Beast Wars Anonymous:

The Golden Rock Arises, pt. 1
by Wes Whitten (weswhittentf@juno.com)

Two weeks had passed, yet Tigatron could not believe all that had happened to him. He thought about the day he met Metrix. He was thankful to Metrix, beyond a doubt. He had given Tigatron hope, opportunity, and a chance to be reunited with his love, Snowstalker.

"Hey big cat!" cried out Cheetor as he rushed into the command center of Axalon.

Tigatron turned around to find Cheetor and Airazor standing at the door way in robot mode.

"What is it little cat?" asked Tigatron.

"Snowstalker wants to talk with you." said Cheetor in a sarcastic loving voice.

Airazor shoved Cheetor, "Stop that, you're just jealous."

"Am not!" protested Cheetor.

Airazor just folded her arms.

"You two behave yourselves." said Tigatron as he exited the command center. Tigatron found Snowstalker in the hallway with Optimus Primal, both in robot modes.

"Hello Snowstalker." said Tigatron.

"I can't believe you failed Megatron." said Scorponok to Blackarachnia.

Scorponok was sitting in the Predacon's meeting room. Waspinator, Inferno, and Blackarachnia were in front of him.

"It wasn't our fault! The Maximal had a new friend with him." spoke 'Arachnia.

"Strong new friend! Not worry though, Wazzzpinator killed Maximal's new friend." exclaimed the egotistical Waspinator.

"I heard. Yet I also heard that the Maximals somehow got a new member." said Scorponok.

"We heard nothing of that, I promise you," said Blackarachnia.

"I'm sure..." Scorponok said.

Blackarachnia grabbed Scorponok and threw him across the room. Scorponok bounced off the wall and was thrown to the ground. He got up to see Blackarachnia exiting the room. Inferno and Waspinator stared at her as well.

"Tarantulas, Megatron has requested an audience with you." said Terrorsaur.

"Not now!" protested Tarantulas, sitting on a chair in robot mode. He and Terrorsaur were in Tarantulas' lab. Tarantulas himself was busily working on a device of some sort.

"But he wants to know..." Terrorsaur began to say.

"I don't care! Now leave!" shouted Tarantulas as he spun around to let his spider legs shoot Terrorsaur backwards.

"Fine. Be that way." spoke Terrorsaur, getting up from the impact.

Terrorsaur exited the room. As the door slid shut, Tarantulas mumbled, "You will pay for that."

"Tigatron, there's something I need to talk to you about." spoke Optimus Primal.

"What is it?" asked Tigatron as he slumped against the wall.

"Over the past week, strange alien life signs have been detected in sector 5. I would have thought nothing of it, but then Snowstalker told me of the golden rock Metrix was searching for." spoke Primal.

Tigatron's eyes lit up, he jumped up, "You mean that the rock..."

"We believe it's been activated by the passing of your friend." spoke Snowstalker.

"Primal, allow me to retrieve the golden rock." protested Tigatron as he began to face the exit of the Axalon.

Optimus Primal placed his hand on Tigatron's shoulder, "Not this time old friend."

Tigatron stopped in his tracks.

"Trust me. I know how much this means to you, but we don't need personal feelings endangering the mission." said Primal.

Tigatron's head lowered, "I understand."

"I knew you would. I'll call you if we need reinforcements." said Primal.

Snowstalker wrapped her hands around Tigatron. He could tell that she had pity on him right now.

"It's okay Snowstalker. It really doesn't mean much to me," said Tigatron.

"Oh come on! I know it means something to you. You promised Metrix you would find it." broke out Snowstalker.

Optimus Primal could see where this was going and left the hallway.

"But he told me not too." said Tigatron, staring in at Snowstalker's eyes.

Snowstalker winked at him, "You're forgetting that I'm part of Metrix, Tigatron. I know that he would have wanted you to find it."

"Maybe..." trailed off Tigatron's voice with sorrow.

"Fine. Be that way. I'll find it for you." said Snowstalker as she transformed into her white Siberian tiger form.

Tigatron watched her enter the command center. Tigatron sank down into the corner of the hallway, "I'm sorry Metrix."

"I'm going out. Anyone want to come with?" asked Snowstalker, peeking her head into the Axalon's control center.

Airazor and Cheetor were sitting at the meeting table.

"Where to?" asked Airazor, arranging herself in her chair.

"Usual. Sector five, looking for an alien anomaly, stuff like that." said Snowstalker.

"I didn't like those words "alien anomaly"." said Cheetor, a bewildered look on his face.

"Tough luck." said Snowstalker.

"I'm for it, what about you Cheetor?" asked Airazor, rising from her chair.

Cheetor rolled his eyes, "As long as Rattrap doesn't come along..."

Megatron laid in his throne in silence in the Predacon's base. The room was dark and empty. This was when Megatron had a moment of thought. His thoughts were usually on the Maximals and the trouble they have caused.

Just then, Scorponok came rushing into the room. Megatron turned around.

"Terrorsaur has detected an alien anomaly 15 miles due east." reported in Scorponok with a salute.

"An alien anomaly, yes? This is good. Very good." spoke Megatron.

Scorponok smiled with delight.

"Speaking of Terrorsaur, did he contact Tarantulas yet? I need to know just what Tarantulas has been doing, locking himself up in his lab." questioned Megatron.

Scorponok shrugged, "Terrorsaur never said anything about it."

"Oh well. Whatever that spider is doing in there can wait. Scorponok, assemble a crew of Predacons and find the alien artifact or whatever it is. Take extra weapons. No Maximal shall get their goody two shoo hands on it!" cried out Megatron.

Scorponok saluted yet again.

"Scorponok, I shall come with you to assure our victory over the Maximals." Megatron chimed in.

"As you wish." Scorponok responded.

Cheetor found himself walking through the jungle in beast mode. Snowstalker right beside him, and Airazor in the air. Cheetor didn't no why he went with Snowstalker, alien anomalies always mean trouble, and Cheetor wasn't in the mood for trouble.

"How much further?" he asked.

"We're almost there, we just need to reach the mountainside up ahead," responded Snowstalker, staring at the upcoming mountainside.

The group of Maximals continued their hike, until they reached their intended destination.

"No Predacons in sight," Airazor reported, peering over the land she could see from the air.

"Good, Snowstalker, Maximize!"

"Cheetor, Maximize!"

"Airazor, Maximize!"

The three Maximals transformed into their robot forms, and Snowstalker peered inside a near by cavern.

"It's in here," Snowstalker said, "I can feel it."

Cheetor looked inside the cavern as well, "By the matrix! Look!"

Cheetor pointed to a rock laying to the side of the cavern, colored in a thick layer of gold.

"Amazing!" exclaimed Airazor.

"It...it look just like I knew it would!" admitted Snowstalker gracefully coming to her knees. She pondered over the rock, it looked so beautiful. Snowstalker wanted to pick it up, but felt the urge not to.

"We found it, and nothing bad happened! I can't believe it!" exclaimed Cheetor.

"Not for long, Predacons Terrorize!" screamed a voice from behind the three Maximals.

Cheetor whizzed around to see Megatron standing in robot mode. Blackarachnia, Scorponok, Terrorsaur, and Waspinator at his side, also in robot mode. They were all equipped with weapons.

"Surrender, Maximals!" demanded Megatron.

"Great!" cursed Airazor, raising her hands above her head.

"You too, pretty boy!" exclaimed Blackarachnia, aiming her crossbow at Cheetor's stomach.

"Yaw right!" cried Cheetor, grabbing 'Arachnia's crossbow. He flung it and her over his head and against the wall.

"Predacons, attack!" screamed Megatron, the Predacons all rushing for the Maximals.

"Prepare for battle!" warned Airazor.

Airazor pulled out her talon blasters and fired on an incoming Scorponok.

"Come to papa pretty!" spoke Scorponok.

"Eat slag!" cried Airazor, releasing a blast at Scorponok. Scorponok was pushed backwards, and toppled over his feet, landing on the ground.

Meanwhile, Cheetor grabbed his lasers and rapidly fired at Terrorsaur and Waspinator. Waspinator took a hit in the wing, and fired his stinger gun. Cheetor took a direct hit and stepped back.

"We're outnumbered!" exclaimed Cheetor.

"Makes you wish we had all the stasis pods now, doesn't it?" asked Snowstalker.

Suddenly, the golden rock in the cavern began to glow, and fired a bright blue beam into the night sky.

"What the?" Snowstalker murmured.

The beam began to rise higher than sight and everyone paused and stared at it.

"Predacons, hold back, this may be a Maximal trick!" warned Megatron as his troops reassembles. They temporarily retreated behind the other side of the mountain.

"What was that about?" asked Cheetor.

"I...I..." Snowstalker stumbled. She didn't know what the golden rock was doing. But she could tell, I wasn't good.

"Slag." Snowstalker cursed.

The sky was now lit up by the glowing beam. It's bright blue color, reflecting off of everything in sight.

The Maximals stared into the sky dumbfounded.

The beam was doing something, like it was reaching for something in the sky. And then a thought occurred to Snowstalker.

"It's...it's reaching for the only thing in the atmosphere," Snowstalker whispered to herself, "it's reaching for stasis pods!"

And the Maximals and Predacons would never be the same after this night.

The Golden Rock Arises, pt. 2
by Wes Whitten (weswhittentf@juno.com)

Snowstalker stared up into the sky, not knowing what the golden rock was doing. Its bright blue beam cast itself high above, beyond sight.

"Snowstalker, what did you do?" asked Cheetor, as the battle with the Predacons halted.

"I...I don't know. I didn't really do anything, it just turned on itself. It seems interested with something in the sky." Snowstalker answered, with a growing fright.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the mountain, the Predacons watched the beam ignite the sky, almost as if there was no tomorrow.

"Mighty Megatron, what do you make of this?" asked Scorponok.

Megatron did not answer, for he did not have an answer. He had never seen the likes of this alien anomaly.

"Wazzzpinator see pretty colors. Wazzzpinator see pretty colors up close." declared Waspinator, flying up into the sky towards the beam, in beast mode.

"Waspinator! What are you doing?!" demanded Blackarachnia.

"No worry female spider-bot, Wazzzpinator know what he is doing."

Waspinator said, flying inches away from the beam.

He flapped his wings rapidly, and came in contact with the bright beam. Waspinator felt a pulse of energy run through him, before his body became electrocuted, and plummeted to the ground. The other Predacons cringed as he hit rock bottom.

"Wazzzpinator hate pretty colors!" fumed Waspinator.

"The fool got what he deserved, yes, but we must find out what that light is doing, Terrorsaur, get up there." demanded Megatron.

"Me!!!??? You saw what that beam did to Waspinator, and you expect me to..." Terrorsaur began to complain, when suddenly, the beam began to flash different colors. From blue, to pink, to yellow, to green, and back. Everyone stared bewildered.

"What is it doing now?" questioned Airazor, a look of worry spread across her face.

"Look!" shouted Cheetor, "It's drawing down something, two something's in fact!"

The three Maximals stared into the sky as two large objects were within the tip of the beam, gliding towards the planet's surface.

"Stasis...Stasis pods! The beam's bringing down the Stasis pods!" Snowstalker stuttered. The two pods landed a good mile from the Maximals, and the beam returned to its old bright blue color, and extended beyond sight again.

"It's going back for more!" Cheetor exclaimed.

"This is bad, the Predacons have a fair chance of reprogramming all those pods! We can't let that happen, we have to stop the golden rock." Airazor protested.

"I don't know, this..." Cheetor began to protest.

"Fine! Be that way!" Airazor said, "Cheetor, get to the Stasis pods and program them, Snowstalker and I will see what we can do here."

Cheetor rushed off quickly, converting to cheetah mode along the way.

"So, how are we going to destroy the golden rock?" asked Snowstalker.

"Not on our own," Airazor responded, opening her communication band, "Axalon come in! This is Airazor! We have found the golden rock, but the Predacons have too. They aren't anywhere in sight now, but the golden rock has activated itself, it's drawing stasis pods out of the sky!"

Axalon didn't respond.

"Blast it! We're on our own!" cursed Airazor.

"Let's hope the Predacons will stay out of our way." Snowstalker said.

"Sta...Stasis pods? That beam is bringing down Stasis pods!"

Scorponok declared, pointing to the area where the pods landed.

"This is a great opportunity, yes, we'll be able to claim all the pods for ourselves!" Megatron spoke.

"Maybe not," informed Blackarachnia, "Cheetor has reached the pods already, it will take us too long to get there ourselves, they are lost to us. Plus, the females over there look like they plan to destroy that golden rock."

"No! That rock is our chance to have a fit army! Blackarachnia, take Waspinator and Scorponok and try to program all the pods that will land, Terrorsaur and I will stop the Maximals." Megatron ordered.

Blackarachnia and Scorponok converted to beast mode and rushed off. A fried and crispy Waspinator slowly followed.

"Is it wise to split up?" questioned Terrorsaur.

"I know what I'm doing, now shut up." Megatron sneered.

Terrorsaur sneered back.

"Okay, let's do it." said Cheetor, kneeling by the fallen pods in robot mode. He opened up the control panel to one of the stasis pods and punched in the program code.

"This ought to do it. Now to find a suitable life form for these guys." Cheetor smirked.

"Insufficient data." the pod's computer breached.

"What?!" Cheetor cried.

"Program code unacceptable."

"Great." fussed Cheetor, slamming the control panel shut hard.

"Beep! Data correct. Pod undamaged. Beginning activation program." the computer suddenly announced.

"Yes!" cheered Cheetor.

"Identification chip: Maximal, suitable life form found, preliminary spark found." the computer continued to say.

Cheetor grinned ear to ear, if he had ears. He went over to the other stasis pod and opened and slammed shut the control panel.

"Beep! Data correct. Pod undamaged. Beginning activation program. Identification chip: Maximal, suitable life form found, preliminary spark found." the other pod announced.

Cheetor felt great pride in himself. This was the first time he programmed a pod without any mess-ups.

"Hold it right there maximal!" cried a voice from behind Cheetor.

He whizzed around to see Scorponok and Blackarachnia.

"Blackarachnia, Terrorize!"

"Scorponok, Terrorize!"

The two Predacons transformed, all weapons aimed at Cheetor.

"Slag." Cheetor cursed, raising his hands in defeat as Waspinator suddenly caught up with the other Predacons.

"Wazzzpinator weak, Predacons too fast." the Predacon complained.

"Protoform sequence complete." announced the two Stasis pods behind Cheetor. Their doors burst open and two beasts emerged. Without hesitation, they charged at the Predacons. Blackarachnia and Scorponok were rammed down by the first of the two new Maximals.

"Razorbeast, Maximize!" declared the Maximal, aiming his gun at Scorponok's head.

"Mercy?" the unarmed Scorponok asked.

"Never Predacon!" Razorbeast answered, gun still aimed.

"Be that way!" declared Scorponok as he fired Cyberbee from his hand.

Cyberbee whizzed around the new Maximal.

"Hang loose!" Cheetor said, drawing his gun. He fired with accuracy, causing Cyberbee to fall flat. Scorponok placed him back inside his hand.

Some distance away, Blackarachnia was pushed to the ground besides Waspinator. The two Predacons were defeated. Their victor, the new Maximal, smiled.

"Wolfang, Maximize!"

His gun was aimed at the Predacons.

"You'll be happy to know that I don't believe in killing," Wolfang said, "but I do enjoy torturing my victims."

Blackarachnia ran back for the mountains, Waspinator not far behind. Wolfang lowered his weapon and went over to the other Maximals.

"That went smoothly." Razorbeast said.

"Wow! You guys were great! You'll be a welcome addition to the Maximals!" Cheetor declared.

"Well, thanks!" Wolfang responded, watching the three Predacons run.

Suddenly, Cheetor saw the beam in the sky begin to change colors again.

"What's that?" demanded Razorbeast.

"Okay, some of us Maximals found a golden rock that is supposed to have great power. It somehow activated itself and is bringing stasis pods down. The other Maximals that are with me are trying to destroy the rock." Cheetor summarized the day's events.

"We better help them, with all the pods falling, the Predacons have a chance to corrupt them for their purposes." Wolfang said.

"Beast mode!" all three Maximals cried, transforming into their alternate forms. They quickly ran back to the mountains.

In the sky, the rapidly changing colors beam began to lower two more objects towards the planet.

"Any ideas?" Airazor asked.

"Looks unbreakable, and I'm not about to touch that beam." Snowstalker commented, pointing to the golden rock, now with a color-changing beam shooting out of it.

"Think Cheetor got the pods?" Snowstalker asked.

"With Cheetor, I can't say." Airazor replied.

"The Predacons are no where in sight, this must be our lucky day." Snowstalker said.

"I don't know, it's not like them to hide like this, something smells bad." Airazor commented.

"Speaking of bad..." Snowstalker added, spotting two figures rushing towards them.

"Terrorsaur and Megatron at 12:00!" Airazor announced pulling out her talon blaster.

"Let's put these Predacons to sleep." Snowstalker chimed in, dawning her blaster.

"You go girl." Airazor snickered, charging for Terrorsaur.

Airazor rapidly fired at the flying Terrorsaur. He maneuvered gracefully, but there was no where for him to run. He took a direct hit on his arm.

"Irritating Maximal!" cried Terrorsaur, grabbing his own gun and rapidly firing. Airazor transformed into her falcon mode and soured high above Terrorsaur. Avoiding laser contact, she glided downward, landing behind him . She rapidly transformed along the way and soon, Terrorsaur was on the ground, a talon blaster in the middle of his head.

"Rooooaaaaarrr!" Megatron growled, lunging for Snowstalker.

"Eat laser fire." Snowstalker cried.

Megatron found himself in the middle of a firing range. He returned fire to Snowstalker, who took a hit and toppled backwards.

"Pleasant dreams Maximal." Megatron said, closing in on Snowstalker.

"I don't think so!" cried a voice behind Megatron. The figure rushed forward, knocking him down.

"Agh! Who are you?!" demanded Megatron, pain flowing all over his body.

"Wolfang, Maximize!"

Cheetor and Razorbeast approached Snowstalker in beast mode. She got herself up, and watched Megatron coward before Wolfang.

"Great save, your creations?" Snowstalker asked Cheetor.

"More or less." he responded.

Suddenly, the body of Terrorsaur was flung on top of Megatron.

Airazor flew above them in beast mode.

"Pardon me." she chuckled.

"Great going." Snowstalker congratulated her.

"Thanks, but were not done yet. The beam's back to bright blue, the stasis pods have landed somewhere." Airazor answered.

"But where? I never saw any pods come down." Cheetor responded.

A moment of silence dawned on the Maximals, pondering over the situation.

"You think?" asked Airazor.

"I don't see Ms. Arachnia or the others here." Cheetor gulped.

"Right you are Maximal!" cried Blackarachnia leading a pack of Predacons towards them. Blackarachnia, Scorponok, and Waspinator led the group in beast mode, with two new Predacons following, also in beast mode.

"Who?" asked Razorbeast, staring at the last two.

"Iguanus, Terrorize!"

"Snapper, Terrorize!"

"Yikes!" cried Cheetor.

"You're surrounded Maximals!" Blackarachnia announced, as all the Predacons circled the group, weapons drawn.

The Maximals were beaten. Except for Wolfang, they were all in beast mode and weaponless at that.

"I could..." Wolfang began to whisper to Cheetor.

"Don't bother." he responded.

"Do bother!" Scorponok said anxiously waiting for the Maximals to make a move.

"Hey Scorponok, heads up!" cried a familiar voice from behind him.

Laser fire was thrown, knocking out Scorponok, Terrorsaur, and Iguanus.

"Who?!" demanded Megatron.

"Maximals, Maximize!" cried Optimus Primal. Dinobot, Rhinox, Tigatron, and Rattrap did as ordered. Cheetor and his group did as well.

Optimus eyed the two new Maximals, "We'll make introductions later."

"How did you...?" Airazor began to ask.

"We barely got your radio signal, but we couldn't respond so we decided to take matters in our own hands." answered Rhinox.

"Okay then, let's stop these Predacons!" cheered out Snowstalker.

"I'm with you." responded Razorbeast.

The beam began to change color again.

The Golden Rock Arises, pt. 3
by Wes Whitten (weswhittentf@juno.com)

"Attack!" screamed Megatron as the Predacons all engaged the Maximals.

"This is too easy, we outnumber them." Cheetor said.

"Not for long!" cried Snapper, knocking Rhinox backwards. This caused him and Razorbeast to topple around, before going unconscious.

"Cheetor," Primal said, "that golden rock you were after, it ... "

"I know, shooting out a colorful beam, bringing down stasis pods, I know!" Cheetor responded.

"No, the rock is turning black, like it's losing it's power," Primal pointed out.

Cheetor gaped in amazement as Primal was right.

"Bringing down stasis pods caused it to use up all it's power." Airazor concluded, fighting off Blackarachnia.

"Nevertheless, the beam is still bringing in pods, someone will have to recover them." Wolfang added.

"Cheetor, Airazor, go get those pods now!" ordered Primal, as Megatron began to fire at him.

The two Maximals didn't respond, they just rushed off after the pods.

"Maximals, die!!!" screamed Iguanus, recovering from his injury.

He fired at Rattrap and an unconscious Razorbeast.

"My finish!" exclaimed Rattrap, firing rapidly, before knocking Iguanus out again.

"Come on kid, let's move it," Rattrap told Razorbeast, hoisting him onto his shoulders.

"Rattrap, what are you doing?" asked Dinobot.

"Helping out, for once." Rattrap replied, grunting at Dinobot.

Dinobot sneered.

"You petty Maximals shall never defeat us!" Terrorsaur exclaimed.

"Don't make me laugh," Snowstalker said, rushing towards Terrorsaur in beast mode. She grabbed his leg with her mouth and began to twirl him rapidly.

"Maaaaaaaxxxxxxxxxiiiiiiiiimmmmmmmmmmmmaaaaaallll!" Terrorsaur cursed out loud while being twirled. Snowstalker let him go and he began to zoom through the sky.

"Beast mode!" Terrorsaur exclaimed. He transformed into a pterodactyl in mid flight, and raced towards Snowstalker.

"Eat plasma, Predacon!" Wolfang screamed, blasting Terrorsaur out of the sky.

"Thanks for the save," Snowstalker spoke.

Wolfang saluted.

Rattrap laid Razorbeast on the ground behind a boulder near the edge of the firefight.

"Wait here kid, Rattrap has some business to attend to!" Rattrap smiled, grasping his gun.

Rattrap ran off into the battle. Primal was engaged with Megatron, Rhinox was on the ground, Cheetor and Airazor were out looking for pods. It looked like everything was still for the Maximal's side regardless.

"Ah, rat-bot in plain sight! Wazzzpinator will destroy him!" Waspinator announced, appearing from nowhere. He zipped towards Rattrap, stinger cannon drawn.

"What the?" Rattrap cried, after being pushed backwards by Waspinator's blasts.

"Die rat-bot!" Waspinator ordered.

Waspinator swooped around for another pass on Rattrap. But before he could make it, Dinobot shot him out of the sky. Waspinator crashed to the ground, taking out Snapper along in the crash.

"Ouch," commented Dinobot.

"I didn't need your help," snarled Rattrap.

"No one does, the Predacons are outnumbered. Half their troops are lying on the ground." Dinobot responded.

"Weird though, I haven't seen Tarantulas or Inferno at all. If Megatron needs help, why hasn't he called for them?" Rattrap wondered.

"Hmm, knowing Tarantulas, he probably locked himself in his lab."

Dinobot added.

"Stop what you are doing!" demanded Inferno, as he lay strapped to the table in Tarantulas's lab.

"Sorry, but there's a reason I didn't go with the others. I'm working on something great, and you will see it first hand Inferno!" Tarantulas announced, holding a mini blowtorch in his hand.

"The royalty shall hear of this!" protested Inferno.

"Who's gonna tell them?" Tarantulas asked, before ripping off Inferno's chest plate.

Tarantulas placed his hand inside, and yanked out a collection of wires. Inferno immediately fell deactivated. Tarantulas went to work and removed Inferno's life chip, located in the body of all Transformers. Tarantulas set it on the table next to him, and placed Inferno's deactivated body in his mini compactor machine. Inferno's body was crushed to rubble as Tarantulas pushed the activation button. Tarantulas placed Inferno's remains behind his computer panel, where no one would fine them.

After that, Tarantulas took Inferno's life chip and twirled it around in his hands. He stared into the dark corner of the room, where his device was. It was not at its end of construction yet, but it had indeed taken shape.

"Soon, Megatron," Tarantulas sneered, "all will be mine!"

The Maximals cheered wildly as the Predacons retreated. This time, towards their own base. The weak of their number were carried by the healthy. After some cheering, Optimus stared over at the bright blue beam, admitting from the now black rock.

"What is it, Optimus?" Rhinox asked.

"If Airazor was right about the rock changing color because of loss of power, why hasn't the beam stopped?" Optimus asked.

"Who knows? But with the Predacons gone, the pods will all be ours." Rattrap said.

"No Rattrap, the pods should not be brought down all at once, it is not right." Tigatron stated, Snowstalker in his arms.

"He's right, the way things naturally happen shouldn't be tampered with," added in Snowstalker.

"What? Fly that by me again." Rattrap said.

"Sigh!" Snowstalker groaned.

While the others discussed, Optimus signaled Cheetor and Airazor.

"Beep! Airazor, Cheetor, come in! Come in!" Primal spoke.

"Beep! Cheetor here Primal," responded Cheetor, after a few moments.

"Have you guys retrieved the pods yet. You have been gone awhile, and I thought you would have all taken care of by now." said Optimus Primal.

"Well, to tell you the truth, we can't find the pods anywhere. No trace of pods, protoforms, nothing!" Cheetor admitted.

Primal hesitated, "Keep searching, the rest of us will try to stop the rock from bringing in anymore pods, we'll keep in touch, primal out."

"Cheetor out!" announced Cheetor, as the communications cut off.

Primal stared up into the night sky, the presence of a bright beam was disturbing. It didn't belong up there, primal knew that, but what could he do?

"What's the status?" Primal asked.

"Tigatron's going to attempt to destroy the rock with his blaster," Rhinox answered.

"Okay, let's hope this works," Primal said.

Tigatron steadied himself, and aimed his blaster at the middle of the rock. He pulled the trigger after a moment, and a bright orange laser was released. It hit the rock, but bounced off of it as if it were rubber.

"It can take an energy blast, that's for sure," Tigatron stated.

"Can it take a punch?" asked Rhinox, positioning himself in front of the rock. He pulled his fist back and then smashed it against the rock, Rhinox's body was electrocuted and he was thrown backwards.

"Rhinox! Are you okay?" asked Optimus primal.

"May...maybe, I've had a loss of energon," Rhinox replied weakly.

"The rocks impenetrable," Snowstalker said.

"How would you know?" asked Tigatron.

"I...I don't know, I feel as though I've known the rock forever, I feel....oh my...Tigatron, I feel him!" Snowstalker exclaimed.

"Feel who?" Tigatron asker, panic in his face.

"Metrix...he's here, I feel his presence..." Snowstalker said, collapsing to the ground.

"Ti...Tigatron, what's wrong with me?" Snowstalker asked.

"I don't know! I don't know! Snowstalker, is Metrix trying to..." Tigatron was cut off as Snowstalker got up and screamed in pain, before crashing to the ground. Her body began to shift, shaping itself in a familiar form only to Tigatron.

"By the matrix...Metrix?" Tigatron asked.

"Yes Tigatron, it is I." spoke Metrix rising from the ground. The Maximals all exchanged glances, not knowing what was going on.

"I told you not to find the golden rock for a reason, Tigatron. The rock corresponds with my spark, it is my slave. It carries out my wishes as I want. Snowstalker is part of me, and when she made her comments about the pods, the rock responded. It is a great force, and nothing stops it of its missions." Metrix informed everyone.

"But Snowstalker didn't know! The pods can't all land now, the way of nature won't allow it. The Predacons will have all the chance they need to take over those pods with them all landed." Tigatron protested.

"If it is your wish to stop the rock, then there is a way," Metrix informed.

"There is? How!?" Tigatron asked.

"The rock is my slave, it will have no purpose if I am destroyed, both physically and mentally. For the rock to stop, I must destroy my spark, and Snowstalker will be lost to you," Metrix said.

"Snowstalker? But she..." Tigatron began to protest.

"Her spark will not die, it will journey to where it was supposed to go before I stole it from it's way to the beyond," Metrix said.

Tigatron turned towards the other Maximals, tears in his eyes, "Primal, is it worth it? The world would not come to an end if we let all the pods fall..."

"I'm sorry Tigatron, but my gut tells me that this isn't right, we don't have enough identification chips to program all the pods, and we would obviously lose a few to Megatron," Optimus said with sorrow.

"I understand," Tigatron sobbed.

"At least you got a chance to be with her again for a while," Rattrap said.

"Yes, but, the last moments we really shared together, we didn't agree with each other, I would not want our relationship to end that way," Tigatron spoke.

Without warning, Metrix shaped himself into Snowstalker, her eyes were now filled with sorrow.

"I understand, Tigatron. I...I have to do it for the safety of all the pods, besides, what if I were to make another dumb comment and the rock would carry it out after all the pods would land? I could destroy the world, or even the galaxy..." Snowstalker said in a dull whisper.

Tigatron didn't respond for a moment, he just sat there staring at his love. Then, he broke forward and hugged Snowstalker. Snowstalker sobbed some more and returned the hug, then letting her lips meet Tigatron's.

The Maximals all stared dumbfounded at the two.

"I...must go." Snowstalker said, letting go of Tigatron.

"I will always love you," Tigatron replied.

"I will always love you too, and I promise to always watch over you," Snowstalker commented.

Tigatron watched as Snowstalker stepped towards the rock and touched it, her body flowed with energy, before she began to be electrified. Snowstalker resisted the urge to let go, and watched as her body began to melt into ash. She stared back at Tigatron, her spark fading rapidly, and then she disappeared, nothing but ash. The rock then turned to rubble, with no master to serve.

"Snowstalker..." Tigatron cried. He turned around and rushed in the forest, transforming to beast mode along the way.

"Tigatron, wait!" cried out Rhinox, but it was no use. Tigatron continued to run.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" asked Wolfang.

"I'm not sure, but I know he'll come back. He just needs some time alone," responded Optimus Primal.

"Beep! Cheetor calling big 'bot!" asked Cheetor, radioing Optimus Primal.

"What is it, Cheetor?" Primal asked.

"No sign of the pod, Airazor and I are heading back in. How's the rock crisis going?" asked Cheetor.

"Look in the sky," responded Primal.

"Wow! Great job!" Cheetor congratulated.

"Cheetor...we lost Snowstalker, she's gone. Tigatron's taking it hard. I think you two may want to talk with him," primal said.

"What? Poor big cat!" Cheetor responded.

"Cheetor out!"

"Primal out!"

"What now?" asked Razorbeast.

"We head back to Axalon, Tigatron will make his way back. I'm sure Cheetor and Airazor will help him out," Primal stated.

"Well, then let's go!" exclaimed Rattrap.

And the group of Maximals traveled back to the Axalon.

Tigatron approached the original burial site of Snowstalker, where he laid her to rest months ago. Tigatron lowered his head.

"I will miss you," Tigatron said, "I'm going back to the Axalon.

I'm going to stop the Predacons and destroy them for the harm they caused! In your honor, I will continue to fight until my spark won't let me,"

With that, Tigatron made his way back to Axalon.

The night sky began to fill with stars.