Once upon a time, hidden in the heart of Koan, a handsome young lord lived in a beautiful castle. In his tower the young lord was having his servants prepare him for tonight, polishing his silver white armor to mirror his outstanding shine and sharpening his claws.
As they worked, one of his most loyal subjects entered the room and bowed. "My Lord, it is time," the servant informed.
The young lord nodded and with a wave of his hand, dismissed his servants so he may rise from where he sat. All though he had everything his spark desired, the young lord was selfish and unkind. Spoiled like too much sugar in such less tea. He taxed the village near his castle to fill it with the most beautiful objects, and his party's with the most beautiful bots.
Arriving at the ball room, beautiful mechs and femmes filled its halls and bowed to said lord once he entered and graced them with his presents. Standing proudly, the lord looked to the musicians and nodded to them to begin. Music began to play softly, echoing off as everyone began to dance gracefully. The young lord went to his silver throne, carvings and glyphs decorated in the back and arms rests with the softest blue pillows for him to sit upon as he watched his subjects dance.
The Prince watched from the far end of the room as the beautiful and most charming of mechs and femmes started dancing around the room. Striking silver armor glistening with an elegant glow just swinging around him in the most wondrous ways. The Prince didnt have optics for most of the show but that did not stop his beating sparks desire from growing. A desire to show power and choose spoils and riches.
The Prince departed his throne and started walking down each step so finely that the dancing femmes would rattle with excitement. Megatronus looked from side to side as he stowed on, his opticbrows hitched as if bored. As the Prince studied his surroundings, he would sometimes grab a passing servo in the space and take a moment to dance and swing. Though he would always end up dismissing each mech he danced with just as fast as he got with them, leaving them with nothing more than a displeased scowl.
Soon he reached the middle of the floor, the center of the dancing bodies as they bowed, twirled, and fluttered with the music. Megatronus slowly turned in a circle as he watched every step, twist, and turn the dancers made. The music had grown louder as it began to approach the end when a loud banging at the castle doors rang out and shattered the atmosphere of the party.
Every mech and femme stopped, startled by the sound and looking towards the door in puzzlement before looking towards the young Lord who still stood amoung the dancers.
With a snarl, Megatronus moved to go answer the door and shun who dared to intrude upon his evening but before he could reach the grand doors they flew open on their own. Strong gusts of wind whipped and screamed in, acid rain pouring in and soaking the entrance floor, and a single frail figure covered in a rain and mud drenched cloak stumbled in.
All the lights went out leaving nothing but the prince's silver sheen to brighten the dark of the room. All that was once magnificence, spoiling music and dances of dreams never to come true was now soiled. Megatronus could not be more deseved by the ghastly thing crawling on the polished floors of his throne room. When he demanded what the eldest mech was doing so uninvitedly in his castle, he was surprised to see the meaninglessness glow of a crystal held up to his face.
The old mech had lifted up a lovely glowing crystal as a gift in return for shelter from the bitter night fumed by acid tears. Megatronus was not at all flattered by the gift or the old mech's haggard appearance. He leaned back up and started laughing at this nonsense, almost crying lubricant from the hilarious display before him.
But the moment he began to laugh, he stopped and snarled before knocking the crystal from the mech's hand who gasped and flinched away from the harsh treatment as the precious crystal flew from his hand and across the floor. Surprisingly undamaged from it's rough treatment.
"Get out of my castle, you ugly, old scrap," Megatronus viciously snapped.
The old mech trembled and looked up at the lord with pleading optics. "Please, can't you spare a room for a poor old mech?" he pleaded weakly.
"No...I will not," Megatronus snorted and looked to one of his guards and waved him over. The mech he called hesitated at first, feeling pity for the old mech his lord was glaring down at, but forced himself to approach. If his lord bid it, he shall remove the mech but he will be sure to be gentle and not harm him.
But as Breakdown reached where Megantronus and the stranger stood, he stopped when the old mech sat up from his slouched postion and looked up at the young lord. "You should not judge things from their appearance, young lord, for true beauty is found within," he said as his hand reached towards the spot in which the abused crystal laid.
Then before anyone could see it coming, the crystal shot from the ground like a bullet and landed in haggard hands. With the crystal in hand, the old mech's appearance began to glow and change before every bots' optics.
Megatronus slowly started to step away, his back bending in shock, fear and regret. All the femmes', mechs' and guards' started to scream and scramble like a flock of chickens. The once haggard old mech transformed into a gorgeous glowing bot with a striking shine along with wisdom caked optics. Megatronus was frightened, unsure of what to do now that his guards were gone and all that was left was his guilt and shame. He bet the striking mech didn't very well like his disapproval on his ugly form.
By the time the mech had fully transformed, it was too late for he had seen that there was no love in the prince's heart. And no one like that should deserve to ever be a Prince. As punishment, the enchantress known as Primus lifted the glowing crystal out until there was solid glass around it. He then announced that the magic crystal would be completely drained when the prince's twenty first year arrives.
Megatronus tried begging for forgiveness, even on his knees, the wretched sound of metal scraping on linoleum screeched through the castle chambers. He tried offering room, food, money and much more.
But Primus refused to accept or give any forgiveness. He deemed that the prince will now look the way he treated others. With a wave of his hand, Megatronus was surrounded by a glowing blue aura and gasped and feared for the worst. He then cried out in pain and agony as his entire body felt like it was being torn apart as his entire appearance was morphed and changed into a hideous beast.
A couple of the lords subjects had returned to the ball room when they heard his screams and all gasped in horror to what they saw before they too were taken and changed along with their lord.
Megatronus looked at his changing limbs, watching how they rearranged and grew into something hideous. His armor groaned from the difficult mixes of pain radiating through him like fuel making his once devine body perish into something more horrifying. A beast.
The Primus loomed over the punished mech and frowned while lifting his servo upward revealing the crystal. He then announced that if the beast could not learn to love or find someone to love him then he would remain a beast forever until- not just the end of his days- but to the end of all days.
Megatronus watched in fright as the magical mech slowly started to vanish like smoke from a happily made fire. "No," he said in an alarmed voice while crawling forward, "No, please!" But it was too late.
The castle was basked in never ending darkness surrounded by clouds and constantly falling snow. It stayed to be as cold as Unicron himself, the cage they stay in like a glass prison never to be escaped from until set free by innocent, willing servos. The crystal that had been offered sat in front of the beast, safe and untouched. Megatronus stared at it, his venting steady and his optics growing wide when he saw his reflection off the glass. He had... red optics.
When the crystal dripped one small drop of energon, Megatronus stood up on his knees and screamed the longest, loudest and most treacherous scream that space has ever heard before. The spell spread throughout the castle and to all who lived there. Now alone and the party attendance fleeing back to their homes, the memory of their lord and the beautiful castle they once visited, faded.
As days turned into years, the prince and his servants were forgotten by the world. For the Primus had earased all memory from the minds of all the bots they loved.
After so many years of solitude, the young lord hid himself away, wrapping his form in a cloak from how repulsed he was with his appearance. Up in his lone tower, Megatronous walked up to the table in the center of his once beautiful room, having destroyed and trashed it in his fit of rage from his reaction to his curse. He stopped at the table and reached out to the crystal, touching the glass that surrounded it with feather gentle touches.
Present.
It was a beautiful day on Kaon. The sun magnetically pulling bot's out of recharge when the light hit their faces and shown through their optics. What better way to shield your eyes?
In a small building right on the edge of Kaon, there lives a mech whose strange and peculiar attitude was never explained enough. Orion Pax started stirring in his recharge when the light finally hit him and he rolled over on his berth. He tried to avoid the light by grabbing his pillow and placing it over his head but the magnetic pull was just too much. Sighing, Orion slipped the cover away from his face and opened his optics. A watery blue glow from two sweet optics just as big and as bright as a sea. It's not that he was ever unhappy to start a new day, it's just that sometimes his dreams don't want to be interrupted themselves.
With a sigh, Orion sat up in his berth and groaned softly as he lifted his arms up in the space and stretched to gently pop his stiff joints. He then relaxed and yawned, rubbing his optics to help chase away the sleep that tried to pull him back. But Orion revisited the temptation and climbed off the berth to start his day, slowly heading to the kitchen to make himself some breakfast.
Finding a couple alloy fresh eggs, he cracked them open into a heated pan to cook them while he gathered himself a couple slices of copper rust bread. Carefully seasoning the eggs until they were cooked before removing them from the pan to place on the bread.
Orion lifted a bite to his mouth when he heard the door open and close. Small suspicion and big expectations made him scoot back from his chair and stand to attention. "Father," he said in a happy voice.
"Ello son," Alpha Trion replied with a mere wave of his servo before walking over to the table, "I was just stopping through before heading off to the shop."
Orion did the honors of pouring his father some oil in a cup, "ok, I'll just be at the book shop."
Alpha Trion chuckled at his son's fascination towards books. He sipped on the oil and sighed as the warm liquid woke him up better and helped him become more alert. "Ah, thank you Orion. And please do come home before night fall this time, hm. I don't wish to go worrying about you making it home safely again. I swear you are as bad as your carrier had been." He teased fondly to his precious son as he leaned down and kissed his forehelm lovingly.
"I will see you... before nightfall," Orion let out a small laugh while letting his father slip out his hands and walk towards the door. When the metallic door closed with politeness, Orion smiled ever so warmly and finished eating the rest of his breakfast.
Now it was off to the book store where his favorite books awaited like a flock of birds ready to be fed. Orion walked outside, book in servo and a well being smile on his face plates. It was such a luminous day with how the single white puff clouds diverted from hot grazing suns. All the grey and silver below glistening and gleaming with light that just sparkles from rarely lit stars
Orion felt so at peace and cheerfull that he began to softly hum and sing a soft tune,
"Little town,
It's a quiet village
Every day
Like the one before.
Little town
Full of little people
Waking up to say,"
"Good morning." A femme called from a window as she opened the shutters to her home and let in the morning light.
Orion smiled and waved to her in greeting, continuing his walk. Watching as the towns people woke and begin their mornings.
Orion walked through Kaon, hearing all the mechs around him start to wake and greet each other out high windows and from across far sidewalks. Smiling as he walked the street that led him further into the waking town. Greeting bots as he walked by until he stopped and moaned softly as he caught a wonderful smell of freshly baked breads and pastry treats.
"Good Morning, Orion." The baker greeted.
"Good morning." Orion replied as he stepped up to the jolly mech Bulkhead who smiled and offered a loaf of fresh copper to him.
"Here you are lad, where are you off to today?" The mech asked curiously since he wasn't used to seeing the young bot out and about so early.
"To the the bookshop. I just finished the most wonderful story about two lovers," Orion answered.
The baker snorted and waved a hand like he was swatting a fly at the mere thought of reading. "Ah, sounds boring," he teased as he gathered all his baskets to his stalls to display his new goods.
Orion giggled and rolled his optics at how closed minded so many bots can be but the mech meant well. "Thanks Bulkhead, have a nice day," he offered his well of words before turning around.
Bulkhead chuckled and waved, "you too, Orion."
Orion twirled around in the wonder of singing surrounding him like fog and ignored any rude gestures about his knowledge for books. Today was a new day and since yesterday was rather unpleasant, Orion strongly believed that everyday has a way of approving in the end. He strolled to the book shop, his servo raised in delight while he waved back at some kids he planned on teaching how to read. It warmed his spark to feel looked up to, respected and wanted.
Soon Orion arrived at the grey door of the-hardly visited-bookshop and opened it with eagerness and joy. A soft chime from the bell above the door signaled his arrival and a mech came out from the back room to greet him. The book keeper stopped and smiled when he saw his most frenetic customer that he may one day offerer a job.
"Good morning Prowl. I've come to return the book I barrowed," Orion cheerfully greeted and walked up to the counter where the black and brown mech stood behind.
"Finished already? But you were just here yesterday," Prowl heartedly laughed at the mech's love for reading.
"I couldn't put it down. Do you have anything new?" Orion asked as he handed the book to Prowl.
"Not since yesterday." Prowl grabbed the book with a grin.
"That's alright," Orion said in a cheerful voice as he eagerly explored the shelves with his optics. Checking out every unique title from most of the books he did like and the small few he didn't like. "I'll take..." He snatched a book from the top shelf and lifted it out in front of the book keeper, "this one."
"That one?" Prowl laughed while taking his visor off, "But you've read it twice."
Orion laughed back as he closed his optics and did a spin, the book he chose was such a exhilarating book. "Oh, I just can't help myself, Prowl," he admitted happily while thinking back over the story, "Far off adventures, dashing sword fights, lavishing romance."
Prowl chuckled some more while walking over and handing the book out, "If you like all that much then it's yours." He grabbed the mech's servo and planted the book in it before guiding him to the door.
"What?! But I can't!" Orion gasped but Prowl smiled and shook his helm and gently pushed on his back. "I insist," he reassured.
A smile bloomed across Orion's face as he jumped up and wrapped his arms around Prowls neck. "Oh thank you," he cried.
Prowl laughed and returned the hug and helped the young mech back to his feet before gently nudging him on his way until he happily ran along to head back home and start reading again.
Orion walked out of the comfort of the bookshop into the morning sun's kiss of the day with his optics buried in the book. The people kept singing around him while also doing their own daily activities. Orion simply walked through the town, passing people with such intelligent steps that it made folk wonder just how aware he was.
Alongside the sidewalk a little ways down the row, there were two mech's walking back into town from hunting. It was the all luxurious Starscream and his bigger assistant Predaking.
"You've made a fine catch this evening Starscream," Predaking praised as he indicated to the large razor horn stag he carried across his shoulder with ease.
Starscream puffed with pride and walked more proudly, very blessed to have been created with his quick wits and planning. For his intelligent thinking he had planned out a trap for the stag they had just hunted. Starscream sighed and slowed down in his tracks, "I know, Predaking, I know." His wings fluttered out proudly like the biggest show off in the world, "There hasn't been one time yet that I have failed to ridicule what I intended."
Predaking walked faster after his master, "That's what I like so much about you Starscream." He studied the one he constantly followed from behind, studying him unknowingly. "You did a marvilious job in taking the worthy prize down with such grace and accuracy," Predaking added as he remembered back to the instant the trap sprung.
Ensnaring and trapping the razor horn's legs to where no amount of struggling could get it free as the seeker moved in for the kill was a great idea. "Yes I am quit amazing aren't I?" Starscream purred as he closed his optics and raised his wings pridefully.
"Yes you are Starscream, yes you are," Predaking purred back as he stared longingly at the seeker.
Starscream opened his optics and suddenly stopped just before they entered the town square where he spotted the mech of his desires. "Look there Predaking, there goes my future mate. The most beautiful mech in the entire village," Starscream whispered fondly as he stared at the young red and blue mech walking by with his head down reading.
Predaking looked up and spotted the mech and glanced down at the seeker as he continued to stare. "The inventor's son?" The predacon questioned.
"Yes." Starscream blindly answered while staring off into dreamy space, "For the first time I laid optics on him I was smitten by his beauty."
"Yes but..." Predaking tried to say something to discourage him from the mech but Starscream was already walking off, abandoning him in the street to chase after Orion.
Grabbing up a handful of crystal flowers from some poor bot's garden along the way, Starscream never risked looking away from his prize.
Orion smiled when he made it to chapter two, his favorite poem underlining the lovely written letters. But a sudden noise made him pause and look up. He looked up and grinned when he saw it was Starscream.
"Morning, Orion," Starscream greeted with the sweet bundle of flowers hanging by his side, "Wonderful book you have there." He smiled at the mech's more wondrous smile that could never be explained by 'words.'
Orion looked down at his halfway closed book and got a shocked look on his face. "Have you read it?" he asked in a hidden amazement tone while thinking it incredible for this mech in peculiar to be one for reading.
"Well..." Starscream tilted his head from side to side, "Not that one, but you know..." He looked up with a cheesy grin after gesturing to the book filled with words his optics could not read, "Books."
Before Orion could say anything, Starscream lifted the flowers out in front of him, "For your dinner table."
Orion looked at the beautiful set of flowers but did not take them just yet and it's not saying that he didn't just absolutely favor flowers. "Umm," he was cut off again by a sudden question that made his tank churn.
"Shall I join you this evening?" Starscream asked like his gift was the key in getting the answer he wanted Orion to unlock.
Orion was a bit taken back by the very straight up and forward request. He bit his tongue while trying to work up a denial statement without sounding rude. "Sorry... not this evening," he replied awkwardly.
Starscream's joy deflated some but he pressed a little to know why. "Busy?"
Orion raised a brow at the seeker's question before turning around, closing his optics and shaking his head with a soft annoying sigh before walking away.
Starscream stood there as he watched the mech leave him, pride wounded. Predaking arrived at his side once he saw he was alone again and gently nudged the smaller mech. "So...moving on?" He asked in a delightful tone in the hopes of now catching the mech's attention. But sadly, once again his signals are shot down.
"No Predaking," Starscream replied while keeping his optics glued on the disappearing mech. "It's the ones that play hard to get that are the sweetest prey," he almost dropped his flowers in the astonishment within thinking about him, "That's what makes Orion so appealing; he hasn't made a fool of himself just to get my favor."
Starscream vented in some air before turning his attention towards his closest friend. "What would you call that?" he asked while moving back to gaze at Orion.
Predaking shook his helm from not getting the full attention he desired while thinking about Orion unwantedly. "dignity," he answered simply like it was obvious it didn't matter to him.
Starscream thought the trait over before smiling at such headstrongness. "It's outrageously attractive," he purred in amazement that someone in this village could be so difficult.
It made his desire for Orion grow even more. Plans began to fill his mind of the best ways to win his soon to be bonded over. Handing the bundle of flowers to Predaking, he walked off to go find some entertainment. Predaking lifted his hands to catch and hold the bundle, turning and watching the seeker sulk off before turning his attention to the flowers and lifting them up to taste.
A low purr corrupted deep in his chest before following after Starscream like a love sick puppy.
Orion checked over his shoulder as he hastily headed home, fearing the persisted seeker maybe following him. As he approached his and his fathers home he stopped when a very faint melody filtered trough the air, coming from the half of the house his father made into his work shop.
XoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoX
Orion-belle
Megatronus-beast
Alpha Trion-bells father
Starscream-gaston
Predaking-lefou