The Ever
Starscream watched Vos burn. He could get closer, but Megatron and Nemesis had both pulled him back from the burning city when his paint started to bubble and curl. Now Nemesis stood beside him, his servos at his side and his optics closed with his helm bent.
The weight of this attack hit Starscream like a punch to the gut and he doubled over, screaming. "NO! NO! NO!" He tried to run to the city, but Nemesis drew him into an embrace.
"Starscream," the mech whispered. "It's over...Vos is dead..."
"Mommy..." The Seeker hugged the larger mech's arm and sobbed, his optics watching the palace crumble and explode into a larger fire. "Papa..." He hid his face into the chest of the larger mech and his wings drooped. Defeat washed over him and he sunk into Nemesis' arms. He let the mech carry him back to the warship (also called Nemesis), and he laid on his berth where he had left him.
ooo
Megatron drew whirls and circles with his claw on the delicate wing of his Seeker and he watched Starscream twitch. The burns on his servos and face were worst, and the medics had already applied bandages and cream to soothe the irritated flesh there. But the wounds in the Seeker's spark were beyond their reach. "Primus gives his strongest warriors the toughest fights," he offered, moving his helm to see Starscream's face.
The Seeker glared at him. "There is no god that would take my parents away from me...he has abandoned me. I messed up too much, and now he's punishing me." He drew away from the mech. "I need time alone, Megatron..."
The mech watched him. "As long as you're sure you're okay..."
"I am." Starscream glared down at the sheets of the berth and he rolled over. He sighed and hugged a pillow to his chest, his optic ridges knitting together. "Frag you, Primus..." His claws tore into the pillow.
ooo
Starscream must have fallen asleep, because when he opened his optics, he was in a different room. Light pooled around him and the edges of the circle of light were dark, pitch black. But Starscream felt optics on him and he trembled, turning around and around in fear.
Until one mech stepped forward. The mech stepped right out of the legends... "Starscream," the mech rumbled.
"Vector Prime?" As Starscream spoke, he turned around in a circle and saw more of the Primes. Twelve of them were stepping out, including the mech without a name. He smiled warmly and winked a little at the Seeker. Starscream smiled.
"Yes, Starscream...we are all present and accounted for."
"But the Thirteenth?" He looked at Vector and frowned.
"He is also accounted for, as I said." The mech didn't smile, but his optics were bright with laughter. "We understand you have had a rough day..."
"That doesn't even begin to describe it!" Starscream curled his claws into fists. "Primus blew up my city...and my parents."
Vector Prime tilted his helm slowly. "Primus did not blow up Vos...Orion Pax did."
Starscream growled. "Primus allowed it!"
"Primus had no servo in what happened. I am sorry for your loss. We all are," he said, spreading his servos to indicate the mechs gathered. Solus Prime nodded slowly in agreement, purring lightly. "But you cannot blame Primus for what happened to you."
"But..." Starscream looked at Liege Maximo, the largest of the Primes, and his optics dimmed. "He did this to punish me..."
"Punish you," the great mech rumbled. He chuckled. "No, no, no, my Prince...Primus does not deal out punishments."
"I killed a lot of his mechs that believed in him...I deserved Vos' burning..." Starscream's optics lowered and his shoulders dropped.
Vector Prime walked into the circle light and he sighed lightly. "Starscream...you deserved nothing. Primus is sorry for your loss and he is sending a present your way..." Twelve servos rested on his shoulder and wings and Starscream sank to his knees while they watched him and soothed him...
ooo
Starscream woke up to Nemesis shaking him and he opened his optics slowly, staring dumbly at him. "Nemesis...? Wha..?"
"Starscream! Good news! Come to the nursery, quick!" He ran out of the room and Starscream bolted to his pedes. He ran after the mech and half the ship seemed to be going that way as well.
Through the window, Starscream and the rest of the mechs and femmes onboard could see Megatron holding a newborn sparkling as it struggled feebly and wailed. The gathered femmes "aww"ed and moved closer to see the newborn. The carrier was exhausted, watching her newborn with dim optics.
Starscream remembered how rarely femmes successfully carried their sparklings due to the war and thought of this sparkling as a gift. Vector Prime's words brought his Energon to a cool trickle and he gaped at the familiar coloration of the newborn femme in Megatron's blue-stained servos.
The sparkling trembled weakly, her cries slowly being soothed as Megatron spoke to it. Starscream slipped into the nursery and touched the baby Seekerling, his optics wide.
"I didn't expect a Seeker," Megatron purred and he lowered the sparkling into Starscream's possession. The infant stopped crying immediately and just stared up at the larger Seeker with curious blue optics. "Two grounders producing a Seeker? That is impressive, truly a gift from Primus."
"That's what I was thinking..." Starscream held her close, his wings lowering as he touched the sparkling's helm with his claws. "Hello, little one. You've picked quite the time to be born..." He purred when the Seekerling reached up for him, pouting. He moved his helm closer to her and he pressed a kiss between her optics. "You are very beautiful," he whispered and he curled her closer. "May Primus light your path always..."
He laid the Seekerling down on her carrier's chest and he smiled down at the Seekerling that bore his carrier's markings on her wings and face. He traced them absently like he did when he was a youngling, not understanding the marks.
They're angel kisses, she had said once, and then she had spread kisses all over her firstborn's face. So it was only suiting that the little Seekerling was called Angel...