Warrior Star was uneasy. She had not seen anything that possibly indicated where Shadowfang could be as she scoured The Mists. Actually, when she thought about it, she hadn't seen a fragging thing.

How goes it, dark sister? Warrior Star asked, easily able to sense the irritation that her other half was feeling before the other femme replied.

Troublesome. I keep getting attacked by these…strange creatures. I'm trying to outrun them but so far it isn't working. If many more of them show up, I could very well need your help, light sister. War Beast's voice grated through their connection, and Warrior Star halted, her cobalt blue optics narrowing thoughtfully before she replied.

Strange…I haven't encountered anything out here. I can't see any sign of Shadowfang, I can't smell anything…it's like…like I'm the only one here. Send me an overlay of your navigation system…I'll come to you. She could sense her dark half's relief before the soft ping of an incoming transmission echoed through her processor. Warrior Star opened up the overlay, quickly uploading it into her navigation system so she could find War Beast.

Occupied with studying the map, Warrior Star only subconsciously registered the movement in the far reaches of her vision, turning her head out of sheer habit alone to look. She jolted in shock when she found herself staring into a painfully familiar pair of flame red optics, just before their owner turned and disappeared back into The Mists.

"Shadowfang!" She called, leaping out after him as War Beast took note of her light sister's reaction. Warrior Star barely registered that her dark sister had changed course, running in her direction as both femmes charged deeper into The Mists, and even further into the unknown.

The passage of time within The Mists is relative, different for every unique individual to plunge into its depths. On the opposite side of the bridge, in Limbo, every creature there was painfully aware of how fast, or slow, time was really passing.

Andante had sat quietly, his white optics fixed on the spot where he had last seen his best friend, and his killer, disappear. He had ignored how long they had been gone, only focusing on reaching the moment when they returned.

If they return, he thought, hating himself for his dark thoughts as Saber and Stardust sat quietly behind him. Almost against his will, the black saboteur turned, studying the two massive wolves with sparkling-like curiosity.

Saber was a mighty force, his four long, powerful legs only barely tapering into huge paws that were tipped with razor-sharp black claws that gleamed with a deadly brilliance. His massive chest and powerful body were heavily armored, the thick, heavy plates covering the huge cables and joints that made him so powerful. His tail was thick and heavy, so heavy that it could snap a mech's spine if Saber were to strike them hard enough with it. His neck was a little short for a mech his size but it was thick and well armored, and his skull was massive and broad. His optics were deep-set in his face, his muzzle long and filled with dentals that could tear through even the heaviest armor like a hot knife through butter. All in all, Warrior Star's mech creator was one of the most powerful and deadliest mechs that Andante had ever known.

But behind the mech's icy blue optics and underneath his thick white armor, a gentle spark lay hidden to all but those closest to him. Andante had looked up to Saber his entire life, overawed by the massive mech and his astounding strength, but never once had he been afraid of him. The black mech had seen his best friend's sire at his most savage and at his gentlest, and one of Andante's fondest memories of the white mech was the day that he had laid on the ground and dozed as Warrior Star and her brothers climbed all over him, nipping at his ears and batting at his nose. Yet the big white mech had barely stirred, only onlining his optics so that he could watch his creations play. Saber was a mech in a million, and Andante counted himself as being one of the fortunate few to have known him.

Turning his attention to Stardust, Andante studied her as well, comparing her to her massive spark mate. Where Saber was built for battle and sheer strength, Stardust was a little more balanced, only a few feet shorter than her spark mate but much, much sleeker. The silver femme was a huntress, so swift on her paws that no Cybertronian alive could outrun her. Only the aerials could beat her for speed.

Tall for a femme, her legs were long, ending with dainty paws that were tipped with short but sharp gray claws. Her body was long and her chest was deep, giving her a greater capacity for air so that she could boost her speed over short distances. Her armor was thick, not nearly as thick as Saber's, but still more than enough to stop most bullets and blades. Her tail waved lightly through the air, giving her a lighter-than-air appearance, even moreso when she walked. Her neck was longer than Saber's but not as thick, and her skull was sleek but her jaws were still packed with sharp dentals that promised death with a single bite.

Andante had always seen Stardust as a second mother, and he remembered how graceful and quiet she had always been every time he came to play with Warrior Star. She was the complete opposite of her spark mate but they were perfectly matched in every way. Saber was powerful, Stardust was graceful. They were caring creators to their four cubs, and they had been two of the greatest Guardians to ever patrol Cybertron. It was still a mystery to Andante how they had died, and as he stared at them, standing there in Limbo, he realized that he would probably never know.

Saber's ears twitched and the mech raised his head so suddenly that Andante jumped in surprise. The white mech's ears flicked back and forth, then he turned his head to stare at his spark mate. Stardust's amber optics were bright as she stared at The Mists, then she turned and met Saber's gaze before they spoke as one.

"The hunt is on. Now the true test begins." Andante looked back and forth between the two wolves, but they said nothing else, merely turning to stare at The Mists once more. The black saboteur turned his gaze to the far side as well, feeling uneasiness curling in his spark at their words.

Primus, I hope she's alright…

A/N: *grumbles* Not my best chapter. Been so bloody busy these last few days...hrrmph. Haven't had the time or the energy to write...been a long haul. Anyway! Next chapter should have some more action in it...been planning this one for quite awhile. Getting it to sound right...completely different story altogether.

sweettea1 and KayleeChiara, thank you for reviewing on the last chapter! Guess that one didn't go over as well as I hoped. And Xepher06, you're finally just about caught up on the story! lol

Thank you as always to my readers, reviewers, favoriters, and followers. You guys are wonderful!

As always, love if you will, hate if you must. I will take anything that you care to dispense.

Until we meet again...

Kani