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Reflections (S&T Contest 7 Entry)


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Reflections

 

I’m not sure what inspired me to carve this. Perhaps as I sit here, gazing at Matoran peacefully strolling through Ko-Metru , as well as the immensely satisfying sight of my pupil Nuju working nearby, the overwhelming sense of peace that pervades my entire existence inspires me in some way. In any case, I was moved to suddenly reflect on my life, and how far I, as well as the rest of Metru Nui, have come.

 

It might seem strange that I, Ihu, a Ko-Matoran scholar, would focus so much on his past when we’re generally known for only caring about the future. However, I’ve always been a bit eccentric; ask anyone who knows me. I never saw the point of the bickering between Onu-Matoran and Ko-Matoran, and have tried to show Nuju the foolishness of the argument, though without much success. But enough of the present now; this is supposed to be about my past, after all. And although it’s unlikely anyone but I will ever read this, in the unlikely case someone does, I have this to say to the reader: I hope you learn from my own experiences as much as I did.

 

***

 

Interestingly, there was a time when I did not care for the future, let alone a job as a scholar. I was a very peculiar Ko-Matoran... one who was rather genial, loud, and unfocused. I was quite a social person. Unfortunately, socializing was not a common activity in Ko-Metru. Since I needed to do something with my existence, I settled for running errands for scholars. I met many different Matoran on these errands, such as one named Ehrye, who wished to one day work in the Towers. Every now and then those errands would send me out of Ko-Metru, giving me the opportunity to explore the other five Metru. I treasured those trips, for I was fascinated how different the districts in Metru Nui were from each other. In fact, I found places like Ta-Metru and Onu-Metru far more interesting than my native Metru; they made Ko-Metru look positively boring.

 

However, it was in Ga-Metru that I’d have a conversation that I would never forget, one that would change my life forever. I was there running an errand, as usual, when I was distracted by the beautiful sight of the Protodermis Falls. I’d never stopped to appreciate it before, as I tended not to spend too much time in Ga-Metru; it reminded me too much of Ko-Metru, with all of its scholars and educational centers. While I was staring at the Falls, mesmerized by their beauty, a feminine voice broke through my thoughts. “They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”

 

I turned to see a Ga-Matoran standing close to me as she looked at the Falls. I looked at her curiously, and then I directed my gaze back to the Protodermis flowing down the Falls. “Yeah, it is.”

 

There was a long stretch of a rather awkward silence. I kept stealing glances over at the Ga-Matoran, wondering when she’d leave and why she had bothered to talk to me in the first place.

 

Finally, after a few more moments, she turned around and asked me a question.

 

“Are you a Ko-Matoran scholar?”

 

I let out a laugh. “No, no, I’m just a guy who runs errands for those scholars. I have better things to do than lock myself into a study and look at the stars all day.”

 

The Ga-Matoran looked taken aback. “Oh.”

 

“Why do you ask? If you want to talk to one, I know a couple who might be able to spare some time and come here to see you.”

 

“No, it’s just what that I wanted to have a talk with one of them about their views on…life…”

 

That last comment made me turn around again to look at the Ga-Matoran. She caught my eyes and must have seen the question in them, because she continued, albeit sounding a little embarrassed. “It’s just that I wanted to know what Ko-Matoran scholars thought regarding the subject of the Three Virtues and how it guides Matoran throughout their lives.. I know it’s not what Ko-Matoran scholars usually study, or even Ga-Matoran ones for that matter, but I was just…curious.”

 

I was still looking at her, not sure what to think. “I see.”

 

Something about the expression on my face must have bothered her, because she looked even more embarrassed. “I need to go now. It was nice talking to you.”

 

She ran past me, going to wherever she needed to go. I watched her go until she vanished from my sight. For some reason, though, her words would not vanish from my thoughts. Some thing about them made me think. I had never spent too much time pondering the world around me, but the idea of the relationship of the Three Virtues and our own lives intrigued me. This would be the catalyst for the series of events that led me to becoming a Ko-Matoran scholar. I never saw the Matoran again after that conversation, and I never found out her name. It was like she had come into my life for the sole purpose of inspiring me to do something more with it, like she was a gift from Mata Nui. It’s a gift that I am thankful for.

 

***

 

I did not suddenly become dedicated to studying prophecies and pondering the questions of life, of course. The change happened gradually. As I continued running errands, I began to slowly become more and more aware of the sound and life that surrounded me. I had heard all the sounds of the different Metru before, of course, and seen the life that thrived in each; it was now, though, that I began to truly appreciate them. I got into the habit of carrying tablets around with me, taking down notes of what I saw in each district I visited and carving complex diagrams of how the different processes that Metru Nui depended on worked. I began to realize how reliant all the districts were on each other; if even one ceased to exist, the whole city would cease to function properly. This realization amazed me, and gave me a new perspective on life itself.

 

Along with all of my other activities, I began to take special pleasure in observing Rahi. Each of Metru Nui’s districts had their own share of radically different and fascinating creatures. There was the Dermis turtle of Ga-Metru, with its uncanny ability of predicting bad weather, and the Nui-Jaga of Po-Metru, with its dangerous stinger, and the Furnace Salamander of Ta-Metru; and much, much more. I soon had an archive of studies concerning Rahi and Metru Nui’s workings, knowledge that would help me a great deal later on in my life. As I began to think of the Three Virtues more and more, I became especially interested in Destiny. This, along with my newfound thirst for knowledge, naturally led me to consider, for the first time in my life, becoming a Ko-Matoran scholar.

 

Conveniently, it was around this time that a sage from the Knowledge Towers approached me with the offer of working there. Apparently my studying had not gone unnoticed, and the sage said that he saw great potential in me. I accepted his offer without much hesitation; after all, this was what I wanted. And so I began working in the Knowledge Towers, with the sage who recruited me becoming my mentor.

 

I started out on the lower levels, of course. I’d have to work my way up to the honored position of a professional scholar and seer. At first it was difficult to retain the suffocating silence and utterly focused mindset that was characteristic of those working in the Knowledge Towers, but I eventually learned to do it, if only so I could ascend in ranks and have access to amazing quantities of knowledge. My days were spent studying, making calculations, pondering the mysteries of the universe, and of course, from time to time, observing the stars. From early on I could tell that observing the stars, a major part of being a scholar, did not interest me too greatly. It was interesting trying to make prophecies, but I felt that I couldn’t do that based on the observation of the stars alone; it was necessary to make use of past experience in predictions of the future.

 

***

 

It took me quite a while to reach the upper levels of the Knowledge Towers. Despite my hours of hard work and study it was still a long time before I finally obtained the coveted status of senior scholar and seer. It was around the time that my mentor gave me the promotion that a shocking incident occurred that threatened me, my reputation, and my job.

 

It was a few days after I had begun working on the highest level of the Knowledge Towers. The first warning sign that something was not right that day was the mysterious disappearance of my carving stone. It was stamped with my name, though, so whoever found it would know to give it to me, so I didn’t let it bother me much. The second warning sign came when I entered the uppermost level to find that there was a commotion of some sort. The mere fact that there was something even resembling noise on such a high level was phenomenal. I saw before me something resembling a Matoran mob, a truly bizarre sight in Ko-Metru. The third and most explicit warning sign was when a sudden and utter silence cloaked the room upon my entrance. All faces turned in my direction. As if the situation was not awkward enough, I could see narrowed gazes of suspicion and distrust though the eye holes of half of the scholars’ masks. But what disturbed me most was the expression on my mentor’s face. He was looking at me, the look on his face distant, and in his eyes I saw… disappointment?

 

One of the scholars cleared his throat. A few others shifted around in their places uncomfortably, while another few others eyed me suspiciously. It was finally the Ko-Matoran who was standing at the center of the gathering that broke the silence. He stepped away from the others, a weary look in his eyes.

 

“Well, Ihu, I’m surprised you had the nerve to show up here.” He took another step closer. “I’m guessing you’re here to return the tablets, so hand them over already.”

 

He stretched out his hand, waiting expectantly for the tablets that were apparently supposed to be in my possession. I could only stand there, staring at the sage and all the rest of them blankly. The chamber was once again plunged into complete silence, the air so heavy I was sure it could be cut through with a knife. The situation in the room remained in this same frozen state, with me standing there unmoving and the sage’s hand outstretched towards me, for a solid minute.

 

I finally came to my senses and began clearing my throat. After a few failed attempts to formulate a coherent sentence, I finally managed to say, “What tablets?”

 

The Ko-Matoran sage’s mood, which had just been calm and composed, abruptly transitioned into an uncontrolled fury. ‘”MY TABLETS!” he spat, taking a few quick strides up to me and bringing his mask right up to mine. "The ones I’ve been working on for the past few years! The ones with extremely important prophecies and data that I just completed YESTERDAY!”

 

This outburst stunned me into silence once again. The sage’s voice rang throughout the enclosed space. A few of the other scholars had their hands over their audio receptors, and with good reason; the sage’s yelling, which would be considered quite loud by any normal standards, was close to deafening in the usually soundless Towers.

 

The Ko-Matoran sage must’ve been infuriated by my lack of response, because what he did next shocked everyone present into action; he sent a solid punch to my face. His fist connected with my mask, knocking me off my feet. As I crashed into the ground I saw the Ko-Matoran sage being restrained by several others. Shouts from different scholars rang out as the whole situation threatened to spiral into uncontrolled chaos. I could hear footsteps all around me. Two sturdy hands grabbed me by the shoulders and hauled me back onto my feet.

 

I looked up into the eyes of my mentor, answering the question in his before he could open his mouth to speak.

 

“I didn’t steal them."

 

He held my gaze for a few long moments, before finally turning away from me.

 

“SILENCE!” he roared.

 

As soon as he said it the room became as noiseless as a Muaka stalking its prey. Everyone looked in the direction of my mentor. He waited a few more moments before continuing, “Ihu says he did not steal the tablets, and I believe him. Unfortunately that is not enough to prove his innocence… so I suggest we give him a chance to do just that.”

 

A few scholars began muttering amongst themselves. I looked in the direction of the sage who believed I had stolen years’ worth of research and study. If looks could kill, I’d have become an ex-Ko-Matoran scholar at that moment.

 

***

 

I set out from the Knowledge Towers that day fuming, my whole body shaking with barely contained rage and frustration. If the very same accusation had been hurled against me today, I would have shrugged it off with a smile and a calm, calculated counter-argument. However, this was back then, when I still had much to learn.

 

The reason I had been accused in the first place was due to the sage finding my carving stone next to a special compartment built into the side of a certain Tower. He had been using it to store the tablets for just a day until he found a good spot for them in the libraries. I personally though it was a foolhardy idea to keep valuable documents in a compartment that was accessible from outside of the Towers, but I kept my comments to myself; I had no desire to further enrage the poor sage, who had begun to look quite demented.

 

In any case, I found it curious that my carving stone had disappeared around the same time the tablets did; the sage had locked them away last night and found them gone that morning. The timing of the two disappearances was too perfect to be coincidental. Of course, no one had bothered to wonder why I would steal anyone else’s work when I had just achieved a top position in the Towers, except me.

 

Interestingly, it did not take me long to track down the culprit. Not everyone knew I had a special carving stone, except the scholars in the Knowledge Towers and a few Ko-Matoran who ran errands around the city. That narrowed down my list of suspects. Once I thought about the possible motives for the crime, I realized it was most likely an attempt to plagiarize the sage’s work as a way to get a job in the Knowledge Towers. Once I thought about it from that angle, the list of likely suspects was reduced to a few individuals I knew.

 

Setting up the trap to capture the criminal was easy. I placed a few tablets with gibberish carved onto them into the special compartment the sage had used. Then I just waited behind a nearby building, a lightstone hidden underneath my robes. Sure enough, a dark figure showed up, looked into the small square hole stamped into the side of the Tower, and reached in and extracted the carvings I had placed there. The stranger had a lightstone of his own, bringing it close to the tablets in an attempt to read was carved. Once he realized they were useless he cursed and threw them onto the ground. I snuck up behind him, tapping lightly on his shoulder.

 

Startled, he spun around, the lightstone he was holding clearly illuminating his features, revealing his identity: Ehrye.

 

“Ihu!,” he cried, surprised. He dropped his lightstone, which clattered noisily on the polished crystal ground.

 

“I thought it might be you,” I said quietly, a hint of menace in my voice. “You were always saying how you wanted to work in the Towers when I met you on my errands.”

 

“Please, Ihu, I can explain, just don’t turn me in,” he pleaded.

 

“It’s really your own fault for coming up with such a ridiculous plan to get into the Knowledge Towers. Did you really think the sage that you stole it from wouldn’t say anything once he found out?”

 

“I did it in the spur of a moment. When I saw him putting away those tablets in such an obvious secret spot I had to take the opportunity.”

 

“Which doesn’t explain why you needed to frame me,” I growled, taking a step closer to Ehrye, who shrank away from the bright light emitting from my lightstone.

 

Ehrye gulped nervously. “Oh yes.. about that… well.. er… I found your carving stone, and I was planning to return it to you, but.. er…”

 

I sighed. “Were you jealous of me? That I got to actually get into the Towers and you didn’t?”

 

Ehyre’s face twisted in anger. “Yes!” he retorted bitterly. “It wasn’t fair, that I, who-”

 

“Who what? You have to work for it, Ehrye! You can’t expect to ask and be accepted on a whim!”

 

My anger took hold of me as I got closer and closer to Ehrye.

 

“Please don’t turn me in,” Ehrye pleaded. “Please, Ihu. I’ll give you the tablets, just don’t turn me in. I’ll be ruined…”

 

I’m not sure what caused my anger to dissipate as if it had never been. Maybe the sight of Ehrye cowering, begging me not to report him, invoked pity within me. Or maybe it was because even then I was rather soft-hearted. Whatever the case, I let Ehrye go in the end. The decision may not have been the wisest, and for a long time afterwards I’d wonder to myself why I did what I did. I can say now, however, that I am happy with my decision.

 

There were consequences, of course. I returned the tablets, insisting that I had found them and not stolen them. Some believed me, some didn’t. In any case, I was suspended from the Knowledge Towers for a year and lost my top position. It would be years after that I’d finally be able to reclaim it.

 

I hope that Ehrye learned something the day I let him go, because what I learned that day would forever change my perspective on life. I understood then that the world is not divided into just black and white; there are shades of grey. I understood then not to let my anger control me; never again did I let anything ignite such a fiery rage inside me. And finally, I understood the importance of having mercy. Mercy is, after all, what allows life to go on. For if no living thing had mercy on another, what state would our world be in?

 

***

 

I remember the day I met Nuju for the first time quite well. I was taking a stroll through Ko-Metru, enjoying the relative peace and quiet when I stumbled into him. Or rather he stumbled into me. Whatever the case, we both smashed into the ground. Nuju got up first. As I turned to face him, he began to say something, only to have a look of surprise flit across his face. He promptly shut his mouth. I’ve always been under the impression that Nuju was about to make a snappy retort, but held his tongue once he realized I was a Ko-Matoran sage.

 

“My sincerest apologies, sir,” he said crisply, bowing his head in respect. “I wasn’t watching where I was going. I’ll be more cautious next time.”

 

Right after uttering those words he turned and walked off. I watched him, my interest piqued; something about his mannerisms and attitude intrigued me. Of course, I was not aware of his name following our first encounter, but I did keep a mental image of him stored in my mind. It did not take me long to see him again; he could be frequently sighted near the Towers, a couple of tablets always tucked under his arms as he took note of anything that interested him; he reminded me of myself in many ways when I was younger.

 

Perhaps that is why I resolved to keep an eye on him, or maybe it was because I sensed that there could be great potential in this Matoran. My watching paid off, as I quickly came to the understanding that Nuju nurtured dreams of someday working in the Knowledge Towers; his hours of studying and carving as well as his habit of staying near the tall crystal buildings made that quite obvious.

 

I quickly saw that Nuju had a very cold attitude towards others, even for a Ko-Matoran. He always avoided large gatherings, was subject to extreme irritation if he was ever interrupted during his work, and could make quite cutting remarks. All the same, his incredible dedication to achieving his dream impressed me; he worked just as hard as any scholars on the lower levels of the Towers, if not more.

 

Finally, after months of careful observation, I decided to recruit Nuju into the Knowledge Towers and act as his mentor. I knew it would be difficult to get past the frozen barrier that the Matoran had built around himself, but I was willing to step up to the task.

 

I still remember every word of my first real conversation with Nuju. I had learned his name by then thanks to hearing his fellow Matoran call him by name several times. He looked up from a carving he was studying when he saw me approaching. Recognizing me as a sage from the Knowledge Towers, he straightened up, fixed his posture, put away his tablets, and bowed his head respectfully. “Hello, sir,” he began, in that same crispy voice.” Is there any way I could be of assistance, sir?”

 

I laughed, then said, “No need for formalities. You can just call me Ihu, Nuju.”

 

At the mention of his name, he looked up quickly, his eyes regarding me with a mixture of weariness and curiosity. I was not offset by his cold demeanor, however.

 

“I’ve been keeping an eye on you for a while now, Nuju,” I began, “and I must say I am impressed.”

 

“Is that so?” Nuju said, regarding me with an expressionless face. In his eyes, however, I was sure I saw a flicker of hope, of aching and longing. “And why is that, si- Ihu.”

 

I watched in amusement as Nuju pronounced my name. He said it slowly and cautiously, as if the word could bite his tongue. I could tell he was not comfortable with calling someone of such a high ranking by his name. Good, I thought. Respect and humbleness is something I look for in my students.

 

“I’ve noticed that you’ve been studying very diligently,” I said carefully, watching as Nuju’s body began twitching nervously and he began furling up his palms over and over again. I waited another moment before continuing, my words hanging in the air before I finally said the words that I was sure Nuju had been waiting to hear for a long time.

 

“I was wondering if you’d be interested in a job at the Knowledge Towers.”

 

A giant smile crossed Nuju’s facial features, a happy expression which looked downright bizarre on the usual frosty and cold Ko-Matoran’s face. “Yes!” he exclaimed, beaming. A moment later he came to his senses and began coughing, clearly embarrassed at his overenthusiastic outburst.

 

“I mean yes,” he said, returning to the cold and calculating tone he usually adopted in conversation. “I’d be honored to.”

 

I smiled. “Well then, I’ll see you first thing tomorrow meaning. I’ll send a messenger to you later to inform you of the time and place.”

 

Nuju nodded his head. “Well then, I’d better be on my way, si…Ihu.” With that he gathered his belongings and walked in the opposite direction. Despite Nuju’s attempts to remain cold and emotionless, however, I could see a skip in his step that was not present before. I smiled to myself then. If I could get through his frosty exterior at such an early time, even if temporarily, then I was sure that I could establish a strong bond of friendship with him. Time would not prove me wrong.

 

***

 

Nuju was a joy having in the Knowledge Towers; he worked even harder once he got in. He would be very careful not to waste any time, and his break times would come far and between. I felt very proud of him, even though he did still maintain a cold exterior with everyone around him, including me. Still, I felt responsible for him as his mentor, and as he slowly worked his way up the levels, I made sure to be by his side, teaching him what I know and doing what I could to guide him.

 

Now, most Scholars, including my own mentor, taught their pupils by having them study different carvings and different tablets, and letting them observe the stars from time to time. Unfortunately, while I respected my mentor very much, I felt that this way of teaching was lacking, in that it did not allow the student to learn through real life experience. It was for this reason that I chose to teach and train Nuju using my own self-devised techniques.

 

I’ve never forgotten the first training session I had with Nuju using my own methods. I asked Nuju to accompany me out of the Knowledge Towers that day to go on a special trip. As I expected, Nuju was clearly not pleased with the idea of venturing out of his place of work, but he complied with my request out of respect.

 

As we walked through Ko-Metru in silence for a while, I noticed that Nuju was fidgeting rather nervously as we walked, a clear sign that something was bothering him. I ignored this as we continued walking however, waiting for the inevitable question. I did not have to wait long.

 

“Where are we going, Ihu?” Nuju asked in as polite and respectful a tone as he could manage.

 

“A place close by,” I said vaguely.

 

We returned to walking in silence. I soon sensed that Nuju was preparing himself to tell me something which he plainly thought was important; he was taking deep breaths and kept his eyes trained on the ground. Finally he spoke up.

 

“I..ah….heard about the incident that happened a while back.”

 

“Which incident?”

 

“The one regarding the stolen tablets. I was… wondering if you really did…” he trailed off when I kept walking in silence, paying no mind to his question. He lapsed back into silence.

 

We finally came to a clearing. There were close to no Ko-Matoran in the area I had picked to come to with Nuju, partly because there were only a few Towers in this region. Nuju followed me as I entered one of the nearby Knowledge Towers. It was one which he did not recognize at all, which prompted him to ask. “Do you mind me asking why we’re here, Ihu?” he said, keeping his voice calm and respectful.

 

“We are going up,” I said simply.

 

Nuju glanced at me with a confused look on his face. The meaning of my words were quite clear later though, when we both found ourselves standing atop the roof of the Tower. A fine layer of mist layered the sky under the tip of the Knowledge Towers. There was no sound whatsoever up here. I had come to know the roofs of the Towers to be the best place in Metru Nui for anyone who wished to contemplate and ponder in peace. I knew this was Nuju’s first time atop a Knowledge Tower roof, and so I allowed him a moment to take in his surroundings. I watched in amusement as Nuju cautiously looked over the edge; even though he couldn’t see the ground so far down below, he must’ve been aware that it was quite a dizzying drop.

 

I took in a breath of the fresh, crisp air and stood there in silence, my eyes closed as I willed my mind to rest. Besides me, Nuju had stopped moving. I suspected he was watching me, but for the time being I did nothing, simply relaxing. After a few moments Nuju’s shuffling besides me ceased; I supposed he was now imitating my actions. We remained like that for a solid five minutes, surrounded by nothing but complete silence.

 

After I felt myself relax completely, I opened my eyes, staring out in the distance. “That was refreshing.”

 

Nuju looked at me curiously, before agreeing in an emotionless voice. “I suppose it was.”

 

We stood together like that for several more minutes. Even though I said nothing, I was feeling quite proud of Nuju. Most others would have lost their patience with the seemingly pointless trip long ago, and yet Nuju had successfully thus far stifled any urge he probably had to ask what in the name of Mata Nui we were doing atop this icy roof, although Nuju’s twitching, a sure sign of agitation mixed with impatience, was not lost on me. Finally I broke the silence.

 

“I stole the tablets.”

 

Nuju shot me a startled look , before looking away quickly. There was silence for a few moments, before he finally spoke.

 

“No, you didn’t.”

 

A smile crossed my face. “Why not?”

 

“Three reasons,” replied Nuju, his tone of voice still free of any emotion. “Firstly, you had no reason to when you’d just been promoted to your top position; jeopardizing that for any reason would have been incredibly foolish.”

 

I said nothing, so Nuju continued.

 

“Secondly, all evidence implies that you were ignorant of the existence of such tablets. Finally, you are far too noble to dabble in thievery. Of course, I could elaborate on all of the aforementioned points, but now is not the time.”

 

There was a moment’s silence before I burst out laughing. “Excellent, Nuju, excellent. I see your analytical skill remains as sharp as ever. Of course, I could easily come up with three counter-arguments to yours, but as you said, now is not the time.”

 

Nuju looked at me for a moment, and I was sure I could see a smile tugging on his lips before he turned away again. I spoke again.

 

“Now tell me, Nuju, why did you ask a question you already knew the answer to?”

 

Nuju was silent for a few moments, before saying, “I suppose I wanted confirmation from you.”

 

“But why would you need my word, when you had already made up your mind to come up with excuses for me regardless of my answer?”

 

Nuju did not seem to be sure of what to say. “Because….” He trailed off.I smiled. “I appreciate your trust in me, Nuju… though I should make it clear that everyone is capable of evil, no matter how seemingly honorable.”

 

I reached into my robes and extracted a vial of liquid Protodermis. At the bottom of the vial was a blackish substance. “It’s similar to this, Nuju… we all have a dark side, sinister emotions and desires buried deep within us. All it takes is a little shaking in our lives,” I shook the vial, and the blackish substance flowered and spread throughout the silver liquid, darkening it, “and that side of us shows itself. You’d be surprised how many lives were changed and people corrupted in this manner, Nuju.”

 

Nuju was looking at me, a thoughtful look etched on his face. “So you’re saying no one is purely bad or purely good,” he said.

 

I smiled, nodding my head approvingly.

 

“Of course, others may disagree with me on my views, and I respect that…”

 

I abruptly grabbed Nuju and walked towards the edge of the Knowledge Towers. He let out a startled cry as we stood inches away from what was sure to be an extremely steep drop. “Think fast, Nuju,” I said. “I am about to throw you off a very high place. What do you do?”

 

Nuju became still for a moment, before saying quietly, “I plan quickly and strategically and use the best method possible to survive whatever comes next.”

 

I smiled and let Nuju go, giving him a pat on the shoulder. “That would work, perhaps, but you must remember that brains alone wouldn’t save you if you had no physical ability; they go hand in hand.”

 

Nuju regarded me quizzically, before breaking into a small smile. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, turning around to look out at Ko-Metru, and the vague outlines of the other districts around us beyond. “And I’d best remember the Three Virtues as well, right?”

 

I didn’t say anything. Nuju turned his head slightly. “That’s why you brought me up here, isn’t it? You wanted to show me Metru Nui from atop to help me understand how the city is built upon the Three Virtues.”

 

I smiled gently, looking at my pupil proudly. “How so?”

 

Nuju turned to face me directly. “Each Matoran has a duty to his city, and their desire to achieve their destiny motivates them to do their duty, and it’s the unity of their efforts that keeps the city working as it should.”

 

Nuju looked at me, the corner of his lips turned upwards slightly. “I never forgot about the encounter with the Ga-Matoran you’ve told me about so many times. You never told me what you realized over the years. This is it, right? This is what you wanted me to understand, how our lives are connected to the Three Virtues.”

 

I laughed then, full of pride and affection for Nuju, the student to whom I devoted so much time and effort. He had understood what I had wanted him to know for a while; I knew, though, that it would’ve been best for him to figure things out on his own.

 

“Let’s go, Nuju,” I said, gesturing to the ground far below. He nodded and followed me down into the Knowledge Tower back to solid land. I may have been the happiest teacher alive in the universe that day. I knew Nuju was not exactly supportive of the idea of unity, but I was sure he’d learn that too in time. For now, though, I was satisfied to finally have Nuju understand what I’ve learned from my life. In many ways Nuju was my best friend. I am confident that after I have passed, he’ll find someone else he will trust and care for the same way I care for him.

 

***

 

It’s amazing, really. My life has been long and fulfilling; I do not feel like I wasted it. I have gotten everything I’ve wanted from it, and nothing makes me happier than knowing that one day Nuju, to whose training I have devoted much time and effort, will go on studying in the Knowledge Towers and do great things. That’s what’s important, the education of as many bright minds as possible, so that the universe may survive and go on. Long live Mata Nui, long live the Three Virtues, and long live Metru Nui!

 

Word Count: 5,940 (including dividers)

Edited by toa kopaka4372
Format reconstructed after BZP glitch. -bones

toakopaka.png
Credit goes to Linus Van Pelt (Formerly known as Cherixon) and Spectral Avohkii Enterprises

My Memoirs of the Dead entry, Reflectons:

http://www.bzpower.com/board/index.php?showtopic=7351

 

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The following comes from an authorized Contest Judge: No inaccuracies or errors were found in your entry. Unless another judge or member finds a problem later, your entry is likely to go on to the polls.You are also likely to win. :) Seriously, I like this story a good deal; especially the moral lessons taught therein, and the fascinating insight you have given into the characters of Ihu and Nuju. Even if this is not given the honor of becoming canon, it is a terrific stand-alone story. (That's my opinion, of course.)Some critical nitpicks, however:

Since of course I needed to do something with my existence, I settled for running errands for scholars.
The "of course" in the middle of the sentence reads off as somewhat awkward. I suggest removing it.
such as one named Ehyre
Should be Ehrye. You spelled it correctly later...I'm authorizing you to correct this. :)
This would be the catalyst for the series of event that led me to becoming a Ko-Matoran scholar.
Should be "events". * * * Good luck to you.
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The following comes from an authorized Contest Judge: No inaccuracies or errors were found in your entry. Unless another judge or member finds a problem later, your entry is likely to go on to the polls.You are also likely to win. :) Seriously, I like this story a good deal; especially the moral lessons taught therein, and the fascinating insight you have given into the characters of Ihu and Nuju. Even if this is not given the honor of becoming canon, it is a terrific stand-alone story. (That's my opinion, of course.)Some critical nitpicks, however:
Since of course I needed to do something with my existence, I settled for running errands for scholars.
The "of course" in the middle of the sentence reads off as somewhat awkward. I suggest removing it.
such as one named Ehyre
Should be Ehrye. You spelled it correctly later...I'm authorizing you to correct this. :)
This would be the catalyst for the series of event that led me to becoming a Ko-Matoran scholar.
Should be "events".* * *Good luck to you.
Thanks fishers :) I really appreciate the feedback. I edited all that you pointed out.
Honestly, I'm not really a fan of anything to do with ice, especially in Metru Nui, but you executed this story extremely well. Bravo!
Thanks a lot! :)

toakopaka.png
Credit goes to Linus Van Pelt (Formerly known as Cherixon) and Spectral Avohkii Enterprises

My Memoirs of the Dead entry, Reflectons:

http://www.bzpower.com/board/index.php?showtopic=7351

 

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The following comes from an authorized Contest Judge: No inaccuracies or errors were found in your entry. Unless another judge or member finds a problem later, your entry is likely to go on to the polls.Proofread this already by PM; skimming now looks good. I did see one grammar thing (debatable) you must have missed:I never saw the point of the pointless bickering"Point" twice is redundant. I'd cut "pointless".Also there were a couple of paragraphs near the middle that were "indented" by spaces at the beginning unlike the rest.Other than that, all good! And a very good story -- not a very actioney story like most Bionicle stories seem to fall into but very enjoyable for its psychology and tough decisions. Reminded me of LOST's Jacob a bit in places.

The Destiny of Bionicle (chronological retelling of Bionicle original series, 9 PDFs of 10 chapters each on Google Drive)Part 1 - Warring with Fate | Part 2 - Year of Change | Part 3 - The Exploration Trap | Part 4 - Rise of the Warlords | Part 5 - A Busy Matoran | Part 6 - The Dark Time | Part 7 - Proving Grounds | Part 8 - A Rude Awakening | Part 9 - The Battle of Giants

My Bionicle Fanfiction  (Google Drive folder, eventually planned to have PDFs of all of it)

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The following comes from an authorized Contest Judge: No inaccuracies or errors were found in your entry. Unless another judge or member finds a problem later, your entry is likely to go on to the polls.Proofread this already by PM; skimming now looks good. I did see one grammar thing (debatable) you must have missed:I never saw the point of the pointless bickering"Point" twice is redundant. I'd cut "pointless".Also there were a couple of paragraphs near the middle that were "indented" by spaces at the beginning unlike the rest.
Oh wow, I did miss that.I corrected everything you mentioned.
Other than that, all good! And a very good story -- not a very actioney story like most Bionicle stories seem to fall into but very enjoyable for its psychology and tough decisions. Reminded me of LOST's Jacob a bit in places.
Thanks bonesii, that's what I was going for. :)I'll have to look up what you said on LOST, seeing as I've never watched it (I have heard about it a lot, though.)

toakopaka.png
Credit goes to Linus Van Pelt (Formerly known as Cherixon) and Spectral Avohkii Enterprises

My Memoirs of the Dead entry, Reflectons:

http://www.bzpower.com/board/index.php?showtopic=7351

 

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The following comes from an authorized Contest Judge: No inaccuracies or errors were found in your entry. Unless another judge or member finds a problem later, your entry is likely to go on to the polls.And do pretty dang good there too! I really liked this story, and the way Ihu is portrayed. We obviously don't know much about him, but you catch the character of someone who would be Nuju's mentor very well.You also tie together the various anecdotes from Ihu's life neatly as well.I didn't see any grammar/spelling mistakes that the other two didn't catch, so you're good there.

"So I'm TL now?"

"Yeah, 'cuz if we said it the other way it'd have to be TLhiKHAAN!!"

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I'll have to look up what you said on LOST, seeing as I've never watched it (I have heard about it a lot, though.)
Interesting. I thought maybe it was an intentional allusion. The episode I'm mainly thinking of is Ab Aeterno, Richard's flashback, in the final season. Jacob also uses a container of liquid to make an analogy, and drags someone towards something that could be deadly to make a point. Anywho.

The Destiny of Bionicle (chronological retelling of Bionicle original series, 9 PDFs of 10 chapters each on Google Drive)Part 1 - Warring with Fate | Part 2 - Year of Change | Part 3 - The Exploration Trap | Part 4 - Rise of the Warlords | Part 5 - A Busy Matoran | Part 6 - The Dark Time | Part 7 - Proving Grounds | Part 8 - A Rude Awakening | Part 9 - The Battle of Giants

My Bionicle Fanfiction  (Google Drive folder, eventually planned to have PDFs of all of it)

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I'll have to look up what you said on LOST, seeing as I've never watched it (I have heard about it a lot, though.)
Interesting. I thought maybe it was an intentional allusion. The episode I'm mainly thinking of is Ab Aeterno, Richard's flashback, in the final season. Jacob also uses a container of liquid to make an analogy, and drags someone towards something that could be deadly to make a point. Anywho.
Wow...that's a pretty cool coincidence!

toakopaka.png
Credit goes to Linus Van Pelt (Formerly known as Cherixon) and Spectral Avohkii Enterprises

My Memoirs of the Dead entry, Reflectons:

http://www.bzpower.com/board/index.php?showtopic=7351

 

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The following comes from an authorized Contest Judge: No inaccuracies or errors were found in your entry. Unless another judge or member finds a problem later, your entry is likely to go on to the polls.Nice story, I liked how Ihu's personality was portrayed - he was cold-headed, deciding not to attack Ehyre, yet he wasn't as much of a loner as it could be though, trying to strengthen his bonds with Nuju.I couldn't find any contradictions with canon, although I saw something that I'm not completely sure about:

She ran past me, going to wherever she needed to go. I watched her go until she vanished from my sights
Although I'm not sure, I think that it should say: "she vanished from my sight", not sights. Otherwise it sounds like Ihu is aiming down the sights of a weapon. It may be just me, so it would be better to recieve clarification from a native english speaker.

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I couldn't find any contradictions with canon, although I saw something that I'm not completely sure about:
She ran past me, going to wherever she needed to go. I watched her go until she vanished from my sights
Although I'm not sure, I think that it should say: "she vanished from my sight", not sights. Otherwise it sounds like Ihu is aiming down the sights of a weapon. It may be just me, so it would be better to recieve clarification from a native english speaker.
Yes, it should be edited. Good catch.
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I couldn't find any contradictions with canon, although I saw something that I'm not completely sure about:
She ran past me, going to wherever she needed to go. I watched her go until she vanished from my sights
Although I'm not sure, I think that it should say: "she vanished from my sight", not sights. Otherwise it sounds like Ihu is aiming down the sights of a weapon. It may be just me, so it would be better to recieve clarification from a native english speaker.
Yes, it should be edited. Good catch.
Alright, thanks, I took care of it.

toakopaka.png
Credit goes to Linus Van Pelt (Formerly known as Cherixon) and Spectral Avohkii Enterprises

My Memoirs of the Dead entry, Reflectons:

http://www.bzpower.com/board/index.php?showtopic=7351

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Wow, I really liked that. We got a great inside look into the Knowledge Towers, although I never thought I'd see a Ko-Matoran yell. :) I hope my entry will be as great as yours!And just two spelling errors I caught:

Nuju looked at me, the corner of his lips turned upwards slightly. “I never forgot about the encounter with the Ga-Matoran you’ve told me about so many times. You never told me what you realized over the years. This is it, right? This is what you wanted me to understand, how our lives are connected to the Three Virtues.”I laughed then, full of pride and affection for Nuju, the student to whom I devoted so much time and effort. He had understood what I had wanted him to know for a while; I knew, though, that it would’ve been best for him to figure things out on his own.“Let’s go, Nuju,” I said, gesturing to the ground far below. He nodded and followed me down into the Knowledge Tower back to solid land.
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Wow, I really liked that. We got a great inside look into the Knowledge Towers, although I never thought I'd see a Ko-Matoran yell. :) I hope my entry will be as great as yours!And just two spelling errors I caught:
Nuju looked at me, the corner of his lips turned upwards slightly. “I never forgot about the encounter with the Ga-Matoran you’ve told me about so many times. You never told me what you realized over the years. This is it, right? This is what you wanted me to understand, how our lives are connected to the Three Virtues.”I laughed then, full of pride and affection for Nuju, the student to whom I devoted so much time and effort. He had understood what I had wanted him to know for a while; I knew, though, that it would’ve been best for him to figure things out on his own.“Let’s go, Nuju,” I said, gesturing to the ground far below. He nodded and followed me down into the Knowledge Tower back to solid land.
Thanks! :) I fixed what you pointed out.

toakopaka.png
Credit goes to Linus Van Pelt (Formerly known as Cherixon) and Spectral Avohkii Enterprises

My Memoirs of the Dead entry, Reflectons:

http://www.bzpower.com/board/index.php?showtopic=7351

 

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  • 2 years later...

Did some revisions. What I changed is written in bold. Here are my edits: 

 

in the unlikely case anyone does

Changed “anyone” to “someone.”

 

positively barren and boring

Removed “barren and”

 

one that would change my life

Added “forever” to the end of the sentence.

 

She ran past me, going to wherever she needed to go

Changed “going” to “leaving.

 

the whole city would be affected drastically

Changed “be affected drastically” to “cease to function properly.”

 

This realization amazed me, and helped me gain a new understanding of life.

Changed “helped me gain a new understanding of life” to “gave me a new perspective on the nature of life itself.”

 

It was necessary to make use of past experience in predictions.

Added “of the future” to the end.

 

 when a sudden, complete and utter silence cloaked the room

Removed “complete” and a coma.

 

into utter silence

Changed “utter” to “complete.”

 

 mine." The ones I’ve

Moved the quotation marks to where they should be.

 

 

Edit: A few more edits.

 

cold and calculated counter-argument.

Changed to “calm, calculated.”

 

despite my top position as a scholar and seer

Removed all of that.

 

the special compartment built

Changed “the” to “a.”

 

that was accessed

Changed “accessed” to “accessible.”

 

I found it interesting

Changed “interesting” to “curious.”

 

was taking hold of me

Changed to “took hold of me.”

 

perspective on life

Changed to “view on life”

 

strong anger

Changed to “a fiery rage”

 

Usually completely silent

Changed to “usually soundless”

 

calm and controlled

Changed to “calm and composed”

 

The room was once again plunged into complete silence. The air felt so heavy I was sure it could be cut with a sharp blade.

Changed to “The chamber was once again plunged into complete silence, the air so heavy I was sure it could be cut through with a knife.

 

I looked up into the eyes of my mentor. I read the question in his eyes and answered it before he could open his mouth to speak. “I didn’t steal them,” I said silently. My teacher looked into my eyes for a few long moments. I caught his gaze and held it. Finally he turned away from me.

Changed to

I looked up into the eyes of my mentor, answering the question in his before he could open his mouth to speak. 

 

“I didn’t steal them." 

 

He held my gaze for a few long moments, before finally turning away from me.

 

as silent as a Muaka

Changed to “as noiseless as a Muaka”

 

The reason I had been accused in the first place was due to the sage finding my carving stone next to a special compartment built into the side of one Towers he had used to store the tablets for just a day until he found a good spot for them in the libraries of the Knowledge Towers.

Changed to

The reason I had been accused in the first place was due to the sage finding my carving stone next to a special compartment built into the side of a certain Tower. He had been using it to store the tablets for just a day until he found a good spot for them in the libraries.

 

 

 

“Which doesn’t explain why you needed to frame me,” I growled, taking a step closer to Ehrye, who shrank away from the bright light emitting from the lightstone I held.Ehrye gulped nervously. “Oh yes.. about that… well.. er… I found your carving stone, and I was planning to return it to you, but.. er…”

Changed to

“Which doesn’t explain why you needed to frame me,” I growled, taking a step closer to Ehrye, who shrank away from the bright light emitting from my lightstone.

 

Ehrye gulped nervously. “Oh yes.. about that… well.. er… I found your carving stone, and I was planning to return it to you, but.. er…”

 

Ehyre’s face distorted in anger. “Yes!” he retorted angrily. “It wasn’t fair, that I, who-”

Changed to “Ehyre’s face twisted in anger. “Yes!” he retorted bitterly. “It wasn’t fair, that I, who-”

 

 Maybe the sight of Ehrye cowering, pleading with me not to turn him in, invoked pity within me. 

Changed to “begging me not to report him

 

wanted from life

Changed to “wanted from it”

 

Updated the word count. I'm planning to edit a few more bits later.

Edited by toa kopaka4372

toakopaka.png
Credit goes to Linus Van Pelt (Formerly known as Cherixon) and Spectral Avohkii Enterprises

My Memoirs of the Dead entry, Reflectons:

http://www.bzpower.com/board/index.php?showtopic=7351

 

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Just realized I forgot to mention that I saw these edits and they look fine. Note, re: last line in the above post, editing is now closed, sorry.

The Destiny of Bionicle (chronological retelling of Bionicle original series, 9 PDFs of 10 chapters each on Google Drive)Part 1 - Warring with Fate | Part 2 - Year of Change | Part 3 - The Exploration Trap | Part 4 - Rise of the Warlords | Part 5 - A Busy Matoran | Part 6 - The Dark Time | Part 7 - Proving Grounds | Part 8 - A Rude Awakening | Part 9 - The Battle of Giants

My Bionicle Fanfiction  (Google Drive folder, eventually planned to have PDFs of all of it)

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