I am a devout Makuta fan. I have, however, never cared for the Bohrok (because of their diminutive size), or the Bohrok-Kal (so melodramatic!). I am looking forward to the Rahkshi, and was recently thinking: Wouldn't it be nice if the Bionicle saga had skipped over the Bohrok and gone directly to the Rahkshi after Makuta's defeat, sort of putting them in the role of the Bohrok-Kal, as a reconnisance force, putting the Rahi back in action via their Kraata. Here's my view of what would happen.
Note-I realize the past remarks may anger Bohrok fans, and that any story I write about the Rahkshi will probably be fairly inaccurate. But I digress.

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER ONE

The sky above Ta-Koro blazed with fireworks, and the Matoran within danced about joyously. Turaga Vakama had just come out from his hut with the amazing announcement- The Toa were victorious. Makuta had fallen! All over the island, Rahi were dropping like flies, their infected masks deactivating.
In a separate corner of the village, the Guard were too busy to celebrate. They were using their firestaffs to goad the Rahi Kane-Ra (previously found outside the village gates, flat on its face) into an underground compartment. Jala was supervising the operation on a nearby ledge. Vakama joined him.
"How goes the operation?" asked the Turaga.
"Oh, as well as could be expected." said Jala. "The beast is still skittish, so we're putting it in the secret underground bunker we villagers used to use in the event of Rahi attacks. That should hold it."
"And, what is your purpose in keeping a downed Rahi, rather than setting it free?"
"Oh, it was Zafu's idea. You know the type. Rahi-rights activist. He said that 'the poor thing couldn't survive on its own.' He insisted that we keep it here and train it." He paused. "Granted, I suppose it does have some value to our guard. Think of the usage of such a mighty beast in protecting our village!"
Vakama nodded. "So, you feel that there will be cause to guard the village in the future?"
"Well, not for certain, but we like to be prepared."

Two hours later, the task was complete. Kane-Ra lay snarling in the Rahi shelter. Two tanks, one containing ground meat and the other water, were lowered down beside it. Jala walked to the edge of a pit and looked in.
"That should keep it satisfied for the night." he said. He then turned to a nearby guard attending a large lever. "Okay, Taha. Shut the top!"
The guard saluted. He then pulled the lever. A rumble of gears was heard as a clever underground machine slid the top over the bunker, trapping the Rahi inside. Kana-Ra's eyes glowed red as the top slid over him, casting a shadow over his face.
Later, the Matoran trooped back down to the entrance of their living quarters. Said quarters were along the sides of a single tunnel, located underground behind a heavy, lockable door (another Rahi precaution). A Matoran named Havu bore the key to this door. In dangerous times, he had customarily been last to go in, since he had to lock himself and his fellow villagers safely in. Now, as he entered after a Kakama-wearing villager, he turned to lock the door. The villager paused.
"What're you locking that for?" he asked. "The threat's over. We don't need to lock doors anymore. The Rahi are gone."
Havu laughed. "Old habit, I guess." he said.
The villager shrugged. "Oh, I don't mind a closed door." he said. "Keeps the heat in. You just don't need to lock it." With that, he entered his own room.
Havu inserted the key in the lock to open it, and paused. He stood there for a long time. Something was stirring in his brain, some lurking fear, some odd notion that the door must be locked. He couldn't unlock it. His hand refused to turn the key. Finally, he removed the key and stumbled away to his room, dazed and confused, leaving the door locked.

Vakama looked up at the night skies, fondling his firestaff. He shivered.
"Odd." he muttered. "The fires are burning as usual, and yet there is a chill in the air." He turned, and shut the heavy stone door to his hut. Then, he crossed the room and stoked up the Sacred Fire.
“Oh, revered flames.” he muttered. “Throughout Makuta’s reign, you have kept me updated on Rahi action. Now that the threat is ended, what do you hold?”
He gazed deep into the fire. Then, he started, blinked a few times, and gazed deeper. Some ominous shape was forming in the flames. A great, black shape...

Meanwhile, Jala and Zafu were standing on the elevated platform over the Rahi bunker.
“Well, are you satisfied?” Jala asked. “We’ve kept the noisy thing, despite the fact that all the villagers hate the Rahi.”
“Oh, that’s just a temporary sentiment.” said Zafu optimistically. “The villagers will LOVE the Rahi, once they get over the memories of Rahi killing their friends and destroying their homes. I mean, without those awful infected masks, Rahi are nothing but sweet, docile,
cute-”
The platform shook, throwing both villagers to the ground, as the Rahi roared and butted its head against the ceiling.
Lying in the dust, Jala glared at Zafu. “Satisfied, Rama-brain?” he said coldly.

Outside the village gates, two armed guards were sitting calmly on rocks, their firestaffs laid casually on the ground beside them. They knew that, with the end of the Rahi, guard duty would be much easier in the future...
The two laughed uproariously as they told each other stories of days gone by. “Hey,” said one. “Remember the time that a Tarakava was storming the gates, and Mavu was on guard duty? He was so scared, he couldn’t sound the alarm!”
“Yeah!” said the other. “Then, he shook so much, he dropped his firestaff off the battlements-”
“-And it accidentally knocked off the creature’s infected mask!” howled the first. The two fell off their rocks, laughing until they cried.
When their mirth had subsided, they regained their perches. “Whoo, we celebrated that night.” said the second.

Meanwhile, down the path to the gates, a dark shape moved stealthily along, seeming almost to become one with the shrubbery. Under this cover, the shape moved up the path toward Ta-Koro...
The two guards were still talking when a dark shape leapt onto the path in front of them. The spike-backed, hunched figure glared at the two with slitted red eyes. Then, it raised an oddly shaped staff and pointed it at them. The end glowed faintly. The guards grabbed at their weapons, but stopped as an awful feeling flowed through them. It was fear, brain-freezing, formless fear. They dropped the staffs and clung to each other, whimpering and casting terrified glances at everything around them, including the rocks upon which they had previously been sitting.
They shied away as the monster slunk by them. It reached the gates, and pulled the lever that would open them. Slowly, the portal to the village slid open, and the horror slunk inside, pausing to shut the gates behind it. As the invader moved away, the terror within the guards subsided, along with their memory of the event. At last, they were calm-as well as completely oblivious as to what had just occurred.
“Wh-what happened?” said one.
“I’m not sure.” said the other.
“Well, the gates are shut, so everything must be okay.”
“I guess so.”

The dark figure slithered through the village, sampling the air as it went. Ah! There it was. The unmistakable scent of a Rahi. It had only to find the beast to begin its mission.
The first area the creature reached was the sleeping quarters. It tried the door, but found it locked. Well, its quarry was not here, anyway. The scent weakened. It caught the sound of movement from Vakama’s hut and hurried over to peer into the window. Here, perhaps? No, the being inside was no Rahi.
Vakama did not notice that he was being watched. He was too busy staring into his fire and the dark prophecies it held...
The invader noticed the platform. As it did so, the scent grew stronger. It loped over to investigate.
Jala and Zafu had not moved from their positions by the platform, since Jala was still bawling his companion out about being soft on the Rahi.
“AND ANOTHER THING!” yelled Jala. “I AM SECOND IN COMMAND TO VAKAMA, AND IF I DECIDE TO THROW YOU AND THAT SLIMY VILLAGER-EATER OUT OF THE VILLAGE, THEN-” He stopped abruptly. He had heard a sound, out in the darkness beyond the platform. It was not the footstep of any creature he knew...
“Well?” asked Zafu sulkily.
“Hush!” said Jala urgently. “Something's out there. Move back into the shadows!”
As the two retreated. As they watched, a great, red-eyed shape, carrying a huge staff, leapt onto the platform and began to paw at it.
The invader did not notice the huddled guards, so strong was the scent of Rahi. It struck at the platform, beneath which was its quarry. Curses! The stone would not break, no matter how it struck at it! Oh, for the power to shatter or desintegrate objects, like the operatives in Ga- and Po-Koro! Furious and disgusted, the creature folded up into an odd formation, its huge feet sticking out in front. Then, it shot up into the air, over the wall, and into the skies beyond.
The two villagers looked at each other, terrified.
“What was that?” asked Zafu.
“I have no idea.” said Jala. “But, whatever it is, I have a feeling that it will pose a great deal of trouble for us...”

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This post has been edited by MakutaTypist: May 26 2003, 07:48 AM

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER TWO

The waters of Ga-Koro sparkled with moonlight as Maku paddled her skiff to the village’s dock. Now that the Rahi threat was over, she was free to leave the village as she chose. As she entered the village, she heard a variety of hisses, roars, and moans coming from the east side. She hurried over to find the source of the noise.
The east portion of the city was full of various downed Rahi; 9 Nui-Jaga, 44 Nui-Rama, and 12 Tarakava. At the center of the mass of beasts stood Kotu, holding a large stick which she used to prod a Rahi occasionally.
“Greetings.” said Maku, walking over. “What are you doing with this menagerie?”
“I’m training them to do simple jobs for our village.” replied Kotu. “I think it’s better to use them to rebuild what they’ve damaged instead of just letting them go, don’t you?”
“I suppose so.” said Maku. “As long as they’ll let you train them.”
“Oh, it’s easy to win over a Rahi.” said Kotu. “All it takes is a little kindness.” She paused. “...And a good deal of cruelty, too.”
“Well, I’m going to bed.” said Maku. “Have fun with your little pets.”
Two hours later, Kotu was beginning to tire. She put down her prodding-stick and went into her hut for a rest. The Rahi mewled angrily, but were unable to move, since their natural weapons had been tied with strong cord. They huddled together, awaiting their next session.

A row of spikes rose above the waters of Ga-Wahi as the second invader swam toward its targets. A dripping form hauled itself up onto the sands and headed for the village. Once at the gates, it raised the staff it held. The stone of the gates shuddered as a million hairline cracks transfused its surface. Then, without a sound to betray the silent invader, the whole entranceway to the village disintegrated, the fine dust that remained mingling with the sand.
With nothing to bar its way, the blue agent slithered into the water village. It passed unmolested, since the villagers had not bothered to post any guards.
The intruder stopped when it reached the group of Rahi. One by one, it cut their bonds with the sharp edge of its staff. Then, it walked up to a large blue Tarakava and knelt before it.
There was a faint whirring noise, and the creature’s back swung open on a hinge, revealing a dark cavity. From within this space leapt a minute blob, dripping blue slime. As the blob left its body, the creature’s red eyes flickered out and it collapsed in a heap. The sodden lump arched through the air, landing on the Tarakava’s mask.
At once, a puddle of slime flowed over the mask’s surface, dripping over the edges. As the ooze flowed, it congealed, and the crust it left behind appeared to do something horrrible to the mask. The metal corroded, and blotches of rust broke out on the surface. The Tarakava’s eyes lit up, and it gave an earsplitting roar.
The blue slug leapt from the quivering Tarakava and landed on a nearby Nui-Jaga, performing the same operation on its masks. In this way, all the assembled Rahi were re-infected. Maddened, they charged collectively towards the village, smashing anything in their wake. The slug reentered its cavity, and the body awakened. Seeing the hoarde of Rahi, it hurriedly jumped back into the water to avoid being squashed.

The thundering of the charging Rahi woke Kotu. Blearily, she jumped out of bed, and walked outside.
“W-what’s all the noise?” she mumbled. As she stepped outside, she was confronted by a thundering hoarde of insane Rahi, a matter of seconds from crushing her.
“AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHH!”

This post has been edited by MakutaTypist: May 6 2003, 03:55 PM

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER THREE

In the darkness of Le-Koro, the green invader waited. It fingered its staff absently. That staff was death to whatever it touched. Soon, it would be allowed the pleasure of using it. It would have to wait until darkness to carry out its mission. Despite its stupidity, the green beast was an excellent hunter. It knew every stealth tactic ever invented, and was very aware of the fact that darkness was the best camoflage of all. It longed to touch one of those pathetic little creatures from above with the tip of its staff, to see it bloat and die as the tremendously potent poison overwhelmed its tiny system. But, that would have to wait. What the creature lacked in intelligence, it made up in patience.

A sound of buzzing filled the treetops of Le-Koro. Leashed by cords tied to a sturdy tree, swarms of captured Nui-Rama flapped their massive wings in a futile effort to free themselves.
Kongu was enthusiastic about the possibilities of the giant insects.
“Just think!” he said to Tamaru. “These creatures are almost twice as fast as any Kahu! Think of the highflying we can do with them!”
“Say what you like, I’ll never go uphigh with one of those things.” replied Tamaru. “Rama are Rama, infected masks or no. I’d be afraid they would drop me off in midair.”
Kongu sighed. Some people could be so pessimistic.

Horu parted some bushes and stepped back onto the forest path. The pouch the Ga-Koronian held was stuffed with all sorts of herbs used for her healing purposes. Some time ago, the enterprising young Matoran had been promoted to Ga-Koro’s official medicine-woman. She preferred to stay within the water-village, but her quests for a specific berry or herb often carried her to faraway parts of the island. Now was such an occasion. She had to mix a special pain-deadening concoction for poor Kotu.

Deep within the bushes, the green hunter was elated. There was one of the silly little villagers, fooling with some plants! Ah, here was a chance for fun. Stealthily, it slithered through the underbrush until it was inches from the plant-picker. Then-
It was then that Kotu pulled a clump of foliage off a large bush nearby. The gap left by the missing leaves revealed a metallic green face, glaring at her with a malignant pair of red eyes.

The hunter was startled by its sudden discovery, but quickly regained its cool. The blue creature gave a strangled noise, dropped the bag it held, and bolted down the path. Any chance at stealth was lost. The green invader switched to another of its strengths-speed. It leapt out of the bushes and dashed after its quarry. All that had occupied its mind-its mission, its stealth tactics, everything-was lost in the thrill of the chase. It hissed joyfully as it gained a few inches on its desperate prey.

The chase was not nearly so fun for Horu. She was running desperately, trying to stay ahead of her relentless pursuer. It was hard to believe that, a few seconds earlier, she had been peacefully picking berries. Her lungs and legs ached from the strain of prolonged running. She knew that she would collapse soon, making herself an easy target for the green horror. Then, ahead, she saw a small grren object dangling from a huge tree. As she drew nearer, she saw that it was the elevator to Le-Koro. Sanctuary! She turned her steps in that direction, and reached the elevator a few breathless minutes later. She leapt in and pressed the “Up” control. The elevator began to rise into the air. Below, she could see the green creature waving its staff angrily at her. She thought that it would give up at this point, but instead it gave a leap for the elevator car, its staff appearing to disappear as it jumped. Its powerful hands latched onto the lip of the entrance and it began to haul itself up.
“Come on, come on!” Horu muttered. Any second now, the creature was going to enter the car. The platforms of Le-Koro were drawing nearer...nearer...yes! Horu jumped from the elevator and into the village, running for the cover of the huts. The green hunter struggled to pull itself after its prey. Then-
SPROIIING! The mechanism that moved the elevator snapped under the monster’s massive weight. The car began to plummet to the ground. Desperately, the beast scrabbled at the platform, trying to gain a handhold.

Horu returned to the edge of the platform, accompanied by a large band of villagers holding weapons and torches.
“I tell you, there was a monster chasing me!” she was gasping. “It was trying to touch me with a staff!”
The search the villagers conducted was extensive. They combed the entire village and the forest below, but could turn up no sign of the monster. Horu’s story was dismissed as a hallucination, brought on by some minor scare she had recieved while berry-picking. She was bedded down for the night in a spare hut.

It was midnight. The search party had long since retired, and the village was still, except for the protests of the leashed Nui-Rama. A pair of hands appeared at the rim of the platform, and the green hunter pulled itself up. It had hidden itself in the one place the search party would never look; curled up on a branch of one of the trees that supported the village platforms. It brought its staff out, and headed for the chained swarm.

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER FOUR

A frigid wind blew over the landscapes of Ko-Koro. Over the ice skimmed a dark shape, its huge feet sticking out in front. The white invader’s eyes glowed fiercely in the darkness. Unlike the landscape it chose to frequent, this creature was anything but cool. The whole driving force for its immense power was the blind rage that constantly smoldered within it. While in one of its berserk fits, it could smash solid stone into gravel without even realizing what it was doing. Yes, the white monster was much, much more powerful than the Rahi it was here to free.

Outside the gates of Ko-Koro sat two villagers. Both held ice staffs. Unlike those of Ta-Koro, these guards had chosen to abandon the festivities and continue their watching duties. Instead of talking, the two stood in the proper stance, staring straight ahead into the swirling snow. Suddenly, one turned to the other and whispered urgently.
“There’s something coming towards the gates over the ice. Looks like some kind of sled.” He paused, as the skimming object drew nearer. “No, wait. It’s some sort of creature with red eyes and spikes down its back.”
The two guards leapt forward, brandishing their staffs. The monster slowed until it stopped completely, hovering over the ice a few feet from the guards. Its tight formation unfolded, and it landed in a crouching position, brandishing a staff that it seemed to have pulled out of thin air. It pointed this staff at them, the end glowing faintly. The two guards staggered as a feeling of insane anger flowed through them. They suddenly began glaring at each other. Then, one lunged at the other and the two landed in a heap on the ground, wrestling ferociously. Growling with pleasure, the white creature folded back up and shot over the walls into Ko-Koro.

A great storage-house carved of the thickest ice stood in the center of the village, guarded by another villager. Within, the wavy outlines of two Tarakava could be seen, shifting restlessly. The two creatures had wandered aimlessly through the island after their defeat, finally collapsing at the gates of Ko-Koro, where one of the village guards took pity on them and decided to take them in. To show that he was in earnest, the guard, named Akua, had singlehandedly taken on the guarding, feeding, and training of his unusual “pets.”
The angry white monster strode boldly through the village, not caring who saw it. Let any of the village’s puny inhabitants try to challenge it. It would chop them into convenient, bite-sized pieces. As it turned out, there were no villagers about, since all of them were busy in the village’s north end, carving a commemorative sculpture of Kopaka.
Akua looked up as footsteps approached his Rahi enclosure. They sounded much too large for any villager. Then, he saw it. The hunchbacked monster, stalking towards him and brandishing a staff. Grabbing his own weapon, the villager hurried forward to intercept the beast’s progress. He stopped short as it pointed the glowing staff at him.
Akua gasped as the fury of the staff overpowered his mental facilities. Suddenly filled with rage, he gave a bloodcurdling screech and raced ahead into the village. Now unhindered, the white creature stepped up to the Rahi prision. It stood and thumped the ice briskly. A few cracks appeared on the surface, but the walls did not shatter.
Furious at this inconvenience, the monster screamed and began punching and kicking the walls. The ice broke into bits under the onslaught, and the shelter collapsed, revealing the two Tarakava, looking dazedly at it.

The villagers knew something was wrong when Akua came barreling out of the darkness of the village and began swinging his ice staff at anyone who dared come near. A large band of villagers managed to disarm him and lock him in a hut. Then, all rushed to the Rahi cage that their insane comrade had been guarding. But it was two late. The cage and the walls beyond had been smashed, and the little white slug within the monster had done its work on the Tarakavas’ masks. Far beyond the village, way out in the icy landscape, the two creatures could be seen madly racing through the snow, the white invader sitting triumphantly astride one of them.

This post has been edited by MakutaTypist: Jul 13 2003, 09:21 AM

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER FIVE

The little brown Koli ball bounced off a wall and landed in the center of the mass of excited players. It was a gorgeous 90-degree day in Po-Koro, and a huge Koli championship was being held to celebrate the island’s newfound freedom.
The bleachers of the Koli stadium were packed with screaming fans, some of whom had boated over from other villages to witness the event. The whole crowd was screaming and waving brightly colored pennants, while a vendor navigated his way about the stadium, shouting, “Madu Cabolo! Get your Madu Cabolo, here!”
Within the playing pavillion, the two Koli teams raced about, kicking the ball and doing wild footwork to guide it toward their goal. The bright sunlight flashed at random intervals off their masks as they spun, dodged, and pivoted. The fans let out a terrific roar as Huki, captain of the home team, gave the ball a terrific kick that sent it shooting into the opposing goal!

Muaka lay in the hot sands, his great yellow eyes dull and half-closed. The past week had been horribly strenuous for the Rahi. First, the stunned, drained feeling when his masks lost their power. Then, there had been those annoying little creatures who had bound him with strong ropes and dragged him to this horrible place where the great light and heat tormented his fevered brain. He made an effort to rise and flee, but collapsed again with a pitiful noise.
Kofu stared worriedly down at the quiet Rahi. He turned to Onewa.
“Do you think the poor thing will live?” he asked.
The Rahi had been ailing ever since it had been uninfected. It had been found, feeble and weak, lying in the snows of Ko-Koro. Po-Koro had been the only place willing to take the beast in, but it was obvious the great tiger was not used to the climate. It had taken a high fever on its first day in the village, and had taken to lying around as it was now for days on end. It could not be trained, since it was too weak to get up. It refused any food offered it, but drank gallons of water per day. Its condition had gotten steadily worse over the course of the week. And now, it was dying.

Muaka, though no villager would ever believe it, was longing for the infected masks he had worn. He was not particularly bright, and enjoyed the sense of security it gave him to have all his actions decided for him. He also dearly missed the immense strength his madness had afforded him. Oh, if he could only muster that power now. He would smash this terrible prison to pieces and return to the wonderful cold of Ko-Koro.
A sound caught his attention, and he opened his eyes. His captors were making a great commotion about something outside the walls. Then, everything around him seemed to go up in smoke. The ground shook, and the sound of massive explosions filled the air. Muaka closed his eyes. Perhaps this was what dying felt like.

A few minutes later, the Rahi opened his eyes. He was not dead! Furthermore, there was an odd creature standing over him. It held a staff, and a row of silver spikes glittered on its back. There was a whirring sound, and the creature collapsed as a little blob popped out of a cavity in its body. Muaka felt an odd sensation and turned his head to see a small brown slug oozing something onto his mask. And then, the Rahi gave a roar of delight as he felt the madness of infection captivating his brain.

This post has been edited by MakutaTypist: May 24 2003, 07:16 AM

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER SIX

The water in the mysterious subterranean pool glowed an eerie green, casting a wavering emerald shimmer over Iqua’s face. The glowing water was located in a tiny cavern just off the side of Onu-Koro, and Iqua was the only one in the whole of the village who knew of it. He had discovered it one day when he was testing a new pickaxe. He had swung at an outjutting rock, and it had split off, revealing a tiny opening in the rock. he had gone down to investigate, and had found the tiny cave with its beautiful glowing pool. He had loved the quiet and unearthly atmosphere of the cave, and had decided to keep it a secret, to prevent his loud comrades from stomping around inside and ruining the effect.
Afterwards, he often entered it, being careful to hide the entrance with a rock, to sit and contemplate. Now, after the amazement and wild partying after Makuta’s defeat, he needed a few hours of peace and quiet.

The black invader slithered through the dark passageway, stopping at a section of wall. It noticed a large Hoto bug lying in a crevice nearby, and it levelled its staff at the insect. The bug screeched as its life essence was drained out of it. It dropped to the floor, dead. The creature swung its staff around to the wall. A blue bolt, the energy drained from the Hoto, shot from the staff’s tip, hitting the wall. The stone shattered, and the black creature hurried inside.
Iqua leapt away from the pool’s edge as a far wall exploded and a massive black shape with glowing red eyes leapt through the hole. The terrified villager bolted up the tunnel and out through the entrance, screaming all the while. Ignoring him, the black monster began to strike at the ceiling above the pool, bringing down huge chunks of rock and clouds of dust. The green luminescence faded as the gritty mess contaminated the water. Then, the dark creature slipped hurriedly out of the passage, leaving it in shambles.

This post has been edited by MakutaTypist: May 14 2003, 03:24 PM

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER SEVEN

The fires of Ta-Koro burned brightly, in sharp contrast to the dark skies. It was well past midnight, and all the villagers were bedded down for the night. The door to their quarters was again locked. However, this time it was not thus secured because of a lucky chance. Ever since the dark creature had slunk through the village, the inhabitants liked to be as secure as possible, lest the same creature stage another raid.
Havu was not asleep. He sat on his bed, staring at the key he had used to lock the door. Something was gnawing at his brain, some question to which he had no answer. Why had he locked the door that night? It had been lucky that he had, but why had he taken the precaution of protecting the villagers against a danger he wasn’t aware existed? He had felt some feeling of dread, an evil premonition.

Jala was not sleeping, either. He was in Vakama’s hut, arguing with several other high-ranking villagers about what to do with Kane-Ra. Most of these Matoran (including Zafu) were for keeping the creature, but Jala and Vakama were firmly against it. Jala was pacing back and forth in front of the group, lecturing.
“Very well, you have delivered some excellent points on why we might keep the Rahi.” he began. “However, consider my side for a moment. The monster who invaded our village was there for only one purpose: to free the captured Rahi. We have heard from the other villages that similar creatures have loosed their own captured Rahi, often with disastrous consequences to their inhabitants. The intruder failed to accomplish its purpose, and so we can only assume that it will be back for another try. And so, we leave ourselves as sitting Husi for another attack as long as we keep the Rahi.”
A grumble went up from the crowd. After it died down, Jala continued. “Nor is the next obvious solution, to free the Rahi, a practical one. It may save our village from invasion, but the unknown monster may still capture the Rahi and use it to its own evil ends. So, in conclusion, I feel that the best solution will be to KILL the Rahi.”
There were shouts of protest, and Zafu began to speak. Vakama cut him off with a wave of the hand.
“The decision is made.” he said. “The Rahi must either die or be re-infected. The creatures in question will accomplish their purpose, whatever security measure we take.” He indicated the Sacred Fire. “On the night of the raid, I looked into these flames and beheld a dark prophecy. Makuta still lives!” There was a gasp. “Furthermore, he plans to regroup the Rahi by means of these marauding creatures, known as the Rahkshi. There is one Rahkshi per village. Each has only two purposes; free the Rahi, and destroy the Toa!”

Meanwhile, Havu had finally drifted off. He was in the midst of a terrible nightmare, one full of dark premonitions and lurking fears. He tossed and turned violently, muttering all the while. “Rahkshi...Rahkshi...No! Not me! NOOO!”

This post has been edited by MakutaTypist: Jun 4 2003, 08:34 AM

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER EIGHT

Gali sat staring out over the waters of Ga-Wahi. The red light of the setting sun turned the gently lapping waves into a million ruby pinpoints. The Toa of Water was troubled. After Makuta’s defeat, she should have felt joy. Instead, she felt a vague unease, some dark cloud lurking in the back of her mind. Something was not right. Ever since she had emerged from Kini-Nui, there had been an undercurrent of tension about the island. Even the sea seemed to feel it. She could almost see a disturbance in the eternal pattern of the lapping waves.
She suddenly broke out of her meditation and stared at the water. There WAS a disturbance in it. A row of glittering spikes cut through the tides as a dark shape swam beneath the waves. Then, as the water grew shallow, it stood, and hurried onto the beach.
Gali stood, transfixed. She had never seen anything like this before. The monster stood in a crouching position, its knees bent and its enormous feet pointing at odd angles. Its back was hunched, lined with the row of spikes she had seen in the water. In its hands was a silver staff, bearing an intricately carved blade. Two slitted red eyes glowed above a snarling mouth in its reptilian head. It raised the staff, which began to glow at the edges.
Gali just leapt away in time. The rock upon which she had been sitting shuddered and cracked. Then, it disintegrated into dust, leaving a hole in its place. The Toa of Water leapt about on the sand as the monster frantically swung its staff, crumbling all around her. Gali narrowly escaped a similar end many times as she avoided the staff. She cartwheeled about the monster, once getting close enough to strike it a blow with her claw.
At last, when all the rocks of the beach lay in ruins and Gali had punched and kicked it several more times, the monster stepped back. It moved its hands apart, and the staff seemed to vanish. It knelt before the Toa, who was still moving, lest this be a trick. There was a whirring noise, and the hunched back flipped backwards on a hinge, revealing a dark opening in the creature's body. From within this leapt a tiny blue blob, dripping slime. It landed on the sand and began to ooze toward Gali, who was repulsed to see that it was a giant slug, slurping and gurgling over the sands. This tiny monster somehow frightened her a dozen times more than the creature that had carried it. She cringed away from it, in a meek, terrified way quite unlike her. Then, the slug stopped, and she could see that it was tensing itself for a leap, one which would bring it in direct contact with her face. Horrified at the though of its touching her, Gali hurriedly raised her claws, which crackled with blue lightning. A great roar shook the beach as an enourmous frothing tidal wave exploded from the calm waters. The wave thundered forward, bowling over the Toa and her aggressor.
When the water receded, Gali lay soaked on the sands. She felt something squishy beneath her. She sat up, and was horrified to see that it was the slug. She had landed on top of the thing, squashing it flat. It lay in a misshapen heap on the ground, oozing some foul substance onto the sands. Careful not to touch it, she stood. Her mask lay a few inches away, next to the blue monster. She retrieved it, and stood staring down at the inert creature before her. It lay perfectly still, its red eyes dark. Without the slug, it evidently could not move. She decided to bring it back to the village and let Nokama examine it. She grasped its arm and tugged. She found that the thing was immmensely heavy, and that she could not budge it in the least, even with the aid of her Pakari. Finally, she decided to bring a team of strong villagers to help her. Casting one last uneasy glance at the dead slug, she started off in the direction of Ga-Koro.
An hour later, half of Ga-Koro’s villagers trooped down towards the section of beach where the horror lay, carrying a stretcher with which to cart it off.
“Now, I’ll try and roll the creature over while you hold the stretcher.” Gali was saying. “Be prepared for a test of your arm strength. It is extremely-”
She broke off as they crested a dune. The monster and smashed slug were nowhere in sight. Where the beast had lain were several drag marks, accompanied by a great many huge footprints in the sand.

This post has been edited by MakutaTypist: May 17 2003, 07:34 AM

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER NINE

The drummer, along with his massive instrument, stood atop the Ta-Koronian wall. Picking up the large ornamental drumstick, he began to beat out the message that Vakama had dictated to him previously:

ALL TOA, PLEASE COME TO TA-KORO FOR COUNCIL WITH VAKAMA. URGENT.

The beats reverberated over the island. Every Toa heeded the call and headed for the fire village. Gali was sorry to go. She had been tracing the drag marks and footprints she had found the previous day, trying to see what had become of the monster’s body.

A few hours later, the Toa were all grouped in Vakama’s hut. The Turaga stood beside the Sacred Fire, explaining the current situation. Some Toa, like Lewa, had visited their villages and learned of the raids. Others, like the solitary Kopaka, had kept to themselves and had to be filled in. When all that had previously happened in the villages, along with Gali’s experience with the blue monster, had been told, Tahu spoke.
“What are these creatures?” he asked. “Why are they freeing the Rahi?”
“They are known as the Rahkshi.” replied Vakama. “A squadron of invaders equipped with amazing skills. The Makuta has sent them forth to erase the work of you Toa on Mata-Nui.”
“Makuta?!” cried Gali. “But...but...we destroyed him!”
“So he wished you to think.” said the Turaga grimly. “Makuta is the embodiment of the evil that lurks within every living thing. As long as that evil exits, all you can do is set him back. But, to the Rahkshi. There is one to each village, like yourselves. Each carries a staff, with a special power. These powers include anger, fear, fragmentation, disintegration, poison, and energy-draining.”
“And, do the staffs infect masks, too?” asked Pohatu.
“No, that is the work of the Kraata, the pinnacle of the Rahkshi mission.” said Vakama.
Kraata. Gali didn’t like the sound of the word. It filled her mind with a wet, dark, smothering fear.
“The Kraata are informally known as “brain-slugs.” said Vakama. “Gali had the bad luck to encounter one on the beach. You noted, Gali, that the blue Rahkshi deactivated after it lost the Kraata.”
“Yes.” said Gali, shortly. She did not wish to recall that awful little slug.
“The Kraata are the brains of the Rahkshi.” said the Turaga of Fire. “Without them, the Rahkshi cannot think or move. They are periodically required to part with their Kraata, however, as this is how they infect masks. The ooze secreted by the Kraata has an unpleasant rusting effect on the masks it encounters. Anyway, the period of the infection is the most vulnerable period for the Rahkshi, since the partially helpless Kraata are required to part with their powerful exterior and move on their own.”
“So, a Rahkshi can be stopped by taking out its Kraata?” inquired Lewa.
“If only it were that easy. The Kraata are concealed in a hollow space in the backs of the Rahkshi. When a Kraata must be freed, the back swings open on a hinge. This hinge cannot be opened unless the Rahkshi wishes it to do so. No, you cannot merely remove the Kraata. Only the Rahkshi that carry them can do that.”
“But, then how-” began Tahu, but was cut off by an urgent knocking at the entrance of the hut.
All heads turned. Havu, the Matoran with the key, stood shaking before them.
“Is something wrong?” asked Vakama.
“Yes!” said Havu. “I’ve just been sleeping, and-er, how do I say this-we’ve got to get the village ready. There’s going to be another attack!”

This post has been edited by MakutaTypist: May 22 2003, 05:53 PM

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER TEN

Nuparu’s hands nimbly fitted parts together as his latest invention rapidly took shape amongst the clutter of his worktable.
Onepu looked inside Nuparu’s hut, searching for the tunnel engineer. Seeing no one, he entered, calling Nuparu’s name. To his surprise, an innocent-looking section of floor flipped upwards, revealing a set of steps beneath. Nuparu, pushing aside the trapdoor, stepped out of his laboratory and spoke to his superior.
“Sorry if I scared you, sir.” he said. “I don’t let word get out about my little workshop.”
“First Iqua with that little cave, now this.” grumbled Onepu. “How much are you villagers hiding from me? But, anyway, that’s not the point of my visit. What are you working on down there? You’ve missed two mining shifts.”
“Two? Oh dear, where does the time go? Oh, yes, my work. I’ve just perfected a nice little device for the good of the village. It’s-oh, come see for yourself.” Nuparu stepped back through the hole in the floor, beckoning. Shrugging, Onepu followed.
The hidden workshop was surprisingly spacious, lit by the golden glow of several lightstones suspended from the ceiling. It was crammed with tables, the tops of which were overflowing with odd mechanical parts. The place was cozy and pleasant, except for a persistent smell of motor oil. On one extra large table sat a finished machine, a conglomeration of gears and cogs, with a great tube running throughout.
“As you know, our village has one main source of water, a deep-running underground stream.” Nuparu was saying as he fiddled absently with a gasket. “And, since this water is essential to village life, we must take many precautions to avoid its being contaminated. Well, with this machine we can abandon those precautions.”
Onepu stroked the device gently. “It’s very neatly made. But, what is it?”
Nuparu patted his contrivance. “A water purifier.”

This post has been edited by MakutaTypist: May 24 2003, 07:11 AM

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER ELEVEN

Everyone stared at Havu. It was Pohatu who broke the silence.
“How do you know?” he asked.
Havu shuffled his feet uneasily. “Er...Like I said, it’s hard to explain. I..can see into the future! On the night that Turahk...”
“Who?”
“Turahk. The fire Rahkshi. Anyway, the night that Turahk invaded the village, I locked the door to the villagers’ quarters, even though I couldn’t figure out why. It bothered me. Something in the back of my mind told me I had to lock it. After that, I began having very detailed dreams every time I went to sleep. I learned the names of the Rahkshi, and their purpose for being here. I also learned of their past and future actions. That’s how I know that there’s going to be a second raid this afternoon!”
“But, why?” asked Onua. “Almost all the Rahi are re-infected. Why are they so determined on releasing the one that we have?”
“I perceived that, in the near future, Kane-Ra will do something very important for you Toa. Something that could ruin the Rahkshi mission. I think that the Rahkshi sense this too, and that they are determined to get to him before you do.”
“What? What will he do for us?” said Pohatu eagerly.
“I..can’t..tell...” said Havu. “The stuff more towards the future is pretty hazy. But it’ll be something big.”
“I know ONE way Kane-Ra can be useful.” said Tahu. “We will use it as bait for a trap we are going to set for the Rahkshi. Come close.”
The Toa, Vakama, and Havu closed together as Tahu began detailing his scheme.

Six dark shapes shot through the skies, skimming over the highest mountains. There ahead of them, in the shadow of the Mangai, stood Ta-Koro. All shot down towards it.

The Rahkshi were coming.

This post has been edited by MakutaTypist: May 30 2003, 11:34 AM

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER TWELVE

Gali scanned the skies with a telescope lent to her by Vakama. Through the emerald lens, she saw the distant flying shapes heading for the village. Dropping the instrument, she turned to the other Toa, who stood in the open Rahi bunker with the sluggish Kane-Ra.
“They are coming. I can see them in the East.” she said urgently.
“Are they near?” asked Tahu.
“No. They have a ways to go yet.”
“Good. We have a few spare minutes, then.” He turned to Lewa, who stood on the village ramparts, postioning a guard’s firestaff in a strategically placed pile of rocks. “Are you done?”
“Just a minute.” called Lewa. He wrapped a woven blanket around the pile of rocks. “All right. I’m coming down.”
He jumped from the wall, turning to examine his handiwork. The pile looked like a villager, holding a staff and wrapped in a blanket. Satisfied, he climbed into the bunker with the other Toa.
“I was wondering-what’s the dummy for?” asked Pohatu.
“It’s to keep the Rahksi from getting suspicious.” replied Lewa. “If there’s no one guarding the Rahi, they’re going to see something amiss and be on their guard. But, if there’s a single villager, they’ll just think we’re coincidentally unprepared.”
“Shrewd. I suppose you used those rocks to prevent endangering a real villager?”
“Yes. The Rahkshi will unquestionably kill the guard. Tahu doesn’t want to lose any villagers in the effort.”
“They are nearing.” said Gali. “We should hide.”
“Right. Pull the lever and climb in.”
Gali pulled the closing lever and agilely climbed in to the pit. The stone top slid shut, hiding the Toa. The village looked much as it had before the night of the raid.
In the shadowy interior of the bunker, the Toa whispered amongst themselves.
“Ugh.” muttered Pohatu. “Rahi breath always smells the worst in a confined space.”
“What of the villagers and Turaga?” asked Kopaka. “Will they be safe during the battle?”
“Of course.” mumbled Tahu. “They are sequestered away in the village quarters, with the door locked and a fire-spell on the entrance. They will be fine. Now quiet. I hear a noise outside. Weapons at the ready!”

With a clatter and a bang, the Rahkshi landed within the village gates.

This post has been edited by MakutaTypist: Jul 13 2003, 09:25 AM

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Vakama sat in Havu’s room, staring at the villager, who lay on his bed.
“Are you getting anything?” asked the Turaga anxiously.
“No...” said Havu. “My visions used to come easily, but now, I just get a headache. It’s as if my brain is purposely trying not to dredge anything up.”
“This whole business is strange.” muttered Vakama. “Well, no point in trying if you receive no visions.”
Looking relieved, Havu sat up. Vakama began pacing up and down. “About these prophecies...Can you remember exactly when they got started?”
“I already told you, the night of the raid.” said Havu. Vakama stopped, startled. There had been a sharp quality in Havu’s voice, a trait most uncharacteristic of the gentle villager. Trying to convince himself that it was nothing, the Turaga continued.
“Have you ever had any such visions before?”
“No.” Havu’s voice was back to normal.
“Did anything unusual happen previous to that night?”
“Actually, yes.” said Havu thoughtfully. “After Makuta’s defeat had been announced, I went out walking, to think. I entered the charred jungle, not knowing where I was going. When I was deep within, I suddenly heard a noise, off to the side of the path. It was so unlike anything that I’d heard before that I stepped into the underbrush to investigate. I...I...” Havu suddenly broke off. He made an effort to go on, but no sound came out of his mouth. He began to quiver all over, choking slightly.
“Havu!” cried Vakama, rushing to his side. “What is wrong?”
“I...I..” gasped Havu. Then, he stopped. The fits subsided. Slowly, he looked up at the Turaga and spoke.
“It was nothing.” he said. The sharp quality had returned, stronger than before. A distinct edge of malice was present now. “I found nothing. There was no life present, only desolation. The pitiful, dust-choked specters of once-growing plants. Just corpses. As will be the Toa.”
“What?” said Vakama.
“The Toa will fail.” said Havu. His voice was growing steadily louder, and had taken on a harsh, grating quality, like two stones being rubbed together. “They cannot withstand the combined energies of the Rahkshi. And when they fall, the Rahi will set in, terrorizing the villagers. Rivers will dry out, plants will wither and die, civilization will crumble. And so it will be until you BOW AND WORSHIP THE GLORY THAT IS MAKUTA!!!!” These last were an insane scream. The lightstones that lit the room suddenly flickered and dimmed until they produced only a dull red glow. Havu stood, terrible in the half-light. His body was wrapped in shadows, and, to Vakama’s terrified eyes, it seemed to be rusting and corroding. Havu spoke again, his voice now a rasping whisper.
“You will go now.” he said. “And you will ask for no more visions. Already you know too much.”
Clutching at his staff, Vakama backed out the door. “Enjoy your leadership while you may.” said the eroded thing within. “It will not last much longer.” With a bang, the stone door closed.

Outside, the hunched forms of the Rahkshi gathered around the stone lid of the bunker. Tuhrahk, the fire Rahkshi, had begun to raise its staff when it saw the “guard” up on the ramparts. It motioned to the shape, and Pahnrahk, the brown Rahkshi, stepped forward, brandishing its own weapon. The end glowed faintly. Suddenly, the dummy and its staff exploded with an earsplitting boom. When the smoke cleared, the dummy was gone, a smoking crater in its place. Satisfied, Pahnrahk turned back to the bunker. The stealthy blue Guurahk was already working on the stone. As it pointed its glowing staff, the whole lid crumbled into dust. As this powder cleared, the growling Rahkshi looked into the exposed bunker. Within was the startled Rahi, and...
“NOW!” cried Tahu. All the Toa leapt from inside the bunker, bowling the startled Rahkshi over. The invaders scattered, knocked off balance by this surprise attack. Vohrahk, the first to regain its wits, rose and charged at the Toa. It was promptly flung against the wall by a blast of wind put forth by Lewa. It sunk to the ground, its red eyes dark.
Again and again, one or more Rahkshi stood and were struck down. At last, all lay senseless on the ground except Tuhrahk, who staggered about, knocked this way and that by periodic blasts of elemental energy.
“Ha!” cried Pohatu, bouncing a boulder off the stumbling creature’s head. “These things are pathetic! They are nothing but little bugs in fancy costumes! They are-”
It was at this point that Vohrahk struck. The black Rahkshi had regained consciousness just in time to see its comrades fall. Now, it pointed its staff at the laughing Pohatu.
The Toa of Stone gurgled as the staff’s terrible power drained his energy. His body turned a sickly gray, and he collapsed to the ground. Before the other Toa could realize what had happened, the vampiric Rahkshi had sapped their energy, toppling them. Only Gali escaped, jumping behind a hut and laying still.
Vohrahk, stepping over the lifeless forms of the Toa, came to Tuhrahk. It steadied its stricken companion until it could stand again. Then, it headed towards the terrified Rahi.
Gripping its staff, the Rahkshi climbed up onto Kane-Ra’s massive neck, positioning itself just behind the head. Then, it raised the staff, glowing with the stolen energies of the five Toa. One sharp stab in the right place would kill the creature instantly.
Gali, watching and remembering Havu’s prophecy, decided that she must save the great bull’s life. She raised her claws, prepared to crush Vohrahk with a tidal wave. She was just about to make her move-
-When Kane-Ra made it instead. Bellowing wildly, the bull rapidly extended his great neck, flinging the Rahkshi off. As the black creature began to get to its feet, the Rahi raised one great hoof and dealt it a powerful blow upside the head.
Gali was amazed at what happened next. The head snapped downwards with an audible crack. Then, the Rahkshi’s hunched back flipped open, and a black Kraata popped out. The gooey slug began to slither towards the Rahi, but the riled monster promptly squished it.
Brainless, Vohrahk fell to the ground. Its staff quivered as its energy drained back into the Toa, who lost their gray tint and began to sit up. Running over, Tuhrahk picked up its companion and, folding into the flying stance, shot over the walls and away. One by one, the other Rahkshi, who had revived at various stages, followed suit. Watching the creatures flee, a dazed Tahu raised himself on his elbows.
“W-what happened?” the groggy Toa of Fire mumbled. Gali joined him, coming out from behind the hut.
“While you were helpless, Kane-Ra performed his great service to us.” she said excitedly. “I know how to disarm a Rahkshi!”

This post has been edited by MakutaTypist: Jun 8 2003, 07:13 AM

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Within its darkened room, the creature that had once been Havu growled in fury. It had sensed the Rahkshi’s resounding defeat, and that the precious knowledge of Kraata extraction was now in the overly capable hands of the Toa.
It decided to leave the room and return to its chosen lair. This pathetic little cave was much too confining. The rusty horror stared at the floor. Its eyes glowed an eerie yellow in the darkness of the room. A thin crack, glowing red, began to move along the floor. As it moved, it expanded, until a gaping red hole had split the stone. After staring deep into the abyss, the thing jumped in. The chunks of floor moved back together, and the crack vanished, leaving no trace behind.

The Toa, triumphant but still slightly woozy, stood at the door of the villagers’ quarters. Tahu thumped on the door with his sword.
“Turaga?” he called. “We are triumphant! The Rahkshi have fled!”
From within there was a sound of locks being turned, followed by a sizzling sound that must be the deactivation of the fire spell. Then, the door was flung wide, and Vakama rushed out.
“Toa!” he cried, his voice shaking. Tahu was startled and appalled. He had never seen his Turaga look this way before. He seemed genuinely terrified.
“Oh, come quick!” cried Vakama. “Some evil force has taken over Havu!”
“Havu? The-”
“Yes! The prophet. He has been posessed! Come to his room!”

But, of course, when Tahu kicked the door in, the room was empty. What was left of Havu was now deep within Mata-Nui...

This post has been edited by MakutaTypist: Jun 4 2003, 08:30 AM

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Vakama stared deep into the flickering Sacred Fire. The Toa stood behind him.
The heroes of Mata-Nui had been informed of Havu’s corruption. All were stunned at what had happened to the little prophet.
Vakama squinted at the flames. A message was forming within. At last, he turned to the Toa and said, “Green water.”
“What?”
“Green water. In a hidden cave in Onu-Koro there lies a pool of luminescent green water. You must collect this water. I cannot yet see how, but it will bring about the defeat of the Rahkshi.”
“It is too late for the water.” said Onua. “On the night that Vohrahk visited our village, it brought down a large section of the ceiling into the pool. The water is ruined.”
“You must go regardless. Try to siphon some off. That water is your only hope.”

So absorbed were the Toa and Turaga that no one noticed the snarling blue face in the window of the Turaga’s hut. Outside, Guurahk folded into its flying stance and shot away. It would make sure the Toa recieved a warm reception in Onu-Koro...

This post has been edited by MakutaTypist: Jun 7 2003, 06:26 PM

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Their Mirus glowing, the Toa glided toward Onu-Koro, Lewa carrying a large ceremonial urn lent to him by Vakama for collecting the precious fluid. The Toa of Air was not pleased with the container.
“Must we use this monstrosity?” he grumbled. “It’s so heavy, I can barely fly. And I’m sure it will be twice so when full of water.”
“We HOPE it will be filled with water.” said Onua gloomily. “I saw the pool. It was choked with dust and grit.”
“Regardless of how dirty it was, we must try and collect some.” said Tahu. “Now, stop whining and fly faster. The more time we waste before taking protective measures is time that can be ill-used by the Rahkshi.”
“It has little engravings of flowers on it!”
“ENOUGH!”

A small black and purple villager stood at the entrance to the underground village, scanning the skies anxiously. He sighed with relief as the forms of the Toa came into view. The six heroes landed on the sands, Lewa stumbling a bit and almost dropping the urn. Onua saw the villager and hurried over to him.
“Hello, Rauva.” he said. “Something wrong?”
“Very much so.” said Rauva nervously. “There’s something horrible going on in Iqua’s little cave. There are growling noises and flashes of light coming from inside.”
Onua turned to the other Toa. “Well.” he said. “It seems that the Rahkshi have beaten us to the cave.”
Lewa held up the urn. “So, we’ve got to siphon enough water to fill this thing out of a pool filled with grit, while battling indestructible monsters at the same time? That’s-”
Pohatu glared at him. “If you complain one more time, I’m going
to...”
Tahu raised his sword. “Stop it, both of you!” he growled. He then turned to Rauva. “Now, let’s see that cave.”

Whenua met the Toa at the entrance of Onu-Koro.
“Good. You are here.” he said. “As Rauva has no doubt told you, the cave formerly hidden by Iqua has some hostile beings, most likely the Rahkshi, lurking within. Vakama has informed me via drum messages of your other purpose in coming here, to collect the magical water within that cave.”
“It’s not likely there’s any clean water left.” said Onua. “You know as well as we do that Vohrahk contaminated the pool over a week ago.”
Whenua smiled. “I believe one of our engineers has the solution to that problem. Come with me.”
Slightly confused, the Toa followed the Turaga of Earth to one of the villagers’ huts. He peered inside.
“Nuparu!” he called. “Come show the Toa your water purifier!”
A few minutes later, after the Toa had examined the machine, Nuparu instructed them as to its operation.
“It’s really quite simple.” he said. “The end of this hose marked with red goes into the water. The end marked with blue goes into the..uh...container.”
Lewa glowered at the urn he was holding.
“Then you just turn this knob,” Nuparu continued, “...And the machine will purify the water and pump it into the...er...”
“Oh, enough!” grumbled Lewa.

After they had mastered use of the water purifier, the Toa left Nuparu’s hut and stood before the cave entrance. Unlike Rauva’s description, there were no growls or flashes of light. The interior of the cave was pitch-black, giving the jagged entrance the appearance of a gaping, toothy mouth.
Tahu squared his shoulders. “Well, my fellows.” he said. “We must now enter, and face whatever destiny lies within.”
The Toa trooped into the cave, Lewa bringing up the rear. “Very pretty speech.” he muttered. “Try and face your destiny when you’re carrying an urn.”
The interior of the cave was completely dark. The Toa found themselves stumbling and bumping into walls in the blackness.
Finally, Tahu called a halt. “We need some illumination.”
Pohatu, third in line, was mumbling to himself. “Odd.” he said. “We had two reports that there were hostile forces in the cave, and yet there is no sign of the...”
The darkness was dispelled as Tahu lit his fire sword. The glow of the flame revealed six hunched forms at the other end of the cave, all pointing their glittering staffs at the Toa.
“...Rahkshi.”

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The Toa reacted quickly, despite their surprise. They all leaped out of the way as blasts of evil energy from the staffs ricocheted off the stone walls. Even in the tight situation, Gali could not help but appreciate the bitter irony of the whole thing. The Rahkshi had given the Toa a taste of their own medicine. They had set an ambush, almost identical to the one in Ta-Koro.
The Rahkshi pivoted and fired another blast, which the Toa once again dodged. Onua was not quite quick enough, and stumbled as Pahnrahk demolished a stalactite directly behind him.
Tahu took Lewa aside and whispered urgently to him.
“Never mind the battle! We’ll do the fighting! You just siphon off the water!”
“How?!” Lewa whispered fiercely. “Those monsters have clustered around it!”
It was true. The Rahkshi stood firmly planted around the pool.
“The rest of us will try to draw them away.” said Tahu. “Just get that water!”
The other Toa were leaping about, trying to lure the Rahkshi from their posts. The monsters, however, refused to move. They simply swung around on their waists. After about fifteen minutes, Gali pulled Tahu out of the line of fire and whispered fiercely to him.
“They just aren’t moving!” she growled. “What need have they when they can rotate their torsos all the way round?!”
Lewa, meanwhile, was lurking in the shadows, still holding the urn and purifier. The great clay pot was immensely heavy, and the green Toa’s arms were beginning to shake from the strain of holding it so long. A random blast of energy shot in Lewa’s direcvtion, and he hurriedly ducked. The motion set him off balance, and he stumbled into the light, the urn swaying in front of him. A large rock stood in his path, and he tripped, falling to the ground, the urn flying ahead of him. Guurahk, standing nearby, swung around and saw Lewa’s helpless form. It leaned towards him, raising its staff.
CRUNCH! The urn, on its return to the ground, collided with the blue Rahkshi’s head, knocking it senseless. It fell heavily to the ground, its red eyes dark.
Heartened by the elimination of one of their enemies, the Toa moved to more powerful measures to clear the pool of Rahkshi. Onua hooked his powerful claws under the edge of Turahk’s staff and bodily hauled the struggling creature away from the pool. Then, his Pakari glowing from the effort, he picked the Rahkshi up and slammed it several times against a wall. He dropped the stunned creature and dived back into the fray.
Meanwhile, Gali was cartwheeling around Kuhrahk, dodging the ferocious glow of its staff. As it repeatedly missed the agile Toa, its temper worsened. Finally, seething with insane rage, it left its post at the pool and flew at Gali, screaming wildly. Gali leapt aside, and the creature, unable to stop, slammed hard into a nearby wall. It collapsed, its madness cooled by unconsciousness.
Vohrahk had just pointed its draining staff at Tahu when Pohatu attacked it. “This-” he said, aiming a mighty kick at the creature, “-is for draining me in Ta-Koro!” The black Rahkshi stepped hurriedly back, and the kick missed its target. Pohatu’s massive foot became entangled with the handle of the staff. The two foes fell to the ground. After a brief scuffle, Pohatu emerged the victor, considering that he was sitting on the black Rahkshi’s head.
Lewa, meanwhile, had retrieved the urn (miraculously, it was not even cracked) and set it up next to the contaminated pool. He then inserted the appropriate ends of the hose into the pool and urn and twisted the starter knob.
He was amazed at the result. The filthy water was sucked up through the hose. At the other end, beautiful, glowing green liquid flowed into the urn. A hole in the machine’s side spit out the rocks and gravel that had been cleansed from the water.
Tahu knocked Lehrahk and Pahnrahk’s heads together, and the two tumbled to the ground.
“There!” said the fire Toa. “That’s all of them!”
“No-” said Kopaka, hitting the reviving Tuhrahk over the head with his sword and knocking it out once more, “-that is!”
Gali sat on the floor nearby, breathing heavily. The acrobatics she had performed throughout the battle had exhausted her. She felt as though she could not move if the Makuta itself popped out of the floor and grabbed her.
She heard a whirring noise to her left and turned her head dully. There lay the stunned Guurahk. The plate on its back was rattling wildly as it jiggled up and down. Then, it swung open, and something flew out, heading straight for her head.
It suddenly dawned on Gali what the sodden blue object was. Oh no! Not that! She tried to move out of the way, but too late!
Lewa wobbled triumphantly up to the other Toa, carrying the urn. All of them oohed and ahhed at the beautiful green water.
“The water purifier worked magnificently.” said Lewa.
“So did the urn.” said Pohatu. “It did more fighting than you did!”
All the other Toa roared with laughter, as Lewa glared at Pohatu. All the other Toa but one...
“Say...” said Kopaka, looking around. “Where is Gali?”
“Mmmm...MMMPHHT!”
All the Toa turned to look into the shadows. They were horrified at what they saw. Gali lay on the floor, struggling feebly. The oozing blue slug was plastered across her face.

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“GALI! Can you hear me?” Tahu’s voice was muffled and distorted, through the slug’s gooey body. Gali could not reply. The corrosive blue slime was scarring her mask and burning her face below. Goo seeped into her ears, nose, mouth and eyes, robbing her of her senses.
“Get that thing off her mask!” cried Kopaka. Onua inserted the tips of his mighty claws under the edges of the slug, and pulled, ignoring the sudden agony in his hands. The thing ripped off easily. Onua dropped it on the ground. Then, he looked at Gali’s mask. He stared for a long time. Then, he turned back to the slug and crushed it savagely under his foot. Long after its convulsive twitches had ceased, he continued to stomp it, grinding it deep into the stone floor....

Gali felt as though she were floating in polluted water. All was darkness around her, and she floated two and fro, as if pulled by restless currents. Ahead, in the blackness, she saw two tiny pinpricks of yellow light. The current swung her around and began pulling her towards them. As she grew nearer, the lights grew and expanded into a pair of gigantic yellow eyes, staring unblinkingly at her. Then, a harsh, grating voice penetrated her brain.
You are in my power. it droned. You are a deadly puppet for my use. You will kill your allies and aid my Rahkshi without question. You will obey...obey...obey...
As the voice hummed on, the eyes continued to grow, until Gali was drawn into an inferno of crackling yellow light.

Back in the cave, Gali’s body opened its eyes. Gali’s body-but not her mind. The eyes were clouded over, and her mask was a crumbling, rusty horror. She saw the other Toa standing worriedly above her.
You will obey...obey...obey...
Gali sat up and lunged at her friends.

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Pahnrahk stomped up the hill in the center of the Po-Koronian desert, its massive feet leaving holes in the sun-browned stone. It stopped at the dark entrance to a tiny cave, retracted its staff, and squeezed in. Once inside, it cast about until it located a triangular rock seemingly propped against the wall. It pried the stone away with a claw, revealing a dark opening, much like a miniature version of Iqua’s cave. It reached into the opening and rummaged about, hauling out a few objects. After these were removed, it wedged the rock back in place and exited the cave. Once outside, it studied its prizes; two thin triangular wedges of red stone, and a red glass bottle containing a dark liquid. Holding these under an arm, it stomped back down the hill and away.

Gali had wrapped her claws about Tahu’s neck, and was squeezing viciously. Tahu struggled to pull her away, reluctant to use violence and hurt his unwilling assailant. The other Toa grabbed Gali and pried her off. She lashed out viciously at them, dealing many painful blows.
Gali was slowly blacking out. Her body felt as though it were controlled by strings tied to her arms and legs. My body...not my own... she thought miserably. Now, even her sight was going. When she lost this last contact, she would be completely at Makuta’s control.
Gali had Pohatu in a headlock. He was struggling desperately, but he could do nothing to stop his infected companion. Seeing Gali’s distraction, Kopaka aimed a strategic swipe of his sword at her head. CLANK! The infected mask flew off her face and into a corner.
Gali’s consciousness returned. Her face felt cold and unprotected, but at least the giant eyes and whispery voice were gone. She let Pohatu go and sank to the floor, covering her face with her claws.
“Well.” said Pohatu, rubbing his throat, “That’s over.”
“Hardly.” said Kopaka grimly. “This isn’t an ordinary infected mask. We can’t just drop it off a cliff. Despite its deadly condition, it’s the only mask Gali has.”
“All isn’t lost.” said Onua. “There must be some way of curing it.” But he felt much less confident than he sounded...

Jala added the last touch to his machine. He and Takua were deep in the charred jungle.
“I had no idea you were such a mechanic.” said the Chronicler admiringly.
“Oh, yes.” said Jala, a hint of pride in his voice. “I’ve had some experience. I built that device that raises the bridge to the village gates, you know.”
“Really. So, what is this you’re building now?”
“A Rahkshi disarmer. It extracts the slugs and crushes them, leaving the foul creatures helpless.”
“How does it-”
“You’ll see when I start it. Go tell that squad at the village gates to bring the bait over while I disguise it. Once everything’s ready-” he drummed his fingers on a metal beam. “...We just sit back and wait.”

wow! that was a really,really, really... (five hours later...) ...really, really good story. keep up the good work!

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER TWENTY

Gali lay on a stone cot in her hut, with the other Toa and Nokama clustered around her.
Gradually, her eyes flickered open. She sat groggily up and looked around.
“What of my mask, and the Rahkshi?” she asked Tahu.
“The Rahkshi are gone again.” said Lewa. "The blasted things slipped away while we were distracted with you."
"As for your mask," said Onua, "Nokama has told us of a potential cure."
“Yes.” said the Turaga of Water, who stood nearby. “When Makuta took control of the island, the Great Beings sent down an antidote for masks he had corrupted. This antidote took the form of sixty red glass bottles, distributed evenly among the six villages. But Makuta had his Nui-Rama steal the bottles. He could not destroy them, because a greater power than his own had created them. So, he instead hid them in the most secluded or difficult-to-reach places in the island. One or two of the more obvious hiding places are known to the Turaga. The easiest-to-reach of these places is a cave in Po-Koro. A rock is wedged in a wall crevice in this cave. A bottle of the elixir is hidden in that crevice, along with...with... some objects which the prophecies have not made clear to me. You must go to that cave and collect that bottle. Beware! It will be heavily guarded, no doubt.”

A short time later, the Toa exited the hut to make the excursion. Gali was worried.
“What of me?” she asked. “What if the Rahkshi take advantage of my weakness and come here to finish me off?”
“That is unfortunately a distinct possibility.” said Nokama. “But I will give my all to protect you and this hut.”

Up on the roof, Guurahk’s fangs curled into a ghastly smirk. That pathetic little creature could do what it chose. It would not be stopped. By tonight, the blue Toa would be dead.

This post has been edited by MakutaTypist: Aug 4 2003, 06:08 AM

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Tuhrahk peered through the recently repaired Ga-Koro gate at the hut where Gali lay. Most of the villagers and the Turaga were guarding it, of course, but that was no matter. It would have them jumping at their own shadows soon. Guurahk had wanted to do this job, after the loss of its valuable Kraata, but it had business elsewhere- the job had to be subcontracted to the red Rahkshi. Well. It was better suited for crowd elimination anyway.

Guurahk crouched behind the great boulder, its staff ready. It was watching the Toa walking up the hill towards the tiny cave. Little did they know that an enormous rock, just the right size for blocking the cave, was poised above the entrance, or that the only thing holding it back was an easily disentegrated ledge of brittle stone.

Tuhrahk’s attack was brief but devastating. It jumped the gates and ran the beam of its staff over the heads of the guard. All screamed, dropped their weapons, and scrambled for the nearest hut. Nokama had resisted the evil force, but it did little good- she was borne along in the tide of terrified villagers.
After all its victims were in the hut, Tuhrahk slammed the door and wedged it with a heavy rock. It whirled on its enormous heel and started for Gali’s hut, considering the best way to kill her.

Pohatu was uneasy.
“Who knows what’s waiting for us in there?” he asked. “Remember Onu-Koro!”
“But there is a difference this time.” said Tahu. “We know what to expect now.”

Pahnrahk stalked through the Charred Jungle, sniffing. Its nose wasn’t as good as Tuhrahk’s, but it could still detect the scent of a Rahi. It must be the bull, that was the only one that wasn’t accounted for.
Kane-Ra whimpered slightly. He could sense the evil approaching. Unlike Muaka, he wasn’t anxious to get infected again.
The brown Rahkshi’s sinister red eyes peered around a tree, spotting the leashed bull. The Kraata in its back tensed itself, preparing to leap onto the creature’s masks and corrode them with the fearsome fluid it excreted.

Kotu’s eyes opened slowly. The villager had been badly injured when the Rahi had trampled her. Now, both of her arms and one leg were bound in heavy casts, made of a special leaf pulp that Horu had whipped up for her. Daubs of the same material covered the cracks in her mask. She lay in her bed, drifting in and out of a fitful sleep. Her injuries ached, despite the numerous painkillers she had gagged down.
She had been awakened by a chorus of screams, and the sound of running feet. Now, she thought that they must have been part of some fever dream, for the village was deathly quiet. She glanced out a side window, towards Gali’s nearby hut.
Her mind cleared instantly, and she sat bolt upright in bed. She had glimpsed a row of glittering spikes passing along the side of the hut!
The villager hauled herself out of bed and clumped over to the door.

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Kotu had to muffle a scream of terror with her bandaged arm. The guard were gone, and the red Rahkshi was standing just outside Gali’s hut! The villager’s mind raced. What could she do? If somebody didn’t act, the Rahkshi would rip Ga-Koro’s beloved Toa to shreds!

Tuhrahk paused. It had heard some muffled whimpering sounds, along with a scraping sound, behind it. The Rahkshi whirled around. There, standing halfway through the door of a nearby hut, was one of the village’s pathetic inhabitants, several of its limbs bound in a heavy white substance. Well, such trifles were easily dealt with. It aimed its staff at Kotu.

Kotu gasped as the staff began to glow with an evil silver light. A terrible, creeping, gnawing FEAR was suddenly clutching at her brain. She had to stop it... stop it...
Without thinking, Kotu swung her bandaged arm at the Rahkshi’s leering face. There was a sharp CRACK as the heavy material connected with the creature’s skull. Tuhrahk’s red eyes went out, and the Rahkshi dropped heavily to the ground.
Kotu laughed with relief as the terror drained from her consciousness. once this had died away, she stared in amazement at the stunned Rahkshi.
“Did I do that?” she muttered to herself.
“You did, little one, and I thank you for it.”
Kotu jumped. There, in the doorway of her hut, stood Gali.
“I awakened to see that creature peering in at me.” said the Toa. “I was terrified, for it could easily have killed me in my weakened state.”
The villager was a little embarassed to see her hero enfeebled and maskless, but she tried to put it aside and focus her attention on Tuhrahk.
“Is... it safe to be near that thing now?” she asked.
“No.” said Gali. “I have learned from experience that the Rahkshi recover quickly from blows to the head. You must disable it permanently.”
The Rahkshi stirred, and growled faintly. Gali backed away.
“Quick, child. Hit it on the head.” she said with sudden urgency.
“What?”
“Hit it on the head, and step back. I am not strong enough. Quickly!”
Kotu hurried to comply, picking up a heavy stone statue that stood nearby and bringing it down on the Rahkshi’s head. The creature’s back flipped open, and a red Kraata popped out. Kotu jumped out of the oozing slug’s path, and it bounced off the wall of her hut with a splat. On a moment’s inspiration, she scooped the creature up with her bandaged arm and deposited it in an urn full of water nearby. The creature sank to the bottom, wriggling feebly.

Tahu illuminated his fire sword and gazed into the shadowed interior of the cave. He frowned.
“Nothing.” he said, turning to the other Toa. “Not a Rahi or Rahkshi in sight.”
“It must be a trap.” said Kopaka. “The Rahkshi would not let such a valuable tool as the solvent go unguarded.”
Onua came up beside Tahu. “I-” he began, then froze. “Keep talking.” he muttered to the other Toa. “Don’t look up.”
Confused, Tahu continued, trying to keep his voice normal. “Should we risk going in? We might-”
Onua snatched up a huge rock with surprising agility and hurled it at a space above the cave mouth. There was a thud, and a heavy blue mass crashed to the ground.
“I happened to look up, and saw that thing perched on a ledge.” he said to his startled comrades. “It had a boulder positioned to block the entrance once we were inside.”

The Toa swiftly disabled Guurahk, squished its wriggling blue Kraata, and entered the cave. Lewa found the rock hiding the solvent compartment and pushed it aside. He eagerly stuck a hand inside the crevice and cast about. When he sat up, his face registered disappointment.
“Empty.” he said. “Of course.”
“Curse the Rahkshi!” cried Tahu. “What do we do about Gali’s mask now?”
Lewa was still feeling around in the crevice, hoping he’d missed the solvent. No, it was quite empty. Nothing inside but a few pebbles. His hand brushed one and-
Thrummmmmm.
Lewa gasped, and the other Toa looked curiously in his direction. A powerful tingle had run through his entire body, starting at the hand. He moved the hand again, again it brushed something cool and smooth, and again the tingle and hum.
“What are you doing? What’s that noise?” asked Tahu, leaning over Lewa’s shoulder.
“I...feel something...” Lewa grasped the object and pulled it out into the light.
An intense blue glow filled the cave. All the Toa stared in wonder at what Lewa held.

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Tahu peered closely at the small glowing object. It was a perfectly shaped metal sphere, radiating a powerful blue light. On the side was a message carved in strange symbols.
“What IS it?” asked Onua, gingerly stretching out a claw to touch the ball. He jerked back as it hummed at his touch.
“I don’t know.” said Lewa. “It was hidden behind some rocks in the aperture.”
Kopaka started to speak, but a thundering roar from outside interrupted him. All the Toa whirled to see the Muaka standing in the cave mouth, fangs bared.
All went for their weapons. The creature’s extendable neck tensed, ready to spring. As Lewa hefted his axe, he dropped the blue ball, which rolled toward the monster.
The creature’s growls faded to a whimper as it saw the ball. Then to the amazement of all the Toa, it backed away, staring intently at the sphere.
It was all the time Tahu needed. He put on the mask of telekinesis and mentally ripped off the Muaka’s infected masks, sending the creature sprawling to the ground.

Pahnrahk moved toward the whimpering Rahi, eyes glowing in sadistic delight. The brown Rahkshi had a tendency to stomp into things without considering risk. Now was such a time. It never considered why the villagers would leave such a valuable and heretofore heavily guarded prize within such easy reach. It had only the desire to hear the creature scream as the Makuta took control of its brain.
TWANNNNNG! The Rahkshi’s huge foot tripped a hidden wire. The creature looked down, startled. Then, Jala’s trap sprung into action. What had looked like a dead tree branch pivoted around the trunk, hitting the Rahkshi in the back of the knees and flinging it to the ground. Another branch swung out and caught the falling monster, holding it up by its neck. In the top branches of the tree, a rock rolled down a concealed ramp. It teetered on the edge, then dropped, hitting the Rahkshi squarely on the head. The creature’s back flipped open and its Kraata was expelled, hurtling through the air. A cannister dropped from the top of a second tree, and the slug dropped neatly inside. A lid flipped closed, trapping the oozing horror inside. Then, the tube compressed like an accordion. There was a sickening squish from within, and a foul brown liquid dribbled out from behind the lid.
Jala, Takua, and several of the Guard jumped out from their hiding places in treetops.
“It worked!” cried Takua, jumping up and down excitedly. Jala made no reply, but went over to examine the fallen Rahkshi. He looked over it carefully, examining the enormous feet, peering into the dulled eyes, and probing around inside the empty Kraata cavity. Then, he noticed a small black pouch hanging at the creature’s side.
“What’s that?” he muttered, picking it up. The material had an unpleasant rubbery texture. He gingerly opened the flap and rummaged around inside. His hand came out holding a red glass bottle and two slabs of red crystal.

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Up on the cliff, the army waited. Rahi of all numbers and names shifted uneasily in their ranks. Tarakava flexed their huge arms experimentally. Nui-Jaga twitched their deadly tails. Above hovered a patient swarm of Nui-Rama. At the head of the group stood three Rahkshi.
Vohrahk, Lehrahk, and Kuhrahk were uneasy. Their mental links with their red, blue and brown colleagues had been severed. They had to seek them out. Like the Toa, the Rahkshi knew the value of unity in defeating an enemy.
A descision was reached between the three. The green and white Rahkshi would venture down to Po-Koro while the black would guard the Rahi army. Vohrahk leaned on its staff and watched the other two fly away.
The dark Rahkshi was worried. Its two companions were excellent fighters, but shaky on stealth. If, in the course of their search, Lehrahk went chasing after a small woodland creature or Kuhrahk went insane and started smashing things, the villagers would alert the Toa and two more operatives would be lost. The heroes of Mata-Nui had done discouragingly well against single attackers. Vohrahk felt sure they could not perform nearly as well against an army.

Gali sat in Vakama’s hut, her cleansed mask once more covering her face. After Jala had found the solvent, the Toa of Water had been brought to Ta-Koro and her mask purified. It had been easy- the blotches of rust had melted away under a minor application of the black liquid in the bottle.
The two Rahkshi landed as quietly as possible within the village gates. Both unfolded from their flying stance and readied their staffs. Lehrahk sniffed the air, then indicated Vakama’s hut with its head. The brown agent was within.
Vakama was speaking to Gali.
“Jala is pleased he was able to help you.” he said. “And bringing down the Rahkshi was no small task either.”
Gali was about to speak when she glanced out the window. She gasped, causing Vakama to look in the same direction. Two Rahkshi were slinking towards the hut.
“I should have known this would happen.” said Vakama quietly. “The Rahkshi always come to the aid of a fallen companion.”
Gali raised her claws.
“Well.” she said, her voice menacing. “I am glad of this chance to settle a score with those creatures.”

Kuhrahk and Lehrahk lay in prone positions on the ground, surrounded by a puddle of water. They never knew what hit them.

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Vohrahk winced. Its mental connections with the green and white operatives had just been violently snapped. Its mind whirled. It was the only Rahkshi left! The fire village was in possession of several rare articles!
It decided what action to take. The Rahi attacks must begin ahead of schedule.

A bulky shape shot through the dark sky toward Ta-Koro. The six Toa, wearing Masks of Levitation, carried the limp Muaka and Guurahk, suspended by vines. Lewa, in the rear, carried the orb and the infected masks taken from Muaka.
Vakama was in conference with Jala and Gali when an excited villager burst into his hut.
“Turaga!” he cried. “The Toa have returned!”
The three followed him outside, where he pointed to an open space in the village’s center. The Toa had landed, and were surrounded by a crowd of Ta-Koronians.
Tahu dropped the vine he had held and looked around. He saw a tall blue figure striding toward him.
“GALI!” all five Toa cried.
“Y-your mask... How...” stammered Lewa, nearly dropping the objects he held.
“All will be explained.” said Vakama. “Come to my hut.”

Vohrahk glared down at the village. It had seen the Toa flying its blue comrade there a few seconds ago. Yet another valuable prize for the fire village. It had to do something.
It turned to the army and raised a hand. A gleam came into the eyes of the assembled Rahi. They formed into orderly lines and moved away from the ledge. Vohrahk took one last look at the night fires burning within the walls, then followed after its champions.

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

The guards paced back and forth in front of their post. Gone was the carefree attitude of the night of Makuta’s defeat. Both were alert and restless.
One guard stopped and squinted into the distance. The other noticed his actions and looked as well. A dark mass was moving across the distant beach toward the village.
“Wait a moment. I want to check that out with the telescope.” the first villager said. He hurried into the guard outpost and aimed a small telescope out a window. After a second, he dropped the instrument and rushed back outside.
“What-” began his companion, but was cut off.
“RAHI!!!!!!!!!” screeched the villager. “HUGE ARMY OF RAHI HEADED TOWARD THE VILLAGE!”
The other guard picked up the dropped telescope and stared at the rapidly growing mass. Then, he let it slide from his fingers and clatter to the ground. He turned to his concomitant.
“Get the other two sentries into the village.” he said quietly. “I’ll lower the bride and follow you.” The other nodded dumbly and hurried off.
The sentry looked again at the approaching army. Individual creatures were dimly visible now. At the head strode a black Rahkshi.

“An army of WHAT?” asked Vakama, staring at the breathless guard. He and the Toa had been speaking of the various Rahkshi captures when the sentry had burst in.
“Rahi!” quavered the villager. “A Rahkshi is leading them. They’re headed straight for the village!”
“What actions have you taken?” asked the Turaga. “The guard at the front gate-”
“I brought them into the village.” said the Guard, a little calmer now. “Haku is lowering the bridge.”
“Good.” said Vakama. “A lowered bridge will not stop the Rahkshi or the Nui-Rama, but it will slow the Tarakava and Nui-Jaga down considerably.”
“The Rahkshi- What color was it?” asked Tahu.
“Black.”
Tahu nodded. “Vohrahk. The only one unaccounted for.” He turned to the other Toa. “Get ready. If the Rahi make it into the village, we will be the first to challenge them.”
Haku, the guard who had lowered the bridge, hurried into the hut.
“There.” he said crisply. “I lowered the bridge. That should set the Rahi back some.”
Vakama squinted at him. “Tell me, did the Rahkshi see you enter the guard house to work the bridge mechanism?”
“I-I suppose so.”
“Rahkshi are remarkably intuitive, and possess a great knowledge of machines. What is to stop the black one from raising the bridge?”
Haku blinked. “Oops.”

Tahu peered over the wall. “What the Turaga says is so.” he said grimly. “The bridge is being raised. A few Rahi are beginnig to cross.”
Kopaka looked around the village. Villagers were scurrying about, arming themselves with firestaffs or throwing-discs. Jala was organizing a group of very determined-looking guards into ranks in the village square. Everywhere was an air of determination and military spirit.
“Rahi, eh?” he muttered. “Very well, Makuta, take your best shot.”

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

In the Charred Jungle, the thing waited. It resembled a huge Rahkshi, with glowing red eyes and a huge silver staff. It stood, bulky head turned toward Ta-Koro. From within the walls came a noise of shouting and assorted Rahi noises. The Rahi attack was in full swing. With the creatures’ superior numbers and clever leader, Ta-Koro was almost certain to fall.
Almost. There was always a chance that the villagers would pull through and win as they had done in the past. If that happened, the thing would step in.
It had been created out of the most vile substances in Mata-Nui. It was powered by five Kraata, set in arm, leg, and head compartments. If the Rahi attack failed, it was programmed to enter the village and rob it of the treasures located therein. But would probably not be necessary for a long time, if ever.
So it waited.

And in its red eyes glowed the power of Makuta.

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Jala reared back and flung the disc. It whizzed through the air and struck a Tarakava in the face, sending its infected mask flying. The creature’s orange eyes dimmed, and it slowly toppled over. Jala allowed himself a second of satisfaction, then rushed into the thick of battle to aid a band of villagers dodging the mighty tail of a Nui-Jaga.
Vohrahk’s staff crackled as a blast of evil energy surged toward the Toa. All dodged, and the thin silver strands of light split a chunk off a nearby boulder. Tahu sent an enormous ball of flame toward the Rahkshi, then retreated behind an outcrop of rock as a fresh explosion emanated from the monster’s staff.
“How are the villagers faring?” he asked Lewa, who was watching the seething mass of Rahi and Ta-Koronians that writhed in the village square.
“Well enough.” said Lewa, turning from the sight of the fray. “Considering the size of their enemies, their performance is phenomenal.”
“Size has nothing to do with it.” said Tahu. “Superior tactics and-”
He stopped and lunged aside as Vohrahk charged around the rock and fired a blast from the staff. The black Rahkshi was alternately attacking the Toa and egging on the marauding Rahi. The army had surged across the newly raised bridge a few hours ago, and combat had been fierce and instantaneous. Thankfully, none of the creatures had yet discovered the hut which housed the treasures and downed Rahkshi.
Tahu lunged at Vohrahk, but one of the creature’s huge feet flew up to meet him. He crumpled on the ground before the black beast. Vohrahk grinned wolfishly and raised the glowing staff-
Then, a huge rock flew from out of nowhere and struck its head resoundingly. The Rahkshi collapsed beside the red Toa. Pohatu jumped out of hiding and knelt beside the two. He neatly struck Vohrahk’s head, knocking its oozing Kraata out into the light. He picked up the same rock he had used to stun the Rahkshi and crushed the brain-slug into a gritty mass on the hard-packed ground.

Out among the dead trees, the great creature winced. The Kraata within it could sense the death of a brother nearby. The Rahkshi must have fallen. That could mean disaster for the Rahi armies. Its time to act drew near...

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

The village square was littered with downed Rahi. A few of the creatures still battled the villagers, but the army was mostly disabled. The Toa had been able to step in after defeating Vohrahk, and their efforts had added greatly to the Rahi casualties.
“There’s another!” said Onua, as he heaved a rock at a Tarakava. The creature’s mask flew off, and it slowly toppled alongside its fellows.
“How many are left?” asked Pohatu.
“Three.” said Gali. A Nui-Rama swooped down at her, only to meet a wall of water coming up. “-Make that two.”

The creature was moving. Its great metal feet kicked up clouds of dust as it lumbered toward Ta-Koro. The Rahi had fallen. It was the Makuta’s only hope now. It had to succeed...it MUST.....
The crash of the last Nui-Jaga collapsing was dwarfed by the explosion of one of the village walls. All the villagers leaped aside as a huge shape lumbered into the square. A great black reptilian head swivelled from side to side. Huge clawed hands gripped a silver staff. Mighty feet kicked aside villagers and fallen Rahi.
The Toa rushed toward the monstrosity, various weapons extended. Almost casually, it pointed the staff at them. All were bowled over like leaves in a strong wind by a blast of silver light.
The titan sniffed the air eagerly. It could faintly smell the precious objects, but the odor of the Rahi made it difficult to detect.

Tahu picked himself off the ground. Around him, the other Toa were getting shakily to their feet.
“W-what IS that?” stammered Pohatu. “It looks like a larger Rahkshi.”
“Perhaps it is.” said Tahu. “ The Makuta may have created a new type of Rahkshi to reinforce its armies. I only hope there are not six of them.”

Vakama glanced at the creature lumbering toward his hut, then back at Jala and Takua, who stood beside him.
“It knows where the objects are hidden.” he said grimly. “It comes for them now.”
“Perhaps we could use them to draw the creature away.” suggested Jala. “If one of us were to take the precious articles away from the village, the monster might sense their absence and leave the village long enough for us to muster our strength.”
Vakama considered.
“A good plan.” he said. “There are a few holes in it, but it is excellent for such short notice. We will implement it at once. Who shall leave?”
“I will go.” said Jala. “It is my scheme, so it is only fair that I put myself in danger to carry it out.”
“No.” said Takua suddenly. “I should go. You are too much needed in the the village. I am more used to swift travel, and I know the island more thoroughly.”
Vakama and Jala glanced at each other. Then, the former nodded.
“Well put.” he said. “Very well, you shall go. Your bravery is obvious once more, Chronicler.”

The creature’s ghastly red eyes were fixed on the hut. The scent of the precious objects was much stronger now. Soon, they would be in its grasp.
“GO, TAKUA!” screamed a voice from within the hut. A small creature shot out of the hut’s doorway, toward the gates and away. The monster swivelled on its heel and followed.

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER THIRTY

Takua looked down, then hastily closed his eyes. His feet dangled above a glowing red abyss. He was seated in the Ta-Koro cable car, clutching at his precious cargo. He had reached the car several paces ahead of his sinister pursuer by sheer fleetness of foot. The car had lurched into action, sending Takua out over a huge crevice. If he were lucky, he could reach land before the creature caught up with him.
The monster had reached the cable car’s controls. It glared out at the villager’s rapidly diminishing form. It would have liked to fry the irritating little creature with a blast of energy, but it had to get the objects back first. It turned to the cable car control, a lever sticking out of a box of gears. It pointed the staff at the moving machinery. The gears shuddered for a moment, then began to turn in the opposite direction.
Takua turned in dismay. He was going backwards! The creature stood at the Ta-Koro cable car, watching eagerly as he drew nearer. He shifted desperately in his seat, trying to get the car moving correctly again. His efforts were futile. It continued its steady progress, drawing him into the waiting claws of the monster. He glanced down at the objects in his hands, as if they could tell him what to do. His eye fell on the bottle of solvent, and a desperate plan began to take shape in his mind...
The monster leaned forward as the cable car drew within reach. Its huge silver claws grasped the seat and its rider, drawing them close. Takua gasped with the effort to breathe. An awful aura surrounded the monster. It seemed to radiate evil and misery, perhaps a tenth of what one might feel in close proximity to the Makuta. Takua grappled with the solvent bottle, managed to pull out the lid, and moved his arm sharply upward. A glob of the black liquid splashed out, directly into the monster’s face. A screech tore the night air.

Takua climbed shakily from the seat, pulling himself from the limp claws. His plan had been to temporarily blind the monster with the handiest material and escape on foot before it recovered. What had happened was much more dramatic. He recapped the bottle, shifted the objects in his arms, and walked slowly down toward the village. Behind him, the monster’s limp body lay still, its entire head gone.

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Vakama was staring reflectively at the bottle of solvent. Takua had brought it and the other treasures back to the village a short while ago, with the good tidings that the huge Rahkshi was vanquished. Now, he, Jala, and the Toa were assembled in Vakama’s hut. The Turaga appeared to be preparing to make a speech.
He spoke. “Thankfully, Makuta’s Rahi, Rahkshi, and other creatures are vanquished. But Mata-Nui cannot have peace until the Makuta itself is gone. Toa, that task falls to you. You must seek out the Makuta and destroy it.”
He gestured at the urn of green water that stood in the corner. “I feel that it is high time I explained this. You risked your lives to get this water, and then it stands unused for weeks. However, now is the time to use it. It will be essential in the Makuta’s lair.”
“How?” asked Lewa eagerly.
“The prophecies say that the Makuta now dwells in a great cave, its walls covered with seemingly random symbols. These walls must be painted with the green fluid, and then-” Vakama paused. “And then, it is still unclear what happens. I assume it would bring about Makuta’s fall.”
“Very well, we know how we may defeat Makuta.” said Tahu, a trifle impatiently. “But how do we reach it? Is the location of this cave known?”
“Yes.” said Vakama. “Unfortunately, it is within the center of a great mountain in Ko-Koro, and the entrance is blocked with a heavy gate. This gate can only be opened by a set of strange keys, two of which you have.”
“Keys?” asked Pohatu blankly. “We have no keys.”
“These are no ordinary keys.” said Vakama. “The gate is decorated with a carving of the Makuta’s face, with a maskless head on either side. The keys are two slabs of red crystal that fit into the eye sockets of the Makuta carving and two golden Hau masks that fit over the heads. While the slabs were captured, I do not know where the masks are.”
During this, Tahu had been staring at something in a shadowed recess of the hut. The two infected masks taken from the Muaka lay on the floor. He walked over and gingerly picked them up.
“Takua,” he called, “Bring that solvent over here.” The villager handed him the red bottle. Tahu poured most of the remaining black liquid over the masks and smeared it around with his hand. The blotches of rust rapidly wore away. Beneath-
All the Toa gasped. In Tahu’s hands lay two glittering golden masks.

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

At last, Lewa gingerly stepped forward and prodded one of the masks with a finger. He sighed appreciatively, shutting his eyes.
“It has a sort of...warm feeling to it.” he said awkwardly. “It makes you feel good...inside.”
“Pah!” growled Kopaka. “I care not for warm feelings. Where did the things come from?”
Vakama squinted at the masks. “I do not know.” he said. “The prophecies have never made it clear to me where the Kanohi come from. They simply appeared on the island, deposited by the elements. Perhaps someday their source will be revealed.”
He shook his head, as if bringing himself out of a reverie. “But that is not important now. You have the keys.” He picked up the red slabs from a table and handed them to Tahu.
“Go to Ko-Koro as soon as possible and enter the cave. It will not be easy. The Makuta will do its best to make your going hard. The prophecies tell of many traps and dangers residing along the way.”
“We are ready for anything.” said Pohatu. “At least, I hope we are.”

And so it was that the Toa set out two days later, heading for Ko-Koro. They had packed necessary supplies and sought counsel from their respective Turaga (there wasn’t much to know, beyond what Vakama had told them). A band of 18 villagers accompanied them, to stay back and guard the entrance.

Lewa examined the contents of the heavy bag he carried. (Thankfully, Onua had volunteered to hold the blasted urn.) Inside was a bottle of solvent (in case they encountered any Kraata), some food which had been prepared for him in Le-Koro, and there at the very bottom...
...Lay the metal orb he’d found in Po-Koro. He had been carrying the thing ever since he’d discovered it in the crevice. He’d planned to ask Vakama about it, but something had held him back. The other Toa had evidently forgotten about it. He wondered why he was hiding it. It wasn’t any object of power. True, it made your hand feel funny when you touched it, but that was no-
He started as a connection formed in his mind. The feeling he got when touching the orb was the same the golden mask gave him. He wondered what power they shared. It was good, whatever it was. He felt sure of that.

Tahu, in the lead, stopped abruptly. The others soon determined why. They stood before a huge rock face, dappled with snow. The front was decorated with a skillful carving, depicting a jagged, stony head with a leering face. The twin of the small statue the Turaga used to represent the Makuta. On either side of the Makuta carving were two faces, maskless, with twisted expressions.
Tahu turned to Gali, who held the masks and crystals. “Give me the keys.” he said quietly.

The appropriate orifices for the keys were so high up that Tahu had to use a Miru to reach them. He covered the faces with the golden masks and jammed the crystals into the slitted eyes of the Makuta.
The result was dramatic. The crystal slabs began to glow with a powerful red light. The cruel mouth suddenly gaped wider, opening wider and wider until the lower jaw disappeared beneath the ground. A massive doorway now perforated the rock. Clouds of dark mist drifted from within. A set of steps descended into the dark interior, dimly illuminated by a faint red glow.
Tahu stared into the ominous red abyss. Finally, he sighed, squared his shoulders and turned to the others.
“Well, we have little choice but to go on.” he said. “I am sure that doorway and what lies beyond make the thought unpleasant, but-”
“Let’s not stand here talking about it.” said Pohatu. “Come on.”
He stepped past Tahu and cautiously placed a foot on the first step. The other Toa followed. Lewa brought up the rear. He was so absorbed with the orb and the masks, he barely thought of the potential doom he faced. He drew his hand, which had been fondling the orb, out of the bag. It accidentally brought the ball out with it. The bluish-black orb rolled out onto the snowy ground just as Lewa entered the cavern. He tried to draw it in with his axe, but it was out of his range. He was just about to lift it with his Mask of Telekinesis when-
“I’ll get it!” Takua suddenly yelled, running forward and scooping up the sphere. Holding it exultantly, he rushed forward, holding it out to Lewa.
There was a faint grinding noise. Takua tripped over something rising from the ground in the cave entrance. Lewa manged to catch the ball and steady the villager in one quick motion. Then, he saw what Takua had tripped over. The jaw of the carving was rising. In another second, the mouth had closed completely. Six Toa and the Chronicler were sealed in the cave.

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

The seven travelers moved uncertainly down a dark passage, lit by the same dull red glow. The Toa went first, Tahu in front, lighting the way with his firesword. Takua brought up the rear, carrying the urn. Tahu had reasoned that, as long as the villager was trapped with them, he might as well make himself useful. Takua bore his burden in silence, seemingly having no trouble hefting the heavy load.
Tahu peered ahead. “It looks as if we’re coming to a cave.” he whispered. “Keep your weapons ready. There may be trouble.”

The passage, sure enough, began to widen, until at last the Toa stepped into an immense cave, more brightly lit than the passageway. The red light seemed to drench everything in blood. The floor was littered with jagged black rocks. At the far corner was a dark shape, presumably a bolder. The group cautiously advanced toward the opposite end of the cave, seeking an exit.
Gali was uneasy. The place had an unpleasant atmosphere. The red light gave everything a sinister look, even her fellow Toa. There was an odd smell as well, an acrid, chemical smell that felt as though it was dissolving your sinuses as you inhaled it. And, whatever it was in the corner was looking less and less like a boulder as they drew near.
At last, Tahu stopped before the dark object and thrust his firesword at it. Everyone jumped slightly as the light played off an enormous face.

Pohatu was the first to recover. He stepped cautiously forward and stared at the head. It was, everyone now saw, a large-scale carving of a Toa’s head, wearing a Hau mask. There were blotches of moss growing on the rock, giving the unsettling impression that the mask was infected.
Tahu moved his arm slightly. The light from his sword suddenly played off something sticking out of the side of the head. It proved to be, upon closer inspection, a large lever, covered with the same moss.
“Well, what do we do now?” asked Pohatu. “Do you think it’s safe to pull this?” He tapped the lever.
It moved more easily than he had thought. His tap was enough to jar it into a down position. With a creak, the mouth of the giant head dropped open, sending out a stronger blast of the chemical smell Gali had noticed earlier. A strange rushing, gurgling noise eminated from deep within the black hole of the mouth.
“GET OUT OF THE WAY!” yelled Tahu. Everyone leaped to higher ground, including the urn-wielding Takua. A pungent liquid gushed from the mouth, spreading across the cave floor. The Toa were horrified to see the rocks it touched dissolve.

Pohatu had loosed a huge tide of acid.

RAHKSHI: CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

The seven travelers scrambled to escape the corrosive liquid as it spread, turning rocks into black puddles. Pohatu scrambled toward the back of the cave, only to find his way blocked by a solid wall!
“There’s no exit!” he called to the other Toa.
“Get back to the entrance!” cried Tahu. “We must get out of here before the chemical reaches us!”
But it was already too late. The gurgling fluid gushed through the room and filled the entrance. The stone was swiftly eaten away, and the opening collapsed.
The Toa activated their Mirus and leaped from the rocks on which they stood, Tahu scooping up Takua as he did so. They hovered over the sea of bubbling, steaming acid, watching the places where they had stood moments before disappear.
“Well, this is an unpleasant turn of events.” said Tahu. “Come on, we’ll have to blast our way out through the ceiling.”
Slowly, they rose upward toward the domed ceiling of the cave. When they reached the top, Onua flexed his claws and struck at the black rock. Nothing happened. The stone had not even sustained a dent. All the Toa plied their weapons- and all failed in the same manner. The stone stubbornly refused to be broken.
Takua, meanwhile, had been studying the ceiling. He had previously noted that a large rectangular portion seemed to stand out from the rest. It somehow looked...different. As Tahu rose closer to the ceiling and dug his flaming sword into the rock, Takua reached up and tapped the odd section.
It glowed at his touch. With a grinding noise and a shower of black dust, the whole segment moved upward and away. A blast of fresh air cut through the acidic fumes.
Tahu laughed quietly. “Perhaps it is a good thing that you came along, little one.” he said. “Without you, we would have been bathing in acid in a few hours.”
The Toa lost no time in climbing through the hole. No sooner had the last of them come through than the panel slammed back into place. There was no indication of what had raised it. It merely looked like a chunk of stone, set a little above the rest of the floor.
Tahu put Takua down and looked around. The cave in which they now stood was substantially different from the previous one. The rock was a very light grey, almost white. An odd blue light ruminated from the ceiling, glinting eerily off the rocks. The air was clear and crisp, almost cold. A large, perfectly round white stone sat in the center of the room. At the far end stood a rectangular opening.
“Good, an easy one.” said Lewa. “Come on, we should get out of here before that acid below eats through the floor.” He strode boldly forward, swinging his axe.
Abruptly, the white stone moved. It stopped in front of Lewa, barring his way. He tried to move it aside with his foot, but it proved to be incredibly heavy. As all watched in amazement, a small, round hole opened in the stone. A blast of frigid air and snow exploded out, knocking Lewa flat. Another hole opened, and another. Soon, the stone was as pourous as a sponge, all holes shooting the same icy torrents.

The Toa were trapped in the center of a tiny but deadly blizzard.