Return of the Heir Chapter 14

The mage set a book down in front of him; a large thick, book with the same symbol that he saw on his pendant and the cape pin "I give you the History of the Kaonite Royal Family."

Novaton looked at the book and then back at Terminus, "Why are you showing me this"; the white mech looked at his friend wondering why on Cybertron was he smiling like he was?

"Well, I figured if you were going to stay here then you needed to be aware of your history. Plus, it may answer some of the questions you might have." The old mech looked down at the white mech sitting on the berth, who had a puzzled expression on his face, "We don't have to discuss it tonight if you don't want to. Get some sleep, it will do you some good."

Novaton looked at the mage wondering still why he had given him this, when he made it perfectly clear that he wasn't who he said he was and that he didn't want any part of it. Then again, everything was starting to make some since; his dreams, his spark pulling him in an unknown direction, some recognition in the Kaonite Crest within his memory, and a faint memory of Terminus and Solarflare from a past long forgotten in his processor. "Where to you expect me to sleep, on your floor?"

Terminus laughed, a true genuine laugh that was full of life, "You really are like your sire, always had a way with words, with just a pinch of sarcasm." Once Terminus knew he had finally calmed down, "No, unfortunately you will not have to sleep in here, or on the floor. Come, I will show you to your quarters."

After what seemed like an eternity, the pair stopped in front of two double doors. The metal was beautifully engraved with a woodland scene and the Manganese Mountains in the background. When Terminus opened them, the room laid out before Novaton seemed to have some recognition within his spark. The room was painted in a soft grey with dark purple drapery hanging from the ceiling. The rug surrounding the berth was dark grey, and purple sheets made upon the berth itself. Above the fireplace, there was a portrait that was the exact same picture as shown in the tapestry.

"This was you creator's room; it has been a long time since anyone stepped ped in here. Not even I dared not enter."

"Why?"

The old mage looked at the blue optics staring back at him, "Your sire cared for me when no one else would."

Novaton's processor was thrown into a tailspin, "What do you mean by that"; could there be more to Terminus's past with the royal family?

"It is a story for another time. Come, there is something I want to show you."

Novaton followed Terminus to another door that was hidden in the corner. When the door opened, the sight that greeted the young mech was disbelief. The room painted in a soft purple with soft grey drapery. There was also a dark purple rug underneath a black railed crib in the center of the room. Another small open door revealed a washracks and a chest along the same wall held toys meant for a sparkling within. When the white mech walked over to the crib he saw white sheets and upon them laid a stuffed Distrontium Dragon. Reaching out told touch his vision changed for the briefest of moments, of a grey, black and red sparkling playing with the toy. He reeled his servo back as if he had been burned, still staring at the toy.

Terminus walked up behind him placing a hand on his shoulder, making him jump. "This was your room while you lived here, and your carrier made that dragon for you. Novaton I know you don't want to be called by the name you were truly born by, but with everything that has happened;" the red and black mage sighed, "I won't force you, but please consider it. This city, the people, and kingdom need you."

Novaton didn't know how to answer Terminus, his mind still reeling from the recent flashback. "Maybe you're right and maybe not my dear mech, but I need the night to think about it. Reason being that I think… I think I saw something in the flashback I had moments ago and it doesn't make a lot of since."

"Ok, I'll let you recharge on it, but I want an answer in the morning. We are running out of time, with the deadline of the spark spell upon us, this city will remain in the dark forever if the heir doesn't return by sundown on that day." Terminus knew the chaos that would ensue and he didn't know if the city guard that remained loyal to the royal family would be able to hold off the remaining citizens from storming the castle and taking the throne for themselves.

Recharge soon claimed the young Novaton as he laid upon the berth, and the dreams soon started to flow. Standing in the dark, he was alone as the wind howled and with it laced with the cries of mechs, femmes, and sparklings alike. Blue helm whipping wildly trying to find the source of the cries, but to no avail. A hot burst of wind filled the black void, his once white paint was pealing, revealing gunmetal grey, he looked down and saw his legs, and peds were a mix of black and red. His servos had also turned to black, he reached up to touch his helm revealing it had morphed into something pointed and sharp. Looking down revealed a reflective surface, string back at him was a different mech; grey and black armor with red here and there, a white face with black patches on the checks and chin, and red optics. He kneeled down, rippling the surface of the mirror revealed two faces, his known face and the unknown face. A voiced in the dark spoke. "You are the true heir of Kaon Novaton, you just woken up to the fact that you are after seeing and hearing everything Solarflare and Terminus have done for you." His servos felt heavy and looking down he saw two swords, one in each servo, red jewels shining in the dark. 'Twins suns in night you find'. "I bid you rise, Megatron, Lord of Kaon." Flame erupted from the ground surrounding him, but not burning him and the once mournful cries, turned into screams of joy as he was standing before the citizens of Kaon.

Novaton shot up in berth, venting hard, and optics wide with alarm. His processor was still in a tailspin from the dream and only one thing one his mind, what did the swords mean? Rubbing the back of his helm, Novaton got out of berth and proceeded out of the berthroom. Walking down the dark hallways of the castle, the white mech began thinking on what his dream meant and why the swords had significance? His pondering led him unknowingly to the throne room; looking up at the throne made Novaton wonder if he really was who everyone said he was.

"I remember when you where no higher than my ankle strut and trying to climb up onto your father's throne."

Novaton swung around to see Solarflare standing there with Terminus. "Is there any way that you cannot sneak up on me?"

"Now, where is the fun in that?"

Novaton frowned at the comment Terminus made, "I see no fun it anyway. Terminus, why won't you tell me exactly how to end all this and why my dreams are filled with these horrible scenes and voices telling me what to do and who I must be?"

The old mage could tell the young mechling, almost mech, was on the verge of tears and he wished Megazarak was still here; he would know how to console the young warframe, but this was another matter. "I don't know why the dreams are scaring you or why they seem to be forcing you, but it can only end with the return of the lost heir and that is ultimately your choice."

Novaton wiped a few coolant tears that leaked from his optics; taking a deep invent, "How do you suggest I end this?"

Terminus smiled, "You can end this by remembering these words, 'Below they hide, where no one tries, twin suns in night you find' and you shall find your answers. With that the mage left Novaton in the room alone, with his thoughts, and to figure out his next puzzle.

Novaton, for a lack of a better word, was torqued. Why did the old mech always speak in riddles when it came to the matters of the lost heir and more specifically him? Walking back to the room where he first found himself after arriving at the castle. The royal regalia still sat where it when he found it; "I wonder if I will ever learn the truth behind any of this." A slight breeze made the white mech look up from the table, 'where did that come from'. Walking behind the table, the young mech soon discovered that there was a hidden passage behind the mural in front of him. Grabbing a torch from the wall, he proceeded down the corridor for Primus knew how long until a door appeared in front of him.

After a few cycles of fiddling with the lock, Novaton did what Timegazer, would have done, by kicking down the door the white mech saw the floor turn to stairs; 'Below they hide, where no one tries, twin suns in night you find' "This must be what Terminus was referring to." Reaching the bottom of the stairway, the torch light revealed hardly anything. He was about to give up, when something glimmered in the darkness ahead. Walking further down the hall, the flames illuminated two red stones and further up from said stones where two twin swords laid upon the table.

Setting the torch in the bracket on the wall, Novaton reached out and grabbed the swords. When his servo connected with the hilts his vision flashed showing him a black silhouetted mech holding the swords aloft, in a sudden flash his vision changed. A light blue glow came from his right, an ethereal being stood there, mouthing words. "What are you saying?"

The specter only smiled, "Welcome home, my son."

Novaton found himself on the floor when he came to; 'When did I pass out?' Grabbing the swords again, the white mech made his way back into the throne room, where he met Terminus, who apparently hadn't moved since he left.

"Well, it would seem that old Megazarak is your sire after all. As only his heir can hold those swords without bursting into flames the moment, they left that room." Novaton's reaction was priceless.

Everything that Novaton had been told finally hit home. If Terminus was right and he was the heir, it would explain why he wasn't a pile of ashes right now. "Is that why I'm still standing and why I saw a spirit when I touched these?"

That peaked the mage's interest, "What did the spirit look like?"

"He looked similar to the mech in the book you gave me, especially like Megazarak. He told me welcome home and that I was his son; after every thing you and Solarflare have told me I finally accept that I am the heir of Kaon. I'm ready to prove to my people that I have returned.

Word spread throughout the city that the heir had returned and all gathered in the courtyard in front of the castle. The sky had darkened even more since Novaton's arrival; the white mech stood just inside of the main doors with Terminus and Solarflare. "You look just like your father when he did at his coronation, only your armor and colors are different."

Solarflare held the swords in a protective binding waiting for Novaton to take them. When a dark blue servo reached out to grab them, the blue and orange mech nodded his helm, "I still remembered when you first arrived in that little stream beside our home and when I first held you. Now, to see you standing here today; your sire would be proud."

Pointing the tips down, "I may have not known him, but from what I read and heard, he must have been a respected and honored leader. I'm proud to call him my sire and honored to carry on his legacy."

"I'm happy to hear that, and may Primus and our patron Prime watch over you."

Once Novaton fastened his cape around his neck, he took out the pendant Solarflare gave him. Putting it around his neck made him feel somewhat less anxious, but still very nervous. The doors in front of him opened revealing thousands of torch lights from the citizens below the outcrop. His spark quivered in his chamber, 'These are going to be my people and kingdom, better to just be blunt I suppose'; taking a deep invent, "Citizens of Kaon, for to long you have lived in darkness, and too ling without your leader. I stand before you today to proclaim, that I am Prince Megatron, son of Lord Megazarak and Lady Ironstar, Lost Heir of the Kaon throne."

There were murmurs of disagreements; finally, a voice spoke out "There is reason in Unicron's Pit that you are the lost heir. Your colors are wrong, your frame is wrong, and you have stolen what doesn't belong to you. Why should we listen to you or even follow you; you are nothing more than a fake, a lie, you are nothing."

Solarflare made a move to find the mech speaking out against Novaton, but Terminus put in staff in front to stop him. "What do you think you are doing old mech?"

"He needs to figure this out on his own if he is to prove himself Solarflare. All we can do now is wait for the right moment and watch fate unfold." Solarflare knew Terminus had a point, but it still hurt the captain to watch idly by while Megazarak's son was torn apart by the crowds' words.

"I'm the son of Megazarak, and nothing any of you say will change that."

A femme's voice spoke out above the rest, "If you are his heir, then why is the darkness still present? What say you about that?"

Novaton was scared, suddenly the swords in his hands felt very heavy and his legs paralyzed; he didn't know what to do or to say. He bowed his helm in defeat, tuning out the voices of the crowd shouting, 'Not fit to rule', 'liar', 'you'll never be our leader'; the words cut, burned, and hurt his spark more than anything. Through the pain, a voice spoke clear as day within him. He opened his optics, raising the swords up, pointing them towards the crowd. The wind suddenly grew stronger at the motion and the clouds swirled overhead, "I may not look like the Megatron you knew, but I can assure you this, I am who I say and shall lead you out of the darkness and into a new era. Raising the swords, crossing them at the sky Novaton proclaimed, "I am Prince Megatron, the son of Lord Megazarak and Lady Ironstar, the Lost Heir of the Kaon throne."

The wind howled down the mountain side, lightening flashed as the thunder roared overhead. The white mech saw his plating begin to glow a fire red, as the paint began to peel. He felt his helm and armor morph, like liquid mercury; his arm guards became more pointed, his servos grew claws, he felt his peds split in the middle giving way to two points. His chin guards snaked down the side of his face to points and the rest of his armor become more pointed. Novaton's optics offlined for a moment, and when they opened his armor was a gunmetal grey, his servos, hips, and lower legs were black. He saw that the middle part of his arms was red as were his peds. Within the reflection of the swords, he saw that his face was white with black on his checks and chin. But, the most striking feature was his optics, they were red.

When the wind calmed, the crowd gazed in wonder and horror; the once white mech that addressed them was their leader. The ones who spoke out felt ashamed at their statements, but a little voice spoke to Megatron before anyone else could, "Are you the heir I prayed for?"

Megatron smiled at the mechling's words, "It would seem that Lord Megatronus Prime answered your prayers; so yes, I am the heir. I am Megatron."

The mechling smiled, before he could say anything, he felt something warm on his arm. Looking down he saw a whites-yellow light on his shoulder. Looking up, little red optics saw light breaking through the black clouds. Everyone in Kaon had to cover their optics for a moment before realizing what it was; Hadeen was finally allowed to shine its light upon the once darkened city. The little mechling turned back towards the grey mech above them and shouted, "All hail Lord Megatron."

The crowd followed the little one words as the city was filled with cries and shouts of joy, Kaon's Heir had finally returned.