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A lone Terracon silently made her way through the wet grass of the Jungle planet, wondering to herself. She stopped just at the edge of a small pond and stared into the moon-stained waters.

Her reflection revealed a brownish-gold colored big cat mech with golden eyes. Her legs had a dark gold color running halfway up them which made her look like she was wearing socks.

The tips of her ears and tail were a gold color as well. Her tail had no spiked sphere on it. Instead it was just a simple long piece of metal with something that resembled fur on the end.

On her shoulders where decepticon insignias should have been white paw print marks sustained their place. Just for facts she looked more like a lion than a jaguar.

The terracon scowled and smacked the surface of the water; the reflection breaking up into a million fragments.

She yelped as fresh energon spat from an open wound on her arm she had received that same night.

"Why am I so different?" she asked sitting on her haunches.

'And why does everybody hate me?' 'What did I ever do to them?' she wondered sadly gently allowing tears to fall freely down her metal cheeks.

All of her life she had been nothing but another mouth to feed in the other Terracons' eyes.

Always making fun of her and calling her names, even making fun of her own name behind her back. Those who were brave enough said it to her face and gave her a good smack in the face or leg.

"Sahara…Why would mom name me that?" she asked the silence throwing a small stone into the water. She watched as the ripples broke her reflection again.

A gentle wind blew through the endless fields of grass making them sway like the waves of a calm ocean. A small feeling of comfort passed over the terracon as the night sang its lullaby.

Sahara looked up to the moon and wondered if her father was looking at it too. "I miss you Dad." She whispered. She always wondered if he missed her too.

Another small and comforting gust of wind blew through the fields as Sahara gently closed her optics and re-lived a scene that had happened shortly before.

Flashback

"Oh look guys, it's the queen of the beasts!" a random terracon shouted from behind. Sahara shot him a look but continued on ward in anger.

She didn't know most of their names but to her they were all the same.

"Oh look out guys Sahara's on the prowl." A bird terracon from the group snickered. Sahara gritted her teeth but still maintained a straight face.

Next thing she knew, the jaguar leader of the group, named Talon, ran up in front and blocked her path.

"Sahara…What kind of name is that?" he spat, his voice full of venom.

"Don't you have anything better to do you lowly commoner?!" Sahara spat back.

"OOOH!" the group said in unison. Talon snarled and thwacked Sahara across her face with his paw.

The group started to encircle the two making an enclosed arena. Others stood by and watched wondering what was going to happen next.

Bird terracons circled high above everybody setting the stage for the fight.

Thunder roared angrily as the rain gave no mercy to the ground outside of the huge cave.

After wiping a small amount of energon from her mouth, Sahara glared at the gang leader and unsheathed her claws.

Talon just laughed. "You think you can take me!?" he laughed. "Tana must have been sniffing something before she had you!"

After hearing this Tana, a dark colored mech jaguar, fully awoke from her light but painful slumber and glared at Talon from her corner of the cave.

Everyone except Tana, Sahara and a few other female terracons broke out into hysterical laughter. Sahara growled deeply and gave a well deserved smack to the face of Talon.

A sickening crack echoed throughout the cave silencing everyone.

Talon was shocked as energon oozed from his cheek and mouth. Sahara gave a small victorious smile and pushed her way past Talon and his followers breaking the circle.

The gang leader sat still for a moment stunned but quickly snapped out of it.

"And you know another thing…" he continued turning around. "Since your mother is so full of slag…" Sahara stopped dead in her tracks; her optics narrowing.

"Your father must've been one heck of a son of a bitsect." Talon finished as he smiled evilly.

Everyone's jaws dropped. Some even glanced at Sahara who was shaking violently. An unearthly snarl erupted from her throat.

He had done it. He had just gone too far and crossed the line.

"THAT'S IT! YOU'RE DEAD!" she screamed as she turned around and lunged Talon, teeth and all.

Talon never saw it coming.

The next thing he knew he was being crushed to the ground as an angry Sahara tore at his armor.

"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" The group screeched. A flash of lightning lighted the cave as the thunder roared.

Talon managed to push Sahara off and smack her in the jaw sending her flying to the ground.

As she struggled to get up, Talon lunged at her with his claws aimed for her throat.

Sahara saw this and managed to move. The leader's claws grazed her chest as he past.

At that moment Sahara found herself digging her jaws into the back of Talon's neck.

Talon roared from the pain and desperately tried to claw her face.

Sahara felt Talon's claws hit their targets. She roared and dropped the leader from her grasp covering her face with her paws, trying to stop the pain.

The terracons were all silent as Talon laid on the floor wriggling in pain.

Sahara removed her energon stained paws and slowly moved towards her enemy; hate burning brightly in her golden optics and his taunts ringing in her ears.

She stopped and stood over him and put a paw onto his throat. The leader looked up at her with optics full of fear.

"Never say that about my parents." She said her voice low and deadly. Holding her enemy in place, she raised her free paw and swung it.

The terracon shut his eyes and awaited the blow.

"STOP!" a voice cried wearily.

Sahara stopped; her claws only centimeters away from Talon's face.

Sahara looked up only to see her tired mother painfully limping her way through the crowd to the scene.

Everyone who was in her way carefully stepped back; a few even bowed their heads in respect.

Tana nodded to them as she made her way to her daughter. She stopped in front of Sahara and stared at her.

Sahara's anger was replaced by sadness as her mother looked at her with sapphire blue optics that were filled with pain and sadness.

"Please don't do this Sahara enough blood has already been shed today." Tana begged.

Sahara looked around and scanned the other terracons' faces, their eyes full of guilt and hurt.

Talon who had just now opened his optics, nearly fainted when he saw how close Sahara's claws were to his face.

Sahara sighed deeply and carefully released her captive. Talon's followers quickly stepped in and helped their leader up.

Tana sighed relief and nuzzled her daughter. Sahara who was close to tears returned the nuzzle back.

The rain and thunder ceased and the clouds parted; revealing the moon and stars that had been hidden behind them. Peace was restored upon the land once more.

Sahara gently lifted her head away from her mother's. "I think I need to be alone for a few minutes, Mom." Tana smiled tiredly and nodded.

Sahara padded towards the cave entrance and headed out into the calm night, never looking back.

"Yeah that's right, go on you coward." She heard Talon's voice shriek as she continued walking.

Other terracons shook their heads and glared at the young leader.

"Go on home to the filthy kingdom in which you belo…ACK!" Sahara smiled as her mother kept a tight grip on Talon's throat.

"I'd watch that mouth if I was you." Tana threatened.

End of Flashback

Gently plopping her self onto the ground; Sahara smiled as she wished she could've been there to see the look on Talon's face. She giggled a little at the thought.

Suddenly the sound of heavy footsteps reached her ears. Sahara looked up and saw her mother standing a few feet away.

Tana was a dark-brownish colored jaguar mech with black running all the way up to her shoulders and around her ears.

She had a black stripe that went from the top of her head all the way down to the end of her spiked tail. Her soft sapphire blue eyes revealed her true nature, a loving, caring mother and a loyal friend.

To any Autobot she would've been seen as a threat but to Sahara, Tana was the light at the end of the tunnel.

Tana smiled at her "almost" grown up daughter.

"Well, I see someone's in a happier mood." She stated.

Sahara smiled, but it quickly turned into a frown as she turned and looked back at her reflection.

"Talon had no right to say what he did about you and dad." She stated.

"I'm sure he had no right to say what he did about you." Tana replied. "And if I'm correct a lot of terracons were not happy about what he said."

Sahara turned back towards her mother, smiled a little and motioned her mother to come lie next to her.

Tana thankfully plopped herself heavily next to her daughter and started licking herself.

Sahara cringed at how bad the wounds on her mother looked. Tana noticed this and managed to smile. "Don't worry I've experienced worse." She said calmly.

Sahara gave a shocked look that almost made Tana burst out laughing. "I don't know how you can see the humor in this because I sure can't." Sahara said seriously.

"Ever since that one human kid named Kicker brought that energon saber out our numbers have been decreasing like mad."

Tana frowned as her daughter came close to tears again.

"And you almost got ki…killed from him today." Sahara choked. "I couldn't bear it if I lost you mom."

Tana looked close to tears herself as Sahara placed her head into her mother's paws and sobbed.

"I hate him." She sobbed.

Tana gently placed her head onto her daughter's neck.

"Shhh…you don't mean that." She whispered into Sahara's ear.

"Yes I do!" "I hate those humans!" I hate the Autobots!" "I hate the Decepticons!" "I hate the other Terracons!" "I hate this stupid war!" "I hate it all!" Sahara continued as she choked on a sob.

Tana sighed. It was not going to help anything by arguing with her daughter.

"Shh…Don't worry I'm here for you." "I'll always be here for you." She whispered in a motherly tone.

"Come, stop your crying. It'll be alright." Tana began to sing.

"Just take my hand hold it tight.

"I will protect you from all around you."

"I will be here don't you cry."

'For one so small, you seem so strong.'

'My arms will hold you keep you safe and warm.'

'This bond between us can't be broken, I will be here don't you cry.'

'Cause you'll be in my heart.'

'Yes, you'll be in my heart.'

'From this day on now and forever more.'

Back at the cave the other Terracons were settling down for the night. Most slept near each other seeking warmth from the cold night air.

Two younger Terracons had gotten themselves into a quarrel.

An older terracon, disturbed from his sleep by the two younger ones, stepped between them and pushed them apart before going back to sleep.

'You'll be in my heart no matter what they say.'

'You'll be here in my heart.'

'Always…'

Tana raised her head back up and saw her daughter was sleeping like a cub.

She looked up towards the moon and said a silent prayer.

Then she rested her head back onto her daughter's neck and whispered: "Always."

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