They arrived to Optimus' location. He was looking above to the city of Canterlot. A singular plume of smoke was rising from the main castle. It was late afternoon.
Twilight gasped, as the small group of ponies, and Wheeljack & Jetfire met the other Autobots.
"He's decided to attack a day early." Optimus spoke coldly.
"Well we can't just stand here! What are we waiting for?" Bumblebee seemed a little too eager to battle Decepticons.
Optimus agreed, quickly glancing at "North Star", whom nodded in understanding.
"Autobots, roll out!"
The Autobots began to move toward Canterlot, Starscream hoisting his null ray gun under him.
He was already geared up, but before he could leave, Starlight's voice stopped him.
"Wait, Starscream!"
He turned to see her concerned face. Twilight and Rainbow Dash looked worried as well.
Starlight's eyes shimmered. "Please be careful."
Starscream gave her hug, and a small kiss.
"I will. Pinkie promise."
He departed, and turned looking back into the direction the Autobots were heading. He spread open his wings, and broke from the ground, quickly catching up with the Transformers.
Starlight waved, Rainbow giving some parting words.
"Good luck Star, kick their flanks back to space!"
Twilight looked on in silence, hoping for the best. Suddenly she remembered something. 'Why did he ask Zecora for the poison joke cure?'
Starscream weaved through the Autobots, eventually soaring higher near Optimus Prime.
"Is your null ray weighing you down at all?" Wheeljack asked, noting how smoothly Starscream was flying.
"A little bit, and it is a little awkward to maneuver, but it's manageable."
Optimus wondered where he had got the armor, but decided to say nothing.
As they approached Canterlot, Optimus gave out the battle plan.
"Wheeljack and Prowl, focus on his forces, Bumblebee, Jazz, you're with me. Blurr, you're on damage control. The rest of you follow Wheeljack in. Starscream."
Star looked at the semi truck.
"You're going in to rescue the princesses, and escort them safely out of here. Do not purposely seek out Megatron, I can handle him."
Starscream groaned in annoyance. "You know that if and inevitably when I do run into him, I'm going to engage. And I intend to not let you get in my way."
"Just deliver Celestia and Luna safely out of the city. That's your number one priority." Optimus reinforced.
"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Starscream replied with annoyance, as the crew was heading straight towards the archway into the city.
The Autobots tranformed as they entered with an explosive entrance, and Starscream immediately flew off forward to the smoking castle.
Flying by, he saw a yellow unicorn being cornered by Demolisher, her eyes widening in fear. Demolisher's foot was about to crush her when Starscream swooped in and grabbed the unicorn out of the way in the nick of time.
He flew behind a building and set her down, the mare realizing she had been saved.
She stood and gasped in relief, sight planted on the ground.
"T-thank you, I thought I was a gonner-" She lifted her eyes to see him hovering, surprise entering her irises. "S-sir."
Starscream didn't have time to dwell on the reaction, and flew up a little higher. "You need to get yourself and other ponies out of here. The Autobots are making their way through the main entry way to the city, so gather as many ponies as you can, and head towards the mountainside. Making it there will be more secure, and I'll be there shortly with the princesses."
He said no more and flew away, once more heading towards the castle, flying more swiftly now. He unhitched his gun, and held it in his hooves. He dodged crumbling infrastructure, and even managed to shoot at a few Decepticons without them knowing he was there. The stakes of the destruction around him filled his senses with an excitement he remembered from battles as a Decepticon.
This time he was fighting for good.
He smirked to himself.
He quickly saw another scene.
A small group of Royal Guard soldiers were struggling against Thundercracker, who had the upper hand. The shooting was getting severe and their cover grew small. Starscream realized if he didn't do something, the guards would be surely killed. One of the gaurds shielded himself and two other soldiers with magic, but he couldn't hold it for long.
Starscream took aim, and shot at the gun Thundercracker was shooting.
"Hey!"
Thundercracker looked around, and finally saw the ponified Starscream. He didn't recognize him at first.
"You!"
Starscream began shooting continuously, dodging shots from Thundercracker while flying down to the soilders. "Take cover in that shop there." He pointed with his wing, taking Thundercracker's attention away from the ponies.
Starscream smirked. "Haven't you missed me Thundercracker?"
Thundercracker recognized his voice, but before he could say anything, Starscream shot at him again, Thundercracker dodging by hiding behind a big building. He chuckled. "Is that you Starscream? Megatron wasn't kidding when he said you turned pony."
Starscream took a few more shots before flying over to the 5 soilders.
Thundercracker quickly became occupied with attacks from the air, and leaving a window open for Starscream.
Starscream landed as he spoke. "Are you guys alright?"
The soilders immediately saluted, and the unicorn, who was presumably the group's leader, spoke. "Better now that you're here sir."
"Princess Celestia said you'd come." A pegasus informed him.
That slightly surprised Starscream, and he remembered the armor he was wearing.
'They must think I'm head commander of the royal Guard. But why would Celest-'
He quickly shook off the thought, now was not a good time to think deeply.
"Listen, that Decepticon will escape if we don't hold him down."
Another unicorn in the group spoke. "But how are we going to be able to do that sir? Even with our magic, his size is a huge advantage to him."
Starscream glanced around at their surroundings, and quickly noticed a long line of rope.
"Maybe we can make it his disadvantage instead."
He gave his attention to the gaurds. "Listen, a Transformer's most weakest points are their joint connectors, wrist to servo, arm to shoulder plates, basically the spots between their frame parts. If I and a few others distract Thundercracker, the rest of you could use that rope there to tie it around his arms and legs. Then with a lot of pulling, we can cause him to fall."
"How are we going to keep him down? He'll snap out of the rope easily." An earth pony pointed out, going over to pick up the rope.
Starscream looked down at the gun he was holding.
"I know how to make him stay."
He went back into the air, peeking behind the building. "As soon as I yell now, you all will run out and start to weave the rope around the joints. Is that clear?"
The unicorn nodded. "Yes commander sir."
"Retreating already I see?" Thundercracker was back in the moment, glancing behind the building he was at.
Starscream nodded at the soilders, and flew out into the line of fire. Thundercracker saw him. Thundercracker moved from his position to shoot, and Star returned fire, gaining more near hits on Thundercracker. Thundercracker grimaced. "Why won't you stay still?"
Starscream flew through his legs, taking a charged up shot at Thundercracker's left wing. It hit his wing, and Thundercracker yelled sharply in pain, a small plume of smoke escaping from the shot. He turned his head as Starscream spoke.
"This ends here and NOW!"
The soilders heard the cue, and the unicorn officer picked up the rope with magic, the group running out from the building.
One unicorn wrapped some rope around Thundercracker's right leg joint, then another unicorn did the same to his other leg joint. The pegasus grabbed the rope and weaved it around his arms.
"What are-"
Starscream shot his other wing, Thundercracker quickly glancing back at the pony Starscream, grimacing with anger.
The two earth pony soilders held the end of the rope with their teeth, Starscream flying over to the pegasus to help pull.
"Everypony pull!"
Both sides pulled the rope, the rope becoming taught around Thundercracker.
Thundercracker tried to break free from the ropes, but in doing so, tripped himself and he fell backwards hard onto the street.
Starscream let go of the rope. "Keep it tight a little longer."
A unicorn went to help the pegasus, and Starscream flew down to stand on the frame of Thundercracker, whom was still struggling in the tangled up rope.
Starscream smirked, Thundercracker staring at him with disappointment.
"You betrayed us."
"Come Thundercracker, I only saw a better way for me."
He aimed his null ray under him at Thundercracker.
"I take pity on you. So I'll just leave you in short-term sensory processor shortage."
"You wouldn't." Thundercracker spoke about the null ray.
Starscream charged up the ray shot, and the resulting hit rendered the blue seeker unconscious, or a transformer version of passing out.
Starscream slightly sighed. "It had to be so."
The Royal Guard soilders looked slightly horrified, thinking he had just killed the Decepticon. He looked to the soilders.
"Don't worry, He's not dead. He's just unconscious for now."
The soilders dropped the rope, and Starscream flew down to the ground, the soilders lining up in formation. Starscream slung his gun on his back.
"Where are the others?"
"The Decepticons scattered the Royal Guard troops who were protecting the front gates of the castle, us included." The armored unicorn informed Star.
"They're holding the princesses in the heart of the castle, and I think one of them's forcibly trying to extract their magic."
Starscream flew into the air.
"What are we waiting for then?"
"Sir?" An earth pony gaurd asked.
Star looked towards the main castle, hearing the battles all around them. "I was sent in here to rescue the princesses, and I'm not going to let any more harm come to them. Now are you coming or not? The Autobots have the Decepticon forces distracted."
The other unicorn nodded, and saluted. "Of course we are. It's our duty to."
He waved to the group. "Let's go. We can pick up any other soilders who've been dispersed."
Starscream flew off, the group of guards joining him. While going along they found and encouraged other members of the Guard to join, and soon Star was heading a little army of his own.
As they reached the main castle, the Autobots' battle was growing nearer to the capital building. The gap to rescue was closing in.
They ran across the courtyard, Starscream flying in front of them but keeping the surroundings in check.
A couple of earth ponies and pegasi bust through the castle doors, and Starscream went off to find the throne room with a unicorn, and 2 earth pony soilders.
They ran through another set of doors and were greeted by Soundwave and Skywarp, whom were readying energon cubes and an extraction machine.
The 3 soilders were quickly intimidated but Starscream immediately started shooting.
"Get to the princesses! I'll hold them off!"
The guards ran past the Decepticons, seeing the princesses contained in two different cells. They were chained up with ani-magic cuffs, making it extremely difficult to use any magic.
Suddenly the Decepticon-turned-Autobot Jetfire busted through the wall, the battle outside dangerously close to the castle now. Jetfire tackled Soundwave so Starscream could focus on Skywarp. "Get the princesses out of here!" Jetfire yelled to Starscream.
Starscream quickly shot the wings of Skywarp, and zipped over to the Royal Gaurds. They just finished helping take off the princessess' cuffs when Starscream flew down.
"Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, we have to get you out of here."
"You're quite right." Luna looked up, and saw a piece of rubble falling.
Celestia and Luna used their magic to shield the soilders from the debris.
"But we have to do our part as much as the Autobots are." Celestia enforced, the group of ponies running out of the castle.
Starscream stared flying after the princesses and the Gaurd.
"Celestia and I have to rescue our citizens. After that we should be joining the battle." Luna informed him, the three flying through smoke and avoiding tumbling rubble.
On the battlefield, the forces had pinned Optimus and his forces behind cover.
Megatron quickly glanced around the environment, making sure no stone was left unturned.
Suddenly Soundwave ran up to Megatron, keeping Jetfire distracted with Lazerbeak, Ravage, and Rumble. "Sir, the princesses have been liberated."
"What?!"
Celestia looked to Starscream. "That is, if it's not over, Starscream."
Megatron gave the surroundings one last scan, and saw him.
Starscream was surprised that Celestia knew his name. "How do you-"
A bone chilling scream pierced the air.
"STARSCREAM!"
Starscream stopped flying, and hovered. He looked behind him. From a way away, Megatron was coming.
Optimus saw Megatron heading towards Starscream, and quickly got concerned.
Starscream looked back to the guards. "Go! Go on! I'll take care of him!" He looked to Princess Celestia and Luna.
They knew what he had to do, and nodded, taking charge of retreating soilders.
Starscream landed on top of a building, and quickly detached his armor, leaving him bare. He kicked his null ray away, just at the right distance for him to grab it.
Megatron was about a couple yards away, and he stopped like he was going to speak.
Starscream smirked. "Too bad Megatron. Your strategy has failed you yet again. As always you will continue to lose, and I am eagerly anticipating to see that happen again. This time, by my own servos."
Megatron charged at Starscream.
"Your defeat against me will always be inevitable Starscream!"
"Oh no." Optimus whispered to himself out loud, feeling the presence of another Autobot next to him.
Starscream pulled out the Poison Joke cure.
"Not this time Megatron. This time I'll be the one on top!"
He drank it, then threw the glass onto the ground, followed by a Trixie brand smoke bomb. As the smoke permeated, Megatron was about to strike.
Optimus and the one who was next to him, Jetfire, had their optics set on the scene, slightly fearing the implication.
In the smoke, the null ray was grabbed by a blue servo, and attached back in its rightful place.
An empty, open but reaching to grab servo immerged from the smoke first. Then the arm, and as the smoke cleared, it was the seeker's frame becoming distinct immediately.
Optimus and a few others gasped audibly.
The two Transformers clashed, and Megatron was pushed back far from the unexpectedly same match of force.
He looked back to see who had pushed him.
A handful of feet away, stood Starscream as his normal self, the Decepticon symbol on his wings gone.
He was back. And he wore the biggest smirk on his face.
"Did you miss me?"
Megatron stood tall. "So you haven't forgotten your basis after all."
Starscream readied himself. "No, I've been saving it for this!"
Megatron was in the middle of readying himself when Starscream charged at him and tackled Megatron, thrusting him into a tall spire.
"We have to help him!" Jetfire immediately wanted to fly over to his past friend, but Optimus denied him.
"No! Wait. This is something that has to happen."
Optimus hadn't understood it until now, but this was something Starscream had to do.
Megatron quickly focused himself, and punched Starscream in the face, causing Starscream to stumble back a little.
Megatron powered up his cannon, and luckily Starscream saw this. Starscream tranformed and flew away, the blast missing him by a small distance. Megatron grimaced, quickly looking up to the sky.
Starscream started shooting down Megatron, Megatron raising an arm to block some shots. He aimed his cannon at Star, and took a shot. Starscream tried to maneuver past it, but the cannon fire hit his right wing, tearing a big tip piece off and causing Star to scream.
He started falling from the sky, smoke coming from his wing. He tranformed as he got close to the ground. As his feet touched the ground however, Megatron rushed him, hitting him at full force with the side of his body, Star's feet dragging across the battlefield.
Starscream grimaced because of his wing.
Megatron got out his energy mace, and came swinging at Starscream.
Starscream reacted fast, grabbing a piece of rubble to shield from the swing. The force of the swing broke the rubble in half, and Starscream began dodging hits. Starscream clenched his right servo into a fist, and began a swing under the attacks.
But Megatron saw, and swung at Starscream's servo, messily ripping it off with hard and swift force. Starscream screamed in agony, heavily stumbling backwards and grabbing his right wrist, clearly taking in the pain. It caused him to fall to his knees, and his helm dragged down, pinning his right arm to himself.
Megatron kicked Starscream bluntly, causing Starscream to completely fall down, flying a few extra feet away.
Starscream felt slightly hazy, his arms spread wide, beginning to feel lightheaded.
A crushing foot stepped on his chassis, and Starscream could see it was Megatron.
"You're still as weak as ever Starscream. You have learned nothing." Megatron aimed his cannon at Starscream, the cannon powering up.
Starscream's center optics rolled up slightly, feeling pain course though his entire frame.
He then remembered her.
What he was supposed to be for.
'You are the key..'
'Please...'
Starscream's focus shone through his optics, and his frame went back into a fight response. Everything went fast.
His left servo suddenly reached up, and ripped the cannon away from Megatron, his left ray gun powering up the biggest blast. The gun shot, and hit Megatron's opposite side of his chest, just missing Megatron's spark chamber.
Megatron screamed sharply in pain, stumbling back, allowing Starscream to breathe deeply and heavily.
Starscream slowly stood, still holding his right wrist.
Megatron was holding a servo to the shot.
It had gone through, if not pretty deep, and Starscream could make out the top of the protective shield around the spark.
Megatron was breathing at the same rate as Starscream, also in the same pain, if not more so.
The two stared at each other for a long minute.
Megatron spoke slowly but loudly. Out loud, but also through his comm.
"Deceptions, Retreat! I.. have been damaged!"
Starscream saw a recently awoken Thundercracker and Skywarp fly in (not in their alt modes), and take Megatron by the arms. They didn't bother to look at Starscream, but Megatron stared at him until the two Decepticon seekers flew off, Megatron in their servos.
Starscream continued to breathe heavily as he watched them retreat.
The city was saved, even though the damage was severe.
Buildings on fire, the castle losing bits and pieces, rubble everywhere.
But they did it.
He did it.
His dermas upturned into a smug smile, but quickly dissipated as the pain came back. He started to feel lightheaded again.
He heard the Autobots, more specifically Optimus Prime and Jetfire yelling and running over to him, but the pain was too much and Starscream's optics began closing. He fell backwards to the ground, and everything went black.