//------------------------------// // Wheelie // Story: Life in Allspark Wells // by The FraudulentBrit //------------------------------// Life in Allspark Wells Part 3; Wheelie “Go long boy!” Apple Bloom enthusiastically ordered as she tossed a ball off towards the distance, sending Sparkplug chasing the small toy. Sure enough, the little black terrier managed to find and fetch the ball before returning to his owner. Giggling, the former farm girl knelt down as she began to rub Sparkplug and asked, “Who’s a good boy? Who’s a good boy?” As Apple Bloom showered Sparkplug with affection, she allowed her memory to remember the previous day’s misadventure and how her friends helped her reinvent her look. Now she felt like an almost entirely new girl, one ready to take on the world. Of course, tomorrow was the start of a new school week, meaning that she’d need to charge once more into the fray of high school. Sighing to herself, the former farm girl picked up Sparkplug as she lamented, “Guess things are still wearin’ me down a bit. At least you’re still here for me, right little guy?” Sure enough, the black terrier let out an affectionate bark as he licked Apple Bloom’s face. Letting out a gentle laugh, the burgundy haired girl remarked, “Alright then. Let’s get you somethin’ to eat.” The Living Room… Entering the living room, Apple Bloom was pleasantly surprised to see Sideswipe and Chromia playing chess against each other as Ironhide and Ratchet watched on. As the pale biker moved one of her bishops, the family matriarch remarked, “Good move.” She then countered this by moving blocking it with a pawn. As the two women continued their game, Ratchet leaned into his boss and asked, “Who do you think’ll win?” For his part, Ironhide shrugged as he replied, “I’m not dumb enough to take sides on a battle like this.” Walking up to her family Apple Bloom sat down next to her uncle on the couch and placed Sparkplug on the ground as she asked, “What’s up?” Smiling, Ironhide gently replied, “Not much. Just one of the most intense games of chess I’ve seen in a while.” He then asked, “Sparkplug get plenty of exercise?” Before Apple Bloom could answer, Sparkplug let out an enthusiastic bark as he leapt up onto Ironhide’s lap and began to make himself comfortable, leading the old scrapper to remark, “Guess that answers my question.” Apple Bloom was so distracted by Sparkplug’s antics that she barely registered Sideswipe enthusiastically leaping up from her seat as she squealed, “Yes! Checkmate!” Turning to face her sister, the former farm girl found Sideswipe straightening her vest as she confidently remarked, “I knew I’d win.” For her part, Chromia let out a gentle chuckle as she admitted, “You win fair and square. Just don’t get carried away with it.” Upon hearing this, Ratchet’s eyes lit up as he remarked, “Speaking of getting carried away, where’s Wheeljack?” Turning to the older medic, Apple Bloom replied, “Ah haven’t seen him since….” Pausing, the former farm girl realized that she hadn’t actually seen him since the night before. Processing her realization, Apple Bloom simply answered, “Ah haven’t seen him today.” Sideswipe then remarked, “I haven’t seen Wheeljack today either.” As Ironhide and Ratchet turned to her, the pale biker continued, “At first I just thought I was just not paying attention, but now that you mention it, I haven’t seen him all day.” Chromia herself even replied, “And while I do appreciate how things have been kinda quiet around here today, I am kinda worried about him.” No sooner had those words escaped Chromia’s mouth than Wheeljack trudged right into the living room. Staring at him, Apple Bloom could make out the dark circles under his eyes, betraying his exhaustion. This, combined with the maverick mechanic’s hunched over position and the fact that he seemed to completely ignore everyone else, was not like Wheeljack at all. Before she could say anything, Ratchet stood up from his seat and approached his old friend, inquiring, “Hey Wheeljack! Where’ve you been?” Turning to face the old medic, Wheeljack replied, “Busy.” Apple Bloom immediately thought to herself, ‘That’s odd. Wheeljack isn’t normally this blunt or unenthusiastic.’ After all, Wheeljack was known for enthusiastic declarations of excitement or entertaining rants filled with profanity. But merely declaring that he was busy? That wasn’t like the maverick mechanic at all. Before Apple Bloom could ponder any further, Ratchet spoke up with, “I noticed you’ve been seemingly avoiding us today.” The old medic then pointed up towards the ceiling as he continued, “Especially the day after a particularly nasty thunderstorm.” When Wheeljack gave a confused look, Ratchet further elaborated, “Which, if I may, is something I remember happened several months ago. Specifically….” Now pointing straight at his friend’s chest, Ratchet finished with, “If my memory isn’t incorrect, is about the time you first created that walking bucket of bolts Wreck-Gar.” It was at this moment, Apple Bloom noticed that Wheeljack was growing suspiciously nervous, even beginning to show signs that he might be starting to sweat. Gulping in fear, the maverick mechanic nervously asked, “Wh-what are you getting at Ratchet?!” “You made another robot, didn’t you?” For several moments, everyone stood there, completely dumbfounded by Ratchet’s accusation. Apple Bloom found herself thinking, ‘That’s kinda odd. How can Ratchet come to that sort of conclusion?’ Even Ironhide, normally one to call out Wheeljack’s shenanigans, stood up and turned to the old medic as he warned, “That’s quite the accusation Ratchet. What makes you think that Wheeljack did something like that just because last night was a thund……” The family patriarch was interrupted by Wheeljack stomping his foot as he pointed at Ratchet and defended himself with a furious, “Oh come on! I can’t believe you Ratchet! We’ve known each other for what, twenty-five…. Thirty years?! You’d have to be crazy to think I’d do something that stupid again!” However, Apple Bloom wasn’t focusing on Wheeljack’s words. Instead, she was distracted by what was sneaking into the living room. Because there, walking in right behind Wheeljack, was a small waist high robot carrying a box of railroad spikes. Rather than a bronze cyclops like Wreck-Gar, this pint sized promethean had a relatively small body, two arms that each had a hand with two fingers and a thumb, short legs that ended in bird-like feet with flipped up wheels on the back, and most uniquely, a very long neck with exposed wires and a simple head that consisted solely of binocular shaped eyes. All Apple Bloom could think to herself was, ‘Huh. That little guy looks kinda cute.’ Wheeljack, on the other hand, hadn’t noticed the small robot entering the living room. Instead, he was continuing his rant, rambling, “To think that I, Wheeljack, would dare to do the same thing as create another Wreck-Gar is ludicrous! I would never….” He was interrupted by the small robot tugging on his jumpsuit as it, in an adorably high-pitched voice, innocently asked, “Excuse me? Where did you say you wanted these spikes again?” Without missing a beat, Wheeljack pointed back to the door as he bluntly yet calmly answered, “I told you to take it to the smelting pits.” Nodding, the little robot cheerfully replied, “Okie dokie boss!” As the little robot began to walk away, Wheeljack returned his focus to the others and resumed his rant with, “I would never, ever, in a million years….” However, as the other three adults and even Sideswipe gave him a disapproving look, the maverick mechanic, realizing that he had not only lied to everyone but also put his foot into his mouth, could only defeatedly mutter, “Make another one exactly like Wreck-Gar?” It was at this moment that Wheeljack knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he had screwed up. Turning to the small robot, Wheeljack nervously blurted out, “We’ve been found out Wheelie! Run for it!” Both maverick mechanic and pint sized promethean darted out the living room door and, as far as Apple Bloom could figure, fleeing back to Wheeljack’s workshop, with the small robot dropping his box of spikes on the floor. After a few moments of confusion, Ironhide sighed in resignation as he quipped, “Well, here we go again.” As he sighed in resignation, Apple Bloom made her way to the spilled railroad spikes and began to pick them up as she remarked, “So…. Wheeljack made another one. Ah don’t know about you guys but, now that it’s happened, Ah’m not too surprised.” Even Sideswipe couldn’t help but remark, “Sheesh. Maybe he has like a Primus complex or something?” Taking a deep breath, Ironhide made his way to the spilled spikes and bent down as he said, “Alright then. Once we clean up this mess here, I think I’ll have a word with him. Anyone wanna come along?” Wheeljack’s Workshop “Wheeljack?” Ironhide called out as Apple Bloom and Sideswipe stood behind him. As the family patriarch knocked on the door, the former farm girl turned to her sister as she asked, “How much do you think Uncle Ironhide will tear into his ass?” Shrugging, Sideswipe simply answered, “Probably enough to make a good sandwich.” At that moment, the workshop door opened, revealing the bronze cyclops that was Wreck-Gar. Tilting his head, the metallic man asked, “Good to see you sir. Anything I can do for you?” Folding his arms, Ironhide answered, “I need to have a word with Wheeljack.” Sighing, Wreck-Gar shook his head as he replied, “Come on in sir. I suppose we can all talk about my new brothers.” As the bronze cyclops pulled the door open, he called out, “Master Wheeljack? Master Ironhide and the girls are here, and I think they’d like to have a word with our new companions.” Sure enough, Wheeljack emerged from the back of his workshop and nervously began to scratch the back of his neck as he began, “So…. I take it you’re not particularly happy with me over….” He was interrupted by Ironhide remarking, “You made another robot. And from Wreck-Gar’s choice of words, I’m gonna say you made more than one.” Sighing in defeat, Wheeljack relented and admitted, “Ok fine. I got a little antsy and decided to….” For a few moments, the maverick mechanic tried to think of just what to say, but eventually, he gave up and turned his head to call out, “Come on out boys. The jig is up.” It was at this moment that two small robots emerged from the back of the workshop and made their way up to the group. One of them was the same little promethean that Apple Bloom recognized from earlier. The other was nearly identical, but it lacked the retractable wheels on its legs, had an additional block on the back of its head and, if Apple Bloom’s eyes weren’t deceiving her, two glass circles in front of its eyes resembling glasses. Taking a deep breath, Wheeljack gestured to the two robots as he introduced them with, “Ironhide, girls, these are Wheelie and Brains.” As everyone took this in, the robot with makeshift glasses, Brains if Apple Bloom remembered correctly, approached the group and introduced himself, “’Greetin’s everyone. Me name’s Brains, and I’m the brains of this little operation.” His unique accent reminded everyone of Wheeljack’s father Queue. Intrigued, Sideswipe remarked, “Your voice, it kinda sounds like….” “That of a true fenian me boyo.” The small robot confidently interrupted. “I tink Mr. Wheeljack was tinkin’ of his da when he made me.” As Sideswipe knelt down to better look him face to face, Brains leant into her ear and pointed towards Wreck-Gar as he quipped, “Between you and me, I tink that Sassenbach over there has it in for me.” Upon hearing this, Wreck-Gar stomped over to Brains as he sternly warned, “What have I told you about that word?” Rather than apologize, the bespectacled robot crossed his arms as he defiantly replied, “Ah, shove it Bodach!” Needless to say, Wreck-Gar began to grow tense as he did something no one expected such a well-behaved butler to do. Wreck-Gar stuck his nose (or made the motions of sticking his nose) in the air as he petulantly remarked, “Bollocks face.” As everyone took this in, Brains pointed his finger at Wreck-Gar and further remarked, “Dick weed!” Wreck-Gar then pointed right back at brains as he snottily said, “Bogtrotter!” Wheelie simply pressed his finger right up to Wreck-Gar’s eye as he practically shouted, “Gobshite!” As everyone took in the sight of Wreck-Gar and Brains calling each other names, Wheeljack cleared his throat as he nervously admitted, “Yeah, I’ve been having trouble with those two.” Turning his attention back to the fighting robots, Ironhide couldn’t help but sarcastically reply, “I didn’t notice.” Instead of being concerned, however, Apple Bloom and Sideswipe were too busy laughing at the sight of Brains and Wreck-Gar squabbling at each other like little kids. Apple Bloom’s fit of laughter was distracted when she felt something poking her on her leg. Turning to see what it was, the former farm girl found herself looking straight down at Wheelie, the small promethean looking up to her in curiosity. Bending down to face him, Apple Bloom greeted him with a gentle, “Guess we better introduce each other. Ah’m Apple Bloom.” “Uh….” Wheelie nervously began, clearly growing nervous. Letting out a loud gulp (Which Apple Bloom found herself wondering just how that was possible), the small robot extended his hand as he replied, “I’m Wheelie.” As the former farm girl firmly shook his hand, Wheelie awkwardly continued, “I like your skirt.” Feeling flattered, Apple Bloom replied, “Why thank you kindly. It’s actually a kilt.” Tilting his head, Wheelie asked, “Ooh! That’s a funny word. Kilt. Kilt. Kilt kilt kilt.” As the little robot continued repeating the word kilt to himself, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but remark, “Awh. He’s so adorable.” The moment of adorableness was ruined when Wheeljack interrupted with a stern, “Ok everyone. Now that you’ve meet the boys, I think I need to make sure Wreck-Gar and Brains don’t tear each other apart.” Just as the maverick mechanic said this, Brains darted away to one of the workshop’s many hidden hiding places as Wreck-Gar shouted, “Get back here you provisional punk!” Ironhide himself let out a gentle chuckle as he ordered, “Come on girls. Let’s let Wheeljack clean up his mess.” Turning to face his boss and friend, Wheeljack asked, “What? You’re not gonna help me?” The family patriarch shook his head as he replied, “This is your mess buddy. Besides, you have more experience with these boys than I do.” Though somewhat annoyed, the maverick mechanic relented as he admitted, “Good point.” With that little matter settled, Ironhide turned to his daughters as he said, “Alright girls, you better make sure you have everything ready for school tomorrow.” Nodding, Apple Bloom relented as she replied, “Yes sir.” With that, both Apple Bloom and Sideswipe departed the workshop, all while Ironhide remarked to himself, “First Wreck-Gar, now twins. There’s no way Wheeljack’s gonna keep this under wraps.” Apple Bloom’s Room, Early The Next Morning…. Looking at herself in her bedroom mirror, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but like what she saw in the mirror. After a good night’s sleep, the former farm girl had woken up with the energy to take on the world and had changed into her new outfit consisting of a red over the shoulder shirt, black tank top, dark green and blue kilt, and black boots. Smirking to herself, she couldn’t help but remark, “Girl, you look smokin’.” Before she could continue, her stomach began to rumble. Laughing to herself, Apple Bloom remarked, “Better head down and get some breakfast. With that, she made her way out of her bedroom, leaving her messenger bag behind. The Kitchen… Making her way down to the kitchen, Apple Bloom greeted the sight of Chromia and Sideswipe with a warm, “Mornin’ everyone!” Chromia returned the favor with a gentle, “Morning Apple Bloom. You sleep well?” Nodding, the former farm girl replied, “Ah slept like a baby.” She then asked, “Need a hand with anythin’?” Smiling, the family matriarch answered, “Would you mind helping with the eggs?” As Apple Bloom made her way to the fridge to get some eggs, Sideswipe joyfully squealed, “Guess what Apple Bloom? I got permission from the school to drive my bike to school!” Turning to face her sister, the former farm girl enthusiastically replied, “That’s awesome!” Nodding, the pale biker continued, “And that is why the two of us are gonna go in style.” The two girls’ playful banter was interrupted by Chromia warning, “Alright now girls. You better make sure you don’t go on an empty stomach.” After a few minutes, Apple Bloom had fried up some eggs while Sideswipe had made some toast and poured some glasses of juice. As the two girls ate their breakfast, Chromia inquired, “Aren’t you forgetting anything Apple Bloom?” Swallowing her mouth full, the former farm girl replied, “Ah don’t think so. Ah’ve got everythin’ all set in mah….” It was here that she realized something. “Mah Backpack!” The former farm girl realized as she stood up from her seat. “Ah forgot mah backpack!” Starting to panic just a bit, Apple Bloom immediately dashed towards the stairwell and back towards her room. Seeing her messenger bag resting next to her writing desk, she let out a sigh of relief as she remarked, “There you are. Almost lost mah cool there.” With one fell swoop, the burgundy haired girl scooped up her backpack and brought it downstairs, hoping she could finish her breakfast before Sideswipe could think about leaving her behind. Iacon High School… Pulling her bike up to one of the many parking spaces for older students, Sideswipe powered down her motorcycle as she confidently boasted, “See? I told you I’d get us here in no time!” Rising up from the side car, Apple Bloom let out an amused chuckle as she replied, “Alright, Ah’ll give you that. Ah better be headin’ off to class. See ya later!” Nodding, the pale biker bade her sister farewell as she replied, “Stay out of trouble Apple Bloom.” As Apple Bloom made her way into the school and passed through the front door, she found herself taking a deep breath as she mentally took stock of the day’s schedule. ‘Ok, startin’ today you go to first period rather than homeroom, which means you gotta deal with Mr. Compost.’ The moment her biology teacher’s name rang in her mind, the former farm girl found herself shuddering as she internally groaned, ‘Please don’t let him be eatin’ some piece of fruit again.’ However, as she began to make her way down one of the school’s many hallways, Apple Bloom realized something that she’d been too busy or rushed to before; her messenger bag was heavier than normal. “Ugh. Feels like Ah’m carryin’ a ton of bricks in this thing.” The former farm girl complained to herself as she stopped to open her backpack to see what was wrong. “Ah don’t understand, Ah packed everythin’ last night. Did Ah put somethin’ else in here in mah sleep?” She received her answer when, as she opened her messenger bag, a certain long necked, binocular headed robot sprang out as he happily squealed, “Hi Apple Bloom!” Caught completely off guard, Apple Bloom dropped her backpack as she nearly screamed, “Gah!” After a moment to process what had just happened, the former farm girl could only incredulously ask, “Wheelie?” The small robot crawled out of the messenger bag as he groaned, “Hey, what was that for?” Apple Bloom wasn’t paying attention to Wheelie’s complaint. Instead, she was panicking at the realization that, not only had one of Wheeljack’s robots had snuck to school with her, but that she didn’t even notice it until it was too late. ‘Oh no.’ the former farm girl thought to herself. ‘Ah can’t believe Ah was stupid enough to not realize why mah backpack was so heavy.’ “Uh…. Apple Bloom?” Wheelie’s squeaky voice inquired, snapping the former farm girl out of her mini panic attack. Refocusing her effort on the small robot, Apple Bloom found herself staring into Wheelie’s eyes as he continued, “You alright there? You look like you’ve seen someone get eaten by a lion.” It was at this moment, just as eyes were starting to focus on them, that Apple Bloom did the only thing she could think of. She scooped up Wheelie, shoved him back into her backpack, and ran straight to the nearest single stall bathroom she could find. Once she found a secluded bathroom, Apple Bloom frantically opened her messenger bag, allowing Wheelie to stretch his neck as he complained, “Sheesh Apple Bloom. What’s your problem?” Allowing her fear to turn into frustration, the former farm girl angrily replied, “Mah problem? What the hell are you doin’ here?” Crawling out of the messenger bag, Wheelie simply replied, “I wanted to go to school with you.” For a moment, Apple Bloom stood there, barely able to fully comprehend just what Wheelie had said. ‘No way.’ The former farm girl thought to herself. ‘There’s no way he is this dumb or impulsive.’ Shaking her head in disbelief, Apple Bloom could only utter a stunned and confused, “What?” Walking up to his new friend, Wheelie explained, “I said I wanted to come to school with you.” He then began to fidget his hands as he lamented, “I’ve spent my whole life locked up in the workshop, and when Wheeljack explained that you go to school all day, I kinda thought I’d like to see what it was like.” Taking a deep breath, Wheelie looked up to the former farm girl as he asked, “You don’t mind, do you?” Looking down at Wheelie, Apple Bloom groaned as she asked, “First of all, what do you mean “All your life?” Weren’t you made like yesterday?” As the small robot began to step backwards in fear, the former farm girl continued, “And you just decided to sneak into mah backpack without askin’ mah permission? What were you possibly thinkin?!” Apple Bloom then took a moment to catch her breath as she continued, “Just…. You do know that Wheeljack doesn’t even let Wreck-Gar leave the chop shop. What could possess you to do this? And you do know that Wheeljack will probably be angry with not just you, but possibly me as well?” Continuing to fidget his hands, Wheelie looked down in shame as he lamented, “Well, I guess I calculated the odds that this whole thing would go smoothly over the chances that this was a stupid idea and I’d make someone angry, and…. I went ahead and did it anyway.” Groaning, Apple Bloom leant against the bathroom wall and slunk down to the ground as she complained, “Well, ain’t this just prime?” As she sat down, the former farm girl began to think over her situation. ‘Ok, Ah’ve got Wheelie here with me. If anyone sees him, it’ll cause a ruckuss. If Ah call uncle Ironhide or Wheeljack, both of us could get in trouble. And Ah don’t think there’s anywhere Ah can hide him.’ Apple Bloom was distracted from her internal panic as Wheelie tugged at her arm and said, “I’m sorry I hid in your backpack Apple Bloom.” Sighing to herself, the former farm girl replied, “Thanks for apologizin’.” Standing back up, she continued, “Now then, Ah can’t say anythin’ for when we get home, but Ah think there is one thing we can do for now.” Walking over to her messenger bag, Apple Bloom finished with, “If you keep quiet, then you can at least hear everythin’ Ah go through today.” Wheelie squealed as he exclaimed, “Oh thank you Apple Bloom!” He then climbed into her messenger bag as he enthusiastically continued, “This is gonna be so much fun!” Apple Bloom herself couldn’t help but chuckle at the small robot’s enthusiasm as she straightened her messenger bag as she replied, “Alrighty then. We better head off, or else we’re gonna be late.” Mr. Compost’s Room… Making her way to her seat, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but sigh as she complained, “Ugh. At this rate mah back is gonna give out.” Sitting down, the former farm girl couldn’t help but remark, “Ah don’t know whether to complement Wheeljack’s engineerin’ or ask him to make somethin’ lighter.’ Setting her messenger bag on her lap, Apple Bloom made sure to open it just enough to both see inside and pull out her biology textbook while making sure not to expose Wheelie. As she placed her textbook on the desk, Apple Bloom heard the now familiar voice of Mr. Compost call out, “Greetings fellow citizens of the world!” Turning to face him, the former farm girl found her teacher entering the classroom as he munched on a yellow bell pepper. As he passed her, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but think to herself, ‘If he’s gonna do that, then the least he could do is not smack so loud.’ Setting the now half eaten pepper on his desk, Mr. Compost began, “Alright now. Today’s we will be picking up where we left off last week with….” A Few Hours Later…. Allowing her messenger bag to gently slide down to the ground, Apple Bloom let out a sigh of relief as she groaned to herself, “Alright. Two classes down, two to go.” So far, she’d made it through Biology and English class, and during that time, Wheelie had managed to behave himself, not even making as much as a peep. If she could get through the rest of the day, then the worst the former farm girl would have to deal with was Wheeljack, and given how he made Wheelie in the first place, she was confident that she could at least temper any frustration he had. As she prepared to take a bite from her sandwich, Apple Bloom was distracted by the sound of a familiar boy’s voice calling out, “I see you’ve reinvented yourself Apple Bloom.” Turning to see who it was, the former farm girl was greeted by the pleasant sight of her boyfriend Tender Taps carrying a lunch tray of his own. As he sat down, the orange boy complimented, “I like it.” Smiling as she began to blush, Apple Bloom replied, “Thanks Tendy. How’s your day been?” As he sat down next to his girlfriend, Tender Taps replied, “Pretty good. Nothing terrible but nothing really exceptional.” Upon hearing this, the former farm girl replied, “At least that mean’s nothin’ bad.” Smiling, Tender Taps asked, “What about you? How’s your day been?” For a brief moment, Apple Bloom didn’t know just how to explain her current predicament regarding Wheelie to her boyfriend. After all, Wheeljack’s robots were something that, as far as she knew, had never been perfected before and could make some people uncomfortable. Of course, at the same time, Apple Bloom thought to herself, ‘Well, Tender Taps does know about Wreck-Gar, and we promised we wouldn’t hide anythin’ from each other.’ Taking a deep breath, the former farm girl decided to let her boyfriend in on her current predicament. “Actually, Mah day has been kinda hectic.” As Tender Taps gave a confused look, Apple Bloom continued, “You know how Wheeljack made Wreck-Gar? Well, he did it again, only with two smaller robots named Brains and Wheelie. And one of them, Wheelie, thought it was a smart enough decision to sneak into mah backpack so he could follow me to school today.” For a moment, Tender Taps sat there, completely caught off guard by his girlfriend’s revelation. Eventually, he managed to regain some composure as he asked, “Wait, you mean Wheeljack made more of those robots? And one of them is with you right now?” As he said this, a large smile formed on his face as the orange dancer exclaimed, “That is so awesome!” Feeling relieved that her boyfriend wasn’t upset at her, Apple Bloom allowed herself to smile as she continued, “Hold on. Let me see if he’d like to meet you.” With this, the former farm girl reached for her messenger bag and began to pick it up, only to realize something. Her bag had been opened, revealing that Wheelie wasn’t there. “Oh shit!” Apple Bloom glumly said to herself as she realized that she was now in a world of trouble. As she picked up her messenger bag, Tender Taps nervously asked, “What happened?” Turning to face her boyfriend, the former farm girl nervously replied, “He’s gone! Wheelie must have run off somewhere!” Now starting to panic, Apple Bloom began to panic as she continued, “Oh no! This is bad. This is really, really bad!” Taking his girlfriend’s hand, Tender Taps reassured her, “Don’t worry. If he ran off, he couldn’t have gotten far.” Allowing herself to calm down a little, Apple Bloom gently replied, “Thanks Tendy.” As the two teens rose to their feet, the former farm girl wondered, “But where could Wheelie have gone?” Before Tender Taps could say anything, a new sound caught their attention; that of a high-pitched voice singing. Indeed, it was, to Apple Bloom at least, a now familiar voice singing, “I’m sitting on top of the wooorrrld. I’m rolling alooooong. Rolling aloooong. And I’m quitting the blues of the wooorrrld. I’m singing a sooooong. Yes, singing a soooong.” It was at this moment that Tender Taps remarked, “I know that song.” Gulping, Apple Bloom replied with, “Ah know that voice.” Both teens looked at each other in a moment of mutual recognition as Tender Taps said, “Doesn’t sound like it’s too far. Come on!” With that, both teens dashed off to the source of the singing. It only took a few moments to find the source of the noise; Nestled in one of the cafeteria corners, they found a group of other kids gathered around one small robot singing an old show tune as he rolled around the floor on his retractable wheels. “Don’t want any millions, I’ve gotten my share.” Wheelie sang as he twirled around on his wheels. “I’ve only got one suit, just one!” He exclaimed as he held out one finger. “That’s all I can weeeeaaaarr.” As Apple Bloom and Tender Taps made their way through the small crowd, Wheelie continued his song, “A bundle of money to make me feel gaaaaayyyy. A sweet little honey, is making me saaaaayyyyy….” At that moment, Apple Bloom managed to make her way to the front of the crowd, now clearly visible to the small robot. Lighting up with excitement, Wheelie squealed with joy as he skated up to the former far girl as he exclaimed, “Hey Apple Bloom! Look at all my new friends!” But Apple Bloom wasn’t happy. If anything, the former farm girl simply glared down at Wheelie, not in anger but rather disappointment. One of the other students, a blue boy with orange hair, tried to diffuse the situation as he complimented, “You know this little dude?” Another student added, “Yeah, he sure can carry a tune.” Yet another student, this one a girl Apple Bloom couldn’t see, called out, “And he’s so adorable!” Looking up to Apple Bloom, Wheelie said, “You see? They like me!” Unfortunately, the festive mood was ruined when the sound of Mr. Compost’s voice rang out, “What’s going on around here?” Turning around in fear, Apple Bloom, Tender Taps, and Wheelie found themselves face to face with the former farm girl’s biology teacher. Walking over to the small promethean, Mr. Compost asked, “And what in the name of Primus almighty is that thing?” Shaking his fists, Wheelie angrily exclaimed, “I’m not a thing. I’m Wheelie!” Pointing back at Mr. Compost, the small robot continued, “How’d you like it if I called you a “thing” or “it?” You wouldn’t like that, would you?” Watching Wheelie stand up to her teacher, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but whisper to herself, “Gotta give the little guy credit for havin’ balls of brass.” Unfortunately, Mr. Compost simply let out an amused chuckle as he turned to the crowd of students as he said, “Ok, I get it. This is some sort of practical joke, right? Someone brought some sort of remote controlled toy for a prank or to show off, right?” As the rest of the crowd stood in silence, Wheelie walked up to Apple Bloom as he continued, “I’m not a toy sir. I told you, I’m Wheelie, and I’m a living thing.” He paused for a brief moment before continuing, “Ok, maybe not biologically. I mean, I’m made of scrap metal, but I can think and feel, so I guess that means I’m alive.” As the gravity of this revelation hit everyone, Mr. Compost asked, “So you really are a….” Nodding, Wheelie interrupted with, “Yup. I’m a living thing.” He then did the one thing that, in hindsight, he shouldn’t have, he turned to the former farm girl as he asked, “Isn’t that right Apple Bloom?” ‘Oh shit!’ Apple Bloom thought to herself. Wheelie may not have revealed anything about how Wheeljack performed his “magic,” but he had very much confirmed a connection between the two of them. Gulping in fear, Apple Bloom could only think, ‘Ah’m screwed.’ Walking up to her, Mr. Compost crossed his arms as he warned, “Well then, I’d like to have a word with you Apple Bloom.” He then pointed to Wheelie, who desperately tried to hide himself from the biology teacher, as he continued, “More specifically, a word with you and your uncle.” It was at this moment that Apple Bloom, Tender Taps, Wheelie, and everyone else around them knew, that the former farm girl and small robot were, as many of them would put it, royally screwed. A Half Hour Later… Sitting in a chair next to the door to one of the school’s conference rooms, Apple Bloom could hear Mr. Compost, Ironhide, and Wheeljack talking with each other. Or more specifically, Mr. Compost lambasting the fact that Wheelie had snuck into the school, Wheeljack was trying to defend his creation’s curiosity, and Ironhide was trying to play peace maker as well as futilely trying to calm the biology teacher down. All in all, the former farm girl felt that she would probably be grounded for the rest of the semester. Feeling something tug on her kilt, Apple Bloom turned her head to see Wheelie looking up to her as he apologized, “I’m sorry I got you in trouble Apple Bloom.” Sighing in resignation, the former farm girl replied, “Ah guess Ah’m at fault too. If Ah just tried to call Uncle Ironhide or Wheeljack about all this, we wouldn’t be here.” She then picked up the small robot as she continued, “Guess this is what happens when you get too scared of causin’ a scene.” Before either Apple Bloom or Wheelie could say anything else, the door opened as Wheeljack stormed out, though not before looking back inside (presumably at Mr. Compost) as he shouted, “You don’t say that about my boy you damn dirty hippie!” Ironhide was the next to emerge from the conference room, resting a hand on his friend’s shoulder as he gently ordered, “That will do Wheeljack.” Finally, Mr. Compost appeared, warning, “You better make sure that abominable pollutant never shows up in my classroom again, or I’ll have it turned into farm equipment!” Wheeljack replied to this threat, much to Ironhide’s annoyance and Apple Bloom and Wheelie’s surprise and amusement, by extending his middle finger and declaring, “Put this in your bong and smoke it!” Needless to say, Mr. Compost simply huffed and walked away. While the maverick mechanic pumped his fists in triumph, Ironhide turned his attention to his daughter. Gulping in fear, Apple Bloom thought to herself, ‘Here we go.’ The former farm girl took a deep breath as she began, “Uncle Ironhide, Ah’m so sorry for….” She was stopped when Ironhide raised his hand, seemingly preparing to scold her for the day’s misadventures. Instead, the family patriarch asked, “Wheelie snuck into your backpack, didn’t he?” Caught off guard by her uncle’s question, Apple Bloom simply nodded as she answered, “Yeah.” As Ironhide bent down to face his daughter face to face, the former farm girl found herself confused as to why he was seeming so lenient. Indeed, Ironhide rested his hand on Apple Bloom’s shoulder as he reassured her, “Don’t worry kid. This isn’t your fault.” As Apple Bloom took this in, Ironhide continued, “I’ll be honest, you were put in a very unfair position today.” He then turned his attention to Wheelie as he added, “Because someone hear was too curious for his own good.” Finally, turning to Wheeljack, Ironhide asked, “Anything you want to say to them?” Facing Apple Bloom first, Wheeljack sighed in resignation as he apologized, “I’m sorry for putting you in this situation Apple Bloom.” Feeling a bit confused but also relieved that she wasn’t seemingly in any trouble, the former farm girl replied, “Thank you Wheeljack.” The maverick mechanic then turned to Wheelie, now allowing frustration to seep from him, as he sternly said, “As for you, you are in a lot of trouble buddy.” Needless to say, Wheeljack said the one thing that everyone expected him to. “You are grounded for the next two weeks buddy.” Sighing, Wheelie simply looked down in shame as he replied, “Yes sir.” Having made his point clear, Wheeljack picked up the small robot as he said, “Now then, I think we better be on our way.” Ironhide nodded as he turned to Apple Bloom and added, “And you better get back to class. We can talk about this when you get home, ok?” Nodding, the burgundy haired girl replied, “See you then Uncle Ironhide.” With that, Apple Bloom made her way to her next class, while Ironhide, Wheeljack, and Wheelie made their way out of the building, hoping to put the day’s shenanigans behind them. The Chop Shop, That Evening… Seated at the kitchen table, Ironhide, Wheeljack, Wheelie, and Apple Bloom wrapped up their brief conversation. The family patriarch focused on his daughter as he asked, “So if something like this happens again, we say…” Apple Bloom answered with an enthusiastic, “We call you and say we “forgot the K-One-Zero.” Nodding, Ironhide replied, “Exactly.” He then added a gentle, “And while I am giving you a pass since Wheelie forced you into this, I would very much appreciate it if this did not happen again.” Apple Bloom let out a sigh of relief and gave a simple, “Yes sir.” Wheeljack then spoke up with, “What about Wheelie?” Turning to the small robot, Ironhide answered, “Since you will not be going anywhere for the next two weeks, I think I can safely say that the two of us will be keeping a close eye on him.” The family patriarch then rose up and said, “Now then, I believe I have KP tonight, so I think Wheelie and I better start getting dinner ready.” He then turned to Apple Bloom and added, “And I think you have some homework to do.” As everyone else rose up from the table, Wheelie asked, “Can I say something to Apple Bloom first?” When Ironhide and Wheeljack nodded, the small robot turned to the burgundy haired girl and said, “I want to say I’m sorry for everything that happened today. You think you can forgive me?” Apple Bloom gave her answer when she pulled him into a tight hug as she replied, “Ah forgive you. Just don’t do somethin’ that impulsive again.” Hugging her back, Wheelie replied, “I promise.” As the two released each other, Apple Bloom added, “And maybe, with Uncle Ironhide’s permission, Ah can show you around town sometime after the next fifteen days.” Squealing with joy, Wheelie replied, “It’s a deal.” He then shook the former farm girl’s hand as he quipped, “I’ll hold you to that.” As Apple Bloom shook his hand, Ironhide spoke up, “Alright now. Come on Wheelie. “We better leave Apple Bloom to do her homework in peace” With that, the former farm girl gave a confirming nod as she made her way to her room. As she entered her bedroom, Apple Bloom found herself looking back over the day’s events. Thinking back, the former farm girl couldn’t help but remark, “Ah don’t quite know why, but that little robot has kinda grown on me.” Indeed, if anything, Wheelie had proven to be friendly and kind, if also curious and impulsive. Taking it all in, Apple Bloom found herself asking, “Ah wonder if this is what it’s like to have a little brother?” With that, Apple Bloom sat down at her desk as she began to pull out her history textbook, hoping she could get some studying done before dinner.