Chapter 1

Ta- Koro

Vakama sat, waiting. Takua walked in." You wanted me, Vakama?" he said. " Yes, I did, Chronicler. I have very important buisness to talk to you about. So important, in fact, that the fate of Mata Nui rests upon it, " Vakama said calmly, as if this were casual conversation. " Yes?" said Takua anxiously. "My Firestaff is going out. That could only mean one thing. The final battle is coming, the battle in which no one wins, and Mata Nui crumbles into the ocean." Vakama had lost his air of calmness, and had to take several deep breaths before continuing. " I fear Makuta is coming back."

Chapter 2 Coming soon!

Merry Christmas!

Chapter 2

The depths of Kini- Nui

Makuta prepared himself for the plunge. He had been nursing his health with his remaining strength with his remaining infected masks. Now, he was about to break through the white shield before him, made after he had been defeated by the Toa. He took a deep breath, and jumped. He tore through the shleid, nearly being stripped of his body. He tore through the ground, breaking through the Bahrag's protodermis cage. He finally landed in his old lair, finally on ground again. He had been dipped in protodermis as a result of breaking through the Bahrag's cage. He now carefully inspected each mottled limb, each uglier than the last.
And then he laughed.

Merry Christmas again!



This post has been edited by Muaka's Wrath: Feb 9 2003, 11:22 AM

Chapter 3

Ko- Koro

Niji stood by a thick sheet of ice that covered a large pit, a pit of Krana. He and Mona, another Matoran, were stuck here, guarding this pit. Niji sighed. Why did he have to be here? It was not that he disliked his job. No, it was a job of great importance. He was proud to be guarding this pit. It was just that after a while, his job got a little... dull. He wished he had a little excitement... wait. There was a hairline crack in the ice barely noticable. Then another crack, this time a little bit larger than the other. Then more cracks, each larger the the last. Behind him, the Kohrok behind him that had been repairing the village suddlenly stopped working, even when prodded by heat stones. Now, there was a large crack in the ice behind him, and the ice started to shatter and fall into the pit. " Run," Niji whispered to Mona. "RUN!" he now yelled to the village. But it was too late. The ice shattered, and the Krana flew out of the pit like a swarm of bees. They made straight for the Matoran, Krana'ing all in their path.
Niji had gotten the excitement he had wanted.

This post has been edited by Muaka's Wrath: Feb 9 2003, 11:23 AM

Chapter 4

Ta- Koro

"You must leave," said Vakama. "If you stay, you may put Ta- Koro in danger! The entrance to Kini- Nui will be guarded. You must find another way!" "Where?" said Takua. "Where is another entrance to Kini- Nui?" "There is a small, unknown island to the north of Mata Nui. There, you will find a tunnel to Kini- Nui. But there is no time for talking. Run! RUN!" Takua hurredly ran out the door, Vakama's words still echoing in his mind.
Then Vakama sat and thought.

Chapter 5

Makuta's lair

Makuta's plan was working. Soon, he would make the world a lifeless void: himself. He would make the Bahrag infected, controlling the Krana and in turn the Bohrok. But the largest part of the plan was the Shadow Toa. As he thought, the Shadow Toa were being dipped in Protodermis. Using the Shadow Toa, he could destroy the Toa Nuva. Then nothing could stop him. Nothing. But it was time to call the Shadow Toa out of the Protodermis. "Shadow Toa," he said. "Come out!" The shadow Toa emerged, dripping in Protodermis. " I will call you: the Rahkshi!"

Chapter 6

Ko- Wahi

Hewkii ran from Ko- Koro, sobbing. All the other villagers had been Krana'd, and with the help of the Kohrok, they were destroying what they had rebuilt. She collected herself and thought about it in a calm manner. How could this have happened? The Krana were peaceful, now that the Bahrag were defeated... wait a minute. The Bahrag were trapped. Just trapped. If the Bahrag had broken free of the cage... oh no. She had to tell Nuju. No, Nuju had been Krana'd. Ta-koro was close. She'd tell Vakama instead. Well then, she'd better be off. Vakama would know what to do. Hopefully.

This post has been edited by Muaka's Wrath: Feb 9 2003, 11:24 AM

Chapter 7

The Burnt Forest

Takua was tired. As important as this was, he couldn't help but to sit down for a minute or two. Maybe he could close his eyes... just for a little bit... Takua awoke to the sound of fierce growling. What time is it? he thought. Suddenly, what time it was became the least of his worries. Directly over him was a Graakar, also known as an Ash Bear, and he looked... well, he looked okay, except his eyes. There was something about his eyes that was just kind of ... well, downright evil. He had to relax... No way. He reached for his disk, ready to strike. Suddenly the Graakar roared and fell on his side. Standing next to the Graakar was a Tohunga sitting on a Muaka. Only one thing went through Takua's mind: was he friend or foe?

Sorry this chapter took so long!

Chapter 8

The Time Before Time

This is from the memories of Vakama, the Turaga of Fire.

In the time before time, Mata Nui was alone, all alone. He wanted some company. So, he created the Bahrag, pouring into them his elemental powers. And for a good amount of time, he was happy. But after a while, Mata Nui got lonely again. He kept his feelings bottled up, however, for he was afraid he might insult the Bahrag.
Then came Makuta.
Makuta could feel his bother's feelings. He sensed the want for company. He sweet- talked Mata Nui to create a great island in secret, an island he could make islanders on. And so finally, Mata Nui made the island. Then Makuta wnt to the Bahrag. "He doesn't like you anymore. He even made it in secret! You cannot trust him. You must go to war with him!" Little by little, Makuta poisoned the minds of the Bahrag. Soon, a great war was held. Mata Nui defeated Makuta and the Bahrag, driving them into the dark underground. Mata Nui knew Makuta would strike back, and so he created the Toa, pouring the last of his elemental powers into them. If Mata Nui ever was defeated, the Toa would come and stop the evil. After that, Vakama's memories became a blur.
Only one person knew what happened next.
Makuta.
And he wasn't telling.

Chapter 9

The entrance to Ta- Koro

Hewkii arrived at the gates of Ta- Koro panting. It had been a long run, but it would all be worth it to just be able to tell someone about her troubles, so they could save Ko- Koro... but the usally busy Koro was strangelly quiet, almost as if no one was there... the bridge was down, so she walked across, wondering what could have happened. As she entered Vakama's hut, she let out a cry of alarm. There wasn't anyone there! She ran to the other hutches, all empty. Gone! But where were they? Matoran did not just disappear. Where could they be? What could be going on? How could... wait. For the first time, she noticed the presence of something else. Or was it someone? She feared she was about to find... a huge red being, the exact size of a Toa. It charged towards her, it's double sided spear pointed at her. "OUT!" Hewkii cried, finishing her thought out loud, but not realizing it until later. Tahu Nuva charged from the entrance, just now seeing his empty village. He ran into the side of the Rahkshi, making it and himself crash to the ground. Tahu Nuva sent out a burst of flame, but the Rahkshi seemed to have an invisible sheild against the flames. Tahu Nuva charged again, but this time, he suddenly stopped in mid-charge. The Rahkshi said some strange words, and the Rahkshi's back opened up. Tahu Nuva groaned, and stumbled towards the Rahkshi's back and climbed in. The Rahkshi's back closed, sealing Tahu Nuva inside. Suddenly, the Rahkshi seemed to be melting; his body needed more power to handle his new elemental powers he had gotten from Tahu Nuva. Only one thought crossed Hewkii's mind: run. And so she ran, leaving Ta- Koro behind her.

This post has been edited by Muaka's Wrath: Feb 9 2003, 11:24 AM

I'd like to thank GaliGee for putting all the posts not in the story in the review topic, which link is in my sig. but if you think it'll be a hassle, there's another link here and here and here. I will report anyone who posts here.

Chapter 10

The Burnt Forest

The Muaka lunged at Takua, hitting him in the right shoulder and knocking him to the ground. As Takua hit the ground, the question he had had earlier was answered: this Matoran was definately foe. The Matoran hit Takua with his disk, this time in the torso. Takua now saw two very different things about the Matoran. First of all, he was black. Not night black, but dark-grayish black. And the other thing was his or her eyes. They had the same look as the Graakar, that same evil look. Takua was now hit by another disk, this time in the right arm, sending jolts of pain down it. He couldn't hold off much longer. But who could save him?

woah............thats alot of posts!anyway,good story

The brown and dirty, I said not to post in my story! I am very angry...

Chaper 11

Le- Wahi

Hewkii ran from Ta- Koro, sobbing. Through her tears, she smiled. Deja vu. She calmed herself down, thoughts flooding her mind. What had she been thinking? All she could remember feeling was fear, complete fear. What was that thing that had taken Tahu? And where was she? She looked around her, trying to remember any landmarks around her. But as she looked, the landscape seemed to be melting! She tried to run forwards, but she was slowed down by the sticky mush. What could have made this swamp?

She didn't realize how close she was to the answer.

Brr... I'm giving myself chills...

This post has been edited by Muaka's Wrath: Feb 19 2003, 07:38 PM

Chapter 12

The Burnt Forest

Two disks flew out of nowhere. The Muaka roared and turned around, looking for the disk thrower. Two more flew out of the treetops, these hitting the Matoran. Several more disks flew at the Matoran and Muaka, hitting hard and true. The Muaka let out one final roar, and ran off. Jala and about 1/4 of the Guard came out of their hiding places, some in the treetops, some on the ground. Takua's jaw hung open. " How- why- what are you doing here?" exclaimed Takua. Jala looked around sheepishly. " Well, I heard about your quest, and I thought you would need protection, and so-" " I don't need your help." said Takua coldly. "Why are you so high- strung? It's not like following you makes me a criminal," said Jala. " It does in my boo- what did you say about hearing about my quest?" Jala shrugged. "It was the big news in the city. Why should it matter?" " It means you need to come with me," said Takua. " Just Jala," he said as the Guard moved forwards. " We've got a mask to find."

Chapter 13

Le- Wahi
Hewkii was scared. Who wouldn't be? Stuck in the middle of a swamp, not knowing where she was, knowing that monsters could be anywhere... that's definately basis to be scared. But back on track.
A squishing sound came from behind her.
Hewkii slowly turned around. There, in the middle of the melting landscape, was a green monster (later, it was labeled "Lehrak" by the villagers).
Hewkii stared in stunned silence, and then did two very sensible things.
She screamed and ran.

Chapter 14

Outskirts of Kini- Nui

Takua was thirsty. He and Jala had left the oceanside 3 days ago, (a week Earth time) and they had run out of water yesterday (about 2 1/2 Earth days). Now, he would do nearly anything for a drop of water. To take his mind off his worries, he thought about Jala. Why had he taken him on the trip? Protection. Eventually, word would get around the island- and quite possibly to Makuta. Anyways, Jala was a great companion. Cpme to think of it, why had he not wanted Jala to come in the beginning, right after when Jala saved him from the Graakar? Chills were sent down his back. But not because of his thoughts.
It was because he had just walked into a Graakar.

Gee, my epic is really popular But I'll finish it anyways... even if only for myself.

Chapter 15

Le- Wahi

The Rahkshi was closing in on Hewkii. Goodbye, Mata Nui, she thought. Goodbye, friends. The monster was going to catch her, and then... she shuddered to think about it. If only I had taken those running lessons, she thought. If only she had a Miru instead of a stupid Hau... that's it! She could use her Hau to stop it! She turned and activated her Hau. " You can come no closer, beast!" she cried from her blue bubble. Lehrahk stopped for a moment, seemed to think, and then stabbed through it with its staff. Hewkii groaned, as she felt the energy draining from her. She could have sworn it smiled at her, and then the Rahkshi charged at her, sharp end of its staff pointed at her. She knew it would be over in a few minutes, and so she readied herself... and was swept up into the air by a Kahu manned by Kongu. The Rahkshi tried to stop itself, but crashed into a melting tree. "Yeah, taka that for destroying treebright Le- Koro!" Kongu cried. "Where are we going?" asked Hewkii. " Ga- Koro. Bigo meeting there. Me going there to showa for Le- Koro,"said Kongu. Hewkii would have asked more, but before she knew it, she was asleep.

This post has been edited by Muaka's Wrath: May 10 2003, 09:27 AM

Your story is extremely x 10000000000000000000 cool

Taka, that's spam. You were a newbie when you posted, but watch out: make sure all your posts are 10 or more words, or you'll be in major trouble at BZPower! Also, please post in the reply topic next time.

Chapter 16

Kini- Nui

Graakars are no ordinary bears. They are covered in a thick black armor, with the only weak spot their eyes. Also, they have a very painful bite, so you can only imagine what Takua felt when the graakar bit through his arm. But most impotantly, graakars have a type of chemical in their teeth that makes the foe want to get away, as a defense. But that's not Takua did. No, Takua ran away. He passed Kini- Nui, the graakar right on his heels. Jala was just ahead of him, being the stronger and faster of the two. "To Ga- Koro!" shouted Jala. "I know the way!" So on they ran, two Matoran and one graakar, and all hoping the other would tire before them.

This post has been edited by Muaka's Wrath: Jul 12 2003, 11:26 AM

cool

Dark Archon, one- word posts are strictly prohibited. And next time, please post in the reply topic!

Chapter 17

Ga- Koro

Hewkii woke up just as Kongu's Kewa bird landed. " Huh? What is the meeting about and why where you so mad at the monster and why weren't you so at Le- Koro and- " "Shh," Kongu said, putting his hand over Hewkii's mouth. " All will be explained at the meeting." Hewkii followed Kongu in silence towards the center of Ga- Koro, her mind still exploding with questions.

* * *

Hewkii sat, waiting for the meeting to begin. Members from every village were seated in a large circle. Just outside the circle stood Pohatu Nuva, Onua Nuva, and Gali Nuva. In the center of the circle sat four Turaga, Nokama, Onewa, Whenua, and Vakama. She wondered where Lewa Nuva and Matau were. Might it be connected to the monster and why Kongu was mad at it? And what had happened to Kopaka Nuva? Was he captured by the villagers and the Kohrok swarm? Her thoughts were interupted whenever Nokama said," Now that I believe everyone is here, let's- " At that moment, Jala ran up to the gate and began screaming," OPEN UP! OPEN UP!" at the top of his lungs. But everyone was too stunned to move. Takua ran up beside him, screaming, "LISTEN TO HIM! LISTEN TO HIM!" Macku got up and scurried to open the gate. As soon as the gate was halfway open, Jala and Takua rushed in, knocking Macku over. Jala shut the gate, and just in time. The Graakar ran full speed ahead, snarling. The Graakar ran into the gate, head first. It walked away, whimpering and moaning. " Takua looked around, noticing all the Matoran for the first time." Hope we didn't interrupt anything important," he said nervously. "Oh, no, Takua, just quite possibly the most important meeting ever to occur on Mata Nui!" Nokama half- said, half- shouted. "Oh, well then that's all right." Takua said, plopping down on the lily pad. Nokama shook her head, muttering something about "that Matoran, always getting in some sort of trouble, and the meeting began.
I will be gone for three weeks on vacation, so this chapter may be my last for a little bit. But I'll be back!

I'm baaaack!

Chapter 18

Ga- Koro

"Now that everyone is here," said Nokama, throwing a frosty glare at Takua and Jala, who were still blissfully oblivious to Nokama's anger, "I believe we can get started. Many people have come, and many questions need to be answered. There are four people here who can answer those questions. Hewkii, I believe you have a story to tell us?" Hewkii slowly rose and walked to the center of the lilypad, standing next to Whenua. Everyone stared at her, waiting. "Well, it all started with the Krana pit." Hewkii began. She recounted her tale as accurately as she could, not wanting to leave any details out, as they could be vital to the story. When she reached the part where the Lerahk crashed through her Hau's sheild, Vakama grunted and someone let out a high pitched scream. When she finished her tale, Vakama rose. "Thank you, Hewkii. Your tale has given us undeniable proof that the Bahrag queens have been freed and are most likely working for Makuta. It also explains the absence of Tahu Nuva, Nuju, and gives us a reason to believe Kopaka Nuva was probably taken prisoner by Kohrok and the Ko- Matorans. And it also shows us that the power of the Rahkshi is far greater than anyone thought. No Matoran or Turaga, with the possible exception of myself, is safe while these beasts prowl the island. You may sit now, Hewkii. And now, Nokama, may I tell of the things that have happened to me?" Nokama nodded, and Vakama began his own tale. "My tale begins in Ta- Koro. I was out and about, about to go to Onu- Koro to talk about the Ta- Koro- Onu- Koro dividing line, which has been of increasing concern. I was about to leave when our village was attacked by Kraata." " You were attacked by Whaata?" Takua asked. "Kraata; they are slug- like creatures that infect masks, and they are actually part of Makuta." Vakama explained. "My Guard tried to fend them off, and they did a good job of it. But then, a different type of Kraata came. It infected my Guard from afar, and none of them ever had a chance. They took me prisoner to Kini- Nui, not infecting me, for Makuta might damage the knowledge I had, which he had surely attacked the village for. I was put in a cell guarded by Kofo- Jaga. I seized my chance as soon as possible. I used my Huna to turn invisible, making the Kofo- Jaga think I had escaped. When they went to tell Makuta, I then did escape. I simply waltzed out, running into no problems. And here I am today." said Vakama. "Thank you, Vakama. Kongu, could you please tell us about your happenings?" Kongu walked to the center of the lilypad and told his tale in Le- Koro slang. " Treebright Le- Koro happy, no knowing of great dangers below. Suddenly, Le- Koro tree starts melting! I tell me 'Tree not melt! Trees can't melt!' But it did melt! Instead of high- tree, Le- Koro low- tree! Makuta beast and nasty Kraata worms wait at bottom. Everyone become Makuta Matoran except me, who flies away on Kewa bird. Then I save Hewkii from Makuta beast, and fly over here. And that the end!" With that abrupt ending, Kongu turned and sat down. "Thank you, Kongu. Your tale explains why Lewa- Nuva and Matau are not here. Only one question remains: what are we going to do about this? Takua, will you please step forward?" Takua stood, not knowing quite what to say. Finally, he said, "I have come to seek the Mask of Light." A murmur rose through the crowds. "Yes, he is seeking the Mask of Light. And he will not go alone; one Matoran from each village will accompany him." Vakama said. "Obviously, Hewkii, Jala, and Kongu will go, as they are the only ones from their village. Each of the Turaga will now pick a member of their village to accompany Takua. Nokama?" Nokama rose. "I choose Kotu to accompany Takua." She said loudly. Kotu nodded from her seat. Whenua stood. "I choose Onepu to accompany Takua." Onepu simply sat, unsurprised. Huki leaned forward expectantly. Onewa rose. "I choose someone who may have more to him than anyone might expect. I choose Wach to accompany Takua." A small Matoran who had gone through the meeting virtually unnoticed looked up, amazed to be accomponying Takua. "Thank you for your time." Vakama said. "The meeting is now over." Takua walked over to Hewkii. "Hewkii! It's been ages since I've seen you. Literally. Anyways, try not to tell your story so vividly next time. It might make Jala scream again." Jala turned, blushing under his mask. "Better get to bed. We've got to go out early tomorrow." They all went to their complimentary huts, even though none of them would sleep that night.

This post has been edited by Muaka's Wrath: Jul 11 2003, 05:10 PM

woaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh great story I love it wowwwwwwwwwww so good wowwwwwwwwwww

Cool story. The chapters are short, but there are a lot of them, so it's all good. Keep it up!!!

18!? CHAPTERS!? ALREADY!?!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, I'm getting fans! But next time, please post in the reply topic...

Chapter 19

The Ruins

Onepu gave a small sigh of relief. They had been hiking over mountains for too long. He had lost track of the days. All he knew was it had been too long. This was where he belonged. In this small cave where they were resting for the night was a memory of the home he had in Onu- Koro. He would savor this moment, a high point of this journey. Onepu gently drifted to sleep, thinking of the home he loved.

* * *

Onepu woke up last of all the adventurers. "Come ON, Onepu! Hewkii shouted. Onepu grunted and got off his bed of soft palm- like leaves. He staggered out of his bed... in precisely the wrong direction. "Onepu, you're going to hit the-" CRASH! "-wall." Hewkii finished. "Ohhh..." Onepu groaned. "Onepu! You okay?" Jala rushed over to Onepu's moaning form. "Hel-lo, what's this?" Right next to where Onepu was lying was a small hole drilled into the cave wall. It was just big enough for a Matoran to get through. "Wonder where that leads?" Jala wondered. Kotu ran over. "Hey, what's going... on?" The adventurers all gathered around the hole. "I say we see where it goes," Onepu said flatly. "It looks like a shortcut and I will not hike up another mountain." "And I will not go through a tiny tunnel teeming with monsters." said Jala. "Let's take a vote. All in favor of taking the tunnel?" Takua asked. Takua, Hewkii, Onepu, Wach, and Kotu all raised their hands. “Sorry, Jala,” Hewkii said with only the tiniest bit of sympathy in her voice. “Onepu, get out your lightstone.” Kongu shivered nervously. “Not like dark, slimy, wormy tunnel,” he said. “Too bad,” Onepu said, and he slipped into the tunnel, clutching his lightstone. Wach followed Onepu, then Hewkii, then Kotu. Finally, with a shrug, Takua went in after them. Kongu, with a small amount of whimpering, followed suit. Jala took a deep breath, and then climbed into the tunnel. Instantly he was plunged into darkness. They went down for what seemed like forever (Jala got stuck once and Kongu got stuck twice), when they finally emerged in to a large hall. “What is this place?” Jala breathed. The large room was lit only by one large, flickering torch, at the top of a great staircase, casting dark shadows on the walls. “It’s a temple.” Takua said, amazed. “How do you know?” Onepu asked. “I don’t know. I just… do.” Takua said wondering what had come over him. “I wonder what the stairs lead to?” Hewkii wondered. “I’m going to find out,” Jala declared, running up the steps. “Jala! Wait!” Hewkii called, chasing him. At the top of the stairs, there was a small platform with a medium sized object on it. “It’s just a book,” Jala said, disappointed. He went up to the book, and began to read from it. “Amun shi, kuna hwori, doqu tainti punr wik,” he read, his voice changing into a voice not unlike a snake’s. A whirlwind grew around him, knocking down giant pillars around him. “Jala! Stop!” Takua yelled, trying to make his voice heard over the raging winds. But Jala didn’t hear him. He couldn’t. He was in a trance. He had to keep reading the book. He must. “Kintu max, liw ture-” “JALA!” Hewkii screamed, yanking him from the book. But it was far, far too late for that. Pillars were falling everywhere, huge chunks of the ceiling were falling, and where the ceiling had fallen, gargantuan clumps of dirt had fallen. “The doorway!” Takua yelled. There was a small opening in the wall, but a pillar had already begun to crack and fall towards the opening. Hearts racing, the adventurers ran towards the door. This was it: a possibly final race against time. The pillar would fall over the doorway in a matter on seconds, with the adventurers mere feet away. Takua and five of his companions made it through the doorway just as the pillar was feet away from the top of the doorway. Takua spun around. “Hewkii!” he cried. But the pillar had already begun covering the doorway. With only milliseconds to spare, Hewkii curled into a ball and rolled through the small opening. With an enormous THUD, the pillar crashed into place, sealing them in. “You okay, Hewkii?” Takua asked. “Just a little shaken up.” Hewkii gasped. “Is there any way out, Onepu?” Takua asked. “Nope,” said Onepu gloomily. “I think we have to make one ourselves. At least it’s only packed dirt and soft- rock walls.” “Then I suggest you start moving. At least we’re-“ Takua was cut off suddenly when he saw something. The fools… trapped inside there. Once I find the weak point… and there it is… it will only be a matter of time before the pillar shatters, and then the stupid Matoran would be sitting ducks… pointed his staff at the weak spot, and- “Takua!” Onepu yelled. Takua’s face was white beneath his mask. “They’re here.” Takua said. “What?” Onepu said confused. Takua turned to him and with a small smile without mirth said, “I suggest you start digging.” BOOM! The walls shook and dirt fell. “Start digging!” Onepu yelled, as if they needed to be told. BOOM! They all dug BOOM! frantically. Finally, BOOM! after several more minutes and booms, they saw a small beam of light. “The surface!” Hewkii yelled. Unfortunantly, as they came out of the cave, Guurahk and Panrahk came in. “Run for it!” Takua yelled. “Whoa!” Kotu yelled. There was a fissure about five feet wide with a river at the bottom, looking just like a tiny blue line. They had no choice but to jump across. Kongu went first, jumping across with ease. Next went Onepu, closing his eyes before he barely made it across. Just as Kotu was about to jump, Guurahk let loose a blast from his staff. It knocked out a large chunk of the ground Kotu was standing on, and it knocked it into the fissure… along with Kotu. “NO!” Onepu yelled. But Kotu had already disappeared. Jala turned to the Rahkshi, face burning with rage. “You… will…. pay.” And with that, he threw two discs, each hitting a Rahkshi squarely on the head. They both fell, out cold. “I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it.” Takua said. “We’ve got to move on.” Jala said. Jala, Hewkii, and Takua all jumped across the fissure with ease. “Hey, I’ve found something!” Onepu said. “It’s the passage to Kini- Nui!” Takua exclaimed. “If we want to find the mask in time, we must leave soon.” Jala said. “Then we will leave at dawn.” Takua said. “We’re going to find that mask for not only for Mata Nui, but for Kotu too. We’ll find that mask if it’s the last thing we do.”

Chapter 20

Ga- Koro

Vakama stood at the edge of a lily pad with Onewa and Nokama. He stared through the mist, looking hard for something. There was a long silence, the Ga- and Po- Matoran were silent, sitting in a circle with a large gap in it. The silence was broken by Onewa. "I see it!" he yelled. "I see it!" Vakama squinted. Through the mist, he could see a large form, black against the mist. He opened his eyes fully. There was a great ship, large and powerful, looming above them. They could see Onu- Matoran rowing, using long oars to reach the water. A large plank came from the front of the ship. Whenua walked out of it, followed by Taipu, then the rest of the Onu- Matoran. The Onu- Matoran sat in the gap left for them. "You called for another meeting, Vakama?" Whenua asked. "Yes, another rather vital one, I'm afraid." Vakama said with sadness in his voice. "Come." Vakama walked to the center of the circle, followed by the other Turaga. "Your attention, please." Vakama said, causing the chatter to stop. "You all know of the quest for the Mask of Light, I believe?" Several heads nodded and there was a murmur of agreement. "We believe that that quest is going fairly well, although we have no way to be certain of that. However, we need a diversion. A way to get Makuta out of his lair so the adventurers can get the mask. Something important. Something that will get his attention. Something that will need him personally. I have tried to find other options, but this is the only way I can see. We must go to direct war with Makuta." As the words came out of his mouth, there was an outcry. "Are you sure this is our only option?" said Nokama faintly. "Are you mad?" said Onewa angrily. There was an angry and confused roar from the Matoran, but Whenua stayed silent. "SILENCE!" Vakama yelled over the roar. The roar gruadually wound down until it was only a faint buzzing. "This is the only way! If all goes according to plan, Makuta will be defeated before we suffer serious damage." "And if not?" Onewa said, anger burning in his voice. "Then we will have met our defeat sooner than we would have." said Whenua. "Without Makuta out of his lair, we can't get the Mask of Light. Without the Mask of Light, we can't defeat Makuta. Without defeating Makuta, we will be defeated. I stand by Vakama." In a trembling voice, Nokama said,"If it's our only choice, I stand by Vakama." Onewa looked from Nokama to Whenua, waiting for support. When none came, he snapped, "Fine. Then so be it."

* * *

The march to Kini- Nui was long and tedious, so I will not bore you with the details. Whenever they arrived at Kini- Nui, nothing was there. "Makuta! We have come!' yelled Vakama in a booming voice. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then, slowly, silently, a few mixed types of Bohrok and Rahi trooped out of the underground temple of Kini- Nui, followed by Cahdok and Gahdok, both a sickly brown with dots of green- they were infected. They arranged themselves into two lines, Bohrok in front, then Rahi, and behind both lines were Cahdok and Gahdok. Then, suddenly, Makuta appeared behind all of his monsters. The corners of Vakama's mouth was twitching. "So! This is the ledgendary army of Makuta, here to destroy us all?" Vakama mocked. Makuta's mouth twisted into something horribly like a smile. "No." he said. "This is." As he said that, hundreds of Bohrok and Rahi sprang out of underground tunnels dug by Nuhvok. Finally, the Rahkshi came out, accompanied by several Kraata. There were many more lines made, uncountable amounts of lines. Both armies then stood still for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, a lone disk was thrown by a Po- Matoran, knocking a Bohrok down. There was a mighty roar as both armies clashed. The war had begun.

Chapter 21

The Tunnel

Takua woke up, still tired, to the crackle of a fire. The other five Matoran sat around it, stony- faced, the last day's events filling their minds. Takua had gotten quite enough sleep, but his sleep had been filled with a terrible, haunting nightmare, where he was at the end of the tunnel ahead, but where the Mask of Light should have been was Makuta's Kraakan, and it leered at him, transformed into the Bahrag, who laughed horrible laughs and said, "Mask of Light? There is no Mask of Light!" And then he was running away, running as fast as he could, but still hearing the Bahrag's pounding footsteps getting louder and louder... and then he was on the edge of the fissure, just standing there along with the rest of his compananions, including Kotu, with the Rahkshi and Makuta on the other side. Guurahk sent out a blast from his staff, knocking down the ground beneath Kotu and Kotu down with it. Takua tried to cry out, but he couldn't, he was frozen in time and space, and could only watch as Kongu fell, then Onepu, then Wach, then Hewkii, then Jala, and stared at Makuta, who said, "Ah, Takua. I will take care of you personally." Then Makuta made a slashing movement with his scythe, and then Takua woke up. Looking around, it seemed as if he was not the only one who had nightmares. He sat by the fire between Jala and Hewkii, but the fire seemed to have no warmth, and it left Takua as cold as ever. There was a long silence until Jala finally said in a hollow, depleted voice, "We'd better go through the tunnel now." Silently, they all stood up and numbly walked over to the beginning of the tunnel. They all stared down into the deep pit, black, which went straight down with no assurance of it ever ending. Wach spoke. "I should go down first, because if it doesn't end anywhere, you'll know it's the wrong tunnel." Jala gave a slight nod, and Wach slid down. Moments passed. Takua called down, "Are you all right?" He strained to hear Wach's response, which was faint and distant. "I'm all right. You can come down now." Jala slid down next, and then Kongu. Takua turned to Hewkii and Onepu. "Do you want to go first?" he asked. They both shook their heads. "We should probably stay here and guard the entrance to the to tunnel." Hewkii said. Takua nodded. "Then you should probably give me your lightstone," said Takua. Onepu handed him the lightstone and Takua slid down. It was a very long way down the tunnel, and the lightstone had an eerie glow as he moved. It gradually leveled out, and Takua slid out into a dark, damp room. Takua looked around. “Where are we?” he said in an awed voice. “We’ve got to be at least 10 kios below the island,” said Wach casually. “10 kios?” Takua said blankly. “How do you know?” “One of those things Po- and Onu- Matoran know.” said Wach with a shrug. Jala looked at the ceiling. “That’s not a stone ceiling,” said Jala with a slight squeak in his voice. “No, it isn’t, now, is it?” said Wach, a casual air still about him. “Remind me again how you came to be captain of the Guard?” Jala glared at Wach, and then said in a more confident voice (although there is no doubt that he was still afraid), “We’d better move on, because, uh…” “Yeeees?” said Wach. “Because time is valuable.” he finished lamely. “Right. Did it ever occur to you that we should be running into some terrible danger right now? Doesn’t it seem kind of suspicious?” said Wach. “Nah. Makuta probably never thought a Matoran would get this far. He probably-“ But Takua never finished his sentence, because Vorahk’s staff sliced through the ground where he would have been only seconds later. “Okay, it’s suspicious.” Takua said. They all began running, and the other Rahkshi staffs came through the ground, soon followed by the Rahkshi. “They’re gaining!” yelled Takua. And it was true. It wouldn’t be much longer before the Rahkshi came even with them. “Whoa!” said Takua. There was a huge chasm before them, looking at least as deep as the tunnel, although Takua was sure it wouldn’t level out so nicely. There was only a small, rickety rope bridge with four posts to get across. “We have to cross that?” Jala said. “Yes, and hurry!” said Wach. Jala got on safely, but when Wach got on too, a top rope snapped off on the other side. Jala looked back, concerned. “GO ON!” Takua roared. Jala moved on, making it to the other side safely. Kongu stepped on, and the rope beneath the rope that had snapped before snapped off on Jala’s side. Kongu, holding tight to the ropes, walked across. Takua was the only one on the wrong side, and the bridge wasn’t fit to walk across. “The chisel…” Takua murmured. He began leafing through his pack, and right as the Rahkshi were nearly upon him, he pulled out a Po- Koronan chisel and drove it through the two remaining ropes. He jumped on the bridge as it was falling, swinging almost safely to the other side. I say almost because there was a slight glitch in Takua’s plan: he was now dangling several feet below where he had wanted to be. He began climbing hurriedly. Panrahk was already attempting to blast apart the bridge, although his aim was not as true as it would have been in he hadn’t been so angry. A blast from Panrahk hit near the top of the bridge, shattering the stone wall. Takua gritted his teeth and moved on through the hailstorm of rocks and dust. He was near the top of the bridge when another blast from Panrahk grazed the right rope near the top. It wasn’t quite as effective a if he had hit his true target, but it still sliced through the rope. The rope fellbecause of Takua’s weight, and he still gripped the rope, just in case it would be of some help later. If there was a later. Without warning, the last rope snapped. Takua felt himself falling. He flung out his right hand, flinging the rope out with it. Jala caught it, stunned. “Pull!” yelled Wach. Jala pulled, and in a short amount out of time, Takua was at the top. “That’s why I’m Captain of the Guard,” said Jala. There was a narrow, rectangular opening, leading to unknown dangers. “Kongu stay here, guard bridge. Hardluck for Rahkbeasts- Kongu not letting past without fight!” said Kongu. “But-“ “No time to waste! Go!” said Kongu. Takua knew there was no point in arguing. He began running down the opening, closely followed by Jala and Wach. They came to a large room. “Oh, Mata Nui,” said Takua. The entire room was a pit, and the pit was filled with Kraata. “Oh, [explicative] it is more like it,” said Jala, looking over Takua’s shoulder. There was only a rotten, wooden rafter going across the pit, and it was to far to jump to. “I wonder…” murmured Wach. He took the rope and lightstone from Takua (although Takua might say it was more of a yank) and began tying the lightstone to the rope. Takua stared. “What-“ “Am I doing? This is what I’m doing.” said Wach. He began swinging the rope with near the end with the lightstone on it, faster and faster, until he finally let it go. It wrapped around the rafter, with the lightstone firmly anchored into the rafter. Wach gave the rope a sharp tug, and the rafter sagged, but didn’t break. “Bye,” said Wach as he swung across the pit. He threw the rope back to Takua, who caught it. “Now is one of the times I wish a was a Le- Koronan.” Takua muttered, swinging across with his legs flailing wildly. He swung the rope across to Jala, who also caught it. “First the bridge, now this. I must be insane.” said Jala as he swung across, going across, higher, higher, higher and falling down, farther, farther, farther. “Jala! Get off!” hissed Takua. But Jala had already begun to go backwards, reaching the side he swung from, and swung back, not reaching the other side, and swung back and forth, like a giant pendulum, getting a little less far every time. Finally, he came to a complete stop. “Uh- oh,” he whispered. The rafter gave a giant CREAK! and sagged a little more. “Uh- oh,” he whispered again. “Wach! There has to be some way to save him!” Takua said urgently. “I know, I know, I’m thinking, I’ve got to think…” Wach replied. The rafter gave another CREAK! and sagged a little lower. “Uh- oh,” Jala repeated. “Is that all you can say!?!” hissed Takua. “Chisel… no, we’d need rope… we used the lightstone… what else, what else…” Wach whispered. “Uh- oh,” Jala said once more. “That’s it! I have it!” Wach cried. But as Wach said that, the rafter gave one final CREAK! and split in two. Jala fell into the pit of Kraata, first his feet, then his body, then his head, and finally, his right arm disappeared beneath the wriggling masses. Wach’s idea had come too late. “No!” Takua cried. “There’s nothing we can do! Even if we did get him out, he would be completely infected! He’s gone. We’ve got to move on. There’s no time to waste.” Wach said. Takua nodded unhappily. “You’re right,” he whispered. “He’s gone.” “So where do we go?” said Wach. “There’s got to be some sort of pathway somewhere.” “There,” said Takua, pointing to a space barely wide enough for them to crawl through, down at the floor, just to Takua’s left. And he started crawling through it. “That?” said Wach, flabbergasted. He heard echoing hisses and clanking footsteps. “That,” said Wach, making up his mind. He began crawling through the tunnel, leaving
the footsteps behind him. After a short while of crawling, the tunnel’s ceiling took a 45- degree slant up, so Wach and Takua could barely stand up. The hall was filled with infected masks mounted on stone Toa heads to the left and right, casting an eerie spell over the hall. “This is so weird,” Takua breathed. “Wach? Wach!” Takua turned around to see Wach slowly reaching for an infected mask. “What are you DOING!” Takua cried. But Wach kept reaching for the mask, as if possessed by Makuta. Which, Takua realized with a sinking feeling, Wach was. He began running towards the end of the hall, where there was a circle made of stone. “Where have I seen this before?” he muttered. Wach had begun to take his own mask off. “The Bohrok nest!” Takua cried. He dug through his satchel. The mask come ever closer to Wach’s face. “Aha!” Takua cried, pulling out the chisel. He stabbed it into a small opening in the face carved in the stone. The circle slowly slid down. The area that opened up had walls that plunged straight down, with a pool of liquid covering the entire bottom of the pit. Takua cast a fleeting glance at Wach, where the infected mask was only inches from Wach’s lips, and of Jala in the pit of Kraata, and Kotu in the fissure. He knew what he had to do. He dived into the pit. Stupidly, Takua thought, If I die, I’ll be upset that I didn’t get to sample every type of Mata Nuian cheese in my lifetime. No, his mind corrected, I’ll be dead. He hit the surface of the liquid, which was ice cold with an electric crackle. “What is this? A Matoran? What should I do with you?” a voice said.