This was my story that I entered into the "A Christmas with Megatron" contest. It took me ALL day to type it up due to me putting it off till the last minute.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Transformers or the story. I only own Vepres, Blitz Wave, and Nightshade. This is not with my storyline with them in Nocturne.
All mistakes are mine.
Megatron sat silently at his work bench as his only employee worked silently. His partner, Shockwave, passed away a few years back leaving the entire company in his hands. Soundwave, his employee, worked hard all, but one day of the year to earn a living for him and all his creations. The one day that he didn't work was Christmas day. To almost all, Christmas is a day to be merry and spend with friends and loved ones. The one person in the city of Kaon that didn't think so was Megatron. He felt as if Christmas was only a day to waste without work and to spend too much money that many spent weeks if not longer to save.
Megatron's concentration was interrupted when the door opened and his nephew walked in.
"Good morning sir and Merry Christmas," Bumblebee smiled walking over to his uncle.
"Humbug," Megatron mumbled not looking up from his work.
"Christmas a humbug, sir? You can't be serious?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Christmas is a time to be merry, to spend with your loved ones and friends, and to give to others that have so little," Bumblebee hoped to explain to him.
"Christmas is a waste of time and money. Why don't you keep your Christmas to yourself and I keep my Christmas to myself?"
"But you don't keep your Christmas to yourself," he replied.
"Then let's drop this conversation," Megatron said going back to his work.
"I came by to invite you to dine with my bonded and me tomorrow."
"Thanks, but no."
"The offer is still there. Merry Christmas," he said turning to leave. "Merry Christmas, Soundwave."
"Thank you. Merry Christmas to you too," Soundwave said as Bumblebee left.
Megatron shook his head as he worked almost up to closing before standing up and grabbing his coat and hat.
"Close up at the normal time, not one second earlier," he informed Soundwave as he opened the door and stepped out into the cold.
"Merry Christmas, Mr. Megatron," called the voice of a young child as the door closed behind him.
"Humbug," he said looking at the child. "Are you one of Soundwave's creations?"
"I am. My name is Rumble," he replied as he slowly made his way over towards a bench.
"You have some time to wait before your father will come out. Enjoy the wait," he said as he walked off only to hear the crippled child call out behind him.
"Merry Christmas, Mr. Megatron."
"Humbug," Megatron said as he walked down the street.
Carolers of all ages stood in groups with their music as they sang praises to Primus and for this happy holiday. In Megatron's processor, he didn't understand why the holidays made others so happy. He kept walking past all the groups and past the many people shopping for Christmas energon and gifts for their loved ones. The amount of money that they wasted on this holiday alone would allow him to pay for everything to care for himself for an entire solar-cycle.
Upon reaching the street that his house was on, the sun had gone down and the moon shown dimly behind the clouds. The howl of the wind caused an eerie feel as Megatron swore he heard the sound of chains being dragged behind him. Megatron turned around only to find that there was nothing behind him. He turned and started to head towards his house again when he heard the sounds of chains and horses behind him. As he turned around, a horse drawn carriage, that were used for funerals, passed him on the street and faded into nothing. Megatron watched in shock, but said nothing before heading the drive way of his house thinking that it was a figment of his imagination. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key to the house. He placed the key into the key hole and turned it just as the door knocker formed the head of Shockwave.
"Megatron," it moaned as Megatron's optics widened.
Not thinking twice, Megatron pulled the key out and rushed inside the safety of his house. Taking a light into his hand, Megatron headed up the staircase and into his room. He lit a small fire to take the edge off the room as he placed an energon cube next to it to warm for his dinner.
By the time, he finished getting ready to recharge and finished dinner, he sat down to relax for a few minutes but was disturbed when he heard the clanging and dragging noise of chains in the hallway. He glanced over to see that all the locks were on his door and that no one could enter, but that changed when the locks unlocked by themselves and the door flew open. Megatron sat there as a ghostly figure walked into his room and he stared at the sight of his old partner.
"Who are you?" Megatron asked.
"Who do you think I am?" the ghost asked.
"Can you sit?" Megatron asked as he looked at the ghost of his partner.
"Yes," Shockwave said sitting down across from Megatron.
"What are you doing here?"
"I have come to warn you. If you continue on like you are, you will end up like me. You will be visited by three ghosts. The first one will arrive when the clock strikes one. The second will arrive when the clock strikes two," Shockwave told him.
"And the third at the strike of three?" Megatron asked.
"And the third will arrive when the clock strikes three," Shockwave finished before flying out of the window, leaving Megatron alone in his room.
Megatron looked around the room and then shook his head. He didn't believe what the ghost of Shockwave had said and he didn't let it sit on his mind. He slowly moved to lay on his berth and slip into recharge.
= 1 AM CHRISTMAS MORNING =
As the clock struck one in the morning, Megatron awoke from his sleep. He listened to the clock chime and then all went silent again, causing him to smile.
"Nothing is going to happen. It was all a figment," he started to say before a light caught his attention.
He quickly sat up and looked at the light to see a figure of a seeker in front of him. The seeker was purple and black and carried a cone like cap that shown brightly in the room.
"Greetings Megatron. I am the ghost of Christmas Past," he explained.
"Would you place that cap you hold there upon your head?" Megatron asked looking at the seeker.
"I bring with me the light of truth. Would you use this cap to put it out?" the ghost of Christmas Past asked looking at Megatron.
"I am sorry. I had no intensions to offend you," he replied. "What brings you here early this Christmas morning?"
"I come for your greater welfare."
"Well I can think of no greater welfare than a good nights recharge without interruptions," he smirked.
"Be careful of what you wish for, Megatron. I speak of your reclamation," he responded.
"If it's reclamation you come for, then let's get on with it."
"Come," the ghost of Christmas past called and held out his hand.
Megatron cautiously stood up and took the hand of the seeker and all went white. When he was able to see again, he was standing in the streets as school kids came running by.
"Do you know where we are?"
"Why yes. This was where I grew up. That there is Astrotrain and Octane. And that there is Blitzwing. Hello Blitzwing," he called out at his old school friends.
"They can't hear you Megatron. We can't be heard or seen by those that we visit."
"They all look so happy," Megatron comented.
"That's right, they do. Come along Megatron. We have more to see and you know the way."
"That's right, I could walk it blindfolded."
Megatron and the ghost of Christmas Past walked towards the building that stood there. Upon entering it, they made their way over to the school. It was Christmas Day and inside there was one mech sitting silently reading a book all alone.
"The boy here has been abandoned by his family and friends," Megatron was told.
"His Ama is dead and his Atar holds in accountable for it," he explained.
"Why does his Atar hold him accountable for it?"
"She died during separation, his separation," he told the seeker.
"Weep for the boy, if the tears will come."
"He has his friends, even on this day, and his books."
"But not a real child to talk to. Not a living person. Let us see another Christmas day," the ghost of Christmas Past said, "one from your youth."
Megatron turned towards the door and watched as his brother, Nightshade, entered the room.
"Nightshade," he said as his optics widened.
Nightshade entered the room and ran past him to where his younger self lay on a school bench.
"Nightshade," his younger self said jumping up to hug his brother.
"Megatron," Nightshade hugged him tightly. "I've come to bring you home, dear brother."
"Home little Shade," the young Megatron said sitting down thinking about it.
"Yes, home for good. Atar is much kinder than he use to be. He spoke to me so gently one night that I was not afraid to ask once more if you might come home. He said yes you should and sent me in a carriage to bring you."
"You are quite a femme, little Shade."
"And you are to be a mech now and never come back here. Come," Nightshade said taking his hand. "We must not keep Atar waiting."
Outside their Atar stood waiting with the carriage for his younglings to come out and join him. As Nightshade and Megatron exited, he turned towards them and spoke.
"Stand still mechs," he said before looking over him. "They haven't been over energizing you, that's for sure."
"I've grown Atar," Megatron spoke up.
"Yes, most mechs do. I want you to know that you will not be moving back here. I have set up an apprenticeship for you. You will move to Mr. Blitz Wave's in three orns."
"Three orns, Atar? I was hoping to have him home for longer," Nightshade spoke up sadly.
"Longer? Three orns is quite long enough for both of us. Don't you think so, Megatron?" their Atar said looking at him.
"Yes sir. Quite long enough," he said only trying to please his Atar.
"In the carriage, Nightshade," he said as Nightshade nodded and got inside, followed by their Atar before adding, "In the carriage mech."
The older Megatron and the ghost of Christmas Past both watched as the carriage drove off silently.
"Nightshade begged our Atar for more time, but he was a very stern mech. And Shade, " he paused as he watched the carriage disappear.
"She died such a young femme."
"She had such a generous nature too. Yes, and too young."
"Old enough to spark a sparkling."
"Only one mech," Megatron nodded.
"Your nephew, Bumblebee, who bears a strong resemblance to your sister."
"Does he? I have never noticed," Megatron said slightly surprised.
"You've never noticed?" the seeker asked shocked. "I am beginning to think you went through life with your optics offlined. Open them. Open them wide."
The scene began to fade out and turn into a blur before images started to slowly take shape again and form a room with a mech sitting at a work desk doing paper work.
"Do you know this mech?" the ghost of Christmas Past asked.
"It's old Blitz Wave," Megatron answered with a slight smile as the scene started to widen to show the room that he was sitting in with a number of femmes and a few mechs.
"And you know this place?"
"Know it? Was I not apprenticed here?" Megatron asked as Blitz Wave began to speak.
"Everyone, listen up. Megatron, pens down. No more work tonight for it is Christmas Eve. So let's close everything down and clear away in here, everybody. We need the room," he said as everyone started to put stuff back where it belonged and close everything up. "You will enjoy yourself tonight, Megatron and that is an order."
"Yes sir. I will try," the younger Megatron answered.
"Put your spark into it. You put enough of yourself into your work, and I have nothing but praise for the way you take care of your duties. But you are young and there is more to life than work and books," Blitz Wave told Megatron as the scene changed to the group playing music and hanging Christmas decorations.
The group was talking amongst each other and being merry as others began to join them and a table filled with different types of energon and energon treats. The older Megatron watched as the scene unfolded and his long lost friend, Vepres joined the group.
"Vepres," he said softly as the young femme entered and placed some energon treats on the table for others. "I had forgotten how beautiful she was.
He watched as his younger self ran up to her and asked her for a dance and she accepted. The two dashed off to the dance floor as the new song started and they began to dance. They danced and the younger Megatron kissed her lightly before they ran off to dance elsewhere.
"How long since you have danced, Megatron?" the seeker asked him.
"A waste of time, dancing," Megatron said as the smiled disappeared from his face.
"You didn't think so then."
"There was a reason to then," Megatron said sadly as he turned to look back at his younger self with Vepres.
They were talking softly by themselves and ignoring the others around them. The dancing continued and the night went on. When the others had finally left, the older Megatron and the ghost of Christmas Past stood alone in an empty room.
"Blitz Wave was a silly man," the seeker commented.
"Silly? Why silly?" Megatron turned and asked him.
"What did he do to deserve the praises of his apprentices? Spent some money? Danced like a monkey? Beamed a great smile?"
"Well, the happiness he gives… gave… was quite as great as though he had spent a fortune. It was more the small things," he answered thinking back on it.
The scene started to dissolve to a bench out in the cold. On it sat a single femme who happened to be Vepres. A younger Megatron walked towards the bench swiftly.
"Hello Vepres," he said as he sat and joined her.
"I thought that you were never going to come. I know how busy you are."
"Well, the time of the solar-cycle and the nature of my business, it is important now that I use my time and opportunities wisely."
"Another idol has replaced me," Vepres said not looking at him.
"What idol has replaced you?" he asked with a smirk.
"A golden one," she responded before turning to face him for the first time. "All your hopes have merged into one master passion: profit. The thought of money engrosses you."
"Perhaps I've been wiser, but I've not changed towards you," he smiled wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"Our contract is an old one. It was made when we were both young and our prospects limited. How often I've thought of those times," she said as they stood and started to walk slowly in the park. "If there had been no understanding between us, would you seek me out and try to win me now? A dowerless femme with nothing but herself to bring to a bond?"
Megatron paused and thought over this question.
"You have no answer," she said.
"You think I would not?" he asked her.
"Oh Megatron, what a safe ad terrible answer and so characteristic of a careful mech. Megatron, I release you. You are a free man," Vepres said as she turned and walked off.
The young Megatron sat and just watched her walk off without moving.
"Why didn't you follow her?" the seeker asked.
"Upon dying, my Atar left me a small inheritance. Vepres wished for us to bond and us get by on very little. But I wanted something more for both of us, so I lent out that money. I laid the foundations for financial success, which I have achieved," he explained.
"Congratulations," she sneered.
"Show me no more. Take me home," he requested.
"You have explained to me what you have gained. Now let me show you what you have lost."
The scene faded once more and then showed a young femme sitting on a bench with a sparkling in her arms.
"Vepres?" Megatron asked shocked.
"Yes, Vepres."
"And those are her younglings?" Megatron asked as five more younglings ran up and hugged her as one youngling took the sparkling from her arms.
A carriage pulled up and they all ran to greet it. Out stepped one of Megatron's friends that he worked with under Blitz Wave. He kissed Vepres before handing the younglings gifts.
"Guess who I saw in town today?" he asked Vepres.
"I don't know," she said. "Megatron?"
"Megatron it is. I passed by his office window and it was not shuttered. He had a single candle lit on his desk. His partner, Shockwave, lies on the edge of death and there he sat. Megatron, alone. Quite alone in this world, I do believe."
"Poor Megatron. Poor wretched mech," she said.
"Spare me your pity, I have no need for it," Megatron told her only to hear the ghost of Christmas Past tell him that she couldn't hear him. "Enough with your pictures of the past. Leave me and haunt me no longer."
"Truth lives," the ghost of Christmas Past said as Megatron put the cap over her head and she disappear and he reappeared in his room, but this time on the floor.
Megatron stood up and looked around his room before standing up and walking back to lay down on his berth.
"It was all just a nightmare," he said as he laid down and slipped back into recharge.
=2 AM CHRISTMAS MORNING =
Megatron woke up and looked around the room as the clock striked two.
"Well Shockwave, where is the second ghost that you spoke of? You did say at the strike of two," Megatron looked around a little longer before laying back down on his berth. "Mistaken in death as you were in life, partner."
"Megatron," called a voice causing him to roll over in his bed and see a light coming from underneath his door. "Megatron."
Megatron rolled over and stood up as the light grew brighter.
"Come in," the voice called.
"I intend to," Megatron said standing up and heading to the door.
Upon opening the door, Megatron shielded his optics from the light only to see a seeker sitting on top of a pile of energon treats of all forms. This seeker was blue and red and didn't seem as lively as the other.
"Take hold of my robe, Megatron," he said as he held out his arm.
Megatron went forth and carefully reached out and took hold of his robe causing everything to go white and when he could see again, he was standing in the middle of the road. People were joyous and walking around talking to others.
"What day is it?"
"Don't you know? It's Christmas morning!" the seeker told him.
They headed into an open market where they watched people buy higher quality energon and baked goods to take home to Christmas.
"There is a lot of buying, isn't there?" Megatron asked.
"Oh Megatron, is that all you can ever see? Follow me, and I'll show you what good use these wares can be put," he said leading him to a small ally way.
"Do you know this house?"
"No, I can't say that I do," Megatron answered.
"It is the house of Soundwave."
"Is it? He does very well for such little a week."
"Shall we go in?" the ghost asked.
"I wouldn't want to disturb them," Megatron told him.
"As with Christmas Past, we shall be invisible and unheard."
Upon entering they saw many young creations walking about setting the table and getting everything set up for when Sound wave came home. It didn't take long for the door to open and Soundwave to enter holding Rumble in his arms.
"Let's get you by the fire to warm up," Soundwave said as he moved to place Rumble close enough to warm up, but not close enough to get too hot.
Ravage moved to sit next to him to keep him company as Soundwave moved around the little ones as he started to finish preparing the meal. Lazerbeak and Buzzsaw helped move energon to the table as Frenzy and RatBat sat down next to his Rumble and Ravage. As soon as the table was set, they all took their places and began to feast on the meal that was before them.
"That isn't a very large energon meal for them all," Megatron commented.
"It's all that Soundwave could afford."
"Merry Christmas everyone," Soundwave said to his creations.
"And Primus bless us, everyone," Rumble added in causing them all to smile.
"Tell me, spirit, Will Rumble live?" Megatron asked watching the youngling eat.
"I see an empty spot at this table. If these shadows continue unaltered, the youngling will die. But if he is to die, let him die and decrease the surplus population," the spirit laughed.
"You use my own words against me," Megatron said.
"Yes. Maybe in your future you will learn to watch your glossa until you realized what the suplus population is and where it is. It may be in the sight of heaven you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man's youngling," the spirit said causing Megatron to look away.
"Their feast is over. Can we go now?" Megatron asked.
"Not yet. There is one more part," he answered.
"I would like to propose a toast to Megatron," Soundwave said, "the founder of our feast."
"I wish Megatron was here so I could give him a piece of my mind," Ravage said, "and I would hope he had a big appetite for it."
"My dear creations, it's Christmas Day."
"It should be Christmas Day when one drinks to the health of such a stingy, mean, hard, unfeeling mech like Megatron," Ravage responded.
"Please have some charity."
"I will only drink to his health for your sake and for the sake of this day, not for his. Have a long life, Megatron. Merry Christmas and Happy New Solar-Cycle," he said. "I have no doubt that his Christmas will be very merry and that he will be happy."
"To Megatron," Soundwave said.
"Megatron," the other creations said one by one.
The groups moved to sit down on the floor and started to sing Christmas carols together.
"We still have some time. Take hold of my robe," the seeker said holding out his arm once more.
Megatron took it just as the scene faded out once more and they appeared in the street in front of a large house.
"Where are we?" Megatron asked.
"Just a street, any street. This house. We are going here," he smiled leading them up to the door. "I think it may amuse you."
"I am in no mood to be amused," Megatron told him.
Looking inside, Megatron saw the household being merry and chatting with each other. A young femme was playing a piano as Bumblebee stood next to her before moving to talk with some of the others. When Bumblebee and the group he was talking with, the pianist stopped playing.
"Do you feel that my music is humorous?" she asked.
"No, we were talking about him. He called Christmas a humbug. He believed it too," Bumblebee explained.
"I would like to meet your uncle," one of Bumblebee's friends said. "It tickles me, the way you portray him."
"He is comical, but not pleasant. His own offenses are their own punishment," Bumblebee said.
"Brother-in-law, it is said that he is very rich," a femme spoke up.
"That's true, but his wealth is of no use to him," Bumblebee answered her. "He does no good and doesn't even make himself comfortable."
"I have no patience with him. I feel sorry for him," the pianist said.
"Sorry? For me?" Megatron asked walking through the room unnoticed.
"He takes it in his heart to dislike us and not to come and dine with us," Bumblebee told his guests as he moved to stand next to the pianist.
"And he loses a very good dinner," the femme from earlier added.
"The reason I talk about him so is that my Ama, Primus rest her soul, was very fond of him. She loved him," Bumblebee told his guests.
"It's true," Megatron added. "Shade loved me and I loved her. Dear Nightshade, I wish she was here with us today."
"Bumblebee looks much like her," the spirit told him.
"Yes, I've been reminded of that recently," Megatron said looking at his nephew.
"The consequences of him taking a dislike to us and not making merry with us, is that he loses some precious moments which could do him no harm," Bumblebee said as he hugged the pianist femme. "I'll give him a chance every year, weather he likes it or not."
"And every year he'll say, 'Christmas!" the pianist began.
"Bah! Humbug!" everyone finished as they all started to laugh.
"There is so much noise," Megatron said as they started to talk amongst themselves again. "I can't hear myself think."
"But they seem happy," the spirit said.
"I suppose free food and drinks would be an occasion for pleasure to most people."
"Happy in each other's company, I mean."
"Hush everyone. Let's play a word game," Bumblebee said causing everyone to gather around them.
Everyone gathered around and started to play a word game.
"Come, we have one more place to visit before my time is up. Take hold of my robe," the spirit told Megatron.
The pleasant and warm scene faded into black and it didn't get any brighter. Megatron looked around confused.
"Where are we now? I surely don't know this place."
"The name would mean nothing to you. It's just a place," the spirit said as he led Megatron to the only light which was a small fire, "like many in this world."
The fire was small and lite underneath a bridge. There was a family dressed in rags by it as a mech came with wood for a fire.
"Do you think we have enough wood for tonight?" the femme asked.
"It'll last. At least there is still one thing free in this country," the mech commented throwing another piece of wood on the fire.
The two younglings sitting there each had a small energon block that they were warming before eating.
"It's warm all the way through," the adult femme told them.
"But they are too hot to eat," the young mech said.
"And in not long they will be too cold to eat," the adult femme told him.
"Where did you get these, Atar?" the young femme asked.
"I didn't steal them," he snapped at them.
"She didn't say that," their Ama responded.
"She should have respect."
"They fell from a cart and into the road," their Ama told the younglings.
"Your Atar's not a thief-, femme," the mech said. "Not yet."
The mech walked away from his family as he kept his eyes on the ground.
"Why are these people out here?" Megatron asked looking at the other families that were behind the one that they had been watching. "Mechs and femmes in rags. Younglings eating scraps. There are institutions."
"Have you visited any of them, these institutions you speak of?"
"No, I'm taxed for them. Isn't that enough?" Megatron asked back.
"Is it?"
The youngling's Ama walked over to join their Atar away from the fire.
"Please come back to the fire," the femme said.
"Look at these hands. They're hard hands. They've done hard work. I want to work. I want to have energon for my younglings. It's not right that there is no work."
"We are together. That's the important thing," she told him.
"I love you. I love the younglings. Tomorrow take them to the Kaon Poor House."
"No. No. I rather us all drowned in the river than go there and be separated forever."
"Just until I get work."
"No," the femme repeated. "We are a family. We stay together. Come. Come back to the fire."
With that, she led the mech back to the fire where they sat with their younglings.
"Why do you show this to me? What has this got to do with me?" Megatron asked.
"Are they not of the Cybertronian race?" the spirit asked. "Look here, under my robe."
With that the spirit pulled the bottom of his robe open to reveal two thin younglings who looked almost dead. Megatron's optics widened at the sight before him.
"What are these?"
"These are your younglings. They are the younglings of all who walk Cybertron unseen. Their names are ignorance and want. Beware of them. For upon their brow is the word 'doom'. They spell the downfall of you and all who ignore their existence."
"They have no refuge? No resources?" Megatron asked.
"Are there no workhouses? Are there no prisons?" the spirit asked quoting Megatron again.
Megatron swallowed and looked back at the younglings.
"Cover them. I do not wish to see them," Megatron said turning away.
"I thought so," the spirit said covering the younglings. "They are hidden, but they live. Well, time has come for me to leave you Megatron."
Megatron turned and looked at the spirit.
"Leave me? Leave me here?" he asked.
"Oh yes."
"Well you can't. Take me back to my berth," Megatron said almost panicking only causing the spirit to laugh.
"It's too late."
"It's cold. This place is strange. Don't leave me," Megatron shook his head.
The ghost of Christmas Present only laughed and turned into a bright light before disappearing and leaving Megatron invisible to those at the bridge.
"Spirit? Come back. I wish to talk," Megatron called. "Perhaps I've made a mistake here and there. I may have spoke too quickly about matters that I have little interest in. We'll have to give and take and come to some great meeting of the minds. I'm a reasonable man. Spirit, have pity on me. Don't leave me."
Megatron sat down as he began to think. "What have I done? To be abandoned like this? What?"
Megatron hung his head and didn't seem to notice the fog that had started to gather as a dark hooded figure became visible. The only thing that caught his attention was a strange noise. Megatron looked at the figure before speaking up.
"Are you the ghost that Shockwave told me about?" Megatron asked as the hooded figure nodded. "Are you the ghost of Christmas yet to come?"
The figure nodded once again.
"Are you here to show me the shadows of things that are yet to come?"
This time the figure didn't do anything.
"I fear you," Megatron said taking a step back. "More than any other ghost I have been in the presence of before."
The hooded figure started to head his way slowly.
"I am prepared to come with you. But will you not talk to me," Megatron asked and didn't receive an answer. "Very well, lead on. The night is waning fast and time is precious to me."
An arm reached out of the hooded figure as Megatron walked forward and took it. When he arrived at his first location, he looked around and knew where he was.
"I know this place. It's the Exchange. It's like a second home to me."
With that the door opened and the figure pointed to the door. Meagtron nodded and headed in The Exchange.
"I don't know much about it. I only know that he died," the first mech said.
"When did this happen?" a second mech asked.
"Last night."
"And what will happen with his money?" the second mech asked again.
"Left it to his company, perhaps. Who else did he have?"
"It will be a small funeral," the second mech noted.
"I say we volunteer and throw a party," a third mech laughed.
"I'll attend if lunch is provided," the first mech commented.
"Have these mechs no respect for the dead?" Megatron asked watching the lights go dim. "Why am I listening to their conversation? What has this got to do with me?"
Lightening flashed and Megatron appeared in a bed room. Then was the body of someone covered by a sheet, lying on a berth in front of him.
"Spirit, I wish to leave this place," Megatron said looking away from the body.
The figure only pointed at the sheet covering the body. Megatron sighed and reached towards the sheet only to pull his hand away.
"No, I will not look. This you can't make me do. I say, I understand. Is that sufficient? There must be someone who feels something for this mech's death. I demand to see that person," Megatron ordered.
Lightening flashed again and Megatron ended up on a different part of town.
"You have made a mistake. This is a foul part of town. You have taken a wrong turn."
The only response Megatron got was the hooded figure pointing inside an open door where a light shown dimly. Megatron nodded and slowly entered the room.
"Am I to pay you for goods I haven't seen yet?" a voice said.
"You'll not ask me how I came about these?" a second voice, an elderly femme, responded.
"Every person has a right to take care of themselves," the first voice responded. "That's my motto."
The man took the goods from the femme as he unrolled the bundle.
"Well he always did," the femme told him. "And who's the worse for the loss of a few things? Not a dead man, I suppose. If he wanted to keep them after he was dead, the wicked old screw, why wasn't he more natural in his lifetime?"
The mech looked through the goods and examined every last piece of it.
"He'd have had someone to look after him when he was struck with death, instead of lying there gasping out his last. Alone. By himself," the femme continued.
The mech opened a watch and it started to chime which made Megatron get up and walk over towards them. He recognized the chime of the watch. It was his.
"These are my things," Megatron said outraged.
"What are these? You called them berth curtains. You took them down, rings and all and left him lying there?" the mech asked.
"Why not?" the femme responded causing them both to laugh.
"Those can't be my things," Megatron shook his head. "They are similar, but the person she talked about can't be me. A similarity perhaps, but…"
He was interrupted when the two started to debate a price for Megatron's stuff.
"Spirit, what is this? I asked to see someone who shows some emotion for this mech's death and you show me only greed and adarice. Let me see some tenderness. Some depth of feeling."
The spirit only pointed and Megatron followed the narrow alleyway only to find a single door.
"There must be some mistake. Your fellow spirit already brought me here earlier," Megatron said and once again he only received a point of the finger. "Very well. You're devilishly hard to hold a conversation with."
Megatron turned and pushed open the door to see Frenzy sitting at the table reading the sacred text of Primus as the rest of the family sat by candlelight on the floor. Ravage sat there and got a little teary eyed. He wiped his eyes and then looked at the rest of his Atar's creations.
"I will be fine. Please don't mention this to Atar. I don't want him to see me like this, for I fear his time is coming shortly."
"Past it rather. I think he walks slower than he used to these past few evenings," Frenzy said as he closed the book.
"Yet he use to talk home with… with Rumble in his arms very quickly. He was very light to carry. Atar loved him very much."
They hung their heads silently for a moment before the door opened and Soundwave entered the room.
"Hello, Atar," all of his creations greeted him.
"Hello my dear ones," he said joining them.
"You were late. We were beginning to worry," Ravage said as Frenzy and RatBat went to join their Atar.
"I am glad you're home, Atar," Frenzy said as Soundwave lifted Ratbat onto his lap.
"The reason I am late is because I walked by there today. I couldn't keep away. It was so silent and green. You shall see it on Sunday. We will all see it on Sunday. I promised him that every Sunday I would walk… My little child," Soundwave began to cry. "My little, little child."
"Atar, please don't grieve."
"I am sorry. I have all of you. A blessing to be thankful for. Do you know who I saw on the street today? Megatron's nephew, Bumblebee, and he greeted me in his normal, cheerful way."
"Soundwave, Rumble is part of all of us, but we have to go on living. So long as we have each other, he will always be alive," Ravage spoke up.
"Thank you, Ravage," Soundwave smiled weakly. "But however and whenever, we are parted from one another, I'm sure none of us would forget little Rumble."
"No, never," all the younglings agreed.
"I am a happy mech. I am a truly happy mech," Soundwave said.
"I asked for tenderness and depth of feeling and you showed me that. I have nothing more I need to see," Megatron said. "Take me home."
Lightening flashed again and Megatron found himself standing in a dark and lonely grave yard.
"What is this? I thought we agreed that you would transport me home?"
The hooded figure began to move through the graveyard as he beckoned Megatron to follow.
"Spirit, why do I have a feeling that the moment of our parting is at servo? I know it, but I don't know how. Tell me. What mech was it that we saw lying there dead?" Megatron said following the figure through the graveyard.
The figure showed one stone as he didn't speak.
"Before I draw near to that stone, answer me this: Are these things you have shown me the shadows of things that will be? Or are they shadows of things that may be only?" Megatron asked only to have the hooded figure point at the stone once again.
Megatron moved to the stone slowly and bent down. He paused for a moment before speaking once again.
"Men's courses will foreshadow certain ends. I accept that, but if those courses are departed, the ends must change. Tell me that is so by what you show me."
The figure said nothing as Megatron looked down and wiped the dirt off the top of the store to reveal his own name.
"I am not the man I use to be," Megatron cried. "I will not be the man I was before this visitation. Why show me this if I'm past all hope? Good spirit, please tell me I can change these things by an altered life. I'll honor Christmas in my spark and all solar-cycle long. I will live in the past, present and future. The lessons the spirits have taught me will live inside me. Tell me. Tell me I can sponge away the writing on this stone. Spare me."
Megatron fell down on the stone crying as the spirit of Christmas that has yet to come did nothing.
"Spare me! Spare me!" he cried as he opened his eyes only to realize that he was in his own room. "I'm alive. Thank you, spirits. I will keep my promise. I will live in the past, present and future. The spirits of all three will strive within me. I say this on my knees, Shockwave. I say this on my knees.
= 9 AM CHRISTMAS DAY =
Megatron awoke half on his berth. He quickly stood up and opened the nearest window and called out at a passing youngling.
"What day is it?"
"It's Christmas Day, sir."
"You know the market on the next street over?"
"Yes sir I do."
"Have they sold that big high grade energon cube?"
"It's still there now."
"Go and buy it and then bring them around so I may tell them where to deliver it," Megatron called.
Megatron rushed back inside and quickly got ready to go and greet the youngling at the door. When a knock at the door told him of the younglings arrival, he quickly rushed down the stairs and opened the door.
"Merry Christmas. Here is the address to deliver this to and here is the money for the cost of it along with a little extra for yourself," Megatron told the shop owner. "And only tell him that it came from a friend."
"Yes sir," the shop owner said as he made his way to deliever it to Soundwave.
Megatron turned and headed down the street towards Bumblebee's house making sure to tell everyone that he passed 'Merry Christmas'. He gave money to the carolers that he passed and when he reached Bumblebee's house, he politely knocked on the door. Bumblebee opened the door and was shocked to see his uncle standing there.
"Greetings uncle. What may I do for you?" he asked.
"Merry Christmas. I was hoping that the offer to dine with you was still open," Megatron smiled.
"Why yes it is," Bumblebee said as he opened the door and welcomed his uncle into his house.
"Merry Christmas and Primus bless everyone," Megatron smiled.