Ballom Nom Nom

And here I was getting ready to talk about that compression program, which uses the interesting Burrows-Wheeler Transform, and... Okay maybe I need to get outside more. ~B~

2/5

Chapter 14 Less than a day after Argentaros had made his way into the realm of Queen Gorgorak, the six Sharaku and the Green One were rapidly trailblazing through the Johmai Jungle in that direction. Though the noon sun shone brightly overhead, the thick canopy and tangled understory made relatively little light filter through the treetops. As a result, Hanak led the party along with their diminutive trail guide, both of his incandescent fire swords lit to provide his six friends with some illumination. What seemed odd to the Sharaku, however, was the unnatural silence that pervaded the deepest, darkest heart of the rainforest. Ordinarily, Rahi of all kinds would be creating quite a racket as they gathered or hunted for their midday meal. But at this moment, everything was quiet. The Green One, having knelt down to sniff and taste the dirt in order to discern any traces of fresh tracks, stood up and raised his axe, in order to move aside a large cycad frond that was obstructing his path. However, as his axe head brushed aside the gymnosperm, a previously-hidden, dark green and red mass snapped forward, its head revealing a gristly skull with multiple hollow eye sockets and a bristling mass of jagged teeth. "Eyaah!" Startled half to death by this sudden apparition, the Green One and the Sharaku fell back, weapons at the ready in case the Quntaino had started to attack. Around them, various Rahi, disturbed by the commotion, made multiple shrieks, roars, and squawks. Then all was silence once more. "Mata Nui, that was scary!" Zanta said, moving forward to poke the thing with his own axes. "But wait a minute, this isn't even alive!" What had first appeared to be a ferocious being was in fact an adolescent Ariakudo, long dead and desiccated, its vermillion exoskeleton left as a final remnant of the once fierce arachnid. Judging by the thick cocoon of silk that enveloped it, the spider Rahi had apparently been trapped by the Visorak and had the very juices sucked from the innards, until it was bone dry. Shouldering his weapon sheepishly, the Green One winced at the carcass. "Yeah, I tink dat was false alarm, but still, vewy scary if you not see immediately. Dis big Visorak tewitowy we be in right now. Be on yous guards." The Sharaku nodded, moving past the dead Ariakudo and deeper into Gorgorak's lair. As they moved into a large clearing, they could see multiple webs in the trees above them, but no Visorak were in sight. Instead, Thukor's keen eyesight spotted several Columni performing their usual tasks of menial labor; but when the Green One attempted to communicate with them, they fled timorously into the refuge of their nest. "That's odd," Kavan observed. "Judging from Turaga Akito's histories, those little guys have never run off from you before." "Hang on," Hanak said, as a trio of Visorak rappelled down in front of the group. "We've got company. Green One, you do the talking." Bowing low and giving his best disarming look, the little being addressed the Kyborak, Ookeerak, and Roggarak in front of him. "Gweetings, fellows. As your faithful fwiend, da Sharaku and me would like to see Queen Gorgorak, to discuss big important matters." Lieutenant Kryzok brushed him aside, glaring straight at Hanak and his team. "I know who you are! You are not to be trusted! Guards, seize them!" As a dozen more Visorak descended from the foliage to surround the Sharaku and the Green One, Hanak yelled in protest. "Whoa, hang on here! We never meant you any harm. Please, we must see Gorgorak, as the matter is one of life and death!" "Bah! You Sharaku are all the same, Dark Lord or no Dark Lord!" Kryzok spat contemptuously. "We'll show you to the Queen all right — unconscious, wrapped up in silk, and pumped full of Hordika venom!" And with that, the Visorak charged. Fortunately for the Sharaku and the Green One, they had drawn their weapons as soon as the additional spiders had arrived. Thus, they immediately began to defend themselves. Hanak, targeted as the leader from the beginning, had been pounced on by Kryzok and his two subordinate officers, who were attempting to wrap him up. Because he was pinned down, the Sharaku of Fire was unable to use his fire swords to slash at the Visorak directly; however, he was able to heat the blades up to unbearably high temperatures. As they recoiled from the blistering temperatures, Hanak thrust out his arms, spinning in a whirlwind of flame that sent the three Visorak spinning off to crash into the bushes. Elsewhere, Zanta was using his rapid teleportation to dodge a barrage of balls of webbing, which were being fired at him by multiple Visorak hanging around him. Rieka had tunneled below ground as soon as she could, and was now in the process of burying some unlucky Suhnorak up to their mandibles in earth. Vukaz, combining both his elemental power and natural power in an ingenious technique, had captured several spider soldiers inside multiple force fields, which he formed into bubbles and filled with water. Suddenly deprived of air, the Rahi could only flounder about until they passed out from lack of oxygen. He then freed these to trap more, while Kavan speedily summoned portals to fling both conscious and unconscious Visorak from the clearing into the nests from whence they came. The Green One was not so lucky, as he had been immediately surrounded by multiple Visorak, who knew that this little being was tricky and hard to disarm. Batting off biting jaws with only an axe and a shield was proving to be a daunting task. But the Green One, in his slippery way, soon found a way to beat these marauders. He holed himself up inside a massive, moss-covered log, which the Visorak, for all the strength of their mouthparts, could not saw through. Every time one tried to get into the narrow opening, he was met by a sharp slice from the Green One's axe, sending him scuttling away in pain. Out of all these scuffles, though, perhaps none were more impressive than Thukor's. The Sharaku of Ice had never really had a chance to use his powers of healing to full advantage, but they would now be utilized gloriously. After being jumped by a trio of Visorak, he had managed to defend himself with freezing parries from his ice blades. But the airborne web-shooting spiders, judging by his outward appearance that this Sharaku was the weakest, enveloped him in multiple threads of webbing, covering Thukor completely and leaving him supine on the forest floor for their poison to do its nefarious work. At least, they thought it would succeed. As soon as the Hordika venom entered Thukor's bloodstream, he was ready for it. Though the chemical agent worked fast, his immune system worked faster, immobilizing and engulfing the hazardous particles while creating antibodies and immunity to them at the same time. It came as a great surprise to the Visorak, then, when Thukor burst forth from the cocoon not as a bestial Hordika, but as a fighting foe even stronger than he was before. From then on no amount of venom could harm him, as he merely shrugged off the webbing blasts while blasting his enemies with subzero strikes. However, the Visorak possessed one great advantage which the Sharaku and the Green One could not overcome: strength in numbers. For every Rahi that the heroes rendered unconscious, another two more came to take their place. And the Sharaku's strict adherence to the Toa creed, disarm, not kill, played into their enemy’s hands as the battle went on: those Visorak knocked out at the start of the battle would recover and rejoin the brawl as it went on. After about a half an hour of intense fighting, the situation had quickly reversed itself. The Green One was expelled from his sanctuary after several Visorak grabbed the log and tossed it into a tree, causing it to shatter to pieces. Slowly, the seven warriors were driven into a tight group in the center of the clearing, surrounded on all sides by hundreds of the spider soldiers. Kryzok advanced with a hungry glint in his eye, staring balefully at the captured Sharaku. "Alright then, Sharaku, the Queen will speak with you now. And let me tell you, she is very, very displeased." Looking upward, the Visorak bowed, and Hanak and his team saw the enormously fat blue and orange matriarch sitting above them, observing all that had taken place. She did not look happy at all. "Pwease, your Majesty, have mercy!" the Green One cried. "Do you honestly think that I will even contemplate devouring you traitors?" Gorgorak stormed. "Oh no; not at all. I plan to dispose of you cleanly, and not by my own hand. You will face the wrath of the true overlords of Terra Nui, the very beings who identified your threat in the first place." Hanak and his team suddenly felt deathly cold. They had always suspected who were behind the act of turning their former Visorak allies against them, and now they were certain. As Gorgorak pointed her pudgy foreleg, they could only turn in the direction it indicated with a mounting apprehension. The Visorak horde parted, and across from them, the Sharaku could see six familiar forms, claws and fangs bared, ready for battle. Cracking his knuckles upon his giant cutlass, its tip buried in the earth, Daigolva looked triumphantly upon the captured heroes, while the other five Quntaino behind him appeared similarly fervent. "We meet again, Sharaku. And this time, it is we who shall be victorious." Review

*raises hand* I don't have the time to dig up links at the moment, but I'd say that the Wayback Machine almost certainly has at least an archived page or few for each of them. Also it's great to see the old admins stopping by to say hi. Good to know you still check back here now and then. ~B~

Thankfully, this is far from the case. That's a good point. The Toa themselves already have quite diverse body shapes, so extra limbs is hardly out of the question. And it's a much more sane explanation than there being a million different sapient species like in the canon MU. Agreed! And this opens the door for far more rational explanations than in Gen 1, where a bunch of explanations devolved into "Gee, the Great Beings made these decisions in designing everything which made no sense unless you think about it all being disposable nanotech and turn your head sideways and stand on one foot, and then it's clear as day you see?" ~B~

I like this idea a lot! Parts drafts are always fun, and I'm all for any additional contests. I'll probably join in, especially given that I haven't built System in ages, and starting again would be fun. ~B~

Yep, the archives unfortunately are gone. The new forums have everything starting from mid-2011, I believe. Otherwise, for older stuff you can always try to search using the Wayback Machine to see if a particular forum page was saved in its archives. ~B~

Happy birthday, BZP! *throws confetti* ~B~

Sure, just give me a few more decades. ~B~

Mask of Fire was probably deemed too similar to the past Kanohi Hau spinnies. I would have expected the Mask of Creation, but I suppose that's just yet another instance where they couldn't get it in-hand early enough to make it as a spinny in time for the anniversary. Can't complain about the Mask of Water, though—the classic Kanohi Kaukau was never used as a spinny, and the new version is just gorgeous. We've also had about five or so spinnies by now from various Fire characters, so I'm glad it's not another. Good point about the Mask of Creation; it definitely would have been the most iconic mask to represent the year, so that's a pretty reasonable explanation as to why it wouldn't have been chosen. Definitely agreed on how gorgeous mask of Water is though! Sure makes it suitable as a spinny in my eyes. ~B~

Chapter 13 Back at the Oasis, the Toa teams had returned as jubilant heroes. With the five-hundred freed Matoran in tow, they made it back to their camp with no Betshu in pursuit. For Akito and Atemu, the reunion with Pelekua was a joyous one, as they hadn't seen their comrade in at least fifty-thousand years. Consequently, Pelekua hadn't heard of much that was going on at the current time on Kemet Nui. Nevertheless, the gutsy old Turaga Sah was more than happy to aid in the effort to liberate Tai-Koro. As for Nekhebet, the previously lonely Chronicler now found herself surrounded by her fellow villagers, including the loyal Guards Meti and Shna. Upon reaching the encampment, the stalwart pair had positioned themselves on either side of the entrance to the Turaga's tent where she too resided, their pikes and Philae short swords in hand in case they needed to defend her. Thanks to Meti, Shna, and Nekhebet's knowledge of fighting, obtained from the Captain of the Guard Sekhet, the Av-Matoran were now tasked with training the others in combat. Fortunately, since the villagers of Kemet Nui had spent their whole lives in fear of a Betshu attack, they needed only minimal touching up to sharpen their battle skills. Once their army was prepared, the Toa had gone to the three Turaga to receive instructions for the final phase of the plan: driving Apep's legions out of Tai-Koro. "Alright everyone, now pay attention!" Atemu called out. He, Akito, and Pelekua stood on a large wooden podium in the center of the camp, while the Toa Terra and Toa Septiu sat on the tree trunks in front of them, and the Matoran stood behind the Toa to observe the proceedings. As usual, Nekhebet, Meti, and Shna stood off to one side, patiently listening to everything their elder was saying. "We have only one chance to take Tai-Koro before Apep and Aso send their troglodytes here to finish us off. The Dahkla Oasis cannot remain hidden forever, so we must act now if we are to succeed." As the Toa and Matoran watched, Akito pulled out a large map of the village and spread it out on a moss-covered stump in front of the podium. Atemu pointed his Superthermal Sickle at it as he continued. "You can see here that Tai-Koro's main entrance, though heavily barricaded, still offers a way into the village. All of the other possible entrances to Tai-Koro would have been from the Re-Stau, but we destroyed those long ago to keep the Betshu out. We have to go this way, then, and you Toa can head to the Re-Stau later to bring back any remaining refugees hiding there." "But won't the Betshu see us coming, and prepare accordingly to keep us out?" Horgah asked. "Besides, if we try to climb the walls, we will be defeated by Auset's thorny vine cover and those archaic, automated energy weapons! What about that?" Akito gave her a crafty smile. "There is another option, which my Kanohi Zalmex has devised to work precisely." He aimed the tip of his fire staff in front of the Great Philae Temple. "As you all know, the six remaining Sisterhood of Het-hert members are under siege in the Temple. However, because that place is a veritable fortress, defended by those very same weapons you mentioned, the Betshu will have not gotten inside. And I have calculated that when our army approaches, they will concentrate along the outer walls and in the streets. Meanwhile, Heru, Nebt-het, and Lyse will take the Xcavator and the Stryda, dig a tunnel leading to the Maa-ti Ur under the center of the Temple, and lead half of our army into Tai-Koro from beneath." Atemu nodded. "Then, of course, you can open the Temple's doors, free the Sisters, and launch a surprise attack upon the Betshu from behind, while the other half of the army attacks them from outside the village. Together, we can defeat them and reclaim Tai-Koro." Horgah seemed satisfied with the Turaga's plan. "While Overseer of the Temple, I helped design some of its fortifications. I know the Great Philae like the back of my hand, so I can certainly help us free Bast and the others." "Naturally," Pelekua added, "the weaker Matoran, as well as us three Turaga, need to stay here during the battle. While we would otherwise relish joining in the liberation of our village, we must stay at the Oasis, so that we can remain hidden from the Betshu. As long as their stronghold is being attacked, they would not dare risk attacking our sanctuary." "What about the Vatuka?" Ausar asked, scratching the monstrous Rahi underneath its chin. "Must it remain here as well?" Akito chuckled at this remark, seeing that the Toa Septiu leader had obviously become attached to the great beast. "No, of course not. You will need more than just your Toa powers to break through the front gate of Tai-Koro. Besides, its mere presence will probably instill fear into those Betshu’s hearts." "You also spoke of these Nak as defending the village," Chompshi said. "Should we have to worry about them?" "Not really," Pelekua answered. "I remember fighting those hideous freaks when I was a strapping young Toa Sah. They aren't much to look at individually, not compared to a Team of Toa." Scanning the three Turaga's audience, Atemu cleared his throat. "I trust that this plan is clear with everyone?" Finding no objection, his weathered face broke into a grin. "Good. It pleases me to no end to see you all here, my friends. Only a few years ago, in the company of only Turaga Aritonu, the Sisters, and the Toa Septiu, I would have said that our chances of defeating the Betshu hordes were slim to nonexistent. But now, with two of my dearest teammates, fourteen Toa, five-hundred-and-one Matoran, and a legendary Rahi at my side, I know now that we possess a splendid opportunity." Akito, who had been quietly listening a moment ago, raised his gaze to the heavens. For once, the blazing sun of Kemet Nui had relented in its eternal glare. It seemed as though a pleasant and mild calm surrounded them at the Dahkla Oasis — like the calm before a storm. Then he held up his fire staff like a beacon for all to follow, speaking with a voice full of determination and resolve. "Let's go." ------ Deep beneath the heart of Kemet Nui, far below even the tunnels of the Xcavator, there existed a mighty bastion. No Rahi dared go near it, nor had any Matoran ever seen it, only having heard of it in their darkest, most primeval legends. This was a place of intense horror, a collection of catacombs infused with a presence so evil, that the Great Beings themselves would tremble with fear, if only they had walked its halls. Inside its spacious central chamber, huge torches burned away with relentless intensity. On its walls, torture implements and the remains of conquered foes slowly gathered dust and decay. Sebau and Samiu patrolled this area by the hundreds, though they knew full well that their master and mistress would never be threatened in their own abode. On one wall of this structure stood a pair of thrones, each one putrid and shadowy in a manner that would make a Makuta's skin crawl. One was taller than the other, covered in pointed spires and dangerous spikes, incorporating the broken Kanohi of long-dead Matoran and the twisted tools of long-vanquished Toa. The other was just as vile, in a sleeker, more feminine way, draped in tattered tapestries and silken garlands. But of the two, only the former was occupied. The being who lounged in the throne's comfortable embrace was one straight out of a nightmare. He wore a long and ornate cape, and possessed the form of a small and relatively weak-looking elder; but this guise was misleading, as he could change his appearance to become gigantic and powerful. His body was covered in blood-red and black armor, and his razor-like claws held no weapons, instead gripping the arms of the throne expectantly. Perhaps the most utterly frightening aspect of him was his face. He wore a Great Kanohi Jutlin, the Mask of Corruption, its jutting blades and wicked teeth bared in a feral, insane grimace, while his glittering, bloodshot, crimson eyes seemed to stare into one's soul, as if they could inflict madness as dire as his own upon the hapless victim. This was Apep, the Scourge of Kemet Nui, King of the Betshu, Atukam incarnate. And he desired nothing more than complete and utter dominion over the entire Dome of Kemet Nui, and merciless control over all of its inhabitants. Upon hearing the sound of footsteps, this demonic figure turned to see another being enter the room. She was identical in stature to him, with a similar cape and armor, only carrying a staff of rank and sporting a black and lime Avsa. While the Scourge of Punt Nui, his mate, had arrived on Kemet Nui several days prior, she had been remarkably restless. "Well, Aso?" Apep demanded. "Those pathetic fools up above have frustrated me to no end! First they free all of my prisoners and kill my best guards, and now they are probably plotting some new strike against Tai-Koro!" His mate looked at him gleefully, her green eyes sparkling with wicked malice. "Do not fret, dearest. I have just dispatched the last Nak to our prize on the surface of Kemet Nui. If Akito, Atemu, and Pelekua think they can take back Tai-Koro with sheer force alone, then they have another thing coming." Apep's frown turned into a jubilant sneer. "That should do it, then. One-thousand Betshu versus a paltry twenty-five score of Matoran and a couple of upstart Toa. I'd say the odds are in our favor, wouldn't you?" "Indeed," Aso replied. "Who needs those useless Vorukan Royal Guards or that treacherous Ballom? We have enough soldiers to last a millennium! Let the Matoran come to us. They won't survive until day's end!" Stepping down from his throne, Apep embraced the Queen of the Betshu. "Yes, my love," the Scourge said, "it's all falling into place." Review

Chapter 12 As the Vatuka charged the terrified Betshu, Heaka slid through the tiny hole in the wall as a flow of water. Returning quickly to her Toa form, she observed that all of the guards in the vast chamber were hurrying over to the barracks. Satisfied that their plan was working, she ran a few bio forward, turned around, and yelled at her friends on the other side of the wall. "Okay, they're all leaving to get to where Ausar is! Let's get down to business!" "Right!" Vrael responded. As Heaka watched, the wall suddenly became crystallized as Vrael struck it with his staff. The crystal then began to emit chain lightning and vibrate rapidly, before a bang and flash of smoke engulfed it. When the smoke cleared, Chompshi and Vrael stood in the center of a hole big enough to admit all the Toa, with their weapon tips still glowing. "What was that?" Matoba was surprised by what his two elders had just done. "I've never seen you two combine your powers like that before." "It's a new technique he and I have started practicing," Chompshi chuckled. His tone turned authoritative, however, as he began rattling off commands. "Alright, everyone, we have about twenty minutes before those Betshu regroup! Nuukor, Pacha, I want you to seal the barracks door for now, while we free all the Matoran. Then, I'll send a telepathic nudge to Ausar, and he and the Vatuka will break through to join us. After that, we must get to the vehicles as fast as possible with all the freed Matoran in tow, so that we can high-tail it out of here and get back to the surface before the Betshu call for reinforcements. Go!" Rapidly, the Toa team dispersed into groups of two, while Heru monitored the entrance to get easy access to the Xcavator. As Pacha and Nuukor sealed the protodermis door behind a stone and earth barrier, the remaining ten Toa split up among the ten long rows of prisoners. The Matoran, formerly quiet lest they be whipped, now seemed filled with newfound energy that a group of Toa had magically arrived to rescue them. Anpu kept an eye out for heavily bound or injured prisoners, who he would need to heal. Looking at the first captive, Auset froze, a look of disbelief on her Kanohi Qemhu. She motioned for Sutekh, Anpu, and Nebt-het to gather near her. "Mata Nui alive! Come and look at this!" The cell held not a Matoran but an old Turaga, wearing a battered, dark red Noble Rau, clad in tattered gold and ebony robes, and handcuffed to his own staff. As Auset cut open the cell with her javelin and freed him from his chains, the Turaga looked quizzically at his rescuers. "Auset? Is that you? My word, you were a young one the last time I saw you! Not only have you sprouted, but you have become a Toa! Well, I'll be a Brakas' uncle!" Turning toward the other Toa, he gave a formal bow, a smile across his weathered face. "Thank you for busting me out of this Kinloka-trap. I am known as Pelekua, Turaga Sah of Rahi Control." "Pelekua? The Pelekua? Well, I'll be!" Anpu seemed just as suprised as Auset. "I remember Atemu telling stories about your heroic deeds, like riding a full-grown Kikanolo bareback with nothing but a flax rope, but I never dreamed about seeing you in the flesh! Atemu and Akito will be quite surprised to see that you are alive!" "Don't bother about healing me, I'm fine," Pelekua said boisterously. "So Atemu and Akito still live, eh? I figured that they would still be alive, the rascals. Well, I've been imprisoned down here by Apep so long that I've virtually forgotten what millennium I'm in!" "As fascinating as this conversation is, we should really be working on freeing the other Matoran," Nebt-het chimed in. "I'm already on it," Sutekh said, as he untangled a struggling Tryna-wearing Kur-Matoran from his chains, stocks, and manacles. "We'd better give this one a bath: he never can seem to smell good, can he?" "Don't bug me about my body odor, I can't help it!" Lacri whined. "I've been through a living Karzahni for the last few decades, chained and beaten up by these horrible Betshu! Trust me, they stink far worse than I do!" Auset looked disdainfully at the Kur-Matoran bully as Anpu healed Lacri's wounds. "You should be ashamed of yourself. We just rescued you after several centuries or more of you being imprisoned in here, in a horrible condition, and you can't even thank us? After all those years of you treating Ausar like dirt, you ought to feel grateful to him." While Lacri babbled a hasty apology, she turned to the other three Toa Septiu. "Come on. We have more hostages to liberate." ------ After another ten minutes, the two groups of Toa had freed all of the Matoran captives. The majority of them seemed healthy and vital; the Betshu had apparently been under orders from Apep not to starve their prisoners. Among the Tai-Koro citizens, the Ko-Matoran Hutchai, the Le-Matoran Skhri, and the Onu-Matoran Khaur seemed the most vital and ready to lead the Matoran to safety. With about 250 of their freed friends in tow, the four Toa Septiu met with the Toa Terra in the center of the prison camp. "Okay," Chompshi said, once everyone was assembled, "My team has the other half of the Matoran with us. Fortunately, we found a pair of Av-Matoran guards who will be able to tell us where the Sisterhood of Het-hert members are; besides Nekhebet, of course." He pointed at Meti and Shna, still carrying their staves and wearing their ceremonial garb, who saluted in response. "But we found quite a few Matoran in our half that seemed to be either very badly injured, or partially insane and confused. Anpu, you'll need to fix them for us." Three Matoran stepped forward. Two of them were Onu-Matoran miners like Khaur, who were named Urek and Pega. But both, it seemed, had been down in the catacombs so long that their sanity was somewhat lacking, and they now incessantly bickered like a breeding pair of Nui-Bauk. As for the Ga-Matoran Horgah, her condition was so terrible that it brought the mild-mannered Toa of Magnetism to tears. Her Miru was badly disfigured, one of her eyes was gone, and part of her foot was missing. The poor thing, unlike Pega and Urek, was not speaking at all, only crying softly from her remaining eye. "Here," Anpu said, "Let me tend to them. First, I'll put these two back into their right minds." He walked over to Pega and Urek, standing between the arguing Onu-Matoran. Putting a hand on each of their heads, he channeled the power of his Kanohi Senb, searching for any damaged body parts. After a few seconds, he found what he was looking for: neurons in each Matoran's brain were misfiring, causing their slight insanity. With a gentle caress from his fingers, healing energy flowed into the brain cells, mending their ruptured synapses. As their wits returned to them and Anpu withdrew his hands, Pega and Urek's manic snarls were replaced with looks of surprise. They looked at each other, shrugged, and embraced in a mighty hug. "Now that that's over with, let me help you with Horgah," said Auset. Kneeling down to head level of the crying Ga-Matoran, she held put a hand on Horgah's shoulder. "Don't worry, everything is going to be all right. I'll just reassure you telepathically while Anpu fixes you up." Nodding at her, Anpu focused his quick healing powers on Horgah. Slowly, as she stood there enveloped in a glowing veil of light, her lost eye reappeared, and her foot nearly mended itself. Anpu's powers were being stretched to the limit by this, and after the process was over, he fell to his knees, panting heavily. As for Horgah, her grief turned to immense joy as she found herself practically whole once again. "I'm back to normal! Oh, thank you, Anpu and Auset!" she cried jubilantly. The happiness on her face turned to a look of resolve, as she turned to Vrael and Chompshi. "Now, let us flee this horrible place." "Alright," Vrael said. "Chompshi, alert Ausar that our time is up. Let's get out of here". ------ Once the mental prod had been sent, the Toa immediately heard a massive rumbling. Turning, they saw the colossal form of the Vatuka burst through the stone and earthen-reinforced barracks door, roaring madly. Though the great Rahi had killed and maimed dozens of Betshu, the evil troglodytes had called for reinforcements, which not even Ausar and the Vatuka would be able to overcome. As they thundered toward the party, Ausar brandished his Kepesh high, pointing at the hundreds of Sebau and Samiu that were rapidly scuttling after him. "Run! Get to the vehicles now! Apep has sent more of his minions after us! Run!" With terror-induced speed, Heru quickly boarded the Xcavator as Nebt-het and Lyse climbed into the Stryda. Chompshi and Vrael motioned for the other Toa, Turaga Pelekua, and all of the Matoran to follow behind the retreating vehicles, while the Vatuka served as a rear guard. "Come on! Into the tunnels! Pacha, Nuukor, you stay behind us to collapse the tunnels to seal them off! Go!" The Matoran, for being cramped up in their cells for weeks on end, were remarkably fast runners. As they all crowded into the tunnel, the Vatuka galloped through the hole in the wall made by Chompshi and Vrael. Once the Vatuka and Ausar had gone through, the two Toa Terra at the rear of the party looked at each other, nodded once, and then turned to face the oncoming horde. The slavering, sneering Betshu had made it into their prison cave and were rapidly advancing. Just as they neared the hole in the wall, however, Pacha and Nuukor unleashed their powers. A veritable avalanche of rock fell from the ceiling to form a huge pile in front of the two Toa, burying many of the Betshu under it and spilling into the cave itself. Once the dust cleared, the war-mad troglodytes found themselves up against an unbreakable, five-bio tall mountain of broken boulders, crushed stone, and chunks of protodermis, which utterly walled off any chance of pursuit through the tunnels. Their captives had escaped. Outside, the retreating Toa teams and the freed Matoran were already far away. Amid the cheers of the Matoran, Ausar leaned down from the galloping Vatuka to speak to Auset, who was running beside the steed. "We did free the people of Tai-Koro, true. But something very bad has still occurred." "What is that?" Auset asked, not understanding entirely what the matter was. "Those Betshu didn't just lose their prisoners by accident. They have eyes and can report to their superiors. We are now in mortal danger. Apep and Aso will find out that we Toa have returned." Review

Yes. Although that was in about the fifteenth plot arc, so there's plenty of prior material that could be drawn on as well. Well, they could always have brief storyline overviews in a matter similar to the Bionicle animations to sum up each arc (or at least the scenes the sets would be based on) and make them familiar that way. Prior knowledge wouldn't be required. ~B~

Make a Girl Genius theme! It would be amazing! And, of course, its numerous great qualities other than a female lead and many other strong female characters would make it have universal appeal, not just limited to girls as a target audience. ~B~

I was afraid this would be yet another hopelessly oversized Lego Ideas project, like that gargantuan Flying Dutchman. I was pleasantly surprised to see that isn't the case for this one! It looks really cool, with lots of neat details, and I hope it becomes a set. ~B~

There's the slight problem in that it's very clearly not Mata Nui as a setting, and there aren't Matoran, or Turaga, or Rahi, or a Mata Nui being needing awakening, or, or ... ~B~

Chapter 11 With the Vatuka, the Xcavator, and the Stryda in hand, the two parties of Toa were able to return safely to the Dahkla Oasis. The giant Rahi, utterly tame due to Chompshi and Ausar's befriending it, seemed to enjoy being active and ready to bash Betshu skulls. Likewise, the two vehicles seemed perfectly suited for the task they were about to perform. Now that they possessed the tools they needed, the two Turaga set to work. The Toa Terra and the Toa Septiu now found themselves beneath the Ta-She Lowlands, in a series of tunnels that the Xcavator was creating. According to Akito and Atemu's plan, the Xcavator and Stryda would dig out tunnels extending from the Oasis to the vast subterranean concentration camp where Apep had imprisoned the Matoran. In addition to the fourteen heroes, the overeager Vatuka had been brought as a failsafe in case the team was confronted by a large force of hostile guards. The plan was to find the area where the Betshu guards were largely concentrated, and set loose the Vatuka to distract them and knock them unconscious. Meanwhile, the Toa would use their weapons and elemental powers to free the Matoran from their cells, and lead them back to where the vehicles were parked. Then, if any Sebau and Samiu began pursuit, the Xcavator and Stryda would lead the group back to the surface, with the Toa and Vatuka serving as a rear guard. Hopefully, all of the Betshu would be eliminated, so that Apep and Aso would not be alerted of any break-in. As usual, Heru was in the lead, with Nebt-het and Lyse following close behind. Though the Xcavator had already dug through several kio of earth to reach its current destination, the Toa of Gravity was not entirely sure of where the party was in relation to the surface. After all, neither Atemu nor Akito knew exactly where the Matoran of Tai-Koro were being imprisoned. At the head of the Toa line behind the vehicles, with the Vatuka bringing up the rear, Chompshi was using his thunder lance to provide electric illumination. Though the designated leader of the party, this did not stop him from being harangued by the ill-tempered Toa of Storms. "This is ridiculous," Sutehk said. "We've been traveling for close to a half hour now, and we still don't know where we are or if we're even close to the Matoran! We could be down here for hours, traverse the whole of the island, and still never find them!" "Stop complaining," Vrael replied. "We aren't lost as long as Heru keeps moving forward. He should know where we are. Nevertheless, if you insist, we can get our bearings. Chompshi, if you please." Nodding at his friend, Chompshi pulled out a communication device that Turaga Atemu had furnished him with. After some tinkering, Akito had connected it to the same frequency as the Xcavator and Stryda's computer modules. Now the Toa of Electricity could communicate with each vehicle at any time. "Hey, Heru! How are things up at your end?" "Well, I've stopped digging for now. There's a large boulder blocking our path, and it will take a few minutes to drill through it all. But I have absolutely no idea of where we are. Neither do Nebt-Het or Lyse. Honestly, unless we can use some kind of sonar to scan through the soil, we will be utterly lost!" Stifling Sutehk’s sarcastic laugh in response to Heru, Chompshi turned around to address the six Toa Terra behind him. "Alright, everyone, we need to figure out how far away the prison is. Pacha, can you help us?" The Toa of Stone stepped forward, a huge grin spread across her face. "Well, Chompshi, I'll see what I can do here." While the Toa leader ordered Heru to stop the Xcavator’s drill, Pacha moved to the front of the procession, next to the gigantic burrowing implement. Concentrating with her Kanohi Ijuta, she felt the earth around her in a large radius. Any major tunnel, cave, or mining station would be detected by her Kanohi as a disturbance in the soil in that particular area. After several minutes of scanning, she found what she was looking for: a huge cavern located due east from the Xcavator, three kio away. "I found it!" she yelled, running back to where Chompshi stood expectantly. "It's three kio from us, directly to our right!" As the Toa cheered for their comrade’s timely assistance, Chompshi spoke to Heru. "Alright, start her up and head her east. The prison isn't far at all." ------ Twenty minutes and three kio later, the Xcavator was startled by an unusual crunching sound. Looking forward, Heru peered at the place where the drill was stalling. He noticed that a silvery material was peeling in minute flakes away from the front of his vehicle. It could only be one thing: protosteel. "I just hit a wall! The prison must be located right in front of us!" Heru yelled into his communicator. "Excellent," Chompshi replied. "Now, we must make haste. Heru, Nebt-het, back up a ways so that there's space in front of you for the Toa back here." Soon the eleven heroes found themselves looking at a jagged hole in the wall, lined with shredded protosteel and broken protodermis. Peering inside the gap, Nuukor could see a few further inches of metal. "Let me handle this." He pulled out his rotary electropole and turned it on, using the weapon to drill a small, neat hole into the wall. Nebt-het then made sure to create a sound barrier around the Toa so that no Betshu could hear them from the other side. Once the job was finished, Nuukor turned to Heaka. "I can't see inside myself, and if I did go inside, I might alert any guards. You, on the other hand, can remain undetected as a puddle of water. Go in there, see what you can, and tell us how the situation looks." "Got it." Heaka used her Kanohi to transform into a liquid state, and, with a quick swish, flowed through the tiny gap to the other side. Condensing herself, she then observed her surroundings. She found herself in a broad cavern about twenty bio high and hundreds wide. Around the perimeter was a metal wall with heavy bolts in it, to keep out any intruders. Guard platforms were built into the stone outcroppings that projected near the ceiling, which were being patrolled heavily. Near the back was a protodermis door that several sentries were moving in and out of, suggesting a barracks of sorts where the guards lived. But what Heaka saw next was so heart-wrenching that she had to control herself not to gasp in horror. Hundreds of Matoran, with some of every tribe, were jammed tight into protosteel cages arranged in multiple rows. Though all of the Matoran were silent, they did not appear passive at all: several wore chains or manacles, and many more appeared to have been whipped or beaten, suggesting many instances of resistance. Worst of all were the Betshu themselves. Heaka got to see them in gory detail, as a Sebau and Samiu went to investigate her before deciding that this puddle was merely a leak in their walls. The Sebau was short and squat, with lime green skin and small, muscular limbs. It had a silver chest plate and tiny silver wings on its back, and carried a thick chain in its claws. The Samiu was taller, and red in hue, with a leaner, more slender body and limbs. It too bore silver armor, but had a pair of gauntlets on its hands, each one sprouting long blades. What really chilled her to the bone, however, were the Betshu’s vacant, skull-like faces, each grinning grimly below a set of red, watery eyes. Atop their heads were sturdy, domed helmets, fitting covers for dim-witted troglodytes such as themselves. Once she had seen all she needed to see, Heaka went back through the hole and returned to her solid form. "The place is just crawling with soldiers — at least a hundred of them! And those poor Matoran, they are trapped like Hoto bugs in a cage! We must do something now, in order to set them free!" "We must escape detection, though," Matoba added. "The problem lies in getting the Vatuka to an area where it can overwhelm the guards, while we rush in there and free the Matoran before making our getaway." He turned to Pacha and Nuukor. "Do you two think you can dig a smaller tunnel for the Vatuka to get through, so that he can have his chance to join the brawl?" "Gladly," Nuukor said. "But we'll need to know where to strike. Heaka, where did you say the barracks were?" "Directly across from us, I think. Of course, you two tunnel much slower than the Xcavator, so we will need some time." Pacha patted her friend on the shoulder. "Don't worry about us, Heaka. With old Vatuka on our side, what can go wrong?" ------ Inside their lair, the Sebau and Samiu were having a typical day. Though none too bright, the troglodytes followed Apep's directions precisely: whip fast, whip hard, keep the female and adolescent Matoran quiet, and beat any troublemakers. Today, some of their guards had had to deal with a particularly offensive and odiferous Matoran named Lacri. This black and red bully had been reprimanded several times for insulting his captors and for trying to attack them and his fellow inmates: now he was in manacles, stocks, and three sets of chains. Apart from their finding a strange leak in their western wall, everything was proceeding as usual. One of the Sebau had stopped to get a tankard of Bula wine from one of the cached barrels when the entire barracks room shook as if from thunder. Startled, the dim-witted Betshu checked to see if the tap was working properly. He was then buried under a massive pile of rubble, consisting of stone and protodermis that had previously been the nearest wall. As the other Sebau and Samiu looked up in befuddlement, fear struck their black, twisted hearts. They saw a colossal black and silver Rahi, with plated armor, jagged spikes, and huge horns, baring a mouth full of dagger-like teeth while glaring at them with a pair of baleful orange eyes. It gave a brutish roar, prepared to tear anything in its path to pieces. Sitting atop the bloodthirsty Vatuka, right behind its head on its armored neck, Ausar casually sharpened his Kepesh. With a smile, he pointed the weapon at the Betshu. "Greetings, you filthy Kraata-spawn. Say hello to my little friend!" Review

Ten thousand posts? What kind of loser has that much time to spend on this site? Also, thanks, everyone! Oh, and had I known my 10000th post would have been linked to, I'd have made it be a post in my Epic, to direct traffic there. ~B~

Happy birthday, Sumiki! May there be much celebration and hats. And you're old now! How's it feel? Edit: Oh my, you managed to get my 10000th post in this topic as well. Good thing I wasn't planning on saving it for any momentous occasion! Although perhaps you becoming an old fogey is one. ~B~

A big group of people probably went into the raffle, winning and handing off six to the one person in the group who wanted to sell them. It is a raffle, so some kids might lose and some older folks may win. Still, it's a bit fishy that he got six. Haha it seems so obvious now. Technically nothing wrong with that.. So either the raffle was leaning pretty heavily towards the winning side or people just kept getting very lucky. ~|ET|~ I mean there were what, nearly 1800 of them? That's more than twice those given out at NYCC, and that was over four days. That said, it's already down to 30ish on ebay. Even if it goes below that, I picked one up for 35. That's less than a Saturday ticket to SDCC would have cost me (and I wanted to go pretty badly, it's just a 20 minute drive away!) I don't see this one going for a lot in the long run, which is good for those who want it! Where did the value 1800 come from? I can't seem to make out numbering on the ones on eBay; was it mentioned elsewhere? But that is very good news! I had expected the price to be much higher. Of course, I had thought that the total quantities would be much smaller as well. ~B~

I revived a bunch of topics, as I recall, as well as generally spamming a bit early on. Thankfully such noobish records were obliterated when the forums archive was erased. ~B~

Oh, the completionists would be upset about that one. But I hope so. More exclusives would start to fix the issue of few masks overall, even if few people could get their hands on them all. ~B~

Counterpoint: Pink is the best color, please Lego give us some??? Or, give us more of magenta, the color used for the Ben 10 Chromastone, seen on this awesome piece. Magenta's already on a few sets anyway. Imagine CCBS pieces in the color! ~B~

Oh hey, that mask does look extremely well-fitting on Scorpio. Very nice. Gali and Tahu's trans masks stood out a tad, but Scorpio's is about perfect when worn. ~B~

Quite nice for being mostly a CCBS-mod, other than that sweet custom gearbox. That itself seems to be the biggest highlight; it fits quite well over him like a backpack of sorts, and the usage of the old Bionicle gear is good as well. Otherwise, I particularly like the yellow areas on the shoulder plates; they look like holders for vials of acid, which is a neat touch. ~B~