The sun of Cybertron rose in all its golden glory, but the light didn’t reach a certain crimson transformer sleeping on the topside …

Running though the maze of the forests, I sought to find my brother. He was hiding from me again, as we always played games such as these.
I crouched, and whispered, “Oh Oppie … come out, come out wherever you are! You can’t hide forever!”
A crawled along the bases of trees, practising my stealth on him. Although I couldn’t turn invisible like some of the other kids in my class, they thought that I might as well have the ability. They told me I was so quiet that they would’ve sworn I had the gift also.
I snickered. I couldn’t see him, but his heat signature was very close. I almost had him –
“Oof!” I cried, as I felt someone jump on my back. I immediately flipped over to face my attacker, and came face to face with my brother.
He laughed at me and said, “You fell for it!”
“Fell for what?!” I laughed with him.
“The heat signature trick!” Optimus said, sitting up and pulling me with him.
“You wont get away with it next time.” I said, pushing my brother over and jumping off.
“Get back here!” I heard him call, and before I knew it, he was hot on my tail, both of us laughing. Happy … free … I wasn’t alone then …
Alone …
Alone!!
Magnus screamed as he woke up. Sitting up bolt upright, he clutched his head with shaking hands and shook the images out of his head. He was shaking like mad, his optics wide and fearful.
It was then he heard something.
Looking up, his fuel pump stopped. There were at least a thousand New Ones on the horizon, and they were –
They were carrying that cannon!
He had completely forgot!
Standing up, he teleported.

***

“OPTIMUS! SCAVENGER!” He screamed, running into the command centre. All present (the elementals, Soundwave, Red Alert, Scavenger and Optimus plus a few workers) turned to see a very panic stricken Magnus tear into Optimus’s arms, not caring about what he was doing or who was watching.
“Magnus! What’s the matter?!” Optimus said, very shocked and concerned that his brother had both run to him AND was now in his arms in a hug.
“THE NEW ONES ARE COMING!” Magnus yelled, looking up at his brother with fearful optics.
“What?!” Scavenger responded and ordered, “Get a screenshot of the sky!”
Soundwave complied. The camera’s focused on the sky, and there they were. The crew that were in the base currently stared at the screen in awe and in fear.
Then, all hell broke loose. Red Alert kept some of them in order and once he did, he ordered them to alert the warriors that had healed from the last battle. They ran out and Red Alert said, “They’ve got some kind of cannon with them Optimus!”
“What?!” Optimus ran over to the screen, followed by Magnus, who just ambled after him. “But that’s the –“
“The cannon … we saw.” Magnus answered, not looking at the screen; his optics dim.
“Magnus?!” Optimus said, now very concerned. “Oh no …” Magnus looked up, and then turned to his brother with and angst expression. “You had another one didn’t you?”
Magnus looked back down at his feet. Then suddenly, his head snapped up and his optics brightened to his normal colour. He glared at Optimus and said, “Yes, I did … you …”
Anger again … he felt nothing but anger …
Suddenly, Magnus came back to order. He whipped around and faced the warriors that had assembled behind him unnoticed by Red Alert.
“Warriors!” He commanded, coming back to his normal crisp manor. “It is time to fight! The New Ones are bigger than us, but we are better then them!”
With new spirit, the Rebel warriors yelled out assent and set off, their destiny unknown.

Magnus turned to the others in the area. “Elementals, Scavenger, I want you to stay out of the way until you are needed. Starscream, I want you to stick with Electrica, Medivo and Razorblast.”
“Trust you to put me up for babysitting.” Starscream muttered. Magnus, luckily, didn’t hear him.
“Roll out!” He finished and turned to Optimus and Red Alert.
“Red Alert, see to the others for medic support up there. Tell First Aid and Blades to do the same.”
Red Alert left.
“You do well as a commander, Magnus.” Optimus said.
“I only did it because you weren’t around to.” Magnus grumbled. “I hate the job. It’s like ordering people to their death.”
“You don’t know that …” Optimus said, Magnus turned away and summoned his cloak. Optimus did the same.
“Hold on.” Magnus said as he grabbed his brother by the arm, and he teleported. Optimus was used to the feeling now, and in a second they were on the topside.
The New Ones were about 100 metres away, hovering over them with that giant cannon.
“Rebels!” Shouted the leader, “Your time has come! ATTACK!”
Hundreds of silver androids flew at the Rebels, and the fight began …

***

“Starscream!” Electrica cried out, “Lets do a lightning attack!”
“Done and done!” Starscream said and transformed, as did Electrica.
“Three, two, one, FIRE!” They screamed and flew into a huge group of them. The New Ones swarmed the two jets, but a sphere of lightning blasted them back with the ferocity of a volcano eruption. The New Ones growled in unison, and that’s when Magnus (who was down below them) noticed it.
They’re drones! He realised. They’ve run out of individuals so this time they brought drones as well! I’ll fix that!
Charging up his element, Magnus focused on the hundred drones that were in the air. As one, they spotted him and flew at him. Big mistake.
Magnus swung his arm down in a cutting move, and the silver jets suddenly wobbled! The bond between them had been broken, and now they were confused.
“Optimus! Elementals! ATTACK!” He shouted.
Optimus focused on his dark power. It was so strong now, and he could control it! He glowed with a dark aura, and gathered his darkness in his hands. The other elementals did the same.
Suddenly, in a wave of pure force, the elementals released their attack. Fire, water, wind earth, poison and darkness blasted the New Ones to scrap, their carcasses now falling to the metal ground with crashes that shook the base. 100 down, 900 to go. And these would be harder to attack, as they were not drones …

***

Hotshot, Hoist, Sideswipe, Wheeljack and Jetfire sat in the trench with some of the other shooters.
“I’m flying up there!” Jetfire announced and took off, taking on a silver jet soon after.
“Jetfire!” Hotshot called out before ducking as a bomb came flying over their heads. It blew up behind them, and sent some flying.
“Wheeljack!” Hotshot shouted, and his brother heeded what he wanted.
“You got it!” He said and ran over.
“Link up!” They shouted together, and span around, knocking the New Ones that had come to attack the fallen bots down.
Lasers, elemental powers, and bombs rained down upon both sides in waves of destruction. Up above, Jetfire thumped one of the New Ones to the ground –
- And spotted Cyclonus.
Rage as never before welled up in the shuttle’s processors. He clenched his fists as the insane helicopter blasted at his own kind while a New One flew along side him. Time to settle the score.
Jetfire flew towards the poor excuse for a transformer. He didn’t have time to react as the V.C smashed into him with all the force he possessed, causing Cyclonus to expel a gasp and return to robot mode. They flew towards the ground, and Jetfire let him go at the last minute, making the yellow ‘con smash into the ground.
“What the?!” Cyclonus spat as he lifted his head, only to come face to face with a very angry mech.
“This is for Tidalwave … and Demolisher!” Jetfire hissed at him, and he shot his head off.

***

Magnus spun his light sabre around and slashed his opponent. The double-ended sabre was Magnus’s favourite weapon in combat, and glowed red with the fire of battle. Five New Ones came screaming at him, and Magnus rushed to meet them. He jumped up, his indigo cloak billowing out behind him and spun around, bringing his sabre slashing in all five chests of the identical androids. They split in half and fell.
Magnus straightened up, and watched the battle. Optimus blasted the New Ones with his elemental force, but that wasn’t what bothered him. Who had the light cloak now?
He hoped it wasn’t an enemy.
“The cannon is charged sir!”
Magnus’s head shot up. That giant cannon’s barrel was pointing directly over the battlefield, and the New Ones were retreating – to it!
Magnus ran over so he was directly under it.
“FIRE!”
In the distance, Magnus heard the screams as a huge ball of Glittorus fuel came pelting down. This substance, which Magnus had heard of, was a type of acid, used to power some guns. It was deadly to any metal-based being, i.e. Transformers. But Magnus wasn’t one to die.
“Magnus!” Optimus shouted, “You’re not going to – “
“I have to!” Magnus shouted back, and concentrated. Lifting his hand up, his entire form glowed indigo, just as the acid was about to hit, a massive, transparent, indigo dome shaped shield appeared. It covered the entire topside from the cannon blast!
A huge rumble shot though the ground as the acid hit the shield, the force was enough to make everyone present under it crouch or fall out of the air. Optimus watched in horror as his brother held it up, even if giant sparks were running up his figure.
Magnus yelled in the effort to hold up his shield. He’d never used this much elemental force at one time before, but he had to! He moved his arm back, and then shot it forwards. The acid shot off the shield like it a slingshot, and straight back into the New One’s faces!
The army around Magnus cheered, thinking they had won.
They were wrong.
Magnus’s mouth dropped open when the New Ones smirked evilly at them, casually wiping the acid off them as if it was just water.
It doesn’t affect them! Magnus realised in horror. They fired more of the bullets, and Magnus crumpled slightly as every bullet hit, sending him to his knees after the fifth shot. His body shook, and one of his optics was closed. He had to keep the shield up! He had to!

Optimus watched in mounting horror, and then decided he had to help some way! He wouldn’t let his brother down!
“All elementals, lets go!” He shouted and ran forwards, the others doing as he commanded. Optimus ran up next to his brother and shot darkness though the shield, which allowed him to because it was an elemental power. It shot though the New Ones like a hot knife though butter, and stopped the cannon from attacking. Elemental beams shot from all directions, all combined to destroy the New Ones.
But then, the shield disappeared.
Everyone kept attacking as the New Ones activated the damaged cannon, or tried to. Starscream’s electricity, combined with both Vortex’s wind power and Thundercracker’s water power had short-circuited the huge gun, and it seemed the New Ones were having trouble firing it!
Optimus looked down next to him, and saw Magnus had collapsed in statis lock from using his powers too much. He would tend to him in a moment, after he dealt with the New Ones.
That was when a huge blast sent both him and his brother flying. The cause was the New One’s leader had shot a huge bomb directly at his feat, and he had not noticed until the last second. He had just managed to grab Magnus’s hand as he and his brother landed some 500 metres away from the battlefield.
“Domia! Cataso! Go after those two!” Optimus heard the leader command, “Go after those two, and don’t let them live! We have to retreat from here otherwise we wont get the Orb of Life from this planet!”
The Orb of Life? Optimus pondered, but grasped the situation at hand. Picking up his unconscious brother, he ran into the nearby forest. He heard the sound of the two jets fly overhead.
“I’ve gotta hide somewhere …” Optimus said aloud, and then saw it – A cave. Perfect!
He ran in, just as the two jets Domia and Cataso landed. One looked female, while the other looked a bit like a sleaze.
“Oh so now were alone and all …” The male one said suggestively. Optimus placed his brother on the ground at the end of the cave, and quietly snuck up to the entrance of it to watch these two.
“Don’t even try, Domia!” The female one said. Optimus figured out that she must be the one called Cataso.
“Oh but your so – oof!” Optimus heard a loud clang, and guessed Cataso had struck Domia down.
“C’mon you idiot, we have to find those two Transformers!” He heard the femme one say. It was then Optimus saw them both. Domia had a large dent in his face, and Optimus almost snickered. It was a shame he’d have to kill these two if they tried to kill him.
Then, they rounded the large pile of metal that shielded him from them and they stopped dead. They both stayed still as statues, then Domia attacked.
“Yaaaaaaaa –agh!” He yelled out when the femme struck him in the head.
“You idiot! Just announce we’re here, stupid!” She yelled at him.
“Sorry!” He replied, rubbing his head.
Optimus couldn’t help it, he laughed at the two, who looked at him bewildered.
“You … you think we’re funny?” The femme said.
“A little.” He replied, not dropping his guard.
“Hey Domia,” Cataso said to her companion, “this guy we’ve been sent to kill likes our jokes!”
“He does?” Domia replied. “I wouldn’t know, as I seem to have a problem with my audio receptors from all the times you whacked them!”
Optimus chuckled again as the two argued, but kept on his guard. This maybe what they want …
Cataso looked over at him and said, “You know, you’re not a bad bot!”
“Yeah.” Domia said, “We can’t kill the one bot who likes our jokes, even if he is the enemy!”
“Okay then!” Cataso turned to Optimus and said, “Hey mate! Can you chuck us a bit of your armour? That way we can say we killed you, and prove it.”
“Er … okay.” Optimus said and looked at his shoulder. There was a loose bit there due to a laser having singed him during the battle. He ripped off a small bit, and chucked it to their feet. “Here you go.”
“Thanks mate!” Cataso said cheerfully and picked it up, walking away.
Optimus watched with a smile under his faceplate, when Domia yelled at his companion that they would be killed for liking Optimus. I guess they aren’t all bad. He thought, as the two took to the sky, his red armour in Cataso’s hand.
A groan alerted him back to the real situation at hand. Optimus turned and rushed back down to the end of the cave where Magnus was. He slowly got up as Optimus kneeled next to him, not wanting to touch him in case he became angered by it.
Getting to his hands and knees, Magnus looked up at Optimus and fell back down on the ground.
“Magnus, you should rest. You're exhausted.” Optimus said gently.
Magnus pushed himself up again, and managed to sit up with his hands on the ground to support himself. “I don’t need to rest …”
“Yes you do, stop being silly.” Optimus said a bit sterner.
Magnus shot him a glare, “Why should I listen to you?”
“Because I’m your brother-“ Optimus was caught off guard when his brother grabbed him by the shoulders, slamming him against the wall of the cave.
“Yeah some brother you are!” He yelled. “My brother – who abandoned his own kind when they needed him the most! ABANDONED ME!”
Optimus didn’t know what to say.
“You just flew off into space after that Galvatron character died, thinking that everything would be alright for me and your people! We had a whole planet, a broken planet, to fix – and we needed someone to command us in the operations. A guardian to overlook the planet. And we all wanted you to be that someone. But you left! YOU LEFT!”
Tears started to spill out of Magnus’s optics, but he payed no attention and continued his verbal onslaught.
“And I thought to myself, well, he’ll be coming back. He always comes back! But you didn’t, for 500 years! For that long I’ve had to spend with only nightmares as company! I couldn’t recharge, I couldn’t focus on anything! And it was me they looked up to, to be their leader. And I didn’t have the focus at all, because all that I wanted was you to come back and let us be happy again!”
He punched his brother’s chest twice in overwhelming anger.
“Th- the nightmares became worse as the time went on, but I heard from one of Jetfire’s friends – Ultrasound – that they had seen someone like you at Elementus. So I took the next ship and went there myself. And I then found out about the elements …”
An insane grin spread across Magnus’s face. Optimus just watched on with growing sorrow and guilt.
“I got the Cloak of Psychic, and I used it to get out of many dangerous situations. I deliberately went to the war planet – Strafflecon– to fight its people, to try and keep my mind off the pain. Off the nightmares that always threatened to plague me whenever I recharged!”
“But then, 400 years after you had gone, and saved the planet, I came back to Cybertron. I was beaten, and broken. But I kept myself that way until Red Alert insisted that he fixed me. It was the worst day of my life, and do you know why?”
Optimus shook his head a little, and Magnus growled and screamed, “BECAUSE IT ALLOWED ME TO THINK OF YOU!”
He punched his brother’s chest again.
“Here I was, on my home planet, scared to recharge. Scared to even go back to Polyhex because it reminded me of you. I couldn’t even go home, and all because you had left me here … alone!”
Magnus’s face contorted with sadness and pain, tears shining on his face, “Why did you go? You just … left …”
His emotions overcame him, and he fell down on his brother’s chest, his fist still punching him as he cried. “Why – y – y – y …?”
“Magnus …” Optimus finally said, wrapping his arms around his brother’s shaking body. “I … I didn’t realise … I didn’t think.”
Magnus subconsciously wrapped his other arm around Optimus’s back as he continued to sob.
“I’m so very sorry that you had to deal with that.” Optimus said, trying to comfort his brother while still trying to quell the shock of what he had said. “I left because I knew I couldn’t handle the responsibility of being a guardian of the planet. And I had to think about it before I came back. I’m sorry I never told you, and I regret it.”
Magnus opened his optics, and quietened down a bit, listening.
“I know I … can’t repay you for those years, but I promise. I promise I wont ever leave you again.”
Silence followed. Magnus stopped crying soon after, and felt somehow relieved that he had got that out of his system. He realised that – by keeping his emotions bottled up like that – he had not done himself or Optimus any good. He shifted a bit, so he was now sitting on his brother’s lap with his head against his brother’s chest. The arm he had used to hit his brother reached up and hung loosely on Optimus’s shoulder.
“What can I do to ever repay you?” Optimus said, pulling his brother closer and resting his chin on the top of Magnus’s head.
Magnus closed his optics, a small grin surfaced on his face, “Stay with me … make them go away, like you always did …”
Optimus smiled and said, “I will …”
Magnus sighed, finally drifting off to recharge, at last he would have a pleasant dream …
Optimus absently stroked the red mechs shoulder, lost in thought. He smiled as he too drifted off, remembering the first time this happened …

+++

Optimus woke up in his room. It was a bit after midnight, and he spun his head around for the source of his sudden waking from his recharge. He thought he had heard someone scream …
He looked over to his brother’s recharge bed, and found that he was curled up in a ball on his bed. He was shaking like crazy.
“Magnus?” Optimus sat up.
Upon hearing his name, his brother looked up. His face screwed up with sadness and he said, “Optimus!” he ran over and leapt on his brother in a hug.
“Magnus?!” Optimus said, surprised to find his brother crying in his arms. “What’s the matter?!”
“I had a bad dream!” He said, muffled because his head was buried in Optimus’s chest. “I’ve h-had them for a w-week now! I can’t recharge!!!”
Optimus gasped. This was why Magnus had been so drowsy during class! He couldn’t recharge!
“Oh Magnus!” Optimus said, cradling his brother, “Why didn’t you tell me? Or Red Alert? He’s good with these types of things.”
“I – I didn’t want anyone to laugh at me!” Magnus bawled.
“Oh what nonsense!” Optimus said, exasperated. Picking him up, he swung back on his bed and said, “Now, I want you to recharge right now!”
Magnus made a whining noise and shook his head.
“Oh yes you will, or, “He smirked. “I’ll tell Jetfire who pulled that highly amusing prank on him with that toffee energon …”
Magnus shot his head up. Optimus’s optics twinkled.
“You wouldn’t …” Magnus said warningly.
“You know I would.” Optimus said. He pushed his brother’s head against his chest and said, “Recharge.”
“Alright, alright …” Magnus muttered, closing his optics.

The next morning, Optimus was woken up by a cry of delight. Opening his optics, he saw his brother prancing around the room, saying, “You made the nightmares go away! You made them go! You made them go! You made them go! Woohoo!”
Optimus couldn’t help but laugh along with his brother. From then onwards, Magnus always recharged next to his brother. For some reason, whenever he was near him while he recharged, Magnus never got a single nightmare. It was a beautiful thing, as their teacher Scavenger said. The green mech told the two that because they were so close to one another in spirit, like the duel elements, they could help one another in ways that none other could do. When Magnus asked what they were, Scavenger replied that they were two elements that couldn’t exist without the other. If one died, then the other would become bitter and full of hate. Therefore, he said that Optimus and Magnus should never leave each other in case that happened …

+++

‘Consumed with memories,
that preceded to die.
Given a chance to bereave,
life that's slipping away.
Suffered through tragedy,
dragged my soul away.

All that I know,
absence of mortality.
Revive all my fears.
Revive wasted tears.
Revive void within.
Revive once again...
Again...
Again...

Forsaken by destiny,
forsaken by my own mind.
I must remove my skin,
to see belief in your eyes.

All that I know,
absence of humanity.
Revive all my fears.
Revive wasted tears.
Revive void within.
Revive once again...
Again...

Reach for the sky,
Touch the sky,
Revive a hope,
For mankind.’

It was late into the night when Magnus awoke. The two had gone to sleep at midday after all, so it was like waking up from a decent sleep.
Magnus slowly opened his optics. At last, he thought, smiling, a pleasant dream …and a decent recharge!
He chuckled at the last thought. He felt his youthfulness that he had submerged in his mind over the last 500 years, come back to him in a blast. It was a wonderful feeling, being able to think about normal things again and not have all the hate inside him anymore. He would probably never get over it, but at least now he felt back to somewhat normal …
He looked up at his brother. He was still recharging peacefully, arms loosely wrapped around his brother and his head still resting on top of Magnus’s own. Magnus shifted his head, and the former’s head flopped down onto the top of his chest. Magnus stifled a laugh.
It was just then that Magnus remembered the bond he had put on his brother. If he kept it on him any longer, it could start to hurt him! Lifting his hand up, Magnus rested it on the golden plate on his brother’s forehead. It glowed for a moment, and then Optimus suddenly groaned, his optics glowing.
“What did you do now?” He muttered, yawning and stretching his arms.
“Removed that bond I put on you.” His brother replied, sitting up a bit and also stretching, “That was the best recharge I’ve had in a long time …”
“Mmm …” Optimus was still sleepy. “We should get back to base, you know …”
Magnus slapped a hand to his head and said, “I forgot!”
Optimus blinked, then laughed loudly, ignoring his brother’s quizzical look.
“Come on.” He said, motioning for Magnus to get off him so he could stand. They did, and both transformed. The two united brothers headed back to base.

***

The base was in chaos! They couldn’t find their two leaders at all and they had scanned, searched and scanned more for the two lost transformers. Scavenger then ordered everyone to cease the search, for he had figured out something.
“I think if those two wanted to be found, the would have shown up by now.” He said.
“But what if they’ve be captured?” Sideswipe said fearfully.
“I doubt that.” Said a voice.
The crew turned to find Optimus and Magnus standing at the door.
“Optimus! Magnus!” Hoist shouted and ran over, along with the rest of the crew. They all asked where they had been, and Optimus merely said that he had been chased by the New Ones and hidden in a cave, and that they couldn’t contact anyone until they had gone. They seemed convinced by this story, but Scavenger (who was in his chair again) gave Magnus a knowing look.

“You know what those two were like didn’t you?” Red Alert said to Scavenger.
“Yes.” He replied, a smile coming to his face. “And I’m sure Magnus will be a lot happier now.”

***

A roar of fury echoed around the control room at many decibels too high for comfort. The New Ones and Iseno cowered and covered their audio receptors. Their death toll was now 124, and the high lord was not impressed.
“You are lucky we are in desperate need of their orb or I might’ve sent you home by now!” He snarled.
“P – p – please sir!” Iseno stuttered, “It’s those elemental bot’s! They are-“
“SILENCE!” He roared, and relaxed a bit, “I already know it is those elemental cloaks that are making the transformers more powerful, so I have a way around that.”
“You have a cloak?” Iseno said, surprised.
The high lord smirked. “And a wielder.”
“How many.”
Silence, then, “One.”