Cheetor and Chatalia had been walking when they found a strange circle on the ground. Inside the circle, it was completely stone with carved symbols in it. The stone circle was about ten meters in diameter.

"What do you think it is?" asked Cheetor.

"I have no clue" replied Chatalia. She walked up to the circle and touched it with her paw. The circle started to glow.

"What'd you do?" asked Cheetor.

"I didn't do anything, I just touched it" Chatalia backed away from the circle as it continued to glow.

The area around them then started to change from tropical paradise to what looked like the inside of an Egyptian pyramid.

"Now where are we?"

"I think we're inside the pyramid" replied Chatalia.

"So now how do we get out of here? This place is probably a maze!" exclaimed Cheetor.

"So many questions, you must be young ones" said a voice.

"Who was that?!" asked Chatalia a bit startled.

"I'm the Guardian" replied the voice.

"The guardian of what?" asked Chatalia.

"Of time and space" said the voice.

"What are you going to do to us?" Cheetor asked worriedly.

"Do not worry, I mean you no harm child," said the voice.

"Yeah, well that's not what your alien pals had in mind!" said Cheetor.

"I am not the same as the ones who tried to destroy you. I tried to stop them from harming you by proving that not all of you are evil. But… I fear my Flying Island did not work as well as I had hoped," said the voice.

"I thought that the Flying Island was made to test intelligent beings," said Cheetor.

"No. The traps were for the evil ones, and the tower was to make sure you did not fight. I really made it to show that you could live there peacefully. It was going so well until the evil ones arrived" explained the voice.

"So, what do you want with us?" interrupted Chatalia.

"Since I am unable to prove that some of you are good, I will give you a choice. Stay here; in this land of paradise where you can get anything you want. Or, to return to your friends where you will have to fight in the war. I will give you some time to think about it," said the voice.

"Will our friends be able to stay too?" asked Cheetor.

"No. They must stay to stop the evil ones from getting the power they seek" replied the voice.

"Look, who ever you are…" Chatalia started, but was interrupted by the voice.

"You may call me Guardian, but I think Cleopatra is a more suitable name" said the voice who had just named herself Cleopatra.

"I thought Cleopatra was the queen of the Nile, or something like that," said Cheetor.

"I know, but I like the name" replied Cleopatra.

"Anyways, like I was about to say. Why would you want us to stay here?" asked Chatalia.

"Well, depending on which side won, I would be saving both your lives; and also you could stay here to keep me company, I get very lonely" said Cleopatra.

"Wait a minuet. You said that you're the Guardian of time and space, wouldn't you already know which side will win?" Chatalia pointed out.

"Yes, but time can take on so many different paths, and these paths can change easily" explained Cleopatra.

"How long do we have to make this decision?" asked Chatalia.

"As much time as you need. I will leave you for awhile. Then, once you've made your decision, call my name and I will return and you could tell me what your choice is" said Cleopatra.

When Cheetor and Chatalia were pretty sure that Cleopatra was gone, (it's hard to tell if she's gone because they can't see her) they started to discuss.

"So, what do you think?" Chatalia asked Cheetor.

"Well… it could be nice here. She did say we could get what ever we wanted" he replied.

"Yeah, but do you think it would be a good idea if we stayed?"

"But weren't you saying before that you wanted to stay here?"

"I was joking around. I didn't really mean it… though, it would be nice," Chatalia thought about it.

"Maybe we should stay. I mean, I never wanted to be in this war anyway. I signed up on the Axalon to go exploring, not to go to war"

"Cheetor, I know how much you don't want to be in this war, I don't want to be in it any more than you. But, we both know that we can't abandon our friends, even if we must risk our lives to help them"

"You're right, I'm being selfish. I just don't like this stupid war"

"Neither do I, but choices are never easy. So, we'll stick by our friends?"

"Yeah, just like they'd do for us"

"Cleopatra!" Chatalia called.

"Have you made your decision?" Cleopatra asked.

"Yes. We are sorry we must turn down your offer, but we must return to our friends"

"You have made a good decision. Thinking about your friends before yourselves," said Cleopatra

"But I thought you said that you wanted us to stay because you would get lonely?" asked Cheetor.

"Yes, I did say that. But this was another test to prove that not all of you are evil. And you passed it by giving up something you want for your friends. The aliens will bother your kind no more," said Cleopatra.

"You mean that this was another test the whole time?" Cheetor said confused.

"Yes, and the aliens have decided to return your friends as well," said Cleopatra as a part of the room lighted up and two figures appeared in the light. As the light died down, the two figures were reviled to be a white tiger and a falcon.

"Tigatron and Airazor!" exclaimed Cheetor.

"Yes, it is your friends," continued Cleopatra, "they are unconscious now because they are weak, but I believe the thing you call a 'CR chamber' can help them"

"Thank you!" said Cheetor.

"You're welcome. Now, I believe that you young ones would like to leave" said Cleopatra.

"But Cleopatra, what about my transmetal form?" asked Cheetor.

"Would you like it back?"

"Yes please"

"Very well then" said Cleopatra as Cheetor started to glow. He then changed from normal cheetah, to transmetal cheetah. "You will be able to transform now," Cleopatra added.

"Will we ever hear from you again?" asked Chatalia.

"Probably not. As I said before, time can take on many paths, and these paths can change easily," said Cleopatra, "good bye young ones, and good luck" with that Cleopatra left.

After she left, a door leading outside opened.

"I guess that's the exit," said Chatalia.

Cheetor and Chatalia carried the unconscious Tigatron and Airazor out with them. Outside, they saw that there was a fight going on. They placed Tigatron and Airazor somewhere safe and joined in the fight. The fight did not last long though, because both sides were very damaged, so they both retreated.

Later back at the Axalon, Cheetor and Chatalia were telling their story to the other Maximals.

"It's hard to believe what you're telling us," said Optimus.

"Yeah, and I can't believe I missed such a good fight too!" complained Rattrap.

"How much longer do Airazor and Tigatron have left in the CR chambers?" asked Cheetor.

"They should be out any second" replied Rhinox. Not long after he said that, the CR chambers opened up. Tigatron and Airazor emerged in robot mode.

Airazor looked around. Finally realizing where she was, "We're back!" she said.

"Your right! We are back!" said Tigatron.

"Welcome back Big-Cat!" greeted Cheetor.

"Little-Cat" smiled Tigatron.

"It's nice to have you back," said Optimus.

"Optimus! How's this possible? Didn't you die?" asked Airazor very shocked.

"It's a long story" replied Optimus.

"You look different" commented Tigatron.

Optimus nodded. "I like you to meet two newer members of the Maximals. This is Silverbolt, he came not long before you two disappeared"

"Greetings" said Silverbolt.

"And this one is Chatalia, she came to us just recently" Optimus continued.

"Hi. It's nice to see another female here," said Chatalia to Airazor.

"Ditto" replied Airazor.

"Great! Now there'll be three felines to get mad at me!" complained Rattrap, "What's next, more raptors?"

Dinobot snarled at him.

"Which reminds me Chumper-Face. We still have a fight to finish," said Rattrap.

Dinobot and Rattrap started their usual bickering.

"I see those two still like to argue" said Airazor.

"The day they get along, is the day I die" agreed Chatalia.

"Hey, you never know," said Airazor.

I hope you liked this story. You can e-mail me any of your comments or questions at Kitty_1322@yahoo.com. Next story in my series, "Blind Ambition"