Tavakai Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 (edited) (Review topic--be sure to check this for other information. Also, that's where your posts go, not here.)Also, my comics.It began with a maskmaker. Or at least, the story told so far began with that maskmaker. It really depends upon which beginning you're looking at.The maskmaker, VakamaTK, lived in Ta-Metru. He was quite good at making masks, so much that another maskmaker, a Le-Matoran as it happened, accidentally gave himself a horrible eye injury in a fit of jealousy. Henceforth, that other maskmaker met ridicule and received the nickname "Jack the Magic Pirate." The name stuck, even used by that maskmaker himself, since he did not remember his real name. Humiliated, he quit maskmaking, instead deciding to give in to the name-calling and become a pirate--but that turned out to be another thing he wasn't good at.Some time later, VakamaTK began to be bored with maskmaking, and planned to go to another island to make comics. After a failed attempt to raise money, a mysterious being known as The Seeker teleported him onto a ship heading to The Comic Land. Once he reached his studio on the island, he began making comics and was quite successful. He made many friends in the business, and met a fairly large amount of guest stars.But Jack the Magic Pirate followed him. Headquartering himself at a large abandoned castle, the former maskmaker made several plots to take VakamaTK's life, but all that were implemented failed. Behind these, he had a somewhat larger plot--not to say that the others were a distraction, just that the larger one would take time to complete.It began as a simple side interest. He had heard of Energized Protodermis before--he came from Metru Nui, and just about everyone had heard the tale of the Toa's transformation into the Toa Nuva. Having almost no idea what the substance did, he set out to research it.It wasn't easy. Books on the subject were few and far between. He eventually gathered enough books, and came to find out that Energized Protodermis had more destructive potential than transformative.So he converted this side interest into another plot. If he found a way to submerge VakamaTK in Energized Protodermis, surely he would die--the chances were against him.But it wouldn't be easy. Most likely, the only way he could succeed is if he fired the Energized Protodermis at VakamaTK. He would need to develop a mechanism to carry out this task. As if that weren't complicated enough, he would also have to make it out of a substance resistant to Energized Protodermis's effects--and there weren't many.Finally, two years later, his plan was complete. He just needed an opportunity. When he lost both of his two minions in the same day, he realized he had practically nothing to lose, and decided to just go for it.Jack the Magic Pirate managed to corner VakamaTK in a locked room, then fired a strange silver substance at him from his mechanism.The wave that submerged VTK also took down the wall behind him, breaking open an entrance for his friends, who were desperately trying to get into the room. Fortunately for them, they were with The Seeker, who was able to create a force field to shield them from the substance, and later told the group that said substance was Energized Protodermis. Edited October 22, 2011 by Tavakai Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted October 19, 2011 Author Share Posted October 19, 2011 (edited) VakamaTK's Comics: The StudioThe group now cast their eyes about for VakamaTK, but he was nowhere to be found--meaning he had surely been hit. They instead set their eyes on the figure of Jack the Magic Pirate, who stood smugly by the gaping hole in the wall he had come through, a smile on his face.As their attention was on the pirate, they did not notice when part of the pool began to ripple, nor when a hand reached out. They also did not notice when it found a grip and was joined by another hand.The hands, followed by arms, found purchase on the edge of the pool and began to hoist out the body that was attached to them--at this point, one Matoran did notice what was happening.Upon seeing what was coming out of the Energized Protodermis, Gavla's eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he was seeing at first, but then he found the words. "He...he's alive!" he stammered.The others around him immediately turned their attention away from Jack to see what Gavla was talking about.Jack noticed this change in focus, as well as Gavla's words. "Alive?" he said to himself. "He can't be alive. That was Energized Protodermis. I studied that for months; he's sure to have died. The chances are against him!"Nevertheless, the idea of his arch enemy not, as he had hoped and tried to bring about, being dead, was not a good one. And since there wasn't really anything worse that could happen by simply turning around, that is exactly what he did.What he saw standing by the pool looked completely unfamiliar, yet somehow it seemed as if he had seen it before. His instincts somehow told him that this being was VakamaTK. Sure, there wasn't anyone else to climb out of the pool, but somehow or other that logic didn't match up with that instinct.Whoever the being was, he carried a dangerous-looking red sword, and his eyes narrowed when he noticed the pirate.Naturally, Jack muttered a quick apology and ran back to his castle as fast as his legs could carry him.-----VakamaTK was having a strange day. He had gotten up and played Super Smash Bros. for a while with his friends, and then the power went out. He went to investigate, and found Jack the Magic Pirate with some kind of cement mixer. The pirate pushed a button on the mixer, and silver liquid shot out. He was instantly submerged, a fact that wasn't good in itself because he did not know how to swim. Somehow, though, he reached up and found a handhold on the edge of the floor--how was it that he had to reach up to get the the floor?--and pulled himself to dry land.Now, all of that would have seemed normal--it would not surprise him if Jack tried to drown him--except after climbing out, everyone began to look at him as if he were some kind of alien or Rahi. Jack even left the building, vanishing out the hole he had blasted in the wall.Confused, VakamaTK turned back to his friends. He noticed they were standing beyond a broken wall, and the pool of substance was housed in a trench between him and his friends, which flowed down past them.Bladeran spoke up. "Are you VakamaTK?" he asked. He seemed unsure for some reason, for that seemed to be an obvious question."Of course I'm VakamaTK!" VakamaTK exclaimed, exasperated that his friend would ask such a stupid question. "What kind of question is that?"In response, it seemed, The Seeker hovered across the trench, stopping in front of VakamaTK. He held out a gold-armored hand, and a ball of energy was generated in between the two Matoran. A hazy picture swam into the energy, and after a few seconds it sharpened.It was a red-and-black Matoran, with a mask that appeared to be a fusion of the Great Huna, the Kakama, and the Hau. He held a red sword in his right hand.At first VakamaTK wondered why he was being shown this Matoran, then he noticed what he was holding in his left hand--a red sword, identical to the one held by the Matoran. Not only that, but now that he took the time to look, all of his armor was unfamiliar.He looked back up, into the mirror The Seeker had generated.At a loss for words, he stammered, "But...but how did I change? I didn't feel a thing!"The Seeker let the mirror dissipate, for its purpose had been fulfilled. "I believe I have an explanation," he said, "and if you accompany me outside I will tell you what I think."---------- Jack's CastleSlamming the door behind him, Jack the Magic Pirate panted, having sprinted all the way back home.Years of work, and all for nothing. He had been sure that VakamaTK would be killed by the Energized Protodermis, but against all odds his enemy had survived.It was beyond disastrous. Jack fumed and mused as he wandered the halls and passages of his castle, ranting all the while.This so preoccupied him that when he realized it was time for dinner, he also realized he had no idea where he was. He was in a completely unfamiliar area of his castle, which wasn't uncommon as he had spent more time plotting in a few rooms than exploring.Just before he was going to turn around to retrace his steps, he noticed that the stone he had just stepped on was sinking. And not just that--he heard a grinding noise as well, emanating from under the floor. He followed the noise to the nearby wall, and to his surprise saw a section of it moving aside, revealing an opening of some kind.The opening was big enough to walk through, so he made his way to it. But as he stepped off the stone on the floor, it came back up, and the opening closed.The grin faded from Jack's face as quickly and entirely as if it had never been there, replaced by an expression of anger."Now, wait," Jack told himself, forcing a calm to go over his mind, "there has to be a rational solution to this; getting angry won't help."This calm lasted about seven seconds.Jack jumped around like a wild beast, pounding his feet on the formerly sinking stone in some kind of villainous tantrum.Unfortunately he was not very good at these tantrums, and he slipped and fell down. Upon rolling over onto his back, he noticed something strange on the ceiling--a stone with no mortar around it, just as the one he had been stomping on had no mortar. Even more curious, it was positioned directly above the other stone, and appeared to be the same size."It's the weight trigger..." Jack mused, "But how do I get it to come down?"Hurriedly, he cast his eyes around the passageway. Some areas were hidden by cobwebs, but he dismissed those because he did not like the idea of sticking his hand into one of those.Then he saw it. A battered picture of Makuta Teridax, with holes, scratches, and burn marks in places. Whoever had lived in the castle before must surely have despised him.It seemed too predictable that the trigger would be hidden behind a portrait. Which was exactly why Jack thought it deserved to be given a shot.He ripped the picture off the wall, hurling it across the room somewhere; he didn't care what happened to it. "Aha!" he yelled in triumph, for there was indeed a hole behind the image of Teridax.In the hole hung a rope pulley tied to a hook. Jack unsheathed his sword, slashing at the rope--he had never been good with knots.Behind him, he heard a thud. Turning around, he saw that a large stone block--precisely the one he had noticed earlier; it also had a rope attached to the top of it--had fallen from the ceiling onto the floor stone.It began to sink, pressing down the weight-sensitive stone. The grinding began anew, and the opening manifested itself once more. This time, however, the stone went down much deeper under the pressure of the weight, and the opening was much wider. Inside, an unwinding spiral staircase was visible.At last, the grinding stopped. The top of the ceiling stone was level with the floor now, which was saying something since it had been about two bios tall.Jack was now free to explore the secret passage. What was important enough to be hidden in such a manner? Surely it was something owned by the original inhabitant of the castle, someone who evidently had vacated it long previously.These questions ran through his mind as he climbed the spiral staircase, getting closer to the answers he sought.----------Chin Beach, Hapori Nui (Or at least it will be)Flashing colors, the sense of falling and spinning at the same time, a very uncomfortable feeling that his molecules were tired of being together in one form...So this is what it felt like to teleport.VakamaTK hadn't had much of a chance to mentally prepare himself for this in the five seconds after The Seeker told him what he was going to do.But he was glad even for that late of a warning, or he surely would have been going out of his mind right now.At last, just before he thought he was going to get sick from all the spinning and falling, things suddenly returned to normal.And he fell on his face in the sand.The Seeker helped him up. "That reaction is normal for beginners," he explained. "Gravity comes on you so fast that you are not prepared for it. It took me a while to get used to that."Now this was strange. Had The Seeker brought him here to tell about his past? He looked around, trying to figure out where they were. A vast ocean lay to the west, and in the opposite direction the ground sloped up, and comic studios were visible in the distance."But now is not the time to talk about the past..." the ancient being continued, "...or at least, not mine."He looked VakamaTK right in the eye. VakamaTK looked back, into the deep golden eyes that looked as if they held more secrets than there were in the entire universe."One of my powers," The Seeker said, "is the ability to sense when something transforms in Energized Protodermis."I am unsure how well this explanation will do, but I shall try. When the Energized Protodermis comes into contact with another substance, there is a chemical reaction. I can feel this reaction take place. When something is destroyed, it feels...it feels..." he paused, looking for the right simile, "it feels like an ice cube being pressed against a piece of hot metal. The substance is rapidly eaten away, just as the ice rapidly becomes a liquid. No trace of the original substance is left with the Energized Protodermis, though."But when something transforms, the Energized Protodermis... goes into the substance. They merge together. In this case, there is no trace of the Energized Protodermis. Well, almost no trace."You see, every living thing has a sort of unique identification code... a signature, if you will. When Energized Protodermis transforms a living thing, the signature is always altered. Not dramatically; that would lead to the subject becoming a completely different person, and though that can happen, it is no more likely than any other transformation the Energized Protodermis causes. "No, the way that the signature is altered is as if a note is taped to it saying, 'This person has been transformed by Energized Protodermis.' Which is why your experience today intrigued me.""Uh...why is that?" VakamaTK asked."I felt no change in your signature."VakamaTK's eyes widened."Not only that, but I felt no change. I did feel your armor being eaten away, but that would have caused you immense pain and possibly death."VakamaTK's eyes widened wider."But you did not die, obviously. That is because there was another set of armor under the first. This is very odd, as I would have sensed that. And when I reach my senses out to it, it feels as if it has been there for years and years. And this armor is not the armor of a Metru Nui Matoran."VakamaTK's eyes widened yet wider, and he realized he had to get control over his eyelid muscles or his eyes could pop right out of his head. "So I'm not from Metru Nui?" he asked incredulously."I am afraid not. Evidently you were transferred there from a different island, and given a disguise so good that not even one as powerful as me could see through it. Even now I am noticing more things about you--you do not appear to be made the same way as Matoran from this universe, and are even made of a different material."As for your former island, I suggest you put it out of your mind. Sometimes islands get unstable or hazardous, and the residents have to be relocated for their own safety, their memories removed. It seems likely that this is the case with you. I know you may still be curious, but you have nothing to gain from learning about your past--you already have quite a prosperous life comic making, don't you?"VakamaTK said nothing, only gazed out into the sea, where the sun was setting. Somewhere out there could be his home, the place he came from.He reflected over his comic making experiences, unfortunately letting the rest of The Seeker's words slide into the depths of his mind. Sure, comic making had been a fun experience overall, but the guest stars, deadlines, the guest stars...the deadlines...What if he had a new life? Sure, he could still make comics, but he could have another occupation as well. Nothing else on the Comic Land seemed worthwhile; as the name of the island suggested, there was really only one profitable industry.But if he found his home island... he could get a new life. Perhaps the other people there missed him. He could potentially be welcomed back with open arms.He then made a decision. Tomorrow, he would gather his characters and friends, set sail, and just explore the world. He didn't know if he would recognize his home island, but at least he would have a possibility of reaching it, albeit a small one. He would have to keep The Seeker from finding out, however.He turned back to The Seeker, ready to teleport back to the studio. Ready for tomorrow. Ready to go home.A few days later, he was ready to lock himself in a room with rabid guest stars rather than be where he was. But that's getting ahead of things.----See the review topic post for my comments. Edited October 19, 2011 by Tavakai Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 VakamaTK's Comics: The Studio Riiiinnnnnggggggg... Stomp stomp stomp. Riiiinnnnnggggggg... SLAM! Stomp stomp stomp stomp. Riiiinnn-- "What do you want?!" Grav said in a tone of voice meant to tell the person at the other end of the phone that he was not calling at an appropriate time. Unfortunately, the person at the other end was a telemarketer, and as they are trained to always call at the wrong moment they therefore do not respond to such subtle hints. "Hi there! Tired of ordinary, boxy panels? Want something different? Call Panels Plus! We have the best selection of--" "GET OFF MY PHONE!!!" Grav bellowed, slamming the receiver down with enough force to make the lamp on the table fall over and break. "Uh, Grav?" Grav turned around, grumbling under his breath. VakamaTK stood there, with a determined look on his face. "I need to use the phone." his boss said. Giving a grunt and a shrug, the Onu-Matoran stomped off and went back into his room. VakamaTK picked up the phone and dialed a number. A dial tone sounded. It sounded again. Then a third ti-- "What?" "Hi Gerlicky," VakamaTK said, "I just wanted to ask you something..." "Well, you'd better make it quick. I'm in the middle of a comic broadcast, and RANDOM TA-MATORAN almost wouldn't let me answer the phone." "Okay then. Well, I recently found out that I'm not from Metru Nui, and I wanted to go on an expedition--exploring the world, maybe finding my home island in the process. Are you in?" "I can't be sure right now. Sounds good, though. Should I call you back later?" "No, just meet me at Port Sevenonine this afternoon, and bring a bunch of stuff you'd want if you're sailing around in a ship for a few months. I'll give you more information there." "Okay, VTK." "Oh, and one more thing. If you happen to run into The Seeker, don't tell him anything about this." Behind the door to his room, which was cracked open, Grav stood silently with his ear toward the hallway outside. An evil grin crept up his face. So VakamaTK didn't want The Seeker to know he was going on an expedition? Well, that wasn't nice. It looked like Grav would have to tell him what was going on. ------ Three hours later, VakamaTK stood in the lobby of his comic studio with his cast. After calling Gerlicky, he had made a similar call to his other friend Philbert, who had also agreed to come. He scanned the room, aware that this could be the last time he stood in this building. Sure, it had been destroyed and damaged time and time again by guest stars, but, well... it had been his home. No, he told himself, your home is on a different island. He supposed now would be the time to tell everyone why he had gathered them here. And so he did, telling them roughly what he had told Gerlicky and Philbert. After he had finished, he asked who was willing to join him. Everyone agreed to come, except for two people. Professorhead, said he had just launched an invention business and would not be able to take a break from it until he got sufficient profits to go on a vacation. Secret Agent Guy's occupation prevented him from coming as well. He explained that he could not leave the area he was dispatched to unless an emergency required it. No one else had conflicts, except of course Moppy, the janitor, who was still in the hospital recovering from the guest star attack. So that meant that besides VakamaTK, the people going on the expedition were Yoobye, Jacku, Bladeran, Hero100, Coleanuva, Gavla, Philbert, and Gerlicky. But it seemed as if someone was missing. Maybe it just seemed that way, what with the fact that Kaima and Kopeke had mysteriously disappeared months earlier. He was about to put the thought out of his mind when it dawned on him. "Where's Grav?" he asked. "Oh, I saw him a few minutes ago." Hero100 said. "He was asking me where The Seeker lived. He's probably going over there right now." ------- Jack's Castle Finally, Jack the Magic Pirate reached the top of the stairs. They had been more extensive than he expected. He could quite possibly be at the height of the castle's main tower now, somewhere he had tried in vain to get to before deciding it could not be reached. Looking up at the ceiling, it appeared his theory may have been correct. The room was conically shaped, with a rounded point at the very top. As a result of this preoccupation with the ceiling, he did not pay attention to where he was walking. He stepped onto a round, slightly darker patch of floor--for, though Jack had not yet noticed, this room was not made of stone blocks--which latched onto his feet like suction cups. Jack looked down, alarmed. Some kind of goo quickly traveled up the back of his legs, then up his back, the back of his head, and the back of his arms. It thickened, and then his feet were pushed off the ground. Instead of falling backward and being absorbed by some sort of blob creature, Jack merely sat there, suspended. Sat. That was it. This was no carnivorous blob creature, this was a chair. He could now tell that the goo was shifting to form to his body in order to give him maximum comfort. When it settled, it hardened, assuming the texture of an expensive office chair. Then the chair jolted forward, straight toward the wall. It went closer and closer, and just as Jack thought he was going to be smashed against the surface, the chair curved and went upward. Higher and higher it went, up the wall toward the tip of the ceiling. Jack could only guess the nature of its destination or purpose, and only hope it didn't involve him being smashed or falling all the way down. About a bio from the tip, the chair stopped. Mechanical whirrs and hums began to be heard from all around. Lights flicked on. That is, if you can say that about a room that suddenly goes light without any indication of the source of said light. Next, the ceiling went transparent, showing a view of the sky. A lone BZ-Guard ship flew past high above. More and more things opened up along the walls below--a digital clock, a microwave, a TV, and various other technologies. A keyboard of sorts appeared in front of Jack. It seemed to be there, but was not solid. Yet when he touched one of the keys, it moved down a bit and the color turned darker. He snatched his hand away, and it returned back to normal. On the window above, various text was flashing by, as in the startup of a computer. This went on for about thirty seconds. Then a robotic feminine voice said, "Welcome..." At this moment, gravity suddenly shifted. Instead of lying on his back in a chair and staring at the ceiling, Jack was now sitting upright and staring straight ahead. "...to the Thrustarro T60." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted November 8, 2011 Author Share Posted November 8, 2011 VakamaTK had never been to Port Sevenonine, at least not in his memory. When he came to the Comic Land a couple years ago, the ship intended to go there, but an accident caused it to explode. Luckily, VakamaTK had safely landed on the island, in a location close to his studio.But now that he stood standing there at Port Sevenonine, he could see that it was nothing more than a tourist trap. Shops lined the streets, selling anything from shirts that said, "I♥PS" to scale models of the entire town.Fortunately, Grav hadn't gotten very far with his apparent plan to tell The Seeker about the expedition, and VakamaTK and company practically ran into him on the way to the port. It was a simple matter to tie him up and put him into a spare suitcase.After arriving, VakamaTK had soon found Gerlicky, scowling at a noob whacking him with a Dark709 bobblehead. He still had to find Philbert, though, and then there was the problem of how they would find a ship to travel in.Unfortunately, there did not appear to be even one store selling ships. Many boats were anchored along the dock, but they were no more for sale than cars in a Wal-Mart parking lot were.When he asked Yoobye about this, he replied, "Yeah, you're not going to buy a boat here. The only purpose of this town is for people to come to and fro the Comic Land, and all that's usually done on cruise ships. The businesses here wouldn't want you to leave anyway. I should know--I used to have a shop here with...with..."He broke off, seemingly unable to finish his sentence. VakamaTK decided that for whatever reason this subject was giving Yoobye immense emotional pain, and therefore decided to give him a little break by finding something else to occupy his attention.He gazed out on the horizon, and spotted a speck. It got bigger and bigger, slowly resolving itself into the form of another boat. He watched the craft make its entrance. Curiously, it seemed to be going straight toward the group.The boat hit the dock with a SMACK and a scattering of seagulls. A ladder unfolded from the deck, and it then became apparent why the ship had been coming toward them.A Matoran emerged from atop the boat, carefully making his way down the ladder. When Philbert reached the bottom, he turned toward VakamaTK and said, "Sorry I'm late. I would have taken an airship, but Lord Morahn was apparently going to take over my flight, and the airport was shut down after some crazy flight attendant knocked him out and left on the emergency exit. I took this ship instead--I'd bought it so I could remodel it to look like a pirate ship for a MAS I'm coming up with. I figured that since we were meeting at a port there would be some place for me to dock it."VakamaTK smiled, relieved. "Don't dock it. I thought we would be able to find a boat here, but I was wrong. We'll have to use yours.""Well, that's probably going to work. It's got a battery-powered motor, a cargo hold, and a backup oar system in case the motor fails."And with that, VakamaTK got the attention of his friends, and they boarded the boat.As they sailed away, VakamaTK stood on the deck looking back."Ah, the Comic Land..." VakamaTK said. "Two years of working to make comics in that obsessed-guest-star-filled mad house. Oh, how I'm going to miss that place...not."------The southwestern region of the Comic LandMinko the Mad Mailman was doing his daily rounds, delivering envelopes, packages, and junk mail to various mailboxes. Contrary to popular belief, he did not go around planting bombs in the mail, and it was only due to one unfortunate incident that he had gained his ridiculous nickname. He wasn't complaining though; the post office was on his side and let him keep his job.The next stop Minko came to was the old abandoned castle, alone on an oddly placed hill. At least, he thought it was abandoned--the mailbox was overflowing, but he sometimes thought he heard noises coming from inside the castle. He supposed it could be haunted. Sighing, he reached his hand into his sack of mail.After adding a formidable pile of junk mail to the already massive heap pouring out of the box, Minko was about to go on his way when he felt a slight disturbance.It was as if the ground was shaking.He looked around quickly, but could see no obvious sign of what was going on.Then, without warning, all of the grass on the castle's hill puffed into the air--as odd as that seemed, that is what happened; the grass suddenly ejected itself from the ground with a bit of a puffing noise.Underneath the grass was an intricate mesh of metal plating, all stacked on top of each other in a spiral pattern. This mesh now began to fold in on itself, each piece of plating going under the one next to it, circling around up the "hill" until the stack was at the base of the castle, in front of the door, which then opened briefly to allow it to pass inside.At this point, however, it would be inaccurate to call that area the base of the castle, or even to call the thing a castle at all. The removal of the metal plating at the base had revealed that the entire hill had been fake, merely camouflage for the other two-thirds of the not-a-castle.Once the door closed, a large engine unfolded itself from the side of the technological monstrosity. A second did, and then a third. Had Minko been able to see the thing from all angles, he would have seen a total of five engines come out, giving the mechanism a rocketlike appearance. However, Minko had driven away during the removal of the metal plating camouflage, and thus didn't see anything.This, in use for the first time in a thousand years, was the Thrustarro T60.And it was now taking off. There were five engines, each connected to a track on the main part of the Thrustarro. They began to spin along the track, faster and faster, until there just appeared to be a blurred wheel of metal and fire around the so-called castle.Then, slowly at first, it took off. The ground seemed reluctant to let it go after so many years of it staying stationary. But at last, the Thrustarro took off into the sky, fading to a blur.The next day, the news of the castle's disappearance, as well of that of the hill it occupied, spread somewhat--though, due to the preposterous nature of such an occurance, most outside of the immediate area thought it all was nonsense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 Philbert's Ship: The Middle of the Ocean"So, my main plan was for us to just sail through the ocean in the hope that we'll find someplace." VakamaTK explained."Really?" Gerlicky said. "And do you know how unlikely it is that we'll just find some place if we keep sailing?""I'm not sure, exactly. It just seemed like a good idea at the time.""Well," cut in Philbert, "Since this is my boat, I think I should have the final say in this. I'm not really doing anything back home now, and the Maori activists hinted they might sue me again, so I think we should keep going."Gerlicky was preparing another argument, but right at that moment a shadow fell over the boat. Looking around, he saw it also fell over the rest of the ocean, or at least a good portion of it.VakamaTK looked up. The sun was blocked out by an impossibly huge object, vaguely shaped like a rocket.The others followed suit, and each of them gaped in turn at the sight. It didn't last long, though; the object ceased to block the sun and went off into the distance, through a few clouds."I wonder what that was..." Hero100 said in a shaky voice."Whatever it is," VakamaTK said, "it has nothing to do with us."He couldn't have been more wrong.---------Bridge of the Thrustarro T60After takeoff, the Thrustarro's computer, in its robotic feminine voice, said it was going on some predetermined autopilot course. The good news to this was that Jack wouldn't have to figure out the controls, but the downside was that he had to go wherever the thing wanted to take him.The flight was exhilarating. Screens around the room showed various views of the outside of the ship, presumably from hidden cameras.Around twelve seconds later, the computer spoke up again. "Incoming craft." It said. "Presumed hostile. Auto-cannons at ready in case of enemy fire."The radar screen flashed red, a good occurrence because prior to that moment Jack had no idea as to its location."Incoming signal from the craft." The computer spoke up. "Place on screen?"Not sure how to respond, Jack simply shrugged and said, "Yes...?"It must have worked, because the screen then showed the cockpit of a BZ-Guard airship, with the pilot focused intently--Probably at me, Jack thought."Unidentified craft," the BZ-Guard pilot said, "you are in noncompliance with Air Conduct Codes 1, 3, 17, 35, and 62. Please land at the nearest airport, where you will be given a fine and have your ship impounded."Now, anyone with common sense--at least a villain with common sense--would realize that a small craft such as this stood no chance against his gigantic ship. Therefore, why should he surrender to it when all it would get him was a fine and lose his new ship?Apparently he had taken too much time to think, because the BZ-Guard at the other end was speaking again. "You have until the count of ten to comply, or else I will be forced to use whatever force necessary to bring you to the ground.""One...two...three..."Jack hadn't had much experience with BZ-Guard airships, but he suspected that "whatever force necessary" implied something fairly damaging. He would have to figure out something quickly."Four...five...six...""Uh...computer?" Jack said, hoping it would respond again. "I need you to uh...help me out here and blow that guy up or something.""Seven...eight...""Hostile force detected." The computer said. "Auto-cannon fire initiated.""Nine..."The BZ-Guard was unable to reach the final number, for at that moment he and his airship were blown up in a brilliant red fireball, which was created by the meeting of his ship and a very deadly missile from the Thrustarro.Jack heaved a sigh of relief. He looked at the radar to make sure the ship was gone, and instead saw something else. Being a radar screen, it was impossible to tell what it really was, so he looked around for the right camera footage.He finally found the one directed downward, at the ocean. It showed a ship with a number of people on the deck. Upon closer examination, aided by the magnification tool of the camera, Jack thought he recognized at least one of them.It was VakamaTK--the new, red-and-black VakamaTK."Fire the missiles down at that ship!" he yelled to the computer.There was no response."Fire the lasers down at that ship!" he tried again.There was still no response."Bomb the ship! The one below us!" Jack tried a third time.This time, there was a reaction. Unfortunately it was not the kind he wanted."I'm sorry," the computer said, "Functions are limited to emergency actions and autopilot course. Please enter access code for more functions." A password bar appeared on the main screen, and the keyboard character buttons flashed.At first Jack thought of typing all sorts of gibberish and random words in to try and guess the password, but then he remembered that some websites lock you out after you put in the wrong password a few times, and suppose the Thrustarro might have a similar function--probably of a greater impact, due to its advanced technology.So he could only sit and wait as the ship flew to wherever it was going.----------Philbert's Ship: Somewhere Else in the Middle of the Ocean Besides Where it was Last TimeThey sailed for hours and hours, until it began to get dark. It was hard to judge how fast they were going, as that area of the ocean was devoid of landmarks.As the sky darkened, it also filled up with clouds. A low rumbling of thunder could be heard, and lightning occasionally flashed across the sky.Philbert saw all of this from the small room with the controls for the ship."Uh-oh," he said to himself, "I don't really know if I can sail this thing in a storm..."He stepped out of the room and went below deck, where the rest of the group was sitting around playing Go Fish--except for Grav, who had been sulking in a corner since his release from the suitcase he had been locked in."Got any Cod Rexes?" VakamaTK asked."Go fish." Yoobye replied, boredom evident in his voice.Before Philbert could tell the others what was going on, the boat jerked violently, and the lights flickered and died, leaving them in total darkness."Hey!" Gavla could be heard saying, "I just got a full set of shrakmaan86s!""Something must be wrong with the controls!" Philbert yelled into the blackness of the room. "The power's out!"He felt around for the ladder, which he fortunately hadn't taken too many steps from, and after getting a firm grip on it began his ascent. He reached the top, opened the hatch, climbed out, and went into the control room.What he found almost made him fall back down the still-open hatch. The controls were fried and blackened, having been struck by a bolt of lightning. He conveyed this information to those below."Didn't you say something about an emergency oar system?" Coleanuva asked. "Can't we use that?""The current is getting too strong. The oars would be chopped up." Philbert replied.He was beginning to wonder whether they would survive this incident. During his wonderings, he absentmindedly looked out over the ocean. And when he came to his senses, he didn't know whether to be shocked at what was there or glad he had noticed it in time.A massive whirlpool, the size of a large parking lot, was drawing the ship into its pull."And now there's a whirlpool!" he called down. "As if things couldn't get worse... Most likely, the ship will go underwater.""What are we going to do?" Bladeran asked."Don't make me go into that water--I don't know how to swim." VakamaTK said."VTK, not even a pro swimmer could survive out there." Philbert said. "Most likely we'd drown if we went out into it, so I think the best thing to do is try to wait it out in the cargo hold--remember, it's airtight."The others saw his logic, and so he climbed back down, closing the hatch behind him and locking it.The ship spun around and around the whirlpool's center, getting deeper and deeper into the water. It soon reached the middle, and descended entirely out of sight.No sign of it remained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted December 2, 2011 Author Share Posted December 2, 2011 Bridge of the Thrustarro T60After a great deal of time staring at the wall and wondering where in the universe this thing was taking him, Jack the Magic Pirate finally dragged himself back to the current situation when the computer spoke."Destination reached." it said. "Please wait as the system adjusts to the new environment."Jack could not see it, but the Thrustarro camouflaged itself as an artificial mountain, complete with moss and small shrubs, the inside becoming a cave and the door becoming a large, round stone hidden behind a curtain of moss. It appeared so real that it would even confuse the nearby residents."As per previous instructions," the computer said after a while, "the system will shut down unless the password is entered."The screen once more showed a password input request, but Jack ignored it and it disappeared after a while.The controls of the ship vanished or folded back into the wall, the artificial gravity was removed, and the ceiling was once more opaque. The chair Jack was sitting in moved backwards down the wall, then reached the floor and went back to the center of it. Jack realized too late that he should get out of the chair, and he was dropped onto the ground as its substance receded into the floor.Seeing nothing else to do in the room, he went back down the spiral staircase. He was surprised to find that the door at the bottom opened just as he reached it, but then remembered what a technological marvel this structure was. Emerging into the hallway, he found that it now looked like a tunnel in a cave instead of a corridor in a castle, meaning he was even more lost than before.After a while, perhaps two hours, Jack found his way to the front entrance. He heaved and shoved at the door, then after a while found by a lucky coincidence that one particular facet of one of the rocks was a fingerprint scanner. He was even more surprised by this than the door, for there was no explanation as to why the computer knew his fingerprint or why it accepted it.But whatever the reason, he could now figure out where he was. He stepped outside, looking around. It was some sort of jungle, judging by all of the viney trees, some with tropical fruit.Jack climbed down the rest of the rock face on a strong vine (its strength had to do with it being an artificial element of the Thrustarro's camuflague, meant exactly for this purpose--but Jack did not know this), and walked around cautiously.Yet no matter how cautiously he walked, he could not avoid the notice of two armored beings hidden in the undergrowth. However, this had nothing to do with Jack's cautiousness--it would be hard not to notice someone who had come out of this falling mountain.The two of them exchanged a glance. Both knew what they had to do now. They shared the same occupation--guards in the service of their tribe--and they were currently on duty. Although they had not encountered a situation quite like this before, they knew the laws well, and there was no doubt what they needed to do.They would take the stranger to Randu.-----------Unknown Island--ShoresThe beach was dark at night, but then again, everything is. It was also eerily silent. A sea sloth lay on the beach, doing what all sorts of sloths usually do: lying around.It was silent for a while longer. Finally, there was movement. A seagull, awoken due to hunger, landed on a rock protruding from the ocean, and pecked at its surface in search of food. It found a good sea anemone, and was about to eat it when its head perked up, aimed in the distance. Clearly its senses were sharper than most beings', for anyone there would have said that there was nothing in that direction. But no one was there, and that was fortunate because then they would have to deal with being wrong.The water rippled, getting more and more violent. The seagull flew away as something protruded from the surface, getting higher and higher. It appeared to be a small room, with windows on all sides and nobody in it. As it emerged more, it became clear what was under it, and it then became clear what the entire object was.It was a ship. But not just any ship.Philbert opened the hatch and climbed out onto the deck, followed by everyone else."Jacku, Yoobye," he said, "I'm going to initiate the manual control for this thing--could you guys go down and row for me?"Yoobye complied, but Jacku stood still, staring straight ahead, his gaze fixed on the island."Jacku?" VakamaTK said, giving his former employee a tap on the shoulder. "Are you okay?"But Jacku did not give any response. They decided to just leave him alone, and found that if he were nudged a bit he would walk where they wanted him to go. Philbert instead sent Bladeran down to row.VakamaTK focused his attention on the island, straining his memory for any chance of recall, no matter how unlikely that would be. Either way, he remembered nothing, and so he stopped with the straining so he would not get a headache."Think this is the place?" Gerlicky asked sarcastically. VakamaTK had not noticed his approach."I'm not sure," VakamaTK replied, "but we might as well explore it anyway. I don't see anything here, but there could be civilization somewhere."The boat hit the shore, Philbert yelled at the rowers to stop rowing, and the group came down to the beach."Shouldn't we leave someone with the boat?" Gavla asked. "We don't know if there are any people around here, so anyone could just come up and steal it.""Good point." VakamaTK said. He thought for a second. "I think Grav would do less damage here than if he came with us. So he should be the one to stay with the ship."Grunting, Grav climbed back up to the deck and sat down. After a quick look around, the rest of the group went into the jungle, and quickly became shrouded in the darkness facilitated by the plantlife.Roughly a half hour later, two figures emerged from a different site, stepping with the precision of natural hunters. They wore tough armor, and crested helmets with a gap in the front that only their eyes could be seen in--whether this was a product of the dim light or something else altogether, it was unable to tell.They made their way toward the ship, carefully choosing their steps. But just before they reached it, one of them stepped on the sleeping sea sloth, which had been covered by sand spread earlier by the oars.---------The JungleVakamaTK hacked a vine apart with his "new" sword, admiring its strength. They had covered a lot of ground in the past hour, so much that when they realized they probably shouldn't be doing this at night, they couldn't find their way back and as such decided to keep going forward.Noticing the absence of footfalls behind him, he turned around. Everyone was gathered around Jacku, who was still in much the same condition. Wait, check that--he was now trembling."What's wrong with him?" VakamaTK asked."We can't get him to walk anymore." Yoobye answered."Couldn't you just carry him?"Everyone else agreed this was a good idea, and so Coleanuva and Yoobye, having the weakest weapons for cutting through undergrowth, carried Jacku between them.Things seemed to be going well for a while longer, until Coleanuva cried out. Jacku was writhing on the ground and gibbering, in a frightened manner. He resisted any attempts to lift him up and carry him, swatting his hands out.No one knew what to make of this strange affliction of Jacku's. And even if they had, here they were, in the middle of a jungle on a strange island without a doctor or even a first aid kit. Philbert brought up the idea that for all they knew there could be a hospital close to them, and so they reluctantly agreed they would try to make it a bit further.It was hard at first, but they eventually lifted Jacku up and began to carry him. Luckily, they had enough people to hold each of his limbs and therefore keep him from throwing everyone off.After they went a few more feet, Jacku suddenly cried out, loud enough to make a few birds stir in their sleep. Other than that, though, there did not seem to be any lasting effect.But few things are as they seem. Not far away, eyes hidden in shadow glanced sharply in the direction of the cry. They narrowed, and the armored guard made his way over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted March 9, 2012 Author Share Posted March 9, 2012 The JungleCarrying Jacku any further had proven difficult, especially since the deeper they got into the forest, the more shadows there were, and it is hard to carry someone through an unfamiliar forest in the dark--especially when that someone is resisting you.So the group set up camp in a clearing, and spent the night there. Luckily, they did not run into any sort of hostile or poisonous wildlife, and woke in the morning unharmed.They set out once more, for the first time having light to guide them. Looking around them, they saw strange birds, plants, and the occasional animal. So focused on these new sights and sounds were they that they were immensely startled when the ground suddenly opened up and swallowed them.Down they fell, into what seemed to be a large cage. VakamaTK, quickly regaining his senses, tried to climb up the bars, but when he got to the top he found that more bars had somehow been placed there. He tried to cut the bars with his sword, but it was no use. He dropped back down, careful not to land on the others.As everyone else sat up, the cage rose out of the pit. The group was then able to see who was raising it up--a number of armored and helmeted beings, possibly some kind of guards, whose faces were shrouded in shadow."This is not good." VakamaTK said."You can say that again." Bladeran replied.So he did.The guards then attached poles to the sides of the cage for carrying purposes. As they took it to some unknown location, VakamaTK found himself thinking, not about what was going to happen to them, but about the one person that now appeared to be missing from the group.Jacku.---------A CaveVakamaTK woke up in a cave, which was doubly surprising as he had not remembered falling asleep in the first place.He examined his surroundings, or at least tried to in the dim light. It was clear that they were only locked in a portion of the cave; bars similar to the ones made by the cage blocked a corridor to the side.The guards had brought the rest of his friends here with him, and they were all lying in various parts of the cave. None had their weapons, which led VakamaTK to notice his had been taken as well.He sat by himself for a while, wishing he had not brought everyone into this mess, until he wondered why there was any light at all in the cave.Looking around, he found a small hole--also barred--in the wall of the cave. It was obscured by a somewhat thick cloth, which explained why he hadn't noticed it before.After VakamaTK took a look out the window, he knelt on the floor and shook Coleanuva, who was nearest."Gah..." Coleanuva moaned, "Where am I...?""We're in some kind of jail cave." VakamaTK replied. "Quick, help me wake up everyone else; there's something you guys need to see."Once everyone had been woken, they each took a turn looking out the window. Each became wide-eyed and speechless after they beheld the sight:Down below, hundreds--perhaps thousands--of the same kind of guards they had seen before stood in military formation. They all had their attention fixed at a certain point: up at the top of a pyramid. Some beings were atop the pyramid, but they were too far away to discern any further.One thing was certain--VakamaTK and his friends would have a hard time getting out of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted March 10, 2012 Author Share Posted March 10, 2012 "Move!"VakamaTK woke with a start, along with a sharp jab in his side. He looked blearily at the guard who was doing the jabbing, and decided he should probably get up.Around him, he saw the others with their hands bound behind their backs, something the guard was now doing to him. The guard shoved the group outside the cell, where he was met by a few more guards. They herded their prisoners down a tunnel, eventually emerging into a bright jungle.At first, VakamaTK thought they might be going toward the pyramid he had seen before, but the guards hustled them in the opposite direction. It looked like there was some sort of large object in the distance, but the trees mostly blocked it from view.Dejectedly, he directed his attention solely on going where the guards were taking them. Gerlicky walked up to him."You know," the Matoran of Plasma said, "I really hate you."VakamaTK did not reply, keeping his eyes on the trail.Some minutes later, the trees opened up, and it became apparent what their destination was.Before them, the ground sloped upward, ultimately coming to a point. Atop this point, some sort of stadium was built, and another could be seen on the base of the slope, though almost on the opposite side from them. A trail led up to the entrance from where the group was standing, and ash coated the ground.It was a volcano. In truth, it seemed more hill-sized, but it was a volcano nonetheless.And if they were being taken there, it could only mean one thing.---------LLL Towers, Kato, Taone NuiKahinuva, a renowned comic maker, sat at his desk. He was frustrated. Recently, he had had a brilliant idea--a partnership between him and a few other comic makers. He was currently trying to call everyone involved, but found that no one so far was answering their phones. He had tried Bladeran, Gerlicky, and Philbert--to no avail. All three seemed to be absent from their studios.He decided he would call VakamaTK next. Once he punched in the number, he turned back in forth in his swivel chair as he waited for someone to pick it up."Yes?" a strange voice said."Is VakamaTK there?" Kahi asked."No, I'm sorry.""Oh. Well, where is he?""That, I can only imagine. You see, he disappeared the other day, along with most of his characters. Those that remain say he was trying to go on some quest. I fear this crazy idea was planted in him by something I myself told him.""Huh. Wait...who are you?""That is a very good question, young Kahinuva. I do have an actual name, but I am better known as 'The Seeker.' You may remember me as the one who helped VakamaTK begin comic making. Seeing as nobody was around to pick up your phone call, I took the liberty of doing so in order to answer your questions.""Oh...yeah, I know who you are. But you're really powerful. Why aren't you going to find VakamaTK? He could be in some kind of horrible situation.""Sometimes, Kahinuva, we have to learn things the hard way. If someone was always around to save us, we would get very reckless. More so, we would not learn anything. I told VakamaTK specifically not to go on this journey, but he did not listen. Now he must face any consequences that come from it." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted March 12, 2012 Author Share Posted March 12, 2012 After bringing their prisoners to the top of the volcano, the guards led them to a small room, in which they were locked. A while later, they were brought out of the room and led down a hallway.The lead guard opened a door at the end of the hallway, and a deafening blast of sound exploded inward. It sounded like cheering--an ominous, hair-raising version, though.Upon emerging on the other side of the door, they could see that they were observed from all sides by an enormous crowd of beings. It was hard to make out the details, because of a slight shimmer in the air, but it seemed they were probably Matoran. They all seemed to be green, orange, red, or some combination of the three.More shoves. The guards urged the prisoners on, forcing them to look only at what lay before them.A platform was built a third of the way into the center of the area. At its edge, eight ropes were attached to cranks. Clearly the ropes were made to be lowered down by the cranks.Below the platform--a sizeable distance, of course, for the heat would be unbearable otherwise--was a pool of lava.They were in the center of the volcano."People of the great tribe of Ke-Matoran! The Great Beings have truly favored us!"The voice came from above, on a raised platform not noticed by the group before. On it stood a sinister-looking Turaga, orange and red and green."As you all know, we serve three Great Beings: Apple, CinnaMon, and Janak. We worship these Great Beings by sacrificing souls to them."But recently, one of the Great Beings has come to dwell with us! It is my great pleasure to present to you..."The Turaga stepped back, and in his place stepped a group of guards carrying what appeared to be a fancy-looking lawn chair. They set it down, and one of the guards began fanning the person sitting in it with a large leaf.VakamaTK squinted, trying to make out the features of the figure through the heat haze. And then its identity came to him.It was Jack the Magic Pirate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 "Janak!"It was impossible. And yet, it was true. Jack the Magic Pirate was here. It defied all logic, but logic tends to go out the window when this sort of evidence comes into play."And that is not the only thing the Great Beings have given us!" the Turaga continued. "No! They also gave us eight souls to give to Janak as a welcome gift!""This is getting worse and worse." VakamaTK said bitterly. "Bad enough that I'm being killed, but sacrificed to him? Really?"The guards tied them each to their corresponding rope, and then put them over the platform. VakamaTK, Bladeran, Hero100, Coleanuva, Gavla, Yoobye, Gerlicky, and Philbert--each hung headfirst, forced to stare down into their fiery doom.----------The JungleHe had to hurry. It could happen at any moment.Racing through the undergrowth, he imagined the scene--the prisoners would be readied, a speech would be given, and then they would be dunked. Hopefully, Randu would talk for a long time before reaching that last step.But he couldn't count on it. He would have to make his way as fast as he could no matter how much time existed.Finally, he reached the peak of the volcano. He would never be able to get in the entrance, so he scaled the wall and hoisted himself over the top.Feeling around, he was pleased to find the secret vine he had been informed of was in place. He looked at Randu's platform, and the prisoners' platform, and made judgments as to the amount of force and length of vine he needed.At last, he leapt. The vine swung him down just below the prisoner platform, and he grasped it. As he had expected, everyone had their attention on the Turaga, and had either not noticed him or dismissed it as a trick of the heat haze.Reaching up, he turned one of the cranks. The corresponding prisoner rose up, eventually getting to the top. He did the same with the other prisoners, until all were hanging just below the ledge.Now would be the tricky part. He would have to get each of the prisoners onto the ledge before being noticed by the tribe. This is hard to do when they are hanging upside down.He took a deep breath, and then shoved the first prisoner. The prisoner rose up, and hit the ledge with a grunt. Not even pausing, he moved onto the next one, and the next, until all were on the ledge. Then he heaved himself up, and quickly cut their bonds with a dagger. He would have to get a better weapon soon, but that would have to do for now.Straightening up, he noticed a disturbance in the crowd. He turned toward the royal box to see that Randu was looking directly at him."YOU!" the old Turaga spat. "You should never have come back here, Jacku! You are an abomination! We spared your soul last time, but now we will not be so merciful. We will feed it to the Great Beings!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted March 14, 2012 Author Share Posted March 14, 2012 Jacku quickly roused VakamaTK and the others, who had been in a bit of a stupor due to hanging upside down with waves of heat coming in their faces. He took out a bunch of mini-hang-glider shaped objects and handed them out with instructions to strap them to their backs, then turned to face the guards that were no doubt advancing on him.He was correct--he barely had time to prepare himself before the first attacked. Jacku ducked as the guard stabbed out, then he kicked his enemy's legs out from underneath him. Pinning the guard down, Jacku then wrestled the enemy's sword out of his hand, and put his dagger in his belt for a future desperate situation.By this time, more had arrived. Now that he had a better weapon, it was easier for Jacku to fend them off. He disabled a number of guards, but they just kept coming.At last, there was a lapse in the endless stream of enemies. Turning around, Jacku saw that the others had just about gotten their miniature hang gliders strapped on.He took a moment to put his own on, then explained, "We need to use these to get out of here. See, the heat from the volcano rises, blowing the gliders up into the air. They won't get you too far normally, but you'll get to the rim of the volcano. I call them heat gliders. They're pretty useful for times like this."VakamaTK's eyes widened. "Jacku!" he cried."Yeah, I know it seems confusing. I'll have to tell you later.""No!" VakamaTK pointed at something behind Jacku.With the reflexes of one used to this kind of thing, Jacku whirled and blocked a sword thrust from one of the guards. This one seemed more determined than the other ones, and put up more of a fight."Just go!" Jacku shouted to VakamaTK, who was standing with the others near the edge of the platform. "Hang out at the rim until I get there!"He focused back on the fight. The guard seemed to be taking quite a few unnecessary risks. This, Jacku decided, he could probably use to his advantage.Slowly, he backed toward the edge of the platform. When he was within a step from falling, he noticed the guard tense. Jacku quickly jumped aside, and the guard hurtled forward, tumbling into the lava below.Taking his chance, Jacku leapt from the platform. At first he fell, but then the heat glider caught the upwardly surging air and he rose rapidly.Once he reached the rim of the stadium, he clambered over it. Just as he had told them, VakamaTK and his friends were here. Now they would just have to get to a safe location.-------This was proving to be yet another strange day for VakamaTK. First Jack the Magic Pirate turned out to be in the same place on the same secluded island as him, and then Jacku seemed to have no trace of insanity whatsoever.But that did not matter. At least they were escaping the savages.Just then, Jacku climbed over the rim of the volcano to meet them. "Okay," he said, "there's a certain way we need to go to escape them. Follow me."Jacku climbed sideways along the rim of the stadium, followed by VakamaTK and the others. He seemed to be feeling the wall for something. Evidently finding it, he grabbed at an ordinary-looking part of the wall, which opened up. Inside were quite a few round objects that slightly resembled sleds.After handing these out to everyone, Jacku explained, "We'll drop down one at a time. Put this underneath you and push off from the wall, aiming for that little ditch," he pointed at a slight depression in the ground below them, "and bracing for impact. When you hit the ground, you'll start to slide downhill. Lean forward so you'll go faster. That ditch will take you almost to where we'll be safe. I'll give you more instructions when we get there.""I'll go first." Coleanuva said. "It's just like sledding on Wava Nui. It shouldn't be a problem at all."And with that, he leapt down, landing in the ditch and sliding down the hill, into the forest, and out of sight. He was followed by Bladeran, Yoobye, Gavla, Philbert, Gerlicky, and Hero100. Only VakamaTK was left, and just as he was about to drop down, Jacku stopped him and pointed to a group of guards approaching from the left of the ditch.Jacku dropped down, and readied the sword he had taken earlier. He made short work of the guards, knocking them out with very few blows."They don't train these guys like they used to..." Jacku said to himself. He looked up at VakamaTK, who was still hanging from the rim of the stadium. "What are you doing? Go!"VakamaTK did so, plummeting toward the ditch. Though he had been ready for it, the impact still sent a jolt of pain running through him, and it took all the concentration he had to keep in position on the sled.After landing, he began to move downhill, gaining speed as he went, more so after he ducked down. In that position, only the darkening of his surroundings told him that he was now in the jungle.He waited for a few seconds, then glanced up. Seeing the ditch end in an abrupt cliff, he decided to keep his eyes down. He felt the sled cease its bouncing against the ground, knowing that it was because there was no longer any ground to bounce against.When the bouncing returned, VakamaTK almost fell out of the sled. He looked back, and saw that the ditch had indeed gone off a cliff, but it then resumed at the bottom, on the other side of a river.Not long afterward, he found himself ejected from the sled as it abruptly stopped. He noticed a number of other sleds lying around him, but the Matoran occupying them were nowhere to be seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted March 15, 2012 Author Share Posted March 15, 2012 "Hey! VakamaTK!" a voice shouted from the distance.VakamaTK looked up. There was water before him, and at the edge was Philbert's ship. He ran up to it, almost at a loss for words.As he got to the ship, he could make out Yoobye leaning over the edge to look at him. "What took you so long?" the salesmen said, "Hero100 got here a while ago!"A distant rumbling almost made Yoobye's words inaudible, but VakamaTK managed to figure out what he was saying. "Guards showed up." he replied as he scaled the rope leading to the deck. "Jacku had to fight them off. By the way, how did Philbert's boat get here?""It was just here, and Grav was with it." Coleanuva replied. "Where is Jacku, anyway? If you had the chance to escape, surely he would."As if in answer, Jacku emerged from the trees--but not on a sled; he wasn't even near the ditch."Hey Jacku!" VakamaTK shouted down, "We've got a boat! Come on!"Jacku did not answer, but continued running. It then became apparent what the rumbling noise was caused by.A horde of guards burst from the forest behind Jacku, carrying swords, shields, arrows, and all sorts of weapons. The number seemed endless--perhaps the entire force had been sent in pursuit."Push off!" Jacku practically screamed, sounding very much out of breath. "Push off! I'll swim out to you!""Grav," Philbert said, "Which direction do we need to go to get out of here?""We can't." Grav replied. "This is a lake."Philbert froze. "A lake? But...but how did you sail this into a lake?!"In response, Grav merely pointed in the distance. Philbert looked and saw a large waterfall on the far side of the lake, in which a raging river filled the lake with water."Okay then," Philbert said, "in that case we should probably just go into the middle of the lake."He went down below with Gerlicky to row, and instructed Gavla to steer. The boat began to move away from the shore, just as the guards drew close enough to aim their long-range weapons. Many of the arrows fell short, and those that did not merely bounced off the ship. A battle axe thrown by one of the more muscular guards soared through the air, and hit the hull.At last Jacku reached the ship, and climbed up the rope onto the deck. He was soaking wet and very tired, but unharmed.---------Below the deck, Philbert and Gerlicky rowed the oars back and forth. It was normally a dull job, made even more so by the fact that you cannot see where the ship is actually going.But most of the time, being pursued by an army of savages who had tried to throw you into a volcano outweighs any sense of monotony a rower might feel. Even now, arrows could be heard clattering against the hull, and then there was a sharp bang as something else hit.Philbert and Gerlicky did their best to ignore this, for once the ship got out of range of the weapons, they would not have to worry as much about the guards. Even so, it was hard to ignore the fact that water was now up to their knees."What?!" Gerlicky exclaimed. "I thought you said this was airtight!""It was." Philbert replied. "I think something might have pierced the hull!"They looked around, and eventually found what they were looking for--a large hole in the side of the hull, with what appeared to be a battle axe bursting through it--along with water. Lots and lots of water.Both instinctively knew they had to get above deck, so voicing the idea was quite unnecessary. The water level was now at their necks, and rising quickly. They hurriedly climbed the ladder, but upon reaching the trapdoor found it would not budge. Frantically, they beat their fists on it, trying to get the attention of those above and nervously looking down at the water flooding in.--------------The ship was almost out of range. Only the strongest of the archers on the bank could get their arrows to reach it. Nevertheless, almost rarely cuts it, and the arrows could still hit. Oddly, the guards stayed out of the water, choosing to try in vain to make a long-range attack rather than get closer."They're really superstitious." Jacku explained. "They think this lake is cursed, and thus won't follow us into it. But we need to get a little farther before they give up."VakamaTK nodded. "I'll tell Philbert and Gerlicky. I think we stopped moving; they must be slacking off or something."Looking down, he found that he, Jacku, and Hero100 were all standing on the trapdoor, so he and the other two stepped aside. But before VakamaTK could so much as bend down to lift the trapdoor up, it burst open. A wave of water flowed out, carrying Philbert and Gerlicky with it, who both gasped for breath."There's a hole in the hull!" Gerlicky said. "They threw something and busted the boat!"More water rushed out, and the ship tilted sideways as it sank into the lake."That's it," Jacku said, "We're going overboard. Meet me on the other side of the lake, by the waterfall.""Wait!" VakamaTK called, but it was too late. Jacku had already dove off the ship.The others followed, none expressing any inhibitions about the situation."Hey, wait a second!" VakamaTK tried to say to Yoobye as he dove off the boat.The ship lurched sharply, tilting even more and causing VakamaTK to lose his balance. He fell, clawing at the air as if it were a solid object he could grab onto to stop his fall."I don't know how to swim!!" he yelled. Soon afterward, he hit the water and sank like a rock.---------Viron was just getting back from his break, whistling a tune and carrying a can of soda, occasionally taking a drink. He passed a window showing the lake bottom, and shot a glance out of it. He spat out his soda, and then looked again. It still showed the same impossible sight."Tavakai!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted March 16, 2012 Author Share Posted March 16, 2012 There was no escape. VakamaTK was underwater, and he did not know how to swim. And because he had exhaled so much with that yell on his way down, he was very much in need of a breath.And because of this hopelessness, or because of some hidden instinct, he relaxed. He flipped over on his back, perhaps wanting to make his last sight one of the surface--he was not even sure himself.Yet somehow he was able to keep water from entering his lungs. This was a very good thing, because he then ceased to sink and began to rise, elevated by what air remained inside him.Finally, VakamaTK broke the surface. He coughed and gasped, eventually coming to the equilibrium needed to breathe without devoting thought to the action. He stayed on his back the entire time, because it seemed to be helping him.Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something floating in the water next to him. He reached out, and found it was a board, probably from Philbert's ship. He clung to it, using it as a flotation device. This allowed him to look around and see where the others were. Some had managed to get to the waterfall, but the rest were probably still in the water.Suddenly, something emerged from the water near him. At first VakamaTK thought it was a shark, but it turned out to be an armored figure--not a Ke-Matoran guard, though, but a guard with white armor. It was obviously designed for aquatic use, and was fitted with an air tank, flippers, a head lamp, and an external speaker, which was now being used."I have orders to bring you back to base." the guard said. "Please relax and the experience should be relatively safe."VakamaTK had no objection to that, and so allowed the guard to tie a rope around him in order to pull him along."But what about my friends?" he asked. "There are nine other people with me--will you rescue them too?""I'll tell my commanding officer about it." the guard merely said, and was silent for the remainder of the journey.They reached the waterfall, then stopped. The guard accessed a small computer on his wrist, punching a series of keys. Nothing appeared to happen, but he still moved forward, towing VakamaTK into the waterfall with him.Behind the waterfall was not a solid wall of rock as VakamaTK had expected. Instead, the two were in a sort of antechamber, which largely consisted of a pool of water containing some speedboats.Standing at the edge of the water was a silver-black Matoran wearing a Miru, who looked familiar to VakamaTK despite the fact that he had surely never seen him."Tavakai!" the Matoran said, sounding elated. "I thought I'd never see you again! It's been what, a thousand years? Whenever it was we sent you over to Metru Nui..."VakamaTK climbed out of the water, heavily dripping onto the floor. "I'm sorry, my name's VakamaTK, not Tavakai."The Matoran did not appear to hear him. "I can't believe you managed to get past the Ke-Matoran. We ignored them for a while because they didn't seem to be a threat, and now we're basically trapped here. Vitriax hasn't been seen since before you left, though. What was that you were saying?""I said you're mistaking me for someone else. I'm VakamaTK."The Matoran looked confused. "But--you... Fine, I'll take you to Zondo and see what scientific stuff he has to knock some sense into you. You're most definitely Tavakai.""Oh, but first," the Matoran led VakamaTK over to a machine near the wall, and pushed a button on it. All of the moisture was sucked off of VakamaTK's body, leaving him as dry as he had been before he went into the lake. "You'll need to dry off."He led VakamaTK through a door and down a hallway. They passed a number of offices, many of which were empty."By the way," the strange Matoran said, "since you seem to have forgotten, my name's Viron."-------------"It seems to be some case of amnesia," a Matoran, whom Viron introduced as Zondo, said, "though it seems to involve everything except the previous thousand years.""Will he ever remember?" Viron asked, worry in his tone."I can't say. If he's presented with enough stimuli, he may get total recall. It could happen in snatches, though--a vision of his past here, a recovered thought or instinct there--eventually bringing the whole back together.""Look, I'm telling you you've got the wrong Matoran." VakamaTK said. "And in any case, please stop talking about me as if I'm not here.""That's just it." Viron said. "You're not here. You know what this is for me? Not only did I lose a friend for a thousand years, but when he turns up, he doesn't even remember me!"He walked over to the wall, muttering something about "enough stimuli to blow a fuse" as he did so. He pushed a button on a small control panel, and said, "Tavakai's here. You know what to bring."Viron quietly returned to his seat, saying nothing."What was that about?" VakamaTK asked."Oh, you'll find out..." Viron replied, "I hope."A few minutes later, the door to the room opened to admit a Matoran wearing a chef coat and hat, carrying a silver platter with a lid on it. The chef walked toward VakamaTK, and then lifted off the lid. Underneath was..."A pickle?" VakamaTK asked incredulously."Yes, a pickle." Viron said, exasperated. "Just eat it. It's your favorite food ever.""I don't think so. I've had cucumbers; they're not too good."But seeing how important this seemed to be, VakamaTK decided he might as well take a bite. Just one.When his taste buds made contact with the pickle, it was as if something had exploded in his mouth, except it was a good feeling rather than one of pain. It was the best taste he had ever experienced, and before he knew it he had eaten the rest of the pickle. He could feel a wonderful aftertaste in his mouth, and he did not think he had ever felt this good before.At last, he remembered there was in fact a world around him outside of the glorius taste. He saw Viron leaning forward in his chair intently."Can I have another one?" VakamaTK asked.Viron leaned back, folding his arms behind his head. "No one but Tavakai reacts to a pickle like that." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 "You go a thousand years without a pickle, and this is what happens..." Viron muttered.After eating not just one more pickle, but about a dozen, VakamaTK asked where his friends were. Eager to keep the pickle supply from being completely used up, Viron told him he would take VakamaTK to them."You and your friends were lucky." Viron said. "The Ke-Matoran seemed to be leaving after your ship sank, but we caught one of them near the entrance. If I hadn't seen you out the window, who knows what would have happened to you."They walked for a while, then VakamaTK asked Viron, "What exacly is going on on this island? Are the people in this...base...the only Matoran here?"Viron slowed his pace a little. "That's a very...very long story, and one I'm sure you'll remember eventually. But...I suppose I could tell you a bit."There's this Makuta--Vitriax--who has been terrorizing this island for years. No one knows why, he just does. The organization you and I work for was created to combat the threat. We're both independent businessmen--you own, or should I say, owned, the leading maskmaking company, and I owned the leading weapons design company. We both supplied this force with tools to use against Vitriax and his minions."Well, one day we got a lead from a spy that one of those minions was headed to Metru Nui--specifically Ta-Metru. We would have sent one of our usual spies, but since the dominant profession for Ta-Metru Matoran was maskmaking, we decided to send you--you'd blend in perfectly."No sooner than you had left, Vitriax launched a joint, all-out attack, on our nation's capital, and on the headquarters of our organization--which, by the way, is not here; this is merely a local base. The president was killed. The leader of our organization--our boss--went missing."The emergency evacuation button was pressed--something that had been installed in the event that something like this would occur. Civilians and nonessential members of our organization were shipped overseas almost immediately; their houses turned into escape pods. They have stayed in safety--I hope--ever since. That night was the last time we saw Vitriax, or any hint of his existence. Many believe he's dead."If it weren't for the fact that the Ke-Matoran are such a big danger, we would have sent out an all-clear message to our citizens. While we waited for Vitriax to return to attack again, they grew, becoming malicious and violent. They've destroyed our satellite dish used to communicate with the main base, and collapsed the tunnel we use to get there--possibly unintentionally, but we can't be sure. The people there probably think it's a trick from Vitriax to get them to leave an open target while they come over here. I don't blame them. We can't go outside to do anything about this, because the Ke-Matoran tribe basically owns this region of the island, and we definitely don't have enough force here to combat them all. Anyway, here we are."They had reached a small room with a few couches and a TV. On the couches sat Hero100, Bladeran, Philbert, Coleanuva, Gerlicky, Yoobye, Grav, and Gavla. Each looked up when VakamaTK entered the room."VTK!" Hero100 exclaimed. "We thought you had drowned when we got here, but the guard told us you had survived."VakamaTK told them of how he had floated to the surface, and some of what Viron had been telling him--he left out much of the story he had just heard, for his brain was still processing it."Tavakai, huh?" Yoobye said. "Sounds like a cool name.""Yeah, but it doesn't feel like it's my name," VakamaTK said, "so just keep calling me VakamaTK.""So Grav, I was wondering," Gavla asked, "why were you with the ship on that lake anyway?""I'd like to know too." VakamaTK said. "I told you to stay at the beach.""Well," Grav began, "I did stay for a while, but then I heard a strange noise. I looked down, and there were two Ke-Matoran guards creeping up to the ship."So I dropped an anchor on them, and they were knocked out. I didn't kill them though; their armor was too strong for that. Anyway, then I decided I should get out of there. I started digging sand away from the base of the ship, using one of the guards' swords to help."Eventually, I got it done enough to push the boat into the ocean. Then I just had to go wherever the current took me, which happened to be to a river. It got pretty rough after a while though, and then came the waterfall and I ended up in that lake."As Grav finished his explanation, VakamaTK looked around. He felt someone was missing. Then it dawned on him."Viron? Was that Ke-Matoran prisoner...was he red and green with a Noble Ruru?"------------Jack the Magic Pirate had never had such a good time in his memory. These people were treating him like a king--no, a Great Being. He could get practically anything he wanted, except in the way of technology, which this tribe was significantly lacking in.When he had first been brought to Randu, the Turaga had claimed he was someone called Janak, and was a Great Being. Jack went along with it, but was initially worried that the tribe would eventually figure out the truth. However, after seeing a number of carvings and paintings around the city of the three Great Beings the Ke-Matoran revered--seeing that the one called Janak looked almost exactly like him--he decided he could fool them indefinitely.And then VakamaTK had appeared, along with his friends. It was the most astounding coincidence he had ever experienced, and at first he thought he was dreaming. But it was indeed real, just as when VakamaTK and his friends were rescued by that Apple Jacks-hating Matoran. Randu should be back soon with a report on their recapture.The door opened, and Randu walked in. He bowed low, his face nearly touching the floor. "Janak! I bring news! Please forgive us for our incompetence, but we were not able to catch the sacrifices. Our entire guard force went after them, as you ordered, and yet they still escaped.""Well, go catch them!," Jack replied, "What are you waiting for, fool?!"Randu paused, and then scowled at Jack. He seemed to have lost his cool. "Janak, our master may have placed you over me, but he said nothing of eliminating these people. Really, what's the meaning of this?"Jack frowned. "Master? A Great Being serves no one but himself.""Drop the cover, Janak, we're not in public. You're serving him for life--you can't get out of that oath you made. But that reminds me--you can't issue an order to a fellow servant if it goes against that oath. So yes, I will carry out that order."Putting his hand to his forehead, Jack's mind raced. What did Randu mean about their "master?" What oath? He didn't remember anything about those things. But wait--no--he saw brief flashes of memory, snatches of imagery and sounds--the vast wasteland resulting from an invasion of some kind--a tentacled monster with a rough yet intelligent voice--being shipped off to Metru Nui with an Olmak and specific instructions--Then his mind snapped back, and Jack blacked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted March 18, 2012 Author Share Posted March 18, 2012 VakamaTK burst into the room, and Jacku jumped up from the bench he had been sitting on. Viron followed VakamaTK, a nervous look on his face."Jacku!" VakamaTK said. "I told Viron you weren't evil, but he wouldn't believe me!""That's understandable." Jacku replied, sitting down. "It's a long story, but I'll tell it to you.""Long ago, the Ke-Matoran--the Matoran of Apple Jacks--came to this island, which, by the way, is called Kaitro Nui. We were accepted by the community, despite the fact that we were foreign. We sacrificed no one. We had no bloodthirsty, fictional Great Beings. We did not even have a Turaga ruling over us."Then it all changed. I got back from a trip to a different area of the island with my friend, Taku, and we found everyone to be behaving quite oddly. They were constantly speaking of some Great Beings we had never heard of, and began construction on a stadium on the volcano, and an arena near its base."Another thing that seemed to be different was the Apple Jacks. We compared them to some left over from our trip, and noticed the ones in the village somehow radiated evil--something not noticeable unless you had some regular ones to compare them with. We concluded there was some kind of virus or something in the Apple Jacks, causing them to corrupt whomever ate them."We tried to replace the poisoned Apple Jacks, but at the storehouse we were spotted by guards. Taku got away, but I fell in a pile of boxes. While I tried to get back on my feet, the guards caught up with me, and I was captured."They took me to Randu, who had somehow become a Toa. I remember him from years ago--he always seemed to be a shady character, and was one of the ones who pushed for migration to Kaitro Nui back when we were on our home island."Randu questioned me, and I was very bold in my answers. I asked him what had happened to our tribe, and told him these 'Great Beings' he spoke of did not exist."He was not pleased, of course. Declaring me to be an abomination, he said I would be banished from the tribe. But first, he activated his mask. I didn't know what it was doing at the time, but now I realize what was going on. He was driving me insane."I don't know how much time has passed since then. It was all a blur. The only thing I remembered was that I wanted to destroy the Apple Jacks, for that would mean saving my tribe from the horrible influence put on them. But, being insane, this desire was magnified to the extreme, and I lost all of my rationalization."When we were on Philbert's boat, and I saw we were about to land at Kaitro Nui, my memories made a huge effort to resurface. I did remember that I was banished--meaning it would be unwise to just casually return—-and as such tried to keep from going forward. I'm sorry I was such an inconvenience."Shortly before you were captured by my tribe, someone came and took me. It was Taku, and he was a Toa. He later explained to me that he had managed to rob Randu of his Toa energy and take it for himself."Taku took me a ways away from you guys, and looked deep into my eyes. Activating his Kanohi Rode, he restored my sanity. He then informed me of your plight, and told me to rescue you and take you to the lake. He also informed me of how to enter the stadium undetected, and that there was a track that led straight to the lake. He gave me a dagger to help with the rescue. I don't know where he went after that."There was silence as everyone took this information in. It certainly explained a lot.Viron broke the silence. "So, you know a way to overcome the Ke-Matoran.""Yes," Jacku replied, "but it's dangerous. It could just as easily end up the same as last time, except Randu will probably try to kill us in a more foolproof fashion.""It doesn't matter. We've been stuck here for years. Now's our best chance. Now we have someone with inside knowledge. We need to take action fast--the Ke-Matoran followed you to the lake. They know we're under here.""They believe the lake is cursed--something Taku told me, and something your organization probably caused. Still, I see your point. I will help you.""Very well then. Let's begin." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted March 20, 2012 Author Share Posted March 20, 2012 After a bit of planning, they began their journey to the storehouse of the Ke-Matoran's Apple Jacks. There was a small issue of who would go--Jacku needed to go, certainly, and Viron went because of his knowledge of the island since Jacku's banishment. VakamaTK also went, but in the interest of efficiency and stealth his other friends stayed behind.They were just reaching the outskirts of the Ke-Matoran village. Jacku urgently motioned for the other two to kneel down in the tall grass, and shortly afterward a patrol of Ke-Matoran guards marched past.After the coast was clear, the group tiptoed cautiously out of the jungle and to the edge of a nearby building. There they found a depression at the base of the wall, which turned out to be a hole--Taku had used this to escape last time, and told Jacku about it.They slipped inside and, finding the coast clear, began opening the crates of Apple Jacks. They poured in a chemical Zondo had provided them with, which was an acid designed to only affect the virus (Taku had given Jacku a sample) and leave everything else untouched.When they finished, they made sure all of the crates were shut, and went out the way they had entered.As VakamaTK walked back toward the edge of the jungle, he marveled at how easy their task had been. His thoughts then began to stray toward his missing past.And then the world around him went black.A hazy image swam before him, then solidified into a mask-making forge--one that made his old one in Metru Nui seem like a junkyard.He heard footsteps behind him, and turned. It was Viron, and he had one hand behind his back."Hey, Tav! How's it going?""Great." VakamaTK found himself replying. "Business is going really well. I've been getting a lot of orders.""That's good. So anyway, my people just invented a new sword. And we wanted you to test it out."Viron then pulled his hand behind his back, and in its grasp was a magnificent-looking, red sword. "Hmmm... Pretty cool." VakamaTK marveled."Oh, it's not just that. It's the most technologically advanced sword we've ever developed. It's personalized--it recognizes your DNA, and can home in on your signal. And it has an auto-fight mode, so it can basically fight on its own--so far that feature uses up quite a bit of battery life though, so don't rely on it.""Wow. Why is it that I get this?""Well, you're my best friend, Tav.""Still... it seems a bit much. I suppose I can get used to it, though.""I probably shouldn't tell you that the final design will go to our Leader.""You're kidding!" VakamaTK said in shock."No, I'm serious. You'll get the new one too. Just make sure to report how well things run, since this is the prototype, after all.""Sure thing.""Well, I'm off!" Viron said as he left the room.VakamaTK marveled at his new sword. He pulled out his old one, and in comparison it seemed like an awkward chunk of metallic Kaitrodermis. This was going...Things faded away without warning. The next thing VakamaTK knew, he was bouncing up and down in some kind of makeshift hammock. He could hardly even see what was going on, the thing was so volatile.Eventually, he was able to make out who was carrying it--two Ke-Matoran guards. In front, Jacku and Viron, handcuffed together, were being pushed along by one soldier.Feeling it was the best option, VakamaTK went limp and pretended to be asleep.--------He must have actually fallen asleep eventually, for he awoke to find himself in a room with the other three."What happened?" he asked."You fainted, or something." Viron said. "We had to carry you, and that slowed us down and made us less stealthy. And if that wasn't bad enough, a Ke-Matoran hunting party suddenly showed up. Needless to say, they captured us.""You should have just left without me.""I never leave my friends behind, Ta...va...VakamaTK." Viron said. "No matter what the cost.""So anyway, where are we?"Viron apparently did not know much on the subject, for he turned to face Jacku."I'm not sure." Jacku said hesitantly. "I don't think this building was around back when I was here. It was big, certainly--we saw it on the way in. And it was built a lot like that stadium on the volcano.""Well, I guess we're just going to have to wai--"VakamaTK was interrupted by a loud banging noise. All three of the Matoran turned their heads toward the source. A Ke-Matoran guard was walking in, and by his stance it appeared he had kicked the door open.The guard, silent as the grave, walked up to the prisoners, then piled the three of them on his shoulder. He then walked out of the room as if he did this on a regular basis. Which he probably did.In the distance, a familiar sound similar to a cheering crowd could be heard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 "Today is a great day for the people of the great Apple Jacks! Not only has our leader come to us, but he has directed us to his great enemy, the TK! Yes, see! He is the red and black one!" Randu pointed out into the arena at the three Matoran tied up in the center of the field. "When the sun goes beneath the horizon, justice will be served, and the TK will be defeated!"Around the stadium, the Ke-Matoran cheered, some waving their hands in the air and many eating out of bowls of Apple Jacks. In the distance, the volcano loomed over; it cast a shadow over the field at certain times of the day--the stadium was built at its base. Now, however, at sunset, the shadow was outside the structure.Down on the field, Jacku, VakamaTK, and Viron stood shackled to a post. Viron seemed to be feeling the metal around his wrists."It's iron..." he said, and VakamaTK noticed a faint, grim smile appear on his face."So?" VakamaTK snapped. "We're bound in the middle of a high-walled stadium, surrounded by violent and brainwashed Matoran, about to be killed in an apparently entertaining way." With this last detail, he gestured at the cheering crowd--as much as he could while being chained. "And you're feeling around to see what metal we're bound with?""In case you've forgotten," Viron said, and closed his eyes, "my element is iron."In an instant, the six bands on their wrists snapped open, leaving them free from the post. VakamaTK looked at Viron."But Matoran can't use elemental powers...""Regular Matoran can't. Kaitoran can, to a certain extent."A loud noise drew their eyes to the end of the field. They hadn't been paying attention to Randu's speech, and it appeared he was almost done talking.As a rusty metal gate opened up, a creature emerged from it. The thing looked like a humanoid scorpion--it had clawed feet, tan and black armor, an insectlike helmet over its face, and a stinger tail. It also held a sharp-looking spear, which it then raised above its head and roared like a predator about to pounce on its prey."In one corner," Randu said, "we have this creature, imported from such a faraway place that we do not even know its name!"The three stood riveted at the sight before them, but also looked in the other direction as well--for another gate was opening. This time, a four-legged monster came out, with daggerlike feet that stabbed into the ground as it rapidly moved across the ground. It lifted back its similarly dagger-shaped head, letting out an ear-splitting, high pitched cry, and gnashed its razor-sharp teeth."And in the other corner, we have the Fenradox Razor, created by blending the DNA of the Fenrakk spider with that of the Zakadox praying mantis!"The scorpion started moving toward the three, but the Fenradox seemed more interested in the crowd--it tried to eat one of the Matoran in the front row, but was poked with a spear by a guard before it completed the motion.VakamaTK stood looking at the scorpion, wondering what to do. Surely there was something. This couldn't be the end, there had to be a way out...And then it hit him, the full speed and impact of his train of thoughts causing him to step backward.He saw once again the maskmaking forge with Viron, and his sword. Viron said, "It's the most technologically advanced sword we've ever developed. It's personalized--it recognizes your DNA, and can home in on your signal." Although he didn't have his sword at the moment, it was somewhere inside the stadium. All he had to do was ask for it.VakamaTK held his hand out and concentrated, hoping it would work. The scorpion wasn't near enough to strike, but would be soon. It was, perhaps, twenty feet away. Then it was fifteen feet, then ten feet, then--The scorpion was suddenly knocked aside and propelled into the wall of the arena. In its place hovered VakamaTK's sword, gleaming in what little sunlight remained. It made a few flourishing motions, then glided smoothly into VakamaTK's outstretched hand.He held it firmly, and turned toward the Fenradox. "Okay," he said, "I guess I should just... go after that one now." He winced at the thought, for there were surely a million ways one could be injured from that creature."No," Jacku said, "I don't think you have much of a chance of surviving that. I wouldn't even fight one, except as a last resort."The three of them stared warily at the Fenradox, which was beginning to notice them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 There was very little light left, which made it all the more frightening to be trapped in the arena with the Fenradox. VakamaTK, Jacku, and Viron, as stealthily as possible, made their way to the wall around the field. When they were within perhaps ten feet from it, a spear shot out into the ground in front of them, thrown by a guard just behind the wall in the stands. They thought it best to abandon that effort, at least for the moment.This left them with no option but one. They could not escape over the walls, for they were completely surrounded. The gates which the creatures had been let in by were shut--and not made of iron, so Viron could not manipulate them. It seemed they would have no choice but to fight the creature.And, once each of their minds had come to this conclusion, the sun vanished completely beyond the horizon, leaving them in complete and utter darkness. The moon was not yet visible, and clouds covered up the stars. It was not even bright enough to see one's hand before one's mask.For a few seconds, at least. Then a rumbling sound and a flash of red light attracted everyone's attention. As one, every head in the stadium--including that of the Fenradox--turned upward and in the direction of the volcano, for that was the source of the distraction.The volcano was erupting, but nothing seemed to be coming out of it. The top glowed with increasing intensity, and parts of the stadium built on it began melting off.Suddenly, a huge mass of molten rock burst out of the volcano, hurtled through the sky and crashed in the arena. It exploded upon impact, bringing a rain of fiery rubble on the people in the stands. The Fenradox was met with most of the force of the impact, and would not be bothering anyone anymore.VakamaTK and his friends, however, managed to be safe. Just before the impact, part of VakamaTK's mask had begun glowing--the part around his mouth--and a small shield appeared in front of the three. It deflected the barrage, and they were unharmed.The Matoran of the Apple Jacks tribe, however, were not so lucky. Some received bad burns, and many were trampled in the rush to escape from the stadium. Randu knew there was no point in trying to keep order, for it was hopeless. Jack, on the other hand, was furious."I had him in my grasp--right in my grasp! That blasted volcano!" He squinted, looking into the smoke and fiery wreckage below. "I won't let you escape this time, VakamaTK! Don't try, because it'll be a waste of time!" He turned to Randu. "What are you waiting for, you old fool?! Send out your guards!""What guards? The ones that fled when the eruption began? My people may be brainwashed, but they're not stupid. They know when their lives are in danger.""But-bu-but, you can't just let VakamaTK escape!""Who said I was letting him escape? Don't forget, Jacku is also among them. I have hated him for years, ever since he unknowingly discovered our master's plan. I cannot send my entire force after him, but I still intend to pursue him with what I can muster. Perhaps you should similarly try your luck with your own adversary."Both of them looked down then, and saw a shadow of a silhouette fly through the wreckage, only for an instant. They both knew what it must mean.---------More magma erupted from the volcano now, smashing the walls of the stadium and creating a gap, albeit one between two chunks of molten rock."Now's our chance!" Viron said. "Use your mask power, VakamaTK!"VakamaTK blinked. "Mask power?""Yes, yes! Kaitoran can use their masks, though they are not as powerful as Great Kanohi. Your mask is a fusion of the Kakama--speed, the Hau--shielding, and the Huna--concealment. All you must do is carry us, activate your shield, and speed through that gap, and we'll be out of here."VakamaTK bent over, mentally aiming his course toward the gap. Viron and Jacku climbed onto his shoulders, and he strained with the extra weight. "One..." he started, "Oh, forget it, you guys are too heavy."The bottom half of his mask began to glow, and the three of them sped off toward the gap, hurtling at what would be impossible speeds if not for the Kanohi--not quite as fast as the Great Kakama's full capacity, but still fast enough to escape serious burns. They continued for some time, then VakamaTK stopped a little ways into the jungle and they all ran together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted March 23, 2012 Author Share Posted March 23, 2012 After they had gone far enough that the sounds of the wreckage and screams were no longer audible, VakamaTK, Viron, and Jacku stopped to rest. Fortunately, the moon had risen, which had given them sufficient light to find their way.VakamaTK spent this time processing the new information that he had learned from Viron. Kaitoran--Matoran native to Kaitro Nui--could use their elemental powers? And their Kanohi? How could this be possible?Then again, there was that thing The Seeker had mentioned--it seemed like ages ago, though it was not even half a week--that he wasn't even made of the same material as regular Matoran. He'd have to look into that later; now wasn't really a good time to bother Viron with questions.Instead, he let his mind wander once more toward his past, then caught himself, remembering what had happened the last time he did so. But it was too late--although blurred by the resistance to the thought, he did see a vision.There was a purple and black Matoran, sitting behind a desk and examining a stack of papers. He couldn't remember, but somehow VakamaTK knew that this Matoran was important. But the vision was so weak that he couldn't take in anything but what little he saw, not the Matoran's name, position, or even facial features. Perhaps if, later, he could trigger another vision, it woul--"Tavakai!"Jerking himself back to reality, VakamaTK jumped to his feet, his sword at the ready. Judging by the name Viron had used to address him, something serious must have happened while he was lost in his vision.And, sure enough, he could see, by the moonlight, a Ke-Matoran guard coming toward them. He turned, and saw another, and another, and soon found that they were surrounded."Ah, you thought you'd get away," the familiar voice of Randu, elderly but with the sharpness of a viper, came from behind him. VakamaTK whirled, and saw him and Jack side by side in the ring of guards. "You don't understand. Nothing escapes the will of our Great Beings.""What do we do?" VakamaTK whispered to Viron."Not sure. I'm a weapon maker, not a strategist.""Okay," Jacku said, his eyes bright with hope, "here's what we do. We make a break for it, on three, and just run into the forest. If we split up, it'll be harder for them to follow us. Ready... One..."Jack was talking, but the three of them ignored him in preparation for their escape."...Two..."VakamaTK focused on a gap between two guards, picturing exactly where he would have to place his feet. He tensed, ready for Jacku's signal."...Three!"The three of them burst forward, straight at the surrounding guards. VakamaTK darted around the enemies, Jacku tackled one, and Viron used his Miru to help him jump over another. All three sprinted as fast as they could away, wanting to put as much distance between them and their foes.This was how VakamaTK ran, leaping ferns, weaving through trees, swinging on branches. At least, until he stopped abruptly, at the edge of a cliff so high that he couldn't see the bottom of it. He was grateful that he had stopped, otherwise... he didn't want to think about otherwise.He sat down, leaning against a tree and resting from his sprint. Surely he was far enough away. Jack wouldn't find him.As if on cue, Jack himself stepped from the foliage, unsheathing his sword. "As I said a few days ago, I've waited a long time for this."VakamaTK stood, prepared to fight but wary of the ever-present cliff beside them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted March 24, 2012 Author Share Posted March 24, 2012 Jacku's speed had been slowed somewhat when he knocked over the guard, but he was making up for that, increasing his stride and his pace as much as his body would allow. He heard himself being pursued, so after a while he seized a nearby tree trunk and hoisted himself upward, climbing with the skill he had learned living in these jungles so long ago, and in his home island before that.The jungle's ecosystem was such that one could practically walk in the trees, and many Rahi that live only on the ground in other localities make their home there. The dominant species of tree in the jungle, besides having quite thick branches, had been infused with Kaitrodermis--the substance which replaced Protodermis's function on Kaitro Nui--giving it an extra strength that made even its smallest twigs resistant to breaking. As a result, most beings could get around by walking on the trees' branches--though keeping an eye out for the weaker trees.Reaching this area, Jacku stood up on the thick branch, and once he got his balance, began making his way through. There was a hollow tree somewhere around here, he remembered--he had used to spend time with his friends there--if he could only get to it, he could stay there and rest, then in the morning go to the cave beneath the lake.But he didn't make it that far. A little more of navigating the treetops, and he ran straight into Randu, who was leaning against his staff and wearing a nasty grin."How did you--" Jacku started to ask."Jacku, you fool. I knew you would be headed somewhere in the trees, and so I only had to have some of my guards take me to a tree further ahead in the direction you would be going. And it helps that I had brought my climbing gear with me." He held up a rope with a hook, then tossed it down below, where it brushed through the the branches and other plants.Jacku pulled Taku's iron dagger from its sheath around his waist, but Randu knocked it aside with his staff. Reacting immediately, Jacku grabbed onto the staff, trying to wrench it out of the Turaga's hands. Randu let go, just before the two were about to fall off into an unstable branch--Jacku let go as well, grabbing a vine for support, and the staff plunged out of sight as the dagger had. He didn't stop moving, swinging around on the vine, straight at Randu--who ducked, then kicked upward when Jacku was directly above him--Jacku fell, but rolled onto his back and sprang to his feet, and punched Randu straight in the face--It was a whirl of conflict now, each of them dealing a blow for every one they received, paying attention to nothing but defeating the other and avoiding the fall to the ground. They slowly moved through the trees as they fought, a slow, unintentional motion with no destination in mind, a mere product of their mutual desire to end the other's life.They stepped into an old elevator used by some Ke-Matoran to enter the trees, not even acknowledging it by so much as a glance around them. With the added weight, the elevator began to descend, at a faster rate than normal due to the fact that it was partly rotten and the rope slipped through too quickly.And still they fought on, knocking each other against the walls of the elevator, Randu's armor getting a large scratch from a branch that snapped inside. They descended faster, and faster, everything around them became a blur, but still they fought.With a thud and a groan of rotten wood, the elevator landed on the ground and burst into pieces on impact. Jacku seized a medium-sized plank, swung it around his head, and whacked Randu squarely in the back, sending him stumbling forward. It wasn't long before he regained his footing, and the two of them continued fighting as before, in a sort of dance, a dance of death, a dance representing the culmination of all of the years of conflict between them; Jacku's discovery of the great crime the Turaga had commited against his brothers, Randu's act of taking Jacku's sanity, all the years Jacku spent insane, wandering the land making it his one goal to destroy the Apple Jacks empire, and now, at last, he would be given the chance, Randu wanting to finally get rid of this annoying hinderance to his and his master's plans, the both of them aware that they had to win at all costs.As in the trees, they continuously moved along in their battle, like fluid down a slope, still exchanging blows but also showing signs of the toll it was taking on their energy. Soon they ran only on adrenaline, both knowing that soon they would have to finish the other off so they could rest.Just as Jacku felt it would take all of his energy to just avoid Randu's attempts to strike him, the ground burst open beneath the Turaga's feet, and he was scooped up in a net. It was one of the Ke-Matoran tribe's traps, like the one that had caught Jacku's friends.Jacku searched the underbrush, and found a Ke-Matoran guard spear--it wasn't rare for them to be lying around in the jungle; guards often lost them and there were plenty of replacements. He walked back toward the net, using the spear to support his exhausted body."You wouldn't kill an old, helpless Turaga," Randu pleaded from inside the net, "would you?""I would have killed you," Jacku replied, out of breath, "but now you're in a much better position to be captured, and I'd prefer that.""Yes..." the wicked Turaga hissed, "You'll give me a fair trial, the justice you heroes always proclaim, won't you? Thank you...""No," Jacku said, "I'm taking you to be interrogated. I know part of what you've done to my people, and--""Our people?""You lost the right to belong with us when you brainwashed people to follow you."As I was saying, I know the basis of what you've done, but I want to know more. I'll take you to people who'll force it out of you.""Ah, clever, clever, clever... I know, let's make a deal. You cut me free, and I'll tell you all I know.""Do you think I'm stupid? You're just going to run away. No, you'll stay right there in that net until I get back."Randu made a reply, but Jacku paid no attention, instead marking a nearby tree with a circle carved into the bark. He moved away from the Turaga, marking another tree with an arrow pointing to where he had come from. He continued to do this, intending to go back to the lake to find Viron's people. Looking at the stars (the clouds had parted since the sun had first gone down), he noted that sunrise was not too far off--soon, he would be guided to his destination by better light instead of having to go through the dark jungle. Refusing to give in to the worry that Randu would escape, he pressed forward into the distance, marking trees as he went. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted March 24, 2012 Author Share Posted March 24, 2012 There they stood by the cliff, the two Matoran who had unknowingly followed each other across the oceans, beginning at a maskmaking forge in Metru Nui, then in the southwestern region of Hapori Nui, and now into the jungles of Kaitro Nui."So long, so very long..." Jack said, smirking. "My plan to destroy you failed somehow, but now vengeance will at last be served.""Vengeance for what?" VakamaTK asked."Ah, how easily you forget. Of course, it didn't affect you, did it? No, only me, poor, poor me...""For what?" VakamaTK repeated."For giving me this blasted injury!" Jack yelled, pointing at his eye patch. He let out another yell, slashing a couple of bushes with his sword. "You were good at making masks, and I was bad. I couldn't stand it! I couldn't stand not being able to succeed in the business, and it drove me mad!"Do you know how it felt?! Do you know how it felt to watch you make masks, every one of them perfect, perhaps not by professional standards, but certainly compared to my deformed little things, while I made misshapen hunks of Protodermis that would make any wearer a laughingstock?! Do you know how that felt?!"Spittle was coming out of Jack's mouth now. VakamaTK was silent, so the pirate continued."I felt horrible! Absolutely worthless! Every day I awoke with nothing to look forward to but to go to my miserable workplace, and manufacture my miserable excuses for Kanohi, see yours, and go home at night feeling worse than I had in the morning!"It didn't affect me, for a while. I could stand it. I could live with my horrible lack of ability. But one day, one day something snapped in my brain. I threw down my tools and stormed from the room, not caring that the Vahki would be after me, not caring about anything but getting out of that place!"And then... and then I tripped on my own feet... and someone had left a maskmaking tool lying on the ground, the fool... I landed on it, and..." he put his hand to his eye patch as his voice trailed off."So?" VakamaTK said, seeming to come back to life. "So what if you're not as talented as me at making masks? Why should you blame me? It's not my fault you let it get to you, and it's certainly not my fault that you injured yourself. Take responsibility for your own actions, and stop passing the blame to others."This time, it was Jack who was silent."And if you're not satisfied with being a maskmaker? You can always get a new job. Le-Matoran aren't usually maskmakers anyway. Explore other careers, and you'll find something you're good at. You've done this to yourself, and while I feel sorry for you, I'm not at all responsible for it happening.""But that's exactly what I've done!" Jack shouted. "I have chosen a different career! Killing you! Killing you for what you've done to me, ruining my life! Did you know that that was my good eye that you injured?! And now I have no depth perception, either! I've made it my goal for the last two years to kill you in whatever way I could. I almost did it, too, but you somehow survived the Energized Protodermis. And then again, I almost had you melted in that volcano, but you escaped, and then that same volcano saved you from the beasts I had wanted so very much to consume you. I've wanted you dead, VakamaTK. Let's stop with this inane banter, I'm not going to compromise, and I'm eager to end your life!"The discussion was over, VakamaTK thought grimly as he readied himself for the swordfight. His red blade met Jack's silver one with a clang, followed by a number of other clangs as they continued to thrust and parry. Something was guiding him--his old memories, he felt sure--because he had no experience with swordfighting at all, save the little he had done with his old sword that had been left at his comic studio.He found himself walking, Jack doing so as well, the both of them circling around each other constantly as they did so. They moved along the cliff, some of the ground crumbling beneath them and falling down into space. Eventually they came to a peninsula of sorts, a wide view of the jungle seen from atop it.With a confidant movement of his arm, Jack swiped VakamaTK's sword to the side, catching the other off guard and whisking his sword out of his hand and off the cliff. The point of Jack's sword was at VakamaTK's neck, and VakamaTK held up his hands."Should I kill you?" Jack said, "Or perhaps, should I inflict upon you the same pain which I have borne all these years...?"VakamaTK needed to do something, and quick. He racked his brain, trying to come up with something, anything to save him.At last, a lightbulb went off in his head--he remembered Viron in the arena, what he had said after releasing them from the chains."Yes," Jack was saying, "Yes, I'll give you the burning fire of pain that I've experienced for so long as a result of your actions...""Fire?" VakamaTK said, still holding his hands up, but now with his fingers flexed. "You haven't felt fire yet."Jack was confused, for a moment, looking at VakamaTK's face, at the eyes closed in what seemed to be concentration. But he wasn't confused for long, for flames burst from VakamaTK's fingers, leaping onto Jack's sword, traveling up to his body before he could react.And for a moment, he didn't react, too stunned by the sudden development to respond. "El-elemental powers?" he finally stuttered, "Matoran can't use elemental powers!""Regular Matoran can't," VakamaTK said, echoing Viron, "Kaitoran can."Jack stumbled backwards, and the ground beneath him crumbled. He screamed, falling into the depths below, vanishing out of sight.VakamaTK shook his hand in the air next to him, extinguishing a small flame on his finger. He peered over the edge of the cliff, but could discern nothing in the darkness below.As he squinted downward, he noticed a swishing noise, and eventually made out the form of his sword spinning through the air. He held out a hand, and it returned directly to him.For now, he was at peace. He gathered some foliage from the surrounding area and made himself a small shelter, then collapsed inside it and slept soundly despite the discomfort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 Viron followed Jacku through the jungle, guards from his organization following him in turn. When they had been surrounded earlier, it had taken him some time to escape, for the bulk of the Ke-Matoran guards seemed to have followed him. He had weaved around and backtracked, picking them off one by one--fortunately for him they wore iron armor, else he wouldn't know how to handle them--until he was free to go to the base beneath the lake. He met Jacku at the entrance, who told him that they had to retrieve Randu from a net and interrogate him.And that was what they were setting out to do, going through the wilderness, Jacku stopping at every tree and appearing to inspect the bark. Eventually they came to a clearing, and Jacku stopped, staring at the strands of slashed rope hanging from the trees, as well as that strewn on the ground."What's wrong? Did we get lost?" Viron asked, halting."Yes..." Jacku said slowly, "not our location, but our target. Somehow, Randu escaped."Jacku seemed to speed back up, instantly kneeling before the rope, examining it in an effort to discover how it had been broken."It wasn't torn... He didn't have any weapons... nothing sharp at all... Rahi couldn't've gotten him; they'd leave at least some remains or trail..." he turned his head, looking at a different edge of the clearing than they had entered at. "See, those branches are cut as well... just enough for someone to get through. Randu didn't escape on his own. Someone broke him out."Jacku grabbed a fistful of rope, slamming it back down to the ground. "I should have tried to take him with me, or killed him! Now he's still out there, still free to do whatever evil he wishes to do now!""Don't be so hard on yourself." said Viron. "If you focus on what would have happened, you'll only feel worse--what happened happened, and that's that.""I guess you're right."Viron looked toward where Randu's rescuer had come from, and began retracing the being's steps, going back through the path cut in the thick brush. Not far from where he began, he found a lake, and stopped when he got to the shore. He could see no more signs of where his quarry had been.Just then, the first rays of dawn began creeping across the sky. Viron looked up; the light was mostly blocked by the large hill just beyond the lake, but he could see the light outlining it, outlining the trees and the vines and--and glinting off of something red at the edge of a cliff.------------After a couple hours of sleeping, VakamaTK got up, just at dawn. As light shone from behind him, he gazed over the jungle below him, at the trees and lakes and the newly awakened birds. And beyond that, to the jungle's edge, where he could just make out rougher terrain, and what seemed to be the ruins of a once prosperous city.He continued to examine the distance for quite some time, until he heard footsteps from behind him. Instantly reminded of Randu and his guards, VakamaTK turned--and was startled to see, not enemies, but friends--Viron, followed by Jacku, and accompanied by some guards who worked with the former.They were silent for a moment. Then Viron said, "Jacku trapped Randu, but someone broke him out while Jacku went to us to retrieve him for interrogation.""That could have been Jack." replied VakamaTK. "I fought him, and he fell down this cliff--now I can see that there's a lake directly beneath us...""The good news," said Jacku, "is that Randu's influence over the tribe is most likely neutralized. They've scattered, and we've gone through the village destroying the virus in any Apple Jacks we've found. We've got pretty much all of them now. Soon the brainwashing should wear off.""And then we can rebuild." said Viron. "The island's state of emergency is over now, and we can call in those who were evacuated. Then we'll build back our infrastructure, better than before." He was smiling now, the thought of his society prospering once more such a great source of joy. But his smile faded when he looked at his old friend. "So how long will you be staying before you return to your other island to make comics, VakamaTK?""Oh, I think that there's plenty of room for me to do my business here--once I've helped build the first city, of course. I won't need to return to the Comic Land. And one more thing," he added, "Don't call me VakamaTK."My name is Tavakai."THE END Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tavakai Posted March 26, 2012 Author Share Posted March 26, 2012 (edited) LLL Towers, Kato, Taone Nui - A week laterKahinuva bent over his computer, concentrating intently. He was trying to work on comics, but it was all he could do to prevent himself from playing Portal. Just a few more panels... he told himself.Suddenly, the phone rang. The caller ID told him nothing; it was an unregistered number. He shrugged and picked up the receiver. "Hello?""Kahi! How's it going?""VTK?! I've been trying to call you for what, over a week! Where are you?!""Kaitro Nui. Long story. And another thing, my name's Tavakai. So what did you want to talk to me about?"So Kahi told Tavakai about his idea to ally comic corporations together (and the true nature of that compact), and Tavakai told him about what he had been through in recent times.After a while, Tavakai excused himself from the conversation, and hung up the phone he had brought up from the underground base. He was standing with a delegation including Viron at the shores of Kaitro Nui's main port (at least in days past), and the first ship of returning Kaitoran was about to dock. As soon as the signal had been sent that the island was once more safe to live on, Kaitoran all across the universe had been alerted, and were now making their way home.He turned to Viron. "So, what do you think about this?"Viron smiled. "I think it's about time Kaitro Nui's coming back."TO BE CONTINUEDINKAITRO COMEBACKINFORMALLY KNOWN ASTAVAKAI'S COMICS SEASON TWO Edited March 26, 2012 by Tavakai Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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.