They walked towards the door, side by side as the cloaks on their backs swayed with them. They stopped at the door, and they turned to each other.
“This is it.” Optimus said. “We might not ever come back out of here … this is the end.”
Magnus nodded and said, “I’m glad you returned. I don’t know if I’ve ever had more fun before.”
“Fun?!” Optimus said, bewildered, “I would hardly call this fun.”
Magnus chuckled and said, “Lets just hope for the best. We cant wish for anything more.”
Optimus nodded, and then reached out and hugged his brother. Magnus returned the hug, and he sensed Optimus’s fear of becoming his evil alternate ego again as he did, but Magnus said in response, “Don’t think about that.”
Optimus smiled, and they released each other; and they opened the door.
Inside there was a chamber composed of a desk and a chair and facing six-view screens. On the desk was the Orb of Life, glowing brightly and illuminating the room. It stopped glowing when they entered, and the chair spun around.
On it was a Stormian – morphed into the form of a transformer like the rest – but this one was at least as big as Optimus’s super mode. He was completely black, but had silver highlights on his slender form. He looked like he would transform into a space shuttle by the wings on his back like Jetfire’s. His head was black, and his optics were bright red. They glowed in the now dim room like pricks of fire, and they narrowed when he saw the two Duel element bearers.
“Welcome, Cybertronians,” He said in his deep voice, “To your doom.”

***

The teams traded blasts of elemental power and the lasers from various guns. Skywarp kept them very busy with his Ice Element, which no one had guessed would be so powerful. The frozen Stormians were blasted by the others and blown to smithereens, but it was then the Stormians sensed that the three bots – Medivo, Razorblast and Electrica – were not fighting as well as the others. So, they decided to take them …
“What the?!” Razorblast cried as he was lifted up and thrown into the large hole in the ground that no one had noticed there before. It was a moment to realise that it was a trap that had been set up there to trap enemies, but it worked well as a cage also. Medivo followed Razorblast into the hole, but Electrica gave her captor an one million volt electric shot. The Stormian screamed as the lightning surged though him, and Electrica jumped away. The dishevelled Stormian was about to go at her again, when a second bolt of lightning – much stronger than the first – shocked him to his death. Electrica looked over to see Starscream with a smirk on his face, his hand sparking. Electrica gave him a thumbs up before trying to rescue the others from their prison, but as she looked inside the hole, they were not there!
“What the?!” She cried, but saw them being taken inside the castle. While the others continued to fight, she slipped in after them. She heard the boys fighting against them, but another thought surfaced in her mind: why do they want them? Why do they want us?
The Energy.
She gasped as she remembered. The energy from Earth! It’s Orb was probably much more powerful than the Cybertron one, and the Minicons had told them that they could use the power only once. Was this what they wanted?
She followed the Stormians along the hall, flying near the roof.

***

“I’ve been expecting you.” The High Lord said. He clapped his hands once, and the dim lights came on.
Now the brothers could see him clearer. He was actually both black and a deep blue, and he seemed almost Cybertronian. But no one from Cybertron could have had such a wicked face, not even Megatron. It was pure black with deep red optics. If there were no light, they wouldn’t have been able to make out any of his facial features at all.
Magnus growled and said, “Why did you order an attack on hour planet?”
The Stormian didn’t seem to hear him, or maybe he chose to ignore the question. He strode to the cabinet on the wall casually, as if this happened everyday, and took out a blood red sword. It was like a curvy form of Magnus’s light sabre, as it glowed as soon as its owner took hold of it. The High Lord got into a stance and said, “Light bearer, I believe sword play is your specialty.”
Magnus bit back another growl, and looked over at Optimus. He was starting to feel the shadows now that Primus’s light had died out. He touched his shoulder and said, “Be strong.” And took out his light sabre. All he knew now was that beating this guy would end all this madness.
“I accept.” Magnus said, also getting into a stance. His cloak disappeared in a flash of light, and the High Lord flinched. Magnus then figured out something to his advantage … Light hurts this guy … and badly.
They stood there, daring each other to make the first move, but it was Magnus who broke the stale mate. He charged forward, bringing his light sabre down in a slash. The High lord dodged, just like Magnus knew he would, and tripped him with his leg. He stumbled, but blocked the sword strike from the Light bearer.
Optimus watched as the battle took place. It was taking all his power to keep himself sane … but then he sensed something. It was in the planet itself, trying to reach out to him. He decided to heed it, and let the message come though.
>Combine the Dark,
Combine the Light,
Let it be a pleasant sight.
Combine the Dark,
Combine the Light,
Let me heal from its might. <
The poem relayed in his audio receptors like he had actually heard it. The planet was out of balance, and he asked: will destroying the High Lord do this?
>Lord is afraid of the light,
You must make him see right,
Lord is afraid of the light,
But killing him will save me right. <
“Magnus!” Optimus cried out.
“I’m a little busy right now!” He shouted back as the Lord continued to fight him. They exchanged blows, and Magnus managed to slice the Lord’s shoulder. He yelled out in pain, and sliced Magnus’s hover component on his shoulder. He smirked, he couldn’t feel that.
“Blast him with light!” Optimus shouted and crumpled to his knees, the darkness was mentally killing him. He needed the light!
Magnus focused on his other hand, and managed to blast him with a small ball of light. The High Lord screamed and reeled back, clutching his chest where Magnus had hit him. He then smirked and laughed, his head thrown up to the ceiling. Magnus watched with confusement; he didn’t know what was so funny.
It was then the High Lord smirked at him and said, “You are on a planet of darkness; what makes you think your light is any match for the darkness here?! Look at your brother! He can’t even handle it and he is the bearer of Darkness!”
Clouds of dark energy began to form around the High Lord, and he said, “All light … must DIE!”
A huge blast of darkness shot from his palms in an attack. Magnus ducked and rolled to the side, only just avoiding the blast. It was then Magnus realised that Optimus was now no longer Optimus. He looked over with dread as he realised that he had become Nemesis Prime once again …
“You cant save him now.” The High Lord said, watching as Nemesis walked into the centre of the room, facing the window. “He is a creature of Darkness now …”

***

“I am Iseno.”
The Stormian stood before the Cybertronians. He had never come out into battle before now, but he was eager to show off his skills. While they were fighting the others, he had decided to come in and turn the tides.
Hotshot looked up to see the Stormian and said, “You’re no different from the others to me!”
Iseno growled and shouted, “You will pay for your insolence!” He flew down to meet him, and the two duelled.

***

Electrica saw the Stormians toss her brothers into a cage at the far end of the corridor. After they left, she floated down and saw them trying to get out of the bounds that bound them. She landed and they started to talk, but she hushed them and shocked the locks. They unlocked and the boys quickly got out.
“What was all that about?” Medivo hissed.
“I think they want the Earth’s energy you guys,” Electrica said, “I don’t think we should call it here to help us …”
“No.” Medivo said. “We have to.”
“All right, if you say so …” Electrica replied, and they closed their optics. They focused on the power of Earth … tried to reach it as much as they could.
And it responded.

***

“Optimus!” Magnus shouted. The black transformer didn’t hear him, or maybe, didn’t take notice of him. He straight ahead out the window in the middle of the battlefield. He didn’t move an inch, and Magnus was getting worried, but also curious. Whenever Optimus had gone to his alt. ego he would go on a rampage and destroy anything. So why not now?
“Creature of Darkness,” The High Lord said, his voice smug and a grin teasing his lips. “Your power is awesome … I can feel it. Why not become partners? I could use a noble warrior like you. Join me.”
Nemesis Prime did not move.
The Lord’s smile disappeared like water falling off his face and said, “Ignore me, will you? Not a good way to start a partnership.”
Magnus watched, slumped against the wall opposite the High Lord. If he didn’t know better, he’d say Optimus was in control of his body. But how could that be? Magnus closed his optics, and focused … the energy off his brother … it was different that Nemesis Prime’s …
And it was growing …
Suddenly, Magnus’s optics shot open and he stood up, knowing exactly what Nemesis Prime planned to do. The High Lord was about to say something else, moving forward a step, when Magnus cried out, “Do it Optimus!”
The Stormian looked over his way in surprise, but it was too late to hold back what Nemesis Prime had gathered from the planet. He rose up his hands, and the High Lord stepped backwards, not knowing what was going on, but slowly, he realised as Nemesis began to glow with a black field of darkness gathered from the planet. He then shot it at The Stormian in a huge blast of pure black energy. It his its intended target with the force of a small bomb, and Nemesis held it steady. The wall crumbled, and the High Lord was buried.
Nemesis looked exhausted. Magnus watched with helplessness as his brother fought off the dark energy in his mind. He felt it too.
A huge explosion erupted from the rubble of Nemesis’s attack. The High Lord shot up, encased in a fiery purple glow. He was furious to have bee pummelled so easily in his own arena of power.
“This is my planet!” He roared. “You cannot defeat me on my own ground!”
He flew at Nemesis with blinding speed, and they collided their hands in a test of strength. They struggled, and they both drew on the power of the planet to their advantage. Magnus watched on, but knew he could do nothing.
It was then Nemesis Prime unleashed his trump card.
The High Lord reeled back as cables and dark energy started to form the Dark Sabre. Unlike the Star Sabre, it was not a Minicon weapon in Nemesis’s hands.
The glowing sword sparked out huge bolts of black lightning as the High Lord summoned his own sword to start the battle. The whole castle shook with the power of the two Dark warriors.
The launched. A huge CLANG rang though the room like a bell of doom as the two duelled. The ebony sword met the crimson one in a clash of tyrannic force as the sparks flew off like a firework. Finally, Nemesis managed to get a hit, and slashed the Stormians torso. He gasped and spat out some blood, but slashed the black Prime in the leg. He fell, tired from his struggle to keep control. The High Lord smirked, and got ready for the killing blow.
That was when a huge white arrow shot though his chest and slammed him into a wall. He screamed as the light seared though his circuits and the burning of the Light in his body. He fell, and did not get back up.
Magnus lowered the bow of light he had formed. It had taken him a while to learn the move, but he now knew it would come in handy to defeating the New Ones. He looked over at his brother, and saw that his colours were turning back to normal.
“O – Optimus!” Magnus cried out, stuck between concern and shock. He ran over to his fallen brother, and skidded to a kneel beside him.
“Optimus!” He gasped, and turned his brothers body over rather roughly, but it didn’t matter. Magnus gasped in shock as he saw his brother almost offline. He had used … all of his energy in that attack. It must have been hard to keep his dark form sane and summon the planet’s energy. He must have had to use his dark form to summon the power needed for the blast. It was just like when Magnus had used his shield move against the New Ones cannon, except only more so.
Optimus coughed and his optics glowed a bit, and Magnus smiled a bit. But it wasn’t much, and Magnus’s smile faded.
“Optimus …” Magnus murmured, and Optimus reached up with his hand to clasp his brother’s shoulder.
“I’m …. out …” Optimus whispered.
“No your not – AHHH!” Magnus screamed as a blast shot him off his feet. He managed to keep hold of Optimus as he smashed though the wall of the castle, and fell down at least a hundred feet. He looked up to see the High Lord’s triumphant smile as they fell, and he walked back inside. Perfect.
Magnus activated his jet boosters on his back an instant from hitting the ground, but only managed to spiral away from the castle as a stray blast from inside the castle sent him rocketing over the surface of Stormus. They finally came to a rest some distance away, and it took awhile for them to even move. Magnus then twitched and lifted his aching head. One look at Optimus told him that he was indeed almost out, but he wouldn’t give up so easy. He painfully sat up, and saw that they had come to rest some way away from the battle in front of the castle, and on some kind of ritual structure.
He clasped his brother by the shoulders and hauled him up, making him face the red and black mech.
“Optimus!” He demanded. “I know you still function! I can still feel your energy. Primus damn it will you talk?!”
Optimus remained silent, but Magnus refused to believe for a second that he might be dead.
Fury welled up on Magnus’s face, combined with the torture of anguish, “This isn’t fair! None of this has been fair! Why - ” His head dropped down, like he was trying to stop those tears from flooding out of his optics. His head shot up as he continued to pour his spark out to someone who couldn’t hear. “Primus dammit why do you always do this?! You … You …” He stopped again. “Why must you always abandon me?!
“I don’t even know why I got the Cloak of Light now … I’ve felt nothing but Darkness for the past 500 years. This,” He couldn’t face the truth. “This just isn’t FAIR!!!”
The last word echoed though the deserted wasteland. The distant sounds of battle seemed so meaningless now. Two tears leaked out of Magnus optics when he gazed upon his lifeless brother, and he let his head fall on to his chest, letting the tears fall freely now. A few moments passed before Magnus got a grip on himself. Optimus wasn’t dead. He WASN'T DEAD!
Placing a hand on his now lying brother’s chest, Magnus focused on the darkness of the planet. This was going to hurt him; he knew it could kill him. But he had to save Optimus … he just did.
The clouds of darkness started to form around the Light bearer. He shut off his optics, waiting for the pain as the darkness slowly entered his brother’s body. But it didn’t hurt. Magnus opened his optics as he watched with fascination as the clouds of darkness swirled around his brother and entering his body by his command, reviving him. The Darkness was supposed to hurt the Light until they were united, so why wasn’t it hurting him?
Unless …
Optimus moaned, his optics coming online. Magnus looked down at him, and ceased the flow of energy to his body with a wave of his hand. The excess clouds faded and disappeared as soon as Magnus cut the flow, and the red and black mech watched as his brother sat up, staring at him with wide optics.
“How?” He said weakly.
He could have said more, but his opportunity was lost as Magnus embraced him in a tight hug. No words needed to be said as Optimus slowly realised what a fright he must of given Magnus for being out, nearly dead, for that long. Then he focused on the task at hand and realised what he had to now do to end this. He had sensed that the High Lord would fall as soon as the light returned, and he now realised why the Darkness would no longer hurt Magnus, or the Light would not hurt him.
The elements were ready to be re-united.
“Magnus.” Optimus said, pulling away gently.
Magnus blinked at him. He didn’t he would be able to say anything anyway with the enormous relief he was feeling without crying in happiness.
“You know what we need to do now.” Optimus said, standing up. “We need to mesh the elements together on this planet. Only then will this planet be saved and the High Lord defeated.”
“I can’t use my element.” Magnus said softly, also standing. The looked over at the castle and Magnus continued. “Not without a source of light from another place.”
That was when a sudden stream of sunshine like light began to shimmer down. On closer inspection, it was energy; and it was coming to them. At the castle, they saw a glow, and they realised …

…The three newbies stood in a circle, their hands intertwined. They had called for their old ally … the energy of Earth. Electrica then sent the light a message, and it in turn sent it to Magnus.
>Here is your light … use it …<

***

The High Lord screamed as the tiny part of the light shined on him. It wasn’t like the light he used in his lights in the castle, but pure, whole light. He ran back to his desk, and hid from the light.
You are weak …
The almighty Stormian gasped as the Cybertron orb suddenly glowed intensely with the same pure light. He screamed in pain, but he would not be beaten that easily.
Now Ultra Magnus … let the Light and Dark be one …
Primus’s light joined that of Earth’s.

***

That was all the encouragement Magnus needed. Turning to Optimus, he said, “Ready?”
“As ready as I could ever be.” Was the reply.
They walked to the centre of the podium like structure they had landed on from their fall. It only just occurred to them that this ritual podium had markings on the weathered ground. At one end there was a sun where Magnus stood; and at the other end there was a moon; where Optimus stood. In the middle was the sign of Ying and Yang, and around the edge of the decorated circle there were little holes, as if some unseen energy would burst up from there. The pillars that rose around the edges seemed to curve in mostly, but at the tips they pointed outward.
Magnus and Optimus then raised their arms in a ‘T’ shape, and began to focus on their element. The cloaks that they had removed of came back in a flash of elemental colour, and they began to glow in their elemental colours; white and black.
Suddenly, the pillars activated. They glowed blue with energy, and created a dome around the two Transformers. The elements pulsed as one side of the dome remained black and the other white, refusing to combine. Magnus and Optimus then moved their hands down in front of them, and slowly stepped up to the middle sign of Ying and Yang. They brought the dome with them as the elements started to mesh together.
“When all that has been made fails,” They somehow knew the words to speak, as if they had been planted there since the beginning of time. “And hope is gone. Let the element force restore all …”
They linked hands, fingers intertwining together.
The dome suddenly meshed together, sending off shades of Darkness and Light around the air and making the entire planet aware of their presence.

The battle seemed to be put on standstill as the warriors all turned to see the shimmering dome of black and white. All around, Stormians and Transformers all dropped their guns and weapons as the Light and Darkness started to work together to restore what had been lost.

Magnus and Optimus each opened their optics.
“Light is Darkness. They are one.” Magnus said.
“Darkness is Light. They are one.” Optimus said.
The pillars glow intensified as the transformers suddenly released their Elements into the dome. Their hands were still linked together as they threw their heads back and shouted the activating words to restore all.
“NOCTURNUS ILLUSTRO!”

The dome sent off a huge beam of black and white energy, and the pillars reflected it. The whole planet was bathed in the energy of the Duel elements finally joined together, and felt it start to restore what was lost. The High Lord screamed as he felt the light and darkness rip though him … and his ashes were blown away by the wind. The Dome faded to see the clouds open up, and the black ink faded from them to reveal them to be a light shade of blue. The sky lightened as the blast of their suns suddenly shined down on them all. The Stormians – some having never seen the sun, shielded their eyes. They were back to normal now; creatures in all colours of the rainbow. Some that had seen it but long lost the feel of the sun on their skins, cried out in joy at the sight as though it were some god. The Orb of Cybertron floated down to the warriors at the door, who had stared in stunned fascination at the sight, shone at them and said;
They restored all.
“Primus.” Hotshot breathed. The Orb then fell into his hands.
The planet was no longer the stormy, black planet it was when they arrived. It was like someone had re-added the colour to a black and white picture that had been water washed. The ground was red and shades of green, while the sky was a pale purple with blue, wispy clouds slowly moving across lazily.
“We did it.” Scavenger said, looking at the celebrating Stormians. “We … “
“Unlike you to be at a loss of words, Scavenger.” Jetfire pointed out. The said mech shot him a glare, but the smile on his face gave away his true feelings.
“Starscream! You guys!”
The transformers turned to see Electrica, Medivo and Razorblast running out of the castle, waving and beaming at the sight before them.
“You guys escaped!” Hoist said as they ran out. Unlike the boys, who stopped when they reached the Transformers, Electrica ran right up to the Red seeker and jumped on him in a hug.
“Electrica!” He cried out in surprise, but hugging her back out of instinct.
She nuzzled against his shoulder and said, “Your okay …”
He blinked, but smiled and hugged her tighter.
The rest of them then joined in the celebrations with the Stormians, as they apologised over and over for taking their orb and trying to hurt them. They explained that they were hypersensitive to the elements too, and since the balance had been destroyed, they were destroyed along with it. Hotshot looked over at the place where the light and dark elements had been released, and almost heard Primus when he spoke from the orb in his hands,
They are alright …they will return …

The two element bearers were collapsed on the ritual platform, each facing the opposite way. They were lying on their sides, and they seemed drained of power.
Optimus twitched. His optics opened slightly, then fully when he saw the land. He managed to push himself up on his hands and knees, but then collapsed again. The power drain was too much for him. But he could see the land even from lying on his side. It was bright … and happy.
Magnus stirred soon after. He managed to sit up and stay up, looking over the land. He smiled, and looked down at Optimus. Optimus looked back, and suddenly remembered how much he missed his brother looking content like he did now. It was a look of total peace, and it gave him the strength to push himself up again on his arms. He looked over the land again and then returned his gaze to his brother.
He said, “We did it.” He looked back over the land and said, “We won.”