Octomonster

Orn of the Well Rift was a big celebration; sparklings in monster costumes… even adult mechs and femmes in costumes. Creativity and decorations openly displayed and sparklights strewn over the city like a sea of optics. And then there were the floating spark light lanterns… but they would not be released till full dark had fallen…

It was the orn where you did your best to look scary and create a distraction. The orn where malicious offline came to try and take your chassis for their own, where sparkeaters prowled the streets and might just make a meal out of you, where the monsters of the rust seas rose to the surface and no water skimmer would be safe on the red waves.

Maybe all that had been true once, now it was just myth and legend and the orn was one to celebrate all that was scary and strange. Mechs and femmes dressed up as the spawn of Unicron, the heralds of the Pit, sparkeaters and rust sea monsters. Or as the latest holo hero, or one of the rulers of Cybertron. There were many a bid for the most creative and beautiful costume. Many competitions to enter and fun prizes to win.

On every street vendors stood, selling crystal energon candy wrought into fantastic shapes. Some even made it right then and there with a cheering crowd around them.

Everyone was out shopping and celebrating, getting ready for the orn to come after, the orn of family gatherings, memory sharing and storytelling. Orn of the Allspark, where you're lost loved ones might visit the world of mortals and grant you a happy and safe vorn to come.

Orion was laughing and joking with Dion, Hot Shot and Ariel when he ran into the much larger mech. He had enough speed going that he manage to knock himself clean off his pedes, losing his grip on both his shopping bag and the sparklight lantern in his other hand. The kibble wings on his back rattled ominously, secure enough for something's but not for wild jostling around.

"Well, well, what do we have here, a seeker?" the large black hand being offered to him was attached to a light grey arm. Orion took it and was hauled onto his pedes with a single powerful pull.

"Thank you, sir, I am real~," his voice died as he looked up and finally realized who he had run into. Megatronus smiled gently at him, the large horns attached to his helmet seeming oddly out of place though they had been painted the same color as his armor. It was not hard to see that he was a representation of Primus in his warrior configuration…

"No need to apologize, pretty one, we all get excited on orns like these!" the deep voice rumbled, Orion swallowed and tried to find his voice again but the much larger mech let go and bend down to retrieve his bag and the lantern.

"But this, this will never do!"

"Oh no!" Orion almost whimpered forgetting his awe at the company he was in when he realized that most of his purchased energon had spilled, the crystal candy sculpts broken and his lanterns thin metal sheets torn. His helmet was tilted back by a big black finger under his chin.

"Don't worry, pretty little seeker, I will fix this," he blinked, his optics blinking off and online in  quick succession.

"B-but I ran into you, sir?" sweet as it was of the councilor and war build to offer to do so he had been the one doing wrong.

"Ah! But I was standing in the middle of a busy street jabbering instead of sensibly finding a café to sit at," Orion did not know what to say to that and was soon enough being lead around to different vendors to repurchase his items.

The large councilor was polite and friendly, talking equally to Orion and his friends, as if they were not mere dockworkers and archivists…

It did not take all that long till his things were replaced, the new items far grander than his meager salary could have provided. Megatronus did not only buy for him though, providing his friends with things as well, insisting that he had caused the accident and wanted to make reparations since he was taking their time.

"Thank you, sir, thank you so much!" Orion clutched his new bag and lantern to his chest, not knowing what else to say.

"Megatronus, Orion, how many times must I ask you to call me simply Megatronus," the large councilor shook his horn crowned helmet. "One last thing though… ah, here!" Orion was guided over to one of the candy sculpture makers and Megatronus held up his hand, gesturing something to the smaller street vendor. A nod was given back and the vendor immediately bent over his glass plate, liquid energon being poured out with a precision that Orion could only envy.

Finally the piace was pulled off the glass and handed over to Megatronus who gently handed the figurine to Orion.

The filigree octomonster was almost too beautiful to be eaten but Orion knew that if he did not it would simply degrade and melt into gel like goo…

"Thank you, s… uh, Megatronus, it is beautiful," he gently bit off a piace and smiled happily at the spicy sweet taste.

The councilor laughed and nodded.

"Go on now, I have taken enough of your time, pretty Orion, little seeker of the Well, maybe I will see you again some orn, you and your friends," Orion flushed hot and giggled but nodded anyway, though there was little chance of him ever meeting the politician ever again.

---

"And then the monster was defeated by Primus in his warrior aspect, the horned god plunging the star saber though the monsters shadow spark!" loud giggles broke out and the sparklings immediately called for more stories to be told. Orion smiled and then jerked back in surprise when something was held up before his optics.

A moment later he laughed gaily. The gleaming fresh candy of the blue and red octomonster all too familiar.

"You found the vendor?"

"Oh yes, he is where he is every orn, my pretty little Well seeker," the deep voice made him flush with pleasure as he felt it skitter up and down his kibble adorned back struts.

"Flatterer, councilor sir," he teased even as he took the piece of candy, "Go retrieve our Creations, they will never forgive me if I devour this evildoer all on my own."

"Anything for you, beloved," a kiss was pressed to the top of his helmet and Orion laughed again, watching as Megatronus stowed forward to collect the pair of brightly colored twins and their purple older brother.

"Yay monster candy!"

Just like every Orn of the Well Rift…