Beast Wars Anonymous:

Beast Wars and all related belong to Hasbro. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission.

Author's notes: This is my first fic so be kind. Please! I know it's a weird story, but it's main purpose was to introduce my original character. If you like it (or hate it) I'd be glad to hear from you. Flame me if you must, but I would prefer to stay medium rare indsted of well done =). Well enough jabbering. Enjoy the fic!!

The Other Half
by Sphinx (Cyrrus25@yahoo.com)

The stars shone bright against the blackness of space. Light from the distant sun reflected off the metal surfaces of the orbiting stasis pods, circling the green jewel of a planet below. One pod in particular started to change course. Its orbit had finally started to decay. No one heard the sharp beeping of the pod's computer, or the warning it emitted.

" Warning! Crash vector too steep! Damage to pod imminent!"

"Jumpin' gyros! Long range patrol is boring!"

"Well, Fur-ball, if you kept your eyes on the terrain, you would find patrol goes faster than expected."

Cheetor and Dinobot were on a long-range patrol in sector 23. Scanners had picked up repeated Predacon energy signatures in that area. Optimus, always wary of Megatron's plots, had sent the two reluctant warriors to scout the terrain for anything unknown.

They would have continued to bicker had the sharp-eyed cheetah not seen a bright flash in the sky.

"Ultra gear! A stasis pod!" he shouted. "We'd better tell Optimus! Cheetor to base... come in Optimus." He was answered only by hissing static. "Cheetor to base...Rhinox?" static. "Rattrap?" static. "Somebody answer!" some more static. "Slaggin' energon interference."

"It would appear we are on our own," Dinobot commented.

"No, ya think?"

"Enough talk! We must secure the pod before the Predacons realize it's here."

They moved off to where the pod appeared to be heading. Cheetor raced ahead as usual, while Dinobot was more cautious, taking time to scan for Pred energy signatures.

"A stasis pod?" Megatron asked. "Best estimate of crash point."

"Grid Aries," said Tarantulas, "That area very close to the energon mine we set up. Only Inferno is there at the moment."

"Scan for Maximal frequencies. Nothing must intervene with our capture of the new protoform, yessss."

"Two Maximals are also in the grid."

"Blast!" Megatron punched the armrest of his throne. "Tarantulas, come with me. We are going to make sure the Maximals find a little...opposition, yessss."

Cheetor slowed as he came to the canyon. He's never seen anything quite like it. The walls were composed of red sandstone, while the floor of gray shale. Geography lessons from Rhinox came back to him.

Slot canyon, he thought, one that cuts through a mountain or plateau.

Most of grid Aries was composed of red and gray sandstone. The sandy terrain stretched for miles in every direction. Only the occasional plateau or hill marred the wide-open plains. The ground was very flat, worn down from centuries of wind and flash floods. Often there were small indentations in the rock floor.

Odd, thought Cheetor, I wonder what they are?

He placed his paw in one and scratched the dirt out, revealing a three-toed foot print, much like a bird's. Looking around, he saw there were several trails of these indents forming track ways through the canyon.

"What have you discovered?"

Cheetor jumped. He'd not realized Dinobot was behind him.

"It looks like a bird track, but it's really big."

"Fool! It's nothing more than a fossil! See how the print is in the rock itself. Hummmrp!" the Velociraptor growled, "Come, the pod is almost down."

"I'm am not a fool! Just because I'm a little younger than you doesn't mean......"

They walked off together, engaged in another quarrel. Had they not been quite so engaged, they might have noticed the hole that suddenly appeared in the ground.

Or the giant ant that had caused it.

"Inferno to Megatron," said the drone, "I've spotted the traitor and the cat. What are your orders, my Queen?"

"Don't...all ...me....at!", came the garbled reply. "Do...ot...let...em...ear...the...pod! We....ill...be...ere...short..y."

"As you command, Royalty!" With that, the ant sped off in pursuit of the two Maximals and the incoming pod.

The pod landed with a loud crash. On impact it buried its nose a meter and a half into the sandstone ground. Steam hissed as the pod's computer tried to initiate the DNA sequencer. Unfortunately, it was crushed inside its storage space.

Cheetor ran up to it. "Aw slag! Check out this mess!" He looked at Dinobot, who frowned.

"Do you know how to fix it?" he growled.

"Only the basic stuff Rhinox told me. But I'll do my best. Cheetor Maximize!" With that he set to work trying to pry open the smashed DNA sequencer. "Gotta give our new bud-bot a chance to..."

"Ah, the cat and the traitor! You will buuuuurrrrrrrrrnnnnnn!"

In the Maximal base, Rhinox was having a fit.

No matter what he tried, he couldn't get the new long-range scanners to pick up anything. He growled as he looked at the read-outs on the computer screen.

"How's your work coming, Rhinox?" Optimus asked as he came to the bridge.

"Terrible," said the huge bot. "Scanners picked up something that resembled a stasis pod in grid Aries, but I can't get through the blasted energon interference to confirm it!"

"Well, Cheetor and Dinobot are in that grid. If there's a pod out there they'll find it."

"Energon isn't our only problem," the rhino-bot paused. Optimus gave him a concerned look. "The reason for all the interference is a huge storm heading towards that grid. It's the biggest storm we've ever encountered on this planet," he frowned.

"How long until the storm hits them?"

"I'd say they've got 'til dusk to get out of there. That desert is the last place they should be in a storm of that magnitude."

"Well," said Primal. "That's just Prime."

"Inferno! Cheetor, I will cover you while you bring the protoform on line. Dinobot MAXIMIZE!" The raptor-bot drew his sword and rotor-shield. "Let us see how much of a warrior you are, insect!"

Inferno took out his flame-thrower and proceeded to disperse fire in every direction, laughing maniacally the whole time.

"Hahahahahahahahahahaa!"

Dinobot dodged and thrust his sword into the ant-bot's gun. Giving it a quick twist, he flung the weapon away. Inferno screamed in rage and smashed his fist into Dinobot's jaw. The warrior growled and locked his clawed hands around Inferno's neck.

"You disappoint me," he said, and shot the Predicon in the face with his eye-beams. Inferno fell in a heap a few meters away from the Maximals.

"How is your work on the pod progressing?" the raptor-bot asked.

"Almost done," said Cheetor. "All I have to do is restart the DNA sequencer."

"Ah Dinobot," said an all too familiar voice. "It was so kind of you and your cat friend to fix the pod for us. It will save Tarantulas the trouble. Yessss."

Megetron and Tarantulas, both in robot-mode, walked towards them.

"Tarantulas, reprogram the pod. I will handle the Maximals personally."

Dinobot grabbed his sword and went into a warrior's crouch, awaiting Megatron's attack. The Predicon commander lashed out with his tail blaster. Dinobot dodged and thrust with his sword. Megatron parried and thrust back in a counter attack.

Cheetor did not stop to look at the two Predacons; the pod was more important. He hurriedly punched the buttons on the keyboard, his breath coming in raged gasps.

Almost there! C'mon, c'mon, just a few more buttons!

"Got it!" he shouted; the DNA sequencer popped up and emitted a yellow scanning beam.

"No compatible life forms found," droned the computer's voice. "Switching to fossil scan." White bones glowed as the scanner duplicated DNA within.

"Now to help Dinobot," said Cheetor.

"I don't think so, hehehehehe," Tarantulas jumped in front of the cheetah. He readied his machine-gun legs and fired. Cheetor screamed and held up his hands, desperately trying to protect himself from the assault. Finally, his body gave up and he fell unconscious.

Tarantulas cackled as he looked at the prone form in front of him. He knew the protoform was lost to him, but it was the pod he really wanted. "Now to finish the traitor."

Dinobot slammed Megatron into the canyon wall, the Pred commander howling in rage. The raptor-bot then fired his eye-beams at the rock wall above them. Rocks cascaded down towards the two fighters; Dinobot jumped out of the way. Megatron was buried under several tons of sandstone.

Dinobot chuckled, only to have something slam into the back of his head. He saw stars in the moment before the ground suddenly rushed up to strike him in the face. The world went black and silent.

Tarantulas cackled, "Poor raptor. You should have looked behind you before you let your guard down. Tehehehehehehehe." He dropped the rock he'd hit Dinobot with.

"A lesson you should follow yourself, Predacon!" said a new voice. A feminine voice.

Tarantulas whirled around, but there was nothing there.

Without warning a red-brown object slammed into the Predacon's head. "Oh, sorry about that," said the voice. "I must have slipped!"

Tarantulas felt something crush his chest. Looking through blurred vision he saw a creature that looked like a bald ostrich with a dinosaur's arms and tail.

It was standing on him.

"You may have got the drop on me," he said. "But you will be the one to die!" He punched the Maximal in the face. She stumbled back with a squawk.

"That's it!" she said. "Dunerunner MAXIMIZE!!" Gears whirred, servos shifted, and a blue and silver 'bot appeared. She pulled out a small device from her sub-space pocket. It extended into a cyber longbow. Dunerunner knocked an arrow and released it, sending Tarantulas flying several meters into the canyon wall.

"Give my regards to the Inferno," she said.

The new Maximal walked over to Cheetor, seeing the symbol on his forehead, she shook him. "Hey, are you all right?"

Cheetor groaned. "What happened? Dinobot! Is he okay? The Preds! They..."

"Whoa, slow down, Bro. One question at a time."

"Oh," he looked sheepishly at Dunerunner and smiled. She was a bright blue, like the color of deep water, with silver on her upper arms and legs, the lower parts the same sea blue. Here and there were small stripes of black. Her optics were sapphire, framed by her silver face and the blue and black "helmet" that covered most of her head. Her chest was covered with her beast-mode head, the sandy red skin a contrast to the blue and silver metal. "You must be the new Maximal. Pleased to meet'cha! The name's Cheetor. What's yours?"

"Dunerunner," she said, helping the cat-bot to his feet. "Who is this 'Dinobot' you mentioned?"

"He was fighting Megatron when...there he is!" he pointed to the prone form a few meters away.

Dunerunner walked over to him. "Sure is a big guy," she looked at the massive bot and smiled. "Probably one of those fellows who acts all tough but is nice underneath."

Cheetor looked at his new friend. "Dinobot, nice? Those two words don't belong in the same sentence." He laughed.

They woke the unconscious warrior and explained to him what happened.

"Then," Cheetor was saying, "the pod scanned the fossil and...aarrrhhhh!!" He yelled as an energon serge enveloped him as well as the others. "Beast-mode!" he shouted.

Dinobot and Dunerunner did the same.

"What was that?" the newcomer asked.

"Energon serge. That's why we need these beast-modes," The cheetah smiled.

Since they were all transformed, the Maximals got a good look at their new comrade's beast-form.

"Wow, do you ever look weird! What are you?" asked Cheetor in his usual youthful innocence.

"A Struthiomimus," said Dunerunner. "An ostrich-like dinosaur. The computer said it could run as fast as an ostrich too."

Dinobot looked at her long shins and ankles, easily understanding why. His gaze moved upward. She was a red-brown color, with a gray underbelly. She also had gray "socks" on her arms and legs, exactly matching the color of the canyon sandstone. Her eyes were a contrast, being a beautiful sapphire in color, the same as her 'bot optics. Then he blinked, his bright green eyes focusing on her three-toed feet. They were exactly like the tracks they'd seen before the pod landed.

An ancient creature from the past has returned home. He smiled inwardly at the thought.

"What should we do with the Pred-heads?" asked Cheetor, interrupting Dinobot's thoughts.

"Leave them," The raptor-bot snarled. "They are defeated. We have no need of them." Dunerunner noticed the hatred in Dinobot's eyes.

Why does he not attack if he hates them so?

"Then let's go," said Cheetor. "We have a very long walk back to base."

"Lead the way," Dunerunner smiled as best she could in her beast-mode.

A megacycle later, the trio was only a fraction closer to the base than before. Dinobot was growing irritable (well more than normal), Cheetor was bored again, and Dunerunner was getting tired. The desert seemed to stretch on forever in the horizon. It was growing dark, the sun dipping behind a rock mesa in the distance.

"We will never make it back to base before nightfall," Dinobot growled.

"I suggest we stop for the night somewhere," Dunerunner replied. "I for one am very tired."

"Yeah, you're right," said a reluctant Cheetor. "We should probably try to contact the base first, though."

He tried, but with no success. The interference was just too strong.

Thunder rumbled overhead, black clouds building in number. Rain could be seen in the distance, a watery curtain across the arid land.

Cheetor moaned. "Not water! I thought it never rained in the desert."

"We'd better find somewhere to rest for the night," Dunerunner said. "The rain will take a while to get here. We can sleep until then."

"Agreed," Dinobot growled. "Our beast-modes need time to heal the injuries we received from Megatron's forces."

They found a small hill covered by giant cacti. The desert plants would offer visual shelter, hiding them from possible Predacon eyes while they slept.

Cheetor curled up next to Dunerunner and promptly started snoring. Dinobot and the female struthie stayed awake for a time, comparing their lives and beliefs. Dinobot told her how they had come to be on the unknown planet, how he'd defected to the Maximals, pain visible on his hard features. Dunerunner took it all in stride, making little of his switch in loyalty. She smoothly changed the subject, trying to ease the discomfort of her new friend.

"Do you remember Cybertron?" she asked.

"I'd rather not," replied the raptor-bot. "I did not have much of a life there."

"I can't remember anything about Cybertron. Just a little bit about me being a tracker," the female smiled. "I guess that's not much to go on."

"We can use a good tracker," he snarled. "And be grateful for the loss of your past. What I wouldn't give to be rid of mine."

"What do you mean?"

Silence.

Kay, guess I touched a nerve.

"Um...I noticed, back with the Preds, you didn't scrap them afterward, even though you wanted to," Dinobot gave her an odd look. "Why?"

"You are observant," he growled. "They were helpless. To defeat them in such a manner would be lacking in honor."

"Ah, you are honor bound. You are a warrior then?"

"Indeed."

"As am I," Dunerunner grinned. "Honorable fighting is the code by which I live."

"Perhaps, when we get to the base, you would be interested in joining me in a practice battle?" Although he would never admit it, Dinobot was glad to finally have another fighter who understood his sense of honor.

"I'm going to hold you to that."

"But you should be prepared to loose."

"On the contrary!" Dunerunner was enjoying this. "You will be the one to face defeat."

"I beg to differ!" a hint of a smile played across the raptor-bot's face.

They continued their conversation, not knowing about how massive the storm that approached was.

Nor about the peril they would be in when it hit.

"Aw, SLAG!" cried Rhinox at his computer console.

"What's wrong?" Optimus turned from his info-pad.

"The long range scanners are picking up a new Maximal signature."

"And that's bad?"

"No," Rhinox sighed. "The problem is the new Maximal, as well as Cheetor and Dinobot, are still in grid Aries. That storm will hit any cycle now."

Optimus looked at the depressing read-outs on the computer. "So you're saying if the lightning doesn't scrap them, the flash flooding will?"

"Um hmm."

"How long would it take me to get there?"

"At least two megacycles, maybe more. Grid Aries is a long way away," he frowned. "It'll be too late then."

"So they're on their own."

Rhinox nodded

"Prime," the Maximal commander sighed. "I just hope they all can swim."

Dinobot awoke.

He and Dunerunner had both fallen asleep after their conversation. But now he was awake, blinking in the darkness of late twilight.

He'd had an unusual dream. Something about being accepted and a special person's eyes. But he couldn't quite remember, the details were fuzzy. Those eyes, burning in his memory, blue orbs in the abyss of his mind. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Just before he'd woken up he felt a strange sensation.

It had been wonderful, a warm and comforting feeling, a sense of completeness. Then it was gone.

The raptor-bot shook his head. The memories were fading, the remnants taunting him, just barely out of reach.

He looked over to the horizon, which had grown almost indistinguishable from the rest of the dark desert landscape. The rain had increased, the water a literal curtain crossing the desert. The sky was black as pitch, only marred by the bright flashes of lightning from time to time.

Then the thunder sounded.

Dinobot jumped. It had been so close! He watched as lightning streaked across the sky again, and began counting.

One, two, thr-

The thunder was deafening, exploding around him. He felt Dunerunner start awake, the body beside him jumping to alertness. She gave a squawk and looked at him.

"Guess the storm's here," she said.

Cheetor woke quickly after.

"What the spotted heck...oh no," he looked at the massive curtain of water heading in their direction. "Not rain!"

"It won't kill you," Dunerunner said as the torrents struck. "What harm can a little water do?"

Then Cheetor's eyes grew very round as he looked at the struthie-bot, no, past her. She turned and gasped.

"What about a LOT of water?!" cried the terrified cheetah.

By far the most terrifying thing they'd seen yet, knocking cacti aside like they didn't exist, was a wall of water. The torrential downpour, combined with the flat desert terrain, had caused a massive flash flood. A flood that few, if any, creatures would survive.

And it was heading right for them.

"Yyyyeeeeeeaaaaaahhhhhhhh! I'm gonna DIE!"

"Oh, c'mon Rattrap! It's not that bad!"

Optimus was flying towards grid Aries in robot-mode; Rattrap was on his back. The Maximal commander knew he wouldn't reach his comrades before the storm struck. He just hoped he could find them afterward and possibly save their lives

"Why do I always gotta be da one carried around?"

"You're the only one light enough for me to transport."

They looked out over the flat terrain. The dark clouds were so thick; they blotted out any light from the moon or stars.

"I still don't like dis flyin' airmail ta rescue Chopperface and Spots. Dey can drown just fine wit out me."

"We're rescuing the new Maximal too, you know," the maximal commander tried to ignore his burden's constant complaints.

"Hmmm," the giant rat mused. "On da bright side, maybe da new bot will be a babe. Woo hoo, yeah!"

"Shut up Rattrap!"

Cheetor screamed.

The terrified cat-bot bolted away from the oncoming water, his legs pumping at top speed.

Dunerunner and Dinobot stood there in shock, staring after him. Dinobot then turned and blanched, the mech-fluid draining from his features. There was no escape. The floodwater rushed up to greet the frightened Maximals, sweeping them away in an instant, drowning out their fearful cries.

Dunerunner managed one glimpse of Cheetor being swept away, further on, then all was rushing, gritty, frigid water. Dirt and sand were stuffed into her eyes and nose. Water clogged her throat. She kicked her strong legs furiously, a last ditch option supplied by her beast instincts.

The struthie-bot's head broke the surface, sputtering and coughing. It was like ice, the water numbing her limbs as the cold current swirled around her. She was amazed at the swiftness of the currant. Looking to her right, Dunerunner saw Dinobot trying to stay afloat. The undertow was immense, pulling them under from time to time.

I'm going to die! she thought. This is how it's going to end. Matrix help me, what am I going to do?

Dunerunner looked around her. Rocks and cacti zipped by, only shadows in the darkness, the speed frightening. Every beast instinct she had told here to swim to the side, to fight the current, to try to find high ground. That wouldn't help her though. They would exhaust themselves too quickly. She needed to be calm, to find the peace within the chaos. She had to save herself.

And Dinobot.

The undertow tugged at her, the water rushing in her ears. Her concentration lessened. This would never work! Her tail thrashed in frustration. She blinked.

That's it!

"Dinobot!" she cried to her struggling friend. "Use your tail for propulsion! Get up enough speed to maneuver within the currant. Maybe we can find somewhere to land."

The male nodded and thrashed his tail, moving far faster than any creature could normally swim. Prolonged existence encouraged him. He turned to the struthie-bot and gave a half smile.

"You are clever, even in difficult situations," he called. "Impressive," his smile broadened. This one is very good. She doesn't let fear cloud her mind, true warrior attributes. His spark pulsed when he saw her return his smile. For an instant he remembered the dream he'd had not two megacycles ago. He felt that sensation again, that sense of completeness, serenity. Then he sobered. Fool! He thought at himself, Concentrate on the problem at hand! You are not one to gawk at pretty faces! He shook his head. Something about this newcomer, these strange dreams and feelings had come only after her arrival. He would have to think about this.

They swam in silence for some time. It wasn't wearisome; one only had to keep up enough velocity to navigate. And thus they continued, hours passing by, each thinking their own private thoughts, neither realizing their thoughts were about the other.

Suddenly Dunerunner woke from her stupor. Looking around she realized they were no longer in the desert. Instead, they had emerged onto a large flood plain. Trees dotted the landscape, as well as many bushes and shrubs.

Thank the Matrix. We might be able to find some sort of safe haven. I hope Cheetor is okay. I haven't seen any sign of him since he bolted.

Up ahead, the two saurians saw a large grouping of trees, at least six all together. The flood had jammed the crowns of the trees together in a large jumble. It would provide a favorable escape from the rushing torrents they currently navigated.

Dunerunner called to Dinobot and pointed to the potential haven. The soggy raptor nodded and swam towards it, his morale greatly increased.

The first of the trees was half fallen, it's trunk at an almost forty-five degree angle from the rest. This made it ideal for climbing.

"Dinobot," Dunerunner said to her friend, "you go first. You've got the sharp claws. Once you're up you can give me a lift." The raptor-bot nodded.

The bark was slick with moisture, and Dinobot's first attempt at climbing failed, his claws sliding right off. Dunerunner braced her long legs against the submerged bases of two trees and gave her male friend a push. Together they succeeded in getting Dinobot up the trunk.

At least, they would have.

From out of nowhere a large cactus, washed from the desert, slammed into Dunerunner. The spines perforated her exposed underbelly, hot sparks of pain exploded in the struthie's mind. She ignored the pain as she continued to boost Dinobot up the tree. Unfortunately the currant was still very strong, pushing the horrible plant deeper into the bot's organic skin, thrusting spines into her thighs and calves.

Don't let go! Hold on! Can't stop now! Gotta keep my legs braced! Gotta help him!

Dinobot finally got a good hold on a low branch. Twisting his torso around he reached out his free hand for Dunerunner's. She reached, but the change of position caused the malevolent desert plant to flip up and strike the struthiomimus in the face.

To Dinobot's horror she fell from her perch, into the rushing abyss that swallowed her up in an instant. The last thing he saw was her bright sapphire eyes, full of pain, staring at him. He watched, and then screamed.

"By Primus! Noooo!"

Cheetor blinked.

What the slag happened?

The last thing he remembered was a huge wave picking him up, then all was silent and black. He put a paw to his head, feeling a sizable lump next to his ear.

"Ouch! No wonder I've got such a migraine! Dunerunner? Dinobot?" There was no reply. "Perfect! I'm lost, they're gone, everything's wet, and now I gotta get home!"

He looked around. He was in a lush valley, filled with every sort of flower imaginable. Green grass covered every available patch of ground. In the distance the carpeting of grass stopped, and a snow covered mountain began. The effect was breathtaking.

"What Tigatron would give to see this." The cat breathed.

He took off running. The feel of dry ground a welcome sensation to his soggy paws. He let out a whoop of joy, the terror of the flood instantly forgotten. He was having such a wonderful time; he didn't see the humanoid shape swoop down towards him.

"Hey there, kitty-cat!"

Cheetor whirled on the speaker and skidded to a halt. An enormous rat was approaching him. "Hey Ratface. What's the-"

"Where's Dinobot?" Optimus, who had now landed and transformed to beast-mode, cut him off. "And what happened to the protoform?"

"There was a huge flood, Big-bot. It came so fast...I kinda ...well...took off," Cheetor hung his head in shame.

To his surprise, it was Rattrap who got aggravated. "Whadaya mean 'took off'! You just left Chopperface and da new guy to get slagged! I can't believe you!" Rattrap blinked. He was showing concern for Dinobot! Oops! "Da new Maximal coulda got killed 'cause you didn't help 'em!"

"Oh, like you should talk about helping people! You who only worries about your own hide!" the cat-bot shouted, ignoring the spy's slip.

Rattrap's black eyes narrowed. "Why did you leave anyway?"

"The wave was huge! You expect me to just stand there!"

"But you left your comrades behind!" Optimus shouted. Then, seeing Cheetor's head droop in shame, his voice softened. "That must have been some flood to have you so frightened."

"I wasn't afraid!" Cheetor glared defiantly.

"Yeah, sure ya weren't. Ya just ran to get Dinobutt and da new guy an umbrella, right?" the rat-bot's voice dripped sarcasm.

"The new guy is called Dunerunner!" the cat-bot shouted, flinching at the spy's jibe, angry with himself for having abandoned his friends. "She saved me and Dinobot from Megatron!"

"Hmm..." Rattrap mused, dropping his sarcastic aspect. "Is she cute?"

"Shut up, Rattrap!" Optimus and Cheetor chorused.

Dunerunner was gone.

Dinobot stared in shock at the place she went under. She's gone. I've lost her. Why am I standing here? I should be trying to get back to the Axalon. Two sides raged within the ex-Pred. Leave her! She's only going to get you killed! Go after her! She is the only one who understands you! Leave her! Save her! His logic and his conscience continued their battle until he roared in frustration. Then he thought of his dream. Dunerunner's eyes were the same as the dream-eyes he'd seen, eyes that burned into his memory, full of pain and yet, understanding. Save her you fool!

The raptor-bot didn't waste another nanocycle. He plunged into the icy water, ignoring any debris that happened to get in his way. It was incredibly cold, the water sucking any body heat away in an instant. He couldn't keep this up much longer. Almost four megacycles in this had drained him. Where is she? By the Inferno, I've got to find her! Matrix help me!

This was crazy; he should be trying to reach shelter. If not, he would die in this Pit forsaken water. No, he had to find her. He would find her.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of gray and red. He turned. Dunerunner! He paddled over to her limp form, gasping with relief. Clutching her under her arms, Dinobot managed to swim and keep both their heads above water. He thrashed his tail, searching for somewhere to land, somewhere they could rest.

Nothing.

He continued on, fighting exhaustion. The water seemed almost alive, buffeting him this way and that like a living enemy, a force bent on his destruction. What he wouldn't give for land!

There!

To his right was a very small mound of earth, barely large enough for both of them. But with the water slowly receding, it would be safe there, the rushing flood plain becoming only a giant river.

He dragged Dunerunner's limp body out of the freezing water, gasping in his exhaustion, and fell in a heap beside her. He shivered, the cold seemed to have penetrated to his very core. The raptor-bot leaned against his friend for warmth.

And yelped.

She still had a load of cactus spines imbedded in her organic hide. Turning, Dinobot regarded them carefully, touching them with an outstretched claw; Dunerunner groaned at the contact.

He put his head down, ignoring her. He needed rest. He dosed, feeling slowly returning to numbed limbs, managing to disregard his wounded comrade. Dunerunner groaned again, twisting Dinobot's conscience.

"I have to get those out. Dinobot Maximize!" His gears shifted, creaking in protest, transforming the raptor into a fearsome robot. "If I don't, I'll never get any rest. You are lucky I am honorable!"

Using his longer 'bot fingers, he began to, ever so carefully, pull the spines from Dunerunner's body.

"Energy signature detected," Optimus Primal's internal computer droned. "Locking on."

"It's 'bout time. I was beginnin' ta wonder if we'd ever find 'em." Rattrap turned to Cheetor, "No thanks ta you!"

Cheetor just glared at the cynic. He was tired. They were walking along the bank of the flooded river, searching for their lost comrades. It was growing lighter by the cycle, making them painfully aware of how long their friends had been missing.

"Computer, estimated time to requested units," the Maximal commander barked at his wrist.

"Twenty-nine point eight cycles," voiced the expressionless computer. Optimus smiled.

"Hang on guys. We're almost there."

"Yeeeoooooouuuucccchhhh!" Dunerunner screamed. Fully awake from the flash of pain, she bolted upright.

And promptly fell back again.

"Hold still!" Dinobot growled, pulling another long spike out of the struthie's thigh. "I should have left you behind. It was quieter without you!"

Dunerunner sat quiescent. "You saved me?"

Silence.

The struthie-bot put a clawed hand on her friend's shoulder armor. "Dinobot?"

The raptor growled, caught. "My action did not imply affection, female. You saved my life from Tarantulas. Now we are merely...even." Try as he might, Dinobot couldn't keep the corner of his mouth from tugging upward. He fought with it, determined not to smile. Dinobot almost never smiled.

Dunerunner beamed. "Thank yo-OUCH!" Her smile dropped to a grimace. "I hate cacti!"

The raptor-bot gave in to the pending grin, chuckling at the face Dunerunner made.

"So now you, ow, think I'm funny?" Her smile returned.

"Indeed." He continued to pull spines from her leg.

"Why, Ow, you little-OUCH! Are you almost done?"

"Indeed."

"Is that all you can say?"

"Indeed."

Dunerunner growled, punching him lightly in the shoulder, causing Dinobot to start chuckling again.

"Do you always laugh this much?"

Dinobot instantly sobered. "No."

"Oh," the struthie's smile faded. "Than how come you have with me?"

The raptor-bot focused on his hands, avoiding the sapphire orbs that seemed to go on forever. "I never had anything worth laughing at before." He quickly went back to work on the spikes.

"I'm going to take that as, Ow, a compliment, regardless of what you intended."

He nodded, further confusing Dunerunner. He hid his emotions carefully; this time he'd slipped. That won't happen again. He looked onto her large blue eyes. Will it?

Dinobot shook his head, pulling out the last thorn. "There, done."

"That's better. Dunerunner Maximize!" She shifted into her silver and blue robot-mode. "Thanks."

He growled, flexing his clawed fingers. "We need all the fighters we can get. You will be very helpful in our ranks."

"Don't forget our practice battle when we get to the base." She smiled up at his hard features; almost laughing at how he shifted nervously, not used to having a female's eyes upon him. The warrior is fine in battle, but take him anywhere else and he doesn't know what to do.

"You need a CR-chamber," the Velociraptor said slowly, trying to tear his gaze from her sapphire optics. "We should return to base."

"Yeah, but I'm going to stay in 'bot-mode for a while," she smiled, moving slightly closer, seeing Dinobot shiver. "I need to give my Swiss-cheese-for-skin a break."

"Did someone say somthin' 'bout cheese?" To the saurians' surprise, Rattrap, Cheetor, and Optimus were standing not five meters from them, staring at them from the riverbank, all in beast-mode.

Dinobot glared at Rattrap, annoyed at the interruption. "We were discussing how you have cheese inside your central processer, Vermin!"

"Oh yeah? Well cheese in da processer is better than da empty space you got up d'ere, Chopperface!"

"Cheese-eater!"

"Dino-dip!"

"Mouse!"

"Bronto-brain!"

"Rattrap, Dinobot, don't start!" groaned a weary Optimus.

"Are you guys okay?" an ecstatic Cheetor piped in, looking at the two dinosaur-bots with relief. "I was afraid you'd been slagged."

Dunerunner grinned. "Yeah, we're fine. What, you trying to get rid of us or something?" She gave him a little hug. "And how did you survive, Little Bro?"

Cheetor smiled at the nickname. "I'm still here, right?"

Dunerunner grinned and mussed Cheetor's head fur.

"You obviously know Cheetor and Dinobot," Optimus said, reaching out his hand. "I'm Optimus Primal, Maximal commander. This is Rattrap. Welcome to our ranks."

The femme shook his hand, then saluted. "My pleasure. Advanced scout, and tracker, Dunerunner, at your service." The struthie-bot twirled her bow, her slender form shifting easily.

It got Rattrap's attention.

"And who is dis?" the small 'bot eyed Dunerunner. Walking up to her, he took her hand in his own. "Ya know, I'm not gonna be busy when we get back ta base. Would ya wanna get ta know each other a little better?"

The newest member of the Maximals took her hand back and smiled at the flirtatious rat, bringing her face even with his. The small 'bot's eyes seemed to glow brightly, not noticing her grin drop to a frown. "Shut up, Rattrap!"

The sarcastic rat's jaw dropped, while everyone else, even Dinobot, began to laugh. "Dis, is not a good sign."

Later, at the Maximal base, Dunerunner was relating the story to Optimus, Rattrap, and the others. Introductions had been made, and she had had a tour of the base. The Maximals, excluding Tigatron, were now sitting around the table in the bridge. Tigatron was out on his permanent patrol.

"And then you guys showed up," the struthie-bot finished.

"What happened to Megatron and the other Preds?" asked a curious Rhinox.

Dunerunner shrugged. "I don't know. They must have been caught in the flood too."

"Maybe he's dead." Airazor chimed in.

"Not likely," Dinobot growled. "Megatron would not be terminated that easily."

"Well anyway, welcome to the Maximals, Dunerunner," the commander grinned. He was impressed with this tall new recruit; she stood a little taller than himself, only dwarfed by Rhinox and Dinobot. Oh well, she was a capable fighter, which is all that mattered. "Dinobot, will you show her to her quarters?"

The warrior nodded and gestured to Dunerunner. She smiled and followed him out of the bridge, happy to be with someone familiar. Everything was happening so fast; she felt lost. But she was sure things would seem normal after a while. The Maximals here were very kind, treating her as an equal from the start.

Dinobot walked a ways down the hallway, then stopped at a door. "Here are your quarters," he turned, looking at the struthie. "Mine are right across the hall."

"Thanks for saving my tail back there," Dunerunner said, her voice almost a whisper. "I guess we're even now."

Dinobot shifted uncomfortably. "Well..." he paused, snarling. "I expect to see you first thing tomorrow morning."

"Huh?"

"We had an...appointment in the practice room," he gazed down the hall towards the indicated chamber. "And be prepared to face defeat"

Dunerunner bristled. "I don't think so! You're going to be the one to have your sword handed right back to you," She took up a battle stance, but then, seeing Dinobot twitch, she paused. The struthie-bot blinked, realizing what had happened. He had been joking.

Dunerunner giggled at her mistake. The giggles gave way to full laughter. She laughed a sweet, musical sound that brought chuckles bubbling up from the raptor-bot standing across from her. They laughed for several cycles, not wanting to disrupt their moment of joy. Had either of them been in beast-mode, there would have been tears running down their faces. Dunerunner was holding her sides, almost falling over. Dinobot's whole body was shaking as the large 'bot tried to stay under control.

Finally Dunerunner got a hold of herself. "Well, regardless of tomorrow's outcome, I would be honored to call you friend."

"The honor is mine..." Dinobot paused again. "my friend."

Dunerunner turned and disappeared into her new quarters, leaving Dinobot to wonder exactly what kind of spell the newest Maximal was casting on him. He was not one to laugh and joke. And yet, he had had more fun in Dunerunner's company than in his entire life combined. He would have to give this some thought. He was beginning to wonder if he was going crazy, or something worse.

He retired to his own quarters, collapsing on his recharge-bed. Looking up at the ceiling, he wondered how much this new female warrior would change his life with the Maximals. He thought of all that had happened in the past two solar-cycles, the flood, the Pred attack, Dunerunner.

Dunerunner. Such an extraordinary creature. Dinobot stopped in mid thought. Will I ever get her out of my mind? Do I want her out of mind? His mind swirled about him, images and memories whirling in his head. By the Inferno, what am I going to do? A warrior with an involuntary obsession with someone? It is unheard of!

He soon worried himself to sleep, his anxiety forgotten for the night. Then the dreams came; bringing their feeling of acceptance, serenity, and oneness, feelings so near he could almost experience them, but still too far for him to truly grasp. He saw the eyes, their sapphire depths inviting and warm. They seemed to draw him in, holding him in a soft embrace.

~Dinobot?~

What the slag? He thought. Am I dreaming, or is this real?

All around him was smoky gray mist, with no apparent floor or ceiling. He appeared to be simply hovering in space. The eyes floated not too far from him. They grew, until they seemed to be as large as him. The blue eyes changed, shifting into a humanoid form, surrounded in shadows. Only its azure eyes could be seen from its shadowy position. He got the distinct impression that it was female, but he wasn't sure why.

Who's there?

~Dinobot?~ The figure asked. It seemed to project its question right into his mind. It's voice was quiet and soothing.

Yes I am Dinobot. Who are you? He was fighting panic. What do you do when confronted with a dream-creature that you don't really think is a dream? Especially one that seems to know you when you don't know it!

~I am your comrade. Your friend. Your other half.~

How can I have an 'other half' when I am still in one piece?! He was getting annoyed with this thing!

~Dinobot, you are not whole.~ came the shadow femme's reply. ~You do not understand what it is to be complete. You have never known true friendship, to be part of something you will always hold dear. I can show them all to you. But only if you let me.~ Without warning the shadow-creature moved, leaping forward to grasp Dinobot about the waist. Still composed of shadows, she pressed her dark body against him, her sapphire eyes drawing him in. She touched his forehead gently.

Dinobot gasped. At her touch his mind swirled again, but this time it was not unpleasant. In fact it was wonderful! He felt the same sensations from the first dream, but far stronger. He had never felt so accepted. Warmth flowed around him, stroking him with its gentle caress, all the while he stared into those beautiful azure eyes.

Without warning, the femme took her hand away and faded into oblivion, her mind-voice echoing in the silence.

~That was just a glimpse, Dinobot. I can show you more, but only if you wish it.~

No! Wait! Who are you? Please! You must tell me! He cried out to the femme. Wait!

~I am not real here, Dinobot.~ Came the echoing reply. ~This is, as you said, only a dream. If you can find my equivalent in the real world, then and only then, will you feel the true contentment of the dream. You have a power, Dinobot. There is another with that power. Find that one, and you will realize the dreams have become real. That is all I can tell you.~

Dinobot just stared into the mist, feeling sadness envelop him. He would never find that shadow creature in the real world. It showed him a whole new side. She had opened the door for an instant, then slammed it shut, taking the key and throwing it into a labyrinth. He wasn't sure he would ever find the Other she mentioned.

What am I to do now? He thought to no one in particular.

~You will find me. I will be in the concealed place in your heart. Seek, and you will find.~

The gray mist began to swirl.

Dunerunner was not having the most peaceful of nights either.

She dreamed of a strange misty place, gray fog surrounded her, no ground apparent. In front of her was a pair of immense red eyes. They changed, twisting to form a shadowy creature with the same crimson eyes, glowing in the dimly lit mist. It was large, the torso very broad. Dunerunner got a definite feeling that this mysterious creature was male.

*Dunerunner?*

Dinobot sat bolt upright in his recharge bed. Looking out the small window in his room, he saw it was already day. The whole night had gone by! He stood up, feeling more drained then rested. The raptor-bot walked over to his only piece of furniture, a simple table. He looked at his reflection in the metallic surface. What was wrong with him? These dreams were haunting him, so real, yet impossible.

Someone pushed the buzzer for his door, a request to come in.

"Enter," he uttered, hoping it wasn't Rattrap. He didn't want to deal with the Vermin now.

"Hello, Dinobot!"

The raptor-bot whirled on the speaker. "Dunerunner? What are you doing here?"

"We had a practice battle, remember?" she fiddled with her retracted cyber-bow, anticipating the fight.

"Of course. But, do you have a sword? It would make the battle more...interesting." He turned, looking for his weapon.

Dunerunner drew a long katana blade, it's metal surface glinting in the morning light. "Will this do?"

Dinobot looked at the sword, impressed. "Indeed."

"Shall we go?"

Dinobot raised his head from the katana to answer, but he could only gasp. Dunerunner did the same. Crimson optics met sapphire. They both stared, hardly able to breathe. Dunerunner wanted to cry out, wanting to express relief at finding her 'other half'. Dinobot felt a wild urge to whirl Dunerunner around in joy. The femme must have felt it too, for she gave him a big hug, pulling herself close to the raptor-bot, staying there for several cycles.

Finally, Dunerunner pulled away, smiling up at Dinobot's hard features. "Well, ready to go?"

"Indeed, Dunerunner," Dinobot grinned. "Indeed."

They walked down the hall, talking of battle and honor, acting like old friends. Neither felt quite so isolated in that frightening war. But now, they were not alone.

Nor would they ever be so again.