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The cold didn't nip at Skyfires wings anymore, it bit aggressively and made it feel like his wings were going to simply fall off as he trudged through the thick snow in search of someplace safe and warm. So far he saw no signs of such a place.
If he could, he would've flown but the wind of the storm was so strong that flying was deemed impossible. The storm would've either sent Skyfire hurling into the ground as soon as he tried to lift off or it would've spun him around in the air violently with zero control of his own frame, causing a possible deadly crash when the storm finally let him go.
The fact that he was still up and running was a true miracle and Skyfire made sure to thank Primus for it, despite not being all that religious.
He tried to comm Starscream again but there was only a crackle. Everytime he tried to it was the same crackling noise that told Skyfire that his comms were broken and there was no possibility of contacting anyone anytime soon.
Or ever.
No. Skyfire shook that thought out of his head. He had to stay positive in a situation like this. Thinking negatively would just make everything so much worse.
But as Skyfire tried thinking of nice, positive things such as the warm energon he and Starscream would gulp down and the thermal blanket they would share together once they got back to Cybertron, the storm started to pick up at a terrifying rate and Skyfire was tripping every few seconds from the strength of the wind pushing on his back.
It was getting too cold at this point. Skyfire could feel his systems slowing down and a small voice in the back of his processor was telling him that he wasn't making it home.
His optics welled up. No. This couldn't be it, right? It was just stupid storm Skyfire could ride out until it was done. Just a stupid storm. Everything was fine.
Yet that small voice said otherwise.
He looked up at the sky hoping he'd see the bright red of Starscreams finish racing down to his rescue but he saw nothing but grey. Massive grey clouds showering down snow and stretching across the sky leaving zero room for the beautiful blue of the galaxy and the twinkling stars to show themselves.
As much as Skyfire hoped to see Starscream, he prayed Starscream was able to avoid the storm. This treacherous damn storm. Maybe Starscream was already half way back to Cybertron getting help? Honestly Skyfire just prayed he was ok. He would never forgive himself if something terrible happened to his partner because he wanted to take a closer look to a clearly dangerous planet.
Hours passed by, or maybe it was only minutes, Skyfire couldn't tell. He tried to move forward but his frozen limbs creaked in protest and finally Skyfire collapsed onto his hands and knees. He couldn't feel his servos. His couldn't feel anything.
The snow was piling around him quickly and Skyfire refused to let it claim him so slowly and achingly he got back up and trudged through the snow. He didn't get very far before he simply stopped walking and stood there. His limbs practically frozen in place and he knew it would be impossible to try to start moving again. As reality slowly set in, Skyfire stared off into the vast grey world around him. Or what he could see around all the warnings on his HUD at least.
Warnings upon warnings popped up, warnings such as needing to find somewhere warm -yeah no slag- and warnings on how he was low on energon and most devastatingly was how his systems were shutting down.
He didn't need a warning for that. Skyfire could feel them all shutting down one by one. It was a sick feeling in his frame. At first he overrode the command and refused to let them shut down but now he couldn't. They were shutting down because it just wasn't possible for them to work anymore. Skyfire knew he didn't have much time left if he wasn't saved or found somewhere safe.
He looked up at the sky again desperately in search for his partner. But he saw the same thing from earlier.
Ugly grey clouds were spewing snowflakes.
Honestly Skyfire probably would've thought the snowflakes were beautiful if shutting down permanently wasn't rapidly approaching him.
He tried to scream. For help? For mercy? For it to end? He didn't know. But nothing came out of Skyfires intake. Not even a crackle.
He knew he needed to scream and yell, but the only place his voice was heard was in his own head. The sound was driving him mad.
Please.
Help me.
Starscream.
Where are you.
Skyfires optics flickered on and off. The world going dark for one moment before coming back on only for it to be only slightly lighter.
It was getting dark out. Not only because of his flickering optics, but the planet's sun was disappearing below it.
No.
Please.
It's too cold.
Dread filled Skyfire as he realized that this truly was it. He was doomed.
Please.
Please.
Starscream.
Please.
Skyfire looked up one more time at the sky. Not desperately, but longingly. He wished he was back on Cybertron in his lab with Starscream. Maybe trying to pry a corrosive liquid out of his small servos, or running to get a fire extinguisher after a failed science experiment. He could almost hear Starscream cackling at his mistake.
Almost. The wind was too loud in his audials.
The world flickered around him a few more times before finally Skyfire was blind, feeling his body collapse and every system inside himself shut down, leaving him a corpse for the snow to claim.
~•°☆°•~
Starscream flew across valleys of snow with true carnal desperation for hours. He had no clue where Skyfire was and he wasn't answering his comms.
The storm had finally died down and it was safe enough, still incredibly dangerous though, for Starscream to fly around without having to worry about the wind sending him spiraling down into the ground.
He tried to comm again, praying to hear Skyfires soothing voice. Just one word would be enough for him.
"Skyfire please, can you hear me? Answer me please."
But the comm was silent just like before.
Starscream was one thing though, and it was stubborn. He wasn't leaving this planet without his partner. He raced above the snow plains again and again, even deciding to start trudging through the snow to try and find Skyfire at one point. The snow was up to his waist by the time he decided to do that though.
Of course even if Skyfire was around here, his pedsteps were probably covered by now.
Nevertheless, Starscream kept searching.
He trudged through miles of snow, yelling and screaming for his partner but the only thing that yelled back was the echo of himself.
Frustrated tears filled his optics. Looking for Skyfire, an all white mech on an all white planet was deeming to be impossible.
No! Starscream couldn't think that. He had to think positive in a situation like this. Things only get worse if you think worse.
Another hour or so passed when a warning popped up on his HUD that made his spark drop.
He felt an overwhelming sense of sadness wash over him and he had to override the command to purge at the thought that infected his processor when he saw the warning.
His fuel was running low, and if he didn't go back to Cybertron now, he'd shut down on this planet.
But he couldn't go back. He refused to! Not without Skyfire. Not without his greatest friend. His partner. The only mech who actually wanted to work with him in the corrupted academy he fought so hard to get into.
Starscream looked around the area, hoping to see his friend waving to him, yelling "I'm ok! Let's go home!"
But he didn't. So, stubborn as always, he tried his comms one last time, cursing Primus to the pits if he didn't hear anything.
"Skyfire please. Please I'm begging you. Say something."
But there was silence.
Starscream made his way back to Cybertron.