The Iron Toa

I don't think anything would happen if they came near each other. The process of reforging them into one would probably release their energies just as breaking them would. That would of course really mess things up inside the MU, and possibly be dangerous outside it too. I don't think any one mask could hold the power of all three of them, anyway.

Roodaka wasn't mutated, so the Pit must have been drained by the time she was captured. But Brutaka was sent to the Pit when it was flooded, so they probably didn't know. Or maybe, like Fishers said, they didn't care.

How was he misguided?

Looks like a decent build from what I can see, but we need views from different angles! The tool looks good, from the front at least. The color scheme makes him more like a Matoran of Earth or Magnetism, though.

How long after the return of the Matoran to Metru Nui did Mata Nui and Matoro die (temporarily and permanently, respectively)? Then, how much longer after that did the Destiny War start, and how long did the war last?Oops, typo in the title: I mean for that part to say 'return to Metru Nui'.

Well, I think Teridax would have only died at the end of the Mask of Light story if the series had been cancelled early, anyway.

My brother got this set quite a while ago. I think it's hilarious that Shelob's web string has a hook at the end. She's a tow spider!

I didn't mind the revelation that the original Makuta was named Teridax and that Makuta was actually his title and species. I also liked his death -- what could be lame about the brother and ruler he betrayed pushing him into the path of a celestial body? And the Golden Armor was a marketing gimmick, but at least it let Tahu, who could also be considered a main character, play a major role in taking Teridax down. 2010 did unfortunately seem rather rushed to me, but I think we got a satisfying ending to the main story.On another note, I think the 2005 sets were good, and while Vakama's betrayal could have been done better, the story that year was decent. The story got darker that year, too, what with stories of Visorak conquering other lands and mutating the inhabitants, and Sidorak's death. Also we started to learn about the Brotherhood of Makuta and more about the Dark Hunters that year. This information and the revelation of the Visorak horde fleshed out the unseen Matoran Universe somewhat, even if skipping that story arc would have had little impact on the story of the Matoran of Mata Nui/Metru Nui.

Sorry about the delay. It's good to see you're still following this, Taka, and that you like it. I hope it's entertaining for others too. The warriors are indeed from all over the universe. Sorry if I didn't make it clear enough. Brenkonin's soldiers made up only a small fraction of the army.

End of YrentaChapter Forty-eight==Destral, Matoran Universe==~802 AGC~ Imlen moved through the darkness as quickly as he could without risking a fall off the towering staircase. But though the subconscious senses he had honed kept him from plummeting to his doom, his conscious mind was distracted. Iskanemo had just related a telepathic message from Waskita. The Toa of Psionics had quickly told of the events that had happened outside, and the news of Vilam's sacrifice had shaken Imlen. He was not the only one in his group to have lost a teammate this day, but he now lagged behind the others, distracted. He and the other Toa that had accompanied Iskanemo were to escape if they could, while the Toa of Air joined Velitel and Waskita in one desperate attempt to seize Destral's teleportation device. It was not yet time for Iskanemo to part from the group – not until they were closer to the base of the tower – and so they were still traveling together down the stairs in nearly utter darkness.“Imlen, come on!” Kehottaa, a Toa of Stone, called from a few bio down.“Yes – uh, sorry,” the Toa of Plasma said, and he quickened his pace to catch up.“I'm sorry I brought you upon this, brother,” Iskanemo whispered to Imlen when the two Toa were side by side. “I've... I'm responsible for the deaths of both your old friends now.”Imlen didn't answer. He just stared down the stairs, trying to see through the darkness in front of him.“I don't deserve or wish for your help,” the Toa of Air continued. “But for your own sake, and for these other Toa, please focus. Don't let your anger with me... don't let it doom those who still have a chance to survive this.”“I'm not sure if I'm angry with you,” Imlen replied this time. “I suppose I am – but I feel more numb – but there is nothing I can or should do about it. If Waskita's vision will come true, you will receive your punishment by the end of the day, and it's out of my hands.”This time, it was Iskanemo's turn to look shocked, though to a far lesser degree. Imlen noticed, and realized the strangeness of his own words – he did not usually speak so ominously.“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound as if I was convicting you, like a judge,” he said quickly. “You've lost more than I have today... and you're going to lose more. As for myself, well, I should be honored that my sister found such a noble end. And one of us three – Paqyar, Vilam, and I, I mean – one of us was bound to outlive the other two. I would not wish that burden on either of – ”At that moment, the section of staircase the two Toa stood upon abruptly swiveled to drop them into the empty air. Before he fell far enough to be badly injured, Imlen slammed into a floor, twisting just in time to avoid shattering his Kanohi against the hard stone. Iskanemo whistled past, and though the Toa of Air was quickly out of sight, Imlen soon heard his voice from below.“Imlen!” the voice echoed from unseen walls and pillars. “Imlen?”“Uh,” grunted Imlen, getting up achingly, then he replied. “Iskanemo? I'm alright, I suppose. And you?”“Well, I can still walk,” Iskanemo called from below. “And hopefully fight. Listen: find the others if you think you can, but don't abandon your own chance to escape. It seems Teskor doesn't want you dead yet, but he'll kill off the others on a whim. Get out of here before he changes his mind.”“I'll try. You're right, and I'm in no state to face him,” agreed Imlen, then he muttered to himself. “I hope my premonitions of a second confrontation here are wrong.”“We won't see each other again,” said Iskanemo. “Goodbye, Imlen.”“Goodbye, Iskanemo,” said Imlen, and he could think of nothing else to say.The sound of Iskanemo's footsteps below slowly faded away as Imlen started in a different direction. The lanterns illuminated the area just enough for him to see where he was going, and he pried one of these loose from the wall to carry with him. Holding the lamp up to where he had fallen, he could see no way to get back onto the staircase from there. He directed the light down, and was surprised that he could not see the level below. Iskanemo had fallen farther than he thought, and Imlen could not determine by what stunt the Toa of Air had survived. In any case, Imlen was in no hurry to try dropping down to follow him. It was true, then – they had parted for the last time. A quick search revealed several doors, all unlocked. Behind each of them was a passageway, though it was impossible to tell which led where. Imlen picked one at random and entered it. To his dismay, it eventually started to wind upward. He attempted to return the way he came, but the passage branched confusingly. After several winding turns, he was lost.Desperately, he melted a hole in the floor, only to find the level below was still much too far for him to safely drop down to. Alone, he realized just how vulnerable he was. He had been frightened when in the company of his brothers and sisters, and now the aches that he had forgotten about began to trouble him again. He had payed no attention to his limp, for most of the other Toa had also suffered wounds, but now the realization that he was alone, wounded, and likely at the mercy of his archenemy frightened him terribly.“I could hear you and Iskanemo talking, you know,” Teskor said, again as if he had read Imlen's mind, and Imlen jumped. “Go ahead and try to escape. I told you earlier: you could lose yourself in here for weeks. Hopefully none of your injuries are too serious. I would hate for you to expire during that time. I would much rather watch you wander for a while, then end you. But how to do it? I admit I am not as creative as our leader when it comes to killing – I cannot name a thousand ways to do it in any particular situation. But I have a few ideas. I could absorb you with my Shadow Hand, giving you a fate much like that of your sister, but no... I want to do it with my own claws. But what part should I target? Perhaps first I will –”“Shut up!” Imlen screamed, dropping his lantern and staff and putting his hands to his ears. “Tear me apart, rip my armor from my flesh and my flesh from my bones, but spare me your taunts! You will drive me mad before we meet, and I was under the impression you wish to confront me while I... while I... am still... sane...”Imlen trailed off in awe, for as he spoke, the passage suddenly brightened. Teskor had apparently ceased to maintain the unnatural darkness. Of course, Imlen still needed some light source to see, and so he retrieved the lamp, but with it he could now see all the way to the next turn in the corridor. He reached that turn and the next, peeking into side passages as he went. Finally, he found one that slowly spiraled downward, and he went that way. Still Makuta Teskor did not harass him with his disembodied voice, nor did Imlen encounter any active traps. He limped on more quickly now, and soon he came to where the passage leveled out and opened onto another wide chamber. Mercifully for Imlen, the dreadful prisons and laboratories of the Makuta were apparently in the fortress's lowest levels. So far, he had passed what looked to be meeting chambers and mustering halls. Other than a few weapon storage rooms, and a workshop filled with damaged and deactivated Exo-Toa, it was in fact oddly empty. Either the Makuta had far more space than they needed, or Teskor had emptied much of the fortress in anticipation of the assault.Another door in this chamber led to another downward-winding passage, and at the end of that was a locked door. Imlen easily melted through it and found himself on a wide balcony. There, he could see daylight once again, and though it was from a dim and gray sky, it was bright compared to the darkness of the fortress. The light came from the tower's shattered main gate – the balcony overlooked the foyer he and the others had entered by, though it was filled with many Visorak carcasses and other remains that had not been there last time. Imlen remembered Iskanemo mentioning that Waskita and Velitel had made a brief stand just within the tower's entrance before running into the depths of the fortress. Imlen now looked upon the results of that skirmish, and he saw no living Brotherhood minion. Apparently, they had all gone to chase after the retreating survivors, and some of them were possibly still after Velitel and Waskita. Now was his chance. Imlen just needed to find a way down, and...Imlen shivered. He felt a dreadful presence behind him. Immediately, he turned and saw Makuta Teskor standing next to the door through which he had come. The Makuta had used his camouflage ability to blend in with the wall, and now his armor was returning to its usual blue and gray. Imlen suppressed the desire to shudder again. Had Teskor been watching him since he stepped onto the balcony? It had probably not even been a minute yet, but the thought was still eerie. Imlen had expected them to begin battling the second they were in the same room. Teskor did not make a move, and in a different situation, Imlen would have attacked, but he knew he had no chance. Even were he not battered and weary, the chances of him prevailing alone against a Makuta were slim. Imlen took a step back, and then Teskor acted. The Toa of Plasma gasped as a powerful magnetic force lifted him into the air and began to manipulate his armor, opening his wounds while crushing other parts of him. With great effort, he was able to summon his elemental power, but it was useless. The magnetic field generated by Makuta Teskor would redirect Imlen's own plasma back to him.Teskor was oddly silent now. Imlen had expected a drawn-out showdown with many taunts and retorts, but it seemed the Makuta wanted to end this quickly, with no fooling around. Of course, that explained why the shadow darkening the halls had been lifted. It had let Imlen find his way much faster, just to come to where Teskor was waiting for him. Imlen was grateful. He was sure that the Makuta had hurried things because of his own impatience, but it was still a mercy to Imlen to not leave him wandering in the fortress for days before killing him. Now he was sure his life was going to end – not pleasantly, but at least swiftly and quietly. But he had to make it last as long as he could, after all, the longer Teskor spent dealing with him, the longer the other Toa would be safe from the blue Makuta. And so he fought to remain conscious, and he made a show of struggling, though he knew it was in vain. His limbs were going numb, and his chest cavity was being crushed inward.Then, just as Imlen's lungs had no room to breathe, there was a sudden rumbling noise. Imlen's vision blurred, and he could not see what was going on, but he felt the magnetic grip disappear and drop him. He gasped and took a deep breath, managing to push his squashed chest outward. He heard indistinct shouts, one of which clearly belonged to Teskor, but before he could focus on what he was hearing, the floor under him crumbled. He fell, lying on a stone slab that disintegrated in midair. Someone's arms caught him, arms that were not the Makuta's. With some effort, he turned his head to see the brown Kanohi Akaku of Toa Kehottaa. The Toa of Stone let him down gently, and Imlen noticed two other Toa from his group battling Teskor. Like Imlen, they were far from in prime condition, but so far they held their own against the Makuta.“Kehottaa...” Imlen wheezed. “Thank you.”“Glad we arrived in time,” said Kehottaa. “Now take it easy.”“No! I... I think I can stand,” protested Imlen.Teskor launched a pair of Heat Vision beams that narrowly missed Kehottaa, forcing him to rejoin the fight before he could respond. While his brothers' backs were turned to him, Imlen attempted to stand. Several times, his legs failed him, but finally he managed. His armor was distorted, the muscles beneath were bruised and lacerated, and his metal bones were battered, but his legs could still support him – if just barely. Standing unsteadily, he let out a stream of plasma just in time to save the Toa of Water named Kurtulan from a deadly blast of shadow energy. Teskor snarled and stepped forward towards Imlen, but the Toa of Plasma maintained his attack. Using his ability to become resistant to heat, Teskor pushed through the scorching stream, only to be assailed from several directions by the other Toa in a concentrated elemental attack. Still channeling their elements, the Toa gathered in front of the Makuta, on either side of Imlen, and supported their wounded brother. Teskor took an unsteady step backwards, and then the Toa ran, carrying Imlen.“Where is Velvirki?” he said, noticing that one of the four Toa was missing.“Dead,” said Kurtulan. “He was the last one of us to fall to the traps. Shortly after that, the shadow lifted somewhat and we – ”She was cut off when Teskor regained his balance and let out a Power Scream. The brunt of his attack missed the fleeing Toa and instead demolished a great pillar, but the sound was still terrible. The entire chamber – perhaps the entire tower – trembled, and large fragments of stone fell from above where the pillar no longer supported the ceiling. Kurtulan still appeared to be trying to speak, but they were all deaf for a few minutes. They ran out the shattered gate, and made some distance before Rahkshi began to spill out of the tower. They were out of range for now, but if the tired and aching Toa did not quicken their pace, the Makuta-Sons would soon catch up. A small swarm of Nui-Rama and other flying Rahi emerged from the tower and descended upon them, and though there were not enough of the creatures to defeat the Toa, they could not move through the swarm quickly enough to escape the Rahkshi. They would need to stop to drive the creatures off, then resume their retreat. Imlen felt some of his strength had returned, and so he insisted on being let down to fight. At that moment, Waskita contacted him telepathically.Imlen! she projected. We have reached the teleportation chamber, and we think we can use the device, but the minions of the Makuta are breaking in! We can wait no longer!What of the rest of the army? Imlen thought in response, as he fended off flying Rahi. Where is Mozmana?She is with the others. They should have reached the sea by now, projected Waskita. We are sorry we cannot wait for you to escape, Imlen, especially Iskanemo. Thankfully, he will not live much longer to regret it. It will take us a few minutes to start the system. Prepare yourself.This announcement of impending doom struck Imlen harder than the prospect of his seemingly certain death by Makuta Teskor had. For a brief while, hope of escape had returned to him. But his hope of survival depended on the island of Destral disappearing once he had left its shores. He was not sure where the island was going to end up, but if it did not leave him and the others behind, they would quickly be hunted down. In addition, he didn't know if there were any hazards to being on the surface of the island when it teleported. Perhaps everyone needed to take shelter when it happened, but there was no available shelter around. His hopes had risen only to be smashed, and he struggled to bring himself to inform his companions.“It's t-too... late,” he stuttered. “We... we won't escape.”“Why do you say that, Imlen?” asked Kurtulan. “This is a tight spot, but we can – ”“Oh no,” interrupted Kehottaa, for a flock of great flying Rahi, similar to Kahu but far more savage-looking, swooped down upon them from high above.“Oh, yes,” said the third Toa with strange confidence, and he stopped right in the birds' path.“Gazda, what are you doing?” demanded Kurtulan.“If you ever visit my village, be sure to thank the Matoran for taking care of my Suva,” said the Toa of Sonics.Before anyone could ask for an explanation, Gazda's Kanohi glowed for a split second, then with a flash it was replaced by another: the Mask of Rahi Control. Just as the birds were upon him, he let out a sonic blast that stopped the birds in their dive and knocked off their infected Kanohi. Still angered, the birds attempted to resume their attack, only to be mesmerized by the power of Gazda's mask. They circled around the Toa peacefully, and Gazda gradually coaxed them to land. The other Toa had managed to drive the rest of the swarm back, and the Rahkshi had not yet caught up to them. Imlen urged them to hurry, and quickly managed to finally explain what was about to happen. Now, however, the hope of escape had returned yet again. As soon as possible, the Toa mounted the birds.“Now climb, climb!” Imlen urged. “We have no time to spare.”“Yes, we must fly now,” agreed Gazda. “Hold on tight!”The Toa did as he said. The avian Rahi faltered for a moment, unaccustomed to the burdens they now carried, then they summoned their strength and launched themselves into the sky. The enemy swarm reformed and pursued them, and the Rahkshi also took to the sky. The communication between Gazda and the birds was empathic, and yet his desperation for them to go as fast as they could was so apparent, the other Toa might as well have heard him urge them aloud. The Toa gained altitude, followed by the flying minions of the Brotherhood, and far below an aura of energy enveloped Destral. A portal opened in space, the sea churned, and in a flash, the island was gone. The Toa on their enthralled aerial steeds remained, as did the other Rahi and the flying Rahkshi. The birds were fast, but they would not be able to evade the Rahkshi forever. The Toa of Sonics sent the creatures into a dive to shake off their pursuers, granting the Toa a little more time. Kehottaa scanned the sea with his telescopic eyepiece, and called out when he saw the swimming remnants of Velitel's army.The Toa swooped low above their allies. The Brotherhood minions still followed, and as soon as they were in range, the warriors in the sea let out a ferocious salvo. Many of the Rahkshi and hostile Rahi were destroyed in this initial pass, and the four Toa stopped fleeing and swept around to finish off the rest.“Now what?” asked Gazda. “We're, what, fifty kio off the coast of Stelt? I don't think all of us could make the swim.”“Look!” said Kehottaa, looking to the horizon this time.The Toa of Stone pointed out an unexpected but welcome sight: Steltian boats were quickly approaching. No doubt they were scavengers aiming to do nothing more but make money from the battle's aftermath, but if they had any decency they would help. The four flying Toa descended on the fleet. The defenders aboard the boats braced themselves for battle, but each of the Toa prominently displayed a peaceful gesture, and the Steltians allowed them to come closer. As soon as they were near enough, the Toa had the birds drop them off on the foremost vessel, and with one final command, Gazda dismissed the Rahi. After quickly explaining their situation, the Toa were taken before the boat's captain. To Imlen's surprise, the ship's commander was a Matoran of Magnetism. He looked familiar, somehow, but Imlen could not quite remember why. The Matoran, however, appeared to recognize Imlen. In fact, he looked quite shocked and uncomfortable.“Toa Imlen?” he said nervously, not at all in a manner befitting a captain addressing uninvited guests aboard his vessel.“Yes, that is me,” said Imlen. “Have we met before?”“So you don't remember,” said the Matoran of Magnetism. “I wish I could keep it that way, but I had better tell you... does the name Kyulget mean anything to you?”That brought back memories. Years ago, Kyulget, a seller of boats, had taken Imlen and his companions to Nynrah, only to betray them to Brotherhood agents.“You!” snapped Imlen, to the bemusement of the other Toa. “I remember now. You treacherous little...”“Yes, yes, but hold on a moment,” said Kyulget rapidly, and he took a step backwards. “That was a long time ago, and I'm sorry about that, and... I can help you.”“You? Why should I trust you?” said Imlen.“I said, I'm sorry I sold you out,” said the Matoran. “The Brotherhood screwed me out of my reward... at least they left me alive – but still, they screwed me out of my reward! I'm never doing business with them again.”“So which Steltian warlord or gangster is going to receive your services, then?” said Imlen scornfully. “Or is it the Dark Hunters this time?”“No! Listen,” insisted Kyulget. “You should trust me because I'm the one that led all these ships out here.”“Oh? I'm afraid most of the spoils of war have disappeared along with Destral, looter,” said Kehottaa.“Believe it or not, that's not why I came. You see, a mysterious informant tipped me off – of course, we all knew a battle of some sort was going on, but I was going to ignore it until this guy talked to me,” explained the Matoran.“This informant: who was he, and what did he say?” asked Kurtulan, saying what Imlen was about to say.“I said he was mysterious,” said Kyulget in an exasperated tone. “He was tall, slender, scary-looking – I think he was a Vortixx, but he didn't look like a factory worker. He told me that an army was attacking Destral, but the spooky thing was that he knew of our shared past, Toa Imlen. He told me that if I wished to make amends for my betrayal of you, I should search the site of the battle when it was over.”“Vortixx?” Imlen mused to himself, while the other Toa exchanged clueless glances. “I wonder... no, it couldn't be...”“What is it? You know something?” asked Kyulget eagerly.“Never mind,” said Imlen firmly. “Now you listen: we may be few in number and battered, but if you try anything, we can sink your boat before you can say 'sorry I betrayed you again'.”“Point taken,” said Kyulget with a gulp. “Now lead the way. I might be doing this for free, but you see all those other sailors in the other boats? They aren't, so let's hurry this along before they get too impatient.”“Right,” said Imlen, relaxing a little. “Turn just a little to port... that's good, they're straight ahead. Let's get the sailors ready...” ----- Mozmana sighed with relief as she saw Imlen standing on the bow of the nearest boat. The battle was over, and he had survived. Minutes ago, her other old companion, Iskanemo, had perished. She had been unable to converse with him telepathically in his final moments, but she could still sense his passing. She had, however, briefly communicated with Waskita shortly before that, and it had seemed their situation was about to turn out just as Waskita had foreseen. After activating the teleporter, the three Toa had made one last stand in the dark passages beneath the Destral fortress. Thanks to their sacrifice, the survivors of Velitel's army – including the wounded warriors that had taken shelter in the cave – had been just off the coast when the island vanished, and most of the pursuing Brotherhood soldiers and beasts had still been on the island and had gone with it. The few that were left were defeated without much trouble, along with the vicious sea Rahi that had also been left behind. If all went well, the approximately one hundred and fifty surviving warriors would make it, as would the several remaining Toa.Tignioni, Geistig, Jibana... the list of surviving Toa was short, and the list of fallen was much, much longer: Velitel, Iskanemo, Waskita, Vilam, Jufeng, Brulado, Stuhi... and many more, over forty in total. In addition to Toa, many other heroes had died that day, in a crushing defeat. Mozmana could only hope that the day's events would not discourage others from resisting tyranny and corruption. She wondered when any army – not counting the mercenaries of the Dark Hunters – would dare to oppose the Brotherhood openly again.Review

Well they could be, but 'sealed behind it' makes me think they mean sealing the hole in the sky once it passes back through.

End of YrentaChapter Forty-seven==Destral, Matoran Universe==~802 AGC~ Imlen looked on in horror as the great red warrior began to single-handedly carve into Velitel's army, while the surge of Brotherhood reinforcements fell upon the outermost ranks. He had never seen this lone ravager before, but he immediately knew this was the Makuta Icarax that Teskor had just spoken of. This realization was corroborated by the Power Scream the crimson being let out – a terrible roar that felled an entire regiment and caused the tower to tremble. His Kanohi glowed as energy streamed into him from the corpses of his victims, reminding Imlen of another red warrior that had also worn the Mask of Scavenging, a Dark Hunter he had encountered long ago. But as hardy as Bulwark had been – hence his code name – Imlen knew that the Dark Hunter would have been lucky to last a minute against Icarax, who seemed utterly unstoppable.Iskanemo looked ready to jump down into the battle, but the balcony was at least half a kio up. It was unlikely he would be able to extend the reach of his Mask of Repulsion that far, even against as broad a target as the ground itself. After a moment of hesitation, he turned and bolted back into the tower, brushing his allies aside in his haste. Imlen glanced back to the ground to see the rebels scattering, then he followed after Iskanemo and the other Toa. When the group reached the stairwell, the lanterns suddenly went out. Again, Imlen conjured a small globe of plasma to provide illumination, only to find that the incandescent matter barely pierced the darkness. This time, the shadow was unnatural.“Seven mighty heroes, so easily lost in the dark,” Teskor's voice reverberated. “Perhaps if this fortress truly had been empty, you would have survived it, even if the traps were activated –”The Makuta paused, and Imlen heard a quiet grinding coming from the floor right next to him, quickly followed by a sickening stabbing noise. The shadow parted just enough to reveal the body of one of their group's Toa, perforated by a row of spikes that had sprung out of the floor.“That's right, the traps. You came this far unmolested because I allowed it. By activating the right mechanism, I could cause the floor to melt away from under your feet,” the Makuta explained. “But don't worry, I won't. Oh, most of you will die, one by one, but I want to leave Imlen and Iskanemo alive for the time being, so they can see their plans and hopes fall to ruin.”“I know few beings as despicable as you,” one of the Toa spoke back to the darkness. “But I am not afraid.”“Not afraid?” chuckled Teskor. “Then go on, take a step. A Toa can't abandon her allies in need, can she?”With one heavy step, the one that had spoken left Imlen's tiny sphere of illumination. Another footstep sounded, and another, and a fourth. Imlen and the others dared to follow, clasping each others' hands so they did not get separated. The Toa in the lead allowed them to catch up, then they carefully began to descend. Climbing down a colossal staircase in nearly absolute darkness was frightening enough without the possibility of falling into a lethal trap with every step – and yet Teskor had just said he wanted Imlen and Iskanemo alive. This made Imlen feel guilty, as the Makuta no doubt intended, but he managed to gain courage from it. As long as he was careful enough not to fall, no harm would come to him yet. Or so he thought until the step beneath his feet suddenly became molten-hot. He yelped and jumped instinctively, accidentally breaking free of his companion's grasp and tumbling down the stairs. His fall was stopped by the next landing, which was near enough for him to not be seriously injured, but he still ached all over. The very nasty shock he had just suffered felt even worse.“Imlen!” the worried voice of Iskanemo sounded down the stairs. “Imlen, are you alive?”“I'm...” Imlen croaked, then he managed to shout back up. “I am. I'm not hurt too badly.”“That step melted into a liquid in seconds,” called one of the other Toa. “And yet the shadow was so complete the glow of molten rock could not pierce it. And now it's cooled and reformed, just as quickly.”“Be careful,” said Imlen. “I'll wait right here.”Imlen waited until his companions reached him, and just as he was about to resume providing light, the darkness lessened enough on its own for them to just barely see where they were going. When they were halfway down the next flight, Iskanemo suddenly put his hand to his head and reeled. Imlen reached out to catch the Toa of Air, afraid he was going to topple over, but Iskanemo managed to regain his balance.“Brulado and his soldiers are in trouble,” he said, breathing heavily as if frightened.“What? What's happening?” asked Velvirki.“I don't know,” said Iskanemo. “It – it was more of a telepathic scream than a status report.”“For an instinctive, wordless utterance, such a message was quite descriptive of the situation, Iskanemo,” the voice of Makuta Teskor boomed. “But not as vivid as I would prefer, so allow me to elaborate.”For a few seconds, all was still and silent, and Imlen was confused by Teskor's words. Then a vision flashed before his eyes – the telepathic soldier being butchered by a Rahkshi. As he cried out in shock, the empty blackness next to the stairs turned to a horrific scene. It was an apparition of the slaughter of Brulado's group. In some far-off chamber, he and his soldiers had stumbled into a cruel trap. Some of them were dismembered by jagged blades from the walls and floor, while Rahkshi surrounded and exterminated the rest. Brulado himself was the last one left alive, but his valiant fight was ended when he stepped on a pressure plate while backing away from the Rahkshi. Triggered by his misstep, a chute in the ceiling opened to dump a torrent of molten metal on his head. If the Toa of Fire's natural resistance to heat had any effect, it seemed to do nothing but prolong his suffering, and Teskor made sure to provide the sound of his death scream in the illusion. And though it was just that – an illusion – Imlen knew this was no deception. The fortress somehow amplified the reach of Teskor's powers and perception, and the Makuta had shown the six Toa exactly what had happened.“We shouldn't have sent them ahead on their own,” said one of the Toa, after they had recovered from the worst of the ordeal.“No. I sent them to their deaths,” Iskanemo agreed, though he maintained his composure. “But such is the burden of a commander. And perhaps there is hope for the others, if we manage to capture the teleportation device...”“It sounds like the best course of action,” said Imlen. “But I am still certain I will face Teskor once again before this is over.” ----- Vilam wasn't sure she was doing the right thing. Though her injuries troubled her less, her thoughts were still somewhat muddled. As soon as she saw the Brotherhood reinforcements streaming in from the opposite shore, and the column of reddish smoke that heralded the arrival of Makuta Icarax, she knew she had been right to be anxious, but she didn't know what she could do about it. Though her limp no longer slowed her walking pace by much, she couldn't move fast enough to spar, and her reflexes were impaired. She doubted she even had the strength to wield her sword for long. And yet her elemental energy had recharged, and she had retained the mental acuity to channel it. She realized that was what she could do. She preferred to use physical combat in conjunction with her elemental powers, but that was not an option this time. This time, she would put all her effort into unleashing lightning. It was one of the flashier elements, and hopefully it would draw the attention of Icarax away from her allies.She was not one to throw her life away, but she knew the wounds she had suffered would soon put an end to her time as a Toa. In other circumstances, she would have been willing to retire to existence as a Turaga, but she wasn't one yet, and that meant she still had to fight to save her comrades. When a fleeing platoon stampeded past her, pursued by Visorak, she took a deep breath and prepared for what would be the last – and likely the most taxing – use of her element. The crack of thunder rolled across the misty plain as a bolt of electricity shot from her hands and forked to intercept each of the approaching Visorak. Heads turned across the battlefield, but she couldn't see if Icarax had taken notice. She ran forward as quickly as she could, and when she was in range of the next group of Brotherhood minions, she let out an even greater surge. Rebel warriors looked up in surprise and relief as the enemies that had been about to slaughter them were fried by the bluish bolts. No longer restrained by the encircling ranks of the Brotherhood army, they ran to join Vilam.“Go! Flee!” she yelled. “Get out of here!”Most of the soldiers happily complied, for which she could not blame them, but a few brave individuals insisted in staying at her side as she moved towards the midst of the battle. More rallied to them as they advanced, while they continued to clear a path for those who could no longer fight. The shape of the battle quickly changed, and though it was still a certain defeat for Velitel's forces, it was no longer such a disastrous rout. Inspired by Vilam's interference, scattered, fleeing soldiers reformed ranks to retreat neatly or make another stand. But Icarax still had yet to react. Vilam soon saw why: the red Makuta had just finished cleaving and blasting his way to Velitel and several other Toa, and now loomed over them. He was still quite a distance away, but when he spoke, his voice boomed loud enough for the Toa of Lightning to hear his words clearly over the noise of battle.“Toa. Of course,” he said. “Only Toa could be so foolhardy as to attack Destral itself. And yet you did not have the courage to confront me. You misled me, in an attempt to avoid me. I have spent all day pointlessly leveling villages on Stelt, and while such destruction was entertaining, I dislike being made a fool of. For this insult, I will kill you myself.”“I am not afraid,” said Velitel as Icarax stepped forward. “I have foreseen my death, and it is not to be here and now.”“You are foolish to trust in visions, Toa,” said Icarax. “You cannot be sure of what you see.”“I have visions of remarkable clarity,” said Waskita. “I know that my friends and I will die very soon – perhaps within the hour – but it will not happen here.”“Toa, I am about to magnetize your heads to your feet so strongly your spines break in half,” growled the Makuta. “But if you will not give me the satisfaction of savoring your terror, so be i –”Vilam struck at that instant. With a great, focused bolt of electricity, she did a deed few beings could ever boast of doing: she brought Makuta Icarax to his knees, though only for a moment. He let out a sound that was as much an annoyed growl as a pained yell, and before he could pick himself off the ground, the Toa were upon him. Streams of elemental energy converged on him, keeping him pinned down until he summoned his strength and struck back. With one sweep of his sword, he slew one Toa and sent the rest stumbling back. As he kept them at bay a little longer with a blast of chain lightning, he turned to Vilam, who was still approaching as quickly as she could.“You dare attack me from behind, Toa?” he bellowed, then he lowered his voice to a menacing growl. “You have resorted to deception and trickery, and for that, you will not be granted the mercy of a quick death.”Icarax sent a focused blast of sonic energy from his upraised hand. Vilam threw herself to the side, dodging the attack, but lost her balance. Her impact with the ground jarred her injuries, and she gasped in pain. As she struggled to push herself up, Icarax darted to her with supernatural speed. She found herself on the receiving end of her element as he cast electricity from his sword, and she was too muddled to absorb or deflect the lightning. As soon as she stopped spasming, Icarax cackled and used his power over gravity to lift her off the ground, then slam her down. This aggravated her wounds much worse, and with her face buried, she let out a muffled scream. She tried and failed to raise her head, and suddenly heard shouts and the clash of blades nearby, followed by screams and the sounds of falling bodies. A group of warriors had come to aid her, but by the time she managed to look up, they were all dead. She looked past Icarax to see the Brotherhood army had surrounded Velitel and the other Toa, but were not attacking them. The Makuta paused while she attempted to stand.“Come on, get up!” he said. “I have barely begun to hurt you.”He seemed to not notice that Vilam had already been nearly crippled, and she felt he had hurt her quite enough, but she was thankful he was distracted for the moment. She would just need to endure as long as she could. He began to torment her with his sword, making great strokes that he redirected just in time to leave little gashes in her armor. He continued to inflict these stinging wounds for a full minute, then swung low and effortlessly cut through her ankles. The mouthpiece of Icarax's mask warped into an evil grin as she fell onto her back. With a great effort, she managed to maintain her mental focus and not scream, but she would not be able to bear the pain for much longer. It was time to act while she still could. As Icarax's blade swung for her right wrist, she channeled a blast of electricity from that hand and into the weapon. This time, Icarax barely faltered, but she had enough time to continue to channel lightning from the whole of her body. Nearby warriors ran for cover as tendrils of electricity shot from her supine form. Several Brotherhood minions were not fast enough and were caught in the storm.Icarax stood his ground throughout the tempest of energy, but he was clearly in great discomfort. When Vilam could sustain it no longer, he was finished toying with her. He was ready to end it – and so was she. As he drew his sword back to drive it through her chest, she triggered her Kanohi for the final time. As the blade rushed towards her, the Mask of Fusion embraced the two of them, merging them into one being. Vilam immediately felt the brute force of his will crushing hers. He would win this mental battle, and when he did, they would not separate as was the case in most uses of the mask. Her mind would be annihilated, and her physical form would remain a part of him – such was the consequence of fusing with a Makuta. In fact, they used this as a method of attack in the form of their absorbing Shadow Hand. But she expected a being as selfish and evil as a Makuta would not expect any 'victim' to do such a thing willingly, and that gave her enough of an edge to consolidate her will. The longer she held onto her identity, the longer Icarax would be occupied. Inside the fusion of their bodies, her consciousness made one last stand. ----- Mozmana had been delayed by the Brotherhood reinforcements, and when she found Vilam, she was too late to save her. All she could do was watch as the Toa of Lightning activated her mask and sacrificed herself. Mozmana mourned her, but could not help but feel a tiny bit jealous of Vilam's selflessness and wish for such a chance to prove herself. But that had been Vilam's duty, Mozmana's required her to stay alive. It was time for the survivors of Velitel's army to evacuate, while Icarax was incapacitated. While the red titan staggered, locked in an internal struggle, Mozmana charged the ring of Rahkshi and Visorak that surrounded the surviving Toa. These Brotherhood minions had paused their attack, for Icarax had expressed his wish to deal with the Toa personally, and they were waiting tentatively when she fell upon them. Velitel and the others had taken the opportunity to rest, but now they struck again. Their enemies had no choice but to retaliate, whatever their master's wishes. Having recovered some of their strength and elemental power, the Toa swiftly shredded the nearest Brotherhood ranks. When they came near to each other, Velitel beckoned to Mozmana.“Mozmana! The wounded – what happened?” he said worriedly as he smashed in a Visorak's carapace.“They're safe,” she explained quickly. “I – I gave up some of my Toa power to heal some of them. Vilam ran off, and I followed her.”“I still don't think it was a good idea to leave them, but I'm glad you two came,” said the Toa of Fire. “Vilam's sacrifice might save us, and I need all the brothers and sisters I can muster to lead the remnants of our army to safety.”“You're not coming with us,” Mozmana realized. “You're going into the fortress.”“Correct,” said Waskita. “And don't worry – if we encounter Imlen and the others in there, we'll send them back out.”“Right. Iskanemo, Waskita, and I go to face our final destiny. No others are fated to accompany us,” said Velitel, then he turned to address the small group of remaining Toa. “Now is the time for us to part, brothers and sisters. You and the brave soldiers that fight by our side must live to strike the Brotherhood another day. I trust you to make this happen. Now escape! Retreat! Flee! Make for the shore!”The Toa were still fighting while Velitel gave his last command. Using the last of his Cordak missiles to clear a path, the Toa general darted for the tower's gaping entrance, with Waskita by his side. Meanwhile, the rest of the Toa moved to aid their warriors and rally them to retreat. By now, Icarax had recovered, but he was still noticeably slowed by the ordeal of subduing Vilam's will. A few Toa and squads of courageous warriors managed to hold him off, bravely forfeiting their own chance to escape. The rest of Velitel's air force had been wiped out or fled by now, and Venom Flyers swooped down on the retreating remnant of the army. Mozmana and the other Toa let out a surge of elemental power to dissipate the swarm, while the warriors made one last charge to break through the ranks of the Brotherhood army. This desperate clash was very quick and violent, and less than one hundred of Velitel's soldiers made it through. In the chaos, Mozmana lost track of how many Toa were left, but she believed there were seven or eight, not including those that had gone into the tower.The Toa turned to release one more elemental barrage to slow the pursuing minions of the Makuta, then they and their surviving soldiers fled as fast as they could. Perhaps in a different time, such flight could have been considered against a Toa's nature, but not in these days. In this era, a Toa that did not know when to run didn't last for a year. But though Mozmana was wiser than that, the retreat was still difficult on her conscience. Many of the wounded had to be left behind, and on a more personal level, she had left Imlen in the depths of the Destral fortress. He had released her from the oath she had sworn, but that did little to lessen her guilt. All she could do was trust in his abilities – a trust that was quite substantial – and hope for the best. Velitel was right: she and the others had a duty to survive to continue the fight in another time and place. Saving Imlen should also have been her duty, but that was beyond her now, and so she resolved to fulfill the option that was left to her. Though they could not yet see the coast through the fog, she and the others kept running, for they knew the way. When the sea was in sight, they were exhausted, and the Brotherhood army was right behind them.Review

Aha, here's a useful quote:"And when your fellow heroes sever the cord hat binds Voya Nui to Mahri Nui, it too will be restored to where it belongs and the hole it made sealed behind it." - Helryx, Toa Nuva Blog (not named in that story)The staff was indeed activated before Voya Nui reentered the universe (but I think very shortly before), and apparently had a delayed effect to seal the hole when that happened. Convenient. Thanks, Toa Temporal.

Huh. Good point, TNT-DJ Vezon, and I misunderstood you. Voya Nui fell back through the hole in the sky it left and into the hole it left in the Southern Continent, but how did the hole in the sky get fixed? I don't see how the Staff of Artakha could have fixed it before the island returned, because the hole and the waterfall were still there at that time, for the island and Matoro to descend through. Maybe Voya Nui did get hit by the waterfall for a little while after returning to its proper place, and the staff soon fixed that? Voya Nui would have been flooded anyway during its descent (the caves the Matoran hid in must have been sealed) so it wouldn't make much of a difference if the hole in the sky wasn't fixed right away.

Well, the guys on the Red Star might be alive again, but they're not returned to their normal lives. They're trapped up there, and possibly deformed, or even killed again. I can't say for sure, but I doubt Greg was going to have them all escape to Spherus Magna. Maybe one, or a few, or none, but I think he wouldn't 'resurrect' all of them. Besides, lots of characters we know weren't revived, such as Matoro, the Karda Nui Makuta, Teridax, and Nidhiki. So far, we know of no one who has been completely restored by the star, by which I mean resurrected and sent home again.

I think the Ignika did alter the Glatorian Mata Nui used it on, making them the Bionicle equivalent of Marvel superheroes (by which I mean mutants). Normally they don't have any elemental powers, but I agree with what you said about the Core War weapons -- since the Ignika also altered their weapons, they first believed that it had just made them into Core War-style elemental weapons. Remember, Gresh exchanged his Ignika-altered weapons for a different pair (the Exsidian ones in his Stars form) and was still able to use his elemental power.As for the original question, I also remember reading that Mata Nui gave his people the ability to speak Agori sometime at the beginning of the battle. If that wasn't an ability of the Ignika, I wonder if it was an ability of the Prototype Robot itself, or if Mata Nui had that power because he was the Great Spirit. I was about to say it sounds like an odd thing to do during a battle, but then I realized that when he saw the Toa and others emerging onto Bara Magna, he'd want them to be able to communicate and coordinate with the natives. If Tahu, Takanuva, and Gresh hadn't understood each other, the Toa and Glatorian probably would have attacked each other. Between that, the Skrall, and Makuta's minions, a lot more of Mata Nui's allies would die even if Teridax was still defeated, and Tahu might have never gotten to use the golden armor that allowed Mata Nui to win.

According to BS01, the part of the temple that was part of Mata Nui's system would normally retract when he prepared to leave a planet, but as his awakening was a sort of emergency procedure, non-vital systems like the temple were cast off that time.

I agree. We know the Southern Continent was relatively sparsely populated, and the Voya Nui region must have been remote enough for Karzanhi to consider the Matoran he sent there hidden from the rest of the world. But that sky dome covers the whole continent, so a waterfall the size of Voya Nui -- bigger than any waterfall on Earth -- should have been visible for a great distance. I agree that it being noticed wouldn't have impacted the story much, and that they'd just go along with it being part of the bizarre cataclysm their world experienced.

Yes, there was a waterfall flowing from the hole Voya Nui made in the sky and into the hole Voya Nui left in the continent. I don't think the Southern Continent would flood from it, because all the water went down through the hole and into Karda Nui (which of course hadn't been completely flooded yet).

So, we know what the Shadowed One is doing now, but that still leaves the question: what happened back on Xia to kill all those Vortixx and make him disappear?

Thank you to Erebus and Greg!

I don't think that's true. Jovan and Lesovikk have already been mentioned, but don't forget Krakua.As for the question about Hagah, I imagine they either look different (and Iruini and Norik having the same body is a coincidence) or are altered when they join the team so they have a uniform appearance.

End of YrentaChapter Forty-six==Destral, Matoran Universe==~802 AGC~ “What is taking so long?” demanded a green-armored warrior as projectiles and energies rained down over the depression in the black slope. “They should have found something by now.”“We only have a few remaining Kanohi Iden wearers,” explained Velitel, clearly struggling to maintain a calm tone. “It will take time for those few to find the defenders' hiding places.”Imlen understood the soldier's frustration. It had only been a few minutes since the order had been given for everyone in the army that wore the Mask of Spirit to use their mask powers to scout the defensive positions above, but it felt like an hour. Free of their bodies, invisible, intangible spirits could move quickly and unhindered by physical barriers – one would expect them to be able to find anything quickly. And yet Velitel had a good point. The gap blasted in the wall had left a huge pile of rubble for the Brotherhood garrison to hide behind, and it was likely that there was a system of trenches or even tunnels extending beneath the enormous fortifications. Indeed, the Brotherhood warriors were able to sustain a nearly constant bombardment even while remaining unseen, and some of the attacks seemed to come from within the slope itself. Whatever the extent to which the enemy forces were entrenched, it was clear they would not be flushed out and driven back until the most vital points in their defenses were revealed. Until then, the Toa and their allies would just need to find the best shelter they could and hope the barrage missed them.Finally something changed. Imlen wasn't privy to the reports and orders that went from scout to commander to pilot, but the results were plainly seen. A concentrated bombardment made the ground tremble, and great chunks of rubble shattered. The Brotherhood soldiers hiding underneath were uncovered like bugs under a rock – in fact, as the defending force included Visorak, some of them were exactly that. The lethal shower from above did not completely cease, but it let up enough for the rebel army to advance. The Toa of Stone and Earth resumed using their powers to carve out a path, and Imlen sighed with relief as he resumed the trek up the slope.“Very good, but we must proceed with great caution,” said Velitel. “We may have seen only a few hundred visible enemies, but Destral's most deadly defenses are hidden. Traps play as large a role as Visorak in keeping the island secure.”As if to prove Velitel's point, a stream of lava suddenly cascaded from an unseen opening a few bio above and to the right. Seven warriors were killed immediately, and several more were burned before Toa Velvirki was able to block the hole long enough for the army to pass. The attackers hadn't gotten much farther when a vertical rock face that had looked smooth and firm crumbled, threatening to bury a great part of the army. This time, the quick thinking of Toa of Stone and telekinesis users saved most of those caught beneath the avalanche. When the debris settled, some kind of mechanism could be seen under where the rock had been. By now, Velitel's flyers had forced the defenders back from the outer fortifications, but these traps were still a threat. They made the climb even more slow and difficult. Waskita soon reported that the aircraft had pursued about a hundred enemy warriors back to the central keep, only to encounter the swarm of Nui-Rama and Venom Flyers. At Velitel's command, the aircraft turned around and returned to the wall before they suffered any casualties.The enemy Rahi did not pursue them, and it seemed the defenders were still gathering their strength. Destral was a big island, and so it would take time for the several hundred Visorak, soldiers, and Rahi to gather in the attackers' path. This was fortunate for the attackers, for it took over an hour to reach the top of the slope. They suffered great losses during the climb, both from traps and from the defenders before they had been driven away, and numbered about three hundred when they reached the breach in the wall at the top. And yet this was only a hundred less than the enemy force, a difference that was more than made up for by the twenty remaining Toa. After all the difficulties they had encountered so far, after all that had gone wrong, they had endured and still had a chance at victory. They were eager to finally meet their enemies on the plain, but Velitel insisted they not move too quickly. The climb had tired everyone, and the ground ahead certainly concealed many hidden dangers. The Toa general ordered most of his army to rest for a short while, while a few brave beings went forth to search for traps.Several calm, quiet minutes passed, and the mist thinned enough for Imlen to see the enemy garrison converging in front of the nearest of the secondary towers, while the airborne swarm circled it. Distant rumbling and jets of flame from the ground marked where the scouts stumbled upon traps. Not all of these beings survived to return, but those that did provided enough information on where it was safe to tread to satisfy Velitel. Once a route across the grayish-brown expanse had been planned, the army resumed its march. The path they would take was mostly straight, as most of the traps could be safely triggered by Toa of Earth, but some had to be avoided. Many squads of Visorak and soldiers were still hurrying to reinforce the keep, and at this quick but cautious pace, the attackers had a good chance of reaching the tower before they got there. The Toa and their army burned empty Brotherhood camps as they passed, and easily broke through the lightly-defended lesser gates and towers that blocked the path to the main fortress. Seventeen unfortunate soldiers fell victim to various traps on the way, but this was negligible compared to the damage the army would have suffered had the commanders not taken care to avoid them.When the two armies were in range of each other, each side released a volley of Rhotuka, Kanoka, and other missiles. Vanguards on both sides raised their shields to protect their comrades from this hail, though many still fell. The Toa of Earth let out one last tremor to clear the way across this last stretch of ground. The shockwave created a visible wave of earth that safely triggered mines and other mechanisms as it passed. Explosions that would have devastated a heedless army flashed harmlessly across the empty field, and Velitel waited until he was confident everything had gone off. Then he led his army into a full charge, and their battles cries sounded across the barren plain. It was a fell sight for the the Brotherhood warriors to behold, but they stood their ground, the discipline instilled in them by their dark masters banishing any thought of surrender or desertion. With the clash of hundreds of weapons, the armies finally met. Overhead, the two air forces engaged each other once again.The Toa stayed together to cut a path to the tower's gate while the soldiers protected their flanks and widened the wedge between the defenders. The huge black stone and iron gate showed a resistance to elemental powers, and the combined efforts of the Toa cracked it slowly. The resilience of the gate gave the defenders time to surround the attacking army, but Velitel's force still had the advantage. Dozens of Brotherhood minions had been slain in the initial charge, and the rebels' ferocity had not lessened. For every soldier or Visorak that arrived on the battlefield, three more had already been vanquished. The aircraft were outnumbered, but several Toa turned their elemental energies against the aerial swarm, and in seconds over a hundred Venom Flyers fell out of the sky. Imlen had at first been channeling his power to help break the gate down, but upon seeing a captain and her soldiers being overwhelmed by Oohnorak, he redirected his efforts to fend off the soldier Rahi. The scorching cloud he conjured caught the black Visorak off guard, allowing the beleaguered platoon to recover.With that side of the battle under control, Imlen took out his Nynrah Ghost Blaster and carefully aimed at one of a group of Exo-Toa approaching from the south. His first two shots missed, but the third energy bolt hit his target, granting him control of the towering robot. Seeing the Visorak marching in the shadow of the Exo-Toa, Imlen had an idea. While he allowed the robot he had gained control of to continue to advance as if nothing had happened, he hit an additional four of the machines. Controlling more than one target at a time took a strong mental effort, but the result was worth it: when the five robots began to blast and stomp on their allies, the Visorak panicked and that part of the Brotherhood army fell into chaos. The rogue Exo-Toa were quickly destroyed, but when they toppled many more Visorak were crushed, and the survivors regarded the remaining robots warily. Imlen knew a demoralized enemy was a weakened enemy, and so with a few shots he had done much to hinder the Brotherhood forces on that side. But the cry of a mortally wounded Toa sharply reminded him of the danger he and his allies were still in. The true battle had just begun.He moved to protect his brothers and sisters as they continued to assail the great gate. Finally it began to crack, and a hail of Cordak missiles finished fragmenting the stone and sundering the iron frame. The rubble collapsed and the smoke cleared to reveal a wide foyer that led into the tower and the colossal fortress beyond. This should have filled the Toa with hope, but the sight of the dark, empty interior was unnaturally disquieting. Imlen and a few others used their powers to illuminate the hall, banishing much of the darkness – which was nothing more than natural shadow, it seemed – and yet the feeling of dread did not lift, and no one dared to cross the threshold. The same sensation could be felt in the Wastelands north of Imlen's home, and throughout Destral, but here, at the heart of the Brotherhood of Makuta, it was stronger than anywhere else. It dawned on Imlen that this feeling was more than just a lingering aura of evil. A malevolent presence was waiting within. As soon as the realization came to him, he heard something competing with the sounds of the battle behind him.The noise, barely audible at first, increased in volume until there was no question as to what it was. Sinister laughter was coming from somewhere within the tower, but it was impossible to tell exactly where. It was the laughter of a Makuta, and when he spoke, Imlen recognized the voice.“Congratulations on coming this far, brave warriors,” boomed Makuta Teskor. “You have passed many trials, and proven yourselves to be more formidable than I expected.”“Show yourself, Makuta!” demanded a Toa of Gravity.“Why should I? But I will tell you I am deeper within the fortress,” said the Makuta. “You've made yourself a way in, so are you going to continue, or wait on the doorstep while your allies die?”“We've beaten you once, Teskor,” Imlen spoke up. “We can do it again.”“Let us find out, Toa Imlen,” said Teskor.Imlen was unsettled by the use of his name. He hadn't felt Teskor reading his mind, so the Makuta had either done so with such subtlety as to be undetectable or remembered enough about the Toa of Plasma to recognize him by voice. Neither possibility was pleasant, and Imlen hesitated. He lost himself in his worries and doubts until he realized Velitel was addressing him.“Imlen! Imlen, listen!” the Toa of Fire was saying.“Sorry,” said Imlen, shaking his head quickly to rouse himself. “I – I know this Makuta.”“Yes, Teskor – Iskanemo told me about him. It sounds like he remembers you, too. But don't lose focus. His presence has shaken our soldiers,” said Velitel, gesturing to the rebel warriors, who were beginning to falter. “I must rally them – some of you press onward.”“Yes, but – ” Imlen began to say, but the Toa of Fire had already gone back to aid his subordinates, followed by Waskita, Tignioni, and several other Toa.“You're with me, then,” said Iskanemo, addressing the group of seven other Toa that had remained, which included Imlen, Velvirki, and Brulado.“We'll need more than eight Toa. It's a big fortress,” said the captain of the Meyit's Legacy, and he got the attention of two nearby officers. “Gather your soldiers and come with us.”The officers complied, summoning about thirty warriors to accompany Iskanemo's group into the fortress. By now the other Toa had spread out across the battlefield, endeavoring to counter the effect Teskor's presence was having on their army. Imlen took one more look at the battle raging at the base of the tower, then he and his comrades stepped over the threshold. ----- As a Matoran, Mozmana had been taught a strict code that was central to the community of Ce-Matoran she was from. She still adhered to the code, as it was quite compatible with the Code of the Toa, praising such virtues as mercy and generosity. One of the principles of her community was to be patient and control one's anger, and it was this tenet that was most difficult for her at this time. A few minutes ago, the stasis field imprisoning her had worn off. To her surprise, she had found herself surrounded by the wounded beings she was meant to be protecting. They were quite alright, though they had been unable to dispel the field, but they had some distressing news for her: Vilam had wandered off. It was quickly apparent that Mozmana had been frozen by a Zamor sphere taken from one of the soldiers' launchers, and she immediately figured out what had happened. Her own sister had incapacitated her to escape. Vilam had put her allies at risk, and for what? She was in no condition to fight.The ones Mozmana protected told her that she should go and find Vilam, but she wasn't going to abandon them when they couldn't defend themselves. And yet they were right – she couldn't let her companion limp off to her death, no matter how angry she was at her foolishness. Taking a deep breath, she realized there was but one thing to do. She called the three least seriously injured soldiers to her side, and as they stood patiently, she called upon energy reserves she hadn't expected to tap into for centuries. To her relief, it worked. The wounds of the three warriors disappeared, and she was still a Toa. She could still feel plenty of the strange energy within her, and her elemental powers were unaffected, but she knew the energy she had just expended would never come back. After quickly explaining what she had just done, she ran off after Vilam, leaving the wounded in the care of the soldiers she had just healed. Finding her would not be difficult, for Mozmana could sense her familiar mind if she reached out with her element. She did so, and was surprised to find Vilam was more than halfway up the slope. Her progress would be slow, but Mozmana would still have to hurry to catch her. ----- Imlen raised his hand and created an illuminating globe of plasma, for the interior of the tower was too dark for him to see where he was going. The glow emanating from his palm revealed unlit braziers along the wall, which Brulado quickly ignited. The flames released an unpleasant smell and illuminated the foyer poorly, but when Imlen ceased channeling his power several passages were still visible in the dim light. Most noticeable was a wide staircase that branched off in multiple directions as it climbed the tower. The building was enormous, and yet it was still dwarfed by the structure in the center of the island, which was still quite far off. It looked to be possible to reach the fortress's center from this secondary tower, but it would take a long trek through dark stone passages.“You could lose yourself in here for weeks,” Makuta Teskor spoke up, again as if he had read their thoughts from afar. “Time is not on your side, and if you do not know the horrors that you will find if you take a wrong turn.”No one had to explain that. Everyone had heard of the terrible dungeons and laboratories – and dungeon-laboratories – hidden in the depths of the Destral fortress. Savage experimental beasts or gruesomely tormented prisoners could be behind any door. The thought made Imlen shudder, but this time he resolved to not falter. Summoning his courage, he broke the silence.“So, which way, then?”“We must seize control of the island's teleportation mechanism. That is likely somewhere in the depths of the central keep,” said Brulado. “But I think this Makuta is closer – likely higher up in this tower – and we should confront him before he decides to join the battle outside.”“But he hasn't joined the battle yet,” pointed out another Toa of Air. “Maybe his goal is to delay us until his brothers return.”“Perhaps,” said Imlen as the answer suddenly dawned on him. “But this Makuta is the very same one whose shadow loomed over my homeland for thousands of years. He enslaved my people centuries ago. He killed the Toa that wielded this staff before me. I have fought him once, and I know it is my destiny to fight him again. That is clear to me, and if Brulado thinks he is up these stairs, then I say we go up the stairs.”“Well said, brother,” said Iskanemo. “But we cannot let Teskor keep us from our other goals. So: Brulado, you should lead the soldiers farther into the fortress.”“Agreed. One of the soldiers is a telepath, I will try to keep him safe and use him to contact you if we find anything,” said the Toa of Fire.Iskanemo nodded, and with that, the group split. Brulado and the soldiers disappeared into a passage at ground level, while the seven other Toa began to ascend the winding staircase. There was no sign of any living defenders, and they encountered no traps. The sounds of the battle outside were soon muffled, leaving the Toa in silence broken only by their footsteps on the dark stone steps. As they ascended, Imlen had to continue to kindle braziers and lanterns to reveal the way. He lost all sense of time, and the emptiness was unnerving, for he expected something nasty – such as a Rahkshi or spike trap – to be hiding in every shadow, waiting to leap into the inadequate flickering orange light. The stairs were steep and had no railing, and he feared any surprise would send him tumbling back down or plummeting over the edge. He wished they had a Mask of Night Vision among them, but it was too late to turn back.“Brulado's group has contacted me,” said Iskanemo without halting the group. “They've encountered some Rahkshi. Not too many for them to handle, but it seems this fortress isn't as empty as it looks.”“That's comforting,” quipped one of the Toa.“What about the others?” asked another. “Has Waskita, um, projected anything?”“Not yet,” said Iskanemo, shaking his head. “She doesn't have the skill with long-distance telepathy Krasati did, and I doubt she'll be able to stop to focus on it in the midst of battle.”At the next landing, where the stairs turned to coil around a pillar, Imlen stopped to briefly illuminate the area again. He knew he had to conserve his elemental power, but he could no longer bear only being able to see a bio ahead of him. This time, the plasma he channeled between his hands was blindingly radiant, and yet when he peeked around the pillar and looked down, he could still not see the bottom. He looked up and saw that there was a ceiling not far above that stretched across almost the entire tower. That, at least, was some comfort. He allowed the plasma to disperse and the Toa continued their climb. Soon they came through a stairwell and onto the upper level, and Iskanemo asked Imlen to provide light once again. Judging by how the outer walls were beginning to taper inwards, the Toa were nearing the top, but the steps continued to wind upwards and out of sight. The stairwell opened into a large chamber that was surrounded by walls that divided this level up into smaller chambers and passages, but one wide hall led directly to a double door that appeared to be at the edge of the tower. The Toa decided to go that way in hopes of finding a view of the outside.“Time's up, Toa,” the voice of Teskor suddenly echoed, startling Imlen.“What... what do you mean?” demanded Iskanemo, his voice quaking.“You know exactly what I mean. But see for yourself,” said the Makuta, and the distant doors opened, letting in a shaft of daylight.The Toa sprinted down the hall and through the doorway. They found themselves on an incredibly high balcony looking over the battlefield. Bodies littered the plain, most of them belonging to the Brotherhood garrison. Velitel's army had stood strong, but they were now beset by hundreds more Visorak and Rahkshi. The Brotherhood reinforcements were coming from the coast, in the direction of Stelt. It seemed Teskor was right – the ploy to misdirect the Brotherhood had granted the attackers some time, but that time had passed.“H – how?” whispered Iskanemo with a stutter. “We planned this... it should have taken them hours more to...”“How?” echoed Teskor mockingly. “Iskanemo, I have been watching you for two hundred and fifty-nine years, ever since you and your companions defeated me. You did not truly believe you could outwit the Makuta, did you? I noticed you building your 'secret' army, and I knew your ambition would lead you to target Destral. You would never aim for a lesser target.”Far below, a column of swirling black and red smoke materialized in the center of the battleground, in the midst of the rebel army.“You know of my brother Icarax,” Teskor continued as the smoke coalesced into the form of a crimson-armored titan. “You arranged to have him visit Stelt on a pointless errand. You had us move our entire island in a vain attempt to wipe out a nonexistent threat. It nearly worked, too. Icarax fell for it, and our brothers are scattered across the universe. Your army had the strength to overcome Destral's meager garrison and conquer the island. But there was one thing you did not count on, Toa: you gained my ire.”Review