HOME | DD

Description
A Christmas Story - The Christmas of 1985

It was all Starsceam's fault. Who else would have gotten the brilliant idea of flying in the winter clouds in the middle of the night? And the sleigh obviously didn't have any lights on! Except for the nose of a reindeer shining red, but that doesn't really count. It could have been the eye of any Decepticons. Who would have expected it to be a fleshling's flying sleigh?
Megatron sat up, examining what was a vehicle just a few seconds ago. Thundercracker and Skywarp were chasing the runaway reindeer, Starscream was searching for the missing half of his broken left wing.
The fleshling was angry and nervous. He only flew one night a year and on that one night
his sleigh was hit by some careless robots? And he blamed the leader, called him an „irresponsible, selfish, untrustworthy piece of scrap metal" who cannot even care for his second-in-command.
„I don't need Megatron to take care of me!" Starscream protested, still looking the remains of his wing. The fleshling ignored him.
„I accuse you, Megatron, Leader of the Decepticons. I am in a hurry and your minion has damaged my sleigh."
The large silver mech could not tell why he felt uncomfortable when the fleshling looked at him like this. Did he feel guilty? Not likely. Was he scared of the man? Not at all. What was it, then?
„Take your flying deer and go home, fleshling" he said. The man laughed.
„Do you think you get away this easily?" he replied. „I need somebody to help me deliver all the gifts. And don't look at the Seekers like that, because it will be your task to do."
Megatron wished that he could refuse, but apparently, he couldn't.

They visited all Earth that night. They flew from East to West, North to South, and backwards. They stopped by every chimney, and left a gift for every good person all around the world. They witnessed different Christmas customsbut eachchild who spotted them flying through the dark sky had the same look of joy and wonder.
The fleshling delivered the different bags and boxes with a visible happiness and pride, and when they had a little time on their own, he often talked about the roots of the customs they've seen, and the history of Christmas from the birth of Jesus Christ. Megatron was silent for most of the time, taking this humiliation with dignity. He pretended that he didn't care. He pretended not to be there at all.

„You think this is a silly human habit, don't you?" the fleshling smiled. „Lucky for you, it's not. Take a break now, my friend. You won't have to come with me to the next place. I understand if you wouldn't..."
„Where to?" Megatron interrupted, as if he wanted to show how little he needed the fleshling's sympathy and understanding.
„Mount St. Hilary."
Megatron nodded silently. This night was cursed anyhow.
From the air, the top of the volcano seemed rather chimney-like, and while he was waiting on the top of the hill, the Decepticon leader could see the Autobots and some humans celebrating Christmas. Ironhide and Ratchet have been still struggling with the turkey-baking project, Spike was talking to Bumblebee, while Wheeljack was fighting with the lights (later Inferno and Ironhide came to the rescue), Sparkplug was helping Optimus Prime decorate the tree. Megatron couldn't help but giggle at them: he'd never seen his enemies from this aspect before, and he hoped he'd never have to pay a visit like this again. Not that it was a boring sight (Grimlock has just toppled the tree on Prime) but he didn't want to be spotted. This was the Autobots' little world he was watching – something he would happily blow up with his fusion cannon or whatever weapon was available. But it seemed he was not needed: a few more sparklers from Wheeljack, and all he'll have to do is to write an obituary for the Autobots before taking over Earth and all its energy sources.
Later when they were visiting normal earthling families again, the fleshling asked whether he wanted to know what's in the boxes they've been carrying all night. The Decepticon ignored the question, but was honestly shocked to hear the answer.
„So... you mean... there's a toy of ME?"
„Isn't that fascinating?"
„NO!"
„But I bet you'd like to hold a figure of..., like, Starscream? Or Optimus! His figure needs a little more work on it, though..."
„I'm still not impressed."
The fleshling chuckled. „You should be. Hey! Hasbro's design apartment is getting a whole set of new figures, do you want to check it out?"
Megatron sighed: resistence was futile.

As morning lights filled the Eastern sky with beautiful colors, an exhausted piece of silver-shining metal arrived at the North Pole. He was no longer fighting against the fleshling, he was simply glad that it was all over. They completed their mission on schedule, delivered that incredible load of Christmas presents, witnessed the joy of so many families, saw the happiness on children's faces as they unwrapped their long-awaited toys. It was a rather odd sensation, especially the sight of young boys playing with their tiny and not so life-accurate Megatron toys.
The reindeer were already at home, watching the replacement „sleigh" landing in the white snow. The fleshling got off, and turned to wave goodbye. To his surprise, the Decepticon leader didn't march away as soon as he could, but stayed there, curiously looking around at the place.
„So you do this once every year, and then spend the rest of your time here, waiting for it to happen again?"
„Preparing" the fleshling corrected. „Did you like what you saw?"
That was not the real question. The real question would have been „Are you willing to admit that you liked what you saw?" but the fleshling was polite enough not to ask it this way.
„It was bearable. Tell me, fleshling: can you still change something about what we saw?"
The fleshling looked at the Decepticon leader slightly confused. „What do you want to be changed?"
„I want a larger cannon for that Galvatron figure in the sketches we delivered to the last but one stop. And darker colours on Trypticon."
The fleshling nodded with a gently smile. „Consider it done, my friend" he said. „Is there anything else you have to say?"
Megatron shook his head. He just wanted to get back to the base after this nightmare.
„Very well, then, Megatron. See you next year, my friend!"
With a smile, he disappeared in the thin air, before Megatron could have grabbed him to ask what he meant by „next year". He already realised that this trip was his present, the first Christmas gift he ever recieved. This was a one-of-a-kind sensation. Can it be repeated ever again?

Description
A Christmas Story - The Christmas of 1985

It was all Starsceam's fault. Who else would have gotten the brilliant idea of flying in the winter clouds in the middle of the night? And the sleigh obviously didn't have any lights on! Except for the nose of a reindeer shining red, but that doesn't really count. It could have been the eye of any Decepticons. Who would have expected it to be a fleshling's flying sleigh?
Megatron sat up, examining what was a vehicle just a few seconds ago. Thundercracker and Skywarp were chasing the runaway reindeer, Starscream was searching for the missing half of his broken left wing.
The fleshling was angry and nervous. He only flew one night a year and on that one night
his sleigh was hit by some careless robots? And he blamed the leader, called him an „irresponsible, selfish, untrustworthy piece of scrap metal" who cannot even care for his second-in-command.
„I don't need Megatron to take care of me!" Starscream protested, still looking the remains of his wing. The fleshling ignored him.
„I accuse you, Megatron, Leader of the Decepticons. I am in a hurry and your minion has damaged my sleigh."
The large silver mech could not tell why he felt uncomfortable when the fleshling looked at him like this. Did he feel guilty? Not likely. Was he scared of the man? Not at all. What was it, then?
„Take your flying deer and go home, fleshling" he said. The man laughed.
„Do you think you get away this easily?" he replied. „I need somebody to help me deliver all the gifts. And don't look at the Seekers like that, because it will be your task to do."
Megatron wished that he could refuse, but apparently, he couldn't.

They visited all Earth that night. They flew from East to West, North to South, and backwards. They stopped by every chimney, and left a gift for every good person all around the world. They witnessed different Christmas customsbut eachchild who spotted them flying through the dark sky had the same look of joy and wonder.
The fleshling delivered the different bags and boxes with a visible happiness and pride, and when they had a little time on their own, he often talked about the roots of the customs they've seen, and the history of Christmas from the birth of Jesus Christ. Megatron was silent for most of the time, taking this humiliation with dignity. He pretended that he didn't care. He pretended not to be there at all.

„You think this is a silly human habit, don't you?" the fleshling smiled. „Lucky for you, it's not. Take a break now, my friend. You won't have to come with me to the next place. I understand if you wouldn't..."
„Where to?" Megatron interrupted, as if he wanted to show how little he needed the fleshling's sympathy and understanding.
„Mount St. Hilary."
Megatron nodded silently. This night was cursed anyhow.
From the air, the top of the volcano seemed rather chimney-like, and while he was waiting on the top of the hill, the Decepticon leader could see the Autobots and some humans celebrating Christmas. Ironhide and Ratchet have been still struggling with the turkey-baking project, Spike was talking to Bumblebee, while Wheeljack was fighting with the lights (later Inferno and Ironhide came to the rescue), Sparkplug was helping Optimus Prime decorate the tree. Megatron couldn't help but giggle at them: he'd never seen his enemies from this aspect before, and he hoped he'd never have to pay a visit like this again. Not that it was a boring sight (Grimlock has just toppled the tree on Prime) but he didn't want to be spotted. This was the Autobots' little world he was watching – something he would happily blow up with his fusion cannon or whatever weapon was available. But it seemed he was not needed: a few more sparklers from Wheeljack, and all he'll have to do is to write an obituary for the Autobots before taking over Earth and all its energy sources.
Later when they were visiting normal earthling families again, the fleshling asked whether he wanted to know what's in the boxes they've been carrying all night. The Decepticon ignored the question, but was honestly shocked to hear the answer.
„So... you mean... there's a toy of ME?"
„Isn't that fascinating?"
„NO!"
„But I bet you'd like to hold a figure of..., like, Starscream? Or Optimus! His figure needs a little more work on it, though..."
„I'm still not impressed."
The fleshling chuckled. „You should be. Hey! Hasbro's design apartment is getting a whole set of new figures, do you want to check it out?"
Megatron sighed: resistence was futile.

As morning lights filled the Eastern sky with beautiful colors, an exhausted piece of silver-shining metal arrived at the North Pole. He was no longer fighting against the fleshling, he was simply glad that it was all over. They completed their mission on schedule, delivered that incredible load of Christmas presents, witnessed the joy of so many families, saw the happiness on children's faces as they unwrapped their long-awaited toys. It was a rather odd sensation, especially the sight of young boys playing with their tiny and not so life-accurate Megatron toys.
The reindeer were already at home, watching the replacement „sleigh" landing in the white snow. The fleshling got off, and turned to wave goodbye. To his surprise, the Decepticon leader didn't march away as soon as he could, but stayed there, curiously looking around at the place.
„So you do this once every year, and then spend the rest of your time here, waiting for it to happen again?"
„Preparing" the fleshling corrected. „Did you like what you saw?"
That was not the real question. The real question would have been „Are you willing to admit that you liked what you saw?" but the fleshling was polite enough not to ask it this way.
„It was bearable. Tell me, fleshling: can you still change something about what we saw?"
The fleshling looked at the Decepticon leader slightly confused. „What do you want to be changed?"
„I want a larger cannon for that Galvatron figure in the sketches we delivered to the last but one stop. And darker colours on Trypticon."
The fleshling nodded with a gently smile. „Consider it done, my friend" he said. „Is there anything else you have to say?"
Megatron shook his head. He just wanted to get back to the base after this nightmare.
„Very well, then, Megatron. See you next year, my friend!"
With a smile, he disappeared in the thin air, before Megatron could have grabbed him to ask what he meant by „next year". He already realised that this trip was his present, the first Christmas gift he ever recieved. This was a one-of-a-kind sensation. Can it be repeated ever again?