96 replies to this topic

[Takuaka: Toa of Time]

First one!

 

Member Name: Timaka: Toa of Time

Theme: Paradise

Word Count: 492

Story: Paradise

 

Paradise.

 

It's an ideal, a virtue, a dream. It's a beautiful ideology of a utopia, a place where everyone is happy and no one has to feel alone or excluded. A place where people can live their dreams and do what they love.

 

Paradise.

 

It's a thing that beings always strive for. Any land full of abundance and peace could be considered a paradise. Any place where beings are happy and prosperous and joyous is a paradise.

 

Paradise.

 

It's a thing that many beings have fought and died for. Beings who believed so strongly in their ideals and cared so much for their people that they were willing to make the ultimate sacrifices in order to achieve the dream, if only temporarily. If only to hold back the crushing grip of darkness for a time, that people can live in light for as long as there are heroes to fight for it.

 

Paradise.

 

Who wouldn't want to live there? A place where hard work, perseverance, and dedication can make miracles happen? A place where your dreams can literally come true? Unless you want to live in Fairy-Land. Sorry, but without a mask of Interdimensional Gates I don't think it's gonna happen. But then, if that's your shtick and you want to work hard enough to come by such a mask, then more power to you.

 

Paradise.

 

Seriously, who wouldn't love utopia? A place where everyone's a brother and a sister and where each has personal responsibility of some form or another to preserve the sanctity of the society. A place where people are free to work hard in the way they choose, where no one will offer negativity but always encouragement. Unless you're the type who likes to be challenged, in that case I'm sure they can offer that, too. A place where hard work is always rewarded in more ways than one and every moment of every day is filled with joy and peace and beauty of some variety.

 

Paradise.

 

A place where everyone is family, and everyone is pure and good. This is my dream.

 

This is what I fight for.

 

This is what I've always fought for.

 

This is what I lead warriors into battle for.

 

This is why I lead my fellow Matoran against the tide of darkness, to strike in the name of righteousness in this paradoxical world.

 

This is why I'm willing to die if need be, or to live if need be, to preserve the reality of my dream.

 

This is why I die every day and bear tremendous burden. This is why my fellows possess undying loyalty to me and my cause. This is why we brave the shadows where no one else is willing to go.

 

I'm surrounded by war and violence, chaos and destruction. Every moment is filled with fear and doubt. Yet every moment is filled with joy and honor. Because I know what I am fighting for:

 

Paradise.

 

What are you fighting for?

[Neelh]

Member Name: Neelh

Theme: Paradise

Word Count: 594

Story: The Agori and the Turaga

 

It had been so long.

 

The stars were bright and glittered in the sky like shattered crystal, while the moons were like two mothers looking down on their children, holding them close but letting them roam free. The Agori found a spot by the lake near the Water Village where she was temporarily staying and sat down, removing some of her heavy armour and resting for a short while.

 

Kadnin remembered her past, and the pain that was felt not just by her, but by every Agori in Bara Magna. The Matoran and Toa had it easier, but they also had their fair share of troubles and harm. She wasn't so sure on the other species of the Matoran Universe.

 

Life had been quieter than what she had expected. Little Agori rarely checked under their beds for the monster that was really in their heads. She could live in peace with a nice girl, and maybe settle down and raise a family.

 

All of this speculation had her aching for anything to happen, something to drive this little life she lead along. Spherus Magna was less dangerous than before, and nobody was killing anyone yet. The paint of silence seemed to have been brushed over the past, but that was the only thing she would care for right now.

 

"Kadnin."

 

She looked up. The Turaga of Water - Nokama, maybe - was standing over her. To say that the Agori did not trust her would be incorrect, but she felt a vague sense of wariness around anyone without enough organic parts. Kadnin patted the ground beside her lazily, and Nokama slowly sat down, laying her trident by her side.

 

"So, why aren't ya sleepin'?" she asked, putting her hands behind her head and streching out.

 

"I have not felt very tired for a long time," replied the Turaga.

 

Kadnin raised an eyebrow. "That ain't healthy."

 

Exhaling, she smiled. "I have lived like this for a long time, so I don't think I need to stop."

 

The Agori jumped up. "Yes, ya do. We ain't on Bara Magna or Metru Nui anymore. This is a new world, and we can't mess this one up as well. Come with me."

 

Nokama stood carefully, and was about to pick up her trident when Kadnin blocked her hand. "Nuh uh. We ain't takin' what we don't need."

 

"What do we need, then?" asked Nokama, humouring her.

 

"Both hands."

 

-

 

The fruit was bountiful and mostly safe to eat. Kadnin took small tastes of each one, determining which ones were good for the Turaga to take. Both finished their jobs with arms full of food with varying firmness and colours. They made their way back to the lakeside with amiable conversation filling the silence. When they had returned, Kadnin had flopped down onto her back and bitten into a succulent fruit. The juices ran down her chin and onto her chest and the Agori let out a rare giggle because, Nokama realised, for one night neither had worried about the future or the past, and both worked together in harmonious unity. The Turaga joined Kadnin in finishing off the pile of fruit that they had gathered together.

 

They were found the next morning by a couple of worried Ga-Matoran, who were quite surprised at their elder's happiness. They were joined by Kadnin, who carried the remaining fruit in a makeshift basket made from her non-vital armour.

 

Nokama wasn't tired much anymore.

Edited by Neelh, Jul 06 2013 - 04:19 PM.

[SonicBOOM XS]

Name: SonicBOOM XS

Theme: Paradise

Word Count: 422

Story: Light

 

If you asked a Matoran about what they considered “paradise,” they'd no doubt point to their own Wahi. Occasionally you'd get the odd one who called another Wahi paradise, and maybe one or two who preferred the exact opposite of what their compatriots did. But for the most part, everyone had a consistent definition of Paradise: the place best suited to my own natural elemental alignment.

 

And on Mata Nui, each Wahi was not lacking in its element.

 

Of course, one can only know as far as one has learned, and the extent of the Matoran's knowledge was Mata Nui. After the Matoran Sphere mass-mindwipe, no one remembered Metru Nui, or any island in the Matoran Universe for that matter.

 

Takua pondered his lack of knowledge. He was the only one out of all the Matoran on Mata Nui who did not consider anywhere “paradise.”

 

There was nowhere right for him. Ta-Wahi was too hot, Le-Wahi too jungle-y, Ko-Wahi too cold, Ga-Wahi too wet, Onu-Wahi too dark, and Po-Wahi too dusty.

 

Takua did not know it, but he was an Av-Matoran. His place belonged with light. So he absolutely hated Onu-Wahi. Ta-Wahi was the closest he could get to light.

 

But that's not what he was pondering. He pondered how he couldn't think of the best place for him. How his lack of knowledge about everything, even his twice-amnesiac self, prevented him from discovering the true paradise he sought.

 

“Guess it's time for an adventure.” How else was he supposed to find his paradise?

 

And so he strapped on his backpack, got his gear, and set off with his buddy Pewku.

 

The thing is, even amnesia can't stop internal tendencies. Av-Matoran will always try and follow the light. So when Takua decided to start at Ta-Wahi, he noticed light shining from behind a boulder. Rolling it aside (with considerable effort and a botched attempt at his new Kolhii move), Takua dropped into a cave. Lava flowed in a river in front of him, and beyond that...beyond that was the thing. The thing that his internal voice sought.

 

It was a rock. On a glowing pedestal. But something about the rock seemed...different. Like he could find his paradise if only he took it along.

 

Beckoning for Pewku to stay, Takua began hopping on rocks on the river. All the while nearing his paradise. He'd find his paradise. If only he got that rock.

 

His inner voice beckoned him further. Take it. Take the rock. It's your paradise. It's your destiny.

 

“TAKUA!”

[Legolover-361]

Member Name: Legolover-361Theme: ParadiseWord Count: 448Story: Medicine Man“Fine — look — I’ll give you a roll from my dinner. I saved it.”Kenari’s lupine grin, visible as a gleam even in the darkness below the ship Rogue’s deck, was a clear rejection to the offer.The hunchbacked prisoner who had given the offer, a Toa whose face and body were covered in grime, tensed his shoulders in frustration and ground his teeth together. One twisted hand became a fist. A pause — “S’all I have to give,” he grunted, his fist uncurling but his fingers still tense.Kenari didn’t move from where he sat against the wall, not even as the ship shifted and water sloshed outside. “You’re in no position to bargain,” said the Toa of Lightning.The prisoner growled. “Karzahni’d have fun with you.”Kenari lifted his eyebrows, calling the prisoner’s bluff. “I’m sure he would.”Another growl; this time, however, a roll was pressed into Kenari’s hand. He held it to his face and sniffed. Satisfied it wasn’t old, he pocketed it and gestured for the Toa to sit beside him, then placed his hand on the back of the Toa’s neck and closed his eyes.“What do you want this time?”“An island.”“That’s awfully little for me to go on.”“Fine. Make it a small one — in the middle of the ocean — like, coconut trees or something. Gukkos. Daytime.”The prisoner’s brain, just like any other being’s brain, operated using electricity. Kenari took that electricity and rerouted the signals so they would return to the brain, then took control with his Great Mahiki. The combination was such that the prisoner, after entering a stupor, only twitched his eyelids and the corners of his mouth. He wasn’t even here, really, if you thought about it.Oh, the lengths people go to find a paradise...Though simple when outlined, the delicate maneuvers Kenari had to perform to maintain the hallucination were tiring. It was like a dance: a tweak here, a twist there, and match the Toa’s brain waves. That fellow prisoner could’ve just gone to sleep and hoped to dream, but he wanted a sure thing. That was how Kenari, otherwise an unassuming character, survived in the brig of the Rogue.If only someone could place him under...After the set time of seven minutes, Kenari released his concentration, gasping, and regained his composure before the prisoner fully awoke. The other Toa stood, gruff once more but faintly abashed, and strode back to his claustrophobic cot without saying anything to, or even looking at, Kenari.The Toa of Lightning remained where he sat before as if nothing had happened, smiling a bit as if enjoying a private joke. Illusions didn’t have to be mental.

[Commander Viral]

Ugh, my stories keep getting worse and worse.

 

Member Name: Toa Onarax

Theme: Paradise

Word Count: 444

Story: My Paradise.

 

Darkness.

 

Pitch, black darkness was all I could see, it surrounded me, engulfed me. More than that, the darkness was me and I was the darkness.

 

However those fools were unable to see the beauty, the truth I saw. They weren’t willing to accept that my darkness was a good a thing. They continued to cling to their heroes of light hoping they would drive me back. They had their own foolish definition of paradise and my own world was rendered a curse. They just couldn’t understand my joy.

 

The foolish Matoran only clung to my brother, even the one’s I saved abandoned me soon after. They were all ungrateful and they all traitors. No matter how many futures I saw, it was always the same. They always left me, they always refused my gifts.

 

So I sent them off to a different, lesser land but beautiful none the less. I had hoped that they would then see the beauty of the paradise I lived in. Unfortunately then the Turaga turned on me, once they had helped me help their Matoran, but now they had just abandoned me, refused to let me continue helping them.

 

They were all fools!

 

How could they not see how I was helping them, were they really that blind?

 

Then it began to dawn upon me, it must’ve been my brother’s fault. He was twisting everything, making it appear as though their world was a lovely place and making my own so horrible Matoran thought it was the worst place to possibly end up in.

 

What was wrong with them all!

 

Oh I can see it now, that arrogant brother of mine is always trying to rip everything away from me, he won’t allow the Matoran to see my land for the beauty it is. He was just jealous, so he claims that my darkness was an evil, terrible place.

 

He is wrong; my world is greatest land that has ever existed. I created this! I didn’t even need any help from some stupid mask. My land isn’t evil; my land is a place for Matoran to get better. They come here broken, but after my help, they leave stronger.

 

Yes, yes, yes!

 

My land is the best in the world, why would anyone ever want to leave, in fact I won’t let them! They love it here after all, they don’t want to leave so I won’t allow them to. They will love it here, more so than any land my brother has created. This is a beautiful paradise they will never leave!

 

Yes, I am Karzhani and I have carved out Paradise with my own two hands!

[dotcom]

Member Name: dotcom

Theme: Paradise

Word Count: 486

Story:

 

 

He Got It from the Discount Aisle

 

 

“Well this is shameful.”

 

“I’ll say.”

 

(Gosh, Artakha! Such a mythical, wonderful place of rest for hard-working Matoran. And hey, no boring work! It might as well be paradise.

 

So…this was Artakha?)

 

“I don’t think this is Artakha, Moden.”

 

“Ridiculous. Didn’t you see the sign? The sign said Artakha. It was on the sign. ‘Artakha.’ In big fat round letters.”

 

“No, I know but, this…wasn’t this meant to be a sort of paradise realm?”

 

“It’s not…that…bad.”

 

“Yes. Yes it is. We were promised something more paradise…ey. Paradisical? Parasitical. Paradispy? Paradingy.”

 

“You done?”

 

“Paradissiful?”

 

“I think the proper term is paradical.”

 

“That doesn’t sound right at all.”

 

“Either way, I don’t disagree that this is a poor fit for our expectations, but maybe they were just too high.”

 

“Moden?”

 

“Yes, Qoroo?”

 

“The ground is screaming. The freaking ground is literally freaking screaming right now. That the ground not be screaming is not ‘high expectations,’ unless you are seriously deranged.”

 

“…You’re right. This is just…wrong.”

 

“Right.”

 

“…but maybe we’ll get used to it!”

 

“Moden.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Are you listening to me?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You are acting like a total imbecile right now.”

 

“That’s harsh, brother.”

 

“We are not staying here, and I don’t care what the sign says, this isn’t Artakha!”

 

(So I suppose we’re leaving. Qoroo is right, obviously. This…place can’t possibly be Artakha. It’s preposterous. And we simply cannot stay.

 

But…what can we do? My arm won’t work. Qoroo doesn’t say anything, but I know his eye pains him, and his foot must be killing him. The trip here was hard enough. Where will we go?)

 

“What are those?”

 

“I…think we should head back.”

 

“Now that, my young friends, is a wonderful idea!”

 

(This day just keeps getting better. Monster crabs. Gold and black-armored giants.

 

Just.

 

Great day.)

 

“Tell me, good Matoran, why would you ever want to leave my realm? Isn’t it wonderful?”

 

“Sir, no disrespect, but we were seeking Artakha.”

 

“Artakha? Why would you ever want to go to that awful place? This here is Karzahni! A brighter paradise couldn’t have been imagined by the Great Beings themselves.”

 

“So this isn’t Artakha! I knew it.”

 

“Why would you ever think my realm was anything like that terrible island?”

 

“Uh. It was the sign, sir. The sign that said Artakha.”

 

“Oh, that old thing? I thought I tore it down ages ago. Oh, but I’m ever so sorry to have misled you with my sign. That was unfortunate…or rather, rather fortunate. Now you have the chance to stay on Karzahni, which is far superior! Indeed, follow me!”

 

(That…guy… has gotten all excited and run ahead. Me, I can’t figure it out. This place…how can it possibly be a paradise, by any standard?)

 

“That guy is insane.”

 

“I noticed.”

 

“Where did he even get this ‘paradise’?”

 

“I don’t know. But wherever he got it…”

 

“He got ripped off.”

 

“Yeah. I know.” 

Edited by ///dotcom///, Jul 07 2013 - 02:03 AM.

[Baltarc]

PARA

PARA

PARADISE

PARA

PARA

PARADISE

OH OH OH OH OH OH OH OH

 

Member Name: Baltarc

Theme: Paradise

Word Count: 651

Story: "Passing Through Paradise"

 

The sun blazes down, scorching the back of my neck. The sand beneath me is blistering; I feel as though I’m walking barefoot on a frying pan. My mouth burns; my throat is dry as cotton – it’s been forty-eight hours since I poured the last drop of water in my canteen through my chapped lips. The pack on my back seems as heavy as an obese kikanalo; with every step I take it threatens to pull me to the ground. But I trudge on.

 

Where I’m going is not important – all you must know is that this desert lies between me and my destination. I have lost count of the years I’ve spent out here, pushing ever onward towards my goal. Years? you question. Yes, I know. It amazes me as well, sometimes, when I pause to contemplate it. I am no Toa; I claim no great powers to ease the path before me. I am but a Matoran, a single, weak being alone in a sea of sand. But my goal lies ahead, and I must reach it. And because I must do so, I will.

 

I reach the crest of the dune and halt for a brief moment to observe the landscape. Sand. More sand. And, off in the distance, a small dark speck.

 

It is not until hours later that the speck becomes a narrow swath of green in the midst of the endless tan. An oasis. A sliver of paradise in a world of endless pain.

 

It is hours still before I reach it, but at last the sand turns to grass beneath my feet. The foliage radiates from a pool of water, deep and clear. I unshoulder my pack by its shore, dip my canteen into its depths. The water is cool and pure, life in the midst of death. I fill the vessel and seat myself beneath a towering palm, the tree shielding me, protecting me from the merciless sun. As I drink I dig my feet into the ground, relishing the feel of grass between my toes.

 

I finish off the canteen and turn to the tree, wrapping my arms around its long, limbless trunk and pulling myself upwards. I manage the climb on willpower alone; my strength, certainly, is not sufficient to carry me to the top. I draw my knife and cut free a cluster of bananas before dropping to the ground myself. I peel one of the fruits and eat it slowly, enjoying the sweetness that fills my mouth and the fullness that barely begins to fill my belly. I continue in this manner for the remainder of the day – drinking, sitting, climbing, eating. At dusk I curl up on the ground, grateful to be able to sleep on the soft grass rather than my coarse bedroll.

 

The next morning I wake, bathe, and begin again my routine of eating and drinking. I have gone long without water and longer without food; my energy must be replenished. I search the rest of the oasis, finding nuts, berries, and more fruits. No rahi have made their homes here, it seems, which is somewhat unfortunate – meat it would’ve been nice to have a bit of meat. Nonetheless, I gather what I can and return to the pool.

 

The next day, too, follows a similar pattern, but with the added task of drying and preserving any food I can find. By the end of the day my supplies have been replenished.

 

I wake the following morning and bathe quickly before refilling each of my canteens. I take a final sip of the pool’s cool water before shouldering my pack.

 

An hour later the sun is again scorching my neck; the sand is again blistering my feet. My throat is again dry and my lips are again chapped. Again my pack threatens to drag me to the ground. Paradise is behind. My goal is ahead.

[xccj]

Member Name: xccj

Theme: Paradise

Word Count: 706

Story: Paradise?  What Paradise?

 

 

A paradise.  That was what they called this island.  A paradise.

 

Agni wouldn’t currently call it a paradise.  It felt more like Karzahni.

 

It was raining; the downpour drenched Agni and turned the ground around him to mud.  He was wet and cold and miserable.

 

Normally he wouldn’t feel like this in Ta-Wahi.  In fact, those in Ta-Koro were not in such a state.  The heat of the lava around them turned much of the rain to steam, and even then, the fact that they had roofed huts protected them from the precipitation.

 

But Agni was not in Ta-Koro.  Instead, he a guard was stationed in the burnt forest, on the lookout for Rahi.  The remains of the trees offered no cover from the torrential rains.  Winds swept across the land and sprayed the rain water through his mask and into his eyes.

 

This was not what paradise was supposed to be like.

 

Agni heard something hit the ground nearby.  Perhaps one of the dead trees had fallen over into the mud.  He trudged through the muck towards the sound, but froze at the sight of a Kane-Ra.  The mighty bull Rahi was crawling through the mud, heading towards Ta-Koro.  And it was not alone.  Sand Tarakava and Nui-Jaga followed behind it, trudging through the tread marks in the mud left by the Kane-Ra.

 

That was another reason why this island wasn’t a paradise; there were too many infected Rahi out to get the Matoran.

 

Agni spun around and started to run towards the village.  He needed to warn them of the oncoming attack.  But his feet sunk deep into the mud, and make loud slurping noises every time he took a step.  Even with the roar of the storm, the noise was enough to get the Kane-Ra’s attention.  It sighted the Matoran and changed direction.

 

At least the Rahi weren’t going to attack the village first, Agni thought.  They would get him instead.

 

He tried to run faster, but the mud slowed him down, and the rain water clouded his vision.  The Rahi were closing in behind them, but they were also slowed by the mud and the storm.  Unfortunately, the Kane-Ra was able to power through it faster than the Ta-Matoran.

 

Agni cursed to himself as he pushed on.  He was done for.  He was a well trained guard, but the storm was hampering his abilities to run and fight.  The Rahi would surely get him.  And then, what would it all be for?  To protect this island paradise?  It wasn’t worth it.

 

Agni stumbled one last time, and fell mask first into the mud.  He was barely able to pull himself out before the Kane-Ra caught up to him.  The beast roared, and snapped its head forward, where it would break Agni’s body with its horns.

 

But something struck it mid-stride, and the beast drew back.  A volley of bamboo discs flew threw the air with the raindrops, striking the Kane-Ra’s infected masks and knocking them off.  With a final grunt, the now uninfected beast decided to retreat from the mud and seek shelter elsewhere.  The Sand Tarakava and Nui-Jaga fled from the mighty bull, now that it was no longer their ally and leader.

 

The Rahi would be back, but not until after the storm had abated.

 

Agni pushed himself up, and although his vision was blurry, he could see the squad of Ta-Matoran walking towards him.  Another of the guardsmen had sighted the Kane-Ra chasing him, and had gathered a resistance to fight the Rahi back.  Had Agni not diverted the Rahi’s attention, they would’ve managed a successful sneak attack on the gates of Ta-Koro.

 

The other Guards helped Agni out of the mud and led him back to the warmth and shelter of the village.  After all, Agni was their comrade and friend, and they had gone out of their way to help him.  An Agni knew he would do the same for all of them.

 

No, this island wasn’t a paradise, Agni thought.  It was full of dangers and discomfort.  But he had good friends on this island, and they were worth fighting for.  He could tough it out with them.  And together, they could build their own paradise.

[GSR]

Member Name: GSR

Theme: Paradise

Word Count: 748

Story: Gainful Employment

 

-------------------------------------------------------

 

A rowboat bumped against the shining steel dock of Artakha’s southern shore.  The Av-Matoran in it hopped out gracefully, a single small pack slung over her shoulders as her only luggage.  Without stopping to look around, she began to stroll along the dock towards the gate that separated it from the shining city beyond.

 

At the gate, an Onu-Matoran stepped from the guardhouse and raised a hand to halt her.  “Halt.  Your name and purpose.”

 

The Av-Matoran smiled serenely.  “My name is Enea.  I have come to work here.”

 

The Ta-Matoran shook his head and sighed.  “You aren’t the first.  But I’m sorry – we don’t simply allow people to paddle up and start living here.  We were chosen by Master Artakha for a reason.”

 

“And don’t I deserve a chance to give him just such a reason?”

 

The guard frowned.  “Actually, the general policy on that front is no.  The interest is appreciated, and it’s nothing personal, but I have to ask you to leave.”

 

Her smile was unwavering.  “And if I told you I had nowhere to return to?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Tell me, have you heard of the Barraki?”

 

The guard scratched his head.  “Well… yeah.  Yeah, they’re the warlords in charge of the rest of the universe.”

 

She tipped her head and nodded, the smile growing.  “Good.  Then, have you heard of their campaigns?”

 

The guard shuffled uncomfortably.  “We don’t much concern ourselves with the politics of the rest of the universe.”

 

“Very well, then.  Allow me to explain.  I was an island Matoran.  I lived to the south of here, on a small island that was quite splendid in its own little way.  We fished and made our own little industry with whatever traders came by.  We even had a Toa, a wonderful Toa of Plasma who guarded us with all his heart.”  A still sort of sweetness had entered her voice, and the guard found her gaze oddly unnerving.

 

“It turns out we were supplying some war effort or other with our little trades.  Oh, I’m not quite certain who, myself, but it doesn’t really matter.  What does matter is what happened next, and what happened next was that one of the Barraki sent his army to ensure we wouldn’t make those trades again.  Our Toa fought, he fought so very hard, and for that they clapped him in chains and took him away.  That was years and years ago.

 

“Then last month they came again, and they brought our Toa with them.  He didn’t even look at us as he burned our land to ashes.  I imagine they wanted to send a message of some sort, don’t you?

 

“In any event, us survivors are quite adrift.  Most everyone else is headed to other islands, or Metru Nui.  I came here instead.”  The smile again.  “Is there a problem with that?”

 

The guard swallowed nervously.  “That’s- you have my sympathies, but-“

 

“But?”

 

He drew himself up as best he could.  “But Master Artakha’s word is absolute.  I’m sorry, but you’re not wanted here.”

 

“I see.”  She sighed.  “What was your name?”

 

“P-Perdonus.”

 

“Perdonus.”  She smiled.  “That’s a nice name.  Perdonus, I’m afraid you misunderstand me.  I’ve decided to come work here, and so I will.  It’s really not up for debate.”

 

The guard could feel himself tensing.  “It doesn’t matter what you say-“

 

“Well, actions speak louder than words.”  In a flash, she was moving – not the practiced grace of a trained warrior, but the raw determination of someone with something to prove.  Perdonus had barely registered it before she sunk her fist into his stomach, and he collapsed to the ground.  She strolled past him and towards the open guardhouse.

 

A small receiver was hooked up to the wall.  Enea plucked it from its cradle and spoke into it.  “Hello? Master Artakha? I’m sure you saw that.  Someone like you doesn’t actually rely on guards for watching his borders.  I’ve come to work for you.  I’m rather tired of all the wars, you see.  I’d like to try my hand at creation.

 

“And when the rest of the world comes knocking at your paradise’s door – I’d like to help you stand up to that.  If your guard is any indication, you’re badly lacking in knowledgeable employees on that front.

 

“That’s all.  I’ll be outside.”

 

She hung up the receiver, and, humming, walked back outside, past the still-wheezing Perdonus, seating herself on the edge of the dock.

 

It was a lovely day.

[Nuile the Paracosmic Tulpa]

[font="arial;"]Member Name: Nuile[/font]

[font="arial;"]Theme: Paradise[/font]

[font="arial;"]Word Count: 736[/font]

[font="arial;"]Story: The Fall of Paradise[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"It will always be like this," I said. "Just the two of us together."[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"Always!" she agreed.[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]She pointed suddenly off to the distance. When I turned, she pulled my Kanohi down over my eyes and ran off, laughing.[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]The first memory came back to me with a half-warm, half-cold jolt. What I experienced when I returned to Karda-Nui for the first time, I have never told anyone. The memories were too painful.[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]I had chased after her and caught her by the wrist, holding it tight.[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"Always?"[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]Gavla straightened my Kanohi. "Always, Takua."[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]---[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]Those were the happiest days in my memory.[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]And what can I say about them now? It's strange, how good things are so difficult to tell of; yet things that are miserable are easy to describe, and take so much telling.[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]Those were the early days, when there was much work to do every day in constructing the universe; but Gavla and I would always find time together to walk through our gardens alone, in our private paradise. It was beautiful. And so was she.[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]I've inscribed countless words on the walls of history telling of terrible tragedies, but of the times of peace, what could I say? "They were happy . . . until, all too soon, they were not."[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]---[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"What do you mean, we shouldn't let them put the Makuta in charge?"[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"Exactly what I say!" she insisted. "We were here first! Toa should be masters and guardians over the universe, not these codeless shapeshifters."[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"But why?"[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"They have too much power. I don't trust them. If we became Toa--"[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"Toa? Us?"[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"Yes! If we became Toa, maybe--maybe--"[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"Maybe what? Gavla, that's not our Duty. The Great Beings gave us our own purpose."[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]She scowled. "Forget it. I knew you wouldn't understand. Let's talk about something else."[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]I reached for her hand but she pulled away. Nevertheless, even in silence, we walked side by side through the gardens, and I couldn't help but cherish each moment.[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]---[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]As we became busier we saw less of each other. Still, [/font][font="'bradley hand itc';"]w[/font][font="arial;"][color=rgb(0,0,0);]hen there were no other distractions, it was just her and me. And that was special to me.[/color][/font]

 

[font="arial;"][color=rgb(0,0,0);]I remember those days when we would walk, side by side; when we would talk, word by word; when we would laugh, smile by smile. And those days--oh, those wonderful days, oh so long ago, meant everything to me . . .[/color][/font]

 

[font="arial;"]That's just it, isn't it? They meant everything to me, but they won't mean anything to you. Misery likes company. That can be shared. But it's hard to share bliss.[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]It's too bad that there aren't more words for joy, and fewer for sorrow.[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]---[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"I have--unfortunate news--Takua, sir."[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"Yes?" I turned to the messenger.[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"She's--disappeared. And she's taken the Toa Stones."[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]Somewhere in my chest a spring tightened. "Who?"[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]---[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]The Toa Stones were recovered. But Gavla wasn't. Not really. She was never the same after that.[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]She was punished; she was forgiven; she came to be respected again. I tried more than once to make things right, but--how often the offended is the quickest to forgive, while the offender is pitiless![/font]

 

[font="arial;"]---[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"Gavla. We need to talk."[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]She ignored me.[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"I'm leaving Karda-Nui."[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"Good for you."[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"Gavla, I'd like to say--"[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"If you're expecting a tearful goodbye, save your breath."[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"I won't see you again--for a long time. I'd like to think, before I go--"[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"That was always the problem with you. Too much thinking! For once in your life Takua, don't look first, and don’t look back. Just leap."[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]---[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]Her words changed my life. I never forgot them.[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]Still, I can't help but wonder if I took the right leap. Destiny is whimsical. Would ours have been different, if instead of following orders I had followed her advice then and there, and took a different leap?[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]All these millennia--was that what she wanted?[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]---[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]For the first time since I had turned away from Karda-Nui, I was looking down on all I had once shared with Gavla. Things had changed--more than I ever could have imagined . . .[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]But had they--so much?[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]I was here to save the universe, but I was here for another reason . . .[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]---[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"It will always be like this."[/font]

 

[font="arial;"]"Always. It's our Destiny, Takua."[/font]

Edited by The Novelist Called Nuile, Jul 07 2013 - 12:52 AM.

[Space: Ocean of Awe]

Member name: Space: Ocean of AweTheme: paradiseWord count: 198Story: Ten yearsParadise island. Lush trees, singing Rahi, adventure hiding behind every bush, tree, mountain. Mystery in every cave, secrets frozen in the glaciers. Peace and unity in every Koro, love in the hearts of the Matoran. There's no place like Mata Nui.A great city like no other, Matoran fill the streets, hard working to keep peace. Automated police patrol the streets, enforcing order. A prospering enterprise, the headquarters of the universe. Metru Nui.A savage island, weathered by strong-willed inhabitants. Raging seas all around, a raging volcano within. Danger and adventure always guaranteed. A treasure of immeasurable worth below untamed Voya Nui.Mahri Nui. A township like no other, survived by sheer will, awaits below sparkling waves. Fear creeps from the deep, the darkness of the ocean, the recesses of the Pit.The Great Heart, the life force of the universe; Karda Nui. A deep caved choked with light, the delicate candle of the world flickering, shrinking, challenged by sliding shadows.A desert beyond the universe, a world united, Bara Magna becomes Spherus Magna once again, suffering ended and strife over. A world to explore, a universe to discover, and possibilities endless.Paradise. Adventure. Bionicle.

[Excelsior]

Member Name: Excelsior

Theme: Paradise

Word Count: 631

Story: Life Outside Paradise

 

"Mata Nui, our Great Spirit, has renewed the life of this planet!" Turaga Vakama proclaimed to the crowd of Matoran recently emerged from the robot's head. "He has given this new world to us and the peoples of Spherus Magna, that we may build a new life - a life free from the tyranny of the Makuta!"Some of the Matoran cheered at that. For a thousand years, as long as they could remember, these villagers had lived under the shadow of Makuta's attacks upon them. Perhaps now, they hoped, they could finally forget his darkness.The Turaga's speech drew to a close. "I ask you, my people," he concluded, "to honor all who fought and sacrificed for this day, whether they are living or dead -" the Ko-Matoran fell especially silent then "- to do all in your power to preserve this new paradise we have been given, and, above all, to continue to uphold the Unity which has brought the villagers of Mata Nui so far." The six villages erupted into cheers.As the crowd began to disperse, a Ga-Matoran murmured to her neighbor, "Am I the only one waiting for infected Rahi to jump out of the forest?""What do you think-mean, Macku?" the green Matoran asked, tilting his head to one side. His name was Tamaru, and they had been friends since the formation of the Chronicler's Company."Oh, nothing," Macku shrugged. "It's just the Turaga's speech reminded me of the one he gave us when we first came to the island. The legend said it was a paradise given to us by Mata Nui too. It wasn't exactly perfect, was it?""True-right you are," Tamaru agreed. "But this world-place he did make to give to us, at least. And there will be no dark-slave Rahi here with him dead-gone." He did not have to specify whom he meant.Macku sighed. "Yeah, we can be grateful for that all right. But...I don't know...it just seems like people keep saying this place or that place is 'paradise', when really, they're just...places. I loved the island of Mata Nui - I still miss it sometimes - but I never thought it was perfect. There was a lot of work just to live, and dangerous Rahi that weren't even infected, and other Matoran got on my nerves and I probably got on theirs. It was just normal life!"And I heard Turaga Vakama once said Metru Nui seemed like paradise to them before. Didn't it have robot guards to enforce all its strict laws? It wasn't much like paradise when we got back there, either. I suppose it was our real home, but it was also a city-sized pile of rubble, that  we had to put back together. Life actually seemed a lot worse than on Mata Nui."And I've heard that 'Artahka' place they talk about isn't so wonderful either. So I'm not really sure what the Turaga mean when they say this new place is a 'paradise,' too."Tamaru had listened attentively. Now he grinned at her. "All true, water-sister. I f you want a place free from all the evil-bad parts, I'm afraid we'll have to wait till some other life-world."He threw a stick he had picked up into the air and caught it again. "But now we've got light, fear-freeness, a world full of life-beauty and everyone from Metru Nui to work-help each other. I'm joy-happy with that."Macku smiled, bad mood blown away on the fresh breeze of Le-Matoran philosophy. "I suppose you've got a point, Tamaru." She looked around: the bright sun of her Ga-Koro days above, a lush world around her, and almost all her comrades within her sight. "Yeah. I guess this is good enough for now."

[Velox]

[font="'times new roman', times, serif;"][color=#000080;]And thus concludes the Bionicle portion of this contest! Don't forget to [/color][color=#000080;]vote in the polls[/color][color=#000080;]! The Glass polls are still open, and the Paradise polls just went up.[/color][/font]

[Neelh]

I have forgotten how to function without prompts every other day.

[Velox]

[color=#000080;][font="'times new roman', times, serif;"]Important note: If you entered all 10 themes, please PM me! Otherwise you will not get your extra prize. [/color][/font]

 

[color=#000080;][font="'times new roman', times, serif;"]Also, don't forget to vote in the polls! The final polls will be up once the current polls end, so keep checking back![/color][/font]

Edited by Velox, Jul 08 2013 - 02:54 AM.

[Velox]

[font="'times new roman', times, serif;"][color=#000080;]The individual theme final polls [/color][color=#000080;]have been posted[/color][color=#000080;]! Make sure you vote! Polls will run for one week.[/color][/font]

 

[color=rgb(0,0,128);font-family:'times new roman', times, serif;]​Make sure to PM me if you haven't already if you entered all 10 themes.[/color]

Edited by Velox, Jul 10 2013 - 06:02 PM.

[Velox]

[font="'times new roman', times, serif;color:rgb(0,0,128);"]And now the [/font]Final Polls have been posted[font="'times new roman', times, serif;color:rgb(0,0,128);"]--please go vote! Voting ends July 21st, 11:59 PM PST.[/font]