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Bionicle’s The Alliance A Fan Fiction by Toa Ignacis Inspired by Marvel’s The Avengers(Not a Parody/Mash Up/Cut and Paste, etc) Chapter One Rebirth of Darkness Lesovikk sat panting on the outskirts of the Matoran civilization on Spherus Magna. He had just killed Karzahni, and barely managed to escape from the Toa Nuva. He could still recall every detail of what had happened. The crazed ruler Karzahni had come out of nowhere and attacked him. He had quickly withdrawn his sword, but the massive being had already been on top of him. He had stabbed him through the chest and then let the body fall the ground. He had retrieved his sword, but he was so shocked by what he had done, he cast it aside. Fearing what the other Toa would do if they found out, he took off running in a random direction until he was sure he was far enough away. Now, he sat wondering what was going to happen to him. He had violated the Toa Code, a crime whose punishment was not exactly set in stone. From his vantage point, he could still see Tahu peering over the body. He did not take long to examine it, and several of the Dark Hunters took the body out of the settlement, most likely to bury it.As the sun set below the horizon, Lesovikk collapsed against the canyon wall behind him. They would never believe him. Given his past with Karzahni, no one would ever fully believe he acted in self-defense, and that it was an accident. Even if they cleared him, that cloud of suspicion would always hang over him. He could run, but he was still a Toa. He still had a duty to protect the Matoran and the rest of Mata Nui population. But how could he? He couldn’t be everywhere at once, nor could he obtain enough information to be effective. In the case of large-scale conflict, he risked his fellow Toa turning on him and arresting him. And who knows what the Order would do if they got a hold of him? He was torn, between his own self-preservation and his destiny as a Toa.“You know, not all heroes fight during the day, Toa of Air.”Lesovikk turned around and let loose a cannon of air. There was a blur of movement that went left, but his eyes were not completely adjusted to the darkness around him. He readied another blast, but someone grabbed his wrist.“Stop. We mean you no harm, Lesovikk.”He turned to see two tall, black figures next to him. One was a Vortixx, and judging by her voice and weapons, it was the one known as Roodaka. The being next to her was much taller, with multiple limbs, a long face and several blades stored on his body. He recognized him as the Dark Hunter known as Darkness. It was his job to oversee the Shadowed One’s rule of the organization, and to protect him at all costs.“Roodaka. Let me guess, you two are here to get my autograph. Sorry, but I left my chisel and hammer at home.”“We are not here to make jokes Lesovikk. We are here to offer you membership into our organization. In fact, we are asking you to lead it.”“Since when did you join the Dark Hunters, Roodaka?”“Not the Hunters, Lesovikk. The G.U.A.R.D.”“What guard? What are you talking about?”“Not any guard. The G.U.A.R.D. We are secret union consisting of all the different races, species and organizations of Spherus Magna. And we want you to lead us.”“What’s the catch?”“The catch is you will be in charge of recruiting new members. We believe you have the leadership skills to do this,” said Darkness.“Who are we trying to recruit?” asked Lesovikk, smiling. The G.U.A.R.D was the perfect opportunity to still serve his role as a Toa and keep to shadows.“Hold on there, boss. We need to at least get you a weapon,” said Darkness.“And some new armor,” said Roodaka with a playful smile.“Let me guess. I can have any color I want, as long as it’s black?” said Lesovikk.“Something like that.” * * * It had been several months since Lesovikk had took over G.U.A.R.D. He learned that it was an acronym for “The Guardian’s Unified Alliance: Response Division.” So far, he had recruited close to fifty members for the G.U.A.R.D. Most were used as spies and intelligence gatherers inside of the various organizations. They had completely rebuilt him from the ground up, combining technology and knowledge from the Order, the Brotherhood, Artakha and even the Agori. The new armor increased his physical strength somewhat, as well as his overall size. As he guessed, the armor was mostly black, but still retained his overall green appearance. He was given a simple Zamor Sphere launcher, armed with silver spheres and empty ones filled with Madu fruit. The weapon was easy enough to use, but also very versatile. He could even channel his air powers through them.Today, he was meeting with his top operatives and commanders to discuss the newest mission they were about to embark on. As he walked into the main control room, Roodaka and Darkness rose to attention. He nodded at them and they returned to their seats. “Black looks good on you, Lesovikk. Not as good as me, but close,” came a voice to his left. Lesovikk turned to see a tall, green being wielding a pair of blades that could double as a shield. Though his armor had also been modified slightly, Lesovikk recognized Gresh, a Glatorian from the Jungle Tribe, without hesitation. He was the newest promoted member, earning the rank of sergeant, and lead a group of fellow Glatorian and Toa often on raids and stealth missions. “Gresh, good to see another air brother up here in the ranks. Congrats on your promotion,” he said, and bumped fists with him.“Well, you were the one who called it,” said Gresh.“No, you earned it.”“Commander, its time to go over our next mission.,” said Roodaka.“Of course,” he said and he took a seat at the front of the table. Gresh sat towards the back, and Darkness and Roodaka took their spots at either side of him. A Ga-Toa entered from the left doorway, carrying several tablets. She stood at attention and saluted Lesovikk.“Toa Mahri Hahli, Commander. I have the tablets you requested.”“At ease, Hahli. Let’s see what we have here then.” Lesovikk peered over one of the tablets, and placed it into a slot on the table. It created several small viewing screens around the room, one set in front of each person seated. Lesovikk picked up a control device and began to speak, using the device to cycle through the various videos and screens that were playing. “As you know, Karzahni has somehow made a return and is threatening war against our peoples. I have asked our top operatives to collect a list of our people’s greatest warriors and heroes. Now, these individuals will only be called upon should we need them, but we will get to that later. First, here is what we know.“Somehow, Karzahni has returned and allied himself with the Skakdi Fusion and is using his power to create an army, despite our recent research projects we were conducting with the Fusion. Now, what Karzahni plans to do with this army or how to stop him is still unknown. So to start, we are going to try and recruit Miserix.” Lesovikk clicked the device and a profile of Miserix began to play in front of everyone, listing his species, criminal record and other important information. “We believe his knowledge of creating life might help us to unravel the secrets behind the Fusion and how to stop him, or even destroy him if necessary. Roodaka, your job will be to track him down and bring him in. He is currently AWOL, but we know he is not with the Matoran or Agori people.”“Understood, Commander,” said Roodaka.“Gresh, we want you to run an infiltration operation against the Skakdi. We believe the Fusion has returned to its people for protect and isolation. See if you can discover any more information from them, but do it quietly. Finally, Darkness and I will round up the beings our researches have complied and bring them in to help with our operations.”“Who are these beings, Commander?” asked Darkness. “I would like to know what we are getting into before we jump into the field.”“Hahli, bring up the list,” said Lesovikk. The Toa of Water took one of the tablets and pressed it face down into the counsel to the left of the table. A projector threw up a list of names, pictures and descriptions onto the far wall. The assembled beings turned to view the list.“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me…” said Lesovikk.
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Second to NoneStory Topic Disclaimer: I do not own Bionicle, and OC's are mine. _|/_|/_|/_Introduction: The Art of Hiding in Plain Sight _|/_|/_|/_ Makuta Regius sat up, shaking his aching head. He looked around. He was in the middle of a vast, empty desert. There were tall rock formations, or maybe cliffs to his back, with caves inside, he guessed. They would serve as a place to stay, until he figured out exactly what had gone wrong in his experiment, and why he'd ended up here. He'd been experimenting with a Kanohi Kualsi, and a Kanohi Olmak, and some teleportation disks and a couple of Xian products. Long story short, it hadn't ended up well. Was he in the desert of Zakaz? Or was he somewhere on the Southern Continent? He would figure that out later.It was the middle of the night. But the light from the stars and moon and the clear, clean air made it possible for him to see everything around him. What he saw, well, he could have screamed. It looked like the better part of his laboratory was scattered in the soft sand around him. It was so disorganized! He went running around, salvaging any supplies he could.Hours later, when day was just breaking, Makuta Regius could be found in the highest cave in the desert cliffs, taking inventory of his supplies that he had scavenged from the sands and muttering to himself."Visorak Venom… Mutagen… vials of Energized Protodermis…Antidermis… Mask of Regeneration…Shadow Leeches…uh…Mask of Fusion…Toa Stone? How'd that get in there? Lightstones… heatstones…Memory Crystals, good good… Kanohi Rau…Disk Launcher. No discs… Wonderful. "After taking inventory, Regius sighed at his pitiful stock of supplies. Who knows. He thought, sitting down heavily. Maybe something good will come out of this. _|/_|/_|/_ (Hundreds of Years Later...)"Thank you, and pleasure doing business with you, Ma'am." A very tall, dark haired man said, smiling winningly, and shaking her hand courteously. He walked back down her lengthy, sophisticated looking driveway with long, sure strides. He hopped into his crimson Ford Mustang and sped away with a friendly wave out the window.Linda shook her head, wondering what just happened, as she ambled across her luxurious front yard to replace the 'For Sale' sign, with the 'Sold' one. She and her family had been looking to move from their home in Pennsylvania to somewhere with a more flat landscape, like South Dakota. Some people would ask why they were selling a perfectly grand home in the shadow of the Appalachians for a home somewhere in the wilder west. Sometimes Linda asked herself the same thing. But the man she'd sold her home to had been very honest and forthcoming.She had to laugh, because she remembered the red Mustang, pulling into her driveway, and the sharply dressed, handsome looking man asking a few questions about the house and the 'For Sale' sign. And after a tour of the house, he'd just very simply pulled a checkbook out of his pocket, and written out the check for the entire house, and handed it to her, all smiles."Umm… Are you sure that's legal, sir? Isn't there paperwork and banking and insurance matters you need to take care of?" She'd asked, still staring at the number on the check. $1,500,000 stared right back up at her. This man must be extremely wealthy, for him to throw around a million and a half dollars around like grocery store money. "Are you sure your check here is correct? I mean, you can always make a down payment, and pay the rest off over time.""Ma'am, I assure you, I've taken care of matters." The man had said, in an assuring, gentle tone which also carried the slightly threatening question, 'Are you doubting me?'Linda hadn't asked any more questions. Her buyer had made a few inquires about the local school district and the town and some other, trivial things, and then left. And now, Linda whipped out her cell phone and speed dialed her husband to tell him the good news. _|/_|/_|/_ The driver of the car smiled to himself, very pleased with his purchase. It was a very nice house, very spacious and impressive, much to his taste. He drove into Harrisburg, the capitol of the state he was currently in, and parked the car at exactly the same parking meter he had found it. He glanced over his parking job."Perfect. Exactly how I found it." He said, clapping his hands together, and sauntering off like any other pedestrian. "Oh." He remembered, suddenly, and turned quickly back for the car. He opened the driver's door, jabbed the button that locked all the doors, and closed the door again. "That's better." He nodded, walking off again.To anyone he met during the day, he was Mr. Regius Grant, an accomplished businessman, whose beautiful wife, Trista, had tragically perished in a train crash four years ago this month. But in truth, he was a scientist, lost and stranded, and far away from his real home. Back home, he was Makuta Regius, leading researcher, scientist, and trusted right hand man to Makuta Miserex, leader of the Brotherhood. All Regius remembered from how he got here, was himself, working on one of his many experiments, a big boom, and then waking up in the middle of the Sahara Desert. He found it very impossible to get back to his own universe. So, giving up, he decided to take advantage of his unfortunate situation, and make it a learning experience.He'd quickly learned that the dominant species, or any species of living thing for that matter, was completely organic. They weren't accustomed to a nine foot, crimson and black armored titan wielding a heavy double headed spear and Kanohi Turbulis, or Mask of Incomprehension. But the good thing was, Makuta were shape shifters. With some extensive studying and experimenting, Regius had eventually been able to shape shift, limitedly, into more organic things from this world he was on. Example: his human form. He wasn't one hundred percent organic, still. The armor and other mechanical parts that were too hard to get rid of were molded into a human skeleton as he changed his shape. So he was a lot heavier than a normal human male of his appropriate size and build.Regius lived completely off the grid. Some of his own technology could easily fool human devices. Where his inventions failed, his natural abilities and powers as a Makuta never did. The most useful ability of his was his sway over Psionics, which was proving overly useful. Human minds were very easy to bamboozle, actually. Their computers and other electronic machines were even easier to fool. Right now, Regius was headed overseas to pick up a small order of car parts from a company in Japan that he might need to repair his spear, in case it ever needed patching up. Some of the metals in the car parts were very similar to the metallic protodermis making up his weapon.He took the empty elevator in the nearest skyscraper to the rooftop. He checked the area, and saw that it was empty. Before he stepped out of the elevator, he shut his eyes briefly, and concentrated. To an onlooker, it would look like the very air around Regius was beginning to be vacuumed up by something. And then, with a whomph-ing sound, a sphere of shadow appeared to engulf Regius. When the sphere faded as quickly as it had materialized, Makuta Regius stood there, complete with his Kanohi Mask and crimson armor. The Makuta glanced around for any security cameras that might be hiding nearby. He did find one just inside the elevator. Reaching up and placing a hand over the lens, and grasping the power cord coming out of the back of it, he sent a small coded electrical code through the camera into the database, and erased any footage they might have caught of him. He jabbed a couple of buttons on the elevator, and sent it back down empty. Satisfied, he turned and shifted again.This time, there was nothing to see when the black sphere dispersed. Regius had shifted into a very sentient Rahi species known as Avokah. Literally as fast as lightning, there was nothing for the eye to follow. _|/_|/_|/_ The Mask of Incomprehension was designed to scramble the target's spoken and written language. Most considered it an immoral Mask of Power. But Regius had used the Mask of Fusion from his old lab to fuse together his own Kanohi Turbulis and the Kanohi Rau, Mask of Translation. Even while Regius was in his human shape, he could activate his Kanohi. He didn't know why, or how, but he was grateful that he could. It allowed him to speak and understand other languages in this world. The only language he'd actually taken time to learn was English, because the English-speaking cultures were the ones that he dealt 'business' with most often.Regius the sophisticated American businessman walked out of the Toyota Car Dealership with his shipment of car parts tucked away in his briefcase. Now that he'd bought the house, he could move his small laboratory from the isolated Rocky Mountains to deep inside the Appalachian Mountains, where his new house sat. He had been, and still was, busy creating more and more of the substances he already had, back from his old lab on Destral. Right now, he was just breaking through on replicating an exact copy of Visorak Venom. But he'd need big boxes and shipment vehicles to ship everything from his old place to his new one. All of his equipment and supplies he'd stockpiled for over two hundred years was definitely too much for him to move on his own. He was also busy crafting armor and such, as a pastime.In a dark alley way, Regius quickly shape shifted into the form of a dragon Rahi known as a Phase Dragon, that were also very fast. Clutching his briefcase in his claws, he took off as quickly and silently as he could. If his sources were correct, there was a shipping company in New York City that would help him with his move.If anyone had the nerve to ask Regius about his border hopping, he'd just pull out his 'passport', or ask someone to pull up his 'flight number' and the 'airline' he'd flown on. He'd been illegally jumping countries for years, and never been caught. Being a Makuta had its advantages, certainly.Regius walked a few crowded blocks, before he got to his destination. Very eager to get business finished, he almost tripped over a baby carrier, complete with a baby, that was sitting on the steps, off to the side. He shrugged, guessing that someone had marked 'take your kid to work day' wrong on their calendar. And, half an hour later, when he was exiting the business, he nearly stepped on the same baby carrier and the same sleeping baby. Frowning and generally annoyed, he popped his head inside."Hey, you know you have a kid out here? Like someone left a baby for you." He called."Oh, that's probably another lady hoping we'd drop her kid off at the orphanage for her." Was the answer. What, did mothers drop their kids off willy-nilly on random street corners? What kind of crazy city was this? The receptionist said, "Drop the child off at the orphanage around the corner for me, and I'll give you a discount on your shipment price.""Discount? How much of a discount?" Regius asked, liking the sound of that. But still, did this clerk even care that a child had been dumped on his doorstep?"Ten percent." The clerk replied."Twenty." Regius countered."Fifteen." He shot back."Done." Regius said."Done." The receptionist repeated."Thank you, pleasure doing business with you, sir." Regius said, backing out of the shop again, and he stooped down to inspect the still sleeping child.It was a girl. It had to be. She must have been only four or five months old. The Makuta in disguise marveled at how soundly the baby was sleeping. Regius wondered what in the world could have tuckered the little thing out so much, because she was very very fast asleep. Curious, Regius shifted through the many blankets wrapped around the baby, hoping maybe to find a nametag or a note or something. He found nothing of the sort. But what he did find made him, a hardened Makuta warrior and scientist flinch back in repulsion.Right there, in plain sight was a horrendous burn mark. Regius thought he could see charred bone. Right on the little child's arm, on the inside of her elbow. The rest of the arm below that was dead and most likely infected, from the smell of it. Cursing under his breath, the Makuta asked himself what could have the heart to do this to such an innocent infant. Or who could have let something like that happen. Regius quickly figured out that the child wasn't drifting off into sleep. She was drifting off into death.Thinking fast, Regius snatched up the battered baby carrier, and rushed down the couple of steps. He'd be doing a good thing, if he saved this child's life. He would also be doing a selfish thing, he supposed. But truth be told, it could never be too late to get a lab assistant. But raising the child as a lab assistant was actually starting to sound like something else completely to Regius. Something called 'parenthood'. _|/_|/_|/_ (Three Months Later)Regius was very pleased with his handiwork. In order to save the infant's life that he had found only months ago, he'd had to postpone his move. But he decided that postponing the move had been worth it. He had what was comparable to a top notch operation room set up around him. He stepped back, regarding the now nine month old child, who was in a deep medically induced slumber.The Makuta had worked practically nonstop to halt the infection from her wounded arm from spreading. To make a long story shorter, he'd had to amputate the dead, burnt limb above the elbow, and replaced it with a healthy, biomechanical one, similar to his own. The artificial limb was as much a part of the child as any real one. It would grow and function, and work with her brain and the rest of her body. During the past two weeks, he could do nothing but wait, as the infant's nervous system took in the artificial arm and how it worked. All the while Regius had buried himself in a heap of all the parenting books he could find. Was he scared to death, worried that he might have or would eventually ruin this child's life? Of course. But he assured himself that he'd be fine. Better than fine. He was a Makuta, naturally successful at anything he tried.At least, that's what he told himself.He'd already figured out the name for the child. Lorena, from the Latin word for the Laurel flower, a symbol of both ambition and glory. And Dhalia, a flower that symbolized elegance and dignity. And the surname, Grant, was a form of 'great'. Regius smiled to himself. He'd picked out the perfect name. The child would proclaim the Makuta's glory with elegance and dignity. He jabbed a few buttons, opened her deep brown eyes for the first time in months, Regius whispered, "The world welcomes you, Lorena Dhalia Grant." _|/_|/_|/_ Review Topic
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In the interest of full disclosure, this isn't really a story so much as a scene from a very long, involved story I'll probably never write. And it's only really 90% Mass Effect. Swoosh. Ding. “Welcome, councilor. Please select your destination.” “Citadel Embassies.” “One moment, please…” Rumble. Jane Myers waited for the sound of the elevator whooshing up the side of the Citadel to fill her ears before passing the datapad she held over to the man standing next to her. Councilor Donnel Udina was not a poor man; Jane had little doubt that he could afford a top-of-the-line personal synthetic assistant if he desired, but she’d learned that humanity’s galactic representative could be very… particular. No synthetic assistants. Same outfit for him, every day. Same outfit for Jane, every day. Matters not directly related to council politics to be redirected to C-Sec, no exceptions. Pre-council meeting briefings to be organized ahead of time and provided to him on the elevator ride up. She’d gotten used to it; the sound of the little metal box being pulled up at tens of kilometers an hour had become her own personal start-of-the-race pistol bang. “Two major priorities for today’s meeting, sir. The first is Shepard. The second is the new diplomatic envoy.” She’d long since realized that this little briefing rarely if ever actually provided Udina with new information; it was just a way for him to organize it. Toss out the details; if he didn’t know them already, they weren’t important. Make it as tiny as possible. He remained staring at the elevator doors. “Is that the agreed-upon order of discussion?” “Yes, sir.” Jane had never not said the day’s items out of order, and Udina had never not asked her if she had. She occasionally toyed with answering no just to see his reaction, but she honestly doubted it would be worth the effort. Donnel Udina could be a very boring man when he wanted to be. “Admiral Anderson intends to represent Shepard today, is that correct?” “Yes, sir.” She didn’t envy the admiral; a lot of people out there wanted Shepard’s blood, and it was going to take a lot of convincing to get the Council to turn the commander over to the Alliance. Not that she doubted Anderson would; she’d seen the man cut through an impressive amount of political red tape in the past (even if his preferred term for ‘red tape’ was a little less polite). “Very well. The diplomatic envoy, how many representatives are there?” “Four, sir. Though today only the ambassador is scheduled to come before the Council.” Udina frowned. “I was informed there were three members in the envoy.” Jane answered automatically. “That was the arrangement, sir. It would seem an additional member of the species stowed away on the asari escort ship. It was deemed more convenient to leave him in the care of his fellows than to reverse course.” The councilman snorted. Jane remained impassive; she knew Udina well enough to guess what his opinion on diplomatic envoys that took on stowaways was. She caught a glimpse of herself in the reflective surface of the elevator door and cursed silently; she could see on the left side of her head a tangle in her otherwise perfectly pulled back and knotted brunette hair. If she’d been out on the town she wouldn’t have given a cuss, but she knew from experience Udina was the kind of man to notice something like that. Apparently the image of one strolling through the embassy hallways with incredible political purpose was entirely ruined if your PA’s hair was a little disheveled. It was bad enough that he made her wear a two-piece black business suit that looked like it had been borrowed from some museum’s 2000s New York exhibit; she guessed that somewhere in the back of his mind he imagined it made him look like a power broker to have his PA dressed like an advertising exec. He, of course, wore standard business attire for the Citadel; that way, if anyone didn’t buy into his little game, she’d be the weirdo in the room. “Who is escorting the ambassador?” Jane kept her voice neutral. “Dr. Khia T’seh, sir. I’m given to understand she has a strong relationship with the race, having been one of the members of the team that made first contact.” If Udina was asking about the ambassador’s escort, that meant he already knew who it was. And if he knew one of the escorts – “And the remaining members of the envoy? Are they running loose on the Citadel during this meeting? She could see where this was going. “No, sir. I believe they are being accompanied by an Asari-approved human journalist by the name of Alexa Tanner.” “Is that so.” A pause. “And which publication does Ms. Tanner work for?” Jane remained staring forward. “Outlook, sir. The weekly e-magazine.” “And that magazine is managed by…?” Jane suppressed a sigh. “Jake Myers, sir. My brother.” “Is that so.” Another pause. “Miss Myers, I hope you have impressed upon your brother and his 'journalistic' crew the delicacy of welcoming a new civilization to Citadel space? Particularly one with such unusual qualities.” “I’m afraid I don’t speak with him often, sir.” The councilor frowned slightly. “Then may I suggest a brief family reunion? And tell him that the human government would consider it a favor if he treated this situation with the delicacy it deserves. This is politics, not gossip.” The councilor’s favorite phrase hung unspoken in the air between them. “I’ll be sure to pass that along, sir.” Ding. Swoosh. “Welcome to: Citadel Embassies…” “Thank you, Admiral. You are dismissed. The Council will consider the matter in due course.” Jane sat back in her seat in the upper level of the Council’s chambers and rubbed her eyes. Anderson had done a fine job of arguing that Shepard should be in Alliance hands, she had to admit; their being the first ones to arrest the Commander was doing wonders for their case. She watched her boss quietly consult with the other councilors ahead of the next order of business. The turian councilor had been surprisingly silent throughout the hearing, but the salarian and asari representatives had spent more than their fair share of time bickering with her boss – who, unsurprisingly, supported Shepard being handed over to the Alliance and tried on Earth. She stifled a yawn. Five years as a desk jockey in the galaxy’s highest office had done a lot to desensitize her to politics. Sure, Shepard had done some crazy stuff, but the Commander hadn’t even been allowed to appear before the Council. So instead she’d gotten to listen to the same sort of bureaucratic wrangling as usual – thrilling. Below her, the councilors finished talking amongst themselves and returned to facing the speaker’s podium. The asari councilor pressed something on her podium to signal the next speaker to enter. Jane sat forward. This could be something interesting for a change – a new intelligent species making its first appearance before the council. Not many people knew this meeting was even happening today; her brother’s magazine (she still hadn't the faintest how he'd gotten this exclusive) had a gag order until after the Council put out a formal statement later today. And as for the race itself… She’d been briefed, but it was a tough pill to swallow. Perhaps there’d been some miscommunication, or maybe Tony over in Bailey’s office thought it’d be a laugh to mess with her incoming messages. Her thoughts were interrupted as the ambassador entered and approached the podium. Jane was vaguely aware of the salarian councilor formally announcing the next order of business, but somehow that information failed to make any headway in her brain. The ambassador’s feet clunked against the ground, alien black metal against grey pavement, propelled by steel legs encased in silver armor. His arms and chest were of similar construction, an almost organic, muscular quality to the dark plating and piping that comprised him. Atop his face sat a jet-black mask, with a broad, spiky forehead. Through its eyeholes shone two green orbs, almost impossibly green, and it was here that the fact made its way into Jane’s frontal cortex that no, Tony over in Bailey’s office wasn’t jerking her around. Beneath her, Udina and the salarian and turian councilors shuffled uncomfortably as the asari councilor nodded to the ambassador, apparently unfazed. “Please state your name and business with the Council.” The ambassador’s voice rumbled. “Onua, Toa Nuva of Earth. I stand before you today as the ambassador of Spherus Magna.” In her seat above, Jane let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. All right, I cheated a bit there by not saying it was a Bionicle crossover. I do apologize for that. This is basically just a scene from a Bionicle/ME epic that, frankly speaking, I'm probably not ever going to get around to writing. Still, I'm trying to keep up with the League of Authors' write-something-every-day, so I decided to give this a spin. It ain't much, but it was fun to write, especially given that Jane never existed in any of my original planning (though her brother, Alexa, and Khia did.) This also probably hasn't been edited as much as it should have been. Comments always appreciated!
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BIONICLE: THE FORGOTTEN BOND PrologueIn the time before time, when the Great Beings were just about to create the Matoran, a mysterious entity approached them and offered them an object of great power. It was a large (Lego) brick-shaped object that glowed bright blue with pure energy, and they were told that if they were to use this object’s energy in their new creations, said creations would not only fulfill their intended purpose, but one day may go on to do something even greater. Taken by curiosity, the Great Beings used the brick’s energy in the creation of the Matoran and moved on to other matters, expecting to one day find out if the stranger had indeed told them the truth. As they waited the evil Makuta struck against Mata Nui, bringing an age of great darkness upon the Matoran, but six heroes—the Toa Mata—rose and defeated Makuta. Retreating deeper into the darkness, Makuta plans his next strike against the Matoran…“Foolish Toa,” Makuta said. “They think they have won, but they are only that much closer to defeat.”Still, the battle with the Toa had wounded him—he would need time to heal before he could properly take revenge. He turned to a small Bohrok nest and began contemplating its usefulness, and just as he raised an arm he heard a laugh come from behind him.“I thought you’d have a back-up plan,” someone said. “I grow more and more impressed, Makuta. But before you wake up those insects, I’d like to share a possible alternative with you.”Makuta spun around to see a figure hidden in the shadows, and he asked, “Who are you? How did you find this place?”“Don’t worry, Makuta, I’m on your side,” the stranger said. “We can both help each other achieve our goals…will you listen to what I have to say?”“…Speak,” Makuta said. “If what you say proves interesting, then I may not destroy you.” Review
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Yes, another attempt at an SRW thread.I am really the only one who oplays these wonderful, wonderful games? It's actually pretty easy to get past the language barrier with the advent of the internet.
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I like crossovers. There, I said it. It's a statement that doesn't really reflect well on my personal taste - after all, when most people hear "crossover", their brain translates it to either "cashgrab" or "unspeakably bad fanfiction" depending on the context. (Note: if the context is comics, "continuity nightmare" is also acceptable.) There's not really much I can do to argue against that - for proof of the former, direct yourself to any number of nonsensical promotional crossovers (recent example: Kingdoms of Amalur/Mass Effect), and for the latter you need only look at the great fanfiction site which shall not be named (whose crossover section, it must be said, makes for an excellent time with friends - the goal is to make everyone else scream in agony and horror before you do.) But I like them anyways. Perhaps it's that I like the potential more than the common execution - when you crossover things, you're opening up a whole bevy of interactions and moments that would have been impossible had the series remained separate. If the settings are disparate enough, things can get really interesting - plenty of people joke about Doctor Who and Sherlock sharing an episode (in fact, the concept is common enough that it now goes by "Wholock"), but really, if you stop and think about it, what would that really do to the great detective? Sherlock Holmes is a man of reason, and an incredibly brilliant one at that. If the Doctor came sauntering into his life, I doubt it would take very long for him to detect something amiss about the man with the funny bow tie - and when the truth came out, what then? Oh, true, the Doctor's world still operates on some semblance of logic, but it's a logic that wholly overthrows that of contemporary Earth. We've seen Sherlock work himself to the bone to prove his view of the world is still accurate in "The Hounds of Baskerville", but faced with irrefutable evidence that his world is merely a shade of a galaxy of monsters and miracles, could he adapt? That is the kind of idea that makes me grin, the kind of thing I like to prod with a stick and see how it reacts. Crossovers have so much inherent potential for challenge in them, and challenge drives characters to grow and change and, if you want to be Doylist about it, be entertaining to the readers. This isn't to say crossovers should be all dark, all the time, their only purpose to make a mockery of the characters - on the contrary, we expect characters to flourish in the new settings and make them their own. A few weeks back I wrote a little gag post where, through circumstances unexplained, the Toa Nuva had joined Commander Shepard aboard the Normandy. Sure, you could launch into a diatribe about the morality and acceptability of biomechanical life in a universe threatened by God-machines called the Reapers, but that's no good if you can't also have Joker throw out his one-liner assessments of the Commander's new allies. After all, half the fun of crossovers is, well, that basic appeal of "I like thing A, and I like thing B, so let's try thing A+B and see what happens." Of course, that's a task easier said than done. Crossovers are by their nature a balancing act; include too much of thing A and not enough of thing B, and you get people wondering why even bother to make a crossover at all when you could sub in some original characters and just go ahead and make a new story about thing A. Some degree of self-control is also required; it's very easy to say, "well, we've got thing A+B here now, so let's give thing A+B+C+D a shot!" (Case in point: I above mentioned "Wholock". I now mention its brother "Superwholock" and its cousin "Superwholock-Potter", which I will leave for you to research on your own time.) Some authors try to dodge the problem by avoiding specific characters or explicit crossovers - I'm given to understand that the now-legendary My Little Pony/Fallout crossover fic Fallout Equestria in fact makes no attempt to crossover the two worlds, but rather combines them into a post-apocalyptic wasteland where ponies struggle to survive, the canon characters making no appearances. This can be a valid method, and indeed avoids some of the problems outlined above; the largest concern I have with this approach is that you run the risk of causing the reader to ask, "why not just make this an original story?" if you create too much from whole cloth. (As an aside, I here would like to mention one other type of troublesome crossover: the setting of A with the characters of B, who possibly have assumed the personalities but not the names or appearances of the characters of A. Please avoid this.) In short, then, the crossover is problematic yet fascinating. Done well, it can challenge each of the sources in ways otherwise impossible; done poorly, it causes the reader to ask what the point of the whole thing even is. Perhaps more than other fanwork, it lends itself to quick-and-dirty creations; if we take "A and B have now crossed over" as a given, that alone gives us enough quick material to entertain. But if we put in the effort, there is potential beyond the quick joke; there is the possibility that we can create something with just the right balance of old and new. Anyways, the point is I'm actually partway done planning a fairly serious Mass Effect/Bionicle epic to be written after ME3 comes out and will be making a blog post about that sometime in the near future. But before that, I wanted to type out my thoughts on the genre as a whole and get some discussion from others.
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Shepard: What do you think about the people we're picking up? Joker: Well, about the ones you went out with last... Now, I didn't pay much attention in Sunday school, but I'm pretty sure they said something about watching out for guys who can shoot fire from their hands. Just putting that out there. Gali's great, but are we sure Tali hasn't got a long-lost sister or something? 'Cause I mean with the mask and the name and the switching between "nice" and "unholy terror", I'm seeing a resemblance. Lewa's got this nice Pollyanna thing going, you know? I'm giving it two days before Jack decks him. Just so we're clear, Toa can't have kids, right? 'Cause if Kopaka and Miranda hooked up I'm pretty sure the result would be able to actually scorn a man to death. I kind of get this urge to sing "Hi ho" whenever Onua's around, but I don't think he'd appreciate it. Pohatu's a nice guy, but I can't shake the feeling one of these days he's just going to run straight through the side of the hull. My only problem with Takanuva is that all the jokes about a seven-foot-tall guy made of gold write themselves. what am I doing with my life
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Took some inspiration from a certain dA artist's My Little Alchemist series (FMA ponies, FTW!) and thought I should annoy a few anti-bronies (since I'm always snarking on the bronies). Anyways, I decided to mess with Kopaka since everyone loves him so much. Also my little experiment on the biomechanical style for my future Bionicle-related drawings.http://www.brickshel...oa_-_kopaka.jpgYeah, I know some parts aren't that great. And I probably made him look more like the Predator or something. And the spikes were originally intended to be round beads, but i changed my mind after I finished them. Some of them are badly drawn, but I've since mended them on the original picture (and I'm not feeling OCD enough to rescan). Anyways, let the flame war commence!
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So, yeah. I was inspired by ManiacToaLaco's Transonicle comedy, so I've decided to make a comedy like that, except Halo. So here we go...THE COLUMN OF FALLSpace, the Final Frontier... wait, wrong sci-fi... A long time ago... no! It's um... oh, wait, this game didn't have an opening tagline... right... Ok nevermind. Anyway, It's space, k? There's this big ring in the distance, and a large ship comes into view, with Column of Fall written on the side. "Hahli, all I want to know is if that fast food restaurant got my order right," Captain Vakama asked. "I think we both know the answer to that question." Hahli said. It pans in on the bridge of the ship. Inside, is a busy crew and a man standing at the viewport. "How? I made sure that guy knew I didn't want anything on my burger!" "They've always been faster, but that other restaurant always get your order right. Oh, and BTW there's a whole Covenant of Makuta fleet coming in to attack us," She replied. "Ok, I want everyone at combat ready stations," Vakama said. "Everyone?" Hahli asked. "No, I want one person on combat ready stations. Of course I want everyone!" In the hangar, A large amount of Matoran enter vehicles and head for starships. A squad of Matoran form two parallel lines and an Onu-Matoran sergeant walks through the lines. "Men, hear is where we show those black-masked Piraka that they could not of picked a worse enemy than the Matoran race! We're going to blow the Karzahni out of those dumb Rahi until we have nothing left to throw at them. Then we'll strangle them with their own organic parts!1" Sergeant Onepu exclaimed, "Am I right?""Yes sir!" The soldiers called back in reply. "Uh huh, dang right I am." Meanwhile, in a Cryo station unit, Nuparu and Taipu stand over console. A message goes across the screen; Unseal the hushed casket. "Whoa," Taipu said, pressing a button. Below, a cryo pod was unfreezing. Inside, was a TOA, augmented supersoldiers, who were the Matoran's last chance against the Makuta Covenant. The TOA was Jaller-117, one of the last surviving TOA. Nuparu went down to the cryo pod as Jaller stepped out. "Sorry about the quick thaw, Master Chief, things are a bit, well, ya know, on fire, and uh, hectic." Nuparu said. "Let me calibrate your suit." Great. Jaller thought, Now I have to act like I've never moved my head before. I knew I should've played on Heroic. After menially relearning how to look, he had to have a HAU system downloaded to his suit to activate his shields. At that moment, the naval person decided that working his station was boring, so he magically conjures a pistol and leads Master Chief out to the fight. As Jaller followed him, wishing he had an animation for the no weapon melee so he could tear this annoying naval guy aprt. But no, Bungie did not put melee if you didn't have a weapon in for this game. So he had to wait till Vakama gave him a pistol. Oh yeah, that was a spoiler. Anyway, when he finally reached the bridge, he talked to Captain Vakama. "Hello Master Chief, things aren't looking good." Vakama said. "Well, considering you've got an entire Makuta fleet up your backside, I'd be worrying too," Jaller said under his breath. "Hahli did her best, but the Makuta are still out there." Vakama said. "12 superior battleships against a single ship with a stupid name? I'm content with 4... make that 3, kills." Hahli said. "Sleep well?" "Well, let's see. I'm frozen, I guess I didn't really have a choice but to sleep." Jaller retorted. "So you did miss me," She said. An explosion rocks the ship, and Jaller and Vakama quickly fell to the ground. "Report," Vakama said. "One of their boarding parties. Probably a shadow charge," Cortana told him. "Well, that settles it. We're abandoning the Fall. Jaller, I want you to get Cortana down to the ring safely. Here have my pistol that I carry around but for some stupid reason I don't keep it loaded." I guess you could use it to beat the head in of any Makuta you find, or something." "Sounds good to me," Jaller said, taking the pistol and leaving the bridge. Outside, he found three shadow Matoran, which he dealt with quickly. He headed to the mess hall, where he met up with Onepu, along with more Shadow matoran and a Rahkshi to boot. The Shadow matoran were easy to deal with, but the Rahkshi had shields. He moved along, taking out more Makuta forces, until he found the escape pods. The last one was filled up, but he forced another Matoran in anyway because he's cool like that. The escape pod launched and... cliffhanger (unless you've played this game, in which case you know what happens).1: That's an adaptation of his Heroic speech.
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Disclaimer: Bionicle & canon things: not mine. Everything else: mine. What Lurks Below Time: 0100 hours after BoRoD (Beginning of Reign of Darkness)Location: Riaya“Helryx, this is Sayphay, do you copy? Repeat, Helryx, do you copy?”All the transmitter gave in reply was static. Frustrated, Queen Sayphay chucked it across her throne room, not caring what kind of condition it would be in when it landed, than slumped down in the throne itself, rubbing her temples and wanting to know how the whole business had gone wrong. The restoration of the Great Spirit Mata Nui should have been foolproof, and should’ve had next to no friendly casualties – more importantly, no casualties of leaders. Judging solely from the fact her attempts to raise the Toa of Water were failing, that last part was proven wrong. The fact Makuta Teridax’s Plan had succeeded was another nail in the coffin. When dealing with a creature as slippery as Teridax, when she got static, the most logical assumption was that her ally was dead.On one hand, this wasn’t good. Helryx was the leader of the Order of Mata Nui – an organization that Sayphay belonged to, and was a general in their army – as well as being the first Toa in the universe. Her experience, power, and knowledge would be very difficult, if not impossible, to replace.On the other hand, though, there had been undeniable tension between the Queen and the Order’s leader. As the leader of the Guardians – an all-female species said to be the keepers of the Light – it was Sayphay’s Duty to protect her people’s lives and interests, and the most important rule of their culture was to keep knowledge of themselves hidden from the universe. Helryx had wanted them to expose their existence to the universe by integrating the Guardians with the Order’s troops – a cause for the greater good, no doubt, but for the cost it would be to them.The Guardians were not a populous species, after all. To do what Helryx had wanted would likely have spelled the extinction of them all, including the Queen. Inwardly, Sayphay had wondered if that had been her intention all the while.The fact remained – Helryx was likely dead. Teridax had succeeded with his Plan, and was hunting down his opponents as she sat and brooded. The only reason Riaya had not yet been invaded was that her powers – the powers granted to her and her predecessors by Mata Nui himself – masked the island’s exact location. Those same powers had also granted her people, who were already capable of protecting their minds from outside influence, the type of invulnerability that only the Psionics tribe had until now. Outside her palace, the Iron Queen knew her people were preparing for war – but in dead seriousness now, as they lacked the safety net of Mata Nui’s grip on the universe. With Helryx gone, she was the most powerful warleader, with the possible exception of Tahu Nuva. However, she knew there was another that they could lean on.Shutting her eyes, Sayphay cast her mind out, seeking what she knew she would not find. Where there should have been a powerful presence there was nothing but a void. Beneath her Kanohi Kakama, she smiled – she had not been the only one to lock down with Teridax in power.Without opening her green eyes, she murmured, “Ready my ship.” Necra, the leader of the Shadow Division, was always lurking nearby these days, prepared to protect her if anything foolish enough to enter her domain tried to attack the Queen. “Have Ragne, Aroka, and Aura be ready to join me – I will need them.”“Destination?” Necra’s whispering voice inquired.“38 kio south-southeast of Shi-Nui. The island’s name is Rohaya.”XxXTime: 0300 hours after BoRoDLocation: RohayaKronus bit down hard on his bottom lip, watching the sleek ship that had cruised effortlessly through the protective dome that shielded his home base from Teridax’s hungry gaze. The Toa of Gravity wasn’t sure just how long this implement would last – the Brotherhood had attacked the island in the past – but by Mata Nui, he and his team would make the most of the protection their patron Great Being could give them.A scarlet-orange blur heralded Paytah’s return to the fortress. Beside the purple-black Toa were Ares and Eos, Kronus’ deputies and a Toa of Magnetism and Water respectively. Normally a jokester, this time the Toa of Fire didn’t waste time giving the report. “Atlas and the others have them – there were only four of them at first, but Sirien detected another lurking in the shadows. They’re escorting them here now.”The words had barely escaped his lips when crashing in the underbrush announced the team of ten more Toa trooping towards the stronghold. As the other Toa Rohaya emerged from the forest, revealing their captives, the leader of the Toa Rohaya quickly assessed them – all of them were female. Two were wearing matte black armor, making them uncomfortably resemble Shadow Toa: Stara, Alvis, Egan, and Baird all had their weapons out as they flanked the pair. Another resembled a female Toa of Magnetism, while the fourth had the white and gold of the Light element. Kronus caught the gaze of Sirien, quirked an eyebrow, and let some of his surprise filter out of his mind. The Toa of Psionics shrugged: she had no idea how there was another Toa of Light, either.Continuously, though, the violet-black Toa’s eyes constantly fell back upon the largest and tallest of them, a female that wore the gunmetal and orange armor of the Iron tribe. All four of the others had gemstones that were embedded into their shoulder plates, but she just had one golden topaz set into the brow of her Kanohi Kakama. The group halted in front of those gathered. All four of the lesser females – at this point, Kronus was convinced they were subordinate to the Iron one – were glaring angrily at him, but their commander met his gaze calmly.The Gravity Toa took comfort in that the others were just beyond the gates of their fortress, waiting for something to go awry, then addressed Atlas and Sirien, who had been leading the group. “What can you tell us?”The Toa of Iron shook his head. “They refused to tell us how they found the island, who they are, or why they’re here. They said they would only speak to you.”Kronus shifted his gaze to Sirien, who nodded agreement. “When I touched their minds, they were shielded as strongly as another of my tribe,” she reported. “I could not read their intentions.”The Gravity Toa nodded, and looked again at the females that were still surrounded by their wary-eyed guards. “Well?” he asked, when a few moments went by with no one speakingThe one with the topaz-brow stepped forward as much as the Toa would allow her, locking fierce emerald eyes with the Toa. “Kronus Rohaya,” she said briskly, with the air of someone used to command. “My name is Sayphay, and I am the Queen of my people. I have a preposition for you and your team.”XxXUnderneath the rock and soil, the grass and trees, the water and the ancient structures built by a civilization long gone, there lurked an energy that was the color of fire. It swirled, like the arms of a galaxy, while the furthest edges were forced to curl back on themselves, because it could not extend beyond the borders of the island above.Like the antidermis of the Makuta, the energy was the life-force of a powerful being. Unlike the Makuta, though, this being was far older, far stronger, and far wiser.Its name had been lost to time, so it went by the name given to its Toa: Rohaya, the Matoran word for “Heart of the Volcano.” Once it had had a true body, laboring to create this universe alongside the Great Beings, and now it was trapped as energy inside its work; had been trapped for millennia. Rage at the betrayal had once caused it to vent the molten rock its anger produced out of the mouth of the Krycai Volcano and expand the island’s borders, but for much longer it had been quiet, dedicated to fulfilling its Purpose, the final task the Great Beings had set upon it.For the last two thousand years, Rohaya had given its Toa its power to perform their duties and take a stand against the Brotherhood, but now it was tired and fearful. Immobility was wearing thin: while the shields it had erected against the arch-Makuta were strong, it would not hold forever. Funneling strength would not be enough to defeat the usurper.It wanted to be free again: free to walk on two legs; free to speak with a mouth and vocal cords; free to fight without relying on surrogates. Its original body had been seven bio tall and made from steel and obsidian, but it had been destroyed for aeons. It would settle for a Matoran-sized body made of dirt and rock, if it meant freedom.Treading the surface of its prison were people new to its Toa, but Rohaya had known of them since life had begun in the universe. From afar, it had watched their civilization grow and prosper; sensed the power of the Queens, and – with the instinctive knowledge of a chained animal – realized their power could set it free, if only they would come to the island.Yet up until now, none had. Perhaps the gifts given to them by Mata Nui had caused it, but the Queens had been aware of Rohaya, and had forbidden their people from setting foot upon the island. This Queen, though, the third – ah! Refreshingly open-minded, and willing to ignore taboos to achieve what was necessary.Far below, it waited for her to reach the place where its chains were binding it. There, she would speak, and there, it would answer.XxXThe chamber had three walls: where the fourth should’ve been, there was only empty space that opened into the Krycai Volcano’s shaft. Waves of smothering heat pelted Saypahy and her entourage, and while Necra, Ragne, Aroka, and Aura stoically gave no indication that they were uncomfortable, the Guardian Queen wished that she hadn’t insisted that the two Rohayan Water Toa stay behind.Beside her, Kronus stepped forward and rose up his arms in a gesture of greeting and summoning. Behind his Kanohi Iden, the Toa of Gravity’s eyes reflected the red glow of the molten rock in the magma chamber, as he solemnly addressed the forced that dwelled below. “Rohaya, you know of our peril. The Makuta have usurped Mata Nui’s place. Before you stands Sayphay, Queen of the Guardians, and her guard. I ask of you to manifest and converse with us, for they wish to form an alliance.”For a moment silence engulfed the chamber again, save for the faint bubbling of the lava below. The Guardian wondered if Rohaya would remain aloof, but then noticed that the heat waves seemed to be consolidating into a faint outline, roughly the size and shape of a Toa. Blue, disembodied lights materialized as the outline became almost solid. When Rohaya finally spoke, it was with the shape of a Fire Toa, and a voice that fluctuated from feminine soprano and masculine bass. Hail, Sayphay, Third Guardian of Guardians.“You know who I am,” the Iron Queen said, eyes fixed upon the spirit: for all she cared now, everyone else might as well have been gone. “You know what I will ask of you.”You are bold, to try and break chains forged by the Great Beings.“I am bold because without you, we are lost.”You speak truly. Rohaya’s body began to shimmer and shift, turning into the shape of a dragon and stretching half-formed leather wings. It would be a relief to escape my prison, though it would cause the destruction of this island.“If I break your chains, will you fight beside us?”I will … but I must ask another thing from you in return.The Guardian braced herself for whatever might be asked as she replied. “What is it?”Rohaya’s dragon head turned to fully lock eyes with the Queen. When we win – and I know that we will – there will be much rebuilding to be done. The universe will never be the way it had been before the Great Cataclysm. During the time that the people are picking up the pieces, the Great Beings will come. They will try to imprison me again, and punish those that set me free. I ask of you that when that time comes, that I protect you. Let me be your Guardian.Sayphay considered the idea for less than a minute, than nodded. “I agree to your terms.” The imprisoned Being seemed to smile, before shifting its focus past the Queen. Kronus.“I’m here.” The Gravity Toa’s soft voice was jarring after the fluctuating tones of Rohaya.I will send you back to the fortress. Gather the others, your weapons, your possessions. The moment I set foot off this island, it will be destroyed. We will relocate to Riaya, the Queen’s homeland.A surprised look crossed the male’s face, but he quickly disguised it. “Yes, but what of our agreement with Shi-Nui?” If they are wise, they will adapt. There are no more ships to raid here: the Makuta can move anything anywhere he desires now.“I understand.”A soft sigh wafted through the chamber, and an abnormally cool breeze pressed against Sayphay’s cheek. When she turned around, Kronus was gone, along with Aura, Ragna, and Aroka: only Necra, eternally faithful Necra, remained. For whatever reason, Rohaya had not sent her away.Turning back, the Queen found that the dragon-shape had rolled over onto its side, and its shackles began to materialize. Forged of a substance similar to protosteel, bands of a grey-violet metal were tightly wrapped around each ankle, with the chains that sprouted from the cuffs meeting in the middle of the dragon’s belly. A thicker chain sprouted from the common joint, plunging into the volcanic rock and vanishing from view. While it was clear that Rohaya had struggled against them in the past, for the most part it was as perfect as the day the Great Beings had shackled their creation to the island that became its prison.Before Sayphay had become a ruler, she had held a job at a forge, and she still remembered what she had been taught about metalwork. Examining the chains, she determined that the best place to focus on was the link that tied the separate chains together. Sever that link, and Rohaya would not be tied to the island, though the cuffs would remain. Hopefully Rohaya would be able to destroy the manacles itself.Kneeling before the links, she locked eyes with the spirit again. “Kronus said that you share your strength with him and his team. Will you share with me?”There is nothing that can stand before us when we unite our powers. In her mind, the Iron Queen felt an alien presence manifest as Rohaya slipped its consciousness into her own, merging and becoming one. It was a rush as its raw power filled her, like she had been raised to a level of power that Mata Nui had felt, and as she crouched, body shaking from the energy that racked her frame, she felt like she could stand alone, against an army of thousands, and kill each and every one.Opening her eyes – she had closed them involuntarily – she pressed her hands against that link in the chain, wrapped her fingers around the metal so tightly that she quickly felt sore, and focused every iota of her power to that one task: to destroy it completely.But creations forged by the Great Beings are difficult to destroy, even with the wills of two powerful entities pitting against them. By the time the metal began to rust, Sayphay’s limbs were shaking in exhaustion. Necra tried to approach and add her powers into the mix, if only to ease the burden on her friend and Queen, but the Guardian of Iron raised her eyes away for a brief moment to glare at her guard, and the Head Shadow retreated.Beads of sweat dripped from her organic components: even with Rohaya’s nigh-inexhaustible wells of strength supplementing the powers that were said to have been granted to the Guardian Queens by the Great Spirit himself, it felt like it was taking years to weaken the metal. A migraine was forming, her legs felt like they were turning to jelly beneath her, and Sayphay felt like she was nearing collapse.SNAP!Rohaya noticed it before Sayphay did: the link that tied the spirit to the island had fallen into three pieces, with one third clutched in her hands and the others on the ground. As the Queen collapsed in exhaustion and Necra – face pale behind her Kanohi Tryna – hurried to her side, the spirit moved, for the first time in eons, unhindered by its chains. With a cry of delight, the dangling chains snapped away, for without the rock below and the common link to keep it secure, the chains were no match for the might of a being that was over one hundred thousand years old. Free at last! it exalted, spinning in unbound joy and shifting shapes faster than Sayphay’s dazed eyes could comprehend, metal flowing up from below to forge a new shape.The Guardian of Magnetism ignored the other being as she helped her kneeling Queen back to her feet. “I wish you could have let me help, M’Lady,” she murmured into the other’s ear as she took Sayphay’s weight into her shoulders.“It was my choice to make, old friend. Even with Rohaya’s help, I fear we could have lost you if you joined in.”“I would rather expire knowing you were alive than stand idle again, my Queen.”A small, sad smile crossed the face of the Iron Queen. “I need you alive, Necra – after all, there is not much time to change my line of succession, should my heir die.”Astonished, Necra fell silent: it was the first time Queen Sayphay had told anyone about her chosen heir, much less to the heir herself. Satisfied, the Guardian of Iron turned back to Rohaya, who was now standing still, waiting patiently for them. The spirit had reassumed bipedal form, resembling a Guardian of Fire, and for a moment she marveled at the similarities between Rohaya’s shape and the legendary Guardian hero Lady M. Smiling, the spirit held out its right hand, and Sayphay reached out to return the handshake. You have fulfilled your promise, it whispered, now feminine to match the shape. Now I shall fulfill mine. I will fight beside you – I and my Toa – and when the Great Beings come, I shall act as the shield between their fury and you and your heir, should circumstances be less than ideal.XxXIt was less than an hour after Rohaya was released that its island prison was destroyed. Like it had never existed at all, trees, rock, and metal sank into the sea, washing away all traces of the civilization that had thrived there millennium ago, before the native people had been destroyed by their own infighting.Rohaya remembered them, as it remembered every being that had walked upon the surface of its prison. Standing on the deck of Sayphay’s ship, the Toa-shaped being smiled fondly as it remembered each and every face that had lived and died on that land: sometimes dying by each other’s hand, but usually it had killed them. Even if the only body it had was its prison, the island had still been its body, and much of the time it loathed those that had violated that simple fact.Kronus and the other Toa Rohaya were different, though. That had been why it had called them to the island, brought them together and given them its strength. They had been the embodiment of its Purpose, to protect Mata Nui. But now that Mata Nui was banished from the universe, they could not remain on the island any longer. They would need to find the Great Spirit before it could take up its Purpose again.No more would Rohaya be an underground lurker, a dweller in the darkness. Let the Great Beings think what they wanted. In the meantime, there was work to be done. Rohaya sent a mental final farewell to the place where its prison had floated, and then turned away and vanished inside Sayphay’s ship. XxXA/N: Wow, that was one of the weirder SSs’ I’ve written. For the sake of readers that are unfamiliar with my work, this is essentially a crossover between two different Bionicle storylines I’ve written over time: the Heroes and Halflings series, and the Guardians series. My MO for writing this was to remove the one major event that defines H&H (the Massacre of Rohaya) and the fallout from it, place the Toa team into the Guardian universe (where everything happens as it should, per the official canon), and let things kick off from the beginning of Reign of Darkness.C&C is always appreciated. Thanks for reading, and may the best writer win. -Inferna Firesword
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That's right, it's time to continue this series! This here is the review topic. The old Review Topic is here: http://www.bzpower.c...pic=318280&st=0. Please do read the story! The beginning is nothing special, but everyone says that my improvement is visible as the story goes along. Quick summary: Reawakening is a 'crossover' epic. In other words, it ties in the human and BIONICLE worlds. But this isn't just any crossover. Toa don't suddenly warp to our world, or vice-versa. No, this time, a Great Spirit is on a crash-course for earth! But that isn't the story. The story is about a boy named Axle, who, thanks to the company his father works for, gets an artificial Matoran body, and lives among the Matoran along with his team of Matoran and Toa. Of course, the story doesn't end there! Read on to find what actually happens! Chapters released: BOOK : Collision This story's major theme is Destiny, and the finding of one's place in the world. Chapters 1- 15 Synopsis: A massive robot crashes into the earth, and almost instantly the whole world has set its sights on the island that formed on its face. Axle, a lazy high schooler that hates the normality of everyday life, receives a dream and soon discovers five others that have had the same dream. Together, along with their parents, they get themselves artificial Toa and Matoran bodies and visit the island. (Sounds corny? Don't worry, the dream isn't as mysterious as it seems, which gets revealed much later.)The six Matoran inexplicably receive six Toa stones from the Turaga, saying that they are destined to leave their world behind and become heroes to revive the Great Spirit.Things take a turn for the worse when Axle realizes that he is the one destined to die by putting on the Kanohi Ignika. BOOK : Sacrificehttp://www.bzpower.c...howtopic=327215 The main themes here are Destiny, Unity, and the pains of letting go. Chapters 1- 11 Synopsis: The six Matoran have become Toa now... or have they? Somehow, during the transformation process, their minds were split. One resided within their new Toa bodies, and the other resided in their original human bodies. After fighting off hordes of infected Rahi, they travel to Metru nui, where they find the city over run by Purple and Black entities that have all but destroyed the city. After flushing them out, they go south to find the Ignika and revive this Mata nui, while Povu, Toa of Stone, leaves to the southeast to create an island to house the PaB entities.A romance story starts between Axle and Miera, even though both of them know that Axle is destined to die.Once on the southern continent, the six (now seven) Toa are met by mysterious Toa that call themselves the "Dark Elements", and their conquered allies, the Makuta, who want the Great Spirit to die. After a crippling defeat, Axle just barely manages to make it to Karda nui, but can he summon the courage to leave Miera forever and put on the mask? BOOK : Divergence < ArchivesBOOK : Divergence < Current thread The main theme here is Duty. Thanks to [trope]Cerebus[/trope], we leave the idealistic-ness of the old books, and focus more on stopping the Dark Elements and the humans. Chapters 1- 31Estimation of how many chapters there will be in the end: looking to be around 60. I might stretch this into a 4th book. !!!MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW!!! Axle is brought back to life by Miera's mask, which had never worked before that point. But what effect could this have on the Great Spirit? The group decide to split up into several smaller groups to accomplish several tasks. The romance between Axle and Miera (renamed Miriam) continues, stronger than ever.Meanwhile, the humans receive special armor from Cyrus, and are sent back to the island to release the Bohrok swarms.Chalix has quit the group, both in his human and Toa forms, what will happen to him?Behind the heroes' backs, three ambitious humans are making shady plans. Are they for the benefit of mankind? Are they for world domination? Perhaps. Edits made: Petru changed to Huloh. More detail in chapter 2 of the characters and their appearance. Chapter 6 deleted. Mieren/Meiren changed to Miera. Sorvek changed back to Soren. Added a hidden link in chapter 1 of Book 2. Epsil changed to Silon. Ozoren changed to Kozoren. William's mask is green. Arthur and Brian's mask powers were switched around. Character list (WARNING, CONTAINS SPOILERS) As of Book : Humans:ToaAaron, Kehuri- Toa of Plants- Kanohi Rau, Kanohi Rau NuvaMartin, Erix- Toa of Gravity- Mask of Imitation, Rau. Based on myself.Bruno, Brounus- Toa of Stone- Mask of AnimationYukina, Yuukria- Toa of Psionics- Kanohi Mahiki and RauSoren, Soren- Toa of Iron- Kanohi Kadin. Based on a real person that I sorta know.Aleida, Adealis- Toa of Water- Kanohi (Emulation)Yann, Koraka/Mordek- Toa of Shadow- Kanohi Unknown. Based on my good friend, Koraka93, also known as Mr. Smiley, who I know in real life. MatoranAxle, - Matoran of Plants- Wields an axe. Also based on me.Charlie, Chalix- Matoran of Gravity- Wields two throwing disks. Loosely based on my brother.Nathaniel, Naxaros- Matoran of Stone- Wields a Kohlii stickHaru, Hiaru- Matoran of Psionics- Wields a sickleJohan, Yorek- Matoran of Iron- Wields twin Volo Lutu GrapplersMiriam, Meira- Matoran of Water- Wields a shield. Based on the girl I love.Shane, Shane- Matoran of Shadow- Wields a glaive. Also somewhat based on Mr. Smiley. Misc. ToaCyrus- Toa of Ice- Kanohi Unknown. Based on Rossiu from Gurren Lagann.???- Toa of Lightning- Kanohi UnknownA group of unidentified Toa- Elements Unknown- Kanohi Unknown Non-humans Caele nui inhabitants:Leku- Toa of Air- Kanohi Rau, and possibly more.Aiyren- Turaga of Air- Kanohi unknownSilicix- Turaga of earth- Kanohi unknownLiquis- Turaga of water- probably wears a Kanohi Zatth.Novehk- Toa of Earth- Kanohi unknown, status unknownNurea- Matoran of Earth- Kanohi unknownHuloh- Turaga of Stone- Kanohi SanokPovu- Toa of Stone- Kanohi Sanok, possibly moreGaalra- Toa of Water- Kanohi PakariMazoku- Turaga of Fire- kanohi UnknownTakeshi- Toa of Fire- Kanohi KualsiGlazek- Turaga of Ice- Kanohi KirilKozoren- Toa of Ice- Kanohi VolitakKrika- Makuta- Krast As of Book : Humans: Toa OtaraAxle, - Matoran of Plants- Mask of Alchemy, Rau Nuva, Purification- Wields a Pulse Generator Axe and a Repeller axe- Rides an Artakha BullCharlie, Chalix- Matoran of Gravity- Mask of Analysis, Imitation- Wields twin Cyclone Gravidyisks- Rides a LohrakNathaniel- Matoran of Stone- Mask of Multiplication, Animation, Phasing- Wields a Shockwave Hammer/Splitter Shovel, and Sand Mace- Rides a Phase DragonHaru- Matoran of Psionics- Mask of Malleability, Mahiki- Wields twin Chain Sickle Staffs, and Psionic Gloves- Rides a NivawkJohan, Yorek- Matoran of Iron- Mask of Technology, Kadin, non-organic Elda- Twin Volo Lutu Grapplers with various attachments, artificial arm, Channeler Blade- Owns a TunnelerMiriam- Matoran of Water-Mask of Emulation, Mask of Calming, Calix, other Kanohi Unknown- Wields a Repeller Shield, Double Cyclone Propellers- Rides a Proto DrakeShane, Shane- Matoran of Shadow-Mask of Heartsight, Sensory Confusion, Fiction, Hau- Wields a Multiblade Shadow Glaive, Shadow Projectile Cane- Rides a Rock Lion Misc. ToaCyrus- Toa of Ice- Kanohi Unknown???- Toa of Lightning- Kanohi UnknownA group of unidentified Toa- Elements Unknown- Kanohi Unknown Non-humans Caele nui inhabitants:Leku- Toa of Air- Kanohi Rau, and possibly more.Aiyren- Turaga of Air- Kanohi unknownSilicix- Turaga of earth- Kanohi unknownLiquis- Turaga of water- probably wears a Kanohi Zatth.Novehk- Toa of Earth- Kanohi unknown, status unknownNurea- Matoran of Earth- Kanohi unknownHuloh- Turaga of Stone- Kanohi SanokPovu- Toa of Stone- Kanohi Sanok, possibly moreGaalra- Toa of Water- Kanohi PakariMazoku- Turaga of Fire- kanohi UnknownTakeshi- Toa of Fire- Kanohi KualsiGlazek- Turaga of Ice- Kanohi KirilKozoren- Toa of Ice- Kanohi VolitakKrika- Makuta- Krast Rahi Isaac- Artakha Bull, ridden by Axle.Aleida- Proto Drake, ridden by Miriam.Linus, Tunneler, enlarged to be ride-able for Yorek. Named after Lloyd: The White Wolf, who gave me helpful tips.Lohrak, ridden by ChalixNivawk, ridden by HaruPhase Dragon, ridden by NathanDamascus, Rock Lion, ridden by Shane. Named after Mr. Smiley. VillainsAxion- Toa of Dark Matter, Mask of Despair, wields a sort of bludgeon-glaive.Stergex- Toa of Blood, Mask of Disabling, wields a gun and a knife.Ektrahk- Toa of Ectoplasm, Mask of Brain Signals, covered in blades.Cerebrex- Toa of Nightmares, Mask of Blindness, Claw and sword.Mutax- Toa of Mutation, Mask of Anger, Sword and mutated left hand.Kezrax- Unknown race and element, Kanohi unknown, weapon unknown. As of Book : REAWAKENED ToaDuoral- Toa of Magnetism, Mask of Long-distance teleportation.Tenlek- Toa of Plants- Mask unknownMowai- Toa of Psionics- Mask unknownVeten- Toa of Kinetic Energy- Mask of PossibilitiesRandan- Toa of Earth- Kanohi RodeUana- Toa of Water- Mask of ScryingMatta nui/Mata nui- Toa of Light- Mask of ObliviousnessNurea- Toa of Earth- Mask of Adaptation TuragaDarif- Turaga of PlantsIryda- Turaga of Psionics MatoranArian- Matoran of WaterTulu- PlasmaLafu- Kinetic EnergyFeiran- Metal MakutaDestynax- Makuta- Kanohi Unknown (Mentioned only). Based onna MOC I made a long time ago. Click the link.Fenrix- Makuta- Kanohi Unknown (Mentioned only)Ifrix- Makuta- Kanohi Unknown. Based on a more recent MOC. MiscMata nui/DCFH- sentient virus- full control over the internet and Chuck's computer, as well as some mental abilities.Vezon- no maskRek- a Lomok- no mask.Rho- a prototype of a more powerful Toa of Metal, Mask of Technology. Based on a MOC of Toa Yorek, which I decided was too tall.Silon- a prototype of a more powerful Toa of Fire, Mask unknown. Based on my old self-MOC.Vikonz- a KrahkaOkau- male RenvenDovnak- male Skuaroh, Kanohi Kakama VillainsZithex- Toa of Data- Kanohi Unknown.Sonecek- Toa of Weakness- Kanohi unknown, but it seems to have a sort of teleportation power.Trizvak- Species unknown- deceased.Drevalx- Toa of Rage- Primary Kanohi unknown, has a Mask of Long-Distance Teleportation Humans/Human-ToaWillian Reynolds- Toa of Plants, Kanohi KomauArthur Hollis- Toa of Earth, Kanohi MatatuBrian White- Toa of Metal, Kanohi SuletuFredrik Erdal- Toa of Air, Kanohi HunaRon Darwin- Human, high-rank millitantTed- Human, sniperBen- Human, soldierLeonard- Human, soldier GlatorianRalus- Glatorian of Water Book 3 groups list (contains spoilers)Coliseum- Krika, Nathan, DrevalxSeeking the OOMN/sundial- Haru, Axle, MiriamGet Duoral- Shane, Yorek, Veten, Chalix, DovnakRecruit more allies- Randan, Uana, Tenlek, IfrixFind Destynax- Rho, SilonRecruit more allies 2- Alph Axle's team- William, Axle, Miriam, NathanHaru's team- Haru, Shane, BrianJohan's team- Johan, ArthurDefend Metru nui- Takeshi, PovuNot really doing anything- Aaron, Aleida, Yann, Bruno, Soren, YukinaSome mysterious, undisclosed goal- Matta nui Species list:Shadow Stealer: TeneskPridak: SkuarohGuardian: RocyakSmall bipeds: ArginBotar: BeorkenJohmak: RenvenLurker: TorstrekTyrant: Vrizathk PHUN PHACT:"Reawakening" refers to the reawakening of Bionicle, and not the reawakening of this Great Spirit. If you bothered actually reading everything above, put IRTWOT at the end of your review (stands for I Read The Wall Of Text). NOTES TO SELF:Axle- blue and green suit of armor. It had an axe attachment, which flipped around to become a gun-looking thing, which, Cyrus explained, when shot, would produce a massive thorned bush where it struck. The force of the growing bush would be enough to crack armor. It also included a sort of grappling hook that had a changeable trajectory. Nathan- bronze and gold set of armor that could coat itself with stone, and shatter it into projectile-like stone fragments. It also boosted his speed and strength. Miriam- blue one, which was able to create a protective layer of water around it, and possessed healing abilities. Shane- black mech, which Cyrus explained could cloak itself, and also sported twin chain glaives. Haru- gold mech that posessed Telekinetic powers and fire-able hands that, when combined with the Telekinetic powers, could be used like grappling hooks. It also included several shuriken that were sensitive to the telekinetic powers of the mech. Don't forget the Spectral Mask! Don't forget the detail that Toa is Matoran for Hero.
