"But how?" Airazor asked. "It was destroyed. And why isn't the central tower anywhere to be found?"
"I don't know," I answered. "But this is why we found it familiar. This is why the trap symbols are here. There is no other explanation."
"So, what do we do now?"
"Same as before. We still have just as many unanswered questions. More, even. We need to find the answers. And that means getting off this island."
She nodded and the two of us carried on, avoiding any trap symbols we came across. After what seemed like an eternity, we finally came to the edge. Any doubts that we were on the floating island were washed away when we peered over the side.
"Hmm…" Airazor put her hands on her hips. "I don't see an escalator. Are you up for a ride?"
"Can you do it?"
"I'll manage. Now let's go, you scaredy cat."
I took her hands and she began to fly. I could see it was difficult for her, but she kept a smile the whole time. And it was an amazing feeling, to fly.
As we descended, I allowed myself to drown in the beauty of the sky and the air around us.
"What is that?!" Airazor cried out. I looked up at her, and followed her gaze downward to the valley below us.
The valley in flames.
"A battle," I responded. "Take us down."
We touched down near the center of the valley. I immediately set about extinguishing the fires. But to my surprise, they did not go out. And as the minutes passed, I also discovered that they did not spread or burn out. It was as if they always had been and always would be burning. I could not understand it.
"Tigatron, over here!" came Airazor's voice.
I ran towards her, dodging burning trees and vegetation. I arrived just in time to see a battered but familiar Maximal drive his sword into Terrorsaur's chest.
"Dinobot!" I couldn't believe it. Airazor seemed just as shocked as I was.
He turned to look at us. "Ah, so you've finally arrived." He looked back to Terrorsaur. "And that means…Back to the Inferno with you!"
With that, he ripped his sword out of the Predacon's body, tearing Terrorsaur open. The Predacon's screeches of agony were short-lived, however, for almost immediately his body began to fade away into nothing. Within moments he was gone.
"Dinobot, what's going on? Where are we?" Airazor asked with confusion as the flames finally began to die down.
"I would think that much to be obvious," Dinobot sneered. "This is the Matrix, where all are one."
"This is the Matrix?" I asked incredulously. "Who were those voices we heard?"
"The welcoming committee."
"The what?" Airazor echoed.
Dinobot snarled. "Someone has to do it. And someone also has to serve as a guide for the newly departed. In this case, I was unfortunate enough to be chosen."
I suspected the last part to be a lie. With the dead far outnumbering the living at any given time, it seemed unlikely that there would be a shortage of guides. Most likely, Dinobot had volunteered. However, I decided not to voice this theory.
"Why is this place so devastated? And what was Terrorsaur doing here?" I queried.
"The Matrix…Is what we make it," Dinobot explained. "This is my contribution. A battlefield where one can engage in eternal combat with anyone they wish to summon from the pit. It is…Perfect."
Ah, yes. It all made sense now. Dinobot lived for battle. It was only natural that it would dominate his afterlife as well.
"Wait!" Airazor interjected. "What about Optimus? And the others?"
Of course! How could I have forgotten?! We had failed! We might have slowed him, but Megatron was still on his way to the Ark with the Nemesis!
Noting our expressions, Dinobot reassured us. "There is…Nothing to fear. The cards have already been dealt. It is now only a matter of watching the pieces fall into place. Come. I will show you."
Dinobot snapped his fingers, and the three of us were suddenly in a metallic metropolis. It looked exactly like the images of Cybertron the other Maximals had shown me.
"This is where most Cybertronians in the Matrix congregate," Dinobot continued, "For this is what most of them see as 'paradise'. "
Dinobot led us through the city. Airazor and I held hands to avoid being separated as countless transformers shuffled past us. Finally, we reached the edge, and there on a large monitor screen was the clone of Dinobot betraying Megatron.
"It seems he will be joining us soon," Dinobot remarked. "I will have to test his mettle when he arrives."
The three of us watched as events unfolded that ultimately led to Megatron's defeat.
"As you can see," Dinobot stated, "Your sacrifice was not in vain. All is as it should be. In time, all will one day join the Matrix, and then we shall see our comrades again."
"How long?" I wondered aloud. I wished to see them, and yet at the same time I wished nothing but long lives for all of them.
"Not long," Dinobot answered. "For us, at least. You will find that time has little meaning here. And in the meantime, you may watch them as much as you desire here."
"All right, well now that that's settled, what is the floating island doing here?" Airazor asked.
Dinobot's mouth contorted into a wicked grin. "That…Is your creation."
"What?!" we both exclaimed.
"Yes. As I told you, the Matrix is formed by us. We each create our own paradise. Yours is the one we found on that floating island…Without the weapons and traps, of course." Dinobot scratched his chin. "Hmm…In fact, I'd be willing to wager that the other Cybertronians are discovering it right now."
"What do you mean 'discovering'?" I questioned.
"Just as you could visit my realm, they can visit yours. In fact, it is the first such organic paradise I am aware of. Let us go see how they are taking it."
"Well, this promises to be interesting, at the very least," Airazor commented as we were transported back to the floating island. But this time, there was no anxiety or worry for Airazor and I. We knew everything was right with ourselves, our friends, and the universe. We smiled when we saw dozens of Cybertronian mouths agape in awe as they took in the sight of what we had created. Yes, it seemed they would love it as much as we did.
"It seems that no one has entered the southern part of the island," Dinobot interrupted. "It would appear that they wish to leave you some privacy."
"How thoughtful of them. I wonder who's responsible for that," Airazor said, looking at Dinobot.
He scowled. "I must be going. That clone of mine has arrived, and I will not allow anyone to take away the privilege that is rightfully mine! I will return to check on you two later."
"Thank you, Dinobot," I said.
"And thank you for volunteering to be our guide," Airazor added.
Dinobot growled before turning and transforming to beast mode. A second later, he had vanished.
Airazor and I turned to each other.
"So," I asked. "What would you like to do now?"
She pretended to think about it for a moment. "Hmm…Well, we could explore the southern part of the island like Dinobot suggested. And we could spend some time alone together…Away from prying optics."
I smiled. "Now that sounds like a prime idea. After you, my lady."
With joined hands, the two of us marched forward into the future…In good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, in life and in death…Forevermore.