Optimus yawned, displaying a large set of teeth. They pointed backwards like a shark's so that anything that had the unfortunate luck of being caught between the Prime's jaws had no escape. But it served a different purpose now.

Ratchet had a crystal of Energon in his jaws, and the Prime wanted some. He trotted up to him, flaring his silver-y-blue wings and standing on his toes to look bigger than he really was. Ratchet wasn't fooled, however. The medic rose up on his own toes and flared his own sunset-orange wings, tightening his grip on the crystal.

Then Bumblebee ran by with Arcee on his tail. They launched off the mountain and spiralled down to the earth with their claws laced together. It was a test. You didn't want your mate to bail on you the moment it got a little hard to bear. Optimus wanted to see what became of them, but he was too busy glaring at Ratchet.

Bulkhead and Wheeljack, who had done the death-fall years before, were squabbling over a crystal like Ratchet and Optimus were, but they were using teeth and claws, and only gently. They gave each other no wounds to remember, just sharp bursts of pain that made them squeak and growl like angry kittens.

Optimus circled Ratchet, lashing his tail as he watched the other male. Ratchet stayed still, then he laid down to spite the larger male. It was an insult that Optimus took. His eye slits narrowed and he threw himself at Ratchet, sinking his teeth into his neck scales, but they caused no damage. Ratchet didn't even flinch, but he let out a small grunt as he fastened his jaws firmly around the crystal. Optimus gave up and retreated like the young one he was.

He watched Ratchet snap up half of the crystal, and then pressed himself to the ground when the male left the other half almost lazily, but Ratchet had done it on purpose. Optimus snatched it up and hurried back to his den before Ratchet could turn around and see what he had done, but he didn't need to worry about the medic seeing it. He heard it well enough.

After everyone was satisfied and after Arcee and Bumblebee returned, nuzzling and purring, the group got together under the moonlight and nuzzled each other slowly.

They had no fear of the Decepticons. They had already beaten them to a pulp, and only a few remained on their feet with the ability to find and retrieve Energon crystals.

They were safe and they knew it. They even gloated it from time to time, and they were about to do it again.

Optimus rose to his feet and breathed fire at the moon. The burst of light the Prime had created could be seen for miles and miles, and the Decepticons saw it even though they hid themselves away in their caves. The team pitched in, roaring and flapping their wings to create the sound of thunder. Arcee's roar was not lost in the chaos. It made the statement stronger.

We are alive

OoO

Megatron screamed as he sat up and he gripped the sheets to his chest.

Starscream's red optics flicked open. "My lord, I beg of you, go to sleep!"

"We were dragons!"

"Primus forbid," he muttered, still angry about Megatron waking him up again. "Primus forbid he get some sleep!"

"Primus is against me! Plaguing me with dreams and nightmares of the Autobots winning and of us dying."

Starscream huffed and he jerked the pillow over his helm. He groaned, loudly. He wanted to tell Megatron that he was annoyed.

But Megatron was hyperventalating as he hugged the sheets to his chest and looked around the room as if Optimus as a wolf or as a dragon would snap him up for dinner.

But nothing came to eat him, and Megatron slowly laid down to sleep.