--A Brother's Ballad--

Chapter 2: The Rise

I awoke to the sound of shifting metal. It was in the middle of the night, so I turned the lights of my eyes brighter, and to my surprise, my brother stood illuminated in the lights like a frightened animal, his white body standing out against the darkness of the room. He wasn't on the slab he was to be sleeping on but was instead standing there as if to walk out the doorway.

He seemed different. He looked different.

He had a crest of shining white that made him seem more imposing, bigger, and long plates of metal that wrapped against his cheeks and chin. His body was sleeker and seemed to have an extra layer of armor overlapping his normal body. What had happened?

It was then that I remembered what it was. A battle form. I had heard about it before from Lord Peaceward a few days ago during a previous lesson. He had told me that it was a painful procedure to go through during your sparkling years but that it was completely necessary for combat and became involuntary when you reached adulthood. He told me that I would have to learn it just out of tradition but that that particular lesson would be saved for a later date, when I was ready.

And here was my brother, shifting into battle mode in the middle of the cold night. "Megatron?" I had to ask out of curiosity. "What are you doing brother?"

He hesitated, looking down and clenching one claw-like hand. His hands, they always looked fearfully abnormal in that they were strangely sharper and thinner than most hands… "I-It's nothing brother. Please, go back to sleep," he seemed somewhat embarrassed, but about what I did not know. I became a tad bit envious that he could shift like that already, but perhaps that is what his training required so I nodded and lay back down upon my own slab, turning off the optic lights.

But I did not sleep. I wanted to know where he was going and why. It gave me a nauseous feeling to think of my brother wandering out late at night unattended. While it was peaceful, I would rather him be safe than anything; you never knew if there was danger, and my brother was a possible target for being a part of the royal family. And he was my family. I was so used to his company during the breaks between our lessons everyday that I don't know what I would do if something were to happen to him.

As my mysterious sibling made his way out the intricate doorway and out into the darkness, I nearly lost sight of him, as the entire ground was blanketed in a light fog that night, the moon and stars hanging low below the midnight clouds. Tonight we had chosen the bottom level bedrooms to sleep in, because I feared heights at the time and only naturally, my brother followed me wherever I went. Our parents acknowledged this slight phobia and thus had a room built on the bottom level. There were several other levels of the palace, reaching high into the sky, but as I stated before, I did not at all feel at ease with the immense height of the towers yet. It was almost every sparkling's fear to fall from a higher place and crash to the ground into several, tiny pieces.

Getting up as quietly as possible, I stepped to the threshold and peered out, dimming my optics to the lowest settings so as not to be detected. My brother however seemed preoccupied in his thoughts, moving out into the misty courtyard, blue optics shining brightly in the night like twin stars. What would he be doing out here all alone? I saw him stretch his claw-like hands out, as if testing them, then gingerly touching his armor as if to confirm that he'd successfully shifted his form. Seemingly satisfied, he scanned the courtyard. Suddenly, he became a blur of motion, dashing by one of the multitudes of fountains and tackling one of the pillars for a reason unknown., running right into it full force. It appeared he was trying to push it over, though at our size, was quite an impossible feat. And yet he kept at it for several Cybertronian hours into the night, often resting a bit before taking up the task again; he was trying with all his might to do the impossible. I stayed there as well despite knowing that I would most likely pay for it later on that day, just to make sure my brother did not harm himself in this odd exercise.

Through most of the night my brother did this, again and again trying to make the pillar budge even in the least bit, but move it did not. As a small pinpoint of the morning light began to shine in the horizon, I believe my brother realized the futility of his own efforts and in thus began to walk back and retire. Already my own systems threatened to shut down without my say in it, so I crept back into bed when I saw my brother begin heading back. I took up the position of sleeping on the slab again, hearing the dragging footsteps of my defeated brother at my back. He sighed once, and then I could hear him shuffling back into bed as well. As soon as I could verify his own safe slumber, I too shutdown…

---

Megatron sat at the lip of the fountain that his tutor had been sitting at earlier in the day, perched beside his twin brother as they mused over the lessons of the morning. Kicking his feet childishly, Optimus Prime gazed back at Megatron, who seemed both pensive and crestfallen at the same time.

As was normal routine, Optimus began to recall his previous lesson for his brother and soon after, Megatron was to do the same. It was somewhat of a game they had made up that helped both learn something different in substantially less time and was a bit easier to understand, as both could only speak in layman's terms anyway. "Today, Lord Peaceward showed me all around the nearby city. It was very vast and populated, I've never seen so many Autobots in one place in my life!" Prime exclaimed, leaning his own white body over to emphasize his wonder. "He tells me that I must memorize the main divisions of the cities all across Cybertron, so that I may recall the knowledge quickly in my later years, should the need arise for some reason." The Autobot leader itched at his helmeted head then looked quickly over at his pondering brother, wondering if he was even listening today. "What about you, Megatron? What did Lord Crusade teach you?"

"Failure… again," the sparkling uttered, almost snappishly. But he quickly realized it was his brother he was talking to and tried to lighten up a bit. "It's hard to swallow…" he replied again, locking eyes then looking back down at the ground.

"Again? Why?" Optimus couldn't help but wonder.

It seemed like Prime was hiding something behind those shimmering blue eyes, like something was bugging him but he couldn't ask for whatever reason. Megatron became slightly wary…Had he seen him at night? He couldn't have, he was so sure his sibling had gone back to his shutdown mode every night. It had been about a week since he'd begun his own training lessons in the courtyard under the cloak of darkness and so far as he knew, no one had come upon these nightly sessions. "It's something I seem to excel at," Megatron's spark seemed to sink, hearing himself speaking such of defeat.

Optimus tilted his head, then produced a small smile, looking already like a young king offering support and wisdom. He seemed to fit the role perfectly, and never had Megatron once thought otherwise. "Don't beat yourself up over it, brother. One day, you'll tower over your opponents and become the strongest of us all," he proclaimed heartily… If only he knew how right he was…

This seemed to do the trick somewhat, for Megatron's crystalline eyes widened as he shifted his gaze back upon his beloved twin. "Do you really believe so?" The other prince nodded sagely.

"I do."

---

"I do." That is what I had said to my brother then, for I myself had seen first-hand the persistence and tenacity with which Megatron pursued any goal. He soaked up my words eagerly, for I knew I was a great inspiration to him in the sense of knowledge and steadfastness as much as he was to me in terms of endurance and ambition. We both possessed strengths and flaws just as everyone else, but we shared them together like one; we were stronger that way and nothing could shatter this mutual connection between us. To me, it seemed the future of all of Cybertron would see it through years of even greater tranquility and harmony under our rule together. It seemed flawless in every way…

The sun hung high overhead, for it was around noon time, and we two talked more of our separate exploits, Megatron seeming to have opened up the more we spoke. His eyes shone a feverish inner light, as if he'd discovered something so very vital and new and he could not shake it from his thoughts. He seemed prouder now, despite my learning of his newest defeat in the combat training he informed me he was undergoing. Each lesson had been an utter failure and yet now, he seemed energized, saying multiple times that he couldn't wait to try again this afternoon.

"Your words inspire me, brother. I cannot lose with you behind me, I am sure of it this time," he said to me, sitting straight and perched at the lip of the fountain, kicking his feet in opposition to mine. "I am sure of it." Inside, I really wanted to tell him not to get his hopes up too high, but I could not bring myself to shatter his eagerness and ambition. I had not seen him this optimistic for a week now, and I was rather enjoying the renewed company.

"Just wait," he continued, more to himself than anything. "I will show father. I will show Lord Crusade!"

A few moments later, I could see the two tutors making their way towards us; the slim, golden-armored Lord Peaceward who seemed to replicate the shimmering sun and the much darker and more imposing Lord Crusade, who seemed to drink in the sun's rays instead. They came to collect us, and already, I was eagerly looking forward to browsing the streets of Cybertron again. But as I looked back again at my departing brother, I knew that he outmatched my eagerness much more…

---

A bulkier new sparkling stared back at the young Megatron; each day having brought a new and even tougher opponent and each had successfully defeated the small Protector every which way. But he was ready this time. Optimus's words meant so much right now, his spark was set aflame. This was the day he would prove himself in the eyes of his mentor.

Crusade stood a few feet away, arms crossed, keeping a watchful eye on Megatron's well-being as usual. "Begin."

The hulking form of the other hurled itself at the prince, raising huge fists to come slamming down and crush the Protector into submission. But his massive hands only struck the solid ground… and hard, his target having had skirted out of the way just in time. Recoiling in agony, the brute withdrew his fists and shook them out, this rewarding him with a sideswipe of the prince's foot, causing him to plummet to the ground with a loud, resounding THUD! Megatron, though slightly smaller than the other Autobot, wasted no time as the other tried to recover, landing blows to the more vital chinks in the Autobot's armor around the neck and arms.

The opponent began to push himself up with his thick arms, but Megatron grew frenzied, lashing out with a foot again and knocking the arms from beneath him and sending the Autobot tumbling into the nearest pillar. Bracing for support, his adversary inched sideways, just moments from Megatron's seeking claws as they slashed streaks into the awaiting pillar behind him. Megatron smiled, this was going well. Not only was he becoming the offense of the fight, the other had no chance even to recover…

That was when a heavy hand latched around one of his own. The Protector-in-training found himself shooting through the air and smashing against the low side of one of the fountains. He'd nearly broken it. Pain once again exploded within his systems, a familiar feeling these past few days, which Megatron quickly tried to brush aside to keep his mind clear. He'd discovered one of his weaknesses earlier on, reflecting on such pain caused one to become sluggish and open to attack. He wouldn't let this bring him down today. Not today.

Shoving back into the fray, Megatron was caught off guard again. This opponent was much faster than his size depicted, for already the assailant was near and wrenched the young lord by the leg up and back down into the ground. His body shook with the pain as his back collided again and again, losing his sense of direction as the world raced back and forth. The hulking brute slammed the obviously younger Autobot down one final time.

From his blurred vision, Megatron lay in the shadow of the opponent, feeling a thick foot stamp down upon his chest and causing him to cough violently and claw weakly at the tough armor of the leg to no avail. No… No… No… Not again… 'One day, you'll tower over your opponents and become the strongest of us all…' His brother's words… They resounded loudly within his metallic skull, dredging up that foul, pitch black feeling again within his chest. It simmered and boiled and grew and grew. Megatron tried to fight back this alien emotion creeping into his systems… And he was losing…

"NO!!!!" His body shook and the towering opponent looked down once. He never stood a chance…

Maneuvering his body and twisting upwards, the pure white Autobot kicked up from behind, shoving his foe face first into the ground only a few inches from his own head. There was a sickening cracking sound. Gasping and grappling to get up, the larger Autobot felt two wicked claws dig straight through the armor of his back, crying out in immeasurable agony as he was lifted high and tossed up and up into the air flailing wildly. Sapphire eyes set aflame, Megatron felt a new power surge through himself, powering his systems with a renewed vigor, causing him to shudder as the other crashed to the ground. Before his opponent could even stabilize, the High Protector was there, wrenching one bulky arm over his own shoulders and dragging the fallen one up. With all the might he could muster, the invigorated sparkling began to spin, causing the helpless, dangling brute to gain momentum. Faster, faster he spun and then, Megatron's feverish eyes flashed once… just as he let go.

Crying out, the opposing Autobot rocketed up and away a few feet into the darkening skies that were blazing with the amorous flames of the setting sun. Unable to stop the inevitable, the Autobot plummeted to the ground a few feet away like a dying comet.

And then, out of some sheer and animalistic instinct that he had never before encountered, Megatron's hungry claws shifted and were clapped together before him. It felt as though someone were tearing his hands apart and rearranging them in some sadistic fashion, sharp blades of screaming torment slashing his hands, his shoulders, his mind apart. They were still shifting, changing, as he found his claws molding together into something much different, reorganizing to become one whole functioning thing…

And then a shot rang out. A blast. It was the loudest thing he had ever heard, bursting his audio sensors, and wildly he began to wonder how far the sound had traveled, how many on all of Cybertron had heard it.

A shimmering pulsation of starlight raced towards the falling Autobot ahead, meeting directly at a ninety-degree angle. The astounded prince had a vague, horrified inkling about what would happen next… and yet, he could not avert his eyes as the fellow Autobot exploded to pieces, shards of armor raining down like a sick, twisted nightmare. He saw the optics blink in total surprise just at the last moment, and now they were dark and unseeing. What remained of the other collapsed to the ground in a clanking, smoldering heap further away, leaving a trail of charred ashes along the otherwise immaculate ground of the courtyard.

The future Protector's optics blinked in disbelief, barely registering as his hands transformed back into their original state and fell at his sides. His legs wobbled, his crested head was throbbing with both triumph and horror. Had… he just done… what he thought he just did? Data went racing around in his head until it found just the right word and blared it out in bright, red, and blinding letters:

Murderer…

Megatron had just done the impossible…

And now Ch.2 done! That's really a record for me... Anyways, hope you enjoyed. Ch.3 coming soon.