It was amazing.

Never had Starscream thought that flying among the Predacons could have been so incredible and entertaining. Before he only imagined he would fly when fleeing from them instead of travelling with them. Though travelling wasn't the main goal. No, it was turning over a new leaf. As if they had been friends for a long time, they performed tricks in the air, raced, and chased each other across the sky. The Predacons tried to hide their amazement at the flips and air maneuvers that Starscream could perform. Starscream was grinning on the inside, happy to be so free and joyful.

Skylynx squawked and tried to dive down and catch him, but the jet was too quick in his turns. He flipped out of the way of the claws, shooting behind the Predacon. He transformed and caught the back on Skylynx, then sat himself between his wings. They could hear the growling laughter of the other Predacons, and Skylynx hissed playfully and tried rolling to dislodge him. Starscream dug in his claws and clung on, refusing to come off so easily.

Below, Cliffjumper sped along. He saw the antics of the flyers above and laughed to himself. Today felt so perfect; everyone was happy and all was forgiven. This feeling was what life should be all about. Maybe it was the influence of Primus that made the Predacons and Starscream get along so easily. The hatred melted away, and the beasts existed no longer.

He watched Starscream escape the Predacons, weaving and proving his skill in the air to the Predacons. He had hopped onto Skylynx, and in that moment of trust and fun, all of them knew for sure that this was the way it would always be.

They were getting very close to the Nemesis now. They could see the many vehicons working on the damage alongside Team Prime. It was great to see them all again.

While he was distracted, Predaking swooped in and knocked Starscream off Skylynx with the tip of his wing. Starscream grasped onto the wingtip instinctively, and Predaking took the opportunity to fold in that wing, drawing him in quickly. Before Starscream even realized it, he was put onto Predaking's back. He held on tight as Predaking picked up speed, screeching all the while. Finally Starscream got over his initial shock and began chuckling. Predaking revealed his fangs in a grin.

They landed in front of the Nemesis where Starscream hopped off neatly. They all transformed as Cliffjumper finally caught up to them. Cliffjumper slapped Starscream on the back and laughed.

"How was that, Scream?" He smiled.

Starscream didn't even need to respond. They both knew the answer. Also, at that time a crowd rushed to see them, including Team Prime. They looked the two up and down, optics wide in wonder and excitement. They could see in those optics that they had never expected to see the two again, especially after they had been so ready to join the Allspark. Arcee was the first to move. She came up and felt both of their wrists. She gasped upon feeling their pulses.

"They are alive," she breathed.

There was an explosion of whooping, hollering, and cheering. Bulkhead was the loudest, but then someone else was also very loud too, and Starscream looked over to see who it was.

"Breakdown?" Starscream exclaimed after he had peered through the crowd.

It was him. He grinned at Starscream from the side of Knockout. He looked completely normal with no rust, cuts, stains, or any optics missing. It felt like such a long time since Starscream had ever seen him alive and well. Starscream looked around, trying to spot anyone else, but he saw no one else he knew was dead before. In confusion he voiced his concern.

"How many of us have returned?"

They quieted down at the sound of his voice. Most of them shrugged, expect for Breakdown, who seemed sure of himself.

"Not many. My theory is that only those who haven't been dead for so long and deserved it could come back. And maybe only because the spirit world has been of out of wack lately. Or else Primus would have been doing this a long time ago."

When did Breakdown get so smart? Starscream wondered. But his idea did seem to make sense while leaving no loose ends. But then again…

"Where is Optimus?" Starscream asked.

The crowd fell silent. Starscream assumed the answer. It still didn't make sense. Out of all the mechs, doesn't the Prime deserve to come back? Especially after living a life of only doing good things and trying to save lives?

But then Starscream noticed something strange about the crowd. He peered closer at their faces. Wait… are they smiling? Starscream looked around in astonishment. He is here? He searched behind them and even high up at the top of the Nemesis. He didn't see the Prime. Then…

"Starscream," Cliffjumper tapped him on the shoulder plate. "Look."

Cliffjumper turned him around and pointed past the Predacons. Starscream followed his digit into the sky in the distance. That was where everyone was looking now. The seeker stepped forward and peered closely. His gaze soon softened and relaxed. He smiled again. He had never smiled so much before in one day, but perhaps it was a way he could show Primus and everyone else his appreciation of everything that was given to him.

Starscream had seen enough to be absolutely sure. He closed his eyes. Quietly, so that only Cliffjumper and the Predacons beside him could hear him, he whispered, "I recognize that colour scheme."

Pain, suffering, depression, and hatred. All of these he had felt and let rock his life. From the hands of Megatron did he feel the blows of his fists and hear his threats. The claws of the Predacons ripped his body and painted his blood all over the throne in which he had fought and killed to get for his entire life. He died like everyone had hoped he would for a long time.

But that was a whole other lifetime ago. He had made his own hell, and he made hell for other people. His victims. He knew loss and he had darkened from those times. He changed into a creature from his shadowy nightmare and no one thought of him as ever being able to change. It grew to a point so terrible that he had even convinced himself that he was incapable of change.

It had been the journey that had proven him, and everyone, to be wrong. He was able to see for the first time his own evil in the creatures. He felt insane fear, helplessness, and he had been unable to call for help. He learned empathy for his victims in that way.

He also learned that not everyone was as consumed by hate as he was, and he realized that forgiveness was a real thing. Cliffjumper had taught him that. Starscream would always know that if it wasn't for him and all the struggles they faced together, he would have destroyed himself.

He had grown stronger in character. Starscream learned that the power of good would always be more powerful than that of the bad. That was why he never won back when he was a Decepticon. With this new realization he learned to help others and end what he used to be: evil. He could decide who he would be and what he could do, so he changed his forms from the ugly, vicious dead beasts to the beautiful silver savior that had defeated Unicron's avatar.

And the better he became, the better it got for him. People who had hated him before began seeing him in a new light. Cliffjumper, Arcee, Megatron, all of the Autobots- and even the Predacons. In the final battle, despite the impending doom and darkness that had threatened them, it had brought everyone so much closer together. In that time, the true character of everyone showed through. No matter where you came from or what you were, there was a unity. Arcee forgave him, and Megatron carried him when he was dying in a careful was that was opposite to the harsh, pain-inflicting demeanor that Starscream had once known him to have.

We should all take the journey of a lifetime to truly discover ourselves and to appreciate everything beautiful in life. My journey took place after my life ended, but really, that was the first time I had ever started living.

The End.