He was walking across the desert, trying to find his friend. It was very hot, his skin was dry and his little feet ached, but he didn\x92t stop. He remembered his mother saying that having four legs is faster (and easier) than two, so he decided to transform. He shut his eyes tight and clenched his teeth. His tried to imagine himself as an animal. He felt pain all over his body as a small blue aura started rising from it. The pain made him kneel on the hot sand. He quit\x85 He was never good at transforming\x85He sniffed, and trying to hold his tears, he picked up his backpack and kept on walking.\xA0\xA0
Finally, it became dark. Exhausted, he sat on the sand, trying g to catch his breath. Feeling the cold tearing through his clothes, he rolled his knees to his chest, and breathed slowly, trying to keep worm. Fire\x85 he needed fire. He reached into his backpack for a book. He found a small one and tore a couple of pages from it. He breathed fired at them. He smiled. Breathing fire is something he can do very well. His home\x92s curtains knew that very well!
During the night, he could hear weird noises from the distance. It must have been from the machine\x92s base, where they built new robots. Maybe that\x92s where his friend went, to be with the rest of his kind. And that\x92s where Jimmy was going! Even though Cleave was unlike the rest of the machines he hoped he\x92d find him there.
\x93Maybe he\x92s trying to convince the machines that we should be friends. That would be so cool! Machines playing with anthros\x94. He smiled.
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How far away from the village was he? His systems knew exactly, but he didn\x92t care\x85 How far away from HER was he? Still not far away. She was still in his mind; he could feel on his lips, he could feel her touch on his metal body. He had to fly further away.
The scream made him turn around.
He spread his wings and with no second thoughts he flew towards the voice.
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\x93This wasn\x92t such a good idea\x85\x94 Jimmy thought as he kept walking into the desert. He was just about to quit \x96 better to leave it up to the adults to find him \x96 when he heart a noise \x96 like a heavy machine. He smiled and run towards the source of the noise, and he saw it. A machine \x96 not big but still bulky \x96 was walking in the sand, probably patrolling the area. As soon as it spotted Jimmy in its sonar, the machine turned slowly to face him. Jimmy was about to smile, but something wasn\x92t right. He saw a light inside its huge canon-arm. The light was getting brighter and brighter as if it was charging. Charging\x85 to shoot at him\x85
With a loud scream, he tried to run away from the machine, but his little feet sank into the sand and made him fall down. He turned around and faced the machine face to face. The light in its canon was much brighter and it was just about to shoot at him when\x85
A large explosion hit the machine and threw it at the ground. Terrified, Jimmy run behind a rock, and looked up to see what caused the explosion. There, above the steaming body of the machine, stood his friend, Cleave. His right arm was turned into a canon and steam was coming out of it. He smiled at Jimmy, but before they could do or say anything, another explosion hit Cleave and sent him a couple of meters backwards.\xA0 Jimmy watched in horror as he saw a large tank approaching the scene.
The tank stopped a few meters away from Cleave\x92s twitching body.\xA0 A hatch opened at the top of the vehicle, and a man showed his face. He was a light brown colored griffin with long black hair tied up. He had a white patch above his right eye. He jumped down on the sand and approached the robot.
\x93Hmm\x85\x94 he said and gave it a slight kick on the sides \x93\x85your weapon works, Steve, but the robot\x92s still functioning!\x94 Another man jumped down from the tank. He was a Razor with light blue growths along his back. \x93Well it\x92s down isn\x92t it? It just needs one shot. Go on, Jesse, finish it\x94.
Jesse aimed at the robot with his gun \x93One machine less\x85\x94
\x93NOOOOOO!!!!\x94 He was just seconds away from pulling the trigger, when out of the blue, he saw a small child running towards them and hugging the robot tight. \x93What the\x85\x94 Jesse couldn\x92t understand what the kid was doing there. And why on earth was he hugging that machine? \x93Please don\x92t hurt him\x85 he\x92s my friend!\x94 At that, the two dragons lost it. Steve laughed.
\x93Kid\x85 that\x92s a machine! It\x92s programmed to kill ya know? So, just get out of the way, and let us do our job\x85\x94 Steve said as he grabbed Jimmy from his sleeve, but Jimmy opened his mouth and breathed fire towards him.
\x93AAAGH! You burned me! He\x85Why you\x85\x94 He reached towards Jimmy but Jesse stopped him. \x93Wait\x85 let\x92s listen to him.\x94 Steve stared at disbelief. \x93Listen to what? It\x92s a machine for heaven\x92s sake! It\x92s down! It only needs one shot!\x94
Jesse looked at the child. He was hugging the robot with his arms and he was crying. \x93Please don\x92t die\x85 please\x85 mommy needs you\x85\x94 Something was going on here. Jesse approached the child and kneeled next to him. He looked at the machine that now stopped twitching.
\x93You say this thing here is your friend?\x94 Jimmy sniffed and nodded. \x93Ok here\x92s what\x85 we\x92ll carry it to our base and see what we can do, ok?\x94 \x93WHAT??\x94 Steve couldn\x92t believe his ears. \x93You say we\x92re gonna FIX the machine?\x94 Jesse nodded him to be quiet. \x93Help me carry the body in the tank. Follow me kid\x94. \x93I can\x92t believe I\x92m doing this\x85 helping out a machine\x85\x94 Steve went on rumbling as he helped Jesse carry the robot inside the tank.
Jesse helped Jimmy climb into the tank. On their way to the base, Steve was sitting next to the robot, tightly holding his gun and looking at it with hatred.
\x93Don\x92t mind him\x85\x94 Jesse said to Jimmy. \x93He\x85 he lost his wife and son to a machine attack\x85\x94 \x93I\x92m sorry\x85\x94 Jimmy said and lowered his eyes. \x93I lost people I love too\x85\x94 Jesse said in a low voice. \x93Who?\x94 He asked. Jesse hesitated for a second. It was very hot inside the tank and steering it was not an easy job. Finally he answered. \x93I was a little older than you when I lost my parents\x85 That\x92s when the people of this base found me and took me in. I\x92ve been destroying machines ever since\x85\x94 He stopped talking and looked towards the desert. They were getting close to the base. He didn\x92t know how to explain them about this machine\x85
\x93Listen, kid\x85 I\x92ve heard of your mother before\x85 she\x92s a great fighter. So if you say that she likes this machine then\x85 then there must be a reason. A big reason.\x94 \x93He\x92s alive!\x94 Jimmy answered. Jesse smiled. \x93So does this robot of yours have a name?\x94 \x93It\x92s Cleave\x94. \x93Cleave!\x94 Jesse repeated as if trying to remember it. \x93That\x92s an\x85 ordinary name\x85\x94