LostHead

Thanks for the feedback Master Inika! I see what you're saying about the Toa being too friendly with each other. Admittedly I wanted to avoid just writing them all being angsty throughout, but I might have gone too far in the other direction. This next chapter will introduce some debate within the team, and some questioning of Vakama's leadership, so when I revise the story I'll see if I can work some of that in earlier. Onewa should definitely be much meaner than I had him here. And you're very right about the attack descriptors. I'll be posting the remaining chapters soon, then going back and revising based on feedback, so I really do appreciate any feedback! Chapter 5: Ko Metru “This mask,” Onewa mused, “it must be pretty powerful, given all the security. Why haven’t we used it?” “Some powers are better kept here,” Whenua replied, seemingly distracted by the endless archives, “better locked away than in the hands of evil. Vakama, didn’t Norik say that they had taken it from the Makuta?” Vakama nodded. “And it’s not hard to imagine why he’d want it. The Makuta are creatures of shadow. Light is a power that could destroy them with little effort, so a Kanohi that controls it would obviously be a threat to them.” “That doesn’t exactly sway me to ‘team archive’”, Onewa retorted, “it sounds like we’ve been deprived of a trump card.” “You saw what happened with the mask of time,” the Toa of Fire shot back, “powerful masks can be more than one person can handle. Maybe it’s best that they’re locked away.” A silence hung over the room. The memory of the mask of time had, naturally, brought back the memories of what they had lost that day. Standing in what was essentially a giant tomb, the Toa were forced to reckon with their past. “It’s been a while,” Whenua muttered, trying to break up the monotony, “maybe we should go after them?” “Best not to risk it,” Vakama replied, “we stay here and guard the stones. Have faith, the others will be here soon.” * * * A large blue gear marked the door that towered over the Toa of Water and Ice. The marking stood out among the transparent door of the Knowledge Tower, and had a faint glow to it. “This must be it,” Nuju remarked, “now just to figure out how to get this open.” “Have you ever been inside this one before?” Nokama asked. “Not this one. I can’t recall ever seeing this door.” He placed his larger right hand on the door gently, as though feeling for something. At once, the gear lit up in a brilliant blue color, and the ground beneath them began to shake. “That did something,” he noted. “A good thing,” Nokama commented, “or a bad thing?” “We’re about to find out.” As the two Toa watched on, the gigantic illuminated gear slowly turned, clicking into a new position. At once, it halted it’s turn, and proceeded to split apart into two halves, turning into a doorway that revealed the interior of the tower. Slowly coming into view through the gap in the door was a crystal pedestal, atop which rested a golden glowing stone. The Toa of Water turned to her brother. “How did you know it would do that?” He only stared at his own hand in confusion. “I’m… I’m not sure.” Nokama shared his confusion for a moment, but quickly turned her gaze back to the Makoki Stone. “I’m afraid it’s a mystery to be solved later. We have more pressing matters to attend to.” “Indeed.” With that, the two proceeded into the main room of the tower, and approached the crystal pedestal. Nokama reached to grab the stone, but Nuju grabbed her hand to stop her. “Here,” he warned, “let’s try this.” Bending low to the ground, he picked up a small piece of debris, around the same size as the Makoki Stone, and held it next to it to compare. “This feels too easy,” he said, as he measured the size and weight of the rock he picked up, “if there’s any sort of trap here, this should fool it.” Nokama slowly nodded her head in agreement, and hovered her hand over the golden stone. The two locked eyes, and in an instant, she had grabbed the stone, and it was just as quickly replaced by Nuju’s rock. The pair held completely still for a moment, waiting for something to happen. After a few moments, Nuju breathed a sigh of relief, and the two made their way for the door. With one step, however, the floor beneath them began to shudder. The stone Nuju had placed on the pedestal quickly rolled off and clattered onto the floor. The Toa looked around frantically, trying to determine the source of the shaking, but soon found their answer when they looked back to the doorway. Sure enough, a horde of Visorak had begun flooding in, moving to attack the two Toa. Thinking quickly, Nokama turned to Nuju, and the two shared a knowing nod. She fired off a Rhotuka, instantly spawning a wall of water between them and the Visorak spiders. Before it had even touched the ground, Nuju’s Rhotuka fired off as well, striking the wall and freezing it instantly, creating a thick barrier of ice between them and the horde. “That will hold, but not for long,” Nokama warned, “are there any other ways out of here?” “If there were, we probably would’ve taken one,” Nuju replied. “Let’s make our own exit.” Instantly, he struck at the wall with his weapon, making a loud thunk sound. “That’s too thick, you’ll never get through in time!” “Do you have any other ideas?” Nuju shot back. Thunk, as he struck the wall again. Nokama paused, her eyes scanning the room. Aside from the two Makoki Stones in her hand, the only object of note in the room was the pedestal that she had removed one from. She quickly ran over to it and examined the object. Nothing about it seemed functional, but she had to try. Grabbing ahold of the base, she found it surprisingly light as she lifted. A spark in her eyes, she heaved the pedestal above her head. “Nuju!” she shouted. “Stand back!” The Toa of Ice turned to see her, and quickly flung his body over to the side, as the crystalline pedestal flew through the air and struck the wall, making only a small dent as it clattered to the floor. There was an awkward silence for a moment, before Nokama stomped her foot in anger. Right after, the sound of something breaking rang through the room. Nuju looked up in hope, but said hope was just as quickly squashed as he saw the Visorak fangs breaking through the ice wall. “Fantastic,” he groaned, “we’ll be dead thanks to the poor architecture of the Ko-Metru Matoran.” Nokama sighed, but just as quickly noticed something. “Nuju, look!” Sure enough, where the pedestal had once stood, there was now a hexagonal hole in the floor, big enough for someone to slide into with ease. Nuju clambered over to peer down into it, and could not see the bottom. “Do we risk it?” He asked. “What choice do we have?” The two Toa reluctantly nodded, and in an instant, Nuju had slid down the hole, with Nokama following close behind. At last, the wall of ice had shattered, but the Toa had already evacuated, plunging down into the unknown darkness below…

Chapter 4: Ga Metru As the three Toa explained the Rahaga’s quest to Nokama, they came upon a large circular door towering over them. The only sign of it being accessible was a small hole in the center, it’s shape perfect for an orb to slot into. “This is the door,” Whenua stated, “all these years and I finally find out what this leads to.” “I take it that the indentation is for the Makoki Stone?” Onewa asked. “Most likely.” “Then that settles it,” Nokama announced, “you three stay here and protect your pieces of the stone. I’ll go find the other pieces, and gather our fellow Toa.” Whenua and Onewa both looked shocked. “But, sister,” the Toa of Earth began, “shouldn’t we be going together? We’re stronger when united, after all.” “And when we enter that crypt, it will be as one unit,” she assured, “but it is imperative that the pieces we’ve already collected are kept safe, and out of the Visorak’s hands. If we fall while on our quest, the Visorak may be able to obtain the mask, putting Metru Nui’s fate in jeopardy.” She hesitated for a moment, shifting her expression to be more soft. “I know it’s not ideal, but I believe this is what’s best for us.” Onewa glanced to his side at Vakama. “Fire spitter, you’ve been awfully quiet. Any thoughts on her plan?” Vakama seemed annoyed at having to acknowledge the question, but his voice was calm. “I agree.” His two brothers stood in shock once more, but said nothing. “The Makoki Stones are a powerful asset,” Vakama continued, “we should prioritize protecting the ones we already have. Nokama will find the others.” As if sensing some distrust, Vakama rolled his eyes. “If you’re going to ask my opinion, don’t be surprised when it’s not something you like. The team leader’s vote takes priority.” Whenua guffawed. “Well, I guess you can’t argue with that,” he said, without any effort to hide his sarcasm. Nokama almost smiled at Vakama. “Thank you for your vote of confidence,” she said, “now where am I going?” “Not far,” Onewa stated, showing the tablet to the Toa of Water, “if you take the tunnel system to Ga Metru, you’ll end up in the area of the next piece.” “One thing to note, though,” Whenua added in, “there’s a Rahkshi on the loose. Chain Lightning. I had an encounter with him earlier. Don’t try to fight, just put as much distance between you as you can.” The Toa of Water nodded, taking all of this information in. “I understand. Thanks for the heads up.” With a smile, the Toa of Earth, Stone, and Water all clanked fists together, saying their farewells. Nokama turned to leave, but made sure to visit Vakama first. “I don’t suppose you’ll wish me luck?” she inquired playfully. “I know you don’t need it.” Vakama replied. “I suppose. Well, best of luck, brother.” She held up her fist toward Vakama. The Toa of Fire was hesitant, but slowly clanked his fist to hers. “Lead them well,” she added with a smile, “you have nothing to prove.” Vakama looked somber, but said nothing, only replying with a nod. With that, Nokama made her way to the sewer entrance, and soon was obscured by darkness. Turning around, Vakama met the eyes of the other two Toa. “You didn’t tell me about any Rahkshi,” he pointed out. “Didn’t get the chance,” Whenua replied cheekily. * * * Nokama trudged through ankle-deep water in the sewers of Ga-Metru. The system was old and rusted, the sounds of groaning metal echoing down the tunnels. She held up a lightstone to assist her vision, but it did little to fight off the overwhelming darkness, and even less to combat the terrible stench. At last, she came upon the circular grate that barred off a section of the sewer. This section, she knew, would take her to the liquid protodermis pools of Ga-Metru, and to the hiding place of the next Makoki stone. She would have to be fast, she realized, as even a Toa of Water cannot hold their breath for very long. Without hesitation, Nokama plunged into the water below, and instantly thrust through the pathway of the sewers. Before long, she had exited the metallic system, and entered a much larger pool with no visible bottom. Soon, the darkness of the water enveloped her sight, save for a faint glimmer far in the distance. The Makoki Stone, she reasoned, it has to be. She dove through the depths, at a slower speed than she would normally progress. As she learned how to master her Hordika form, she became much more capable, but her speed in the water was still quite hindered. Nonetheless, she reached out her clawed hand as she drew closer and closer, and at last wrapped her fingers around the Makoki Stone. The Toa of Water celebrated briefly, but quickly remembered the lack of air, and quickly progressed toward the surface. The lopsided arm made swimming seem like it took forever, so much so that even the normally patient Toa found herself growing frustrated at her slow speed. Soon enough, however, her speed seemed even slower, as though she wasn’t any closer to the surface at all. Glancing around, she quickly realized that, in fact, her arms weren’t moving whatsoever, and were in fact incapable of doing so. She struggled, but came to a haunting realization. She had been frozen. Nokama’s eyes darted around in panic. She had been perfectly preserved in ice, but still with no air to speak of, and her lungs were quickly depleting. The Makoki Stone was still in hand, yes, but what good would that do if she was dead? She cursed herself silently, knowing her brashness had cost the Toa a member of their team. This feeling of regret stuck in her mind as her vision slowly faded to black. * * * Nuju frantically struck at the ice with his weapon. When he arrived in Ga-Metru, he had cooked up a genius plan to freeze the Visorak that had been pursuing him in a pool of frozen water. Sure enough, the plan was successful, and the horde of spiders that had been pursuing him were rendered immobile as soon as his Rhotuka had made contact with the water’s surface, but as he admired his work, he recognized Nokama, his fellow Toa, also trapped within the ice. Immediately, he began wailing on the ice with his Crystal Spikes, hoping to break her free. In his previous state as a Toa, this would be no cause for concern, but deprived of his elemental control, Nuju had no other option but to destroy the ice directly. Each consecutive strike formed another massive crack in the ice, the integrity slowly giving way. At last, Nuju wound back his arm, and struck hard into the fractured ice. At once, the surface he stood upon shattered into several chunks, and the Toa of Ice plunged into the freezing water below. Wasting no time, he strode forward as best he could, and wrapped his right arm around Nokama’s unconscious body, still half frozen in a chunk of ice. Kicking fervently with his large feet, he struggled slowly over to the edge of the pool. After some struggle as the two bobbed rapidly up and down, he finally tossed the Toa of Water onto the metallic floor, and soon followed in exiting the pool. Nokama coughed up some water as her eyes slowly adjusted to take in her surroundings. The bright white of Ga-Metru’s architecture soon came into view, a scenery she was quite used to, but even at this state it was clear to see the erosion that Makuta’s attack and the Visorak’s takeover had caused. With a groan, she rose up to a sitting position. “Careful, sister,” she heard a voice say, “you must regain your strength.” Turning her head, she recognized Toa Nuju standing beside her. She took a moment to process this fact, and then smiled. “Thank you, brother,” she said, “I take it you saved me?” “I’m also the reason you needed saving,” Nuju muttered sheepishly, “but nevermind that. What brings you here?” At that question, Nokama began frantically searching her surroundings, until she at last laid her hand on the Makoki Stone, still frozen somewhat in ice. Triumphant, she displayed her finding to her fellow Toa. “This,” she stated proudly, “the Rahaga have us searching for them. One in each Metru.” He nodded, examining the stone with his scope. “I see. Fascinating, this seems to be much older than most of Whenua’s subjects in the Archives. I suppose Ko-Metru’s hasn’t been found yet?” Nokama nodded. “Ko-Metru and Le-Metru are the last two we need. After that, we can return to the Archives with them.” In reply, Nuju suddenly whistled loudly, startling her. Out of seemingly nowhere, a small Taku bird landed on the Toa’s large shoulder, and whistled politely in return. He returned a few notes, and seemed to enter a conversation with the Rahi, baffling the Toa of Water. “Are you… talking to the Taku?” she asked, almost jokingly. “I’m not fluent,” Nuju replied, without a shred of humor in his voice, “but I’ve picked up a few things.” After saying a few clicks, he nodded to the bird, and it took off into the sky. “This one can scout out the area for us. I’m not sure he can find the stone all by himself, but he can track down Matau, so that will lend a hand.” “Or a talon,” Nokama chuckled, “you never told us you could talk to Rahi! Almost makes the Rau seem obsolete.” Nuju smiled, taking Nokama’s words as a compliment. “Well, you never asked. But it’s just the birds, if that makes you feel any better. Shall we take off?” Nokama nodded, and rose to her feet. “Yes, let’s.”

Chapter 3: Onu Metru Toa Vakama was in a house of horrors. All around, the still faces of inanimate Rahi seemed to stare deep into his soul, but it was the empty holding spaces that struck fear into his heart. Yes, the Visorak had pillaged the Archives, turning the once state of the art building into a shadowy nest of evil. The Toa of Fire’s mind played tricks on him, panicking over moving shadows in the distance. Metru Nui had been plagued by creatures loosed from the Archives more than once before. What threats could be waiting to strike at the Toa? He tried to quell his fears, focusing on his current mission. There was a Makoki Stone hidden somewhere in the Archives, and he was determined to find it. Unfortunately, despite the short time he had spent in the building before, he had no idea how to navigate the expansive halls, and found himself wandering aimlessly through the shadowy mist. Vakama’s footsteps echoed all throughout the vast room of the Rahi storage area, kicking up dust with each step. The webs of the Visorak hung ominously over all, the distant chittering of fangs kept the Toa alert, but no attack had come yet. The silence hung heavy in his mind. Something was coming, he knew. He kept his blazer claw lit by his side, which served to illuminate his path, but was also prepared to strike at anything that came. His clawed hand idly brushed off the plaque of a nearby exhibit, the text reading “Krana Vu”. A strange, fleshy creature sat in stasis inside the pod. Vakama groaned, and began heading for the left to check the next floor. If Whenua was here, we’d have found the mask ages ago. Suddenly, a clattering sound grabbed Vakama’s attention. In an instant, he had swung over and thrust forward his weapon, only to discover that there was nothing behind him. Instead of hitting his would-be foe, his claw had made contact with one of the shelves, knocking over an old artifact and shattering it instantly. Vakama looked dejectedly at the shards on the ground, and then glanced to read the plaque on the shelf. A carving depicting the Matoran Civil War. Great, Vakama thought, destroying priceless artifacts. Some Toa I turned out to be. Vakama’s head flooded with memories of his failures. His teammates were mutated, the Matoran were trapped, and worst of all, Toa Lhikan was dead. Lhikan. No matter how hard Vakama tried to forget, his thoughts kept drifting back to that fateful moment. The Turaga leapt in front of the Makuta’s shadow hand, saving Vakama’s life. “No,” he had said, “this is my lifetime’s journey. Yours lies beyond…” Is this what my journey is? Vakama fumed in anger as his thoughts grew more and more negative. Am I destined only for failure? How many times must I lead my team into doom? He felt a clawed hand upon his shoulder and leapt forward in shock, his state of wistfulness broken. “Woah!” Whenua exclaimed, taken aback by Vakama’s sudden reaction. “Didn’t mean to scare you.” Vakama snarled, not moving from his battle position. He saw Whenua and Onewa, his fellow Toa, both standing before him. He recognized a piece of the Makoki Stone in the Toa of Earth’s hands. His chest heaving, he at last rose to his feet. “Sorry,” he finally said, “I was lost in thought.” “Don’t get too lost in there, fire-spitter,” Onewa snarked, “you’re needed in the real world, like it or not.” Vakama said nothing, only glaring down at the ground. Whenua took note of the shattered remains on the floor. “A Night of Great Consequence,” he sighed, citing the name of the artifact as he crouched down to pick up the pieces, “a shame to see it broken. The Visorak have taken so much.” “Yes,” Vakama sighed, looking at his own clawed hand in disgust, “so much that we’ve lost.” Onewa cleared his throat quite loudly. “If you two are done reminiscing, we should really get looking for that next piece. That mask’s not going to find itself.” Whenua rose to his feet. “You’re right, brother. Time to focus on the present.” He nodded to Vakama, and headed toward the lift. Vakama took a minute to think about Whenua’s resolve. Yes, the present it is, he thought. As he went to follow Whenua, Onewa walked up to his side. “You know,” he said with a sly smile, “you’re really lucky we found you. You got pretty lost.” * * * As the lift pulled upwards to the main floor of the Archives, a destructive scene was slowly revealed to the three Toa. Water was pouring into the chamber through every open sewer vent, dozens of Visorak swarmed around, and Toa Nokama was slashing through each and every one of them. Vakama, Onewa, and Whenua quickly leapt forward into action, each taking out a Visorak on their way to their sister. Within moments, the four Toa were united in one front, and the Visorak’s forces had dwindled. “Sister!” Onewa exclaimed, “What brings you to the Archives?” “Oh, is this the Archives?” she said sarcastically, “It looks like a giant nest to me.” “It’s hard to tell the difference now,” Whenua remarked, “they’ve destroyed so much.” “Well then,” Vakama said with a renewed confidence, “let’s do some renovations!” Rhotuka fired left and right, only to be batted away by the Toa’s weapons. Visorak after Visorak lunged forward, but were forced back. Before long, the army of spiders had been reduced to a mere dozen. The few that remained scurried away into the sewer system, leaving the four Toa surrounded by nothing but scattered carcasses. The four caught their breath individually, taking their time to process the events of the battle. “We’ve really got to stop getting ambushed like this,” Onewa remarked, “it’s unbecoming of Toa.” “If you were smart, you’d watch what you say,” Vakama quipped, “short tempers are unbecoming of a Toa.” “Enough, both of you!” Nokama barked, breathing heavily, “What’s going on in here, anyways?” “Long story,” Whenua began, “we’ll tell you on our way to the crypt.”

Each chapter is planned, confused piraka. Apologies for the wait, I had some more typed up, but finals have handily taken up all my time. Thankfully, I’m now out for the summer, so these will be coming out much faster! Chapter 2: Po Metru Toa Hordika Whenua found himself gasping for air. Once, when he was the hero he had so often dreamed of being, his control over the element of earth and his mask power of night vision had made traveling underground a breeze. Now, mutated into this beast like state, his mask power taken away, his elemental control restricted to his Rhotuka spinner, Whenua found himself struggling to stay alive in the expansive caverns beneath the city. Evidently, the stasis pods in the Archives had been compromised, given that Whenua now found himself face to face with a silver armored Rahkshi. The Rahkshi breaking out of their pods alone was bad news. But the creatures making their way to the underground of Po-Metru? Whenua knew that was cause for panic. As if the Visorak weren’t enough trouble, the Toa of Earth groaned to himself. He had raised his weapons in a battle stance, prepared to fight the escaped beast. The Toa Metru had dealt with Rahkshi before, so this surely wouldn’t be anything new. Just as Whenua thought this, the Rahkshi slammed its double pronged staff into the ground, and the entire earth was electrified in an instant, sending a jolt of pain through the Toa’s body. Chain lightning, Whenua reasoned as he collapsed to the ground, great. And here I thought I could catch a break. The enemy stomped its foot onto the ground and began marching toward the fallen Toa, gripping it’s staff tightly. Whenua clambered to his feet, his legs still wobbling like water. Okay, he told himself, time to fight. Summoning his strength, he leapt forward, thrusting his weapons straight in front of him until they collided with the silver armored opponent. The impact knocked the Toa back a few feet, but the Rahkshi seemed entirely unfazed. Whenua looked dumbfounded as he returned to his stance. Plan B, then. Looking upwards, he noticed some crystalline objects jutting outward from the ceiling. Saying a quick prayer under his breath, he charged his Rhotuka spinner, and fired. The Rahkshi was only a few strong steps away from Whenua when the ceiling began to crumble upon the spinner’s impact. The beast looked up, and was just as quickly crushed by a pile of falling rubble. The entire tunnel shook, rocks and metal and crystals collapsing left and right. Whenua gulped, and ran for any cover he could find. The tunnel began to be illuminated by the rays of daylight, which only further highlighted the rubble collapsing all around the Toa of Earth. He realized what he had to do, as much as he dreaded it. There was nowhere to go but up. Dodging a falling metal beam, Whenua leapt upwards to a chunk of rubble in midair, and kicked off using his feet, aiming for the next platform he could find. Staying airborne would keep him safe, but it was a job much better suited for a Toa of Air. He rushed as he grabbed onto the ledge of rock that made up the surface, only for it to break off and begin its descent. His hands held on tight, but to no avail, as he plummeted back down to the bottom of the tunnel. It seemed he spent an eternity in midair, contemplating if this was the end. He looked back on his short lived time as a Toa, the many adventures he had been on to save Metru Nui. Would the Matoran be safe? Would Vakama and the others be able to save themselves? And what would become of the Visorak? In the moments before his body reached the ground, Whenua closed his eyes and came to realize that this was no place for a Toa to die. And sure enough, he never felt the impact. Opening his eyes once more, he found himself back on the surface of Po-Metru, the rubble having finally stopped it’s collapse. Looking upwards, he saw the familiar, if mutated, face that belonged to his fellow Toa, Onewa. “You’re the second Toa I’ve rescued today,” the Toa of Stone remarked, “some Toa heroes you lot are.” “Thank you, brother,” Whenua panted, ignoring the insult, “I would’ve been crushed without you.” “Yes, you would’ve. You’re lucky I was here.” He grinned and held his fist out to Whenua. Whenua did nothing to return his gesture. “What brings you all the way out here, anyways?” Onewa reached into a satchel that was slung over his shoulder, and pulled out a faint golden stone. “A Makoki Stone?” Whenua asked. “So you know what this is?” “Of course, there’s one of those down in the Archives.” Whenua paused, thinking back to the escaped Rahkshi. “At least, there was last I saw. It’s supposed to be one of six pieces.” Onewa’s eyes lit up. “That’s perfect,” he remarked, “Vakama and I found one each, the Rahaga apparently scattered them around not long ago. Care for a field trip to your old stomping grounds?” Whenua nodded, though a bit hesitant. “Sure I would. But if you’re expecting this part to be easy, I’m afraid I have bad news.” As if on cue, the sound of moving debris alerted the Toa. The two looked down into the massive hole in the ground, and watched as a silver armored fist emerged from the earth. “Rahkshi,” Whenua spat, “we should really get moving.” As the two moved swiftly through the Construction Fields, Onewa explained the mission to his fellow Toa, gesturing to the tablet that Vakama had given him. “Fascinating,” Whenua mused, “the crypt in the Archives has been sealed for as long as I can remember. Mavrah always had his theories, but he never thought there’d be a Great Kanohi locked inside. And to think, the key to opening the door was inside the city all along…” “Puts things into perspective, I’m sure.” The Toa of Stone looked distantly as he slowed down to a saunter. “Makes you wonder what else we don’t know.” The Toa of Earth chuckled. “You sound like an Archivist, friend.” Onewa scoffed. “Me? Never. Let’s just get to the Archives and get this over with.” “I dunno,” Whenua teased, “you seem pretty excited about this expedition.” “You wish, dust keeper.” Onewa groaned, and the two continued on their journey to Onu-Metru.

I started this wanting to create a simple novelization of the Hordika Animations for my novelized collection. However, I ended up not really liking the animations as a story, it turns out they're pretty dry when translated into a medium that doesn't have cool Samurai Jack esque action and animation. So, I decided to make something a bit more divergent from canon, a retelling of the same events with some changes. Here I have chapter 1, I will update the topic with each consecutive chapter. Hope you all enjoy! Chapter 1: Ta Metru Norik and Gaaki quivered, holding their staffs up as they backed up against a pile of rubble. Surrounding them was a group of Visorak, charging viciously with venom dripping from their pincers. The two Rahaga jabbed at them with their staffs, but the attacks were futile. Gaaki lamented for a moment the loss of her Toa powers, before a shadow suddenly swept over them. In an instant, one of the Visorak was flung to the side, landing on it’s back. With an enraged huff, Vakama stomped his large right foot onto the belly of the spider, pressing down until the beast stopped squirming. His gaze turned with a jolt to the other two, who had shifted their focus to the new opponent. He charged at the second, a blue boggarak, and jabbed forward with his blazer claws, sending the creature flying upon impact. Seeing a window of opportunity, the final Visorak leapt through the air in an effort to surprise the Toa Hordika, but Vakama was too quick. He swiftly dodged to the side, and in an instant, fired his Rhotuka spinner, sending the beast flying off into the streets below. His enemies defeated, Vakama released a howl of victory. “Well done, Vakama,” Norik said, helping Gaaki to her feet, “but mind your anger. The beast inside thrives on your rage.” Vakama glared at the short elder, but said nothing for a moment. “What were you two doing all the way out here, anyway?” he finally asked, with ill disguised annoyance. The two Rahaga shared a look. Gaaki nodded to her brother. “We were searching for something we had hidden here long ago,” Norik began, “something which would be beneficial to keep out of the Visorak’s clutches.” “Before we took this form,” Gaaki continued, “we had liberated a powerful Kanohi mask from the Makuta’s fortress. The Kanohi Avohkii, the Mask of Light.” Norik nodded. “Long ago, we kept it hidden in the Archives. But now, with Metru Nui compromised by Visorak, it would be wise to move it’s location.” He retrieved a tablet from his satchel, and placed it in Toa Vakama’s clawed hand. The Toa Hordika of Fire simmered as he read over the tablet. “That,” he said, pointing to a circular depiction on the tablet, “what is that?” “That,” Norik replied, “is the Makoki stone. It is divided into six fragments. Only when all six are collected can you unlock the seal that holds the Avohkii. The first was hidden in the Great Forge, here in Ta-Metru. I recommend starting there.” With a pause, Vakama set down the tablet and nodded. In an instant, he had taken off once more, darting across the ruined city and leaving the Rahaga behind. “I worry for him,” Norik sighed, “I can sense his anger building.” “We all have that anger,” Gaaki said, placing a hand on her fellow Rahaga’s shoulder, “it is what we do with it that determines who we are.” “Then, for all our sakes, I hope he’s learned what to do with it.” * * * Not too long ago, Vakama had often walked through the metallic halls of the Great Forge, in his previous life as a Matoran mask maker. He had often spent his time hours after the other Matoran had returned home, toiling away at his seemingly impossible task of completing the Mask of Time for who he had believed to be Turaga Dume. Through the hours, he had grown used to the ambient metal groaning that echoed through the darkened halls. Now, the Forge was in a state of eerily similar ambience. The midday suns bathed the halls in a warm orange light, but it did little to alleviate the cold air that hung over the ruined building. The dilapidated ruins made it difficult for any normal observer to pass through, and the Visorak webs only made it more hazardous. Vakama walked in silence as he entered the main area of the Great Forge. The furnace, once constantly exhausting flames, now sat in silence. The Toa of Fire paused, scanning the area. The silence was eerie, yes, but it would work to his advantage. So long as he stayed still he could hear anything sneaking up on him. Sure enough, the chittering sound of metallic fangs caught his attention. * * * Onewa ran at full tilt. Through a hole that had formed in the wall of the Great Forge, he watched as a swarm of Visorak spiders charged at Vakama, backing him up ever closer to the pit of idle magma below. His brother had been vigilantly fighting off the swarm, but sheer numbers had overwhelmed him. The Toa Hordika of Stone had just leapt through the gap in the wall as the Toa of Fire was shoved off of the edge, plummeting down into the lava pit below. Thinking quickly, Onewa fired his Rhotuka launcher directly below Vakama, solidifying the lava into stone upon impact. Just in time, Vakama landed hard on the stone floor, only for Onewa to land on his feet right beside him. “Too much for you to handle, brother?” Onewa laughed. “Come on, get up. These beasts are no Makuta.” Vakama took a heavy breath, and chuckled as he grabbed his brother’s hand. “True enough, but there’s much more of them.” He got up to his feet with a grunt, and assumed a battle stance back to back with Onewa. “But against two Toa, how bad could they be?” Onewa nodded with a chuckle. “Against these two, no less. We’ve got nothing to worry about.” With that, they charged their weapons back in unison as a seemingly endless sea of Visorak poured out over the upper level of the Great Forge. Onewa batted off the first few beasts that came charging down, swinging his claw clubs at the horde. Vakama charged his blazer claws, and unleashed a barrage of fire, reducing a few Visorak to ashes. Two keelerak landed at the Toa of Fire’s feet, but were just as quickly stomped upon. The Toa of Fire let out a groan. “We’re getting nowhere. They just keep going.” Onewa concurred as he looked up at the balcony from which the Visorak continuously threw themselves. “I’ve got an idea, though. Boost me.” If Vakama was confused, he didn’t show any hesitation. He held out his clawed hand, and waited for Onewa’s foot to land on it. As soon as it did, he heaved up, tossing his fellow Toa into the air. Onewa waited until he reached the apex of his jump, and fired his Rhotuka at the balcony. As soon as he did, a wall of stone emerged from seemingly nothing, separating the two floors. As soon as the barrier was created, the two Toa defeated the remaining Visorak with relative ease. At last, surrounded by a litter of spider corpses, the two sighed in exhaustion, taking a seat on the stone platform that had been created. “What were you doing here, anyways? Aside from nearly getting yourself killed, that is.” Onewa finally asked. Vakama handed him the tablet that he had been following. “I’m on a mission for the Rahaga. These Makoki stones will lead us to a great mask of power.” He let out a disgruntled groan. “Clearly, the Visorak have already found out about it.” “Well, I’m surprised the mask isn’t in here. Look at this mess!” He gestured to the hundreds of discarded, incomplete Kanohi laying around in massive piles throughout the Forge. Vakama’s eyes scanned over the vast hordes of masks. As a mask maker, he had gone through several failed attempts of masks he had made, but the most discarded attempts by far were results of his mission to craft the Mask of Time. The piles were mostly populated by discarded shards of what would’ve been the Vahi, but something within the pile of rejects seemed to be… glowing? Vakama looked over to Onewa, who had apparently already seen the same thing, as the Toa of Stone picked up a rock and chucked it at the pile of masks. Before Vakama could protest, hundreds of Kanohi masks flooded the floor, the pile spreading out everywhere. He gave Onewa a sarcastic smack against the head. “Proud of yourself? Now this place is even more of a mess.” Onewa smirked, and gestured towards the remains of the pile. “Well, what’s that?” Vakama looked to meet Onewa’s target of attention. Sure enough, laying on the floor amidst the masks, sat a small box, letting a golden light emanate from within it. The two Toa slowly approached, being careful not to step on any of the scattered masks, before at last Vakama picked up the box and slowly removed the lid. Inside, they discovered a small stone, seemingly a slice of an orb, faintly glowing golden. Onewa glanced at the tablet that Vakama had handed him. “Sure enough,” he remarked, “looks like a Makoki stone to me.” Before they could fully comprehend the new information, the sound of crumbling earth turned their attention upwards. Two Visorak fangs broke through the wall of stone. It wouldn’t be long until the barrier came down. “Here,” Vakama said, handing the tablet to Onewa, “head to Po-Metru and find the next stone. I’ll take this one and head to the Archives. I’ll meet you there.” Onewa hesitated, but took the tablet into his hands. “Okay,” he said, “try not to die while I’m out.” Vakama groaned, holding back his frustration. “You won’t have to worry about it.” With that, Onewa ran for the entrance of the Forge, leaping across rubble and earth.

https://mythsandlegacy.com/read/?id=losthead&v=1&lang=eng you can check it out here!

This story's now being added to Myths and Legacy! Please check it out if you have the chance!

Thank you both! I appreciate the kind words. And yes, I've heard of myths and legacy. I did pitch this story to them, it's currently undergoing review 🤞

This a fic I wrote a bit ago. It tells the story of Jaller recruiting the Toa Inika, a scene I wish we saw in Island of Doom. Let me know what you think! Chapter 1: Hewkii would have felt much more at home on a kolhii field. The Fields of Construction were close, sure. The air was hot and arid, the wide open flats could be a playing field, maybe, but the happy-go-lucky sportsmanship Hewkii was accustomed to was gone. In the past few days, the Po-Matoran were hard at work rebuilding the ruined city of Po Metru.Laboring away with tools, metal, and rock was the way of Po-Matoran, without a doubt, but Hewkii wasn’t a carver. He used to be, according to Turage Onewa, but Hewkii couldn’t imagine this life of hard work. He was an athlete, the star player of his village. When would Po Metru have time for someone like him? Today, however, no work was being done. Jaller, Captain of the Ta Koro Guard, had ordered that all Matoran cease their work, for reasons seemingly unknown. With no work to do, and no proper kolhii team set up, Hewkii found himself incredibly bored, and took a walk to clear his mind. As he passed through the Sculpture Fields, he turned his gaze to the sky, feeling the warmth he was used to on Mata Nui, then returned his gaze to the deserted area, still littered with fallen sculptures, broken down Vahki, and wrecked machinery. He reasoned that Pohatu could have used his mask of speed and finished the job days ago, but the Toa Nuva were off on some mission. The star athlete grumbled as he kicked a small piece of scrap around. “Hey,” a familiar voice echoed through the field, “got a minute?” Turning his head, a smile came to Hewkii’s face, as he saw Jaller leaning against a stone pillar. The Po-Matoran nodded in acknowledgement, and headed over. “You’ll want to be careful,” he said as he came over, gesturing to the statue Jaller leaned against, “these have a habit of toppling.” Jaller nodded as he stood up straight. “Duly noted, thanks. How’s your day off been?” “Slow, boring, and lonely,” Hewkii lamented, “but still a welcome break. Cleaning up has been like vacuuming all the sand in Po Wahi.” “Hey, you don’t have to deal with lava. Count your blessings.” The Po-Matoran chuckled. “Fair enough. What brings you here, anyways?” The Guard Captain’s smile dropped. He glanced to his left and right, as though ensuring that no one was listening in. “The Turaga are back to keeping secrets.” he finally said, his voice much lower than before. “What do you think the Toa are up to?” Hewkii took a minute to process his words, but did his best to remain casual. “I’m not sure,” he whispered, “the Toa follow danger, not peace, right? I figure they’re after whatever else is out there, besides Makuta.” “Yet we thought Makuta’s defeat would end our troubles,” Jaller replied, “but it seems that Mata Nui isn’t yet awake.” “No? Then surely, they’re going to wake him up, no?” “It’s more than that. The Turaga don’t want us to panic, but we need to know.” Hewkii took a deep breath, getting a bit frustrated with Jaller’s buildup. “Know what?” “Mata Nui is dying.” Chapter 2: “Dying?” Kongu was shocked. “So, the Toa are off to daring-save his life, then?” “That was the plan,” Jaller explained, “but according to Turaga Nokama, there’s been no word from them. I fear the worst.” Kongu’s head hung low, his gaze transfixed on the running liquid of the chute below the two. “I thought-dreamed that Makuta old-bone would be the final-end of the dark time. Now, we’ve a city in old-ruin, a Great Spirit soon to rama bait, and Turaga who trick-lie. I’m tired, Jaller.” “We’ve been through a lot,” Jaller said, in an attempt to comfort, “but worrying won’t-” He was suddenly cut off by a cry from the west. The two Matoran’s heads turned at once, and saw Tamaru, clinging to the edge of one of the upper chutes with his left hand. The chute had seemingly been deactivated, dropping any cargo down into the depths of Le-Metru, and leaving this unfortunate Matoran to hold on for dear life. The situation was dire, but Kongu’s grin was as wide as ever. “A-ha! Trouble-bad needs all-conquer! The mighty Kongu leaps into action!” Jaller was about to ask what the plan was, but before his mouth even opened, the Le-Matoran leapt into the chute below, hitching a ride on a cargo crate. The Le-Matoran clung to the edge of the crate, letting the wind carry him along the way. Reaching inside, he grabbed a coiled cable, and tossed an end back towards where he had leapt from. Reacting at just a moment’s notice, Jaller saw the cable land on his ledge and slammed his foot down on it. Looking down, he could no longer see Kongu, but watched as the cable wrapped around the ledge, and sure enough, the Matoran landed right behind Jaller. “Grab-hold on,” Kongu said, handing Jaller one end of the cable. Jaller took his end with a smile, having figured out the plan. Kongu would tie an end to the ledge, and then throw the other towards Tamaru, creating a safe way to cross. “Now, quick-throw me.” Jaller should have known better than to try and guess Kongu’s plans. “What?” “No time! Quick-throw me, before navigator Tamaru is chute bones!” The Ta-Matoran opened his mouth to protest, but found no suitable words. With a nod, he summoned all of his strength, and flung the cable over, sending Kongu flying through the air. The mad flyer let out a fierce cry as he took off through the air, one hand still gripping the cable, while the other opened up, ready to catch. Tamaru’s fingers slipped, and before he knew it, he had lost his grip completely, and began his fall into the city below. He reached up, hoping to still find the ledge of the chute, but only saw Kongu’s turquoise Miru, as the gukko pilot descended towards him. In one swift move, Kongu grabbed the falling Matoran, and the two fell together. Tamaru had not stopped screaming, even as their fall was halted by the cable finally running out of length. Kongu tapped him on the shoulder. “Scare-worry not now. Safe-free are you!” The Le-Matoran laughed as he comforted Tamaru, showing him that everything was alright. He looked up to Jaller and signaled him to pull up. The Ta-Matoran hefted up the two Matoran with all his might, at last heaving them up onto his ground. “Stay open-eyed next time!” Kongu chastised playfully. “Mighty Kongu won’t always quick-race to rescue!” ` “I’ll be sure sing-song safe from now, vineman Kongu.” Tamaru gave a salute, before hitching a ride on the chute. Jaller and Kongu shared a look of camaraderie. “Thanks for help-saving, Guard Captain!” said the Le-Matoran. “You’d make a fine high flying Gukko pilot yet.” Jaller chuckled, still a bit shaken from Kongu’s reckless maneuver. He awkwardly tapped his foot, unsure how to naturally lead back into his conversation. Thankfully, Kongu was one step ahead of him. “Jaller, I’m as worry-brooding about the Toa heroes as you, but I can’t deep-read minds. What brought you here?” The Guard Captain took a deep breath. “Well, you just proved to me why. The Toa are in danger, I’m putting together a team to save them. And… I want you on it.” Chapter 3: “When the Toa are away, the Matoran will play, is that it?” Nuparu chuckled as he worked dutifully under the hood of the Boxor. He hadn’t paused for a minute as Jaller explained his proposal. “This is serious, Nuparu,” the Ta Matoran replied, somewhat exasperated at having to talk to a pair of Onu Matoran legs, “a rescue party. One from each village- sorry, metru- will go out to find the Toa Nuva. What do you say?” “I say that sounds like a Toa team,” Nuparu’s voice came out from under the mechanical vehicle, “I’m just an inventor, captain. I’m no hero.” Jaller scoffed, slightly amused. “Le-Koro would disagree. If it weren’t for you, they’d still be under the control of the krana.” “That would be the Boxors doing.” “Boxors that you made.” Jaller sighed. “Nuparu, if something is endangering the Toa, it’s on us to save them. Can I count on you?” At last, the Onu Matoran rolled out from under the machine and slowly rose to his feet. Now eye to eye with Jaller, his expression turned grim. “Jaller, you know as well as I do that if Metru Nui is in danger, the Matoran need to be here to protect it. This land is dangerous, it’s up to us to help navigate it safely. I heard about what happened to Tamaru this morning, what would’ve happened if Kongu wasn’t there?” He took a heavy sigh. “We’re needed here. I won’t abandon my people.” Jaller stood his ground. “If the Toa are in danger, you may not have anyone left to protect.” A long silence overtook the room, with only the hum of machinery breaking it up. “Nuparu, please. I’ve seen what you’re capable of.” Nuparu set down a tool on his work bench, turning away from Jaller. After a deep breath, he laid his hands down on it. “I’ll get a manual on the Boxors to Akamu,” he said quietly, “I know you said no work, but I’d like maintenance to be kept up while we’re gone, just in case.” He turned to face the Ta Matoran. “I still don’t agree with this plan, Captain. I think you have a death wish. But between you, Kongu, and Hewkii… you’ll need someone else with common sense.” A slight smile crept across his face. The effort to lighten the mood was not lost on Jaller, but he ignored the quip. “Thank you, Nuparu.” With a salute, headed for the exit. Someone else with common sense, he thought, I think I know just who to go to. Chapter 4: “Strangely enough, there is a different set of stars in the sky, now that we’re underground.” Nixie adjusted the telescope, allowing Jaller to see what she was referring to. “See, the seven spirit stars and the red star are all in here, but the position is all wrong. It’s as though they’ve moved to this second sky. It is a great mystery, how this city works.” The Guard Captain let out a hum of understanding as he peered his right eye into the scope. “It’s curious indeed. I wonder how much we still don’t know.” The Ga Matoran shuffled through a towering stack of tablets on her desk. “I look forward to finding the answers. Now, I’m sorry to have taken up your time with these things. What brings you to Ga Metru. “No need to apologize,” Jaller smiled, “I’m in no rush. I was looking for Hahli, though. Have you seen her recently?” “Hahli?” Nixie’s expression dropped, her eyes darting side to side. “Well, no, not recently. You should check with Vhisola, she will probably know.” Jaller flashed an inquisitive look. “You’re sure you haven’t seen her anywhere?” He added an authoritative tone to his voice. “I should let you know, I’m here on official Guard business. It’s very important that I find her. If you know anything, please don’t hesitate to tell me.” The astrologer gulped. “I’m sorry Jaller, I don’t know anything. Best of luck on your search.” He exhaled. “No worries, then. Take care.” He made his way for the door, but wasn’t able to reach it before Nixie cried, “Wait!” He pivoted to face her. “If I tell you,” she pleaded, “just promise that you won’t tell her I told you anything.” Jaller placed a hand on his chest. “I promise, Nixie. Do you know where she is?” She nodded. “Better, I know where she’s going.” A warm breeze blew across the sands of Ta Wahi. The sun was just rising, pouring light from over the great telescope. On the beach, a lone boat floated just off of the shore, as two Ga Matoran loaded crates of supplies on board. “Okay, do we have everything?” Hahli asked her companion. “We don’t know how long this trip will be, so don’t leave anything behind if it might be useful.” Macku exhaled sharply as she dropped the last crate onto the deck, rocking the vessel upon landing. “I think this is it,” she replied, “we should be all set to go.” “Leaving without saying goodbye?” The two blue armored Matoran darted their eyes over, watching as a Ta Matoran with a yellow mask approached from the charred forest. “I stopped by Nixie’s earlier,” Jaller said as he arrived at the harbored boat, “she told me about your plan.” Hahli and Macku shared a panicked look. Gulping, the former decided to stand her ground. “So you have,” Hahli began, mustering her confidence, “what of it? Did you come to stop us? Convince us that it’s just some ill conceived rush for adventure?” “Actually,” he said, dropping the hardness in his voice, “I was going to ask you to join my ill conceived rush for adventure. I wasn’t aware Turaga Nokama told anyone else.” The two Ga Matoran went from relief, to confusion in a manner of seconds. Macku’s eyes narrowed. “Uh, the Turaga didn’t tell us anything, Jaller.” “Yeah,” Hahli reaffirmed, “we were going off on our own. What did she tell you?” Jaller sucked air. “Nothing of note, really. Just the secrecy made me, uh…” “Jaller.” Hahli said, sternly. “Fine. Take a seat, this’ll take a minute.” Over the next few minutes, Jaller revealed all that he had learned just hours ago from Turaga Nokama. The fact that Mata Nui was dying, that the Toa Nuva had gone off to find the legendary mask of life, and that there had been no word from them whatsoever. He briefly mentioned his plan to gather a rescue team, and his previous recruits of Hewkii, Kongu, and Nuparu. Hahli was irritated. “The Turaga kept all this from us?!” She shot up to her feet, the boat started rocking more aggressively as she paced up and down the deck. “Macku is her right hand, and she told you first?” Macku stammered as she stood up. “H-Hahli, it’s really okay. Now we know, that’s what’s important.” Her attempt at calming Hahli failed. “The Turaga know just what we’re capable of,” she rambled, “we protected Kini Nui, fought off the Bohrok- Jaller, you died protecting Takua! I thought, after Metru Nui, they’d stop with the secrets, I-” “Hahli, I know,” Jaller said, now apparently his turn to play the voice of reason, “I said as much to the Turaga. What’s important now is that we take action.” “Exactly,” Hahli said, finally exhaling, “it’s time. We need to gather the team, we’ll sail south.” “Actually, I was planning on taking the chutes. There’s a lot of ocean if we go the other way.” Macku spoke up. “With the chutes, it’ll be a lot harder to take supplies, though. There’s kanoka disks, flax, and energy reserves we had prepared.” “Granted, we prepared for two people, not six.” Hahli added. “Seven,” Jaller asserted, “I’ve still got someone else to visit.” Chapter 5: Matoro shifted in his seat. The Ko Metru Knowledge Tower was silent, cold, and uncomfortable. It was a lot like the Sanctum of Ko Koro, only smaller, and with more reading material. He wasn’t as fond of solitude as most Ko Matoran, but as the translator for Turaga Nuju, it came naturally to him. Now, in this new home of Metru Nui, Matoro found himself once more isolated from his peers. The Turaga were in conference nearly all day, leaving him with very little time to rest from his translator duties. Worse yet, he was burdened with the secret of the Toa Nuva’s mission, one which he was strictly informed not to reveal to anyone. Because of this, most of Matoro’s free time was spent in the Knowledge Towers, analyzing the stars. He had been focused on a distant constellation when Jaller had come to visit. The Ta-Matoran had brought news that he already knew too well- Mata Nui was dying. The Toa were off to Voya Nui to recover the Mask of Life, but hadn’t been heard from in some time. Then, he brought news that was less expected: he was assembling a team to find the Toa on Voya Nui, and he wanted Matoro to join. The Ko Matoran was baffled that he’d be considered for a rescue mission, but Jaller seemed adamant. He told him that he’d think on it, and was left alone to do so. Matoro reclined in his seat once more, the silence of the room setting in. His eyes wandered over to the telescope positioned on the balcony once more. At the base, he looked at the list of constellations, one that had been copied from the Great Telescope from Ta Wahi’s beach. The tablets depicted the arrival of the Toa on Mata Nui, the awakening of the Bohrok swarms, as well as some images that seemed unfamiliar. “Our prophecies said that Makuta’s defeat would be the end of our troubles,” Matoro recalled that Turaga Vakama had once said this. “But the prophecies have changed. Something yet darker lurks ahead.” When Vakama had first said this to the other Turaga, it had been mere hours before the Bohrok swarms awakened. No one on Mata Nui knew of the Bohrok Kal’s upcoming strike, or the discovery of the Mask of Light, or any of the other trials that would occur over the next few months. How many times will the prophecies change? Matoro thought to himself. His eyes lingered on the final image on the tablet, one which depicted a larger figure standing above the six Toa. Beside it, a depiction of a lone figure standing in the Makuta’s lair. His head cocked to the side, as his curiosity peaked. Could this have depicted the arrival of a seventh Toa? Could there have been a prophecy telling of Takanuva this entire time? Or, he pondered, could this be another prophecy that has yet to come true? He took one last glance at the telescope, and thought back to Jaller’s words. The Captain of the Guard had assembled a team of athletes, fighters, and heroes. Where did a translator fit into that? It puzzled him that Jaller thought to recruit him, but he knew the Ta Matoran well. He knew he wouldn’t have chosen him without a reason. He sighed, having begrudgingly reached his decision. The prophecies are changing, Matoro thought, it’s time I change, too. Chapter 6: Macku pouted. “I’m happy to help, Jaller, but I have to admit, I’m a bit disappointed. I was looking forward to going on another adventure.” “I know,” Jaller said with a sympathetic tone, “but someone needs to stay in the city and make sure we can escape safely. If we’re, the Turaga will have our plan shut down immediately. It’s up to you to make sure that we can escape unnoticed, and to operate the abandoned chutes.” Hahli smiled, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’ll be back in no time, and ready for adventure again.” She cracked a sly smile. “Besides, I need you on my team again for kolhii.” Macku smiled, and embraced Hahli in a hug. “Okay, but please be careful,” she said, “And make sure Hewkii doesn’t get hurt!” “We will, promise.” With that settled, the group began unloading supplies from the boat, and prepared for their return trip to Metru Nui. * * * Under cover of darkness, two Matoran made their way through the empty streets of Le Metru. With most of the Matoran now asleep, the city took on a ghoulish appearance, the sounds of decrepit, creaking metal echoing through buildings like whispers of spirits. The only illumination was the light of the twin moons, casting shadows onto the sides of towering buildings. Nuparu shivered as he stepped over a fallen metal pillar. “This place is a death trap,” he grumbled, “are we sure the chutes will be more reliable?” “The chutes are ever-safe,” Kongu replied, throwing an arm around his shoulder, “we’ll be set to everflee Metru Nui. After all, what is a chute, if not a tunnel, only made of air?” “It’s the ‘made of air’ part that concerns me,” Nuparu shot back, “but if you trust them, then I trust it.” “That’s the spirit!” Kongu chirped, “We’ll be spirit-lifted to Voya Nui in no time!” With an energetic cheer from Kongu, the two shared a laugh, a sound that seemed to add some joy to the gloom that sat over the ruined city. Further up the path, Hahli and Jaller set off towards Le Metru. They had arrived with Macku, but opted to travel separately, in order to arouse less suspicion. Jaller had ensured to visit the others, and informed them all to meet at the abandoned chute station on the southern end of the city. As they walked through the dilapidated pathways, Hahli turned her head to the Ta Matoran. “Are you sure about this?” she asked. “Leaving, I mean.” Jaller looked puzzled. “Weren’t you the one raring to go? What happened to your righteous fury?” “I was, yes. But it’s not me I’m hesitant about. It’s you.” Jaller furrowed his brow. Hahli continued, “This is a big commitment, heading out for parts unknown. There’s no guarantee we come back in one piece. With everything you’ve been through, all those years leading us against Makuta’s forces…” She paused for a moment, lost in thought. “...You’ve sacrificed so much for the Matoran. If anyone deserves a break, it’s you. If you wanted to back out, I don’t blame you.” The Captain of the Guard seemed adrift, a mix of emotions coming across his face. “I appreciate that,” he began, “but I have a duty to my people. I don’t get a break from that. It’d be nice for us to finally rest, sure. But the universe won’t wait for me to be ready.” The Ga Matoran nodded solemnly. “Turaga Vakama told us about the last time six Matoran were assembled in Metru Nui. There’s a lot of pressure if you’re going to lead them.” She paused, locking eyes with him. “Do you feel ready?” Jaller stayed in the mutual stare for a moment. “I do.” “Good,” Hahli said, cracking a smile to break the tension, “then let's save the universe.” “It’s spookier than I expected, I’ll admit,” Hewkii said, hoping to alleviate some tension as he walked through the shadowy streets. “Don’t worry,” Macku said in a comforting tone, “there’s nothing to worry about here, the Turaga drove out all the monsters ages ago.” She cracked a smile. “Besides, you’re one of the bravest Matoran I know. If anyone can make it through here, it’s you.” Hewkii gulped. “I hope so.” When Macku had made her way into Le Metru, she ran into Hewkii on the district border, as he had just been arriving from Po Metru. Both were thrilled to discover that they were a part of Jaller’s selected team, and that they didn’t have to walk through the city alone. However, it shocked Hewkii to learn that Macku wouldn’t be joining them on the way to Metru Nui. “Why not?! You’d be perfect for the team!” “I know,” Macku replied, “I’m a bit disappointed myself. This sounds like a grand adventure. But I need to stay behind and operate the chute, and make sure no one catches us before you leave.” “...That makes sense, I suppose,” Hewkii said slowly, his enthusiasm dulled just a bit, “but it’s still a shame you won’t be joining us. It won’t be the same without you.” Macku smiled awkwardly. “We all have our duties, Hewkii. You go and save the world. I’ll make sure that Metru Nui is here when you get back.” He smirked back. “Sounds like a plan.” The two continued down the road, until they were suddenly halted by a flash of bright light. White enveloped their entire vision, until the silhouette of a tall figure came into view. “That’s right,” the figure began, walking slowly toward the two Matoran, “we all have our duties. And for my duty, I need to know one thing.” The pair shuddered as the figure finally came into view, the golden gleam of the mask of light defining the immediately recognizable figure. “So,” Takanuva inquired, a rare stiffness in his voice, “where are the others going?” Chapter 7: The circular entrance to the abandoned chute seemed to stretch on forever into a pit of deep black darkness. The control station was coated in a thick layer of rust, untouched for centuries. The idle metal room groaned, as though in pain from the years of neglect. Just outside the portal stood Nuparu, Kongu, Jaller, and Hahli. “We’re almost all assembled, then?” Nuparu asked with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. “Almost,” Jaller assured, staring straight ahead into the chute tunnel, “where are Macku and Hewkii?” “Right here,” came a voice from outside.” The four Matoran turned simultaneously to see. Sure enough, the Po and Ga Matoran sheepishly walked into the room, followed by the Toa of Light, clad in his iconic white and gold armor. He gripped the staff of light in his right hand, and glared directly at Jaller. “I’ve been told you were leading this group to Voya Nui,” he said sternly, “when was I going to be told?” The five other Matoran looked panicked, but Jaller knew Takanuva too well. “You weren’t,” he said, without a hint of worry, “I assumed that you’d be under strict instructions to stay here.” “Oh, I am,” he assured, “but I’m here now, thanks to your friend.” The Matoran all looked confused as to who he could be referring to. From behind the Toa of Light, a Ko Matoran entered the room, and sheepishly waved to the group. “I still don’t fully agree to this plan,” Matoro said, “but if we’re going to be rescuing the Toa Nuva, I figure another Toa would be helpful.” Jaller grinned, and walked up to clank fists with Takanuva and Matoro. “Welcome to the team,” he said with pride, “we’re happy to have you both on board.” He met Matoro’s eyes for a minute, before looking up to the Toa of Light. “Are you sure you want to come? Metru Nui will have no Toa once you leave.” Takanuva shrugged. “If something has felled the others, then it’s all of our duty to go to their aid. If anything, all of Metru Nui should be coming to the rescue.” The Ta Matoran smiled. Even after all this time, his friend was the same adventurous spirit he was before. “Alright,” he announced, “any last objections?” Macku bid one last farewell to the group, and headed over to the control panel. “I’m ready when you are, Captain,” she said, “the city will be safe while you’re away.” Nuparu placed a hand on the edge of the chute. “I’m ready,” he said, “I just hope these machines are, too.” Hewkii stretched his arms in preparation. “Don’t worry,” he snarked, “I’ll protect us from whatever’s out there.” Kongu chuckled. “Right-sure thing, kolhii-head. And I’ll be right-stay there with you.” Jaller glanced to both Matoro and Hahli, and the two silently nodded to him, in unison. He may not have known if he’d ever return, but he knew two things. One, that it was his duty to help. And two, that he was surrounded by the best group he could ask for. A Toa of Light, a star athlete, a brilliant inventor, a daring fighter, a skilled boatswoman, and the keeper of the Turaga’s secrets. But when Jaller looked at the group, this isn’t who he saw. No, he saw his friends. And there’s no one else he’d rather be with.

He was, I believe he was the only playable Mata. The game was a rushed mess, I believe one of the devs said that it was pushed off to the last moment.