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Divided We Fall Written by: Grant-Sud The armor of the Toa of Stone was custom made with small lightstones in sets of three fitted along his two shoulder blades. On his torso and back, two larger lightstones were set in the center. The Toa, Jehu, was carrying an Impact Crystal Launcher and sustained a grim expression on his face.To his right, the Toa of Air, Silic, wore similar armor, holding his own personal weapon, a Zamor Launcher. He held a grin of excitement, ready for a fight.The two Toa were primed to illuminate their soon to be unlit surroundings, and in Lhikan’s opinion, the two stood like lighthouses. Placing a hand on the massive metal shell they were standing on, he concentrated, and melted a circular opening into the hull. The day in Ga-Metru was cloudy, chilling, and held an overall feeling of gloom.As Jehu stepped forward, the heated edges cooling and solidifying, the Toa of Fire looked inside the opening, and caught sight of a catwalk two meters below. Underneath the suspended charcoal colored walkway was just nothing but empty, dark space, and could stretch down however many floors.Jehu glanced toward Lhikan, who gave a nod. Then the Toa of Stone stepped off into the ship, falling and landing silently but heavily, onto the path. It remained secure. The rest of the four Toa followed one at a time. The thick clouds above Metru Nui blocked out the rays of light from outside, inside the frigate being tinted with fog and dust which seemed to swallow up what little illumination they had.There was no turning back now.Following behind their leader was a Toa of Water, a veteran named Naho who had been working with Lhikan for months now. In the center of the group, a rookie named Pelish, Toa of Psionics, walked with noticeable unease. She had been on numerous missions before, but never one that was so perilous, where everything wasn’t controlled.Naho wasn’t sure how Lhikan was going to lead the young Toa, ready to jump out of her armor at any moment. He had told her, Naho remembered when they were being briefed, as long as she followed commands and used her head, things would go well.The Toa of Water moved easily, but her eyes constantly on the shadows, where nothing should be. The catwalk ended after some descending steps, which led to solid floors. They were in a large, lonely chamber that seemed mostly hollow. The Toa of Stone and Air were the major sources of light in the room, now tinted in a whitish yellow. The silence was unnerving.It took a moment for Naho to realize they were walking in the main hanger of the frigate. Since the battle for Ga-Metru, every last boat, hovercraft and flight soldier had been used.It doesn’t feel that empty though, I can still sense the life that filled this place only a couple days ago… it’s too fresh in the air.Silic gestured to the four elevator bunkers, one stationed at the far end of each wall, seeable due to the flickering lights hinged near the doors. Lhikan paused, considered, and pointed to one.Still walking behind her leader, Naho knew it was better for Pelish to follow all orders she was given. If things went wrong, which was a possibility, then she wouldn't be responsible for the result of her actions. It would be Lhikan's blame, his burden.Naho glanced at her leader, not knowing how a being could hold that much outward strength and keep the rest hidden, however much he had buried. But Lhikan was constantly doing so as the war continued on, and he was becoming something of a heroic icon because of it. So many friends of his, they were just … gone. The list became larger every day, the latest on it being Nidihiki, who had been missing for a week.The Toa of Fire raised a hand as the platform lowered, one blade in the other and one strapped on his backside. They turned to him, waiting for him to speak.“I want this to go smoothly, no firing unless I give the order,” he turned and met his team’s eyes, giving them the same command twice, once before they entered the massive ship. “We can’t risk letting the enemy know we’re here, or setting off the ship’s power supply.“And we stay together, no matter what. Divided, and we fall.”It was the end of the Dark Hunter War on Metru Nui, or it seemed that way. The two sides of Toa and Dark Hunters had been fighting for months now, not one side overcoming the other, both having dealt heavy losses. Naho wasn’t sure how much longer they could hold out, especially with the constant resources and weapons being shipped to the Dark Hunters from other lands by sea.And then without warning, only two short days ago, their enemies had charged unexpectedly with a full force at Ga-Metru. An entire squad of Toa had arrived from the Coliseum to reinforce their allies in combat, only to find the battle over. Naho had been there with the troops, to watch Lhikan and the various survivors appear from the schools and homes, tired and broken, but safe.She had looked toward the sky. A constant drumming of rainfall covered the streets with broken pavement, crumbled buildings, uprooted plant life, and the Silver Sea around them shook with unnatural disruption, like it was crying.Ga-Metru was crying over the bodies now littered across her land.Lhikan had approached them from the field, she was hypnotized by the sight and hadn’t been able to turn away.His golden shoulder armor had been busted and cracked. His slumped form, his legs shaky, but refusing to topple. And then her eyes rose to his mask, drenched by the pouring rain and dampened. And … and his eyes were the worst. It was like the flames in them were doused, like nothing would ever rekindle them.He stared at her, silent, and she had never seen her friend that way before. It was like he wasn’t really there, as though he was somewhere else. Maybe reliving moments he wished to relive, change or even forget...It only lasted a second. Then his eyes rekindled, he was a Toa again, and never averting her eyes, pointed toward the beach.The ship had come from out of nowhere during the battle, flying high above the sea, circular and white in appearance; dropping off Dark Hunters and firing off ballistics at Matoran Homes and Schools. It was destructive, massive, and unlike anything the Dark Hunters had brought to the city before. With that steel dragon in the sky, it could have destroyed all of Metru Nui.Energy waves from Toa and their weapons from the ground only weakened it by a degree. It had taken multiple Toa of Air to drop shoot three Toa of Earth on top of the ship. The brave Toa sent waves of earth shattering power on its hull, bringing an air machine the size of the Great Temple screeching down to its death and onto the beach. The Toa didn’t survive the crash as their bodies were flung like leaves in a hurricane.Only a day later Dume assigned a team into the dead frigate. The logic behind it was the ship’s downfall was too easy. Dark Hunters always have a second plan. A large energy source must be on the ship to power it and if it was unstable from the crash, maybe it could be used as a bomb.Pelish from outside the ship, the only Toa of Psionics in Ga-Metru, hadn’t been able to pick up thoughts from remaining Dark Hunters left inside. She believed that even if a few were masking their minds, not all of them would have been able too. The crash may have simply killed them all.Lhikan didn’t believe that, no matter how damaged the ship had become. And with such power still breathing on the Ga-Metru shore, the ship was a threat unless they took a closer look inside. Dume had recognized Pelish’s useful abilities, and had appointed her on the Team. She begrudgingly agreed.I’ve never seen such a thing as magnificent as it is terrifying, thought Naho, her mind returning to the present.The five Toa came upon a command hull, holograms lit across the walls, flickering with unreadable information. Wires stretched themselves from the ceiling and floors and computers, sparking with electricity, still being given power. The ceiling was broken, metal panels bent and curved. Small bug Rahi, somehow finding their way inside, were feasting on the alloys and electrical power, making the occasional rattle. The main, circular information terminal in the center of the room, was in complete disrepair, and over the console loomed a Dark Hunter’s body. Pelish froze at the sight of its opened eyes, unlit.Naho blinked, knowing she should have expected this. But even then she glanced to the left, where another body lay, sitting and upright against the wall, taking a long moment before averting her eyes from it. She was still unprepared. And to the right there was one … and on the top of stairs leading to the next floor below...Her breath caught, and she gave a reflexively light cough. Lhikan visibly faltered.They were walking through a graveyard.Silic’s grin disappeared as he and Jehu moved slowly apart, bringing more light to dark room. Lhikan slowly gazed across the floor and on to the terminals. No hologram of the ship’s layout he noted.The five Toa stepped forward, slowly moving and heading down the stairs. They had entered from the top of the ship, and were making their way toward the center, where the power supply was theorized to be.Jehu took the lead and moved easily. He was a young Toa, Lhikan knew, but not as unsharpened as Pelish. The Toa of Fire walked behind him, noting how much the Toa had changed over the last few months. He had once been like Silic, easy going and unburdened for a being of stone. But after so many fights, sometimes Toa just don’t recover fully. Jehu rarely spoke now, and gave up his eager personality to become a hardened soldier.It isn’t the dead and it’s not the sights or the destruction, thought Pelish, walking behind her leader, unconsciously sticking closer then need be. It’s … the silence. I can’t hear anything. I can’t hear anyone speak their open thoughts. Not a sound.Pelish’s fingers twitched nervously as they made their way through the steel hallway at the end of the steps, passing the body lying there. Her whole team had gone numb, their minds as dead as the casualties around them.So when the abrupt sound of metal clashing was heard from upstairs, the Toa team jolted and their minds irrupted as though they had all just shouted into her ears.“What was that?” Lhikan questioned, turning swiftly to catch sight of the Dark Hunter rushing toward them from behind. The event happened so quickly, that Naho would remember only seeing its singed flesh and armor - by the explosions that went off during the crash probably - and the desperateness in the eyes of their attacker. There was no question about it, whether or not the Dark Hunter was successful at this suicidal charge, he was going to succumb from his own injuries at a moment’s time.Lhikan didn’t flinch as his unit did. “Move!” he shouted with sharp authority, slashing his blade upward from underneath. A trail of intense fire soared across the hall cutting right down the middle. The three Toa behind him moved instinctively, hitting the wall, the flames missing them.“Jehu, I need a shot now!”Immediately the furthest Toa locked eyes with the Dark Hunter as it ran through the flames, pain on its face. With steel precision Jehu swiftly raised his weapon and aimed…With a sharp, crack, a crystal exploded across the Dark Hunters chest, instantly halting him. He took a breath, glanced down, and opened his mouth as if to speak.Then the crystal grew with a mighty grip on its victim, forming a miniature tower in only an instant, bursting through the ceiling and floor. It was like a glacier being created, with the crackling sound of ice and all.The five Toa stared at the frozen Dark Hunter, his ice prison with an outward smoothness comparable to the Ko-Metru knowledge towers. He was suspended, feet above the ground the ice holding him up, feeling no pain. He was still alive, but it didn’t matter. By the time the Toa would be able to retrieve him from the weapon’s effects …No, Lhikan didn’t have to say anything, and turned away with hidden effort, causing the rest to slowly follow; leaving the being in his final living hours, lifeless.***They entered a corridor with doors along the walls, numbered. Naho figured they had reached the barracks.Toa Lhikan glanced at Pelish.“I need you to do a constant sweep of the area. Do you sense anyone?”She closed her purple eyes, unseen elemental power stretching out. After a moment she answered.“No. I can’t detect anyone yet.”“Keep giving me reports, I’d rather not have another incident like that one…” Lhikan kept a straight face, one even Naho couldn’t see through. “We’ll be prepared next time.”What was he thinking Pelish? Naho wanted to ask suddenly. Who was the last person the Dark Hunter chose to dream about?She tried not to dwell about it. Naho had been constantly fighting for months. Why was it now that feelings of guilt crept up along her spine?…Can you tell me what he was going to say to us?They continued to move down the hall, passing each room, the doors all looking the same. Some of them were left open, and you could see the bunkers inside and personalization of the individual quarters.“I wonder if the crash killed all these Dark Hunters.”Lhikan glanced at Naho, “What do you mean?”“It just seems odd, doesn’t? That so many Dark Hunters were killed. I would have thought more of them may have survived.”Silic was taking up the rear and spoke aloud.“Maybe they just weren’t prepared for a collision. Maybe they believed this ship was unstoppable.”“Or, maybe they believed it was stoppable. If anyone was taken prisoner incase their plan failed, well … there are some things you don’t want your enemy to know. Plans, secrets, locations, the list goes on, things you sacrifice to keep safe. Maybe some of them committed suicide instead of losing even more of what they had.”And everyone quieted down.Pelish raised her head to Lhikan’s theory. The next few minutes felt like hours later, when she sensed a presence.“Lhikan, someone’s nearby…” she whispered.The Toa of Fire halted, as did Jehu in front of him. He raised his launcher toward the dark passage.“Alright, we move nice and slow. Pelish, keep a look out for where our enemy is coming from,” Lhikan ordered, his instincts and commanding persona taking over once more.The rhythmic footsteps echoed down the lifeless hallway, as they continued, room by room. They entered through a small medic station, a weapon’s room in shambles, and one room that’s purpose was unidentifiable now.“I … can’t sense him anymore.”Jehu looked over at his friend, speaking for the first time, “Do you mean he’s passed?”“No. I think he’s hiding. I keep sensing him… fade in and out.”Lhikan glanced over his shoulder, waiting for further explanation.“It’s like, he isn’t there, and then he is,” the Toa of Psionics struggled with the words. “I can’t explain it, I’m sorry.”Naho couldn’t deny feeling a little terror creep up through her once more.“Now he’s near again.”“Where?” Lhikan asked, his tone a little sharper than necessary. Silic pulled his weapon in closer.The five Toa stopped in a large open room with two stairways along the walls, which led to two doorways and another catwalk leading to both from across the room. At the far end was a thick steel gate. It was unique looking, built for durability. The room was lit well, and seemed relatively undamaged, which surprised them.“Where is he now Pelish?” He questioned again, feeling a sensation of being watched.The four of them turned to her, as she looked toward each doorway, studying them. Then she turned toward the main steel door ahead.It opened, slowly, and the Dark Hunter behind it made no attempt at being subtle, yet seemed calm. He was a giant. Large in form he stood a Toa’s length and a half, with a stare as cold as the dead. He entered the chamber one step at a time and stopped a good few yards away from the team.The Toa withdrew their weapons.“Surrender, we have no need to harm you,” Lhikan offered, knowing the answer he’d receive.The Dark Hunter stood silently, staring them down. After a long moment he spoke in a deep, older voice.“You are here on my home. I have no reason to surrender, and you are not welcome here.”The Toa of Fire knew there was some truth to that.“We don’t want to harm you,” he said again, this time unhesitating.The Dark Hunter’s eyes narrowed in real anger, the first he had shown. He raised his weapon and fired.It was a six round blaster, nothing Lhikan had seen before. But the projectile was missile based and they were too near the center of the ship now to risk any explosions.“Naho, Silic, contain it!” their leader commanded quickly moving from the oncoming mini rocket.Instantly Naho raised her two hand blades, small, though perfect for hand to hand combat, and Silic raised his left hand. A surrounding bubble of water enclosed itself around the missile and an implosion of air set it off. The explosion was quieter and contained to the point of minor damage, water drizzling over the Toa.“There’s someone else … he keeps disappearing,” Pelish spoke softly.Jehu open fired on the Dark Hunter, the crystal ammunition spreading across its body before … shattering. The Toa team looked on in surprise. He was immune to the effects of the ice and it couldn’t grow quick enough before breaking apart. He had some kind of shielding energy.Pelish’s eyes opened, coming out of her concentration.“I sense him! He’s below us!”Lhikan glanced at her before turning to the floor, the metal began to bend and rumble.“Someone is attacking from below!” he shouted, the blades in his hand igniting with flames.The team separated away, watching the shadow shoot upward into the air. Lhikan couldn’t describe what he saw. It vibrated and moved through the solid metal easily, arms outstretched and legs bent as though it had just leaped. Its body was in constant movement, as though every molecule that made up its structure refused to stay still. It had bright silver eyes and as it floated in the air for brief moment, they shown down, narrow, on the Toa team with quiet resentment. All of five of them watched, unable to turn away from the phenomenon, before it vanished instantly.Lhikan snapped out of it first, he turned to Pelish.“Where is he!” it wasn’t a question.Naho pointed toward the catwalk above the muscular Dark Hunter. There it stood. Naho watched as it teleported again, moving through the metal walkway and on to the floor in front of its ally. The large Dark Hunter simply nodded, and without turning to catch it, the smaller one teleported again. He moved forward toward the Toa.“Brace yourselves!” Jehu shouted as the creature came upon Silic, tackled and ran with him across the room. The Toa of Air found himself against the wall, damaged from the impact. He felt like drifting into sleep.“Lhikan, he’s using an advanced speed technique!” Naho shouted.Her leader nodded, “Follow him!”Lhikan watched as Naho activated her Kakama, instantly moving quicker than his eyes could follow. Moments later the seemingly intangible Dark Hunter was on the floor from Naho’s instant assault, half righting itself up before disappearing with a high speed.Pelish ran toward Silic, and as Lhikan heard the sound of rockets being fired off from the large Dark Hunter they had neglected, he knew things were about to go very, very wrong.***In her accelerated movement, the world seemed to slow before her. While using her mask she couldn’t activate her water powers at that speed. So when she fought her opponent, the strategic factors listed off in her head.The Dark Hunter stood at a Toa’s height, and had a Toa’s build. His body seemed more compact at these speeds, but still it shifted like a hologram constantly. He was fast, too fast.Naho ran up the stairs at a pace normal through her eyes, following him. Every step he took made dents into the steel frames of the stairs. His constant speed harmed anything he touched. She wondered if he had the ability to turn his powers off.Reaching the end of the stairway, on the catwalk above the battle below, the Dark Hunter turned to meet her. Naho didn’t hesitate, and leaped in the air bringing a swift kick toward his chest. He caught it in mid air, and swung her around into the safety rails. She felt the impact and grunted. Her vision blurring and with her concentration distracted, the world flowed into real time again.Don’t stop. If you slow down he’ll destroy you in a moment. Move, move!With determination Naho activated her mask once more, rolling just as the Dark Hunter struck where she was against the bar, breaking it in two.She pushed up with one arm and slashed with the other, bringing a blade across his shoulder, an unanticipated move. She heard him cry, a quick gasp with a flash of anger spreading across his disfigured face. He could be harmed, but only while she was moving at a similar speed to his.Naho swung her other arm toward him, and he caught it in midair.‘You have no chance…’Her eyes widened, not expecting him to be able to speak. It sounded distant, in her mind. His fingers were wrapped around her wrist, even though it felt only like a force, not like flesh, not warm or even cold.With a quick movement she twisted away and charged with knives in hand. He dodged, dodged the second blow and brought a swift kick to her side. She moved backward, and with a shocked expression, felt the kinetic waves of sound and air rumble around her, causing her to hold on to the rail. She glanced at the room below her, seeing it covered in fire and smoke. Her team was just hit with multiple sudden explosions.She stared at the Dark Hunter before her, who hadn’t been fazed by the blasts at all, letting each wave move through him. He only stared, unmoving, angrily tempting her to charge at him again while they moved down the stairs.But they both knew the truth. He was much faster than she was. Naho was going to lose this fight, and once she did, there would be no one left to stop him.***Lhikan’s mind was scattered in a haze, the smoke thick and heavy. He had lost sight of everyone, and began to right himself up.Both firesword blades in hand, he activated his Hau on maximum, standing still.Listening for movement, he tried to see the shadows and lights through the smoke. It cleared a little and he caught sight of a fallen Silic, desperately firing Zamor spheres at the massive Dark Hunter who brushed off the electrical energy blasts as if it was nothing, stepping toward to the Toa of Air. Bringing both his swords forward, Lhikan fired a projectile of intense flames, soaring across the room and smothering the looming creature in heat.It barely nudged. He simply turned to look at Lhikan for a second, than it began to run to Silic, bringing up an arm to crush the Toa on the ground.“No!” Lhikan shouted loudly, firing another wave of elemental energy with no effect. As he rushed to meet his friend, knowing he’d never make it in time, a solid rock pillar erupted from the ground before Silic, moving at an angle impacting the giant into the chest. The Dark Hunter was pushed back in surprise, as Jehu leaped from the smoke behind Silic and over him, running with unstoppable force up along the pillar and throwing both his arms into the Dark Hunter’s shoulders, brawling on strength alone.Lhikan never stopped his charge and ran to the side of the Dark Hunter, slashing at his legs. The scorching mark that should have remained there didn’t. He was resistant to all energy attacks. Lhikan moved quickly, but not quick enough to dodge his enemy’s blow from behind. Jehu leaped and gave a solid punch to the being’s face.The Dark Hunter stumbled back, but reached out and grabbed the Toa by the shoulder. With a mighty cry he flung the Toa of Stone across the room into the catwalk, the metal bending as he crashed into it. Jehu was caught and remained still within the steel. Then he slipped free from the grasp and landed on the ground with a soft thud, unmoving.Pelish screamed Jehu’s name, infuriated and stepping forward on the battle field with a defense staff in hand. With swift movements she slashed at empty air, sending invisible blasts of telekinesis at the monster. His body constantly shook with the blasts, feeling each impact as he fell to the wall behind him.It all happened too quickly for Lhikan to object. Silic appeared from the air with Jehu’s Crystal Launcher, landing in the Dark Hunter’s arms, which latched on to him, squeezing him. Silic began to cry out and stopped Pelish in shock, not knowing how to save her friend.“You’re going to die Toa…” The Dark Hunter whispered as he crushed harder, the Toa’s armor bending.Silic pointed the launcher downward, and with a blast of crystal he answered with a smug grin on his face. The ice on the ground beneath the Dark Hunter and Toa had plenty of time to form. The giant’s eyes narrowed as the crystal grew over him and the Toa, trapping them both.***Pelish kneeled before Jehu’s lying form and reached out, placing her fingers against his mask.“Is he going to be alright?” She asked quietly.“He’s still breathing, but we need to get him help.”Lhikan looked him over. The Toa of Stone was in worse shape than he thought. His back was ... bent in an unnatural way. His eyes weren’t even fully closed, slightly lit at the rims. He didn’t seem to be aware they were watching him.“And … Silic?”“Silic is safe. The effects of the Crystal are only meant to trap, not kill.” The Toa of Fire looked toward his frozen companion’s way. It was a bold move, distracting the Dark Hunter to give a clear shot that would freeze around the shield of the enemy. But it was at a cost. They were down two Toa.“Pelish, I need you to find Naho.”The Toa of Psionics stared at Jehu’s limp form, she remained silent. Lhikan watched her, knowing what she must be feeling. But they didn’t have time for that now.“Pelish!” He said sharply. She flinched and looked up at him.“Sister, I need you locate Naho. She’s in trouble.”“Yes … It’ll … take a minute.”“Try. And then you’re going to strike him.”“Me?”“Yes. Your elemental attacks aren’t physical. If you find his mind, you should be able to repel his body.”“I’ve never had to concen-”“Pelish, she’s still fighting that … thing. We have to help her.” He turned toward the open room, waiting for some sign of battle. He didn’t have to look and see Pelish close her eyes, searching for the Toa moving at high speeds.Then his eyes caught sight of Naho and the Dark Hunter as they became visible, just for a moment, like a flash. Flashes of Naho with a knee to her stomach, a punch to her mask…“And she’s losing,” he finished, suddenly needing to find something, some way to help. But this was all Pelish. He couldn’t do anything at that level of energy.“I’ve almost found her…” Pelish could sense them, on the stairs, on the floors, on the catwalk. They were fighting at all places at once it seemed. But she knew that wasn’t true. They were in one place at everyone one moment…Find them…“There!” Pelish shouted, eyes snapping open with a hand stretched toward the field. Lhikan desperately watched the empty floor. Did she hit him?Then the Dark Hunter appeared, and flew into the wall by a wave of telekinetic energy. Naho reappeared moments later just as instantly, gasping and moving toward her team.“He hasn’t been defeated yet,” she coughed, uneasiness over coming her from the fight.“I know. Not yet,” Lhikan replied raising his blades forward, and blasted a comet of flames toward the wall where the Dark Hunter stood, frozen in surprise as the heat rushed toward him. The explosion lit the whole room, and died down quickly.The three Toa looked on in silence.And the Dark Hunter walked out of the flames.***The hallow echoes, the unnatural hissing sounds of the fires inside the chamber, the reflective light off of the crystallized beings, all of it somehow merged together creating an unspoken art form. It was a battlefield, one that had been fought over for a long period by beings who struggled through their wills and strength.Lhikan’s blades were held before him, glowing in a soft orange and red. Naho held her own blades, mind primed to activate her mask at a given moment. Pelish held her hands forward, pulsing energy moving the air around her fingers.The Dark Hunter glared toward them with his silver eyes, shifting like an illusion.Wordlessly he charged forward before disappearing.Naho grunted and disappeared as well, their bodies vanishing and reappearing with blinding speed. Pelish looked on, trying to follow their movements, before Lhikan gave a shout of surprise. A kick to his side by the assassin brought him to the ground. Pelish immediately moved toward him, seeing the Dark Hunter’s image as he stood still. The Toa of Psionics slashed through his body with her staff, only an afterimage of where he was.She wasn’t surprised, but the pain that seared through her arm as it was twisted back, brought Pelish gasping for air. In a moment she was slammed into the wall. She felt the force off of her arm, and onto her neck. When her sight readjusted she found the Dark Hunter’s hand on her throat. She couldn’t breathe.Naho reappeared before them in the center of the room and Lhikan stood up. His anger seeped over him like a roaring forest fire.“Let her go,” the Toa of Fire whispered, eyes narrowed.“Three moves. Then I end her life.”The two Toa didn’t glance at each other. But they knew what the other was thinking. They needed a plan.The Toa of Water breathed in and out, regaining the strength she needed. Then she didn’t avert her eyes to the ice forming along the walls. Lhikan was trying to freeze him, removing the heat. The Dark Hunter’s body became opaque and as he felt the sudden shift, in slight surprise, she moved in. Pelish started to fall forward, faint.Naho sped forward at the greatest speed she could muster, and brought a blow to her enemy’s mask. She watched him stumble back in slow motion, she moved forward, Lhikan moved for Pelish.But her hope was shattered in a moment. The Dark Hunter reaccelerated grabbing on to Naho’s moving arms and throwing her toward the other side of the room. Lhikan was kneed into the stomach by the unseen force, and a second blow brought his face to the ground. He rolled throwing heat energy around him. He regained his guard and looked up.The Dark Hunter caught Pelish’s body by the throat, and realigned her against the wall.“One move, and I end her life.”It was the point of no return, and the Toa were out of ideas.No, you’re not going to die Pelish. This won’t happen. Lhikan held his blades tightly at the thought. There was something he was missing, some kind of angle he hadn’t seen. He had to make sure she lived through this, and become a great Toa, like she was meant to be.I swear it.And as he studied his opponent’s eyes, he noticed hers open as well. They looked toward him.I am a Toa.His mind echoed with her thoughts.With a cry of defiance Pelish released a wave of energy, bending everything around her with her power. The Dark Hunter shouted in pain, his body moving away, grabbing hold of his shoulders. Whatever he felt, was a form of torture.Her eyes were narrowed and her body, though shaken, held as she unleashed the energy.Lhikan! The engine room is right below us!Lhikan held an arm over his forehead as he received the message, energy repelling back both himself and Naho. She had read their attackers mind. The main gate at the end of the room, he realized, led to it!She raised her hands back to strike him once more, before the enemy wildly moved toward her, ignoring the intensity as a Dark Hunter would. With quick movement he grabbed her neck and crushed it, stopping her.“No!” Naho and Lhikan cried out in horror, the sadness and guilt striking just as quickly and the gust of air suddenly stopping.Pelish stared down her killer for the final few moments, never leaving his eyes, quivering, but determined to stay focused to the last second. He never smiled, and just looked back as he let go of her. Then the Toa closed her eyes, and fell.***Naho charged.She didn’t think about where her attack would lead her, or the consequences. But this Dark Hunter would pay.The Toa of Water slammed into him shoulder first, driving him into the wall, never touching Pelish’s body. She reached out and stabbed him at the torso, hearing him cry out. He deflected her second thrust of the blade, but she ignored it, dropped her knife and punched him, over and over again across the body and face.She didn’t have to see what Lhikan was doing. This mission had been a failure. Too many had already been lost.But they were Toa, and their success was worth more than their lives.She didn’t have to shout for Lhikan, or tell him her plan. She was giving him time, enough to get to the engine room.An intense heat filled the air, as the Toa of Fire stabbed his blades into the floor, flames surrounding his body, bright and intense. The metal beneath him melted and he fell through the passage.Naho mentally urged him on, while she threw another blow to her opponent’s gut. The Dark Hunter pushed back and swiftly moved away from her, reappearing at the end of the room. He stood, an arm over the spot she had wounded him. But he didn’t say a word, just turned to her.“I’m going to kill you.”Her words were acid on her tongue. And it was a promise. She didn’t care how many codes she broke, this was going to be a fight to the death. His, or her own, one of them wasn’t leaving this ship alive.“I hate you.”She heard him say it. It was a choice of words she didn’t expect, but she didn’t hesitate nor care why he had. He stared at her, with no sympathy in his look. The guilt and anger that filled her pushed out all other doubts. The Toa activated her mask once more and perhaps for the final time.***Lhikan dropped roughly onto the steel ground. Before him was a large metal ring with a powerful electrical current flowing around it. The engine took up half of the room, and a widened control panel was aligned against the wall.And this was it. This was what they were searching for. The energy was intense, and he felt the immediate electric charge dwindling throughout the chamber.Find the power source, shut it off and destroy it. He thought, moving quickly.The Toa of Fire placed a hand over the controls, looking over them, studying them as calmly as he could. He knew he didn’t have much time. But the controls were precise he figured, one wrong adjustment and the whole thing could blow. It was amazing the engine had remained so preserved.‘Not that lever.’Lhikan wanted to pretend like it was the humming of the machine that echoed the voice. Slowly he turned away and looked to the center of the room. He wasn’t surprised by what he saw.The Dark Hunter held Naho in his one hand, by her arm, slowly levitating with her, toward the floor. He planted his feet firmly, and roughly dropped the Toa of Water. She lay wounded and breathed shallowly, her mask to the ground.The two regarded one another for a long moment. Lhikan had no chance. The question was why he was still alive.‘I have to know only one thing,’ the Dark Hunter’s voice echoed, ‘Why are you here?’The Toa of Fire regarded him, unsure of how to answer the question.The silver eyes glared deep into his mind. The molecules that made up his being never faltered, rapidly vibrating in a wave like pattern.‘You could have destroyed this ship from the outside. Why would you waste the advantage? Were you trying to take prisoners?’A silent response.‘From the moment you Toa stepped into this ship, I couldn’t figure it out. I thought maybe you knew something we didn’t. Are you searching for a comrade?’“No,” Lhikan answered. He gestured a blade toward the engine, without averting his eyes. “It was this.”The Dark Hunter turned to stare at it directly.‘What about it?’Lhikan’s stare grew hard. Somehow, he knew where this was going.“We thought it could be unstable from the crash. We also felt it could be used as a weapon, a last resort.”His opponent took a step forward.‘I see. You thought we’d kill our own. Sacrifice them all if things went bad. Well, you were wrong. About everything.’Lhikan was a veteran, and he’d seen a lot, and he’d heard a lot in battle. He was not a Toa to lose his cool, or let the line become blurred. Even though it seemed the engine wasn’t a real threat, there had been a chance the Dark Hunters could have used it as a self detonation. They had to have been sure.“Its war,” the Toa replied, raising his blades in response. He recalled the Toa of Earth who died in order to land the frigate into the beach. And images of Jehu and Pelish ran through his mind. “Everything is sacrifice.”The Dark Hunter with no name vanished, and Lhikan activated his mask of shielding. The first blow came to the head, a swift kick that Lhikan took, but bent his knees and slashed at where it had come from. The Dark Hunter had already moved away and gave a shattering blow to his back. His Hau took most of it, and Lhikan threw up a wall of flame around him, giving him a little protection.‘I hate Toa. I hate everything about your kind,’ Another blow, the enemy moving through the flames unaffected, his voice everywhere. Lhikan stumbled out of his circle, mind reeling. He had no power to match his enemy’s, what was he supposed to do?‘You fight for laws that you have created alone, laws that are flawed. You constant stick by them, even when others around you disregard it. Twist it.’“I have to believe in something. It’s what keeps me going.” He felt a force on his wrist, and with a sharp crack, his left hand was broken, one of his blades clanging to the floor. He brought his hand to his chest. “I have to believe in something…” he repeated again.He raised his body’s heat to ferocious temperatures, his entire form glowing in a deep orange. The Dark Hunter moved away, slightly burned and unable to touch him in that state. Lhikan’s power drained harshly, and as the heat dimmed, he backed away.‘All you Toa do is preach about destiny,’ Dark Hunter spat moving in closer, ‘But you kill when it’s suitable for you.’ He gave another strike to the mask. ‘You betray when it’s for your own advantage. And you punish us for our differences. We aren’t bind to rules like you, we hold no prejudice.’“I know,” was all he could say.‘You talk of duty as excuse for war. And you hold no guilt over the lives lost by the other side … or do you really believe the dead corpse frozen back in the Center Hub wasn’t my brother?’Breathing heavily now, his concentration dwindling. “Yes, just as she was my sister.”He fell against the wall, and the Dark Hunter, confident, appeared openly before him, Lhikan’s fallen blade, suddenly in the other’s hand.“We do our best, to walk with what we believe in. I won’t lie and say I don’t believe fighting is my duty. That dying might be my destiny. I won’t say I agree with Dark Hunters, that they are right, and we are wrong, or that it’s all just grey.”Lhikan sat to the floor, back against the wall. He looked up to meet his maker, unafraid. And the Dark Hunter couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed by the stare. He was a Toa. Strong willed and wise, he wouldn’t be taken in so easily by mere words.“We are hypocrites though, yes, we are, when we speak of unity. I will admit that.”The Dark Hunter watched him wordlessly, the humming of the engine to the left of him. The soft glow of the room shone on them both, casting their shadows, even the Dark Hunter’s was full and reached out across the floor. Half of Lhikan’s face was covered in darkness, a silhouette, only his bright ruby eyes were visible.He took a calm breath.“The Dark Hunters attacked Metru Nui. But we stepped right in line and became what we swore to never become. We don’t even take names anymore. I’ve killed, and I feel nothing for it; because I think about all those who I’ve lost, and how all my enemies should suffer for it. It plagues my mind, just like it plagues yours.”Toa Lhikan coughed, slumping slightly.“I can still remember running away from you all…” he silently whispered, replayed the tape within his mind, full of Toa and Frostelus. “Running away from our fortress, holding that one precious treasure and a message; I can still see your faces. I haven’t forgotten them.” He shut his eyes, tightly.“…I’m sorry for not being there to help you.”He slowly reopened them, and fixed his eyes to the steel below. Then he looked up to the Dark Hunter who felt genuine surprise by the conflict he had just seen. Narrowed eyes full of comprehension, Lhikan’s voice was a fact now.“This war of Metru Nui, it’s exactly the same. Every moment I’m on that battlefield, I can see its lack of reason. The division it causes. By the end of the war, it’ll be too late. We’re all going to lose something important, regardless of who wins. Something we can’t gain back. It’s fitting.”The Dark Hunter watched him in silence the matter bringing them both back to reality. They were enemies. There was no mercy, even if there should be. He raised the blade, its form unnaturally solid compared to the rest of his body.“We deserve it … to all fade away in the end.”He hesitated, wavered his raised arm. And he replied.‘I’m sorry, too.’The Toa of Fire reflected at the apology, and somehow the feelings brought by Pelish’s death began to numb. He closed his eyes.The blade was brought down in a swift motion for an instant kill with no pain. Lhikan heard the echoes of that redeeming statement ring throughout his mind over and over.And that’s when they were both caught off guard by a scream. A moment away from death, and Naho rushed forward as fast as she could, slamming into their adversary activating her mask while she did so.The Dark Hunter’s eyes widened fully, but he didn’t resist as quickly as he should have, he didn’t resist the feeling of such fierce determination. She hadn’t given up her life, and maybe a small part of him had.Then Naho accelerated, vanishing with him, the force propelling them in a blur directly to the engine’s electrical power.There was a bright flash and the sound of an uproar.And then everything went dark.***Lhikan stumbled around the room, reaching out. Behind him, a holy ray of light filled with dust, shone toward the floor from the ceiling. It was Jehu and Silic’s armor still shining from upstairs, still brightening up a little of the passages.The Toa of Fire mumbled out Naho’s name, wondering if it was useless to do so. The explosion had possibly killed them both. Mustering up a little strength, a small flame appeared in the palm of his hand.The engine was in pieces, lifeless and unfixable to any degree.He took a few steps, the glow reaching across the floor. And there was the body, up against the circuitry. A Toa’s build, silver in color. No longer in a constant vibration, he was completely solid, relieved of power. His eyes were closed.Naho lay a couple yards away, and Lhikan moved toward her.To his surprise, she moved, feeling the hand on her shoulder. Breathing slowly, her eyes relit.“You made it,” Lhikan stated, a glow of satisfaction filling him.The Toa of Water gave a smile, sitting up at a minor pace, waiting for something to flare in pain. But the bruises weren’t too bad. She gazed at the Dark Hunter, her expression suddenly solemn.“We got him?” She asked, knowing the answer.“Yes. Mission successful.”“It doesn’t feel like it.”Slowly he brought an arm under hers, lifting her up to her feet.“We need to get back. We’ll give the okay to deconstruct the ship, use its parts. And we’ll need to free Silic, give Pelish and Jehu …”His voice trailed off, and Naho nodded, knowing they had waited too long to help the Toa of Stone.Quietly they both walked into the light from above. They moved upstairs, passed their comrades and the Dark Hunters who had fallen. They moved through the medic room, down the barrack’s hallway, up into the terminal, rode the elevator leading to a barren hanger, and step by step onto the catwalk.It was a long journey back, and the moment they reached the surface, the struggle ahead would be waiting for them, as always. And they might be separated in the future, as friends usually are.But for now, two were able to draw on each other’s strength in the darkest of places. They hadn’t fallen yet, one held the other up when needed, both of them standing, together.____It took me a little time to write this out. I've wanted a story about a Toa Team that travels into a dead frigate, and this contest was the perfect excuse. Thank you for reading this too long of a story, and I hope you enjoyed it! Please review or comment, as it would be appreciated. =)I've never written a story about Lhikan or Naho before, but I've always loved his character and felt an appreciation for her work in the Metru Nui Toa/Dark Hunter War. There were a lot of influences to this, but the setting I had to get from the beginning Metroid Prime or perhaps that intro in Mass Effect 2, that sense of dread gets me every time. The team was just picked out of the blue, Lhikan and Naho being the only canon characters. I was really going for a silent, war story, with a drawn out dialogue at the end, hopefully it wasn't too much.Thanks again for reading yal!EDIT: I got permission from Velox to fix up a couple of errors I of course spotted after submitting this. I'm sure there are more...
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At Last–Takanuva!Short Stories Contest #8No, this can’t be the Legendary Toa of Light... Jaller thought as he saw yet another hut shine like a lightstone, then dissolve into ash. He had to escape... he had to warn the other Koros...Another hut was gone in another brilliant flash of light. The screams of dying Matoran echoed through the night. To think, just that morning, Takua and Jaller had been lava surfing without a care in the world. Now this, this, was happening. No... It couldn’t be... Not Takua...No...They were racing down the rivers of lava, neck and neck. The excessive heat blurred their vision, making the surfing all the more fun and all the more dangerous. Jaller navigated his way up to the crest of a wave, flipped off of it, and landed perfectly back on his board.“Nice one!” yelled Takua as he came up beside the other Matoran“Thanks!” replied Jaller, “It took me months to get that perfect. I can’t count the times Tahu has saved me from falling into the lava.”“Guess what?” said Takua as he dodged a spire of rock, “I’ve been practicing a new move too!”With that, Takua crouched and let his board climb another wave of lava. Right before he reached the crest, he launched himself into a flip, leaving the board behind. After doing two full rotations in mid-air, he came back down to the lava.Jaller saw the horror happen right before his eyes. Takua’s board was pushed to the side by a second wave, leaving only lava below him. The scream of pain and shock ripped through the air, but was quickly stifled. Soon, only a hand was above the surface, gently sinking into the magma.Jaller rushed over as fast as he could, tugging his friend out of the flow and riding the lava up to the shore. The burning, melting substance dripping down the lifeless body burned his hand, but he didn’t care. He had to save Takua, no matter how badly he got burned during the process.Flinging his friend onto the rock, Jaller screamed, “Takua! Say something! Takua!”There was no response from the charred body. Again screamed Jaller, “Help! Somebody help me, please! Takua’s dying! Help me!”The situation seemed hopeless. Takua laid there, his body melting and his heartlight dim. His mask was in two pieces beside him, lending no aid in keeping him alive. Tahu was busy somewhere else, all the other Matoran they were with which they were surfing were already downstream, unable to hear Jaller’s cries for help.Suddenly, Jaller caught a glint coming from the shore, something golden. It was the mask Takua had found! It was better than nothing, and maybe it would save the dying Matoran.Tearing off his friend’s old mask, Jaller picked up the abnormal Kanohi and placed it upon the charred face. For a few moments, nothing happened, and the Matoran began to sob over his dead friend’s body.Blinding light burst from around the mask and through the eyeholes, which caused Jaller to almost fall into the river behind him. He fell down on his knees and squinted through the light, seeing a form far larger than Takua’s lying there. It looked almost like... a Toa?“Takua? Is that you? Are you okay?” Jaller yelled once the light had ceased. He stared into the darkened eyeholes, looking for any sign of life. Then, to his utter relief, the Toa’s limp form twitched, and his heartlight flashed a dim yet steady yellow. The Matoran sobbed for a minute from sheer joy at Takua having lived.Once he had composed himself, Jaller looked down the river. It would be difficult to carry an unconscious Matoran down the river, and far harder to carry a Toa. The beach where they were supposed to rendezvous was only a minute or two farther downstream. He could get the others, come back, and they could carry Takua over land back to the village.Having decided upon this, Jaller set off down the river of lava immediately. He crouched to go faster, letting him speed down the river. He avoided any obstacles with ease, arriving at the beach in only a matter of minutes. He flipped off the crest of a wave and onto the shore, to numerous applause from the others waiting.However, when he ran panting to the group–Keahi, Agni, Brander, and Tiribomba–without Takua, they knew something was wrong. One of the other Matoran, Agni, patted Jaller on the back as he said, “What’s wrong, Jaller? Where’s Takua? Did he go down the wrong branch back there?”Still gasping for breath, Jaller replied, “No! Takua fell into the lava! He’s upstream about half a kio. I was able to save him, but he’s unconscious, and we need to bring him back to the village for burns!”“How did he survive?” asked Agni with shock on his face, “It’s hard for a Matoran to live even with medical staff on standby at competitions!”As they started jogging back up the bank, Jaller replied, “He had a mask... I don’t know what it is. The lava had no effect on it, and it transformed him. I don’t know how, but that Kanohi changed Takua into a Toa!”Running after him, Tiribomba yelled, “You’ve got to be kidding me! What kind of mask could that be?”“I already said that I have no idea! Anyways, he should be around here somewhere... Ah! Here he is!” yelled Jaller as he leapt off the side of a short cliff and down to where Takua lay. Keahi and Agni jumped down with him, while Tiribomba and Brander stayed on the ledge.“Wow!” exclaimed Agni as they attempted to heave Takua up to the other two. “He’s a lot heavier now! Are you sure this is Takua?”Jaller grunted before replying with, “How should I know? I put the Kanohi on his face after it seemed that he was dead, and then light shot out of the mask! I could barely see, but it looked like he transformed into a Toa! Now, heave!”The five Matoran got Takua’s body onto the ledge after a minute or so of heaving. The three standing below scrambled up to the ledge and then helped picked the body up and off of the ground. They then began to carry him upriver toward the village.Before long, they were able to Ta-Koro and into the village doctor’s hut. Upon hearing about the incident, Vakama and many others came to see with their own eyes. The aged Turaga, wise beyond all others, related the legend of the Toa of Light, Takanuva, coming to them. The astonished villagers waited anxiously for the new Toa to wake up.Jaller, in the meantime, went to his hut and sat down, his face in his hands. This was too much to happen in one day... Takua fell into a river of lava. He was saved, buy quickly died. A Kanohi–the Mask of Light, the Avohkii–was placed on the dead Matoran’s face, and he came back to life. But he wasn’t a matoran anymore, he was a Toa. His name was now Takanuva. Would things ever be the same?A chorus of sudden screaming jerked Jaller out of his reverie. He ran out of his hut to see a blinding light like the light that had came from the mask when he placed it on Takua’s face... It was the same light!Takua, or Takanuva, stood in the center of a pile of ash. The Matoran of the village were running away, screaming in horror. Tahu, who had been speaking with Vakama outside of the hut, was now charging toward the new Toa.In another flash of light, Tahu and Vakama were gone. All that was left was falling ash. Jaller ran, screaming in horror.That brought him to where he was now–running for his life while Takanuva was destroying Ta-Koro. The screams of fleeing Matoran were quickly cut off as they were disintegrated. Jaller stumbled over a rock but managed to keep his balance, sprinting toward the bridge. It was still up from when Tahu had arrived back in the village. Thank Mata-Nui! It was only a bio away.Whiteness, blackness, the world coming back into focus. Jaller was on the ground, a Toa standing over him. Who? Takanuva? Had death come? Was he still alive? Was he seeing things as an ashen specter, watching his former friend laughing over the pile of ash that used to be his body?With a maniacal laugh spicing every word, the Toa above said, “I must thank you for saving me, Jaller! I love this new body, thank you for helping me get it! The Avohkii has shown me the world, a perfect world, which I can now make!”“Takua! Stop! This... this isn’t you! Please! Stop it! We shouldn’t have... we shouldn’t have gone surfing earlier... We shouldn’t have been showing off. That mask made you a monster... Please... stop it...” trailed Jaller, tears streaming down his cheeks from pain both physically and emotionally.With a twisted grin, Takanuva laughed, “Sorry, little friend. I can’t stop longing for a perfect world! You’ve committed crimes in your life! You’re evil! Thus, you must be disposed! You aren’t part of the picture of a perfect world!”With one last, blurred glimpse of Takanuva extending his hand, Jaller felt intense, searing pain, then nothing. The horrid laughter echoed through the desolate village.••••••••••As a side note, I generally don’t capitalize “Toa”, “Matoran”, etc. in my writing; however, as I had a feeling people might be predisposed against not capitalizing these, I went ahead and did so for the purposes of this contest. Honestly, I’m not sure if I should or shouldn’t as the fandom in general does so, along with Greg himself. Anyways, hope you liked it. Feel free to tear it to shreds or simple critique.
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Hello everyone, I know that Halloween is long gone, but I hope your goose bumps haven't totally faded away. This is a short story that I wrote, which was produced by Mata Nui Inc. Plast! (KanohiJournalPublications). Now, rest assured that the Origins serial is all done, but it is not yet posted; and while The Grand Creation is being finalized, and the Their Mistake podcast is holding auditions(go to the KonohiJournal blog here on Bzp), we bring you two haunting stories. One from myself(GoldenTahu), and one to come from my co-worker Legolover-361. These two stories are meant to continue, very possibly under new writers, and branch out into more shorts from MNI. Also, be sure to vote for this entry to the Title Twisters SS Contest #8 if you like it. Enjoy! Monsters In The Dark “For the Great Beings’ sake, will you put that down? Just because you’re a master puzzle solver doesn’t mean you’re a genius. And you don’t even know what that is.”“That’s funny.”“What’s funny?”“It’s the Great Beings’ toys we’re playing with here in the first place.” Kazdrin said as, at length, he heeded his friend’s advice and put the piece of machinery down; although his curiosity was still not sated, the device had appeared to be broken anyway. He answered his friend without glancing back as he continued to explore the room. “Relax. We came all the way up here, so why should we start being scared now?”“Because ever since you dragged me with you on this “little hike”, as you called it at the time, we’ve had to brave blizzards, evade enhanced wolves, and trudge through deserts; not to mention get past all the traps inside this maze!”“You said yourself that I’m great at puzzles; those traps were my specialty. And you call this a maze? Anyone could find their way through to here.”“Well, I thought we were lost half the time,” said Matix. His personality always amused Kazdrin, who was actually surprised when Matix accepted his offer to travel beyond the White Quartz Mountains, far away from their home in Tesara. Although he always insisted that he had been unwillingly pulled into it, Matix was not as surprised that Kazdrin would propose such a journey. Anything could arouse the Agori’s curiosity, and this time it had been a weird piece of metal with a red star and directions on it; directions that had ultimately brought them here.Kazdrin picked up a sealed vial of some kind of silvery liquid. He sloshed the contents around as he scrutinized it. Walking over to Kazdrin, Matix rolled his eyes. “Do you have to collect samples? It’s not like anyone’s going to disturb this place. It’s probably been abandoned for eons.”“Which makes it all the more exiting!” Kazdrin replied as if he had found a deposit of exsidian. “Hmm, the label says Protodermis. Wish I knew what that was.” Stowing the vial away in his pack, his attention was drawn to a large mechanical device with wires trailing from it to the ceiling. It was a half-cylinder with its inside exposed, and it was just big enough for two Agori to fit into. How lucky the Great Beings had left in such a hurry as to leave all this technology behind! With blissful abandon he began examining the towering whatever-it-was, and by sheer luck he flipped a certain lever on the wall behind it.“I’m just saying that you’ll never get any of this to work anyway-”Lights came on all around them, and the large machine started to make whirring and buzzing noises. It made such a din that Kazdrin could barely here his friend say “What are you doing now?!” A smiling Kazdrin beckoned Matix to come inside the device. “Look at this,” he said, and pointed to a panel mounted on the inside wall of the cylindrical machine. The panel's silvery surface was covered with lighted buttons. “You want to be the first to press one of these things?”Matix’s jaw dropped. “What?”“Never mind.”Kazdrin pressed the topmost button. The electrical sounds grew louder. “Next one?” he asked Matix.“Now don’t you even-” Kazdrin just sighed and pressed the second button, cutting off Matix for the second time in as many minutes. The sounds stopped abruptly, the lights fading with them.Kazdrin was slightly disappointed, but laughed and finally turned to his friend. “There, now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”An unbelievably blinding light, pain in his extremities, and then the blackness before a bad dream.***Waking up didn’t hurt at all, but moving did. The numbness in Kazdrin’s arms and legs was replaced with jolts of pain and muscle spasms. At first he thought he was still blacked out, or that something was really wrong with his eyes, but as they adjusted he realized that it was only a dark night outside with no moon. As the Agori slowly felt his faculties of movement returning, he took a moment to study the star-strewn blanket that was the sky, which he noticed was partially obscured by foliage all around. Must be a forest, he thought.The light-dotted sheet above did not render so simple an answer. None of the constellations were familiar, and one of the planets hanging there was larger than anything he had ever seen in the sky. Unpleasant thoughts crept into his mind.Once Kazdrin was able to walk around, he tried to gain his bearings. Thankfully, the treetops were not so thick as to block out all of the starlight. There was the usual forest flora all around, but nothing that would make a good landmark. The only noticeable thing was that all of it was a strange bluish color, though he first thought it to be a trick of the light. He still had his pack with him, containing a few days’ supply of rations, a Thornax launcher and…As he fumbled around in his pack, the vial of silver liquid fell out, shattering on the ground and splattering onto a nearby fern. It was one of its kind that closed in response to any touch, which it did now; not that that kept the protodermis from covering it. Kazdrin sighed, but, ever an optimist, concluded that his new situation was far more important than a small find back… back at the laboratory. He now realized what had happened. The machine was a teleportation device of some sort, and now he and Matix were here- wherever “here” was.“Matix!” he called.Had his friend made it? Were they even transported to the same location? Kazdrin hurriedly looked about him. His companion was nowhere in sight, but he had to do something besides just stand there. Making out a rocky outcrop in one direction a fair distance away, Kazdrin began walking. Behind him, the fern withered into a limp yellow-brown heap.***Observation was part of Kazdrin’s personality, so he often stopped to look at things that caught his eye. Being teleported who knew where didn’t change this in him. He was quick enough to spot several species of animals in and among the trees; most scurrying away when he came near, some coming tentatively closer to sniff him. Some were ape-like, but others had similar features to the iron wolves he had encountered on his recent “hike”. None were threatening, but they were bizarre in one way.Many he found seemingly hugging the trees. Each clung to a tree, eyes shut tight, suspended from the ground with their arms wrapped around the tree. Kazdrin was able to examine this phenomenon further when he caught one of these sleeping animals detaching from its tree. When he looked, he saw a knothole right where the creature had clung. When he felt inside, there were long strands that felt like… wires! Not synthetic wires, but organic ones. An image went through the Jungle Agori’s mind of a creature plugging into a tree, like a machine to a power source. He didn’t know whether to be revolted or- no, he went with revolted.After a few more minutes of walking, the rock formation became fully visible. Towering twenty feet high and about as twice as much from end to end, it was the first thing to stand out in the topography of the forest, so Kazdrin decided on a leisurely stroll around it. There were plenty of rocks around, and when he suddenly tripped over one and fell flat on his face, he was about to hurl the guilty stone that had perpetrated the deed away, but he realized that it wasn’t a stone he had fallen on.The broken pottery shard was like any other he had seen, but the mere fact that it was made by an intelligent being made it a novel discovery in that wild forest. He couldn’t understand the markings, but was that the marking of the familiar red star or was it just a spot of rust? He didn’t have time to think over this curiosity, because at that instant someone tripped and fell over him.“Ow! Hey, watch where you’re- Matix! Is that you?”“Kazdrin, oh thank the Great Beings you’re alive! You don’t know how hopeless I was of seeing you again.”“You? What about me, mate?! And here I was just lookin’ around and you come and fall right over me. Now that’s what I call luck.”“Ha, just like you to be investigating when neither of us knows where in Bara Magna we are. How long have you been awake?”Kazdrin rubbed his head where his friend had bumped it. “I guess...about an hour. Er, Matix, I think I have to tell you something. I don’t think we’re not Bara Magna.”For a moment, Matix looked as if he was going to object, but then he sighed resignedly. “I was coming to the same conclusion; I’ve just been avoiding it till now, I guess.” Several silent moments went by, soaking up the shock of being completely and utterly lost on an alien planet. “So now we know what that device did, don’t we?” There was a slight hint of reproof in his friend’s voice, but Kazdrin knew he had that coming by rights anyhow.“Yeah, and it’s my fault. But don’t rub it in, all right?”“Never,” Matix said, smiling. “Hey, what were you looking at anyway? You know, when I stumbled on you.”Remembering his find, Kazdrin held up the piece of pottery. Matix examined it with apparent glee.“Well, at least we know there’s someone here. But I don’t know if they live in this forest or not.”“Why not?”Matix pulled out of his pack two plants, both cut straight down the stem and leaf; Kaxdrin had forgotten that his companion was quite a biologist. “I’ve dissected a dozen of these, well, thirteen to be exact, species of plant life in this forest. Guess what they all have in common?”Shrugging his shoulders, Kazdrin was stuck for an answer. “They’re all… blue?”“No, no, no. Look, when I examined the first sample, I noticed that the rate at which the sap flowed through the plant was very high, and it was in bursts, almost like blood-flow. And when I went to cut open a seemingly different plant altogether, it was the same. So I went to another. The same. I kept on doing this until I dissected two at the same time. Guess what?”“I don’t know. What is it, professor?”His friend glared at him for a second, but his excitement was not to be abated. “The pace, the actual beat of the flow, was the same!”Kazdrin was starting to get bored. “And this means…?”“This whole forest, if it can be called that, has to be one plant; or a super-organism.”“Wow.” Now that wasn’t boring.“And this theory fits with those creatures hooking themselves up to the trees...” Matix let out a shudder.“Yeah, they give me the creeps too. Doesn’t make me want to spend the night in this jungle. You know,”, he said, hooking his thumb around the boulder, “there is a cave ‘round the back of this thing. It doesn’t go very deep, but it’ll do for shelter.”A quick glance at the plug-in-trees behind him decided it for Matix. “Sounds good to me.”***Kazdrin woke with a start, and the nightmare began. No, it couldn’t be a nightmare. There was Matix beside him, the “trees”, and the sky was still that alien sky, and he had just woken up, so he wasn’t dreaming. It didn’t take much to wake Matix.“Huh, wassat? Oh, Kazdtrin. Let me go back to sleep, it’s still dark.”“No, it’s dark again. We must have slept through the day.”“Oh great, that’s just great.”Kazdrin’s natural optimism returned with his smile. “Yep. And you know what’s even better? We get to travel out in the forest tonight. Isn’t that wonderful?”“You’re joking this time, right?”“Well, do you want to just sit here and waste our provisions or try to find whoever lives here?” the incorrigible Jungle Agori said, laughing out loud.Striking out into the forest didn’t dampen Kazdrin’s spirits at first. True, he didn’t know what direction they were going in, but he had no choice, as there was no way to tell which way was which. Only when they had been walking for about ten minutes did he realize with great unsettlement that they had no way to get back to the alcove. He cursed himself silently for not thinking to mark the trees along their way, but he said nothing of this to Matix.Soon Matix spoke up. “Does this place look different to you, Kazdrin?”Smiling again, Kazdrin answered, “No different than the last fifty bios of forest.”Matix shook his head. “No, I mean different from yesterday, last night, I mean. I think the color of the trees has changed, In fact, all the plant life has changed, I think.”“Really? I can’t see them that well.”Different.“That too. I was able to see around well enough last night because…” Matix looked up. “Because I could see the sky. Now I can’t.”His friend was right. He could no longer see through the treetops. They were too thick, much thicker than the night before.“And that’s another thing; the color of these trees has changed, but look.” Stopping by a tree, he brushed his hand across it. Its skin, for lack of a better word, peeled off in his hand on contact. “It’s dead; they all are. They’re not bright blue anymore, they’re a pale yellow. How can their foliage grow thicker if they’re dead?”After a moment of silent thought, “You said this forest was all one kind of big creature or something?” asked Kazdrin with a blank look on his visage.“Yes. What is it?”Kazdrin made no reply. Before them lay one of the more ape-looking creatures on the ground, apparently dead. The tree nearest it still had its organic wires hanging out, and the creature had the same sickly yellow hue as the trees and other plants. So whatever had killed the plants had killed this poor animal too. Neither of the companions made any remark on this as they just kept finding corpse after corpse. Kazdrin simply kept on walking, trying to figure out what the Skrall was going on. He went on like this until he heard the clink of glass against a metallic foot. Looking over at Matix, he saw that his friend had rediscovered the broken protodermis tube. The fern was there, shriveled and pale yellow. Matix held it out, remarking, “I think this is yours.” As he did, his foot brushed the dead fern.Without warning, it snapped its large leaf closed on the startled Agori’s foot! Having seen the plant do this same movement in its own weak defense earlier, watching the action repeated in this way stunned Kazdrin. “Not like that.” was all he could get out of his mouth. He didn’t remember the thing having sharp thorns…“Graahg! Get this thing off of me!” The shriek seemed to come to Kazdrin from a distance, but served to snap him back to reality. He ran over and quickly stomped the plant’s main stem to a pulp. The grip of the leaf went slack.“Are… are you okay?”“There’s a little blood from those thorns, but otherwise I don’t think it hurt me much. Why didn’t you tell me about that thing?”“It didn’t do that last time.”Picking up the now-empty vial, Matix held it out to his stunned friend. “What happened when this broke?”Kazdrin racked his brain for the memory. “Nothing, but I think… I guess it might have killed the plant. But what does that have to do with it?”“For one thing, it attacked me! And there are more dead creatures around here than-”His sentence stopped dead when he realized there were no corpses where he had been about to point. But he was sure they had passed them just moments before...“You feel like going back to the cave?” said the Agori uneasily.Kazdrin was stuck between being relieved by the suggestion and cursing his lack of foresight again. “Uh, yeah. Good idea.”The trek back the way they had come inevitably ended in circles, but it was still a silent one. Walking around felt better than staying in one place somehow. And there was still the absence of the pale carcasses of earlier that night.The trees burst into motion as they bent and swayed. Kazdrin felt no wind.A rustle in the leaves.The thump of a foot. Now two. More. Now at a faster pace. Left or right; it was the same.The two Agori didn’t have to communicate to start running at the same time; it was a product of pure mental reaction. Matix didn’t keep up with Kazdrin’s pace easily; his injured foot was hindering him badly. Their haphazard run was bound to get one of them hurt. Kazdrin never saw the body that his face landed on as he stumbled. Just another thing in the line of unfortunate events that has happened to me recently, thought the one who was normally an optimist. Scrambling up, he was about to forget it again and keep running in his fear, but curiosity would have its way.“Matix! Look at this one for a second. It’s not dead- well, it is- but it’s not sickly. Its… its been eaten.”Stopping for the first time in minutes, Matix looked around him. More bodies were littered on the ground. That was when he looked up and realized they were in a clearing, as were the half-eaten creatures.A lone animal scampered across the clearing, whimpering as it went and not noticing either of the larger beings. Kazdrin was almost too afraid to look at where it had run from, but he did. Matix was already staring in the same direction with his jaw slacked.The dead ones. How were they standing up?But they came on anyway. Their gait was no more than a staggering trot that was as sickly as their yellow flesh, but on they came. There were no snarls, no barks or noises of any kind. They just came on.“Snap out of it, Matix! Get moving!” Kazdrin said, surprised at his own quick reaction. He grabbed his friend's arm and pulled him along back into the forest without thinking. But he did think to pull out his thornax launcher. “Thank the Great Beings!” he exclaimed out loud. Kazdrin had no time to use his tool due to a singular tree branch that seemed to sway just enough in his direction to snag his only weapon.It was all a blur now. The trees scraped his face and arms as he and Matix passed by them. His lungs burned. He could hear the hissing breath of their pursuers staying as calm and constant as their pace. It never wavered.If Kazdrin had consciously realized that the blessed cave was right in his path by sheer luck, thrown himself and Matix inside, and started shoring up the entrance with all the stones, rocks, and pebbles available, it never registered in his brain. It was still a blur. When he thought clearly again, he regretted it. Matix was trying to block the top of the alcove entrance with sand and dirt. There were thumps… and a scream. First one, then many. The thumps grew faster and more violent. The sounds echoed around the cave, redoubling in volume. Kazdrin shut his eyes and covered his ears as a last resort. It was all you could do in a bad dream.***When the Agori opened his eyes again, it was still to the deep blackness of the cave. There was not a single sound to be heard; no screaming or thumping. Hesitantly, Kazdrin stood up. His head brushed something stiff and deathly cold. A hand!He sprang back instantly, hitting his head on the cave roof. He stood completely still, and as he did, his eyes adjusted. What they saw was light coming in from a gap in top of the makeshift barrier. The motionless arm of a creature reached halfway through the hole.Nerving himself, Kazdrin went forward and touched the body. It didn’t respond. It was dead, and this time in the normal sense of the word.“Matix! Are you awake yet?”An annoyed reply came. “No need to shout. I’m right here. Is...is that thing… dead again?”“Think so. I’m going to check outside.” Kazdrin was just glad to hear that his friend was alive.After the grotesque business of pushing the body out of the entrance, he scrambled through the hole. There was a hideous-smelling pile of still animals directly outside the barrier, marring the otherwise beautifully sunny day. The trees were their natural hues again. A long, deep breath was very welcome. “But why?”The optimist unwittingly said this out loud. Matix was standing beside him, and after a few moments ventured an answer. “It must have made an antibody.”“I’m sorry, you’ve lost me again.”His companion thought a few moments more. “This forest is a huge super-organism. If it’s a proper living creature, it’s got to have an immune system. I think your silver stuff-““Protodermis.”“-yeah, that stuff. Remember what it did to that plant? It must have something in it to make it poisonous to this place. So what I think is that stuff spread and killed the whole organism. That must have been why the trees and animals here were all… changed.”“That was some weird side effect.”“Yeah. And all these guys,” Matix gestured to the heaped bodies, “I guess they didn’t get whatever cure this place cooked up for itself.”Realization dawned on Kazdrin. “They had to be connected to the trees! So that’s why we saw some normal ones last night. They were just “unhooked” when it happened.”Matix smiled proudly at his own analysis. But Kazdrin was already walking off energetically.“Hey, where are you going?”He barely caught the broken pottery piece that the optimist tossed him.“To find whoever made this of course. You coming?”--------------------------------------------------------Comment and discuss!
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Disclaimer: Bionicle & canon things: not mine. Everything else: mine. What Lurks Below Time: 0100 hours after BoRoD (Beginning of Reign of Darkness)Location: Riaya“Helryx, this is Sayphay, do you copy? Repeat, Helryx, do you copy?”All the transmitter gave in reply was static. Frustrated, Queen Sayphay chucked it across her throne room, not caring what kind of condition it would be in when it landed, than slumped down in the throne itself, rubbing her temples and wanting to know how the whole business had gone wrong. The restoration of the Great Spirit Mata Nui should have been foolproof, and should’ve had next to no friendly casualties – more importantly, no casualties of leaders. Judging solely from the fact her attempts to raise the Toa of Water were failing, that last part was proven wrong. The fact Makuta Teridax’s Plan had succeeded was another nail in the coffin. When dealing with a creature as slippery as Teridax, when she got static, the most logical assumption was that her ally was dead.On one hand, this wasn’t good. Helryx was the leader of the Order of Mata Nui – an organization that Sayphay belonged to, and was a general in their army – as well as being the first Toa in the universe. Her experience, power, and knowledge would be very difficult, if not impossible, to replace.On the other hand, though, there had been undeniable tension between the Queen and the Order’s leader. As the leader of the Guardians – an all-female species said to be the keepers of the Light – it was Sayphay’s Duty to protect her people’s lives and interests, and the most important rule of their culture was to keep knowledge of themselves hidden from the universe. Helryx had wanted them to expose their existence to the universe by integrating the Guardians with the Order’s troops – a cause for the greater good, no doubt, but for the cost it would be to them.The Guardians were not a populous species, after all. To do what Helryx had wanted would likely have spelled the extinction of them all, including the Queen. Inwardly, Sayphay had wondered if that had been her intention all the while.The fact remained – Helryx was likely dead. Teridax had succeeded with his Plan, and was hunting down his opponents as she sat and brooded. The only reason Riaya had not yet been invaded was that her powers – the powers granted to her and her predecessors by Mata Nui himself – masked the island’s exact location. Those same powers had also granted her people, who were already capable of protecting their minds from outside influence, the type of invulnerability that only the Psionics tribe had until now. Outside her palace, the Iron Queen knew her people were preparing for war – but in dead seriousness now, as they lacked the safety net of Mata Nui’s grip on the universe. With Helryx gone, she was the most powerful warleader, with the possible exception of Tahu Nuva. However, she knew there was another that they could lean on.Shutting her eyes, Sayphay cast her mind out, seeking what she knew she would not find. Where there should have been a powerful presence there was nothing but a void. Beneath her Kanohi Kakama, she smiled – she had not been the only one to lock down with Teridax in power.Without opening her green eyes, she murmured, “Ready my ship.” Necra, the leader of the Shadow Division, was always lurking nearby these days, prepared to protect her if anything foolish enough to enter her domain tried to attack the Queen. “Have Ragne, Aroka, and Aura be ready to join me – I will need them.”“Destination?” Necra’s whispering voice inquired.“38 kio south-southeast of Shi-Nui. The island’s name is Rohaya.”XxXTime: 0300 hours after BoRoDLocation: RohayaKronus bit down hard on his bottom lip, watching the sleek ship that had cruised effortlessly through the protective dome that shielded his home base from Teridax’s hungry gaze. The Toa of Gravity wasn’t sure just how long this implement would last – the Brotherhood had attacked the island in the past – but by Mata Nui, he and his team would make the most of the protection their patron Great Being could give them.A scarlet-orange blur heralded Paytah’s return to the fortress. Beside the purple-black Toa were Ares and Eos, Kronus’ deputies and a Toa of Magnetism and Water respectively. Normally a jokester, this time the Toa of Fire didn’t waste time giving the report. “Atlas and the others have them – there were only four of them at first, but Sirien detected another lurking in the shadows. They’re escorting them here now.”The words had barely escaped his lips when crashing in the underbrush announced the team of ten more Toa trooping towards the stronghold. As the other Toa Rohaya emerged from the forest, revealing their captives, the leader of the Toa Rohaya quickly assessed them – all of them were female. Two were wearing matte black armor, making them uncomfortably resemble Shadow Toa: Stara, Alvis, Egan, and Baird all had their weapons out as they flanked the pair. Another resembled a female Toa of Magnetism, while the fourth had the white and gold of the Light element. Kronus caught the gaze of Sirien, quirked an eyebrow, and let some of his surprise filter out of his mind. The Toa of Psionics shrugged: she had no idea how there was another Toa of Light, either.Continuously, though, the violet-black Toa’s eyes constantly fell back upon the largest and tallest of them, a female that wore the gunmetal and orange armor of the Iron tribe. All four of the others had gemstones that were embedded into their shoulder plates, but she just had one golden topaz set into the brow of her Kanohi Kakama. The group halted in front of those gathered. All four of the lesser females – at this point, Kronus was convinced they were subordinate to the Iron one – were glaring angrily at him, but their commander met his gaze calmly.The Gravity Toa took comfort in that the others were just beyond the gates of their fortress, waiting for something to go awry, then addressed Atlas and Sirien, who had been leading the group. “What can you tell us?”The Toa of Iron shook his head. “They refused to tell us how they found the island, who they are, or why they’re here. They said they would only speak to you.”Kronus shifted his gaze to Sirien, who nodded agreement. “When I touched their minds, they were shielded as strongly as another of my tribe,” she reported. “I could not read their intentions.”The Gravity Toa nodded, and looked again at the females that were still surrounded by their wary-eyed guards. “Well?” he asked, when a few moments went by with no one speakingThe one with the topaz-brow stepped forward as much as the Toa would allow her, locking fierce emerald eyes with the Toa. “Kronus Rohaya,” she said briskly, with the air of someone used to command. “My name is Sayphay, and I am the Queen of my people. I have a preposition for you and your team.”XxXUnderneath the rock and soil, the grass and trees, the water and the ancient structures built by a civilization long gone, there lurked an energy that was the color of fire. It swirled, like the arms of a galaxy, while the furthest edges were forced to curl back on themselves, because it could not extend beyond the borders of the island above.Like the antidermis of the Makuta, the energy was the life-force of a powerful being. Unlike the Makuta, though, this being was far older, far stronger, and far wiser.Its name had been lost to time, so it went by the name given to its Toa: Rohaya, the Matoran word for “Heart of the Volcano.” Once it had had a true body, laboring to create this universe alongside the Great Beings, and now it was trapped as energy inside its work; had been trapped for millennia. Rage at the betrayal had once caused it to vent the molten rock its anger produced out of the mouth of the Krycai Volcano and expand the island’s borders, but for much longer it had been quiet, dedicated to fulfilling its Purpose, the final task the Great Beings had set upon it.For the last two thousand years, Rohaya had given its Toa its power to perform their duties and take a stand against the Brotherhood, but now it was tired and fearful. Immobility was wearing thin: while the shields it had erected against the arch-Makuta were strong, it would not hold forever. Funneling strength would not be enough to defeat the usurper.It wanted to be free again: free to walk on two legs; free to speak with a mouth and vocal cords; free to fight without relying on surrogates. Its original body had been seven bio tall and made from steel and obsidian, but it had been destroyed for aeons. It would settle for a Matoran-sized body made of dirt and rock, if it meant freedom.Treading the surface of its prison were people new to its Toa, but Rohaya had known of them since life had begun in the universe. From afar, it had watched their civilization grow and prosper; sensed the power of the Queens, and – with the instinctive knowledge of a chained animal – realized their power could set it free, if only they would come to the island.Yet up until now, none had. Perhaps the gifts given to them by Mata Nui had caused it, but the Queens had been aware of Rohaya, and had forbidden their people from setting foot upon the island. This Queen, though, the third – ah! Refreshingly open-minded, and willing to ignore taboos to achieve what was necessary.Far below, it waited for her to reach the place where its chains were binding it. There, she would speak, and there, it would answer.XxXThe chamber had three walls: where the fourth should’ve been, there was only empty space that opened into the Krycai Volcano’s shaft. Waves of smothering heat pelted Saypahy and her entourage, and while Necra, Ragne, Aroka, and Aura stoically gave no indication that they were uncomfortable, the Guardian Queen wished that she hadn’t insisted that the two Rohayan Water Toa stay behind.Beside her, Kronus stepped forward and rose up his arms in a gesture of greeting and summoning. Behind his Kanohi Iden, the Toa of Gravity’s eyes reflected the red glow of the molten rock in the magma chamber, as he solemnly addressed the forced that dwelled below. “Rohaya, you know of our peril. The Makuta have usurped Mata Nui’s place. Before you stands Sayphay, Queen of the Guardians, and her guard. I ask of you to manifest and converse with us, for they wish to form an alliance.”For a moment silence engulfed the chamber again, save for the faint bubbling of the lava below. The Guardian wondered if Rohaya would remain aloof, but then noticed that the heat waves seemed to be consolidating into a faint outline, roughly the size and shape of a Toa. Blue, disembodied lights materialized as the outline became almost solid. When Rohaya finally spoke, it was with the shape of a Fire Toa, and a voice that fluctuated from feminine soprano and masculine bass. Hail, Sayphay, Third Guardian of Guardians.“You know who I am,” the Iron Queen said, eyes fixed upon the spirit: for all she cared now, everyone else might as well have been gone. “You know what I will ask of you.”You are bold, to try and break chains forged by the Great Beings.“I am bold because without you, we are lost.”You speak truly. Rohaya’s body began to shimmer and shift, turning into the shape of a dragon and stretching half-formed leather wings. It would be a relief to escape my prison, though it would cause the destruction of this island.“If I break your chains, will you fight beside us?”I will … but I must ask another thing from you in return.The Guardian braced herself for whatever might be asked as she replied. “What is it?”Rohaya’s dragon head turned to fully lock eyes with the Queen. When we win – and I know that we will – there will be much rebuilding to be done. The universe will never be the way it had been before the Great Cataclysm. During the time that the people are picking up the pieces, the Great Beings will come. They will try to imprison me again, and punish those that set me free. I ask of you that when that time comes, that I protect you. Let me be your Guardian.Sayphay considered the idea for less than a minute, than nodded. “I agree to your terms.” The imprisoned Being seemed to smile, before shifting its focus past the Queen. Kronus.“I’m here.” The Gravity Toa’s soft voice was jarring after the fluctuating tones of Rohaya.I will send you back to the fortress. Gather the others, your weapons, your possessions. The moment I set foot off this island, it will be destroyed. We will relocate to Riaya, the Queen’s homeland.A surprised look crossed the male’s face, but he quickly disguised it. “Yes, but what of our agreement with Shi-Nui?” If they are wise, they will adapt. There are no more ships to raid here: the Makuta can move anything anywhere he desires now.“I understand.”A soft sigh wafted through the chamber, and an abnormally cool breeze pressed against Sayphay’s cheek. When she turned around, Kronus was gone, along with Aura, Ragna, and Aroka: only Necra, eternally faithful Necra, remained. For whatever reason, Rohaya had not sent her away.Turning back, the Queen found that the dragon-shape had rolled over onto its side, and its shackles began to materialize. Forged of a substance similar to protosteel, bands of a grey-violet metal were tightly wrapped around each ankle, with the chains that sprouted from the cuffs meeting in the middle of the dragon’s belly. A thicker chain sprouted from the common joint, plunging into the volcanic rock and vanishing from view. While it was clear that Rohaya had struggled against them in the past, for the most part it was as perfect as the day the Great Beings had shackled their creation to the island that became its prison.Before Sayphay had become a ruler, she had held a job at a forge, and she still remembered what she had been taught about metalwork. Examining the chains, she determined that the best place to focus on was the link that tied the separate chains together. Sever that link, and Rohaya would not be tied to the island, though the cuffs would remain. Hopefully Rohaya would be able to destroy the manacles itself.Kneeling before the links, she locked eyes with the spirit again. “Kronus said that you share your strength with him and his team. Will you share with me?”There is nothing that can stand before us when we unite our powers. In her mind, the Iron Queen felt an alien presence manifest as Rohaya slipped its consciousness into her own, merging and becoming one. It was a rush as its raw power filled her, like she had been raised to a level of power that Mata Nui had felt, and as she crouched, body shaking from the energy that racked her frame, she felt like she could stand alone, against an army of thousands, and kill each and every one.Opening her eyes – she had closed them involuntarily – she pressed her hands against that link in the chain, wrapped her fingers around the metal so tightly that she quickly felt sore, and focused every iota of her power to that one task: to destroy it completely.But creations forged by the Great Beings are difficult to destroy, even with the wills of two powerful entities pitting against them. By the time the metal began to rust, Sayphay’s limbs were shaking in exhaustion. Necra tried to approach and add her powers into the mix, if only to ease the burden on her friend and Queen, but the Guardian of Iron raised her eyes away for a brief moment to glare at her guard, and the Head Shadow retreated.Beads of sweat dripped from her organic components: even with Rohaya’s nigh-inexhaustible wells of strength supplementing the powers that were said to have been granted to the Guardian Queens by the Great Spirit himself, it felt like it was taking years to weaken the metal. A migraine was forming, her legs felt like they were turning to jelly beneath her, and Sayphay felt like she was nearing collapse.SNAP!Rohaya noticed it before Sayphay did: the link that tied the spirit to the island had fallen into three pieces, with one third clutched in her hands and the others on the ground. As the Queen collapsed in exhaustion and Necra – face pale behind her Kanohi Tryna – hurried to her side, the spirit moved, for the first time in eons, unhindered by its chains. With a cry of delight, the dangling chains snapped away, for without the rock below and the common link to keep it secure, the chains were no match for the might of a being that was over one hundred thousand years old. Free at last! it exalted, spinning in unbound joy and shifting shapes faster than Sayphay’s dazed eyes could comprehend, metal flowing up from below to forge a new shape.The Guardian of Magnetism ignored the other being as she helped her kneeling Queen back to her feet. “I wish you could have let me help, M’Lady,” she murmured into the other’s ear as she took Sayphay’s weight into her shoulders.“It was my choice to make, old friend. Even with Rohaya’s help, I fear we could have lost you if you joined in.”“I would rather expire knowing you were alive than stand idle again, my Queen.”A small, sad smile crossed the face of the Iron Queen. “I need you alive, Necra – after all, there is not much time to change my line of succession, should my heir die.”Astonished, Necra fell silent: it was the first time Queen Sayphay had told anyone about her chosen heir, much less to the heir herself. Satisfied, the Guardian of Iron turned back to Rohaya, who was now standing still, waiting patiently for them. The spirit had reassumed bipedal form, resembling a Guardian of Fire, and for a moment she marveled at the similarities between Rohaya’s shape and the legendary Guardian hero Lady M. Smiling, the spirit held out its right hand, and Sayphay reached out to return the handshake. You have fulfilled your promise, it whispered, now feminine to match the shape. Now I shall fulfill mine. I will fight beside you – I and my Toa – and when the Great Beings come, I shall act as the shield between their fury and you and your heir, should circumstances be less than ideal.XxXIt was less than an hour after Rohaya was released that its island prison was destroyed. Like it had never existed at all, trees, rock, and metal sank into the sea, washing away all traces of the civilization that had thrived there millennium ago, before the native people had been destroyed by their own infighting.Rohaya remembered them, as it remembered every being that had walked upon the surface of its prison. Standing on the deck of Sayphay’s ship, the Toa-shaped being smiled fondly as it remembered each and every face that had lived and died on that land: sometimes dying by each other’s hand, but usually it had killed them. Even if the only body it had was its prison, the island had still been its body, and much of the time it loathed those that had violated that simple fact.Kronus and the other Toa Rohaya were different, though. That had been why it had called them to the island, brought them together and given them its strength. They had been the embodiment of its Purpose, to protect Mata Nui. But now that Mata Nui was banished from the universe, they could not remain on the island any longer. They would need to find the Great Spirit before it could take up its Purpose again.No more would Rohaya be an underground lurker, a dweller in the darkness. Let the Great Beings think what they wanted. In the meantime, there was work to be done. Rohaya sent a mental final farewell to the place where its prison had floated, and then turned away and vanished inside Sayphay’s ship. XxXA/N: Wow, that was one of the weirder SSs’ I’ve written. For the sake of readers that are unfamiliar with my work, this is essentially a crossover between two different Bionicle storylines I’ve written over time: the Heroes and Halflings series, and the Guardians series. My MO for writing this was to remove the one major event that defines H&H (the Massacre of Rohaya) and the fallout from it, place the Toa team into the Guardian universe (where everything happens as it should, per the official canon), and let things kick off from the beginning of Reign of Darkness.C&C is always appreciated. Thanks for reading, and may the best writer win. -Inferna Firesword
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I got it up. Title is What Lurks Below, and it is a crossover between my H&H series and my Guardian series. The MO: Take the H&H storyline, cut out the Massacre of Rohaya, shoehorn it into the Guardian-verse, where the continuity unfolds as it should, and kick everything off at the beginning of Reign of Darkness. :D Who knows? I might write a sequel to it.
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So yeah, I finished up my entry for SSC#8. Gonna let it sit overnight, have Novu read it tomorrow, and then, if everything is good, post it.
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Rise of the Rahkshi "You don't hurt 'em if you don't hit 'em."- Lieutenant General Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, USMC Hafu looked down on the assembled Ta-Matoran from a rooftop. Their movement into Po-Metru had gone unchecked for days now. The mostly barren district, dotted with a few carver’s homes and sculptures, provided little in the way of natural barriers to keep out invaders or provide cover for the defenders. As a result, the 1st Po-Metru Squadron had been pushed back time after time and was in danger of being marched right into the sea.The fiery tempers of Ta-Matoran that started this civil war also made them very effective at prosecuting it. Their warriors were unafraid of collateral damage, Kanoka disks, and pretty much anything the Po-Matoran could throw at them. If there was one thing they feared, it was their commander Riami.Riami was a powerful trader before this whole mess started and was known for his hardline negotiating style and refusal to quit until his goals were met. This translated into warfare with considerable effectiveness. An old proverb went “the Great Spirit is in the heartstone of every Matoran”. That considered, Riami seemed to be on a mission to slay the Great Spirit himself judging by how many Matoran had fallen to his brutal, elite unit. Their merciless fighting style led to the nickname “Rahkshi” by both their allies and opponents.And now it was up to Hafu and his scouts to hold them off.Hafu had received word from the chain of command that their new Le-Matoran allies were cooking up a surprise for the Rahkshi. As a mere sergeant it wasn’t his place to know what this plan was, just that it was up to him to keep the Ta-Matoran occupied long enough to spring it.“Well, just me and my favorite Ta-Matoran marauders,” Hafu mumbled to himself. “I don’t care what rank Ahkmou is, he’ll get a piece of my mind after this.”Hafu grimaced as one of the wandering Ta-Matoran raiders kicked a statue over. He worked hard on that! His first reaction was to shout obscenities as he would have before the war, but then he remembered the assembled army below him. Not a good idea, Hafu.There was a tap on his shoulder that made Hafu jump up as if stung. “Mata Nui, Onewa! Announce yourself next time,” whispered Hafu. “I’m sure the Rahkshi would love that,” replied Onewa. “I have word from Ahkmou. Our spy reports that the Riami’s men plan on a rendezvous at the Archives, where they can meet up with Nuparu’s men. We don’t want them to get there. The last thing they need is that blasted Nuparu working on their weapons.” Hafu frowned. While Po-Metru was very much the manufacturing core of Metru Nui, the Onu-Matoran were mostly responsible for the design of the products produced there, including weapons. Allowing the Rahkshi to break through would practically hand them the district.“Alright, I think we should act now,” said Hafu, handing Onewa a Kanoka disk. “You run over to that other rooftop and shoot that guy in the face with this disk.” “What? What kind of plan is that?” said Onewa, flabbergasted. “Shoot that guy in the face? What guy? What disk is this anyway?” “Read the code genius, and I assumed you would realize Riami is the guy we want,” replied Hafu tersely. “Oh yeah great idea, let’s shoot a disk at the leader of a murderous band of Ta-Matoran and then walk away clean. Another Hafu original.” Their argument was interrupted by the edge of their rooftop being turned into some sort of topiary.“You Po-Matoran really need to learn some discretion,” yelled a Ta-Matoran from below. Hafu peered over the remains of the wall and saw about sixty Kanoka disk launchers pointed at him. “Oh yeah Onewa, my plan was awful. I like the “get everyone’s attention” tactic you’ve just employed, they’ll be teaching it in Ko-Metru –“ The rooftop froze. “Never mind, we can discuss this later,” said Hafu.Hafu and Onewa scampered across the rooftop, ducking all manner of Kanoka disks being lobbed at them. “You know, here’s a new plan,” panted Onewa. “We keep running around until they run out of Kanoka disks.” “I think a better plan would be to just trust my plan,” hissed Hafu. “If they run out of disks they take out their swords, and they may not have any fancy Kanoka powers but stabbing still seems pretty severe.” “Such a critic!” yelled Onewa, and threw the disk Hafu handed him into the crowd of Ta-Matoran. About forty-five of them vanished.“Wow, good deal,” said Hafu. “Glad I grabbed that high powered teleporting disk before the war broke out and the Ta-Matoran monopolized the darn things.” “I agree, this is probably one of the better results of a teleportation disk I’ve ever gotten,” said a voice behind Hafu. Hafu turned and saw Riami along with about ten other Ta-Matoran, now behind them on the rooftop. “Well that went poorly,” said Onewa.“Do you really think that we would so willingly let our Kanoka stockpile vanish?” smirked Riami. “Deceit is a funny thing, stone rat. Every Kanoka produced for export in the last three months has been mislabeled. That level eight disk was more like a level two. I’m surprised I moved as far as I did, although I can’t complain about the strategic value of ending up right behind your opponent.”Hafu grinned and held up a disk marked 421. Riami was visibly shocked. “I take it this isn’t a low powered disk?” smirked Hafu. “Wha-where did you get that?!” demanded Riami, and put a foot on Hafu’s chest, drawing his sword. “You don’t think we’re aware of your little plot? Reverse order is a terrible, terrible way to disguise something,” chided Hafu. “And judging by the look on your face I’d say this is the Great Kanoka Disk of Ko-Metru. Not something you should try to vandalize.”Riami looked like he was about to explode with anger, but his blade held fast out of fear of exploding with the most powerful freezing effect on Metru-Nui. “How do you know of the great disks, carver? That is considered a maskmaker’s secret,” growled Riami. “I personally dabble in maskmaking. It’s one of my favorite hobbies along with Akilini, Muaka wrestling, and helping Ta-Matoran with their anger issues,” joked Hafu. “Hafu, why would you view it as wise to annoy this guy?” sighed Onewa. “Well, we have the most powerful freezing disk on Metru Nui right now. If anyone tries anything, we’re all popsicles. Now I love me, but in terms of strategic value I think two carvers is a small price to pay for stopping the pride of the Ta-Matoran military,” explained Hafu.Onewa was startled. Hafu never spoke so selflessly before. His sole aim in the war had always seemed to be his own hide. Onewa remembered groaning when Hafu was promoted to sergeant and thought of entire units of Po-Matoran fleeing across the desert. What had changed? “I thought about it when I saw your man kick over that statue. I can run, I can hide, but not before you destroy everything I ever worked for and loved. I guess I’ve decided to make a stand.”The Ta-Matoran who hadn’t been teleported to the rooftop watched, transfixed by the exchange up above. One of them drew a fire staff.“Well, it’s been real Riami. You do have some anger issues to work out, so I think we should all chill out for a bit.” On that note, Hafu froze the entire rooftop.The dozen or so remaining Ta-Matoran were shocked. The majority of their chain of command was frozen on a rooftop, and there they sat almost leaderless. “Well what are you waiting for?” said the Matoran with the fire staff. “Let’s go thaw them out!” The Matoran raised his fire staff high and fired off the symbol of unity, duty, and destiny into the air. “Sergeant Vakama, with all due respect, what does that accomplish for us?” asked Nuhrii, looking up at his sergeant with a bemused expression. “This,” grinned Vakama, and a airship sped across the sky dropping several Le-Matoran in its wake. The company of Matoran levitated above the ground momentarily, and then spread out to surround the remainder of Riami’s troops.“Traitor!” gasped Nuhrii. “Am I?” asked Vakama. “I had a dream the other night; a dream of death. I’m sure you all have, but this was far darker. It was the death of the Great Spirit. If we are all part of Mata Nui, then why would we kill each other? This has to stop before everything ends.” “I knew it,” said Jaller, standing off to the side. “I say we kill him!” There were general yells of agreement from the surrounded Ta-Matoran. “Did you not hear anything I just said?” yelled Vakama. “You will kill Mata Nui, and for what? Border disputes? The price of protodermis?” “Shut your traitorous mouth!” said Kapura, drawing his sword. “Look at what you’ve become. They call you Rahkshi. Is that what you are, a beast? A monster?”“Hey, um, firespitters,” interrupted Matau, leader of the 1st Airborne Le-Matoran Squadron. “Before you kill old futurewatcher here, I’d just like to remind you that we have you surrounded. Just something to considerthink.” “You don’t think we can fight our way out? We’re Rahkshi! The most feared force on the –“ The Le-Matoran opened fire with a wide variety of disk powers. The boasts stopped, as did most other movement.“Well that should cease his bragsaying,” said Matau with a sense of finality. “You alright firespitter?” Vakama got up and pushed his way out of the circle of frozen and otherwise altered Ta-Matoran. “I think I got hit with a regeneration disk, so I feel great. By the way? Not the best disk to shoot at your opponents,” Vakama replied. Matau chuckled. “Oh firespitter. You truly are a joy to work with.” “Likewise,” said Vakama. “Maybe we’ll see each other again someday.” “Believe me, I’ll make a point of it,” said Matau and raised his hand to signal for his unit to fall in behind him. A small stasis bubble descended from the airship and picked up the Le-Matoran, returning them to the skies.Vakama now stood alone in what seemed like a vast field of icy sculptures. The Rahkshi would thaw, no doubt, but they had prevented what seemed to be inevitable defeat. Perhaps these Po-Matoran could return to their homes soon. Perhaps a settlement could be reached.But first, his friends had to be taken care of.Vakama climbed the steps of the half frozen carver’s hut and reached the roof. Taking out his fire staff, he thawed out Onewa and Hafu.“Thanks Vakama. Knew you’d come through,” said Onewa gratefully. He then turned and punched Hafu square in the jaw. “Ow! What was that for?” gasped Hafu. “For that obnoxiously corny line! Up until that point I hoped you would have been remembered in tales as a hero, but if the legends include the whole ‘chill out’ pun I think I’ll be sick.” “Yeah, you need to work on that a little. Now let’s get out of here, these guys won’t be frozen forever.” Vakama, Onewa, and Hafu turned away from the battlefield and walked off.---The trio of Matoran left just in time, as Riami was among the first to thaw. “Men! Rally around me! We will seek vengeance for this humiliation!” he yelled. Few Ta-Matoran joined him. He drew his sword. “You fight with me, or against me! Pick a side!” “Do you think the Great Spirit’s really dying?” asked Jaller, concerned. “Be concerned about your own death if you trouble me with such thoughts,” Riami replied. “Rally! We will make these stone rats pay!” “I don’t think the Great Spirit would take kindly to being killed,” said Jaller. “Have you considered that there may be some divine intervention coming our way if this continues?” “Nonsense. You make as much sense as those moronic seers on the Knowledge Towers. Fall in! We own Po-Metru tonight!”There was a horrific hiss from the direction of the Archives, and all of the remaining Rahkshi turned to see a massive horde of actual Rahkshi descending upon them. “Well, it was nice knowing you,” said Jaller, and moved in the opposite direction of the incoming horde along with a majority of Riami’s unit.Riami stood alone against the horde. “Come on, you ugly beasts! Face me! Face Riami, the true Rahkshi!” A large being appeared, grabbing Riami and disappearing.---The next thing Riami knew, he was walking with a strange giant with giant golden fangs. “I appreciate this whole ‘massacre’ thing you had going on,” said the being. “What – who are you?” gasped Riami, confused as to where he was. “I am Botar,” the being replied. “And you have given me quite the mess to clean up.”The lumbering Botar stopped short of a large imposing gate guarded by a silver giant. “Hello Hydraxon,” said Botar. “We’ve got another one.” “Great news, great news,” nodded Hydraxon. “Soon this entire ordeal will be over. Any news on the big man upstairs?” “Kind of a casual way to refer to the Great Spirit, but the news is not good. They’re dispatching a Toa team as we speak.” Riami, bold up until now, was horrified. What had he done?“And the Brotherhood?” “Oh you know Teridax,” spat Botar. “Has all the finesse of a Tahtorahk on ice. There’s roughly six hundred Rahkshi just ravaging Metru Nui right now. Because, you know, the best way to stop Matoran from killing each other is to kill them all.”“That’s a shame. At least we stopped this so-called ‘Rahkshi’,” mocked Hydraxon. Riami shook with terror. “How’s it going? That whole ‘fearless monster’ thing working out for you?” asked Hydraxon. Riami stammered but before he could answer Hydraxon aimed a sharp punch at his ribs. “You are not fearless it seems,” smirked Hydraxon. “But you are a monster. Have fun in there. Maybe you’ll make some new friends!” The jailer chuckled as he threw Riami roughly into The Pit.---As Vakama, Onewa, and Hafu continued their long foot journey back to the Po-Matoran headquarters, they found their way blocked by Jaller and a few other remnants of Riami’s Rahkshi.“Still? Have you not learned?” cried Vakama, exasperated. “No, I believe I have,” said Jaller. “Unity, duty, and destiny. It’s more important than I thought. It’s not some battle cry or anthem, it’s a way of life. Maybe I got so caught up in unity with my district that I forgot unity with my brothers.” “Agreed,” said Nuhrii. “When Riami stood there in front of that horde of Rahkshi I saw a madman. He truly is an affront to Mata Nui and I hope he gets his just desserts.”“Glad we’re in agreement then,” said Vakama. “So can we stop trying to kill each other?” Nuhrii laughed. “Of course…brother.”Hafu had to admit he was glad with how all this turned out. These ‘Rahkshi’, for all their faults, were some decent people in the end. He was glad to see them rise above the mob mentality of their leader and become something greater: Matoran, not beasts. “So Onewa,” began Hafu. “Yes, oh great one, your plan worked to perfection,” finished Onewa, rolling his eyes. “No, no. Nothing of the sort. I’d imagine that now that this whole thing is over they’ll probably get Akilini going again. Want to try out for the district team?” Onewa chuckled. “Akilini sounds like a great way to resolve our issues. Nobody gets hurt and everybody has a good time. How refreshing, actually.”“We just have to wait for those darn Rahkshi from the archives to stop their pillaging. Who thought that was a good idea, in all honesty?” frowned Hafu. “Actually,” said Onewa. “I’d prefer it if we didn’t mention Rahkshi for a while.”__________________________Well guys, there's my SSC8 entry. I'd never entered one of these before so I figured I'd give it a shot. Let me know what you think!
