Hidden Princes, a Transformers G1 fanfic
Title: Hidden Princes (part 3/3)
Universe: G1
Rating: PG
Characters: Jazz, Swoop, Prowl
Warnings: mentions of non-graphic violence, a (probably) obvious plot twist and some Dinobot cuteness.
Notes: written for prowlxjazz's April 2011 Challenge. the themes were royalty and wedding.
well, the thing ended up being almost 7k words long, but it's done. and it's still the second in my time zone. ;)
Sometime during the vorn that Symphony received the upgrades that made him into a fully mature mech, word reached the city of Gygax that the Prime-the same one who had turned the princes away so long ago-had been found to be assisting the Polyhex empire in its expansion and takeover of its neighboring cities. No one knew why or what it would have been gaining him, since he was the ruler of the entire planet, but it had been at least partly his fault that so many mechs and femmes had been murdered and that so many other lives were ruined. And then, before Symphony could even decide how he felt about that, a second piece of news reached them.
The prime had been assassinated during the night cycle, just before the formal proceedings that would remove him from power.
The prince felt robbed when he heard that news. He wasn’t sure if he had wanted the Prime dead, but he did know that he had wanted to be present when justice was dealt. If the Prime hadn’t been colluding with the lord of Polyhex, then the king and queen would still be alive and he and Whistler would still have their old lives; he and his brother had deserved to see the mech that had so deeply wronged them brought down.
Prowl tried to comfort him, telling him that there was still the lord of Polyhex to remove from power and that justice would still be done. And that it had been done to the Prime, even if it hadn’t been official justice. It didn’t really help the prince feel any better, but he did appreciate that his guard had tried.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Not long after the news of the assassination reached them, there came even more world-changing news. The Matrix of Leadership had already chosen a new Prime, a mech named Sentinel who had come from the command structure of his home city’s security forces and had a reputation for being just and fair with his subordinates. Everyone hoped those traits would carry over into his term as Prime.
Prowl had met Sentinel Prime once before, when the new Prime was still a young officer in the security force. He agreed with what other mechs and femmes were saying about him, and thought that he might be able to finally offer the princes some sort of assistance in throwing the Polyhexians out of Altihex and reclaiming their rightful place as the rulers of the city. Hound agreed that this might be the right time to try for the new Prime’s assistance, before the senate or the special interest organizations figured out how far they could push and manipulate their ruler.
Quickly, Hound made a call to Mirage so that a meeting could be arranged. Prowl and Symphony prepared the supplies they would need for their trip and the prince tried very hard not to think about how terrified he was at the thought of finally seeing his brother again after so very long.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
“Why him prince was afraid to see him brother again? Me Swoop would be happy to see brothers after long time!”
“Well, it was complicated, Swoop.” Jazz shifted on the stool, trying to ease some of the strain and ache from his injuries. “See, he was afraid that his brother wouldn’t like him anymore. They had been apart for so long that he didn’t even know what his brother looked like anymore, and he was afraid that Whistler would be angry because Symphony had had a happy life in Gygax, even though his home and family had been taken away. Those are some scary thoughts, you know?”
Swoop nodded slowly. “That be very sad if that what happen. Him Whistler should be happy to see brother, even if brother have better life and am happy!”
“So he should,” Jazz agreed.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Sentinel Prime did not make them wait for cycles before he would meet with them, the way the old Prime and senate had made them wait before. He wanted to see them so quickly that Symphony and Whistler barely had time to look at one another before being ushered into a small, private office inside the Senate Hall. Only Sentinel Prime and two guards waited for them inside, a reasonable match for two just-adult princes and Prowl-who refused to leave Symphony’s side. Hound and Mirage waited outside the room with a third guard while the princes met with the Prime.
Immediately, the Prime informed them that there had been many pretenders to their positions since he received his new position, and demanded to know what made them any different from the mechs who had come before them.
Both princes were offended that there had been pretenders trying to lie to the Prime and steal their positions and home and Whistler said as much. Symphony did his best to soothe his brother before he began telling the Prime their story.
Sentinel Prime listened intently to their words, making an occasional note on the datapad in front of him. When they finished speaking, he nodded and dismissed the princes to the hallway, saying that he wished to speak to Prowl alone. Symphony worried a little about what that meant, but he went quietly into the hallway with his brother.
Whistler hugged Symphony tightly when they were out in the hall, and Symphony hugged back tightly enough that he thought he might dent his brother’s plating. They talked while Prowl was questioned, catching up on the details of their lives. Whistler had led a hard life as a servant in the Crystal Towers, as Mirage couldn’t risk his identity by giving him any special favors but he wasn’t angry or bitter at Symphony because of his happier life. In fact, they were both just so happy to see each other again that nothing else really mattered.
Prowl came out of the office after a very long groon of questioning and sent Hound in. Sentinel Prime, it seemed, was going to be very thorough in finding out if the princes really were who they said they were.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
“Me am glad him Whistler not mad.” Swoop gave Jazz a happy smile.
“Symphony was glad too. He had missed his brother a lot while he was in Gygax.” Jazz returned the Dinobot’s smile. “You getting tired yet? This is a good place to stop if you are.”
Swoop shook his head. “No, me can still listen.”
“Okay then.”
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
It took several cycles and many more question and answer sessions before Sentinel Prime was satisfied that the Princes were who they claimed to be. Even after that, they sometimes felt that he wasn’t entirely convinced, but instead of continuing to question them, the Prime and several of his advisors sat with the princes and began planning their return home.
The Polyhex Empire was large and dangerous and Sentinel felt that it had to be dismantled before it was too strong to stop if the lord of Polyhex decided he wanted all of Cybertron for himself. All of the Prime’s advisors and Prowl agreed with that idea and so they made plans to return as many of the original ruling families as possible to the conquered cities as they were liberated.
Being inexperienced in the ways of war, except for that one horrifying night as their parents were killed, Symphony and Whistler were both terrified of the idea. They were being taught how to fight and defend themselves, but they did not want to see their friends doing the same-and possibly dying in the process. Neither prince, for all that they wanted to force the Polyhexians out of their home, was sure that the lives of any of the mechs who had helped them were a fair price.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
One vorn from the cycle that Sentinel Prime announced his plan to break up the Polyhex Empire and remove its lord from power, Iacon’s military forces moved out from the planetary capital and marched toward Altihex. If the assault was successful, the city and its princes would end up becoming a symbol for the entire campaign, but even if it wasn’t then the Symphony and Whistler would have at least gotten a chance to reclaim their home.
The princes marched bravely along with the military mechs, thought they did not feel that they were, in any way, prepared to do battle alongside them. Whistler had built up his anger at their situation during the past vorn, hoping it would give him enough strength to get through everything. Symphony had simply learned all he could about combat and strategy and confided his fears in his guard during the night cycle. Anger wouldn’t do them any good, he knew, it would only keep him from thinking clearly.
Prowl had done what he could to comfort the young mech, but they were marching into war and only so much could be soothed away. He hoped that things would not be as dire as he foresaw and that Symphony would quickly be able to return to a happy life.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Jazz paused in his narrative to stand up and stretch. “Gimme a minute, Swoop. Things are starting to hurt from sitting on that stool for too long.”
“Okay. You Jazz need get pain killer?” Swoop gave him a concerned look.
“Nah, I’m good.” The saboteur paced the walkway in front of Swoop and Prowl’s berths a few times before sitting back down. “Just needed to stretch things out a little.”
“So what happen next?”
“Well…”
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
The assault on Altihex went almost flawlessly. The Polyhexian troops stationed there either hadn’t believed the Prime’s announcement or they hadn’t realized that the Iacon military was on the move already, because they were completely unprepared for the assault and surrendered before the battle had really even begun and the city’s acting lord had surrendered moments after Sentinel Prime had stepped into the throne room.
It was almost too easy, but Symphony and Whistler had finally liberated their home.
The only problem they had left was figuring out which of them would be king, as their creators had left no instructions on that matter. That worried Symphony more than a little, as he wasn’t sure he wanted to be king, not after having been so very happy among the common mechs in Gygax for so long. But he knew he would do it, if Whistler refused or Sentinel Prime ordered it. He had come back to liberate his people, and he owed it to them to continue to protect them in the future.
When he confessed that fear to Prowl, the guard simply smiled and repeated the allegiance promise he had made to the prince so many vorns before.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
“Then what happen?” Swoop’s voice was soft and full of sleep finally, but like the youngling he really was in age, he was fighting to stay online and keep his optics lit.
“I’ll tell you in the morning, Swoop. You get your rest, or Ratchet’ll turn us both into wall decorations.” Jazz smiled and pulled the young mech’s thermal regulating wrap around his shoulders. “Or we can save it for bed time tomorrow if you like.”
“No, you tell me Swoop story first thing. Me want know… ending…” the Dinobot drifted off so quickly that Jazz wasn’t even sure he had consciously finished his sentence.
“Good recharge,” the saboteur said quietly. Then he turned to tuck the stool back into its corner by Prowl’s berth. He was startled when he saw the tactician’s optics faintly lit and tracking his movements. “How long have you been awake?”
Prowl gave him a small smile. “Long enough. Finish the story, Jazz. I’ve never heard it told quite that way before.”
“Sure.” Jazz returned the other mech’s smile and sat back down on the stool.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
In the end, Whistler solved their problem because he actually wanted to be king. The people of Altihex threw their support behind their new king immediately and Sentinel Prime had no real objection to the ascension. The Prime left a staff of trusted advisors behind in Altihex as their battle campaign moved on to the next conquered city to help ease Whistler into his new role and Symphony was left to find his own place in the new world his life had become.
He moved out of the palace after a few cycles. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help his brother, but he wasn’t comfortable with being inside the palace walls anymore. He had grown used to living out among the common mechs, and he missed that lifestyle intensely. And, even though Whistler wanted him there, there wasn’t a need for the prince to be fused to his brother’s side all the time.
The people of the city welcomed their prince among them with open arms. They happily found him a house and supplied him with all the fuel he needed, even when he protested that he could get what he needed from his brother. They took care of him as an expression of their love and of their happiness at being free again and it humbled him.
And Prowl stayed with him through it all. After all, he hadn’t pledged his loyalty until Altihex was free, he had pledged it forever.
And once everything settled down and life got back to normal, it didn’t take Symphony long to realize how much he valued Prowl. The older mech’s steady guidance and wisdom had seen him through many problems and his protectiveness had saved his life. Prowl was more than just a friend to him, more than just a guardian, but he had no idea how to put that into words. Surprisingly, it was Prowl who said the words first.
“I love you, my prince.”
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
“And how hard those words were for him to say the first time,” Prowl mused with a smile.
“But he said them. And that made all the difference in the universe.” Jazz returned his smile.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
They were bonded on a bright day during Symphony’s ninetieth vorn of life. It was a young age for a bonding, but Symphony knew Prowl was his perfect mate and Prowl, for all his greater age, had never wanted any other. They were a good match and their union had the blessing of the rulers of Altihex, Praxus and the Prime himself. The ceremony was held in the city square so that as many of Altihex’s people could attend as possible, and they turned out en masse. The square was packed beyond capacity and so were the stoops, doorways windows and rooftops of the surrounding buildings. The people were glad that their prince was bonding for love, unlike their king who had bonded to a mech from Tyger Pax to seal an alliance.
As they spoke their vows to each other, Cybertron passed close by a brilliant yellow star and it bathed them in its light as if Primus’ himself blessed their union. And in the warmth of that light, they began their life together all over again.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
“No ‘and they lived happily ever after’?” Prowl gave him an amused look.
“Well,” Jazz replied, leaning over so that he could kiss the older mech. “They’re still working on that ‘ever after’ part.”
“I see.” The tactician returned the kiss happily, then he gave his mate a warm smile. “Even now, you’re the only mech I have ever wanted. I love you, my prince.”
“I love you too, Prowl.” With a return smile, Jazz crawled carefully into the medical berth with Prowl and snuggled up against the older mech’s side.
Prowl wrapped his arms around the former prince and held him close. “Until the stars burn out and Primus calls me to the matrix, Jazz. I will be by your side.”
Universe: G1
Rating: PG
Characters: Jazz, Swoop, Prowl
Warnings: mentions of non-graphic violence, a (probably) obvious plot twist and some Dinobot cuteness.
Notes: written for prowlxjazz's April 2011 Challenge. the themes were royalty and wedding.
well, the thing ended up being almost 7k words long, but it's done. and it's still the second in my time zone. ;)
Sometime during the vorn that Symphony received the upgrades that made him into a fully mature mech, word reached the city of Gygax that the Prime-the same one who had turned the princes away so long ago-had been found to be assisting the Polyhex empire in its expansion and takeover of its neighboring cities. No one knew why or what it would have been gaining him, since he was the ruler of the entire planet, but it had been at least partly his fault that so many mechs and femmes had been murdered and that so many other lives were ruined. And then, before Symphony could even decide how he felt about that, a second piece of news reached them.
The prime had been assassinated during the night cycle, just before the formal proceedings that would remove him from power.
The prince felt robbed when he heard that news. He wasn’t sure if he had wanted the Prime dead, but he did know that he had wanted to be present when justice was dealt. If the Prime hadn’t been colluding with the lord of Polyhex, then the king and queen would still be alive and he and Whistler would still have their old lives; he and his brother had deserved to see the mech that had so deeply wronged them brought down.
Prowl tried to comfort him, telling him that there was still the lord of Polyhex to remove from power and that justice would still be done. And that it had been done to the Prime, even if it hadn’t been official justice. It didn’t really help the prince feel any better, but he did appreciate that his guard had tried.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Not long after the news of the assassination reached them, there came even more world-changing news. The Matrix of Leadership had already chosen a new Prime, a mech named Sentinel who had come from the command structure of his home city’s security forces and had a reputation for being just and fair with his subordinates. Everyone hoped those traits would carry over into his term as Prime.
Prowl had met Sentinel Prime once before, when the new Prime was still a young officer in the security force. He agreed with what other mechs and femmes were saying about him, and thought that he might be able to finally offer the princes some sort of assistance in throwing the Polyhexians out of Altihex and reclaiming their rightful place as the rulers of the city. Hound agreed that this might be the right time to try for the new Prime’s assistance, before the senate or the special interest organizations figured out how far they could push and manipulate their ruler.
Quickly, Hound made a call to Mirage so that a meeting could be arranged. Prowl and Symphony prepared the supplies they would need for their trip and the prince tried very hard not to think about how terrified he was at the thought of finally seeing his brother again after so very long.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
“Why him prince was afraid to see him brother again? Me Swoop would be happy to see brothers after long time!”
“Well, it was complicated, Swoop.” Jazz shifted on the stool, trying to ease some of the strain and ache from his injuries. “See, he was afraid that his brother wouldn’t like him anymore. They had been apart for so long that he didn’t even know what his brother looked like anymore, and he was afraid that Whistler would be angry because Symphony had had a happy life in Gygax, even though his home and family had been taken away. Those are some scary thoughts, you know?”
Swoop nodded slowly. “That be very sad if that what happen. Him Whistler should be happy to see brother, even if brother have better life and am happy!”
“So he should,” Jazz agreed.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Sentinel Prime did not make them wait for cycles before he would meet with them, the way the old Prime and senate had made them wait before. He wanted to see them so quickly that Symphony and Whistler barely had time to look at one another before being ushered into a small, private office inside the Senate Hall. Only Sentinel Prime and two guards waited for them inside, a reasonable match for two just-adult princes and Prowl-who refused to leave Symphony’s side. Hound and Mirage waited outside the room with a third guard while the princes met with the Prime.
Immediately, the Prime informed them that there had been many pretenders to their positions since he received his new position, and demanded to know what made them any different from the mechs who had come before them.
Both princes were offended that there had been pretenders trying to lie to the Prime and steal their positions and home and Whistler said as much. Symphony did his best to soothe his brother before he began telling the Prime their story.
Sentinel Prime listened intently to their words, making an occasional note on the datapad in front of him. When they finished speaking, he nodded and dismissed the princes to the hallway, saying that he wished to speak to Prowl alone. Symphony worried a little about what that meant, but he went quietly into the hallway with his brother.
Whistler hugged Symphony tightly when they were out in the hall, and Symphony hugged back tightly enough that he thought he might dent his brother’s plating. They talked while Prowl was questioned, catching up on the details of their lives. Whistler had led a hard life as a servant in the Crystal Towers, as Mirage couldn’t risk his identity by giving him any special favors but he wasn’t angry or bitter at Symphony because of his happier life. In fact, they were both just so happy to see each other again that nothing else really mattered.
Prowl came out of the office after a very long groon of questioning and sent Hound in. Sentinel Prime, it seemed, was going to be very thorough in finding out if the princes really were who they said they were.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
“Me am glad him Whistler not mad.” Swoop gave Jazz a happy smile.
“Symphony was glad too. He had missed his brother a lot while he was in Gygax.” Jazz returned the Dinobot’s smile. “You getting tired yet? This is a good place to stop if you are.”
Swoop shook his head. “No, me can still listen.”
“Okay then.”
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
It took several cycles and many more question and answer sessions before Sentinel Prime was satisfied that the Princes were who they claimed to be. Even after that, they sometimes felt that he wasn’t entirely convinced, but instead of continuing to question them, the Prime and several of his advisors sat with the princes and began planning their return home.
The Polyhex Empire was large and dangerous and Sentinel felt that it had to be dismantled before it was too strong to stop if the lord of Polyhex decided he wanted all of Cybertron for himself. All of the Prime’s advisors and Prowl agreed with that idea and so they made plans to return as many of the original ruling families as possible to the conquered cities as they were liberated.
Being inexperienced in the ways of war, except for that one horrifying night as their parents were killed, Symphony and Whistler were both terrified of the idea. They were being taught how to fight and defend themselves, but they did not want to see their friends doing the same-and possibly dying in the process. Neither prince, for all that they wanted to force the Polyhexians out of their home, was sure that the lives of any of the mechs who had helped them were a fair price.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
One vorn from the cycle that Sentinel Prime announced his plan to break up the Polyhex Empire and remove its lord from power, Iacon’s military forces moved out from the planetary capital and marched toward Altihex. If the assault was successful, the city and its princes would end up becoming a symbol for the entire campaign, but even if it wasn’t then the Symphony and Whistler would have at least gotten a chance to reclaim their home.
The princes marched bravely along with the military mechs, thought they did not feel that they were, in any way, prepared to do battle alongside them. Whistler had built up his anger at their situation during the past vorn, hoping it would give him enough strength to get through everything. Symphony had simply learned all he could about combat and strategy and confided his fears in his guard during the night cycle. Anger wouldn’t do them any good, he knew, it would only keep him from thinking clearly.
Prowl had done what he could to comfort the young mech, but they were marching into war and only so much could be soothed away. He hoped that things would not be as dire as he foresaw and that Symphony would quickly be able to return to a happy life.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
Jazz paused in his narrative to stand up and stretch. “Gimme a minute, Swoop. Things are starting to hurt from sitting on that stool for too long.”
“Okay. You Jazz need get pain killer?” Swoop gave him a concerned look.
“Nah, I’m good.” The saboteur paced the walkway in front of Swoop and Prowl’s berths a few times before sitting back down. “Just needed to stretch things out a little.”
“So what happen next?”
“Well…”
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
The assault on Altihex went almost flawlessly. The Polyhexian troops stationed there either hadn’t believed the Prime’s announcement or they hadn’t realized that the Iacon military was on the move already, because they were completely unprepared for the assault and surrendered before the battle had really even begun and the city’s acting lord had surrendered moments after Sentinel Prime had stepped into the throne room.
It was almost too easy, but Symphony and Whistler had finally liberated their home.
The only problem they had left was figuring out which of them would be king, as their creators had left no instructions on that matter. That worried Symphony more than a little, as he wasn’t sure he wanted to be king, not after having been so very happy among the common mechs in Gygax for so long. But he knew he would do it, if Whistler refused or Sentinel Prime ordered it. He had come back to liberate his people, and he owed it to them to continue to protect them in the future.
When he confessed that fear to Prowl, the guard simply smiled and repeated the allegiance promise he had made to the prince so many vorns before.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
“Then what happen?” Swoop’s voice was soft and full of sleep finally, but like the youngling he really was in age, he was fighting to stay online and keep his optics lit.
“I’ll tell you in the morning, Swoop. You get your rest, or Ratchet’ll turn us both into wall decorations.” Jazz smiled and pulled the young mech’s thermal regulating wrap around his shoulders. “Or we can save it for bed time tomorrow if you like.”
“No, you tell me Swoop story first thing. Me want know… ending…” the Dinobot drifted off so quickly that Jazz wasn’t even sure he had consciously finished his sentence.
“Good recharge,” the saboteur said quietly. Then he turned to tuck the stool back into its corner by Prowl’s berth. He was startled when he saw the tactician’s optics faintly lit and tracking his movements. “How long have you been awake?”
Prowl gave him a small smile. “Long enough. Finish the story, Jazz. I’ve never heard it told quite that way before.”
“Sure.” Jazz returned the other mech’s smile and sat back down on the stool.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
In the end, Whistler solved their problem because he actually wanted to be king. The people of Altihex threw their support behind their new king immediately and Sentinel Prime had no real objection to the ascension. The Prime left a staff of trusted advisors behind in Altihex as their battle campaign moved on to the next conquered city to help ease Whistler into his new role and Symphony was left to find his own place in the new world his life had become.
He moved out of the palace after a few cycles. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help his brother, but he wasn’t comfortable with being inside the palace walls anymore. He had grown used to living out among the common mechs, and he missed that lifestyle intensely. And, even though Whistler wanted him there, there wasn’t a need for the prince to be fused to his brother’s side all the time.
The people of the city welcomed their prince among them with open arms. They happily found him a house and supplied him with all the fuel he needed, even when he protested that he could get what he needed from his brother. They took care of him as an expression of their love and of their happiness at being free again and it humbled him.
And Prowl stayed with him through it all. After all, he hadn’t pledged his loyalty until Altihex was free, he had pledged it forever.
And once everything settled down and life got back to normal, it didn’t take Symphony long to realize how much he valued Prowl. The older mech’s steady guidance and wisdom had seen him through many problems and his protectiveness had saved his life. Prowl was more than just a friend to him, more than just a guardian, but he had no idea how to put that into words. Surprisingly, it was Prowl who said the words first.
“I love you, my prince.”
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
“And how hard those words were for him to say the first time,” Prowl mused with a smile.
“But he said them. And that made all the difference in the universe.” Jazz returned his smile.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
They were bonded on a bright day during Symphony’s ninetieth vorn of life. It was a young age for a bonding, but Symphony knew Prowl was his perfect mate and Prowl, for all his greater age, had never wanted any other. They were a good match and their union had the blessing of the rulers of Altihex, Praxus and the Prime himself. The ceremony was held in the city square so that as many of Altihex’s people could attend as possible, and they turned out en masse. The square was packed beyond capacity and so were the stoops, doorways windows and rooftops of the surrounding buildings. The people were glad that their prince was bonding for love, unlike their king who had bonded to a mech from Tyger Pax to seal an alliance.
As they spoke their vows to each other, Cybertron passed close by a brilliant yellow star and it bathed them in its light as if Primus’ himself blessed their union. And in the warmth of that light, they began their life together all over again.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-
“No ‘and they lived happily ever after’?” Prowl gave him an amused look.
“Well,” Jazz replied, leaning over so that he could kiss the older mech. “They’re still working on that ‘ever after’ part.”
“I see.” The tactician returned the kiss happily, then he gave his mate a warm smile. “Even now, you’re the only mech I have ever wanted. I love you, my prince.”
“I love you too, Prowl.” With a return smile, Jazz crawled carefully into the medical berth with Prowl and snuggled up against the older mech’s side.
Prowl wrapped his arms around the former prince and held him close. “Until the stars burn out and Primus calls me to the matrix, Jazz. I will be by your side.”