The Makuta of Eoire Nui
By redoubtableEagle
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Prologue: Lusiix
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You awake with a start, after a dreamless sleep you don't remember falling into. Around you is darkness; you can barely make out some people-shaped objects elsewhere in... wherever you are.
Now that you think of it, where exactly are you? In fact, who are you? Why do you know what a "people" is? Why do you know anything? You cannot seem to recall. You don't remember anything before waking up in this place, this chamber of darkness.
Who... are you ?
"SUBJECT HAS AWOKEN FROM SLUMBER."
You jerk involuntarily away from the sudden noise, and your head whirls around to try and see it. The source appears to be some kind of... machine, with a bright, BRIGHT light coming from its chest.
"SUBJECT STARTLED AND CONFUSED. AWAITING INSTRUCTIONS."
Gah, that light, it's painful to look at! You shield your eyes - whatever those are - with one of your hands - whatever that is - in an attempt to stop the pain. Confound it all, what is happening?!
"INSTRUCTIONS RECEIVED. DIMMING LIGHT."
As if the machine heard your very thoughts, the light dims significantly, and you slowly lower your hand as vision stops being painful. As you do though, you take a moment to inspect said hand. It's... large, with tough, dark "skin" you think it's called covering the whole thing. What appear to be plates of white metal cover large parts of the back, providing some manner of protection. Protection from what, though? You slowly stand up, inspecting your body as you do. It seems most of it is also covered in similar white metal- wait, there's a name for this stuff, it's... Protodermis! Yes, that's what it's called. You are... wearing white Protodermis armour, covered head-to-foot in the stuff. Whatever it is you need protection from, this will certainly do the job.
You then notice something glowing behind you, and turn around to investigate. You see a pit, filled to the brim with a glowing green/black substance. It's called... called... Antidermis? Yes, Antidermis. That's what this stuff is.
...Why do you know all this? Where did this knowledge come from?
"SUBJECT CAPABLE OF BASIC MOVEMENT."
You sigh in annoyance. This machine has a very grating voice, in your opinion. ...You suddenly realize that you have a mouth. With a mouth, you can... Breath? Sigh? Talk? Ooh, talking. You decide to try doing that. Maybe you can get some answers out of this machine.
"...w..."
"SUBJECT ATTEMPTING VOCALIZATION."
"Wh... Where..."
You take a deep breath, and prepare to try speaking a full sentence for the first time in your currently-brief life.
"Whe- Where a-am I...?"
"SUBJECT DEMONSTRATES SPEECH AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION."
That... did not answer anything. Perhaps you should try again?
"I... I s-said... Where am I?"
"SUBJECT CONTINUES TO DEMONSTRATE INTELLIGENCE WITH INFORMATION GATHERING ATTEMPTS."
"I asked you... a q-question... so I repeat..."
You slowly turn around to face the machine, which you now notice is much shorter than you. You feel your facial muscles shifting, arranging themselves into what you're pretty sure is called a scowl.
"Where... am... I?"
"SUBJECT CONTINUES TO DEMONSTRATE-"
You feel a sudden surge of... of ANGER, yes, anger, anger towards this machine which REFUSES to answer your question. You reach out with one of your large arms and grab the machine, lifting it up with ease to meet you eye-to-eye.
"Do not toy with me... machine... Where am I? What am I?! WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"
"WARNING: SUBJECT DEMONSTRATING ANGER AND VIOLENT TENDENCI-"
Without warning, the machine falls limp in your grasp, utterly silent and motionless. Confused, you bring it closer to your face, trying to see what may have caused this...
"My apologies for the primitive behavior of the Matoran, Makuta. I will take over from here."
You drop the machine at the sudden voice, different from the... Matoran, apparently, and more like... yours. You turn to face the source of the voice, which appears to be a figure, as tall as yourself and wearing a purple... cloak, which obscures its appearance. As it approaches, you remember that it said something else as well, "Makuta." Is that... you?
"Ma... kuta?"
"Yes, Makuta. That is the name of your species, though it is not your name specifically."
Your name... Now that you think about it, you don't have anything to refer to yourself as, other than "Makuta" which this... being has clarified to be the name of your species.
"My name... what... is my name?"
"Yes, that is the question, isn't it, young Makuta? One such as yourself should not be bereft of a proper name. Do you have anything in mind to serve this purpose?"
"...No."
"Ah, of course, I shouldn't have expected someone only a few minutes old to decide their own name. Silly me."
"What is... your name?"
"That, my friend, you will learn soon enough. But now is not the time to talk about me, but the time to talk about you. Now then, would you like me to decide on a name in your stead?"
You remain silent for a long moment. Should you allow this... stranger, to decide your identity for you? Surely you can come up with something yourself. But as the seconds go by, you find that you cannot think of anything. Every name that pops into your mind belongs to an inanimate object. With a sigh, you look the figure in the eyes.
"...Yes, please."
"Oh ho, how polite! Very well, if you'll allow me just a moment..."
The figure looks you over, as if peering into your very spirit, trying to decide what name would suit you best. Eventually, it stops, and even in the shadow cast over its face, you can't help but notice a small, affectionate smile through the darkness.
"How does 'Lusiix' sound to you?"
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