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When All Are One
by Sabrina “Steele” Ditto (XSteeleFoxX@aol.com)

Chapter 1 Silence. The eerie multitude of nothingness...Of blackness. Like a plague, the world was dark, the moon was hidden...Nary a light penetrated the red clouds hanging in the sky. Steele sat alone on a small hill, her gaze cast into the onyx cover. It seemed as though the world was dead; it's life past, in the silence of the night.

But, of course, it wasn't...

Armageddon was only a thing of imagination, right? She tilted her head downward, allowing a single drop of moisture to slide down her nose and fall to the soft Akasha soil.

When she regained her strait stance, a slight luminescence could be seen in the distance. Two small eclipses, red in color. Bright crimson, seeming almost blood spots against a montage of ebony.

What could create such brilliant highlights?, Steele wondered. After standing up, she began to walk towards the light...

Feeling no fear, secure in her abilities to out-fox whatever came her way...

But what was that?

The eyes of flame faded into blackness as an even darker figure stepped towards her. It was no more than a shadow, a darker piece in the puzzle of ebony that surrounded them. Yet the eyes remained the same shining red...

It was as if the times pan in which they dissipated, was only a blink in the continuous travel of time.

As if by magic, fate or curse, the skies parted, letting a lone sliver of moonlight trickle from the heavens. It's silver ray engulfed the figure, shedding a light on it's presence..Yet it's glow was an eerie one.

The figure was as black as the sky...

The soft light cast by the moon only made for more pondering on Steele's part. He was large; almost twice her foxen size.

Yet he seemed to retain that canine look...

Not a fox, no; nor a hound, or a coyote.

He was a wolf, and a fine one at that! But what was he doing eyeing her like that? With a smirk planted upon her crimson-hued muzzle, she stepped closer to him, her tail lashing behind her. If he was a spy, or a reporter, she would most definitely make him pay...

Was her existence a thing to be studied?

Was she to be forced into the limelight at every waking moment? It had gone too far: they had invaded her special place!

Her last refuge from publicity...

"Who are you, and what the hell are you doing here!?", she snarled at the figure.

He looked down upon her, a brow quirked and a slight grin pulling at the corners of his further taut mouth. His eyes were cold...

yet they sparkled slightly, as if they held secrets...

Secrets that Steele was sure she'd never know.

He brought his right hand to his chin, tapping it slightly, in a perhaps feigned state of deep thought. He shifted the weight of his muscular body back on one leg, the other heel out in front of him in a gesture the fox understood not.

He brought his gaze to parallel to her own, the slight smirk still upon his lips.

"What's in a name? A rose by any other would still be crushed..."

His voice was a smooth baritone, with tenor stressing upon some syllables. It was quite mocking in it's tone...

Which did nothing to tame the spicy fox's attitude.

She rolled her teal eyes back into her head in a gesture of sarcasm...

Who did he think he was? She clenched her hands into two tight trembling fists, and gave him a menacing look.

"Answer me or pay the price, pup!"

Then he went and really made her mad.

He laughed.

The irritating sound took her off guard for a moment, but that was a state soon fleeting. After drawing her right fist back somewhat, she drove it straight into his gut. After he had he doubled forward, she brought both hands clenched down on the back of his head, throwing him to the ground.

But the wolf was no dummy. Swift as a lightning strike, he reached a clawed hand to her leg, pulling her to the ground a few feet away.

Steele countered with a swift kick to the jaw with her other leg, forcing the wolf to release his grip on her. She pulled her leg away quickly, twisting her body before flipping to her feet. Her swift manoeuvre bought her mere milliseconds, before the wolf had regained his stance in much the same way, and barreled at her.

She dove to the left, smoothly transgressing into a roll, leaving the wolf to passing through not but thin air.

Spinning on one foot, the wolf gave her no time to react, diving at her yet again. His body landed on hers with a thump.

"Looks like your little game is up..."

"Not by a long shot," she muttered in , through clenched teeth.

Focusing her strength in her hind legs, she mightily kicked upwards, thrusting the larger one into the air and over her head, seemingly giving her the upper hand once more. As he flew through the air, however, he managed to lock his hands on her shoulders.

What a peculiar move!Steele thought to herself.Very peculiar indeed!

After she had landed on him, she was greeted by his smirk once more. He reeled to the right, pushing her off; and held her planted against the soil with potent hands.

The wolf had out-foxed the fox.

Steele put up a struggle, but quickly realized how truly futile it had been to fight in the first place. Speed and agility were nothing against his wit and brute strength, and so she was caught, plain and simple.

He bared his fangs in an awkward smile down at her, those crimson eyes alight with self-centered mock.

"Damn you!" Steele screeched up in his face.

"You do not seem to be in a position to say that, young lady," He growled at her. "Now that you are...unable... to attempt /another/ attack, may I ask why you did so in the first place?"

"Stupid wolf! I asked what you were doing here! You...You tabloid scum! This is /my/ place! The only area I can have any peace! How dare you invade it!"

"Quite simple...I walked."

His charm was, to her, unnoticeable now, for the fox was blind with fury.

"Why I ought a...You'll pay for this!"

"Perhaps," He retorted, pulling her head closer to, his before hissing: "Or perhaps not..."

Steele gulped...So he was going to kill her...

That must've been his plan all along. Her anxiety grew, yet her gaze was hard as stone when she looked up at her as assassin

"I refuse to beg for my life to you...You know as well as I do that /my/ death will in turn bring your own."

"You have no need to plead for mercy, child; I will not harm you; I only trespassed, on a mere whim. I know not who you are."

He rose, and held a hand out to Steele, in an offer to help her to her feet.

Steele blinked at the hand offered, then turned her gaze back to his face. The smirk was gone now, allowing her to fully examine his features.

His muzzle was long and slim, with a large black nose gracing it's tip. His eyes were not so cold as she first assumed, yet still retained the annoying hint of omniscience. His jaw sloped downward delicately, and his chin was rather pointy. The picture of perfection.

"You...don't know who I am?"

He gave her a slight grin, and kneeled down beside her.

"Nope, new in town... Well, new to the planet, more like..."

"So you're an alien?"

"One could say that...but I prefer being called Megatron...Megs for short."

Steele pulled her back from the ground, gathering her legs beneath her, in an 'indian-style' sitting position.

"Steele...I'm Steele."

"It's nice to meet you, Steele. Yeess. Perhaps you can show me around this place? I feel so awkward."

"Let me get this straight: you try to kill me, and /then/ you want me to introduce you to everyone?"

"You seem to have forgotten rather quickly whom attacked whom," he reminded her. As much as Steele hated to admit it: he had a damn good point.

"Well I..er..I suppose I could. But my family is asleep now, and will not wake until dawn's break. I'm the black sheep, I guess one could say. I sleep during the day, and awake at night."

"Ah, yes, the typical, nocturnal, vulpine sleeping pattern. I am much the same way. Perhaps we can provide some mutual company to each other until then?"

"Uhm...sure; There's nothing wrong with that."

"Very well," he said, standing.

He held out the large hand once more, beckoning her to grasp it, providing aid to stand. "Would it be possible for you to show me around the forest here?; I will need to find a 'home'..."

This time, Steele took his hand, raising herself onto her feet.

"I'd enjoy that."

Her words shocked her, for Steele was always one showing serious 'loner' tendencies. She didn't take well to others, especially those who she had just met... But this wolf, this Megatron; he seemed...different...somehow, and she surprisingly felt as though she could /trust/ him. It was like she had known him for her entire life. Little did she know, when she began her decent into the woods, that the night would change the direction of her life, of her dreams and goals... That soon, Steele would be gone...

"Where are we?" Megatron asked with his soothing voice. A slight shiver fluttered down Steele's spine as he spoke, getting an odd glimpse of premonition

"We're in the woods," She said flatly, jumping onto a boulder. Her agile feet landed softly, and she sat to rest. Her feet dangled over the side of the large rock, her hands laid behind for support.

"Really now..." Megatron said with a slight chuckle. The sound was eerie against the silence surrounding. Steele looked at him again, her eyes full of awe...Someone twice her size, who could easily kidnap her, and hold her for ransom...Though her mother most definitely would not pay. Yet, he was being nice...No farther mention of her little squabble, not any questions of her life...It was a odd sense.

She pulled the corners of her mouth up into a slight smile, her eyes wary yet comfortable at his presence

"Where'd you learn to fight like that? You nearly had me."

"Nearly?!" Steele said with a laugh. "Had you not flipped me sideways, I would have had you!"

"Nonono...You were much too cocky. Never underestimate your opponent. That was where you messed up. You were too busy pondering what I was doing to react sportingly"

"But the move was so unusual...I just didn't expec-"

"Exactly. And that's why I was able to conquer this round."

"You say that like there will be more..."

"Yeess. Yes indeed, there will be, Steele. After all, you are so kind as to show me around, why shouldn't I repay the favor?"

"By kicking my ass?"

"Noo...By teaching you my moves...By training you into a fighter. 'Twould be a fun project, don't you say? You have great potential, m'lady."

The words rolled around in her brain...Steele? Potential? Besides to be a model for society and everything everyone 'should' be? Perhaps that would draw attention away from her rich family! She hopes so...Fame would be much better earned, and not given out in mass quantity.

Though most would tremble in the wake of such fortune, Steele would much rather keep her profile low...It was something she inherited from her father.

Steele's father was kind, gentle and ever loving...He raised Steele better than anyone else could, and most everyone agreed.

Most.

For Steele's mother and sister hated the life they led, would rather have glamour and fame over the basic simplicity that drove Steele and her father each day. The three room bungalow in the woods was replaced with a mansion of luxury when her father passed away. It seemed as if her entire world was ripped from under her at that time...

But did she have time to mourn? Nay...For the newsies were down her throat the moment her identity was released.

She simply despised the fact her face was plastered in magazines, sometimes with her sibling and mother, sometimes a sneaked portrait. Steele was royalty on Akasha...Royalty born to a throne they didn't want and could not escape.

As if snapped out of her trance like a smack to the face, she smiled warmly at him.

"That would be great. I need to strengthen my muscles anyway."

"You seem strong enough to me. After all, look how close you came! You almost had me."

"Megs...Almost doesn't count."

"But it does...You see, in this game of life, nothing is set in stone...Almosts can lead to future victories...I'm sure you'll beat me one day."

"It's not in the near future..."

"Not with that attitude..."

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Only that if you belive you can't...Then you will wallow in guilt and self-pity so much that you fool yourself into not even trying. The key to success lies only in your hands...Learn it, use it well."

"You talk in circles..."

"Better than squares."

"You're confusing me."

"Don't I always?

"You were a stranger until tonight!"

"A stranger is merely a friend one hasn't met."

"Okay, now you're just pissing me off.."

"Better off than on."

"Stop it!"

"Give me a legitimate reason why?"

"Because if you don't I'm gonna jump down and kick your black ass!"

"Point proved."

"What are you saying now?!"

"That you can kick my ass if you say you will."

"Damn spiffy!"

"Then why'd you say you couldn't?"

"It was a figure of speech!"

"Very well," Megatron ended. A slight grin was on his lips as he turned back to Steele, the crimson pools showing no emotion. "It was never my intention to get you riled up. I've already came close to a slag once tonight, I don't think I can handle another."

"Slag?" Steele asked. What was that? A word foreign to her ears, it was strange to hear and even stranger to say.

"Yes, Slag. It is another term for getting beaten in a fight. It's only native to my planet and specie, I belive..."

"Strange...Where did you come from?" Steele hated to pry, but her curiosity was much like that of a feline. Things she had to know she would ask about. Things she didn't have to know she asked about. Anything that interested her in the least was asked about. And so she ventured deeper into the wolf's psyche, in search of answers that may intrigue her.

Megatron searched his mind for the right wording. Should he tell the truth? Did he ever? Why would he even think to speak of his past to an insolent little fox...Especially one who...Interested him so.

"I come from a planet far away. A place called...Cybertron. I doubt that you have heard of it, though, for it is small and sparsely inhabited."

In all actuality, Steele didn't know of the place he spoke. She was more interested in how he arrived than where he departed.

Though marred with humble beginnings, she had always held a fascination with electronics. It seemed that she could take a piece of metal and a lone wire and create a magnificent toy, one that talked, one that walked, one that did dishes...She could do practically anything with the right material.

"And?" She urged, waiting for the right moment to pop the questions of his 'ship'.

"And look. The sun is rising."

True, it was...And Steele's eyelids were drooping much like the moon going down on the other side of the world.

Could she possibly venture out in the slumbered state? To go on a wild goose-chase for a pod she didn't even know existed? The wolf answered her thoughts by holding a hand out to her.

"Let's crash in that cave for the day," he said, pointing to an opening in the rocks. The jagged stalagmite's hung from the ceiling, and the dampness in the air drew her away from the burning ball now rising overhead

"Sure," she muttered. Reaching her own hand out to meet his, she slid off of her perch, stepping in the direction of the cave.

Once entered, she found a nice, cozy spot in the corner, laying down upon the mossy stone. Her eyes finally closed, the picture of the wolf the last thing her mind saw before drifting into a deep sleep...But was that a touch of metal beneath his eye?

No...Nonsense...

Silence.

CHAPTER TWO

The fire was bright. It burnt her eyes. Smoke singed her lungs. Her throat was ablaze as the world bunt down.

Yet she kept running.

Faster and faster, her heart beat like the pounding of a drum...A drum whose head would burst from the quick strike of the stick, beating at it relentlessly.

Throbbing. No matter how hard it pained...She had to keep running...

Keep going...

The flames! They were gaining on her!

A limb on the ground, invisible to her watering eyes.

Her feet made impact, then her body lie helpless on the ground.

She screams, the fires licking at her fur, singeing her skin to the third degree.

Through the bright red and orange...A face?

Familiar...Yet so much different...Eyes burning like red coals...A toothy grin tearing at the sides of his lips...

Why didn't he burn! He was standing in the fire!

She choked...Cough...Hack...

Air...Air was a precious commodity to her now...

The pain of flesh hardly equaled that of her lungs, getting scoured inside out as if by acid.

A laugh. One so hideous and foreboding...An evil sound, sinking into her ears...

Darkness.

The world turned black.

Silence.

Not a word...

No breathing...

Peace...

"AHHHH!" Steele woke with a start. Sweat was pouring from her body, her hands wrapped around her throat decreasing the oxygen flow.

"A dream..."She muttered. "It was a damn dream..."

She sat from her position, leaning against the cold stone walls. Her body racked with each breath entering her lungs. A dream that had so much impact...It was...

Horrifying. Especially to a seer.

What had sparred the nightmare? Her dreams were usually pleasant ones...Why, she hadn't had a nightmare since...

Since her father's death.

The thought made her shudder, and she turned her head as if to escape it.

Two crimson balls stare at her, almost mockingly.

"What the hell re you looking at?!"

"I was merely wandering what caused that sudden outburst..."

"Outburst? Wolf, you are crazy. I just woke up."

"Yeess, but you were talking in your sleep"

"And you didn't wake me because?"

"Because it was...Interesting...Yeess. I've been wandering what had been traveling in that mind of yours."

"Since when has it been your business?" Steele snapped...She never was a morning person...And the nightmare just increased her bitchy attitude.

"Temper temper," Megatron said with his cold voice. A voice like ice. Ice that could withstand the flames...

No! Ridiculous thoughts of a deranged fox! That nightmare had really effected the crimson beast...You could see it in her eyes...You could smell the fear circulating in the atmosphere...

And it was fear that Megatron fed most off.

He twitches slightly, the fur covering his body making him itch...

The metal had loosened from his face during their fight, but he replaced it while Steele was asleep...

Such a foolish girl, he thought to himself...Quite foolish indeed...But that is all the better for my plan...She has proven that the skills of the warriors here hold quite some profits...If only one knows how to use them.

His agenda...A thing of true confusion, left in a world of chaos and erraticy. No one but he himself held the key.

As long as Steele did not betray him...As long as she went along...

The sky was his limit...

"What did you just say?" bellowed Steele.

"Huh?!"

"You said my name, and I wanna know why!"

"I said nothing!"

"You accuse me of being deaf or dumb?"

"I..Well I was merely...Speaking a name of beauty, yeess..."

"Flattery doesn't work with me...I have no use for it."

"Nor I, what I spoke was from my heart."

"My tail fur."

"Well, it is quite nice too..."

As much as she wanted to throw something in his face...Not a word entered her mind. She, in fact, enjoyed his words. From one so handsome...

Ugh! The thoughts must leave her head! Never would it be accepted...

And yet...He was so...

"Now, maybe you can take me to meet the townspeople. It's grown quite dark, yet not enough to hinder our path..."

True...And she had just missed her chance at discovering his pod. But perhaps they could discuss it on the way? The walk was long but inevitable, so she gained her feet in the small cave.

"Sure...Only a few miles away..."

"Would you like a ride?" Megatron asked with much sincerity.

Steele quirked a brow at his comment, wandering how he could...

"No thank you...I know these grounds better than you, my luck you'd trip and land on me..."

"Fine," he said haughtily, stepping out into the decaying light. "We shall be off now, then."

The town where Steele resided was rather small...But the house was the envy of all.

Long violet laced curtains hung low, brushing the mauve carpet with each delicate breeze through the sitting room window.

The high domed ceiling was of pure ivory, much like a newborn's skin...It was as if you could reach out and stroke the velvety substance, though it was far overhead.

Steele and her new 'friend' entered into this room from the outside world, and Megatron's mouth gaped in wonderment...

The place was huge! Though his initial thought overwhelmed him, his fleeting attitude caused him to stiffen quickly. Yet not so fast that cool azure orbs did not detect.

"Amazing, huh?" Steele said, somewhat sarcastically.

The nonchalantness reentered Megatron's voice, and he shrugged. "I've seen better."

"Why do I doubt that?"

Before the large wolf could develop a snappy answer, a medium sized cat waled in.

Eyes of midnight blue sparkled as she neared the two, her long ebony sequined gown sliding along behind her Her face held a look of dignity and refinement, and in her hand she held a martini, a small olive floating inside.

"My daughter! Oh, I'm so proud of you! You have finally realized the importance of publicity!".

"She examined the wolf with interest, poking around him like a nosey child in a toy store.

"Where's his camera?"

Steele rolled her eyes, a slight smirk returning to her features.

"In hell...Why don't you visit?"

The cat jerked strait, turning drunkenly to the fox.

"Now listen...daughter...I will have none of that foul language in this house..."

"Oh yay, she used a word larger than her IQ..."

The remark was reprimanded with a smack on the face, sending the martini into Steele's eyes.

Megatron sat back amusedly as the fox and cat both screamed in unison, one from pain, the other from a liquor headache.

"You imbosilic moron! Get out of this house!"

"Go to hell...mother..."

With a swift spin, the cat lunged at her daughter, only for the even faster fox to whirl away, letting her hit the wall.

"Ungreatful-"

SMACK! The glass fell upon her mother's head, and she slunk to the floor, unconscious.

"That ought a hold her for awhile," said the confident Steele, the one whom held the broken shards of glass in one hand.

"You are really something..." Megatron said quietly, turning back to the door. "I belive it best to depart from here...It seems there is too much troub-"

"OOOoohh Steeeeeeeeeeeeeleeeeeeeee!"

A voice high of pitch echoed through the house, and from behind a curtain emerged a fox who's beauty could equal that of Steele's.

"Now who's this big, handsome hunk of canine flesh you've brought me, hmmm?"

Megatron stares bluntly.

"You know her?" He said to Steele, a look of paranoia creasing his features.

"Unfortunately..." The red fox mumbled, trying to usher Megatron to the door. "Let's get outta here before she comes any closer.."

"Nonsense!" The grey beauty said, slinking seductively towards the ebony wolf.

"Uh...Um..Steele, I think it...Is..Uh...best...to..."

"Why, a little shy one, aren't we? I'm..Silver..But you can call me Silvy..." The silver fox replied, wrapping her tail gently around Megatron's right leg.

"Stop it!" Snarled an enraged Steele...This was /not/ the impression she wanted her family to show! Couldn't they be civilized for one day in their lives?!

Unlikely.

Silver chuckles dryly, giving the other crimson eyed east a wink before slinking back into her room, leaving him a clear view of her 'AcSSeries'. "Jealousy...Steele, you'll never learn..." She spoke, as the curtains closed behind and her form disappeared.

"That was...Odd..." Megatron said disgustedly, turning his face back to Steele.

"Wait till you meet the rest of the town..."

CHAPTER THREE

Dark aggression.

For one of such acute handsomeness, his optics would in time reveal all to the world...

He had heard of this place, of this Akasha as Steele had called it.

Primitive. On Cybertron, there were much more...Advanced...Operations.

Peace? Was that even a word? On this planet, it seemed all was a tranquil montage. No harsh words...No fist-fights...

Yet, when one looks beneath the surface, trouble is always brewing.

The cool nature of this species kept them at bay, pondering their suspicions to themselves...

Much to the delight of the dark wolf.

He had came for one reason and one reason only, and that was to gain the fighting skills acquired by this race.

So far, so good.

Yet, something nagged at his mind, ate at it like an ant on a lollipop.

The fox Steele...She was so...

Intriguing.

Could it be he had finally found one to accept him? Could she be the one to stand by his side as he went on a glorious rampage to defeat the maximals?

By the Matrix, get these thoughts out of your head!

She was nothing but a...A pawn in the much larger game of chess.

An important one, no doubt, but a stool pigeon still.

He chuckled at his thoughts.

Still. Steele. So much alike...

His fingers traced over the cave walls, his robotic form shining in the dim moonlight.

Oh, how good it felt to be free of the fur!

But it would be fleeting, he knew...For the energon levels here were incredibly high.

It hurt...Bad...Though he would never admit so. Not even to the fox who peaked his interest so..

. NO! There he goes again!

Must...Vanquish...The thoughts...

A slight chirp emmited from his chest.

"Computer failure in 8.3 cycles.*

As much as he hated it, he changed back into the wolf form...After all, he did not want to lose the battle before it even begins...

Night. The time of monsters, of goblins and such...Though these creatures surfaced only in an imaginartory world, Steele's head was filled with thoughts of that sort.

Though the demons she felt were of her own.

The grassy field in which she sat concealed her being, hiding her from the light the moon cast. Yet two teal pools gazed into the bright silver ball, the turmoil of her thoughts colliding into an object much bigger...

It had not been long...A few days? A week? A month? Since Megatron came into her life...And in that short period, her existence was turned upside down.

Love.

A word so foreign to her ears, yet seeming so close to her heart now...Ever since he came to this dimension. Could it be the mountain was falling? The snow covered caps that marked her separation form society melting with the fiery red of his eyes?

With a sigh, she accepted this...Though it would be hell to tell him, it seemed he was the only one she could trust...

"When all are one," She said softly, reaching into her shirt to pull forth a block of amethyst surrounded by a chain and golden prongs. A slight mist entered her eyes as she read the enscryption, one that her father himself had carved deep into it's surface. "When all are one..."

With a sigh, she lay back against the cool grass, burying her head deep within it's tender tendrils.

It was almost as soon as her eyes shut that her mind drifted off into a dream...

The fire was bright. It burnt her eyes. Smoke singed her lungs. Her throat was ablaze as the world bunt down.

Yet she kept running.

Faster and faster, her heart beat like the pounding of a drum...A drum whose head would burst from the quick strike of the stick, beating at it relentlessly.

Throbbing. No matter how hard it pained...She had to keep running...

Keep going...

The flames! They were gaining on her!

A limb on the ground, invisible to her watering eyes.

Her feet made impact, then her body lie helpless on the ground.

She screams, the fires licking at her fur, singeing her skin to the third degree.

Through the bright red and orange...A face?

Familiar...Yet so much different...Eyes burning like red coals...A toothy grin tearing at the sides of his lips...

Why didn't he burn! He was standing in the fire!

She choked...Cough...Hack...

Air...Air was a precious commodity to her now...

The pain of flesh hardly equaled that of her lungs, getting scoured inside out as if by acid.

A laugh. One so hideous and foreboding...An evil sound, sinking into her ears...

Darkness.

The world turned black.

Silence.

Not a word...

No breathing...

Peace...

Her gasp could be heard for miles as her lungs opened to their full capacity, sucking in the cool night air. It was late, the moon told her. Two, possibly half a round after.

She shivered in the chill, wrapping her knees under her chin, her slender face placed upon the caps. What was going on? Something dreaded must have caused the dreams...But what? Her pondering was transfixed upon this subject as she rolled to her right side, knees still tucked firmly under her chin.

Perhaps he would not feel the same way...He might have no thoughts of her churning inside his head as she did of him.

Yet, it wasn't impossible that he held an affection of some sort towards her, was it? Or was it to be he did, but never felt the urge to speak with her?

What if she revealed her secret to him, and he rejected her?

Rejection.

It was a horrible feeling, one that terrified Steele...She could not bear the thought of losing one so intriguing, even if he was just a friend.

But the unanswered question still remained heavy upon her soft beige chest.

Would the feeling be mutual? Or will the moment fade like a candle's flame in the breeze?

CHAPTER FOUR

Don't lose your way

With each passing day

You've come so far

Don't throw it away

Live believing

Dreams are for weaving

One days are waiting to start

Live your story

They call that glory

Hold to the truth in your heart

If we hold on together

I know our dreams will never die

Dreams see us through to forever

Where clouds roll by

For you and I Souls in the wind

Must learn how to bend

Seek out a star

Hold on till the end

Valley mountain

There is a fountain

Washes our tears all away

Words are saying Somebody's praying

Please let us come home to stay

If we hold on together

I know our dreams will never die

Dreams see us through to forever

Where clouds roll by

For you and I

And we are out there

In the dark

We'll dream about the sun

If the dark can Feel the light

Warm our hearts

Everyone

If we hold on together

I know our dreams will never die

Dreams see us through to forever

As high as souls can fly

The clouds roll by

For you and I

The low droning sound echoed out across the land, the small box in Megatron's chest playing the soft chords. The disk from which it cam would have amazed Steele had she been in sight, but she had remained in the field overnight...And, for some odd reason, Megatron seemed to...Miss her.

Sure, she was one of the most annoying creatures he'd ever met...But she did not fear him; resent his presence

He could not help but wonder what she would think if his secrets were revealed..

Would she run away in fear? Bow to his merciless command?

He doubted that very much. It seemed as if she would give her life before bending, before saying that she was beaten.

And in truth, that was a good thing. Wasn't that what he needed? Someone to fight the maximals by his side against the relentless attacks?

Ah, but Steele had something the other bots knew not of...She had a heart; a soul...

She could be broken like a stray twig under a large foot.

And perhaps that would work to his advantage....

If only she would take his hand...

But could she...Love one of metal? He was not of flesh and mech like she, which might alter any chances of the glorious joining he dreamed.

But he felt an...A attachment to the fiery being of crimson, as if he belonged by her side in some form...

Nonsense in a world of futilities.

It seemed to him as though all would eventually be lost. Lost into that void in the sky, into the onyx cover surrounding.

He would have to act fast in order to gain what he needed without becoming emotionally involved.

One would think that one of such high rank, of such immortalized military facture would be immune to the pleasures and desires that hounded the mortal beings...

He had thought that as well...Until the one known as Steele showed up.

I wanna belive in everything that you say

'Cuz it sounds so good

But if you really want me

Move slow

There's things about me you just gotta know Sometimes I run

Sometimes I hide

Sometimes I'm scared of you

But all I really want is to hold you tight

Treat you right

Be with you day and night

Baby all I need is time.

Today would be the day when his plan is set in action.

The only way he knew how to do so.

He would set the world ablaze leaving only himself and Steele alive. He would travel to hell and back for the fox that so caught his interest, and so would protect her from the flames that wipe her race.

Though the thought was of questionable nature, he knew the answer well. Yes, it would be worth the cost for the final gain.

Not only the strength to win against the maximals back on Cybertron, but also to be revered as the god who saved Steele from this horrid existence that held her. It was obvious that her family despised her, and more so that she despised the rest of Akasha. He would be a savior to her.

He was certain his plan would work, for after the weeks of tedious planning and suffrage at it's design it would be almost impossible to fail.

But, he reminded himself as he began a quick pace from his cave, almost doesn't count.

Steele's lids flutter open and she is greeted by a bright orange ball hanging overhead. Not a cloud marred the bright red sky, allowing a view for miles on end. The light green grass covered the soil like a blanket, a slight ripple with an oncoming breeze creating a domonica sea

. In her hand, she realized, the bright amethyst crystal was still clutched tightly. A sign, perhaps? A token sent from the heavens above, or possibly, from her father?

Her orange finger tips traced over the engraved words, and she stared ahead like a blind man reading brail.

Was she so different from a blind man? For though her eyes could see what was bestowed that they should, she at times couldn't see the forest for the trees. She knew the words etched on stone by heart, yet never understood their meaning.

When all are one.

What exactly did it mean? Did it mean that when she gained trust in society, that when she was accepted as the mediocre being she was all would be well? Or did it mean when she studied the sky and sea, and became them, blended perfectly with the long grass, was one with the forces of nature...Would she then be one with herself?

It was a question without a clear answer. But then again, nothing is truly clear, for what seems crystalline on the surface is oft tainted beneath.

That saying suited the crimson bodied fox like a swimsuit. It was true in so many forms, it was hard to distinguish which would fit her best.

Her porceline existence...Her revere among the others of the planet...They didn't know her; not the real Steele. They knew the painted picture of perfection, the stained glass hiding the demons below. It was a known fact that everyone had skeletons in the closet, but hers were under such heavy lock and key it would be impossible to discover them, must less live to tell the tale.

But alas, she was forced each day into an alter ego, a separate being who is forced into the slavery.

A contradiction of her royalty, she was a slave to them all...To everyone. They saw her as one thing and nothing more. Perhaps that was why she began to seek her affection in Megatron. Or perhaps it was the element of danger now involved. A mixture of both, maybe. But either way, her life was now with the stars, shining beside him at the whim of the moon.

Megatron sighed. His crimson optics flutter slightly, a lack of sleep eating at his mentality.

This was absurd! He of all 'bots, could NOT be hindered by love!

Yet the force pulling inside his chest, could it be he now had...A heart?

Nonsense! It was all nonsense!

Futilities in a world of futilities...All the world was futile.

With a sigh, he placed a hand upon the rocky cave wall. He hated the fact that the predacon leader, named and built after the great decepticon...

Would fail at the whim of a mere mortal fox.

It seemed he had reached an all time low for his sadistical schemes, yet an all time high for his morality.

Then again, any morality at all was unusual for the hardened Megatron.

Her eyes kept him held in a mystical bound, allowing nothing but thoughts of her to enter his mind...And the thoughts of the glorious savior he would be...

With another loud sigh, he decided the time had come.

The time of conquest, and planetary destruction.

It was time to light the fire.

Picking flowers.

Daisies and poppy's. They were abundant in this place, and it overjoyed Steele to galavant in the fields of many colors.

She plucked one tender stem from the ground, gathering her feet beneath her as she sat.

"He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me, he loves me not."

She smiled at the remaining petal, picking it softly from it's chocolate bed. She studied the bright lemon color, letting it dangle on the tip of an ebony finger.

"He loves me..."

Such foolishness to base one's assumptions on a mere flower, but to the fox Steele, what else had she to base upon? Her heart would guide her, she knew...And so far, it was guiding her into Megatron's arms.

He had calculated the area to start the blaze. A small patch of dry grass, stretching beyond the eye's limitations. It seemed to circle the planet Akasha, and was renowned for it's orbit of the tiny planet.

By the time the spark was dropped, the world would have no time to react.

A smile creased the lips of the wolf. That was exactly how he liked things.

Quick, and with no escape.

A slight worry tugged at his mind, though...What if he wasn't able to reach Steele in time? Would she perish with the rest of her planet? Or somehow break away from the fiery tendrils and fight for survival?

He hoped to himself neither, that he would be able to save her without her knowing who started the fire...It would make him so much more heroic in her eyes...

A match is struck upon a tree, flaming it's orange tip quickly.

He bent his wrist slightly, letting the tiny flame lick at the long grass streak.

Slowly, it began to spread, taking with it one stem after another. There was no escape now, he thought to himself. It's time to find Steele and make my revelations...

Alas, Steele was not in the area he expected. She remained in the poppy field, her nose stuck into a book.

Oh, how she adored the writing books!

They took her away from reality, separated her from her thoughts. While reading, she became the character.

Jane Eyre, Cinderella...Even Robinson Caruso!

Her nose engulfed in the pages, she failed to see the slight gray mist hovering in the distance; the scent of fresh flowers masking the smell of smoke as it came closer to her.

She closed her azure eyes for a moment, basking in the novel.

I am the light

I am the spirit

I am your savior

I am Steele!

"STEELE!" Megatron called, searching frantically through the heavy woods. Already flames licked at his sides, the heat paining him slightly. He transformed into his robot mode, accepting the pain of that over the ache of the flames.

A soft cough emitted his lungs as he placed a hand against a tree, resting for a moment before calling out her name once more.

"STEEEEEEEEEEEEEELEEEEEEEEE!"

A slight sound tickled her ears...It sounded like...A shout? Nonsense. Her imagination was getting the best of her again!

With a yawn, she raised her body from the ground.

The sweet flowery scent departed, replaced now with a strong musk of smoke as a breath of the thick smog was inhaled.

Immediately, she set to coughing and hacking. It smelled so bad! And her breath was becoming shorter!

She flipped to her feet, surrounded by a large circle of licking flames.

NO!

Closing her eyes tightly she ran in the general direction of Megatron's cave. She had to save him!

The fire was bright. It burnt her eyes. Smoke singed her lungs. Her throat was ablaze as the world bunt down.

Yet she kept running.

Faster and faster, her heart beat like the pounding of a drum...A drum whose head would burst from the quick strike of the stick, beating at it relentlessly.

Throbbing. No matter how hard it pained...She had to keep running...

Keep going...

The flames! They were gaining on her!

A limb on the ground, invisible to her watering eyes.

Her feet made impact, then her body lie helpless on the ground.

She screams, the fires licking at her fur, singeing her skin to the third degree.

Through the bright red and orange...A face?

Familiar...Yet so much different...Eyes burning like red coals...A toothy grin tearing at the sides of his lips...

Why didn't he burn! He was standing in the fire!

She choked...Cough...Hack...

Air...Air was a precious commodity to her now...

The pain of flesh hardly equaled that of her lungs, getting scoured inside out as if by acid.

A laugh. One so hideous and foreboding...An evil sound, sinking into her ears...

Darkness.

The world turned black.

Silence.

Not a word...

No breathing...

Peace...

"STEELE!" Megatron shrieked, tearing through the trees. A short ways away, a deeper body of crimson was spied.

NO!

It couldn't be her!

Not here, not now!

He ran to her, covering her body with his of metal, reflecting the heat. It seemed she opened her eyes for a spilt second, then closed them...

Against what he hoped...Against what he prayed...

His attempts to save her were futile. She was gone...For eternity.

It was over..it was truly over..

CHAPTER FIVE

So silent the world was. So utterly peaceful.

The form on the table lay still, no breath emmiting from crushed lungs, a face so marred one could not recognize it by sight alone.

But the form sitting in the corner knew just who it was, his heart crushed and shattered into millions on tiny pieces as he stared upon her, dumbfounded and alone.

Why? WHY did he do that!

The end of the civilization was the end of Steele! The end of the only one he had ever loved!

She was his life...His world...His reason for being, his soul...

And he had killed her. Taken the very life out of her, sucking it like a vacuum.

It was all his fault.

The blame was enough to kill one of mortality.

But he was not of the living realm, but a robotic form of chaotic evil...

But could one of such static bad love someone of such utter angelica?

Perhaps..Perhaps...He wasn't as bad as thought to be...

A light of lilac glows around Steele, and her lungs suck in a breath so sweet, so precious, it amazed her.

A slight breeze brushed softly against her skin and fur, her long red hair trailing in wisps behind her.

The light ahead shone brighter with each step her feet made, the smell growing sweeter, the air light as a feather.

"Steele," a voice called out.

Steele's eyes open slowly as she stopped, the wind slowing around her, allowing her hair to fall limply upon her back. Her eyes showed no fear at the form now departing the brilliant white, and she held her hands high above her head as if in welcome.

The older fox smiled at her from his distance, before speaking with his smooth drone once more.

"My daughter...I have missed you so..."

"As have I, father...As have I."

"You tried to stop him, Steele...You tried to defeat the madness, yet defeated the blackness in his heart."

"I know," she said genuinely, her eyes sparkling in the light.

"It is up to you to finish...It is a task only you can do...For no other can ever feel love for one of such sparatic evil. And you, my loving daughter, can find good in anyone."

"But...I am dead..."

"No, Steele. You're body may have ceased it's function, but your soul lives on..."

To the right of them, clouds parted, revealing a dimly lit tunnel and a bedraggled robot.

Steele gasps at him, for she had never saw Megatron in his robotic mode...Nor did she know he had one.

"He's...Really not one of us, is he daddy?"

"No, my child...But it rests in your hands alone to change that."

"How?" She whispered, her heart longing to cuddle the violet one contorted with sadness.

"Remember," he said quietly, stepping backwards, back into the swirling light.

The purple necklace around her neck began to glow violently, singing into her skin.

As her hand reached up to touch it, two long beings of ivory feathers departed from her back, her gown of white swirling around them.

She lifted to crystal from her neck, staring into the lilac depths, and tracing her finger over the words written upon it.

"When all are one," She and her father said in unison.

Turning back to the parted clouds, she viewed Megatron standing over her lifeless form.

"When all are one," she whispered again.

Pulling the chain from her neck, she dove through the hole, feeling her wings ripped away by the force.

The lightning swirled as she fell, falling from grace, falling from heavens gates...

Falling into the arms of the one she loved, but knew now, she must end...

Like struck by lightning, her form rose from the stone slab she lay upon.

Megatron gasps, bringing a hand to his lips, and slowly a smile began to break his lips.

"You returned..." He spoke quietly, crimson optics fixed upon the fox.

Steele blinks at him, slowly brining her body around to hang her legs from the side.

"Yes...I did. I did it because I love you, Megatron..."

"You...You do? You truly do?"

"Yes...More than my own life, I'm afraid...But I have returned from the Matrix a different fox..."

"That is what I feared most," He said with a heavy sigh.

"I will give you time to depart...But you realize the next time we meet, we shall be on enemy lines..."

He leaned forward, his arms spreading to give her an embrace. He wrapped around her, feeling the love that she held...But knowing any attempts to change her mind would be futile.

"I know," he said, pulling away, yet keeping his hands upon her shoulders.

Steele turned her face, her lips caressing his arm as her eyes shut tight in pure anguish...

A single tear dropped from the teal pools, and Megatron brought his hand to cup her face, wiping it away with his thumb.

"I love you, Steele...And I always will."

"I love you too, Megatron...You have saved me in more ways than you know. Please, do not lead your comrades and enemy here to meet their doom...Let my planet remain in peace..." She brought her gaze to level his, her eyes filled with sorrow, the pain countered by that in Megatron's own eyes.

"I Promise...I will not."

Steele unclenched her hand, the ball of amethyst still clutched tightly in her fingers.

She raised her hand, fastening it around his neck.

"When all are one...."

Their lips met, the soft kiss they both wished would last forever. But it didn't, and eventually she pulled her now warm body away from him.

"Go," Steele said quietly, Reaching her fingers out to trail the surface of his arm as he pulled away.

"I love you, Steele..."

"I love you, Megatron."

Steele blinks back tears as his form left the cave, and she touched her lips as if to embed the kiss they just shared.

"When all are one..."