PLEASE NOTE: This is an alternative ending to my story Unstable Energon. In the original story, an unstable energon cube has exploded in Starscream's face, leaving him mortally wounded. Megatron makes the choice to save him, but is it too late?

This was inspired by the song "Last Kiss" by Pearl Jam. "Last Kiss" does not belong to me, nor does Transformers, which belongs to Hasbro.

CURRENT LOCATION: RANDOM JUNGLE ON EARTH…

Megatron awoke to Earth precipitation pouring down into the jungle and everything in it.

"What the—?" Megatron weakly sat up, then reached a shaky hand out to feel the raindrops landing onto his palm. Earth was such a disgusting mudball. Water NEVER fell from the sky on Cybertron—in fact, there was no water on Cybertron at all. Transformers had no use for water, or anything else organic for that matter.

Feeling a sudden pang of homesickness for the lost mechanical planet, Megatron lay down again and turned over on his side, hoping to fall into stasis again. There was no way he was ever going to get out of this jungle, might as well die here. And the energon cubes were gone, too.

Megatron felt his head land uncomfortably on a fallen tree branch. When he sat up to push it aside, he noticed it was covered in something wet. At first he thought it was just rain, but then he noticed how it burned his hand, and that it was a bright pink color.

"Raw energon?" Megatron was confused, but then he remembered that he was not alone.

Starscream was still lying off a ways, collapsed onto the ground. By some miracle the exploding energon cube had not blown him to pieces—he must have been thrown off to the side somehow, Megatron thought.

Either way, though, Primus had not been so merciful; Starscream was either in very deep stasis or he was dead. Synthetic energon was still pouring out of his tubes, mixing with the rainwater that still pelted out of the sky. Megatron crawled over to him and jiggled his hand.

"Starscream?" he asked. "Starscream?"

Nothing.

Megatron looked down at his own body. His head was hurting, and he was scratched and sore, but there was no blood, no serious damage. He could still feel healthy, high-grade energon streaming through his tubes. Nothing serious had happened to him during the battle; he would certainly live.

The rain was getting so irritating. Megatron shakily stood up and prepared to take to the skies, hoping to get home soon. Starscream was dead, and that couldn't be helped. It was a good thing, anyway. Starscream was nothing but an annoying little hindrance.

I'm not even going to come back for his body, Megatron thought to himself harshly. He doesn't deserve it.

Starscream twisted in his sleep, whimpered, and his eyes opened just a little. Then they closed again. Megatron turned around. Starscream was ALIVE? But how?

I hate him and he hates me, Megatron thought to himself, shooting up into the sky. Maybe his life is hanging by a thread right now, but I don't—

Megatron screeched to a halt in midair and landed quickly onto the ground, his feet making a splash as he landed hard right into a rain puddle. There he dropped to his knees and lifted up Starscream's head, holding one of his hands and squeezing it tight.

"I can't let you die, Starscream," Megatron whispered. "Not like this."

Megatron tried swatting at Starscream's helmet, pulling on his arms (which were missing several fingers) and on his damaged legs, but Starscream didn't respond. Finally, Megatron reached his hand up and pinched one of Starscream's wings (kind of hard).

Starscream jerked awake, eyes wide open, then he gulped in a deep breath. "Is that…is that you, Megatron?"

"Just focus on my voice, Starscream," Megatron told him calmly. "I'm right here with you."

"Megatron, I-I don't feel good," Starscream was saying. "Why can't I feel my arms? Or legs? Or…or anything?! What's happening?!"

"Calm down," Megatron said, knowing panic was the last thing they needed right now. "You're going to be all right."

"I-I don't think I…" Starscream looked uncertain. "I don't know—I don't even—"

"Focus on my voice and breathe," Megatron insisted. "Just breathe…you'll survive this. I promise."

"I'll never make it back home," said Starscream shakily. "I-I can't."

"Don't say that!" Megatron shouted at him, but it was too late. Starscream shut his eyes and gave Megatron's hand a gentle squeeze, but that was all he did, all he could do. Megatron lifted up his Seeker's head, hot tears burning his eyes.

"Hold me, Megatron," said Starscream quietly, looking up at Megatron. "Just a little while."

Megatron held Starscream close and lowered his head, drawing him into a soft, sweet kiss, the kiss he had always wanted to give him, but never had. Their lips touched for a few moments, temporarily filling their sparks with life, tears running down Megatron's face as he grasped Starscream's damaged, bleeding hands.

Beautiful but all-too-short moments passed as the kiss went on, until Megatron finally ended the kiss, looking down at Starscream, who he was holding in his arms. Starscream smiled weakly as his body faded to gray, his limbs dropped lifelessly, and his eyes slowly shut.

Megatron knew Starscream was gone, no matter how tightly he held him.

Before Starscream cast off this mortal coil forever, Megatron had given him their first kiss—and their last.

-the end-