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The Consort and The Warlord Ch1

Summary: Megatron uses the All Spark to gain access to Cybertron and demands a peace treaty. An Autobot Consort is offered and Optimus is chosen. A Bonding Ceremony takes place and now Optimus has three vorn to figure out exactly what Megatron wants to do with Cybertron.

Pairing: Optimus Prime x Megatron

Continuity: Animated

Status: Ongoing

"Optimus Prime, then."

"Yes, Optimus Prime."

"I don't see any other bot that we can use."

"He is the only Prime with these… qualifications."

"Then we are in an agreement; Optimus Prime will be Bonded with Megatron in order to bring peace between the Autobots and Decepticons."

Applause erupted in the room of the Autobot Council as the agreement was made. In the back corner, standing behind the Magnus who had been oddly quiet during the entire exchange, another Prime smirked.

It took a decavorn and three high priority space bridge jumps for Optimus and his team of repair bots to finally return to Cybertron. They had been far off in space, fixing a jammed bridge when word of Megatron finding the All Spark reached them. A massive announcement had been made through the Cybertron news cast that was sent throughout all of Autobot space. Surprisingly, the Warlord hadn’t declared war but instead demanded a conference with the Council and a peace treaty had been signed. Though the details of it have yet to be made public.

When Optimus got the direct orders to return to Cybertron, he was surprised. He was confused, but expected that all Primes regardless of standings would have to be on Cybertron if the Decepticons and Autobots were finally making peace. Or what he had hoped would be peace. Though Optimus wasn't sure how peaceful warframes could truly be, he knew for a fact that several Autobots wouldn't be happy with them walking on the same streets. And many civilians would be terrified to leave their homes as well.

But these thoughts were none of Optimus' business. He was a lowly Prime who didn't deserve his title and he was just going for formalities. At least that was what he thought until Cliffjumper told him that his team was to dock directly at Fortress Maximus and not the outer ports of Iacon. It was even stranger when Sentinel Prime was the one who met them at the private port and told his crew to stay on their tiny repair ship and that only Optimus was to come with him.

Optimus recognized that gleeful tone in his ex-friends voice. Sentinel should've been pissed and berating Optimus for returning to Cybertron just because the Decepticons were there. Instead it felt like the mech knew something he didn’t. Something he could hold over Optimus' helm.

Sentinel was surpsingly quiet but Optimus never missed the glances back at him and that slag eating smirk he wanted so badly to hit. But he clenched his servos and kept his helm down instead. He knew the path they were taking. He'd taken it twice before, when he'd been made a Prime, and when he'd lost it all.

They were going to Ultra Magnus' office.

Mechs and femmes alike were hustling around them, carrying data pads, talking to others over a communication device or carrying boxes of who knows what. Drones were nearly stepped on in the rush and one could barely think with the noise. Usually this part of Fortress Maximus was quiet and Optimus would have found it concerning if he hadn't known that Decepticons had actively made peace with them less than a vorn ago. Albeit blackmailing them with the All Spark, but making peace nonetheless.

Sentinel stopped outside of the Magnus' office and pressed the bell. Clearing his intake, Sentinel spoke in the same self-confident tone he always had.

"Ultra Magnus, sir. It is Sentinel Prime. I have brought Optimus as requested."

Optimus said nothing about his lack of a title and instead focused on how he was supposed to face the mech he admired and who had once had so much expectations for Optimus. Their last meeting had been one of pure disappointment and Optimus wasn't sure he could take seeing another expression like that on Ultra Magnus’ faceplate. The door came in with a gruff 'enter' and Sentinel let Optimus step in before him.

The Magnus office was just as Optimus remembered; bare minimum decor with a large and plain desk, several bookshelves and cabinets and a strewn of data pads everywhere. A young mech that Optimus did not recognize was working at a smaller desk, frantically going through some data pads. Ultra Magnus sat at his desk, his optics focused on his own data pad, his face scrunched in the frown he wore so often. Clearly the matter with Decepticons had him busy as could be, so why had he called for Optimus?

As the door shut behind him, Optimus stopped next to one of the seats that were set before the desk. They were empty as usual but Optimus didn't dare take a seat without permission. It was rude to sit before the Magnus, especially if you were one of his Primes. Behind him, Optimus could hear Sentinel settle against the far wall by the door. After several kliks, Ultra Magnus put his data pad down with a deep ex-vent and looked up at Optimus. There was a deep tiredness in his optics and something else Optimus couldn't explain. Ultra Magnus supported his helm on his folded servos, elbow joints propped onto the desk. He let out a smaller ex-vent and finally spoke.

"Optimus Prime, I am glad to see that you arrived here safely. Unfortunately we have no time for pleasantries. As you know, Megatron has agreed to a peace treaty with us and we are currently working with the Decepticons on how to integrate the warframes into our society." Ultra Magnus spoke swiftly and clearly, not caring about the secretary mech who was clearly too busy to care. "There was one part of the treaty that was decided as… a good faith measure."

Ultra Magnus paused and Optimus felt like his optics were looking him up and down. Tracing every part of his frame, but never making optic contact, and it made him want to squirm. But he stood still like he'd been taught and waited for the larger mech to finish.

"In order to show that Autobots and Decepticons can live together, a Bonding Ceremony will be held between the two factions." Ultra Magnus seemed to hesitate as he spoke. "Between Megatron and you."

Optimus became stiff as he heard what Ultra Magnus stated. His optics wide, he stared at the mech, his leader and the Autobot he respected more than anyone else. He was joking, right? A prank that Sentinel was pulling on him, right? That was why the mech was so giddy, Sentinel sucked at keeping quiet about such things. But no, Ultra Magnus would never go along with it and joking was far outside the Autobot leader's personality.

"Sir, may I speak?" Optimus asked, feeling his tanks sink.

"Speak." Ultra Magnus stated.

"Why am I the one being bonded off to Megatron?" Optimus asked, clearly flustered.

Ultra Magnus stood now and stepped out from behind his desk. He went to the wide windows behind him and looked out at Iacon below. He didn't turn around as he answered the Prime.

"The Bonding with Megatron is meant to, on the surface, be a show of good faith that our two factions can live together in peace. In truth it is meant to get us a bot close to him and his faction and figure out exactly what Megatron plans to do now that he’s on Cybertron." Ultra Magnus says. "I intend for you to simply make him trust you enough so that you can relay everything they do to us."

"You want me to be a spy?" Optimus questioned. "I have no training for that! I have no training for any of this! Wouldn’t Longarm Prime be more qualified?"

"Longarm Prime is known as a member of our spy division, his cover would be blown instantly." Ultra Magnus turned around and finally looked Optimus in the optic. "And anybot less than a Prime would be too much of an insult."

Optimus clenched his servos and glanced away. "Then wouldn't a Prime of my status be just as insulting?" He asked softly. He had been kicked out of the academy and given a lowly position as a repair ship crew leader. He clearly would be an insult to the Warlord.

"Nothing Megatron needs to know." Ultra Magnus stated. "We sent your file to Megatron, though edited to hide your… blemishes. To him you are a top of your class Prime who earned your title before graduation and have been off planet on a special mission that no one knows about."

Special mission? Like clearing asteroids from space bridges was such a secret! How could Ultra Magnus attempt to lie to the leader of the Decepticons of all mechs. What if he got caught and his true file was found? He'd been offline in an instant!

"How am I supposed to get in contact with you without them tapping into the communications?" Optimus asked. Having no training for spy work, he also didn't have the mods for it.

"Three vorn." Ultra Magnus stated, stepping towards Optimus. "After three vorn, you and Megatron will return to Iacon for a meeting with the Council that has already been scheduled. You are to give me the information then. As well as details on anything else that Megatron does."

Optimus looks up at his leader with confusion. What else would Megatron do? Ultra Magnus looked down at Optimus and placed his servo on one of his shoulder pauldrons.

"Megatron is a savage mech and I cannot expect you to be treated well. If you can get proof of him assaulting you, or proof of him neglecting you, he'd be breaking the Bonding Laws. You can then get the Bonds severed and return to Iacon safely." Ultra Magnus squeezed his servo and Optimus tensed under the gaze of his leader. "You just have to endure everything for three vorns. You should be capable of that."

This wasn't a question. This was an order. One Optimus couldn't back out of. Three vorn. He'd be at the mercy of Megatron and the Devepticons for three vorns and if he survived that, he'd also have to find out what they were planning to do on Cybertron. How disappointed would Ultra Magnus be if he barely crawled back from the Decepticons with nothing to offer. Or worse, what if he got sent back? Offlining would be better than that!

"What about my team?" Optimus asked.

"They will be going with you." Ultra Magnus stated easily. Optimus let his helm snap to his leader in shock. "It is part of your story. Ratchet is the medic on your team and the two others are young cadets you are personally training. They are to join you because the council refused to send you in alone."

Optimus couldn't even argue with that. It made sense and he hated it. Hated how he had put his new teammates in so much danger because of him. How they'd be at the mercy of the Decepticons because his past had made it impossible to say no to Ultra Magnus.

"Understood."

It was all he could say. He had to accept that this was his fate and he'd dragged them into it. The least he could do was make a plan of escape for them if things got dicey. He would be obligated to stay due to the Bonding Laws but his team wasn't. They could run if they wanted. He just had to make sure they wouldn't get caught.

"Good, I expected nothing less from you." Ultra Magnus stated. He returned to his desk and picked up another datapad. "The ceremony will be held tomorrow. Everything has been prepared for you and tomorrow you will be painted and escorted to it."

"So soon?" Optimus asked. He had thought he'd get at least a few cycles to come to terms with all of this.

"Both the Council and Decepticons are eager for this to be done. Especially since the Temple of Primus will be officiating the ceremony." Ultra Magnus stated. "You do not need to prepare anything, simply be ready when Hadeen rises."

Optimus nodded but he was certain that Ultra Magnus did not notice him. The mech was currently engrossed in another datapad and the discussion was over. He could hear Sentinel move to take him back to his ship but there was still something chewing away at his wires.

"Ultra Magnus, sir." Optimus stated, ignoring the grab on his shoulder pauldron by Sentinel. "What happens if the Decepticons decide to start a war?"

Ultra Magnus did look up this time but only briefly. "That is something already considered but there is no need for you to know our plans."

With those sharp words, Optimus was dragged out of the office and pushed to walk down the halls by Sentinel. Bots around him continued their work, not even giving him a glance or time of day. Behind him, Sentinel finally went off.

"How perfect isn't it?" The mech stated. "A wash out like you being forced to bond with the Slag Maker himself. You'll be lucky if you make it even one vorn."

"You would find this funny." Optimus scolded. He stopped and turned to the mech he once trusted his back to.

Sentinel got in his face instantly, anger written all over him. "What's that supposed to mean?" He gritted his denta.

"You always found fun in others' misery." Optimus stated.

"Oh I think this situation is great! You'll be the berthwarmer for the most dangerous mech in the universe!" Sentinel chided.

"Want to change places?" Optimus snapped back.

"Like slag!" Sentinel spat. "I would be bonded already if someone hadn't gotten her offlined!"

"Elita didn't like you like that." Optimus muttered.

This earned him a punch to the faceplate, hard enough to knock him over. A punch he might have deserved but the stomp on his chassis he knew was too much. Optimus gritted his denta and pushed the Sentinel off of him.

"Isn't it a bad idea to injure the future bonded of Megatron?" Optimus snapped as he stood.

This caused the egotistical mech to step back and look away. "You know your way back to your ship!" Sentinel snapped. "Get back on your own and don't you dare run!"

The mech scurried off and Optimus began to wipe himself off. He was a bit dirty and his cheek plating hurt but that was it. Sentinel had never been able to throw a punch, relying on his weapons over physical strength. Optimus rubbed his cheek plate with the back of his servo and walked back to the ship at a steady pace. He wasn't sure if he wanted to delay telling his team, or to get this cycle over with. He did know that he wanted to recharge. Probably the last peaceful recharge he'd get in a long while too.

When Optimus made it back to his ship, he was instantly bombarded by Bumblebee and Bulkhead who clearly seemed worried. He hadn't been gone long but a quick glance at the port guards and he realized that Bumblebee at least had tried to escape. The small yellow bot was a bit dented and scuffed but nothing serious, thankfully.

"Bossbot, what happened?" Bumblebee shouted as he was herded into the main deck area. Bulkhead was behind him, pushing him gently.

"Yeah, no one will tell us why we can't leave!" The large green bot was clearly more worried than mad. Unlike his smaller friend.

"Give the kid some space and let him speak." Ratchet chided them. The old war medic sat in his chair, arms crosses over his chassis. Even Prowl was standing to the side, clearly wanting to know what was happening.

Optimus let out an ex-vent and put his servos up. "Alright, sit down and I'll explain what Ultra Magnus told me."

"You're getting bonded to Megatron!? The Megatron? Rip out your spark and eat it Megatron?" Bumblebee shouted. "And we have to go with you!?"

To say that the small bot was freaking out was an understatement. Though Optimus honestly couldn't blame him. It was terrifying enough to think of being in the same room as Megatron, but being bonded to him and forced to live amongst the Decepticons, that was way outside anyone's comfort zone. Bulkhead did his best to calm his friend down but his glances at Optimus did not go unnoticed. He was obviously hoping for some word of reassurance from his leader that everything was going to be OK.

"Why does Ultra Magnus need to send all of us with you?" Ratchet scoffed, leaning back against the seat. He seemed the least bit shocked by the entire situation but was clearly annoyed.

"The Council may have… edited my file to make me look like a pristine Prime and not a wash out." Optimus said. He was looking at the floor, digits tangled together as he was ready for them to yell at him. They had every right to yell at him, this was all his fault.

"Won't you be in trouble if Megatron finds out?" Bulkhead asked, clearly concerned.

"Wouldn't he ask for a different partner? Then Bossbot will be free!" Bumblebee said enthusiastically. "Why not tell him they lied?"

"Because Megatron would send Optimus' helm back to Ultra Magnus as a warning for what happens if you try to deceive a Decepticon." Ratchet snapped. "Are you trying to get the kid killed?"

Bumblebee went silent with that and slumped behind Bulkhead. Prowl, who had been quiet the entire time, finally stepped forward.

"I took note that I wasn't mentioned." He stated.

Optimus looked away sheepishly. "I may have.. lost the report I was supposed to send to Longarm Prime about picking you up and having you join my team." He said quickly.

Prowl seemed shocked by this. They had picked him up several stellarcycles ago when he was stuck on an asteroid. Prowl had been adamant about not being reported to Cybertron about his presence but Optimus had insisted. It had caused several arguments between the two but in the end, Optimus just couldn't bring himself to do it. Now he was glad he hadn't.

"Ultra Magnus and the Council don't know we have Prowl." Optimus said.

"What difference does that make?" Bumblevee asked.

"It means he can stay behind and gather information." Optimus looked Prowl in the optic. The ninjabot seemed hesitant but crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why do you need information?" Prowl asked.

"We're being thrown straight into the cyberhounds den without any warning or information. I've been told to bond with Megatron tomorrow without even meeting him and then all of us are being shipped off to wherever they are staying." Optimus began. "I don't even know if the Decepticons have a city they are occupying or if they are staying on their ships. It's like no one wants to tell us anything."

"Not a surprise." Ratchet scoffed. "It's just like the Council to send us in blindly."

Optimus bit his derma. He couldn't argue with that. "I asked Ultra Magnus what his plan would be if the Decepticons decided to start a war. He told me the plan was not something I didn’t need to know."

"Meaning it's a plan only a select few are privy to." Prowl stated, finally getting why Optimus had requested his help. "I should have no issues getting that. One of my Master’s students was scouted by the Elite Guard, I can start with him."

Optimis nodded at Prowl, glad that the mech was willing to help out. The others still didn't look too sure about this entire situation so Optimus tried to put on a confident smile, even if he knew he was bluffing.

"I know that this is probably the worst case situation for us, and I know it's my fault." Optimus began. "But if Ultra Magnus is right, all we have to do is endure it for three vorn. Then we should be free."

"Will three vorn even be enough time?" Bulkhead asked.

"Yeah, who knows what Megatron will do to you in that amount of time." Bumblebee said. "And what about us?"

"If things get bad, I want you three to run." Optimus states seriously. "The ship is coming with us, if you guys can make a plan to escape, I'm sure you can get away safely. I'm going to be bound by the Bounding Laws, I can't just abandon my position but if I can get the proof needed to Ultra Magnus, I can get it canceled."

"So survive for three vorn and get out." Ratcget said. "I'd think it'd be easy if you weren't bonding Megatron himself."

Optimus agreed with that.

Hadeen rose far too early and Optimus felt like he hadn't recharged nearly enough. Ratchet had cleaned him up the night before and offered him a stasis injection but he didn't want to over sleep. He just hoped that as he exited the ship, he didn't look as tired as he felt.

He almost wept in joy when Longarm Prime stood patiently outside the ship instead of Sentinel. The preparations for a Bonding Ceremony took most of a cycle and he hadn't wanted to deal with Sentinel’s berating all throughout it. Though he had never known the older Prime personally, all of their conversations had been pleasant. The bot was comforting to be around.

"Good morning, Optimus Prime." Longarm stated, a soft smile on his features. Optimus saluted him and was gestured to follow. "I know that a lot is going to happen today and there is a lot to do so please tell me if anything needs to be repeated."

Optimus gives him a quick ‘yes’ as he is led down a different hallway and to a side elevator far out of view of everyone else. He had never known it was there until the doors opened in the wall. Inside, Longarm continued to speak.

"The Bonding Ceremony will be held as Hadeen starts to set. This was requested by Megatron though a priest from the Temple of Primus will be officiating the ceremony." He stated, watching the doors.

"I thought the Temple of Primus went into hiding during the war." Optimussaid. He had wanted to ask Ultra Magnus when he spoke of them the day before but had been unable to.

"They did, technically. Off the record, they were unhappy with the Autobots for having taken the All Spark off world and refused to aid them at the time." Longarm explained. "Since Megatron has brought it back and agreed to return the All Spark to the temple, the priests are on his side and are eager for the ceremony. You could say that one of the main reasons for this bonding is so that the Council can get back into favor with the Temple of Primus."

The doors opened and Optimus followed behind Longarm’s quick pace. He didn't look around, not really concerned about where he was or who was looking at him. The Temple of Primus were an old faction, founded long before the Decepticons andAutobots. Before the war, they were peaceful and well liked and rumored to be protecting the All Spark as well as the Matrix of Leadership, the only two relics said to be connected directly to Primus. And in order to protect them, they were said to have fierce warriors who, despite not being warframes, could easily defeat them. Or so said rumors, most of this was lost with time as the faction vanished during the war and not many bothered to learn about them. Even Optimus only knew of them because he happened upon a datapad once in the academy.

As his thoughts wandered, Optimus found himself entering what looks like a high end guest room. It was mostly empty except for two mechs and the appropriate furnishings. The door locked behind them and Optimus felt a sense of dread.

"We will now prepare you for the ceremony." Longarm stated. "You will be cleaned and then repainted. I will go over the ceremony procedures as this happens. We must get done no later than mid evening."

The two mechs nodded and Optimus realized that they were detailers. Based on their own well polished armor and neutral expressions, most likely the private detailers for someone rich like a Council member of their family. Well out of budget for Optimus and making him feel extremely awkward. Longarm took a seat on the couch after signaling for the two mechs to start.

The smaller of the two approached him first, optics roving him up and down before pointing a finger to a closed door. "Absolutely filthy." He snapped. "First you wash. Use the dense solvent and clean up all of your scratches and dents. You need to be buffed and patched up and all of that asteroid dust needs to be removed."

He snapped his fingers and his companion picked Optimus up and carried him to the washroom with ease. Optimus began to panic when he realized that they intended to help him wash. "I can clean myself!" He shouted but the smaller mech ignored him.

"That will take too long, leave it to my assistant." The mech said.

The larger mech certainly knew what he was doing and Optimus was treated carefully. The bath was heavenly and the scent of the solvent was something he'd never had the luxury of using. Every tiny scratch and pebble in his joints was taken care of and he honestly felt like he was being spoiled. Now he knew why Elita used to save up her shanix for a spa day.

Optimus was suddenly thrust from his thoughts as the larger mech picked him up once more and carried him out to the main room. The detailer and Longarm were chatting like old friends and the former seemed very satisfied with his assistant's work. Optimus was much cleaner and refreshed, no oil smell or grit in his joints and gears and even his windows had been scrubbed.

"Beautiful, now we can get these bonding paints onto you!" The small detailer practically cooed as Optimus sat down in a chair. He took out some colors and a tool that Optimus had seen before. A quick test and the mech easily went to work.

Bonding paints were special on Cybertron. Both partners would paint their frames white and a special shade of blue that was only allowed for this ceremony. No bots were allowed to wear the color regularly and only a few detailers were even allowed to possess it. This made the ceremony expensive and most lower class bots were forced to use unofficial blues which were often frowned upon. Optimus never thought he'd be able to wear this blue color. Though he also never thought he'd be bonding with Megatron either.

"Optimus Prime, I will be going over the ceremony with you as they paint, is that alright." Longarm asked. He had moved to sit closer to Optimus but stayed out of the way of the detailer who was focusing on coating most of his frame in a base color. A small sting could be felt as it touched his plating but it wasn't as painful as a medical solvent.

"Of course." Optimus said, wanting to hold as still as possible for the entire process.

"Good, the first thing you should know is that you are to remain silent throughout the entire ceremony. The only mech allowed to speak is the priest. Neither you nor Megatron may say a single word until you are on his ship." Longarm stated. Optimus tried to ignore the last part.

"The ceremony will take place in the crystal gardens of Fortress Maximus at the ceremony platform. Only three bots from each faction, minus the two bonding and the priest are allowed in the area of the platform. A small distance away, the remaining guests will be behind a barrier and the ceremony will be broadcasted throughout all of Cybertron for everyone to see." Longarm said. "The Elite Guard will be making sure no one tries to break the barrier and the Council will be watching from a balcony above the platform. They do not want to be in servos reach of the Decepticons."

Optimus chose to ignore the slight disdain in Longarm’s voice as his helm was moved. He chose to shut off his optics as the detailer continued his work. Without any prompting, the other Prime continued.

"You and Megatron will enter the platform at opposite sides. A chime will let you know when to begin. You will walk towards each other and meet in the middle, facing the other." Optimus twitched his audial fin, earning a sharp look from the detailer that he could feel. "The Bonding Ceremony has three parts. The sharing of energy cubes, the exchanging of gifts and the kiss on the back of each other's servo."

"I haven't prepared a gift!" Optimus said, opening his optics. He felt a bit panicked over that. Longarm Prime smiled and pointed to a table against the far wall.

"We have it already prepared for you." The mech said.

Optimus stared in awe at the large bouquet of crystal flora. They were clear and blue, delicate and sparkled even in the artificial light of the room. The bouquet was massive and held together by an organic wrapping with fine lace and a ribbon of a similar blue to the bonding paint. It was beautiful, it was expensive and it was clearly taken from the garden of a Council member who Optimus couldn't help but wonder which one will be pissed about it ending up in Decepticon’s servos.

"It's beautiful." Optimus finally stated when he realized that he had been staring.

Longarm let out a small chuckle and returned back to the matter at hand. "The ceremony will end when the priest states that you have both completed all three parts. You will be returning to the Nemesis along with Megatron and his mechs."

"What about my team?" Optimus asked.

Longarm glanced at his chronometer before answering. "They should have already been escorted to the Decepticon ship and settled there. When the ceremony begins, they will be escorted to it and then back to the ship once it is over." Longarm explained.

Optimus wasn't sure if he should be glad that they are being so thorough or worried. It was if the Council was stating that they had no way of getting out of the situation. Optimus looked down at his servos. One was painted the bonding blue, a lighter shade than his standard coloring and reality was hitting him. He was going to be bonding with Megatron in front of all of Cybertron.

Longarm seemed to notice his anxiety and reached out to pat him but a quick glare from the detailer had the Prime retracting his arm. "Are you nervous?" He asked instead

"I can't say I’m not." Optimus stated honestly. "But I think it's because all of Cybertron will be looking at me and I don't like being the center of attention."

This got the detailer and his assistant to laugh and Longarm Prime seemed to smile quite fondly. As if it was better for Optimus to be nervous about the onlookers instead of the bonding with Megatron. The older Prime stood up and came in front of Optimus.

"You don't have to say anything, in fact you cannot say anything." Longarm reminded him. "You lose a fifty percent chance of messing up when you don't have to speak."

"For some reason that is comforting." Optimus chuckled. "Thank you."

Longarm nodded and stepped back as the two detailers continued their work.

They had cut it close but by mid evening, Optimus was ready. He stood in front of the mirror and looked himself over and Optimus oddly felt happy. His red and silver paint had been covered with a white and his blue paint and yellow decals were now the softer blue of the bonding paint. He almost looked like a lighter version of Ultra Magnus but quickly shoved that thought to the back of his processor. Instead he wondered if Megatron would also be changing his paints or if the Decepticon’s had a different custom for bonding ceremonies.

Longarm Prime handed Optimus the bouquet and Optimus couldn't help but look it over as the crystal flora clicked together. He had heard that they were very fragile and he didn't want to shatter them before he could even present them.

"Store this in your subspace and bring it out when they are to be presented. But do not subspace the gift you get from Megatron." Longarm Prime instructed him. "You are to carry the gift through the rest of the ceremony and back to his ship."

Optimus nodded, again discouraged at the thought of going to the Decepticon’s berth. Would he really be assaulted on his bonding night? Would he really have to survive abuse for three vorn? Or would he be ignored and neglected, never even looked at? He honestly hoped for the latter.

Longarm Prime led Optimus to an open room with large glass walls and ceilings. Hadeen was beginning to set, slashing blues and purples across the sky. He could hear the sounds of bots talking but he couldn't make anything out. Longarm Prime had left him by the door that led to the ceremony platform in the garden. He had taken his place and now Optimus had to wait for the chime to signal the beginning of the ceremony.

A silence fell, heavy and sudden and an emptiness filled Optimus. He was alone. There were hundreds of thousands of bots all out there but he was as alone as the silence they all brought. He swallowed a lump in his intake and his audial fins flickered at even the tiniest of sounds.

The chime sounded like a roar of thunder as it echoed through the open garden and through every wire and coding deep in Optimus’ core. It should've sounded beautiful but it just caused Optimus to jump forward and he sincerely hoped that no one saw him trip over the door entrance.

The crystal garden was a gorgeous garden filled with clear and frosty crystals that stood taller than the Magnus and as small as an energy cube. They were meticulously cultivated and taken care of. Several pathways wound between them to a large opened space in the center. A gazebo usually sat here, a favorite dining place for the Council. Now the gazebo was gone and the area lifted up to create a stage used to honor Primes and Magnus alike. Optimus had earned his rank of Prime here and now he was bonding the very mech he had once sworn an oath to defeat that day. There truly was so much irony to it all.

A quick glance showed Ultra Magnus standing with Sentinel and Longarm to his sides. They were all well polished and while Sentinel jeered, Ultra Magnus refused to meet his optic. Behind them, a barrier was keeping civillian bots or lower ranked workers from entering the garden completely. Keeping them right at the entrance and Optimus could feel all of their optics on him.

He could not see Megatron until they were both partially up the steps. The larger mech had made it to the top first. And by larger, Optimus meant huge. Megatron towered above Optimus who was already considered a tall mech for a civilian frame. He had always known Megatron had been huge, he'd fought against his program at the academy plenty of times, but having the real and solid mech in front of him was different.

Megatron gave off raw power and solid strength that Optimus had to do everything he could to not step back. Megatron had not painted himself the white and blue bonding colors. His gunmetal gray main was polished and buffed to perfection and bright red stones decorated his frame. They were tastefully adorned across his chassis and helm, large and deep in color. His derma was tight in a frown but as he stared down at Optimus who refused to not meet his stare; he swore he saw Megatron’s optics soften. And despite standing this close to his enemy, Optimus still only felt anxious about the fact that all of Cybertron could see him.

Someone cleared his intake and a mech that Optimus could only think of as the priest of Primus stepped forward. Though he stood taller than Optimus, he was still dwarfed by Megatron. His armor was stripped of anything excessive, painted white with red marks on his faceplate. They looked to be symbols for something, but Optimus wasn't sure. The priest held up his servos and despite his decrepit appearance, his voice was loud and strong.

"Dear Primus, today I offer you the ceremony of your two children. Today they bond in your name and we ask that you give your blessing. They will prove their devotion, thoughts and love to you as Hadeen sinks on the horizon." The priest began. Optimus could barely understand what was being said. "First you must show your devotion!"

Another priest with a similar decrepit frame but different markings came beside the first with a tray of two energy cubes. Instead of the usual pink, these were very pale, diluted energon that was often used for offerings. Each cube had the exact same amount and the priest handed one to each of them. "You will now drink some of the energon but must save some for your to be Bonded. Once you finish your drink, switch cubes and drink what your intended left for you."

This was the only part of the ceremony that Optimus really knew about. Apparently the amount shared prophesied how a bonding would turn out. More selfish bots would share less and more submissive would make sure there was plenty left. He remembered over hearing about how a femme intended to break her bonding and how she should never have gone through with the ceremony knowing her Bonded had drank nearly all of the offering. Apparently he was a very greedy mech.

Optimus took the energon and with a nod from the priest, began to drink. It was much sweeter than what Optimus expected and part of him wanted to down it in one go. He stopped himself however and lowered it from his derma with still half left. Giving them a quick look, he offered his cube to Megatron who took it and placed his own in Optimus' much smaller servos. To his surprise, Megatron had left him half as well. He quickly finished the last of the enegon and returned the cube to the priest. As the second priest took away the cubes, the first one began to speak again.

"Next we will present one's thoughts for the other. Present the gift you wish to offer!"

Optimus quickly pulled out the bouquet of crystal flora from his subspace. Now in his arms, he realized just how large it was and that it was appropriately sized to offer to a warframe. Someone had put at least some thought into this gift. With curiosity, Optimus peeked at the gift that Megatron had presented him and almost missed the slight surprise in the Warlord's expression. In his arms was a very thin metal fixture on a base. At the top, a massive stone of a similar red as Megatron’s decorative stones grew in a jagged and natural way. As they exchanged gifts, Optimus couldn't help but stare in wonder at the sparkling gem. As he held it close, he noted that his stone had a bit of a purple hue to it, matching more with Megatron’s accented colors instead of his optics.

The priest cleared his intake to draw Optimus' attention away from the gift and he apologized silently for getting distracted. Behind him he swore he heard a snort from Sentinel and his audial fins flicked in annoyance. The priest simply smiled, seemingly quite pleased with their offerings and proceeded to the last part of the ceremony.

“Now present your love for one another!” His voice boomed.

Megatron held out his servos, one open servo and the other down. Optimus carefully placed his servo on the open one and took Megatron’s offered servo. Their height difference made it awkward but they were able to kiss the back of each other's servos successfully. Letting go, Optimus hoped that his flushing cheeks could not be seen under his new paint. The act of kissing one's hand was always considered the most romantic way of showing one's affection. The priest continued despite Optimus’ inner turmoil.

"Hadeen has vanished and with it, the night sky of Cybertron blesses this bonding. Megatron of Kaon, Optimus Prime of Iacon, I declare you Bonded." The priest stated. "With this, the ceremony is over."

Cheers erupted and Optimus flinched at the sudden noise from those around him. He snapped his derma shut and looked up at Megatron who was still holding the bouquet carefully. The larger mech offered the crook of his arm for Optimus to take and he did. They left the platform and the crowds behind and Optimus took one last glance behind him, but Ultra Magnus was already gone.

Despite his much faster stride, Megatron did his best to not rush Optimus or cause him to stumble. Optimus was grateful because it seemed the older mech was eager to return to his ship. Optimus tanks dropped as he remembered what usually came after bonding. It wasn't something he was ready for and he became so hung up on his thoughts that he didn't even notice that he had entered the Nemesis. Nor did he notice Megatron dismissing the mechs with him and being steered into a large habsuite. It wasn't until he heard the door lock and Megatron let out a large ex-vent that he finally snapped out of the daze.

Slowly turning to Megatron, Optimus found him carefully placing the bouquet into what looked like an energon cube. The Warlord turned to Optimus who unconsciously gripped his pretty rock harder.

"You are allowed to speak." Megatron reminded him. His voice was deep and rough and sounded nothing like it had in old war videos. Optimus nearly flinched at the words nodding quickly, though he still didn't speak. "You may place your gift on the table."

Megatron pointed to a rounded table between several large sitting chairs. Optimus carefully placed it down, trying not to think about how a single chair for Megatron could probably fit at least three of him. As he turned around, Megatron had gotten much closer, well within arms reach and it took all of Optimus strength to not step back.

"I do not know what your Council has told you but I will make this clear now, I have no intention of touching you without your permission." Megatron declared. "We will speak more tomorrow, it is late and I am certain you want to recharge. There is a washroom to clean the ceremony paint off attached to the berthroom."

Megatron pointed to the door and Optimus took a few steps towards it before glancing back at Megatron. The large mech did not seem intent on following him, his servos carefully removing the stones magnetized to his plating.

"Thank you." Optimus managed to say before disappearing into the berthroom.

#optimus x megatron #the consort and the warlord #megatron #optimus prime #transformers animated

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