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Onua’s Golden Kanohi
No good deed goes unrewarded


Chapter 1: Discovery

Onua was breathing hard. He was halfway up the slope, and every move was critical. With his strength, he could lift hundreds of times his own weight, but the rock was soft, crumbly, and treacherous, requiring intense concentration. The Toa of Earth reached over his head for another claw-hold, and a cascade of small rocks tumbled down, bouncing off his Pakari.

“Ouch!” he grumbled, but he succeeded in grasping a larger, more solid chunk and shifted his weight upward. He moved his foot to the next ledge and pushed. He continued to climb carefully until he was within a hundred bios of the top, close enough to use his Miru. He let go with his claws, floating easily to the small patch of level ground. “Whew! Good thing I already have that one,” he panted. “I wouldn’t have liked to climb the whole thing the hard way.”

But his relief was short-lived. Before he could see it with his dim daytime vision, he heard the ominous buzzing of a Nui-Rama. He dove behind a large boulder as it whizzed over, slashing at him with its claws. They glanced uselessly off the shimmering translucent shield of his Hau. Onua laughed to himself. “Guess I didn’t really need to duck,” he thought. “My instincts are definitely quicker than my brain. But with practice, maybe I can train myself to use the mask powers first.”

He searched the craggy mountaintop for the prize that had motivated the climb. And there it lay, camouflaged against the grayish stone. An Akaku! He knelt, his claws closing over the smooth lenses, and wrested it from the rock. He positioned it over his Pakari, and he could feel a surge of energy resonating through the blending masks. He blinked as the lenses focused on a nearby peak. “Wow!” Onua, with his poor vision, was overwhelmed by the amazing amount of detail. Each lens showed a different aspect of the landscape. And the largest one showed him – trouble.

“Uh, oh!” Onua could see the Nui-Rama nest on the far side of the adjacent crag. He remembered the warning of the Le-Koronan scout who had seen the Kanohi from his Kahu and narrowly escaped to tell about it. The buzzing of the infected creatures reached his ears at the same moment, building to a deafening drone.

Onua braced himself against the rocks and switched to his Hau again. Dozens of the hideous insects pounded in vain against the shield. But Onua felt the ground move. Again he felt a shock. He realized with horror that the Rama were clawing at the sides of the cliff. Soon they would dig all the way through it, and the top of the narrow spire would tumble down, Onua with it. It was too far to jump, even with the Miru. And he would have no more protection if he changed masks.

The Toa of Earth did what he knew best: he dug, straight down. Stone flew up, striking a few of the Rama, as he burrowed down the middle of the crag. The Rahi, too large to follow him into the shaft, buzzed angrily around the top. Onua didn’t stop digging until he could feel the coolness of the deep earth surround him again. He scraped out a hollow spot and paused to rest a few minutes.

Onua’s green eyes snapped open as he sensed vibrations through the ground. He lay his head against the earth, listening. It was a signal from Whenua. He deciphered the code: “Onua, come quickly, great power concealed.” The message repeated, but Onua was already on his way, digging rapidly in the direction of the sender. He burst into a wide spot in one of the Onu-Koronan tunnels.

Whenua and a crew of Matoran were staring at one wall of the tunnel. “Ah, there you are, great Toa. Thank you for responding to my summons. We have found something that seems very important. My drill is sensing great power beyond this wall. But it doesn’t match the energy patterns from any Rahi we have yet seen, and we didn’t want to open it without you.”

“Well, as a matter of fact,” said Onua, switching to his new Akaku, “I can help you out there.”

Whenua looked relieved. “Great! You found it! How many do you have left?”

Onua smiled at the little Turaga. “Only one, the Kakama. Now, let’s see.” The darkness was no obstacle with his excellent night vision. He looked through the Akaku and focused to get the proper range. Onua gasped. “No wonder you sensed power, Whenua. There are four Pakari in there!”


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Chapter 2: Delivery Service


Whenua laughed. “Obviously these Pakari are not for you! You’re strong enough already.”

Onua gently patted the village elder on the back with his claw. “Yeah. But I’m going to dig them out. The other Toa will sure need them.”

In a moment Onua had dug into the wall and broke into a hollow chamber. The four gray masks were pressed into a large boulder in a neat row. Onua reached out to touch one, then hesitated.

“I wonder why there are four here, all together,” mused Onua. “And in the earth, my domain. The only Toa who doesn’t need one.”

“That is odd,” Whenua responded. “But there is always a reason for what the Great Beings do.”

Onua was silent for a moment. “Maybe they want me to bring these to the other Toa. Why else would they put them here?”

Whenua was uneasy. “It’s always a little dangerous to presume to understand the will of the Great Beings,” he said slowly. “They could want the other Toa to come here.”

“Maybe. But that would mean a lot of extra travel, because I would still have to go tell them. I think I am supposed to deliver them myself. And one Toa will have to find his own, or maybe he already has.” Onua tilted his head as he stared at the Pakari. “Whenua, no one has ever touched a Kanohi except for the Toa for which it was intended. Do you think it’s safe?”

Whenua looked at the ground as he thought. Finally he answered. “Well, as long as you don’t try to wear it, I think it would be all right. I don’t think the Great Beings would set it up so that helping your friends would cause a problem. They do always seem to be pushing you Toa to work together.”

Onua trusted the wisdom of his Turaga. He took a deep breath and put his claws around a Pakari, pulling it loose from the stone. The mask remained inert and gray, as if its power were still waiting to be awakened. “I’ll just take one for now, to make sure it really works when I get it to another Toa. Can you guard the others until I return?”

“Sure,” said Whenua. “But what about your Kakama?”

“Maybe I will find my Kakama on the way to the other Toa,” smiled Onua. “I don’t even know where to start looking for it, anyway. No one has seen it yet.”

“True.”

“Well, thanks for your help, Whenua.” Onua slapped the Turaga on the back, knocking off his mask. “Oops, sorry.” He bent to pick it up.

Whenua coughed and caught his breath. “Like I was saying, YOU sure don’t need ‘em!”

Onua grinned. “I wonder what would happen if I wore TWO Pakari?”

“NOOO! I mean, with all due respect, I think that would be very dangerous,” said Whenua quickly, replacing his mask.

“I was just kidding, Turaga,” laughed Onua. When Whenua smiled with relief, the Matoran laughed, too.

“OK, Onepu, set up a guard for these three masks. I don’t want ANYTHING to happen to them,” ordered Whenua.

“Yes, sir,” replied Onepu. “I’ll see to it right away.”

“Onua, where will you be headed first, in case anyone comes looking for you?” asked the Turaga.

“Ga-Koro,” said Onua. He wasn’t exactly sure why, but he wanted to bring a Pakari to Gali first. Somehow being around her always made him feel warm inside in a way that didn’t happen with the other Toa. “Maybe it’s because water and earth are so compatible,” he thought. “Or maybe it’s her wisdom. And the way she always wants us to work together. Oh, I don’t know.” Aloud, he asked Nuparu, pointing to his backpack, “May I borrow this, please?”

“Of course, sir, I’d be honored!” Nuparu removed the pack and emptied it, adjusting the straps for Onua’s bulky frame.

Onua put the Kanohi in the pack, slung it over his shoulders, and turned to go. “Thanks, Nuparu. Whenua, take good care of Onu-Wahi, as you always do. OK, I’m off. Wish I had that Kakama already!” He burrowed into the east wall of the tunnel. For a while the Tohunga could hear the his mighty claws grinding into the earth, and then there was silence.

Whenua spoke. “Good luck, Onepu!” He got on his Ussal and returned to Onu-Koro.


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Chapter 3: Cool Water


Onua emerged on the beach at Ga-Koro. He shook the dirt off himself and squinted in the sunlight at the waterborne village.

“Oh, yeah!” he chided himself, switching to the Akaku. “This works so much better for daylight. And I love this telescope lens.” He looked again and saw a hut rising from the water, which rolled in sheets off the leafy covering. A strange multi-colored Tohunga stood by the pump. Nokama and the villagers came out of the hut.

Suddenly, a Tarakava with an infected mask rose from the waves and towered over the Turaga, roaring menacingly. Onua began to run toward the water, switched to his Kaukau, and dove in. As he swam toward the lily pads, he saw the Toa of Water swimming from the other direction. The agile Gali leaped from the water onto the lily pad. Onua surfaced in time to see her block a blow from the beast, then do a back flip and land on its back. The Tarakava zoomed into the water to shake its tormentor, but Gali held on tight. He plunged in again and approached the furious swirling of the two combatants, trying to discern one from the other. But Gali had already defeated her foe. The Tarakava rose one last time from the water, and fell to the side with a large splash. Gali was holding its mask. The Ga-Koronans cheered wildly.

Onua felt a rush of relief that Gali was safe. Still, he was a little disappointed that he was too late to help. He tried to climb onto the lily pad with Gali, but his weight just pushed the edge underwater. So he switched to his Miru and levitated out of the water, landing in the center where he was more stable. The Ga-Matoran stared at him, amazed, for they had never seen another Toa before.

“Hi, Onua!” called Gali. “What brings you to Ga-Koro?”

“Hi, Gali,” Onua replied. “Um, well, I brought you something.” He reached into the pack and pulled out the mask.

“How sweet! But I already have that one. I found it underwater this morning.”

Onua was crestfallen. “Oh,” he said.

“See?” Gali switched to her Pakari.

Onua thought it was especially pretty in blue. “Wow, you look really good in that,” he said. Immediately he was embarrassed by his own words.

Gali laughed, changing back to her Kaukau. “Thanks. Well, I’m glad you came by. If it weren’t for Maku here sneaking off to see her boyfriend, YOU might have had to rescue my village!” Maku looked at her feet. “It’s OK, Maku. It all turned out for the best. Thanks for coming to find me.” She patted the Matoran on the head with her hook.

Maku smiled sheepishly. “You’re welcome, Gali.”

“So, what masks are you missing?” asked Onua.

“Only one, the Kakama.”

“Really? That’s the only one I still need, too!” Onua looked around. He watched the strangely colored Matoran walk out of Nokama’s hut, nod respectfully to Onua, and continue down the path to the boat dock. “Who was that?”

“A traveler,” replied Gali. “With an important destiny. He just repaired the pump and saved everyone from drowning. That’s all I know about him.”

“Well, can I help you with anything, since I’m here?” asked the Toa of Earth.

“Um, sure. Would you please get that Tarakava out of the water and into this hut? It needs to be cared for. Now that its infected mask has been removed, the villagers can tame it.” Gali pointed to a dwelling at the edge of the village.

“No problem.” Onua took a deep breath and swam to the bottom. He lifted the enormous creature over his head and heaved it out of the water onto the lily pad. Before it could slide back off, he surfaced and shoved it toward the center of the giant leaf. He used his Miru as before to get onto the pad, and he dragged the monster into the hut.

“Thank you,” said Gali sweetly. “Now, we have a town meeting, so I have to go. See you later! Good luck finding your Kakama!”

“You, too.” Onua sighed as he watched her turn to Nokama and the villagers. He swam slowly to the shore and got out. He waved, but Gali was talking to the Matoran.

“Well,” he thought, “now I know who DOESN’T need a Pakari. Ta-Koro isn’t far from here, I’ll see if Tahu is there.” He dug back into the sand and tunneled toward the Village of Fire. But his mind was still on Gali. “Hey, wait a minute,” he realized. “Gali already HAS a Pakari. She didn’t need me to move that Rahi. She could easily have done it herself! Hmm. Could she have just wanted me to feel important?” It was a very nice thought, and he pondered it until he approached Ta-Koro and felt the heat of the volcano through his beloved earth.


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Chapter 4: Hot Lava


Onua climbed out of the ground on the side of the Mangai. He had gone to Ta-Koro, and Vakama had directed him here to find Tahu. He immediately saw the Toa of Fire on a foothill across the stream of flowing lava. But Tahu was too busy to notice him. He was surrounded by five infected Kane-Ra.

Onua watched to see how he could help. Tahu spun in a circle, spraying flames at the beasts with his fire sword. They backed off, snarling, but soon approached again. Onua dug underneath the valley and emerged behind one of the Kane-Ra. With his massive claws he grabbed its legs and dragged it into the ground, where he knocked off its mask. The dazed animal groaned as it crawled slowly back out of the dirt.

Meanwhile Tahu had jumped up onto a boulder and blasted the other four Rahi again. While they were still stunned, he turned and pulled a gray Miru from the rock above. He put it on and levitated above the animals, who were ready for more. He looked for a place to land, but wherever he moved, there was nothing but gnashing teeth below his feet. When he fired his sword again, it propelled him backwards, spinning out of control, and the creatures followed.

Onua held his claws together, concentrating on the space between them. When a glowing green ball had formed, he slammed it into the earth. The ground below the Rahi opened up with a mighty cracking sound, and they tumbled into the earth, which closed around them with a loud rumble. Tahu, astonished, landed on the rubble. He looked around to see his rescuer, and spotted the Toa of Earth.

“Hi, Onua!” he shouted. “Thanks a million! I just got this thing, and I’m not really sure how to steer yet!”

Onua laughed. “Yes, I had that problem at first, too, Tahu.”

“Well, I owe you my life. What can I do for you?”

Onua pulled the Pakari out of his pack. “What are friends for? Here you go. Try this one.”

Tahu smiled. “You really ARE a friend, Onua. Thanks!” He put it over his Hau, and Onua watched it turn from gray to red, as the Miru had done. “OK, what can it do?” He sliced a large boulder out of the volcanic rock at his feet with his fire sword. Then he put the sword on his back and lifted the rock above his head. “Awesome!”

Onua was relieved. “Wow, it worked! I was a little worried about bringing a Kanohi to another Toa, but it looks like that’s allowed.”

Tahu tossed the rock to the side, causing the earth to shake under their feet. “You have no idea how happy this makes me, Onua. That’s my last mask! Would you come with me to my Suva?”

“Cool, sure, I’d love to,” replied Onua, glad that his gift was useful this time.

“OK, follow me.” Tahu sliced two flat, oblong rocks about four bios long from the basalt. “Here, take one and jump on. Use your Kakama, and we’ll be in Ta-Koro in no time.” He threw his board into the lava stream and jumped on, switching to his Kakama.

“Um, I don’t have a Kakama yet,” yelled Onua after him, a little envious that his friend’s search was over and his was not.

“Oh, sorry,” said Tahu, changing back to the Hau. He fishtailed on the board to let Onua catch up.

Onua threw his board into the lava and leaped. The rock was very unsteady, and he wobbled crazily a few times before catching his balance. “Hey, this is cool!” he called out, leaning right and then left to steer his board around some stones in the stream, which had just joined a wide river of molten rock.

Tahu smiled. “Yeah, I love surfing, it really relaxes me.”

“I wouldn’t call this relaxing, but it’s fun,” replied Onua. “Say, I’ve been wondering about something. I just tried to take this Pakari to Gali, but she’s only missing the Kakama, too. But every time I’m around her I feel funny inside and talk like an idiot. Is there something wrong with me?”

Tahu laughed. “Gali has that effect on everyone, Onua. You’re perfectly normal. You’ll get used to her.”

“Oh. I was just hoping I could somehow be special to her.”

“You and the rest of us! Listen, Gali will always be everyone’s friend, but she will never pick a favorite. If she did, we the rest of us would be jealous, and we would be worthless as warriors and protectors. That would just be playing right into Makuta’s hands.”

Onua marveled at his friend’s wisdom. “How did you figure all that out?”

“Actually, Gali explained that to me.”

“And how did you get onto THAT subject?”

Tahu turned his head and met Onua’s gaze with his own. “Oh,” said Onua. “Sorry.”

Tahu smiled. “So just thank the Great Beings whenever you get the chance to work with her, because she does make everything more fun. And don’t worry about it.”

“Still, I like to think about her.” As Onua said this, his board struck a boulder and slipped out from under him, and he flew sideways through the air. He quickly switched to his Miru and hovered over the lava flow, but he realized that he was too far to reach the bank. “Tahu!” he called.

Tahu spun his board and pulled the fire sword off his back. He stuck it into the lava up to the hilt and ignited it. It propelled the board upstream past Onua. He made another turn and put the sword on his back again. “Hang on!” Holding out his arms, he surfed under Onua and caught him, falling with a thud onto his back with Onua in his lap. He pushed the Toa of Earth back up onto his feet and stood. “Now get behind me, slowly, and just do what I do.”

Onua complied, admiring his friend’s balance and skill. But Tahu was chiding him. “If you keep daydreaming about Gali, you’re going to get yourself killed. So get your mind back on your work!” He guided the board, with Onua holding his waist and leaning when he did.

“Yeah, you’re right,” replied Onua. “Hey, look! My Kakama!” As he twisted to look, the board tipped sideways. “No, wait, it’s just a rock.”

Tahu shifted in the opposite direction to right the board. “Easy, big guy.”

Onua sighed. “Sorry, wishful thinking, I guess. Look, Tahu, is that your village? We are almost there.”

A crowd of Tohunga had gathered at the edge of the village to greet the Toa. Tahu skidded the board to a stop on the hard ground. He and Onua got off and walked up to Vakama. “I have good news,” he told the Turaga. “Onua just brought me my last Kanohi. I’m ready for the Suva.”

The Ta-Koronans cheered. Vakama, beaming with pride, led the way to the Suva. All were silent as Tahu stepped on the center stone. He descended into the Suva and rose again, his golden Hau gleaming in the glow of the lava. Onua was filled with wonder and happiness for his fellow Toa. The Matoran cheered and hugged a surprised Vakama.

Tahu spoke. “Onua, you are incredible. Thanks for all your help.”

“Don’t mention it, Tahu.”

“We are going to have a village council now. Would you like to stay a while?”

“No, I’d better be going. Got some more Pakari to deliver, and a Kakama or two to find. Thanks, anyway.” Onua waved to his friend as he ducked into the tunnel to Onu-Koro. He began to run at a steady pace, wishing he had his Kakama.


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Chapter 5: Back to Earth


As Onua approached his village, his instincts stopped him in his tracks. He leaned his head to the wall and heard a jumble of sounds -- distress signals, Matoran footsteps, various slamming and pounding sounds. And in the midst of it, unmistakeably, he heard sounds of Kofo-Jaga.

Onua broke into a sprint, cursing his lack of Kakama. Closer to the village, he paused again to determine the location of the fight. It was between him and the village, off the main tunnel between Ta-Koro and Onu-Koro. He realized with a sinking feeling that it was in the chamber he had hollowed out around the three remaining Pakari, which he had ordered Whenua to guard. He could now hear cries and shouts. Plunging into the cloud of dust that obscured the corridor, he switched to his Akaku and made his way toward the chamber.

The clearing was strewn with injured Matoran and discs. Onepu and four guards were holding back the stinging, snapping beasts that surrounded them, waving lightstones and flinging disks with all their might. Onua called to them, “Get out! Leave the masks! Get yourselves to safety!” They stopped their disc assault on the Rahi and retreated to the hallway, dodging stinger blows from the sides, while Onua protected their backs. Although small enough that they were no match for the Toa, the creatures were so numerous that Onua had to work quickly to protect all the Matoran.

Other Kofo-Jaga were crawling onto the boulder with the masks. Onua saw one work its way up to a Pakari and touch the mask with its claw. Immediately the animal stiffened as if with an electric shock, and it tumbled to the ground. Onua slung the scorpions to the side with his claws, slamming them into the cave walls, and gathered the five wounded Matoran in his arms. He carried them to the main corridor, where he saw Whenua and a group of guards running from the underground village toward the commotion. “Turaga!” called Onua. “Here are the wounded! Are there any more Rahi outside this chamber?”

“Not that I know of, Onua!” yelled Whenua.

“OK, I’m going to do a controlled cave-in. You get everyone back as far as you can.”

Onepu barked orders at his guard. The able-bodied carried their fallen comrades toward the village, with Whenua the last to retreat. Onua stood in the doorway of the chamber and kicked three scorpions back into the room. He spread his feet and braced his claws against the top of the opening. The Kofo-Jaga had rallied and were crawling toward the Toa. With a sudden shove he sheared a huge chunk of earth from the ceiling, which fell on the Rahi with a muffled thud. The shock caused part of the main tunnel to collapse as well, and Onua felt the crush of hundreds of tons of dirt and rock on his shoulders. But the Toa of Earth was unscathed.

After the rumbling stopped, he dug through the dirt and emerged on the Onu-Koro side of the cave-in. “Is everyone OK?”

“Yes, thanks,” replied the Turaga. “The wounded are being cared for, and we haven’t seen any Rahi come out on this side.”

“I’d better check the Ta-Koro side,” said Onua, and dug back through the mass of earth. The tunnel was clear on the side of the fire village as well. “OK, now to get the masks. Ours and theirs.”

He burrowed back into the chamber, removing infected masks from the stunned scorpions as he unearthed them. “Kofo-Jaga don’t even wear masks in their natural state,” he thought. “Makuta subverts and twists everything, even the poor dumb animals.” Finally, he reached the stone with the Pakari. He pulled each one off, blew off the dust, and placed it carefully in his pack. Then he emerged into the main tunnel again.

“All clear, Whenua,” he reassured the tribal leader. “You can go back to Onu-Koro now. The Pakari are in my pack. As soon as I clean up the mess I made in the hall, I’ll come back to the village for a quick meeting with the Matoran.”

“Good, Onua. Thank you!” The Turaga bowed low.

“Just doing my job. I’m sorry I took so long to get here.”

As the Turaga returned to Onu-Koro, Onua cleared mounds of dirt from the main tunnel and used it to fill the chamber, which was no longer needed. The now harmless Rahi scurried off into the darkness. He muttered curses under his breath as he worked. “Makuta! Don’t you ever tire of meaningless pain and destruction? We are tired of YOU! Your days on Mata Nui are numbered.” Finally, the corridor was open and the walls were packed smooth. Onua gave the wall a blow with his palm to verify that it was stable. “Good as new,” he sighed. “So many Tohunga suffering, and so much time lost. But they, and the earth, will be healed.”

Onua gazed at the pile of infected masks. He was reluctant to leave his village to take them to the Mangai or the sea to be destroyed, so he began to dig. “I’ll hit lava or water eventually,” he reasoned. “In this part of the tunnel system it’ll be lava.” In several minutes he was a few dozen bios deep, and the earth began to feel warm, then hot, to his claws. Then molten rock spurted from the hole. He jerked his claws away from the heat. “Here’s hoping I get to do this to your master soon,” he said as he dumped the masks into the lava flow and filled the hole back up.

Onua walked, exhausted, into Onu-Koro. Whenua immediately convened the Matoran to the center of the village. Onua sat on the edge of his Suva, with his elbows on his knees, and spoke. “I won’t keep you long, because I must be going soon, but I wanted to report to you what I have seen.”

Whenua nodded as the Toa of Earth took a deep breath. “The Great Beings have blessed me with a chance to help Mata Nui by delivering Pakari to the other Toa. Whenua found four of them, which I dug out this morning. Gali already has hers, so I gave the first one to Tahu. I am happy to report that it is working perfectly. Now Tahu has his golden Kanohi.”

The Onu-Koronans cheered. They had heard the legend of the golden Kanohi from Whenua, and they were anxious for the Toa to get them and loose Makuta’s horrible grip on their island.

“How many more Kanohi do YOU need?” asked Taipu.

“Only one, Taipu, the Kakama. If anyone sees it, please tell Whenua immediately, and he will signal me.”

The Matoran murmured in agreement. “Now, please tell the injured that I appreciate their bravery, and I am praying for their swift recovery. I know Whenua will reward them appropriately.” The Turaga nodded again. “So, I’m off to Po-Koro. The tunnel is restored, and the Kanohi chamber filled in. Unless I hear from you, I will return after I deliver the other three masks.”

As he rose to leave, Onua looked at the intent faces of the villagers that depended on him. His heart was heavy when he thought of the pain and fear they faced every day. Even now that powerful protectors had arrived to defend them, their lives would be difficult until Makuta was taken down. He walked across the bridge, turning to wave as he stepped into the tunnel to Po-Koro.


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Chapter 6: Solid Stone


As Onua tunneled to the Quarry, he pondered what Onewa had told him. Half of his village was deathly ill with a mysterious infection. A colorful traveler had arrived in Po-Koro and shown him that the sickness came from the latest, best-selling Koli balls. Makuta had outdone himself this time, thought Onua. “Using the things we love to kill us. How like that monster.”

And Pohatu had gone to the quarry to help this wanderer to find the source of the infection. Apparently one of the Po-Koronans had noticed the traveler taking the Koli ball salesman’s stone key, which he always kept next to his stand. Onewa knew from the description that this key, stolen from his own hut, unlocked the statue of Gali in the Quarry, and Pohatu had headed there immediately.

Onua burst from the ground at the base of the giant stone carving just as a huge pile of broken stone crashed down from inside the opening. He switched to his Hau as the rocks rained down on him. As the dust cleared he looked around. “This time it’s her statue that almost got me killed!” he laughed to himself. He saw Pohatu and the Tohunga at the entrance to the Quarry, talking. Then Pohatu was gone in a red blur.

“Well, I can’t catch HIM,” said Onua to himself, wishing for the hundredth time for his Kakama, “but I can talk to his little friend.” He strode over to the Matoran, wondering about the origin of his odd appearance, his bravery, and his obvious intelligence.

The traveler was already heading for Po-Koro when Onua caught up with him. “Hello, I’m Onua, Toa of Earth. I’ve seen you before, when you saved Ga-Koro. Who are you?”

“I don’t know,” replied the Tohunga. “I’ve forgotten who I am, and where I came from. And my coloring isn’t much of a clue, either, I’m afraid.”

Onua studied the tiny hero. “Sorry,” he said gently, “I hope you find out soon. It’s hard not to know your identity or purpose. I was that way for a while after I came out of my canister.”

The traveler looked at Onua and shrugged. “All I know is, the people around here really need help. There seem to be problems everywhere. This Makuta is making a lot of trouble.”

“I’ll say. So, what happened in the Quarry? Does Pohatu need my help?”

“Probably not. I went into the statue, and there was a Nui-Jaga guarding a nest full of infected Koli balls. Pohatu came in, but he was temporarily blinded by the scorpion. So he asked me to help him aim, while he kicked Koli balls into the tree trunks that supported the nest. Of course, he blasted them all down pretty fast, and the whole thing came crashing down. Now he’s on his way to the village, to gather the infected balls and throw them into the sea. Well, he’s probably already done by now.”

Onua nodded. “Thanks, Traveler. I’ll go see what I can do.” He patted the Tohunga on the head and ran toward Po-Koro. As he passed Hafu carving road signs at the crossroads, he waved, and the stone carver waved back. “That guy’s always working!” thought the Toa.

Pohatu came out of the main gate to greet him. “Hello, Onua! Good to see you.”

“Hi, Pohatu. The traveler told me about the Nui-Jaga nest. Well done.”

“Thanks. Well, the infection is gone, and the villagers should begin to recover, I think. Come on into the village, I heard you coming. And felt it through the stone. You should get a Kakama, you might find the element of surprise to be useful sometime.”

Onua groaned. “Yeah, I know. I’m still looking for it. My last mask. Well, on that subject, here!” He took a Pakari from his pack and handed it to Pohatu.

The brown Toa was speechless. “You – how – oh, my! Thanks! This is my last one!” As he put the gray Kanohi over his Kakama, the solid outlines of the two masks blurred together. “Oh, I gotta try this!” Pohatu trotted to the edge of the village and selected a boulder. He gave it a kick. The rock soared high in the air, shattering into tiny fragments against a cliff. “Amazing! I barely tapped it!” He tried another, this time with all his newfound strength. Again the boulder exploded, taking off a huge chunk of the bluff as it hit.

“Oh, you are such a great guy!” said Pohatu, beaming. “That’s about twenty times the damage that would usually happen, with a stone that size. Where did you get it?”

Onua explained the discovery of the Pakari. “Now, don’t you have a golden Kanohi to collect?”

Onewa and the Po-Koronans had heard the noise and were crowding around the Toa. Onua knew most of them by name, since he and Pohatu had helped save each other's village several times. Pohatu waded through the throng toward the Suva, answering their questions as he walked. “Yes, I have them all now. No, I’m still not as strong as Onua! But he’ll never be as fast as me, even when he gets his Kakama!” He winked at his fellow Toa.

A hush fell over the village as Pohatu stepped onto the Suva. Like Tahu, he descended, then rose again with a beautiful gold mask. It was dazzling in the bright desert sunlight. Pohatu got off the Suva and put his arm around Onua. “You, my friend, are amazing.”

“Aww, it was nothing,” replied Onua. “I just wish I had been able to help you with the Nui-Jaga.”

“Oh, I had very good help,” laughed Pohatu. “Look, there he is!” He pointed to the traveler, who had just entered the gate. The Tohunga waved at both Toa. Then Onewa took him by the arm and led him into his hut.

“Whoever that is, I get the impression he’s going to be pretty important to Mata Nui,” ventured Onua.

Pohatu grinned. “Those little guys can really rise to the occasion. It’s incredible how brave they are.”

Onua sighed. “Yep, they’re gonna need all the courage they can muster. I get the feeling we’re going to need their help somehow when we fight Makuta.”

“He uses every dirty trick there is, and when he runs out, he invents some more,” agreed Pohatu. “Is everything all right in Onu-Koro?”

Onua nodded. “For the time being, Pohatu. You really saved our necks last time those sand Tarakava got into the Great Mine. That rockslide trap you rigged was ingenious.”

“Well, I couldn’t have set it up without you digging that big pit. You know, I think the reason we get along so well is that your element is just tiny busted-up pieces of my element.”

“Excuse me?” Onua asked with mock indignation. “Earth is not just rock! What makes it interesting and useful is the water in it.”

“Oh, yeah, I guess so. Say, you have Gali’s element in your element, too, you lucky dog. So, have you seen anyone else lately? How are they doing on their quests?”

“Gali is only missing the Kakama, like me. Tahu has his golden Kanohi now. I don’t know about Lewa and Kopaka. I’m going to see them next.”

“Well, I’ll go look for your Kakama, then,” said Pohatu. “Yours and Gali’s. I bet she’ll look fabulous in hers!”

“No doubt,” said Onua. “But I have to stop thinking about her so much. Tahu gave me some good advice about that.”

“He did?”

“Yeah, he said Gali would never pick a favorite, because jealously is one of Makuta’s weapons against us.”

“Are you sure he didn’t say that to make you back off, so he could…” Pohatu’s voice trailed off.

“It’s possible, but I believe him. And besides, wouldn’t it be just like Makuta to sow doubt among us?”

“Ooh, you’re right,” agreed Pohatu. “Forget I said that. Besides, what Tahu said sounds pretty wise.”

“Yeah, he said we should just enjoy her company and not worry about anything else.”

“That makes perfect sense. That way she is truly a blessing, and not a curse. OK, friend, let’s get moving, we have Kanohi to find. And deliver.”

Onua smiled. “It was really good to see you. I’m so glad you got your gold mask. May the Great Beings protect you!”

Pohatu grinned back. “You, too.” Then he disappeared in a red blur.

Onua sighed and walked out of the town gate, turning to wave at the Matoran. He dove into the ground, bound for Onu-Koro. He planned to stop and talk briefly with Whenua, then take the underground highway to Le-Koro.


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Chapter 7: Airsick


After his visit with Pohatu, Onua’s spirits were high. But he began to feel apprehensive as he approached the jungles of Le-Wahi. Sure, Lewa had always been cordial to him, in his flippant, witty way. Once Onua had saved him from the jaws of an infected Muaka as he fell, maskless, from a blow by a Nui-Rama. Lewa had been very grateful. But Onua had had the impression Lewa was impatient to be left alone again, to pursue the masks and fight the Rahi his own aloof way. And besides, outside the familiar confines of his mines and tunnels, the Toa of Earth was afraid of heights.

Onua took a deep breath as he looked up the massive tree that supported Lewa’s village. He decided against trying to fit his large, heavy frame into the delicate-looking elevator pod, even though he knew the twisted vines from which it swung were stronger than they seemed. Instead, he began to climb the tree with his claws, like a cat. He kept his face turned upward, afraid that if he glanced down, he would lose his nerve.

Finally, he reached Le-Koro and levitated onto the broad wooden platform that supported most of the town. His anxiety increased as he noticed the dead silence of the usually lively village. Where were the Tohunga, and the music for which they were renowned? Even the jungle noises of the animals, insects, and birds seemed more muted than usual. Onua switched to his Akaku and saw several Matoran in their huts, peering out slits between the broad leaves. “Come out, Le-Koronan. I’m Onua, Toa of Earth.” he said quietly to one hut, changing back to the Pakari.

A flap moved to one side, and a Tohunga emerged. “I am Tamaru,” he said solemnly. “You come at a darktime to treebright Le-Koro. Perhaps you can help?”

Onua knelt to look Tamaru in the eyes. “I came to find Lewa, but if I can help you first, I will. What is wrong? Where is Matau?”

“Matau is gone. He was taken by the Rama. He was deepwood, looking for Lewa. I was his wayfinder, and the quickdodge Rama grabbed him and took him sunsoaring for the hive. I failed him. I wasn’t everquick enough with my disc.” The Tohunga looked down as he spoke. Onua put his claw reassuringly on the villager’s arm.

Other Le-Koronans, seeing that the stranger was a Toa, came out of their huts. Onua listened sadly as they explained that the Kahu-Force had just launched another attack against the Rama swarm. But their hopes of finding their Turaga and several missing countrymen were dimming, and Lewa hadn’t been seen for days.

"I’ll go look for Matau in the hive. Then maybe he can help us find Lewa.” Onua stood and sighed. As much as he dreaded the climb down the tree, he was even more worried about what he would find in the Nui-Rama hive. He waved to the villagers as he backed down the trunk. “Take care,” he said, trying to sound hopeful. “The Great Beings will not let this evil stand for long, if I have anything to do with it.”

Onua dropped to the ground from the lowest tree branch. With great relief, he dug into the earth. He tunneled steadily toward the ominous-looking hive, an immense spire of compacted mud distantly visible above the trees.

The Toa of Earth stopped to rest a few hundred bios from the hive. Even this far away, he could hear the buzzing of innumerable huge insects through the ground. But as he prepared himself for the inevitable battle with Makuta’s infected minions, he had a sickening premonition. There was some extraordinary danger in the hive, beyond the usual Rahi threat. He couldn’t explain why, but the feeling was clear and strong. Onua said a silent prayer, and then he was ready. He got up and resumed digging.

He burst from the floor of the hive and quickly assessed the situation. The first thing he noticed was the overwhelming foul odor of the insects and the infection. The hive was dark inside, but the darkness withheld no secrets from his glowing green eyes. He saw dozens of Nui-Rama everywhere, and a few of the larger Nui-Kopen. Matau and a group of Tohunga appeared to be laboring for the Rahi, hollowing out more hexagonal egg chambers. Whenever they slowed their pace, they were spurred on by the electric shock of blue insects almost their size. Onua was surprised to see Taipu and the multi-colored traveler in their midst. But he had no time to ask why, for he heard a crunching sound behind him. He turned to see Lewa looming over him. The Toa of Air had a strange, haughty, unnatural look. Onua’s heart sank in horror as he realized that Lewa’s Miru was covered with the pitted, patchy stains of Makuta’s infection.

Onua was anticipating a nasty fight with infected Rahi, perhaps with a species he had never seen before. He hadn’t ever expected to confront another Toa. “Lewa! It’s me! Come to your senses!” he urged. Lewa’s reply was to raise his axe and lunge at Onua. Just in time, Onua switched to his Hau, and the blade bounced off the shield with such force that Lewa skidded backwards into the honeycomb.

“What is happening to me?” asked Lewa. “My body… not my own! My mind! Get out of my mind!”

Onua brightened. Maybe the mask had been loosened by the impact. “Lewa! Take off the mask!” he called. But his hopes were dashed as he saw the evil gleam return to Lewa’s light green eyes. Lewa attacked again with the axe. Onua blocked the blow, catching the handle with his claw, twisting it, and flipping Lewa over the axe. But the agile Lewa landed on his feet and swung again. Onua jumped to the side, and the blade dented his shoulder.

Strategic options began to race through his mind. “I don’t want to injure him. All I have to do is knock off that mask.” Onua’s claws twitched. He feinted left, then lunged for the Miru. Lewa’s lightning reflex blocked the attack, and almost instantly Onua felt the impact of a roundhouse kick to the ribs. He staggered backwards, gasping. “Maybe I need to injure him after all.”

Onua and Lewa circled each other. Onua switched to his Miru and rose, and Lewa did likewise. But Lewa’s control of the mask was far superior to Onua’s, and he maneuvered around behind the dark Toa. Onua immediately realized his mistake, switched back to the Hau, and dropped. The axe bounced off, and again Lewa flipped and landed, ready for more.

“He’s too agile for me to to defeat in hand-to-hand combat,” Onua reasoned. “How can I use my elemental power in here?” Changing to the Pakari, he took a claw full of earth and flung it at Lewa, who blew it in the other direction with gale force. It scattered all over the hive, raining in clods on the fearful Tohunga huddled around Matau.

Onua didn’t pause to look, however, because he was preparing an earthquake. “Good thing I got to try this with Tahu,” he thought as he focused on the glowing green ball. But Lewa attacked from behind before he could slam it into the ground. The ball dissipated in a green blur, and the entire hive rumbled and shook. Onua groaned as the axe struck his back with full force. He fell onto his face in the dirt. Lewa kicked him in the back of the head, and Onua blacked out.

Onua’s vision returned, grainy at first, then clear again. “He’s beating me bad,” he muttered into the ground. “He’s not going to stop. He’s gonna kill me!” Onua rolled over and looked into the eyes of his friend-turned-foe, leering through the corroded, slimy Miru, and shuddered. “Or worse…”


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Chapter 8: Airborne


Onua switched to his Hau and slowly stood up. “I won’t get Lewa’s infected mask off this way,” he thought, “but it’ll buy some time.” He kept his face turned toward the Toa of Air, who was pacing around him. “Wrestling is out. Earthquakes are too slow. The only thing left is Kanohi power. If I had the Kakama –“ He stopped his negative thought.

Lewa seemed impatient to dispatch his rival. He leaped high into the air and landed behind Onua, who spun on his heels and dropped. Onua switched to the Pakari. “Great Beings, give me strength!” He grabbed Lewa’s legs as the axe blade struck the dirt behind him, and Onua flung him backwards onto the ground. Incredibly, the Miru was still on his face. Onua lunged with his claws, but Lewa brought up his legs and kicked. The Toa of Earth slid backwards against the honeycomb. Clods of dirt bounced onto him.

“Strength is not enough. Give me wisdom!” Onua whispered. As if to add insult to injury, a blue electric bug buzzed onto his shoulder. Or was it a sign? Suddenly Onua knew what to do. He switched to his Matatu and focused on the bug. It flew across to Lewa and struck his mask with a blaze of blue and green light. The infected Miru tumbled to the floor. Onua gasped. It worked!

“His mask! Get his mask!” It was Matau, yelling at him from the other side of the hive. Onua looked up and saw a Nui-Kopen above Lewa, holding a gray Miru in its claws. He directed the power of the Matatu at it, and the mask dropped into Lewa’s hand. The Toa replaced the mask, which flooded with green color as the hive was lit with a brilliant green light. Lewa was back!

Onua was so relieved, he couldn’t think what to do next. But Lewa had assumed control of the situation. Lewa jumped onto the Nui-Kopen’s back, and, using his Komau, he commanded it to land. Kongu had already mounted the Kahu, and they loaded both creatures with Matau and the Matoran. Onua found himself sitting astride the bird with Taipu on his shoulders. They flew up out of the hive, which was half demolished from the fight.

Taipu was chattering rapidly. “Onua! You’re my hero! I’ve never been so proud to be an Onu-Koronan in my life! I can’t wait to tell everyone of our adventure!”

Onua smiled as moved the little miner’s hand off the eye hole of his Pakari. “Thanks, Taipu. You Tohunga make it all worthwhile.” He had forgotten his fear of heights for a few moments. As the Kahu looped and leveled out in the cloud-streaked sky, Onua felt suddenly nauseous, but he took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He was amazed at the beautiful view of his beloved Mata Nui from the air. Now he understood why Lewa preferred to be airborne. But he was still glad when they landed in Le-Koro. It was well above the ground, but at least it was on a stable platform.

As Matau related the events in the hive to the Le-Koronans, Lewa spoke. “I can’t thank you enough, Onua. You really put your life on the line for me in there.” Lewa hesitated, then he hugged Onua tightly.

“Aaaaaaaah!” cried Onua as blinding pain shot through his ribs.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” said Lewa, releasing him.

“It’s OK, it’s just – well, you busted me up pretty bad. You’re one incredible fighter.”

“Thanks. You slammed me hard a couple times, too. But how did you know to come find me?”

Onua rubbed his back. “Your villagers told me Matau had been taken by a Nui-Rama, and no one had seen you in days. So I went to find Matau, hoping he could tell me where you were. I brought you this.” He pulled off the tattered backpack and removed a Pakari.

Lewa stumbled backwards. “I can’t believe it! You came to do me a favor, and I wanted to KILL you!”

“Don’t keep berating yourself, Lewa,” smiled Onua. “I’m sure you put up quite a fight when they came to infect you, and I want to hear all about it. But first, put on the Pakari. It’s your last mask, right?”

Lewa stared at his friend. “How did you know?”

“Lucky guess,” groaned Onua. He was beginning to wonder if these Pakari were intended to be a test for him, to see if he would succomb to jealousy of his fellow Toa as he watched them get their golden Kanohi. He was determined to pass the test. So he watched with joy in his heart as the Le-Koronans parted the palm leaves, and Lewa emerged from the Suva with his radiant gold Miru.

The villagers hastened to their huts and returned with musical instruments. Soon the treetops were ringing with melodious rhythm. Onua waved to the traveler as the Matoran stepped into the elevator to leave Le-Koro. “There he goes again,” he said. “On his way to another rescue, no doubt.”

Lewa stepped off the Suva, removed his mask, and handed it to Onua. “Take this,” he said. “You deserve it. I’ll find whatever masks you are missing.”

Onua was speechless. “Uh, well, thanks, but no. You’ve earned it. I only have one more to go anyway, the Kakama, and I’m sure I’ll find it soon. But thanks, anyway.”

Lewa put the Kanohi back on his face. “OK. Then I’ll help you find your Kakama.”

“I would appreciate that. So, how DID you get infected?”

Lewa sighed. “My own stupidity. There was a Tohunga named Tamaru who was captured by the Rama and escaped. He found a crack in the wall, and slipped out during one of their raids when the hive was almost empty. He came and told me there was a Hau in the hive.”

“Tamaru? He was the one who told me Matau had been taken! Poor guy, he’s been through a lot.”

“Yeah, he’s a brave one. Anyway, I sneaked into the hive through the same crack and got the Hau. But it seems Makuta had been expecting me. I was ambushed immediately, and the foul creatures just kept pounding me until they knocked off my mask. Then they put on that infected Miru.” Lewa winced at the memory.

“I’m sure that was awful,” Onua frowned.

“You wouldn’t believe how awful,” replied Lewa. “The stench. The slimy feel of it. And the worst part is, I could feel my whole being shift its purpose to killing, and destroying, and corrupting. When they brought the Tohunga in and put them to work, I smiled at their suffering and fear. And when you showed up, well, I just wanted to hack you up. Or better yet, to rip off your mask and watch you scream as they put on an infected one.”

Lewa was shaking. Onua put his claw on his arm. “It’s OK, Lewa. You’re yourself again.”

“Well, Onua, that’s just it. Obviously it was my own arrogance that got me into trouble in the first place. I should have gotten some help before I went in there, I knew there were scores of those Rama inside. I mean, look at you. You always seem to know when to team up, and when to work solo. I’ve seen you do it, over and over. How do I get wise like you? You must be the smartest creature on this island.”

“I hope for Mata Nui’s sake you’re wrong!” Onua laughed. “Lewa, I have no idea what I’m doing most of the time. Unless I’m in the ground, digging. Then I’m pretty confident. I’m just lucky the Great Beings have put me into a position to do some good once in a while.”

“Then being wise must have something to do with being humble,” Lewa smiled.

“It’s easy to be humble. Just attack a friend who is a better fighter than you!”

“Yeah, but you won, though.”

“That’s because Makuta gave you only one mask. If you had had any of the others, I would be a goner.” Onua ran his claw along the dent in his shoulder.

“Speaking of masks, do you know how everyone else’s quest is going?” asked Lewa.

“Gali needs a Kakama, too, last I heard. Tahu and Pohatu, and now you, have the golden Kanohi. I haven’t seen Kopaka yet, but I have a Pakari for him, too.”

“Well, hopefully he'll be nicer to you than I was. You’ve had a pretty rough day.” sighed Lewa, patting his friend gently on the back. “But first, come on over and join the party. It looks like Taipu’s having a good time already!”

“Yeah, he is. And it looks like a great party. Thanks, but I’d better be going.”

“Well, Onua, I’m in awe of you. I’ll never forget what you did for me. You are a true hero.”

“Just doing my job, Lewa. Next time you’re outnumbered, call me. But I think it’s great that Makuta’s hatred has turned us into good friends. We get the last laugh, after all.”

“Let’s hope we’re still laughing after we fight Makuta!” Lewa watched Onua switch to his Miru and lower himself slowly to the tree trunk. “Try shifting the weight of your legs as you steer, you get a lot more control that way,” he called.

Onua tried this trick and found it helpful. “Thanks! See you later!” Soon he was in the earth again, digging for Ko-Koro, and very glad to be making his last delivery.


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Chapter 9: Ice Cold


Onua came up out of the ground and shook the dirt and ice off himself. He immediately felt the bitterly cold wind of Ko-Wahi whipping around him and was glad he was fairly resistant to temperature extremes. He walked into the mysterious temple in Ko-Koro, admiring the icy statues, the sweet smell of incense, and the rows of neat writing covering the walls. A Tohunga bowed to Onua and explained that Nuju was unavailable for lack of a translator, since Matoro was off hunting Rahi in the snow. But Nuju noticed Onua and came over to introduce himself.

“Welcome, Onua, Toa of Earth,” said Nuju. “I am Nuju, Turaga of Ko-Koro.” The villagers turned and stared, surprised to hear Nuju speak in words.

“Thanks,” replied Onua. “I’m looking for Kopaka. Can you help me find him?”

“Kopaka is on a quest. But Matoro may have seen him. Follow Matoro’s red flags in the snow. I will tell my scouts to alert me if they see Kopaka, and I will send someone to find you.”

“I appreciate your help, Nuju,” said Onua, and he turned to leave the temple. He ducked through an icy passageway and found himself back outside in the blizzard. One by one he spotted the flags with his Akaku and drew nearer to the Tohunga. But then he felt a tremor in the earth. A very large creature was roaming nearby. But where was Matoro?

As he scanned for what must be a Rahi with his wide-angle lens, he heard a roar. There it was in the distance! He focused the telescope lens in time to see a Muaka slap the hapless Ko-Koronan into a snowdrift. He was startled to see the familiar colorful traveler leaning over to pull him out of the snow. And then he saw Kopaka standing face to face with the beast.

“The things you see when you don’t have your Kakama!” he muttered, as he began to run. But Kopaka wasted no time. He switched to his Huna. Onua heard the clang of the invisible blade against the beast and saw flying snow. Suddenly three Kopakas appeared from a snow bank, wearing the Mahiki. As the confused creature lunged for the one in the center, the illusion wavered. Three ice blades sliced into the ground, cutting off the ledge and sending the Muaka howling over the cliff. Onua arrived, panting, just in time to see one Kopaka switch back to his Akaku and the other two disappear.

“Nice job, Kopaka!” called Onua, changing to his Pakari. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here in time to help.”

“Oh, hello, Onua. That’s OK. He wasn’t much trouble.” The Toa of Ice put his sword on his back and turned to the Matoran, who were obviously unharmed. “Matoro, who’s your friend?”

“I haven’t met him yet. I’m Matoro,” said the Ko-Koronan, nodding to the other Matoran.

The traveler hesitated. “I’m – I’m not sure who I am. A traveler.”

“Take him back inside the temple and warm yourselves up. You’ve gotten into enough trouble today, Matoro! I’ll meet you in a little while,” instructed Kopaka. He watched the Tohunga walk away. “So, Onua, what can I do for you?”

“I came to bring you this,” Onua replied, handing him the last Pakari from his pack.

“Why, thank you! I didn’t know you could do this!” Kopaka took the mask and looked at Onua. “You’ve gone pretty far out of your way, haven’t you?”

“I guess so. It seemed like the thing to do. I found four of them in Onu-Koro. I don’t need them, and the rest of you do.”

Kopaka put the gray Kanohi over his own, and breathed deeply as the masks merged. He drew his sword again and sliced another chunk off the cliff. “That’s incredible,” he marveled. “I can really tell the difference. It took hardly any effort. Now for something a little more challenging.”

But as he looked around for a suitable test for the Pakari, an ominous rumbling began to fill the air. An avalanche was cascading down Mount Ihu, heading straight for the Toa. Kopaka calmly extended his blade, and instantly the ice stopped in place, completely silent.

“I’ve always been amazed at the way you do that,” said Onua.

“Thanks, but it’s just the way I was made.”

The rumbling began again, and the same slope started to move. “What? That’s not supposed to happen,” frowned Kopaka. Again he stopped the flow of ice. But then it resumed its downward slide, louder than ever, as if to knock the Toa off the cliff.

“What’s going on, Kopaka?” asked Onua, worried.

“This is no ordinary avalanche!” shouted Kopaka over the noise. “Makuta himself must be behind this one!”

Onua nodded. He had seen similar phenomena underground. Masses of earth shifting suddenly, for no apparent reason. Once about a third of Onu-Koro had been buried by such a freak event. Onua felt sick as he remembered pulling the gasping villagers from the dirt. But this was no time to be distracted. He dug through the snow and into the ground. When the cave was big enough for two Toa, he pulled Kopaka into it. “Make a ceiling for us!” he called. “The earth is not going to hold against that much weight!”

Kopaka formed a thick slab of ice above their heads. Onua pressed it up against the earthen ceiling with his claws. Kopaka, still wearing his new Pakari, dropped his weapons and stood beside Onua. Together the Toa supported the ice block as they heard thousands of tons of snow rumble over them. Finally the noise stopped.

Kopaka spoke first. “Buried by my own element. How humiliating.”

“Don’t worry, it’s happened to me before, too. But it looks like your Pakari works. Keep holding the slab up until I dig us out.”

“Thanks for getting us to safety, Onua. That would have hurt.”

Onua tunneled out through the deep snow. Kopaka switched to his Kakama, dropped the slab, and bolted for the opening. He reached the surface as the ice and snow caved in their temporary shelter. Looking toward the village, he said, “Well, the avalanche was obviously meant for us, because Ko-Koro is untouched.”

“That’s a relief. Now, shall we go back there and get your golden Kanohi?”

“Sure. Did Nuju tell you?”

“No, I just knew. Somehow.” Onua rolled his eyes. “Everyone but me and Gali has one now. We’re both missing the Kakama.”

Kopaka looked at him sideways. “Follow me.” He turned and walked toward the village of ice. But Onua felt vibrations in the earth again, and stopped. He spun in time to see another infected Muaka bearing down on him. He switched to his Hau and braced himself. Suddenly the animal stopped, frozen in place. Onua looked around and saw that Kopaka was pointing his sword at it.

“Thanks, Kopaka! Say, why didn’t you do that to the other one?”

“Now where’s the fun in that?” asked Kopaka wryly, hacking the infected masks off the immobile creature with his blade. He unfroze it, and it growled and ran away into the snowdrifts. Kopaka kicked the infected Kanohi off the cliff. “Besides, I needed the practice with the masks.”

“I did like the way you did that,” said Onua admiringly, as they began to walk back to the temple. “I should have tried that Mahiki trick on Lewa. Probably would have saved me getting my ribs busted.”

“What? Why would Lewa be busting your ribs?”

Onua explained what had happened in the hive. With the memory of the fight and the cold temperature, he suddenly was aware how much his body still ached.

“Wow.” Kopaka shook his head. “Makuta is a formidable enemy. Turning one Toa against another, that’s really sinister. I never thought about THAT happening. But you outsmarted that monster. Way to go.”

“Thanks. So, do you think that Muaka was mad because you sent its friend over the cliff?”

Kopaka shook his head. “No. The Matoran tell me that in their natural state, the Muaka travel in pairs. But the infected ones, they don’t care about anyone. They act alone.”

“Oh. Hey! Look! It’s my Kakama!” Onua broke into a run despite his fatigue. He stopped in front of a boulder and stared. He stiffened as he realized it was actually a rock, shaped exactly like the mask of speed, down to the finest detail. Kopaka walked up behind him.

“Now who would leave a rock here that looks just like a Kakama?” groaned Onua. “Don’t tell me, I think I know.” He looked around with apprehension.

“That’s really creepy,” agreed the Toa of Ice. “He’s playing with your mind.”

“Well, it’s going to backfire, because I’ve had enough of his tricks. Let’s go.” Onua’s jaw was tight with anger. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he fell slightly behind his companion, and didn’t hear a third Muaka approaching until it was too late.

Kopaka yelled, “Look out!” as the giant creature lunged at the Toa of Earth with its long neck. Onua turned as the Muaka closed its massive jaws around his torso. He gripped its head tightly with his claws, scratching at its eyes. The animal gave a muffled roar and thrashed its head around in pain. Kopaka attacked its flank with his sword, but the beast knocked him into the snow with its mighty claws. As the neck flexed toward its body, Onua managed to kick off one of the infected masks. The jaws closed tighter. Onua began to feel faint, but with the strength of the Pakari he kept crushing the Muaka’s head. Then he felt a rush of cold all around him, and he was paralyzed. The Rahi stopped moving and stood still as a statue. Kopaka ran up to it and knocked off the other infected mask. Then he unfroze Onua and the creature.

The Muaka dropped Onua in the snow and staggered off, rubbing its head with its claw. Onua was breathing with difficulty. He could feel a tingling sensation returning to his limbs.

“Sorry about that, Onua,” said Kopaka gently, leaning over the other Toa. “The more we beat on him, the meaner he got. I didn’t see any other way of getting you out of there.”

“No problem,” gasped Onua. “You saved my life. Thanks. Again.”

Kopaka grinned as he helped Onua stand up. “Ever since you got here, we’ve been bailing each other out. There’s been more trouble in Ko-Wahi in the past hour than in the previous three days. You must be pretty special, for Makuta to have it in for you this bad.”

“What an honor,” Onua said sarcastically.

“Don’t tell me, I know what you’re thinking,” said the Toa of Ice. “You think I’ve been acting like an infected Muaka, not wanting to work together and all. But today you’ve proven to me that we need to.”

“Oh. I wasn’t thinking that, actually, but it’s true, we need to work together. I think Makuta was really the one that proved it, though!”

“Yeah. I just hesitate, because I don’t much like working with Tahu. He seems to think his ideas are the best, and that we should all just go along. And I don’t always agree with his way of rushing into things. We need to think more first sometimes.”

“I see what you mean,” replied Onua. “He is pretty headstrong. But I think he listens to other ideas. Someone just had to step forward and get us Toa organized, that’s all.”

“Maybe. But also, I don’t trust him not to start something with Gali. You know. That would really throw everything out of balance.”

“Don’t you think Gali knows that?” asked Onua.

Kopaka walked silently for a few steps. “Yes, you’re right. She’s very wise. I trust her.”

“Well, you should learn to trust Tahu, too. He’s worthy of it. We all make mistakes, but he’s doing his best, just like the rest of us. And we can’t afford not to trust each other.”

They walked in silence the rest of the way to Ko-Koro. Onua sighed as he watched yet another Toa get his golden Kanohi. This time the Tohunga responded with muted respect, but Onua could still feel their excitement. And although Kopaka looked at them with businesslike detachment, Onua sensed that behind the icy façade, the Toa of Ice was filled with love and pride for his villagers, and had new inspiration to protect them. He said goodbye and tunneled wearily for home.


:kaukaunu:
Review topic here.

Chapter 10: Pit Stop


Whenua looked up from the papers on his desk to see Onua stagger into the hut and collapse on the floor. “Hello, Onua,” said the Turaga quietly. “What’s going on?”

Onua closed his eyes. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take, Whenua,” he groaned. “Friends turning to enemies, ambushes everywhere, the elements turning against us, no Kakama in sight. I’m so tired.”

“No one ever said being a Toa would be easy.”

“Yeah, no one ever ASKED me if I wanted to be a Toa, either.”

“But you’re doing a terrific job,” said Whenua. “Did you deliver the last of the Pakari?”

“Yes. Here’s what’s left of Nuparu’s backpack, if he still wants it.” Onua removed the ragged pack. “Almost got myself killed in the process. Kopaka had to freeze me to get me out of a Muaka’s jaws, and Lewa beat the tar out of me. I was the lucky one that got to knock his infected mask off.”

“I heard about what happened in the hive, Onua. Excellent work. Sorry you got hurt. That was really courageous.”

“Courageous? Hardly. I was scared to death. I’m tired of being afraid, too.”

Whenua put down his pen. “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.”*

Onua was quiet for a moment. “That’s pretty profound.”

“Nokama sent me some of the ancient writings last week. I was just going over them. Those water girls are pretty wise.”

Onua rolled over and covered his head with his claws. “Don’t talk to me about water girls.”

“Sorry,” Whenua apologized, looking slightly baffled. “But anyway, you have plenty of courage. What you need is encouragement. You have done the other Toa an enormous favor by bringing them their Pakari. And from what I’ve heard from my scouts and Jala’s, you have really increased your mastery of the masks in the process. Fine-tuned your earth powers, too.”

“I guess,” replied Onua.

“While you were gone, that traveling Tohunga fixed two of our biggest problems. He opened that sundial, with the help of the astrologer from Ga-Koro. And he surfed across a lava flow to get to the pump in the lightstone mine. He’s an amazing fellow.”

“That’s great. Because I haven’t been much use to you lately. So, has anyone seen my Kakama yet?”

“No, sorry. But everyone is looking for it. Now that the other Toa have their golden Kanohi, each is searching his Wahi for it.”

“Thanks for reminding me, I’m the only one without one. Well, almost.”

“Now, now,” chided the Turaga, “don’t dwell on that.”

“You’re right, Whenua,” smiled Onua. “I need to stop whining and get back to work.” He rose slowly, trying to ignore his aching limbs and back.

“Yes, you do,” laughed Whenua. “In spite of how you feel, I think you are actually stronger than ever, in the ways that matter most. And the Mata Nui you love so much still really needs you.”

“Thanks for the kind words. I’m going to go look for that mask.” Onua ducked out of the doorway of the hut. “What a terrific little guy,” he thought. “He always knows just what to say.”

The Toa of Earth was startled by a blue blur that appeared in front of him. He jumped into a battle stance with his claws forward. But the outlines of Gali emerged from the blur. She was wearing a gold Kakama. Onua relaxed his arms. “Hello, Gali. You found your Kakama!” His was overjoyed to see her, though slightly envious that she had her mask.

Gali smiled. “Actually, Tahu found it for me. And look what he found for you! There were two, in a crevice in the rock in Ta-Koro.” She extended a gray Kakama to Onua.

Onua was stunned. “Wow! Thanks!”

“He was going to bring it to you himself, but then he came back to Ga-Koro and asked me to deliver it instead. I told him I would be delighted to.”

Onua’s mind reeled. Tahu had found his last mask. What a relief! And he had sent Gali to bring it. What a friend! And Gali was delighted… Onua snapped out of his reverie and took the mask. “Gali, this is wonderful.” He put it on, and felt power resonating through the fusing Kanohi. “Would you care to come to my Suva with me?” he asked.

“Of course,” replied Gali. “I’d be honored.” She switched to her Kaukau and followed him across the village square.

Onua took a deep breath and stepped into the middle of the Suva. Though he had seen the others get their golden Kanohi, he was still not sure what he was supposed to do. But the Suva seemed to know. The center stone slowly descended into the ground. Onua felt a vibration coming up through his feet, spreading through his body and into his mask. Then he saw a brilliant flash of gold all around his head and felt the platform rising again. He blinked a few times to restore his sight. Gali was standing in front of him, looking into his eyes. The Onu-Koronans, who had gathered to watch, broke out into a loud cheer.

“You look really good in that,” she said.

“You sure do,” said Whenua. “And you have definitely earned it.”

“Thanks,” Onua replied, his head spinning with unfamiliar emotions. He stumbled, and caught himself, as he got off the Suva.

“But you could still use some improvement,” Gali continued, touching his dented shoulder with her hook. “Stand still, and close your eyes.”

Onua was puzzled, but he did as she told him. He felt a light mist of water on his mask. The mist turned to a shower, running down his body. He could feel the caked dirt and grime dissolve and wash away. But then he noticed something else. The pain in his back began to loosen and let go. The ache in his ribs subsided, and the weariness in his arms and legs was slowly replaced with a calm energy.

“You can open your eyes. All better now?” asked Gali.

Onua looked at Gali, and at the puddle of muddy water at his feet. “Yes, thanks. You are truly an angel.”

Gali waved a hook, and the water was absorbed back into the air. “Well, if I am, then YOU certainly are,” she said. “Think about what you did for everyone!”

He smiled, not sure what to say.

“So, are you ready to try out that Kakama?” Gali switched to hers. “The others will be waiting for us at Kini Nui. It’s time to go rid our island of that Makuta monster for good.”

“I can’t wait!” Although he was apprehensive about the final confrontation the Toa would have with the Spirit of Evil, Onua felt ready to take on any challenge now. Quietly, he said, “Thank you so much for renewing me like that.”

Gali put her hooks on his claws. “No problem. What are friends for?” Then she turned and waved at the entrance to the Kini Nui tunnel. “It’s that way, right? You go first, you can see better, and you know your way around.”

“OK. Follow me!” Onua changed to his new Kakama and felt his legs powering up like a mighty machine. He waved to the Onu-Koronans, took off running, and felt the wind whistle past his head. Though he was moving fast, his senses were enhanced, so he could still see and hear ahead of him. He heard his own heavy footfalls, and Gali’s light ones behind him, and he glanced back at her. “Tahu was wrong, I’ll never get used to Gali,” he thought. He silently thanked the Great Beings that the purpose for which he had been created – saving Mata Nui – included being with her.

The trip was over in a flash. Onua and Gali jumped from the mouth of the tunnel at Kini Nui. Onua was surprised to find the other Toa cheering and crowding around him. Pohatu slapped him on the back. “Here’s to the Toa who showed us the meaning of friendship,” he said.

“And teamwork,” added Kopaka, raising his blade in a salute.

Lewa put his arm around Onua. “Thanks to you, we all have our golden Kanohi. Maybe we’ve had to learn the hard way at times, but we’ll show Makuta how well we can fight!”

Onua spoke to Tahu. “Thanks for the Kakama. And everything else.” He glanced at Gali.

Tahu winked at Onua. “You’re welcome, friend. Now, let’s get ready. This is where we begin our final task. If any of you question our choice, or doubt our chances if we work together, speak now.”

To Onua’s amazement, Kopaka spoke frankly. “I have doubted you in the past, Tahu, but no more. I think I speak for us all when I say that our only hope is to work together. So I cast my sword with yours, if you will have it.” Onua was very relieved that Kopaka had resolved his misgivings about Tahu’s leadership.

“I will have it gladly, Kopaka,” replied the Toa of Fire with a solemn smile. “You are all in assent?”

The Toa, looked at one another and nodded.

“Then it is decided,” Tahu continued. “Together, Makuta cannot resist us.”

Lewa stepped forward. “Wait, Tahu! Have you given no thought to our return? If the Rahi attack the temple while we are below, how can we escape?”

“I do not know the answer to that question, Lewa. So grim is this task, that I have not thought it much use to consider anything beyond our meeting with Makuta.”

As they considered this problem, Onua sensed minute vibrations in the earth, and raised his claws in a defensive stance. “Hold! There is an intruder among us!” He saw a party of Matoran cresting the hill across the field from the temple. “But… what is this?”

“Stay your claws, Onua!” said Gali. “It is the Chronicler, and his company!”

Onua dropped his arms as the villagers crossed the field.

Gali addressed the leader, the multi-colored traveler that Onua had seen over and over again, helping in every village. “Little one,” she remarked, “you are brave indeed to have come all this way. And I see you have gathered help from all the villages around! Tahu, it is as I hoped. These Tohunga can guard the Kini-Nui while we descend, and see that no Rahi attacks us from behind.”

Lewa spoke slowly. “The Rahi are fearsome. May their hearts prove greater than their size would suggest!”

“In truth it is said that great power can be found in small packages, and that aid can come from places least expected,” Pohatu noted. He shrugged his shoulders. “And besides, we have few options.”

“So be it,” Tahu declared. “Chronicler, it is your doom to remain here, and guard the Kini-Nui at all costs. This deed will be remembered as long as any remain to sing of it! Friends, we have much to do and little time. Let’s go!”

While Gali explained to the Chronicler how she would communicate to him as the Toa descended to fight Makuta, Onua marveled at the little traveler’s bravery. “Chronicler,” he said, “you have preceded me all over Mata Nui. You have saved many villagers before a Toa could even get there to help. Whatever happens to you, know that the spirit of your courage will live on in the hearts of all who have crossed your path.”

The Matoran seemed overwhelmed by so much attention from the mighty heroes of Mata Nui. He bowed his head. “Thank you. We will not let you down.”

And the Toa walked onto the central platform of the temple.


THE END



:kaukaunu:
*Mark Twain
Thank you for reading my story, and thanks to all the friends who helped me write it. Please post comments in the reply topic, here.

Thanks to all who helped, including

FallenTurtles
Jasaga
MataNuiHero
Noremac
NuvaWarrior
pohatu jr
TheFormerlyBlindMan2

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