Pretty! For me, Papa? For me?"

Kup chuckled and pressed a kiss to Orion's helm. "Yeh sweetspark, fer yah."

-------------------------

 Kup had been dreading this sol, he needed to go to the village for more supplies but he didn't want to leave Orion by himself and his little one could not go far enough from his tree to make the trip with him.

He wished Orion could come with him, but that was impossib- wait. Maybe it wasn't impossible. Kup reached into his subspace and pulled out the fife he'd gotten when he had caught the leprechaun, Cliffjumper. He put the fife to his lip plates and played a short tune and waited.

With a puff if smoke, that had Orion scurrying behind Kup, the grumpy little mech appeared. "What do you want?"

Kup looked back at Orion and smiled at him comfortingly, before he turned back to Cliffjumper. "Can yeh make it so Orion can come with meh ta the village?"

Cliffjumper gave an unimpressed look at Kup, "That is what ya want for your first wish? Fine."

Cliffjumper pulled out two small charms, and gave them to Kup. "Put one on his tree and he wears the other. It will keep them linked so he can go farther away from it. You can't go much further than the village though. Even this has limits!"

Kup took the charms and turned to Orion and slipped one around his neck. Kup turned back to Cliffjumper, "Thank ya, Cliffjumper. Sorry ta bother ya. Ya can go if ya want."

Cliffjumper grumbled and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Kup turned to Orion, "Alright, bitling. Looks like yer gonna come with meh this time. Let's get yah bundled up and ready."

Orion gave Kup a wide-opticed look. "Go? I get to go with Papa?"

Kup went to the cupboard and drew out several thick blankets and bundled Orion until only his optics were visible. Kup put on his scarf and then scooped up Orion into his arms. Kup took Orion around back to his little tree and placed the second charm on one of the branches. Orion leaned out of Kup's arms and gave his tree a kiss.

Once Orion had kissed his tree, Kup hefted him into a better position and began to head towards the village. He moved slowly, making sure Orion was okay the further they got from his tree. Orion looked around in excitment, wanting to see everything. Kup trudged through the snow and soon reached the village.

Orion drew back against Kup at the sight of all the other bots moving about and stared about with dazed optics. Kup headed into the store and greeted Quick Trade, who stared at the bundled Orion. "Hello, Kup. Who is this?"

Kup slipped the bundled blankets away from Orion's helm and hefted him up so Orion was sitting higher on his hip. "This is mah little bitling, Orion. Orion say hello to Quick Trade."

Orion ducked his helm bashfully, and gave a small smile to Quick Trade. Quick Trade gave a small 'awww' at the cute little sparkling. Kup watched as Quick Trade reached into a jar of crystal sticks and handed one to Orion. "A sweet little sparkling deserves a sweet treat."

Orion looked up at Kup and Kup took the crystal from Quick Trade for Orion. Orion took the crystal from Kup and popped it into his mouth and began nibbling on it slowly. "You have a very adorable sparkling, Kup."

Kup smiled at Orion before turning to Quick Trade, "Yes, ah do. Ah need to get a few things, Trade."

"Alright, Kup. What do you need?"

------

Kup walked out of the store, a basket of supplies strapped to his back and Orion bundled up in his arms in a new warm coat and little boots as well as little helm fin warmers that had made Orion purr when Kup slipped them on. Kup began to head back to the cabin and listened as Orion talked about all the things they had seen as well as tried to answer all the questions that Orion had about things in the village.

Orion perked up as they approached the clearing the cabin was in and he could see Reflector's tree. "Papa, we wake up Papa 'Flector? Wanna show him my warmers!"

Kup chuckled and tweaked Orion's nose. "Ah don't think he'll wake up, sweetspark. We can try after ah set down this basket in tha cabin."

Orion beamed up at Kup and gave him a hug before he began to tug on the straps for the basket, "I help papa! I carry the basket in! I can carry!"

Kup laughed then set Orion down once they reached the path in front of the cabin. Orion began to bounce on his peds, "I carry papa! I carry!"

Kup reached into the basket and pulled out a small bundle. "Here Orion, yah c'n carry this in."

Orion carried in his little bundle, setting it proudly on the table in the cabin. "There! I did it, see Papa! I carried it!"

Kup patted him on the head, "Yeh did, Orion. Yeh did good. Such a strong little bitling!"

Orion puffed up with pride, "I is the best! Best carry-er ever! Me!"

Kup just laughed as he set the basket down. "Let's go see if yah can wake yer papa."

He picked up Orion and carried him out to Reflector's tree. Kup set Orion down beside the tree trunks and Orion walked up to the trunks. "Papa, Papa! Papa wake up! Papa! Papa! Papa, look!"

Orion knocked on the trunk with his little fists, but nothing happened. Orion got a stubborn look on his faceplates, and then to Kup's surprise Orion stuck his little servo inside Reflector's trunk. "Papa! Wake up! Papa!"

A dazed looking Viewfinder poked his helm out and looked blearily down at Orion. "Orion? Sparkling, what are doing up in the middle of the cold cycle?"

Orion beamed up at Viewfinder, "Look Papa! I have warmers! See! See!"

Viewfinder looked at Orion then turned to Kup, "What? Where did-?"

Kup pressed a kiss to Viewfinder. "'E woke up two decacycles ago. Ah took him ta tha village and got him some warm things."

Viewfinder seemed to wake up at that, "To the village!? How did he-?"

Kup put his fingers over Viewfinder's mouth, "Ah used a wish from Cliffjumper for a charm so Orion could go further from his tree."

Viewfinder looked stunned, then turned to Orion. "You look lovely sweetspark. But I need to go back into recharge. I love you both."

Viewfinder pressed a kiss to Orion's helm and then a kiss to Kup's lips before ducking back inside his tree trunk for the cold cycle.

Kup picked up Orion, "Come on, bitling. Let's go back inside. Ah'll warm some crystal paste fer ya."

Orion curled up in Kup's arms and snuggled against his papa.

---------------------

Kup looked over at Orion, who was tucked into his little recharge berth in a stasis nap. Satisfied that Orion was fine, Kup returned to carving the support pillar. He had decided to carve this pillar in a different manner. He would carve a little bit of the pillar each cold cycle with images of Orion from that Stellar cycle.

For this stellar cycle, he would carve Orion's sapling being planted and Orion emerging. Possibly even Orion in his helm fin warmers since he loved them so much. Kup had not decided yet. He would work on this for a joor or so each sol.

He had already made several other things for Orion. He had made a second smaller version of his comfy chair by the fire for his sparkling as well many tiny carvings. He had carved cyberflies, petro-rabbits, even a small chair for Orion's mech doll. Orion said his doll was a princess mech like in the stories he would read to his sparkling. Kup was secretly working on a gift for Orion for on his emerging sol, since he didn't really have an onlining sol.

He was making a doll house for his bitling, a lovely intricate doll castle for his princess mech. One with a large tower suitable for a princess mech. Kup had already begun to carve miniature furniture for the doll house, carving each piece to be as beautiful as he could.

He had begun work on a small harp as well, since Orion tended to hum and sing while he worked on his little garden. Kup knew he would love the harp.

Orion hopped out of his little berth and sat down next to Kup. He leaned against his papa and watched him carve the pillar. "Is that me papa? Me?"

Kup hugged Orion with one arm, "Yes. bitling. That's yah."

------------

 Kup watched as Orion ran past him to the top of the small hill that was near by. Kup smiled as Orion screamed as he slid down the hill on his little sled, then hopped off and dragged it back up the hill to go again. His sparkling seemed to love that sled.

 The cold cycle was beginning to end, and the warming cycle would soon be here. Kup had told Orion that his Papa Reflector would be awake again soon, and Orion had said that they had to make something for Reflector. So Kup and Orion had made a crystal cake together. One which a certain sparkling had been nibbling on when he thought his papa wasn't looking.

 Silly sparkling.

 Kup had begun to get ready to add the nutrient solvents and fertilizers to Reflector's tree as well as Orion's. His sparkling had watched with curious optics and asked dozens of questions about everything. Orion had even asked if he could have some of them for his crystals, to help them grow too.

 Kup would never deny his sparkling something so easy and had agreed to give some for his crystals. Orion had been overjoyed and had hurried over to his drawing pad. There he had carefully, for a sparkling, drawn out a picture of his little garden and then had made plans to make it bigger.

What was Kup supposed to do when his adorable little sparkling climbed on his lap and asked for more seed crystals? Especially when Orion looked up at him with those big optics that silently begged for him.

So when Kup had gone to the village for supplies next, he had taken Orion with him and had Quick Trade help Orion pick out crystals. They had ended up with a dozen types of crystals, nine were edible for Orion and the remaining three were made up of two decorative crystals and one that was meant for carving.

He suspected that his sparkling would be asking for lessons on carving crystals soon.

Oh well, at least he had managed to convince Orion that the red cora crystals would not be perfect for his garden and had instead gotten blue cora and white.

Privately, Kup was uncertain that he would survive if Reflector was anywhere near red cora.

---------------------

Orion looked up at his tree and frowned as he then looked at Papa Reflector's tree. He then looked at the cabin where he had spent the cold cycle with Papa Kup. Orion turned to Papa Kup and gave him a puzzled look. "Papa Kup? Where is your tree? Do you have a set of charms too?"

Papa Kup made a funny sound and spit out the nasty energon stuff he had just swallowed. Papa looked down at him and pointed at himself, "Ah don't have a tree, Orion. Dryads like yeh and yer Papa Reflector are the ones who have trees and all. Ah'm a mech, a truckbot, ah have armor and an altmode instead of a tree."

Orion looked at Papa Kup confused, "Papa? What is an altmode? And what's armor?"

Papa Kup sighed, "It's like this Orion. Yah know how yer in yer protoform? An' ah ain't?"

Orion nodded, he had noticed when they went into the village that no one was in protoform like him at all. It was stange; everyone was all...lumpy, like papa Kup.

Papa Kup smiled at him, "Well mah armor is what ah have on over mah protoform. Dryads like yah and yer Papa Reflector have yer trees fer yer armor. Understand now?"

Orion thought about it for a moment before he nodded. "But Papa, what is an 'altmode'?"

Papa Kup moved away from Orion and then...did something, and papa Kup was gone! There was a big truck like the toy one Papa Kup had carved for him in his place! "Papa?! Papa! Where are you! Papa! Come back! Please? Papa!"

The truck did the same ...thing as before and Papa Kup was back in front of him. He ran to Papa Kup and cuddled against him hard, never wanting to let go ever. "Papa! Papa! Never go away! Papa!"

Papa Kup cuddled him back and lifted him up in his arms. "Calm down Orion, it's okay. That was my altmode. I turn into, transform, into the truck. It's still me though. Promise!"

Orion looked up at his papa like he was not sure if he believed him or not, but kept cuddling his papa. He didn't want his papa to go away again! Papa Reflector was still in his recharge inside his tree and he would be all alone without Papa Kup!

Papa Kup hugged him close for a few breems, until Orion felt a bit better and then to Orion's shock and horror Papa did the... thing again. Orion suddenly found himself sitting in the truckbed of the big truck and was frightened. Where was his Papa Kup? He was all alone! His little spark ached with sadness and fear, only to feel Papa Kup's warm spark reach out to his little one.

Orion looked around franticly for his papa. "Papa?! Papa! Where are you, Papa!?"

Papa Kup laughed from somewhere and the truck shook lightly beneath him, "Orion, it's meh yah silly sparklin'!"

Orion knew that this was a trick! He knew it!

Orion poked at the truck, "Not the Papa! Not the Papa! Want Papa!"

The truck rocked a little, "Behave sparklin'! It's meh!"

Then the truck began to twist and turn so Orion paid close attention so he could prove it was not Papa Kup, but to his amazment it was! Orion stared at Papa Kup in wonder.

His papa... his papa was /magic//!

"Papa! You is magic! Magic papa! Papa teach me? Please?"

Papa Kup looked sad, "S'rry, bitling. Dryads...dryads don't have altmodes. 'M s'rry sweetspark."

Orion gave his papa an upset look, "But..but... Not fair papa! I want ta be magic like Papa Kup! Magic Papa! Magic!"

"Ah know it's not fair, bitling. But that's how it is fer dryads."

Orion will see about that.