Sari's p.o.v
Ok ok ok, back up a sec, Prowl has a sister?! He was a big brother?! Ok, just what the what?!
If someone had told me that he was a brother a minute ago, I wouldn't have believed em but after hearing it from the bot himself? Just....woah.
Of all the things I expected from Prowl's past, this was not one of them. I mean, I guess it'd make sense that he had a family at some point but I never imagined him to have another sibling.
I mean, ok that sounds kinda harsh and all but he seemed so distant I thought he was probably an only child like me.
Prowl, you have a lot explaining to do, mister.
Third person's p.o.v
Prowl sighed, already starting to question if he made the right decision. Why did he choose to tell Sari of all people again?
"Yes, I have a sister, how is this so surprising?" Prowl asked in a slightly annoyed tone. What was so surprising about this?
"Sorry, it's just.....I didn't know you had a sister." Sari said rubbing the back of her head.
"I have a sister, Sari. She's still out there." Prowl corrected. Though he was secretly trying to convince himself.
Sari sat down beside Prowl. "Can you tell me a bit more about her?"
A warm smile spread across Prowl's faceplate as he thought about her. Even after all these solar cycles, he could remember her clearly. "She was quite the free spirit. She always did whatever she wanted regardless of what others would think of her. She was one of the feistiest femmes I've ever met." He stopped as a thought occurred to him. "In fact, you remind me of her...a lot."
Sari blinked, surprised at the comparison. "I do?" she asked.
Prowl nodded. "The courage, the stubbornness, the cheerfulness, that care-free attitude, even your hairstyle is like hers. See?" he pointed out.
"Um....thanks?" Sari said. Then another thought struck her and she couldn't help but ask another question. "Where is she now?" she asked.
Prowl stopped to think about it....then he sighed. "I don't know." He said in a voice barely above a whisper as though he didn't want to even say it.
Sari couldn't help but feel a bit bad for him. Then another question popped into her head. "What happened to her?"
Prowl visibly tensed up at that. Then eventually he replied. "I believe you've already asked all three of your questions that I offered." He said in a tone that told her this was the end of this discussion.
'Darn it.' Sari thought knowing full well that no matter how much she asked, pleaded or even cried, Prowl wouldn't spill. 'Maybe next time.' She mused.
"Alright.....um, do you....want some alone time?" Sari asked.
Prowl nodded.
"Then I won't get in your way." Sari said and got up to leave. She briefly stopped by the door and turned back to Prowl. "Hey, Prowl?"
Prowl turned around pushing her to continue. "I.....I can't say I know what it feels like, but....I hope that you'll find your sister, wherever she is someday. And if you want, you don't have to keep this to yourself anymore." She said.
Prowl's mouth once again twitched up ever so slightly. Sari's kindness once again reminding him of his sister. "Thank you, Sari."
"Don't worry, I won't tell the others." Sari then held her pinkie finger up. "I promise."
"I appreciate that." Prowl said and thanked her with a rare small genuine smile.
Sari smiled back and walked off.
Prowl stared at the photo one more time, his optics lingering on his sister. He still remembered her clearly but....was he picturing her correctly?
Not for the first time, he realized that while he could recall all the moments he's spent with her, as well as this picture to remember her by, that's all they were- memories from the past.
It's been 1,055 stellar cycles since he last saw her- and considering how time works differently on different planets or solar systems at times maybe more. Surely she was a grown youngling by now- he estimated her to most likely be around Bumblebee's age.
But even so, he still couldn't bring himself to remember her as anything but that 10 vorn old youngling he had met all those stellar cycles ago at Master Yoketron's dojo. He still imagined her as that femme who laughed and smiled no matter how dire the situation, yet at the same time, how naïve and vulnerable she was.
But....she was still out there somewhere online and functioning....right?
Prowl shook his helm and realized with slight horror that he was starting to have doubts. As the stellar cycles pass by, he was beginning to question if whether Mantis was even online.
For all he knew, he was clinging onto an empty hope. Was he really becoming that desperate? Was he simply doing all this as a way to keep some form of the guilt at bay? Was he just doing all this to fool himself? To make himself think that he was actually finding some way to honour them when he was really just doing this for the sake of himself?
Prowl shook his helm, disgusted that he even thought of such things. No, Mantis was- is alive. She was out there...somewhere.
And he swore to Primus that he will find her.
^^*************^^
Prowl went back to his usual routine the next day....which pretty much consisted of him staying in his room, trying to block out Bumblebee's annoying antics, going out on patrols, admiring nature and training
Sari briefly glanced over at Prowl from where she was drawing- or rather doodling, with Bulkhead. Then she realized this was her chance. "Hey, Prowl, mind if I tag along for patrol?"
Prowl paused and turned back to look at her, slightly suspicious. He knew that she was most likely using patrol as an excuse to get some answers out of him....then again, he couldn't blame her.
He knew that she could be annoyingly persistent so....
'Might as well get this over with.' He thought. Besides, he knew that Sari was a good kid at heart. A bit mischievous and irresponsible but a good kid nonetheless.
"Very well then." Prowl said and transformed. "Hop on."
Sari smiled and put on her orange helmet. She bid Bulkhead and Bumblebee goodbye before hopping onto Prowl.
For a while, they drove through the streets of Detroit City in silence, passing by the numerous skyscrapers and buildings in a blurr. Prowl had no destination in mind and just kept going.
Prowl's holoform was activated so people won't be suspicious and not question why an 8 year old girl was riding a motorcycle by herself.
As they stopped at a red light, Sari decided to finally let her curiosity free. But she knew this was a sensitive subject and hoped she could ask in the nicest way possible.
"Prowl? I know this is personal and it's none of my business but.....I gotta ask you about-" Prowl cut her off.
"You want to know more about Mantis." He said as a statement more than a question.
Sari nodded. "I know you don't wanna dig too deep but....how did you meet her? I mean, you said before that......" she paused afraid that maybe she was starting to sound a bit rude.
"No, you are correct, Sari. She isn't related to me biologically. But I would still proudly call her my sister regardless of our different heritage." Prowl said and continued to ride as the light turned green.
"Sooooo if you aren't related then how'd you meet her?" Sari asked.
Prowl then sighed. "Not here." He told her. He then drove off the road and drove into the forest nearby. Soon, after driving over a bumpy barely usable trail of sorts, they arrived at a clearing in the forest. Sari got off Prowl, allowing him to transform back into his bipedal form.
"Nice place." Sari said.
Prowl nodded and sat down below the shade of a tree comfortably. "You asked how I met my sister."
Sari nodded.
Prowl patted the area beside him. "It's a long story; you might want to sit down for this."
For once, Sari did as she was told.
Prowl closed his optics as the memories flooded back into his processor, as though the wall of a dam had finally been removed after so long. He still remembered it all as though it happened only yesterday.
The regrets.
The pain.
The grief.
The happiness.
The warmth.
He remembered it all.
Sari decided to give Prowl some time to gather himself, even though she was close to bursting with questions.
Luckily Prowl began before that could happen.
"I believe I should start from the beginning, Sari. It was a long time ago, before I met Prime and the others. It was back on Cybertron when Master Yoketron was still online......"