Tale of the Southern Toa

aldero · November 17, 2014

Tale of the Southern Toa

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Sit around, gathered friends. For I tell you of a tale of courage. A tale of despair. A tale of battle. And ultimately, a tale of legend. This is the tale of my friends when we were once Toa, guarding this great land. Or, the land that was. This is the story of what is known as the Southern Toa.

Hundreds of years before the migration, in the Southern Islands.

"The unfortunate thing about guarding these bore-lands is that absolutely nothing happens. Haven't even seen a Tahtorak get loose. It's just too tranquil for me," groaned a Toa of Lightning.

"I would almost agree," said Coliak, a Toa of Air. "But these Matoran exist, if you didn't know, Vokila, and there's always some shady cave in a Turaga's hut, or something."

These two Toa had been scaling a mountain on a barren island, only to retrieve a Noble Mask for one of the nearest village's Turaga, whom's own Noble Mask had been stolen by a mischievous Brakas monkey. The Toa had arrived promptly to deliver the Turaga's requested Noble Mask, and they were thanked for their efforts. After this small doing, the Matoran of the village had praised the two Toa of Air and Lightning, probably more so than a Metru Nui Matoran would. This was mostly because the Southern Islands were mostly tranquil and silent. After the celebration, the Toa headed off to meet the rest of their team, all off on their own tasks.

"You know, I really do doubt the reasoning behind us becoming Toa, in the Southern Islands, of all places. We have quite a few here tending to each little spot of dirt, whilst the Southern Continent basically needs twenty Toa attending to each village. One Toa? That's all we need," said Vokilia.

"Well, we were still chosen. Each island is still a place with it's own personality, and it's much more interesting than an endless city. You would really get tired of looking at all the Solid Protodermis. And plus, this place has a few trade routes, from what I've heard. It's very possible that a few troublesome Vortixx can come over here and deal their weapons," replied Coliak.

"I still feel quite restrained though. I have so much power squeezed into my fingertip, all when I have a Lightning Scepter on my back. Never used. Ever."

Right as Vokilia had said this, a swarm of Nui-Rama had flown out of a jungle at a very fast pace. Vokila had further focused her eyes to look into the jungle, and found a wild Tahtorak rampaging in the jungle, running around aggressively, causing trees to fall and every little insect to flee from the feral creature.

"A Tahtorak? What is it doing in the jungle? That's quite far from it's homeland!" said Vokilia confusingly.

"It's homeland was attacked by Visorak quite a while ago. Some Tahtorak may still be living here years after the attack... but it's pulsing with energy! This creature couldn't quarreling over a Nui-Jaga carcass." said Coliak with worry.

So, the Toa duo exited their boat and entered the jungle. Whilst Coliak locked the creature in the air to stop him from moving, Vokilia busted out her Scepter and charged the Tahtorak with raw electricity, so powerful it nearly would have killed the great beast. In the time that the beast was unconscious, Coliak inspected the body and found the source of the pulsing energy to be Energised Protodermis.

As Coliak looked over the body of the energised Tahtorak, he made a conclusion.

“This Protodermis probably caused aggression. He was pulsing with energy, and as far as I know, Tahtorak beasts aren’t as aggressive as a Muaka would be.” said Coliak.

“Aggression? Really? Energised Protodermis caused aggression? Unlikely, airhead. The Protodermis probably would have transformed the creature, if he was lucky. Tahtorak beasts aren’t really too keen on jungles either.” replied Vokilia.

After a brief argument and eventual agreement on the matter, the duo of Toa got back on their boat to head to their meeting place. It now turns out that the two have more to report about than a few successful missions. The meeting place of the Toa was one of the larger Matoran settlements, which was a thriving place known for it’s rich Protosteel deposits.

“I wonder what other missions were undertaken by the team? Probably splitting the food evenly between some Kane-Ra, or asking a loud Matoran to be quiet. How dare he be free-spirited and energetic!” said Vokilia in a sarcastic tone.

"Oh, you and your energy. Anyway, I think Gelidu told us to meet here on this island. Seems like a nice place. No De-Matoran here obviously, the place is quite loud for a small settlement like this." said Coliak.

Coliak and Vokilia landed on the sandy shore of the island, and were welcomed by excited Matoran. The island itself was a mining-based settlement, with basaltic rocks lining the shores and huts carved into chasms along the mines. The island didn't have much vegetation, but towering trees emerged from just under the surface, and became more dense as it went further down. The huts were sheltered by thick leaves and branches, and waterfalls came from estuaries down into the chasms. It was certainly a great place to live.

After gazing at the beauty of the settlement, one of the village's Turaga had greeted them and led them to the village hall, where the other Toa were waiting for Coliak and Vokilia. By looking around, it was quite obvious that the village had a very large supply of Protosteel, to the extent of using the metal for decoration after they had supplied enough for tools. Coliak and Vokilia eventually found their way to the village hall, and found the rest of their Toa team standing in a circle.

"So, I trust your assignment was successful? Any little mishaps?" said Gelidu, the team's Toa of Ice.

"Yes, it was successful, don't worry. No Kanohi Dragons yet. And your tasks?" replied Vokilia.

"Fine. As you said, nothing exciting. Dealt with some near-collapsing scaffold. And you, Takaro?" interrupted Ferolak, the team's Toa of Iron.

"Oh, me? Nothing too challenging. Stopping a lava flow? Child's play. So, Coliak, you always some important news. What is it this time?" said Takaro.

"Very well, Takaro, here's the news you always seem to know I have. Vokilia and I had encountered a Tahtorak earlier, not in it's preferred habitat, but in a jungle. Keep listening, it gets more interesting. The Tahtorak was being very aggressive, and was pulsing with energy which I identified to be Energised Protodermis. Any theories?" stated Coliak in a slightly worried tone.

"Energised Protodermis on a Tahtorak? Tahtorak are quite intelligent creatures and can even speak Matoran, and it takes a dip in Energised Protodermis? Perhaps it was dying from the exposure, and became aggressive due to that." asserted Gelidu.

"No, our massive Rahi friend would have died much quicker. That Protodermis is quite deadly." said Ferolak.

"Maybe it wasn't a Tahtorak before. Now, hear me out. The Tahtorak would normally keep living in their natural habitat, they could surely keep living there. Any old Nui-Jaga in that jungle could have gone into that Protodermis, and if it was still alive, it could have changed form." said Coliak.

"I still think that theory is ridiculous, airhead. A scorpion probably wouldn't transform into an entirely different creature." interrupted Vokilia.

"Well, whatever's causing this, there is a pool of Energised Protodermis in that forest, and it could be dangerous. I say we go find that pool and see if any more Nui-Jagas, or better yet, Skakdi and Vortixx have gone there first." commanded Takaro.

And so, the Toa team agreed to this plan, and each headed out to the island to search out the Energised Protodermis. When they eventually found their way back, it was no different to how they found it. Each of the Toa stepped onto the island, and immediately, the air was teeming with insects and the jungle was packed with thick, dense trees.

"I think the Protodermis may be responsible for this jungle. It isn't really in the appropriate region considering the other barren islands around here." stated Gelidu.

After much vigorous searching in caves and under trees, the Toa finally found the pool of Energised Protodermis. This pool was not completely natural though. It was surrounded by stone ornaments and pillars. The stones were also engraved, but the text was harder to read as vines and dirt had weathered the rock, making the text unintelligible.

"I've got a feeling someone else got here first..." muttered Vokilia.

Soon after Vokilia had said this, the leaves in the jungle had rustled. She had then heard footsteps, heading their way, with each foot hitting the ground with a loud stomp. She could just make out a figure, but was unclear about who this was. The mysterious figure then removed the dense shrubbery to reveal himself and spoke...

"I would believe that someone would be me. And yes, I did get here first. Finders keepers, Toa." said Makuta Bitil menacingly.

"If you could tell me who you are, that would be favourable, Protodermis hoarder." said Vokilia.

"Ah yes. I would rather show you though. Hint hint, Rahkshi powers." said Bitil.

Just after Makuta Bitil had mentioned Rahkshi powers, he did his best to demonstrate this. Laser beams seared through the vegetation, logs and stones were lifted off the ground and flung back down, bolts of lightning had come down furiously, and hundreds of insects and a few large Nui-Rama swarmed at the Toa.

"As you ungrateful Matoran and Toa would say, praise the Great Spirit for my Rahkshi powers. I always forget how much of a threat you Toa actually are, as it is quite forgettable." bragged Bitil.

Bitil soon stopped with all the various powers, and focused more on striking the Toa with lightning and the weather. It was indeed chaotic, and flames from the strikes engulfed the jungle, burning it to the ground. After countless misses, however, Bitil had finally struck Vokilia with a bolt of lightning.

"What's this? Lightning? Out of all your so-called impressive Rahkshi powers, none of them are recognising a Toa's element. Have shame, Makuta." said Vokilia.

For a few brief seconds, Vokilia charged up her Lightning Scepter. The Scepter had pulsed with energy, and raw electricity surrounded and powered her body and weapon. She pointed her Scepter at Bitil, and the wrath of the skies was wrought upon the Makuta. This surge of lightning was just enough a distraction to keep Bitil focused on his Quick Healing, all while the other Toa had charged up their powers as well. Cyclonic winds were created in an instant, large stalagmites of metallic Protodermis had tunneled out of the ground, the air had dropped to freezing temperatures as Gelidu froze all the surroundings, and hellish lava had engulfed the ground. The mix of elements had certainly irritated Bitil.

Then suddenly, a deafening sound was coming from Bitil's body. He was creating a Power Scream.

"Get down!" shouted Coliak to his team members. Before he could save the rest of the Toa, however, he quickly created a shield around himself by using strong winds in a small capacity.

Right after Bitil had used most of his power on his Power Scream, he created a rather weak illusion to distract the Toa, but it was enough to keep them subdued while he escaped the jungle. This was no problem for Coliak, as he used minimal power to escape the illusion with his Kanohi Rode. A few minutes later, the Toa had all woken up and stood up again. As Coliak scanned the area around him, there was nothing but desolation around him. It would occur to no one that this island was once a jungle.

Vokilia woke up and uttered: "That Makuta's wail was quite powerful. We really need to get a Toa of Sonics on our team."

"Indeed. A Mahi goat would be happy here. It is quite desolate." said Gelidu.

"Anyone know where our Makuta friend is? Maybe he flew off. That would certainly be one of his Rahkshi powers if he could create illusions and control Rahi." said Ferolak.

"Off in his little lair, probably. The Makuta aren't exactly benevolent or social. We need to find this Makuta. That Energised Protodermis in the hands of such scum like him wouldn't be a good thing." said Takaro.

"Either way, this Makuta is off somewhere, and we need to find him. But we have a small problem. We only have five Toa on our team. We won't be able to create a Toa Seal if we only have five Toa on this team." commanded Coliak.

"Exactly. Another reason why we should pick up a Toa of Sonics. Maybe a Toa of Water or Earth, but those aren't my first pick." replied Vokilia.

"Well, Toa of Sonics it is. Where is one, though? And we can't give a De-Matoran our power without becoming a Turaga! But surely there is one around here. The Sonics population couldn't be all Matoran." said Coliak.

Cut back to Turaga Coliak

"And with my statement of possible destination, the rest of the Team had searched every island in the Southern Islands region, with little luck." said Turaga Coliak.

"But when did you eventually find another Toa? Did you even find one?" questioned a Matoran in the crowd.

"Oh, don't worry, we eventually found something, but it might not be what you were asking about." answered Turaga Coliak.

"And so we found other clues to where we might find the Makuta that we were looking for..." continued Turaga Coliak.

Cut back to the Toa

"Enough with creating a Toa Seal! This Makuta poses too much of a threat for us to wait. I say we storm his little fortress and smash him into the ground." commanded Takaro.

"I actually agree with him." replied Vokilia. "This Makuta does have his hands on Energised Protodermis, and that is bad news on many levels."

"Well, if we're going after him, how do we find him? Fortresses aren't easy to find around here." questioned Ferolak.

"We can try and look for clues. Our Makuta friend is quite social, so some other Matoran or Turaga probably know where we can find this Makuta. Let's go find him." said Coliak.

After Coliak's order, the Toa once again stepped onto their trusted boat, and set out to find a new village, but without any real direction. The region of the Southern Islands was known among the inhabitants for it's small islands and large oceans, so anyone living there was well-versed in boat travel and patience. These Toa were obviously part of that crowd. While travelling, however, they saw some strange obelisks in the water, shrouded by fog. As they headed closer to these obelisks, the fog became more and more dense, and the water became to ripple. Waves suddenly formed, becoming larger and larger, creating rough seas. The skies started to darken, and a heavy thunderstorm filled the sky. This wasn't just an angry Toa of Water. Then, a mysterious figure shrouded by fog appeared to levitate above the sea, and said these words:

"Greetings, Toa. I anticipate that you had a good trip. Let me send you further."

This sentence was followed by a laugh, as the figure parted the fog and revealed himself to be Makuta Bitil.

"Ah, Toa. Why are you so persistent with stopping me? I'm experimenting, not flattening villages." said Bitil cynically.

"Too bad you Makuta have a reputation for lies. Leave these Matoran alone!" shouted Coliak.

"I'm helping these Matoran, if you don't know. They only have their Rahi and technology, because of me. And you underlings only run around doing errands. So, let's see how you feel with my other creations..." said Bitil.

"Oh, we are ready for your lousy little Hoto bugs, Makuta. We are ready." said Vokilia.

"Are you really ready?" replied Bitil.

Bitil had indeed put Vokilia's words to the test. Before the Toa knew what Bitil was doing, they were now in a cave. The Toa looked around them, and realised that they had been teleported somewhere else. The cave itself was rather dull, with old machinery built around the tunnel, and what seemed to be hints of web around the walls. Fortunately, Bitil had not killed the Toa on that boat, but had teleported them elsewhere. The Toa were relieved, until they found out there were only a team of four.

Takaro was missing.

"Wait, where's Takaro? Shouldn't he be with us? That Makuta kept the rest of us alive." said Ferolak confusingly.

"Perhaps that Makuta took him away. Our fiery friend may not have been so lucky..." uttered Gelidu.

Before anyone could reply, a peculiar crab-like sound had filled the room. Gelidu used his Akaku to look through the cave, and saw an odd four-legged creature going down into the tunnel. That creature had entered the room, and revealed itself to be a white and grey, spider-like being. It also had two arms that carried a spear and a digging claw each, and had began to speak.

"Toa! What are you doing here? How did you get here?" said the creature.

"Calm down, calm down! We are not here to harm you. We were teleported here from the Southern Islands whilst battling a Makuta." assured Vokilia.

Nervous, the creature escorted the Toa up the tunnel, and found themselves in a large, expansive cave filled with crude huts. The cave was full of these same creatures, but also with some other species. The creature called for attention, and told the inhabitants of the cave that Toa had come. Thinking that these Toa would help them, they cheered. The Toa continued along the cavern, and came across who seemed to be a leader. Confused, Coliak asked this question:

"Where are we? And who are you? And why are you here?"

"Well, we are survivors, leading a resistance. We are hiding from what lies above." replied the leader.

"What lies above? Why does it require you cowering down here?" said Coliak.

"First of all, call me Tobduk. Second, we are hiding under our home island." responded Tobduk.