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Chapter 2 – Beachhead From the notes of Chronicler Crisda. Someone once told me that the difference between misfortune and malice is intent. If a branch falls and strikes a wanderer on the head, it’s misfortune. But if the branch was cut by one who sought to bring the wanderer harm, then it’s an act of malice. It was we Matoran who voted for a squad Vahki to be kept stationed in Le-Metru, programmed to intercept and attack any fleet that came through the Sea Gates. Turaga Rost was convinced that the Toa were dead. He told us that anyone coming through would be a hostile force, and we believed him. We always believe our Turaga. Was what happened to the returning Toa mere misfortune? Or was our faith used against us, to exact an act of malice? * * * Vhalem Vhalem had never seen Vahki before, but from the stories he’d been told of the city of Metru Nui, that was the only thing these automated attackers could be. Why they were attacking was a question for a later time. Flashes of flame, lashes of lightning, and whirls of water struck out at the Vahki flitting by. Blasts and barriers of all elements rose and roiled around the fleet as the Toa – veterans of a war against far more powerful opponents – swiftly recovered from the shock of the surprise attack. Stationed in the kahu’s nest of one of the middle ships when the attack had broken out, Vhalem was in the ideal position to bring his abilities to bear, summoning a swirling swell of gravity high over the fleet, pulling the airborne automatons and their Kanoka off course. Below, the last surviving Fa-Toa caught on and added her powers to the mix, enhancing the pull of gravity with the force of magnetism. Vahki who flew too high soon began to crash and crush together in the middle of the gravity well, swiftly twisting into unidentifiable shapes as Kanoka collided with their sparking remains, repeatedly Freezing and Weakening and Reconstituting the mess of metal. Sparing a glance towards the decks below, Vhalem noted that some of the fleet’s passengers were now fighting among themselves, or stumbling around dazedly, as the Vahki used their staffs to incapacitate or mind control whoever they managed to hit. Ce-Toa and Komau-wearers were rushing around the decks, springing across from ship to ship, trying to cure or overcome the effects of the Vahki weapons as swiftly as they were inflicted. One Vahki seemed to identify Vhalem as the summoner of the gravity swell, circling wide and loosing stun blasts in his direction, only for them to splash harmlessly against the Hau shield of a Po-Toa, Behjen, who’d clambered up the mast to aid him. A well-thrown spear of stone sent the Vahki careening into the sea a second later, shedding shards of shredded metal from its splintered skull. Offering a grateful nod to his unexpected saviour, Vhalem focused once more on his element, willing the pull of gravity to widen and increase, dragging in more and more Vahki until those that remained finally broke ranks and retreated back towards the city. Sighing in relief as cheers rose up from the fleet below, Vhalem released his power, letting the Fa-Toa below handle the task of flinging what remained of the Vahki into the sea. “Thanks,” he said, slumping against the mast and raising his fist towards the Po-Toa. Bhejen raised his right arm – a fully mechanical prosthetic – and returned the fist-bump with a smile. “You’re one of us now, Brother. We look after our own.” Not so long ago, Vhalem had been looking up at the Toa, not meeting them as equals. He’d been one of the Xian Matoran these heroes had come to rescue, though in the end he’d wound up having to rescue himself. His transformation into a Toa had been brought about by the desperate efforts by one rogue, reckless Ta-Toa, an act that had earned her plenty of condemnation from her kin, and ample gratitude from the Xian Matoran. Her name was Savnu, and three months ago she’d launched a covert mission against the wishes of the Toa leading the efforts on Xia. She’d convinced some of her companions to create Toa Stones, and then smuggled those stones into a coal shipment that was being brought to the foundry where many of the Matoran slaves were being kept. It was a mission that had turned the tide of the war, giving the dwindling Toa the fresh forces and local knowledge needed to liberate the remaining slaves, and eventually mount an effective retreat. But the shift had come at a cost, with many of the new, untrained Toa falling in their initial escape, or the battles that followed. Vhalem was one of only four who had survived. Savnu herself was perched by the railing as Vhalem made his way back down onto the deck. Smoke wafted from the blackened wood of the railing beside her, scorched by proximity to the searing flames she’d summoned against the Vahki. The limited in-fighting had died down now that the Ce-Toa had finished calming those effected by mind control staves. Many, like Savnu herself, were slouched or sitting, physically and psychologically drained by the battle, brief as it had been. No one had expected a fight here. “Vhalem! There you are,” she smiled wistfully as he approached, “That was you doing the swirly stuff up in the sky?” In the relatively brief time Vhalem had spent among other Toa, he’d quickly come to realise that Savnu wasn’t like the rest. She kept things casual and conversational, addressing other Toa by their names rather than by titles or honorifics. Where some of the other Toa were still protective and, at times, even belittling of the recently-transformed Matoran, Savnu spoke to them as equals. It was a small thing, but it went a long way towards making Vhalem and the others feel like they belonged. Like the other members of the Toa Vehi, Savnu’s build was taller than that of most Toa, with a lean, limber frame. Armour of grey and red covered her body, while her face bore both a wry smile and a stylised Kakama. Tattered purple robes hung from her frame, ripped and stained from battle; from what Vhalem had heard, most of the villages Savnu had protected on the Southern Continent hadn’t had Turaga of their own, so it was Savnu herself who had stepped into the role of religious leader. “I had a bit of help, but yes. Are you alright?” “I should be the one asking you that,” she chuckled. “I’m feeling fine. But just do me a favour real quick and tell me to do something.” “Uh... stand up?” She didn’t move. “Not a Staff Of Suggestion, then,” she said, shrugging. “One of those Vahki tagged me with something, but my brain doesn’t seem scrambled. At least, not any more than usual.” She hauled herself to her feet, and started to move past him. “Where are you going?” He asked, as she started heading for the entrance to the lower decks. “Away from any important planning that might be about to happen. I’m not feeling anything weird, so I reckon the blast that hit me was from a Staff Of Presence. If those Vahki come back for another swing at us, we don’t want them knowing anything useful.” “Fair enough. Stay safe.” “I should be the one telling you that.” * * * Trina “What’s the count?” Trina gently asked one of the healers, a Ga-Toa named Lhiyla. The fleet had drawn close, with some of the Ko-Toa summoning an iceberg to bind the vessels together and make it easier for those in charge of each vessel to cross over and talk. Spare Kanohi of Healing and Shielding were being brought up from belowdecks to assist with recovery, and defend against the next wave, if one came. The rear ship, which had been far enough away from the fleet to avoid the battle, had re-joined them long enough to offload its Matoran and supplies before venturing out to allow Ilton to continue sealing the Sea Gates; if it was attacked while out on its own, there would be no lives at stake save for those few who’d volunteered to remain on board. “A dozen or so injured, four seriously,” Lhiyla replied. She was a little shorter than the average Toa, with iridescent blue armour over a grey body, her face bearing a Kanohi Hau. “One lost an eye, two have stab wounds inflicted by other Toa, and another’s been reconstituted pretty badly. It was a lower-level disk, so as long as we keep him stable in his current state he should revert back to how he was once the effect wears off.” “Did we lose anyone else, aside from…” Trina glanced towards the greasy stain on the foredeck that was all that remained of the other two Toa who’d been reconstituted. There was no hope of putting them back together. “One other. They found him floating, facedown. We don’t know if a Vahki ordered him to drown himself or if he just took a hit to the head and fell in. We’re doing a headcount now to make sure we’re not missing anybody else.” “The Matoran?” “Most were still safely belowdecks when the fighting started. As far as I know, none of them were hurt.” “That’s something, at least. Thank you.” She vaulted over the railing and onto the iceberg, donning a spare Suletu as she approached the circle of Toa standing in the middle of the ice. Telepathy masks had been key to operating on Xia, a tactic the Vortixx had used against them frequently in the early days before the Toa had managed to secure a Kanohi forge and start making their own. With the risk that some of the Toa here had been unknowingly struck by Presence blasts, the Suletus had been brought to bear again, to plan the next move without the Vahki learning of it. “…can’t just call this a mistake.” Icthilos’ voice was the first thing Trina picked up as she donned the mask, his rage and remorse roiling over the mental plane like a tidal wave. “Those Toa risked everything for these people. We all did. They didn’t deserve to die like that.” Though Icthilos carried himself as a typical Ko-Toa, closed-off and uncaring, there was no hiding one’s emotions in a telepathic conversation. Trina knew better than most that her brother had the righteous rage and tortured temper to rival even the most choleric of Ta-Toa. And no one here was going to begrudge him his grief; the surface thoughts and feelings Trina could sense told her everyone felt much the same way. “What was or was not deserved isn’t up for debate, brother,” came the voice of Widrek, a goliath of an Onu-Toa whose burly build could nearly match that of a Steltian bruiser. Even his mental voice came out in a guttural growl. “What is, is our next move. Do we risk approaching the shore, where the Vahki have the home advantage?” “The greater risk is remaining on the open water,” Trina felt now was the moment to enter the conversation. “If the Vahki return and decided to focus fire on the boats rather than us, the Matoran’s lives could be in danger.” “She’s right,” thought the Ce-Toa Bihriis. She was only one of the group not wearing a Suletu, having no need for one. Slung across her back was a Skakdi-made Buzzsaw tool, a souvenir from the battles on Xia. “A few leaks we can fix, but if they hit a ship with one of those reconstitution disks there’ll be nothing we can do.” “Then we push on, secure a beachhead,” resignation rang through in Icthilos’ mental voice. “You all know the drill. Physical element wielders with Haus up front to provide cover once we hit the sand. Everyone else in position to provide cover fire.” “This city was supposed to be a safe haven,” a new voice arose on the mental plane, as the young Ba-Toa Vhalem approached the group, “Now you’re planning to go to war with it?” “Hopefully this is all just a misunderstanding, and there won’t be any need for further violence,” Trina quickly cut in. “The Vahki are probably reporting back as we speak, and will be stood down once the Turaga know it’s us, and not some invading force.” “That sounds too little, too late for the two brothers we lost,” Vhalem’s mental voice was ablaze with bitterness. “Three,” Trina corrected, grimacing. “They pulled another out of the water.” In a motion that would have been meaningless to anyone else, Trina glimpsed one of Icthilos’ hands drift towards a leather pouch hanging from the side of his belt. Inside it, she knew, was a stone tablet upon which Icthilos had painstakingly inscribed the name of every Toa who had fallen on Xia. He’d told her once that he intended to someday turn the tablet into a Toa Stone, so that some good could be done in the names of the fallen. But for now, he had three new names to add to the list. “How’s Pahlil holding up?” He asked, referring to the last remaining Fa-Toa. “Even more withdrawn than normal,” it was Bihriis who answered, “But about as well as can be expected from someone who’s just become the last of her kind.” “Let’s get this done, then.” Icthilos said. “Watch your siblings. Let no one else be lost tonight.” * * * Icthilos No one was upset to find the beach devoid of Vahki when the boats finally reached the shoreline. What was upsetting was how devoid of everything else Le-Metru seemed to be. As his companions set about raising barricades of stone and earth to defend the spot where the boats had put ashore, Icthilos took a few hesitant steps up the beach, peering into the shadows of the city. Le-Metru had been his least favourite part of the city, alive and alight at all hours, machinery and chutes constantly active. Now it was a silent, empty shell of its former self. Not even any rahi seemed to be roaming around. There were definitely lights on somewhere in the city, they’d seen that from a distance, but the entirety of Le-Metru appeared to be shut down. It looked like it had been that way for quite some time, given the dust and foliage that had accumulated over some of the structures. And it was cold, too, the kind of stale, psychological cold that one might associate with a tomb or graveyard. Cold enough that even Icthilos felt a slight chill. “I’ve got movement!” Came the shout of one of the lookouts still on the ships, a Turaga wearing a scoped Akaku. “In the alley, by the chute station on your left!” Icthilos whirled towards the indicated direction, his flail rattling as he let it unfurl at his side. Before he’d even finished turning, the alleyway’s opening was already being illuminated by two of the Toa on the frontlines who owned Kanohi Rurus. The shape that emerged from the crevice between the two structures was an artificial entity of grey and green, carrying a staff in its hands… but it was no Vahki. “Get the Matoran below!” Icthilos roared, “We’ve got incoming!” The Rahkshi’s mouthparts unfolded as it raised its stave and let out a horrific screech, a screech that was answered tenfold from further in the city.

The first half of the BZPower Convention Circuit has flown by, and now we're gearing up for the main event: BrickFair Chantilly! As one of the largest LEGO fan events in the country, it will have a huge gathering of Bionicle builders and we want to show off your MOCs there! If you're interested in participating in BioniLUG's Horror Garden Collab, or just want to send some cool builds, hit that first link to see what you need to do! We'll be sure to thank you with some free LEGO sets when we send your MOCs back at the end of the circuit. Happy building!View the full article

As fun as it it so speculate and come up with ideas, I actually prefer having some of the members missing. The whole point of Hero Factory is that they're constantly being sent out on different missions and stuff, so a few team members being busy elsewhere makes a lot of sense to me. I think having a revolving cast of protagonists is the only thing Hero Factory possibly did better than Bionicle. Instead of having to introduce an entire new team or new design every year or two, Hero Factory was able to able to maintain a consistent cast, while keeping things fresh with an occasional new addition, and by mixing up who returned for each story arc.

Those MOCs are awesome. Decibat is a cool concept. I have no strong opinion about what color the Heroes' visors should be, but I like the idea of a manticore villain. I think that would work well with CCBS.

so as you might have seen from my previous post, I have been making so-called hybrid editions/builds of the alpha team. basically, this is me taking my favorite set for each hero and adding in some design elements from the other sets depicting said character. stormer was one of the harder ones to do, as with most heroes, my favorite designs for him were brain attack (2013) and breakout (2012). I might need to beef up his arms a little so he can do war crimes the main design issue for stormer was integrating the multi-missiles into his back. I did this by cutting a piece the visor is blue-tacked on. (parts cut,3) now here’s the photodump Photo on 03-05-2024 at 7.28 PM498×720 67.9 KB Photo on 03-05-2024 at 7.28 PM #2552×720 76.7 KB action pose Photo on 03-05-2024 at 7.30 PM535×648 72.3 KB a look at the gearbox and missile system Photo on 03-05-2024 at 7.30 PM #2518×674 73.9 KB missiles up and ready Photo on 03-05-2024 at 7.30 PM #3578×530 63.7 KB a closer look at the illegal leg construction sorry for the bad photos I took them at night

some guy made them both as concept sets on flickir https://www.flickr.com/photos/149398523@N07/51846737851/in/photolist-2mZw5Ri-8gz9Na-8SuLQC-ZsJyXt-8gz9u4-8gCqeS-2dqRZ2f-8gCpPQ-2mZr6j3-2mZzq1D-jCqoGP-8KR8yt-XjiNwX-2m4ohLm-8gz9o8-2mZr68r-ZosXEo-2mZzpFF-2oNWpLJ-8gCq23-2ohJpxj-2oGY36w-b3hMgg-2oor6qS-2mfX2yC-2mZr5XX-2nnwfNb-2odJzxi-2aivMfJ-QC9z9N-2oYanFB-nYhE96-8djSU6-bcqtur-bswyqT-amZUQA-ek56xr-nWMe75-KQShQu-ofzFMU-8vTrNs-2bXYU4h-2aivN5Q-amZUQW-9YJEtW-2bXYUpY-2nzoess-cZCMFA-7MMpjz-8dBjfQ https://www.flickr.com/photos/149398523@N07/51846802893/in/photolist-2mZwqbH-2mZw5Ri-8gz9Na-8SuLQC-ZsJyXt-8gz9u4-8gCqeS-2dqRZ2f-8gCpPQ-2mZr6j3-2mZzq1D-jCqoGP-8KR8yt-XjiNwX-2m4ohLm-8gz9o8-2mZr68r-ZosXEo-2mZzpFF-2oNWpLJ-8gCq23-2ohJpxj-2oGY36w-b3hMgg-2oor6qS-2mfX2yC-2mZr5XX-2nnwfNb-2odJzxi-2aivMfJ-QC9z9N-2oYanFB-nYhE96-8djSU6-bcqtur-bswyqT-amZUQA-ek56xr-nWMe75-KQShQu-ofzFMU-8vTrNs-2bXYU4h-2aivN5Q-amZUQW-9YJEtW-2bXYUpY-2nzoess-cZCMFA-7MMpjz

Hi, guys. In Hero Factory’s 2013 story arc, seven out of nine Alpha 1 Team members got their Brain Attack forms and Brain foes that are based on medieval creatures and share the same primary color as the Heroes. The foes also have elemental powers similar to the ones from Bionicle’s Spherus Magna’s Agori tribes. Most of the elements have the same vibes as the Heroes. Here’s how it goes: Bulk vs. Bruizer (Rock and based on a rock-based creature) Rocka vs. Scarox (Earth and Sand, and based in a beetle or spider-like creature) Breez vs. Ogrum (Jungle, and based on an ogre) Furno (XL) vs. Pyrox (Fire, and based on a Minotaur) Evo vs. Aquagon (Water, and based on a sea monster and goblin) Stormer vs. Frost Beast (Ice, and based on a yeti) Surge vs. Dragon Bolt (Lightning, and based on, well, a dragon). While Bulk is a metal-based Hero and Breez an air-based one, these foes are what they got. The other two Heroes, Stringer and Nex, sadly do not have their Brain Attack forms or Brain foes for unknown reason (budget problems, perhaps?). If they had, what do you think they would be? Well, here’s what I think: Stringer’s Brain Attack form would be a medium-sized set. His visor would be blue. His weapon would be an axe called a Sonic Axe. 1.1. Stringer’s Brain foe would be a black bat-like monster that is similar to Man-Bat from DC Comics or whatever similar bat-based monster. This creature would have fangs, and wings on his back. He would have a purple Brain. He would be armed with an axe. His power would be sound-based. He would be a small set. His species would be non-nocturnal bat-like creatures called Sonic Bats, who live in the caves near Bruizer’s species’ home mountains. I would name the monster “Decibat”. Stringer would need to use a jet-pack to fight this monster. Nex’s Brain Attack form would be a medium-sized set. His visor would be green. His weapon would be a spear called a Plasma Spear. 2.1. Nex’s Brain for is tough to brainstorm about. He would be either a werewolf-like, scorpion-like, or manticore-like monster. This creature would be orange. He would be a small set. He would have a dark orange Brain. He would have fangs and claws. 2.1.1. If a werewolf, he would have clawed feet. Maybe with clawed hands. Or, he would be armed with a spear. 2.1.2. If a scorpion, he would have pincers and a stinger tail. Maybe he would have four eyes. 2.1.3. If a manticore (as in a creature that has a body of a lion and a tail of a scorpion), he would have clawed feet, a stinger tail, and maybe wings and horns. Maybe with clawed hands. Or, he would also be armed with a spear. Nex’s foe’s power would be either based on metal or plasma because of the orange color. If a werewolf, he would be either Wolasma (species: Plasma Wolves) or Metwol (species: Metal Wolves. There are Iron Wolves, but they are from Bionicle). If a scorpion, he would be either Plascor (species: Plasma Scorpions) or Scorpiron (species: Iron or Metal Scorpions). If a manticore, he would be either Plasmantic (species: Plasma Lions or Manticore) or Meticore (species: Iron or Metal Lions or Manticores). This species would live in either the mountains, caves, or Pyrox’s species’ volcanos. I am still iffy on this one because Metal is Bulk’s thing, but Bruizer is not based on metal, despite every one of the characters being made of metal. Nex is not based on any particular element, does he (same with Evo and Rocka)? Plasma is sort of related to Fire, and there’s no Plasma Tribe in Spherus Magna (there are no Lightning Tribe or Sonic Tribe, either, but there are Dragon Bolt, Surge, and Stringer), as the tribes in Spherus Magna are based on visible elements, and people in Spherus Magna live in environments based on these elements. So, what do you think, guys?

not really, I don't have any duplicates right now. sorry!

Stinkfly Built for the Ben 10 Collab, for the tip of the legs I used olive green Pteranodon heads (removing the printed details first). 04/04/2024

Welcome to May! With Star Wars Day almost here, it only seemed right to kick off the month with a Star Wars raffle. (And not at all because that's what we usually give away!) Run-don't-walk over to the 2024 Member Raffle #5 and enter yourself for a chance to win LEGO Star Wars buildable figure 75525 Baze Malbus. This iconic character from Rogue One will make a great addition to someone's collection - if the Force is with you, maybe it will be yours!View the full article

You beat me to the punch on a dark Bionicle horror story. Excellent work so far; it's hard to describe the sense of dread I felt about the prospect of permanently sealing off Metru-Nui. I'm also enjoying the characters. I'm sure nothing bad will happen to them! Keep up the good work, will definitely be keeping an eye on this one.

Here’s my entry. I’ve been toying with this design on-and-off for a few days. Originally I had a much more elaborate idea in mind, with a whole bunch of different hands, vines, claws, etc. coming out of the Kanoka segments to represent the many different enemies seen during the 2004/2005 story arc. That ended up looking far too cluttered, so I decided to just keep Vakama and Makuta’s hands and put in the Vahi to make it a tribute to Time Trap specifically. The Metru Nui arc arguably started and finished with the Vahi, so I felt like it was a fitting inclusion to represent that period of the storyline.

Thanks for the feedback. I knew from the outset that I'd be setting myself up for those kind of comparisons. There was a time where I considered making the first few chapters a little lighter to ease readers into the darker tone, but given how the rest of the story came out it almost felt kind of disingenuous and deceptive. I wanted this first chapter to really set the tone and let readers know what to expect from here on out (in case all of the content warnings I put in the intro post of this topic weren't enough). When I started out, my one-sentence summary for Embers was “Bionicle as a war movie”, so it’s been a real balancing act throughout to treat certain topics with the severity and seriousness they deserve, while also trying not to trip head-first into full grimdark territory. I ended up spending an unhealthy amount of time watching war films over the past two-ish years to get myself into the right mindset.

Jokes aside, this was an excellent first chapter. It feels the most like the aftermath of a real war set in the BIONICLE universe, unlike the battles against the Rahi or even something like the Toa-Dark Hunter War, that always felt fun and kid-friendly. Your writing really captures the futility of it. On the surface, it reads kind of like the typical "grimdark" fiction that non-fans probably think BIONICLE fanfics are like, but this is actually well-written and feels like an ideal version of trope. The characters are grounded and relatable. And the cliffhanger ending I did not see coming. I am excited for the next chapter.

He/She looks awesome! It looks like something out a Miyazaki movie. It looks almost animated, with so many flowing green pieces that make it look like camouflage to blend in with the jungle. I had to do a double take because it looks like it must share some obvious piece with Umarak the Hunter, but the more I look at it, I realize it does not seem to. I had some criticism for the small organic-looking foot design on Kyrehx, but I think it fits much better here, since it makes Rakau look like a barefoot wind spirit.

I love the limb designs. (I have seen that 2x2 inverted curved tile piece used that way for elbows before though, and I have to ask, it's not actually poseable like a ball joint, is it? I imagine it is good for sculptures that can be posed but not played with.) She looks weirdly anorexic. I'm not sure if that's intentional but the organic-ness of the appearance makes it look more noticeable than Ehlek or Takadox, for example. I am also not sure how I feel about the feet. The actual design is very creative but they look more like unarmored Matoran feet. Under the legs, it looks like she is barefoot with cargo shorts. There are a lot of good building techniques to create unique shapes and it looks very organic and natural, but I do not think they come together to create an ideal Toa body.

This completes the Toa Motu! This was a very fun project to work on, and its very satisfying to see it finished. I will follow up with some outdoor group shots - but first, Toa Rakau: The others: Poraru, Kyrehx, Hiko, Arai, Rewa

Those are nice!

BZPower shirt-maker extraordinaire Brappy Hour recently kicked off the BZP T-Shirt Contest 2024! You have until the end of May to design a Metru Nui themed shirt and submit it in the blog entry. If your design is picked - you get a free shirt! I'm trying not to think about the fact that we've been making these shirts so long we've now celebrated the tenth and twentieth anniversaries of Metru Nui, but that just goes to show how awesome BZPower's members are. I can't wait to see the designs you all come up with!View the full article

Chapter 1 – Homecoming From the notes of Chronicler Crisda. Turaga Rost once told me that he regrets allowing the Toa to leave for Xia. Sure, none of us could have known what would arrive in their absence, but he still argued that leaving the city protected only by the few Vahki we could afford to keep powered up was a mistake. The Matoran of Xia, he said, would have been an acceptable sacrifice to ensure the safety of the remaining Matoran. I remember at the time dismissing his words as the grim grumblings of an old man who’d lost his hope. The other Turaga had dismissed him in much the same way when he’d raised his concerns to them. But today, the Toa returned. And after learning how much they sacrificed… I too can’t help but wonder if the meagre number of Matoran they saved was worth the price we all paid. * * * Icthilos Shrouded in mist and murk, a fleet of battered, blackened boats limped through the languid waters of the Sea Gate tunnel, on approach to the Great Barrier. The lightstones that had once illuminated the passage were long dead, with only a few ailing lanterns hanging on each boat offering enough illumination to keep them from running into the walls, or each other. A year earlier, that fleet had left with fifty Toa and high hopes. It returned now with less than thirty Toa, a dozen Turaga, more than a hundred rescued Matoran, and hopes of a different kind. Hopes for a brighter future in a safe city, free from further fighting. Hopes that would soon be dashed. Leaning by the bow of the lead boat, silver-white armour glimmering in the dim light of his lightstone lamp, was a tired Toa of Ice. Icthilos was his name, though his actions before and during the war in Xia had earned him a fair few other nicknames and titles, from enemies and allies alike. Some were friendly, even affectionate. Others… decidedly not. Save for the few crew members quietly going about their duties and the lookout on the mast above, Icthilos was the only passenger on deck. Most of the others were down below, enjoying the first truly safe rest they’d had in months. Like many Ko-Matoran, Icthilos had lived a relatively solitary life as a Matoran, and that trait had never entirely gone away even after he’d transformed into a Toa and become leader of his own team. And now for the first time since leaving for Xia a year ago, he could step away and sit in silence, letting his thoughts drift to tomorrow. Once, he’d looked to the stars for guidance on what the future might bring, but there were no stars left now. They’d gone dark, like everything else. Now, all he had was uncertainty, and hope. Metru Nui wasn’t his homeland. He and his team – the Toa Gelida – had come from windswept mountains and sheer cliffs of the Northern Continent’s southern coastline, being among the many who’d migrated to Metru Nui after the darkness had come. He hadn’t stayed long enough for the island to truly feel like home. It was a strange city, full of silvery steel and sprawling structures, metal and machinery overtaking nature. It was far too similar to Xia for his liking. But the outer reaches of Ko-Metru, where industrialisation had yet to mar the landscape, that wasn’t too different to the mountain village he’d left behind. Perhaps- “Gateway ahead!” Came a shout from above, followed by the frantic ringing of a bell, the sound greatly amplified by the abilities of the De-Toa on lookout. The bells and shouts were soon taken up by the other boats in the fleet, who all slowed their approach to avoid colliding with the first vessel as it came to a halt before the Sea Gate. Splashes echoed through the darkened tunnel as anchors were cast, mooring the fleet in place. “Watch the rocks!” Another Toa called, their Kanohi Ruru cutting through the dark like a spotlight, “The water level’s a lot lower than when we last came through here.” The last ship they’d sent from Xia, almost a year past, had been ordered to ensure all of the Sea Gates and underwater chutes leading to Metru Nui were closed and sealed, preventing any hostile forces from entering the dome or reaching the city. Fortunately, the fleet still had the means to unseal the gates from the outside, possessing a pair of Fa-Toa and Masks Of X-Ray Vision to help guide them in their work. Already those Toa were working their way up from belowdecks, along with a number of Ga-Toa to assist with navigating through the gate, so Icthilos took up his lantern and moved away from the railing to give them room to work. Like the others in the expedition, Icthilos had gotten used to operating in near-total darkness. While some areas in Xia had still had generator-powered lightstone lamps or good-old fashioned flaming torches, light swiftly proved itself to be a hindrance rather than help in battle, marking one out as an easy target for the enemy. So the Toa had learned to coordinate by sound and sensation rather than sight, moving in certain ways or speaking in hushed whispers to announce their presence and position to one another. And though the war was behind them, and many, like Icthilos, now felt comfortable carrying lights, those practices still held sway. The Toa murmured as they moved, speaking softly more out of habit than necessity. A few acknowledged Icthilos as he passed them by, but most were focused on their tasks, too driven by the thought of finally seeing Metru Nui again to care about much else. One, however, passing close enough for his Kiril-clad face to be illuminated by the lamp, stopped to smile at him. “There you are!” Ilton grinned. “I figured you’d be up here somewhere.” Ilton was a Fe-Toa, one of only two that Icthilos knew to still exist. While many Toa in the war had changed their armour colours to better conceal themselves, or confuse the enemy, Ilton wore his heritage proudly, clad in metallic grey and burnished yellow-orange. He’d been a Mask Maker prior to becoming a Toa, and his expertise in identifying and creating Kanohi had been instrumental in the campaign on Xia. Like Icthilos, he was the leader of his Toa team – the Toa Vehi – who hailed from the Tren Krom Peninsula, the southern-most edge of the Northern Continent. Unlike Icthilos, he still had most of his team. Indeed, Ilton’s team held the distinction of being the only one to emerge from the Xia conflict with more than half of its members still alive. It was a grim statistic, and not one Ilton had ever felt the need to boast about. Not that Ilton was an especially boastful person to begin with. Their two teams had essentially been neighbours, crossing paths many times over the years on missions, sometimes loaning team members to each other for missions that needed a particular element. There’d been plenty of interaction during their downtime as well, with tours of each other’s territories, and the occasional friendly sporting competitions. Most memorably, they’d once combined the full forces of both their teams to help repel an attempted Frostelus invasion a few centuries ago. In short, Icthilos knew Ilton well, and trusted him implicitly. “Were you looking for me?” He asked. “Trina was.” “Where is she now?” “Headed to the bridge to look for you.” “Thank you,” Icthilos started to move away, then stopped, “You don’t have to be out here. After everything you’ve already done, no one’s going to think any less of you for sitting this one out.” “Oh, I’m not coming up to help open the doors. Now that we’re stopped, I’m moving to the last boat to help close them once we’re all through. I’m the only one who can make sure the Sea Gates can never be opened again.” “Understood,” Icthilos nodded numbly, unable to find further words before Ilton had disappeared into the dark again. Closing up the Sea Gates for good was an idea that had been discussed on-and-off during the voyage back. Icthilos himself had voted in favour of the plan, but he hadn’t realised it was going to be put into effect right now, without consulting the people of Metru Nui first. Icthilos, like many, still harboured some hope that there were other friendly survivors out there in the dying universe who might still find their way to Metru Nui someday. Permanently sealing the gates like this would close the door on that hope forever. Despite his disappointment at the decision, Icthilos understood the necessity of it. If the Dark Hunters and Skakdi ever got tired of fighting each other, or if any other hostile force managed to make it to Metru Nui… well, these Toa weren’t ready for another war. As he made his way up the stairs towards the bridge, he almost bumped into Trina on her way down. A lanky Vo-Toa clad in blue and black, her face adorned with the helm-like shape of a Mask Of Threat Detection, Trina was Icthilos’ oldest and closest friend, and the only member of his original team still part of the expedition. Their only other surviving member had been one of the wounded Toa sent back to Xia a year ago. “Well, I guess I owe Ilton a few widgets,” Trina grumbled, in way of greeting. “Were you two taking bets on where I was?” “No… well, maybe,” she grinned, leaning back against the railing, “I thought you’d be down below somewhere, napping. He said – and I quote – that you’d be somewhere above decks, brooding.” “I don’t brood.” “Oh, of course not. You just stand still, stewing in stoic silence.” “Well, when you put it like that…” “Brooding is quicker.” “-anyway, Ilton said you were looking for me. What’s wrong?” “Nothing, I just wanted to check up on you,” she replied, “You’ve been even more reserved than usual since we left Xia.” “I’ve had a lot on my mind,” he mumbled, “On Xia there was never really time to think more than a few hours ahead, most of time. But now…” “…there’s so much time it feels overwhelming?” He nodded, “You feel the same way?” She returned the nod. “Once we close the Sea Gates for good, the most we’ll ever have to worry about is the odd rahi. Will the Matoran even need protectors anymore?” “Would it be so bad if they didn’t?” Icthilos replied, “A part of me hopes they never need us again.” “What of our Duty? Our Destinies?” There was a tone in her voice that Icthilos recognised well; she was asking more out of curiosity than umbrage or disappointment. “We’ve done our Duty,” he said, shrugging, “And with the gods of this universe dead and gone, I’m not sure if Destiny even exists anymore. If it does, I’m sure mine will find me eventually.” “So what will you do, once we’re back in Metru Nui?” “I was thinking of settling in Ko-Metru, somewhere on the outskirts, away from everyone. But close enough to the light from the Sun Holes that I won’t have to pester you to charge up this lamp every few hours anymore.” “I really don’t mind.” There was something in her voice that gave him pause, an earnest, almost pleading, sincerity that made the simple sentence come across as something far more profound. But before he could fully process or ponder its meaning, a great grinding of metal rumbled through the tunnel as the Sea Gate began to open. The ships shuddered and shifted backwards as liquid protodermis rushed into the tunnel in a tepid torrent; the water level inside the dome seemed to be much higher than it was in the tunnel. With it came an unpleasant scent that stung Icthilos’ nostrils and made him gag; the acrid reek of seawater that had long gone stagnant. The tides had died with everything else. Disappointingly, there was no great ray of daylight coming through to greet the expedition, just murky twilight seeping through the dim, distant specks that were the Sun Holes high above. It seemed that it was night-time in whatever world lay beyond their own. Lower, through the mists that hung over the sea of protodermis, the lights of Metru Nui twinkled. There were fewer of them than Icthilos remembered, but they shone all the same. The city still stood, safe and awaiting their arrival. “There it is, Brother,” Trina’s arm draping over his shoulder stirred Icthilos from the sight, “Let’s bring these people home.” The two Toa made their way down the stairs and back towards the front of the boat, where the Fa-Toa duo who’d opened the way were now standing by to watch the approach. The fleet’s crews were bustling about, pulling up the anchors and bringing engines, sails, or oars to bear to move the fleet forward once more. Ga-Toa manipulated the waves, reversing the flow of the water to allow the ships to move through into the dome. The last ship – the smallest of the fleet – didn’t follow the others, instead moving just beyond the Sea Gate so that Ilton could seal it up when it was closed. In the lead ship, Trina and Icthilos stopped near the front of the deck, gazing out at the city. “I’ll be honest,” Icthilos said softly, “There were times I really thought we weren’t going to make it to this moment.” “Oh, thank the Great Spirit,” Trina exhaled, “I was worried it was just me.” As the boat rolled forward and the city steadily drew closer, Icthilos felt a strange sense of dread whirling within him. The thought of the pomp and parades of the hero’s welcome that no doubt awaited them turned his stomach. This didn’t feel like a triumphant return. In many ways, it felt like a defeat. A defeat that many of these Toa personally blamed him for. He didn’t resent them for feeling that way. Most days, he blamed himself as well. As the shoreline grew close enough for the keen-eyed to make out the shapes of Le-Metru’s chutes and spires, a babble of noise broke out behind the gathered group as a panicked Le-Toa blundered up from below, clutching at his temples as if he were in the throes of a terrible headache. Such a sight might have been strange were it not for the fact that this Toa wore a Mask Of Clairvoyance. “What’s wrong?” Trina asked, only for the Le-Toa to brush right past her. He shouldered through the group to stop at the very front of the ship, where Icthilos himself had been ruminating earlier, and stare out across the water for several seconds. “This is it!” The Toa blurted out, whirling to face the crowd. “Here, now! We have to turn back. We have to leave! The city isn’t safe!” “What did you see?” One of the Fa-Toa asked, taking the Le-Toa by the shoulders and shaking him as if he were a faulty appliance. The seer looked crestfallen. “Death.” “What death? Whose?” “Yours…” the seer’s eyes widened, surprise and despair filling his face as he seemed to only now recall the most important part of his vision, “…mine.” With a warbling whine, a silvery disk streaked out of the sea mist and struck the two Toa, randomly reconstituting them into a mangled mess of meat and metal that sloughed apart almost instantly, splattering across the deck and its occupants. Icthilos could only stare, shock and sorrow paralysing him more effectively than any stasis field could have managed. Not again. Not here. The murderers made themselves known a moment later, as ranks of airborne Vahki came flying out of the night, unleashing volleys of Kanoka and stun blasts upon the boats.