Return of the Heir Chapter 15

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

The little mechling couldn't believe that he was standing before the lord of Kaon; his joy soon turned to sorrow and Megatron noticed, kneeling down, "What is wrong little one?"

The little one sniffled and wiped his optics "One of my prayers were answer, but the other one wasn't. My carrier, she's dying; I'm scared Lord Megatron" the mechling embraced Megatron, crying.

The large grey mech returned the embrace, "Terminus, this mechling's carrier needs medical attention immediately."

The mage disappeared for a moment into the castle and returned with a satchel "Show me the way."

While the mechling went with Terminus, Megatron turned back towards the crowd "In honor of my return, we shall celebrate not just my return but the return of Hadeen. Let all be welcome into the fortress to rejoice in in this day." The shouts of the crowd drowned out the rest as Megatron felt his spark swell in pride as he listened to his people.

Back Iacon, Optimus was not faring well. He had been a train wreck since Novaton disappeared and his bonding to Sentinel was coming up, and coming up fast. He didn't want to bond with the Rodion prince because the young Iacon prince knew that once the sacred vows were said there would be no going back. He would be at the beckon call of Sentinel and forced to bear as many sparklings as possible until he couldn't take it anymore. The thoughts flooded his processor until he fell into recharge unknowingly.

The next morning as he sat down with his sire and future…bonded, for the morning meal. Optimus let his thoughts drift back to the white mech and the kindness that shone in his optics; it was bad enough that he was gone, he wondered what his life would be like if he was still alive or better yet if another noble was unbonded, at least that would delay the inevitable. "Optimus, you've hardly touched your meal, is something wrong?"

The red and blue mech inwardly scoffed at the rhetorical question, 'of course something is wrong' "There is sire; I wish you would let me make my own decisions and to whom I wish to bond. I want to love some one as you loved carrier, why won't you let me follow my own path?"

Ultra Magnus knew his son was always one to ask so many questions, and it pained his spark to see his son this way, "Optimus, I know you had feelings for your slave, but he was not of noble blood and as such was unfit to bond. You'll learn to love Sentinel as he loves you."

The as of now unspoken mech, "Your sire is right Optimus, I do love you, and you'll learn to love me" Sentinel said as he rubbed the other prince's thigh. The young prince brushed his servo off as the other smirked, one that promised trouble in the future.

Their morning meal was interrupted by a guard rushing in after a young red scout. "Your highness, the city planner wishes to discuss a few details you. She wants to know how you want the main hall to be decorated for your son's bonding ceremony?"

"Very well Cliffjumper, tell her I'll meet with her in a few cycles and that I will want to show my son and his future Conjunx as well."

"Right away King Ultra Magnus."

After the morning meal was finished, the trio went about their separate ways, Optimus found himself alone in his study rereading some of the old legends about the original thirteen primes when he failed to hear the door open and close again. He was surprised by a blue servo carefully moving in intimate patterns on his back, "I'm surprised you would leave yourself defenseless my dear and since we are alone…" Sentinel forced his lips onto Optimus.

The slightly young prince reeled back in terror, slapping the other prince in the face. "HOW DARE YOU, we are not even bonded yet you still act like we are." Optimus was fuming by this point and he could feel the growing hatred for Sentinel climb even higher. Without giving any regards to the blue and orange mech, the young mech stormed out of his study; on his way to his berthroom he heard some of Sentinel's personal henchmechs talking; moving closer, "I'll tell you what, when our prince bonds with that brat, Kaon will be ours for the taking", outraged, he ran back to his quarters in disbelief. Slamming the doors shut, his spark was pulsing rapidly and he felt his middle clinch, summoning a guard to fetch the medic Optimus waited.

Ratchet arrived at his quarters to see Optimus lying on the bed holding his middle. "Kid, what is wrong?"

"I don't know Ratchet, it all started after Sentinel forced a kiss on me and I slapped him for it. Then I overheard that once me and Sentinel bond, Kaon will fall and all who live in it."

The old healer was in shock, "Optimus, are you sure? Why would anyone want to attack the old mountain city, for any reason?"

The red and blue prince sighed, "I just don't know Ratchet, but what I do know is that the city won't stand a chance if Sentinel attacks with both Iacon and Rodion forces." Optimus rubbed his middle again and the old healer noticed the gesture.

"Optimus, have you been feeling well the past few deca-cycles?"

"Probably just a virus, dealt with them since I was a sparkling."

"Kid, I have been your personal medic since you were sparked, and I can tell when someone is carrying; now since you hate Sentinel with all your being, who is the sire?"

The red and blue prince was dumbfounded and felt his processor stall, Ratchet diagnosed him as carrying? He couldn't be, he can't be; "Ratchet are you…sure?"

The healer didn't want to bypass the issue, "Yes, I'm sure; now I'll ask you again, who have you interfaced with?"

With shame, Optimus recalled that the only mech he recharged with was Novaton; he felt his spark clench at the thought of the white mech. "It was Novaton, he was my first and only."

The medic felt his frame sag, "Optimus, you know what this means right?" He could see the mech looking at him and nod; "You'll have to tell your sire about it, because if you don't and he finds out before you tell him…"

"I know, but if I tell him and Sentinel just happens to overhear, Primus, I don't want to even think about it." Optimus walked over to his balcony and looked towards the mountains, "Ratchet, I read that if a sire is terminated within the early days of the carrying cycle, then the sparkling is almost always terminated, correct?"

"Yes; where are you going with… oh no, you are not leaving the city to go look after what could be a lifeless shell in the forest somewhere."

"I have to Ratchet, if you say I am carrying, and if it is evident by now, then Novaton is still alive; hence why the sparkling is still alive. Now I'm going with or without you."

Later that night after the castle was dark, Optimus packed everything in a small satchel that he would need. He had done some reading earlier that afternoon about how Kaon was once a sanctuary city for anyone seeking asylum, but the there was a downside, the length of asylum equaled the lord of the city discretion or in this case, the Captain of the Guard. Making his way quietly down to the royal stables, Noble was waiting in his stall for the young prince. As he was saddling his zaphorse, Bulkhead and Bumblebee walked in on him.

"Prince Optimus, what are you doing here?"

"Yeah, shouldn't you be preparing for your bonding ceremony?"

"Bumblebee, Bulkhead, be quiet." The two younglings stepped back from the startled prince, "I can't stay here; something has come up and I have to leave."

Bulkhead was the first to speak, "But, won't your family miss you? What about Sentinel?"

"There are things in this world that not everyone is privileged to young one" spoke Ratchet before Optimus could answer. "I've gathered everything we'll need kid, and we need to get a move on before the guards make their rounds."

"Can we come with you, please, it'll be our first time out of the city, please" asked Bumblebee?

"Yeah, please?"

The prince couldn't hold out for long against the pleading look in the others' optics. After some extra time, they didn't want to waste, the four mechs made their way outside the city through a backdoor trading gate, with no guards surprisingly, and into the forest. Dawn slowly approached as the sun appeared over the horizon. The group had traveled about one hic from Iacon by the time they stopped for a break.

Back in Iacon, Ultra Magnus noticed his oldest son was late that morning. Arriving at his berthroom, he saw it was empty; ordering a search of the castle revealed that his heir was no where to be found and his zaphorse was gone. 'Must be at one of his hiding spots blowing off some steam before the ceremony. 'Not buying the story at all, Sentinel ordered his mechs to find Optimus while he went to see the king alone.

The group was interrupted from their meal by the rustling of bushes. Grabbing his ax from Noble, Optimus crept closer and closer, only for a black and gold blur to dart out from the undergrowth. Blinking to reset his optics, standing there was one of his sire's most trusted assassins. "Prowl, what are you doing here?"

"I've been following you since last night; and I am revealing myself now because we have tails." This threw everyone for a loop, "What I mean to say is that Sentinel's mech are following you. We must reach the Kaon border before…" the sound of hounds in the distance, "We need to leave now, and I mean NOW."

Everyone mounted their zaphorses and took off just as the hounds burst into the clearing. The shouting of mechs in the distance soon grew louder. The forest was thinning until only a small clearing was in sight. Two statues stood on either side of the road, "There's the border, all we need to do is…" an energy arrow flew past them.

Pyron, Sentinel's second in command, "There is nowhere for you to run Optimus; come with us now, no one needs to get hurt here."

The young prince knew that Pyron wouldn't hurt them unless he had to, but it was either this or live a life in Sentinel's shadow. Without a second thought, Optimus crossed the border and his friends crossing shortly afterwards. "I claim me and my party in the presence of Lord Onyx Prime, Protector of the Fluorine Forest and Lord Megatronus Prime, Patron to the city of Kaon, sanctuary for me and my party." There pursuers flinched back from the prince's decree, as no one would dare to upset the Primes.

Pyron growled under his vents, "You may have won this battle Optimus Prime, but you will lose the war."

When Pyron and his mechs left, Optimus could feel his spark pounding. He knew that proclaiming in the name of not one, but two Primes, he had to speak with the Captain of the Guard. Leading his group down the road, the trees finally gave way to open fields. Everyone was expecting darkened landscapes, what they did not expect was green rolling cygrass on either side of the road, wild crystals growing here and there, and the most striking of all was the Kaon city banners flying in the gentle wind.

"Optimus, I thought Kaon was dark and dreary; not bright and cheery?"

"On another solar-cycle you would be correct, but it would appear that the Captain is not who we will be speaking with."

"Then who will we be speaking with" asked Bulkhead?

The young prince took a deep invent, "We will be speaking with the Lord of Kaon."