Chapter 7: All Together Again

Back through the doors found all four twin sets back again in their holding cell. There was a difference this time: All of them appeared in the middle of the room.

After a little cautious feeling around, they determined that all the walls were gone now, leaving them the entire room to move around in.

“Finally!” Sunstreaker said. “I was starting to feel claustrophobic being shut up by those fragging invisible walls.” They compared their trials, the Majeres and til'Cats had been run through a combination of magical and physical tests, moving items to make it across the room they'd appeared in.

“I wonder what's next?” Mega mused.

“Hopefully, letting us go home,” Caramon spoke up. “I'm getting hungry, and if we're gone too long, the Baron'll think we deserted.”

“Slaggit!” Sideswipe cursed. “Prime and the others will think we did too. Prowl will really let us have it for this.”

“Not our fault,” Sunstreaker argued. “We didn't ask to get dragged here.”

“I hope Wily won't cause any trouble,” Mega said softly, worried for his friends and family back home.

“You need not worry about your homeworlds,” came the Voice. “I can and will return you to the same moment you left, whether you spend one hour here or one year. But I will try to keep this from continuing much longer. I think my research is nearly complete.”

“What is this research about?” asked Raistlin.

“That is something that need not concern you. Now, as to your primary concern, Caramon...” A light appeared in the center of the room, and materialized food for each of them. “As I said, I am not cruel.”

The twins ate, or drank in the case of the Autobots and their energon, and chatted a bit, telling about their homeworlds and their friends and families. Raistlin didn't speak too much at first, though he did open up a bit more when Zentarou started talking magic, drawing his fellow wizard into a rather animate conversation that for the most part went over the other's heads. Caramon, they noticed, seemed happy to see his twin talking and enjoying himself so much, while Zantar just gave an affectionate roll of his eyes.

Sideswipe went into great detail about his fellow Autobots on their home, a ship called the Ark, and of how he pulled pranks on them, many of which had his listeners laughing, and Sunstreaker told of their war with the Decepticons and of a few memorable battles. This spun off into Proto telling of some of his adventures both beside and against Mega, and the inane antics of Wily's less-than-bright 'bots.

After a while, Zentarou said something softly to his twin, who nodded, and Zentarou lay down, curling up next to his twin and enchanting a hood onto the back of his robes,which he pulled up partially over his head to shade his eyes.

“Rest is probably a good idea,” Raistlin agreed. “But someone should keep on watch, just in case.”

“Zentarou and I have it covered,” Zantar replied. “All I need to do is let him rest, and then he'll take care of the rest.” Sideswipe blinked, peering under the hood at the cat.

“Are his eyes still open?” Zantar smiled fondly at his twin.

“Yes, but he's resting nonetheless. Zentarou can do something the elves call reverie, a trance-like sleep. We think it's because of his magical ability, that he can do something usually reserved for elves alone. He'll lay like that for four hours, then blink and wake up as if he'd been asleep for eight or so hours.”

“Elves on Krynn can do the same,” Caramon said enviously. “Wish I could do that.”

“Zentarou doesn't usually do it, but circumstances being what they are...” Zantar let it go at that. As if overhearing them, the lights in the room dimmed down so they could still see each other, but it was dark enough to sleep.

Each twin laid down to rest, Mega and Proto back to back, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe side by side, Caramon leaning against a wall and Raistlin curled up next to him. After all they'd been through, it didn't take long for them to sleep, with Zantar keeping a silent vigil.