Chapter 9: Desert of Sorrows

 

Cutscene: Atero

 

Onua squinted his eyes against the sun.

 

“I don't know how your Po-Matoran stand it,” he grunted. “It's so hot out here in the light!”

 

“Maybe that's because we're in a desert,” Pohatu chuckled. “Still, it's not Po-Wahi... that's for sure.”

 

“Hmm. Certainly not Po-Wahi,” Onua nodded, “for Po-Wahi was never strewn with ruins.”

 

“What?” Pohatu asked, following Onua's gaze. Indeed, at the Toa of Earth's feet rested a cracked stone structure, with writing engraved in it.

 

“That's no language that I know of, but I seem to be able to read it,” Onua continued. “It says, 'A'...'T'... 'E', 'R', 'O'. What's 'ATERO'?”

 

“Dunno,” Pohatu shrugged. “Let's look around... see if there are any clues.”

 

They searched for a few minutes, burning in the red-hot sun. Suddenly, Onua gave a cry of shock.

 

“What is it, brother?” Pohatu asked, running to Onua's side. The Toa of Earth was staring down at something thin and bleached-white. With a surge of nausea, Pohatu recognized it as a skeleton.

 

“What kind of a skeleton is this?” he asked. “The proportions are all wrong... it's not a Matoran, it's definitely shaped more like a Toa. Well, Lewa or Tahu, that is. But it's the wrong size... and it's got nostrils, like some sort of Rahi...”

 

“It's an alien,” Onua grunted. “That's the only solution. We're on another world, and we're in the middle of a dead desert.”

 

Pohatu looked around. Indeed, the air was stale, the sand too scratchy, and the sun too ferocious. The rocks were sinister... ruins were scattered everywhere, the ruins of a city... and so were the alien skeletons.

 

“What happened here?” Pohatu asked.

 

“How should I know?” Onua frowned. “But if I catch up with the alien monster that did this...”

 

“Good for you,” a gruff voice said from behind them, “you just did.”

 

Cutscene: Lord of the Skrall

 

Both Toa whirled, to see a tall, black-armored being, wielding a broadsword and shield. Some crude launcher was strapped to his belt, and there were flashes of green in his scratched, rusted armor.

 

“Makuta?!” Pohatu bellowed. “What are you doing here?”

 

The being laughed – a horrible, rasping sound. “I am not the Lord of Shadows, Toa fools. I am only his servant... but one to be feared. For I am the mighty Tuma, , last of the Skrall Lords, and leader of the Rock Tribe!”

 

“Well, I am Pohatu, Kolhii Champion of Po-Koro, Toa guardian of Mata Nui, and wielder of Stone!” the brown Toa bellowed.

 

“And I am Onua, Wisest of the Toa, wielder of Earth,” the black Toa said. “You would be wise not to challenge us. We have bested your master, and we shall again!”

 

“The Makuta has not met you,” Tuma frowned. “He knows of you, for sure – your are two of the Toa Mata, a fabled Toa Team sworn to protect his weakling brother, Mata Nui. But he has never fought you. You have not woken, for you are not needed.”

 

Onua was confused – a happening unheard of until now. “How do you know of the Makuta, anyway?” he asked. “And why are we unneeded? Even now, Mata Nui lies in slumber, struck down by the Makuta himself. It is our sworn destiny to awaken him, the Great Spirit, and you stand in our way. Prepare to be cast aside.”

 

“Good luck with that,” Tuma sneered, tensing for battle.

 

*insert standard brawl: Pohatu and Onua versus Tuma in a two-stock battle.*

 

Cutscene: Tuma's Escape

 

The Skrall Lord staggered back, wounded from Onua's savage attack. Pohatu charged forth to strike at him, but the ebon-armored titan simply sneered and raised a curious device in his hand. With the press of a button, he had disappeared from the scene, leaving Pohatu to smash headlong into a boulder.

 

“Oof,” the Toa of Stone grunted, collapsing into the sand. “Now where's he gotten to? Is this some trick of Makuta's?”

 

“I think not,” Onua frowned, “more like alien technology. But let us continue onwards; it is vital to right the wrongs here and return to the island of Mata Nui.”

 

*insert level: The Desert. New enemies: Vorox, Zesk, Sand Bat (miniboss). Oh, and how's this for music?*

 

*no ending cutscene*

 

*STAGE CLEAR reward: none*

Cutscene: An unexpected detour

Onua: We need to find Tuma, perhaps he will have answers for us on this alien world. Maybe we can leave this place as well, I quite dislike it here.

Pohatu: Is the sun getting to you Onua?

Onua: Lets just get moving.

*Onua and Pohatu begin running across the desert after a few seconds of sustained running a portal suddenly opens up in the ground Onua stops but Pohatu has yet to catch up*

Onua: Whoa!

Pohatu: what is it brother?

Onua: Stop running! Look out!

*Pohatu collides with Onua and they both fall into the portal*

Cutscene: Unexpected resistance

*Both toa fall from the sky to the ground, reminiscent of their entrance to Teridax’s cave*

Onua: For the love of Mata-Nui…..

Pohatu: Ugh, we have got to stop making entrances like this, not on is it bad for our health but it is not exactly stealthy either….

*several enemies previously fought appear all around, Multiman brawl begins*

Cutscene: Welcome to Odina [NOTE: It would be very easy to make cameos here on Odina because we could be very flexible with appearances of Generic Dark Hunters]

*An armor clad being runs towards the toa*

Generic Dark Hunter: State your business on Odina.

Onua: We recently fell from that portal up there*points up*, I am Onua and this is Pohatu.

Pohatu: Surely you have had problems with these things lately.

Generic Dark Hunter: We have toa, *grins* be glad we recently allied with The Order or I would have killed you both.

Pohatu: Killed us?!

Generic Dark Hunter: Yes, you two of all beings must know of this place…*scowls*…although you look rather different from what I have heard…

*several other portals open, spewing out enemies of all kinds[Enemies will be decided by someone else]

Generic Dark Hunter: Here we go again….

Onua: Brother look! The portal is closing!

Pohatu: Oh no…we have to get out of here!

*Level start, you have a time limit to get to the portal, jump from platform to platform facing resistance all the way*

Cutscene: Leaving so soon?

*Pohatu climbs into the portal Onua is about to follow when the Generic Dark Hunter intervenes*

Generic Dark Hunter: Toa, catch!

*Onua turns in time to catch a small device*

Onua; What is this?

Generic Dark Hunter: It is a device I stole from one of our friends over there, but I recalibrated it to open a portal like the one up there that will lead to Odina, so you can come back here any time. So if you need any assistance just start it up.

Pohatu: Onua? The portal is closing….

Onua: Thank you Hunter, I would wager that I will see you soon…

*Onua climbs into portal and the level ends*

Level clear

No reward