Harvali

IC Kanohi - Tobduk-Koro The visions were becoming more and more constant, the time Kanohi could see the current cycle grew briefer and briefer. It was overwhelming. But Kanohi was used to being overwhelmed, every day anxiety threatened to engulf him. It was just as constant, and it was never going away. Though maybe the visions would slow again when the cycle ended. What would that be like? Would Tobduk-Koro survive? Would some folks greet the new day like nothing had changed? Or would the next cycle merely take elements of this island to the nest t? Or would anything be retained at all? It was terrifying to think of reality being lost. Everything they had done, everything they had worked for, possibly coming to nothing in the end. All the culture and growth, lost. The anxiety was constant. So Kanohi did what his old Turaga told him long ago, and focused on what he could manage. Kanohi’s destiny was not to be a Toa or a great inventor, his was to mend the world a little bit at a time. Fix a worn down wall, mend a tool, rescue someone trapped in a ravine. Make some simple disks. Just make the cruel world a little kinder. ”Are you back?” Kanohi nodded, and Bode grabbed his wrists and helped walk him down the village, ready to catch him if the Matoran became unsteady from a vision. Weeds sprouted from every step Bode took, new life pursuing them. Kanohi paused to tap a wall with his Kiril Staff, mending it. For now, it was best he not rely on grappling. If he grappled away when a vision struck, he could slam into someone, maybe cause them injury. So for now, Bode watched him. ”Thank you. You … you didn’t have to let me stay in the village,” Bode interrupted suddenly. “You have done terrible things. So have many of us. I … I abandoned my homeland as the league destroyed it, I think. What matters now is what we do next, to make the future a little kinder.” ”You think you abandoned them?” ”The memories are a blur. Less real than … other things.” Like visions. And speaking of such things, Kanohi’s stumbled as his breath engulfed his vision. Storm clouds overwhelmed him as he huddled under a layer of seaweed, laying low. Through a crack he could see reptilian beasts flying overhead, storm clouds chasing after them. He shook his head as he heard a shout, and Bode clenching his wrist. “This is Tobduk-Koro?” ”Yes, there’s a voice from the ravine, someone fell in. I have walked you close to there but—” Kanohi nodded and struck his staff to the ground, shoving Bode’s weeds out of the ground. He did not want the cliff destabilized. Then the Fe-Matoran aimed his Volo Lutu Launcher and fired, hurling towards the cliffs edge. The spots spun around him as he looked down, it was a Ta-Matoran. He seemed fine for the moment. Kanohi slumped against his staff calling out, “please wait,” before the visions took him again. His optics opened to see darkness. Colossal curved walls made up the sky, broken up only by scattered lightvines. He looked to his wrists, welded Volo Lutu Launchers again. But he seemed to wear gloves as well, both with a Lightstone glowing with a burnt orange light. Kanoka Blades? He turned to see a village besides him, lit in blue light, Matoran and former League members dancing and singing. And … there she was. He could see Toa Fehagah, the Toa of Okoto, the Iron Rose, making the crowd crowns of metal thorns in the style of the fabled Mask of Creation. There were Fe-Matoran and Bo-Matoran here as he would expect, but Ga-Matoran too, as well as other breeds. Kanohi started towards her, watching the Toa of the isolated village craft. Strange, she wore not a Kadin, but a Mask of Water Breathing. Why— Bode caught his wrist, right before Kanohi could plummet. The Fe-Matoran blushed and said, “thank you,” before thumping his staff. As the cliff-face strengthened he grappled to the opposing side of the ravine, landing besides the Ta-Matoran “Climb on.” He said, and the Matoran of Fire obliged. Straining under the weight he fired both launchers, hurling over the cliff. They landed in a heap, tumbling. Kanohi staggered upright, now in a cave. He could hear Mahi munching on grass, the cave floor was covered in weeds. He looked about, before realizing he had a display on his mask. He held up his arms, his launchers were the ones Knichou had made him, sleek and almost liquid. He turned as he saw a De-Matoran approach him with a crooked staff. “Something wrong, Akiri?” Bode asked. Kanohi’s optics focused, Bode was looking at him, they were in Tobduk-Koro. The Councilor nodded in thanks before the two walked on, they had more rounds to do. Ideally away from long falls.

IC Kanohi - Tobduk-Koro Kanohi was not not sure what to expect as he felt another vision coming. He was mending a patch of ground so a tent pole would be secured, when the regeneration wave dislodged a cloud of dust from the ground. The dust seemed to swirl and linger in the air, to his optics it engulfed him. He tried to lean on his staff, even as he felt wind rip around him. His vision was blinded by dust as he felt his body hurl upwards, all he could see was a sea of tan. He felt something squirming on him, felt cold lick his back. He shuddered, shaking his rattling back A whisper entered his senses, asking, “What disturbs you, friend?” The dust faded, and Kanohi looked around, his vision drifting. There was no land in sight, just an endless shallow sea. His arms, he eyed them, they were long and bulging, and he had no Volo Lutu Launchers built into them, not even the crude welded job of other visions. “Return to walking, Kanohi, the village cannot stay still long,” his head quaked, those words, he could not ignore them, they rang in his very thought, ricocheted in his sensors. He began to lumber on, as pillars of Protodermis radiated from each footstep, forming a mountain rage of pure metal behind him. Kanohi shook his head, this was wrong, his destiny was not to become a Toa. He tried to turn his head, only to see a large frill out of the corner of his optics. His heartlight shuddered in fear as he turned further to see a village built on his back, with tiny Matoran scurrying about, and a familiar Vortixx staring after him. H-he was a Tahtarok. He roared in horror, even as water splashed up from each step he took. The water soaked into his face, and he closed his eyes as water slammed into him. Foam engulfed his face, the white bubbles drenching his snout. And then the white began to evaporate, becoming a pale mist. Out of the mist emerged what looked like a Vo-Matoran, she was hurrying through cracked streets and broken broken homes. Her feet, they seemed almost to glide. He reached after her only to trip, smacking on his back. He laid there, gasping. Gradually he touched the ground, this was ice. She … she had frozen the ground? He looked to see the Matoran skating about, her feet radiating ice that she skated atop. As she swept through the ruin streets she bent over a chunk of debris pinning an Av-Matoran. Ice spread from her touch as her palms grasped the rock, the frost digging into the rubble. Then with a crack the rock shattered, freeing the Matoran of Light. The vigilante swerved away from the Matoran and resumed skating, charging straight at Kanohi, he shivered as he held up his hands to protect his head, even as she slammed into him. The Councilor smacked to the ground, staff fallen from his hands. He was back in Tobduk-Koro. Shakily he grabbed his Badge of Office stood up, using his staff as leverage on the ground. So many visions in such short time. It was undeniable. The cycle must be ending, and soon.

IC “Komisti” - Irnakk’s Tooth Komisti blushed a bit and waved their hands for Gnabol to stop. “N-no, don’t worry about it, it’s okay. Y-you know us Vortixx, conniving, desperate to be important. I probably was just trying to impress the group.” They laughed, even as they squeezed their sword hilt. The wall of fear was less thick now that they were leaving, and now Komisti was a bit confused, “You know, I … I kind of thought we were hear to destroy the volcano, or sabotage it. Or stop some sort of master of the volcano. Not to leave so soon.” They paused, why had they come here if they were only going to leave without accomplishing anything. Had … had Komisti ruined the plan that much? OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Toru Nui @Tarn … IC Mahrika - Aqua-Sphere The Desecrated Ga-Matoran nodded and turned around on her perch, before she hurled the disk of remove poison into Kas. It stuck his mask and the light in his mask began to flicker, fluctuating. Suddenly Mahrika was keenly aware that if her Illuminated Mask’s power had gotten stronger, so would have Kas. Could this disk even cleanse his mask? Finally the light died down, the mask cleansed. “Okay, do it now,” she shouted, before wincing. Right, she had her telepathic bond with Sorilax, she could have done this without needing to shout. Either way, it was up to One now. OOC: @Kal the Guardian @Unreliable Narrator @Burnmad @Eyru

Congrats everyone, we made it to the end. To celebrate the Six Kingdoms Trilogy and our future stories, I posted a fanfic about a version of my PC from the upcoming Xia game. That game is of course a long way off, but I felt like offering a little preview.

So it’s been a while since I posted a story here. Today however is the last day of Six Kingdoms Apocalypse, the final part in the trilogy of RPGs that brought me back to bzp. It’s been a wild time, met friends for the first time in nearly a decade, made some new ones, it’s been fun. And to celebrate, I figured I would post a new story. This one for once does not star Kanohi, this is about a PC I might use in the future for an RPG. This is a story about Matoran, and the flaws of their society. It takes place after the last canon pieces of Bionicle Gen 1, in a future after Marendar and Velika had been fought. Hopefully you folks enjoy this story, and here’s to Six Kingdoms. It’s been a fun ride. … Ko-Ka glided across the shattered streets, her feet sliding atop a cushion of ice. The cross-wired Ga-Matoran kicked her feet out as she skated, her hands outstretched as her fur-lined cloak billowed behind her. Blasts of light lit up the sky, frost covered the ground in unnatural patches. The very earth was a powder glued in place by a thick layer of ice, the city’s buildings crumbled under their own weight. Ko-Ka adjusted her hood to shield her optics from the light show as the city crumbled and cracked around her. The Matoran of Water hugged her cloak to her body with her left hand, even as she held her right hand outstretched, her servos fidgeting. Up ahead she could see a building crumbling, and she crouched to skate quicker. As she dived at it she clamped her hand around the walls, and from her hands frost erupted, plastering over the cracks in the concrete. Her vocal processor scratched as she screeched, “Get out of here, the building is collapsing.” Matoran and Agori piled out of the home, running out and tripping over their feet. She used her left hand to haul one up, shouting, “Take care, head for the south side of the city.” The Su-Matoran nodded and sprinted away, the group hurrying away. The building creaked as more of it cracked, and Ko-Ka planted both hands against it, solidifying it under a plaster of ice. Her optics narrowed as she continued to freeze over the wall commune home, even as explosive blasts of light hurled through the air. … Kofoka’s optics widened beneath her blue Noble Akaku. The Matoran of Water was crouching on her knees, pleading up to her Vo-Matoran friend. “Please, Vokarda,” The Ga-Matoran begged, “imagine if we could become Toa. Well, not Toa, but still. We could be heroes like the Voya-Nui Resistence. The Chronicler’s Company. Even Kanohi.” “Kofoka, a lot of weird people are mixed up in Project Mangai,” Vokarda sighed, “Vortixx, Dark Hunters, former servants of the Brotherhood—” “And a Turaga and a member of the Voya-Nui Resistance.” “Balta, who never even noticed one of his five closest companions was a total monster. If he had stopped Velika, maybe we would still have Toa.” “…Marendar killed the Toa.” “And Velika killed many too,” Vokarda shook her head, “no, Kofoka. I can’t join you. If you want to mutilate yourself for a chance at power, I won’t stop you. But I am not going to be experimented on with whatever they are planning. For one thing. Me and Mahrika have a date tonight, and I don’t want to risk crumbling her to bits.” “…F-fine. I will go alone,” Kofoka swallowed. … The lab of Project Mangai was a small Knowledge Tower, located on the north side of Metru-Nuva in the district of Ko-Metru. Ko-Matoran and De-Matoran eyed Kofoka as she walked through the frigid quiet streets, she was humming to herself, her wrists flapping at her sides. The buildings were marble white, with trace silver decorations. The windows were cyan, and the bulk of the buildings were crystalline, covered in harsh angles. Kofoka shivered as she walked, but was still too excited to complain. She eager clasped the door and slid it open, before happily walking into the building. Ko-Matoran eyed her as she approached, a few huffing in her direction. If she noticed their annoyance, she did not react. Instead she approached the front desk and said, “Um, excuse me, I am here to become a hero. Um, I mean, I am here for today’s K-Test.” She pulled a metal card out of her pocket, and passed it over. “Rrrrright,” the Ko-Matoran receptionist rolled his eyes as he handed the card back, “yeah, it checks out. Head back, third room—” But Kofoka was already gone, hurrying to the room. She knew the way. She hurried inside, only for someone to shout, “Hold it, Subject Ga-7.” She stopped as a Ko-Matoran technician approached her, and pointed outside, “wait out there. Subject Ce-3 is having her final K-Test now.” “Yeah, get out of here,” the Ce-Matoran spat. The blue and gold Matoran wore a dark blue Noble Kaukau, the navy translucent mask glinting. She was magnetized through electricity to a tight translucent metal container, which had a large slot in its back. A Ko-Matoran stood besides the slot, holding a large disk roughly the size of her mask. “Oh come now, there’s no harm,” offered Turaga Nuparu as he adjusted a few dials, “she’ll be undergoing the same kind of test shortly, she might as well be prepared.” “Agreed,” the Vortixx grinned a serpentine grin as traced their fingers against the Kanoka Blade that hung to their side, “but do not worry, friend. I will not let harm to to you.” Kofoka curtsied in thanks and sat cross legged on the floor, waiting. The Ko-Matoran sighed before lifted up the disk and dropped it into the machine’s slot. A lid slid over the slot, and the disk was pulled by mechanical arms into position in the machine, “Okay, beginning fusion process now,” Turaga Nuparu smiled as he flipped a few switches, and the machine began to tremble. Steam began to vent out of it as it compressed, and the disk began to to ripple. The Ga-Matoran watched with awe as the mechanical arms began to push the disk against Ce-3’s back, and she immediately let out a gasp in pain. She clenched up as tubing inside the machine began to pump a brightly glowing liquid, dripping into her body and the disk. Waves of energy emitted from inside the machine, bombarding Ce-3, the liquid and the disk. The Matoran of Psionics screeched out as the power pounded against her, and Kofoka stood up. “Is … is she going to be okay?” As Ce-3 shuddered the disk was pushed against her back, and slowly it seemed to stretch and squeeze into the cracks in her metal chassis. The Matoran of Psionics let out a moan as the disk sunk through her armor, gasping out loudly. Kofoka reached her hand towards the machine. “A-are you okay?” She asked, as Ce-3 shuddered inside the machine. “F-fine,” The blue and gold Matoran spat, even as the machinery began to hiss. Chunks of the chamber began to crack, and her body began to crack too. Her armor grew jagged as parts of it crumbled away, and her mask began to dissolve. The Vortixx lunged off from their platform, rushing to the chamber. Kofoka was not far behind, springing at her fellow Matoran. With their long arms the Vortixx forced the chamber open and tore Ce-3 free, dropping her on the floor. “Careful, friend.” Kofoka reached the other Matoran even as her mask crumbled to pieces. The dust fell onto Kofoka’s lap, and she cradled her. The Ce-Matoran’s heartlight had already began to fade. So soon? Matoran of Psionics were usually more resistant to loosing their masks. The Ga-Matoran swallowed and pulled off her own mask, wrenching it free of the magnetic pull of her metal face. She swayed, already getting woozy. It … it almost looked like the Ce-Matoran’s gold body was shining… Before she could hand her mask over, the Vortixx shoved it back onto her head. They says simply, “you need your mask, friend. I do not.” The much taller Protoderm pulled off their mask and put it onto the Ce-Matoran, whose eyes began to glow again. “What … what happened to me?” Ce-3 managed, putting her hands on the ground. Immediately the floor began to crumble, only stopping when she lifted up her hands. “Replacement mask of friend is not crumbling,” the Vortixx noted as they eyed her, “the initial empowerment may have been the cause. Friend’s chassis seems heavily damaged, will need repairs—” “No,” the Ce-Matoran answered quickly, shoving them away, though with their massive size she failed to move him. Ce-3 stood up and walked forward, cracks appearing in her steps. But with each step, the cracks diminished. She paused in front of a mirror, looking at her jagged rusted armor. She traced her finger in her reflection, only for the mirror to crumble. Ce-3 smiled. “It’s perfect.” … “No, we are not continuing this experiment.” “Vican, I know you are nervous, but the Kanoka machine is fixed and had been reinforced.” Turaga Nuparu explains as he leaned against his drill-shield, “It was just a minor miscalculation. Please understand Kanoka are not a new technology, Matoran have had them for over fifteen thousand years. This is just a variant on the Kanoka Blades of the Vortixx.” “It’s completely different when you give that kind of power to a monster,” snapped the mutated Le-Matoran, his claws flexing, “Giving the power of a Kanoka disk to a sword is completely different than fusing the power of a Kanoka to a Matoran. Matoran don’t even have the mental strength to use Kanoka Blades. We just hurl disks at each other.” “You didn’t object before,” Balta said quietly, “in fact you were the one to suggest using Kanoka technology instead of Viruses. What changed?” “Well you clearly didn’t vet the Matoran you tested on.” “Is something wrong with Kra?” “Is something wrong with ‘Kra?’” Vican was incredulously, “she…” He paused and said quickly, “well she enjoys her power too much for a start. First thing she does with it is shatter a mirror, refuses to have her armor mended. and she’s had a Jutlin as her replacement mask. She clearly loves destruction.” “We only have five test Kanoka, Protodermis is too tightly regulated. The Disk of Weakening had to go to someone. And she’s a Matoran, barely tougher than an Agori. She’s just unused to having power.” Vican scowled and said, “I will fight you on this.” “As will I,” a voice said in the room, though the speaker was not in sight, “I know too well what happens when Matoran experiment on people with no care for sense.” “Phantom and Vican vote to stop. Nuparu, Collector?” The Turaga said, “I trust in our Matoran. The work continues.” Collector nodded as well. The purple Vortixx’s fingered their Kanoka Blade, whiffs of frost coming off the cyan sword. Balta sighed, “I vote to continue too. We are too vulnerable right now. Without our Toa, we need something.” “You once said you don’t need to be a Toa to be a hero. Voya-Nui existed without Toa for a thousand years.” “I still believe that. But people still need heroes. The Matoran need hope. And the Kanoka Mangai will give them hope.” … “I am surprised you agreed to come back,” Turaga Nuparu said as Kofoka stepped into the machine, “No one would have blamed you if you left.” “I-I know, but I want to be a hero. Like the greats. Kanohi, Balta, Piruk, Macku, Tanms, Solek, Dalu, Kazi, Takua…” She forced a smile as she continued though her fingers drummed against the metal nervously. “Hey, you can’t be in here—” “Shut it,” A familiar gold and blue Matoran walked into view, looking up at Kofoka. Ce-3 eyed her and said “you ever punched someone before?” “Um, n-no, but I used to pretend I had claws like the great scout Piruk.” Ce-3 rolled her eyes, “okay, weirdo. Remember how it felt to tense up your ‘claws,’ holding them back to prepare to slash someone’s throat? And then how it felt to slice them through the air?” “U-um, yes?” “Tense up to hold your power in, remember the sensation of slashing to release it. There, we are even now,” Ce-3 marched off as quickly as she entered. “W-wait, thank you.” “We are even,” Ce-3 retorted as she left Kofoka’s sight, leaving the Ga-Matoran alone. “Activating the current,” Collector interrupted, and a surge of electricity set Kofoka’s jaw rattling beneath her mask. Her biomechanical fingers magnetized to the handholds, and her body rigidly locked into place. She was lifted into the air, as the machine locked into position. Behind her she could hear arguing, one of the Ko-Matoran was fighting with a Nynrah Ghost it seemed. “…She doesn’t deserve this power.” “None of your breed have wanted to take the risk, not after Ce-3. So until a Matoran of Ice is willing to take the risk, this Matoran is the closest to a match we have. So, are you volunteering…” Kofoka winced, she wanted to drum her fingers, to fidget and burn off her growing anxious energy. But her body was magnetized shut. Thump. She could hear the machine clung behind her. She wished she could turn around. Fluid began to pump into the chamber, the harsh glow of Energized Protodermis beat into her optics. She tried to close them tight, but the magnetism had locked them open. She couldn’t flinch, couldn’t brace herself, couldn’t even cry. She wanted to shuddered as she felt lukewarm liquid oozing into her, only for the fluid to suddenly drop to a harsh cold. Then came a blinding light as energy pounded into her. Her optics begged for release, to cry from the overstimulation. Then she shivered as cold embraced her. It was a harsh chill, making her biomechanical muscles stand on end. She felt frost creeping across her hands, chest, and mask, plastering them white. Her jaw chattered from the cold as ice began to form over the translucent wall of the room. Finally the machine slide back down and released her. Kofoka tumbled to the ground, her eyes leaking frozen tears as frost spread out of her like a web. There was a large crash besides her as Collector slipped on the ice, falling on their back. Shakily Kofoka tried to stand up, only to slip on the ice and fall too. Her mask hit the floor first, she felt it urgently, was it broken like Ce-3’s? “R-right,” she swallowed as memory hit her, and tried to tense up her body. She imagined herself in a dense jungle on Voya-Nui, hunted by the Piraka. The thick brambles locked her in, she would need to cut through them with her claws. She held her arms back in preparation, and the frost lofting off her diminished. The cold decreased. Shakily she crawled on the floor towards Collector, even as they stood up. “Are you alright, friend?” “I think so.” Cold air still embraced her chassis, but her tears no longer were froze, dripping as vented fluid. “I … I think I have a hold of it. And um, you can call me Ko-Ka.” The Spirit of Ice. … Ko-Ka imagined herself a spring as she released her tense and then restrained it again, frost emitting from her feet as she attempted to skate across the test track. Away from her Ce-3 was sculpting a slab of rock by weakening it in key areas, crumbling away chunks of it to shape it. The design was beginning to twist into a bat-like visage. “You are doing great, Jutlin-Ka,” encouraged Ko-aka as she skated past. “Just call me Ce-3,” the Ce-Matoran answered, “I’m not ‘the Spirit of Weakening.’” “I don’t know, you break that rock with such ease, folks might think you were a Turaga.” Ce-3 huffed in annoyance, right as Ko-Ka slipped on the ice and smacked on her back. Ko-Ka lay there dazed, before feeling a hand clench hers and lift her up. “Focus,” muttered Ce-3, “you are giving us a bad name.” “Oh um, sorry,” Ko-Ka looked away, shaking her hands in a frenzy. They felt numb, though not as numb as her feet, “it’s exciting isn’t it? Getting the chance to be heroes.” “Don’t want to be a hero,” muttered Ce-3 and she released her grip, dripping Ko-Ka to the ground, “this wasn’t what I was expecting, that’s all.” “Well, okay.” Ko-Ka stood up, before shaking out her numb feet, letting the frost shake off of them, “Thank you again for teaching me how to—” “Shut it, just focus on skating,” answered Ce-3 as she went back to sculpting, her fingers tracing lines in the statue. … Ko-Ka skipped across the sidewalk of Metru-Koro, dancing to herself as her rings strummed the air. Finally she was allowed to go home. It had been long enough, they had done so many tests. And she needed to return to Project Mangai first thing tomorrow. But for now, she was free to see her roommate. Boom. She stumbled as a rush of heat even penetrated her wall of cold air. Ok-Ka turned to see smoke billowing out of Av-Kofo, the small neighborhood for Matoran of Light. Was it a fire, she had to help. Quickly she began to skate over, ice propelling her across the ground. She ran forward as Av-Matoran retreated, some of them flying away on their jetpacks, others, blasting the ground with bolts of light to dig a trench to prevent the fire from spreading. Ko-Ka skated over the trench and began to sweep her hand over all the fires. Her fingers winced where the burn of the flames met her frost bitten fingers, and what ice she spread immediately melted. But despite the heat, the melted ice still extinguished the flames. She skated along, dousing the fire, before spitting a familiar sight. “Ce-3, good to see you. Quick, can you help deepen the trench? Sever some structures that could spread the flames?” The Ce-Matoran flinched, before grunting, “yeah, sure.” As she ran down the trench, her feet and hands widened and deepening it, Ko-Ka smiled. Good to see another empowered Matoran had responded to this crisis. And Ce-3 had said she did not want to be a hero. Ce-3 continued to widen the break in the ground, as Ko-Ka skated about, extinguishing more flames. She pirouetted as she went, happy to burn herself as she helped her fellow Matoran. Av-Matoran were the strongest Matoran. Not only could they change their colors to disguise themselves as other breeds, but they were the only Matoran to have any access to their elements. They could fire bolts of light, not as strong as a Toa, but still, it was impressive. It was strange that no Av-Matoran were allowed at Project Mangai, it seems like they would be a natural fit. The skating Ga-Matoran dived suddenly, her chest producing ice to slid on. With a scoop she caught a falling Av-Matoran, before lowering him to the ground. “Um, thanks you. How did you do that?” “Ko-Ka,” she smiled, “I’m a hero.” And then she skated away. Finally the fire sizzled out, and Ko-Ka skated over to Ce-3. “We did it, sister,” she shouted, holding out her hand for a fist bump. Ce-3 sighed, but fist bumped her regardless. “Excuse me,” a Av-Matoran squeezed forward, wearing a Noble Akaku, “Chronicler Solek here. Who are you? How did you do those things?” “I am Ko-Ka, and this is Ce—” “Jutlin-Ka,” interrupted Ce-3 suddenly, though she kept her head down and looked away. “Right. Anyway we are part of Project Mangai, an attempt to infuse Matoran with the power of Kanoka disks. I have Freezing, she has Weakening, there are three others, though they aren’t ready to leave the building yet.” “Incredible,” Solek clapped his hands, “a new breed of Toa, saving Av-Kofo. This is just like the Toa Mata saving us from the Avohkah. What can you tell us about yourselves? Why did you want to heroes?” A few Av-Matoran shook their heads at his excitement, but he ignored them. “Oh well, I am a Ga-Matoran from the isle of Mata-Nui. Used to have the name Kofoka, but ‘Little Spirit,’ doesn’t quite fit me now. Jutlin-Ka—” But as Ko-Ka turned Jutlin-Ka was already gone from sight. … “Part of your contract was not to reveal your powers. That was up for us to reveal,” Vican said angrily, “now every Matoran will be demanding powers.” “There was a fire, I had to do something. Turaga Nokama and Gaaki would be at the other side of. Metru-Nuva, I couldn’t wait for them.” “You did more than save them, you had an interview, boasting of your powers. You probably caused that fire in the first place.” “I … I would never.” Ko-Ka stumbled back. Did … did he really think so little of her? Had she done something wrong? “You are as cross-wired as they come. There is no limit to the justifications you could invent.” “Vican, she may be cross-wired, but she is not you,” Turaga Nuparu said quietly. Vican flinched, and looked away, his bat-like wings tucking behind him. “Sorry,” the Le-Matoran sighed, “Despite what our wise Turaga thinks, we still don’t understand most of this technology. It would be too easy for it to get out of control, or for it to be abused. We need to be careful. Understand?” “R-right,” she nodded, then swallowed, “b-but if people need help, I will help them. It’s what heroes do. But I won’t take more interviews.” “The cross-wired freak could have done worse,” interrupted a voice. Ko-Ka turned to see a solid white Ko-Matoran approaching, wearing a Great Akaku. “Councilor Konui. I was not expecting you,” Vican said as his claws stretched. “No? The stunt was across every telescreen in Metru-Nuva, and several outside it. Everyone has seen the power of Ice.” Councilor Konui did not match eyes with Ko-Ka, though he glanced at her curiously. “I believed we agreed a Ko-Matoran would receive the power of the first element.” “Ice was not the first element,” Collector interrupted, “the first Matoran were Av-Matoran, the first Toa was a Toa of Water.” They were crouching, struggling to fit in the Matoran sized hallway. “Silence, schemer,” Konui said, and Collector winced, their hand going to their Kanoka Blade, “Mata-Nui is dead, the Great Beings died in their Civil War. I only trust in the Cold Truth of science.” He thumped his staff to the ground, making the snow globe in his Spector shake. “It … if you check the records and date all Matoran—” “That is lie! Told by your kind, Vortixx. The first Ko-Matoran were silenced, to prevent the Cold Truth from being known. Even in the records, the first to make a Kanoka was a Ko-Matoran, and the only basic disk to have an influence of an element is Ice. Ice is the core, from the cold all life began, until cold engulfs the world.” Phantom interrupted, “Your cult aside—” “We are no cult, unlike the mad scientists who made you. The Cold Truth are the only reason your project exists. It is the only reason you have access to any Protodermis, let alone disks. Shall I revoke our support, and put your Protodermis towards making the Great Mothers?” “Yes.” Phantom answered simply and firmly, like a sledgehammer to an opened hand. “No,” Konui said slowly, “no. No, I should just remove you from the project. We don’t need a former Dark Hunter in our midst. In fact yes, you are gone, silenced! Begun from my sight, heretic.” “Fine. I needed to resuming guarding the city anyway. Since until your project is done, I am the best protector this city has.” Heavy footsteps echoed away, not with anger but with a coldness. “Now, where was I?” “I-I had not screwed up too badly?” Ko-Ka swallowed as she looked at Konui’s chest. She couldn’t match eyesight on her best days, and his anger, his many words, she’s felt suddenly very small. “No,” Konui muttered, “though I appreciate how even a Ga-Matoran with agony leave, of frost is more useful than the Matoran of Light. Then more clearly he said, “I remember, tell me, why was she given the power of Ice?” “Freezing is not true Ice, it lacks elemental energy,” then before Konui could interrupt Turaga Nuparu continued, “and it was because no Ko-Matoran were willing to undergo the enhancement. Not after one of our test subject’s mask turned to dust from the power.” “You lie again. Any noble Ko-Matoran would have trust in the Cold Truth. Let me first. The next Matoran you empower will be a Ko-Matoran with the power of Ice. If fact, I will go first.” “Fine. If you can supply us with more disks.” “I have been saving a level eight disk of Freezing for this purpose.” Collector coughed, their hand still grazing against their Kanoka Blade, “friend—” “You are no friend of mine. And if you try to strike me with the oversized knife, you will find your exiled to the Vorox.” “I … I understand. But a Level Eight Kanoka is as strong as a Great Mask. A Matoran cannot use the power of any masks, a Turaga can use Noble, and Toa, Makuta, and Vortixx can use Great masks.” “I know how masks work.” Collector seemed to shrink and looked away, but now Bakta was speaking, “Do you? Level eight disk are as powerful as a disk can be. Only a Great Disk would be stronger. That much raw power, you would not handle it.” “But I can, and I will. If a mere Matoran of Water can wield Ice, I can master it.” … “Hey Jutlin-Ka,” Ko-Ka skated up, though Jutlin-Ka did not turn around. “Yeah um, what do you know about the Cold Truth?” “Don’t mess with them,” Jutlin-Ka cut her off. “Yeah, Konui seems … intense. I know they were a recent religion—” “Ha. They are a bunch of idiots desperate to be important,” Jutlin-Ka laughed bitterly, “their god not only got usurped by the Makuta, but under this real sky they can’t ‘see the future.’ They are terrified they don’t have a purpose, that they are as weak as any Agori. People like Konui gives them meaning, tells them they matter. A higher purpose. He gives them someone to blame, ‘the other Matoran lie, they are just jealous. ‘Have you ever seen an Av-Matoran until the Makuta took control? They are imposters and usurpers, robbing your glory. They drain resources from Ko-Metru with their light shows, and they are arrogant, think they are better than you.’” She shook her head, “he’s not lying there.” “Point is he gives them a target and a meaning. Ans they would do anything for that meaning.” She paused, “Lot of folks are like that I suppose. Desperate to belong. Or maybe just to lord power over others. Av-Kofo is a bit smaller for the number of Matoran living there.” She gestured to the cramp complex of communal houses. “Well, is it so bad to want to belong?” “You want to belong, huh? Be a hero, be important?” Jutlin-Ka laughed, “trust me, you that desperate to be important, you’ll fall for anyone who promises you that kind of glory. Anything that contradicts that importance you reject, violently.” “They are violent?” “Don’t go in Ko-Metru at night is all I will say. They tolerate De-Matoran because they are quiet, but you start showing off your command of ‘their element?’ They won’t take it well. Not when their only connection to their element is ‘resistance to low temperatures.’” She laughed again. “I … I mean, I just have better lungs and better swimming skills,” she paused to shake out her numb metal feet. That cold resistance did not feel that dismissible to her. She continued, “All Matoran have pretty limited ties to our elements. Except Av-Matoran.” Jutlin-Ka was silent for a time. Finally she said with a coldness far sharper than Ko-Ka’s frigid feet, “…Why did you try to give me your mask?” “Well you are a Matoran, you need your mask.” “And so do you. So, why? You did not know me. All you have seen of me is a freak who hates everyone and loves destruction. Why care?” Ko-Ka paused, “well, I am cross-wired. I am a freak too.” “You have a condition. I am just a jerk. Why care about me?” “I don’t know. Because it’s the right thing to do, I guess.” “Right thing to do,” scoffed Jutlin-Ka, “well that’s not in my nature. I don’t do the right thing. Just make things worse for everyone else. You should avoid me.” “You saved Av-Kofo.” “Yeah, and I broke the generator to start the fire.” “…Don’t joke about that.” “Karzahni, you really are cross-wired. I served the Brotherhood of Makuta. Willingly. I served the Makuta when he usurped your ‘god’ Mata-Nui. And if the Makuta returned, the proper Makuta, I would serve them again.” “A-a lot of people served the Makuta. S-so did Vican, if the rumors are true—” “Look, I am evil!” Shouted Jutlin-Ka and a scorching light erupted from her hands. Burning radiance slammed into Ko-Ka, knocking her to the ground. There was a quiet gasp, but it did not come from Ko-Ka. The ‘Spirit of Ice’ groaned as her chest ached, before pushing herself upright. In the distance she could see Jutlin-Ka sprinting away, her armor a bright gold and pale white. … Ko-Ka stood up as Solek approached. She had been helping cool the backup generator of Av-Kofo, it had suffered damage in the fire. Or maybe it had been damaged before that event. “Amazing, do you tire of doing that?” “Not really. It’s pretty easy I … I am not supposed to talk about my powers, that’s supposed to be for Project Mangai to announce.” She stood up and shook out her hand. Not just to fidget, but because the frost had started to plaster over her servos. “Hey I am the Chronicler, I record history for all of Metru-Nuva. New heroes are my business.” “I … Chronicler, do you know of an Av-Matoran who might have done this?” “An Av-Matoran? Pretty sure we aren’t to blame,” he sighed, looking to a group of Ko-Matoran laughing as they threw rocks at the district’s edge. Ko-Ka flinched at the sight, her hand reaching towards them. B-but a hero wouldn’t fight Matoran. Would they? And they weren’t hurting anyone, just breaking windows. “Whoever did it vanished though, they could have changed color.” “Rather not blame my own,” he sighed, “but I know of one Matoran of Light who would. Unless she had a disk of weakening though, she couldn’t get far. And disks are harder to get nowadays, we are still hoarding the remaining Protodermis for the next generation.” “M-maybe she got one though. Who was she?” “Gavla. She always was an outcast in Karda-Nui, quick to anger, a bit weird. Most of the Matoran of her village avoided her, kept her busy away from them.” “She was friendless?” “I suppose so. Then the Makuta came. She was the first of us drained of our light, converted into a monstrous Shadow Matoran. She led all the Shadow Matoran, raiding our villages to convert more of us into monsters. Without the Toa Nuva, the element of Light would be extinct.” “…So she had been corrupted, she wasn’t in control.” “That’s a nice thought. But when Takanuva cured her, she rallied against him. She said she had finally found a place to belong, the Makuta found her useful. Treated her better than we did.” He sighed, “maybe we should have been more understanding of her.” “Do you think she could change? For the better?” “Only if she had the chances and took it. Can’t force people to be better.” Ko-Ka was quiet, thinking “If you want to know more, there’s a Le-Matoran who could help. His name is Vican, he was the first Shadow Matoran to be cured, though he refused to have his physical mutations undone. He had agreed to be mutated by the Makuta in order to have adventures, and I think he kept them to remind him of his past mistakes.” “…Thank you,” she nodded, then paused. “Chronicler?” “Yes?” “I constantly produce freezing temperatures. If I don’t want to freeze everything I touch, I have to hold the power in. I have to use a special heated bed, so I don’t get frostbite.” “You aren’t immune to the cold?” “I am a Ga-Matoran. Not a Ko-Matoran.” … “Oh um, Jutlin-Ka,” Ko-Ka’s optics widened as the ‘Ce-Matoran’ walked out of the training hall, “you … you are still here?” “Don’t talk to me,” Gavla huffed and pushed past her. Her body was blue and gold, still disguised as a Matoran of Psionics. “Um, okay. Sorry I was weird about it,” Ko-Ka waved after her, “if you need someone to talk to, I can try my best.” “What, trying to ‘play Agori?’” remarked a Ko-Matoran, “disgusting.” Ko-Ka winced, but then bit her metal lip. “It c-costs little to b-be nice. She seems very lonely.” “Yeah, so you can squirt fluids on her. What a Ga-Matoran. That power is wasted on you,” he walked away, and Ko-Ka slumped to the ground. She shivered. She … she didn’t like rejection. B-but she shouldn’t just cower. She should be willing to stand up and fight cruelty. Even if it m-made her an outcast. Th-that’s what being a hero should be. She walked into the training hall, to see Kualsi-Ka teleporting around the chamber, vanishing in a flurry of light before reappearing elsewhere. As he blinked across the room he grunted in frustration, and she nodded in sympathy. Disks of Teleportation teleported the user randomly. Controlling it was difficult. A bamboo disk hurled from a launcher at him, and he punched into it, teleporting the powerless disk away. Back down the hall she heard a large crash, before shouts of anger. “H-hey,” she walked up, “you doing okay?” “No, Kohlii-head,” the Su-Matoran grunted, “can barely control this power.” “Oh, um, is there a way I can help?” “You know anything about disks? Masks?” “Well no but—” “Then don’t bother,” Kualsi-Ka teleported away, before reappearing five bios off the ground. He fell with a thud, muttering, “you know, not all of us won the lottery like you and Jutlin-Ka.” He gestured to a nearby stone wall. Small handholds had been gouged out of the stone, Jutlin-Ka was a strong climber. “Y-yeah,” Ko-Ka swallowed, “s-still, if you want someone to talk to.” “Don’t need you finding weakness of mine,” he answered. “Weaknesses? Why?” “You really think all five of us are going to get to be in the limelight? We are just the prototypes. If they get test subjects who respond better, or are more charismatic, we probably end up sent to some backwater Koro to protect. Me, I’m not getting exiled to some Karzahni-forsaken village like a Spiriah.” “It … it would still be being a hero, helping people.” He marched over to her, his feet clanking on the hard floor. Finally he said in a cold voice, “I’m going to be part of the new breed of Toa. I’m not going to be some footnote.” He punched her in her frost-coated chest, and she teleported away. … “S-stop,” Ko-Ka skated up towards a few Ko-Matoran. They were chucking rocks at an Av-Matoran who had fallen on the ground, the Matoran of Light looked bruised, their chassis dented by the hurled stones. A rock chucked her way and she flinched, starting to tuck into a ball. But she resisted she … she should stand up for people. “Wh-why are you hurting them?” “It intruded where it did not belong,” one of them said, picking up a stone and facing her, “I’m a reasonable man, if these lying freak keep to themselves, I ignore them. But when they start parading in public, opening flaunting the upgrades the Makuta gave them. Well, I “I-I didn’t even use my light. And it’s not from the Makuta, they tried to wipe us out..” “Oh sure everyone believes your lies, but we are smarter. Never saw one of your breed until the Makuta took over.” One of them kicked the Av-Matoran. “S-stop,” Ko-Ka skated between them, her arms outstretched, “they did nothing wrong. And I r-remember seeing them before the Makuta took over. I am from Mata-Nui, our Chronicler was an Av-Matoran who became a Toa of light.” “Sure, a savage Mata-Nui girl would say that” a Matoran of Ice laughed, “you folks can barely use stone,” then his eyes narrowed, “you are that heretic who stole our powers aren’t you?” She swallowed and said shakily, “I-it’s not really ice, just Freezing. “Yeah? You even know what freezing is? You know how it differs from Ice? You know the temperature differences” She shivered, her kind was struggling to think as the Ko-Matoran advanced on her, cocky sneers on their faces. “You stole our birthrights, polluted our Destiny, we aren’t going to let you go,” There was a glint in one of their hands and she skated backwards, just as a knife sliced the air. She backed up further and further, shaking. Behind the Matoran of Ice, the Av-Matoran had shakily stood up, and was limping away. G-good. She could bait the mob away. As one swing she ducked and picked his mask, forming a layer of frost on his Anthron. He staggered and snarled, his fingers flexing like claws. She skated away slowly, and they pursued, hurling stones at her back. Some tripped on her ice as she led them away, others merely staggered on it. Few of them refused not to run on her trail. … “Um, Collector, do you have a moment?” The genderless Vortixx spun around and swung open the door, nearly tripping on their long legs. Ko-Ka stepped in, eyeing him. He was more than twice her height, it … she didn’t see many Vortixx in Metru-Nuva. At least, see them outside of Ta-Metru. They frequently worked in the technological districts. “What is wrong, friend?” They smiled creepily as they bent over to fit in their own room, but she chose to ignore that. She had her freezing powers, though her back was still bruised from the hurled rocks. She had plastered first behind her as an icepack though. And even if she was far weaker, she still remember how they rushed to help Gavla and herself. “I … are you okay? When Vican was lecturing me, and Konui came, he was … very unkind to you. I … I should have spoke up then. But I will speak up now.” “Oh um, I am okay. It’s not like he spoke wrongly. I’m a conniving thief, selfish and obsessed,” he laughed, but Ko-Ka didn’t. “You really think that?” “Of course. Vortixx are the lowest of the low, cruel and ruthless in pursuit of money and prestige. No one wants to be a Vortixx. Save monsters.” “You didn’t seem ruthless when you rushed out to help me when I had no control over my powers. You moved so fast you slipped on the ice.” “I … I did not realize you would remember that.” “It was very scary for me. It felt good that someone tried to help,” she paused, “why did you want to make us Matoran stronger?” “Because I want to be a Toa.” “You … you want to be a Toa?” “I know, it’s impossible. Vortixx are not part of your breed’s lifecycle. We do not transform as you did. But I want to be a Toa. And Project Mangai could let me do it.” They licked their lips with their long formed tongue. “Why do you want to be a Toa?” “Matoran love Toa. Toa are the greatest heroes, the greatest people. They have statues, stories, friends. And friendship cannot be taken from you. Not even if you are a freak.” They smiled eagerly, and drew their Kanoka Blade. Ko-Ka tried not to flinch as they showed her. “Toa Kopaka was a Toa of Ice, as cold as they come. But he still had a dear friend. Pohatu and him were always together, supporting each other, never abandoning each other even in the worst moments. Some say they were such dear friends they understood Agori emotions.” “You wanted to be like him?” “I want to be a Toa of Ice,” they nodded, “and through the hard work of Noble Matoran like you, it’s possible.” They beamed, before sheathing their blade. Though they still fidgeted with it, their fingers tickling the glove that was built into the Kanoka Blade, eternally gripping the hilt. Her optics eyed that gestured, and she understood. “Hey, if you ever want to study me when I’m trying to help the city, maybe you could tag along. Maybe help some people too?” “But I am not a Toa.” “Neither am I. You don’t have to be a Toa to be a hero. And it would be fun to hang out with someone who also wants to be a hero. And Vokarda, my roommate, she loves like Agori too. Maybe she would want to hang out with you?” “Fun. Um, okay. Sure. I um, Sure,” their face turned maroon beneath their Great Akaku, and they could not match her gaze. “Alright. Sounds good. I look forward to hanging out, friend.” … Ko-Ka skated down the sidewalk, dressed in a thick fur coat, with heaters strapped to her torso. Her mask, chest, and hands were permanently bleached white, she looked like a Vo-Matoran. But at least now more of her body wouldn’t suffer the same level of damage from the cold. Besides her Collector walked, their legs taking massive strides. The telescopic lens on their Akaku adjusted and focused on everything they passed, even as the mask let them see through the many walls and buildings on the village. “Do you know if Konui wears a Akaku to be like Kopaka?” She asked abruptly. “I … I don’t know. I did not think to wonder. Though given what he is planning I doubt it … ignore that.” “Okay,” she nodded, “how is my body holding up?” “Less burns, there is overall less corrosion from the ice. My apologies, I knew you were suffering damage, I did not realize it was constant. And I am sorry for making Vokarda uncomfortable, I will consider trading my Akaku for a Pehkui. I might be less imposing shrunken.” “It’s okay, you are helping now. And it’s not your fault. I forget sometimes she’s from Xia.” “Poor Vo-Matoran. No one should live in Xia.” She cleared her thought, trying to change the subject, “so, have you ever tried using your Kanoka Blade to skate?” “Um, no. Too clumsy.” “So was I at first.” “...” “Sorry, don’t worry about it. If you want to try, you can, but don’t let anyone pressure you until you are uncomfortable, okay?” “I don’t understand this very well,” Collector admitted, “we are friends. You own me, and I own you. Why are not you forcing me?” “Friends are not possessions.” “They aren’t? Then what are they?” “They … they are a lot of things. They are part of the Virtue of Unity, they are sisters and brothers. They are supporting someone through rough times. They are being willing to tell someone when they are wrong, and help them when they are in trouble. They are respecting that they are not an extension of you, but without them, you aren’t complete.” “I don’t understand. But I wish I did.” “Well, maybe we can figure it out together.” … “And Ga-7 isn’t asking you for information?” For anything?” Vican rubbed his brow. “No, I am learning a lot with our time hanging out. About friends, and about harnessing the power of Kanoka, the drawbacks and the like.” “So she doesn’t know what Councilor Konui wants?” “No. Well, I suppose she remembers he wants freeze powers. But she is unaware of his adjustment to the plan.” “Two disks,” Vican shook his head, “what kind of maniac wants to put two level eight disks inside him?” “It makes sense to a degree, Toa have both a mask power and an elemental power. The best successes we have had is with Weaken and Freeze.” “There are variables he doesn’t know about,” snapped Vican. “I know, it is dangerous. Fusing disks in mask making can create a different power. An Akaku is made from disks of Regeneration and Teleportation. Mixing two disks in a body could have unpredictable results. Likewise Ko-Ka is not immune to her own powers, and neither is Jutlin-Ka. While his breed quirk of cold resistance might help him if he used a disk like Ko-Ka’s, there is not guarantee it would be enough to handle the power of a level eight disk. Similarly, he has no protection against weakening. That is why I insist we at least delay his treatment for another three years at least.” “He won’t wait that long. And he refuses to use weaker disks, or to use only one. A Ga-Matoran wielding the power of freezing? It makes his doctrine look less stable. Most are buckling down, denying her as a hoax. But he’s feeling pressure to show how powerful a ‘true Matoran of Ice is.’” Vican sighed, “We are in too deep. I … it has to work. It has to be worth it. It has to work.” Then quietly he asked, “Do you trust Ko-Ka?” “With my life.” “Okay. I’ve told Phantom to be in the building when we empower Konui tomorrow. With his strength and flight he can possibly get him out of the city if he goes volatile. Do you think Ko-Ka can be on hand as well, to help anyone caught in his power?” “I … her own powers hurt her. The heaters I develop compensate for most of it but against a level eight disk, she could die.” “I know.” “I will ask her.” “And the idiot will say yes,” a voice spat quietly. Vican startled and Collector spun around, hitting their head against the low roof. Vican scrambled over his disk and slashed through the door with his claws, searching about. But no one was in sight. “Here,” Collector interrupted, pointing at the wall, “there is a thin hole cracked from one side to the other. “Karzahni,” Vican screeched like an Ice Bat, slashing through the wall his his claws. Collector flinched at the display, even as Vican’swings began to flap, and he flew down the hallway. … “What’s happening?” asked Ko-Ka as she flapped her wrists to fidget. Her Vortixx friend was staring at the test chamber, their lens zeroing in as they stared through the wall. She was to stay hidden until things went wrong, if things went wrong. And Konui, he was happy to no longer have the Vortixx in his presence. “He has stepped into the machine, and it is turning on,” Collector made a laugh, “you know, I suspect he does not believe in the Cold Truth, not really. He had me make miniaturized heaters, smaller ones shrunken inside his armor. He does not fully trust his cold resistance.” “Well, at least he won’t die. What’s happening now?” “They are preparing to insert the first disk,” they fingered the glove their Kanoka Blade, ready to brandish it at the first sign of trouble. Ko-Ka meanwhile flexed her fingers and toes, readying herself to unleash as much of her freezing power as she could. “Attention guards, every guard, we need backup now!” A radio crackled to life besides the two of them, and Ko-Ka almost tackled it, struggling to hold it in her hands. “Hello, what is it?” “An Av-Matoran snuck inside, she was posing as a Ko-Matoran, got to the third basement before one of us realized she matched Ce-3 description. She’s hurling light bolts — Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah.” The radio transmission cut off. “Why were they looking for Jutlin-Ka?” She looked at Collector. “I don’t know, the crack. The person listening in to the meeting must have been her. But then—” “Yes, she’s an Av-Matoran. I think she disguised herself as a Ce-Matoran because they are harder to detect, only ability they have is their mental shielding, and few people this days have Psionic powers.” “…The variables,” Collector Ussal-crawled their way to the door, swiping up the radio as they did with one hand, “Vican said there are variables we do not yet realize regarding using disks of weakening. And he was furious when he found out she was in the project. Given his history as a Shadow Matoran—” “He knew her,” Ko-Ka stood up, “he knew who she was. But why didn’t he say anything?” “I do not know,” Colkector crammed into the hallway, “But if Jutlin-Ka is an Av-Matoran, this changes everything. Her physiology would be vastly different from most breeds of Matoran, her ability to not only change her colors but to harness her element, it’s likely that her practice wielding powers beyond most Matoran how she was able to control her power of Weakening so precisely and so quickly. There may even be a biological element to it. And like you she only had a level four disk fused to her. But a level eight…” “He won’t be able to control it,” Ko-Ka skated past them, “we need to get there now. Where are they in the process?” “They are inserting the second disk, and the first is merging with him,” Collector slid their hand into the glove of their Kanoka Blade. The glove unfolded to form an arm-guard up to their shoulder, even as a cyan light glowed in the pommel of their sword. Mist began to loft from their Kanoka blade and its conjoined arm-guard, the moisture in the air freezing it its touch. They smiled briefly, feeling the power of freezing in their arm. Then they shook their head and spoke into the radio clutched in their left hand. “Hello, Turaga Nuparu? Vican? Balta? Phantom? Ce-3 was an Av-Matoran in disguise. The fusion process is not safe. Do not fuse the disk of weakening into him. Karzahni, they must have activated the force field. No signal can get in now.” “Please let us not be too late.” Ko-Ka closed her eyes as she skated ahead, carving a frozen path behind her. Her arms outstretched as her cloak billowed behind her, hurrying towards Konui and the scientists and engineers about to empower him with a dangerous mistake. … “M-maybe it will be fine. Maybe it will be fine,” muttered Vican shivering, “it … it will be worth it. It has to be. It will be fine.” “Beginning the next stage,” Balta interrupted as he toggled more switches. The machine was completely coated in ice, but it was holding for now. They had reinforced it in preparation for this experiment. It had to be modified anyone to hold more disks, and all of them knew Konui’s inner circle would follow soon, albeit with level seven disks. “Pumping Energized Protodermis to begin the transformation.” Vican shuddered, his claws nervously scratching at his armrests. Then ripping through the arm came a screen like a telescreen bursting into static echoed through the chamber. Vican bolted up, diving to Balta, “It’s killing him, we have to—” “It’s gone too far, we can’t stop or risk a meltdown. Our employer will … will just have to deal with it. Sending fusion waves.” The ice-coated chamber seemed to tremble and shake among the screaming, like a Brakas throwing a fit. And then like a tree branch coat in snow blasted by a Toa of Air, the machine crumble into a fine powder. Grains of frost, Protodermis, and everything in between sprawled across the floor, leaving a Matoran screaming in the center of the pile. His mask was constantly shifting, shattering in an instant and in the same freezing back together. He stood on all-fours, the pile around him constantly solidifying into a single mass and then crumbling again. The pile, his mask, and his body seemed almost to pulsate, moving like the beating of heartlight. The Ko-Matoran shrieked in pain like an iceberg shredding a boat, even as more and more of the room shattered and froze together. Vican shoved off his seat, taking off into the air as Balta drew his Repellers and Turaga Nuparu’s mask activated, and he faded from sight. Vican swooped down as the technicians sprinted to the bulkheads, thumping desperately on the armored walls. As they struggled the floor weakened and froze, violently churning. Many Matoran were ensnared in the ice, before their legs shattered. The Matoran gasped out, wheezing even as they were ripped apart and reassembled into ice sculptures. The mutated Le-Matoran froze in the air, but not from the cold. People, people were dying. People were dying because of him. Then came a new scream, and a rip of metal. Vican stared to see a large twisted arm manifest in the air, only visible from the ice plastered on it. Then the ice shattered, and oil, coolant, and lubricant spewed from the sky, before there was a loud thud. Vican swallowed and dove at the source of the thud, tackling the ground. With shaky hands he felt for Phantom, following the oozing puddle of coolant. “You? You dare come here? It is your fault, you did this to me!” a screech echoed through the chamber, and Vican turned to see Councilor Konui staggering upright. On trembling legs he waded through the powder ground from ice, Matoran, and machinery, pausing only when the pile around him froze solid. His body continued to deform and twist, he was growing thicker and wider, while his body remained the same size the ice coating only grew. “You. You bot-him!” Konui shrieked words were monosyllabic and broken by the screeching in his voice synthesizer, “you did this!” “I … I didn’t—” Konui lunged at Vican, only to strike Balta’s Repellers. The crossed blades glowed from the impact, before hurling Konui backwards, his body completely caked in ice and cracks. “Thank … thank you,” Vican swallowed as he looked at the Ta-Matoran. Balta’s blades crumbled and cracked, the silver tools completely caked in ice. The Le-Matoran stammered, “I-I d-didn’t meant to.” “It’s okay, I can rebuild them,” the Matoran of Fire dismissed, before he stepped back. Vican followed his gaze, even as Konui stood up, his crumbling body now roughly made of ice. He was taller and wider, his legs almost mounds of debris. “You … you did this!” Konui dived at them, only to hit something invisible. Vican swallowed, he could see the outline of Nuparu, relying on his Mask of Stealth. Konui flailed and struggled to push past his similarly camouflaged drill-shield. “Sorry,” Nuparu said quietly as his drill began to spin. Chunks of Konui were sent flying as a hole was torn through his abdomen, but still the mutated Ko-Matoran waded forward, now clutching his rapidly shredding arms around the Badge of Office. “Karzahni,” muttered the Turaga of Earth as the drill began to shudder and stall, “I hoped the Protosteel would hold.” Then the drill exploded, hurling the camouflaged Turaga and Balta backwards. Vican watched them fall, his heartlight pounding. He swallowed, tightening. Then with some strain he shouted, “Look at your cold truth now, Councilor.” “SILENCE! You did this. You’re weak-in disk did it.” “I did,” Vican nodded, rising into the air, “and you know how I did? The Ce-Matoran who successfully bonded to the disk of weakening? The greatest success? She was a trick. Just a Matoran of Light posing as a Ce-Matoran.” “You swore! Those hair-a-ticks would not be in-vol-ved!” “Why? Because she shows just how pathetic you cult is? That the cold truth is alive” Konui shrieked and rose higher, his ice plastering more and more of the powder of corpses, frost, and machinery into himself. He towered above even a Vortixx as he swung his arm at Vican. The Le-Matoran dived underneath the arm as it crumbled apart, a before flying in front of the bulkhead. The mutant waded after him and hurled his fist at Vican. Vican dived, letting the hulking fist smash into the sealed door. The barrier cracked and crumbled before freezing back up in roughly the same shape. Vican hovered to look at the damage, even as Konui shrieked. “Hey, Ko-Hordika,” he called out, looking at this half-beast of ice. Konui hurled his fist at Vican, but as the Le-Matoran dodged the arm snapped off, spinning in the air. The shoulder slammed into Vican as it revolved, knocking him to the ground. Vican gasped out, pinned under the severed arm. He shivered as frost crawled over his body, cracks digging into his armor. And then a strong kick knocked through the bulkhead. … Ko-Ka glided past Collector through the hole they had kicked in, skating into the room. She wheezed as she entered the room, something about the air. As she coughed Collector focused their mask, looking for more weak-spots to target. The empowered Ga-Matoran skated up the hill of frozen debris, streaking past Konui. She wheezed again, the air, her fingers felt so strange. S-still, there were lives to save. Clearing her throat she ready to taunt him, but lo9ing at his mask constantly crawling as it broke and froze back together, she could only stumble. “You … I am so sorry. That looks painful,” she finally said, and he roared on rage. “Lie-Err,” She wove between his legs even as she crouched on her skating feet. As she bent low she press her fingers to the floor, spreading frost like a spiderweb. She almost immediately hacked as the air grew stale, her skin crawling. As she slid underneath Konui the mutated Ko-Matoran swung his fist, striking behind her. She pirouetted and turned away, continuing her path of frost. As she skated away he began to move his long crumbling mounds of legs, beginning to chase. But as he moved he slipped on her eyes, and the pile off parts that made up his body swayed. With an explosion of parts he tripped and smacked into the ground, chunks of him flying wildly. Ko-Ka glided away from him, reaching Balta. With a press of her hands she froze the ground below and in front of him, before shoving off to slide them across the sleek ice. They glided across the ice as she lead the path, pushing them through the hole in the bulkhead. Collector grabbed the Ta-Matoran and moved him to safety, even as Ko-Ka gasped out. The air was so much better out of that room. She breathed shallow at first, trying to flush out the awful texture, before taking a few deep breathes. She slid back into the testing chamber, holding her breath. This was no ocean, but her natural Ga-Matoran physiology would help her avoid this awful air. With strain she grabbed the Turaga and the surviving technicians one at a time, and began to shove them through the gap. Each time she took another breathe, before diving back in. She ducked suddenly as Konui’s colossal arm lunges after her, hurling itself off of Vican. She … had not seen him, he looked so pale. As she skated away the arm struggled to reattach itself. He was taking so longer to reassemble, his body seemed to struggle to freeze its part back into one piece. As Ko-Ka skated towards Vican, she stumbled. She skidded to a halt, breathing slowly. “Moisture,” she muttered in realization. Almost all the moisture in the room had been used up by Konui’s freezing powers. The air was become dryer, it was harder to breathe. There was less moisture to freeze too, her fingers tricked out less and less frost. Konui seemed to realize it too. His body was continuing to crumble, but he was struggling to pierce it back together. He dragged himself like a crumbling pile of sand, slamming into the opposite wall of the testing chamber. He pressed all over the chamber, and it began to crack and crumble. The Ga-Matoran reached Vican just as the wall crumbled into a fine powder. As it collapsed the crystalline ceiling cracked and shattered, debris hurling down. Konui was no longer able to freeze without moisture, so his weakening power was unrestrained. The sound of icebergs slashing each other echoed around her, as a huge gash was cleared into the chamber. Konui sighed as fresh air flowed into him, and began to freeze back into a vague shape. But as air rejuvenating Konu Ko-Ka oils only stare up in horror as debris plummet into her and Vican. … Ko-Ka opened her optics and looked around. Debris had them pinned, Vican’s wings had spread around her, supporting up the rubble. The only light came from their eyes and their heartlights. And Vican’s heartlight was starting to flicker. She coughed, “Vican are, are you okay?” “Don’t talk, just breathe calm and slow. You … maybe you can make it until help arrives,” he wheezed, and she nodded. “I … I had served the Makuta willingly. Makuta Mutran offered me the chance to go on greater adventures, and I didn’t care what the price would be. I regretted it, but Gavla, she was turned against her will. I chose to serve.” “Even as a Shadow Matoran I hated these claws,”he said, “I thought ic I servedMutran and his brothers, he might give me a Virus to undo it. I was loyal, faithful, doing whatever he said for the promise to be healed. And in the end, an experiment of his went wild, and its rampage restored my mind.” “I … I couldn’t accept Mata-Nui’s final gift. After all I had did for Mutran, after my lust for power and to matter, I … I needed penance. So I remained a freak, to not forget. But I think I did forget.” He coughed, and Ko-Ka said nothing, just reaching out to offer her hand. He grasped it in his claws, cutting her finger. He recoiled, but she kept her bleeding hand outstretched to him, still silently focusing on breathing. “I … when the Great Being Civil War was fought, so many great heroes were lost, dying to Marendar or Velika. In the end the Last Toa and the Makuta of Light slayed them both, but by then so many were dead.” “I … Dark Hunters and more able-bodied Turaga stepped up to protect us, but Turaga were often better leaders and the Dark Hunters, most just wanted payment. Phantom was … lucky … for us. The Nynrah … the Ghosts built Fohrok and Vahki to … defend us, Bohrok were … were … were repurposed, but none of them could … understand the … the … th-the Virtues or the Principles. And so many Matoran were lost … lost in … in spirit, with our g-gods dead and no way to make more Matoran…” Something wet splattered on Ko-Ka. She felt it, before flinching. That oozing fluid was not melted water. She reached for Vican, but he pushed her hand away. “I … Konui … he… promised redemption,” he wheezed, “Did … he did not talk as much … talk about the Cold Truth. At first. Just wanted to make heroes. Inspire people, reassure them. The right way, using Matoran … Matoran tools. Not Hordika Venom, not … not Viruses. I mean not … not Viruses. Sorry. But we would be careful. Carefully selected Matoran. They would not be Toa, but far better than nothing.” The rubble shook, rocks ripping and deforming his wings. Vican spread his claws wide, before gasping out. His heartlight’s glow grew fainter and fainter, beat slower and slower. He swallowed, more coolant dripping into Ko-Ka. His voice was barely a whisper as he continued, “Banning Av-Matoran almost made sense when he said it, prevent them from getting more powerful, letting it go to their heads. But things kept changing. As he got more of his followers in the building he got more theatrical. Worse people were experimented on. And when I realized Gavla had snuck in, I knew he would blame me. And I…” “It’s okay,” Ko-Ka said quietly, just as more debris shifted. Then the Ga-Matoran whispered, “s-sorry.” Her hands wiped the coolant off her hands and smeared it against the concrete debris, freezing some of the stone together. Vican made a bitter grin, “Glad I … I could help.” Then with a clunk the Le-Matoran went limp, the rocks collapsed save where she had frozen them. Ko-Ka sat alone in the dark, her heartlight beginning to pound. Holding her breath was harder now, she could feel the Vican’s drippings oozing on her, secreting and freezing against her body. Her fingers shivered, it was all so wrong. And then a large chunk of rubble was hurled away. She looked up as Collector extended their hand, and she took it. “Th-thank you,” Ko-Ka shivered as she was pulled free, and hoisted onto Collector’s shoulder “Jutlin-Ka did the heavy digging,” the Vortixx dismissed, “she destroyed a lot of the debris, before she left. Nuparu’s connection to earth and my Akaku helped guide me.” “Did … did she say why she was here? Jutlin-Ka I mean.” “She said she had wanted to take Konui’s spot in the chamber, get that power.” “Do … do you think she was telling the truth.” “She wasted a lot of time digging up all of us,” Turaga Nuparu said quietly, “and according to the news, she’s still attacking Konui. Despite the fact that those disks and the machine are now gone.” Ko-Ka nodded, then her optics widened and shoved herself upright. “They are fighting? Where?” “You are hurt.” “Where?” Collector held up their hand, thinking. Finally they said, “I will tell you. But if I do, please do not fight him. You are out of breath, you are bruised, do not fight him. I know you make your own choices, but I will not let you kill yourself. Please avoid the main battle. The Chronicler and other Av-Matoran can help Jutlin-Ka enough. And the Turaga have a plan.” “I … okay. But I will rescue people?” “Okay. He’s in Av-Kofo, attacking any Av-Matoran and Su-Matoran in sight.” Ko-Ka dipped her head and leapt off them, breathing in the humid air. She began to skate on a cushion said, “would you like to help?” “I will. Go ahead, I have to hurry to my lab first. Nuparu will need the radio, he needs to coordinate with the Bohrok handlers, and to get me some equipment.” “Right, Tahnok?” “Yes. We only have some many in the city, most are in New Atero. But they are our best weapon.” Ko-Ka nodded and quietly whispered, “stay safe.” Before skating away into the city. … The Ga-Matoran hero focused, her frost spreading across the walls of the building. As she plastered it together she could hear whirling as Av-Matoran zipped on their jetpacksl hurling bolts of light into the titanic monster. The light had little heat, but it still disoriented him, and knocked aside chunks of his body. Konui was a blob of rubble now, barely any structure was left to him. He towered over the city, roughly the size of a Tahtarok. He slithered other Av-Koro, shattering and absorbing the landscape into himself. Behind him a few Ko-Matoran walked, hurling rocks at the Av-Matoran they could reach. Ko-Ka ducked as a chunk of the commune collapsed near her. “Anyone in this commune?” She called out, listening. There was no response. She hesitated, before seeing Konui’s long arm plowing through another commune, hurling Su-Matoran wildly. She swallowed and whispered, “sorry,” before skating over, streaking atop her freezing power. As the ‘Spirit of Ice’ glided and weaved among the destruction more of the city crumbled and collapsed, folding in on itself. As he swung suddenly Konui’s remaining arm ripped off, hurling through the air. Ko-Ka dived and slid underneath, gliding on ice underneath the crumbling meteor. The Ga-Matoran turned around, the arm collapsed into debris and rubble, whatever consciousness that had held it together had faded. She looked back to his body, he was beginning to reform his arm, but wait. She strained to look, she had no telescopic lens, but it almost looked like a blue Matoran was holding to his body where his arm had fallen off. Slowly she shoved back onto her feet and resumed skating, hurrying towards the smashed home. Ko-Ka glided up and began to freeze the buildings walls, try to prevent more of the home from collapsing. As ice glued the cracked building together she swung around to a chunk of a roof and skated towards it. She launched herself off the artificial incline, landing inside the commune. Ko-Ka skated through the damaged building, her feet freezing over the crumbling floor. Her optics searched about, before spotting a patch of orange buried by debris. She glided over and pressed her palms to the debris, frost spreading from her fingers. She swallowed and focused, the ice expanding in the cracks and gaps in the rubble. Her relish on tore through it, shattering the chunks of roofing. The hero pulled the Matoran of Plasma free, looking over his injuries. As she search him he moaned, “s-should have stayed in Ta-Metru. Thought Av-Kofo would be safer.” “Don’t talk,” she said quietly, before helping him to his feet. She skated to a jagged hole in the home and froze it, plastering a smooth slid to the city plaza. “Hurry,” she said, before skating past him to search the rest of the house. “Th-thanks, Ko-Ka,” he said, still dazed, before sliding down out of the house. … Ko-Ka walked out of the commune, holding an Av-Matoran on her shoulders. As she balanced him she winced at the wall of heat, the Tahnok and Fohrok were being pushed back past the commune, backing away from Konui as the living landslide tumbled after them. Their Fire Shields were flamethrowers, sending torrents of Fire into the giant pile of debris. His ice evaporated into plumes of steam under their onslaught, even as his one arm flailed to swat away the five red Bohrok. Chunks of him crumbled away without the frost holding him together. He no longer looked like a Matoran or an Agori. Let alone a Toa. Just like a heap of rocks swinging around a long tendril. He didn’t even seem to have a mask anymore. “If he doesn’t have a mask, he shouldn’t be conscious. His body has been torn apart some many times, it’s constantly shattering and plastering itself together. He can’t be alive.” Ko-Ka tensed up, gripping her passenger tight, before skating out of the destroyed commune, streaking down the ice before tumbling on the snowy powder that had once been a plaza. She checked over their body again, before glancing towards the moving mound. He was pursuing the Tahnok, driving them back into Av-Kofo. Was he still targeting the Matoran of Light? Or was he only targeting the heat? Or was he just moving aimlessly? His arm seemed to flail wildly, no longer targeting anything in particular. And he had no visible head, so it’s not like he could see. Was Konui even still alive? Or was this now something else? She rubbed her head, “I don’t know … it doesn’t matter. That’s not my part in this. I need to rescue civilians, get people to safety. That’s the kind of hero I need to be. I don’t need to be a star.” The Ga-Matoran hero leapt down and began to skate, heading past the bug-like robots towards the trail of destruction. As she glided across the landscape Ko-Ka shook her head. This much destruction, all over the need to belong. The Great Mother of Metru-Nuva was being built in Po-Metru, it wasn’t directly caught in this, but even still, all the repairs, the injuries. It might take another hundred years before the New City could finally begin manufacturing new Matoran. It might even slow down New Atero and the other major cities too. As she ran there was a crash, and a Ko-Matoran ran out of a commune, wielding a stolen Power Sword. He laughed and swung it wildly as she ran up. “S-stop, you can’t even use that.” “Shut it freak,” he swung the blade at her but she ducked underneath him, before pressing her palm to his mask. Frost coated over his eye holes, he lunged at her only to overshoot and fall to the ground. The Power Sword clattered away, and he pulled himself up, scratching at his eyes. His resistance would keep him unharmed, but he would find it harder to loot the shattering district now. As he cursed her Ko-Ka skated away. She streaked behind the Bohrok and Fohrok, only to suddenly stumble and winced. The raw heat of the Tahnok and their imitations, her ice melted so quickly, it was more of a slushy mess. She began to run the rest of the way, it would be slower and more tiring, but it was stabler. Project Mangai rarely had tested for the limits of her freezing power in heat, same as, nor its limitation of moisture. She knew her limits better from responding to disasters, from research that Collector had done. But the project… Her feet pounded as she wondered how much of that was Konui’s doing. Or his followers. Maybe they just had not wanted to hear the weaknesses of their ‘Ice’ elemental powers, or maybe they had been just setting up the Matoran of Water to fail. Finally she could feel the wall of heat fade as the Tahnok were pushed farther back, and she began to freeze the cracked streets once more, swooping over the landscape like a Gukko on a thermal. As Ko-Ka glided up there was a rumbling, the East of Av-Kofo seemed to tremble and shake. She kicked her legs to skate faster, even as Av-Matoran and Su-Matoran scrambled to get to safety. Behind them she could see Ko-Matoran shouting and hurling rocks at them, a number of Av-Matoran returned fire with bolts of light, one even shattering a Ko-Matoran’s mask. She swerved towards the scene, her fingers wiggling wildly. Mist lofted off them as she skated to the crowd, before she began to crouch low. This … the so called Cold Truth was monstrous. This rampage had been unintentional, but … Konui targeted Av-Kofo at first, his followers threw rocks at businesses, attacked Av-Matoran who left their distract, and that was even before this calamity. Her arms touched the broken ground as she skated, now shifting to a squat. As she slid ice spread from each of her limbs, sealing up some of the broken ground. As she did a Ko-Matoran shouted, “it’s the Karzahni-kissed thief. Get her, boys.” They ran at her, but she continued to skate, twirling and streaking across the ground. One lunged for her, only to slip on her trail of ice. He tumbled and smacked to the ground, and she looped back around. With a wipe of her hand she smeared his mask with ice, obscuring his vision. A rock slammed into her back, knocking her into stumble. But she had fallen a lot when she was learning to grasp her powers, she still fell now on occasion. As she fell she caught herself on her hands and kept gliding on her cushion of frost. She swooped back around as she shoved herself upright, before ducking beneath another hurled stone. A Ko-Matoran charged at her with a broken blade, cracks running down it. How close had he been to the living landslide? She skated right up to him before veering away, letting him slip on her ice. From behind him a blast of light slammed into another Ko-Matoran, knocking him to the ground. Ko-Ka skated up to blind him, frosting over his mask before pivoting and doing the same to the latest Ko-Matoran to trip. The rest charged after her, stumbling and wading through the thick layers of shattered ground and powdery ice. She stretched her legs to widen her ice slick, the Ko-Matoran quickly scrambling into the solid ground she had formed, only to slip hard to the ground below. As she skated away she looked towards Konui. What was left of him was incoherent, the supporting ice melted by the mechanical warriors. He struck out wildly with his arm, he didn’t even seemed to roll anymore, just held in place flailing. Boom. His arm slammed into two Tahnok, hurling them back and shattering them. Ko-Ka winced, most of the Bohrok were either in the New Atero Defense Force, acting as labor or spare parts for the Great Mothers project, or had been rebuilt into Boxers. They could still make more Fohrok though, if they could acquire the Protodermis for it. Without the Tahnok Konui’s ice began to regrow, but still he stayed in place. His pile was pulsating again, constantly exploding into shards and then freezing back together. It looked like his non-ice components became small and smaller, turning into dust. Ko-Ka’s optics focused in on his body. It might be still, but it was still growing. How did it have this much power? Great Masks weren’t this powerful, even if you got a Toa Disk, radiating the actual element of its creator, that disk would be limited. A Garai would not even work on its user. A thought brushed against her. Energized Protodermis was mutagenic, transforming or destroying almost anything it touched. It took ages to discover a way to handle it safety. Perhaps when the Weakening disk was beginning to fuse to him, his lack of control damaged the containers holding the EP, and it splashed into him, completely transforming the abilities and physiology him and his disks. It didn’t make much of a difference, he was still dangerous. She skated closer, only to see a trench emerging around him. She poked overhead to see Gavla carving a moat in the ground around him. “Trying to contain him like the fire?” “Shut it,” Ko-Ka nodded at the reply. She would worry about Gavla later. For now she skated around the moat, searching for anyone in the danger zone. She found a few soon enough. A few Ko-Matoran lay mangled, their bodies shattered and froze in a patchwork, fluids drooling out of their broken bodies. “This … this is all wrong,” one of them groaned as she skated up. And then he added, “he’s hurting the wrong people.” Ko-Ka stopped short, and found herself wondering if she should actually save these Matoran. She shook her head of those thoughts she … she should give a try. But not for the Virtues, these Ko-Matoran did not hold Unity with her. Just because too many were dying already. She skated over towards him, hand outstretched. With a press of her palms she plastered his cracked body with ice, sealing up his injuries. Or at least that was why she had intended to do. The empowered Ga-Matoran gagged at the feeling of coolant on her fingers, and began to shake her hands wildly. Not to stim, but just to shake off the foul liquid. Her mind reverted to being buried alive, she could see Vivian in her eyes, his body pierced by rubble and dripping fluid into her. She shuddered as she could almost taste the goop, feel it squirming down her metallic skin. “Get … get away, freak,” she was brought out of her revulsion by the Ko-Matoran. She … she had to stop more death. She swallowed and reached for his other injuries, but he weakly battered her hand away. “Help.” She spun around a the call of a familiar voice, before spotting Collector. Their Kanoka Blade was still attached to their arm, but the sword was pointed at the ground below them. Ice spread from its tip, and they were struggling to slide across that frost. Ko-Ka skated up to them, “y-you need any help?” “Yes,” their long legs quaked, before falling onto their back. They groaned as she offered her hand, and they pushed on her as a support. They managed to shove back upright, brandishing their Kanoka Blade in front of them. It was roughly half as long as Ko-Ka was tall, though the arm guard still covered the Vortixx’s full limb. It’s pommel was cyan, and it’s cross guard was the shape of a five-pointed star. From the pauldron to the blade a faint mist lofted from it, constantly chilling the air. Ko-Ka listened as Collector pulled free a series of large brick of machinery from their back. “This is based off the heater technology that helps you avoid frost bite,” they said, “it will let us constantly melt the ice, make him loose form. Though I will need to get close to use them.” “How are they going to stay together? That blob, it shatters everything in each.” “Yes, well,” they paused, “Nuparu was able to reach New Atero, and the council agreed to help. I was able to acquire a level eight disk of regeneration. I have incorporated it into this device, along with a level four disk of enlarging. When it activated, it will constantly heal, and will grow large enough to affect his whole body.” “But we still need to get close to him to insert it,” she looked back towards the pile of rubble, “Gavla is still there, she could cleave a hole for us and we could then drop it down into his core.” “That should work. Can you skate that way, stabilize the earth and give me a trail to follow? I can protect you from debris, I just not good at balance.” “Of course,” she crouched and began to skate, forming a thick path below her.. the Vortixx ran besides her, their Kanoka Blade clutched tight, held in front of them like a lantern in the dark. The ground pulsates and cracked as they drew closer, Ko-Ka plastered it together as best she could, while Collector swung their blade at chunks of rubble flung from the shattering earth. Some debris the Vortixx batted away with their blade, other chunks of rubble they sliced in half, the falling shards of rock plastered in frost. Their sword whirled through the air, swung with precision and speed. “Is that Protosteel?” “No, merely Protodermis,” they answered as they split a flying chunk of debris, knocking its two halves to fall harmlessly on either side of Collector and Ko-Ka. There was something in their voice, a certain speed to it, like when they said they wanted to be a Toa of Ice. “You are very graceful with that sword, you must train a lot.” “Oh um, yes. I … I have practiced with it some,” they blushed, looking away. Ko-Ka smiled faintly as she skated slightly in front of them, freezing the ground together to keep it a bit more solid. She shook the smile off her face quickly though, it was … it was not right. Not when the city was crumbling to pieces. As she plastered together the ground something whiroefnout of the corner of her optic. She turned to see a chunk of stone hurling at her, only to be battered aside with a clean blow of Collector’s Kanoka Blade. The now frosted rock tumbled away, before shattering on the ground. “Thank you, I … I hope you get your chance to become a Toa.” “I doubt it,” they sighed, “After this, I doubt Project Mangai will be allowed to continue. The priority will be rebuilding and the Mothers. If they need people capable of wielding the elements, they might just build more new Fohrok, since those are well tested. But fusing Protoderms to Kanoka Blades? I doubt the council will let it continue.” “I am sorry.” “It is the right decision,” they answered, briefly sprinting ahead of her as a large chunk of scaffolding crashed in front of them. They sliced at it with their blade, having through it before helping Ko-Ka through the gap. Collector sighed at they ran, “I wish it was not so though. I clearly did not deserve the power and friendship of a Toa. Too greedy.” “I wanted to be a hero too.” She said as the two of them reached the edge large mound of rubble. The debris that made up Konui was a fine powder now, the metal and rock shattered and froze together so much it only looked like a grayish blue wall of ice. Every second the mound shattered, and in the next it froze back into a solid mass. “D-do you think he is in pain?” “He screamed when he first was empowered. I cannot imagine if he is conscious, that this form is pleasant,” admitted Collector. “What are you doing here?” They turned to see Gavla pressing her palms against his edge, shattering chunks of his body. “I have a weapon we can use to prevent him from freezing back together. If I can embed it inside his body, it will keep the mound too solid to break, and device will be able to regenerate its injuries.” “You want to go inside that thing,” she turned to look at them, “you will die doing that. His weakening power will grind you into paste.” “Well um, yes, but—” “What, you can’t do that,” Ko-Ka rounded on the Vortixx, you can’t die, the city needs heroes like you.” “Hey, fake-corpse,” Gavla shouted over them, “Fohrok, or whatever you are called? Get over here.” “What?” Ko-Ka turned to look in confusion. The Fohrok clicked its mandibles and rolled up, before unfolding. As it towered over Ko-Ka and Gavla the blue Av-Matoran Frieda bolt of light into Collector’s leg. The Vortixx fell to their knee, and Gavla snagged the weapon off them. Ko-Ka stared in shock as Gavla began to shout at the mechanical creature. Finally she shook free of her daze and ran to Collector, helping them back to their feet “You … you didn’t have to do that.” “You’re heroes, probably would have gotten yourselves killed trying to be noble. Let the walking imitation of a corpse handle it.” The Fohrok indeed hooked the device around their right arm, a s began to roll straight at the mound. “Imitation of a corpse?” “Bohrok are dead Av-Matoran,” Gavla spat, “if the idiots don’t become Toa, their corpses transform into mindless machines. And the idiots think that’s a great honor. Part of the ‘Virtue of Destiny.’” “I … was not aware that Bohrok were once Matoran.” “Yeah? As much as they say it’s an honor, they still shut up about it with outsiders.” Ko-Ka shivered as the orange-yellow and blue robot rolled onto the top of the mound, before unleashing a focused torrent of fire from their shields, aimed directly below them. They began to sink into the structure as the ice and metal components turned into boiling fluid. “…How did the Nynrah Ghosts make Fohrok? H-how did they know how they worked?” “Dissections of Bohrok I believe. Though whether or not they knew what they handling, I do not know. But, I suppose if Av-Matoran can still transform without Toa Stones, it might open up new possibilities for recreating Toa,” they winced, “sorry, greed.” “It’s … okay,” Ko-Ka dismissed, even as the mound began to shudder, “how is it doing?” “It’s roughly at the center of the mound, and I believe it has activated the device.” Immediately the mound seem to squirm, she could guess it was the enlarging disks activating. “I feel like I should be doing more.” “Then let’s do more.” They nodded, and the two of them stepped back and began to circle the mound. Ko-Ka skated across the cracked and shattered ground, plastering it together. Running in the opposite direction Collector did the same with their Kanoka Blade, freezing the ground stable. As they ran past each other to keep circling, the mound crumbled. Steam vented off of it as the ice evaporated, forming plumes of rapidly fading vapor. The increased moisture in the air only fueled their mending of the cityscape, supplying them with ice. Finally the two of them rested, as the mound was reduced to a heap of fine powder. “I-is he dead?” “He likely was as soon as he breached the lab,” Collector offered, “as for if the power of the disks have stopped, I do not know. Would be best to keep watch, monitor the situation.” Ko-Ka nodded and glanced around for Gavla, but already she was gone, leaving only the Ga-Matoran, the Vortixx, and a bunch of mechanical life-forms. … “You can’t be serious,” Ko-Ka almost snarled, skating in front of Collector, “they helped save the city, their plan stopped the living landslide. They warned the group it would work.” Turaga Dume shook his head as the Bohrok approached, “Project Mangai has been found culpable for the destruction of Av-Kofo—” “W-well than why not blame Turaga Nuparu? Or Balta? O-or the technicians, almost all of them were in the cult that—” “Silence,” Dume thumped his Badge of Office to the ground, “Collector is Vortixx, a greedy race of arms dealers. They joined the group just to have power. It is clear where the fault lies.” “Y-you are wrong,” she said as she blocked the Bohrok, frost drifting from her hands. “That’s the problem with you Mata-Nui Matoran, you forget yourselves,” the ancient Turaga sighed, then said firmly, “this is how it has to be.” “No, it does not. The Cold Truth is to blame. They even looted buildings and attacked people during the chaos—” “I cannot blame Matoran for this disaster,” he said quietly, “it would not look good. Phantom is still recovering, so I only have one option.” “Th-this is monstrous. You … you are going to make Collector take the fall, just b-because of potential backlash? And the Cold Truth suffers nothing. This is wrong.” “I-it’s okay,” Collector offered, shaking, “I … I should have been wiser. Maybe I made a mistake that led to this, an error in my judgement. And besides, if they try anything,you will be there.” “You are not to harass them,” the Turaga spoke as harsh as a sandstorm against an Agori’s skin, “Later, when we have a new generation coming, maybe then we could afford to discuss it then. But not now. Not while we are so vulnerable.” “Would you have b-bent to the whims of the Makuta so easily?” The Turaga’s eyes seemed to burn at that comment, and his staff began to lit with fire. He tapped his staff and three of the Bohrok swarmed together, forming a single colossal being. “They come with us, end of discussion.” … Collector hated this warmth, this lukewarm feeling on their metal skin. Their cell was built for Matoran,too small, so they had to sit scrunched up. Their hand kept flexing and fidgeting, thirsting for their Kanoka Blade. The calming cold. “Heard about the Cold Truth temple that got attacked?” “Yeah, someone used a disk of freezing to erode it until it collapsed, right?” Collector’s optics pivoted to listen more as the guard continued, “all their servers were also shattered by ice.” “I mean the Council are trying to suppress news of it, and the Cold Truth can’t make up their minds who to blame and whether to actually mention the ice, but well, you know who they—” And then the lights inside the chamber shutdown. “What the Karzahni—” A shadow swooped through the darkness, striking both Matoran in their masks. They moaned as something reflective covered their heads, plastering their optics shut. One of them spun around, thrusting their Electro-Blade, only to clutch his hand in pain and drop his short sword. He fell to the ground, before ice spread to his hand, sealing him to the floor. The other guard fell down the same way, managing to shout, “h-help, s-someone—“ and then ice plastered over his jaw, silencing him. Collector struggled to look as ice sank into the forcefield’s controls, and the translucent barrier shimmered out of existence. They wearily stepped out, asking, “Ko-Ka?” “Here,” the cross-wired vigilante handed over a Great Akaku and a familiar blade, “we need to move quickly. They will have the Fohrok up and running again shortly.” “You … can’t do this,” they said as they stared at their personal items, “They will blame you, say you were driven mad by the disk, lost control.” “L-let them. Doing the right thing is more important than what the Matoran say,” Ko-Ka said firmly, “and we are friends, aren’t we?” Collector shakily nodded as they crawled out of their cell, standing up. Slowly they plucked up their mask and Kanoka Blade, slotting them on. Their telescopic lens immediately began to adjust and extend, probing through the walls. “Fohrok approaching, and Vahki.” “Th-then let’s go,” Ko-Ka began to skate, and Collector followed after, head bent, “we have a lot of work to do.”

IC “Komisti” - Irnakk’s Tooth Komisti winced, “of course, you are right. We might not have the kind of time to find others of our breeds to form a Kaita.” A silly idea, they were desperate to matter as usual. Trying to trick the people here into liking them. They stumbled as the fear slammed into them again, but they resisted, instead turning to make their way out of the tunnel. They could see the Big Bruiser up ahead, peering after the group. OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Toru Nui @Tarn

IC Kanohi - Tobduk-Koro Kanohi tapped his staff against a cracked chunk of land, and the stone trembled, before the ground sealed back up. He leaned on his staff, letting out a sigh. The static in his optics was overwhelming. His exhaled breath lingered in the air. He leaned on his staff as he recognized that a vision was coming, before he was engulfed in a dense fog. He stumbled, before seeing a coastal village laying in the fog, Protoderms of all sorts of beings hustling about, some weaving nets, others sharpened spears. A Ga-Matoran suddenly dove into the ocean, sending blue water onto Kanohi. As the water dripped down him his optics refocused, and he found himself by a beach. He turned, a spear was in his hands, but he wore no armor of masks nor Volo Lutu Launchers. Instead he carried a crude spear, and a Ussal stood besides him. “Something wrong, Dece?” Kanohi winced at his old name, as he looked at two other Matoran, one of them a Matoran of Stone, the other a Matoran of Earth. He … he swore he knew them from somewhere, but it only hit him as a wave struck him, planting him face first into the sand. He dragged himself up and wiped water off, and his optics focused. He could see several boats, each resembling the hovercrafts of his old home. They were lashed together, some hauling nets, some cutting up fish. It was a mobile village. Matoran if the six basic breeds walked about, some ... he had seen in an earlier vision. There was a cry, and he swayed on the deck before grappling away. He had Volo Lutu Launchers welded to his arms again, though he had no telescopic lens. He hurtled to the edge of the floating village before his heartlight began to shine as a lighthouse. Emerging from the water he could see a colossal shape, too big to comprehend. A massive shadow fell upon the village, before he grappled away, he had to keep the village stable. As he hauled up a Po-Matoran before he could fall in the drink, a tidal wave slammed into him. The water sent him tumbling, heartlight racing. He shakily stood up to see a colossal city towering in every direction. He stumbled about, this dwarfed Metru-Nui, and there were so many styles. And the people, so many Protoderms, scores of breeds he had never seen before. So many people lived here. He tripped as he took in the sight and smacked into the ground. As his head aches he pulled himself up, finding himself in a poor village, one wore down. His optics widened as he saw a large flat foot smacked in front of him. He grappled away to see Matoran scrambling as large reptilian creatures carrying staves marched through their village, firing beams of heat from their eyes. Kanohi swallowed as one approached a Ga-Matoran, before he grappled towards it and slammed into it. Both of them tumbled from the blow, and as Kanohi rolled he saw flashes of metal scratch up his optics— He smacked against the ground, back in Tobduk-Koro. Shakily the Matoran stood up and leaned against his staff before walking away. So many cycles, to think he had lived so many lives. And the spots were already returning. … IC “Komisti” - Irnakk’s Tooth Komisti nodded, they … if the group were meant to leave, then they would be relieved to go. As they began to go, their optics caught the edge of their mask in the corner of their vision. A thought came to the Vortixx, a rough idea, but a useful one. “I ... I think I remember something. I remember Kanohi spoke once of a power he heard about from a native Turaga. That when three beings of the same breed focused on their Unity, they could become a lesser spirit called a Kaita. Could that be a way to fight the Riteborn?” OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Toru Nui @Tarn … IC Mahrika - Aqua-Sphere The Desecrated Ga-Matoran began to crawl down the wall, hopefully past a recovered Kas and towards the disk of freezing she had hurled to disorientate the Vahki. As she moved she focused her telescopic lens on them, looking for signs of trouble. OOC: @Kal the Guardian @Unreliable Narrator @Burnmad @Eyru … IC Kardaka - Tobduk-Koro Kardaka meanwhile wandered the village, healing the damage from the ruins exploding. As she walked she felt through the stones, her range of sight was small, but even so she could tell the ground was stable. That Aspect of a Toa had healed the ground. She paused as she came upon a chunk of the broke ruins. It ... it wouldn’t work, it would be beyond her. Still, she should try. The Turaga placed her palm on her noble mask to focus, before pushing her power against the rubble, trying to regenerate it. OOC: @Unreliable Narrator

IC “Komisti” - Irnakk’s Tooth Komisti nodded, and staggered after the Toa. The fear lingered around them, but they wadded through it. Kanohi had to fight through fear every day, they could handle one tunnel. They closed their optics briefly, would Kanohi have handled this tunnel easier, used to this struggle? Regardless they continued after Triage. They approached Enra, avoiding optic contact, and asked, “I … I am no healer, but I can fix machinery. If your gauntlets were damaged, my Mask can regenerate them, and my instincts can do the rest.” OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Toru Nui @Tarn

Kanohi up, having some visions of fanfics I wrote. Look it’s the end of the cycle, I felt it made sense for his powers to be affected.

IC Kanohi - Tobduk-Koro It started with spots. As Kanohi was mending the damage to the village, specks began to appear in the sides of his vision. He … he could not be exhausted already, there was still much to repair. He stopped grappling around and resumed walking with his staff, his telescopic lens searching for anyone in need. As his lens focused there was … there were glints of static, drifting around his vision. Like he had been staring at the sun and his optics had become branded by the glow. He slid down a wall, feeling tired all of a sudden. He sat there, still clutching his staff. He drummed its shaft, but the sound was hard to hear, it felt distant. The static in his optics squirmed about, growing closer and closer. It flickered and shook, changing colors. The distortion in his optics seemed to engulf his field of view, and Kanohi’s optics widened. The world was a black and white rainstorm, constant streaks of monochrome slamming around him. Kanohi spun around off balance, he could make out no details around him. He staggered in the rain, before suddenly he misstepped, and plummeted into the blackness. He flailed as he fell, the world growing green. Branches struck against him, Ravi shrieked at him. Kanohi struggled to catch himself when he saw something on his arms. His … his Volo-Lutu Launchers were bigger now, like his old low tech ones. They were welded to his forearms, wires connecting his fingers to the launchers. The Fe-Matoran grappled with the makeshift launchers, heading through the jungle he found himself in. As he hurtled he swung towards three Matoran, he could see a strange small green slug oozing towards them, one of them hurling disks seemingly of bamboo at the beast. He charged towards them, hand outstretched to carry the green Matoran out of the way of the beast. As they plowed towards the green Matoran leaves hurled from the gaps in her armor and engulfed him. He tumbled among the leaf storm before firing his Volo Lutu Launcher. He swung out of the storm into a swamp. A familiar swamp. He tumbled on the landing and looked around. He could see the plateau in the distance, though the village looked different. More built up. And ... not destroyed. He grappled towards it, hurling through the sir, he could see Turaga Bomahri, he … he was talking to a strange being, there were many of them. And that flag … the League. Kanohi tumbled into the later, a few disks scattering from him. He shakily grabbed the disk, its shiny reflection engulfing his vision. Okoto had disks? Okoto was allied with the League? He was Kanohi on Okoto? That … that couldn’t be right— Light erupted off the disk, blinding him. He stumbled back, before seeing a Turaga of Stone staring down at him. “Are you alright?” She asked, extending her hand to him. He nodded and shakily answered, “I … I have visions now and again. I’m fine. Just tired.” “Are you sure? How … that is no Kraata power I know of. How did you get it?” “I don’t know. I don’t control it,” he answered, “I should continue mending the damage. We must hold to Unity, especially now that we have lost the ruins.” He stood up with her help and began to walk away to regenerate more of the damage. ”What did you see?” Kanohi paused and answered, “Other cycles, I think,” he smiled, “And in one, my homeland survives.” He paused, though if they joined the league instead of being wiped out on first contact, much had changed. Maybe not all for the better. And for him to be Kanohi so early, had that Kanohi had visions of this cycle, inspiring him to adopt the name. And that slug of the other cycle, what was it? Then the spots began to reappear in his vision. So soon? The last time he had visions close together was … the Fall of Metru-Nui. The cycle was fated to end soon. He could feel it, even as his vision distorted again and he fell to his knees. OOC: hope this is okay.

IC “Komisti” - Irnakk’s Tooth Komisti shakily approached the others, still forced to cling the wall to stand upright. “I … I am sorry for my mistakes, I should have been more aware and careful. It is a relief that no one … that things did not escalate further. Thank you Enra.” They bowed to the Skakdi in gratitude that … that she fixed their mistake. They shuddered as they recalled their breakdown, “I apologize for my weakness. I … the tunnels overwhelmed me so easily.” OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Toru Nui @Tarn

IC “Komisti” - Irnakk’s Tooth Komisti felt the fear seeping in, They … they could not leave, more monsters would be unleashed, Tobduk-Koro would be destroyed, Matoran civilization would be wiped out, they would be friendless and alone, isolated as they had been on Xia. Curse them, even now they were selfish, only scared to lose the Matoran because it would affect them. Conniving Vortixx, they would be betray anyone to get what they want, even K-Kanohi. Kanohi, he was a good person. He was maybe the kindest person left on Zakaz. He … he was Komisti’s first friend, he … he was going to give Komisti a naming day, officially change their name. They … they … they had to keep fighting, they couldn’t let Kanohi down. If they died Kanohi might have a panic attack, might die. He cared about them, for some reason. They shakily stood up, still clutching their Kanoka Blade, cold moisture lofting along its sharp Protodermis edge. Nothing, nothing was scarier than letting Kanohi down. That kind Matoran had suffered too much already they… they would keep fighting for him. They began to walk, leaning against the cavern wall to stay upright. Their heartlight pounded frantically, but they still stood, “I … I am sorry. I … I was clumsy,” they struggled to say, trying to defuse the situation. Meanwhile the Big Bruiser could hear avalanches in her step, tremors as she crunched the ground. Too big, too clumsy, they could bring down the whole mountain. She began to back out of the tunnel, trying to avoid breaking anything. OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Toru Nui @Tarn

Oh, low tech Volo-Lutu, nice. And wrist mounted ones too. If I ever bring back Dece in the bzrpg, maybe I could make him closer to his Six Kingdoms counterpart, depending on how difficult the tech trees are.

IC “Komisti” - Irnakk’s Tooth Komisti looked up at Ulkarr, and his words briefly cut through the fog of fear. The Vortixx swallowed, trying to muster their courage, but they failed, still shaking. Still they managed to say, “I … I cannot go. I-I have a duty to the Matoran, to stop the monsters. To stop more destruction.” Suddenly destiny gave Ulkarr leverage. “Master,” Bode called out through their psychic bond, “Something terrible has happened. The Ruins of Stone have detonated, causing tremors. Toa Stannis stabilized the ground, it could have been a lot worse, but we are without the Admin or the portal network, and many of us are hurt.” Bode added suddenly, “some Matoran overheard Stannis talking to Kanohi and a Turaga afterwards. It … Stannis claimed to be an Aspect named Caedast, who had bonded to the Toa Stannis long ago.” OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Toru Nui @Tarn I honestly forgot about Bode for a while there

Cool. If I ever write fanfic o that brings up the Ignika, I will casually acknowledge it glowing

IC “Komisti” - Irnakk’s Tooth Komisti scrambled to the side of the cave wall, pressing their back against it as they heaved. “My fault, my fault. I … I made them fight, Clumsy, clumsy fool. Monstrous, I ruined everything, my fault.” Their Kanoka Blade was clenched tight in their hand until the hilt trembled, and frost spread from their thigh where the blade lay. They flinched at the cold, fool, they couldn’t even resist the cold. They would never be a Toa of Ice, they were no hero, they would only mimic a Toa, and poorly at that. OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Toru Nui @Tarn

IC “Komisti” - Irnakk’s Tooth Komisti was overwhelmed by the fear, terrified of failing the other beings present, of hurting them through their incompetent social abilities. They were weak, nothing to a Toa. They … they clukd see through their clenched shut their heartlight, it was frantically pulsing. They were not aware of the group around them, just struggling to endure as they stumbled after the others. Finally they tripped, smacking into one of the group. They scrambled upright, heartlight pounding. “S-sorry, I did not m-mean, I would never mean to hurt you, I wouldn’t—” OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Toru Nui @Tarn

IC Kanohi - Tobduk-Koro Kanohi wandered the village of Tobduk-Koro, helping regenerate the buildings amd tools damaged in the chaos of the ruins detonating. He pried debris off the wounded, trying to help this village, the last of its kind in the universe. Unless some survived in Mata-Nui’s decapitated body. He approached a rip in the earth, spotting a Ga-Matoran trapped inside. He spread his arms apart and fired both Volo-Lutu Launchers, honking both the radio tower and the Matoran with spheres of gravitational force. He strained as his arms were ripped against each other, before the path of least resistance was taken. He grappled into the radio tower, the Matoran of Water wrenched of the out after him. They landed in a heap, though he stood up quickly. Leaning on his staff he drummed it to Dece yet himself, before grappling away to strike his “Badge of Office” against more debris. As he worked, he could see he was not alone. Refugees and residents of Tobduk-Koro alike helped their brothers and sisters escape rubble, using Kanoka Blades of regeneration to mend the terrain and repair their homes. Steltians working with Matoran, Matoran with Vortixx. He smiled faintly under his layers of masks. There was hope yet. OOC: @EmperorWhenua @Toru Nui … IC Mahrika - Aqua-Sphere The Desecrated Ga-Matoran felt the Aqua-Sphere stabilize, the careening of Mi-Kiri had finished. They were safe. “Thank you Sorilax, you have saved our lives,” she said, before catching sight of that Toa of Fire, the one who had drawn a weapon on her and Sorilax. She flinched at the sight of agony on his face, and her mind regressed to when she and Ollem had sailed to the remains of the River, seeing hundreds of the monstrous Skakdi floating in the water, their bodies bloated and discolored. Even monsters, they did not deserve to suffer so. She began to scale up the wall. She could not recover her disk of freezing yet, not with the Vahki about. Instead she drew her disk of weakening, and crawled across the walls to Toa Kas. She … she prayed to Tuakana and Sorilax both she would not regret this. ”Ollem better be alive,” Mahrika warned the Toa, before hurling the disk of weakening. She caught the tool as it ricocheted off the wall, even as the wall began to crumble away, hopefully freeing Toa Kas from his painful imprisonment. OOC: @Kal the Guardian @Unreliable Narrator @Burnmad @Eyru … IC Kardaka - Tobduk-Koro “My goal is to set myself and my kin free from the cycles that have entrapped us for so many centuries. We seek to live and experience life just as you do. This quest has taken me far afield, and I don't know when I may be able to return.” Avka listened as a voice filled their head. This Turaga was right, they … they had only heard rumors, mostly allegedly from Ulkarr, but to truly have this Psionics connection … they were certainly stronger than other Matoran now. Finally they turned to the Turaga, “I … she says her goal is to sever the Aspects from … repeating something? Being trapped making the same mistakes? And that they wish to live and experience life as the Matoran do. She can not return to the village yet though, she is busy.” Kardaka shook her head, “She should be careful. Our breed has little to admire. And if she wishes to be mortal, she should ensure there is a way for new Aspects to enter the world. If they are mortal made mortal, unless they can breed, with everyone one of her sisters who dies, they risk going extinct.” She walked away at those words slowly, putting her left hand to her mask. She focused, and one of the damaged tents began to mend, dents popping out, fabric stitching back together. Avka for their part shuddered. If Whisper could be killed, would the Matoran lose their masks’ powers? They could get other Aspects to infect their masks again, but if the Aspects went extinct. They reached out telepathically again and asked, “The … the Turaga wishes to warn you. She thinks that if you become mortal, you must ensure a way for your breed to reproduce, to make new generations. Otherwise your people would eventually go extinct.” OOC: @Gecko Greavesy

IC Kanohi - Tobduk-Koro Kanohi stared after Stannis as he vanished into the shadows. So Caedast, that was the true name of the Stannis he knew. An Aspect who had been inspired by the old Toa Stannis, who had bonded with the Toa, and eventually merged with him. He knew an Aspect needed permission to possess someone, had Caedast and Stannis stayed together so long they eventually fused? Both Toa and Aspect, Caedast and Stannis? How much of the legends Knichou and Nale had known were about the original Stannis, and how much were Caedast? How much of the ancient hero’s actions had been born of one and the other. Were the two sides opposed to each other in somethings? Or were they just the same being, merged like a the Kaita Klawne had told him about sometime ago. The Kanohi heard a shout, and turned to see a Matoran trying to free a Vortixx pinned under rubble. Without a word he grabbed over, and stabbed his staff under the debris. With help the two Matoran used the staff to pry. The rubble off her, letting it fall to the side. He grappled away, he would have to do a lot to mend the damage. And truthfully it mattered little what the nature of Stannis was, what mattered right now was what he had done for Tobduk-Koro. The village had lost no one from what he could tell, and that meant rebuilding would be easier. Just this once, everybody lived. OOC: @EmperorWhenua @Toru Nui … IC Kardaka - Tobduk-Koro Kardaka watched the strange Toa/Aspect go, before turning away. This Stannis and Caedast was busy, and was lost to her now. And if they were truly a fusion of Toa and Aspect, could she trust them? Her people were not trustworthy, Tobduk-Koro was better than the villages and cities she remembered, but even still she was wary. She returned to the Av-Matoran, and asked, “Your mask, you are connected to Whisper, correct? Would she heard you if you reached out?” ”I … don’t know. Maybe?” ”Would you mind reaching out to yet on my sake? I … I need power, I am too weak to save this island, and iy must be saved, but I cannot be trusted with power that is unchecked. I must serve someone wiser, someone not tied to the Matoran. I would like to speak to her, to learn if I could trust her goals so I may serve her.” Avka stared at the strange Turaga, but nodded. If … if the island was I deed vanishing, and with the Admin gone, they could all use a bit more power. “Whisper, I … I am one of the many Matoran you blessed with an Infected Mask. A Turaga has approached me, she wants to speak to you. She wants to serve you and save the island, but wants to know what your goals are first.” OOC: @Gecko Greavesy not sure if it’s worth it for Whisper since Kardaka is just a Turaga, but here you go.

IC Kanohi - Tobduk-Koro Kanohi hurled through the air, scooping up Matoran and pushing the other breeds of Protoderms out of the way of the shaking earth. His Kiril Staff struck the ground each time he tumbled on a landing, mending the landscape in patches. And then Kanohi heard the creak of stone and earth, and a roar of the land. He turned in time to witness the cliff where the ruins once stood now shoving away from Tobduk-Koro. The Fe-Matoran stared in awe, as Stannis cleaved the land in twine. The Councilor drummed his staff, but not of stress and fear. He stimmed with joy, as the land stopped trembling. Toa Stannis, the power he wielded, it was frightening. But he had only used that power to save the village. Kanohi stood on the shoulders of giants. Knichou built him his Volo Lutu Launchers. That mysterious Toa of Stone built Po-Koro. Vakama built him his Kiril Staff. Sucordak taught him how to make disks. Komisti and the Vahki saved Po-Koro’s people in the flood. Komisti told him of the ruins they built Tobduk-Koro under, and then they and Sucordak taught Kanohi how to forge Kanoka Blades. And Kanohi had played his part. Too. Maybe not as grand or heroic a part as others, but he had saved lives, helped out. It was clearer everyday that while Duty was a virtue, Unity was what decided the fate of civilization. The former vigilante grappled over to Stannis. “Thank you, brother,” he said, tilting his head in a bow, “you not only stabilized the ground but the ravine, ore might be uncovered, it will give us a barrier from attack. Thank you.” Then he paused and added, “we can rebuild from here. You may go fulfill your destiny. And hopefully, we will know each other again.” OOC: @EmperorWhenua @Toru Nui … IC Kardaka - Tobduk-Koro Kardaka stared at the Toa strangely as the hand was cleaved in two. That power, yes it was feasible for a Toa, she could have done that maybe once, but the strain of focusing that power should have broken him. Ruptured his tubing, cracked pistons, he should have clenched his optics tight enough to shatter their lens. She could be wrong. But to keep going, that required a different power. Invulnerability, quick healing; to hold ones body together like that, you needed the power of a strong Aspect. The Turaga of Stone stared after him, then began to approach him. If he knew an Aspect she could serve under her penance, she might have enough strength to help these people. She hobbled over to him as he spoke to a Matoran. “Stranger,” she spoke up, “Thank you for saving these people, not many remain on this land. If I may ask, who you serve?” OOC: @EmperorWhenua feel free to reply if you want.

OOC: sweet golly gosh Viltia and Sorilax are way strong. IC Mahrika - Aqua-Sphere The Desecrated Ga-Matoran was picking herself up after Kas tackled her when everything accelerated. The Ignika attached to Sorilax’s face, Mi-Kiri began to fall, Vahki intruded with a strange Turaga. Reality seemed to twist and rewrite itself in an instant. She stumbled as the island swung about, tumbling around. On a good day her large feet and short body were clumsy, with the Aqua Sphere falling, she was careening. As she was sent flying she banged and slammed into debris, knocking into Vahki. Yet with each collision, she recovered. Her chassis popped out the dents, her organic Protodermis regrew. This quick healing, it was far greater than she had imagined. And thanks to freezing her mask to her face, it stayed on. While Mahrika was tumbling around, Vokarda got to work. The Ga-Matoran’s beloved partner’s power radiated through her body, and her body began to shift. Plates extended in each hand, her fingers grew longer and flatter. Strange grooves emerged in each of her six fingers, and they gained a stronger grip. As she scrapped against the wall she caught hold. Hanging off the side, she heard Sorilax’s shout, and before her eyes she saw several new people in the room, he … the power he commanded, the followers he had. He was strong. Hearing his words Mahrika called out, “I will try, but hurry.” She planted her feet against the wall, letting them adapt to hold on. As she clung there she grabbed her disk of freezing and hurled it. The Kanoka struck the floor, unleashing a tidal wave of creeping frost. The ice formed beneath the Vahki, hopefully to throw them off balance, like she had been only moments before. OOC: @Kal the Guardian @Unreliable Narrator @Burnmad @Eyru

IC “Komisti” - Irnakk’s Tooth Komisti closed their optics as they followed the others, their hand stimming with the hilt of their Kanoka blade. They … they weren’t going to be enough, would they? Only a Noble Mask, two Kanoka Blades, no element, they … they would be useless against the dangers of this mountain. They would fail the group, just like Po-Koro and Kini-Koro. Had they actually achieved anything? Tobduk-Koro has Kanoka blades now, but could that be enough to save them if, no, when Komisti failed to stop more Riteborn from being made? They would fail everyone, the Matoran would hate them, no, they already hated them. They were cruel, freakish, unable to belong to neither Matoran nor Vortixx society. They failed Po-Koro by abandoning it on a mad quest for power, they could not make a difference in Kini-Koro, they were no Toa. They … they failed. As fear began to ooze and seep through Komisti’s every thought, the Big Bruiser could hear her steps crunching the ground below her. Too big and clumsy. She was a bruiser through and through, she would never be able to forge beautiful disks. At best she would only be able to dig up ore for real crafters to make. She rubbed her pickaxe anxiously as she continued on. OOC: @Unreliable Narrator @Toru Nui @Tarn

IC Kanohi - Tobduk-Koro Kanohi felt a faint smile underneath his many masks as the ground began to tremble. The quakes were steadying, like a frantic heartlight calming down. Stannis seemed almost to vibrate, his body pulsing in time with the quakes. This power, yet this control… Kanohi realized he rarely had seen Stannis use his element, wait, had he ever seen him wielding it? It had always been his mask. Even to solve the Great Disk puzzle, he had used his mask to temporarily change his element to light. Stannis … had restrained this much power? This much skill? The former vigilante finally shook himself of his daze and said, “thank you b-brother,” he squeaked that word out, before saying, “I will make your time here count.” And with that he leveled his Volo Lutu Launchers and fired a sphere of gravitational pull. He wrenched free of the ground, grappling forward. Each time landed he slammed his staff to the landscape, releasing a small wave of regeneration. He did not stop as he hurtled through the air, towards the refugees. With a swing of his staff he hooked a Vortixx refugee, dragging him out of the way before a chunk of debris could smash against him. Kanohi’s pistons ached from the weight, but he was a Fe-Matoran, he could endure. And he had endured. As he grappled about, carrying Matoran away, batting debris away before it could collapse on a tent, regenerating a tent smushed by rubble; it was hard to believe how far he had come, going from a failure of a mask maker, to one of the few survivors of a genocide, to a vigilante in the big city, to a refugee of a destroyed universe, to a leader of a refugee camp, to learning to make disks, to losing that camp in a flood, to forming a new village led by a council, to forging Kanoka Blades and accepting refugees into his village. A lot had changed. And he had survived it all. His optics tighter as he hooked a Bo-Matoran and hurled her away from a growing fissure. “Careful, sister,” he shouts, before whipping around and striking the ground. The rock seemed almost to stitch itself together, like woven plant fibers. He could feel the ground resonate through his feet. Stannis truly was a Toa of Stone, and the laws of rock yielded to him. Kanohi did not have time to wonder though, he could see a crack in the earth swallowing a tent. With a hook he grappled over and he slammed his staff down as he landed, reforming the land. OOC: @EmperorWhenua @Toru Nui … IC Kardaka - Tobduk-Koro Kardaka could feel the ground shift. Not like it’s was crumbling, but like the drum beats of the Matoran, before they grew corrupt and cruel. Steady beats pounded through the earth, at first, she almost believed it was her doing it. But she was only a Turaga. Her optics followed the tremors in her feet, and she turned to see a Toa, hand raised above the ground, the very rock yielding to his power. She … she had never had that kind of ability. Once she had possessed that power, near the end of her Toahood she had wielded that kind of control. But both, simultaneously? ”So thats Toa Stannis,” Avka whispered and the Turaga of Stone turned to them. Toa Stannis? She did not think she recognized his name. But even knowing the evil of her breed, it was hard not to feel awe seeing the power of a fully realized Toa. She shook her head, if he was doing the heavy lifting, she would do her duty and help. She walked about, hand on her mask, focusing it to regenerate torn tents and bent poles. Her Badge of Office held her upright, even as she focused her mask. Its funny, her element was severely diminished. She could see through stone, and control pebbles, but controlling larger rocks and creating new stone, it was far beyond her. But her mask, the power to mend things, it was weaker, but not all that much. It could not regenerate Protosteel, but everything else just needed patience.

IC Kanohi - Tobduk-Koro Kanohi paused, drumming his Kiril Staff, thinking. Stannis spoke kindly, with wisdom. It was naive of him, but the Councilor chose to trust him. But he … he also knew that this might be the last conversation. Stannis was going to war, the island might be vanishing, this was the last chance perhaps to talk to this complicated Toa. This man who was trickster and friend, hero and monster, warrior and shaman. Aspect and Toa. Or was it. Finally he said. “You have spoken of cycles before, of the world ending and renewing, of endless eras. Do you believe that might be what I sometimes see in my visions, they might be the cycles of the past? Or the future? And do you … do you think, in an early cycle, versions of us, Knichou, and Nale may have crossed paths? And … well, the island may be fading. If this cycle ends, do you think some version of you find me again—” And then there was the roar of rock giving way. Kanohi stumbled backwards as before him the ruins that overlooked the village shattering, chunks of debris tumbling down. The Councilor felt her heartlight sputter as he caught himself on his staff. He … he couldn’t process this, the ruin collapsing, the portal likely severed. Avka’s warning was too late. It was too sudden to dwell on. All he could focus on, was that the refugees camps lay beneath the ruins. The villagers and refugees might need him. He would grapple away to help, but first, he would wait to hear Stannis’s words. OOC: @EmperorWhenua @Toru Nui … IC Kardaka - Tobduk-Koro As she walked away, she heard the sound of rock ripping apart explosively. The Turaga of Stone spun around, nearly losing her balance as the Ruins tumbled and shattering, shards of debris hurtling as a meteor to Zakaz. She was too late. Kardaka hobbled back towards the ruin and the refugee camp at its bank, even as the refugees screamed and staggered back. Avka was just staring up in horror at the falling debris as it tumbled and bounced, smashing tents. Matoran were crushed by the shards of rock, they … they were so small. So insignificant. They … they didn’t matter— Before a chunk of rubble struck them, Kardaka swung out her Badge of Office, knocking them to the side. “I apologize, I should have hurried sooner,” the Turaga said, “help me help the refugees, I can try to slow the tremors.” Avka picked themselves up, they could feel the ground shaking, the mining the village had done, alongside the exploding ruins, it was causing tremors. The mine, if it collapsed, the village could be even more damaged. I-it was Po-Koro all over again. They … they were helpless. But if the Turaga believed in them, saved them, th-they had to try. ”I … I will try.” The Av-Matoran nodded and their hands ignited with flaming light. As the light illuminated their optics fired out twin beams of light, searing the cracking rock back into place. Their vision welded the terrain together, even as they threw fiery light bolts to knock aside crumbling debris. Kardaka meanwhile planted her Badge of Office in front of her and closed her eyes. She reached out to the landscape, trying to stabilize the stones and rocks while her mask glowed with light. She attempted to regenerate some of the damage, mend the land. As she struggled the Turaga spoke up, “Avka, your mask … it’s desecrated. Who do you serve?” ”I … I don’t serve, I just … it’s Whisper. She wants to be mortal.” ”An … Aspect who wants to be part of the living world.” Kardaka closed her eyes. An Aspect who wants to be part of the whole of reality, to be tied to the living. That, that might be an Aspect she could trust to desecrate her mask. Because right now, it was clear she was too weak to do much good.” OOC: if anyone not involved with the climaxes want to do a little thing, Tobduk-Koro is a bit destabilized from the destruction of the Stone Ruins.

IC Kanohi - Tobduk-Koro The cross-wired Councilor winced he … he had not realized Stannis had sway over Aurex. Was that why the legendary Toa had encouraged him and Vulimai not to interfere with the League? He claimed he had revoked control over the Barraki but still... ”Ehlrek, he will need to be d-dealt with,” Kanohi swallowed, remembering the tales of Matoran experiments. Between his war crimes against Vahki and Matoran, he could not be left alone. There was no peace while people suffered under him. Kanohi suddenly caught a flash of reflected sunlight. Looking down he winced and turned towards Councilor NU, shuffling in his arms a long curved blade, shaped like a familiar staff. He spoke up, “Apologies, Councilor, I almost forgot. We started making Kanoka Blades. This one is for you, a Kanoka Blade of Weakening. I … mean it to be your badge of office, if that’s okay. It’s made from a disk with a level of six, the same as my Kiril Staff.” The far smaller Matoran offered the blade to his equal, adding “Sucordak will forge more. If w-war must come, Tobduk-Koro M-must be prepared to defend itself and the refugees.” OOC: @EmperorWhenua @Toru Nui … IC Kardaka - Tobduk-Koro Kardaka stood back, leaning against her Badge of Office. It looked like the bulk of the refugees had been leeched of poison, maybe all of them. Between normal disks of remove poison and these blades crafted from them, they had been able to trade hundreds of Matoran. She turned to the Av-Matoran, and said, “I have done my part, where can I go to help this Admin?” Avka pointed to the sky, her heartlight stopped, was the Admin already dead? But then she recognized in the distance that there was a floating shape. The Aqua Sphere. Right they … she could not remember the details, but that felt right for the Admin. “Stay here,” she said, wincing at her bluntness, “help all you can. I will speak to the Taku’s crew about finding a way to the sky” ”Okay just, hurry.” Avka fidgeted nervously, still looking at the sky. If the Admin was destroyed, would anything be left of the Ruins? The Turaga of Stone meanwhile hobbled away, shuffling her feet. As she moved she could feel through the stones below her steps, some rattled, mining was being done in this village. The land might suffer. But at least she felt less bad about taking this Kanoka Rod. … Minion IC Sucordak - The Second “Forge” of Vakama Sucordak nodded vaguely to the two Vahki as he continued to forge disks of weakening, best not to get involved. Kanoka and the products made from them, that was his field. Not dealing with Vahki affairs.