Transformers Animated: Little Spider

Chapter 4

The puzzled countenance left Kelly's face as she grinned, amused. "No silly," she giggled. "Singing and songs are fun!"

"How are they fun?"

"Well...um..." Kelly struggled to explain the concept of singing to the techno organic. "Songs are fun because... they...you can dance to them and songs let other people know how you feel and can even make you feel better when you're sad. Songs are fun for a lot of things."

"I still don't understand how making such noises with your vocalisar is fun. I know someone who used to sing all the time and all it did was grind my nerves."

"Um... Oh! I know!" Kelly jumped up to her feet. "I'll show you."

Arachnia was bewildered. "You mean... I sing?" She asked slowly to be sure that she heard right.

Kelly nodded avidly, smiling. "Yeah! Come on, it isn't that hard, just follow me. You are my Sunshine...My only Sunshine..." Kelly sang beautifully.

Arachnia shifted uncomfortably and awkwardly for moment before attempting to follow the human girl's example. She opened her mouth and let out the most cringeworthy high note.

Birds flying overhead who heard the sound squaked and scattered. Squirrels, mice or any other little critter close by ran off to hide in the safety of their homes. Kelly grimaced and covered her ears, surreptitiously rethinking her choices. Once done, Arachnia looked down expectantly. Kelly lowered her hands and smiled meekly. "Heh heh...Wow! That was...uh..."

Arachnia narrowed her optics. Kelly could not fool her. Arachnia wasn't tone deaf she heard what she sounded like. "I was horrible, wasn't I?"

"Nooooo..." Kelly shook her head before bowing it miserably and nodding. "Yeah, you were horrible. "

Arachnia sighed in resignation. "Maybe I'm just not cut out to sing."

Kelly's eyes widened in shock. "What?! You're giving up just cuz of a bad start?"

Arachnia was taken aback by the child's outburst. "Kid, didn't you HEAR me? I sounded awful, like I was screaming with a sword in my vocals."

"Yeah, but you shouldn't just give up. I sounded real bad, but with a little practice I got good. So come on, please?"

Kelly certainly was determined Arachnia will give her that. The techno organic was not that interested in singing, but she decided to play along simply to humour the child. But, after about a half hour of Arachnia's uncoordinated screeching attempts in the art of singing, the techno organic's willingness to take part was gradually wearing thin. She let out an exasperated sigh, rubbing a servo over her face. "Kid, this isn't working..."

"I think you were getting a little better," Kelly replied quietly.

"Better? I'm as bad as when I started. Listen, let's just give it a rest."

Kelly pouted and looked down, clearly disappointed in her failure as a teacher. Arachnia noticed and cleared her vocalizer awkwardly.

"Admittedly, while I appear to be inept in this singing skill, I did enjoy the melodies you were producing."

Kelly looked at Arachnia funny.

"I liked your singing."

Kelly's eyes widened before she blushed a little. "R-really?"

"Yes, it was...calming. Far better than the...other songs I've heard. I wouldn't mind listening to it again."

Kelly then perked up, getting up to move closer to Arachnia, which did surprise the techno organic. The child plopped down next to her, braided daisies still in her hands. "You should know...I'm not like...the best."

"Kid, in comparison you could have vocals hand crafted by Primus themselves."

Kelly scrunched her face up. "That's a very funny compliment."

"Trust me, it's a very high compliment where I'm from."

And so, Kelly got comfortable in her spot, Arachnia listening attentively as the girl began to sing.

"You are my Sunshine...My only Sunshine..."

She sang so softly that Arachnia immediately was lulled into a sense of serenity, feeling calm, like all her worries and stress was fading away. Closing her optics, she listened to the gentle melody, listened to the birds chirping, to the gentle breeze that danced through the grass...

Kelly returned back to her original task, seeing absentmindedly as she twisted and knotted the bunch of daisies she had collected.

They remained in that position, so relaxed and at ease in each others presence that eventually time flew by until it got dark.

"There! I'm all done," Kelly cheerfully announced.

Arachnia opened her optics, surprised to find how much time had passed. "I...must have dozed off," she then realized what Kelly had said, "What do you mean 'I'm all done'?"

Kelly held up the item in her hands. It was a flower crown braided with daisies and a rather large one at that. "I could only make it big enough for your finger, so I'm sorry."

Arachnia furrowed her optic ridges, bewildered. "My...finger?"

Kelly then proceeded to toddle over and slip the flower ring onto one of Arachnia's finger, her servo having been resting on the grass.

"What...is this?"

"It's a flower crown miss Blackarachnia. I wanted to thank you for helping me." Kelly flashed a very bright and very sincere smile Arachnia's way.

A blush rose to Arachnia's cheeks. Thankfully, with her helmet on the girl didn't notice. "Uh..." Arachnia awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck, averting her gaze to the ground. "Thanks...don't mention it kid."
She examined the messily tied flower crown around her finger.

"Do you like it? I made it just for you," Kelly stated.

Arachnia looked at the flower crown one last time before turning back to the girl. "Yes, I do like it. It is very...nice."

Arachnia smiled. There it was again. That feeling. Welcoming warmth blooming from the centre of her chassi. It was only there for a moment, but Arachnia had certainly noticed it. It went away as she glanced to the side at Kelly's clothes that lay out in the sun. "I think your garments are dry enough now." Reaching over, she plucked the bundle of clothes up and deposited them into Kelly's awaiting arms.

As Kelly began to wiggle into her clothes, Arachnia noticed how the temperature had drastically dropped. She looked up to see large, menacing black clouds come rolling in. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Another storm was coming in, starting out as subtle as the first storm had. The nearest human settlement was a bit far. They will never get there before the storm sets in, which means...

Arachnia looked down at a now fully clothed Kelly, who looked up to her attentively. "Looks like you're going to be stuck with me for a little while longer."

Kelly smiled as if she didn't mind that arrangement. And quite frankly, neither did Arachnia.