Jump to content

BIONICLE: The Legend Corrupted


HamboneKablooey

Recommended Posts

Gathered friends, listen again to out legend...

Of the BIONICLE.

 

You have heard the tale of our Great Spirit, Mata Nui, who delivered us to this island paradise, and you have heard the tale of his brother, the Makuta, who sought to overthrow Mata Nui and claim the world for himself. But what caused the Makuta to aspire to such wicked things? What vile sickness took him that made him into the villain we know today?

 

Gathered friends, listen now to the legend...

 

Of the Pirau...

 

In the time before time there were two brothers, Mata Nui and the Makuta, who represented the forces of light and shadow. But there was a third brother not often spoke of, a brother named the Pirau, who represented chaos. While Mata Nui and the Makuta strove for balance, for the creation of life and its passage into death, the Pirau despised this balance. He hungered for chaos, for destruction, and above all else, for corruption. He saw the love that he was for Mata Nui and the respect we held for the Makuta at the time, and he grew jealous. Never before had his corruption earned him praise, never had it earned him reverence. Only fear and mistrust came for him.

 

So the Pirau hatched an evil plan. He would spread his corruption among the creations of his brothers. The weak would die waiting for relief that would never come, and the strong would be transformed into his personal slave army. With this plan in mind he began infecting the creatures of the island with a corruption that made them mad. These beasts would in turn infect the islanders, who would infect anything they came in contact with, until the entire island succumbed to his corrupted touch.

 

But he was not unopposed. Mata Nui and the Makuta realized their brother's intentions and confronted him, they with an army of loyal followers and he with a legion of infected soldiers. The battle was long, and over its course many died. The island was ravaged by the power of the three warring brothers, and soon no life remained but them. In one final attempt to stop their brother, Mata Nui and the Makuta combined their powers of light and darkness to create a powerful void, hoping to lock the Pirau away. But he could not be stopped so easily. As his body was drawn into the crushing prison the Pirau ejected his spirit and attempted to flee. Knowing that his escape could bring doom upon the world, the Makuta threw himself in the spirit's path and drew it into himself, trapping his brother deep inside his own soul.

 

At first it seemed they were victorious, but even then the Makuta could feel the Pirau's corruption within him, eating away at his mind. He fled deep beneath the island's surface, hoping to contain his wicked brother's essence until it killed them both, and while he lurked in shadowed caved Mata Nui rebuilt, restoring those that had been lost and granting us this island that we named in his honor. For a time all seemed peaceful.

 

But our happiness was not to last.

 

Many years later, deep in his lair in Mangaia, the Makuta felt the corruption within him growing. He could hear his brother's voice infecting his mind, whispering wicked things in his ear. And then, finally, it became too much. The Makuta gave in to the corruption, and evil forever found a place in his heart. Under the influence of the Pirau's corruption he began his plot to overthrow Mata Nui, completing their brother's mission once and for all.

 

Now the Toa have just defeated the Makuta. But in doing so they have broken free a piece of his soul that should never have been unleashed.

 

The Pirau has been reborn, and he will reign over a world of chaos.

 

X x X x X

 

"Curse those Toa! This has been...an unfortunate setback, but..."

 

"M..........A..........K.............U............T............A............"

 

"W...what? What's going on...where am I?"

 

"M...A...K...U...T...A..."

 

"No! You...will not...escape..."

 

"YOU...CAN...NOT...WIN..."

 

"I will fight...your corruption..."

 

"YOU...CAN...NOT...FIGHT...WHAT...IS...PART...OF...YOU..."

 

"Even if I am permanently corrupted...I will take you with me to the grave..."

 

"I...CAN...DESTROY...THE...TOA..."

 

"Destroy...the Toa...yessss........NO!"

 

"STOP...FIGHTING...MAKUTA...I...WILL...WIN..."

 

"I'll stop you...no matter the cost!"

 

"YOU...WILL...BREAK..."

 

"I WILL DIE FIRST!"

 

"THEN...SO...BE...IT..."

 

"No! I made...a vow..."

 

"YOUR...VOW...IS...BROKEN..."

 

"NOOOOO!"

 

"THE...PIRAU...IS...FREE..."

 

X x X x X

 

"Mata Nui...what is this?" the Onu-Matoran whispered, gazing at the cavern he had just uncovered. It was massive, bigger even than the one that housed Onu Koro, and the walls and impossibly high ceiling were lined with radiant crimson crystal...but was it crystal? It seemed to breathe, to pulse with a kind of heartbeat that no normal crystal could ever have. The Matoran leaned closer to a nearby cluster and stared at it intensely, trying desperately to determine its nature.

 

"T......CH........M............"

 

"What?" he gasped, looking around. He could have sworn...but that was impossible. He had been alone down here for weeks now. "The caves playing with my mind again." he decided, walking deeper into the cavern. As he grew closer to what he assumed was the center the crystals became larger and the clusters denser than those near the entrance. Then, as he rounded a particularly large cluster he saw it: sitting directly below the highest point in the cave, atop a throne of smaller stones, was a massive crystal, larger even than the Kini Nui itself. Its crimson light pulsed even stronger than those around it, and the Matoran felt himself drawn towards its myterious light.

 

"TO..........CH.........M.....E......."

 

"Who's there!?" he cried, spinning rapidly to scan the area, but there was nothing, nobody, there. With a nervous chuckle he turned back to the crystal. "What is this stuff?" he wondered out loud, stepping up to the cluster. "It gives off light, and..." he held his hand close to one. "Heat too. Could it be...something of the Makuta's? Or maybe it's from Mata Nui himself!" he said, getting excited. He would have to return to the village immediately. Turaga Whenua would want to know about this.

 

"TOU...CH....ME...."

 

There was that voice again, but this time the Matoran realized it wasn't coming from the cavern. It was coming from the crystal. He took a step back.

 

"That's not a good sign..." he mumbled, but the light seemed to be tugging at him now. He wanted so badly to feel that heat again. It was so cold in the tunnels, even a Ko-Matoran would catch a chill. With a deep breath he stepped forward, inching his fingers slowly towards a nearby cluster. His fingers brushed against it, and nothing happened.

 

"A.....GAIN......"

 

"Well...once more can't hurt." he said, and he placed his hand over one of the larger crystals. At first, like last time, nothing happened. But as he moved to leave he felt a jolt of pain surge into his hand and up his arm. Crying out, he tried to pull his hand away, but the crystal clung to it, refusing to let go. He felt another surge, like lightning in his veins, and he could see the light from the crystal seeping into his armor, like it was trying to consume him.

 

"YOU...ARE...MINE..."

 

He cried out again, pushing his foot against the crystal in a desperate attempt to get free, and after a third jolt his hand came away. He fell to the ground, screaming and writhing in pain. The red light was climbing his arm now, and his leg from the bottom of his foot where he'd tried to pry himself from the evil crystal. Soon his body was enveloped in the light, and he screamed louder than he'd ever thought possible.

 

"SUBMIT...TO THE CORRUPTION...YOU...ARE...MINE..."

 

He screamed once more, and then he stopped. His body went limp, all of his energy sapped away.

 

"Your...body...is...mine. Your...soul...is...mine. You...are...mine."

 

And then he stood again, his eyes glowing with unnatural red light, his limbs stiff and aching. He stood and looked at the crystals and smiled.

 

"Y...yo....you....are....m...m...mine.....I.....am....reborn..." he growled, placing his hand on the crystal. But this time the light greeted him like an old friend, wrapping him in cold energy. He felt his body changing, the limbs snapping and then resetting, the armor bending and stretching, the face distorting and then reforming, and when his change was complete he flexed his fingers, stretched his newly shaped limbs, and smiled.

 

"I am reborn."

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Chapter One: A Fool's Paradise

 

And the Toa returned victorious.

 

A thousand voices cheered in every village as their heroes returned from the depths of Mangaia, champions against the evil Makuta. The celebration was legendary. Torches blazed bright in Ta-Koro all through the night. The waters of the Endless Ocean rippled as the Ga-Matoran leapt in. The jungles of Le-Wahi were filled with the sounds of Le-Koro's music. Even the normally stoic Ko-Matoran enjoyed a celebration that night, singing songs of their heroes.

 

But perhaps the largest celebration was in Onu-Koro. No longer would the Matoran dread venturing into the tunnels, no longer would they fear attacks from all sides. Thanks to the Toa, the Onu-Matoran would be able to expand their deep roads across the island, linking up the villages and creating a true united people.

 

"Toa Onua, you have made me so proud." Turaga Whenua beamed, pounding his hand against the Toa's back. "Thanks to the efforts of you and your brothers and sister we are safe once more. Mata Nui smiles on us this day, my child." he cheered, and Onua smiled, nodded.

 

"It was my duty to protect this island, and I did it with pride. With the Makuta's defeat, our island will be safe forever." he replied. Whenua nodded.

 

"Let us hope, Onua. Let us hope." he said, and then he hobbled off to join in the celebration. Onua hung back for a while, enjoying the sight of his people without fear.

 

"Quite the celebration." said a voice to his left, and Onua turned to see his sister, Gali.

 

"Sister! What are you doing here? Ga-Koro must surely wish to honor you as well." he said. Gali simply smiled.

 

"Those few who still celebrate will not miss me. It has already grown late into the night, not that you could tell." she said. Onua laughed.

 

"The party ends in Onu-Koro when the sun comes up." he said, chuckling at his wit. "But you still haven't answered my question." he added. Gali nodded.

 

"I simply wished to come and congratulate you. No one of us could have defeated the Makuta alone, and I wished you to know that I know that. I've been to Ta-Koro, Le-Koro and Ko-Koro already, and I make for Po-Koro through the tunnels soon." she said. Onue nodded, placing a clawed hand on her shoulder.

 

"You work too hard, sister, and take no credit for it. Without you to rally us we would surely have killed each other already." he replied. Gali just laughed.

 

"Perhaps. Nevertheless, I thank you, Onua." she said. Onua was about to answer when a commotion from the crowd drew his attention, and the two Toa made their way towards it.

 

"Omaku, is that you? Where have you been?" asked the Turaga's voice, directed at a figure hunched and cloaked. The figure attempted to move away, but the crowd kept him from fleeing.

 

"Turaga, what is going on?" Onua asked as he reached the crowd. Gali was close behind him.

 

"Onua, something is wrong with Omaku." the Turaga replied, and Onua frowned.

 

"I am not familiar with that name." he said. Whenua nodded.

 

"Omaku is one of our best tunnel scouts. He's been mapping a new tunnel we discovered while you were gone and he's been away...well, for days now. Longer than he should have been, and now..." he said, indicating the hunched figure nearby. Onua frowned as Gali approached the Matoran.

 

"Excuse me, Omaku? Are you alright?" she asked. The Matoran jerked away from her raised hand.

 

"Stay back, Toa." he hissed, and Gali frowned.

 

"Please, I only wish to help." she said, and the Matoran began to shake. At first she believed it to be the trembling of fear, but a closer examination revealed...laughter. In an instand he stood straight up, standing a head taller than her. She could see nothing beneath his shadowed hood, but from his cloak he raised a clawed hand. Onua dove at her just in time to get his sister clear of a beam of energy.

 

"Pretenders. You toy with forces beyond your ken." the Matoran--or whatever he was--said. His voice was low, gravelly and full of hatred. The Toa leapt to their feet in the midst of a panicking crowd. Matoran scattered in all directions, some fleeing into their huts while others made for the tunnels. The figure stepped towards the Toa.

 

"What are you?" Gali cried. The figue said nothing, raising his hand again. Another crimson beam shot towards them, but this time they were ready. Onua pulled a wall of earth up in front of them, blocking the beam, and then used his Mask of Strength to punch the wall over, sending it toppling towards the attacker. It hit the ground with a deafening bang, and as the dust began to clear the cavern was filled only with silence.

 

"Did we win?" Onua asked slowly, and then another deafening crack sounded and the pile of earth erupted into the air. The creature slowly stepped out of it, standing above them. Its cloak had been torn away, and the sight of it made Gali want to cry out. It clearly used to be an Onu-Matoran, black and grey armor twisted and reshaped into something larger, more sinister, with pulsing crimson joints and radiating crimson eyes behind a black Kanohi Pakari not unlike Onua's. It's left hand ended in three razor sharp claws, and in the other it held a wickedly curved crimson sword that glowed with the same red light as its body. It took another step forward and they could see a tail that ended in three sharp spikes, and as it moved its shoulders, which were decorated with crimson faces twisted in agony, two other appendages burst up, like broken, twisted wings.

 

"Know me. Know what you have pretended to be. Exalt the Elder One." he said, his voice unwavering, and then he soared into the sky. Gali tried to shoot him down with a burst of water, but he was already crashing through the cavern's ceiling. Gali and Onua watched him go, unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed.

 

"Brother..." said Gali, a twinge of fear in her voice, "I think we should call the others.

 

X x X x X

 

The message was sent, and the next day all six Toa were gathered in Ta-Koro.

 

"Then he said "Exalt the Elder One" in a really creepy voice and flew away." Onua said, recounting the events of the previous evening. They were all perplexed by this mysterious new foe.

 

"Who is this "Elder One"? What does he want?" Tahu asked. Gali shook her head in response.

 

"He did not say, but more than once he called us "pretenders". Pretenders to what?" she wondered. There were so many questions and not a single clue as to where they should begin.

 

"He is the Pirau." said a voice behind them, and they all turned to see Turaga Vakama.

 

"The Pirau? I have not heard that name before." Gali replied, and Vakama nodded.

 

"The legend is old and not often told. He was...the brother of Mata Nui and the Makuta." the old Turaga said, and they all gasped.

 

"A third brother?" Kopaka asked, and Vakama nodded.

 

"Why have we never heard this tale?" Tahu asked, and Vakama sighed, sitting on a nearby rock.

 

"It is a tragic tale, and one that never needed to be told. Until not at least." he said. The Toa all took seats to listen. "This Pirau was once a renowned figure. As you know, Mata Nui and the Makuta held power over light and shadow, respectively. Both were equal and opposite forces, but at the time neither was considered good or evil. Their brother, the Pirau, held power over chaos, the strange energy between light and darkness that opposes all forces.

 

We have always revered the Great Spirit, but at the time we also held great respect for the Makuta as well, for it was he who created the Rahi that populate our island. But the Pirau, he was not so easily worshipped. His power served only to destroy the things his brothers made, and destroy them he did. Rahi and Matoran alike quickly fell to his strange corruption until it seemed he would destroy us all. Then our Great Spirit and his dark brother stepped in. Furious at their kin for assaulting their children, they did battle with him across the whole island. Many died, but in the end it seemed Mata Nui and the Makuta were victorious. The Pirau, however, had other plans. His body was destroyed, but his soul attempted to flee, and in order to prevent the unstoppable chaos that would cause, the Makuta leapt in its path and took it into himself. That was when the Makuta we know today was born. The Pirau's corruption was powerful, and it twisted the Makuta into a being of evil. But even so, the Pirau was defeated, and Mata Nui was content to send you Toa to deal with his last brother if the need ever arose." Vakama explained. Gali frowned.

 

"But Turaga, if the Makuta took in the Pirau's soul then how is he alive today?" she asked. Vakama shook his head sadly.

 

"It seems that when you defeated the Makuta it allowed the Pirau to break free. But still, I do not know how he was able to take a physical form." he said. Onua's head shot up.

 

"Omaku!" he cried, and they all looked over at him. "Omaku, the Onu-Matoran tunnel scout who went missing. Turaga Whenua thought the Pirau was Omaku, so maybe the Pirau was able to possess him and change his body." he said. Vakama nodded.

 

"It is possible, but according to legend the Pirau requires a special substance to regain his power in another body. It is referred to as the Red Taint." he said. Gali nodded.

 

"His body was infested with a glowing red energy that had changed parts of him. Could he have found some Red Taint?" she asked. Vakama frowned.

 

"It is possible. I had thought all of the Red Tain was destroyed when the Pirau was defeated, but it is possible that he still has some hidden around the island. The Onu-Matoran, where was he lost?" Vakama asked. Onua shook his head.

 

"I am not certain...the Turaga said he was mapping a new tunnel system. Maybe he stumbled upon this Red Taint in the tunnels?" he asked. Vakama nodded.

 

"That is an excellent place to start. However, the Pirau will not sit by while we seek the source of his power. I suggest splitting into two teams. One will go into the tunnels and seek the Red Taint while the other searches for the Pirau. We must stop him, lest he corrupt the entire island." The Turaga said, and the nodded. It was decided that Onua would lead Pohatu and Kopaka into the tunnels while Tahu would take Gali and Lewa to seek the Pirau's hiding place. Gali held out her hand as they all stood, and the others placed their hands atop hers, speaking in unison.

 

"Unity! Duty! Destiny!"

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...