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Hello there! This is the review thread for The Prophecy of The Six. Feel free to discuss the story and give feedback! -
Greetings. This is but the first tale in the saga of six heroes whom you all know very well. I, FrozenPancake_, proudly present..... Book I: The Prophecy Of The Six Prologue: The Prophecy When times are dark and all hope seems lost The guardians united must Invoke the power of past and future and look to the skies for an answer When the stars align, the Six shall arrive United, theirs is the power to vanquish darkness And reclaim what has been lost Together, they are six heroes with one destiny. LINKS: [REVIEW THREAD: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/21827-the-prophecy-of-the-six-book-i-in-the-rebooted-timeline-review-thread/] Chapters will be added regularly, starting with the first six, then two or three each week. (Also, there are lots of POV switches, so a lot of events are implied to have happened, because they happened while another part of the story was being covered.) Chapter I A red-armored figure lay on the black sand. He opened his eyes, which were glowing blue slits. His hands went to his face, searching for something. The being realized that he was missing something important. My mask, he thought. Where is it? Slowly, he got to his feet and looked around. He spotted a red gleam in a small dune. There it is. He walked over to it and put the mask on. It had angular eyes, a pronounced chin, and vents along the cheeks-- All the features of a Kanohi Hau, or Mask of Shielding. Much better. Close by, he came across a pile of weapons. They consisted of two small golden katana-like swords, and two large silver-- What the--, The red being thought. What the Karzahni am I supposed to do with these things? He picked one up. “Useless metal,” he scoffed. He had spoken too soon, for the blade was suddenly glowing, ablaze with fire! Maybe not. Storing the golden swords on his back, he carried the large blades in his hands. Suddenly, another being wearing a brown cloak walked towards him. The red being readied his blades. “Lower your weapons, Master of Fire,” the cloaked one said. “We have been expecting you.” Chapter II “Master of Fire? Expecting me? I don’t even know where I am, or who I am. Why am I suddenly so important?” The red being was fuming, smoke coming through the vents on his mask. “Calm yourself,” the cloaked one replied. “The knowing will come.” “The knowing will come?!? Just get to the point and quit speaking in riddles,” the red one growled. “Follow me to Ta-Koto, and I will explain everything,” the cloaked being said. He removed his hood, revealing a sleek red mask, which only covered half of his face. “I am Tarahkai Narmoto . And you are Tahu, Toa of Fire.” “Take me to Ta-Koto.” Tahu motioned for Narmoto to lead. The pair walked along the banks of a molten lava river. “Where are we?” Tahu asked. “Ta-Wahi,” Narmoto replied. A glimpse of a memory flashed in Tahu’s conscience, then it was gone. “I knew that. What I meant is--” “The island is called Okoto,” Narmoto said, as if reading his mind. “Why am I here, Narmoto?” Tahu heard hissing and clicking sounds coming from behind. He spun around to see a swarm of spider-like creatures advancing on them, each about the size of an Agori’s body. “I’ll handle this.” As the spiders leapt towards him, he sliced them all in half in one clean blow. Their fragmented bodies crumpled to the blackened ground. “That’s why I’m here?” Tahu asked incredulously. “To squash a few BUGS? Can’t you and the Agori defeat these things on your own?” “Looks can be deceiving, Tahu,” Narmoto replied. “Alone, they are but large pests. But together, they are truly a force to be reckoned with. They are known to us as Ragnok, or Skull Spiders. They like to attack by swarming a victim to the point that they are pinned down and helpless, then one will pry off their Kanohi and--” Narmoto shuddered. “And what?” Tahu grumbled impatiently. “They will latch onto your face and control your mind. They can even reanimate the dead.” Narmoto whispered the last three words. Another memory surfaced in Tahu’s mind. He was in what looked like a village. Agori were running, screaming. He saw armored, sphere-like monsters attacking it. One shot a jet of flame at a hut, setting it ablaze. Tahu also saw a group of Agori whose masks were replaced by organic-looking ones. They all said, “Clean it all, it must be cleaned.” Then they started shuffling toward him like zombies. An Agori shouted, “Tahu! Wake up!” Tahu opened his eyes, gasping. “What happened to you? You passed out when I told you about the Ragnok. And I wasn’t done yet.” “I had a vision.” “What did you see?” Tahu described the nightmarish scene. “Hmm. Sounds like an old legend of ours.” Narmoto said, stroking his chin. “Ta-Koto is just ahead.” Chapter III Later, Tahu and the Tarahkai met in Narmoto’s hut. It had quite the view, for it overlooked an enormous lake of lava. Several Agori were swimming in it. Tahu was perplexed at this, and he cocked his head to one side. “How are they--” “They have a natural resistance to heat,” Narmoto replied. “Yours, of course, is even stronger. In the legends, it was said that you surfed in active volcanoes.” Tahu ran a metallic finger across his armor, which was glowing red-hot. “So, what must I do to vanquish the evil that plagues this land?” he asked, eyes narrowed. “The answer lies in one of our many legends-- the legend of the Great Cataclysm,” Narmoto began... “Long ago, we Agori lived in peace and harmony. We lived in the great city of Koto-Nui, ruled by our two kings, the Mask Makers. Their names were Ekimu and Makuta. They were close friends; in fact, one could call them brothers.The two made many masks for the people of this island. But the Kanohi that the Mask Makers wore were very powerful. Ekimu wore the Kanohi Hanga, the Legendary Mask of Creation. It could create anything, as long as the user had the materials. Makuta wore the Kanohi Regna, the Legendary Mask of Control. This mask could control anything, be it living or inanimate. Makuta saved us time and again from many evils with its great power. But this was not to last. As time wore on, jealousy and bitterness poisoned Makuta’s mind. After all, he could only control things. But this wasn’t enough for him. Makuta wanted more. However, Ekimu sensed this, and forged six Golden Kanohi and six Kanohi Stones for each. The Golden Kanohi, one for each element, were hidden away in shrines. The shrines could only be opened if a being collected six Kanohi Stones of the corresponding element. The stones were scattered across the island by the Tarahkai before me, so that no good or evil could unlock the shrines. Not easily, anyway.” “Makuta decided it was time to proceed with his twisted plan-- to forge the most powerful Kanohi ever-- the Kanohi Destrox, the Mask of Destruction. Intending to destroy Okoto and rebuild it in his own image, Makuta donned the mask. The island began to crack apart! Realizing what Makuta had done, Ekimu confronted him and knocked the mask from his face, resulting in an explosion of pure energy. Ekimu used his mask to repair the island, but the amount of energy was too much, even for him. He fell into a coma, and those before me laid him to rest. However, all was not well-- far from it. Koto-Nui was in ruins. Even worse, Makuta’s spirit caused us a living nightmare: Ragnok-Kal, the Empress of Skull Spiders, and her army. Some people say that they have seen undead warriors there, possibly under Ragnok-Kal’s control. We fled from the city, breaking into groups based on our elements. This shattered our unity, but it gave us duty-- To summon the Toa. That was 1,000 years ago, before my time. Now you must begin your journey, and fulfill your destiny.” “So, when do we start?” Tahu asked. Narmoto sighed. “Not we. You.” Narmoto pointed at him. “Finding the Kanohi Stones is a test for you and you alone. They could be anywhere on the island. Good luck, and return immediately when you have the Stones, for guiding you to the shrine is my task.” “Alright then. I shall set out on my own. Thank you for your guidance, Narmoto.” Tahu smiled under his mask, and he left the hut, descending down a flight of stairs to the scorched earth below. Chapter IV Lewa Lewa grabbed a vine and examined it, looking for weak spots. “This cling-twiner should do,” he said to himself. He tugged on it, and it held. “Woohoo!” Lewa swung from the vine and landed on top of another tree. “That was awesome! But happyfun comes later. First, I have to search-find those Kanohi Stones. Say, Vizuna told me that there was one right--” Suddenly, a figure wearing blue and gunmetal-gray armor came into view. She held up a piece of green crystal. “Here?” she finished. “Who might you be?” Lewa asked. “Gali, Toa of Water. You might want this?” She threw the stone to Lewa. He caught it, storing it in a bag slung across his back. “Thanks for the help-assist, watersister. Name’s Lewa. Now I’ll be on my--” “Don’t you think we should team up, and find the Kanohi Stones together?” Gali asked. “Our unity would make us stronger.” “Sounds finegood to me,” Lewa replied. He turned around and leapt from the tree. “How many stones have you collectfound?” Lewa asked. “I found two of mine here,” Gali replied, holding up a pair of blue crystals. “And you?” “Only one, not counting five seconds ago,” Lewa sighed. “I enjoylike the jungle and all, but it’s hard to find anything in here.” He made a sweeping gesture toward some trees, which were tangled in thick vines. “Good thing that they’re scatterspread all over this island,” he said dryly. Gali laughed. “I wouldn’t be laughing at that!” Lewa shouted, pointing forward. A young Agori from the Jungle tribe was running for his life, gasping for breath. He came screeching to a halt in front of them, panting like a tired Okotian Wolf. Lewa rushed forward. “What is it, little one?” he asked. “Skull… Spiders…. village….gone. Destroyed,” the Agori replied. “That’s terrible!” Gali cried, taken aback. “I’m sorrysad to hear that,” Lewa added, dropping to one knee. “What’s your name, little one?” “B-b-b-Bingzak,” the Agori stuttered. “A-are you w-working for M-m-Makuta?” The Agori was trembling, wracked with fear. “No,” Gali replied. “We’re Toa-heroes!” Lewa exclaimed. “I’m Lewa, and the water-maiden here is Gali. We won’t hurtharm you.” “You’re Toa? Wow…” Bingzak’s jaw dropped in awe. “Yes.” Gali nodded. “We should be getting you back to your par--” Tears streamed down Bingzak’s face, and he began to sob uncontrollably. “Oh. I-- I’m so sorry… I didn’t know…” Gali knelt and embraced him. She stroked his head. “It’s okay. You’ll be fine.” “T-thanks, Toa Gali,” Bingzak replied. “Want to see the pretty rock that I found?” “Sure.” Bingzak fished out something from his bag. Lo and behold, it was a Kanohi Stone! “That’s no ordinary ‘pretty rock’ you’ve got there, little one,” Lewa said. “It’s something called a Kanohi Stone,” Gali explained. “Each Toa needs six of them to open the shrines of the golden masks. Only then, can we hope to stop the Skull Spiders…” “And whatever else this island needs saving from,” Lewa finished. “So, I don’t get to keep my pretty rock?” “I’m afraid not,” Gali replied. “Okay,” Bingzak complied, handing the green stone to Lewa. “Do you have to leave now?” “Actually, you can quickcome with us,” Lewa offered. “Lewa, it’s too dangerous!” Gali reproached. “Can’t you see that he’s just a child?” “You’d be rightcorrect on both counts. But we can’t just leave him on his own, you know.” “All right,” Gali conceded. “He can come with.” “YIPPEE!” Bingzak cheered. “I get to go on an adventure with two Toa! And I’ll crush those Skull Spiders and avenge my parents.” “That is noble of you, young one, but don’t do anything rash,” Gali warned. “Aw, loosen up, Gali! You’re supposed to go with the flow, being a Toa of Water and all,” Lewa cajoled. Gali rolled her optics. “I just wish you didn’t take things so lightly, that’s all.” “Alright Bingzak. Ready for an adventure?” Lewa asked. “Yeah!” Bingzak exclaimed. “Hop on my back.” With that, the two Toa set off to continue their quest…. and hopefully keep their Agori companion out of trouble. Kopaka Kopaka was trudging through the Ko-Wahi drifts, searching for a Kanohi Stone.. Where could it be? he thought. Better activate my Akaku. Kopaka mask began to glow, granting him the power of X-Ray vision. He saw a glint of ice-blue in a nearby cave. There it is. Kopaka almost smiled. He walked toward the cave, and he was just about to claim the stone when he was hit by a sudden gust of wind. Even for a Toa of Ice who was used to blizzards, the wind was overpowering! Arms flailing, Kopaka tried to keep his balance, but to no avail. He fell mask-first into the snow. “OOF!” he grunted, the sound muffled by the snow. Stupid wind. Kopaka was just about to get up when he heard a voice. “You okay there, mate?” Kopaka sat up. The voice belonged to a figure clad in burnt-orange and silver armor. He wore a pair of what looked like snowshoes, and his mask was sleek and streamlined, with air intakes on either side. And strangest of all, his left arm appeared to be completely mechanical. ‘I’m fine,” Kopaka replied. “You sure you don’t need a hand?” the figure asked. “I said I’m fine,” he replied icily, standing up and dusting the snow from his armor. “Want some help looking for your Kanohi Stones?” the figure asked. “It’ll be a loooot faster. Besides, I know speed better than anyone. I wear a Kakama, after all.” “Look, I don’t need your help. Or want it, for that matter.” Kopaka walked away. He’ll just get in the way. Just when he thought he had lost him, he saw an orange blur zip toward him. “Ekimu’s masks! What do you want?” Kopaka asked, irritated by this being’s persistence. “I work alone. I don’t--” “Nope!” the orange-clad being replied. “I’m coming with you, no matter what you say. I’m Pohatu, by the way. Get used to it.” Kopaka sighed in resignation. “Fine, you can come with.” Onua Dig, pull, scrape, push. Dig, pull, scrape, push. Onua was clawing his way through solid rock in the Onu-Wahi tunnels, searching for his Kanohi Stones. His connection to the earth was advantageous, as he could easily sense where the crystals might be. Besides, he already had four out of six of his. Now where could the rest be? Wait, I sense one of them is….moving? His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a voice. “Would you happen to be looking for these?” Onua turned around. The voice belonged to a figure clad in red and gold armor. He held not one, but TWO glowing purple stones. “Why, yes,” Onua replied. “My name is Onua. I’m assuming you are Tahu, Toa of Fire?” “That would be me,” Tahu replied. “You might need these.” He handed the stones to Onua. “Thanks to you, I have all of my Kanohi Stones. Korgot will be expecting me, so I’ll be on my way,” said Onua. “No problem,” Tahu replied. “But maybe we should work together and find the rest of mine?” “Sure thing. I think I saw a couple of them further back in the tunnels.” Chapter V The Toa, whose paths collided on their quest to find the Kanohi Stones, keys to the elemental shrines, had completed their first test. But their journey was not over. Far from it. Many a challenge lay ahead…. Tahu Tahu strode up the stairs to Narmoto’s hut. He knocked on the door. “Come in!” a voice answered. “Do you have the stones?” Narmoto asked. Tahu’s eyes narrowed. “Did you really think I’d come back without them?” he growled, mask smoldering. The Toa dropped his bag on Narmoto’s desk, which was an elegant table carved from what appeared to be obsidian. Narmoto examined the contents carefully. “Excellent!” he exclaimed. “All six of your stones are present.” Tahu grew impatient. “Now are we going to that shrine or what?” he grumbled. “Of course,” Narmoto replied. “Why would we waste our time in retrieving that mask?” With that, they set off, to Okoto’s most active volcano…. Onua Wheeeeeerrrrm…… ChkchkchkchkchkCRACK! Korgot’s drill cut through the solid rock that blocked their path. “So, Korgot,” Onua inquired. “How’d you end up as Tarahkai?” “Simple,” Korgot replied. “The mask I wear was passed down from those before me, generation to generation. It was meant to be from father to son, but--” “With you, isn’t that a bit… shaky?” Onua interjected. Korgot laughed. “Yes. I was the only child. So, the duty was mine, despite my gender. I remember that day when I inherited these weapons, this mask. The stares, the remarks of disapproval. That day I swore to prove them wrong.” Korgot made a fist for emphasis. “I swore that I would show them that anyone can be a hero. Even if it breaks a sacred rule.” “That is very noble,” Onua said. “Thank you, Toa of Earth,” Korgot replied. “Now let’s get on with the mission, shall we?” Lewa Lewa and Vizuna were swinging from tree to tree, searching for the shrine of the golden Miru. “Just a kio or so, and we should be there,” Vizuna calculated. “Good to hearknow,” Lewa replied. “Why do you speak like that, Lewa?” Vizuna asked, a puzzled look on his face. “It sometimes takes you twice as long to say something as most people.” “I don’t remember, exactly,” Lewa answered. “I hardly remember anything from my past. Except one thing: The way I used to speak-talk. But I don’t care about the past-gone. I live in the present-now.” “I see,” Vizuna replied. A voice called out behind them. “Hey guys!” it said. The two warriors turned around. The voice belonged to Bingzak. The Agori hung on to a vine and giggled, a sheepish grin on his face. Vizuna shot a look at Lewa. “You let him follow us?” he asked incredulously. “Not directprecisely, per se,” Lewa replied. Vizuna turned to Bingzak. “We told you to stay!” he scolded. “But I wanna come with you! Please? I know the jungle just as well as you guys! Besides, that Rahi-back ride was fun, Toa Lewa.” “I’m muchglad that you enjoyed it. But haven’t you had enough adventuring for one day?” Lewa asked. “You can never have too many adventures in one day!” Bingzak cried. Vizuna turned back to Lewa. “Well, the little one certainly is stubborn,” he whispered. “You got that rightcorrect,” Lewa whispered back dryly. “Not to mention the fact that we can’t just turn back after coming all this way.” “I suppose the child can come with,” Vizuna replied. Pohatu Pohatu was racing through the Kodan Desert, leaving a literal dust storm in his path. “Could you *cough* slow *cough* down?” Nilkuu called after him. “You aren’t even trying to keep up!” Pohatu groaned. Will this Toa ever get it together? Nilkuu thought, shaking his head. He sprinted after the Toa of Stone. “About time you caught up,” said Pohatu. “Yeah, but you can’t just act like everyone else is that fast! Especially with that Mask of Speed,” Nilkuu said indignantly. “Not to mention that your tendency to cause sandstorms doesn’t make it any easier.” “Sorry,” Pohatu replied. “You were right to hurry, though,” Nilkuu admitted. “The Mask Maker, Ekimu, lies in his tomb, comatose. It is only a matter of time before he is lost to the darkness, and Makuta’s pawns get their claws on the Mask of Creation. If they succeed, all will be lost. So, time is of the essence.” They continued at a jog, and came upon the shrine. It would have been a beautiful sight, if not for the Rahi guarding it. They were scorpion-like creatures with wicked-looking pincers and twin stinger tails. “Oko-Jaga.” Nilkuu spat out the word like a piece of rancid meat. The Oko-Jaga chittered, tails raised in attack position. Pohatu called upon his Desert Gliders, which flew from his feet to his hands, extending into two large boomerang-like weapons. Nilkuu readied his Sandstorm Staff. “Alright,” Nilkuu growled. “Who wants some?” Kopaka “Stay here, Izotor,” Kopaka said. “But--” “No.” Kopaka cut off the Tarahkai of Ice. “I don’t need your protection. If I needed it, using the Mask of Time to make me fall from the sky would be pointless. After all, what’s the point of having a Toa to defend the people if he cannot defend himself? Therefore, I am more than capable. Stand aside, I can do this myself.” Izotor sighed. “Don’t get cocky,” he muttered. Kopaka strode onward towards a flight of stairs, which led to the shrine atop Mount Ihu. A skeletal figure lay in wait atop the shrine, which was constructed to resemble the Mask of X-Ray Vision that Kopaka wore. The figure wore a mask carved into the shape of a skull, and his armor was broken and rusted. His metallic skeleton was also partially exposed, due in part to his broken armor, and the fact that he wasn’t alive. At least not in the way a Toa is. No, this being was long dead. Bent, twisted, broken…. Yet, in some way, it was very much alive. And it had an insatiable thirst for energy. The Toa approaching the shrine happened to be full if it. The figure drew its bow… A volley of ice blasts hurtled at Kopaka, causing the Toa to raise his Frost Shield. He felt the elemental energy flow into him, making him stronger. Kopaka noticed the skeletal being perched on the shrine, using the telescopic lens on his Akaku to study it. “Is that the best you can do, creature?” he called out. As if to answer, the being removed a sleek blue magazine from his weapon, replacing it with an orange one. Kopaka noticed that the Okotian text on it read “PROTODUST”. It must be technology from before the Great Cataclysm, Kopaka thought. The bow-blaster hybrid went from glowing blue to orange, and fire hissed toward the Toa of Ice. “Karz!” Kopaka cursed, shielding himself from the flames. He countered the archer’s relentless assault with his own ice blasts, but it was only a matter of time before his reserves would be depleted. One of Kopaka’s blasts struck home, freezing his skeletal assailant solid. Kopaka would examine the undead archer later. Acquiring my Golden Kanohi is more important. He placed his six Kanohi Stones in their slots… Gali Gali reached out for her golden mask. She took hold of it and slowly placed it over her original mask. Pure elemental energy coursed through her body! “How do ye feel?” Kivoda asked. “I feel amazing!” Gali cried. “Never before have I felt such power!” “Aye, Master of Water. The Great Sea hath bestowed her power upon ye, now that ye hath proved yer worthiness. I hope that ye use it wisely,” the Tarahkai replied gravely. “I will.” Gali bowed her head solemnly. “Good. Now ye should be getting to Koto-Nui, don’t ye think? Chapter VI The Toa, having acquired their Golden Kanohi, had finally proved their worthiness. But this wasn’t the end of it. Now, they must journey to Koto-Nui, the resting place of Ekimu and the Mask of Creation. But terrible creatures are lurking amid the ruins… A shadow crept along the wall of the crypt. The shadow belonged to no one, for it had a mind of its own. Its eyes narrowed at the sight of the sarcophagus. Yes, it thought. This is the one. The shadow concentrated, using its power to break open the sarcophagus. Slowly, the cover that concealed the ancient, long-dead being that the shadow had sought out began to crack. It’s a wonder how some of the energy from that mask still courses through us. But we feel so…. empty without it. That power will be ours again one day. Yes… The crack widened. Suddenly, the sarcophagus split open. “Rise.” The shadow waved its hand, and the air was filled with the sound of clockwork slowly grinding to life after ages of disuse. Slowly, the ancient being rose from the coffin that had held him for so many years. “Where...am I? What is.. this place?” he rasped, his voice like metal scraping against stone. As he was taking in his (not-so) new surroundings, he realized that something was terribly wrong with his body. His armor was broken and decayed, revealing metallic bone where once had been pistons and tissue. “What...Wh-what..no. It can’t be. No. Wh-WHAT THE KARZAHNI AM I?” “A shell.” The skeletal being turned. “Who said that? Show yourself!” The shadow revealed itself. “I can explain,” it replied calmly. “If your surroundings and your current appearance do not make it obvious enough, you have been dead for several thousand years.” “Then you have disturbed my slumber.” The hulking, undead humanoid found an enormous, rusted mace on the floor-- the weapon that he had slain many foes with. Despite the fact that his muscle tissue had long since rotted away, he lifted it easily, feeling its familiar heft again. He raised the mace skyward, ready to strike. “This has been my grave for millennia. Now it shall be yours!” The mace swung down, and the shadow made no effort to dodge. The attack was fruitless; it passed right through him! “What?! That’s impossible! What are you?” “I am a shell-- a broken remnant of what I used to be-- just as you are.” The skeleton’s yellow eyes narrowed. “Enough riddles! Get to the blasted point!” “The point is, I can give you what you want,” the shadow began silkily. “You want to reclaim your glory. You wish to lead your fearsome army of Skrall again. You want power-- to rule the kingdom that was rightfully yours, to sit upon your throne, ruling with an iron fist. You want flesh where there is only bone now. Most of all, you want revenge on the one who stole your throne and your life-- Ekimu!” The once-proud warrior king relished the idea. “I’m listening.” “The Kanohi Hanga, the Mask of Creation, is hidden in a shrine near the tomb of the Mask Maker--my brother. Find and claim it, and it shall grant you great power,” the shadow explained. The towering skeleton bristled. “If you call Ekimu your brother, then you must be--” Makuta waved a shadowy hand. “Ekimu is the one who broke you-- and pushed me off the edge. Repay him in kind, and you shall be rewarded.” Beneath his mask, a wicked smile twisted the skeletal being’s metallic face. His eyes changed color from a sickly yellow to a fiery red. “With pleasure...my master,” he rasped, kneeling before Makuta. “Rise, Lord Kulta, and reclaim what is rightfully yours.” Makuta raised a hand, and dark energy flowed from it into Kulta’s body. His bones began to glow brightly. “What is this energy that flows through me?” “My essence,” Makuta replied. “It gives you powers that some would consider...unnatural, or even forbidden. For instance, you can raise the dead. Is there anyone you loved, whom you wish to see again?” Kulta thought about the suggestion. “Possibly, but not like... this,” he said, gesturing to his own decrepit body. They walked through the crypt. “Try it on this one.” Makuta gestured toward a small coffin. Crimson energy crackled from Kulta’s mace to the coffin. Suddenly, a skeletal limb broke through the lid, and a zombified Agori leapt out! It gave a high-pitched shriek. “It would frighten my foes,” Kulta mused. “But Agori are even more pathetic undead than when they’re alive,” he spat. “However, I’ll keep this one around.” He glanced at the coffin to see if it was marked. The inscription read: “Here lies--” The text was cut off by the crack in the surface-- “--zalk.” “I’ll call it Zalk.” He noticed that Zalk’s heartlight glowed the same red as his body. “He is under your control,” Makuta explained. “So the Agori scum will be more than just a pet,” Kulta mused. He willed the Agori to follow him, and he obeyed. “I have one more thing to show you. Follow me,” Makuta whispered. The three beings exited the crypt through an open doorway leading to a large cemetery. Awaiting them was a small army of 500 undead Skrall warriors, standing at attention. “Your army, as promised. I must leave you now. You know what to do. If you see any Toa, kill them immediately. Do not fail me.” With that, Makuta vanished.
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Here’s the last one. Episode 27: The Surge Did they rename Darkley’s School for Bad Boys again? And where are those elemental weapons, Kai? The Overlord didn’t steal those too, did he? While I’m at it, I guess the light of Lloyd only blasted the Overlord’s form to bits, and he was standing on top of a tower, so I guess he could have been housed in a computer. We’ve already seen the Overlord in “spirit” form before, so I guess he could take that again and put himself into the computer system – what quicker way to gain power? But he was weakened after Lloyd clobbered him, so he couldn’t get himself out. Hence the messy plan. Of course, the reboot switch for this computer is even messier. Most computers turn off with a switch, and in the rare event that doesn’t work, you can always pull the plug. Why the elaborate reboot sequence? Of course, I suppose this isn’t a reboot as much as a hard-drive format, which is harder to do, but still, why the use of the four-techno blades (dated term, dudes) instead of the standard disk unpartition? I blame sets. I suppose security could have something to do with it, but surely your wouldn’t want the reboot items to be gold, prominent, and unable to stop an invasion from within. Alright. I do like that no matter what they do, the ninja never get any recognition or Life Upgrades. They’re ninja, you know. Also, if you’ve watched season 2-3, you know that Jay and Nya are a thing, but Nya was never consulted on the matter – Jay just filibustered along in typical Jay style. Thus, Nya talking to him about boundaries makes sense. The computer nominating Cole as Nya’s match does not. When computers know anything about love, I will have green pointed ears and be sitting on a boat dock on a planet of the Alpha Centuri star system. Still, given that the computer in this case is guided by PLOT, I’ll give some credence to the idea that the two have more chemistry than Jay and Nya. Cole is less of an overwhelming blabbermouth and would be more respectful of Nya. But I have to say that Nya is a lot better character by herself, and why does the girl always have to be a love interest, or forcefully painted so she isn’t? Anyway, how this ends up pleases me, but what Nya does to Cole in the middle of this season doesn't. There are way too many romance plots and romantic mess going on this season. Stick to the ninjas and samurai fighting evil, pleeeease. Ugh. [/rant] I thought elevators were inside buildings. Also, training staffs are indestructible – they can deflect metal saws and claws. Sensei used the self-sacrifice ploy again. The Overlord forgot to watch his copy of Ninjago seasons 1-3 on Cyrus Borg’s complimentary hard drive. And frankly, the Overlord should keep his mouth shut: the fact that the ninja knew about Lloyd being what he wanted literally sunk his ship. Episode 28: The Art of the Silent Fist The trees in Ninjago are really weird. I get the whole animation dealio, but they still look like turtles. One thing I can’t fault this season for is the pacing. Unlike last season where we had filler and some other pacing issues, these episodes chug along at a breakneck pace. In just a few minutes, we’ve established a whole bunch of details, some of which will be important later, like draining the golden power out of the bots and Wu’s capture. I also think it important to note that PIXAL was evil for a while – what is it with the evil girls, Ninjago? Also, what is it with the dinosaur bones? Last episode we had one just casually tossed aside like it was nothing, and this one had the X cave hidden under a skeleton. I think it’s supposed to be a joke about the contrast between old dinos and new technology, but I think I missed it. And Cole’s dad’s “box” to hide the ninja is too small to fit them all. (Ninjaspace? ) The PIXAL/Zane romance plot has too many holes in it. They just met each other mere days ago, and Zane cuts out half of his heart for her. That’s insane. It’s also Zane – we’re talking about the guy who frees sea monsters out of sympathy and befriends mechanical birds. Still, it’s a bit early to be so affectionate – she did steal the stuff you were guarding earlier. Come on. Episode 29: Blackout Pythor’s invisibility also explains why he was able to sneak into the Borg place and steal the corrupted drive. I like this episode because it gives us a taste of mystery though. I also like the scene with Lloyd and the raptor. 28, 29, and 30 all give us a taste of the affection that Lloyd and Garmedon feel for each other as father and son. Even the venom of the Great Devourer couldn’t overcome it. Episode 30: The Curse of the Golden Master According to the Serpentine, the curse of the golden master is getting too much power, that the power is the problem. Actually, I think the real curse of the golden master is that Lloyd loves his father. He relied too much on the golden power to save him, however – the golden power is slower to charge up than just using Spinjitsu to leap the gap. The ninja running into Scales and thinking him as the enemy is actually legitimately funny. Wrong snake indeed. But where did the weirdly lighted underground space come from? The one where the snakes were sealed showed them in with the stone platform the army was on in a dingy space. They could have made improvements though. Also, if Scales made an oath not to return to the surface, how did he get the groceries and the copy of the Ninjago Times? “Where are my knights in shining armor?” Go Nya! Episode 31: Enter the Digiverse Kai is the guy who normally makes the motivational speeches and handles any situation with confidence, if not downright impatience. Seeing him disturbed is OOC. Digiverse is scary, kids. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Go Nya! Do not insult the samurai of Ninjago! Also, the title sequence for this season refers pretty strongly to this episode. Episode 32: Codename: Arcturus Okay, so why does Kai not use his NRG flaming-shield flying fireball here? That would get him back in the car, and even if he was tired PIXAL could still drive. I guess flame on cars = bad period. He also could have used it to fly up to Pythor if he was so big on kicking his white tail. He could have used it offscreen, I suppose, although that’s hardly stealthy. Still, in that situation Kai wasn’t aiming for stealthy anyway – he made it clear that he was going for broke, so why not actually go for broke? *sigh* I think this plot of trying to get the golden weapons from space is a really cool idea that will lend itself to some comedy come next episode. Also: does Spinjitzu work in space? We will soon find out. (Unless you live in Australia, in which case you already know.) Not-so-final Thoughts I hesitated to release this one because there are two more episodes left in the season, but I guess I’ll see what the future brings. So far, this season has been well-paced, humorous, and tense with lots of dark drama. Unlike season three, the pace has increased to reflect the drama level. The romance plots feel like a distraction to the overall picture, but fortunately the story hasn’t focused too much on them. A few niggling logical quandaries are its thorns in its side as well. Hopefully those will be resolved as the story goes on. So far, it’s a fine piece of work, and I look forward to seeing what happens next.
