TahuForever!

How the heck did this happen. . . ? O_o I know I was sick, but YEESH. What a gap. Well, at any rate, here's Chapter 6! Mask of Light: What You Didn't See... Chapter 6:Toa of Frozen. . . Uh. . . Stuff. ( Last time Lewa left Takua and Jaller in Ko-Wahi. Now they're making their way through a blizzard. ) Takua: Does something here look familiar? Jaller: Well, maybe our path would be straighter if someone hadn't drawn on the map with crayons! Takua: *blush* But but but... I thought we were using the mask! Jaller: Oh yeah... I mean, if the real herald had the mask! Takua: The real herald has the mask! Vakama: *gasps* I do not! Jaller: What're you doing here? 0.o Vakama: Uh... o_o Nothing. *dashes off* Jaller: Okay... Takua: I couldn't find water if I fell out of a canoe! Jaller: Yeah? Well I couldn't find grape-juice if I stepped on a clump of grapes! Takua: Yeah? Well I couldn't find pain if I slapped myself! Jaller: Grr... I couldn't find bad weather if I was in the Bermuda Triangle! Takua: The what? 0.o Jaller: Um... Well what do you think I can find!? *trips on a treasure chest* Oof! What? WOW! Takua: What is it? Jaller: GOLD! Whoo-hoo! I'm rich! I'm- Taku: We'll take that! ( Taku and Pewku run by and take the treasure. ) Jaller: NOOOOO!!!!! My precious! :cries: GRR! ( Jaller starts to chase them but runs into something. ) Takua and Jaller: *gasps* AAAAHHH!!!! BOHROK!!! SOUND THE ALARM!!! Bohrok: Dude, we're frozen in ice. Takua: 0_o Uh... Jaller: Frozen? What could do this to them? Takua: Freezer beams! Just a push of a button and POOF! Instant frozen *insert random thing here*! Isn't that conveniant? And, if you call NOW, we'll give you- ( The Director starts tapping his foot. ) Takua: 0_0 Shutting up. *ziiip* ( Suddenly, footsteps can be heard and a shadow looms over Jaller and Takua. Oh no! I can't look! Is this the end? IS THIS THE END!? ) Takua: We're gonna die! ( Then Kopaka comes forward. ) Takua: 0_0 AAAAAAHHH!!!!! o_o *high pitched girly scream* O_O AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! Kopaka: Stop that! Takua: ( Kopaka takes out his staff and absorbs the blizzard. ) Takua: I can see clearly now the snow is gone, I can see all obstacles in my- *walks into wall* Ow! Who put that wall there? *grumbles about incompetent stage coordinators* Jaller: Kopaka, Toa of Ice. *bows* Kopaka: Don't wear it out. Jaller: How did you find us? Kopaka: Satellite tracking system. Jaller: 0.o Kopaka: Besides, it was you who were following me. Jaller: We were? Kopaka: Yes. Jaller: Well, we're on a mission. I suppose you've heard of it? Kopaka: Negative. Jaller: Well, we've been sent to find the Seventh Toa. Kopaka: Pi. I'm listening. Jaller: 0_o Uh... You see, Takua here was in a tunnel where the lava likes to break dance- I mean where the lava break is. Where he's not supposed to be by the way... ( Meanwhile, back at the ledge near Ta-Koro... ) Tahu: Ta-Koro is gone Lewa, buried by the very lava that sustained it. Gali: And I left my make-up there! :cries: Tahu: I left mine there too... Lewa: O_0 Tahu: Wait, you didn't hear that! Lewa: Ha ha, this is totally going on Facebook! Tahu: Nooooooo!!! Gali: Ooh, awkard moment... Wait, is it my line? Oh. *gasps* Tahu... *touches his mask* Lewa: Ah, "the moment"... *holding a movie camera* Now lean in... Gali: HEY! *smashes camera* Lewa: :cries: Tahu: What is it? Do I have a bug on me? Getitoffgetitoffgetitoff! Gali: No, it's a scratch... Tahu: Oh... *bats hand away* You worry about scratches? My village is gone! Your power was nothing but a nuisance, MY power, was nothing but a nuisance... Lewa: We are same-hearted brother. Remember when we had a transplant? Tahu: Eww, don't remind me. Lewa: And that heart will quicken us to stop the evil spread. Tahu: What evil? The one that obliterated my dump of a home? Lewa: Erm... Yes. Gali: First, we must be united. Together, we are... Well, pretty useless I guess... Director: I should have found actors with more self-esteem... >_> Tahu: I couldn't agree more. Oh, hang on... *checks script* Oh... *pushes away from them and walks away* Director: And better script-memorization abilities. The studio isn't paying me nearly enough for this... ( Meanwhile, Jaller and Takua are still following Kopaka. ) Takua: Are we there yet? Kopaka: No. Takua: Are we there yet? Kopaka: No. Takua: Are we there yet!? Kopaka: NO! STOP ASKING ALREADY!!! ... *sighs, norices something and gasps* Ko-Koro... ( Kopaka uses the telescope built-in his mask to zoom in on Ko-Koro, where he sees Taku and Pewku causing havoc. Suddenly, a huge bolt of energy comes at Takua and Jaller. Kopaka pushes them out of the way and they start running. ) Taku: Wow. Hyper death-ray. Nice touch Pewku. Pewku: I thought you'd like that. ( Meanwhile, Jaller and Takua are about to run off a cliff by mistake. ) Kopaka: Stop! *stops them by holding his sword out in front of them* Takua: You saved me! *hugglesquishes* Kopaka: Yeah... Don't make me... Regret it... Can't... Breathe... Takua: Sorry! *lets go* ( Suddenly, the Rahkshi come out of nowhere. Kopaka puts his shield down in front of Jaller and Takua. ) Kopaka: Go! Takua: The Captain of the Historians never- Wait, isn't this Jaller's line? Jaller: Whatever! *pushes Takua onto the shield and they both start sliding down the cliff* Wheeeeee! Takua: Now THIS is sight-seeing! ^^ Panrahk: Muwahaha! All your Toas are belong to us! Guurahk: Stop that! He'll be my new best friend! Kopaka: O_O NOOO!!! Anything but that! Lerahk: Can we eat it? Panrahk: >_> *blasts Kopaka off cliff* Kopaka: *highly dignified scream of terror* I'm gonna die. Guurahk: Nooooo! Think, Luke, use the Fork! Kopaka: The what...? Oh bother with all this. *does the obvious thing in a dangerous situtation, and checks the script* Aha! ( Kopaka throws his swords out in front of them, lands on them, and uses them as skiis. ) Takua: *snaps a photo of him* ( Kopaka starts showing off in a dignified way for Takua to take pictures, but then trips and gets knocked unconcious. Meanwhile, Jaller shows himself to be one of the worst drivers the world has ever seen and crashes the shield. Then the Rahkshi close in. ) Takua: Jaller! *shakes him* Jaller: Stop it! I'm fine! Takua: Oh... Gimme the mask! Jaller: Why? Takua: Um... Because the paddles for my canoe broke and I need to use the mask... Jaller: Oh, okay! *forks it over* ( Takua takes the mask and starts paddling across the lake with it, using Kopaka's shield as a boat, but the Rahkshi are too fast. They try to grab Takua, but just then Kopaka wakes up and zaps them with a blast of ice. ) Guurahk: How could you!? Lerahk: I always wanted to go swimming... Panrahk: CANNONBALL!!! Kopaka: Rahkshi, dirtied and heated. *turns lake into steam* Jaller: ... o.o Whaaat? That's not how it goes! Director: And I pay good money for people to do things BY THE SCRIPT! Kopaka: Bah. *freezes steam* Nobody appreciates art. Makuta: Amen to that Brother. Kopaka: O_o ( A hand reaches out to grab Takua but freezes solid. ) Takua: *high pitched- oh never mind* Haha! That's why you don't mess with TAKUA THE INVINCIBLE! *does a jig* *trips* Ow... ( Kopaka walks across the ice to Takua, Jaller following. ) Kopaka: Good moves. Takua: Haha! That's 'cuz everybody loves kung-fu fighti-ing! Makuta: Ohohoho! Takua: Those people move fast as- ( Just then the Director shoves Makuta out of the scene and glares at Takua. ) Makuta: Actually, I meant to bring this up before, but my name is Teridax! Director: I don't care, get out off the set! It's not your scene! Makuta: I'll be baaack... ( Jaller, Takua, and Kopaka sit around and stare at each other. ) Director: It's Takua's line! Takua: Oh! Um... Even I get lucky sometimes. Director: >_> Kopaka: *fixes Takua's askew mask* Not luck. It's what you do that makes a hero. Wait, what am I saying? This is Takua we're talking about! Takua: Hey! ( Suddenly, Pewku runs up. ) Jaller: No, stop, Pewku! Takua: Pewku! *spreads arms* Pewku: How DARE you leave me behind!?!? ( Pewku jumps on top of Takua and proceeds to pummel him. ) Jaller: Wow. She must have come all the way through the jungle. I wonder where Taku is... ( Meanwhile, in Ko-Koro, Taku is in prison. ) Taku: Lemme out o' here! Where's my one phone call!? I WANNA LAWYER!!! Guard: Quit whining! You've been in there five minutes! Taku: Old joke, not funny. ( Back to the others... ) Pewku: Long story. ( Kopaka walks away. ) Jaller: Not bad, maybe Pewku should be the herald- Takua: Don't give her any ideas! *owch!* Jaller: -eh, Toa Kopaka? *sees he's gone* He just left us here! Takua: Here Pewku, I'll give you a cookie, then you calm down, got it? Pewku: Cookies... *wolfs down the cookies* Takua: Augh! Not too many or you'll get fat! Oh, my line. He must see to his village... ( Takua picks up the mask and they continue their journey. ) THE END

It rhymes, it's pretty, and at a glance I have no idea what you're talking about. Sounds like poetry to me!

Well, thank you for the review from the SSCC! A long review for a long story. I'm glad you enjoyed the allegorical side of this. Thing is, it wasn't exactly meant to be an allegory, and even when it became one, I wasn't sure exactly what I was getting at, except perhaps for a vague notion of following a glorious dream. I'm not sure how not finding the mask would have strengthened the allegory, but thanks anyways! And it's true, I've definitely created a paradox here: Between the defeat of Makuta and the rise of the Bohrok Swarms, this all-powerful mask, supposedly with the power to awaken Mata Nui, is discovered and brought to the surface? How does that fit in? I guess you could call this an alternate reality. And FYI, the Matoran would have broken into Makuta's lair almost immediately after he'd stolen the mask, and he probably hadn't really expected them to attempt it, weakened and dispirited as they were after Mata Nui's downfall, plus the Matoran must have been really really lucky. The Matoran had no choice but to hide it away because there were no Toa around to attempt to wield it. (The Turaga certainly couldn't have handled the power) And the Matoran of Mata Nui have always had some amount of loyalty to each other, right? At any rate, they wouldn't waste their time fighting over the mask when they were busy fighting Makuta and when fighting amongst themselves would simply allow Makuta oppurtunity to steal it back. That, and kill each other, thereby betraying the Three Virtues, in order to obtain the mask that belonged to Mata Nui and could potentially awaken him? Come now. Unless they were traitors to their kind. Anyway, I doubt if the small band that retrieved the mask from Makuta told any of the others about it. And Makuta killed them, remember. Yeah, the twenty-thousand paces wouldn't have been so peaceful, come to think of it. The depths of Le-Wahi isn't exactly a walk in the park, even though Makuta had been defeated and the character needn't worry about the mask-infected Rahi. Ah, well, you found a hole in here. Wow, did I really say "wolf?" XD Yep, I did. Whoops. Nearing the end I was getting a little too much of a human image in my head, and not enough of the Matoran the character was. The temple, too, perhaps speaks more of Indiana Jones than Bionicle. Hopefully not too much to be believable, but ah, well. At least I did well on the rest, according to you. I see what you mean about the name. I was trying to keep it vaguely Bionicle-ish, but it obviously trailed on way too far. That and the reference was perhaps far too explicit. I'll even go a bit farther than your criticism and say it was a rather absurd notion to go through with that name. . . I'll try to think of something else. Truth be told, I hadn't seen the ending coming myself until he was about half-way out of the temple, I think. Still, now we have the mask sitting somewhere in the middle of Le-Wahi, which doesn't completely fix the paradox. . . But I guess no one ever found it and it now lies at the bottom of the Aqua Magna ocean. There. Fixed. Come to think of it. . . Given the ending, how did he write this story, as it is written in first person, after all. I guess he's telling it to someone. *shrug* I'm glad you liked the style of my first-person prose. This was, I think, the most poetic thing I've ever written, reflecting the personality of the character. I was afraid it might have gotten ramblesome or tediously emotional in certain places, but if it went over well, then I can breathe a sigh of relief. Thank you very much for the words of criticism, encouragement, and a very meaningful review. And thank you as well for the grammar lesson. I will fix those mistakes, (give the guy a new name), and keep your input on grammar in mind. Ah, those pesky ellipses. . . EDIT: Oh, and by the way, there's a sort of joke in the name of the sidirosaurus, for anyone interested. [Quote Raw hopelessness gripped me as the sun began to rise, and my cries finally began to take leave of me, bubbling over from my long built-up reserves of utter despondence. That really makes it sound as if he were shouting rather than weeping. Better sobs, moans. Cervantes was fond of using sighs, as in "sighs exuding from the depths of his very soul."] Well, actualy, I think he was supposed to be shouting there, or close to it. As in, he was uttering loud cries of despair. But I changed it to "my cries of despair." [Quote All of that had led me to this moment, the moment when I would behold the tremendous wonder that was, the Mask of Mim Brano. That comma is unnecessary.] Well, but it adds to the effect. Wow, I was excessive with the ellipses, wasn't I? Going over it again, I got rid of a bunch of them. I think I like it better with fewer.

Have you seen the "Season 5 Preview" or the preview for the Ahsoka arc? Ventress is definitely going to be in here. I like the clone-centered episodes a lot, too, which is why I think a "Star Wars: Rebellion" series set during the Original Trilogy era could work. Actually, I really liked the rebel-focused arc earlier this season, too, for that reason. It's funny how many of the episodes of this show don't actually focus on the war. Most of them, I think. I hope we see more large-scale battles next season. Still, it's not too much of a complaint, because they do find a lot of good side-stories to tell. I didn't particularly like the droid arc either, but it had it's moments, and it was amusing. Plus, we didn't actually see that clone commando die. Maybe he still lives. . . Anyone have any guess as to who might be the traitor Jedi? I'm actually thinking it might possibly be Bariss, given her inclusion here and strange behavior, but I would be very disappointed if it was her. I can't really see her doing that.

Yes, as a matter of fact. Before he was a guest-star in my Mask of Light spoof, he did more serious work as the center of several of my imagined Bionicle stories. He still does, I had just decided to toss him in there when I did Mask of Light.

This is a songfic based on the music video Bionicle Hero. The funny thing is I envisioned this years ago, but the images stuck with me. Finally I got around to writing it just recently, and I think it turned out rather well, actually. Thankfully the forums are back online and I can post it. By the way, if you've never heard "Bionicle Hero", you'll want to look it up. Great song. 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 Bionicle Hero As you're on your way back home, Something catch your eyes untold. 　 　 One fine sunny day on the island of Mata Nui, I was taking a stroll down from Ga-Koro to my home in Ta-Koro. I'd just been doing some business in Ga-Koro and was now returning home. I am a Ta-Matoran, if you could not guess, and my name is Taku. The Bohrok swarms had just recently been defeated by our noble and heroic Toa, who were then transformed into Toa Nuva. All on the island was now peaceful, save the odd Rahi trouble. As I was saying, I was on my way down this path, when in a clump of bushes up ahead I saw something very strange. I couldn't tell quite what it was, but it sparkled in the sun. I drew closer, pushed my way through the bushes, and found myself in the center of a vegatative ring. In the center, protruding from the dirt, was a little sack of widgets. Well, what do you know? Who could have left these here? I supposed it did not matter, as there weren't very many widgets. But as I pulled it free, the sand under it started draining downwards, as if it were being sucked into the ground. I realized that indeed it was being sucked in and my heart stopped. Quicksand! The hole was widening at an alarming rate, so I turned to run. But too late. The sand under my feet was collapsing under me. I struggled, but in vain. I slid into the pit. When I reached bottom, however, I was surprised to find myself flying through space. The light of day disappeared above me and I sank into a dark void. Finally, I landed on my side with a terrible jolt. I rose slowly to my feet. 　 　 Fear of darkness lingers here. Tremble as you get the fear... 　 　 I looked about me and realized I was underground. Above me I could see a circle of light, but sand was still falling and I coughed and my vision was obscured. I retrieved a lightstone from my pack and looked about. I whistled. What a cave. It stretched in every direction farther than the lightstone could make clear to me, and made up an entire landscape in itself. There were pillars of stone rising high in the air, cliffs rising and falling, and a river cutting and winding its way through the place. I couldn't believe such a place existed down here, and one I'd never known of before. There was something strange about this cave, too. As my eyes began to adjust to the darkness, I noticed strange lights in the distance, at varying points, and the texture of the stone was almost. . . Creepy. The more I looked about, the more I began to feel strange twinges of fear. But why should I? I did not understand. It was just a cave, after all. But then, things often lurked in caves, did they not? All the same I knew there must be a way out somewhere. I retrieved the sack of widgets and placed it in my pack. Knowing there wasn't likely to be anyone along the road above at this time of day, and remembering the principal that says water always flows downwards, I set off to follow the river towards its point of origin. 　 　 Now you're on the cornerstone, Fearing you'd be left alone. 　 　 I followed the river as far as I could walk. It had taken me an hour to get there. The head of the river broke free from under the cavern wall, and there was no way to follow it without swimming. Being a Ta-Matoran I was natuarally averse to the idea, and besides that I still had an unnatural feeling of fear in this place, but there was nothing else for it. I would have to brave it and swim. A few long-held breaths and thorough soakings later I realized I would be unable to follow the river any farther. There were no air pockets within my reach of this point. 　 　 Who will lose, who will prevail? Who will tell the final tale...? 　 　 Suddenly, I shivered, and not just from the cold. The nagging feeling of fear suddenly came on me again, only stronger this time. In all the time I'd been in the cave it hadn't left me. Being a long-time member of the Ta-Koro Guard I liked to pride myself a bit on my instinct, and I wondered what manner of beasts might be lurking in here. I set off at perhaps a bit quick of a pace along the wall, praying I would find an exit. Suddenly I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I jerked my head in that direction. Had something just darted behind that pillar. . . ? My heart-rate quickened, as did my pace. 　 　 There it goes, Again. 　 　 Dust kicked up behind my pattering feet as I searched desperately for a way out. I could not understand what was causing me to behave so irrationally. But there! I saw movement again! I still could not make anything out when I turned to look, but I realized I was not alone in this cave. And something or someone was following me. 　 　 There it goes, Again. 　 　 I ran on, casting frequent glances over my shoulder, certain that something was after me. I didn't have long to wait before I discovered what it was. Something darted out in front of me. I skidded to a halt, and jumped back from the creature that had surprised me. It was a Bohrok. Oh, is that all? Mind you, they were quite dangerous, but I'd fought a good many Bohrok in the war alongside my fellow Guards, even with my bare hands. I didn't fear them any more than dangerous Rahi. Unless they were Lehvak. Lehvak sent shivers through even our noble Captain, Jaller. I stood my ground, setting my expression to that of defiance. The Bohrok stepped into the radius of light cast by my lightstone. Instantly I was taken aback. Something about this one, its sleeker, stronger body, the sickly patterns spread across it, made the feeling of horror return to me stronger than ever. I couldn't help myself. When it raised its shields and pointed them at me, I leaped to the side and ran off a few yards. Just as I did, the ground behind me exploded, bits of melting rock flying in every direction. If I hadn't moved, I would've been dead. The Bohrok turned slowly to look at me, then jerked its head at me. Chik! Chik! I quickly evaluated the best course of action. I fled for my life. 　 　 Do you know, What it takes to be a Hero? When you're lost, A piece of love, a piece of you. 　 　 I quickly realized that there was more than one Bohrok after me as I ran on, and the feelings of terror only grew worse. Glimpses of them told me they were part of the same elite group, as Elite Bohrok I realized they must be. I heard the crackle of an energy blast behind me. I leaped to the side, a pillar was struck and began to crumble. But it would lay in my path, if it landed in front of me they would catch me. I put on a short burst of speed and slid under just as it was about to squash me. I lay on my back, and was breathing hard. Which meant I wasn't dead. I slowly raised myself from the ground and looked back at the wall now lying between my pursurers and I. I laughed quietly to myself. Then two of them leaped to the top of the pillar and jerked thier heads down at me. Chik! Chik! Chik! Chik! With fresh vigour, I resumed my mad dash. Bursts of power struck the ground around me, clouds of shrapnel flying in the air. Just like the Tahnok invasion of Ta-Koro. One blast landed just shy of me and sent me flying. No, worse, worse! I quickly found my feet and ran on. During the midst of this I dropped my lightstone, and I was forced to run blindly in the dark. By now my eyes were more or less well-adjusted to the blackness, but I still found myself stumbling off small cliffs and nearly crashing into pillars. 　 　 Do you have, What it takes to beat the Fearless? In your heart, To grow up strong, and undo wrong? 　 　 One time I found myself floating in the air, feeling weightless, only to be sent flying, my body feeling as if different parts were being pulled in different directions. The Bohrok hissed at each other behind me as if they'd gotten in each other's way. A bolt of electrical energy surged past me and began forming itself into a wall, but I swerved aside it just before it could stretch far enough to block my path. I soon indentified several of their powers: Gravity, magnetism, electricity, and something very hot and explosive, but I couldn't tell quite what it was. Science lesson over, I kept moving. Bursts of energy checkered the vicinity, breaking pillars, sending rock flying through the air, even putting a few holes in the ceiling. Whatever these things were, they didn't strike me as discreet. 　 　 To grow up strong, and undo wrong. 　 　 The flashes of energy began to dwindle, until finally my pursuers seemed to give up the chase. I couldn't bear to stop running just yet. My legs bore me on a good distance farther before I stopped, panting very hard, behind a pillar. My body was used to terrible exertions, especially after everything in the the Bohrok War. Even so it took me a few minutes to regain my breath and my bearings. Finally I set off at a brisk pace, my every sense alert for the first sign of danger. I didn't know where I was going, but I wasn't going to find my way out by just sitting there, now was I? 　 　 Walking down that well-worn road, Something changed but who would know? 　 　 I walked along what seemed to be a defined path, with rows of well-spaced pillars running along either side, but for what point and purpose the road existed I could not fathom. As far as I knew no Matoran had ever set foot here, and I'd lived on this island for a millenium, so who in the world had built this? Then it hit me. Bohrok. Cave. This place must be connected to the Bohrok Hives. . . . Yes, that explained it. Although it didn't look quite like any hives I'd seen or had heard described, but I felt that that must be the explanation. Suddenly, I thought I heard a noise. A very, very small noise, and, I thought, from somewhere above me. Yet it was so faint that even with my senses on edge I thought I might have imagined it. I picked up the pace a bit regardless, wondering what possible strategy I could use against those monsters if they returned, and what environmental location would best suit it. 　 　 The smile you get is poison-willed, The color you once knew is killed. 　 　 Bam. A cloud of dust rose up in front of me, and I froze in terror. The dust cleared. One of the Bohrok turned slowly around to look at me. Close as it was, it seemed to be smiling with glee out of the darkness. 　 　 And as you realize what's wrong, The dirt under your feet is gone. 　 　 Bam. Bam. Bam. I turned from the first Bohrok only to find another one landing in that direction. Then another, and another. All six landed in a circle around me, and I found myself face-to-face with the one resembling a Tahnok. I always liked to pride myself, just a bit, on my ability to stand firm in the face of terrible odds. But something about this cave. . . . It just wasn't natural, it did something to me. Something I'd never experienced to this degree before. In my shock and horror, I felt the ground shift under me. The dirt was gone from under my feet, and I found myself landing heavily on my side. 　 　 The enemy looks in your eyes. Now it's time to make it right. 　 　 Despite my trepidation, I looked up at the creature, intending to meet my fate bravely. The monster bent down to me and looked me in the eyes, seeming to radiate with malicious glee. My face fell. The emotions roiled inside me. I slowly rose into a kneeling position. I remembered the way I'd felt about the Bohrok during the war, I remembered the mad heart-stopping chase through this cavern, I could still see the smug face looking down on me. Then I did something very brave, and very, incredibly, foolish. But I had no intention of dying on my knees. I'd prefer to die fighting anyway. I pulled back my arm and focused all my energy into a terrific punch, delivered straight into the creature's triumphant countenance. The metal of my fist connected with the metal of the monster's face. To my incredible surprise, the Bohrok was thrown into the air, as if my strength had increased a hundred-fold. What? 　 　 Do you know, What it takes to be a Hero? When you're lost, A piece of love, a piece of you. 　 　 I was incredulous. My eyes must surely have deceived me. I couldn't have sent that Bohrok to where it lay, momentarily stunned, a dozen feet away. Then I heard a noise behind me and I turned. Chik! Chik! Chik! Chik! Chik! Chik! Chik! Chik! Chik! The creatures chittered like mad as a newcomer invaded their victory party. A Toa-sized figure landed beside me, pressed my head down, and spun in a circle. His sword of fire blazed as flames erupted in a circle, sending the creatures backward. He knelt beside me. "On my back, now!" Instantly I was on my feet and scrambling onto his back as he stood. He was indeed a Toa, and the red armor betrayed the identity of Toa Tahu. "Now hold on tight!" The Bohrok had gathered in front of us. Tahu leaped over their heads in a terrific somersault. A stream of energy flashed our way. A crescent of flame altered its course. We landed. He spun around. He sent a wall of fire toward the creatures. So began an epic battle of incredible power. 　 　 Do you have, What it takes to beat the Fearless? In your heart, To grow up strong, and undo wrong? 　 　 It was a terrific battle. Power lanced in both directions. Tahu's battle cries and exertion were terrific, matched as he was against six foes, each of power equal to his own. He sought to outrun them, dodging and deflecting all the way. A wall of sound struck us. I screamed and was nearly forced to loosen my hold to cover my ears, but a well-aimed firebolt came to the result of ending the noise. We ran on. A molten pit opened up before us, but my rescuer jumped clear and we ran on. Gravity was lessened. We found ourselves floating in the air. Tahu aimed his sword of flame behind us and jetted us forwards. Gravity increases. He aims the jet below to slow our fall, switching to his Mask of Strength, then runs on at normal speed. All was mindless action and reaction, with me hanging on for dear life as he fought. A pillar ahead of us is struck by a lightning bolt and begins to fall. It nearly crushes us, but we roll out of the way just in time. The pillar explodes behind us as we dash on. A cyclone strikes us and flings us through the air. Inside the cyclone, I find myself unable to breath. Worse, I can't even feel any wind. I can't breathe because there is no air in the cyclone, which really isn't a cyclone but a whirling mass of seeming nothiness. Then we're thrown clear of it, but I lose my grip and fall. I can't see Tahu, but a Bohrok is on me in an instant. Then I hear a defiant bellow behind me and a burst of flames sends the beast before me running for cover. The other Bohrok gather up, and I start running. Tahu runs over, picks me up and saddles me on my his back. I hold on for dear life once more as the mad chase continues. 　 　 To grow up strong, and undo wrong. 　 　 Finally, inexplicably, we find the entrance to a smaller cave. But somehow the Bohrok managed to reach it before us. Snarling, they leap at us. Tahu snarls back and leaps at them. After a brief but more direct skirmish, involving a lot of being jolted and jostled about on my part as we fly around with his sword flashing, along with fire, electricity, sound waves, gravity beams, magnetism and I didn't know what else filling the air, we find ourselves next to the entrance. We dash into it. Spinning on his heel, Tahu unleashes a terrific wave of fire into the cave, washing over the Bohrok. Their chitterous whines and screams are heard scrambling off. Then he launches a fireball that strikes the roof of the entrance and sent huge boulders falling into the cave between us and the Bohrok. He waits a moment to listen. Yes, the Bohrok had definitely run off, if those screams attest anything. Or most of them. Nevertheless, panting heavily, Tahu turns on his heel once more and continues on at a reasonable trot. "Ugh, Bohrok-Kal", he spat. "Troublesome creatures, aren't they? And yet they do have their purpose." He seemed lost in thought for a moment. There was nothing I could say. I still panted heavily, I was numb, and the cave wouldn't stop spinning. "Hey, you alright back there? I was trying to save your life, and I, uh, hope I've succeeded." He shifted me off of his back to hold me in his arms. Normally I would have found it just a little bit awkard of a position, but under the circumstances the thought didn't even cross my mind. I stared up into his friendly Hau-bearing face. "I- I-" I gasped for breath. "I think I'm alright, Toa Tahu. That is if I'm just dizzy and this cave isn't actually spinning." He chuckled. "I'm afraid not. Regular old cave." "Well then, I'll live." "Thank Mata Nui for that! You seem to have a knack for getting yourself in trouble, little one." He looked at me, a flash of worry momentarily crossing his face as he looked aside. Then it passed and he smiled again. "Yes, well, being in the Ta-Koro Guard, that tends to happen." "Ah, yes, I suppose it does. Even so, you are too im- . . ." He shook his head. "Never mind. You've done great service to your people in the past, and I'm sure Mata Nui is proud of you." I smiled at that. Then I frowned. "Wait a moment. Toa Tahu, did you call those things 'Bohrok-Kal'? How do you know what they are? Were you told of them by the Turaga?" "How do I know?" He thought for a moment. "Well, that's what they are, aren't they?" His eyes twinkled, or so I assumed in the darkness. I raised an eyepiece. What was he talking about? Finally we reached the entrance to the cave and I forgot my confusion. I leapt from his arms, kissed the ground, and raised my arms to the sky from knee-position, thanking Mata Nui. "Daylight!" Tahu laughed and walked out beside me. I beamed at him, more fond of our brave hero now than ever, only to stop and gape. "Wait. . . wait a moment." That mask was a Hau alright, but it wasn't a Hau Nuva. But I'd seen Tahu several times since his transformation. He smiled at me. "No, it's not a Hau Nuva I'm wearing, is it?" I also noticed that the armor was all wrong. "You're. . . you're. . ." "No. I'm not Tahu." I waited a moment, digesting this information. "What? But then who. . . ?" He chuckled, then saw something behind me. Striding over, he reached down and picked up a Kakama off the ground. "For goodness' sake! There you are! I must have dropped you in my haste to get here." He groaned. "It would have been a lot easier in there if you had been there." He rolled his eyes and put the mask in his pack. "Well, anyway, it turned out alright, eh Taku?" Not only was he not Tahu, but some strange seventh Toa, when as far as I knew there'd only ever been six, and we Matoran had certainly never seen this being before, but he also knew my name. Suspicions nagged at the corners of my mind, but I pushed them off. He had, after all, just risked his neck to save mine. Then another realization hit me. "'On your way here?' How on earth did you know I was going to be down there?" He frowned, thinking. He glanced at me, then returned to thought. It seemed he hadn't intended to let that slip. I sighed, stood up, walked over, and grasped his arm. "Thank you." He smiled down at me. He raised his fist, as if in a friendly gesture, but then seeming to catch himself he lowered it and patted my on the top of the mask instead. "It's what we do, little one. But now I must go. No more getting mixed with these Bohrok-Kal creatures, understand? Take care, little one." He retrieved the Kakama, bore it, and was off, a cloud of dust speeding towards the horizon. What a strange Toa. . . . I turned and shook my head, then stopped. "Oh, shoot. I left my pack in the cave. I'd saved up a hundred widgets, too. Well, I've more at home and of course my life is worth a lot more than that anyway." I chuckled, still somewhat numb, and meandered off in the general direction of Ta-Koro, undecided as to whether I would report this strange occurence to the Turaga. What a day. . .

He said he used blender. Well, not knowing what that meant, I wanted a more specific answer, but silly me, I should have looked it up. Now I did and now I know. Whoo-ee, it looks like a looot of work went into this model.

Oh, we're allowed to revive short story threads? Good to know. First, let me just re-iterate what the others have said. This is a short, sweet, well-written little story that was very pleasant to read. Now on to more specifics: First, these first couple paragraphs scream "model husband." Or model parents, really. If only most parents worked like that. Mind you, I really don't know either way. It's not a subject I've ever asked around about. But I hope I can manage as much one day. Nice choice of name. Liam Neeson happens to be one of my favorite actors. By any chance is there a connection here? Now a couple grammar nit-picks: In the first case I have to ask if English is his first language. The second is just a simple typo that must happen all the time. What happened to the past tense? Everything before and after is past tense. This Calvin sounds like a great person. I'd love to see him at work. (and amusingly, I'm currently reading through Sherlock Holmes) Do you have any other stories about him up yet, by any chance?

Oh, my, I'd completely forgotten to check and see if you replied to me. Heh, heh. Okay, I see what you mean. On the supposition that he's basically "made of fire", it makes more sense. Well, perhaps I shall read some of your other work as well. I can't get over how cool that painting is! Thanks for the link. That's cool that it came from a dream the artist had. If I remember right, the movie Avatar got its start from a dream had by the mother of James Cameron.

Could be a ram tribe then. That would be cool. We also need a ninja turtle tribe.

No one voted for Duplo? I wonder why. . . ? Anyway, after what we've already seen, my picks would be Castle, Galaxy Squad, and Star Wars, in that order. Kind of strange that they're starting a new castle theme when they still have LOTR, but I guess that explains why the LOTR line is smaller this year. (though we won't see the Desolation of Smaug sets for a while) Okay, after seeing some pictures of them, I guess Lego wanted some medieval stuff aimed more at little kids. Makes sense. (shoulda done that with POTC ) Come on new pirate theme! Or, well, if you want to wait until I actually have money to spend on you, that's fine.

Aw, man, I LOVE Toy Fair. I must admit the Iron Man 3 sets were probably what I was looking forward to most here, and was temporarily disappointed when they weren't included here. However, as it was stated that they exist elsewhere, I looked elsewhere and found them. And I must say I love the new suits. And it's especially cool that they included War Machine. (are we allowed to discuss the pictures, though. . . ?) A little odd they didn't give him the patriotic colors, but it makes more sense to start with his normal colors. I wonder if we'll ever see an Iron Man Mark I? That would be cool. . . Ooh, love the Gandalf the White and King Aragorn 'figs. Nice to have Saruman, too, and the eye. I also like that eagle, although it appears the legs have no articulation. I also like the pirate ship, simply because I love pirate ships. I prefer the more "colonial era" ships, but medieval ones are nice, too. I always thought, though, that using ghosts to win the battle for Minas Tirith was a little corny. . . especially since it forced Aragorn to let them go immediately afterward, which was kinda silly. Overall not as impressive as last year's line, but still good. I'll bet the Lone Ranger line is quite nostalgic for some folks. Some have probably been waiting a long time for a new western theme. Not a major western fan myself, but I must say the Lone Ranger stuff looks pretty good. I like those soldiers and especially the train. The train also includes a general or captain soldier, complete with a navy blue version of the new cowboy hat, which is AWESOME. Not a fan of TMNT either, but I like the turtle-people 'figs. And the fact that they're ninjas is an even more amusic concept. Can anyone else see another LoC tribe in here? And hey, is that an evil brain in the one set. . . ? I also like the other 'figs in here, especially the fish guy, the guy that looks kinda like Crash Bandicoot, and the robot ninjas. Aaand other than the fact that the one Man of Steel set I could find pictures of looks cool, that concludes my review.

Man, I sure miss the days of sheep 'figs. Those were the golden years. Why don't they have sheep in Chima?

To everyone criticizing the legs and/or beefy body, just think "Mr. Incredible." I like it. The color scheme of black and gold looks really good. It's not very hard to make a good-looking figure with these kind of arm and leg pieces, but the body seems unique enough. I like the use of the Olmak. I agree, though, that the helmet could probably look a little more like a helmet. I also like those tubes with spikes. And the sword. Even though the sword doesn't say much for the design, given it's simple. He looks pretty good to me.

Hey, that's a really cool mech. And you even have a little cockpit for the pilot. I like the skeletal design of the mid-section, too. And I actually like the tiny head. It has a nice effect, if you ask me. The design of the arms and legs are cool, too. I like the feet. I also like the fins and rocket-engine-things. Looks like a lot of detail in here. Too bad it falls apart too easily. :/ The recent B-Wing models have that problem, too. You'd think official sets wouldn't, though... Kudos! Keep building!

Here, have a cookie! Yeah, the pictures aren't great, but they're not terrible. I like the model, the body is beautiful and the legs are nice. The spikes are cool, too, and I also like the tail. And that face is sure scary-lookin'. In fact, the blurriness of that first picture makes it look like it's moving to attack. It looks like something out of Centipede. Nice spider! ( BTW, the spiders in Centipede only had four legs, too. )

Hey, nice 'bot. I like the use of both technic and system pieces, although I suppose that isn't uncommon. I also like the way I can't make out much of the design because it's rather jumbled, and looks very robotic. It's nice when someone can manage that. I'm not sure I could. Can it move sideways along that beam, or just spin on the wheel? Does it have a set range of movements, or is it wobbly? Very nice 'bot. Reminds me of the 'bots from Wall-E. And now I know who GLaDOS is and what Portal is. By the way, Rahkshi Guurahk, your last line there is rather paradoxical. I don't see any truth in it, either.

Funny how we can share both physical and digital models nowadays. Anywho, I like the design of this, especially the cannon, and the rocket design is nice, too. Nice nose cone, as well. I also like the color scheme. That's dark green, yes? One of my favorite colors.

Jacks, I see. Thanks for the explanation. And yeah, next time I should be able to get the cover I want. Using numbers is a good idea. It is rather a little castle with not a lot of space for anyone. Crowded. A barracks or two would have been nice, too, but alas, the poor guardsmen have to sleep wherever they can while I guess the royals have to sleep in the throne chamber. Actually, I think the middle rooms in the two side towers may have been meant to be barracks, but I never got around to furnishing them, whatever they were supposed to be. Well, yeah, the different shades of grey clash, but what real castle ever had stones all of the exact same hue? In a large spaceship it's more of an issue... And unfortunately I can't take credit for the training dummy, that came from the Lego Kingdoms advent calendar. Meiko, the center tower is centered, but no, it's not symmetrical. I suppose it might make sense to have a balcony on each side. And thank you. Thanks, Valendale! I'm happy with the amount of details I was able to fit in there. It would have been nice if I'd fit barracks in there, though. There's also a small space under the front tower and behind those stairs which I did nothing with... That and the middle rooms in the side towers can be the barracks. Voila!

You mean that's the only Hero Factory part you can find in there? Use the Brick Search, to the left of the list of available bricks. You'll noticed a bunch of categories starting with "figure." Some of those are minifig parts, but the rest are Hero Factory. Or maybe it was specifically a HF shell you were looking for?

They already have Lego Pawn Stars. It just looks like a bin of random assorted parts, though, and I think the only places that stock it are yard sales. Unless you're referring to our own personal bins of spare parts, I'm not sure what you're talking about. It was a joke. Have you ever spent a weekend looking at yard sales in the hopes of finding Lego? It's not entirely unlike Pawn Stars, where you'll occasionally find a gem of a set in the midst of less appealing items. Ah. No, actually, I haven't, but mayhaps I should. That would be awesome. We're getting off topic here, though. How about... Lego Kung Fu Panda? That would be cool. I'd love to see Po, Tigress, Tai-Lung and Chen minifigs.

They already have Lego Pawn Stars. It just looks like a bin of random assorted parts, though, and I think the only places that stock it are yard sales. Unless you're referring to our own personal bins of spare parts, I'm not sure what you're talking about. Slight problem with Halo, besides it being based on M- and T-rated games: rights for sets are owned by Mega Bloks. *gags*Also, another series I'd like is Jurassic Park. They had the Films sets, but I'd like a series based just on the movies, no cameras and directors. New dinosaur builds would be good.It could happen. The 4th film in the Jurassic Park franchise will be released in June, although I'm not certain lego would want to do another dinosaur theme so soon after the current one. Personally I'd like to see an Elder Scrolls theme, though that's probably not very likely. June of next year, FYI. That would be pretty cool, I must admit. So would Lego The Mummy, but that's pushing it given how frightening for kids the first one was.

Wait, we're talking about the "Star Wars: The Clone Wars Celebrates 100 Episodes" video, yes? The area around 1:49 was completely focused on Asajj, not Ahsoka... But as for the very ending of the video, whoa. So do we get to see "Ahsoka's Fate" at the end of this season? And I know there are episodes about "The Jedi who knew too much" coming... But is she that Jedi? Didn't see that coming. So it would seem she discovers something that necessitates she become a fugitive... Could it be... That Ahsoka discovers Sidious's secret? Holy moly that would be something... Meh. I'm kind of indifferent about directorial choice here. Like the Marvel movies, I'm not sure how much difference the director will make. (unless anyone else noticed stylistic differences between the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies that I did not? ) The only issue I've got is I didn't like Star Trek, but then I'm sure it wasn't J.J. Abrams idea to make Kurk such a lunatic... (and mind you, I've only seen the move once so I don't remember much about video style) I hardly think he'd style things akin to Star Trek, though, as he would have been aiming for a Star Trek feel there, (which always was white and sterile, yes?) whereas here he'll be going for a Star Wars feel. Personally I'm not very worried about the new movie. Star Wars has such a legacy and popularity behind it that if Disney messed it up, they'd basically be in big trouble with the fanbase. But then, every new incarnation of Star Wars has mixed reactions, I hear. There are those who love the original trilogy but hate the prequel, and those who love those but hate Star Wars: The Clone Wars. I'm sure there will be those who loved some combination of previous incarnations but hate the sequel trilogy for whatever reason. Has anyone else noticed what a year for movies 2015 is set to be? A lot of big names there. As for the stand-alone films, I must say I like the idea of one centering on Yoda. Can anyone else (because of Episode V) see him once having delusions of grandeur like Don Quixote? Jokes aside it would still be cool, though he has such a long history it would be hard to pick a time period. And how do you keep consistent character evolution with someone that old? I don't know, touching on Yoda's history would be rather dangerous ground, I suppose. But perhaps if they started at the beginning. An Old Republic story would be cool as well. Or they could do one about Ahsoka! I live-action incarnation of her would be interesting... One set in sequel trilogy-era, of course, since she survives that long... *cough* Or so I hope. Time will tell what they do, but this is intriguing... EDIT: :superfunny: This is reply number 666. Now if that isn't hysterical... The Jedi must die.

Nice excuse there. But notice he opened the other presents first.(heh, you caught me there. oops) I guess he had to be sure he got the right one. Oh, and it was quite funny when he opened his father's socks, too. (i took this bit from a real life experience, actually =D) The kitten was, well, cute, but I didn't find her (well, I imagined it as a she) (So did I.) quite as amusing as the kid. Well, not until she knocked over the tree, anyway. And you finished it off with one of the funniest lines: "Unconscious children don't cry." I can just imagine the dad's reaction there... And then the mother's. I wonder if that will remain her favorite type of tree. I did find a few typos in the first few paragraphs, but otherwise it was quite an amusing ditty, if without significant meaning. (although I admit, I like your given moral) And obviously the judges agreed. Kudos! =) Thank you both! I put comments I could think to make in your review I quoted up there. I've seen that style of replying to reveiws around the forums before, decided to give it a go. I think I like it. Yeah, it's a nice way to go about it, but next time you might want to make a more obvious distinction between the color of your own text and the other person's.