Title: Battle Forged
Author: kirin-saga
Rated: PG
Summary: They had never hated each other, they had just never liked each other. Until now.
A/N: for eerian_sadow. I suck at battle scenes, so no actual battles. Sorry. I hope you like it. I'm not entirely satisfied with it myself.
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They had known each other since before the war. They hadn't been friends, had barely interacted, but they had known each other. The most contact they had had with each other, before the war, had been brief moments in the halls when their paths crossed, or when one of their mates had gotten the other overcharged and forced them to drag the two away from the bars. They hadn't been friends, not nearly. But they hadn't hated each other either; they hadn't cared to know each other enough to decide whether they hated or liked each other.

All that had changed, when the war came. When their mates had taken a ship in search of energon and had disappeared so long ago. Now, they looked around their dying world and saw how much they had lost. They looked and saw that all they had, really, was each other. So they protected each other, grew to like each other. Maybe even love each other, in a way.

They were far from the only ones to lose someone, to not know if friends or family was still alive somewhere. But none of the others had the same responsibilities. None of the others had to maintain a strong front when all they wanted to do was break down and scream. Chromia and Elita hadn't that luxury. They had to be strong, stable, someone to look up to and to inspire the remaining Autobots.

They couldn't always hold off the screams, however, and when it all became too much, they had each other. They held the other when she couldn't see how she could possibly take anymore of the pain, helped her to see that there was still hope, that Optimus and Ironhide were alive. They could feel them so they were alive. And that had to be enough.

They hadn't liked each other when they first met; they hadn't known each other well enough for that. But since then, they have fought together, watched their world die together, suffered together. They were all each other had, and they were sisters, battle forged.

They would keep each other alive and together, they would welcome Optimus and Ironhide home.