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The Order Preliminary Poll - Axonn


Order Poll - Axonn  

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Vote here for your favorite The Order story; entries have been randomized. Please MAKE SURE YOU READ ALL ENTRIES BEFORE VOTING.Voting begins now and will end on July 6th at 11:59 PM EST. Entries that do well will move on to the The Order Final Poll, which will be posted at the conclusion of the 10th round preliminary poll.

 

Entry #1:

 

"Change"

Vakama sighed, looking out over the island below him. He stood high on the slopes of the Mangai Volcano.It was from here he had first planned Ta-Koro, a fortress amid the lava. Now he saw the bustle of working Ta-Matoran, and the slowly forming outlines of walls.He smiled for a moment at their work. But then another picture rose up before his eyes - Ta-Metru, glowing not with flowing lava but the controlled fires of the forges, with the Great Furnace and the massive protodermis plants - and he sighed, leaning more heavily on his staff."Mata Nui," he whispered. "Why did this have to happen?"Three months ago, I was a Matoran. We had Metru Nui - we were a people of crafters, scholars, scientists. Dume was the Turaga and the Mangai were our Toa. Life was right. It was the proper order of things.And then it was all destroyed. The Mangai are dead, the Turaga has left us, our city is a heap of rubble we cannot return to. Everything and everyone that defined our way of life are gone!Now look at us. We six are the Turaga. Our friends and co-workers - our superiors, some of them - look up to us as the wise ones, the guides. I went from a maskmaker to an elder with his prime behind him in less than a month.There are no Toa at all here now, no protectors. We are alone and undefended.And we who once belonged to a great city are now trying to carve out a living in a savage wilderness. The Matoran of Metru Nui are degenerated intomalformed farmers and miners and trappers!He stared at the island below with angry eyes, seeing only the glories of Metru Nui. "Why, Mata Nui?" he said between clenched teeth. "WHY?""Turaga!" a cheerful voice called from below, interrupting his black thoughts.He looked down again. Directly below him was a small red-and-yellow figure, with a distinctive light-blue Pakari.Of course. Vakama rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "Do you have an actual reason to be here, Takua, or were you just looking for an excuse to avoid work?""Umm...a little of both?" Takua glanced away. "Jala wanted to ask you something about construction...""So you took off up here without bothering to check if he actually wanted you to ask me?""It's just so...boring lugging rocks, Turaga!" He paused. "But how did you know?""Because I'm your Turaga." Because I've known you for fifty-nine thousand years. He supposed that was one advantage. He knew every inhabitant of Ta-Koro, if only slightly."Should I assume you also neglected to find out what exactly Jala's question was?" Vakama shook his head, but couldn't help smiling. "Never mind, I should go back down anyway. Just try to stick to your work after this."He nodded soberly. "I'll try, Turaga."Vakama lingered a moment, wondering what to do about Takua. He did mean well, but it was too much to hope his work ethic would improve now. How would Turaga Dume have handled him? he wondered. By siccing the Nuurakh on him and shutting down his mind, his brain replied.He realized suddenly how grateful he was that this island had no Vahki. Surrender or Run seemed better suited to Makuta than to the leader of the Matoran.He supposed Dume had seen no other way to keep the thousand Matoran under him orderly and efficient. And it wasn't as if he had had any personal exposure to the Vahki's enforcement techniques.But here, Vakama thought, maybe here, we can all work together. Maybe he'd been too caught up in nostalgic memories of Metru Nui to realize the bright sides of their new life.Maybe he needed an unbiased perspective.He turned back to Takua. "Takua," he asked, "what do you think of the island?"His face lit up. "It's amazing!" he said enthusiastically. "Actually, it's probably too amazing - I just want to explore all the time." And he grinned at his Turaga in a way he never would have dared to with Dume.Vakama smiled, looking out again. Now he saw beauty as well as wildness.

The old order changeth, yielding place to new, And God fulfills himself in many ways, Lest one good custom should corrupt the world.

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Entry #2:

"New Order"

 

On the way back to the city, he looked up to see it on fire. Sky blackened and sun dying from the smoke arising from the surface. As he ran into New Metru Nui, he saw chaos and destruction plaguing the streets. The Order of New Metru Nui had fallen, and now everyone that he knows is either dead or hiding.

The Wander is a Toa of Magnetism. He has no name, but people just call him a wanderer since that’s what he does. He runs towards the Coliseum to find the Turaga and Helryx. Helryx is the only thing that could be the reason of the collapse.

As he reaches the Turaga’s quarters, he finds the head of the Turaga on the floor, and Helryx being bashed by a horrific creature with a massive jaw, claws and blades on his arms. Just as he was about to slam her to the ground, he turns to see the Wanderer standing there at the doorway. His face was pale as snow and horrified by the destruction of the Order.

“So, you wish to take me on,” boasts the creature.

The creature then throws Helryx to the Wanderer. He falls to the ground with Helryx on top of him. She is badly bruised and broken in spirit.

“Go, before it’s too, late,” says Helryx trying to muster the last of her strength.

The Wanderer gets up, holding a dying Helyrx over his shoulder. He looks at the creature who has won the battle for now, but it is now the Wanderer who he shall face. He leaves the quarters to take Helryx to safety and to heal her wounds.

“Yes! Run! Shelter yourself for I, Botar, will certainly be you demise.”

It appears whoever brought back Botar from the dead, has him under their control. He has taken control of all of New Metru’s systems including the security forces. Botar then turned on the video screens on in all of New Metru. His savage face can be seen on screens all over the place.

“Citizens of New Metru! I have liberated you from the Order’s corrupted system, and made way for a new one to take over! One, where no one will restrict you on what to do!”

The criminals of New Metru began to cheer; their roars of glory can be heard throughout the city.

“Welcome, to the New Order.” He then turns of the screens and he looks behind him. Three figures with crimson and black armor with what appears to be bat wings, approach him.

“Go forth and bring me the head of Helryx,” orders Botar.

The three nod and the ceiling above them opens. They fly off into the burning sunset of New Metru to find Helryx. They leave with blood curdling screeches and trails of shadow can be seen from their wings. The ceiling then closes, and Botar is left standing in the room. He overlooks at his New Order that has now caused chaos and destruction.

It has been too long since he has been trapped in the Red Star. While wandering the land of the dead, someone had approached him. The mysterious figure had somehow managed to gain control him to do his bidding. Then Botar looked at a map of New Metru, and punctured a location on the map with a knife.

“You cannot hide from me Helryx. I will find you.”

The location, in which he punctured, is a furnace in the Fire District which is a known secret hideout of the old Order. His bat beings will soon assault the base and kill anyone in there.

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Entry #3:

"Dark Days of the Glatoarian Order"

 

My name is Toa Tahu.

 

As the most powerful member of my Order, along with being one of the most experienced warriors and leaders among us, I was chosen as Head of the Order. I oversee all the doings of the Order around the globe of Spherus Magna, as well as being the personal guardian of New Atero.

 

The Order also includes those who recently joined our ranks of elemental guardian warriors, the Glatorian, whose experience with their newfound powers does not yet match many of our own, though they are learning quickly. The one called Ackar is a trusted advisor of mine, while the exploits of Gresh have been most noble. Together we merged the Toa with the Glatorian into a single unit, the Glatoarian Order.

 

I stand watch over New Atero and the entirety of the United Cities of Spherus Magna as the foremost guardian. During all my time here, the reign of peace has remained seldom unbroken. Very rare were the circumstances under which I was forced to exercise my Makuta-level of power.

 

That is, until now.

 

It all started when, after a century or two of peace, our imaginations turned to the stars. The peoples of our planet had solidified themselves into one united civilization, and we thought that if we could extend our reach to the stars, why not?

 

So we invented machines and other devices that could transport us through the vacuums of space. Why, the Kanoka Disks of Interstellar Travel were a marvelous invention by our own Toa Nuparu, and from these we were able to forge Masks of Power with the same capabilities.

 

It was soon after this that we discovered: We are not alone. Even within our limited reach were other civilized worlds capable of interstellar travel. This fact didn't perturb us at first, because we were quite confident by this time of our united strength and power.

 

Oh, were we so proud. . . Fools, we were. Fools!

 

Our ignorance is destroying us. Our First Contacts were nothing if not diplomatic and friendly, but as destiny would have it, the first race to which we extended the hand of peace spat in our face and prepared for war.

 

They invaded us swiftly and decisively, without warning of any kind. Powerful as we were, these invaders brought powerful machines of their own. Complex, incredibly advanced technologies that made many of our own look like mere toys.

 

I cannot describe to you the black anger that consumed my proud heart when I witnessed their preemptive and unprovocated strike, which brought much death and destruction. After the death of Teridax, so long ago, I had not suspected that we would ever come across beings not only as vile, but just as powerful. I suppose the long years of peace had dulled my imagination.

 

In response I marshaled our own forces and fought back in a terrific battle. In our pride we still thought that victory would be assured. What fools we were. . . We were decimated. The memory still brings me great pain. I alone survived that day, and not because I was trying to.

 

From there I returned to Spherus Magna and did what I could to strengthen our defenses, even during the chaos of invasion. I was forced to watch as the Order crumbled around me. Toa were slain by the thousands, and the Glatorian by the tens of thousands.

 

From then on our pride was shattered and we strove in desperate fear to repel the invaders. New Atero was destroyed and much of the Order forced into hiding. We have been a Rebellion ever since, striking on occasion and simply trying to help our people survive.

 

The invaders have not destroyed our people, but rule over them as dictators. They remind me so of Teridax. But I swear, by all my power, that even if it means my death, I WILL see Spherus Magna free again. Mata Nui, I know I promised you rest, but the power of the Mask of Life must be called into action once again if we are to survive.

 

My name is Toa Tahu, and I watch in agony as my beloved Order crumbles around me.

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Entry #4:

"In Which Artakha Almost Gets Me Killed, Multiple Times"

Screw Artakha. I hate that guy.

Man, most of the people in this universe don’t even think he exists. Spirit knows how bad I wish they were right. Dude has an insane superiority complex; thinks he can boss us around, do whatever he wants, just because the Great Beings made him out to be some kind of god-figure. Which, by the way, he’s not. OOOOOOH, look at me, I’m Artakha! I can use telepathy that’s a little bit stronger than anybody else’s! I can teleport anywhere, not just to places I can see!

Yeah, sure, he builds cool stuff. Seriously, though, who cares? Give me a mask that shows me exactly how to make whatever I want and I’ll do the same thing! So basically his powers are being a little bit better at reading minds and at getting places than most people are, and he can wear a mask. Amazing.

Seriously, this guy is infuriating to work for. Like— Okay, I could rant on and on about this, but I’ll just give you an example: the crystal serpents. Ol’ Arty thinks he can make rahi all by himself. Guess what, he can’t. Creates these giant crystal snakes that kill anything that moves with some heat ray thing. But of course he’s too conceited to admit he failed and decides to – instead of killing ‘em off before they murder anyone else – release the things into the wild where they can laser anybody they like! And since he’s too busy designing (read: copying a design from his mask of) some upgraded kanohi thing, he tells me to take them out and set them free.

And then, a couple centuries later, when he’s getting worried that “Northie” (as he calls the one that lives on the north coast of the island) is sick or something because there haven’t been any reports of laser-induced death from the north in a while, guess what he does? He figures that I should go check on him, since I was so good at not getting melted by heat rays the first time he had me deal with them.

Yeah, so, after the thing ambushed me and lasered my left arm off is when I called it quits. Just triggered my Kualsi – what do you know, I can teleport too – and landed behind the thing and crushed its head in with my warhammer before it had any idea where I’d gone.

Stole a boat, ditched the island, blah blah blah. Got the Ghosts to build me a new arm – those guys are so much better than Artakha, seriously, their craftsmanship is almost as good and they’re actually reasonable, imagine that. Settled down in the Southern Islands, found people there who actually appreciated my skills and whatnot. Started up a good business building stuff that a mask didn’t churn out the blueprints for.

‘Cept then yesterday some guy in a Sanok comes knocking on my door and tries to put a dagger through my heart. Artakha’s behind this somehow, that piraka. No way to prove it, of course, but… Spirit. Met up with one of my old contacts, a merchant with his ear to the ground. Says the guy after me’s with the Order. I know Arty had some dealings with them a while back, but why he wouldn’t have just gone with the Hunters if he wanted me gone is beyond me…

Eh, it doesn’t matter. Either way I’m probably dead.

Screw Artakha. I hate that guy.

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"As a writer you ask yourself to dream while awake." ~ Aimee Bender

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Maybe you should just be patient? As far as I know, the only people who've been voting here are people who are actually dedicated to giving their input and will likely do so sooner or later in this and the other Order polls. I personally haven't voted because I simply haven't had time to read them all yet.

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I voted for #3. I wasn't sure about it at first, but the emotion and determination in the last couple paragraphs won me over. Also, Bionicle space travel is cool.

 

Since I regret not having sourced the quote at the end of my story (#1), I'll do it here. It's from Alfred Tennyson's "Idylls of the King."

 

May the best story win!

 

-Excelsior

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My writings:

The Toa Ekara - Visions A short story. Ga-Koro Mobs My entry for the LSO Comedies Contest. Team Extempore's entry for the LSO Epics Contest

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