There were days when she wished she had never managed to get out of the safe orbit around the planet with the other protoform Maximals. This was one of those days. She was sitting in a cold, dark cell in the brig of the Darkside, listening to her dental plates clatter against each other. She wished for the fur that had covered her arms and legs before the Transwarp explosion and had now been converted into metal and not helping with the situation as they just attracted more cold. She growled; she hated the Predacons, every last one of them. Well, maybe not Waspinator, he was just too cute sometimes, but everyone else she hated.

She looked up as she heard approaching footsteps, the white ears sitting on her helm lifting up to try to pinpoint and identify who was coming to see her. The footsteps were heavy and there was a scraping sound after every footfall. She shuddered as she struggled to her feet; she didn't want to be caught on the ground if this intruder wanted to grab her. As the door to her cell opened, she let out a low growl, threatening whoever was coming into her cell that she was prepared to fight and kill if they got too close. A dark chuckle met her as the door opened to reveal the giant black and purple mech.

"My, my, aren't you ready to start a fight?" The mech chuckled, his purple optics flashing cruelly.

"I don't feel like lying down at your feet, Megatron." She growled in reply as the ears on her head folded down against her helm.

Megatron chuckled as he walked in, his new Transmetal armor sending terrified shivers up her spinal unit; were those eyes in the center of his chest? Were his beast mode claws sitting on his face or was it just her imagination? She preferred it when he had that stupid T-rex head on his hand, at least she knew that thing was staring at her because its eyes moved.

Megatron grinned. "Like my new form?" He asked. "Of course it would be your first time seeing it, considering you have been purposely missing every battle that has occurred since you switched sides and joined the Maximals."

She snorted. "Isn't that a hint?" She asked coldly. "I left the Maximals too, Megatron." She growled. "I want nothing to do with your stupid, little war that isn't getting you anywhere. All you're doing is wasting time and energy on something that isn't ever going to be yours because you lack the ability to lead your troops to something as difficult as conquering Cybertron." She added as she threw her arms up into the air.

Megatron growled at her. "If you were smart, Tundra, you would keep that ugly snout of yours shut." He snapped as he took a step forward.

Big mistake.

She lunged forward with an angry snarl. She had claimed the cold cell as her territory, even if it did belong to the Predacons and he had just stepped into her cell. She went to sink her clawed forearms into his chest but Megatron realized his mistake and quickly stepped out of the cell. She growled as she slowly stopped and began to pace back and forth, growling and snarling at the mech who had dared to set foot in her territory. Megatron glared at her before growling.

"You've turned feral, Tundra." He stated coldly.

Tundra smiled, baring her fangs at the same time. "You say that like it's a bad thing." She sneered as she came to a stop. "What is it that you want with me, Megatron? You know that I have to will to fight in this pointless war between the Maximals and the Predacons."

Megatron smiled cruelly. "Oh, I didn't have my men capture you so that I could attempt to sway you back to my side, no." He replied in that disgustingly smooth way of his. "It's time you paid the price for your treachery, Tundra, and as soon as I come up with a proper punishment, it will be carried out immediately."

Tundra's ice blue optics widened in terror; she hadn't thought for one minute that they would even bother to carry out a punishment for switching sides. Dinobot was left alone for the most part, only getting shot at during a fight, just like everyone else. She guessed there was a hidden relationship between them, maybe brotherhood or something, because Megatron seemed to be slightly obsessive over the fact that Dinobot had left the Predacons, not that she blamed him. The Predacons were the biggest group of malfunctions she had ever met. She shivered slightly as Megatron laughed at her expression.

"Didn't expect us to let you get away with your traitorous ways?" Megatron asked before he allowed the door to start closing. "I'll come retrieve you when we've all agreed on what to do you, you traitorous little heap of scrap."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere, Megatron." Tundra snarled after him.

She waited until he heard his footsteps fade away before she stumbled back to her corner of the holding cell and slid down the wall. Her body was weak from the six days without any source of nourishment. She growled again, this time to cover the sound of her fuel tank groaning for energon. This was enough torture in her own opinion; taken away from her cave and the best friend that she had ever met, then stuck in a holding cell in enemy territory; how much more torture could you push on someone who has a wild spark like hers?

She sighed weakly before another set of footsteps approached. She growled angrily; who did they think they were to invade what they had so stupidly given to her as her own? If they so much as set on stupid boot in her cell, she was going to tear them apart and drink their energon, then wait for the next idiot to come around. She heard the footsteps stop outside her door and she growled again.

"The Royalty has commanded me to watch your cell, traitor." A voice stated. "If it was up to me, I'd just let you burn."

Tundra groaned. "Not you again, Inferno." She moaned. "Frag, am I not tortured enough? Now they send the pyro-maniac to watch my cell?"

She heard Inferno snarl on the other side of the door and she grinned as she got into a good striking position. She could strike hard if she wanted to; coil up the power in her legs and spring forward with teeth bared to rip out his throat.

'Let him enter.' She growled. 'We'll see what his precious Royalty will do with his torn up carcass.'

She wasn't violent by nature, not in the least, but being energy deprived from a rather bad hunting trip with her friend led to her not eating anything for a few days before, now not having an sufficient energy for another two days was making her desperate, to the point that cannibalism was starting to sound really tempting.

"You are a traitor; your words mean nothing." Inferno snapped before he fell silent and started pacing in front of her cell.

"Primus, help me not to eat him." She muttered as she drew her knees up to her chest.

Why she had ever joined the Predacons was something that she hated to admit to anyone but her best friend; she had believed what Megatron had said about the Maximals being cruel and blood-thirsty. She had come online before either side had reached her stasis pod and had fortunately not had some device planted into her to make her loyal to the Predacon cause and unable to switch sides. But she had still fallen prey to the Predacon leader. He had said that she must have had her allegiance switched before she went into the stasis pod because she bore a Maximal insignia. When she had asked what was so bad about, mostly because she enjoyed the dog-like design of the insignia, Megatron had told her that the Maximals were horrible Transformers who killed without mercy and tore innocent mechs apart without any sound reason. Her naïve mind had believed what he had said and she had changed her insignia and returned to base with him. It took about a week before she realized with a very sickening jolt that she had been tricked. It had taken all her nerve and skill as a soldier to get away and make it to the Maximal base to beg for sanctuary, but luckily, one friend helped her escape and keep the Preds off her tail until she almost reached the Maximal border. Waspinator wasn't punished because no one believed that he was smart enough to pull a stunt like feeding a quick running virus into the radar to cover her trail.

But, alas, she wasn't better off with the Maximals. They were constantly accusing her of tampering with equipment even if she didn't have a clue how to work it. Rattrap wouldn't leave her alone about being a Predacon, repeating over and over about "once a Predacon, always a Predacon" and grinding against her nerves and patience. Cheetor kept demanding that she tell them everything she knew about the Predacons, which was almost zilch, and the whole time Optimus Primal never said a word. He allowed his men to harass her to the point where she almost went and committed suicide. However, since she didn't have any weapon that would make her death swift and painless, she had decided to try to steal one of Dinobot's spare swords to do the job.

That almost got her killed right there and then. She hadn't counted on Dinobot walking back into his room after he left because he had forgotten something and he caught her as she tried to take his spare sword off of its hold above the window. He had flown into a fury, calling her many rude names before she could even utter the beginning of an apology. She had finally screamed over top of him that she was just going to borrow it so that she could end her miserable existence and be out of his metaphoric hair. His snarling had died at that moment and he had seemed quite taken back. To that day she wasn't sure if it was because she had screamed at him or because he was surprised that she wanted to commit suicide.

He had calmed her down somehow and gotten her to tell him everything that had happened to her since she had arrived on base. He had listened intently to everything, although he was not welcoming to her crying all over him. When she had finished and wiped away her last tear, he had told her that he would handle Rattrap and that Cheetor just needed a swift kick in the aft to get him out of her metaphoric hair. She had thanked him for listening and the advice and apologized for crying on him. She left his room after and headed for the control room to see if there was anything that she could help with and she had immediately ran into Rattrap.

He had started up with the insults again, but this time, Tundra didn't back down. She returned the insults, sneering at him about his unsightly hygiene habits and demeanor before she turned to Rhinox and asked if there was anything that she could do. Everyone had seemed stunned by her comebacks before they replied that they had everything under control. Cheetor never did bug her again after she had managed to pin him to the ground and tell him as politely as she could that she didn't know anymore about the Predacons and their plans than he did and to kindly leave her alone as the constant interrogation was becoming a very big pain.

But, of course, her stay with the Maximals didn't last long. Not long after she finally managed to get some peace of mind around Cheetor, she became sick of the war. The endless battles over absolutely nothing seemed pointless to her. Dinobot, now a friend, had tried to explain everything to her, but it still seemed stupid and pointless to her. So, just after Airrazor joined the team, she gave Optimus Primal her resignation and left the base. Dinobot tracked her down quickly and demanded that she return to base as what she was doing as demeaning to the term "soldier". She had replied that this wasn't her war to fight and that she had no place in it. He had attacked her, claiming that if she wouldn't fight with them then she was against them. Being considerably weaker, she lost the fight and was dragged back to base for repairs. In the end, she snuck out after she got rid of her insignias and changed her activation code to something more fitting since "terrorize" and "maximize" wouldn't work since she was neither.

Dinobot had been unable to track her down after that and she was thankful. She had a small confrontation with Tigertron over beliefs when he caught her eating one of the native animals to the planet. She had then told him that she had decided to live like her kind and he had seemed surprised and flattered by her declaration. He wished her the best of luck with her decision and left, no doubt telling the others that he had encountered her, learnt what had happened to her, and that she was happy and looking as good as ever.

It wasn't until she heard a stasis pod crash right outside her cave that she was drawn into the war for another battle. The protoform had emerged long before anyone arrived to claim him and the first Transformer he had seen was her. She would never forget that day, the way he had perked his beast mode's ears up when he say her, his muzzle opened in a wolfish smile, before he greeted her and asked what her name was. When she had told him that her name was Tundra, he said it a few times, rolling it over his organic tongue, before nodding. He then transformed and greeted her, telling her that his name was Ebony and that it was an honor to meet her. The Maximals had arrived by then and she had turned to leave before Dinobot or Rattrap could start yelling at her but found that someone was holding her beast mode's tail. She turned around and met Ebony's amber optics as he held her white tail firmly in his mouth.

"Don't go." He had begged. "I don't want you to leave."

She had been stunned but told him that she wasn't with the Maximals anymore and that she was neutral, not fighting for either side and staying out of the way. He had seemed cast fallen at first, but then he had perked up, saying that he would come visit her then if she wouldn't come with them. All the Maximals had been surprised but they were even more surprised when she said that she would be waiting for him. She whispered the co-ordinates of her cave and told him not to tell a spark about its whereabouts. He had been overjoyed and replied that he wouldn't tell anyone, swearing on his spark. Then he had turned and followed the other Maximals, acting as innocent as any newly onlined protoform. He would harden after the first battle and his true personality came out.

He kept his word and came to visit her within the week. He was different by then, his personality almost mirroring Dinobot's, but he smiled more and joked with her. They had become fast friends and after only a month of knowing her, he had moved into her cave to live with her, claiming that hunting would be better with two than with only one. She hadn't refused him, but the Maximals turned up more since he still worked with them. She allowed it, but made it quite clear that it was her cave and if they touched anything they would pay dearly for it.

Tundra smiled to herself as she came back to reality and out of her musing. Ebony; the greatest friend she had ever had. She wanted to be more than just his friend, had been ever since the transwarp explosion, but he was more focused on the war and she didn't want to distract him by trying to change their relationship. He was too good a friend, too loyal to hurt so she shoved those feelings aside.

She hoped he was ok and that he had gotten away from the Predacons. Hoped her was hiding out, stalking his enemies from the shadows like he would a deer that they had chosen for their prey. She hoped he was ok, just so that Ebony, her best friend, the mech she wanted so badly it hurt, would be alright. She wanted to look through the Matrix, when she reached it, back down at the living and watch the large, black Transmetal wolf that he had chosen for his beast mode stalk through the grass after his prey, whether it was a Predacon scumbag or an organic meal, she didn't care. She just wanted him to be safe. If it was the only wish she had, it was that he was safe and out of harm's way.

She groaned in pain as the base suddenly rocked, sending her sprawling across the ground. She heard Inferno scream something on the other side of the door, but an echoing gunshot cut him short. She struggled to her feet, growling slightly as she heard the lock on the door being unfastened. She stood up and got ready to lunge as the door swung open, but she stopped and stared up into a set of amber optics.

"Ebony!" She cried out.

"Tundra! Thank Primus you're ok!" Ebony sighed as he rushed forward and swung her body up into his arms.

He quickly left the cell and she spied Inferno's blasted body lying against the wall. His mouth was open in a silent scream while his optics were offline. He was merely unconscious and a dunk in the CR tanks would fix him up, but it didn't stop the energon and oil mixture that was their blood to seep out of the bullet wound in his stomach and run along the ground. She shuddered slightly before she snuggled up against Ebony's sleek, black chest and sighing slightly. He chuckled above her before his pace sped up.

"You're going to have to hold on tight." He stated, his deep baritone voice holding excitement and concern. "I'm going to have to run to get us out of here in one piece."

Tundra nodded before she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and hid her face in his neck. He shivered only slightly before his pace quickened and he was off and running. They streaked through the base, ignoring the Command center where a battle was taking place, and heading out the door. The heat from the lava pool below the Darkside was almost unbearable and Ebony had to slow down to make sure he didn't fall into the ravine of molten rock and kill them both. He navigated through the twists and turns of the only bridge of rock that hadn't melted by the lava's intense heat until they had reached the other side.

"I'll go faster if I'm in beast mode." He stated as he placed her on the ground. "It would be best if you did that too."

Tundra nodded and painfully reverted to her beast mode. Ebony lay down beside her and assisted her in getting onto his back since she was far too weak to walk by herself. He howled towards the sky before he took off at an incredibly fast pace, his Transmetal upgrades of engines on his front and back legs aiding him in going even faster. He raced into the forest, leaping over fallen logs and dead trees without any difficulty, checking ever few minutes to make sure that she was still on his back and secured. Tundra smiled gently before she allowed her best friend's fluid motions to lull her into a state of peaceful recharge.

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A loud whirling noise caused her to online her optics and she watched as the steel door to the Maximals' CR chamber opened up. She stood up shakily, unsure of how she had managed to get into robot form, before she cautiously walked out of the chamber. Ebony was there to greet her immediately, pulling her into one of his infamous back-breaking hugs. She grinned, the sides of her muzzle turning up as she returned the hug. She pulled back to look into the amber optics of her friend.

They were filled with relief and sent a calming glow over his jet black face. His muzzle-shaped mouth was turned up in a smile. It wasn't as large as Silverbolt's was, but it suited him better than the fuzor, in her opinion anyways. His small, black ears sat straight up on his head while the two front legs of his best mode sat just below his shoulders so that the paws stuck up over each one. His wolf head lay across his chest, muzzle closed and eyes closed while his back legs served as his legs in robot mode. His tail was sitting in a sheath on his hip as it now doubled as a sword when pulled out of the sheath or as a gun when in the sheath. His armor was jet black, sleek and shiny since he, no doubt, just finished polishing himself up.

He placed his hand on her face and sighed gently. "I was afraid I had lost you." He murmured as his thumb caressed his cheek. "When the Predacons ambushed us and captured you, I was so afraid that I'd never see you again."

Tundra smiled gently as she placed her hand on top his, rubbing the back comfortingly. "I wasn't sure if I'd ever see you again either." She replied. "I just hoped that you had gotten away and was safe."

Ebony grinned as his other arm snaked around her waist and pulled her up against his chest. The hand that was on her cheek slowly slid down her face to hold up the bottom of her muzzle. Her ears perked up curiously as he stared down at her with his amazing amber optics and seemed to be contemplating something. His left ear turned around to catch what the watching Maximals were saying in low whispers, and he growled.

"If you think that I can't hear you whispering about her, you had better get your aft out of here before I catch you." He snarled as he turned his head to glare over his shoulder. "I will not have any of you speaking badly about her just because she is neutral. She has made her choice and by Primus you had better respect it."

Tundra smirked as Rattrap froze where he was standing whispering with Cheetor. He swallowed nervously, slightly out of character for the mouthy rodent, but understandable; Ebony didn't like him and made that quite clear every time they met in the hallway. Rattrap waved his hand in a friendly way and Ebony snorted before he turned back to Tundra, a smile playing across his muzzle. She blinked curiously up at him as he brought his head closer to hers and she felt warm air touch her face as he exhaled gently.

"Tundra." He whispered gently as he came closer, so close that she could she her surprised and curious face reflected in his amber optics. "I should have told you this long ago; you're so beautiful."

Tundra didn't have time to respond before his lips were pressed against hers. Her optics widened in shock, before they dimmed happily and she returned the kiss as she slid her arms up around his neck. The hand that had been on the bottom of her muzzle moved to the back of her head and he gently pulled her closer to him so that their chest plates were firmly against each other. The kiss felt like it was going on forever and it probably would have, if someone hadn't cleared their throat.

Ebony's optics filled with annoyance before he pulled away from the now seemingly high Tundra and glared over his shoulder. "Yes?" He asked.

"Do forgive me for interrupting you and Tundra," Dinobot growled in his usual fashion, "but some of us would rather not watch you two kiss."

Tundra smirked at her old friend before she shook her head. "Come on Ebony." She laughed. "I know somewhere where we can't be interrupted unless they decide to spy on us."

Ebony smiled before he stepped back and transformed before he stood there in his black wolf form waiting. Tundra smiled before she transformed as well. Her robot head slid backwards as her beast mode's head came up off her back and met her chest plate as it moved up to form the neck. Her hands folded back into her forearm as the paws on her wrist took its place and the back of her upper arm folded down to cover her hands. Her feet snapped up onto her shins as the paws that made up her heel snapped forward and the top of her upper leg snapped down to cover her feet. She feel forward onto her front paws as her tail slid out of her back and snapped into position. She grinned at Ebony before they trotted over to the lift leading out of the base and vanished down it.

Dinobot walked calmly over to the window of the Axalon and watched with a small smile on his face as the black wolf mech Ebony raced away from the base with his soon to be mate Tundra, the white wolf femme. He chuckled to himself as he watched the two seemingly identical wolves vanished from sight.

"Well it's about time he told her how he feels." He muttered before he turned away from the window and back to the other Maximals.

Author's note: The End. Beautiful story, no? Could you figure out what her beast mode was right away? I wanted to keep it a surprise until the end of the story. Rattrap was out of character at the end, I know, but you try having a big wolf snarling at you. I think even Megatron would need an oil change after that. Anyway, I hoped you liked the story. I have to thank The Cat Crusader; her story Lost Soldiers (which I highly recommend because it is so good) inspired this story…well it created this OC in my head who wouldn't leave until I wrote this. So thank you! Tundra and Ebony belong to me, you steal and I break your little fingers. All other Beast Wars Transformers belong to Hasbro and another organization associated with them. Leave me a review on your opinion, but avoid flaming because you will most likely wake up to find a very angry white wolf sitting on your chest. Scary…thanks again!