Title: 'Nephew'
Rating: PG
'verse/series: AU, Dux Iaconiarum
Warnings: standard; mention of war, betrayal and character death, and old mech cursing.
Summary: Ultra Magnus returns to Iacon from the North-West after receaving news that he's going to be a uncle soon.
Notes: Based off something I once spent a good majority of my time on (not so long ago actually) and thought, why waist? With some (major) editing, and swooping around I came up with this/these dabbles. Originally it had nothing related to the Transformers fandom. Something on the side for me to do while I'm not working on other stuff. As of now just one-shots/dabbles, not really chapters. No OC's. Swear. The only thing's I may put in myself are names of places.
Takes place years before 'Simple'.
Feedback is appreciated. No flames, constructive crit. only please.
eta: Many thanks to taralynden for being my beta on this and polishing up my rusty work. Most appreciated!
oOoOo
Iacon had changed drastically in the past revolutions. The Nexus Wars had been a serious catalyst to the grand capital's change, there was no overlooking that. The war had defaced the capital like a horrific plague leaving large black scars that didn't appear to be able to be fixed. Today, it was a change for the best and the scars, despite serious doubt were slowly fading with time. The city, after overpowering its own paranoia, had grown back like a forest that had been ravaged by fire. The skyscrapers were just as tall and glistening as they had once been, maybe even more so, since the last Prime's reign. The buildings looked as if they had been built and erected only yesterday. It had a new, young king that was changing the world they lived in for the better. That and Iacon had many allies now, a strong naval and air forces also.
Ultra Magnus sat on his skitter and observed the bustling activity that was just outside the cities massive open gates. It was practically a small town out here though it was just a temporary merchanting market. He could see all sorts of mechs and femmes making their way around with little concern. Seekers (and various other flyer types) and ground gliders alike coexisted together smoothly. He could even see mechanoids with treads and wheels. Not a common thing you saw any more.
There was no tension or violence in the air. The only thing Ultra Magnus could feel was the warm breeze that rolled around the city's walls and touched his frame and fluttered his cloak upon his shoulders. Then there was the various smells that drifted from the market and even the city itself; some were bitter while other's were sweet to the olfactory sensors.
Magnus looked toward the sky as the sound of a lumbering freighter drifted over the city wall. It's large underbelly cast a large looming shadow over the merchanting market as it went on its way as if oblivious to the people below it. You could tell who was used to the freighters that occasionally passed and who wasn't by who kept on with what they were doing and those who glanced up.
He didn't quite understand why his brother didn't think these times weren't a true next 'Golden Age'. Had the war really done that much damage to his brother or was it himself? Was he ignorant to something only his brother could see. Optimus was a Cybertronian like any mech, he'd say that himself, he made mistakes, too. But there was one fact that you couldn't look over: Optimus was rarely wrong about assumptions, whether backed up by fact or not.
Ultra Maguns hoped it was just his brother being his cautious self, like always.
"Boy, you're day dreamin' again."
Magnus jumped not expecting a voice so close to him. Snapping his head around, there was Kup, a smug smirk on his old worn faceplate.
"Kup. I've told you not to do that."
Chuckling with a shrug. "That's what'cha get, lad."
Magnus glared at the old timer as he walked over to his own parked skitter.
"Eh, go easy on him, Kup. We're practically home already. Can't help but anticipate it."
"Thank you, Blaster."
"You're not even a native of Iacon, Blaster."
"So?" The red mech huffed "I've lived here three quarters of my life, that's gotta count for somethin'!"
Magnus sighed and slumped back on his skitter's black seat using his arms to prop himself up as he looked back up gazing toward the city's towering walls. He let his two companions bickering drain away with the sounds from the market.
One of the main reason's they hadn't already entered the city's open gates and weren't in the palace as of yet was because of Blaster. Well not just Blaster but a few other mechs, too. Blaster had loitered around within the market a bit before returning, his small band left behind. Naturally the red mech had a small bag full most likely with junk. They'd also gotten a ping not long before they'd arrived within sight of the city that they needed to pick up some hitch hikers in the Merchant's Market. At first Magnus had no problem with this, like Blaster had said, he was home. . .almost anyway. Now that he looked back at it he should have said that said hitch hikers could make it to the palace themselves. By now he was already growing irritated but luckily he had the patience of a God apparently.
"What is taking those younglings so long!" Unlike some others anyway.
Kup huffed from his skitter, arms crossed over his chest to fix Blaster with a heated glare. Blaster jumped and scurried to his own skitter just in case Kup decided to take his frustrations out on him. No one cared much for getting in front of a irritated Kup. Especially when the humidity was, apparently, bothering the old mech's joints.
"Other Dinobot's still lolling around. Blurr trying to get them to hurry up. And Perceptor? Have no clue."
The three mech's looked around to the only Dinobot that was present and accounted for. The large mechanical lizard was curled up lazily on a pile of straw as if he owned it. No one had, yet, to come to fuss over it so the three mech's left it and the mech alone.
"Well why don't you go and get your brothers already!"
Snarl's tail twitched resembling a lazy feline. "Dinobot's will come when they get bored or in trouble," he stated in a matter of fact tone.
Magnus frowned and glanced over at Kup with a questioning gaze. Trouble?
"Speaking of which." Blaster chuckled in a nervous tone from his skitter.
They could hear a commotion now coming from the confines of the market. Running towards the small group was the light blue form of none other than Blurr. He zoomed up to the mechs, transformed in a fury of light blue and hopped on his skitter a state of panic written all over his young faceplate.
"Timetogo!"
"What? Blurr?!" yelled Kup
Without much warning Snarl jumped down from his 'bed' and transformed hovering above the ground for a moment before his systems kicked in; in a flurry of straw and grass, he was heading after the skitter carrying Blurr. He said nothing and being that it had been the fastest the large mech had moved since they'd joined Magnus on his way home it was sure sign that they should take Blurr's parting words into consideration.
"What the Pit is going on?!" yelled Kup, again, as he kicked the skitter's safety latch up and cranked the handle back kicking up a flurry of dust, sand and straw as he too, took off.
At last the other Dinobots showed up. The leader of the odd bunch had a terrified looking Perceptor on his back who was holding on for dear life. Without warning Grimlock transformed to his lumbering heavy loader form, that would probably do well as a tank, and zoomed away toward the gates. Far faster than something of such size you'd think was capable of going. Perceptor was still holding onto for dear life.
In the air was Swoop trailing behind the band.
Letting out a heavy, exasperated sigh, Ultra Magnus kicked the brake stand up and was after the Dinobots. Glancing behind him as they went he saw several mechs running after them, obviously angry. Ultra Magnus frowned. It was an unlikely chance any of those mech's had an alternate form that would be able to catch up to the speed of a ground glider skitter's. He was both glad and unhappy at the situation.
Looking up again he found Swoop who was keeping a nice pace with the small band in from the air. After a few moments of being glared at Swoop cocked his head to one side feeling Magnus' serious expression on him, though he couldn't see it for the mask now over the mech's faceplate.
Slowly the flyer glided down till the tip of his wing nearly touched the skitters small wing strut stabilizer.
"Explain."
"It's, uh, hard to explain. . .sir."
Out of the small band Grimlock most often had with him, Swoop was the only one who didn't have a problem with speech. While none of the other's speech patterns were terrible it was still noticeable on occasions. A trait in the region they came from.
Shaking his head, Ultra Magnus just accelerated forward leaving Swoop behind. Sighing to himself Swoop ascended again and caught the wind with ease.
"Hey Mags!"
Said mech looked over his shoulder, cloak fluttering violently behind him. Catching up quickly were two slick ground vehicles both glistening in the sun's rays. One gold/yellow, the other red and black, mostly red. Well they weren't those angry mechs from the market but, besides Blurr, they were probably the only ones who could keep up with a Skitter in regular alt. mode. That didn't stop Magnus from turning the accelerator knob on the skitter some more.
All was right in the world. . .his aft.
oOoOo
To return home, the place you were conceived, born, and raised, you didn't need a reason as to why. It was home. Your home. To be in a familiar place, with familiar walls, scents and smells was relieving. Ultra Magnus most definitely didn't need a reason but he did have one anyway.
Most of the halls in Iacon were huge and decorated simply. As he walked through the large halls he couldn't help but realize that they'd shrunk over the years. Gradually his quick pace slowed as memories rushed back to him. It seemed very recently he and his brothers were playing, running down them raising havoc with the servants and other various mechs and femmes.
Now, it seemed really hard to imagine that the mech behind the war that had nearly destroyed their world had once run down these halls in innocent fun and play with his brothers, like normal younglings.
It was then that Magnus thought: Optronix had died before the war not at it's end.
The light that beamed out a clear window pulled him out of his morbid musing. He didn't need these thoughts. Today. . .today was a good day.
He was going to be an uncle soon. About time, he smiled to himself, and continued on his way.
oOoOo
The large room really didn't have a name. It was just called The Prime's or Optimus' room or something similar. It looked somewhat similar to his down the hall. It was large one constructed in a circular form with large windows over looking the city. The large room had a small handful branching off it. From a private chamber to a bathing room.
Ultra Magnus watched a familiar form walk up to the door before him. Noticing Magnus he paused instead of going on in and waited til he came up.
"Hello, Prowl."
"Hello Ultra Magnus. Glad you finally arrived," Prowl responded in greeting. "Your brother's a forgiving mech but I think it would take you a deal of work if you weren't here for your own nephew's arrival."
Ultra Magnus chuckled as Prowl opened the the large door so they could enter.
"True, that. But he knows I wouldn't miss this for the world."
He'd gotten the news several days prior, that Elita had been with spark for a while. He understood why they'd waited to inform him. Security. While, yes, the war was over, its end was still quite evident and still fresh to a foreigner's eyes. There were still a few days to go from his understanding. What he said was true; he wouldn't miss it for the world. Or at least to be here.
"Magnus!"
To anyone who saw the two mechs, Optimus and Magnus were near identical. They were brother's after all. They weren't necessarily twins but.
Magnus went up to his brother and hugged him and received one back along with a pat on the back. The reason why the mostly white and blue mech had been away was for war relief in the North-West. The cities up there while protected by mountains, valleys and a delta they were still no match for Dark Matter's superior forces.
Moving back but keeping a hand on his brother's shoulder Magnus smiled, mask long since being retracted. "Congratulations, Optimus,." Cocking his head to the side with a cheeky grin. "I honestly can't believe that you're finally going to be a co-creator. Wasn't it you who always said it would me first?"
"Funny. Oh, and I'm still waiting regardless."
The two laughed.
"I should have suspected something as such from the beginning," chuckled a femme.
The two mech's parted and turned toward the soft femme voice. At last Magnus saw his brother's mate for the first time in what seemed like ages. She hadn't changed. She stood tall and beautiful as always. She'd must have been in their shared room because he hadn't seen her until now.
Walking up to his brother's mate he took her hand in a small bow and kissed it's top, moving his cloak fluttering behind him as he did so. "It's good to see you again, 'Lita."
"Hello yourself Magnus. We were beginning to wonder if you were coming or not."
"Of course I'd be here, 'Lita."
oOoOo
Footer Notes:
Nexus Wars: refers to one of the alias's of the mech who started said war.
Nexus/Dark Matter/Optronix: Are all the same mech. Depending on region/kingdom and context.
Optronix: Is his original name and is the adopted older brother of Magnus and Optimus. Must not be confused with Dreamwave/IDW's carnation of Optimus.
Magnus & Optimus's original names are Dion and Orion (from belief and homage to G1)
Skitter's: Small land craft that usually sit for one passengers. Depending on the most minimum of cargo and weight of is passenger it can succeed 200 mph (based on not being modified) Some are fixed for two passengers. Basically a really fast motorcycle. They have no wheels but air vents (think of a Harrier Jet's thrust vectoring (wiki it). And don't ask me why Blurr's riding one.
They are not on Cybertron but a organic world.
Dinobot's: Haven't figure out what I want to do with them since obviously they can't be dinos any more but I still want them to have a more 'reptilian' appearance but also have a more pre-earth war (like their in War Within forms).
Few vehicles except ground heavy-load transports have treads and/or tires. Most get around via thrust vectors(or whatever they're called) or fans like a air boat or by energy cells. Gotta protect the environment ;) and it seems more 'futuristic' than tires.
Revolution (mentioned above) = a year on the planet. The complete oribit around the sun.
Disclaimer/post script:
Transformers and anything else relating, belong to all respected company's.
The plot/story is mine. No taking w/o notifying me first.
Names of/and char(s) are entirely coincidental.